{"title":"Books by Gordon Williamson","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781472847928","title":"Hitler's Navy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA complete illustrated study of the German Kriegsmarine throughout World War II.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHamstrung at first by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, during the 1930s, the German Navy underwent a programme of rearmament in defiance of the restrictions, building modern warships under limitations which forced technological innovation. Submarines were strictly prohibited by the treaty, and yet, following years of covert development, they became one of the Kriegsmarine’s most deadly weapons. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlooded in the Spanish Civil War, the surface ships of the Kriegsmarine went on to play a crucial role in the opening salvoes of World War II during the invasions of Poland and Norway, although serious losses here set back plans for the invasion of Britain, and by the end of the war, only a handful of surface vessels remained to be divided up among the Allies. From the beginning of the war, but especially after the fall of France, the dreaded and extraordinarily successful U-boats stalked the Atlantic, threatening vital British shipping convoys and choking off the lifeline of munitions and supply from the US. Once Italy and Japan entered the war, German naval operations expanded to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis highly illustrated volume is a comprehensive study of the German Navy throughout the war, from pocket battleships to torpedo boats.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56301241270645,"sku":"9781472847928","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472847928_3b5aeb02-a10d-4ca3-bbcd-5bded4cda79a.jpg?v=1786020882"},{"product_id":"9781855321304","title":"Afrikakorps 1941–43","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe campaign in North Africa between September 1940 and May 1943 holds an enduring fascination for postwar generations.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe campaign was no less costly in terms of human lives and material than many others; but regret at the cost was accompanied by positive memories in the minds of many veterans. This is not to suggest that the dead have been forgotten; but an almost mystical bond nevertheless exists, even between former enemies, amongst veterans of the desert campaign.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this richly illustrated volume, Gordon Williamson examines the history, organisation and uniforms of Rommel's Afrikakorps.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308696842613,"sku":"9781855321304","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781855321304_4386b318-6753-450a-bdad-aa992fe850e6.jpg?v=1786029857"},{"product_id":"u-boats-at-war-in-100-objects-1939-1945","title":"U-Boats at War in 100 Objects","description":"Gordon Williamson, using a carefully selected range of both wartime images and color images of surviving U-boat memorabilia from private collections, describes one hundred iconic elements of the U-boat service and its campaigns. The array of objects includes important individuals and the major U-boat types, through to the uniforms and insignias the men wore. The weapons, equipment and technology used are explored, as are the conditions in which the U-boat crews served, from cooking facilities and general hygiene down to the crude toilet facilities.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Importantly, the enemy that they faced is also covered, examining the ship-borne and airborne anti-submarine weaponry used against the U-boats. The U-boats began the war, though few in number, more than a match for the Allies and created carnage amongst merchant shipping as well as sinking several major warships.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57484288852341,"sku":"9781526759023","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781526759023.jpg?v=1786266344"},{"product_id":"german-e-boats-1939-45","title":"German E-boats 1939–45","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBy the outbreak of World War II, Germany had done much to replace the Kaiser's High Seas Fleet, which was scuttled following their surrender at the end of World War I.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eForced to build anew, the Kriegsmarine possessed some of the most technically advanced warships in existence. Although the heavy units of the fleet were too small in number to pose much of a threat, Germany was particularly well served by her Navy's smaller vessels, in particular the U-Boats and the S-Boats. Known to the allies as the E-Boats ('Enemy'), they performed sterling duties in the Black Sea and English Channel, where they became a particular scourge.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlongside ample illustrations, Gordon Williamson explores these E-Boats and the details of their design.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57490052809077,"sku":"9781841764450","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781841764450.jpg?v=1786441946"},{"product_id":"german-destroyers-1939-45","title":"German Destroyers 1939–45","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe German destroyer fleet of World War II consisted of nine classes: the Diether Von Roeder Class, the Leberecht Maas Class and the wartime classes Z23, Z35, Z37, Z40, Z43, Z46 and Z52.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese vessels, though fewer in number than the British destroyer fleet, tended to be much bigger and more powerful than their allied counterparts. They served their country well in operations in the Channel, North Sea, the Far North and in the rescue of civilians from East Prussia during the final days of the war. This title describes their design, development and operational use from the fjords of Narvik to the final days of the war.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57490054775157,"sku":"9781841765044","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781841765044.jpg?v=1786441948"},{"product_id":"e-boat-vs-mtb","title":"E-Boat vs MTB","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn examination of the 'small boat' war between the Germans and the British in the English Channel.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDuring the Second World War, German E-Boats were so active in the English Channel that the narrow stretch of water became known as 'E-Boat Alley'. To counter the threat of these E-Boats, Britain brought its coastal forces to bear – flotillas of small Motor Torpedo and Gun Boats (MTBs and MGBs) and Motor Launches (MLs). As the Germans sought to maintain their supremacy in Channel waters, they continued to develop their E-Boat designs to accommodate more armor and more firepower. Rather than matching the newer E-Boats for armament, the British developed several types to fulfill the varied roles for which the Kriegsmarine were attempting to use the E-Boat. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIllustrated with high-quality photographs and battlescene artworks, this book details this developing conflict, examining the evolution of the boats involved, and covering their battles from fights in the Thames Estuary to the build-up for D-Day.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57490341298549,"sku":"9781849084062","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781849084062.jpg?v=1786442230"},{"product_id":"the-waffen-ss-2","title":"The Waffen-SS (2)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe military branch of the Nazi SS security organisation grew by the end of World War II from a handful of poorly regarded infantry battalions in 1939, into a force of more than 30 divisions including units of every type.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheir battlefield reputation varied widely, from the premier armoured divisions which formed Germany's utterly reliable spearheads on both main fronts, to low quality 'anti-partisan' units. The divisions covered in this second of four titles include the first mountain and cavalry units, and two of the remarkable new Panzer divisions raised in the great 1943 expansion.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIllustrated with rare photographs from private collections, the text details their organisation, uniforms and insignia, and summarises their battle record.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57705599730037,"sku":"9781841765907","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781841765907.jpg?v=1793377262"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-gordon-williamson.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}