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Auschwitz and the Allies: A Devastating Account of How the Allies Responded to the News of Hitler's Mass Murder
by Martin GilbertA thorough analysis of Allied actions after learning about the horrors of Nazi concentration camps—includes survivors&’ firsthand accounts. Why did they wait so long? Among the myriad questions of what the Allies could have done differently in World War II, understanding why it took them so long to respond to the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps—specifically Auschwitz—remains vital today. In Auschwitz and the Allies, Martin Gilbert presents a comprehensive look into the series of decisions that helped shape this particular course of the war, and the fate of millions of people, through his eminent blend of exhaustive devotion to the facts and accessible, graceful writing. Featuring twenty maps prepared specifically for this history and thirty-four photographs, along with firsthand accounts by escaped Auschwitz prisoners, Gilbert reconstructs the span of time between Allied awareness and definitive action in the face of overwhelming evidence of Nazi atrocities. &“An unforgettable contribution to the history of the last war.&” —Jewish Chronicle
Auschwitz – A Mother's Story: How I fought to survive and see my daughter again
by Rosa de Winter-LevySuddenly there is a blow to my face, I am hurled to one side. 'My child, I have to go with her!' I scream. But Dr Mengel is standing before me, whip raised. 'Maul halten, shut up!' His eyes gleam. Filled with fear I cower down.In 1943, as the Nazi power swept across central Europe, Rosa, her husband Emanuel and their daughter, Judy, were forced into hiding. But after a year and a half of living a terrifying, day-by-day existence, they were betrayed. As they arrived in Auschwitz, Rosa was torn from her husband and her only daughter. Could she dare to hope she would see either of them again?Somehow, Rosa fought the horror and humiliation of the camp, on occasion coming dangerously close to death. In nursing the people trapped beside her, she helped others survive, but tragically she also watched them die - including a mother she had met before, with a similar story and a daughter the very same age. Her name was Edith Frank.Written immediately in the months after the war, Auschwitz - A Mother's Story tells Rosa de Winter-Levy's unique and heart-breaking personal story - from the atrocities of the camp to her journey out of hell. Powerful and affecting, it is the testimony of a mother, and the pain she will endure for the chance to hold her child again.It's night. The door opens and along with 500 other women I am taken to the so-called Krätzeblock, the scabies block. Mice and rats run over us, the women scream and cry, it's almost unbearable. There's no chance of sleep, we're all consumed by the same thought: tomorrow our final hour will have come.
Auschwitz – A Mother's Story: How I fought to survive and see my daughter again
by Rosa de Winter-LevySuddenly there is a blow to my face, I am hurled to one side. 'My child, I have to go with her!' I scream. But Dr Mengel is standing before me, whip raised. 'Maul halten, shut up!' His eyes gleam. Filled with fear I cower down.In 1943, as the Nazi power swept across central Europe, Rosa, her husband Emanuel and their daughter, Judy, were forced into hiding. But after a year and a half of living a terrifying, day-by-day existence, they were betrayed. As they arrived in Auschwitz, Rosa was torn from her husband and her only daughter. Could she dare to hope she would see either of them again?Somehow, Rosa fought the horror and humiliation of the camp, on occasion coming dangerously close to death. In nursing the people trapped beside her, she helped others survive, but tragically she also watched them die - including a mother she had met before, with a similar story and a daughter the very same age. Her name was Edith Frank.Written immediately in the months after the war, Auschwitz - A Mother's Story tells Rosa de Winter-Levy's unique and heart-breaking personal story - from the atrocities of the camp to her journey out of hell. Powerful and affecting, it is the testimony of a mother, and the pain she will endure for the chance to hold her child again.It's night. The door opens and along with 500 other women I am taken to the so-called Krätzeblock, the scabies block. Mice and rats run over us, the women scream and cry, it's almost unbearable. There's no chance of sleep, we're all consumed by the same thought: tomorrow our final hour will have come.
