Military history: post-WW2 conflicts Books

Book SynopsisThe US-backed Kurdish YPG/SDF fought on the front line of the war against Islamic State for five years. This study reveals how they developed their own armored force using captured tanks, homebuilt armor and technicals and the role they played in the defeat of Daesh.The emergence of the armored force of the YPG (People''s Protection Units), later renamed the Syrian Democratic Forces during the Syrian Civil War is one of the major developments of this conflict. The YPG/SDF employed a range of vehicles against Daesh during 2014-19 and this study identifies, as far as possible which vehicles took part in major battles, such as Kobane, Manbij and Raqqa. While the YPG was frequently outgunned by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), it was able to rely on United States air support after 2015. Nonetheless, AFVs formed part of the fighting units and were important in both the fighting and propaganda war.The title covers the original sources of Kurdish tanks and other aTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION THE ROLE OF ARMOURED FORCES IN SYRIA ARMED GROUPS IN THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR The YPG/YPJ The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria The Syrian Democratic Forces IMPROVISED ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLES Improvised tanks Improvised armoured cars Improvised armoured support vehicles Improvised armoured personnel carriers AFV SOURCES: SYRIAN ARMY, ISIS AND COALITION SUPPLIED Soviet armour BRDM-2 scout vehicles Armoured personnel carriers M1117 armoured security vehicle The US Army Humvee Other US-supplied wheeled vehicles 'TECHNICALS' 12.7mm heavy machine guns 14.5mm KPV 23mm cannon 57mm recoilless rifles and multiple rocket launchers UNIT STRUCTURE AND TACTICS THE YPG/SDF WAR AGAINST ISIS Initial ISIS attacks (2013–14) The battle of Kobanê (15 September 2014–26 January 2015) The al-Hasakah offensives (21 February–17 March 2015 and 6 May–31 May 2015) The Tell Abyad offensive (31 May–10 July 2015) The battle of Sarrin (18 June–27 July 2015) The battle of al-Hasakah (23 June–1 August 2015) The al-Hawl offensive (31 October–30 November 2015) Tishrin Dam (23–30 December 2015) The al-Shaddadi offensive (16–24 February 2016) The Manbij offensive (31 May–21 August 2016) The Raqqa campaign (6 November 2016–20 October 2017) Setbacks and victory over ISIS (2017–19) CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisA detailed look at the deadly battle between US Navy F9F Panther jet fighter-bombers and communist anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) defenses that proliferated throughout the Korean War.The F9F Panther was one of the many fighters converted for ground-attack duties, following an established US tradition. Originally designed as a jet fighter, in April 1951 it became the first jet to launch from a carrier with bombs loaded, using them to destroy a crucial railway bridge at Songjin. The Panther''s four 20 mm guns were considered to be very effective for flak suppression and these aircraft were used as escorts for propeller-driven AD Skyraider and F4U Corsair attack aircraft. However, later in 1951, flak damage to Panthers increased as the Chinese established better AAA weapons to defend key transport routes. The communist AAA crews had heavy guns of 37 mm caliber and above. Gunners could use optical height finders, predictors and in many cases radar control. They learned to Trade ReviewGreat pieces on development especially the F9F along with details of missions and descriptions of actions straight from the pilots themselves, superb photographs, colour profiles and all the other items we’re used to seeing in these brilliant publications are present and correct making it an easy purchase for those familiar with Osprey and a great introduction for those who aren’t but would like to try. -- Simon Jakubowski * The Aviation Enthusiast Book Club *Both opponents' tactics and gunnery are explored in depth in this study of the the adversaries. Containing full-colour illustrations including cockpit scenes and armament views, this innovative volume also includes a detailed analysis of the US Navy Panthers' loss rates and their causes. -- Gar Hatcher * Scale Aircraft Modelling *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Design and Development Technical Specifications The Strategic Situation The Combatants Combat Statistics and Analysis Aftermath Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative military history of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division in Operation Iraqi Freedom, describing the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the siege and fall of Baghdad, and the nation-building mission that followed.In 21 Days to Baghdad, historian Dr. Heather Stur describes the commitment of the division to Kuwait, the invasion of Iraq and the three weeks of violent desert conflicts on the way to Baghdad before the siege and battle for the city itself, and the thunder runs that saw its fall to U.S. forces. She then details the complex security mission that required the soldiers and their commanders to convince Iraqi citizens that the U.S. was there to help them, while at the same time they continued fighting Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard, paramilitary forces, and terrorists. This new history is based on exclusive, extensive interviews with General Buford Buff Blount, the U.S. Army two-star general who led the 3rd Infantry DivisionTrade ReviewAccompanied by a series of informative maps, 21 Days to Baghdad is an interesting perspective on the Iraq War. * Classic Military Vehicle *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Maps Introduction 1. The Making of a Seventh-Generation Soldier 2. The Arabist: Blount in Saudi Arabia 3. War Planning 4. Preparations in Kuwait 5. Invasion 6. Pushing Through Karbala 7. The General’s Gamble: Seizing Baghdad 8. Now What? 9. Fallujah Conclusion Appendix: Third Infantry Division Order of Battle, Iraq 2003 Acronyms Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWritten by a leading expert on modern Russia, this is an illustrated introduction to the bitter campaigns in Chechnya.In this new edition of his popular 2014 work, Mark Galeotti traces the progress of the wars in Chechnya, from the initial Russian advance through to urban battles such as Grozny, and the prolonged guerrilla warfare in the mountainous regions. Bringing the book up to date, including a revised introduction and new content on the Kadyrovtsy's role in Russia's other conflicts, Galeotti assesses how the wars have torn apart the fabric of Chechen society and their impact on Russia itself.Featuring full-colour maps and 50 new images, and drawing upon a wide range of sources, this succinct account explains the origins, history and consequences of Russia''s wars in Chechnya, shedding new light on the history and prospects of the troubled region.Table of ContentsIntroduction Background to War Warring Sides Outbreak The Fighting The World Around War How the War Ended Conclusion and Consequences Chronology Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisA history of the legendary extraction of the Fifth and Seventh Marines from a Chinese trap, told for the first time using Chinese sources.Knee-deep in snow, and under a leaden sky, American Marines thousands of miles from home watched more snow settle onto the frozen ground, glittering in the fading light. Suddenly, the still Korean night roared to life with the sound of Chinese mortar fire. The Fifth and Seventh Marine Regiments were besieged and surrounded by the Chinese 9th Army Group in a surprise attack at Chosin Reservoir in what is now North Korea. Vastly outnumbered and outgunned, defeat and death seemed guaranteed. Their improbable escape after a week of brutal combat required all the Marines'' fighting skills and supreme combat leadership. It has become the stuff of legend and is brilliantly brought to life in this book through first-hand accounts by Joseph Wheelan, himself the son of a Chosin veteran. However, The Farthest Valley also uses Ch

