Charles Messenger Livres

The book has ten chapters: the first is an analysis of the build-up to the war, the next seven chapters cover the war itself and the final chapter examines how victory for the USA and the USSR shaped the subsequent history of the 20th century. The chapters are arranged as far as possible to give a clear chronological account of the war as it developed in all theatres, both on the battlefields and on the home front. Each begins with an overview of the situation at the starting point of the chapter. The following sections are each introduced by a timeline of the events covered. The main text is accompanied by maps, feature boxes on many aspects of life during the war, and brief biographies of major personalities. This enhanced version includes 16 additional pages of a gazetteer of World War II memorials, battlefields, and museums

A study that chronicles the evolution of the invasion plan and culminates in a day-by-day account of the landings by sea and by air on the Normandy beaches, followed by the grim six-week struggle to break through the German defences. It features 71 maps in full colour, and many drawing in detail on those used by the Allies in 1944.

A charismatic yet notorious character, Sepp Dietrich the man is impossible to separate from Sepp Dietrich the General, who was awarded twenty-four different honors during his service to the Nazi party and was known for his devotion to his men as he led them through some of the fiercest fighting in the war. In this extensively researched book, historian Charles Messenger attempts to discover the truth about this sparsely documented man, painting a vivid picture of the aggressive war and politics under the Third Reich. From Dietrich’s humble upbringing and his eventual rise to General, to his dissatisfaction with Hitler’s leadership and the trials he faced after the war, Dietrich remains a mysterious figure in history.

Raised in the late summer of 1940 in Egypt, Nos 50, 51 and 52 Middle East commandos played an important role in the war in the Middle East. Accounts of campaigns waged in Eritrea, Abyssinia, the Dodecanese Islands and Crete have been drawn from the memoirs of surviving members of these commando units. Colonel George Young was the commander of No 50 and later No 52 commando units. Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Rose was second in command of the No 50 Commando unit and then of the amalgamated 50/52 unit. Charles Messenger is also the author of "The Commandos 1940-1946".

The first book in the World Generals series chronicles the impressive rise and tragic fall of Hitler's most brilliant military tactician. Modeled on the acclaimed Great Generals series, which features the strategy and legacy of famous American generals, World Generals broadens the scope to include the world's finest military leaders. Each volume will include a foreword by Wesley K. Clark, and be co-edited by a different foreign general who will write an afterword. This exciting new series opens with "The Desert Fox," the most famous German field marshall in World War II, Erwin Rommel. A hero of the people of the Third Reich and widely respected by his opponents, Rommel proved himself highly adept at Blitzkrieg warfare. Both in France and North Africa he consistently outwitted his adversaries through his ability to sense the weak spot in his enemy's deployment and the pace at which he conducted his operations. Rommel's serious wounding in France came just three days before the aborted attempt on Hitler's life. Rommel subsequently came under suspicion of being involved in the plot and, under pressure, he committed suicide. Rommel displayed an outstanding ability to seize the initiative and retain it, and here, Charles Messenger draws on the skills behind this ability for the benefit of modern day leaders.

Uses computer-generated color maps, contemporary photographs, and text by a military historian to provide a day-by-day re-creation of the D-Day invasion and its aftermath.

Provides a concise account of the German attacks on Allied shipping in the Atlantic and the Allied response, including the impact of the events and the personalities, battles, and weapons behind them

The Royal Tank Regiment through the last third of the Cold War, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, the two Gulf Wars, the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan.