Knight's Cross Holders of the SS & German Police - Now Available

[Michael Miller]

Released a week or so ago by Helion & Co.

http://www.helion.co.uk/new-and-fort...rdelbrink.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1...f_rd_i=desktop

Many thanks to all the WAF members who contributed to and encouraged this project.

Volume II will be out later this year, as will "Gauleiter, Volume II" (Bender Publishing) and "Leaders of the Storm Troops, Volume II" (Helion again).


Best wishes,
~ Mike
https://www.facebook.com/Michael-D-M...78051/?fref=ts

[behblc]

Have ordered the RK Holder book via amzon and look forward to the Gauliter and Stormtrooper books, previous ones have been well worth buying.

[John P. Moore]

This book appears to be a Blivet to me and I do not recommend it. Plenty of good books have already been written about SS Ritterkreuzträger, some by actual Waffen-SS veterans. Recommend you spend your money on a book where the author has conducted actual orginal reeearch.

[Michael Miller]

I will not dignify the preceding commentor with a direct response.

I will say only that considerable research, mostly at the National Archives by myself but also by other contributors, culminated in this four volume series.

Sincerely,
~ Mike Miller

[behblc]

I had to "google" "Blivet" as it is a word I have never heard before, it is quite a derogatory term.
I have ordered a copy and will judge it on the basis of the content of the book.
About 2 years ago I was advised not to buy Jeremy Dixon's 2 Volume series on RK and OakLeaf holders, it proved to be poor advice.
Happy to come back with I get a chance to read over the book and compare it to other similar works I have.

[John P. Moore]

"Blivet" is a term that Air Marshal Tedder used with regard to "Bomber Harris" in WW II. It seemed appropriate here.

The author states that he has used the records of NARA. Did he broaden the scope of his research to include BAMA in Germany, the PRO in Britain or the Prague military archive? NARA does not have everything. Did the author personally interview any of the people that he writes about or correspond with them such as other authors have done? It would be nice to see a valid Bibliography.

[behblc]

Could this snipping exercise end now , I do not come to WAF for this.

[Klaus Richter]

I'm really excited about the book!!! I can't wait until I get a copy. I'm also excited about your future DK and EBS books!!!

[Klaus Richter]

... I also think that by this time most people tend to be ignoring certain spiteful members of this and other boards. The immaturity of it is astounding. I teach algebra at a public high school in California, in an area that might be termed a "ghetto" and I've seen better behavior from my students than I have of some people here. And my students are Special Ed!!!
I know first hand the amount of work that Mr. Miller has put into this project. So derogatory comments by members who don't seem to do anything constructive in this field, and even vindictive, childlike comments my member(s) who actually do write books, are the type of comments that one can deem intellectually deficient. Thank you.

[markus]

Michael Miller

As a fellow-writer and historian I can only pay my respect to Mr. Miller's work. I've already read it and find it a very valuable and helpful research tool. It's a compact work and offers all of the important keypoints on the award recipient. Additionally it presents many unissued photos including award documents and signatures of the individuals presented in this book.

I find it a clear and systematic book on the KC holders of the Waffen-SS and would not want to miss it in my library.

The book on German Cross in Gold recipients of the Waffen-SS and Police will be a long awaited work which I will support with all my archive's resources.

Markus

[Mark C. Yerger]

As a fellow-writer and historian I can only pay my respect to Mr. Miller's work. I've already read it and find it a very valuable and helpful research tool. It's a compact work and offers all of the important keypoints on the award recipient. Additionally it presents many unissued photos including award documents and signatures of the individuals presented in this book.

I find it a clear and systematic book on the KC holders of the Waffen-SS and would not want to miss it in my library.

The book on German Cross in Gold recipients of the Waffen-SS and Police will be a long awaited work which I will support with all my archive's resources.

Markus

Another book copying what others have done. I'll be curious to see what new research he invests in regarding German Cross recipients beyond what I have already done in 9 volumes thus far.

Especially when the current KC photo book provided no new research due to "lack of time" and "will have to do for now" (his words)

Along with an inability to come up with an SS topic of his own or do any new research, it takes audacity to ride the efforts and ideas of others then use other social media sites to claim imagined significant contribution. The difference between those who actually do something and a charlatan obviously eludes many. Probably because he bans all but laudatory comments regards anything he does on another forum.

Mark C. Yerger

[Mark C. Yerger]

As I'm near deadline to turn in an Army volume and have no time to play with off/on the web, I'll reply the inevitable reply to my last post before it appears:


More than 20 years ago I wrote a researched volume on a German unit (no book on the formation was previously done) at a time when generally mindless image books constituted the majority of sales figures. Offering it to a major publisher, their apprehension with investing heavily in a book that required a buyer read and think was only relieved when I agreed to also submit a typical photo book along with the unit study. The five hours needed to compile and design that images volume reflects the actual effort or knowledge typically required for such an endeavor. As a research-historian I learn from words and teach by the lengthy as well as diverse effort needed to write them. Those with a less lofty cerebral goal, lacking the effort required or ability to do otherwise, can still produce a sufficient pile of the superficial to feed an ego on social media sites. Although any inferring of being some decades-long significant contributor of recorded history is an insult to those who have actually devoted themselves to the task with volumes of new information rather than the redundant, superficial, or a manufactured assembly of what others own or have already done. And while "girlfriend problems" or other paltry excuses are given for not doing what they falsely claim to be, instead creating a flow of "this will have to do for now" or adding to a stack of incomplete volume ones, they further blatantly and repeatedly insult those proven to be devoted to the task. I suppose that does feed some odd "look at me, I write books, ask me how famous I am" mentality. Fortunately we are a diverse species.

I do not even belong to Facebook or other social media sites since time is needed to do my level of actual research. Such sites are of valued use for self promotion if an ego is so self-absorbed it requires constant unearned laurels from the uninformed or unaware, just as some who block all but positive Internet comments about what they do actually being more reflective of what they are not. A less infuriating excuse for pretending to be what they are not, or comparing themselves equally to others without the credentials to do so, would be a dozen major surgeries in 14 years, including the largest transplant. Throw in spinal amplified neuropathy requiring use of a verbal program for lengthy English passages but hand attachments use in the majority due to German terminology and for design because the keyboard cannot be touched. Apologies, my error; under those conditions I wrote my last 11 volumes since 2002, all being on new topic facets with in depth information provided due to doing actual research that requires time, cost, an accumulated archive, and ability to use it. The text information, the research that allows me to learn and then teach, is my priority so that should all images be removed and captions placed as end notes or footnotes what remains would still be a viable contribution of new information. But some are so busy attempting to be famous they do nothing to warrant any claim of being a massive historical contributor; little would be lost had they created nothing with their name on it and especially if limited to what they alone actually wrote. I learn to write to teach, have done so for 30+ years, zero other reason or goal. I suppose that is the difference between those who are inadvertently known in a vocation by what they have actually done and those who simply "wannbe."


Mark C. Yerger

[John P. Moore]

I am in complete agreement with Mark Yerger's comments. While some of you may disagree with what we say, stop for a moment and consider that perhaps we know what we are talking about. Mark and I both have put out quality publications for over 20 years and have invested considerable money in necessary research along with having actually met the people we write about. We both read a lot and have extensive libraries and archives. I believe that we are a good judge of what constitutes a good book. I don't see it here with Mike Miller. When someone boasts about their new masterpiece all over the Internet, they should be prepared for some criticism if their work comes up short in the view of some.

[Klaus Richter]

Constructive criticism is one thing and should always be appreciated, but none of the criticism against Mr. Miller has been constructive. It has been nothing but childish rants from people who should act like adults. I'm sorry, I love Mr. Yerger's work and truly appreciate the efforts he has made. I own all his books. Furthermore I will always buy his books no matter what I think of him personally. However, the vindictiveness in his attacks against other authors is absolutely disgusting, unprofessional, and immature. Pointing out the differences in research and the content of the books is one thing. But viciously attacking someone who has nothing but praise for you, simply because they are producing a work in a field you work in is absurd. Mr. Miller has NEVER claimed his book is anything other than what it is, a quick reference book that details all the basic career facts of the individual. He has never claimed anything else. He doesn't "boast" about it, he's simply stated that it's being released. And as far as historical honesty is concerned, let's not forget who conveniently omits certain aspects of a biographical nature from the very subjects he's writing about. I'm sure the Kavallerie simply had a fun romp through the Pripyat marshes?!? Either way, no one is without fault. But when I read history I want ALL the history not just cherry-picked aspects. We would be a lot better off professionally critiquing each others work, than reacting like someone's spoiled little child!!!!! Enough of this already!!!!

[behblc]

I think it time this one was put to bed and differences of opinion laid to rest, this thread makes rather poor reading time for it to end.