Battles / military campaigns Books

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Book SynopsisThe Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise by Sun Tzu, a high-ranking military general, strategist and tactician. The text is composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare. It is commonly thought of as a definitive work on military strategy and tactics. For the last two thousand years it remained the most important military treatise in Asia, where even the common people knew it by name. It has had an influence on Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy and beyond.The book was first translated into the French language in 1772 by French Jesuit Jean Joseph Marie Amiot and a partial translation into English was attempted by British officer Everard Ferguson Calthrop in 1905. However, the most popular (and accurate) English language translation was completed by Lionel Giles in 1910. Leaders as diverse as Mao Zedong, General Vo Nguyen Giap, General Douglas MacArthur and leaders of Imperial Japan have drawn inspiration from the work.This edition has 380 footnotes, an introduction, and brief biographies on the 11 main commentators on Sun Tzu''s work. This case laminate collector''s edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket. 

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Book SynopsisThis title provides an authoritative account of the wars between Britain and Ireland in the 17th century.William III's defeat of James II's Catholic army at the Battle of the Boyne on 1 July 1690 ended the Stuart dynasty's last hope of survival. It has also been central, together with the siege of Londonderry, to the foundation myth of Northern Ireland. John Childs, the leading military historian of the period, gives a clear and authoritative account of the campaign in all its stages.Trade ReviewChild's book is especially noteworthy in that naval operations during this war are examined thoroughly, and he is good on the battlefield tactic of the contestants. Off the battlefield, Childs is adept at unravelling the command rivalries that undermined the Jacobite war effort...In his preface, Childs writes modestly that 'an Englishman coming late in his career to the history of Ireland is constantly aware of his ignorance': but his concerns are misplaced, for he easily sails over the hurdles. * The International History Review, September 2009 *There is much to commend in Child's work...a lively writing style with occasional flashes of humor and a high-spirited gleeful delight in the trivial. The general reader and the military historian can dip into this book with profit. * The Historian, 2010 *Table of ContentsMaps; Abbreviations; Note on dates; Note on distances; Note on spelling and punctuation; Note on maps and place names; Preface; 1. Preliminaries, 1688; 2. Practical Matters; 3. Towards War, 1689; 4. The Break of Dromore and the retreat to Coleraine; 5. Clady and the Ards Peninsula. 6. The Defence of Derry and Enniskillen; 7. General Kirke; 8. Endurance; 9. The relief of Derry and Newtownbutler; 10. A tired Old Man; 11. Sligo and Dundalk; 12. Winter operations, 1689-90; 13. The Battle of Boyne; 14. From Dublin to Limerick; 15. The first siege of Limerick; 16. Cork and Kinsale; 17. A war of posts and ambuscades; 18. Spring 1691; 19. Ballymore and Athlone; 20. Aughrim and Galway; 21. The Curious Affair at Sligo, or the banalities of the small war; 22. The second siege of Limerick; 23. Dispersal; Notes; Select bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis work is a study of the military aspects of the first half of this important conflict (1618-1635). Each chapter deals with a particular battle, also examining wider questions of strategy, leadership, armaments, organization, logistics, and war finances.Trade ReviewWilliam Guthrie has performed a splendid service by writing a book that describes each of the major engagements of the Thirty Year War from its outbreak to the entry of France, at which point it expanded into a pan-European conflict. * Arquebusier *Guthrie's Battles of the Thirty Years War attempts to fill this gap, and it does so in solid if formulaic style, laying out the strengths of the opposing forces, the abilities and personalities of the commanders, and the tactical details of the actions. . . . Without this book one is forced to glean this kind of detail from a myriad of obscure works written in several languages. Nor does Guthrie simply summarize these older works; he also provides intelligent, original analysis-both tactical and strategic-of his own. Scholars will also find Guthrie's brief but effective intorduction useful, for it provides a detailed explanation of military technology, tactical organization, and military practice of the period, something that is lacking in anglophone historiography…this is a well-researched and unique reference work that should find favor with scholars of the Thirty Years' War or early modern warfare. * The Journal of Military History *[A]n immensely handy reference to military operations during the first 17 years of the war, with a focus on the actual engagements. There are numerous tables discussing the apportionment of personnel among the arms, mini-biographies of commanders notable and not so notable, and much more. Well worth reading--and having--for anyone with a serious interest in the conduct of war during the early seventeenth century. * The New York Military Affairs Newsletter *Table of ContentsBreitenfeld & the Thirty Years War The Battle of White Mountain The 1622 Campaign: The Battle of Wimpfen The Battle of Stadtlohn The Danish War: Dessau and Lutter Gustavus's Run of Victory Gustavus vs. Wallenstein The War in Westphalia The Battle of Nordlingen Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA history of the 1119 Battle of the Field of Blood, which decisively halted the momentum gained during the First Crusade and decided the fate of the Crusader states.

