THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP discussion
BOOK DISCUSSIONS
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New Release Books on WW2
Darya Silman wrote: "A September release
Hero City: Leningrad 1943–44 by Prit Buttar
Description
One of the greatest ever sieges ..."
On my wish-list! :)
Aussie, I got an ARC (pre-published copy)! I'll start it after finishing 'Meat Grinder'
I found this review today. Target Hong Kong: A true story of US Navy pilots at war by Steven K Bailey. I had no idea that this took place.
https://asianreviewofbooks.com/conten...
fourtriplezed wrote: "I found this review today. Target Hong Kong: A true story of US Navy pilots at war by Steven K Bailey. I had no idea that this took place.
https://asianreviewofbooks.com/conten......"
Well, that one is going on the wish list for sure!
Target Hong Kong: A true story of U.S. Navy pilots at war by Steven K. Bailey
fourtriplezed wrote: "I found this review today. Target Hong Kong: A true story of US Navy pilots at war by Steven K Bailey. I had no idea that this took place.
https://asianreviewofbooks.com/conten......"
Hey, fourtriplezed! I do remember this book came out a few years ago, if you want to explore this particular topic.
by Steven K. Bailey
I recently purchased a copy of "Bold Venture". I may have to consider looking out for a copy of "Target Hong Kong".
A September release (I asked for an ARC but haven't gotten a response yet)
The Hitler Youth: How Germany Indoctrinated a New Generation by Julian Flanders
Description
The Hitler Youth was founded in 1922 as the youth organisation of the German Nazi Party in Germany. After Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, the organisation gained importance as a route to indoctrinating German youth with the ideals espoused by the Nazis. As war approached it became partially a paramilitary organisation and as war broke out and Germany came under greater pressure, many very young boys saw military action, fighting and dying for the country.
Featuring contemporary photographs, The Hitler Youth tells the story of the origins of the movement in more innocent aims, and how its aims morphed over time to become a powerful way to disseminate Nazi ideas to an undiscerning audience.
An October release
Midnight in Ironbottom Sound: The Harrowing WWII Story of Heroism in the Shark-Infested Waters of Guadalcanal by Carole Engle Avriett
Description
A captivating World War II narrative of an untold story in the Pacific theater
In the heart of the Pacific, where the tides of World War II surged, lies a tale of heroism on the high seas—a tale brought to life in Midnight in Ironbottom Sound. This is the untold story of the USS Gregory (APD-3), a ship manned by unknown sailors whose bravery echoes through the annals of history.
Upon the decks of this vessel, Lieutenant Commander Harry F. Bauer and Mess Attendant Charles J. French, representing the highest and lowest ranks on the USS Gregory, become the focal points of this gripping narrative. In the turbulent waters of the Pacific, their stories, interwoven with the ship's saga—whose vital mission was to transport Marine Raiders to bloody beaches— emerge as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unwavering commitment to duty.
Avriett unfolds a a brief but catastrophic chapter of naval history that is often overlooked--that of unremitting warfare during the first few weeks following the initial invasion of the Solomon Islands to the demise of the USS Gregory four weeks later. Within this crucible, the USS Gregory, marked as a "minor" player, takes center stage. The ship's designation as an APD, its brave crew, and the harrowing night of terror they faced, set the stage for an unforgettable story.
Avriett meticulously reveals their heroism and pays homage to the eternal truth that courage has neither color nor prerequisites, and that valor hails from within.
Thanks for posting those details, Darya. Sounds like a pretty interesting book!
A January 2025 release:
by Adrian BridgeDescription:
On 8 February 1945, over 50,000 British and Canadian soldiers moved forward to attack German defensive positions, centred on the vast Reichswald Forest, in what proved to be one of the last and bloodiest battles of the whole Second World War in Europe. The Reichswald (German Imperial Forest) on the Rhineland borders of the Netherlands and Germany became the scene of an epic struggle that eventually sucked in over 200,000 British and Canadian service personnel. The Reichswald campaign, sandwiched between better known clashes such as 1944’s Battle of the Bulge and the crossing of the Rhine in 1945, was a brutal campaign. General Eisenhower himself commented that it involved ‘some of the fiercest fighting of the whole war’. General Montgomery recalled that some of the German units involved ‘fought with a fanaticism un-excelled at any time in the war.’
