Jedediah Wombat's collection of

Ballantine's Illustrated History of the Violent Century

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This was a legendary set of books put out by the Brits in the early 70s. And they were only a dollar on this side of the pond (at first anyway; we had a thing called stagflation back then). For a kid into military history, they were a godsend.

The drawback of course was that affordability came at the expense of quality of binding: they were glued together. After 50 years and counting, some of them are literally falling apart. A copy without a desiccated spine is a glory to behold (and own).

I have arranged these books according to my own chronological/topical taxonomy. Ballantine's original Series No. is included for reference. I cannot swear about the accuracy of the rarity scale, but I got it from a guy who thinks the source was sound.

Chronological Groups

Ballantine Series

Rarity
No. of No. of No. of
Category Titles Series Titles Rarity Level Titles
World War I 12 Battle 33 Common 103
Between the Wars 3 Campaign 30 Fairly Common 32
World War II ‒ Europe 70 Full Colour Special 2 Somewhat Rare 12
World War II ‒ Pacific 29 Human Conflict 5 Quite Rare 6
World War II ‒ Weapons 35 Politics in Action 9 Extremely Rare 1
After World War II 5 War Leader 31
Weapons 44
Totals 154 Totals 154 Totals 154


World War I

Combat
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
1 Opening Moves
August 1914		 John Keegan Campaign 19 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
2 Carpathian Disaster:
Death of an Army		 Geoffrey Jukes Campaign 18 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
3 Vimy Ridge 1914-18 Kenneth Macksey Battle 26 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
4 Tanganyikan Guerrila:
East African Campaign 1914-18		 Maj. J. K. Sibley Campaign 20 Level 3:
Somewhat Rare
●●●
5 Zeebrugge
23rd April 1918		 James W. Stock Battle 31 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
6 Armored Onslaught
8th August 1918		 Douglas Orgill Battle 25 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
7 Argonne 1918:
The AEF in France		 Barry Gregory Battle 28 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●


Biography
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
8 Lawrence Douglas Orgill War Leader 18 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
9 Churchill 1914-1918 David Mason War Leader 23 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●


Weapons
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
10 The Guns 1914-18 Ian V. Hogg Weapons 27 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
11 Trench Fighting 1914-18 Charles Messenger Weapons 28 Level 3:
Somewhat Rare
●●●
12 Gas Ian V. Hogg Weapons 43 Level 4:
Quite Rare
●●


Between the Wars
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
13 Condor Legion Peter Elstob Weapons 35 Level 3:
Somewhat Rare
●●●
14 The Rape of Ethiopia 1936 A. J. Barker Politics in Action 4 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
15 The Fight for Freedom for Women Rose Tremain Politics in Action 9 Level 5:
Extremely Rare
●


Europe ‒ Combat

Western Front, Pre-Overlord
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
16 Rotterdam:
Invasion of Holland		 Wilhelmina Steenbeek Battle 29 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
17 France, Summer 1940 John Williams Campaign 6 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
18 Their Finest Hour:
The Story of the Battle of Britain 1940		 Edward Bishop Battle 2 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
19 London's Burning Constantine Fitzgibbon Battle 17 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
20 Raid on St. Nazaire David Mason Battle 14 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
21 Schweinfurt:
Disaster in the Skies		 John Sweetman Campaign 17 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
22 Ploesti:
Oil Strike		 John Sweetman Battle 30 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
23 Bomber Offensive:
The Devastation of Europe		 Noble Frankland Campaign 7 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●


Eastern Front
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
24 The Winter War:
Russia against Finland		 Richard W. Condon Campaign 24 Level 2:
Fairly
Common
●●●●●
25 Barbarossa:
Invasion of Russia 1941		 John Keegan Campaign 11 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
26 The Defense of Moscow Geoffrey Jukes Battle 13 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
27 The Siege of Leningrad Alan Wykes Battle 5 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
28 Stalingrad:
The Turning Point		 Geoffrey Jukes Battle 3 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
29 Kursk:
The Clash of Armor		 Geoffrey Jukes Battle 7 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
30 Warsaw Rising Gunther Deschner Politics in Action 5 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
31 Battle for Berlin:
End of the Third Reich		 Earl F. Ziemke Battle 6 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●


North Africa
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
32 Afrika Korps K. J. Macksey Campaign 1 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
33 The Raiders:
Desert Strike Force		 Arthur Swinson Campaign 2 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
34 Beda Fomm:
The Classic Victory		 Kenneth Macksey Battle 22 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
35 Tobruk:
The Siege		 James W. Stock Campaign 26 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
36 Bir Hakim*:
Desert Citadel		 Richard Holmes Battle 23 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
37 Operation Torch:
Anglo-American Invasion of North Africa		 Vincent Jones Campaign 22 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
38 Kasserine:
Baptism of Fire		 Ward Rutherford Battle 18 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
* Pan/Ballantine edition is spelled Bir Hacheim.


