Alexander, Caroline. The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty. Penguin 2004 [One of the most acclaimed histories of 2003 is now available in paperback. [The title link above is to the paper edition from Amazon.com in the US, to order from the UK, please click here.] Alexander's throrough research is a corrective to the legends surrounding Bligh, Christian, and the Bounty that have been popularized by Hollywood. Stripped of all the myths, it is still an amazing story, especially Bligh's 48-day, 3,600-mile journey to safety in a 23-foot open boat with 18 of his crew. "Alexander's reconstruction of the mutiny and its aftermath (thanks to her exhaustive research through books, reports, newspapers, correspondence, historical societies and archives) is almost as remarkable as Bligh's feat. . . . Alexander's work is destined to become the definitive, enthralling history of a great seafaring adventure." -- Publishers Weekly. ". . . fast-reading and gripping narrative . . . an in-depth, well-researched look at all the elements that went into the history-making event. . . . Alexander leaves no detail unexamined. . . . A rollicking sea adventure told with enormous confidence and style." -- Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist (starred review). "Surely this exhaustingly-researched, enthralling and enthusiastically-written tome is the last word on the most famous of all seafaring mutinies. . . . The book is enlivened by the colorful commentary of the crew members themselves, gleaned from letters and court documents. Alexander does us all the favor of presenting Bligh the way he was understood and received in his day--as a brilliant navigator who, when placed in context, was not a brutal task-master at all." -- Mike McGonigal, Amazon.com. Originally published in 2003 by HarperCollins (UK) and Viking Pr. (US), it is still available in a hardcover edition. To order it from Amazon.com, please click here, to order it from Amazon.com.uk, please click here. An unabridged audiobook on 10 cassettes and narrated by Simon Prebble is available from Penguin Audiobooks. They also offer an abridged audio version on 5 CDs or on 4 audio cassettes narrated by Michael York.]
American Wars. [Praeger Illustrated Military History Series] Praeger/Osprey 2004 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. This is an eleven-volume series that covers key campaigns and their most significant battle(s) in various American wars ranging from the French and Indian Wars through Vietnam. What Praeger has done is take eleven of the Osprey Campaign Series books and put in them in nice, uniform, hardcover editions. These hardcover books are basically the same as the paperback originals, although sometimes with minor changes which were undertaken to produce uniform, 96-page editions. [In some cases, National Park Service tour information was removed, although it can be readily obtained in free brochures from the NPS; and in some cases the author's discussion of wargaming the battle/campaign was scaled back.] Each volume uses heavy paper, and they have the high-quality graphics Osprey is known for -- full-color "3-D' maps, numerous color illustrations and renditions, photographs, etc. The books have a common organization, which makes them especially valuable for military neophytes. The organization is roughly as follows (although there are some exceptions or reordering depending on the book): an introduction that puts the campaign into its broader historical context, a chronolgy of key dates, an examination of the opponents' campaign plans, biographies of each sides' leaders, a discussion of the opposing armies, the conduct of the campaign, more detailed accounts of the key battle(s), orders of battle for a campaignand/or battle, an analysis of the aftermath of the battle/campaign, a look at the battlefield today for those wishing to visit the sites, a bibliography/suggestions for further reading, and an index. Overall, I have found these books to be good, reliable introductions to significant battles and campaigns and do recommend them to military historians and buffs, whether one will be visiting the battlefields or not. Here are the eleven volumes that make up the set:
Chartrand, René. Ticonderoga 1758: Montcalm's Victory Against All Odds. Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.
Morrissey, Brendan. Boston 1775: The Shot Heard Around the World. Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.
Morrissey, Brendan. Quebec 1775: The American Invasion of Canada. Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.
Morrissey, Brendan. Saratoga 1777: Turning Point of a Revolution. Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.
Kostum, Angus. Guilford Courthouse 1781. Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.
Morrissey, Brendan. Yorktown 1781: The World Turned Upside Down. Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.
The rest of the series will be posted shortly.]
