July 1943

Like many Germans, Berlin schoolboy Erwin Bartmann fell under the spell of the Zeitgeist cultivated by the Nazis. Convinced he was growing up in the best country in the world, he dreamt of joining the Leibstandarte, Hitler's elite Waffen SS unit.

Donald Featherstone's book on wargaming with model planes was hugely influential when it was first published in 1966. It included many new ideas on how to recreate dog fights on the table-top.

Throughout World War II, German snipers were obliged to carry a 'Scharfshutzen Buch' which recorded every kill. Each success noted had to be verified by a witness and signed by a superior officer.

The battle for the Soviet city of Kursk in July 1943 during World War II involved two million soldiers. Code-named Citadel, it was Hitler's frenzied–and final–attempt to defeat Russia on the eastern front and was the largest buildup of German armed power of the war. Robbins re-creates the battle in this rousing novel: its characters being Hitler; his generals and advisers; Russian, German, and Spanish foot soldiers and tank drivers; fighter pilots (both men and women); partisans; and even elderly men and women digging trenches.