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Hitler's Commando: The Daring Missions of Otto Skorzeny and the Nazi Special Forces
Otto Skorzeny, Germany's top commando in the Second World War, is one of the most famous men in the history of special forces. His extraordinary wartime career was one of high risk and adventure and here he tells the full story. Skorzeny quickly proved his worth in Yugoslavia and then Russia. In 1942 he was awarded the Iron Cross, and in April 1943 he was promoted to captain and named "Chief of Germany's Special Troops, Existing or to be Created in the Future."
When Mussolini was imprisoned in Italy in 1943, it was Skorzeny who successfully led the daring glider rescue, winning the Knight's Cross and promotion as a result. Skorzeny's talents were brought into play again when he was sent to Budapest to stop the Hungarian regent Admiral Horthy from signing a peace with Stalin in 1944. Now dubbed "the most dangerous man in Europe" by the Allies he was awarded the German Cross in Gold. A few months later he took a critical role in the Ardennes offensive with a controversial plan to raise a brigade disguised as Americans with captured Sherman tanks. His captured colleagues spread a false rumor that he was planning to assassinate Eisenhower, who was consequently confined to his headquarters under guard for protection.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
When Mussolini was imprisoned in Italy in 1943, it was Skorzeny who successfully led the daring glider rescue, winning the Knight's Cross and promotion as a result. Skorzeny's talents were brought into play again when he was sent to Budapest to stop the Hungarian regent Admiral Horthy from signing a peace with Stalin in 1944. Now dubbed "the most dangerous man in Europe" by the Allies he was awarded the German Cross in Gold. A few months later he took a critical role in the Ardennes offensive with a controversial plan to raise a brigade disguised as Americans with captured Sherman tanks. His captured colleagues spread a false rumor that he was planning to assassinate Eisenhower, who was consequently confined to his headquarters under guard for protection.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1950
50 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Otto Skorzeny
34 books25 followersOtto Skorzeny was an Austrian SS-Standartenführer (colonel) in the German Waffen-SS during World War II. After fighting on the Eastern Front, he was chosen as the field commander to carry out the rescue mission that freed the deposed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from captivity.
Skorzeny was also the leader of Operation Greif, in which German soldiers were to infiltrate through enemy lines, using their opponents' language, uniforms, and customs. At the end of the war, Skorzeny was involved with the Werwolf guerrilla movement and the ODESSA network where he would serve as Spanish coordinator.
Skorzeny was also the leader of Operation Greif, in which German soldiers were to infiltrate through enemy lines, using their opponents' language, uniforms, and customs. At the end of the war, Skorzeny was involved with the Werwolf guerrilla movement and the ODESSA network where he would serve as Spanish coordinator.
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November 26, 2011
"Skorzeny's Special Missions: The Memoirs of Hitler's Most Daring Commando" by Otto Skorzeny. Zenith Press has produced an excellent new edition of the book.
Prior to reading the book I did not know of Otto Skorzeny. He isn’t a well known World War II German soldier. From a little research I found his memoirs had been originally written in German. At first, the book didn't grab my attention. Maybe this was because I had never thought of viewing World War II from the point of view of a German commando.
As I read the book I found Otto Skorzeny does something few do. He lets us into his mind. It helped me understand his point of view. The book is action paced. It experience commando action as if you were there. The more I read the more I came to realize this book is one of the must read, must have books of World War II. I would call the book historical literature and a required study for all World War II buffs.
The telling of the story of the rescue of Mussolini is worth the purchase price alone. You learn that Skorzeny was selected for the mission because Hitler was aware the shared an Austrian heritage. The story of how the German intelligence learned of Mussolini's location is amazing. You experience the planning and execution of the mission. You experience the concept of the operation down to Skorzeny deployed his unit.
After the Mussolini mission you journey with Skorzeny to France to put down a possible coup whose mission is the overthrow of the Germany loyal Vichy government. The threat failed to materialize.
Skorzeny became involved in research and development of tactics and the weapons needed for commando operational support. You travel with him to the Russian front were he began commando operations. You next find him back on the western front. Here he used one of the most controversial attacks deployed during the war. He used English-speaking German soldiers to work behind American lines during the Battle of the Bulge. The detail of the plan is shared including its development, organization, equipping, implementation, and what caused the plan be found out and it failure.
