Excellent. Thanks!
Quote from: ArizonaTank on March 10, 2015, 05:01:46 AM
Although I have to admit that I find it a little creepy that the whole, prolific "rapid read" series is dedicated to the "German War Machine."
Theres one title listed without the German War Machine banner on it... "Patton Unleashed!"
Quote from: ArizonaTank on March 10, 2015, 05:01:46 AM
Thanks, great find.
The series reminds me of the old Ballantine Illustrated History books.
Ballantine Illustrated had photos and more importantly maps, this self-published, anonymous junk has neither.
I don't know who wrote this book, and honestly, I don't even know what it's supposed to be. It's not a technical manual on Tigers as there are no drawing nor appendices. It's not a book on tactics. There is little discussion on German heavy armour operations or doctrine. But the research is certainly suspect, from references to units that never existed (40th Canadian Armoured Regiment??) to howlers like:
"With the Canadians and British stalemated in front of Caen by the stalwart defence of the Hitlerjugend Division,"The author has apparently not read any of the most recent scholarship, including Marc Milner's book
Stopping the Panzers, which came out just in the last few months. But Oliver Haller's article on "Defeat of the 12th SS" has been floating around for years, describing the interpretations of the 12th SS Panzer Division's operations in the first days of the invasion as a bloody debacle, and Milner only provides further evidence that the Canadians were doing exactly what they intended to do - provide a nice, solid anvil for them to batter themselves against.
And what any of that has to do with "Tigers in Normandy" is a bit beyond me since the 12th SS Panzer was equipped with PzKpfw IV and V tanks anyhow. A small number of Tigers were available as part of KG Wünsche - after the period discussed in the book, according to Zetterling. But the author is aware of this - he not only doesn't mention Tigers in association with the 12th SS, the word "Tiger" doesn't appear until page 24. Not so bad, unless you consider that this is a 49-page book about Tigers. That's half-way through until you see the word.
I can see why it was free.
I can also see why it is on a website called "German War Machine."