Modern warfare Books

Book SynopsisWhen the 160 men of Charlie Company (4th Battalion/47th Infantry/9th ID) were drafted by the US Army in May 1966, they were part of the wave of conscription that would swell the American military to 80,000 combat troops in theater by the height of the war in 1968. In the spring of 1966, the war was still popular and the draftees of Charlie Company saw their service as a rite of passage. But by December 1967, when the company rotated home, only 30 men were not casualties-and they were among the first vets of the war to be spit on and harassed by war protestors as they arrived back the U.S.In his new book, The Boys of ''67, Andy Wiest, the award-winning author of Vietnam''s Forgotten Army and The Vietnam War 1956-1975, examines the experiences of a company from the only division in the Vietnam era to train and deploy together in similar fashion to WWII''s famous 101st Airborne Division.Wiest interviewed more than 50 officers and enlisted men who served with Charlie ComTrade Review"Thoughtful and richly detailed, this outstanding account ... takes us into the forbidding Mekong River Delta with the men of Charlie Company, to witness their harrowing firefights and their fleeting victories." Hugh Ambrose, author of The Pacific "compelling... a fine blend of military and social history, sympathetic, well-written but analytically rigorous." Professor Gary Sheffield, BBC History Magazine Best Books of the Year 2012 "The Boys of '67 is an exceptionally well researched and well told story of a US Army infantry company in Vietnam. Charlie Company trained together, fought together, and bled together. Andrew Weist sheds light and understanding on the human and psychological dimension of war and the aftermath ... It is a story of courage, comradeship, tribulation, suffering, and perseverance." Brigadier General H.R. McMaster, author of Dereliction of Duty "The Boys of '67 ... is a story of men who routinely put their lives into each others' hands. It is a story of fear and heroism, of waste, confusion, boredom and their impact on those who return home. Wiest's empathy and perception make the book as emotionally compelling as it is intellectually penetrating, impossible to read with a detached mind or dry eyes." Dennis Showalter, author of Hitler's Panzers: The Lightning Attacks that Revolutionized Warfare "A powerful account of conflict, Andrew Wiest's The Boys of '67 provides what is all-too-rare, a 'face of battle' account that is at once scholarly and well-written, perceptive and engaging." Jeremy Black, author of War since 1945 "This is a story of men at war in the tradition of Band of Brothers. It is a remarkable book written by a master storyteller and meticulous historian. Professor Wiest effectively demonstrates in extremely personal terms the impact of the war, both good and bad, on the soldiers who did the fighting, while also very eloquently addressing the cost of the war on those left behind at home. I cannot recommend it strongly enough, particularly for fellow Vietnam veterans and their families, military historians, and anyone interested in what American soldiers went through in the Vietnam War." James H. Willbanks, PhD, Vietnam veteran and author of Abandoning Vietnam and The Battle of An Loc "In the final analysis, this book is a superb story of a US Army company in combat... The Boys of '67 is simply a story about war, the things men do in war and the things war does to them. The saga of the American soldier remains an important story that deserves to be told. Readers are in Wiest's debt for making Charlie Company's story accessible to the American public." Col Cole C. Kingseed, USA Ret. Despite that melancholy feel this is a book that I can thoroughly recommend. It gives a valuable insight into the life of the ordinary soldier early in the American involvement in Vietnam, and includes a fascinating series of post-war biographies, tracing the often difficult struggles of many of the survivors to adapt to their post-war lives. - History of WarTable of ContentsPreface: Meeting Charlie Introduction: The Need for Charlie Prelude: Losing the Best We Had Chapter 1: Who Was Charlie? Chapter 2: Training Chapter 3: To Vietnam and into the Rung Sat Chapter 4: Into Battle Chapter 5: The Day Everything Changed Chapter 6: The Steady Drumbeat of War Chapter 7: Charlie Transformed, Battlefield Coda, and the Freedom Bird Chapter 8: Home From War Glossary The Men of Charlie Company Bibliography Acknowledgements Dedication Index

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Book SynopsisThe third volume in this series returns to November 1942 to explain the background to the first major Anglo-American venture - Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa. It deals with the fratricidal combats which followed the initial landings in Morocco and Algeria for several days. It then considers the efforts made, unsuccessfully in the event, to reach northern Tunisia before the Germans and Italians could get there to forestall the possibility of an attack from the west on the rear of the Afrika Korps forces, then beginning their retreat from El Alamein. The six months of hard fighting which followed as the Allies built up the strength of their joint air forces and gradually wrested control of the skies from the Axis, are covered in detail. Then from 1 April 1943 the continuing story of the Western Desert Air Force is told from the point at which Volume 2 ended, as it advanced from the east to join hands with the units in the west. Now also described are the arrivals over the front of American pilots and crew, the P-38 Lightning, the Spitfire IX and the B-17 Flying Fortress and of the much-feared Focke-Wulf FW 190. The aerial activities over Tunisia became one of the focal turning points of World War II, yet this is frequently overlooked by historians. As before, the air-sea activities, the reconnaissance flights and the growing day and night bomber offensives form a major part of this volume. The mastery of the whole African coastline of the southern Mediterranean by the Allies prepared the way for the invasions of the European territories on the other side of this critical sea during 1943, which will be dealt with in Volume 4.

