Book Description
In the tradition of Jon Krakauer’s
Into Thin Air and Sebastian Junger’s
The Perfect Storm comes a true tale of riveting adventure in which two weekend scuba divers risk everything to solve a great historical mystery–and make history themselves.
For John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, deep wreck diving was more than a sport. Testing themselves against treacherous currents, braving depths that induced hallucinatory effects, navigating through wreckage as perilous as a minefield, they pushed themselves to their limits and beyond, brushing against death more than once in the rusting hulks of sunken ships.
But in the fall of 1991, not even these courageous divers were prepared for what they found 230 feet below the surface, in the frigid Atlantic waters sixty miles off the coast of New Jersey: a World War II German U-boat, its ruined interior a macabre wasteland of twisted metal, tangled wires, and human bones–all buried under decades of accumulated sediment.
No identifying marks were visible on the submarine or the few artifacts brought to the surface. No historian, expert, or government had a clue as to which U-boat the men had found. In fact, the official records all agreed that there simply could not be a sunken U-boat and crew at that location.
Over the next six years, an elite team of divers embarked on a quest to solve the mystery. Some of them would not live to see its end. Chatterton and Kohler, at first bitter rivals, would be drawn into a friendship that deepened to an almost mystical sense of brotherhood with each other and with the drowned U-boat sailors–former enemies of their country. As the men’s marriages frayed under the pressure of a shared obsession, their dives grew more daring, and each realized that he was hunting more than the identities of a lost U-boat and its nameless crew.
Author Robert Kurson’s account of this quest is at once thrilling and emotionally complex, and it is written with a vivid sense of what divers actually experience when they meet the dangers of the ocean’s underworld. The story of
Shadow Divers often seems too amazing to be true, but it all happened, two hundred thirty feet down, in the deep blue sea.
From the Hardcover edition.
Download Description
CHAPTER ONE
THE BOOK OF NUMBERS
Brielle, New Jersey, September 1991
Bill Nagle's life changed the day a fisherman sat beside him in a ramshackle bar and told him about a mystery he had found lying at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Against his better judgment, that fisherman promised to tell Nagle how to find it. The men agreed to meet the next day on the rickety wooden pier that led to Nagle's boat, the Seeker, a vessel Nagle had built to chase possibility. But when the appointed time came, the fisherman was not there. Nagle paced back and forth, careful not to plunge through the pier where its wooden planks had rotted away. He had lived much of his life on the Atlantic, and he knew when worlds were about to shift. Usually, that happened before a storm or when a man's boat broke. Today, however, he knew it was going to happen when the fisherman handed him a scrap of paper, a hand-scrawled set of numbers that would lead to the sunken mystery. Nagle looked into the distance for the fisherman. He saw no one. The salt air blew against the small seashore town of Brielle, tilting the dockside boats and spraying the Atlantic into Nagle's eyes. When the mist died down he looked again. This time, he saw the fisherman approaching, a small square of paper crumpled in his hands. The fisherman looked worried. Like Nagle, he had lived on the ocean, and he also knew when a man's life was about to change.
In the whispers of approaching autumn, Brielle's rouge is blown away and what remains is the real Brielle, the locals' Brielle. This small seashore town on the central New Jersey coast is the place where the boat captains and fishermen live, where convenience store owners stay open to serve neighbors, where fifth graders can repair scallop dredges. This is where the hangers-on and wannabes and also-rans and once-greats keep believing in the sea. In Brielle, when the customers leave, the town's lines show, and they are the kind grooved by the thin dif
Customer Reviews:
You Feel Like You Are There.......2007-10-05
Others have gone into detail about this book, and it is true. This book combines a mystery worthy of a Sherlock Holmes novel with the details of technical diving and written in such a gripping manner that it could be a work of pop fiction (not in a negative way, just that it flows so well and put together so well that it could have been made up, if that makes sense.)
And the author does a great job of not leaving you "hanging" with an abrupt ending.
Highly recommended and has set the bar for other books in this genre.
J ohn Sutphen MD, ex navy diver /submarine medical officer .......2007-09-21
Tantallizing and heart pounding tale based on incredibly researched information about u boats and diving with an accurate, simple description of practical diving, diving medicine and physiology.
Compulsion to know the answer........2007-09-13
A fascinating saga about 2 deep sea divers and their 6 year odyssey to uncover the identity of a sunken German U boat. A captivating story, and you'll learn a lot about deep sea diving.
