The History of Fallschirm-Panzerkorps "Hermann Goering", Soldiers of the Reichsmarshall

interesting, but a bit dry

Very good book.

My dad was there, from 1942 to the end in 1945.Spent 4 years in Gulag.Heard his story, now confirmed.

Franz Kurowski has a reputation of being a bit insufferable to read, namely in the way that some of his works sound like unedited postwar propaganda. But I'm pleased to say this one was done rather well.Kurowski wasn't a fighter in this particular outfit, but it's clear that he has done the necessary research and has uncovered a lot of very good information. The book stands out in two key ways. First is the utilization of first-hand accounts, in all phases of the fighting. You can count on a mix of interesting stories from a variety of personnel. Second is his documentation of how the HG units were organized. In this he goes really in-depth, more so than I've seen any other writer in composing a book of this type. There are a few instances where there are several pages with just long lists of OOB details. Some will love it, some will merely skim over it (like me), but ultimately I won't complain about detailed info that might come in handy.As far as objectivity goes, while he certainly will not break new ground and talk about the war crimes committed by the unit, he will at least put fault with German military leaders (including Hitler) where it is due, and not just talk of overwhelming masses. I'd rate it pretty decent for a Kurowski book.Photos are sub-par, with more pictures of individuals than battlefield shots. Maps are also a bit lacking, with very little translation work done (that being said, if you are familiar with military German, they should be possible to decipher). But on the other hand there is a solid section of the expected appendixes and documentation that covers RK recipients, history of the division's organization, unit leaders, etc. The only other thing that I should add as far as the book goes is how he organizes it. Though the chapter flow is roughly chronological, he will often repeat time segments from the perspective of certain sub-units. A typical example would be a start with an overview of a campaign, followed by the HG division's role in it, followed by the campaign seen through the eyes of a panzer company, stug unit and individual soldier. It can be a bit tricky to follow at times, but it by no means makes the book unreadable.While I wouldn't call it great, overall I think the book gives a satisfactory coverage of the HG units throughout the war. And probably the best English language account of them currently available at that.

The book was a good buy for the information it contains. The book is made of good quality paper and the cover has excellent graphics and finish.The author tells the story of the evalution of the Herman Goering unit from a small police force(Goering's first job was the head of the police)up through the creation into a panzer division. There are some excellent photos of some of the unusual uniforms worn by the Luftwaffe troops that fought as infantry and armored troops. The problem I have with this book is that it is difficult to use as a reference book. There is NO INDEX that would assist in research and referring back to a topic. And it is difficult to find things in the book because of how it is arranged. The book begins with the history of a battalion. Then it will have a chapter about the Anti-Aircraft unit. Then the next higher unit. Each chapter almost stands alone in the history that unit. So you may read about the war in Italy in one part of the book and then skip to another to read more of the same period. It does not follow a chronological order. The book does have maps but most are German maps without translations. The Appendices have some good tables of organization, Knight Cross winners and officers.

I have most (probably all) of the English language books on this fascinating unit and I think I would say that this might be the best one. A translation from the German original edition, it contains information at every level, from the Commanders to the ordinary soldiers, to orders of battle and medal recipients. There is sub-unit information down to the obscure level, but also contemporary personal accounts from the front line too. If you only had one book about the Hermann Goring unit, this would have to be it!