James Lucas, military historian and British Army veteran, spoke with many veterans of both Axis and Allied armies, digging deeper into the question of what it is that makes a good soldier. His studies of German forces are some of the most insightful and significant ever undertaken, showing why they were such formidable foes.

Here he has selected fifteen of the leading players in Hitler's war effort, including men at or near the top, and describes their role in the German military hierarchy and their performance at strategic or battlefield level.

They had, Lucas suggests, an extra dimension, an additional qualityadministrative skill, the ability to motivate, great tactical awareness, originality of thoughtwhich set them apart from others of equal rank. Here his subjects include iconic names like Kesselring, von Manstein, Model, Nehring and Rommel in a riveting book about command, control, military tactics and the hard realities of soldiering.

Perfect for readers of Max Hastings or Ian Kershaw.

James Lucas was an acclaimed military historian who worked for many years at the Imperial War Museum. He is the author of numerous bestselling books about the Second World War.