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Book SynopsisA hard-hitting history of the U.S. airborne unit who made a name for themselves in the unforgiving jungles of South Vietnam.It was easier killing than living. Third Battalion 506th Airborne veteranDrawing on interviews with veterans, many of whom have never gone on the record before, Ian Gardner follows up his epic trilogy about the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in World War II with the story of the unit''s reactivation at the height of the Vietnam War. This is the dramatic history of a band of brothers who served together in Vietnam and who against the odds lived up to the reputation of their World War II forefathers.Brigadier General Salve Matheson''s idea was to create an 800-strong battalion of airborne volunteers in the same legendary Currahee spirit that had defined the volunteers of 1942. The man he chose to lead them was John Geraci, who would mold this young brotherhood into a highly cohesive and motivated force. In December 1967, the battalion was sent intoTrade ReviewWe need books like this because they remind us that the same dedication, teamwork, optimism and courage that defined the World War II generation also defined the generation that fought the war in Vietnam. * Martin K.A. Morgan, Historian and Author *This fabulous book reveals our fears, hardships, humor, trust in each other and creation of a bond that still endures to this day. A must-read for teachers and students of combat leadership. * Joe Alexander, Platoon Leader, A Company *A riveting story of heroism, hardship, and tough combat in Vietnam that vividly brings to life the experiences of an extraordinary unit. * General David Petraeus *Ian Gardner has produced a narrative that is remarkable in keeping the reader engaged in the events through a roller coaster ride of emotions… While the prose is gritty and at times shocking, it is honest in describing the realities of combat often at close quarters in a hostile climate and landscape against a highly experienced and determined enemy. * David Rattee, Honorary Member of US Army 506th Inf. Regt. *Thoroughly researched, with a fascinating array of previously unseen photographs, this is a must-read for those interested in one unit’s Vietnam War. * Classic Military Vehicle *A useful addition to the vast library of books on the US intervention in Vietnam, it provides the reader with a down to earth perspective of one unit’s fight in a conflict. * Aspects of History *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Illustrations List of Maps Acronyms Introduction Chronology of Significant Events 1. “Salute the New Dawn”: Reactivation – Fort Campbell, Kentucky 2. “To the Limit and Beyond”: Training for Vietnam 3. “The Things We Cannot Change”: Shipping Out 4. “Only the Strong Survive”: Orientation and Deployment – October 28–November 30, 1967 5. “The Dragon’s Graveyard”: Operation Rose – November 1967 6. “Battle Troopers”: Operation Klamath Falls – December 1967 7. “Badge of Courage”: The Battle of the Knoll – January 2, 1968 8. “The Aftermath”: January 3–8, 1968 9. “Beer, Bang, and Boom Boom”: Phan Rang – January 9–16, 1968 10. “Living in the Dirt”: Landing Zone Betty and Phan Thiet 11. “We Stand Together”: January 22–February 1, 1968 12. “Blood Trail 556”: The Battle of the Van Ta House – February 2, 1968 13. “Into the Sunrise”: February 3–5, 1968 14. “Death Patrol to Disneyland”: The Battle of Phu Bon and Beyond – February 6, 1968 15. “Take it to the Bridge”: The Second Battle of Phan Thiet – February 18–23, 1968 16. “Red Sand”: The Battle of the Ca Ty River – February 19, 1968 17. “After the Storm”: The Bowl – February/March 1968 18. “Watch and Shoot”: April 1968 19. “Let the Light Shine”: Operation MR-6, April 26–May 16, 1968 20. “Return to the Graveyard”: Operation Rockne Gold, May 19–27, 1968 21. “The Bitterest Pill”: Operation Banjo Royce and Beyond – June/July 1968 22. “The Protected Will Never Know”: August–October 1968 Epilogue Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisNEW PAPERBACK EDITION ‘ Salmon’ s vivid use of recollections and dramatic quotes brings alive an unjustly forgotten conflict’ Time Out With even World War II now just on the edges of living memory, and with British forces now engaged in a lengthy, brutal and attritional old-fashioned war in Afghanistan, historical attention is starting to turn to the Korean War of the early 1950s. And remarkably, the most notorious and celebrated battle in that conflict, from a British point of view, has never previously been written about at length. Andrew Salmon’ s book, which has garnered excellent reviews and sold out two hardback printings already, has filled that gap. This is the story of the Battle of the Imjin River, when the British 29th Infantry Brigade, and above all the “ Glorious Glosters” of the Gloster Regiment, fought an epic last stand against the largest communist offensive of the war. It lasted three days, of bitter hand-to-hand combat. By the end of it one battalion of the Glosters – some 750 men – had been reduced to just 50 survivors. Andrew Salmon’ s definitive history, which gained excellent reviews in hardback and sold very steadily, is very much in the Antony Beevor mould: accessible, pacy, narrative, and painting a moving and exciting picture through the extensive use of eyewitness accounts of veterans, of whom he has tracked down and interviewed dozens. Andrew Salmon is a Seoul-based journalist who writes for The Times, The Washington Times, and Forbes magazine. He first became fascinated by the battle in 2001 when he met British veterans returning to the Imjin River to mark the 50th anniversary.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMotadel describes the Mufti’s Nazi dealings vividly, but he also excels in unearthing other odious and fascinating characters… Impeccably researched and clearly written, [his] book will transform our understanding of the Nazi policies that were, Motadel writes, some ‘of the most vigorous attempts to politicize and instrumentalize Islam in modern history.’ -- Dominic Green * Wall Street Journal *[A] comprehensive and discerning history… Refresh[es] our understanding of Nazi Germany’s involvement with the Middle East and the wider Muslim world… [Motadel] offers a portrait of continuity in the West’s strategies for mobilizing Islam in wartime or for using Islam for its geopolitical ends—a history, on the whole, of continual failure… [A] sophisticated narrative. -- Steve Coll * New York Review of Books *Islam and Nazi Germany’s War is the first book to provide an in-depth study of this complex relationship, charting its twists and turns as Hitler’s paladins sought to bring Muslims onside. It is academically impeccable, drawing on a wealth of archival resources in a multitude of languages, yet it wears its erudition lightly. In the current climate, a subject such as this might be considered controversial. Motadel, however, is never less than resolutely serious and rigorous. The whiff of sensationalism never offends the nostrils… Motadel’s book is a brilliantly original study that achieves that rare feat of combining rigor with accessibility. Most impressively, in the hugely crowded field of the second world war and Nazi Germany, it manages to explore an area of profound significance that had previously been overlooked. -- Roger Moorhouse * Financial Times *Islam and Nazi Germany’s War is a valuable ground-breaking work, energetically readable and unabashedly complicated… Through an extensive amount of research in some fairly recondite primary sources, Motadel tells the story of Nazi Germany’s interaction with its Muslim conquests and would-be conquests in greater detail and with greater skill than any English-language historian before him. He stresses the at first odd-seeming fact that when it came to dealing with Muslims, the Nazis were almost jarringly accommodating… At heart, Motadel’s revelatory book describes a mutual bafflement, and in that sense alone it’s perhaps prescient. Either way, Islam and Nazi Germany’s War is an indispensable enlargement of our understanding of the Second World War’s Eastern European theater. -- Steve Donoghue * Open Letters Monthly *Motadel’s treatment of an unsavory segment of modern Muslim history is as revealing as it is nuanced. Its strength lies not just in its erudite account of the Nazi perception of Islam but also in illustrating how the Allies used exactly the same tactics to rally Muslims against Hitler. With the specter of Isis haunting the world, it contains lessons from history we all need to learn. -- Ziauddin Sardar * The Independent *Thanks to David Motadel’s exhaustive scholarship we now have the first ‘comprehensive study of German policy towards Islam during the Second World War.’ In fact, it is even more than that, since it explores the roots of Nazi policy in Imperial Germany and the Great War and follows its tracks through the Weimar years into the Third Reich. -- David Cesarani * Literary Review *Hitler’s failed effort to put Muslim boots on the ground still stands as the most far-reaching Western attempt to use Islam to win a war. Such is the judgment of David Motadel, the author of a new, authoritative book, Islam and Nazi Germany’s War. Motadel’s detailed and fascinating explanation of how and why the Nazis failed to get Muslims on their side is a must-read for serious students of World War II, and it has an important message as well for our own policy in the Middle East. -- David Mikics * The Tablet *In offering an interesting and important account of Islam in Nazism’s war, Motadel reveals a little-known chapter in the conflict. This is a nuanced and sensitive account of a topic that is too important to ignore. -- Robert Gellately * Times Higher Education *Islam and Nazi Germany’s War by David Motadel…make[s] fascinating reading and highlight[s] the variety of ways in which the German state sought to subvert the Muslim soldiers’ professional loyalty to the Allied armies in the two wars… [Motadel] must be lauded for [his] painstaking research in producing [this] highly readable [volume] that include[s] relevant photographs as well. -- Muhammad Ali Siddiqi * Dawn *There’s one Nazi propaganda battle you don’t hear much about. Now, Motadel details Hitler’s efforts to promote himself as a backer of Islam. The Nazis saw the Muslim people as sharing common enemies, including the British Empire and Zionism. ‘The peoples of Islam will always be closer to us than, for example, France,’ Hitler said. But despite the Third Reich’s best efforts, the Islam–Nazi relationship remained tempestuous. A new look at how World War II profoundly changed the Middle East. -- Billy Heller * New York Post *Motadel’s Islam and Nazi Germany’s War is a superb analysis of little-known but important facts about World War II. -- Herman J. Obermayer * Washington Times *Islam and Nazi Germany’s War by David Motadel is an important contribution to our understanding of the relationship of Nazi Germany to the Islamic world. -- Jack Fischel * Jewish Book World *This is an important book with a different view of the world war, superbly researched, and elegantly produced. -- Arnold Krammer * Journal of Military History *The importance of Motadel’s book is manifold… A strong work, providing anyone interested in the Nazi period and the role of Islam with a wealth of information and insight. -- Dmitry Shlapentokh * New Eastern Europe *Motadel’s book provides a vast panorama of the Third Reich’s Islampolitik and clearly presents various aspects of this policy and various questions that it raises. Motadel loves details, and the book sometimes reads like historical anthropology… More generally, this book is virtually exhaustive in its approach, and would therefore be hard to surpass… Motadel uses an impressive number of sources, including diverse secondary sources and archives. -- Xavier Bougarel * Southeast European and Black Sea Studies *Islam and Nazi Germany’s War offers food for thought. -- Robert M. Citino * World War II *Motadel is thorough, balanced in his judgments, and clear in exposition of the facts. Nazi attempts to instrumentalize Islam in the Arab world, the Caucasus, and the Balkans in order to foment rebellions in the empires of their enemies (Britain, USSR, and the U.S.) were unsuccessful. The recruitment of Muslim soldiers for the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS proved more fruitful, but despite great expenditure of funds and personnel, the Germans never attained their unrealistic goals. Beginning his account with the failed attempts to mobilize Muslims in WW I, Motadel details the reasons for Nazi failures in WW II… An outstanding contribution. -- R. S. Levy * Choice *David Motadel presents a deeply researched, finely written, and fascinating account of how the Nazis understood Islam and how they sought to mobilize, manipulate, and utilize it. There is no study quite like it, and it has much to teach not only to students of German history and Islamic studies, but also to those of international relations and geopolitics more broadly. -- Michael A. Reynolds, Princeton UniversityAn original contribution to the modern history of Islam, David Motadel’s book is a powerful and timely reminder of Western colonial efforts to manipulate and mobilize jihadist rhetoric in the service of empire. -- Robert D. Crews, Stanford UniversityDavid Motadel shows that the Nazi regime pushed a crude but fairly consistent anti-Orientalist line in order to forge a Muslim alliance. This went beyond the coincidence of shared enmities against the British, the Bolsheviks and the Jews, and promised to open up a true partnership based on shared key values: obedience to the leader, belief in the family and commitment to a holy war. Mastering this complex story and showing it from radically contrasting points of view is a remarkable achievement. -- Nicholas Stargardt, University of OxfordIslam and Nazi Germany’s War will surely become one of the most important books on international history as well as global intellectual history, demonstrating the sophistication and theoretical rigor of both fields. It not only provides the most comprehensive account of Nazi Germany’s engagement with Islam but also fascinating insights into the nature of modern Europe’s complex relationship with Muslim societies. It will reorient the way we think about the geopolitics of European Orientalism and will be compulsory reading for everyone interested in debates on Islam and the ‘West.’ -- Cemil Aydin, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDavid Motadel’s book is erudite, thorough, and elegantly written. It will be the reference on its subject for a long time to come. -- Saul Friedlander, University of California, Los AngelesBased on remarkable research, David Motadel has written an outstanding book on an important topic, providing fascinating and original insights into Nazism’s attempts to win followers of Islam to support of Germany’s war. -- Sir Ian Kershaw, University of Sheffield

