5 comments about My Hitch in Hell: The Bataan Death March (Memories of War).

1. I'm finishing up this book right now. I've read a lot of history books from WWII and I'm a veteran, but not of that era. I completely agree with the other 2 star rater--the degree of self-aggrandizement is excessive, and makes it a difficult read as I found it to be quite distracting, even if it is ALL true. As far as it being 'myth telling' and a book of fiction, who knows, I wasn't there--but as Dr. House says, everyone lies and detail from 50 years ago is bound to be lost or distorted--however, I believe that the treatment of the prisoners was accurately portrayed by the author, and for that reason, this book is useful.
   
   The fact that Dr. Tenney was a survivor of Bataan, demands respect, but I think he could have added a more valuable perspective to the literature if he would have toned down his many, many accolades to himself.



2. This readable memoir of one of the darkest parts of World War II in the Pacific theater brings Lester Tenney's experiences as a young man, recruit, soldier, prisoner of war and repatriated civilian to life. Mr. Tenney's journey through the hell he describes leads us through pain, despair, hope, bitterness and ultimately to the forgiveness he found. We learn about one man's faith in family and loved ones that led to his determination to survive. Anyone interested in World War II will find this a valuable resource. My book group (women in our fifties and sixties) was moved by this book. Several bought more copies to give to friends and family.



3. This is a story about a terrible event in history. This is not a fun story to read but it is one that needs to be read to help us appreciate how good our life really is. There are many memorable parts to this book, I am amazed anyone could survive this.



4. I remember this situation when I was 10 years old during WW2. This is a fascinating read and so well written that I could not put it down. It tells it like it was..



5. I just finished this book, and I must say I am inspired. Lester Tenney deserves an enormous amount of respect and admiration for what he endured and acomplished during his time as an american POW.
   
   While this is not exactly a full account of the Death March and the surrounding events filled with statistics and data, it is Tenney's first hand account that makes this horrendous event so palpable that the reader feels as though they are enduring the very same hardships.
   
   Do not expect this to be a simple or comfortable read. While the book has some wonderful and very happy moments, namely Tenney's own postive attitude and inner strength, these moments are doubled by nearly unbearable situations that will make you cringe, as any story about one of the most horrifying events of the war should. Tenney describes in extreme detail the atrocities of the Japanese military. While this story is anything but rosy, it is indescribably important, as it tells a story which seems to be forgetten in our society. What these men suffered through was every bit as terrifying as those on the battlefield, and those who suffered during the Holocaust. Tenney does their story justice, and shows us that these harrowing men deserve every bit of respect and admiration as any other serving in an American uniform.

5 comments about A Soldier's Story (Modern Library War).

1. General Bradley gives us the reasons and the inside look at interactions between a commanding general and his subordinate commanders. There are plenty of issues such as logistics, strategy, and management of the battlefield that are detailed in this book. We get a bird's eye view of the strategy. Reasons are given for moving Terry Allen and Theodore Roosevelt Jr. from the command of the 1st Infantry Division to the halting of Patton from closing the Falaise Gap. In addition to this, there is plenty of anecdotes and thoughts on the leadership and characteristcs of his subordinate generals like General Hodges and General Patton. General Bradley does not spend too much time reflecting on the losses and tragedies of the war. He moves fairly quickly on the actions of the U.S. Army.
   
   For the most part, General Bradley tends to be as objective as he can until he deals with Field Marshal Montgomery. Bradley does not hide his irritation towards Field Marshal Montgomery, who is pictured as a commander who is somewhat coddled by General Eisenhower. Field Marshal Montgomery does not seem to be a team player in the Allied command structure. Bradley gives us hints at Montgomery's selfish nature in his descriptions of the Field Marshal.
   
   The impressive aspect of this book is General Bradley's sharp attention to details. He seems to have his handle from everything from logistics to personnel to the frontline situation.
   
   There is plenty of discussion of the different levels of command and the units. This is balanced with numerous maps and diagrams. There are also charts on the content of a U.S. Field Army, Infantry Division, and Armored Division. These maps and diagrams help out those who are not so familiar with basic military unit sizes.
   
