Second World War Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisDuring the Second World War the need for an on-board technical expert to join the Bomber Crews evolved. The various systems on the latest 4-engined 'Heavy Bombers', namely the Handley Page Halifax, Shorts Stirling and Avro Lancaster witnessed the development of Flight Engineers. This book provides the reader with an explanation of the origin of Flight Engineers, the training of these men and the complexity of keeping large bombers in the air is an enthralling story. Many gallantry medals were won by Flight Engineers, including the Victoria Cross. Accounts of dangerous operational flying is revealed by Flight Engineers in numerous aircraft including those of Coastal Command. Direct entries into the RAF by civilians were undertaken to satisfy the demand for Flight Engineers. Entrants underwent courses of varying lengths but flying training time was very sparse and remarkably it was not unknown for these men to qualify for their flying badges without ever having flown in an aircraft. This book examines true accounts that took place; many based upon personal flying logbooks and other unique material originating from the pilots and aircrew themselves.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Holocaust is usually understood as a European story. Yet, this pivotal episode unfolded across North Africa and reverberated through politics, literature, memoir, and memory—Muslim as well as Jewish—in the post-war years. The Holocaust and North Africa offers the first English-language study of the unfolding events in North Africa, pushing at the boundaries of Holocaust Studies and North African Studies, and suggesting, powerfully, that neither is complete without the other. The essays in this volume reconstruct the implementation of race laws and forced labor across the Maghreb during World War II and consider the Holocaust as a North African local affair, which took diverse form from town to town and city to city. They explore how the Holocaust ruptured Muslim–Jewish relations, setting the stage for an entirely new post-war reality. Commentaries by leading scholars of Holocaust history complete the picture, reflecting on why the history of the Holocaust and North Africa has been so widely ignored—and what we have to gain by understanding it in all its nuances. Published in association with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.Trade Review"This fascinating and original volume profoundly challenges inherited understandings of the Holocaust as a purely European phenomenon. Offering far-ranging original research, the contributors illustrate how one of modernity's defining horrors played out in North Africa. In so doing, they convincingly show that Vichy's race laws, anti-Semitic agitation, and deportations represented ruptures—but also continuities—with North Africa's colonial order."—Joshua Schreier, Vassar College"The Holocaust and North Africa extends the geographical and historical horizons of Holocaust studies. It challenges a Eurocentric focus, exploring the diverse persecution experiences and memories of Jews in North and West Africa, and raises interesting questions about the interdependencies of Nazi, Vichy, and fascist policies with colonial practices."—Wolf Gruner, Founding Director, USC Shoah Foundation Center for Advanced Genocide Research"As the contributors to this volume demonstrate, it is important to understand how ordinary Muslims comprehended what was happening to their Jewish neighbors, to their country, and to themselves under Nazi and Vichy oversight. Even more importantly, we must understand the experience of the North African Jews themselves. Boum and Stein's book is a good start."—Lawrench Rosen, Jewish Review of Books"This collection of fifteen essays and commentaries by noted scholars constitutes an invaluable contribution to the growing body of literature on the Holocaust, North Africa, and the Middle East....The wealth of new sources both primary and secondary that they have uncovered bodes well for the expansion of our knowledge and understanding of the Shoah in its connections with North Africa."—Francis R. Nicosia, Holocaust and Genocide Studies"[This] is an important and timely book....a unique and welcome addition to our understandings of the mid-twentieth century Maghreb, the death throes of European colonization, the Shoah, and the ways in which these sites, events, and memories continue to shape the Mediterranean region today."—Nicholas Ostrum, EuropeNow"[A] rich and illuminating volume, which, in my view, fully achieves its aims. The essays enrich our understanding of how the Holocaust unfolded in North Africa, most notably by unveiling the deep entanglement between colonialism and fascism....[The Holocaust and North Africa] shows the fruitfulness of a joint work of reflection, scrutiny, and interpretation."—Piera Rossetto, Quest"[A] exceptionally valuable volume focusing on an area of study far too long in the shadows....The Holocaust and North Africa is an absorbing work that will undoubtedly whet the appetite of many a student of the Holocaust, eager to know more about what happened to Jews in that part of the world during the war years."—Diane Cypkin, Martyrdom & Resistance"The underlying agenda of The Holocaust and North Africa is to encourage further, in-depth research in this hitherto neglected area of study. Even at this relatively late stage of Holocaust historiography, there are archives and testimonies waiting to be examined and deciphered. As shown in these essays, comparative research does not imply the drawing of similarities between situations, but rather a deeper understanding of the complex mosaic of the Holocaust—confined neither to Europe nor to European Jews."—Denis Charbit, Studies in Contemporary JewryTable of ContentsIntroduction —Aomar Boum and Sarah Abrevaya Stein 1. Between Metropole and French North Africa: Vichy's Anti-Semitic Legislation and Colonialism's Racial Hierarchies —Daniel J. Schroeter 2. The Persecution of Jews in Libya Between 1938 and 1945: An Italian Affair? —Jens Hoppe 3. The Implementation of Anti-Jewish Laws in French West Africa: A Reflection of Vichy Anti-Semitic Obsession —Ruth Ginio 4. "Other Places of Confinement": Bedeau Internment Camp for Algerian Jewish Soldiers —Susan Slyomovics 5. Blessing of the Bled: Rural Moroccan Jewry During World War II —Aomar Boum and Mohammed Hatimi 6. la recherche de Vichy: The Commissariat Général aux Questions Juives and the Implementation of the Statut des Juifs in Tunisia —Daniel Lee 7. Eyewitness Djelfa: Daily Life in a Saharan Vichy Labor Camp —Aomar Boum 8. The Ethics and Aesthetics of Restraint: Judeo-Tunisian Narratives of Occupation —Lia Brozgal 9. Fissures and Fusions: Moroccan Jewish Communists and World War II —Alma Heckman 10. Recentering the Holocaust (Again) —Omer Bartov 11. Paradigms and Differences —Susan Rubin Suleiman 12. Sephardim and Holocaust Historiography —Susan Gilson Miller 13. Stages in Jewish Historiography and Collective Memory —Haim Saadoun 14. A Memory That Is Not One —Michael Rothberg 15. Holocaust and North Africa —Todd Presner