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An important and innovative analysis."---Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs"Its publication presents a rare occasion that forces one to re-think received wisdom about rebel groups."---Siddarth Singh, Open Magazine ​​​​​​​

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Book SynopsisAn intimate and compelling account of the most brutal infantry warfare and also a critique of the mishandling of America's departure from Indochina. This is a riveting recounting of the prism through which a Vietnam veteran views the war as he continues to live with the aftereffects of life-altering experiences in the service of his country.Trade ReviewHaving myself spent two months on the ground in An Loc during the Easter Offensive, Mike McDermott’s personal and heartfelt narrative brought back the searing experience of that battle in vivid and moving detail. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough." - James H. Willbanks, Vietnam veteran and author of The Battle of An Loc, Abandoning Vietnam: How America Left and South Vietnam Lost Its War and The Tet Offensive: A Concise History"I found it more interesting and more informative than most Vietnam memoirs. Partly, this is because it deals with a period of the war about which not much has been written. Partly, it is because McDermott thinks and writes clearly, and deals with significant issues. He describes the nature of the fighting at An Loc—the forces and weapons, how they were used or misused, and what impact they had—with great clarity." - Edwin E. MoÏse, author of The A to Z of the Vietnam War and Modern China: A History

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Book SynopsisThis book looks at WWII from a largely British perspective, based upon approximately 350 photographs from the archives of Mirrorpix. It takes a look at the legacies of the war, including the establishment of the United Nations and the European Union. The Second World War was the deadliest conflict in human history. The Second World War broke out in Europe in 1939 and spread rapidly around the globe, involving most of the world's nations and all of the great powers. The most widespread war in history, the Second World War involved more than 100 million people who served in military units. Moreover, the major participants adopted a state of 'total war' whereby the nation's entire economic, industrial and scientific capabilities were dedicated to the war effort, removing the distinction between military and civilian resources. It was the deadliest conflict in human history. Legacies of the war include the establishment of the United Nations and the European Union to encourage international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. This book looks at the Second World War from a largely British perspective, based on approximately 350 photographs from the archives of "Mirrorpix".

