Review: To Battle (14th SS)

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Title: To Battle- the formation and history of the 14th SS Galician Waffen-SS Division
Authour: Michael James Melnyk
ISBN: 1 874622 41 8
Publisher: Helion & Company
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

I had this book sitting in my "To Read" pile for awhile and have finally got around to reading and finishing the book.
As there are 2 definative books on the 14thSS I had to chose one and this review is a review on this book and NOT a comparison.The authours' father was a member of the 14th which is why he researched and wrote on the unit. I found the book well written and well researched.
The beginning chapters tell of the reasoning behind the formation and training of the unit. The Germans and the Ukranians both had different reasons which makes for some interesting reading. The political wranglings and from where the unit was to be recruited from was also a surprise to me. The recruiting for the Division from various organisations and regions carried on through out the war. Even to which type of collar insignia or the name of the unit was continually debated and even changed.
The unit participated in various small scale battles but was fully committed in Brody where is was surrounded and decimated. There is some very good first person accounts (not a lot) describing the fighting and eventual escape of what was left of the unit. With the refomation of the unit and then the eventual capitulation of the German Armed Forces the Ukranian unit managed to avoid Soviet reparation and stayed on the Allied side after the war..The book even talks about the soldiers in the unit working with or deserting to the Ukranian underground movement.
There are some exceptionally good photos in the book and the political discussions on the unit makes for some very interesting reading. I would of liked to of seen more battle descriptions however it is a book on the unit......a unit history.
You do have to pay attention when reading, to fully understand who is who, and who is where to fully appreciate the book.