The Panzer Killers

The Untold Story of a Fighting General and His Spearhead Tank Division's Charge into the Third Reich

By: Daniel P. Bolger

Narrated by: Stephen Mendel

A general-turned-historian reveals the remarkable battlefield heroics of Major General Maurice Rose, the World War II tank commander whose 3rd Armored Division struck fear into the hearts of Hitler's panzer crews.

“The Panzer Killers is a great book, vividly written and shrewdly observed.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Two months after D-Day, the Allies found themselves in a stalemate in Normandy, having suffered enormous casualties attempting to push through hedgerow country. Troops were spent, and American tankers, lacking the tactics and leadership to deal with the terrain, were losing their spirit. General George Patton and the other top US commanders needed an officer who knew how to break the impasse and roll over the Germans - they needed one man with the grit and the vision to take the war all the way to the Rhine. Patton and his peers selected Maurice Rose.

The son of a rabbi, Rose never discussed his Jewish heritage. But his ferocity on the battlefield reflected an inner flame. He led his 3rd Armored Division not from a command post but from the first vehicle in formation, charging headfirst into a fight. He devised innovative tactics, made the most of American weapons, and personally chose the cadre of young officers who drove his division forward. From Normandy to the West Wall, from the Battle of the Bulge to the final charge across Germany, Maurice Rose's deadly division of tanks blasted through enemy lines and pursued the enemy with a remarkable intensity.

In The Panzer Killers, Daniel P. Bolger, a retired lieutenant general and Iraq War veteran, offers up a lively, dramatic tale of Rose's heroism. Along the way, Bolger infuses the narrative with fascinating insights that could only come from an author who has commanded tank forces in combat. The result is a unique and masterful story of battlefield leadership, destined to become a classic.

©2020 Daniel P. Bolger (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Gen. Rose’s story is now wonderfully told by Daniel Bolger, himself a three-star general who in retirement has become a masterly historian.... The Panzer Killers is a great book, vividly written and shrewdly observed.” (The Wall Street Journal)

“Hitting like a Sherman cannon, Daniel Bolger’s The Panzer Killers drives the reader through a curtain of steel, shells, concrete, and flesh and into the heart of Germany’s Third Reich. What unfolds is a captivating story of an unsung Jewish rabbi’s son who led America’s deadliest tank division across a river of blood to the cusp of victory.” (Jonathan W. Jordan, national best-selling author of Brothers Rivals Victors)

“Major General Maurice Rose finally gets his due in The Panzer Killers. Written with insight only a general turned historian could have, Daniel Bolger brings to life World War II's best tank commander in a riveting account of armored combat.” (Kevin Maurer, number one New York Times best-selling coauthor of No Easy Day and author of Rock Force: The American Paratroopers Who Took Back Corregidor and Exacted MacArthur's Revenge on Japan)

An unknown American 2-star armored commander.

American hero receives his story justly told as is his due. The greatest generation indeed

Just outstanding

As a former member of the 3D AD in Germany in the 80s I found this work riveting

Much better than expected

I thought this might be an interesting book. Level of detail in the story birdseed it works best. If you like history and war history, this is a text book.

History I don’t know

Well written and I loved the narrative style and how it very slowly unfolded the importance of Maurice Rose and his contributions to fighting the Germans.

A Generals Perspective

Although the book contains a few war stories, and has a few dry stretches, it gives an interesting high level command perspective of the European campaign.

Historically Accurate Masterpiece

Bolger’s research and attention to detail is unsurpassed and Mendel’s delivery paints a realistic picture of the 3rd Army’s advance across Europe during WWII.
Anyone with an interest in WWII history will appreciate this recount of the bravery and sacrifice our ancestors had in the face of a fanatical enemy.

A good effort

The blurbs got me intetrsted in Rose.
The book is far too long as it is mostly action history.

Too little is about Rose and much is speculation.

There does not seem to be enough on Rose for a book at least this one.

Inspiring historical review

This book is for anyone who has a marathon situation in their lives. General Rose has written a Self-help book....historical lessons, life habits, passion and never quit! Find a way!

Outstanding story

The further you go, the better it gets, right up to the end. Rose was, in my opinion, what a general should be. He was nothing like the generals we have today who are never held accountable for anything.

good overview

good overview of the generalized tactics and engagements of Spearhead. those looking for a more personal account of the action might want to look into another title.