Das Reich: The Military Role of the 2nd SS Division [Hardcover]

James Sidney Lucas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1992

Though remembered by the world for the atrocities they committed, Hitler's SS Divisions also earned the respect of their opponents for their soldiering skills and determination. This study examines the Das Reich Division which saw action on all German fronts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lucas, a prolific British writer of popular military history, proposes to tell the story of the Reich's 2nd SS Panzer Division by relying heavily on personal accounts and an unofficial divisional archive. The book substantiates the familiar datum that the elite division of the Waffen SS were both skilled soldiers and formidable warriors. But Lucas fails to develop the forces behind this behavior. He eschews serious discussion of recruitment, training and, above all, ideology. He attempts to justify this by stressing the division's military role, but the Waffen-SS were not "soldiers like all the rest." They were instead shock troops of an ideological war. By ignoring this dimension of his subject, Lucas gives us Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark. A history of this kind need not focus entirely on the atrocities committed by the Waffen-SS. But a courageous, fair-minded treatment of the role of Nazi ideology in shaping the 2nd SS Panzer Division as a military instrument would have done much to make the book something other than a one-sided, misleading apologia for its subject. Photos.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

James Lucas fought with the British infantry in the Second World War. He has since established a reputation as a military historian with a particular interest in good soldiering; Das Reich is one of a number of his books about his former enemy. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Arms & Armour (April 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1854090674
• ISBN-13: 978-1854090676
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,035,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Birth and Death of the 2nd SS Division, April 30, 2000

By 

Simon Andrews - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cassell Military Classics: Das Reich: The Military Role of the 2nd SS Division (Paperback)

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.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The MILITARY role, September 16, 2007

By 

Steven E. Medved "Steve M" (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cassell Military Classics: Das Reich: The Military Role of the 2nd SS Division (Paperback)

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.

19 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The birth and death of a legend., May 1, 2000

By 

Simon Andrews - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cassell Military Classics: Das Reich: The Military Role of the 2nd SS Division (Paperback)

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.