You want to read what, to stick with the example, WW2 Generals thought? Read their diaries, unit diaries, orders and other war diaries. The memoirs were all wri

You want to read what, to stick with the example, WW2 Generals thought? Read their diaries, unit diaries, orders and other war diaries. The memoirs were all written after WW2, and show exactly that: what those Generals wanted others to think of them. Aggravated by the perceptive of being Cold War propaganda, the former Wehrmacht generals portrayed themselves as anti-communist fighters (as opposed to Nazi-enablers, sympathizers or outright Nazis), the Western allied Generals wanted to outplay each other (especially the US and UK ones, as vividly shown between Patton and Montgomery) but they all agreed to down play the Soviets war effort (Cold War, communists and all that, hence WW2 was won on D-Day and, maybe, Stalingrad). And yes, historians aren't above criticism, but by virtue of education they are better qualified then the average layman and / or history buff. Education matters, something we tend to forget way to often in fields outside of our own expertise.