Auschwitz – A Mother's Story: How I fought to survive and see my daughter again
by Rosa de Winter-LevySuddenly there is a blow to my face, I am hurled to one side. 'My child, I have to go with her!' I scream. But Dr Mengel is standing before me, whip raised. 'Maul halten, shut up!' His eyes gleam. Filled with fear I cower down.In 1943, as the Nazi power swept across central Europe, Rosa, her husband Emanuel and their daughter, Judy, were forced into hiding. But after a year and a half of living a terrifying, day-by-day existence, they were betrayed. As they arrived in Auschwitz, Rosa was torn from her husband and her only daughter. Could she dare to hope she would see either of them again?Somehow, Rosa fought the horror and humiliation of the camp, on occasion coming dangerously close to death. In nursing the people trapped beside her, she helped others survive, but tragically she also watched them die - including a mother she had met before, with a similar story and a daughter the very same age. Her name was Edith Frank.Written immediately in the months after the war, Auschwitz - A Mother's Story tells Rosa de Winter-Levy's unique and heart-breaking personal story - from the atrocities of the camp to her journey out of hell. Powerful and affecting, it is the testimony of a mother, and the pain she will endure for the chance to hold her child again.It's night. The door opens and along with 500 other women I am taken to the so-called Krätzeblock, the scabies block. Mice and rats run over us, the women scream and cry, it's almost unbearable. There's no chance of sleep, we're all consumed by the same thought: tomorrow our final hour will have come.
Auschwitz, the Allies and Censorship of the Holocaust
by Michael FlemingWhat was the extent of allied knowledge regarding the mass murder of Jews at Auschwitz during the Second World War? The question is one which continues to prompt heated historical debate, and Michael Fleming's important new book offers a definitive account of just how much the Allies knew. By tracking Polish and other reports about Auschwitz from their source, and surveying how knowledge was gathered, controlled and distributed to different audiences, the book examines the extent to which information about the camp was passed on to the British and American authorities, and how the dissemination of this knowledge was limited by propaganda and information agencies in the West. In a fascinating new study, the author reveals that the Allies had extensive knowledge of the mass killing of Jews at Auschwitz much earlier than previously thought; but the publicising of this information was actively discouraged in Britain and the US.
Auschwitz. A Gruelling Story Of Germany's Worst Hell-Camp
by Otto KurstOBJECTIVE: EXTERMINATION"There were in reality three Auschwitz camps...Auschwitz I...with its two ovens and the mild death rate of a thousand or so per day.Auschwitz II...where the death rate was stepped up to six thousand per day, with a world record of twenty-two thousand deaths in twenty-four hours.Auschwitz III was the labor camp...."In the labor camp, they had a grim motto: "Labor unto death." But all three camps were dedicated to the "problem of extermination." Fedor Schellenberg, too familiar with all three camps, was dedicated to the problem of survival....This book tells of the horrifying tortures and deaths in the most notorious of the Nazi extermination camps.
Auschwitz: The Nazi Solution
by Andrew RawsonThe camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau were an important part of the Nazis' final solution to the Jewish question. Over one million people were murdered in its gas chambers and tens of thousands of prisoners were worked to death in the nearby sub-camps. Others were held in the quarantine area before they were deported to work in the Third Reich.This is the story of the development of Auschwitz from a Polish prison camp into a concentration camp, and a thorough account of the building of Birkenau and the gas chambers, which grew into industrial killing machines. Rawson relates what life was like for prisoners, revealing where the unsuspecting new arrivals came from and how they were greeted at the camp with the humiliating selection process; how many were tricked into entering the gas chambers, while others were stripped of their identity and put to work; how prisoners struggled to survive on a poor diet and no health care; how they faced a grinding daily routine with frequent punishments; and how the camps were organized from the commandants, their assistants and the guards, to the kapos and stuben who supervised work parties and the barracks. He details how a few brave souls tried to resist, how even fewer made a break for freedom and the heartbreaking story of liberation and life afterwards. There are instructions on how to get to nearby Krakow an ideal base and Auschwitz-Birkenau. Information on how best to spend your time there is also included, making this an invaluable book that is both a vivid account of life in the concentration camps and an essential guide for visitors who want to explore the past of this notorious site.
