This is the one-volume text history of the division that was written by Karl Ullrich, a Knight's Cross recipient and commander in the division. The text is about 50% standard unit history and 50% first-person accounts. Although there are several English-language accounts of the division, this is the first one available from the perspective of the division itself. The book covers the formation of the division in 1939 and its subsequent operations during the war. With the exception of the French Campaign in 1940, the division fought entirely on the Eastern Front and earned a reputation as one of the most capable divisions of the entire Eastern Army, especially on the defense.