SS-Leibstandarte: The History of the First SS Division 1933-45

An in-depth, highly illustrated, examination of the first Waffen-SS unit to be formed, from its initial role as Hitler's bodyguard, through the battles it fought in France, the Eastern Front and Hungary. 'I swear to thee, Adolf Hitler, as Fuhrer and Chancellor of the German Reich, loyalty and bravery. I vow to thee, and to the superiors whom thou shalt appoint, obedience unto death, so help me God.' - SS Oath of Loyalty SS-Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, the second in a series of books on the divisions of the Waffen-SS, is an in-depth examination of the first Waffen-SS unit to be formed, the SS-Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. The book explores the background to the unit's formation, including its origins as the Fuhrer's bodyguard, the men it recruited, the key figures involved in the division, and its organisation. The book outlines the unit's involvement in the fall of France, and its service on the Eastern Front, from the invasion of Russia, the battle of Kharkov, and the defence of Warsaw, to the fruitless attempt to relieve Budapest. Illustrated with rare photographs, and with an authoritative text, SS-Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler is a definitive history of one of Germany's top fighting units of World War II.