History and Archaeology

At once an examination of gender ideology in the Third Reich, a history of women in uniform as photographic theme, and an analysis of the functions of wartime photography, The Woman in My Uniform compiles  original Third Reich photos of German women wearing men's military uniforms—often their husband's, boyfriend's, or family member's—nearly all never before published. Photography, especially port

Tank design bureaus first became involved in the development of very heavy tanks after WWI. In addition to the militaries of Germany and England, the Soviet Union was also fascinated by these monsters. Behind it was the concept of transferring the heavy armament of naval warfare to land warfare. These superheavy vehicles were to move across the land the way battleships moved on the sea, and were t

This unique volume in the U-boat Aces series features the three German naval captains—Karl-Heinz Moehle, Reinhard Hardegen, and Horst von Schroeter—who commanded the U-123, a type IXB U-boat. In 12 patrols and 720 days at sea during its four-year WWII combat career, U-123 sank an incredible 44 Allied merchant and warships, ranking it with the third-most U-boat sinkings. Moehle, the first commander

The Mil Mi-24 Soviet/Russian gunship and attack helicopter has been in continuous combat service since its first appearance in the early 1970s. Its impressive performance, ability to transport fully armed troops, and imposing armament soon earned the Mi-24 the nickname “Crocodile” and have made the big helicopter an opponent that is still feared to this day. The Mi-24’s technical, developmental, a

Closed in 1949, the Sukhoi Design Bureau was reborn in 1953 to meet an urgent demand for a fast interceptor that would counter the threat posed by NATO bombers. It wasted no time developing a succession of missile-armed, Mach 2 interceptors characterized by delta wings; the single-engined Su-9 entered service in 1960, followed by the up-armed Su-11 in 1964 and the twin-engined Su-15 in 1967. Thoug

This second of two volumes on American landing craft of World War II focuses on the larger LCT, LSM, LCS(L)(3), and LST vessels that transported tanks and heavy equipment to the shores of North Africa and Normandy and throughout the Pacific. The need for massive numbers of landing craft capable of disgorging huge numbers of troops and equipment was predicted by the US Army in 1940. Later, the Brit

This book provides a unique, illustrated history of the US Navy Fighter Weapons School’s 50-year history. Currently located at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, TOPGUN was formed in late 1968 at Naval Air Station Miramar, California, to create a graduate-level course in fighter tactics for Navy pilots deploying to Vietnam. Before TOPGUN, Navy F-4 Phantom II fighter crews in Vietnam managed only a

Rangers Led the Way is a collection of interviews from 20 Rangers who fought in Europe during WWII, including the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Ranger Battalions. The book also includes historical context so the actions described in the interviews can be understood as part of the larger war. Within a year after the fateful attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the US military understood the need for Speci

A complex and contradictory graffiti culture has been brewing over the last few decades in one of the least expected settings—China’s capital. Through an unparalleled collection of one local photographer’s images, as well as interviews with 25 prolific artists, see how Beijing has developed its graffiti movement against the backdrop of the once-secluded nation’s rise to global economic might. Whil

In January 1943, when the "U.S. Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, M3" was officially adopted, it was a step into the future of weapons-manufacturing technology. In absolute contrast to the milled, high-quality Thompson models, the M3 was almost completely made from sheet metal. Many soldiers mockingly called it "Grease Gun," owing to its visual similarity to the mechanic's tool, but it soon gained a fi

The M3 Lee was America's first mass-produced combat tank. Its unusual configuration of hull-mounted 75 mm gun and turret-mounted 37 mm cannon was a result of the rush to get the vehicle in production following Nazi Germany's rapid advances in Europe. Following heavy British tank losses in France, the Commonwealth turned to the US to bolster their tank stocks, and the M3 was adapted, through the us

Powered by a massive Ford V-8 engine, the M4A3 Sherman was the standard tank of the US Army during the later stages of WWII, as well as the Korean War. The M4A3 was also supplied to the Marines during WWII, when the Corps faced a shortage of their preferred M4A2. The M4A3 was used by both services during the Korean War and was supplied in large numbers to Allied nations during the post-WWII rebuil

The March 1965 landing of the US Marine Corps at Da Nang, South Vietnam, marked the first large-scale deployment of US forces to the region. From then on, the Marine Corps fought continuously until May 1975, when two Marines became the last US servicemen killed in that war during the Mayaguez battle. With over 200 archival photos, many never before published, the weapons, vehicles, and equipment o

The McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II—vertical/short takeoff and landing (VSTOL)—is the US Marine Corps’ current frontline close-air-support aircraft. A variant of the famed British Aerospace Harrier II, the AV-8B is noted for its ability to hover in place, ideal for operating on smaller carriers and in less-than-ideal landing zones. This book provides a concise overview of VSTOL capabilities and

The North American B-25 Mitchell is WWII’s most heralded and versatile medium bomber. Volume 1 (of two) gives the reader a concise illustrated look at the A through D models and follows the bomber’s genesis from the formation of the North American Company and its early steps toward the development of the NA-40, the first B-25. The continued evolution of the Mitchell from the A, B, C, and finally t

Masquerading as a civilian airliner during the mid-1930s, the Heinkel He 111 medium-range bomber saw its first combat in 1936 with Germany’s Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. The initial stages of World War II confirmed the design’s prominent role in advancing the German blitzkrieg in Poland and France. However, it was during the 1940–41 air battles over Britain that the type’s defensive

Ferdinand Porsche was an Austrian engineer born in 1875. In the interwar period, Ferdinand founded an automotive consultation firm, which gradually grew into today's Porsche AG automotive company. Porsche's firm was responsible for the design of the "Volkswagen," a simple model known today as the Beetle. During the Second World War, Porsche's firm played an important role in designing military veh

WWII ended, legal reckoning began. At least 100 former Trawniki guards were investigated, arrested, and tried in the postwar period, mostly in the Soviet Union. Dozens were sentenced to death and executed. Others received 25 years' imprisonment in Soviet gulags. In 1955, a general amnesty caused all those imprisoned to be released. Nevertheless, in the 1960s, many were retried in “group” trials, r

A moving and joyful celebration of not only survival but also resilience and joy, expressed through 90 black-and-white portraits of Holocaust survivors and personal stories of their postwar lives.The survivors, many photographed with their family members, share lessons they have learned and pass on the wisdom that comes from building a life of one's choosing out of the wreckage of despair. Van Sis

Introduced in 1941, the Short Stirling was the Royal Air Force’s first four-engine heavy bomber of the Second World War. However, early on, the Stirling’s performance was compromised by several issues: a reduced wingspan, which resulted in serious limitations on maximum altitude capability; the two-stage landing gear proved to be dangerously frail; and the bomb-bay design proved incapable of carry