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Ailsby, Christopher. Hitler's Sky Warriors: German Paratroopers in Action 1939-1945. Brassey's 2000 [This is an oversized hardcover history of the Fallschirmjäger. It is printed on heavy glossy paper with 250 photographs, many never before published.]

Ambrose, Stephen E. Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne From Normandy to the Eagle's Nest. Touchstone/Simon & Schuster 1993 [orig. 1992. Publisher supplied info: They fought on Utah Beach, in Arnhem, Bastogne, the Bulge; they spearheaded the Rhine offensive and took possession of Hitler's Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden. This gripping depiction of Easy Company re-creates some of the most critical moments of WWII and offers insights into the commanders and regular soldiers--the heroes who manned the battlefields.]

Ambrose, Stephen E. Citizen Soldiers: The U.S Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany: June 7, 1944-May 7, 1945. Simon & Schuster 1997 [Ambrose's last military history, and a fine one at that. Ambrose recently donated his military books to the University of New Orleans so as not to be tempted to write another military book. Also available from Amazon.com.]

Ambrose, Stephen E. D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II. Touchstone 1995 [Originally published in 1994, this book is still available in a hardcover edition from Amazon.com. Simon & Schuster Audiobooks put out an audiocassette edition (four tapes -- six hours) which is available from Amazon.com.]

Anderson, Christopher J. The Fall of Fortress Europe: From the Battle of the Bulge to the Crossing of the Rhine. [G.I.: The Illustrated History of the American Soldier, His Uniform and His Equipment Series, no. 18] Greenhill Books/Stackpole (US) 1999 [The pictures in this series are supplemented with good captions. Most pictures are black & white, but a few are in color. Each book also has an introductory essay.]

Anderson, Christopher J. Patton's Third Army. [G.I. Series: The Illustrated History of the American Soldier, His Uniform and His Equipment, no. 10] Greenhill Books (UK)/Stackpole (US) 1997 [Another in the series of pictorial histories chronicling the uniforms and equipment of the American soldier. Eight pages are composed of color photographs.]

Arnold, James R. The Battle of the Bulge. Osprey (UK)/Stackpole (US) 2000 [This is a short history of the last major German offensive. Originally published in 1990, it is still available as Ardennes 1944: Hitler's Last Gamble in the West, Osprey Campaign Series #5. The book is heavily illustrated, making good use of color, especially with the useful maps. It even has several pages on wargaming the campaign by Richard Marsh.]

Astor, Gerald. Battling Buzzard: The Odyssey of the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team 1943-1945. [World War II Library] Dell 2001 [This is a history of the 517th which saw combat in Italy, a night drop in southern France to spearhead the Allied advance there, and later it fought at the Bulge. This book was originally published in 1993. "Absorbing, informative . . . tellingly detailed." "No one does oral history better than Gerald Astor." -- Stephen E. Ambrose. -- Kirkus Reviews.]

Astor, Gerald. The Bloody Forest: Battle for the Huertgen: September 1944-January 1945. Presidio Pr. 2000 [This is an account of the bloody mess in the HŸrtgen Forest based heavily on interviews with participants. "No one does oral history better than Gerald Astor." -- Stephen E. Ambrose.]

Astor, Gerald. June 6, 1944: The Voices of D-Day. [World War II Library Series] Dell 2002 [Astor, noted for his books based on oral historiography, here draws on more than seventy personal accounts (including his own) to chronicle the Allied side of the great assault on Festung Europa. Based on interviews and personal papers, Astor offers a wide range of US and British combatants -- e.g., riflemen, surgeons and medics, intell specialists, glider pilots, LST crewmen, and naval gunnery officers. This book was originally published in 1994 for the fiftieth-anniversary of D-Day.]

Badsey, Stephen. Arnhem 1944: Operation Market-Garden. [Campaign Series, no. 24] Osprey (UK)/Stackpole (US) 1993

Badsey, Stephen. Normandy 1944: Allied Landing and Breakout. [Campaign Series, no. 1] Osprey (UK)/Stackpole (US) 1990

Balkoski, Joseph. Beyond the Beachhead: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy. [Stephen E. Ambrose, foreword] Stackpole Books 1999 [I first reviewed this book for a publication in 1989 and said it was the best WW II book of the year. A decade later this new edition is still a "must read" for the WW II historian. Based on numerous interviews and other primary sources, Balkoski takes the unit from its training through the invasion. It is a remarkable effort. For this edition a new preface has been added. "If you want to know what it was like, from Private to General, from rifle to tank, from beginning to end, this is the book for you." -- Charles M. Shulz. "It is surely one of the best works in the field that I have ever read. The research was obviously exhaustive and I remain most envious of the brilliant writing style and ability to tie various elements together with superb effect." -- Colonel John A. English. "No division fought harder or shed more blood than these boys and men from both sides of the Potomac River. . . . This book honors them while there are still those alive who remember what a ragtag collection of guardsmen and draftees did against the best soldiers Adolf Hitler had." -- The Washington Times. "An informative, dramatic, and engrossing piece of World War II history. . . . It is must reading." -- World War Two Magazine. "A vital contribution to World War II literature. . . . It uncannily grasps the true feeling of the American infantryman." Harold Leinbaugh.]

Bauserman, John M. The Malmédy Massacre. White Mane Pub. Co. 1995 [A detailed account of the massacre of U.S. POWs that not only provides the American account, but also a chapter with the German version of events.]

Bennett, Ralph. Intelligence Investigations: How Ultra Changed History. [Studies in Intelligence Series] Frank Cass (UK)/ISBS (US) 1996 [I tracked down this book due to the favorable comments of an intell historian. His recommendation was right on the mark. "Intelligence and logistics are two of the most overlooked categories of military history. Fortunately, Ralph Bennett has helped fill in the gaps on the role of intelligence in WW II with his three previous books. His newest book . . . is another work that is mandatory reading for those interested in a proper understanding of Ultra. The book is a collection of ten essays, in which the first five look at some of the broader issues and aspects of Ultra, while the latter five are more akin to case studies. The earlier essays deal with Ultra and strategic decisions, with two focused on the Mediterranean, while another critically assesses a decade's worth of intelligence writing (roughly 1977-86). There are many points of note in these chapters, but let me mention a view, e.g., Bennett's warning of the dangers of writing intelligence history from the winning side, the contributions of Ultra to strategic matters as opposed to tactical, and the lack of respect that intelligence officers and their work received during the interwar years and at the onset of the war. In my opinion, the best point that Bennett raises is that, '. . . the resultant lessons for a more flexible and receptive future in which the anticipated volume of information might obscure the risk that excessive dependence on foreknowledge could lead 'our' action to become little more than reaction to what we knew of 'their' intentions, and hence the loss of the initiative and perhaps of the chance of victory too.' The second five essays look at the role (or lack thereof) of Ultra information regarding: the German attack on Tito's HQ at Drvar (Rösselsprung); the Allied efforts against the Gothic Line; a possible drive on Vienna by US/UK forces (General Alexander's 'Vienna alternative'); the secrecy surrounding Abwehr material relating to Fortitude (the Allied deception operation for Overlord); and finally, the German assault on Crete (in which the limited information provided by Ultra does not add ammunition to criticisms of Freyberg's handling of the defense). This book is the result of the work of a meticulous historian always looking to separate supposition from fact. Some readers may be put off by how critical, at times even caustic, Bennett is regarding the writing of others. Yet his efforts to fill in the gaps in intelligence history, plus better integrate intelligence into military history rather than study the two fields in isolation, must be applauded." -- Fritz Heinzen, Paper Wars magazine. This book is also available in a hardcover edition from Amazon.com.]

Bernage, Georges. Red Devils in Normandy: 6th Airborne Division, 5-6 June 1944. Heimdal (France)/Casemate (US) 2002 [This is a history of the British 6th Airborne Division in the Allied invasion at Normandy. The book is an oversized hardcover printed on glossy paper and loaded with b&w and full-color illustrations and photographs. Although published in France, the text is in English. The 6th was assigned to protect the eastern wing of the Allied assault and it was tasked with capturing, in some cases destroying, the bridges at Orne (including the famous Pegasus Bridge) and the Dives, a German battery, and repelling German counterattacks on the Allied flanks. The first part of the book examines the men and equipment and the German forces they opposed, and initial operations on the night of the 5 June. The second part of the book covers operations throughout 6 June (primarily) and subsequent days as the bridgehead is expanded and maintained.]

