Grenadiers: The Story of Waffen SS General Kurt "Panzer" Meyer

Kurt Meyer

Jan 2005 · Stackpole Books

About this ebook

• Reprint of the classic World War II memoir

German General Kurt "Panzer" Meyer's autobiography is a fascinating insight into the mind of one of Germany's most highly decorated and successful soldiers of World War II. If you love small-unit actions, this is the book for you. Follow Meyer with the 1st SS-Panzer Division "Leibstandarte" and the 12th SS-Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend," from the first day of the war in Poland, through service in France, Russia, and Greece, up until his capture in Normandy in 1944 and his postwar trials and tribulations.

Ratings and reviews

This is a very entertaining, informative, and un-biased book about Kurt Meyer's experience in World War II with the 1st SS Panzer-Division. He reccounts battlefield decisions, play-by-play experiences fighting the enemy, and also conveys the depth of feeling of the frontline soldier. Meyer's words are very poignant, honest, and direct as he describes some of the most famous battles in nearly all theatres of war in which he and his grenadiere fought. He is the exemplar of courage and loyalty, and made great sacrafices for his country during a time of uncertainty. Aside from the riveting first-hand accounts from the battlefields of Poland, France, Yugoslavia, Holland, and the Soviet Union, Kurt Meyer decribes his woeful time during his captivity and subsequent trial. The longing and despair he feels and describes is exactly what anyone else might feel had they been wrongfully sentenced to death. Meyer's account is one of the few clear and accurate books concerning the Waffen SS that aren't distorted by hatred or historical revisionism. It is a very relate-able book and will captivate anyone who reads it. I highly recommend giving Kurt Meyer's "Grenadiers" a chance.

Action-packed and deeply personal, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in a behind-the scenes look at WWII and it's aftermath from the eyes of a German combatant. The non-adjustable fine print resulted in my giving it a four-star rating instead of a five.

Un impresionante recorrido por los principales escenarios de la II Guerra Mundial, en el que el General Kurt Meyer nos muestra la evolución de las Waffen SS, la increíble tenacidad de las juventudes Hitlerianas en Normandía y nos da una lección de liderazgo militar.

About the author

Kurt Meyer (1910-1961) began his service in the early 1930s and ended his career as commander of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, receiving the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords for his exploits.