Second World War Books

Book SynopsisIn the Second World War, Malta was subjected to continual air attacks during a siege lasting nearly two and a half years.This is part of that story, from the early days in June 1940, when only a few Gladiator biplanes were available to combat Italian bombers and fighters, to the intervention of the Luftwaffe and the tenuous defence by outclassed Hurricanes, culminating in the desperate months of fighting following the arrival on Malta of the first Spitfires in March 1942.Of more than 1,000 aircraft destroyed during the battle, many fell into the Mediterranean or were written off in landing, and at least 200 crashed among the Maltese Islands.This book documents all known aircraft crashes that occurred in and around Malta and Gozo during 1940-42, describing in detail the circumstances of each loss and what became of the pilot or crew, including some who even today are officially listed as missing.The immediacy of eyewitness accounts from both sides provide a fascinating perspective of an epic battle - much of the material is previously unpublished, not least the narratives by those who were there. Meticulously researched ... not only documents the location of all known air crashes - Allied and Axis - that occurred in and around the Maltese Islands ... but also tells the often fascinating story of each and every one ... This engagingly-written tome details the various crashes in chronological order, and includes in its appendices a table containing all the details of each crash, full endnote references and a properly compiled index, making it a valuable work of reference. - NICK STROUD - THE AVIATION HISTORIAN Unbiased, poignant, tragic - but also humorous - account of events during [the] air battles over Malta. - LUKE VINCENTI - THE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA Compelling and utterly fascinating. - JAMES HOLLAND Excellent. - FLYPAST Recommended. - AVIATION HISTORYTrade Review"A compelling and utterly fascinating account of one of the greatest air battles of the Second World War and the crash sites that exist today" --James Holland, author of The War in the West and The Battle of Britain "This book documents all known aircraft crashes that occurred in and around Malta and Gozo during 1940-42, describing in detail the circumstances of each loss and what became of the pilot or crew, including some who even today are officially listed as missing.The immediacy of eyewitness accounts from both sides provide a fascinating perspective of an epic battle - much of the material is previously unpublished, not least the narratives by those who were there. "--Recollections of WW2 Meticulously researched. Not only documents the location of all known air crashes -- Allied and Axis -- that occurred in and around the Maltese Islands during those years, but also tells the often fascinating story of each and every one. Malta's strategic location in the Mediterranean was of vital importance to both sides, and the fighting that took place in its skies was brutal and frequent. This engagingly-written tome details the various crashes in chronological order, and includes in its appendices a table containing all the details of each crash, full endnote references and a properly compiled index, making it a valuable work of reference.--The Aviation Historian, Issue 20 "These stirring black and white images have shed light on the RAF air battle over Malta, a ferocious but often forgotten chapter of the Second World War. The stunning pictures show British Royal Air Force pilots proudly displaying Swastika-clad trophies from downed Luftwaffe planes on the island, a strategically situated outpost of the British Empire. Other shots show children playing among the plane wreckage, pilots posing with their planes and surviving participants of the battle revisiting Malta - a British colony at the time - years later."-- (04/01/2018) "This comprehensive volume documents all known aircraft crash sites in and around the Maltese Islands and provides the circumstances of each loss are related in detail with accounts from both sides. In Germany especially there are many still unaware of the fate of family members who never returned after the Second World War. This book reveals what happened to some who even today are still officially listed as 'missing'."--Desert Stories "Rogers puts us in the seats of the doomed aircraft, together with the airmen who fought in them, allowing us to see through the eyes of those who witnessed with jubilation or shock at the destruction of aircrafts of their friends or foe. The relief at the escape and survival of its crews; and the sorrow at the demise of their fellow airmen, friends, countrymen or enemies in the sky... through Rogers's words, we feel all this and more."--Times of Malta

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Book SynopsisIn the spring of 1945 the Allies arrested the physicists they believed had worked on the German nuclear programme during the war. Interned in an English country house, their conversations were secretly recorded. MI6's Operation Epsilon sought to determine how close Nazi Germany had come to building an atomic bomb. It was in this remote setting - Farm Hall, near Cambridge - that the German physicists first heard of the bombing ofHiroshima. August 6 1945 was a night that changed the course of history. The terrible weapon unleashed on Japan caused unprecedented destruction and loss of life. That the Allies had such a weapon at their disposal came as a great shock to the German scientists who had worked under the assumption that the Allies knew nothing of nuclear fission. This is the story of the wartime race to develop an atomic bomb, and the genius, guilt, complicity and hubris of Nobel Prize-winning scientists working to create a weapon that would undoubtedly have won the war for the Germans.

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Book SynopsisBy December 1942, the Soviets had surrounded the German 6th Army in Stalingrad, cutting off all lines of supply except through the air. Seeking to sever this last German lifeline, Soviet Command decided to launch a raid with the entire 24th Tank Corps to seize the airfield at Tatsinskaya, the primary operating base for the German airlift efforts. On 17 December, the 24th Tank Corps advanced toward Tatsinskaya, seizing the airfield on Christmas Eve. The Soviet tankers succeeded in destroying many Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground, but afterwards found themselves isolated and out of fuel behind the German lines. Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein rapidly organized a counterattack with elements of two panzer divisions, crushing most of the raiding force between 26 and 28 December. Just before the raiding force was annihilated, it received permission to abandon its heavy equipment and escape back to Soviet lines on foot. Thus, the raiders accomplished their mission of severely disrupting the airlift to Stalingrad, but at the cost of an entire tank corps.

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Book SynopsisIn the vast literature of the Second World War there has never been a naval atlas showing graphically the complexities of the war at sea, a war which spread across every ocean. This new book will fill the gap.With more than 200 beautifully-designed maps and charts, the atlas sets out to visualise the great campaigns and major battles as well as the smaller operations, amphibious landings, convoys, sieges, skirmishes and sinkings. While whole sections are given over to the Pacific war, the battle of the Atlantic and the campaigns in the Mediterranean, smaller but crucial events such as the landings at Dieppe receive in-depth treatment. The maps depict the dynamics of campaigns and battles but also include extensive information on the opposing forces, their ships and equipment and the strategic significance of events. General thematic maps, for instance, on ship losses, aerial strengths or convoy routes, give the reader an understanding of the many contributing factors that shaped the tactics and strategies of the Allied and Axis forces.No other work has attempted such an ambitious coverage of the war at sea in this period and it is destined to become a definitive reference work for naval enthusiasts and historians as well as general readers fascinated by the naval war that extended from the coldest arctic seas to the tropical islands of the Pacific.

