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New Release Books on WW2
message 401:
by
Michael, Assisting Moderator Axis Forces
(new)
May 25, 2012 03:29PM
Just picked up
for $4.81 from the Book Depository :)
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I've seen the first book around but not the second. Ben Macintyre is a pretty decent author so Double Cross should be a good book.
My copies of these two WW2 books arrived today, both look very interesting and both are recommendations from members here in the group.
by Christopher R. Browning
by Alexander Werth
Funny that my copy of
arrived yesterday along with
Serendipitous indeed :) When are you thinking of reading Ordinary Men?
When you are as it would make a good short buddy read.
Let me check my diary, will get back to you ASAP :)
Your picking up some interesting titles there Michael!
I am particulary interested in the second one.
Nice, well I brought home something a little different today; Axis Slovakia: Hilter's Slavic Wedge, 1938-1945.
by Mark W. A. Axworthy
My copy of Riders of the Apocalypse: German Cavalry and Modern Warfare, 1870-1945 arrived today and it looks pretty good with 1/2 to 2/3 of the book covering WW2.
by David R. DorondoDescription:
Military historian David R. Dorondo examines the history of the German cavalry, a combat arm that survived World War I and rode to war again in 1939. He places the cavalry's World War II actions within the larger context of the mounted arm's development from the Franco-Prussian War to the Third Reich's surrender. The author contends that politicized command decisions, technical insufficency, industrial bottlenecks, and wartime attrition forced Army leaders to rely on combat horsemen throughout World War II. He describes these horsemen as best represented by the 1st Cavalry Brigade/Division that saw combat in Poland, Holland, France, Russia, and Hungary, but whose service was dishonored by the 8th Waffen- SS Cavalry Division, a unit that killed more civilians than enemy soldiers. Drawing extensively on primary sources, Dorondo shows clearly how the cavalry's tradition carried on in a world undergoing rapid military industrialization, a story not widely known until now.
After having a good browse through these two books I've decided to order a copies for myself:
by Geirr H. HaarrDescription:
This major history documents the German invasion of Norway, focusing on the events at sea. The first operation in which the air force, army, and navy worked closely together, Operation Weserübung included the first dive-bomber attack to sink a major warship and the first carrier task-force operations. Based on primary sources from British, German, and Norwegian archives, this book gives a balanced account of the reasons behind the invasion and showcases an unrivaled collection of photographs. As the definitive study of Germany's first and last major seaborne invasion, it offers a close look at an important but often neglected aspect of World War II.
by Geirr H. HaarrDescription:
This is the second book in a major two volume history of the German invasion of Norway in 1940. The Nazi invasion was the first modern campaign in which sea, air, and ground forces interacted decisively. This volume covers the attempts by Norwegian and British forces to counter the German advance, the challenge to the Royal Navy by the air superiority of the Luftwaffe, the first combined amphibious landings of WWII by Norwegian, British, French, and Polish naval, air, and land forces, and the Allied evacuation in June, including the first carrier task force operation of the war.
Sounds interesting Michael and at a good price :)
For anyone who enjoys books covering some of those battles/campaigns that occured on the run-up towards WW2 here is a title I purchased recently:
by Pedro del ValleDescription:
Roman Eagles over Ethiopia was written by then Colonel (later Lieutenant General) Pedro A. del Valle, USMC. Colonel del Valle was the official U.S. military observer with the Italian Army for what has become known as the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1936-37. Originally published in 1940, Roman Eagles over Ethiopia sets forth the events leading up to the expedition, the various handicaps of terrain and climate, the traits and defense of the natives, and the complete movements of combat operations by the Italian Army under Generals De Bono ,Badoglio and Graziani. In addition to the narrative of the battles and marches, the author provides the motivating factors of the carnpaign. Dispositions, successive positions, communications, supply and all of the tactics and strategy of the operations are depicted in an additional 25 clear explanatory maps.