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Book SynopsisPacific Adversaries conveys detailed stories of aerial warfare in the South Pacific, chosen because both Japanese and Allied records can be matched for an accurate accounting. This second volume describes confrontations between the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and the Allies in New Guinea and the Solomons.Trade ReviewAn engrossing read and one which portrays hope, fear, desperation and even revenge, in the struggle to overcome a determined enemy and the elements, both of which took a heavy toll on friend and foe alike. * Classic Wings *Clear maps and period photos support the text; while some of the latter portray the crews and airframes involved, particularly machines damaged to prevent enemy intelligence efforts, many depict just the aircraft type in the theatre around the time of the event. * Airfix Model World *If you enjoy the detailed historical evidence presented in the form of a well written murder mystery you should read this book and marvel that such detail could be found in the diaries and combat records of the opposing air forces. * J-Aircraft *Table of ContentsAbout the Author Introduction Chapter 1 First South Pacific Night Fighters Chapter 2 POW Misinformation Chapter 3 The Bold Hudson Chapter 4 Mystery Milne Bay Airman Chapter 5 Returning the Flag Chapter 6 Murakami’s Empire Chapter 7 Beheaded in the Jungle Chapter 8 An Expensive Convoy Chapter 9 Lone Betty 355 Downed Chapter 10 Horita’s Bad Luck Chapter 11 Revenge over the Bismarck Sea Chapter 12 Survivor’s Tale Chapter 13 What Happened to Betty 377? Chapter 14 Bloody Tuesday Chapter 15 Betrayed Sources & Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisIn less than one day, the might of the Imperial Japanese Navy was destroyed and four of her great aircraft carriers sank burning into the dark depths of the Pacific. Utilizing the latest research and detailed combat maps, this book tells the dramatic story of the Japanese assault on Midway Island and the American ambush that changed the face of the Pacific war. With sections on commanders, opposing forces, and a blow-by-blow account of the action, this volume gives a complete understanding of the strategy, the tactics, and the human drama that made up the Midway campaign, and its place as the turning point in the Pacific war.Table of ContentsOrigins of the campaign /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing fleets /Opposing plans /The battle of Midway /The aftermath /Further reading /Index

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Book Synopsis"If you who read this can say, I am not under fire; I am not under torture; I am not on the run; if I hear a noise at six in the morning, I know it is a neighbour or a milkman, not the secret police; no one in my country is arrested and held without prompt charge and trial ...then you owe it, in a larger degree than most historians have so far allowed, to the resistance that occupied Europe put up to Hitler."An instant classic upon its initial publication in 1976, this fluent and persuasive book was the first to analyse the whole field of wartime resistance to the Nazis in Europe, to explain what resisters could and could not do, and to assess whether they achieved their aims. It is a truly epic theme, with its drama of intelligence, deception, escape and subversion. In gathering the threads of this important narrative into the fabric of a single volume, M. R. D. Foot, one of the most distinguished historians of his time, achieved a work of gripping and major significance.Trade Review"The definitive history." - Sunday Telegraph; "The best one-man synoptic survey of World War II resistance yet." - The Guardian; "No book in 1976 has given me more satisfaction or taught me more about man." - Ronald Lewin, Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisStrafvollzugslager der SS- und Polizei: Himmler's Wartime Institutions for the Detention of Waffen-SS and Polizei Criminals is a book that Heinrich Himmler would not have wished written. Preferring that this corner of the SS history remained forever in the shadows, the existence of the SS penal system had the potential to besmirch his entire organisation. In an effort to disguise the true extent of criminality within the ranks of the Waffen-SS, the Reichsfuhrer-SS temporarily expelled those SS men incarcerated in the Strafvollzugslager der SS- und Polizei, giving the appearance that Hitler's bodyguard did not suffer the scourge of serious criminality. In unprecedented detail, this study illuminates the reasoning behind the imprisonment of Waffen-SS and policemen in purpose-built institutions, describes the regulations governing their detention and reveals the operational history of these fascinating institutions. The Waffen-SS gaols established at Dachau, Danzig-Matzkau, Forrenbach and a clutch of smaller branch prisons are the focus of this in-depth study. Composed with the assistance of veterans' families, their contribution has ensured an unparalleled presentation of the convict's daily life and enumerated the lives of those tasked with the prisons operation. Ensuring that the convict's National Socialist spirit was undamaged by their punishment, the prison guards provided the malfeasance elements of the Waffen-SS with an SS suitable environment which enabled their further use to the regime. Eventually, these institutions become portals through which inmates passed to return to the front. No book written on this subject would be complete without analysing the various Waffen-SS field probation units that accepted paroled convicts. Here, at the front, Himmler commanded that they faced death, or serious wounding as the means to earn their full rehabilitation and return to the ranks of the SS. Scrutinised as part of this process is the SS-Bewahrungsbataillone, the infamous SS-Sonderkommando Dirlewanger and the SS-Fallschirmjagerabteilung. Criminal case histories are tendered throughout this work and describe the crimes and punishments imposed on those who had brought shame on the SS.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Methodology and Terminology; The Sources for this Work; Introduction. Chapter I: The Disciplinary Punishment of SS Men; 1.2 The Diszipliarstraf-und Beschwerdeordnung der SS; Concentration Camp Detention; The Emslandlager; The SS-Erziehungssturm; The Sondergerichtsbarkeit der SS und Polizei; The Wartime Disziplinarvorgesetzte and Arrest Punishment; Untersuchungshaft; The Standort Arrestanstalt; The Strafvollstreckungszug; The Wartime Incarceration of SS men in Concentration Camps; The Entwohnungsaufenhalt; Disciplinary Case Studies. Chapter II. The SS-und Polizei Strafvollzugslager; Origin, Structure and Activities; Imprisonment Provisions of the SS-und Polizei-Gerichtsbarkeit; Festungshaft; The Strafvollzugslager der SS- und Polizei Dachau; The Strafvollzugslager der SS- und Polizei Dachau, Aussenstelle 'Allach'; The Strafvollzugslager der SS-und Polizei Dachau, Zweiglager Hammerweg. Chapter III. The SS-und Polizei Strafvollzugslager Danzig-Matzkau; Conception; The Opening, Command Structure and Teething Problems; The Opening and Daily Routine; The First Years; The 1943 Brutality Scandal; The Schloss Hornburg Proposal; The First Half of 1944; The 20 July 1944 plot; The Second Half of 1944; Denouement: The Evacuation and Closure; The SS-und Polizei Strafvollzugslager Danzig-Matzkau Zweiglager 'Ludwigsfelde'; The SS-und Polizei Strafvollzugslager 'Forrenbach'; The Post-War Danzig-Matzkau Investigation; Gefangnis Debica; The SS-und Polizei Strafvollzugslager Danzig-Matzkau, Aussenstelle 'Kolberg'; Polizeigefangnis -und Arbeitserziehungslager Kurtenhof; SS-Strafgefanggenenlager 'Vught'. Chapter IV: The SS-Richter and SS-Beurkundungsfuhrer; Membership of the Allgemeine-SS; SS-Beurkundungsfuhrer; Career Path for the SS-Beurkundungsfuhrer; Selection; The Wehrgesetz; Biographies. Chapter V. The Front Probation Units of the SS and Polizei; The Front Probation Procedure; The Verlorenen Haufen; The Verlorenen Haufen SS-Pionier Abteilung Non-'Verlorenen Haufen' Front Probation; The 12 November 1941 Edict; The Clemency, Rehabilitation Path and Subsequent Edicts; The Bewahrungsabteilung der Waffen-SS; The Arbeitsabteilung der Waffen-SS; The Polizei Zug; The SS-Ersatz Bataillone 'Ost'; Front Probation Case Studies; Marriage Regulations for Probationers; Front Probation Regulations for the Non-German Offenders of the Waffen-SS; SS-Behilfe; Divisional Front Probation Units; Probation with the Einsatzgruppen; Field Probation against the Partisans; The SS-Sonderkommando Dirlewanger; Rehabilitation and Recruitment Policies for the SS-Sonderkommando; Punishment Regime within the SS-Sonderkommando; The Sonderbrigade Dirlewanger and the 36. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS; The SS-Fallschirmjagerabteilung 500; The SS-Sonderverbande z.b.v. 'Friedenthal' and the Jagdverbande; The 103. SS-Bewahrungskompanie; SS-Bewarhungsabteilung 'Thomalla'; The SS-Bewahrungs-Regiment 'Ludwigsfelde'; SS-Standarte 'Mauthausen'; SS-Bewahrungsabteilung 'Nurnberg'; SS-Kampfgruppe 'Matingen/Pavian'; Polizei-Bewahrungskompanie Einbrodt. Endnotes. Appendix; Dr Beelitz photograph collection; Mykiki Tyni photograph collection; SS Ranks comparison chart; Lexicon; Select Biography.

