Tigers in the Mud: The Combat Career of German Panzer Commander Otto Carius (Stackpole Military History Series)
Author: Otto Carius, Robert J. Edwards
List Price: $19.95
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ISBN: 0811729117
Publisher: Stackpole Books (September, 2003)
Sales Rank: 7,765
Average Customer Rating: 4.17 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 3 out of 5
The blindside of Whermacht writers
Carius does a good job of conveying the tactical realities of tank warfare from the German side. He is very typical of those surviving Panzer writers, whose writing often resembles that of Civil War generals, particularly Confederate ones: "If only...", when the essential problem was that the initiation of the war in Europe by Germany, coupled by the declaration of war against the United States, meant that Germany was inevitably doomed. Tactical brilliance would eventually be overwhelmed by the massive production capability of the Allies. And even the tactical brilliance arguments wear thin when one realizes that much of the German success lay in the incredible inferiority of the equipment of the Western Allies (see "Death Traps" by Belton Cooper and the tragic example of the Sherman tank). Though Germany faced France with inferior equipment and invaded Russia with nothing on tracks that matched the T34, excellent tactical handling, especially the recognition of the antitank capability of the FLAK 88mm antiaircraft gun, and air supremacy, gave the Germans a temporary edge and time to accelerate the development of new armor, most notably the Panther and the Tiger. However much either tank was "over engineered" and needlessly difficult to maintain, the reality was nothing on the Western Front could stand up to them until the arrival of the M26 Pershing. Even so, they could not have won, something Carius finds difficult to truly comprehend. He disparages enemy soldiers, especially Americans, while failing to recognize that these amateurs at war, armed with often inferior equipment, nonetheless kept coming at him and Germany until by sheer weight of blood, steel, and ferocity, they destroyed the nation that twice in the 20th Century plunged Europe into war and visited a level of depravity upon the helpless not matched until Cambodia and Bosnia.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Interesting, but . . .
A very interesting book from a vantage point not often seen. Carius seems to have been an example of that unfortunately rare breed: the outstanding officer who is totally committed to his men. Alas, he's not so outstanding as a writer, although the translation may bear some of the blame. The book is choppy and full of single-sentence paragraphs that read like minichapters, having little to do with the text before or after. Also, his complete avoidance of any acceptance of the reality of the Holocaust, which he refers to only as "atrocity stories" wears a little thin. It seems he hasn't bothered to learn much about the war since it ended.He spends a fair amount of time ridiculing the abilities of the American soldier, then complains that he wasn't treated well in captivity. One wonders if he would have been happier in Siberia under the Soviets whose ability he so admired.
The most fascinating chapter, I think, is about his meeting with Himmler to receive the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross. A very rare look at Himmler, relaxed and behind the scenes.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Bogged Down in the Mud
Author Otto Carius is the kind of soldier whose wartime service in the Wehrmacht reflects credit upon every combat soldier of the German army. It is a pleasure to read such a straight-forward, honest personal narrative such as this that confines itself exclusively to the author's own frontline experiences. I agree with Carius that it is a disgrace the heroism and sacrifices of men like him have not, until only recently, received the recognition they deserve. Those of us who were in Vietnam know what it's like to be reviled by our own countrymen. Robert Edwards' English-language translation deserves special credit. The appendices in this book will be of special interest to the military historian and the facsimile reproductions of Carius's awards and citations, expertly translated, will be of particular interest to the militara collector. But I have given this book only 4 stars because it slows down considerably about halfway through. How many assaults and attacks can you absorb without becoming bored and bogged down in details? These combat accounts eventually become only a little more interesting than the official after action reports themselves, which Carius had when he wrote this book, and some of which are in the appendices. But overall this book is the story of a brave and honorable soldier, of value to anyone interested in armored warfare, but more importantly, a succesful attempt to balance the horror stories about the inhumane conduct of the German army in Russia during WWII.
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