Perseus Academic: Panzer Leader by Heinz Guderian

General Heinz Guderian’s revolutionary strategic vision and his skill in armored combat brough Germany its initial victories during World War II. Combining Guderian’s land offensive with Luftwaffe attacks, the Nazi Blitzkrieg decimated the defenses of Poland, Norway, France — and, very neatly, Russia — at the war’s outset. But in 1941, when Guderian advised that ground forces should take a step back, Hitler dismissed him. In these pages, the outspoken general shares his candid point of view on what would have led Germany to victory, and what ensured that it didn’t. In addition to providing a rare inside look at key members of the Nazi party, Guderian reveals in detail how he developed the Panzer tank forces and orchestrated their various campaigns, from the break through at Sedan to his drive to the Channel coast that virtually decided the Battle of France. Panzer Leader became a bestseller within one year of its original publication in 1952 and has since been recognized as a classic account of the greatest conflicts of our time.

Heinz Guderian (1888 1954) rose through the ranks of the German military to become chief of the general staff. He was also the author of Achtung, Panzer! and With the Tanks in the East and West.