Astore, William J. & Dennis E. Showlalter. Hindenburg: Icon of German Militarism. [Potomac's Military Profiles Series] Potomac Books 2005 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. " This is a very badly needed, balanced, and thoughtful survey and analysis of the life and career of a central figure in the modern history of Germany. Fair in its appraisal of HindenburgÕs strengths and weaknesses, it is especially important for the insight it provides into the way he came to symbolize both German militarism and its significance for the developments in which he played an often central role." -- Gerhard L. Weinberg. "This is a splendid book. Masterfully crafted and tightly organized by two leading scholars, Hindenburg offers the first critical reassessment in decades of perhaps the most enduring icon of German militarism. It is hard to argue with the authorsÕ overall assessment that Paul von Hindenburg possessed neither dexterity nor breadth of vision, that he was out of his depth as a coalition commander, that he 'sold his soul' in 1919, and that he facilitated the rise of a vast criminal regime in 1933. This book is must reading for military historians and deserves to be adopted in military and strategic studies courses." -- Holger H. Herwig.]
Chartrand, René. Ticonderoga 1758: Montcalm's Victory Against All Odds. [Praeger Illustrated Military History Series] Praeger 2004 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. This book chronicles the campaign of one of three prongs of the 1758 British offensive against the French during the French and Indian Wars. Led by General Abercromby, the British operation shattered against the well-emplaced French forces under the command of the Marquis de Montcalm. Not only did this undermine the annual British effort to deal with French Canada, it also cost the British the life of their finest officer -- Lord Howe. This book was originally published in paperback by Osprey in 2000.]
Dudley, Wade G. Drake: For God, Queen, and Plunder. [Military Profiles Series] Potomac Books 2005 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. This is a quick read by a naval historian who has a real feel for combat in the age-of-sail. What separates Dudley from so many other historians is the colorful prose that animates his books. Drake, like Dudley's other writings, is a page-turner that is also fun to read. "This focused biography of Drake fits well author Wade Dudley's style: forthright, aggressive, hard-hitting, and never dull. Dudley writes with a polished tone that bespeaks a seasoned master of the naval tale. He makes Sir Francis come alive in a work that assesses equally his daring, successes, mistakes, and failures." -- Dr. Michael A. Palmer. "A lively and engagingly-written brief life that draws on both classic works like Julian Corbett's and the most recent scholarship to furnish a balanced assessment of an oft-mythologized figure. . . . An outstanding introduction to Drake and his world." -- Dr. John F. Beeler. "A useful introduction to a subject of enduring fascination and to the history of one of Europe's greatest seamen." -- The International History Review. "Admirably summarizes . . . Drake's role as Elizabethan naval hero and 'sea dog,' serving God and country in an era of war, conquest, exploration, and high adventure." -- The Historian. ""This succinct biography of Sir Francis Drake is a marvelous introduction to both the man and the myth. Wade Dudley's knack for examining the totality of time and place within its historical setting provides the reader with a focused understanding of the events that influenced Drake's life and beliefs. A consummate storyteller, the author holds the reader's interest while teaching him to look at history with a fresh eye and urging him to explore the subject in more detail." -- Pirates and Privateers: The History of Maritime Piracy (website). Originally published in 2003, this book is still available in hardcover from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.]
Eversmann, Matt & Dan Schilling, eds. The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger. [Mark Bowden, foreword] Presidio/Ballantine 2005 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. This book assembles six hard-hitting accounts of the desperate battle in the heart of Mogadushu that cost America eighteen of her finest. It is a story made famous by Mark Bowden's book, Black Hawk Down, and later by the movie of the same name. The editors are also two of the six contributors, Eversmann was at the time of the slugfest an Army staff sergeant in charge of Blocking Position 4, and Schilling was a USAF staff sergeant assigned to special operations as a combat air controller (he also rode with the Ranger battalion commander in the rescue convoy). Other contributors are Raleigh Cash (a Ranger sergeant and the forward observer for the rescue convoy), Mike Kurth (an RTO who was a key link back to the command center), John Belman (a Ranger sergeant serving on a Black Hawk with the Combat Search and Rescue [CSAR] team for Task Force Ranger), and Tim Wilkinson (a USAF pararescueman [PJ] who served on the same Black Hawk with Belman). "This collection provides enthralling reading about a sad chapter in American military history." -- Richmond Times-Dispatch. "No matter how skilled the writer of nonfiction, you are always getting the story secondhand. HereÕs a chance to go right to the source. . . . These men were there." -- Mark Bowden (from the Foreword). Originally published in 2004, this book is still available in hardcover from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.]
Gailey, Harry A. MacArthur's Victory: The War in New Guinea, 1943-1944. Presdio/Ballantine 2004 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. Gailey presents MacArthur at his best in the campaign for New Guinea. With undermanned American and Australian units (heavily composed of reservists), inadequate air power, and without the full support of the U.S. Navy, MacArthur took the offensive against the Japanese. He went on to win a decisive victory, probably killing at least 50,000 of the enemy in battle, and stranding well over 100,000 Japanese soldiers in various isolated garrisons throughout the region.]
Gilbert, Martin. D-Day. [Turning Points Series] Wiley 2004 [A concise history of the titanic battle by one of the great historians of our era. ". . . it is suitably accessible and digests a great deal of information sensibly." -- Publishers Weekly.]
Heidler, David S. & Jeanne T. Heidler. Old Hickory's War: Andrew Jackson and the Quest for Empire. Louisiana State Univ. Pr. 2003 [Publisher supplied info: In the years following the War of 1812, Battle of New Orleans hero General Andrew Jackson became a power unto himself. Having earlier gained national acclaim and a military promotion upon successfully leading the West Tennessee militia in the Creek War of 1813-1814, Jackson furthered his fame in the First Seminole War in 1818, which led to his invasion of Spanish West Florida without presidential or congressional authorization and to the execution of two British subjects. In Old Hickory's War, David and Jeanne Heidler present an iconoclastic interpretation of the political, military, and ethnic complexities of Jackson's involvement in those two historic episodes. Their exciting narrative shows how the general's unpredictable behavior and determination to achieve his goals, combined with a timid administration headed by James Monroe, brought the United States to the brink of an international crisis in 1818 and sparked the longest congressional debate of the period."A compelling case against [Jackson] for his leadership in the First Seminole War. . . . A vivid description of little-known details of the period." -- Journal of the Early Republic. "Ruthless self-interest and contempt for the weak drove Jackson and the United States on the Florida frontier in the second decade of the nineteenth century. Heidler and Heidler tell the story in great detail, and they tell it well. They do not try to dress it up with romantic visions of honor or selfless devotion to the protection of dependents. The southeastern frontier was not a pretty place, and the bold and defiant types who inhabited it, like Andrew Jackson, were worshiped for their success, not the sometimes ugly means they used to attain it." -- Journal of American History. " The Heidlers tell a complex, ugly story of battles and betrayals, cross-purposes and misunderstanding, and they merit praise for their clear narrative of this unfamiliar episode in U.S. history." -- Publishers Weekly. This book was originally published in 1996. For this edition there is a new preface.]
Hutton, Alfred. The Sword and the Centuries. Greenhill Books (UK)/Stackpole (US) 2003 [This is a reprint of a classic sword and swordsmanship history first published in 1901 with the full title, The Sword and the Centuries or Old Sword Days and Old Sword Ways: Being a Description of the Various Swords Used in Civilized Europe During the Last Five Centuries, and of Single Combats Which Have Been Fought with Them. For this edition there is a new foreword and a new select bibliography by Paul Hilts. The nearly fifty illustrations in the original have been retained. It is hot off the press, so I will report further on it when I have had a chance to read it. In the meantime, here is the publisher supplied info: This colorful and vividly descriptive book traces the sword and its use throughout the golden age of swordsmanship. Using examples from history, Hutton charts the development of various types of weapons, demonstrates the techniques and tactics of the key practitioners, and brings to the fore the heroes and villains of legendary duels, private quarrels, public feuds, and prize fights. Hutton examines such deadly weapons as the Two-Hand Sword, the Rapier Foil, the Dagger Foil, the Stiletto, the Flamberge, the Small Sword, the Falchion, and the Broadsword. He illustrates their use with famous and infamous fights from the history of combat. Alfred Hutton served in the King's Dragoon Guards. He was a prominent, flamboyant historian and author.]
