The Waffen-SS: The Third Reich's Most Infamous Military Organization

by Nigel Cawthorne

The best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But we don't ask for their love - only for their fear - Heinrich Himmler, leader of the Waffen-SS.

The Waffen-SS were the armed division of the feared Schutzstaffel , and the private army of Adolf Hitler. They developed a reputation as brutal soldiers, willing to carry out any order, no matter how terrible. Fanatically devoted to Nazism and unswervingly loyal to the Führer, they were committed some of the most horrific atrocities of World War II as they sought to enforce the racial policies of the Nazi state.

In this unflinching and engrossing account, Nigel Cawthorne provides a detailed look at one of the most chilling organizations ever conceived by the human imagination. He examines their elite position under the Nazi regime, the superior weapons they were afforded, their involvement in the murderous crimes of the Holocaust, and the way they thrust their claws into every aspect of German life.

Illustrated with reportage photographs, this is the story of the rise and fall of one of the most evil organizations the world has ever seen.

Genres: World War II, History

256 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2022

About the author

Nigel Cawthorne is an Anglo-American writer of fiction and non-fiction, and an editor. He has written more than 80 books on a wide range of subjects and has contributed to The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph Daily Mail and The New York Times. He has appeared on television and BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Many of Nigel Cawthorne's books are compilations of popular history, without footnotes, references or bibliographies. His own web site refers to a description of his home as a "book-writing factory" and says, "More than half my books were commissioned by publishers and packagers for a flat fee or for a for a reduced royalty".

One of his most notable works was Taking Back My Name, an autobiography of Ike Turner, with whom he spent a number of weeks working with him on, taking up residence in Turner's house. The book caused much controversy, resulting in court cases for three years following its release.

Cawthorne currently lives in Bloomsbury, London with his girlfriend and son, Colin (born 1982).

Reviews

[RebelMel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tedious is not a strong enough word to describe this book. If you want to know every single Nazi army, division, battalion, platoon etc. names without any explanation, this book is for you. Better understand German though because these names are long and come with zero description of what they mean. If you want to know every step of every battalion and division of the Waffen SS during the war without any explanation of why or how, this book is for you. Better know your European and North African geography because you will read hundreds of city, region, country, lake, river and mountain names without a single map in the book. If you are doing a PHD in this field and need just the numeric data, this book is for you. If you want to know every man's name that was awarded any medals like the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, where they died and at what age, without knowing why, this book is for you. If you wanna know all the Waffen SS men that were trialed or not, convicted or not, have their sentences commute with no background or more information on the why or how, this book is for you. This book is nothing but a superficial list and enumeration of names and places, exception made for the very last chapter. If you want to dive into the Waffen SS ideology, purpose, role in the war and psychology, this book is not for you. This book was most definitely not for me.

[Craig Ilan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative on the movements and recruitment of SS Divisions and the dynamic between the German Military and the Waffen SS. My main criticism is that with it including the german names for each division, brigade, army and officer rank, it does become tedious at times to read. Some divisions have 4-5 german words instead of the quick nickname of the division. But nonetheless an informative and detailed read.

[Jeff Swystun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This introductory history is made all the more interesting because it is hard to determine who the author actually feels about this military organization. The Waffen SS are too dedicated and the list of bad actors who committed atrocities and lived well into their old age with little punishment boggles. The author makes the point that the Wehrmacht detested the Waffen SS and battled them for supplies, support, and battle placements. Veterans of this organization continued to meet following the war in a warped demonstration of camaraderie.

[Eric Eells · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read and a good overview of the Waffen SS. The book jumps around a bit, and I had to have my phone handy to look up numerous words and meanings that were not explained. Overall, it's a good book.

[Patrick Kinney · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very terrible and slow book to read. This historical book didn’t feel interesting at all… it was so slow. As someone who loves historical books this was a very hard read. I don’t recommend this to anyone who wishes to learn anything about the subject matter. The only chapter of any Interest was the one about the Angel of death.

[Charles Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed. A great deal of minutia, proving intense research by the author. A dry read, best for a reference book or research towards another work.

[Ray Smillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

No glossing over the facts. The crimes of the Waffen-SS are in here, with not just the German factions, also the units consisting of volunteers and conscripted from other European countries. Doesn't make for easy reading and the Nuremberg trials come across as verging on farce, given how many were given light sentences despite the atrocities carried out.