This new series provides an overview of each Waffen-SS unit that fought during World War II, where it was raised and where it fought. Within each of the various battles covered, the book focuses specifically on each Waffen-SS soldier that was awarded the various grades of the Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross. This first volume covers the period 1939-1942 and was written with the help of surviving Knight's Cross holders or the Waffen-SS soldiers that fought alongside them. Unlike previous Knight's Cross books that are reference based works, this book is aimed at providing a detailed account of the part played by each Waffen-SS Knight's Cross holder in each battle. This project was written to answer the questions: How many Knight's Cross holders received their award for the same battle or action? Where they one mile or a thousand miles apart? Did the actions take place on the same day? This book provides the answers.

Illustrated with detailed artworks of vehicles and their markings, The Essential Vehicle Identification Guide: Waffen-SS Divisions, 1939-45 is the definitive study of the equipment and organization of Germany's elite Waffen-SS divisions during World War II. Organized chronologically by division and formation date, the book describes in depth the various models of tank and other armored and soft vehicles in service with the 'fighting' SS, with listings of unit commanders, vehicle types and numbers, and unit structure. Each divisional section is further broken down by campaign, accompanied by orders of battle, a brief divisional history of the campaign, and any specific unit markings. Every SS division that saw combat is featured, from well-known units such as the elite Das Reich and Wiking divisions, to lesser-known divisions, such as the 11th Waffen-SS Panzer Division Nordland and the Albanian-recruited 21st Waffen-SS Gebirgs-Division Skanderbeg. With information boxes accompanying the full-color artworks, all drawn to the same scale for easy comparison, The Essential Vehicle Identification Guide: Waffen-SS Divisions, 1939-45 is a key reference guide for modelers and military history enthusiasts with an interest in the Waffen-SS divisions of World War II.

In 1944?45 the Waffen-SS formed many nominal 'divisions' from a motley range of sources, whose battlefield value was as varied as their backgrounds. The best were built around existing Western European volunteer regiments; some, raised from Central Europeans and Russians, were strong in numbers but weak in morale; some were of negligible size, scraped together from remnants and trainees; and some were sinister 'anti-partisan' gangs, assembled from the military dregs of the Eastern Front. Illustrated with rare photographs from private collections and meticulous colour artwork, this final title in our sequence details their organisation, uniforms and insignia, and summarises their battle records.

Michael Wittmann was by far the most famous tank ace on any side in World War II, destroying 138 enemy tanks and 132 anti-tank guns with his Tiger. This classic of armoured warfare is both combat biography and unit history, as Patrick Agte focuses on the life and career of Wittmann but also includes his fellow Tiger commanders in the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. Volume Two follows Michael Wittmann and his unit into Normandy to defend against the Allied invasion. A week after D-Day, Wittmann achieved his greatest success. On June 13, 1944, near Villers Bocage, the panzer ace and his crew attacked a British armoured unit, single-handedly destroying more than a dozen tanks and preventing an enemy breakthrough. The exploit made Wittmann a national hero in Germany and a legend in the annals of war. He was killed two months later while attempting to repulse an Allied assault.

Originally written while the author was a prisoner of the US Army in 1945?46, Black Edelweiss is a boon to serious historians and WWII buffs alike. In a day in which most memoirs are written at half a century?s distance, the former will be gratified by the author?s precise recall facilitated by the chronologically short-range (a matter of one to seven years) at which the events were captured in writing. Both will appreciate and enjoy the abundantly detailed, exceptionally accurate combat episodes. Even more than the strictly military narrative, however, the author has crafted a searingly candid view into his own mind and soul. As such, Black Edelweiss is much more than a "ripping yarn" or a low-level military history. Black Edelweiss joins not only the growing body of German military memoirs, but the more select, more narrowly-focused group of personal memoirs by other Waffen-SS enlisted men. Beyond the microcosmic view of combat these books relate?to the extent that they are honest and candid?such books are important for what they can reveal about their authors? motivations and reflections on those impulses and their consequences. To date, these works differ significantly. As it joins the ranks of the books in this genre, Black Edelweiss makes a unique and very important contribution. It is a true, personal account of the author?s war years, first at school and then with the Waffen-SS, which he joined early in 1943 at the age of seventeen. For a year and a half, the author fought as a machine gunner in SS-Mountain Infantry Regiment 11 "Reinhard Heydrich," mainly in the arctic and sub-arctic reaches of Soviet Karelia and Finland, and later at the Western frontier of the Third Reich. The characters in the story are real, and the conversations and actions are recounted to the best of his ability from the short distance at which he wrote the manuscript in 1945?46. Apart from the piercing insights into the question of why the German soldier fought as he did, what makes this book truly unique is the author?s anguished, yet resolute examination of the dialectic between the honorable and valorous comportment of his comrades and the fundamentally reprehensible conduct of about 35,000 men behind the front lines who nevertheless wore the same uniform. During his captivity, the author was assigned for a time as a clerk to a US Army Judge Advocate General?s Corps officer, and in the performance of his administrative duties, the author had access to the mounting reams of documentation of the Holocaust. His growing recognition of the involvement of Waffen-SS personnel in the monstrous crimes of that process caused him to dig deeply into his soul, to examine his most intimate and private motivations and thoughts, and to reevaluate the most basic assumptions of his life to that point. The author captured this process and the result in the notes which became this book. Honestly, forthrightly, and courageously told, Black Edelweiss is a precious gift to historians and other students of World War II. It not only provides a glimpse into the attributes that made the German armed forces a formidable and tenacious foe, but squarely confronts the most painful issue facing German World War II veterans in general, and Waffen-SS veterans in particular. Supported by 22 photos, 8 maps, and notes.