   The book would be fine for both the experienced military historian or someone who is a beginner reader of World War II in the European Theater.



2. 
   This is one of the finest historical accounts ever written. There is
   little room for boredom here. I have seen the movie "Patton" many
   times, and while it is one of the best war films of all time, it is
   always interesting to learn more about one of the key components behind
   it. General Bradley takes the reader through each phase of the war,
   explaining the fundamentals of each stage, as if we were right there
   at that moment in time. I highly recommend this book to any serious
   student of American History.



3. A well written account of high command in the Med and Eurpoe during the Second World War, but biased towards the writer. This book serves better as memoir because of the way Bradley puts his his version of events.
   
   The battle of the Falaise gap and the Ardennes offensive are points to consider. Bradley lauds the pedestrian Courtney Hodges but derides Patton who admittedly had his faults and for his actions was treated accordingly.



4. I have rarely enjoyed a book so much. It is thoroughly engrossing, illuminating us to so many aspects of the European Theater, many of the great men of the war, and general command principles.
   
   Bradley recounts, in some detail, battle by battle the move through Africa, Sicily, France and Germany. His account seems straightforward and humble, tackling failures of Monty (including Market Garden) Patton, and even himself in his failure to anticipate the Ardennes Offensive that led to the Battle of the Bulge.
   
   His accounts of interactions with great men of the era such as Eisenhower, Monty, and Patton are worthwhile, but what I found fascinating were the figures new to me such as Hodges, Middleton, Ridgeway, Heubner, Gerow, Devers, and even Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. The hard-charging, do your duty feeling that was evident in this book makes me proud to be an American. It is simply amazing to see that men such as Eisenhower and Bradley moved from relative obscurity as colonels to leaders of enormous armies in some of the most important battles of history in a period of only 5 or 6 years.
   
   An added plus are the motivational and management lessons learned from Bradley.
   
   One suggestion: While the book is filled with helpful maps, search for WW2 Battlefield maps online and print them for reference. Keep them with you when you read Bradley's accounts. They will make following the detail of movement much easier.



5. "A Soldier's Story" by Gen. of the Army Omar Bradley is a impressively engaging book dealing with his experiences in Europe and Africa during World War II. Being in every major engagement from Algeria to the Elbe, Bradley retraces the steps of the American and British armies from TORCH and the thrust in North Afica through Sicily and finally into mainland Europe in OVERLORD and subsequent battles.
   
   General Bradley offers excellent advice on command and his views and Allied views on the war. Throughout the book, frequent maps illustrate the battle plans and make for a better situational awareness.
   
   As a valuable war book, "A Soldier's Story" is an excellent choice to learn about WWII in detail. It offers excellent command advice and allows the reader to form his personal viewpoints on our role in the fight. An excellent read.

5 comments about Muqtada Al-Sadr and the Battle for the Future of Iraq.

1. The author provides both a first hand account of the Shia poltical environment after the fall of Saddam's regime as well as a history of the unique and bitter relationship between the Shia and Saddam that is most interesting for westerners as the author explains not only the conflicts between the Shia and Sunni but also between the Shia themselves. The book is not intended to be a bio of Muqtada al-Sadr but to underline his role in the Shia political conflicts within Iraq today. The most interesting aspects of the book is the telling of how the Shia were punished and killed during Saddam regime particularly Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr's father, Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr. In summary yet informative detail, the author explains how the murder of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr caused a split among the Shia particularly those leaders that fled the country and then returned after Saddam's fall. The best example of this violent split is when Sayyid Abdul Majid al-Khoei returns to Iraq to assume a leadership role among the Shia but then is brutally murdered almost at Muqtada al-Sadr's door step. The slaughter of the Shia after the coalition stopped during Deset Storm, after encouraging an uprising, is well discussed with the bitterness it invoked along with the post Iraq war misunderstandings by the U.S. occupation most noted by Paul Bremmer. This is a very concise but well written educational look at the political situation in Iraq. My only criticism is that books in detail on the middle east should have a glossary of terms and a defined character list, for those less familar with middle east terms and titles, and I include myself, to assist the reader.



