The U-Boat war is a unique visual record of Hitler`s infamous submarine fleet and a grim account of those that lived, worked and risked their lives stalking the depths of the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas.

The book analyses the development of the U-boat, the recruitment and training, and reveals how the crews tried to destroy essential Allied supplies across the Atlantic and bring Britain to its knees. Using some 250 rare and unpublished photographs together with detailed captions and accompanying text, the book provides an outstanding insight into the various operations and the claustrophobic existence of the crew, where they lived in cramped and often deplorable conditions. It depicts how this potent force became one of the most dominant German fighting units during World War Two, and became such a worry to Allied shipping that even Winston Churchill himself claimed that the `U-boat peril` was the only thing that ever really frightened him during the war.

On their defeat hung the outcome of the war, and through courageous and determined resistance against overwhelming odds the Allies eventually inflicted such catastrophic damage on the U-boats that its losses were too great to continue. Of the 38,000 men that went to sea onboard these deadly vessels, only 8,000 were to survive to tell the tale.

REVIEWS

"...provides an outstanding insight into the various operations and the claustrophobic existence of the crew...'Scale Military Modeler, 03/2009...

Hitler's decision to invade Poland in August 1939 triggered the start of the Second World War. It was also the first demonstration of Blitzkrieg tactics - the ruthless use of armor, mobile infantry and air support.

The brave Polish army, inadequately equipped and inferior in numbers, was overwhelmed by this awesome display of military power as well as being taken by surprise. Official German photographers accompanied the triumphant Nazi forces on their victorious advance which first seized the key part of Danzig and then Warsaw, all within one month. The Crushing of Poland captures the drama and raw aggression of the Campaign in photographs and full captions.

REVIEWS

"best described by its subtitle "Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives"...a great resource for early war German Armor..." IPMS, 9/2009...

Battle in the Baltics 1944 - 1945 is an exclusive insight into the last frantic months of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front 1944 - 1945. From mid-August 1944 there was nothing but a drum-beat of defeats for the German Army as it fought to the grim death to try and hold back the overwhelming might of the Russians from reaching the borders of the Reich. It was in the Baltic`s where Army Group North played a decisive role in trying to stem the rout and preventing the fragile lines from finally being smashed to pieces.

Drawing on a host of rare and unpublished photographs accompanied by in-depth captions, the book provides a revealing insight into the last desperate months of the war. It reveals in detail how the remnants of Army Group North were driven back across a scarred and devastated wasteland to the borders of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, East Prussia and Pomerania. What followed was the Battle of the Baltic`s where exhausted and undermanned German forces fought to almost near extinction against the constant hammer blows of Soviet ground and aerial bombardments.

Everywhere disintegrating German forces tried to cling onto vital ground. Eventually after many precious German Panzer and infantry divisions were encircled and annihilated the remnants of Hitler`s once vaunted force was pushed back through the Baltic states into East Prussia, and then fought to the death in the last few small pockets of land surrounding three ports: Libau in Kurland, Pillau in East Prussia and Danzig at the mouth of the River Vistula. It was here that the final battle of the Baltic`s would take place where German troops were ordered to `stand and fight` and wage an unprecedented battle of attrition....

Road to Destruction' offers a unique visual insight into the climactic Battle of Stalingrad during the autumn and winter of 1942-43. Pushing forward through the southern steppes aiming to capture the vital Caucasian oil fields, before being caught up in some of the most vicious street fighting known in military history, the German 6th Army was bled white and ultimately destroyed.

The author has drawn on a wide selection of rare and mostly previously unpublished photographs accompanied by in-depth captions to provide a superb photographic history of this key turning point in the Second World War. The images reveal the unfolding story, through the hopeful beginnings and major successes at the beginning of operations, as German forces cut a rapid swathe towards the oil fields.

By early autumn 1942, the Germans were seemingly on the brink of success as they reached the banks of the Volga and the vitally important city of Stalingrad. Yet the Red Army dug extremely deep, and relying on grim determination, courage and resourcefulness, fought bitterly. The German advance was slowed to a crawl, as incredibly bitter hand-to-hand fighting took place throughout the city.

The situation for the German troops became worse and worse, winter set in, and with it major Soviet counter-attacks. By late November 1942 the situation was worsening for the Germans fighting at Stalingrad. Completely encircled, Soviet forces slowly closed in as the vicious winter took hold, and the Luftwaffe's air support operations became increasingly ineffective. The remnants of 6th Army surrendered in February, shadows of the troops that had advanced across the steppes the previous summer. In all, the horrendous fighting resulted in more than 1.5 million casualties on both sides.

An important visual record of one of history's greatest and most bitterly fought battles....