Blackburn, George G. Where the Hell Are the Guns?: A Soldier's Eye View of the Anxious Years, 1939-1944. McClelland & Stewart 1999 ["The first volume of a widely acclaimed Canadian military trilogy (but the last book of the trilogy published) has just migrated south to the US bookshelves. . . . The author was a member of a regiment of 25-pounder guns and his memoir tells the tale of gearing up for war in Canada and the move to Britain and preparations for the 1944 invasion. It is story that covers the range of emotions, sadness at learning of colleagues lost at Dieppe and the painful humor that comes with recovering from an indelicate tooth extraction and trying to circumvent the prohibition of leaving the hospital to go on leave. Upon arrival in Britain, the Canadians bumble about so much that the author gives great thanks the Germans didn't invade, but the regiment diligently trains for its future role in combat. That is where the previous books -- The Guns of Normandy and The Guns of Victory -- pick up the story of Blackburn and the 4th Field Regiment." -- Fritz Heinzen, Paper Wars magazine. "A book of remarkable depth . . . set in the context of the big picture, the unrelenting toll of Allied disasters for the first half of the war. . . . The whole adventure is told from such an immediate standpoint, it remains a gripping story throughout." -- Pat Currie, London Free Press. ". . . will rank with the finest personal Canadian war memoirs. . . . captures superbly the unease of Canadians facing what Winston Churchill called 'The gathering storm.'" -- David Green, Regina Leader-Post. "Captivating, poignant, often comic, this book shows a regiment that personifies the nation -- and a world -- unprepared for, but undaunted by, war. . . . never strays far from the human drama that is played out on the military landscape." -- Bruce Allen Lynch, New Brunswick Telegraph Journal. "Especially good on just what it was like for average Canadians far from home and loved ones in the prime of their young manhood -- and what a strain it was waiting for nearly five years to get into action." -- Murray Hogben, Kingston Whig-Standard. "Covers the war years up to 1944 with . . . superb anecdotes and poignant moments in beleaguered Britain." -- Ron Lowman, Toronto Star. "George Blackburn's books are historical gold mines -- and Where the Hell Are the Guns? is no exception." -- H. Clifford Chadderton, Chairman, National Council of Veteran Associations. Originally published in 1998, this book is still available in a hardcover edition.]

Blackburn, George G. The Guns of Normandy: A Soldier's Eye View, France 1944. McClelland & Stewart 1997 [This is the first volume of the trilogy published, and it won a number of awards, Including the Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction. ". . . provides details so graphic that even the most nonmilitary reader can appreciate artillery warfare. The Guns of Normandy is no glorious adventure story. Once into the front lines, war is hell. . . . Tension overlays every minute of every hour of every day for weeks on end." -- Books on Canada. "This book may well contain the greatest Canadian memoirs of World War II." -- from the Trillium Award jury citation. "A very moving and poignant . . . account. . . . George Blackburn's book is a salute to the human spirit and its ability to rise to the challenges that confront it." -- Vanguard. "Entrancing. . . . One of the best books to come out of the Second World War." -- Calgary Herald. ". . . brings us as close as we will ever come to the tension, savagery, and turmoil of the fighting in Normandy half a century ago. The immediacy of Blackburn's narrative, his empathy with the fighting men, and his professional insight put the guns of Normandy in a class of its own as a military memoir." -- Quill & Quire. "A finer first-hand account of Canadians at war simply does not exist." -- Tom Clark, national editor, BBS-TV. "His description of what it was like to live through those desperate days . . . should be read by everyone who thinks that military history is about strategy and the views of generals." -- Canadian Military History. "The most realistic and breathtaking account of what front line action was like in World War II . . . by any combatant, Allied or Axis. -- Douglas Fisher. Originally published in 1995, this book may still be available in a hardcover edition.]

Blackburn, George G. The Guns of Victory: A Soldier's Eye View, Belgium, Holland, and Germany, 1944-45. McClelland & Stewart 1997 ["It is exciting when the second volume of a great memoir continues and deepens the experience of the first one." -- Douglas Fisher. "This . . . volume, continuing Blackburn's story from the clearing of the Channel ports through the Scheldt and Rhineland battles to V-E Day, is a stunning successor to The Guns of Normandy." -- J.L. Granatstein, Quill & Quire. "Blackburn's scope is immense, his writing fast-paced and gritty. . . . This is a riveting good read." -- Paul Jackson, Calgary Sun. "The narrative is enthralling. . . . The personal experience, quiet integrity and unstated courage of the author make his works so much more authentic and deeply felt than any academic historian . . . could hope to emulate." -- Peter Buitenhuis, Vancouver Sun. "Blackburn's work reads like a fine novel -- gripping, tense -- but its strength is in the stark realism. He was there." -- H. Clifford Chadderton, Chairman, National Council of Veteran Associations. "The book ranks with Robert Graves's First World War account in Good-bye to All That." -- David Green, Regina Leader Post. Originally published in 1996, this book may still be available in a hardcover edition.]

Blumenson, Martin. The Patton Papers, 1940-1945. Da Capo 1996 [orig. 1974.]

Blunt, Jr., Roscoe C. Foot Soldier: A Combat Infantryman's War in Europe. Da Capo Pr. 2002 [This is the memoir of Roscoe "Rockie" Blunt, who at age nineteen arrived in Europe in November 1944 with the 84th Infantry Division. He saw action at the Roer, the Battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine, and finally reached the River Elbe. He was the youngest soldier to be awarded the Expert Infantry Badge. He also received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. "One of the most immediate, unvarnished accounts ever written of a soldier's day-to-day struggles in World War II, by 'a war hero and a patriot.'" -- Washington Post. "Unique among Wolrd War II memoirs." -- Publishers Weekly. "What was daily life like for a lowly infantryman during the last year of World War II in the European theater? . . . Blunt's memoir, tells us with unadorned candor. . . . He suffered frostbite, severe trauma, killed many enemy soldiers, and was, briefly, taken prisoner [by the SS]. . . . [This book], self-effacing and infused with a healthy skepticism about 'the brass,' is a rough-edged marriage of Studs Terkel's Working and Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage." -- H. O'Billovitch, Amazon.com.]

Bonn, Keith E. When the Odds Were Even: The Vosges Mountains Campaign, October 1944-January 1945. Presidio Pr. 1996 [orig. 1994.]

Bradley, Omar N. A Soldier's Story. [Modern Library War Series; A.J. Liebling, intro.] Modern Library 1999 [Originally published in 1951.]

Breuer, William B. Operation Dragoon: The Allied Invasion of the South of France. Presidio Pr. 1996 [orig. 1987.]

Brooks, Victor. The Normandy Campaign: From D-Day to the Liberation of Paris. [Great Campaigns Series] Da Capo Pr. 2002 [This is a wide-ranging, critical account of the preparation for the invasion, its conduct on each beach, and the several months of campaigning necessary before the Allies could enter Paris. Numerous sidebars look at organization, equipment, key individuals, etc. This book is part of the Great Campaigns Series that was started by Combined Books. (Brooks is the author of several well-received books in this series.)]

Burgett, Donald R. Seven Roads to Hell: A Screaming Eagle at Bastogne. Presidio Pr. 1999 [The acclaimed author of Currahee! relates his combat experience with the 101st Airborne as they hold the key Belgian crossroads where seven roads met -- Bastogne. "I interview combat veterans, or read their manuscripts or books for a living. I've been doing this for thirty years. I've written a couple of books on the 101st Airborne in Bastogne. I've heard and read a lot of spine tingling stories. Don Burgett's Seven Roads to Hell beats every one. His descriptions are on the mark, leaving the reader exhausted yet eager for more. Burgett can carry you through a day or a week in combat with vivid language, a gripping fear, a never-ending desire for food, even K rations, a yearning for sleep, praying for more ammunition, wondering if and when the doctors will arrive, and that's just for starters. . . . Burgett takes us down to the individual level so that we can understand it. Until now I thought that E.B. Sledge's With the Old Breed was the most honest book on combat I ever read. Burgett's account of his experiences at Bastogne surpasses everything. It is a marvelous book." -- Stephen E. Ambrose.]

Carafano, James Jay. After D-Day: Operation Cobra and the Normandy Breakout. [The Art of War Series] Lynne Rienner Publ. 2000 [Carafano provides a new look at why the Americans were able to finally break through German lines after seven weeks of futile fighting in the aftermath of the Normandy landings. Rather than attribute American success to air power, special tactics, or superior logistics, Carafano says victory was provided by effective combat leadership exercised by field grade and junior officers as well as sergeants and privates. It was their initiative and their exploitation of opportunities that provided the breakthrough. ". . . the most thoroughly researched and detailed operational analysis of Cobra yet." -- Lt. Col. John A. English.]

Cavanaugh, William C. C. A Tour of the Bulge Battlefield. [Battleground Europe Series] Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate (US) 2001 [This book is a special edition in the highly respected Battleground Europe Series. Instead of breaking the Ardennes Campaign into multiple small books, this work provides broad coverage of the campaign as a whole in 250 pages. It breaks the campaign into six geographic parts with a tour for each. As with other books in the series, it is a good history featuring numerous compelling stories by the particpants, plenty of contemporaneous pictures, useful maps, and clear travel instructions. One appendix has a helpfulfourteen-page chronology of the battle, another provides the citations of the eighten Medals of Honor won during the Bulge operations.]

Center of Military History, United States Army. The War Against Germany: Europe and Adjacant Areas. [An AUSA Institute of Land Warfare Book] Batsford Brassey 1994 [This is the U.S. Army's official pictorial record of the war against Nazi Germany originally published in 1951 with the title, The War Against Germany and Italy: Europe and Adjacant Areas.]

Chicken, Stephen. Overlord Coastline: The Major D-Day Locations. Spellmount (UK)/Hippocrene (US) 1993 [A great resource for those visiting Normandy, this book is loaded with maps and photographs. The text discusses the significance of the various D-Day sites and how to reach them. Local museums are also included. The book has an appendix detailing the locations of restored military vehicles and equipment. A number of my friends used this book when they toured the Normandy coast in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of D-Day and reported back very positively on this book.]

Claasen, Adam R.A. Hitler's Northern War: The Luftwaffe's Ill-Fated Campaign, 1940-1945. [Modern War Series] Univ. Pr. of Kansas 2001 [Claasen's book shows why the grandiose plans and the huge expectations Hitler had for the conquest of Norway and its incorporation into a pan-Nordic arrangement not only failed to materialize, but ironically contributed to the defeat of Germany. "An important and original contribution to the history of military airpower in World War II." -- James Corum. "Claasen has completely mastered this difficult chapter of World War II. His study reveals, for the first time, the full story of the Luftwaffe's operations in Scandinavia and provides valuable insights into both the inner conditions of the Luftwaffe and German war strategy generally." -- Horst Boog. "An impressive study of combined arms and grand strategy that will appeal to both scholars and general readers." -- Edward Homze.]

Collins, John M. Military Geography for Professionals and the Public. Batsford Brassey 1998 [This is an excellent book on a topic that usually fails to get adequate attention in both military history and national security works. It features a chapter with an interesting discussion of the geographic considerations of the cross-channel attack, Operation Neptune (D-Day). We will have a more thorough discussion of the book in Issue #30 of Paper Wars magazine. For some the many endorsements this key book has received, please visit the General Military History page.]

Cooksey, Jon. Channel Ports: Calais: A Fight to the Finish - May 1940. [Battleground Europe Series] Leo Cooper (UK)/Combined Publ. (US) 2000 [A well-illustrated history of the British defense of the port city of Calais during the German offensive of 1940. The book provides detailed touring instructions for those wishing to explore the sites associated with the fierce battle.]

D'Este, Carlo. Decision in Normandy: 50th Aniversary Edition. HarperPerennial 1994 [orig. 1983]

D'Este, Carlo. Patton: A Genius for War HarperPerennial 1996 [Also available from Amazon.com. When one is larger than life, then one gets a larger than average biography. This new edition of the 1995 release weighs in at 977 pages, but the task of reading it is not quite as formidable as it sounds. D'Este, author of four solid WW II histories, writes in a clear, well-paced manner. And what a life he describes -- a man known for his brutal, blunt, hard charging style, yet who in private could be tender and romantic and often recited poetry and Scripture (he was deeply religious). The author describes the general not only as most would think of him, "daring" and "freewheeling," but he also goes further. He sees Patton the tactician as ranging "from superb to average in situations beyond his control. . . . His grasp of the capabilities of the weapons and equipment at his disposal was unexcelled. No one, for example, made better use of tactical air support. . . . [Further, he] should be remembered as well for his achievements as a trainer of troops as for his tactical innovations and military writings (p. 811)." The Patton that comes to life in these pages is the bold tactician, who at the moment of triumph is able to make the biggest blunders (e.g., the slappings and the Hammelburg raid) -- it is a remarkable portrait that D'Este paints. But then as D'Este proves, "Ultimately, the saga that was Patton's life is infinitely more fascinating than his own self-created myth (p. 4)." The best way I can recommend this book is to confess that I found D'Este capable of changing my long-held opinions of Patton. (Given the size of the book and its value for future reference, the hardcover edition of the book will still be the version preferred by the serious historian.]

Doherty, M.A. Nazi Wireless Propaganda: Lord Haw-Haw and British Public Opinion in the Second World War. [International Communications Series] Edinburgh Univ. Pr. (UK)/Cambridge Univ. Pr. (US) 2000 [This book analyzes the German radio effort against the UK during WW II. Doherty considers the propaganda's purposes, its themes and styles, the techniques employed, the changing patterns of propaganda, and its impact upon the target audience and its morale. The book includes an audio CD with 24 German wartime broadcasts to Britain. They were recorded from 14 January 1940 to 30 April 1945. "This is a splendid contribution, based on extensive archival research, and helps remind us of just how important radio broadcasting was during World War II as a source of alternative information." -- David Culbert, ed., Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television.]

Dorrian, James G. Storming St Nazaire: The Dock Busting Raid of 1942. Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 2001 [St. Nazaire was the site of the "Normandie" dry dock, the only facility of its kind on the Atlantic coast that could service large German surface raiders, e.g., the Tirpitz. As such, it was a threat to the ships keeping Britain provisioned. This book recounts one of the most dramatic raids of WWII, the 26 March, 1942 amphibious assault on this facility by British Commandos and the Royal Navy. The raid succeeded, but at heavy cost to the British forces. The author draws on over 100 interviews with British and German survivors to provide a detailed, and critical (especially over the lack of adequate support for the raid), look at what happened. His discussion even extends to the ramifications of the raid for the French inhabitants. This book was originally published in 1998.]

Doubler, Michael D. Closing With the Enemy: How GIs Fought the War in Europe, 1944-1945. [Modern War Series] Univ. Pr. of Kansas 1995 [An interesting look at the US Army in WW II. Doubler counters parts of Weigley's, van Creveld's, and Marshall's arguments about the effectiveness of the GIs. He argues that, "army divisions were more effective instruments of national policy than is generally believed. A series of key tactical and technical adaptations took place during 1944-1945 that transformed ground units into powerful, cohesive combined arms formations capable of generating awesome firepower and effective ground maneuver." A major study well worth looking at. Originally published in 1994, this book was winner of the 1995 Forrest C. Pogue Prize.]

Drez, Ronald J., ed. Voices of D-Day: The Story of the Allied Invasion Told by Those Who Were There. Louisiana State Univ. Pr. 1996 [Also available from Amazon.com. This book, originally published in 1994, is still available in a hardcover edition.]

Dunphie, Christopher & Garry Johnson. Gold Beach: Inland From King. [Battleground Europe Series] Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 1999 [This well-illustrated guide is of use to both the Normandy battlefield visitor and the D-Day historian. This battlefield is not as well known as Omaha, but there was plenty of fierce action, e.g., the stunning attack of German tank ace Michael Wittmann at Villers-Bocage which earned him the Cross Swords to the Knights Cross (the assault is fully chronicled in this book).]

Eisenhower, John S.D. The Bitter Woods: The Battle of the Bulge. [Stephen E. Ambrose, new intro.] Da Capo Pr. 1995 [orig. 1969.]

Essame, H. Patton as Military Commander. [Military Commanders Series] Combined Books 1998 [orig. 1974.]

Ethell, Jeffrey L. Blitzkrieg in the West, 1939-1942. [Luftwaffe at War Series, vol. 3] Greenhill Books (UK)/Stackpole Books (US) 1997 [The third work in the new series of books on the Luftwaffe. The books are 72-pages long, and loaded with rare (and quite interesting) photos from WW II. Most of the photos are b&w, but the books do have a few pages of color shots. Each book has several pages of text by a noted author in the field introducing the subject matter of that volume, and each photograph has a paragraph of information putting it into perspective.]

Featherston, Alwyn. Battle for Mortain: The 30th Infantry Division Saves the Breakout, August 7-12, 1944. Presidio Pr. 1998 [This book recounts how the National Guardsmen of the Carolinas' 30th Infantry Division held off furious German attacks intended to cut-off and defeat the Allies' breakout from the Normandy beaches. This book was originally published in hardcover in 1993 with the title, Saving the Breakout: The 30th Infantry Division's Heroic Stand at Mortain, August 7-12, 1944. "Featherston's superb narrative illuminates the overall strategic situation while concentrating on the [30th's] lonely struggle." -- Publishers Weekly. "The action is fast-moving and will captivate the general reader." -- Library Journal.]

Forty, George. The Armies of George S. Patton. Arms and Armour Pr. (UK)/Sterling (US) 1998 [orig. 1996. "Colonel Forty has gone to immense trouble to research the detail that his excellent study contains. . . . the book has great value to the student of war." -- Royal Tank Regiment Journal.]

Forty, George. German Occupation: Channel Islands: Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark. [Battleground Europe Series] Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate (US) 2002 [This is an account of the little known occupation of the British isles off the northwest coast of France that were occupied by the Germans from 1940 until the end of the war. It was the first time an invader had landed since 1461. Hitler became obsessed with the islands, thinking they would be a postwar holiday health resort, and part of his Atlantic Wall defenses. Much to his generals dismay, the largest German infantry division was sent to garrison the isles. Along with many good photographs and maps, this book explains what occupation was like for conqueror and conquered. Forty also chronicles the British commando raids against the German forces and facilities. Finally, he provides valuable information for the tourist as regards what to see and where to see it.]

Fowler, Will & Mike Rose. Their War: German Combat Photographs from the Archives of Signal. Combined Publ. 2000 [This book brings together over 200 dramatic photographs from Signal, the German WW II propaganda magazine. Over sixteen pages of these photographs are in color and printed on glossy paper. In addition, the book includes more than 100 additional photos from contemporary Allied and German sources including the magazine, Die Wehrmacht.]

Fraser, David. Knight's Cross: A Life of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. HarperPerennial 1995 [This book was originally published in 1994.]

Gawne, Jonathan. 1944, Americans in Brittany: The Battle for Brest. Histoire & Collections (France)/Casemate Publ. (US) 2002 [This book covers some of the most severe fighting in France -- the battle for the Brittany ports, especially Brest, which was held by German paratroops under the command of General Ramcke. Brest was France's second largest port and it had the largest naval facility including sub pens. The book is an oversized hardcover, printed on glossy paper. The text is supplemented by numerous b&w and color illustrations, maps, TO&Es, pictures of uniforms, etc. Chapters cover aspects of the battle, including the fighting for the Crozon Peninsula, and many chapters are devoted to individual American units heavily involved in the fighting, e.g., the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions, the 83rd, 8th, 29th and 2nd Infantry Divisions, Task Forces A and B, the artillery, the rangers, etc. German forces are covered, but not in such extensive detail.]