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Book SynopsisEndlich befreit. Die Erleichterung in Dänemark im Frühjahr 1945 war groß. Allerdings war dies keine große Hilfe für die über 200.000 deutschen Flüchtlinge, die in den letzten Kriegsmonaten auf der Flucht vor der Roten Armee ins Land kamen. Der Zufall wollte, dass die in Dänemark gestrandeten Flüchtlinge von der Gnade ihrer dänischen Gastgeber abhingen. Die Deutschen träumten von einem neuen Leben, doch Dänemark war soeben erst von einer verhassten Besatzungsmacht befreit worden. Deswegen waren die Flüchtlinge nicht sonderlich populär – sie trafen auf Ablehnung bei den Dänen und bei den Behörden bis die letzten deutschen Flüchtlinge im Februar 1949 ausreisen konnten. Sie dokumentierten ihre Schicksale in Briefen und Tagebüchern, die in einer globalen Welt mit großen Flüchtlingsströmen eine zeitlose, aktuelle Geschichte erzählen.Treten Sie mit John V. Jensen, Kurator beim Museumsverbund Varde, hinter den Stacheldraht und tauchen Sie ein in eine Geschichte von Unglück, Leid und einem kleinen Hoffnungsschimmer.

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Book SynopsisDetermined to do his bit Des Evans absconded from a reserved occupation and joined the newly formed Reconnaissance Corps. He saw action in North Africa and Italy before being evacuated back to England with pneumonia in early 1944. Fully recovered he volunteered as a wireless operator with 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron and after parachute training joined C Troop before the ill-fated but glorious attempt to seize the Rhine Bridge at Arnhem.Des vividly describes the intense action that followed the drop. Ambushed twice and badly wounded he was made a POW and eventually succeeded in escaping.Fresh first-hand accounts of the bitter fighting at Arnhem are rare indeed and this one is brutally honest, at times shockingly so.Des Evans was born in Liverpool in 1923. Despite being in a Reserve Occupation he finally succeeded in joining the Army. This book covers his wartime service in North Africa, Italy and at Arnhem. Post war he served in Italy, Palestine, Germany and the Suez Canal Zone

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Book Synopsis_ The author is a sympathetic narrator and he has told his story with genuine verve and style [His] South Tyrolean origins, and his role in the Brandenburg Division make the book very distinctive._' Roger Moorhouse. The Brandenburgers were Hitler's Special Forces, a band of mainly foreign German nationals who used disguise and fluency in other languages to complete daring missions into enemy territory. Overshadowed by stories of their Allied equivalents, their history has largely been ignored, making this memoir all the more extraordinary. First published in German in 1984, de Giampietro's highly-personal and eloquent memoir is a vivid account of his experiences. In astonishing detail, he delves into the reality of life in the unit from everyday concerns and politics to training and involvement in Brandenburg missions. He details the often foolhardy missions undertaken under the command of Theodor von Hippel including the June 1941 seizure of the Duna bridges in Dunaburg and the attempted capture of the bridge at Bataisk where half of his unit were killed. Translated into English for the first time, this is a unique insight into a fascinating slice of German wartime history, both as an account of the Brandenburgers and within the very particular context of the author's South Tyrolean origins. Given the very perilous nature of their missions very few of these specially-trained soldiers survived the Second World War and much knowledge of the unit has been lost forever. Widely regarded as the predecessor of today's special forces units, this fascinating account brings to life the Brandenburger Division and its part in history in vivid and compelling detail.

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Book SynopsisArgues that Hitler's rise to power was financed and supported by the US and Britain to prevent Germany allying with Russia.Trade Review'The most important book on modern European history since George Lichtheim's Europe in the Twentieth Century' -- Professor David MacGregor, University of Western OntarioTable of ContentsList of Figures A Chronology of Germany’s Undoing, 1900-1945 Preface 1. Introductory: The Eurasian Embrace. Laying Siege to Germany with World War One, 1900-1918. 2. The Veblenian Prophecy: From the Councils to Versailles by Way of Russian Fratricide, 1919-1920. 3. The Meltdown & the Geopolitical Correctness of Mein Kampf: Between the Kapp and the Beerhall Putsch, 1920-1923 4. ‘Death on the Installment Plan’, Whereby Governor Norman Came to Pace the Damnation of Europe, 1924-1933 5. The Reich on the Marble Cliffs. Fire, Legerdemain and Mummery all the Way to Barbarossa, 1933-1941 6. Conclusions Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe battle to keep the nation fed during the Second World War was waged by an army of workers on the land and the resourcefulness of the housewives on the Kitchen Front. The rationing of food, clothing and other substances played a big part in making sure that everyone had a fair share of whatever was available.In this fascinating book, Katherine Knight looks at how experiences of rationing varied between rich and poor, town and country, and how ingenuous cooks often made a meal from poor ingredients. Charting the developments of the rationing programme throughout the war and afterwards, Spuds, Spam and Eating for Victory documents the use of substitutions for luxury ingredients not available, resulting in delicacies such as carrot jam and oatmeal sausages. The introduction of Spam in America in the forties led to this canned spiced pork and ham becoming an iconic symbol of the worse period of shortage in the twentieth century.Seventy years after the outbreak of the Second World War, this book listens to some of the people who were young during the conflict share their memories, both sad and funny, of what it was like to eat for Victory.

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Book SynopsisThe first English-language book to examine the crucial part air power played in the Soviet-Afghan War.The Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan was fought as much in the air as on the ground. From the high-level bombing raids that blasted rebel-held mountain valleys, to the Mi-24 helicopter gunships and Su-25 jets that accompanied every substantial army operation, Soviet control of the air was a crucial battlefield asset. Vital to every aspect of its operations, Mi-8 helicopters ferried supplies to remote mountain-top observation points and took the bodies of fallen soldiers on their last journey home in An12 Black Tulips'. But this was not a wholly one-sided conflict. Even before the Afghan rebels began to acquire man-portable surface-to-air missiles such as the controversial US Stinger,' they aggressively and imaginatively adapted. They learnt new techniques of camouflage and deception, set up ambushes against low-level attacks, and even launched daring raids on airbases to dTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION Flying in an Afghan summer CHRONOLOGY ATTACKER'S CAPABILITIES The Soviet Air Force in Afghanistan Close air support Bombing Airlift Supporting the war The DRA Air Force DEFENDER'S CAPABILITIES Countering Soviet air power Deception, evasion and camouflage Anti-aircraft artillery MANPADS Mines and ambushes Raids CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES A decade in Afghanistan 1. Invasion, 1979–80 2. Reluctant escalation, 1980–84 3. Chernenko’s war, 1984–86 4. The ‘bleeding wound’, 1986–88 5. Withdrawal, 1988–89 THE CAMPAIGN Jets and helicopters fight a guerrilla war 1. Invasion, 1979–80 2. Reluctant escalation, 1980–84 Operation Rhombus and the Yak-38 3. Chernenko’s war, 1984–86 Operation Trap: The end of ‘Chernenko’s war’ 4. The ‘bleeding wound’, 1986–88 The Stinger Operation Highway, 1987–88 5.Withdrawal, 1988–89 Operation Air-Bridge, January–February 1989 AFTERMATH AND ANALYSIS FURTHER READING GLOSSARY INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe beginning of the twentieth century saw human civilization at its most enlightened, well-educated, globalized and wealthy. What turned it into a bloodbath?Niall Ferguson re-tells the story of history''s most savage century as a continual war that raged for 100 years. From the plains of Poland to the killing fields of Cambodia, he reveals how economic boom-and-bust, decaying empires and, above all, poisonous ideas of race led men to treat each other as aliens. It was an age of hatred that ended with the twilight, not the triumph, of the West. And, he shows, it could happen all over again.''A heartbreaking, serious and thoughtful survey of human evil that is utterly fascinating and dramatic'' Simon Sebag Montefiore, The New York Times''Unputdownable, controversial, compelling'' Independent on Sunday''The grenade lobbed into the cosy tea party of received wisdom'' Max Hastings''A big, bold and brilliantly belligerentTrade ReviewA heartbreaking, serious and thoughtful survey of human evil that is utterly fascinating and dramatic -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * The New York Times *Unputdownable, controversial, compelling * Independent on Sunday *The grenade lobbed into the cosy tea party of received wisdom -- Max HastingsA big, bold and brilliantly belligerent book * Sunday Telegraph *History at its most controversial ... no one can afford to overlook it -- Allan MallinsonHums with energy, quotable insights and pithy summaries * Observer *Gripping -- Tristram Hunt

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Book SynopsisDocuments the deployment of the US Marine Corps to Vietnam from 1965 to 1975.

