The German Army 1939-45 (4): Eastern Front 1943-45 (Men-at-Arms) (v. 4)

This five volume set contains much of the information found in larger volumes like Angolia's, and much more detailed info than other volumes like the SOLDAT series which concentrate solely on front line troops.

The detailed info in this volume includes rank insignia of the Eastern Legions, info on Beamten (military officials) and a detailed table on Beamten - this stuff is not currently available in English in any other currenly printed books.

The meat and potatoes of the book are of course the colour plates , the detailed history of the Eastern Front, and the list of divisions and numbered units (the last being especially only marginally useful).

Doesn't get five stars because of the colour plates. The poses are good, the artwork in the main is useful and shows a wide variety of kit, but the faces tend to look similar and the noses in particular need work. Andrew is obviously influenced by Volstad but needs to learn to put variety into his facial structure in order to present a realistic appearance.

I see my review for Volume 3 is also listed under Volume 4, and 5 so I will add comments on these here -

Volume 4's special content includes insignia of the ROA (Russian Liberation Army) and special rank badges. Probably didn't need a whole page for the latter, but a bit of new information is posted in the chart also.

Otherwise, all previous comments on the series, including those on volume 3, above, apply.

Volume 5 has no special content in table or illustrations, but the text does discuss in some detail all the campaigns that took place on the "western front" and has note on the organization of infantry divisions as well as good general info on uniforms and insignia.

Osprey books are a great place for anyone who is interested in a specific military history subject. The book is a concise history of the organization and use of German infantry on the Western Front. The full color drawings are an excellent resource for modellers, collectors and general enthusiastists. There are plenty of black and white photos to complement the text. The book focuses on the finer details of the average German soldiers life. Even though I've read the book, I refer to it frequently and still love looking at the drawings.

This work is a splendid example of the new emphasis of the publisher on producing comprehensive works in a handy cheap format compared with the earlier broad brush treatments which covered too much in too little detail.
The new emphasis is on sets covering various national armed forces in as much detail as is available, consistent with the current purpose of the works in the series, which have evolved from an original emphasis on serving the military miniature maker market into works intended to enlighten the general reader in enough detail to satisfy the merely curious and to point the way to further reading.
Most of us, including myself, have little need for, or the patience to read, voluminous studies, often in foreign languages, covering many eras and nations. My main interest is in the US forces, their allies and their enemies in the twentieth century.
That said, these works should be purchased as presented, in sets within the series. Since they are produced as a set, the volumes cover only relevent parts of the general history and the clothing and individual equipment is covered as it appears in each period. The French Army, US Army, British Army, and Italian Army series all have three volumes, covering the major theatres and time periods of the war. The German set has five.
The German Army set should be read in conjunction with many other individual volumes covering their allies and opponents and the other German fighting forces such as the Waffen SS, and the Parachute units, which were part of the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe.
If you want an introduction to the fascinating variety of clothing and equipment of the forces covered, this set is for you.

This work is a splendid example of the new emphasis of the publisher on producing comprehensive works in a handy format compared with the earlier broad brush treatments which covered too much in too little detail.
The new emphasis is on sets covering various national armed forces in as much detail as is available, consistent with the current purpose of the works in the series, which have evolved from an original emphasis on serving the military miniature maker market into works intended to enlighten the general reader in enough detail to satisfy the merely curious and to point the way to further reading.
Most of us, including myself, have little need for, or the patience to read, voluminous studies, often in foreign languages, covering many eras and nations. My main interest is in the US forces, their allies and their enemies in the twentieth century.
That said, these works should be purchased as presented, in sets within the series. Since they are produced as a set, the volumes cover only relevent parts of the general history and the clothing and individual equipment is covered as it appears in each period. The French Army, US Army, British Army, and Italian Army series all have three volumes, covering the major theatres and time periods of the war. The German set has five.
The German Army set should be read in conjunction with many other individual volumes covering their allies and opponents and the other German fighting forces such as the Waffen SS, and the Parachute units, which were part of the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe.
If you want an introduction to the fascinating variety of clothing and equipment of the forces covered, this set is for you.

Makes use of much of Brian Davis' research, but does it better. Expanded data and explanations of rank systems, specialist officers, etc. make this series the leading reference in English - and affordable to boot! A much needed update to Brian L. Davis' adequate book on uniforms and traditions, with many corrections and clarifications. Especially interesting is the research done on trades badges and similar ephemera.

Not a perfect book - and one hopes one day all this info will be compiled into a single volume with expanded information on certain small details - but well worth the money.

The artist is no Ron Volstad - he needs to work especially on the noses of his figures, they all look the same - but the uniforms are clearly done and represent a wide range of interesting material.