This book is the first in a new series devoted to German armored formations of World War II.Packed with full color images and a large amount of previously unpublished material, it is custom designed to appeal to modelers, AFV enthusiasts, and readers interested in Second World War technical history.The book traces the battle of Kursk and the involvement of the German Panzer Units, through first hand records. Many hitherto unpublished photos, plus recently discovered memoirs from veterans combined with color profiles of AFVs, contribute to make this book a real reference bible for the enthusiast. Didier Lodieu is a dedicated specialist on the German Army of World War II. In more than thirty years of research. he has learned how to find the most interesting photos and historical sources.

‘In a fascinating way, Chuck Alling recalls his days as a pilot flying B-17’s over Germany. He is truly a member of ‘The Greatest Generation’ and from his book, written from the heart, people can learn a lot about the laughs and the tears of World War II.’ – Former President George H. W. Bush• A unique insight into the lives of a lead-bomber crew in WWII• An extraordinary tale of everyday braveryA Mighty Fortress is the personal account of the captain and crew of a lead bomber in the enormous formation raids made by the 8th Airforce during the last few months of the Second World War.It is an extraordinary tale of heroism and bravery on the part of the entire crew of just one B17 amongst hundreds – but the one B17 that meant most to them.Flying a total of 27 missions before the war came to an end in May 1945, Alling tells, with great restraint, the story of what it was like to be there, over the skies of enemy territory, constantly on the look out for German fighters; of the enormity of some of the raids they were part of and the consequences for those on the ground; of the planes around them that fell out of the sky under enemy attack, the horror and the determination to succeed. The book gives a unique insight into the lives of one crew of one plane as the War neared its end.About the AuthorCharles B. Alling received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters during the Second World War. He graduated from Yale University in 1947. In 1988, he retired and studied Ethics at Oxford University Graduate School in England. He lives in Kennebunk, Maine.

Too little has been written to date on Germany's "Schnellboote" in the Second World War. Known by the Allies as E-Boats (Enemy Boats) the S Boote played havoc on Allied naval operations in the English channel and elsewhere. Many of their captains were amongst the most decorated of any branch of the Kriegsmarine. Jean-Philippe Dallies-Labourdette is a noted expert on the Kriegsmarine in World War Two and was the author of the best selling (and now sadly out of print) U-Boote, published in 1996 by Histoire & Collections.This highly detailed book examines all aspects of the S-Boote, from design to deployment and notes all the major engagements for which they are famous. As with all Histoire & Collections books, you are guaranteed a visual feast of excellent descriptive graphics and previously unseen photographs.

The Soviet aircraft industry of the 1940-1950 period has been incredibly productive, while Russian manufacturers, stimulated by the huge needs stressed by World War Two, competed with each other in design and creativeness. This book offers an exhaustive coverage, by chronological order which is one of its original features every single Soviet fighter of the period, from obscure projects which did no go off the drawing table, to the best known mass-produced models.

This collection of reminiscences and poems of American veterans residing in France brings alive the realities of World War II, particularly in France but also in North Africa, the South Pacific, England, Belgium, Holland, Italy and Germany.Many compelling images emerge from these seventeen stories: a secret agent launching kayaks in cold Algerian waters, a six-foot-two sergeant wading ashore at Utah Beach, an American medic treating a German soldier in a Norman church, a young Frenchman hiding an American airman in a shepherd's hut, a commander crawling over to a burning tank to save on of his "boys", a WAC dancing in the streets of Paris on V-E Day.

Each mini-guide allows the reader to get to know more about a region's history, linking historical events with places of interest and sites of note, as well as providing an unprecedented visual feast of contemporary photographs, uniforms, badges and equipment - all in full color. Practical information is included in each mini-guide and itineraries are suggested for those wishing to visit battlefields, monuments, memorials and museums. By the dawn of 7 June some 152,000 Anglo-American troops had set foot on the Normandy coast, testimony that the D-Day landings had been a success. But the battle was far from over; beachheads had to be reinforced and troops prepared to face the inevitable German counterattack. The weather, too, added to the uncertainty as it had the power to interrupt supplies and reinforcements. The American objective was to seal off the Cotentin peninsula, thereby forcing the surrender of the massive port of Cherbourg. For the British, Caen, capital of Lower Normandy and gateway to Paris, became the target. They prepared to launch a quick and formidable blow to seize the place but were frustrated a handful of miles from the town by German panzers. Would the Allies be able to break out and end the campaign with a decisive blow?

Since World War II, the American public has become fully aware of the exploits of the 101st Airborne Division, but within the ranks of the 101st there existed a notorious sub-unit whose formidable reputation has persisted among veterans over the decades. Primarily products of the Dustbowl and the Depression, and never ones to salute an officer, or take a bath, the Filthy 13 attained legendary status within the Screaming Eagles for its hard drinking, and savage fighting skill – and that was only in training.

French Language

A pictorial study. Wartime b/w photographs with captions. The Pluto pipeline, Red Ball Express, and the restoration of the French railways. Illustrated.

A spectacular, large format, full colour book, packed with over 200 photographs, maps and charts. The book is divided into the sectors associated with the Normandy landings in 1944.

This work offers a history of the Special Operations which preceded and followed the Nazi invasion of France in 1940, and the work done by the Special Forces sent into France under cover by the Allies during the Occupation. The book details the intelligence missions, the work of the Resistance, including a record of the Combats de l'Ombre which harassed the enemy forces during the Occupation. The famous Allied secret services of World War II, the British SOE, the American OSS and the French BCRA. Based on interviews with actual participants who lent their first had memories and original documents, the book features the men and women, the operations and the strategy of the Special Operations.