SS-Totenkopf: The History of the "Death's Head" Division 1940-1945

When I initially read the reviews posted here, I was hesitant to waste my time reading this book. Now that I have done so, however, I find that most of the complaints are unfounded. The purpose of _SS-Totenkopf_ is to provide an overview of the development, formation and behaviors of the SSTK, as well as provide some good pictures to gawk at. It is not supposed to be an exhaustive chronical, so it naturally lacks some of the details of other works on the subjects. So yes, if you want a more thorough examination of the topic, Syndor's _Soldiers of Destruction_ is the way to go -- but if you really couldn't care less what Eich said to so-n-so on such-n-such about the supply of heavy artillery in 1941, then this book isn't such a bad way to go. What I find a bit unsettling about the criticisms here though, are the ones that complain that Mann has exaggerated or overstated the record of Nazi indoctrination and atrocity that is associated with the SSTK. I find this to be not only innaccurate, but actually somewhat apologist. Once frequently finds among historical enthusiasts of the Waffen-SS a tendancy to take the old SS veteran's oft-repeated statement of "we were soldiers, just like any other" at face value...though in fact, it is often not true at all, and especially not for the SS Totenkopf Div. In actual fact, the SSTK were deeply indoctrinated by the their fanatical Nazi commander, Theodor Eich, for the explicit purpose of being merciless guardians of the concentration camp system, which they were founded to support. Time after time, their record in combat reveals that this practiced cold-bloodedness resulted in astonishing willingness to commit war crimes and massacres against POWs and civilians (to such a degree that during the invasion and occupation of Poland, the Wehrmacht commanding generals tried to have them removed from the field on account of their atrocious behavior toward civilian Jews and Poles). Indeed, a considerable number of SSTK served in the murderous Einsatzgruppen, and were revolved freely through the Nazi concentration camp system even while that mechanism became a vast killing machine directed at Hitler's racial enemies. This is not mere conjecture on the part of Mann, but established fact, expounded upon in great detail by none other than Charles Syndor's _Soldiers of Destruction_ itself, a book which many of the critics here recommend as an alternative read to this one! In short, if you are looking for a brief overview of the SSTK, with some decent pictures of the division in action, I would take the criticisms here with a grain of salt, and give Mann's book a chance.