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Book SynopsisFirst publication dedicated to the role of the LRDG in the costly Dodecanese campaign September -November 1943.

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Book SynopsisThe untold story of Mary Lindell, one of the most colourful and courageous agents of the Second World War

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Book SynopsisOn 1 January 1943, with German Sixth Army about to be destroyed in the Stalingrad pocket, the Stavka (Soviet High Command) launched Operation Don, a strategic offensive aimed at demolishing German defenses in the southern Soviet Union. This book is the first detailed study of this crucial but virtually overlooked Soviet military operation.

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Book SynopsisThe book tells the story of a little known artillery regiment, the 155th (Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, RA which saw constant action during the ill-fated Malayan Campaign of 1941/42 and whose members later experienced the worst kind of hell as POWs of a cruel and bestial enemy. Following the Japanese invasion of Malaya, the Regiment fought a brave and resolute rearguard action all the way down the Malayan Peninsular and onto the so called impregnable fortress of Singapore. Held in the highest respect by comrades and foe alike, this former territorial cavalry regiment fully deserved its Royal Artillery moto - Ubigue - 'everywhere'. In the years that followed, the Gunners slaved, suffered an d died on the infamous Burma Railway, in copper mines of Formosa and camps throughout the Far East. More men of the Regiment died as POWs than fell in action. They should not be forgotten. Included is a full nominal roll which allows the reader to identify the camp/s where each individual Gunner was held. A Roll of Honour provides the date, place and cause of death and place of burial/commemoration of the Regiment's casualties.Trade ReviewIncluded is a full nominal roll which allows the reader to identify the camp/s where each individual Gunner was held. - Britain at War Death Was Our Bedmate is an inspiring read and an overdue tribute to the fallers and survivors during the regiment's horrific ordeal. COFEPOW

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Book SynopsisOn 30th April 1945 Germany is in chaos...Russian troops have reached Berlin. All over the country, people are on the move - concentration camp survivors, Allied PoWs, escaping Nazis - and the civilian population is fast running out of food. The man who orchestrated this nightmare is in his bunker beneath the capital, saying his farewells.This is the gripping story of Hitler's final hours, as seen through the eyes of those who were with him in the bunker; those fighting in the streets of Germany; and those pacing the corridors of power in Washington, London and Moscow.30th April 1945 was a day that millions had dreamed of, and millions had died for.Trade ReviewBeyond fascinating... this book brings to life a thousand different people in the most dramatic moment of the last century'"Mesmerising". * Daily Mail *"Fascinating". * The Sun *"Compelling". * Radio Times *

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Book SynopsisIn 1943, the New Brunswick Rangers were sent to Britain, converted into a heavy weapons support unit, and shipped off to Normandy.Originating as a 19th century militia, the New Brunswick Rangers were placed on active service for the first time during the Second World War, serving first in the Maritimes and Newfoundland. In 1943, the Rangers were sent to Britain, where they were converted to a heavy weapons support unit, armed with machine guns and mortars in preparation for the invasion of Normandy.In this illuminating account, Matthew Douglass uncovers their participation in the war: their arrival in Normandy and their contributions to the battles in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Present at many of the critical moments of the campaign, the Rangers participated in the Battle of the Falaise Gap, which cleared the way for the advance on Paris and the German border; the Battle of the Scheldt, which secured the vital supply lines of the port of Antwerp; and the Battle of the Reichswald, when German resistance on the west bank of the Rhine was finally broken. Drawing on archival photographs and original source documents, Douglass's account of the Rangers' wartime experiences is a crucial piece in understanding the role of heavy weapons support units on the Western Front.The New Brunswick Rangers in the Second World War is volume 27 of the New Brunswick Military Heritage Series.

