News: We are happy to announce that we have our new "link mod" working—our programmer out-did himself on making it!! The program allows YOU to add your link yourself, unlike the old "add-me form" we had. Please, go to http://www.reenactor.net/forums/index.php/page,167.html and add your unit's link, if we don't have it. For that matter, you can update links too. We still have many of the old links up, as it is a process to do a lot of them. However, we will be working to update links as fast as possible-- soon, ALL the unit links and historical links will be done this way!!
Well, we do have some stuff, but not nearly as balanced as I want. Please send us your input and books we should list! E-mail us at ww2_books@reenactor.net.
We are an "associate" of Amazon.com and so through them can offer you many of the books we think are an asset to building your impression. What this means is, that if you click on the links below and on the other book pages, you can buy these books through us! This wonderful act, besides showing your good taste, will allow us to pay our now surprisingly HIGH server bill and keep reenactor.Net going ;-) Thanks, and... enjoy!
Right here on this page though, are some books on the different nations as a people, some of their customs and language slang--this will help you to get a handle on them!
Attention: You might see this ugly graphic, instead of the book cover which we have so carefully chosen for you to see. Alas, it means the book is not in print or Amazon is out of it NEW or something. It doesn't mean you cannot get it used, and often for CHEAPER... We will be going through and adding direct links to the book title itself, thus allowing you to get to the book's actual page and possibly even find it used. (I like used books!)
The History of the Panzerkorps Grossdeutschland, Vol. 1 (v. 1)--by Helmuth Spaeter; J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc, Winnipeg, 1992. The absolute "last-word" on GD. Translated from the German, this book has every thing there is about GD and its offspring units.
Panzerkorps Grossdeutschland:--by Helmuth Spaeter; Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, 1984. German language edition. A companion to the above book, this volume is chock full o GD photos. It is also available in English, but I know not where.
For the WW2 reenactor, there are MANY good books available on the 'Net. We have broken them down into topics as otherwise, this page would be intolerably long -- actually, the pages still might be quite long, as there are a LOT of good books out there! Since I mostly reenact German, I admit that there is a bias in the books here, but I am working to change that, so bear with us and as time goes on, we will get more here. You can help by telling us what books we are missing.
We are an "associate" of Amazon.com and so through them can offer you many of the books we think are an asset to building your impression. What this means is, that if you click on the links below and on the other book pages, you can buy these books through us! This wonderful act, besides showing your good taste, will allow us to pay our now surprisingly HIGH server bill and keep reenactor.Net going ;-) Thanks, and... enjoy!
Right here on this page though, are some books on the different nations as a people, some of their customs and language slang--this will help you to get a handle on them!
Attention: You might see this ugly graphic, instead of the book cover which we have so carefully chosen for you to see. Alas, it means the book is not in print or Amazon is out of it NEW or something. It doesn't mean you cannot get it used, and often for CHEAPER... We will be going through and adding direct links to the book title itself, thus allowing you to get to the book's actual page and possibly even find it used. (I like used books!)
German Culture and Ways
Culture Shock - A Guide to Customs and Etiquette - Germany by Richard Lord; Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company, 1996. Written by an American living in Germany, this book details the way Germans are and has many of their customs, some history and German etiquette's.
You'll never feel intimidated and awkward about the customs and etiquette of another country again. With the insights provided in this CULTURE SHOCK! Guide, you'll learn to see beyond the stereotypes and misinformation that often precede a visit to a foreign land. Whether you plan to stay for a week or for a year, you'll benefit from such topics as understanding the rules of driving and monetary systems, religious practices and making friends. There are tips on political traditions, building business relationships, and the particular intricacies of setting up a home or office. Great for the business traveler, the foreign exchange student, or the tourist who makes a sincere attempt to cross the bridge into a new and exciting culture.
Of German Ways by LaVern Ripley; Barnes & Noble Books, 1970. Although an older book, Of German Ways is a good basic primer on German history, customs and culture. Well worth reading to give one a solid grounding in "Germanness".
SCHEISSE! by Gertrude Besserwisser; Plume Books, 1994. SCHEISSE! is a useful book for the German reenactor. With this book one can learn how to actually speak those phrases that real people use. Soon, you too will be swearing away -- Es ist mir scheissegal!
