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LEGEND: C=CLOTH, S=SOFTBOUND, O=OVERSIZE, G=GERMAN TEXT,
GE=GERMAN/ENGLISH TEXT, (all other books English)

German Memoirs and Biographies


GERMAN MEMOIRS AND BIOGRAPHIES


3. INFANTRY ATTACKS, 
Erwin Rommel, C, 

Rommel's classic memoir of his service
as a small-unit infantry leader in WWI, includes a new forward by Rommel's
son, highly recommended, special price while qts last, 

288 pp. 
$20.00*

4. GENERALFELDMARSCHALL FEDOR VON BOCK: THE WAR DIARY 1939-1945 
Fedor Von Bock, C, 

Von Bock's memoirs which appear in English for the first time,
allows the reader to see the entire drama of the Second World War through the
eyes of one of Germany's most important military commanders, 

640 pp. 
$40.00

7. HERMAN GORING: HITLER'S PALADIN OR PUPPET?, 
Wolfgang Paul, C, 

This analytical biography draws on files from former East German archives, with
numerous new revelations by the author, 

320 pp. 
$30.00

8. HITLER'S GLADIATOR, 
Charles Messenger, C, 

The life and times of
Oberstgruppenfuhrer and Panzergeneral- Obersteder Waffen-SS Sepp Dietrich, 

270 pp. 
$32.00

11. FORGOTTEN SOLDIER, 
Guy Sajer, C, 

A moving personal account, it is a powerful testimony to the cruelties of war in the harshest of environments on the Russian front, new hardcover reprint, 

476 pp. 
$29.00

12. ACHTUNG PANZER!, 
Heinz Guderian, C, 

The first ever english translation of
the book telling of the brilliant innovations of Guderian and tank warfare, 

228 pp. 
$15.98 SPECIAL (Hardback)


13. THE INTERROGATOR: THE STORY OF HANNS JOACHIM SCHARFF MASTER INTERROGATOR OF THE LUFTWAFFE, 
Raymond Toliver, C, 

story of the Lufwaffe's master
interrogator who gained a reputation as the man who could magically get all
the answers he needed from the prisoners of war. 

352 pp. 
$30.00

14. GERMAN FIGHTER ACE ERICH HARTMANN, 
Ursula Hartmann, C,O, 

The life story of the most successful fighter pilot of all time, including over 560 b/w
photographs, 

296 pp. 
$50.00

15. THE WAR DIARY OF HAUPTMANN HELMUT LIPFERT, JG 52 ON THE RUSSIAN FRONT,
Helmut Lipfert and Werner Girbig, C, 

Lipfert's portrayal of his experiences in a JG 52 during WWII will stand as one of the truly classic chronicles of the Jagdwaffe over Russia. This book is a rare view into the air war over Russia, when Luftwaffe pilots accumulated incredible kill tallies while
facing overwhelming odds against Russian pilots thrown against them in mass
assaults, 

224 pp.
$30.00

16. TIGER ACE, THE LIFE STORY OF PANZER COMMANDER MICHAEL WITTMANN, 
Gary Simpson, C, O, 

Comprehensive study of the legendary Panzer commander. 
Wittmann's exploits stand out from all the rest, as his Sturmgeschutz III and
Tiger I crews succeeded in destroying 138 enemy tanks and 132 anti-tank guns.
The author conducted extensive research and interviews to uncover the true
facts and situations that Wittmann encountered on the battlefields of both
fronts, 

320 pp. 
$35.00

18. KNIGHTS OF THE REICH, THE 27 MOST HIGHLY DECORATED SOLDIERS OF THE WEHRMACHT IN WWII, 
Gunther Fraschka, C, 

Excellent study of the 27 holders of the Diamonds to the Knight's Cross, 

320 pp. 
$40.00

19. JOCHEN PEIPER: BATTLE COMMANDER LEIBSTANDARTE-SS ADOLF HITLER, 
Charles Whiting, C, 

Drawing on European contacts and conversations with Peiper
himself before his mysterious death, Whiting reveals many details about
Peiper's career and the Malmedy trial and his death, a somewhat sympathetic
account, 

208 pp. 
$30.00

20. HEAVEN NEXT STOP: A LUFTWAFFE FIGHTER PILOT AT WAR, 
Gunther Bloemertz, C, 

First published in 1953, this is the vivid personal story of a German
fighter pilot set in the latter years of the war. The author was one of the
legendary "Abbeville Boys' of Jagdgeschwader 26 who flew Focke-Wulf FW190 day
fighters from their base in Northern France against intruding RAF fighters
and USAAF bombers, vividly describing the almost daily duels with Spitfires
and Flying Fortresses both on the ground and in the stratosphere, 

196 pp. 
$30.00

25. OTTO WEIDINGER, 
Mark Yerger, S,O, 

the authorized biography of the famed
Waffen-SS commander, now in a vastly expanded and new revised edition, the
original being long out of print. Over 130 photos and documents, many
unpublished, an essential study of one of the most decorated officers of the
Das Reich Division, 


96 pp. $25.00

26. SS PEIPER: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF SS COLONEL JOCHEN PEIPER, 
Leo Kessler, C, 

Biography of the Knight's Cross winner. Covers his early life, combat
career on the Eastern Front and the Battle of the Bulge, a somewhat
apologetic study but still provides many unique insights of Peiper and is a
good read, 

192 pp. 
$30.00

27. - 29. KNIGHT'S OF THE WEHRMACHT, 
Franz Kurowski, C, 

Each recipient is presented in a capsule biography, including dates of birth, awarding of the various Knight's Cross grades, and other particulars to rank and career. E
ach is also shown in a World War II era photograph.

27. KNIGHT'S CROSS HOLDERS OF THE U-BOAT SERVICE, 

280 pp. 
$25.00

28. KNIGHT'S CROSS HOLDERS OF THE FALLSCHIRMJAGER, 

280 pp. 
$25.00

29. KNIGHT'S CROSS HOLDERS OF THE AFRIKAKORPS, 

352 pp. 
$25.00

30. OTTO SKORZENY: MY COMMANDO OPERATIONS, 
Otto Skorzeny, C, 

Skorzeny's fascinating memoirs, very well written, appear for the first time in English
unabridged. All his legendary exploits are told in dramatic detail as well
as the many goings on behind the scene in WWII Germany and post-war Europe, 

496 pp. 
$35.00


32. INFANTERIE ACES, 
Franz Kurowski, C, 

Deals in detail with the combat
experiences of 8 infantry soldiers, very gripping and fast paced, with a
large photo section after each chapter, highly recommended, 

528 pp. 
$48.00

34. THROUGH HELL FOR HITLER, 
Henry Metelmann, C,

Eighteen year old Metelmann joined a Panzer division in 1941, fighting in the first glorious campaigns sweeping Russia, But as German forces struck deep into the Russian heartland, Metelmann began to question the justness of this savage war. Metalmann was on the Russian front from the beginning to the end, and at war's end becoming a British POW. This is his moving memoir of combat and and hardship, this is a new reprint, book was originally printed over 10 years ago, and highly sought after until this reprint, 

210 pp. 
$30.00*

37. LUFTWAFFE ACES, 
Franz Kurowski, C, 

The combat biographies of 7 Luftwaffe
Aces, all of whom won at least the Knight's Cross told in exciting detail
makes this book an important addition to Luftwaffe literature, includes a
photo section after the end of each biographical chapter, 170 photos in all, 

403 pp. 
$50.00

38. THE WESTERN FRONT 1944 - MEMOIRS OF A PANZER LEHR OFFICER, 
Helmut Ritgen, C, 

Ritgen relates his personal experiences and those of the elite Panzer Lehr
division in Normandy, Falaise, the retreat through France and the battles on
the West Wall. In addition the author sums up the whole strategic picture of
the war on the Western front from the German viewpoint, 110 photos, 

330 pp.
$46.00

39. SS-STURMBANNFUHRER ERNST AUGUST KRAG, 
Mark Yerger, S, O, 

Offers a close look at one of "Das Reich's" most decorated officers, detailing his entire
wartime career. Most of the many photos are from private collections and
previously unpublished, 

64 pp.
$20.00

40. FIGHTER ACES OF THE LUFTWAFFE, 
Raymond Toliver & Trevor Constable, C, O,

Finally Toliver's classic book has been reprinted in this new revised
edition. The most successful fighter pilots of all time spring to vibrant
life again in this brilliant account of Germany's greatest aces in action,
over 600 photos, 

352 pp. 
$50.00

41. COLLABORATION IN BELGIUM: LEON DEGRELLE AND THE REXIST MOVEMENT, 
Martin Conway, C, 

The first complete study of the Rexist movement. Based on a
comprehensive examination of the Belgian and German records, as well as on
personal interviews with Degrelle and other surviving Rexists, this book
tells the story of the movement's beginnings, its political success before
the war, and collaboration during the war, 

376 pp. 
$42.00


44. GESTAPO CHIEF: THE 1948 INTERROGATION OF HEINRICH MULLER, VOL. 3, 
Gregory Douglas, C, 

the third volume in the hugely popular series. Some of the topics
in this volume include: details of Swiss bank accounts looted by the CIA,
the origins of the Stalin purges of the late 30's, Roosevelt's successful
plan to keep refuge jews from finding safety in the U.S., and a very detailed
and fascinating section on the recovery of the Globocnik golden horde buried
in Austria in 1945, and much more, 68 photos/illustrations, 

286 pp. 
$36.00

45. MULLER JOURNALS: THE WASHINGTON YEARS, VOLUME ONE, 1948-1950, 
Gregory Douglas, C, 

this is the first volume of a new series that is a continuation
of the three books above. From 1948 to 1952 Muller lived in the Washington DC
area and worked closely with the top leadership of the CIA and the Truman
administration. Muller kept regular journals during this period, putting down
the secret activities of the fledgling CIA and his own observations about the
inner workings of the White House and its top aides, written in plain
unvarnished words. Includes the McCarthy probes and Muller's part in them,
the Korean war, CIA plans to overthrow foreign governments, as well as
personal items such as Muller's affairs with wives of CIA officials, his
marriage to a wealthy Washington socialite, his dealings in stolen art, his
personal and business connections with some of America's top businesses,
military, and political leaders and much more, order early for signed
numbered copies!, 74 photos, 

272pp. 
$36.00

46. QUIET FLOWS THE RHINE: GERMAN GENERAL OFFICER CASUALTIES IN WWII, 
French MacLean, C, 

The author examines all the aspects of why the German armed
forces lost so many high ranking officers. The result is a fascinating look
at how the German war machine was directed at combat level, 

210 pp. 
$34.00

LEADERS & PERSONALITIES OF THE THIRD REICH: THEIR BIOGRAPHIES AND AUTOGRAPHS,

Charles Hamilton, C, 

These two volumes contain an absolute feast of
information! The author has blended a unique gathering of autographs,
biographies and rare photographs to give a personal view of Hitler and the
individuals that influenced him, as well as the lives and personalities of
other individuals associated with Nazi Germany. Volume 1 has finally been
reprinted after many years, Volume 2 is totally new material, highly
recommended! (see also number 66 under German Uniforms and Insignia),

49. VOLUME ONE, over 876 photographs and autographs, 

480 pp. 
$45.00

50. VOLUME TWO, over 724 photographs and autographs, 

480 pp. 
$45.00

51. HITLER'S ENFORCERS: LEADERS OF THE GERMAN WAR MACHINE 1939-1945, 
James Lucas, C, 

Here Lucas selects 15 leading players in Hitler's war effort, those
who Lucas feels had an extra dimension, which set them apart from others of
equal rank, describing their incredible feats on the battlefield, 

242 pp. 
$30.00


55. JOACHIM PEIPER COMMANDER PANZER REGIMENT LEIBSTANDARTE, 
Patrick Agte, C,O, 
This is the definitive and massive study of Peiper. Full of many first
person accounts and over 850 photos, this book is a marvel and will sure to
please. I just can't say enough about the quality of this title. The text
alone is enough to be a massive tome of a book, and the photos alone, which
are simply brilliant, so many never before published, could also stand alone
as a book. This is most likely the best published SS book in years, 

650 pp. 
$110.00

56. THE LAST KNIGHT OF FLANDERS, 
Brandt, C, 

biography of Flemish SS Knight's Cross winner Remi Schrijnen. Schrijnen is famous for singlehandedly driving off a Soviet tank attack with his 75mm antitank gun
destroying 11 heavy tanks before he was wounded and his gun knocked out.
After the war he was held in captivity for five years in Belguim, 

250 pp. 
$30.00

57. FIVE YEARS, FOUR FRONTS: THE WAR YEARS OF GEORG GROSSJOHANN, 
Georg Grossjohann,  S, 

the author, a Knight's Cross winner, regales the reader not
only with honest and detailed accounts of his war experiences that spanned
Poland, France, and 3 years in Russia, but with the day to day aspects of
life as a junior officer in German Infantry divisions. In every situation,
the author's candor about his superiors, the enemy, and his own strengths and
weaknesses combine with his outstanding recall to create a compelling and
informative read. The author also present numerous interesting anecdotes
such as a company commander who directs battles standing up, in the open,
because his kidneys can't take the cold of the frozen ground. Includes 30
photos and 8 maps. There is a paperback and clothbound edition of this book, 
in total only 3,000 copies are being printed, of which only 1,000 copies are
clothbound, 

paperback: 200 pp. 
$19.00*

58. IN DEADLY COMBAT: A GERMAN SOLDIER'S MEMOIR OF THE EASTERN FRONT, 
Gottlob Biderman, S, 

conveys the brutality and horrors of the Eastern Front in detail
never before available in English. Wounded five times and awarded numerous
decorations for valor, the author saw action in the Crimea and the siege of
Sebastopol, participated in vicious battles in forests south of Leningrad,
and ended the war trapped in the Courland pocket. The author relives many
interesting stories such as his miracle survival of machine gun fire at close
range, the humiliation of surrender to the Russian and his time in captivity
in the Soviet Gulags. This should prove to be the best memoir of the Eastern
Front in years, cloth out of print 

336 pp. 
$20.00

59. A PILOT'S LIFE: KARL BAUR, CHIEF TEST PILOT FOR MESSERSCHMITT, 
Isolde Baur,C, 

exciting story of Karl Baur, the chief test pilot for Messerschmitt.
In addition to providing interesting biographical details of this colorful
personality, the book provides an intimate look at innumerable aircraft
during their testing stages before becoming the legends of aviation history.
The photographs of rare and exotic aircraft are alone worth the price of the
book. Surely one of the more interesting Third Reich aviation books to be
published this year, 150+ photos, 

240 pp. 
$39.00

62. PANZER ACES 2, 
Franz Kurowski. C,

Following in the footsteps of the highly
successful Panzer Aces, Franz Kurowski covers the life and times of six
leading German tankers: Sepp Brandner (Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 912); Fritz
Feßmann (Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 7); Kurt Knispel (schwere
Panzer-Abteilung 503); Johannes Kümmel (Panzer-Regiment 8 of the Deutsches
Afrika Korps); Karl Nikolussi-Leck (SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 "Wiking"); and,
Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski (Panzer-Regiment 35; Panzer-Regiment 204;
Panzer-Regiment 11; 20. Panzer-Division). Each capsule biography runs at
least 50 pages and contains numerous photos. If you enjoyed Panzer Aces or
like exciting accounts of small-unit armor operations and tactics, this book
is for you, over 100 period photos, 

582 pp. 
$57.00

63. HITLER'S FIELD MARSHALS AND THEIR BATTLES, 
Samuel Mitcham, S, 

looks at Hitler's twenty-five field marshals and documents the rise and fall of the
officers who held the highest rank in the powerful war machine. Above average
study, long out of print, and available this fall in a quality paperback
edition, 

456 pp. 
$19.00

64. BOY SOLDIER: A GERMAN TEENAGER AT THE NAZI TWILIGHT. 
Gerhardt Thamm, C,

Gerhardt B. Thamm grew up on his grandfather's city farm in Lower Silesia,
the hinterlands of Germany. In early 1945 this land, near the Czechoslovakian
and Polish borders, became a battleground. The Soviets captured Lower Silesia
in February, and Thamm, like many of his Hitler Youth high school classmates,
was conscripted to fight on the Eastern Front until the last few days of
World War II, experiencing first hand fearsome barbarity and atrocity.
Thamm's family was deported from Silesia in 1948 to the United States. The
17-year-old Thamm joined the U.S. Army the same year and served more than 20
years as an enlisted man, illustrated with photos and drawings, 

190 pp. 
$30.00

67. HITLER'S PERSONAL PILOT: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HANS BAUR, 
C.G. Sweeting, C, 

Hitler trusted few men, but his faith in pilot Hans Baur never wavered. 
Hitler refused to fly with anyone but Baur at the controls, and eventually
Baur became one of Hitler's true confidants, and increasingly relied on Baur
for advice about war policy and technical developments. The author also
provides the reader with fresh insights of the Third Reich and surprising
episodes, such as the time Baur allowed Mussolini to take controls of the
Fuhrer's plane and an account of Baur's and Hitler's narrow escape on a
German air base in Russia Sweeting also gives an in-depth examination of the
aircraft used in Hitler's persona transport squadron, 

368 pp. 
$28.00

69. PANZER SOLDIERS FOR "GOD HONOR AND FATHERLAND": THE HISTORY OF PANZERREGIMENT GROSSDEUTSCHLAND, 
Hans-Joachim Jung, C, 

with over 250 photographs, many never published before, coupled with a first-hand history
of the regiment, written by one of its former officers! A great complement to
the 3-volume "Großdeutschland" series. This volume traces the history of the
tank formations with "Großdeutschland," starting with the battalion and
culminating with the regiment. Panzerregiment "Großdeutschland" had the
largest tank regiment in the German Army. In 1944 it had three battalions,
one of which was equipped with the Tiger -- the only German Army regimental
formation so equipped. Excellent accounts of the fighting, especially at "Zi
tadelle" and Targul Frumos. Some superb late war photos, including Panthers
and Tigers as well as interesting assault gun and Nebelwerfer images, 

426 pp. 
$55.00

70. GRENADIERS, 
Kurt Meyer, C, 

I am very happy to have this book back in my
catalog! For those of you who are not familiar with the title, Kurt Meyer's autobiography offers a fascinating insight into the mind of one of Germany's most highly decorated and successful soldiers in World War 2. If you love small-unit actions, this is the book for you. You will follow Meyer with the 1. SS-Panzer-Division "Leibstandarte" and the 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend" from the first day of the war through his capture in Normandy in 1944 and then on to his subsequent trials and tribulations after the war, one of my all time favorite autobiographies, limited edition reprint, 60 photos, now out of print.

254 pp. 
$74.00* 
paperback reprint, $20.00

74. HITLER'S COMMANDERS: GERMAN BRAVERY IN THE FIELD, 1939-1945, 
James Lucas, C, 

Biographies of 14 soldiers, all of different rank, from varied
backgrounds, and highly awarded, exemplify German miltary prowess at its most
dangerous. Among his subjects are Panzer commander Warner Kempf and Kurt
Mayer, a companion to Lucas' previous book, Hitler's Enforcers, 

232 pp. 
$30.00

80. AT HITLER'S SIDE: THE MEMOIRS OF HITLER'S LUFTWAFFE ADJUTANT, 
Nicolaus von Below, C, 

von Below was a 29 year old pilot when Goering selected him for
the position of Hitler's Luftwaffe adjutant. He was with Hilter at every
stage of WWII, and his account is a superb source describing life in Hitler's
inner circle and at headquarters. He provides fascinating insight into how
Hitler planned the invasions of Poland and Russia, what he thought of Britain
and America, why he placed his faith in the V-1 and V-2 projects and much
more. Von Below was also present at the assassination attempt in July 1944
and records the effect on Hitler and his followers. Von Below was the last of
Hitler's close military entourage to emerge from the bunker alive. His frank
memoir will appeal to anyone interested in how Hitler ran his war, hardcover

256 pp. 
$13.00*

 81. DOCTOR AT STALINGRAD, 
Hans Dibold, C, 

limited edition reprint of an
extremely scarce memoir only previously published in England, and published
by Aberdeen Bookstore. This is a story of Stalingrad seldom talked about.
Dibold relates his experiences in Stalingrad during the battle, and the utter
helplessness he felt as the casualties were so high and in conditions so
appalling with little or no medical supplies. Then after capture Dibold
remained in Stalingrad and in conditions that are beyond comprehension. Part
of the time he was in the huge underground Timoshenko bunker the Russians
built. Often working in complete darkness in narrow corridors crammed full of
injured soldiers, Dibold again was in a position of being able to offer
little in comfort. The lice were atrocious, Dibold talks of scooping them
from injured abdomen, the stench unfathomable, and the black tarry walls
dripping with stench from the condensation of steam coming from wounds.
Tyhpus was rampant. Even after the last shot was fired in Stalingrad, things
were far from over for Dibold. He words aren't minced, and he tells of the
finest and darkest of human behavior during these times, only 1000 copies
printed, bound in full cloth using an exact copy of original dust jacket
published originally in 1958!, , 

196 pp.
$45.00*

82. DAEDALUS RETURNED, 
Baron von der Heydte, C, 

another extremely rare memoir
also published by Aberdeen Bookstore, this one of the few memoirs ever
written by a former German paratrooper. The Baron was in command of a
battalion of paratroopers in Crete, being dropped at zero hour near Canea and
seven days later received the surrender of the town. This book is the full
exciting account of preparation, landing and seven days of terrifying battle.
This is an excellent read and the Baron has a flair with the pen. Captured
in 1945 in the Ardennes the Baron was bitterly attacked for his anti-Hitler
sentiments as a P.O.W., after the war he became a professor of law at the
University of Wurzburg. This book does have a small photo section. only 1000
copies printed, bound in full cloth using an exact copy of original dust
jacket published originally in 1958!, 

190 pp. 
$45.00*

83. A LUFTWAFFE BOMBER PILOT REMEMBERS: WWII FROM THE COCKPIT, 
Klaus Haberlen, C, 

a bomber pilot's story from his early life prior to the
ascension of the Nazi Party to power in Germany, his education and rise
through the ranks of the Luftwaffe as a decorated bomber pilot, and even
through his demotion at the hands of Goring late in the war. Also covered are
Haeberlen's tribulations in a prisoner of war camp run by the Allies, and his
success in post war Germany as a businessman. This book offers a unique first
person perspective on the development of the war and its effect on those that
were not in the highest realms of power, illustrated with photos, 

202pp. 
$30.00
 

85. REINHARD HEYDRICH THE BIOGRAPHY: VOLUME ONE, THE ROAD TO WAR,
Max Williams, C,O,

This is a truly objective study of Heydrich, long on facts, short on fiction. This volume also contains a wonderful collection of rare pre war photos, including many from his fencing days. Extremely well researched and documented, and with incredible detail. This volume starts with the formative years including his naval years, the infancy of his security service, foundation of the SS state and police, and his many prewar activities as well as his personal life. Oversize hardcover printed on glossy paper, 

170 pp.
$50.00

86. REINHARD HEYDRICH THE BIOGRAPHY: VOLUME 2, ENIGMA
Max Williams, C,O,

Volume 2 details the life of Heydrich from the beginning of the Second World War, his involvement in the Jewish question and posting as acting 'Reichsprotector' for Bohemia-Moravia. Leading through until Heydrich's assassination in 1942, his 'State Funeral' and continuing with the precarious life of his wife Lina and their family until her death in 1985. This second volume contains over 500 photographs and illustrations on 272 pages. Even includes the complete English translation of his entire autopsy report! Ten years in the making, the authors have managed to assemble a unique collection of photographs that bring to life this biography of Hitler's probable heir apparent, Reinhard Heydrich. A man considered so dangerous by the British, they had him assassinated. This extraordinary man who rose to become second to Himmler within the SS, controlling the entire Security Service had a life of controversy, which continues to this day. Labeled as the author of the 'Final Solution' to the Jewish question, Heydrich is branded by some as a 20th century Machiavellian. Others in admiration of his intelligence, sporting and musical talents, have bestowed upon him the iconic status of a Renaissance man. Matching deluxe casebound covers as volume 1. The definitive biography. 

276 pp.
$60.00

90. GERMAN CROSS IN SILVER: HOLDERS OF THE SS AND POLICE
Mark Yerger, C,

Among the most sought after and desired awards by collectors, the actual recipients of the German Cross in Silver have never been examined in detail. Now for the first time, full biographical data and unpublished photo material is available for the SS and Police holders of this elusive award. The award itself is in full color, its recommendation process, and actual award documents are also included. Adding significantly to the biographical information are details of the unit assignments, posts and commands of the recipients. With the SS and Police remaining among the most sought after information topics by both historians and collectors, this volume fills a significant void in the study of Germany in WWII. First of a planned multi volume series. 127 photos and documents.

208 pp.
$35.00

91. GERMAN CROSS IN GOLD: VOLUME 1 "DAS REICH": KURT AMLACHER TO HEINZ LORENZ
Mark Yerger, C,

Commencing an unprecedented study detailing all SS and Police holders of the German Cross in Gold by unit, the first two volumes of this new series examines the holders of the 2. SS-Panzer Division "Das Reich". Provides comprehensive information for the holders of this prestigious decoration to include the combat narrative that actually resulted in the wards. Also included are all other awards, promotions, and known service history. Aside from full information on each individual, detailed data is provided for the various elements they were to within the Division and other postings held in the course of their often diverse careers. Heavily illustrated with rare photos and documents, many were provided by the recipients themselves who fully supported the research. The actual award recommendation documents are seen and the approval process fully examined, adding to an invaluable study for the historian. The illustrations also provide a wealth of information for collectors of uniforms, insignia, medals, documents, and autographs. An appendix includes the most detailed Order of Battle listing of commands compiled to date, as well as new data on the Division's Roll of Honor Clasp and Close Combat Clasp in Gold holders, 295 photos/illustrations. 

432 pp.
$45.00

92. GERMAN CROSS IN GOLD HOLDERS OF THE SS AND POLICE VOL. 2: DAS REICH KARL-HEINZ LORENZ TO HERBERT ZIMMERMANN
Mark Yerger, C, order early to receive signed and numbered copies.

In this newest volume of the author’s study of German Cross holders of the SS and Police, the author examines the balance of recipients awarded the decoration in Gold for combats while assigned to the 2.SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich.” Beginning with a foreword by “Das Reich” Panzer Regiment Knight’s Cross holder Ernst Barkmann, the detailed format follows that previously established in “German Cross in Silver Holders of the SS and Police” as well as the critically acclaimed first volume on Gold holders. Complete biographical details to include promotions, decorations, appointments, and posts are included with in depth tangent information. Equally important are the actual combat narratives that resulted in the recommendation for each individual. Numerous holders of the award contributed photos and documents for this lavishly illustrated volume, providing essential new information for the historian and SS collector alike. In addition to full biographical data on the recipients, detailed appendixes examine the personnel Order of Battle development of the armor contingents. Element commanders, who often recommended the award, are examined, and a second full divisional Order of Battle is included to platoon level. An addendum continues to add newly uncovered details and illustrations to the previous two volumes. With the continuing support of Waffen-SS veterans and historians alike, this series continues to break new ground in scope and detail. 

432 pp.
$45.00

92B. GERMAN CROSS IN GOLD HOLDERS OF THE SS AND POLICE VOLUME 3: REGIMENT AND DIVISION "NORDLAND"
Mark Yerger, C,

Mr. Yerger follows up "German Cross in Silver" and "German Cross in Gold," Volumes 1 and 2 with Volume 3, Regiment and Division "Nordland." Yerger once again shows us what a marvelous researcher he is. His extensive contacts throughout the world helped him once again author a historical journey that leads us through the combat actions of recipients of The German Cross in Gold in great detail. Featuring 139 photos throughout the 252 pages, this latest volume of "German Cross in Gold" is a must have for collectors and history buffs alike. 139 photos.

252 pp.
$45.00

GERMAN CROSS IN GOLD HOLDERS OF THE SS AND POLICE VOLUME 4: CAVALRY BRIGADES AND DIVISIONS
Mark Yerger, C, I have a few of the signed and numbered copies, which will sell out very quickly.

Volume 4 presents in depth new material and photos, correcting previous texts on the Waffen-SS Cavalry. The emphasis is on the Kavallerie Brigade, "Florian Geyer," and "Maria Theresia." Data for unit development, commanders, and senior staff, is the most inclusive yet published. The award holder biography area  adds tangent information, A full campaign report by a senior commander, Allgemeine-SS riding units, Honor Clasp, and Close Combat Clasp in Gold holders are included. Feldpost data, multiple officer assignment lists and addendum. 151 photos,

368 pp.$45.00

95.BLACK EDELWEISS: A MEMOIR OF COMBAT AND CONSCIENCE BY A SOLDIER OF THE WAFFEN-SS
Johann Voss, S,

Originally written while the author was a POW of the US army in 1945-46. In a day in which most memoirs are written at half a century's distance, this book will be gratifying in the author wrote these accounts in a short time after the war while his memory is still fresh. The author was a machine gunner in the SS Mountain Infantry Regiment 11 "Reinhard Heydrich" and fought in 18 months of combat against the Soviets and Americans, from long range patrols in the frozen taiga of northern Karelia, fierce fighting in the snow-decked Vosges Mountains, to capitulation in the mud of the war's last spring. The author also honestly examines the dialectic between the honorable and valorous comrades and the fundamentally reprehensible conduct of about 35,000 men behind the front lines. Includes photos and maps.

220 pp.
$20.00

96. BLOOD RED SNOW: THE MEMOIRS OF A GERMAN SOLDIERS ON THE EASTERN FRONT
Gunther Koschorrek, C,

This isn't your basic memoir written 50 years after the fact. Kosschorrek wrote his illicit diary on any scraps of paper he could lay his hands on. As keeping a diary was strictly forbidden, he sewed the pages into the lining of his thick winter coat and deposited them with his mother in infrequent trips home on leave. The diary went missing and after the war and only recently discovered after being reunited with his daughter in the US and became Blood Red Snow. The horror and confusion of fighting in the streets of Stalingrad are brought to life by his descriptions of the others in his unit: their differing manners and techniques fore dealing with the squalor and death. This harrowing book takes the reader to the front line and paints a very human picture of what life was like under relentless Russian attacks in freezing conditions. As Koschorrek says in his introduction, the book stands as a memorial to the huge numbers on both sides who did not survive and is, over five decades later, the fulfillment of a responsibility he feels to honor the memory of those who perished. Kosschorrek was a machine gunner on the Russian front, and saw extremely heavy fighting on many fronts, this should be one of the best memoirs in years, 16 pages of plates, out of print. 

