Author: Robert Roche
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 174
Book Description
In 1944, William Mann, an American mercenary, finds himself stranded in Nazi occupied Germany. Although he has tried to maintain a low profile, he is suddenly thrust into the middle of the war after he inadvertently saves a high-ranking member of the Nazi party. Now reluctantly working in Hitler's service, he struggles to free himself and return home. As the war begins its closing act, William is assigned a final task that the Germans believe will reverse the fortunes of a war that is going very much against them. Will demons from William's past prevent him from completing his task and returning home?
A War On Two Fronts
Author: Robert Roche
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 174
Book Description
In 1944, William Mann, an American mercenary, finds himself stranded in Nazi occupied Germany. Although he has tried to maintain a low profile, he is suddenly thrust into the middle of the war after he inadvertently saves a high-ranking member of the Nazi party. Now reluctantly working in Hitler's service, he struggles to free himself and return home. As the war begins its closing act, William is assigned a final task that the Germans believe will reverse the fortunes of a war that is going very much against them. Will demons from William's past prevent him from completing his task and returning home?
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 174
Book Description
In 1944, William Mann, an American mercenary, finds himself stranded in Nazi occupied Germany. Although he has tried to maintain a low profile, he is suddenly thrust into the middle of the war after he inadvertently saves a high-ranking member of the Nazi party. Now reluctantly working in Hitler's service, he struggles to free himself and return home. As the war begins its closing act, William is assigned a final task that the Germans believe will reverse the fortunes of a war that is going very much against them. Will demons from William's past prevent him from completing his task and returning home?
War on Two Fronts
Author: Christopher Hughes
Publisher: Casemate
ISBN: 1612000932
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 451
Book Description
A vivid memoir of the conflict’s early years combined with “an insightful review of our problems in Iraq” (Publishers Weekly). Winner of The Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award. Shortly after the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the war in Iraq became the most confusing in US history, the high command not knowing who to fight, who was attacking coalition troops, and who among the different Iraqi groups were fighting each other. Yet there were a few astute officers like Lt. Col. Christopher Hughes, commanding the 2nd Battalion of the 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne, who sensed the complexity of the task from the beginning. In War on Two Fronts, Lt. Col. Hughes writes movingly of his “no-slack” battalion at war in Iraq. The war got off to a bang for Hughes when his brigade command tent was fragged, leaving him briefly in charge of the brigade. Amid the nighttime confusion of fourteen casualties, a nearby Patriot missile blasted off, panicking nearly everyone while mistakenly bringing down a British Tornado fighter-bomber. As Hughes’ battalion forged into Iraq, they successfully liberated the city of Najaf, securing the safety of Grand Ayatollah Sistani and the Mosque of Ali while showing an acute cultural awareness that caught the world’s attention. It was a feat that landed Hughes within the pages of Time, Newsweek, and other publications. The Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne then implemented creative programs in the initial postwar occupation, including harvesting the national wheat and barley crops while combating nearly invisible insurgents. Conscious that an army battalion is a community of some seven-hundred-plus households, and that when a unit goes off to war, the families are intimately connected in our internet age, Hughes makes clear the strength of those connections and how morale is best supported at both ends. Transferred to Washington after his tour, Hughes also writes an illuminating account of the herculean efforts of many in the Pentagon to work around the corporatist elements of its bureaucracy in order to better understand counterinsurgency and national reconstruction, which Lawrence of Arabia described as “like learning to eat soup with a knife.” This book helps explain the sources of mistakes made—and the process needed to chart a successful strategy. Written with candor and no shortage of humor, mixed with brutal scenes of combat and frank analysis, it is a must-read for all who seek insight into our current situation in the Mideast.