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Book SynopsisYoshimi provides a wealth of documentation and testimony to prove the existence of some 2,000 "comfort stations" where as many as 200,000 women of varying nationalities, euphemistically known as "comfort women," were imprisoned and forced to engage in sexual activity with Japanese military personnel.Trade ReviewCrucial reading. -- Katha Pollitt The Nation Yoshimi, a reputable historian/scholar... has meticulously sleuthed out chronological data, exposing from its bitter outset that sordid, endless business of sexual slavery. Yoshimi's account extends to the essence of feminist political purpose... The book makes solid headway toward legitimizing his demands for public access to still-secret documents; acknowledging and apologizing for all violations of international law and war crimes and for failure to punish guilty parties; rehabilitating and compensating victims... A vigorous work, enhanced by a precise, graceful translation. Choice Comfort Women's command of documentary materials makes it a landmark for historians, human rights activists and general readers. -- Georgette Fleischer Los Angeles Times Book Review As a piece of historical literature,Comfort Women is interesting as an in-depth look at the politics and psychology of a particular time, as much as it is a chronology of what happened to the comfort women and why they were forgotten. One of the most interesting things about it, however, is its unique place in history as the virtual smoking gun that supplied the damning evidence the world needed to hear in order to fully understand and come to grips with this issue...A convincing writer and powerful advocate, Yoshimi has shown by words and actions his willingness to campaign not only as an intellectual who loves the truth, but as a person of tough moral fiber who will stand up for human rights, even as a majority of one. -- Martha Vickery Korean Quarterly Yoshiaki's invaluable study explodes the claims of Japanese right-wing nationalists that comfort women were merely wartime prostitutes... Citing official military records and correspondence, he proves beyond doubt that the victims of this monstrous system were actually sex slaves subjected to repetitive rape and violence... [this book] belongs in most libraries. Library Journal (starred review) it is necessary and compelling reading...invaluable addition...fascinating -- Wendy Anderson Asian Studies ReviewTable of ContentsTranslator's Introduction Author's Introduction to the English Edition The Emergence of the Issue 1. The Course and Conditions of the Establishment of the Military Comfort Station System: From the First Shanghai Incident to the Start of All-Out War in China 2. Expansion Into Southeast Asia and the Pacific: The Period of the Asia Pacific War 3. How Were the Women Rounded Up? Comfort Women's Testimonies and Soldiers' Recollections 4. The Lives Comfort Women Were Forced to Lead 5. Violations of International Law and War Crime Trials 6. Conditions After the Defeat Conclusion Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index

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In May 1918, Angela and Leopold Mond received a knock on the front door. It was the postman and he was delivering the letter every family in the United Kingdom dreaded: the notification of a loved one's battlefield death, in their case the death in action of their eldest child, their son, Lieutenant Francis Mond. The twenty-two year old Royal Flying Corps pilot, along with his Observer, Lieutenant Edgar Martyn, had been shot down over no man's land, both being killed instantly. If there was one crumb of comfort, it was the news that a brave Australian officer, Lieutenant A.H. Hill, had gone out under fire and recovered both bodies: there would, at the very least, be a grave to visit after the war. And then, nothing. No further news was forthcoming. Angela Mond wrote to the Imperial War Graves Commission asking for further details but there was confusion. No one knew where Mond's and Martyn's bodies were buried. There had been an initial trail: both bodies had been taken to the village of Corbie and a lorry summoned to take them away, but from that last sighting both men had simply disappeared. It seems incredible that all traces of the burial of two officers duly identified, should be lost,' wrote Angela to the authorities in December 1918. And so began one of the most extraordinary private investigations undertaken in the aftermath of the Great War. Aged 48 and the mother of five children, Angela, a wealthy and well-connected socialite from London's West End, embarked on an exhaustive personal quest to find her son, an investigation that took her to the battlefields and cemeteries of France and into correspondence with literally hundreds of French civilians and British and German servicemen. In the meantime, as she searched, she bought the ground on which her son's plane had crashed and erected a private memorial to Francis, a memorial that still survives. Angela's quest for her son is reflective of the wider yearning amongst those who lost loved ones in the Great War: the absolute need find a form of solace through the resolution of a search. More than 750,000 servicemen and women had been killed, half of whom had no known grave. After the Great War there were families who hunted for their missing sons for a decade or more and when no body was recovered, back doors were forever left unlocked just in case that son should one day return. Lieutenant Francis Mond's case was exceptional, perhaps unique in the circumstances of his death and subsequent disappearance, but the emotions behind the search for his body were shared by families all over the country.

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Book SynopsisBased on select writings from an exceptional Amsterdam archive containing more than two thousand Dutch diaries from World War II, The War Diaries illuminates a part of history we haven't seen in quite this way before. Nina Siegal, an accomplished journalist and novelist, weaves together excerpts from the daily journals of collaborators, resistors, and the persecuteda Dutch Nazi police detective, a Jewish journalist imprisoned at Westerbork transit camp, a grocery store owner who saved dozens of livesinto a braided nonfictional narrative of the Nazi occupation and the Dutch Holocaust, as individuals experienced it day by day.Siegal provides the context, both historical and personal, while she tries to make sense of her own relationship to this past. As a second-generation survivor born and raised in New York, she attempts to understand what it meant for her mother and maternal grandparents to live through the war in Europe in those times. When Siegal moved to Amsterdam, those questions Trade Review Praise for The War Diaries ‘A beautiful, poignant book about the darkest period in modern Dutch history…This book gives a powerful voice to forgotten witnesses’ David de Jong, author of Nazi Billionaires ‘Nina Siegal has accomplished a remarkable feat. She has given us a day-by-day narrative of the Holocaust in the Netherlands by splicing together excerpts from a few of the hundreds of diaries stored in an Amsterdam archive…With thoughtful and insightful observations of her own, Siegal helps us understand how 75 percent of the 140,000 Jews of Holland, a prosperous and cultivated Western European country, could have been murdered, posing a warning for our own deeply fractured country’ Joseph Berger, author of Elie Wiesel: Confronting the Silence ‘An astonishing, essential book that asks us to bear witness to an unbearable history, even as it invites us to think hard about what history is—how it gets written, and what stories it tells. This book is powerfully moving and necessarily terrifying. By way of rigorous research and intimate storytelling, Nina Siegal brings us close to her diary keepers—making it impossible to turn away from the difficult, necessary questions their lives raise about survival, suffering, complicity, and memory’ Leslie Jamison, author of The Empathy Exams ‘Like an archaeologist excavating an ancient temple, Nina Siegal has dug up hundreds of stories of life under the unprecedented horror of Nazism, revealing the changing thoughts and shifting moods of heroes, villains, and victims. Until now, we only had a black-and-white image of these lives. Now, thanks to Siegal, we see them in living color’ Benjamin Moser, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Sontag