The authors, Adrian and Dawn L. Bridge, provide a new and timely account of this epic British and Canadian struggle against the German Wermacht, fought out on the forested north-eastern borders of Germany during the dying days of the Second World War.
Jerome wrote: "A January 2025 release: by Adrian BridgeDescription:
On 8 February 1945, over 50,000 Briti..."
Something a bit different - should be an interesting account!
An April 2025 release:
by Phil CraigDescription:
Packed with fresh and surprising stories, 1945: The Reckoning takes readers on a spectacular journey from the deadly jungles of Burma through hospital ships on Indian rivers and copper mines in Formosa to the 'lost trains' of the Belsen concentration camp. As the fate of the world is decided so too is that of the British Empire and in India millions of men and women struggle to decide whether to support 'the Raj' or fight alongside the Japanese. In Borneo a little known Australian special forces campaign - secretly controlled from London - goes horribly wrong as questions are asked about whether its true purpose is military or imperial.
Clearing away the haze of nostalgia, many uncomfortable truths emerge - but so too does a new and balanced analysis of Empire at this unsurpassed moment of global jeopardy. An Indian military family is bitterly divided. Will it be the brother who stands by the British, or the one who follows Subhas Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army, who goes on to help build a new and free India?
Jerome wrote: "An April 2025 release: by Phil CraigDescription:
Packed with fresh and surprising stories, 1..."
Another interesting book to keep an eye-out for!
First reviews are in for the October release of No Average Day:“Original, gripping, and insightful, No Average Day is a fresh look at the human sacrifices of World War II." —Mitchell Yockelson, author of The Paratrooper General’s, Matthew Ridgway, Maxwell Taylor and The American Airborne from D-Day Through Normandy
Rona wrote: "First reviews are in for the October release of No Average Day:“Original, gripping, and insightful, No Average Day is a fresh look at the human sacrifices of World War II." —Mitchell Yockelson, au..."
Excellent result Rona!
'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Rona wrote: "First reviews are in for the October release of No Average Day:“Original, gripping, and insightful, No Average Day is a fresh look at the human sacrifices of World War II." —Mitchell ..."
Thank you ... and more good news ahead. Counting down to the official release on the 80th anniversary, October 24, 2024.
A September release:
by Tim CookDescription:
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, it set in motion a deadly struggle between the Axis powers and the Allies, but also fraught negotiations between and among the Allies. On questions of diplomacy, economic policy, industrial might, military capabilities, and even national sovereignty, thousands of lives and the fate of the free world depended on back-room deals and desperate trade-offs between soldiers, diplomats, and leaders.
In North America, Canada and the US strained to forge a new military alliance to guard their coasts and fend off German U-boats and the menace of a Japanese invasion. Wartime economies were entwined to produce a staggering contribution of weapons to keep Britain and other allies in the war. The defense of North America against enemy threats was essential before the US and Canada could send armies, navies, and air forces overseas.
In his trademark style, Tim Cook employs eyewitness accounts to vividly lay bare the brutality of combat and the courage of North Americans under fire. Behind the fighting fronts, the charged and often secret communications between national leaders Churchill, Roosevelt, and King reveals how their personalities shaped the outcome of history’s most destructive war, the fate of the British Empire, and the North American alliance that lives on to this day.
The Good Allies. is a masterful account of how Canadians and Americans made the transition from wary rivals to steadfast allies, and how Canada thrived in the shadow of the military and global superpower. In exploring this complex and crucial dimension of the Second World War and its legacy, Cook recounts two nations’ story of cooperation, of sacrifice, and of bleeding together to save the world from the fascist threat.
Sounds like an interesting title!
Here is a new release that covers a very interesting subject; "Yukikaze's War: The Unsinkable Japanese Destroyer and World War II in the Pacific" by Brett L. Walker.
Yukikaze's War: The Unsinkable Japanese Destroyer and World War II in the Pacific by Brett L. WalkerDescription:
Only one elite Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer survived the cruel ocean battlefields of World War II. This is her story. Brett Walker, historian and captain, delves into questions of mechanics, armaments, navigation, training, and even indoctrination, illustrating the daily realities of war for Yukikaze and her crew. By shifting our perspective of the Pacific War away from grand Imperial strategies, and toward the intricacies of fighting on the water, Walker allows us to see the war from Yukikaze's bridge during the most harrowing battles, from Midway to Okinawa. Walker uncovers the ordinary sailor's experience, and we see sailors fight while deep-running currents of Japanese history unfold before their war-weary eyes. As memories of World War II fade, Yukikaze's story becomes ever more important, providing valuable lessons in our contemporary world of looming energy shortfalls, menacing climate uncertainties, and aggressive totalitarian regimes.
