I just finished Why Barbarossa Failed by Timothy Manion, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think you will too. Read on to see why...
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Steve Mercatante
on: Apr 22 2026 - 4:39pm
Review Type: 1941, German Eastern Front, Halder, Hitler, Red Army, Stalin, Steve Mercatante, Timothy Manion, Wermacht, Why Barbarossa Failed, World War II, Zhukov
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Steve Mercatante
on: Apr 17 2026 - 5:20pm
The SS Antilla was a Hamburg America Line cargo ship launched in 1939. She operated in the Caribbean as a cargo ship for Nazi Germany. With a length of nearly 400 feet, beam of 55 feet, and a full load weight of 4,363 GRT (crew of 35) the Antilla was a decent sized merchant ship from that era.
Just before the outbreak of war (in August of 1939) Nazi authorities directed the Antilla (if unable to reach a German port) to seek safety in a neutral harbor.
Review Type: Aruba, Dutch Marines, Hamburg America Line, Merchant Ship, Nazi Germany, SS Antilla, Steve Mercatante, World War II, wreck
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Steve Mercatante
on: Jan 24 2026 - 6:56pm
In terms of the Battle of The Little Big Horn, I have long thought one of the best books anyone could read on the subject is Richard Allan Fox Jr.'s Archeology, History, and Custer's Last Battle. I believe Gordon Harper's work here is, though different, equally superb. If you have any interest in the Battle of the Little Big Horn, then I cannot recommend this book enough.
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Steve Mercatante
on: Jan 8 2026 - 7:45pm
The Casemate Illustrated Series is rapidly proving to be one of the better book series currently available. Gary Yee's look at World War II sniping is no exception to that observation, and is well worth your time.
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Steve Mercatante
on: Nov 17 2025 - 10:19pm
Though part of Casemate's illustrated series (and packed with illustrations), German Logistics is anything but a mere picture book. It contains ample descriptions regarding how the German system of supply worked, and I think anyone interested in the German way of war circa 1939-1945 will find much to enjoy in its pages.
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Steve Mercatante
on: Oct 20 2025 - 4:32pm
Michael Claringbould and Peter Ingman have done it again! As noted by our latest review, Volume 3 of their series covering the air war in the South Pacific is a must read for anyone interested in the Battle of the Coral Sea.
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Steve Mercatante
on: Aug 29 2025 - 6:23pm
The Planning and Preparations for the Battle of Kursk: Volume 1 offers much to chew on for anyone interested in this battle. In this first volume of what is meant to be a two-volume set, the author does a number of things that significantly advance our understanding of the 1943 combat around Kursk. Read on to find out why I recommend this book for my readers.
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Steve Mercatante
on: Aug 3 2025 - 2:20pm
The Defeat and Attrition Of The 12. SS-PanzerDivision HitlerJugend is meant to be the first of two new books further exploring the armor-heavy battles on the eastern end of the Allied lodgement in Normany. I have just finished it, and recommend it to my readers.
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Steve Mercatante
on: May 9 2025 - 5:20pm
Operation Bagration, An Incomplete Truth offers an in-depth and fresh take regarding how the Red Army finally defeated Germany's Army Group Center, and is a book I believe is worth reading. In this month's book review I explain why.
Review Type: Army Group Center, Boris Sokolov, Eastern Front, June 1944, Operation Bagration, Red Army, Steve Mercatante, World War II
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Steve Mercatante
on: Dec 17 2024 - 10:15pm
Combined, the two initial volumes of the Solomons Air War series offer a detailed and richly illustrated look at the August-October 1942 campaign in the air over Guadalcanal and the seas around the island. Readers can find my review here.