Purchased
and
. Now I just need to find time to read them
Nice buys Chrissy, both books considered classic reads so I am sure you will enjoy them.
Always nice to come home and find a new book on your doorstep :)
Purchased a copy of this book today and it looks pretty interesting with some great details on some of the lesser known or written about German commanders on the Eastern Front:
by Samuel W. Mitcham Jr.Description:
The story of history's greatest military operation and the commanders who nearly led it to success . . .
This book not only tells the story of Operation Barbarossa but describes the expertise, skills, and decision-making powers of the men who directed it. The result is an illuminating look at the personalities behind the carnage, as summer triumph turned to winter crisis, including new insights into the invasion's many tactical successes, as well as its ultimate failure.
This objective is massive in scope, because Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, was massive in scale, arguably the largest military operation of all time. In the single Battle of Kiev, for example, the Red Army lost over 600,000 prisoners, and twice as many men killed as the United States lost in the entire Vietnam War. The campaign also changed the world forever. Before Barbarossa, Hitler's Wehrmacht seemed invincible, like an unstoppable force of nature. No one, it seemed, could check the Fuhrer's ambitions, much less defeat him. (The Battle of Britain, of course, was seen as a defeat for the Luftwaffe rather than the Wehrmacht. The German Army was still undefeated, and it was by no means clear in the spring of 1941 that German pilots would not yet finish off the United Kingdom.) Barbarossa changed all of that. By the end of 1941, Allied victory seemed to be a very real possibility. Few would have bet on it 16 or 17 months earlier.
Pitting Germany in total war against the Soviet Union on a 1,000-mile front, Operation Barbarossa was truly staggering in its magnitude. Wars, however, are not fought by numbers, they are fought by men. Very often, writers stereotype German officers into two categories: Prussian gentlemen or Nazi monsters. There were, of course, both-but there were also varying shades of gray. In this book we learn of the goats and heroes, famous commanders and undersung leaders, and about those who were willing to stand up to the Fuhrer and those who subordinated themselves to his will. The result is a book that casts a fresh perspective on one of history's most crucial military campaigns.
Reviews:
"... 'a must read' for Eastern Front fans, as well as anyone seeking to find out more about the titanic struggle between Hitler and Stalin that determined the outcome of World War II in Europe." - Armchair General
"...an illuminating look at the personalities behind the carnage... an excellent work that casts a fresh perspective on one of history's most crucial campaigns." - Scale Military Modeler
"...uses a chronological approach, dealing with the various officers as they appear in the narrative, weaving their story into the bigger picture of the unfolding campaign... A good book for anyone interested in the Germany Army in World War II or in the Eastern Front." - Strategy Page
Nice one Rick! Clearly there were some excellent leaders as well as some truly awful ones. Should be an interesting read.
Hi Mike, I'm quite happy with myself too with finding it :)
I've just stumbled across this new release from the UK publisher, Pen & Sword:
by Hans SchauflerDescription:
From Barbarossa to Stalingrad, from Kursk to Kurland, panzers formed the backbone of the German forces that attempted to defeat the Soviet Union between June 1941 and May 1945. Written by tank veterans who survived the Eastern Front, Panzer Warfare on the Eastern Front provides a firsthand look at armored combat in that epic theater of World War II.
All the major panzer operations and campaigns are covered in the words of men from the 4th, 9th, 11th, 16th, and 18th Panzer Divisions: Operation Barbarossa, the opening invasion of the Soviet Union; the second offensive of 1942, culminating in Stalingrad; the massive armor battle at Kursk in the summer of 1943; the disastrous disintegration of the front in 1944, when entire units were decimated by tides of Soviet tanks; and the bitter, chaotic fighting as the war ended in 1945.
With from-the-turret immediacy, the accounts compiled here capture what it was like to fight in a panzer on the Eastern Front, where whole crews could be wiped out by a single enemy shell, where enemy tanks could lurk just beyond the tree line, where muzzles could flash and thunder in the calmest nights.
