Albert Kesselring is probably more well known for his command of German forces in Italy from 1943 until the end of the war than any of his other commands during the war. In the West, he has always been considered to be a brilliant strategist and many have considered him to be among the best commanders that Germany had during the war. He was also a Luftwaffe general, something of a rarity considering the commands that he held.

However, Kesselring, though learning to fly, spent most of his life connected with ground forces more than anything else. Sure, he was a major figure during the Battle of Britain and the early air campaign in Russia, but it is his ability to make the best of the defensive situation in Italy that has been his major claim to fame.

Kesselring was not only a very competent strategic general, but actually seemed to be one of the few who cared about the welfare of his troops. He never just tossed them into battle, but did his utmost to ensure that they had the best support that was available to them. This is something that put him in good stead commanding Luftflotte 2 in Russia. His command always had an efficient and adequate supply line, something that is not only paramount to success, but something that many other generals, such as Rommel, seemed to overlook in their haste to push forward.

Like most German generals, Kesselring was tried by the Allies for crimes committed by those under his command and while sentenced to death, was released in the early 1950s.

Author Pier Paolo Battistelli does a great job of not only telling the story of Kesselring, but also looking into the man himself. We see that he had a strong sense of duty, but also that he was frequently falling in line with Hitler's wishes. Kesselring was also not one to waffle but frequently made relatively quick decisions, whether it be about moving units or firing subordinates who did not meet expectations.

Not only do we look at the life of the man, but are able to follow his career from the beginning and see how he handled each of the commands he was given. It is a superb book about one of Germany's most well respected generals. A book I thoroughly enjoyed reading and one that I can most highly recommend to you.

April 2012

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