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Book SynopsisErnst Jünger, one of twentieth-century Germany’s most important and controversial writers, faithfully kept a journal during the Second World War in occupied Paris, on the eastern front, and in Germany until its defeat—writings that are of major historical and literary significance. These wartime journals appear here in English for the first time.Trade ReviewErnst Jünger’s record of German-occupied Paris and the battlefields of the Caucasus is a treasure trove for readers interested in the history of the Second World War. Even more, though, it is a literary accomplishment of the first order, a document of European modernism, in which this master stylist leaves traces of the violence of the age between the lines of his crystalline prose. -- Russell A. Berman, Walter A. Haas Professor in the Humanities, Stanford University, and senior fellow, Hoover InstitutionThese diaries are not only a remarkable document of the time, but bring us close to a strange but highly original person, always capable of a fresh response to the natural world, the atmosphere of Paris, and the hideous events that force themselves on his knowledge. Many of Jünger’s texts have an inhuman chill; these diaries reveal his humanity. -- Ritchie Robertson * Times Literary Supplement *For English-speaking readers who do not know his work, A German Officer in Occupied Paris shows the many sides of this complex, elusive writer. -- Edmund Fawcett * Financial Times *Through these journals, we see Jünger consorting with resistors and collaborators, intellectuals and artists, drinking champagne, dining in sumptuous restaurants, and accompanying other officers to nightclubs, where naked women perform. Wandering around the city, he combs through antiquarian bookshops, stops in at galleries, discusses literature with friends, and acutely observes plants and flowers change with the seasons. He recounts in detail his dreams, nightmares, and musings on war. . . . A unique historical testimony. * Kirkus Reviews *Once read, these [journals] are never forgotten. They are surely the strangest literary production to come out of the Second World War, stranger by far than anything by Céline or Malaparte. Jünger reduces his war to a sequence of hallucinatory prose poems in which things appear to breathe and people perform like automata or, at best, like insects. -- Bruce Chatwin, New York Review of Books (review of French edition)Politically ambiguous and polymathic, Jünger led a remarkable and long life (he died at the age of 102 in 1998) as a soldier, writer and philosopher. "I suffer from a hyperacute sense of observation," he said, not as a boast, but by way of admitting to a weakness. The foibles of the Nazis, the deathwatch beetles he collected, the facial tics of liars, the flick of a Parisian woman's hair as she bought a hat, the physical contortions of an executed deserter: all these came under the magnifying glass in his war journals, kept from 1941-45. Their publication in English, fluently translated, is a remarkable moment, presenting a model of how to navigate an age of extremism. -- Roger Boyes * The Times of London *Expertly translated into English by Thomas and Abby Hansen . . . with an excellent biographical-critical foreword by Elliot Y. Neaman. -- Michael Dirda * The Washington Post *[Jünger's] writings and insights have long earned him sage status in Germany. This, the first publication in English of his diaries from 1941–45, heightens his complexity but also makes him a more rounded figure. -- Alex Colville * The Spectator *A German Officer in Occupied Paris is a remarkable slice of World War II, and makes for fascinating reading. -- M.A. Orthofer * The Complete Review *Jünger is an eloquent and informative witness to artistic life in occupied France, deportations, the burgeoning French Resistance and the conspirators against Hitler as well as the utter chaos after Stalingrad. This edition also includes extensive notes and a full glossary of all the people mentioned in the text. * Times Higher Education *Jünger’s war diaries, translated here with damning clarity by Thomas and Abby Hansen, are a fascinating, refined and disturbing record of the moral disasters of Nazism and collaboration. -- Dominic Green * Wall Street Journal *With the publication of these extraordinary, sometimes hallucinatory diaries. English speakers have the chance to read one of the great witnesses to 20th-century Europe’s catastrophe. -- Paul Lay * New Statesman *A highly decorated German veteran of the First World War, Jünger (1895-1998) spent much of the Second as an officer stationed in Paris, where his journal is an almost daily record of the views and impressions of a well-read literary figure, entomologist, and cultural critic, now available for the first time in English. . . . Elliot Neaman is to be thanked for a comprehensive Foreword, as are Thomas Hansen and Abby Hansen for their translation of a most enigmatic set of Journals, and Columbia University Press for publishing them. They have made accessible the work of a cultured and literary person in service to a brutal regime. -- Bertram M. Gordon * H-Diplo *In Paris, Jünger tried to confront absolute horror with his chevalieresque idea of style, and the experiment is absorbing to observe, in its short-circuits and moments of illumination and ultimate burnout. -- Adam Thirlwell * New York Review of Books *Named a 2019 book of the year. -- Lucy Beckett * Times Literary Supplement *However uneven or bizarre some of the entries, the overall structure of the journals — free-flowing, chaotic, and kaleidoscopic — works. Together they act as a mirror reflecting a world where the center had not held. * The New Criterion *Table of ContentsForeword, by Eliot NeamanTranslator’s Preface1. First Paris Journal2. Notes from the Caucasus3. Second Paris Journal4. Kirchhorst DiariesNotesGlossary of Personal NamesIndex

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Book SynopsisChurchill's War in Words transports the reader back to the storm-struck days of the Second World War. Focussing only on words used at the time, it reveals the way that Winston Churchill talked about the conflict in public and in private - and the way that he himself was viewed at the time by family, friends, politicians, military leaders, staff , voters, allies and enemies.Presented in chronological order and accompanied by short year-by-year introductions, the quotations convey afresh the full force of Churchill's oratory, the wit he displayed in the face of often appalling odds, and the hopes and fears that he inspired in those around him. Together they reveal to the modern reader what it was truly like to be locked in a struggle in which victory - or total defeat - was yet to be decided. Together they tell the extraordinary story of Churchill's War in Words.Trade Review"[A] pleasantly prepared small-sized coffee table book. Heavily illustrated with photographs, the volume provides quotes by Winston Churchill drawn mostly from his speeches as well as observations and comments about him by friends (Violet Bonham Carter), members of parliament (Henry Channon, Harold Nicholson), cabinet ministers (Anthony Eden), members of his private staff (John Colville), and enemies (Josef Goebbels)."--Winston Churchill Blog

