- Table View
- List View
Voices from Stalingrad: First-hand Accounts from World War II’s Cruellest Battle
by Jonathan BastableImagine what is was like, after being subjected to the relentless roaring of dozens of airplane engines, and constant explosions, to be suddenly surrounded by a deathly silence! We were cut off from the outside world. Were we staring an agonizing death in the face?' No previous work about Stalingrad places such emphasis on the experience of ordinary fighters and civilians. This volume of human history and military strategy includes fresh translations from original sources describing this pivotal event of World War II as told by the German and Soviet soldiers who fought the battle, Russian civilians who watched the enemy at the gates as well as Western diplomat and newspaper correspondent onlookers. Offering a record of one of the pivotal events of World War II, as told through the personal accounts of the German and Soviet soldiers who fought in it, this book features photographs from the Battle of Stalingrad, from both sides of the front. This is a fascinating record of the pivotal event of World War II, told through the personal accounts of the German and Soviet soldiers who fought it, the Russian civilians who watched the destruction of their city, and Western onlookers such as diplomats and newspaper correspondents. Many of these voices are gleaned from newly-discovered archive material, and from rare sources and reminiscences in Germany and Russia, including KGB sources. Many of these accounts have never been published, or are totally unknown in the English-speaking world. All foreign voices are quoted in fresh and engaging new translations from the original sources. There are rare photographs of the battle, from both sides of the front.
Voices from the Battle of the Bulge
by Michael ReynoldsAfter the Allies broke out from Normandy in July 1944, they drove quickly through the rest of France and were threatening the German border by the autumn. To halt the Allies, Hitlers last throw of the dice was the massive gamble of a counter-attack in the Ardennes.Sensing the Allies were fatigued, with stretched supply lines after their rapid advance, Hitler presented to his commanders an ambitious plan to force two Panzer armies through the Allied forces, to take the vital port of Antwerp. He intended to exploit the differences between the British and American commands and separate their forces, driving the British to another Dunkirk and buying him time to launch a full-scale assault on Britain with his 'miracle weapons' and undermine the Allies Western alliance.The massive German attack launched on 16 December 1944 achieved complete surprise but heavy fighting in the American sectors, halted their advance after two days. Known as the Battle of the Bulge because of the bulge in the German lines at this point, a battle of attrition followed in the bitter winter weather but Allied air power and limited fuel supplies on the German side gradually turned the battle in the Allies favour and by mid-January German forces were in retreat. This had been the largest battle fought by the Americans in World War 2 and at the end of it Germany was facing its final defeat.This new paperback edition of Voices of Battle of the Bulge tells the story of this pivotal battle of World War 2 through contemporary witnesses. Drawing on interviews, letters, diaries and eye-witness accounts from the military commanders and generals, ordinary front-line soldiers and civilians who experienced the Battle of the Bulge at first hand, it vividly brings to life and commemorates one of the key battles of World War 2.
Voices from the Carpathia: Rescuing RMS Titanic
by George Behe"When Titanic began sending out distress calls, one of the first to reply was the Cunard liner Carpathia. As it turned out, Carpathia was the only vessel to reach the scene in time to save the lives of any of Titanic’s passengers, and, after she arrived in New York, reporters crowded the pier and vied with each other to obtain interviews with the survivors of the disaster. In their zeal to interview survivors, though, the reporters brushed past other people who could have provided their own eyewitness accounts – namely, Carpathia’s own passengers, largely left to their own devices as to how and when they discussed their participation in events. A few wrote letters to relatives, others wrote accounts intended for publication. The author’s collection of these rare written accounts and interviews sheds new light on the tragic way the lives of so many were impacted by the loss of the largest passenger liner in the world."
Voices from the Luftwaffe (Luftwaffe in Combat 1939–45)
by Bob CarruthersThis WWII oral history tells the story of the Luftwaffe through the eyes of those who served in combat—illustrated with wartime propaganda. Drawing on extensive interviews with Luftwaffe, Emmy Award–winning historian Bob Carruthers traces its rise from the ashes of the Great War to its fearsome height and ultimate downfall. Here are the personal memories and perspectives of young volunteers seeking adventure who would soon face the grim realities of their service. Here too is the propaganda machine that glorified the Nazi cause and perpetuated the charade that this was a civilian undertaking. With vivid detail and revealing candor, readers experience how the stunning successes of the Blitzkrieg era are quickly overshadowed by the grim experiences of the Battle of Britain and the life-or-death fight for the skies over Germany. The book is illustrated throughout with extensive selections from Der Adler, the wartime Luftwaffe propaganda magazine.