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Book SynopsisTurks ruled the Middle East for a millennium and eastern Europe for many centuries and it is an undoubted fact that they moulded the lands under their dominion. It is therefore something of a paradox that the history of Turkey and aspects of the identity and role of the Turks, both as Muslims and as an ethnic group, still remain little known in the west and undervalued in the Arabic and Persian-speaking worlds.This book contributes to historical scholarship on Turkey by focusing on its key foundational myth, the battle of Manzikert in 1071--the Turkish equivalent of the battle of Hastings. Manzikert destroyed the hold of Christian Byzantium on eastern Turkey and opened the whole country to the spread of Islam, a process completed with the fall of Constantinople and Trebizond some four centuries later.Translations and a close analysis of all the extant Muslim sources--both Arabic and Persian--which deal with the battle of Manzikert are provided in the book. It also looks at these writings as literary works and vehicles of religious ideology and analyses the ongoing confrontation between the Muslim Turks and Christian Europe and the importance of Manzikert in the formation of the modern state of Turkey since 1923.Trade Review'This original and thought-provoking book operates on several levels ... a captivating read that is a powerful reminder to Western scholars and students of the achievement of Turkish - rather than Arab or Persian - leaders in the history of the Muslim Near East.' -- Jonathan Phillips Times Literary Supplement 'This is a passionate book with an agenda to address the importance of the Turkish contribution to the medieval period ... as well as presenting a superb deconstruction of a historical event in the memory and ideology of centuries of writers.' -- Jonathan Phillips Times Literary Supplement 'This original and thought-provoking book operates on several levels ... a captivating read that is a powerful reminder to Western scholars and students of the achievement of Turkish - rather than Arab or Persian - leaders in the history of the Muslim Near East.' 'This is a passionate book with an agenda to address the importance of the Turkish contribution to the medieval period ... as well as presenting a superb deconstruction of a historical event in the memory and ideology of centuries of writers.'Table of ContentsList of Illustrations; Comment on Transliteration; Part 1: Medieval Muslim interpretations of the battle; Chapter 1: Introduction; Chapter 2: The twelfth -century sources for the battle of Manzikert; Chapter 3: The thirteenth-century sources for the battle of Manzikert; Chapter 4: The fourteenth-century sources for the battle of Manzikert; Chapter 5: Writing the battle; Part 2: The legacy of the battle; Chapter 6: The Islamic legacy of Manzikert - the ongoing Muslim-Christian confrontation; Chapter 7: The heritage of Manzikert: the myth of national identity; Appendix; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThe battle of Bannockburn, fought on the fields south of Stirling at midsummer 1314, is the best known event in the history of Medieval Scotland. It was a unique event. The clash of two armies, each led by a king, followed a clear challenge to a battle to determine the status of Scotland and its survival as a separate realm. As a key point in the Anglo-Scottish wars of the fourteenth century, the battle has been extensively discussed, but Bannockburn was also a pivotal event in the history of the British Isles. This book analyses the road to Bannockburn, the campaign of 1314 and the aftermath of the fight. It demonstrates that in both its context and legacy the battle had a central significance in the shaping of nations and identities in the late Medieval British Isles.

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Book SynopsisPasschendaele 1917 is the story of one of the most pitiless and iconic battles of the First World War, known today as Third Ypres. Fought over three tortuous months in 1917, the fighting raged through some of the worst physical conditions of the entire war, across battlefields collapsing into endless mud and blood.

