Modern warfare Books

Book SynopsisVolume Eight of the Pacific Profiles series presents the most accurate profiles and histories to date of Imperial Japanese Navy floatplanes which served in the South Pacific theatre, throughout New Guinea and the Solomons. The markings of the six floatplane types deployed in the theatre are covered: the A6M2-N Rufe, E8N2 Dave, E13A1 Jake, F1M2 Pete, E9W Slim and E7K Alf. Floatplane operations commenced in January 1942 with the invasion of Rabaul. Later Rufes were often misidentified as Zeros with their presence in the Solomons seemingly ubiquitous. Petes often fought Allied fighters, with other types focused on reconnaissance and occasional bombing missions, sometimes at night. Most floatplane activity had ceased by late 1943, leaving a handful of stay-behinds operating from Rabaul and Kavieng.Illustrated, unit by unit, are examples of the varied types of markings, camouflage and tail code systems which appeared on floatplanes assigned to sea tenders, shore, ship and submarine-based unTrade ReviewThis is another rather super book in my view. * Military Model Scene *[This book] features original color illustrations, presents fresh information, and corrects and clarifies longstanding errors perpetuated for decades, and includes new markings and information. * Aeroscale 07/09/2022 *

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Book SynopsisAny USAAF pilot who flew the mission to Hollandia on the fateful afternoon of 16 April 1944 in New Guinea would remember it for the rest of their lives. So would anyone else in the theatre, for the weather-related losses that fateful day earned it the eternal epithet “Black Sunday”.

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Book SynopsisThe magnificent Douglas A-4 Skyhawk served with the Royal Australian Navy from 1968 until 1984 with two squadrons: VF805 and VC724. VF805 was the front-line fighter unit that served aboard the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne, while VC724 was shore-based at Naval Air Station Nowra for training and support.Table of ContentsForeword Preface and Acknowledgments Glossary Chapter 1 1945–67: Role, Testing and Purchases Chapter 2 1967–68: Initial Instructor Training Chapter 3 1968–69: The Skyhawk goes to sea Chapter 4 Flight deck engineering Chapter 5 1970: Exercise Bersatu Padu Chapter 6 1971: Training and growing the A-4 fleet Chapter 7 1972: A very busy year Chapter 8 1973: The first losses Chapter 9 1974: Tragedy Chapter 10 1975: Rimpac 75 Chapter 11 1976: OFS and VC724 Chapter 12 Support People Chapter 13 1977: Spithead Review Chapter 14 1978: Rimpac 78 and Sandgroper 78 Chapter 15 1979: Three losses in a year Chapter 16 1980: The beginning of the end Chapter 17 1981: The year that wasn’t Chapter 18 1982–1984: The end of RAN fixed-wing aviation Chapter 19 The Skyhawk squadrons Chapter 20 The pilots and their aircraft Chapter 21 Tributes Chapter 22 The case for carrier-based fighters Annex A Contributors Annex B The Sundowners Song Index of Names

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Book SynopsisPacific Profiles Volume 11 covers the P-40 Warhawk series, which served with a dozen USAAF Fifth and Thirteenth Air Force fighter and reconnaissance squadrons, service units, combat replacement pools and other miscellaneous units.Table of ContentsAbout the Author Introduction Glossary and Abbreviations Chapter 1 – Markings and Technical Notes Chapter 2 – The First P-40s in Australia Chapter 3 – 7th Fighter Squadron “Screamin’ Demons” Chapter 4 – 8th Fighter Squadron “The Blacksheep” Chapter 5 – 9th Fighter Squadron “Flying Knights” Chapter 6 – 35th Fighter Squadron “Black Panthers” Chapter 7 – 44th Fighter Squadron “Vampires” Chapter 8 – 68th Fighter Squadron Chapter 9 – 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron “Musketeers” Chapter 10 – 312th Bombardment Group Chapter 11 – Unique Warhawks Sources & Acknowledgments Index of Names

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Book SynopsisBetween 1942 and 1945 the Japanese waged a relentless air war against the vast expanses of Northern Australia. Using newly translated Japanese sources the The Empire Strikes South chronicles every Japanese air mission over Northern Australia and lists 187 Japanese airmen who lost their lives.Trade ReviewAn important and informative book on a subject many today will simply have little knowledge of. * Flight Line Book Review *It is highly recommended book for all aviation and history enthusiasts to obtain a better understanding of the air war 'Down Under' * Down Under Aviation News *The book gives a fascinating insight into the world of the pilots and aircrew through period combat reports, newspaper articles and post war interviews. These are complemented by colour profiles of all of the aircraft participating and appendices which not only detail Japanese aircraft loss, but crew members names. This book adds much needed balance to an air campaign which has largely been relegated to the back seat of WWII history. * Classic Wings *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Prologue Explanatory Notes Chapter 1. Darwin’s Initial raids Chapter 2. The Reality of Air Combat Chapter 3. Northern Australian Defences – A Fused Picture? Chapter 4. Darwin and the Interior Part 1: 1942 Chapter 5. Darwin and the Interior Part 2: 1943-1944 Chapter 6. Off the Northern Territory’s Coast Chapter 7. Western Australia Chapter 8. Queensland Chapter 9. Conclusion Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Sources

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Book SynopsisSouth Pacific Air War Volume Four chronicles aerial warfare in the South Pacific in the critical period between 19 June and 8 September 1942. It can be read alone or as a continuation of the first three volumes that spanned the first six months of the Pacific War, culminating in the Battle of the Coral Sea.Trade Review…came away with a new appreciation for how the air war was fought in this theatre. * Wargames Illustrated 08/11/2021 *...another outstanding contribution to a full understanding of aerial warfare in the theater, skillfully integrating information from the Allied perspective with less familiar material from the Japanese point of view. […] Recommended. * Stone & Stone *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1 Overview Chapter 2 Night Raids: Regional Operations 19-30 June Chapter 3 Independence Day: Regional Operations 1-7 July Chapter 4 The Lull Before the Storm: Regional Operations 8-20 July Chapter 5 Buna Landing: New Guinea 21-31 July Chapter 6 Target Townsville: Solomons & North Queensland 21 July–1 August Chapter 7 150 Bombers Destroyed! New Guinea 1-8 August Chapter 8 D-Day: The Solomons 1–8 August Chapter 9 Prelude: Milne Bay 4-22 August Chapter 10 Buna Resupplied: New Guinea 9-22 August Chapter 11 Emergency: Milne Bay 23 August - 8 September Chapter 12 Tainan Ku Annihilated! New Guinea 23 August – 8 September Chapter 13 Conclusion Appendix 1 Allied Aircraft Losses & Fatalities Appendix 2 Japanese Aircraft Losses & Fatalities Appendix 3 Cumulative Losses Sources Index

