Great book on the SS Division Totenkopf. Highly recommend reading if you can find one.

Very well written and researched history of the Third SS Division Totenkopf from its beginning in the concentration camp system up to the unit formation and various campaigns during World War Two.

Good, in-depth assessment and history of men thrust into continual war without mercy, in a land that's slow to reveal its secrets: The Russian Front. An SS division that only saw the west briefly, it was worked to the bone defending the Reich. An interesting thought might be tracing the survivors, if any, to this day. SAA.

I have done quite a bit of reading on the Waffen SS but always avoided the III Division as I felt that being comprised of Concentration Camp guards, the unit was the epitome of Nazi evil. They were. I agree with the author's assertion that it was because of the TK's actions, that the entire Waffen SS was characterized as a criminal organization. Every major military war crime committed by the SS can be traced back to either the TK or someone who served under Theodor Eicki in the TK. It amazed me the amount of influence he had on the entire SS.

Given the subject matter this book is a bit boring. It's a rehash of a doctoral dissertation so, as expected, there are footnotes everywhere in the main body of the text. It's also easy to get lost in the countless divisions, corps, armies, and groups that are mentioned. The atrocities and combat are glossed over in favor of detailed troop dispositions and supply chain problems. Only the last chapter and afterword offer anything interesting by way of analysis instead of mechanical description. Finally, as the author acknowledges in this revised (1990) edition, subsequent scholarship had already overtaken much of the book, and that was 30 years ago. I cannot recommend to the general reader and finished it only because, ignoring most of the footnotes, it was a fairly quick read.

If you’re interested in learning more about the beginnings of the Totenkopfverbande (SS-TV) and later the Division it’s worth it. Great book with a good amount of information that normally isn’t discussed.

Fascinating and brilliantly written. An excellent insight into one the of the Nazi's greatest and most feared fighting divisions. From concentration camp guards to Hitler's most trusted bastion against the waves of armour and manpower on the Eastern Front. Fantastic read.

This is a well researched and well written book and despite being originally written over 25 years ago it is still an excellent read and one of the best books on the SS and the Eastern Front. It provides clear insight into the Waffen-SS discussing their status an elite fighting unit, their battle performance and their political and idealogical training, all through the lens of the Totenkopfdivision (later the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf). It debunks the myth popularized by some writers, particularly former SS soldiers such as Paul Hausser and Felix Steiner, that the Waffen-SS should be considered a seperate and distinct institution from the sadistic thugs that ran the concentration and extermination camps. The author documents the close and constant relationship between the Waffen-SS and their cousins in the camps and the internal security organizations.

For the military historian the best passages are the descriptions of the intense and prolonged fighting that the division endured with Army Group North in the Demiansk area south of Lenigrad for several months in 1941 and 1942 during which the division was practically destroyed. This is one of the best descriptions of Eastern front fight I have read. Also noteworthy is the author's potrait of Theodor Eicke the founder and commander of the Totenkopfdivision and the man who imbued it both with its fighting spirit and its idealogical penchant for brutality.

This is probably the most comprehensive book about the SS's most elite unit. It covers the main players, the battles and includes everything you need to know about The 3rd SS Totenkopf Division. It covers blow by blow accounts of the Demyansk pocket, the battle of the bulge and all the important other facts of this superb battle group. The death of SS Totenkopf leader Theodor Eicke. His skirmishes with authority and his will to succeed for what he believed most in... his men. I recommend this book whole heartedly. It is the most comprehensive account of this fantastic and amazing battle group. It does what other books do not. It dispels the myth that all SS soldiers wer eguilty of crimes against humanity. Most Waffen SS soldiers (other than those injured or too old) were camp guards. This was simply not the case,.Don't waste your money on anything inferior as any other book.

In short: great book. A lot of detailed information with historical background of time. Good choice for everyone interested in WW 2 history, especially Eastern Front.

Very pleased with this book & service

This book went a long way in describing who was behind the concentration

camp system and how the military aspect of the Deaths Head Division worked. The only thing I found a little vague was how the recruitment system of the Death's Head fir into the recruitment system of the other SS Division. Charles Sydnor let you understand how the commanders and soldiers of the Deaths Head transferred and disseminated their philosophy throughout the SS. However I wish he had spent more time on the physical aspects of getting recruits to fight so well under such inhumane conditions. It would be interesting to understand how the Deaths Head fought so well in the Ukraine for example when their attrition rate was so high. Recruits virtually had no sleep while in battle and still functioned. Was this quality somehow instilled in the soldiers or were recruiters able to recognize this attribute? All in all this book was very informative on the structure of the Deaths Head Division. I liked it very much.

takes you there.