Deep Thrills.......2007-09-05
An absorbing account of the discovery and identification by veteran divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler of a sunken Nazi U-boat 100 miles off the coast of New Jersey. Kurson skillfully weaves together several threads into a very readable narrative, including the evolution of Chatterton and Kohler's rivalry-turned-friendship, the technical hazards of exploring a mangled wreck in 230 feet of water, and the duo's maddening, seven-year long ordeal to obtain positive evidence -- both on the wreck and in official but flawed US and German naval records -- of the boat's identity. As the tale draws to a close, Kurson also draws a moving portrait of the U-boat's crew, who went to sea in the final days of the war and knew that they likely would not return alive.
I started diving when the final pieces of this mystery were falling into place, and can remember following the story of New Jersey's mystery U-boat in the papers. However, none of those articles was anywhere as involving as Kurson's account, which I devoured in four days. Sure, there's some overheated prose here and there ("in a shipwreck, where every danger is first cousin to every other, a diver's desparation makes an open house of his bad situation."), but that's a minor strike against this otherwise excellent and comprehensive work.
Rare Intimate Journey To The Shadows.......2007-08-28
Sometimes the flaws make a thing so much more than perfection could ever achieve. The imperfections in this literary account of the exploration of a WWII submarine discovered in 1991 off the Coast of New Jersey are well documented. Those imperfections didn't bother me.
I was facinated by the detailed account of the personalities of the divers in "Shadow." Its easy to identify a future SCUBA diver - someone who is comfortable putting their face under water. Even better, because it will sometimes trump the 'face' test, is whether a person's curiosity is so intense that they are able to project their consciousness entirely onto something outside of themselves to the virtual exclusion of other thoughts. Divers want to investigate, explore, see something extraordinary, find out whats under that rock, go someplace very few people have been, find something unique, etc. The experience is so strong, you may forget to be worried about all the risks.
My enjoyment of "Shadow" was absolutely enhanced by my experience as a diver who is both Nitrox and advanced open water certified. I have never gone deeper than 110 ft - The U-boat 85, off of Nags Head, North Carolina, which is 20ft shallower than the recreational diving limit of 130 ft. So far, I've never wanted to see anything deeper, but I suspect I'll pass. Surface light begins to diminish rapidly. It usually gets alot colder.
At the depths routinely visitied by the divers in this book, 230 ft., nitrogen narcosis is an inevitability, and helium mixes carry their own risks. Water pressure increases to seven times what it is at the surface. Just when you need all your mental faculties and judgement, you can be assured they will be impared to an extent that cannot be anticipated from dive to dive. Even more frightening is that getting to the surface to resolve any problems that may arise (my mask came off once at 80 ft), must now include a life-saving decompression stop. When you head for the surface with less than 30 minutes of air for your stop, you're in trouble.
Diving can put you face to face with three realities that I don't sense as readily on land: 1.) the incredible spiritual beauty of the natural world, 2.) how alone we really are (I've never felt more alone than those very few times I've dived without a buddy), 3.) Death is always hiding within convenient reach.
The insatiable curiosity of the two lead characters, Chatterton and Kohler, also drives them above the water, as they travel to Europe to learn as much as they can about the submarine and its crew. There was no 'gold' involved, just an incredible mystery to solve.
"Shadow" was one of those books I read in one sitting (I missed dinner). I would compare it to Krakauer's works in power and drama, if not as well written. But again, in a way the rough nature of the text enhanced the story, as if I was sitting across the table from the author.
NOTE TO FELLOW DIVERS: After reading this book I have found my goal for my diving trips next summer - get my "Rescue Diver" certification.
NOTE TO THOSE PEOPLE trying to get young men (ages 9-15) into reading - I know of two young men who hated to read until they picked up this book. Not that they love reading now, but the 'no trespassing' sign is now down in front of the library.
Book Description
During the first phase of World War II, the German forces advancing on all fronts, the Ju87 Stuka had been an essential element in the Luftwaffe's armory attack. However, from mid-1943 as the War drug on, the Stuka began incurring heavy losses. Dunkirk, Warsaw, Rotterdam, and other early victories became distant memories as severe reversals came about in the East. Wherever possible and often against overwhelming resources, the Stukas supported the retreating German armies by conducting not just precision dive-bombing missions, but low-level ground attack operations against enemy transport targets, gun positions, and ships. This second and concluding volume in this series examines the role of the Stuka during these years of retreat. Aspects of the Stuka's role, which the book recounts, includes the attacks against the Malta convoys, the retreat in North Africa, the war over the Arctic, the Russian campaign including the battle for Stalingrad, and the collapse of the Eastern front. This volume contains an impressive selection of historic photos, color artworks, and first-hand accounts from those who flew the aircraft.
