Second World War Books

Book SynopsisDuring the second half of 1943, after the failure at Kursk, Germany's Army Group South fell back from Russia under repeated hammerblows from the Red Army. Under Erich von Manstein, however, the Germans were able to avoid serious defeats, while at the same time fending off Hitler's insane orders to hold on to useless territory.

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Book SynopsisA rarely frank account of the U.S. infantry experience in northern Europe, A Foot Soldier for Patton takes the reader from the beaches of Normandy through the giddy drive across France, to the brutal battles on the Westwall, in the Ardennes, and finally to the conquest of Germany itself.Patton’s army is best known for dashing armoured attacks, its commander combining the firepower of tanks with their historic lineage as cavalry. But when the Germans stood firm the greatest fighting was done by Patton’s long undersung infantry—the foot sloggers who were called upon to reduce enemy strongpoints, and who took the brunt of German counterattacks.Michael Bilder, a member of the 5th Infantry (“Red Diamond”division), played a unique role in the Third Army’s onslaught. A rifleman foremost, he was also a German-speaker, called upon for interrogations and special duties. Also a combat lifeguard, he played a key role in successive river crossings. An astute observer, he relates dozens of fascinating insights into the campaign, from dealing with German snipers to intoxicated Frenchwomen, as well as relaying the often morbid humor of combat. Laughter, for example, erupts among Bilder’s unit when a hated Graves Registration officer, known for robbing the pockets of the dead, gets his hand blown off by a German booby trap.When the 5th Infantry comes up against the fortress of Metz, the battle is detailed in all its horror, as is the sudden drive into the flank of the Bulge, where the Americans face their first winter battle against enemy veterans of Russia. Incidents common to the ordinary GI, but which seldom see the light of day in histories, are routinely related in this book, enriching the reader’s sense of the true reality of World War II combat.Trade ReviewOne of the best memoirs I have ever read about WWII service. * Military Magazine *...a fine book that I would recommend to anyone who has anything to do with the infantryman’s war. It should be compulsory reading for snout-in-trough politicians who thoughtlessly commit better men than themselves to that very experience. * Tank *...a damn good read...a roller coaster of a story filled with the highs and lows of war. * Raider *Altogether, this is a fascinating insight into a rifleman’s everyday life during the later stages of the War in Europe. * Classic Military Vehicle *

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Book SynopsisThe sinking of the German battleship Bismarck—a masterpiece of engineering, well-armored with a main artillery of eight 15-inch guns—was one of the most dramatic events of World War II. She left the port of Gotenhafen for her first operation on the night of 18 May 1941, yet was almost immediately discovered by Norwegian resistance and Allied air reconnaissance. British battlecruiser Hood was quickly dispatched from Scapa Flow to intercept the Bismarck, together with new battleship Prince of Wales. They were ordered to find the ship quickly because, on their way from the USA, several large convoys were heading for Britain.On 24 May, Bismarck was found off the coast of Greenland, but the ensuing battle was disastrous for the British. The Hood was totally destroyed within minutes (only 3 crewmen surviving), and Prince of Wales was badly damaged. The chase resumed until the German behemoth was finally caught, this time by four British capital ships supported by torpedo-bombers from the carrier Ark Royal. The icy North Atlantic roiled from the crash of shellfire and bursting explosions until finally the Bismarck collapsed, sending nearly 2,000 German sailors to a watery grave.Zetterling and Tamelander’s work rests on stories from survivors and the latest historical discoveries. The book starts with a thorough account of maritime developments from 1871 up to the era of the giant battleship, and ends with a vivid account, hour by hour, of the dramatic and fateful hunt for the mighty Bismarck, Nazi-Germany’s last hope to pose a powerful surface threat to Allied convoys.Trade Review…unable to put it down…I highly recommend this book for anyone that likes the study of naval battles or just wants to read about an action-packed sea battle. * IPMS *... a very interesting and useful history …once you start… you will be very hard pressed to stop until the smoke has cleared and the ship is sunk. * INTERNET MODELER *outstanding book about naval warfare…real time, you are there style that conveys all of the anxiety of actual combat at sea. * WWII HISTORY MAGAZINE *essential background and new historical insights make otherwise inexplicable elements of the Bismarck story much clearer, without diminishing the drama of the epic sea chase and its vivid, human details. * WORLD WAR II MAGAZINE *A fresh look at the life and death of the most famous German warship of World War II. * NYMAS *Beautifully written, exhaustively researched and a mine of thought provoking insight...this is not just the best military history book I’ve read for a many a year but the best book full-stop. Essential. Buy it. * ModelArmour November *…a thorough treatment, including material from interviews with survivors of their sinkings and the impact they had on the naval war in the Atlantic. * SEAPOWER *A fresh look at the life and death of the most famous German warship of World War II…a very good read… * STRATEGY PAGE *…a thorough treatment, including material from interviews with survivors of their sinkings and the impact they had on the naval war in the Atlantic. * Seapower *

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Book SynopsisThis book is built around two recently discovered war diaries—one by a member of the 23rd Panzer Division which served under Manstein in Russia, and the other by a member of Rommel’s AfrikaKorps. Together, along with detailed timelines and brief overviews, they comprise a fascinating “ground level” look at the German side of World War II. The assignment of keeping the first diary was given to a soldier in the 2nd Battalion, 201st Panzer Regiment by a commanding officers and the author never saw fit to include his own name. This diary covers the period from April 1942 to March 1943, the momentous year when the tide of battle turned in the East. It first details the unit’s combat in the great German victory at Charkov, then the advance to the Caucasus, and finally the brutal winter of 1942–43. The second diary’s author was a soldier named Rolf Krengel. It starts with the beginning of the war and ends shortly after the occupation. Serving primarily in North Africa, Krengel recounts with keen insight and flashes of humour the day-to-day challenges of the AfrikaKorps. During one of the swirling battles in the desert, Krengel found himself sharing a tent with Rommel at a forward outpost. The Field Marshal read parts of the diary with interest and signed it. Evacuated due to illness, Krengel then records service in Berlin beneath the relentless Allied bomber streams and other occurrences on the German homefront. Neither of the diarists was famous, nor of especially high rank. However, these are the brutally honest accounts written at the time by men of the Wehrmacht who participated in two of history’s most crucial campaigns. About the Authors The authors previously collaborated on Mr. Gehlen’s childhood memoir, Jungvolk: The Story of a Boy Defending Hitler’s Third Reich (Casemate, 2008).Trade Review...a great read that will keep you interested from start to finish… * ModelArmour *

