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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 940
EAN num: 9780306811012
Format: Special Edition
ISBN number: 0306811014
Label: Da Capo Press
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 552
Printing Date: December 24, 2001
Publishing house: Da Capo Press
Sale Popularity Level: 55096
Studio: Da Capo Press
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The 50th-anniversary edition of the German general's legendary memoir. When published in 1952, Panzer Leader quickly became a best seller, but over the half-decade that followed, it also established itself as a classic, lauded by Stephen Ambrose as 'a mesmerizing read.' A dramatic first-person account by the father of modern tank warfare, it is also a searing group portrait of the Third Reich's leading personalities as they turned imminent victory into agonizing defeat.
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Rated by buyers 
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Panzer Leader is the war memoir of Heinz Guderian, the German general of WWII most responsible for development of the armored forces that Germany used with such effectiveness in their opening campaigns in WWII. Only rarely do the brilliant theorist and brilliant practitioner of any field of endeavor combine in a single person. Most of the time, the theorist provides the handle, and the practitioner cranks it. Guderian was one of those rare people, providing the handle of armored strategic and tactical theory, and then cranking it himself with telling effect in Poland, France and the Soviet Union.
Compared with that other most popular German memoir of WWII, Lost Victories by Erich von Manstein, Guderian's Panzer Leader delves more into technical details of weapons, especially tanks. And although Prussian to the core, Guderian writes without the aristocratic aloofness of Manstein.
For anyone interested in the history of armored theory and tactics, or of the European theater of WWII, this is a must read. For many Americans, for whom WWII starts only in December, 1941, the rapid disintegration of the forces of France in 1940 is regarded with stereotypes of ineptitude and lack of resolve. Panzer Leader will demonstrate for these readers the real reason for this rapid collapse--the appearance of a new kind of warfare developed and carried out by Guderian.
Rated by buyers -
This book is crucial. For anyone interested in WWII, strategic thinking, modern warfare, the Third Reich, [German] history, military tactics, panzers, anything in between, and much more beyond, you will not regret reading this. Albeit it does require some patience and maturity, those who read Panzer Leader from beginning to end will be glad they did so. I speak of patience because Heinz allotted many pages to his units (#s, actions, and such) and maturity because throughout such "drabble" one must retain the bigger picture for the memoir to take proper effect.
Bear in mind that this book was written by the man who very much gave birth to the Wehrmacht as we know it, and who essentially could have won the war for Germany had Hitler been more mindfull (and less pilled up on amphetamines). Heinz was also the only German officer to openly/angrily stand up to Hitler, in front of other 'key' staff members nonetheless. It's not difficult for one to grasp how significant an act that was, apart from the fact that he consistently disagreed with Adolf in private.
Although he did not participate in the attempted assassination of July '44, Heinz was indeed a true German patriot and soldier, fighting for his people and his nation with the purest intentions one could have in such a position. As a proud German decendent, I admire him in many aspects of life and am thankful that this work was penned and has been preserved through the years. Dank Heinz, und Ruhe gut.
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Rated by buyers 
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Too many German Units by numbers, Maps(sketches) hard to read. Mayby great for a true student, but for me a little hard to follow.
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I focus on matters not elaborated by the many other reviewers, and this review is based on the original (1952) edition.
Guderian claims that the Pomorska Cavalry Brigade charged German tanks with lances, "in ignorance of the nature of our tanks" (p. 72). This contrasts with western accounts, which blame Polish impetuousness and foolhardiness for this supposed act. In actuality, the Polish cavalry had discontinued the use of lances well before WWII (see the Peczkis review of Poland 1939: The Birth Of Blitzkrieg (Campaign)).
Otherwise, General Guderian shows more respect for the much-maligned 1939 Polish Army than did the British and Americans. "The very first serious fighting took place...the leading tanks found themselves face to face with Polish defensive positions. The Polish anti-tank gunners scored many direct hits." (p. 70). He writes of the "fierce battles for Warsaw" (p. 84), and characterizes the Poles as "a tough and courageous enemy." (p. 73).
Guderian recognizes the fact that the Communist alliance with the Nazis had not been simply an innocent, tactical move: "On September 29th, 1939, Russia signed a pact of friendship with Germany and at the same time made a trade agreement that was of considerable value to the Germans in the economic prosecution of the war." (p. 140).
The much-romanticized Hitler bomb plot never had a chance (pp. 344-345). There was no means of destroying the many pro-Hitler leaders. And, when Stauffenberg flew into Berlin with his mistaken announcement that Hitler was dead, he found no significant following.
In describing the Warsaw Uprising, Guderian mentions the losses which the Germans had just inflicted on the Red Army (p. 359), and this is distorted by Soviet apologists into proof that the Red Army was thereby immobilized. To begin with, Guderian was referring to the period around August 1--certainly not the entire 5.5 months that the Red Army sat idly on the eastern bank of the Vistula. Moreover, Guderian's information is instructive. Throughout the very first half of 1944, the Red Army had been routing the Germans with its "considerable superiority in strength" (p. 327), causing the total destruction of 25 German divisions (p. 336). Then, on the outskirts of Warsaw, the Soviet apologists would have us believe, the Soviet Army magically lost its strength for 5.5 months (August 1--January 12), only to magically regain it (and more) in the form of a 20:1 advantage in guns and 7:1 advantage in tanks (p. 382).
Guderian claims credit for talking Hitler into recognizing the Warsaw combatants as regular soldiers (p. 356)--otherwise they wouldn't surrender knowing that the Germans would kill them all anyway. He mentions the frightful atrocities of the Dirlewanger and Kaminski units. Against the impression that Bach Zelewski had stopped them as a matter of principle, we find that nothing so noble was at work: "Von dem Bach took the precaution of having Kaminski shot and thus disposed of as a potentially dangerous witness." (p. 356)
Rated by buyers -
My son got me this for Christmas a couple of years ago...it may well be the finest memoir by a General Officer I have ever read [I have to admit that most of those by Confederate Generals are bure bilge]. Heinz Guderian was a commander of early, primitive, tanks in WWI, essentially invented modern tank warfare between the wars, then commanded Panzers in WWII, leading the invasions of Poland, France, and Russia.
General Guderian makes no moral judgments on the right or wrong of his job; he was told to go after lebensraum, and he did it. A devout Christian man, he must have been bothered at times, but....remember, Pope Benedict XVI fought for the same cause, though far below General Guderian's pay grade. He makes plenty of judgment on the stupidity of the Russian campaign, and on the defective plan in France, but that's all.
This was no modern day JEB Stuart [tanks are the military descendent of horse cavalry]; Guderian left the flash and style to the likes of Patton and Rommel, on whom it looked better. Maybe Guderian was Wade Hampton or Joe Wheeler. [The are no comparisons for Forrest; he was unique, though so few are].
This fine book is, of course, a translation. I can't vouch for the accuracy, as I can't read German, but it is quite readable. In most wars, the books are about, and by, the winners; the two exceptions are Germans from WWII, and Confederates. It has been said that that's because those are the two losing sides that still have adherents....maybe, but if you want to find out how a horse turned into a tank, and how a modern army is built, start right here.
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