Customer Reviews:
Stuka Volume Two: Luftwaffee Ju87 Dive-Bomber Units 1942-1945.......2007-09-02
An outstanding resource for remarkable photographs and color illustrations of this famous plane. The authors have done an outstanding job reviewing the wartime use of this plane and finally its end in May 1945.
The Stuka at War, Part 1!.......2007-08-20
Peter C. Smith is THE author when it comes to the history of dive bombing. In this 'Luftwaffe Colours' volume, he examines the development and early combat career of the most famous - and probably the deadliest - dive-bomber to fly in World War II, the ungainly Junkers 87 Stuka.
Smith's book initially surveys the pre-war development of dive bombing in Germany which culminated in the introduction of the Ju 87. Swiftly proving its effectiveness once war broke out, the Stuka gave sterling service in supporting the various Blitkzreig campaigns from 1939 to 1941 and proved a champion ship-killer as well. The Ju 87 however was no invincible wonder weapon and suffered serious losses in the Battle of Britain.
Stuka missions and personalities are well-covered in this volume, the first of two. The book benefits from a number of first-hand accounts of the Stuka in action and also provides eight side-bars detailing influential or well-known Stuka pilots like Schwartzkopff, Dinort, Mahlke, Hozzel, etc.
The book includes over 160 color and black & white photographs of aircrew, aircraft and targets being attacked along with 15 color side-views by Tom Tullis.
All in all, Smith's book is an authoritative, well-illustrated introduction to this most deadly of dive-bombers. Highly recommended.
Ju-87 Stuka Units 1942-1945.......2007-05-21
I have been impressed with Classic Publications since their first efforts on this subject. Their Battle of Britain series kept me busy for some time. Luftwaffe colors are enigmatic at best and this subject is a monumental task to want to take on. Bang for buck this series of books simply can not be beat. I think that Classic Publications could not have picked a better champion for this subject than Peter C. Smith. His study of dive-bombers and the Stuka in particular are legendary in the world of Luftwaffe history.
While working with the always amazing Tom Tullis to help illustrate Peter's color conclusions, constantly gives the reader vivid and significant weight to the book. Peter Smith relied on first person accounts of the aircraft from ground crew and pilots to reconstruct a compressive story of this famous aircraft.
Starting off in 1942 and the Dora series of the vendible Sturzkampfflugzeug and running through to 1945 and the Gustav and specialized versions of this subject, the author makes reading this book a pleasure. More never published photos show up continuing to stun the educated late war Luftwaffe historian in me. I am always amazed at what comes out of the file cabinets of these guys and Mr. Smith doesn't disappoint.
Done in the standard Luftwaffe Colors series more familiar to us as the Jagdwaffe publications, Stuka Volume Two is printed on high quality paper with fantastic color transfer and very clear black and white photos. Although almost all the photos are in black and white, the color profiles sprinkled throughout the text compliment the page and augment the information present.
The ability to gleam out colors from black and white photos using many resources crossed into very educated conclusions is getting better and better. In the beginning of the book Mr. Smith tells you what everyone should keep in mind. It is still guess work. Unless you were there and cared what shade of RLM 76 the bottom of your plane was painted, you probably do not have a definitive proof of the subject.
Guys like Jerry Crandall, Eddie Creek, Brett Green and others at the top of their game will be the first to tell you that nothing is certain. Things change, opinions oscillate and theories are crushed all the time. Facts change and research yields new information all the time. And this is coming from the experts in the field.
I really enjoy these series of books and highly recommend them to anyone trying to become educated in the art of Luftwaffe color schemes. The Stuka has held a particular fascination with me for sometime. It is what I call "Cool Ugly" and is the granddaddy of aircraft like the A-10 Thunderbolt II. (Another "Cool Ugly" airplane). The book can be found for less than 30 dollars a pop, this book is worth every cent.
Book Description
Every grandfather has a tale and this is the tale of Georg Frick, a German sniper for the German Army during World War II. Georg Frick is an old man now, but in 1937 the German Army drafted him.
