World War II Database

Full Title: Skorzeny's Special Missions: The Memoirs of Hitler's Most Daring Commando

Otto Skorzeny was neither a particularly skillful soldier nor an inspiring leader, but his daring made him among the most well-known commandos in WW2. The mission to rescue Benito Mussolini gained him a place in the history of special forces, but it was more so his association with the Nazi SS organization that really put him in the spotlight. While Skorzeny's Special Missions, Skorzeny's memoir originally published in German in 1957, only gave one side of the story, it did shed light into the mind of Skorzeny, allowing readers a glimpse into how he planned and executed the special operations that he was tasked to lead. The book covered his life from birth until his escape from Allied imprisonment on 28 Jul 1948, with the vast majority devoted to the narratives of his involvement in his Sep 1943 rescue of Benito Mussolini, the Oct 1944 kidnapping of Miklós Horthy, Jr., and the Dec 1944 paratrooper operation during the Ardennes Offensive. Many parts of the book appeared to be self-serving while there were also mis-stated facts, but his impressions of and recollections of conversations with famous figures such as Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Wilhelm Canaris, and Hannah Reitsch provided great insight. He also described what he considered to be successful policies and regrettable mistakes in regards to the German conduct of the war. I was disappointed that, because of the date that this memoir was written, it did not include his later life in Spain, but it was still a most interesting read. I would recommend this book, but with caution, as his presentation of events was often biased, thus Skorzeny's Special Missions would best be read together with actual histories of the missions that he had undertaken.

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