Guderian, Creator of the Blitzkrieg

by Kenneth John Macksey

Book Overview

Kenneth Macksey's highly regarded biography of Generaloberst Heinz Guderian provides a rare opportunity to observe the mind and motives of one of the foremost proponents of blitzkrieg. Now revised and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 081281844X
• ISBN13: 9780812818444
• Release Date: January 1976
• Publisher: UNKNO
• Length: 226 Pages
• Weight: 1.24 lbs.

Customer Reviews

In depth study of a military innovator

Before start reading I didn't expect to learn much from this book, as many WW II buffs probably would. Guderian's role in WW II is well known and heavily studied in myriads of books and there are also his own memoirs which give many details of his thoughts and actions. Macksey though surprised me, because he goes further away from what General told about himself and has unearthed many documents of his colleagues which often present another, more iconoclastic view of the general. The first 79 pages are devoted to Guderian's career before WW II and are really eye opening regarding his later attitudes. The big surprise though is what follows in the next chapters, where Macksey paints with vivid colors the endless machinations at the top of German military hierarchy and explains why Guderian was often hated by his superiors. The German generals were fighting in reality two wars: one against the enemies and one among themselves for survival and Hitler's flavour. Overall this is a very nice book but it loses the fifth star because of Macksey's persistence to call everything Soviet as "Russian" and not to avoid some common mistakes, like naming Guderian's Motorized Corps of 1940-41 as Panzer Corps. These formations actually were designated as Panzer Corps in the summer of 1942.

Guderian, The Master of Panzer divisions

I have readed this book many times. it was very clear and simple to understand. I wanted to know about Guderian for writing a book about him in IRAN for my people that have a same race with Germans. they are both Arias and I think its a good relation.

The originator of modern warfare as a man

This is one of the best military biographies I have read. It gives a very clear picture of Guderian as a surprising sympathetic character with much humanity; whilst at the same time deliniating Guderian's role in defining the nature of modern warfare. It only fails in not bringing Guderian to the public's eye to a position far above Irwin Rommel, a man who accomplishments pale into insignificance by comparison. Macksey makes clear the manner in which Guderian distillated the ideas of Fuller and his Tank Corps contemporaries: the true pioneers of Armoured warfare, and formed them into a practical and workable whole which secured for Germany her early victories and produced a formula for war still employed today as evinced by the Gulf War. In addition his not inconsiderable operational contribution to those victories are clearly explained as was his unique relationship to Hitler, who in marked contrast as to his attitude towards Guderians contemporaries maintained a respectful, if not admirable mein towards Guderian to the very end. A book that should be read by every student of armoured warfare and the Second World War.

In-depth study of one good general and theorist

Whenever we read history books, we encounter a lot of people such as generals, commanders, ministers and presidents. And we begin to have irresistable longing for the knowledge of him or her,especially you find the most interesting people. Guderian was that kind of person I desperately wanted to know. It may be a little difficult for those who are first comers to the military world. But, if you have a little knowlede, you will find this book's benefits. Especially, it is important to me that his career of wireless communication eventually helped him building the modern tank warfare theory. In short conversation, whenever I refer to tank warfare and Guderian's accomplishments, others are caught in fresh shock. They just heard about Rommel whose career in WW¥° was infantry. And another thing which I learnd is that the great accomplishment is not build just in a day. This book will help you find the answer.