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WWII Books and Publications Discuss and review WWII literature.

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Old June 25th, 2005, 10:27 PM
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While most members of this board are familiar with such works as Guderian's Achtung Panzer or Rommel's Infanterie Greift an: Erlebnisse und Erfahrungen (Infantry Attacks), they are unlikely to be familiar with similar, and in some cases better, works by authors outside Germany. The reason I mention this is that all too often someone attributes German military prowess in part to such works without realizing similar works from authors that are not German existed and still do exist.
Two books that serve as excellent examples of this:

The Fighting Tanks 1916 - 1933 by Ralph Jones Maj. USA, George Rarey, Cptn, USA and, Robert Icks 1st Lt. USA. First published in 1933 some 4 years before Guderian's work it is both far more comprehensive and academic in its scope. If anything, the authors gave far more thought to mechanized warfare than Guderian did. Another benefit to this book is the extensive biblography of contemporary works on mechanized warfare. Guderian's biblo is very short and based almost entirely on German sources.

Infantry in Battle published by The Infantry Journal in 1939. It is every bit as intelligent and useful as Rommel's work and, in its analysis of battle better.

Both are worth adding to a collection for the serious military student. Both also prove resoundingly that the Germans had no lock on ideas or forward thinking in the inter-war period.
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Old June 28th, 2005, 04:44 PM
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I find this very interesting and true.

Goebbel's propaganda made a deep impact on historiography and general consent on WWII matters.

Few people know about the Panzer and Blitzkrieg tactics developed or embraced by Fuller, Liddel-Hart or De Gualle… and even less those of American or Soviet authors.

Same happens with the rest of other German sources. Rommel, Manstein and Guderian's book are best-selling, because they were Hitler's shinning stars and Goebbel's cards. Then the books of Staff generals and late-war leaders are often forgotten.

But, as some one at another forums pointed out, History must be attractive for rookie historians… how do big guns, monster-like tanks, great uniforms and medals, goose-step victory parades in Paris look to the eyes of a kid? How can you make the kid interested in REAL military history by telling them that lorries, railroads, slow merchant ships, MPs, staff officers and quartermasters made the REAL difference?
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