Voices from the Past: The Heroic Saga of SS River Clyde, a WW1 Icon, Told Through the Accounts of Those Who Were There (Voices From The Past Ser.)
by Stephen SnellingThe initial Allied landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula began on 25 April 1915. Many of those who went ashore at V Beach near Cape Helles did so from the SS River Clyde. In the first full-length study devoted entirely to River Clyde and the men who sailed in her, the author reveals a remarkable tale of human endeavor told in the words of the men who were there: from the naval captain whose brainchild it was, to the teenage midshipmen who risked their lives to rescue the operation from disaster; from the infantrymen who braved a storm of fire to the staff officers who led the assault that finally secured the beachhead; from the armored car machine-gunners whose covering fire saved hundreds of men marooned on the shore, to the navys own infantrymen who ventured out into the bullet-swept waters to succor the wounded.The Wooden Horse of Gallipoli tells the story of how this collier became an icon of the First World War, its stranded bulk synonymous with one of the most extraordinary exploits of a campaign doomed to failure.
Voices from the Peninsula: Eyewitness Accounts by Soldiers of Wellington's Army, 1808–1814 (The Napoleonic Library)
by Ian FletcherThe Peninsular War was one of the most successful campaigns ever fought by the British Army. Between 1808, when British troops landed in Portugal, and 1814, when Wellington's Army advanced into the south of France, British soldiers were involved in countless battles and sieges against Napoleon's vaunted French veterans. Drawing on rare letters, diaries and memoirs, Ian Fletcher presents a superb insight into the daily lives of British soldiers in this momentous period and evokes such key battles and sieges as Vimiero, Talavera, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria and San Sebastian. Ian Fletcher's skillful compilation of accounts, placed in context by important background detail, make this the story of the Peninsular War in the words of the men who marched, fought and triumphed with Wellington. Although there have been many accounts of soldiering in Wellington's army, Voices from the Peninsula throws new light on the experience of Napoleonic warfare and brings to life what Wellington called 'the finest military machine in existence'.
Voices from the Plain of Jars
by Fred BranfmanDuring the Vietnam War the United States government waged a massive, secret air war in neighboring Laos. Two million tons of bombs were dropped on one million people. Fred Branfman, an educational advisor living in Laos at the time, interviewed over 1,000 Laotian survivors. Shocked by what he heard and saw, he urged them to record their experiences in essays, poems, and pictures. Voices from the Plain of Jarswas the result of that effort. When first published in 1972, this book was instrumental in exposing the bombing. In this expanded edition, Branfman follows the story forward in time, describing the hardships that Laotians faced after the war when they returned to find their farm fields littered with cluster munitions--explosives that continue to maim and kill today.
Voices from the Vietnam War: Stories from American, Asian, and Russian Veterans
by Xiaobing Li&“Some of this book is heartrending; some of it is as gripping as a thriller; and all of it will add to our understanding of the war&” (Booklist). The Vietnam War&’s influence on politics, foreign policy, and subsequent military campaigns is the center of much debate and analysis. But the impact on veterans across the globe, as well as the effects on individual lives and communities, is a largely neglected issue. As a consequence of cultural and legal barriers, the oral histories of the Vietnam War currently available in English are predictably one-sided, providing limited insight into the inner workings of the Communist nations that participated in the war. Furthermore, many of these accounts focus on combat experiences rather than the backgrounds, belief systems, and social experiences of interviewees, resulting in an incomplete historiography of the war. Chinese native Xiaobing Li corrects this oversight in Voices from the Vietnam War: Stories from American, Asian, and Russian Veterans. Li spent seven years gathering hundreds of personal accounts from survivors, accounts that span continents, nationalities, and political affiliations. The twenty-two intimate stories in this book feature the experiences of American, Chinese, Russian, Korean, and North and South Vietnamese veterans, representing the views of both anti-Communist and Communist participants, including Chinese officers of the PLA, a Russian missile-training instructor, and a KGB spy. These narratives humanize and contextualize the war&’s events while shedding light on aspects of the war previously unknown to Western scholars—providing fresh perspectives on a long-discussed topic. &“Li&’s achievement is most remarkable for the window he opens onto the lives of Chinese and Russian veterans; their rare accounts appear here for the first time in English.&” —Publishers Weekly
Voices in Flight: Conversations with Air Veterans of the Great War
by Mauriel Joslyn Anna MalinovskaThanks to the foresight of the authors, Voices in Flight is a literary memorial to the hugely gallant men who fought their war in small dangerous and vulnerable aeroplanes. We hear told the stories and thoughts of not only pilots but ground crew and others closely associated with this form of combat. These interviews bring home vividly the comraderie, the humour, the sadness but above all the thrill of flying experienced by members of the RFC and later the fledgling RAF. First hand accounts of dog fights make graphic reading. This is a never-to-be repeated opportunity to honour the memories of old aviators by bringing their experiences to the attention of younger generations.
