The divisions of the Waffen-SS were the elite of Hitler s armies in World War II. SS-Leibstandarte is an in-depth examination of the first Waffen-SS unit to be formed, the SS-Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. The book explores the background of the unit s formation, including its origins as the Fuhrer s bodyguard, the men it recruited, the key figures involved in the division, its organization, training, uniforms and insignia. SS-Leibstandarte also provides a full combat record of the division, which fought on both fronts during World War II.

The book outlines the unit s involvement in the fall of France, its service on the Eastern Front, the desperate attempts to throw the Allies out of Normandy after D-Day, and the final fruitless attempts to relieve Budapest and save Vienna from the Red Army. Illustrated with rare photographs, and with an authoritative text, SS-Leibstandarte is a definitive history of one of Germany s top fighting units of World War II.