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Book SynopsisThe German campaign in France during the summer of 1940 was pivotal to Hitler's ambitions and fundamentally affected the course of the Second World War. Having squabbled about fighting methods right up to the start of the campaign, the German forces provided the Führer with a swift, efficient and decisive military victory over the Allied forces.In achieving in just six weeks what their fathers had failed to accomplish during the four years of the First World War, Germany altered the balance of power in Europe at a stroke. Yet, as Lloyd Clark shows in this enthralling new book, it was far from a foregone conclusion. Blitzkrieg tells the story of the campaign, while highlighting the key technologies, decisions and events that led to German success, and details the mistakes, good fortune and chronic weaknesses in their planning process and approach to war fighting. There are also compelling portraits of the officers who played key roles, including Heinz Guderian, Erwin Rommel, Kurt Student, Charles de Gaulle and Bernard Montgomery.Clark argues that far from being undefeatable, the France 1940 campaign revealed Germany and its armed forces to be highly vulnerable - a fact dismissed by Hitler as he began to plan for his invasion of the Soviet Union - and offers a gripping reassessment of the myths that have built up around one of the Second World War's greatest military victories.Trade ReviewThis genuinely revisionist account of the Battle of France in 1940 proves a deeply shocking fact - we are essentially still in thrall to the view of Blitzkrieg tactics that Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels wanted us to have, even over three-quarters of a century later. Lloyd Clark's brilliant analysis proves that Fall Gelb (the Germans' Plan Yellow) wasn't all about unstoppable, superior panzers and Stukas, but was in fact an audacious, highly risky infantry-based plan that could have gone badly wrong given a different Allied mindset. * Andrew Roberts *Lloyd Clark has written a lucid, intelligent and thought-provoking reappraisal... His groundbreaking, detailed research will make it the seminal work on the fall of France in 1940. The story of the breakthrough unfolds at a fascinating and cracking pace... Blitzkrieg is a remarkable book that will reshape many of the traditional assertions made about this battle. * Robert Kershaw *A breakthrough book, bringing the drama of Hitler's May 1940 offensive in France vividly to life - alongside a major reappraisal of the campaign's significance. Excellent. * Michael Jones *A compelling and fresh retelling of one of the century's most intriguing and significant campaigns. * BBC History Magazine *A masterly account teeming with vivid personalities and the usual mixture of heroism, incompetence, and luck * Kirkus Reviews *In this new volume, acclaimed historian Lloyd Clark . . . paints a very different look at the German victory . . . Clark does an excellent job of describing the first critical five days of the campaign . . . He highlights multiple opportunities the French and British had to stop the German advance at vulnerable moments . . . Lloyd presents a well-balanced narrative that highlights the knife-edge victory of the German forces. * New York Journal of Books *

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Book SynopsisKoonz’s latest work reveals how racial popularizers developed the infrastructure and rationale for genocide during the so-called normal years before World War II. Challenging conventional assumptions about Hitler, Koonz locates the source of his charisma not in his summons to hate, but in his appeal to the collective virtue of his people, the Volk.Trade ReviewFaced with the German degradation and murder of the Jews from 1933 to 1945, historians and, indeed, so many thoughtful men and women have posed no question more insistently than, 'How could it happen?' Claudia Koonz's powerfully written study of the inculcation of a Nazi racialist ethos in the years before extermination answers this question as persuasively as any other to date. -- Charles S. Maier, author of The Unmasterable Past: History, Holocaust, and German National IdentityIn this valuable and original book, Claudia Koonz analyzes how the Nazis legitimized the Third Reich and facilitated Hitler's consensual dictatorship and genocidal policies. This daring reinterpretation of the relationship between the Nazi leadership, its middle- and low-ranking cadres, and other sectors of the German population shows the gradual shift in public opinion toward the regime's worldview. Ultimately, Nazism created a positive, moral image of itself just as it sanctioned the annihilation of enemies perceived as unethical and immoral. -- Omer Bartov, author of Germany's War and the Holocaust: Disputed HistoriesClaudia Koonz's arresting new book makes the case that between 1933 and 1939, before the Second World War and the Holocaust, the Nazis built a perverse ethical consensus in Germany. Preaching fears of racial weakness along with pride and commitment to a new moral order, self-righteous opinion leaders created an ethnic fundamentalism--of which we have not, she suggests in a closing reflection, seen the last. -- Michael R. Marrus, author of The Holocaust In HistoryThis is an artfully written book, with engaging asides and a captivating sense of detail and touching comment that is rare for a volume on Nazism. I don't know where else I've learned so much about everyday life and culture under Nazism. -- Robert N. Proctor, author of The Nazi War on CancerHitler, Koonz says, understood the German people's need for a sense of coherence in the wake of what many saw as the degeneracy of the Weimar Republic--and 'he promised to rescue old-fashioned values of honor and dignity' by offering a secular faith to replace lost religious certainties. Koonz explores the promotion of these beliefs in German culture and law, and how they led to the catastrophe of the Holocaust, adding much to our understanding of how a civilized society could reach such infamous levels of violence. * Publishers Weekly *Claudia Koonz...explains in her insightful new book how Germans, who were among Europe's least anti-Semitic people, came to support a leadership that sought to annihilate European Jewry...The readiness of many Germans to acquiesce evolved as a consequence of their internalization of the knowledge that was disseminated apparently by legitimate institutions of the state. As Koonz notes, the indoctrination was successful because there was little reason to question the facts conveyed by experts, documentary films, educational materials, and popular science. The German public was reeducated to support the elimination of Jews, Gypsies, the chronically ill, and other categories of the 'unfit'--all as a moral good, consistent with the dictates of conscience. Koonz's prodigious work is a major contribution to our understanding of the social and ideological history of the Third Reich. -- Jack Fischel * Weekly Standard *Koonz does not deny the existence of extremist and violent anti-Semites in the Nazi leadership. But her stress on the moderate way their ultimately genocidal plans were presented as necessary cruelties adds an important dimension in our understanding of the Nazi regime and its crime. -- Antony Polonsky * Boston Globe *Trudl Junge, former personal secretary to Adolf Hitler, once noted that the Führer's success came with his ability to manipulate other people's conscience. On a vast scale, the German people no longer knew right from wrong. Koonz presents a compelling argument to suggest that Junge was in some degree right. The Germans did not surrender their conscience but submitted to its transformation away from conventional Western notions of right and wrong to a radical, racial nationalism that established criteria for assessing moral actions and outcomes. -- J. Kleiman * Choice *Koonz displays the gradual transformation of the traditional idea of conscience into something that was utterly shaped by the subordination of one's own self to that of the Volk. -- Aharon ben Anshel * Jewish Press *[Koonz] documents in exemplary fashion what the historical actors actually thought, felt, advocated, planned, and organized before they acted...impressively researched, lucidly organized, disturbing, yet eminently readable. -- Michael Meyer * American Historical Review *Table of ContentsPrologue 1. An Ethnic Conscience 2. The Politics of Virtue 3. Allies in the Academy 4. The Conquest of Political Culture 5. Ethnic Revival and Racist Anxiety 6. The Swastika in the Heart of the Youth 7. Law and the Racial Order 8. The Quest for a Respectable Racism 9. Racial Warriors 10. Racial War at Home Abbreviations Notes Acknowledgments Illustration Credits Index

