Conceived and developed as a civilian airliner during the 1930s, the elegant four-engined Focke-Wulf Fw200 Condor soon became one of the Luftwaffe's most immediately recognizable and potent maritime armed reconnaissance aircraft. Following its introduction into service in 1939, the Condor took part in the German campaign against Norway and the British Isles in 1940 before being subsequently deployed over the Mediterranean in 1941 and the Atlantic between 1940 and 1944. Used as a transport for high-level German personnel in the Fliegerstaffel des Führers, as well as military transport missions on the Eastern Front, the Condor became involved in the catastrophic Stalingrad airlift. Later in the war, over the Atlantic convoy routes and despite the introduction by the Allies of escort carriers, catapult-fighter ships and long-range patrol aircraft, the Fw 200 continued to wage an anti-shipping campaign, but by the autumn of 1944 and into 1945, it was relegated to pure transport missions flying from bases in Norway. In Focke-Wulf Fw 200: The Condor at War, Chris Goss presents the most richly detailed narrative ever written on the campaigns undertaken by the Fw 200. Their account is accompanied by hundreds of rare images, many previously unpublished, representing the largest assembly of photography relative to the aircraft ever published. A unique reference source for historians and modelers alike.

This is a lavishly illustrated and highly detailed account of one of the most elegant and deadly aircraft to see service during World War 2. Designed and built in the late 1930s, originally as a civilian airliner to compete with the American DC-2 and DC-3, the Fw 200 grabbed the international stage when it broke the record for flying non-stop from Berlin to New York in August 1938. However, it is for its role as a maritime strike aircraft in World War 2 that the Fw 200 gained its reputation as the 'Scourge of the Atlantic'. The heavily armed Condor was equipped with a formidable array of bombs, 1000 kg air mines, Hs 293 guided missiles, as well as the latest radio equipment and search radars. It inflicted a massive toll on Allied convoys and merchant shipping over the North Atlantic between 1940 and 1943. As the war progressed and despite the fact that the Allies devised methods to increase convoy defence, the Condor soldiered on, latterly operating supply missions from bases in Norway in October 1944. The author, a renowned aviation specialist, has uncovered unique and unpublished material on this most revered aircraft of the Luftwaffe that will appeal to modellers and historians alike. The book will also feature the lesser-known use of the Fw 200 by the Spanish, as well as Focke-Wulf Condors in Soviet and South American colours. This is the most thorough and dedicated history of the only four-engined, long-range aircraft in service with the Luftwaffe during World War 2.

• One of the few books that explores the design and deployment of German artillery self-propelled guns (SPGs) to support tanks and infantry during the Second World War • A great reference book for military modellers, historians and tank wargamers interested in German SPGs • A comprehensive guide to German SPGs between 1939 and 1945 in one volume for the very first time, including previously unpublished information on the little-known Hummel-Wespe proving that at least twelve units were built • Authentic camouflage suggestions for military modellers A single towed artillery gun required a team of six horses and nine men. During the Second World War, German engineers mounted an artillery gun on top of a tank chassis; this new technology reduced the amount of valuable war resources as self-propelled guns only required a four- or five-man crew. They could also be made ready to fire more rapidly. German Self-Propelled Artillery Guns of the Second World War covers the development and use of this new weapon between 1939 and 1945. One type was successfully deployed in the invasion of France in 1940 and more were used on the Eastern Front against Soviet forces from 1941 until the end of the war. The ‘Desert Fox’ (Ewin Rommel) demanded artillery guns that could keep up with his panzers in North Africa. He was sent 15-cm howitzers mounted on top of Panzer II tank chassis’ and captured French Army Lorraine 37L-tracked armoured supply vehicles. Rommel’s forces in northern France were equipped with a variety of new self-propelled guns, which were used against the Allies on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day in 1944. • Includes 81 colour photographs

Details the aircraft and missions of Adolf Hitler's personal aircraft transportation squadron; An unparalleled reference guide to some of the legendary aircraft of the era, including the Junkers Ju 52/3m, the Focke-Wulf FW 200 Condor, and the Junkers Ju 290; Contains rare photographs of Hitler's personal planes and of life inside the inner circle of the Third Reich; Adolf Hitler was the first head of state to have his own personal pilot and airplane. His interest in aviation as a propaganda weapon as well as transportation led him to order the establishment of a special air squadron, the Fliegerstaffel des Fuehrers. To command this unique unit, he chose Hans Baur, veteran World War I combat ace and pioneering airline pilot. During the 1930s and World War II, the Fuehrer's own pilot and special aircraft flew the famous and the infamous. Baur flew Hitler, his inner circle, and visiting dignitaries throughout Europe, to Hitler's secret headquarters and to the far-flung battlefields of the Eastern Front.. The aircraft used in the squadron were the Junkers Ju 52/3m, D-2600; the Focke-Wulf FW 200 Condor; and the Junkers Ju 290, a true flying fortress. Sweeting also discusses the remark

“A hive of interesting facts and almost unbelievable stories about Adolf Hitler . . . Well worth a look. Well worth a read.” —War History Online Based on intelligence documents, personal testimonies, memoirs, and official histories, including material only declassified in 2010, Guarding Hitler provides the reader with a fascinating inside look at the secret world of Hitler’s security and domestic arrangements. The book focuses in particular on both the official and private life of Hitler during the latter part of the war, at the Wolf’s Lair at Rastenburg, and Hitler’s private residence at Berchtesgaden, the Berghof. Guarding Hitler manages to offer fresh insights into the life and routine of the Führer, and most importantly, the often indiscreet opinions, observations, and activities of the “little people” who surrounded Hitler but whose stories have been overshadowed by the great affairs of state. It covers not only the plots against Hitler’s life but the way security developed as a result. His use of “doubles” is examined as is security while traveling by land or air. As little has been written about the security and domestic life of Adolf Hitler, Guarding Hitler allows the reader to delve deeper into this previously overlooked aspect of the world’s most infamous man. “A fascinating view into the close world Hitler inhabited and which shaped his life and decisions.” —Fire Reviews