new history of the SS

Fuinseog

new history of the SS, or some similar title. very average and contains very little new information and even the photos are the same old ones that have been rehashed for decades.
there is one in particular, a German soldier shooting a mother and child. I heard somewhere, that this photo is actually a fake. like many holocaust photos it is very grainy and out of focus.

Morlar

Fuinseog wrote: »

new history of the SS, or some similar title. very average and contains very little new information and even the photos are the same old ones that have been rehashed for decades.
there is one in particular, a German soldier shooting a mother and child. I heard somewhere, that this photo is actually a fake. like many holocaust photos it is very grainy and out of focus.

That photo is a common fake and has been discussed here and elsewhere many, many times. I am not sure which exact SS Book you are referring to but here is a handy SS division list :

1.SS-Pz.Div. "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler"
2.SS-Pz.Div. "Das Reich"
3.SS-Pz.Div. "Totenkopf"
4.SS-Pol.Pz.Gren.Div.
5.SS-Pz.Div. "Wiking"
6.SS-Geb.Div. "Nord"
7.SS-Freiw.Geb.Div. "Prinz Eugen"
8.SS-Kav.Div. "Florian Geyer"
9.SS-Pz.Div. "Hohenstaufen"
10.SS-Pz.Div. "Frundsberg"

11.SS-Freiw.Pz.Gren.Div. "Nordland"
12.SS-Pz.Div. "Hitler Jugend"
13.Waffen-Geb.Div. der SS "Handschar" (kroatische Nr. 1)
14.Waffen-Gr.Div. der SS (galizische. Nr. 1 auch ukrainische Nr. 1)
15.Waffen-Gr.Div. der SS (lettische Nr. 1)
16.SS-Pz.Gren.Div. "Reichsführer SS"
17.SS-Pz.Gren.Div. "Götz von Berlichingen"
18.SS-Freiw.Pz.Gren.Div. "Horst Wessel"
19.Waffen-Gr.Div. der SS (lettische Nr. 2)
20.Waffen-Gr.Div. der SS (estnische Nr. 1)

21.Waffen-Geb.Div. der SS "Skanderbeg" (albanische Nr. 1)
22.SS-Freiw.Kav.Div. "Maria Theresa"
23.Waffen-Geb.Div. der SS "Kama" (kroatische Nr. 2)
23.SS-Freiw. Pz.Gren. Div. "Nederland" (niederlandische Nr. 1)
24.Waffen-Geb.Karstjäger Div. der SS
25.Waffen-Gr.Div. der SS "Hunyadi" (ungarische Nr. 1)
26. Waffen-Gr. Div. SS "Hungaria" (ungarische Nr. 2)
27.SS-Freiw. Gr. Div. "Langemarck" (flämische Nr. 1)
28.SS-Freiw.Gr. Div. "Wallonien"
29.Waffen-Gr.Div. der SS (russische Nr. 1)
29.Waffen-Gr.Div. der SS (italienische Nr. 1)
30.Waffen-Gr.Div. der SS (weissruthenische Nr. 1; auch russische Nr. 2)

31.SS-Freiw.Gr.Div.
32.SS-Freiw.Gren.Div. "30. Januar"
33.Waffen-Kav.Div. der SS (ungarische Nr. 3)
33.Waffen-Gren.Div. der SS "Charlemagne" (französische Nr. 1)
34.SS-Gren.Div. "Landstorm Nederland" (niederlandische Nr. 2)
35.SS-Polizei-Gren. Div.
36.Waffen-Gren. Div. der SS
37.SS-Freiw.Kav.Div. "Lützow"
38.SS-Gren.Div. "Nibelungen

So my point is any 'History of the SS' book is going to have a challenge to be comprehensive given the timescale and scope of that organisation throughout it's lifetime. Most of what is out there is re-hashed stuff written with next to no primary research or document/archives research, many books are written based on other books so inaccuracies in one can be picked up and repeated over and over and then taken for gospel. There is an author called Mark C Yeager who posts on a couple of forums I use and he at least interviewed veterans attended re-unions and personally knew many of the (commander rank) personalities involved rather than just reading books about them and then writing a book based on the other books. Most of the better books that I have come across concentrate on a single division or better yet a single campaign rather than an 'all in one' potted history.

