New books on the III SS Pzkorps from Helion.

[Klaus Richter]

Helion is publishing the following two volume set on the III SS Panzerkorps, "Himmler's Favourite - The Combat History of the III SS Panzerkorps," by Westberg, Mansson, and Brenden.

http://www.amazon.com/Himmlers-Favou...%27s+favourite

[pasoleati]

Thanks for notifying us! Sounds extremely interesting! Though I wonder who writes those descriptions for most armies are political-ideological instruments. After all, war is a continuation of politics through other means...

[MarcRikmenspoel]

Helion is going to be covering this subject in detail for the next couple of years. Besides the book described already, the also have on the way Lars Larsson's study of the Swedish Waffen-SS (mostly Wiking & Nordland) and Ken Estes's study of the Western European volunteers. I'm almost done with my first volume of a photographic study of the Germanic Waffen-SS, as well!

Helion has the authors write their own blurbs. Recent studies of the Germanic Waffen-SS show that Himmler saw them as the vanguard of introducing SS culture to the various countries. This was the first step in a program for their eventual incorporation into a Greater Germanic Reich which would be headed by Germany. This program was advocated by the Germanic-SS movements in these countries, usually against the wishes of the larger, more nationalistic collaborating parties (GSSN vs NS in norway, DeVlag vs VNV in Flanders, AGRA vs Rex in Wallonia, though Degrelle ultimately made his own deal with the SS).

The Waffen-SS volunteers were often caught between the two visions of collaboration in their countries. They mosly saw themselves as soldiers, not idealogical vanguards. I think this is the point the blurb for the III. (Germ.) SS-PK book is trying to make.

[leib1]

Why do authors use the word elite with the SS ? Does it help sell more books ?

[Mark C. Yerger]

Why do authors use the word elite with the SS ? Does it help sell more books ?

I'd presume it's author prerogative to title his book whatever he wishes.

A book sells by its contents, not a title. Otherwise garbage on the Waffen-SS with "bloody/killers/murders" as title parts would be best sellers (which they never are).

[Woolgar]

These volumes sound great

Thank you for the heads up !

Nick

[Klaus Richter]

Does anyone with any knowledge of these books know if they are primarily picture books, or if they are a detailed combat history similar to Tieke's book? Thanks.

[MarcRikmenspoel]

My book is absolutely a photo book, albeit with extensive captions. The Estes and Larsson books are text volumes with photos. Finally, the Brenden - Mansson - West berg book is a mix of text and photos, with plenty of both.

[Klaus Richter]

Thanks for the reply. I like your photo books Marc specifically because of your captions! Otherwise I probably would pass. If Himmler's Favorite is a mixture of both, then as long as the text is detailed enough, with maps, and all that, then I would buy it as well, since my favorite books are detailed unit and battle histories.

[TigerS04]

I have just ordered it from Amazon