{"title":"Flint Whitlock","description":"Flint Whitlock, a former U.S. Army officer and Vietnam War veteran, is the award-winning author of seventeen books, the majority dealing with World War II. He has appeared on the History Channel and in numerous documentaries, leads battlefield tours, and was editor of WWII Quarterly magazine for twelve years. Notable titles include Desperate Valor: Triumph at Anzio (2018), Given Up for Dead: American POWs in the Nazi Concentration Camp at Berga (2005), and The Fighting First: The Untold Story of the Big Red One on D-Day (2004).","products":[{"product_id":"the-depths-of-courage-american-submariners-at-war-with-japan-1941-1945-paperback","title":"The Depths of Courage: American Submariners at War with Japan, 1941-1945 - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChosen by \u003ci\u003eWWII History\u003c\/i\u003e magazine as one of the Best Books of the Year.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the dark days after Pearl Harbor, the small, illequipped arm of the Navy known as Submarine Force would stand between the shattered U.S. Pacific Fleet and the might of the Japanese Navy. Unfortunately, the spirit and courage of the Submarine Force is being forgotten as the veterans of that force pass into history. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e To preserve their heroic tales of war beneath the sea, critically acclaimed author and military historian Flint Whitlock, in collaboration with decorated World War II submarine veteran Ron Smith, set out on a journey of more than two years to interview submariners and to record their accounts before the memories of their endeavors are lost forever. These are their stories.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51368228880607,"sku":"9780425223703","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/i_4PH1Rr4G9780425223703.webp?v=1789125063"},{"product_id":"patton-and-the-battle-for-sicily-the-general-the-navy-and-operation-husky-hardcover","title":"Patton and the Battle for Sicily: The General, the Navy, and Operation Husky - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOperation Husky, the combined American and British air and sea invasion of Sicily in July 1943, was one of World War II's most critical campaigns with General George S. Patton Jr., inarguably America's most dynamic, courageous, and controversial commander of World War II, at the center. In this new work, author Flint Whitlock covers the history of Operation Husky as it unfolded, with much of the Allied leadership facing internal conflict.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe largest amphibious assault to date came at a crucial moment, and both the planning and execution presented many conflicts for the Allies. Despite the success of Operation Torch in North Africa, the U.S. was still considered not fully tested or trusted by their British partners, and Stalin was clamoring for the Allies to open a second front to take the pressure off his Soviet Union. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePatton's dreams of martial glory and his all-consuming desire to best his chief Allied rival, General Bernard Montgomery, head of the British Eighth Army, to the ultimate prize--the port of Messina--often clouded his judgment. His primary motivation, however, was to prove to \"Monty\" and other dismissive British generals that the American soldier was as good, if not better, than his British counterpart.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUsing Patton's personal letters and diaries, Whitlock reveals the scathing opinions he held of Montgomery and almost everyone else in the Allied hierarchy (Eisenhower, Marshall, Clark, Bradley, and Alexander, among others)--even Adm. H. Kent Hewitt, USN, whose Eighth Fleet carried Patton's troops to the beaches and supported them once on shore. In fact, it was the guns from Hewitt's warships that halted the fierce German and Italian attacks that nearly threw the Americans back into the sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom Tunisia to the landing beaches on the south coast of Sicily to the final fight for Messina, this book chronicles how Husky would prove pivotal for both sides. The operation was criticized by some historians as a wasteful effort by the Allies that squandered valuable troops and resources while allowing many of the Italian and German troops to escape in the battle's final days--an \"Axis Dunkirk.\" Here, Whitlock makes the case that Husky caused the downfall of Benito Mussolini and the neutralization of fascist Italy, and opened the second front to help Stalin. Moreover, the fight for Sicily proved the worth of American soldiers and seamen--as well as combined Army-Navy planning and logistics capabilities. Ultimately, lessons learned from Husky would be integrated into the Operation Overlord plan launched against France's Normandy coast the following year. \u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51368745205983,"sku":"9781612516912","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/90VFDdwN7y9781612516912.webp?v=1789132335"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/flint-whitlock.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}