The Desert Baron: Friedrich: A Warrior for All Seasons

By Conrad Kenneth Crease

A fascinating biography of Baron Friedrich Kress von Kressenstein, German military leader, a WWI Rommel who used his genius to protect Armenians, save Georgia, and defeat Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1439221006
• ISBN13: 9781439221006
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Booksurge Publishing
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Amazement and fascination!

A piece of lost military history has now been well documented. The author shows a clear willingness and desire to express the life of Fredrich von Kressenstein in fascinating and exquisite detail. His accounts about Fredrichs' life and military history are astounding and undertakes nothing less than a thorough account of military history during that time which is like nothing else I have ever encountered. The Desert Baron is a must read for any military or history buff!

Military history and a great man

This is a history lesson pertaining to pre-WWI and during WWI, and even a few bits about the start of WWII. The Desert Baron was Friedrich Kress von Kressenstein, who I will refer to as Kress in this review. Kress was a war hero as well as a very decent humanitarian when it came to planning, fighting, and concluding a battle. He was a rare tactical expert beyond most other leaders and became quite well known by other officers and government decision makers. Kress's earlier years were spent with the Turkish military, leading them in many battles. Kress was especially good in desert warfare although he had such a great military planning mind that other battles became his to also plan. The book tells of several nations embroiled in war either directly or with use of their military. Turkey, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, Austria, Bavaria, Mesopotamia (now Iraq), Egypt, Palestine, Australia, New Zealand, and no doubt a few I have not listed. There were three battles for Gaza and some of the action occurred in and around the Suez Canal. These battles were, for the most part, brutal and lasted for months. When any desert action was involved, Kress was usually the master. Even the Hitler beginnings in Germany are discussed. These attempts for him to take over Germany at this time were repulsed but as we all know, Hitler did eventually come into a dictator power that had no qualms about killing most anyone except white Arians. If you are looking for an exciting adventure story you do not want The Desert Baron. If you are interested in factually presented history of this period of time, you will eat this book up. Conrad Crease is very articulate in his descriptions and facts as he introduces the reader to many leaders and their connections to the war as well as many nations' leadership and their effect.

An excellent book about a historically underappreciated man

Baron Friedrich Kress von Kressenstein was a true professional soldier in the German tradition. In one of the simple, yet extremely significant events of history, it was his actions and intimidation of Enver Pasha that caused the Ottoman Empire to enter the First World War on the side of the Central Powers. As the war was breaking out, Kressenstein was a German officer assigned to the Ottoman military as part of a program to modernize the Ottoman army. When two German warships wanted to enter the entrance to the Black Sea, Kressenstein forcefully "asked" the Turkish leader for permission, which was reluctantly granted. Then, when pursuing British warships arrived, Kressenstein asked whether they were to be resisted and Enver Pasha said "yes." It was these simple actions that put the Ottoman Empire into the war on the side of Germany, dramatically altering the course of the war. Kressenstein commanded Ottoman armies in the area of Palestine and the Sinai Peninsula during most of the war, demonstrating an uncanny ability to maneuver his forces over the desert areas. Often aided by British incompetence, he was able to hold off and defeat superior forces for years. As the war was winding down, Kressenstein was transferred to the Caucasus mountain region, where he became an opponent of his previous Turkish allies. To the extent that he could, he resisted the Turkish slaughter of the Armenians and made major efforts on behalf of the new nation of Georgia as it resisted the attempt by the Turks to take it over. Finally, after the war, he was one of the German officers that forcefully put down the original attempt by Adolph Hitler to seize power in Germany in 1923. Given his significant role in history, the life of Kressenstein has been sorely neglected in the history books. Had the Ottoman Empire remained neutral in World War I, the course of the war would have been quite different, most likely with an earlier Allied victory. His honor, integrity and humanitarian nature were characteristics of the German officer class that are often forgotten given the horrific events of the Second World War. After I finished reading this book that does a great deal to place Kressenstein in his proper role in history, I did something that I rarely do after reading a history book. I went online and did extensive research regarding his actions. He was quite a man and it is a tragedy of history that more people like him did not survive into the late 1930's. If there had been even a few more officers like him still active at that time, Adolph Hitler most likely would not have been the historical force that he turned out to be. This is an excellent book about a historically underappreciated man.

Interesting read of a lost era and man

Being a history lover I liked the book because the middle east has been in the news so much and knowing its history as well as the history of World War 1 which many call the Great War. Anyone who loves war history and reading of leaders on all sides, this is a book that will not disappoint. And I am so pleased with the crisp photos that give a face to the words.