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Book SynopsisPeter Tunstall's unforgettable memoir of his days in the RAF and as one of the most celebrated of all British POWs.Trade Review'A remarkable memoir of a British lad's salad days flying bombers against the Nazis and then repeatedly escaping their prison camps... An engrossing valediction to the tough, imaginative generation forged by the war' Kirkus Reviews'The historical account of behind-the-scenes drama makes this a valuable addition to the period literature' Publishers Weekly'The story is not sugar coated to make things lighter than they were. The stark reality of war is ever present in his detailed accounting of life as a prisoner of war. We are taken through the highs and lows of not only each failed attempt but the psychological effects of imprisonment on himself, others in the camps and ultimately how it changed each person involved' Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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Book SynopsisThe definitive story of the Dresden bombingTrade Review'In narrative power and persuasion, he has paralleled in Dresden what Antony Beevor achieved in Stalingrad' Independent on Sunday 'A well-written, scholarly account' Guardian 'Well-researched and unpretentious ... fascinating ... Taylor skilfully interweaves various personal accounts of the impact of the raids' Michael Burleigh, Guardian 'Impressive ... Taylor weaves a chilling narrative from eyewitness accounts and painstaking documentary research, particularly with German sources. He explains the conceptual and strategic background with admirable clarity. His account of the air operation itself is quite superb' The Times

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Book SynopsisThe fourth volume in this momentous series commences with the attacks on the Italian island fortress of Pantellaria which led to its surrender and occupation achieved almost by air attack alone. The account continues with the ultimately successful, but at times very hard fought, invasions of Sicily and southern Italy as burgeoning Allied air power, now with full US involvement, increasingly dominated the skies overhead. The successive occupations of Sardinia and Corsica are also covered in detail. This volume, then, is essentially the story of the tactical air forces up to the point when Rome was occupied, just at the same time as the Normandy landings were occurring in north-west France. In its pages are found what can justifiably be considered the story of `the soldiers’ air force’. Frequently overlooked by more immediate newsworthy events elsewhere, their struggle was often of an equally Homeric nature. With regards to the long-range tactical role of the Allied heavy bombers, only the period from May to October is examined herein, while they remained based in North Africa. Thus the period from November 1943 when the US 15th Air Force was formed to pursue the strategic air offensive against the Reich, together with the RAF’s 205 Group of night bombers, will be covered in a future (sixth) volume. Volume Five will deal with the rest of the tactical war in Italy and Greece, over the Adriatic and Aegean, and with the entry into the South of France to join forces advancing southwards from Normandy.Trade ReviewVolume four is highly recommended, one of the best books of the year, and we're already impatient to see volume five. -- Bill Stone * Stone & Stone *

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Book SynopsisThis is a major new study of Italian naval camouflage schemes developed and used during World War Two. When Italy entered the War in June 1942, the Regia Marina (Italian navy) was a force still under development and both Italian warships and merchant ships faced the War in their peace colours; and nor had any had prewar plans been made for camouflaging ships. At that time all the principal warships were painted in a light matt grey ('grigio cenerino chiaro'), which had been adopted in the 1920s and early '30s. With the advent of War, and the start of convoy traffic to Libya, the need to camouflage ships for purposes of deception, rather than outright concealment, became apparent and the first initiatives were undertaken. In the first part of the book, employing contemporary schematic drawings, photographs and his own CAD profiles, the author describes the development of the varied schemes that were adopted for the capital ships, such as _Caio Duilia_ and _Littorio_, cruisers, destroyers and torpedo boats, landing craft and merchant ships; even the royal yacht and small tugs were given camouflage schemes. In the second, and longest, part he depicts all the ships and their schemes, at different dates, with both sides of a ship shown where possible, in his own beautifully rendered schematic profiles, all in full colour, and it is this section with more than 700 drawings that gives the reader a complete and detailed picture of the whole development of Italian naval camouflage. He also looks in detail at the Greek theatre where there were many exceptions, influenced by the German presence and by the camouflage schemes of captured vessels. This major new reference book will prove invaluable to historians, collectors, modelmakers and wargamers and follows in the wake of the hugely successful Seaforth editions covering German and British camouflage schemes of the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisBefore Winston Churchill made history, he made news. To a great extent, the news made him too. If it was his own efforts that made him a hero, it was the media that made him a celebrity - and it has been considerably responsible for perpetuating his memory and shaping his reputation in the years since his death. Churchill first made his name via writing and journalism in the years before 1900, the money he earned helping to support his political career (at a time when MPs did not get salaries). Journalistic activities were also important to him later, as he struggled in the interwar years to find the wherewithal to run and maintain Chartwell, his country house in Kent. Moreover, not only was journalism an important aspect of Churchill''s political persona, but he himself was a news-obsessive throughout his life. The story of Churchill and the news is, on one level, a tale of tight deadlines, off-the-record briefings and smoke-filled newsrooms, of wartime summits that were turned into stage-managed global media events, and of often tense interactions with journalists and powerful press proprietors, such as Lords Northcliffe, Rothermere, and Beaverbrook. Uncovering the symbiotic relationship between Churchill''s political life and his media life, and the ways in which these were connected to his personal life, Richard Toye asks if there was a ''public Churchill'' whose image was at odds with the behind-the-scenes reality, or whether, in fact, his private and public selves became seamlessly blended as he adjusted to living in the constant glare of the media spotlight.On a wider level, this is also the story of a rapidly evolving media and news culture in the first half of the twentieth century, and of what the contemporary reporting of Churchill''s life (including by himself) can tell us about the development of this culture, over a period spanning from the Victorian era through to the space age.Trade ReviewA fascinating reflection on our current time. * , Suffolk and Norfolk Life *Winston Churchill - A Life in the News is also the story of a rapidly evolving media and news culture in the first half of the twentieth century, and of what the contemporary reporting of Churchill's life (including by himself) can tell us about the development of this culture, over a period spanning from the Victorian era through to the space age. * Cosmopolis *Review from previous edition [An] original study ... Toye is surely correct in seeing the journalism as central to the career of a man whose life was dominated by the news he did much to create. * A.W. Purdue, Times Higher Education *Winston Churchill: A Life in the News sheds a fresh light on one of the best-studied statesmen, exploring the "symbiotic relationship" between Churchill's political life, journalistic career, and media persona. * Stefan Goebel, Journal of British Studies *In Churchill: A Life in the News we encounter both the bombastic and the deeply insecure sides to Churchill's complex personality. The book stands not only as a testament to the effects of the media on personal leadership styles, but it forces us to reflect on how the changing media environment affects the way we are governed. It is a timely reminder of the excesses and limitations of the press in the modern political age. * Professor Jo Fox, Institute of Historical Research *Richard Toye once again brilliantly illuminates a critical side of Winston Churchill's complex life. This original, important, and highly-readable book is teeming with shrewd judgements and fresh insights. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Churchill's political career or modern news culture. * Christopher M. Bell, author of Churchill and the Dardanelles and Churchill and Sea Power *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: A Pushing Age 2: Stage Thunder 3: Any Home News? 4: Hell with the Lid Off 5: Born to Trouble 6: 'Worse than the Nazis' 7: 'The War is not Fought to Amuse the Newspapers' 8: Whose Finger? Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThe complete and authoritative account of the sinking of the HMAS Sydney, and the finding of her wreck in 2008. On 19 November 1941, the pride of the Australian Navy, the light cruiser Sydney, fought a close-quarters battle with the German armed raider HSK Kormoran off Carnarvon on the West Australian coast. Both ships sank - and not one of the 645 men on board the Sydney survived. Was Sydney''s captain guilty of negligence by allowing his ship to manoeuvre within range of Kormoran''s guns? Did the Germans feign surrender before firing a torpedo at the Sydney as she prepared to despatch a boarding party? This updated edition covers the discovery of the wreck - with the light this sheds on the events of that day in 1941, and the closure it has brought to so many grieving families. ''Tom Frame has produced the most comprehensive and compelling account of the loss of HMAS Sydney to dateTrade ReviewA major work of Australian maritime history. - Sydney Morning HeraldFrame has produced an entertaining, passionate and complex work of popular history in which the subsequent efforts to piece together the evidence provide a good dose of detective story. - Courier-MailAn excellent and objective analysis, and well worth reading for anyone with an interest in naval history or the curious behaviour of those writing history with axes to grind. - Newcastle HeraldTom Frame has written a number of books on Australian naval events. With this book, he has produced a most comprehensive and interesting account of the loss of the Sydney. - Australian Defence MagazineFrame's story is a balanced and comprehensive account of the now complete Sydney story. - The Launceston ExaminerFor those with an interest in our naval, maritime or military history, this is an absorbing account of one of our most famous ships and her devastating loss. - Manly DailyTom Frame has produced the most comprehensive and compelling account of the loss of HMAS Sydney to date. His judgements are fair and his conclusions reasoned. If you only read one book on this tragic event in Australian naval history, and want all the facts and theories presented in a balanced way, Tom Frame's book is for you. - Vice Admiral Russ Shalders AO CSC RANR Chief of Navy, 2005-08

