A detailed examination of one of the most infamous divisions of the Waffen-SSIncludes 120 rare photographs and maps of the divisionAuthoritative text is accompanied by maps and organisation charts

A groundbreaking study of how war was waged in the far north of Finland, Norway, and the Soviet Union: "Well-illustrated and organized." — WWII HistoryAccording to Lieutenant-General Waldemar Erfurth of the German Army, the General Staff had taken no interest in the military history of the north and east of Europe, failing to imagine that someday German divisions might have to fight through the winter in northern Karelia and on the Murmansk coast. Yet, the ...

Since the advent of special forces units in World War II, governments and armies have trained small, elite teams of soldiers to perform operations deemed too risky or demanding for regular troops. Training to enter the special forces is harsh in the extreme, and the few who enter the ranks of the elite can expect a life of intense operational danger. Special forces missions include counter-insurgency, hostage rescue, sabotage, spying, covert surveillance and force ambush. Most of these ope...

This book uses the latest techniques in computer-generated drawings to show the reader exactly how to create an artificial fly, step-by-step.Clearer than photography, more life-like than drawings, the graphic instructions show, by subtle emphasis and exaggeration, precisely what to do.Included are all the basic techniques for applying thread, feather and fur to the hook, and more sophisticated methods such as parachute hackling, using the dubbing loop and hairwinging.

The World War II Secret Operations Handbook lets you in on the skills and tricks used by the British SOE (Special Operations Executive), the US OSS (Office of Strategic Services), the French Maquis, and other special forces in combat in Europe, Africa and Asia between 1939 and 1945. Learn how to rig up a makeshift radio, how to pass undetected in enemy territory, how to live off the land and make shelter, and how to work as a sniper. Learn how operatives blow up bridges, roads, ra...

The 5th SS Division Wiking was the first 'international' – i.e. largely non-German – Waffen-SS division and the only German panzer division comprised largely of foreign troops. Approximately 75 per cent of the division's strength were non-German nationals, all volunteers, and the majority from occupied countries like Belgium, Holland, France, Denmark, and Norway.The Wiking division operated exclusively on the Eastern Front during World War II, where the division quickly earned itsel...

One German soldier's experience in the deadly crucible of World War II combat.Like many Germans, Berlin schoolboy Erwin Bartmann fell under the spell of the Zeitgeist cultivated by the Nazis. Convinced he was growing up in the best country in the world, he dreamt of joining the Leibstandarte, Hitler's elite Waffen SS unit. Erwin fulfilled his dream on May Day 1941, when he walked into the Lichterfelde barracks in Berlin as a raw recruit. On arrival at the Eastern F...

German and Russian tank battalions clash in this action-packed novel of WWII combat and conspiracy cowritten by an Emmy Award–winning historian.When Germany's leading tank ace meets Russia's Steppe Fox it's a fight to the death. Faced with overwhelming odds, Kampfgruppe Hans von Schroif needs a better armored vehicle and fast, but the new Tiger tank is still on the drawing board. Now, von Schroif must overcome bureaucracy, espionage, and relentless Allied bombing t...

A detailed military biography of the most highly decorated Nazi regimental commander in WWII.The most highly decorated German regimental commander of World War II, Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz first won the Iron Cross in the Great War. He was serving with the 1st Panzer Division when the Polish campaign inaugurated World War II. Strachwitz's exploits as commander of a panzer battalion during the French campaign earned him further decorations before he transferred to th...

In July 1943, Hitler launched Operation Zitadelle, the last German offensive on the Eastern Front. It was an attempt to shorten the German lines by eliminating the Kursk salient and was designed to result in the encirclement of the Red Army. In reality, the German tanks came up against impenetrable Russian defences: minefields, artillery and anti-tank emplacements, spread through lines 250km deep and manned by Russian troops whose actions often verged on the suicidal. The ...

"Compelling prose, abundant tactical detail, lots of maps . . . If you're hungering for a good WWII East Front battle book, look no further." —Russ Lockwood, Magweb.comIn January 1944, around the village of Korsun (near the larger town of Cherkassy on the Dneiper), a disaster happened. Six divisions of Germany's Army Group South became surrounded after sudden attacks by the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts. The Germans' greatest fear was the prospect of anothe...

The Sturmgeschütz rumbling forward into action is one of the iconic images of World War II. As mobile assault guns, the StuGs were essentially designed as infantry support weapons, but they also proved themselves as highly effective tank destroyers. Written by Emmy Award winning author Bob Carruthers this fascinating study encompasses the design, development and combat history of the StuG III and IV.Drawing on a variety of rare primary sources and photographs this outstanding study explain...