The units of the Waffen-SS were some of the most successful and influential combat formations produced by any country in this century. Their abilities and accomplishments, in both defense and offense, remain legendary. Finally, the commanders of these elite units are examined here in detail. In this book, the second of a two volume set, sixty-one biographies reveal the lives of the most senior Waffen-SS commanders. Details are provided for education, as well as pre-Third Reich era service in military and civil posts, and includes promotions, assignments and decorations. The 1933-1945 era, the most detailed, reveals all their commands and related data similar to their earlier service. Officially documented recollections of the combat actions that resulted in bestowal of their highest awards (Knight's Cross and German Cross in Gold) are finally discussed. Heavily documented, their individual stories continue until their eventual fates are revealed. Beginning with the only two brothers to command a Waffen-SS corps, the study ends with a pair of officers whose units fought in the final defense of Berlin during 1945. The text detail emulates the initial volume, exhaustively examining the lives of all individuals with full biographical information to include higher award recommendations for the Knight's Cross and German Cross. With a foreword by Knight's Cross with Oakleaves and Swords holder Otto Baum, significant material was provided by numerous Waffen-SS veterans. Profusely illustrated with more than 470 previously unpublished or rare photos and war-time documents, eight Order of Battle charts are also included. A full Feldpost listing Order of Battle for the armed formations at the end of 1940 is also included. Also included is an addendum to Volume 1 that adds both text and photographic material uncovered during the concluding research. Supplementary tactical symbols are also illustrated and explained, expanding the coverage of those detailed in the initial work.

Finally a book that unveils the shroud of mystery surrounding Waffen-SS camouflage clothing. Illustrated here, both in full color and in contemporary black and white photographs, this unparalleled look at Waffen-SS combat troops and their camouflage clothing will benefit both the historian and collector.

Despite being disdained by the German Army?s professional officer corps, the military branch of the Nazi SS security organisation grew from an initial strength of only a handful of battalions at the outbreak of war in 1939 to hundreds of thousands of troops in dozens of divisions. The battlefield reputation of the premier armoured and mechanised divisions would become second to none; lavishly equipped and regarded as utterly reliable, they were thrown into many desperate battles on both Western and Eastern fronts, often achieving remarkable results. Illustrated with rare photographs, this first of four Men-at-Arms titles details the organisation, uniforms and insignia of the Waffen-SS.

The ultimate visual guide for collectors of World War II German tropical uniforms! Using actual items from top Afrikakorps collections tunics, headgear, insignia, documents, field gear as well as many World War II era photographs, this book covers it all in beautiful color. From mint issue items, to rare sun-bleached tunics and caps, the wide variety of tropical uniforms used by the Army, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine and Waffen-SS are illustrated in superb large format photography, including up-close detail.

Their elegant drills are as precise as a Swiss clock. Their rhythmic cadences evoke 200 years of order and unity. Their music stirs a nation's pride. They are the honor guard units of America's military, soldiers whose skills dazzle the world. Get a rare look inside these elite teams, from the rigorously selective acceptance process through the notoriously intense training. Watch in awe as the Marine's famed Silent Drill Platoon spins and tosses bayoneted M1 rifles for 10 minutes without a word. Work escort duty with the legendary Old Guard the oldest active unit in the Army -and march with the prestigious 144-piece Marine Band, known as "The President's Own." Thrill to this flag-waving celebration of the military's best America's foremost symbols of excellence, discipline and teamwork.

A mighty compendium of America?s five major military branches--Marines, Navy, Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard--THE BATTLE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY trumpets the myriad strengths of one of the world?s greatest military powers. Plunge headlong into the great battles fought on land, sea, and air. Marvel at the arc of musket to missile. Meet the key figures and lesser-known heroes who have shaped the organization, the strategy, and the future of the United States armed forces. Encompassing over two centuries of courage and conquest, THE BATTLE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY marches through America?s military development from its earliest Coast Guard days to the technological wonders of the Gulf War. With official government documents, extensive combat footage, and commentary by historians and decorated veterans, THE BATTLE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY is a full-scale, full-dress salute to the men and women who give and have given to America?s fight for freedom. DVD Features: Downloadable Historical Documents; Branch Heraldries; Bonus Film: "Pageantry of the Corps"; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Just the Facts: 50 Great Years in American Military History chronicles the distinguished history and development of the U.S. Armed Forces focusing on 50 landmark years. Starting in 1775 with the continuous conflict between the Colonists and the British (the pre-cursory period leading to the Revolutionary War and ultimately the signing of one of the most important document of American History!) and making notable stops to examine events like The Civil War, World War I, World War II, and finally Desert Storm, 50 Great Years in American Military History presents the places, faces and events that have helped resolve issues, make peace and ultimately help shape our great country. The 'Just the Facts' Learning Series brings facts and information straight to your TV in an appealing way that makes learning compelling and fun to watch!