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Book SynopsisThe riveting exploits of a fighter aircraft – and an underrated aerial hero of the Second World WarThe Hawker Hurricane was flying on the outbreak of war in 1939. Six years later, having saved Britain, it was still playing a major part in the war effort.Widely remembered in its fighter role and unjustly left in the shade of the Spitfire, the Hurricane’s role was varied and pivotal: as a fighter, fighter-bomber, anti-tank aircraft and used at sea. Nor was its theatre of operations any less wide: it saw action in France from the beginning of the Phoney War to the outbreak of the Blitzkrieg, in the Battle of Britain, and then as far afield as Russia, Sumatra and Madagascar.In this intensely readable, spirited and classic account, Adrian Stewart describes all the Hurricane’s roles, adventures and achievements. He recounts the exploits of the aircraft’s outstanding pilots who contributed so much towards mastery of the skies and eventual victory.Perfect for readers of John Nichol’s Spitfire and Lancaster.

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Book SynopsisA consolidation of first-hand accounts from German fighter pilots caught up in some of the most dramatic night time conflicts of the early war years.

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Book SynopsisBabyn Yar brings together the responses to the tragic events of September 1941. Presented here in the original and in English translation, the poems create a language capable of portraying the suffering and destruction of the Ukrainian Jewish population during the Holocaust as well as other peoples murdered at the site.Trade ReviewRemind[s] the reading public of not only the necessity of remembering history and taking a stand against evil, but also about the necessity of poetry as witness during a time of great atrocity. -- Nicole Yurcaba * New Eastern Europe *Temporally and stylistically expansive, Babyn Yar keeps company with other recent poetry that confronts the costs of war and genocide: Solmaz Sharif’s Look, Monica Sok’s A Nail the Evening Hangs On, and Ilya Kaminsky’s Deaf Republic. Each poetic work catalogs grief intimately in the aftermath of political violence. That the Russia–Ukraine War is ongoing at the time of this writing infuses the anthology with a terrible urgency. -- Kathryn Savage * World Literature Today *

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Book SynopsisA reexamination of the narrative of genocide. Personal stories help audiences consider the cause, course, and consequences of this seminal period in world history. In The Holocaust, historian James Bulgin presents a wealth of archival material--including emotive objects, newly commissioned photography, and previously unpublished personal testimony from those who were there--to examine the role of ideology and individual decision-making in the course of World War II and the Holocaust. The book is published to coincide with the opening of Imperial War Museums's groundbreaking new Second World War and Holocaust Galleries.

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Book SynopsisAn authentic and gripping account of one boat's war in the Atlantic. Profusely illustrated with contemporary photographs. Written by an acknowledged expert of the U-boat war.

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Book SynopsisThe German Panzerartillerie was one of the key components of the Panzer divisions that were the spearhead of the German forces in the years when they overran most of Western Europe and reached as far as the gates of Moscow in the East. Warfare in the age of Blitzkrieg required fast-moving, mobile artillery that could support forward units at the front line, and the Panzerartillerie provided that for the Wehrmacht. The Allies had no answer or equivalent to them until the US entry into the war.Drawing on original material from German archives and private collections, including some images that have never been published before, German armor expert Thomas Anderson explores the formation and development of this force from its early days in the 1930s, through the glory days of Blitzkrieg warfare to its eventual decline in the face of the challenges of the Eastern Front.Trade ReviewAnother high quality offering from Osprey [...] a definitive look at the subject. * The Armourer *An illuminating and beautifully produced account of this perhaps underrated arm of the Panzer forces. * Miniature Wargames *This is a superb addition to the bookshelf of anyone who is interested in the German armed forces of World War II. Highly recommended. * Military Modelcraft International *Table of ContentsIntroduction German Artillery In 1933 Mobility for the Artillery 1936–39 Defining the Standards Into Poland France and the Balkans 1941 – A Time of Uncertainty 1942 – Advanced Self-propelled Guns In Combat Index Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisThe international bestselling story of one British soldier's brave choice to exchange places with a Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz.Trade ReviewThis is a most important book, and a timely reminder of the dangers that face any society once intolerance and racism take hold. * Sir Martin Gilbert *This memoir is an important contribution to a terrible chapter in history. * Daily Express *Denis is a hero in time of terror, a man of limitless moral and physical courage. * Henry Kamm, New York Times correspondent and Pulitzer Prize winner *'This is the most amazing Holocaust memoir it's been my good fortune to read...this is a beautiful, uplifting book about a real ben adom, a mensch, who saw evil and, instead of averting his eyes, did what he could to help the victims'. * Washington Jewish Week *an excellent memoir of survival. * Publishers Weekly *A unique war story from a brave man. * Kirkus *This is the incredible story of British soldier Denis Avey who broke into Auschwitz to uncover the horrors that were concealed there by the Nazis...This is a brutal account of what he experienced. There are some who doubt his story but don't let that ruin this extraordinary book. * Press Association *THE MAN WHO BROKE INTO AUSCHWITZ will take your breath away. * La revista de Ana Rosa (Spain) *What starts as an act of reportage then becomes a moving and ultimately triumphant story of survival. * Belfast Telegraph *'Exceptional'. * Morgenpost (Germany) *An astonishing heroic tale of a steady character. * Jüdische Zeitung (Germany) *'An admirable story'. * Periodista digital (Spain) *'A remarkable story'. * De Telegraaf (Holland) *A 'strange, brave and bracing story'. * Canberra Times *

