Tiger Ace: The Life Story of Panzer Commander Michael Wittmann [Hardcover]

Gary L. Simpson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1994

The first comprehensive study of the legendary Panzer commander. Though there have been numerous articles on Wittmann, none have come close to understanding the scope of his life and combat experiences. Wittmann's military exploits stand out from all the rest, as his Sturmgeschutz III and Tiger I crews succeeded in destroying 138 enemy tanks and 132 anti-tank guns and field artillery pieces.Gary Simpson conducted extensive research, travel, and interviews to uncover the tru facts and situations that Michael Wittmann encountered on the battlefields of both the eastern and wetsern fronts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.; First edition. edition (January 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887405266
• ISBN-13: 978-0887405266
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,271,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Villers Bocage Fantasy, October 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Tiger Ace: The Life Story of Panzer Commander Michael Wittmann (Hardcover)

I agree with the other reviews that Mr. Simpson's book is very poorly written. Its greatest failing, however, is the appalling inaccuracy of its description of the Villers Bocage battle. What Mr. Simpson has offered as "fact" (supported by a hilariously self-serving question-and-answer appendix) is so far of the mark that one has to question whether Mr. Simpson did even the most basic research. One only has to look at Michael Wittmann's own account of the battle (given in an interview conducted the day of the fighting) to see that Mr. Simpson's account is hopelessly in error. This book will no doubt contribute to the gobs of misinformation currently surrounding Wittmann and his exploits. Avoid this book and instead purchase Patrick Agte's book, "Michael Wittmann and the Tiger Commanders of the Liebstandarte." Although it is three times the price of Simpson's book, it is sensibly translated (from German) and is the most comprehensive book on Wittmann available.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!! A waste of money! ZERO STARS!!!, December 10, 2001

By 

John Harman (Chagrin Falls, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tiger Ace: The Life Story of Panzer Commander Michael Wittmann (Hardcover)

This book starts with a great premise - the recounting of the career of the most successful German tank commander of WWII.

That is where the great ends and misery begins. Most of the text is generalizations about either German military life or campaigns of the LAH, with little factual account of Wittman's specific actions.

Beyond the weak narration, the spelling and grammar are horrid. This just compounds the feeling of frustration. I am (angry) that this book ever made its way into print. Where is quality control?

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good subject, poor editing, January 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Tiger Ace: The Life Story of Panzer Commander Michael Wittmann (Hardcover)

I have not finished this book. It is very difficult to read, I must agree with another review. On reading, it appears to be a very poor translation, however it was written by an American. Sentence structures are atrocious and cumbersome. Furthermore, although the book is a biography of Michael Wittman, much of what is discussed in the chapters on Poland and France is not about Wittman, but his regiment. I did not buy the book for that purpose. I have read numerous books from Schiffer, many suffer from problems with translations and editing. This is the worst. What particularly bothers me is that Schiffer publishes titles and subjects not often found in mass print and I buy their books specifically for that purpose. They are expensive however, I may think twice in the future before purchasing if they cannot do a better job.