This illustrated volume documents the history of the Nazis, from their roots in World War I and their rise to power in 1933, to the end of the Cold War era and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, using many previously unpublished images of Nazi Germany and World War II. An Illustrated History of the Nazis traces the roots of the movement from the early days of the Weimar Republic, through the rise to power of the charismatic Adolf Hitler, up to the dramatic downfall of Germany in 1945. Extra material follows the aftermath of the war through to the fall of the Berlin Wall at the end of the Cold War, and examines the consequences of the Wehrmacht. Paying particular attention to the holocaust, the policy of 'total war', the state of German society and the systematic use of propaganda and terror, this unique and fascinating book is an essential purchase for the history enthusiast.

'No one can deny Paul Roland is a complete master of his subject.' Colin Wilson, author of A Criminal History of Mankind A rogues gallery of social misfits formed the Nazis' inner circle. They hated and conspired against each other, but were held together by their admiration for the Fu ̈hrer, and step by step they dragged their nation towards the abyss. Drawing on recently discovered documents from the former Soviet archives and first-hand accounts from correspondents who were in Berlin during the desperate days leading up to the outbreak of war, author Paul Roland unravels the web of diplomacy, deceit and double-dealing which Hitler spun to ensure the war he had always wanted. This is the extraordinary true story of the little Austrian corporal with the twisted psyche who rose from obscurity to command the world's most formidable military machine, before destroying himself and the empire he claimed would last a thousand years.

A thought-provoking assessment and documentation of one of the most terrible periods in history - the rise and fall of the Nazi Party.

World War Two was the most devastating conflict in recorded human history. It was both global in extent and total in character. It has understandably left a long and dark shadow across the decades. Yet it is three generations since hostilities formally ended in 1945 and the conflict is now a lived memory for only a few. And this growing distance in time has allowed historians to think differently about how to describe it, how to explain its course, and what subjects to focus on when considering the wartime experience. For instance, as World War Two recedes ever further into the past, even a question as apparently basic as when it began and ended becomes less certain. Was it 1939, when the war in Europe began? Or the summer of 1941, with the beginning of Hitler's war against the Soviet Union? Or did it become truly global only when the Japanese brought the USA into the war at the end of 1941? And what of the long conflict in East Asia, beginning with the Japanese aggression in China in the early 1930s and only ending with the triumph of the Chinese Communists in 1949? In The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two a team of leading historians re-assesses the conflict for a new generation, exploring the course of the war not just in terms of the Allied response but also from the viewpoint of the Axis aggressor states. Under Richard Overy's expert editorial guidance, the contributions take us from the genesis of war, through the action in the major theatres of conflict by land, sea, and air, to assessments of fighting power and military and technical innovation, the economics of total war, the culture and propaganda of war, and the experience of war (and genocide) for both combatants and civilians, concluding with an account of the transition from World War to Cold War in the late 1940s. Together, they provide a stimulating and thought-provoking new interpretation of one of the most terrible and fascinating episodes in world history.

This book presents a unique effort to create a new understanding of the Christian sign of the cross. At its core, it traces the conscious and unconscious influence of this visual symbol through time. What began as the crucifixion of a Jewish troublemaker in Roman-occupied Judea in the first century eventually gave rise to a broad spectrum of readings of the instrument used to accomplish such a punishment, a cross. The author argues that Jesus was a provocative, grandiose masochist whose suffering and death initially signified redemption for believers. This idea gradually morphed into a Christian sense of freedom to persecute and wage war against non-believers, however, as can be seen in the Crusades ("wars of the cross"). Many believers even construed the murder of their savior as a crime perpetrated by "the Jews," and this paranoid notion culminated in the mass murder of European Jews under the sign of the Nazi hooked cross (Hakenkreuz). Rancour-Laferriere's book is expertly written and argued; it will be readable to a large audience because it touches on many areas of controversy, interest, and scholarship. The work is critical, but not unfair; it employs psychoanalysis, art history (the study of the symbol of the cross in works of art), religion and religious texts, and world history generally. The interweaving of these various themes is what gives this work its ability to draw in readers-and will ultimately be what keeps the reader interested through the conclusion.

Bring history to life with more than 40 colourful maps in this children's atlas full of fascinating nuggets of information about our past. This beautiful history atlas helps children learn about world history all the way from the first people leaving Africa right up to how the world looks now, with a modern world map. Journey around the world as you learn its history, with maps showing everything from the awe-inspiring Great Wall of China to the when and how of the US Civil War. Children are shown how to read a map and how to use a key, compass, and scale. Each map is bursting with information, such as how big the Roman Empire was, how explorers made incredible journeys around the world, and when humans first travelled into space. Children's Illustrated History Atlas is an essential addition to every child's library and includes a beautiful illustrated poster. Young history buffs will love this time-travelling adventure.

Django Reinhardt was perhaps the greatest guitarist to ever live. A Gypsy who made his jazz guitar speak with a human voice, he was dashing, charismatic, childish . . . and doomed to die young after creating a legacy of Gypsy Jazz that remains vibrant today. Gypsy Jazz is a music both joyous and sad, timeless and modern. It was born from a marriage of Louis Armstrong s trumpet with the anguished sound of Romany violin and the fire of flamenco guitar. Created amidst the glamour of Jazz Age Paris and reaching a peak during the horrors of World War II, Gypsy Jazz gave a voice to a dispossessed people. Today, Gypsy Jazz is more popular than ever. It has a legacy as strong as the Cuban sounds of the Buena Vista Social Club, the blues of B. B. King, or the R&B of Ray Charles. "Django Reinhardt and the Illustrated History of Gypsy Jazz" is a stylish collection of more than two hundred illustrations telling Django s story and the history of Gypsy jazz. Running through the Paris Jazz Age of the 1920s to the current worldwide renaissance of Gypsy jazz bands (including Django s grandsons, who are playing today), the images include rare archival photographs, modern images, posters, programs, tickets, guitars, memorabilia, paintings, and more. "

The authorised illustrated history of the SAS by the number one bestselling author of Dunkirk, Joshua Levine. With never-before-seen photographs and unheard stories, this is the SAS’s wartime history in vivid and astonishing detail.

The inside story of a uniquely influential horror comic publisher from the 1970s.

The Cambridge Illustrated History of Warfare provides a unique account of Western warfare from antiquity to the present day. The book treats the history of all aspects of the subject: the development of warfare on land, sea and air; weapons and technology; strategy and defence; discipline and intelligence; mercenaries and standing armies; cavalry and infantry; chivalry and blitzkrieg; guerrilla assault and nuclear arsenals. It places in context particular key events in the history of armed engagement, from the Greek victory at Marathon, through the introduction of gunpowder in medieval England and France, to the jungle warfare of Vietnam and the strategic air attacks of the Gulf War. Throughout, there is an emphasis on the socio-economic aspects of military progress: who pays for it, how can its returns be measured, and to what extent does it explain the rise of the West to global dominance over two millennia?