Aussie Soldier: Prisoners of War (Big Sky Publishing Ser.)
by Craig Smith Denny NeaveThe second book in the Aussie Soldier series, Aussie Soldier: Prisoners of War by Denny Neave and Craig Smith, details the lives of the men and women who found themselves on the wrong side of the wire. This collection of heartfelt stories and anecdotes from Australian POWs will take you on their very personal journeys. Surviving as a prisoner of war required as much strength of character as any hard fought battle. Some lived to tell their tales about extreme suffering, mateship and hardship and many would carry with them forever the memories of those who died. Almost 35,000 Australian service personnel were taken prisoner during the Boer War, World War 1, World War 2 and the Korean War. As POWs are relatively few in number, their stories often take a back seat when it comes to tales about battles and conflict situations. Like most soldiers, former prisoners do not like reliving the horrors of war and their time in captivity. This is a collection of the stories of our Australian POWs. Interviews, questionnaires, written records, images and letters provide an insight into captivity and the joy and fears that came with their release. These vivid and compelling stories highlight the contradictions of war: the compassion and generosity on the one hand and the cruelty, hate and indifference on the other.
Aussie Soldier: Up Close and Personal (Big Sky Publishing Ser.)
by Craig Smith Denny NeaveThis book is a collection of short stories, diary extracts, letters, anecdotes and quotes from past and present serving soldiers. From WW1 to modern day conflicts, this book is an up close and personal perspective of what the soldier regards as his core values. These include compassion, mateship, courage, initiative, loyalty, integrity and trust. Aussie Soldier includes a 30-page battle book that summarises some of Australia's most famous battles.
Australia 1944–45
by Peter J. DeanThe years 1944 and 1945 were pivotal in the development of Australia's approach to strategy during the Second World War and beyond. While the main battlefront of the Pacific War had moved further north, Australian air, land and sea forces continued to make a significant contribution to the Allied campaign and towards achieving Australia's strategic interests and objectives. In New Guinea, Australian operations secured territories and released men from service, while in Borneo a highly successful campaign was clouded by uncertain motives and questionable strategy. Australia 1944–45: Victory in the Pacific examines this complex and fascinating period, which has been largely under-represented in Australian military history. Peter Dean leads a team of highly regarded military historians in assessing Australian, Allied and Japanese strategies, the conduct of the campaigns in the Southwest Pacific Area and Australia's significant role in achieving victory.
Australia and Canada in Afghanistan: Perspectives on a Mission
by William Maley Jack CunninghamAfghanistan is a long way from both Canada and Australia, but from 2001, fate conspired to bring the three countries together. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Australia and Canada joined the U.S. and other Western allies in attacking al-Qaeda bases in Afghanistan. Operation Enduring Freedom began on October 4, 2001, but this was only the beginning of a much longer engagement in Afghanistan for both Canada and Australia, with a legacy much more ambiguous than the initial campaign had promised. Australia and Canada in Afghanistan: Perspectives on a Mission offers twelve essays from distinguished experts and decision-makers involved in the war. Wide-ranging in scope, their work offers fresh analyses of the Afghan War and on Australia’s and Canada’s contributions to it.
Australia and the Bomb
by Christine M. LeahThis book is a historical and strategic analysis of the nuclear dimension of the US alliance with Australia, Australia's relationship with nuclear weapons, nuclear strategy, and US extended nuclear deterrence.
Australia at War: A Winter Record On The Somme And At The Ypres During The Campaigns Of 1916 And 1917 (The World At War)
by Will DysonA winter record made by Will Dyson on the Somme and at Ypres during the campaigns of 1916 and 1917; with an introduction by G.K. Chesterton.
Australia's American Alliance: Towards a New Era?
by Peter Dean Stephan Frühling Brendan TaylorThis book is specifically designed as a companion volume to Australia's Defence: Towards a New Era? The Australia-United States Alliance has been critical to Australian foreign and defence policy since the ANZUS Treaty was signed in 1951. For 63 years it has been an enduring feature of Australian defence planning, yet the contemporary alliance is, arguably, in one of the more important phases of reinterpretation in its long history. While the Alliance by its very nature is a bi-lateral relationship, this book will therefore specifically focus on Australian perspectives and policy choices, while providing context on the role of the United States in the Asia-Pacific and its position as a global power.
