The Memoirs of Field Marshal Keitel
Edited by David Irving | Hardcover edition
Historical Significance
Wilhelm Keitel served as Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces (OKW) from 1938 until 1945, present at virtually every major military conference of the war. He wrote these memoirs in his Nuremberg cell before his execution, providing a first-hand account of the German supreme command from within.
Scope and Content
The memoirs document Keitel’s perspective on the major strategic decisions of the war—the campaigns against Poland, France, the Soviet Union, and the final defence of Germany. Written with access to no documents and facing death, Keitel recorded his recollections of conferences with Hitler and other military leaders.
Editorial Contribution
David Irving edited and annotated the memoirs, providing historical context and documentary verification where records survive. The editorial apparatus identifies discrepancies between Keitel’s recollections and contemporary documentation.
For Researchers and Collectors
Essential primary source for Wehrmacht command studies, Nuremberg trial research, and scholars examining German strategic decision-making. The annotated format supports critical academic use.
Edition Details
Hardcover binding with archival-quality paper stock. Editorial notes and documentary appendices. Built for institutional and private collection use.
About This Edition
Limited modern collector printing from Focal Point Publications. Scholarly editorial apparatus preserved.
Related Works from Irving Books
- Hitler’s War — Strategic context
- Nuremberg: The Last Battle — The trial proceedings
- Göring — Fellow defendant biography
Lee –
I meant to give this five stars, but accidentally clicked four. It is a great book. Highly recommended.
Stig-Ove Madetoja –
Read this one a while back. Interesting to see how it worked from the eyes of a man who worked closely to Hitler through the war. Essentially he was a career military man that authorized some bad orders that led to his execution at Nuremberg trials.
Recommennded read!
adam knight –
I finished Hitler’s War, and it was a captivating read. This book is not like that. Its really not due to Mr. Irving, but more due to the way Kietel writes. So if you have read Hitler’s War or Churchill’s war and you are expecting a captivating narrative like those books, this book is not written that way.
Also, there are many things omitted by the editor, which is explained within the first couple of pages of this book. From the footnotes, it doesn’t seem like anything relevant was left out that would distract from the main purpose of this book.