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Book SynopsisIn the late 19th and early 20th century, a combination of coastal defence for the homeland and fleet defence for the East Indies became the established naval strategy for the Royal Dutch Navy and set the template for the world wars. Battleships were too expensive to build and maintain, so after World War I, there was significant investment in submarine development and construction. A handful of modern light cruisers and a new class of destroyers were also constructed during the interwar years to serve as a small Fleet-in-Being in the East Indies, as well as to support the actions of the navy's submarines. The light cruiser HNLMS De Ruyter and the Java-class light cruisers were the most powerful units of the new fleet whilst the backbone of the destroyer fleet was the Admiralen-class and the Tromp-class of destroyer leaders. Beginning in December 1941, the Dutch Navy played a very active role in the defence of the East Indies against the Japanese during World War II. The Battle oTable of ContentsIntroduction Major Surface Vessels of the Koninklijke Marine Submarines of the Koninklijke Marine Risk Theory and its Impact on the Operations of Koninklijke Marine Warships, 1941-42 Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe story of how Germans came to embrace the Third Reich.Germany in early 1933 was a country ravaged by years of economic depression and increasingly polarized between the extremes of left and right. Over the spring of that year, Germany was transformed from a republic, albeit a seriously faltering one, into a one-party dictatorship. In Hitler''s First Hundred Days, award-winning historian Peter Fritzsche examines the pivotal moments during this fateful period in which the Nazis apparently won over the majority of Germans to join them in their project to construct the Third Reich. Fritzsche scrutinizes the events of the period - the elections and mass arrests, the bonfires and gunfire, the patriotic rallies and anti-Jewish boycotts - to understand both the terrifying power that the National Socialists came to exert over ordinary Germans and the powerful appeal of the new era that they promised.Trade ReviewPeter Fritzsche gives a comprehensive overview of how the Nazis took over Germany. * Paul Donnelley, The Daily Express *[A] dramatic retelling... with tremendous verve... Fritzsches skill is in finding a wide enough cast of Germans to give a sense not just of the faithful, but of the sceptics, the disbelieving and the defeated... it is [Fitzsches] capacity for turning the lens back onto the viewer that makes his work so profound and so convincing. * Nicholas Stargardt, New York Times *Fritzsche draws on a vast amount of research to take us into the heart of a tumultuous 100 days, bringing in voices from all sides of the political spectrum. In the process, he turns what seems like an impossible sequence of events into one that seems both understandable and frighteningly repeatable. * History of War *Hitlers First One Hundred Days is gripping from the first lines. With elegance and deep knowledge, Peter Fitzsche tells the story of how Hitler and the Nazis consolidated their hold on power in the spring of 1933. Fritzsche knows this ground like few others, and his eye for the telling detail makes this book surprising at every turn, even as he shows how the story is chillingly relevant to our times. * Benjamin Hett, author of The Death of Democracy: Hitlers Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Quarter Past Eleven, One Hundred Days, a Thousand Years 1: "Crisis, if You Please" 2: Mystery Tour 3: Assault 4: The "Communist Beast" 5: The German Spring 6: "Your Jewish Grandmother" 7: The Administration of Life 8: "This Enormous Planet" 9: The One Hundred Days A Postscript and Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe gripping and definitive account of the Day of Infamy, the attack on Pearl Harbor that led to the United States' entry into the Second World War.Trade ReviewIn this brilliant mix of history and emotion, Craig Nelson has managed to combine grueling research with masterful reporting in order to capture the long and the short, the overview and the detail, of that infamous day in a paradisal land of orchids and jacaranda. It has taken seventy-five years, but now, finally, the Pearl Harbor book has been written -- Jim deFilippi, author of MULES OF MONTE CASSINO and MURKACraig Nelson has completely retold the epic story of Pearl Harbor. Using his skills as a reporter and a literary stylist, he not only deftly paints the fleeting image - an enemy pilot waving as he flies by, a cup of coffee trembling on a table while outside a war commences - but a world roiled in titanic struggle ... This book has a thousand poignant and unforgettable moments. You'll read Pearl Harbor and want to pass it to a friend -- Doug Stanton, author of HORSE SOLDIERS and IN HARM'S WAYWith lively prose and many astute insights, Nelson chronicles the Japanese-American political jockeying before moving on to the action, where he does not disappoint. Battle descriptions are socially acceptable historical porn, so readers' eyes will be glued to the page as Nelson weaves archival research, interviews, and personal experiences from both sides into a blow-by-blow narrative of destruction liberally sprinkled with individual heroism, bizarre escapes, and equally bizarre tragedies * KIRKUS REVIEWS *

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Book SynopsisA unique and compelling story of an attack helicopter battalion at war in Iraq. Set during the beginning of "the Surge" in 2006-07.

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Book SynopsisIn 1964 Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, activated a joint unconventional task force known as the Studies and Observation Group—MACV-SOG. As a cover its mission was to conduct analysis of lessons learned in combat by all branches of service. SOG's real mission was to conduct covert strategic reconnaissance missions into Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam as well as sabotage and 'Black' psychological operations. Ground, air and naval assets were employed to insert, collect, extract, and otherwise support these operations. This book tells the complete story of these covert agents, from their recruitment and training, through to their deadly black-ops in the jungles of Vietnam.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Recruitment/ Enlistment Training Appearance /Equipment /Conditions of Service /On Campaign /Belief and Belonging /Experience of Battle /After the Battle /Collecting/Museums/Re-enactment /Bibliography /Glossary /Index

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Book SynopsisThis is the story of D-Day, told through the voices of over 1,000 survivors. 6 June, 1944. 156,000 troops from 12 different countries, 11,000 aircraft, 7,000 naval vessels, 24 hours. D-Day - the beginning of the Allied invasion of Hitler's formidable 'Fortress Europe' - was the largest amphibious invasion in history. There has never been a battle like it, before or since. But beyond the statistics and over sixty years on, what is it about the events of D-Day that remain so compelling? The courage of the men who fought and died on the beaches of France? The sheer boldness of the invasion plan? Or the fact that this, Rommel's 'longest day', heralded the beginning of the end of World War II? One of the defining battles of the war, D-Day is scored into the imagination as the moment when the darkness of the Third Reich began to be swept away. This story is told through the voices of over 1,000 survivors - from high-ranking Allied and German officers, to the paratroopers who landed in Normandy before dawn, the infantry who struggled ashore and the German troops who defended the coast. Cornelius Ryan captures the horror and the glory of D-Day, relating in emotive and compelling detail the years of inspired tactical planning that led up to the invasion, its epic implementation and every stroke of luck and individual act of heroism that would later define the battle.Trade ReviewThe terrifying realism of what war really is. D-Day was the greatest and most necessary military undertaking in British or American history and Mr Ryan’s book is worthy of its theme. * Observer *Fifty years from now, the history of D-Day will, I’m sure, lean heavily on this book. * New York Times Book Review *If you have read all the accounts of D-Day or none of them, if you were in the fighting or on the sidelines, you will be spellbound, as I was, by this magnificent retelling of a glorious and tragic story. -- Lt. General James GavinRyan’s classic military study. * Publishers Weekly *Table of ContentsForeword: D Day, Tuesday, June 6, 1944 Part One: The Wait Part Two: The Night Part Three: The Day A Note on Casualties D-Day Veterans: What They Do Today Acknowledgements Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTriumph Regained: The Vietnam War, 1965–1968 is the long-awaited sequel to the immensely influential Triumph Forsaken: The Vietnam War, 1954–1965. Like its predecessor, this book overturns the conventional wisdom using a treasure trove of new sources, many of them from the North Vietnamese side. Rejecting the standard depiction of U.S. military intervention as a hopeless folly, it shows America’s war to have been a strategic necessity that could have ended victoriously had President Lyndon Johnson heeded the advice of his generals. In light of Johnson’s refusal to use American ground forces beyond South Vietnam, General William Westmoreland employed the best military strategy available. Once the White House loosened the restraints on Operation Rolling Thunder, American bombing inflicted far greater damage on the North Vietnamese supply system than has been previously understood, and it nearly compelled North Vietnam to capitulate. The book demonstrates that American military operations enabled the South Vietnamese government to recover from the massive instability that followed the assassination of President Ngo Dinh Diem. American culture sustained public support for the war through the end of 1968, giving South Vietnam realistic hopes for long-term survival. America’s defense of South Vietnam averted the imminent fall of key Asian nations to Communism and sowed strife inside the Communist camp, to the long-term detriment of America’s great-power rivals, China and the Soviet Union.Trade ReviewTHE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL TO TRIUMPH FORSAKEN: THE VIETNAM WAR, 1954–1965 “This second book in what will be a seminal trilogy is impeccably researched and elegantly written. Mark Moyar availed himself of newly available materials to shed fresh light and understanding on a crucial period of the Vietnam War. Triumph Regained poses a compelling reinterpretation that is bound to make uncomfortable those who contributed to or accepted the conventional wisdom on the war that emerged across the past half century.”—H. R. McMaster, author of Dereliction of Duty and Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World “Triumph Regained expertly chronicles the grit, courage, and sacrifice of the American fighting man during the Vietnam War and provides clear-eyed analysis of the strategic and political imperatives that motivated both sides of the conflict. Mark Moyar is reclaiming the honorable legacy of a generation of American warriors and proving the truth of Ronald Reagan’s belief that Vietnam was a ‘noble cause.’ We should be proud of the patriotic Americans who served in Vietnam and never forget that politicians in Washington squandered their sacrifices.”—Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) “No serious scholar has done more in recent years to challenge the entrenched consensus on the Vietnam War than historian Mark Moyar. In Triumph Regained, he presents bold new insights that compel us to question the conventional wisdom on the war from the onset of its Americanization in 1965 to the Tet Offensive of 1968. Captivating from start to finish, the book is as audacious as it is thought-provoking—and necessary.”—Pierre Asselin, professor of history and Dwight E. Stanford Chair in American Foreign Relations, San Diego State University “Using newly available documents and re-interpreting old, Moyar invites us to revisit the 1970s clichéd narratives of strategy and policy in the early years of America's war in Vietnam.”—Jeffrey Race, author of War Comes to Long An: Revolutionary Conflict in a Vietnamese Province