288 pp.
$35.00*

97. FOOTSTEPS OF THE HUNTER, 
Adolf Dickfield, C, 

An autobiography of a
Luftwaffe pilot unlike any you have read before. The author scored 136
aerial victories and tells his story like it really was, includes a 30 page
photo section with 47 photos, two in color, 

236 pp. 
$35.00

98. THE GOOD SOLDIER: FROM AUSTRIAN SOCIAL DEMOCRACY TO COMMUNIST CAPTIVITY WITH A SOLDIER OF PANZER-GRENADIER DIVISION "GROSSDEUTSCHLAND"
Alfred Novotny, S,

This is the second version of Novotny's memoirs. The first was self published during 1996 and was written mainly for family and friends, and avoided some of the more unpleasant events of the author's wartime experience. Now he has decided to share the the story of his life in full detail. The awful incidents concomitant to life on the Eastern Front and in the post-war Soviet prison camp system, where he was part of an agonizing march - a veritable hunger march in which many died - into the Caucasus Mountains to the Soviet prison camp at Tkvibuli. All these events are now laid bare in this memoir. Illustrated with photos.

154 pp.
$15.00

 

 

 

 

99. THE ROAD TO STALINGRAD - NEMESIS ON THE VOLGA: THE PERSONAL DIARY OF LT. JOACHIM STEMPEL
Joachim Stempel, S,O,

This account is a continuous narrative written by an eyewitness, based on his complete diary; a junior officer in a Panzer-Division senselessly sacrificed in the street fighting. His varied experiences include being put in charge of the last 40 able-bodied men of a Panzergrenadier-Regiment, charged with fighting his way through to the banks of the Volga, 100 metres away; facing Russian positions no more than 50 metres away which protected the headquarters of General Chuikov's 62nd Army and finally reaching the Volga bank, with the enemy as close as 30 metres, fired on from all sides, in a narrow salient - and at the other extreme being given 'freedom of action' by his regimental commander. Characteristically he chose to break out rather than surrender. On that same day, in a particularly poignant passage, he took his last leave of his father, Generalleutnant Richard Stempel, commander of the neighbouring 371 Infanterie-Division: neither could face with equanimity the prospect of Soviet captivity (wisely, in view of the outcome: of 93,000 taken prisoner, only 6,000 would see Germany again), each chose his own alternative to surrender.  The narrative outlines the course of battle, diary entries being complemented with Wehrmacht Communique's and entries in the OKW War Diary. Stempel's perspective on the battle changed. Initially commander of a recce party of motorcyclists scouting ahead of his Panzergrenadier-Regiment 108, he was appointed Ordonnanzoffizier to the commander of the Panzergrenadier-Brigade on 8th September, accompanying him on a visit to the front; on the 24th October he took over II/Pz.Gren.Rgt.103's remnants, as the last junior officer available, as the offensive reached its climax. Yet by 10th December, encircled and inadequately supplied, he was reduced to four slices of bread, thin soup and a few cigarettes, meat only if, by happy accident, a horse died or could be killed. Finally, on 29th January 1943 his breakout failed and he was captured. What is most remarkable in Stempel's diaries and letters home is the faith in higher authorities - Paulus, von Manstein but above all the Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler - which explains why the Sixth Army held out for so long.

180 pp.
$40.00

101. IRON HORSEMEN: THE MEMOIRS OF OBERGEFREITER ERNST PANSE, (9/PZ RGT 24) 24 PANZER DIVISION, STALINGRAD, 1942-1943
Ernst Panse, S,O,

This is an account of the Battle of Stalingrad's later stages, written from the perspective of a radio operator in a platoon leader's, later squadron leader commander's tank. Panse's chances of survival were vastly superior to that of a simple soldier in the infantry divisions consumed in the battle of Stalingrad. Of the 145 men who started the campaign in his squadron, only 6 survived to the surrender on Feb. 2nd, 1943 (this unit continued to fight on even after Paulus surrendered on the 31st of January). After his tank was knocked out Panse was pursued by Russian assault infantry and fired on by high velocity anti-tank guns whenever he tried to stand up and run. Whilst crawling 550 meters to reach a command post of a friendly infantry unit he developed frostbite. At one stage he and his commander had to shelter beneath the bodies of recently killed infantry as the only protection against the splinters of Russian rockets. Iron Horsemen is a tribute above all to the virtues of comradeship and group loyalty; as Panse freely admits, he would never have survived the battle, nor its aftermath - the 53km 'death march' into captivity - were it not for the selfless care and concern of his fellow crewmen. To read Panse's account is to understand why the German Army, even in a situation of utter hopelessness, could hold on, to the amazement of its foes; but is equally evident how disillusion and indeed burning anger had set in by the time of Sixth Army's death throes. Panse makes plain his sense of outrage at the cynicism of Goring, the sense of betrayal at the waste of his comrades' lives caused by the empty promises of succour for a doomed cause. You can send away for a free CD with the purchase of this book. 

60 pp.
$23.00

103. ROMMEL AND HIS ART OF WAR
Edited by Dr. John Pimlott, S,O

Rommel writes about his views on the philosophy of warfare, battles, leaders, 
and the progress of both World Wars. Text is accompanied by 120 photos, many 
taken by Rommel himself, March

192 pp.
$20.00

104 GUDERIAN PANZER GENERAL (REVISED EDITION)
Kenneth Macksey, C,

This biography - fully updated with new material on Enigma and Guderian's 
reaction to the July plot - illuminates the struggles within the German 
hierarchy and examines why Guderian was so admired by some while denigrated 
by others, 

256 pp.
$35.00

106. WOLFGANG FALCK THE HAPPY FALCON: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY THE FATHER OF THE NIGHT FIGHTERS
Wolfgang Falck and Jerry Crandall, C,O,

Falck's autobiography the describes behind the scene views of life in the leadership of Germany's WWII air force, successes, operations, and failures. Because of his leadership capabilities and knowledge of military tactics plus that fact that he was a very capable figther pilot, Falck was selected to create the German night fighter force. Falck also explicitly describes the desperation of the final days of the war and his immediate post war survival. This oversize book features 250 photos and 4 color profiles. 

200 pp. $45.00
( ALSO AVAILABLE: LEATHERBOUND 1/300 NUMBERED AND SIGNED BY FALCK! I $89.99*)

108. BAYERLEIN: FROM AFRIKAKORPS TO PANZER LEHR, THE LIFE OF ROMMEL'S CHIEF-OF-STAFF GENERALLEUTNANT FRITZ BAYERLEIN
P.A. Spayd, C,O,

This book is the first and only comprehensive biography of the life of Bayerlein. Bayerlein is often quoted - and equally criticized - for his military failures and successes. His experiences with Guderian in the invasion of Poland, France and Russia, along with North Africa, Hungary, Normandy and the Ruhr cover six years of intense war. During the Russian winter of 1943-1944, Bayerlein commanded the famous Berlin-Brandenburg 3rd Panzer Division. Officers and soldiers describe his battle experiences and provide valuable insight into the character and personality of this highly unusual panzer general. In addition, Spayd has edited many of the military manuscripts, articles and correspondence Bayerlein wrote which serve as the backbone of many of the chapters. In the process Bayerlein tells his own story and shows his feelings and frustrations on fighting a war of useless bloodshed. The author has researched Bayerlein's life for many years, discovering documents and photographs in military archives, visiting his friends, comrades and neighbors, learning about his early years, and family life. The author also had the cooperation and help of Beayerlein's nephew who shared intimate details of his uncle's life - including many family and behind the scenes war photos. Over 340 photographs, most previously unpublished, and twenty maps make this book a valuable addition to any military library. This is the first in a multi-volume work planned on Bayerlein. 

288 pp.
$60.00

109. THE PRIVATE AFRIKAKORPS PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION OF ROMMEL'S CHIEF OF STAFF GENERALLEUTNANT FRITZ BAYERLEIN
P.A. Spayd, C,O,

Now, for the first time, the private Afrikakoprs photograph collection of Bayerlein is presented in this book. Over 200 photographs, showing personalities, battle scenes, behind the front line rest periods, and non-battle scenery such as a tour of ancient ruins with Rommel are featured. Bayerlein's array of photographs depict the war in the Western Desert as he saw it. From his arrival in October 1941 through his final, and better departure in May 1943, Bayerlein took hundreds of photographs. Bayerlein's nephew has generously opened his uncle's photograph collection which had been in storage for over thirty years, needless to say, these are all unpublished photos!

180 pp.
$50.00

110. 151. TIGERS IN THE MUD: THE COMBAT CAREER OF GERMAN PANZER COMMANDER OTTO CARIUS
Otto Carius, S,

One of the best memoirs of a Panzer commander ever written and long out of  print and highly prized, Tigers in the Mud is available again in an economical paperback version and unabridged. Carius was one of the most successful commanders to ever take a Tiger into battle, destroying well over 150 enemy tanks during his incredible career. Includes 51 b/w photo, 3 maps and 50 illustrations. September release.

368 pp.
$20.00

111. THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE: THE WARTIME CAREER OF OTTO KRETSCHMER, U-BOAT ACE
Terence Robertson, C,

The legendary U-Boat ace Otto Kretschmer was branded the wolf of the Atlantic  and for good reason. In his dramatic wartime career he sank ship after ship,  sowing terror among Allied convoys and dismay in those charged with their  protection. Kretschmer was a daring officer who favored bringing his U-Boat into  the heart of the convoy and destroying it from within. He earned himself a  tremendous reputation before his capture in March 1941, and the Golden Horseshoe makes it clear why, 16 photos. .

208 pp.
$35.00

112.SVEN HASSEL MILITARY FICTION SERIES
One of the most graphic and entertaining WWII fictional writers, Hassel 
served in a penal unit with a cast of colorful characters to say the least. Based 
on his true experiences in WWII, Hassel's unit saw most of the action on the 
Eastern Front, but also served on other theaters. The humor is often dark, 
crude, and absolutely hilarious, but never have I read battles described any 
better, than Hassel. He captures the fierce reality of battle in the most graphic 
detail. Worldwide his books have sold 52 million copies. All books are 
paperback. $8 each.

About the Author
Born in 1917 in Fredensborg, Denmark, Sven Hassel joined the merchant navy at the age of 14. He did his compulsory year's military service in the Danish forces in 1936 and then, facing unemployment, joined the German army. He served throughout World War II on all fronts except North Africa. Wounded eight times, he ended the war in a Russian prison camp. He wrote Legion of the Damned while being transferred between American, British and Danish prisons before making a new life for himself in Spain.


LEGION OF THE DAMNED
Hassel's first book, which will soon to be made into a movie.

 MONTE CASSINO
Hassel and his comrades are posted to Italy, where the armies are locked into 
a battle around the ancient hilltop of Monte Cassino. 

SS GENERAL
Plunged into Stalingrad, Hassel and his friends make a last ditch attempt to 
break out, to fight their way across the frozen steppe to freedom. Their 
leader: a fanatical SS General. 

WHEELS OF TERROR
Fighting on the Russian Front against overwhelming numbers of Russian 
soldiers, they will do anything to survive the inferno. A remorseless ride through a 
man-made hell. 

BLITZFREEZE
Sven Hassel, S,

The Fuhrer's commands were simple - forward to Moscow!And so the mighty Panzer regiments thundered into action - killing, raping, burning their way across the great wastes of Russia…But this was to be the bloodiest of all Hitler's wars - a war where Russian infantrymen threw themselves before the oncoming tanks, where women fought as savagely as men, where German guns killed Germans and Russians alike, mangling them indiscriminately into tattered hunks of meat. And finally Porta, Tiny, Barcelona, all of them - caring nothing for who should win the war - thinking only of their own survival - began the long retreat - back through the corpse-littered plains where blood and bodies were already frozen beneath the winter ice. 

COMRADES OF WAR
Sven Hassel, S,

They were not so much people as animals. Sometimes small and frightened, huddling together in cattle cars, wounds gaping, tongues swelling even as they licked the moist frost from the walls - each of them wondering if he would be the next to die before reaching the crude operating table...And sometimes brawling, robbing and raping as they swept into Hamburg to glut themselves on life for one more day, or just one more night... And sometimes they were heroes, pushing their way through the Russian lines - the Legionnaire, Sven and Tiny, all of them knowing they had lost the war ...and every last shred of their own humanity. 

LIQUIDATE PARIS
Sven Hassel, S,

From the war torn steppes of Russia, from the slopes of Monte Cassino, the stunned, bloody remnants of Hitler's armies were gathered to fight the last battle of the German Reich - the battle of the Western Front. And as the Allies advanced upon Paris, the war erupted into its most ruthless, most savage and cruel phase. Across the scarred, corpse-strewn landscape of northern France, the men of the Panzer tank corps retreated - fighting a suicide action as they went... 

REIGN OF HELL
Sven Hassel, S,

Burning, looting, raping, murdering, Hitler's Penal Regiment advanced on the centre of Warsaw leaving in their wake a bloody trail of death and destruction. They killed indiscriminately: Pole or German, man, woman or child - anyone who crossed their path was eliminated. For Himmler had sworn that Warsaw would be razed to the ground - if it took every member of the German army to do it! And tot the Fuhrer's expendable battalions, for whom life had no meaning, the battle for Warsaw became an inferno - an endless Reign of Hell... 

115. STUKA PILOT HANS-ULRICH RUDEL, 
Gunter Just, C, O, 

This book by one of his
fellow officers covers his entire life's story in many never before published
photographs and reminiscences by family members, friends, and those who flew
with him, 

280 pp.
$60.00

116. GRAF AND GRISLAWSKI: A PAIR OF ACES
Christer Bergstrom, C,O,

Here is the complete story of Graf and Grislawski, two of the most skillful and colorful Luftwaffe fighter pilots during WWII. This book describes teh interwoven fates of these two Luftwaffe fighter aces on the Eastern Front 1941 - 1943 and 1944 - 1945. This book has been written in cooperation with Mr. Alfred Grislawksi, with profile artist Claes Sundin contributing 26 unique profiles of aircraft flown by both aces. There are more than 300 photos, most unpublished. Graf spent many years in Soviet captivity. Much has been said and written about Graf's alleged cooperation with the Soviets. Here this is analyzed in detail. The authors have access to extensive material from Russian POW archives which includes Hermann Graf's entire POW file that has been hidden in a Russian archive until recovered by the authors. This book is beautifully produced, worth every cent of the price of admission. By the same authors as the acclaimed Black Cross/Red Star series. 

314 pp. $55.00 
( ALSO AVAILABLE: LEATHERBOUND 1/400 NUMBERED AND SIGNED BY GRASLAWKSI $107*)

118. HITLER AT MY SIDE
Hans Bauer, C,

These are the memoirs of Lieutenant General Hans Bauer, Chief Pilot to Adolf Hitler. Printed way back in 1986 and long out of print, these copies have some slight spotting due to sitting in storage in the south for many years. Excellent personal account of Hitler by favorite pilot. Bauer was with Hitler during many events, including the last days in the Bunker. Bauer was also the commander of the Reichschancellery Squadron. Besides giving wonderful personal insights to Hitler and other leaders and his witnessing of many major events during the war, he provides details of the barbaric mistreatment suffered as a prisoner for ten years in Soviet prisons after the war. This is not a typical bashing of Hitler and passing the buck type book, but an honest, objective account that commands the reader's attention from cover to cover. Illustrated with photos.