One veteran remembers his commander’s final words before launching a desperate attack: “Write your wills, comrades!” Another describes how an officer played an organ in a bombed-out church--a jarring but peaceful moment amidst the carnage of war. Others recount acts of compassion and humanity, such as food provided by Russian peasants and a Soviet soldier who refused to fire. All of them convey the heady joy of victory and the fear and anguish of stalemate and then defeat.
These are war stories with a powerful punch
Once again awesome find Rick.
Found this one why looking up your new find Rick
byRobert Kirchubeloperational weapons that shaped strategy. Their extraordinary triumphs and their eventual defeat mirrors the fate of German forces in the East. And yet no previous study has concentrated on the history of these elite formations in the bitter struggle against the Soviet Union. Robert Kirchubel's absorbing and meticulously researched account of the operational history of the panzer armies fills this gap in the literature. And it gives a graphic insight into the organization, tactics, fighting methods and morale of the Wehrmacht at the height of its powers and as it struggled to defend the Reich.
Using German sources, including many first-hand accounts seen for the first time in English, the author reconstructs the operations of the panzer armies from the launch of Operation Barbarossa in 1941 to the German collapse in May 1945. He follows each army and its men through the series of massive offensives and counteroffensives that swung across a vast front that stretched from the Baltic in the north to the Caucasus in the south. Their far-reaching campaigns included the ill-fated assault on Moscow, anti-partisan operations in the Balkans and the defense of Germany¹s Fatherland. His study is a valuable addition to the history of the Nazi-Soviet conflict and to understanding the part played by armored formations in the world war as a whole. It is absorbing reading.
Robert Kirchubel recently retired from the US Army as a Lieutenant Colonel after serving in Armor Officer positions ranging from tank platoon leader to acting commander of a mechanized brigade. He is a university-trained historian and currently teaches Military Science at Purdue University in Indiana. He has made a special study of armored warfare and the war on the Eastern Front, and has recently published a three-volume account of Operation Barbarossa. He has also written on other aspects of the Second World War in Europe and the Pacific, and he has contributed to The International Military Encyclopedia.
Looks like an excellent addition to any library covering the fighting on the Eastern Front, thanks Michael :)
While we are on the theme of German panzers on the Eastern Front here is a new re-release in paperback of an older title that may interest some members:
by Peter TsourasDescription:
General Erhard Raus was one of the German Army's finest panzer generals and a leading exponent of blitzkrieg in the east. German panzers were witnesses to the incredible onslaught that was the first few months of Barbarossa, then the gradual strengthening of Russian resistance, counterattack and, ultimately, the long and drawn-out German retreat. Raus and his panzers were tested in every conceivable tactical situation and, inevitably, Raus became highly versed in all aspects of mobilised warfare. This account by Erhard Raus, edited by leading Eastern Front expert Peter G. Tsouras, concentrates on German efforts to relieve Stalingrad. Raus, as commander of 6th Panzer Division, was in the thick of this bitter action, urging his panzers forward in a massive effort to break the Soviet strangle-hold. These journals were orginally written to brief the US Army at the height of the Cold War.
One of our members, Nicole, recommended a new book that is due out in a few months that I think will interest a few other folks here. This is the book Nicole found:
by Soenke NeitzelDescription:
A trove of previously unpublished, transcribed conversations among German POWs—secretly recorded by the Allies—reveals the extent of their brutality and changes our understanding of the mind-set of the German soldier during World War II.
On a visit to the British National Archive in 2001, Sonke Neitzel made a remarkable discovery: reams of meticulously transcribed conversations among German POWs that had been covertly recorded and recently declassified. Neitzel would later find another collection of transcriptions, twice as extensive, in the National Archive in Washington, D.C. These were discoveries that would provide a unique and profoundly important window into the true mentality of the soldiers in the Wehrmacht, the Luftwaffe, the German navy, and the military in general—almost all of whom had insisted on their own honorable behavior during the war. Collaborating with renowned social psychologist Harald Welzer, Neitzel examines these conversations—and the casual, pitiless brutality omnipresent in them—from a historical and psychological perspective, and in reconstructing the frameworks and situations behind these conversations, they have created a powerful narrative of wartime experience.
