The
Iron Time: A History of The Iron Cross boasts
over one thousand color photographs and catalogs the
rise and fall of arguably the most reknown military
decoration ever established, the Iron Cross of Prussia
and Germany.
Four years
of research trace the history of this decoration through
Germany and her many military museums. Rare Iron Crosses
belonging to the kaisers, kings and political leaders
of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Germany are featured
in expansive and detailed photo studies.
Unusual
and unknown stories of famous and infamous personalities
including America’s Clara Barton and Nazi Germany’s
Adolf Hitler reveal ties to the Iron Cross thought improbable
and incredible.
A full
exposé of award documents, related military decorations,
cases and histories are explored. Complete lists of
makers and their corresponding die-stamped marks fill
the extensive glossaries.
Beyond
standard reference materials, The Iron Time
features interviews with several of Germany’s highest
decorated combat veterans of the Second World War. Their
stories are at once chilling in detail and honest in
assessment.
The author,
Stephen
Thomas Previtera, is a collector of medals and decorations
from many countries. This is his first book. The author
states, “I wanted to write a book for collectors
by a collector. It turned out to be more compelling
a journey than I ever imagined. More than iron and silver,
this is the story of flesh and bone. The last thing
I would call the Iron Cross is an inanimate object.”
Contributing
collections included the Library of Congress, West Point
Military Museum, and German history museums in Rastatt,
Ingolstadt, Freiburg and Berlin, Germany respectively.
