Hitler's Gladiator: The Life and Wars of Panzer Army Commander Sepp Dietrich

By Charles Messenger

A revealing look at the life of one of Hitler’s most notorious generals.

Notorious and alluring, Sepp Dietrich the man is impossible to separate from Sepp Dietrich the General. An effective and admired military commander who was awarded twenty-four different honors during his service to the Nazi Party, Dietrich was known for his devotion to his men, leading them through some of the fiercest fighting and harshest conditions experienced during the war. Close to the heart of the Party and to the heart of the fuhrer, he was also well-known for his unspeakable treatment of war prisoners. Dietrich was twice convicted as a war criminal: first for ordering the execution of U.S. prisoners of war in Malmedy and later for his role in what became known as the Night of the Long Knives.

In this extensively researched book, historian Charles Messenger attempts to discover the truth about this sparsely documented man, painting a vivid picture of the aggressive war, politics, and life under the Third Reich. From Dietrich’s humble upbringing to his duties as Hitler’s chauffeur and bodyguard, his rise to General and becoming a close companion of Hitler’s, to his eventual dissatisfaction with Hitler and the trials he faced after the war, Dietrich remains a mysterious figure in history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Aug 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781628730456

Charles Messenger

Charles Messenger served for twenty years in the Royal Tank Regiment before retiring to become a military historian and defense analyst. He is the author of some forty books, mainly on twentieth century warfare. Some have been published in several languages and have been widely acclaimed. He has also written and helped to direct several TV documentary series and carried out a large number of historical studies for the Ministry of Defence.

Reviews for Hitler's Gladiator

[devatipan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book is a real curate’s egg – some undoubted strengths, but many worrying weaknesses.The strengths lie mainly in its detail and its brisk pace. Unlike many biographers, Charles Messenger does not waste time with trivia, but gets on with telling us what he thinks we need to know.Otherwise, the tone is mixed. Its subject is sometimes referred to by his surname, sometimes by his short first name, so that the author’s objectivity must be suspect. Worse, the editing is woefully sloppy, with lots of misprints and German words, even names, either spelled wrongly or misused.In an additional preface to this edition, Messenger says he saw no need to make any major changes since the first edition. He should have changed the editor.Worth reading nonetheless.