240 pp.
$25.00*

119. PANZER OPERATIONS: THE EASTERN FRONT MEMOIR OF GENERAL RAUS, 1941-1945
Erhard Raus, C,

A significant postwar memoir written by one of Germany's best field commanders and a brilliant tank General. Raus entered the Soviet Union in June 1941 as commander of a brigade of the 6th Pazner division. He quickly distinguished himself earning the Iron Cross for piercing the Stalin Line. During the Russian campaign he rose steadily through the ranks and was appointed the Army Group Command in early 1945. After the war Raus wrote a detailed memoir of his service in Russia. Later the U.S. Army divided up and excerpted the portions of the memoir for use a nearly dozen tactical manuals published during the 1950's. Those manuals were heavily edited and omitted much of the author's original material. Now Steven Newton has reassembled, translated, and edited the underlying narrative of Raus's four years of war on the Eastern Front. It is the first time his complete memoirs are made available, and by far the best translation of any of his writings. A must have. 

368 pp.
$35.00

120. DEATH WAS OUR COMPANION
Tony Le Tissier, C,

As Hitler's dreams of a Thousand Year Reich crumbled in the face of overwhelming assaults from both East and West in the first months of 1945, the heavily outnumbered German armed forces were still capable of fighting with a tenacity and professionalism at odds with the desperate circumstances. While Hitler fantasized about deploying divisions and armies that had long since ceased to exist, boys of 15, officer cadets, sailors and veterans of the Great War joined the survivors of shattered formations on the front line. Historian Tony Le Tissier gives a German perspective to the mayhem and bloodshed of the last months of World War II in Europe. Teenaged Flak auxiliaries recount their experiences alongside veteran Panzergrenadiers attempting to break out of Soviet encirclement. Struggles between the military, industry and the Nazi Party for influence over the defenders of Berlin contrast with a key participant's account of Goebbel's abortive attempt to conclude a cease-fire with the Soviets. This is useful reading for anybody interested in the ordinary soldier's experience of the culminating battles in central Europe in 1945. 

224 pp.
$30.00

123. A HITLER YOUTH: GROWING UP IN GERMANY IN THE 1930'S
Henry Metelmann, C,

This book is an autobiography of a railway worker's son who joined the Hitler Youth at the age of 12 and became involved in the Nazi movement which was passionately opposed by his parents - the conflict between his Nazism and his father's socialism is a central theme. This book will be of interest not only to the general reader but to historians, political scientists, sociologists and others interested in this unique period in German history. The book begins in the pre-Nazi period and covers all aspects of life in Hamburg's strong socialist working class community: street play, visits to the countryside, family gatherings and school life as well as the scout movement which was eventually to become the Hitler Youth. This settled society was disrupted by the arrival of the Nazis who used violence, propoganda and skillfully orchestrated gatherings and marches to achieve total political dominence. The author gives an account of the beating and intimidation of individual opponents of the Nazi regime - trade unionists and others - and the climate of fear and violence which gradually transformed his family, friends and local community. We see the rise of Hitler and the terrible consequences that followed through this detailed and sometimes painfully honest personal account. April release.

256 pp.
$33.00

THE TIGER PROJECT: A SERIES DEVOTED TO GERMANY'S WWII TIGER TANK CREWS.
series edited by Dale Rutter

This series delves into the inner workings of Germany's most fearsome panzers of WWII, the Tiger and Tiger II. These books are about the men who crewed these battlefield behemoths. Based mainly on interviews, personal diaries, and recollections, the series will present the German Tiger and King Tiger crewmen as soldiers who had the opportunity to serve as a member of a crew and units that fielded this extraordinary weapon. This series will include all levels of soldiers from the Tigerabteilung commanders, down to the drivers, loaders, gunners, and radio-operators. Each book is an oversize hardcover. 

124. BOOK ONE: ALFRED RUBBEL: SCHWERE PANZER (TIGER) ABTEILUNG 503
C,O

This first book is devoted solely to Alfred Rubbel, who served on the Russian Front from the opening of Barbarossa through to the end of the war. When the new Tiger-abteilungs were raised, Rubbel was assigned to one as a newly commissioned officer. Throughout his years in the panzers he experienced both the elation of the opening successes of Barbarossa and the demoralizing withdrawal back over the borders of the Third Reich. Combining his military experiences with over 200 photographs, the majority of which are previously unpublished, creates a very readable account from an everyday soldier who also happened to have the privilege of serving in one of the most successful tanks ever produced. This is actually his personal war diary. 

240 pp.
$50.00

125. BOOK TWO: HORST KRONKE: SCHWERE PANZER (TIGER) ABTEILUNG 505
C,O,

As with the first book in this series covering the experiences of Alfred Rubbel, this second book is strictly the story of one man: Horst Krönke. The story combines the experiences of Krönke with approximately 400 photographs (most which are unpublished), hand-drawn maps, and original documents, to tell the story of a veteran of Germany’s elite panzerwaffe and feared Tiger tanks. His initial experience was in training with Panzer Ersatz Abteilung 5. From there he was assigned to Panzer Regiment 6, of the 3rd Panzer Division and experienced the opening of the war in Russia. Krönke was in action on the Eastern Front through the end of 1942 at which time he was sent back to Germany to attend officer cadet and then officer’s schools. Upon his return to the front and Panzer Regiment 6 he was sidetracked by an old comrade and was incorporated into schwere Panzer Abteilung 503. At that point Horst was introduced to the new Tiger tank and served with a Tiger unit, transferring to schwere Panzer Abteilung 505 to serve with his brother, until the end of the war. Over 400 b/w photos.

224 pp.
$50.00

126. THE LENT PAPERS
Helmut Lint, C,O-

Helmut Lent was one of the outstanding personalities of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War and, until his death in October 1944, the leading exponent of night fighter tactics. Lent originally served with a Zerstörer (Destroyer) unit, I./ZG 76, and flew in Poland where he achieved his first victory on September 2, 1939. From this date until he joined the newly appointed NachtJagd (Night Fighter) he scored another seven victories, five of these during the Narvik campaign. Lent's initial induction into the original night-fighter Geschwader, NJG 1, was not a success and within a short time he made a request to be transferred to day fighter operations. However, Wolfgang Falck, the founder of the Geschwader and a friend of Lent, persuaded him to give it another month before submitting his request for a transfer. The 'breathing space' had its effect and Lent scored his first night victory on May 12, 1941, and by January 1943 his 50th. On August 1, 1943, he became Kommodore of the newly formed NJG 3 that soon, with the help of his devoted followers, became extremely successful in combating the ever-increasing night bombing operations made by the RAF. On the night of June 15/16, 1944, he shot down three Lancaster bombers taking his victory score to 100 and became the first night fighter recipient of the Brillanten (Diamonds) to the Knight's Cross. During a daylight landing on October 5, 1944, at Paderborn, where he was visiting Achim Jabs, the Kommodore of NJG 1, Lent's Bf 110 came into contact with a high-tension line and crashed into the ground. Lent was critically injured and died two days later.

304 pp
$40.00*

127. HOT MOTORS, COLD FEET 
Helmut Günther, C,

with over 110 black and white photographs - many previously unpublished. An exciting personal account of front-line service with the motorcycle battalion of SS-Division “Reich” from 1940 until late 1941. The author initially served as a messenger and eventually as a squad leader in the Balkans Campaign and subsequently the invasion of Russia - Operation Barbarossa - until the retreat from Moscow. He was evacuated in late December 1941 with severe frostbite to both feet. Helmut Günther is quite a character and a natural storyteller, who writes in a very compelling style. His story is riveting, and in many cases very amusing, as he and his comrades manhandle their 600cc BMW and NSU motorcycles through some of the roughest terrain and toughest combat imaginable. This is a revealing look at what it was really like to serve in the original SS division. Many of the officers the author served with, such as Klingenberg and Tychsen, later became well-known SS commanders. Volume 2 of Günther’s memoirs, which cover his service with 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen,” will be published at a later date. 

288 pp.
$39.00

128. PANZER ACES: GERMAN TANK COMMANDERS OF WWII
Franz Kurowski, S

With speed, violence, and deadly power, heavily armored tanks spearheaded the German blitzkrieg that stormed across Europe in 1939. Tracks rattling and engines roaring, these lethal machines engaged in some of the fiercest fighting of World War II, from the beaches of Normandy and the Ardennes forest to the snow-encrusted eastern front. In this reprint of the hugely popular book, author Franz Kurowski tells the action-packed stories of six of the most daring and successful officers ever to command Panzers including Michael Wittmann, Hans B(lter, Hermann Bix and others, a fantastic read. 

448 pp.
$20.00

129. THE UKRAINIAN DIVISION "GALICIA" 1943-45 A MEMOIR
Wolf-Dietrich Heike, C,

An Aberdeen Exclusive! About ten years ago I read this book and thought it brilliant, but hard as I try I was unable to locate the publisher. After all these years I finally found out  (the book was published in 1988) and I made an offer to the group of veterans that had the book and bought the lot. As the Division's Chief of Staff from January 1944 until its ultimate surrender in May 1945, the author was in an exceptionally favorable position to observe how a large group of Ukrainians reacted to the impending and politically complex crisis on the Eastern Front. The author describes the Division as it was formed in May 1943 and first saw action in July 1944 at Brody, where the major portion of its troops were killed or captured by Soviet forces. In October it was sent to Slovakia and was stationed there until January 1945. Then, by arduous marches under extremely difficult conditions, it was transferred to the mixed nationality area of southern Austria and northern Slovenia. At the war's end the Division retreated farther into Austria, to surrender to the British Army. Most combat was with regular Soviet troops advancing through Hungary toward southeast Austria. Major Heike delineates these operations skillfully and graphically. The memoir is especially valuable for his account of the campaign in Styria - likely to remain the principal source of information on the Division's activities during the last months of WWII - as well as for the light is sheds on numerous other aspects of Ukrainian involvement in the war. 

200 pp.
$35.00

131. ERWIN ROMMEL
Karl Hoffman, S,O,

This volume traces the full remarkable career of the small, wiry man who was to become the legendary 'Desert Fox' and shows how a mild, retiring youngster quickly became an amazingly successful operator with light forces in the First World War, then proved the perfect spearhead of the devastating 'blitzkrieg' strategy of the Germans against the Allies in the early years of the Second World War. He was then transfered to the deserts of North Africa where he was to cause such havoc to the British army, only stopped by the arrival of 'Monty'. This thorough assessment marks Rommel as one of the finest military men of the 20th century. It also examines his faults, and covers the sad end to his life when he chose suicide ahead of a show trial after being accused of plotting to blow up Hitler. 30 photos and maps.

128 pp.
$20.00

132. DIARY OF A TANK GUNNER IN THE BRANDENBURG DIVISION, two volumes
Edward Bodenmuller, S,

each volume has 2 maps, 11 action photos, 9 tank & vehicle line drawings, Order of Battle. The history of a gunner in the 4th Company (Panther tanks) / 1st Battalion of Panzer Regiment Wietersheim. The author served as a tank commander and fought in the battles for the Steinau bridgehead (Oder River) in February 1945. An excellent, first hand account of the February battles which ended with the Silesian capital of Breslau being surrounded and the 4th Panzer Army being pushed back. The Brandenburg Division was reduced to the size of a kampfgruppe after this battle and continued to serve under 4th Panzer Army until the end of the war.The battles for the village of Wuhden, Polach, etc. are all here. The author's style of writing is concise but compelling.

vol. one: 61 pp. vol. two: 76 pages
$12.00, SPECIAL PRICE, $9.95* each volume

133. LUFTWAFFE FIGHTER ACE
Norbert Hannig, C, 

Herr Norbert Hannig’s wartime career makes for fascinating and highly informative reading on an aspect of the 1939-45 air war not often covered in the English language; primarily that of the campaign against the Soviet Union. He was one of the midwar-generation Luftwaffe fighter pilots and began operations with JG 54 on the eastern (Leningrad) front in early 1943; initially flying Messerschmitt Bf 109s before transitioning to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. He became a Staffel CO and was credited with 42 victories, also serving with JV 44 (whose CO was Adolf Galland); he then returned to Germany towards the closing stages of the war to convert to Me 262 jet fighters. Many and varied were his experiences in action against the rejuvenated Soviet Air Force in the east, and the powerful western Allies over the homeland during the final chaotic months of hostilities, which culminated in his captivity. John Weal’s skilful translation ensures that the fluid and descriptive style of the author is preserved. Thankfully, also, Norbert was a keen photographer who shot a profusion of images, all previously unpublished, many of which appear in this important book. 20 pages of photos.

224 pp.
$35.00

135. BUT NOT FOR THE FUEHRER
Helmut Jung, C, with signed bookplate by author!
 
The author was just 16 when he was drafted in 1943 and fought exclusively against the Soviets on the Eastern front. He was a Pioneer trooper in the 3rd Regiment of 7th Panzer Division and fought around Kharkov. He also got trained as a sharpshooter and was employed as a sniper for a short while, and this book gives a good account of how the German sniper was trained. The author describes very vividly his battle experiences which the book is packed full of, such as using teller mines against tanks, about fighting fanatical Russian women soldiers, what they did to captured German soldiers as well as other Soviet soldiers who had tortured and mutilated their fellow German comrades. He was also involved in the destruction of Peenemuende. when he was sent out there on a mission along with a company to destroy it before it fell into enemy hands. The first two chapters are a bit slow, as he discusses life in Germany under the Third Reich, but once he goes to war, the book really takes off. 

472 pp.
$31.00*

136. AN INFANTRYMAN IN STALINGRAD
Adelbert Holl, C, 

The author, Adelbert Holl, was a 23-year-old infantry Leutnant when he rejoined his unit in Stalingrad after recovering from wounds he suffered in April 1942. This book records his own experiences as a junior infantry commander during Stalingrad. The infantry bore the most laborious and difficult role during the battle. They were not propelled forward by engines, were not protected by armour-plating. They stood eye to eye with the enemy. That is why this report is so impressive, so enthralling, so stirring. It is sober, factual, without pathos – as written by a front-line soldier. Holl was awarded many medals, including the Wound Badge in Gold, which demonstrates that he had never spared himself from the dangers of combat. One of the best eyewitness account of the fighting in Stalingrad. 25 photos, 19 aerial photos, 24 maps, and supporting documents.

250 pp.
$42.00* (please note, I was under the impression the US list price was going to be $30, but that's before I learned the Australian price is $50, which really translates to $40, and the shipping prices to the US are just killer for these books, especially with the weak dollar. I know this is higher than I anticipated, but I had no idea of the Australian price until recently, and that is how I am invoiced.)  

138. BLITZKRIEG IN THEIR OWN WORDS: FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS FROM GERMAN SOLDIERS 1939-1940
Forward by Heinz Guderian, C,

Blitzkrieg in their own Words is a military history of these campaigns written by those taking part. The short individual accounts give a unique perspective into the workings of the German war machine during its greatest victories, before the disaster of the Russian Front. The authoritative text is complemented by maps that explain the movement of forces and photographs of key battles and encounters during the German attacks. With rare photographs of the action accompanying the text, the book will be of interest to any World War II enthusiast. This book was originally published in 1942 in Germany and this is the first English translation. Written in the naive, fresh style of young men new to combat, the text recounts the ruthless destruction of the Polish and French armies in language that shocks in its brutal enthusiasm. 