Reviews:
“These extraordinary bugged conversations reveal through the eyes of German soldiers with stark clarity and candor the often brutal reality of the Second World War, providing remarkable insight into the mentality and behavior of the Wehrmacht.” — Sir Ian Kershaw, (author of Hitler: A Biography)
“The myth that Nazi –era German armed forces [were] not involved in war crimes persisted for decades after the war. Now two German researchers have destroyed it once and for all. . . .The material [they] have uncovered in British and American archives is nothing short of sensational. . . .[Soldaten] has the potential to change our view of the war.” — Der Spiegel (Germany)
“This should be required reading for all those who believe that wars could be done cleanly.” — Martin Meier, (Neues Deutschland)
“A significant contribution on the mental history of the Wehrmacht . . . The authors have written an incredibly readable book.” — Die Zeit
“An equally fascinating and shocking book about the everyday madness of the Nazi war of extermination, which once again confirms Hannah Arendt’s thesis about the ‘banality of evil’ . . . A scholarly sensation.” — Goethe Institut
message 434:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)
Thanks Rick/Nicole looks well worth reading and so added to my TBR.
Yep, I just ordered an advance copy :)
I've just brought home copies of these two books:
by Franz KurowskiDescription:
This book covers the entire history of the HG unit from its inception as Polizei-Regiment "Wecke" to its formation as a Parachute Panzerkorps. This elite unit fought in France (1940), Russia (1941/42), Tunisia, Sicily, Italy (Anzio and Monte Cassino - 1943), Poland (1944) and East Prussia. This is the first combat history of this elite and hard-fighting formation that features many personal accounts.
by Peter StrassnerDescription:
An excellent, comprehensive, single volume, authoritative account of this elite SS division that spent the entire war on the Eastern Front. Wiking was one of the hardest fighting divisions of the German forces in both the East and West. Includes numerous personal accounts as well as extensive, detailed tables and appendices. This is a completely re-translated and re-edited edition.
'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I've just brought home copies of these two books: ] by Franz Kurowski."
Author Kurowski was in the German Army and has dozens of books
on the subject, as well as a dozen pseudonyms. An interesting
character. I consider him kind of a journeyman author, turning
a lot of what would be dry data into readable formats, especially
in the years after the war and through the 60s-70s when
there wasn't much from the German side of things.
Hi Carl,Very true what you say, I have quite a few books by Kurowski and this one on the HG Panzerkorps is a nice addition to the library as there aren't too many unit histories available in English.
I just found this book which is due out next month (July) and may interest a few members here:
by David IsbyDescription:
London, 15 September 1940. In and out of the clouds above the British capital, one of the most decisive battles of the Second World War was taking place. The Luftwaffe's massive air assault aimed to force Britain to sue for peace or, by seizing air superiority, make possible the cross-Channel invasion Hitler's generals were planning. Churchill himself watched the climactic battle unfold from the RAF operations room in Uxbridge. He asked what reserves the British had in the battle over London: 'There are none', came the reply. Every available squadron was in the air.
The air battle over Britain shaped the course of the entire war. But the fight that day was itself shaped by the duel between the two most advanced types of warring fighter planes: the British Supermarine Spitfire and the German Messerschmitt Bf 109. In this remarkable new book, David Isby looks at the clash between these two fighter planes, lasting from pre-war development to decisive combat.
The Decisive Duel tells the stories of these iconic, classic aircraft and also the people who created them: Willy Messerschmitt, the German designer with a love for gliders and admiration for Hitler; RJ Mitchell, his brilliant British counterpart, who struggled against illness to complete the design of the Spitfire. In fascinating detail, Isby describes the crucial role the two opposed planes played, from the drawing boards, to Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, to the final battles over Germany.
