Max Hastings is a distinguished British journalist and historian whose work frequently delves into military conflicts and their human impact. His meticulous and insightful analyses, built on extensive fieldwork, offer readers a profound understanding of the complexities of war. Hastings skillfully blends historical accuracy with compelling narrative, bringing pivotal moments in history to life. His writing is noted for its ability to capture both the grand sweep of events and the intimate human stories at their core.
Resistance, Revenge and the 2nd SS Panzer Division in France, June 1944
352 pages
13 hours of reading
The narrative delves into a harrowing chapter of World War II, focusing on the efforts of the Resistance, Special Operations Executive (SOE), and Special Air Service (SAS) as they confront the formidable 2nd SS Panzer Division in France. This authoritative history highlights the bravery and strategic maneuvers of these groups during a critical time, shedding light on their struggles and sacrifices against overwhelming odds.
From the #1 bestselling historian Max HastingsThe 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
was the most perilous event in history, when mankind faced a looming nuclear
collision between the United States and Soviet Union. During those weeks, the
world gazed into the abyss of potential annihilation.
The Sunday Times bestseller 'One of the most dramatic forgotten chapters of
the war, as told in a new book by the incomparable Max Hastings' DAILY MAIL
Celebrated for its insightful exploration of contemporary issues, this nonfiction work delves into significant themes and events that shaped 2020. It features a diverse range of voices and perspectives, providing a comprehensive look at the social, political, and cultural landscape of the year. The book not only informs but also challenges readers to reflect on the complexities of modern life, making it an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the pivotal moments of the past year.
"Vietnam became the Western world's most divisive modern conflict, precipitating a battlefield humiliation for France in 1954, then a vastly greater one for the United States in 1975. Max Hastings has spent the past three years interviewing scores of participants on both sides, as well as researching a multitude of American and Vietnamese documents and memoirs, to create an epic narrative of an epic struggle. He portrays the set pieces of Dienbienphu, the 1968 Tet offensive, the air blitz of North Vietnam, and much less familiar miniatures such as the bloodbath at Daido--where a US Marine battalion was almost wiped out--together with extraordinary recollections of Ho Chi Minh's warriors. Here are the vivid realities of strife amid jungle and paddies that killed two million people. Many writers treat the war as a US tragedy, yet Hastings sees it overwhelmingly as one for the Vietnamese people, of whom forty died for every American. US blunders and atrocities were matched by those committed by their enemies. While all the world has seen the image of a screaming, naked girl seared by napalm, it forgets countless eviscerations, beheadings, and murders carried out by the communists. The people of both former Vietnams paid a bitter price for the Northerners' victory in privation and oppression. Here we are given testimony from Vietcong guerrillas, Southern paratroopers, Saigon bar girls, and Hanoi students alongside that of infantrymen from South Dakota, Marines from North Carolina, and Huey pilots from Arkansas. No past volume has blended a political and military narrative of the entire conflict with heart-stopping personal experiences in the fashion that Hastings's readers know so well. The author suggests that neither side deserved to win this struggle, and presents many lessons for the twenty-first century about the misuse of military might to confront intractable political and cultural challenges. In Vietnam, Hastings marshals testimony from warlords and peasants, statesmen and soldiers, to create an extraordinary record"--Back cover
