Latest Reading

On the German Art of War, Truppenfuhrung, by Bruce Condell and David T. Zabecki, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2001. This book is a fascinating look at how the German Army of WWII practiced war. It defies the popular description in movies where the German soldier could not function independently of direct orders from above. On the contrary the German officer was to tell the highly trained soldiers what to do but rarely how to do it. Much was left up to their resourcefulness. This manual helps explain why American troops in combat against the Germans had a 50% higher casualty rate than their enemy until our side adopted their methods.