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Death of the Leaping Horseman
Revised edition of a rare account of a German armored division in combat at the epic Battle of Stalingrad.Day-by-day story of the 24th Panzer Division's savage fighting in the streets of Stalingrad in 1942Eyewitness accounts from participants reveal the brutality of this battlePhotos from official archives, private collections, and veterans--most of them never seen beforeUsed copies of the out-of-print earlier edition sell for more than $900A treasure trove for historians, buffs, modelers, and wargamers
560 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 9, 2025
What I expected when I started this work was basic "lines-on-the-map" military history, told rather dispassionately, and such was what was delivered, as Jason Mark takes you from the opening of the German Operation "Blau" in 1942, to the death maze of Stalingrad, and ends with the commencement of the Soviet Operation "Uranus." It's interesting to note that when Ferdinand Maria von Senger und Etterlin, a noted personage who was assigned to the division is wounded, and sent to the rear, the book winds down rapidly; Mark leans heavily on Senger's diary to provide personal color.
Still, though one can admire the work that went into producing a day-by-day chronicle of the division, the problem is that while the 24th Panzer Division might have been a "clean" unit relative to the criminality of the whole Nazi enterprise, and Mark does his best to skirt around the matter by not editorializing, the typical consumer of this work is going to bring their own sense of irony. Mine was engaged with the caption of a photo of the funeral of a well-admired regimental commander, where the divisional commander is recorded as having pronounced: "You now rest in German soil, Kamerad Riebel." The jokes write themselves. Levity aside, this book was originally published over twenty-years ago, and it shows; they really don't write them like this anymore, and that's a good thing.
Actual rating: More like 3.5.
Still, though one can admire the work that went into producing a day-by-day chronicle of the division, the problem is that while the 24th Panzer Division might have been a "clean" unit relative to the criminality of the whole Nazi enterprise, and Mark does his best to skirt around the matter by not editorializing, the typical consumer of this work is going to bring their own sense of irony. Mine was engaged with the caption of a photo of the funeral of a well-admired regimental commander, where the divisional commander is recorded as having pronounced: "You now rest in German soil, Kamerad Riebel." The jokes write themselves. Levity aside, this book was originally published over twenty-years ago, and it shows; they really don't write them like this anymore, and that's a good thing.
Actual rating: More like 3.5.
May 12, 2020
Another gold standard of Stalingrad by Mr. Mark. I'm unsure of the publishing order but in my case I read his excellent Island of Fire first, then this volume. Both are laid out the same, by each day documenting the happenings of those affected (In this case the 24th PD). His research is excellent and well documented. Great photos throughout along with first hand accounts.
Being that the 24th PD was at the heart of the battle and among the Red October Steel Plant battles, the book for me really drove home how finite the forward/backward measuring stick of the front line had been reduced to there towards the end. EG: So and so unit objective were the offices down the hall in the steel plant. Or the Russians were forced to retreat after an assault and did so by going up the stairs to the 2nd or 3rd floor.
For me personally best digested by reading a few days of the book at a time.
Being that the 24th PD was at the heart of the battle and among the Red October Steel Plant battles, the book for me really drove home how finite the forward/backward measuring stick of the front line had been reduced to there towards the end. EG: So and so unit objective were the offices down the hall in the steel plant. Or the Russians were forced to retreat after an assault and did so by going up the stairs to the 2nd or 3rd floor.
For me personally best digested by reading a few days of the book at a time.
January 16, 2020
A history of 24th Panzer Division’s experiences in Stalingrad… sort of. The book ends with the launching of Operation Uranus by the Soviets to surround the German 6th Army at Stalingrad. We don’t actually get to the “death” of the division as a result, but just kind of leave the story hanging.
The history has a few problems. The first is a lack of citations. There’s a bibliography, but no indication in the text itself from where specific information is drawn from. I don’t understand how someone can put out a work like this and not cite their sources. Several times I read a quote and wondered whether it was from a contemporary source, or written long after the fact. Citations would have allowed this determination to be made.