In today's Britain, the Spitfire's story is particularly resonant both for its wartime achievements and its continuing potency as a symbol of victory. Accessibly written and impeccably researched, The Decisive Duel is both a wonderful work of aviation history, and a valuable insight into the duel between two fighters that shaped the Second World War.
Reviews:
"A splendid work. A detailed account of two important wartime fighter aircraft enlivened by the words of those who flew them." - Len Deighton
"The epic struggle between the Spitfire and the Messerschmitt 109 upon which so much of Western Civilization depended in the summer of 1940 has found the ideal biographer in David Isby. I write 'biographer' because, like the men who flew these remarkable fighter planes, Isby sees them in almost human terms, transcending the mere mechanical." - Andrew Roberts, (author Of The Storm Of War)
"This is an important book on an enduring subject that should satisfy experts and newcomers to the field alike." - Nick Cook, (author Of The Hunt For Zero Point And Former Aviation Editor, Jane's Defence Weekly)
Looks awesome.
This book is out in November and look like a cracker!Hitler's Eagles: The Luftwaffe 1933-45byChris McNab
1939 and 1940, and those of the Soviet Union in 1941.
Despite this auspicious beginning, by 1945 the Luftwaffe was a dying force. The Allies were destroying German aircraft at unequal rates, and Luftwaffe aviators were dying in their thousands in an unbalanced battle to save Germany from destruction. The Luftwaffe's lack of a convincing long-range bomber force also meant that it could not return strategic devastation upon its enemies. In the words of one historian, the Luftwaffe had a 'strategy for defeat'.
Hitler's Eagles - The Luftwaffe 1933-45 charts the turbulent history of the Luftwaffe from its earliest days to its downfall. It explores the secretive development of German air power during the 1920s and early 1930s, and the training of a new generation of aviators, including combat experience in the Spanish Civil War. Once Hitler was in power, the Luftwaffe came out of the shadows and expanded under a massive rearmament programme, then embarked upon the war that would define its existence. Hitler's Eagles explains the Luftwaffe's operations in every theatre of the war - Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Eastern Front. As well as providing a detailed history of the Luftwaffe's history and combat experience, the book also expands on its human and material aspects. Aces and commanders are profiled, uniforms and equipment are explained, and aircraft ranging from the Fiesler Storch to the Fw 200 Condor are described both technologically and tactically. The book conveys all the drama of the Luftwaffe's existence, from bombing raids over London to jet-fighter dogfights over Berlin, with Osprey's famous aviation artwork and more than 150 photos bringing the story incomparably to life.
Tom wrote: "Had this older book delivered today....
Alanbrooke by David Fraser"
I read it recently. Great book!
Alanbrooke was the architect of the British strategy in ww2, particularly in the Mediterranean theatre. I hope you enjoy it.
Looks like an excellent book. I know the author has published some great books on Rommel and Frederick the Great so fingers crossed his account of Alanbrooke will be just as good.
Here is a new book due out this month.Nine from Aberdeen
byJeffrey M. LeatherwoodSynopsis
In Tunisia with II Corps, Lt. John Randall locates a downed German plane and demolishes two live bombs still mounted on the wreckage...In Italy, Capt. Ronald Felton's team contends with dreaded "Butterfly Bombs" left behind to menace the U.S. 5th Army...Landing with the 6th U.S. Special Engineers Brigade, Capt. Jesse Donovan's squad braves deadly 88mm shells in pursuit of enemy rockets on Utah Beach...Serving with the 9th Army Air Force, Capt. Thomas Reece survives a close encounter with a German landmine in France...Capt. Joseph Pilcher joins in the 78th Infantry's final assault on a dam guarding the approaches to Germany...Sweeping the 11th Airborne Division's trail on Luzon, Lt. Carl Cirocco's team is ambushed by the Japanese...Capt. Richard Metress is dispatched by the U.S. 6th Army to tackle enemy depth charges on Mindanao...Capt. Clifford Sarauw covers the U.S. 10th Army's fateful landing on Okinawa...
