Gordon Williamson (writer)

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Gordon Williamson (born 1951) is a popular history writer based in the UK. Williamson spent seven years with the Military Police Territorial Army (United Kingdom), and in 2016 resides in Scotland. Williamson has written more than 40 books and other publications.[1] His works have focused on topics ranging from U boats,[2] military insignia,[3] flying aces, Waffen-SS, and special forces. Williamson's works present an uncritical portrayal of the German war effort during the Second World War.

Criticism

Williamson authored over 20 books on the Waffen-SS and the Wehrmacht.[4] The military historian S.P. MacKenzie describes Williamson as a writer who attempts "to restore the tarnished reputation [of the Waffen-SS] and reiterate its superb fighting qualities" by relying on veterans' narratives, with "predictably positive results".[5]

MacKenzie includes Williamson's books among the works that perpetuate the myth-making, revisionist tendencies in the treatment of the Waffen-SS, first put forth by HIAG, a lobby group founded by former high-ranking Waffen-SS personnel in West Germany in 1951. MacKenzie notes that Williamson "at least approaches his subjects with a degree of skepticism", but is nonetheless an "admirer" whose works tend to romanticize the Waffen-SS. Commenting on this contemporary trend, Mackenzie writes: [5]

As older generation of Waffen-SS scribes has died off, a new, post-war cadre of writers has done much to perpetuate the image of the force as a revolutionary European army. The degree of admiration and acceptance varies, but the overall tendency to accentuate the positive lives on, or has indeed grown stronger.

Selected works

  • Afrikakorps 1941-43
  • E-BOAT vs. MTB: The English Channel 1941-45[6]
  • German Commanders of World War II (2): Waffen-SS, Luftwaffe and Navy
  • German E-Boats of World War II
  • Knight's Cross with Diamonds Recipients: 1941-45
  • German Military Police
  • Grey Wolf: U-Boat Crewman of World War II
  • The Iron Cross [7]
  • Osprey Men-at-Arms 434, World War II German Police Units
  • Kriegsmarine Coastal Forces
  • Kriegsmarine U-boats 1939-45
  • Loyalty Is My Honor: Waffen-SS Soldiers Talking
  • The SS: Hitler's Instrument of Terror
  • U-Boats Vs Destroyer Escorts: The Battle of the Atlantic
  • Waffen-SS Handbook
  • World War II German Battle Insignia
  • Torpedo Los!: The Fascinating World of U-boat Collectibles

References

  1. ↑ WorldCat 2016.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ WorldCat2 2016.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 MacKenzie 1997, pp. 139–140.
  6. ↑ "Book review – E-Boat vs. MTB: The English Channel 1941-45". National Historical Foundation.
  7. ↑ Dear, Paul. "Book Review : Salute to the Honored Military Decoration". Los Angeles Times, August 08, 1985.

Sources

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