War on the Eastern Front: The German Soldier in Russia 1941-1945

Rating:
Summary: Interesting historical tidbits on the Russo-German war
Review: Contains some good and rare material, especially the sections on German self-propelled guns, which intially started out as mobile artillery and evolved into the tank-killer arm of the Wehrmacht. Also, the section on the Cholm pocket, a little known envelopment of a ragtag German force during the Soviet Winter campaign of 1941-42 is insightful. The book draws heavily on the unpublished writings of Max Simon, an SS general, who I believe wrote several anonymous pamphlets on Soviet tactics for the US army in the post war years.

The maps (always a pet peeve of mine) are few and reasonably well-executed. The book also contains a few photos not seen previously.

It is a comfortable read, with good prose, though it could have stood a bit more stringent editing. If you are looking for a collection of articles treating various aspects of the Russian Front (and who ever has enough information on the Nebelwerfer?) then this is a book for you. If you are looking for a history of the Eastern Front War, I'd recommend John Erikson or Alan Clarke instead.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting historical tidbits on the Russo-German war
Review: Contains some good and rare material, especially the sections on German self-propelled guns, which intially started out as mobile artillery and evolved into the tank-killer arm of the Wehrmacht. Also, the section on the Cholm pocket, a little known envelopment of a ragtag German force during the Soviet Winter campaign of 1941-42 is insightful. The book draws heavily on the unpublished writings of Max Simon, an SS general, who I believe wrote several anonymous pamphlets on Soviet tactics for the US army in the post war years.

The maps (always a pet peeve of mine) are few and reasonably well-executed. The book also contains a few photos not seen previously.

It is a comfortable read, with good prose, though it could have stood a bit more stringent editing. If you are looking for a collection of articles treating various aspects of the Russian Front (and who ever has enough information on the Nebelwerfer?) then this is a book for you. If you are looking for a history of the Eastern Front War, I'd recommend John Erikson or Alan Clarke instead.

Rating:
Summary: Put yourself in the boots and experiences of German Soldiers
Review: For me, history comes alive when you can begin to comprehend the circumstances, situations and emotions individuals endured during historic events. Lucas' book achieves this. The book has about 15 chapters that touch on diverse yet very fascinating aspects of the war in Russia. His writing skills paint a picture of the mud, dust, cold, snow, brillance, horror and bravery. If you have read many books on the Eastern Front, I still recommend this because you will learn even more. The stories are very unique. Read it!

Rating:
Summary: The writer seems pretty pro Nazi
Review: I thought the writer made too many excuses for the SS and their actions. It has some interesting tactical information, but I do not agree with the beliefs of the writer on what the SS really was about. I did not feel the book was worth buying...get it from a library.

Rating:
Summary: The writer seems pretty pro Nazi
Review: I thought the writer made too many excuses for the SS and their actions. It has some interesting tactical information, but I do not agree with the beliefs of the writer on what the SS really was about. I did not feel the book was worth buying...get it from a library.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting book...
Review: My favorite part of this book was the chapters detailing the use of self-propelled artillery in many of the battles. You don't find this mentioned in many books but it was very deadly on the Russian attacks. Many of the accounts give you the feeling of what it must have been like to be in the battle.

I don't know what book Sergio was reading for his review below but he must have had his own agenda when he read it because I didn't notice any of the drivel that he's ranting about. Read it again Sergio, you missed the part between the front and back cover, lol.

Rating:
Summary: yes, Herr from Konsberg, you are right!
Review: The book consists of separate chapters, each in the form of an article that addresses phases of the Russo-German war. The book describes the intensity of that conflict in an excellent manner. The section dealing with climate leaves no doubt with respect to the severity of the difficulties faced by the Germans in Russia.

Overall, an excellent summary of what it was like to live and fight on the Eastern Front.

Rating:
Summary: War on the Eastern Front: The German Soldier in Russia, 1941
Review: The Eastern Front was by far the deciding factor in ending WWII. By the time the Allies opened up a second front in the West, the Germans were already heading for defeat.

I anticipated more personal stories from a soldiers point of view rather I found the book contained more narative explanations.

The book does contain some chilling accounts of the life of a german soldiers during the Eastern campaign.

Rating:
Summary: Good First Step
Review: This is a good book on the topic because it covers many of the issues the average solder had to face. The author does not bog us down with a lot of detail on tactics or hundreds of different division names from multiple armies. This book reminds me of "Eyes Deep in Hell" which covers the foot solder in WW 1. The author does keep the story moving and before you know it you have completed the book. This book is not the overall history of the front, just a very well written overview. If you are looking to start studying the eastern front or just want a good book on the topic, I would recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: A decent book for the casual reader
Review: What to say? This is by no means an academic book and has no 'scientific' pretentions. It is an informative work aimed to transmit to the casual reader a feeling of what war on the Eastern front looked and 'felt' like - and in this it's probably successful.

The book is divided in chapters, each concerning a specific subject (like partisans, the German High Command's invasion plans, the characteristics of Russian terrain and Russian weather, etc.). It is not an organic work, and I have an impression that many of the chapters are drawn from specilistic sources (for example the chapter on partisan warfare is indebted to Hesse E., "Der sowjetrussische Partisanenkrieg 1941 bis 1944"). The one chapter of interest for the reader already having some understanding of WWII is n.17, concerning German Assault Artillery (generally known to the American public as SPGuns).

The book has a penchant to emphasize the German feats of valour; and this, depending on the reviewer's perspective, may be interpreted as an attempt to liven up the narration, as a well-deserved recognition to Teutonic discipline and heroism, or as a pro-National Socialist stance. I don't really care what, but this book could be the right choice for a history teacher willing to introduce his pupils to a pro-German inclination without making it too obvious that he's doing so.

All in all, I would recommend this book only to beginner students of WWII and the Eastern front. Otherwise you may wish to look for Kershaw R., "War Without Garlands", or, in a more general perspective, for Overy's (or even Erickson's) general histories of the conflict in the East.