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Extremely rare (possibly the only) book-length account of a Soviet penal unit in World War II Gritty, intense style conveys the brutality of war on the Eastern Front Composed of convicts--soldiers who conducted "e;unauthorized retreats,"e; former Soviet POWs deemed untrustworthy, and Gulag prisoners--the Red Army's penal units received the most difficult, dangerous assignments, such as breaking through the enemy's defenses. So punishing was life in these units that officers in regular formations threatened to send recalcitrant troops to penal battalions. Alexander Pyl'cyn led his penal unit through the Soviets' massive offensive in the summer of 1944, the Vistula-Oder operation into eastern Germany, and the bitter assault on Berlin in 1945. He survived the war, but 80 percent of his men did not.

Compelling account of the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union The Soviets expected to crush Finnish forces in mere days, but the Finns broke the Red Army's advance and held out for almost four months Authentic depiction of frontline fighting in the harshest of conditions Based on eyewitness testimony, war diaries, battle reports, and other records

Stanislaw Skalski was the top Polish fighter ace and the first Allied fighter ace of World War II. His in-the-cockpit memoir vividly describes what it was like to take on the vaunted German Luftwaffe.

*; First book in English on Germanys failed experiment with independent armored brigades in World War II*; Dramatic story of Panzer Brigade 105, one of ten such units, and its formation, deployment (including its defense of the Siegfried Line), and ultimate destruction*; Also presents American accounts of what it was like to fight the brigade*; Relies heavily on primary documents and interviews

This classic account of the French War in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia is back in hardcover. Includes an introduction by George C. Herring.

Expanded edition with a new chapter on the final battles of the Normandy campaign.

A no-holds-barred, straight-in-your-face account of combat in Vietnam.

*; More than 150 firsthand accounts of the American Civil War, many of them long forgotten and previously unpublished *; Includes accounts from Lee, Longstreet, Pickett, Meade, and Hancock *; Maps pinpoint each writers location on the battlefield At Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, Confederate soldiers launched one of historys most famous infantry assaults: Picketts Charge. Using the participants own words, Richard Rollins deftly reconstructs that momentous event. Separate sections cover planning and preparation; the preliminary artillery barrage; the charges of Picketts, Pettigrews, and Trimbles Divisions; and defensive actions up and down the Federal line. From the generals who devised the assault to the lower-level officers and men who bravely walked through shell and shot, Rollins offers a comprehensive, panoramic view of the charge.

Based on the author's personal World War II diary. An unflinching look at Luftwaffe combat, tactics, and leadership during the campaign for Sicily. A concluding chapter assesses the war's lessons for air forces.

According to bestselling author Douglas Brinkley, Col. Robert W. Black "is the dean of Ranger history," and Black proves it in this history of the U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion in World War II.

Covers a pivotal but largely neglected period on the Eastern Front Focuses on German Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, one of the best commanders of World War II After the Soviets trapped German forces in Stalingrad, the Germans regrouped under Erich von Manstein, who orchestrated a dramatic reversal of fortune during the winter of 1942-43, enabling Germany to continue fighting for two more years.

In-the-cockpit perspective on aerial warfare during the Vietnam War. Many never-before-heard stories--some of them tragic, others humorous.

These are the stories Vietnam vets tell each other at reunions and over beers.

Landmark study of the Canadians' first major operation in Normandy New revelations on the death of German panzer ace Michael Wittmann Handsomely illustrated with maps, photos, and diagrams On August 8, 1944, the Canadian Army launched Operation Totalize, a massive armored and mechanized infantry attack that aimed to break through enemy defenses south of Caen and trap the German Army in Normandy by linking up with Patton's Third Army.

The story of one of the most successful and decorated tank commanders of all time. Contains maps, official documents, newspaper clippings, and orders of battle.

An important reevaluation of World War II on the Eastern Front Detailed look at how the Soviet Union created more new divisions in a few months than the U.S. did during the entire war More than 60 tables list losses, tank and weapon production, and unit formation, with special emphasis on rifle and tank divisions and brigades When Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, the German Army quickly annihilated a major portion of the Red Army. Yet the Red Army rebounded to successfully defend Moscow in late 1941, defeat the Germans at Stalingrad in 1942 and Kursk in 1943, and deliver the deathblow in Belarus in 1944. Dunn examines these 4 battles while explaining how the Soviets lost a third of their prewar army yet returned to beat one of the most highly trained and experienced armies the world has ever seen.

One-of-a-kind retelling of the Normandy campaign Places the 1944 battle for France in its social, economic, scientific, and technological context GI Ingenuity is in large part an old-fashioned combat narrative, with mayhem and mass slaughter at center stage. But the book goes farther, combining military history with the history of science, technology, and culture to show how the American soldier improvised, innovated, and adapted on the battlefield. Among the improvisations and technologies covered are tanks equipped with hedgerow cutters, the coordination of air and ground attacks, and the use of radios and aircraft to direct artillery fire--all of which contributed to American success on D-Day and afterwards.

Essential background to the German blitzkrieg of World War II Complements the stories of panzer aces like Otto Carius and Michael Wittmann In the wake of World War I, the German army lay in ruins--defeated in the war, sundered by domestic upheaval, and punished by the Treaty of Versailles. A mere twenty years later, Germany possessed one of the finest military machines in the world, capable of launching a stunning blitzkrieg attack against Poland in 1939. Well-known military historian Robert M. Citino shows how Germany accomplished this astonishing reversal and developed the doctrine, tactics, and technologies that its military would use to devastating effect in World War II.

From the events that led to the clash at Gettysburg in July 1863 to the retreat of Robert E. Lee's defeated Confederates, Richard Wheeler uses the words of participants--both Northern and Southern--to bring one of the Civil War's bloodiest, most pivotal battles to life.

Six riveting, gritty accounts of some of the greatest German tank commanders, including Michael Wittmann, Hans Bolter, Hermann Bix, and others. Timelines mark the milestones of each officer's career.

WWII began with a metallic roar as the German Blitzkrieg raced across Europe, spearheaded by the most dreaded weapon of the 20th century: the Panzer.

The Waffen SS were considered the elite of the German armed forces in the Second World War and were involved in almost continuous combat. From the sweeping tank battle of Kursk on the Russian front to the bitter fighting among the hedgerows of Normandy and the last great offensive in the Ardennes, forever immortalized in history as the Battle of the Bulge, these men and their tanks made history.

Known for his bold and aggressive leadership, Kurt "Panzer" Meyer was one of the most highly decorated German soldiers of World War II.

Combat stories of eight German infantry soldiers: one paratrooper, two members of the Waffen-SS, and five members of the Wehrmacht. A concluding chapter examines infantry tactics.

Classic story of the 47,000 Spaniards who fought for the Third Reich in World War II.

Commanding the legendary Afrika Korps in the sands of North Africa during World War II, German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel burnished his reputation as the "Desert Fox.

Sequel to the well-regarded Panzer Aces. Chapters on Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski, Kurt Knispel, Karl Nicolussi-Leck, and other great commanders.

The defining work on Hitler's elite fanatical boy soldiers. Written by the division's former chief of staff.