Second, the author appears to be a bit too keen on his subject. The book is dedicated to “all the proud veterans of 24. Panzer-Division.” Why? What do they have to be proud of? 1) They were fighting for a terrible cause. 2) They lost. There’s nothing to be proud of there.
Third, the aforementioned ending to the book. Maybe the primary sources end at that point, I don’t know, but at the very least a summary of what happens to the Division from the beginning of Operation Uranus to the surrender of 6th Army in February of 1943 would be appropriate.
In the end, even though this is likely the only source in English for some of the information presented, I can’t really recommend this book except as a source of statistics for use by wargamers. There are better sources for reading about the battle of Stalingrad.
The history has a few problems. The first is a lack of citations. There’s a bibliography, but no indication in the text itself from where specific information is drawn from. I don’t understand how someone can put out a work like this and not cite their sources. Several times I read a quote and wondered whether it was from a contemporary source, or written long after the fact. Citations would have allowed this determination to be made.
Second, the author appears to be a bit too keen on his subject. The book is dedicated to “all the proud veterans of 24. Panzer-Division.” Why? What do they have to be proud of? 1) They were fighting for a terrible cause. 2) They lost. There’s nothing to be proud of there.
Third, the aforementioned ending to the book. Maybe the primary sources end at that point, I don’t know, but at the very least a summary of what happens to the Division from the beginning of Operation Uranus to the surrender of 6th Army in February of 1943 would be appropriate.
In the end, even though this is likely the only source in English for some of the information presented, I can’t really recommend this book except as a source of statistics for use by wargamers. There are better sources for reading about the battle of Stalingrad.
September 29, 2018
Great book with plenty of facts and images that put you in the experience. The only issue I had with it was it was a little too... German. What I mean is after a while the format repeats itself over and over, on this day the division did this, we attacked that, we captured x guns, destroyed y tanks, 5 officers were killed here are their names etc. So it gives you a real feel for the day to day pace and issues of the division. It does stop and explain and give background on several officers and men and go into a more descriptive account of the fighting on several occasions which makes it 4 stars for me. But I left that last star off because it does not really address the battle outside of its formulaic day-by-day accounts and I ended up skimming part of it to get past the repetition.
October 25, 2015
This is a divisonal war diary. As such it lacks a narrative of the context in which the events recorded are occurring and finishes somewhat abruptly. However, for what it is it is very7 well put together. Great maps and pictures etc.
November 1, 2023
Excellent day by day combat report of one of the Wehrmacht's best panzer divisions and definitely my favourite - the 24. Panzer-Division. This is basically a war diary of the division and definitely not a beginner's book. If you are new to the battle of Stalingrad better start elsewhere.
It's obvious that the author has spent an enormous amount of time writing this book. And he did a masterful job. Even though the text could get a bit dry at times e.g. Kampfgruppe Edelsheim gathered in grid 53 and then attacked towards the railway line in grid 62, there are quite a lot of first person accounts mixed in. Also the author's writing style brings the terrible atmosphere of fighting in Stalingrad to life with his accurate descriptions of the battle.
During the course of the book you clearly see how the striking power of the 24. Panzer-Division was wasted in city fighting and poor usage of its armoured strength. Panzers were frittered away in actions of supporting infantry which didn't know how to properly use them. Towards the end the division had basically a battalion's combat strength. Such a pity for the Germans considering the eventual Soviet counterattack which was coming.
Quite interesting were the division's conclusions on the city fighting in Stalingrad, located in a separate chapter. The panzer and combat strength is also given. Copious amount of maps are also provided.
