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Operation Dragoon: Autopsy of a Battle: The Allied Liberation of the French Riviera • August-September 1944

On the night of August 14-15, 1944, the First Airborne Task Force, which included the U.S. 509th, 517th and 551st Parachute Infantry Regiments, jumped into enemy held territory spearheading Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of southern France. Based on interviews from all combatant units, battlefield archaeology, period photos, letters and reports, this book provides an outstandingly detailed hour-by-hour account of the advance through southern France, as seen through the eyes of those who lived through it, bringing to light the tragic and gruesome realities of what was later to become known as the "Champagne Campaign."

Size: 9" x 12" | 874 illustrations | 432 pages, Coast - $89.99

 

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New
Parachute Rifle Company: A Living Historian’s Introduction to the Organization, Equipment, Tactics and Techniques of the U.S. Army’s Elite Airborne Troops in Combat on the Western Front in World War II
 
Entering battle by parachute was the ‘easy part’. Packed with information for U.S. Airborne enthusiasts of all kinds, this volume provides a critical context for both the collector of U.S. Airborne memorabilia, and a methodology for living historians to research and translate the real-life story of the legendary U.S. Parachute Infantrymen to the hobby environment. Over 100 full-color images including battle recreation photographs, charts, tactical maps, order of battle graphics, authentic tables of organization and equipment, and numerous special features. Size: 8 1/2 x 11, Illustrations:over 100 color/bw images,  Pages: 208. Price - $49.95
 

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New
82nd Airborne Division; 1917-2005

The 82nd airborne Division had in its rows the most prestigious soldiers of the American Army. The story of this glorious division was forged by thousands of anonymous parachutists who always ready accepted to jump in extreme situations and to achieve their objective on the ground whatever the conditions.
Trenches of the Somme to the desert of Iraq while passing by the Norman Bocage, of the snow-covered forests of the Belgian Ardennes to the jungle of Vietnam, the paras of the 82nd Division achieved their mission, without never failing owe them. They are the spearhead of the American Army since nearly 90 years. This Memorial album which gathers nearly thousand photographs for the majority new, coming from private archives and the files of the division. Size:"8.5x"12, 400 pages, b/w and color photos. (casemate) Price - $65.00

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New
101st Airborne in Normandy
A History in Period Photographs
 
On June 6, 1944, paratroopers of the legendary 101st Airborne Division jumped into Normandy with the mission of seizing exits of beaches at night before the amphibious invasion of France. They were the elite of the U.S. Army and were primed and ready to take on the Germans. This new large-format book contains over 300 photographs and a selection of full-color photographs of World War II era airborne uniforms and equipment. 101st Airborne in Normandy, written by a historian who has been interviewing many paratroopers veterans and collecting photographs for years, is one of the leading experts on U.S. Airborne units during World War II. He has written eight books on the subject including his recent 82nd Airborne in Normandy. Size: 8.5"x11", over 300 b/w photographs, 192 pages. (sch) Price - $59.95

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New

82nd Airborne in Normandy: A History in Period Photographs
On June 6, 1944, paratroopers of the legendary 82nd Airborne Division jumped into Normandy with the mission of seizing the bridges over the Merderet River, Ste. Mere Eglise, and other surrounding villages. 82nd commander Major General Matthew Ridgway would later state about their exploits: "...thirty-three days of action without relief, without replacements. Every mission accomplished. No ground gained ever relinquished". This new large-format book contains many first-person accounts from 82nd veterans, and more than 350 photographs and maps - most published here for the first time - as well as a selection of full-color photographs of World War II era airborne uniforms and equipment. Size: 8.5"x11",over 350 b/w and color photos, 208 pages. Price - $59.95

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New
“I’m the 82nd Airborne Division!”
A History of the All American Division in World War II After Action Reports
 
