Rating: 
Summary: Five Years, Four Fronts, Three Stars
Review: This is the story of Georg Grossjohann's rise from Feldwebel to Major. He saw and survived his share of combat. As is somewhat common in German memours, he talks of what happens between battles, but not of the battles.The book has merit if you wish to experience a little of how the German army worked. He was a member of several infantry units - in the early war years Germany created cadres for new divisions by splitting existing formations; later he was moved around to support ad hoc reactions to Allied victories. He always managed to get wounded or transferred in time to avoid destruction. The most interesting portion of the book, in my opinion, is when his unit is pretty much wiped out and he becomes available for other duties. I never realized there were "bridge commanders" or "town commanders". Now I know. In summary, the book is thin on combat but has good info on the various duties and experiences of a combat offocer.
Rating: 
Summary: Five Years, Four Fronts
Review: Thrilling, breathtaking, and inspiring to say the least. Georg Grossjohann draws from his five years of bitter fighting during the Second World War to give the readers a real taste of what it was like to experience fighting from 1939-1945. The book covers some of his training right before the war and then begins the story of Major Grossjohann's ordeal covering five years of combat and four fronts(Poland 1939, France 1940, Russia 1941-1944, France 1944-1945, with little stints of leave throughout the German territories during WWII). The book is so real, colorful, and descriptive one can picture themselves actually on the front with Major Grossjohann. The stories of battle are very vivid and real, leaving a very detailed image/picture in the head of the reader.
This book is not like many other books that are written by generals and seem to go on forever without saying anything....this book teaches the reader so much from start to finish. Instead, the book is written by a field grade officer who was in the thick of the fighting and has lead more counterattacks, attacks, and defenses than any of us can imagine. He teaches the reader more about human bravery, kindness, honor, professonalism, death, and personal loss than many books out there.
I suggest this (and any other book from the same company) for any person wishing to learn about World War II or how to be a leader (for those who aspire to be officers in the military) or for to anyone who just wishes to know what it was like to be an officer on four fronts during a conflict. It would behoove readers to pay close attention to what Major Grossjohan says as the book has so many invaluable lessons to convey to its readers.
Rating:
Summary: Five Years, Four Fronts
Review: Thrilling, breathtaking, and inspiring to say the least. Georg Grossjohann draws from his five years of bitter fighting during the Second World War to give the readers a real taste of what it was like to experience fighting from 1939-1945. The book covers some of his training right before the war and then begins the story of Major Grossjohann's ordeal covering five years of combat and four fronts(Poland 1939, France 1940, Russia 1941-1944, France 1944-1945, with little stints of leave throughout the German territories during WWII). The book is so real, colorful, and descriptive one can picture themselves actually on the front with Major Grossjohann. The stories of battle are very vivid and real, leaving a very detailed image/picture in the head of the reader.
This book is not like many other books that are written by generals and seem to go on forever without saying anything....this book teaches the reader so much from start to finish. Instead, the book is written by a field grade officer who was in the thick of the fighting and has lead more counterattacks, attacks, and defenses than any of us can imagine. He teaches the reader more about human bravery, kindness, honor, professonalism, death, and personal loss than many books out there.
I suggest this (and any other book from the same company) for any person wishing to learn about World War II or how to be a leader (for those who aspire to be officers in the military) or for to anyone who just wishes to know what it was like to be an officer on four fronts during a conflict. It would behoove readers to pay close attention to what Major Grossjohan says as the book has so many invaluable lessons to convey to its readers.
Rating: 
Summary: Inside a German Officer's Mind
Review: To me this book is above all a fine collection of portraits of different characters within the German army, and especially within the German NCO and officer corps. I also learnt more about the regional identities in the German armed forces. "Germans" were actually East Prussians, Rhinelanders, Swabians, Austrians etc and Georg Grossjohann shows how this mattered. This lesson can by the way easily be applied in today's conflicts were all too often regional differences are ignored. If you are interested in one of the many less-known battlefields on which Knight's Cross recipient Grossjohann fought, e.g. in Southern France and the High Vosges you will be richly rewarded by this book as the text and clear maps will give you a good understanding of both larger (divisional) and some smaller actions, but personally I was more fascinated by his time in the Ukraine and especially the amiable relationship between the Ukranians and the Germans and why it ended. Grossjohann seems to fully understand why his hosts eventuallly turned against him. It is amusing, and probably useful too, not only to read about good leaders but also about how NOT to lead. Indeed, this book is one of the more charming but still believable German memoirs that I have read. Grossjohann's analysis of why the excellent German armed forces were defeated is also well worth reading. Its interesting to see his army documents, photos and even his military CV.
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