Knell, Hermann. To Destroy a City: Strategic Bombing and Its Human Consequences in World War II. Da Capo Pr. 2003 [This is a wide-ranging work, based on two decades of research, that examines the bombing of a German city (Würzburg) beyond any military usefulness, while also considering broader aspects of the bomber offensives. Knell, who now lives in Canada, was a teen in Würzburg when it was destroyed in March 1945. In one night alone, 6,000 people perished and 92 percent of the city's structures were destroyed. This is much more than a first-hand account of life under bombing though. Part One of the book does look at the specific situation of Würzburg, but Knell goes on to consider why strategic bombing was used, and how it was carried out. Part Two of the book is in fact a history of strategic bombing in WW I and WW II and in different theaters. Part Three goes on to consider other aspects of strategic bombing, e.g., military and civil defense, the use of gas, loss of cultural assets, psychological effects and the treatment of survivors, and international law considerations. "His subsequent lifelong study of the bombers' war led to this solid coverage of the subject, which is distinguished by its thoroughness and balanced judgement on controversial subjects. . . . There are worthwhile items such as sketches of the theoreticians of the strategic air campaign, notably Solly Zuckerman and Frederick Lindemann . . . and concise coverage of air raids outside the main European theater. . . . The book leaves out the question of the role the Allied air campaign played in defeating the Luftwaffe over Europe, but does address civil defense effectiveness, psychological effects and the aftermath of the war for both civilians and bomber crews in a good introduction to its subject." -- Publishers Weekly.]
Koskimaki, George E. The Battered Bastards of Bastogne: A Chronicle of the Defense of Bastogne, December 19, 1944-January 17, 1945. Casemate 2003 [This the third volume of Koskimaki's history of the "Screaming Eagles," i.e., the 101st Airborne Division. (the other two being D-Day with the Screaming Eagles and Hell's Highway). This book goes well beyond the 101st though as the defense of Bastogne was also tasked to three combat teams of Combat Command B of the 10th Armored and the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion. Nor does Koskimaki ignore the efforts of the tow plane and glider pilots who had to fly through tons of flak to keep Bastogne resupplied. Finally, the author examines the heroics of the 4th Armored which lifted the German siege. He contacted over 1,300 participants in the battle, his composite picture finally coming together from the accounts of 530 individuals. These are powerful, compelling stories that are well-assembled into a solid chronicle of the battle. The reader is constantly reminded that courageous behavior became a common attribute. One gets a sense of this from so many individuals, personally I find its expression by Chaplain Francis L. Sampson quite amazing. He never hesitated to go through intense fire to retrieve the wounded and bring comfort to the dying. His compassion eventually took him on a high-risk mission to retrieve scarce medical supplies that resulted in his capture and confinement for the remainder of the war. This book has appeared in two previous versions in 1989 and 1994.]
Koskimaki, George E. Hell's Highway: Chronicle of the 101st Airborne Division in the Holland Campaign, September-November 1944. Casemate 2003 [As in his previous two volumes, Koskimaki draws heavily on the participants to tell the story, this time of the greatest airborne operation of WW II. For this work he received the cooperation of 612 participants. They included pilots and crews of the C-47 transport aircraft, glider pilots and paratroopers of the 101st Airborne, and 90 former Dutch underground-resistance fighters and citizens. Koskimaki begins with the return of the 101st Airborne Division from Normandy back to England where they prepared for Operation Market-Garden. However, the focus of the book is on the 101st during the forst two weeks of the operation in the area between Eindhoven and Uden, and then again for a period of about two months as the 101st is occupied with defensive battles to protect the Nijmegen bridge and the key highway on the "Island" (Betuwe) between Arnhem and Nijmegen. Koskimaki's final book of the trilogy covering the 101st in WW II is like the others, a well-woven tapestry of accounts by those who saw the war at close quarters.]
Kostum, Angus. Guilford Courthouse 1781. [Praeger Illustrated Military History Series] Praeger 2004 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. Kostum provides a useful introduction to the Southern campaign that brought Lord Cornwallis victory over the army of Nathaniel Greene, but at a terrible cost -- over one-quarter of his forces and several key officers. These losses were to come back to haunt Cornwallis in the final, decisve campaign of the war at Yorktown. After his Pyrrhic victory, Cornwallis was in no position to retain control of the south and Greene's army reemerged from the defeat to establish control of the region. Cornwallis meanwhile headed north to Virginia, which he felt was the key to defeating the Americans. Each volume in this Praeger series uses heavy paper, and they have the high-quality graphics Osprey is known for -- full-color "3-D' maps, numerous color illustrations and renditions, photographs, etc. The books have a common organization, which makes them especially valuable for military neophytes. The organization is roughly as follows (although there are some exceptions or reordering depending on the book): an introduction that puts the campaign into its broader historical context, a chronolgy of key dates, an examination of the opponents' campaign plans, biographies of each sides' leaders, a discussion of the opposing armies, the conduct of the campaign, more detailed accounts of the key battle(s), orders of battle for a campaignand/or battle, an analysis of the aftermath of the battle/campaign, a look at the battlefield today for those wishing to visit the sites, a bibliography/suggestions for further reading, and an index. Overall, I have found these books to be good, reliable introductions to significant battles and campaigns and do recommend them to military historians and buffs, whether one will be visiting the battlefields or not. This book was originally published in paperback by Osprey in 2002.]
