Asian history Books
Little, Brown Book Group Viceroys The Creation of the British
Book SynopsisViceroys tells the important story of the British aristocracy sent to govern India during the reigns of five British monarchs and the role it played in the shaping of the modern British identity.Trade ReviewA richly rewarding work of history * Military History *
£12.74
Little, Brown Book Group Viceroys
Book SynopsisBetween 1858 and 1947, twenty British men ruled millions of some of the most remarkable people of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.From the Indian Mutiny to the cruel religious partition of India and the newly formed and named Pakistan, the Viceroy had absolute power, more than the monarch who had sent him. Selected from that exclusive class of English, Scottish and Irish breeding, the aristocracy, the Viceroys were plumed, rode elephants, shot tigers. Even their wives stood when they entered the room. Nevertheless, many of them gave everything for India. The first Viceroy, Canning, exhausted by the Mutiny, buried his wife in Calcutta before he left the subcontinent to die shortly afterwards.The average Viceroy lasted five years and was granted an earldom but rarely a sense of triumph. Did these Viceroys behave as badly as twenty-first century moralists would have us believe? When the Raj was over, the legacy of Empire continued, as the new rulers slipped easilTrade ReviewA richly rewarding work of history * Military History *
£22.50
Little, Brown Book Group A Brief History of the Martial Arts
Book Synopsis''If I had to pick a single general martial arts history book in English, I would recommend A Brief History of the Martial Arts by Dr Jonathan Clements'' RICHARD BEITLICH, Martial History Team blogFrom Shaolin warrior monks to the movies of Bruce Lee, a new history of the evolution of East Asian styles of unarmed combat, from Kung Fu to NinjutsuFolk tales of the Shaolin Temple depict warrior monks with superhuman abilities. Today, dozens of East Asian fighting styles trace their roots back to the Buddhist brawlers of Shaolin, although any quest for the true story soon wanders into a labyrinth of forgeries, secret texts and modern retellings.This new study approaches the martial arts from their origins in military exercises and callisthenics. It examines a rich folklore from old wuxia tales of crime-fighting heroes to modern kung fu movies. Centre stage is given to the stories that martial artists tell themselves about tTrade ReviewI defy anyone to come away from this book without a deeper knowledge of all martial arts. * http://blog.alltheanime.com/books-a-brief-history-of-the-martial-arts/ *[Clements'] final conclusions surprise . . . leaving the reader satisfied as well as educated. -- Hugh David * MyM magazine *A detailed study of the interaction between folklore, nationalism, religion and politics in the east Asian martial arts . . . refreshingly frank. * NEO magazine *This is the book I recommend if you want a single volume on martial arts history based on sound evidence and sourced research. I highlighted so many sentences in my Kindle edition that I ran over Amazon's limit! . . . it's an absolute steal and would make a great gift for any martial artist. -- Richard Bejtlich, Martial History Team blog * Martial History Team blog *
£14.24
Little, Brown Book Group A Brief History of Khubilai Khan
Book SynopsisHis grandfather was the bloodthirsty Mongol leader Genghis Khan, his mother a Christian princess. Groomed from childhood for a position of authority, Khubilai snatched the position of Great Khan, becoming the overlord of a Mongol federation that stretched from the Balkans to the Korean coast. His armies conquered the Asian kingdom of Dali and brought down the last defenders of imperial China. Khubilai Khan presided over a glorious Asian renaissance, attracting emissaries from all across the continent, and opening his civil service to ''men with coloured eyes'' - administrators from the far west. His reign began the glorious Yuan dynasty that ruled over China for only ninety years, but had a profound impact on Asian history, from international trade to cultural revolution. Jonathan Clements''s insightful biography into the life and times of one of China''s greatest leaders is a fascinating introduction to an important era, uncovering the man behind Marco Polo''
£12.34
Little, Brown Book Group When the Clouds Fell from the Sky
Book Synopsis''Like Auschwitz, like Stalin''s purges, the mass murders of the Khmer Rouge are one of those extraordinary events that make us wonder about the human capacity for evil. Through a profoundly moving tale that weaves together the connected stories of a victim, his surviving family, and members of the regime, Robert Carmichael brings us into the heart of the darkness that took over Cambodia, bringing it alive in the way no mere statistics can. I''ve not seen a comparable book about these horrors.''Adam Hochschild, award-winning author of King Leopold''s Ghost''What does it mean to say two million people lost their lives during the years of Khmer Rouge rule? The true answer can only be told in microcosm, as Robert Carmichael has done in this intimate and heartbreaking story of the disappearance of one man, and the decades of suffering that followed as his family searched for answers.''Seth Mydans, former Southeast Asia correspondent for theTrade ReviewAn outstanding book of astonishing power, one of the most important and valuable to emerge from the horrors of the Pol Pot regime . . . a direct and vivid account of the cruelty and destruction