Reference biography of Model?

[Mori]

Hello all,

What would be the best biography of Walter Model?

I'm looking for something backed with serious research, esp. on the Western front at the end of the war.

Thanks,

Mori

[pintere]

The two best books on Model are by Forczyk and Steven Newton. The former is a brief Osprey biography, but very readable and of high quality. The other one is much longer and in-depth, but also seems to be well done. It would probably be more up your alley if you're wanting in-depth.

[krichter33]

"Hitler's Commander" by Newton, is not only the best biography on Model, it's one of the best military biographies I ever read!

http://www.amazon.com/Hitlers-Commander ... 1435538225

[Mori]

"Hitler's Commander" by Newton, is not only the best biography on Model, it's one of the best military biographies I ever read!

http://www.amazon.com/Hitlers-Commander ... 1435538225

Meanwhile, I've realized Amazon lets you read the introduction of "Flawed Genius", by Marcel Stein. He has some harsh words on Newton's, starting with a pretty impressive list of mispelled names and places, which include Model's first name...

[pintere]

"Hitler's Commander" by Newton, is not only the best biography on Model, it's one of the best military biographies I ever read!

http://www.amazon.com/Hitlers-Commander ... 1435538225

Meanwhile, I've realized Amazon lets you read the introduction of "Flawed Genius", by Marcel Stein. He has some harsh words on Newton's, starting with a pretty impressive list of mispelled names and places, which include Model's first name...

Stein's book, meanwhile, has flaws of its own. Robert Forczyk does a pretty good demolition. For the record, Forczyk is one of the most balanced east front historians out there, and his work is almost always a solid job.

[Mori]

Stein's book, meanwhile, has flaws of its own. Robert Forczyk does a pretty good demolition. For the record, Forczyk is one of the most balanced east front historians out there, and his work is almost always a solid job.

Thanks for pointing the review by Forczyk, which underlines issues with Stein's book.

I'm not sure why he complains about Carell being a "member of the SS" or Görlitz writing "mostly hero worship" - are they not? - and why he is embarassed with statements like "every high-ranking German officer knew what was happening [about war crimes and against Jews]" - hasn't research proved it for 30 years now?

I haven't read anything by Forzyk but can't help notice he specializes on 1941-1942, you know, the smashing German victories, rather than on 1943-45 when the skills and means of the German army prove limited and fail to match the Allies'. It is not immediately obvious he is "one of the most balanced historians"...

[krichter33]

Newton's book has some mistakes, but at least it is fair and non biased, which can't be said for any of Stein's books. Also Newton's is by far the best in the military history aspect of Model's life, which is my main area of interest. Get Newton's and Forczyk's books, and stay away from Stein. Or read Stein after the other two, maybe as a caveat...

[wizard22]

Derek S. Zumbro <Battle for the Ruhr>, 2006

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Ruhr-Germa ... M509AKM55M

The book quotes a lengthy interview with Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model's former officer Oberst Günther Reichhelm, Major Winrich Behr, SS-Sturmbannführer Heinrich Springer, and Brigadegeneral Hansgeorg Model - the Field Marshal's Son. Dr. Zumbro (A former SEAL Officer, Zumbro was stationed in West Germany) interviewed in Germany for a long time.

And Günther Reichhelm, January 1942~ April 1945, from Leutenant to Oberst, from 9th Army to Army Group B, he is the closest aides of GFM Walter Model. Winrich Behr was the witness of Model's last hours in Ruhr Pocket. A decade after the war, Behr sought out the burial site of the Feldmarschall Model in the isolated woods south of Duisburg, together with Hansgeorg Model. Reichhelm and Behr were also speak about GFM Model, appeared in a ZDF Documentary <The Wehrmacht> Ep.5 - To the Bitter End -

If choose only one book for Walter Model (written in English), My Choice is <Battle for the Ruhr>.

Recommend one more book written about GFM Model on the Western Front,

Joachim Ludewig <Rückzug: The German Retreat from France, 1944>, 2012

http://www.amazon.com/R%C3%BCckzug-Retr ... AVZNYY9SHG

[krichter33]

I read both of those as well! Rückzug and Battle for the Ruhr are both excellent!

[Mori]

Thanks for the tips. I see at least 2 "must be" for my research. Just great!

[pintere]

I haven't read anything by Forzyk but can't help notice he specializes on 1941-1942, you know, the smashing German victories, rather than on 1943-45 when the skills and means of the German army prove limited and fail to match the Allies'. It is not immediately obvious he is "one of the most balanced historians"...

Valid. But he has done more than one book on the battle of Kursk, and I have found when reading his books how much he is willing to give credit to both the German and Soviet sides for the outcomes of battles. This was particularly true in his book on Demyansk.

[Cult Icon]

I've read almost everything Forzyk and overall I like his stuff (better than Zaloga) and will read them in the future. But much of what he writes is not groundbreaking to me but rather an intelligent synthesis of what's out there. He does do some original research though. An advantage he has is that he was an armored officer (intelligence) in addition to the PhD so he brings a nuanced understanding of military operations and military considerations to his work. He also has few sympathies towards the soviets or the germans which is different from many authors (like authors who love the SS or works by patriotic russian historians). Another, is that he is obviously very well read on the literature in english out there and has covered the bases in this area, which is helpful for someone who wants to learn but doesn't have the means to read XXX books yet.

Flaws: I don't think he spends a great deal of time producing his work and he churns it out. He has research skills but more german than soviet. I don't think he has read that much German stuff, and even less the Russian. He often relies too much on Glantz's materials for the Soviet POV. Nothing he has written is the final word but it's a good starting point.

[Mori]

Undigging this topic after some detailed research.

Derek S. Zumbro <Battle for the Ruhr>, 2006

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Ruhr-Germa ... M509AKM55M

This book is definitively to keep away from, because of its revisionist touch (even if this becomes fully explicit only in the last chapter).

[Mori]

On Model's biographies:

The Newton book has a lot of balanced judgment, and I like its introduction and synthesis.

When checking the period I'm familiar with, namely the 1945 battles, I noticed many factual errors and some gross misunderstandings. This undermines many of the authors conclusions and casts a doubt on its overall relevance.

I couldn't help seeing that Newton's sources were unreliable secondary sources, such as John Toland and a book Charles Whiting wrote under a pseudonym => "Garbage in, garbage out"?

[Mori]

Derek S. Zumbro <Battle for the Ruhr>, 2006
If choose only one book for Walter Model (written in English), My Choice is <Battle for the Ruhr>.

This book has a lot of problems, to put it midly. The strongly antisemitic stance of the final chapter says it all.