Publisher: Casemate
ISBN: 1612000932
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 451
Book Description
A vivid memoir of the conflict’s early years combined with “an insightful review of our problems in Iraq” (Publishers Weekly). Winner of The Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award. Shortly after the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the war in Iraq became the most confusing in US history, the high command not knowing who to fight, who was attacking coalition troops, and who among the different Iraqi groups were fighting each other. Yet there were a few astute officers like Lt. Col. Christopher Hughes, commanding the 2nd Battalion of the 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne, who sensed the complexity of the task from the beginning. In War on Two Fronts, Lt. Col. Hughes writes movingly of his “no-slack” battalion at war in Iraq. The war got off to a bang for Hughes when his brigade command tent was fragged, leaving him briefly in charge of the brigade. Amid the nighttime confusion of fourteen casualties, a nearby Patriot missile blasted off, panicking nearly everyone while mistakenly bringing down a British Tornado fighter-bomber. As Hughes’ battalion forged into Iraq, they successfully liberated the city of Najaf, securing the safety of Grand Ayatollah Sistani and the Mosque of Ali while showing an acute cultural awareness that caught the world’s attention. It was a feat that landed Hughes within the pages of Time, Newsweek, and other publications. The Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne then implemented creative programs in the initial postwar occupation, including harvesting the national wheat and barley crops while combating nearly invisible insurgents. Conscious that an army battalion is a community of some seven-hundred-plus households, and that when a unit goes off to war, the families are intimately connected in our internet age, Hughes makes clear the strength of those connections and how morale is best supported at both ends. Transferred to Washington after his tour, Hughes also writes an illuminating account of the herculean efforts of many in the Pentagon to work around the corporatist elements of its bureaucracy in order to better understand counterinsurgency and national reconstruction, which Lawrence of Arabia described as “like learning to eat soup with a knife.” This book helps explain the sources of mistakes made—and the process needed to chart a successful strategy. Written with candor and no shortage of humor, mixed with brutal scenes of combat and frank analysis, it is a must-read for all who seek insight into our current situation in the Mideast.
Hitler's War
Author: Harry Turtledove
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 034551565X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 513
Book Description
A stroke of the pen and history is changed. In 1938, British prime minister Neville Chamberlain, determined to avoid war, signed the Munich Accord, ceding part of Czechoslovakia to Hitler. But the following spring, Hitler snatched the rest of that country, and England, after a fatal act of appeasement, was fighting a war for which it was not prepared. Now, in this thrilling alternate history, another scenario is played out: What if Chamberlain had not signed the accord? In this action-packed chronicle of the war that might have been, Harry Turtledove uses dozens of points of view to tell the story: from American marines serving in Japanese-occupied China and ragtag volunteers fighting in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion in Spain to an American woman desperately trying to escape Nazi-occupied territory—and witnessing the war from within the belly of the beast. A tale of powerful leaders and ordinary people, at once brilliantly imaginative and hugely entertaining, Hitler’s War captures the beginning of a very different World War II—with a very different fate for our world today. BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Harry Turtledove's The War that Came Early: West and East.
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 034551565X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 513
Book Description
A stroke of the pen and history is changed. In 1938, British prime minister Neville Chamberlain, determined to avoid war, signed the Munich Accord, ceding part of Czechoslovakia to Hitler. But the following spring, Hitler snatched the rest of that country, and England, after a fatal act of appeasement, was fighting a war for which it was not prepared. Now, in this thrilling alternate history, another scenario is played out: What if Chamberlain had not signed the accord? In this action-packed chronicle of the war that might have been, Harry Turtledove uses dozens of points of view to tell the story: from American marines serving in Japanese-occupied China and ragtag volunteers fighting in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion in Spain to an American woman desperately trying to escape Nazi-occupied territory—and witnessing the war from within the belly of the beast. A tale of powerful leaders and ordinary people, at once brilliantly imaginative and hugely entertaining, Hitler’s War captures the beginning of a very different World War II—with a very different fate for our world today. BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Harry Turtledove's The War that Came Early: West and East.
Two Wars
Author: Nate Self
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 1414362099
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 400
Book Description
Former army ranger Nate Self, a hero from the Robert’s Ridge rescue in Afghanistan, tells his whole story—from the pulse-pounding battle in the mountains of Afghanistan to the high-stakes battle he has waged against post traumatic stress disorder. This book will become a go-to book for understanding the long-term effects of the war on terror. Thousands of families are fighting this battle, and Nate opens up his life—including his successes, tragedies, struggles with thoughts of suicide—to show how his faith and his family pulled him through. Includes 8 pages of color photos. In a nutshell: Excellent book for military familes trying to cope with the family pressures of a soldier's active duty. Inspirational book for a soldier struggling with post traumatic stress disorder . Helps readers understand the importance of faith in dealing with the war. An up-close-and-personal account of the war on terror; and the story of one soldier’s faith. An insider’s account of Robert’s Ridge Rescue in Afghanistan.