Australia's Aviation Heroes: True stories from our airmen at war
by Colin BurgessFrom the author of bestselling Sisters in Captivity, seven remarkable stories of men who served from WWI to Korea – their wartime exploits and achievements through aviation. Based on personal interviews conducted by the author over many years, Australia&’s Aviation Heroes celebrates the achievements of extraordinary men in extraordinary times. Meet Jack Treacy, the WWI fighter pilot who came perilously close to joining the Red Baron in his grave. Relive the story of Ernie Guest, a man determined to fly against all odds after storming into battle on the bloody shores of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, on 25 April 1915. George Allan, the Scottish-born pilot who survived that same war, went on to become one of the great pioneers in Australian aviation history. Then there is the harrowing tale of Joe Herman, the bomber pilot blown out of his doomed aircraft over war-torn Europe without a parachute – who lived to tell his story. We get to know Clive Caldwell, Australia&’s greatest WWII fighter pilot, as well as Don Bennett, the Queenslander who developed and led Bomber Command&’s legendary Pathfinder Force. During the Korean War, Phillip Zupp was the first Australian to be recommended for a Purple Heart. These are the captivating stories of men who answered the call during desperate times, willingly taking to the dangerous skies.
Australia's Dambusters: Flying into Hell with 617 Squadron
by Colin BurgessThe story of 617 Squadron RAF, which carried out one of the most dangerous and audacious aerial bombing raids of World War II It was the evening of 16 M ay 1943 Nineteen modified Lancaster bombers from 617 Squadron RAF, under the command of youthful W ing Commander Guy Gibson, roared into the night sky from their Lincolnshire base. They were on a top-secret Bomber Command mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, now regarded as one of the most dangerous and audacious bombing raids of World War II – an attack on the formidable, well-defended dams of G ermany&’s Ruhr Valley. Slung beneath the belly of each aircraft was one of the war&’s greatest secrets – a bouncing bomb. Against the odds, and flying straight and level into the teeth of terrifying enemy f ire, they succeeded in breaching the two principal dams. Many of the 133 airmen involved that fateful night hailed from Australia, and several would be counted among the 56 who would not return to base next morning. The Dams Raid led to the men of this gallant company – often referred to as a suicide squadron – taking on even more hazardous operations in the final two years of the war. Under valorous leadership, and now armed with massive Tallboy and Grand Slam &‘earthquake&’ bombs, they obliterated vital Nazi installations, destroying such defiant targets as the heavily defended K embs Barrage and the German battleship Tirpitz, often at a terrible cost in lives. First published in 2003, this deeply researched, revised and updated edition of Australia&’s Dambusters offers a truly comprehensive account of the most famous bombing raid of the war through the words and stories of the courageous Australian airmen and others who flew on this and later perilous missions, remembered and forever immortalised as the Dambusters.
Australia's Defence: Towards a New Era?
by Peter Dean Stephan Frühling Brendan TaylorAlmost half a century ago, the Australian National University's TB Millar penned a seminal book on Australian defence policy in the lead up to the Vietnam War. Today, Australia's defence forces are returning from long conflicts overseas, while the rise of China and the economic integration in the Indo-Pacific presents a complex mix of challenges and opportunities.Drawing inspiration from Millar's original volume, Australia's Defence: Towards a New Era? brings together leading experts to examine the domestic and international context of Australia's defence policy, Australian strategy and the size and state of our armed forces. As the country heads towards a new era, this book provides an in-depth overview and key insights into the past, present and future of Australia's defence.
