Panzer Commander

The Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck

By: Hans von Luck, Stephen E. Ambrose - introduction

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 15 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

A stunning look at World War II from the other side.... From the turret of a German tank, Colonel Hans von Luck commanded Rommel's 7th and then 21st Panzer Division. El Alamein, Kasserine Pass, Poland, Belgium, Normandy on D-Day, the disastrous Russian front - von Luck fought there with some of the best soldiers in the world. German soldiers. Awarded the German Cross in Gold and the Knight's Cross, von Luck writes as an officer and a gentleman. Told with the vivid detail of an impassioned eyewitness, his rare and moving memoir has become a classic in the literature of World War II, a first-person chronicle of the glory - and the inevitable tragedy - of a superb soldier fighting Hitler's war.

©1989 Hans von Luck (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Filled with Interesting Facts

Perhaps a little self-serving, perhaps a little naive about 1980s Russia, but pretty good at reliving the personal experiences of a recon officer fighting a losing war on three fronts. Pretty good at describing the different Allies' attitudes and conduct toward their prisoners.

Fascinating Memoir

A fascinating memoir from an officer who served on the Russian Front, then under Rommel in Africa, then in Normandy, then retreating all the way back to Germany under the frustration of Hitler's nasty (and deadly) bureaucracy, then back to the Russian Front until the disillusioned end, and if that wasn't enough, the most interesting part of the book then begins - being captured by the Russians, the five years in Stalin's labor camps as "recompense for war damages" (handy excuse for Stalin to amass more slaves).

Curious how the author describe the American prisoner-of-war camps in a few sentences (where prisoners were 'treated well' - end of account - not much intrigue there), then he goes into great detail over the curiosities of the Russians (isolated Russians thought the Kaiser was still in power, and they had not known that another war had occurred).

The accounts reflect the stories of an ex-Soviet that I currently work next to, who said he did not know what toilet paper was until his late teens (and this was the 1990's) (I asked him what he used, and he said 'newspaper', to which I observed "Well, that's all Pravda is good for") (he said it was very soft paper), and he recounted how you couldn't even get a nail outside of the black market, where "You had to 'know someone' to get anything" (and, just to note, he's always telling me how to make money on the Internet with my now-vast 'content', to which I observed, "You know, for an ex-Soviet, you are the most enthusiastic Capitalist I know!").

As well as the curiosities, the author delves into the horrors of life in the former Soviet state - not only for the prisoners (including himself), but also for the Russian people, and then how he made the best of it through wheeling and dealing with the ever-corrupt prison administrators.

Good history and great storytelling.

Excellent

A story of a remarkable officer...fills in many missing pieces of the African, European , Russian and POW experience Remarkable
!

EXCELLENT

Very interesting book. At first narrator accent was strange but got used to it and it did suit the book well in my opinion.

Magnificent. How he survived it all is a marvel

Hollywood has poisoned us with THEIR version of WW2. Our young will never understand how the other side suffered. If we do not stop painting opponents the evil bad guys and us the good guys we are liable to commit the identical mistake our fathers and mothers did.

Outstanding story

I really like this story as well as the author's writing style. His refusal to "grind axes" in any but the most extreme cases reminds me of General/President Grant's autobiography. The narrator does a pretty weak job of imitating a German accent, in the beginning I was simply confused. But when he murdered the name of the city where I live, Google was enlisted. As the book progressed it became ever more distracting. Granted, unless you have exposure to native speakers, his stereotyped portrayal will be not bother you.

Awesome book and okay narration.

Not enough action

This book struck me as mea culpa from the author. He spent far too much time justifying and apologizing and not enough on the war.

The overall score of four is fair. If you want strategy and tactics, this book isn’t the one for you.

Excellent

i wasn't sure about purchasing this work but I was very presently surprised. The book is well read and the story presents a prospective on the war that I have not found. Good book!

Amazing. Life changing.

Amazing insights. A whole new perspective on the German side of WW2.
Bitter sweet truth and honesty. Highly recommended. Amen.

A must read!

It’s like listening to an old warrior tell his stories and bear his soul to you.