It is always interesting to look at military events from a different point of view. Here you get the best insights into German commando operations. It is amazing. It is worth the purchase price and should be part of your library.
After reading the book, I believe no military education of World War II is complete without having read this classic work.
Prior to reading the book I did not know of Otto Skorzeny. He isn’t a well known World War II German soldier. From a little research I found his memoirs had been originally written in German. At first, the book didn't grab my attention. Maybe this was because I had never thought of viewing World War II from the point of view of a German commando.
As I read the book I found Otto Skorzeny does something few do. He lets us into his mind. It helped me understand his point of view. The book is action paced. It experience commando action as if you were there. The more I read the more I came to realize this book is one of the must read, must have books of World War II. I would call the book historical literature and a required study for all World War II buffs.
The telling of the story of the rescue of Mussolini is worth the purchase price alone. You learn that Skorzeny was selected for the mission because Hitler was aware the shared an Austrian heritage. The story of how the German intelligence learned of Mussolini's location is amazing. You experience the planning and execution of the mission. You experience the concept of the operation down to Skorzeny deployed his unit.
After the Mussolini mission you journey with Skorzeny to France to put down a possible coup whose mission is the overthrow of the Germany loyal Vichy government. The threat failed to materialize.
Skorzeny became involved in research and development of tactics and the weapons needed for commando operational support. You travel with him to the Russian front were he began commando operations. You next find him back on the western front. Here he used one of the most controversial attacks deployed during the war. He used English-speaking German soldiers to work behind American lines during the Battle of the Bulge. The detail of the plan is shared including its development, organization, equipping, implementation, and what caused the plan be found out and it failure.
It is always interesting to look at military events from a different point of view. Here you get the best insights into German commando operations. It is amazing. It is worth the purchase price and should be part of your library.
After reading the book, I believe no military education of World War II is complete without having read this classic work.
June 18, 2008
Another of the books for my individual assignment.
Context: Skorzeny, Adolf Hitler's favoured paratrooper, a member of the Waffen SS, took part in numerous covert operations during the war, including the rescue of Mussolini, and the seige of the Budapest Citadel (which kept Hungary on the side of the Axis).
Style: Somewhat harder to read than some of the other books i've read for this assignment... Skorzeny rarely divulges his opinions, choosing almost exclusively to describe in excrutiating detail the workings of whatever tank he's in at the time. Due to this, the book proved itself of little value... yielding only one page of semi-useful notes, and only one good point i can make when it comes to writing the essay.
Chronology: FAST. In complete contrast to Admiral Horthy, Otto Skorzeny whizzes through events like they're only moments. On one page, Skorzeny is entertaining childhood dreams of joining the Wehrmacht... and three pages later, he's invading Poland. The chronology is exceptionally fast.
Criticism: Skorzeny's memoirs, thanks to their disassociated tone, have earned them criticism for being "unapologetic"; Skorzeny, as a die-hard National Socialist, offers no apology for his horrible crimes. This criticism, however, is not my own- the book offers an account of Skorzeny's experiences through his eyes, and it delivers.
Context: Skorzeny, Adolf Hitler's favoured paratrooper, a member of the Waffen SS, took part in numerous covert operations during the war, including the rescue of Mussolini, and the seige of the Budapest Citadel (which kept Hungary on the side of the Axis).
Style: Somewhat harder to read than some of the other books i've read for this assignment... Skorzeny rarely divulges his opinions, choosing almost exclusively to describe in excrutiating detail the workings of whatever tank he's in at the time. Due to this, the book proved itself of little value... yielding only one page of semi-useful notes, and only one good point i can make when it comes to writing the essay.
Chronology: FAST. In complete contrast to Admiral Horthy, Otto Skorzeny whizzes through events like they're only moments. On one page, Skorzeny is entertaining childhood dreams of joining the Wehrmacht... and three pages later, he's invading Poland. The chronology is exceptionally fast.
Criticism: Skorzeny's memoirs, thanks to their disassociated tone, have earned them criticism for being "unapologetic"; Skorzeny, as a die-hard National Socialist, offers no apology for his horrible crimes. This criticism, however, is not my own- the book offers an account of Skorzeny's experiences through his eyes, and it delivers.
