Customer Reviews

Das Reich: The Military Role of the 2nd SS Division (World of War (Rigel))

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you're into military history and you want to start looking at the role of the Waffen SS in World War 2, this is a must. A lot of ambiguity about the role of the military wing of the SS exists, but as this book rightly points out, these men were soldiers, not murderers. They had nothing at all to do with politics, or with the Holocaust, they were brave and skilled young men who laid down their lives for their country. The book follows the initial birth of the Division, 'Das Reich', from the mid 1930's, and into it's first tentative actions during the war. It then follows the men through the hard years in Russia, how due to repeated errors in the German command their strength was reduced and reduced, still performing amazingly in the face of horrific fighting. Then it moves to the Division playing a vital role in Normandy against the Americans, delaying the war by several months, before finally being disbanded in 1945. Lucas delves into the hearts and minds of the soldiers involved, the desperation of the Russian front, the comedy and irony of fighting the raw, yet superior Americans, and the tragedy and heartache of the death of a way of life. This is a rollercoaster ride, sharing the thoughts, escapades and final suffering of the ultimate soldiers in WWII.

I purchased this book because it advertised itself as being 'The Military Role' of the 2ND SS division. I was not disappointed, it outlined the military role of the Das Reich division, its beginning and its end. The Pros: the personal accounts and letters. The Cons: a bit dry and hard to read at times. True to its subtitle it avoided the non-military aspects. While it was not one of the best books I have read I did not regret purchasing it.

This book is recommended for the casual reader of WWII history who is interested in the military role of the 2nd SS division and how it was formed. If you have done extensive WWII reading a book similar to Hubert Meyer's history on the 12 SS is recommended as Lucas' book is geared more for a beginner in my humble opinion.

As in his other books, Lucas once again does not fail to deliver a thrilling and educating winner of a novel. Whether as a textbook, or for personal interest, this book is a great read. It charts the conception, legendary fighting and tragic fate of the 2nd Waffen SS division, 'Das Reich.' Noted as one of the most efficient, and daring fighting forces of any World war two army, the book follows Das reich from it's first tentative recruting in the mid 1930's, and into it's famous wartime exploits. From the daring and heroic fields of Holland and Poland, to the horrors and miracles of the Eastern front, and the desperation of Normandy, the saga finally ends in Germany, at the ruthless hands of Russian forces. The men that the reader empathise with live and die on these pages, their legend slowly becoming a reality. These men were not the political SS, they were not murderers or instigators of the holocaust, they were young patriots, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country, but are remembered forever. If you want to learn anything at all about German soldiers, this is the book to buy.

After reading Syndor's "Soldiers of Destrcution" and really enjoying that book, I allways wondered if their were other titles on the infamous Waffen-SS. This book is a must for anyone who enjoys this subject. I found it a quick and easy read. Lucas tell the history of this unit in his own words and the gripping stories of it veterans. The units battles on the eastern front are covered very well, however some of the west front battles could use a bit more attention. The last chapter in the book covers the units flight to the west in order to surrender to the Western Allies was brief, but very interesting.

great book. as any true historian of WWII military history knows, the Waffen SS was a fighting force, and a great one at that. they were proud soldiers fighting for their country.

they deserve the admiration this book accords them.

Lucas's unit history of the Das Reich SS Panzer Division covers the activities of the unit from the point of its formation as a quasi-private Nazi party band of hoods through its transformation during the war into one of the most fearsome military machines yet deployed. He utilizes substantial numbers of excerpts from other, far more detailed unit histories written by some of the unit's various commanders and soldiers to explore some of the ways in which recruits were turned into soldiers, and how the mystique and aura, the camaraderie of the SS, made them into a force of incredible toughness and cohesion.

What he does not do is explain how these same soldiers also could too often turn into ruthless criminals, and how they embodied not just the virtues of military excellence but also the worst features of the Nazi belief system. They may not have been in the same class as concentration camp commanders, but they were not blameless. No Jews died at Oradour sur Glane.