2. Cockburn does a wonderful job using day to day interviews to paint a larger picture deserving of the many accolades he has received in the international press. Iraqi society, much more complex and modern than the American media ever paints, is a boiling cauldron fired by the legacy of Saddam, the sanctions, and now the US occupation.
   
   This book is for anyone who wants an understanding of the Iraqi resistance and Muqtada al-Sadr that goes beyond the moronic simplicity of White House press releases.



3. Patrick Cockburn's approximately 30 years of covering Iraq give him the institutional memory, historical perspective and varied sources to deliver a nuanced profile of Muqtada al-Sadr. Cockburn is not the type of journalist to hang around hotels hobnobbing with elites to get his stories, but is willing to risk his life.
   Cockburn shows that al-Sadr is more pragmatic than radical and that he only has partial control of the Mahdi Army which is less an army than several volunteer militias with varied agendas. The arrogance and brutality of Saddam Hussein and the Americans who overthrew him is also documented and how it allowed al-Sadr to gain power no matter how perilous his grip on it is.



4. This is quite simply THE definitive book on the Iraqi Shia political movements. It is written by the best (and sometimes it seems only) reporter in Iraq. Its must-reading for anyone who wants to understand the real political situation in Iraq.



5. If you will read just one book about the Iraq before and after the invasion, this is. Give valuable info about why was so rapid the develop of shia militias and shia political parties - and their rivalries. Shed light of the mistrust toward the US by the shia's poor of the south that were slaughtered under Saddam after the insurrection rise up against him. Many believing the 1991 coalition will intervene and help them.
   
   The actual ethnic cleansing - another actual not editorialized as such genocide in the hopeless international community watch - taking part in Iraq is covered sadly, pretty painful. Whith the corrupt government seeing as not legitimate puppets of the US, that are part of the sectarian clashes with their private army's/militias or self defense group's, sometimes dressed as police or army units.
   
   Finnaly, why and how so quickly Muqtada rise up is explain.

No comments about STORMTROOPER ON THE EASTERN FRONT: Fighting with Hitler's Latvian SS.

5 comments about American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day.

1. I wish I could meet Col. Bud Day and thank him personally for what he has done. The book reads a narrative of his life from childhood in Sioux City to this day in Florida. I am very impressed. Col. Day's life is an example every man and woman should and could follow. A man of righteous convictions, morally and spiritually strong and right and above all, he has been in the service of his country for more than 6 decades. He volunteered to fight in WW II as a Marine, then as an Army reservists in yrs after WW II and later as an Air Force officer pilot in Korea & Vietnam. He did every thing asked of him truly the right way. He was shot down in 1967 and held captive as a POW for more than 6 yrs. His life is filled with honor and sense of duty and courage. I wish I could be him. Colonel Bud Day sets an example for the people and readers can model themselves around his character. There's nothing wrong with this man who has won the US Congressional Medal of Honor. The book is terrific and an easy read yet it is hard to put down. I couldn't. I am going to read other works by the author Mr. Coram. I loved this book and I believe every young men and women should read this book to learn a few simple things. Regardless of your nationality and politics, this man, Bud Day, has things to offer and it is best that we learn. Highly recommended book!



2. The things this man has done are amazing. Not everyone will like the part about doing everything he can to keep John Kerry out of the Oval Office but I sure as hell did. He is a true American Hero. Read and keep this book.



3. A must read for anyone who wishes to understand what sets the "military" man apart from his civilian counterpart. This book also goes a long way in describing the angst that still resides with our Vietnam Vets and the betrayal they felt from the US Government, the media, and the citizens.



4. Excellent! For those history buffs, it tells of his military and civilian accomplishments for all veterans.



5. This is a great book that is bound to be of interest to many pilots.
   
   It is the story of Misty 1, the leader of the Top Secret Squadron that flew some of the most dangerous missions of the Vietnam War, alone, solo, on the deck, with no wingman or back up. But it's more than that. Much more.
   
   Most of our tales of American heros are old, from the Revolutionary War or perhaps World War II. This book starts there, but there is so much more.
   
   It's a story that Americans should know about a deadbeat kid from the wrong side of the tracks who bettered himself and served his nation with honor. I got misty eyed in places.
   
