Center of Military History (U.S. Army)

It seems silly to give a 45 page pamphlet four stars in a review, but in fact this short work is very clearly written, presents a complex military campaign in concise and comprehensible terms, cites it sources, and provides further reading. So... bravo!

A good collection of photographs designed in part to provide examples of the many pieces of military hardware deployed by the US army in WWII, specifically in North Africa and Italy in 1943 to 1945. The captions are often beyond simple descriptions, and those of landscapes are increasingly valuable as modern developments now obscure the sites photographed. I understand that the kingdom of the Netherlands terraformed the ridge where the battle of Waterloo took place, causing the Duke of show more Wellington to mourn that the battlefield had been altered. While the resulting monument was attractive, he said future explanation of the battle would be considerably obscured by visiting the site. In part this is an attempt to counteract that tendency. show less

These pamphlets are "Historical Studies" in the "German Report Series", published by the Department of the Army, shortly after World War II. These were written by a committee of former German officers and are from the German point of view. During the translation process 'every effort was made to retain the point of view, the expressions, and even the prejudices of the authors'. The translations are excellent.

This particular pamphlet is about warfare in the far north, with particular emphasis show more on Finland and the Arctic Circle. There are chapters on The Climate, The Terrain, Organization and Tactics, and Prospects.

Note, 'akjas' are 'small boat-type Finnish sleds', from DA Pamphlet 20-231: "Combat in Russian Forests and Swamps".

There is one very good foldout map for general reference, but there are no illustrations.

Read from January 5 to 7, 2011. show less

This book provides an overview of the accomplishments of those forgotten heroes who helped produce battlefield victories. It is the story of the Army Service Forces, told through that headquarters; after-action-report, originally published in 1947.