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe illuminating intellectual biography of one of the most controversial Italian figures of the twentieth century.Trade Review"Rota's biography of Angelo Tasca--a critically-important figure in 20th-century Italian political history--is clear, balanced,and engaging. Rota traces Tasca's tormented trajectory from communism to Vichy with judicious restraint and empathy. An insightful and provocative work of intellectual history." -- -Stanislao G. Pugliese Hofstra University "An original work. A good account of an intellectual and political journey from Italian and French socialism and communism through Vichy collaboration and back to an anti-communist moderate left." -- -Roy Domenico University of Scranton "...Rota's book is a fine example of a scholarly biography of an important figure in the history of the Italian Left. It is a pity that there are so few books of this nature available." -European Review of HistoryTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1 Into the Battlefield 2 Learning Rus sian: Angelo Tasca and the Stalinization of the Communist Parties 3 In Limbo: Angelo Tasca and Liberal Democracy 4 The Road to Vichy 5 A Socialist in Vichy Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisLike many heroes of World War II, General Albert C. Wedemeyer's career has been largely overshadowed by such well-known figures as Marshall, Patton, Montgomery and Bradley. Wedemeyer's legacy as the main planner of the D-Day invasion is almost completely forgotten today, eclipsed by politics and the capriciousness of human nature.In the late 1930s Wedemeyer had the unique experience of being an exchange student at the German Kriegsakademia, the Nazis'equivalent of Fort Leavenworth's Command and General Staff School. As the only American to attend, he was thus the only ranking officer in the US who recognised the revolutionary tactics of Blitzkrieg once they were unleashed, and he knew how to respond.As US involvement in the European conflagration approached, Wedemeyer was taken under the wing of George C. Marshall in Washington, but although he conceived the plans for US mobilisation, to his great disappointment he was not appointed to field command once the invasion commenced; further, he had run afoul of Winston Churchill due to the latter's insistence on emphasising the Mediterranean theatre in 1943.Perhaps because of Churchill's animosity, Wedemeyer was transferred to the Burma-China theatre, where a year later he would replace General Stilwell. Ultimately, Wedemeyer's service in the Asian theatre became far more significant, though less known. Had the US political establishment listened to Wedemeyer on China during the years 1943-48, it is possible China would not have been lost to the Communists and would have been a functioning US ally from the start, thus eliminating the likelihood of both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.Trade ReviewMcLaughlin’s biography of Wedemeyer describes his importance as a visionary strategist and principal author of the America’s Victory Program. * ARMOR Magazine 21/12/2022 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe thrilling and previously untold true story of Suzanne Spaak, who abandoned her life of opulence to save the Jewish children of Occupied Paris during the Second World War.Suzanne Spaak was born into an affluent Belgian Catholic family and married into the country's leading political dynasty. Her brother-in-law was the prime minister while her husband Claude was a playwright and patron of the painter René Magritte. In occupied Paris she was part of the cultural elite and a neighbour of Colette and Jean Cocteau. But Suzanne was living a double life.Her friendship with a Polish Jewish refugee led her to her life's purpose. When France fell and the Nazis occupied Paris, she joined the Resistance. She used her fortune and social status to enlist allies among wealthy Parisians and church groups. Under the eyes of the Gestapo, Suzanne and women from the Jewish and Christian resistance groups 'kidnapped' hundreds of Jewish children to save them from the gas chambers. Codename Suzette is a masterpiece of research and narrative, bringing to life a truly remarkable woman and painting a vivid and unforgettable picture of wartime Paris.Trade ReviewVividly dramatises the stakes of acting morally in a time of brutality * Wall Street Journal *This heartfelt story is almost a model for how popular history should be written; it will satisfy lovers of history, Jewish history in particular. * Library Journal *A riveting book about a truly heroic woman in a Paris of resignation and shame. A must-read! * Diane von Furstenberg *Anne Nelson has written an extraordinary book that finally does justice to Spaak's story of heroism and sacrifice. -- Andrew Nagorski * Author of THE NAZI HUNTERS *Anne Nelson tells the story of Suzanne Spaak, an elegant Belgian aristocrat who risked her life to save Jewish children in Nazi-occupied France. Her conscience told her someone had to do something. But, as Nelson's gripping book shows, doing the right thing can also come at a price. -- Alan Riding * Author of AND THE SHOW WENT ON: CULTURAL LIFE IN NAZI-OCCUPIED PARIS *Superbly researched and sharply written. * Alan Furst on Red Orchestra *[A] haunting account of a long-neglected network... Experiences inform the deep sympathy and unsentimental compassion of Red Orchestra. * New York Times on Red Orchestra *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe gripping account of two momentous battles fought in the same location – 129 years apart

