Available from Cornell University Press
My book, The Virtuous Wehrmacht, examines how German soldiers on the Eastern Front during WWII rationalized their participation in what historians have described as a “war of extermination.” Centered on over 2,000 letters written by 30 soldiers, it provides insight into the roles of morality and ideology in the German war experience and offers a new explanation for the origins of the “clean Wehrmacht” myth.
The book can be purchased on Amazon or on Cornell’s website, and is available in both hardcover and eBook formats.
“The Virtuous Wehrmacht is one of the most important books on morality, German soldiers on the Eastern Front, and the Wehrmacht myth ever written.”
“This book is outstanding. David A. Harrisville locates the genesis of the Wehrmacht myth in the war itself, drawing on excellent primary source material to make an original and powerful contribution.”
“Insightful and at times even brilliant, Harrisville’s investigation explains how the ‘bad guys’ fashioned a narrative that transformed them into ‘good guys.’”
Mapping the Men of The Virtuous Wehrmacht
To accompany the book, I created a series of animated digital maps that track the movements of the soldiers I studied. The tool I used was ArcGIS. Click the button below to view the maps.
Interviews and Book Talks
I appeared on the Combat Morale Podcast (7/19/22)
I was interviewed by Stephen Satkiewicz for the New Books Network (3/10/22)
I took part in a virtual book launch event, chaired by Professor Chad S.A. Gibbs, with a comment by Professor Thomas Kühne. The event was sponsored by the George L. Mosse Program in History, UW-Madison Center for European Studies, UW-Madison History Department, Zucker/Goldberg Center for Holocaust Studies at the College of Charleston, and Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program at the College of Charleston (2/24/22)
I was interviewed on the UpWords podcast, sponsored by Upper House (1/12/21)
The book has been featured on the blog of Cornell University Press (12/9/21)
I was interviewed by Paul Woodadge, the host of WW2TV, on his YouTube channel (11/18/21)
The book appeared on The Page 99 Test blog (10/28/21)
Reviews of Virtuous Wehrmacht
Ben H. Shepherd, American Historical Review, 128, Issue 3 (Sept 2023)
David R. Snyder, Central European History, 56, no. 2 (June, 2023) https://doi.org/10.1017/S0008938923000341
Joachim Whaley, Journal of European Studies, 53, no. 1 (March, 2023) https://doi-org.revproxy.brown.edu/10.1177/00472441221146636e
Edward B. Westermann, German History, 40, no. 3 (September, 2022) https://doi.org/10.1093/gerhis/ghac034
Stephen G. Fritz, Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs (April, 2022) https://doi.org/10.1080/23739770.2022.2051987
Brian E. Crim, War in History, 30, no. 1 (February, 2022) https://doi-org.revproxy.brown.edu/10.1177/09683445221142270c
Andrew Santora, Strategic Visions, 22, no. 1 (December, 2022) https://tuljournals.temple.edu/index.php/strategic_visions/article/view/622
Sean McMeekin, “The Wehrmacht in their Own Words,’ Chronicles Magazine (January, 2023) https://chroniclesmagazine.org/featured/the-wehrmacht-in-their-own-words/
Johnathan Beard, StrategyPage (June, 2022) https://www.strategypage.com/bookreviews/2309#foo
Johnathan Beard, Michigan War Studies Review (December, 2021) https://www.miwsr.com/2021-103.aspx