“Stout does a commendable job of piecing together the story of the Luftwaffe Field Divisions, combining mastery of the secondary literature with an impressive collection of primary documents from multiple archives. The author weaves together directives, after action reports, and war diaries from both Army and Luftwaffe collections to provide what is probably the best account of how these formations actually fared in combat.”—Dr. Richard R. Muller, Professor of Military History, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies “In Goering’s Ground Troops, Stout writes an excellent analysis of the Luftwaffe infantry divisions origins, organization, and efforts in World War II. Based in excellent primary research, he fills a needed void in the history of Goering’s and the Luftwaffe’s efforts to bolster ground infantry for combat after the infantry crisis of 1942. This history of the twenty-two Luftwaffe Field Divisions is the comprehensive analysis of the divisions created to support the German war on every front. While their record was mixed, this is the definitive analysis of the German efforts in the attempt to survive the war against the better organized and equipped armies they faced. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the mis-management of the German war machine.” – Dr. S. Mike Pavelec, airpower historian, author of Airpower Over Gallipoli and The Jet Race and the Second World War"Michael J. Stout provides a clear and meticulously documented analysis of how institutional rivalry, strategic desperation, and flawed force design shaped the fate of these ill-prepared formations. The result is a study that sheds new light on one of the most revealing personnel experiments of the Second World War and the institutional dynamics that shaped Germany’s wartime military decisions."— DODReads