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis absorbing study pits US Army National Guardsmen against Japanese soldiers in the uniquely hostile setting of the New Guinea campaign in World War II.When Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, New Guinea the world's second-largest island was administered partly by Australia and partly by the Dutch East Indies. The New Guinea campaign (January 1942August 1945) saw Japanese forces invade the island, rapidly capturing the key port of Rabaul and threatening Port Moresby, while US forces joined the defenders in increasing numbers. The uniquely demanding environment, and the savage nature of the fighting, meant that the campaign was among the most arduous of World War II for both sides. In this study, the Japanese forces and their US Army opponents, many of whom were National Guard units, are assessed and compared, with particular attention paid to combat doctrine, weaponry, tactics, logistics, leadership, and communications in the challenging settinTable of ContentsIntroduction The Opposing Sides Buna, November 18, 1942-January 3, 1943 Biak Island, May 27-July 20, 1944 The Driniumor River, July 10-August 4, 1944 Analysis Aftermath Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisAt its peak the Italian Army contributed 2.5 million troops to the Axis war effort. English-speaking readers tend to think of this army in terms of the North African campaign; but far more Italian troops served in other theatres. They invaded, and later bore the major burden of occupying, the Balkan countries; and Italy sent 250,000 troops to fight on the Russian Front. In this, the first of a three-part study, Philip Jowett covers the European theatre including Russia from 1940 to Italy's armistice with the Allies in 1943. Many interesting uniforms, a number of them new to most readers, are meticulously illustrated by Stephen Andrew.Table of ContentsThe Albanian adventure; French farce; Greece and Yugoslavia; the Partisan war; the war of Russia; invasion and revolution.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe effect of the war on everyday life.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Stunning and Emotional Autobiography of an Auschwitz Survivor April 7, 1944—This date marks the successful escape of two Slovak prisoners from one of the most heavily-guarded and notorious concentration camps of Nazi Germany. The escapees, Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, fled over one hundred miles to be the first to give the graphic and detailed descriptions of the atrocities of Auschwitz. Originally published in the early 1960s, I Escaped from Auschwitz is the striking autobiography of none other than Rudolf Vrba himself. Vrba details his life leading up to, during, and after his escape from his 21-month internment in Auschwitz. Vrba and Wetzler manage to evade Nazi authorities looking for them and make contact with the Jewish council in Zilina, Slovakia, informing them about the truth of the “unknown destination” of Jewish deportees all across Europe. This first-hand report alerted Western authorities, such as Pope Pius XII, Winston Churchill, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, to the reality of Nazi annihilation camps—information that until then had only been recognized as nasty rumors.I Escaped from Auschwitz is a close-up look at the horror faced by the Jewish people in Auschwitz and across Europe during World War II. This newly edited translation of Vrba’s memoir will leave readers reeling at the terrors faced by those during the Holocaust. Despite the profound emotions brought about by this narrative, readers will also find an astounding story of heroism and courage in the face of seemingly hopeless circumstances.Trade Review"With remarkable specificity gained from camp jobs that gave him unusual access to various corners of Auschwitz, including the gas chambers, Vrba told the unknown truth about it." —The New York Times"One of the most harrowing and profound stories of human struggle ever written. . . . This deeply personal story helped me understand how a regime conspired to commit murder on an industrial scale and the almost impossible struggle people faced to survive." —Sydney Morning Herald "Among attempts to break down the wall of silence around the Auschwitz secrets, historians have no doubt that the escape of Vrba and his fellow prisoner, Alfred Wetzler, was by far the most important." —Guardian "Vrba’s photographic memory enabled him to retain much of the geography and the placement of the facilities as he went about his work." —Los Angeles Times "Details Vrba’s experience in a concentration camp as well as his harrowing escape." —Deadline

Read more less

Book SynopsisRaymond Geist was sent to Berlin as a consul in 1929. He was not from the right social class to become an ambassador - a role reserved for men of means in the 1920s - and in his duties as a consul he primarily handled visas for emigrants intending to move to the US. Once Hitler's government began to oppress certain categories of German and Austrian citizens as well as foreigners, the consular office became vitally important. It was Geist who expedited the exits of Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, and Geist who understood best the urgency of the situation in Germany and the potential catastrophe that awaited the persecuted groups.Geist was a constant presence in Berlin while US ambassadors and consul generals cycled in and out. Despite a secret homosexual relationship with a German that posed a threat to his career-and to his lover's life-Geist fearlessly challenged the police state whenever it abused Americans in Germany or threatened US interests. He balanced his diplomatic discretion with the imperative to save lives: he secured visas for hundreds of refugees and unaccompanied children while he maintained a working relationship with the most important Nazi officials, including Heinrich Himmler, Reinhard Heydrich and Hermann Göring. As relations between the US and Nazi Germany deteriorated, Geist remained the most knowledgeable, capable and valuable analyst and problem solver in Berlin. He was the first American official to advise his government that what lay ahead for Germany's Jews was what would later become known as the Holocaust.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA classic about real-life WWII espionage, as conducted by its modern master * A Man Called Intrepid is the classic true story of Sir William Stephenson (codenamed Intrepid) and the spy network he founded that would ultimately stall the Nazi war machine and help win World War II. Ian Fleming, bestselling author of the James Bond novels, once remarked, “James Bond is a highly romanticized version of a true spy. The real thing is William Stephenson.” Illustrated with thirty-two pages of black-and-white photographs, this book describes the infamous “Camp X” spy training center in Ontario, Canada; the breaking of the Ultra Code used by Enigma; and countless tales of assassinations, clandestine activities, guerrilla armies, resistance support, and suicide missions. This modern classic, which reads like fiction, was a national bestseller when first published in 1976.Trade Review"James Bond is a highly romanticized version of a true spy. The real thing is William Stephenson." —Ian Fleming, bestselling author of the James Bond novels "An adventure story of monumental proportions." —NBC News "A splendid book. Rich in information. . . . profound in its implications." —San Francisco Chronicle "An intriguing story of secret actions against the backdrop of great events." —Washington Post "As long as Americans value courage and freedom there will be a special place in our hearts, our minds, and our history books for the 'Man Called Intrepid.'" —Ronald Reagan