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Book SynopsisTo many students of World War II, von Manstein is already considered to be the greatest commander of the conflict, if not the entire 20th century. He devised the plan that conquered France in 1940, thence led an infantry corps in that campaign; at the head of a panzer corps he reached the gates of Leningrad in 1941, then took command of 11th Army and conquered Sevastopol and the Crimea. After destroying another Soviet army in the north, he was given command of the ad hoc Army Group Don to retrieve the German calamity at Stalingrad, whereupon he launched a counteroffensive that, against all odds, restored the German front. Afterward he commanded Army Group South, nearly crushing the Soviets at Kursk, and then skilfully resisted their relentless attacks, as he traded territory for coherence in the East. Though an undoubtedly brilliant military leader—whose achievements, considering the forces at his disposal, cast those of Patton, Rommel, MacArthur, and Montgomery in the pale—surprisingly little is known about Manstein himself, save for his own memoir and the accolades of his contemporaries. In this book we finally have a full portrait of the man, including his campaigns, and an analysis of what precisely kept a genius such as Manstein harnessed to such a dark cause. A great military figure, but a man who lacked a razor-sharp political sense, Manstein was very much representative of the Prussian military caste of his time. Though Hitler was uneasy about the influence he had gained throughout the German Army, Manstein ultimately declined to join any clandestine plots against his Führer, believing they would simply cause chaos, the one thing he abhorred. Even though he constantly opposed Hitler on operational details, he considered it a point of loyalty to simply stand with the German state, in whatever form.Trade Review…straightforward and uncomplicated… succeeds in cutting through the post-war rewriting of history perpetrated by Manstein (and others) and gives us a realistic pictures of Manstein"s career warts and all. * The Wargamer *…straightforward and uncomplicated… succeeds in cutting through the post-war rewriting of history perpetrated by Manstein (and others) and gives us a realistic pictures of Manstein"s career warts and all. * The Wargamer *An excellent biography of a flawed yet brilliant soldier. * Amazon customer review by David Poremba *Lemay, a civilian scholar and one of the best of the rising generation of French military historians, synergizes Manstein’s campaigns and his role in the Final Solution. * World War II magazine *...if you wish to get an insight into the inner workings of the Nazi machine (as seen through the lens of Manstein’s career) then there is plenty here to interest you. * The Wargamer *…a must-read for those interested in not only gaining familiarity with a more moderate position on Manstein but also for all those who wish to understand Germany's primary effort in World War II, as well as its greatest commander. * Globe At War *…well researched, convincingly reasoned analysis of a general widely considered one of World War II’s great commanders... * Publisher’s Weekly *This book is a must-read for all those who wish to understand Germany’s greatest World War II commander, for both his strategic brilliance and moral ambiguity * History Book Club *…an objective analysis not only of Von Manstein's campaigns but also of his participation in the criminal aspects of Nazi Germany's war effort. Much to the author's credit, he does not flinch when he exposes Von Manstein's participation in the “Final Solution” and an intense examination of the Field Marshal's politics, attitudes and behavior towards his enemies. An excellent biography of a flawed yet brilliant soldier. * The Past in Review *In a general staff featuring many talented strategists, Manstein was one of Hitler's most exceptional. A veteran of World War I, he attained the rank of field marshal before being dismissed by Hitler in 1944 for frequently challenging Hitler's military decisions. But for all of Manstein's brilliance, Lemay (history, Univ. of Montreal) demonstrates that he was also a willing servant who carried out Hitler's most heinous orders. Manstein saw himself as merely a military officer uninvolved in any political or ideological issues. He was aware of massacres and war crimes carried out by his own men and even refused to forward complaints about such actions to his superiors. Despite Manstein's insistence that he was merely a soldier serving the state, Lemay never lets us forget that he was morally responsible for his own actions. . . . VERDICT A worthwhile addition for World War II enthusiasts . . . * LIBRARY JOURNAL *It is widely agreed that Erich von Manstein was the Wehrmacht’s finest general. He was a master of strategic planning, operational command, and tactical boldness. . . . Lemay, a civilian scholar and one of the best of the rising generation of French military historians, synergizes Manstein’s campaigns and his role in the Final Solution. * World War II magazine *The author has successfully maintained a balance between admiration for the military skills of Manstein and condemnation of his involvements in war crimes and total failure to understand the nature of Hitler's rule during the war. The result is a portrait of a great commander but a flawed person. * www.historyofwar.org *

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Book SynopsisCol. Mark James Alexander was the only airborne officer to lead three different battalions into combat in World War II, successively commanding the 2nd and 1st Battalions, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion, 508 PIR, of the 82nd Airborne Division. A legend in his own time, he fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France, and even after being seriously wounded in Normandy, insisted on playing a role in the Battle of the Bulge. Airborne Generals Gavin and Ridgway recognised Alexander’s superior battle skills and were more than happy to use him to plug holes in the ranks. His reputation excelled among the rank and file, right down to the lowest private. He led from the front, pressing the attack while simultaneously looking out for his men. In Sicily, Alexander’s battalion landed 25 miles from its drop zone, into a network of Italian pillboxes, upon which the Colonel personally directed fire. Dropped into the desperate inferno at Salerno, he refused to give ground against German counterattacks, forming his paratroopers against enemy efforts to push Allied forces back into the sea. At Normandy one seasoned lieutenant, John“Red Dog” Dolan, 505 PIR, called him “the finest battalion commander I ever served under,” after Alexander had led the 1/505 for ten days through the bloody battle for La Fière Bridge and Causeway. This memoir is based on the transcription of hundreds of hours of recorded interviews made by Alexander’s grandson, John Sparry, over a period of years late in his life. Providing valuable insight into the beloved commander who led three of the most infamous battalions in the US Army, Jump Commander also contains a wealth of new detail on 82nd Airborne operations, and casts insight on some of the most crucial battles in the ETO. This highly readable and action-packed narrative may well be the last remaining memoir to be written in the voice of a major airborne officer of the Greatest Generation.

