Modern warfare Books

Book SynopsisRescued in the Pacific after his utility tug is sunk north of Guadalcanal, a 20-day convalescent leave in Urbana, Illinois, first throws Ensign Hal Goff into a binding relationship with Bea Colombo before the war once again sends him to serve as executive officer aboard a U.S. Navy Rescue Tug, the ATR-3X, not long after the German surrender in North Africa. Aboard the 3X, serving with four other officers, the war swiftly draws the ship into the Allied invasion of Sicily and then, with the capture of Palermo, into General Patton’s drive toward Messina, the 3X fighting off air and U-boat attacks while towing stricken ships from the invasion beaches. Within weeks of capturing Sicily, Hal and his brother officers next participate in the invasion of the Italian mainland, shepherding navy ships to and from the bitter fighting for Salerno as the Allies drive toward Naples.With the Allied advance finally stopped cold along the German Winter Line beneath Monte Cassino, Hal and his ship become part of the grueling invasion of Anzio and the seemingly endless stalemate which takes place across Anzio’s bloody beaches. There, after months of dangerous convoy duty, escorting supply ships to and from Anzio while fighting off the continual air attacks that threaten them, a trio of Focke-Wulfs finally succeed in strafing the ship, Hal’s wounds in battle sending him back to the States for recovery and honorable discharge before he reunites with the woman whose love has kept him going. Phillip Parotti’s new novel treats his readers to gripping World War II naval action in the Mediterranean Sea.Trade Review[M]esmerizing reading at its best. * ARGunners.com *Who knew you can make tugboat ops so interesting? * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWars never run according to plan, perhaps never more so than during the Italian campaign, 1943-45, where necessary coordination between the different armies added additional complexity to Allied plans. Errors in the strategies, tactics, the coalition tensions, and operations at campaign command level can be clearly seen in first-hand accounts of the period. This new account examines the Italian campaign, from Sicily to surrender in 1945, exploring the strategy, intentions, motives, plans, and deeds. It then offers a detailed insight into the five commanders who led the battles in Italy - the two British commanders: Montgomery and Alexander; two American: Patton and Clark; and the leading German commander, Field Marshal Kesselring. Their personal notes and accounts, taken alongside archival material, provides some surprising conclusions - Montgomery was not quite the master of war he is portrayed as; Patton had serious flaws, exposed by wasting men’s lives to save a relative and overlooking the shooting of prisoners of war; Clark lost lives to bolster his image; Alexander the gentleman was far too vague to be effective as a senior leader. Meanwhile, condemned war criminal Kesselring appears to be the most efficient and also, like Alexander, one of the most popular leaders.Trade ReviewCompelling arguments and interesting characters make for a good read. * Goodreads *[A]n iconoclastic study that is a remarkable work of seminal scholarship. * Midwest Book Review *[C]auses you to consider alternate options for the invasion of Sicily and Italy. * Historical Miniatures Gaming Society *The authors offer a very different perspective on this campaign and are very frank in their assessment of the performance of the Allies and Germans on many levels. * New York Journal of Books *[A] well-done piece of historical writing – incisive if contentious at times, and stimulating as a thought piece on contemporary military leadership styles. * Author Robert Forczyk *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Western Allied Strategy German-Italian Strategy Operation Husky and Sicily Patton Italy Invaded Montgomery To Rome Mark Clark The D-Day Dodgers After Rome Alexander The End of the War In Italy Kesselring Conclusion Bibliography Endnotes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisFinalist, 2020 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing AwardsSelected in 2005 by the Army to be the first airborne reconnaissance squadron, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, better known as 5-73 CAV, was formed from 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The members of the squadron were hand-selected by the squadron command team, Lieutenant Colonel Poppas and Command Sergeant Major Edgar. With just more than 400 paratroopers, they were half the size of a full-strength battalion and the smallest unit in the Panther Brigade.The squadron deployed to eastern Diyala in August, 2006. Despite their size, they were tasked with an enormous mission and were given the largest area of operations within the brigade. Appropriately for a unit known by the call sign of its CO – Headhunter – 5-73 would go on to pursue various terrorist factions including Al Qaeda in Iraq. They got results, and 5-73 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for launching the Turki Bowl campaign from November 2006 to January 2007 against insurgent groups in Diyala Province. However the toll would be heavy – the squadron lost twenty-two paratroopers during the deployment.Headhunter is a unique account of the War on Terror. It’s a soldier’s story, told by those very paratroopers who gallantly fought to tame Diyala. Based on dozens of interviews conducted by the author, the narrative describes the danger of combat, the loss of comrades and the struggles of returning from a deployment. The voice of the families left behind are also included, describing the challenges they faced, including the ultimate challenge – grappling with the death of a loved one. This book explores the human dimensions of loss and struggle and illustrates the sacrifices our service members and their loved ones make.Table of ContentsDedication Foreword Preface Introduction Chapter 1 Push Forward Chapter 2 Alpha Troop and Patrol Base Otis Chapter 3 AO Headhunter Chapter 4 Turki Bowl I Chapter 5 November 15, 2006 Chapter 6 November 16, 2006 Chapter 7 Stairway to Heaven Chapter 8 The Lost Boys of Alpha Mortars Chapter 9 Turki Shaping Operations Chapter 10 Turki Bowl II Chapter 11 Tightening the Noose Chapter 12 Hot Chow Chapter 13 Clear, Hold, Build Chapter 14 Operation 300 Chapter 15 Marathon Chapter 16 Troy Chapter 17 As Sadah—March 17, 2007 Chapter 18 Minotaur Chapter 19 Qubbah Chapter 20 Hardship of Loss Chapter 21 Long Shots & Landslide Chapter 22 April 7, 2007 Chapter 23 As Sadah—April 23, 2007 Chapter 24 We Regret to Inform You Chapter 25 Tim Cole Chapter 26 Olympus, Hoplite and Pericles Chapter 27 Church, Duran and Home Epilogue Endnotes Acknowledgments