Two of the strongest I have mentioned elsewhere several times, Max Hastings Das Reich and also James Lucas' Das Reich - two very different books which combined give a reasonably balanced overview.

I'd recommend the following for different reasons. Mostly they are great for uniform reference, campaign or photographic reference material. Some of the stronger photographic books are written with Russian text but have incredible photographs to compensate, some are written in Russian /Polish with English on one page /Russian on the other etc, some are written by veterans or are otherwise worth checking out. If you know where to look you need not spend a fortune on putting together a reasonable starter reference library :


Osprey - Men-at-Arms 401 - The_Waffen-SS 1 1-5 Divisions

Osprey 404 MAA - The Waffen-SS -6. to 10. Divisions

Osprey 415 MAA - The Waffen Ss (3) 11-23 Divisions

[Helion] - Into the Abyss - The Last Years of the Waffen-SS

Concord - 6501 - [Warrior Series] - Waffen-SS (1) Forging An Army 1934-1943 [WWII] {Germany}

Concord - 6502 - [Warrior Series] - Waffen-SS (2) From Glory To Defeat 1943-1945.[WWII].{Germany}

Sutton Publishing. Hitler's Black Order. A History of the SS 1923-45

Uniforms of the SS 1 - Allgemeine SS 1923 - 1945

Western Front-SS Secret Archives - Ian Baxter



SS Totenkopf


К. Манн : SS-TOTENKOPF. История дивизии СС "Мертвая голова", 1940-1945
АСТ | 2005 | Russian | ISBN-10 : 5170321325 | 190 pages | PDF | 47.36 mb


Totenkopf 1939-1943 (Tank Power 290) By Jacek Solarz
Publisher: Wydawnictwo Militaria 2008 | 84 Pages | ISBN: 8372192901 | PDF | 54 MB

Damals: Erinnerungen an Grosse Tage der SS Totenkopf-Division im Franzosischen Feldzug
Chr. Belser Verlag | 1940 | ISBN: N/A | 119 pages | PDF | 109 Mb



SS Leibstandarte


Leibstandarte: Hitler's Elite Bodyguard By Mike Sharpe, Brian Davies
Publisher: Ian Allan Ltd 2002 | 96 Pages | ISBN: 0711029229 | PDF | 25 MB

Р. Батлер - SS-Leibstandarte. История первой дивизии СС "Лейбштандарт". 1933-1945
ACT, ACT Москва, Транзиткнига | 2006 | ISBN: 5170366450, 597132148X, 5957839817 | Russian | 193 pages | PDF | 107.4 MB

(This one in particular is written by a veteran)
Herbert Walther - The 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte: a Documentation in Words and Pictures
Schiffer Publishing | 1989 | ISBN: 0887401651 | 122 pages | PDF | 35.75 MB



SS Das Reich


Das Reich - Battleground Europe: France South West
Pen & Sword Books, 2000 | ISBN: 085052699X | Philip Vickers | 189 pages | 100 MB


Das Reich: Waffen-SS Armoured Elite By Mike Sharpe, Brian L. Davis
Publisher: Ian Allan Ltd 2003 | 96 Pages | ISBN: 071102975X | PDF | 42 MB


SS-Das Reich: The History of the Second SS Division 1939-45 By Gregory Louis Mattson
Publisher: The History Press Ltd 2002 | 192 Pages | ISBN: 1862271445 | PDF | 36 MB

Osprey - Vanguard 007 - 2nd SS Panzer Division 'Das Reich'
Osprey Publishing | 50 pages | Bruce Quarrie | ISBN: 0850451272 | English | PDF | 1979 | 28.5MB

Into the Cauldron: Das Reich in France 1940 (Concord 6533)
Concord | 2009 | ISBN: 9623611692 | 52 Pages | PDF | 24 MB

Into the Cauldron - Das Reich on the Eastern Front (Concord - 6534)
Concord | 2010 | ISBN: 9623611706 | English | 54 Pages | PDF | 21,8 MB



