uted ▁a ▁tra ged y , ▁not ▁just ▁for ▁Germ ans , ▁but ▁for ▁Western ▁civil ization . ▁ ▁The ▁M yth ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Front ▁de construct s ▁this ▁myth ▁and ▁introdu ces ▁several ▁them es , ▁which ▁in ▁the ▁authors ' ▁opinion ▁are ▁important ▁to ▁the ▁understanding ▁of ▁the ▁orig ins , ▁lon ge vity , ▁and ▁the ▁impact ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Front ▁myth ology . ▁The ▁work ▁discuss es ▁how ▁state ▁propag anda ▁sh aped ▁popular ▁per ception s ▁during ▁World ▁War   II , ▁then ▁proceed s ▁to ▁the ▁in ad vert ent ▁role ▁that ▁the ▁US ▁Army ▁Historical ▁Division ▁played ▁in ▁providing ▁the ▁German ▁military ▁command ers ▁with ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁put ▁down ▁their ▁re collections ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet – G erman ▁conflict . ▁The ▁authors ▁also ▁address ▁the ▁par alle ls ▁between ▁the ▁Lost ▁C ause ▁of ▁the ▁Confeder acy ▁in ▁the ▁post - American ▁Civil ▁War ▁era ▁and ▁the ▁myth ▁of ▁the ▁clean ▁We hr macht . ▁In ▁its ▁later ▁chap ters , ▁the ▁book ▁focus es ▁on ▁the ▁rom antic ization ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁war ▁effort ▁in ▁contemporary ▁popular ▁culture , ▁especially ▁with ▁regards ▁to ▁the ▁" el ite " ▁units ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁W affen - SS . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁Lawrence ▁Fre ed man ▁in ▁Foreign ▁Affairs ▁magazine ▁called ▁the ▁book ▁a ▁" f asc in ating ▁exercise ▁in ▁histor i ography ", ▁highlight ing ▁its ▁analysis ▁of ▁how ▁" a ▁number ▁of ▁Hitler ' s ▁leading ▁gener als ▁were ▁given ▁an ▁opportunity