Australia's Few and the Battle of Britain
by Kristen AlexanderDuring the summer and autumn of 1940, the Germans launched their Luftwaffe campaign to gain superiority over the RAF, especially Fighter Command. They were not successful, and this defeat marked a turning point in the Allies' favour. This is the story of eight Australian fighter pilots engaged in the Battle of Britain, the first major battle of World War II (or any war) fought entirely in the air. Jack Kennedy, Stuart Walch, Dick Glyde, Ken Holland, Pat Hughes, Bill Millington, John Crossman and Des Sheen only one of them came home.A story we take for granted, here told afresh with insight and empathy.Professor Peter Stanley, UNSW CanberraIn telling the stories of some of the Australians who flew in the Battle of Britain, Kristen Alexander has combined academic rigour with compelling personal detail. She has demonstrated that the unknowns of the Battle are as fascinating as those who gained celebrity status. This is a book for those who know much about what happened in 1940 and those who don't.... Geoff Simpson, Trustee, Battle of Britain Memorial TrustThe lives of eight Australian fighter pilots, from backyard to cockpit and beyond, lovingly and expertly told.... Andy Wright, Aircrew Book Review
Australia's First Campaign: The Capture of German New Guinea, 1914
by Dr Robert StevensonThe Australian campaign to seize German New Guinea in 1914 is one of the forgotten episodes of the First World War. Preceding the Gallipoli landings by seven months, this remarkably successful amphibious operation was the very first of its kind undertaken by the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. The campaign was also everything the Gallipoli campaign was not: the New Guinea operations were planned and executed by Australian officers, the fighting was short, sharp and successful, and it was a highly effective use of military force, achieving its operational objectives at a remarkably low cost and serving Australian strategic interests in a direct and tangible way. This volume of the Army History Unit&’s Campaign Series describes how a novice navy and army planned, mounted and launched a complex joint operation over 3300 kilometres from their mounting base and defeated or forced the withdrawal of German naval and land forces posing a direct threat to Australia and New Zealand. Australia&’s First Campaign presents a fresh examination of the evidence from a range of participants, providing a thoroughly researched and readable account of the Australian military&’s first joint operation. The volume is supported by more than 100 illustrations and includes a useful guide for those wishing to visit the battlefield today.
Australia's Forgotten Soldiers in the Empire, 1939–1947: Prisoners of War, International Diplomacy and Australian Foreign Policy (Britain and the World)
by Lee RipponThis book explores how Australia managed the prisoner of war issue throughout the Second World War and the immediate post-war period. It examines how the Australian government responded to the captivity of thousands of Australians in Italy and the detention of an even greater number of Italians in Australia. The war, it finds, created a series of diplomatic and political challenges for belligerent governments, including Australia. The author contends that Australia’s response was guided not only by other pragmatic considerations such as reciprocity, the practicalities of war and, importantly, national interest. The Australian government was not the only one to manage its prisoner of war policy in this way. By exploring the Australian government’s relationship with Britain as part of the British Empire, this book clarifies under what circumstances and to what extent Australia sought to assert a level of independence in pursuing its national interest, even when that approach did not align with British policy.
Australia's Greatest Escapes: Gripping tales of wartime bravery
by Colin BurgessAustralia's greatest escape stories from two world wars Australia&’s Greatest Escapes is a collection of stories about the most hazardous aspect of the prisoner of war experience – escape. Here is all the adventure, suspense and courage of ordinary Australians who defied their captors; men who tunnelled to freedom, crawled through stinking drains, or clawed a passage beneath barbed wire in a desperate attempt to flee captivity. They were willing to risk the odds and even death in the loneliest war of all – the fight to be free. Each possessed in spades the noble qualities of boldness, resourcefulness, cunning, determination and mateship we have come to admire about our Australian service men and women under adversity. Featuring stories of Australian POWs from all theatres of war, including one who fled a German work camp during World War I, another involved in a mass tunnel escape from a notorious Italian camp, and an airman who brazenly attempted to steal a German fighter and fly it back to England. We also re-live the tragic saga of the Sandakan death marches in which six Australian escapers became the only survivors from 2000 POWs, and follow the perilous journeys to freedom undertaken by Australian infantrymen following the appalling massacre of their fellow soldiers on the Japanese-held island of Ambon.