Leckie, Robert. The March to Glory. ibooks 2002 [This book is a popular history that recounts the amazing story of the First Marine Division which fought overwhelming Chinese forces and horrific weather (-25 degrees Fahrenheit) in the withdrawal from Chosin Reservoir to Hungnam, a North Korean port almost eighty miles away. This book was originally published in 1960.]
Macksey, Kenneth. Guderian: Panzer General. Greenhill Books (UK)/Stackpole (US) 2003 [This is a biography of one of Germany's most innovative officers and master of the blitzkrieg. It originally appeared in 1975, but new material has allowed Macksey to write a new introduction and add new photos along with making revisions throughout the text. Three key sets of revisions involve: 1.) a reassessment of Guderian's role in the 20 July plot against Hitler; 2.) a better understanding of the impact of Ultra intelligence, and 3.) a critical reevaluation of Liddell Hart and his influence (or lack thereof) on Guderian thanks to Mearsheimer's bombshell study, Liddell Hart and the Weight of History.]
Monahan, Evelyn M. & Rosemary Neidel-Greenlee. And If I Perish: Frontline U.S. Army Nurses in World War II. Knopf 2003 [During WW II, more than 59,000 nurses volunteered to serve in the Army Nurse Corps. Of these 217 died (16 due to enemy action), and more than 1,600 were decorated for meritorious service and courage under fire. Here the authors of All This Hell: U.S. Nurses Imprisoned by the Japanese and Albanian Escape: The True Story of U.S. Army Nurses Behind Enemy Lines look at the role of the nurses in the campaigns in North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany. "A priceless contribution to the rich legacy of Army nurses. A masterpiece, this book pulls no punches as the authors graphically paint a picture of hardship, horror, pain, death, and unbelievable dedication to duty." -- Maj. Debra Cox, former U.S. Army Nurse Corps Historian. "Based on interviews, correspondence and diaries, as well as on published sources and archival material, this book employs a descriptive, matter of fact style that makes a nice foil to its vivid use of reconstructed dialogue and primary source quotations. Though the book is divided into chapters that recount individual campaigns . . . , Monahan and Neidel-Greenlee do follow the experiences of several nurses throughout their history, bringing a narrative cohesion to what might have otherwise been a fragmented series of anecdotes. Particularly fascinating are their graphic descriptions of medical conditions, like gangrene and malaria, and of hospital procedures, such as the then-cutting-edge operation of transfusing whole blood into wounded soldiers. . . . this volume provides a valuable account of an often-neglected historical topic. . . ." -- Publishers Weekly. "Their valor was unrivaled, their patriotism undeniable, but their contribution to the war effort was largely unacknowledged. . . . Battle by battle, in vivid, newsreel-like fashion, the authors dramatically portray the heroic efforts of courageous women who experienced the war at its most horrific and heartrending levels." -- Carol Haggas, Booklist. To order via Amazon.com.uk, please click here.]
Monahan, Evelyn M. & Rosemary Neidel-Greenlee. All This Hell: U.S. Nurses Imprisoned by the Japanese. Univ. Pr. of Kentucky 2003 [This is the account of nearly one hundred and U.S. Army and Navy nurses stationed on Guam and in the Philippines who were captured by the Japanese and spent more than three years in prison camps. "Like their male counterparts, these nurses faced the reality of combat, anguish of surrender, and the brutality of captivity. Their story is one chapter in the annals of World War II that must be told, if American men and women are to appreciate the depth of sacrifice made by their countrymen and women in the cause of freedom." -- Rear Adm. Frances Shea Buckley, Nurse Corps, USN (Ret.). "Goes far toward telling their story in a way most readers can grasp, sensing the heroism as well as the horrors of some of most desperate years our Republic has ever faced." -- Frank F. Mathias. "All This Hell is a testament of human endurance, raw courage, and professionalism. Already physically and psychologically exhausted by the horrors and rigors of combat nursing and working against all odds to save the thousands of sick and wounded casualties these women bravely withstood the unspeakable conditions and starvation of the prison camp and continued to practice their profession until liberation. Their sacrifice and service were soon forgotten in the annals of history but these nurses blazed the path for military women to follow." -- BGen. Connie Slewitzke, former director, Army Nurse Corps. This book was originally published in 2000. To order via Amazon.com.uk, please click here.]