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Book SynopsisPacific Profiles Volume Two illustrates, by unit, Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) bomber and other supporting aircraft types operating in New Guinea and the Solomons from December 1942 to April 1944.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1 JAAF Bombers and Support Types in the South Pacific Chapter 2 Technical Notes Chapter 3 The 7th Hiko Sentai Chapter 4 The 14th Hiko Sentai Chapter 5 The 26th Hiko Sentai Chapter 6 The 34th Hiko Sentai Chapter 7 The 45th Hiko Sentai Chapter 8 The 60th Hiko Sentai Chapter 9 The 61st Hiko Sentai Chapter 10 The 75th Hiko Sentai Chapter 11 The 208th Hiko Sentai Chapter 12 Headquarters and Command Units Chapter 13 Reconnaissance Units Chapter 14 Transport and Liaison Units Sources Index

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Book SynopsisPacific Profiles Volume Three illustrates, by squadron, USAAF Fifth Air Force and RAAF Douglas A-20 series medium bombers operating in New Guinea from July 1942 to the end of 1944.

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Book SynopsisVolume Four focuses on the US Navy, US Marine Corps and RNZAF squadrons which operated land based F4U series Corsair fighters throughout the Solomons theatre from February 1943 onwards.

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Book SynopsisVolume Five of this series chronicles aerial warfare primarily in the New Guinea theatre in the critical period between September and December 1942. It can be read alone or as a continuation of the previous four volumes which span the first nine months of the Pacific War.By early September the strategic picture in the theatre had changed markedly within just six weeks. From their new Buna beachhead the Japanese Army commenced a Papuan mountain campaign which threatened the Allied bastion of Port Moresby. Meanwhile the battle for Guadalcanal was raging, with the outcome of the wider Pacific War in the balance.Against this background a strengthened US Fifth Air Force took the fight to the IJA with direct air support. While this was being conducted by P-39s, P-40Es, A-20As and B-25s, raids by B-17s against Rabaul aided US forces in the neighbouring Solomons. RAAF Beaufighters, Beauforts, Bostons and Hudsons also contributed substantially to these efforts.At Rabaul a wide variety of fresh Trade ReviewThis series is literally the most comprehensive and well researched publications on the air campaigns in the South Pacific during World War Two. You will find no finer set of books with amount of detail, selection of photographs, or use of artwork than this series. * Aviation Enthusiast Book Club *...tells of plane-by-plane missions, with losses and combat results, all the while comparing and contrasting both sides' accounts for an accurate depiction of losses. * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 02/11/2022 *

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Book SynopsisMany books have been written about the Normandy landings, but Robert Kershaw brings a new perspective by drawing heavily on German and Allied sources little used in the standard accounts. The actual landings and the subsequent few days of battle often resolved themselves into a multitude of desperate small-scale struggles - for the next few yards of beach, to cross the next field, or to reach the next hedgerow. By looking at the battle at this level through the eyes of both Allied and German participants, the author is able to develop new insights into the successes and failures of both sides. He also shows why the battle for Normandy developed into the long and bitter struggle that has become so well known.The book features extracts from the German telephone log for Omaha Beach, bringing the landings to life. The author also analyses the failure by both sides to balance tank and infantry forces in the difficult Normandy terrain, and examines why the Allies, with local superiority in t

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Book SynopsisIn late June 1942, the dispirited and defeated British Eighth Army was pouring back towards the tiny railway halt of El Alamein in the western desert of Egypt. Tobruk had fallen and Eighth Army had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Rommel''s Panzerarmee Afrika. Yet just five months later, the famous bombardment opened the Eighth Army''s own offensive which destroyed the Axis threat to Egypt. Explanations for the remarkable change of fortune have generally been sought in the abrasive personality of the new army commander Lieutenant-General Bernard Law Montgomery. But the long running controversies surrounding the commanders of Eighth Army - Generals Auchinleck and Montgomery - and that of their legendary opponent, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, have often been allowed to obscure the true nature of the Alamein campaign. Pendulum of War provides a vivid and fresh perspective on the fighting at El Alamein from the early desperate days of July to the final costly victory in NovembeTrade ReviewExcellent...a sophisticated, compelling and immensely readable account... Thoroughly researched, controversial, convincing... military history at its best * Daily Express *There is no doubting the author's immense scholarship... He has a first-class understanding of strategy and tactics -- Simon Heffer * Literary Review *Deserves to become the standard work on the desert war in 1942 -- Richard Holmes