Italy
39 Sicily:
Whose Victory?		 Martin Blumenson Campaign 3 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
40 Salerno:
Foothold in Europe		 David Mason Battle 24 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
41 Anzio:
The Bid for Rome		 Christopher Hibbert Battle 15 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
42 Cassino Dominich Graham Battle 16 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●


Western Front, Overlord and After
43 D-Day:
Spearhead of Invasion		 R.W. Thompson Battle 1 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
44 Normandy Bridgehead H. Essame Campaign 10 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
45 Breakout:
Drive to the Seine		 David Mason Campaign 4 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
46 Battle of the Ruhr Pocket Charles Whiting Battle 21 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
47 Airborne Carpet:
Operation Market Garden		 Anthony Farrar-Hockley Battle 9 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
48 Battle of the Reichswald Peter Elstob Battle 19 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
49 Bastogne:
The Road Block		 Peter Elstob Battle 4 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
50 Rhine Crossing James W. Stock Battle 27 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●


Europe ‒ Biography

Allies
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
51 Bradley Charles Whiting War Leader 5 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
52 Churchill David Mason War Leader 16 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
53 De Gaulle Phillipe Masson War Leader 7 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
54 Eisenhower Martin Blumenson War Leader 9 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
55 Montgomery R. Thompson War Leader 29 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
56 Patton Charles Whiting War Leader 1 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
57 Stalin Geoffrey Jukes War Leader 31 Level 3:
Somewhat Rare
●●●
58 Tito Phyllis Auty War Leader 10 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
59 Zhukov:
Marshal of the Soviet Union		 O. Chaney War Leader 28 Level 3:
Somewhat Rare
●●●


Axis
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
60 Guderian John Keegan War Leader 20 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
61 Mussolini Christopher Hibert War Leader 13 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
62 Rommel J.R. Sibley/M. Fry War Leader 27 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
63 Runstedt John Keegan War Leader 25 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
64 Skorzeny Charles Whiting War Leader 11 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
65 Stauffenberg G.S. Graber War Leader 21 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
66 Student Anthony Farrar-Hockley War Leader 15 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●


Europe ‒ The Nazis

Events
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
67 The Nuremberg Rallies Alan Wykes Campaign 8 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
68 Reichstag Fire:
Ashes of Democracy		 R. John Prichard Politics in Action 3 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
69 Night of the Long Knives Nikolai Tolstoy Politics in Action 7 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
70 Olympiad 1936:
Blaze of Glory for Hitler's Reich		 Judith Holmes Human Conflict 1 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
71 Genocide:
The Jews in Europe 1939-45		 Ward Rutherford Human Conflict 4 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
72 Lidice:
Sacrifical Village		 John Bradley Human Conflict 2 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
73 The Conspirators
20th July 1944		 Roger Manvell Politics in Action 1 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
74 Nuremberg Trials Leo Kahn Politics in Action 8 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●


Institutions
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
75 Blackshirts:
Fascism in Britain		 David Shermer Politics in Action 2 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
76 Hitler Youth:
The Duped Generation		 H.W. Koch Politics in Action 6 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
77 Nazi Regalia Jack Pia Full Color Special 1 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
78 SS Regalia Jack Pia Full Color Special 2 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
79 SS and Gestapo:
Rule by Terror		 Roger Manvell Weapons 8 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
80 Hitler's Bodyguards:
SS Leibstandarte		 Alan Wykes Weapons 39 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●


Biography
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
81 Goebbels Alan Wykes War Leader 17 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
82 Göring Roger Manvell War Leader 8 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
83 Heydrich Alan Wykes War Leader 22 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
84 Himmler Alan Wykes War Leader 14 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
85 Hitler Alan Wykes War Leader 3 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●


Pacific ‒ Combat

Campaign Studies
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
86 Pacific Onslaught:
7th Dec.1941 / 7th Feb.1943		 Paul Kennedy Campaign 21 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
87 Pacific Victory Paul Kennedy Campaign 25 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
88 Japan:
The Final Agony		 Alvin Cox Campaign 9 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●


Island Battles
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
89 Pearl Harbor A.J. Barker Battle 10 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
90 Fall of the Philippines Ward Rutherford Campaign 16 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
91 Midway:
The Turning Point		 A.J. Barker Battle 20 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
92 Guadalcanal:
Island Ordeal		 Graeme Kent Campaign 14 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
93 New Georgia:
Pattern for Victory		 D.C. Horton Campaign 15 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
94 New Guinea:
The Tide Is Stemmed		 John Vader Campaign 13 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
95 Tarawa:
A Legend Is Born		 Henry I. Shaw, Jr. Battle 8 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
96 Bloodiest Victory:
Palaus		 Stanley Falk Campaign 28 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
97 Leyte Gulf:
Armada in the Pacific		 Donald Macintrye Battle 11 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
98 Liberation of the Philippines Stanley Falk Campaign 12 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
99 Iwo Jima Michael Russell Battle 32 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
100 Okinawa:
Touchstone to Victory		 Benis M. Frank Battle 12 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●