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Book SynopsisArnhem 1944 remains the greatest airborne battle of all time – this is the ultimate companion to that battle

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Book SynopsisThe Battle of Britain was won in 1940 by the squadrons of Fighter Command under the leadership of Air Chief Marshal Dowding who was given no public honour or recognition for this great achievement in saving Britain from Nazi invasion and occupation - here now is a searching and advanced review which justifies Dowding''s place of honour in British history.This book is written by a Spitfire pilot who served at readiness and in combat throughout the Battle of Britain in day fighter squadrons. His personal observations of the war during 1939 and 1940 combined with many years of research has produced a penetrating review of the Battle with many of the old myths dispelled.The author tells of the sacrifices of the people of Britain, the great courage and tenacity of our young fighter pilots, always outnumbered by the Liftwaffe bombers and fighters. He courageously exposes and shames the appalling behaviour of the Air Ministry cabal of senior officers who attacked and dishonoured Dowding at this time of great crisis in our history.Questions such as: who controlled the Battle? was it Reichsmarschall Goering or the weather? was there really a Big Wing Philosophy or was it just a Big Wing myth? why were WWI night fighting tactics for slow flying biplanes introduced by the Air Ministry in 1940 as a defence over London against fast flying modern Luftwaffe bombers? why was there a cabal and who were the members, plus many more, are discussed?This is a book telling of honour restored to the people of Britain, our fighter pilots, and Air Chief Marshal Dowding - sadly it also tells of dishonour.

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Book SynopsisThe Battle of Berlin 1945Trade ReviewTony Le Tissier is arguably the finest English-language historian of the Battle of Berlin

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Book SynopsisThe dramatic confrontation between Harold of England and William of Normandy at Senlac Ridge in 1066 was the result of almost a century of political and dynastic struggles. Paul Hill explores the prolonged death-throe of Anglo-Saxon England - a story of murder, treachery and ambition - and of a foreign predator with a talent for organisation.

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Book SynopsisOn 8 August 1918, the Allied forces launched the surprise attack that heralded the end of the First World War. With skill and daring, 21 divisions of men breached the German lines, supported by 500 tanks and 1,000 aircraft. This book considers the successes and failures of both sides in this conflict.

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Book SynopsisDuring the 3 ½ month long struggle, which claimed the lives of more than 60,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen, 61 men were adjudged to have performed deeds worthy of the Empire’s highest award for valour – the Victoria Cross.

