Afrikakorps 1941-43 (Elite) [Paperback]

Gordon Williamson (Author), Ronald Volstad (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Elite | Publication Date: September 26, 1991

Osprey's study of the German Afrikakorps of World War II (1939-1945). The campaign in North Africa between September 1940 and May 1943 holds not only an enduring fascination for postwar generations; but also a perhaps unique degree of nostalgia for some surviving participants. The campaign was no less costly in terms of human lives and material than many others; but regret at the cost is accompanied by positive memories in the minds of many veterans. This is not to suggest that the dead have been forgotten; but an almost mystical bond nevertheless exists, even between former enemies, amongst veterans of the desert campaign. Gordon Williamson examines the history, organisation and uniforms of Rommel's Afrikakorps.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An unrivalled illustrated reference source on fighting men and commanders, past and present. Each volume is packed with full colour artwork, making military history uniquely accessible to enthusiasts of all ages.

About the Author

Gordon Williamson was born in 1951 and currently works for the Scottish Land Register. He spent seven years with the military Police TA and has published a number of books and articles on the decorations of the Third Reich and their winners. He is author of a number of World War II titles for Osprey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (September 26, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855321300
• ISBN-13: 978-1855321304
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #903,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Afrikakorps 1941-43 (Elite Series), December 28, 1999

By 

Michael L. Burkert (Kuwait City, Kuwait) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Afrikakorps 1941-43 (Elite) (Paperback)

An interesting book, worth the price. However, it is only of passing interest as a collector's reference. I was somewhat disappointed in that not enough attention was devoted to material which would assist in authenticating uniforms and accouterments that are unique to the Deutsches Afrika Korps. Good text however, and easily read by high schoolers, possibly the target audience. Too bad the publisher didn't print the original color photos, in color.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended book on the German Afrika Korps (Deutsches Afrikakorps), October 6, 2007

By 

J. Monty (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Afrikakorps 1941-43 (Elite) (Paperback)

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the German Afrika Korps (DAK or Deutsches Afrikakorps). In usual Osprey format this book provides a comprehensive yet detailed overview on the German Axis forces dispatched to North Africa to aid the Italians in their fight with the Allies throughout the early 1940's. This particular series (Osprey's Elite Series) focuses more on the men themselves with some very good info on the history, organization, and the uniforms of the Afrika Korps. If you are like me (a military history buff) and want more info on the Afrika Korps specifically, this book is an excellent place to start. I enjoy this book immensely and refer to it quite often. If you pair this book with another excellent Osprey book "Rommel's Afrika Korps Tobruk to El Alamein" from their popular Battle Orders series you will have a very complete resource on the German forces participating in the North Africa Campaign of WWII. I absolutly give this book 5 stars and when you consider the affordable price, these Osprey books are extremely hard to beat!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Basics on the Afrikakorps, October 3, 2007

By 

Mr. Truthteller (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Afrikakorps 1941-43 (Hardcover)

This book seems to be primarily for those interested in the attire of the Wehrmacht fighting forces in North Africa 1941-1943 as that is its main focus.

The book contains neither a table of contents nor an index, so this is a breakdown of what's in the book.

1. Introduction to the Afrikakorps and its Campaigns in Africa (which is basically concurrent with the Rommel period of command and control of the Wehrmacht in North Africa). This covers a very brief 10 pages and thus only gives the reader a bare glimpse into the subject. (Each page of these sections [and the subsequent sections] also includes at least one photo or map, thus making the coverage even skimpier. Moreover, the maps are extremely basic and almost juvenile.) This section also contains several statements that are confusing or just plain wrong about the number of troops involved in the DAK, its surrender date, and the number who went into captivity. It is unclear whether these mistakes are the fault of publisher or the author (my educated guess would be a misprint by the publisher) but if you are looking for any kind of in depth and accurate history of the DAK, keep looking.

2. Organization of the Akfrikakorps and its divisions. The basic order of battle of the DAK is provided and a history of its divisions, including major battles and a list of each one's commanders. This takes up 16 pages and also suffers, at least as to the divisional histories, in that the information provided only whets the reader's appetite for a more complete story.

3. Uniforms and Insignia (10 pages), Color Plates (12 pages and not included in the overall page total provided by the publisher in its information about the book), and background data on the Plates (13 pages). These sections are the heart of the book and contain the standard sort of information in this series of books by the publisher. There are color drawings of uniform and vehicle insignia (3 pp.) and of frontline and support troops (9 pp., with 3 individuals depicted per page), including ones of a German Red Cross nurse, a German Army chaplain, and 3 members of the German navy, with the rest primarily members of the German Army.

The hardcover edition appears to be published exclusively by the Military Book Club. All things being equal, I recommend the hard cover edition as it is well bound and the pages lay flat fairly easily for close inspection.

Another drawback is that the photos, while interesting, are not of the best quality, except for the portraitures, of course. The photos are all in black and white even though the captions frequently state the original is in color.

The book would have been much more useful if it had been a 92-page edition rather than the 63 pages used. The space limitations for such a popular topic as the Afrikakorps are puzzling and a much better book would have resulted with an expansion of the introductory sections, for example.