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Jimmy Stewart, bomber pilot: Bomber Pilot
By Starr Smith. 2005
Former Eighth Air Force intelligence officer chronicles Academy Award-winning actor Jimmy Stewart's World War II service as squadron commander of…
a combat bombardment group. Recounts Stewart's volunteering for service before the United States entered the war and later leading his men across Nazi Germany. Foreword by Walter Cronkite. 2005Our mothers' war: American women at home and at the Front during World War II
By Emily Yellin. 2004
Journalist's chronicle of World War II's "other American soldiers," women from various backgrounds who filled nontraditional roles during wartime. Depicts…
women factory workers, frontline nurses, spies, and pilots. Also discusses the experiences of African American and Japanese American women. 2004"Janvier 1940 : cest la "drôle de guerre" entre la France et lAllemagne, une attente interminable conçue par Hitler comme…
un piège dans lequel les armées alliées senlisent. En mai, cest la "guerre éclair", lassaut, et la France sécroule comme un château de cartes. Le peuple fuit sur les routes de lexode. Cest labîme, létrange défaite. A travers le récit de ces mois tragques, Max Gallo fait entendre les voix de tous les acteurs de lhistoire. Ces généraux français enfermés dans leur passé. Ces hommes politiques profitant de la défaite pour régler leurs vieux comptes. Hitler qui jubile, Rommel qui fonce avec ses panzers. Le maréchal Pétain, appelé comme un sauveur, qui sollicite larmistice. Labîme. Et pourtant lespérance lève, au creux même du désastre..." -- 4e de couvSmoke and ashes: the story of the Holocaust
By Barbara Rogasky. 1988
Explains how the Holocaust (1933-1945) occurred by examining the roots of anti-Semitism, Nazi plans for extermination of Jews, and the…
step-by-step execution of that scheme through ghettos, concentration camps, and death camps. Reviews criminal trials after WWII to seek justice. Revised and expanded from 1988 edition. Violence. For junior and senior high readers. 2002Ils étaient sept hommes en guerre, 1918-1945: histoire parallèle
By Marc Ferro. 2007
"Héroïques ou maléfiques, conquérants ou résistants, naïfs ou retors, ils ont modelé le monde qui est le nôtre aujourd'hui. Leur…
rôle personnel, au-delà des grands mouvements d'idées qui ont marqué le XXe siècle, garde pourtant une part de mystère. Pour mieux le saisir - et ainsi éclairer les événements survenus entre 1918 et 1945 -, Marc Ferro observe la Seconde Guerre mondiale à travers le regard de chacun de ces personnages hors norme et confronte les points de vue. Sous nos yeux, les acteurs de l'Histoire se séduisent et se déchirent, se lient et se trahissent en un jeu de haine et de fascination qui va décider de l'avenir des peuples. Un regard nouveau sur l'histoire de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Des documents méconnus ou inédits." -- 4e de couvWith firsthand sources and archeological research, this study explores life inside Nazi prisons during the occupation of the Channel Islands.Through…
most of the Second World War, Nazis occupied the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, two British Crown dependencies in the English Channel. With extensive research, archeologist Gilly Carr has uncovered the enduring legacies of this occupation. In Nazi Prisons in Britain, she shines a light on the lives of citizen resisters who became political prisoners on their own soil. Carr explores political prisoner consciousness and solidarity through the letters of the “Jersey 21” and the diaries of Frank Falla, Guernsey’s best-known resister. Drawing on memoirs, poetry, graffiti, official archives, and material culture—as well as the words of war criminals, traitors, surrealist artists, and many others—she reveals what life was like inside these brutal Nazi prisons.Tiger Battalion 507: Eyewitness Accounts from Hitler's Regiment
By Helmut Schneider and Robert Forczyk. 2020
A personal history of a Nazi battalion’s experiences on the Eastern and Western fronts of WWII, told through the vivid…
accounts of the soldiers themselves. This is the little-known story of Heavy Panzer (Tiger) Battalion 507. Helmut Schneider, himself a veteran of the battalion, sought out as many survivors of the unit as possible and gather their reminiscences. The resulting account is a treasure trove of first-hand material, including personal memories, diaries, letters, leave passes, wartime newspaper cuttings, Wehrmacht bulletins, and more than 160 photographs. The account follows the unit from its formation in 1943 to the catastrophic events on the Eastern Front and battles on the Western Front. It describes engagements against the American 3rd Armored Division, the confusion and panic of retreat, and Soviet captivity in the closing stages of the war. Honest and unflinching, this collection of autobiographies offers a glimpse into life in Hitler’s panzer division.Hitler's Hangmen: The Secret German Plot to Kill Churchill, December 1944
By Brian Lett. 2019
This WWII history exposes a shocking episode of treason among the highest levels of British leadership in a conspiracy with…
