Product Description

Volume two continues with the survivors of the bloody fighting in France regrouping to make a final stand in the Ardennes and Hungary before Germany was overcome by the Allies. A detailed and gripping account of the most famous, and infamous, division to fight in World War II for any side. Part two of the defining work on Hitler's elite fanatical boy soldiers written by the division's former chief of staff.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #457697 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 608 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780811731997
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Hubert Meyer was chief of staff of the 12th SS until its surrender in 1945.

Customer Reviews

12th SS Vol I & II
This is an excellent historical reference book. It provides another viewpoint to the Allied histories of the war. There seems to be an obvious bias which is also present in many if not most of the Allied histories. Viewed in the context of contrary histories of the same battles, many points can be clarified.
The 12th SS was a fabulous division of fighting men. I see many training and doctrinal attributes that were used in the Marine Corps when I joined. When viewed in a strictly historical perspective of fighting quality and ability there are few formations that can compare with with the 12th SS. I highly recommend these volumes to historians as well as gamers modeling the battles this division was engaged in.

very good book
This is a wonderfully written book that captivated the reader, making the history come alive. Great for adults, as well as for an older child with a thirst for history.

A Comprehensive Look at the 12th SS at Normandy
This is a comprehensive and personal look at the HJ, the Hitlerjugend while stationed in the Caen sector in June and July 1944. The author, a staff officer of the 12th SS delivers an impressive inside look at the tactical events and command decisions of those days and also the personal side of the young men who were able to stop Montgomery's attempts to break through the line for those two months. Its quite a tale and anybody interested in learning what it was like from the German perspective in trying to push the 21st Army Group into the sea should read this book. It also describes some of the problems arising from the differences between Rommel, Rundstedt, Guderian and Hitler concerning placement of panzers and the strategy to use to defeat the Allies.
The book starts with the establishment of the division in 1943 and filling the ranks and choosing the volunteers for it. Training and indoctrination is then explained; this was to be a special outfit and Berlin went to great lengths to see the young men would do the Waffen SS proud. Though German intelligence was faulty or deliberately exaggerated concerning the expected invasion, the 12th SS PzD as OKW reserve was as ready as possible.
After the introduction, a daily chronology of the Normandy action is described in good detail for not only the 12th SS but also Panzer Lehr and 21st PzD and others as they try to stop the Allies from expanding their beachhead. The author was well prepared for he was specific as to which Allied units were attacking the German line as well as their objectives. The coverage starts with the 12th SS traveling to the Caen sector and lasts to include Operation Goodwood but excludes the Operation Totalize by the Canadians.
There are a number of very good maps and excellent photos to study. There is also a Notes section, a brief bio on the author and an Index.
If you want to know what it was like for the teenagers in the division in those bitter days as well as the Normandy fighting in general from the German perspective then this book is for you.