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Book SynopsisFuelled by hate. Unable to form normal human relationships. Unwilling to debate political issues.In many ways Adolf Hitler seemed an unlikely leader, yet he inspired millions, leading Germany into the cataclysmic events of the Second World War.But how was Hitler able to exert such power over those around him? Award-winning historian and documentary maker Laurence Rees draws on twenty years of research into the Third Reich, as well as contemporary accounts of people who knew Hitler, to examine the nature of Hitler''s appeal and reveal the role his unique ''charisma'' played in his success.''Offering acerbic insight ... this arresting account asks and answers all the right questions''Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewOffering acerbic insight ... this arresting account asks and answers all the right questions * Daily Telegraph *Laurence Rees asks, as always, the right questions, and provides excellent answers. Blending the oral testimony of contemporaries with documentary evidence, he offers sharp insight into the adulation of Hitler by millions of Germans that underpinned his 'charismatic rule' -- Professor Sir Ian KershawLaurence Rees has done more for good history on television in this country than anyone else. Over several series, he has examined the most terrible aspects of the Second World War with a passionate longing to understand, while rejecting facile moral judgment -- Sir Antony BeevorLaurence Rees is currently producing the best documentaries ever made about the Nazi era -- Clive James

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Book SynopsisSean Naylor is a senior writer for the Army Times. He has covered the Afghan mujahideen's war against the Soviets, and American military operations in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Named one of the 22 "unsung" influential print reporters in Washington by American Journalism Review in May 2002, he earned the White House Correspondents' Association's prestigious Edgar A. Poe Award for his coverage of Operation Anaconda.

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Book SynopsisA unique combination of a young British officer's memoir and history of the top Nazi hierarchy.

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Book SynopsisThe first account in English of this war winning asset, denied to Hitler.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive study of Hitler's self-propelled artillery.

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Book SynopsisA richly illustrated guide to modelling Landing Craft and Amphibians filled with 80-100 photographs and drawings.

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Book SynopsisRussia''s engagement with Germany on the Eastern Front during World War II was ferocious, unprecedented and bloody, costing millions of civilian and military lives. In this challenging new book, Lee Baker distinguishes myth from reality and deflates the idea that this war, while gargantuan in scale, was in essence a war like any other. Trade Review‘It’s to be welcomed when an author makes it his aim to close the gap between public perception and historiography. This is the goal of the Seminar Studies Series in which this slim overview by Lee Baker has appeared... The military operations and the battles are the historical focus of this volume. Baker succeeds in delivering a fascinating yet concise portrayal of events, illustrated through a selection of documents.’ - Reviewed by Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteuropas (Annals of the History of Eastern Europe)Table of ContentsContentsAcknowledgmentsList of MapsList of PlatesChronologyWho’s WhoGlossaryMapsPart One: Analysis 1. Introduction2. The Background a. The Origins of the War on the Eastern Frontb. Planning ‘Operation Barbarossa’c. Soviet Preparations for War3. 22 June 1941: The Invasiona. The Border Battlesb. The Battle for Leningradb. The Battle for Kievc. The First Major German Defeat: Rostovd. Mass Murder in the USSRd. The Battle for Moscow4. The War turns against the Germans, 1942-43a. ‘Operation Blue’b. The Battle for Stalingradc. German Efforts to Halt the Red Armyd. The Partisansd. Operation Citadel5. The Soviet Union on the Offensivea. Battles for the Ukraineb. Relief of Leningradc. ‘Operation Bagration’d. The Destruction of Army Groups North and Southd. The Battle for Berlin6. AssessmentPart Two: Documents1. Nazi-Soviet Pact, 23 August 19392. Hitler Letter to Mussolini, 21 June 19413. Directive for ‘Operation Barbarossa’4. Directive for Special Areas during ‘Barbarossa,’ 13 March 19415. Decree for the Conduct of Courts-Martial in the East, 13 May, 19416. ‘Commissar Decree,’ 6 June, 19417. Stalin’s Speech on 3 July, 19418. Decree on Treatment of Civilians, 23 July, 19419. Halder’s Diary, 3 July 194110. Halder’s Diary, 11 August 194111. Field Marshal Walter von Reichenau’s order, 10 October, 194112. Hitler comments on motorization, 29 October, 194113. Order for German forces to go on the defensive, 8 December 194114. Hitler comments on the winter, 12 and 17 January, 194215. Order for ‘Operation Blue,’ 5 April 194216. Soviet order concerning discipline in the Red Army, 28 July, 194217. A German Witness to a mass shooting, 5-6 October, 194218. A German soldier describes the retreat in the Ukraine, summer 194319. ‘Fortified Areas’ Order, 8 March 194420. A Soviet soldier on combat during ‘Operation Bagration, 29 June, 194421. A German Soldier on the Eastern Front, 14 January, 1945.22. Decree for the destruction of German industry, 30 March 194523. Hitler’s Last Proclamation to the Eastern Front, 15 April 1945Guide to Further ReadingReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe ineffectiveness of conventional air attacks on U.S. Navy surface ships, particularly heavily defended targets such as carrier task groups, forced the Japanese to reevaluate their tactics in late 1944. The solution they arrived at was simple: crash their aircraft into American ships. This notion of self-sacrifice fit well within the Japanese warrior psyche and proved terrifying to the American sailors subjected to it. These tactics brought immediate results, and proved effective until the end of the war. This book examines this terrifying new way of waging war, revealing how the U.S. Navy was forced to adapt its tactics and operations and deploy new weapons to counter the threat--analyzing the actual military benefits of the kamikaze mission and assessing whether the damage to American naval strength by the loss of so many pilots and aircraft actually had a material impact.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Design and Development /Technical Specifications /The Strategic Situation /The Combatants /Combat /Statistics and Analysis /Aftermath /Bibliography /Index

