'Kershaw's book is a welcome rebalancing; a thoughtful, well-researched and well-written contribution to a narrative that has long been too one-sided and too mired in national mythology.' The Times The British evacuation from the beaches of the small French port town of Dunkirk is one of the iconic moments of military history. The battle has captured the popular imagination through LIFE magazine photo spreads, the fiction of Ian McEwan and, of course, Christopher Nolan's hugely successful Hollywood blockbuster. But what is the German view of this stunning Allied escape? Drawing on German interviews, diaries and unit post-action reports, Robert Kershaw creates a page-turning history of a battle that we thought we knew. Dünkirchen 1940 is the first major history on what went wrong for the Germans at Dunkirk. As supreme military commander, Hitler had seemingly achieved a miracle after the swift capitulation of Holland and Belgium, but with just seven kilometres before the panzers captured Dunkirk – the only port through which the trapped British Expeditionary force might escape – they came to a shuddering stop. Only a detailed interpretation of the German perspective – historically lacking to date – can provide answers as to why. Dünkirchen 1940 delves into the under-evaluated major German miscalculation both strategically and tactically that arguably cost Hitler the war. Read more

Before 1871, Germany was not yet a nation but simply an idea. Otto von Bismarck had a formidable task at hand. How would he bring thirty-nine individual states under the yoke of a single Kaiser? Once united, could the young European nation wield enough power to rival the empires of Britain and France – all without destroying itself in the process? In a unique study of five decades that changed the course of modern history, Katja Hoyer tells the story of the German Empire from its violent beginnings to its calamitous defeat in the First World War. This often-startling narrative is a dramatic tale of national self-discovery, social upheaval and realpolitik that ended, as it started, in blood and iron. Read more

Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku made a vow to smile every day and believed he was the ‘happiest man on earth’. In his inspirational memoir, he paid tribute to those who were lost by telling his story and sharing his wisdom.‘Eddie looked evil in the eye and met it with joy and kindness . . . [his] philosophy is life-affirming’ – Daily ExpressLife can be beautiful if you make it beautiful. It is up to you.Eddie Jaku always considered himself a German first, a Jew second. He was proud of his country. But all of that changed in November 1938, when he was beaten, arrested and taken to a concentration camp.Over the next seven years, Eddie faced unimaginable horrors every day, first in Buchenwald, then in Auschwitz, then on a Nazi death march. He lost family, friends, his country.The Happiest Man on Earth is a powerful, heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful memoir of how happiness can be found even in the darkest of times.'I have never met Eddie Jaku, but having read his book I feel like I have made a new friend . . . This is a beautiful book by a truly amazing man' - The Daily Telegraph Read more

THE TIME NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR | #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"Powerful and timely ... I cannot recommend it strongly enough" - Barack ObamaBeyond race or class, our lives are defined by a powerful, unspoken system of divisions. In Caste, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson provides a profound, eye-opening portrait of this hidden phenomenon. This is the story of how our world was shaped by caste, and how its rigid, arbitrary hierarchies still divide us today. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people--including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball's Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others--she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways we can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity. 'Required reading for all of humanity' Oprah Winfrey"If you haven't read it yet, you absolutely must." - Edward Enninful, Vogue'An instant American classic' Dwight Garner, The New York Times Read more

Exam Board: EdexcelLevel: GCSESubject: HistoryFirst teaching: September 2016First exams: Summer 2018Series Editor: Angela LeonardThis Student Book:covers the essential content in the new specification in an engaging way, using detailed narrative, sources, timelines, key words, helpful activities and extension material uses the 'Thinking Historically' approach and activities to help develop conceptual understanding of areas such as evidence, interpretations, causation and change, through targeted activities has 'Writing Historically' features that focus on the writing skills most important to historical success. This literacy support uses the proven Grammar for Writing approach used in many English departments includes lots of exam guidance, with practice questions, sources, sample answers and tips to support preparation for GCSE assessments. * These resources have not yet been endorsed. This information is correct as of 31st July 2015, but may be subject to change. You do not have to purchase any resources to deliver our qualification. Read more

