Storm Of Steel

One of the great war memoirs, published here in a stunning Deluxe Edition for the centenary of World War I and the Battle of the Somme—and featuring a foreword by the New York Times bestselling author of Matterhorn A worldwide bestseller published shortly after the end of World War I, Storm of Steel is a memoir of astonishing power, savagery, and ashen lyricism. It illuminates not only the horrors but also the fascination of total war, as seen through the eyes of an ordinary German soldier. Young, tough, patriotic, but also disturbingly self-aware, Ernst Jünger exulted in the Great War, which he saw not just as a great national conflict but also—more importantly—as a unique personal struggle. Leading raiding parties, defending trenches against murderous British incursions, simply enduring as shells tore his comrades apart, Jünger keeps testing himself, braced for the death that will mark his failure. His account is ripe for rediscovery upon the centennial of the Battle of the Somme—a major set piece in Storm of Steel—and a bracing read for fans of Redeployment and American Sniper. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Junger's great book matter-of-factly conveys the mysterious glamour of war, the exhilaration of its excess and intensity and, not least, the undeniable glory of men bravely preparing for battle as for "some terrible silent ceremonial that portends human sacrifice."

Originally published in 1920, The Storm of Steel is a first-hand account of World War I trench combat lifted from the diaries of Ernst Jünger, a German infantryman who would become one of Europe's most talented writers. The book was first translated into English in 1929 by Basil Creighton, the acclaimed translator of many other classic works of German literature, and was widely hailed as a masterpiece. The Storm of Steel remains the definitive account of World War I, following Jünger through several major engagements as he develops from an eager young soldier into a battle-hardened officer. Subsequent revisions by the author removed many of the original editions' vivid descriptions of battle, along with his reflections on leadership, patriotism, and the nature of heroism, while later translations failed to compare to the original's compelling and readable prose. The original translation eventually fell out-of-print, and is now being made available for the first time in decades to allow a new generation of readers to experience the classic that introduced millions to one of Europe's greatest voices.

In this fascinating account of the battle tanks that saw combat in the European Theater of World War II, Mary R. Habeck traces the strategies developed between the wars for the use of armored vehicles in battle. Only in Germany and the Soviet Union were truly original armor doctrines (generally known as "blitzkreig" and "deep battle") fully implemented. Storm of Steel relates how the German and Soviet armies formulated and chose to put into practice doctrines that were innovative for the time, yet in many respects identical to one another.As part of her extensive archival research in Russia, Germany, and Britain, Habeck had access to a large number of formerly secret and top-secret documents from several post-Soviet archives. This research informs her comparative approach as she looks at the roles of technology, shared influences, and assumptions about war in the formation of doctrine. She also explores relations between the Germans and the Soviets to determine whether collaboration influenced the convergence of their armor doctrines.

Both memoir and essay, Copse 125 is an engaging and philosophical meditation on the nature of modern warfare in the era of the First World War, through a sustained and unified account of one aspect and episode, the battle at Rossignol Wood in France. Written in the early 1920s, several years after his classic Storm of Steel, Copse 125 also contains the essence of Jünger's thoughts on nationalism and the forging of a people in the furnace of heroic struggle.

Presenting the desperate conflict of the First World War through the eyes of an ordinary German soldier, Ernst Jünger's Storm of Steel is translated by Michael Hofmann in Penguin Modern Classics. 'As though walking through a deep dream, I saw steel helmets approaching through the craters. They seemed to sprout from the fire-harrowed soil like some iron harvest.' A memoir of astonishing power, savagery and ashen lyricism, Storm of Steel depicts Ernst Jünger's experience of combat on the front line - leading raiding parties, defending trenches against murderous British incursions, and simply enduring as shells tore his comrades apart. One of the greatest books to emerge from the catastrophe of the First World War, it illuminates like no other book not only the horrors but also the fascination of a war that made men keep fighting for four long years. Ernst Jünger (1895-1998) the son of a wealthy chemist, ran away from home to join the Foreign Legion. His father dragged him back, but he returned to military service when he joined the German army on the outbreak of the First World War. Storm of Steel (Stahlgewittern) was Jünger's first book, published in 1920. Greatly admired by the Nazis, Jünger remained at a distance from the regime, with books such as his allegorical work On the Marble Cliffs (1939) functioning as a covert criticism of Nazi ideology and methods. If you enjoyed Storm of Steel, you might like Edward Blunden's Undertones of War, also available in Penguin Modern Classics. 'To read this extraordinary book is to gain a unique insight into the compelling nature of organized, industrialized violence' Niall Ferguson, author of War of the World 'Hofmann's interpretation is superb' The Times 'Unique in the literature of this or any other war is its brilliantly vivid conjuration of the immediacy and intensity of battle' Telegraph 'Storm of Steel is what so many books claim to be but are not: a classic account of war' Evening Standard

AD 643. Anglo-Saxon Britain. A gripping, action-packed historical thriller and the sixth instalment in the Bernicia Chronicles. Heading south to lands he once considered his home, Beobrand is plunged into a dark world of piracy and slavery when an old friend enlists his help to recover a kidnapped girl. Embarking onto the wind-tossed seas, Beobrand pursues his quarry with single-minded tenacity. But the Whale Road is never calm and his journey is beset with storms, betrayal and violence. As the winds of his wyrd blow him ever further from what he knows, will Beobrand find victory on his quest or has his luck finally abandoned him? Praise for Matthew Harffy: 'Nothing less than superb... The tale is fast paced and violence lurks on every page' Historical Novel Society 'Beobrand is the warrior to follow' David Gilman 'A tale that rings like sword song in the reader's mind' Giles Kristian 'Historical fiction doesn't get much better than this' Angus Donald 'A brilliant characterization of a difficult hero in a dangerous time. Excellent!' Christian Cameron 'A terrific novel. It illuminates the Dark Ages like a bolt of lightning' Toby Clements 'Battles, treachery, revenge and a healthy dose of Dark Age adventure' Simon Turney 'Matthew Harffy tells a great story' Joanna Hickson 'Harffy's writing just gets better and better... He is really proving himself the rightful heir to Gemmell's crown' Jemahl Evans 'Harffy has a real winner on his hands... A genuinely superb novel' Steven McKay 'A breathtaking novel that sweeps the reader into a dark and dangerous world' Paul Fraser Collard

After liberating Queen Byleth from the temple of the Sun Cult, Horace has ascended from slave to First Sword and confidant of the queen. He must now harness his power as a sorcerer while navigating complex political intrigue in a foreign land. Further complications arise when Alyra, former spy at court, returns. She has her own mysterious agenda, and Horace is forced to contend with this as well as his growing passion for her. Meanwhile, Jirom and his lover Emanon have joined the growing slave rebellion, rising through the ranks as they fight for the very cause Horace has been commanded to destroy. With the kingdom on the brink of war, a rash of assassinations, and orders from Queen Byleth to crush the slave rebellion at any cost, Horace is stuck between his opposition to human bondage, and his newfound duty as the protector of the realm. The remarkable second volume in The Book of the Black Earth, Storm and Steel is a searing, action packed fantasy epic.