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Book SynopsisThe Battle of Marathon changed the course of history in ancient Greece. To many, the impossible seemed to have been achieved - the mighty Persian Empire halted in its advance. What happened that day, why was the battle fought, and how did people make sense of it? This bold new history of the battle examines how the conflict unfolded and the ideas attached to it in antiquity and beyond. Many thought the battle offered lessons in how people should behave, with heroism to be emulated and faults to be avoided. While the battle itself was fought in one day, the battle for the idea of Marathon has lasted ever since. After immersing you in the battle, this work will help you to explore how the ancient Athenians used the battle in their relations between themselves and others, and how the battle continued to be used to express ideas about gods, empire, and morality in the age of Alexander and his successors, at Rome and in Greece under the Roman Empire, and in the ages after antiquity, even inTrade ReviewClearly and engagingly written ... The great strength of this book is not just in its recreation of the narrative of the battle or excellent discussion of the historiographic problems surrounding it ... but also in its exploration of cultural history. Another particularly strong feature is that the book accords the Persians an integral place in the story and gives Persian cultural receptions of the battle their due ... This is a very good, stimulating book. * The Classical Review *A well thought out and organised treatment, clearly and economically written ... this is a good and worthwhile book. * Classics for All *Nevin’s book is an important contribution to the study of ancient Greek warfare. * The Journal of Hellenic Studies *Sonya Nevin’s sensible examination of the Battle of Marathon is a carefully crafted study of myth-busting importance. As she weaves together the story, she manages to give the Persians their rightful place in the battle without losing sight of the brilliance of the Greek effort. Balanced studies of this kind are much needed. -- Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, Professor and Chair of Ancient History, Cardiff University, UKAn exciting inclusion on a university reading list, but also has an immediacy and accessibility which would appeal to the informed general reader. * Journal of Classics Teaching *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Athenians at a Turning Point 2. The Greek World 3. Persia 4. Revolt in Ionia 5. The Plain of Marathon 6. The Fight 7. Surviving Marathon 8. Events after Marathon 9. Memories of Marathon in Fifth-Century Art and Literature 10. Marathon beyond the Fifth-Century 11. Marathon under Rome 12. Marathon after Antiquity Afterword Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA fitting tribute to an otherwise little-known American hero [...] Highly recommended reading for anyone, but a "must have" addition to the library of military aviation history enthusiasts! * Col. J. Ward Boyce, Jr., USAF (Ret), Former Executive Director, American Fighter Aces Association *Carl Molesworth captivates the reader with a thoroughly researched biography of Lt. Colonel William N. Reed, an outstanding yet still somewhat unknown American hero of World War II. [...] Bill Reed’s story is also a needed reminder of the hardships and sacrifice shown by those in combat and by their families at home. [...] All of us living today should try to live up to the standards Reed set for himself. * Tom Ivie, author of 'Aces of the 325th Fighter Group' *Carl Molesworth’s biography of William Reed is a welcome addition to the record of American participation in the air war over China. Molesworth’s description of Reed’s experiences with the American Volunteer Group, the famed Flying Tigers, provides more depth to an understanding of what daily life for an AVG pilot was like in the dark early days of America’s war against Japan. * Edward M. Young, author of 'B-25 Mitchell Units of the CBI' *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Part One: The Making of a Man 1 “Everything anyone would ever want to be” 2 “Justifiable homicide” 3 “Three of us passed out of 47” Part Two: A Grand Experiment – the AVG 4 “Day after day passed by uneventfully” 5 “Don’t be too much concerned, will you?” 6 “I dove and attacked them head-on” 7 “This is no time to take a runout” 8 “A pretty good day’s work” 9 “I might have stayed over there” Part Three: Back to China 10 “I felt a hit in my engine” 11 “Some scheme afoot in Washington” 12 “Time we stopped fooling around” 13 “Stay in there and try a little harder” 14 “Just one of those Goddamned nights” 15 “The most staggering blow” Appendix: Chinese place names Endnotes Bibliography List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisBrought to life by the personal accounts of six Navy pilots and one British POW, this is the history of the U.S. Navy airstrikes on Japanese-held Hong Kong.Commander John Lamade started the war in 1941 a nervous pilot of an antiquated biplane. Just over three years later he was in the cockpit of a cutting-edge Hellcat about to lead a strike force of 80 aircraft through the turbulent skies above the South China Sea. His target: Hong Kong. As a storm of antiaircraft fire darkened the sky, watching from below was POW Ray Jones. For three long years he and his fellow prisoners had endured near starvation conditions in a Japanese internment camp. Did these American aircraft, he wondered, herald freedom?Trawling through historic records, Steven K. Bailey discovered that the story of the U.S. Navy airstrikes on Japanese-held Hong Kong during the final year of World War II had never been told. Operation Gratitude involved nearly 100 U.S. Navy warships and closTable of ContentsAcronyms Place Names List of Illustrations Maps 1. January 1945 2. December 1941 3. We Are Now Prisoners of War 4. Boxing Day, 1941 5. Training Days 6. Little Jack and the Big John 7. Manila Bay 8. Convoy Hi-87 9. Crew Two 10. Hot, Straight, and Normal 11. Shootin’ Star 12. The Most Frightening Thing 13. Blanket Missions 