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Black Edelweiss
Johann Voss
ISBN: 0966638980

This is the memoir of a veteran of the 6.
SS-Gebirgs-Division 'Nord'. Mr Voss describes his combat experiences in
Finland, the retreat from Finland and the Western Front a fluid, well written
readable way (unlike dry unit histories) and explains why he decided to join
the Waffen-SS instead of the Heer, namely anti-Bolshevism and the view that the
Waffen-SS was a pan-European army fighting against it. 

Mr Voss reconciles his justifiable pride in
his comrades and his unit which fought for their country with the fact that
many other less noble men of the other branches of the SS Organization running
the Concentration Camps wore more or less the same uniform. 

Mr Voss ends the book with the justifiable
and correct fact that despite having to fight for the corrupt Berlin gang, the
youthful patriotic sacrifice of his comrades is something that each nation much
have.

The excellent combat descriptions might
have had something to do with the author writing the book in US captivity just
after the war, when memories were still fresh, added on by the excellent
English translation. The maps by Tom Houlihan were simple and helps to
understand the military situation better than other much complicated ones in
unit histories. 

Overall the book is well written, honest,
and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Waffen-SS or the German
side of the war.

K

Edited by HvM - 23 May 2007 at 13:29

Author	Message
HvM SS-Sturmbannführer Joined: 12 January 2006 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2640	Topic: Review - Black Edelweiss Posted: 16 December 2006 at 09:00
	Black Edelweiss Johann Voss ISBN: 0966638980 This is the memoir of a veteran of the 6. SS-Gebirgs-Division 'Nord'. Mr Voss describes his combat experiences in Finland, the retreat from Finland and the Western Front a fluid, well written readable way (unlike dry unit histories) and explains why he decided to join the Waffen-SS instead of the Heer, namely anti-Bolshevism and the view that the Waffen-SS was a pan-European army fighting against it. Mr Voss reconciles his justifiable pride in his comrades and his unit which fought for their country with the fact that many other less noble men of the other branches of the SS Organization running the Concentration Camps wore more or less the same uniform. Mr Voss ends the book with the justifiable and correct fact that despite having to fight for the corrupt Berlin gang, the youthful patriotic sacrifice of his comrades is something that each nation much have. The excellent combat descriptions might have had something to do with the author writing the book in US captivity just after the war, when memories were still fresh, added on by the excellent English translation. The maps by Tom Houlihan were simple and helps to understand the military situation better than other much complicated ones in unit histories. Overall the book is well written, honest, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Waffen-SS or the German side of the war. K Edited by HvM - 23 May 2007 at 13:29
	*Tumbleweed alert! - Papa Wehr -*
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Jack O'Brien SS-Sturmmann Joined: 01 September 2009 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 59	Posted: 14 October 2009 at 05:38
	Just saw this post after creating my own topic about this book... my bad. I thought this book was excellent. I believe his motivation for writing it was because there was outcry about a German politician visiting a cemetary where Waffen SS soldiers were buried. He's the only person I've ever heard complain about the MG42 and say the 34 was more useful. If I remember correctly he says the MG42 fired too quickly and so he exhausted his ammunition at an alarming rate whereas the MG34's rate of fire was more controllable. Anyway, excellent book
	"In the absence of orders, find something and kill it" Erwin Rommel
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Tiger_S04 SS-Oberstgruppenführer ’Der Panzerkommandant’ Joined: 28 September 2004 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1257	Posted: 14 October 2009 at 15:16
	*Originally posted by Jack O'Brien* Just saw this post after creating my own topic about this book... my bad. I thought this book was excellent. I believe his motivation for writing it was because there was outcry about a German politician visiting a cemetary where Waffen SS soldiers were buried/ Might it have been the Bitburg incident (mentioned in my dissertation on the main site) where then US President Ronald Reagan visited the Bitburg cemetary (where 49 young Waffen-SS men were buried) with then Chancellor Helmut Kohl? He's the only person I've ever heard complain about the MG42 and say the 34 was more useful. If I remember correctly he says the MG42 fired too quickly and so he exhausted his ammunition at an alarming rate whereas the MG34's rate of fire was more controllable. I have read elsewhere that some veterans thought the 42 got way too hot when used for long bursts of fire - and that the 34 was also more efficient and easier to strip and clean. Sounds like a very interesting book, cheers for the info guys.
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