Christopher Ailsby Bücher

Examines the motivation and reasons as to why two million foreign volunteers joined the German Army and Waffen-SS from countries as far as India to the Balkans.

Includes a fascinating selection of photographs illustrating the medals described.

Arguably of all the branches of the German armed forces in World War Two, only the Kriegsmarine had the ability to bring Britain to defeat once the immediate threat of invasion after Dunkirk had receded. With the threat posed by its U-Boats and great capital ships, such as the Bismarck and Tirpitz, the Kriegsmarine, through its attacks on the convoys bringing vital supplies across the Atlantic, came close to starving Britain into submission. This addition to a popular series will provide the collector with detailed and objective advice on Kriegsmarine memorabilia with the usual guide to values and how to spot forgeries. For all active collectors of Third Reich militaria and those interested in the Kriegsmarine during the period from 1939 to 1945, this will be essential reading.

During the Second World War, the German Fallschirmjger (paratroopers) carried out many successful and daring operations, such as the capture of the Belgian fortress at Eben Emael in 1940 and the invasion of Crete in 1941. Hitler's Sky Warriors is a detailed examination of all the battles and campaigns of the Third Reich's airborne forces, illustrated throughout by many previously unpublished photographs. Hitler's Sky Warriors includes detailed accounts of all the ground campaigns of the parachute divisions, especially in Italy, where their epic defenses of Monte Cassino entered military legend. As well as being a comprehensive account of Fallschirmjger battles and campaigns, Hitler's Sky Warriors includes information on the specialist weapons and equipment developed for Germany's airborne forces. These include the paratrooper helmet, the FG 42 automatic rifle, the so-called 'gravity knife', the different jump smocks, parachutes and harnesses, transport aircraft and gliders. Hitler's Sky Warriors also contains biographical details on all the main parachute commanders, such as Kurt Student, Bernhard Herman Ramcke and Richard Heidrich, and includes appendices that contain information about divisional orders of battle and Knight's Cross winners. In this way Hitler's Sky Warriors builds into an extensive and exciting account of one of the elite formations of military history.

Waffen-SS: The Illustrated History 1923/45 Ails Unique insight into the most notorious military formation in history. Packed with previously unpubl ished photographs, most taken from private albums of former Waffen-SS soldiers, Waffen-SS chroniclesall the battles and campaigns Waffen-SS units fought in during WWII. Recreates in pictorial form al l aspects of the Waffen-SS¦s war: the growth of the SS panzer divisions, their tactics, recruitment of units, an examination of their weapons and equipment, and images of all Waffen-SS commanders. Includes a chapter on SS war crimes and atrocities.