Military Books

IN MANY OF THE STATEMENTS THAT I READ I SEEN THAT MANY SAID A LOT ABOUT THE WRITTER WELL WE ALL HAVE MANY OPINIONS I PERSONALLY HAVE MY OWN OPINION I THINK IS ONE MY GREAT BOOKS THAT I HAVE TO READ IN MY FREE TIME LIKE SCHOOL OR JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE BUT JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT I LOVE CHALINO AS THE PERSON HE WAS A WHILE BACK WITH HIS MUSIC I ADMIRE HIM AS A FATHER AND I AM IN LOVE WITH HIS SON 4-SHO!!!

Another reviewer pointed out that Quinones' accounts are "researched", and this is true; he's done what he needed to do to find his facts. But I would add that the overwhelming note, for me, is that the man has "been there". I heard about "True Tales" from a reviewer of Elijah Wald's "Narcocorrido", and would now agree with that reviewer that the Quinones piece on Chalino Sanchez tells us a lot more about his world than Wald's book, valuable but a bit touristy, a bit arch, and a bit academic. There is an immediacy in these chapters by Quinones, of grittiness, suffering, delusion, terror, helplessness, of all the qualities of the many Mexicans Quinones met and listened to. His description of the lynching is the most direct, realistic and frightening I've ever read; this can happen anywhere, anytime. These stories are unadorned realities of Mexico and the Border, and the entire world as well.
As Edward Abbey said, of the same country, "this is the real world, muchachos, and you are in it."

It is clear from the book there is more than one Mexico. It's not what you think. The border is a focus but hardly all. Gangs are a focus. The book raises a major question. Is Mexico changing and how?Quinones presents many portraits from gangbanger singer Chalino Sanchez to the dead women of Juarez. Each sketch adds a different and fascinating dimension to a complex perception of what Mexico is. No other book presents that plurality as well. The book is a page turner, a fast paced quick read. It is not, however, superficial but in-depth coverage. It is fascinating.

This book will blow your mind. Quinones is able to totally take you into worlds rarely heard about before. Who knew there was a thriving basketball hotbed in Oaxaca that has been transported to LA? The whole genre of narcocorridos (basically, traditional Mexican "country" [ranchero] music with a gangsta slant) started in LA, too.

The topics of lynchings in rural Mexico, the popularity of telenovelas at home and in Eastern Europe(?) and the religious cult at Neuva Jerusalen are all so fascinating and far beyond anything anyone has probably imagined Mexico to be.

He has an inate ability to dig up and find the most fascinating stories in the most out-of-the-way places yet also show how they often are a microcosmic reflection of how Mexican society operates in general.

The question is: When is Sam Quinones going to compile a Tales 2?

This book is fantastic. I don't often actually buy non-fiction because I usually don't plan to re-read it. This is a rare exception. Quinones is 1st & foremost a great storyteller. You'd hardly notice that it's all true if it weren't for the fact that these tales are simply too good to be fiction. Quinones has a knack for noticing the seemingly invisible. The best example being the tale of Chalino Sanchez (who graces the cover). How could someone who completely misses the U.S. radar of popular culture become a folk hero and single-handedly create a musical genre selling millions of copies of albums in the process & then having at least 1,500 songs written about him? Quinones manages to make it sound perfectly believable. If you're anything like me you'll be mesmerized by these essays.

Better diagrams with arrows pointing to features would be
most helpful. Photos with overlayed arrows would help too.
Author assumes reader has more knowledge than me. I'm just
a beginner and need more help in understanding the complex
nature of the ships.
The information in the book is all grade A material but just
a bit over my head the way it is presented.
If my interest persists I will someday give the book a higher
recommendation.

Fascinating book covering the compromises involved in design and fabrication of armored ships. Well written, logically organized. Minor coverage of machinery and armament; only how these topics relate to the overall handling of design tradeoffs.
I purchased the book to augment my marine technology library, and it fills that requirement well. I intend to purchase other books by the same author (Carrier, Cruiser design) also.

FIRST THOUGHTS: SIMILAR TO "BRITISH BATTLESHIPS OF WW2", by RAVEN & ROBERTS

Very similar in scope and organizational structure to Alan Raven's and John Robert's, "British Battleships of World War 2". Incidentally, Alan Raven is co-credited with supplying the 'ship plans' for this book. Naturally, this book covers an entirely different fleet, so the two volumes are ideal companions on my bookshelf.