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Book SynopsisOn 22 June 1941, at 0410hrs, Operation Barbarossa began. More than 3 million German soldiers crossed the border with the Soviet Union and moved east, where 4.7 million Soviet soldiers were waiting for them. Hitler expected his troops would be on the Volga before the end of the year and that important cities such as Moscow and Leningrad would have been captured. But the reality was very different; the Germans made impressive territorial gains, but their offensive eventually came to a halt at Stalingrad in December 1942, which proved to be a turning point in the war.This titanic battle is illustrated here using eyewitness accounts from generals, soldiers and civilians. Attention is not only paid to the course of the battle, but also to the tactics and organizational dimensions of the armies involved, the challenges of the vastness of the country, the dilemmas for people in the conquered areas, and the way the Germans tried to conquer their hearts while at the same time fighting a fierce

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Book SynopsisIn World War II Germany''s doctrine of mobile warfare dominated the battlefield. By trial and error, the Germans were the first to correctly combine the strength in tanks and in mobile infantry and artillery. This integration of mobile units, equipment and tactics underpinned Germany''s successes in the first half of the war. As the war dragged on, the Allies sought to copy German tactics but German armies remained supreme in this type of warfare until their losses had seriously degraded their capabilities. This study traces the development of the different types of unit that came together in the Panzergrenadier branch from the inter-war years through World War II. Using colour plates to display the changes in uniform, equipment and insignia in all theatres of operations throughout the conflict, this is a complete account of Hitler's elite armoured infantry.

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Book SynopsisAlthough not as well-known as the V-1 buzz bomb and the V-2 missile, the first German missiles to see combat were anti-ship missiles, the Henschel Hs.293 guided missile and the Fritz-X guided bomb. These began to see extensive combat in the Mediterranean in 1943. In their most famous use, the Italian battleship Roma was sunk by a Fritz-X attack in September 1943 when Italy attempted to switch sides. The serious threat posed by these missiles led to a vigorous but little known Wizard War' by the Allies to develop electronic counter-measures, the first effort of its kind. Besides the anti-ship missiles, the other major category of German missiles were the air-defence missiles. Germany suffered extremely heavy losses from Allied strategic bombing attacks, and German fighter and flak defences proved increasingly unsuccessful. As a result, the Luftwaffe began an extensive programme to deploy several families of new air defence missiles to counter the bomber threat, includ

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Book SynopsisIn the early years of the Third Reich, Hermann Goring, one of the most notorious leaders of the Third Reich, worked to establish his own personal army to rival Himmler's SS and Reichswehr. The result: a private Prussian police force which grew into one of the most powerful armoured units in Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht. This unit fought throughout the Second World War, meeting Anglo-American forces in vicious battles across the European theatres of Tunisia, Sicily and Italy before finally being defeated by the Red Army on the Eastern Front. The Hermann Goring Panzer Division incorporates technical details of these battles with the turbulent politics and Machiavellian manoeuvring of Hitler's inner circle, giving military-history enthusiasts fresh insights into the development and role of this unusual division through the war. Drawing on first-hand accounts and extensive archive material, World War II historian Lawrence Paterson presents a comprehensive and unbiased history of the establishment of the famous 1\. Fallschirm-Panzer Division.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in September 1941, it was the first such account of air combat against the Luftwaffe in France in the Second World War, and it struck an immediate chord with a British public enthralled by the exploits of its young airmen.

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Book SynopsisBritain’s war in the shadows of male spies and subterfuge in the heart of occupied France is a story well known, but what of the women who also risked their lives for Britain and the liberation of France?In 1942 a desperate need for new recruits, saw SOE turn to a previously overlooked group – women.Trade Review‘They were the war’s bravest women, devoted to defeating the Nazis yet reluctant ever to reveal their heroic pasts. Now a new book tells their intrepid tales.’ * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisWith war against Germany looming, Britain pushed forward its carrier program in the late 1930s. In 1938, the Royal Navy launched the HMS Ark Royal, its first-ever purpose-built aircraft carrier. This was quickly followed by others, including the highly-successful Illustrious class. Smaller and tougher than their American cousins, the British carriers were designed to fight in the tight confines of the North Sea and the Mediterranean. Over the next six years, these carriers battled the Axis powers in every theatre, attacking Italian naval bases, hunting the Bismark, and even joining the fight in the Pacific. This book tells the story of the small, but resilient, carriers and the crucial role they played in the British war effort.Table of ContentsIntroduction 350 words Outlines the origins of naval aviation, and the growing importance of aircraft carriers in naval warfare. Design & Development 2,400 words Covers the chronological development of these Carriers, and covering modifications made during their operational lives. Operational History 2,250 words Follows the service history of each of the 14 Fleet Aircraft Carriers covered in this volume. Carrier Operation 2,150 words Describes the way aircraft were handled on a typical British wartime fleet aircraft carrier, including a description the wat launcing operations were conducted. Carrier Aircraft 2,000 words This section provides a brief description of the types of aircraft carried by these carriers, and their relative merits, and touches on the way they were used in action. Carriers in Action 2,400 words Provides a brief description of three actions involving British aircraft carriers; Taranto (1940), Matapan (1941) and the sinking of the Bismarck (1941) Bibiography 250 words

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Book SynopsisIn An Army at Dawn - winner of the Pulitzer Prize - Rick Atkinson provided a dramatic and authoritative history of the Allied triumph in North Africa. Now, in The Day of the Battle, he follows the strengthening American and British armies as they invade Sicily in July 1943 and then, mile by bloody mile, fight their way north.The Italian campaign''s outcome was never certain; in fact, Roosevelt, Churchill and their military advisors engaged in heated debate about whether an invasion of the so-called soft underbelly of Europe was even a good idea. But once underway, the commitment to liberate Italy from the Nazis never wavered, despite the agonizingly high price. The battles at Salerno, Anzio, and Monte Cassino were particularly difficult and lethal, yet as the months passed, the Allied forces continued to push the Germans up the Italian peninsula. And with the liberation of Rome in June 1944, ultimate victory at last began to seem inevitable.Drawing on a