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn World War I, Major General Pershing proposed the idea of establishing a historical office within the AEF headquarters. The War Department reorganised the General Staff to include a Historical Branch. Evidence shows that soldiers acting as historians went "down range," albeit not into combat. By World War II, the situation had changed – whether S.L.A. Marshall's popping out of a billet in Sibret as a shells exploded on the road; Forrest Pogue's typing "on a little camp desk under an apple tree;" Chester Starr's terrain reconnaissance in the Mediterranean theater, or Ken Hechler's command of a four-man historical team interviewing soldiers at the Remagen Bridge and searching through secret documents – the World War II combat historians were there behind and on the front lines with a notebook in one hand and their carbine in the other hand, ever ready to collect battlefield information.Eight historical service detachments were deployed to Korea. The youngest commander, 1st Lieutenant Bevin Alexander, noted "We were on the front lines the whole time… We would interview the people afterwards and create a battle study." After the Korean War, the duties of the combat historian further evolved as what became the Center of Military History published doctrine about military history detachments (MHDs). As America’s immersion in Vietnam escalated, there was concern regarding historical coverage. Chief of Military History Brigadier General Hal Pattison established a network of historical teams to collect information on the U.S Army in the war. A major development in the history program and in deploying MHDs came with the establishment of Headquarters, U.S. Army Vietnam (USARV) under General William C. Westmoreland’s command. In 1965, the history office was organised at Headquarters, U.S. Army Vietnam (USARV). MHDs were deployed across Vietnam, conducting combat after action interviews, and collecting documents. This study focuses on U.S. Army historical programs during combat operations from World War I to the Vietnam War with particular attention on the combat historians, those individuals deployed to a theater of war with the mission of documenting the actions of that theater for current and future historical use.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface Chapter 1: World War I and the Beginning of Army Wartime History Operations Chapter II: Post-World War I Army Military History Operations Chapter III: Establishing the World War II Army Historical Program Chapter IV: Training the World War II Combat Historian Chapter V: Historical Program in the European Theater of Operations Chapter VI: Army Combat Historians in the Pacific Theater Chapter VII: Army Combat History Operations in the Mediterranean Theater Chapter VIII: Post-World War II Army Military History Doctrine Chapter IX: Korean War and Army Combat History Operations Chapter X: Post Korean War Army Military History Doctrine Chapter XI: The Vietnam War and Army Combat History Operations Epilogue Appendix A: Marshall's How To Do It for Historical Officers Bibliography Endnotes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTank commander cadet Amir Bega is about to leave training for the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur when a surprise attack on Israel by Egyptian and Syrian forces upends this peaceful reprieve, throwing the teenager into an unexpected war. A war in which the confidence and complacency of the Israeli army led to disaster.Believing himself well-trained and the Israeli army unstoppable, Bega struggles to accept the horrifying events surrounding him. His battalion was annihilated in one of the first combats by new anti-tank weaponry. He survived and joined a reserve unit, with which he fought to stop the Egyptian army from advancing beyond the first line of defense, all through the war’s end.In this realm of death and destruction, Bega comes face to face with the conflicts between the reality of war, his core beliefs, and his basic ideology. As the war progresses, he deals with the horrific losses of both those around him and his own innocence. Tank after tank that he joins is destroyed or damaged, and he is seen as a bad omen by those still alive. Gnawed by survivor guilt, the young soldier agrees to go on a sole perilous mission to rescue an army technical unit surrounded by Egyptian commandos.This captivating first-hand account, as viewed through the eyes of the young soldier, conveys the heavy toll of the Yom Kippur War and its impact on the people of Israel. Ultimately, Undercurrent is a story about survival, friendship, humanity, duty, and honour.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Toronto - Summer 2019 Chapter 2: Shivta, Israel - Oct. 5, 1973 Chapter 3: First day of Yom Kippur War - Oct. 6, 1973 Chapter 4: Facing reality - Oct. 7, 1973 Chapter 5: Break - Oct. 8, 1973 Chapter 6: New crew - Oct. 9, 1973 Chapter 7: Can it be - Oct. 10, 1973 Chapter 8: POW - Oct. 11, 1973 Chapter 9: Repair and Maintenance return to full operation – Oct. 12-13, 1973 Chapter 10: Battle to keep our defense lines – Oct. 14, 1973 Chapter 11: Preparation for crossing the Suez Canal – Oct. 15, 1973 Chapter 12: Rest and recovery – Oct. 16, 1973 Chapter 13: Ambushed – Oct. 17, 1973 Chapter 14: The crossing – Oct. 18, 1973 Chapter 15: New tank crew – Oct. 19, 1973 Chapter 16: Anti-tank stronghold – Oct. 20, 1973 Chapter 17: Rescue – hero? I am not a hero – Oct. 22, 1973 Chapter 18: Ceasefire – Oct. 24, 1973 Chapter 20: The war is over – Oct. 26, 1973

Read more less

Book Synopsis“A comprehensively researched historic document on one year’s activities for the 9th Cav and the 1st Cavalry Division, worthy of gracing their unit libraries. That the book simultaneously succeeds on the individual soldier level makes it a standout for any reader with an interest in the airmobile aspect of the Vietnam War.” - Vietnam MagazineThe Gunner and the Grunt is written in the voices of two soldiers who fought in the same battles as members of the same recon unit but from different angles. Michael Kelley, the “Gunner,” was flying in an armed helicopter above the jungle providing suppressive fire support, while Peter Burbank, the “Grunt,” was down in the jungle on foot patrol involved in fire fights with Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army troops.The book follows these two Boston boys from army training through deployment to the war zone and the shock of first combat missions, to helicopter air assault “Search and Destroy” operations from the Cambodian border to the sands of the South China Sea.Table of ContentsPrologue: The Lost Gunship Chapter One: High School Warriors Chapter Two: Basic Combat Training, Mike Chapter Three: Helicopter School, Mike Chapter Four: Flying Shawnee Bananas, Mike Chapter Five: Guns and Rabbits, Pete Chapter Six: airborne Infantry, Pete Chapter Seven: Going to War, Mike Chapter Eight: Aero Rifle Blues Platoon,Pete Chapter Nine: Aero Weapons Red Platoon, Mike Chapter Ten: The Bong son Campaign, Mike Chapter Eleven: The Crow's Foot Battle, Mike Chapter Twelve: Aero Scout White Platoon, Mike Chapter Thirteen: Charlie Alpha Combat assault, Pete Chapter Fourteen: Hot Rod pilot, Mike Chapter Fifteen: In Memory of our Commander Epilogue: Mike Epilogue: Pete List of Major Campaigns List of Weapons of War 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Commanders 1965-1966 Air Cavalry units in Vietnam Photo Credits Selected Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisMajor General Charles A. Willoughby served as Douglas MacArthur's stalwart chief intelligence officer (G-2} for over a decade, throughout World War II and the Korean War. This first full biography examines Willoughby's shadowy origins in his native Germany, his curious arrival in the United States, and his military service in World War I, as well as his work during the interwar years as a junior diplomat, budding historian, and neophyte intelligence officer. His chance encounter with MacArthur in the mid-1930s would prove to be the genesis of a near-symbiotic relationship between the two, with significant consequences for both.Throughout his life, Willoughby identified with strong, authoritarian leaders, notably Franco, and – especially – MacArthur. The author also assesses Willoughby's performance as a professional intelligence officer both in World War II and Korea, where he is often vilified for his inaccurate assessments of enemy strength and most likely courses of action, as well as his sycophantic relationship with his commander. Willoughby is most often criticised for his failing to foresee the entry of Chinese forces into the Korean War and its impact upon the US Army and the prosecution of the war. Following MacArthur’s removal by President Truman in 1951, Willoughby retired and spent the rest of his days engaged in right-wing political activity and in staunchly defending his much-maligned boss.The legacy he left is one filled with lingering and important questions about loyalty to superiors, in civilian as well as military environments, how far that loyalty should extend, and walking the tightrope involved in telling truth to power.Table of Contents1. Of Uncertain Origins: The Early Years of “Sir Charles” 2. Willoughby in the Pacific, 1942–1945 3. Victory and the Occupation of Japan 4. The Korean War: The Curtain Rises 5. The Dragon Sharpens Its Claws 6. A Period of Miscalculations” 7. “Don't Let a Bunch of Chinese Laundrymen Stop You!” 8. "A Mishandling of Intelligence” 9. Postwar Paranoia 10. Watchman of the Republic 11. To the Grave…and Beyond Appendix 1. Dramatis Personae Appendix 2. Dates of Rank and Military Awards, Charles A. Willoughby Notes Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe most eye-opening, and terrifying, story in Chip Reid's career as a journalist was the six weeks he spent with 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, as a correspondent for NBC News. Traveling shoulder-to-shoulder with the young Marines, he had unparalleled access, witnessing them in combat, and interviewing as many as he could persuade his bosses to put on air, allowing them to tell their war stories in their own words.It took only 22 days for the Marines of 3/5 to fight their way to Baghdad, but the effects on those who fought have lasted a lifetime. They lost a number of their own in battle, and others suffered life-threatening injuries. Of those who returned - even if they avoided physical scars - many have had to find their own way through survivor's guilt and the nightmare of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, with all its attendant miseries.Twenty years on, Chip sat down with the Marines of 3/5 once more. They told Chip inspiring stories of heroism in battle, of camaraderie and comrades lost, of patriotism and belief in mission, of recovery and success in both military and civilian life, and of the new appreciation for life that results from Post-Traumatic Growth. Visceral and searingly honest, this book is a tribute to the Marines for their service, and for the many sacrifices they made then, and that many still make today.Trade Review“Chip Reid’s Battle Scars is one Hell’va book! Reid, a CBS News National correspondent and embedded journalist with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, authored a riveting account of the 'March up' to Baghdad, Iraq in 2003. Battle Scars is Reid’s compelling personal account that captures the essence of young Marines in combat and the aftermath of their experiences twenty years later. Reid draws upon dozens of veteran interviews to tell their story in a comprehensive and exciting ground-level—in the mud—eye witness account.” —Colonel Richard D. Camp, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)“In Battle Scars, readers are treated to a vivid account of one Marine battalion’s experiences during the opening phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the style that made him a successful broadcast journalist—and endeared him to hundreds of wives, parents and children watching his daily reports during the early days of the war—Chip Reid artfully narrates the individual stories of several Marines and corpsmen who were then part of the 3d Battalion, 5th Marines. Their accounts are gripping and at times painfully sobering; their stories, like their scars, are real. Ultimately, I hope this book offers other veterans some comfort in the realization of a shared experience, and a renewed desire to live for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.” —Lieutenant General Sam MundyTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: Mr. Magoo Goes To War Part One: From Kuwait to Baghdad at the Tip of the Spear Chapter 1: The Ground War Begins Chapter 2: First Combat Chapter 3: Two Days from Hell Chapter 4: The Battle at Devil’s Ditch Chapter 5: Winning The Hearts of the Iraqi People Chapter 7: Arrival in Baghdad Part Two: Twenty Years Later Chapter 8: Consequences of Being Trained to Kill Chapter 9: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Growth Chapter 10: Marines Tell Their Stories Of PTSD and PTG Chapter 11: Marine Families Tell Their Stories of PTSD and PTG Chapter 12: Lives Transformed by the Marines Chapter 13: Marines Who Loved It So Much They Made It a Career Chapter 14: Opinions About the Iraq War Today Chapter 15: In Memory Epilogue: An Emotional Mountaintop Reunion

