Blitzkrieg in their Own Words

The German campaigns in Poland and the West in 1939 and 1940 ushered in a new era in warfare. The theory of the Blitzkrieg (Lightning War) developed by Hitler's forward-thinking generals - including the foreword writer, Heinz Guderian - was put into devastating effect. Translated from a German book that was published during World War II and never before translated, Blitzkrieg in their Own Words is a military history of these campaigns told to a journalist by soldiers who took part in the fighting. The short individual accounts give a unique perspective into the workings of the German war machine during its greatest victories, before the disaster of the Russian Front. As such it gives an insight into the perspective of the common Wehrmacht soldier on the war and their enemies. With morale sky high, the effects of the Nazi propaganda machine can be seen in the words of these soldiers buoyed by easy victory. 

The pacy and occasionally shocking text is complemented by maps that explain the movement of forces and photographs of key battles and encounters during the German attacks. With rare photographs of the action accompanying the first-hand accounts, the book will be of interest to any World War II enthusiast.