Morrissey, Brendan. Boston 1775: The Shot Heard Around the World. [Praeger Illustrated Military History Series] Praeger 2004 [Originally published in paperback by Osprey in 1994 and 2000. The Praeger edition is the same as the 2000 Osprey edition except that the tour info is removed (although it can be readily obtained in the free brochure from the National Park Service); and two and one-half pages of the six page discussion on wargaming the Boston campaign are excised.]
Morrissey, Brendan. Quebec 1775: The American Invasion of Canada. [Praeger Illustrated Military History Series] Praeger 2004 [This book chronicles of the most unusual campaigns in the run up to the American War for Independence. Congress sent American forces to capture Montreal and Quebec. An American conquest of the Province of Quebec would pose vexing strategic probelms for the British, and the campaign witnessed a British rollback of the American occupation culminating in the naval battle at Lake Champlain. Amidst the ferocious struggle, one of the key American generals emerged -- Benedict Arnold. Yet in his very able command were the seen the seeds of his future problems as he proved most uncooperative with his superiors. Originally published in paperback by Osprey in 2003.]
Morrissey, Brendan. Saratoga 1777: Turning Point of a Revolution. [Praeger Illustrated Military History Series] Praeger 2004 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. This is an account of the campaign offered by a British historian. With the first significant defeat of British regulars by Continental forces, many argue this campaign was the turning point of the war. Originally published in paperback in 2000 as #67 in the Osprey Campaign Series with the title, Saratoga 1777.]
Morrissey, Brendan. Yorktown 1781: The World Turned Upside Down. [Praeger Illustrated Military History Series] Praeger 2004 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. British historian Brendan Morrissey chronicles the final campaign of the American Revolution in which General George Washington's army, with French assistance, defeated the British forces under General Cornwallis's command. Although skirmishing continued on the western frontier and in the south, and 30,000 British troops remainied in North America, the war for all practical purposes was over. This book was originally published in paperback by Osprey in 1997.]
Newton, Steven H., ed. & trans. Kursk: The German View. Da Capo Pr. 2003 [Newton offers a wide-ranging view of Kursk from German reports written under the auspices of the U.S. Army in the immediate aftermath of WW II. For this book, Newton has done his own translations and editing, and he offers extensive annotations. He starts with an overview of Operation Citadel by General Theodor Busse, and then follows with more specific reports -- Armeeabteilung Kempf (Gen. Raus), Fourth Panzer Army (Fangohr), Ninth Army and Second Panzer Army (von der Groeben), Luftflotte Six (Kless), Luftflotte Four (Seidemann), and railroad transportation (Col. Teske). In the second part of the book, the focus becomes more tactical looking at XXXV Corps east of Orel (Rendulic), XX Corps on the defense (von Roman), XI Corps in the battles for Belgorod and Kharkov (Raus), and the Sixth Army defense of the Mius River line (Maj. Francke). In the third part of the book Newton offers four essays analyzing critical aspects of Citadel -- "Hoth, von Manstein, and Prokhorovka: A Revision in Need of Revising," "Ninth Army and the 'Numbers Game': A Fatal Delay?," "Army Group South's Initial Assault: Analysis and Critique," and "Was Kursk a Decisive Battle?" This book is viewed as a partial corrective to The Battle of Kursk by David Glantz and Jonathon House which makes excellent use of Soviet sources, but less effective use of German sources. ". . . indispensable. . . . insightful editorial comments. . . . Largely inaccessible to the beginning student of the decisive campaign of World War II, the book may be hailed as invaluable by the serious one" -- Publishers Weekly. This is Newton's third book on the eastern Front in WW II. His other ones are: Retreat from Leningrad: Army Group North 1944-1945 and German Battle Tactics on the Russian Front 1941-1945, both published by Schiffer Publishing.]