Read more less

Book SynopsisOperation Masher/White Wing targeted the regiments of the North Vietnamese Army Sao Vang Division operating in the Bong Son area in northeast Binh Dinh Province in central South Vietnam. The operation started on January 24, 1966, immediately after the Vietnamese New Year (Tet) and ended six weeks later. It was led by newly promoted Colonel Harold G. Moore, who as a lieutenant colonel commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry in the battle of Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley two months earlier.In 41 days of sustained fighting, the 1st Cav battled each of the three regiments of the Sao Vang Division, resulting in enemy losses of more than 3,000 KIA. This came at the cost of 199 Americans killed on the battlefield and 46 more who died in the crash of a U.S. Air Force C-123 aircraft en route to the battlefield, making it one of the deadliest battles of the entire Vietnam War.Operation Masher/White Wing was a success. The 1st Cav demonstrated that it had the firepower, mobility, and leadership to find the enemy and deliver a severe blow to it in terms of personnel and equipment losses and in forced evacuation from formerly “secure” base areas, seemingly proving the value of the search-and-destroy strategy.However within a few weeks, intelligence reports indicated that North Vietnamese soldiers were returning to the Bong Son area in small groups. By late April, the Sao Vang Division was back in the area in force. Operation Masher/White Wing proved to be the start of a very long and deadly struggle between the 1st Cav and North Vietnamese for control of Binh Dinh Province—multiple search & destroy operations eventually resulted in more than 9,000 enemy KIA and 2,358 enemy detained, with friendly losses of more than 1,200 KIA, 5,775 WIA, and 27 MIA. While Masher/White Wing demonstrated that search & destroy operations were very effective at the tactical level but without a high-level strategy to stop the unabated flow of fresh Communist troops and supplies into South Vietnam, it wasn’t clear just how they contributed to overall victory. At the start of 1968, General Westmoreland ordered the 1st Cav to terminate its operations in the Bong Son area, bringing the battle to a close.Table of ContentsPrologue 1. Preparing for Battle 2. Tragedy Strikes 3. Attack 4. Breakout from the Cemetery 5. A Pincer Action 6. Closing-out Phase I 7. Into the An Lao Valley 8. The Eagle’s Claw 9. Yelling Like Madmen 10. Death in a Narrow Place 11. The Iron Triangle 12. No Rest for the Weary 13. The Go Chai Mountains 14. Black Horse 15. Conclusion Appendix I: Book of Honor Appendix II: Memorandum Requesting Name Change Appendix III: Citations and Award Bibliography Historical Documents Glossary

Read more less

Book Synopsis1942 would prove crucial for the United States in the Pacific following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and a series of setbacks in the Southwest Pacific late in 1941 into 1942. As the first ship commissioned following America’s entry into World War II, the light cruiser USS Atlanta would be thrust into the Pacific fight, joining the fleet in time for the pivotal battle of Midway and on to the Guadalcanal campaign in the Southwest Pacific. Embarked was an exceptionally astute observer - Lieutenant Commander Lloyd M. Mustin - who faithfully recorded his thoughts on the conflict in a standard canvas-covered logbook.Diaries were not supposed to be kept by those serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II and for good reason—if recovered by the Japanese they would likely have revealed that the Japanese code had been broken prior to the battle of Midway. Thus Mustin’s diary is a rare day-to-day accounting of the Pacific from a very opinionated mid-grade officer.Beginning with the commissioning of the light cruiser Atlanta at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Christmas Eve 1941, Mustin covers the ship’s workups and her deployment to the Pacific in time for the Battle of Midway. It’s then on to the Southwest Pacific where the ship first engages enemy aircraft at the battle of the Eastern Solomons in late August 1942. His final entry covers the battle of Santa Cruz in late October 1942. The story is completed by an account of the battle of Guadalcanal and beyond, drawing upon Mustin’s oral history.This is a valuable document, fully interpreted to provide a better understanding of the Pacific War during that critical year.Table of ContentsPreface 1. The Naval Battle for Guadalcanal: The first night. 2. Lloyd M. Mustin 3. The Construction and Commissioning for USS Atlanta 4. The Fitting Out and Workups for USS Atlanta 5. En Route to Hawaii 6. Arrival at Pearl Harbor 7. Underway for New Caledonia 8. Layover 9. En Route Midway 10. Midway: The Pivotal Day 11. Midway: Final Blows 12. Midway Postmortem 13. Back at Pearl 14. Heading South

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith a new century and a new enemy came a new kind of war: low intensity and civilian-dominated, blending austere rural and dense urban environments alike. Into this new kind of war, the American military launched two invasions against terrorist networks and military rivals, relying on airpower—close air support (CAS)—at a scale never before seen in combat.The Global War on Terror was the “CAS war.” Forward Air Controllers were on the front lines from the very first moments of the war, directing airstrikes against enemies in their safe havens, safeguarding friendly forces and civilians alike to their utmost, and achieving unprecedented success with limited resources. This volume captures the heroic accounts of the first Tactical Air Control Party (TACPs) in Afghanistan and Iraq, and how Close Air Support fundamentally reshaped the American war machine in the first five years of the War on Terror.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction PART I: Retribution Afghanistan: 2001–2003 1 Into the graveyard of empires 2 Ancient roads to a New War 3 Rearranging God’s furniture 4 Know thine enemy PART II: A New World War Iraq: 2003 5 The Pivot 6 Shock and Awe 7 Chasing Saddam 8 Dragging a nation out of a war Part III: Evolving the Machine Two distinct Wars: 2004-2006 9 Building a global architecture. 10 In Iraq's shadow 11 Rebuilding in ashes 12 Digitally aided Close Air Support Afterword: Scratching the surface