SS Wiking


Р. Батлер - SS-Wiking. История пятой дивизии СС "Викинг". 1941-1945
ACT, ACT Москва, Хранитель | 2006 | ISBN: 517037688X, 5971327933, 5976202926 | Russian | 193 pages | PDF | 34.5 MB


Wiking Historie pate divize SS v letech 1940-1945 By Rupert Butler
Publisher: Svojtka 2003 | 193 Pages | ISBN: 8072377620 | PDF | 103 MB


Wiking 1941 - 1945 (Militaria 186) By Jacek Solarz
Publisher: Wydawnictwo Militaria 2003 | 84 Pages | ISBN: 8372191670 | PDF | 64 MB

SS-Wiking: The History of the Fifth SS Division 1941-45 By Rupert Butler
Publisher: Spellmount Publishers Ltd 2002 | 192 Pages | ISBN: 1932033041 | PDF | 35 MB


Hohenstaufen


Hohenstaufen: 9th SS Panzer Division (Spearhead 20) By Patrick Hook
Publisher: Ian Allan Publishing 2006 | 96 Pages | ISBN: 0711030642 | PDF | 19 MB

Dr Strange

Don't forget the forerunner of Totenkopf as well:

SS-Heimwehr Danzig (SS Home Defence Danzig)

More:

SS Heimwehr Danzig

Here's a good book on it:

http://www.amazon.com/Ss-Heimwehr-Danzig-1939-Ephemeral-Paramilitary/dp/1899765018

Tony EH

The best introductory book I've read on the SS is Gordon Williamson's 'The SS: Hitler's Instrument of Terror', which despite the hyperbolic title is one of the most objective books on the subject I've seen.

'Loyalty is my Honour' is a fine companion piece too and features words from the men of the SS themselves, with some surprising views.

Morlar

Here is another good one

'Wenn alle Bruder schweigen'

http://www.amazon.com/When-brothers-silent-Bruder-schweigen/dp/3920677064

http://cgi.ebay.de/ALLE-BRUDER-SCHWEIGEN-ENGLISH-HC-DJ-NEW-/390220651610?pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item5adaf69c5a


If anyone finds a hardback English or German version at a good price let me know (seriously)

Fuinseog

Morlar wrote: »

Here is another good one

'Wenn alle Bruder schweigen'


If anyone finds a hardback English or German version at a good price let me know (seriously)

the above is direct from the horses mouth. rupert butler wrote a few books in the eighties. more detaled information has since come to light.

marcsignal

Morlar wrote: »

Here is another good one'Wenn alle Bruder schweigen'

Outstanding book, had a long loan of it when I was living in Munich a few years back. You can get a copy Here, along with some other similar publications about the Waffen SS.

'Wenn alle Bruder schweigen' is expensive, but more of an investment than a purchase really imo, and well worth the money in that respect.

Got a copy of this one on the same site. It's well written from the German perspective, with some great training photographs.

All of them are written in English and German.

.

Benito

I don't like this thread

citizen_p

Benito wrote: »

I don't like this thread

any reason why? It's a good asset to those interested in the history, to sort out the good books from the "crap" and maybe save a bit of money.

History is History, good or bad, and history should not be forgotten


about the photo bit in the first post, yes images were used by both sides and forged, some civilians were shot but the particular photo you mention was a fake and i think its in the ww2 images thread, now back on track, dont want this good refrence thread decending into a mindless debate.

Benito

Mousey- wrote: »

any reason why? It's a good asset to those interested in the history, to sort out the good books from the "crap" and maybe save a bit of money.

History is History, good or bad, and history should not be forgotten


about the photo bit in the first post, yes images were used by both sides and forged, some civilians were shot but the particular photo you mention was a fake and i think its in the ww2 images thread, now back on track, dont want this good refrence thread decending into a mindless debate.

You're quite correct. I don't readily read military histories of late, I'm finding them boring. Another SS history....What's new? Maybe I'm getting old but, I'm no longer interested in their professionalism, equipment, victories and defeats, even 'heroic' defeats (any defeat of the SS was heroic for those that defeated them and the same goes for the rest of the German Army in my opinion) These guys were nasty. If you've read this new one, maybe you might point out another angle that might interest me.

Thanks

Artur.PL

But good to know history of your enemy

History is History, good or bad, and history should not be forgotten

very true.