Rogers, Anthony. Churchill's Folly: Leros and the Aegean: The Last Great British Defeat of World War Two. Cassell (UK) 2004/Casemate (US) 2005 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. Rogers recounts the high-risk operation in 1943 in Greece's Dodecanese Islands. Despite US opposition, Churchill wanted to create a new front in the Eastern Mediterranean. British garrison troops did manage to take some islands, but over a three-month period everything was wrested away by the German's Division Brandenburg supported by adequate air cover (something British forces lacked). The end result was Axis control of the Aegean for the duration of the war and the loss of an entire British brigade. Originally published in 2003, this book is still available in hardcover from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.]
Rommel, Erwin. Rommel and His Art of War. [John Pimlott, ed.] Greenhill Books (UK)/Stackpole (US) 2003 [This is a selection of Rommel's writings interspersed with informative commentary by noted military historian John Pimlott. His choices of Rommel's material begins prior to World War I. They are followed by selections from WW I, the interwar years, and finally the majority of the book is excerpted from WW II writings up through mid-1944. This book is basically the same as Rommel in His Own Words, first published in 1994. This new edition is now in a standard trade paperback size, it has been retypeset, and the photos moved to a glossy paper insert.]
Simmons, Edwin Howard. The United States Marines: A History, Fourth Edition. Naval Institute Pr. 2003 [This is a popular history of the Marines from its beginnings in November 1775 up to 2001. There is no one better qualified to write this book -- General Simmons was a decorated veteran of three wars and for 25 years the Director of Marine Corps History and Museums. This book's origins go back to 1969, its last revision was in 1998. As for this fourth edition, Simmons has revised two chapters (the one covering the years 1975-1989, the other the span 1991-1998). He has also added a new chapter that chronicles the years 1996-2000. The book has three appendices (the Marines' Hymn, Battle Honors, and Lejeune's 1921 Birthday Message), and a good annotated bibliography.]
Smith, Richard C. Second to None: A Pictorial History of Hornchurch Aerodrome Through Two World Wars and Beyond, 1915-1962. Grub St. Pr. 2004/Casemate (US) 2005 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. This book chronicles the famous fighter base using 250 photographs of the facility, the men, and the machines that flew from Hornchurch to battle Zepplins in WW I and German bombers and fighters in WW II. Dramatic photos from the German bombing raids on Hornchurch are also included. Coverage extends through the interwar period and the postwar period including the demolition of various buildings. All photos are fully captioned and each of the seven chapters has additional text. This hardcover book is oversized and printed on heavy glossy paper.]
Spick, Mike. Luftwaffe Fighter Aces: The Jagdflieger and Their Combat Tactics and Techniques. Greenhill Books (UK)/Stackpole (US) 2003 [Spick offers a useful look at how the Luftwaffe pilots achieved success, often against great odds. His book is greatly aided by the appendices, 35 photographs, 20 tables, and especially the 25 clearly-drawn diagrams of flight maneuvers that make the combat tactics easy to understand for the aviation neophyte. This book was originally published in 1996. To order via Amazon.com.uk, please click here.]
Urban, William. The Teutonic Knights: A Military History. Greenhill Books (UK)/Stackpole (US) 2003 [This book covers 500 years of the knights' history, 300 years of which saw their Order with a firm hold on the Baltic and northern Germany. Theirs was a crusading order, so they werer feared by their enemies but respected in medieval Christian civilization for their chivalric ways. Urban is a noted schoalr of medieval Baltic history and the author of Tannenberg and After: Lithuania, Poland and the Teutonic Order in Search of Immortality (Lithuanian Research and Studies Center 1999).]