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE RUSI DUKE OF WELLINGTON MEDAL FOR MILITARY HISTORY 2022''This is a superb book.'' - James HollandIn 1941 and 1942 the British and Indian Armies were brutally defeated and Japan reigned supreme in its newly conquered territories throughout Asia. But change was coming. New commanders were appointed, significant training together with restructuring took place, and new tactics were developed. A War of Empires by acclaimed historian Robert Lyman expertly records these coordinated efforts and describes how a new volunteer Indian Army, rising from the ashes of defeat, would ferociously fight to turn the tide of war. But victory did not come immediately. It wasn''t until March 1944, when the Japanese staged their famed ''March on Delhi'', that the years of rebuilding paid off and, after bitter fighting, the Japanese were finally defeated at Kohima and Imphal. This was followed by a series of extraordinary victories culminatingTrade ReviewEvery so often new work emerges that dramatically changes how we view key aspects of the war, and A War of Empires does just that. Written with meticulous scholarship and from a deep and profound knowledge of the subject matter, it is full of wisdom, sound judgement and with a convincing and refreshing central thesis. Robert Lyman has unquestionably become the foremost scholar of the War in the Far East. -- James Holland, bestselling author and broadcasterRob Lyman has crafted a masterful analysis of the clash between two proud empires. A compelling read. -- General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DLA fine, comprehensive and much-needed reappraisal of the pivotal Burma campaign in World War II. Exhaustively researched and engagingly written, it tells this dramatic story from the perspective of all the major combatants. -- Professor Saul David, historian, novelist and broadcasterA comprehensive account of the Second World War campaign in India and Burma. -- Dr Alan Jeffreys, Imperial War Museums curator and authorWith deep knowledge, clarity and empathy for the tangled cast of remarkable characters involved, [Robert Lyman] has given us the best single volume on the campaign. -- Professor Raymond Callahan, University of DelawareA masterful account not only of the longest British (and imperial) campaign of the Second World War but also, in a very real sense, of India’s victory. -- Professor Ian Beckett, University of KentMilitary history of the very best sort – detailed and accurate with real understanding of the military dynamics involved in the Burma campaign. It also shines in integrating the understood (and not understood) elements of grand strategy that lay behind the whole confrontation in the Asia/Pacific theatre. It's a terrific book. -- Professor Michael Clarke, former Director-General at RUSIThis book is a triumph of scholarship, and better still an engagingly written one, and will deservedly become a classic text. -- George Wilton, British Commission for Military HistoryMeticulously sourced, a delight to read. -- Gordon Corrigan, author and historianLyman calls the truths of the old world into existence to redress the balance of the new scholarship -- Sumantra Maitra * The Critic *Table of ContentsAuthor’s Note Timeline Introduction Part 1 – Hubris, 1942 Prologue – Major John Hedley, 4 Burma Rifles 1. Burma at the Intersection of History 2. Defending Burma (Badly) 3. A Hurried and Ill-Considered Plan 4. The First Shots 5. ‘We Could at Any Rate Send a Man’ 6. A Slim Chance to Save Burma 7. The Battle for Lower Burma 8. Exodus 9. Independence Armies 10. The Reason Why Part 2 – Hiatus, 1943 Prologue – Lieutenant Philip Brownless, 1 Essex Regiment 11. Aftermath 12. Taking Stock 13. Arakan Round One 14. Bharat Choro! 15. Vinegar Joe’s Travails 16. Trying to Crack the Donbaik Nut 17. Irwin’s Blame Game 18. ‘Our New God, Orde Wingate’ 19. Re-thinking Training 20. Building a Base 21. ‘A Blind Man Searching for a Black Cat in a Dark Room’ Part 3 – Resurrection, 1944 Prologue – Lieutenant John Twells, 1 Gurkha Rifles 22. Arakan, Again 23. Ha-Go 24. Okeydoke 25. Sinzweya 26. The March on Delhi 27. Cock-up on the Tiddim Road 28. The Chindwin 29. Thermopylae in the Naga Hills 30. The Spokes of the Wheel 31. Forty-Seven Days of Battle: Kohima 32. Seventy-Six Days of Siege: Imphal 33. Down the Hukawng Valley to Myitkyina 34. The Road of Bones Part 4 – Redemption, 1945 Prologue – Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Pettigrew, 2/14 Punjab 35. What to Do About Burma? 36. A Change of Plan 37. Third Time Lucky in Arakan 38. Meiktila and Mandalay 39. Extract Digit! 40. The Empire Strikes Back Appendix 1: The Indian and Gurkha Infantry Regiments of the Indian Army Appendix 2: Indian Army Structure and Numbers – 9 September 1943 Appendix 3: Definitive Numbers for Indian Army in SEAC Appendix 4: Estimates of Japanese Soldiers in Operation U-Go Further Reading Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA further volume in Jerry Murland's series of Battleground books on the France and Flanders Campaign 1940, leading to the Dunkirk Evacuation.

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Book SynopsisFirst flown in 1940, the prototype Vought F4U Corsair instantly became the fastest fighter in the world and the fastest US aircraft of any description. Powered by a huge 18-cylinder Pratt and Whitney Double Wasp engine driving an enormous 13 feet 4 inch propeller, the first Corsairs were capable of 417mph. This figure would rise to nearly 450mph in later versions. Production began in 1941, not only by Vought but also by Goodyear and Brewster, and the F4U entered service with the US Navy in September 1942. The aircraft subsequently came to be extensively used from land and sea by the US Marines, Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Air Force. Famous squadrons like VMF-214 'The Black Sheep' and VF-17 'Jolly Rogers', along with many others, maintained total ascendancy over the Japanese for the rest of the war - a remarkable achievement for a single type. After the Second World War the Corsair remained in production and was used with distinction by the French in Indo-China and again by the US Navy in Korea. Since then Corsairs have achieved significant success in air races and more and more are being restored to fly for museums and warbird enthusiasts the world over. This comprehensive new book combines technical information and detailed development history with a fascinating combat history told, in many cases, by the Second World War and Korean War pilots themselves. Well researched, readable and illustrated with scores of rare and previously unpublished photographs, Vought F4U Corsair is the perfect book for any fan of the 'bent wing bird'.