256 pp.
$22.00

                  139. EICHENLAUBTRAGER 1940-1945, ZEITGESCHICHTE IN FARBE: 
I ABRAHAM - HUPPERTZ
II IHLEFELD - PRIMOZIC
III RADUSCH - ZWERMEMANN
Frito Schaulen, C,O, German text with English caption sheet for volume one, soon volume two will be available, eventually volume three

Thisthree volume set that features a large full color photo of every Knight's Cross recipient! There are also a few additional color photos of some of the recipients after they received the war and celebrating together. These were the official photos taken of the recipients after receiving the medal and all these photos were presumed lost. Most have never been published before in any form, a remarkable, breathtaking books. 

160 pp. nearly all in full color
$50.00 per book

141. FOR GERMANY: THE OTTO SKORZENY MEMOIRS
edited by Craig W.H. Luther, Ph.D. & Hugh Page Taylor 

Otto Skorzeny only rose to the rank of Colonel in the SS, yet is one of the best known and colorful figures of the Third Reich, in large part because of the faith Hitler had in the tall Austrian engineer. Many books have been written about his career, to include autobiographies, but before he died in 1975 he personally entrusted Bender Publishing with the formidable task of producing the most detailed, up-dated and best illustrated version of his incredible life story. A quarter of a century later, after painstaking research into the text and a hunt for unpublished illustrations, the ultimate story of “Scarface” Skorzeny, “the most dangerous man in Europe” and Hitler's “commando extraordinary” is finally available. Complete with an exhaustive index, providing biographical details not found in the text, this is likely to be the last word on this larger than life personality, one of the great characters of World War II. 248 photos.

528 pp.
Price: $49.00

142. INFANTRY ACES 2
Franz Kurowski, C,

with 130 photographs, and 15 maps. Franz Kurowski continues with his famous “you-are-there” perspective of the German fighting man in World War II. This title offers another set of compelling action-filled biographies that recount the lives — and, frequently, the deaths — of infantry soldiers who were awarded Germany’s highest military honor: The Knight’s Cross. In this volume, another six infantry warriors are portrayed. As is usual for Franz Kurowski the action is fast, furious and dramatic, December release

500 pp.
price: $ TBA.

143. STANDARTENFUHRER JOHANNES MUHLENKAMP
Paul Oostreling, C,O, German Text

This book is the history of a single Panzeruhrer and the men who served under him. Johannes Muhlenkamp rose to the rank of SS-Standartenfuhrer (Oberst) and held the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and other high honors that reflected not only his achievements but also those of his men. To the soldiers under his command he was a figurehead who was often to be found standing over his tank, his face covered in dust, leading them into battle. He always led from the front. Profusely illustrated with hundreds of previously unseen photographs, documents and maps and assembled with the assistance of veterans and Muhlenkamp's family, this book is an exceptional document in words and images of the life of a single panzer regiment of the famous Wiking division. If ever you needed a reason to learn German . . . 

280 pp.
$80.00, Special 20% off, $64.00*

144. MICHAEL WITTMANN AND THE TIGER COMMANDERS OF THE LEIBSTANDARTE
Patrick Agte, C,

This is a complete and unabridged reprint of the long out-of-print JJ Fedorowicz classic with 700 photographs, 34 maps and 4 orders of battle. This title traces the life and career of the most famous tanker of World War II, SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann, and his comrades in the Tiger company of the 1. SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler”, which later evolved into a separate tank battalion, schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 (501). The author brings the life story of Wittmann and other Tiger commanders alive by presenting innumerable first-hand accounts of surviving soldiers of these famous formations. As well as being a combat biography of Michael Wittmann this book is an excellent unit history of schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 (501) that continues beyond Wittmann’s death until the end of the war. This is a strictly limited reprint — only a total of 1,000 copies — so don’t hesitate to reserve some copies. The contents are the same and are printed on our standard glossy paper. The only changes are the legal ones required for the title page and the back cover, which will feature an information blurb. Only 1000 copies printed and is again out of print.

576 pp.
$150.00*

146. HITLER'S COMMANDER: FIELD MARSHAL WALTHER MODEL - HITLER'S FAVORITE GENERAL
Steven Newton, C,

Unlike many of his contemporaries—Rommel, Guderian, von Rundstedt—who have been rescued from the anonymity of defeat, Model (1891–1945) has "languished in relative obscurity." Historian Newton (Panzer Operations), hopes to remedy that in this first English-language biography of the general dubbed the "Führer's Fireman" and "the Lion of the Defense." Newton follows Model's career from his heroic service as a young lieutenant on the Western Front in WWI through his meteoric rise to the command of an army group during WWII. Newton aims not only to rescue Model from obscurity but to rehabilitate his frayed reputation as a "Hitler sycophant" and war criminal. (It didn't help that Model's "abrasive personality" made him few friends or admirers.) Drawing on his extensive research in German and American archives, German war diaries and memoirs, Newton presents a picture of a "tactical genius" who was "pro-Hitler" but not blindly so. Facing certain defeat in April 1945, Model destroyed his papers and committed suicide, making the task of any future biographer difficult. In the absence of personal papers, Newton manages to reconstruct Model the commander but not Model the man.

432 pp.
$35.00

147. SNIPER ON THE EASTERN FRONT: THE MEMOIRS OF SEPP ALLERBERGER KNIGHT'S CROSS
Sepp Allerberger & Albrecht Wacker

Josef "Sepp" Allerberger was the second most successful sniper of the German Wehrmacht and one of the few private soldiers to be honoured with the award of the Knight's Cross.An Austrian conscript, after qualifying as a machine gunner he was drafted to the southern sector of the Russian Front in July 1942. Wounded at Voroshilovsk, he experimented with a Russian sniper-rifle while convalescing and so impressed his superiors with his proficiency that he was returned to the front on his regiment's only sniper specialist. In this sometimes harrowing memoir, Allerberger provides an excellent introduction to the commitment in fieldcraft, discipline and routine required of the sniper, a man apart. There was no place for chivalry on the Russian Front. Away from the film cameras, no prisoner survived long after surrendering. Russian snipers had used the illegal explosive bullet since 1941, and Hitler eventually authorised its issue in 1944. The result was a battlefield of horror. Allerberger was a cold-blooded killer, but few will find a place in their hearts for the soldiers of the Red Army against whom he fought. This book is as good as it sounds, trust me.

196 pp.
$35.00

148. THE SS LEADERSHIP CORPS VOLUME 1
Max Williams, C,O,

This remarkable first volume explores all the SS Leaders from A-E. This fine biography covers personal and political lives, including awards, decorations, photographs, surviving personal artifacts plus documents showing original signatures. All arranged alphabetically for ease of reference. The most visual and authoratative reference book to date on the subject. 550 photos including colour plates, awards, decorations, and signatures. 

288 pp.
$125.00

149.. GROSSADMIRIAL KARL DONITZ
Meinolf Reitz, C,O, German text.

This book I would say is an equal part Donitz and Kriegsmarine. This book though from pages 38 to 158 is entirely in full color. And these are you run of the mill photos, but a fantastic display of rare mostly unpublished color photos. These photos not only of Donitz, but many on board submarines or ships, showing the daily life and struggles. Also various other photos of ship construction, parades, etc. A wonderful addition to any military collection. 

160 pp.
$50.00

150. STUKA-AS HANS-ULRICH RUDEL
Dieter Vollmer, C,O, German text

This excellent Arndt title features a fantastic display of photos of Rudel. Most of the photos, including the black and white are of very superior quality. This is Rudel like never seen before, spanning his entire lifetime. Including of course his wartime exploits, time away from the front, pre war years, and a very fascinating section of his post war life. His medals and awards with their documentation are also presented in full color. I would have to say there's around 300 illustrations in total. 

160 pp.
$50.00

151. INFANTERIE ACES 2
Franz Kurowksi, C,

Written in his "you are there" style, Franz Kurowski presents mini-biographies on seven infantry aces, all Knight's Cross recipients. Although we make fun of our titles as "summer beach reading", this book actually comes close to that. The book is a real page turner and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did putting it together. Click on the "book cover (left) to jump to the page devoted to information about Kurowski's new page-turner.

400+ pp.
$58.00

152. ONCE I HAD A COMRADE: KARL ROTH AND THE COMBAT HISTORY OF THE 36TH PANZER REGIMENT 1939-45
R.W.Byrd, C,

Once I had a Comrade is the story of the author's German father-in-law, Karl Roth, who grew up during the tumultuous 1930s in the Franconian town of Schweinfurt, located in northern Bavaria, and of his regiment, 36th Panzer Regiment. When the Second World War began, he found himself conscripted into the army and assigned as maintenance private to the headquarters company of Schweinfurt's new branch of service, the 36th Panzer Regiment, assigned to 4th Panzer Division until November 1940, 14th Panzer Division thereafter. They participated in the campaigns in Poland 1939, France 1940 and Yugoslavia 1941, before serving on the Eastern Front (southern sector) until destruction at Stalingrad 1943. The division was then rebuilt and again served in the southern sector of Russia before being transferred to Kurland in late 1944, where it saw out the rest of the war serving with 18th Army. During these campaigns, Karl Roth repaired nearly every type of tank in the German arsenal, holding the rank of master sergeant by the end of the war. After six years of conflict he survived being blown off his tank, dysentery, malaria, weeks separated behind enemy lines, a possible court-martial, and was awarded the Gold Tank Destruction Badge. As Richard Byrd began to research the story, several questions arose about the unit and his father-in-law, including: What kind of man was he? Where did he fight and what tactics were used? Why wasn't a regimental history written after the war? What was their strength and what strategic events affected them? Many of the answers to these questions were supplied by books, but more important than all the numbers and statistics gathered for the research were the first hand accounts related to him by his mother-in-law and survivors of the regiment, who have provided a host of original photographs and anecdotes explaining the human aspect of the 36th Panzer Regiment's history. This book then is a tribute to Roth and his comrades, and to all soldiers who aspire to commendable and honourable action during time of war. With over 150 b/w photos, many previously unpublished

208 pp.
$60.00

153.  AT LENINGRAD’S GATES: THE COMBAT MEMOIRS OF A SOLDIER WITH ARMY GROUP NORTH
Wehrmacht Captain William Lubbeck with David B. Hurt, C,

This is the remarkable story of a German soldier who fought throughout World War II, rising from conscript private to captain of a heavy weapons company on the Eastern Front. William Lubbeck, age 19, was drafted into the Wehrmacht in August 1939. As a member of the 58th Infantry Division, he received his baptism of fire during the 1940 invasion of France. The following spring his division served on the left flank of Army Group North in Operation Barbarossa. After grueling marches admidst countless Russian bodies, burnt-out vehicles, and a great number of cheering Baltic civilians, Lubbeck’s unit entered the outskirts of Leningrad, making the deepest penetration of any German formation. The Germans suffered brutal hardships the following winter as they fought both Russian counterattacks and the brutal cold. The 58th Division was thrown back and forth across the front of Army Group North, from Novgorod to Demyansk, at one point fighting back Russian attacks on the ice of Lake Ilmen. Returning to the outskirts of Leningrad, the 58th was placed in support of the Spanish “Blue” Division. Relations between the allied formations soured at one point when the Spaniards used a Russian bath house for target practice, not realizing that Germans were relaxing inside. A soldier who preferred to be close to the action, Lubbeck served as forward observer for his company, dueling with Russian snipers, partisans and full-scale assaults alike. His worries were not confined to his own safety, however, as news arrived of disasters in Germany, including the destruction of Hamburg where his girlfriend served as an Army nurse. In September 1943, Lubbeck earned the Iron Cross First Class and was assigned to officers’ training school in Dresden. By the time he returned to Russia, Army Group North was in full-scale retreat. Now commanding his former heavy weapons company, Lubbeck alternated sharp counterattacks with inexorable withdrawal, from Riga to Memel on the Baltic. In April 1945 Lubbeck’s company became stalled in a traffic jam and was nearly obliterated by a Russian barrage followed by air attacks. In the last chaotic scramble from East Prussia, Lubbeck was able to evacuate on a newly minted German destroyer. He recounts how the ship arrived in the British zone off Denmark with all guns blazing against pursuing Russians. The following morning, May 8, 1945, he learned that the war was over. After his release from British captivity, Lubbeck married his sweetheart, Anneliese, and in 1949 immigrated to the United States where he raised a successful family. With the assistance of David B. Hurt, he has drawn on his wartime notes and letters, Soldatbuch, regimental history and personal memories to recount his four years of frontline experience. Containing rare firsthand accounts of both triumph and disaster, At Leningrad’s Gates provides a fascinating glimpse into the reality of combat on the Eastern Front. 16 pages b/w illustrations

264 pp.
$33.00

154. ROMMEL'S LIEUTENANTS: THE MEN WHO SERVED THE DESERT FOX, FRANCE, 1940
Samuel Mitcham, C,

Perhaps the most famous soldier to fight in World War II was Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who achieved immortality as "the Desert Fox." He is also one of the most admired. Rommel's first field command during the war was the 7th Panzer Division, also known as the Ghost Division, which he led in France in 1940. During this campaign, the 7th Panzer suffered more casualties than any other division in the German Army, at the same time inflicting a disproportionate number of casualties upon the enemy. It took 97,486 prisoners, captured 458 tanks and armored vehicles, 277 field guns, 64 anti-tank guns and 4,000 to 5,000 trucks, and destroyed dozens of others in each category. It captured or destroyed hundreds of tons of other military equipment, shot down 52 aircraft, destroyed 15 more on the ground, and captured 12 more. It destroyed the French 1st Armored Division and the 4th North African Division, punched through the Maginot Line extension near Sivry, and checked the largest Allied counteroffensive of the campaign at Arras. When France surrendered, the Ghost Division was within 200 miles of the Spanish border. No doubt about it--Rommel had proven himself a great military leader who was capable of greater things. His next command, in fact, would be the Afrika Korps, where the legend of the Desert Fox was born. Rommel had a great deal of help in France-- much more than his published papers suggest. His staff officers and company, battalion and regimental commanders were an extremely capable collection of military leaders that included 12 future generals (two of them SS), and two colonels who briefly commanded panzer divisions but never reached general rank. They also included Colonel Erich von Unger, who would no doubt have become a general had he not been killed in action while commanding a motorized rifle brigade on the Eastern Front in 1941, as well as Karl Hanke, a Nazi gauleiter who later succeeded Heinrich Himmler as the last Reichsfuehrer-SS.

240 pp.
$50.00

155. LEADERS OF THE SS & GERMAN POLICE, VOLUME 1: AHRENS TO GUTENBERG
Michael Miller, C, order early to get signed and numbered copies.