   And the end of the book -- when Colonel Day and his wife successfully fought Washington politics and self-serving revisionist history is the stuff of legends. When our own government sought to betray its veterans, Bud Day's small law firm sued in the Supreme Court and prevailed. The story of what really happened behind the scenes in the 2004 election was even more amazing. God bless Colonel Bud Day, and God Bless America.
   
   Americans should read this book. It should be required reading for high school history classes. This story exemplifies the service, deeds and honor that made America great, not in the long-ago past, but today; not just in the past but also for the future. It's timely reading for the 2008 election. Bud Day was John McCain's roommate in the Hanoi Hilton prison camp, where they both suffered torture and inhumane treatment.
   
   This is a story of honor and the American Dream, and Robert Coram tells it well, and in honor of the father he never understood.

5 comments about Attacks.

1. Company level actions in WWI. Written by Rommel after WWI, there is nothing about tanks in this book but plenty about taking the initiative and aggressive maneuver. The core of Rommel's later style of warfare is on display here. The English translation is very readable.



2. Another necessary read for the study of the Second World War--this may be one of the most accessible texts for those just beginning to study the period. The maps drawn by Rommel are useful and clearly annotated: a good model to learn from. His analysis of the actions could be longer, however much they may be implied in the accounts; some passages could have deserved more commentary. I suppose he left that to the military-pedagogues whom he assumed would be able to pick up the baton in the classroom. Infantry Attacks is focused and avoids unnecessary didacticism and borderline self-aggrandizement present in some of his other writings. In sum: accessible, concise and engaging. Highly recommended.



3. Erwin Rommel first learned his trade in the Great War as an Infantry commander. In this work he discusses individual actions he took part in and the lessons he learned regarding modern combat. Most of these lessons are still relevent today, which shows just how observant he was.
   
   The book is illustrated with sketches which were originally published with the book, which is fortunate as the drawings and maps make it possible to follow Rommel's line of thought as he refights these battles. It is not a light read and if you are not interested in military history you probably will not want to put the necessary amount of work into it.



4. The principal players of the Second World War paid their dues in the First, and Erwin Rommel was no exception. The man who would later become "the Desert Fox" and win worldwide acclaim as one of the greatest generals of all time began his combat career as a young lieutenant in the army of Wilhelm II, indistinguishable from thousands of others who crossed the French or Belgian frontier in 1914. Four years later he was one of the most decorated soldiers in the Imperial Army, holder of the "Pour le Merite" (the highest Prussian award for bravery) and a firm believer that "positional [i.e. trench] warfare" was for fools. His credo could be summed up in the old Prussian maxim: "Never ask how strong the enemy is, only where he is -- and march to the sound of guns."
   
   Rommel published ATTACKS in 1937, when he was a lieutenant-colonel in the Reichsheer and commandant of the military academy in Weiner Neustadt. At the time he was already famous in the German army for his 1914 - 1918 exploits, but ATTACKS brought him international acclaim, at least in military circles. In Germany the book made him quite wealthy, and in a sense one can see why: compared to the turgid, half-mystical reminiscences of some of his contemporaries, ATTACKS is entirely without introspection. It is simply a recounting of the innumerable small-unit actions in which Rommel participated in during the Great War. The book's methodical, matter-of-fact style reflects the personality of its author, who was not inclined to philosophizing. The "whys" and "wherefores" of war mattered to him not at all. Unlike Ernst Juenger, who also won the Pour le Merite and wrote postwar accounts of his exploits (THE STORM OF STEEL, COPSE 125, WAR AS AN INWARD EXPERIENCE) Rommel wasn't interested in the "inward experience", just the fighting. He was a soldier's soldier.
   
