Book Reviews – Panzer Commander

Panzer Commander Hermann Balck: Germany’s Master Tactician
by Stephen Robinson

This non-fiction book follows little known Panzer commander Hermann Balck in World War II. Alongside Balck’s story, we follow the missions of New Zealand and Australian armed forces.  Commander Balck was a man who led by example and fought alongside his men in France, Greece and at the Russian Front. Balck was not only a brilliant  tactical commander, but his love of classic literature and antiques is often highlighted. I was surprised to read that in the late 1970s he was invited to become an adviser to the US Military to assist in the post-Vietnam war period. Make sure you read the introduction in this book; I found it helpful as it explains why this book needed to be published. If you are interested in military history, then I highly recommend this book.