Nazi High Command. At the outbreak of the Second World War, a number of Fascist groups were active in Britain, all plotting to overthrow the British government. When Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940, he had the leaders of these groups arrested, including Member of Parliament Archibald Ramsey. When these men were released years later, they were just as determined to install a fascist government in Britain—and all the more embittered toward Churchill. In the autumn of 1944, Adolf Hitler&’s military gains were eroding across the map. In a desperate plan to avoid total defeat, he sought the simultaneous assassination of both Churchill and Eisenhower. This was the opportunity Ramsay and his cohorts had been waiting for. They planned a massive outbreak of British POW camps, the seizure of tanks and armored vehicles, and an advance on London. Ramsey himself would be perfectly placed to aid the coup—within yards of his greatest enemy, Winston Churchill, in the House of Commons. This is the incredible, disturbing story of how close British Fascists came to impacting the outcome of the Second World War. It is also a comprehensive investigation into the Break Out Plot as it unfolded across Britain: how it came to fruition and how it was quashed, its repercussions and the many little-known stories of escape and recapture which took place throughout the country.Stalingrad: City on Fire
By Alexey Isaev. 2020
“A fresh look at what is perhaps the most famous battle of the Russo-German War from the Soviet perspective.” —The…
NYMAS ReviewMuch has been written about the Battle of Stalingrad, the Soviet victory that turned the tide of the Second World War. Yet our knowledge and understanding continues to evolve, and this engrossing account by Alexey Isaev brings together previously unpublished Russian archive material—strategic directives and orders, after-action reports, and official records of all kinds—with the vivid recollections of soldiers who were there, on the front lines, reconstructing what happened in extraordinary new detail. The evidence leads him to question common assumptions about the conduct of the battle—about the use of tanks and mechanized forces, for instance, and the combat capability and tenacity of the defeated and surrounded German Sixth Army in the last weeks before it surrendered. His gripping narrative carries the reader through the course of the entire battle from the first small-scale encounters on the approaches to Stalingrad in July 1942, through the intense continuous fighting through the city, to the encirclement, the beating back of the relieving force, and the capitulation of the Sixth Army in February 1943.Military historian Alexey Isaev’s latest book, with maps and illustrations included, is an important contribution to the literature on this decisive battle. It offers a thought-provoking revised view of events for readers already familiar with the story, and a fascinating introduction for those coming to it for the first time.Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck
By Evan McGilvray. 2020
This military biography explores the life and service of a British Indian Army officer who served with distinction across both…
world wars.During the First World War, Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck was awarded a Distinguished Service Order for his efforts in Egypt and the Mesopotamian Campaign. Afterward, he aided the pacification of the Northwest Frontier, now Pakistan. In the Second World War he briefly led a division in the ill-fated Norway campaign before being appointed Commander-in-Chief, India. Auchinleck is best remembered for his time as Commander-in-Chief of the Middle East Theatre, where he halted Rommel at the First Battle of El Alamein. He then resumed command in India, where his leadership was vital to success in Burma. In the post-war years, he planned and oversaw the Partition of India and the British withdrawal.In this extensively researched biography, historian Evan McGilvray examines Auchinleck’s long career as well as the transformations of the British military and the Empire itself.U.S. Army Signal Corps Vehicles 1941–45 (Casemate Illustrated Special)
By Didier Andres. 2021
Includes hundreds of period photos covering all the details of the trucks, vans and trailers vital to maintain the communications…
of the U.S. Army in WWII.The Signal Corps was at the forefront of the technological development of communications throughout World War II. Tasked with coordinating all American military activities, the Signal Corps initially had to rely on a communications landline network covering some 1 300 000 km. This network together with radio communications provided President Roosevelt with a global overview of military operations down to battalion level updated hourly for nearly five years. Technological evolution was so rapid that radio communications soon took over from the landline network, however adaptation remained a priority within the US Army Signal Corps for when landline networks were unavailable or radio silence had to be observed; signallers also maintained older communications methods including homing pigeons. Almost every large piece of Signal Corps equipment required wheeled transport. Early in the war the Model “K” vehicles, designed for the Signal Corps’ needs, quickly proliferated with 84 variants being produced. After that designation was abandoned the Signal Corps would catalogue a further 62 models of vehicles and trailers, most of them were associated with a particular radio or radar installation. This comprehensive and fully illustrated account covers radar, radio vehicles, plus specialized vehicles such as telephone repair trucks, mobile telephone switchboards and homing pigeon units, all described in technical detail and illustrated by hundreds of period photos.Reading at War, 1939–45 (Towns & Cities in World War Two)
