Book description
This is one of the most significant military books of the twentieth
century. By an outstanding soldier of independent mind, it pushed
forward the evolution of land warfare and was directly responsible for
German armoured supremacy in the early years of the Second World War.
Published in 1937, the result of 15 years of careful study since his
days on the German General Staff in the First World War, Guderian's book
argued, quite clearly, how vital the proper use of tanks and supporting
armoured vehicles would be in the conduct of a future war. When that war
came, just two years later, he proved it, leading his Panzers with
distinction in the Polish, French and Russian campaigns. Panzer warfare
had come of age, exactly as he had forecast. This first English
translation of Heinz Guderian's classic book - used as a textbook by
Panzer officers in the war - has an introduction and extensive
background notes by the modern English historian Paul Harris. 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.