A January 2005 release
Why I Became an X Troop Commando: A Life of Colin Anson, the German who Fought for Churchill by Helen Fry
Description
A fascinating and moving biography of Colin Anson, the German refugee who became an elite British commando
Born in Germany in 1922, Colin Anson’s (Claus Ascher) childhood was marked by the trials of Nazism. His father was arrested by the Gestapo in 1937 and transported to Dachau, where he died shortly after. Colin, aged just seventeen, escaped to Britain in the Kindertransport. As soon as he was old enough, Colin volunteered in the Pioneer Corps. Then, in 1942, he was recruited for the elite commando unit X-Troop.
Colin took part in the invasions of Sicily and Italy in 1943, where he sustained a near-fatal injury. But just months later, he returned to duty. He fought in the Yugoslav islands, became the first Allied soldier to liberate Corfu, and was stationed in postwar Frankfurt.
In this unique biography, Helen Fry traces the remarkable story of Colin’s life. Drawing on extensive interviews, Fry recounts his actions in X-Troop and beyond in his own words—and sheds new light on the experience of refugees in the British forces.
.Destroyer Captain: The Life of Ernest E. EvansHornfischer fans may like this one. Apparently his son finished it.
I just received a notice about a book signing at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas Aug 31st.
Thanks Carl, anything by Hornfischer is an easy yes. Gone too soon.
Good news indeed Carl!
A March 2025 release:
by Keith LoweDescription:
Keith Lowe has chronicled the end of WWII in Europe in his award-winning book Savage Continent and the war’s aftermath in the sequel, The Fear and the Freedom. In Naples 1944, he brings readers another masterful chronicle of the terrible and often unexpected consequences of war. Even before the fall of Mussolini, Naples was a place of great contrasts filled with palaces and slums, beloved cuisine and widespread hunger. After the Allied liberation, these contrasts made the city instantly notorious. Compared to the starving population, Allied soldiers were staggeringly wealthy. For a packet of cigarettes, even the lowest ranks could buy themselves a watch, a new suit or a woman for the night. As the biggest port in Allied hands, Naples quickly became the center of Italy’s black market and has remained so ever since. Within just a few months the Camorra began to re-establish itself. Behind the chaos and the corruption, there was always the threat of violence. Army guns were looted and traded. Gangs of street kids fought running battles with the military police. Public buildings, booby-trapped by departing Germans, began to explode, seemingly spontaneously.
Then in March 1944 - like an omen - Vesuvius erupted. Naples was the first major European city to be liberated by the Allies. What they found there would set a template for the whole of the rest of Europe in the years to come. Keith Lowe’s Naples 1944 is a page-turning book about a city on the brink of chaos and glimpse into the dark heart of postwar Italy.
His book on Hamburg was pretty good so I will have to keep any eyes out for this new book in 2025.
Another:
by James H. HallasDescription:
In this sequel to his epic Saipan, James Hallas tells the dramatic story of the battle for Guam in World War II, the next stage of the United States’ pivotal campaign for the Mariana Islands—and the beginning of the end for the Japanese Empire.
In December 1941, Japan captured Guam, the largest island of the Marianas archipelago and an American territory since 1898, and turned it into a naval and air base, a supply dump, and a massive prison for the native Chamorros. After a long, bloody drive back across the Pacific, the United States was ready to retake Guam in the summer of 1944, not only to liberate the island, but to secure its harbor and airstrip, both vitally important for mounting an aggressive attack against the Japanese home islands.