of the country's darkest era . . . Carmichael relates a family's intensely painful private story with great sensitivity, weaving it into his overall narrative of the genocide . . . this and his sincerity make his book unforgettable. One finishes it with an ache in the heart. -- Jon Swain, writer and foreign correspondent, author of River of TimeA love story that rises - so beautifully - above, and in stark contrast to, the absurd and criminal insanity of the Khmer Rouge. Meticulous and carefully documented, When the Clouds Fell from the Sky explores a wide range of Cambodia's issues while testifying in a deeply moving way about one of humanity's worst tragedies. -- Bruno Carette, documentary-maker, Khmers Rouges Amers (Bitter Khmer Rouge)Like Auschwitz, like Stalin's purges, the mass murders of the Khmer Rouge are one of those extraordinary events that make us wonder about the human capacity for evil. Through a profoundly moving tale that weaves together the connected stories of a victim, his surviving family, and members of the regime, Robert Carmichael brings us into the heart of the darkness that took over Cambodia, bringing it alive in the way no mere statistics can. I've not seen a comparable book about these horrors. -- Adam Hochschild, award-winning author of King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial AfricaWhat does it mean to say two million people lost their lives during the years of Khmer Rouge rule? The true answer can only be told in microcosm, as Robert Carmichael has done in this intimate and heartbreaking story of the disappearance of one man, and the decades of suffering that followed as his family searched for answers. -- Seth Mydans, former Southeast Asia correspondent for the New York TimesAs moving as it is well researched. Robert Carmichael's sharp prose and depth of knowledge of Cambodia's history transforms a daughter's search for her missing father into a nation's journey to find peace and reconciliation with its brutal history of genocide. -- Loung Ung, author of First They Killed My FatherFew journalists have studied the Khmer Rouge tribunal as closely as Carmichael, whose book reveals the complex, often contradictory nature of international justice. What justice can be had when weighed against such crimes? It is an issue victims and observers alike have struggled with from the start . . . The book is like tracing paper, layering Ket's life over Cambodia's sad history. Threading it together are Martine and Ket's daughter Neary, whose early chance encounter with Carmichael yielded this extraordinary story. -- Abby Seiff * History Today *In this brilliant and vivid book, Robert Carmichael skilfully weaves personal accounts with history and reflective analysis, giving essential context to the violence. It is a powerful and compelling story that avoids casting the perpetrators as 'monsters'; instead, showing them to be terrifyingly ordinary. And throughout, Martine and Neary's anguished quest for answers brings home the true scope of the suffering that reached far beyond the walls of S-21. -- Nic Dunlop, author of The Lost Executioner
£11.24
Little, Brown Book Group When the Clouds Fell from the Sky
Book Synopsis''An outstanding book of astonishing power . . . One finishes it with an ache in the heart''JON SWAIN, writer and foreign correspondent, author of River of Time''Through a profoundly moving tale that weaves together the connected stories of a victim, his surviving family, and members of the regime, Robert Carmichael brings us into the heart of the darkness that took over Cambodia, bringing it alive in the way no mere statistics can. I''ve not seen a comparable book about these horrors''ADAM HOCHSCHILD, award-winning author of King Leopold''s Ghost''The intimate and heartbreaking story of the disappearance of one man, and the decades of suffering that followed as his family searched for answers''SETH MYDANS, former Southeast Asia correspondent for the New York TimesIn 1977, Neary was two years old and living in Paris when her father Ouk Ket, a Cambodian diplomat, was recalled home ''to get educated to bTrade ReviewAn outstanding book of astonishing power, one of the most important and valuable to emerge from the horrors of the Pol Pot regime . . . a direct and vivid account of the cruelty and destruction of the country's darkest era . . . Carmichael relates a family's intensely painful private story with great sensitivity, weaving it into his overall narrative of the genocide . . . this and his sincerity make his book unforgettable. One finishes it with an ache in the heart. -- Jon Swain, writer and foreign correspondent, author of River of TimeA love story that rises - so beautifully - above, and in stark contrast to, the absurd and criminal insanity of the Khmer Rouge. Meticulous and carefully documented, When the Clouds Fell from the Sky explores a wide range of Cambodia's issues while testifying in a deeply moving way about one of humanity's worst tragedies. -- Bruno Carette, documentary-maker, Khmers Rouges Amers (Bitter Khmer Rouge)Like Auschwitz, like Stalin's purges, the mass murders of the Khmer Rouge are one of those extraordinary events that make us wonder about the human capacity for evil. Through a profoundly moving tale that weaves together the connected stories of a victim, his surviving family, and members of the regime, Robert Carmichael brings us into the heart of the darkness that took over Cambodia, bringing it alive in the way no mere statistics can. I've not seen a comparable book about these horrors. -- Adam Hochschild, award-winning