The incredible true account of General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and his exploits in World War I Africa with the legendary “Schutztruppe”.
As World War I ravaged the European continent, a completely different theater of war was being contested in Africa. And from this very different kind of war, there emerged a very different kind of military leader….
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the continent of Africa was a hotbed of international trade, colonialism, and political gamesmanship. So when World War I broke out, the European powers were forced to contend with each other not just in the bloody trenches – but in the treacherous jungle. And it was in that unforgiving land that General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck would make history.
With the now legendary “Schutztruppe” (Defensive Force), von Lettow-Vorbeck and a small cadre of hardened German officers fought alongside their fanatically devoted native African allies as equals, creating the first truly integrated army of the modern age.
African Kaiser is the almost-forgotten true account of Wiemar Germany’s military escapades on the dark continent. A story of 1,000-mile marches through the harshest landscapes; of German officers riding bicycles into battle through the bush; of battleships hidden in jungle rivers teeming with crocodiles; of improbable Zeppelin voyages; of desperate men living off hippo lard and facing dangers in both man and nature. But mostly it is the story of von Lettow-Vorbeck – the only undefeated German commmander in the field during World War I, and the last to surrender his arms in final defeat.
Amazing book filled with adventure Amazing book filled with adventure. You come out thinking how such men existed in such a hard time in history. You’ll also wonder why we let people like lettow just fade into the background of history
but he drew some pretty famous names into his wake of his story Gaudi has found a forgotten war within a war we are forgetting—and brought it vividly to life. In this bizarro campaign of the First World War you find yourself rooting for the racially tolerant and adaptive Germans against the racist and hierarchical Brits. In what one might consider one of the most backward campaigns Gaudi identifies a number of “firsts”: first intercontinental flight (by zeppelin!), first bombardment by air of a naval vessel. I hadn’t heard of von…
Great read! Great book on WWI in a theater that most people are unfamiliar with. This book gives a good background on both Lettow-Vorbeck & history of Germany’s entry into the colonial scramble. The only issue I had with the book was the author’s writing style. It’s kind of hard to explain, but I prefera straight up scholarly approach to historical subjects. This guy writes more like a sports reporter. Still a great read.