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Book Synopsis‘From one former Screaming Eagle to another, an excellent book and a real credit to the story of the 101st Airborne Division during the cold days and nights of Winter 1944, leading to Victory in Europe (VE) day.' – The NCO Journal (USA) 'Highly recommended'– Military Modelcraft International 'The understated heroism of Bowen and his comrades shines through his humility and candour.’ – Air & Space Power Journal (USA) Introduction by George E. Koskimaki Robert Bowen found himself drafted into Company C, 401st Glider Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, as World War II broke out, and soon afterwards found himself storming ashore amid the chaos on Utah Beach, through unfamiliar terrain littered with minefields and hidden snipers. He was wounded during the Normandy campaign but went on to fight in Holland and the Ardennes where he was captured and his‘trip through hell’ truly began. Written shortly after the war, Bowen’s narrative is immediate, direct and compelling. His account, one of the few by a member of a glider regiment, is a brutal insight into the battlefields of World War II and a vivid recreation of just what life was like in an elite unit. From the horror of D-Day and the despair of captivity, to the taste of C Rations and the fear of soldiers under fire, this memoir tells the full story of one man’s total war.Trade ReviewNormally books written about the American airborne Divisions are a bit 'gung-ho', but this carefully crafted text by ex-gliderman Robert Bowen is truly one of the best first hand accounts of warfare that I have ever read. The Glider Troops of the 101st did not have such an illustrious time as their 'jumping' brothers and did not even get to wear the boots or badge until months after Normandy. The author paints a vivid picture of life as a gliderman and life as a combat soldier. The author states quite categorically that his life was changed forever by the twin experiences of battle and imprisonment as POW for the last months of the War - and not for the better. He was obviously an effective soldier who did his job well but who also had plenty of luck. His text tell show he did his best to look after the comrades around him both before and after his promotion and he also describes the desperate loss of comrades whose 'luck ran out' and this he does in a most compassionate way. Highly recommended. * Military Modelcraft International *Immediate, direct and compelling. His account, one of the few by a member of a glider regiment, is a brutal insight into the battlefields of World War II and a vivid creation of just what life was like in an elite unit. From the horror of D-Day and the despair of captivity, to personal recollections of ordinary men in an extraordinary conflict, this memoir tells the story of one man's total war. The author writes in an easy to follow engaging manner: I thoroughly enjoyed this unusual book and can recommend it. * Gun Mart *Uniquely captures the thoughts and emotions of a soldier from the 1940s, his narrative reads like a diary instead of a history. His accounts are largely drawn from his own wartime letters, dutifully saved by his wife. The letters, which provide first-hand accounts written within hours of each event, are a treasure of facts and emotions not subject to memories 50 years faded. They are, quite simply, a time capsule of the emotional culture of the period . . . Bowen points out that just being a survivor in war is an achievement. His amazing story, from historic pitched battles to prisoner-of-war experience easily supports that testament. I highly recommend Bowen's book for several reasons: it is good recreational reading for the historical student'; it is a good historical reference of World War II glider troops; and it is an excellent resource for understanding the period experiences of the common infantry soldier. * Military Review *Bowen describes the horror of his war, sometimes in graphic detail. ... One of the best aspects of this book is its collection of photographs. When combined with the descriptive stories, the fifty or so photographs make you feel as if you were lucky enough to have this veteran sit down with you as he brought out his personal photo album, touching each photo, his voice full of emotion, as he tells you the story behind each photo and the stories of the soldiers with whom he served. Bowen shares his experiences in vivid detail. Fighting with the Screaming Eagles is a worthy book about a common soldier on an extraordinary journey. * On Point: The Newsletter of the Army Historical Foundation (USA) *Bowen compiled his account just after the war, drawing on his memories and the collection of letters he had written home to his wife over the course of the campaign. The precision of his descriptions and his ability to tell a story make his experience come to life, proving once again that there is no substitute for the historian who had lived his or her subject. The understated heroism of Bowen and his comrades shines through his humility and candor. The authorÕs wit and ability to cultivate the images of his experiences in the minds of his readers make Fighting With The Screaming Eagles a valuable contribution to the growing body of works that cover the Allied invasion of Western Europe in World War II. * Air & Space Power Journal (USA) *Robert Bowen has written an enlightening and riveting book that details his service in the 101st Airborne Division during the latter half of World War II . . . Vivid mental images readers can visualise, smell and conceptualise . . . Readers will find Nazi treatment of American POWs gut-wrenching and horrifying. His eye-opening experience at the stalags will keep any reader spellbound, as it paints a picture any author has unlikely to have provided before . . . From one former Screaming Eagle to another, an excellent book and a real credit to the story of the 101st Airborne Division during the cold days and nights of Winter 1944, leading to Victory in Europe (VE) day.' * The NCO Journal (USA) *Truly one of the best first-hand accounts of warfare that I have ever read . . . The author paints a vivid picture of life as a gliderman and life as a combat soldier . . . Highly recommended. * Toy Soldier *

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Book SynopsisTo the Bitter End is a penetrating and detailed account of the climactic battles of the German forces in Slovakia, the Carpathians, parts of Poland, Silesia and Saxony, from autumn 1944 until the end of the war. These were desperate times for the German forces as they fought frantically against overwhelming odds to prevent Soviet forces bent on revenge penetrating into the heart of the Reich.The author provides excellent detail on the movements and actions of numerous German units, and the text covers all major actions including the battle for the Vistula bridgeheads, the epic siege of Breslau where the troops held out until the day before the official surrender of all German forces, and the final desperate actions around Bautzen which featured the last successful German counteroffensive of the war and also their last tank offensive before Soviet superiority of men and equipment proved to be overwhelming.Appendices include comprehensive orders-of-battle. A 16-page photo section and a large number of detailed battle maps are also included to provide the reader with a sense of the futility and desperation of the position of the German soldiers, ordered to fight to the last man.Trade ReviewI would encourage anyone with a military interest to read this book... it really is morally illuminating in a worthwhile way. * Wargames Recon *... excellent detail... well illustrated... This is a good example of how it should be done. * Miniature Wargames *