June 9, 2020
All in all a very interesting read. Otto Skorzeny was a daring and intelligent officer of special operations for Germany during WWII. This account goes through his experiences during his time in the military, with little reference to his early life or reasoning why his politics leaned in the direction they did. Nor does it go beyond his time in captivity after the war.
While the events were quite interesting, and at times told in great detail, the narrative was at times rather stilted. It seemed to take forever for him to get around to his most daring and notable exploits, specifically his rescue of Benito Mussolini after the political winds changed in Italy. It made for a nice companion to my earlier reading of Invasion Diary: A Dramatic Firsthand Account of the Allied Invasion of Italy as events overlapped a bit.
I had no clue about his involvement with the manned V-1 project. So that was a nice education for me. I also found his experiences along the Easter Front against Russia to be quite interesting. I've little knowledge about that part of WWII, but what I do know is that it was exceedingly intense. This was a nice, if brief, delve into that part of the war. His experiences with the Nuremberg Trials was also informative. I was aware he had been acquitted of crimes during the trials, but brief looks at his past said he 'escaped' captivity after trial. According to his account, he announced he was leaving and just left.
I do wish there was more he would have said about his post war life, as what little I've read sounds as exciting as his exploits during the war.
Lest someone think I admired everything about the man, let me be clear. I hate Nazis and other Fascists, almost as much as Communists. But the man did surprising and extraordinary deeds in conviction of his beliefs. While I have little sympathy for such Socialists, I can understand some of their reasoning in fighting for their beliefs even if misguided.
There were a couple of good quotes in the book as well. When speaking to another officer about his objections to some orders given he was given the reply, "It's idiotic, but it has been done." Bureaucracy is the bane of all people, everywhere. He complained about being labeled as, "The Most Dangerous Man In Europe." Though I find it a rather complimentary description myself. What soldier would wish to be know as a wimp or coward. The problems with media bias and reporting all manner of rumor were also highlighted in various parts of the book. In particular the reported rumors of Mussolini being in Allied custody and having flown to North Africa when it was easily able to prove otherwise.
The eBook was formatted OK. There were several foreign (German) words that I had no idea what they meant. And there were a number of instances where a date would be given as "nth" of some month, but later in the paragraph it would list the 20th of the same month, which makes me think there was an OCR problem that didn't get caught in the editing.
While the events were quite interesting, and at times told in great detail, the narrative was at times rather stilted. It seemed to take forever for him to get around to his most daring and notable exploits, specifically his rescue of Benito Mussolini after the political winds changed in Italy. It made for a nice companion to my earlier reading of Invasion Diary: A Dramatic Firsthand Account of the Allied Invasion of Italy as events overlapped a bit.
I had no clue about his involvement with the manned V-1 project. So that was a nice education for me. I also found his experiences along the Easter Front against Russia to be quite interesting. I've little knowledge about that part of WWII, but what I do know is that it was exceedingly intense. This was a nice, if brief, delve into that part of the war. His experiences with the Nuremberg Trials was also informative. I was aware he had been acquitted of crimes during the trials, but brief looks at his past said he 'escaped' captivity after trial. According to his account, he announced he was leaving and just left.
I do wish there was more he would have said about his post war life, as what little I've read sounds as exciting as his exploits during the war.
Lest someone think I admired everything about the man, let me be clear. I hate Nazis and other Fascists, almost as much as Communists. But the man did surprising and extraordinary deeds in conviction of his beliefs. While I have little sympathy for such Socialists, I can understand some of their reasoning in fighting for their beliefs even if misguided.
There were a couple of good quotes in the book as well. When speaking to another officer about his objections to some orders given he was given the reply, "It's idiotic, but it has been done." Bureaucracy is the bane of all people, everywhere. He complained about being labeled as, "The Most Dangerous Man In Europe." Though I find it a rather complimentary description myself. What soldier would wish to be know as a wimp or coward. The problems with media bias and reporting all manner of rumor were also highlighted in various parts of the book. In particular the reported rumors of Mussolini being in Allied custody and having flown to North Africa when it was easily able to prove otherwise.
The eBook was formatted OK. There were several foreign (German) words that I had no idea what they meant. And there were a number of instances where a date would be given as "nth" of some month, but later in the paragraph it would list the 20th of the same month, which makes me think there was an OCR problem that didn't get caught in the editing.
