46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
a good book worth reading, September 18, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck (Mass Market Paperback)
A Quick Review of Panzer Commander
Panzer Commander is one of the most recommended World War Two titles in the English language (it is included in AMAZON's Top 50 military history titles). At its heart, it is the war memoirs of one of Nazi Germany's most decorated soldier, Colonel Hans Von Luck. Von Luck, a tank commander in the truest sense of the word, found himself involved in some of the most memorable actions of the war: from the invasion of Poland, to the Battle of Berlin. Through his memoirs, one can obtain a rare perspective: that of a German soldier fighting for the glory of the German Reich. The reader is also able to obtain a unique behind-the-scenes look at German operations during the twentieth century's largest global conflict. As a result, his book has been read by some of the most respected military leaders and historians of the twentieth century. Von Luck writes with a very direct style. He offers no excuses and begs no forgiveness for serving the Nazi regime. He fought because he was a soldier sworn to obey his political masters in Berlin. To do otherwise would be unthinkable. It soon becomes clear that this strict, Prussian military mentality, which asserts itself throughout Von Luck's career, would serve the Nazi war machine well. With a clear set of orders, the Germans proved themselves virtually unstoppable. If it were not for the Allies superior war production, Von Luck maintains, the armies of Hitler would have achieved complete victory. Is this an overly optimistic claim? Perhaps. The Allies had their own strengths. For example, Americans demonstrated the unique ability to operate without preformulated plans and could quickly adapt to any situation, something that would prove to confound the Germans time and again. Would such strengths have sufficed to obtain victory? History provides no easy answer. I will allow you to provide your own answer. At the heart of this book are the military campaigns. The reader is along for the ride as Von Luck storms Poland, fights in the desert of North Africa, bitterly awaits orders to repel the Normandy invasion, and fights to save his men during the chilling last days of World War Two. We are also made privy to some of Von Luck's discussions with Nazi Germany's most capable soldier, Rommel. It soon becomes quite clear why soldiers on both sides of the front held him in such high regard. His remarks, as set down by Von Luck, prove him to have been a man of true genius, both military and political. The sole weakness of this book is to be found in the descriptions of various combat situations. To be honest, I found them to be quite dry and uninspired. We obtain no sense of what actual combat is like from Von Luck's terse descriptions. Furthermore, the lack of maps caused great confusion when certain geographically-based strategies were described. In short, what should have proven the books greatest strength, actually proved to be a boring weakness. What a shame. Ironically, the book concludes with the most interesting and vivid aspect of Von Luck's career: his captivity as a POW. His experiences in a Russian gulag prove to be fascinating. From the rigors of day-to-day survival, to the shocking portrait of Russian administration, Von Luck's achieves what he had failed to do with his combat descriptions; capture and hold the readers attention. It is here that the book excels. Over all, Panzer Commander is a book worth reading. While there are better works that describe particular military battles, few capture the personal aspects of a world war as this book has done.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Review of Panzer Commander, July 2, 2000
This review is from: Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck (Mass Market Paperback)
Hans von Luck provides us a wealth of information in an extremely readable style, highlighting his career in North Africa under Rommel, his Western Front experience, and finally his capture and imprisonment for years under the Soviets. Von Luck is truly a "gentleman officer" and discusses the campaigns with cool detachment and frankness -- his anecdotes of radio transmissions with British officers when trying to find each others' men, lost in the desert wastes, lets the reader know that war, while terrible, still retained vestiges of chivalry. And his imprisonment in the Caucasus gave him a sympathy for the average Russian while showing us his leadership and survival skills in the same light. He is a remarkable man providing a remarkable story of what a senior panzer officer saw on three fronts during WWII. This is clearly one of the best books for any WWII library.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best World War II book ever from a German Bn/Regt Cdr., June 16, 1999
By A Customer
Hans Von Luck tells the story of the German Army at a lower tactical level than the other grand scheme books on World War II. Von Luck was in action in all theaters of the war from Poland to France to North Africa to the Eastern Front to the Western Front after D-Day and ultimately back to the Eastern Front where he was captured by the Russians. Von Luck does not seek to glorify war but explains the "esprit de corps" that his units had that made them want to do their best which meant fighting for their country. The book is truly inspirational that one officer so young could have so much effect in every major campaign of World War II in Europe. Von Luck is an officer and gentleman throughout the war and is an example of what a professional officer should be. Every Army officer or potential officer should read this book in order to better understand what they should seek to accomplish. World War II buffs not in the military will still find the book fascinating and an excellent addition to their library.
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