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Book Synopsis"...a well-wrought ground level view of daily life in hell." - WWII Magazine This is the remarkable story of a German soldier who fought throughout World War II, rising from conscript private to captain of a heavy weapons company on the Eastern Front.William Lubbeck was 19 when he was drafted into the Wehrmacht in August 1939. As a member of the 58th Infantry Division, he received his baptism of fire during the 1940 invasion of France. The following spring his division served on the left flank of Army Group North in Operation Barbarossa. After gruelling marches admidst countless Russian bodies, burnt-out vehicles, and a great number of cheering Baltic civilians, Lubbeck’s unit entered the outskirts of Leningrad, making the deepest penetration of any German formation.The Germans suffered brutal hardships the following winter as they fought both Russian counterattacks and the brutal cold. The 58th Division was thrown back and forth across the front of Army Group North, from Novgorod to Demyansk, at one point fighting back Russian attacks on the ice of Lake Ilmen. Returning to the outskirts of Leningrad, the 58th was placed in support of the Spanish “Blue” Division. Relations between the allied formations soured at one point when the Spaniards used a Russian bath house for target practice, not realising that Germans were relaxing inside.A soldier who preferred to be close to the action, Lubbeck served as forward observer for his company, duelling with Russian snipers, partisans and full-scale assaults alike. With the assistance of David B. Hurt, he has drawn on his wartime notes and letters, Soldatbuch, regimental history and personal memories to recount his four years of frontline experience. Containing rare firsthand accounts of both triumph and disaster, At Leningrad’s Gates provides a fascinating glimpse into the reality of combat on the Eastern Front.Trade ReviewI cannot do anything other than recommend this book to all Eastern Front enthusiasts, particularly those with an interest in the life of the ordinary soldier in the Wermacht.” * www.wargamer.com *

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Book SynopsisThis is the previously untold story of one of the most ferocious and prolonged air/naval battles in history: the battle at the radar picket stations during the American assault on Okinawa in spring 1945. It weaves together the experiences of the ships and their crews, Navy, Army, and Marine Corps pilots, and Japanese kamikazes in an account which provides the complete story of this infamous battle. The US fleet and its accompanying airpower that took station off Okinawa was of gigantic proportions, such that the Japanese could only rely on suicide attacks to inflict critical damage. While losses in the main fleet have been well covered in the literature, less well known has been the terrific battle waged on the picket line, the fleet’s outer defence against the swarms of Japanese marauders. Of the 206 ships that served on radar picket duty, twenty-nine percent were sunk or damaged by Japanese air attacks, making theirs the most hazardous naval surface duty in World War II. The great losses were due in large part to the relentless nature of the kamikaze attacks, but also to the improper use of support gunboats, failure to establish land-based radar at the earliest possible time, the assignment of ships ill-equipped for picket duty, and, as the battle went on, crew fatigue. The intricate nature of the US air cover is also described in full. Toward the end of the battle, the radar picket ships became the prime kamikaze target as Japanese pilots despaired of getting through the “big blue blanket” of American fighter planes to reach larger prey at Okinawa. About the AuthorRobin L. Rielly, the author of seven previous books, has written an engrossing narrative of air/naval combat. Combining firsthand action with astute tactical and strategic analysis, he has gone far toward completing our understanding of one of World War II’s epic campaigns.Trade Review…related a thrilling but harrowing chapter in the Pacific War and is able to bring events to life with consummate, startling ease. * Scale Plastic and Rail *A highly detailed yet accessible account on the Pacific War. * Airfix Model World *Rielly has completed an admirable tour de force in compiling the information and presenting it in a chronological way. * Aviation News *I challenge anyone not to glean something new from this important and detailed new account of the closing days of the Pacific War. * Navy News *The subject matter of this book is actually very simple…however, this is not a simple book, it is a masterpiece of research and dedication … made it very easy for a novice to understand and properly appreciate this fascinating and in someways unknown aspect of WW2 naval operations. I cannot recommend it too highly. * www.wargamer.com *Packed with detail, this book shows thorough research... The bibliography is impressive ... For those with an interest in the Pacific war, this overlooked topic would be a valuable addition to their library * Toni Wiltshire *