von Below, Nicolaus. At Hitler's Side: The Memoirs of Hitler's Luftwaffe Adjutant 1937-1945. [Geoffrey Brooks, trans.] Greenhill Books (UK)/Stackpole (US) 2004 [This is a personal account by Hitler's aide, a Luftwaffe officer, who remained always at the dictator's side from 1937 until the fall of Berlin. It was originally published in German in 1980 with the title, Als Hitlers Adjutant 1937-45 To order via Amazon.com.uk, please click here. ". . . an important memoir for those studying the Nazi war machine. . . . [it] will be most enticing for military historians studying the strategic thought of Hitler and his generals. He chronicles the repeated controversies between Hitler and his generals on all aspects of the war the Russian front, materiel production, tactical objectives and future plans. . . . The memoir ends abruptly, with notes added throughout by the translator to clarify or identify factual errors." -- Publishers Weekly. "Since the author's personal diaries were destroyed at the end of World War II, his memoir . . . is based on his reconstruction of events, not his contemporaneous reactions. The details, in particular the dates, are so specific that he obviously researched the events very thoroughly. The result is not so much a glimpse of the inner workings of the German high command as a brief history of the war from the perspective of someone who witnessed it at the highest levels and then interspersed this history with his remembered observations and occasional references to surviving correspondence. The book is troubling in that von Below is still enthralled by Hitler's military insights and attempts to place blame for German military blunders on someone other than Hitler." -- Frederic Krome, Library Journal. First published in English in 2001, it is still available in a hardcover edition. To order it from Amazon.com, please click here, to order it from Amazon.com.uk, please click here.]
Weir, Gary E. & Walter J. Boyne. Rising Tide: The Untold Story of the Russian Submarines that Fought the Cold War. Basic 2003 [Based on Russian documents and interviews with Russian admirals, this book tells the history of Russia's postwar submarine fleet, its bureaucratic battles, its operational successes, and its many failures which cost so many Russian sailors their lives, most recently witnessed in the terrible loss of the Kursk.]
Wells, Peter S. The Battle That Stopped Rome: Emperor Augustus, Arminius, and the Slaughter of the Legions in the Teutoburg Forest. Norton 2003 [This book uses a mix of standard history and archaeology to recount the epic battle in A.D. 9 that halted Roman expansion into central Europe and shaped the political and cultural borders in the Rhine region that still exist 2,000 years later. It was on a narrow trail in the Teutoburger Wald in present-day Germany where three Roman legions under the command of Varus were completely destroyed by Germanic tribesmen led by Arminius, a chieftain who had served with the Romans and knew their way of war quite well. One cannot overestimate the impact of this battle on world history, it stopped Rome's drive to the east, and it proved that Roman armies (and hence Rome and its civilization) were not invincible. "Clearly and effectively written. . . . Wells, who is a professor of archaeology at the University of Minnesota and an expert on European archeology of pre-Roman and Roman times, gives the story in clear and engrossing detail. -- Publishers Weekly.]
Whiting, Charles. The Last Assault: The Battle of the Bulge Reassessed. [Pen & Sword Military Classics Series, No. 48] Pen & Sword Books (UK) 2004/Casemate (US) 2005 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. Originally published in 1994, Whiting's book is a revisionist history of the Bulge. Whiting is one of Eisenhower's severest critics, and in this work (and elsewhere), he argues that Ike knew the German attack was coming, but he made no preparations for it. He would rather face the Germans in the open and defeat them there instead of trying to slowly, painstakingly dig them out of their defensive preparations in the Siegfried Line. Now some would call that strategic genius, for Whiting it was the callous, immoral sacrifice of a US Army corps just to get the Germans out of their positions in order to more quickly and easily defeat them.]
Ziegler, Mano. Hitler's Jet Plane: The Me 262 Story. Greenhill Books (UK) 2004/Stackpole (US) 2005 [Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. Ziegler became a Luftwaffe pilot in 1939. From 1943 to 1945 he was an Me 163 test pilot and flight instructor, and later combat pilot with Jagdgeschwader 400. His own jet experience was combined with his interviews with Me 262 pilots (after his release from Soviet captivity) to produce this account of the 262. He covers the early years of research that led to the deployment of the jet, and its use in combat. He also covers the pernicious influence of Hitler on the jet's production and role as a bomber. His wide-ranging discussion looks at specific Me 262 units and some of the jet's more famous flyers. He explains what successes the 262 had, but overall why it failed to deliver the decisive results Göring bragged about. This book was originally published in 1978 with the title, Turbinenjäger Me 262.]
Military Books Online features all of the books we know of in the Wordsworth Military Library Series from the UK. All books in the series are reprints of solid military works that cover all time periods from ancient to modern. Wordsworth prints all the books in this series in a trade paper format. They are all affordably priced. The Wordsworth series is an excellent way to begin a military library. To see their assortment, please click on their logo to the right.
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