December 5, 2012
After doing a little more research, it appears that this book suffers from two problems:
1) The translation is really awkward in places ("after ripe consideration" is a schoolboy's translation of "nach reiflicher Ueberlegung").
2) This book has been edited and abridged to a point where it's very nearly worthless. I'm not quite sure how many volumes Skorzeny has written - German Amazon seems to indicate anywhere between 2 and 4. I'm assuming, therefore, that this very slim volume has been cut and amputated to a point where all the internal consistencies are basically due to somebody editing a (badly translated) German text down to a few "highlights". Nowhere on the blurb does it say how abridged this is, so what you're getting is what some more-or-less incompetent "editor" thought worthwhile.
From what I'm reading about the original memoirs, they are much more layered, deeper and insightful. Avoid this rip-off.
ETA: You, Frontline Books, go die in a fire.
1) The translation is really awkward in places ("after ripe consideration" is a schoolboy's translation of "nach reiflicher Ueberlegung").
2) This book has been edited and abridged to a point where it's very nearly worthless. I'm not quite sure how many volumes Skorzeny has written - German Amazon seems to indicate anywhere between 2 and 4. I'm assuming, therefore, that this very slim volume has been cut and amputated to a point where all the internal consistencies are basically due to somebody editing a (badly translated) German text down to a few "highlights". Nowhere on the blurb does it say how abridged this is, so what you're getting is what some more-or-less incompetent "editor" thought worthwhile.
From what I'm reading about the original memoirs, they are much more layered, deeper and insightful. Avoid this rip-off.
ETA: You, Frontline Books, go die in a fire.
October 2, 2013
Very interesting work by Hitler's top commando, his operations, and his assessments on Germany's top leaders. This work supported stories in other books I've read on WWII, specifically "Stalingrad", "The Day of Battle", "OSS", among others. The author does not embellish his actions, nor his person, only states what he and others accomplished, from the original orders, to the planning, the action, and the end result. Not all were successes, some were failures, but all were undertaken with Germany in mind, and by a professional soldier. This is a book that any student/history buff of WWII needs to have in their library.
July 10, 2022
Special Autobiography. Book is well written. Lots of adventure. Covers Otto Skorzeny's involvement in actions during WWII : Infamous rescue of Benito Mussolini (dep0sed Italian Dictator). Controversial involvement in Battle of the Bulge (behind Allied lines in American uniforms creating mischief and havoc) . Capturing Hungarian government. Contribution to development of Jet aircraft. ....and more. Fascinating perspective of a "Super Nazi" . Close interactions with Adoph Hitler and other important Nazi's. Comments regarding Nuremberg War-Crimes trials.
A must read for WWII buffs.
A must read for WWII buffs.
May 21, 2019
Most of the daring missions in this book consisted of spending endless hours attempting to procure the necessary assets to execute a plan and then proceeding on an alternative when unable to do so. Thne author is an unabashed devotee of Adolf Hitler and sees no wrong in the Nazi world plans. He ignores the holocaust and Nazi war atrocities. He explains that the Germans were the saviors of Europe attempting to prevent domination by the Asian hordes. It's a sad commentary depicting the pro-Nazi apologists' approach to explaining World War II.
September 17, 2021
Las "Misiones Secretas" de Otto Skorzeny es un conjunto de memorias de guerra que este coronel de las Waffen SS comparte con nosotros.
Se trata de una lectura amena, altamente informativa y sumamente entretenida, donde Skorzeny nos hace un repaso de sus misiones como jefe de comandos desde 1943 hasta el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
Desde el rescate de Mussolini, pasando por el intento de captura de Josip Tito, la intervención en Hungría de Skorzeny, hasta la ofensiva de las Ardenas, nos habla de las órdenes y misiones que le eran encomendadas, los problemas que debía afrontar bien sea por recibir órdenes vagas y confusas, tener que enfrentarse a generales, coroneles o capitanes cuyo ego cegaba el propósito final de las misiones, hasta la dificultad para recibir el equipo necesario para llevar adelante su misión (algo que es especialmente apreciado en el "último" capítulo, sobre la ofensiva de las Ardenas, donde pareciera que todo está en contra de Skorzeny).
