German Army on the Somme, 1914-1916

German Army on the Somme, 1914-1916
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the german army on the somme 1914-1916

Superb Research but organization could be better

A review of the German Army on the Somme by Jack Sheldon

German Army on the Somme, 1914-1916
Jack Sheldon
Manufacturer: Pen and Sword
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

All the Kaiser's Men: The Life & Death of the German Army on the Western Front 1914-1918

Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War

Through German Eyes: The British & The Somme 1916 (Phoenix Press)

The Somme

The Battlefields of the First World War: From the First Battle of Ypres to Passchendaele (General Military)

ASIN: 1844152693

Book Description

By drawing on a very large number of German sources, many of them previously unpublished, Jack Sheldon throws new light on a familiar story. In an account filled with graphic descriptions of life and death in the trenches, the author demonstrates that the dreadful losses of 1st July were a direct consequence of meticulous German planning and preparation.

Although the Battle of the Somme was frequently a close-run affair, poor Allied co-ordination and persistence in attacking weakly on narrow fronts played into the hands of the German commanders, who were able to rush forward reserves, maintain the overall integrity of their defenses and so continue a successful delaying battle until the onset of winter ultimately neutralized the considerable Allied superiority in men and material.

Customer Reviews:

the german army on the somme 1914-1916.......2006-10-07

This book is a must for anyone interested in the Great War, I have read much on the Allied side but very little from the German army viewpoint. This is a wonderful book my only disappointment would be Sheldon's lack of maps. His maps were lacking, it would have been helpful to have some detail maps of the battle region.

Superb Research but organization could be better.......2006-07-03

Jack Sheldon, a retired British infantry officer, provides an original and ground-breaking look into the other side of First World War trench combat in The German Army on the Somme 1914-1916. Although the Somme Campaign has been described many times before - memorably by Martin Middlebrook - it has usually been from a British perspective. However, the author was able to make use of a wide variety of German-language materials, ranging from after-action reports, contemporary diaries and post-war memoirs to develop a composite view of how the German Army experienced combat on the Somme. Furthermore, this book is not only about the well-covered battles in July 1916 but ranges back to the early actions in this area against the French in 1914-15 and extends to the final actions of November-December 1916. This book is a must for any serious student of the First World War. Unfortunately, poor organization and inadequate maps have hindered the author's ability to deliver this treasure trove of information to the reader and make this book virtually unfathomable for the general reader.

The German Army on the Somme 1914-1916 is organized into nine chapters, two of which deal with the fighting in this sector in 1914-1915, then one that deals with activity in this area during January-June 1916, one chapter for 1 July 1916 alone, and then each succeeding chapter covers one month of 1916. Overall, this chronological organization works well for a campaign narrative of this length. The author also provides two short appendices on the German Army and sources used, as well as a detailed order of battle for all German divisions that fought on the Somme. This work rests on eyewitness accounts, most of which come from junior officers although there are a fair number of NCOs and common soldiers represented. Most of the accounts are from infantry soldiers, but there are a few from artillerymen and aviators. Many of these accounts are vivid and gripping, depicting trench warfare in all its facets. Some of the more interesting accounts cover night trench raids, escape and evasion from behind enemy lines, several desperate last-ditch stands and capture/escape. From the German point of view, we see the effects of Allied superiority in artillery and airpower that limit the German ability to move troops and supplies up to the front that sounds much like 1944. The German troops were also more impressed with French troops at this stage of the war than British, who were generally regarded as inexperienced amateurs. Throughout the book, the omni-presence of Allied artillery fire and the weakness of German artillery to respond is driven home again and again. It is also clear that the German infantryman had become a bomber rather than a rifleman by this point in the war; in one counterattack each soldier in a company is given ten hand grenades. The translations are generally very good and the author is to be applauded for assembling this vast assortment of accounts into a cogent format.

A review of the German Army on the Somme by Jack Sheldon.......2005-11-12

The book describes the Somme campaign up to the end of 1916 through the eyes of German officers and soldiers. Much of the text is apportioned to translations of German firsthand accounts that the author has sifted into a structure framed by his own commentary which provides the background information and supplementary knowledge to complete the picture. The first hand accounts are impressive in themselves for they have lost none of the vitality in translation by the author, himself a product of the German Staff College, and very much retain the expression and idiom that their German authors would have used. The eye witnesses record their experiences and events in factual terms which combine humanity with humour in even the darkest moments such as the medical party covering the dead in No Man's Land with quicklime and being sworn at when they accidentally start to cover the men of one of their own patrol parties too.

The chapters lead the reader chronologically through the campaign capturing the mood of the German defenders. The eye witness accounts record the artillery dominance and initial allied air superiority making all movement extremely hazardous and forcing the defenders to live deep underground with the inherent dangers of being buried alive by British delayed fuse 380 mm (15") heavy artillery shells. The German soldiers frustration at being pinned down is expressed in their longing for `Tommy' to attack and the opportunity to return the favour in kind. Despite this underlying tension the accounts reveal that when the two sides did come face to face in capture or injury the prevailing attitude by both sides was one of fair play.

The author sets the eyewitness accounts in the wider context of the strategy of General von Falkenhayn, Chief of the German General Staff, and the changes that were effected after his removal in August 1916. His policy of not giving up ground was unsustainable and with his replacement, Field Marshal von Hindenburg, came a concept albeit not immediately recognisable as such, of mobile defence. The text is well supported with footnotes and the Appendices contain further useful backgound information including a detailed description of the composition and structure of the German Army in 1914.

This book provides a fascinating insight into the German Army during this fiercely contested campaign and many of the characteristics and qualities of the German Army today are evident in the accounts of the servicemen of that time. The reader is whisked around the battlefield and installed in a German front row seat at the centre of the action. Whether historian or current observer, this vivid account is a study of Germans as much as a tribute to the soldiers of the Somme.

All the Kaiser's Men: The Life & Death of the German Army on the Western Front 1914-1918

Average customer rating:

Lavish but disappointing
Excellent book on the common German Soldier on the Western Front
An excellent book that plugs a gap
Illustrated Western Front history from the German perspective
great book on the german soldier in the great war

All the Kaiser's Men: The Life & Death of the German Army on the Western Front 1914-1918
Ian Passingham
Manufacturer: Sutton Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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German Army on the Somme, 1914-1916
Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War
Through German Eyes: The British & The Somme 1916 (Phoenix Press)
Tommy: The British Soldier on the Western Front 1914-1918
Paths of Glory: The French Army 1914-18 (Cassell Military Paperbacks)

ASIN: 075094241X

Book Description

Convinced that both God and the Kaiser were on their side, the officers and men of the Imperial German Army went to war in 1914, supremely confident that they were destined for a swift and crushing victory in the West. The much-vaunted 'Schlieffen Plan' on which the anticipated German victory was based provided for an equally decisive victory on the Eastern Front. But it was not to be. From the winter of 1914 until the early months of 1918, the war on the Western Front was characterized by trench warfare. But the popular perception of the war takes little or no account of the reality of life 'across the wire' in the German front line. A re-examination of the strategy and tactics of the German Army throughout the war, from the commanding generals to the ordinary soldiers at the Front, this book also assesses the implications of the Allied naval blockade on the German home front, the increasing problems of food and fuel shortages and the specters of nationwide disease, hunger and then widespread starvation in Germany. Ian Passingham gives a unique and fully illustrated insight into the daily life of the German troops facing the British and French between 1914 and 1918 and fills a significant gap in the historiography of the First World War.

Customer Reviews:

Lavish but disappointing.......2007-09-16

For me, this was something of a disappointing 'coffee table book of WWI.' It is lavishly illustrated with interesting photographs and maps. Many of the maps are in the original German. I read a little German so found this interesting. Others may find it frustrating. This leads to one of my serious reservations about the book. The text often mentions place-names that are not on any of the maps. So, unless you know every village or ship canal in Flanders and Northern France, you search somewhat in vain for where they are talking about. This is particularly so when they talk of an offensive between place A and place B--and sometimes neither of them can be found. Frustrating.

A second major reservation has to do with opinions being stated as fact. Several examples... Ludendorff had no strategic goal in mind when he threw most of the 1 million soldiers released from the Eastern Front against the British in Flanders in the 1918 battles. The author contradicts himself frequently in his own text, by making clear that the strategic objective was to knock the British Army out of the war, after which Ludendorff believed France would fall easily.

And again... he maintains that Ludendorff was essentially a military dictator--without much other than his own say-so to back this up. I haven't seen this in more serious works on WWI such as Liddel-Hart's.

The book does make the point that the Germans suffered massively from the Somme and Passchendale battles and lost hundreds of thousands of men also.