IN A NUTSHELL: CONCISE + DETAILED + INTERESTING + ILLUSTRATED = HIGH UTILITY

This interesting design history includes 'all' U.S. Battleship designs [as well as proposed designs and proposed classes]. This history begins [actually begins on page 405 - appendix 1] with the civil war and post civil war monitors. From chapter 1, "THE PRE-DREADNOUGHTS", through chapter 15, "THE MONTANA CLASS", the book proceeds in linear fashion, with new chapter introducing and examing a new and improved [hopefully] class of Battleships.

NOT JUST THE FINISHED GOODS -

In each chapter's discussion, many alternative designs, as well as, the reasons for choicing one design over another is lucidly explored. Some people may feel this is extraneous, however, this excercise gives the reader a better grasp of what determines how well a Battleship will function according to both its anticipated roles, and reality. For instance, the requirement for air-defences was something that was indeed planned for on an ongoing and increasing basis since world war 1. However, until the second world war demonstrated the actual requirements, air-defense system designs were inadequate, having designs based on earlier assumptions that continuously underestimated the effectiveness of aircraft against heavy ships.

BOTTOM LINE: NORMAN FRIEDMAN & THE NAVAL INSTITUTE PRESS = CLASSIC MUST HAVE VOLUME

"U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History", by Norman Friedman skillfully and palatably provide the reader with the insight to grasp, 'WHAT THE BATTLESHIPS' PURPOSE IS', 'HOW BATTLESHIPS FUNCTION', and 'THE COMPONENTS THAT PRODUCE THAT FUNCTION'. In essence, after reading this book carefully, the reader armed with an enhanced grasp of the topics, may find an interest in designing ships and reading a lot more on the subject.





ALSO RECOMMENDED:

-* "BRITISH BATTLESHIPS OF WORLD WAR 2", by Alan Raven and John Roberts, 1976

-* "U.S. AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, AN ILLUSTRATED DESIGN HISTORY", NORMAN FRIEDMAN, 1983

This is a comprehensive, large volume, with extensive text, line drawings (by Alan Raven) and photos. The prospective purchaser should be aware that a generous portion of the book is given to detailing large numbers of alternative designs - if you are interested only in ships actually built then you might skip over these sections.

Friedman is a fine author, deeply studied in naval affairs and an entertaining read.

This is the most comprehensive volume on the history of the American Battleship I have ever read. The plates are very descriptive and informative and the subject matter is covered in depth with detail I had never read before.

I would say this is best volume on the subject.

Les Williamson

Just a few days ago I watched German TV, ZDF, praising Joschka Fischer as the foreign minister who stood against Colin Powell and George W. Bush when it came to the Iraq invasion, but the reality is that around Christmas 2002 Mr Fischer suddenly had vowed to support the U.S. in their Iraq adventure. He seems to have strong transatlantic ties. Only Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder managed to hold him back (not because he was a pacifist but because it was not in the interest of German industries) otherwise Joschka Fischer would have thrown bombs again like he did in the Yugoslavian war. It is good that this book keeps record of his actions which should be investigated by the International War Crimes tribunal in The Hague.

Now, 7 years after German Chancellor Schröder and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer launched the first German war of aggression after WWII we see what their policy was aimed at: to occupy Kosovo and let it become part of the EU. Ralph T. Niemeyer very openly addressed the interest of the German government and industries in occupying this part of Yugoslavia.

Although fiction should not be taken too serious this book has opened my eyes as it makes clear who had an interest in occupying Kosovo: The Germans for the third time in 100 years forcefully brought the 8th corridor under their control. In order to do so they had to invent a building of lies around President Milosevic and by this win public support for their brutal intervention. This book describes very vividly how the war against Yugoslavia was prepared from the Schröder - Fischer government. The facts presented (although the book is overall fictional) seem to be accurate as far as I could find out. Schröder and his gang, like in this book, would probably be found guilty especially since a war of aggression is not only by the German constitution but also the UN charta illegal and in the German criminal code bears lifelong imprisonment. One would think that this would deter men like Schröder and Fischer. That it diod not only shows that the international law is still too weak to go after the real war crime suspects. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading a detailed analysis without the boring style of a mere non-fictional book. The mix of fiction and facts is excellently carried out and it is always clear when facts are presented where these have been obtained from. I like the way, the references have been made. Read it and then think again whether Kosovo should be a member of the EU at the price of another war.