14. A Complete Failure 15. Target 8 16. Fifteen to Twenty Seconds of Flotation 17. Intense to Unbelievable 18. Three Planes Down 19. Triple X 20. The Man in the Harris Tweed 21. The Bombing of Bungalow C 22. The Results Were Not Commensurate with the Losses 23. The Navy Department Deeply Regrets to Inform You 24. Houseguests 25. Eager Beavers 26. Courts of Inquiry 27. Killed on a Sunday 28. Ten Centuries 29. The Bombing of Bungalow A 30. On the Beach 31. Forever and a Day 32. Reparations, Reassignments, and Record Jackets 33. Ninety-four Pounds 34. Hungjao Road 35. Unknowns Epilogue Acknowledgments Endnotes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Military History Matters Book of the Year Award 2019 By August 1918, the outcome of the Great War was not in doubt: the Allies would win. But what was unclear was how this defeat would play out - would the Germans hold on, prolonging the fighting deep into 1919, with the loss of hundreds of thousands more young lives, or could the war be won in 1918? In The Last Battle, Peter Hart, author of Gallipoli and The Great War, and oral historian at the Imperial War Museum, brings to life the dramatic final weeks of the war, as men fought to secure victory, with survival seemingly only days, or hours away. Drawing on the experience of both generals and ordinary soldiers, and dwelling with equal weight on strategy, tactics and individual experience, this is a powerful and detailed account of history's greatest endgame.Trade ReviewThis superbly written history demonstrates conclusively the skill and professionalism of the British Army in 1918. -- Simon Shaw * Mail on Sunday *A superb account of the tactics that finally brought victory on the Western Front. The Last Battle pays just tribute to the allied military achievement of 1918, too often forgotten in our preoccupation with earlier horrors. -- Max Hastings * The Times *Thought provoking, erudite, yet eminently readable and entertaining: Peter Hart is a historian and author at the peak of his powers -- Richard van EmdenA fantastic book...If you're going to read one book on 1918 for this centenary, there's no doubt that Peter's book is it. -- Paul Reed * World at War *A thoroughly readable, yet authoritative, account of one of the most dramatic periods of 20th Century history, one which deserves to be far better known. It deserves a place on the bookshelf of every serious student of the Great War and I cannot recommend it too strongly. -- Jack Sheldon, author of The Germany Army on the Somme 1914-1916Peter Hart has a happy knack of blending a high-level of abstraction (the politics, grand strategy and operational) with the personal and minute, and making it work for the reader... The narrative is highly educational and The Last Battle certainly makes for a good read. -- Chris Baker * The Long, Long Trail *Well written, with an exceptional collection of personal narratives, this book provides a fascinating look at the last four months of World War I. -- Jerry D. Lenaburg, Senior Military AnalystThis is an excellent highly readable book that should appeal to all students of military history and a worthy addition to the author's previous titles. -- Stephen McGreal, HistorianA consistent writer who has the skill of a fine storyteller...Hopefully we will see more from Peter in good time, and if you are wise enough to read The Last Battle, it should lead you to his earlier work. You will not be disappointed. -- Mark Barnes * War History Online *Arguably the most significant book produced in the centenary year of the Armistice and is a masterfully written and constructed work...a book which is not only more than praiseworthy but is one which will stand as the definitive work on perhaps the most important period of the entire war. -- Andy Saunders * Britain at War *A superb account of the tactics that won the First World War on the Western Front. * Sunday Times Culture *Peter Hart, in his commendable book...offers us a first-class analysis as to why the British Army succeeded operationally...One of the best books, among the very large number that the First World War centenary has produced, at describing how soldiers actually think and feel, written by a historian who has a rare intuition for his subject. -- Barney White-Spunner * Country Life *At last we have a book that really does these events justice...Hart skilfully navigates the reader through the rival national narratives that each claim credit as architects of the final victory...Hart has delivered a well balanced, enlightening history that enables the reader to make sense of an exciting but potentially confusing chapter of the war. -- Mike Peters * Soldier Magazine, Pick of the Month *Hart is an accomplished historian displaying a sound knowledge of the war, its challenges and difficulties, and the manner in which they were overcome. Like his other books, The Last Battle: Endgame on the Western Front,1918 embraces the human face of war within a largely operational narrative that is balanced and fair in its commentary, and gives credit where credit is due... Once picked up, it will be hard to put down. * Brigadier Chris Roberts *A superb account of the tactics that won the First World War on the Western Front. * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisThe Battle of Arnhem has acquired a near-legendary status in British military history as an audacious plan to land paratroopers into the Netherlands and spearhead an attack against the German-held Ruhr. Beyond images of brave paratroopers and scenes from A Bridge Too Far, this was in fact one of the most complex and strategically important operations of the war.It was expected that the British would sweep through and connect with the Arnhem force within a matter of days. But things on the ground proved very different. The Allied forces were isolated, without reinforcements and unable to advance. The operation ended in disaster. Using first-hand accounts, maps and detailed timelines, historian Chris Brown explores the unfolding action of the battle and puts the reader on the front line. If you truly want to understand what happened and why – read on.