French Culture and Ways
Culture Shock! France: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette -- You'll never feel intimidated and awkward about the customs and etiquette of another country again. With the insights provided in this CULTURE SHOCK! Guide, you'll learn to see beyond the stereotypes and misinformation that often precede a visit to a foreign land. Whether you plan to stay for a week or for a year, you'll benefit from such topics as understanding the rules of driving and monetary systems, religious practices and making friends. There are tips on political traditions, building business relationships, and the particular intricacies of setting up a home or office. Great for the business traveler, the foreign exchange student, or the tourist who makes a sincere attempt to cross the bridge into a new and exciting culture.
When in France, Do as the French Do by Ross Steele -- When should you mention a person's family name in a greeting? Should you pay immediately when you are served in a cafe? This guide combines an appreciation of France's rich heritage with a practical awareness of contemporary customs. Over 100 articles cover a broad range of topics, including: customs, food and drink, language, travel, arts and pop culture, politics, business, media and entertainment, home life, consumer behaviour, religion, history, and education. Multiple-choice questions provide an avenue to the articles for browsing, and there is an index for quick reference. Internet references (to both English and French sites) accompany almost every article, enabling readers to use their knowledge or further their research, whether checking government statistics on housing, taking a virtual tour of a museum, or planning a cross-country tour by train.
The French smoke, drink and eat more fat than anyone in the world, yet they live longer and have fewer heart problems than Americans. They take seven weeks of paid vacation per year, yet have the world's highest productivity index. From a distance, modern France looks like a riddle. But up close, it all makes sense. Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong shows how the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
Decrypting French ideas about land, food, privacy and language, the authors weave together the threads of French society -- from centralization and the Napoleonic code to elite education and even street protests -- giving us, for the first time, an understanding of France and the French.
Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong is the most ambitious work published on France since Theodor Zeldin's The French. It goes beyond Adam Gopnik's Paris to the Moon to explain not only the essence of the French, but also how they got to be the way they are. Unlike Jonathan Fenby's France on the Brink, the authors do not see France in a state of decline, but one of perpetual renewal.
Merde!: The Real French You Were Never Taught at School -- Written by "Genevieve," who is identified only as living in Switzerland, this humorous look at French argot claims to be a "survival guide to understanding everyday French as it is really spoken." While there is certainly much for the casual reader to enjoy and much for lovers of France to commit to memory, the book falls flat. The fun of learning slang in a foreign language is understanding the sometimes mystifying, often amusing, literal meanings of those expressions. For example, according to Genevieve, an innocent, naive person is a oie blanche, a white goose, and to make love in a slow, conventional way is faire l'amour a la papa, make love like dad. Unfortunately this guide only erratically provides such literal meanings, making the book of full value only to those whose French is in good shape already or who are willing to paw through a conventional dictionary while reading this.
British Culture and Ways
Culture Shock! Britain: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette by Terry Tan -- You'll never feel intimidated and awkward about the customs and etiquette of another country again. With the insights provided in this Culture Shock! Guide, you'll learn to see beyond the stereotypes and misinformation that often precede a visit to a foreign land. Whether you plan to stay for a week or for a year, you'll benefit from such topics as understanding the rules of driving and monetary systems, religious practices and making friends. There are tips on political traditions, building business relationships, and the particular intricacies of setting up a home or office. Great for the business traveler, the foreign exchange student, or the tourist who makes a sincere attempt to cross the bridge into a new and exciting culture.
In the English language, swearing is essential to effective communication. Whether you want to succeed in business, school, or social circles, a strong command of vocabulary is absolutely necessary. Just imagine a stranger to our shores, trying to comprehend the following conversation:
John: Mary, would you like to attend the opera this evening?
Mary: F*cking-A. should I wear my black dress?
John: Why the f*ck not?
Mary: F*cked if I know-Oh, f*ck! I just remembered. It got f*cked up in the wash.
John: Well, f*ck the opera. Let's stay home and f*ck.
Mary: Good f*cking idea.
English as a Second F*cking Language (ESF*L) is the perfect way for nonnative speakers to learn the basics of swearing. At the same time, it also offers native speakers a wide variety of twists and new refinements. Page after page, ESF*L provides a smorgasbord of swearing synonyms designed to boost your vocabulary-everything from the conventional d*mn and sh*t to a host of more inventive terms that would make any truck driver blush. And when you're finished reading, our Final F*cking Exam is the perfect test of your swearing skills. You'll be surprised by how much you've learned!
