2002, ISBN: 9780304362080

London: Cassell. Very Good. 5.13 x 0.88 x 7.75 inches. Paperback. 2002. 352 pages. Text tlightly tanned.<br>This is the book that answers the question: Could Germany have won World… Mehr…

London: Cassell. Very Good. 5.13 x 0.88 x 7.75 inches. Paperback. 2002. 352 pages. Text tlightly tanned.<br>This is the book that answers the question: Could Germany have won World War Two? n nThis is a closely argued and wide-ranging assessment of just how, with so many alternatives open, the German High Command chose the path th at led, ultimately, to its own destruction. Heinz Magenheimer exa mines in detail the options that were open to the Germans as the war progressed. He identifies the crucial moments at which fatefu l decisions needed to be taken and considers how decisions differ ent from those actually taken could have propelled the conflict i n entirely different directions. Using the very latest source mat erial, in particular new research from Soviet/Russian sources, th e author analyses motives and objectives and considers the opport unities taken or rejected, concentrating especially on specific p hases of the conflict. n nEditorial Reviews n nReview nWith yet a nother look at the what if's of World War II, Magenheimer, an Aus trian military historian with five books and hundreds of articles to his credit, expends considerable energy exploring key strateg ic decisions that might have won the war for the Third Reich. In this rather dry and scholarly work, he analyzes turning points in the war from the perspective of the German leadership, focusing on Germany's missed opportunities and their consequences. Support ed by an exhaustive bibliography and lengthy notes, his study rev iews German options involving military, political, economic, and technological factors. He offers no new revelations, instead simp ly rehashing the uncertain variables of the fog of war that impac ted German decision-making. Certainly, Germany could have won the war if it had not made so many geopolitical and strategic mistak es, but then such miscalculations are often the cause of defeat i n war. Recommended only for academic libraries. --. William D. Bu shnell, USMC (ret.), n nPlaying the game of historical what-if is often derided as futile, but it serves as a mental exercise that can be both provocative and enjoyable. Magenheimer, an Austrian military historian, has utilized newly available source material from Russian archives to offer a fresh perspective on an old deba te. He examines most of the key decisions by Hitler and his gener al staff from 1940 to 1945, with particular emphasis on the Russi an front. His research suggests that German defeat was certainly not foreordained, despite obvious logistical problems. The genera l reader will struggle with the military jargon, but military his tory buffs can have a field day here. --Jay Freeman n nHeinz Mage nheimer is Austria's pre-eminent military historian and strategis t. In his recent volume, HITLER'S WAR, gracefully translated into English, he analyzes in depth a series of significant decisions made by the German military High Command and Hitler, himself, tha t determined the course of World War II. Having examined and sift ed through the vast quantity of material, files, reports, memoirs , and archives available to historians, including information rec ently declassified or only recently made available to Western his torians, Magenheimer does much more than simply discuss military decisions. Indeed his volume explores reasons BEHIND these decisi ons, examines how the decisions were reached, and what could have happened if alternative options had been followed. Nevertheless, unlike some of the what if books on World War II that have recen tly been published, Magenheimer avoids the more speculative or fa ntastic aspects of such efforts; his judgments are generally cons ervative and based firmly in an understanding of the very legitim ate opportunities that were missed or discarded by the High Comma nd. Additionally, Magenheimer's encylopedic knowledge and familia rity with his subject enables him to offer superb--and often very personal--illustrations supporting the points he makes. I did no t find this study dry or stiff at all. Rather, the situations and history Magenheimer recounts are sharply and crisply discussed-- at times I couldn't put the volume down. Excellent bibliography, good notes, and index. A very important contribution to our under standing of WWII, how it was fought--and how it was lost. --By Bo yd D. Cathey n nAbout the Author nHeinz Magenheimer is one of Aus tria's most respected historians and commentators. Since 1972 he has been a member of the Academy of National Defence, Vienna, and since 1993 a permanent member of the editorial staff of the Aust rian military periodical OMZ. In addition to five books, he has w ritten more than a hundred articles in periodical and compendia o n the subjects of military strategy, security politics and the hi story of warfare. ., Cassell, 2002, 3<