El libro también nos aporta algunos detalles interesantes respecto al comportamiento y personalidad de Hitler. Bien sabemos por diversas fuentes que Adolf Hitler poseía una personalidad muy carismática y electrizante, que no dejaba indiferente a nadie, y esto se confirma en esta obra, e incluso, cuando se menciona la fatiga y debilidad del Führer hacia el final de la obra, producto de las tremendas responsabilidades con que cargaba como líder supremo de Alemania, y debido al inexorable avance de los soviéticos por el Este y la cada vez mayor presencia continental de los británicos y americanos en el Oeste, uno llega a empatizar con su persona, después de todo el gran villano de la historia universal, durante algunos párrafos, es reducido a un agotado y débil anciano que podría morir por estrés en cualquier momento (algo que desde luego no suprime el hecho de que se trataba de una persona que organizó un genocidio y fue el primero en comenzar las ofensivas que desencadenaron la SGM).
En resumen, "Misiones Secretas" de Otto Skorzeny es una lectura trepidante, de ritmo ágil, fácil de leer y llena de detalles interesantes para comprender mejor el papel y las misiones de los comandos de operaciones especiales de Alemania durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. La lectura de esta obra, al igual que "Samurái!" de Saburo Sakai, se la recomiendo a cualquiera que desee conocer más sobre las grandes misiones y batallas de la conflagración más sanguinaria de la historia humana, de la mano de las personas que participaron de forma activa en el frente de batalla, de una u otra forma.
Se trata de una lectura amena, altamente informativa y sumamente entretenida, donde Skorzeny nos hace un repaso de sus misiones como jefe de comandos desde 1943 hasta el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
Desde el rescate de Mussolini, pasando por el intento de captura de Josip Tito, la intervención en Hungría de Skorzeny, hasta la ofensiva de las Ardenas, nos habla de las órdenes y misiones que le eran encomendadas, los problemas que debía afrontar bien sea por recibir órdenes vagas y confusas, tener que enfrentarse a generales, coroneles o capitanes cuyo ego cegaba el propósito final de las misiones, hasta la dificultad para recibir el equipo necesario para llevar adelante su misión (algo que es especialmente apreciado en el "último" capítulo, sobre la ofensiva de las Ardenas, donde pareciera que todo está en contra de Skorzeny).
El libro también nos aporta algunos detalles interesantes respecto al comportamiento y personalidad de Hitler. Bien sabemos por diversas fuentes que Adolf Hitler poseía una personalidad muy carismática y electrizante, que no dejaba indiferente a nadie, y esto se confirma en esta obra, e incluso, cuando se menciona la fatiga y debilidad del Führer hacia el final de la obra, producto de las tremendas responsabilidades con que cargaba como líder supremo de Alemania, y debido al inexorable avance de los soviéticos por el Este y la cada vez mayor presencia continental de los británicos y americanos en el Oeste, uno llega a empatizar con su persona, después de todo el gran villano de la historia universal, durante algunos párrafos, es reducido a un agotado y débil anciano que podría morir por estrés en cualquier momento (algo que desde luego no suprime el hecho de que se trataba de una persona que organizó un genocidio y fue el primero en comenzar las ofensivas que desencadenaron la SGM).
En resumen, "Misiones Secretas" de Otto Skorzeny es una lectura trepidante, de ritmo ágil, fácil de leer y llena de detalles interesantes para comprender mejor el papel y las misiones de los comandos de operaciones especiales de Alemania durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. La lectura de esta obra, al igual que "Samurái!" de Saburo Sakai, se la recomiendo a cualquiera que desee conocer más sobre las grandes misiones y batallas de la conflagración más sanguinaria de la historia humana, de la mano de las personas que participaron de forma activa en el frente de batalla, de una u otra forma.
December 18, 2024
Otto Skorzeny was German SS officer and leader of one of the most sucessfull commando unit in military history.
He was responsible for freeing of Duce, Italian dictator Mussolini from captivity.
He was main organiser of secret German special forces unit with knowledge of english language that infiltrated allied lines during Battle of the Bulge. They were wrecking havock much more than the actual German attack.
His actions in Hungary led to downfall and arrest of Miklos Horthy who wanted to make a deal with Stalin.
There are many more missions he organised that I became aware by reading his memoire.
Skorzeny loved his involment and he liked media attention after the war. He was only known SS officer with ties to Mossad. Israeli secret service employed him in exsposing other German agents.
This memoir is tense and filled with action. Must read for all lovers of II. world war themes.