author of King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial AfricaWhat does it mean to say two million people lost their lives during the years of Khmer Rouge rule? The true answer can only be told in microcosm, as Robert Carmichael has done in this intimate and heartbreaking story of the disappearance of one man, and the decades of suffering that followed as his family searched for answers. -- Seth Mydans, former Southeast Asia correspondent for the New York TimesAs moving as it is well researched. Robert Carmichael's sharp prose and depth of knowledge of Cambodia's history transforms a daughter's search for her missing father into a nation's journey to find peace and reconciliation with its brutal history of genocide. -- Loung Ung, author of First They Killed My FatherFew journalists have studied the Khmer Rouge tribunal as closely as Carmichael, whose book reveals the complex, often contradictory nature of international justice. What justice can be had when weighed against such crimes? It is an issue victims and observers alike have struggled with from the start . . . The book is like tracing paper, layering Ket's life over Cambodia's sad history. Threading it together are Martine and Ket's daughter Neary, whose early chance encounter with Carmichael yielded this extraordinary story. -- Abby Seiff * History Today *In this brilliant and vivid book, Robert Carmichael skilfully weaves personal accounts with history and reflective analysis, giving essential context to the violence. It is a powerful and compelling story that avoids casting the perpetrators as 'monsters'; instead, showing them to be terrifyingly ordinary. And throughout, Martine and Neary's anguished quest for answers brings home the true scope of the suffering that reached far beyond the walls of S-21. -- Nic Dunlop, author of The Lost Executioner
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Fortunes Bazaar
Book Synopsis''Vivid, atmospheric, packed with brilliant story-telling'' - Humphrey Hawksley, former BBC Beijing, Hong Kong and Asia Correspondent''[An] entertaining guide, rich in anecdote and understanding for an early globalised world that has gone'' - Michael Sheridan, Sunday Times''Illuminating'' - Thomas Dyja, New York Times Book ReviewA timely, well-researched, and vibrant new history of Hong Kong that reveals the untold stories of the diverse peoples who have made it a multicultural world metropolis-and whose freedoms are endangered today.Hong Kong has always been many cities to many people: a seaport, a gateway to an empire, a place where fortunes can be dramatically made or lost. A British Crown Colony for 155 years, Hong Kong is now ruled by the Chinese Communist Party who continues to threaten its democracy and put its rich legacy at risk. Here, renowned journalist Vaudine England delves into Hong Kong''
£11.69
Little, Brown Book Group Fortunes Bazaar
Book SynopsisA timely, well-researched, and vibrant new history of Hong Kong that reveals the untold stories of the diverse peoples who have made it a multicultural world metropolis-and whose freedoms are endangered today.Hong Kong has always been many cities to many people: a seaport, a gateway to an empire, a place where fortunes can be dramatically made or lost, a place to disappear and reinvent oneself, and a mixing pot of diverse populations from literally everywhere around the globe. A British Crown Colony for 155 years, Hong Kong is now ruled by the Chinese Communist Party who continues to threaten its democracy and put its rich legacy at risk. Here, renowned journalist Vaudine England delves into Hong Kong''s complex history and its people-diverse, multi-cultural, cosmopolitan-who have made this one-time fishing village into the world port city it is today.Rather than a traditional history describing a town led by British Governors or a mere offshoot of a collapsinTrade ReviewAs a history of Hongkong, not just as a British colony, or an exotic Chinese enclave, but as a cosmopolitan city of many creeds and races, Asian and European, Vaudine England's book is unsurpassed. Her take on the so-called Eurasians, who have played such a large part in Hongkong's history, is fresh and essential to a better understanding of this unique place -- Ian BurumaAt last: a lively and carefully researched page turner about the individuals and social forces that have made Hong Kong the dynamic (and quirky) place it is -- Adi Ignatius, former Wall Street Journal Bureau Chief in BeijingVivid, atmospheric, packed with brilliant story-telling, Vaudine England brings to life the boiling pot of race, culture and ambition that made Hong Kong one of the world's great cities. Within its compelling read, Fortune's Bazaar boldly explodes the myth that Hong Kong is 'just another Chinese city.' Not at all, England gives us the story of the visionary, deal-making, itinerant Eurasian elite who created this unique, international place that is Hong Kong -- Humphrey Hawksley, former BBC Beijing, Hong Kong and Asia CorrespondentIf you love Hong Kong and have lost her, as have I, Vaudine England's marvellous account of the "in-between people," who made it the remarkable place it was, will fill you with wonder, understanding and a sadness for a place - and an idea - that no longer exists -- Richard Hornik, former TIME bureau chief in Beijing and Hong KongIn Fortune's Bazaar, Vaudine England rejects a tale-of-two-cities approach to the history of Hong Kong's colonization and this is what makes it so illuminating... [Fortune's Bazaar] offers lively, confounding and sometimes even inspiring stories