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Hitler's Generals
An account of the background, men, power, and defeat of Hitler's High Command
- GenresHistoryWorld War II
Paperback
Published January 1, 1978
20 people want to read
About the author
Richard Humble
106 books3 followersRichard Humble read Military History at Oriel College, Oxford. Now retired after 17 years as a Prison Teacher, he is a published author of 44 books on history for both adult and children's readership.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 11, 2021
This is a very interesting and informative view of World War II that focuses on Hitler and the generals who led his armies in the field. With great economy it provides the non-specialist reader with a sound chronological trip through Germany's war on the world between 1939 and 1945. One can find more detail in other sources, but this is a readable overview.
The men it features are a varied lot. Author Richard Humble offers useful descriptions of a score of generals and their roles throughout the war. They were varied in their abilities and in their character. They sometimes cooperated with one another, but some held long term animosities against one another. Each had different reactions to their common boss, Hitler. Some acted loyally, others sought to remove him from office, and still others to assassinate him. The author notes that one reaction to Hitler they all seemed to share was a fascination with the man. In his mercurial, at times crazed, behavior Hitler set goals these men thought impossible. Sometimes they were, but sometimes they were exceeded. We know, however, that in the end the Thousand Year Reich lived for only 12 years. Many of these officer would find that their reward for loyalty, or for treason, was the same: Death, on the postwar War Crimes gallows, or at the hands of a wartime SS execution squad.
Those who have read extensively on the period may find some new insights in the book, or may care to contrast their evaluations with those Humble provides. General readers will gain a quick familiarity with the brutal journey that was World War II in Europe. A recommended read on the topic.
The men it features are a varied lot. Author Richard Humble offers useful descriptions of a score of generals and their roles throughout the war. They were varied in their abilities and in their character. They sometimes cooperated with one another, but some held long term animosities against one another. Each had different reactions to their common boss, Hitler. Some acted loyally, others sought to remove him from office, and still others to assassinate him. The author notes that one reaction to Hitler they all seemed to share was a fascination with the man. In his mercurial, at times crazed, behavior Hitler set goals these men thought impossible. Sometimes they were, but sometimes they were exceeded. We know, however, that in the end the Thousand Year Reich lived for only 12 years. Many of these officer would find that their reward for loyalty, or for treason, was the same: Death, on the postwar War Crimes gallows, or at the hands of a wartime SS execution squad.
Those who have read extensively on the period may find some new insights in the book, or may care to contrast their evaluations with those Humble provides. General readers will gain a quick familiarity with the brutal journey that was World War II in Europe. A recommended read on the topic.
December 9, 2018
A short and concise overview of Hitler's key generals and their roles in the expansion and ultimate demise of the Reich. I would have liked to have seen a deeper delving into the personal lives and psyches of the generals, in particular Manstein, Kesselring, Rundstedt & Guderian, who the author touted as being Hitler's "indispensables"
November 9, 2021
Yükseliş, güçlenme ve gücün kullanımı ile dönemin gidişatını generaller gözünde aktarmakta. Dönem ve Hitler tarafındaki bir bakış açısı için okunabilir.
December 17, 2012
A decent look at the relationship between Hitler and his generals. Nothing new or revelatory, It does a decent job of walking through the decision making and conflicts before and through the war in a succinct manner.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews