Customer Reviews

DEUTSCHE SOLDATEN: The Uniforms, Equipment and Personal Effects of the German Soldier 1939-1945

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Deutsche Soldaten
Uniforms, Equipment & Personal Items of the German Soldier 1939-45
By Austín Saíz

This is by far the best illustrated reference on the uniforms and equipment of the German soldier in WWII that I have ever seen. What I find particularly fascinating about this book is that every item depicted (in astoundingly clear color photographs) comes from the personal collection of the author (which must rival or surpass the collections of many museums.) The section on uniforms shows us clear views of Wermacht underwear, safety pins, and shoe trees as well as the usual blouses, camouflage smocks and greatcoats. The weapons section has brass fuses for anti-personnel mines, the instruction booklet for the panzerfaust, and the cardboard ammuntion boxes for the 98k rifle showing the labels and how the cartridges were packed inside. The health and hygiene section boasts evacuation labels (tags for the wounded) toothbrushes and even condoms. I am sure this is not a complete catalogue of Mr. Saiz's collection, but he has chosen his examples wisely and taken pains to have it all photographed with an eye to imparting the important details.
The descriptions and notes are concise, clear and supply history, insight into manufacture, and an explanation of normal usage. For example; a field dressing set in an inner pocket is not merely shown, it is noted that "the smaller bandage was used to wad the bullet entry wound while the other was to cover the exit wound--"
A must-have for militaria collectors, re-enactors, illustrators and costumers. It goes on my shelf alongside "The U.S. War Department Handbook on German Military Forces" (Louisiana State University Press 1990 [reprint of a WWII government text,) "Military Forces of the Third Reich" (Wild Mook #39 World Photo Press 1980,) and "Soldat" volumes I & II by Cyrus A. Lee (Pictorial Histories Publishing Company 1988.)

This is a phenomenal book. It displays and explains in some detail the uniforms, equipment, and personal effects of German soldiers in World War II. Items are often shown from several angles, with close-ups of certain features. Variations in different items are also shown. The pictures themselves are sharp and clear, showing great detail.

(By the way. Don't be misled by the cover photo, the pictures of the actual items in the book are in color. There are not many black and white photos in the book and those that are used are put there simply for comparison purposes.)

Most amazingly, the items pictured generally look to be in new, or like-new, condition. The book is almost like a catalog in this respect. It is sure to become an essential, if not the essential, resource book of its kind.

I cannot understand why anyone would give this book less than five stars. It is exactly what its title implies - an in-depth and exhaustive look at the everyday details of a typical WWII German infantry soldier, and nothing more. The photos are extraordinary and every little aspect of what the typical German soldat encountered and dealt with in everyday life are laid out in detail with full color photos. Everything from his foot powders to his snacks, to every aspect of uniforms and equipment, it's all covered here with wonderful photos. If you're a collector this is a magnificent book, and if you're a WWII reenactor, this is solid gold! I'd dare say this is the BEST one-stop reference book for getting a living history impression of a WWII German soldier down to perfection. I highly recommend this one, I don't know how it could've been done any better.

This is a great book to fill out a collection on German Militaria. The Author goes to great lengths to fill in the gaps of that other books leave out, and to give the everyday reader a feel of the Deutsche Soldaten. It is a great edition to my collection and would recommend to anyone who is interested in the common German Soldier of World War Two.

DEUTSCHE SOLDATEN - Uniforms, Equipment & Personal Items of the German Soldier 1939-45 by Augustin Saiz. Casemate, Drexel Hill, PA 19026; casemate@casematepublishing.com. 2008. $55.00 hardcover, 8-1/2" x 12", ISBN 978-1-932033-96-0. color/black-and-white photographs, bibliography.

The personal items were ones issued by the Germany Army to its soldiers for their personal use, not articles brought by troops from home for example. Forks and spoons, soap, razors, cameras, eyeglasses, pens, and sewing kits were among the domestic sorts of items. But rifles, pistols, gas masks, uniforms (including such accouterments as gloves and socks), helmets, maps, and binoculars were military items considered as personal because they were meant for individual soldiers (as opposed to trucks or tanks for instance). The work brings all of such individual items together.