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Book SynopsisNorman Longmate served in the army in World War II, and then went to Oxford University in 1947 to read Modern History. He subsequently worked as a Fleet Street journalist, as a producer of history programmes for the BBC, and for the BBC Secretariat. In 1981 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and in 1983 he left the BBC to become a full-time writer. Norman Longmate is the author of more than twenty books, mainly on the Second World War and Victorian social history, and of many radio and television scripts on historical subjects. He has frequently been employed as an historical adviser by film and television companies, most recently on the series The 1940s House.Trade ReviewAn immense and impressive assembly... Must surely remain an invaluable essay in the remembrance of things past * Times *Superbly detailed and illustrated... From stirrup pumps to Spam, Norman Longmate's marvellously comprehensive panorama misses nothing. Excellent * Sunday Telegraph *A landmine of information covering every field of civilian life in wartime from the grandeurs of the blitz to the miseries of dried eggs and the six-inch bath -- Cyril ConnollyMuch of it is extremely interesting; some of it is fascinatingly out-of-the-way; and all of it contributes to building up a true picture of everyday life in England from September 1939 to August 1945 * Observer *Mr Longmate has recruited an enormous volunteer army of home-front veterans who sent him their wartime recollections... He has brilliantly sifted and assembled the precious debris * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThe incredible true story of the librarian, the Nazi spy and Ireland's secret role in turning the tide of World War IIWhen unassuming librarian Richard Hayes, a gifted polymath and cryptographer, was drafted by Irish intelligence services to track the movements of a prolific Nazi spy, Hermann Görtz, Dublin became the unlikely venue for one of the most thrilling episodes in Irish history.In a complex game of cat-and-mouse that would wind its way through the city and its suburbs, Code Breaker reveals how Richard Hayes cracked a code that helped turn the tide of World War II, and uncovers a secret history of the capital that has remained hidden in plain view for the past 70 years.

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Book SynopsisBOOK 12 OF THE LADYBIRD EXPERT HISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, FROM AWARD-WINNING HISTORIAN JAMES HOLLANDFeaturing stunning illustrations from Keith Burns, bringing the story to life in vivid detailWhy did Japan decide to attack at Pearl Harbour?What was the Japanese vision of a Greater Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere?How did the American strategy turn the tide against Japanese offensives?Uncover the complexities of the brutal war against Japan.From the surprise attack on Pearl Harbour, Oahu, to the Philippines Campaign, the Allies were finally able to turn the tide against the onslaught of Japanese forces.Ending in Japanese surrender after the devastating atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the war in Japan was eventually won, but at the cost of civilian lives.THE WAR THAT LED TO TWO ATOMIC BOMBINGSWritten by historian, author and broadcaster James Holland, Victory

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An exceptional array of eyewitness accounts ... this fascinating collection honours the Holocaust's victims, as well as the sociologist who preserved their memories."Times Literary Supplement"A fantastic asset for Holocaust historiography."European Review of History"This riveting book prints a collection of 21 eyewitness accounts by German Jews. The value of these testimonies lies above all in their detail and immediacy. Mostly they confirm the picture we already have from other sources, though few are as vivid as these."The Guardian"Provides heartrending testimony of Nazi racial hatred."Tribune"Taken together, these survivors’ voices bring the focus back onto what is essential: human lives, their preservation and loss."Forward Magazine"This collection of eyewitness accounts of the end of Jewish life in Nazi Germanyis most valuable as an undergraduate course reading, where its immediacy andpersonal detail can bring home the horrors which preceded the Holocaust."European History Quarterly"There are few more powerful or moving collections of testimonies from the Jewish victims of the Nazi pogrom of 9-10 November 1938. This is an extraordinary collection that conveys the full extent of Nazi brutality towards Jews even before the 'Final Solution' had begun."Richard J Evans, Regius Professor of history at the University of Cambridge and author of The Third Reich at War "The testimonies about the pogrom of November 9 and 10, 1938 and its sequels, assembled in this volume, describe what the authors deemed to be the height of Nazi barbarism. In reality, these events were but the faintest of preludes to what was about to happen to the Jews in Germany and in occupied Europe. Nonetheless, these reports carry a poignancy of their own that overwhelmingly evokes the suffocating and terror filled atmosphere of Jewish everyday existence in the Reich during those November days and the immediate pre-war months."Saul Friedlander, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The Years of Extermination: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945"What sets this anthology, edited by German sociologist Uta Gerhardt and literary agent Thomas Karlauf, apart from other firsthand accounts is the immediacy of the testimonies. All of the accounts reveal the degree to which their authors were traumatized by their experiences."S.Ross Doughty, Ursinus CollegeTable of ContentsEditorial Note and Acknowledgements vii Foreword Saul Friedländer x Introduction Thomas Karlauf: Thus Ended My Life in Germany' 1 Part I The Terror 17 Hugo Moses 19 Siegfried Merecki 36 Rudolf Bing 56 Toni Lessler 65 Sofoni Herz 72 'Aralk' 82 Marie Kahle 88 Part II In The Camps 93 Karl E. Schwabe 95 Gertrud Wickerhauser Lederer 110 Karl Rosenthal 115 Georg Abraham 135 Hertha Nathorff 148 Carl Hecht 165 Ernst Bellak 174 Part III Before Emigration 179 Martin Freudenheim 181 Alice Bärwald 183 Siegfried Wolff 187 Margarete Neff 194 Fritz Rodeck 208 Fritz Goldberg 228 Harry Kaufman 231 Afterword Uta Gerhardt: Nazi Madness 236 Notes 261 Bibliography 275

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Book SynopsisWar in the Wilderness is the most comprehensive account ever published of the human aspects of the Chindit war in Burma. The Chindit expeditions behind Japanese lines in occupied Burma 1943–1944 transformed the morale of British forces after the crushing defeats of 1942.

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Book SynopsisThe only first-hand account of BRIXMIS, the British Army’s most secret unit of the Cold War

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Book SynopsisThe story of all the men who took part in the RAF’s most famous bomber operation, the 1943 Dams Raid

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Book SynopsisThe greatest French Resistance disaster of the Second World War told in its entirety for the first time.Trade ReviewThe truth emerges, leaving the honour of Suttill senior enhanced and giving reminders of the rules of clandestine operations.