Saipan came first in Operation Forager, the campaign to take the Marianas, and as that battle bogged down in vicious combat, the invasion of Guam was delayed—until July 21, 1944, when, after one of the Pacific War’s longest and most devastating bombardments, U.S. Marines and Army soldiers trudged ashore, spearheaded by frogmen who pierced Japanese defenses. Guam was a hellish place for a war, and for two and a half weeks, American fighting men battled a tenacious enemy on sandy beaches, in jungles, mountains, ravines, caves, and swamps, in sweltering humidity and frequent downpours. The Japanese fought to the last man, at first mounting well-organized attacks and in the end relying on suicidal charges—in places inflicting up to 50 percent casualties on American units. Major operations ended on August 10, but mopping up continued until the end of the war, and the last Japanese holdout did not surrender until 1972.
James Hallas reconstructs the full panorama of the Battle of Guam. In its comprehensiveness, attention to detail, scope of research, and intimate focus on the men who fought and won the battle, this will stand as the definitive history of the battle for years to come.
An April 2025 release:
by Adam LeBorDescription:
Although Hungary was a German ally in 1941, two years into World War II, it was still possible for Allied prisoners of war, French and Polish refugees, spies of every kind, and the city’s large Jewish population to live freely and openly, enjoying the cafes and boulevards that made Budapest one of the great European capitals. While the other multicultural centers of Europe had fallen to the almost all-consuming conflict, Budapest remained intact, a shining reminder of what middle European high culture could be.
In September 1944, three months after D-Day, life in the city seemed idyllic. But under the guise of peace existed an undercurrent of tension and anxiety: British and American troops advanced from the west and Soviet troops from the east. Who would reach the capital first? By mid-October 1944, Budapest had collapsed into anarchy: death squads roamed the streets, the city’s remaining Jews were funneled into ghettos, Russian shells destroyed city blocks, and everyone struggled to find food and survive the winter.
Using newly uncovered diaries and archives, Adam Lebor brilliantly recreates the increasingly desperate efforts of Hungary’s leaders to avoid being drawn into the cataclysm of war, the moral and tactical ambiguity they deployed in the attempt, and the ultimate tragedy that befell Hungary and, in particular, its Jewish population. Told through the lives of a glamorous aristocrats, SS Officers, a rebellious teenage Jewish school student, Hungary's most popular singer and actress, and a housewife trying desperately to keep her family alive, the story of how Budapest is threatened from all sides as the war tightens its noose is highly dramatic and utterly compelling.
Jerome wrote: "An April 2025 release: by Adam LeBorDescription:
Although Hun..."
Thanks Jerome, that is an interesting book. This summer I spent a few days in Budapest during my holiday. I visited a few WW2 monuments, of which the Shoes on the Danube and the Jewish Getto Wall stood out.
Jerome wrote: "Another: by James H. HallasDescription:
In this sequel to his epic Saipan, James Hallas tells the dra..."
I've enjoyed this author's books so this new title will most likely be a future purchase.
'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Jerome wrote: "Another: by James H. HallasDescription:
In this sequel to his epic Saipan, James Halla..."
I completely agree, Rick!
A June 2025 release:
by Jeffrey R. CoxDescription:
This page-turning history examines the closing months of the vital campaign which ultimately determined the successful conclusion of the Pacific War for the Allies. But it had not been a smooth process. The campaign continued in fits and starts with both the US Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy making crucial errors.
But as the pendulum of war swung, there was one distinct advantage to the Allies. This was the successful efforts by the United States Army Signals Intelligence Section and the Navy Communication Special Unit to monitor, intercept, decode and translate Japanese messages. It was thanks in part to this intelligence breakthrough that victory was secured at the Battles of Empress Augusta Bay and Cape St. George as well as the bitterly contested Bougainville invasion. But it was also due to improvements in strategic and tactical doctrine on the part of the US Navy, so much so that the Battle of Cape St. George was dubbed the almost textbook-perfect battle.
At the start of the Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign the US Navy was the underdog. By its conclusion, US naval commanders had come of age. Combining first-rate scholarly research with a novelist's flair for the dramatic, Jeff Cox concludes his brilliant quartet on this key campaign.
Jerome wrote: "A June 2025 release: by Jeffrey CoxDescriptio..."
Need to complete the series so on my shopping list it goes!
'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Jerome wrote: "A June 2025 release: by [author:Jeffrey Cox|19236..."Same here!
I have just placed an order for this new release; "Arnhem: Black Tuesday: The Classic Battle Told As Never Before" by Al Murray.
