Sons of the Reich - II SS Panzer Corps

Sons of the Reich - II SS Panzer Korps
by Michael Reynolds

This book arguably is one of Reynolds's drier books with already known information, unlike 'The Devil's Adjutant', although like in the past, he combines sources of both sides together for an analysis in the campaigns of the II. SS-Panzerkorps and is generally better than the likes of Butler, although the chapter on the famous battle of Arnhem - 'The Bridge too Far' was quite interesting.

The book covers the periods of the 3 divisions of the II. SS-Panzerkorps in their period in and out of the korps - 2. SS-Panzerdivision 'Das Reich', 9. SS-Panzerdivision 'Hohenstauffen' and the 10. SS-Panzerdivision 'Frundsberg'. He freuquently relies the German history of the 'Hohenstauffen' and 'Frunsberg' titled 'In the Firestorm of the Last Years of the War', and was one of the main resources of his book. His maps are not bad.

However at the conclusion of the book it is more political-oriented and biased than his other books with it's portrayal of the opinions of Waffen-SS veterans. I would suspect this as this is aimed at a little more general audience and there are still unfortunately popular misconceptions about the Waffen-SS. Although not as heavily as in 'Sons of the Reich', Reynolds also draws on this in his other books when he referred to Panzermeyer as still being loyal and worshipping Adolf Hitler in 'Steel Inferno' despite there being no evidence and his memoirs 'Grenadiers' proving the opposite. Overall if one has a more general interest about the Waffen-SS, this would probably be something.

K