National Book Award Winner: The definitive account of Nazi Germany and “one of the most important works of history of our time” (The New York Times).   When the Third Reich fell, it fell swiftly. The Nazis had little time to destroy their memos, their letters, or their diaries. William L. Shirer’s sweeping account of the Third Reich uses these unique sources, combined with his experience living in Germany as an international correspondent throughout the war.  The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich earned Shirer a National Book Award and continues to be recognized as one of the most important and authoritative books about the Third Reich and Nazi Germany ever written. The diaries of propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, as well as evidence and other testimony gained at the Nuremberg Trials, could not have found more artful hands.   Shirer gives a clear, detailed, and well-documented account of how it was that Adolf Hitler almost succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is a chilling and illuminating portrait of mankind’s darkest hours.   “A monumental work.” —Theodore H. White Read more

'A devastating new account..Holland knows his stuff when it comes to military matters' Daily Mail, Book of the Week'A superb account of the invasion that deserves immense praise. To convey the human drama of Normandy requires great knowledge and sensitivity. Holland has both in spades' The Times________________Renowned World War Two historian James Holland presents an entirely new perspective on one of the most important moments in recent history, unflinchingly examining the brutality and violence that characterised the campaign.D-Day and the 76 days of bitter fighting in Normandy that followed have come to be seen as a defining episode in the Second World War. Its story has been endlessly retold, and yet it remains a narrative burdened by both myth and assumed knowledge.In this reexamined history, James Holland presents a broader overview, one that challenges much of what we think we know about D-Day and the Normandy campaign. The sheer size and scale of the Allies' war machine ultimately dominates the strategic, operational and tactical limitations of the German forces.Drawing on unseen archives and testimonies from around the world and introducing a cast of eye-witnesses including foot soldiers, tank men, fighter pilots and more, James Holland's epic telling profoundly recalibrates our understanding of its true place in the tide of human history.The new, sweeping World War II book from James Holland, THE SAVAGE STORM, is available now. Read more

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER The Nazis spared their lives because they were twins.In the summer of 1944, Eva Mozes Kor and her family arrived at Auschwitz.Within thirty minutes, they were separated. Her parents and two older sisters were taken to the gas chambers, while Eva and her twin, Miriam, were herded into the care of the man who became known as the Angel of Death: Dr. Josef Mengele. They were 10 years old.While twins at Auschwitz were granted the 'privileges' of keeping their own clothes and hair, they were also subjected to Mengele's sadistic medical experiments. They were forced to fight daily for their own survival and many died as a result of the experiments, or from the disease and hunger rife in the concentration camp.In a narrative told simply, with emotion and astonishing restraint, The Twins of Auschwitz shares the inspirational story of a child's endurance and survival in the face of truly extraordinary evil.Also included is an epilogue on Eva's incredible recovery and her remarkable decision to publicly forgive the Nazis. Through her museum and her lectures, she dedicated her life to giving testimony on the Holocaust, providing a message of hope for people who have suffered, and worked toward goals of forgiveness, peace, and the elimination of hatred and prejudice in the world.Sunday Times bestseller in August 2020. Read more

'A devastating new account..Holland knows his stuff when it comes to military matters' Daily Mail, Book of the Week'A superb account of the invasion that deserves immense praise. To convey the human drama of Normandy requires great knowledge and sensitivity. Holland has both in spades' The Times________________Renowned World War Two historian James Holland presents an entirely new perspective on one of the most important moments in recent history, unflinchingly examining the brutality and violence that characterised the campaign.D-Day and the 76 days of bitter fighting in Normandy that followed have come to be seen as a defining episode in the Second World War. Its story has been endlessly retold, and yet it remains a narrative burdened by both myth and assumed knowledge.In this reexamined history, James Holland presents a broader overview, one that challenges much of what we think we know about D-Day and the Normandy campaign. The sheer size and scale of the Allies' war machine ultimately dominates the strategic, operational and tactical limitations of the German forces.Drawing on unseen archives and testimonies from around the world and introducing a cast of eye-witnesses including foot soldiers, tank men, fighter pilots and more, James Holland's epic telling profoundly recalibrates our understanding of its true place in the tide of human history.The new, sweeping World War II book from James Holland, THE SAVAGE STORM, is available now. Read more

