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New Release Books on WW2
A November 21, 2024 release ---Wilde Sau Nightfighters by Martin Streetly
An illustrated exploration of the development, technology and operations of Wilde Sau fighters in the night skies over Germany during the Defence of the Reich.[Reichsverteidigung].
In July 1943, the Nachtjagdverband's defence of Germany from the RAF's increasingly effective night bombing campaign was nearly brought to a standstill. 'Window' – strips of paper with aluminium foil covering one side – had been introduced, dropped by bombers to jam German radar.
Fortunately for the Luftwaffe, the Wilde Sau [wild boar] concept of defending point targets using single-engined fighters was already in existence, and would become the cornerstone of the night defence of Germany during the summer and autumn of 1943.
In this new study, Martin Streetly details the origins, tactics and implementation of Wilde Sau, exploring its successes and failures through the experiences of pilots who flew Bf 109s, Fw 190s and Me 262s into combat against Lancaster and Halifax heavy bombers. First-hand accounts of Wilde Sau missions are brought to life through archival photographs and newly commissioned artworks of some of the most iconic German fighters of World War II.
Jerome wrote: "A June release:
by Jonathan DimblebyDescription:
The year 1944 was the turning point of World War Two, an..."
Yep, that will be on my list to buy, thanks for the details, Jerome!
A July release:
by Patrick BishopDescription:
When the Germans marched in and the lamps went out in the City of Light the millions who loved Paris mourned. Liberation, four years later, triggered an explosion of joy and relief. It was the party of the century and everybody who was anybody was there. General Charles de Gaulle seized the moment to create an instant legend that would take its place alongside the great moments in French history. After years of oppression and humiliation Parisians had risen to reclaim their city and drive out the forces of darkness – or so the story went.
This fresh new account of the liberation, packed with revelation, tells the story of those heady days of suspense, danger, exhilaration – and vengeance – through the eyes of a range of participants, reflecting all sides of the conflict: Americans, French and Germans; resisters and collaborators. Among them are famous names like Ernest Hemingway, J.D. Salinger and Pablo Picasso, but also some fascinating unknowns including a medic turned Resistance gunwoman, an androgynous Hungarian sculptor and a French bluestocking who quietly set about saving the nation’s art treasures from the Nazi looters.
Paris ’44 looks behind the mythology to tell the real story of the liberation and expose the conflicts and contradictions of France under the occupation – the shame as well as the glory. This gripping war-time narrative will enthral anyone who has a place for Paris in their hearts.
Abandoned Places of World War II by Michael Kerrigan (no book cover on GR)An April 2024 release.
Description
A rusting anti-aircraft fort in the North Sea. A German submarine base in France. A Flak tower in a Viennese park—more than 70 years after the end of World War II, its legacy can still be seen from Europe to Japan. Abandoned Places of World War II explores more than 100 bunkers, pillboxes, submarine bases, forts and gun emplacements from the North Sea to Okinawa. Included are defensive structures, such as the Maginot Line on France’s eastern border with Germany, Germany’s own western and eastern border defences, and the Atlantic Wall, the German-built bunkers and pillboxes on the coast from Denmark down to Brittany. The book also includes both Hitler’s and Himmler’s Eastern Front bunkers in Poland. But beyond the military installations, the book explores the ruins of concentration camps, the empty village of Oradour-Sur-Glane, Hitler’s mountain retreat at Berchtesgaden and the dilapidated Nazi party rally grounds in Nuremberg, among other non-military places. With 150 outstanding color photographs, Abandoned Places of World War II is a brilliant pictorial examination of both the military and non-military legacy of the conflict.
Italian Fighters 1939-45 Volume One Macchi by Luigino CaliaroCrécy Publishing just released this book on the famous Italian fighters - it can be ordered on their website and soon from other online stores.