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Book SynopsisA gripping history of the SAS in World War II, supported by a collection of rare images from the SAS Regimental Association.The SAS are among the best-trained and most effective Special Forces units in existence. This book is the incredible story of their origins, told in their own words. During the summer of 1941, a young Scots Guard officer called David Stirling persuaded MEHQ to give its backing to a small band of 60 men christened ''L Detachment''.With a wealth of stunning photographs, many from the SAS Regimental Association, the book captures the danger and excitement of the initial SAS raids against Axis airfields during the Desert War, the battles in Italy and those following the D-Day landings, as well as the dramatic final push into Germany itself and the discovery of such Nazi horrors as Belsen. An exhaustive account of an elite organization''s formative years, The SAS in World War II is the fruit of Gavin Mortimer''s expertise and his unprecedented access to tTrade ReviewPraise for the SAS in World War II 'Recounted with breathless pace and very effective use of first-hand testimonies, and supported by a superb collection of photographs and documents, this is a fascinating and hugely enjoyable book. It should prove an important starting point for anyone wanting to learn more about the early years of this legendary regiment.' BBC History MagazineTable of ContentsDedication Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Stirling’s leap of faith Chapter 2: L Detachment takes wings Chapter 3: Stirling’s capture Chapter 4: The SRS in Sicily and Italy Chapter 5: Bill Stirling and the boys of 2SAS Chapter 6: Roy Farran: from Toronoto to Termoli Chapter 7: Back to Blighty Chapter 8: D-Day for 1SAS Chapter 9: 2SAS earn their wings Chapter 10: 2SAS return to Italy Chapter 11: Operation Archway: the drive into Germany Chapter 12: Operation Howard: Paddy Mayne’s last hurrah Chapter 13: Delighted then demobbed Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWhen the Japanese take Borneo in 1942, Agnes Keith is captured and imprisoned with her two-year-old son. Fed on minimal rations, forced to work through recurrent bouts of malaria and fighting with rats for scraps of food, Agnes Keith's spirit never completely dies. Keeping notes on scraps of paper which she hides in her son's home-made toys or buries in tins, she records a mother's pain at watching her child go hungry and her poignant pride in his development within these strange confines. She also describes her captors in all their complexity. Colonel Suga, the camp commander, is an intelligent, highly educated man, at times her adversary, at others a strange ally in a distorted world.Trade Review"one of the most remarkable books you will ever read" John Carey, Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisThe idea of British soldiers using American tanks was not viewed with a great deal of enthusiasm by the British Army. They perceived American tanks as being crudely made, mechanically unsophisticated and impossible to fight in. However, once British crews got used to them and learned to cope with some of their difficulties, such as limited fuel capacity and unfamiliar fighting techniques, they started to see them in a far more positive light, in particular their innate reliability and simplicity of maintenance. This book, the last in a three-part series on British Battle Tanks by armor expert David Fletcher, concentrates on World War II and studies American tanks in British service, some of which were modified in ways peculiar to the British. It shows how the number of these tanks increased to the point that they virtually dominated, as well describing some types, such as the T14 and M26 Pershing, that were supplied but never used in British service.

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Book SynopsisThe legendary story of a resistance hero''Full of death and excitement'' - Sunday Times''Unique'' - TLSGeorge Psychoundakis was a young shepherd boy who knew the island of Crete intimately when the Nazis invaded by air in 1941. He immediately joined the resistance and took on the crucial job of war-time runner.It was not only the toughest but the most dangerous job of all. It involved immense journeys carrying vital messages, smuggling arms and explosives and guiding Allied soldiers, agents and commandos through heavily garrisoned territory. And George did not escape capture and torture on his many forays.This brilliant account of George''s activities across mountainous terrain, come blazing summer or freezing winter, is a gripping story of bravery against impossible odds.Trade ReviewFull of death, and the excitement of a fighter who wildly enjoys his own part of the dangerous business * Sunday Times *Unique * The Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisHitler and the Final Solution.Table of ContentsIntroduction Author's Preface 1. The Growth of an Obsession 2. The Art of Dissembling 3. Hitler's Influence on the Conduct of War 4. Four Key Commissions 5. Himmler on Responsibility 6. Hitler's Cunning 7. The Execution of the Final Solution in the Occupied East 8. The Mass Shootings Outside Riga,30 November and 8 December 1941 9. The Wannsee Conference 10. The Interrogation of Friedrich Jeckeln 11. Hitler's Visitor on 28 November 1941 12. "On Orders from the Highest Level" 13. The Camp of the German Jews in Minsk 14. Reichskommissar of the Ukraine, Erich Koch 15. "It Is the Fuhrer's Wish" 16. "The Fuhrer Has Taken Note: Destroy" 17. An Official Report from Auschwitz-Birkenau 18. "Toward a Swift Solution" 19. "KaltenbrunnerContra Himmler" 20. "Duty at Auschwitz Is Frontline Duty" 21. "They Shall Go Under with Us!" 22. The Beginning of the End 23. The End of an Obsession Epilogue Augmenting the Historical Record File 17/9, Topf and Sohne, Erfurt, Russian Central State Archive, Moscow Appendix: jewish Casualties Due to the Final Solution Select Bibliography Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisSebald''s On the Natural History of Destruction explores German writers'' silence about a moment of mass destructionIn the last years of World War II, a million tons of bombs were dropped by the Allies on one hundred and thirty-one German towns and cities. Six hundred thousand civilians died, and three and a half million homes were destroyed. When it has cast such a very dark shadow over his life and work, Sebald asks, how have so many writers allowed themselves to write it out of their experience and avoid articulating the horror? W.G. Sebald''s On the Natural History of Destruction sparked a wide-ranging debate in the German press.''Sebald makes exquisite art out of vile history'' Boyd Tonkin, Independent''One of the most important writers of our time'' A.S. Byatt, New Statesman ''Demands to be read for its grand emotional power ... it absorbs and horrifies and illuminates'' Scotsman''Brilliant and disturbing'' Antony Beevor, The TimesW . G. Sebald was born in Wertach im Allgäu, Germany, in 1944 and died in December 2001. He studied German language and literature in Freiburg, Switzerland and Manchester. In 1996 he took up a position as an assistant lecturer at the University of Manchester and settled permanently in England in 1970. He was Professor of European Literature at the University of East Anglia and is the author of The Emigrants, The Rings of Saturn, Vertigo, Austerlitz, After Nature, On the Natural History of Destruction, Campo Santo, Unrecounted, For Years Now and A Place in the Country. His selected poetry is published in a volume called Across the Land and the Water.

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Book SynopsisAndrew Roberts''s Masters and Commanders: The Military Geniuses who led the West to Victory in WWII tells the story of how four great leaders fought each other over how best to fight Hitler. During the Second World War the master strategy of the West was shaped by four titanic figures: Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, and their respective military commanders - General Sir Alan Brooke and General George C. Marshall. Each man was tough-willed and strong minded. And each was certain he knew best how to achieve victory. Drawing on previously unpublished material, including for the first time verbatim reports of Churchill''s War Cabinet meetings, Andrew Roberts''s acclaimed history recreates with vivid immediacy the fiery debates and political maneuverings, the rebuffs and the charm, the explosive rows and dramatic reconciliations, as the masters and commanders of the Western Alliance fought each other over the best way to fight Adolf Hitler. Trade Review'This is an important book which ! sees Mr Roberts lay claim to the title of Britain's finest contemporary military historian' Economist 'A masterpiece of robust historical analysis, steeped in scholarship and alive to every nuance of personality' Daily Express 'His interpretation of British/US strategic relations is unlikely to be superseded' - Vernon Bogdanor, Financial Times

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Book SynopsisWorld War II was only a few hours old when the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest campaign of the Second World War and the most complex submarine war in history, began with the sinking of the unarmed passenger liner Athenia by the German submarine U30. Based on the mastery of the latest research and written from a mid-Atlantic rather than the traditional Anglo-centric perspective, Marc Milner focuses on the confrontation between opposing forces and the attacks on Allied shipping that lay at the heart of the six-year struggle. Against the backdrop of the battle for the Atlantic lifeline he charts the fascinating development of U-boats and the techniques used by the Allies to suppress and destroy these stealth weapons.