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Book SynopsisThe appalling story of Hitler''s murderous policies aimed at the disabled including tens of thousands of children killed by their doctors. Between 1939 and 1945 the Nazi regime systematically murdered thousands of adults and children with physical and mental disabilities as part of its ''euthanasia'' policy. These programmes were designed to eliminate all people with disabilities who, according to Nazi ideology, threatened the health and purity of the German race. Hitler's Forgotten Victims explores the development and workings of this nightmarish process, a relatively neglected aspect of the Holocaust. Suzanne Evans''s account draws on the rich historical record, as well as scores of exclusive interviews with disabled Holocaust survivors. It begins with a description of the Children's Killing Programme, in which tens of thousands of children with physical and mental disabilities were murdered by their doctors, usually by starvation or lethal injection. The book goes o

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Book SynopsisThe dramatic tale of Margot Turner''s survival as a prisoner of war during the Pacific conflict of the Second World War inspired the 1980s television series Tenko. The cargo ship on which she was evacuated from Singapore in 1942 was shelled, leaving her on a makeshift raft with sixteen other survivors. One by one they perished, leaving her along, burnt black by the sun, and suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. Discovered by a Japanese destroyer, she was imprisoned on Banka Island and nursed back to health by nuns. A nurse by profession, Margot was initially permitted to help run the operating theatre on her recovery, when, unexpectedly she was arrested by the dreaded Kempeitai and thrown into Palembang jail. There, crammed with murderers and rapists in a filthy cell, she spent six months living in daily fear of joining the many prisoners who were noisily tortured and executed, before being returned to the prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war.In this, the first biography for forty years, Penny Starns describes the often horrific but occasionally heart-warming experiences of this unbreakable woman who, not content with surviving the war, went on to become a brigadier and matron-in-chief of the British Army nursing services. Using recently released material from the National Archives and Turner''s own words, Starns re-analyses the Pacific conflict against a backdrop of one person''s incredible fortitude and strength, and brings the story of a remarkable woman to life.

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Book SynopsisThe full story of Aston House in the Second World War has never been told before. Its activities were top secret and as important to the Allied war effort as those of Bletchley Park, but in a different way. Situated near Stevenage, Aston House was one of many British country houses requisitioned during the Second World War by the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Born out of Bletchley Park, where it began life as SIS Section ''D'' (for Destruction), Station 12''s scientific and military personnel invented, made and supplied ''toys'' for the Commandos, Special Boat Service, SAS, and resistance groups. Included in their deadly arsenal of weapons were plastic explosives, limpet mines, pressure switches, tree spigots, incendiary bombs, incendiary liquids and arrows, and a variety of time fuses. They worked on the tools for famous operations, such as the St Nazaire and Dieppe Raids, and the assassination of Himmler''s deputy in Prague. Also revealed are the human stories of personnel stat

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Book SynopsisFaced with the terror of the unexploded bomb, the Maltese people looked for help to the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Section, who dealt with all unexploded bombs, outside of airfields and the RN dockyard, across an area the size of Greater London.

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Book SynopsisGenuinely new story of the Second World War - the full account of England's last war against France in 1940-42.Trade ReviewSmith describes unfamiliar battles with notable fluency and skill -- Max Hastings * SUNDAY TIMES *Riveting -- Robert Fisk * INDEPENDENT *his descriptions of these obscure battlefield encounters are thrilling and his narrative is spruce and peppery. -- Christopher Silvester * DAILY TELEGRAPH *a narrative of war that has much of Patrick O'Brian about it. -- Carmen Callil * GUARDIAN *excellent account of a woefully understudied 'war within a war'...Astonishingly, this is the first book -- Andrew Roberts * LITERARY REVIEW *Smith's considerable achievement is to unmask the reality and make us understand this painful period far better than ever before. * CATHOLIC HERALD *"a classic on the conflict with Hitlers Vichy allies... a superb book on an astonishing array of long-buried incidents." * OXFORD TIMES *"Colin Smith's light yet detailed touch superbly outlines a wasteful and depressing story... A quality read with many political and military twists and turns." * SOLDIER MAGAZINE *In this exemplary work, Smith displays a real knack for conveying time, place and pungent action. * WARSHIP INTERNATIONAL FLEET REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisMoishe Rozenbaumas (1922-2016) recounts his fascinating life, from his Lithuanian boyhood, to the fraught experiences that take him across Europe and Central Asia and back again, to his daring escape from Soviet Russia to build a new life in Paris.Trade ReviewA fascinating read that portrays life in Telz, the vibrant Jewish shtetl or market town that was also a famous Yeshiva center. With an enchanting eye for detail, Moishe Rosenbaumas tells a lesser known story out of the Holocaust: escape to Russia from Lithuania, heroic service in the Red Army, hair-raising escape from the Soviet Union and successful resettlement in France. His is a fresh and unique voice and his book deserves recognition as a literary masterpiece in the library of Jewish memoir literature of the twentieth century. A riveting story of a resilient survivor who underwent the most harrowing experiences during the time of World War II and its aftermath, never lost courage, always exhibited saving resourcefulness, and emerged from it all to build a good life for himself and his family. This is far from a run-of-the-mill memoir about the horrors of the Holocaust, and it will be a real gift to American readers. "[An] incredibly gripping memoir.

