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**Klaus Richter** · 03-30-2014, 06:27 PM

The price increase makes perfect sense. I would gladly still pay more for these excellent books!

I don't know if it is a touchy subject, but will Leibstandarte be covered?

**markus** · 04-01-2014, 09:48 AM

Working on my own book about "Sepp Dietrich," yesterday afternoon, I took out vol. 1 & 6 of Mark's series to double-check biographical data on the careers of two individuals.

Needless to say that one (Georg Maier, Ia of the 6. Panzer-Armee) had personally approved Mark's biographical data.

Maier's original personnel file, as a primary source, actually has a lot of gaps and incorrect data in it.

So what is invaluable in Mark's books is that he's had the original individuals either approving their data themselves or has cross-checked all infos relating to one individual or unit from his archive (and memory!) and so only the true facts get filtered out and printed.

Just thought I'd add yesterday's experience...

Markus

**pasoleati** · 04-01-2014, 11:27 AM

Markus, will your Sepp Dietrich biography analyze him as a commander from an art of war point of view? Some post-war accounts seem to have criticized him, but e.g. a private letter published in H-G. Guderian's 116. Pz.D. history gives a completely different view.

**markus** · 04-01-2014, 11:57 AM

Originally posted by pasoleati View Post

Markus, will your Sepp Dietrich biography analyze him as a commander from an art of war point of view? Some post-war accounts seem to have criticized him, but e.g. a private letter published in H-G. Guderian's 116. Pz.D. history gives a completely different view.

I don't want to get this thread off topic.

I only want to say that I describe Dietrich through his actions, what has been written and said about him and I leave it to the readers to form their own opinions.

It's always in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?

To some he will be a hero, others will see him with more facets, in many shades of grey and contradictions.

It'll all depend on your own life's experiences how you see this man as well.

Markus

**Mark C. Yerger** · 04-01-2014, 01:08 PM

Originally posted by Klaus Richter View Post

The price increase makes perfect sense. I would gladly still pay more for these excellent books!

I don't know if it is a touchy subject, but will Leibstandarte be covered?

The thread started to cover volume 7, and data for "Wiking" part II (volume 8).

I also outlined the "Totenkopf" material (2 books totaling 1,000+ pages) and the 4 units in volume 11.

So let's get that far before I give data on other units as at 2 books per year that's 2 more years of work for the publisher to release. Same goes for those who asked about "Frundsberg," "Hohenstaufen," etc. I also explained how volumes selected, "Leibstandarte" having a low interest for me personally and those with higher research interest come first.

**Ilse** · 04-01-2014, 07:04 PM

Books

The last time I visited Mark, he let me read the combat elements portion of Wiking and Totenkopf. I spent the better half of the day going over those pages. I half jokingly mentioned that his notes could be used for another complete book. Needless to say Mark has again added to his extensive and impressive body of published works. His attention to detail and meticulous research gives the readers valuable insight and an understanding of both Wiking and Totenkopf. Even though the primary focus of the series is the biographies of the German Cross in Gold holders, these books contain many documents and photos of Knights Cross holders, German Cross holders, Close Combat Clasp in Gold and Honor Clasp holders. I look forward to actually being able to buy the completed books and spend many hours reading.

**tgn** · 04-03-2014, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by Tom B View Post

Mark is simply the finest author in the field of militaria that there is !! Tom

I second that. The number of excellent books he has published is simply amazing.

Tom

**Mark C. Yerger** · 04-03-2014, 11:15 AM

Originally posted by tgn View Post

I second that. The number of excellent books he has published is simply amazing.

Tom

With the zillions of hours spent research/writing, I am truly humbled and deeply appreciate such comments.

However, I write history books rather than militaria books. Just a tiny peeve of mine as many (not all) militaria books a monkey can write, just being photos of people's stuff with zero knowledge or actual research done by the author. No arrogance intended, but a big difference between what I know and can do compared to what numerous of the "dealer/authors" catagory pretend they know. Many are just crap used as a vehicle to dump bad inventory or add to their "credentials" for selling.

The "byproduct" of what I do is of use for militaria collectors due to:

a) period proof examples of signatures
b) the data on individuals

The above second allows anyone contemplating a document purchase to quickly tell if right rank, unit, date is on a given document. Many I see are blatantly wrong in that aspect so if period or not is irrelevant. Many fakers use blank forms and add data. When a man was an Oberführer in 1942 and the document examined shows him as a Brigadeführer in 1942, fake is rather obvious. I use documents (originals) constantly to confirm posts, status (actual, interim, substitute, etc), and other information.

Biographically, dates for lower awards contained in a man's Personalakte are often wrong as they list when given the award rather than when approved. Slight difference, but major to me for career accuracy. A period document is a stated fact, but much is wrong in a normal size personnel file. Dealers offering a pile a xeroxes are offering nothing; they can't decipher it and most times neither can owners. Even basic data most dealers can't understand as seen in laughable descriptions.

Likewise, for original material, the series and Allgemeine-SS provides details of the individual given to or who signed it.

Have been told by numerous collectors they saved money, or managed to tell added to/altered originals (Soldbuch entries) using the GC series as well as the Allgemeine-SS book I wrote. Illegible signatures are found by the reverse; looking up the post or unit by date in the latter to match the individual. I only wrote the Allgemeine-SS volume to have a copy to use, rather than constantly looking through a sea of file folders on units it saves me time.

For various award certificates, other documents, signed photos, etc the only thing that never changes (unless very old, had a stroke, etc) is someone signature. At 20 or 60 it is the same and obvious if original or not.

It is nothing that will be published as it's large and only of value when series completed, but I've kept an full index of all individuals mentioned or contained in all volumes so readers wanting one I'll provide a copy at actual cost. It's already a couple hundred typed pages due to some 5-6 times the number of German Cross holders having data in the series with the GC holders already covered alone being over 500. Many persons have data in several volumes.

All this is why buyers should post a document, signed image, etc before buying in the documents area. Asking who signed something or if original after they bought makes me cringe, an open door to get ripped off in many cases. Why many collectors do this baffles me. Learn what you need to know before, not after. And fakes range from $100 to $10,000+ . To me being sold a fake is no different than a dealer blatantly stealing money. It's a scam.

**markus** · 04-23-2014, 06:35 PM

Gentlemen -

I can't hold back writing about my impression on Mark's introduction of the upcoming "TOTENKOPF" volume.

I feel honored to have had the chance to read it these past two days and must say that while I was reading it my jaw almost dropped.-
I'm used to a lot of good reference books, owning almost all of Mark's works, but with the "TOTENKOPF" he takes it to an even higher level!

The sheer quantity of new information presented in the introduction alone is already amazing and I can only fantasize about the amount of new details in the rest of the book, including award documents and unpublished photos.

Here is an author who has been researching the Waffen-SS for decades, going through a lot of troubles to source information in order to provide us the readers with the very best, 99% flawless, concentration of details available on the market today.

I am convinced that Mark's "TOTENKOPF" volume will be an instant Masterpiece, a true classic, impossible to be surpassed in a hundred years.

Just thought I'd share...

Markus

**Tim W** · 04-23-2014, 09:30 PM

I'm jealous Marcus! I too can't wait for the Totenkopf volume to come out. By the way when can we expect volume 1 of Wiking to be out?
Tim

**Proofreader3** · 04-26-2014, 06:06 AM

As a proofreader for R. James Bender Publications since 2002, I have proofed & edited over 25 of their books, seven of which were written by Mark Yerger. Volume 7 (“Wiking” part I) is the most comprehensive, researched, and footnoted book of his series to date. The research is second to none, his many sources within the German community allows him the freedom to quote from first hand sources, and his attitude is of the Military Historian without the bias usually encountered in books of this nature. Each book is factual, better than the one before, and provides an accurate insight to the horrors and acts of courage documented for each person. The only thing l have to say on the down-side is that he had to educate the small percentage of people who only want to hear or dwell on the most negative aspects during this part of human history.

Aside from having read both “Wiking” volumes I’m privy to most of the manuscript of his rather massive “Totenkopf” study. The first “Wiking” volume, I expect to have my book copy in May, has more detail and information than the previous units of the series covered thus far. “Totenkopf” has at least quadruple that amount of information, just the chapters before any biographies of Division Commanders or German Cross holders could easily be a book in itself. Most people still don't grasp that although many early camp guards (before slave labor and other approved actions) comprised only part of the original cadre of the 3rd SS Totenkopf Division, attrition due to combat losses in 1941 lowering that “guard percentage” of the division to near zero.

The fact that many early guards volunteered for the newly formed division as an alternative to purely political guard functions is overlooked by authors who wish to dwell on and perpetuate the extreme negatives associated with the Death Head Units during the war years. And while reading the manuscript I found officers who left the Division and later served in the camp system had that fact equally covered in their career synopsis. But unlike many books those small-in-number examples alone were not used to infer that all the tens of thousands of men who served in “Totenkopf” were all Holocaust perpetrators.

This balanced “Totenkopf” study shows the military aspect of the formation, from an unbiased, researched point of view, with no other intention than to give a historically correct accounting of a highly successful, classic Division of the Waffen-SS. It is a classic example of the age-old adage....the truth will come out......even if it takes (in this case) over a half century. For any serious historian, collector, or general reader, I think Yerger’s “Totenkopf” study will be an instant “must-have” just to set the record straight regarding many facts in exhaustive detail. And by exhaustive I don’t see what else could possibly be put in the 1,000 or more pages they’ll comprise when printed. I am proud to be proofreader/editor of this series, most especially these four texts on “Wiking” and “Totenkopf.”

As a Force Recon Marine Veteran who served in Southeast Asia, I know the heartache and despair of my fellow vets, who, like the soldiers of the Waffen-SS, faced a population who discredited the people who served their country to the best of their ability, out of love for their country, with honorable, courageous, and selfless acts of bravery that has mostly been unrecognized till now. I think all of us, Military Historians, collectors, and general war-interested readers, owe a great debt of gratitude to Mark for his books which should have a special place in anyone’s library! Well Done Mark, Continue to March!!!!!

**Proofreader3** · 04-26-2014, 06:07 AM

Originally posted by Tim W View Post

I'm jealous Marcus! I too can't wait for the Totenkopf volume to come out. By the way when can we expect volume 1 of Wiking to be out?
Tim

In recent conversation with Bender copies expected in May from printer.

**behblc** · 04-26-2014, 07:17 AM

Great news , this is new material to me . the down side of the internet is that it does people lazy and inclined to pick up misinformation and opinion, two things Mark does not provide.
Solidly researched history - hard to beat and if this says something about Mark I know many more will agree with me.

**Mark C. Yerger** · 04-28-2014, 05:23 AM

Thanks for all kind words and support. Just need all to pass those thoughts on to publisher as motivation to "get moving" with volume 8 so he's ready for "Totenkopf."

**Tim W** · 05-22-2014, 10:42 AM

Mark, any word on a release date for the vol-1 of Wiking. Getting impatient!
Thanks
Tim Willemsen

Announcement

New German Cross in Gold books from Mark Yerger

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