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Book SynopsisThe major contribution made by Coastal Forces to the Allied war effort has had surprisingly little coverage in the literature of the Second World War. Motor torpedo boats, PT boats, motor gunboats, launches and submarine chasers served with distinction throughout the War, and in every theatre. They performed invaluable service as patrol boats, convoy escorts, minelayers and minesweepers, harbour defence vessels, light landing craft, RAF rescue boats and transports for agents and clandestine missions. Allied Coastal Forces, now a recognised classic work and first published in 1990, remains the only publication to deal comprehensively - in words, photographs and drawings - with the technical detail of all these boats. Design, construction and subsequent development are all covered, and the builders, construction lists, fates and the technical data are given for each type. Separate sections cover armament and equipment, sea-going qualities and habitability. This first volume covers all the designs of the Fairmile Marine Company (including those craft built and equipped for Canada), together with the 72ft Harbour Defence Motor Launch and the US Navy 110ft subchaser. The authors, firmly established as the recognised authorities on small warships, unearthed a remarkable body of information now included in this major work, and their finely detailed drawings, redrawn form original builders' plans, offer an unparalleled view of all these remarkable designs. The new editions of their work will be welcomed by naval enthusiasts and modellers alike.

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Book SynopsisThe Italian campaign was one of the most debated of the Second World War, splitting the American and British allies, and causing great disharmony. After the fall of Rome and the surrender of Italy, the invasion of Normandy led to the Italian campaign becoming a sideshow as the D-Day Dodgers' fought their way through Italy to the Alps against a grinding defence and extreme weather. In a sequence of 200 wartime photographs Simon Forty sums up the major events of the conflict - from the landings on Sicily to the crossing of the Po. Commanded first by Sir Harold Alexander and then Mark Clark, the Allied armies (US Fifth and British Eighth) drew men not only from Britain, the United States, France and Poland but from all over the Commonwealth - from Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa - as well as such other countries as Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Greece and Palestine. The devastation caused by the war in the cities, towns and countryside is part of the story, but perhaps the most powerful impression is made by the faces of the soldiers themselves as they look out from the Italian front of so long ago.

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Book SynopsisDespatches in this volume include that on the first and second battles of Narvik in 1940; the despatch on operations in central Norway 1940, by Lieutenant General H.R.S. Massy, Commander-in-Chief, North West Expeditionary Force; Despatch on operations in Northern Norway between April and June 1940; the despatch on carrier-borne aircraft attacks on Kirkenes (Norway) and Petsamo (Finland) in 1941, by Admiral Sir John C. Tovey; the despatch on the raid on military and economic objectives in the Lofoten Islands (Norway) in March 1941, by Admiral Sir John C. Tovey, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet; and the despatch on the raid on military and economic objectives in the vicinity of Vaagso Island (Norway) in December 1941, by Admiral Sir John C. Tovey. This unique collection of original documents will prove to be an invaluable resource for historians, students and all those interested in what was one of the most significant periods in British military history.

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Book SynopsisOn Christmas Eve 1944, the men of the IV SS-Panzerkorps were preparing to celebrate the occasion as best they could. Taking advantage of the pause in the fighting around Warsaw, they looked forward to partaking in that most German of holidays, including the finest Christmas dinner their field kitchens could still prepare in this fifth year of the war. They had earned it too; after five months of unrelenting combat and the loss of many of their friends, troops from the corps headquarters, headquarters troops, and its two divisions - the 3rd SS Panzer Division “Totenkopf” and the 5th SS Panzer Division “Wiking” - were eagerly anticipating what the holiday would bring, including presents from home and perhaps sharing a bottle of schnapps or wine with their comrades.This was not to be, for that very evening, the corps commander, SS-Obergruppenführer Herbert Otto Gille, received a telephone call notifying him that the 35,000 men of his corps would begin boarding express trains the following day that would take them from the relative quiet of the Vistula Front to the front lines in Hungary, hundreds of kilometers away. Their mission: Relieve Budapest! Thus would begin the final round in the saga of the IV SS-Panzerkorps. In Hungary, it would play a key role in the three attempts to raise the siege of that fateful city. Threatened as much by their high command as by the forces of the Soviet Union, Gille and his troops overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their attempts to rescue the city’s garrison, only to have their final attack called off at the last minute. At that moment, they were only a few kilometers away from the objective towards which they had striven for nearly a month. After the relief attempt’s failure sealed the fate of hundreds of thousands of Hungarians and Germans, the only course of action remaining was to dig in and protect the Hungarian oilfields as long as possible.face=Calibri>Table of ContentsIntroduction to the Second Volume List of Maps List of Figures Illustrations Chapter 13: The Lost Month of December 1944 Chapter 14: The Hungarian Theater of Operations Chapter 15: Arrival in Hungary Chapter 16: Preparations for the Relief of Budapest Chapter 17: The First Relief Attempt of Budapest – Operation Konrad I Chapter 18: The Second Relief Attempt of Budapest – Operation Konrad II Chapter 19: Change of Mission Chapter 20: The Third Relief Attempt of Budapest – Operation Konrad III Chapter 21: The Final Push Chapter 22: Battling to a Stalemate Appendix A: IV. SS-Pz.Korps Battle and Campaign Participation Credits Appendix B: Selected Orders of Battle Appendix C: German Army and Waffen-SS Rank Equivalents Appendix D: Glossary Endnotes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisEagle pilot Rick “Kluso” Tollini’s life has embodied childhood dreams and the reality of what the American experience could produce. In his memoir, Call Sign Kluso, Rick puts the fraught minutes above the Iraqi desert that made him an ace into the context of a full life; exploring how he came to be flying a F-15C in Desert Storm, and how that day became a pivotal moment in his life.Rick’s first experience of flying was in a Piper PA-18 over 1960s’ California as a small boy, and his love of flying through his teenage years was fostered by his pilot father, eventually blossoming into a decision to join the Air Force as a pilot in his late twenties. Having trained to fly jets he was assigned to fly the F-15 Eagle with the “Dirty Dozen,” the 12th Tactical Fighter Squadron, at Kadena AB, Japan before returning Stateside to the 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron “The Gorillas.” Throughout training Reagan’s fighter pilots expected to face was the Soviet Union, but Rick’s first combat deployment was Desert Storm. He recounts the planning, the preparation, and the missions, the life of a fighter pilot in a combat zone and the reality of combat. Rick’s aerial victory was one of 16 accumulated by the Gorillas, the most by any squadron during Desert Storm.Returning from the combat skies of Iraq, Rick continued a successful fulfilling Air Force career until, struggling to make sense of his life, he turned to Buddhism. His practice led him to leave the Air Force, to find a new vocation, and to finally come to terms with shooting down that MiG-25 Foxbat in the desert all those years before. Most importantly, he came to a deeper understanding of the importance of our shared humanity.Trade ReviewI highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what flying the F-15 Eagle was like, what life on a fighter squadron is like, and anyone with an interest in Cold War aviation or Desert Storm air combat. This is a book you will not be able to put down once you are strapped in the cockpit with KLUSO! * Aviation Enthusiast Book Club *…without doubt one of the more honest and approachable modern fighter pilot accounts you are likely to find. * Flight Line Book Review 08/11/2021 *Table of ContentsForeword Chapter 1 The Wonder Years Chapter 2 Middlefield Avenue Chapter 3 SJSU Chapter 4 OTS and Chandler, AZ Chapter 5 The Dirty Dozen Chapter 6 The Gorillas Chapter 7 Tabuk Chapter 8 DESERT STORM Chapter 9 Return to the Dozen Chapter 10 The Long and Winding Road Chapter 11 The Buddha and The Fighter Pilot Prologue Final thoughts on what it means to be a “fighter pilot”

