by P. T. Deutermann Doing the research for my latest novel, Iwo, 26 Charlie, was a difficult process. When I first came up with the idea of doing a book about Iwo Jima, I thought I knew what had happened there. I didn’t. I had not even begun to appreciate the scale of the carnage, the grotesque battle environment, the terrifying aspect of an enemy who wanted to die in battle, and the consequences of the battle’s overall commanders thinking this would be all over in just a few days—and planning accordingly. Marines landing on Iwo Jima. The battle was officially fought between 19 February and ..read more

by Tom Clavin The Last Hill by Bob Drury and yours truly covers the dramatic campaigns of the 2nd Ranger Battalion in the summer and fall of 1944, culminating in the assault on Hill 400, the gateway to Germany. In this excerpt, the hill has been taken, but the battalion has suffered so many casualties, keeping it might be impossible. Then the Germans launch a counterattack… The Ranger Battalion’s “Doc” Block assigned an aid man to every patrol scouring the forest; they did not lack for work, nor did their Red Cross Brassards prevent hidden enemy ambush sites from trying to kill them. Courtesy ..read more

by Allison Montclair Allison Montclair’s beloved Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery series is a fun read for all mystery lovers, however, the events are very much rooted in history. Montclair heavily researches the post-WWII era while writing this series. Below is an essay from Allison Montclair discussing the research and thought processes that go into these books. In a tense moment in The Right Sort of Man, the first in my Sparks and Bainbridge Mysteries, the following takes place: “[She] opened the door to see a short, perky brunette standing there, a notebook and pencil in her hands. ‘H ..read more

by Chris Wimmer The first World’s Fair on American soil ran from May 10 to November 10, 1876. Millions of visitors flocked to Philadelphia to see the show. But two months before it ended, it nearly went up in smoke. In early October of 1871, a small fire started in or near a barn that belonged to the O’Leary family on the southwest side of Chicago. Thanks to the hot, dry, windy conditions, the blaze built into a roaring inferno. Over the course of three days, the fire destroyed three square miles of the city. It killed 300 people, burned 17,000 structures, and left 100,000 people homeless. It ..read more

by Alexander Larman When I finished writing The Crown in Crisis, the book that has become the first part of my Windsors trilogy, I was asked two questions more than any other. Was the Duke of Windsor really a Nazi? And do you think that there are present-day parallels between Edward and Wallis and Harry and Meghan? The Duke of Windsor (1934). Researching and writing The Windsors at War focused my attention on the first question for months, if not years. If we cannot give a truly definitive answer as to the state of the Duke’s fascist leanings, then this is not through want of trying, nor for l ..read more

by John Lisle The Dirty Tricks Department by John Lisle reveals the untold story of the OSS Research and Development Branch and its role in World War II. Their inventions included bat bombs, suicide pills, fighting knives, silent pistols, and camouflaged explosives. Moreover, they forged documents for undercover agents, plotted the assassination of foreign leaders, and performed truth drug experiments on unsuspecting subjects. The following is an exclusive bonus chapter from the book, covering a fascinating story involving OSS agent Peter Ortiz and his time behind enemy lines. Scroll to the bo ..read more

During WWII, Frank Murphy flew twenty-one daylight combat missions with the Mighty Eighth. The odds of returning safely were three to one against. Below is an excerpt from his memoir, Luck of the Draw, in which Frank recounts the harrowing experience of flying into combat. On Monday, June 28, 1943, along with seventeen other 100th BG aircrafts, and three other 4th BW groups equipped with Tokyo tanks, Crew No. 31 set out to attack the German submarine pens at Saint-Nazaire, France. Because of the large number of antiaircraft guns ringing the port, it was known as “Flak City.” Out of respect for ..read more

by Susan Ronald There’s a chapter in my new book, Hitler’s Aristocrats, titled “Men on White Horses” which I feared might be cut by my commissioning editor. Why? Well, strictly speaking, these men were not fascists in the meaning of the word we have come to understand today. They were not rabblerousing, nor notably racist in their day, nor ignorant of the law. They were no foreign fifth column either. They were not political activists particularly, although they contributed millions to presidential, congressional, gubernatorial, and local campaigns. They were the wealthy respected corpora ..read more

by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch The Nazi Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch covers the little-known true story of a Nazi plot to kill FDR, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill at the height of World War II. Read an excerpt below—and scroll to the bottom to listen to an excerpt from the audiobook, read by Scott Brick. Tehran, Iran. November 28, 1943. The President is hiding. The street is lined with soldiers. There are thousands of them, stretching for blocks on both sides. Most wear Soviet uniforms, some are British or American. They brandish automatic rifles. In the hot, dry air they ..read more

by The History Reader World War I officially came to an end when the Treaty of Versailles was signed in June of 1919. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on November 11, 1918. From that point forward, November 11 was known as Armistice Day, which was later amended to Veterans Day. Today, as we look back through American history, there are unbelievable stories of courage, incredible tales of those who survived against all odds, and tragic stories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The following books high ..read more