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Book SynopsisThis book presents the remarkable personal journals of a German soldier who participated in Operation Barbarossa and subsequent battles on the Eastern Front, revealing the combat experience of the German-Russian War as seldom seen before.Hans Roth was a member of the anti-tank (Panzerjäger) battalion, 299th Infantry Division, attached to Sixth Army, as the invasion of Russia began. Writing as events transpired, he recorded the mystery and tension as the Germans deployed on the Soviet frontier in 1941. Then a firestorm broke loose as the Wehrmacht broke across the front. During the Kiev encirclement, Roth’s unit was under constant attack as the Soviets desperately tried to break through the German ring. At one point, a friend serving with the SS led him to a site where he witnessed civilians being massacred (which may well have been Babi Yar). After suffering through a horrible winter against apparently endless Russian reserves, his division went on the offensive again, this time on the northern wing of“Case Gelb,” the German drive toward Stalingrad In these journals, attacks and counterattacks are described in “you are there” detail, as if to keep himself sane, knowing that his honest accounts of the horrors in the East could never pass through Wehrmacht censors. When the Soviet counteroffensive of winter 1942 commences, his unit is stationed alongside the Italian 8th Army, and his observations of its collapse, as opposed to the reaction of the German troops sent to stiffen its front, are of special fascination.These journals, including original maps, some of which Roth himself helped compose, were recently discovered by his descendants, who arranged for the translation of their long-lost grandfather’s journals. Roth was able to bring three of them back to his wife during the war, and after she emigrated to America she kept them but never spoke of them. Roth never brought back a fourth journal, as his fate after the summer of 1943 in Russia is still unknown. What he did leave behind, now finally revealed, is an incredible first-hand account of the horrific war the Germans waged in Russia.Trade ReviewThe almost daily entries in the first two journals give a fresh and authentic account of events, untouched by the censor and not modified to suit modern sensibilities. * Military Modelcraft International *Put simply....this is one of the best accounts of war by an ordinary soldier I have ever read, made all the more poignant by the fact that Hans Roth never made it home to see his beloved Rosel again. You will constantly have to remind yourself that the author of these journals was a man our fathers considered a mortal enemy. He was...but he was so much more. Do yourself a favour....read this. * www.modelarmour.com *Roth's journals provide a fascinating insight into the thought processes and views of a normal soldier in the German army on the Eastern Front. * History of War *This is a harrowing yet poignant story of an ordinary soldier caught up in the worst that war can bring. * Miniature Wargames *The whole thing is an enlightening window into what it was like to cope with all the elements that war can throw at you, clearly not a nice experience. * www.militarymodelling.com *…a very interesting book which gives you the human side of a man reluctantly sucked into a war…gives a glimpse into both the subtle influences of the Nazi State on its soldiers and attitudes… * Wargames *..without a doubt a unique account that offers many new insights and details which the author himself may have suppressed has he survived. It shows why the Eastern Front was totally different, the horrors kept from those at home… * Military Modelcraft International *His dedication in keeping these journals, and that they did survive, is very rare. * www.militarymodelling.com *

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Book Synopsis“ A true member of the Greatest Generation, Burns’ fascinating story is well worth reading.” - Flight Journal Jump: Into the Valley of the Shadow tells of the wartime experiences of Dwayne Burns as a paratrooper in the 508th Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. The author recounts the action of his first mission, which took place in the early hours of D-Day. Having been dropped behind enemy lines, the paratroopers fought in a desperate running battle with German soldiers. Burns and his men held their ground until they were relieved by infantry advancing from the beaches. The 82nd Airborne Division were then sent to Holland as part of Montgomery’s plan to create a bridgehead across the Rhine. This daytime jump was less confused than the previous night-time one, but there were more German troops than expected and fewer Allied forces in support. The combat that followed was chaotic, and although the 82nd achieved their objectives, there were many casualties. Possibly the author's greatest challenge came in December 1944 , when Germany undertook their infamous Ardennes Offensive. With the Allies caught unprepared, the 82nd had to try to slow the lightening advance of the German panzers. Burns and his comrades held their own and with quickly assembled defence perimeters, they allowed other units to escape. On 3 January the 82nd were able to counter-attack, and in sealing off the Bulge, they were able to continue their pursuit of the Germans back into the Reich. Dwayne Burns relates not only the chaos of combat, but the intimate thinking of a young soldier thrust into the centre stage of several of World War II’s greatest battles. His memories are also able to provide a fascinating insight into the reality of close-quarter combat.Trade ReviewThis book gives us an intimate look at airborne combat of WWII, through the eyes of a teenager thrust into the centre of the action * Military Times *Destined to Become a Classic World War II Memoir... a masterful job of taking the reader along on a compelling journey...It is war, as seen from the foxhole and is destined to become a classic World War II memoir. * Phil Nordyke (philnordyke@allamerican82nd.com), A reviewer *... Sadly DWAYNE passed away just hours before the full account went to press. The BURNS team produced a book that keeps the reader's interested from cover to cover… As you read Jump into the Valley of the Shadow, a prominent theme, the Brotherhood of the paratroopers, is apparent and runs through the whole book: You will notice their concern for each other and their grief over their fallen comrades. Another theme of the book is the importance of Leadership * The Static Line *I was glad to see this book...tells his story from the bottom side. It looked different from a foxhole. The book is told in the form of a bunch of little stories, not a day by day diary. This makes it much more interesting, and I recommend it highly. * Books-On-Line *A real eye-opener, this. Some of it makes for difficult reading, but you'd expect nothing else from a soldier involved in the hand-fighting that millions experienced during this conflict. At times harrowing, it's important to remember that these were real people and not Hollywood stereotypes. * www.booksmonthly.co.uk *

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Book SynopsisDuring the second half of 1943, after the failure at Kursk, Germany’s Army Group South fell back from Russia under repeated hammerblows from the Red Army. Under Erich von Manstein, however, the Germans were able to avoid serious defeats, while at the same time fending off Hitler’s insane orders to hold on to useless territory. Then, in January 1944, a disaster happened. Six divisions of Army Group South became surrounded after sudden attacks by the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts under command of generals Nikolai Vatutin and Ivan Konev around the village of Korsun (near the larger town of Cherkassy on the Dnieper). The Germans’ greatest fear was the prospect of another Stalingrad, the catastrophe that had occurred precisely one year before. This time, though, von Manstein was in control from the start, and he immediately rearranged his Army Group to rescue his trapped divisions. A major panzer drive got underway, led by General der Panzertruppen Hans Hube, a survivor from Stalingrad pocket, which promptly ran up against several soviet tank armies. Leading the break-in was Franz Baeke with his Tiger and Panther-tanks. Due to both weather and ferocious resistance, the German drive stalled. Ju-52s still flew into Korsun’s airfield, delivering supplies and taking out the wounded, but it soon became apparent that only one option remained for the beleaguered defenders: breakout. Without consulting Hitler, on the night of February 16 von Manstein ordered the breakout to begin. When dawn broke, the Soviets realized their prey was escaping. Although the Germans within the pocket lost nearly all of their heavy weapons and left many wounded behind, their escape was effected. Stalin, having anticipated another Stalingrad, was left with little but an empty bag, as Army Group South, this time, had pulled off a rescue. In The Korsun Pocket, Niklas Zetterling, a researcher at the Swedish Defense College since 1995 and Anders Frankson, have provided a highly detailed and often breathtaking account of one of the most dramatic battles of World War II.Trade ReviewThis is a meticulously researched and very readable account drawing from many sources. ... the big strength is that is has been sprinkled with many maps so that you can follow the incredibly fluid action as it unfolded day by day. Highly recommended. * Military Model Aircraft International *Zetterling and Frankson are able to not only amply educate a reader interested in all of the battle's elements listed above, but also do so in a highly detailed and interesting manner. * www.theglobeatwar.com *Certainly its a highly readable account and brings out the drama of the two trapped German corps and the desperate attempts to free them. The grim nature of combat on the Eastern Front at its height is well handled...surely an inspiring book for the Eastern Front gamer looking for a big battle. * Wargames Soldiers and Strategy *