Himmler's general officers were a diverse and fascinating group of men, consisting of brillliant and not-so-brilliant military strategists, highly educated members of the legal and medical professions, and yes, mass murderers on a grand scale. This first volume provides detained biographical sketches and photos of 71 senior leaders of the SS and German Police. You will know promotion dates, every position held during their career, decorations received, postwar prosecution, and personal data like family, religion, etc. For the autograph collector examples of signatures are also provided. 288 photos/51 illustrations, 

498 pp.
$49.00

157. FIELD MARSHAL VON MANSTEIN, A PORTRAIT: THE JANUS HEAD
Marcel Stein, C,O,

Most military historians are in agreement that Feldmarschall Erich von Manstein was the most outstanding German high commander of the Second World War. Many view him as the foremost exponent of large-scale mobile operations in any of the Second World War armies. Surprisingly, no biography of him has yet been written. To this day, his family refuses to release the papers of his estate to the German military archives at Freiburg. Furthermore the contradictions in the personality of von Manstein make it difficult to generate a synthesis. On one side there is an extraordinary military talent, on the other many political and moral aspects. His military achievements stand in sharp contrast to his inhumane policy of occupation in Russia, his active participation in the slaughter of Jews in Southern Ukraine and the Crimea and his ambivalent attitude to the military resistance movement. These contradictions have led the author to describe Manstein as 'the Janushead' - the term chosen for the title of the book. He has not written a traditional biography but a portrait. A complete account of all phases of Manstein's career is given in one chapter, seven more chapters deal extensively with milestones in Manstein's career: his successful plan for the battle of France which led to the defeat of the French Army in less than one month, his dereliction of duty during the battle for Stalingrad, his hubris which led to the disaster of the battle for Kursk, his refusal to take part in the military resistance movement, his compliance with the Commissar order and his involvement in the Holocaust. 

436 pp.
$60.00

158. JOACHIM PEIPER: A NEW BIOGRAPHY OF HIMMLER'S SS COMMANDER
Jens Westemeier, C,O,

In this new historical investigation, German historian Jens Weste-meier portrays the rise and fall of an SS war criminal, and demolishes persistent myths of a Nazi icon. The picture revealed here is at odds with the popular Peiper mythology created by wartime and contemporary, novels, motion pictures, and Peiper biographies. Using primary sources and personal interviews, a compelling image of the SS colonel emerges. The result is a highly readable and scholarly account with the first complete picture of Joachim Peiper. Now, a previously little understood Waffen-SS icon comes to life in a book that is at once an important contribution for our understanding of World War II history. over 160 b/w photos.

240 pp.
$60.00

159. FIGHTER ACES OF THE LUFTWAFFE IN WORLD WAR 2
Philip Kaplan, C

This book examines the reality behind the myths of the legendary German fighter aces of World War II. It explains why only a small minority of pilots - those in whom the desire for combat overrode everything - accounted for so large a proportion of the victories. It surveys the skills that a successful fighter pilot must have - a natural aptitude for flying, marksmanship, keen eyesight - and the way in which fighter tactics have developed. The book examines the history of the classic fighter aircraft that were flown, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the Focke Wulf Fw 190, and examines each type's characteristics, advantages and disadvantages in combat. The accounts of the experiences of fighter pilots are based on archival research, diaries, letters, published and unpublished memoirs and personal interviews with veterans. The pilots included are Werner Molders, Gunther Rall, Adolf Galland, Erich Hartmann and Johannes Steinhoff. 100 b/w photos.

208 pp.
$32.00

160. BOY SOLDIER: BUDAPEST 1944 - 1945
Ervin Galantay, C, only 500 copies published in hardcover.

This book is based on the war diary of an adolescent soldier during the siege of Budapest by the Red Army in 1944-45. The narrative focuses on the day-by-day account of the defence of a key sector of 'Fortress Budapest' by a volunteer unit. This unit, the Vannay Battalion, held off a division's worth of Soviet infantry and armour for seven weeks in unimaginably tough winter conditions. The author served as a 14-year-old officer cadet in the Hungarian Army, working as a dispatch runner. The battle of Budapest lasted 102 days and ended with an breakout attempt of the encircled garrison on 12 February 1945 - by contrast, the siege of Berlin lasted just two weeks. The defence of the city was fought out over the heads of the 800,000 non-combatant civilians, of whom some 38,000 died during the siege. The Hungarian and German soldiers who died in the battle bring the total losses for the defenders to 76,000; the attacking Red Army and their Romanian allies also lost 80,000 men. The defence of the city of Budapest is a story of urban combat in atrocious conditions. The innovative tactics of the author's battalion are described in some detail and will provide valuable observation on urban warfare for professional readers and scholars. From the use of armour, through infiltration via the sewers to ambushes and house cleaning, his story has much to teach the contemporary soldier about the conduct of fighting in built-up areas. The book also attempts to give the reader a whiff of the stench and exaltation of battle, and in doing so also provides us with an insight into the mind of a child caught up in one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Includes a nice section of photos and maps. 

192 pp.
$49.99

161. THE WOLVES OF WORLD WAR II: AN EAST PRUSSIAN SOLDIER'S MEMOIR OF COMBAT AND CAPTIVITY ON THE EASTERN FRONT
Hans Thiel, S,

On September 25, 1944, Hitler attempted to shore up his faltering forces by creating the Volkssturm or People’s Army. His new draft called into service all remaining able-bodied men, including those whose civilian labor had previously been deemed indispensable. Among the latter was an East Prussian farmer named Hans Thiel, who suddenly found himself on the Eastern front, fighting not to bring glory to the Nazi Party (for which he felt at best a troubled resignation) but to save his country from destruction. With the defeat of the Germans, Thiel was taken prisoner by the advancing Soviet forces.
From the closing days of World War II through three years of postwar captivity, this memoir details the experiences of Hans Thiel. Beginning with the realities of agrarian life during World War II, it then describes Thiel’s conscription, his combat experiences, and his life as a postwar prisoner, held first by the Red Army and then transferred to camps under Polish control. The atrocities these prisoners suffered at the hands of their captors—as retaliation for German military war crimes—are discussed in detail. The book includes a glossary (general terms), an appendix commenting on German agrarian policy under the Third Reich, a second appendix discussing the difficulties of tracing Thiel’s route through the war-torn countryside, and a third appendix of placenames. Photographs and maps are also included.

191 pp.
$30.00

162. AN ARTILLERYMAN IN STALINGRAD
Dr. Wigand Wuster, C,

In August 1942, Wigand Wüster was a veteran 22-year-old officer leading an artillery battery in Artillerie-Regiment 171 (71. Inf.-Div.) as it approached Stalingrad. The preceding months had been marked by heat, dust, endless marches, and brief skirmishes with the enemy – but mostly by an ongoing battle with his bullying battalion commander. In this brutally honest account, Wüster provides a glimpse of the war on the Eastern Front rarely seen before. With frankness, humour and perception, Wüster takes us from the heady days of the German 1942 summer offensive to the icy hell of Stalingrad’s final hours, and finally into captivity. 

• 160 photos
• 3 maps
• 3 aerial photos
• 5 appendices
• 6 supporting documents
• Index

264 pp.
$43.00*

164. THE FACE OF COURAGE: THE 98 MEN WHO RECEIVED BOTH THE KNIGHT'S CROSS AND CLOSE COMBAT CLASP IN GOLD
Florian Berger, with assistance from Christian Habisohn, C, already nearly out of print.

The Face of Courage is a rare title that is packed with information and can easily serve as a definitive reference, and yet often reads like a fast-paced novel. It is the story of the 98 soldiers of the German Armed Forces — Army, Air Force and Waffen-SS — who were awarded both the Knight’s Cross and the Close Combat Clasp in Gold during World War II. These men were members of a unique group. They were honored for actions that helped decisively influence the battlefield, and they stared into the eyes of death on no less than 50 occasions. While individuals were often honored for one or the other quality, it was a rare man indeed that showed both leadership prowess and the ability to survive close combat on many occasions. Although more than 7,000 soldiers received the Knight’s Cross — Germany’s highest military award, often compared to the United States’ Congressional Medal of Honor or the British Victoria Cross — only 98 also received the highest award for physical courage in the face of the enemy. While the student of World War II may find many familiar names in this book, there are also a number of less-famous soldiers that achieved this high honor. In addition to offering several pages of text and photographs devoted to each of the individual recipients, the book offers a concise overview of the creation, purpose and award criteria for both of the medals, a discussion of contentious cases and exhaustive footnotes. 580 photos and illustrations

Here are the 98: Auer…Baichl…Baunach…Becker…Bialetzki…Boosfeld…Buchner…Buck…Degrelle…Deutschmann…Dittlof…Donnhauser…Dutter…Eckert…Eisele…Fink…Finke…Franke…Frankenfeld…Friedrich…Friedrich…Gössmann…Grunau…Hack…Hackl…Hamberger…Hansen…Harthan…Hertel…Hinz…Hofbauer…Holzer…Jacobeit…Jochims…Juchem…Juschkat…Kämpfe…Kaiser…Kempas…Klein…Knittel…Konopacki…Konopka…Kranz…Kroeg…Kutschkau…Lainer…Lehmann…Lex…Lindenberg…Loos…Lorenz…Macher…Mager…Maringgele…Meitzel…Meyer…Misera…Möller…Möller…Moldenhauer…Müller…Obschil…Ostermeier…Peichl…Phoenix…Pössinger…Preuss…Radermacher…Rentschler…Richter…Richter…Rudnick…Rutkowski…Sauer…Sawatzki…Schäfer…Schlags-Koch…Schmelser…Schneck…Schreiber…Schreiber…Schulze…Schwanbeck…Seebach…Singer…Stadler…Tittel…Vincon…Volker…Wandmaker…Wenzelburger…Werner…Wimmer…Wisliceny…Wolf…Wulf…

600 pp.
$64.00

165. PANZER GUNNER: FROM MY NATIVE CANADA TO THE GERMAN OSTFRONT AND BACK. IN ACTION WITH 25TH PANZER REGIMENT, 7TH PANZER DIVISION, 1944-45
Bruno Friesen, C

There are few memoirs available of German Panzer crews that focus on the climactic last 12 months of the war on the Eastern Front, 1944-45. What makes Bruno Friesen's account virtually unique is his family background: his parents came from a German-speaking Mennonite community in Ukraine, and were to all intents and purposes culturally German. To make matters even more complex, in 1924 his parents left the Ukraine for Canada, where Bruno was born. In March 1939 he and his brother Oscar found themselves on a ship bound for Bremerhaven in Germany. He barely spoke German, and had never been to Germany, nevertheless his father envisaged that a better life awaited them in the Third Reich. Needless to say, Bruno became caught up in the Second World War, and in 1942 was drafted into the Wehrmacht. The author provides a full account of his family background, and how, through these unusual circumstances, he found himself a Canadian-born German soldier. The bulk of the book is a detailed account of the author's training, and his subsequent service with 25th Panzer Regiment, part of 7th Panzer Division. As the title suggests, Bruno Friesen served as a gunner aboard, initially, Panzer IVs, before crewing the lesser-known Jagdpanzer IV tank hunter. The author provides a fantastic amount of information about these two vehicles, and how the crews actually fought in battle with them. This kind of 'hands-on' detail has almost never been available before, particularly such extensive information concerning the characteristics and combat performance of the Jagdpanzer IV. Apart from providing a large fund of information about specific German tanks and their combat performance, the author writes in great detail about the combat the experienced on the Eastern Front, including tank battles in Rumania, spring 1944, Lithuania in the summer of 1944, and West Prussia during early 1945. If one wants to know how German tank crews fought the Soviets in the last year of the war, then this book provides an outstanding account, containing material simply not found elsewhere. The author closes his account by reflecting on his post-war efforts to return to Canada, which eventually succeeded in 1950, and his subsequent life there. This book is not just a critique of armored fighting vehicles and tank warfare, it is above all a very human story, told in a lively, conversational and fluid manner, and is a remarkable contribution to the literature of the Second World War.

220 pp.
$50.00

166. DEVIL'S GUARD III: UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER
George Robert Elford, S

The third and final installment of the Devil's Guard trilogy. First they worked for the French, then they worked for the South Vietnamese, now follow Hans Josef Wagemueller and company as they pay off their debt to their final paymaster: the CIA. Never wanted, never acknowledged, but always in demand, the men of Task Force "G" know they will never be out of a job.

332 pp.
$29.50*

167. JUNGVOLK: THE STORY OF A BOY DEFENDING HITLER'S REICH
Wilhelm R. Gehlen and Don A. Gregory, C

This is the wartime memoir of a boy named Will, who happened to be the nephew of the head of Nazi Germany’s intelligence agency, Foreign Armies East. After reading this book, the reader will wonder who had the most exciting time during World War II. Will Gehlen’s father, a trolley driver, was drafted into the Wehrmacht to man a Sturmgeschutz assault gun in Russia. His older brother, Len, was enlisted in the Hitlerjugend. The author, only 10 years old when the war began, became a helper at the local Luftwaffe flak battery, fetching ammunition. It was exciting work for Will (a member of the “Jungvolk”) and by the end of the war he had become expert at judging attacks. As fighter raids increased in frequency he noted that the pilots became less skilled. Aside from aircraft kills, Gehlen had other adventures during the war, as when his mother dragged him to visit his aunt in Luxembourg in 1944. Crossing the lines they found no aunt but met American troops, and were surprised when the German Army launched an offensive, overrunning the village and forcing US soldiers to retreat with casualties. Making their way back to Germany was even more perilous, until they discovered the most secure vehicles were mail trucks. No one, not even the SS, tried to interfere with their progress. Gehlen’s town was repeatedly bombed and he often had to help with the wreckage or to pull survivors from basements. He witnessed more death than a child ever should; nevertheless, his flak battery continued firing until US tanks were almost on top of the position. In this book Gehlen, provides an intimate glimpse of the chaos, horror and black humor of life just behind the front lines. As seen through the eyes of a child, who was expert in aircraft identification and bomb weights, food-rationing and tank types, one encounters a view of life inside Hitler’s wartime Reich that is both fascinating and rare. 16 pages b/w photos, maps

320 pp.
$33.00

167. WAFFEN-SS KNIGHTS AND THER BATTLES: THE WAFFEN-SS KNIGHT'S CROSS HOLDERS VOLUME 1: 1939 - 1942
Peter Mooney, C,

This new series provides an overview of each Waffen-SS unit that fought during World War II, where it was raised and where it fought. Within each of the various battles covered, the book focuses specifically on each Waffen-SS soldier that was awarded the various grades of the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross. This first volume covers the period 1939-1942 and was written with the help of surviving Knight’s Cross holders or the Waffen-SS soldiers that fought alongside them. Unlike previous Knight’s Cross books that are reference based works, this book is aimed at providing a detailed account of the part played by each Waffen-SS Knight’s Cross holder in each battle. This project was written to answer the questions: How many Knight’s Cross holders received their award for the same battle or action? Where they one mile or a thousand miles apart? Did the actions take place on the same day? This book provides the answers.
over 60 bw images,

256 pp.
$40.00

167B. WAFFEN-SS KNIGHTS AND THEIR BATTLES: THE WAFFEN-SS KNIGHT'S CROSS HOLDERS VOLUME 2: JANUARY - JULY 1943
Peter Mooney, C

Volume 2 in this new series continues the overview of each Waffen-SS unit that fought during World War II, where it was raised and where it fought. Within each of the various battles covered, the book focuses specifically on each Waffen-SS soldier that was awarded the various grades of the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross. This second volume covers the period from January to July 1943 and was written with the help of surviving Knight’s Cross holders or the Waffen-SS soldiers that fought alongside them. Unlike previous Knight’s Cross books that are reference based works, this book is aimed at providing a detailed account of the part played by each Waffen-SS Knight’s Cross holder in each battle. This project was started to answer the questions: How many Knight’s Cross holders received their award for the same battle or action? Where they one mile or a thousand miles apart? Did the actions take place on the same day? These books provide the answers. over 60 bw images,