These aforementioned exploits are among the notable events contained in "Nine from Aberdeen", the first academic history solely devoted to the U.S. Army's Ordnance Bomb Disposal Branch from World War II. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, nine U.S. Army officers and sergeants were sent from Aberdeen Proving Ground to war-torn England in order to learn the invaluable technical skills pioneered by the British Royal Engineers. Led by the colorful Thomas J. Kane, these nine men inaugurated the new Ordnance Bomb Disposal School. Conceived initially for homeland defense, Col. Kane's branch eventually fielded over two hundred Army and Air Force bomb squads for overseas service. These courageous officers and men were forerunners of today's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists, responsible for supporting the U.S. military during combat operations and for preserving the lives of noncombatants at all other times.
Using documents and photographs - many from personal collections - as well as oral interviews, this work presents a cross-section of U.S. Army and Air Force operations spanning three major theaters; Mediterranean, European, and the Pacific. Special emphasis is given to the European Theater, where Col. Kane served as Eisenhower's chief ETO bomb disposal officer. "Nine from Aberdeen" also contains charts detailing campaign participations, ordnance statistics, and other significant data. Retired Army Command Sergeant Major James H. Clifford, military consultant for the award-winning film, "The Hurt Locker", provides an afterword on EOD continuity.
Thanks for the information Nicole, looks like a pretty interesting book!
My copies of these two books arrived today and they both look quite good:
by Hans Schaufler
by Antony Beevor
My copy of the new revised edition of Red Phoenix Rising arrived today and it looks pretty good :)
by Von HardestyDescription:
A groundbreaking account of the Soviet Air Force in World War II, the original version of this book, Red Phoenix, was hailed by the Washington Post as both “brilliant” and “monumental.” That version has now been completely overhauled in the wake of an avalanche of declassified Russian archival sources, combat documents, and statistical information made available in the past three decades. The result, Red Phoenix Rising, is nothing less than definitive.
The saga of the Soviet Air Force, one of the least chronicled aspects of the war, marked a transition from near annihilation in 1941 to the world’s largest operational-tactical air force four years later. Von Hardesty and Ilya Grinberg reveal the dynamic changes in tactics and operational art that allowed the VVS to bring about that remarkable transformation. Drawing upon a wider array of primary sources, well beyond the uncritical and ultra-patriotic Soviet memoirs underpinning the original version, this volume corrects, updates, and amplifies its predecessor. In the process, it challenges many “official” accounts and revises misconceptions promoted by scholars who relied heavily on German sources, thus enlarging our understanding of the brutal campaigns fought on the Eastern Front.
The authors describe the air campaigns as they unfolded, with full chapters devoted to the monumental victories at Moscow, Stalingrad, and Kursk. By combining the deeply affecting human drama of pilots, relentlessly confronted by lethal threats in the air and on the ground, with a rich technical understanding of complex military machines, they have produced a fast-paced, riveting look at the air war on the Eastern Front as it has never been seen before. They also address dilemmas faced by the Soviet Air Force in the immediate postwar era as it moved to adopt the new technology of long-range bombers, jet propulsion and nuclear arms.
Drawing heavily upon individual accounts down to the unit level, Hardesty and Grinberg greatly enhance our understanding of their story’s human dimension, while the book’s more than 100 photos, many never before seen in the West, vividly portray the high stakes and hardware of this dramatic tale. In sum, this is the definitive one-volume account of a vital but still underserved dimension of the war—surpassing its predecessor so decisively that no fan of that earlier work can afford to miss it.
Once again Mr. Rick has supplied us with a topic that i have zero knowledge-Red Air Force...awesome sir...please let us know how it reads...it sounds colossal!
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