Publisher's description:
In this thoroughly researched, detailed and exhaustive study, aviation historian Luigino Caliaro tells the story of the three main fighters to serve in World War II produced by the Varese-based Aeronautica Macchi. The C.200 Saetta (Lightning) was conceived in 1935 by Ing. Mario Castoldi as a short-range interceptor powered by a Fiat A.74 R.C.38 14-cylinder radial engine and armed with twin 12.7 mm machine guns. By war’s end some 1,150 examples had been built. The C.202 Folgore (Thunderbolt) incorporated the German Daimler-Benz 601A in-line engine licensed-built by Alfa Romeo.
Finally, the C.205 Veltro (Greyhound) was powered by the more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 605. The internationally renowned British test pilot, Captain Eric Brown, told the author that the C.205 was ‘was a superb fighter, with a beautiful line and good armament… In my opinion its flying performance was totally comparable with the Spitfire.’
Drawing on company and military archive reports, the author traces the origins of Aeronautica Macchi before examining the design and development of each type, as well as, in each case, production, prototypes and technical aspects. Also covered in this profusely illustrated volume are details of the operational variants and project designs, along with a detailed narrative covering the history of each aircraft in service with the Regia Aeronautica, the Aviazione Nazionale Repubblicana, the Luftwaffe and Croatian Air Legion. Additionally, post-war service with the Aeronautica Militare and the Royal Egyptian Air Force is explored, as well as camouflage, markings, heraldry and insignia.
With hundreds of photographs, drawings and colour artwork, this book forms the most comprehensive and informative account of this trio of aircraft in the English language.
A September release:
by Oleg Beydadescription:
The Bolshevik takeover of Russia created an alternative Russia in exile which never laid down its arms. For two decades, expunged White Russians sought ways to retaliate against the Soviet Union and return home. Their irreconcilability was galvanized by a superstructure, the dominant military organization, the Russian All-Military Union (ROVS). Eventually, militant anti-Bolshevism led the exiled Russians into alliance with Nazi Germany, despite the latter’s anti-Slavic stance.
For Russia with Hitler tells the story of how thousands of White Russian émigrés joined the German invasion of the Soviet Union as soldiers, translators, and civilian workers. Oleg Beyda investigates and contextualizes émigré collaboration with National Socialist Germany, explaining how it was possible for Russians to fight against the Russians. The book reveals that the exiles, although united ideologically by Russian nationalism in a general sense, did not establish one single, clear-cut political solution for a future “liberated Russia.” Drawing on wide archival material, For Russia with Hitler details the background and ideological framework of the émigrés, how they rationalized their support for Nazism, and what they did on the Eastern Front, including their reactions to life in occupation, war crimes, and the Holocaust.
Two interesting books, thanks Andre and Jerome for posting those details.
Here is an interesting new release...
Dipanjan wrote: "Here is an interesting new release..."
As I recall from my readings, the Japanese Imperial Navy did launch an attack on a British naval base in Ceylon in May 1942. And a couple of years later, the Japanese Army did launch an invasion of India, which led to the Battle of Imphal. At both Imphal and Kohima, the Japanese were soundly defeated by British and Empire forces.
Dipanjan wrote: "Here is an interesting new release..."
Sounds like another pretty interesting book, thanks Dipanjan.
Two April releases which might interest some members:
The Spray and Pray Squadron: 3rd Bomb Squadron, 1st Bomb Group, Chinese-American Composite Wing in World War IIThis book chronicles exploits of the 3rd Bomb Squadron of Maj. Gen. Claire Chennault's experimental Chinese-American Composite Wing, in which young men from two nations of different languages, customs, and cultures joined forces to fight a common enemy. At the end of the world's longest supply line and often limited by shortages that included gasoline and bombs necessary for missions, as well as often-foul weather, they went on to establish an impressive record of successful combat operations. This squadron history reveals details of their B-25 bombing and strafing raids against vital enemy targets—primarily along conduits used to transport supplies and troops—as well as of daily activities that provide an intimate glimpse behind the scenes. Narratives from official records complemented by letters home, personal diaries, interviews, and more than 200 never-before-published photographs make this a must-read for anyone seeking to understand one of WWII's most distinctive military organizations.
