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Ballantine's Illustrated History of World War II / the Violent Century: Weapons Book #2
Panzer Division
Great Soft cover reference book about the German Panzers of WWII
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
About the author
Kenneth John Macksey
55 books16 followersBritish author and historian who specialized in military history and military biography, particularly of the Second World War. Macksey was commissioned in the Royal Armoured Corps and served during the Second World War (earning the Military Cross under the command of Percy Hobart). Macksey later wrote the (authoritative) biography of Hobart.Macksey gained a permanent commission in 1946, was transferred to the Royal Tank Regiment in 1947, reached the rank of major in 1957 and retired from the Army in 1968.
Amongst many other books, Macksey wrote two volumes of alternate history, one, entitled Invasion, dealt with a successful invasion of England by Germany in 1940 and the other describing a NATO–Warsaw Pact clash in the late 1980s. The latter book was done under contract to the Canadian Forces and focuses on the Canadian role in such a conflict. He was an editor and contributor to Greenhill's Alternate Decisions series since 1995.
In Macksey's Guderian – Panzer General, he refuted the view of historian Sir Basil Liddell-Hart regarding Hart's influence on the development of German Tank Theory in the years leading up to 1939.
Amongst many other books, Macksey wrote two volumes of alternate history, one, entitled Invasion, dealt with a successful invasion of England by Germany in 1940 and the other describing a NATO–Warsaw Pact clash in the late 1980s. The latter book was done under contract to the Canadian Forces and focuses on the Canadian role in such a conflict. He was an editor and contributor to Greenhill's Alternate Decisions series since 1995.
In Macksey's Guderian – Panzer General, he refuted the view of historian Sir Basil Liddell-Hart regarding Hart's influence on the development of German Tank Theory in the years leading up to 1939.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 12, 2018
Detailed description On of the best fighting Army Elite group ever to take the battlefield. Engineering marvel of it’s day.
Their tactics, immaculate leadership, exemplary training and flawless execution is what made them unique.
The book has everything one needs to know about this mythical Tank force.
Great images with informative maps of various battlefields and tactics.
Geological restrictions like the English Channel, vastness of Russia , North African supply routes all hindered the total domination which they were destined to achieve.
Great Read for WW2 enthusiasts!
Their tactics, immaculate leadership, exemplary training and flawless execution is what made them unique.
The book has everything one needs to know about this mythical Tank force.
Great images with informative maps of various battlefields and tactics.
Geological restrictions like the English Channel, vastness of Russia , North African supply routes all hindered the total domination which they were destined to achieve.
Great Read for WW2 enthusiasts!
May 29, 2024
I probably read this book as a teenager. It has not aged well.
The author is one of those British types who idolized the Germans. He is also a tanker and has no other perspective than that. This is a doting history of the Panzer Division, extolling its virtues and writing off its failures as due to the misjudgement of others, the realities of geography, and the vagaries of weather. As if all soldiers in a a theatre did not have to deal with such thing.
The other glaring deficiency is that European mindset of assigning cultural traits to different countries. The terror being that if you do not somehow set yourself apart, you are insignificant. It rings true here, the author admiring heroic Germans, even children drafted into service a somehow motivated and superior. His own British plucky but error-prone, the Americans bumbling dilettantes, and the Russians less than human.
There is little actual evidence here to help understand the author's premise of the superiority of this arm of combat to that of other nations once the initial shock of their use was coped with and their tactics and technology surpassed. The balance of German armor fought its most involved battles on the eastern front and at the time he wrote this book the author would not have had access to Russian sources, and it shows.
Not worth the time.
The author is one of those British types who idolized the Germans. He is also a tanker and has no other perspective than that. This is a doting history of the Panzer Division, extolling its virtues and writing off its failures as due to the misjudgement of others, the realities of geography, and the vagaries of weather. As if all soldiers in a a theatre did not have to deal with such thing.
The other glaring deficiency is that European mindset of assigning cultural traits to different countries. The terror being that if you do not somehow set yourself apart, you are insignificant. It rings true here, the author admiring heroic Germans, even children drafted into service a somehow motivated and superior. His own British plucky but error-prone, the Americans bumbling dilettantes, and the Russians less than human.
There is little actual evidence here to help understand the author's premise of the superiority of this arm of combat to that of other nations once the initial shock of their use was coped with and their tactics and technology surpassed. The balance of German armor fought its most involved battles on the eastern front and at the time he wrote this book the author would not have had access to Russian sources, and it shows.
Not worth the time.
November 10, 2024
Well to quote Bane from The Dark Knight Rises "Victory has defeated you." or something along those lines and I think that's the case with Panzer Division and Macksey's slapdash approach of cramming an entire world war told through the lens of the Panzer Division in 160 pages. The innovation, creation and evolution of an effective fighting force that seemed to be more hampered by those in higher up command than those on the ground. I think the weaker parts were in presentation and that's more on who put the book together than Macksey himself as the illustrations and pictures were really all over the place and having a side-by-side of all four Marks that kicked off Panzer Division would have been really cool to see as well. I like Macksey's conclusion about how armor changed the battlefield significantly as those that were afraid and may have hesitated going into battle didn't have much of a choice once the driver drove the tank into the fight. The analysis and history was great, just lacked on the presentation side of things so can't give it a perfect score.
July 11, 2023
I haven’t read this book since I was a teenager. A decent introduction to the subject and a reminder when you could get a decent paperback for a fair price. Ballantine did a nice job with this series and it amazing the number of prominent authors who wrote these books. I was a little disappointed to find some errors in the book that should have caught by a better editor.
October 17, 2017
Vasat bir kitap. Konuya giriş seviyesi açısından yararlı olduğunu söylemek isterdim lâkin bu pek doğru olmazdı, zira kitapta üç-beş bilgi hâricinde elle tutulur bir şey yok. Adı gibi panzer birlikleri üzerine yoğunlaşmaktan ziyade birçok yerde savaşın seyrini anlatıyor.
January 25, 2024
I am a big fan of armored warfare and this is an excellent reference on the German panzers with maps and photos. Amazing that it was only $1 back in 1968. A reread from way back then and I enjoyed it very much.
July 22, 2025
A bit too wordy, but otherwise a brilliant introduction to the German weapon that nearly won the Reich the war, from the Libyan deserts to the steppes of Russia.
January 4, 2011
One of the best of the Ballantine series on World War II. Centers on the Panzer Division as an organization and not just on the details of the tanks themselves. Excellent analysis of the use and misuse of these Divisions.
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March 28, 2012love this book a good world war two book on the panzer divisons
January 10, 2013
Another Great book on learning about world war 2's tanks and weapons.They explain the Panzer Division.A great way to learn about tanks!
May 22, 2023
🖊 My review: An excellent history book.
🤔 My rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
📕 Media form: Read from my private library.
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🤔 My rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
📕 Media form: Read from my private library.
✿●▬●✿●✿●▬●✿
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews