Illustrated with maps and a center section of black and white photographs. Kesselring-commander, leader, administrator; the only senior German officer to start and finish the Second World War holding a high command appointment. There was scarcely a major campaign in which he was not at some time deeply involved: he flew in the forefront of the battle over Poland, Holland, Britain, Russia and the Western Desert and was shot down five times; as a field commander he defended Tunisia, Italy and, ultimately, Germany. But it is as much for his role in the formation and development of the Luftwaffe that Kesselring is remembered-his were many of the ideas, plans and insights about the part played by aircraft in the land battle. They were central to the careful, systematic reorganization and building up of the German military machine in the 1920s and 30s. This first complete biography presents the complex, fascinating personality of a man whose qualities of utter determination, charm and good humor, harnessed to outstanding training and experience, enabled him to cope with both victory and defeat and, finally, when placed on trial for his life, to face his judges with dignity, equanimity and a staunch defense.
A fascinating historical journey . . . Kenneth Macksey's wonderful book reveals how these unsung heroes spent their time in the shadows of the secret intelligence war' - EYE SPY The ability to transmit military information by radio, first made practical at the beginning of the twentieth century, and developed in the First World War, brought immediate advantage over a potential enemy. Radio warfare came to play a key role in the Battle of Britain in 1940, and in the war against the U-boats in the Atlantic. The Searchers reveals how radio technology shaped the course of the Second World War. This is the story, not of the codebreakers, but of the Y Service, the searchers who made their vital work possible: men and women with headphones clamped to their ears who for hours on end searched the radio bands in order to overhear the enemy. Their achievements were made possible by brilliantly clever inventors and technologists, constantly pushing forward the frontiers of knowledge. The intelligence derived from their work influenced, often determined, the course of battle in the global war against the Germans, Italians and Japanese. Kenneth John Macksey (1923 - 2005) was a British author and historian who specialised in military history and biography, particularly WWII. He was commissioned in the Royal Armoured Corps and served during the Second World War, winning a Military Cross. Macksey gained a permanent commission in 1946, was transferred to the Royal Tank Regiment, reached the rank of major in 1957 and retired from the Army in 1968. He wrote over 15 books on various aspects of the war.
Ten stories of what-if World War II scenarios from military historians: “A thought-provoking study of what might have been.” —British Army Review What would have happened if Hitler invaded England in July 1940, or concentrated on the capture of Moscow in 1941 instead of first diverting to Kiev? Or if Rommel had implemented Plan Orient in 1942, striking across the Middle East to join Japanese forces moving to India? How would the course of World War II have been changed if Churchill had persuaded the Americans to concentrate on attacking the “soft underbelly” of Europe instead of Northern France? In this compelling book, ten acclaimed military historians explore what might have happened if at ten crucial turning points of the war Hitler had taken a different direction, or how he would have reacted if the Allies had changed course. Each scenario is based on real situations and are within the bounds of what could genuinely have occurred. With vivid and realistic descriptions of the ensuing campaigns and battles, The Hitler Options is a gripping, thought-provoking and, at times, disturbing look at what could have been.
Commando', the history Commandos and small-scale raids during World War II, is a gripping narrative, tracing the actions of the fearless men who served as Allied commandos for the Combined Operations department during the war. Kenneth Macksey offers the details of St Nazaire, Bruneval, Dieppe as well as the key players, such as Stirling, Lovat and Carlson. Macksey skilfully provides a study of the lesser-known figures, such as Edson, Appleyard and Pickney, bringing to life their courage and determination while celebrating the sailors who enabled the raiders to reach their destinations.
Kenneth Macksey’s highly regarded biography of Generaloberst Heinz Guderian gives clear insight into the mind and motives of the father of modern tank warfare. Panzer General shows Guderian as a man of ideas equipped with the ability to turn inspiration into reality. A master of strategy and tactics, he was the officer most responsible for creating blitzkrieg in World War II. Guderian built the Panzerwaffe in the face of opposition from the German General Staff and personally led the lightning campaigns by tanks and aircraft that put a large part of Europe under domination by the Third Reich. Kenneth Macksey, a tank man himself for more than twenty years, reveals the man as a brilliant rebel in search of ideals and a general whose personality, genius, and achievements far transcended those of Rommel. As well as throwing light on the crucial campaigns in Poland, France, and Russia, this biography illuminates the struggles within the German hierarchy, both in the military and in the Nazi Party, for control of the Panzer forces. Based on information from the extensive family archives, Panzer General demonstrates why Guderian was so admired by some while denigrated by others.
The WWII historian’s bracingly accurate analysis of what might have happened if Hitler ordered Operation Sea Lion to breech the shores of England. In June 1940, German troops gathered just across the English Channel, poised for the invasion of Britain. With France defeated and Britain cowed, Hitler seemed ready for his greatest gamble. In this compelling alternative history, the Germans launch the invasion that, in reality, was never more than a plan. Landing between Dover and Hythe, German troops push inland supported by the Luftwaffe and the impregnable panzers, and strike out towards London. The British, desperate to defeat the invaders, rally and prepare for a crucial confrontation at Maidstone. Realistic, carefully researched and superbly written, Invasion is a classic of alternate history and a thought-provoking look at how Britain’s war might have been. “Macksey’s blend of what actually happened and what might have been makes for a piece of writing comparable to Frederick Forsyth at his best.” —Jack Higgins “Convincingly described and excellently illustrated.” —The Daily Telegraph, UK
A fascinating and detailed insight into tank warfare, from introduction during World War I to the war in Vietnam. After its introduction during the First World War, the tank revolutionised warfare, and proved to be a terrifying and efficient machine of war. Kenneth Macksey provides a study of the policy-makers and tank strategists, the technical and tactical development, as well as presenting the story of the tank on the battlefield the split-second decisions, the battle-weary crews and the endless mud in this fascinating and detailed account of tank warfare.
Om en række personer, der har haft betydning for udvikling af panservåbnet og dets anvendelse i kamp - Ernest Swinton, Boney Fuller, George Lindsay, Charles Broad, Liddell Hart, Walter Christie, Q. Martel, Heinz Guderian, Percy Hobart, Adna Chaffee og John Crocker.
The mighty German armed forces have twice this century been forced from the brink of victory to defeat. Was this inevitable, given their structure, leadership and history? Kenneth Macksey examines the inherent flaws in the German military system and its generalship, focusing on the two World Wars but also taking into account major preceding events such as the Seven Years' War, the Napoleonic Wars and the Danish, Austrian and Franco-Prussian wars. A nation that traditionally had to struggle to survive in territory with few natural defensive boundaries, Germany developed an aggressive and arrogant outlook, which led it via initial successes in the 1860s and 1870s to dreams of world domination, causing overstretch and disaster. Macksey highlights the German military's tendency to underestimate the enemy and believe its own propaganda; its failure to adopt a war policy far-reaching enough to sustain anything other than short wars; the immense political power wielded by the military staffs; and many other factors that history has shown damaged Germany's chances of success in war. Set against these flaws was the brilliance of individual generals and military thinkers, the innovative development of the military forces, and the skill and tenacity of the men who did the fighting. Macksey inspects the reasons for the actions of the great German commanders - including Scharnhorst, Clausewitz, Moltke, Hindenburg, Ludendorff, Kesselring, Guderian, Rommel, Manstein and many others, as well as their Kaisers and, of course, Adolf Hitler.
Macksey considers the impact on war of logistics and communications--an extraordinarily complex question with which he is very expert. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
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