Rolf Hinze

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Helmut
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Rolf Hinze

Post by Helmut »

Servus,
I own Hinze's TO THE BITTER END. I have been wanting to purchase his new book WITH THE COURAGE OF DESPAIR but it appears the period covered is the same.
Does anyone know if it it worth purchasing the latter book? Is ther eanything new or is it just the same material with a different title?

Thanks in advance for any information.

Regards,

Helmut
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Richard Hargreaves
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Re: Rolf Hinze

Post by Richard Hargreaves »

Hi Helmut,

They are different books; they're part of a trilogy on the final couple of years on the Ostfront -

Mit dem Mut der Verzweiflung: Das Schicksal der Heeresgruppen Nord- und Südukraine 1944/1945 (With the Courage of Desperation)

Letztes Aufgebot zur Verteidigung des Reichsgebiets: Kämpfe der Heeresgruppe Nordukraine/A/Mitte (Last Levy to Defend the Reich; to the Bitter End is the English translation)

Rückzugskämpfe in der Ukraine, 1943-44 (Retreat in the Ukraine; translated as Crucible of Combat).

As for whether it's worth purchasing, well, I find Hinze to be a very dry read compared with, say, Tieke; if it's facts and figures and movements of units you want (plus the odd political rant...) then go for it. :D
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Helmut
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Re: Rolf Hinze

Post by Helmut »

Servus Richard,

Thanks for the information. With the cost of books now a days I can't aford to purchase duplicates.

I am an Ostfront aficionado, especially Kursk to the end so I don't need much of an excuse to buy these books. I will probably wait until I can get them a little cheaper from Amazon
Once again, thanks.

Regards,

Helmut
Rotanhäntäpistin
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Re: Rolf Hinze

Post by Rotanhäntäpistin »

Have you tried www.bookdepository.co.uk? BTW, I believe one of the Hinze books is now available in cheaper paperback, check out www.casemate.com. I think it was To The Bitter End.
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Re: Rolf Hinze

Post by Rotanhäntäpistin »

Here is the correct link to the softback To The Bitter End: http://www.casematepublishing.com/title ... 1935149316
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Re: Rolf Hinze

Post by Dutto1 »

Hi

I purchased Rolf Hinze s East Front Drama 1944,The JJ Fedorowicz edition.I must agree with Richard its a very hard book to crack on with ,there is no first person accounts to liven up the text.I read the book then sold it on E Bay and from what i can remember it was quite hard to shift.

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Ron
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Richard Hargreaves
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Re: Rolf Hinze

Post by Richard Hargreaves »

Dutto1 wrote: it was quite hard to shift.

Regards

Ron
But not as hard as it was to read, though, Ron. :D The only drama I found in it was the title...

There's a much better book by Hinze on the summer 1944 fighting, Rückkämpfer 1944, which is an anthology of first-hand accounts. You can find copies for about £10... but it's only in German.
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Re: Rolf Hinze

Post by Dutto1 »

Richard Hargreaves wrote:
Dutto1 wrote: it was quite hard to shift.

Regards

Ron
But not as hard as it was to read, though, Ron. :D The only drama I found in it was the title...

There's a much better book by Hinze on the summer 1944 fighting, Rückkämpfer 1944, which is an anthology of first-hand accounts. You can find copies for about £10... but it's only in German.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for the tip, its a shame my German is not that good.Hinze IMO would have made his Eastern Front books better if he used his eyewitness accounts in them to liven up the text !
There is not many books in English on the Ostfront in the summer of 1944 i tried the Paul Adiar effort Hitlers Greatest Defeat found that hard going too ! Alex Buchners Ostfront 1944 is a good account IMO of the battles in Russia in the summer of 1944.

Have you ever thought of tackling Operation Bagration its still not very much written about in English and it was such a crucial battle for the German forces.

Regards

Ron
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mammoth181
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Re: Rolf Hinze

Post by mammoth181 »

Lots of interesting information, but unfortunately very dry read, not always too good maps.
I will buy the english version of his book about the southern sector 1944-45, usually lots of useful information in his books and there's much to learn about that sector :[]
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Re: Rolf Hinze

Post by genstab »

The best book I've read on the destruction of Army Group Center is Gerd Niepold's "Battle for White Russia" but then again it's solid facts and sometimes day by day and hour by hour accounts of the battle. Anyone wanting to have an excellent account of movements of the German divisions, etc. of the Army Group and transfers in from Army Group North Ukraine during late June and July 1944 would want this but there's not much as far as first hand survivor accounts. Niepold was a general staff officer at the time. He was a postwar Bundeswehr Generalleutnant and corps commander.

Best regards,
Bill in Cleveland
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Genstab

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