cbb
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Posts posted by cbb
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Originally posted by Andreas:
I don't know that it was a "lawyer's statement" (such as a legal opinion) or whether they may have received some sort of pre-determination (such as a declaratory judgment) from a prosecutor or other legal official. And perhaps it was indeed "cheap publicity."Nevertheless, if I were the publisher, I would fear that some prosecutor would make the argument that: 1) a book claiming Germany's attack on Russia was a pre-emptive attack is essentially a statement that Hitler's war policy in the east was justified; and 2) a book claiming that Hitler's war policy in the east was justified is essentially an endorsement of the Hitler regime; and 3) a book containing an endorsement of the Hitler regime is essentially an incitement to racial hatred...
That argument may not hold water in court but if I were the publisher I still would not want to run the risk of committing a criminal act (or of being prosecuted, even if that prosecution was frivolous). As has been demonstrated in this thread, passions run strong over these issues. I think the risk of prosecution is definitely censorship.
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Originally posted by Foxbat:
I agree with you. I'm not saying that background is irrelevant. I'm simply saying that an author's background alone should not be cause for a reader to summarily dismiss an entire series of books. -
Unless you buy them used, you won't find better prices on Fedorowicz titles. His books tend to be of very high quality (oversized, lots of photos). If you are interested in German armor, you will find none better.Originally posted by JaegerMeister:Talking of books, has anyone seen this site?
http://www.jjfpub.mb.ca/products.htm
I have no links with them, just thought i'd point people to a good WW2 book site. They seem to have some great titles there, but damn expensive. Anyone know if these titles are available elsewhere for sensible prices? I would like to get my hands on a few of them!
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Originally posted by Andreas:
It is a criminal offense in Germany to publish anything remotely considered "pro-Nazi". It is my understanding that Hoffmann's publisher sought and received a determination prior to publication that the book did not violate the law...I'm not recommending Hoffmann's book to CMBB players -- I don't think it is relevant. I simply cited it to point out that there is another line of thought (albeit a minority view) regarding the issue of whether Barbarossa was a pre-emptive attack. Hoffmann's book is very good but I'm not convinced by his argument. The best part of his book, IMHO, is his discussion regarding the rabid propaganda of Ilya Ehrenburg.
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As I've said before, Erickson's books probably contain a lot more material for TOAW scenarios than for CM. He does not focus on small-unit actions. But if you're simply looking for dates and places of battles, his books will likely suffice.Originally posted by Master Dullard aka flyingcursor:I'll be sure to give a review of Erickson when I'm done. My main goal is to find good scenario material.
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I believe Fedorowicz is supposed to publish Kurowski's book on Kursk some time within the next few months.Originally posted by Sgt. Steiner:I've noticed that none of Franz Kurowski's books have been mentioned. I recently read "Panzer Aces", and am currently reading "Infantry Aces". Both books seem to be very good accounts of infantry and tank combat. I was unaware of Carrell's background; is Kurowski similarly discredited?
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Well, you are certainly entitled to your view (which I indeed respect). But after having read five of Carell's books, I hold a contrary view. I do not find anything in his books that remotely constitute lies or propaganda. And I am unwilling to dismiss an author as "untrustworthy" based solely on his background.Originally posted by lassner:cbb,
In fact I am very well read and interested in the Eastern Front and I remain of the view that “Carrell” is a liar, propagandist and untrustworthy source on the war in the east.
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Volkogonov, in his superb biography of Stalin, states that Stalin knew war with Hitler was inevitable and, furthermore, that Stalin was preparing for it. But Stalin knew that the Red Army was not ready for war in 1941 and he desparately (and blindly) hoped that he would have until at least 1942 before having to fight.Originally posted by manchildstein II:[QB}
the thing about 'pre-emptive strike' was - if i recall - mainly in an intro for 'scorched earth'; the intro itself written in 1989 or somefink... a bit about info released from long-secret kgb archives...
i would have to think though that the soviets really were not ready to attack in '41... they didn't have the trucks and politically it would have been suicide... i think such a campaign itself would have gone badly for them...