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Book SynopsisIt was inevitable that the Allies would invade France in the summer of 1944: the Nazis just had to figure out where and when. This job fell to the Abwehr and several other German intelligence services. Between them they put over 30,000 personnel to work studying British and American signals traffic, and achieved considerable success in intercepting and decrypting enemy messages. They also sent agents to England – but they weren’t to know that none of them would be successful.Until now, the Nazi intelligence community has been disparaged by historians as incompetent and corrupt, but newly released declassified documents suggest this wasn’t the case – and that they had a highly sophisticated system that concentrated on the threat of an Allied invasion. Written by acclaimed espionage historian Nigel West, Codeword Overlord is a vital reassessment of Axis behaviour in one of the most dramatic episodes of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewHis information is so precise that many people believe he is the unofficial historian of the secret services. West’s sources are undoubtedly excellent. His books are peppered with deliberate clues to potential front-page stories.

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Book Synopsis‘[An] important book to grace your bookshelves.’ – JoeAnn Ricca, Founder of the Richard III Foundation, Inc.Bosworth Field saw the two great dynasties of the day clash on the battlefield: the reigning House of York, led by Richard III, against the rising House of Tudor, led by Henry Tudor, soon to become Henry VII.On 22 August 1485 this penultimate battle in the Wars of the Roses was fought, with the might of the Yorkists ranged against Henry Tudor’s small army. In Bosworth 1485, historian Mike Ingram describes how they came to meet on the battlefield and how the tactics employed by Henry Tudor and his captains eventually led to the larger force’s defeat and the death of King Richard III.Illustrated throughout and supplemented with maps and accessible timelines, this book explores the unfolding action and puts the reader on the front line of this crucial battle.

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Book SynopsisIn July 1943, Hitler launched Operation Zitadelle, the last German offensive on the Eastern Front. It was an attempt to shorten the German lines by eliminating the Kursk salient and was designed to result in the encirclement of the Red Army. In reality, the German tanks came up against impenetrable Russian defences: minefields, artillery and anti-tank emplacements, spread through lines 250km deep and manned by Russian troops whose actions often verged on the suicidal. The greatest tank battle in history, Operation Zitadelle assured the Nazis’ defeat and was ‘the swan song of the German tank arm’.Involving over 9,000 tanks, 5,000 aircraft, 35,000 guns and mortars, 2.7 million troops and 230,000 casualties, the Battle of Kursk’s scale and barbarity eclipsed all other clashes in Europe. In this book, historian Mark Healy gives a clear, concise account of those dramatic days in 1943.

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Book SynopsisThe second millennium of mankind has been characterised by almost incessant warfare somewhere on the face of the globe. The Art of War in Twenty Battles serves as a snapshot of the development of warfare over the past 1,000 years, illustrating the bravery and suffering mankind has inflicted upon itself in developing what we call the ‘Art of War’.Here military historian Anthony Tucker-Jones selects twenty battles that illustrate the changing face of warfare over the past thousand years – from the Viking shield wall to long bows and knights, the emergence of gunpowder and finally the long-range faceless warfare of today. This is a look at the killing game and its devastating impact.

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive directory lists historic locations in Dublin on a street-by-street basis, describing events during the tumultuous decade from the 1913 Dublin Lockout, through the 1916 Easter Rising and Irish War of Independence, until the end of the Irish Civil War. It is being reissued by The Lilliput Press with an extensively revised and expanded introduction by the author, to better contextualize the events of the period covered. Entries have been supplemented with further research. It is uniquely illustrated from a Dublin City Archive postcard collection.