Australia's Lost Heroes: Anzacs in the Russian Civil War 1919
by Damien WrightThis extraordinary book is both an engaging military history and an enthralling mystery. Australia&’s Lost Heroes tells the astonishing little-known story of the Australian soldiers who fought the Red Army in Russia in 1919 and the personal odyssey, 100 years later, to locate and identify the lost grave of Victoria Cross hero Sergeant Samuel Pearse VC MM.The Anzac volunteers fought an arduous campaign punctuated by fierce ambushes in thick forest, swamps and marshes and attacks on fortified bunkers. They also had to fight a war within, avoiding the treachery and mutiny of White Russian &‘allies&’. Remarkably, two Australians were awarded the Victoria Cross, one posthumously. Yet, unlike the reverence, recognition and commemoration afforded to WWI soldiers, not only do the deeds of Anzacs in Russia remain unrecognized, their graves lie lost and forgotten. Follow the author&’s journey to a remote corner of Russia with the grandson of Samuel Pearse in the hope of identifying the lost grave. Guided by a Russian battlefield archaeologist, they discover an astonishing clue which may resolve the mystery of an Australian hero missing for 100 years. An extraordinary story of national importance dedicated to those forgotten Australian heroes who fought and died in Russia after the Armistice.
Australia's Nuclear Policy: Reconciling Strategic, Economic and Normative Interests
by Michael Clarke Stephan FrühlingAustralia’s Nuclear Policy: Reconciling Strategic, Economic and Normative Interests critically re-evaluates Australia’s engagement with nuclear weapons, nuclear power and the nuclear fuel cycle since the dawn of the nuclear age. The authors develop a holistic conception of ’nuclear policy’ that extends across the three distinct but related spheres - strategic, economic and normative - that have arisen from the basic ’dual-use’ dilemma of nuclear technology. Existing scholarship on Australia’s nuclear policy has generally grappled with each of these spheres in isolation. In a fresh evaluation of the field, the authors investigate the broader aims of Australian nuclear policy and detail how successive Australian governments have engaged with nuclear issues since 1945. Through its holistic approach, the book demonstrates the logic of seemingly conflicting policy positions at the heart of Australian nuclear policy, including simultaneous reliance on US extended deterrence and the pursuit of nuclear disarmament. Such apparent contradictions highlight the complex relationships between different ends and means of nuclear policy. How successive Australian governments of different political shades have attempted to reconcile these in their nuclear policy over time is a central part of the history and future of Australia’s engagement with the nuclear fuel cycle.
Australia's Palestine Campaign 1916-1918 (Australian Army Campaigns Series #7)
by Jean BouWith nearly two mounted divisions engaged against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East for almost three years the Palestine Campaign was Australia's longest running militarily significant endeavour of the First World War after the Western Front. And yet apart from the battle of Beersheba, the Palestine Campaign receives little attention in Australia compared to Gallipoli and the Western Front. In contrast to the years of grinding trench warfare in France and Belgium, the Palestine Campaign was a war of relative movement and manoeuvre. Cavalry, including Australia's light horse, played a prominent role, but it was a hard fought fully modern war, in which the latest military technologies and techniques were all used.
Australia's Secret Army
by Michael VeitchEstablished after World War I by the Royal Australian Navy, the Coast Watchers were a loose organisation of several hundred European settlers, missionaries, patrol officers and planters living in British and Australian Pacific Island territories whose job it was to observe and report on the enemy. They were mostly all unpaid volunteers whose job it was simply to observe and report on foreign shipping and aeroplane movements. It was never envisaged that the Coast Watchers would do any fighting, nor operate inside enemy-occupied territory. But when World War II came to the Pacific, that is exactly what they ended up doing, becoming, in effect, Australia's secret army. Fully cognisant of their fate should they be caught, they nonetheless battled not just the enemy, but constant exhaustion, tropical disease, and the ever-present spectre of capture, torture and death.Without the Coast Watchers and the crucial intelligence they provided, key moments in the war could have turned out very differently. This is the story of these unsung heroes who risked their lives - and sometimes lost them - in the service of their country.