Which books would be recommended reading on the SS?

[Stubble]

Fair. I got the USHMM stuff straight from the source (I still hate reading it because it drips with venom) and so seem to have misinterpreted the message.

Good call Archie.

[Hektor]

I might recommend Hitler's Death's Head Division - SS-Totenkopf Division by Rupert Butler. Yes it looks at just one division/regiment within the SS but is a comprehensive analysis of their actions and background. Long time since I read it so cannot recall anything stand out from it but worth a look.

That still would be 'secondary literature'. But one can summarize it.

If one is interested one would have to go for the primary sources and that should start with publications of the SS itself. Due to censorship and literature destruction that can be difficult, still easier to investigate nowadays than in the past.

Also bear in mind that "the SS" isn't a monolithic organizations. In fact there are several organizations called the SS. E.g. The "Allgemeine SS" and the "Waffen-SS". While one could be members of both, this wasn't obligatory. The Waffen-SS also had conscripts in them, especially at the later stages.

In the police there was also the SD. I think it's worthwhile first to map that organizational landscape and then investigate features of those organizations.

[pilgrimofdark]

In this instance 'The Usual Suspects' is shorthand for those who form the academic consensus and who carry those works. The 'Mainstream'.

"Usual suspects" is used the way you're saying, but I think pilgrim was making a delicate reference to websites for downloading not-entirely-legal copies of copyrighted material.

Spoiler

E.g., sci-hub, annas-archive, and other sites that I myself would of course never use.

Another option (that's legal) is you can check nearby university libraries and see if they have public computers. In my experience, most do though not always. Universities pay for access to databases with newspapers, periodicals, academic journals, doctoral theses, etc. The better the school, usually the more stuff they have. This is probably the most viable legal way for a non-academic to get access.

Archie alleges that I am involved in a mass conspiracy to hoax the forum through the use of euphemisms like "usual suspects."

Spoiler

That is a flawed methodology. "Usual suspects" is the Polish Underground code name for Z-library.

As a SMERSHite, I disavow the Polish Underground's use of code words.

As someone who strongly prefers physical copies of books, the "usual suspects" are nice for previewing/skimming a book. Having a PDF/epub version of a print book is also useful because the digital version can be linked to a citation management app like Zotero where it can be marked up/highlighted and quoted.

[HansHill]

Putting this here for completeness:

https://holocausthandbooks.com/book/the ... rritories/

Think of the Einsatzgruppen as the "Navy Seals" of the Third Reich. While not strictly SS as you requested, it seems you are interested in the operations of various military units, and this work is both authoritative and (very) exhaustive.

[Stubble]

Putting this here for completeness:

https://holocausthandbooks.com/book/the ... rritories/

Think of the Einsatzgruppen as the "Navy Seals" of the Third Reich. While not strictly SS as you requested, it seems you are interested in the operations of various military units, and this work is both authoritative and (very) exhaustive.

I've always compared them to 'The Green Berets'. They embedded with local troops and worked training them in rear line antipartisan combat. Each of them educated and the best 𝔗𝔥𝔢 ℜ𝔢𝔦𝔠𝔥 had to offer.

[Archie]

Putting this here for completeness:

https://holocausthandbooks.com/book/the ... rritories/

Think of the Einsatzgruppen as the "Navy Seals" of the Third Reich. While not strictly SS as you requested, it seems you are interested in the operations of various military units, and this work is both authoritative and (very) exhaustive.

I'll just add that many the Einsatzgruppen leaders were highly educated. Ohlendorf, for example.

Ohlendorf studied economics and law at the University of Leipzig and the University of Göttingen, and by 1930 was already giving lectures at several economic institutions. In 1931, Ohlendorf was awarded a two-semester scholarship to the University of Pavia.[4] According to historian Alan Steinweis, Ohlendorf was one of the few Nazis who possessed two doctoral degrees.

And this actually makes some sense because a major part of their job was to manage civil affairs in the eastern territories.

[HansHill]

I've always compared them to 'The Green Berets'. They embedded with local troops and worked training them in rear line antipartisan combat. Each of them educated and the best 𝔗𝔥𝔢 ℜ𝔢𝔦𝔠𝔥 had to offer.

That is in fact a much better comparison, well noted as always Herr Stubble

[Stubble]

I'm gonna park this here in case anyone wants to hear about the Einsatzgruppe from a chief member. I already linked the interview with the SS Man earlier.