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Book SynopsisShostakovich''s Seventh Symphony was first played in the city of its birth on 9 August, 1942. There has never been a first performance to match it. Pray God, there never will be again. Almost a year earlier, the Germans had begun their blockade of the city. Already many thousands had died of their wounds, the cold, and most of all, starvation. The assembled musicians - scrounged from frontline units and military bands, for only twenty of the orchestra''s 100 players had survived - were so hungry, many feared they''d be too weak to play the score right through. In these, the darkest days of the Second World War, the music and the defiance it inspired provided a rare beacon of light for the watching world.Setting the composition of Shostakovich''smost famous work against the tragic canvas of the siege itself and the years of repression and terror that preceded it, Leningrad: Siege and Symphony is a magisterial and moving account of one of themost tragic periods in histoTrade ReviewA Spectator Book of the Year * Spectator *Like a movie camera, [Moynahan] zooms in and out on the besieged civilians, the bitterly cold troops on the city's edge and the simultaneous efforts of Shostakovich to set these experiences to music from the relative safety of evacuation... This multi-perspective approach makes for a gripping story... Moynahan's Leningrad: Siege and Symphony vividly brings to life a hero city that refused to die. * The New York Times Book Review *A passionate and moving book...nothing short of masterly. * Wall Street Journal *A narrative that is by turns painful, poignant and inspiring * Minneapolis Star Tribune *Moynahan...is a vivid writer, and his account bulges with the reminiscences and contemporaneous accounts of participants; the accumulation of individual experience sears his narrative while sometimes threatening to overwhelm it. He reaches into the guts of the city to extract some humanity from the blood and darkness, and at its best Leningrad captures the heartbreak, agony and small salvations in both death and survival...Moynahan's descriptions of the battlefield, which also draw from the diaries of the cold, lice-ridden, hungry combatants, are haunting. * Washington Post *As Moynahan reveals, the real story of the symphony's genesis and its triumph was more complex and more tragic than is generally understood...Combining a full description of the birth of the Seventh Symphony with a rich and horrifying account of the hell that was Leningrad under siege, this selection brings new depth and drama to a key historical moment * Booklist *Brian Moynahan interweaves three gripping stories in this compelling kaleidoscope of war-ravaged Leningrad: Hilter's 900-day siege, Stalin's purges that decimated the city's professional and cultural leaders and Dmitri Shostakovich's desperate struggle to write his haunting Seventh Symphony. Its performance by half-starved musicians between bouts of German shelling attests to the triumph of the human spirit amidst the greatest upheaval of the twentieth century. * Angela Stent, author of The Limits of Partnership: US-Russian Relations in the Twenty-First Century and professor at Georgetown University *Leningrad: Siege and Symphony is a remarkable achievement. Brian Moynahan holds the reader in suspense while teaching an important chapter in the history of the Second World War. His magnificent tale portrays the terror within and without Leningrad during its heroic defiance of the Nazi conquerors and subtle resistance to its Stalinist masters. Like Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony, this is a triumph * Charles Glass, author of Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation and The Deserters: A Hidden History of World War II *A stupendous story, driven by a furious narrative yet biblical in its thematic confrontations of beauty and evil. It's vivid in three dimensions: The Red Army's battles with Hitler's war machine; the ordeals of the Russian people terrorized by the malevolent maniac in the Kremlin; and throughout the faint but swelling counterpoint of hope as the great Dmitri Shostakovich struggles to write the score of his Seventh Symphony to express the soul of his martyred city . . . This is history to cherish. * Sir Harold Evans, Editor at Large at Reuters, author of The American Century, and publisher of The Russian Century *Beautifully written and profoundly moving, Leningrad is a stunning, haunting book that has stayed with me long after I turned the last page. * James Holland, Dam Busters *'A bold attempt to set the composition of Shostakovich's 7th Symphony within the extraordinary context of its times' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday. * Mail on Sunday *'A really gripping read ... the narrative is fantastic, very skilfully done ... I couldn't put it down. It's like reading a novel' Professor Erik Levi, Music Matters BBC Radio 3. * BBC Radio 3 *'The scale of Leningrad's suffering and the lasting impact of [Shostakovich's] inspirational music are brilliantly captured in this extraordinary book ... Unique, a powerful and redemptive piece of work' Curtis Hutchinson, Military History Monthly. * Military History Monthly *'The extraordinary tale of the symphony and the city that inspired it, an engrossing, finely researched new book' Petroc Trelawny, Catholic Herald. * Catholic Herald *'Tolstoyan ... Moynahan's account is by far the fullest and most compelling I've read ... it's certainly hard to read his gripping, skilfully woven account without emotion' Stephen Walsh, Spectator. * Spectator *Table of ContentsDramatis Personae. Maps. Overture. Terror. War. To Mid-September 1941. To Mid-October 1941. October 1941. November 1941. December 1941. New Year. January 1942. February 1942. March 1942. April-May 1942. June 1942. July 1942. Symphony No. 7. Farewell. Notes. Bibliography. Acknowledgements. Index.

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Book SynopsisFor many years, the day to day working and opinions of the Vietnamese Peoples'' Air Force (VPAF) has remained relatively unknown until the author uncovered rare first-hand accounts and many new photographs of VPAF operations over North Vietnam between 1965-1975. Frank opinions are voiced on how the North Vietnamese viewed the gradual escalation of the aerial conflict over their country, including details on key operations and VPAF tactics against USAF F-4s, F-105s, F-8s and B-52s. Details of the Black Friday Massacre, America''s heaviest aerial defeat are related in the words of Nguyen Van Coc (the highest scoring pilot of the Vietnam conflict) who tells of his first kill and Dong Van De who recalls how he achieved the first ever double kill over American-flown aircraft, events which were never released into the public domain. Leading VPAF pilots including Major General Pham Ngoc Lan discuss their aerial engagements and tactics and Nguyen Tiem Sam recollects his kills of F-4 Phantoms

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Book SynopsisThe years of World War II saw the greatest single leap in US military aircraft technology and design, from the relatively fragile pre-war designs to the very edge of the supersonic era. Many remarkable aircraft came and went in quick succession with some missions and types disappearing altogether. Indeed, there were scores of little known or minimally documented aircraft projects which significantly advanced technology of aeronautics, propulsion, aircraft systems, avionics and weapons, whilst never achieving full-rate production and deployment. Focusing almost exclusively on official programs and aircraft that actually entered development, American Aircraft Development of WWII, Special Types 1939-1945 opens with the ''state of the art'' designs at the beginning of the war, to the advances during the conflict itself. These so-called ''special types'' are far less widely known than fighter and bomber designs, but no less important, and include armed photo reconnaissance aircraft, catapult launched seaplanes, autogyros, tactical haulers and armed drones. Other designs covered include ''one-off'' experimental aircraft, rocket boost, floats and skis added to landplanes, fighters with second seats added for training, engine testbeds, ''oddball'' experiments and more besides. Illustrated through-out with 3-view drawings and rare photographs, many of little-known and unusual aircraft and missiles, American Aircraft Development of WWII, Special Types 1939-1945 tells the stories of engineering teams and test pilots struggling against short schedules and tight resources to develop new aircraft that pushed the bounds of technology. This book is a fitting testament to the epic and sometimes life-threatening accomplishments which were every bit as vital to the war effort as actual combat operations themselves.

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Book SynopsisThis is the second part of a two volume set exploring the inception, planning and preparation of the offensive to liberate Europe, Operation Overlord, culminating in its launch on D-Day.Table of Contents"Die invasion hat begonnen!", Oberst Bodo Zimmerman; Omaha and Utah areas, Lieutenant General Omar N. Bradley; the Medals of Honor - Gold Area, Brigadier Harold Pyman; the D-Day Victoria Cross - Juno Area, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles P. Stacey; Sword Area, Brigadier David Belchem; Mulberry, Captain Harold Hickling; airfields, Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory; an appreciation, Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt; postscript, the editor; 50th anniversary commemorations, Brigadier Tom Longland; Normandy today, Major Tonie Holt.

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Book SynopsisThe 353rd Fighter Group, the `Slybirds’, participated in the major WWII aerial battles. 450 photographs provide a unique window on this historic group.Trade ReviewA real boon for modellers is the Markings, Nose Art and Famous Aircraft section, with its splendid views of various P-47s and P-51s. This is a classy book indeed. * Airfix Model World *The basic story and detailed information is interesting reading, while the number of archive photos, and mix of both colour and black and white images will be a delight to modellers and 8th Air Force historians alike. Heartily recommended. * Military Model Scene *As well as being of interest to general readers, this is a very useful book for modellers seeking detailed archive pictures. * Flypast Magazine *This superb book by 353rd FG historian Graham Cross is packed with 450 photographs covering the highs and lows of life serving with a fighter group from both the air and groundcrew perspective. * Editor - Model Boat World *In one book you will get photos of the main US aircrafts and their pilots, what should come handy in our [military modelling] hobby. Moreover, it might be important to read in order to understand some things connected to 353rd fighter group. * DetailScaleView *Every now and then a book comes along that is so good in every aspect - content, photo reproduction, editing, production values - that it can't possibly be matched...That benchmark may have just been surpassed. * Flightpath Magazine *The book gives a comprehensive look at the 353rd Group, and a unique look at the men and machines which made up this formidable fighting force, Highly recommended. * Britmodeller.com *Packed with nearly 450 photos, the majority of which are previously unpublished, unseen wartime colour photographs and detailed captions, this book is a visual and informative feast providing a unique window on a Fighter Group at war. Essential for any student of the air war over Europe. * Classic Wings *An amazing photographic tribute to the 353rd fighter group of the USAF. Magnificent. * Books Monthly *The photo selection is little short of outstanding…succeeds in representing all aspects of life on a US Army Air Forces fighter station in the latter stages of the war. *Winner of the November 2017 Book of the Month award* * Aeroplane Magazine *A very nicely produced book which will be enjoyed by USAAF enthusiasts with its unique collection of images and information. * Air Modeller *A magnificent book on the distinguished career of a ground attack and bomber escort unit. * Aviation News *

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Book SynopsisSouth Pacific Air War Volume 1 is the first book in a trilogy chronicling the early months of the Pacific War in the lead up to the Battle of the Coral Sea.Trade ReviewTo draw on so many threads and weave them together is no easy feat. Putting it in a relatively compact package is rather brilliant. * Flightpath Magazine *The two authors are uniquely qualified to tell this story. […] For the modeller there is plenty of colour reference material in profiles etc. supplied as well as some good period photographs of aircraft. All in all, this book is a good read and useful for the modeller. Well recommended. * Model Airplane International Magazine 19/07/2021 *An interesting aspect of the book is that – unusually – it also describes the campaign from the Japanese viewpoint. * Flypast Magazine 01/05/2019 *

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Book SynopsisThe inspiring and unknown story of how the villagers of Graignes joined in solidarity with US paratroopers following the invasion of Normandy. Inspired by his own father's experience, Stephen G. Rabe recounts how the villagers supported and saved paratroopers from marauding Nazi SS forces in the post-D-Day period.Trade Review'Lost no longer, the American paratroopers who helped to liberate Normandy find a sympathetic chronicler in Stephen G. Rabe. This is micro-history at its most intimate. In granular detail, Rabe recounts the story of how American troops and French villagers rescued Graignes from German occupation. Drawing on deep research and even deeper feeling, the author pays tribute to his veteran father, to a generation, and to enduring ties between two nations bound together by collective sacrifices and shared valor.' Susan Carruthers, author of Dear John: Love and Loyalty in Wartime America'Compelling and suspenseful, The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy highlights the bravery and resourcefulness of American soldiers and the people of Graignes while further demolishing the myth of a blameless Waffen SS.' Steven P. Remy, author of The Malmedy Massacre: The War Crimes Trial Controversy'Stephen G. Rabe's exhaustively researched work breaks the silence surrounding the heroic roles played by French men and women to assure the success of the American landings. Engagingly written, the story emphasizes the courage of both soldier and civilian in the face of SS murder and atrocity. A must-read for anyone who wishes to explore another view of the D-Day landings. Highly recommended.' Mary Louise Roberts, author of D-Day Through French Eyes: Memoirs of Normandy 1944'Stephen G. Rabe provides a fascinating and multi-layered military, diplomatic, and social history of US World War II paratroopers, French villagers, and the protection they gave each other in June 1944. In the process, he provides a fitting tribute to his father, who was one of those paratroopers.' Mark A. Stoler, author of Allies in War: Britain and America against the Axis Powers, 1940–1945'… this history combines heroism and tragedy in equal measure. WWII buffs will be engrossed.' Publishers WeeklyTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Paratrooper; 2. Overseas; 3. Occupied France; 4. Liberators and friends; 5. Days of friendship, hope, and waiting; 6. The longest day in Graignes; 7. Escape, exile, and annihilation; 8. Graignes in historical memory; Afterword.