288 pp.
$40.00

168. THE LAST OF THE FEW: AN ME 262 PILOT REMEMBERS
Hans Busch, S

The story of one of the elite of the Luftwaffe, one of the first men to pilot a jet propelled aircraft, this is the autobiography of Hans Busch. Hans starts off his service flying in the Hitler Youth, his career Officer Cadet days training on many aircraft up until his transfer to KG51 for Me 262 training in the last desperate months of the way trying to defend the Fatherland against the Terror Bombers of the Allies who were mercilessly attacking anything that moved in what was then left of the Reich. Hans recalls the many interesting events in his life, his meetings with: Hitler, Hans Baur and Luftwaffe Ace General Galland amongst others. He describes his later life in his adopted homeland of the U.S. where he is in demand to speak to youth groups and young pilots about his life. Illustrated with photos,

214 pp.
$24.00*

169. DOUBLE FIGHTER KNIGHT
Ilmari Juutilainen, C

In reading this remarkable memoire, one finds himself drawing some rather fascinating conclusions about this little-known piece of World War II. For example, the story sheds a light on; Finland's motivation for its participation in the war against the Soviet Union, the role of tactical aviation on the Eastern Front, fighter tactics in general, the incredible performance of the Finnish Air Force against overwhelming odds in the harsh environment of Karelia and the Gulf of Finland and, most interesting of all, about the author himself; clearly one of the most successful and deadly aerial tacticians in the entire history of military aviation. That Air Master Sergeant Ilmari "Illu" Juutilainen was an eminently successful fighter pilot goes without question. That he was deadly in an aerial engagement is demonstrated by his having killed 94 enemy airplanes and sustained no damage from enemy fighters what-so-ever. But, he was neither vicious, nor cruel, nor lacking in gallantry or even magnamity. He had feelings of empathy for his opponents and often wished them well after having put their airplanes out of action. But, he was involved in a raw, brutal, terrifying business... the pitting of men in flying machines against other men of war. No quarter was asked; and none was given. They went at each other with machine guns and cannons, in flimsy machines in the bitter cold skies over Finland. There were no points awarded for coming in second in aerial combat... only torn and shattered bodies, a fiery funeral pyre and a final, violent impact with the earth. Yet, despite its violance, many of the participants in this spectacle relished it, reveled in the adrenaline-packed mael-storm of the dogfight and came back for more day after day. These were the ones who came in first. These were the victorious knights. Air Master Sergeant Ilmari "Illu" Juutilainen was surely one of the best of these men! 48 page photo section

254 pp.
$41.00*

170. THE SNIPER - SIMO HAYHA: ONE SHOT ONE KILL
Tapio A. M. Saarelainen, C

Simo Häyhä (1905 – 2002) is the most famous sniper in the world. He is a sniper with a capital S. During the Winter War, which was fought between Finland and Soviet Union in 1939 – 1940, he obediently carried out the demanding tasks he was commanded to. He was one of the significant persons who created the Spirit of the Winter War by leading the way. He has been a role model for snipers all over the world and paved the way for them by showing their significance in the battlefield. He still holds the record of the snipers, 542 confirmed kills, with iron sights. Simo Häyhä was a man of action who spoke very little. He was rewarded for his actions in many ways during and after the Winter War, the only war he ever participated in. He was promoted from corporal to second lieutenant and he was awarded the Cross of Kollaa (Kollaan Risti). He was also rewarded a Honorary Rifle, Sako m/28 on February 17 1940 at Kollaa front. For sniping Simo Häyhä used his own m/28-30 rifle the whole time. Simo was wounded on March 6 1940. Simo Häyhä lived two lives: The first one before the Winter War and the second one after his recovery. Simo got back on his feet and created long lasting career in farming and forestry. His roots were deep in the Finnish soil and he loved the life in rural Finland. He was also a master in breeding hunting dogs and he knew how to hunt small game and moose. He shot 73 moose, last one in 1984. Tapio Saarelainen, the author of this book, is a career officer in the Finnish Army. He has spent two decades in training snipers. In his youth he competed in rifle shooting. The author has spent lots of time investigating Simo Häyhä’s life and accomplishments and he interviewed Simo dozens of times during 1997 – 2002. The author has also participated in writing the Sniper’s Manual for the Finnish Defence Forces in 2000 – 2003. He has transferred Simo Häyhä’s trade secrets to the mentioned manual through this writing process. Waging war is the essential part of humanity. This has not changed, although the form of waging war and the methods have. War is getting more technical, but the nature of sniping remains the same. There is always a sniper with the duty to carry out the commanded task. One shot – one kill is the goal, also in the future!

135 pp.
$70.00*

171. DIE DEUTSCHEN GENERFELDMARSCHALLE UND GROBADMIRALE: ZEITGESCHICHTE NI FARBE 1936 - 1945
Peter Stockert, C,O, (Arndt color series)

fantastic color study of all German Field Marshals and Admirals. Listed alphabetically by name this book is an excellent presentation of these military leaders. Some of these photos have been reproduced elsewhere, others are here for the first time, and the color quality often is unsurpassed. Illustrated throughout entirely in color.

175 pp.
$50.00

172. KESSELRING'S LAST BATTLE: WAR CRIMES TRIALS AND COLD WAR POLITICS, 1945 - 1960
Kerstin Von Lingen, C,

In 1947 German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring was tried and convicted of war crimes committed during World War II. He was held responsible for his troops having executed nearly 9,000 Italian citizens—women, children, elderly men—in retaliation for partisan attacks. His conviction, however, created a real dilemma for the United States and western Europe. While some sought the harshest punishments available for anyone who had participated in the war crimes of the Nazi regime, others believed that the repatriation of alleged war criminals would help secure the allegiance of a rearmed West Germany in the dangerous new Cold War against the Soviet Union. Kerstin von Lingen’s close analysis of the Kesselring case reveals for the first time how a network of veterans, lawyers, and German sympathizers in Britain and America achieved the commutation of Kesselring’s death sentence and his eventual release—reinforcing German popular conceptions that he had been innocent all along and that the Wehrmacht had fought a “clean war” in Italy. But von Lingen shows that Kesselring bore much greater guilt for civilian deaths than had been proven in court—and that the war on the southern front had been far from clean. Von Lingen weaves together strands of the story as diverse as Winston Churchill’s ability to mobilize support among British elites, Basil Liddell Hart’s need to be recognized as an important military thinker, and the Cold War fears of the “Senators’ Circle” in the United States. Through this rich narrative, she shows how international politics shaped the trial’s proceedings and outcome—as well as the memory and meaning of the war for German citizens—and sheds new light on the complex interplay between the combatants’ efforts to “master the past” and the threatening state of international relations in the early Cold War. In analyzing the efforts to clear Kesselring’s name, von Lingen shows that the case was about much more than the fate of one convicted individual; it also underscored the pressure to wrap up the war crimes issue—and German guilt—in order to get on with the business of bringing a rearmed Germany into the Western alliance. Kesselring’s Last Battle sheds new light on the “politics of memory” by unraveling a twisted thread in postwar history as it shows how historical truth is sometimes sacrificed on the altar of expediency.

448 pp.
$40.00

173. LUFTWAFFE GENERALS: THE KNIGHT'S CROSS HOLDERS 1939-1945
Jeremy Dixon, C,O,

This book presents the biographies of 115 Luftwaffe officers who reached the rank of general and who were awarded the Knight’s Cross, and higher grades of the award during their career. This study brings together the highest ranking recipients of this special award from the Luftwaffe, the German air force: men like fighter aces Adolf Galland and Werner Mölders; one of the most successful field commanders of the war Albert Kesselring; paratroopers like Kurt Student and Eugen Meindl; Field-Marshals Erhard Milch, Wolfram von Richthofen, Robert Ritter von Greim, Hugo Sperrle, and of course Hermann Göring the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe. over 280 bw images,

352 pp.
$60.00

174. THE SKY MY KINGDOM: MEMOIRS OF THE FAMOUS GERMAN WWII TEST PILOT
Hanna Reitsch, C,

The Sky My Kingdom is the fascinating autobiography of the famous World War test pilot - Hanna Reitsch (March 29, 1912 - August 24, 1979). As the war progressed, Reitsch was invited to fly many of Germany's latest (and increasingly desperate) designs, including the rocket-propelled Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, and several larger bombers on which she tested various mechanisms for cutting barrage balloon cables. After crashing on her fifth Me 163 flight, she was badly injured but insisted on writing her report before falling unconscious and spending five months in hospital. Eventually she became Adolf Hitler's favorite pilot. Reitsch was one of only two women awarded the Iron Cross First Class during World War II, and the only woman awarded the Luftwaffe Combined Pilot and Observer Badge with Diamonds. She survived many accidents and was badly injured several times. In the last days of the war Reitsch was asked to fly her companion, Colonel-General Robert Ritter von Greim, into Berlin to meet with Hitler. The city was already surrounded by Red Army troops who had made significant progress into the downtown area when they arrived on the 27th April, landing on a city street, and traveled to the Führerbunker. The aircraft she used was the justly famous Fieseler Storch already well known for the exploit that rescued Mussolini, only adding to the legend of both Reitsch and that aircraft. She is said to have overheard Hitler laying out plans for Nazi commanders to join together in mass suicide when it was obvious that the war was over. She also hoped to fly out propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels' six children, who had been staying in the bunker since April 22 with their parents, but neither Joseph nor Magda Goebbels would allow it. She escaped Berlin on 29th April by flying out through heavy Russian anti-aircraft fire. She was a devoted and idealistic Nazi, who adored Adolf Hitler and refused to believe the reports of concentration camps and torture. Not until much later would she say that she had been "disgusted" by what she witnessed in the Third Reich. She was held for 18 months by the American military after the war, she was interrogated and subsequently released. After the war German citizens were forbidden from flying, except, after a few years, in gliders. In 1952 Reitsch won third place in the world gliding championship in Spain (and was the only woman who competed). She continued to break records including the women's altitude record (6848 meters) and became German champion in 1955.

272 pp.
$30.00

175. PRINCES OF DARKNESS: THE LIVES OF LUFTWAFFE NIGHT FIGTHER ACES HEINRICH PRINZ ZU SAYN-WITTGENSTEIN AND EGMONT PRINZ ZUR LIPPE-WEISSENFELD
Claire Rose Knott, C

Princes of Darkness is a unique illustrated account of the careers of Heinrich Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein and Egmont Prince zur Lippe-Weissenfeld - two aristocrats who served with the Luftwaffe's night fighter force and whose lives were often interconnected. The book is the result of many years research on the part of its author, Claire Rose Knott, who has been granted unprecedented access to never before published diary notes, personal correspondence, logbooks, and family photographs. The work also benefits from research in archival resources, technical data and recollections supplied by the Princes’ night fighter contemporaries. The text contains firsthand accounts by family, friends and fellow officers who offer unique accounts of the ambition, intensity and actions of the leading characters in time of war. Over the years, the Princes have courted controversy with several conspiracy theories regarding their deaths. The plausibility of such theories when viewed against their aristocratic family backgrounds and placed against the backdrop of intense social upheaval under the Nazi regime, are investigated here. Prince Heinrich Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was the third highest scoring night fighter ace in the Luftwaffe who served from mid-1941 until his death in 1944. He was killed when his aircraft was hit by return fire from a bomber or by an RAF nightfighter. Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein baled out but was killed by the impact of landing. His victory score at that time of his death was 83 – 29 in the East and 54 in the West. Prince Egmont zur Lippe-Weissenfeld, an Austrian, started his career as a daylight fighter pilot, and became a nightfighter when serving under the famous Helmut Lent as Staffelkapitän. He is accredited with 51 aerial victories while flying – mainly the Messerschmitt Bf 110 – and is ranked 21st among the German night fighter aces. He was killed on 3 March 1944 when his Bf 110 clipped the ground and crashed during a flight over the Ardennes. The text is supported by rare and fascinating photographs of the pilots’ aircraft, weaponry (including the upward-firing ‘Jazz Music’ twin cannon) and radar equipment as well as others in their squadrons, together with commissioned color artwork of Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Junkers Ju 88 night fighters. 259 mono and color photographs plus color artworks

208 pp.
$27.50*

176. TWO SOLDIERS TWO LOST FRONTS: GERMAN WAR DIARIES OF THE STALINGRAD AND NORTH AFRICA CAMPAIGNS
Don Gregory and Wilhelm Gehlen, C

This book is built around two recently discovered war diaries—one by a member of the 23rd Panzer Division which served under Manstein in Russia, and the other by a member of Rommel’s AfrikaKorps. Together, along with detailed timelines and brief overviews, they comprise a fascinating “you are there” look at the German side of World War II. The stories are told primarily in the first person present tense, as events occurred, and without the benefit (or liability) of postwar reflection. The assignment of keeping the first diary was given to a soldier in the 2nd Battalion, 201st Panzer Regiment by a commanding officers and the author never saw fit to include his own name. This diary covers the period from April 1942 to March 1943, the momentous year when the tide of battle turned in the East. It first details the unit’s combat in the great German victory at Kharkov, then the advance to the Caucasus, and finally the brutal winter of 1942–43. The second diary’s author was a soldier named Rolf Krengel, and the diary was the original, handwritten copy. It starts with the beginning of the war and ends shortly after the occupation. Serving primarily in North Africa, Krengel recounts with keen insight and flashes of humor the day-to-day challenges of the AfrikaKorps. During one of the swirling battles in the desert, Krengel found himself sharing a tent with Rommel at a forward outpost. Neither of the diarists was famous, nor of especially high rank, and no books have been written on their military careers. However, these are the brutally honest accounts written at the time by men of the Wehrmacht who participated in two of history’s most crucial campaigns.

288 pp.
$33.00

177. TWILIGHT OF THE GODS: A SWEDISH VOLUNTEER IN THE 11TH SS PANZERGRENADIER DIVISION "NORDLAND" ON THE EASTERN FRONT
Thorolf Hillblad, editor, S

This is the story of Erik Wallin, a Swede who volunteered for the Waffen-SS, serving in the panzer reconnaissance battalion of the 11th SS Panzergrenadier Division, a unit composed mainly of volunteers from Scandinavia. The division saw combat in the Courland Pocket, along the Oder River, and in Berlin.

160 pp.
$19.00

178. STORMBIRD
Hermann Buchner, S

Hermann Buchner was one of the rare bomber pilots who also became a fighter pilot. The author, a Luftwaffe NCO pilot and Knight’s Cross holder, gives a riveting account of his training with the pre-war Austrian air force, instructing with the Luftwaffe, and the terrifying ground-attack operations on the Eastern Front trying to stop the Russian mincing machine.Despite being shot down twice, Buchner himself targeted Il2s, Yak 9s, and a Boston bomber who fell victim to his eagle eye. Later tasked with opposing the Allied daylight bombing raids into deepest Germany, Buchner labored to protect his homeland. Serving alongside many well-known aces and sometimes taking off from his home airfield while under Soviet shellfire, he paints a picture of a man surviving against incredible odds, who became one of the elite with JG7 and learned that the important thing with the Me262 was to land near a convenient foxhole. Supplemented by more than 140 photographs, mostly from the author’s personal collection, along with color profiles of his aircraft and opponents, Stormbird presents a remarkable insight into the life of a Luftwaffe pilot in WWII. 140 b/w photos with 16 page color section.