   During the War, Rommel served extensively in France, Rumania and Italy, and ATTACKS recounts in great detail his many offensive exploits, where he distinguished himself not merely with his aggressive style but by his habit (repeated in World War II) of leading from the front. Utterly fearless, possessing unlimited physical stamina and seemingly immune to pain (his gunshot wounds are described merely as events, like losing the sole of a shoe; the only thing that seems to have caused him real discomfort in the whole war was getting a foot smashed by a boulder in the mountains) Rommel was the ideal junior officer under any conditions, and was rightly worshipped by his men - another trait he enjoyed in the '39 - 45 war. He was further distinguished by his nobility and chivalry, qualities which are more responsible than his military genius for making him beloved among his former enemies. Today, Rommel is the only one of the myriad generals who achieved fame in Nazi Germany who is officially honored by the present day German government.
   
   The strength of ATTACKS lies not merely in the nature of what is being described (battle and more battle) but in the fact that Rommel has no artistic pretentions: he simply records what happened without sentimentalizing or succumbing to the Germanic curse of using 1,000 words when two hundred would suffice. This, however, is also the book's great weakness: all these skirmishes, raids, marches, countermarches, midnight conferences, attacks, retirements, hand-grenade fights, machine-gun duels, artillery bombardments, and climbs up mountain slopes in the rain, snow and blazing sun begin to wear down the reader over time. If it is possible for combat to be monotonous, Rommel occasionally manages to make it so, if only by the staggering amount of it he actually experienced. If Juenger was often turgid and romantic, he was also willing to discuss the lighter side of war - the pranks, the drinking, the philosophical bull-sessions and the endless war against rats, boredom and Prussian discipline. Such humanistic moments would have been welcome in ATTACKS, but Rommel was not inclined to dwell on them. (The closest thing he displays to a sense of humor is contemptuous jokes at the expense of the French and the Italians, neither of whom seem to have impressed him with their soldierly ability.)
   
   So, if you are looking for a pure combat memior, penned by one of the greatest soldiers ever, ATTACKS is the very definition of the bill. But if you want a look "under the helmet" into the mind and soul of a great fighting man, I would suggest supplementing ATTACKS with Juenger's more layered STORM OF STEEL. After all, nothing is more Prussian than obtaining a "total view" of a military situation!



5. I have no complaints. In response to another review, German troops, specifically those under Rommel's command, are made to look far more competent than most troops of other nationalities Rommel encountered because by all accounts they were. Rommel's men wouldn't have surrendered in the thousands to 3 officers, nor been so lax in sentry and recon duty. When he encounters worthy foes he gives credit where it is due, in one case calling them "men in every way" to paraphrase. But the aggressive fighting spirit and competence of Rommel's men is shown time and time again. Volunteering to run out on a bridge under enemy fire and chop wires leading to bombs with a hand axe (for all that Sergeant knew the wires could have been electric and the bombs could have gone the second he got near one), swim a freezing cold, rapidly moving river alone to infiltrate enemy lines etc, this is what his men would do for him.
   
   The tone is largely a matter of interpretation, I believe that at the time and place the book was written it was not so much braggadocio as it was lack of false modesty, and rightful pride in his and his men's accomplishments. In America many will interpret this as shameless bragging.
   
   I see nothing wrong with the lessons of building fortifications to prevent casualties and conducting constant reconnaissance. However those are not by any means the only lessons in the book. Rommel's use of "supple infantry tactics" against often numerically far superior, and firepower-superior (though as mentioned before inferior in competence, aggression, and bravery) enemies, and his use of diversions, sneak attacks and generally concealed movements are timeless applied lessons of warfare straight out of Sun Tzu's "Art of War".
   
   His use of overwhelming concentrations of pinning fire, combined with the above, helped him limit casualties while flanking the enemy and capturing prisoners in the many thousands in total. He scarcely lost a battle even though he often didn't have the support of artillery during an attack due to materiale shortages. He was a very aggressive commander who always took the initiative when given the chance, something that paid off time and time again. He wasn't incautious, he simply knew an opportunity when he saw one, and was bold enough to exploit these situations.

5 comments about A Spy's Journey: A CIA Memoir.

1. The book walks the reader through an officer's career from the highs to the lows. the book outlines the positives and negatives of life as an officer - it also explains that in many instances, taking a step backward in your career many times is how you get forward. Floyd's career was nothing short of stellar.
   
   If you are at all interested in the art or service of espionage - this is aa must read.



