Customer Reviews

Massacre at Malmedy: The Story of Jochen Peiper's Battle Group Ardennes, December, 1944 (Pen & Sword paperback)

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

 

 

I read this when it was first published in UK before Peiper's death. It was only later I learned of that. I found the book fascinating in that "monsters" became real human beings. No better or worse than their adversaries except for one salient thing. Something which to my mind far transcends the massacre at the crossroads instigated by one of the LAH "booty Germans";and that is the persistant and almost systematic killing of Belgian civilians; women & children included, throughout the entire operation: some 140+ in all for which no one in Kampfgruppe Peiper was ever brought to book. Until this book came out I had no idea of such things. The americans NEVER mentioned it. Simultaneously, the prisoners that were actually taken were decently treated. To the extent that one of them voluntarily testified on his behalf at Peipers' "trial" - parentheses deliberate, illustrating that the delusionary and farcical aspects of "American Justice" were in place long before the O.J Simpson trial. The other interesting aspect of the trial was the devotion of Everett, Peipers' American council in defending someone who he clearly felt was innocent. Quite true as to direct involvent in the massacre. Untrue as to Peipers' level of responsibility. Noone mentions that George Fleps who fired the first round was not brought to book by the Germans themselves at any stage. The reality was that this "incident" was nothing to Peiper and his fellow commanders as this sort of thing was "routine" on the Eastern Front where as someone once put it; "the armies were angry". It was that ethos that carried over to the West - particularly amongst the denizens of the Waffen SS. At the same time one comes away with a measure of admiration for Peiper as a soldier, and I recommend Whiting's follow-on book "Peiper" which fleshes out the man plus his life and times more fully. My only criticism is the style tends towards journalese rather than a pure work of history. In that sense the book is a colourful one and a good read. But some exaggerations and colourful tales inhabit the book: hence 4 rather than 5 stars. Nevertheles, a book that needed writing!

The poster called 'reader' who claims that those americans killed were 'escaping pows' is full of it.

During the Nuremberg trials Lt. Virgil Lary positively identified Pvt George Fleps as having shot GIs before any escape attempts were made.

The fact that "reader" uses the German expression "amis" tells me he is probably a former Wermacht soldior, who is trying to falsify the past.

Even 60 years later, there are those who cannot accept responsiblity for their terrible crimes.

This book in the 70's was the first popular work on the now famous kampfgruppe Peiper - more or less I could be wrong on that.

It certainly fired my imagination back then

Mr Whiting's typical style - no maps, exciting narrative woven with many individual accounts, photos which may or may not relate to the events described.

Mr Whiting evidently interviewed Peiper. Shame he didnt cover more ground and in more detail - that could have been a really interesting book in itself - it would have sold huge volumes.

As one gains more knowledge on the subject matter, the book becomes less satisfactory - the lack of maps challenges the imagination; as one tries to get a better picture from other sources it becomes clear that he has cut and pasted from numerous sources.

There are quite a few newer books which have really tried to do a thorough job on KGP and succeeded - Reynolds, Wijers, After the Battle. And there are the older marvellous sources like The Damned Engineers.

There are also some great books in french published by local historians - Stavelot by Hubert Laby is magnificent imho

This book constitutes Carrington's memoirs of his key role in the evolution of air support within the British military in WW II. It thus provides invaluable insight into this key function. Not only that -- its actually a rattling good read as well! First of all, unlike so many stuffy post-war memoirs, Carrington can actually write. Doubtless this is because in the inter-war years he was an Oxford don of English literature, noted for his books "Soldier From the Wars Returning", "A Subaltern's War", (both available from Amazon) and a fine bio of Kipling. He also has a fascinating story to tell. Returning to the colours at the outbreak of WW II from university life, he finds himself working as a staff officer trying to coordinate air support for the British Expeditionary Force in France. He is thus caught in the debacle of the German blitzkrieg, and makes it back to the UK by the skin of his teeth and determined to make air support for the Allied cause work better. This he does, working at several key staff appointments (as a Lt Col), including as the Army liaison officer to Bomber Command, and eventually being the principal author/editor of the eventual British manuals for air support procedure used on D-Day and the rest of the war. The book provides a priceless glimpse into how this all happened. Not only does it outline the conceptual disputes over the application of air power (which were fierce), but it also provides an inside glimpse of the personalities involved. This book is both invaluable to students of military history, and fascinating for the armchair military historian.

The Russian's atrocities are no less severe. Peiper is prosecuted only because he is with the defeated side. As a professional soldier, he has done what he should do only.

There never was a massacre, only the shooting of prisoners of war who tried to escape. And what about all the atrocities committed by the Brits, Canadians and Amis during Normandy? Read the book "The History of the 12.SS Panzerdivision Hitlerjugend" by its former Ia, Hubert Meyer for a fair and factual account of the campaign in the West