The Last Great Victory

From the inner councils of the Japanese to the fateful decisions to atom-bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Stanley Weintraub brings to life this watershed month in which empires fell, old orders passed away, and a new age began. "The best account yet of the war's final month".--Newsweek. photos. 3 maps.

As depicted in the great film Lawrence of Arabia, General Allenby planned a swift campaign that would knock Turkey out of World War I. His Desert Mounted Corps succeeded in sweeping through the Turkish lines in an action which was to take them all the way to Damascus, supported on their right flank by Lawrence and his Arab irregulars. The lasting legacy of the battle of Megiddo was that it revealed the potential of a modern war of movement, producing a profound change in military thought and tactics. As depicted in the great film Lawrence of Arabia, General Allenby planned a swift campaign that would knock Turkey out of World War I. His Desert Mounted Corps succeeded in sweeping through the Turkish lines in an action which was to take them all the way to Damascus, supported on their right flank by Lawrence and his Arab irregulars. The lasting legacy of the battle of Megiddo was that it revealed the potential of a modern war of movement, producing a profound change in military thought and tactics. As depicted in the great film Lawrence of Arabia, General Allenby planned a swift campaign that would knock Turkey out of World War I. His Desert Mounted Corps succeeded in sweeping through the Turkish lines in an action which was to take them all the way to Damascus, supported on their right flank by Lawrence and his Arab irregulars. Allenby's Egyptian Expeditionary Force had achieved the breakthrough in Palestine that commanders on the Western Front had only dreamed of. Turkey's war was over, and the days of the tottering Ottoman Empire were numbered. The lasting legacy of the battle of Megiddo was that it revealed the potential of a modern war of movement, producing a profound change in military thought and tactics. Here, Bryan Perrett examines this campaign, possibly the most successful of World War I, in detail. The important roles of the RAF, irregular Arab forces, armored cars and cavalry are all explained, and the impressive effects of their co-operation analyzed. Bryan Perrett's readable style, his close attention to detail and his obvious familiarity with the period make this a truly fascinating book.

The triumphant story of baseball and America after World War II. In 1945 Major League Baseball had become a ghost of itself. Parks were half empty, the balls were made with fake rubber, and mediocre replacements roamed the fields, as hundreds of players, including the game's biggest stars, were serving abroad, devoted to unconditional Allied victory in World War II. But by the spring of 1946, the country was ready to heal. The war was finally over, and as America's fathers and brothers were coming home, so too were the sport's greats. Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and Joe DiMaggio returned with bats blazing, making the season a true classic that ended in a thrilling seven-game World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals. America also witnessed the beginning of a new era in baseball: it was a year of attendance records, the first year Yankee Stadium held night games, the last year the Green Monster wasn't green, and, most significant, Jackie Robinson's first year playing in the Brooklyn Dodgers' system. The Victory Season brings to vivid life these years of baseball and war, including the littleknown "World Series" that servicemen played in a captured Hitler Youth stadium in the fall of 1945. Robert Weintraub's extensive research and vibrant storytelling enliven the legendary season that embodies what we now think of as the game's golden era.

An account of the final months of the Great War, and how the Allies, including freshly arrived American soldiers, defeated Germany on the Western Front.

“This is an excellent account of a series of very hard fought battles that helped prepare the way for the British re-conquest of Burma.” —History of War Robert Lyman’s deep knowledge and understanding of the war in Burma, and the great battles at Kohima and Imphal in 1944, are well known. In this book he uses original documents, published works and personal accounts to weave together an enthralling narrative of some of the bitterest fighting of WWII. Not only does he use British sources for his research but he has also included material from the Naga tribes of north-east India, on whose land these battles were fought, and from Japanese accounts, including interviews with Japanese veterans of the fighting. Thus he has been able to produce what is arguably the most balanced history of the battles that were pivotal in ending the Japanese empire. Fergal Keane, journalist and author of Road to Bones: The Siege of Kohima 1944 wrote to the author saying “What a triumph! I finished it last night. You have done a wonderful job. I only wish I’d read it before writing my own book!” He goes on to say “Robert Lyman is one of the great writers about men and war and in this book he has succeeded in conveying the courage, genius and folly of an epic struggle. I cannot think of a writer engaged in the subject of the Second World War who can match Lyman for his integrity or the soundness of his judgments.”

Illustrated by contemporary photos and specially commissioned maps, this book is a fascinating account of Rommel's greatest victory. Following a lull in the desert war which saw the Germans and British reinforce their armies, Rommel suddenly attacked British fortifications with an assault on the northern sector of the British line near Gazala. Pinning down the British in the north and outflanking the 1st Free French Brigade, Rommel succeeded in encircling the main British positions, trapping them in what became known as 'The Cauldron'. With thousands of British soldiers killed or taken prisoner, this was a devastating defeat for the Allies. Accompanied by contemporary photographs and maps depicting the movement of both armies, Ken Ford provides a masterful study of Rommel, the 'Desert Fox', at the height of his powers as he swept the British army back to the site of their final stand at El Alamein.

