In the summer of 1865; when a Confederate warship sailed into the port of Melbourne; 42 Australian men secretly enlisted to fight for the South in the American Civil War—this is their story When the notorious raider Shenandoah—scourge of the Yankee merchant fleet—dropped anchor; the fledgling colony of Victoria was taken by surprise; and the Confederates had no way of knowing whether they would be hailed as heroes or hanged as pirates. To the rebels’ surprise; Melbourne took them to its heart. Victorians came in their thousands to visit the ship; and its officers were feted as celebrities. Meanwhile; in defiance of the law against foreign warships recruiting in a neutral port; 42 men were smuggled aboard in dead of night and; once at sea; signed up to join the Confederate Navy. For Australia—not yet a nation—1865 was a watershed year in an age of gold rushes; bushrangers; disputes between rival colonies; and fears of foreign invasion. For war-torn America; it was the turning point in the deadliest conflict in the nation’s history. After the defeat at Gettysburg; the tide had turned against the Confederacy but the South was determined to fight on; and; in the war at sea; the Shenandoah was the last best hope. The Shenandoah's mission was to damage the North’s economy by attacking its commercial fleet; and; under the command of Captain James Waddell; the raider went on to wipe out almost the entire New England whaling fleet. On learning that Robert E. Lee had surrendered; Waddell refused to believe the cause was lost. The Shenandoah continued harrying the Yankee fleet and fired the last shot of the war after capturing; burning; and ransoming 38 Union ships and taking more than 1;000 prisoners. On accepting at last that the war had ended; the Confederates sailed around the world to England and surrendered to the neutral British. Some 120 Australians are known to have fought in the American Civil War; on both sides. Of the 42 men who signed on in Melbourne as petty officers; seamen; and marines; some returned home; others dropped out of sight and one died aboard ship—the last man to die in the service of the Confederacy. This is their story.
#6170815 in Books 1972-09Original language:German #File Name: 085524073372 pages
Review
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful. NSDAP for Dummies (and Scholars; too)By M. G WatsonI don't suppose anyone will see this review. This is an obscure; out-of-print book available only secondhand and at a fairly hefty price for its small size. Having said that; I strongly recommend it for both those with a serious interest in Nazi Germany generally and more specifically; for the Nazi Party (NSDAP) itself.What makes this book worth the expense is the fact that it is nothing less than a partial translation (1943 version) of the (NSDAP's organizational bible; the "Organizationsbuch der NSDAP"; which was written by Reichs Organization Leader Robert Ley; one of the top men in the Nazi hierarchy and perhaps the only one who actually understood how the convoluted Third Reich was supposed to operate in theory. There is no full English translation of this massive and crucial tome available that I know of; and original; German-language copies run for between $500 - $800 depending on their condition. So what you have here is actually a bargain; when you think about it.The Organizationsbuch was a complete mapping-out of the Nazi Party and all of its "subordinate and affiliated agencies" -- the SA; SS; NSKK; NSFK; Hitler Youth; etc.; etc. It not only broke them down structurally; it explained everything about them; from their mission statements to the proper wear of their equipment; medals and uniforms; standards; badges; armbands; pistol holsters; backpacks; rank systems; etc.; etc. In addition to much text was replete with color plates showing paintings of the myriad uniform variants for these orgs as well as photos of various bigwigs in different type of rig. POLITICAL LEADERS OF THE NSDAP reproduces in English the section of the Organizationsbuch that dealt with the Nazi Party itself. Its 72 pages include:The Political Leader (his role)Types of Political Leaders (ranks and appointments)Uniforms; Badges of Rank and Insignia of OfficeParty Colors (standards)Decorations of the NSDAPThe Political Leader and the StateThe Gaue (districts) of the NSDAPThere are numerous BW photos and a fairly large number of color plates depicting everything from belt-buckles and caps to the flags they flew on their Mercedes staff cars. The text is; unlike most official German publications of the era; agreeably terse and to the point as it breaks down the organization of the Nazi Party -- its leadership corps; its districts and sub-districts; its function and mission.Most books on this subject tend to deal with the Nazi Party in historical terms -- as a piece of the past. This is a book written by one of its senior leaders at the height of its power. Don't let the price or the 8 x 6 inch size fool you; if you have an interest in the Nazi Party; this book pays for itself.