2. While certainly a skilled case officer, Mr. Paseman's writing skills leave something to be desired. His memoirs are very entertaining and full of unique experiences, but his lack of skill with the written word means that paragraphs are clunky and flow poorly. Well worth the money for anyone looking to find out exactly what being a CIA case officer is truly like, but don't expect writing skills beyond the level of a high school newspaper editor.



3. Without a doubt Floyd Paseman was a great spy and had a wonderful career in service to our country. But, he is a horrible author and should have had someone else write his memoirs. The book is dull and boring.



4. I thought that the book was poorly written because the writer puts none of his stories in any context of what was going on at the time that the events he writes about were occuring. He could have added a lot about what happened after Carter and Turner with the help of the Church committee wrecked the CIA. A couple of his "hah hah" stories should have gotten somone fired for bad judgement.
   
   A shallow book over all. There are a lot better books written by CIA alums.



5. This book presents a detailed account of one man's life in the CIA, the challenges he had to face and how he went about to resolve these challenges. Its more of a biography rather then an account of what the CIA is really is. Futhermore, the author talks about how his family deals with his working life and thereby giving a 'human' side to the espionage world. All in all, a great read and would reccomend it.

No comments about Masters and Commanders: How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945.

5 comments about Rupert Red Two: A Fighter Pilot's Life From Thunderbolts to Thunderchiefs.

1. I am a retired fighter pilot with over 5000 hours of fighter time including 1200 in the Thud. I find Col Broughton's books to be required reading for those wanting to be a fighter pilot or for those that think they are. While his books are outstanding narratives of fighter pilot action they are more than that. They talk about leadership, loyalty, professionalism and a personal code of standards. I was a Fighter Wing Commander and I hope I exhibited some of those traits that Col Broughton expoused. Well done - Col Broughton!



2. Really enjoyed this - maybe because I'm an old fighter pilot from the Vietnam/NATO era also. This remembrance doesn't have the riveting narrative of the first two tales from Thud Ridge, but the anger is no longer so strong all these years later.
   
   I still chafe with the repulsive attitude of senior USAF leaders that sacrificed Broughton and his Wing Commander for politics. Only the traitorous Congress that deserted the RVN when Nixon's attention was diverted by Watergate was worse. Shame, shame. Never forget, never forgive this disgrace to American history.



3. Col. Broughton has done a superb job sharing the rest of his aviation career with aviation enthusiasts. This book details the MANY assignments he was fortunate (and unfortunate enough, in some cases) to have throughout his incredible career as a warrior/fighter pilot and HERO.
   
   Those who have read the classics "Thud Ridge" and "Going Downtown" know well of his efforts for this country in the Thud. This latest treasure will leave you shaking your head with amazement and, yes, envy, at the roads he has traveled.
   
   Of particular interest are the no-frills details of many of the difficulties higher echelons created. Common sense had no relevance to many of these "superiors" as they sought to get the necessary boxes checked with little regard for common sense or even, their men.
   
   As ex-AF, I can say the book is a truly endearing no-nonsense, genuine description of life in the AF -and against- the powers-that-be, both in and out of the military.
   
   Many thanks for sharing these stories of an incredible career.



4. This is the third book by Colonel Broughton that I have read (the first being "Thud Ridge" and the second, "Going Downtown"), and as always, I found it extraordinarily well written. His previous books provided us with the real soundtrack of flying combat missions over "The North". With "Rupert Red Two", Col. Broughton gives depth and colors to a true Air Force warrior pilot. I couldn't put that book down and, in fact, ordered several copies for friends and family members alike. All in all, I found the book thoroughly enjoyable and learned a lot about the 50's and 60's U.S. Air Force. Honor, Duty, Country - those aren't just words for men like Broughton, they are the very meaning of their lives. And they all paid a price for it, sometimes, at the hands of their own chain of command... A must read!



5. I met "Thud Ridge" in the Grand Forks AFB library while in high school, just before Dad retired at nearly 22 years and that many thousand hours, most of them spent telling tanker pilots where to go. It was a long wait for "Going Downtown", and this latest was also worth the wait. Col. Broughton tells it like it was, and unfortunately often is, and after all, that's bureaucracy. One great anecdote concerns...heck, they're all good reading.
   From a shop steward in another bureaucracy, fighting to improve efficiency despite the "overhead", as we in the field called them in the USFS...

