Hans Halberstadt (author)


Hans Milton Halberstadt is an American author, filmmaker, historian and photographer. He has authored and co-authored more than 60 non-fiction books, many of them documenting the American military.
His books have been translated into several languages, including German, French and Japanese. Halberstadt's books focus on portraits of military units, the mindset of modern warriors, equipment, tactics and missions.
His early career centered on creating short films for the educational market and for corporate clients. He belongs to a number of organizations, including E Clampus Vitus, the UDT/SEAL Association, Association of the US Army, and Author's Guild.

Background

Halberstadt was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, the oldest son of photographer Milton H. Halberstadt and Olga Navratil Halberstadt. His family moved to California about 1945, where he was raised in Marin County and graduated from Tamalpais High School. His early years were spent working in his father's photography studio in San Francisco where he was introduced to artists including Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, Imogen Cunningham, Benny Bufano, Keith Munro and architects Lawrence Halprin and Doug Bayliss.
He joined the army in 1962 and went to Vietnam where he served as a helicopter door gunner throughout the Central Highlands.
After his years in service, Halberstadt returned to California and graduated from San Francisco State in 1968 with a degree in film and broadcasting.

Career

Halberstadt worked for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Washington DC as a photographer. When this project ended, he moved back to California, and started his Company Very Moving Pictures. He produced television commercials, public relations films, corporate and educational films, videos and audio/visual presentations for clients including Exxon, Bank of America, Ketchum Communications and Discovery Toys. He made nearly 40 educational films for Arthur Barr Productions, Inc. Of Pasadena.
His first foray into publishing was providing the illustrations for a book on stained glass, Stained Glass, Music for the Eye in 1979. This book was favorably reviewed by Newsweek Magazine, which called Halberstadt's photographs "dazzling".
His first authored book was Coast Guard, Always Ready, about the United States Coast Guard. He has since written, co-written or illustrated more than 70 non-fiction books. Many of his books are about special operations units such as United States Navy Seals and Green Berets. Other subjects include Railroad depots, seaplanes, Farming and locomotives. His publishers include Barnes & Noble, Motorbooks Publishing, Presidio Press, Trident Publishing.

Books by Hans Halberstadt

  • ABRAMS Company
  • Airborne – Assault FROM THE SKY
  • Airborne
  • American Civil War – THE SOLDIER'S STORY
  • American Family Farm, THE
  • American Fire Engine, The
  • American Railroad
  • American Train Depot & Roundhouse
  • Army
  • Army Aviation
  • Battle Rattle
  • Bradley Company
  • CESSNA Buyer's Guide
  • Classic Trains
  • Combines and Harvests
  • Demolition Equipment
  • Desert Rats – THE BRITISH 4TH and 7TH ARMORED BRIGADES
  • Desert Storm Ground War
  • F-111 Aardvark
  • F-15 Strike Eagle
  • Farm Memories
  • Farm Tractors
  • Giant Dump Trucks
  • Green Berets – UNCONVENTIONAL Warriors
  • Green Berets, THE
  • Indian Motorcycles
  • Inside the Great Tanks
  • Inside the US Navy Seals
  • Lock and Load
  • Marine Muscle – HARRIER and HORNET
  • MIG 29
  • Military Vehicles
  • Modern Diesel Locomotives
  • NTC – A Primer OF Modern Land Combat
  • Orchard Tractors
  • Piper Buyer's Guide
  • Plows and Planters
  • Red Star Fighters and Ground Attach
  • Roughneck Nine One Co-Author Frank Antenori
  • Seaplane
  • Stained Glass – Music for the Eye Co-Authors Bob and Jill Hill Scrimshaw
  • Steam Tractors
  • Sub Busters
  • SUKHOI 27
  • SWAT – Special Weapons and Tactics
  • Threshers and Combines
  • To Be a Military Sniper Co-Author Gregory Mast
  • To Be an Army Paratrooper Co-Author Gregory Mast
  • Tractors Co-Author April Halberstadt
  • Train Depots and Roundhouses
  • Trigger Men
  • Under Cover
  • US Aircrew Combat Flight and Survival Gear Co-Author Michael Halberstadt
  • US Navy Seals
  • US Navy Seals
  • US Navy Seals in Action, first edition
  • USCG – Always Ready
  • USMC
  • War Stories of the Green Berets, FIRST EDITION
  • War Stories of the Green Berets, SECOND EDITION
  • Wild Weasels
  • Woodies Metrobooks
  • Working Steam
  • World's Great Artillery, The