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Book SynopsisThe quality of Japanese aircraft came as an unpleasant surprise to the Allies at the outbreak of the Pacific War, and it was personified in one type, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. One of the finest aircraft of all time, the Mitsubishi A6M Reisen (Zero fighter) first flew on 1 April 1939\. It soon showed itself to be clearly superior to any fighter the Allies could put into the air in the early stages of the Pacific campaign. Armed with two 20mm cannon and two 7.7mm machine-guns, it was highly manoeuvrable and structurally very strong, despite being lightweight. Instead of being built in several separate units, the Zero was revolutionary in that it was constructed in two pieces. The engine, cockpit and forward fuselage combined with the wings to form one rigid unit; the second part comprised the rear fuselage and the tail. The two units were joined by a ring of 80 bolts. Although the Mitsubishi Zero had some serious drawbacks in combat, the greatest of which was its inability to absorb punishment because of its lack of self-sealing fuel tanks and armour plating, its greatest assets were its manoeuvrability and its long range. In 1942 the Americans allocated the code-name Zeke to the A6M, but as time went by the name Zero came into general use. During the first months of the Pacific War, the Zeros carved out an impressive combat record. For example, in the battle for Java alone, which ended on 8 March 1942, they destroyed 550 Allied aircraft. As the war progressed, however, the Zero gradually came to be outclassed by American fighters such as the Grumman F6F Wildcat and Vought Corsair. In the latter months, many were fitted with bombs and expended in Kamikaze suicide attacks. This book provides a perfect introduction to the design and combat career of a fighter that made history. Why was the Zero conceived? What was it like to fly in combat? How did it compare with Allied types? Who were the engineers and designers who brought it to fruition and the pilots who became aces while flying it? Here is a feast for the modeller, with a wealth of technical information, photographs and colour profiles.

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Book SynopsisA gripping account of the infamous Nazi doctor from a former US Justice Department official tasked with uncovering his fate.Trade Review"It must be the most thorough-going account of Mengele's life available to date, a calm and professional read, but one that inevitably makes you want to look away." -- The Spectator"What specifically distinguishes Marwell’s account from previous studies concerns his personal involvement in the Justice Department’s Office of Special Investigations (O.S.I.) and the search for and identification of Mengele." -- The International New York Times"Gripping... sober and meticulous." -- David Margolick - The Wall Street Journal"Marwell’s life has much new to tell us, both about Mengele himself and, more significant, about the social and scientific milieu that allowed him to flourish." -- Adam Gopnik - The New Yorker"Compelling... At once a compact biography of the notorious war criminal, a detailed account of Mengele’s flight to South America, and an absorbing narrative of the quest to bring him to justice." -- Patricia Heberer Rice - Science

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Book SynopsisOne of the most feared weapons of World War II, the Tiger tank was a beast of a machine which dominated the battlefields of Europe with its astonishing size, speed and firepower. It continues to fascinate more than 70 years after it was first designed, and a comprehensive, illustrated history such as this is long overdue. Revealing its design and development history, Thomas Anderson draws upon original German archival material to tell the story of the birth of the Tiger. He then analyzes its success on the battlefield and the many modifications and variants that also came into play. Illustrated throughout with rare photographs and drawings, this is a unique history of what is easily the most famous tank ever produced.Table of Contents1. Development /2. Organization /3. Mobility /4. Firepower /5. Armour /6. Combat /7. Maintenance /8. Under Fire /9. Conclusion /Index

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Book SynopsisThroughout late-1943 into early-1944, an epic struggle raged over the skies of Germany between RAF Bomber Command and the Luftwaffe. This campaign had been undertaken by the Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, and was baptized The Battle of Berlin'. The Berlin campaign was a hard, desperate slog. Struggling against dreadful and bitter winter weather, Bomber Command went' to Berlin a total of sixteen times, suffering increasingly severe losses throughout the winter of 1943/44 in the face of a revitalized German air-defence. The campaign remains controversial and the jury, even today, is ultimately undecided as to what it realistically achieved. Illustrated throughout with full-colour artwork depicting the enormous scale of the campaign, this is the story of the RAF's much debated attempt to win the war through bombing alone.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Attacker's Capabilities /Defender's Capabilities /Campaign Objectives /Order of Battle /The Campaign /Analysis /Conclusion /Bibliography /Index

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Book SynopsisMeticulously researched and vividly written, Eight Days at Yalta is a remarkable work of intense historical drama.In the last winter of the Second World War, Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin arrived in the Crimean resort of Yalta. Over eight days of bargaining, bombast and intermittent bonhomie they decided on the conduct of the final stages of the war against Germany, on how a defeated and occupied Germany should be governed, on the constitution of the nascent United Nations and on spheres of influence in Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Greece.Only three months later, less than a week after the German surrender, Roosevelt was dead and Churchill was writing to the new President, Harry S. Truman, of ‘an iron curtain’ that was now ‘drawn down upon [the Soviets’] front’. Diana Preston chronicles eight days that created the post-war world, revealing Roosevelt’s determination to bring about the dissolution of the British Empire and Churchill’s conviction that he and the dying President would run rings round the Soviet premier. But Stalin monitored everything they said and made only paper concessions, while his territorial ambitions would soon result in the imposition of Communism throughout Eastern Europe.Trade ReviewDiana Preston brings dry diplomacy to life. Sound in historical judgement and strong on personalities and emotions, she gives the reader a special pass to watch the world-changing events in the Livadia Palace from all the closest angles. -- Norman Davies, author of Europe: A History Diana Preston’s lively and nuanced account, place[s] the protagonists much more in their moment, as the war was still raging and they were making decisions based on the information to hand . . . shrewd . . . vivid scene-setting -- Victor Sebestyen * Sunday Times *Impressively researched . . . expert account * Kirkus Reviews *Diana Preston chronicles those eight momentous days brilliantly. * Choice Magazine *Diana Preston tells it fluently, perceptively and with meticulous scholarship. -- Rodric Braithwaite * Spectator *A colorful chronicle of high-stakes negotiations and a study in human frailties, missteps and ideological blinders. -- Matthew Dallek * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisKeep calm and carry on. In 1939, Britain s Ministry of Information produced this now-ubiquitous reminder to its citizens in the event of widely predicted air attacks. But in the six consecutive years before Germany s surrender to Allied forces, the British public would feel keenly both the physical and moral hardships of war. To boost morale and raise awareness of how citizens efforts might helpor hinderthe wartime effort, one of the most effective forms the British government had at its disposal was the poster. "British Posters of the Second World War" presents one hundred posters from this important period in world history. Some proclaimed in bold type that Victory of the Allies is assured and featured stalwart British soldiers alongside exaggerated enemy figures. Others, however, hung on the walls of bus and railway stations, town halls, and pubs, called for continued self-sufficiency, urging Britons to raise chickens and join pig clubs. As the threat of espionage came to be regarded as ever-present, another category of posters cautioned soldiers and civilians alike against talking about the war: Furtive Fritz is always listening warned one; another, Keep mumshe s not so dumb. Drawing on the Imperial War Museum s impressive collection of materials related to conflicts involving Britain in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, "British Posters of the Second World War" explores these campaigns and many others with an introduction and explanatory text by the museum s senior curator, Richard Slocombe."