Read more less

Book SynopsisEighty years after its creation, the Luftwaffe is still one of the most fascinating forces in the history of aviation. A companion to Luftwaffe in Colour Volume 1, which covered the victory years from 1939 up to Spring 1942, this volume with nearly 400 images contains even more fascinating material on the machines of the Luftwaffe and the men who flew them, as their fate took an increasingly grim path.Initially the Luftwaffe ruled the skies but thereafter fought an increasingly futile war of attrition which when combined with vital strategic mistakes in aircraft production, was its death knell. Despite this the Luftwaffe produced the most successful air aces of all time who feature in this volume. Among many remarkable images we see one of the last Junkers 87 B-2 operational on the front line on the Eastern Front during the winter of 1942-1943, the huge BV 222 V-5 of Lufttransportstaffel in the port of Heraklion in late 1942, pilots in Tunisia in 1943, the aces Hans Philipp, Wolfgang Spate and Heinz Schnaufer and a vivid demonstration of the reversal in fortunes in 1944 as Allied bombers destroy 106 places, engulfing them in fire at Schwabisch-Hall on German soil.In this painstakingly pieced together collection, originally published in France, the full detail behind the propaganda is once more revealed, in rare colour photographs.Trade ReviewAll in all there is just so much in here that I think anyone with an interest in the wartime Luftwaffe, historian and modeller, there will be lots to like in this one. * Military Model Scene *Over 400 striking images, each placed in context with a descriptive caption, fill this fascinating compendium… Luftwaffe in Colour will appeal to military historians and lay readers alike, and is a choice pick for public and college library collections. Also highly recommended is the companion volume, "Luftwaffe in Color: The Victory Years 1939-1942. * Midwest Book Review *Together they make an excellent pair, with plenty of reference material, plus a good read to be had in-between. The quality of the pictures in some cases gives the impression that they could have been taken yesterday. * Britmodeller.com *Any photo book stands or falls on the quality of photo reproduction and fortunately here not only is the standard very high but the quality of 90% of the images is very good indeed while each picture is informatively and expertly captioned. Once again, a volume to keep close to hand for reference, to dip into constantly. * Flightpath Magazine *Especially high quality captions with each and every photograph that really add to the value of this book...provides some great diorama ideas. * Armorama *The authors have done an outstanding job. Both volumes are a fantastic addition to your aviation library. The reproduction quality is superb...these two are up there with the best. * War History Online *These books are superb modelling references...If like us you're a sucker for colour WWII photographs these books are superb value. * Air Modeller *This is a superb little book…will particularly appeal to modellers as its photographs tell much more than could be gleaned from black and white imagery. * Britain at War Magazine *Interesting as it groups a large collection of colour pictures of the men and planes of the Luftwaffe. Some are not so well known, and this makes it surely worthy of inclusion to your collection, as a quick reference, a sample of Luftwaffe camouflage colours or a modellers source of inspiration. * Luftwaffe Research Group *A brilliant collection of colour photos of the Luftwaffe in the later years of WWII." Listed in Military History Monthly's round up of the best military history titles for October 2017. * Military History Matters (Book Reviews) *This book is not only a valuable historical took for WWII historians but also essential for modelers who want to make their scale paint schemes as accurate as possible. * Reale Model Review *The photographs in this book make it a very useful reference for both aircraft enthusiasts and modellers, but this usefulness is magnified by the fact that the photos are in colour. Highly recommended. * Scale Military Modelling International Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December, 1941, has been portrayed by historians as a dazzling success, “brilliantly conceived and meticulously planned”. With most historians concentrating on command errors and the story of participants’ experiences, this book presents a detailed evaluation of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on an operational and tactical level.It examines such questions as: Was the strategy underlying the attack sound? Were there flaws in planning or execution? How did Japanese military culture influence the planning? How risky was the attack? What did the Japanese expect to achieve, balanced against what they did achieve? What might have been the results if the attack had not benefited from the mistakes of the American commanders? The book also addresses the body of folklore about the attack, supporting or challenging many contentious issues such as the skill level of the Japanese aircrew, whether midget submarines torpedoed Oklahoma and Arizona, as has been recently claimed, whether the Japanese ever really considered launching a third wave attack, and what the consequences might have been. In addition, the analysis has detected for the first time a body of deceptions that a prominent Japanese participant in the attack placed into the historical record, most likely to conceal his blunders and enhance his reputation. The centrepiece of the book is an analysis using modern Operations Research methods and computer simulations, as well as combat models developed between 1922 and 1946 at the U.S. Naval War College. The