Germany's opening run of victory in World War II was only made possible by the panzer forces of Heinz Guderian (1888-1954), the father of modern tank warfare. Guderian's efforts virtually decided the Battle of France, and he had initial success against Russian forces. In 1941, Guderian was dismissed by an increasingly paranoid Hitler, and he was recalled to service only when all had become hopeless. Guderian's 1952 memoir is a candid account of the development and campaigns of the panzer forces that, along with the Luftwaffe, stood at the heart of blitzkrieg; it is also a group portrait of the Third Reich's leading personalities as they turned early triumphs into a protracted, agonizing defeat.