Only minor thing about the book is Skorzeny never explicitly condems nazi regime or Hitler himself. On the contrary he admires it.
He was responsible for freeing of Duce, Italian dictator Mussolini from captivity.
He was main organiser of secret German special forces unit with knowledge of english language that infiltrated allied lines during Battle of the Bulge. They were wrecking havock much more than the actual German attack.
His actions in Hungary led to downfall and arrest of Miklos Horthy who wanted to make a deal with Stalin.
There are many more missions he organised that I became aware by reading his memoire.
Skorzeny loved his involment and he liked media attention after the war. He was only known SS officer with ties to Mossad. Israeli secret service employed him in exsposing other German agents.
This memoir is tense and filled with action. Must read for all lovers of II. world war themes.
Only minor thing about the book is Skorzeny never explicitly condems nazi regime or Hitler himself. On the contrary he admires it.
December 27, 2024
Although some sections are poorly written and Skorzeny tries to portray himself always as a “gentleman” (evidently), the book is an exciting account of a very interesting man during WW2. Also, we are used to see history through victor’s eyes, and reading it through a different prespective is a different way to learn about this conflict.
Skorzeny totally ignores nazi crimes and doesent even mention them; which in a way is ok as this becomes more of an adventure book than a history analyisis. However, there is a very interesting section where he states his dissapointment over the leaders being judged at Nuremberg; he says he now recognizes they are not semigods and only humans; so even hardened men like Skorzeny fell into the Nazi spell and the cult of personality along it.
One thing is certain, if Skorzeny’s feats would have been made by an allie, there would be tens of movies about him.
Good book overall.
Skorzeny totally ignores nazi crimes and doesent even mention them; which in a way is ok as this becomes more of an adventure book than a history analyisis. However, there is a very interesting section where he states his dissapointment over the leaders being judged at Nuremberg; he says he now recognizes they are not semigods and only humans; so even hardened men like Skorzeny fell into the Nazi spell and the cult of personality along it.
One thing is certain, if Skorzeny’s feats would have been made by an allie, there would be tens of movies about him.
Good book overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2018
Iako Skorceni pokušava sebe da predstavi u najboljem svetlu i samim tim prikriva neke činjenice, njegovi memoari ipak mogu poslužiti kao izvor za određene događaje u Drugom svetskom ratu iz pera nekog nemačkog vojnika (i to pre svega u periodu kada Nemačka više nije imala vojnu inicijativu). Učestvovao je u napadu na Jugoslaviju, jedno vreme kao deo okuopacionih snaga bio stacioniran u Pančevu; učestvovao u oslobađanju Musolinija; u sprečavanju Mađarske da potpiše separatni mir sa Staljinom; u smirivanju strasti u Berlinu nakon neuspešnog atentata na Hitlera; u akciji poznatoj pod nazivom Desant na Drvar; u Ardenskoj ofanzivi... Na kraju opisuje i proces suđenja nakon završetka rata.
Preporuka za one koji vole istoriju i ratna memoarska dela.
Preporuka za one koji vole istoriju i ratna memoarska dela.
July 2, 2022
Skorzeny's account of his experiences serving as a commando in the Third Reich. He talks about his experiences with Hitler, Himmler, Goring, Hanna Reisch, and numerous other high-profile personnel. The famous and daring rescue of Mussolini from captivity is covered as well.
January 21, 2018
Just an amazing man and soldier. Thank God he was not in charge of the German War machine.
February 6, 2018
Біографічний твір, можливо, не зовсім правдивий, але цікавий.
February 12, 2018
I would recommend book to all those who likes to do their own research and do not blindly follow public opinion.
November 29, 2018
Same as review on hardcover.
March 10, 2020
A true soldier
Anyone that wants the truth should read this book and remember that the history books are written by the winners
Anyone that wants the truth should read this book and remember that the history books are written by the winners
May 10, 2022
An interesting read. It was far less self serving than other war memiors I've read (Zhukov's come to mind). I'm intrigued enough to read an actual biography of him.
January 7, 2025
Zanimljiva knjiga,jako uzbudljiva.