South Pacific Air War: The Role of Airpower in the New Guinea and Solomon Island Campaigns, January 1943 to February 1944In 1943 the Allies chipped away at the defensive outer barrier of the Japanese Pacific empire, particularly in the Solomon Islands. US Marine and Army infantry trudged through bloody jungle fighting on remote South Pacific islands such as Guadalcanal, New Georgia, and Bougainville. The US Navy waged war on Japanese shipping, seeking to prevent reinforcement and resupply for the battered Japanese ground forces. Particularly celebrated are the tiny PT boats, such as John F. Kennedy’s PT-109 , which charged destroyers head on. In this work, author Richard Dunn adds a third dimension to the history of the New Guinea and Solomon Islands campaigns by detailing the pivotal role of airpower. Dunn has formulated his narrative by studying and comparing Allied and Japanese reports, many of which reside in his personal collection.
Two interesting books there Marc, thanks for providing those details!
Giles Milton has a new book due out in a few months time; "The Stalin Affair: The Allies' Secret Mission to Wartime Moscow".
The Stalin Affair: The Allies' Secret Mission to Wartime Moscow by Giles MiltonDescription:
In the summer of 1941, as Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, Stalin's forces faced a catastrophic defeat which would make the Allies' liberation of Europe virtually impossible. To avert this disaster, Britain and America mobilized an elite team of remarkable diplomats with the mission of keeping the Red Army in the war.
Into to the heart of Stalin's Moscow Roosevelt sent Averell Harriman, the fourth richest man in America and his brilliant young daughter Kathy. Churchill dispatched the reckless but brilliant bon vivant Archie Clark Kerr - and occasionally himself - to negotiate with the Kremlin's wiliest operators. Together, this improbable group grappled with the ingenious, mercurial Stalin to make victory possible. But they also discovered that the Soviet dictator had a terrifying masterplan for the post-war world.
Based on astonishing unpublished diaries, letters and secret reports, The Stalin Affair reveals troves of new material about the most unlikely coalition in history.
Simon wrote: "Now that looks interesting !"Giles Milton is usually a fairly dependable author.
This is a new release from India by an Indian author.
Dipanjan wrote: "This is a new release from India by an Indian author."
That looks interesting, Dipanjan. I've read a couple books on Imphal and Kohima, but not from an Indian perspective.
A new book coming out on a different aspect of D-Day; "Normandy: the Sailors' Story: A Naval History of D-Day and the Battle for France" by Nick Hewitt.
Normandy: the Sailors' Story: A Naval History of D-Day and the Battle for France by Nick HewittDescription:
The first account of the Allied navies' vital contribution to the success of the D-Day landings and the Normandy campaign
The Allied liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe is one of the most widely recognised events of modern history. The assault phase, Operation Neptune, began with the D-Day landings in Normandy―one of the most complex amphibious operations in history, involving 7,000 ships and nearly 200,000 men. But despite this immense effort, the wider naval campaign has been broadly forgotten.
Nick Hewitt draws on fascinating new material to describe the violent sea battle which mirrored the fighting on land, and the complex campaign at sea which enabled the Allied assault. Aboard ships ranging from frail plywood landing craft to sleek destroyers, sailors were active combatants in the operation of June 1944, and had worked tirelessly to secure the Seine Bay in the months preceding it. They fought battles against German submarines, aircraft, and warships, and maintained careful watch to keep control of the English Channel.
Hewitt recounts these sailors' stories for the first time―and shows how, without their efforts, D-Day would have failed.
'Aussie Rick' wrote: "A new book coming out on a different aspect of D-Day; "Normandy: the Sailors' Story: A Naval History of D-Day and the Battle for France" by Nick Hewitt.[bookcover:Normandy: the Sailors' Story: A..."
This is definitely one for the TBR.
