"The Myth of the Eastern Front" A review.

[sid guttridge]

Hi Paddy,

In your post of Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:53 am you write:

"In my view, Westemeier appears to have performed a complete volte face, right down to assuming the tactics of the kind of people who ferociously criticised his first book. One wonders what brought about this sea change. A desire to protect his Bundeswehr rank and career, perhaps? It would be a very naïve or unwise man who wrote a book like Westemeier’s first Peiper biography and expected to escape any consequences in the Germany of today and, moreover, the increasingly Soviet Union-like European Union. By purging his thought crimes, Jens Westemeier has recanted."

This addresses Westermeier's background, not the contents of his book, in much the same way that Smelser's background is being addressed without actually engaging with what he writes. It is part of a consistent tactic often on display here on Feldgrau to try to discredit an author by insinuation, inuendo and speculation about his background when one can't counter his written arguments.

Cheers,

Sid.