Customer Reviews

Spearhead 2: Grossdeutschland: Guderian's Eastern Front Line (Spearhead Series)

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I had seen this book around quite a while before breaking down and purchasing it. As many of you already know, the Spearhead series of books aren't cheap. So having shelled out the money for this volume, I was really a bit disappointed in the photographs and the overall flavor of the narrative.

The pictures are fine in a generalist sort of way, but if you purchase this volume for pictures solely of Grossdeutschland you will be disappointed. The same is true of the maps and much of the narrative. It's a nice look at the overall picture, but I had hoped for a more narrow GD focus.

There are some nice extras such as a listing of all GD Knights Cross Holders and some useful weblinks, but it's a little pricey for those two items.

So be wary when looking for your next GD photo history. While this is a fine book, it might not be what the more discerning student of GD is looking for.

The second entry in Ian Allan's 'Spearhead' series covers the famous Grossdeutschland Regiment/Division/Panzer Corps. An elite unit and Russian Front stalwart, Grossdeutschland compiled a combat reputation second to none but at enormous cost in terms of casualties. Its history is chronicled in this superficial 2001 volume by Michael Sharpe and Brian Davis.

Formed in 1939 as a motorized infantry regiment, Grossdeutschland was steadily expanded, ending the war as a panzer corps. On the Russian Front it gained a reputation as an unstoppable 'Fire Brigade' able to smash through when other units failed. This led to the Nazi brass overestimating the unit's abilities; GD repeatedly suffering grevious losses and eventually being bled to death.

GROSSDEUTSCHLAND runs to 96 pages, the first 67 being a history of the unit's formation and campaigns in France, the Balkans and on the Russian Front. This section is rather dry. The authors devote too much space to general theater/campaign developments, GD sometimes seeming a bit-player in a book supposedly devoted to its history.

Likewise there is no mention in those 60-odd pages of any GD unit commanders, EM, distinguished soldiers, etc. To find out who the GD 'movers and shakers' were, you have to turn to the "People" chapter for a one-page listing of GD Knight's Cross winners and seven pages on various commanders. The book includes a two-page "Assessment" of the unit and four pages listing GD Internet sites, books, magazines, etc. The book includes over 110 b&w and color photographs and maps; the pix being the most interesting part of the book.

So, while the Sharpe/Davis book does describe the life and times of this legendary unit, I think the book often loses its focus. Likewise it's a bloodless chronicle with nameless men waging war for Der Fuhrer. I think GROSSDEUTSCHLAND deserved better.

Good overview of Grossdeutschland's exploits in WW 2. I really think the photos are the real selling point.