about Eurasians and others, show[ing] that cities are constructed not from zero-sum games and political theory, but from generations of human interactions that defy us-and-them formulas * Thomas Dyja, New York Times Book Review *To call a history 'rollicking' may indicate that it isn't serious, but Fortune's Bazaar is both. Vaudine England's well-written take on the historical record is likely to delight anyone who loves Hong Kong * Peter Gordon, Asian Review of Books *In Fortune's Bazaar, Vaudine England examines [Hong Kongers], these 'in-between people,' as she calls them, and their often overlooked role in the development of Hong Kong into a cosmopolitan, world-class city. [With] impressive research, Fortune's Bazaar is less a straightforward narrative than a history told through the stories of Eurasians and other mixed-culture residents. The reader will be rewarded with an enhanced understanding of what it means to be a Hong Konger * Melanie Kirkpatrick, Wall Street Journal *A vivid, entertaining guide, rich in anecdote and understanding for an early globalised world thathas gone * Michael Sheridan, Sunday Times *
£21.25
Little, Brown Book Group Party of One
Book Synopsis''Compelling and informative... a useful gateway into [Xi Jinping''s] mind'' Rana Mitter, Literary ReviewFrom one of the most admired reporters covering China today, a vital new account of the life and political vision of Xi Jinping, the authoritarian leader of the People''s Republic whose hard-edged tactics have set the rising superpower on a collision with Western liberal democracies.Party of One: The Rise of Xi Jinping and China''s Superpower Future shatters the many myths and caricatures that shroud one of the world''s most secretive political organizations and its leader. Many observers misread Xi during his early years in power, projecting their own hopes that he would steer China toward more political openness, rule of law, and pro-market economics. Having masked his beliefs while climbing the party hierarchy, Xi has centralized decision-making powers, encouraged a personality cult around himself, and moved toward indefinite
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC State Economy and the Great Divergence
Book SynopsisState, Economy and the Great Divergence provides a new analysis of what has become the central debate in global economic history: the ''great divergence'' between European and Asian growth. Focusing on early modern China and Western Europe, in particular Great Britain, this book offers a new level of detail on comparative state formation that has wide-reaching implications for European, Eurasian and global history.Beginning with an overview of the historiography, Peer Vries goes on to extend and develop the debate, critically engaging with the huge volume of literature published on the topic to date. Incorporating recent insights, he offers a compelling alternative to the claims to East-West equivalence, or Asian superiority, which have come to dominate discourse surrounding this issue.This is a vital update to a key issue in global economic history and, as such, is essential reading for students and scholars interested in keeping up to speed with the on-going debates.Trade ReviewVries’ formidable book ... can be fairly described as a tour de force ... [Vries’] arguments are developed slowly and carefully, and supported by masses of evidence. * Anand Swamy in Journal of Economic History *I agree with the basic truth of the contrast he [Vries] draws in state-building between early modern Europe and Qing China. Revisionist historians are essentially correct in asserting that political and economic institutions in Qing China were conducive to a Smithian dynamic of market expansion. But the Qing leaders’ agrarian paternalist policies diminished rather than enhanced the extractive power of the state. In their efforts to enrich the people, Qing statesmen abjured interventionist state action. In contrast, Britain promoted a Schumpeterian dynamic of innovation and entrepreneurship harnessed to the goals of state-making and empire-building that ultimately propelled the breakthrough to modern economic growth. * Richard von Glahn in American Historical Review *Vries offers an important contribution to the debate about "The Great Divergence". His study is impressive in depth as well as scale ... A vivid and sharply-written book. * Juergen Osterhammel in Neue Politische Literatur (Bloomsbury translation) *This book is an impressive economic comparison between Western Europe (especially Britain) and China during the long eighteenth century. It is a much needed and balanced account that tries, I think on the whole successfully, to not succumb to either a Euro-centric or China-centric interpretation. It engages with all the main themes pertinent to such a history but, ultimately, its originality lies in emphasising the Western European, particularly Britain’s, form of state. The ability to raise revenues to fund expensive wars and colonial expansion has a ramification that, ultimately, is the primary key to the “Great Divergence” with China. * William J. Ashworth, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Liverpool, UK *Peer Vries turns traditional political economy on its head: instead of an open, laissez-faire British economy confronting an oppressive and centralized Imperial state in China in the 18th century, Vries shows us a fiscal-mercantilist Britain extracting enormous taxes and a decentralized and inefficient Chinese government receiving rather few. Moreover, Vries argues that British industrial