5 comments about Panzer Leader.

1. This book is crucial. For anyone interested in WWII, strategic thinking, modern warfare, the Third Reich, [German] history, military tactics, panzers, anything in between, and much more beyond, you will not regret reading this. Albeit it does require some patience and maturity, those who read Panzer Leader from beginning to end will be glad they did so. I speak of patience because Heinz allotted many pages to his units (#s, actions, and such) and maturity because throughout such "drabble" one must retain the bigger picture for the memoir to take proper effect.
   
   Bear in mind that this book was written by the man who very much gave birth to the Wehrmacht as we know it, and who essentially could have won the war for Germany had Hitler been more mindfull (and less pilled up on amphetamines). Heinz was also the only German officer to openly/angrily stand up to Hitler, in front of other 'key' staff members nonetheless. It's not difficult for one to grasp how significant an act that was, apart from the fact that he consistently disagreed with Adolf in private.
   
   Although he did not participate in the attempted assassination of July '44, Heinz was indeed a true German patriot and soldier, fighting for his people and his nation with the purest intentions one could have in such a position. As a proud German decendent, I admire him in many aspects of life and am thankful that this work was penned and has been preserved through the years. Dank Heinz, und Ruhe gut.
   
   Check it out...



2. Too many German Units by numbers, Maps(sketches) hard to read. Mayby great for a true student, but for me a little hard to follow.



3. I focus on matters not elaborated by the many other reviewers, and this review is based on the original (1952) edition.
   
   Guderian claims that the Pomorska Cavalry Brigade charged German tanks with lances, "in ignorance of the nature of our tanks" (p. 72). This contrasts with western accounts, which blame Polish impetuousness and foolhardiness for this supposed act. In actuality, the Polish cavalry had discontinued the use of lances well before WWII (see the Peczkis review of Poland 1939: The Birth Of Blitzkrieg (Campaign)).
   
   Otherwise, General Guderian shows more respect for the much-maligned 1939 Polish Army than did the British and Americans. "The first serious fighting took place...the leading tanks found themselves face to face with Polish defensive positions. The Polish anti-tank gunners scored many direct hits." (p. 70). He writes of the "fierce battles for Warsaw" (p. 84), and characterizes the Poles as "a tough and courageous enemy." (p. 73).
   
   Guderian recognizes the fact that the Communist alliance with the Nazis had not been simply an innocent, tactical move: "On September 29th, 1939, Russia signed a pact of friendship with Germany and at the same time made a trade agreement that was of considerable value to the Germans in the economic prosecution of the war." (p. 140).
   
   The much-romanticized Hitler bomb plot never had a chance (pp. 344-345). There was no means of destroying the many pro-Hitler leaders. And, when Stauffenberg flew into Berlin with his mistaken announcement that Hitler was dead, he found no significant following.
   
   In describing the Warsaw Uprising, Guderian mentions the losses which the Germans had just inflicted on the Red Army (p. 359), and this is distorted by Soviet apologists into proof that the Red Army was thereby immobilized. To begin with, Guderian was referring to the period around August 1--certainly not the entire 5.5 months that the Red Army sat idly on the eastern bank of the Vistula. Moreover, Guderian's information is instructive. Throughout the first half of 1944, the Red Army had been routing the Germans with its "considerable superiority in strength" (p. 327), causing the total destruction of 25 German divisions (p. 336). Then, on the outskirts of Warsaw, the Soviet apologists would have us believe, the Soviet Army magically lost its strength for 5.5 months (August 1--January 12), only to magically regain it (and more) in the form of a 20:1 advantage in guns and 7:1 advantage in tanks (p. 382).
   
