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Albert Kesselring

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The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Kesselring Paperback – January 26, 2016

by Albert Kesselring (Author), Kenneth Macksey (Foreword)

4.3 154 ratings

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One the great military autobiographies of World War II.

Field Marshal Albert Kesselring was one of Germany’s most capable military strategists. Originally a Bavarian army officer, he transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935 and became Göring’s deputy, commanding air fleets during the invasion of France and the Battle of Britain. In 1941, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief South, sharing the direction of the North African campaign with Rommel. As Commander-in-Chief in Italy in 194344, his brilliant defense of the peninsula became legendary. In 1945, after the Ardennes offensive failed, Kesselring replaced von Rundstedt as Commander-in-Chief West.

In his memoirs, Kesselring describes his military training, his service in World War I, his work in the Reichswehr, his role in the founding of the Luftwaffe, and all aspects of his command in World War II. Conducing with Kesselring’s account of his trial and imprisonment for war crimes, these memoirs give a full picture of the whole military experience of one of Germany’s great commanders.

Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

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About the Author

Kenneth Macksey joined the Royal Armoured Corps in 1941, saw action in Normandy in 1944 and Germany in 1945, and after World War II spent more than twenty years as an officer of the Royal Tank Regiment. He was internationally known for his works on military history, including Why the Germans Lose at War. Macksey died in 2005 in Britain.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Skyhorse Publishing; Reprint edition (January 26, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1634505220
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1634505222
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,529,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,538 in Jewish Holocaust History
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- #22,940 in World War II History (Books)

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4.3 154 ratings

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4.3 out of 5

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Kindle Customer

Excellent read for buff's as well as anyone interested in WW2 history.

Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2017

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A highly recommended read for anyone interested in WW2 military history, a must read for military history buffs. He does a great job of taking one through the nuances of German military leadership excellence as well as how tradition & training influenced himself. Good insight into the beginning of the modern Luftwaffe & its influence on the panzer attack strategy. Kesselring’s leadership and later defensive skills are well known, however given the political constraints & the later Italian collapse, it is even more appreciated. An interesting prospective on the African theater and comments on Rommel as well as others are valuable insight. Perhaps some self-serving, but his treatment after the war was both unfair & detrimental to the recovery of Europe.

11 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Certainly ignores critical topics

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2016

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A great insight into often ignored portions of the war. Very well written, but does not hold a candle to von Manstein's book "Lost Victories" as far as details of battles and repercussions of decisions.

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2020

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Excellent, not a mainstream book. Reads with great detail by the opposition. This General knew his profession and reports its impacts on man, and country. A must read to understand what WWII involved. Combine it with Patton, Eisenhower and Montgomery (et. al) - paints an impressive graphic that stay with you. First hand writing provides an unusual authenticity.

4 people found this helpful

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Donna Douglas

This Field Marshall knew the order of battle.

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2024

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I'm glad Smiling Albert never got the chance to conduct war on the Allies where he wanted.

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Amazon Customer

A different perspective

Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2018

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Kesselring is considered to be one of the more reasonable of the WW 2 German senior military staff. His book is well written and provides a view of the war from the other side which is unavailable in the popular books about the war written from the Allied perspective.

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Avid Reader

Interesting book from the Field Marshal's point of view.

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2020

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This book was written by Kesselring from his records and memories. While one might not agree with all his conclusions (for one example he did not like a three branch government with an independent executive branch, i.e. the US system) it is interesting to see what a high ranking officer from the Axis side of WWII was thinking and doing.

2 people found this helpful

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Lotte

Well Written and Researched

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2014

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Field Marshall Kesselring was, in the opinion of many, one of the top three military leaders that Germany produced during WW 2. Although Kesselring was a field marshal, he wore many hats and was not the publicity seeker as was Rommel. Kesselring was the only major military leader to hold one of Germany's highest military positions from the start of the war to the finish.

Kenneth Macksey takes an in-depth look at Kesselring, the great tactician who must be ranked among some of the other great tacticians of that period such as Gudrian, Model,, and Von Manstein.

3 people found this helpful

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BritinTexas

Fascinating reading throughout.

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2019

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The insight of one of Nazi Germany's leading military leaders actually garners some sympathy. However that rapidly disappears in the final chapter with his long discredited claims of "just following orders". What isn't really dealt with is why his death sentence was later reduced to Life Imprisonment and the "humanitarian" reasons for his very early release in the '50s.

2 people found this helpful

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Arjen van der Wal

The Memoirs of a Field Marshall

Reviewed in Canada on June 23, 2017

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One of the most striking things about this volume is what an amazingly good writer Kesselring is, despite not actually being a writer. There are many lines and paragraphs I highlighted, not just for their significance for understanding history, but because they express his ideas and thoughts so clearly and vividly. A sign of his intelligence, dedication, and ability to apply himself to a task (even one new to him) and get something remarkable done.

There are insightful comments on Hitler, Goring, Rommel and a number of other major and minor but still very important characters. And some of the lesser known characters seem important exactly because of their character, even if he mentions them only briefly and only once. General Ritter von Hengl is an example – I had never heard of him before, despite a having some knowledge of WW II. Kesselring’s words are tribute to this man whose talent and dedication to his men Kesselring so admired. It’s a brief but moving single paragraph tribute to a man who would otherwise be almost forgotten.

This is also probably a lot of history you would not get from historians, not just because of his personal involvement in the events, but because of his perceptiveness and his ability to express it clearly in words.

A couple notes about this e-book version, Pickle Partners Publishing (2016). There are a few photos included and while historically interesting, the quality of the reproductions here are grainy and generally pretty poor. And there are typos – not a lot, but they are there.

2 people found this helpful