Arnhem: Black Tuesday by Al MurrayDescription:
The Battle of Arnhem is one of the best-known stories in British military history: a daring but doomed attempt to secure a vital bridgehead across the Rhine in order to end the war before Christmas 1944. It is always written about, with the benefit of unerring 20/20 hindsight, as being destined 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 on 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 the terrible day which became known as Black Tuesday. From just after 1200 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.
‘Utterly brilliant... this book really is the last word on the Battle of Arnhem.’ James Holland
’Superb... A military historian of originality and insight to compare with the best.’ Saul David
'This book is a revelation, not in facts delivered, but in the mood evoked. This is Arnhem unplugged By confining himself to men in and around Arnhem on that Tuesday, Murray achieves something special' The Times
A May 2025 release:
by Paul Thomas ChamberlinDescription:
In popular memory, the Second World War was an unalloyed victory for freedom over totalitarianism, marking the demise of the age of empires and the triumph of an American-led democratic order.
In Scorched Earth, historian Paul Thomas Chamberlin dispatches the myth of World War II as a good war. Instead, he depicts the conflict as it truly was: a massive battle beset by vicious racial atrocities, fought between rival empires across huge stretches of Asia and Europe. The war was sparked by German and Japanese invasions that threatened the old powers' dominance, not by Allied opposition to fascism. The Allies achieved victory not through pluck and democratic idealism but through savage firebombing raids on civilian targets and the slaughter of millions of Soviet soldiers. The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as hyper-militarized new imperial powers, each laying claim to former Axis holdings across the globe before turning on one another and triggering a forever war.
Dramatically rendered and persuasively argued, Scorched Earth shows that World War II was the culmination of centuries of colonial violence and ushered in a new era of imperial struggle.
It's funny, I largely agree with the individual statements in the description on their own, but the description in its entirety is a bit much. Just for starters, I would hope that for anyone who is not a complete fool "the myth of World War II as a good war" has long since held little value but for the lense it provides into the sociological processes of the societies who participated in and/or were affected by the war- particularly since the myth and its application vary greatly between (sometimes even within) those societies. I deplore ideologically-based "history"; history is not black and white, but rather shades of grey. Anyone who tries to force historical fact into a flawed thesis to prove a political point is wrong by definition, and definitively so. Not to mention infantile and foolish.
I really hope I am just in a bad mood this morning, and that the book is better than the description seems to indicate, but either way it looks interesting...
Nice find, Jerome, as usual!
Liam wrote: "It's funny, I largely agree with the individual statements in the description on their own, but the description in its entirety is a bit much. Just for starters, I would hope that for anyone who is..."Yeah, no problem! I think the "good war" idea is just a common one when it comes to World War II simply because belligerents like the Nazis and Imperial Japan were almost cartoonishly evil. And more people know myths about historical events than they do the realities, complexities, and nuances behind them, I'm sure. Especially people who don't read much.
And a lot of blurbs like that are aimed at general audiences and written by publishers, So, yeah, you're probably just in a bad mood, Liam, haha!
I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Hitler had never come to power in Germany or had he been assassinated before 1933 or 1939? would the British empire have faced a dire crisis of existence had not ww2 happened? Would USA and Soviet have come up as two global superpowers pushing Britain and France behind had WW2 never happened? Do u know any author who had written any book from this point of view with a title ' What if ww2 never happened? '
Dipanjan wrote: "I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Hitler had never come to power in Germany or had he been assassinated before 1933 or 1939? would the British empire have faced a dire crisis of existe..."Dipanjan: I think it is undeniable that WW II accelerated the dissolution of the British and French empires. The empires would have died anyway, just more slowly and in fits and starts. The traditional imperialist era was dying.
Manray9 wrote: "Dipanjan wrote: "I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Hitler had never come to power in Germany or had he been assassinated before 1933 or 1939? would the British empire have faced a dire..."But would USA and Soviet have got the opportunity to expand their vast ideological influence on the entire world if ww2 had not happened? Think for example Soviet union's victory and rule over eastern Europe for nearly 5 decades which clearly was the outcome of ww2.
