New Kurland Pocket book.

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krichter33
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New Kurland Pocket book.

Post by krichter33 »

New book about the Kurland battles, titled "Survivors of the Kurland Pocket."
So far I haven't been able to glean much information about this enigmatic book that just appeared "out of the blue," so to speak, yet I believe its author is lurking around on some of these military sites......hopefully it is a very detailed and tactical book with a lot of maps, because then I'll buy it!!!

Hardcover:

http://publish-phdbookbinding.com/the-s ... r-edition/

Softcover:

http://publish-phdbookbinding.com/the-s ... r-edition/
Klaus Richter
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Re: New Kurland Pocket book.

Post by krichter33 »

I have been in contact with the author and he allowed me to post the following response about himself and the book:

Thank you for the message. Interesting comments to hear and very welcome.

First to let you know, I am the author of the text, the reason why there has not been much pre-release info on the work was I was very lucky to find anyone who would actually publish such a study. Fortress Kurland was to be the third installment of my Fortress Series studies following my Breslau research. But the discovery and confirmation of some of the new scholarship made it timely to get this study produced first and get it out on the market before someone scooped the information. As you mention there is not a good definitive book out about the Kurland. I cover every existing account available and critique them all as to correct timelines, locations and personnel.

It was interesting that a publisher today e-mailed me with the news that the title had been mentioned on Wehrmacht Awards Forum, which is exciting....as the publisher may pick up the second and third installments of the series....

The text is very detailed, I studied Military History under Dr. Stanley Carpenter and Dr. Don Sine, Gerhard Weinberg is perhaps one of my favorite Second World War historians and Carpenter studied directly under him at UNC and currently is on staff at the US Army War college, Sine is a three time battlefield promoted combat vet, so the material was heavily vested as potential military science text as well as a military history account. The first copy was purchased by Mike Kelso, DOD US Army at Fort Benning, who agreed with the findings and additionally purchased a publishers manuscript copy and a full set of the maps, which are period examples.

The study is based upon the method of Leopold von Ranke based upon concrete fact, cross referenced and rigerously defended. There was so much material that the Second Fortress edition will be titled Grand Battles of the Kurland Campaign and have the Soviet pespective added to and included. Most of this text is German-Latvian based perspective. The writing is similar to Weinberg, who made that comment when reviewing the material to Dr. Carpenter. The manuscript is 151 pages although the published version may be 145 pages I beleive, very similar in size to Gerd Niepold's Panzer Operations Sommer 1944.

There are seventeen pages of maps and seven battle graphs which chart the intensity of each days fighting and the evidence of effective command and tactical field valor examples. As to detail there are collected some 100 plus examples of effective German Command leadership and Tactical Field Valor examples which prove the books basis; which is that Effective German Command leadership and Tactical Field Valor allowed the German forces with withstand the numerical superiority of the Red Army Offensives. So I would say that the text is primarily German centric, although includes Soviet and Latvian views when important to detail.

I am currently working on and finishing the Second Volume; The Grand Battles of the Kurland Campaign, which will have the greater Soviet perspective, and greater extended detail perhaps hitting 8-9 hundred pages in the end. And include a plethora of the relic items and divisional groupings I was able to access for the project including Hans Kliemann's Ritter Kreuz awards group, Prinz Eugen, Gross-Deutschland, PZJ Battalion 912, Luftwaffe JG 54 divisional groups and refined mapworks. A detailed chronology and place names in Germa, Latvian, and Russian. I have nearly forty years of background in the Eastern Front and hold a Masters degree in Military History. I have extensively traveled Eastern Europe and walked nearly every major battlefield while living there doing research and working. Among the Army War College instructors and individual associates who include several Command Sargeant Majors I am considered a "Russian Front Expert", but feel my field experience gives me perhaps a slight edge over the standard traveling historian. I do feel that both volumes when completed will form a definitive record and narrative of the period from summer 1944 through 1945.

Where I live in California I have conducted several small group lectures covering the Graf Strachwitz operation and movment and an overview the the text. Sharing the period maps and charts and some of the relic materials. This was quite popular and may be expanded...

The text itself has been added to the German language website Kurland Kessel, by Michael Molter, so slowly I believe the word of its existence will get out to the general historical enthusiast public. Fortress Breslau I feel will be as good or perhaps even better and hopefully the momentum will gain a stronger publisher than present and wider exposure.

The current publisher has some shipping cost issues, I have personally shipped the book to Europe, several times to Germany where it has been popular via US Media mail which is ultra cost effective and may continue to do so in the future.The UPS shipping does not please me cost wise....and hopefully can be addressed.

Cheers,
Richard P. Wade MA
Klaus Richter
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Re: New Kurland Pocket book.

Post by HB Wade »

It has been a welcome past couple of weeks after getting quite a lot of exposure for the new text material across the network of historical websites. And stellar to have so much interaction with individuals who have such a large interest and knowledge of the theatre and detailed aspects of the campaign. The chance to compare notes and extend the conversation with other noted historians is always positive and feeds impact into the next project.

I think that will be a major difference maker in the final touches of volume two of this project and directing the level of detail placed upon individual unit study throughout the timeline.

It was a big win in receiving some information regarding material that was in the development stages and then getting some verification of what had been published, there's a great deal of connect the dots in what has been previously published on topics like Graf Strachwitz and his operations. Every new fact that has some cross reference potential serves to strengthen the existing material and perhaps open more doors on the finer details. The addition of my book on Kurland-Kessel has been a huge boost to relatives of those who fought there in the Kurland and those families who still search for missing relatives still not presently accounted for. Linking the field discoveries and what information that may open up could be a key aspect of answering some of those questions. So every new e-mail may be important ...

Looking forward to this next wave of books that have or are heading off to Europe and continuing to correspond with knowledgable readers across the globe.

Richard
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Re: New Kurland Pocket book.

Post by Michate »

Hello Mr. Wade,

I am definitely interested in buying a copy of your interesting sounding book and tried to order a copy via: http://publish-phdbookbinding.com.

Unfortunately the costs for shipping the book to Germany are unacceptably (to me) high, with roughly 120 USD (as opposed to the prize of the book itself, with which I have no problem).

Do you know of any alternative order/shipping opportunity that avoids the high shipping costs?
If yes, I would be very thankful to hear.

Perhaps other potential buyers from Europe face the same problem?

Kind regards from Germany,
Michate
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Re: New Kurland Pocket book.

Post by HB Wade »

Michate,

Yes, I have been shipping the book myself as the publisher develops an international shipping plan. Shipping from the US to Europe is 19.90 plus the book cost. It is shipped USPS "First Class" which has been from 6-10 days to Sweden, UK, Holland and Germany. I've just left you a PM with detailed info....

Thanks for your interest.

Richard
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