Need a good book on the Gebirgsjäger

[WWIIBuff]

What are some of the books you guys recommend? I am looking for a book with details about units, battles, uniforms/equipment, and with good photos.

I just had the pleasure of meeting a gebirgsjäger veteran this weekend who was in the 137th GJR and 139th GJR. He was a hochsgebirgsjäger and also fought at Monte Cassino and the Battle of the Bulge.

Thank you in advance for your recommendations!

[PZIV]

I don't own any overall books which focus solely on the Gebirgsjäger, but I know a book by Claus Sellier "Walking Away from the Third Reich", which is a memoir of that one soldier. It is one of the best books I have ever read. Even a better book than The Forgotten Soldier in my mind.

[n armstrong]

always books

What are some of the books you guys recommend? I am looking for a book with details about units, battles, uniforms/equipment, and with good photos.

I just had the pleasure of meeting a gebirgsjäger veteran this weekend who was in the 137th GJR and 139th GJR. He was a hochsgebirgsjäger and also fought at Monte Cassino and the Battle of the Bulge.

Thank you in advance for your recommendations!

hi i used to own a book called GEBIRGSJAGER IM BILD. this is mainly a photo history but some of the pictures are really great.hope this helps

[WWIIBuff]

Gebirgsjäger book

Thanks for the recommendations guys. Although your suggestions are not exactly what I am looking for, they still sound great and will be added to my "want" list.

[Christian_GJR3]

...

There's this book of a fellow member:

http://img.tesco.com/pi/Books/L/78/9781847970978.jpg

I've heared good and bad things about it.

[Simon O.]

This guy moved around a lot of units. GJR 137, 2 Geb.Div. GJR 139, 3 geb.div. then independent both of which spent almost the entire war in the far north in Lappland. a hochgebirgsjäger battalion, i guess in Italy.

The mention of the Bulge i would guess more likely refers to operation Nordwind in which the 2 Geb.Div. took part after it pulled out of Finland\Norway at the end of '44

The best books on the Gebirgstruppe are in German, for example all the divisional histories. In english we're restricted to more general works by and large like James Lucas's now rather dated 'Alpine elite' and 'Hitler's mountain troops'. Still worth getting as general primers. There's an Osprey book 'German mountain and Ski troops' which is ok.

the book mentioned by Christian above has some lovely uniform and equipment photos, it's worth getting just for that. i'd advise though to ignore most of the text as it has many mistakes.

[WWIIBuff]

Gebirgsjäger

Thank you Christian and Simon, I appreciate the information and suggestions.

Yes Simon he did move around a bit. Part of the reason was because of promotion. He went from being an NCO to an officer so he had to go back for training and was reassigned. He was our "guest of honor" at the June monthly collector gathering we do here locally. He kept 18 of us entertained with his stories for the whole evening.

[Woolgar]

This is a good informative book

Nick

[Bond]

I have this book, which has lots of good photos, but it is in German. It is by Alex Buchner.

Jerry

[BergführerKiser]

Grüß Di' Bergkamerad,

As Simon mentioned, most of the best GJ books are in German. Roland Kaltenegger is by far the expert historian on the subject...if you can read German, get his books.

Here are some other Gebirgsjäger books I would recommend:

1. German Mountain Troops In World War II: A Photographic Chronicle Of The Elite Gebirgsjsger by Roland Kaltenegger.

http://www.amazon.com/German-Mountai.../dp/0764322184

2. Der Bergkrieg im Kaukasus: Die deutsche Gebirgstruppe 1942 (German & English text) by Alex Buchner.

http://www.amazon.com/Bergkrieg-Kauk...9660340&sr=1-1


Plus a few WWII US Army Intelligence manuals:

German Mountain Warfare
http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/wwIIspec/number21.pdf

German Ski Training and Tactics
http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/wwIIspec/number20.pdf

German Winter Warfare
http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/wwIIspec/number18.pdf

[Obergruppen2]

Are you also interested in the Gebirgsdivisionen of the Waffen-SS, i have almost all books on that subject !!!