Thoughts on Leo Kessler as an author?

BratwurstDimSum · #1 (**permalink**) November 6th, 2003, 07:55 AM

Currently I'm reading a 50p book from "Age Concern" Charity shop. Its my first Leo Kessler Double edition which I'm thinking of burning as it is quite profane and in my mind slandering of the waffen SS (Wotan division).

I'm no fan of the SS, preferring Wehrmacht but the behaviour of these guys in his book, "Steel Claws" seems very unprofessional, with every page (literally) crammed with either swearwords or really graphic sex scenes.

The other book in the double, "Blood Mission" I stopped reading altogether because it was even more profane.

Now I'm Aussie, so I'm no prude in the swearing department

, but these novels are am abomination to professional soldiering! I'll provide quotes if necessary but I was wondering if anyone else has this opinion about Kessler?

Martin Bull · #2 (**permalink**) November 6th, 2003, 11:02 AM

Well, I'm afraid to say that 'Leo Kessler' is the nom-de-plume of none other than Charles Whiting, whose works have been debated ( and denigrated ) on this Forum before.

I could be nasty & say he's right up there with Stephen Ambrose but even Ambrose isn't that bad...

BratwurstDimSum · #3 (**permalink**) November 6th, 2003, 11:34 AM

Hate to say it Martin but most of the reviews in the forum archives seem to be positive.

Quote:

In the UK he is considered one of the foremost WW2 historians. I have a lot of his books, but he has written so many that I have found he appears to use the same material over and over, and for the nitty-gritty details of units and actions they are not so good.

I have not read anymore of "Kessler"'s books but lines spoken by Germans such as: "We'll give the Ivan what for eh?" does not endear me to the fact that he is 100% accurate. Does he write a lot of non-fiction then? Is this what everyone is referring to when they say he is a foremost historian? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

He just comes across as an author who uses swearing and sex like a 16 year-old would use to impress his mates at the back of a school bus.

Martin Bull · #4 (**permalink**) November 6th, 2003, 11:55 AM

The earlier threads mention that 'it's difficult to tell narrative from fact' in Whiting's work.

Don't get me wrong, he has written - and sold - an awful lot of books. Problem is, when you get to know more yourself, you start having doubts. Too many incidents in his non-fiction sound really interesting but turn out to be undocumented and unattributed in notes. Checking the bibliographies doesn't help much - he points you toward many other works by - Charles Whiting !

On the plus side : -

Whiting was the last journalist/writer to interview Jochen Peiper ( a waste, in my opinion - try reading 'Leo Kessler's 'SS-Peiper' if you want to know why ! [img]graemlins/no.gif[/img] )
And he is one of the very few writers to highlight 'St Vith' and the disaster of the 106th Divn. in studies of the Bulge. I read his St Vith work but with reservations.

This is only my own point of view - but for me his works are readable, ok introductions to an area of the war, but the deeper I go in my research, the less happy I am with the detail of what he has written.

( The phrase 'Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story' comes to mind but whoops, that could be libellous...)

But the Kessler stuff is, to me, just cr*p - a prose version of those old 'Commando' war comics... [img]graemlins/no.gif[/img]

Buy a copy of Guy Sajer's 'Forgotten Soldier' instead !

The_Historian · #5 (**permalink**) November 6th, 2003, 12:00 PM

Hiya,
I remember reading Leo Kessler when I was a kid, and thinking he was a marginal improvement on Sven Hassell!
Same for Guy Sajer in The Forgotten Soldier. The copy I bought (1979) had "fiction" as the subject on the back, but I keep seeing it touted as real life experience. In fact, what made me suspicious was the part he describes "meeting" Sven Hassell on the final Eastern Retreat near the war's end!
I'm sure I saw a documentary years ago on Sven Hassell, which stated that he (and others) were allowed to write semi-fiction, because in German law this is allowed as long as the story has some basis in fact.
If I remember, at the beginning of one of his books, he describes finding the long-forgotten archive of an SS-penal battalion, and based Wheels of Terror on the characters named in these papers.
However, this was all a long time ago so feel free to correct me!
Regards,
Gordon

[ 06. November 2003, 07:07 AM: Message edited by: The_Historian ]

BratwurstDimSum · #6 (**permalink**) November 6th, 2003, 09:53 PM

Quote:

But the Kessler stuff is, to me, just cr*p - a prose version of those old 'Commando' war comics...

Absolutely amazing!! How can anyone write such Authoritative non-fiction (at least on the surface) and come up such crap fiction novels...such potential ruined [img]graemlins/no.gif[/img]

I'll quote from "Claws of Steel" (now that I'm away from work [img]smile.gif[/img] )

One of the SS Sergeant's in the company has had a bit too much to drink: (warning strong/graphic language following!)

Quote:

"Heidi of the big knockers kept her head down pretending she wasn't aware of the big NCO's presence. Shulze, already very drunk from the Korn he had been pouring down his throat all afternoon, was in no mood for Frau Schmeer or her Schnitzel. What he wanted this day was oblivion. With an angry swipe of his big hand, he sent the frying pan flying.
'Stick yer schnitzel up your fat a*se,' he snarled drunkenly, nearly falling over, 'p*ss off into the cellar and get me a bottle of Schnapps - two bottles!'
Heidi bent down to pick up the meat but he caught her by the blouse to stop her. It ripped badly. Her massive breasts, unrestrained by any bra, tumbled out. She screamed and tried to cover them with her hands.
'Get those hands away,' he cried, 'I want to see yer t*ts!'
'But my big hero,' Mrs Schmeer protested, too concerned the he might not give her waht she needed in bed that evening to be angry about the Schnitzel. 'You can't do--'
'Have you got cloth ears - have you been eating big beans?' he bellowed. Can't you hear me? I said - p*ss off into the cellar and me something to drink. I'm going upstairs with Heidi and I want something to drink before I p*sh it in her...now fetch that flaming bottle of booze will you?'
'But shes' my maid. You can't -- '

I'll stop there.

The book is either full of the above or so much swearing as to make sailors blush ...

Delightful ... this guy makes Ambrose look like Shakespeare! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Other interesting anecdotes from the book:
Do Germans say the word "Sodding!" or "Happy Landings"?
It mentions Himmler having a Iron Cross 3rd Class?

Gripe over...

[ 07. November 2003, 01:59 AM: Message edited by: BratwurstDimSum ]

Martin Bull · #7 (**permalink**) November 7th, 2003, 05:53 PM

Maybe this gives you a clue as to why he hides behind 'Leo Kessler' ; it's basically SS-fantasy-soft-porn for the masses....

Friedrich · #8 (**permalink**) November 25th, 2003, 08:28 PM

I think you guys haven't heard of Karl von Vereiter, an author which wrote books like "Himmler's whores" and "SS sadists"...

Things like those... "himmler's whores" is a fiction novel (obviously) about Lebensborn females speacially trained and manipulated with hormones to kill men by sexing them to death...

Then they are sent to the eastern front to retake a very important position, but they como up with Soviet soldiers who turn to be dirty cossacks used to zoophilia...

Very disgusting book... Except that I'd agree that the III Reich and specially Himmler is a very good place for fiction. If you research a little you'll get to know that Von vereiter's book isn't that much unrealistic...