Now, almost eight years after he and German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder ordered the first war of Germany after WWII against a sovereign country former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer decries the war he had launched employing lies like "Auschwitz is happening again in Yugoslavia" as a mistake. In this book I found the hard facts which prove in a fictional trial based on real evidence how cynical Fischer and Schroeder were leading the unwilling German people into a war of aggression, fashionably marketing it as a war over "human rights". Also Adolf Hitler has always maintained that he had "freed" the people he tortured and had only shot back.

what can we "ordinary" citizens do about our leaders misleading us when it comes to a colonial - kind of expension? Not listen? Hardly, but we should question the news being presented to us. This is what this fictional account of the war crimes committed by our leaders in the NATO war against Yugoslavia teaches us. Haven't Schroeder, Blair, Fischer spoken all along about "Auschwitz" which they wanted to prevent from happening again and used it as a reason to justify the invasion and bombing campaign against Yugoslavia? In this book, although fictional, some hard facts are introduced which if we ever had the guts to ask our leaders about would have made it impossible for them to gain public support for the war against Serbia. We should ask questions now when it comes to another "humanitarian" war, let's say in Sudan....

This book gave great photos of airplane pin-up girls, would recommend for any historic airplane buff.

Great buy...this is the only book I have found that includes Ice Cold Katy in it....very hard nose art to find...buy it, you will love it.

Great pictures here, a pitty that the most of them are in B/W but in general they're great.
This book is very similar to "Aircraft Nose Art: From World War I to Today (Motorbooks Classics) by Jeffrey Ethell" that in fact is better, but the couple would be the perfect buying!
:D

I have always had a great interest in WWII bombers and fighters. In addition to this my, step-uncle was a 1st Lt. Co-pilot on a B-17 stationed in Deenethorpe, England and flew 30 missions between 6/44 & 11/44 in the 615th B.S. of the 401stBG (H). I purchased this book after reading the good reviews it had. I was very impressed with the book. There are B&W pictures of nose art on B-17's, B-24's, B-29's, B-26's, B-25's, A-26's, P-51's, C-47's, C-87's, P-38's, P-47's, P-61's. There are also some color pictures and also there are some pictures of the back of a few flight jackets. The pictures are 99% bombers. This is a picture book with info below the pictures if available.

Excelent monarge of vintage photos of aircraft & crews with jackets displaying art of the times. Full color photos.

It is a great story, told with a unpresedented pasion and feal of both the human mind and spirit as well as the extensive historical knowledge of facts and myths.
I just hope to see more titles from The author MR. STEVEN WILSON who is, in my opinion one of the best wrighters today.

I stumbled on Steven Wilson's work by fortunate accident and was very favorably impressed with this novel. "Voyage" was well-researched, well-written, and very entertaining. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in WWII history and submarining!

Mike Stanley
Boise,ID

As a fan of World War II historical fiction, I've read a lot of examples in this genre, and their quality ranges from excellent to dismal.
Shortly after beginning "Voyage of the Gray Wolves", I knew that I had found one of the best examples. Steven M. Wilson's craft allows the reader to share in the emotions of the characters and the dialogue, while still making the pulse race during tautly written battle scenes. The fine treatment of the main characters, both Allies and Axis shows that just in real life, war is rarely about absolute villains and heroes. Rather, Wilson will have you deeply engaged in the exciting victories and crushing defeats of the brave men on both sides of conflict.
"Voyage of the Gray Wolves" is a highly recommended read, and stands up well next to other excellent examples, such as "War of the Rats" by David L. Robbins, or "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer. I look forward to Wilson's next foray in this genre...

VOYAGE OF THE GRAY WOLVES is a fast, exciting novel full of adventure and daring. Wilson does a magnificent job of basing his story around Guenter Kern, a German U-Boat captain who realizes that Germany is loosing the war quickly. His mission is a long-shot last hope to the ailing country. Kern faces difficult choices throughout the novel as he begins to clearly see how desperate Germany is. He also has to decide how far he is personally ready to go to remain loyal to his homeland despite his growing discouragement and sickness of a terrible war. Ultimately, Wilson does a great job at making the reader relate to and like Kern. Watching Kern as he is forced to make impossible choices will make the reader appreciate the often horrible intricacies that exist in war. This book will be especially enjoyable for those generally interested in the World War II era, but every reader will enjoy getting to know Guenter Kern.

