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Panzerschlacht: Armoured Operations on the Hungarian Plains September-November 1944
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List Price: £29.95
albania.lehi.co.uk Price: £22.49
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Manufacturer: Helion & Company
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 940
EAN: 9781906033163
ISBN: 1906033161
Label: Helion & Company
Manufacturer: Helion & Company
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 136
Publication Date: 2008-06
Publisher: Helion & Company
Studio: Helion & Company
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Listing units and weapons makes very poor reading, good pictures however.
Comment: A book on operations on the Hungarian Plains in September - November 1944 was to me a promising idea. A decent review prompted me on. But reading it was no joy.
First it is not well written at all, the text is laborious and not an easy read. Nor does a listing of what units were where and with what equipment really make any kind of story. Quickly you can see the author is biased in favor of Germans in many little ways and this isn't so great and also means you don't get to see things as well from the Soviet side. Secondly the book lacks overview, both in text and the numerous but bad maps. The main text sometimes includes great details on the German and Hungarian forces that you get lost. Here it also doesn't help that the names of places are rather foreign (Hajdúböszörmény can easily be confused with Hajdúdorog or Hajdúböszörménytol) and there is no good overview map in the entire book. These details aren't consistent either so it is hard to keep up, like on page 20 there is a detailed list of the 4th SS Politzei Panzer Grenadier Division and it only lists StuG assault guns but later it fights with Panzer V's so where did they come from. At the back of the book you also have very good lists of Hungarian forces but little of Russians and Germans while sometimes these are included in the main text itself and not repeated at the back - making the whole a rather hard to use as a source book. Third it is rather obvious that Moore is too dependant on German and Hungarian sources and uses offical German kill statisics for Soviet losses while it is well known that all armies (probably at all times) have exaggerated such numbers and you should check with opposing sources for a clear picture. Lastly after reading the book I don't really have a clear picture of the campaign and probably need to read it again in order to get the big picture and since it was hard and boring to read the first time I am in no hurry to do it again if ever.
But it isn't a total write off. It has great photos, they are large and come from various sources (German, Hungarian, Bulgarian) and there is plenty of them and printed on good paper. Then it is the only book on the battles of the Hungarian Plain. You do get to feel for the Germans who are losing a lost war and are throwing in their very last resources against the Soviet Juggernaught. Occasionally you have actions well listed, although Moore is more adapt at writing who was there rather than making an exciting read. Trying very hard you can also draw a sketch of certain army units like the 4th SS or Feldherrnhalle Panzer Grenadier Division although you will have your work cut out. Being a wargamer myself I thought it promising that Moore designed wargames. Well this isn't a great source book and he hasn't produced any famous games.
So if you are like me, really interested in expanding your knowledge of the Eastern Front, are looking for sources and inspiration for wargaming, or think that plenty of good pictures justifies the price tag - this book might just do it for you. Otherwise avoid.
I'd give the book 1 star if it weren't for two facts, the great pictures and the fact it is the only one of its kind in English.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Probably worth 5 stars but....
Comment: I received my copy of this book this morning. My first impression was that it was very well produced-and it is. Apparently Mr Moore designs war-games so he has a mind and an eye for detail. The text is very readable and his writing style is clear and concise.
The photos are the prize in this book; extremely well reproduced, original, unique, and worth the price of the book in themselves.
So why only 4 stars?
I'm a sucker for maps. I like colour maps with landscape contouring, and battlefield representations, also in colour, with different colours for opposing sides. Then I can see at a glance what the map is saying-to clarify the text in my mind.
His maps are very well laid out and very graphically clear-for b/w maps. But I had difficulty telling the opposing units apart. Just very confusing. I'm not one to peer at detail-I haven't the eyesight for a start. So if a map isn't in colour and as described above, its pretty near useless to me. And all his maps are like his.
I would have happily paid more, much more, for good colour maps.
For this alone-only 4 stars when it should have been 5.
Sorry Mr Moore.
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