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Book SynopsisWhen the Union Jack was hauled down over the Atlantic naval ports of Cobh, Berehaven and Lough Swilly in 1939, the Irish were jubilant. But in London, Churchhill brooded on the ''incomprehensible'' act of surrendering three of the Royal Navy''s finest ports when Europe was about to go to war.Eighteen months later, Churchill was talking of military action against Ireland. He demanded the return of the ports and the Irish made ready to defend their country against British as well as German invasion.In Northern Ireland, a Unionist Government vainly tried to introduce conscription. Along the west coast British submarines prowled the seas searching for German U-boats sheltering in the bays; British agents toured the villages of Donegal in search of fifth columnists while their German counterparts tried to make contact with the IRA.This is a fasinating study of Ireland during the Second World War.Anybody interested in Irish affairs will have to get Fisk''s book

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary tale of the remarkable bond between one man and his dog during the Second World War.Trade ReviewNo Better Friend personifies the relationship we all aspire to have with our dogs, and takes us on a harrowing journey to a place and time lost in the history books. A must read * Robin Hutton, author of Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse *Robert Weintraub captures the beauty and power of friendship and loyalty between man and animal in this captivating narrative. We'd all be lucky to have a dog like Judy by our sides in our darkest times * Cate Lineberry, author of The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines *Both a testament to animal intelligence and a much overdue account of canine sacrifice and service, No Better Friend is also masterfully told. Soaring and graceful, Weintraub's narrative reclaims the history of two unlikely heroes - in a tale that is the stuff of which Hollywood blockbusters are built * Mim Eichler Rivas, author Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World and co-author of The Pursuit of Happyness with Chris Gardner *A thought-provoking story about human suffering in conflict * Soldier *

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Book SynopsisThe Red Army suffered such catastrophic losses of armor in the summer of 1941 that they begged Britain and the United States to send tanks. The first batches arrived in late 1941, just in time to take part in the defense of Moscow. The supplies of British tanks encompassed a very wide range of types including the Matilda, Churchill, and Valentine and even a few Tetrarch airborne tanks. American tanks included the M3 (Stuart) light tank and M3 (Lee) medium tank and the M4 Sherman tank, which became so common in 1944-45 that entire Soviet tank corps were equipped with the type. With these Western tanks, the Soviets were finally able to beat back the German tide in the East.This study examines the different types of tanks shipped to the Soviet Union during the war, Soviet assessments of their merits and problems, and combat accounts of their use in Soviet service using full color artwork, contemporary photographs and detailed cut-away illustrations.

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Book SynopsisWorld War Two was the most devastating conflict in recorded human history. It was both global in extent and total in character. It has understandably left a long and dark shadow across the decades. Yet it is three generations since hostilities formally ended in 1945 and the conflict is now a lived memory for only a few. And this growing distance in time has allowed historians to think differently about how to describe it, how to explain its course, and what subjects to focus on when considering the wartime experience. For instance, as World War Two recedes ever further into the past, even a question as apparently basic as when it began and ended becomes less certain. Was it 1939, when the war in Europe began? Or the summer of 1941, with the beginning of Hitler''s war against the Soviet Union? Or did it become truly global only when the Japanese brought the USA into the war at the end of 1941? And what of the long conflict in East Asia, beginning with the Japanese aggression in China in the early 1930s and only ending with the triumph of the Chinese Communists in 1949? In The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two a team of leading historians re-assesses the conflict for a new generation, exploring the course of the war not just in terms of the Allied response but also from the viewpoint of the Axis aggressor states. Under Richard Overy''s expert editorial guidance, the contributions take us from the genesis of war, through the action in the major theatres of conflict by land, sea, and air, to assessments of fighting power and military and technical innovation, the economics of total war, the culture and propaganda of war, and the experience of war (and genocide) for both combatants and civilians, concluding with an account of the transition from World War to Cold War in the late 1940s. Together, they provide a stimulating and thought-provoking new interpretation of one of the most terrible and fascinating episodes in world history.Trade Review... The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two is a thoughtful and thought-provoking volume, which succeeds very well in bringing at least a taste of the wealth of current Second World War scholarship to a wider audience. There is much here to admire; not least the erudition of the contributors and the eclectic and original selection of photographs ... an excellent, concise and enlightening volume. As such, it is a worth addition to the library of every student and every scholar of the conflict. * Roger Moorhouse, History Today *A stimulating and thought-provoking new interpretation of one of the most terrible episodes in world history. * Military History *The Oxford Illustrated History of World War II is an exemplary book that not only provides an insightful and in-depth analysis of the war from both sides, but does so while providing an astounding array of photographs, some in vivid colour, of the real and devastating effects of war experienced by both civilians and combatants. * Ireland's Eye *Compelling in its narrative, fascinating in its detail, magisterial in its analysis, global in its breadth, Richard Overy, one of our outstanding scholars of mid-20th Century history, here delivers a military, political and economic history of WW2, aided by a galaxy of distinguished scholars, that is essential, accessible reading for general readers as well as students. * Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin: the Court of the Red Tsar *Incisive essays by leading scholars, richly illustrated with unfamiliar pictures, make this an ideal introduction to the defining conflict of the twentieth century - from which our contemporary world still struggles to recover. * David Reynolds, University of Cambridge, and author of In Command of History: Churchill Fighting and Writing the Second World War *A welcome and most useful addition to the historical literature ... the photographs, many of them new to me, were a real delight. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the war. * Paul Kennedy, Yale University, and author of Engineers of Victory and The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers *combines a breadth and depth not seen in much military history writing. The skillful analysis of each chapter does not sacrifice narrative ability to address topics ranging from the German, Italian, and Japanese conduct of the land, sea, and air wars to the political intricacies of the Grand Alliance, scientific innovation, and the cultural history of the war ... Did this reviewer mention the illustrations? Astounding. * M. A. Mengerink, CHOICE *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgements ; Editor's Introduction ; 1. The Genesis of World War ; 2. Japan's War in Asia ; 3. The Italian Wars ; 4. The German Wars ; 5. The West and the War at Sea ; 6. The Allies from Defeat to Victory ; 7. Fighting Power: World War and Military Innovation ; 8. Economies in Total War ; 9. Front Line I: Armed Forces at War ; 10. Front Line II: Civilians at War ; 11. Unnatural Deaths ; 12. War, Invention, and Experts ; 13. The Culture of War: Propaganda, Arts and Ideas ; 14. From World War to Cold War ; Epilogue ; Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisThis massive new reference work is broken up into sections presenting a detailed analysis of each corresponding order of battle for every German field formation above division. Additional new ground is broken by describing the orders of battle of the myriad German and Axis satellite formations assigned to security commands throughout occupied Europe and the combat zones, as well as those attached to fortress commands and to the commanders of German occupation forces in Eastern and Western Europe. An accompanying narrative describes the career of each field formation and includes the background and experience of many of their most famous commanding officers.Unlike similar works, these orders of battle are dynamic, and so account for the continuously changing character of Germany’s ground forces at war. For the first time, readers can follow the career of every German division, corps, army, and army group as the German armed forces shifted units to and from theatres of war, from the period of triumphant successes to the years of grinding defensive warfare and eventual defeat.Trade ReviewAfter decades of effort, William McCroden and Thomas Nutter . . . have accomplished that seemingly impossible task.'' * Misc US Reviewer *

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