Revised edition of this biography of a famous German general Insight into the man behind 'blitzkrieg' Information from the extensive Guderian family archives Kenneth Macksey's highly regarded biography of Generaloberst Heinz Guderian gives clear insight into the mind and motives of the father of modern tank warfare. Guderian was a man of ideas equipped with the ability to turn inspiration into reality. A master of strategy and tactics, he was the officer most responsible for creating blitzkrieg in World War II. He built the Panzer Force in the face of opposition from the German General Staff, and personally led the lightning campaigns by tanks and aircraft that put a large part of Europe under German domination. Kenneth Macksey, a tank man himself for over twenty years, reveals Guderian as a brilliant rebel in search of ideals, and a general whose personality, genius and achievements far transcended those of Rommel. As well as throwing light on the crucial campaigns in Poland, France and Russia, this biography illuminates the struggles within the German hierarchy, and examines why Guderian was so admired by some whilst denigrated by others.
Kenneth Macksey joined the Royal Armoured Corps in 1941, saw action in Normandy in 1944 and Germany in 1945, and after World War II spent more than twenty years as an officer of the Royal Tank Regiment. He is internationally known for his works on military history, including his biography of Field-Marshal Kesselring and his recent Why the Germans Lose at War.