This is a compelling account of one of the less familiar aspects of the German war machine, combined with a thoughtful analysis of the author’s attitudes to the war and how they developed over time.

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History of War

This memoir is of great interest to all with an interest in special forces and especially in the history of the Brandenburgers

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Lars Gyllenhaal

Listed in the 'top reads of 2019' feature

Soldier magazine, December 2019

A rare glimpse of the Brandenburger special forces in WWII. The Brandenburgers were perhaps the first modern special forces to be formed and their history is little known, making this personal memoir of a Brandenburger an important addition to the historical knowledge of WWII – Very Highly Recommended.

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Firetrench

The inside story of Hitler's elite squad, the Special Forces, told by an actual member, straight from the horse's mouth, as it were.

Books Monthly

One of the best memoirs of a German soldier I have ever read. The author provides a detailed accounting of the Brandenburgers missions and daring exploits in Eastern Europe, Greece, The Russian Front and various parts of the German Reich during World War II.

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Argunners

For me it is the completeness in this man’s story that makes this book worth picking up and spending time reading it. It sucks you into his story and lets you get an idea of what it was like fighting in some of the theatres of World War 2, and this approach grounds you in a different time with different ideas of what was right and wrong and how this person interacted with those situations. This book is one of those offerings where you find yourself not wanting to put it down, it drags you and has you wanting to know what happens next.

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Armorama

A new book details life and death in Hitler's special forces during the Second World War.

Daily Express 22/5/19

These fascinating images reveal life and death in Hitler's feared special forces unit during World War II.

The ruthless Brandenburgers were known for using captured uniforms and fluency in other languages to disguise themselves as enemy soldiers and carry out spy missions abroad.

One such soldier, Sepp de Giampietro, wrote a first-hand account which has now been translated in to English for the first time.

Mail Online

This is a very good read. It is not all derring-do but a really well constructed account highlighting how people living outside the Germany defined by Versailles committed themselves to the creation of a ‘Greater Germany’ defined by German ethnicity. The descriptions of the Brandenburger missions are alive with detail and are compelling. Good to read more German accounts being translated into English. Recommended.

Michael McCarthy. Battlefield Guide

Michael McCarthy