the field artillery journal - Fort Sill - U.S. Army

1943 BOOK REVIEWS 235
confederation) and the solemn warning that "If we fumble
this opportunity, we may never have another."
F. E. J.
COMING BATTLE OF GERMANY. By William B. Ziff. 274
pages, bibliography. Duel, Sloan & Pearce, 1942.
$2.50.
This book, now among the "best seller" group, can be
disposed of quickly. Roughly it is divided into two parts:
the picture of the carnage that would result from operations
over land and the picture of the comparative ease and
uncarnage of operations through the air against Germany.
The blackness of the picture is complete until the author
gets to his message and then the hue is rosy.
It boils down once again to land versus air power.
Obviously Mr. Ziff belongs to the de Seversky school of
thought in this controversy. He would sacrifice routine
army and navy ordnance to get more planes; in fact, he
would like to see nothing but planes and plane equipment
coming off the lines. He advocates the use of planes for
freight and shows how such would save gas, rubber, and
manpower. There is some merit there and undoubtedly
there is merit in many of his suggestions, but they need
much tempering that the author has not given them. The
adage about all eggs in one basket still is worth
remembering.
The author, however, knows how to present his subject
in a very interesting manner and will hold the reader's
attention whether he agrees or disagrees heartily. A book
like this has some value especially to those who disagree in
that it will point up and crystalize ideas which the reader
may have concerning the use of the various branches of the
armed services.
The fact that he disagrees will make him stop to think
why he disagrees, and how he would take care of the
situation if he were doing it.
J. M. C.
THE SELF-BETRAYED. By Curt Riess. 386 pp.;
chronology; bibliography; index. G. P. Putnam's
Sons. $3.00
One sometimes wonders if Hitler didn't take power by
public acclaim, so many people seem to have been
responsible for his rise. The industrialists are not
mentioned in Riess's book, but men of the German General
Staff take dubious credit. The only factor that seems to
remain constant is that regardless of who put Hitler in,
Hitler did him dirt within a short time.
The Self-Betrayed reads like a novel—the author
frequently uses the style of his mystery stories to good
advantage. It flows so rapidly that only after one has shut
the book does he wonder how much salt should be added to
get the true picture. Then the salt is forgotten, because the
book tells what one would like to believe.
The German generals, until Hitler was firmly in
power, were men from the Ostelbien, the provinces east
�
A MATCHING
PAIR
FOR A ROUNDED PICTURE OF
GERMAN PERSONALITIES:
�
THE SELF-BETRAYED
By CURT RIESS
($3.00)
tells the tale of the German officer caste,
what it was, why it was, what made it
tick, and how it is running down.
�
BLOOD and BANQUETS
By BELLA FROMM
($3.50)
gives the picture from the inside, as seen
by a brilliant woman, friend of diplomats
from all nations, writer for the oncepowerful
Ullstein chain of papers.
BY READING BOTH
of these complementary books you will learn how
insidious forces gain their strength, as well as
broaden your understanding of Germany's dominant
figures.
See discount offer on page 232
and order through
The
U. S. FIELD ARTILLERY ASSOCIATION
1218 CONNECTICUT AVE., WASHINGTON, D. C.