272 pp.
$19.00

179. AT ROMMEL'S SIDE: THE LOST LETTERS OF HANS-JOACHIM SCHRAEPLER
Edited by Hans-Albrecht Schraepler, C,

Erwin Rommel, Hitler’s so-called ‘Desert Fox’, is possibly the most famous German Field-Marshal of WWII. He is widely regarded as the one of the most skilled commanders of desert warfare and, in contrast to other leaders of Nazi Germany, is considered to have been a chivalrous and humane officer. The letters of his adjutant provide a unique picture of Rommel during his time in Libya. Hans-Joachim Schraepler was by Rommel’s side in North Africa for ten crucial months in 1940–41. During that time, he wrote to his wife almost every day. In most cases, the correspondence went via the usual channels but occasionally he used other methods to avoid the censor’s gaze. Through his letters, Schraepler supplies a vivid image of the first phase of the North Africa campaign. He covers the siege of Tobruk, the capture of Benghazi, and the difficulties experienced by those fighting in Cyrenica and the wider North African theater. He also complains that the Italian were poor Allies, lacking training and leadership, and that Berlin regarded North Africa as a theater of only secondary importance. Schraepler also provides insights into Rommel’s character – his dynamism and tactical skill, along with the growing ‘cult of personality’ which seemed to surround him. One of his unofficial tasks, for example, was to respond in Rommel’s name to much of the fan mail that arrived at the Afrikakorps HQ. 16 pages of plates

256 pp.
$40.00

180. SNIPER ACE: FROM THE EASTERN FRONT TO SIBERIA
Bruno Sutkus, C

Throughout World War II, German snipers were obliged to carry a 'Scharfshützen Buch' which recorded every kill. Each success noted had to be verified by a witness and signed by a superior officer. The journal of Sutkus is one of only a few such books to have survived the war. It records more than 200 kills, placing him as one of the war's most successful snipers. A large part of his journal is reproduced for the first time here. As a Hitler Youth member his skill as a marksman was quickly noted and, in July 1943, aged 19, he was drafted into the Wehrmacht. A month later he was sent on a five month sniper's course in Wilna, after which he was posted to the Eastern Front. He was so successful that his superiors sent him to crucial positions. Despite his age, he was regarded as one of Germany's best snipers and in November 1944 he was awarded the Scharfshützenabzeichen 3 Stufe - the highest award for a sniper. After being wounded in January 1945, Sutkus was given time to recuperate away from the Eastern Front. During this time he met a Red Cross nurse, to whom he gave all his journal. When the war finished, Sutkus was forced to join the Red Army. He deserted to join the Lithuanian resistance fighters. After being captured again he was tortured by the KGB and deported to Siberia to endure forced labour. It was not until the collapse of the Soviet Union that he was able return to Germany and find his journal, still in the hands of the same nurse. 50 pages of illustrations

256 pp.
$33.00

181. LUFTWAFFE EAGLE FROM THE ME 109 TO THE ME 262
Walter Schuck, C,O,

Luftwaffe pilot Walter Schuck flew the Me109 in the Arctic Sea fighter squadrons becoming the Russian air force’s feared enemy in the far north. Awarded the Knights Cross in April 1944 he claimed his 100th kill in June of that year, then barely 48 hours later shot down 12 aircraft in one day - a record never achieved by any other Arctic Sea pilot. His mastery continued when in March 1945 he joined Jagdgeschwader 7, newly equipped with Me262 jet fighters and shot down two Allied fighters on his first operation. Taking command of the third Staffel of JG 7 his success in the aerial theatre was unsurpassed when he brought down four B-17 bombers while on a transit flight. Shortly afterwards, meeting one of the bombers' escort fighters in combat, his fuel system exploded and he had to bail out. Walter Schuck's war was over, after over 500 front line sorties and 206 confirmed kills. Celebrated by his colleagues for his skill, courage, sheer guts and chivalry including the deep feelings for those he shot down, he earned the nickname "Adler der Tundra" or "Northern Knight". In this autobiography, the author tells his story simply, conveying his impressions of life, the rationale of the Lufwaffe and the everyday life of a military man in those times, including the difficulties and hardships of the war in the Arctic Seas. In a gripping narrative, the author helps us to understand why he and his colleagues were prepared to lay down their lives for their people, and their country. Rich in detail and facts and supplemented by photographs from his personal collection and colour aircraft profiles, Walter Schuck helps us to put the past into context, painting a unique picture of life in the Luftwaffe during the times of the Third Reich.

239 pp.
$45.00

182.SS PEIPER
by Leo Kessler, hardcover with dust jacket, new copy

Sympathetic biography of Jochen Peiper's exploits in battle, and of the mistreatment he and other prisoners received at the hands of their American captors preparing for the Malmedy trial. It details the mental and physical torture that was employed to secure "confessions" that were in English and were never translated to the men siging them. It also details the testimonies of American officers and Belgian citizens that were ignored by the court because they were in conflict with the "official" story of what happened in Malmedy. With the help of American politicians and soldiers, Peiper and the other prisoners that had not yet been lynched were eventually released from prison. This is not a cheap bookclub edition but the Eastern Front/Warfield Books edition.

188 pp.
$21.99*

183. TEDDY SUHREN ACES OF ACES: MEMOIRS OF A U-BOAT REBEL
Teddy Suhren, C,

Teddy Suhren, the commander of U-564, was one of the most successful U-boat skippers of World War II. He is said to have fired more successful torpedo shots than any other submariner during the war and was the first junior officer to be awarded the Knight's Cross for his achievements. By war's end he had earned a Knight's Cross with Oak Sword and is credited with sinking eighteen ships plus a British corvette and damaging four other ships. One of the lucky few to survive the war, Suhren wrote his memoirs in German with the help of a journalist friend under the title Nasses Eichenlaub. This English translation of the popular work is the first to be available. Suhren remains a legend within the U-boat world mostly for his good humor and irreverent and rebellious nature, which frequently got him into trouble with higher authorities. Despite his refusal to conform, however, he had access to the highest circles of power in Nazi Germany. Suhren's reminiscences of those times make for some fascinating reading and include descriptions of social events few were privileged to attend. 40 photos

224 pp.
$30.00

184. I WAS HITLER'S CHAUFFEUR: THE MEMOIRS OF ERICH KEMPKA
Erich Kempka,C

Erich Kempka served as Hitler’s personal driver from 1934 through to the Führer’s dramatic suicide in 1945. His candid memoirs offer a unique eyewitness account of events leading up to and during the war, culminating in those dark final days in the Führer's headquarters, deep under the shattered city of Berlin. He begins by describing his duties as a member of Hitler’s personal staff in the years preceding the war, driving the Führer throughout Germany and abroad, and accompanying him to rallies. The crux of his memoirs however covers his life with Hitler in the Berlin Führerbunker. During this time he was responsible for a transport fleet of cars, and often drove the likes of Speer or Kesselring on inspection tours to the hot spots on the front; and in March 1945, he accompanied the Führer to his final front-inspection tour. Kempka was also present when news came through of Göring and Himmler’s efforts to seize power and negotiate a truce with the Western Allies. Crucially, Kempka also witnessed Hitler’s marriage to Eva Braun, and his last dinner and personal farewell to all those present, before he and his wife committed suicide. Hitler’s final order to Kempka was that he have ready enough petrol to burn him and his wife. Under constant Soviet artillery fire, Kempke, Linge and others poured petrol over the bodies and burnt them. The account concludes with Kempka’s hazardous escape out of a burning Berlin more than 800 km through enemy-occupied Germany, home to find his wife at BE. There he was arrested by American C.fI.C. personnel and interrogated before being sent to serve as a witness at Nuremburg. 8 pages of photos,

240 pp.
$33.00

185. UNDER HIMMLER'S COMMAND: THE PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF OBERST-HANS-GEORG EISMANN, OPERATIONS OFFICER, ARMY GROUP VISTULA, EASTERN FRONT 1945
Hans-Georg Eismann, C,

Under Himmler's Command addresses two areas of World War II hitherto neglected - Heinrich Himmler as a military commander, and the German staff officer corps during the last months of the war on the Eastern Front. The author, Hans-Georg Eismann, was the Operations Officer for Army Group Vistula, a German formation created in late January 1945 to which Heinrich Himmler was appointed as commander. Eismann's memoir of this period has remained unpublished for over fifty years, and its wider circulation is long overdue. Full of fascinating detail he recounts the disturbing and sometimes bizarre atmosphere that pervaded the German high command in the East during the final months of the war. Much light is thereby thrown on Himmler the military commander, and on the final climactic battles fought on the Eastern Front during 1945.

176 pp.
$50.00

186. IN THE FIRE OF THE EASTERN FRONT: THE EXPERIENCES OF A DUTCH WAFFEN-SS VOLUNTEER, 1941-1945
Hendrik Verton, S,

Dutch SS accounts are very rare, particularly ones that describe recruiting, training, and frontline service as completely and colorfully as In the Fire of the Eastern Front. Hendrick C. Verton volunteered for the Waffen-SS in early 1941 and fought on the Eastern Front until the end of the war as a member of the 5th SS Panzer Division and SS Regiment Besslein.

288 pp.
$19.00

187. TWILIGHT OF THE GODS: A SWEDISH WAFFEN-SS VOLUNTEER'S EXPERIENCE WITH THE 11TH SS-PANZERGRENADIER DIVISION NORDLAND, EASTERN FRONT 1944-45
Thorolf Hillblad and Erik Wallin, C

Few new personal accounts by Waffen-SS soldiers appear in English; even fewer originate from the multitude of non-German European volunteers who formed such an important proportion of this service's manpower. Twilight of the Gods was originally written in Swedish, and published in Buenos Aires shortly after the end of WWII. Erik Wallin, a Swedish soldier who volunteered for service with the Waffen-SS, and participated in the climactic battles on the Eastern Front during late 1944 and 1945, later telling his story to this book's editor, Thorolf Hillblad. Wallin served with the Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion, 11th SS-Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, a unit composed mainly of non-German volunteers, including Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes. The division enjoyed a high reputation for its combat capability, and was always at the focal points of the fighting on the Eastern Front in the last year of the war. During this period it saw combat in the Baltic, in Pomerania, on the Oder, and finally in defence of Berlin, where it was destroyed. Erik Wallin served with his unit in all of these locations, and provides the reader with a fascinating glimpse into these final battles. The book is written with a 'no holds barred' approach which will captivate, excite and maybe even shock the reader - his recollections do not evade the brutality of fighting against the advancing Red Army. Twilight of the Gods is destined to become a classic memoir of the Second World War.

144 pp.
$35.00

188. EYEWITNESS TO HELL: WITH THE WAFFEN-SS ON THE EASTERN FRONT IN WORLD WAR 2
Eric Stahl, S,

While the Waffen-SS has become legendary as an elite fighting force in World War II, there are few accounts that present the human face of those fearsome formations. Erich Stahl was a professional journalist assigned to cover some of the most famous of these units—the 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler," the 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking," and the Dutch and Ukrainian volunteers serving with the SS-but with a twist: he actually pulled duty as a soldier in the front lines, where he experienced all the hardships, privations, and gut-wrenching emotions of the men who fought the Soviets. While the author was a committed National Socialist at the time, his insights concerning the conduct of the war and the reasons for its existence offer a real eye opening to those who have never read about the conflict from the German point of view. Erich Stahl lives in Germany. 74 B+W photos and 2 maps

304 pp.
$19.00

189. THE HITLER I KNEW: MEMOIRS OF THE THIRD REICH'S PRESS CHIEF
Otto Dietrich, C

When Otto Dietrich was invited in 1933 to become Adolf Hitler's press chief, he accepted with the simple uncritical conviction that Adolf Hitler was a great man, dedicated to promoting peace and welfare for the German people. At the end of the war, imprisoned and disillusioned, Otto Dietrich sat down to write what he had seen and heard in twelve years of the closest association with Hitler, requesting that it be published after his death. Dietrich's role placed him in a privileged position. He was hired by Hitler in 1933, was his confidant until 1945, and he worked—and clashed—with Joseph Goebbels. His direct, personal experience of life at the heat of the Reich makes for compelling reading.

288 pp.
$25.00

190. PANZER ACES III GERMAN TANK COMMANDERS IN COMBAT IN WWII
Franz Kurowski, S

With the same drama and attention to detail that made Panzer Aces (978-0-8117-3173-7) and Panzer Aces II (978-0-8117-3175-1) such thrilling reads, Franz Kurowski tells the stories of more German armored officers during World War II. Extensively researched, these gripping accounts follow panzer crews into some of the bloodiest engagements of the war, from the deserts of North Africa, the monumental battle of Kursk, and the hedgerows of France to frightening clashes in the black of night on the Eastern Front. First time in English.

320 pp.
$22.00

191. A BETTER COMRADE YOU WILL NEVER FIND
Helmut Schiebel, c,

A Better Comrade You Will Never Find presents Eastern Front experiences of Helmut Schiebel from 1941 to the end of WW II. The author took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 as a member of the 43 Motorcycle Infantry Battalion of the 13 Panzer Division. In September he left for an Officer Candidate course in Germany, returning as a Leutnant and platoon leader to the division’s reconnaissance battalion at the end of April 1942. He was wounded at the end of June and retuned to Russia in September 1943. On the way to the 18 Panzer Division, he found out that the division was being dissolved and opted to transfer to the antitank branch. He arrived at Panzerjager Abteilung 88 in October 1943 where he was given a manual for antitank troops and soon after became a platoon commander on a Marder tank destroyer. After heavy losses, in November 1943 the unit was transferred to Mielau Poland, where it trained on and was equipped with the heavy Hornisse tank destroyer. When the battalion was sent to the Eastern Front in mid-February 1944, the author stayed behind to receive missing equipment and additional personnel. Panzerjager Abteilung 88 was trapped in the Kamenez-Podolsk wandering pocket, and its actions there are recounted through the eyes of some other soldiers. After the battalion escaped the trap, the author rejoined it (as platoon leader) in Galicia in mid-July 1944. Suffering heavy losses, the battalion was withdrawn to receive new equipment and train replacements. It returned to the front at the end of December 1944 in the Krakow area. By that time, Schiebel was the commander of the 2nd company. The unit fought across southern Poland, through Silesia and eastern Germany to the area around Karlsbad. There, on May 7, 1945, Panzerjager Abteilung 88 surrendered to American troops. This book will keep you immersed from the first page to the last; there are hardly any breaks in the action. From the first days of the invasion of the Soviet Union, where the motorcycle troops were always at the front, to the last desperate days of the war, when the few tank destroyers were rushed from one hot spot to another, you will share the full spectrum of emotions of the author and his troops. Life was short and brutal at the front for many soldiers, comrades died suddenly nearby, experience and luck was needed to survive. The descriptions of the combat are detailed and there is much to be learned about armour tactics. This is not just another memoir; the author was an excellent commander and imparts many valuable lessons for those that are interested in small-unit actions. 5 B&W images, 12 colour images, 45 photos, 4 colour 3D drawings.

272 pp.
$50.00




ALastName, FirstInitial. Year. Title of publication. City, State: Publisher.

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Revised: July 22, 2010 .