Men of Steel: I SS Panzer Corps: The Ardennes and Eastern Front, 1944-45 [Hardcover]

Michael Reynolds (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 22, 1999

Readers discovered in 1995, with The Devil's Adjutant and in 1997 with STEEL INFERNO that Michael Reynolds' experience as a combat veteran and leader of soldiers, from platoon to mechanized division, informs his works with rare insight and realism. A rigorous, exacting researcher with an eye for telling drama, Reynolds is no armchair theoretician or chronicler of the minutes of High Command. He scrutinizes battles as they actually occurred - maelstroms of firepower, courage and flesh in which superior strength and combat skills were the sole, unvarnished factors in success.MEN OF STEEL follows Germany's largest remaining elite formation, 1 SS Panzer Corps, during the last five months of the World War II in Europe. Threatened with massive invasions from both the East and the West, in the last days of the Third Reich, Hitler opted to counter-attack. In December 1944 the Germans launched a last desperate offensive in the west, 1 SS Panzer Corps its cutting edge through the Ardennes in what became the greatest American battle since Gettysburg. After Anglo-American armies under Braadley, Patton and Montgomery had sealed off the Ardennes breakthrough, the panzer corps was transferred to mount an attack against the onrushing Soviets in the East. At Lake Balaton the 1 SS Panzer Corps waded into vastly superior Red Army forces in what became the last German offensive of the war.On both fronts the panzers were finally overwhelmed and the victors exulted in the annihilation of Nazi Germany. By examining in thorough detail the final death throes of Hitler's elite combat formations, Reynolds vividly illustrates the price of Allied victory, and why it was so difficult to achieve. Michael Reynolds retired from the British Army with the rank of Major General in 1986. His last command was NATO's International Mobile Force, and he subsequently became Director of its Military Plans and Policy Commission. His previous two books, The Devil's Adjutant (1995) and Steel Inferno (1997) were released to international acclaim.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Since retiring from a distinguished military career, during which he saw active service and commanded at all levels up to Division, Major General Michael Reynolds has become a respected historian and writer. His previous books have brough him international acclaim and he is now recognized as a leading specialist on the Waffen-SS and its actions in World War II.

Married with three daughters and six grandchildren, Michael Reynolds lives in East Sussex, England.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (July 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885119666
• ISBN-13: 978-1885119667
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #820,522 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reynolds' Best Book to Date, June 20, 2000

By 

wonderrat "wonderrat" (Mountain View, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Men of Steel: I SS Panzer Corps: The Ardennes and Eastern Front, 1944-45 (Hardcover)

Men of Steel is General Michael Reynolds' third book about the SS and it is his best book to date. The book follows up on the service of the 1st SS Panzer Corps in the latter stages of the war. As usual, General Reynolds uses sources from both the German and Allied sides and is very evenhanded in balancing the political aspects of the SS while admiring the fighting capabilities of the men who served in the Waffen-SS. General Reynolds admoires his subjects while avoiding any revisionist or extremist views.

Particularly impressive is that even in the latter stages of the war, the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandaarte Adolf Hitler and 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend managed to perform at high levels despite taking horrendous losses in both men and equipment. Both units remained cohesive fighting units to the end, due to experienced commanders such as Sepp Dietrich, Max Hansen, Teddy Wisch, Fritz Witt, Panzermeyer, and Max Wuensche to mention just a few. Also, General Reynolds got Otto Kumm's name right, correcting a blatant error in his first book. The books ends with the ironical observation of German rearmament in the Cold War period and praise for the men of the SS as valiant fighters and the heirs to the traditions of the ancient Germanic tribes. Recommended reading for military buffs.

Also, General Reynolds sheds more details on Hitler's infamous armband order, which was the one event that caused many in the SS to lose their faith in Hitler (they did not return their armbands and medals in a chamberpot to Hitler despite certain stories).

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it, June 29, 2002

By 

TG "herr_leutnant" (Muncie, IN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Men of Steel: I SS Panzer Corps: The Ardennes and Eastern Front, 1944-45 (Hardcover)

I am very glad I gave this a chance, because I have not read any of Michael Reynold's previous works, and from the outside, this appeared to be pretty dry reading. Not so.

This is an excellent overview of the ISS PK and their operations during the latest stages of the war. Michael Reynold's is extremely objective in this, letting the reader form his own opinions and even encouraging creative thought if the the details of a given battle arent fully recorded. It is extremely well researched, and an absolutely indispensable tool for learning about the the 1 and 12SS Panzer Divisions.

Men of Steel gradually shows how the two panzer divisions became intertwined and eventually fought less as a Corps, and more as a single division they worked so closely.

I really cant wait to pick up Reynold's other works. And wish I had read the first book in the history of the 1SS Panzer Corps in Normandy before this... Definetly pick it up and enjoy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect book, January 6, 2008

By 

Martin Skarba (Slovakia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Men of Steel: I SS Panzer Corps: The Ardennes and Eastern Front, 1944-45 (Paperback)

The best book about the LSSAH (1st SS Division)and the 12th SS Divsion "Hitlerjugend". The British Army admires it, many the best world historians and WW2 experts admire it, so there should be no question about reliability of this book.
You can find every single thing about the history of those 2 SS Divisions. This is probably the best book about the 1st SS Panzer Corps you can buy.
This book is highly usefull not only for people interested in just reading about history, but also modelars can find it extremely useful when trying to make a diarama or preparing a battle simulation with their models. This book has information about all officers of those 2 Divisions (from lieutenant to the highest officers), all engagements on both Eastern and Western front, numbers of casualties, reinfocements and strength of units through the war. I have not found anything missing in this book. It is great work, both in style of writing and also in research that had to be done.
Everybody interested in WW2 should have this book at home. It is worth much more than 20 dollars.