success arose because of – not in spite of – Britain’s high taxation supporting an aggressively mercantilist and imperialist state. This deeply learned book will challenge both traditionalists’ and “California School” revisionists’ view of the Great Divergence; it marks a powerful new turn and major advance in understanding the origins of modern economies. * Jack A. Goldstone, Professor of Public Policy, George Mason University, USA *Professor Peer Vries’ new book is a continuation of his decade-long pursuit for a better answer to a cluster of puzzles associated with the ‘Great Divergence’ that set Western Europe and China historically apart. Unlike the conventional views that look at a wide range of variables such as natural endowments, population, factor productivities, market activities, real wages and GDP, the author identifies the state as the prime mover in Eurasian history. The rise of the West was thus a result of a pushy ‘visible hand’ that dictated the allocation of key resources. He also probes further into the process and mechanisms of state-building by the elite that held political, ideological, legal, economic and military powers. Thus, the seed of the Great Divergence was planted by the elites in Western Europe and China long before 1700 AD. Professor Vries’s path-breaking work re-sets our debate in global history. * Kent G. Deng, Professor of Economic History, London School of Economics, UK *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Revenue 2. (Over-)Expenditure 3. Finance and Money 4. People 5. The Military and the Economy 6. Economic Policies 7. Empire and Economy 8. State-Building, Nation-Building and ‘Legibility’ Concluding Remarks Appendices Notes Bibliography Index
£34.99
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) The Army in British India From Colonial Warfare to Total War 1857 1947 Bloomsbury Studies in Military History
Book SynopsisKaushik Roy is Reader in History at Jadavpur University, India, and Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Oslo, Norway.Trade ReviewA volume in the Bloomsbury series "Studies in Military History," edited by Jeremy Black, Roy’s The Army in British India is an excellent overview of the history and character of the Indian Army, stripped of much of the colonial fiction. -- A. A. Nofi * StrategyPage *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Uprising of 1857-59 2. 'Small War' on the Indus Frontier 1859-1913 3. Counter-insurgency in North-East India 1859-1913 4. The Army in India in World War I 5. Modernisation and Nationalism in the Inter-War Era 1919-38 6. The Armed Forces of British India and World War II 7. Demobilisation and Decolonisation 1947-49 Conclusion
£37.99
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Book SynopsisSir Winston S. Churchill (1874-1965) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on two occasions, from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Celebrated as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, he was also a gifted orator, statesman and historian. The author of more than 40 books, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953 and in 1963 was made an honorary citizen of the United States.Table of Contents1. The Theatre of War 2. The Malakand Camps 3. The Outbreak 4. The Attack on the Malakand 5. The Relief of Chakdara 6. The Defence of Chakdara 7. The Gate of Swat 8. The Advance Against the Mohmands 9. Reconnaissance 10. The March to Nawagai 11. The Action of the Mamund Valley, 16th September 12. At Inayat Kila 13. Nawagai 14. Back to the Mamund Valley 15. The Work of the Cavalry 16. Submission 17. Military Observations 18. The Riddle of the Frontier Appendix: Extracts from Official Despatches
£33.99
Bloomsbury USA Point Pleasant 1774
Book SynopsisThe only major conflict of Lord Dunmore's War, the battle of Point Pleasant was fought between Virginian militia and American Indians from the Shawnee and Mingo tribes. This title brings to life one of the most significant pre-Revolutionary which conflicts between American settlers and the native tribes.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Strategic situation /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing armies /Orders of battle /Opposing plans /The campaign /Aftermath /The battlefield today /Further reading /Index
£16.14
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Chindit vs Japanese Infantryman
Book SynopsisThis gripping study offers key insights into the tactics, leadership, combat performance and subsequent reputations of six representative Chindit and Japanese infantry units involved in three pivotal actions that hastened Japan''s defeat in Burma during World War II.In order to keep China in the war against the Japanese, the Western Allies knew they had to return to Northern Burma. Colonel Orde Wingate, a military maverick and proponent of guerrilla warfare, believed that a different type of British infantryman was required for this role - the Chindit, indoctrinated with special training - to re-enter the jungles and mountains of Northern Burma in order to combat the victorious Japanese forces there. The Chindits'' opponents would include the 18th Division, one of Imperial Japan''s most seasoned formations, which by 1941 had already accumulated as much operational experience as most Anglo-American divisions would acquire in the entire 1939-45 war.In a host of encounters Table of ContentsIntroduction /The opposing sides /Nankan Station: 6 March 1943 /Pagoda Hill: 16–18 March 1944 /Mogaung: 2–12 June 1944 /Analysis /Aftermath /Orders of Battle /Bibliography /Index