analysis puts a new light on the strategy and tactics employed by Yamamoto to open the Pacific War, and a dramatically different appraisal of the effectiveness of the attack on Pearl Harbor.Trade Reviewas an analysis of the raid from the Japanese point of reference it is very intriguing and goes far to display the old axiom “every plan changes (or falls apart) once the enemy is encountered”www.ipmsusa.com, August 2011 * www.ipmsusa.com *Alan D. Zimm has not only mined a treasure trove of primary and secondary sources to produce a detailed analysis of the attack, but also presents much of his findings from not just the US standpoint, but predominately, and most interestingly, approaches the subject matter from the Japanese point of view. * www.globeatwar.com *Alan D. Zimm, in his outstanding new book, presents meticulous analysis estimating that had Short and Kimmel ensured Pearl Harbour’s air defenses were on alert prior to the atttack, the Japanese might have lost as many as 307 of 354 planes - an 88 percent loss rate . * Armchair General *... definitely read Alan Zimm's Attack on Pearl Harbor for a fuller and more up-to-date understanding of an event that changed history and continues to fascinate. * Michigan War Studies Review *An interesting analysis of the strategy and tactics involved. Instead of “the most daring and brilliant naval operations of all time”, Zimm demonstrates that the Japanese carrier strike force did not plan the attack very well, nor did they train effectively for it… an interesting new “look” at this opening gambit in the Pacific Theater of World War II. * The Past in Review *His book is far from a simple retelling of a familiar tale; instead, he has presented an in-depth study of the Japanese’ planning, preparation, and execution of the attack, with particular focus on factors not thoroughly considered by other historians, if at all. * Proceedings *There is no shortage of books about the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, but this one - by an operations analyst, the head of the Aviation Systems and Advanced Concepts Group in the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory - approaches the subject as an analysis of the Japanese operational planning and execution. * Seapower *It is not often that one can say that an outstanding and important book transforms our knowledge of a well-known event, but this can be said of Attack on Pearl Harbor. * Navy News *In a lucid and highly critical examination of the aerial attack plan and the raid, Zimm follows every torpedo and bomb in determining how the principal planners, Commanders Minoru Genda and Mitsuo Fuchida, allocated their resources, what they intended to accomplish on Oahu, and what really occurred. * US Naval Institute’s Naval History Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Ardennes, 1944. Driven back by the Allies since D-Day, Germany launches a surprise offensive on the Western Front. This assault against the unprepared Allied lines is the opening move in one of the largest battles of World War II. This new Campaign Book for Bolt Action allows players to take command of both armies in this desperate battle, fighting it as they believe it should have been fought. New linked scenarios, rules, troop types, and Theater Selectors provide plenty of options for novice and veteran players alike.Table of ContentsIntroduction/ Special Rules/ Scenarios

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisDespite all the thousands of studies of the Holocaust and the rise of Nazi Germany, we still have no satisfactory explanation of why this tragedy occurred in one of the most "civilized" of Western nations. John Weiss's Ideology of Death is the first book to explore the unique nature of German history, showing how it rejected the liberal ideals of the Enlightenment, and to trace the culture of racism and anti-Semitism among powerful elites and ordinary Germans over a long period of German history. In a stunningly lucid narrative, Weiss describes exactly how and why Christian anti-Semitism, in its unique form among German Protestants and Austrian Catholics, reinforced modern secular racism to create an explosive mix. Using the latest research, he details how the Nazis, building on traditional German anti-Semitism, were able to adjust it so as to appeal to a wide variety of social groups–crucial to their electoral success. And he explains the specific complicities of various German groups and institutions in the Holocaust, and why they voluntarily cooperated with the Nazis. In its clarity and compelling argument, Ideology of Death is certain to be one of the most important books for many years to come on the reasons behind the Holocaust.Trade ReviewEffective. * Booklist *Illuminating...deserves a permanent place on bookshelves. * Publishers Weekly *An extremely stimulating and informative work...Weiss has produced a detailed, clearly written account. * Kirkus *For many readers this book can safely take the place of an entire history. -- Raul Hilberg, author of The Destruction of the European JewsTable of ContentsPart 1 Preface vii Part 2 The Christian Legacy 3 Part 3 Luther and the Reformation 20 Part 4 The Enlightenment 36 Part 5 The Liberation of the Jews in France 50 Part 6 The Nationalist Reaction: Germany, 1815-1848 64 Part 7 Anti-Semitism in the Bismarck Era 80 Part 8 The Rise of Populist Anti-Semitism 97 Part 9 Anti-Semitism Among the Elites, 1890-1914 112 Part 10 Anti-Semitism, Academics, and Intellectuals, 1890-1914 128 Part 11 Opposing Anti-Semitism 143 Part 12 Catholic Anti-Semitism in the Austrian Empire 156 Part 13 Racial Nationalism in Austria 173 Part 14 Hitler in Austria 191 Part 15 The Great War and Racism 206 Part 16 The Seedbed: The Postwar Wave of Anti-Semitism 222 Part 17 The Battle for Culture 239 Part 18 Organizing the Nazis, 1924-1930 19 Anti-Semitism and the Nazi Vote 271 Part 20 Hitler and the Elites 288 Part 21 Hitler in Power 306 Part 22 Toward a Racial Empire 317 Part 23 The Ideology of Death 325 Part 24 Complicities 342 Part 25 Resistance, Public Opinion, Knowledge 362 Part 26 Aftermath: Judgment and Innocence 380 Part 27 Notes 399 Part 28 Index 413

Read more less

