Blitzkrieg: From the Ground Up

From the author of Bismarck:"A work of simply outstanding scholarship . .. unreservedly recommended for . . .World War II Military History collections" (MidwestBook Review).The successes of the German Blitzkrieg in 1939-41 were assurprising as they were swift. Allied decision-makers wanted todiscover the Germans' secrets, even though only partial, incompleteinformation was available to them. The false conclusions drawnbecame myths about the Blitzkrieg that have lingered fordecades.It has been argued that rather than creating a new way of warbased on new technology, the Germans fitted the new weapons intotheir existing ideas on warfare. The conduct of German soldiers,particularly the lower-ranking men, on the battlefield was at thecore of the concept, and German victories rested upon the quality,flexibility, and mobility of the small combat units.This book focuses on the experiences of the enlisted men andjunior officers in the Blitzkrieg operations in Poland, Norway,Western Europe, and Russia. Using accounts previously unpublishedin English, military historian Niklas Zetterling "not only showsyou the big picture, economically, strategically, but also takesyou right into the Panzers," showing how a company commander ledhis tanks, how a crew worked together inside a tank, and the roleof the repair services. "For those of us who are interested in thetactics and strategy of the early war years, it is a book you won'twant to miss" (A Wargamers Needful Things)."In support of his convincing argument the author uses severalaccounts of German actions seen through the eyes of the soldiersand junior officers who had to put theory into practice on thebattlefield. 4.5 stars." —Army Rumour Service