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 1414362099
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 400
Book Description
Former army ranger Nate Self, a hero from the Robert’s Ridge rescue in Afghanistan, tells his whole story—from the pulse-pounding battle in the mountains of Afghanistan to the high-stakes battle he has waged against post traumatic stress disorder. This book will become a go-to book for understanding the long-term effects of the war on terror. Thousands of families are fighting this battle, and Nate opens up his life—including his successes, tragedies, struggles with thoughts of suicide—to show how his faith and his family pulled him through. Includes 8 pages of color photos. In a nutshell: Excellent book for military familes trying to cope with the family pressures of a soldier's active duty. Inspirational book for a soldier struggling with post traumatic stress disorder . Helps readers understand the importance of faith in dealing with the war. An up-close-and-personal account of the war on terror; and the story of one soldier’s faith. An insider’s account of Robert’s Ridge Rescue in Afghanistan.
Fighting on Two Fronts
Author: James E. Westheider
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 081479324X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 263
Book Description
In this dramatic history of race relations during the Vietnam War, James E. Westheider illustrates how American soldiers in Vietnam grappled with many of the same racial conflicts that were roiling their homeland thousands of miles away. Over seven years in the making, Fighting on Two Fronts draws on interviews with dozens of Vietnam veterans - black and white - and official Pentagon documents to paint the first complete picture of the African American experience in Vietnam.
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 081479324X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 263
Book Description
In this dramatic history of race relations during the Vietnam War, James E. Westheider illustrates how American soldiers in Vietnam grappled with many of the same racial conflicts that were roiling their homeland thousands of miles away. Over seven years in the making, Fighting on Two Fronts draws on interviews with dozens of Vietnam veterans - black and white - and official Pentagon documents to paint the first complete picture of the African American experience in Vietnam.
Two Fronts (The War That Came Early, Book Five)
Author: Harry Turtledove
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 0345524705
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 417
Book Description
In 1942, two nations switch sides—and World War II takes a horrifying new course. In the real world, England and France allowed Adolf Hitler to gobble up the Sudetenland in 1938. Once Hitler finished dismembering Czechoslovakia, he was ready to go to war over Poland a year later. But Hitler had always been eager to seize Czechoslovakia, no matter the consequences. So what if England and France had stood up to the Nazis from the start, and not eleven months later? That is the question behind the War That Came Early series. Four years later, the civil war in Spain drags on, even after General Franco’s death. The United States, still neutral in Europe, fights the Japanese in the Pacific. Russia and Germany go toe-to-toe in Eastern Europe—yet while Hitler stares east, not everything behind him is going as well as he would like. But nothing feeds ingenuity like the fear of losing. The Germans wheel out new tanks and planes, Japan deploys weapons of a very different sort against China, and the United States, England, and France do what they can to strengthen themselves against imminent danger. Seen through the eyes of ordinary citizens caught in the maelstrom, this is a you-are-there chronicle of battle on land and sea and in the air. Here are terrifying bombing raids that shatter homes, businesses, and the rule of law. Here are commanders issuing orders that, once given, cannot be taken back. And here are the seeds of rebellion sown in blood-soaked soil. In a war in which sides are switched and allies trust one another only slightly more than they trust their mortal enemies, Nazi Germany has yet to send its Jews to death camps, and dangerous new nationalist powers arise in Eastern Europe. From thrilling submarine battles to the horror of men fighting men and machines all through Europe, Two Fronts captures every aspect of a brilliantly reimagined conflict: the strategic, the political, and the personal force of leaders bending nations to their wills. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Harry Turtledove's The War That Came Early: Last Orders. Praise for Two Fronts “[Harry] Turtledove has another major twist in store for the readers and his alternative world.”—SF Site “Turtledove’s new variation on the theme of WWII is departing more and more from the original, sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes in less subtle ones. . . . What’s next is anybody’s guess, except that it will almost certainly be more surprises.”—Booklist “Turtledove is the standard-bearer for alternate history.”—USA Today Praise for Harry Turtledove “If you like alternate histories, you’re going to like this series a lot.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune “Turtledove is the standard-bearer for alternate history.”—USA Today
