Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34803 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10-29
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 524 pages

Review
Manstein;s Lost Victories is definatly one of the more interesting and informative German autobigraphies to emerge from World War II. New publishers Zenith press is to be commended for republishing it --WWII History

Synopsis
Accounts of the various campaigns in which Manstein took part rank among the best of World War II. One of the most valuable portions of the book is his accounts of his meetings with Hitler and his evaluation of the latter as a military leader.

Customer Reviews

A Review of Manstein's Work
With an emphasis on analysis seldom presented in a book this accessible, Manstein has presented his readers with a rich history of his activities in the Second World War. The majority of the book is devoted to his greatest operational achievement, the successful withdrawal of several German army groups on the Southern end of the Russian front after the defeat at Stalingrad. There are moments in the recounting of this operation when the reader can fully appreciate the difficulties confronting Manstein and his staff; the tension, always understated by the author, becomes palpable, if only because of what he does not say. Lost Victories is a glimpse into one of the most brilliant military minds of this century and a book not to be missed.

Dull
When I bought this book, I was expecting great things. Previously I had read "Achtung Panzer" and "Panzer Leader" by Guderian, and was expecting much the same. However, Manstein was obviously a professional soldier and not a professional writer. This book was very dull, and I ended up not really caring as each chapter became my own personal battle just to finish it. Not recomended. Try one of Guderian's books, or von Mellenthin's "Panzer Battles" instead.

The Memoirs of One of Germany's finest Generals
Manstein was undoubtedly one of Germany's best generals in the Second World War. Certainly one would have to compare him with Rommel, the "Star of Africa"( the only one to hold this honour apart from Hans-Joachim Marseille, the highest scoring ace on the Western Front) and others like Ewald von Kleist and Ritter von Leeb. A brilliant tactician and strategist, his book covers a lot of important aspects of the both fronts. However he tends to neglect some aspects of his actions, like the dismissal of Count von Sponek and the debacle at Kursk. Despite all that it is a must for all military students and those who wish to get an insight into the life of one of Germany's greatest field marshals.