Same here Derek :)
Only a month away now, looking forward to reading it 
Tim wrote: "Only a month away now, looking forward to reading it "In my shopping basket ready to hit the buy button :)
An October release:
by Eric SetzekornDescription:
Uncertain Allies looks at the U.S. military’s experience in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater during World War II through the eyes of Joseph Stilwell, the commanding general of all American forces in those three countries. Accomplished historian Eric Setzekorn, focuses on two key uncertain allies and ambiguous missions.
Despite being allies, relationships between the Americans and Chinese, as well as the Americans and the British, were marked by a profound lack of trust in the CBI theater. This was particularly problematic because most combat personnel under Stilwell’s command were Chinese. As a result, the lack of trust directly impacted tactical and operational planning. The second reoccurring theme, ambiguous missions, refers to the poorly defined goals for the theater. The CBI’s mission was vague, and Stilwell lacked clear objectives or benchmarks of success.
Underlying both themes is the key flaw in Stilwell’s conduct in the CBI a failure to understand the American political context in which he operated. Stilwell advocated for a transactional military and political relationship despite clear indications that President Roosevelt, other political leaders, and the American public at large desired a long-term cooperative relationship. In this context of deep and widespread public support for forging a close and lasting alliance with China, Stilwell’s proposals to make military aid and American support on a quid pro quo basis was an isolated position that inevitably ran into staunch opposition. The result was a dangerous disconnect between American military operations and national policy.
Setzekorn, who is fluent in Chinese, relied on a wide variety of sources when writing this penetrating account of the U.S. military’s time in the CBI theater, including Chinese and Japanese language archival material. The declassification of numerous U.S. government sources over the past fifteen years also enables Setzekorn to make a full assessment and analysis of World War II-era strategic thinking and military policy.
A December release:
by Jay A. StoutDescription:
While the Marine Corps island-hopped across the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Saipan to Iwo Jima, the U.S. Army was locked in a grueling, multiyear fight for the jungle island of New Guinea, which in Japanese hands threatened both Australia and the vital supply lines stretching to the United States. Forces under Douglas MacArthur intended to deny the Japanese this opportunity and use New Guinea as a stepping stone on the road back to the Philippines and, beyond it, Japan. A critical component of that campaign was waged in the air, where American pilots supported ground troops and took the battle to the Japanese in scattered villages and beaches, along the way fighting not only the Japanese, but also the dangers of the island’s mountainous terrain and thick jungles, the weather, and the surrounding ocean.
Savage Skies, Emerald Hell is the story of the stirring and terrible air combat that made winning the fight for New Guinea possible. It includes accounts from fighter, bomber, and transport crews—primarily George Kenney’s Fifth Air Force—and places their actions within the broader context of strategy and tactics, also providing descriptions of equipment and the experiences of the mechanics and support men who made it all possible. It is a riveting narrative of World War II in the air, combining deep primary research and Jay Stout’s personal experience as a fighter pilot. More than a great read, Savage Skies, Emerald Hell is an important contribution to World War II history.
Jerome wrote: "A December release: by Jay A. StoutDescription:
Whil..."
All I had to see was "Jay Stout" and I'm in!
That's September sorted.... More Jim Holland goodness...Cassino '44: The Bloodiest Battle of the Italian CampaignNo cover, just the blurb:
There are no such thing as an easy victory in war but after triumph in Tunisia, the sweeping success of the Sicilian invasion, and with the Italian surrender, the Allies were confident that they would be in Rome before Christmas 1943.And yet it didn't happen. Hitler ordered his forces to dig in and fight for every yard, thus setting the stage for one of the grimmest and most attritional campaigns of the Second World War.By the start of 1944, the Allies found themselves coming up against the Gustav a formidable barrier of wire, minefields, bunkers and booby traps, woven into a giant chain of mountains and river valleys that stretched the width of Italy where at its strongest point perched the Abbey of Monte Cassino.It would take five long bitter winter months and the onset of summer before the Allies could finally bludgeon their way north and capture Rome. By then, more than 75,000 troops and civilians had been killed and the historic abbey and entire towns and villages had been laid waste.Following a rich cast of characters from both sides - from frontline infantry to aircrew, from clerks to battlefield commanders, and from politicians and civilians caught up in the middle of the maelstrom - James Holland has drawn widely on diaries, letters and contemporary sources to write the definitive account of this brutal battle. The result is a compelling and often heart-breaking narrative, told in the moment, as the events played out, and from the perspective of those who lived, fought and died there.