£14.39
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The British Army in Afghanistan 200614
Book SynopsisFighting an elusive and dangerous enemy far from home, the British army in Afghanistan has been involved in asymmetric warfare for the best part of a decade. The eight-year series of deployments jointly known as Operation Herrick, alongside US and other NATO contingents within the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, have been the longest continuous combat commitment of the British Army since World War II. Together with Operation ''Telic'' in Iraq, which immediately preceded and overlapped with it, this conflict has shaped the British Army for a generation. Enemy threats have diversified and evolved, with a consequent evolution of British doctrine, tactics and equipment. This book provides a detailed analysis of those specifics within a clear, connected account of the course of the war in Helmand, operation by operation.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Overview of Operation Herrick / The break-in battle 2006 /The fighting season 2007 /Joint operations 2008 / New rules of engagement 2009 /Transition to US Marine command, 2010 /Handover to Afghan National Army 2011–2012 /Withdrawal of combat units 2013–14 /Conclusion /Index
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Bolt Action Empires in Flames
Book SynopsisFar from the battlefields of Europe and North Africa, Allied forces fought a very different war against another foe. From the jungles of Burma to the islands of the Pacific and the shores of Australia, this new theater supplement for Bolt Action allows players to command the spearhead of the lightning Japanese conquests in the East or to fight tooth and nail as Chindits, US Marines and other Allied troops to halt the advance and drive them back. Scenarios, special rules and new units give players everything they need to recreate the ferocious battles and campaigns of the Far East, from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, from Singapore to the Phillipines, Iwo Jima and beyond.Table of ContentsIntroduction/ Special Rules/ Scenarios
£21.25
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Vietnam
Book SynopsisThe Vietnam War ripped America apart and charted the nation''s tumultuous future. In their tens of thousands, young men went off to fight in what was an initially popular war only to face defeat and acrimony as national resolve wavered - and returned home to a nation that reviled them and tried to forget about them. Written by Andrew Wiest, the bestselling author of The Boys of ''67: Charlie Company''s War in Vietnam this book traces the American experience of Vietnam from the war''s popular inception to its morale-crushing and bitter conclusion. Based on rich collection housed at the Center of Military History and at the Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech, Vietnam allows the reader a grunt''s-eye view of the conflict - from the steaming rice paddies and swamps of the Mekong Delta, to the triple-canopy rainforest of the Central Highlands, and to the forlorn Marine bases that dotted the DMZ. The stories contained within these pages detail everything from heroism and battle to heliTable of ContentsIntroduction /1 Who We Were /2 Drop and Give Me 20 /3 Welcome to Vietnam /4 Life and Death in the Nam /5 Combat /6 Loss /7 A World of Hurt /8 Changing Attitudes /9 Freedom Bird /10 Life After Nam /Bibliography /Acknowledgements /Exclusive Extract from The Boys of ‘67 /Index
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Attila the Hun
Book SynopsisOne of the most powerful men in late antiquity, Attila's peerless Hunnic empire stretched from the Ural mountains to the Rhine river. In a series of epic campaigns dating from the AD 430s until his death in AD 453, he ravaged first the Eastern and later the Western Roman Empire, invading Italy in AD 452 and threatening Rome itself. Lavishly illustrated, this new analysis of his military achievements examines how Attila was able to sweep across Europe, the tactics and innovations he employed and the major battles he faced, including one of his few major setbacks, the defeat at the battle of the Catalaunian Fields in AD 451.Table of ContentsIntroduction/The early years/The military life/The hour of destiny/Inside the mind/When war is done/A life in words/Bibliography/Index
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC M48 Patton vs Centurion
Book SynopsisFeaturing artwork, expert analysis and absorbing combat accounts, this is the story of the clash between two leading tanks of the Cold War era that were never designed to fight each other, but rather to line up on battlefields as allies.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Design and Development /Technical Specifications /The Combatants /The Strategic Situation /Combat /Statistics and Analysis /Aftermath /Bibliography /Index
£14.39
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Imperial Japanese Navy of the RussoJapanese
Book SynopsisWhen the Imperial Japanese Navy destroyed Russia''s battle fleet during the Russo-Japanese War, it marked the emergence of Japan as one of the world''s major naval powers. Japan''s navy had been built up over just two decades, with the IJN acquiring a fleet of modern foreign-built warships. Coupled with the IJN''s leadership and high levels of training, this proved enough to destroy the fleet of one of the world''s historic naval powers. This book explains in concise detail the IJN''s fleet of 1904-05, from its battleships and armored cruisers to the torpedo boats that launched the first great torpedo attack in history, and outlines the history of the naval campaign against the Russian fleet.Table of ContentsIntroduction /The Rise of the IJN /Preparations for War with Russia /The Battleships /The Armored Cruisers /The Protected and Unprotected Cruisers /The Destroyers and Torpedo Boats /The War at Sea /Analysis and Conclusion / Bibliography /Index