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 0345524705
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 417
Book Description
In 1942, two nations switch sides—and World War II takes a horrifying new course. In the real world, England and France allowed Adolf Hitler to gobble up the Sudetenland in 1938. Once Hitler finished dismembering Czechoslovakia, he was ready to go to war over Poland a year later. But Hitler had always been eager to seize Czechoslovakia, no matter the consequences. So what if England and France had stood up to the Nazis from the start, and not eleven months later? That is the question behind the War That Came Early series. Four years later, the civil war in Spain drags on, even after General Franco’s death. The United States, still neutral in Europe, fights the Japanese in the Pacific. Russia and Germany go toe-to-toe in Eastern Europe—yet while Hitler stares east, not everything behind him is going as well as he would like. But nothing feeds ingenuity like the fear of losing. The Germans wheel out new tanks and planes, Japan deploys weapons of a very different sort against China, and the United States, England, and France do what they can to strengthen themselves against imminent danger. Seen through the eyes of ordinary citizens caught in the maelstrom, this is a you-are-there chronicle of battle on land and sea and in the air. Here are terrifying bombing raids that shatter homes, businesses, and the rule of law. Here are commanders issuing orders that, once given, cannot be taken back. And here are the seeds of rebellion sown in blood-soaked soil. In a war in which sides are switched and allies trust one another only slightly more than they trust their mortal enemies, Nazi Germany has yet to send its Jews to death camps, and dangerous new nationalist powers arise in Eastern Europe. From thrilling submarine battles to the horror of men fighting men and machines all through Europe, Two Fronts captures every aspect of a brilliantly reimagined conflict: the strategic, the political, and the personal force of leaders bending nations to their wills. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Harry Turtledove's The War That Came Early: Last Orders. Praise for Two Fronts “[Harry] Turtledove has another major twist in store for the readers and his alternative world.”—SF Site “Turtledove’s new variation on the theme of WWII is departing more and more from the original, sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes in less subtle ones. . . . What’s next is anybody’s guess, except that it will almost certainly be more surprises.”—Booklist “Turtledove is the standard-bearer for alternate history.”—USA Today Praise for Harry Turtledove “If you like alternate histories, you’re going to like this series a lot.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune “Turtledove is the standard-bearer for alternate history.”—USA Today
Unknown Conflicts of the Second World War
Author: Chris Murray
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429876963
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 248
Book Description
Unknown Conflicts of the Second World War: Forgotten Fronts is a collection of chapters dealing with various overlooked aspects of the Second World War. The aim is to give greater depth and context to the war by introducing new stories about regions of the world and elements of the war rarely considered. These chapters represent new discussions on previously undeveloped narratives that help to expand our understanding of the interconnectedness of the war. It also provides an expanded view of the war as a mosaic of overlapping conflicts rather than a two-sided affair between massive alliance structures. The Second World War saw revolutions, civil wars, social upheaval, subversion, and major geopolitical policy shifts that do not fit neatly into the Allied vs. Axis 1939–1945 paradigm. This aim is to connect the unseen dots from around the globe that influenced the big turning points we think we know well but have really only a superficial understanding of and in so doing shed new light on the scope and influence of the war.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429876963
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 248
Book Description
Unknown Conflicts of the Second World War: Forgotten Fronts is a collection of chapters dealing with various overlooked aspects of the Second World War. The aim is to give greater depth and context to the war by introducing new stories about regions of the world and elements of the war rarely considered. These chapters represent new discussions on previously undeveloped narratives that help to expand our understanding of the interconnectedness of the war. It also provides an expanded view of the war as a mosaic of overlapping conflicts rather than a two-sided affair between massive alliance structures. The Second World War saw revolutions, civil wars, social upheaval, subversion, and major geopolitical policy shifts that do not fit neatly into the Allied vs. Axis 1939–1945 paradigm. This aim is to connect the unseen dots from around the globe that influenced the big turning points we think we know well but have really only a superficial understanding of and in so doing shed new light on the scope and influence of the war.
