{"product_id":"the-waffenss-at-war-hitlers-praetorians-19251945-9780760320686","title":"The Waffen-SS at War: Hitler's Praetorians 1925-1945","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Schutzstaffel-SS-(Protection Squad) were the black uniformed elite corps of the Nazi Party. Founded by Adolf Hitler in April 1925 as a small personal bodyguard  the SS grew with the success of the Nazi movement and  gathering immense police and military powers  became virtually a state within a state. The Waffen-SS (Armed-SS) branch was made up of three subgroups: the Leibstandarte  Hitlers personal bodyguard; the Totenkopfverbande (Deaths Head Battalions)  which administered the concentration camps; and the Verfugungstruppen (Disposition Troops)  which swelled to 39 divisions in World War II and which  serving as elite combat troops alongside the regular army  gained a reputation for both professionalism and brutality. Hitlers Praetorians is the complete history of the Third Reichs fighting elite from its humble beginnings to the end in Berlin in May 1945.Hitlers Praetorians begins with a detailed examination of Waffen-SS ideology  selection and training. Their chief \"virtue\" was their absolute obedience and loyalty to the Fuhrer. On the battlefield the Waffen SS had few peers  especially its elite panzer divisions. Hitlers Praetorians analyzes the many battles and campaigns of the Waffen-SS divisions  such as at Kharkov and Kursk in 1943  and on the Western Front in Normandy in 1944. As well as color maps and black-and-white photographs  Hitlers Praetorianss contains biographical boxes on the commanders who turned the Waffen-SS into a fearsome military machine. There are also boxes on the weapons and equipment used by the Waffen-SS throughout the war  with each item of hardware being illustrated by a line diagram and accompanied by a specifications table.- Detailed single-volume study of Hitlers Black Guard- Analysis of Waffen-SS battle tactics- Contains feature boxes on Waffen-SS commanders and hardware- Full-color mapsAbout the AuthorTim Ripley is a freelance writer and an acknowledged expert on the tactics of modern warfare. He is also the author of SS: Steel Storm and SS: Steel Rain.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45647567847477,"sku":"ByrdShop_0760320683","price":46.38,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780760320686.jpg?v=1781693241","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-waffenss-at-war-hitlers-praetorians-19251945-9780760320686","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}