Second World War Books

The battles fought between the Allied armies and the German Wehrmacht at Monte Cassino in 1944 were key episodes in the protracted Italian campaign, and the eventual Allied victory was a decisive step in the wider war to liberate Europe from German occupation. Much has been written about Cassino, but few books have chosen to tell the story through photographs - to give a visual insight into the fighting and the forces involved, the conditions in which they fought, and the landscape around the Monte Cassino abbey which became a battlefield. That is why Jeffrey Plowman's photographic history is of such value. Using almost 200 wartime images, many of which have not been published before, he gives a graphic impression of the realities of the fighting as it was experienced by the troops on the ground. He focuses on the tanks - the array of armoured vehicles deployed by both sides which played a critical role. This aspect of Cassino has rarely been covered in such detail and in such a vivid way. The book will be of special interest to modellers and historians of armoured warfare, but it will also appeal to readers who have a more general interest in the Italian campaign.

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Book SynopsisJonathan Trigg reveals the human agony behind such statistics through the words of the Germans who were there: âYouâll regret this insulting, provocative and thoroughly predatory attack on the Soviet Union! Youâll pay dearly for it!â (Dekanazov, Soviet Ambassador in Berlin). The Germans did. But the butcherâs bill was huge for both sides.Trade Review‘With his soldier’s instincts Trigg has brought the grit, grime and guts of the German experience to life to show just what total war means’ -- Patrick Mercer OBE

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Book SynopsisCaen, a D-Day objective on 6 June 1944, did not fall to the British and Canadian troops of Second Army until 6 August, by which time much of the city had been reduced to rubble. The two-month struggle was a crucial stage in the Normandy campaign and, as Simon Forty demonstrates in this photographic history, one of the most controversial. His detailed, graphic account gives the reader a fascinating insight into the opposing forces, the conditions, the terrain, the equipment and weaponry deployed-and it illustrates just how intense and protracted the fighting was on the ground. The reasons for the slow Allied advance have been hotly disputed. Deficiencies in British and Canadian equipment and tactics have been blamed, as has the tenacity of the German resistance. Ultimately a sequence of Allied operations sapped the defenders' strength, and it is these operations-Perch, Martlet, Epsom, Windsor, Charnwood, Jupiter, Atlantic, Goodwood-that feature strongly in the striking photographs that have been selected for this book. They record in the most dramatic fashion the character of the fighting and show how even the SS divisions and heavy tank battalions were eventually defeated.

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Book SynopsisAllied success in invading Fortress Europe (the area of Continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany) depended on getting armor onto the beaches as fast as possible. This book explains how the Allies developed the specialist tanks it needed, their qualities, deployment and numbers, and how they performed on the two crucial days when France was invaded, firstly in Normandy and then in Provence. The focus of this volume will be on the specialized tanks developed for the Operation Neptune amphibious landings including the Duplex Drive amphibious Sherman tanks used on both the US and British/Canadian beaches. It also covers the specialized engineer tanks called Armoured Funnies of the British 79th Armoured Division and addresses the popular myth that US Army refusal to employ the Armoured Funnies was a principal cause for the high casualties at Omaha Beach. There is also coverage of Operation Overlord's Forgotten D-Day, the amphibious landings of Operation DragoTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION Lessons learned? SPECIALIZED TANKS FOR OVERLORD The CDL Canal Defence Light Night-Fighting Tank The Sherman Duplex Drive Amphibious Tank Deep-Wading Tanks Churchill AVRE AVRE Bridging Devices AVRE Carpet Layers Crab Flail Mine-Clearing Tank Churchill Crocodile Flamethrower Tank T1 Armored Engineer Vehicle M1 Tank-Dozer US Army acquisition of Armoured Funnies TANKS, DOCTRINE, AND ORGANIZATION 21 Gunfire support groups Armored engineer support THE CAMPAIGN 25 Sword Beach Juno Beach Gold Beach Omaha Beach Utah Beach The other D-Day BATTLE ANALYSIS 45 FURTHER READING 47 INDEX 48

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Book SynopsisIn this new study of personal relationships within the British (including Canadian) Command in 21st Army Group during the campaign in North-West Europe in 1944-1945, Malcolm Pill considers the scope and depth of these relationships, ranging from those of the Secretary of State for War to the Corps Commanders. Montgomery is central. His great success in the management of his own multinational team is contrasted with the hostility created and lack of success achieved with those outside his team. Pill explores the importance of his great skill with the written word. The relevance of these personal relationships to the success of Britain’s last major campaign as a great power is assessed as are the post-war consequences for those involved.

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Book SynopsisDuring the final year of World War II, the defending Axis forces were steadily driven from southern skies by burgeoning Anglo-American power. This was despite the steady withdrawal of units to more demanding areas. In this fifth volume of the series the activities of the Allied tactical air forces in support of the armies on the ground – as their opponents were steadily extracted from northern Italy and the Balkans for the final defence of the central European homeland – are described in detail. The book commences with coverage of the final fierce air-sea battles over the Aegean which preceded the advance northwards to Rome and the ill-conceived British attempt to secure the Dodecanese islands following the armistice with Italy. The authors also deal fully and comprehensively with the advance northwards following the occupation of Rome, and the departure of forces to support the invasion of France from the Riviera coast, coupled with the formation of a new Balkan Air Force in eastern Italy to pursue the German armies withdrawing from Yugoslavia and take possession of newly freed Greece. The effect of the creation within the same area of the US and RAF strategic forces to join the Allied Combined Bombing Offensive is discussed. The final volume in the series will be concerned most especially with this latter campaign.

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Book SynopsisAfter the Normandy break-out, the Allies' headlong dash east came to a halt in the autumn with the ill-fated MARKET GARDEN operation and over-extended supply lines short of the Rhineland. After repulsing the Nazis' daring Ardennes offensive, Montgomery's and Bradley's Army Groups cleared the Reichwald and Rhineland and closed on the Rhine. With both sides aware of the strategic significance of this physical barrier the stakes could not have been higher. Eisenhower's plan involved a vast airborne assault by General Ridgway's XV11 Airborne Corps (codename VARSITY) and the simultaneously coordinated river crossing by Monty's 21 Army Group codename PLUNDER with Dempsey's British Second Army and General William H. Simpson's US Ninth Army. This superbly illustrated and researched book describes the March 1945 assault crossing involving naval amphibious craft, the air and artillery bombardment and diversionary attack by the British 1st Commando brigade at Wesel. In concert with VARSITY and PLUNDER, Patton's US Third Army Group crossed further south. As a result of this triumph of strategic planning and tactical execution, the fate of Hitler's Thousand Year Reich' was finally sealed.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating portrait of Reinhard Heydrich, one of the darkest figures of Hitler's elite, featuring words with those who knew him best, including in-depth and rare interviews with his wife, Lina. He was called the 'Hangman of the Gestapo' and the 'Butcher of Prague'. He had a reputation as a ruthlessly efficient killer and was known as an exemplar of Nazi ideals. He was the head of the SS and the Gestapo, second in command to Heinrich Himmler and supposedly in line to succeed the Fuhrer.His orders set in motion the Kristallnacht pogrom of 1938 and he was the lead planner of the Final Solution, which led to the murder of millions of Jews across Nazi-occupied Europe.Hitler called him 'the man with the iron heart'.This incredible biography explores who Reinhard Heydrich was, how he came to be and what led him to do what he did.Using in-depth research, Nancy Dougherty (and, following her death, Christopher Lehman-Haupt), paint a detailed picture of Heydrich as never seen before. Through extensive interviews with those who knew him best, including his wife Lina von Osten Heinrich, we hear about his rarefied musical family origins and ugly-duckling childhood, his failed Naval career and struggles to find employment, and finally his meteoric rise through the Nazi high command and his time within the Third Reich.The Man With the Iron Heart is an astonishing journey into the depths of Nazi evil and a powerful insight into one of humanity's darkest figures.

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Book Synopsis"This book is a masterpiece. It captures the essence of the Tuskegee Airmen's experience from the perspective of one who lived it. The action sequences make me feel I'm back in the cockpit of my P-51C 'Kitten'! If you want to know what it was like fighting German interceptors in European skies while winning equal opportunity at home, be sure to read this book!" —Colonel Charles E. McGee, USAF (ret.) former president, Tuskegee Airmen Inc. “All Americans owe Harry Stewart Jr. and his fellow airmen a huge debt for defending our country during World War II. In addition, they have inspired generations of African American youth to follow their dreams.” —Henry Louis Gates Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University He had to sit in a segregated rail car on the journey to Army basic training in Mississippi in 1943. But two years later, the twenty-year-old African American from New York was at the controls of a P-51, prowling for Luftwaffe aircraft at five thousand feet over the Austrian countryside. By the end of World War II, he had done something that nobody could take away from him: He had become an American hero. This is the remarkable true story of Lt. Col. Harry Stewart Jr., one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen pilots who experienced air combat during World War II. Award-winning aviation writer Philip Handleman recreates the harrowing action and heart-pounding drama of Stewart’s combat missions, including the legendary mission in which Stewart downed three enemy fighters. Soaring to Glory also reveals the cruel injustices Stewart and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen faced during their wartime service and upon return home after the war. Stewart’s heroism was not celebrated as it should have been in postwar America—but now, his boundless courage and determination will never be forgotten.

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Book SynopsisThe events of 1942 marked a pivotal year in the history of British air power. For more than two decades the theory that long-range bombing could win wars had dominated British defence policy. The vast majority of warplanes ordered for the RAF were designed either to bomb enemy cities or stop the enemy from bombing British cites. Conventional armies and the air forces that supported them were seen as an outmoded way of waging war. During 1941 evidence began to mount that British policy was wrong. It had become clear the RAF's bomber offensive against Germany had, until that point, achieved very little. Meanwhile, the wars raging in Europe, Africa and Asia were being decided not by heavy bombers, but by armies and their supporting tactical air forces. Britain had never had the resources to build a large army as well as a strategic bomber fleet; it had always had to make a choice. Now it seemed the country might have made the wrong choice. For the first time since 1918 Britain began thinking seriously about a different way of fighting wars. Was it too late to change? Was a strategic bombing campaign the only option open to Britain? Could the United Kingdom help its Soviet ally more by invading France as Stalin so vehemently demanded? Could this be done in 1942? Looking further ahead, was it time to begin the development of an entirely new generation of warplanes to support the Army? Should the RAF have specialist ground attack aircraft and air superiority fighters? The answers to these questions, which are all explored here by aviation historian Greg Baughen, would help shape the development of British air power for decades to come.Trade Review'An excellently researched and written volume. Baughen covers in great detail the political, industrial and technological aspects of the bomber campaign and its impact in terms of resources and outcomes for land operations, the Atlantic Battle and Coastal Command operations and the Air Defence of Great Britain. There are insights into the minds of key players including Portal, Tedder, Harris, Douglas, Conningham, Leigh-Mallory, Brooke, Eisenhower and Churchill to name just a few. The book stimulates thought on questions such as When does doctrine become dogma? I thoroughly recommend this book to those with an interest not only in the Bomber Offensive but also in the more diverse aspects of war strategy and its conduct' - *Martin Willoughby, Chairman of the Wessex Branch of the Western Front Association* 'This new study (2021) provides a fresh perspective on how a series of crucial decisions were made in the middle of the war. A deeply researched and highly readable study, RAF at the Crossroads is a must read for anyone interested in this central plank of British - and later American - strategy for the war in Europe. Books like this should not be taken in any way as diminishing the bravery of bomber air crew - all too many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice. Nevertheless it is right to ask sceptical questions and consider the many factors in play when these decisions were made.' - *WW2Today, April 2022* 'This is an excellent little book… [It] is going to appeal to all but especially those interested in aviation and the RAF… Certainly a good book for students that want to look at other ways the war could have been won... I really enjoyed the debate and discussion.' - *The History Fella April 2022*

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Book SynopsisWas World War II really the `Good War''? In the years since the declaration of peace in 1945 many myths have sprung up around the conflict in the victorious nations. In this book, Peter Hitchens deconstructs the many fables which have become associated with the narrative of the `Good War''. Whilst not criticising or doubting the need for war against Nazi Germany at some stage, Hitchens does query whether September 1939 was the right moment, or the independence of Poland the right issue. He points out that in the summer of 1939 Britain and France were wholly unprepared for a major European war and that this quickly became apparent in the conflict that ensued. He also rejects the retroactive claim that Britain went to war in 1939 to save the Jewish population of Europe. On the contrary, the beginning and intensification of war made it easier for Germany to begin the policy of mass murder in secret as well as closing most escape routes. In a provocative, but deeply-researched book, HitcheTrade ReviewHitchens devotes much of his indictment to the war at sea, arguing that the Navy had been starved of resources between the wars and was ill-equipped to fight the all-important Battle of the Atlantic against the Nazi U-boat fleet. He regales the reader with touching stories from his days at boarding school, when he and his friends built plastic models of warships. * Standpoint *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Timeline Introduction 1. The British Guarantee to Poland of March 1939 2. Plucky Little Poland 3. Appeasement and Pacifism from Fulham to Bridgwater, or 'The Left Has Its Cake and Eats It' 4. The War We Couldn't Afford 5. America First 6. The Invasion that Never Was 7. In Peril on the Sea 8. Gomorrah 9. Orderly and Humane Conclusion Notes Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisDuring World War II, the United States Marine Corps (USMC) evolved into a powerful multi-division force, playing a central role in the Pacific theater. Among its lesser-known units were the Paramarines and the Raiders. The Paramarines, the Marine parachute troops, were formed in 1942, with the first operational unit taking part in the Guadalcanal and Tulagi battles. Though their only combat jump occurred in southern France with an OSS unit, they saw action as infantry in the Solomons Campaign before being disbanded in 1944. The Raiders, modeled after the British Commandos, were a hard-hitting assault force trained to strike swiftly from any location. The initial group trained in Scotland became the foundation of the 1st and 2nd Raider Battalions. Pioneers in camouflage, they used black-dyed shirts and trousers, sprayed their green uniforms, and crafted helmet covers from burlap and netting. In this book, Jim Moran, a collector and researcher, delves into the uniforms and gear used by these elite units. Illustrated with over 200 photos, including close-ups of surviving items, it offers a detailed guide to their distinctive equipment. Supported by the US Marine Corps Historical Center, this work serves as an essential reference for collectors, historians, and enthusiasts.

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Book SynopsisA New Yorker staff writer, investigates his grandfather, a Nazi Party Chief, in this unflinching, gorgeously written, and deeply moving exploration of morality, family, and war Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of PainThe book we need right now' Atul Gawande, author of Being MortalWhat do we owe the past? How to make peace with a dark family history? Burkhard Bilger hardly knew his grandfather growing up. His parents immigrated to Oklahoma from Germany after World War II, and though his mother was an historian, she rarely talked about her father or what he did during the war. Then one day a packet of letters arrived from Germany, yellowing with age, and a secret history began to unfold.Karl Gönner was a schoolteacher and Nazi party member from the Black Forest. In 1940, he was sent to a village in occupied France and tasked with turning its children into proper Germans. A fervent Nazi when the war began, he grew close to the villagers over the next four years, till he came to thinTrade Review EARLY PRAISE FOR FATHERLAND ‘Fatherland is the book that we need right now. Gripping, gorgeously written, and deeply humane, it’s both a moving personal history and a formidable piece of detective work. Bilger wrestles with one of the essential questions of our time: How can we make peace with our ancestors’ past?’ Atul Gawande, author of Being Mortal ’Burkhard Bilger has long been one of our great storytellers: an acute observer, an intrepid reporter, and a writer of unmatched grace. Now he has brought these gifts to his own family story, rummaging through the past to unearth long-kept secrets and to shed light on the nature of war and complicity. Fatherland is that rare book—a finely etched memoir with the powerful sweep of history’ David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon ‘An important and compelling investigation into one family’s dark and troubling history, grippingly told’ Thomas Harding, author of Hanns and Rudolf ‘Bilger’s atmospheric account probes the complex ethical ambiguities of wartime Alsace and his mother’s harrowing childhood experience of the defeat and devastation of Germany, conveying both narrative strands with a fine moral irony couched in prose that’s both psychologically shrewd and matter-of-fact’ Publishers Weekly, *starred review* ‘[A] powerful investigation of morality…a vivid portrait of [Bilger’s] grandfather and his times [and] a fascinating, deeply researched work of Holocaust-era history… A moving, humane biography’ Kirkus, *starred review*

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Book SynopsisDavid Kenyon Webster left Harvard to join the paratroopers, training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. He could have used the influence of his wealthy family to land a comfortable desk job, but he was determined to do his duty and to see the war from the point of view of an ordinary soldier. He parachuted into Normandy the night before the D-Day landings and later into Holland as part of Operation Market Garden, going on to participate in the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest at the end of the war. After the war Webster worked as a journalist. On 9 September 1961, he went missing while shark fishing off the coast of California. His body was not found. His memoir remained unpublished until Stephen Ambrose discovered it, using it as a key source for his book Band of Brothers and later the series. It was Ambrose's championing of the work that led to its eventual publication.Trade ReviewGutsy, sometimes bemused and sometimes angry … it bites and hangs on * New York Times *[A] first-rate, skillfully written soldier's story * Booklist *Beautifully written and perfectly evokes life and battle in a parachute infantry company * Washinton Post *He understood the ties that bind men in battle have more to do with brotherhood and its obligations than ties to God or country * Kirkus Review *Perfectly pitched ... an authentic witness to the combat experience * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisBerlin was the nerve-centre of Hitler's Germany - the backdrop for the most lavish ceremonies, it was also the venue for Albert Speer's plans to forge a new 'world metropolis' and the scene of the final climactic bid to defeat Nazism.Trade ReviewRoger Moorhouse has a deep knowledge of Wartime Germany... Moorhouse has a nice eye for social detail -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *As a leading historian of modern Germany, Moorhouse has chronicled a largely unknown story with scholarship, narrative verve and, at times, an awful, harrowing immediacy -- Ian Thompson * Sunday Telegraph *Moorhouse's evocative social history of Hitler's capital brings all these aromas together, along with the sights, sounds, thoughts and feelings of the ordinary Germans who lived here -- Keith Lowe * Daily Telegraph *Few books on the war genuinely increase the sum of our collective knowledge of this exhaustively covered period, but this one does... By trawling through the complex, often deeply morally compromised personal stories of many survivors, Moorhouse has produced new insights into the way ordinary Berliners tried to escape the disastrous ill-fortune of living in the belly of the beast -- Andrew Roberts * Financial Times *Roger Moorhouse's measured, sympathetic book offers a fascinating corrective to that Anglocentric perspective... After reading this thorough and engaging book you'll never be able to watch a war film or even a World Cup football match in quite the same way -- James Delingpole * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis''The most moving Holocaust diary published since Anne Frank'' Daily TelegraphFirst they led us to the baths, where they took from us everything we still had. Quite literally there wasn''t even a hair left. I didn''t even recognize my own mother till I heard her voice . . .In 1941, aged 12, Helga Weiss, her mother and father were forced to say goodbye to their home, their relatives and all that they knew, and were interned in the Nazi concentration camp of Terezín. For the next three years, Helga documented her experiences there, and those of her friends and family, in a diary. Then they were sent to Auschwitz, and the diary was left behind, hidden in a wall.Helga was one of a tiny number of Jewish children from Prague to survive the holocaust. After she returned home, she eventually managed to retrieve her diary and completed the journal of her experiences. The result is one of the most vivid first-hand accounts of the Holocaust ever toTrade ReviewThe most moving Holocaust diary published since Anne Frank * Telegraph *A moving testimony to the courage, endurance and painfully premature maturity of the young victims of the Holocaust * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisThe compelling story of the only concentration camp for women by the acclaimed author of A Life in Secrets.Trade ReviewCompelling ... [Helm] has painstakingly sought out many survivors and talked to them herself. The results are devastating ...What one is left with at the end of this momentous book is a sense of the power of human nature, both for good and evil Independent on Sunday A profoundly moving chronicle Observer An epic feat of scholarly investigation Spectator Where Helm's history excels is in her refusal to reduce any of the people in her history to stereotypes. Complexity is respected. She pays attention to the specificities of people's lives, including their religious beliefs, political aspirations and dreams. Even when discussing brutal female guards, Helm avoids demonisation -- Joanna Bourke Telegraph Helm has done us all a great service in this compelling, magisterial volume ... Read this book. Be appalled. Be moved. And be angry that so little action was taken to help, or to remember, until it was nearly too late. Read it, and weep Jewish Chronicle A sense of urgency infuses this history, which comes just in time to gather the testimony of the camp's survivors ... meticulous, unblinking ... [Helm's] book comes not a moment too soon The Economist Splendidly researched and tremendously moving ... Helm's book, based in part on interviews with survivors, is a model of sensitivity and seriousness Sunday Times Sarah Helm's momentous uncovering of Ravensbruck -- Rachel Holmes Guardian A groundbreaking chronicle -- Nicholas Shakespeare Telegraph It not only fills a gap in Holocaust history but it is an utterly compelling read -- Taylor Downing History Today

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Book SynopsisOn 30 July 1945 the USS Indianapolis was steaming through the South Pacific, on her way home having delivered the bomb that was to decimate Hiroshima seven days later, when she was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Of a crew of 1196 men an estimated 300 were killed upon impact; the remaining 900 sailors went into the sea. Undetected for five days, they struggled to stay alive, fighting off sharks, hypothermia and madness. By the time rescue arrived, only 317 men were left alive. Interweaving the stories of some of these survivors (including the ship''s Captain Butler McVay, who would be unjustly court-martialled for the loss of his ship and, twenty years later and tormented by the experience, take his own life), Doug Stanton brings this incredible human drama to life in a narrative that is at once immediate and timeless. The definitive account of a near-forgotten chapter in the history of the last war, In Harm''s Way has become a classic.And, some 72 years laTrade ReviewThe story of the 1945 sinking of the USS Indianapolis ... 1196 men went into the Pacific... their entire ordeal, from the intial fireball to the 1968 suicide of the captian, is spelt out here in vivd, horrific detail. Brilliant stuff. * Later *A thoroughly researched, powerfully written account of a nightmare at sea, one of the most poignant tragedies and injustices of World War II -- Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk DownSuperb...it's the stuff about the men in the sea that'll make you weep. Four days without water, being picked off one by one by sharks...and no-one in the world even realising they are missing. Gripping * FHM *How could a WWII battleship carrying over 1,000 men be torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sink, leaving the survivors to bob in the Pacific Ocean at the mercy of elements and predators, without anyone realizing the loss for more than four days? Stanton not only offers a well-researched chronicle of what is widely regarded as the worst naval disaster in U.S. history, but also vividly renders the combatants' hellish ordeal during the sinking, and the ensuing days at sea as well as attempts to cope with the traumatic aftermath . . . absorbing, novelistic . . . illuminating and emotional without being maudlin * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisEx-RAF officer and researcher for the RAF Escaping Society, Terry Treadwell, tells the incredible tales of some of the lesser known attempts to escape POW camps during the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisA detailed and insightful chronological study of the war, including the decisive encounters, profiles of important political and military figures, as well as the experiences of those who lived through it.

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Book SynopsisEarly Light gathers three tales by Osamu Dazai, author of the wildly popular No Longer HumanTrade Review"I like Dazai a lot." -- Wong Kar-Wai"Dazai offers something permanent and beautiful." -- The New York Times Book Review"It is here that themes explored throughout the series – identity’s abnegation under the weight of art and history, the attendant wish for an alternative that fails to arrive – appear in their most unvarnished form." -- J.W. McCormack - The New Left Review"[An] impressive demonstration of Dazai’s psychological insight." -- Andrew Martin - The New York Times

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Book Synopsis Details on planes like the German Stuka, the American Dauntless, the Japanese Aichi D3A1 Val, the Soviet PE-2, and numerous others Riveting accounts of aerial combat Includes maps, diagrams, tables, and photos For many, it is a dive bomber that conjures the most dramatic, quintessential image of World War II: a screaming German Stuka hurtling toward the ground as part of the frightening blitzkrieg that opened the war. In this illustrated history of Allied and Axis dive bombers, Peter C. Smith traces these formidable aircraft from the earliest experiment, through the planes'' first operation, to their emergence as devastatingly effective tools of aerial warfare in World War II.

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Book SynopsisAlthough the Battle of Arnhem was fought over sixty years ago. It still evokes such interest that it would seem to rank with the great victories of Agincourt, Trafalgar, Waterloo and the Battle of Britain, all of which proved to be turning points in the history of our nation. Arnhem was not a victory, but its outcome may have had results equally vital to the more recent history of the world. To many people the Battle of Arnhem was the Battle of Arnhem Bridge, which has now passed into history as The Bridge Too Far. This is understandable

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Book Synopsis''Touching and heartwarming . . . get those tissues ready'' - Jill Mansell ''A warm and tender tale about the power of books'' - Ruth Hogan As the bombs began to fall, the book club kept their hopes alive...London, 1938. Bookseller Gertie Bingham is facing difficult times, having just lost her beloved husband, Harry, and with a lingering sadness at never having been able to have a child of her own. Struggling to face running the bookshop she and Harry opened together, Gertie is preparing to sell up and move away when she is asked if she would be willing to take in a young Jewish refugee from Germany. Gertie is unsure and when sullen teenager Hedy Fischer arrives, Gertie fears she has nothing left to give the troubled girl. But when the German bombers come and the lights go out over London, Gertie and Hedy realise that joining forces will make them stronger, and that books have the power to bring young and old together and unite a community in need in its darkest hour...Readers adore The Air Raid Book Club:''I loved this . . . a sweet and nourishing ode to books that historical fiction fans will love'' - Kate Thompson ''A charming, uplifting story of resourceful women and the healing power of books'' - Clare Chambers''Tender, touching and utterly heart-warming'' - Sarah Steele''A wonderful story of strong female friendship and found family . . . I absolutely adored it'' - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review''Beautiful and moving in a way that we need right now'' - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review''A beautiful depiction of a community striving to survive together'' - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review''A gentle, heartwarming read'' - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader reviewTrade ReviewA warm and tender tale about the power and healing of friendship and community and the magic of books . . . Annie writes her characters with humanity, humour and respect and their stories will stay with me for a very long time. A wonderful, heart-warming read -- Ruth HoganFull of heart . . . Annie Lyons has cleverly woven the horror and heartbreak of war with the resilience of human nature, the strength of love, and the importance of friends . . . satisfying, funny, uplifting . . . A fabulous story, perfect for fans of Lissa Evans and AJ Pearce. I adored it. -- Kerry BarrettAnnie Lyons has the rare gift of bringing an unfamiliar world alive in such a way that the reader drops right into the heart of the action . . . This is a book to be read and re-read - each time there will be something new to discover . . . a triumph -- Celia AndersonIf you're looking for a warm and nostalgic read, The Air Raid Book Club will definitely be your cup of tea. This story of love, bravery and found family is heart-wrenching and utterly charming. I sobbed my way through the final chapters. -- Fiona LucasThis story of grief, community, friendship and the restorative power of books, is charming, witty and thoroughly absorbing from first page to last. Gertie is the very best of heroines: feisty and compassionate. I adored following her and Lyons' cast of colourfully drawn characters through the desperate landscape of the Second World War to the swooping joy of an ending which left tears rolling down my face. This book is exactly what we need right now to remind us that, with kindness, love and compassion for our fellow man, there is always light beyond the darkness -- Lisa TimoneyI devoured it . . . and was caught up in the world of Gertie and Hedy and the Book Club in WW2, turning the pages to find out more . . . a beautifully written story and a book full of heart. -- Beezy MarshA tender, touching and utterly heart-warming tale, set against the horrors of the Blitz. Readers will adore Gertie and Hedy -- Sarah SteeleA charming, uplifting story of resourceful women and the healing power of books -- Clare Chambers, bestselling author of Small PleasuresImmersive and thought-provoking . . . Through the agony of grief and the darkness of war, Annie weaves persistent hope . . . a triumphant success! -- Laura CarlinI loved this . . . a sweet and nourishing ode to books that historical fiction fans will love -- Kate ThompsonThe Air Raid Book Club is a total gem of a book - it completely swept me away -- Miranda DickinsonI loved The Air Raid Book Club . . . Gertie and Hedy are wonderful characters and their intertwined stories are just so touching and heartwarming. What a beautiful novel this is. And as for that ending . . . get those tissues ready -- Jill Mansell

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Book SynopsisThe campaign for Iwo Jima (Operation Detachment) from 19 February26 March 1945 pitted the USMC Fifth Amphibious Corps (VAC) and the USN's Fifth Fleet against the IJA 109th Division and assorted IJN ground troops under the command of Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi. After neutralizing Japanese air assets on Iwo Jima, the objective was to seize Iwo Jima's two completed airfields in the southern and central sectors and make them operational after the heavy pre- and post-invasion aerial, naval and Marine artillery bombardment. USAAF 7th Fighter Command would then have this Volcano Island as a base from which to escort the four-engine B-29 heavy bombers on their Japanese Home Islands' raids from their Mariana Islands bases and to provide emergency airfields for battle-damaged or low-on-fuel Superfortresses on their return flight that otherwise would have crashed in the sea. The combined American force numbered over 100,000 troops against 20,933 Japanese soldiers and sailors. Kuribayashi's defences were so well fortified with caves, tunnels and daunting terrain that the VAC lost 6,821 KIA and 19,217 wounded compared to approximately 18,000 Japanese troops KIA or MIA with only 216 prisoners taken. In a mopping up' phase to clear the remaining Japanese hidden in the island's caves, the Army's 147th IR, 37th Division captured an additional 867 prisoners. This epic USMC campaign resulted in an unprecedented ratio of three American casualties for every two Japanese soldiers. In all, 2,251 emergency B-29 landings were made saving the lives of almost 25,000 aircrew members. The flagraisings atop Mount Suribachi on 23 February 1945 galvanized American morale at home.

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Book SynopsisHow the Holocaust is depicted and memorialized is key to our understanding of the atrocity and its impact. Through 18 case studies dating from the immediate aftermath of the genocide to the present day, Holocaust Representations in History explores this in detail.Daniel H. Magilow and Lisa Silverman examine film, drama, literature, photography, visual art, television, graphic novels, memorials, and video games as they discuss the major themes and issues that underpin the chronicling of the Holocaust. Each chapter is focused on a critical debate or question in Holocaust history; the case studies range from well-known, commercially successful works about the Holocaust to controversial examples which have drawn accusations of profaning the memory of the genocide. This 2nd edition adds to the mosaic of representation, with new chapters analysing poetry in the wake of the Holocaust and video games from the here and now.This unique volume provides an unmatched survey of key and controTrade ReviewIn engaging prose, Magilow and Silverman show that influential works on the Holocaust were shaped by the historical moment in which they were produced. Their lesson is an important one: what we know of this horrific event is mediated by present concerns and so evolves with time and, once taken to heart, you’ll never read these canonical and controversial texts the same way. * Lisa Leff, Professor of History, American University, USA *This book is an excellent interdisciplinary statement on the narrative challenges of the Holocaust to art, film, literature and memorialisation. A must-use text of close readings for teachers and students alike. * Simone Gigliotti, Senior Lecturer in Holocaust Studies, Royal Holloway University of London, UK *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements Preface to the 2nd Edition Introduction Part I - The 1940s and 1950s 1. The Boy in the Warsaw Ghetto (Photograph, 1943): What do Iconic Photographs tell us about the Holocaust? 2. Nazi Concentration Camps (Documentary Film, 1945): Can the Holocaust be Adequately Represented on Film? 3. Death Fugue (Poem, 1948): What is the Relationship between the Holocaust and Language? 4. Yizker-bukh Chelm (Memorial Book, 1954): How did the Jews Talk about the Holocaust in its Aftermath? 5. The Diary of Anne Frank (Drama, 1955): What is the Americanization of the Holocaust? 6. Night (Memoir, 1958): What Does it Mean to be a Holocaust Survivor? Part II - The 1960s and 1970s 7. Eichmann in Jerusalem (Magazine Reports, 1963): What Roles do Trials Play in how we Remember the Holocaust? 8. The Deputy (Drama, 1963): What Role did the Catholic Church play in the Holocaust? 9. The Night Porter (Film, 1974): What is the Ongoing Appeal of the Holocaust and Nazism? 10. Holocaust: The Story of the Family Weiss (Television, 1978): Do Representations for Mass Audiences Trivialise the Holocaust? Part III - The 1980s and 1990s 11. Shoah (Film, 1985): What is the Role of Witness Testimony in Representations of the Holocaust? 12. Maus (Graphic Novel, 1991): How is the Memory of the Holocaust Transmitted across Generations? 13. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (Museum, 1993): How do Countries outside Germany Commemorate the Holocaust? 14. Fragments: Memories of a Wartime Childhood (Fiction, 1996): What Does it Mean to Lie about the Holocaust? Part IV - The 2000s until Today 15. The Children's Holocaust Memorial and Paper Clip Project (Memorial, 2001): How is the Holocaust Used to Teach about Diversity? 16. Mirroring Evil: Nazi Imagery / Recent Art (Visual Art, 2002): Has the Memory of the Holocaust become too Commercial? 17. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Memorial, 2005): Is there an End to Holocaust Memory? 18. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Video Game, 2017): What role do Games play in Holocaust Representation? Notes Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisNew in paperback - The story of the worldâs largest ever invasion through the voices of the men â and women â who witnessed it first-hand.Trade Review‘Must be read by anyone who wants to understand Hitler’s most disastrous campaign' -- Colonel Richard Kemp, former infantry commander

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Book SynopsisCovers operations by the British multinational 14th Army and also the American-Sino troops of General Stilwell and Chiang Kai-Shek.

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Book SynopsisExplores the events of 7 December 1941, and how the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor affected the US Navy's battleships Bay in 1945.

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Book SynopsisIn the seventh and final book on the Tiger in this series Dennis Oliver examines the first tanks that left the production line to go into service on the Eastern Front in an effort to break the Russian defences around Leningrad.

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Book SynopsisRare graphic contemporary images of Nazi concentration camp conditions on liberation in 1944 and 1945.

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Book SynopsisThe unique story of Dickie Metcalfe, codename BALLOON, a disgraced Army officer who became a WW2 MI5 spy, and later a celebrated motor racing driver.

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Book SynopsisOne Second World War pilot's own account of his part in the Battle of the Atlantic and the campaigns in the Mediterranean and Pacific.

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Book SynopsisCovers the Desert Rats early name-making campaigns, particularly in North Africa.

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Book SynopsisIts been a State secret for more than seventy years. The official line in the UK has always been that it never happened but this new work challenges the assertion that no German force set foot on British soil during the Second World War (the Channel Islands excepted), on active military service.Churchills Last Wartime Secret reveals the remarkable story of a mid-war seaborne enemy raid on an Isle of Wight radar station. It describes the purpose and scope of the attack, the composition of the raiding German force and how it was immediately, and understandably, hushed-up by Winston Churchills wartime administration, in order to safeguard public morale.Circumventing the almost complete lack of official British archival documentation, the author relies on compelling and previously undisclosed first-hand evidence from Germany to underpin the books narrative and claims; thus distinguishing it from other tales of rumoured seaborne enemy assaults on British soil during the 1939-45 conflict.Aft

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Book SynopsisDescribes the horrific ordeal of the officers and men of 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders at the hands of the Japanese.

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Book SynopsisExplores how the RAF went on the offensive following the end of the Battle of Britain.

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Book SynopsisBased on declassified wartime reports, this in-depth dossier details the inner workings of the Organisation Todt which not only built the Autobahns, but also Germany's Siegfried Line and Atlantic Wall.

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Book Synopsis''Stunning. History at its very best: a blend of impeccably researched scholarship, genuinely revelatory primary sources, and a beautifully written narrative'' - James Holland''The sheer brutal intimacy of his descriptions of the fighting are extraordinary'' - Frederick Taylor''A wonderful and important and timely book'' - Alexander Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Bedford Boys and First Wave''An authoritative and unforgettable insight into the decisive days of that most terrible struggle on the banks of the Volga'' - Jonathan Dimbleby''An utterly gripping read'' - James Holland''MacGregor writes with great fluency and narrative drive . . . compellingly terse'' - William Boyd''Magisterial'' - Dan SnowThe sacrifices that enabled the Soviet Union to defeat Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-45 are sacrosanct. The foundation of their eventual victory was laid during theTrade ReviewIn the midst of Moscow's bloody war on Ukraine, with Putin invoking 'glorious victories' of World War II to inspire his country, Iain MacGregor's vivid, dramatic, day-by-day account reminds us that the awful reality of Stalingrad for soldiers on both sides was: 'The lucky ones bled, froze or starved to death in temporary field hospitals in bunkers or cellars.' -- William Taubman, Pulitzer prize-winning authorThe Lighthouse of Stalingrad is the finest of military history, utterly riveting, based on revelatory and superb research, and a heart-rending account of arguably the most impactful battle to defeat Nazism in WW2. A wonderful and important and timely book. -- Alexander Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Bedford Boys and First WaveStunning. History at its very best: a blend of impeccably researched scholarship, genuinely revelatory primary sources, and a beautifully written narrative. The grim brutality of the conditions in which the men of both sides fought - and died - is brought back to life with immense clarity; one can almost smell the smoke and stench of death. Iain MacGregor's superb book is the most compellingly readable account yet written of this iconic, notorious battle. -- James HollandIf you thought you knew all about the Battle of Stalingrad, Iain Macgregor' s gripping account will put you right. Drawing on a remarkable range of diaries, letters and memoirs, many of which have never been published before, he provides an illuminating, authoritative and unforgettable insight into the decisive days of that most terrible struggle on the banks of the Volga. * Jonathan Dimbleby *A very vivid picture . . . Personal testimonies nobody has seen before. A fast-paced, compelling read' * We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast *If you believe there is nothing fresh to be written about the most decisive battle of the Second World War, Iain MacGregor's The Lighthouse of Stalingrad will be something of a revelation. The author has a talent for choosing an iconic location and working out from that to create new insights into a world-historical event . . . he builds on the legend of the 'Pavlov House' (codename 'Lighthouse'), a key building on the northern edge of the narrow strip of territory still held by the Red Army in Stalingrad in the late summer of 1942, whose commanding position allowed the Soviets to hold back, survey and devastate the hitherto all-conquering German forces. It was a turning point. The courageous Soviet sergeant, Jakov Pavlov, whose 'storm group' took and held the building, became a propaganda star for Stalin's regime at a time when the Soviet (and overall Allied) war effort desperately needed one. The often devious story of how the legend was created is fascinating, but equally so is MacGregor's consequent contribution to the Stalingrad narrative. Beginning with this example, he details how the city was taken back, street by street, house by house, room by room, by the Soviet forces, at tremendous cost. The sheer brutal intimacy of his descriptions of this fighting are extraordinary. MacGregor has combed Soviet archives and publications, interviewed family members of Red Army soldiers and senior officers, as well as gaining unique access to previously unpublished German memoirs of the battle. This is a chilling, vivid account that helps to explain not just the Third Reich's defeat at Stalingrad but also the myths that persist in Russia to this day - for better and, most recently, for worse. * Frederick Taylor, bestselling author of Dresden *MacGregor retells [this story] with impressive skill and relish . . . closely researched and enormously engaging * Sunday Times *Closely researched and engagingly written, MacGregor's wonderful book shines important new light on the most horrific, and arguably the most important, battle of the 20th century. It is a story of 'backs to the wall' defence of the Motherland that modern Russians, with the boot now on the other foot, would do well to study. -- Saul David * Telegraph *Meticulous yet action-packed, this will thrill WWII buffs * Publisher's Weekly *An utterly gripping read -- Tom HollandAs well as being . . . a fine narrative history of the titanic battle it is about the complicated relationship between reality, legend and myth in war * Country Life *MacGregor writes with great fluency and narrative drive, and his account of the context to the battle and the complexity of its fraught swings of fortune and misfortune is compellingly terse -- William Boyd * New Statesman *Historian Iain MacGregor brings [Stalingrad's] graphic horror to life through his own storytelling and eyewitness accounts of soldiers on both sides of a conflict during which the dead were left frozen where they had fallen. It is almost as if you are there in the trenches. * i Paper *MacGregor takes us right into the war on and below the ground . . . A gripping and knowledgeable account * Spectator *Magisterial -- Dan SnowA fascinating, well-researched, superbly-organized and well-written account of a complex struggle, within the context of a war of annihilation. It adds a human face to the conflict and conveys the immensity of human suffering involved. -- David M. GlantzThe best and richest book yet written about the battle for Stalingrad and what it means today * Critic *Peeling back the layers of myth surrounding the Battle of Stalingrad is a tall order. In The Lighthouse of Stalingrad Iain MacGregor brilliantly dissects the story of Pavlov's House, the building supposedly defended by a small group of Soviet men against overwhelming odds. * History Today, *Books of the Year 2022* *Carefully researched . . . This valuable addition to the body of work about Stalingrad goes a long way toward righting the balance between myth and reality * Wall Street Journal *A superb evocation: MacGregor strips away the layers of myth - using a powerful array of sources - and takes us to the brutal heart of this pivotal battle -- Mike Jones, author of Stalingrad: How the Red Army Triumphed