By David Bilton. 2020
A history of life in the southern English town during World War II.As in the Great War, Reading in the…
Second World War was a town permanently in a state of flux. So close to London, so easily pinpointed by its proximity to the Thames, with railway lines converging near the town center and with much of the town’s industry geared up to essential war work, it was an obvious target for the German Luftwaffe when the war broke out. Knowing this, the council had set up an efficient civil defense system aided by government finance. Fortunately for the citizens, although they were bombed on many occasions, only one raid had any significant impact.The book covers the daily life of a town ready for the worst, but one that continued with its daily life and just got on with its efforts to aid the war effort. The book is profusely illustrated with photographs, illustrations and human interest stories. Much of the material used has not been seen since the war so it provides a valuable and unique insight into daily life of the town.“David Bilton takes an in-depth look at how the people of Reading coped during the conflict. Interesting to read that suffering from German Air Raids was apparently minimal, and the photographs, as always, are fascinating to see. A brilliant series.” —Books Monthly (UK)The Long Range Desert Group in the Aegean
By Brendan O'Carroll. 2020
A history of the British Army unit’s deployment to and defense of a group of islands between Greece and Turkey…
during World War II.Shortly after the invasion of Sicily, in order to distract German attention from the Italian campaign, Churchill ordered the occupation of the Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean.The Long Range Desert Group, retraining in Lebanon, were now part of Raiding Forces, Middle East, along with the Special Boat Service and No 30 Commando. In support of 3,000 regulars in 234 Brigade, the LRDG landed covertly on Leros establishing observation posts, reporting movement of enemy shipping and aircraft.In October the LRDG were ordered to assault the island of Levitha, losing forty highly skilled men killed or captured. The Germans invaded Leros with overwhelming force on 12 November 1943, five days later the battle was over. While many British troops were captured most of the LRDG and SBS escaped. Their individual stories make for enthralling reading.A measure of the intensity of the fighting is the fact that the LRDG lost more men in three months in the Aegean than in three years in the desert operating behind enemy lines.The author, an acknowledged expert on the LRDG uses official sources, both British and German, and individual accounts to piece together the full story of this dramatic, costly but little-known campaign. It is a valuable addition to the history of special forces in the Second World War.Praise for The Long Range Desert Group in the Aegean“O’Carroll provides an interesting and informative read about a little known action by a World War II era special operations unit and an important part of SOF history.” —SOF NewsInfantry Warfare, 1939–1945: A Photographic History
By Simon Forty, Jonathan Forty. 2021
The infantry can always be found at the sharp end of the battlefield. You may be able to crush an…
opponent with armour or artillery, but there’s only one way to take and hold ground and that’s with riflemen – the ‘poor bloody infantry’. And it is the infantrymen of the Second World War – from all sides, Allied and Axis – who are the subject of this highly illustrated history. It uses over 400 wartime photographs plus contemporary documents and other illustrations to show the developments in equipment, training and tactical techniques and to give an insight into the experience of the infantry soldier during the conflict. Although the infantry were critical to the war effort, their contribution is often overshadowed by the more dramatic roles played by soldiers with more specialized skills – like tank crew, paratroopers and special forces. They also suffered devastating casualties, in particular during the last phase of the war in the west when around 20 per cent of an infantry division’s riflemen were likely to die and over 60 per cent could expect to be wounded. So as well as describing how the infantry fought, the authors look at the motivation which kept them fighting in awful conditions and despite brutal setbacks. The result is a thorough, detailed and revealing portrait of infantry warfare over seventy years ago.A GI in the Ardennes: The Battle of the Bulge
By Denis Hambucken. 2020
An extensively illustrated look at what daily life was like for a regular American soldier fighting in this major World…
War II battle.On December 16, 1944, Hitler launched operation Wacht am Rhein in the Ardennes, an all-out gamble to regain the initiative in western Europe. American troops and the local population were caught completely unprepared. Over the following month, a million men and thousands of tanks and aircrafts set southern Belgium and Luxembourg ablaze. Towns including Bastogne, Malmédy, and La Gleize dominated the front pages of newspapers across the world and will forever be associated with some of the bloodiest fighting and harshest conditions of the war. Through collections of artifacts, photos, letters, and testimonies, this book takes a fresh and immersive look at the day-to-day conditions of American soldiers in the Ardennes, and at the circumstances that drew them there from a world away.Through historical documents, Denis Hambucken has managed to accurately reconstruct the daily life of an American soldier in impressive detail. The author also takes a closer look at the weapons, equipment, and personal belongings of the soldiers who fought at the Western front, while sharing numerous personal anecdotes and moving stories.Ortona Street Fight (Rapid Reads)