I’m the 82nd Airborne Division!” is the most comprehensive collection of combat narratives, after action reports, documents, maps, and photographs detailing the saga of one of the most famous units in the Second World War. These original documents are now published for the first time since they were created sixty years ago. The Division comes alive, as individuals and units of the 82nd tell their own stories. Maps illustrate day-by-day movements of the various regiments during campaigns. Appendices list commander, casualties, and captured equipment. Special photographic essays show helmet markings and ephemera. From designation as the U.S. Army’s first airborne division in 1942 through the campaigns in Sicily, Italy, Anzio, Normandy, Holland, Belgium, and Germany all the way to the occupation of Berlin and the victory parade in New York, this is the story of the 82nd Airborne Division – The All American in World War II. A great reference for anyone interested in the 82nd Airborne Division in World War II and a fitting tribute to those who served in its ranks. Size: 9"x12", over 400 b/w and color photos and maps, 272 pages. (sch) Price - $69.95 
Availability:  Nov 2005

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New
All American All the Way:
Combat History of the 82nd Airborne Division in World War II
 
For the first time, All American All The Way tells the definitive human story of what was arguably the most elite American fighting division of World War II, the immortal 82nd Airborne Division. Combining oral and written accounts drawn from almost 1,000 veterans, the history of the division in World War II is told from the perspectives of the troopers in the foxholes. These accounts most often have never before been recorded: they are the experiences and reflections of the junior officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted men-those who did the fighting. All American All The Way establishes an historical record of the experience of frontline combat in the 82nd Airborne Division. Setting veterans' accounts into the larger framework with historical accuracy, All American All The Way will become the definitive reference in its field. All American All The Way presents the veterans' stories in an engaging and active way that takes the reader into the action, to vicariously experience the cutting edge of combat and the hardships of daily life of these special men. All American, All the Way is a fitting tribute to their valorous service. Size: 6"x9", 46 maps, 128 photos, 880 pages.(historic ventures) Price - $35.00

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New
SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE
Photographs of D-Day - 6 June 1944
This brand new large format book from Michel de Trez contains not only hundreds of never before published period photographs taken at Ste-Mere-Eglise early June 1944 but also numerous color pictures of equipment and uniforms that fought for the liberation of Ste-Mere-Eglise. This includes General Matthew Ridgway's famous helmet and Dick Winters' D-Day equipment. (the later jumping very close from Ste-Mere-Eglise). (RZM) Size: 9.5"x12", 304 pages, 442 illustrations. Price - $85.00

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New

Descending From the Clouds: From North Africa to VE Day with the 505 PIR 82nd Airborne
Spencer Wurst, a rifleman, spent the most of World War II in the European Theater of Operations as a squad leader or platoon sergeant in Company F, 505. He made three of the four regimental combat jumps, dropping into Italy, Normandy, and Holland. Highlights include his baptism of fire in Italy during the battle of Arnome; the jump on D-Day and the liberation of Ste. Mere Eglise for which he was awarded a Purple heart; a grueling month of combat in the hedgerows of Normandy (a second Purple Heart); the ferocious battle with the SS for the highway bridge at Nijmegen, Holland ( Silver Star); and survival in the Ardennes, where he found himself as point man on his twentieth birthday, in a long, bitter march toward the shoulder of the Bulge. Size 6"x9", 256 pages, 16 b/w illustrations, maps.(casemate) Price - $32.95

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New

82nd Airborne in Normandy: A History in Period Photographs
On June 6, 1944, paratroopers of the legendary 82nd Airborne Division jumped into Normandy with the mission of seizing the bridges over the Merderet River, Ste. Mere Eglise, and other surrounding villages. 82nd commander Major General Matthew Ridgway would later state about their exploits: "...thirty-three days of action without relief, without replacements. Every mission accomplished. No ground gained ever relinquished". This new large-format book contains many first-person accounts from 82nd veterans, and more than 350 photographs and maps - most published here for the first time - as well as a selection of full-color photographs of World War II era airborne uniforms and equipment. Size: 8.5"x11",over 350 b/w and color photos, 208 pages. Price - $59.95

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New

Down to Earth: The 507th PIR in Normandy, June 6-July 11, 1944
In the earlymorning hours of D-Day, 2,004 paratroopers of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment jumped into Normandy as a part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. After a widely scattered drop, the regiment then struggled in the marshes and hedgerows of the Contenint Peninsula in battles at places with names like Chef-du-Pont, Cauquigny, La Fiere and Graignes. During the regiment`s time in Normandy, the hardships were many and the casualties were high. Out of the 2,004 men that jumped on June 6th, only 700 returned to England thirty-five days later. Down to Earth tells the story of those thirty-five days. Drawing on extensive oral history interviews with veterans of the regiment, Down to Earth focuses on the experiences of those who fought for the 507th during its baptism of fire. Size: 8.5"x11", illustrated with over 450 b/w and color photos, maps, 304 pages. Price - $69.95

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Geronimo! 
 U.S. Airborne Uniforms, Insignia & Equipment in World War II
This fully illustrated volume explores the uniforms, insignia, and equipment of American Airborne, Glider, Troop Carrier, and Airborne Engineers in World War II. Included are over 500 detailed, up-close images of individual items, and multi-side views of full combat rig, and over 100 World War II  era color and black and white photos, most unpublished, showing the uniforms and equipment as worn by the troops. Covered in this extensive book are: dress uniforms; jump jackets and pants; headgear; boots; jump wings, unit patches and other insignia; Marine Corps airborne; Troop Carrier and Airborne Engineers; equipment, including parachutes, weapons, communications, and many rare and unusual items exclusive to airborne troops; and a comparative section with both British and German airborne gear. Geronimo! is a detailed look at the clothing and equipment of America`s Finest, and is an important reference work for the airborne collactor, reenactor, historian and veteran. Hard cover, size: 9"x12", 192 pages, 630 color & B/W photos. Price - $59.95

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D- DAY WITH THE SCREAMING EAGLES
Many professional historians have recorded the actions of D-Day but here is an account of the airborne actions as described by the actual men themselves in eyewitness detail. Participants range from division command personnel to regimental, battalion, company and battery commanders to chaplains, surgeons, enlisted medics, platoon sergeants, squad leaders and the rough, tough troopers who adapted quickly to fighting in mixed, unfamiliar groups after a badly scattered drop - and yet managed to gain the objectives set for them in the hedgerow country of Normandy. This book is primary source material. It is a "must read" for anyone interested in the Normandy landings, the 101st Airborne Division and World War ll in general. Hearing the soldiers speak is an entirely different experience from reading about the action in a narrative history. Size: 6"x9", 380 Pages. Price $32.95

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BATTERED BASTARDS OF BASTOGNE
The Battered Bastards of Bastogne is the product of contributions by 530 soldiers who were on the ground or in the air over Bastogne. They lived and made this history and much of it is told in their own words. The material contributed by these men of the 101st Airborne Division, the Armor, Tank Destroyer, Army Air Force , and others is tailored meticulously by the author and placed on the historical framework known to most students of the Battle of the Bulge. Pieces of a nearly 60 year old jigsaw puzzle come together in this book, when memoires related by one soldier fit with those of another unit or group pursuing the battle from another nearby piece of terrain. George Koskimaki is a noted historian of the 101st Airborne Division. His other books include D Day With The Screaming Eagles and Hell's Highway.  Size:6"x9", pages 484, Price - $32.95