All in all I do believe that Jason Mark did a wonderful job with this book and set a high standard to other books on the topic. The only thing I didn't like is that actually the book doesn't live up to its title. You don't actually see the death of the division in February 1943. The book ends a day after the beginning of operation Uranus on the 20 November 1942. It's like a awesome film ending in a cliffhanger. Maybe there wasn't enough data after the kessel was formed, but still it would be better to see through till the end. There are officer biographies in the end which tell you what happened to the main characters involved, but it's not the same. Also the book should've started with the beginning of operation Blau on 28 June 1942, but I suppose it would have made it even lengthier.
Also I just wanted to add that I don't think that the battle of Kiev was a tactical victory but a massive strategic blunder. I think that it was the only right thing to do. You can't leave 665 000 people in your rear while charging to Moscow. But that's my opinion. I always mention it when I see it in a book.
In the end I do believe that the proud veterans of the division deserved such a excellent retailing of their story. And they have all the reasons to be proud. They were part of most certainly the best fighting force of the last century and they participated in the crusade against bolshevism.
4.5/5 stars with only one minus, but not enough to detract from the overall grade.
It's obvious that the author has spent an enormous amount of time writing this book. And he did a masterful job. Even though the text could get a bit dry at times e.g. Kampfgruppe Edelsheim gathered in grid 53 and then attacked towards the railway line in grid 62, there are quite a lot of first person accounts mixed in. Also the author's writing style brings the terrible atmosphere of fighting in Stalingrad to life with his accurate descriptions of the battle.
During the course of the book you clearly see how the striking power of the 24. Panzer-Division was wasted in city fighting and poor usage of its armoured strength. Panzers were frittered away in actions of supporting infantry which didn't know how to properly use them. Towards the end the division had basically a battalion's combat strength. Such a pity for the Germans considering the eventual Soviet counterattack which was coming.
Quite interesting were the division's conclusions on the city fighting in Stalingrad, located in a separate chapter. The panzer and combat strength is also given. Copious amount of maps are also provided.
All in all I do believe that Jason Mark did a wonderful job with this book and set a high standard to other books on the topic. The only thing I didn't like is that actually the book doesn't live up to its title. You don't actually see the death of the division in February 1943. The book ends a day after the beginning of operation Uranus on the 20 November 1942. It's like a awesome film ending in a cliffhanger. Maybe there wasn't enough data after the kessel was formed, but still it would be better to see through till the end. There are officer biographies in the end which tell you what happened to the main characters involved, but it's not the same. Also the book should've started with the beginning of operation Blau on 28 June 1942, but I suppose it would have made it even lengthier.
Also I just wanted to add that I don't think that the battle of Kiev was a tactical victory but a massive strategic blunder. I think that it was the only right thing to do. You can't leave 665 000 people in your rear while charging to Moscow. But that's my opinion. I always mention it when I see it in a book.
In the end I do believe that the proud veterans of the division deserved such a excellent retailing of their story. And they have all the reasons to be proud. They were part of most certainly the best fighting force of the last century and they participated in the crusade against bolshevism.
4.5/5 stars with only one minus, but not enough to detract from the overall grade.
April 11, 2020
Quite a masterpiece regarding the abstract side of things. Very little regarding human experiences and interactions with the enemy and local population. It's like describing very complicated and long military maneuvers. Very rewarding if you are German and in the military I guess.
November 21, 2019
The book is essentially a diary with occasional well written descriptive pieces and a lot of casualty, and other reports.
It does give a very good view on the operation and tactics of a German Armored Division and its relationship with Corp, Army and other adjacent and attached units. It allows the reader to feel the destruction of the division from the heady days of the approach to Volga and Stalingrad, to the slow attrition of the division as it got involved in urban combat with few replacements of men or material. The German High Command allowed the 24th to disintegrate.
It does give a very good view on the operation and tactics of a German Armored Division and its relationship with Corp, Army and other adjacent and attached units. It allows the reader to feel the destruction of the division from the heady days of the approach to Volga and Stalingrad, to the slow attrition of the division as it got involved in urban combat with few replacements of men or material. The German High Command allowed the 24th to disintegrate.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews