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Hitler's Warrior
The Life and Wars of SS Colonel Jochen Peiper
Description
Handsome, intelligent, impetuous, and dedicated to the Nazi cause, SS Colonel Jochen Peiper (1915–1976) 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 Himmler'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 Hitler'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 Malmédy 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 The rich narrative is supported by years of research that has uncovered previously unpublished archival material and is enhanced with information drawn from extensive interviews with Peiper’s contemporaries, including German veterans.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.
After the war, Peiper became the central subject in the bitterly disputed Malmédy 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 The rich narrative is supported by years of research that has uncovered previously unpublished archival material and is enhanced with information drawn from extensive interviews with Peiper’s contemporaries, including German veterans.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.
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Praise
Praise for Hitler's Warrior
Alex Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Bedford Boys and The Liberator
"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."
Annie Jacobsen, New York Times bestselling author of Area 51 and Operation Paperclip
"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."
Richard Breitman, American University and coauthor of FDR and the Jews
"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."
Independent, 1/13/15
“Gripping.”
Alex Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Bedford Boys and The Liberator
"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."
Annie Jacobsen, New York Times bestselling author of Area 51 and Operation Paperclip
"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."
Richard Breitman, American University and coauthor of FDR and the Jews
"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."
Independent, 1/13/15
“Gripping.”