The major contribution of the book is what it provides about the life of the German trench-dweller. Otherwise there are better books.

Excellent book on the common German Soldier on the Western Front.......2007-03-12

This is one of the better guides to the "average" German Soldier on the Western Front of WW I. This book has clear, concise writing and excellent photographs, many of which are very uncommon. This is a super reference book for the serious historian or someone with only a passing interest. Great gift book for the WW I armchair historian who "has everything" already! Soft cover edition is large and easy to read with no photos deleted from hard back version. Highly recommended!

An excellent book that plugs a gap.......2007-02-13

Other reviewers have done a very good job of summarising the book, so I will not attempt it here. I will just add some of my own comments.

This book is invaluable in plugging a gap in the story of the First World War that was being told over the past decades. In recent years, a movement has arisen that attempted to address (or revise, depending on your perspective) the many myths concerning the First World War. Much of the works from this movement had concentrated on the British contribution to the war.

While this is much needed, in attempting to revise the misconceptions of the British contribution and military achievements in WW1, the authors had concentrated on the British perspective and experiences. Often, other countries such as France, Germany, Russia and the United States had been neglected.

Here is where this book make an important contribution. While in parts, the author could not resist correcting misconceptions about British military effectiveness, he at least attempted to show what it was like for the German soldiers on the Western Front. As he made clear, it was every bit as horrific as that for the British and French - perhaps more so. Worse, quite contrary to the popular misconception of the abilities of German commanders, the German soldiers often served under commanders that were wasteful of their lives to achieve little strategic gain.

Under these conditions, the author rightly paid tribute to the endurance and fighting skills of the average German soldier, who much more than his British counterparts, had to endure hell to 'do his bit'.

In showing the German perspective, the author had plug an important gap in recent WW1 studies.

This is highly recommended for junior staff officers as a general account of the German war effort in WW1.

Illustrated Western Front history from the German perspective.......2007-01-02

This book provides a refreshing perspective of the history of the Western Front. The author, Ian Passingham, describes the efforts and travails of the Imperial German Army from the assault on Liege to the November armistice in 1918. He describes an organization that in 1914 was far superior to its enemies in personnel, tactics, and equipment. However, its top military leadership, vested progressively in Moltke, Falkenhayn, and finally Ludendorff, fatally undermined its chances of ultimate success against the Western Allies. The problem seems to have been a recurrent streak of indecisiveness at the most critical moments. And millions of their own men and their enemies would pay the price in death and blood.

Thankfully, the book is lavishly illustrated with maps and photos, many of which come from previously unpublished sources. The chapters are organized chronologically and are focused on the major battle campaigns, i.e. Belgian invasion, First Marne, First Ypres, Second Ypres, Verdun, the Somme, Third Ypres, Cambrai, the Kaiserschlacht battles, and the Hundred Days. Passingham also briefly covers the slow but dreadful effects of the Allied naval blockade and their extreme effectiveness at producing malnutrition on an industrialized Germany vitally dependent on imported foodstuffs and fertilizers. However, Ludendorff and Hindenburg still managed to support great pot bellies throughout the war!

The book relates the German military's concerns regarding the huge attritional losses from the epic Verdun, Somme, and Passchendaele battles with direct quotes from respected army group leaders, such as Crown Prince Rupprecht and Von Below. So with this evidence Passingham makes the dual claim that the British Army was not so far behind the Germans tactically as often thought and that the Somme and Passchendaele battles were not a total loss.

While it is impossible to make sweeping truthful generalizations, I believe the Germans were markedly superior in offensive tactics (with the exception of newly recruited units at First Ypres). However, in defense both the Allies and Germans repeatedly made the mistake of packing the front line trenches (with consequent heavy casualties from shelling) till the last two years of the war. And so far as I am concerned, any major offensive that fails to achieve a strategic victory is a failure, which would encompass all the Western Front battles except the Hundred Days.

There are three paths to victory. 1) Eliminate the enemy's will to fight. 2) Eliminate his resources to fight. 3) Or physically eliminate the enemy. It was the Allies who won the war because Ludendorff (and the German people long before) lost the will to fight. Ludendorff lost his will since his own wasteful offensives to nowhere had failed and since the new relentless Hundred Days' offensive, backed with massive American manpower and Allied logistical support, psychologically unhinged him.