Book SynopsisKonflikt ''47 is set in a world very much like ours--that is, until 1943. With the development of atomic weapons, the world changed. The testing of a prototype nuclear device by the Manhattan Project opened a rift in the fabric of space. When the Fat Boy atomic bomb was dropped on Dresden in March 1944, it created a second rift. German scientists set to work studying it with far more speed than their U.S. counterparts. Both nations began to receive radio signals through the rifts, though often undecipherable. Soon it became apparent that these signals were messages from unknown originators wanting to help each nation''s war efforts. As the messages were pieced together, discoveries were made that allowed each nation to make huge leaps in industrial and scientific research. Despite repeated pleas and demands from their allies, both the United States and Germany were reluctant to share the messages coming through the rifts. Stalin then declared the United States an enemTable of ContentsIntroduction/ Basic Rules/ Advanced Rules/ Scenarios/ Army Lists/ Quick Reference Sheets

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A TODAY SHOW #ReadWithJenna BOOK CLUB PICK • The unforgettable story of a daredevil female aviator determined to chart her own course in life, at any cost: an “epic trip—through Prohibition and World War II, from Montana to London to present-day Hollywood—and you’ll relish every minute” (People).After being rescued as infants from a sinking ocean liner in 1914, Marian and Jamie Graves are raised by their dissolute uncle in Missoula, Montana. There--after encountering a pair of barnstorming pilots passing through town in beat-up biplanes--Marian commences her lifelong love affair with flight. At fourteen she drops out of school and finds an unexpected and dangerous patron in a wealthy bootlegger who provides a plane and subsidizes her lessons, an arrangement that will haunt her for the rest of her life, even as it allows her to fulfill her destiny: circumnavigating the globe by flying over the North and South Poles.A century later, Hadley Baxter is cast to play Marian in a film that centers on Marian's disappearance in Antarctica. Vibrant, canny, disgusted with the claustrophobia of Hollywood, Hadley is eager to redefine herself after a romantic film franchise has imprisoned her in the grip of cult celebrity. Her immersion into the character of Marian unfolds, thrillingly, alongside Marian's own story, as the two women's fates--and their hunger for self-determination in vastly different geographies and times--collide. Epic and emotional, meticulously researched and gloriously told, Great Circle is a monumental work of art, and a tremendous leap forward for the prodigiously gifted Maggie Shipstead.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"An unforgettable look at genocide as seen by its perpetrators. Johann Niemann's albums document his career from SS man at Grafeneck, burning the bodies of people deemed "unworthy of life," to Deputy Commandant of Sobibor, where he directed the murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews. The photos show him as he wanted to see himself – impeccably groomed, relaxed, and powerful – but the superb interpretative chapters reveal the systemic and colossal brutality of which he was both a product and a proponent."—Doris L. Bergen, Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Professor of Holocaust Studies, University of Toronto; author of War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust"From "Euthanasia" to Sobibor presents an amazingly extensive collection of recently-discovered photographs that had been collected by SS-officer Johann Niemann, whose rose from obscurity to become the Deputy Commandant of Sobibor and was executed in the October 1943 prisoner uprising and breakout. These photographs illustrate a lethal career that saw Niemann serve in four "euthanasia" centers created by the Nazi regime to murder the German handicapped as well as in the death camps of Belzec and Sobibor. Alongside the photographs are chapters that summarize cutting-edge scholarship on a number of relevant topics but especially on the German personnel who staffed these camps and the East European auxiliaries who guarded them."—Christopher R. Browning, Frank Porter Graham Professor of History Emeritus, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill"This remarkable and meticulously researched volume presents one of the most significant private perpetrator photo collections to survive. For unraveling the horrible conundrum of human participation in genocide, the collection is an essential source, both revealing and impenetrable in one."—Mark Roseman, Distinguished Professor of History, Pat M Glazer Chair in Jewish Studies, Indiana UniversityTable of ContentsForeword, by Bildungswerk Stanisław HantzPreface, by Jetje ManheimAcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsMap1. The Niemann Photographs: A Unique Collection from the Holocaust, by Martin Cüppers2. Johann Gerhard Niemann: From Völlen to Sobibor, Part 1, by Karin Graf and Florian RossPhotos from the Niemann Collection, up to 19423. Johann Gerhard Niemann: From Völlen to Sobibor, Part 2, by Karin Graf and Florian RossPhotos from the Niemann collection, from the Period of Operation T44. Realizing the Unthinkable: Operation T4, Operation Reinhard, and their Actors, by Martin Cüppers5. Belzec: The First Operation Reinhard Killing Center, by Florian Ross and Steffen HänschenNiemann's Photos from Belzec6. The Sobibor Death Camp, by Steffen Hänschen, Annett Gerhardt, Andreas Kahrs, Anne Lepper, and Martin CüppersNiemann's photos from Sobibo7. The Trawnikis: Auxiliaries to the Holocaust, by Martin Cüppers8. Reward for Genocide: A Trip to Berlin for Perpetrators from Operation Reinhard, by Martin Cüppers and Steffen HänschenThe Berlin Album and Additional Travel Pictures9. The Revolt at Sobibor and the End of the Death Camp, by Anne Lepper, Andreas Kahrs, Annett Gerhardt, and Steffen Hänschen10. Henriette Niemann: Wife and Mother, Confidante and Profiteer, by Anne Lepper and Martin CüppersHenriette Niemann in the Photo Collection11. Living with the Memory: Meetings with Semion Rozenfeld, by Anne LepperPhotos with Semion Rozenfeld and a Map of Sobibor Drawn by HimAppendix 1: The Brandenburg AlbumAppendix 2: Documents from the Niemann CollectionAppendix 3: Short Biographies of Survivors of the Sobibor CampAppendix 4: Short Biographies of German PerpetratorsSources and BibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe 50-mile wide lagoon of Truk Atoll, far out in the remote expanses of the Pacific, is quite simply the greatest wreck diving location in the world. Scores of virtually intact Japanese WWII wrecks of transport ships, still filled with cargoes of tanks, trucks, artillery, beach mines, shells and aircraft, rest in the crystal-clear waters of the lagoon - along with two Japanese destroyers and one submarine - each today a man-made reef teeming