War Without Garlands: Operation Barbarossa 1941-1942 [Paperback]

Robert Kershaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2001

A major component of the tactical air power that gave such magnificent air cover to Allied troops as they battled their way from Normandy to the Rhine and beyond was the medium bomber force of the 9th Air Force. The build-up of the various squadrons, their deployment and operations are detailed here. Appendices record code letters and bases for each squadron. 148 black/white photos. 156 pages. Hardback

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert Kershaw joined the Parachute Regiment in 1972 after graduating in History at Reading University, reaching the rank of Colonel. In between Regimental service he attended the Fuhrungsakademie - the German Staff College - at Hamburg and later spent a number of years with NATO and the Bundeswehr. He has seen active service during a number of tours of Northern Ireland, with the US VII Corps during the Gulf War and in Bosnia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: Ian Allan Publishing (September 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0711033242
• ISBN-13: 978-0711033245
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.8 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #234,714 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, February 22, 2009

By 

Falk (Oslo, Norway) - See all my reviews

This review is from: War Without Garlands: Operation Barbarossa 1941-1942 (Paperback)

This book is really great, an almost essential read for anyone interested in the Eastern front in particular, or WW2 warfare on the personal level in general.
It is well written and easy to read, and thoroughly researched ( as with the author`s other excellent books).

This book does not contain a comprehensive military history of Barbarossa, rather it traces the major actions during the first 6 months, bringing the story alive with numerous personal accounts taken from diaries, letters as well as from interviews.
The majority of these sources are German (not unnaturally, as victorious armies tend to leave behind more pictures and accounts than retreating ones). But Russian experiences are included, and helps balance the story.

Among the many highlights, it was very interesting to read more details about the bitter fighting for Brest-Litovsk, this being an example of the many battles which broke the tempo of the Blitzkrieg. And even though the Germans were victorius in these battles, the time lost and the heavy casualties suffered in the process caused, in the author`s words, the Ostheer to "victor itself to death"

I cannot really find anything negative to say, it is a great read and excellent value for money.

Strongly recommended!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting take on the conflict, January 30, 2009

By 

B. Nicolai Olsen (Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: War Without Garlands: Operation Barbarossa 1941-1942 (Paperback)

Kershaw's book on Operation Barbarossa is a pretty good introduction to the topic. It highlights some of the problems the German army ran into on their way to Moscow, the heart of darkness they failed to reach.

Kershaw makes good use of personal accounts, drawing from both published and unpublished memoirs and letters; primarily German ones as is usually the case with books on the eastern front, but he throws in the occasional Soviet take to spice things up. A more balanced mix would have netted the book another star.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars War without Garlands, January 30, 2010

By 

J. Bunck "Eastern Front Guy" (Wichita) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: War Without Garlands: Operation Barbarossa 1941-1942 (Paperback)

Great Book! Gives the reader not only an historical overview of the Barbarossa campaign, but also first hand accounts of some of the German participants in the campaign. I would highly recommend it for both the novice and for the seasoned reader of the Eastern Front.