- Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
- Publisher: Ballantine Books (January 29, 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0345448847
- ISBN-13: 978-0345448842
Franz Kurowski's Panzer Aces is a compendium of information, both recorded and anecdotal regarding the careers of 6 noted German tank `aces" of World War Two. Augmented by photos, Kurowski's work is more that of an avid enthusiast rather than a trained historian. The various sections detail the actions and accomplishments of a group of men, some of whom are all but unknown to anyone other than scholars and afficionados of the controversial subject of German military prowess during World War Two.
In chronicling the careers of these men, Kurowski's prose unfortunately often appears disjointed and dispassionate, however no doubt much of this can be attributed to the inherent difficulties of translation. David Johnston has done an admirable job but the authorial voice of the book is weak throughout and the often white-washed accounts of battle action remain strangely dispassionate. The organization of the book is straightforward and concise with little to surprise the reader. The content itself interesting and informative but hardly engaging - even to the avowed enthusiast.
Panzer Aces as a book is not so much historically significant as it is entertainment. Kurowski has assembled a retinue of stories which reflect diligent archival research with first-hand interviews. The stories are mildly interesting, hobbled as they are by the awkward phrasing. Overall though, the book offers little new to the field and fails to successfully entertain. If there is anything of note within its content it is the fact that Kurowski relied on the popular myth of Panzer Commander Michael Wittman's death in battle with the allied tanks rather than the recently revealed evidence of the death of Wittman and his crew as a result of air attack. This authorial decision - or perhaps oversight - is perhaps the sole spark of interest within an unfortunately tepid book.
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