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Book SynopsisPresents unique insights from key player in first Gulf War, who continues to have an extremely high profile. There is renewed interest in diplomacy of first Gulf War in wake of current Iraq crisis. As Iraqi troops surged into Kuwait in 1990, British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Alan Munro played a vital role in both forging and maintaining a formidable coalition to evict them. Never before had Western and Arab states fought side by side against another Arab country. He reveals here all the behind-the-scenes manouevring that made this possible. He recalls with verve and candour the frantic phone calls, the diplomatic interplay, the confusion of the battlefield, and the difficulties of dealing with the international media. Munro surrounds his revelations with a thoughtful and informed analysis of the international politics of the Middle East. With Western armies once more deployed in the Gulf, this new updated paperback edition of Munro's book provides a timely reminder of the pressures, pitfalls and potential of international diplomacy in the region.Trade Review"An authoritative account......impressive and valuable" - The Spectator "A frank and entertaining book" - Patrick Seale "Superbly chronicled" - The Wall Street Journal"

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Book SynopsisIn June 1944, an elite unit of British paratroopers was sent on a daring and highly risky behind-the-lines mission, which was deemed vital to the success of D-Day. Dropping ahead of the main Allied invasion, 9 PARA were tasked with destroying an impregnable German gun battery. If they failed, thousands of British troops landing on the beaches were expected to die. But their mission was flawed and started to go wrong from the moment they jumped from their aircraft above Normandy. Only twenty per cent of the unit made it to the objective and half of them were killed or wounded during the attack. Undermanned and lacking equipment and ammunition, the survivors then held a critical part of the invasion beachhead. For six bloody days, they defended the Breville Ridge against vastly superior German forces and bore the brunt of Rommel's attempt to turn the left flank of the Allied invasion.The Manner of Men is an epic account of courage beyond the limits of human endurance, where paratroopers prevailed despite intelligence failures and higher command blunders, in what has been described as one of the most remarkable feat of arms of the British Army and the Parachute Regiment during the Second World War.Trade ReviewDeftly captures the agonising way in which everything went wrong * The Spectator *Told in elegant and evocative prose . . . The Manner of Men is one of those rare books - one that actually manages to bring to life the reality of a desperate mission behind enemy lines. This former soldier writes superbly well * Damien Lewis, author of Zero Six Bravo *If you have any interest in military history this is a must - I'll be reading it more than once. A fascinating story - couldn't be any less than five stars * Soldier Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe battle of the Wabash, or St Clair's Defeat, was the greatest ever victory of American Indians over US Army forces. In 1791, Revolutionary War commander Arthur St Clair led a hastily recruited American army into Ohio in an attempt to wrest control of the area from its Indian inhabitants. Hindered by geographical ignorance, difficult terrain, bad weather, and a lack of supplies, the Americans advanced slowly through the wilderness. After a month, they reached the Wabash River, where an Indian army awaited them. On a cold November morning, the Indians attacked at dawn and three hours later the Americans fled, having suffered more than 60 percent casualties. In this book, author John F. Winkler re-examines the US Army's frontier disaster, analyzing what they did wrong and how the Indians achieved their crushing victory.Table of ContentsOrigins of the campaign /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing armies /Orders of battle /Opposing plans /The campaign /Aftermath /The battlefield today /Further reading /Index