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive and dramatic re-telling of the Guadalcanal and Solomons naval campaign the daring Allied offensive to protect Australia and the South Pacific from Japanese invasion.Following the disastrous Java Sea campaign, the Allies went on the offensive in the Pacific in a desperate attempt to halt the Japanese forces that were rampaging across the region. With the conquest of Australia a very real possibility, the stakes were high. Their target: the Japanese-held Solomon Islands, in particular the southern island of Guadalcanal. Hamstrung by arcane pre-war thinking and a bureaucratic mind-set, the US Navy had to adapt on the fly in order to compete with the mighty Imperial Japanese Navy, whose ingenuity and creativity thus far had fostered the creation of its Pacific empire. Starting with the amphibious assault on Savo Island, the campaign turned into an attritional struggle where the evenly matched foes sought to grind out a victory. Following oTable of ContentsI. Now What? – Strategic situation in Summer 1942 II. Learning on the Landing – The Invasion of Guadalcanal III. The Sleeping Watch – The Battle of Savo Island IV. Expensive Bait – Battle of the Eastern Solomons V. I am Aoba – The Battle of Cape Esperance VI. Not Quite Midway – Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands VII. Barfight in the Dark – The First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal VIII. The Reckoning Begins – Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal IX. Just When You Think – Battles of Tassafaronga and Rennell Island X. Cartwheeling – Bismarck Sea, Landings on New Georgia and Vella Lavella XI. Guadalcanal – Minus All the Mistakes XII. Anti-Climax – Isolation of Rabaul

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Book SynopsisA fascinating study of the specialized vehicles, kit and techniques of the Long-Range Desert Group who pioneered long-range desert warfare in World War II and worked closely with the embryonic SAS.The Long Range Desert Group was one of the most famous special units of World War II, operating heavily modified vehicles deep behind enemy lines to gather intelligence and support the raids of David Stirling''s new Special Air Service.When war broke out, a pre-war explorer and army officer, Ralph Bagnold, convinced Middle East Command of the need for a reconnaissance force to penetrate into Italian-held desert. Bagnold tested four types of vehicles over rocks and through soft sand to find the best one for his new unit. He selected the Chevrolet WB (30 CWT) as the signature vehicle of the Long Range Desert Group because it is ''fast, simple and easy to handle''. With left-hand steering, horizontal grill and round fenders on the rear wheels, these trucks proved themseTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION BAGNOLD BLAZES A TRAIL Pirates of the high sea THE LRDG AND THE NORTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN Chevrolet WB (30-cwt) Ford 01 V8 (15-cwt) command/pilot car Ford F8 pick-up and Chevrolet 1311 Ford F30 CMP (30-cwt) Chevrolet 1533X2 30-cwt Willys MB Jeep THE HEAVY SECTION AND THE MACK NR4 The Heavy Section ANCILLARY AND SUPPORT VEHICLES Medical truck Radio truck Bofors and Breda truck TRICKS OF THE TRADE Water condensers Sun compass Sand channels FURTHER READING INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe aerial clashes between the iconic Corsair and Zero-sen translated into a contest of speed and altitude for the former, versus the latter's outstanding agility and range.Whilst the F4U Corsair eventually proved to be a superior fighter in Pacific operations, its introduction into combat in this theatre initially demonstrated its weaknesses. Indeed, the Saint Valentine''s Day Massacre' debacle showcased exemplary Zero-sen fighter tactics, and American losses were of sufficient magnitude that further daylight missions toward Bougainville were discontinued until Allied fighter tactics could be improved. As a result, for the next two months the Corsair's combat results were much subdued. Indeed, the F4U only became a superb fighter when both its pilots and their commanders worked out how to deploy the gull-wing design effectively. Optimum circumstances for effective engagement did not always occur, and the Zero-sen remained effective against the Corsair until February 1944 in theTable of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Design and Development Technical Specifications The Strategic Situation The Combatants Combat Statistics and Analysis Aftermath Further Reading Index To illustrate the unique features of the F4U and A6M5 Model 52 Zero-sen, including armament, cockpit details and basic fighter formations, as well as the location they flew from in-theater. Also included will be an engaging the enemy cockpit artwork and a battlescene spread.

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Book SynopsisThis is the history of how the mighty Gothic Line was defeated by American air power, in one of the most pivotal but least-known air campaigns of World War II.By late 1944, the Italian Campaign was secondary to the campaigns in France, and Allied forces were not strong enough to break the Germans' mighty Gothic Line. These fortifications were supplied by rail through the Alps, with trains arriving hourly and delivering 600,000 tons of supplies a month, enough to keep the German Army going forever. But in the bitter winter of 194445, the mighty Gothic Line would be defeated by American air power in one of the most pivotal but least-known air campaigns of World War II. It would not be a direct assault; instead Operation Bingo would ruthlessly cut the Germans' supply lines and leave them starved. However, it would not be easy. The rail routes were defended by a formidable array of heavy flak, and every raid was expected. Conditions were freezing, and even in electric flyingTrade ReviewIt is well illustrated with photographs from the 57th Bomb Wing archives and the usual high quality Osprey artwork. -- Susan Wilson * Army Rumour Service *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION Germany decides to defend in Italy The Allies invade The battle of attrition General Clark’s mistake The Germans escape to the Gothic Line Operation Strangle “The Bridgebusters” ATTACKER’S CAPABILITIES Air power against the Alps The B-25s in Italy The fighter-bomber war The morale problem in the 57th Bomb Wing Bombing accuracy SHORAN: the system that defeated the weather Fighting the cold An ally: the Italian resistance DEFENDER’S CAPABILITIES Flak, smoke, and fighters Air defense Smoke generation Antiaircraft artillery Weather: a USAAF enemy CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES Endgame in the north of Italy The Gothic Line The failure of Operation Olive Starving the Gothic Line with air power The importance of the Brenner bridges The targets of Operation Bingo THE CAMPAIGN The hard last winter of the war First missions Winter closes in A change of command helps Allied fortunes The hard winter of 1945 The defenses are strengthened The German experience Air combat with the ANR The campaign crescendos The final month The final Allied offensive Victory in Italy AFTERMATH FURTHER READING INDEX

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