with sea life. The seemingly impregnable fortress islands of Truk Atoll were a powerful air base and the main forward anchorage for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). By 1944, the Allies were pushing westwards across the Pacific islands towards the Japanese homeland. On 4 February 1944, a daring 2,000-mile long-range U.S. reconnaissance flight revealed the Truk lagoon to be full of the might of the Imperial Japanese Navy, along with scores of large supply ships and transports. The Allies decided to attack immediately. Sensing this, the Imperial Japanese Navy scattered, but the merchant ships remained, as crews rushed to offload their war cargoes of aircraft, tanks, artillery, mines and munitions. Other heavily laden supply ships continued to arrive from Japan, unaware of the Allied assault plans. Task Force 58, codename Operation HAILSTONE, was formed for an immediate attack. In total secrecy, nine U.S. aircraft carriers, holding more than 500 combat aircraft, steamed towards Truk - supported by a screen of battleships, cruisers, destroyers and submarines. At dawn on 17 February 1944, an initial fighter sweep of Truk by 72 F6F Hellcat fighters roared in over Truk under Japanese radar - catching the Japanese by complete surprise. The Hellcats immediately began strafing Japanese airfields and soon hundreds of aircraft were involved in one of the largest aerial dogfights of WW II. The F6F Hellcat was by now vastly superior to the Japanese Zero fighter, and the Japanese planes were shot out of the sky within an hour. With air superiority established, U.S dive-bombers and torpedo-bombers spent two days sinking all the large ships trapped in the lagoon. These sunken ships, with their war cargoes, were largely forgotten about until 1969, when Jacques Cousteau located and filmed many of the wrecks. The resulting TV documentary, Lagoon of Lost Ships, went viral. Truk's secret was out - and the beautiful wrecks, untouched since WWII, have proved an irresistible lure for thousands of divers each year since then. New illustrations of most of the previously unillustrated wrecks have now been specially created to make this book the most comprehensive guide to diving Truk Lagoon that has ever been produced.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the winner of the 2023 Wingate Literary Prize comes a fascinating and moving untold story of the Leningrad scientists who risked everything for the future of humanityAn astonishing story brilliantly told... It is as moving as it is gripping to readJonathan Dimbleby, author of Endgame: 1944A gripping, original and important story of courage and science in wartime Roland Philipps, author of A Spy Named OrphanIn the summer of 1941, German troops surrounded the Russian city of Leningrad - now St Petersburg - and began the longest blockade in recorded history. By the most conservative estimates, the siege would claim the lives of three-quarters of a million people. Most died of starvation.At the centre of the embattled city stood a converted palace that housed the greatest living plant library ever amassed - the world''s first seed bank. After attempts to evacuate the collection failed, and as s

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA reissue of Alexander Kluge's kaleidoscopic view of a historically important day and its effects on many people’s lives. April 30, 1945, marked an end of sorts in the Third Reich. The last business day before a national holiday and then a series of transfers of power, April 30 was a day filled with contradictions and bewildering events that would forever define global history. It was on this day that while the Red Army occupied Berlin, Hitler committed suicide in his underground bunker, and, in San Francisco, the United Nations was being founded. Alexander Kluge’s latest book, 30 April 1945, covers this single historic day and unravels its passing hours across the different theaters of the Second World War. Translated by Wieland Hoban, the book delves into the events happening around the world on one fateful day, including the life of a small German town occupied by American forces and the story of two SS officers stranded on the forsaken Kerguelen Islands in the South Indian Sea. Kluge is a master storyteller, and as he unfolds these disparate tales, one unavoidable question surfaces: What is the appropriate reaction to the total upheaval of the status quo? Presented here with an afterword by Reinhard Jirgl, translated by Iain Galbraith, 30 April 1945 is a riveting collection of lives turned upside down by the deadliest war in history. The collective experiences Kluge paints here are jarring, poignant, and imbued with meaning. Seventy years later, we can still see our own reflections on the upheaval of a single day in 1945.Trade Review“Readers familiar with how Hitler committed suicide on the last day of April 1945 will find that story enmeshed here in a dense tangle of plots playing out on the same fateful day. In this fractured polynarrative, gifted novelist Alexander Kluge depicts the travails of the famous (Martin Heiddegger, Ezra Pound, Thomas Mann) and the anonymous (refugees, scavengers, merchants). . . . A compelling translation of a vertiginous descent into a world-shaping cataclysm.” -- Booklist * starred review *“Uncompromisingly experimental and resistant to the shaping power of narrative. Kluge creates from the fragments of history the chronicle of a single day. . . . Interspersed with lyrical interludes by the poet Reinhard Jirgl, Kluge’s episodic tapestry allows the reader to appreciate the diverse responses to the imminent collapse of the Reich. . . . Kluge’s 'mosaic of time' shows the endpoint, but also the blossoming of new beginnings.” * Times Literary Supplement *“Those familiar with this particular date in history might feel as if they already know the story of the day Hitler committed suicide, but Kluge weaves a tale of all the events large and small that occurred concurrently. From the momentous political occasions to small tragedies, the examination of one single day demonstrates compellingly how the effects of war radiate out from the big players.” * World Literature Today *Table of Contents1. Alexander Kluge · Arrival at the Endpoint ‘Galloping Daybreak’ Death in Confusion The Weapon of Disregard The Way to the West The Most Dangerous Weapon of the Second World War En Route Further Westwards What is a Born Fighter? No Securing of Property at the Sudden Dawn of a New Age The Ways of Money A Future Fortune At Least for a Glance On Imagined Roads Undertaking in the Manner of a ‘Scouting Game’, Simply Because There Was Petrol Available A Practice Fight out of Recklessness Aftershocks of Wartime Film Scene in the Park End of an Epoch Processing the Spoils Overcome by the Front One Disaster among Millions No Enemy Was Needed to End the War A Fatal Encounter between Two Jurisdictions An Anti-Bolshevik Prague for One Day Much That Had Been Left Unfinished Was Still Meant to Be Taken Care of The Last Days of ‘Eternal France’ A Provisional Life The Trains East of the Brenner Pass Were Running at Full Tilt Three Russian Offensives in the Eastern Alps and up the Danube ‘But this one is called Ister. It dwells in beauty’ The End of Hostility, Experience at the Vienna Burgtheater A Hotel in No Man’s Land The ‘Black Hand’ of 1914 Would Not Have a Chance against the President of the USA Outrageous Decisions in So Short a Time More Waste than ever Before Deadline Pressure for the Führer Venus Plus Mars in Square Relation to Saturn: The Constellation of Death The Threshold for Violent Killing in a Stone Age Tribe ‘Everyone Approved of the Killing’ How Small a Number of Military Predictions Survived a Quarter-Centry Arrival at the Endpoint On Side Paths He Wished He Could Come Home ‘Guilt, the Oldest Marble’ The Intertwinement of the Spiritual World with the Real A Ghostly Celestial Phenomenon over the Brocken Heiner Müller: The Iron Cross The Last Meteorologist of Pillau 2. Reinhard Jirgl War Births Afterpiece. Lucky Shadow3. Alexander Kluge · in a Different Country The Large-Scale Celestial Events, Neutral towards the Turbulently Changing Fronts on the Ground Judgement at Dawn Metaphor of a Refugee Who Ended up in the Neutral Country Will You Be Emigrating in the Foreseeable Future? A Current Advertisement for Life Insurance Newspaper Report on a Tragic Detail Transfer of Migrant Workers to Their Home Countries through Switzerland A Military Hospital Crosses the Border with Heavily Wounded Patients Free Time The Weekly Film Schedule at Zurich Cinemas The Explosive Device in the Gotthard Tunnel On the ‘Black List’ Background Conversation in 1983 Laconic Reply A Straggler The Grave of Stefan Man4. Reinhard Jirgl The Great March The Smile of a Family Man5. Alexander Kluge · In the Reich Capital Division of the City into Combat Sectors How I Lost My Friend As the Last Poet in the Reich Ministry of Propaganda Skirmishes on the Eve of 30 April at Heerstrasse City Train Station An Unreal Final Connection between 1936 and April 1945 Commemoration of Dead Words Reading Time As a Faithful Eyewitness The Last and Only Action by the New Reich Chancellor in Matters of Foreign Policy Last Connection Everything Went Too Quickly to Process the New Realities Inwardly In the Basements of the Charité Island of Civilization Normally One Pays for Erotic Services; Here One Pays for Lives to Be Saved Education Struggle to the Last He Had Only Got Three of His Students Through to Spandau-West Thirst in the Wasteland News across the International Date Line6. Reinhard Jirgl A Proletarian Clytemnestra7. Alexander Kluge ·In a Small Town In a Small Town Digging for the Dead Loot with No Practical Value Domeyer Garden Centre at Burchardi Green Assigned to Removal Work: From the Large Space to Simple Cultivation Re-enacting Conquest Life in the Rhythm of Haricuts Haircut for the New Times Bartering Early Commercial Flowering, Blown away a Moment Later Gitti and the Captain Wandered along the Shore, holding Hands (‘Several heavens walked beside them’) Transatlantic Door Tufts of Grass View of the Brocken A Day with a Surprise 8. Reinhard Jirgl Uncanny Bridge-Building Early Shift. Scene for an Imaginary Front Theatre.9. Alexander Kluge · On the Globe Immense Redistribution of Military Forces Halfway around the Globe A Stock-Market Leap The System of Certificates Circumnavigation of the Early by Ship Disappointing Arrival in East Asia Robinsonad in the Ice Neutral Ship Fortunate Landing Coup in Argentina In the Seven-Hill City of San Francisco The Genesis of the Veto The Patriot of Lviv ‘What To Do?’ ‘All wheels stand still if your strong arm wills it’ On Folding Beds With Embers That Burn for Over 40 Years In the Eye of the Secret Service A Labour Leader at the Hotel Palace A Senior Comrade Pilloried by the New Generation 10. Reinhard Jirgl After Midnight The Oldest Peace Shadow Figures 1. We all fall down.11. Alexander Kluge · Heidegger at Wildenstein Castle An Enclave of German Spirit From the Attendance List Wildenstein Castle Was No Ship Transients Unoccupiable Territory Crossing to Switzerland The Night March to Neu-Breisach Mineness of Concern The Three Leaves of the Lily Curiosity and the Lust of the Eyes Is It Possible, as Hölderlin Says, to ‘Fall” Upwards? ‘The Aroundness of the Environment’ ‘Man Was Originally Similar to Other Creatures, Namely, Fish’ Announcement on Swiss Radio News on Radio Beromünster at 9:40 a.m. Heidegger on Actuality ‘Primordial Will as Spirit’ The Entertainment Character of Thought The Brothers Grimm and the ‘Small Border Traffic of Fairy Tales’ ‘Fallen Into the Well’ The Temporality of Hope12. Reinhard Jirgl Shadow Figure 2. Into the Light13. Alexander Kluge · I, the Last National Socialist in Kabul I, the Last National Socialist in Kabul A Building Block for the Fourth Reich The Tunnel to Leuthen A Warlike Leftovers Radio Work in the Final Hour Group Photo with Capitulators A Failed Surrender Episode near Eitting: Taken Prisoner along with Their Prisoners Surrender at Unusual Times Bite Inhibition in Wolves Failed Surrender by the Last Followers of Antony and Cleopatra Certain Captivity, an Uncertain Status ‘Whether the governor of a besieged fortress should go out and parley’ ‘I will lay my head on screws until all bridges are blown to pieces’ Handover of a City A Surrender That Was Unprofessional in Form but Successful in Content Life-Saving Message to the Enemy Emergency Supplying of Shaft Mines Knows No Fronts Exhausted as We were At Rest Devastated Youth: Hitler Youth Area Leader Friedrich Grupe Reports Fair Copy Based on the Latin Network of Loyalty The Loyalty Machine Nocturnal Confession Performance of a Play Betrayal of Comrades on All Sides Hatred without Distinction of Person ‘Darkness in the minds if the perpetrators’ The Uncanniness of Props Disloyalty, Sacrificial Death ‘When I see you, I must weep’ ‘I readily trust others’ Awkward Leap ‘Mourir pour Danzing’: Nobody Wants to Die for Gdansk ‘When I look at a head officer, I imagine how he would look headless’ New Use for Old Property14. Alexander Kluge · In Place of a Postscript Photograph Credits Acknowledgements

Read more less