Voices in the Evening
by Natalia GinzburgFrom one of Italy’s greatest writers, a stunning novel “filled with shimmering, risky, darting observation” (Colm Tóibín) After WWII, a small Italian town struggles to emerge from under the thumb of Fascism. With wit, tenderness, and irony, Elsa, the novel’s narrator, weaves a rich tapestry of provincial Italian life: two generations of neighbors and relatives, their gossip and shattered dreams, their heartbreaks and struggles to find happiness. Elsa wants to imagine a future for herself, free from the expectations and burdens of her town’s history, but the weight of the past will always prove unbearable, insistently posing the question: “Why has everything been ruined?”
Voices of D-Day: The Story of the Allied Invasion Told by Those Who Were There (Eisenhower Center Studies on War and Peace)
by Stephen E. Ambrose Ronald J. DrezIn 1983 the Eisenhower Center at the University of New Orleans began a project to record the recollections of as many people as possible -- civilians as well as soldiers -- who were involved in one of the most pivotal events of the century. Skillfully edited by Ronald J. Drez and first published on the fifty-year anniversary of D-Day, the award-winning Voices of D-Day tells the story of that momentous operation almost entirely through the words of the people who were there.
Voices of Hope: Fisherman's Hope, Voices Of Hope, Patriarch's Hope, And Children Of Hope (The Seafort Saga #5)
by David FeintuchDecades have passed since Nick Seafort battled the vicious aliens. Now, in the fifth installment of the celebrated Seafort Saga, it&’s trouble on Earth that looms . . .Everyone knows Nick Seafort as &“the Fisherman&”—the hero who stopped the merciless, fishlike aliens when they attacked Earth. Voices of Hope picks up with Seafort decades later, after he&’s retired as the Secretary General of the United Nations. Despite his trappings of power, he has been unable to aid the so-called transpops, desperate people who live in the dangerous lower levels of New York City. When Seafort&’s son, Philip, follows a friend into the streets of New York, he encounters the transpop culture—one evolved to exist in the shadows and operate with ruthless efficiency. The trannies are a powder keg ready to blow, and a water shortage appears to be the spark to prove that humans can be far more dangerous than any outer-space alien. Long ago, Seafort had braved these violent streets to find his wife; now he must return to save his son.
Voices of Silence: The Alternative Book of First World War Poetry
by Vivien NoakesThe poetry of the First World War has determined our perception of the war itself. This volume features poetry drawn from old newspapers and journals, trench and hospital magazines, individual volumes of verse, gift books, postcards, and a manuscript magazine put together by conscientious objectors.
Voices of Snipers: Eyewitness Accounts from the World Wars
by John WalterBased on an incredible breadth of first-hand testimony, this is a unique collection of eyewitness accounts from World War I and II. John Walter draws on meticulous research and the reminiscences of more than fifty snipers, tracing their journeys from recruitment and selection through training, combat and its aftermath to reveal a surprising commonality of experience, even across nationalities. Laying bare the triumphs and brutalities of sniping, the personalities and psychologies of those who found themselves doing it and considering the immediate implications on both the sniper and the wider theatre of war, this is a fascinating, detailed insight into frontline combat and the experience of sharpshooting in its historical context.
Voices of Winchester World War II Veterans (American Chronicles)
by Adrian J. O'ConnorStories of the Greatest Generation come alive in the hands of longtime local journalist Adrian O'Connor What made the D-Day attack on Omaha Beach so remarkable was that it was carried out largely out by National Guardsman - men of the 29th Infantry Division who had never before seen combat. One of the companies that was part of this historic day hailed from the environs of Winchester, Virginia. Winchester's martial gallantry was hardly restricted to the beaches of Normandy, though. A future city councilor came ashore at Anzio, Italy. A future school principal fought in what may have been the Pacific's toughest battle, Iwo Jima. Local men held the line at the climactic Battle of the Bulge, flew over Europe and the oil fields of Ploesti and even escaped a German prisoner-of-war camp.