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Book SynopsisThe war on the Eastern Front during 1941-45 was an immense struggle, running from the Barents Sea to the Caucasus Mountains. The vast distances involved forced the Soviet political-military leadership to resort to new organizational expedients in order to control operations along the extended front. These were the high commands of the directions, which were responsible for two or more fronts (army groups) and, along maritime axes, one or more fleets.In all, five high commands were created along the northwestern, western, southwestern, and North Caucasus strategic directions during 1941-42. However, the highly unfavourable strategic situation during the first year of the war, as well as interference in day-to-day operations by Stalin, severely limited the high commands' effectiveness. As a consequence, the high commands were abolished in mid-1942 and replaced by the more flexible system of supreme command representatives at the front. A High Command of Soviet Forces in the Far East was established in 1945 and oversaw the Red Army's highly effective campaign against Japanese forces in Manchuria.The Far Eastern High Command was briefly resurrected in 1947 as a response to the tense situation along the Korean peninsula and the ongoing civil war in China, but was abolished in 1953, soon after Stalin's death. Growing tensions with China brought about the recreation of the Far Eastern High Command in 1979, followed a few years later by the appearance of new high commands in Europe and South Asia. However, these new high commands did not long survive the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and were abolished a year later.The book relies almost exclusively on Soviet and post-communist archival and other sources and is the first unclassified treatment of this subject in any country, East or West.Trade Review[P]rovides valuable and original research that reveals a great deal about the Soviet Union’s military command structure during World War II, with a few important insights into the almost fifty years that followed. * Journal of Military History 11/01/2023 *The book’s lively and colorful but precise style suits its highly technical and theoretical subject matter...an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the Soviet military. * Parameters 07/12/2022 *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Imperial Antecedents 2. Soviet Antecedents 3. Organizing for War 4. The Northwestern High Command 5. The Western High Command 6. The Southwestern High Command 7. The North Caucasus High Command 8. The Stavka Representatives 9. The Far Eastern High Command 10. The Postwar High Commands Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis first of a three-volume set offers concise biographical information for over 5,000 generals and admirals of the Third Reich. It covers all branches of service, ordered alphabetically, and provides a brief, scholarly overview of each individual, including personal details and dates for all attachments to unit, and medals awarded, offering a readily accessible go-to reference work for all World War II researchers and historians. In addition to the biographic information, each volume includes extensive apppendices. The books are packed with information on these senior officers of the Third Reich, many of whom are little documented in the English language.Table of ContentsDedication Acknowledgements Introduction Format A B C D E F G Appendixes: I: List of German Officers who held the rank of Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall or Konteradmiral to Grossadmiral during the First World War II: Glossary of Terms (Subject Index) III: Glossary of Terms (Awards Index) IV: German Army Table of Ranks V: German Luftwaffe Table of Ranks VI: German Kriegsmarine Table of Ranks VII: Waffen-SS Table of Ranks VIII: Fate of Heer Generals

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Book SynopsisThis second volume of a three-volume set offers concise biographical information for generals and admirals of the Third Reich with surnames between H and O. The set covers all branches of service, providing a brief but scholarly overview of each individual, including personal details and dates for all attachments to unit, and medals awarded, offering a readily accessible go-to reference work for all World War II researchers and historians.In addition to the biographic information, this volume includes detailed appendices on Reichsheer Generals and Reichsmarine Admirals, 1921–35.These books are packed with information on these senior officers of the Third Reich, many of whom are little documented in the English language.

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Book SynopsisIt is January 1942. Nazi Germany is about to commence an assault along the US East Coast, but this “Atlantic Pearl Harbor” would prove far more devastating than Japan’s attack on Hawaii five weeks earlier. The wolves are closing in, and few Americans realize their beaches and boardwalks will soon witness the worst naval defeat in US history.The United States is already grappling with its unpreparedness for war as the Japanese Empire annihilates US forces in the Far East and the Nazis stand triumphant over vast swaths of Europe. Britain’s survival, meanwhile, depends on cargoes delivered by civilian-manned merchant ships. America’s economic resources and latent military strength represent a light in the darkness—yet Hitler’s favorite admiral also knows this, and he has set in motion a plan of unprecedented boldness.The ensuing fiery months saw German submarines, or “U-boats,” sink hundreds of ships from Maine to Texas. This gambit, which threatened to cripple the Allies, pitted Germans against Americans in a desperate struggle that stained East Coast waters with blood and oil. Plying the seas amid this deadly game of cat-and-mouse was a motley but stalwart contingent of civilian merchant mariners carrying the fuel, food, weapons, and raw materials the Allies needed to crush the Third Reich.Several American states became battlefronts in 1942, but the events that transpired off the Jersey Shore illustrate the savagery and scope of a campaign waged across the Western Hemisphere. Even in the 21st century, shipwrecks still attest to the countless ways to die which friend and foe faced only miles from the Garden State’s most popular summer destinations. These seafarers’ lives were forfeit, but the battle they fought would decide the fate of millions.Table of ContentsPreface Sources & Methodology Part I 1. Eins Zwei Drei 2. The Third Dimension of Warfare 3. The Gray Wolves 4. A Tide of Steel Part II 5. Varanger 6. India Arrow 7. R.P. Resor 8. USS Jacob Jones (DD-130) 9. Gulftrade 10. Toltén 11. Persephone 12. Berganger 13. Rio Tercero 14. John R. Williams 15. Pan Pennsylvania Part III 16. Wolfsdämmerung 17. Bones in the Ocean Acknowledgments Selected Bibliography Endnotes

