Charles Messenger Book order

A vivid re-creation of the D-Day invasion and its aftermath, told through detailed maps, authoritative text by a noted military historian and contemporary photographs. This powerful study chronicles the evolution of the invasion plan and culminates in a day-by-day account of the landings by sea and by air on the Normandy beaches, followed by the grim six-week struggle to break through the German defences. An important feature is the space devoted to the German point of view, based on the latest archival research, and the organization of the French Resistance in northern and western France. At the heart of the book are 71 maps in full colour, many drawing in detail on those used by the Allies in 1944. Specially commissioned reconstruction drawings and contemporary photographs help bring the beaches and bocage of Normandy to life.

Photographic history of the POW camp that inspired the film The Great Escape.

The Royal Tank Regiment through the last third of the Cold War, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, the two Gulf Wars, the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The definitive and thrilling history of those who wore the famous green beret.

A study that chronicles the evolution of the invasion plan and culminates in a day-by-day account of the landings by sea and by air on the Normandy beaches, followed by the grim six-week struggle to break through the German defences. It features 71 maps in full colour, and many drawing in detail on those used by the Allies in 1944.

Brigadier General Frank Crozier (1879-1937) was a highly controversial figure in his day. As a young soldier he saw active service in the Boer War and West Africa before being forced to leave the Army because of financial irresponsibility. On the outbreak of war he became second-in-command of a battalion in 36th Ulster Division, becoming its commanding officer in autumn 1915 and leading it in action on 1 July 1916. He commanded a brigade with much success for the rest of the war. After the war he was moved around in the bureaucracy, but could never hold a position for long. After being made bankrupt for a second time, he was involved in the League of Nations Union and then turned to pacifism, becoming a founder member of the Peace Pledge Union. By now he had, through his writings, become a thorn in the side of the Establishment.

The first book in the World Generals series chronicles the impressive rise and tragic fall of Hitler's most brilliant military tactician. Modeled on the acclaimed Great Generals series, which features the strategy and legacy of famous American generals, World Generals broadens the scope to include the world's finest military leaders. Each volume will include a foreword by Wesley K. Clark, and be co-edited by a different foreign general who will write an afterword. This exciting new series opens with "The Desert Fox," the most famous German field marshall in World War II, Erwin Rommel. A hero of the people of the Third Reich and widely respected by his opponents, Rommel proved himself highly adept at Blitzkrieg warfare. Both in France and North Africa he consistently outwitted his adversaries through his ability to sense the weak spot in his enemy's deployment and the pace at which he conducted his operations. Rommel's serious wounding in France came just three days before the aborted attempt on Hitler's life. Rommel subsequently came under suspicion of being involved in the plot and, under pressure, he committed suicide. Rommel displayed an outstanding ability to seize the initiative and retain it, and here, Charles Messenger draws on the skills behind this ability for the benefit of modern day leaders.

A dramatic new illustrated account of the most destructive war the world has ever seen.

A charismatic yet notorious character, Sepp Dietrich the man is impossible to separate from Sepp Dietrich the General, who was awarded twenty-four different honors during his service to the Nazi party and was known for his devotion to his men as he led them through some of the fiercest fighting in the war. In this extensively researched book, historian Charles Messenger attempts to discover the truth about this sparsely documented man, painting a vivid picture of the aggressive war and politics under the Third Reich. From Dietrich’s humble upbringing and his eventual rise to General, to his dissatisfaction with Hitler’s leadership and the trials he faced after the war, Dietrich remains a mysterious figure in history.

This is the ultimate single-volume reference on World War II. This large format book details all the battles and campaigns, from Germany's blitzkrieg of Poland in 1939 to the surrender of Japan after the world's first deployment of nuclear weapons. The authoritative text represents the latest research, and also included are numerous easy reference charts, graphs, tables, and maps. Packed with over 600 b/w and color photographs.