Review:
Voyage of the Gray Wolves by Steven Wilson
Paperback 352 pages by Pinnacle Books

It is 1944 and the Battle of the North Atlantic is still as rampant as the winter swells. Hitler, Himmler, and others have a grand design that will, in their minds, create a turning point to the war. Their best remaining U-Boat Commander is chosen to lead a squadron of new Type XXI U-Boats against England.

The struggles of this makeshift squadron depleted by the ravages the allies are pouring on Germany make for a great read. They base is a perpetual cloud covered fiord in Norway which was an abandoned fishing village.

The training, problems with the untested boats, supplies, a decrepid tender, untrained crews, and the sudden arrival of
the SS add a great suspense to the book. Those events and the weapon that they are to use make up most of the very good read.

The story also has the approval of Michael DiMercurio and Joe Buff who are also premier submarine novelists.

The books is available at Amazon.com and other outlets. Get it, settle in and read a very good story.

A good book to read!

I have read a few books on this subject so I can't remember any specific thing from this which I know belongs to this book but I remember it was a good book

Probably the most valuable contribution of this book is the list of non-German nationalities represented in the SS, along with the approximate numbers of each nationality thus represented. Irrespective of whether or not all these units were directly involved in anti-Jewish "aktions", they all contributed to the Holocaust by furthering the German war effort and prolonging German rule over Europe. With all of the bad rap Poles get for being almost as anti-Semitic as the Nazi Germans, you would expect that there would be more Poles in the SS than any other non-German nationality. Surprise! There was not a single Polish SS unit in existence! (Though there may have been a few Polish individuals in other SS units, and then mostly Poles of German extraction (Volksdeutsche) as well as those of mixed Polish-German ancestry). Nor is it true that the Germans did not seek Polish collaborators: Early in the war Germans tried to get Polish volunteers as auxilliary staff for the concentration camps, and got not a single applicant. So the Germans could forget about recruiting ethnic Poles for the SS. Although there certainly were "little league" anti-Semites among the Poles, the "big league" anti-Semites were the other European nationalities who supplied volunteers for the SS. It is high time that Holocaust films and popular-level Holocaust educational materials get off the Poles' case and tell it like it ACTUALLY was.

In his book The Waffen SS: Hitler's Elite Guard at War George Stein posits that contrary to the popular belief, the SS was not a homogeneous band of killers that did nothing but persecute the Jews during Hitler's reign and had no real military value. Instead, he suggests that the Waffen SS was a dynamic organization which, in the face of war, evolved into the most highly developed and most efficient militarized army of the Nationalist Socialist movement, playing a role for which it was never intended. According to Stein, it was the SS, not the Nazi party that proved to be the dynamic core of the "movement".
The Waffen SS: Hitler's Elite Guard at War is a very well written book in which Stein sheds light on the often times mysterious and notorious Schutzstaffel. Stein takes us back to its inception and progresses forward through history, showing how the organization's structure and mandate gradually evolved during the Third Reich. Stein reveals the factors which set the Waffen SS apart from the Army, detailing its successes and failures in battle, and the role it played in the military exploits of the Third Reich.
Stein's thesis is broken up into three distinct points which are supported in different sections of the book and then tied together in his conclusion. The first contention of his thesis is that the Waffen SS was a dynamic and ever evolving organization. With the outbreak of the Second World War, the SS grew from 25,000 to 150,000 men. According to Stein this six-fold increase marked the beginning of an expansion that would result in the establishment of the SS as the "fourth branch of the Wehrmacht". Furthermore, Stein maintains that the SS cannot be painted as a uniform institution of terror. Stein acknowledges that the SS was responsible for a large number of the war-crimes committed by the Third Reich but argues that "only a minority of men that passed through the ranks of the Waffen SS were involved in any of the known atrocities" (281). Stein also states that contrary to popular belief, the SS was also quite dynamic in its personnel composition. By 1945, of the 38 SS divisions, none were composed solely of native Germans and 19 divisions consisted primarily of foreign nationals.
The second part of Stein's thesis is that the Waffen SS played a role in WWII for which it was not originally intended. Stein states that the SS was originally designed to be Hitler's elite guard and militarized police force, not the elite combat arm of the Wehrmacht that it evolved into. Stein goes on to say that Hitler only wanted the Waffen SS to be an example for the Army, only fighting on the front now and then to retain the respect of the people. Yet the Waffen SS were relied on more and more as the war progressed, becoming an integral and indispensable part of Hitler's offensive operations. "The Third Reich would have collapsed much sooner had it not been for the elite SS divisions" (293). During the last two years of the war, the Waffen SS fought on all four fronts.
The third and final part of Stein's thesis holds that it was the SS, not the Nazi party that proved to be the dynamic core of the movement. Stein maintains that the SS was tied more to Hitler (All SS personnel swore an oath to Hitler himself) and the movement than to the state or the party like the Army. "It would be more accurate to describe the Waffen SS as the dictator's private army or Praetorian Guard rather than as a party army." (26)
In summary, I think there was a general lack of evidence for his postulation that it was the SS, not the Nazi party that proved to be the dynamic core of the movement, but Stein more than makes up for it in his detailed analysis of the Waffen SS and its changing role in WW2 from an elite guard unit to the highly effecting combat arm of the Wehrmacht.