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Book SynopsisIn just four weeks in the summer of 1941 the German Wehrmacht wrought unprecedented destruction on four Soviet armies, conquering central Ukraine and killing or capturing three quarters of a million men. This was the Battle of Kiev - one of the largest and most decisive battles of World War II and, for Hitler and Stalin, a battle of crucial importance. In this book, David Stahel charts the battle's dramatic course and aftermath, uncovering the irreplaceable losses suffered by Germany's 'panzer groups' despite their battlefield gains, and the implications of these losses for the German war effort. He illuminates the inner workings of the German army as well as the experiences of ordinary soldiers, showing that with the Russian winter looming and Soviet resistance still unbroken, victory came at huge cost and confirmed the turning point in Germany's war in the East.Trade ReviewReviews of the hardback: 'David Stahel has written a remarkable book. Not only is it the fullest English-language account of the Battle of Kiev, based on an expert knowledge of the records of the German formations directly involved, but it is also a stimulating attempt to put what appeared to be Hitler's greatest victory into the context of his eventual defeat.' Evan Mawdsley, author of Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War'David Stahel's new book on the battle of Kiev is a brilliant contribution to our knowledge of the German-Soviet war. Ranging widely over strategic debates within the high command, operational and tactical details of the fighting, the logistical situation behind the front, and industrial production at home, this is an essential book for any student of World War II. A major addition to the literature from a master scholar.' Robert M. Citino, author of Death of the Wehrmacht: The German Campaigns of 1942'A fitting follow-on to Stahel's previous books, Kiev 1941 is a fresh, accurate, and authoritative volume. A thoroughly enjoyable read, it injects a healthy dose of realism into the history of this dramatic battle. Dismantling myths left and right, the book sets right one of the most significant stages of Operation Barbarossa.' David Glantz, author of Barbarossa Derailed: The Battle for Smolensk, 10 July–10 September 1941'Building on his work in Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East, in Kiev 1941 David Stahel further highlights how German operational successes were no compensation for strategic miscalculation. Stahel uses a rich mix of German archival and other sources to provide a comprehensive analysis of the battle from a German perspective - a valuable contribution to the literature.' Alexander Hill, author of The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union, 1941–1945: A Documentary Reader'Most original … a thoughtful and thought-provoking text.' Richard Overy, Literary Review'… this book is essential reading for what was the greatest military encounter of the Second World War. In a succinctly worded, well-argued text, it has opened a new debate on the very ability of Nazi Germany to wage a major war … Stahel is to be congratulated for a controversial and stimulating book. It comes highly recommended.' Military History Monthly'[Stahel's] incisive survey cuts through much of the postwar myth making [and] shows mastery of the German sources … Issues of logistics and command are leavened by valuable insights into the strategic miscalculations of Hitler and his high command and vivid use of veteran testimony.' Michael Jones, BBC History Magazine'Even readers familiar with the Russian theater of WWII will find much to intrigue them here, although the wonder of Stahel's book is how accessible it is to the non-specialist; in addition to recounting the history of a pivotal battle, [he] is very conscious that he's telling a story as well. A dark story – two evil nations tearing each other's guts out – but, in Stahel's hands, a powerful and a necessary one as well. A highly recommended account.' Open Letters Monthly'Relying mainly on German sources, [Stahel] brings new evidence to bear on the conflict with the official war diaries of German divisions, as well as making good use of published editions of the private field-post letters and diaries of German soldiers of all ranks … overall [he] conveys extremely complex military action with exemplary clarity.' Richard J. Evans, The New Republic'Like [Stahel's] previous book, Kiev, 1941 is a magnificent work of historical revision, a first-rate example of how military history ought to be written.' Mackubin Thomas Owens, The Weekly Standard'[Stahel] makes extensive use of the diaries and letters of German soldiers as well as works by and about German generals and political figures like Hitler and Goebbels – there are about a hundred pages of endnotes and bibliography. Excellent maps and tables clarify the complex military operations … To sum up, in this most detailed English-language treatment of the battle of Kiev, David Stahel furnishes ample evidence that, despite its Ukrainian victories in late September 1941, Germany remained ill prepared to defeat the USSR.' Walter G. Moss, Michigan War Studies Review'Stahel provides vivid depictions of the Ostheer's growing 'demodernization' … and convincingly shows that the victory in Ukraine was a result both of Hitler's insistence on turning his forces southwards and away from Moscow, and of Stalin's determination to hold on to Kiev despite the clear indications of a looming catastrophe.' Omer Bartov, The Times Literary Supplement'To historians with a serious interest in the Eastern Front in World War II, David Stahel is fast becoming a household name … While a number of historians before him have also dealt with the subject, Stahel has brought to his study a remarkable familiarity with primary and secondary German sources as well as a willingness to unambiguously re-address a question which has mystified generations of historians: did the Ostheer ever have a chance of inflicting crippling damage on the USSR in 1941?' Klaus Schmider, The Journal of Military History'Stahel has written a well-balanced, often provocative … book, which sheds much new light on our knowledge of the fighting around the capital of the Ukraine.' Martijn Lak, The Journal of Slavic Military Studies'… masterful … superbly researched and well written …' Leo J. Daugherty, III, The Journal of Slavic Military StudiesTable of Contents1. The bulldog, the eagle and the bear; 2. Germany's defeat in the east; 3. The road to Kiev; 4. War in the Ukraine; 5. Ominous horizons; 6. The battle of Kiev; 7. Slaughter in the Ukraine; 8. Visions of victory; 9. The calm before the storm; 10. Moscow in the crosshairs; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThe Darkest Year is acclaimed author William K. Klingaman's narrative history of the American home front from December 7, 1941 through the end of 1942, a psychological study of the nation under the pressure of total war.For Americans on the home front, the twelve months following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor comprised the darkest year of World War Two. Despite government attempts to disguise the magnitude of American losses, it was clear that the nation had suffered a nearly unbroken string of military setbacks in the Pacific; by the autumn of 1942, government officials were openly acknowledging the possibility that the United States might lose the war.Appeals for unity and declarations of support for the war effort in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor made it appear as though the class hostilities and partisan animosities that had beset the United States for decades and grown sharper during the Depression suddenly disappeared. They did not, and a