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe decades-long love story of a NASA commander and the leader of the Astronaut Wives ClubFar Side of the Moon is the untold, fully authorized story of the lives of Frank and Susan Borman. One was a famous astronaut—an instrumental part of the Apollo space program—but the other was just as much a warrior. This real-life love story is far from a fairy tale. Life as a military wife was beyond demanding, but Susan always rose to the occasion. When Frank joined NASA and was selected to command the first mission to orbit the moon, that meant putting on a brave face for the world as her husband risked his life for the space race. The pressure and anxiety were overwhelming, and eventually Susan’s well-hidden depression and alcoholism finally came to light. Frank had to come to terms with how his “mission above all else” mentality contributed to his wife’s suffering. As Susan healed, she was able to begin helping others who suffered in silence from mental illness and addiction.Discover how Frank and Susan’s love and commitment to each other is still overcoming life’s challenges, even beyond their years as an Apollo commander and the founder of the Astronaut Wives Club.Trade Review"This is a true love story -- it has it all: adventure, sacrifice, fear, perseverance, redemption and heartbreak." -- Dee O'Hara, nurse to the astronauts of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs"This exceptional book presents the true perspective of those intense, high-energy, high-visibility years of Apollo, especially the challenging roles of the families. Susan and Frank Borman were leaders in the community, respected and admired by alland this book will tell you why. As a husband, an astronaut, and a manager, Frank Borman was a true leader, the epitome of 'Stand by Me.' And Susan's story is the most accurate description of the lives of the 'astronaut wives' I have ever read, from the glory of success to the grievance of loss. Enjoy this insightful book, and you will learn more about the human story of Apollo, especially about many of us who were fortunate to have participated." -- David Scott, astronaut on Gemini VIII, Apollo 9, and Apollo 15"Countless books have been published about the Apollo era, but this one stands apart, highlighting the "ride" taken by an Apollo family. The author shares the ride in wonderful detail, bringing the reader along on the very personal voyage of Susan Borman, who gave Frank wings. This is Susan's story, well told and well deserved." -- Michael Collins, astronaut on Gemini X, Apollo 11"Far Side of the Moon is a beautiful true story of how deep love and God's grace carried Sue and Frank Borman through very difficult times. We believe the book expresses an honest account of many of the families working at NASA during the US race for the moon -- the ambition, competition, and pressures on the astronauts, plus the stresses, loneliness, and sacrifices of the wives, was very real. The reader is shown that the same issues in marriages occur in careers other than the space program. We highly recommend this very personal story." -- Dotty and Charlie Duke, astronaut on Apollo 16"Liisa Jorgesen artfully captures the humanity, indeed the love, that was formed, sustained, and continues today between Frank and Susan Borman in the midst of great odds. Far Side of the Moon has two heroes in that sweeping relationship." -- Captain Phil "Rowdy" Yates (USN Ret.), Chief US Navy Test Pilot, Joint Strike Fighter CDP"As astronaut's wives, Susan Borman and I shared the highs and lows during the two missions our husbands flew together. I believe that Far Side of the Moon captures the unseen human side of what it was really like to be an Apollo family." -- Marilyn Lovell, wife of James Lovell, astronaut on Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13"For readers of Lily Koppel's The Astronaut Wives Club (2013), this is a more personal and focused story, a tale in which few punches are pulled, and all the collateral damage of being one of America's heroes is laid bare." -- BooklistTable of ContentsPrologue 1: “You Killed Your Father” 2: Duty Calls 3: “It’s That Kind of Date” 4: The Army Wife 5: “Every Man a Tiger” 6: The Death of a Dream 7: “I Need to Teach You How to Shoot a Gun” 8: “You Gave Your Ass to the Air Force” 9: The New Nine 10: “That Is Why You Test on the Ground” 11: “There’s More to Life than Living” 12: 50/50 13: Mission vs. family 14: Loss of Signal 15: Moral Compass 16: “Space Cooperation and Goodwill” 17: Moonman 18: “Never Bother Your Husband with Trivial Matters” 19: “It’s Time for a Reckoning” 20: “I Will Protect Her from Now On” 21: Second Honeymoon 22: The Next Mission Epilogue Acknowledgments

Read more less

Book Synopsis*NOW WITH A DETAILED READING GROUP GUIDE* A haunting WWII memoir of two sisters who survived Auschwitz that picks up where Anne Frank's Diary left off and gives voice to the children we lost.On March 28, 1944, six-year-old Tati and her four-year-old sister Andra were roused from their sleep and arrested. Along with their mother, Mira, their aunt, and cousin Sergio, they were deported to Auschwitz. Over 230,000 children were deported to the camp, where Josef Mengele, the Angel of Death, performed deadly experiments on them. Only a few dozen children survived, Tati and Andra among them. Tati, Andra, and Sergio were separated from their mothers upon arrival. But Mira was determined to keep track of her girls. After being tattooed with their inmate numbers, she made them memorize her number and told them to “always remember your name.” In keeping this promise to their mother, the sisters were able to be reunited with their parents when WWII ended. An unforgettable narrative of the power of sisterhood in the most extreme circumstances, and of how a mother’s love can overcome the most impossible odds, the Bucci sisters' memoir is a timely reminder that separating families is an inexcusable evil.Trade Review"Always Remem­ber Your Name is a pow­er­ful, yet sim­ple, telling of a har­row­ing peri­od in two young girl’s lives. The Buc­ci sis­ters will stay with the read­er long after the book is closed."—Rabbi Marc Katz, The Jewish Book Council"Andra and Tatiana Bucci’s riveting memoir reveals the extraordinary courage of two little girls; their will to live, and the profound love of their mother, who was determined to keep them alive. Always Remember Your Name is heart-breaking and yet utterly uplifting, with the fierce bond of two sisters at its heart, who survived the Holocaust to bear witness, so that none of us will ever forget."—Heather Morris, international bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka’s Journey, and Three Sisters "Written in the simple, direct language of witness and accompanied throughout by family photographs, this poignant story celebrates human resilience and warns readers living in an increasingly divided and chaotic world to beware the 'monsters' created by 'the sleep of reason.' Historically significant firsthand documentation from the 20th century’s darkest period." — Kirkus

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn the evening of 24 February 1944, RAAF Lancaster bomber J for Jig took off from an airfield in Lincolnshire. On board was a crew of seven young men-five Australians, two Scots-whose mission was to bomb factories in Schweinfurt, Germany. But J for Jig never reached its target. It was shot down in the night skies over France.This book is about the seven lives on that aircraft-who they were, what they did, whom they loved, and whom they left behind. Some were to die that night, and others were to survive, withstanding incredible hardships and adventures as prisoners and evaders in a war that was far from over.Crew brilliantly recreates J for Jig's final mission but, more than that, in telling seven individuals' stories Mike Colman has captured the achievements, loss and the enduring legacy of the generation that fought in the Second World War.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'I can't understand the mentality of the Australian people. One day they are in a panic about the war and the next they want more race meetings.' - John CurtinBy March 1942, the Japanese had steamrolled through Malaya, laid siege to Singapore, and bombed Darwin with the same ferocity they had dealt Pearl Harbor. Nothing could stop them. Their next step was inevitable, surely: the invasion and occupation of Australia. Meanwhile, as Australian prime minister John Curtin was battling with Winston Churchill to get troops back from overseas to defend their homeland, he was also positioning to ensure the United States would be there with us to fend off the approaching enemy.And at home, people pitched in as best they could and in any way to frustrate the invader. They all played their part, torn between 'she'll be right' and near panic. On Our Doorstep is the story of how Australia and Australians - the government, the military and the people - prepared to face this calamity, and the events that persuaded them of its probability. In the end, Japan found it had stretched itself beyond the reliability of its supply line, but had it ever intended to invade Australia?