January 2, 2021
不得不说，作为一个曾兵临莫斯科城下、号称在东线战壕里也不忘拉电线看书、解救墨索里尼于水火、和希特勒一起吃过夜宵、在突出部之战中让盟军不得安生的人，这个文笔差不多停留在中学生作文的水准上也实在可惜。至死追随国家社会主义倒也足够坦诚，但是关于这个话题只会讲点不痛不痒的场面话，理论深度一点没有，也是蛮叫人着急的。不过从某种程度上来说，这大概也是做士兵的最佳材料了吧。
October 31, 2008
Self-serving and poorly written tripe. As a window into the ego of a former Nazi, it's pretty valuable. As a book it's horrendous.
Read
March 6, 2015Fantastic memoir. Skorzeny thought a lot of himself and that shows through every word, every phrase. However evil the people he worked for, Skorzeny himself was a daring commando.
October 26, 2016
Pretty exciting stuff. I don't usually read Nazi books, but Skorzeny's autobiography is a soldier's tale. Honestly, his rescue of Mussolini would be an amazing war movie.
August 31, 2020
Interesantísimo para quien le guste lo relacionado con la segunda guerra mundial
May 3, 2017
I'd read books about Skorzeny before, but this was the first one I read written by him, so I got it because I wanted to hear the words from the man called 'The Most Dangerous Man in Europe.' He was called this because his military operations did not simply alter the course of a battle, but the entire war.
He first came to fame by successfully rescuing Benito Mussolini from the Gran Sasso, an operation believed to have been impossible. Thanks to Minister of Propaganda and Popular Enlightenment Josef Goebbels, Skorzeny and his handful of SS commandos got most of the credit for this daring rescue. In fact, the majority of troops involved were soldiers of the crack paratroop corps. In any case, Skorzeny describes in great detail how he was selected for the mission, and all the details he needed to exercise in order to pull it off. There were many false claims about where Mussolini was held prisoner, and the fact he found him at all is a miracle in itself. The success of this mission gained him notoriety among the Allies, even praise from Winston Churchill himself, a high level of autonomy from superior-ranking officers, and the Ritterkreuz (Germany's Knight's Cross Medal, the highest they could receive).
He had a series of blunders too, like going after Marshal Tito, the Yugoslav partisan leader responsible for keeping dozens of divisions of German soldiers tied up fighting in Yugoslavia when those troops were badly needed on the Eastern Front. Skorzeny himself nearly got caught while searching for Tito.
It wasn't until he kidnapped the Hungarian Regent's son, Miklos Horthy, which kept Hungary fighting on the German side until the end of the war, did his fame become cemented in military annals as one of the greatest commandos in history.
I was a bit surprised to learn how he was a die-hard Nazi even to his death in 1976. He even had a Nazi funeral if you can believe it. After the war it goes into details about his escapades and life after the War in Argentina. He even helped war criminals like Mengele avoid capture by Israelis. If you enjoy military history and like to hear it from men who experienced it themselves, you'll enjoy this book.
He first came to fame by successfully rescuing Benito Mussolini from the Gran Sasso, an operation believed to have been impossible. Thanks to Minister of Propaganda and Popular Enlightenment Josef Goebbels, Skorzeny and his handful of SS commandos got most of the credit for this daring rescue. In fact, the majority of troops involved were soldiers of the crack paratroop corps. In any case, Skorzeny describes in great detail how he was selected for the mission, and all the details he needed to exercise in order to pull it off. There were many false claims about where Mussolini was held prisoner, and the fact he found him at all is a miracle in itself. The success of this mission gained him notoriety among the Allies, even praise from Winston Churchill himself, a high level of autonomy from superior-ranking officers, and the Ritterkreuz (Germany's Knight's Cross Medal, the highest they could receive).
He had a series of blunders too, like going after Marshal Tito, the Yugoslav partisan leader responsible for keeping dozens of divisions of German soldiers tied up fighting in Yugoslavia when those troops were badly needed on the Eastern Front. Skorzeny himself nearly got caught while searching for Tito.
It wasn't until he kidnapped the Hungarian Regent's son, Miklos Horthy, which kept Hungary fighting on the German side until the end of the war, did his fame become cemented in military annals as one of the greatest commandos in history.
I was a bit surprised to learn how he was a die-hard Nazi even to his death in 1976. He even had a Nazi funeral if you can believe it. After the war it goes into details about his escapades and life after the War in Argentina. He even helped war criminals like Mengele avoid capture by Israelis. If you enjoy military history and like to hear it from men who experienced it themselves, you'll enjoy this book.
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