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Book SynopsisThe Jacobite Wars is a detailed exploration of the Jacobite military campaigns of 1715 and 1745, set against the background of Scottish political, religious and constitutional history. The author has written a clear and demythologised account of the military campaigns waged by the Jacobites against the Hanoverian monarchs. He draws on the work of recent historians who have come to emphasise the political significance of the rebellions (which had been dismissed by earlier historians), showing the danger faced by the Hanoverian regime during those years of political and religious turbulence. The Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745 occurred within the context of the 1707 Act of Union, acquiring the trappings of a national crusade to restore Scotland's independence. James Edward Stuart promised consistently to break the Union between Scotland and England if he became King. The rebellions also had great religious significance: the Jacobite cause was committed to restoring a Catholic dynasty to the throne and was therefore supported by the small number of Catholics in the country, and also the Episcopalians, who were together set against the Presbyterians. The failure of the rebellions, culminating in the Battle of Culloden, coincided with the national identity of Scotland becoming associated with Presbyterianism and North Britain. John L. Roberts presents the view that the political vulnerability of Hanoverians would explain the strength of Government reaction to the 1745 rebellion, especially in the Scottish Highlands, and the ferocity of its retribution, which has long been lamented in popular Scottish culture. The Jacobite Wars will appeal to anyone with an interest in the military history of this key period in Scotland's past.Trade ReviewDrawing on contemporary sources and the work of later historians, Roberts sustains a clear and persuasive narrative to produce a much-needed military and political re-assessment of this much-mythologized episode of Scottish history. -- Trevor Royle Drawing on contemporary sources and the work of later historians, Roberts sustains a clear and persuasive narrative to produce a much-needed military and political re-assessment of this much-mythologized episode of Scottish history.Table of ContentsPreface; 1. Origins of the Jacobite Movement; 2. Outbreak of the 1715 Rebellion; 3. March South to Preston; 4. Battle of Sherrifmuir; 5. End of the 1715 Rebellion; 6. Jacobitism in the Doldrums; 7. 'A Rash and Desperate Undertaking'; 8. March South to Edinburgh; 9. 'Masters of Scotland'; 10. Nemesis at Derby; 11. Retreat to Scotland; 12. The Highland Campaign; 13. Prelude to Culloden; 14. Battle of Culloden; 15. Aftermath of Culloden; 16. Escape of the Prince; Select Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisOn a hot summer day in 1876, George Armstrong Custer led the Seventh Cavalry to the famous defeat in US military history. Outnumbered and exhausted, the Seventh Cavalry lost more than half of its four hundred men, and every soldier under Custer's direct command was killed. This title takes readers to each of the important places of Custer's life.Trade Review"Elliott is an approachable guide as he takes readers to battlefields where Custer fought American Indians... to the Michigan town of Monroe that Custer called home after he moved there at age 10... to the Black Hills of South Dakota where Custer led an expedition that gave birth to a gold rush." - Steve Weinberg, Atlanta Journal-Constitution "By 'Custerology,' Elliott means the historical interpretation and commemoration of Custer and the Indian Wars in which he fought not only by those who honor Custer but by those who celebrate the Native American resistance that defeated him. The purpose of this book is to show how Custer and the Little Bighorn can be and have been commemorated for such contradictory purposes." - Library Journal "Michael Elliott's Custerology is vivid, trenchant, engrossing, and important. The American soldier George Armstrong Custer has been the subject of very nearly incessant debate for almost a century and a half, and the debate is multicultural, multinational, and multimedia. Mr. Elliott's book provides by far the best overview, and no one interested in the long-haired soldier whom the Indians called Son of the Morning Star can afford to miss it." - Larry McMurtry"

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Book SynopsisNo conflict of the Great War excites stronger emotions than the war in Flanders in the autumn of 1917, and no name better encapsulates the horror and apparent futility of the Western Front than Passchendaele. By its end there had been 275,000 Allied and 200,000 German casualties. Yet the territorial gains made by the Allies in four desperate months were won back by Germany in only three days the following March. The devastation at Passchendaele, the authors argue, was neither inevitable nor inescapable; perhaps it was not necessary at all. Using a substantial archive of official and private records, much of which has never been previously consulted, Trevor Wilson and Robin Prior provide the fullest account of the campaign ever published. The book examines the political dimension at a level which has hitherto been absent from accounts of Third Ypres. It establishes what did occur, the options for alternative action, and the fundamental responsibility for the carnage. Prior and Wilson

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewGlantz brings to life a crucial period on the Eastern Front often overshadowed by the more famous battles of Stalingrad and Kursk. . . . of tremendous value to historians of World War II.""- Armor Magazine

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Book SynopsisAssesses security in Iraq and the wider Middle East - and the possibility of war with IranTable of Contents1. The Context for a Long War 2. US Options in Iraq: May 2005 3. Iraq, Afghanistan and US Public Opinion: June 2005 4. London, Sharm al Sheikh and the al-Qaida Movement: July 2005 5. Gaza in Context: August 2005 6. The US Military and the 'War on Terror': September 2005 7. Iraq in a Wider Perspective: October 2005 8. The Politics of War: November 2005 9. Control without the Consequences: December 2005 10. Iraq, Afghanistan and now Iran Once Again: January 2006 11. Iraq - Three Years On: February 2006 12. Iran - Sliding to War? March 2006 13. From Cold War to Long War: April 2006 14. Endless War? Index

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Book SynopsisGeneral George Crook was one of the most prominent soldiers in the frontier West. General Crook and the Western Frontier, the first full-scale biography of Crook, uses contemporary manuscripts and primary sources to illuminate the general’s personal life and military career.

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