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| Tigers in the Mud: The Combat Career of German Panzer Commander Otto Carius (Stackpole Military History Series) | 
 enlarge | Author: Otto Carius
Creator: R. J. Edwards
Publisher: Stackpole Books
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $3.97
You Save: $15.98 (80%)
New (31) Used (27) Collectible (1) from $3.97
Avg. Customer Rating:  34 reviews
Sales Rank: 68247
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 6 x 1.1
ISBN: 0811729117
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.541343092
EAN: 9780811729116
ASIN: 0811729117
Publication Date: September 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: New, unread, unused and in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages, may have a remainder mark.
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Book Description
Real war stories told by real soldiers for readers who want to know what it was like to be in the thick of battle. These are riveting combat narratives about the weapons and warriors of some of history's bloodiest conflicts. Each book is a gritty, action-oriented account of life and death in the heat of battle. Original titles as well as long out-of-print gems will explore conflicts ranging from the blood-soaked fields of the Civil War to the current war on terror and everything in between. The books are published as high-quality and affordable trade paperbacks, making them terrific editions for all who are interested in military history. WWII began with a metallic roar as the German Blitzkrieg raced across Europe, spearheaded by the most dreaded weapon of the 20th century: the Panzer. No German tank better represents that thundering power than the infamous Tiger, and Otto Carius was one of the most successful commanders to ever take a Tiger into battle, destroying well over 150 enemy tanks during his incredible career. Illustrations: 51 b/w photos; 3 maps; 50 illustrations
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| Customer Reviews: Read 29 more reviews...
Another very good WWII book July 20, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Otto Carius tells of his days as a Panzer Commander. He starts his military career driving the Czeck made Pz 38 with a 37mm gun and bad armor and ends his days driving the excellent Tiger tanks. I knew the Tigers were a good tank that needed to be constantly fixed by their crews. However, Otto basically says the ex-Czeck tanks are junk with weak armor and this cost him some savage wounds early in the war.
Otto is both a great writer but delivers a little disjounted story. That should have knocked it down to 3.5 stars (C+ grade) but the machine does not allow it. Example, we go from Otto being an enlisted man on the Pz 38 and "poof" he is an officer. We don't learn a thing about his OBC or anything like that. Now, Germans tended to view their training as secondary to the action. It's like a pro-football player talking about training camp versus the big game. However, training is how a military prepares for a fight and it's always nice to know how the German army did this.
Otto gives day to day living while fighting against the Soviets. First, they lose quite a few soldiers due to slipping and then being crushed by the tracks. Second, the Germans designed the best tank hatch for the commanders in the Panzer III. The first Tiger hatches were too high and made a good target for Soviet PAKs. Otto is quite happy when the Tigers are all retrofitted with improved hatches.
Now, Otto also tells a reader something this reviewer has long suspected; he was not a great tank hunter by design. He was just out in the field so much that he just saw a lot of Soviet tanks. Now, Otto killed more than 130 tanks in his career. But when you break it down to 1941 to 1945 it's not a tank a week. Otto is quite clear about the fact that if you want to get tanks then you must be in the field. Indeed, his company commander is quite upset that he never gets a tank but Otto's platoon and personal tank constantly get kills. It's like deer hunting; if you don't spend time in the field you're not going to see a deer.
Otto was one of the personal reasons why the Soviets didn't break the seige of Leningrad for nearly 30 months. Any time there was an attack you could pretty much count on Otto and either a platoon or company of Tigers to break the back of a Soviet attack.
Strangely, Otto knocks out his share of the excellent Stalin tanks, one of the best tanks of WWII. His gunner always knew the weak spot on the Soviet tanks.
Now, after the war Otto spends time in a Soviet prison. That tale is both brutal and fast.
I liked this story. Otto gives background on the German WWII tanks. In the back of the book you get to see the many awards this excellent soldier received in WWII. Boy, I wish we had soldiers like him on our side.
3.5 stars and a darn fun read.
 Interesting, but not my Favorite WWII Memoir June 30, 2008
I found the memoir "Tigers in the Mud" interesting, but not the best or not the most exciting of the WWII memoirs I have read. I am an avid WWII reader, but not a military historian, so perhaps this book was not intended for me.
For one, much of the book depends on the reader's understanding of the battles and combat situations. I am familiar with some of the major East Front battles, but I think this book would have benefited more from some summaries of the situations before launching into the details. For example, perhaps some more details prefacing "Gatschina had to be given up" would have helped to understand why the Panzer leaders were in the situation they were in. A few more maps might have helped the reader understand the situations.
Secondly, the translation is a bit stilted, and full of German idioms that do not survive literal translation. I see many passages that appear lifeless. "Not a single creature was to be seen in these dead woods." I was also tired of seeing the many quoted expressions. "My 'hungry' and 'freezing' men sat at a table as if in peace-time." Was it really needed to quote hungry and freezing? Either they were or they were not. Even the word Tiger is quoted throughout the book.
I also expected a bit more on the details of the Tiger tanks, or even his earlier experiences with the 38ts. These details are somewhat limited.
In the end, I enjoyed the book for the details and the matters-of-fact that were mentioned, but I expected a bit more of a framework or a lively drama in which the details are given.
 Great Book! June 23, 2008
"Tigers in the Mud" I found to be very captivating and I couldn't put it down. I wish someone would make this into a authentic movie, the perils and trials Otto Carius went through was very interesting.
Fresh perspective May 11, 2008
I have just finished reading this very interesting book which was written from the perspective of a highly decorated panzer commander. How refreshing to read a viewpoint from a WW2 German frontline soldier. He tells his story without embellishment, there is no hollywood exaggeration here. Playing down the danger & terror which was part of the Russian front, he calmly relates details of battles he took part in, comparing the pros & cons of both the German & Russian tactics. Until the Tiger tank made an appearance at the front, the Germans had no answer to the Russian T34s & KV1s.
It was quite clear that he respected the fighting abilities of the Russians while he was less than impressed with the Americans who relied on technology rather than properly trained personnel. And for those that had the impression that the Americans were the good guys, think again. Carius confirms that the Americans instigated a harsh post war policy of starvation & neglect on German POWs.
I used to wonder how the Germans & their allies managed to fight on multiple fronts against the world's most powerful nations and hang on for as long as they did. The answer I think is to be found in this book, far from being an exception, men like Otto Carius were quite numerous in the German army. These were men who did not shirk responsibility, but did their duty competently both in attack and defence, who were resilient, tough & stoic under all conditions. Their principle motivation came from a strong sense of duty & loyalty to their families, homeland & comrades, qualities which are these days played down and even discouraged.
The book also gives an insight to the real Heinrich Himmler who listened attentively to Carius's honest assessment of the worsening frontline situation.
If you want mindless entertainment then watch Hollywood inspired movies & documentaries, if you want the truth then read books written by people who were there, on the frontline, people who survived numerous battles and lived to tell the tale.
All I can say is that I enjoyed this book enormously, and the one criticism I can make is that it was not long enough.
Great Book !!! March 31, 2008
This is a great book since first page.
The narrative is precise and exciting, you can feel yourself inside the tiger tank with guns blazing across the eastern front.
Mr.Otto Carius is very inteligent and has a great point of view about the war to share with the readers.
It is definitely a must have book.
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