This is an English translation of the strategic study of tank warfare by one of its leading exponents. Written just two years before he put his theories to work in Hitler's Blitzkrieg of World War II. The theories of Heinz Guderain, substantially evolved from the British and French experiences from World War I, were considered revolutionary, even foolhardy. When he published his views in 1937 the book became a bestseller and yet few of the readers appreciated that the words would become the battle doctrine for Hitler's Panzer as they swept across Europe in the following five years. This translation also contains "hindsight" commentary added by Paul Harris of the War Studies Department, Sandhurst. The commentary explains Guderian's original aims and discusses how his theories were altered by practical events. The book is produced in the style of the original German book, even down to the small vehicle silhouettes used in the earlier book.

About the Author

Born in 1888, Heinz Guderian served in World War One, came to Hitler's attention in 1935, was made corps commander of Panzer troops and promoted to General in 1938. His tanks were greatly successful in the invasions of Poland and France and, perceived as pro-Nazi, Guderian was much in favour. However, when the Russian invasion failed in the winter of 1941, Guderian was forced to resign, not to regain his position until 1944, when the war was all but lost. He died in Bavaria in 1954.

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	76% buy the item featured on this page: Achtung-Panzer: The Development of Armoured Forces, Their Tactics and Operational Potential 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
	24% buy Panzer Leader (Penguin World War II Collection) 4.6 out of 5 stars (14) �6.97

Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most significant military books of the 20th cent., 6 Feb 2001

By	"rizas99" - See all my reviews

This book, written by Heinz Guderian, a pioneer of the development of armoured warfare, is a work of theory intended to help the pre-WWII German armed forces prepare for the warfare of the future, but also a work of history. More than half is devoted to an extenive analysis of Western Front tank actions in order to draw out lessons for the present. The rest of it is devoted to the post war developments in other countries and the doctrine that should be adopted by the German army for its future organisation and planning. There is no abstract theorising and the way it is written is very pragmatic. This book is characterised by the lack of national chauvinism, even though it was written in just a few months with the polemical cause of gaining the widest possible publicity for the cause of the armoured divisions (Panzerdivisionen), in order to enroach upon the theories of Panzers' institutional opponents and secure the maximum resources for this revolutionary weapon. There are some minor errors of the writer, mainly due to the inaccurate informations of some of his sources, but the book is otherwise flawless and these errors are marked in the editor's notes. In this edition of the book there are also some photos depicting various tanks and armoured cars of the era, very helpful in visualising many vehicles the author refers to. Overly, an excellent book in its first English translation, a real classic.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5.0 out of 5 stars You must read this book, 13 Mar 2008

By	LobsterBoy - See all my reviews

Heinz Guderian was the father of blitzkrieg and the German armored troops. This book was written prior to WWII and is an extremely interesting read. I can recommend you also read his "Panzerleader" written after WWII.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 2 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jqOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jqOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jqOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; }