Synopses & Reviews
Handsome, intelligent, impetuous, and dedicated to the Nazi cause, SS Colonel Jochen Peiper (1915and#150;1976) was one of the most controversial figures of World War II. After volunteering for the Waffen-SS at an early age, Peiper quickly rose to prominence as Heinrich Himmlerand#8217;s ever-present personal adjutant in the early years of the war. Sent later to the fighting front with the fearsome 1st SS Panzer Division, Peiper became a legend for his flamboyant and brutal style of warfare. As one of Hitlerand#8217;s favorites, he was chosen to spearhead the Ardennes Offensive, later known as the Battle of the Bulge.
After the war, Peiper became the central subject in the bitterly disputed Malmand#233;dy war crimes trial. Convicted but later released, he moved to eastern France. There, he and his past were discovered, and he died in a fiery gun battle by killers unknown even today.
In Hitler's Warrior, historian Danny Parker describes Peiper both on and off the battlefield and explores his complex personality. The rich narrative is supported by years of research that has uncovered previously unpublished archival material and is enhanced with information drawn from extensive interviews with Peiper's contemporaries, including German veterans.
This major new historical work is both a definitive biography of Hitler's most enigmatic warrior and a unique study of the morally inverted world of the Third Reich.
Review
Praise for Hitler's Warrior"A brilliant study of a controversial but exceptional warrior in Hitler's Germany. To truly understand what the United States confronted in the Second World War, you must read this utterly absorbing story."and#151;Alex Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Bedford Boys and The Liberator
"Hitler's Warrior is a spellbinding account of the brutal life and mysterious postwar death of SS Colonel Jochen Peiper. With the masterful control of twenty years of research, and a brilliant eye for detail, Danny Parker delivers a story about Himmler's personal adjutant that both horrifies and enthralls."and#151;Annie Jacobsen, New York Times bestselling author of Area 51 and Operation Paperclip
"Jochen Peiper's life and career illuminate the inner thoughts of Heinrich Himmler, the relationship between the SS and Waffen-SS, and the balance between ideology and opportunism in Nazi Germany. In this detailed and well-written biography of Peiper, Danny S. Parker probes deeply into important questions of history and memory."and#151;Richard Breitman, American University and coauthor of FDR and the Jews
Independent, 1/13/15
and#147;Gripping.and#8221;
Synopsis
From a leading expert, a definitive biography of the fearsome and controversial German SS tank commander of and#147;Hitlerand#8217;s Ownand#8221; Panzer Division
About the Author
Danny S. Parker, an expert on the Ardennes Offensive, has written extensively about the military campaign, including the highly acclaimed Battle of the Bulge and To Win the Winter Sky. The author spent fifteen years interviewing over one hundred eyewitnesses, including over a dozen survivors as well as German soldiers and Belgian citizens who were present at the massacre. Parker has conducted years of extensive research, examining the original sources at the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the Eisenhower Library, the U.S. Army Military History Institute, and the Bundesarchiv in Freiburg, Germany. He is widely regarded as a leading expert on the massacre and the Battle of the Bulge. He lives in Cocoa Beach, Florida