SS: Hell on the Eastern Front: The Waffen-SS War in Russia 1941-1945

by Christopher Ailsby

A fascinating and detailed account of every aspect of the Waffen-SS's war on the Eastern Front: its battles, its organization, tactics, and equipment. Read what it was like to take part in Operation 'Barbarossa', the opening assault against Russia in the summer of 1941; the clash of massed armor at Kursk; and other epic encounters of war in the East. Ailsby also provides detailed insight into how Waffen-SS individuals and units met and often mastered their Red Army adversaries.

Genres: Military Fiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 1997

Reviews

[Brett C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much. From an informational stance it was great. The book focuses on the Waffen-SS (particularly the Divisions Wiking, Das Reich, Totenkopf, and Leibstandarte) and their operations in Eastern Europe and in the Soviet Union.

The book opens up with basics on the ideological indoctrination, the ideal SS Man, and basic information on the mentioned formations. Combat operations, Operations Citadel and Typhon are mentioned, a chapter on Himmler's Foreign Legions (Nordland, Hunyadi, Wallonien, etc.) and how they fit into the Waffen-SS structure, racial warfare and the Einsatzgruppen, and lots of information.

It contains lots of great pictures and was very readable. I would recommend this as good overview about the Eastern Front. Thanks!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some respects a reference book, many spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, kindle version no good for looking at photographs contained in book. Tends to gloss over darker side of ss.

[Andy Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Be warned the Kindle version of this has such poor spelling and grammar as to be almost unreadable in places. This is a good military history of the Waffen SS, concentrating on the elite's tanacity and bravery on the Eastern Front, but making only passing mention of the darker side of the SS (Einsatzgruppen and Theodore Eike's thugs).

[Rick Brindle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, readable history of the Waffen SS on the Eastern Front in World War 2. It gives an account of the genesis of the unit, as well as the ideological angle, and pulls no punches when dealing with the atrocities committed. A good read for anyone interested in this aspect of history.

[Alistaire King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very mixed bag

The good: good photographs and the text is a good basic entry for people interested in this subject.
The bad: Desperately needs an editor and a proof reader. The number of sentences and paragraphs that were practically non-sensual is quite shocking