Mainland Asia
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
101 Flying Tigers:
Chennault in China		 Ron Heifferman Weapons 29 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
102 Defeat in Malaya:
The Fall of Singapore		 Arthur Swinson Campaign 5 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
103 Death Railway Clifford Kinvig Human Conflict 3 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
104 Over the Hump:
Airlift to China		 William Koenig Campaign 23 Level 3:
Somewhat Rare
●●●
105 Chindits:
Long Range Penetration		 Michael Calvert Weapons 34 Level 3:
Somewhat Rare
●●●
106 Merrill's Marauders Alan Baker Weapons 31 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●


Pacific ‒ Biography

Allies
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
107 Halsey Benis M. Frank War Leader 26 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
108 MacArthur Sydney L. Mayer War Leader 2 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
109 MacArthur in Japan Sydney L. Mayer War Leader 19 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
110 Mountbatten Arthur Swinson War Leader 6 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
111 Slim Michael Calvert War Leader 12 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
112 Stilwell D.D. Rooney War Leader 4 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●


Japan
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
113 Tojo Alvin D. Cook War Leader 30 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
114 Yamashita A.J. Barker War Leader 24 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●


WWII Weapons ‒ All Sides
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
115 Aircraft Carrier:
The Majestic Weapon		 Donald Macintyre Weapons 3 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
116 The Guns 1939-45 Ian V. Hogg Weapons 11 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
117 Airborne Charles MacDonald Weapons 12 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
118 PT Boats Bryan Cooper Weapons 13 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
119 Barrage:
The Guns in Action		 Ian Hogg Weapons 18 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
120 Infantry Weapons John Weeks Weapons 25 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
121 Grenades and Mortars Ian Hogg Weapons 37 Level 3:
Somewhat Rare
●●●
122 Midget Submarine James Gleason
and Tom Walder		 Weapons 42 Level 4:
Quite Rare
●●


WWII Weapons ‒ Allies

All Allies
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
123 Tank Force:
Allied Armor in World War II		 Kenneth Macksey Weapons 15 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
124 Allied Secret Weapons:
The War of Science		 Brian J. Ford Weapons 19 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●


American
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
125 Pacific Hawk John Ward Weapons 14 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
126 B-29:
The Superfortress		 Carl Berger Weapons 17 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
127 P-51:
Bomber Escort		 W.N. Hess Weapons 26 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
128 Indestructible Jeep D. Denfeld/M. Fry Weapons 36 Level 4:
Quite Rare
●●
129 B-17:
Flying Fortress		 W.N. Hess Weapons 40 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
130 DC-3 A. Pearcy Weapons 44 Level 4:
Quite Rare
●●


British
131 Spitfire John Vader Weapons 6 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
132 Commando Peter Young Weapons 7 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
133 Mosquito:
Wooden Wonder		 Edward Bishop Weapons 24 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
134 Lancaster Bomber D.B. Tubbs Weapons 30 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
135 Wellington Bomber Edward Bishop Weapons 38 Level 3:
Somewhat Rare
●●●


Soviet
136 T34:
Russian Armor		 Douglas Orgill Weapons 21 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●


WWII Weapons ‒ Axis

German
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
137 U-Boat:
The Secret Menace		 David Mason Weapons 1 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
138 Panzer Division:
The Mailed Fist		 K.J. Macksey Weapons 2 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
139 Me 109 Martin Caidin Weapons 4 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
140 German Secret Weapons:
Blueprint for Mars		 Brian J. Ford Weapons 5 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
141 Luftwaffe Alfred Price Weapons 10 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
142 Waffen SS:
The Asphalt Soldiers		 John Keegan Weapons 16 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
143 Rocket Fighter William Greene Weapons 20 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
144 Hitler's High Seas Fleet Richard Humble Weapons 23 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
145 German General Staff Barry Leach Weapons 32 Level 3:
Somewhat Rare
●●●
146 German Armor Douglas Orgill Weapons 41 Level 4:
Quite Rare
●●


Japanese
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
147 Zero Fighter Martin Caidin Weapons 9 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
148 Suicide Weapon A. J. Barker Weapons 22 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
149 Japanese High Seas Fleet Richard Humble Weapons 33 Level 3:
Somewhat Rare
●●●


After World War II
No. Owned by Me Title Author Ballantine No. Rarity
150 Berlin Blockade John Man Politics in Action 10 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●
151 Dien Bien Phu John Keegan Battle 33 Level 4:
Quite Rare
●●
152 Six Day War A. J. Barker Campaign 27 Level 2:
Fairly Common
●●●●
153 The Yom Kippur War A. J. Barker Campaign 29 Level 3:
Somewhat Rare
●●●
154 Bloody Ulster A. J. Barker Human Conflict 5 Level 1:
Common
●●●●●

Feel free to reproduce as needed (take that however you want).