Other Fronts, Other Wars?
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004279512
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 537
Book Description
Other Fronts, Other Wars? goes beyond the Western Front geographically and delves behind the trenches focusing on the social and cultural history of the First World War: it covers front experiences in the Ottoman and Russian Armies, captivity in Japan and Turkey, occupation at the Eastern war theatre, medical history (epidemics in Serbia, medical treatment in Germany) and war relief (disabled soldiers in Austria). It studies the home front from the aspect of gender (loosing manliness), transnational comparisons (provincial border towns) and culture (home front entertainments in European metropoles) and gives insight on how attitudes were shaped through intellectual wars of scientists and through commemoration in Serbia. Thus the volume offers a wide range of new approaches to the history of the First World War. Contributors are Kate Arrioti, Altai Atlı, Gunda Barth-Scalmani, Joachim Bürgschwentner, Wolfram Dornik, Indira Durakovic, Matthias Egger, Maciej Górny, Andrea Griffante, Ke-chin Hsia, Rudolf Kučera, Eva Krivanec, Stephan Lehnstaedt, Bernhard Liemann, Tilman Lüdke, Andrea McKenzie, Mahon Murphy, Nicolas Patin, Livia Prüll, Philipp Rauh, Paul Simmons, Christian Steppan and Katarina Todić.
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004279512
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 537
Book Description
Other Fronts, Other Wars? goes beyond the Western Front geographically and delves behind the trenches focusing on the social and cultural history of the First World War: it covers front experiences in the Ottoman and Russian Armies, captivity in Japan and Turkey, occupation at the Eastern war theatre, medical history (epidemics in Serbia, medical treatment in Germany) and war relief (disabled soldiers in Austria). It studies the home front from the aspect of gender (loosing manliness), transnational comparisons (provincial border towns) and culture (home front entertainments in European metropoles) and gives insight on how attitudes were shaped through intellectual wars of scientists and through commemoration in Serbia. Thus the volume offers a wide range of new approaches to the history of the First World War. Contributors are Kate Arrioti, Altai Atlı, Gunda Barth-Scalmani, Joachim Bürgschwentner, Wolfram Dornik, Indira Durakovic, Matthias Egger, Maciej Górny, Andrea Griffante, Ke-chin Hsia, Rudolf Kučera, Eva Krivanec, Stephan Lehnstaedt, Bernhard Liemann, Tilman Lüdke, Andrea McKenzie, Mahon Murphy, Nicolas Patin, Livia Prüll, Philipp Rauh, Paul Simmons, Christian Steppan and Katarina Todić.
