Leo Kessler is the pseudonym of Charles Whiting, a prolific British thriller writer who also published works under the names John Kerrigan and Duncan Harding. Born in England, Kessler served in the British army from a young age, which gave him a deep understanding of military life and warfare. This experience is reflected in the vivid and accurate war stories that he would later become known for.
After leaving the army, Kessler got married in 1948 and completed his education, studying language and history in various universities across Europe. His extensive education and firsthand knowledge of military life provided him with a wealth of material to draw upon in his writing. Over the course of his career, Kessler published more than 100 works, establishing himself as a prominent and well-respected figure in the thriller genre.
Despite his success, Kessler remained a private and humble individual. He was known for his dedication to his craft and his meticulous attention to detail, often conducting extensive research for his novels to ensure their historical accuracy. Kessler's works were praised for their fast-paced plots, compelling characters, and authentic depictions of military life, and he remains a popular and influential figure in the world of thriller literature.
Sadly, Kessler passed away in 2007, but his legacy lives on through his many published works. His novels continue to captivate and engage readers, offering a glimpse into the experiences of soldiers and the realities of war. Through his writing, Kessler has left behind a valuable and enduring contribution to the thriller genre, and his work will no doubt continue to be enjoyed by readers for years to come.
SS Wotan Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
SS Panzer Battalion
1974
2
Death's Head
1974
3
Claws of Steel
1974
4
Guns at Cassino
1975
5
Devil's Shield
1975
6
Hammer Of The Gods
1975
7
Forced March
1976
8
Blood and Ice / Frozen Mountain
1977
9
The Sand Panthers
1977
10
Counter Attack
1978
11
Hellfire.
1978
12
Panzer Hunt
1979
13
Slaughter Ground
1980
14
Flashpoint
1980
15
Cauldron Of Blood
1981
16
Schirmer's Headhunters
1981
17
Whores of War
1982
18
Schirmer's Death Legion
1983
19
Death ride
1985
20
Slaughter at Salerno
1985
21
March or Die
1985
22
The Outcasts
1986
23
The Hess Assault
1987
24
The March on Warsaw
1988
25
Assault on Baghdad
1992
26
Flight from Berlin
1992
27
Flight from Moscow
1992
28
Fire Over Serbia
1993
29
SS Attacks
1994
30
Breakout from Stalingrad
1996
31
March of Death
1996
32
The Wotan Mission
1996
33
Operation Fury
1997
34
Death from Arctic Skies
1997
35
Death's Eagles
1998
36
The Churchill Papers
1998
37
Patton's Wall
1999
38
Stalag Assault
2000
39
Operation Glenn Miller
2001
40
Operation Iraq
2005
41
Operation Leningrad
2005
42
The Reich Flies the Flag
2005
43
Rommel's Last Battle
2006
44
From Tyranny to Freedom
2008
45
Some Desperate Glory
2014
SS Wotan Series in Chronological Order
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
SS Panzer Battalion
1974
2
Death's Head
1974
3
Claws of Steel
1974
4
Guns at Cassino
1975
5
Devil's Shield
1975
6
Hammer Of The Gods
1975
7
Forced March
1976
8
Blood and Ice / Frozen Mountain
1977
9
The Sand Panthers
1977
10
Counter Attack
1978
11
Panzer Hunt
1979
12
Slaughter Ground
1980
13
Hellfire.
1978
14
Flashpoint
1980
15
Cauldron Of Blood
1981
16
Schirmer's Headhunters
1981
17
Whores of War
1982
18
Schirmer's Death Legion
1983
19
Death ride
1985
20
Slaughter at Salerno
1985
21
March or Die
1985
22
The Outcasts
1986
23
The Hess Assault
1987
24
The March on Warsaw
1988
25
Assault on Baghdad
1992
26
Flight from Moscow
1992
27
Fire Over Serbia
1993
28
Flight from Berlin
1992
29
Breakout from Stalingrad
1996
30
The Wotan Mission
1996
31
March of Death
1996
32
Operation Fury
1997
33
Death from Arctic Skies
1997
34
Death's Eagles
1998
35
The Churchill Papers
1998
36
Patton's Wall
1999
37
Stalag Assault
2000
38
Operation Glenn Miller
2001
39
Operation Iraq
2005
40
Operation Leningrad
2005
41
The Reich Flies the Flag
2005
42
Rommel's Last Battle
2006
43
From Tyranny to Freedom
2008
44
Some Desperate Glory
2014
45
SS Attacks
1994
The Black Cossacks Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
The Black Cossacks
1975
2
Sabres of the Reich
1976
3
Mountain of Skulls
1977
4
The Traitors
1977
5
Wolf
1978
Otto Stahl Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Ottos Phoney War
1981
2
Otto's Blitzkrieg!
1982
3
Otto and the Reds
1982
4
Otto And The Yanks
1983
5
Otto and the S.S.
1983
6
Otto and the Himmler loveletters
1984
Rebel Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Cannon Fodder
1987
2
The Die-hards
1987
3
Breakout
1988
4
Death Match
1988
Rommel Series Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Ghost Division
1979
2
Massacre
1979
Sea Wolves Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Sink the "Scharnhorst"!
1981
2
Death to the Deutschland
1982
Stormtroop Edelweiss Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Storm Troop
1977
2
Blood Mountain
1978
3
Valley of the Assassins
1979
4
Red Assault
1979
5
Himmler's Gold
1980
6
Fire Over Kabul
1982
7
Wave of Terror
1983
8
Eagles In The Snow
1983
9
Fire over Africa
1984
Stuka Squadron Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
The Black Knights
1983
2
Hawks of Death
1983
3
Tank-busters!
1984
4
Blood Mission
1984
Submarine Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
The Wolf Pack
1985
2
Operation Deathwatch
1986
3
Fire in the West
1986
4
Convoy to Catastrophe
1986
5
Flight to the Reich
1987
Standalone Novels
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Iron Fist
1977
2
Great York Air Raid
1979
3
Breakthrough
1979
4
S. S. Peiper: Life and Death of Jochen Peiper
1986
5
The Hitler Werewolf Murders
1994
6
Kommando: Hitler's Special Forces in the Second World War
1995
7
The Bormann Mission
1997
8
Battle for Hitler's Eagle's Nest
2000
9
The Screaming Eagles
2001
10
Murder at Colditz
2002
11
The Great Escape
2002
12
Sirens of Dunkirk
2003
13
Operation Long Jump
2004
14
The Blackout Murders
2004
15
Hitler Youth Attacks!
2004
16
Monty's Fight for Victory
2006
17
Prepared to Die
2007
Non-Fiction Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Yorkshire at War: The Story of Fighting Yorkshire at Home and Abroad, 1939-1945