From the rise of Nazi power to the fall of the Third Reich, The Black Angels takes you inside the astonishing and brutal story of the Waffen-SS. Handpicked by Hitler and Heinrich Himmler, the warriors of the SS forged a reputation that was as fearsome in its valor as it was horrific in its crimes. In this balanced and meticulously researched history, Rupert Butler explores both the battlefield prowess of these elite units and the chilling ideological fanaticism that stained nearly all of their campaigns.
Through vivid battle narratives, recruiting drives that reached across occupied Europe, and shocking accounts of war crimes, The Black Angels reveals how the Waffen-SS became both a military spearhead and an instrument of terror. It's a book that confronts what many have tried to overlook: that bravery and atrocity often walked side by side in the Waffen-SS. For anyone who seeks not just to know how history was made, but also how it was twisted, Butler’s account remains a powerful warning of what discipline without conscience can become.