The Myth of the Eastern Front

[John P. Moore]

A new book has recently appeared written by a couple of university professors who label Third Reich collectors, researchers and reenactors as "ROMANCERS". The titel of the book is "The Myth of the Eastern Front The Nazi-Soviet War in American Popular Culture" by Ronald Smelser and Edward J. Davies and published by Cambridge University Press. This is the text of a review that I posted on Amazon.com today.

http://www.amazon.com/review/product...owViewpoints=1


John

"I have read the book. It is replete with factual errors and the hackneyed writing style is filled with trite expressions such as "guru" and "romancer". These professors could clearly benefit from a refresher course in English Composition. The authors go so far as to impugn the reputation of the famous Luftwaffe fighter pilot, Erich Hartmann, by implying that he is linked to the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps on page 173. On page 251 they repeatedly misspell Joachim Peiper's name as "Piper" and claim that this personality "appear in the works of gurus such as Mark Yerger", however, I have read all of the excellent works of Mark Yerger and don't recall him having written about Peiper. On page 178 the authors say that Rudolf von Ribbentrop served in the "Das Reich" division in 1943. That is not correct as Ribbentrop was a member of the LAH at the time. On page 170 the authors charachterize the members of the Waffen-SS as "indifferent to danger and death, a collection of Rambos". Then on page 43 they say that Walter Schellenberg was a major general in the Waffen-SS when the man was only a member of the SD. The authors appear to be confused over the structure of the SS. The authors spend a lot of time in the first and final parts of the book in praising the Soviet military and referring to various authors and other personages throughout the book as being "anti-communists" which makes one wonder about the ideological leanings of the authors. This book is sure to spread confusion and false information among readers and will probably end up being a source of embarrassment to the University of Utah and the publisher. "

[Andy Harris]

Thanks for the info, John! Initially, this looked like an interesting book, as the Eastern Front, with images of Stalingrad, Kursk, the Demyansk Pocket, etc., giving us an almost mystical view of the campaigns.
It's too bad this work seems to fall short of expectations, but I'm glad I didn't buy it.

[Erich B.]

That's great that you submitted a detailed critique--hopefully it will save others from wasting money and time on this poorly researched volume.
Erich

[RaymondG]

Hi John

Thanks for the review of this book. It makes you wonder which seats of learning these professors work at if they cannot interpret primary source material and make so many basic mistakes.

Clearly one to avoid

Raymond

[Michael Fay]

damned proffesors

Dear John Moore,
I appreciate you bringing this to my attention.
While in general I am predisposed to highly respect Proffs. It surely does sound as if these two had such disdain for the subject that they were only too happy to rely on stereotypes and little overview/quality control. In fact, I suspect they dont expect collectors to even know about their book. As we are merely beer guzzling bubbas and right wing gun nuts who only read those 'Guru's' books.

However, I will still take a look at it...it might have some purty pictures

[behblc]

Michael Fay

As we are merely beer guzzling bubbas and right wing gun nuts who only read those 'Guru's' books.

Being from the Uk. , having a few of Mark's books I should be cast as a sort of Alf Garnet type , although "Alf" would have a few years on me yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWKy4RHf5tQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOhXp...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPgm6...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5iUoFeqHPM

Not very "Politically Correct" but still extremely funny - ( Warren Mitchell who played "Alf" is himself Jewish).

On a more serious note poorly researched books are worse than no books at all.

The amzon review - the book seems to be more about this era is represented in the minds of those who have an interest in it - ourselves.