[/QB]
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Keep in mind that Erickson's books are written almost entirely from the Soviet viewpoint (which, in one sense, is refreshing considering that so many books focus on the Germans but if you are looking for a German or dual viewpoint, then Erickson is probably not for you). Also, Erickson's books tend to be a bit dry IMHO, focusing almost exclusively on strategy and operations (and definitely containing none of those tactical-level "anecdotes" that foxbat decries). It strikes me that his works are far more relevant for a wargamer who plays TOAW than for one who plays CMBB.Originally posted by onodoken:Indeed, Ericson, Beevor, Clack and Glantz are much better sources.
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If you are interested in the Anschluss, the interwar period, linguistics, the holocaust, or the German diplomatic record -- all of the issues listed in your post -- then Carell's books are of no value. That is because Carell deals with none of these issues. But if you are interested in combat on the Eastern Front (as I would think most players of CMBB would be), then Carell's books are quite valuable.Originally posted by lassner:Carrell’s book is of extremely questionable value.
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Previously you claimed Carell's books were "horribly distorted" and now you say they aren't "obviously distorted". That leaves me scratching my head. I would think that a book that avoids "highly overt political claims or obviously distorted descriptions" and instead focuses strictly on the military aspects of the war (as Carell's books do) would be PRECISELY the sort of book wargamers would be interested in...Originally posted by Foxbat:cbb, the fact that Carell's books don't carry big disclaimers saying "how zionist moneylenders backstabbed our war effort" and don't have highly overt political claims or obviously distorted descriptions doesn't make it any less propaganda, it only makes it better propaganda. Of course Carrell doesn't come out of the woodwork outright, a covert lie works better than one that stands on it's own because you will be less likely to question -or even reflect on- it.
You are correct that Carell, like many, many authors of history, uses anecdotes in his descriptions and does not list his sources. But the images he paints do not make his books inaccurate. Rather, they make his books highly readable and that is the very reason why his books remain so popular among those interested in WWII ...Originally posted by Foxbat:Therefore he shapes the impression he wants to give of of the war by providing a believeable context which covers the underlying propaganda.
For example he dishes up his "anecdotal evidence" with no source (the all-seeing eye just happened to be at that unit at the time and later reported it to Carell, or did a Signal write-up about it). He paints a picture of the Wehrmacht fighting and the SS killing, and why would you disbelieve it?.
I have Carell's book "Stalingrad" and I don't get that impression at all. I didn't find what he described as being that much different from what was described by Beevor or Craig...Originally posted by Foxbat:He pictures Stalingrad as an epic battle rather than the clusterf-k it really was and suggest that, maybe, it was for the best that 6th Armee committed mass-suicide (this was a major theme in german propaganda at the time).
Any discussion of the "pre-emptive war" issue by Carell in "Hitler moves East" comprises only a miniscule part of the book. (But I would encourage you to read Dr. Hoffmann's book before making up your mind that there is "not a shred of factual evidence". Dr. Hoffmann has a PhD in history and served as a military historian in the Bundeswehr from 1960 to 1995. His book was approved by German censors for publication in Germany in 1995) ...Originally posted by Foxbat:Probably the boldest lie is that of the pre-emptive war. Sure there are other books that claim the same (generally to push the writer's agenda), but there is not a shred of factual evidence while there is insurmountable evidence that the german attack on the soviet-union was being considered well before it actually happened.
What you are saying is that because of his background (i.e. his connection with the German military), Carell is automatically disqualifed from writing about the war -- "even if there was nothing wrong with the books." If that's the case, then shouldn't Guderian, Manstein, and Mellenthin be disqualified as well? In fact, if background is the key factor, can't it be argued that NO participant from any side during the war can be trusted? After all, how can any participant be truly unbiased?Originally posted by Foxbat:All in all it comes down to the fact that the reader is reading the books of a high-ranking Nazi (of which the reader is intentionally left unaware) and are accepting the picture he paints of the war. That simply doesn't agree with the idea that it could also be detailed, accurate and unbiased history.
And even if there was nothing wrong with the books it would be more than appropriate to come down hard on the author for obscuring his background, he was a high-level nazi and people should at least be aware what he was and did when they are exposed to his works.