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Book SynopsisWas justice served?For three years during the Second World War, 12,000 Nazis were held in a prisoner-of-war camp at the edge of Medicine Hat, an isolated city of 12,000 people on the bald Canadian prairie. The camp and the townsfolk lived cheerfully side-by-side until two men were beaten and hanged by their fellow prisoners and no one on the scene would admit to knowing anything about the crimes. RCMP investigators infiltrated the camp and discovered the existence of a shadow Nazi government, complete with its own Gestapo responsible for enforcing discipline and loyalty to the Fuhrer. Suspects were identified. Charges were laid. A series of gripping trials resulted in the last mass hanging in Canadian history. Now, eighty years after the fact, acclaimed historian Nathan Greenfield presents stunning new evidence that raises grave questions about whether justice was served on either side of the wire in Medicine Hat.

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Book SynopsisVenecia, 1938. Una historia de amor que nace entre tambores de guerra y un secreto que no debe salir a la luz.Un cuaderno de dibujo, tres llaves y un último susurro… Venecia. Esa es la herencia que la tía Lettie le deja a Caroline en 2001, justo cuando su matrimonio está a punto de naufragar. Decidida a cumplir con la última voluntad de la anciana, emprende un viaje para esparcir sus cenizas en la ciudad que tanto amaba y desentrañar los misterios que mantuvo ocultos durante más de sesenta años.En 1938 Lettie acompaña a un grupo de estudiantes para que descubran Venecia, su historia, su arte y su belleza. Es un viaje que resucitará dolorosos recuerdos y la posibilidad de reencontrarse con Leonardo Da Rossi, el hombre al que ama y que es esclavo del futuro que le ha impuesto su familia de orígenes nobles. A pesar de las dificultades, su amor florece de nuevo hasta que la amenaza de la guerra llega a Venecia y ambos se ven obligados a luchar para sobrevivir y defender un secreto que los unirá eternamente.

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Book SynopsisThis is the illustrated history of the Waffen-SS 24. Waffen SS-Gebirgs (Karstjäger) division, covering their engagements against partisans in Slovenia and Northern Italy. Detailing the guerilla warfare between the Germans and the partisans, the Karstjäger mountain division was composed mainly of Austrian, Italian and Spanish soldiers. This book contains 380 photos from veterans, along with eyewitness accounts, organization charts, and profiles, making this an essential addition to any enthusiast's collection.

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Book SynopsisIn May 1940, during the Battle of France, the British Expeditionary Force in France aiding the French, was cut off from the rest of the French Army by the German advance. Encircled by the Germans they retreated to the area around the port of Dunkirk. The German land forces could have easily destroyed the British Expeditionary Force, especially when many of the British troops, in their haste to withdraw, had left behind their heavy equipment. This lull in the action gave the British a few days to evacuate by sea. Winston Churchill ordered any ship or boat available, large or small, to pick up the stranded soldiers, and 338,226 men (including 123,000 French soldiers) were evacuated– the miracle of Dunkirk, as Churchill called it. It took over 900 vessels to evacuate the Allied forces. More than 40,000 vehicles as well as massive amounts of other military equipment and supplies were left behind; their value being less than that of trained fighting men. After the success of Corridor des Panzers and Zur Kuste, this new volume takes us directly into the Dunkirk arena, and concludes the suite of works on this dramatic period of history. Jean-Yves Mary has also provided modern photos of the battlefields, in comparison with the original images, allowing us to locate the areas where the events took place.Trade Reviewa highly detailed record of the daily events during the German invasion of France in 1940, and illustrated with so many photos from the period which provide an invaluable reference source for modellers and historians alike. * Military Model Scene 02/12/2015 *

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Book SynopsisThese are stories that are not openly discussed by combat veterans and are usually only whispered between individuals at military reunions. The tales range from sad to hilarious, from surprising to horrible, but they are real. These are not the creations of a screenwriter or some novelist's pipe dreams, they are actual events, that had a lifelong impact on the soldiers who experienced them. Such a collection could only have resulted from 35 years of researcher on the 101st Airborne Division, which entailed interviews with almost 1000 veterans who wore the "screaming eagle" patch in WW2. This book is widely illustrated with photos of the time, but also places, objects, and equipment of the paratroopers of the 101st.

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Book SynopsisThis exceptional work, a bestseller on its original publication by Landser, offers a veritable autopsy of a totalitarian regime. It explores an unfamiliar branch of the SS, the Allgemeine-SS (the "General SS") involving military but also civilians, including university professors, personalities from civil society. Its goal was to achieve a "total society". This formed only part of the overall organization, which encompassed units both in barracks and on active service, and amongst other features this book examines the proposed new religion of Himmler, the SS organization of marriage, the Ahnenerbe think-tank, furniture designed for the new family life, and even Allach porcelain. This study is a veritable encyclopedia richly illustrated with a wealth of information and unpublished documents. Depicted are Uniforms and decorations, furniture and porcelain, in a form that will prove useful to both the general reader and historians.

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Book SynopsisHere is an unpublished work about the Wallonie Legion and its members engaged on the Eastern Front in the uniform of the Heer from 1941 to 1945. Here the reader will dive into the archives and documents still mostly unpublished to this date, including previously unedited stories and also tales of the legionnaires. It offers biographies of most of the officers. One will also find rare and previously unseen archives of newspapers and propaganda for the Wallonie Legion, shedding light on its development and international reputation, so important to the morale of the Legionaries and the families of these men. This work is rich in both written and photographic documentation along with previously undisclosed information about the activities and services LW. It will provide researchers and amateur historians of the Legion many details and clarifications about the"uses and customs," service organisations and actions both inside and outside the LW.

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Book SynopsisThis book is the fruit of 40 years research and analysis of eye-witnesses accounts, both military and civilian, thousands of photographs, researched and analysed, concerning the Invasion and Battle of Normandy. With over 470 photos, and 73 maps, this publication provides a day by day account of these events from June 6th to August 30th 1944.

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Book SynopsisVillers-Bocage is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic operations of the Battle of Normandy. Many historians have analysed the events of the 13th of June 1944, with particular emphasis on the destruction of a British armoured column by the Tigers of the Obersturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann. Despite the fact one might consider this subject broadly covered, there are still unknown details to bring to light. Yann Jouault and Frederic Deprun present an incisive and extremely detailed study of the events of this fateful day, an ‘autopsy’ of the battle made possible by new evidence and never-before-published photographs. The authors pursued these leads to establish a precise and unbiased chronology of the day’s events, from the opening of hostilities between the 7th Armoured Division and Wittman up until the destruction of the last Tiger of the SS Panzer Abteilung 101 within the village. The study is broken up into two parts: Wittman’s final victory and the defeat of the Tigers, inviting a better understanding of the facts and freeing the subject from its persistent myths and legends. 192 pages, in colour, text in French.

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Book SynopsisBefore the war, the French Air Ministry chose Carpiquet to create, far from the future front, an aerodrome focused on aerial bombardment, for training and observation. In June 1940, the Germans installed an important base there, engaged in the Battle of Britain (book includes never before seen photos) and in their confrontation with the invasion of Dieppe. The aerodrome suffered heavy bombardments. In June and July 1944, it became the keystone of the Battle for Caen. The Hitlerjugend put up strong resistance there against the Canadians. After the war, the aerodrome trained hundreds of pilots involved in the conflict with Algeria and became an army base before returning entirely to civil service in 2010. An exceptional documentation about a base which found itself at the heart of history. 160 pages in colour. TEXT IN FRENCH

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Book SynopsisFormer captain of the paratroopers of the Luftwaffe, the author went on to earn his degree during the 60’s, and became a historian.This is the first volume three, each detailed history is close to 400 pages each. The first volume is dedicated to the operation against Tito’s troops in Yugoslavia, the second to the engagement in the Baltic States and the third to operations in Hungary, in the Ardennes, and at the bridgehead of the Oder Front. The whole, dedicated to this SS-Fallschirmjager Battalion 500/600, will offer more than a thousand photos.

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Book SynopsisIn this second volume dedicated to the SS Fallschirmjäger, a former Bundeswehr Fallschirmjäger continues his look into the story of the Waffen-SS’s only paratrooper unit. First of all it gathers together a series of accounts from participants in Operation Rosselsprung; naturally, those by members of the SS-Fallschirmjäger-Batallion 500 (like Leo Schaap), but also those of the glider pilots (among whom Hans Sieg) and even of their adversaries, among which Tito’s memoirs. The reader will also discover the days of relative calm the battalion spent in Dvar, after the bitter battle of 25 and 26 May 1944, then its transfer from Western Bosnia (at the time in Croatian territory), to reach the Baltic Coast, near Danzig. A few more days of calm before another storm, this time on the Eastern Front…From mid-July to September 1944, the SS-Fsch.-Jg-Btl. 500, which was still a disciplinary unit, was engaged almost continually in Lithuania and on the frontiers of the Reich, against the repeated attacks by the Red Army; it was literally decimated! To tell this unit’s feats of arms (especially where the clearance of Vilnius is concerned), the author has chosen to introduce accounts from men who had taken part alongside the unit (for example, the paratroopers of the FJR 16 Ost), leaving the lion’s share to several accurate and moving witnesses from Battalion 500 itself: the brief words from their new CO Siegfried Milius, those of Oscha. Karl Pichler, and the radio operator Leo Schaap, without forgetting the stupefying account from a former veteran with a very vivid memory, Werber Schrödl, whose contribution was essential.For all that, Franz does not forget to base his account also on the official sources and the book offers detailed, mainly unpublished photographs: a number of snaps of the SS-Fallschirmjäger in Drvar, photos of the battlefield of Bosnia in 2018, period and contemporary maps. An essential book for whoever wants to look at this untold story: the Waffen-SS paratroopers.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Matthew LONG offers us a unique evocation detailed and complete the journey to Eugene B. SLEDGE, using a mortar 1st Marine Division who fought on the front Pacific during the last year war. Describing the battles of the Marines Peleliu and Okinawa, the author relates, step by step, each tragic moment marking the journey of the character warrior central narrative. The book also includes a rich set of charts descriptions informing us the composition of the units and accurate information on weapons and the equipment in use among the troops of the US Marine Corps at that time. - TEXT IN FRENCH -

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Book SynopsisVillers-Bocage is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic actions the Battle of Normandy. Many historians have recounted documented way the events of 13 June 1944, including the destruction of a British armored column by Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann in a Tiger I. - TEXT IN FRENCH -

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Book Synopsis4 juin 1944, 18h30, sud de l'Angleterre. Des officiers de liaison montent à bord de vingt-deux bâtiments français. Enfermés avec les commandants, ils leur remettent une grande enveloppe cachetée. Dès le départ des Anglais, les « pachas » découvrent leur mission dans l'opération « Neptune » (nom de code donné au débarquement des troupes alliées en Normandie). Les équipages sont réunis. Les hommes découvrent qu'ils seront les premiers Français à contribuer au débarquement. Beaucoup parmi ces marins venus de France qui vont participer à la plus vaste opération navale de tous les temps ont rejoint de Gaulle en Grande-Bretagne. En revanche certains, à commencer par leur chef l'Amiral Jaujard, sont plus réticents à l'égard du général. C'est l'histoire de ces bateaux et de ces hommes qui forme le coeur du livre. Parmi eux, Querville avec son sous-marin la Junon qui a débarqué en Norvège un commando chargé de faire sauter une usine d'eau lourde; ou Levasseur avec l'Aconit qui a coulé deux U-Boote en douze heures. La participation des marins français est rarement, voire jamais, évoquée lorsqu'on célèbre les anniversaires du débarquement en Normandie. Il n'est que temps de réparer l'injustice faite à ces hommes, à leurs bâtiments et à la Marine Nationale.

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