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Hitler's Teutonic Knights: SS Panzers In Action
OUR COPY HAS THE SAME COVER AS STOCK PHOTO SHOWN. SCUFFING, EDGE WEAR AND SOME CREASING ON COVERS AND SPINE. PAGES INTACT AND WITHOUT MARKING OR WRITING NOTED. MUSTY ODOR.
200 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 7, 2023
Really good overview of the SS panzer divisions, doesn't go into a whole lot of depth but the photographs are amazing and add to the story. The descriptions of the photographs are nice and it is overall a great addition to the reference library.
July 14, 2020
This is really an outstanding photo- book history of the SS Panzer Divisions in Action, with a concise history of each unit thrown in for good measure. Bruce Quarrie is a known quantity as a WWII Military historian, and he does not disappoint, making sure to remind the reader of the Waffen SS's bad atrocity record, as he might seem to be extolling their military feats. His focus is on the seven most famous SS Panzer Divisions, 1st Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, 2nd Das Reich, 3rd Totenkopf (Death's Head), 5th Wiking (with many foreign volunteers from Holland and Scandinavia), 9th Hohenstaufen, 10th Frundsberg, and 12th HitlerJugend(Hitler Youth- kids as young as 16). The others in the Numbering system were Infantry, Police, or "Faux" Panzer units, so badly equipped or short lived as to be tangential to the story. Quarrie gives us a bit of background- and then a ton of pics. And after that- a tonne more pics-Mainly B/w but with enough Colour shots from Signal(the Whermacht Propaganda Magazine- their LIFE to be worthy of note.
After 1941, when the Political Gangster Soldiers of the Waffen SS had proven their mettle at fighting both the War at the Front against the Red Army and the Racial Purity War that Himmler had created them for, the SS Panzer units became the beneficiaries of Hitler's appreciation and the home front's industrial output. As you will see from the picture records, they get all the Armour upgrades, so you see the first long 50mm Pz111s, then the Long 75mm PzIVs, then the Pz IVs get Schurzen (the Spaced Armour all Late War German Tanks below the Panther and Tiger class carry to remain relevant again AT Rifles and Bazookas), then lovely Tiger and Panthers pics, culminating in some of the best Tiger II shots I've ever seen from snaps, as SS PZ units were some of the few to get these gas-guzzling- road/bridge destroying monstrosities. Close up shots of many of the different Camos the SS Wore, and some of the special uniform intricacies complete the photo- essay. I might have liked a bit more narrative- but I can't really argue with letting the amazing pictures speak for themselves. I had been worried that the title was too laudatory, but Quarrie reminds us that the Teutonic Knights were not real paragons of virtue- so the comparison is apt.
There are few adult themes except for pillage and murder, generally overly frankly discussed, so this book is fine for any junior reader over about 12, with some parental or teacher guidance, as this is a good time to discuss the concept of "War Crime"- and perhaps racism in its larger context. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military enthusiast, a really great resource. Lots of ideas for Scenarios/Dioramas/Terrain Builders to riff off of. Lots of uniform combos you might not have seen before. Tanks with all the stowage a modeller might want to see. I loved a couple of shot of Radio Teams- something you seldom see on the German side. A really strong Photo Collection with good narrative-and those valuable Signal colour shots make this book quite engaging.
After 1941, when the Political Gangster Soldiers of the Waffen SS had proven their mettle at fighting both the War at the Front against the Red Army and the Racial Purity War that Himmler had created them for, the SS Panzer units became the beneficiaries of Hitler's appreciation and the home front's industrial output. As you will see from the picture records, they get all the Armour upgrades, so you see the first long 50mm Pz111s, then the Long 75mm PzIVs, then the Pz IVs get Schurzen (the Spaced Armour all Late War German Tanks below the Panther and Tiger class carry to remain relevant again AT Rifles and Bazookas), then lovely Tiger and Panthers pics, culminating in some of the best Tiger II shots I've ever seen from snaps, as SS PZ units were some of the few to get these gas-guzzling- road/bridge destroying monstrosities. Close up shots of many of the different Camos the SS Wore, and some of the special uniform intricacies complete the photo- essay. I might have liked a bit more narrative- but I can't really argue with letting the amazing pictures speak for themselves. I had been worried that the title was too laudatory, but Quarrie reminds us that the Teutonic Knights were not real paragons of virtue- so the comparison is apt.
There are few adult themes except for pillage and murder, generally overly frankly discussed, so this book is fine for any junior reader over about 12, with some parental or teacher guidance, as this is a good time to discuss the concept of "War Crime"- and perhaps racism in its larger context. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military enthusiast, a really great resource. Lots of ideas for Scenarios/Dioramas/Terrain Builders to riff off of. Lots of uniform combos you might not have seen before. Tanks with all the stowage a modeller might want to see. I loved a couple of shot of Radio Teams- something you seldom see on the German side. A really strong Photo Collection with good narrative-and those valuable Signal colour shots make this book quite engaging.
February 2, 2017
Well researched and amazing photos but written as though it were a script for the History Channel.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews