New Release Books on WW2 Showing 1,801-1,850 of 3,293

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

One more new book to tantalise those members who may be receiving some book or gift vouchers for Christmas:

Blood in the Forest: The End of the Second World War in the Courland Pocket by Vincent Hunt
Description:
Blood in the Forest tells the brutal story of the forgotten battles of the final months of the Second World War. While the eyes of the world were on Hitler's bunker, more than half a million men fought six cataclysmic battles along a front line of fields and forests in Western Latvia known as the Courland Pocket. Just an hour from the capital Riga, German forces bolstered by Latvian Legionnaires were cut off and trapped with their backs to the Baltic. The only way out was by sea: the only chance of survival to hold back the Red Army. Forced into uniform by Nazi and Soviet occupiers, Latvian fought Latvian - sometimes brother against brother. Hundreds of thousands of men died for little territorial gain in unimaginable slaughter. When the Germans capitulated, thousands of Latvians continued a war against Soviet rule from the forests for years afterwards. An award-winning documentary journalist, the author travels through the modern landscape gathering eye-witness accounts from seventy years before piecing together for the first time in English the stories of those who survived. He meets veterans who fought in the Latvian Legion, former partisans and a refugee who fled the Soviet advance to later become President, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, A survivor of the little-known concentration camp at Popervale and founder of Riga's Jewish Museum, Margers Vestermanis has never spoken about his personal experiences. Here he gives details of the SS new world order planned in Kurzeme, his escape from a death march and subsequent survival in the forests with a Soviet partisan group - and a German deserter. With eyewitness accounts, detailed maps and expert contributions alongside rare newspaper archive, photographs from private collections and extracts from diaries translated into English from Latvian, German and Russian, the author assembles a ghastly picture of death and desperation in a tough, uncomfortable story of a nation both gripped by war and at war with itself.

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Three more added to the TBR. There goes my New Year's Resolution to slow down my book buying and I haven't even made it yet!

[Dimitri]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Blood in the Forest: The End of the Second World War in the Courland Pocket|"
Bring it on, I got zero Courland, the biggest pimple on the Soviet butt in '45.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Mike wrote: "Three more added to the TBR. There goes my New Year's Resolution to slow down my book buying and I haven't even made it yet!"

I've got the same issue Mike :)

[Jerome]

An April 2017 release:

by Steven Casey
Description:
From the North African desert to the bloody stalemate in Italy, from the London blitz to the D-Day beaches, a group of highly courageous and extremely talented American journalists reported the war against Nazi Germany for a grateful audience. Based on a wealth of previously untapped primary sources, War Beat, Europe provides the first comprehensive account of what these reporters witnessed, what they were allowed to publish, and how their reports shaped the home front's perception of some of the most pivotal battles in American history.

In a dramatic and fast-paced narrative, Steven Casey takes readers from the inner councils of government, where Franklin D. Roosevelt and George Marshall held clear views about how much blood and gore Americans could stomach, to the command centers in London, Algiers, Naples, and Paris, where many reporters were stuck with the dreary task of reporting the war by communiqué. At the heart of this book is the epic journey of reporters like Wes Gallagher and Don Whitehead of the Associated Press, Drew Middleton of the New York Times, Bill Stoneman of the Chicago Daily News, and John Thompson of the Chicago Tribune; of columnists like Ernie Pyle and Hal Boyle; and of photographers like Margaret Bourke-White and Robert Capa. These men and women risked their lives on countless occasions to get their dispatches and their images back home. In providing coverage of war in an open society, they also balanced the weighty responsibility of adhering to censorship regulations while working to sell newspapers and maintaining American support for the war.

These reporters were driven by a combination of ambition, patriotism, and belief in the cause. War Beat, Europe shows how they earned their reputation as America's golden generation of journalists and wrote the first draft of World War II history for posterity.

[Derek]

Jerome wrote: "An April 2017 release:

by Steven Casey
Description:
From the North African desert to the b..."

On the same general theme I'd recommend Once There Was a War by John Steinbeck and War Reporter by Bernard Gray. Steinbeck needs no introduction. Gray was a Daily Mirror correspondent who weaseled his way into Danzig at the time of regime change there, was embedded with the British Expeditionary Force in 1940 and flew with a bombing raid against shipping in Norway. Sadly he was lost in 1942, along with the whole crew of the submarine HMS Urge which he was riding in hope of another story. He writes compellingly and comparisons with today's mass-circulation press are too depressing to dwell on.

[Jerome]

A September 2017 release:

by Jeffrey Cox
Description:
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 Soloman 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 on from his hugely successful book Rising Sun, Falling Skies, Jeffrey Cox tells the gripping story the first Allied offensive of the Pacific War, as the Allies sought prevent Japan from cutting off Australia and regaining dominance in the Pacific.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Looks like a book I need for my library, thanks for posting the details Jerome.

[Lee]

Jerome wrote: "A September 2017 release:

by Jeffrey Cox
Description:
... Their target: the Japanese-held Soloman Islands, in particular the southern island of Guadalcanal.

.... 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."

I'd be leery of a book on the South Pacific that cannot spell "Solomon Islands", and thinks that Savo Island was the site of the landings.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I wonder if that's an error on behalf of the publishers blurb since the correct spelling is used on the front cover of the book.

[Charles]

You'd hope so - last thing you want to do is pulp a whole run because someone failed to hit F7 before sending it to the printer...

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I don't think this January 2017 release has been mentioned yet, its bound to interest a few in this group:

His Father's Son: The Life of General Ted Roosevelt, Jr. by Tim Brady
Description:
The story of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., a fortunate son who proved himself on the battlefields of two world wars.

General Omar Bradley said of him, “I have never known a braver man or a more devoted soldier.” But for much of his life, Theodore Roosevelt’s son Ted seemed born to live in his father’s shadow. With the same wide smile, winning charm, and vigorous demeanor, Ted possessed limitless potential, with even the White House within his reach. 

In the First World War, Ted braved gunfire and gas attacks in France to lead his unit into battle. Yet even after returning home a hero, he was unable to meet the expectations of a public that wanted a man just like his father. A diplomat, writer, and man of great adventure, Ted remained frustrated by his lack of success in the world of politics, witnessing instead the rise of his cousin, Franklin, to the office that had once seemed his for the taking.

Then, with World War II looming, Ted reenlisted. In his mid-fifties with a gimpy leg and a heart condition, he was well past his prime, but his insistence to be in the thick of combat proved a vital asset. Paired with the irascible Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr., Ted soon distinguished himself as a front-line general in a campaign that often brought him into conflict with another hard fighter, George Patton. On D-Day, Ted became the oldest soldier and the only general in the Allied forces to storm the beach in the first wave, hobbling across the sand with his cane in one hand and a pistol in the other. His valor and leadership on Utah Beach became the stuff of legends—and earned him the Medal of Honor.

His Father's Son delves into the life of a man as courageous, colorful, and unwavering as any of the Roosevelt clan, and offers up a definitive portrait of one of America’s greatest military heroes.

[Dimitri]

The voice of reason: read what's on the shelf at home in '17.
The voice of thread : buy it, buy it, buy it ! *cheerleaders*

[Marc]

Dimitri wrote: "The voice of reason: read what's on the shelf at home in '17.
The voice of thread : buy it, buy it, buy it ! *cheerleaders*"

Having missed out on a few nice books in my youth, my attitude has been "buy it when you can, as you may never see it again."

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

That's my philosophy as well Marc!

[Marc]

Just found out about this new one last night:

On Wave and Wing: The 100 Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier

I'm "friends" with the author via Facebook and I've read many of his works. Really nice guy and very knowledgeable about naval aviation.

Scheduled release date is 2/27/17.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Thanks for the information on Barrett Tillman's new book Marc.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Here is a May 2017 release that may interest some group members:

Blitzkrieg: From the Ground Up by Niklas Zetterling
Description:
The successes of the German Blitzkrieg in 1939 41 were as surprising as they were swift. Allied decision-makers wanted to discover the secret to German success quickly, even though only partial, incomplete information was available to them. The false conclusions drawn became myths about the Blitzkrieg that have lingered for decades.

It has been argued that German victories in the early part of the war rested less upon newly developed tanks and aircraft and more on German military traditions: rather than creating a new way of war based on new technology, the Germans fitted the new weapons into their existing ideas on warfare. These doctrines focused on independent action, initiative, flexibility, decentralized decision-making and mobility. The conduct of German soldiers, particularly the lower-ranking men, on the battlefield was at the core of the concept and German victories rested upon the quality of the small combat units. This book focuses on the experience of the enlisted men and junior officers in the Blitzkrieg operations in Poland, Norway, Western Europe and Russia. Using accounts previously unpublished in English, military historian Niklas Zetterling explores how they operated, for example how a company commander led his tanks, how a crew worked together inside a tank, and the role of the repair services. The author fits these narratives into a broader perspective to give the reader a better understanding of why the Germans were so successful in 1939-41.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

An April 2017 release on a very interesting battle in Burma which is bound to be of some interest to a few group members:

Triumph at Imphal-Kohima: How the Indian Army Finally Stopped the Japanese Juggernaut by Raymond Callahan
Description:
In the spring of 1944, on the eastern front of India near the Burmese border, the seemingly unstoppable Imperial Japanese Army suffered the worst defeat in its history at the hands of Lieutenant General William Slim's British XIV Army, most of whose units were drawn from the little-esteemed Indian Army. Triumph at Imphal-Kohima tells the largely unknown story of how an army that Winston Churchill had once dismissed as "a welter of lassitude and inefficiency" came to achieve such an unlikely, unprecedented, and critical victory for the Allied forces in World War II

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Here is a February 2017 release on a Russian Marshal of WW2 fame:

Marshal Malinovskii: Hero of the Soviet Union by Boris Sokolov
Description:
The prolific writer Boris Sokolov - author of biographies of Georgii Zhukov and others - returns with a new book on Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovskii (1898-1967): a Marshal of the Soviet Union and former Defence Minister, who like so many of those who made their name during the Great Patriotic War, joined the Tsarist Army at the outbreak of the First World War. Unlike the others, however, his service took him to France as a member of the Russian Legion - a move designed to show Russia s support for its French ally in the struggle against the Germans on the Western Front. Despite the Bolshevik coup and Soviet Russia s withdrawal from the war, Malinovskii elected to remain in France and serve with the French Army until the Armistice - after which he made his way back to Russia, where he joined the Red Army in the waning days of the Civil War. The young Malinovskii chose to remain in the army and rose steadily through its ranks. He was later sent to Spain as a Military Advisor to the Spanish Republic during that country s Civil War. This fortuitous posting not only allowed Malinovskii to gain valuable combat experience, but also kept him out of the country at a time when Stalin s military purge was gutting the Armed Forces. However, it is Malinovskii's service during the Great Patriotic War that constitutes the heart of this book. Sokolov traces his subject s rise from corps to army commander, and finally to the command of various fronts. During 1943-1944 the forces under Malinovskii s command played a major role in expelling the Germans from the Donets Basin, Southern Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Austria and Czechoslovakia. Following the defeat of Germany, Malinovskii was assigned to command the Main Front in the brief war against Japan and remained as Commander-in-Chief of Soviet forces in the Far East for several years. He was summoned back to Moscow as Deputy Defence Minister and later took an active part in the removal of his boss, Georgii Zhukov, whom he replaced in 1957. It was under his decade-long tenure that the Soviet Armed Forces made the transition to a truly modern force - and changed the country's status from that of a regional power to superpower.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I have started collecting the series of books produced by the Soviet General Staff and published by Helion & Company (UK) in cooperation with the Association of the United States Army. So far I have four volumes, with another two on the way (Moscow 1941-42 and Kursk). These are the next two volumes due for release in the next few months:

The Budapest Operation: An Operational-Strategic Study by Richard Harrison

The Iasi Kishinev Operation, 20-29 August 1944: The Red Army's Summer Offensive Into the Balkans by Richard Harrison

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Here is a June 2017 release that may interest a few of the group members:

Old Hickory: The American 30th Infantry Division in World War II by Robert W Baumer
Description:
The best U.S. division at war, from Normandy to the Bulge and beyond The 30th Infantry Division, drawn from the hill country of Tennessee and the Carolinas, was regarded during World War II as the cream of the crop of U.S. fighting units. The Germans agreed, calling the division Roosevelt s SS for its tenacity and skill. The 30th fought in Normandy, along the Siegfried Line (where it conducted the perfect infantry attack ), at the Battle of the Bulge, and in the final operations inside Germany. Baumer relies on primary sources to tell the story of this remarkable unit and its men in what is sure to become a classic World War II division history.

[Dimitri]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Here are two new releases that I am sure quite a few members in this group will be interested in, I am!
From Victory to Stalemate: The Western Front, Summer 1944 Decisive and Indecisive Military Operations, Volume 1: "

of note: it's not a campaign narrative but focusses on the (wrong) decisions by American commanders on a level that requires good prior knowledge.

https://www.strategypage.com/bookrevi...

I suppose most of us got that prior knowledge covered concerning the 44-45 EOT ...but sounds a bit like Battle For The Rhine 1944byRobin Neillands.

[Jerome]

An August release:

by Stephan Janzyk
Description:
While the fledgling German paratroop operations in Belgium and the Netherlands in 1940, and on Crete in 1941, attracted worldwide attention, what is not as well known is that the use of paratroopers was planned for the invasion of Poland in 1939, in an act that began the Second World War. This has given rise to the myth that Adolf Hitler wanted to keep this new, and hitherto little-known, branch of the armed services secret for future projects. However, on several occasions the men of Parachute Regiment 1 were sat ready in their Ju52 transport planes, fully equipped and ready to go. Operation Fall Weiss describes the role of the German paratroopers in the Polish campaign, using war diaries, maps, contemporary documents and photographs, including those from various private collections around the world.

[Jerome]

An April 2017 release:

by Martin Williams
Description:
In May 1944, 40,000 Polish soldiers attacked and captured the hilltops of Monte Cassino, bringing to a close the largest, bloodiest battle fought by the western Allies in the Second World War. Days later the Allied armies marched into Rome seizing the first Axis capital. No-one in 1939 could have foreseen an entire Polish Corps engaged on the Italian Front. Most had been held prisoner in the USSR following Polands defeat and their release by Stalin was only achieved through the intense negotiations of British and Polish politicians generals, notably Sikorski and Anders,. The Polish Army was evacuated to Iran in 1942 and subsequently incorporated into the British Army as the Polish II Corps. Their ultimate post-war fate was shamefully ignored until too late. This book, which charts the extraordinary wartime story of the exiled Polish Army in the east, makes extensive use of undiscovered archive material. It reveals in depth the relations between the British and Polish General Staffs and the never ending hardships of the Polish soldiers.

[Dimitri]

This will be indispensable in combination with Anders' memoir An Army in Exile .

[Tony]

This got a good review in today's Times newspaper:

by Laurence Rees

Description
This book answers two fundamental questions about the Holocaust. How, and why, did it happen?

Laurence Rees' masterpiece is revealing in three ways. First, it is based not only on the latest academic research, but also on 25 years of interviewing survivors and perpetrators, often at the sites of the events, many of whom have never had their words published before. Second, the book is not just about the Jews - the Nazis would have murdered many more non-Jews had they won the war - and not just about Germans. Third, as Rees shows, there was no single 'decision' to start the Holocaust - there was a series of escalations, most often when the Nazi leadership interacted with their grassroots supporters.

Through a chronological narrative, featuring the latest historical research and compelling eyewitness testimony, this is the story of the worst crime in history.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I usually enjoy Laurence Rees' books so I will have to really consider grabbing a copy of this book, thanks for posting the details Tony.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Tony wrote: "This got a good review in today's Times newspaper:

by Laurence Rees

Description
This book answers two fundamental questions about ..."

I read the review yesterday Tony and am now arguing with myself to buy or not buy. With Rees' pedigree I think buy will win.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I'm with you Geevee :)

[Charles]

One website to keep an eye on perhaps is the Osprey forthcoming releases site. A tip for getting freebies - they are active on Net Galley, so if you're OK with reading an electronic copy (sadly they don't do Kindle), then you can get review copies through there.

[Tony]

Geevee wrote: "I read the review yesterday Tony and am now arguing with myself to buy or not buy. With Rees' pedigree I think buy will win."

I want to read a single volume history of the holocaust. At the moment I'm torn between this, Saul Friedlander or David Cesarani.

So many books...

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I feel your pain Tony :)

[Dimitri]

In order of brickishness i'd say Rees, Cesarani & Friedlander :p

[Tony]

Dimitri wrote: "In order of brickishness i'd say Rees, Cesarani & Friedlander :p"

I usually enjoy losing myself in a "brick".... but for this topic something slightly more concise might be better.

[KOMET]

Keenly looking forward to the publication of this book (November 21, 2017) ~



Jagdgeschwader 1 'Oesau' Aces 1939-45


SUMMARY
"Formed shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, and equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109Es, Jagdgeschwader 1 was initally tasked to defend the regional North Sea and Baltic coastal areas and the Germany's main port cities and naval bases. The greatest task for JG 1 though came after 1942 in its defence of the Reich against the US Eighth Air Force's B-17s and B-24s, bearing the brunt of defence against increasingly regular, larger and deep penetrating USAAF daylight bomber raids with fighter escort. Levels of attrition subsequently grew, but so did experience among the leading aces, who were often the subject of propaganda films and literature.

"Many of Germany's most famous Second World War aces flew with JG 1 including Herbert Ihlefeld (132 victories), Heinz Bar (220) and Hermann Graf (212), piloting Bf 109Es, Fw 190s and the Heinkel 162 jet fighter. Packed with photographs and profile artwork and revealing first-hand accounts, this is the compelling story of the Luftwaffe fighter pilots who battled to defend the skies of Germany."

[Marc]

I received a catalog from Schiffer Publishing in the mail today--first time I've ever received one of their catalogs. I have a love/hate relationship with Schiffer since they have some of the most abysmal proofreading of any large publisher I've ever seen, but they publish books that I really want to buy! Damn conundrums!

Anyway, here are a few books they're publishing later this year (sorry there are no bookcovers yet):

An Artist at War: The WWII Memories of Stars & Stripes Artist Ed Vebell - Due in June

Leo Wilm's Memories of the Waffen-SS: An SS-Heimwehr Danzig, SS-Totenkopf-Division, and 9. SS-Panzer-Division "Hohenstaufen" Veteran Remembers - Due in May

Albert Schwenn's Memories of the Waffen-SS: An SS Cavalry Division Veteran Remembers - Due in May

The 6th Waffen-SS Gebirgs (Mountain) Division "Nord": An Illustrated History - Due in July

The 8th Waffen-SS Cavalry Division "Florian Geyer": An Illustrated History - Due in August

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Totally agree with your Marc about Schiffer. I have a number of their books, some are pretty good but I lost a lot of faith with them over this book:

Tiger Ace the Life Story of Panzer Commander Michael Wittmann by Gary L. Simpson

[Marc]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Totally agree with your Marc about Schiffer. I have a number of their books, some are pretty good but I lost a lot of faith with them over this book:

[bookcover:Tiger Ace the Life Story of Panzer ..."

Oh geez, what an enormous piece of crap that book is. My review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Michal]

nice review Marc haha thanks for the TBR "flood" :-)

[Marc]

Michal wrote: "nice review Marc haha thanks for the TBR "flood" :-)"

Thanks. Apparently, Rick and I are the only ones who have taken the time to review it and we both came to the same conclusion!

Oh, and you're welcome on adding a few more titles to your TBR List!

[Charles]

Marc wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Totally agree with your Marc about Schiffer. I have a number of their books, some are pretty good but I lost a lot of faith with them over this book:

[bookcover:Tiger Ace the..."

Blimey - strong words there!

[Dimitri]

Tony wrote: "Dimitri wrote: "In order of brickishness i'd say Rees, Cesarani & Friedlander :p"

I usually enjoy losing myself in a "brick".... but for this topic something slightly more concise might be better."

Leafed through Rees at the store. His usual easy style with lots of eyewitnesses. And haha the photo section: Wehrmacht soldiers taking a pig on a leash for a stroll - he used that same picture in War of the Century: When Hitler Fought Stalin in the 90s. What are they doing in a Holocaust book ?