Voices of the Army of the Potomac: Personal Reminiscences of Union Veterans
by Vincent L. BurnsFinalist, 2021 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards As historian David W. Bright noted in Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory, "No other historical experience in America has given rise to such a massive collection of personal narrative 'literature' written by ordinary people." This "massive collection" of memoirs, recollections and regimental histories make up the history of the Civil War seen through the eyes of the participants. This work is an overview of what Civil War soldiers and veterans wrote about their experiences. It focusses on what veterans remembered, what they were prepared to record, and what they wrote down in the years after the end of the war. In an age of increased literacy many of these men had been educated, whether at West Point, Harvard or other establishments, but even those who had received only a few years of education chose to record their memories. The writings of these veterans convey their views on the cataclysmic events they had witnessed but also their memories of everyday events during the war. While many of them undertook detailed research of battles and campaigns before writing their accounts, it is clear that a number were less concerned with whether their words aligned with the historical record than whether they recorded what they believed to be true. This book explores these themes and also the connection between veterans writing their personal war history and the issue of veterans’ pensions. Understanding what these veterans chose to record and why is important to achieving a deeper understanding of the experience of these men who were caught up in this central moment in American life.
Voices of the Code Breakers
by Michael PatersonThis title offers a comprehensive look at the undercover war, revealing just how much of WWII was won away from the battlefields and how each side desperately tried to get into the 'mind set' of their enemies' code makers.From the British cryptologists to the Navajo Indians whose codes helped win the war against Japan, this book reveals the stories of extraordinary people and their chance finds, lucky accidents, dogged determination and moments of sheer brilliance, to expose how the war was really won.It includes an intriguing glimpse of the early history of the computer - its spectacular uses and subsequent development. It features vivid first-hand accounts from the staff of Bletchley Park, French and Dutch resistance fighters, the American secret agents and members of the Services Liaison Unit who passed on vital coded information to field commanders. It also includes a 16 page plate section with rare archive photographs.
Voices of the Code Breakers
by Michael PatersonThis title offers a comprehensive look at the undercover war, revealing just how much of WWII was won away from the battlefields and how each side desperately tried to get into the 'mind set' of their enemies' code makers.From the British cryptologists to the Navajo Indians whose codes helped win the war against Japan, this book reveals the stories of extraordinary people and their chance finds, lucky accidents, dogged determination and moments of sheer brilliance, to expose how the war was really won.It includes an intriguing glimpse of the early history of the computer - its spectacular uses and subsequent development. It features vivid first-hand accounts from the staff of Bletchley Park, French and Dutch resistance fighters, the American secret agents and members of the Services Liaison Unit who passed on vital coded information to field commanders. It also includes a 16 page plate section with rare archive photographs.
Voices of the Codebreakers: Personal Accounts of the Secret Heroes of World War II
by Michael PatersonAlongside the open conflict of World War II there were other, hidden wars - the wars of communication, in which success depended on a flow of concealed and closely guarded information.Smuggled written messages, secretly transmitted wireless signals, or months of eavesdropping on radio traffic meant operatives could discover in advance what the enemy intended to do. This information was passed on to those who commanded the armies, the fleets and the bomber formations, as well as to the other secret agents throughout the world who were desperately trying to infiltrate enemy lines. Vital information that turned the tide of battle in North African desert and on the Pacific Ocean proved to have been obtained by the time-consuming and unglamorous work of cryptanalysts who deciphered the enemy's coded messages, and coded those for the Allies.From the stuffy huts of Bletchley Park to the battles in the Mediterranean, the French and Dutch Resistance movements and the unkempt radio operatives in Burma, the rarely-seen, outstanding stories collected here reveal the true extent of the 'secret war'.The ongoing need for secrecy for decades after the war meant that the outstanding achievements of wartime cryptanalysts could not be properly recognised.With vivid first-hand accounts and illuminating historical research, VOICES OF THE CODEBREAKERS reveals and finally celebrates the extraordinary accomplishments of these ordinary men and women.
Voices of the Foreign Legion
by Adrian D. GilbertThe French Foreign Legion has established a reputation as the most formidable of military forces. Created as a means of protecting French interests abroad, the legion spearheaded French colonialism in North Africa during the nineteenth century. Accepting volunteers from all parts of the world, the legion acquired an aura of mystery-and a less than enviable reputation for brutality within its ranks. Attracting recruits from all over the world, these new soldiers explain in their own words why they submitted themselves to such brutal training. Voices of the Foreign Legion looks at how the legion selects its recruits, where they come from, and why they seek a life of incredible hardship and danger. It also analyzes the legion's strict attitude toward discipline, questions why desertion is a perennial problem, and assesses the legion's military achievements since its formation in 1831. Its scope ranges from the conquest of the colonies in Africa and the Far East, through the horrors of the two World Wars, to the bitter but ultimately hopeless battles to maintain France's imperial possessions.