This volume by George Stein was originally published in 1966. Most of the publication facts are based on the SS and Wehrmacht histories written during the war and supplemented by information from both Hitler's and Himmler's personal records and recordings. At some points you may find that the documentation is a little overwhelming, but most of it is in bottom page notes.

The original formation of the SS (Schutzstaffel-Protection Squad) were the black uniformed elite personal body guard for Adolf Hitler set-up by Heinrich Himmler. It was envisioned as an elite corps that would be the 'police' of the Nazi Party, replacing the less than repudable SD (Brown Shirts). After becoming Chancellor in 1933 the The Waffen-SS (Armed-SS) branch was expanded and divided into three subgroups: the Leibstandarte, Hitler's personal bodyguard; the Totenkopfverbande (Death's Head Battalions), which administered the concentration camps; and the Verfugungstruppen (Disposition Troops).

By the end of the war the Waffen SS had grown to 39 divisions (always under the command of the Wehrmacht). But in reality, only six of the formations were ever a true fighting force mostly made up of German residents of the Reich. Another two or three made up of Volksdeutsch and Western Volunteers in World War II were also considered 'first line' troops. The other formations were made up of Eastern European 'Volunteers' many of whom were ex-POWs or conscripted Volksdeutsch. Some of these formations never fought or came any way near Division strength (15,000) and were as small as battallions (200). What the extra 26 divisions did was spread out needed German officers and equipment.

Beginning with the invasions of the Low Countries and France, the Waffen SS participated in all the major battles of WWII including Stalingrad, Kursk, Normandy and the final battle in Berlin. Hitler used them as his 'Fire Brigade' when he needed immediate help in Italy after the fall of Mussolini, in Normandy after D-Day and as the spearhead of the troops in the 'Battle of the Bulge'. These were the troops that became the fearsome SS-Panzer and Panzergrenadiers that fought with 'abandon' and to the death in so many rearguard battles.

But the Waffen-SS was also seen as the 'peacetime' armed state police. They would be a combination of Carabenari, Prison Camp Guards, Secret Service and FBI. Many of the early Concentration Camp guards, later became members of the 4th-SS Polizeidivision of the Waffen-SS and it wasn't unusual for wounded or disabled Waffen-SS to be transfered to the Concentration Camp Guard troops. As to the massacres at Paladis, Oradur and Malmedy; according to the 'apologists', well 'boys will be boys' and sometimes get 'out of hand'.

Though a lot of work has been done since 1966, this is a great reference work from which to begin.

"Waffen SS-Hitler's Elite Guard at War, 1939-1945" by George H. Stein is a fabulous work of historical literature. Many an author, popular and academic, has tackled the topic of the SS and Waffen SS but very few have done so in an objective fashion like Stein. Far too many presentations of the Waffen SS have been from apologist and revisionist authors who fail to recognize and/or admit the complicity of portions of the Waffen SS in the atrocities committed in the name of the NSDAP and Adolf Hitler. At the other end of the spectrum are those authors, again large in number, who simply paint ALL that served in the Waffen SS with broad strokes of guilt. Stein captures a story that falls between the extremes and thus is more realistic and truthful, and thus more historically accurate with clear lack of hysterics.

