The Intimates by Ralph Sassone

The Intimates by Ralph Sassone

Canadian and Waffen-S troops of 12 S-Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend faced one another in a series of bloody battles following the D-Day landings of June 1944. The Canadian units were drawn from a number of distinguished regiments, while the Hitlerjugend Division were drawn from the ranks of the Hitler Youth organizations. Officers and NCOs were joined by inexperienced teenagers, and clashed with the Canadians repeatedly, notably at Authie, Bretteville, and Hill 168. The struggle quickly took on an especially bitter nature, fueled by the massacre of Canadian prisoners by Hitlerjugend personnel.

Employing first-hand accounts and the latest research, as well as specially commissioned artwork and carefully selected archive photographs, this absorbing study investigates the origins, ethos, training, fighting techniques, and weapons of both sides during the epic struggle for Normandy.

Ralph Sassone has an M.F.A. from Brown University. He has written and edited for a number of publications including The New York Times, The Village Voice Literary Supplement, and Details, and he has taught writing at Brown, Haverford College, and Vassar. He lives in New York City. The Intimates is his first novel.