   Guderian claims credit for talking Hitler into recognizing the Warsaw combatants as regular soldiers (p. 356)--otherwise they wouldn't surrender knowing that the Germans would kill them all anyway. He mentions the frightful atrocities of the Dirlewanger and Kaminski units. Against the impression that Bach Zelewski had stopped them as a matter of principle, we find that nothing so noble was at work: "Von dem Bach took the precaution of having Kaminski shot and thus disposed of as a potentially dangerous witness." (p. 356)



4. My son got me this for Christmas a couple of years ago...it may well be the finest memoir by a General Officer I have ever read [I have to admit that most of those by Confederate Generals are bure bilge]. Heinz Guderian was a commander of early, primitive, tanks in WWI, essentially invented modern tank warfare between the wars, then commanded Panzers in WWII, leading the invasions of Poland, France, and Russia.
   
   General Guderian makes no moral judgments on the right or wrong of his job; he was told to go after lebensraum, and he did it. A devout Christian man, he must have been bothered at times, but....remember, Pope Benedict XVI fought for the same cause, though far below General Guderian's pay grade. He makes plenty of judgment on the stupidity of the Russian campaign, and on the defective plan in France, but that's all.
   
   This was no modern day JEB Stuart [tanks are the military descendent of horse cavalry]; Guderian left the flash and style to the likes of Patton and Rommel, on whom it looked better. Maybe Guderian was Wade Hampton or Joe Wheeler. [The are no comparisons for Forrest; he was unique, though so few are].
   
   This fine book is, of course, a translation. I can't vouch for the accuracy, as I can't read German, but it is quite readable. In most wars, the books are about, and by, the winners; the two exceptions are Germans from WWII, and Confederates. It has been said that that's because those are the two losing sides that still have adherents....maybe, but if you want to find out how a horse turned into a tank, and how a modern army is built, start right here.



5. Heinz Guderian's "Panzer Leader" provides an inside story of the development of the German armored forces before World War II and the operation of those forces during that war. Guderian was one of the major figures helping to develop the Panzer doctrine of quick striking and deep thrusting armored attacks. And the book portrays the resistance from more traditional army leaders in the German military.
   
   The Introduction (by Kenneth Macksey) observes that (page vii): "'Panzer Leader' is about one man's endeavor, at a moment of institutional change, to defend his country by the modernization of its army." An obvious question is what do talented military leaders do when serving political leaders who are not worthy of their loyalty? In the "Foreword," B. H. Liddell Hart casually notes that (page 13): "'Their's not to reason why, theirs but to do and die. No nation that maintains fighting services can afford to revoke that rule of experience. Where soldiers begin to question the rightness of the cause for which they are fighting, armies soon collapse." And perhaps Hart unwittingly makes a point. When should a military recoil from the madness of a leader like Hitler? Hart may be far too forgiving of soldiers fighting for wicked causes. Still, a difficult issue.
   
   The book itself traces, briefly, Guderian's early life. It then considers his role in the development of German armor and the consequent doctrines of warfare based on the use of armor. He discusses the German movements against Austria and the Sudetenland and then the invasion of Poland.
   
   The role of armor was most dramatically seen with the German attack on the Western front. The Panzer divisions sliced deep into the allied defenses, creating havoc. Only Hitler's foolish calling off the army at Dunkirk allowed the English to rescue substantial elements of its ground forces.
   
   Guderian's tale of the preparation for and carrying out of the attack on Russia is detailed (and dry). Much detail is provided (and see Manstein's book on the same subject, "Lost Victories"). Perhaps most telling is his tale of the slashing retreat as German forces found themselves vastly outnumbered by Russian forces and subject to the awful weather of Russia. Guderian explains the mad strategy of Hitler of refusing to let the German forces find better sites to defend their positions. For his criticisms of Hitler (pretty courageous of Guderian), he was relieved--only to come back later as, of all things, Chief of the German General Staff.
   
   At the end, he ventures a few observations on leading personalities of the Third Reich and concludes with some very brief comments. It would have been interesting to get deeper reflections from his perspective on the nature of the war, the role of the army vis-à-vis a despotic government, his own sense of the role that he played. The final part of the book is a series of Appendices that are useful (memos of critical events, for example).
   
   This is a book, like Manstein's, that is useful for providing graphic detail of the military struggles of the Second World War. And both reveal little perspective by the two fighting generals of their role in the misery created by the Third Reich.