From a leading expert, a definitive biography of the fearsome and controversial German SS tank commander of “Hitler’s Own” Panzer Division.
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. As Heinrich Himmler’s personal adjutant, 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. After the war, Peiper became the central subject in the bitterly disputed Malmédy war crimes trial. Convicted but later released, he died in a fiery gun battle by killers unknown even today. In a rich narrative supported by years of research, Hitler’s Warrior describes Peiper both on and off the battlefield, with keen insight into the morally inverted world of Hitler’s Third Reich.