"Waffen SS" begins with a historical perspective on the establishment of the SS [initially the Allgemeine (General)-SS] and formation of the earliest incarnations of the armed SS - initially from the units such as the Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler" (Hitler's Chancellery Guard) and the SS-Totenkopfverbande (Death's Head Units, early concentration camp guards), to organization of the Waffen SS as war approached. This presentation provides considerable information that allows the reader to connect (or disconnect as appropriate) various components of Himmler's greater SS. This is critical to the process of a reader drawing objective conclusions about guilt of the Waffen SS in non-combatant war crimes.

Stein then spends considerable time discussing the military exploits of the Waffen SS, both early and oft strained integration into the Wehrmacht during the initial phases of the war up to the defeat of France and the AEF, as well as their later fierce and destructive battles fought east across the Soviet Union and their return west in defense. Stein's prose does not fail to convey a picture of a fanatical and determined fighting force. Clearly the Waffen SS (especially the early incarnations that were still volunteer and elite) was an accomplished "army". Stein also discusses how the elite Waffen SS was in later years of the war converted through conscription (mostly) into a hodge-podge of a force that often was worth very little and sometimes more trouble than it was worth.

In the third major section of "Waffen SS" the author presents a clear and concise (without simply rehashing particular atrocities covered in depth elsewhere) description of crimes that can be connected to the Waffen SS, whether directly or indirectly. While crimes can clearly be attributed to battle formations, both combatant- and non-combatant-related, it is also clear from Stein's presentation that a majority of Waffen SS units were not likely involved in such events. This is not to say that Stein presents an apologist view, quite to the contrary - he presents an honest assessment of guilt - the Waffen SS was guilty but it is unfair to claim all units were simply butchers. Yet equally unfair would be a claim that the Waffen SS was simply an army free of guilt. When it comes to connections between the Waffen SS and the holocaust the story is one mostly of semantics. As Stein points out it is beyond doubt that the SS represented the system by which Hitler attempted (and nearly succeeded) to murder all of the European jews and other "Untermensch" (subhumans). It is also clear that many of the units involved were, at least on paper, part of the Waffen SS. Moreover, much of the concentration camp staff turn over was between the camps and the front lines. Yet it is not at all clear that fighting units of the Waffen SS were directly involved in these acts. Thus it becomes an issue of semantics because it depends upon how one defines "Waffen SS". Again this is not to say that Stein presents an apologist view or one of strict and total condemnation. In fact Stein presents a picture in which the facts are presented and the reader is free to define the culprits for themselves.

In the final section Stein gives a very concise and extremely well written summary. This section itself is worth the price of the book. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Stein is liberal in his use of sources and yet it also becomes clear that Gerald Reitlinger's "SS: Alibi of a Nation" is one he favors and must feel captures much of the story of the SS (although not in the concise manner in which Stein sets out to do - as he states right up front). This is a five star effort worth a read!!!

Anyone looking for a single volume history of the Holocaust should start with this one. It is not an easy read, but it is informative and works well as a reference book. The table of contents sets up the material well, though it is by no means encyclopedic. The writing is straight forward, allowing the facts to speak so that readers make value judgments for themselves. The starkness of the tone serves as a reminder of how the Third Reich went about its final solution to the Jewish question, business as usual. Those of us who read it as an assigned text for an Issues in the Study of the Holocaust class found it somewhat dry at times, but our own outrage at how an "advanced society" could do such things made up for any tediousness of the book.

My 20 year old copy holds a place of honor on my shelf of frequently used history books.

At a family gathering, a relative of mine asked the question "why didn't the Jews fight back in a more organized way during WWII?" Not having an immediate answer, I went in search of one, which this book supplied. The background of the philosophical underpinnings, as well as the reasons for the way the Jewish community reacted, enhanced my knowledge of the Holocaust immensely, and have led to many other readings. Very accessible.

Although an ocean of material has been written about the Holocaust, this book stands alone. The author has chosen the best way to present the material; by simple factual recitation. No amount of pejoratives would suffice, and even one would cheapen the book. Salut!!!!!!!!

Davidowicz examines the underpinnings of pan-European anti-Semitism, its "legitimization" by the Third Reich, its consequences on the victims, and the awful results masterfully. Especially excellent are the sections on why so little resistance was offered until the end, when resistance was a gesture, not a viable tactic.

You will never forget the first mayor of the Warsaw ghetto, Adam Czerniakow. This book is unforgettable, and earns the highest rating possible.