Grandfather’s Tale is the story of Georg’s transformation from reluctant new soldier into a master sniper. Georg fought in dozens of battles in several countries, including Poland, Belgium, the Soviet Union, Crete, Italy and Germany. After proving himself to be an exceptional sniper, he joined a special team of German paratroopers. This group of expert soldiers was parachuted into Eben Emael, the strongest single fortress in the world!
Georg's story is one of adventure and survival under extreme circumstances, including the brutal Soviet winter, and the final battle, the Battle of Berlin. Join Georg as he recounts his harrowing experiences to his grandson, in hopes that he may learn the lessons of war, and not repeat them.
Grandfather's Tale is an action-packed journey through the entirety of the Word War II. German weapons, tactics and strategy on a platoon level are explained with meticulous detail. Several battles, including the Battle of the Bulge and the Invasion of Crete are told from a German perspective.
"Erenberger's story is fast-paced, his descriptions of the conditions a sniper must undergo through in each engagement were unforgettable...This book is strongly recommended for all who want to know what 'the big war' was all about in the eyes of a German sniper."—Capt. M.R. Doehrmann, USMC
Customer Reviews:
A totally unbelievable poorly written fictional tale........2007-07-31
First just to clarify this book is 100% fiction, some reviewers seem to think this is a factual account.
Way over the top and poorly written. At one point in the novel the author has this guy carrying 4 rifles(Kar98k,BAR,M1,and a Tokarev along with a supressed pistol and a 30 pound bag of ammo.) Johny Rambo meets WWII.
Not for me at all.
Real fiction.......2007-07-04
I could only complete about 2/3rds of this book, frankly because this fictional account is quite unrealistic. If you have read first person accounts of sniper stories in any theater of war, you should stay away from this book in my opinion because you will really struggle with this fictionalized account. The method of storytelling (a grandfather's recollections each night to a visiting young grandchild) did not do much for me as well.
Super Sniper - I think not.......2007-07-03
The book is very light reading. I am sure it is great for the uneducated student of WW2. No sniper ever amassed the number of kills that this guy did. All head shots at 700-1100 meters with close to 100% hit ratio ??? No way.
Look at the authors credentials, a computer game player??
Anyway it is overpriced and silly.
What a load of rubbish.......2007-06-15
I only got to the second chapter of this book before putting it down and swearing that I would never pick it up again!! How inaccurate can a book be! The author has obviously never heard of research.
I was one of the poor suckers who got this in a 2 set with Sepp,s book (which is excellent) and don't I regret it!
According to this 'fantasy tale' the german ID tags had name rank and serial number on them...WRONG!!
And apparently they had divisional markings on there sleeves...WRONG!!
And the snipers were only issued 7 bullets a day..DON'T GET ME STARTED
And all the main characters training was held in places near ??? No distinct names given.
I think my 12 YO daughter (who has no knowledge of WW2) could have written a better book.
Just look at the credits, not a single wehrmacht veteran amongst them.
Do your self a favour and avoid this book if you want:
1 A factual account
2 A book that is well written
3 A book that has pictures of Germans on the cover, not Americans in 'fritz' helmets ( how bad is that)
Action packed alright.......2007-04-25
Yes it is action packed.
It follows a style which is commonly used in the movies where the character talks to someone in the present of events in the past. I don't like it in a book.
Overall how accurate is the book well it just seems over the top. This one sniper should have won Hitler the war. I suspect that snipers like fighter pilots have a tendency to exaggerate their kills.
I also thought it was a bit of a white wash of war crimes. What really got by annoyed was this line "There had been units of the SS soldiers who committed atrocities, such as killing Jewish and other civilians, but even regular army troops were brutally punished." Unfortunately this line is not true.
Having said that it certainly a good read. If definitely gives you a feel of how soldiers must have felt in the war.