Hammel, Eric. Air War Europa: America's Air War Against Germany in Europe and North Africa, 1942-1945: Chronology. Pacifica Press 1997 [Hammel's daily coverage of all important USAAF and USN aviation combat operations, unit arrivals, transfers, decommissionings, etc. runs from 7 December, 1941 to 9 May, 1945. The roles of significant commanders, and details on USAAF fighter aces are also present. An introductory essay examines the use of American fighters in the skies over Europe. Particularly useful are the two indices (the first for USAAF commands and units, the second for all other topics), which use dates instead of page numbers, helpful for narrowing down where to look up a reference if you have a sense of the dates involved. Originally published in 1994, this book is still available in a hardcover edition.]

Hart, Peter. At the Sharp End: From Le Paradis to Kohima: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Norfolk Regiment. [Second World War Regimental Actions Series] Pen & Sword Books/Leo Cooper (UK) 1998/Casemate Publ. (US) 1999 [A better than average oral history assembled by Peter Hart, the Oral Historian at the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive. The 2nd Battalion saw action in several theatres -- they were crushed in France by the Germans in 1940, but the battalion was reconstituted and saw notable service against the Japanese in India and Burma. The selection of photos for this book is excellent, there are loads of new pictures that I have seen nowhere else.]

Hobbs, Joseph P. Dear General: Eisenhower's Wartime Letters to Marshall. Johns Hopkins University Press 1999 ["With every book I read on Ike my admiration grows and [this book] is no exception. First published in 1971, this book assembles seventy-five letters from Eisenhower to his chief advocate and mentor, George C. Marshall. As one reads the letters one sees how Ike's thinking evolved, how he went about the art of command, and how he understood strategy. A fair amount of text is informed commentary by Hobbs, who was the assistant editor on the staff that edited The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower: The War Years." -- Fritz Heinzen, Paper Wars magazine. "This collection is the raw material of history refined by an able historian. . . . Without doubt, Eisenhower's reputation as a man and a leader will be enhanced by this fine work." -- Air Force Magazine. "Reveals (as only unofficial documents can) the magnitude of Eisenhower's task and his steady, poised progress toward V-E Day. His maturation from Marshall's staff representative to Supreme Commander is evident here, providing a magnetic study in diplomacy, strategic expertise, and profound intuition of how human beings as individuals or en masse." -- Library Journal. "Eisenhower's letters to Marshall are some of the most fascinating documents in the Eisenhower Papers. . . . A valuable commentary on various phases of Allied strategy and the American war effort. They also disclose the man who wrote them, the development of his thought, his grasp of strategy and his technique of command." -- Army Quarterly.]

Houston, Donald E. Hell on Wheels: The 2d Armored Division. [Gen. E.N. Harmon, foreword; Gen. George S. Patton, afterword] Presidio Pr. 1997 [orig. 1977. More than just a combat history, Houston's book chronicles the origins of the 2d Armored, and the Tennessee, Louisiana and Carolina Maneuvers. After providing this pre-combat history, Houston then follows the division from North Africa to Sicily to Europe where its reputation was established.]

Howarth, David. Dawn of D-Day: These Men Were There, 6th June 1944. Greenhill Books (UK)/Stackpole Books (US) 2001 [Howarth, a BBC war correspondant during WW II, wove together the story of the dramatic battle based on the testimony of hundreds of eyewitnesses. Just a few of the many participants Howarth interviewed and whose accounts are included were American paratroopers, British engineers, French civilians, German soldiers, and Norwegian sailors (their destroyer was sunk by a German torpedo boat). This book was originally published in 1959. "The vitality of Mr. Howarth's book lies in its unforgettable sketches of lonely, valiant, sometimes humerous amd generally bewildered citizens in uniform. . . . magnificently stirring." -- New York Times. "A comprehensive and enthralling story of one of the most complicated military operations which has ever taken place. In no other book is the atmosphere of those days so vividly and truly portrayed." -- Sunday Times. "It is all there. The pent-up tension prior to the attack, the fear of the unknown, the feeling that these few hours were the culmination of years of training, preparation and planning. Excellent and exciting reading." -- Financial Times.]

Hoyt, Edwin P. The Invasion Before Normandy: The Secret Battle of Slapton Sands. Scarborough House 1999 [Hoyt recounts the tragedy of the American naval exercise , code-named "Tiger," ambushed by a German E-boat squadron. While preparing for the Normandy invasion, two LST squadrons operating off the southern Devon coast were hammered by the E-boats' torpedoes and gunfire. It cost the lives of 198 sailors and 441 soldiers. Given the secrecy surrounding Operation Overlord, this disaster was covered up for forty years. This book was first published in 1985.]

Huston, James A. Biography of a Battalion: The Life and Times of an Infantry Battalion in Europe in World War II. [James W. Huston, new foreword] Stackpole Books 2003 [orig. 1950] 0811726940[This book recounts the experiences of the 3rd Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division. The author was a Ph.D. candidate in history at the time he was called up for service. (He finished the Ph.D. after the war at NYU and has gone on to write other works of military history and fiction.) His battalion saw action in France, Belgium, and Germany, finally linking up with the Russians on the Elbe. It suffered terrible casualties on the way to that river -- over 10,000 men in his regiment, 2,900 of which were from his battalion (it lost three commanding colonels alone due to death or wounding). On one particlar day, "Bloody Sunday," the battalion suffered a casualty rate of twenty-five percent in just four hours. Huston was the only officer to land at Normandy and fight all the way to the Elbe who wasn't killed, wounded, or sent home. A few copies of Huston's manuscript were printed in 1950. This 2003 printing contains an appreciative foreword by the author's son.]

Irving, David. Rommel: The Trail of the Fox. [Wordsworth Military Library] Wordsworth Editions 1999 [Originally published in 1977, this is the one work by the controversial revisionist historian that has generated mostly plaudits. Much of the lustre of the Rommel myth is removed, for it shows a Rommel that is more sympathetic to Hitler and the Nazis than previous, while also showing additional character flaws, e.g., with regard to ambition. Irving did prodigious research and the book is a "must read" for those interested in Rommel, North Africa, or the Normandy landings.]

Jensen, Marvin. Strike Swiftly!: The 70th Tank Battalion from North Africa to Normandy to Germany. Presidio Pr. 1997

Kaufmann, J.E. & R.M. Jurga. Fortress Europe: European Fortifications of World War II. Combined Books 1999

Kaufmann, J.E. & H.W. Kaufmann. Maginot Imitations: Major Fortifications of Germany and Neighboring Countries. Praeger 1997

Kaufmann, J.E. & H.W. Kaufmann. The Maginot Line: None Shall Pass. Praeger 1997

Kersaudy, François. Norway 1940. Univ. of Nebraska Pr. 1998 [A good solid campaign history originally published in 1987. "One of the neglected campaigns of WW II is that triggered by the German operation, Weseruebung. This oversight is to a large extent rectified by [this book], a complete, critical account of the Axis and Allied plans for the campaign and their subsequent, usually flawed, execution during April and May of 1940. Originally published in 1987, this book also considers the significance of the German victory -- it gave Hitler vital naval and air bases for use against Britain plus uninterrupted access to Swedish and Norwegian iron ore, but it also fixated Hitler on defending Norway for he always feared Churchill would strike back there. Hitler obsession thus squandered enormous resources, including half a million men, formidable coastal batteries and a huge portion of the German fleet, creating a fortress out of Norway. A combination of solid research and lively text makes this book an easy recommendation to anyone interested in military history." -- Fritz Heinzen, Paper Wars magazine. "A brilliant history of the disastrous campaign in Norway in 1940. . . . The text is vivid and lively in style and well illustrated with excellent maps." -- Times Literary Supplement. "An ironic, biting account of an episode as deplorable for its deceit as for its incompetence." -- Kirkus. "The Allied campaign in Norway has its detractors, but none with the satiric style of Kersaudy." -- Library Journal.]

Kershaw, Robert J. 'It Never Snows in September': The German View of MARKET-GARDEN and the Battle of Arnhem, September 1944. Sarpedon (US)/Ian Allan (UK) 1996 [Originally published in 1990 by the Crowood Press, this has been one of the most highly sought after histories of Arnhem. Unfortunately, the print runs have always been too small to satisfy the demand. Hopefully, all those who did not have an opportunity to get earlier editions will be able to get this one. It is heavily illustrated and uses nice glossy paper for the detailed maps.]

Kesselring, Albert. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Kesselring. [Kenneth Macksey, new intro.] Greenhill (UK)/Stackpole (US) 1997 [orig. 1953, Soldat bis zum letzten Tag. This is one of the key WW II military autobiographies. It was written while Kesselring was imprisoned after the war. Kesselring, originally an army officer, transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935 and went on to command German air forces during the invasion of France and the Battle of Britain. In 1941, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief South, which entailed running the North Africa campaign in conjunction with Rommel. The years 1943-44 saw Kesselring as C-in-C Italy, where he organized the tenacious defense that mauled Allied armies attempting to drive north. He was transferred in 1945 to the Western front to replace von Rundstedt after the failure of the Ardennes offensive. A concluding chapter details his trial and imprisonment.]

Kieser, Egbert. Hitler on the Doorstep: Operation 'Sea Lion': The German Plan to Invade Britain, 1940. [Helmut Bögler, trans.] Arms and Armour Pr. (UK)/Naval Institute Pr. (US) 1997

Kiesling, Eugenia C. Arming Against Hitler: France and the Limits of Military Planning. [Modern War Studies] Univ. Pr. of Kansas 1996

Kilvert-Jones, Tim. Normandy: Omaha Beach: V Corps Battle for the Beachhead. [Battleground Europe Series] Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 1999 [Another in the fine series of well-illustrated guides. It is of use to both the Normandy battlefield visitor and the D-Day historian.]