Chapter 6 discusses the "gurus" of the German Army and Waffen SS, which today have legions of followers all over the internet. A critique of Mark Yerger is offered, although he has done some excellent research, for at least 2 of his books, but on the whole the majority of the others that he's written rely on pictures and at best are `iconographic' representations of the war and its participants. For me personally it was interesting to learn about Richard Landwehr who mostly caters to the Waffen SS, although many would probably consider him a revisionist of the highest nature for his love of the Waffen SS and the allies of Nazi Germany that joined its ranks. Erich Hartmann's biography, The Blond Knight of Germany, is mentioned and the title already gives way to how the authors of his biography wanted him to be viewed. A variety of Franz Kurowski books are mentioned and the type of view that they give of the common German soldier, that of fighting for their comrades and uniting them in both life and death, yet where is the mention of the genocidal context for which these units were sent into the East in the first place? In the end it is simply a matter of one side of the war being ignored to present the other. There is no doubt that the actions Kurowski describes or bravery and compassion for the enemy took place, but he never questions why the enemy is in fact an `enemy.' One "guru" who does admit what the Germans practiced in the east, that of brutal behavior and criminal acts, is Anthony J. Munoz who more so concentrates on foreign volunteers in the Waffen SS.

For my part I think I do have some insight into why there was a war in the east , history is a warts and all process - and I know having posed a few questions to Mark on a "pm" basis the author of the book is not being entirely fair on MY.

The most helpful favorable review

The most helpful critical review

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

Long overdue
"The Myth of the Eastern Front" is an interesting look at the evolution of the Western view when it came to the German Wehrmacht throughout WWII.

To start, a few mistakes/errors that I found which didn't take away anything from the reading, but were something I'm familiar with: quite a few Soviet names were spelled, that is transliterated, incorrectly... Read the full review ›

Published 4 days ago by Y. Mann

› See more 5 star, 4 star reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Fantasy Book
I have read the book. It is replete with factual errors and the hackneyed writing style is filled with trite expressions such as "guru" and "romancer". These professors could clearly benefit from a refresher course in English Composition. The authors go so far as to impugn the reputation of the famous Luftwaffe fighter pilot, Erich Hartmann, by implying that he is linked... Read the full review ›

Published 16 hours ago by John P. Moore

› See more 3 star, 2 star, 1 star reviews


Two constrasting views of the same book - no doubt in the middle there is a balance - it is not so much a history of the war in the east but a book on how we view history .
( Or perhaps how this author percieves that "we" view or filter history to make it more appealing to ourselves - quite frankly if this is his view I reject it).

Would I read this - yes - the "5 -Star" reviewer is going with the authors view that "gurus" ignore the reasons why Germany was at war with Russia and the plans which existed for Russia and that the authors of whom is critical do not explore these issues.
Simply speaking it is not what they are writing about - the aspect of history which Mark (Yerger) writes about did exist - the men who were part of the Waffen SS - and it is possible to respect them as soldiers without endorsing the regeime which sent them to war.
In some respects I find the topic intersting but come away from the review slightly insulted - as I am aware of "the big picture".

Will I be buying Mark's " German Cross in Gold Holders Vol. III" when it comes out - certainly , nor will I be burning or selling what I have in my book cases.

[Mark C. Yerger]