Follow this link to read about the tragic death of a fellow reenactor.
WWII Research Sites/Links
Okay, this page is still pretty weak, but we're working on it! We plan to do a thorough rework soon. This is a long slow process, so please have patience. We have checked most of these links and fixed them (well, there might be a bad one or two, but...). We have a LOT more to add!
If you have a site we should be listing here, or know of a good WW2 site that we don't list, please fell free to e-mail us. Better yet, click the link below to use the add-link form! And Please feel free to report all broken links to us.
To add your WW2 Historical Website, please go to our link-add page.
If you find a problem in this time/area or would like your unit listed please feel free to e-mail the WW2 T/A webmasters: Harry Coombs or Rob Haught.
{Links}
Marine Corps Legacy Museum -- [dead link now] A GREAT and "must-visit" website for anyone interested in the USMC. Not only on the 'Net, but please, visit their museum -- one of the few Marine museums left in the country as most seem to have been closed. This is a private non-profit museum and they do a damn good job in what they do! Give 'em a visit!
The German Armed Forces in WWII Web Site--The web site dedicated to the German Military during WWII. A "motherload" of information on all branches of the German Armed Forces. Great source for information.
Panzermuseum Munster--A German site dedicated to Panzers done by THE German "Panzermuseum" in Munster, some info in English.
BANZAI--Welcome to the home page of BANZAI, the monthly newsletter/magazine for anyone interested in Japanese militaria. Since 1982, BANZAI has become a medium for all levels of Japanese militaria collectors to exchange information and buy, sell or trade all kinds of Japanese militaria. The BANZAI web site is designed to augment BANZAI by providing a ready reference in the form of reprints of articles from BANZAI and a source for data sheets and on-going requests for research information on a variety of projects dealing with Japanese militaria. If you are interested in any aspect of Japanese militaria then you should be subscribing to BANZAI.
Like it says, a whole site dedicated to the Afrika Korps!
Great Site!
Das Reich--Great info on the real Das Reich and reenactors. Tons of stuff and well organized.
U-boat Net--WOW! TONS and TONS of stuff on the U-Waffe... a great resource on this famous service. This site has been around for a long time and is the original U-Boat site on the Internet.
Sharkhunters--A site like the one above, uboat.net, which is dedicated to telling the stories of the veterans of submarines from all countries. They also publish a magazine and have tours. Give 'em a look!
Achtung Panzer-- The site for Panzer enthusiasts and WW2 German military fans alike! This site has a great layout and graphics, plus an on-line panzer chat room! An instant "favorite place!" TONS of links ;-)
Imperial Japanese Navy Web Site--I went here and WOW! it's GREAT... If you ever wanted to know about the Imperial Japanese Navy, this is the site to visit!
Imperial Japanese Army Homepage--This site is dedicated to Imperial Japanese Army. The descriptions and data of this page are all based on Japanese documents, and they are translated into English directly. So, you will find a lot of informations which have not been introduced in English.
The purpose of this Home Page is to describe Imperial Japanese Army from a military viewpoint.
SS Officer Computer Research -- This page can be used for identification of items or information regarding an SS Officer.
The Brown Time--The Awards, Badges, Insignia, Attributes of Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, NSDAP, SS, SA, HitlerJugend, RAD & Others - with photographs of German Standards from the Museum of the Armed Forces of Russia in Moscow. An extremely interesting site to visit, worthwhile for the images of the 'Standards' alone.
The Battle for Stalingrad--What can I say? It's all about this most horrific of all battles. GREAT SITE!!
The Third Reich Factbook! Do you really need more of an explanation? The title says it all! A great place to do research, along with a large forum covering WWII and beyond.
Listing of WWII Units
WWII Reenacting units -- this area is broken down into Axis and Allied unit pages, which are then broken down further by nationality and sometimes branch (if there is a large amount of these type units i.e.: US military and German Forces). As you look at units to join, remember to ask questions and check them out, like they will check you out. It is really important to make sure you join a group you'll fit in with.
A major face lift for reenactor.Net's WW2 section has been long overdue and it is now underway and we will be working hard to get our pages more up-to-date and add some new content. ;-)
Do you want to add a link to YOUR unit's website on the WWII section of reenactor.Net? Click here!