Kilvert-Jones, Tim. Normandy: Sword Beach: British 3rd Infantry Division/27th Armoured Brigade. [Battleground Europe Series; LGen. Sir Michael Jackson, foreword] Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 2001 [Kilvert-Jones covers the action at Sword Beach and the drive for Caen. Sword was primarily the responsibilty of the 3rd Division -- 27 Armoured and 1 (Special Service) Brigade were placed under its command for the assault phase. The author provides useful background info on preparation for the landing, from both the Allied and German perspectives. As with other books in the series, there are numerous good photographs, and Kilvert-Jones sets out clear tour routes for the historian and buff to use in exploring the battle for Normandy.]

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. D-Day with the Screaming Eagles. Casemate 2002 [This is an account of the 101st Airborne Division at D-Day. It draws heavily on the personal testimony of the participants. Koskimaki wrote over 1,300 former Screaming Eagles and incorporated the responses of 518 of them from all ranks. Coverage extends to the pathfinders, the glider assault, the paratroopers, and the "Angels of Mercy" (the chaplians and medical corpsmen). It originally appeared in 1970 and later in 1989. "What a tremendous task of research. . . . The quotes from the many participants ring true--no phoney heroics." -- Gen. A. C. McAuliffe. "I cannot get over the fact that you could take all this labriously gathered material and put it into a form that is so accurate, so exciting and which flows so well that it takes people there who were not in the army." -- James H. Martin, (former paratrooper). ". . . a truly amazing compendium of the activities and experiences of hundreds of individual members of the 101st Airborne. . . . the overall editing is highly commendable--to tell it as it was, and yet avoid a multiplicity of duplicated recitals could only have been accomplished by painstaking attention on the part of a dedicated writer." -- Gen. Gerald J. Higgens (former chief of staff, 101st Airborne).]

Langellier, John P. The War in Europe: from Kasserine Pass to Berlin, 1942-1945. [G.I. Series: The Illustrated History of the American Soldier, His Uniform and His Equipment Series, no. 1] Greenhill Books (UK/Stackpole (US) 1998 [This is a new, revised edition of of the book that originally appeared in 1995.]

Lewin, Ronald. Montgomery as Military Commander. [Military Commanders Series] Combined Books 1998 [orig. 1971.]

Lewis, Adrian R. Omaha Beach: A Flawed Victory. Univ. of North Carolina Pr. 2001 [This is a very critical analysis of the D-Day invasion that was undertaken with so many disadvantages and lessons ingnored from Mediterranean and Pacific operations. Lewis looks the development of the doctrine behind the plan for invading Normandy, decisions taken at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels, and the personalities involved in shaping the course of events. I suspect this book will be one of the most discussed books in the field of military history in 2001. "Lewis brings qualifications as both a soldier and a scholar to this analysis of the D-Day assault on Omaha Beach. The invasion's planners, Lewis argues, sought to combine tactical surprise and overwhelming fire superiority. The result was a high-risk compromise that collapsed at the water's edge in the Omaha sector, and might have done so on the other beaches as well. That the men on the spot were able to improvise victory at high cost does not justify overlooking the shortcoming of the doctrines and the orders that sent them in--shortcomings demonstrated carefully and systematically in this major contribution to our understanding of the 1944 invasion of Europe." -- Dennis Showalter.]

Lord, Walter. Miracle at Dunkirk. [Wordsworth Military Library] Wordsworth Editions (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 1998 [On 24 May 1940, 400,000 Allied troops were pinned against the French coast at Dunkirk. The Wehrmacht was a mere ten miles away. Yet within eleven days 338,000 troops escaped to England. Based on hundreds of interviews and archival research, Lord explains how an Allied catastrophe was avoided. This fine history was originally published in 1982. "It gives an effective new polish to the golden legend." -- The Times. "Walter Lord is a master of historical narration, compelling his reader to feel as if he was present. . . as a participant in the events described." -- Wall Street Journal.]

MacDonald, Charles B. Company Commander. [Classics of War Series] Burford Books 1999 ["First published in 1947, [this book] makes a welcome reappearance in Burford's Classics of War Series. This memoir is considered by many to be the best personal account by a World War II soldier, and almost everyone I know considers it a 'must read.' At age 22, MacDonald was assigned command of a combat hardened infantry company (veterans of D-Day +1) in France. There is no talk of strategy and generals, instead he bluntly tells what life was like at the very front of the Allied advance. MacDonald provides one a feel for the difficulties of leadership, to know that you are responsible for the men's lives and that any mistake, any weakness in you, can mean their death. This book is straightforward and honest -- he makes no attempts to sound heroic, nor does he try to make his experience of the war seem better or worse than it was. Unfortunately, this edition does not have maps, however it does have a short introduction by Ronald H. Spector." -- Fritz Heinzen, Paper Wars magazine.]

Macksey, Kenneth. Kesselring: German Master Strategist of the Second World War. Greenhill Books 2000 [This is a biography of one of the founders of the Luftwaffe who later commanded air fleets in the early years of the war. In 1941 he became CinC South (helping direct the North Africa campaign), and in 1943-44 he was CinC Italy where he earned a reputation for his tenacious defense of the peninsula. After the failure of the Ardennes offensive, he replaced von Rundstedt as CinC West. This book was originally published in 1978. "A fine and important biography." -- British Army Review. "A careful and balanced account." -- The Times.]

Macksey, Kenneth. Rommel: Battles and Campaigns. Da Capo 1997 [Originally published in 1979, Macksey's work on Rommel's military exploits has proven quite popular over the years. This readable and well-researched account of the Desert Fox in victory and defeat helps us to fathom both the man and the myth. Was Rommel a genius or a supreme opportunist? Kenneth Macksey provides a balanced view. -- Dr. John Pimmlott. By exploring and assessing the political as well as the military sources of Rommel's rise to fame in World War II, Macksey has. . . made Rommel's career clearly understandable. His magesterial account is the most penetrating and objective study of Rommel's life in print; it is also the most surprising. The superb photos in the book match the glowing text. -- Martin Blumenson. Macksey does devote a chapter to Rommel's First World War experiences and a chapter to the Weimar years. He concludes the book with a look at the demise of Rommel and then offers a balanced critique pointing out Rommel's successes and his failings.]

Marshall, Charles F. A Ramble Through My War: Anzio and Other Joys. Louisiana State Univ. Pr. 2000 ["The role of the battlefield intelligence officer is little recorded, but a good insight is provided in this fascinating book by an officer attached to the G-2 (intelligence) section of the Sixth Corps. Marshall accompanied this U.S. Army corps as it landed at Anzio and fought to Rome, then invaded southern France battling through into Germany and coming to a halt in Innsbruck Austria. Along the way he stayed in cellars and caves, royal chateaux and average homes, all the while compiling valuable assessments based on captured documents, prisoner interrogations, and good guesswork. This is no dry intell briefing book, but a dynamic, at times humorous, account that finds the author not only doing the mundane OB (order of battle) preparation, but uncovering MussoliniÕs phone transcripts with his mistresses, aiding the hunt for Ezra Pound, interviewing key German field marshals, and befriending the widow of Erwin Rommel and in the process uncovering the truth of the Rommel murder and also editing the letters of the "Desert Fox." Wise, witty, and humane, MarshallÕs memoirs make for a quick-paced, informative read." -- Fritz Heinzen, St. Petersburg Times. ". . . an engaging memoir of a World War II U.S. Army officer who served at Anzio, and in the campaigns in southern France and Alsace. As a German-speaking intelligence officer, Marshall interrogated many of the defeated senior German army commanders, and the widow of Field Marshal erwin Rommel. Marshall's reflections offer a fascinating window into the German perspective of the war. His book effectively captures the spirit of the World War II G.I. in a gripping, often irreverent account of the furor and futility of war." -- Carlo W. D'Este. ". . . a splendid memoir salted with humor, insight, and meditative wisdom. . . . Here is a true story of 'the ironies of life during war,' a look at what went on back at headquarters within the sound of gunfire. [It] provides a firsthand account of the role of military intelligence, an excellent characterization of officers, enlisted men, and prisoners of war. " -- John E. Dolibois. ". . . engrossing, perceptive memoir." -- Publishers Weekly. Originally published in 1998, this book is still available in a hardcover edition.]

May, Ernest R. Strange Victory: Hitler's Conquest of France. Hill & Wang Pub. 2000 [Publisher supplied info: Strange Victory is a riveting narrative of those six crucial weeks in the spring of 1940, weaving together the decisions made by the high commands with the welter of confused responses from exhausted and ill-informed, or ill-advised, officers in the field. Why did Hitler want to turn against France at just this moment, and why were his poor judgment and inadequate intelligence about the Allies nonetheless correct? Why didn't France take the offensive when it might have led to victory? What explains France's failure to detect and respond to Germany's attack plan? It is May's contention that in the future, nations might suffer strange defeats of their own if they do not learn from their predecessors' mistakes in judgment. "Why . . . did the Germans win such a devastatingly rapid and "strange" victory? Essentially, May asserts, the French were outthought and outgeneraled at the tactical level. At several critical points, disastrous decisions by French field commanders undermined sound strategic planning. Military and history buffs should find this work especially attractive, but the smoothly flowing narrative and avoidance of overly technical jargon will allow general readers to appreciate this fresh look at an old controversy." -- Jay Freeman, Booklist. " An engaging, thoroughly researched account of Nazi Germany's surprising, rapid defeat of French and Allied forces in the spring of 1940. Historian May . . . argues that fatal misjudgments of the Allied command brought a defeat that was almost inconceivable to just about all the participants. . . . With the swift felicity of a scholar in total command of his subject, May moves from Berlin to London to Paris, describing and assessing the decision-making and the decision-makers. . . . May notes a number of eerie parallels to our own day (when Americans expect to fight wars without casualties). Many informative notes, a 50-page bibliography. Both a lucid history and a gripping cautionary tale." -- Kirkus Reviews. "[There are] lessons to be learned from the fall of France--notably, that bureaucratic arrogance, a reluctance to risk life, and a reliance on technology over tactics will quickly lose a battle. Students of realpolitik, no less than history buffs, will find much to engage them in May's book." -- Gregory McNamee, Amazon.com.]

