Sons of the Reich: The History of II Panzer Corps

Rating:
Summary: Shoddy, superficial
Review: Again a Reynolds book to capitalize on the public's fascination with the Waffen SS, but a very disappointing one. Based primarily on Tieke's work on the II.SS Pz Korps, the book is a TOTAL mess with wrong German unit designations on every page (the panzer regiments and its component Abteilungen are downgraded one level, and by using the NATO unit designation system instead of the much superior Wehrmacht one , you are totally confused about which units were fighting).

All in all, a third rate book (apparently Reynolds consulted only Tieke's book In the Firestorm of the Lat War Years ni his writing) that should have been properly edited, proofread and RESEARCHED before being rushed into presses..

Rating:
Summary: Honest, Accurate, Impecable Detail
Review: Having read 2 of Mr. Reynold's previous books 'Men of Steel' (History of 1st SS Panzer Corp) and Steel Inferno (1st SS PC in Normandy), I was eagerly anticipating this book on the exploits of the 9TH SS - Hohenstaufen and 10th SS - Frundsberg Divisions. True to form, this book is an incredibly insightful and detailed account of the savage defensive battles these divisions fought from Normandy, to Arnhem and the fighting on the Eastern Front and Vienna before the war's end. There is no question that Mr. Reynolds (a retired British Army Officer) is the pre-eminent expert on the Waffen SS and I thoroughly recommend that anyone with an interest in the German Army in WWII read this book as he will help dispell some of the myths that are all too common about these elite divisions. If you want to learn about the fighting elan of these soldiers, the tactics they employed against a numerically superior enemy and the motivation for continuing to fight against all odds, then this is a great book for you.