Das Reich by James Lucas

[Das Reich]

I thought this book was quite excellent. It gave a good look at the role in which the 2nd SS Das Reich Division of the Waffen-SS played in various campaigns around Europe. The most stunning of all are their experiences on the Eastern Front. I read this first about 6 months ago, if not more, and I am about to read it again because the battle descriptions simply intrigue me. This book was put together very excellently, a good read for anyone interested in this infamous division.

[behblc]

Not one I could warm to.

[heinz kling]

For once I agree with behblc, I suggest you go for the divisional history in German, or the 2 volumes on Deutschland and Der Fuhrer, the latter being translated by JJF.

[behblc]

Heinz,
My B/P has just crashed tp 60/45 and pulse is 100plus !
As meldrew would say " I DON'T BELIEVE IT!"
We have agreed on something .
Yep , there are better , just how good are the translated versions , anything lost in the translation , do they read well ?

[Qvist]

It's on my list of least favorite books read, to be quite frank. I found it little more than a rather nauseating collection of praiseful anecdotes and unsupported rosy assessments. It skips all uncomfortable issues, provides no analysis, has zero critical distance to the subject and does not contain an independent thought - without providing the day-to-day detail that is the strong point of certain other highly subjective accounts. I can't really see any good reason for such a book to exist.

cheers

[behblc]

Qvist,
The Oradour section must have been what , 5 lines to say what Iam not going to cover this again here.
Confession time , I read it in part only and just could not take to it at all.

[heinz kling]

Lucas authorship is at the same absymal level as that pseudo historian, Ian Koscjer.

[Marc Rikmenspoel]

I disagree with most of the posts above. Mark Yerger helped Lucas out with contacts and information, and the book in some ways serves as an introduction to Yerger's studies of the division. Since his books are quite expensive, and Lucas' can be had as a small format paperback, I think that makes it worthwhile as a taster.

[behblc]

I can only speak for myself , it was one I just couldn't warm to.
MK's biographical works on Commanders of Waffen SS / his individual biogs. I enjoyed much more.
No axe to grind against Mr. Lucas's works but it was how I found it.

[Richard Hargreaves]

He's not going to mind about any criticism...He passed away about two years ago.

He used to work at the IWM in London and served in WW2, I think in Italy.

I always felt for someone so comfortable with the German language and the Wehrmacht, his knowledge was under-used. He produced tons of potboilers rather than truly great accounts of the German armed forces in WW2.

[Noel Petroni]

I also thought Das Reich by Lucas was a good book.

I read most of his books and I like the way he writes.

However "The Last Year of the German Army" was boring!

[John P. Moore]

James Lucas wrote good books. I believe that these were the type of books that most of us read when we were first beginning to study military history. Later we moved to more in-depth studies such as those written by Otto Weidinger and Mark Yerger.

John

[Benoit Douville]

I really like James Lucas. His work about the Das Reich Divsion is phenomenal. I have also "Hitler's Enforcers" written by him and I really enjoyed it.

Regards