McManus, John C. The Deadly Brotherhood: The American Combat Soldier in World War II. Presidio Pr. 1998 [This is a great book for those desiring to know more about the reality of war portrayed in the movie Saving Private Ryan. "McManus, assistant director of the University of Tennessee's Center for the Study of War and Society, weaves together the accounts of numerous veterans to reveal the true nature of life at the front in both the European and Pacific Theaters of Operation. McManus explains who did the fighting, how they were equipped and fed, and under what conditions they had to fight. He also examines the motivation of the combat soldier, his attitudes towards the enemy, the importance of leadership, and the significant role of faith and prayer. He concludes by emphasizing the GIs' brotherhood - intense, selfless bonds forged in the horrors of war." -- Fritz Heinzen, St. Petersburg Times.]

Miller, Edward G. A Dark and Bloody Ground: The Hürtgen Forest and the Roer River Dams, 1944-1945. [Texas A&M University Military History Series, no. 39] Texas A&M Univ. Pr. 1995

Mitcham, Jr., Samuel W. The Desert Fox in Normandy: Rommel's Defense of Fortress Europe. Praeger 1997

Morison, Samuel Eliot. The Atlantic Battle Won, May 1943-May1945. [History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume 10] Book Sales 2001

Morison, Samuel Eliot. The Invasion of France and Germany, 1944 - 1945. [History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume 11] Book Sales 2001

Morison, Samuel Eliot. Supplement and General Index. [History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume 15] Book Sales 2001

Mrazek, James E. The Fall of Eben Emael. Presidio Pr. 1999 [Featured in our column in Paper Wars magazine, issue #31. Originally published in 1970. "This outstanding, very well-researched book gives valuable insight into the art of surprise and small-unit training and tactics." -- Military Review. "Father time has scythed away two full decades since this tale by an old Army colonel first appeared in print. However, the passing of a generation has failed to diminish the eloquence, acuity, or drama with which this singular military escapade is told. Further, the intervening score of years has not lessened the relevance of Colonel Mrazek's central message. His book documents by example the inevitable result of ignoring technological progress and of adhering to antiquated dogma in the face of surprise application of new weapons. . . . [The book] is thorough, well documented, well organized, and clearly written. Even for those readers outside of military ranks, it makes for exciting reading." -- Airpower Journal. "Provides a thorough account of the fall of Eben Emael, a fortress designed to delay indefinitely any German encroachment into the low countries." -- Naval War College Review. "Reconstructs events to capture the moment-by-moment action and drama surrounding the unexpected fall of the Allied stronghold and, even more importantly, [Mrazek] places the significance of the fall of Eben Emael in the context of later military events." -- The Midwest Book Review.]

Murray, G.E. Patrick. Eisenhower Versus Montgomery: The Continuing Debate. Praeger 1996

Nalty, Bernard C., ed. D-Day: The Strategy, the Men, the Equipment. [Winston S. Churchill, foreword] Salamander Books (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 2001 [This is an oversized, heavily-illustrated hardcover history of the Allied invasion of Europe. It has several background chapters, a number of chapters on Operations Neptune and Overlord, plus one each on the breakout, the invasion of southern France, and the pursuit to the Seine. For this effort, Nalty brought together leading military, naval, and air historians -- Roger Cirillo, Charles E. Kirkpatrick, Alfred Price, Edward Marolda, Detlef Vogel, Russ Pritchard, Stephen Badsey, and Nigel Lee. The book has over 120 specially commissioned full-color photos, over 200 contemporary b&w photos, and several dozen clear, color maps and other useful graphics. This book is a great introduction for the D-Day neophyte, and the more advanced student of military history will also find useful material. It was originally published in 1993.]

Neill, George W. Infantry Soldier: Holding the Line at the Battle of the Bulge. Univ. of Oklahoma Pr. 2002 [Neill was a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) gunner in a rifle platoon in the 99th Infantry Division. His division, trained in Texas and Oklahoma, was shipped over to Europe in time to see action in Belgium and Germany, especially during the Bulge offensive. (The 99th was on the northern edge of the German advance.) This book is a very vivid account of the life of the infantryman on the front lines, where bullets and shells aren't the only things to fear. The 99th had 465 men lose their lives during the Bulge, most during the period 16-19 December. It evacuated 2,524 men for medical reasons between the 1st and 31st of December, of which 850 were due to wounds and injuries, 261 to combat exhaustion, and 681 to trench foot. "Although many have written of their experiences in the military during World War II, George Neill's account is a contribution to the literature of the war because of its authenticity, directness (bluntness), intelligence, honesty, and inherent drama. It is a grim and sobering story, but not a depressing one. [It] is extremely important as a human record at the lowest echelon of the war." -- Martin Blumenson. "An exceptionally gripping memoir. We really meet the freezing, hungry, dirty combat soldier here, more vividly than anywhere else I know." -- Russell F. Weigley. "Infantry Soldier is amazingly accurate, and the amount of information is astonishing." -- Lt. Col. McClernand Butler, commanding officer, 3rd Battalion, 395th infantry Regiment, 99th Division. "For all that has been written about this segment of the war, Neill has given us a welcome addition." -- Library Journal. Originally published in 2000, this book is still available in a hardcover edition.]

Neillands, Robin. The Battle of Normandy 1944. Cassell (UK) 2002/Sterling (US) 2003 [In this new assessment of the Allied invasion of France, Neillands examines the key controversial issues of the Normandy campaign. For example, why did the Allied advances stall after having successfully landed on the beaches? What delayed the British capture of Caen? What were the disputes between the British and American commanders and what impact did they have on the conduct of the campaign? How did the Germans, lacking air support, delay the Allies for over two months? Neillands tackles these, and other issues, all the while interspersing German and Allied eye-witness accounts.]

Pallud, Jean Paul. Battle of the Bulge: Then and Now. After the Battle Magazine 1986 [This is a wonderfully illustrated hardcover history of the Battle of the Bulge. It has been a tremendouly popular book with WW II historians and buffs despite its high price, in fact so much so that it is now in its sixth edition! Publisher supplied info: Nine days before Christmas 1944 Hitler played Germany's last card on which he staked everything to turn the tables in the West. This is the first time that an attempt has been made to cover the entire salient in order to present the battle in our familiar 'then and now' format. Hundreds of miles have been traveled by the author throughout every corner of the battlefield to search out the scenes of past events - every known photograph belonging to combatants, civilians, and in public collections and private sources has been sought or considered. All of the cine film has been examined frame by frame and certain sequences illustrated and analyzed. In this way a number of classic pictures almost always used - or misused - in depicting the Ardennes battle are not only placed in their context in the German advance but are also shown to be not always quite what they seem! "The remarkable impartiality of Mr. Pallud's calm, measured reportage gives the reader confidence that the narrative is as free from distortion as any account can be . . . intricate . . . majestic . . . dauntingly massive book." -- The Daily Telegraph.]

Pimlott, John, ed. Rommel: In His Own Words. Greenhill (UK)/Stackpole (US) 1994

Prados, Edward F. Neptunus Rex: Naval Stories of the Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944. Presidio Pr. 1998

Prefer, Nathan N. Patton's Ghost Corps: Cracking the Siegfried Line. Presdio Pr. 2000 [". . . hammers another nail in the coffin of the infantile, often inane, inevitably simplistic, and always dangerous tendency among far too many history buffs and self-styled defense experts to idolize the Wehrmacht, disparage the U.S. Army of World War II, and attribute Allied victory to overwhelming numerical and material superiority. . . ." -- Keith Bonn. "Incisive and highly readable. . . . both a gripping study of an overlooked campaign and a tribute to the draftee dog faces who out fought their seasoned German foes." -- World War II Magazine. "Uses numerous interviews, official histories, and after-action reports to bring alive the numerous firefights and bloody assaults that marked the campaign, while detailed maps make it easy for readers to follow the ebb and flow of the action." --School Library Journal. ". . . persuasively demonstrates that the battle would be determined not by numbers, air power, task organization quirks, or armor superiority but by training, tactical proficiency, leadership, and sheer determination." -- The Retired Officer Magazine. "The author should be congratulated in choosing a battle that, although interesting and important, has slipped from the minds of most historians." -- The G.I. Journal. Originally published in 1998, this book is still available in a hardcover edition.]

Reynolds, Leonard C. Dog Boats at War: A History of the Operations of the Royal Navy D Class Fairmile Motor Torpedo Boats and Motor Gunboats 1939-1945. Imperial War Museum/Sutton Publ. 1998 [This is a complete history of the Dog Boats -- the plywood, 115 foot long MGBs and MTBs powered by four supercharged engines and heavily armed. These boats were to engage the enemy on more than 350 occasions with significant results. Reynolds, who won a DSC while serving with MGB 658 for almost three years, chronicles the history of the boats and their diverse missions in Home, Mediterranean, and Norwegian waters. The book is an oversized hardcover and is well-illustrated.]