Read more less

Book SynopsisThey were thrown into a hopeless fight against an overwhelming enemy. Later, hundreds died as prisoners of war on the Thai-Burma Railway and in the freezing coal mines of Taiwan and Japan. Through it all, wrote Weary Dunlop, they showed 'fortitude beyond anything I could have believed possible'. Until now, the story of the 2000 diggers marooned on Java in February 1942 has been a footnote to the fall of Singapore and the bloody campaign in New Guinea. Led by an Adelaide lawyer, Brigadier Arthur Blackburn VC, and fighting with scrounged weapons, two Australian battalions - plus an assortment of cooks, laundrymen and deserters from Singapore - held up the might of the Imperial Japanese Army until ordered by their Dutch allies to surrender.Drawing on personal diaries, official records and interviews with two of the last living survivors, this book tells the extraordinary story of the 'lads from Java', who laid down their weapons, but refused to give in. '[Gilling] has made superb use of an Australian Army History Research Grant to afford us a greater understanding of what the lost Australian warriors on Java experienced as a consequence of failed imperial wartime policy.' -The Australian'An engaging account . . . Gilling makes good use of diaries, memoirs and interviews with survivors.' -Good ReadingTable of ContentsAuthor's noteBrothers in armsDestination unknownGreatcoats will be wornThere are no Japanese within 100 milesThey got nothing from meSpecial Mission 43Java rubble A hell of a temperHundreds of whores and wicked bastardsSpeedo!One vast hospitalWhere are the rest?Stoppo!Do not overeatWe have developed queer habits and outlookBibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this book, acclaimed history David Brewer investigates explores 1940s Greece -- one of the most tumultuous decades in Greece's modern history. Beginning in 1941, the occupation of Greece by Germany was intensely brutal: children starved on the streets of Athens; the Jewish population was decimated in the Holocaust; heroic acts of resistance were met with vicious reprisals. When Greece was finally freed from Nazi rule in 1944, the fractured and embittered nation became engulfed in civil war, as conflict flared between the British and American-sponsored government and communist-led rebels. In Greece, The Decade of War, Brewer expertly analyses these events and in doing so provides a compelling military and political history.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Prologue 1. The Albanian Gateway to Greece 2. Mussolini's War on Greece 3. The German Invasion 4. The Battle for Crete 5. The Occupation Begins 6. Hyperinflation and Starvation 7. The Emergence of the Communists 8. Early Resistance 9. SOE, the Andartes and Gorgopotamos 10. Village and City 11. The Destruction of the Jews 12. The Fractured Resistance 13. The Question of the King 14. The Cairo Conference, August 1943 15. The Italian Armistice and the First Communist Offensive 16. The Resistance in Crete 17. Upheaval in the Greek Government 18. Liberation 19. Towards Sunday December 3rd 1944 20. The Battle for Athens 21. Dhamaskinos, Churchill and the Varkiza Agreement 22. The Government, the Communists and the Elections 23. The Truman Doctrine 24. 1947 – Civil War and American Involvement 25. Terror from Left and Right 26. The Plight of the Greek Children 27. The Marshall Plan 28. The Ending of the Civil War Epilogue Chronology Notes Select Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book provides Bolt Action players with all of the information they need to field the military forces of the Soviet Union. From the bitter urban warfare of Stalingrad, through the Winter War against Finland and the final drive to Berlin, the detailed army lists provided in this supplement allow players to construct Soviet armies for any theatre and any year of the war.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Army Lists /Theatres

Read more less

Book SynopsisFollowing the assault on Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese military saw action across Asia, from the capture and defence of the islands of the Pacific to the occupation of territory in China and Burma. With this latest supplement for Bolt Action, players have all the information they need to build a force of the Emperor’s fanatically loyal troops and campaign through some of the most brutal battles of the war.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Army Lists /Theatres

Read more less

Book Synopsis"The Luftwaffe - the German Air Force - will no longer have a decisive influence on the outcome of World War II, no matter how long it takes to beat Hitler." It is more than two years since I first heard these words. The man who spoke them to me continued: "No doubt, we will hear of the Luftwaffe before the war is over. We will hear a lot. But don't let us be deceived. No matter what happens, the Luftwaffe can never be used as a strategic first-line weapon within the Nazi plan. It can play no role but that of a tactical and auxiliary weapon." Curt Reiss, December 1943. Can it really be true that in 1941 insiders knew the Luftwaffe was a spent force; and a failed organization? This remarkable, but little-known book was written in 1943 and published in 1944. It argues, with remarkable clarity how incompetence at the highest level, both in planning and strategy led the Luftwaffe - pushed by the Nazi Party - to adopt a policy that left it hopelessly stretched and exposed. Little known facts shine out - such as the policy of failing to produce spares led the Luftwaffe to lose 2,500 aircraft during the invasion of Poland alone. The regime designed the Luftwaffe for Blitzkrieg, and Blitzkrieg alone. When a long-haul set in on an eastern front, on an African front and later on a western front, the collapse of Germany became simply inevitable. Crammed full of fascinating detail, and displaying much prescience, this book leaves the reader with the distinct impression that the much-vaunted German efficiency suffered from the dead-hand of the Nazi Party with its corruption and its contradictions. The insights into Goering and his wholesale thefts to fund a lavish life-style add colour to the picture of his incompetence.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTwenty-six-year-old American Ernest Pope arrived in Munich as a Reuters correspondent in in 1936. From then until he left in the summer of 1940 he saw first-hand the wild excesses of the Nazis. He wrote mainly for British newspapers-notably the Daily Express-but after September 1939 he could only supply material to the USA as lines to Britain were closed. As events hotted up he left for home just two months prior to America's entry to the war. Back in the safety of the United States he spent six months writing down what he had seen and who he had met. With wicked wit and superb style he ridicules the Nazis, showing them up for what they truly were-boorish and evil thugs. His narrative reads like a sensational novel, but for the poor inhabitants of Germany the unbelievable was in fact everyday life. Pope knew, saw or interviewed all the top Nazis and dozens of lower-level officials, including some of Hitler's security men. Fluent in Bavarian German dialect, Pope made many friends in Munich with citizens and officials alike. He heard jokes from Munichers that could get them thrown in a concentration camp and he poked fun at Nazis whenever he dared. Munich Playground is a 'must read' for anyone who wishes to understand what Hitler's Third Reich was really like.Table of ContentsPublisher's Note to the 2015 Edition, Introduction to the 2015 Edition ,Foreword, 1 Der Fuhrer at Play, 2 My Friends the Gestapo, 3 Portrait of a Nazi Grafter, 4 Hitler Dabbles in Art, 5 The One-Legged Boss of Bavaria, 6 Catholicism in the Nazi Capital, 7 Lunch with Julius Streicher, 8 Non-Aryans, 9 The Brown-Shirt Press, 10 Tea for Two, 11 Death Takes a Holiday, 12 Brass Hats in Bavaria, 13 Fraulein give me London, 14 Nazi Night Life, 15 Nazi Morals, 16 Hitler Breaks his Toys, Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Second World War saw the apex of piston-engine aircraft design, and ushered the world into the jet age. Anybody who studies aviation will know the names: Spitfire, Mustang, Zero, Messerschmitt, Shturmovik. But there were many more aircraft to take to the skies before and during the war, and frequently their stories remain unknown. This book seeks to tell those stories, to bring to the fore the forgotten warbirds. From the valiant Poles fighting the might of the Luftwaffe in their obsolescent craft, to the varied and excellent craft of the French Armee De l'Air, to the graceful craft of Italy's Regia Aeronautica. With stops around the globe, this book seeks to tell the tales of the forgotten or the doomed or the never-quites. The stories of these aircraft, drawn from Allies and Axis nations alike, bring forth a fuller picture of aviation during the greatest airborne conflict in world history. Telling these stories will give readers an interesting, and informative, look into the past-with personal reflections and a call to arms for the study of history itself.