'The narrative is compelling and deeply moving, blending the suspense of a wartime espionage thriller with the profound depth of spiritual discourse. Corrie's account of her and her family's efforts to hide Jews, their subsequent arrest by the Gestapo, and the harrowing experiences in concentration camps, including Ravensbrück, are recounted with honesty and emotional depth. The story is not just about the darkness of humanity during war but also about hope, forgiveness, and the indomitable strength of faith.' Reader review є є є є є As the Nazis sweep across Europe, a quiet watchmaker's family in Holland risk everything for the sake of others, and for the love of Christ. Despite the danger and threat of discovery, the ten Boom family courageously offer shelter to persecuted Jews during the Nazi occupation of Holland. When a trap brings about the family's arrest, they are tested to the limit. Can God's love shine through, even after the horrors of Ravensbrück?Join the millions who have been inspired by Corrie and her family, who were able to save many of God's chosen people, and find courage in the capacity of God's love to overcome, heal, and restore. Read more

THE GRIPPING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'A vastly entertaining tale, bursting with astonishing stories and extraordinary characters ... A fascinating read' Sunday Telegraph'Brilliant ... An amazing story, one I hadn't heard too much about' Dan SnowIT IS THE DEPTHS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR.The Germans like to boast that there is 'no escape' from the infamous fortress that is Colditz.The elite British officers imprisoned there are determined to prove the Nazis wrong and get back into the war.As the war heats up and the stakes are raised, the Gestapo plant a double-agent inside the prison in a bid to uncover the secrets of the British prisoners. Captain Julius Green of the Army Dental Corps and Sergeant John 'Busty' Brown must risk their lives in a bid to save the lives of hundreds of Allied servicemen and protect the secrets of MI9.Drawn from unseen records, The Traitor of Colditz brings to light an extraordinary, never-before-told story from the Second World War, an epic tale of how MI9 took on the Nazis and exposed the traitors in their midst. Read more

'War as it should be described - ordinary men facing extraordinary horror' The Times'Epic and moving...Holland brings this cramped universe vividly to life' Daily Telegraph'Does not disappoint... Holland takes us down to the individual's experience' Times Literary Supplement______From the bestselling author of Normandy '44 and Sicily '43, a brilliant new history of the last days of the war.It took a certain type of courage to serve in a tank in the Second World War. Encased in steel, surrounded by highly explosive shells, a big and slow-moving target, every crew member was utterly vulnerable to enemy attack from all sides. Living - and dying - in a tank was a brutal way to fight a war.The Sherwood Rangers were one of the great tank regiments. They had learned their trade the hard way, in the burning deserts of North Africa. From D-Day onwards, they were in the thick of the action til the war's end. They and their Sherman tanks covered thousands of miles and endured some of the fiercest fighting in Western Europe. Their engagements stretch from the Normandy beaches to the bridges at Eindhoven. They were the first British unit into Germany, grinding across the Siegfried Line and on into the Nazi heartland.Through compelling eye-witness testimony and James Holland's expert analysis, Brothers In Arms brings to vivid life the final bloody scramble across Europe and gives the most powerful account to date of what it was really like to fight in the dying days of World War Two.The new, sweeping World War II book from James Holland, THE SAVAGE STORM, is available now. Read more