The book does a good job of recounting Western Front history, but tends to rely on statistics provided by the official British war histories which almost always way overblow the numbers of German casualties. (After all without access to enemy unit personnel rosters, how could they really know?) Still, it is a book that I quite enjoyed and recommend.

great book on the german soldier in the great war.......2005-08-30

I THOUGHT THE BOOK GAVE A IN DEPTH ACCOUT OF THE LIFE OF THE AVERAGE GERMAN SOLDIER IE GI.there is little info in circulation about this subject.

The German Army in World War I (3): 1917-18 (Men-at-Arms)

Average customer rating:

Late Great War Germans

The German Army in World War I (3): 1917-18 (Men-at-Arms)
Nigel Thomas
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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World War I | Military | History | Subjects | Books

The Austro-Hungarian Forces in World War I (2): 1916-18 (Men-at-Arms)
The British Army in World War I (3): The Eastern Fronts (Men-at-Arms)
The French Army 1914-18 (Men-at-Arms)
World War I Trench Warfare (2): 1916-18 (Elite)
The US Army of World War I (Men-at-Arms)

ASIN: 1841765678
Release Date: 2004-11-11

Book Description

This third volume of a mini-series covering the German forces in World War I examines the troops that fought during the climax of the war on all fronts: the last great battles of attrition in the West (Arras, Messines, 3rd Ypres - Passchendaele/Langemarck - and Cambrai, 1917) and the collapse of Russia in the East. The 'Kaiserschlacht' campaign is covered, as are the German operations in Italy, the Balkans, and in support of Turkey in the Middle East. Uniform changes during this period reflected the introduction of new tactics and weapons and new types of troops, such as tanks and assault battalions.

Customer Reviews:

Late Great War Germans.......2007-06-06

This is an excellent affordable book that covers the German army in the last days of the war. The book gives information on uniforms and equipment. Details on the status of the German Army in the given years. Also, the book provides what units existed, formed, dissolved in the years stated. I would also recommend buying the second part of this series. Because the third shows and discuses what new few uniforms were introduced and amendments to the uniforms introduced in 1915. While the second book gives a complete descriptions of the uniforms introduced in 1915. So in conclusion if you want the info on the late war German Army 1917-18 get this book as well as the second book.

IMPERIAL GERMAN ARMY 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders of Battle

Average customer rating:

Great Detail, but Not Light Reading
Valuable, Rare English-Language Reference on WWI German Army

IMPERIAL GERMAN ARMY 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders of Battle
Herrman Cron
Manufacturer: Helion and Company Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

World War I | Military | History | Subjects | Books

GERMANY ARMY AT PASSCHENDAELE
Through German Eyes: The British & The Somme 1916 (Phoenix Press)
German Army on the Somme, 1914-1916

ASIN: 1874622299

Book Description

A detailed account of the composition, structure and organization of the First World War German Army has long been needed by English-language readers - this work will fill the gap admirably. In more than 300 pages, the authors examine all aspects of the army. A detailed analytical text is followed by an extensive compendium of order-of-battle data. REVIEWS "An interesting aspect of the book is that at the beginning of World War I in 1914, the German Army was essentially the same as it was when organized in 1871. Through the next four years major changes had to be made to handle the changes brought about by the air plane, motorized vehicles, the tremendous growth in artillery and machine guns and of course the impact of the trenches. The book was first published in 1937. It was not translated into English until 2001, and recently (2006) was reprinted in paperback for the first time. In 1937 there had been enough time for the lessons learned to have been understood and they were being incorporated into the new and expanding Germany military."John Matlock Books On Line 5-24-07

Customer Reviews:

Great Detail, but Not Light Reading.......2007-05-25

The sub-title of this book gives you a pretty good idea of just what it's about. It is not a history of the actions of the army but a detailed look at how the Imperial German Army was put together from the Kaiser through the supreme command and General Staff down to details like every division in the army being equipped with a pontoon train consisting of 2 officers, 59 NCOs and ORs (Other Ranks), with 98 horses, 15 pontoon wagons and 6 other wagons.

An interesting aspect of the book is that at the beginning of World War I in 1914, the German Army was essentially the same as it was when organized in 1871. Through the next four years major changes had to be made to handle the changes brought about by the air plane, motorized vehicles, the tremendous growth in artillery and machine guns and of course the impact of the trenches.

The book was first published in 1937. It was not translated into English until 2001, and recently (2006) was reprinted in paperback for the first time. In 1937 there had been enough time for the lessons learned to have been understood and they were being incorporated into the new and expanding Germany military.