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Book SynopsisThis, quite simply, is the definitive book on the life of the man who prepared the ground for victory in the Battle of Britain. Without him, Britain and the world would have entered a dark age. Making full use of archival sources and information provided by family members, respected historian Professor Vincent Orange has produced a masterful biography of a truly remarkable man.

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Book SynopsisNearly 1 million American soldiers passed through Australia between 1942 and 1945 as part of America’s strategy to re-capture the Philippines and defeat Japan. They encountered a country full of reassuring similarities and strange differences. Here was a land of wide-open spaces, roughly the same size as the US, with a can-do, pioneering spirit, a history of swift development; a land of ‘funny animals’ and peculiar vowel sounds. But who were the Australians and how were Americans to behave in their midst? They were, of course, ‘an outdoors sort of people, breezy and very democratic’, with a gargantuan appetite for swearing. In the inimitable prose of the soldier’s pocket book series, this pithy guide captures the essence of Australia and its people, their humour, vocabulary; their attitude to the Yanks, the British, the War and the world with remarkable economy and clarity. It also manages to squeeze in a précis of Australian history, politics, economics, sports, and musical tradition, as well as colourful lexicon of national slang, which defines for example sheila as ‘a babe’, cliner as ‘another babe’, and sninny as ‘a third babe’. Like any self-respecting guide to Australian culture, it contains the text of Waltzing Matilda, together with a few bon mots about its cultural significance, particularly in wartime. Unlike cricket, which is a polite game, Australian Rules Football creates a desire on the part of the crowd to tear someone apart, usually the referee. The Australian has few equals in the world at swearing ...the commonest swear words are bastard (pronounced “barstud”), “bugger,” and “bloody,” and the Australians have a genius for using the latter nearly every other word.

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Book SynopsisAn Honorary Citizen of the U.S.A., and designated as one of the Righteous among the Nations by Israel, Raoul Wallenberg's heroism in Budapest at the height of the Holocaust saved countless lives, and ultimately cost him his own.A series of unlikely coincidences led to the appointment of Wallenberg, by trade a poultry importer, as Sweden's Special Envoy to Budapest in 1944. With remarkable bravery, Wallenberg created a system of protective passports, and sheltered thousands of desperate Jews in buildings he claimed were Swedish libraries and research institutes.As the war drew to a close, his invaluable work almost complete, Wallenberg voluntarily went to meet with the Soviet troops who were relieving the city. Arrested as a spy, Wallenberg disappeared into the depths of the Soviet system, never to be seen again.For this seminal biography, Ingrid Carlberg has carried out unprecedented research into all elements of Wallenberg's life, narrating with vigour and insight the story of a heroic life, and navigating with wisdom and sensitivity the truth about his disappearance and death.Translated from the Swedish by Ebba SegerbergTrade ReviewA truly fascinating, subtle and revelatory portrait of this enigmatic character and perhaps the closest any historian has got to the real man and the truth of his fate -- Simon Sebag MontefioreIngrid Carlberg's superb biography will doubtless be regarded as the standard work on Wallenberg. Richly detailed and thoroughly researched ... an atmospheric read that brings to life an extraordinary story of resistance and bravery during Europe's darkest hours. -- Adam Lebor * Literary Review *Authoritative and comprehensive -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *A fresh and forensic portrait of Raoul Wallenberg ... Carlberg has unearthed a staggering amount of detail -- Monica Porter * Jewish Chronicle *Absorbing, masterful ... a riveting biography of a remarkable man * Kirkus Review *Ingrid Carlberg has writtenwhat must be the definitive biography ofWallenberg -- Glyn Ford * Tribune *

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Book SynopsisBletchley Park was where one of the war's most famous - and crucial - achievements was made: the cracking of Germany's "Enigma" code in which its most important military communications were couched. This country house in the Buckinghamshire countryside was home to Britain's most brilliant mathematical brains, like Alan Turing, and the scene of immense advances in technology - indeed, the birth of modern computing. The military codes deciphered there were instrumental in turning both the Battle of the Atlantic and the war in North Africa. But, though plenty has been written about the boffins, and the codebreaking, fictional and non-fiction - from Robert Harris and Ian McEwan to Andrew Hodges' biography of Turing - what of the thousands of men and women who lived and worked there during the war? What was life like for them - an odd, secret territory between the civilian and the military? Sinclair McKay's book is the first history for the general reader of life at Bletchley Park, and an amazing compendium of memories from people now in their eighties - of skating on the frozen lake in the grounds (a depressed Angus Wilson, the novelist, once threw himself in) - of a youthful Roy Jenkins, useless at codebreaking, of the high jinks at nearby accommodation hostels - and of the implacable secrecy that meant girlfriend and boyfriend working in adjacent huts knew nothing about each other's work.Trade Review'McKay's book is an eloquent tribute to a quite remarkable group of men and women, whose like we will not see again.' Four stars **** Mail On Sunday 'I found this a truly breathtaking, eye-opening book.' -- A. N. Wilson Reader's Digest 'It is their stories, and the humbling thought of what their dedication to duty achieved, that make this book worth reading.' Four stars **** Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisThe story of what really led to Germany losing the battle of Stalingrad - the inability of the Luftwaffe to keep Sixth Army supplied throughout the winter of 194243 - and why this crucial airlift failed.Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goering's failure to deliver his promise to keep Sixth Army supplied at Stalingrad was one of the most hard-hitting strategic air failures of World War II. 300 tons a day of supplies were required to sustain the Sixth Army, flown in against a Soviet fighter force whose capabilities were rapidly being transformed. The Luftwaffe''s failure left Sixth Army trapped, vulnerable and too weak to attempt a breakout. The destruction of Sixth Army was one of the major turning points in World War II but the Luftwaffe's crucial role in this disaster has often been overlooked. Some claim the attempt was doomed from the beginning but, in this intriguing book, author William E. Hiestand explains how the Germans had amassed sufficient aircraft to, Trade ReviewThis is the type of book that both opens up a new line of interest for the modeller and helps produce an informed collection of aircraft types, and therefore is highly recommended. * Scale Aircraft Modelling *A fascinating book that looks at the role of the Luftwaffe in trying to relieve the German Sixth Army as it faced encirclement by Soviet forces during the latter stages of the Battle of Stalingrad. * WWII Books *Table of ContentsORIGINS The road to Stalingrad Blau and Stalingrad Operation Uranus CHRONOLOGY ATTACKER’S CAPABILITIES The Luftwaffe on the Eastern Front Doctrine, tactics, and logistics Richthofen’s 4th Air Fleet Luftwaffe fighters DEFENDER’S CAPABILITIES VVS: an air force in transition A new commander and new reforms Birth of the air armies CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES Keystone on the Volga Soviet objectives THE CAMPAIGN The turning point on the Eastern Front November 24–30: establishing an airlift Setting up the airlift – the task The airfields and logistics, late November, 1942 Weather and flight operations VIII Air Corps in command: December 1–11 The Soviet air blockade Winter Storm (Wintergewitter), Thunderclap (Donnerschlag), and Little Saturn (Molnyy Saturn) The airlift, December 12–23 The raid on Tatsinskaya, December 24 A new year, fading hope: January 1–15, 1943 The end: January 16–February 2, 1943 Milch on the scene Milch and the airfields AFTERMATH AND ASSESSMENT FURTHER READING INDEX

