Book Review of
Heydrich Butcher of Prague
Rare Photos From Wartime Archives
Author: Ian Baxter
Pen & Sword Military Books
Images of War Series
ISBN: 9781399097567
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $22.95
Images of War Series
ISBN: 9781399097567
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $22.95
HISTORY:
Reinhard Heydrich along with Heinrich Himmler, whose deputy he was, will always be regarded as one of the most ruthless of the Nazi elite. Even Hitler described him as a man with an Iron heart.
He established his fearsome reputation in the 1930’s, as head of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD), the intelligence organization which neutralized opposition to the Nazi Party by murder and deportation. He organized Kristallnacht and played a leading role in the Holocaust, chairing the 1942 Wannsee Conference which formulated plans for the “final solution”. In addition, as head of the Einsatzgruppen murder squads in Eastern Europe, he was responsible for countless murders.
Appointed Deputy Reich-Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, he died of wounds inflicted by British trained SOE operatives in Prague, Czechoslovakia in May 1942. The reprisal that followed his assassination were extreme even by the terrible standards of Nazi ruthlessness.
Heydrich’s shocking and leading role in the Nazi regime is graphically portrayed in this Images of War book.
THE BOOK:
Pen and Sword Books is located in the UK.
This book is in soft-cover of 123 pages in 7 ½” x 9 ¾” page format. Seven pages are blank.
The cover art shows a large black and white photo of Heydrich, over 6 smaller black and white photos across the bottom of the cover.
These show (reading from left to right) the burning and destruction of Lidice, Czechoslovakia by his troops, a photo of the sedan he was assassinated in by a bomb, him at his desk, Czech civilians and Jews under arrest by German soldiers with their arms raised and two more pictures of Heydrich.
The back cover shows 3 more black and white photos. Again reading from left to right, they show: Heydrich’s funeral, him taking the salute from his men, Czech civilians and Jews under arrest.
The book contains 140 black and white photos, including the covers.
Several picture of Czech civilians and Jews under arrest, a big pile of murdered Jews and their belongings, four photos of the car that Heydrich was assassinated in, forty-four photos of his funeral, the destruction of Lidice, Czechoslovakia, postage stamps with his face on them, a photo taken now of the curve in the road where he was assassinated and monuments celebrating his assassination, three photos of a church where Czech men fought the Nazis to their deaths, a cross in a cemetery for the Heydrich’s victims.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ian Baxter is a much-published author and photographic collector whose books draw an interesting following. Among his many previous titles in the Images of War Series are “Hitler’s Boy Soldiers”, “Nazi Concentration Camp Commanders”, “The Ghettos of Nazi Occupied Poland”, “German Army on the Eastern Front-the Advance”, “German Army on the Eastern Front-the Retreat”, “The crushing of Army Group (North) and the SS Waffen Division series”-including SS Leibstandarte Division, SS Totenkopf Division at war, Waffen SS of the Baltic States, Waffen SS at Arnhem and Waffen SS in the Ardennes. He lives near Chelmsford Essex. England.
This is a neat photo album about Heydrich. It will be more of interest to historians than modelers however.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample.
All Pen and Sword books can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Reinhard Heydrich along with Heinrich Himmler, whose deputy he was, will always be regarded as one of the most ruthless of the Nazi elite. Even Hitler described him as a man with an Iron heart.
He established his fearsome reputation in the 1930’s, as head of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD), the intelligence organization which neutralized opposition to the Nazi Party by murder and deportation. He organized Kristallnacht and played a leading role in the Holocaust, chairing the 1942 Wannsee Conference which formulated plans for the “final solution”. In addition, as head of the Einsatzgruppen murder squads in Eastern Europe, he was responsible for countless murders.
Appointed Deputy Reich-Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, he died of wounds inflicted by British trained SOE operatives in Prague, Czechoslovakia in May 1942. The reprisal that followed his assassination were extreme even by the terrible standards of Nazi ruthlessness.
Heydrich’s shocking and leading role in the Nazi regime is graphically portrayed in this Images of War book.
THE BOOK:
Pen and Sword Books is located in the UK.
This book is in soft-cover of 123 pages in 7 ½” x 9 ¾” page format. Seven pages are blank.
The cover art shows a large black and white photo of Heydrich, over 6 smaller black and white photos across the bottom of the cover.
These show (reading from left to right) the burning and destruction of Lidice, Czechoslovakia by his troops, a photo of the sedan he was assassinated in by a bomb, him at his desk, Czech civilians and Jews under arrest by German soldiers with their arms raised and two more pictures of Heydrich.
The back cover shows 3 more black and white photos. Again reading from left to right, they show: Heydrich’s funeral, him taking the salute from his men, Czech civilians and Jews under arrest.
The book contains 140 black and white photos, including the covers.
Several picture of Czech civilians and Jews under arrest, a big pile of murdered Jews and their belongings, four photos of the car that Heydrich was assassinated in, forty-four photos of his funeral, the destruction of Lidice, Czechoslovakia, postage stamps with his face on them, a photo taken now of the curve in the road where he was assassinated and monuments celebrating his assassination, three photos of a church where Czech men fought the Nazis to their deaths, a cross in a cemetery for the Heydrich’s victims.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ian Baxter is a much-published author and photographic collector whose books draw an interesting following. Among his many previous titles in the Images of War Series are “Hitler’s Boy Soldiers”, “Nazi Concentration Camp Commanders”, “The Ghettos of Nazi Occupied Poland”, “German Army on the Eastern Front-the Advance”, “German Army on the Eastern Front-the Retreat”, “The crushing of Army Group (North) and the SS Waffen Division series”-including SS Leibstandarte Division, SS Totenkopf Division at war, Waffen SS of the Baltic States, Waffen SS at Arnhem and Waffen SS in the Ardennes. He lives near Chelmsford Essex. England.
This is a neat photo album about Heydrich. It will be more of interest to historians than modelers however.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample.
All Pen and Sword books can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.