A February 2025 release:
by Nicholas Evan SarantakesDescription:
In 1945 the United States and Japan fought the largest and most devastating land battle of their war in the Pacific, a month-long struggle for the city of Manila. The only urban fighting in the Pacific theater, the Battle of Manila was the third-bloodiest battle of World War II, behind Leningrad and Berlin. It was a key piece of the campaign to retake control of the Philippine Islands, which itself signified the culmination of the war, breaking the back of Japanese strategic power and sealing its outcome.
In The Battle of Manila, Nicholas Sarantakes offers the first in-depth account of this crucial campaign from the American, Japanese, and, significantly, Filipino perspective. Fighting was building by building, with both sides forced to adapt to the new combat environment. None of the U.S. units that entered Manila had any previous training in urban warfare--yet, Sarantakes shows, they learned on the fly how to use tanks, flamethrowers, air, and artillery assets in support of infantry assaults. Their effective use of these weapons was an important factor in limiting U.S. casualties, even as it may also have contributed to a catastrophic loss of civilian lives.
The battle was a strategic U.S. victory, but Sarantakes reveals how closely it hinged upon the interplay between a series of key decisions in both U.S. and Japanese headquarters, and a professional culture in the U.S. military that allowed the Americans to adapt faster and in more ways than their opponents. Among other aspects of the conflict, The Battle of Manila explores the importance of the Filipino guerillas on the ground, the use of irregular warfare, the effective use of intelligence, the impact of military education, and the limits of Japanese resistance.
Ultimately, Sarantakes shows Manila to be a major turning in both World War II and American history. Once the United States regained control of the city, Japan was in a checkmate situation. Their defeat was certain, and it was clear that the United States would be the dominate political power in post-war Asia and the Pacific. This fascinating account shines a light on one of the war's most under-represented and highly significant moments.
Another:
by Massimiliano AfieroDescription:
The book describes the Italian military campaign in the Balkans, between October 1940 and spring 1941, starting first with the invasion of Greece in 1940, with the Italian offensive and the subsequent Greek counter-offensive, with the consequent folding of the forces Italian in Albania. Then in the spring of 1941, thanks also to the intervention of the German forces on the Balkan front, the offensive was resumed, with the Italian forces that also invaded Yugoslavia.
Some good books on the way by the looks of things! I have "Cassino '44" on order already. :)
An October release:
by Rona SimmonsDescription:
October 24, 1944, is not a day of national remembrance. Yet, more Americans serving in World War II perished on that day than on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, or on June 6, 1944, when the Allies stormed the beaches of Normandy, or on any other single day of the war. In its telling of the events of October 24, No Average Day proceeds hour by hour and incident by incident. The book begins with Army Private First-Class Paul Miller’s pre-dawn demise in the Sendai #6B Japanese prisoner of war camp. It concludes with the death of Navy Seaman Second Class Wanza E. Matthews, moments before midnight, after the Japanese submarine I-56 attacked his ship off New Guinea. The sinking of the hellship Arisan Maru―a lesser-known tragedy of the war―bookends and weaves through the two-dozen selected other incidents.
No Average Day eschews the conventional discourse of the war’s origins, its great battles, and the maneuvering of generals, admirals, and politicians. Instead, it directs its attention to ordinary individuals―clerks, radio operators, cooks, sailors, machinist mates, riflemen, and pilots and their air crews. These are men, perhaps a reader’s brother, father, or neighbor, who chose to serve their country and soon found themselves in a terrifying and otherworldly place. There, described in relatable terms, the men hunch their shoulders against the cold, wipe grit from their foreheads, or pen a letter home minutes before drawing their last breath. No Average Day reveals the vastness of the war as it reaches past the beaches in France and jungles in the South Pacific, to the villages, placid bays, and forested mountainsides across the globe where the war also raged.
Jerome wrote: "An October release: by Rona SimmonsDescription:
October 24, 1944, is not a day of national remembrance. Yet..."
Sounds like a very interesting book Jerome!
'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Jerome wrote: "An October release: by Rona SimmonsDescription:
October 24, 1944, is not a day of national r..."
Thank you for posting this! Yes, my book on one particular day in the war when largely unknown events transpired. So delighted to honor all those who lost their lives on this day.
If you are so inclined it is available for pre-order now.
A September release:
by Al MurrayDescription:
The Battle of Arnhem is one of the best-known stories in British military history: a daring but thwarted attempt to secure a vital bridgehead across the Rhine in order to end the war before Christmas. It is always written about, with the benefit of unerring 20/20 hindsight, as being doomed to fail, but the men who fought there, men of military legend, didn't know that that was to be their fate.
By focusing on the events of one day as they happened through the eyes of the British participants and without bringing any knowledge of what would happen tomorrow to bear, Al Murray offers a very different perspective to a familiar narrative. Some things went right and a great many more went wrong, but recounting them in this way allows the reader to understand for the first time how certain decisions were taken in the moment and how opportunities were squandered.
Tuesday 19 September 1944 was that terrible day which became known as Black Tuesday. From just after 12:00 hours while plans were being made to seize the initiative and optimism reigned, to the following midnight, when Arnhem was burning and the Allied fortunes looked very different, a mere twenty-four hours changed the course of the war.
Al Murray has always been obsessed with Arnhem, and in Arnhem: Black Tuesday, brings all of his knowledge, interpretation and enthusiasm to bear to tell the story of one of history’s great heroic failures differently for the first time.
Thanks for posting those details, Jerome, a book to keep an eye-out for!
Here is a June release (Australia) that may interest some group members; "Skies of Thunder: The Deadly World War II Mission Over the Roof of the World" by 
Skies of Thunder: The Deadly World War II Mission Over the Roof of the World by Caroline AlexanderDescription:
In April 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army steamrolled through Burma, capturing the only ground route from India to China. Supplies to this critical zone would now have to come from India by air-meaning across the Himalayas, on the most hazardous air route in the world. SKIES OF THUNDER is a story of an epic human endeavor, in which Allied troops faced the monumental challenge of operating from airfields hacked from the jungle, and took on "the Hump," the fearsome mountain barrier that defined the air route.They flew fickle, untested aircraft through monsoons and enemy fire, with inaccurate maps and only primitive navigation technology. The result was a litany of both deadly crashes and astonishing feats of survival. The most chaotic of all the war's arenas, the China-Burma-India theater was further confused by the conflicting political interests of Roosevelt, Churchill and their demanding, nominal ally, Chiang Kai-shek.
Caroline Alexander, who wrote the defining books on Shackleton's Endurance and Bligh's Bounty, is brilliant at probing what it takes to survive extreme circumstances. She has unearthed obscure memoirs and long-ignored records to give us the pilots' and soldiers' eye views of flying and combat, as well as honest portraits of commanders like the celebrated "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell and Claire Lee Chennault. She assesses the real contributions of units like the Flying Tigers, Merrill's Marauders, and the British Chindits, who pioneered new and unconventional forms of warfare. Decisions in this theater exposed the fault-lines between the Allies-America and Britain, Britain and India, and ultimately and most fatefully between America and China, as FDR pressed to help the Chinese nationalists in order to forge a bond with China after the war.
A masterpiece of modern war history.
A March 2025 release:
by Thomas McKelvey CleaverDescription
With the defeat of the Germans and Italians on Sicily in mid-July 1943, all eyes turned towards the battle for the Italian mainland itself. This campaign has been called “forgotten” by many, with many of the best units from the North African and Sicilian campaigns withdrawn to prepare for the coming invasion of France, while those units that remained had a lower priority for replacements of men and material.
