Originally published in Germany in 1955, and in England and the United States in 1958, this classic memoir of WWII by a man who was an acknowledged military genius and probably Germany's top WWII general, is now made available again. Field Marshal Erich von Manstein described his book as a personal narrative of a soldier, discussing only those matters that had direct bearing on events in the military field. The essential thing, as he wrote, is to "know how the main personalities thought and reacted to events." This is what he tells us in this book.His account is detailed, yet dispassionate and objective. "Nothing is certain in war, when all is said and done," But in Manstein's record, at least, we can see clearly what forces were in action. In retrospect, perhaps his book takes on an even greater significance.

冯·埃里希·曼施泰因（1887—1973年）德国陆军元帅，出身于军官世家。在第二次世界大战中，曼施泰因积极参与制订和实施希特勒的侵略战争计划，先后任集团军群参谋长、集团军司令、集团军群司令。1944年3月，因在作战指导上与希特勒发生分歧被解职；1945年5月被英军俘虏；1949年12月被战胜国判处18年徒刑，1953年因病获释。战后，被联邦德国阿登纳政府聘为顾问，参与组建联邦国防军。1973年6月病逝，终年86岁。

戴耀先，中国人民解放军军事科学院研究员、大校，从业33年，一直从事德国军事研究，论著译著十余册。主要有：《论德国军事》《德意志军事思想研究》《德国总参谋部》《总体战》《第二次世界大战大事记》等。