In a volume of this size obviously Lucas could not address each and every action, good and bad, of a unit whose history extends from before the first day of the war to the last. In general the book is a fast and easy read, and as a general introduction to the subject works well. It certainly helps to have a bit of prior knowledge of the flow and events of the war, as the unit jumps from place to place with little explanation of the general strategic situation. Some subjects are well covered - the initial recruitment and training of the first units, Manstein's 'backhand blow' around Kharkov, the final battles in Vienna and Prague - and others less so. The ideological component of the training is left out, there is a glaring lack of coverage of some of the more outrageous atrocities committed, and more detailed information on the changes in weaponry and equipment would have been welcome.

The maps are terrible, the appendix listing the divisional commanders does not include any information on the post-war period, and the bibliography is thin. The book is not in the same class as Sydnor's 'Soldiers of Destruction' single-volume unit history of Totenkopf Division. Nonetheless it is still worth reading.

This is not just another secondary/tertiary researched book based on popular and mediocre consensus. The author has been personally acquainted with central SS figures like Weidinger, and have therefore gotten his hands on interesting material. Because a lot of books treat the Waffen SS subject in a condemnatory way, it should be admitted from all that this book which lends ear to the veterans, takes a refreshing angle.
There are the battle descriptions of Kharkov, Kursk, Normandy etc., and some anecdotes which tries to show that the men of Das Reich also were humans, something which some will find shocking. But why not give those who finally lost a chance?
Winston Churchill personally ordered the savage bombing of Dresden, but have gone down in popular consensus as a wise man and a hero. What about fairness in this world?
I give this book 4 stars because it is too short on such a great subject

A divisional history straight through from pre-war mobilisation to surrender in 1945. My reading of the book falls some way between the conclusions of the first two reviewers. It is now almost trite to say that the waffen ss were, in general, outstanding combat troops, and this book certainly subscribes to that view - but the author is very short on critical faculty. The first hand accounts are very interesting, but whoever did the interviews (actually the author?) needs to work harder on interview technique: witness for example the excellent first-hand interviews with veterans in the BBC 'War of the Century' series. Some of the accounts are more bland than you would imagine possible with this subject matter - searching questions were clearly at a premium. The best material is the final sections on the move into captivity in the west, an area of the war which is seldom discussed - the meaning, and indignities, of surrender.

As has been said before, it is neither correct to portray the waffen-ss as ruthless murderers, nor again as completely apolitical soldiers who performed well militarily and that's it. I found myself unsettled by the author's general silence on any 'unpalatable' actions on either Eastern or Western front: and when it comes to reputed atrocities on the Western front, I was mildly sickened by the author's apologist, dismissive (revisionist may be too strong) approach. This book is worth reading - but only with a proverbial pinch of salt. The book is interesting because of the material, and in spite of, rather than because of the author, who is certainly no historian (still, neither am I...)

This book is very detailed and gives an informative account of the organization, life, and disbandment of the most elite of the Waffen SS Divisions. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Eastern Front, where Das Reich did the majority of its duty, or some one interested in the Waffen SS Divisions.

This book is based primarily on interviews with surviving members of 2nd SS div. which is both a strength and a great weakness. The battle accounts are very vivid and appear to be very realistic also. But I think Lucas fails completely to apply just a smattering of criticism to these eyewitness accounts, and he apparently hasn't done anything to flesh out the darker areas of 2nd SS div's history - eg. the division was actively involved in the massacre on Ouradour (sp?), but the author simply refuses to comment on that atrocity. Instead, he goes on to tell us an absurd story about purchasing a dead cow from a French farmer. On the other hand, the eyewitness accounts are also the book's strongest side. If nothing else, they are plainly exciting to read, and you get a very good picture of what WWII front line combat must have been like. In particular, I found the chapter dealing with the disastrous March 1945 campaign in Hungary very enlightening. Overall, read this book for the vivid first-hand accounts, but don't read it as a work of history. It clearly isn't.