All books, including my own, contain data errors (hopefully few) but anyone writing has an objective. For me it’s the structure and development of units in detail. Also biographical research regarding awards with dates, promotions, assignments with dates, explanation of the unit/assignments, reasons for major awards, predecessors and successors. The books or movies of the 1950s and 1960s where every German was a sociopath camp guard and any Japanese soldier wore thick glasses and had buck teeth are outdated. Likewise not all Russian troops raped German civilians. Good, bad and indifferent existed on all sides, Allied included. The authors of this new tome seem rather pointed in viewing every soldier of the German armed forces as anything but individuals. It is the same today when someone assumes every Arabic person is a terrorist. The Holocaust is a fact, but its not my specific area of research or designated goal, my aim is the study of combat soldiers and unit development. Personally, I have no more interest in the politics of WWII than the hot air politics of the present day world, reality and theory are two different parts of politics. Obviously the authors lean in a direction with minimal background knowledge in many areas they profess to have expert insight. I’d consider the term “guru” a complement were it not used in every other sentence when discussing current researchers and assume others mentioned feel the same. At the sacrifice of many aspects of a normal life due to the time involved in what I’ve written, I’m satisfied I’ve added a considerable amount of knowledge to my topic of interest. One reviewer said only 2 of my books had research, though I fail to see where MORE new data could have been added to “Allgemeine-SS”, the two “Waffen-SS Commanders” volumes, the first SS Cavalry Brigade history, or the current German Cross holder series I’m producing. I’ll assume other books on the topics I’ve covered haven’t appeared as insufficient new data can be added to them to warrant a publisher spending the costs of a new text. I also assume, for whatever reason, some commentators are allergic as “academics” to illustrations,unlike the readership that wants them. Somewhere I was mentioned as mostly a publisher. I’ve 1 volume at my own expense, all of the more than a dozen others being published by Fedorowicz, Schiffer, and Bender Publishing. Facts seem inaccurate throughout the book, but I’ve never counted on so called bona fide academics to produce anything of worth in my field. Detailed texts come from veterans or enthusiasts as they have more than the one time acquisition of a diploma as motivation. A reader should read a vast amount of material and form his own conclusion, not absorb and accept a single text. I generate books with a vast amount of facts and data. I’ve been doing so for a rather long time and, health permitting, will continue to do so. The fact what I write is published testifies to the high interest in the topic and equally high level of factual data knowledge the readership wishes to obtain.

Mark C. Yerger

[behblc]

Post 7 - why I am wating for Volume three of Marks DK in Gold series , why I bought his 2 x SS Commander Volumes , His Allgemeine SS, and both Volumes of his Knights of Steel - the out of print Volume 1 cost me a few quid but it was worth it .

I don't see M.Y. as my "Guru" , but his research and writing are excellent - that is why I have bought his books.

Thinking of this "Guru" term in relation to UK based authors - Lawerence Paterson has penned a number of excellent books on the U-boat arm - very well researched and very well written , Jak Showell - a man who has written several major works on the Kriegsmarine / U-Boat arm.
Jean Paul Pallud who has had published through After The Battle several major works dealing with German offensives in the West - should these men equally be held up to redicule ?
(No !)

[Horrido!]

What ever happened to peer revision. The editors are supposed to send the manuscript to no less than three experts in the field for review. Amazes me how crap like this passes through.

[Larry deZeng]

John P. Moore wrote:

A new book has recently appeared written by a couple of university professors who label Third Reich collectors, researchers and reenactors as "ROMANCERS". The titel of the book is "The Myth of the Eastern Front The Nazi-Soviet War in American Popular Culture" by Ronald Smelser and Edward J. Davies and published by Cambridge University Press. This is the text of a review that I posted on Amazon.com today.

With the drift to the left that began on American college campuses in 1965 and has continued to this day, a book like this hardly comes as a surprise. These two professors are representatives of the secular-progressive social demographic that is rapidly seizing the upper hand across the land by defaming all things that smack of nationalism, patriotism, religious conviction and other conservative beliefs. They and their ilk are well on their way to reshaping the United States in their own image whereby all of America's heroes, past and present, are cast as fascists and our nation's enemies as revolutionaries and saviors of the people. I am glad I only have a few years left so I will not have to witness what is coming.

--Larry

[Jonathan M]

John P. Moore wrote:



With the drift to the left that began on American college campuses in 1965 and has continued to this day, a book like this hardly comes as a surprise. These two professors are representatives of the secular-progressive social demographic that is rapidly seizing the upper hand across the land by defaming all things that smack of nationalism, patriotism, religious conviction and other conservative beliefs. They and their ilk are well on their way to reshaping the United States in their own image whereby all of America's heroes, past and present, are cast as fascists and our nation's enemies as revolutionaries and saviors of the people. I am glad I only have a few years left so I will not have to witness what is coming.

