Hitler's Gladiator: The Life and Times of Oberstgruppenfuhrer and Panzergeneral-Oberst Der Waffen-SS Sepp Dietrich

This books starts our really sketchy, with a general lack of details, but such is Dietrich's life in the beginning. Messenger does try to put forth fact and debunk myths that have surrounded his subject for the later years of Dietrich's life. Overall, it's a great book, and worth reading if you want to gain an insight into one of the most charasmatic leaders in the Waffen SS. Dietrich was by no means the "typical" SS soldier, being a swearing, drinking, womanizer, but his traits of being a "soldier's general" are laid forth for reading and presented very well. Overall, Messenger does have a good book, but it could have been a little more detailed. Some of the passages are only referring to units and not to Sepp himself. Worth reading.

As stated in the book Sepp Dietrich was 'liebstandarte'. As also was pointed out much of the early life of Dietrich was shrouded in mystery. Whether this was by himself or the Nazi Hierarchy who will ever know? All in all I thought this was a good book.