Voices of the Foreign Legion: The History of the World's Most Famous Fighting Corps
by Adrian D. GilbertThe French Foreign Legion has built a reputation as one of the world’s most formidable and colorful military institutions. Established as a means of absorbing foreign troublemakers, the Legion spearheaded French colonialism in North Africa during the nineteenth century. Accepting volunteers from all parts of the world, the Legion acquired an aura of mystery and a less-than-enviable reputation for extreme brutality within its ranks.Voices of the Foreign Legion explores how the Legion selects its recruits, their native lands, and why these warriors seek a life full of hardship and danger. It analyzes the Legion’s brutal attitude toward discipline, questions why desertion has been a perennial problem, and assesses the Legion’s remarkable military achievements since its formation in the year 1831. This is the real story of the Legion, featuring firsthand accounts from the men who have fought in its ranks. Its scope ranges from the conquest of the colonies in Africa and the Far East through the horrors of the two world wars, to the bitter, but ultimately hopeless, battle to maintain France’s far-flung imperial possessions. The story is brought fully up-to-date with accounts and anecdotes from those contemporary foreign legionnaires who continue to fight for French interests around the globe.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Voices of the Left Behind: Project Roots and the Canadian War Children of World War II
by Olga Rains Lloyd Rains Melynda JarrattVoices of the Left Behind contains the personal stories of nearly 50 Canadian war children who have been helped by Project Roots. It is filled with fascinating archival images and documents as well as original wartime correspondence between the mothers, the Canadian fathers, and the Department of National Defence, Veterans Affairs, and other Canadian institutions. Letters from the war children to the Military Personnel Records Unit of the National Archives of Canada illustrate the historic pattern of denial. What these institutions all have in common is their consistent refusal to help war children find their Canadian fathers. Introductory essays frame the subject and give a historical context to the tragic situations these women and their children found themselves in.
Voices of the Pacific
by Marcus Brotherton Adam MakosA firsthand chronicle of United States Marine Corps' actions in the Pacific Following fifteen Marines from the Pearl Harbor attack, through battles with the Japanese, to their return home after V-J Day, Adam Makos and Marcus Brotherton have compiled an oral history of the Pacific War in the words of the men who fought on the front lines. With unflinching honesty, these Marines reveal harrowing accounts of combat with an implacable enemy, the friendships and camaraderie they found--and lost--and the aftermath of the war's impact on their lives. With unprecedented access to the veterans, rare photographs, and unpublished memoirs, Voices of the Pacific presents true stories of heroism as told by such World War II veterans as Sid Phillips, R. V. Burgin, and Chuck Tatum--whose exploits were featured in the HBO® miniseries, The Pacific--and their Marine buddies from the legendary 1st Marine Division. Includes rare photos!
Voices of the Pacific, Expanded Edition
by Adam MakosFrom the bestselling author of A Higher Call and Spearhead comes an unflinching firsthand chronicle of the heroic US Marines who fought on Guadalcanal, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and in other pivotal battles during the Pacific War, a classic book now expanded with new stories from the flyboys overhead and the home front at war. Following fifteen Marines from Pearl Harbor, through their battles with the Japanese, to their return home after V-J Day, Adam Makos and Marcus Brotherton have compiled an oral history of the Pacific War in the words of the men who fought on the front lines. With vivid, unforgettable detail, these Marines reveal harrowing accounts of combat with an implacable enemy, the camaraderie they found, the friends they lost, and the aftermath of the war's impact on their lives. With unprecedented access to the veterans, rare photographs, and unpublished memoirs, Voices of the Pacific presents true stories of heroism as told by such World War II veterans as Sid Phillips, R.V. Burgin, and Chuck Tatum—whose exploits were featured in the classic HBO miniseries The Pacific—and their Marine buddies from the legendary 1st Marine Division.
Voices of the Second World War: A Child's Perspective
by Sheila A. RenshawVoices of the Second World War: A Childs Perspective is a collection of firsthand accounts from people who experienced the Second World War from all over Europe: stretching from Russia to the Channel Islands, and Norway to Malta.While some children appear to have been hardly aware of the war, for those who lived through bombing, occupation, deprivation, starvation and fear, the memories remain with them even today.The accounts have been relayed according to their perspective at the time and the contributors were happy to share their experiences and memories, keen in the knowledge that they were being documented as personal chroniclers of one of the twentieth century's most catastrophic events.