'The best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But, we don't ask for their love - only for their fear.' - Heinrich Himmler

The Schutzstaffel, or SS - the brutal elite of the Nazi Party - was founded by Hitler in 1925 to be his personal bodyguard. From 1929 it was headed by Heinrich Himmler, who built its numbers up from under 300 to well over a million by 1945. The SS became the very backbone of Nazi Germany, taking over almost every function of the state.

This gripping account follows the rise and fall of this paramilitary organization and the shocking atrocities committed in their name, from Night of the Long Knives to the Holocaust. With photographs and feature spreads, The Story of the SS charts the history of the most evil organizations the world has ever seen.

Appeals to readers of military history but is also a good reference book to those who study or are interested in reading about World War II specifically.