Reynolds, Michael. Steel Inferno: I SS Panzer Corps in Normandy. Sarpedon (US)/Spellmont (UK) 1997 [The story of the 1st and 12th SS Panzer Divisions in the 1944 Normandy campaign.]

Rusiecki, Stephen M. The Key to the Bulge: The Battle for Losheimergraben. Praeger 1996

Ryan, Cornelius. A Bridge Too Far. Touchstone/Simon & Schuster 1995 [Reprint edition. The standard VHS videotape movie adaptation is available from Amazon.com. A Colorized VHS videotape is also available from Amazon.com.]

Ryan, Cornelius. The Longest Day: June 6, 1944. Touchstone/Simon & Schuster 1994 [Reprint edition. The standard VHS videotape movie adaptation is available from Amazon.com. A Letterbox VHS videotape is also available from Amazon.com.]

Saunders, Tim. Normandy: Gold Beach - Jig: Jig Sector and West -- June 1944. [Battleground Europe Series] Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate (US) 2002 [This book does two things well. It provides an account of the 231 Brigade, which along with the 47 Commando Royal Marines, had to breach the German Atlantic Wall, move three miles inland to grab key objectives and then drive ten miles west to link up with American forces that had landed at Omaha Beach. It also provides the visitor to the battlefield with a tour, a long one for those with some form of transport, or an abbreviated six-mile trek for those on foot. As with other books in this series, the book is well illustrated with present-day and period maps and photographs.]

Saunders, Tim. Normandy: Hill 112: Battles of the Odon-1944. [Battleground Europe Series] Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 2001 [This guide covers the fighting between the British and Germans that occurred with the launch of Operation Jupiter. This operation for Hill 112, which lies between the Odon and Orne Rivers took place during July 1944 in between Operation Epsom and Operation Goodwood. Appropriately marked photos and maps and tour instructions make this a great guide to the battles for Hill 112.]

Saunders, Tim. Operation Market Garden: Hell's Highway: U.S. 101st Airborne and Guards Armoured Division. [Battleground Europe Series] Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 2001 [This book is the first of three in the Battleground Europe Series to cover Montgomery's failed gamble to cross the Rhine. It has a background chapter to Operation Market Garden, but primarily focuses on the action starting with the Irish Guards seizing the Joe's Bridge, followed by the operations of the 101st Airborne and British XXX Corps up through the Veghel Bridge. With good maps, and clearly marked photos showing unit locations and movements, this book is useful to the historian. As with other works in the series, it is nicely laid out for the visitor to the battle sites.]

Saunders, Tim. Operation Market Garden: Nijmegen: U.S. 82nd Airborne and Guards Armoured Division. [Battleground Europe Series] Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 2001 [This book is the second of three in the Battleground Europe Series to cover Montgomery's failed gamble to cross the Rhine. It has a background chapter to Operation Market Garden, but primarily focuses on the battles of the 82nd Airborne and the Grenadier Guards to capture the Maas/Waal bridges and to hold the Groesbeek Heights. A good book for the military historian, plus it has useful directions and other information for the tourist.]

Shepperd, Alan. Blitzkrieg: France 1940. Osprey (UK)/Stackpole (US) 2000 [This book provides a short, well-illustrated history of Germany's 1940 blitzkrieg in the West. It also features a short section with historic site visitor information useful for battlefield tourists, plus another on wargaming the campaign. It was originally published in 1990 as #3 in the Osprey Campaign Series with the title, France 1940.]

Sheppard, Alan. France 1940. [Campaign Series, no. 3] Osprey (UK)/Stackpole (US) 1990

Shilleto, Carl. Normandy: Utah Beach/St Mère Église: VII Corps, 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. [Battleground Europe Series] Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 2001 [This book is a very useful guide for the historian and the tourist to the VII Corps area of operations at Utah Beach and the airborne operations to the south and west of the beach. It has many fine photographs and useful maps, plus a well-organized forty-five mile tour of the area. Shilleto provides background to the assault, including a chapter on the Operation Tiger disaster (Slapton Sands). Seven appendices provide all manner of useful information (Allied and German orders of battle, American and German cemetaries, casualty figures, museums, and more).]

Sorley, Lewis. Thunderbolt: General Creighton Abrams and the Army of His Times. Batsford Brassey 1998 [orig. 1992. "[This] is a biographical tribute to one of America's hardest-charging generals. Author Lewis Sorley has mastered a staggering amount of material, and left no quote by and about Abrams unused. Although one gets a solid sense of the Abrams character for whom 'soldiering was an affair of the heart,' the reader may be disappointed by what is missing, i.e., significant details regarding Abrams actions. For example, the work is weak on details of the battles. (Just what tactics and maneuvers did Abrams use?) Also unclear is his significance in certain postings, e.g., Fort Knox -- what were the tactics and doctrines he was teaching there? Still, Sorley's portrayal of 'a classic example of devotion to fundamental values of faith and family and service" will have broad appeal.' -- Fritz Heinzen, Armed Forces Journal International. "Lewis Sorley has told the Abrams story with verve, sensitivity and insight." -- Stephen Ambrose, author of Citizen Soldiers and Undaunted Courage. "A fine appreciation of the military professional who arguably ranks among America's very best generals." -- Kirkus Reviews. "A valuable addition to the Vietnam bookshelf. . . ." -- New York Times. "This anecdote-rich biography captures the essence of a great but little-known general. . . ." -- Publishers Weekly.]

Steidl, Franz. Lost Battalions: Going for Broke in the Vosges, Autumn 1944. Presidio Pr. 2000 [This book recounts the story of two battalions, one American, the other German, which were both cut off in the same forest at the same time. Each side undertook heroic efforts to rescue their battalion. ". . . an extraordinary story of uncommon courage and valor on both sides. . . . This book is an important addition to the scarce literature of the Vosges campaign and the Seventh Army's attack on through southern France." -- Infantry Magazine. "Steidl has managed to convey the frustration and ferocity of this key European campaign. Through diligent research he presents the fighting and dying in late 1944 from both the American and German points of view not only from the vantage point of the foot soldier but also from that of the commanders." -- Newport News Daily Press. Originally published by Presidio in 1997, this book is still available in a hardcover edition.]

Sumner, Ian & Francois Vauvillier. The French Army 1939-45, v. 1: The Army of 1939-40 & Vichy France. [Men-At-Arms Series, no. 315, Mike Chappell, illus.] Osprey (UK)/Stackpole (US) 1998

Swedberg, Claire E. Work Commando 311/I: American Paratroopers Become Forced Laborers for the Nazis. Stackpole Books 1995

Thomas, Nigel. The German Army 1939-45, v. 1: Blitzkrieg. [Men-At-Arms Series, no. 311, Stephen Andrew, illus.] Osprey (UK) 1997/Stackpole (US) 1998

Toland, John. Battle: The Story of the Bulge. [Carlo D'Este, intro.] Univ. of Nebraska Pr. 1999 ["Another trade paper release that is typical of just how savvy the University of Nebraska Press has become in its selection of military reprints. . . . Originally published in 1959, this work was Toland's first military history. Considering the more recent studies of the Ardennes campaign, many of high caliber, one can rightly ask whether a forty year old history merits reprinting (even with a new introduction by Carlo D'Este). After all, it even predated the official US history by six years. In the case of Battle, its reappearance is assuredly warranted. Toland traveled nearly 100,00 miles and conducted over one thousand interviews with military and civilian participants in preparing this work. This was at a time in which first-person accounts, especially by the lower ranks, were not fully appreciated for their contributions to the historical record. He supplemented the interviews with extensive research, including use of the after action reports. What Toland wove together from all his sources is a solid history of the largest battle ever fought by US armed forces. Yet it is more than that. Toland wrote in a compelling manner, and his account dramatically captured the intensity of a devastating clash that left over 75,000 dead and greatly hastened the collapse of the Wehrmacht in the West. Yes, there are new angles and issues that have arisen in the Bulge historiography, but for those new to the topic or desiring a book filled with the courage and cowardice and fear and fatigue that were commonplace in this uncommon winter offensive, read this book." -- Fritz Heinzen, Military Heritage. "The perspective of 15 years, painstaking research, thousands of inter(views, extensive analysis and evaluation, and the creative talent of John Toland [paint] the epic struggle on an immense canvas. . . . He tastes the bitterness of defeat of those who surrendered and writes as if he had the benefit of the eyes and ears of soldiers and generals on the other side of the line. . . . If you could read only one book to understand generals and GIs and what their different wars were like this is the book." -- Chicago Sunday Tribune."The author has devoted years to studying memoirs, interviewing veterans and consulting military documents, both German and American. He also has revisited the old battlefields in Belgium and Luxembourg. . . . Toland has told the whole story with dramatic realsim. . . . It is a story of panic, terror and of high-hearted courage." New York Times Book Review. "For the first time in the growing literature of World War II, the inspiring story of the stubborn, lonely, dogged battle of the Americans locked in this tragic salient is told. . . . gripping. . . You cannot put it down once you start it." -- San Francisco Chronicle.]

Tolhurst, Michael. Battle of the Bulge: St. Vith: US 106th Infantry Division. [John Kline, foreword; Battleground Europe Series] Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 1999 [This guide book covers the actions of the 106th Infantry Division during the fight for St. Vith using extensive accounts by the veterans supplemented with numerous photographs. The book concludes with detailed travel instructions for the battlefield tourist.]

