Did Rommel ever actually join the Nazi party officially? There's a lot of confused information on the web about this so proper citations would be appreciated.
EDIT: A lot is riding on this question since I have a bet with my friend. Whoever loses has to buy and read a book of the other person's choosing. And based on the experience of previous similar bets, there's an understanding that an abysmal piece of rubbish of a book will be picked.
Not sure which of you are on which side of the bet but according to Daniel Butler and David Fraser even though Rommel was strongly aligned to the Nazi party (until 1944) and was thought of highly by Hitler he never actually joined the party. I'm sorry that I couldn't provide more information this isn't my area.
Sources and Further Reading:
Field Marshal: The Life and Death of Erwin Rommel ~ Daníel Butler
Knight's Cross: A life of Field Marshall, Erwin Rommel ~ David Fraser