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ‘Epic, moving and important’ ROBERT HARRIS'I'm not sure I've ever come across quite such a revelatory account of the Holocaust and yet despite the horror and the sadness it's also a 'memoir of miraculous survival'. I can't recommend it enough' ANTHONY HOROWITZ'A modern classic’ OBSERVER‘An unforgettable epic of a book’ DAILY MAILFrom longstanding political columnist and commentator Daniel Finkelstein, a powerful memoir exploring both his mother and his father’s devastating experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during the Second World War.Daniel’s mother Mirjam Wiener was the youngest of three daughters born in Germany to Alfred and Margarete Wiener. Alfred, a decorated hero from the Great War, is now widely acknowledged to have been the first person to recognise the existential danger Hitler posed to the Jews and began, in 1933, to catalogue in detail Nazi crimes. After moving his family to Amsterdam, he relocated his library to London and was preparing to bring over his wife and children when Germany invaded the Netherlands. Before long, the family was rounded up, robbed and sent to starve in Bergen-Belsen.Daniel’s father Ludwik was born in Lwów, the only child of a prosperous Jewish family. In 1939, after Hitler and Stalin carved up Poland, Ludwik’s father was arrested and sentenced to hard labour in the Gulag. Meanwhile, deported to Siberia and working as a slave labourer on a collective farm, Ludwik survived the freezing winters in a tiny house he built from cow dung.Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad is a deeply moving, personal and at times horrifying memoir about Finkelstein’s parents’ experiences at the hands of the two genocidal dictators of the twentieth century. It is a story of persecution; survival; and the consequences of totalitarianism told with the almost unimaginable bravery of two ordinary families shining through.‘Danny Finkelstein has written an elegant, moving account of the history of one family, and in doing so shines light on the history of the 20th century. If you want to understand Hitler and Stalin, read this book about people whose lives were upended by both of them’ ANNE APPLEBAUM, author of Gulag: A History, winner of the Pulitzer PrizeDaniel Finkelstein's book 'Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2023-06-26. Read more

Investigates the history and evolving appearance of the ‘Grossdeutschland’ Division, the German Army’s premier combat unit during World War II. Featuring eight pages of original artwork and carefully chosen photographs depicting personalities, uniforms, insignia and personal equipment, this is the absorbing story of the German Army’s elite ‘fire brigade’ during 1939–45. The unit began its life as an elite guard detachment; expanded to regimental size in 1939, it saw action in France in 1940 and Yugoslavia in 1941 before participating in the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union. Reinforced to divisional status, ‘Grossdeutschland’ fought on the Eastern Front in 1942–44, notably at Rzhev in late 1942 and Kharkov in early 1943. Refitted and redesignated a Panzergrenadier-Division, ‘Grossdeutschland’ played a key role in the battle of Kursk in July 1943, before acting as the Wehrmacht’s ‘fire brigade’ in 1943–44. In late 1944, ‘Grossdeutschland’ was expanded to Panzerkorps status, Panzergrenadier-Division ‘Brandenburg’ taking the field alongside Panzer-Division ‘Grossdeutschland’. Further units joined the order of battle, the Führerbegleit-Brigade fighting in the Ardennes in 1944–45 before also being redesignated a division. All of these campaigns are covered in this book, which charts the evolving appearance of this elite formation over nearly six years of brutal warfare. Read more

‘An astonishing record...There is no other wartime diary that can match the scope of these diaries’ James Holland‘An outstanding contribution to the literature of the Second World War’Professor Gary SheffieldFrom the outbreak of war in September 1939 to the smouldering ruins of Berlin in 1945, via Tobruk, El Alamein, D-Day and the crossing of the Rhine, An Englishman at War is a unique first-person account of the Second World War. Stanley Christopherson’s regiment, the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, went to war as amateurs and ended up one of the most experienced, highly trained and most valued armoured units in the British Army. A junior officer at the beginning of the war, Christopherson became the commanding officer of the regiment soon after the D-Day landings. What he and his regiment witnessed presents a unique overview of one of the most cataclysmic events in world history and gives an extraordinary insight, through tragedy and triumph, into what it felt like to be part of the push for victory. Read more

