Leo Kessler

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
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
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
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
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
1 Cannon Fodder 1987
2 The Die-hards 1987
3 Breakout 1988
4 Death Match 1988
Rommel Series Books
# Title Year
1 Ghost Division 1979
2 Massacre 1979
Sea Wolves Books
# Title Year
1 Sink the "Scharnhorst"! 1981
2 Death to the Deutschland 1982
Stormtroop Edelweiss Books
# Title Year
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
1 The Black Knights 1983
2 Hawks of Death 1983
3 Tank-busters! 1984
4 Blood Mission 1984
Submarine Books
# Title Year
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
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
1 Yorkshire at War: The Story of Fighting Yorkshire at Home and Abroad, 1939-1945 1980