Tout, Ken. The Bloody Battle for Tilly: Normandy 1944. Sutton Publ. 2001 [This is an account of the bloody battle for the stone-built village of Tilly-la-Campagne which lies to the south of Caen. The Germans fortified this village and the Canadian 3rd Division made five attempts to capture it losing well over half their troops within a month. The author was an armor NCO who saw action in the vicinity of Tilly.]

Urquhart, Mjr.-Gen. Robert E. Arnhem: Britain's Infamous Airborne Assault of WW II. Royal Pub. Co. 1995 [orig. 1958]

Vickers, Philip. Das Reich: 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich -- Drive to Normandy, June 1944. [Battleground Europe Series] Pen & Sword Books (UK) 2000/Combined Publ. (US) 2001 [This book covers the movement of the 2nd SS Panzer Division from Montauban in southwest France to the Normandy battlefields. It involved combat with the Maquis which was to help slow the drive. Vickers also covers the atrocities committed by the division, such as the massacres at Oradour and Tulle. This book is part of Pen & Sword's useful Battleground Series. Books in this series do two things very well. First, they give a great introduction to a battle (or portion of battle) with adequate text describing the battle and putting it in its larger context. A good selection of illustrations and plenty of clear maps support the text. Secondly, these books are meant to be taken by the visitor to the battlefield. Text tells one how to get to and tour the battlefield and photos are marked with troop movements and the identity of notable landmarks. The books also come with bibliographies and indices.]

Waddy, John. A Tour of the Arnhem Battlefields. Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 1999 [This is a guide book for the visitor to the site of the battle fought for the Dutch town and its bridge over the lower Rhine.]

Wallace, Gen. Brenton G. Patton and His Third Army. [Martin Blumenson, new intro.] Stackpole Books 2000 [This is an account of Patton and the Third Army by a colonel who was a member of the Third Army's staff, more specifically the G-3, or Operations Secton. This book was originally published in 1946 and was to go through four printings in the first five years. It now features a useful, and critical, introduction by Martin Blumenson.]

Warner, Phillip. The Battle of France, 1940. [Cassell Military Paperbacks Series] Cassell (UK)/Sterling (US) 2001 [This is a history of the six-week campaign that witnessed the defeat of a great power. It was originally published in 1990.]

Webster, David Kenyon. Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich. [Stephen E. Ambrose, intro.] Delta 2002 [Written by a former English literature major at Harvard just after WW II, this book was originally published in 1994. The twenty-one year Webster volunteered for the paratroops in 1943 with his goal to see action firsthand and then live to write about it, which he did, although he was wounded twice while serving with the 101st. "David Webster's vivid description of D-Day and the days that followed merits a place among the classic accounts of men in battle." -- Page Smith. "I recommend this memoir to anyone who wants to know more about World War II, about combat, about being a paratrooper, about discovering oneself and being involved when the whole world was being tested and threatened. It brings back a place and a time, a sense of commitment, the feeling of 'we are all in this together' as the United States and her allies fought for freedom." -- Stephen E. Ambrose (from the introduction). "Webster left this gutsy, sometimes bemused and sometimes angry memoir behind. . . . It bites and hangs on." -- New York Times. "Beautifully written . . . perfectly evokes life and battle in a parachute infantry company." -- Washington Post Book World. Originally published by Louisiana State University Press in 1994, this book is still available in a hardcover edition. The LSU Press trade paperback edition from 1997 is going out of print, but Amazon.com still has a few left.]

Whiting, Charles. West Wall: The Battle for Hitler's Siegfried Line, September 1944-March 1945, Volume 1. [The West Wall Series] Spellmount (UK)/Combined Publ. 2000

Whiting, Charles. '44: In Combat from Normandy to the Ardennes, Volume 2. [The West Wall Series] Spellmount (UK)/Combined Publ. 2000

Whiting, Charles. Bloody Aachen, Volume 3. [The West Wall Series] Spellmount (UK)/Combined Publ. 2000

Whiting, Charles. The Battle of Hurtgen Forest, Volume 4. [The West Wall Series] Spellmount (UK)/Combined Publ. 2000 [This book recounts the longest single battle in U.S Army history -- the bloody WW II fight for the rugged, hilly, fifty square miles of woods named the Hurtgen Forest. At one time or other during this six-month (September 1944-February 1945) battle over one-half million men were involved. Eight infantry and two U.S. armored divisions were ground up in the woods resulting in nearly thirty thousand American casualties.]

Whiting, Charles. The Battle of the Bulge: Britain's Untold Story. Sutton Publ. 1999 [Whiting looks at the British contribution to stop the German advance, especially the role played by XXX Corps.]

Whiting, Charles. Death on a Distant Frontier: A Lost Victory, 1944. Leo Cooper (UK)/Sarpedon (US) 1996 [This book examines the failed Allied effort to break through the "West Wall" in September 1944.]

Whiting, Charles. Decision at St Vith. [The West Wall Series, vol. 6] Spellmount (UK)/Casemate (US) 2002 [Originally published in 1969, this work recounts the opening blow of the Battle of the Bulge as the untried American 106th Division is hammered by the German onslaught.]

Whiting, Charles. Ike's Last Battle: The Battle of the Ruhr Pocket April 1945. Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate (US) 2002 [This is a reprint of Whiting's 1989 book that savaged Eisenhower for not listening to Churchill and Montgomery and taking Berlin. It argues that Ike wasted his men's lives along with the lives of German soldiers and civilians taking the worthless Ruhr Pocket, thus consigning Central Europe to the Soviet armies]

Whiting, Charles. Jochen Peiper. Leo Cooper (UK)/Casemate Publ. (US) 1999 [orig. 1986]

Whitlock, Flint. The Rock of Anzio: From Sicily to Dachau: A History of the U.S. 45th Infantry Division. Westview Pr. 1999 ["Unit histories are a mixed bag, they range from collections of gung-ho war stories ('how our regiment single-handedly won the war') to serious, even scholarly efforts. I am glad to report that [this book] tends towards the latter. The author has chosen a good division to chronicle -- the 45th was one of the eighteen National Guard divisions, and it was in combat for 511 days -- often in the center of the most intense action. Whitlock starts with the military heritage of the men from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, and then follows the "Thunderbirds" on their brief stop in North Africa, after which they played a major role on Sicily, in the landings at Salerno and Anzio, the capture of Rome, the invasion of southern France, and operations in Germany terminating at Dachau. As this chronology indicates, the 45th endured more than its fair share of bitter warfare, and Whitlock's extensive use of the GI's accounts conveys this quite well. He gives special attention to the heroic efforts of the division in preventing German forces from driving Allied troops off the beaches at Anzio. And he does not hesitate to cover in some detail the controversial massacre of SS guards by the American soldiers after their liberation of the hellish concentration camp at Dachau. Whitlock's history is a testament to the fine service rendered by the 45th, for by the time of its inactivation on 7 December 1945, it had suffered 4,080 dead, 16,913 wounded, and 3,617 MIAs, earned eight Medals of Honor, and captured almost 125,000 of the enemy. (No Guard division suffered more casualties than the 45th, and only three Regular Army divisions lost more men in Europe.)" -- Fritz Heinzen, Paper Wars magazine. Originally published by Westview in 1998, this book is still available in a hardcover edition.]

Young, Desmond. Rommel: The Desert Fox. Morrow 1987 [Having gone through 30 hardcover printings since it appeared in 1950, this book was for many their first introduction to Rommel. (It was the first biography I read of Rommel.) A more positive portrayal of Rommel than more recent works, it is still a popular work.]

Zabecki, David T., ed. World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2. [Martin Blumenson, foreword; Military History of the United States, vol. 6; Garland Reference Library of the Humanities, vol. 1254] Garland Publ. 1999 This two-volume work is a major achievement in reference history. It is a huge work , let me cite some numbers that give a sense of the scope of this work -- it has 1,920 pages (oversized at that), with 1400 separate entries by 155 contributors from at least eight different countries, plus 37 maps (by Donald S. Frazier) and numerous photos and charts, and loads of tables, especially for technical data on weapons. The book is uniquely divided into six parts, and entries are alphabetical within each section. The six sections are: Social and Political Issues and Events (which even covers prewar causes and postwar results); Leaders and Individuals; Units and Organizations; Weapons and Equipment; Strategy, Tactics and Operational Techniques; and Battles, Campaigns, and Operations. The length of the entries varies, but they are often quite substantial, e.g., the Luftwaffe entry is ten columns (two columns per page), the RAF is eight, the air campaign over Germany is nine columns as is the Ardennes Offensive, Kursk is seven columns, the war in the Crimea is six, the hunt for the Bismarck is five, Convoys HX-229 and SC-122 runs three. Franklin Roosevelt runs nine columns long, Rommel four, Zhukov five, Tito four and one-half, Bradley, Clark, and even George Kennan each receive four columns. One can quibble about why some topics received more or less attention than others, but I couldn't find many that were overlooked. The encyclopedia also features five appendices: a chronology of the war in Europe; a table of comparative ranks; a glossary of acronyms, abbreviations, and foreign and military terms; Allied and Axis code names; and a fifteen-page selected bibliography broken down by subject. There is both a general index and an index of military units and warships. my complete review will appear in Paper Wars magazine, Issue #32. "I am pleased to endorse [this encyclopedia]. It is a work of reference beyond my expectations. Its faetures are unique and rewarding. This encyclopedia more than meets the criteria of a special work of reference. It rigorously conforms to the highest standards of completeness and authenticity. Eminently readable, it opens its contents without putting obstacles in the way of meaning." -- Martin Blumenson.]

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