My Reminiscences of East Africa

This is the memoir of the commander who waged one of World War I's most remarkable campaigns. Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck led German forces in East Africa against overwhelming British odds for four years, never suffering a major defeat. Written in 1920, this book offers an unparalleled view from the German side of a conflict often overlooked in Western histories. From his arrival in Dar-es-Salaam in January 1914 through the war's end, Lettow-Vorbeck recounts battles, forced marches, and the strategic chess game that kept a small colonial force in the field against vastly superior resources. He gives substantial credit to the Askari soldiers, local African troops whose loyalty and endurance made the campaign possible. The book captures both the high command's strategic calculations and the gritty realities of bush warfare. For military history enthusiasts, this memoir provides essential perspective on a theater that shaped the war's trajectory in ways few outside Africa fully appreciated.