This work is still considered by many to be one of the best books written about the 'Holocaust.' It goes into great detail explaining the roots of the Nazi, and specifically Hitler's determination to destroy the Jewish people. It shows how the program to destroy the Jews went hand-in- hand with the Third Reich''s overall effort to conquer Europe.
It also goes into great detail describing the destructions and terrible suffering the Jews went through in various communities in Europe.
It in short describes the roots and execution of what is arguably the greatest crime in human history, the deliberate Nazi effort to destroy an entire people, wherever they were on earth.

Hitler. The very name seems to invoke black and white images of a charasmatic madman pushing his country to global domination. But the story goes much deeper than that. His intense hatred of the Jews pushed him to implement his "Final Solution". To exploit and then kill every Jew in Europe before they, in his twisted mind, did the same to every one else.
Thankfully, his "appointed" task was never completed. But not before nearly six million Jews and countless others who either resisted or simply didn't conform to his Ideas of the perfect human were destroyed.
This is the story of those Jews who died and those survived the largest mass murder in recorded history. These are the things they didn't show or talk about in Public School. This book shows the strength and weakness of a people on the edge of anihalation. It doesn't show the Jews as a strong race overcoming their problems, or as a weak race sniveling and grovelling, waiting to die. It shows them as any other group of humans reacting to their circumstances in a wide variety of ways.
This is probably the longest time I have ever spent reading a book. After reading a page or two (especially in the second half of the book), I would generally have to put it down for a few days to read some lighter material. Overall I think it took me about nine to ten months to read. But I would definatly put it in the best books I have read.
So, if you are looking to understand what was happening to the Jews during WW2, or if you are just looking to fill in some of the gaps from history class, then I would heartily recomend this brilliant work.

This is a superbly written and spellbounding book that offers tremendously unique insight into daily life during the short duration of Hitler's "Thousand Year Reich." I and my father, for whom this book was initially purchased, read the book non-stop cover to cover in two nights' of reading. A must read for any student of 20th Century European history and, in particular, WW II Nazi Germany.

This collection of short reminiscences by adult Germans who were children in Nazi Germany at the end of World War II is not quite as captivating as the author's own memoir "German Boy" but it is a fascinating nonetheless. If anything, given its format, this book would be even more accessible for a pre-teen reader than "German Boy."

For me personally, the biggest revelation in these stories is the repeated memory of children of running for cover from strafing fighter planes ("Tiefflieger"). Many of the children in this book mention this experience. Anyone who has seen the PBS documentary "A Fighter Pilot's Story" will find these descriptions of the air war over Europe from the point of view of children walking home from Kindergarten particularly chilling.

I enjoyed reading this book because I am interested in the social aspects of WWII not tactical battle discussions. This book does a good job a telling what happened in post war Germany through a child's eyes... even though the interviewees are now senior citizens.

The extreme hardships and moral dilemmas that faced women and children in an occupied country come to life. The book does an excellent job of illustrating how often women and children become the victims of war. Starvation, begging and rape, become daily events in the lives of once comfortable middle and working class children.

The difference between the kindness of the Americans soldiers and the often cruelty of the Russian forces is a major point. A shortcoming of the book is that no mention (in the narrative) is made of how most Russian soldiers probably came from villages that had been destroyed by Nazi forces (not that this justified their cruelty, but helps to explain it.) Several other books I have read explained how Russian soldiers entering Prussia were shocked at the apparent prosperity of Germany and wondered how they could be so greedy to take over less prosperous Russian land.

The book is well written and worth a read.

The War of Our Childhood is a perfect compliment, perhaps unintended, to German Boy. The trials and tribulations of a boy, which are seen in greater detail in German Boy, appear in lesser detail and intensity throughout the profiles of other children. Yet, in their collective memories a common thread is revealed, a golden thread if you will, of all the positive qualities necessary to succeed. It is most significant that amid the horror and setbacks, and in spite of it, the children behave with prime elements of mental health. There is a common display of flexibility under stress, recognition of individual assets and limitations, and a commendable quality of productive activity. The War of Our Childhood is a showcase of the human spirit at its best. It is beyond admiration that such human spirit appears in children during circumstances that may be unbearable to so many adults.

I purchased this book for my wife who survived the war as a child in Berlin. She said the book was so true and is was difficult to relive the repressed memories of the childhood she was robbed of by the horrors of war. She said the book was a factual and riveting description of events, and she wants our childern to read it. My wife never wanted the children to know what she experienced, but she now feel they probably should know these things.

