Good bio of Manstein, but would benefit from some maps. ( )

Elusive Wehrmacht Mastermind Finally, Marvelously, Deconstructed

MANSTEIN is irrefutably the best biography to emerge from the mountain and rubble of material about the Second World War.

While he never captured the popular imagination of such figures as the Desert Fox, Schneller Heinz, Monty, or Ike, Erich von Manstein was perhaps the most gifted General in the entire war. Literate and aristocratic, he was an operational and tactical genius who always planned ten steps ahead.

This remarkable bio was rigorously researched, and gives us an unprecedented view of Germany’s war on the Eastern Front, namely against the Russian juggernaut. Melvin writes with an assured, engaging style, throwing clever turns of phrase on every page. As much a poet as a military historian is author Major General Mungo Melvin.

Unlike most non-fiction written by soldiers, this book is never dense. In fact, it’s consistently fascinating. Of particular interest are the many times Manstein butted heads with and contradicted Hitler, a man who brooked no contradiction from subordinates.

While some may say that it is in poor taste to admire a General whose sole purpose was to further Germany’s hostile aims (and genocidal, though Manstein claimed ignorance of this until after the war, when he was presented with the overwhelming evidence, of which he was apparently--believably?--kept in the dark about during his campaigns). It is easy to sympathize with Manstein, who was no Nazi, who was indeed apolitical, just a leader who always strove to do the best by the armies under his able command.

Stalingrad, Sevastopol, Kursk, and many other pivotal battles are brought to vivid life by Melvin’s pen. Field Marshal Manstein was a complex and controversial and contradictory man, but Melvin, with balanced hindsight, captures him utterly. MANSTEIN is often at its best when it reveals the personalities of the major players on the troubled Eastern Front, putting a human, and humane, face on their struggles.

If you’re a history buff or a novice, MANSTEIN needs, demands, to be read. ( )

Good bio of Manstein, but would benefit from some maps. ( )

An impressive and well-researched book. 4.5 stars if I could give it.

The book maintains an impressive depth of research and objective tone. The author, a British Major General, is particularly well suited to the explain the subject material. His access to personal papers and the experiences of a military apparatus serve him well. He covers Manstein's brilliant successes and ethical lapses equally. The maps are quite helpful in illustrating the details of military planning.

This general's story is almost like that of a tragedy - a brilliant soldier who might have won the war, if not for his insane commander. But one can appreciate the lost victories without wanting them to happen.

Recommended for anyone with an interest in WWII. ( )

Great read about the Field Marshall's early life; then as a young officer in WWI (and the aftermath), experience in the german general staff, his dealings with Hitler, various command assignments on the eastern front, and his fate after the war. ( )