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Book SynopsisThe armour clashes in May 1940 were the biggest the world had yet seen, as the sweeping German advances of that period came to epitomize Blitzkrieg. The Wehrmacht's Panzer III was well matched by the French Somua S35 tanks, the two representing very different design philosophies and yet both ranking among the best in the world at the time. Fully illustrated with specially commissioned colour artwork, this work draws upon the latest research to provide a definitive analysis of the clash between these two high-quality, cutting-edge tank designs. It describes one of the key duels at the heart of a new type of warfare, in the epic battles at the outset of Hitler's conquest of France and the Low Countries.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Design and Development /Technical Specifications /The Combatants /The Strategic Situation /Combat /Statistics and Analysis /Conclusion /Further Reading /Index

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Book SynopsisHeinz Knocke was one of the outstanding German fighter pilots of World War II and this vivid first-hand record of his experiences has become a classic among aviation memoirs, a best-selling counter-balance to the numerous accounts written by Allied pilots. Knoke joined the Luftwaffe on the outbreak of war, and eventually became commanding officer of a fighter wing. An outstandingly brave and skilful fighter, he logged over two thousand flights, and shot down fifty-two enemy aircraft. He had flown over four hundred operational missions before being crippled by wounds in an astonishing 'last stand' towards the end of the war. He was awarded the Knight's Cross for his achievements. In a text that reveals his intense patriotism and discipline, he describes being brought up in the strict Prussian tradition, the rise of the Nazi regime, and his own wartime career set against a fascinating study of everyday life in the Luftwaffe, and of the high morale of the force until its disintegration. His memoirs are set in a new perspective, and are both a valuable contribution to aviation literature and a moving human story.

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Book Synopsis'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.' The courageous pilots of the Royal Air Force who faced the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, affectionately known as 'the Few', are rightly hailed as heroes. Recently, efforts have been made to recognise the thousands who supported RAF operations behind the scenes. And yet one group remains missing from the narrative: the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. The Women Behind the Few explores the Second World War from the perspective of the WAAFs working behind the scenes to collect and disseminate vital intelligence - intelligence that resulted in Allied victory. WAAFs worked within the Dowding System, the world's most sophisticated air defence network, as well as in the Y Service, intercepting German communications. Throughout the Blitz, they used radar to aid Fighter and Bomber Commands in protecting Britain's civilians. WAAFs also assisted with the Allied offensive bombing campaign and were behind the discovery of the terrifying German V-weapons. Their work was critical ahead of the Normandy landings and they were present in their hundreds at Bletchley Park. In this thrilling book, Sarah-Louise Miller brings the women of the force back to life, celebrating their wartime contribution to British military intelligence. Hidden behind the Few but vital to their success, WAAFs supplied the RAF with life-saving information. Here, for the first time, is their story.

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Book SynopsisThe welcome given to refugees from fascist Europe is part of our fond nostalgia for Britain's role in the Second World War, nestling in our imagination next to images of evacuees clutching teddy bears, and milkmen picking their way through bomb rubble during the Blitz. But there is a darker side to this story. Then, as now, there was great suspicion, resentment and fear towards new arrivals, much of it kindled by the tabloid press. Then, as now, politicians dealt with a reluctance to accommodate refugees by hiding behind bureaucratic hurdles and obfuscation. Many of the 10,000 Kindertransport children who arrived here in the late 1930s have warm memories of the kindness they were shown, but half a million refugees were refused entry and most of them died as a result. And those who were accepted found their troubles far from over. While Britain fearfully awaited invasion in 1940, 30,000 Jews were interned as 'enemy aliens' and some were sent off to the colonies on dangerous and sometimes fatal voyages. Nor were Jews the only refugees clamouring for the thin gruel of public sympathy. Those fleeing fascism and civil war elsewhere in Europe found that whether they were met with kindness or hostility depended on the locals' political affiliations and newspapers of choice. Interweaving personal testimonies with historical sources, Paul Dowswell casts a fresh eye on the wartime era, painting a vivid picture of what life was really like for Britain's refugees.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisA spectacular, large format, full colour book, packed with over 200 photographs, maps and charts. The book is divided into the sectors associated with the Normandy landings in 1944.

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