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Yes, but on the other hand, the reader can be quickly put to sleep by Professor Erickson droning on for well over a thousand pages with such lines as: "Towards the middle of February, as Govorov struck out for Narva and Pskove, the Stavka proposed to use 2nd Baltic Front in Operations aimed at Ostrov, with Popov's left flank -- two armies, a minimum of twenty divisions -- committed in the direction of Rezekne."Originally posted by Foxbat:Very readable especially for a work by Glantz
focuses on the operational and theatre level, which may seem boring to some but at least it avoids the anecdotal/tactical stuff that fills many a page in other works*.* Anecdotes are fine with me, but they generally digress into the kind "and the valiant tank commander Hans Klumoenstrumpfer [Ivan Unprounouncablelastenameov] rode into battle peering the horizon for Jabos [Stukas] when he suddenly heard a crack in a bush 800 meters away. "Ambush!" he shouted ... That may be fine for some, but to me it just obscures what really happened when Hans was so bravely kicking russian's ass during the Korsun relief attempt.
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Foxbat posts: "Other than that it is full of holes and "anecdotal"hyperbole that is allegedly based on his experiences (uh-huh based on Signal
propaganda articles more like), it gives a horribly distorted picture of the germans fighting gallantly and against the odds (overwheleming numbers of russkies everywhere)."
I've read Carell's "Hitler Moves East", "Scorched Earth", "Stalingrad",
"Foxes of the Desert", and "Invasion: They're Coming." None of those books purport to be based on Carell's personal experiences. Instead, he describes overall campaigns. Some Germans no doubt fought gallantly (just as some
fought less-than-gallantly) and they no doubt fought "against the odds". I've never gotten the impression that Carell's descriptions were "horribly distorted"...
Foxbat: "He promotes the ideas of Stalingrad as a valiant sacrifice for the greater good (a blatant lie made up by the nazi propaganda machine to whitewash the disaster)"
Military historians have debated, continue to debate, and will continue to debate whether Army Group South benefited by the 6th Army remaining in place AFTER it was surrounded. But I have never read ANYONE, including Carell,who attempted to "whitewash the disaster" that occurred at Stalingrad...
Foxbat: "Barbarossa as a preventative war the poor germans had to attack before uncle Joe would steamroller them, the Wehrmacht as a clean-hands organisation supposedly all crimes were committed by nasty einsatzcommandas
not by the gallant knights of germany, the german warmachine as infallible only the interference of a meddling Hitler prevented the 0bersoldiers of the Wehrmacht from victory.. I could go on and on."
There is a fairly recent book, "Stalin's War of Extermination" by Joachim Hoffmann (available from Amazon) which discusses in detail whether
Barbarossa was a preventative war (and concludes that it was). This issue is not the focus of Carell in "Hitler Moves East" or "Scorched Earth". Again, these books deal with the military campaign itself. They do not
deal with the political causes of the war nor do they deal with the issue of war crimes (either German or Soviet). None of Carell's books that I have read claim the German military was "infallible"...
While Carell's books are certainly not beyond criticism (just as books by Ambrose or Shirer are not beyond criticism), I believe many peoples' views of him are clouded by his background. His books should be taken for what
they are - detailed descriptions of military campaigns.
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I don't know what criteria you use to consider someone a "high-ranking nazi" or a "member of the nazi-propaganda machine" but I think any rational criteria for those designations would most certainly exclude Paul Carell...Originally posted by Foxbat:I get to be the first to mertion that Paul "Carrell" was actually a high-ranking nazi and a member of the nazi-propaganda machine? Wow, that's like getting the first post ..only better.
Let's just say that his observations on the war as seen from the russian side are questionable to say the least...
I find it quite interesting that those who wish to criticize Carell always point to his BACKGROUND. They never seem able to find anything specifically incorrect in his writings. As for his "observations on the war as seen from the Russian side", his books are intended to be from the GERMAN point of view. If you're looking for the Russian point of view, you should read someone else...
I've read all of Carell's books and highly recommend them for anyone interested in the German miliary in World War II.