If you like this book look at "The forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer" and "With the old breed by E.B.Sledge"
Book Description
One of the most hotly disputed topics in twentieth-century history has been Germany's share of responsibility--"its guilt"--for the outbreak of the two world wars. In this short, penetrating study, Europe's leading authority on German power politics clarifies the dispute and offers insight into this central question about modern Germany
Book Description
The Luftwaffe’s maritime role ranged from anti-shipping operations and Uboat liaison and transport duties across great expanses of open ocean, to coastal reconnaissance and short-range patrols. Among the aircraft types featured in the two volumes which make up this series are: the Arado Ar 196A, Dornier Do 24, Blohm und Voss BV 138, Heinkel He 115, Ju 88, four-engined Fw 200 Condors and He 177s and the Do 217s used by KG 30/40/100. This volume also include studies of some of the more interesting weaponry used by German bomber units operating in such a role, such as the Rheinstahl PC 1400 X ‘Fritz X’ radio-guided bomb and the Henschel 293 rocket-driven remotely-controlled ‘stand-off’ missile used against destroyers in the Mediterranean. Alongside the photographic content, much of which is previously unpublished, and color artworks, the books also include first-hand reminiscences from Luftwaffe pilots of the era.
Customer Reviews:
Luftwaffe Ship Killers in Action, Pt. 2!.......2007-04-11
Chris Goss wraps up his two-volume history of Luftwaffe anti-shipping units with this wonderfully illustrated history that covers events from 1942 to war's end. Like the first volume, this book is great value for the price, offering coverage of the varied units and airmen that sought to cripple Allied shipping in the Atlantic and Mediterranean theaters.
The timeframe covered in this volume would witness many initial successes by Luftwaffe anti-shipping units followed by defeat after defeat. In 1942 crews equipped with Junkers 88s, Heinkel 111s and Focke Wulf 200s savaged Allied convoys, especially those headed for Russia. Churchill even labeled the FW 200 the "Scourge of the Atlantic." Yet, in large part, those convoys lacked adequate escorts and the individual merchantmen were poorly armed with AAA weaponry. When more escorts were provided, especially escort carriers, the Luftwaffe's dive- and torpedo-bombers suffered ever increasing losses in the far north and the Med as well.
Goss does a fine job of charting the rise and fall of the Luftwaffe's ship killers, covering both major battles and behind-the-scenes organizational and technical developments. His narrative includes many first-person German and British accounts of convoy attacks and aerial battles.
The text is illustrated with over 180 color and black & white photographs, maps and diagrams. FW 200 afficiandos will especially appreciate the large number of Condor photos. Tim Brown contributes 13 nicely done color profiles of Heinkel 111s, 115s, 177s along with Condors and Ju 88s.
The role Luftwaffe anti-shipping units played in World War II has largely been ignored. Chris Goss' book is a well written summary of those airmen and aircraft who once posed a significant danger to Allied merchantmen and warships alike.
A Lot I've Never Seen Before.......2007-02-07
The activities of the German U-Boats during World War II are well known. While not as great a threat, the activities of the Luftwaffe in attacking shipping in the Med and in the Atlantic has been one of the ignored subjects of the war.
Chris Goss's series of two books with Volume 1 (Pages 1-96) covering 1939 to 1941 and Volume 2 (Pages 97-190)covering 1942 until the end of the war changes this picture. These are largely photograph books, covering the equipment and some of the men involved.
I had heard of the use of the FW-200 Condor in this role, and had also heard that it had had a lot of problems when forced into military usage. On page 122 there's a picture of a Condor broken in half by a hard landing. On page 135 there is a picture and a description of the extra fuel tanks carried inside the fuselage where the chance of fire had to be great in case of an attack. There are lots of Condor pictures here.
At the back of the book are a few pages on the special glide bombs and air launched torpedoes used by the Germans. These as well I've never seen before.
All in all, a welcome addition to the literature.
Product Description
The definitive work on the subject. It explains the early history of the Nazi Party and how it came into power,how it maintained it's power and how it finally fell. All of this is done from a historian's point of view with neither blame nor apology. Mr. Shirer has no agenda to follow but simply lays out the facts, albeit in a highly readble and interesting way.
Customer Reviews:
Thorough.......2007-09-01
I recommend this book to everyone. Whether or not you're a fan of the current presidential administration, reading this book will give you valuable insight into Nazi Germany, so next time some 21 year old anarchist is comparing George Bush to Hitler, you can say "That is a pretty stupid comparison."
Journey into Hell!.......2006-10-21
I have studied two years of German in college for my BS degree. My dad grew up in Nazi Germany. We were not the best of friends. Yet, this was a very fascinating book to me! I bought it because I figured that Hitler was a foreurunner of the Antichrist of the Bible and maybe this book would give me insight into his character. And it did. Yet I found some strange humor in it as well.Both my dad and one of my German professors had used the expression "he ought to be shot!" before as a reference to the frequent use of firing squads in the Third Reich. There is some of that gallows humor in there. Like a description of the quaiity built crematoriums for the death camps-made with the finsest of materials and German craftsmanship! My dad always was big on German craftsmanship and efficiency. I even found myself joking with my therapist about how cool it would be to become a dictator like Hitler where I could put all my enemies into concentarion camps, have them executed and have it filmed as the master had done!