Saiz's book which is both a historical record and collecting guidebook for these World War II personal items is nothing short of encyclopedic. Nearly all of the items are from his personal collection gathered over 40 years. Historians, researchers, collectors, etc., will find the innumerable color photographs helpful and often decisive in identifying such varied articles as German Army equipment or memorabilia in the first place. With so many of the items imitating or resembling normal domestic or consumer articles, identification of many of them as military items can be tricky. Saiz's expert notes are helpful as well; and often handy or decisive especially in dating certain items. For example, one canteen is "a late model [for] mountain troops and medical personnel [whose] differences from the previous model [pictured in an adjacent photograph] are notable...Production ceased in 1944." Similarly, ammunition clips are dated 1943 and 1944, and so on. The photographs of documents are particularly helpful in identification of these given their German wording. Saiz does not go so far as to translate, but one is at least able to recognize what kind a document one would have.

Going through the pages of articles categorized by type--belts and buckles, decorations, food, and tobacco are others--the militaria collector or historian will be able to visualize the German soldier making use of the diverse articles. One gets a more refined idea of camp life as well as combat.

This is a great source of information on what equipment and stuff German infantry soldiers carried that is an absolute must for anybody interested in this period. Well written and well shown with pictures. Very much like the work of Henri-Paul Enjames' books of equipment carried by American Soldiers of WWII in europe. A great addition to any Library.

I must confess I wish the author had covered more than Germany's infantry but since most German soldiers were infantrymen I guess this is not that much worth complaining for. Though I am not surprised that he does not include the beeded models Germany issued to its Civil Defense and supporting organizations, or the Gladiator helmets for them as well I must say that the section on helmets is most disapointing since it starts only with the Model 1935 and does not have any of the Pre-model 1935 models German soldiers wore in the beginning of world war two, WWI models either inherited from the Reichwehr or taken into use from the occupations of: Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland.

Perhaps like Enjames, the author could put together a second book of all that he has left out of this great work, starting with helmets and then go on to create chapters on German Army units other than Landsehrs.

Overall this book is well worth getting.

My review will be short. This is the most greatest book about equipment, armours etc. of German Soldiers. For this price this is simply magnificient book. Don't think twice, just order your copy. Be near the greatest history pages!!!

It's a very good review of the effects of the Landser but it has a number of reproductions mixed in with the originals. I think they should have been noted as reproductions? The STG44 is a repro for example.

I wanted to learn more about WWII Germany. Because I am not a total novice to history, I didn't want to waste my money on a book that was less than professional. I was pleasantly surprised! Each page of Deutsche Soldaten is loaded with photos of equipment and uniforms from the author's excellent collection. The chapters are broken up logically and include candid shots of a German soldier's daily life. Each item has a good description, using both the English and German name, and often includes comments and photos of various changes to that item over the 30's and 40's. The book loosely follows the life of a young man named Anton; in explaining how WWI left Germany in such disrepair, joining the movement was really the only logical thing for him (and millions of others like Anton) to do. This bit of personalization allowed me to get an idea of what a German soldier's life may have been like during the war, which as an American, was what I was hoping for. It is so interesting that my friends want to borrow it. Also, because of this book when I went to a gunshow recently I noticed that a dealer had a pre-war belt with his holstered WWII Luger - the buckle had no swastika! Highly recommended.

The book covers a huge number of topics on German soldier: from uniform, gears and weapon, through special equipment, medals - to food items, personal belongings, money, post-cards etc. etc. There're more than 1000 color photos of these items in the book. Textual information is presented as captions and short articles on each subject. Lots of interesting facts about history and use of items are in the text.
Information is packed into (only) 312 pages - but there's lots of information!
Some analogues of this book are available on market. But this is the latest and the fullest bible-book for German army reenactor and collectioner.