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Summary: German Panzer commander's accont of WWII
Review: This book is an interesting look into the war from a man whose perspective is from a long line of Prussian army generations. The book is written in such a way that there are no lulls and the book carries you quickly from his early days in the Wechrmacht to his days as Major commanding at times entire units of panzer battalions. Reading this book gives you an understanding and perspective of the Germans that one could not have without reading a true account such as this. This book is so well written that at times you cringe, and other times you laugh at the incidents Von Luck goes through...Pick up this book, for anyone interested in World War II will find this book a riveting account from a man who served right alongside Rommel(the Desert Fox).
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Summary: Panzer Commander's Non-Combat Memoirs
Review: I read this book hoping to get insight into why the German Panzer armies were so overpowering against their enemy. However the author rarely talks about military tactics or battlefield experience. The author fought on four of Germany's most famous battle fronts (Poland, Africa, Russia and Normandy). I was hoping to get insight on why the Pnzer army was so overpowering and how the German's had adjusted their Panzer tactics in the face of an enemy's increasing strength. Yet the author skims over these subjects and talks more about his personal experiences away from the battlefield. Hans Von Luck certainly has a wealth of war experience to share and his book is interesting reading. However with a title of "PANZER COMMANDER", I thought I would get more information about how the famous Panzer armies operated. This book did not provide such narratives.
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Summary: From the view of a casual history buff
Review: Panzer Commander is well written and moves along without getting bogged down. It is not a riveting, blood-and-guts account. Rather it is the autobiography of a German commander, centering on World War II, with a broad rather than detailed view of the action. Some maps would have been helpful. Writing as an eye-witness, the author shares the details of his personal life during the war, and makes an emotional impact on the reader. Of particular novelty, and a little hard to credit, were the references to being "fair" in war. This included a "gentlemen's agreement" for cessation of hostilities promptly at 5:00 p.m. by both sides in Africa, and calling each other on the radio to ask about missing patrols. Luck also discusses that halfway through the war, many of the commanders felt they were going to lose because of lack of equipment and supplies, and I got the impression that attacking the Russians was a fatally excessive commitment of resources. It is hard to imagine how they kept up their morale as both fronts were being pushed back. The account of how Luck persevered in the Russian work camp makes me respect him. Since the end of his captivity in 1950 the author made a career for himself, and also has become a sought after lecturer for historical groups interested in the war in Normandy, and has made many friends among the Allied veterans.
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Summary: Review of Panzer Commander
Review: Hans von Luck provides us a wealth of information in an extremely readable style, highlighting his career in North Africa under Rommel, his Western Front experience, and finally his capture and imprisonment for years under the Soviets. Von Luck is truly a "gentleman officer" and discusses the campaigns with cool detachment and frankness -- his anecdotes of radio transmissions with British officers when trying to find each others' men, lost in the desert wastes, lets the reader know that war, while terrible, still retained vestiges of chivalry. And his imprisonment in the Caucasus gave him a sympathy for the average Russian while showing us his leadership and survival skills in the same light. He is a remarkable man providing a remarkable story of what a senior panzer officer saw on three fronts during WWII. This is clearly one of the best books for any WWII library.
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Summary: Fell the war, from a different perspective
Review: Von Luck goes almost straight to the point. He takes part in the war at the invasion of Poland, France (comanding one of Rommel's famous 7th Ghost division battalions), North Africa, Russia and France again, this time defending it, at the D-Day, Ardenes among others. He is a swift writter and tries to place the reader as comfortable as possible.
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Summary: Did the car survive?
Review: Here is a book from the German viewpoint by a professionalsoldier without the usual apologies. However, I was sorelydisappointed in this book. It is bland and completely devoid of any details regarding tactics, battles, relationships with his men, his fiance, etc. I do not dispute the Col. Luck was an exceptional soldier but his memoirs are very unexceptional. The prose is awkward and does not make for easy reading (may be lost in the translation). After while, I became more concerned with whether his Mercedes would withstand the travel from Germany to Poland to France to Russia to Germany again. I would pass this book by. END
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Summary: War, from a Nazi officers point of view.
Review: I was really quite hopeful when I picked up this book. I had recently finished The Forgotten Soldier for the second time, and was curious to get more information on a subject neither widely pursued in main stream literature, nor highly desired. What ever. At any rate, I was quite disappointed. And, I was disappointed because Herr Von Luck is completely without humility, and he is simply not a very interesting person. With many novels, both fiction, and non, within the genre of war, one eventually grows at least a small amount of sympathy for the people involved, real or not. Somehow, Hans seems to drain every once of compassion one might feel for him throughout the course of his work. Perhaps it is due to Hans' lack of writing prowess. Perhaps much is lost in the translation. I don't know. What I did get out of the book is that Hans Von Luck was an officer, and paraded around quite a bit stowing away a wine collection, and other riches of vanquished peoples. How can you feel any thing for the guy. Why should we care what happens to him, when he leaves the indelible impression that he doesn't care about any one else but him self. There is almost no human story here. Rather, one mans account of what happened to him while the rest of the world was busy killing each other. How about something with a little substance?
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Summary: A simple testament by a German Soldier
Review: Hans von Luck does not dish out military manouvers nor does he tell much of his actual battle experience. What he does tell is about his war experience. He tries to give an overall picture about the war and how it played out in his eyes. In this aspect, he succeeds but the book loses depth as a result. Little is mentioned about the actual battles and the tactics and this may put some readers off.Von Luck tries to focus on other aspects like his relationship with his men and with his superiors in particular, Rommell. His book is refreshing because it places emphaisis on how he managed his men and superiors to be an effective combat leader. The best military tactics are useless in the hands of a commander who cannot lead his men. That is the subtle message brought across by this book
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Summary: The human side of war
Review: I found this book to be similar to stories told to me long ago by a member of the panzerwaffe whose fate was almost identical. The book itself is more of a human perspective and greatly omits the horrors surrounding a mechanized war fought in the blazing deserts of Africa and the snow blasted plains of Russia. The book underscores how one can get caught up in duty and have their whole life changed. It was interesting, enjoyable, humorous and shows that sometimes the only way through a terrible ordeal is with dedication to duty and a good sense of humor. I salute Heer Von Luck for many hours of enjoyment. It brought me back to a time when I was a child sitting listening to war stories told by one of his commrades.
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Summary: Great Book
Review: This account of the war from the German side covers the war's beginning to the defeat of Germany, and even beyond. It does read like fiction due to the incredible events which took place in his tour of almost every European theatre. This is a true soldiers story, who stood up to impossible odds and lead bravely. Elite fighting personnel would be wise to read this for a bold example of a committed warrior when all hope is lost. Yet he also manages to detail the very human side of the german soldier who fought for the fatherland, as opposed to fighting for the nazi's. One of the best books I have read about the "other side".
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