Valuable, Rare English-Language Reference on WWI German Army.......2004-08-12

This book methodically and thoroughly delivers exactly what it promises. And this English-language book is a rare treasure, because there are very few books which cover this subject in English.

Starting from the pinnacle of the entire German war machine with the Kaiser himself, the book details the command structure, unit responsibilities, and specific composition for the entire imperial German army. Following through its top-down progression it covers: the Supreme Army Command, the War Ministry, Supreme Commander East, the army groups, the armies, the general (corps) commands, and the divisions. The book also unravels numerous mysteries, such as the bewildering array of unit naming conventions, the creation and dissolution of temporary commands, the large array of unit types, the varying armament compositions between unit types, the growth of the air force, and all the administrative and logistical elements which are essential to any modern armies battlefield success. In addition, it presents several appendices which list: the complete German order-of-battle (OOB) for August 1914, the 18th Army's OOB for the March 1918 Kaiserschlacht Offensive, a summary list of brigade and mobile unit formations throughout the war, and a listing of all the army and higher level unit commanders throughout the war.

The book tackles a very daunting subject and quite lucidly explains the inner workings of the German war machine. If you want to know how the German army was structured during the First World War, then this is the book for you. The book suffers from a few weaknesses (but its valuable content overrides these). The most annoying thing about the book are the incorrect dates found throughout the first part of the book (e.g. p. 79 "During the 1918 offensive, General of Cavalry von der Marwitz was in command. The 2nd Army was dissolved on 13 January 1918 in Gembloux."). I actually sent an email to the publisher months ago about this but still have yet to receive a response. The other significant complaint I have is that the writing style is very dry and dull, but it is a reference work after all.

In summary, I recommend you buy this book if you are doing scholarly research on the WWI German army. If you are looking for a narrative history or the complete German orders-of-battle for all the individual battles during the war, then look elsewhere. All in all, this is an outstanding and rare English-language reference work on the WWI German army.

Stormtroop Tactics: Innovation in the German Army, 1914-1918

Average customer rating:

Beginning of Modern Tactics
A study of innovasion under fire
German Innovation
One of the best books ever written on WWI infantry
Should be on every soldier's reading list

Stormtroop Tactics: Innovation in the German Army, 1914-1918
Bruce I. Gudmundsson
Manufacturer: Praeger Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Transformation of War
The Roots of Blitzkrieg: Hans von Seeckt and German Military Reform
Command or Control?: Command, Training and Tactics in the British and German Armies, 1888-1918
On Armor (Military Profession)
Maneuver Warfare Handbook (Westview Special Studies in Military Affairs)

ASIN: 0275954013

Book Description

Describing the radical transformation in German Infantry tactics that took place during World War I, this book presents the first detailed account of the evolution of stormtroop tactics available in English. It covers areas previously left unexplored: the German Infantry's tactical heritage, the squad's evolution as a tactical unit, the use of new weapons for close combat, the role of the elite assault units in the development of new tactics, and detailed descriptions of offensive battles that provided the inspiration and testing ground for this new way of fighting. Both a historical investigation and a standard of excellence in infantry tactics, Stormtroop Tactics is required reading for professional military officers and historians as well as enthusiasts. Contrary to previous studies, Stormtroop Tactics proposes that the German Infantry adaption to modern warfare was not a straightforward process resulting from the "top down" intervention of reformers but instead a "bottom up" phenomenon. It was an accumulation of improvisations and ways of dealing with pressing situations that were later sewn together to form what we now call "Blitzkrieg." Focusing on action at the company, platoon, and squad level, Stormtroop Tactics provides a detailed description of the evolution of German defensive tactics during World War I--tactics that were the direct forbears of those used in World War II.