Read more less

Book SynopsisStarting weeks after Hitler declared war on the United States in mid-December 1941 and lasting until the war with Germany was all but over, 73 German U-Boats sustainably attacked New England waters, from Montauk New York to the tip of Nova Scotia at Cape Sable. Fifteen percent of these boats were sunk by Allied counter-attacks, five surrendered in the region, and three were sunk off New England--Block Island, Massachusetts Bay, and off Nantucket. These have proven appealing to divers, with a result that at least three German naval officers or ratings are buried in New England, one having killed himself in the Boston jail cell. There were 34 Allied merchant or naval ships sunk by these subs, one of them, the 'Eagle', was not admitted to have been sunk by the Germans until decades later. Over 1,100 men were thrown in the water and 545 of them made it ashore in New England ports; 428 were killed. Importantly, saboteurs were landed three places: Long Island, Frenchman's Bay Maine and New Brunswick Canada, and Boston was mined. Very little was known about this.Table of ContentsForeword; Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1 Early 1942: The First Four U-boats Attack the `Thirlby', the `Norness', and the `Alexandra Hoegh'; 2 Five U-boats Follow Up: U-654, U-106, U-103, U-107, and U-578; 3 The Coastal Picket Forms (1942-1943); 4 Five U-boats Attack the `Norland', the `Polyphemus', the `Berganger', and the `Cayru'; 5 A Dozen U-boats Attack the `Ranja', the `Thursobank', the `Hertford', and the `Nemanja'; 6 Two Boats Sink Three Ships: the `West Imboden', the `Pipestone County', and the `Taborfjell'; 7 Five U-boats Attack the `Skottland', the `Fort Binger', the `Plow City', and the `Margot'; 8 U-213 Inserts the First German Saboteur into the Bay of Fundy; 9 Two U-boats Attack the `Peisander', the `Mattawin', and the `Fort Qu'Appelle'; 10 One Boat and Attacks on the `Zurichmoor', the `Liverpool Packet', the `Ben' and `Josephine', the `Aeolus', and the `Malayan Prince'; 11 The Boston Minefield and Five U-boats Attack the `Moldanger', the `Port Nicholson', and the `Cherokee'; 12 Second Saboteur Landing, Amagansett, Long Island by U-202; 13 Ten U-boats Attack the `Lucille M' and the `Alexander Macomb'; 14 The Tragic Saga of the Lifeboat of the Wind Ship `Angelus'; 15 Six U-boats and the Battle to Attack and Save the Tanker `Pan Pennsylvania'; 16 Three Boats and the Diminutive Fishing Schooner `Lark'; 17 The Third Saboteur Landing off Bar Harbor, Maine, and the `Cornwallis'; 18 Last Gasps: Four U-boats and the `Atlantic States', `USS Eagle 56', and the `Black Point'; 19 Eight Surrenders: U-858, U-1228, U-805, U-873, U-234, U-977, U-889, and U-530; 20 Thirteen French and Italian Allied Submarines and Five German Cold War U-boats;'Conclusion; Postscript; Appendix I: Patrols and Fates of Ninety German, Italian, and French U-boats and Submarines; Appendix II: Thirty-Eight Merchant and One Naval Victims; Appendix III: Sixteen Ports Where 649 Survivors Landed; Appendix IV: Burial Locations of Eight U-boat Sailors; Appendix V: Fates of Ten U-boats Lost During and After the War; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index.

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘Panzersoldaten!’ is a history of the Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale (MVSN), commonly referred to as the Blackshirts due to their wartime attire. They were an anti-Communist paramilitary organisation that fought for Mussolini while Italy was under fascist rule; following the Duce’s removal from power, the organisation was quickly swept up by the Italian Army, and forced to swear allegiance to the king. Some, however, defected and continued to fight for the Axis alliance as volunteer units in the German Army. This volume covers the history of the Blackshirt Division during the campaign on the Eastern Front, focusing on its relations with the Italian Army, the history of the MVSN, its advance into Ukraine, and the First and Second Battles of the Don River. Morisi, using almost exclusively contemporary resources and battalion war diaries, as well memoirs from senior officers of the division, has created a definitive analysis of the Blackshirts.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Introduction; 1: The Italian Army and Operation Barbarossa; 2: A History of the MVSN; 3: From the Initial Advance into Ukraine to the Christmas Battle; 4: First and Second Battle of the Don River; 5: The M Armoured Division; Conclusion: final assessment; Bibliography; Appendix: Anthem of the M Battalions.

Read more less

Book Synopsis1943 was the turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic, when the balance of forces, technologies and tactics turned irrevocably against Germany’s U-boats. The victory thus obtained not only secured Britain’s transatlantic lifeline to the United States, but in so doing enabled the vast build up in military forces in Britain necessary to launch D-Day in June 1944. The Allied battle to defeat the U-boat menace was a combined effort by the naval and air forces of several Allied nations, and this is the story of one part of that effort during the decisive mid-war period. Nos 10 and 461 Squadrons of the Royal Australian Air Force flew Sunderland flying boats from bases in Wales and Devon as part of RAF Coastal Command; these two sister squadrons flew long-range daylight missions over the eastern Atlantic, patrolling Britain’s southwest approaches. They hunted and killed U-boats transiting between their mid-Atlantic hunting grounds and their bases in Bordeaux, and fought furious air battles over the heaving seas of the Bay of Biscay, against Luftwaffe Ju88 long-range fighters tasked specifically with shooting them down. These two Australian squadrons established a combat record second to none.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Second World War was the cause of more civilian casualties, many of them young people, than of military. In Britain, young people were on the front line, facing the threat of enemy invasion and the fragmentation of daily life. Their education was disrupted as their schools were taken over by government, the military and ARP; as pupils were evacuated and staff conscripted; curriculum was diluted and part-time schooling instituted; and concerns over food and accommodation increased. Along with the physical dangers of bombing and the increased disease caused by deprivation and social dislocation, youngsters endured psychological and emotional pressure from anxieties over home and family. Young people worked in industry and agriculture; served in the Home Guard and ARP; carried out voluntary activities in health and welfare; and prepared for military service as cadets and in uniformed organisations. School buildings aided the war effort as military HQs, training centres, research centres for weapons development and, central to ARP, especially in the cities, were often at the forefront of the bombing. This book attempts an overview of the circumstances under which youngsters grew up between 1939 and 1945 on the Home Front, with particular emphasis on the 14-18 age group.Table of ContentsContents, Acknowledgements, Abbreviations, Introduction, Chapter 1: The Context of Schooling, Chapter 2: The re-purposing of school premises, Chapter 3: Youngsters in defence of the nation, Chapter 4: Schools under attack, Chapter 5: Young people serving the nation, Evacuation figures for British cities, Bibliography, Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Second World War campaigns in North Africa, on the Eastern Front and in northwest Europe were dominated by armoured warfare, but the battles in Italy were not. The mountainous topography of the Italian peninsula ensured that it was foremost an infantry war, so it could be said that tanks played a supporting role. Yet, as Anthony Tucker-Jones demonstrates, in the battles fought from the Allied landings in Sicily in 1943 to the German surrender after the crossing of the Po in 1945, tanks, self-propelled guns and armoured cars were essential elements in the operations of both sides. His selection of rare wartime photographs shows armour in battle at Salerno, Anzio and Monte Cassino, during the struggle for the Gustav Line, the advance on Rome and the liberation of northern Italy. And they reveal the full array of Axis and Allied armoured vehicles that was deployed - most famous among them were the German Mk IVs, Panthers, and Tigers and Allied Stuarts, Chafees, Shermans and Churchills. This volume in Anthony Tucker-Jones's series of books on armoured warfare in the Second World War gives readers a vivid impression of the Italian landscapes over which the campaign was fought, the wide range of military vehicles that were used, and the gruelling conditions endured by the men who fought in them.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the pre-dawn darkness of 6 June 1944, the greatest armada the world has ever seen began to disembark an Allied invasion force on the beaches of France's Normandy peninsula. Invasion '44 tells the story of that assault from the day over four years earlier, and only a few short weeks after the British disaster at Dunkirk, when a few individuals in the High Command began to turn their thoughts to the possibilities of an eventual return to the mainland, and the story continues up to the time when the Allied beach-head was firmly established on French soil. As the battle progresses, the reader is allowed to view each successive wave as it lands, follow the developing battle line inland, and keep an eye on the vital battles also developing on and beneath the seas off the Normandy peninsula and in the skies above it.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter its attack on Poland in 1939, Britain and France had declared war on Germany. The Germans were suddenly in a war they had risked and now had to fight, and they planned an invasion of Britain to destroy that enemy's potential for making war. The plan, Operation Sea Lion, called for implementation by the autumn of 1940 and depended on German forces defeating and eliminating the Royal Air Force, clearing the English Channel of British mines, dominating the coastal zone between occupied France and England with heavy artillery, and eliminating the Royal Navy as a threat. German success relied heavily on its air force, the Luftwaffe, dealing with the R.A.F quickly and efficiently and gaining air superiority over Britain with a series of concentrated bombing attacks throughout the British Isles. Winston Churchill called what followed "the Battle of Britain" - fifteen weeks of aerial combats, much happening directly above the towns and villages of England. The threatened invasion never came. Herman Goring's vaunted air force failed to achieve the prerequisites for Sea Lion and Adolf Hitler was forced to call it off. The Luftwaffe bombing raids on Britain continued, however, into mid-May 1941, resulting in an unprecedented fifty-seven night campaign of horror for the British people. The airmen of Goring's bomber force, sometimes referred to as 'eagles', were a unique breed involved in a remarkable experience, a prolonged, dramatic, strategic bombing effort that was met and challenged by a relatively small force of R.A.F fighter pilots determined to do whatever it took to prevent the enemy invading. The ferocity of fight they put up left the German bomber crews in no doubt about the sort of threat they faced. The Battle of Britain: Luftwaffe Blitz offers a gripping, graphic view of the routine repeated each day and night, from the summer of 1940 through the following spring, by the German bomber crews bringing their deadly cargoes to Britain. Through mainly German archival photos, it features images of the airmen on their French bases and in the skies over England; the aircraft they flew, fought and sometimes died in; their leaders; their targets and results; the R.A.F pilots and aircraft; and the losses. The images, from the Bundesarchiv and other German and British photographic sources, vividly convey a real sense of events as they played out, as do the compelling memories of many on both sides, participants and eyewitnesses to one of the most brutal sustained bombardments of the Second World War.