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

This April 2017 release may interest some group members:


Stilwell and Mountbatten in Burma: Allies at War, 1943-1944 by Jonathan Templin Ritter
Description:
Stilwell and Mountbatten in Burma explores the relationship between American General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell and British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten in the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI) and the South East Asia Command (SEAC) between October 1943 and October 1944, within the wider context of Anglo-American relations during World War II. Using original material from both British and American archives, Jonathan Templin Ritter discusses the military, political, and diplomatic aspects of Anglo-American cooperation, the personalities involved, and where British and American policies both converged and diverged over Southeast Asia. Although much has been written about CBI, Stilwell and China, and Mountbatten, no published comparison study has focused on the relationship between the two men during the twelve-month period in which their careers overlapped. This book bridges the gap in the literature between Mountbatten's earlier naval career and his later role as the last Viceroy of British India. It also presents original archival material that explains why Stilwell was so anti-British, including his 1935 memorandum titled "The British," and his original margin notes to Mountbatten's farewell letter to him in 1944. Finally, it presents other original archival material that refutes previous books that have accused Stilwell of needlessly sacrificing the lives of his men during the 1944 North Burma Campaign, merely out of hatred for the British.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

One more new title to consider for those who enjoy accounts of WW2 snipers or the Eastern Front:

Eastern Front Sniper: The Life of Matth Us Hetzenauer by Roland Kaltenegger
Description:
Eastern Front Sniper is a long overdue and comprehensive biography of one of World War II’s most accomplished snipers.

Mathäus Hetzenauer, the son of a Tyrolean peasant family, was born in December 1924. He was drafted into the Mountain Reserve Battalian 140 at the age of 18 but discharged five month’s later.

He received a new draft notice in January 1943 for a post in the Styrian Truppenübungsplatz Seetal Alps where he met some of the best German snipers and learned his art.

Hetzenauer went on to fight in Romania, Eastern Hungary and in Slovakia. As recognition for his more than 300 confirmed kills he was awarded on the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on April 17, 1945.

After nearly five years of Soviet captivity Mathäus Hetzenauer returned to Austria on January 10, 1950. He lived in the Tyrol's Brixen Valley until his death on 3 October of 2004.

[Dimitri]

Including but not limited to the World Wars or Napoleon (whose membership we share):

The Allure of Battle: How Wars are Won and Lost by Cathal Nolan

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Should make for interesting reading, thanks for posting the details Dimitri.

[Jerome]

A July release:

by Bruce Henderson
Description:
Joining the ranks of Unbroken, Band of Brothers, and Boys in the Boat, the little-known saga of young German Jews, dubbed The Ritchie Boys, who fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s, came of age in America, and returned to Europe at enormous personal risk as members of the U.S. Army to play a key role in the Allied victory.

In 1942, the U.S. Army unleashed one of its greatest secret weapons in the battle to defeat Adolf Hitler: training nearly 2,000 German-born Jews in special interrogation techniques and making use of their mastery of the German language, history, and customs. Known as the Ritchie Boys, they were sent in small, elite teams to join every major combat unit in Europe, where they interrogated German POWs and gathered crucial intelligence that saved American lives and helped win the war.

Though they knew what the Nazis would do to them if they were captured, the Ritchie Boys eagerly joined the fight to defeat Hitler. As they did, many of them did not know the fates of their own families left behind in occupied Europe. Taking part in every major campaign in Europe, they collected key tactical intelligence on enemy strength, troop and armored movements, and defensive positions. A postwar Army report found that more than sixty percent of the credible intelligence gathered in Europe came from the Ritchie Boys.

Bruce Henderson draws on personal interviews with many surviving veterans and extensive archival research to bring this never-before-told chapter of the Second World War to light. Sons and Soldiers traces their stories from childhood and their escapes from Nazi Germany, through their feats and sacrifices during the war, to their desperate attempts to find their missing loved ones in war-torn Europe. Sons and Soldiers is an epic story of heroism, courage, and patriotism that will not soon be forgotten.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thanks Jerome, another interesting title.

[zed]

"Joining the ranks of Unbroken, Band of Brothers," I hope not lol!