Two new titles from the History Press reviewed by Mark Barnes
You would need to have been something of a hermit to avoid the new movie Dunkirk. I’ve seen it twice and enjoyed it much more…
Hidden War Messages That Weren’t Found Until Much, Much Later
Messages from the front lines of war or from soldiers currently fighting were, and still are, sent home on a regular basis. Some of these…
After Pearl Harbor, A Japanese Pilot Crash-Landed On A Hawaiian Island And Tried to Occupy It
In 1941, a lone Japanese pilot tried to capture the Hawaiian island of Ni’ihau. The natives responded by holding a luau for him. Though part…
Hero Of Guadalcanal: John Basilone, The Consummate US Marine In The Pacific
In the Marines, the history of the Corps and those who have gone before them is a common topic for discussion. Field talk, as it…
A “mentally unstable, violent fanatic” – The Horrific War Record of Oskar Dirlewanger
The word Nazi conjures up rather unpleasant associations, to say the least. When even the Nazis shuddered at the exploits of one of their own;…
P.1000 Ratte – Paper Tiger or Nazi Super Tank
As the beginning of the war swept over Europe, with lightening speed, Hitler felt invincible, at least for the first two years of the war.…
The Incredible Role of the International Red Cross and The Red Crescent Movements during WWII
The role of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement during the Second World War remains largely unknown to the wider public, but the…
Nazi German Special Forces: The Brandenburg Regiment
The Brandenburg Regiment, part of Germany’s Nazi special forces, was created by Captain Theodor von Hippel. Hippel was a military man, who had served in…
The History of World War Two is Well-Known – But Some Details Are Often Forgotten
Everyone learns about World War II from their high school history classes. It’s inevitable. Hitler’s tyranny, the Holocaust, the attack on Pearl Harbor; these events…
Legendary British WW2 Field Marshal Montgomery – “Indomitable in retreat, invincible in advance, insufferable in victory”
Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, widely known as Monty, was the foremost British commander of the Second World War. Popular with his troops, he was less…
The Dramatic Buildup to the Surrender of Axis Forces in Tunisia During WWII
It takes serious planning and organization to carry out any major operations in a war zone effectively. For the Allied forces, the many operations and battles…
Vistula-Oder Offensive: The Offensive That Brought The Soviets To 70km From Berlin
In the 2004 film Downfall, depicting the last few days in Adolf Hitler’s bunker under Berlin before the city finally fell to Soviet troops on…