By Mark Zuehlke. 2011
December 20, 1943. Two Canadian infantry battalions and a tank regiment stand poised on the outskirts of a small Italian…
port town. They expect to take Ortona quickly. But the German 1st Parachute Division has other ideas. For reasons unknown, Hitler has ordered Ortona held to the last man. Houses, churches and other buildings are dynamited, clogging the streets with rubble. Germans with machine guns lie in ambush. Snipers slip from one rooftop to another. The Canadians seem to have walked into a death trap. This is a battle fought at close range, often hand to hand. Casualties on both sides are heavy. In the end, raw courage and ingenuity save the Canadians. Ortona Street Fight is a riveting telling of what is considered one of the most epic battles that Canadian soldiers have ever fought.Invasion!: Operation Sea Lion, 1940
By Martin Marix Evans, Angus Mcgeoch. 2004
This terrifying alternative reality is actually based on historical facts. The book follows the real course of events up to1…
September, including the planning in Britain and Germany, and the aerial war. The fictional story then supposes that the Germans halted their advance in France along the Seine and the Aisne after the fall of Paris and that Marshal Petain conceded an armistice at that point. The Panzer divisions are thus able to rest and re-equip in northern France…A brilliant blend of meticulous research and imagination, this book is bound to appeal to anyone with an interest in the causes and effects of historical events, and indeed to anyone interested in world war history itself.The first volume in a groundbreaking work of WWII history presents a startlingly different narrative of D-Day based on newly…
released documents. Though the historic importance of the Allied attack on the gun battery at Pointe du Hoc is well known, historian Gary Sterne has uncovered striking new information about the events in recently released documents. In a landmark work of World War II history, Sterne presents a trenchant reassessment of the battle for Pointe du Hoc in a vivid, two-volume account that reveals the true mission of the 2nd and 5th U.S. Army Rangers. This first volume looks at the critical months leading up to the Normandy invasion, following the preparations of the Rangers from their arrival in England in 1943. Sterne examines the orders they received, along with dozens of aerial reconnaissance photographs of Omaha Beach, Pointe et Raz de la Percée, Pointe du Hoc and Maisy—as well as French Resistance reports. Shown in chronological order and in their original format, many of these documents are still marked TOP SECRET. Together with the second volume, The Cover Up at Omaha Beach, this revelatory work will change the way historians view the Pointe du Hoc battle from now on.A &“fascinating&” guide to war propaganda of WWI and WWII, from &“Loose Lips Sink Ships&” to &“Keep Calm and Carry…
On&”—includes vintage images (Firetrench). A Guide to War Publications of the First & Second World War is devoted to the printed ephemera that was designed to educate, instruct, inform, and entertain during the first and second World Wars. This includes soldiers&’ Field Regulations, updates airmen received about airborne early warnings, bomb sights, and radio navigation, and materials sailors were given to help them identify enemy aircraft and operate new weapons on submarines. This comprehensive guide illustrates the large amount of material produced during the war by looking at encouraging wartime sayings such as: &“Go To IT!,&” &“Come Into The Factories,&” &“Keep Calm and Carry On,&” &“Dig for Victory,&” &“Lend A Hand on the Land,&” and &“Walk When You Can.&” While showing how other messages warned of consequences to irresponsible behavior: &“Careless Talk Cost Lives,&” &“Loose Lips Sink Ships,&” &“Keep It Under Your Hat,&” and &“Be Like Dad, Keep Mum.&” Arthur Ward gives information on what propaganda was produced, what items are still available and where to find them, and how to conserve and store vintage printed items.Take These Men: Tank Warfare with the Desert Rats
By Cyril Joly. 2019
A 1955 military memoir offering a first-hand account of life in the British 7th Armoured Division during World War II.…
Few accounts of the tank battles in the Western Desert during the Second World War have provided so vivid an evocation as Cyril Joly&’s classic account Take These Men. In such inhospitable conditions, this was armoured warfare of a particularly difficult and dangerous kind. From 1940 to 1943, battles raged back and forth as one side or the other gained the upper hand, only to lose it again. Often the obsolescent British armour was outnumbered by the Italians or outgunned by Rommel&’s Afrika Korps, and frequently it suffered from the ineptitudes of higher command. Cyril Joly&’s first-hand narrative of these campaigns—highly praised when it was originally published in 1955—tells the story through the eyes of a young officer in the 7th Armoured Division, the famous Desert Rats. It describes in accurate, graphic detail the experience of tank warfare over seventy years ago, recalling the fortitude of the tank crews and their courage in the face of sometimes overwhelming odds.