Hitler's Generals. By W. E. Hart. (Cresset Press. 85. 6d.)
MR. HART, formerly an officer in the Reichswehr of the Germ Republic, has written short sketches of nine German commander Six of them belong to the army, two to the navy, and one, Mulch, Secretary of State of the Luftwaffe. The chapters. on Fritsch an Brauchitsch are mainly of interest for the light they throw on th relations between the Nazi party and the old officer class. men imagined they could use the Nazis as tools for their own end
but Brauchitsch was dismissed from his command and Fritsch was shot in the back during the Polish campaign. Keitel is regarded as a mere " yes-man " to the Fiihrer and his " intuition advocates," while Bock is shown as a good subordinate general who is out of place as a director of high strategy. The author, too, is scathing about Rommel and obviously does not share the admiration for his generalship that used to be felt in certain quarters in this country. At the moment, the most interesting sketch is that of Rundstedt, the Gernian commander on the Western Front. He emerges as a formidable antagonist whose resource and skill will be Germany's main asset in meeting the allied invasion. Altogether this is a useful and illuminating book, although some of the chapters might have been omitted to make room for the author's impressions of (say) Leeb, List and Mannstein.
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