--Larry

Its already here Larry. PC is unfortunately polluting the world we live in. Some teachers get told off for using the word blackboard for example!!!! Thats at grass roots level, the intellectual class, as you say, will shape the country in their own image not realising the damage they do, but such are the times we live in
Jonathan

[Gary T]

John P. Moore wrote:
With the drift to the left that began on American college campuses in 1965 and has continued to this day, a book like this hardly comes as a surprise. These two professors are representatives of the secular-progressive social demographic that is rapidly seizing the upper hand across the land by defaming all things that smack of nationalism, patriotism, religious conviction and other conservative beliefs. They and their ilk are well on their way to reshaping the United States in their own image whereby all of America's heroes, past and present, are cast as fascists and our nation's enemies as revolutionaries and saviors of the people. I am glad I only have a few years left so I will not have to witness what is coming.

--Larry

The reason the USA rose to it's present position over the last two centuries is because it was (compared to it's jistorical equivalents)the leading liberal country in the world - socially, economically and religiously. It wasn't conservative values that created it.

Any country that becomes too conservative in any of these three areas stagnates. Those that become liberal progress.

[Gary T]

the intellectual class, as you say, will shape the country in their own image not realising the damage they do, but such are the times we live in
Jonathan

The intellectual class, if there is such a thing, is vitally important to the progress and well being of a country and it's people. Why do you think every dictator worth his salt goes out of his way to execute intellectuals on their accession to power?

[John Pic]

For information about units,men who served in them and to what capacity, Mark Yerger is hard to beat. The Waffen SS especially is rarely examined in such great detail. I am currently reading "Riding East" and it is fascinating and has helped me immensely.

I do want to learn about the accusations of alleged attrocities agianst the SS Cavalry Brigade. These so far havent been addressed in the book but other works might help on this subject. A balance is neccesary for a student of military history and an open mind when reading realizing that if one man wrote a book youre getting that viewpoint.

[John P. Moore]

It's clear that the position taken by the authors has not reached a receptive audience here.

Here are a couple of other unusual claims from the book. In Chapter 3 the authors would have us believe that a cabal of former Wehrmacht generals conspired to create a highly biased version of their combat experiences on the Eastern Front under the leadership of Franz Halder, the former chief of staff of the OKH. The authors report how as many as 700 former generals and other senior officers produced 2,500 major manuscripts for the US Army Historical Division between 1947 and 1961. These former German generals included such personages as Gotthard Heinrici, Günther Blumentritt, Heinz Guderian, Albert Kesselring, Hasso von Manteuffel, Lothar Rendulic, Georg Küchler, Adolf Heusinger and Geyr von Schweppenburg. These officers were said to have succeeded in creating a favorable view of the German military and an unfavorable image of the Soviets who had since become an ever increasing threat to the Western world. These generals ended up on quite friendly terms with a number of US generals and some even made official trips to the USA to lecture on military bases and at West Point on such topics as leadership and mobile warfare. Franz Halder was named an associate member of the US Naval Institute and received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award in November 1961 from President Kennedy in recognition of his work with the Historical Division. The authors go on to explain how the influence that Halder’s group had over a multitude of US military officers grew to include the present-day historians, researchers, collectors and reenactors, those troubled groups that the authors have labeled as “Gurus” and “Romancers”.

Later on the authors devote four pages to a discussion of Sven Hassel’s novels which they say on page 115 “feeds the romanticism of the Wehrmacht”. The authors say on page 116 that “The first book is allegedly the tale of Hassel’s own experience in the East; the others, fictional spinoffs.” However, an article in the Wikipedia reports that Sven Hassel is actually Børge Villy Redsted Pedersen, a Danish Nazi who never served on the Russian front. The example of Hassel’s novels then leads into a discussion of recently published memoirs by German veterans such as Koschorrek and Biedermann. One of the better ones, “Black Edelweiss” by Johann Voss was never mentioned. The authors emphasize how these books, which portray the Soviet military in an unfavorable manner, influence the thinking of the “Romancers”.

Throughout the authors make liberal use of the term, “anti-Communist”. They even remark how the author and former US Marine, Antonio Munoz, was an “anti-Communist”. Isn’t it odd that the authors would feel the need to repeatedly attribute that term to so many when it was such an appropriate position for those in the Western world to hold?

John