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FILTHY THIRTEEN
Since World War II, the American public has become fully aware of the exploits of the 101st Airborne Division, the paratroopers who led the Allied invasions into Nazi-held Europe. But within the ranks of the 101st, a sub-unit attained legendary status at the time, its reputation persisting among veterans over the decades.
Primarily products of the Dustbowl and the Depression, the Filthy13 grew notorious, even within the ranks of the elite 101st. Never ones to salute an officer, or take a bath, this squad became singular within the Screaming Eagles for its hard drinking, and savage fighting skill--and that was only in training. Just prior to the invasion of Normandy, a "Stars and Stripes" photographer caught U.S. paratroopers with heads shaved into Mohawks, applying war paint to their faces. Unknown to the American public at the time, these men were the Filthy 13. After parachuting behind enemy lines in the dark hours before D-Day, the Germans got a taste of the reckless courage of this unit - except now the men were fighting with Tommy guns and explosives, not just bare knuckles. In its spearhead role, the 13 suffered heavy casualties, some men wounded and others blown to bits. By the end of the war 30 men had passed through the squad. Throughout the war, however, the heart and soul of the Filthy 13 remained a survivor named Jake McNiece, a half-breed Indian from Oklahoma - the toughest man in the squad and the one who formed its character. McNiece made four combat jumps, was in the forefront of every fight in northern Europe, yet somehow never made the rank of PFC. The survivors of the Filthy 13 stayed intact as a unit until the Allies finally conquered Nazi Germany. Size:6"x9", 256 pages. Price - $32.95

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HELL'S HIGHWAY
'Hell's Highway' is a history, most of which has never before been written. It is adventure recorded by those who lived it and put into context by an author who was also there. It is human drama on an enormous scale, told through the personal stories of 612 contributors of written and oral accounts of the "Screaming Eagles" part in the attempt to liberate the Netherlands. George Koskimaki is an expert in weaving together individual recollections to make a compelling and uniquely first hand account of the bravery and deprivations suffered by the troops, their hopes, fears, triumphs and tragedies as well as those of Dutch civilians caught up in the action. There have been many books published on Operation Market Garden and there will surely be more. This book, however, gets to the heart of the action. The "big picture" which most histories paint, here is just the context for the real history on the ground. Size: 6"x9", pages 452. Price - $32.95

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THE ALL AMERICAN
"An Illustrated History of the 82nd Airborne Division"
This new book tells the complete story of the famous 82nd Airborne Division from its formation in 1917, through its legendary World War II campaigns (Sicily, Normandy and Holland), Vietnam, Grenada, Nicaragua, Operation Desert Storm to the present, and examines the many changes from a World War I infantry division to the rapid deployment organization it is today. The 82nd helped develop the concepts of airborne warfare during World War II. After the war the 82nd continued to develop airborne techniques and trained to provide the United States with a strategic deployment force. Since World War II, the Division has been called upon to assist in domestic and foreign disturbances. Since World War I the Division has gone through many changes, but it still bears its World War I nickname: the "All American."  Size: 8" x 11" 176 pages, 230 color and black+white photographs, hard cover, $45.00

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The Sky Men
A Parachute Rifle Company`s Story of the Battle of the Bluge and the Jump Across the Rhine
The Sky Men is the story of F Company of the 513 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th U.S. Airborne Division. They were all volunteers to a new, dangerous, and elite corps--Airborne. From the beginning, it was clear that this type of warfare demanded soldiers who could operate beyond the normal mental and phusical expectations of regular infantry as a matter of course and parachute training was designed to be the most  physically and mentally demanding of any service. The 513th was a school regiment of the Parachute School. Their personnel were selected men, even beyond the normal selective process in Airborne troops, and F Company`s junior officers were among the finest in the regiment.
In the midst of the hardest European winter in forty years, the 17th Airborne Division was committed to action against the German Army west of Bastogne, Belgium. From their first day in action. F Company men--caught up in the toughest fighting of the Bulge when the American Army stood up  and began slugging its way back to the start line--demonstrated exceptional courage in closing with the enemy. The Sky Men is a unique portrayal of young men and soldiers, and of war and of a brotherhood of warriors.  Size: 6"x9", 122 photograpghs, 4 maps, 462 pages. Price - $35.00

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World War II Type Troop Parachutes
World War II Troop Type Parachutes was written for anyone interested in the history of airborne troops, and is profusely illustrated with unpublished period and contemporary photographs. Collectors, modelers and researchers will be able to identify all of the troop parachutes used by the Allied powers in World War II. Additionally, technical data, drawings and packing instructions are included for those who own or find a vintage parachute. The narrative describes the developmental history of the equipment and employment technique. Incidentals such as aircraft, tactical use, uniforms and even insignia are discussed if they alter or refute what has previously been accepted as fact. Also available is a companion volume that covers the World War II Axis countries: Germany, Japan, and Italy. The chapters in each volume are arranged in the approximate chronological order of development. Size: 8.5"x11", 180 b/w and color photos, 144 pages. Price - $29.95

