Blitzkrieg!: A History of the Nazis' Lightning War

by Bryan Perrett

320 pages, Paperback

Published July 7, 2022

About the author

Bryan Perrett was born in 1934 and educated at Liverpool College. He served in the Royal Armoured Corps, the 17th/21st Lancers, Westminster Dragoons, and the Royal Tank Regiment, and was awarded the Territorial Decoration.A professional military historian for many years, his books include "A History of the Blitzkrieg" and "Knights of the Black Cross - Hitler's Panzerwaffe and its Leaders". His treatise Desert Warfare was widely consulted during the Gulf War. His most recent works, including "Last Stand, At All Costs" and "Against all Odds" examine aspects of motivation. During the Falklands and Gulf Wars Bryan Perrett served as Defense Correspondent to the Liverpool Echo. His books are widely read on both sides of the Atlantic and have been translated into several languages.

Reviews

[Christopher Dove · Rating 3 out of 5]

The front of the book clearly states that 'Blitzkrieg!' is a history of the Nazis' lightning war. Thus, I fully expected this to be a book about the Nazi invasion of France in 1940. In fact this book has a wider remit, looking at how this style of warfare was developed and used both before and after World War 2. It looks first at World War 1 and the development of tanks, use of aircraft and how the German Army used stormtroops. These were rarely used in co-ordinated attacks on the Western Front. However, the author suggests that the first real use of blitzkrieg in modern times was at the 1918 Battle of Megiddo, in the Palestine campaign. The main part of the book decribes campaigns in WW2. As well as the Battle of France, there are chapters on the British in North Africa, the Russians on the Eastern Front and the British in the Far East. In a later chapter, the author also looks at the tactics of the Israeli Defence Force in both the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur war. This is a good overview of how blitzkrieg was used in a variety of campaigns. There were a couple of niggles though - there are no maps and this version of the book did not have an index. Both would have been useful!

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book offers a thorough history of Blitzkrieg as a military strategy, beginning with its early roots in the First World War and focusing primarily on the European theatre of the Second World War. Particular attention is given to the 1940 invasion of France and the Low Countries, Operation Barbarossa, and the Battle of the Bulge.

A dedicated chapter examines the Japanese invasion of Burma and the subsequent British counteroffensive, broadening the scope beyond Europe. The author then moves into the modern era, analysing the application of Blitzkrieg-style warfare during the Arab–Israeli conflicts of the 1960s and 1970s.

The final chapter presents a speculative “what if” scenario exploring a hypothetical Warsaw Pact invasion of NATO countries in Europe. While the book would have benefited from the inclusion of more maps to better support the operational discussions, it nonetheless provides a compelling and insightful examination of Blitzkrieg as both a historical and evolving concept of warfare.

[Paul Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book traces the origins of this tactical/strategic method of delivering a rapid strike against an enemy utilizing speed and maneuverability as a key component. Starting at WW1 and moving through to the conflicts in the Middle East he provides examples of how it had been developed to fit the modern battlefield.

The author uses many examples and describes the conflicts in detail and this is where in my opinion the book suffers. The units are listed in detail as is the battle but is completely lost without the use of maps, diagrams and pictures that allow the reader to actually see what is being described. Unless you are a scholar of world geography and country topographical features then the places mentioned are just names and do nothing to help the reader get a better understanding of the battle being described.