Read more less

Book SynopsisUsing many rare and unpublished images this book identifies and delves into the characters of the notorious men who were instrumental in one of the greatest crimes against humanity in World history. Through words and pictures the chilling truth emerges. In many respects these monsters were all too normal. Rudolf Hoss, the Commandant of Auschwitz, was a family man and hospitable host and yet while there is no record of his committing acts of violence personally he presided over a regime that accounted for over a million deaths. Others such as Amon Goeth and Josef Kramer personally promoted violence and terror and took pleasure from ever more brutal practices. They were competitive in obtaining 'results'. While following orders from above they did not hesitate to use their own initiative in pursuit of their barbaric objectives. Every occupied country in Europe was touched by the 'Final Solution' and despite the capture, trials and punishment of these leading perpetrators the stain of man's inhumanity to man, woman and child remains ineradicable. Justice came too late for millions but the lessons learnt must never be forgotten and this book throws new light on the managers of the murderous Holocaust process.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of the most dangerous and thrilling secret missions of World War II was ordered personally by Churchill after Hitler unleashed the Tiger tank against Allied troops in Europe and North Africa in 1942. Churchill desperately needed to discover the secret technology used in the Tiger’s manufacture. As his special agent he chose a brilliant young army engineer, Major Doug Lidderdale. In a late night briefing in the subterranean War Rooms under Whitehall he ordered him: `Go catch me a tiger.’

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe second year of the Second World War on the Eastern Front was dominated by Stalingrad, the protracted battle for the city on the Volga, and this is the major episode in this volume of Nik Cornish's four-volume photographic history of the conflict. Stalingrad was a turning point in the war, the moment when the Red Army seized the initiative and threw back the German invaders. But the struggle at Stalingrad was far from the only focus of the fighting during 1942 and 1943. German forces conquered the Crimea, besieged Leningrad and advanced deep into the Caucasus. The Red Army took the offensive, not only at Stalingrad but at Rzhev, Kharkov and Kursk. So this phase of the war between Germany and the Soviet Union saw dramatic changes of fortune, offensives and counter-offensives on a massive scale, and these events are also illustrated in these rare photographs. These vivid images show the front-line fighting, the troops and the conditions on both sides, but they also document the consequences of war for the civilians under German occupation and the devastation of the Russian towns and cities.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHitler's Third Reich is still the focus of numerous articles, books and films: no conflict of the twentieth century has prompted such interest or such a body of literature. Approaching the canon of World War II literature is a challenge for a general reader but the 100 objects approach is a novel and accessible presentation. This is a compelling, frequently shocking and revelatory guide to the Third Reich that has been collated and presented by two of the world's leading World War II historians. The photographs gathered by Roger Moorhouse and Roger Moorhouse include Pervitin, Hitler's Mercedes, Wehrmach toilet paper, Hitler's grooming kit, the Nuremberg courtroom, the Tiger Tank, fragments of flak, the Iron Cross and, of course, the Swastika and Mein Kampf.

Read more less

Book Synopsis_ I realised that this brief but abortive sortie was to be the final mission of my Luftwaffe flying career.'_ Johannes Kaufmann's career was an exciting one. He may have been an ordinary Luftwaffe pilot, but he served during an extraordinary time, with distinction. Serving for a decade through both peacetime and wartime, his memoir sheds light on the immense pressures of the job. In this never-before-seen translation of a rare account of life in the Luftwaffe, Kaufmann takes the reader through his time in service, from his involvement in the annexation of the Rhineland, the attack on Poland, fighting against American heavy bombers in the Defence of the Reich campaign. He also covers his role in the battles of Arnhem, the Ardennes, and the D-Day landings, detailing the intricacies of military tactics, flying fighter planes and the challenges of war. His graphic descriptions of being hopelessly lost in thick cloud above the Alps, and of following a line of telegraph poles half-buried in deep snow while searching for a place to land on the Stalingrad front are proof that the enemy was not the only danger he had to face during his long flying career. Kaufmann saw out the war from the early beginnings of German expansion right through to surrender to the British in 1945\. _An Eagle's Odyssey_ is a compelling and enlightening read, Kaufmann's account offers a rarely heard perspective on one of the core experiences of the Second World War.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWolfgang Luth was one of only seven men to win Germany s highest combat decoration. He operated in almost every theatre of the undersea war from Norway to the Indian Ocean and he was the second most successful German U-boat ace in World War II. Luth is credited with sinking 47 Allied ships and a submarine a record topped only by Otto Kretschmer. In 1944, after 16 war patrols, including one that lasted a record 203 days at sea, he was named commandant of the German naval academy and, aged 30, became the youngest commandant of the German Naval Academy. Until the publication of this comprehensive study his accomplishments were overshadowed by other aces. To correct the neglect, Jordan Vause provides an entertaining, authoritative biography. Vause was intrigued after seeing a portrait of Luth as a midshipman on display and set out to learn all he could, tracking down some of Luth s crewmen and fellow U-boat commanders. He draws on their first-hand information and a variety of written documents to provide a fascinating character analysis. In doing so, he encapsulates the paradoxes inherent in so many German submarine commanders, men spawned by the Nazi regime yet not entirely of it. Vause portrays Luth as a man of contradictions: an agent Nazi ideologue who could bend the rules for a slack sailor, a U-boat ace who could treat survivors of his attacks with clemency but then impetuously gun down other victims in cold blood. Even his best friend admitted that Luth had no remorse for the misery he inflicted on the crews of sunken ships. On the night of May 13th 1945 he was accidentally shot and killed by a German sentry. On May 16th 1945 he was given the Third Reich s last state funeral.