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AMERICAN WARRIORS
Pictorial History of the American Paratroopers Prior to Normandy

American Warriors contains the most exhaustive visual coverage ever assembled of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions as they were on the eve of the D-Day landings. For the uniform and figure collector, wargamer, re-enactor, and military artist, this is surely the last word on the subject. Size: 10"x13", 212 pages, 342 illustrations. Price - $69.00

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AT THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Pictorial History of the American Paratroopers in the Invasion of Normandy

Where American Warriors concentrated on pathfinders, demolitions units, and first-wave troops on the eve of D-Day, No Return provides equally exhaustive coverage of troops in the field, medical units and equipment, military police, and the glider troops of both divisions. Size: 9.5"x13", 200 pages, 266 illustrations. Price - $69.00

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American Airborne Pathfinders in WW II
Trained in the use of the Eureka radar, holophan lights, and colored ground panels, the pathfinders dropped thirty minutes before the main airborne landing to provide ground guidance for successive airborne jumps. The concept of the pathfinders proved successful and they were used during the remainder of World War II. The story of the airborne pathfinders and the vital part they played in airborne operations during the Second World War has rarely been told. In this new book, Jeff Moran tells the story of the operations they led, the equipment used - much of it unique to the pathfinders - and has memorialized them by noting, in many cases, the individual teams of pathfinders. Size: 8.5"x11", 150 b/w and color photos, 176 pages. Price - $49.95

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Operation Market Garden Then And Now; Vol.1
Volume 1 covers the mounting of the operation and the crucial first two hours of the battle. The story opens with the planning and preparations of the double undertaking of "Market" by the newly created First Airborne Army in the UK and "Garden" by the British Second Army on the Belgian-Dutch border. The scene then switches to describe the German military situation in the Netherlands on the eve of battle. The massive inital airborne landings of September 17, 1944, are then recounted with equal attention to each of the three airborne divisions involved. The break-out battle by the guards Armoured Division, spearhead of the ground army, is likewise illustrated with an unprecedented wealth of photographs. The second day of the operation, September 18 sees the Guards reaching the 101st Airborne at Eindhoven, making their first contact with the airborne army. Size: 12"x8.5", 336 pages, 1064 photos and maps. Price - $75.95 

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Operation Market Garden Then and Now Vol.2
VOLUME 2 of this two-volume history of Operation 'Market-Garden' continues the story as XXX Corps links up with the 82nd Airborne at Nijmegen which leads to     the dramatic and spectacular capture of the vital bridges there over the Waal river. But at Arnhem the tide of battle has already turned. The main force of lst Airborne is thrown back to the Oosterbeek perimeter, leaving John Frost's isolated force at the road bridge to fight it out till the end. As the Polish Brigade is dropped south    of the Rhine, and the ground army desperately tries to relieve the beleaguered      British paras, down in the south the Germans launch repeated attacks on the      narrow corridor in an attempt to cut the Allied supply artery. As savage battles     rage for possession of 'Hell's Highway', the airborne battle is lost and on              September 26 the survivors of lst Airborne are evacuated back across the Rhine.
Size: 12"x8.5", 416 pages, 1328 photos & maps. Price - $94.95                        

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82nd Airborne "All American"
Formed as a division in August 1942, America's paratroopers first saw action in the invasion of Sicily in 1943. They gained undying fame with their drop into Normandy on the eve of D-Day. Later actions included Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and the final Allied advance into Germany, where the 82nd was chosen to occupy especially important positions. Each Spearhead title includes an evaluation of the units combat effectiveness as seen by the unit, its opponents and subsequent researchers, and a research section including a bibliography and a listing of museums, websites, re-enactment groups and memorials. Soft cover,7½ x 10, 96 pages, 80 color and b/w photos and maps, $19.95