Being a young adult that is learning about Sikhi i have to say this book gave me alot of inspiration. Right through from photo's in the 19th century it truly amazed me. Honestly, fantastic! Recommended to anyone and everyone. I have already shown it to a friend and even they said wow you have such a rich history. Only this book could have told me the past which has been forgotten, as pictures say a thousand words..

Hopefully there are more books like this by the author..

This got to be the top coffee table book for any sikh households.

This one should belong in the library of all Sikhs and historians of the Indian Subcontinent.
A beautifully documented and illustrated piece of work.
Madra's incredible effort provides a unique insight as to why the British held the military prowess of the Sikhs in such high-regard.

this book took my breath away and made me feel blessed that i am a sikh as well and that i belong to such a wonderful faith. the pictures of the book are rare and extremely well presented, with the design of the book adding on to it's high rating that i give it points which fall way above the options. a great book for coming generations to revere and find inspiration and sikh pride from. buy it for your kids or for your grandchildren. they are the inheritors of this great tradition that the sikhs are today.

First of all I would say, God Bless S. Amandeep Singh Madra , who has done this great job for the coming sikh generation,the generation born in abroad and does not know about sikh's pride. Great God bless these two gentlemen for that they just clear the dust from the sikh braverly and showed the new generation by publishing this book, who ever forgott the sikhs culture and pride. I might order this book in large quantity to distribute in each gurudwara, this is Surinderpal Singh , USA

This book provides a wonderful guide on how one can live thier lives by a code of honor. This book should be required reading in high schools across the US. If only everyone thought and conducted themselves in the "warrior way", this country, this world would be so much better. It is this book and books such as ON COMBAT and ON KILLING by LT Col David Grossman, that provide a realistic point of view on how our society exsists. We need more "sheepdogs" and less sheep and wolves.

I bought this from Loren Christensen's website and he signed it. It a fantastic book written by warriors from the military, the police, martial arts and other places. Most are incredible articles that tell you what it's like to be a warrior in their respective fields. I like Loren's articles but then I've bought most of his books. I highly recommend this book and On Combat too.

In the aftermath of 9/11 and as part of the ongoing struggle in Iraq, we need to look once again at our ideas of soldiering, at our ideas about war fighting, and at the actions of many heroic people at the world trade center or the field in Pennsylvania. There are people, indeed most of us, who are basically sheep. We go to school, to work, shopping or whereever giving little thought to the potential of bad guys lurking out there. But out there they are. And we have the police, the firefighters, the Army and more to serve as a barrier between us.

This book is a collection of essays that help to define what a warrior is, and the stories that they tell are of situations where they have 'seen the elephant.' There are stories of military combat, of police work, of doing the best you can under bad situations.

I was reminded of the story of the open house at paratrooper school. One young man was talking to an older gentleman. 'I've made 25 jumps. I hear you were a paratrooper, how many jumps did you make?' 'Four', answers the old timer, 'Sicily, Salerno, Normandy, Netherlands.' That's the essense of this book.

Warriors is a fabulous book that should be read by every cop, soldier and relative of one. Christensen wrote ON COMBAT with Col. Dave Grossman and that book should also be in every warrior's library.

Somehow Christensen got some of the top warriors in the country to write an article for this book. There is something in it for military people, law enforcement, and martial artists.

Some of the articles will stick in your mind for a long time. I'm thankful that there are men and women out there who are willing to do the right thing for others at a time when there are so many self-serving whimps who complain about police officers, President Bush and our military, but don't have the guts to put it on the line.

Thank God we have warriors.

Warriors is an excellent book that delivers a diverse group of viewpoints on what it means to be a warrior.

The most interesting aspect of this book to me was the different perspectives provided by the contributors based on their life experiences. On one hand, you have police officers, soldiers and martial artists; and on the other hand, you have those who were victims at some point in their life and who currently work with victims. Although they all seem to agree that we live in a world with dangerous people and each person is ultimately responsible for their own safety, they do not all agree on how to deal with those dangerous people. The one common element seems to be that this group of warriors all have their head out of the sand and are clearly focused on the world around them.

Some of the articles are absolutely fantastic, and some are marginally OK. That should be expected when you pull together such a diverse group.

When something bad happens (i.e. gunfire or catastrophe) there are those who run toward it and those who run away. The people featured in this book are the ones who run toward danger. If you are trying to understand why, this is a great place to start.