This book is the first detailed and comprehensive account of the Kharkov counteroffensive, the operations of the SS divisions and the supporting actions of Armeeabteilung Fretter-Pico and 1. Panzerarmee, and is supported by over 210 photographs and maps. By the end of January of 1943, Hitler's armies had been dealt a series of defeats by the Russians, beginning with the disaster at Stalingrad. Successive Soviet offensives had destroyed the German 6. Armee and annihilated the armies of Germany's Axis allies, Italy, Rumania and Hungary. Germany teetered on the brink of defeat in World War II because the Soviet advance threatened to drive to the Dnepr River and encircle the remaining Germans armies in southern Russia. Stalin and the Russian high command believed that the war could be won with just one more great effort. Accordingly, they planned and launched two offensives, designated Operations "Star" and "Gallop." The focal points of the two offensives included the recapture of Kharkov, the industrial heart of the Ukraine and the destruction of Armeeabteilung Hollidt, 4. Panzerarmee and 2. Armee. Feldmarschall Erich von Manstein entered the picture in late 1942 when he was appointed commander of Heeresgruppe Don. Beginning in February he engineered a remarkable operation that changed the course of the war in Russia. Manstein's counteroffensive destroyed or severely damaged four Russian armies and regained much of the territory lost in January. The troops that played the most important role in the offensive were three divisions of the Waffen-SS. "Leibstandarte," "Das Reich" and "Totenkopf" were combined for the first time into a corps, which was commanded by SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Paul Hausser, the senior commander of the Waffen-SS. "Leibstandarte" and "Das Reich" participated in the defense of Kharkov, along with the elite Army division "Grossdeutschland" supported by three weak infantry divisions. This handful of divisions was attacked by four Soviet armies, but under command of Armeeabteilung Lanz, was able to hold the city for two weeks. On 14 February, 1943 the SS-Panzerkorps and the rest of Armeeabteilung Lanz withdrew from Kharkov under disputed circumstances that involved Hausser and his violation of a direct order from Hitler. Almost exactly a month later, the Germans had recaptured Kharkov and destroyed or crippled the four Soviet armies that had driven them out of the city in February. The divisions that played the key role in Manstein's counteroffensive were the three divisions of the Waffen-SS. While "Leibstandarte" defended the supply base of the SS-Panzerkorps from the entire Soviet 3rd Tank Army, "Das Reich" and "Totenkopf" conducted a complex series of operations that began with a 100 kilometer thrust to the south which saved the Dnepr bridges, thus securing supply lines for the armies of Heeresgruppe Don/Sud. Subsequent operations by the SS divisions drove the Russians away from the rail net south of Kharkov and wrested Kharkov from the Russians once again. During the recapture of the city, there was controversy regarding Hausser's command decisions. Hausser has been accused of disregarding his instructions from superior officers and throwing his divisions into costly combat in the city for reasons of personal and SS prestige, in order to regain Hitler's favor. This study has found that the records of the SS-Panzerkorps and 4. Panzerarmee provide a different explanation for Hausser's actions.

The strategic significance of the Papuan Campaign can be briefly stated. In addition to blunting the Japanese thrust toward Australia and the transpacific line of communications, it put General MacArthur's forces in a favorable position to take the offensive. But this little known campaign is significant for still another reason. It was the battle test of a large hitherto-inexperienced U.S. Army force and its commanders under the conditions which were to attend much of the ground fighting in the Pacific. Costly in casualties and suffering, it taught lessons that the Army had to learn if it was to cope with the Japanese under conditions of tropical warfare. Samuel Milner holds a graduate degree in history from the University of Alberta and has done further graduate work in political science at the University of Minnesota. During World War II, he served in Australia and New Guinea as a historian with the Air Transport Command, Army Air Forces. Upon completing Victory in Papua he left the Office of the Chief of Military History to become historian of the Air Weather Service, U.S. Air Force.

“A good account of one of the most decisive battles of the ancient world. Who knows how world history would have proceeded had Caesar been defeated?” (New York Journal of Books). Julius Caesar’s campaign of 52 BC frequently hung in the balance. Celtic chieftain Vercingetorix was a far more formidable opponent than any he’d encountered in Gaul. The Romans were caught totally off-guard, and it seemed all too likely that their grip on Gaul, which Caesar had imagined secure, would be pried free. Failure would have been a total defeat for Caesar, not just in Gaul but in the Senate. Rome would not have become an empire beyond the Mediterranean. It was a decisive moment in world history . . . The Siege of Alesia itself was one of the most astonishing military undertakings of all time. Caesar’s interior siege lines stretched for eighteen kilometers and were surrounded by an outward-facing line three kilometers longer, complete with palisades, towers, ditches, minefields, and outposts. This work was completed in less than three weeks. Vercingetorix’s refuge proved a trap, and, despite an energetic defense and the arrival of a huge relief army, there was to be no escape. Using new archaeological evidence, the authors reveal both sides of the conflict and construct a fresh account of not just the siege, but also the Alesia campaign, placing it into the wider context of the history of warfare. This is Roman history at its most exciting, featuring events still talked about today. “Those seeking a primer on Alesia need look no further than this excellent book.” —HistoryNet

Although the battle of Ocana is without doubt the Army of Spain's greatest defeat, until 2006 there was no history book covering this dramatic event. Now, with recently released archive material, this glorious battle between France and Spain can be fully recorded. The battle of Ocaña (Toledo) took place on November 19, 1809 between the Spanish troops of the Ejército del Centro (Army of the Center), under General Areizaga, and the French army led by the king Jose I, with Jean-de-Dieu Soult as Major General. The battle finished with the Spanish defeat and ended the Spanish campaign against Napoleon's army. This book fully examines the battle, with a complete chronology, order of battle, illustrations, maps and strategic analysis. SELLING POINTS: Fully illustrated account of the Army of Spain's catastrophic defeat during the Napoleonic wars ILLUSTRATIONS Illustrated throughout