Customer Reviews:

Beginning of Modern Tactics.......2006-02-13

The German Army's prewar focus was on operational matters, and tactics were neglected. This changed with trench warfare and the resultant lack of vulnerable flanks to attack. Because Germany was a new nation, formerly composed of a myriad of small states, the army was decentralized. So in small units, commanders tried different things; they were told the objective - but not how to accomplish it. The prewar lack of officers, and a belief that men had to be controlled - influenced perhaps by the rise of socialism - reinforced the early use of company columns which, upon contact with the enemy, deployed into closed order lines. This system lead to high casualties, poor results, and a search for a better way. From the beginning, however, some units used open order lines and suffered much less under fire. Without a centralized command telling low level officers how to do their jobs, new ideas were tried, and successful ones were spread. Because of shortages of artillery ammunition, short bombardments which kept the enemy's heads down were developed - essentially shock action. Trench mortars, developed from observation of the Russo Japanese War, served the same purpose, and poison gas was developed. More importantly, through the influence of limited objective attacks and special raiding units, the traditional infantry companies were no longer composed solely of riflemen. Flame throwers, grenades, and light machine guns were added, and units were allowed to advance as far as possible into the enemy position, with squad leaders given much more freedom to act on their own. Gudmundsson focuses attention on these sorts of developments up to 1917 but relatively little on the great 1918 attacks, which brought the new methods into use on a massive scale.

A study of innovasion under fire.......2005-10-11

The German Army of World War I created some of the most basic principles of what we call today 3rd Generation Warfare, which many armies worldwide are still unable to implement or even understand its essence. The book is a great contribution to the history of the innovative stormtroop tactics, how they came to prominence, what kind of problems they solved and why the Germans were the first among the belligerents to find such revolutionary solutions. The focus of the book is not so much on «assault battalions» but on their tactics, although the various personalities are well covered. Gudmundsson presents also some examples of battles on the Western and Eastern Front (First Ypres, Cambrai, Kaiserschlacht, Riga, Caporetto etc.) in a clear and fascinating way and gives ample evidence of the good results that the German Army reaped from its new doctrine. I found most interesting the part about the nature of German delegation of authority and the culture of personal iniative cultivated among the NCOs and the junior officers. It is one of the best «force multipliers» ever conceived! There are no photographs in the book, only a few diagrams and also a few primitive and rather crude maps, but the text is worth the money.

German Innovation.......2002-04-05

This is and excellent text on German Infantry tactics of WWI (1914-1918). The Germans were always innovators when it applied to warfare, in WWI with the trench war at a stale mate the Germans formed these elite infantry "Stormtroop" units to infiltrate and breakthrough the lines to make way for their follow on troops. In this highly detailed account of the tactics employed by these Stormtrooper you will read how they were employed in mountain and fortress warfare, how they were organized and their special assault units. It is amazing to see a lot of these types of tactics are still employed today.

One of the best books ever written on WWI infantry.......2001-01-29

I have read this book three or four times since I first purchased it in 1989, and it never fails to impress me with the attention to detail and meticulously researched origins of modern infantry combat. The book covers events leading up to WWI that cause turmoil in the German High Command regarding the use of infantry, and how scrutiny of specific tactical employments in various battles in the early to mid stages of the war led to the first experimental stormtroop unit. The book goes on to document the unit's successes and the eventual adoption of special stormtroop units to spearhead attacks at the division level, and finally how complete divisions were organized in the stormtroop fashion. All the major personalities, weaponry, and tactics involved are described in detail, and while dramatic descriptions of the gory and macabre business of trench warfare are omitted, one can easily infer from the descriptions of sharpened entrenching tools and flame throwers how violent and terrible it was to be on the receiving end of one of those attacks. Author Gudmundsson's work interjects some objective scholarship on this subject in an age where it is not politically correct to acknowledge the German military's pioneering efforts in both world wars in establishing modern combined arms tactics.

Should be on every soldier's reading list.......2000-07-27

An outstanding dissection of the tactics and organization that the German Army used in order to overcome the stalemate caused by trench warfare. The author clearly shows how the Sturmtruppen, utilizing surface and gap style tactics were able to achieve tactical success. The best book I have read so far this year.

Our Last Mission: A World War II Prisoner in Germany

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Our Last Mission: A World War II Prisoner in Germany
Dawn Trimble Bunyak , and Lawrence I. Pifer
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0806135476

Book Description

In this remarkable tale of courage, historian Dawn Trimble Bunyak recounts the experiences of her uncle, Lawrence Pifer, a technical sergeant who survived fourteen months of internment as a prisoner of war in World War II Nazi Germany. A radio operator and ball turret gunner on the American B-17 bomber Slightly Dangerous, Pifer was shot down during a raid on March 4, 1944. As he parachuted from the plummeting plane, Pifer witnessed the deaths of two of his fellow crewmembers. Captured by Nazi soldiers and taken to a series of German Stalag Luft camps, Pifer and other servicemen-mostly in their teens and twenties-endured torture, starvation, disease, and forced marches. When British forces liberated Pifer's group, he pushed his POW experiences deep into the recesses of his mind, not to recall them in detail for decades. Years later, a POW group at a Veterans Administration hospital helped Pifer realize that he was ready to tell his story. After forty hours of interviews with Pifer, Dawn Trimble Bunyak retells the enthralling story of an average enlisted man's struggle to survive in the face of hopelessness, with only his strong faith and pride in country to sustain him.