Dipanjan wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "Dipanjan wrote: "I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Hitler had never come to power in Germany or had he been assassinated before 1933 or 1939? would the British empire h..."The Soviet Union was powerful, but without the hegemony it enjoyed in Eastern and Central Europe after the war. Perhaps a containment policy would have kept them from such. After WW I, the U.S. was the primary economic and financial power on the globe. Due to long traditions here and a parsimonious Congress, we had military power significantly inferior to that of our economic, financial, and cultural impact. WW II and the subsequent confrontation with Communism changed that. The war and the post-war unrest spurred the massive growth of the military-industrial complex that continues today. Our 2023 defense budget was $817 billion. Could the Soviets with their inherent economic shortcomings competed in the long run?
Manray9 wrote: "Dipanjan wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "Dipanjan wrote: "I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Hitler had never come to power in Germany or had he been assassinated before 1933 or 1939? would the..."The Soviet union as long as communism existed was really a genuine military superpower and had high achievements in space science. Remember she was the first nation to send a man and a woman astronaut into the space despite economic shortcomings. But due to total absence of free voice and the suppression of individual liberty it had imploded from within. Otherwise it was not possible for USA and his cronies to invade Soviet and conquer or destroy it as it had tremendous nuclear weapons.
So, yes, the title of my new book (to be released 10/24/24) gives away the answer. But, what would anyone here have said was the single deadliest day for American military personnel in WWII? I'd be interested to know before I hit the road and get ambushed by some "stump the author" individual.
Thanks.
I would say Pearl Harbor. Next would be Bastogne.
Marilyn wrote: "I would say Pearl Harbor. Next would be Bastogne."Well, the top three are Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and 10/24/44. No one seems to know about the last one, but that is because it was largely a compilation of smaller encounters and the sinking of the Arisan Maru which occurred out of sight of any ally.
Bastogne was costly, but not close on any ONE day.
Thanks for your input.
I'm surprised that no-one mentioned the second Schweinfurt raid of October 14, 1943 in which the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) bombed the Germans' ball bearing plant in that city. The raid sadly proved a failure for the Eighth Air Force, which lost 77 B-17 bombers, with 121 other bombers damaged. The result of this raid was that the Eighth Air Force would not mount any additional deep penetration raids over Germany for several months until it had a long-range escort fighter capable of both protecting the bombers and taking on the Luftwaffe fighter force. That fighter would be the P-51 Mustang.
Each B-17 carries a crew of 10. So, multiply 1 lost B-17 by 10 and that represents A LOSS OF 770 HIGHLY TRAINED AIRMEN (killed or prisoner of war) FROM ONE BOMBING MISSION.
That was a tragic and costly day, but with Pearl Harbor and D-Day it would take casualties of over 2500 to be in the same category.Nevertheless, thanks for bringing this one up.
Rona wrote: "That was a tragic and costly day, but with Pearl Harbor and D-Day it would take casualties of over 2500 to be in the same category.Nevertheless, thanks for bringing this one up."
Of all the services, it was the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) in Europe that incurred, on a percentage basis, the highest losses in the U.S. military during World War II.
Indeed, the losses from the raids on Schweinfurt and Munster in October 1943 were so high that USAAF leaders considered suspending the bombing campaign against Germany indefinitely. Had this happened, Germany might have been able to bounce back from the losses it had hitherto sustained, and D-DAY may not have happened in 1944.
Black Thursday: The Story of the Schweinfurt Raid
THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP
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Hero City: Leningrad 1943–44 by Prit Buttar
Description
One of the greatest ever sieges is masterfully brought to life by a leading expert on the Eastern Front.
At the height of World War II the people of Leningrad endured a bitter 900-day siege, struggling against bombing, shelling, and starvation. Prit Buttar tells the story of how the siege was finally broken. The Red Army had suffered multiple setbacks in the preceding two years but achieved a partial success by breaking the blockage in early 1943. However, this was followed by further failed attempts to lift the siege completely.
But by simply enduring the siege in the face of impossible odds, Russian soldiers and civilians beat the Germans. By the end of 1943 the German forces, themselves broken by deprivations and extreme weather, began to pull back. Here was the opportunity the Soviet forces had been waiting for. The Red Army launched a decisive attack that broke through and ended the siege. Their determination to hold out has become a hugely significant part of Russian history, the echoes of the battle helping to define both a country and its politics.
This compelling history uses original Russian source material to vividly describe the deprivations visited upon those trapped. But it also details the tactical successes and strategic failures of both sides as well as the appalling war crimes that have forever stained the ground in and around this historic city.