The riveting tale that took America by storm is now an unstoppable force: TAPS: 25th Anniversary Edition packs an arsenal of extras including an all-new, on-camera interview with Timothy Hutton, an Audio Commentary, two Featurettes and more! "Unequivocally thought-provoking" (Variety) and "spiked with beautiful performances (Los Angeles Times) from a cast including Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, and George C. Scott, this definitive edition of the jarring film delivers an emotional wallop! When a fiercely devoted group of Military School cadets learn that their school is being sold to real estate developers, they refuse to accept defeat...instead choosing to rise up together to protect the Academy and their honor. But the brave young soldiers soon learn that the most courageous decisions can sometimes have unexpected ? and even fatal ? consequences!

The War Classics 50-MoviePack features an incredible mix of stirring war movies and fascinating documentaries that detail the greatest battles and campaigns of World War II.

THE FUNNIEST WWII TRAINING FILM THE U.S. ARMY NEVER MADE! In a hilarious spoof of WWII training films, Lt. Monica Tasty (Elizabeth Bennett) and Maj. Nick Reed (Patrick Muldoon) defend all things American--the escalator, TV dinners, popcorn, and the Panama Canal--by demonstrating the important role military intelligence plays in "distinguishing dangerous enemies from merely annoying foreigners." Special Feature(s) include: U.S. Army Air Force's First Motion Picture Unit Documentary

Top Ten Tanks Experts created a five-point matrix with which to rank the best performing tanks ever to tear up a battlefield based on armor, firepower and mobility. Top Ten Bombers TOP TEN'S panel of strategic bombing experts examine British, German, Soviet and American designs and rank them according to technical Innovation, payload and above all, combat performance. Top Ten Infantry Fighting Vehicles Is the fully armed modern "infantry fighting vehicle" better for the job than older armored personnel carriers? Experts compare innovation, protection, mobility and overall performance of American, British, Soviet, Canadian and Israeli designs. Top Ten Fighting Ships From the sea-going behemoth the Bismarck to the brand-new stealth corvette HMS Visby, each of these warships that have helped shape military history is scrutinized and ranked. Top Ten Submarines Whether patiently stalking their nautical prey in two World Wars or carrying devastating nuclear missiles as a deterrent during the Cold War, find out which of these hunters of the deep are the most sophisticated and powerful of them all. Top Ten Helicopters Despite only 60 years of service, helicopters have revolutionized modern warfare with their exceptional versatility and maneuverability. Find out which one - the legendary Huey, the powerful Cobra, mighty Apache or the ubiquitous Black Hawk - took the top honor. Top Ten Combat Rifles The infantryman's closest companion since the American Civil War, the combat rifle is still the primary armament of the 21st century army. From the bloody trenches of the first World War to today's fast-moving urban warfare, TOP TEN looks at some of the most battle-hardened and reliable weapons ever made.

Tattoo. A word born out of the wars in the Low Countries at the beginning of the eighteenth century - a guard patrolling the streets beating the signal to empty the taverns. Time for the soldiers to return to quarter, to 'Doe den tap toe' literally 'Turn of the taps'. Tap toe became Tattoo, a ceremony at sunset. A hymn is added - then enternainment, until it becomes what we know today: part parade, part theatre, and sometimes part circus. From those humble origins the Tattoo has grown in size and ambition, from the taverns of Holland to the grand spectacle of Edinburgh, the swirling Pipes and Drums and the Castle against the skyline. From Holland to Earls Court, the Royal Tournament - the grandeur and daring of the King's Troop, the blood and guts of the Field Gun Race and the magnificent music of the Massed Bands. Whether the setting is large or small, Edinburgh or the Village Green, Tattoos are all about getting the pulses racing and stirring the blood. With the help of this country's leading organizers and experts, "Tattoos and Tournaments" shows how it's done.

Hundreds of military wives have written to me about their fitness needs and barriers. They said they just can't work out if it takes longer than half an hour. Other DVDs can sculpt only one body part in that time, but you challenged me to do it all. The MWW is made for women whose husbands are often away and who don't have a lot of spare time. This workout can give you a makeover before he comes home, lift your spirits while he's gone, and ease everyday stress. The DVD is shot outdoors in multiple beautiful locations for visual stimulation. You have the ability to set your own music, and the only equipment you need is one set of free weights.The MWW combines cardio intervals, quick transitions, and combination muscle sculpting moves that target the upper and lower body muscle group while engaging the core at the same time. It's fitness multi-tasking and it will change your life!This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Its very name conjures up horrific images of torture, persecution, and corruption of power. We'll unravel the twisted history of "The Inquisition", a special court established by Pope Gregory IX in 1231 to root out heresy. We'll also see why, for the first time ever, the Vatican is conducting its own inquisition into The Inquisition.