£11.39
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC US Navy Ships vs Kamikazes 194445
Book SynopsisThe ineffectiveness of conventional air attacks on U.S. Navy surface ships, particularly heavily defended targets such as carrier task groups, forced the Japanese to reevaluate their tactics in late 1944. The solution they arrived at was simple: crash their aircraft into American ships. This notion of self-sacrifice fit well within the Japanese warrior psyche and proved terrifying to the American sailors subjected to it. These tactics brought immediate results, and proved effective until the end of the war. This book examines this terrifying new way of waging war, revealing how the U.S. Navy was forced to adapt its tactics and operations and deploy new weapons to counter the threat--analyzing the actual military benefits of the kamikaze mission and assessing whether the damage to American naval strength by the loss of so many pilots and aircraft actually had a material impact.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Design and Development /Technical Specifications /The Strategic Situation /The Combatants /Combat /Statistics and Analysis /Aftermath /Bibliography /Index
£15.19
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The First Afghan War 183942
Book SynopsisIn 1839, forces of the British East India Company crossed the Indus to invade Afghanistan on the pretext of reinstating a former king, Shah Soojah, to his rightful throne. The reality was that this was another step in Britain''s Great Game--Afghanistan would create a buffer to any potential Russian expansion toward India. This history traces the initial, highly successful campaign as the British easily occupied Kabul and the rebellion that two years later humbled the British army. Forced to negotiate a surrender, the British fled Kabul en masse in the harsh Afghan winter. Decimated by Afghan guerilla attacks and by the extreme cold paired with a lack of food and supplies, just one European--Dr. Brydon--would make it to the safety of Jalalabad five days later. This highly illustrated history then goes on to trace the retribution attack on Kabul the following year, which destroyed the symbolic Mogul Bazaar before troops rapidly withdrew and left Afghanistan in peace for nearlTable of ContentsIntroduction/Chronology/Opposing commanders/Opposing armies/Opposing plans/The campaign/Aftermath/The battlefield today/Further reading/Index
£14.39
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC US Army Green Beret in Afghanistan 200102
Book SynopsisIn October 2001, the most militarily advanced nation on Earth came into conflict with one of its least developed nations as American forces poured into Afghanistan. The tip of the spear, the sharpest of the attacks, were drawn from the U.S. Special Forces community, and largely from the units of the United States Army Special Forces--the famous Green Berets--who, together with the Special Activities Division and the Afghan Northern Alliance, overthrew the Taliban in a lightning campaign that redefined modern warfare.This new study reveals the grueling Green Beret training and preparation, the specialized equipment they used in the field, and traces their deployment throughout the campaign: from the first arrival of forces to the fall of Kabul and Kandahar; from the Taliban uprising at the notorious Fort of Warin Mazar-e-Sharif to the clearance of Tora Bora and Operation Anaconda in the Shah-i-Kot Valley.Table of ContentsIntroduction; the Green Berets Becoming a Modern Green Beret; SFQC and Robin Sage Operation Enduring Freedom- Afghanistan Infiltration; October 2001 First Blood; November 2001 Turning the Tide; December 2001 Tora Bora and Anaconda A Squandered Opportunity? Bibliography Index
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC M50 Ontos and M56 Scorpion 195670 US Tank
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction: original procurement concept of M50 & M56 /M50 Ontos development /M56 Scorpion development /Into service, 1950s to Vietnam /Combat history in Vietnam /Analysis & Conclusion /Bibliography /Index
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Shanghai and Nanjing 1937
Book SynopsisFrom 1931, China and Japan had been embroiled in a number of small-scale conflicts that had seen vast swathes of territory being occupied by the Japanese. On 7 July 1937, the Japanese engineered the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which led to the fall of Beijing and Tianjin and the start of a de facto state of war between the two countries. This force then moved south, landing an expeditionary force to take Shanghai and from there drive west to capture Nanjing. This fully illustrated book tells the story of the Japanese assault on these two great Chinese cities. The battle of Shanghai was the first large-scale urban warfare of World War II and one of the bloodiest battles of the entire Sino-Japanese War. The determined resistance by Chinese inflicted sizable Japanese casualties, and may well have contributed to the subsequent massacre of prisoners and civilians in the battle of Nanjing, tarnishing Japan''s reputation in the eyes of the world.