I seemed to know more from that book about Hitler that my dad did. I discovered Hitler was a failed artist. My dad had tought he was a house painter. As my dad had terminal cancer and we visited once a month with him, we could talk about how he was living in Romania when Hitler invaded Russia and when they were repulsed that he and my aunt Margit had been evacuated out of Romania by Hitler. My dad was pretty tight-lipped about his childhood; yet this book actually gave us something to talk about befeore he died. What did we have in common? Quantum Theory? NOt! Bible Prophecy? NOt! We could discuss old "Uncle Adolph" as he had once called him!
So, I did see a twisted sort of humor to it. Just like on a News Radio Station from the Eastern US I had heard about a man who had a custom license plate in Virginia that said ZYKLON B on it. And how the state of Virginia had the plate revoked when they found out what it was. In Shirer's book, I discovered that ZYKLON B was the chemical that IG Farben had produced which Hitler used to carry out the "Final Solution" of the Jewish problem.
This book is jam packed with all kinds of trivia and interesting details. Just like I said, my dad grew up in Hitler Third Reich and did not know some ot these things!
There is an interesting lesson in this book in the life of Hitler. Hitler went to Vienna to study to be a painter. They rejected his application. So, he blamed this on the Jews and made it his ambition to erradicate them from the face of the earth-The Final Solution. Or in more modern times, I had seen on TV how the woman who had prayer banned from the public schools hadd been discriminated against in church; so she did not want to make her kids have to pray in school! Sometimes, discrimination comes back to haunt people!
Considered The Definitive Book on Nazi Germany, Publ 1959/60, 1245 pp, 5 Stars.......2006-09-07
If you only could read and own one history book on Nazi Germany, this would be it. Don't let the 1245 pages daunt you, this is a very well written and readable book on the subject. Shirer was apparently a journalist and started research on the book when he first went to Germany in 1925. He spent 5-1/2 years writing it. The title pretty much explains it, it covers the rise of Adolf Hitler to the eventual fall of Berlin. There are other history books that cover specific aspects of the Nazi's, such as the recommended 2002 publication of Antony Beevor's The Fall of Berlin 1945, but this is the one history book on it all. Considering how the events covered set up the modern world, this should be essential reading for everyone on the planet.
I see that this is the first review for the hardcopy version of the book, which is the version of the text that I have. Those wanting to read other reviews should go to the paperback version site.
Book Description
Histoire and Collections' all time best selling book was German Soldiers of World War II. Long out of print it has been sought by collectors and enthusiasts commanding high prices in used book market. This long awaited reprint is actually far more than that. The new version includes significant additional material. Every soldier is shown on a full page, front and back with numerous detail shots of head gear, equipment etc. The chronological order of the original edition is retained, while the widest selection of types of IIIrd Reich armed forces members is featured, from the most famous uniforms to the more obscure. REVIEWS The quality of the images in the book is excellent... well thought out, visually very good and contains an impressive amount of material. .."J Rae, Armorama, 03/2006
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic collection of uniforms and equipment.......2007-01-10
This book is fantastic for the military modeller. It provides full colour photos of German military uniforms and equipment from World War II. It also contains detailed pictures of German awards and decorations.
The book also has a hard cover and therefore should last a while.
Overall German Soldiers of World War Two is highly recommended.
Good WWII Uniform Reference.......2006-03-25
For anyone needing a good, general, reference to German uniforms - complete with pictures, this one will definitely work. I can see this being extremely useful for reactors; particularly for those doing later war impressions.
All branches of the German military are covered, broken down, roughly, by year. The early war years, 1939 to 1941, aren't given nearly the attention that the later war period receives. As well, the quality of the accompanying text is uneven in places. Where it's good, however, it's very good. While not an exhaustive treatment of the subject, this book nonetheless proves to be an excellent resource. The photography is nothing less than stunning. My biggest complaint there is that there are only 134 pages. I'd like to have seen many, many more...
