I read the first one and enjoyed it. I heard the follow-ups weren’t as good.
I have read and enjoyed all of the followups. Some have been better than others, but all, for me, have been worth buying and reading. and I share them with my adult daughter who also enjoys the series. Another reason i find them interesting is that I spend 7 years serving in the Fulda Gap region of Germany and Thuringia was just across the border to the east of us, where we expected the 8th Guards Tank Army to attack from its home stations in Thuringia.