Read more less

Book SynopsisD-Day - June 6, 1944 - was a pivotal day in human history. This was the great turning point of the Second World War, when the largest armada ever assembled took a third of a million Allied men across the English Channel. The invasion force of 150,000 troops from Britain, the United States, Canada and many other nations fighting on the Allied side on D-Day under the command of Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery landed on five beaches to spearhead Operation Overlord, the invasion of German-occupied mainland Europe. On Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches they fought through what has been described as 'the longest day' against deadly German firepower but many sadly would not live to see the end of the day. This new paperback edition of a classic account of D-Day told through first-hand accounts brings vividly to life the bravery and skill of the young men called to fight to liberate Europe. For many it was their first experience of combat and it would change their lives for ever. The accounts are taken from letters, diaries and interviews and range from generals and politicians to frontline soldiers and civilians. The accounts in this book tell the whole story of D-Day from the meticulous planning of the four years following the retreat at Dunkirk, the invasion armada, the fighting on the beaches and the first foothold in France, the hard-fought progress through the 'bocage' countryside of Normandy before the German army was surrounded and the Allies could breakout at speed and sweep through France to the German border, not forgetting the role of the home front throughout the campaign. Even today.there are many reminders of D-Day that visitors can see on the beaches of Normandy and in the towns, villages and cemeteries inland.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this vivid first-hand account we gain unique access to the inner workings of Stalin's Central Women's Sniper School, near Podolsk in Western Russia. Luliia was a dedicated member of the Komsomol (the Soviet communist youth organisation) and her parents worked for the NKVD. She started at the sniper school and eventually became a valued member of her battalion during operations against Prussia. She persevered through eight months of training before leaving for the Front on 24th November 1944 just days after qualifying. Joining the third Belorussian Front her battalion endured rounds of German mortar as well as loudspeaker announcements beckoning them to come over to the German side. Luliia recounts how they would be in the field for days, regularly facing the enemy in terrifying one-on-one encounters. She sets down the euphoria of her first hit and starting her battle count but her reflection on how it was also the ending of a life. These feelings fade as she recounts the barbarous actions of Hitler's Nazi Germany. She recall how the women were once nearly overrun by Germans at their house when other Red Army formations had moved off and failed to tell them. She also details a nine-day stand-off they endured encircled by Germans in Landsberg. Regularly suffering ill-health she took a shrapnel injury to her knee and had to be operated on without an anaesthetic. She would eventually see the end of the war in K ngsberg. Like her famous counterpart Pavlichenko she gained recognition but struggled to come to terms with war service Haunted by flashbacks she burned the letters she sent home from the Front. She later discovered that of the 1885 graduates of her sniper school only 250 had died in war. In this powerful, first-hand account we come up close to the machinations of the NKVD (the secret police) as well as the gruelling toll of war and the breathtaking bravery of this female sniper. Additional material includes notes by John Walter and an introduction by Martin Pegler.

Read more less

Book Synopsis_'Imagine what is was like, after being subjected to the relentless roaring of dozens of aeroplane engines, and constant explosions, to be suddenly surrounded by a deathly silence! We were cut off from the outside world. Were we staring an agonising death in the face?' _ No previous work about Stalingrad places such emphasis on the experience of ordinary fighters and civilians. This volume of human history and military strategy includes fresh translations from original sources describing this pivotal event of World War II as told by the German and Soviet soldiers who fought the battle, Russian civilians who watched the enemy at the gates as well as Western diplomat and newspaper correspondent onlookers. Offering a record of one of the pivotal events of World War II, as told through the personal accounts of the German and Soviet soldiers who fought in it, this book features photographs from the Battle of Stalingrad, from both sides of the front. This is a fascinating record of the pivotal event of World War II, told through the personal accounts of the German and Soviet soldiers who fought it, the Russian civilians who watched the destruction of their city, and Western onlookers such as diplomats and newspaper correspondents. Many of these voices are gleaned from newly-discovered archive material, and from rare sources and reminiscences in Germany and Russia, including KGB sources. Many of these accounts have never been published, or are totally unknown in the English-speaking world. All foreign voices are quoted in fresh and engaging new translations from the original sources. There are rare photographs of the battle, from both sides of the front.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first in a series of books, _I Somehow Survived_ is an extraordinary collection of true stories giving testimony to those who survived World War II. Based on interviews with numerous veterans from across the spectrum of wartime experience, the book documents and reflects upon one of the most gruesome times in history. From anti-partisan warfare in the French mountains, atrocities in East Prussia, to the experience of a Norwegian concentration camp, the book includes rarely heard stories from a range of people caught up in the war. With the distance of time, these survivors have been able to offer new perspectives on their experiences and expose truths they would not have dared admit several decades ago. German Army officers reveal their role in the Vercors and Kiev massacres. A Luftwaffe officer-applicant who never flew describes service on the ground. And a Norwegian woman writes of marrying a German Kriegsmarine while her mother was in a Norwegian concentration camp for political activity and her father was in hiding from the Gestapo. "I have no objection to your marrying him," her father told her, "I just want them to give us our country back."

Read more less

Book SynopsisWiped out three Nazis in a shallow trench. But only got out by a miracle. The Germans apparently guessed where my lair was and unleashed a hurricane of mortar fire the company had as good as buried me. Somebody saw a direct mortar hit on my lair.' - Fyodor Dyachenko The German snipers on the other side also engaged in stalking, especially stalking us women. They had no female snipers, just men' - Antonina Kotlyarova Dreadful death cries could be heard from the German trenches, where the enemy were bayonetting those of our wounded who had remained behind there' - Klavdia Kalugina Before firing I managed to get a good look at him through my sights. He was a young officer. He seemed to be looking straight at me and I shot him. But it was a human being! Then my feelings dulled and I went on killing the way we were supposed to' - Antonina Kotlyarova I lay down on the ground, pressed my cheek close to the stock, took aim at the target and remembered the lieutenant's words: Make sure your heart is behind every bullet Believe in your shot - Pyotr Belyakov When we learnt on May 9th that the war was over, our joy knew no bounds [...] I felt enormous relief when I heard the news of victory - now I wouldn't need to kill anymore' - Maria Bondarenko With a wealth of first-hand testimonies, collected by Artem Drabkin, this is a unique collection of eyewitness accounts from the Second World War. The reminiscences of the Red Army snipers reveal fascinating details of life in Russia before the war, as well as the surprising commonality of the privation and unforgiving experience of frontline combat and the day-to-day starkness of sharpshooting. The book includes testimony from celebrated snipers such as Fyodor Dyachenko, Alexander Romanyenko, Klavdia Kalugina, Antonina Kotlyarova and Maria Bondarenko.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen the German Reichstag went up in flames on the evening of 27 February 1933, Hitler used the incident to seize power, claiming it was the work of Communists planning a violent uprising. But who really started the fire? Were the Nazis to blame, or was it the work of lone arsonist Marinus van der Lubbe? This debate has been raging for more than eighty years. The Reichstag Fire seeks to shed light on this pivotal event that changed the course of world history. Through a thorough and unbiased analysis of original source material, award-winning journalist Sven Felix Kellerhoff charts the outbreak of the fire, the Reich Cabinet's response to the event, Marinus van der Lubbe's repeated confession to the crime, and the far-reaching consequences of the fire.

Read more less

Book SynopsisApril 6, 1944. A detachment of German soldiers arrive in a rural French town, hunting down resistance fighters, many of whom are hiding in the region. More than sixty years later, the villagers clearly remember the day when four peasants from a nearby village were taken hostage and shot as an example to others. But do they remember the whole story? Jean-Marie Borzeix sets out to investigate the events of Holy Thursday 1944, and to reveal the hidden truths of that fateful day. He uncovers the story of a mysterious 'fifth man' shot alongside the resisters and eventually unravels a trail which leads him to Paris, Israel and into the darkest corners of the Holocaust in France. A captivating story, the events of this day in a small, entirely typical, town illuminate the true impact of World War II in France.Trade Review'A completely enthralling and disturbing account of a forgotten episode during the Nazi occupation of France in World War II. An exceptional and moving work of historical investigation.' - William Boyd

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less