Will this answer every obscure uniform question that comes along? No. However, I do not think that was the intent anyway. While the large size makes this a good candidate for the coffee table, if you happen to have need of the information contained herein, it's likely that you'll be too busy reading and looking at the pictures to leave it sitting for that long.
problem solution for modeler.......2006-03-14
if you are a modeler,this book could give you away out for details colour in german soldier uniform. and most of all not only the uniform but also like straps and buckles there are explanation about the color ( not like we thought that it always painted in metal colour).
GERMAN SOLDIERS OF WORLD WAR TWO.......2006-01-15
Nice book. Big pictures with detail of other items such as canteens, pistol belts, suspenders, boots, and pouches. Perfect for the military modeler.
GERMAN SOLDIERS of World War Two.......2005-09-27
Another excellent book from HISTORE & COLLECTIONS this time it's the Germans of World War 2.
It is 135 pages of high quality photographs of re-creators in authentic uniforms from all theatres that the Germans operated in.
The book is divided in to years from 1939 - 1945 so it easy to see what uniforms and equipment were worn in particular areas at particular times.
All insignia (No political correctness here) are shown with appropriate weapons and webbing.
The only thing missing from this book is photographs from the field which would show how appearances can alter after the normal wear & tear of a soldier's life
I have spent much money over the years on cheaper books which showed some of the information I was after but this book supplies most of the information you will need, be it for scale modelling or historical studies.
It is a must for any student of World War 2 uniforms.
Book Description
In the style of the successful Jagdwaffe series, which concentrated on German day fighters, this concludes a two-part history of the Nachtjager, the Luftwaffe's nightfighter force, in World War II. The Luftwaffe used many aircraft in the nightfighter role, primarily to combat RAF Bomber Command's nocturnal heavy bombing raids against German targets from 1940/1 onwards. Both sides engaged in a 'cat and mouse' development of aircraft enhancement, weapons, guidance systems and radar. In this volume, the later versions of the Ju88G, Fw 190 'Wild Sau', Do 217, Me 262, Ta 154 and others are examined in depth. The text is accompanied by a wide range of photographs, many of which are published here for the first time, together with color profiles and biographies of top nightfighter aces. This volume and its predecessor, published in July 2005, will provide the modeler and historian with a detailed examination of the Nachtjager forces deployed by the Luftwaffe during the war and will be required reading for all interested in the subject of the nightly battles over the skies of the Reich during the conflict.
Customer Reviews:
Reaping the Whirlwind - Final Battles of the Luftwaffe's Nightfighters!.......2006-07-27
David Williams wraps up his two-volume history of Luftwaffe nightfighters with this well-done summary of the last two years of the war.
Paradoxically the July 1943 Hamburg firestorm mission wherein the RAF used chaff to blind German radars so traumatized Germany's military leadership that it served as an impetus for the development of new nightfighter tactics and weapons to replace the discredited Himmelbett system. Zahme Sau and Wilde Sau tactics coupled with new radars checkmated the advantage temporarily bestowed on RAF bombers by 'Window.' The battles that followed became a see-saw race as RAF and Luftwaffe engineers and aircrews developed new radars, counter tactics, different weaponry (Schrage Musik) and so on. Though German nightfighters inflicted punishing losses on RAF raiders on many occasions following the Hamburg raid, a number of factors including superior Allied technology and fuel shortages ground down the Nachtjagers.
Williams quite correctly points out that the turning point in this deadly see-saw campaign occurred not over Germany but rather at an English airfield! In July 1944 a disoriented Luftwaffe crew landed at an RAF base, thus presenting the British with a fully operational Ju88G equipped with the three radar systems that had made the nightfighters so deadly.
Given such a wide canvas, Williams does a good job of summarizing those momentous years as well as highlighting well-known nightfighter aces such as Werner Streib, Heinz Schnaufer and Wilhelm Johnen. The comprehensive text includes ten first-person accounts of night kills by German pilots and their RAF victims.
As with Volume One, this book is brimming with photos and artwork - over 190 black & white shots, 11 color pix including one showing a Schrage Musik-equipped Fw 189(!) and 16 color profiles of Me 110, He 219, Ju 88, FW 190, Do 217 and Me 262 night fighters.
All in all, this two-volume set is an well-written, visually appealing introduction to the subject. Luftwaffe fans will definitely want to pick up the set!
The Most Complete Story.......2006-07-11
The Royal Air Force quickly learned in World War II that their planes were not suitable for daylight operation, so turned to night bombing. The Luftwaffe then had no choice but to begin to develop a night fighter system that would offer at least some defenst against the bombers.