£15.29
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Imperial Japanese Navy Antisubmarine Escorts
Book SynopsisIn 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) went to war with a marginal anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability. This was a lamentable state of affairs for a nation dependent upon imports to sustain its war economy. There were only a few purpose-built ASW escorts available at the start of the war and these were augmented by a handful of second-class destroyers and a dozen torpedo boats. Once the magnitude of the threat to Japan''s shipping became fully apparent in 1943, the IJN made plans for mass production of ASW escorts. These arrived in 1944, but could not stop the massacre of Japanese shipping by increasingly bold and effective American submarines.This volume will detail the history, weapons and tactics of the IJN''s ASW escorts. These include the Momi class of second-rate destroyers, the Tomodzuru and Ootori classes of torpedo boars, and the several types of ASW escorts built from 1937 up through the end of the war.
£12.34
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Vietnam War US Allied Combat Equipments
Book SynopsisDuring the years of the Vietnam War, U.S. forces used three major types of equipment sets, with numerous modifications for particular circumstances. Different equipment was also used by Special Forces, the South Vietnamese, and other allied ground troops.Vietnam War US & Allied Combat Equipments offers a comprehensive examination of the gear that U.S. and allied soldiers carried strapped around their bodies, what the gear contained, and what those items were used for. Fully illustrated with photographs and artwork detailing how each piece of equipment was used, and written by a Special Forces veteran of the conflict, this book will fascinate enthusiasts of military equipment and will be an ideal reference guide for reenactors, modelers, and collectors of Vietnam War memorabilia.Table of ContentsIntroduction: the Vietnamese environment, as it affected personal LBE – listing of 'Free World' (allied) forces which used US equipment in Vietnam. /Development: background and development of the US Army M1956 LBE. /M1956 Load Bearing Equipment – description and use of this most widely seen pattern. /M1967 Modernized Load Bearing Equipment, developed specifically in response to experience in Vietnam. /US Marine M1961 Load Carrying Equipment. /ANZAC web equipment - description of British and M1956 LBE copies used by Australian and New Zealand forces. /Special reconnaissance equipment – description and use of specialized equipment by MACV-SOG, Special Forces, and Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol units. /World War II & Korean War vintage equipment – as used mostly by South Vietnamese forces, but in some use by US forces. /Indigenous equipment – description and use of low-cost equipment for Vietnamese forces, provided by the CIA's Counterintelligence Support Office. /Life in the Boonies - use of the equipments in the field, as shaped by differing terrain, climate, evolving weapons and procedures, and personal preferences (covering, e.g., procedures for movement, bivouacking, preparing food, perimeter defense and security, outposts, ambushes, etc.) /Conclusion. /Select Bibliography.
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Philippine Sea 1944
Book SynopsisAfter suffering devastating losses in the huge naval battles at Midway and the Soloman Islands, the Imperial Japanese navy attempted to counter-attack against the US forces threatening the Home Islands. Involving the US Fifth Fleet and the Japanese Mobile Fleet, the battle of the Philippine Sea took place during the United States'' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War.The two fleets clashed on June 19-20, 1944 and the Japanese carrier fighters were shot down in devastating numbers by US aircraft in what became known as the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, before US counterattacks and submarine strikes forced the withdrawal of the Japanese fleet. Fully illustrated with stunning specially commissioned artwork, Mark Stille tells the enthralling story of the last, and largest, carrier battle of the Pacific War, the one that saw the end of the Imperial Japanese Navy as a formed fighting force.
£15.29