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Book SynopsisThe British campaign in Norway in 1940 was an ignominious and abject failure. It is perhaps best known as the fiasco which directly led to the fall of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his replacement by Winston Churchill. But what were the reasons for failure? Why did the decision makers, including Churchill, make such poor decisions and exercise such bad judgement? What other factors played a part? John Kiszely draws on his own experience of working at all levels in the military to assess the campaign as a whole, its context and evolution from strategic failures, intelligence blunders and German air superiority to the performance of the troops and the serious errors of judgement by those responsible for the higher direction of the war. The result helps us to understand not only the outcome of the Norwegian campaign but also why more recent military campaigns have found success so elusive.Trade Review'Kiszely's work is a model of how to analyse the political, strategic and operational dimensions of such a campaign. As such, it provides a great deal to ponder on the nature of war and decision-making. In an era when the UK seems to have abandoned the attempt to produce official history and analyses of past campaigns, Kiszely's work demonstrates the value of assessing the key failures and lessons of military campaigns.' Niall Barr, RUSI Journal'For those who are really interested in the study of war and the interrelationship between strategy, operations, and tactics, General Kiszely has written an extraordinarily important book. If military leaders fail to take the study of their profession seriously, they will inevitably find themselves incapable of connecting means to ends. Nor will they be able to provide sensible advice to politicians who have no background in military affairs or who, as occurred in Iraq in 2003, are willfully ignorant. Moreover, perhaps most disastrously, generals who have not taken the trouble to study their potential opponents will not understand the other side of the hill and, on the basis of the most facile assumptions, will send their troops into combat unprepared to deal with a living, adapting opponent.' Williamson Murray, Joint Force Quarterly'Kiszely's volume (already recipient of the Duke of Westminster Gold Medal for best military writing from the [Royal United Services Institute]) reflects its author. Methodical, precise and reflective of the planning and organisational training of a professional British Army officer and cites Clausewitz. … Clearly written and expressed, this is one of the best narratives on the subject available.' The Society of Friends of the National Army Museum Book Review Supplement'The book is written in an engaging style, and short biographical sketches bring to life the major participants. The maps are excellent and an appendix with a useful timeline helps orient the reader … The book is recommended for readers interested in World War II and especially for students at professional military education institutions.' Corbin Williamson, H-WarTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. 'A legitimate shadow'; 3. Deciding to decide; 4. Warning signs; 5. 'The major project'; 6. 'Hare-brained'; 7. Taking stock; 8. WESERÜBUNG; 9. 'Something must be done'; 10. The jigsaw puzzle; 11. 'Something must be done'; 12. 'Boldness is required'; 13. 'An even greater prize'; 14. Maurice; 15. Sickle; 16. 'We must get out'; 17. The third dimension; 18. 'In the name of God, go!'; 19. 'A good dividend'; 20. 'No time to lose'; 21. The long retreat; 22. Finale; 23. Conclusions.

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Book SynopsisPicturing Genocide in the Independent State of Croatia examines the role which atrocity photographs played, and continue to play, in shaping the public memory of the Second World War in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Focusing on visual representations of one of the most controversial and politically divisive episodes of the war -- genocidal violence perpetrated against Serbs, Jews, and Roma by the pro-Nazi Ustasha regime in the Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945) -- the book examines the origins, history and legacy of violent images. Notably, this book pays special attention to the politics of the atrocity photograph. It explores how images were strategically and selectively mobilized at different times, and by different memory communities and stakeholders, to do different things: justify retribution against political opponents in the immediate aftermath of the war, sustain the discourses of national unity on which socialist Yugoslavia was founded, or, in the post-Trade ReviewThis thoughtful and persuasively argued book explores images of Ustasha atrocities to shed light not only on Yugoslavia’s troubled and divided visual memory but also on the broader social and cultural history of the socialist country and its post-socialist successors. Byford’s thought-provoking and nuanced analysis of these graphic photographs and their many uses opens an unexpected window onto some of the most important moments, transitions and conflicts in Yugoslav history. * Ana Antic, Associate Professor of History, University of Copenhagen, Denmark *Picturing Genocide in the Independent State of Croatia is a theoretically-sophisticated and painstakingly-researched book. It debunks several major mythologies about the postwar memory of genocidal Ustasha violence during World War II. Byford approaches the history of atrocity photography in Yugoslavia and its successor states with strong ethical commitments and razor-sharp analysis, and illuminates the questions of production and consumption of atrocity photography in changing historical contexts more generally. * Emil Kerenji, Applied Research Scholar, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, USA *Table of Contents1. Introduction: Picturing Genocide 2. Evidencing ‘Unprecedented Savagery’: Atrocity Photographs in Occupied Yugoslavia 3. ‘Gather Photographs!’: The Birth of the Visual Memory of Ustasha Violence 4. Why Look at Fascism? Visual Propaganda and Revolutionary Justice in Post-war Yugoslavia 5. Ustasha Violence through the Prism of ‘Brotherhood and Unity’: The Dilemmas of Visual Memory in Socialist Yugoslavia 6. ‘The Dead Open the Eyes of the Living’: Atrocity Images after Tito 7. Mobilising Images: Visual Memory of the Second World War and the Yugoslav Conflict of the 1990s Conclusion: Atrocity Photographs beyond Idolatry and Oblivion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAimed at the new or returning modeller, featuring easy to copy building, painting, weathering and detailing techniques to help bring the model to life.

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Book SynopsisThe largely sea-borne invasion of Northern France in June 1944, Operation Overlord, is acknowledged as one of the key actions which hastened the end of the Second World War. The RAF played a vital part in the landings. It then supported the subsequent advance of Montgomery's 21st Army, and the Allies as a whole, through France, Belgium, Holland and into Germany.Following the breakout from the Normandy bridgehead in early August 1944, the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force moved forward in support of the troops, occupying a number of temporary airfields as it went. The ground support for this operation was complex, a situation that was exacerbated by the fact that much of it had to be highly mobile. The advance, however, was rapid and soon ran into problems as the supply lines grew longer by the day.The planners had envisaged that capturing the Belgian port of Antwerp would eventually enable them to bring in vitally needed supplies much further north on the Continent. Although the city and

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Book SynopsisHighly illustrated history of airborne forces warfare during the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisLittle known and largely unrecorded contribution of the three occupied Baltic States to the Nazis' war effort.

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