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Degrelle's is the best Eastern Front book I have ever read. His description of Tscherkassy is particularly good...Originally posted by JaegerMeister:I've just re-read 'Campaign in Russia - Waffen SS on the Eastern Front' by Leon Degrelle, about the Belgian volunteer assault brigade and his personal experience leading them, which i thorougly recommend.
The next on my list is "Like a Cliff in the Ocean", a history of the 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf", translated into English and recently published by Fedorowicz Publishing.
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I haven't tried any of the larger battles yet, but isn't there a computer performance issue with some of them? I have a P4 2.0 Ghz with 256mb of RAM. Should that be sufficient to play the larger battles?
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Just got CMBB and it APPEARS (knock on wood) that my disk installed properly. (I made sure to disable Norton Anti-Virus before doing the install)...
From physically looking at my disk, there appears to be no visible flaws...
My guess is that there are a batch of defective disks floating around.
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It's a tough call. My wife has her opinion and I have mine.
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I don't have a big problem with the computer in CMBB taking more time to "think" than it did in CMBO. (I have a P4 2.0 ghz with 256meg of ram and I've noticed that the "thinking" time is definitely longer with CMBB). I would much rather it be that than reduced or clunky graphics.
CB Blackard
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Can someone recommend some good, custom-made scenarios (or operations) which are playable as the Germans against the AI (perferably historical and preferably involving armor)?
Thanks.
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My problem appears to be fixed (knock on wood)...
I tried decreasing the acceleration of my video card (it was on the second to highest notch) and that didn't work. Then I tried INcreasing it to the max. That seems to have worked. The mouse now seems to work fine in the selection screen...
So apparently the problem was video card related, not mouse...
Thanks for the help.
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Thanks for the suggestions. I have a GeForce2 nVidia card with 64 megs of video RAM. Is there a suggested setting for acceleration or other things? I notice that the mouse cursor flickers a lot during gameplay but otherwise the graphics are great and the game plays fine (once I am past the selection screen).Originally posted by Schrullenhaft:It just sounds strange since it isn't a common problem to my knowledge. The 2D screens should be fairly innocuous graphics-wise, so it's strange that the mouse cursor disappears and reappears after minimizing the screen. It's likely that this is related to your video drivers possibly more than the particular mouse drivers that you're using (or a combination of the two).
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I'm running Windows XP...Originally posted by Schrullenhaft:Alt-Tab (the standard Windows task switching keystrokes) will minimize CM. ESC is temporarily disabled and to re-enable it you need to press Alt-Shift-Esc (?) and the next time you press Esc it will minimize CMBB.
Which Windows version are you running ? Under the Mouse control panel > Pointers tab you'll want None or Windows Standard/Default for a scheme. If you use any 'animated' cursors/pointers, it could cause graphical problems in CM (most commonly corruption near the pointer). In your case with the pointer disappearing completely I'm not sure what to recommend.
I don't know if the Intellipoint drivers cause a problem or not with CM. Usually they enable the scroll button in apps that don't specifically support it and allow for other customizations. It's possible that there may be some setting with Intellipoint that is causing a problem, but I wouldn't know which one.
I've tried setting the scheme to "none" and I have tried disabling the scroll button. Neither fix the problem. Again, it's only an issue in the selection screen (and, occasionally, in the editor of CMBO) -- the mouse moves slow or not at all and eventually disappears. It is not a problem during gameplay -- and the problem fixes itself in the selection screens if I minimize and return. So it's only an annoyance and doesn't prevent me from playing the game.
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For both CMBB (demo) and CMBO, I have mouse problems in the opening screen (also in the editor of CMBO). For CMBO, I have to push ESC, which then minimizes the game; when I return to the game, the mouse works fine...
For the CMBB demo, ESC does not work; I have to push ctrl-alt-del to minimize the game and when I return to it, the mouse works fine...
I realize that the readme file says I should use a "standard Windows cursor" but exactly what is that? I'm using Microsoft Intellipoint 4.1 (after having the same issue with 4.0) with the "normal" pointer. Is there something more "standard" than that?
Books on the Eastern Front
in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)
Posted