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Summary: VIEW FROM A PRUSSIAN
Review: I've had this book for almost 25 years, and it's physically pretty well beat up. Its best topics are in the breadth he encompasses. Writing as basically an operations officer, there's little of the tactical aspects from his writing to excite , unless you happen to be a hard-core WWII afficienado. His history is somewhat stale, and there is also a certain element of personal self-defense in his portrayal (remember: the winners always determine the war criminals); it still remains an excellent read. My 3-star rating is not meant to denigrate the piece. It will remain a valuable insight into WWII German staff work, actions, and reactions, and when my copy finally falls to pieces, it will indeed be replaced.
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Summary: The single best description of modern defensive warfare.
Review: Major General von Mellenthin's now-classic book remains the single best description of defensive warfare in the modern era. In particular, his account of the desperate defensive efforts to contain the Red Army breakthroughs around the Chir River during the Stalingrad campaign should be studied by all tacticians. Surprisingly, he portrays General Hermann Balck as superior to General Erwin Rommel. This book is sweeping, detailed, and full of the emotional metamorphosis which accompanied the changing fortunes of his army. It is also largely devoid of the sense of ego and excuse which so often accompanies this kind of work. Though originally published over 40 years ago, this book remains as relevant and engaging as when it first appeared.
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Summary: Excellent book on military operations
Review: One reviewer compared this book to other memoirs by german generals. I've only read Guderian so far, but I must say that von Mellenthin's book is much better when it comes to describing military operations. Von Mellenthin is an expert at choosing the level of detail necessary to make his point, and doesn't bore you with unnecessary details, while Guderian spends a lot of time explaining exactly where his divisions and his HQ were each day. Von Mellenthin also participated in the battles in North Africa, a theatre which seems to be covered in fewer books than the eastern or western front. Just don't expect to find anything on non-military matters in this book, for that you should look elsewhere.
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Summary: A book that varies in quality from "outstanding" to mediocre
Review: Panzer Battles is a good buy but not a must read if your not a "North Africa freek". The best part of the book is when vom Mellenthin describes his accounts in North Africa. He also gives a ballanced view of the pros and cons on working with Ervin Rommel as a Commander. His accounts on the eastern and western front somewhat deteriorates in quality as he tries to describe situations that he only had brief personal experiences of. All in all the book is a nice read.
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Summary: A good book for the serious student of WWII
Review: Panzer Battles is a must have for those interested in the fighting in North Africa and the Eastern Front. Major General von Mellenthin provides an extremely knowledgeable account of the divisional level fighting before El Alamein and during and after Stalingrad. Of particular interest are his accounts of the 4th Panzer Army's attempt to rescue the 6th Army at Stalingrad and the 4th's actions near Belgorod during operation Citadelle. The only flaws this book has are von Mellenthin's tendency to blame Hitler for any setbacks and his comments on his Russian opponents which lead one to beleive that von Mellenthin had little problem with Hitler's "lebensraum" policies. These minor details notwithstanding, this is a very good book well worth a read.
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Summary: Excellent personal account
Review: Panzer Battles is an excellent personal account of WWII in all of its breadth. The author has really seen all of it: Poland, France, Afrika, Russia, West Front again. Few authors (except von Luck) can boast the same breadth of experience.The book is more of memoir type than historical study: there are very few accounts of battles in which the author has not participated himself. Admittedly, he has been to many major battles, but of course he could not be everywhere at once. Therefore many battles are not even mentioned, though they certainly should have been included into such a "study". For example, there is simply no word about operation "Goodwood". Other early exploits of Allies in France are mentioned only briefly, even the battle of Mortain-Falaise. In addition to that, details concerning Russian commanding generals are often incorrect. For example, the author says that Russian armies fighting against Manstein's "Winter Tempest" operation were commanded by Gen. Vatutin. This is wrong, for they were actually commanded by Rokossovsky and Vassilevski, while Vatutin was in command of the armies fighting the author's 48th Panzer Corps. Strange that the Corp's Chief of Staff should not know this. Another characteristic feature of the book is that it tends to describe only victories. It almost seems that victory after victory were bringing about the fall of the Reich. For a personal account this is understandable, but for a historical study it is not. However, these are relatively minor points. On the positive side, the book covers a very wide historical perspective; it is well written and easy to read and the author demonstrates good and interesting insights into the psychology of his opponents (I have to admit this, though his conclusions of Russians are not always complementary). This is not to say that the author's insights serve to dispose him towards his opponents: on the contrary, it is clear that as a person the author remains a typical Prussian, bright-sighted, but absolutely ice-hearted. Fortunately, this does not leave a too serious mark on the book itself. Highly recommended for good readability and broad coverage.
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Summary: Panzer battles provides an excellent cross section of WWII
Review: Panzer battles was an excellent book that provides a cross section of world war II tactics from every front. This book was particularily well done in its description of the African front and the battles of Rommel. The book provides insight into several historical controversies and is told from the point of view of one who was in on all the action yet did not have the same political weight as his suporiors. A must read for all military history buffs.
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Summary: Excellent eyewitness account of german panzer forces in WW2
Review: Poland, France, Balkan States, Africa and more sections of World war 2 tank battles are described in detail. Though the Author fought on the side of Germany this account is unbiased.
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Summary: Panzer Battles is very enlightening to students of warfare
Review: Somehow I cannot keep from re-reading this book. Written from the perspective of a staff officer, do not expect many tales of gore or battlefield revelations; however, Von Mellenthin's expertise in armored warfare is sure to enlighten serious students of modern warfare. Von Mellenthin is a man of good morals who gives the reader insight into the German mindset during WWII. If you are after stories of battlefield adrenaline, this book is not for you; however, as a student of armored warfare, I find myself re-reading this book often , especially for the tales of super-human exploits of the German armed forces stemming the tide of the Soviet masses against all odds, feats which will live on as the most incredible stunts in modern warfare. Mellenthin also speaks in depth of the "hold at all cost" defensive strategy of the German High Command which needlessly destroyed the fighting power of the Axis forces. A must read for any serious student of warfare.
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Summary: Superb insights into German strategy and operations in WWII.
Review: The author does an excellent job in recounting the panzer battles against the British in North Africa, against the Soviets in Southern Russia, and against the Americans in France and Germany. Von Mellenthin's personal account of the strategic and operational level planning are excellent. His clear precise writing and the many maps make this a valuable resource for military historians. The author's analysis of panzer tactics and the evolution of the same is excellent. He presents overwhelming evidence that reinforces the perception that on the tactical and operational level the Germans were geniuses; however, Hitler was a strategic imbecile.
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