In his foreword, historian Arnold Krammer shows how popular views of the prisoner-of-war experience have changed dramatically over time yet how rare are such first-person accounts as Pifer's. Enhanced by numerous photographs and maps and an appendix of prisoners' poetry, Our Last Mission is one of only a few oral histories that details the daily experiences of one of the 94,000 American POWs in Europe during World War II.

World War One: German Army (Brassey's History)
Average customer rating:

Zero Stars

Very Useful and High Quality Compendium

Excellent book!

World War One: German Army (Brassey's History)
Stephen Bull
Manufacturer: Brassey's Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1574882783

Customer Reviews:

Zero Stars.......2002-11-19

It is unfortunate that this book's usefulness as an authoritative source is compromised by numerous (glaring) errors. On the plus side the illustrations are first rate.

It's a pretty book, but if you are looking for serious information, look elsewhere.

Very Useful and High Quality Compendium.......2001-12-24

Collectors and Historians have long been fascinated with the seemingly endless variations of insignia, badges, and decorations and medals awarded to the members of both the civil and military personnel of the Germany of the Nazi era. These have been avidly collected since I was a child. But before that the emphasis was on the German Army of the Imperial period from 1870s to 1918.
Though much of that material is now gone due to the ravages of the last eighty some years and the surviving bits are mainly in museums, some occassionally comes out of an attic or dusty cellar trunk when great grandad's property is sold.
This book will be essential to anyone who has a rational plan for collecting this material. It is a distillation of the German Army's Order of Battle,and wartime histories, and contains tables, lists, and detailed descriptions of all the insignia and orders of clothing worn and the individual equipment carried. Other works should be consulted for the details of small arms, ordnance, and aircraft. This book focuses on the individual soldier.
As with all the books in this series I have seen, the use of color plates and the large magazine size format combine to make it a pleasure to peruse and consult again and again. Not a book to be read straight through and forgotten but one to dip into now and again.

Excellent book!.......2000-06-13

This is a great book for those who are interested in the German Imperial Army. It contains historical info on the uniforms and weapons used by the German Soldat of WWI. I was disappointed to find not many colour photos of the equipment and uniforms, however, this book makes up by its large amount of period photos of soliders and its few colour photos it does have which are excellent.

Average customer rating:

Time to Retire This Work
Good overview
A good book on this series
Best for modelers

The German Army 1914-18 (Men-at-Arms)
Donald Fosten
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

World War I | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

The German Army in World War I (3): 1917-18 (Men-at-Arms)
German Stormtrooper 1914-18 (Warrior)
The French Army 1914-18 (Men-at-Arms)
World War I Trench Warfare (2): 1916-18 (Elite)
The Russian Army 1914-18 (Men-at-Arms)

ASIN: 085045283X
Release Date: 1978-07-27

Book Description

The Imperial German Army began the Great War as the most professionally impressive conscript force in the world. This fascinating book by Donald Fosten and Robert Marrion explores in great detail the organisation, tactics, weapons, uniforms, equipment and origins of this army that fought in World War I from its start in 1914 to their ultimate defeat in 1918. Numerous contemporary photographs serve to illustrate this engaging and informative text which covers such wide-ranging topics as conscription, artillery and the army veterinary service. Eight full page colour plates by military artist Gerry Embleton, together with extensive commentaries provide a wealth of information concerning the uniforms and equipment of troops from a variety of services.

Customer Reviews:

Time to Retire This Work.......2006-01-31

THis is typical of the past emphasis by Osprey upon serving the model making and military miniature crowd. The original purpose has faded as the publisher produces more and more volumes covering shorter periods of time with more emphasis on munitions and order of battle, plus new series on specific campaigns and volumes covering fortifications and trench warfare.
The recent publication of a group of individual studies: two on the German Army on the Western Front, one on the Eastern Front,plus those on Germany's allies, those on aviation (which I do not study), s detailed study of the Sturmtruppen of 1917-18, and many others covering aspects of WWI German military affairs, have put paid to the uselfulness of this volume.
This is just too broad brush to be useful anymore even tothe merely curious.

