Classic Conflicts Series, Christophere Chant Consultant Editor
I first read this book in 1997 and during this re-read, I found that it has easily stood the test of time. By this I mean that reading this one book will give the reader a solid basis in most of the key areas key to an understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the German military under Hitler, as well as a basic understanding of the various military fronts, key German military personalities and problems faced by that military. Or to put it another way, reading this book will save the reader the time and expense of going through other books published this 1997 which deal with the same areas but add nothing new.
The book itself is divided into several parts which focus on specific areas. For example, Part I entitled, “Hitler’s War Machine” deals with Germany in the thirties, the general economy, science, and technology, etc. Part II deals with Hitler’s generals and their battles in each of the key fronts. Various generals are highlighted with a good analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. The last part deals with the Luftwaffe and its challenges from fighting on numerous fronts and the impact of the strategic bombing campaign. Surprisingly, the Kriegsmarine receives short shift and is only covered in a section of fourteen pages.
The key of course to the defeat of Hitler’s war machine was the overwhelming strength of the allied coalition. Added to this is the fact that although the Germans were operating for most of the war along interior lines (unlike the United States which fought simultaneously in theaters thousands of miles apart), their shortages of key materials and short war outlook doomed them from the start. Without a quick victory, the chances of a German victory lessened each day.
Realizing the logistical problem of the German may encourage the reader to research information on the topic. I suggest Brute Force by John Ellis (reviewed 12/28/2023), Freedoms Forge by Arthur Herman (reviewed 4/28/2025) and Why the Allies Won by Richard Overy. These excellent books will give the reader an amazing view of the power available to the modern nation’s state.
Overall, this is an excellent book which covers most of the key areas. It is more of a technical look at war, devoid of human-interest stories but written in a manner that easily holds one’s attention.