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Book SynopsisHitler's U-boats and his dreaded pocket battleships such as Bismarck and Tirpitz - Churchill dubbed the latter as 'The Beast' - continue to fascinate an ever-growing interest in the Second World War. Despite a numerical disadvantage when compared the Royal Navy, Hitler's U-boats wrecked havoc in the Atlantic against vulnerable convoys and the doomed Bismarck took on the might of Britain's battleships in a mighty clash of the titans. Hitler's Naval Bases, a work of love that took the author over forty years to research and write, is the most comprehensive and dedicated book on the subject matter. A world's first, it covers bases in remarkable detail from the smallest and unmanned locations to the largest dedicated bases in Lorient, Kiel and Wilhemshaven. The book covers the different types of naval base from isolated and forgotten bases, escape and survival bases, to the extremities of the main naval bases. The functions and various departments - artillery, ship construction to dockyard medical service - are explained as are North Sea naval bases in Emden, The Weser Ports and Cuxhaven, Baltic ports, the major bases that never were ('The Lobster's Claw on Heligoland') to France, Asia and German colonies, including re-fuelling in Spain and bases located in Russia and in the 'Heart of England'. Also covered are naval artillery and naval infantry as well as the anatomy of coastal artillery batteries, the shipping yards and even rules for living in such conditions. A most lavish and phenomenal book, it is beautifully illustrated with over 200 unpublished photographs complemented with thousands of unique interviews with veterans during the war as well as survivors. A labour of love, Hitler's Naval Bases is written by a world's leading authoritarian figure and is an essential book for those interested in the armed forces of the Third Reich.

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Book Synopsis"I was following orders." The answer most commonly quoted by SS men accused of atrocious crimes after Germany had surrendered in 1945. But who gave those orders? Who was the mastermind behind the sophisticated machinery which allowed men from normal family backgrounds to kill on such a scale? The right man at the right time, fate steered Heinrich Himmler to take control of an organisation destined to carry out Hitler's racial policies. This study not only sets out in detail how Heinrich Himmler's daily routine allowed him to implement Nazi strategy, but it also provides illustrations of the man behind much of it, both at work and at home. Of all the personalities of history demonized by post-war writers, Heinrich Himmler ranks among the most reviled. His legacy is one of hatred, violence and cold blooded murder on a vast scale. A Jekyll and Hyde character, variously described by his generation and those who followed as charming, loyal, polite, a pedant, an eccentric, an organizational genius, a fool, a desk killer and a loving father.The camera allows us into his world, albeit temporarily, and we can equate his busy, but mostly mundane schedule with contemporary images frozen in time. What makes this book unique is the astonishing amount of photographic material, following Himmler on his day to day routine. It is a must read for anyone interested in the enigmatic man and the operations of the Third Reich.

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated study of the design, development and eventual fates of the uncompleted super-battleships intended to be built before and during World War II. Before the start of World War II, the battleship was still king, and all the major powers were designing even mightier battleships to surpass their most modern and powerful classes. But when war broke out, aircraft carriers would dominate naval warfare, and none of these monster warships would ever be completed. In this book, naval expert Mark Stille uncovers these lost battleships as they are reconstructed with the help of superb new full-colour artwork and photos. The US Navy planned five Montana-class ships, based on the Iowas but with a heavier main battery and improved protection, while the Royal Navy began work on three 16in-gun Lion-class fast battleships. The German Navy began to develop its H-class designs, initially an improved Bismarck-class which became more fantastical, culminating in the 141,500-tTrade ReviewExcellent. Chosen as their Book of the Month. * Ships Monthly *Super-Battleships of World War II is well-written, illustrated and presented, and provides a fascinating insight into the culmination of battleship design. * The Naval Review *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION BATTLESHIP DESIGN PRACTICES Protection Propulsion Firepower THE SUPER-BATTLESHIP CLASSES The United States Navy – the Montana-class The Royal Navy – the Lion-class The Kriegsmarine – the H-class The Imperial Japanese Navy – Design A-150 The Soviet Navy – the Sovetsky Soyuz - class ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION FURTHER READING INDEX

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Book Synopsis An award-winning US Marine Corps armor historian''s account of the role of US and Japanese tanks on Iwo Jima. The battle of Iwo Jima is iconic and known for its brutality: this was the only battle in which the number of US casualties outnumbered those of the Japanese. But as is often the case with the Pacific campaigns, the tank action on the island has generally been overshadowed by that of infantry. The tank, however, played an important role as a support weapon especially on the US side despite the rough terrain and unconventional enemy tactics. Using unpublished official records and veterans'' accounts, award-winning USMC armor specialist Romain Cansière sheds new light on Japanese and USMC armored operations on the island. This book offers new information on the battle in a complete, concise, and accessible format, and its illustrations include unpublished photographs from private collections and meticulously researched new color profiles, highlightin

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Book SynopsisBased on the author's personal World War II diary, Messerschmitts Over Sicily is an unflinching look at Luftwaffe combat, tactics and leadership during the campaign for Sicily. A concluding chapter assesses the war's lessons for air forces.

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Book SynopsisBased on interviews and correspondence with those closely associated with, and actually involved in, the Dambusters Raid.

