Sokolovo ve stínu propagandy – Kluc Jiří (2016)

The debut book of the young author "Sokolovo: Under the Cloak of Propaganda" brings previously unknown information regarding the first combat engagement of Czechoslovak soldiers on the Eastern Front at Sokolovo in March 1943. The first part of the book places a primary emphasis on the beginnings of the resistance in Poland, the internment of Czechoslovaks in the USSR, and especially on the military and political background of organizing the Czechoslovak military unit in Buzuluk and the battle for Sokolovo. The book also provides the first comprehensive overview of the detailed description of the enemy's deployment - the soldiers of the 6th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht and their losses. The author also addresses the issue of Czechoslovak prisoners of war. In the second part, he deals with the post-war fates of the fighters from Sokolovo and the legacy of the battle for Sokolovo not only in the army but also in culture. He also highlights the personnel and propaganda connections with the West Bohemian town of Sokolov, which was renamed from the German Falknov to its Czech name on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the battle of Sokolovo. The book is supplemented by rich appendices and approximately 250 mostly unpublished photographs. The author utilized domestic and foreign archival materials to provide the most accurate picture of the battle.