Good overview.......2004-08-01

This is another good overview by MAA. The contents of this volume is broken into specific parts; firstly an introductory history, dealing with the unification of Germany and their involvement in World War One, which is well written. Next comes a numerical listing of German Army regiments, by type and nationality (Prussian, Saxon, etc.) but unfortunately not a detailed breakdown into higher level formations (which would have been hard to fit into a volume this small). Next are some notes on organization of the army and some facts and figures on manpower, types of units, etc. A piece on Conscription and Mobilization follows, with details of the German conscription system and training system, a sketch of the organization of German military districts, and finally a thumbnail glance at the various components of the German military - infantry, artillery (all the major types are described, with numbers of batteries given), assault detachments, cavalry, machine gun units, pioneers, air service, signals service, transport and communications service, medical and finally veterinary service. These thumbnails give an approximate idea of their duties, roles and numerical strength and give a good picture of First World War logistics. The photos in the text complement the information given, and are of a generally high standard.

Finally are the captions to the colour plates. Embleton is one of the best artists in the Osprey stable; clear and interesting figures are rendered. The final plate - featured on the cover - manages to convey without words the absolute horror and misery of life in the trenches through the effective placing of the dead men, the look of fatigue on the man who has just killed an Allied soldier with a now-blood-covered shovel, the look of urgency on the face of the NCO, and the tremendous explosion in the background. Perhaps the finest depiction of First World War combat ever rendered - quite a lot to say about a simple colour plate in a history primer.

Sidebars include tables of piping colours for uniforms, though these are incomplete in some cases - reference is made to Guards uniforms wearing piping in the full dress colour but don't say what these colours are, and which regiments wore them.

A detailed list of regiments would have been a nice addition had there been room to include it. There is a nice listing of ranks but no idea given of the corresponding responsibilities of men holding those ranks in the various types of unit - infantry company, artillery battery, cavalry squadron, etc. Very little is said of German tanks and the air service information is properly the subject of a seperate book and a bit of a waste of space.

Also no guide to uniform rank insignia, which would have complemented the rank information, which has text descriptions of the insignia but no corresponding picture, and only for enlisted men and not officers.

Overall a good intro but would have benefitted from being about twice as long and containing more complete info on all the topics raised. Another shortcoming is no detailed description of regiment, battalion, company, and platoon organization of the various arms.

A good book on this series.......2001-09-18

Ok, the book is, as usual in Osprey's Men at Arms, a litlle to short, but this one is quite good for modelers, of course, and also for the beginner. It is a good start and quite comprehensive for this series.

Best for modelers.......2000-05-26

If you are a modeler, this book is a great source on all details about german soldiers in WWI. (You could also add Osprey's "GERMAN STORMTROOPERS 1914-1918" for extra information).

Customer Reviews:

Of value for a special few.......2007-08-08

But not me.

And here I thought it was something useful, like a German General Staff processes, or "How To" manual. Could have been great stuff, as the Germans invented the concept of a staff as used by every modern military and most major corporations. But no.

It is the German interpretation of international law as it pertains to military operations around the time of WWI. There is some British commentary, mostly disagreeing with the Germans (Big surprise there...). It's for specialists, not me.

Ludendorff's Own Story; August 1914 - November 1918; The Great War From The Siege Of Li?Ge To The Signing Of The Armistice As Viewed From The Grand Headquarters Of The German Army

Average customer rating:

Ludendorff's Own Story; August 1914 - November 1918; The Great War From The Siege Of Li?Ge To The Signing Of The Armistice As Viewed From The Grand Headquarters Of The German Army
Erich von Ludendorff
Manufacturer: Scholar's Bookshelf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

World War I | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Ludendorff's 1918-1919 account of "those deeds of the German people and their army with which my name will for all time be associated," detailing the campaigns in which he participated as Chief of the General Staff at Tannenberg, Poland, and Kovno, and in his position as the first Quartermaster-General of the German Army. The book presents essential material on how and why the Germans continued to prosecute the war, and, especially in the second volume, what happened on the battlefields in 1917 and 1918. Reprint of the 1919 publication. 2006: 477 + 480 pages, softcover. Index, illustrations. Softcover. 2 Volumes in 1. (Scholar's Bookshelf)

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