The Second World War
Author: Martin Gilbert
Publisher: Rosetta Books
ISBN: 0795337299
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1071
Book Description
“Mr. Gilbert brings the strongest possible credentials to his history of World War II, and the result is a magisterial work” (The New York Times). In the hands of master historian Martin Gilbert, the complex and compelling story of the Second World War comes to life. This narrative captures the perspectives of leading politicians and war commanders, journalists, civilians, and ordinary soldiers, offering gripping eyewitness accounts of heroism, defeat, suffering, and triumph. This is one of the first historical studies of World War II that describes the Holocaust as an integral part of the war. It also covers maneuvers, strategies, and leaders operating in European, Asian, and Pacific theatres. In addition, this book brings in survivor testimonies of occupation, survival behind enemy lines, and the experience of minority groups such as the Roma in Europe, to offer a comprehensive account of the war’s impact on individuals on both sides. This is a sweeping narrative of one of the most deadly wars in history, which took almost forty million lives, and irrevocably changed countless more. “Gilbert’s flowing narrative is spiced with anecdotal details culled from diaries, memoirs, and official documents. He is especially skillful at interweaving summaries of military strategy with vignettes of civilian suffering.” —Newsweek “[A] masterful account of history’s most destructive conflict.” —Publishers Weekly
Publisher: Rosetta Books
ISBN: 0795337299
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1071
Book Description
“Mr. Gilbert brings the strongest possible credentials to his history of World War II, and the result is a magisterial work” (The New York Times). In the hands of master historian Martin Gilbert, the complex and compelling story of the Second World War comes to life. This narrative captures the perspectives of leading politicians and war commanders, journalists, civilians, and ordinary soldiers, offering gripping eyewitness accounts of heroism, defeat, suffering, and triumph. This is one of the first historical studies of World War II that describes the Holocaust as an integral part of the war. It also covers maneuvers, strategies, and leaders operating in European, Asian, and Pacific theatres. In addition, this book brings in survivor testimonies of occupation, survival behind enemy lines, and the experience of minority groups such as the Roma in Europe, to offer a comprehensive account of the war’s impact on individuals on both sides. This is a sweeping narrative of one of the most deadly wars in history, which took almost forty million lives, and irrevocably changed countless more. “Gilbert’s flowing narrative is spiced with anecdotal details culled from diaries, memoirs, and official documents. He is especially skillful at interweaving summaries of military strategy with vignettes of civilian suffering.” —Newsweek “[A] masterful account of history’s most destructive conflict.” —Publishers Weekly
Two Soldiers, Two Lost Fronts
Author: Don A Gregory
Publisher: Casemate
ISBN: 1935149741
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
Two war diaries that reveal “just what it was like, day by day, living in a Wehrmacht unit” (Internet Modeler). This book is built around two recently discovered war diaries—one by a member of the 23rd Panzer Division, which served under Manstein in Russia, and the other by a member of Rommel’s Afrika Korps. Together, along with detailed timelines and brief overviews, they comprise a fascinating up-close look at the German side of World War II. The stories are told primarily in the first person present tense, as events occurred, and without the benefit—or liability—of postwar reflection. The first diary, author unknown, covers April 1942 to March 1943, the momentous year when the tide of battle turned in the East. It first details the unit’s combat in the great German victory at Kharkov, then the advance to the Caucasus, and finally the lethal winter of 1942–43. The second diary’s author was a soldier named Rolf Krengel, and the diary was the original, handwritten copy. It starts with the beginning of the war and ends shortly after the occupation. Serving primarily in North Africa, Krengel recounts with keen insight and flashes of humor the day-to-day challenges of the Afrika Korps. During one of the swirling battles in the desert, Krengel found himself sharing a tent with Rommel at a forward outpost. Neither of the diarists was famous, nor of especially high rank. These are simply the brutally honest accounts written at the time by men of the Wehrmacht who participated in two of history’s most crucial campaigns.
Publisher: Casemate
ISBN: 1935149741
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
Two war diaries that reveal “just what it was like, day by day, living in a Wehrmacht unit” (Internet Modeler). This book is built around two recently discovered war diaries—one by a member of the 23rd Panzer Division, which served under Manstein in Russia, and the other by a member of Rommel’s Afrika Korps. Together, along with detailed timelines and brief overviews, they comprise a fascinating up-close look at the German side of World War II. The stories are told primarily in the first person present tense, as events occurred, and without the benefit—or liability—of postwar reflection. The first diary, author unknown, covers April 1942 to March 1943, the momentous year when the tide of battle turned in the East. It first details the unit’s combat in the great German victory at Kharkov, then the advance to the Caucasus, and finally the lethal winter of 1942–43. The second diary’s author was a soldier named Rolf Krengel, and the diary was the original, handwritten copy. It starts with the beginning of the war and ends shortly after the occupation. Serving primarily in North Africa, Krengel recounts with keen insight and flashes of humor the day-to-day challenges of the Afrika Korps. During one of the swirling battles in the desert, Krengel found himself sharing a tent with Rommel at a forward outpost. Neither of the diarists was famous, nor of especially high rank. These are simply the brutally honest accounts written at the time by men of the Wehrmacht who participated in two of history’s most crucial campaigns.