By 1943 the war of the technical wizzards was well underway. For the Germans this meant radar systems, including both ground based to get the fighter close to the bomber, and airborne equipmen, usually mounted on twin engine planes such as the Me-110, the Ju-88, the Fw-189, He 219. To these were added a smaller number of single engine fighters, the Me-109, Me262 and Fw-190, some with and wome without radar.
This book has some text to explain the pictures, but it features a spectacular set of photographs of the night fighting planes of the Luftwaffe in the later years of the war. It also has several pictures taken of planes after the war as found in abandoned airfields or as they were removed to allied bases. Finally there is a set of detailed drawings of the planes to show details often missed in the photographs.
Book Description
This is the second of two volumes covering the history of the Zerstorer squadrons between 1939 and 1945. Following the attack on the west, the Me 110 also saw major deployment in the North African and Mediterranean theatres. In the East, in the early phases of Barbarossa, the Zerstorergruppen accounted for significant numbers of Russian aircraft destroyed on the ground and in the air. As the war progressed and Germany moved over to the defensive, Zerstorer units flew the Me 210 and Me 410, which saw service as a bomber destroyer with units such as ZG1, ZG26 and ZG76 in the defense of the Reich, equipped with heavy cannon and 21cm air-to-air mortars. Also included with the scope of these titles will be a study of the Luftwaffe’s long-range Ju 88 maritime Zerstorer, which were used over the Atlantic and Bay of Biscay against Allied convoys and to provide escort for the U-boats as well as lesser-known types such as the Ar 240 and Ta 154.
Customer Reviews:
ROLIHO.......2007-07-15
SEHR INFORMATIV VERY GOOD PICTURES AND SIDE PROFILES.
RECOMMENDED FOR ALL MODELLERS AND LUFTWAFFE FANS.
An incomplete story.......2007-07-03
There were at least three types of Luftwaffe aircraft produced for the
zerstorer ( destroyer)/heavy fighter/light bomber/recon role: the Bf-110, Me 210 and Me 410; there were also a number of D0-17 types converted for the " night intruder" role . But this book covers only the Bf-110's. Now that coverage is copious and thorough, but it still leaves a big hole in the story!
The book needs updating and expansion.
Great quality, as usual.......2007-05-21
Volume Two of the Zerstorer units is of the same high quality as all of the Luftwaffe Colours series I've seen and makes an excellent addition to that collection. Almost all of the photos seemed new, and as always the profiles are simply stunning.
It's a nice feature to see such a detailed profile illustration placed alongside a photo (or two) of the same aircraft, and be afforded the opportunity to see just how meticulously the profiles are rendered. You'll find yourself combing over the aircraft photo for tiny details and then checking them against the profile only to see that, yes, the artist got that detail right too.
One minor disappointment: the book included no photos or profile illustrations of other aircraft pressed into the Zerstorer role; the Me-210 and Me-410 are absent in this volume. The volume focuses exclusively on the Me-110, which should probably be referenced in some way in the book's title.
Me 110s at War, Pt. 2.......2007-04-19
John Vasco concludes his two-volume history of Luftwaffe fighter bombers and 'destroyers' in action with this lavishly-illustrated tribute to Messerschmitt's ungainly warrior.
Though the Me 110's reputation had suffered a bloody nose in the Battle of Britain, its overall versatility - and the lack of a suitable replacement - meant that the Messerschmitt continued to see service in various theaters throughout the war. Vasco summarizes the 110's combats in Russia, the Med and over Germany. Deployed against USAAF bombers, the aircraft - armed with heavy cannons and air-to-air rockets - truly earned its 'destroyer' moniker.
Vasco includes a three-page summary of notable Me 110 Knights' Cross holders along with a detailed summary of Wolfgang Schenck's career, 'Bombo' Schenck playing an influential role in developing fighter-bombers tactics. I would have enjoyed the inclusion of some first-person reminiscences but Vasco's narrative is quite good nevertheless.
The book bristles with photos - over 200 black & white and color shots in all - plus 15 color profiles by Fernando Estanislau.
All in all, a superbly illustrated, comprehensive history of the Me 110 in action. Recommended.
*****
Question: Given the lack of coverage of the Me 210 and 410 in this set, is "Classic Colours" planning a separate volume on those destroyers?
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