THE FIRST AUTHORITATIVE ACCOUNT OF THE HOLOCAUST FOR 30 YEARSTwo fundamental questions about the Holocaust must be asked:How did it happen? And why? More completely than any other single work of history yet published, Laurence Rees's Holocaust definitively answers them.____________________'Rees provides an exemplary account of how the greatest crime in modern history came about' The Times'Rees has distilled 25 years of research into this compelling study, the finest single-volume account of the Holocaust . . . demands to be read' Saul David, Telegraph'By far the clearest book ever written about the Holocaust' Antony Beevor Read more

The instant Sunday Times and Amazon charts bestseller"I found myself in the Auschwitz stables, and I felt an ember of hope. If I could make myself useful, helping these horses, maybe I could stay alive."In the darkest moment of history, one child found the courage and strength to survive the unimaginable. This is Henry's true story.One hot, humid day in July, 1944, the Gestapo abducted fifteen-year-old Henry and his mother, forcing them onto cramped cattle cars in the Lódz Polish Ghetto. Like so many Jews before them, they had been selected to disappear - they were being sent to Auschwitz. Exhausted after hours of traveling, they finally emerged from the stifling, filth-ridden cattle car. Already devastated at having lost his father to starvation, Henry clutched his mother's frail hand, knowing she was all he had left in the world, and that he was the only one left to protect her. In a flash, he felt them being brutally torn apart. Crying out for her, his heart shuddered as he watched her disappear into a sea of other women. Henry knew that was the last time he would ever see her, and he felt like he had failed her. He was now completely alone in the world.Starving, and close to giving up all hope, Henry volunteered to work in the stables, responsible for breeding horses for the war effort. As he watched other prisoners leave and never return, Henry quickly realised these horses were his only lifeline - because every morning he was sent to the stables, was one more morning he escaped the gas chambers. Before long, caring for the horses became a passion, and their comfort and strength gave Henry a glimmer of life and hope in an ocean of death. Although with every second that passed, Henry knew if he became too weak or made one mistake, he would be mercilessly replaced...This is the heart-wrenching and inspirational true account of a courageous little German boy who, against all odds, after losing almost everything a human being can lose, survived to tell his story.This book was originally published as The Kindness of the Hangman.'Heartbreaking. Eye opening. Tear jerking... kept having to tell myself that this was a real account of the Holocaust.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'Phenomenal... I learned more about the Holocaust than anything I have read in the past... I can't express how much this book affected me.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 'Inspiring book - a Must Read!!' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'Spellbinding... I could not put this book down. The events are recorded in a human voice, not the history book version. I learned so much that was left out of my history books.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'A truly amazing story.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'A moving and powerful story of survival.'Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'Brought me to tears.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'An incredible story. Once I started reading, I couldn't put this down.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'Amazing story. One that needs to be told over and over to the next generations.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'Riveting, couldn't put it down. An amazing and heart wrenching recollection of unimaginable events. What an inspiring story of bravery, perseverance and finding the will to go on.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'I could not put the book down... will make you appreciate everything that you have in this world.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'I have never written an amazon review BEFORE finishing a book, but I'm doing it today... it is direct, evocative, and emotionally impossible to deal with all at once. IMO if you want to read about the Holocaust from a survivor, you owe it to yourself to read this book.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Read more

A new and definitive account of the German invasion of Poland that initiated WWII in 1939, written by a historian at the height of his abilities.'Deeply researched, very well-written... This book will be the standard work on the subject for many years to come' - Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with DestinyThe Polish campaign is the forgotten story of the Second World War.The war began on 1 September 1939, when German tanks, trucks and infantry crossed the Polish border, and the Luftwaffe began bombing Poland's towns and cities. The Polish army fought bravely but could not withstand the concentrated attack. When the Red Army invaded from the east, the country's fate was sealed.This is the first history of the Polish war for almost half a century. Drawing on letters, memoirs and diaries from all sides, Roger Moorhouse's dramatic account of the military events is entwined with a human story of courage and suffering, and a dark tale of diplomatic betrayal.'Important... Moorhouse has a wonderful knack for reminding us about the parts of the Second World War that we are in danger of forgetting' Dan Snow** Shortlisted for the Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History 2020 ** Read more