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Book Synopsis''In the black out visit a bright inn.'' So read stickers on the windows of Watney''s pubs all over London. In Brewing for Victory, Brian Glover shows in lively detail how beer and pub culture aided Britain''s community spirit during the Second World War. From ''Guinness for Strength!'' adverts to women shifting casks and packing coppers with hops, the effect the war had on brewing in England, and the effect brewing had on the war effort, is explored from every angle.Beginning at home in Britain and London, Glover tracks the course of tuns all the way out to the front line in the army, air force and navy. ''Brewing under the jackboot'' is also considered, with a chapter on breweries in British territory that had been captured by the Nazis, such as Guernsey. With over 70 illustrations showing war era adverts and bombed out boroughs with their pubs still standing, Brewing for Victory is a remarkable demonstration of the Blitz Spirit in action as the public, pubs and brewers worked togethTrade Review'An interesting book to read . as well as the excellent subject matter, the book is written in a manner and style which encourages the reader to read through to the end. The combination of factual description, anecdote and narrative is a winning style which makes the book a must for anyone interested in the history of beer, including bottled beer.' - Mike Peterson, What's Bottling 'Here is a lively history of breweries and public houses during the War, with a serious point to make as well.' - Forces News 'In Brewing for Victory, Brian Glover tells the heady and enlightening tale of how a drop of ale boosted the morale of everyone of drinking age throughout the dark days of 1939-45.' - Soldier MagazineTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements 1. Enemy Behind the Lines 2. Ally on the Home Front 3. Blockhouse on the Home Front 4. Nation's Liquid Asset 5. The Blitz 6. Pubs in the Front Line 7. Miracle in the Mash Tun 8. No Beer Today 9. Better Than Bullets 10. Davy Jones' Delight 11. Brewing Under the Jackboot 12. The Pint in Peace Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWritten with “a cinematic sense of urgency and realism” (Evan Osnos, National Book Award-winning author), this is the first full account of the Casablanca Conference of January 1943, the secret ten-day parlay in Morocco where FDR, Churchill, and their divided high command hammered out a winning strategy at the tipping point of World War II.The Devils Will Get No Rest is a “vivid and engaging” (Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize­­-winning author) character-driven account of the Casablanca Conference of January 1943, an Anglo-American clash over military strategy that produced a winning plan when World War II could have gone either way. Churchill called it the most important Allied conclave of the war. Until now, it has never been explored in a full-length book. In a secret, no-holds-barred, ten-day debate in a Moroccan warzone, protected by British marines and elite American troops, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Charles d

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Book SynopsisA fascinating exploration of the dramatic battles and Allied operations to wrest back control of Burma (Myanmar) from the Japanese.The Allied reconquest of Burma was not part of Allied Grand Strategy in 1944 and 1945. It happened despite it in particular, because of the dramatic failure of the Japanese invasion of India (Operation U-Go), which ended ignominiously for the Japanese Empire in August 1944. The reconquest was one of the longest campaigns of World War II. It comprised 11 distinct battles and offensives that were part of the overall continuum of operations that resulted in the Allied victory.Written by a foremost expert on the British Army in World War II, this superbly illustrated work details the Allied operations to retake Burma from Japanese control. Accounts of Operation Capital, the capture of Meiktila and Mandalay, the Allied advance in the Arakan, the race for Rangoon, Operation Dracula, the Battle of the Sittang Bend anTable of ContentsORIGINS OF THE CAMPAIGN CHRONOLOGY OPPOSING COMMANDERS Japanese Allied OPPOSING FORCES Japanese Allied OPPOSING PLANS THE CAMPAIGN Operation Capital The Masterstroke at Meiktila Advance in Arakan The Race for Rangoon AFTERMATH The Battle of the Breakout THE BATTLEFIELD TODAY BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisUsing specially commissioned artwork and detailing technical specifications, this book explores the Bf 109''s different roles occasioned by wartime necessity, from its employment as a fighter to its evolution as a fighter-bomber.One of the principal types in the Luftwaffe''s inventory at the beginning of World War II, the piston-engined Bf 109 was central to the many initial victories that the Germans achieved before coming up against the unbeatable RAF during the Battle of Britain. Nevertheless, by the second half of 1940 the Bf 109''s operability was widened due to operational needs and it was flown as a fighter-bomber for precision attacks in Southern England. At first ad hoc conversions were made ''in the field'' to allow the aircraft to carry a bomb or extra fuel tank. Such modifications were soon formalised by Messerschmitt, which created the Jabo Bf 109s.Drawing from pilots'' first-hand accounts, author Malcolm V. Lowe explores the number of specialisedTrade ReviewTheir story is told with generous use of first-hand accounts. * Aeroplane *Table of ContentsTable of contents 1. In the Beginnings 2. Deadly Combat 3. New Challenges 4. Grand Finale Appendices - Colour plates commentaries Selected Sources Index

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Book SynopsisThe story of how the nations of Europe spied on Hitler's Third Reich in the tense years of appeasement leading up to the Second World War.Trade Reviewincisive * Colin Shindler *RT Howard does an admirable job * NS, History of War *remarkably thorough and well-researched * Zareer Masani, Literary Review *R.T. Howard has done an admirable job, given [the] limitations. Spying on the Reich is substantial and engaging. * John Foster , The Battleground *extraordinarily fertile and captivating book * Richard Lofthouse, QUAD *fascinating * Francis P. Sempa, New York Journal of Books *Profitable reading for students of spycraft and the early stirrings of the war in Europe. * Kirkus Reviews *a well-researched and revealing account...Packed with a colorful cast of characters and offering pinpoint analysis of where the Allies went wrong, this will delight espionage buffs. * , Publishers Weekly *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Germany Reawakens 2: Foreign Spies Keep Watch 3: The Rise of Hitler 4: The New Mood in Berlin 5: The Anglo-French Spy Networks Inside Germany 6: 'The Reliable Source' 7: The French and Czechs Watch the Reich 8: 'The Dark Continent' 9: The International Spy Effort 10: Searching for New Sources of Information 11: Spying on the German Navy 12: Colonel Z and Other Agents 13: The French Step Up Their Operations 14: The British and the Czechs Watch the Reich 15: The 'Spies' Who Never Were 16: Watching Anschluss 17: Intelligence and the Sudeten Crises 18: Predicting Hitler's Next Move 19: Intelligence and the Anglo-French Alliance 20: The 'Spies' Who Caused Panic 21: Signals from the Reich 22: The Nazi-Soviet Pact 23: The Countdown to War Conclusion: In Retrospect

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Book SynopsisInvestigates the history and evolving appearance of the Grossdeutschland' Division, the German Army's premier combat unit during World War II.Featuring eight pages of original artwork and carefully chosen photographs depicting personalities, uniforms, insignia and personal equipment, this is the absorbing story of the German Army's elite fire brigade' during 193945. The unit began its life as an elite guard detachment; expanded to regimental size in 1939, it saw action in France in 1940 and Yugoslavia in 1941 before participating in the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union.Reinforced to divisional status, Grossdeutschland' fought on the Eastern Front in 194244, notably at Rzhev in late 1942 and Kharkov in early 1943. Refitted and redesignated a Panzergrenadier-Division, Grossdeutschland' played a key role in the battle of Kursk in July 1943, before acting as the Wehrmacht's fire brigade' in 194344.In late 1944, Grossdeutschland' was expanded to PanTable of Contents[subject to confirmation] Introduction Blitzkrieg 1939–40 Barbarossa 1941 Fall Blau 1942 Zitadelle 1943 In Retreat 1944–45 Conclusion Bibliography Index

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