Despite these difficulties, the air war in the Italian campaign is a study in the successful application of tactical air power. Mediterranean Sweep describes how USAAF forces, alongside Free French, Italian co-belligerent forces, British and Commonwealth units and even a squadron of the Brazilian Air Force, took the war to the Axis in both the fighter-bomber war as well as Operation Bingo, the successful bombing campaign to strangle supplies to the German forces fighting on the Gothic Line.
Building on the story of the USAAF in North Africa and over Sicily told in his previous work Turning the Tide, renowned aviation expert Tom Cleaver uses a wide range of first-hand accounts form American, Allied, German and Italian pilots and other aircrew to bring to life the bitter struggle in the skies over Italy from mid-1943 through to the end of World War II.
Another:
by Prit ButtarDescription:
Throughout the war on the Eastern Front, there were two consistent trends. The Red Army battled to learn how to fight and win, while involved in a struggle for its very survival. But by 1944 it had a leadership that was able to wield it with lethal effect and with far more effective equipment than before. By contrast, the Wehrmacht had commenced a slow process of decline after the invasion of the Soviet Union. Hitler became increasingly unwilling to delegate decision-making to commanders in the field which had been crucial to earlier success. The long years of fighting had also taken a heavy toll. Thousands of irreplaceable junior officers and NCOs were dead, wounded or prisoners.
Renowned Eastern Front expert Prit Buttar expertly brings these contrasting fortunes to life, trends which culminated in the huge battles of Bagration. As this masterful study conclusively shows, in 1944 the Red Army finally put together a campaign that utterly destroyed the German Army Group Centre. The Wehrmacht suffered the loss of over 300,000 men killed, wounded or taken prisoner and the Red Army rolled forward across Belarus to the outskirts of Warsaw. The end of the war was still many months away, and the Germans managed to reconstruct their line on the Eastern Front, but final victory for the Soviet Union was now only a matter of time as a direct consequence of Bagration.
Bagration maybe one well worth keeping an eye out for!
Jerome wrote: "A July release: by Patrick Bishop."
Patrick Bishop hosts a podcast with another historian, Saul David, called "Battleground." Highly recommended! It comes out twice a week. This year, on Wednesdays, the topic is WWII 1944 and on Fridays it is the current conflict in Ukraine.
Supremacy at Sea: Task Force 58 and the Central Pacific VictoryThe author, Evan Mawdsley, was recently interviewed on the May 14 2024 episode (#159) of the podcast "Battleground" by Saul David (military historian). The book was published April 30, 2024 and I just got a copy :-)
Description (from the Goodreads site):
The gripping account of the U.S. Navy's fast carrier force--and how its Central Pacific campaign in 1944 marked the achievement of American naval supremacy Task Force 58 was World War II's most powerful battle fleet. Made up in mid-1944 of sixteen aircraft carriers, over a thousand combat aircraft, and an armada of escorts, it was vital to victory over Japan.
In this compelling account, Evan Mawdsley charts the 3,500-mile dash of the "Big Blue Fleet" across the Central Pacific in the first six months of 1944, overwhelming enemy opposition and transforming the nature of naval warfare. The Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944 crushed the enemy's naval air force and secured war-winning air bases in the Mariana Islands. Mawdsley examines the elements of the rapidly assembled force--ships, planes, and 100,000 officers and men--as well as the advanced bases and fleet train that provided such astounding mobility.
Task Force 58's campaign marked the achievement of naval supremacy by the United States, a status it maintains to this day.
Thanks for posting those details on Evan Mawdsley's new book, BA!
A November 2025 release:
by Hugh Sebag-MontefioreDescription:
Battle of the Arctic is a wonderful, accessible history rooted in the Second World War. As the Soviet Union played its role in the fracas, Ally convoys from the UK, the United States and Iceland fought to deliver essential supplies to Russia. In a clash of extreme elements and fierce Axis opposition, the effort demonstrated like no other the commitment from other nations to supporting the Soviet Union.
Battle of the Arctic follows not just the Royal Navy and its successful efforts to shepherd ships through storms and past floating icebergs. It also tells a part of history which has never been properly understood by the British public. It involves the forgotten heroes of the Arctic convoys, the officers, armed guards and the ordinary civilian seamen, mostly from Britain and America, but also from Holland, Norway, Russia and Poland, condemned to carry on steaming their merchant ships slowly through the icy waters to and from Russia, even though they knew that at any moment they might be sunk.
This is a thrilling and important story that will leave you thankful to be on dry ground.
Another:
by Lance R. BlythDescription:
Mountains, Carl von Clausewitz said, introduce a “retarding element” into warfare. To fight in mountains, armies must overcome this challenge via survival strategies and mobility. But the techniques and technologies for doing so are best found in civilian skiing and mountaineering communities, a situation almost unique to mountain warfare. Ski, Climb, Fight looks at how the 10th Mountain Division of World War II met this challenge and how the U.S. military does so today. The first military history of that storied division, the book is also the first general history of U.S. mountain warfare.
With a focus on strategy and doctrine, Lance R. Blyth explores how the military has adapted civilian gear and skills for surviving and moving in mountainous terrain to effectively conduct operations. He traces the long-standing but largely unexamined relationship between the civilian outdoor recreation industry and the military—a relationship that figures in almost every aspect of military operations in mountainous terrain. Intertwining the history of the World War II 10th Mountain Division and U.S. mountain warfare with the history of American skiing and mountaineering, Ski, Climb, Fight is at once an unprecedented, in-depth account of one of the most celebrated military units of World War II and a fresh look at U.S. mountain warfare from its inception eighty years ago.
Jerome wrote: "A November release: by Hugh Sebag-MontefioreDescription:
Battle of the Arctic is a w..."
I've got this on my wish-list!
Jerome wrote: "A November release:.." by Hugh Sebag-MontefioreDescription:
Battle of th..."
Just came across this movie trailer on the topic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okZ0...
Mike wrote: "Jerome wrote: "A November release:.." by Hugh Sebag-MontefioreDescription:
Battle of..."
Oh, interesting! I try to keep up with upcoming historical movies, but I hadn't heard of this. I don't think there's been other movies about this, either.
THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP
Books mentioned in this topic
Empire of Ashes: Truman, Hirohito, and the Descent into Total War (other topics)Empire of Ashes: Truman, Hirohito, and the Descent into Total War (other topics)
1942: Hitler's Gamble for Victory (other topics)
1942: Hitler's Gamble for Victory (other topics)
Greyhounds of the Pacific: U.S. Destroyers in the War Against Japan (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
James M. Scott (other topics)James M. Scott (other topics)
Richard Hargreaves (other topics)
Richard Hargreaves (other topics)
Andrew Faltum (other topics)
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Description:
The year 1944 was the turning point of World War Two, and nowhere was this more evident than on the Eastern Front. For three years, following the onslaught of the German Army during Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, the Red Army had retreated and then eventually held, fighting to a stalemate while the Germans occupied and ravaged large parts of the Soviet Union and its republics. Finally, following the breaking of the German siege of Leningrad in January 1944, Stalin and his generals were able to consider striking back. In June, they launched Operation Bagration, during which more than two million Red Army soldiers began an offensive, pushing west. The results were almost immediate and devastating. Within three weeks, Army Group Centre, the core of the German Army, had lost 28 of its 32 divisions. The ending had begun.
Drawing on new sources-some previously untranslated-including accounts from ordinary soldiers and witnesses, Jonathan Dimbleby chronicles this decisive year in what was arguably the most crucial front in the war against Nazi Germany, a front extending 1200 miles. He covers the military, political, and diplomatic aspects in his trademark accessible and evocative style, illuminating the major conflicts as well as the roles played by deception, Partisan fighting, and the war within a war in Ukraine.
Endgame 1944 reveals how the Soviet victories enabled Stalin to dictate the terms of the post-war settlement, laying the foundations for the Cold War.