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive record in words and images of America's main battle tank since 1981.

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Book SynopsisIn King of Spies, prize-winning journalist and bestselling author of Escape From Camp 14, Blaine Harden, reveals one of the most astonishing – and previously untold – spy stories of the twentieth century.Donald Nichols was 'a one man war', according to his US Air Force commanding general. He won the Distinguished Service Cross, along with a chest full of medals for valor and initiative in the Korean War. His commanders described Nichols as the bravest, most resourceful and effective spymaster of that forgotten war. But there is far more to Donald Nichols' story than first meets the eye . . .Based on long-classified government records, unsealed court records, and interviews in Korea and the U.S., King of Spies tells the story of the reign of an intelligence commander who lost touch with morality, legality, and even sanity, if military psychiatrists are to be believed. Donald Nichols was America's Kurtz. A seventh-grade dropout, he created his own black-ops empire, commanding a small army of hand-selected spies, deploying his own makeshift navy, and ruling over it as a clandestine king, with absolute power over life and death. He claimed a – 'legal license to murder' – and inhabited a world of mass executions and beheadings, as previously unpublished photographs in the book document.Finally, after eleven years, the U.S. military decided to end Nichols's reign. He was secretly sacked and forced to endure months of electroshock in a military hospital in Florida. Nichols told relatives the American government was trying to destroy his memory.King of Spies looks to answer the question of how an uneducated, non-trained, non-experienced man could end up as the number-one US spymaster in South Korea and why his US commanders let him get away with it for so long . . .Trade ReviewBlaine Harden’s King of Spies is jaw-droppingly good — a quirky, unlikely, thrilling true story of intrigue and daring and depravity told by a master of the genre * David Maraniss, author of Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story *Blaine Harden has now produced a fascinating trilogy of stranger-than-fiction books about North Korea. His latest, King of Spies, is about a gay, middle school dropout who was one of the few U.S. officials to predict the outbreak of the Korean War and whose espionage activities had a profound impact on the course of the war. You’ve probably never heard of Donald Nichols, but you’ll never forget him after reading King of Spies * Barbara Demick, author of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea *A must-read for readers interested in Korea, the ­Korean War, or U.S. intelligence operations * Library Journal *King of Spies is a dark story of espionage and evil by a wild American military spymaster in Korea, a tale both revelatory and tragic. Blaine Harden's superb book throws open a long-ignored chapter in the Korean War; a compelling and disturbing read, not to be missed * David E. Hoffman, author of The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal *A thrilling real-life spy story told by a terrific writer. * Tim Weiner, author of Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA *Blaine Harden has done what no one else thought to do in seven decades: He’s brought us the full, secret, astonishing story of one of the most improbably powerful characters in American history, and he has done so with crystalline writing and in jaw-dropping detail * Steve Twomey, author of Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days to the Attack *Many accounts of the Korean War are full of mystery, hinting at horrific crimes and large-scale covert operations. King of Spies pierces that mystery through the story of a remarkable American operative who took his mission to mind-boggling extremes. The adventures that fill these pages, from bleak battlefields to the corridors of power, tell us much about how the world really works * Stephen Kinzer, author of Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq *Fascinating account of an espionage pioneer who thrived during the Korean War and then disappeared into disgraced obscurity . . . An engrossing hidden history of wartime espionage, with elements of derring-do and moral barbarity. * Kirkus *

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Book Synopsis**Longlisted Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing** 'A tragic portrait of a disappearing world, created with passion and literary grace' SALMAN RUSHDIE ‘Janine di Giovanni is a humane and persistent witness’ HISHAM MATAR 'Profoundly moving' MARK TULLY _______________________ The Vanishing reveals the plight and possible extinction of Christian communities across Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine after 2,000 years in their historical homeland. Some of the countries that first nurtured and characterized Christianity - along the North African Coast, on the Euphrates and across the Middle East and Arabia - are the ones in which it is likely to first go extinct. Christians are already vanishing. We are past the tipping point, now tilted toward the end of Christianity in its historical homeland. Christians have fled the lands where their prophets wandered, where Jesus Christ preached, where the great Doctors and hierarchs of the early church established the doctrinal norms that would last millennia. From Syria to Egypt, the cities of northern Iraq to the Gaza Strip, ancient communities, the birthplaces of prophets and saints, are losing any living connection to the religion that once was such a characteristic feature of their social and cultural lives. In The Vanishing, Janine di Giovanni has combined astonishing journalistic work to discover the last traces of small, hardy communities where ancient rituals are quietly preserved amid 360 degree threats. Full of faith and hope, di Giovanni's riveting personal stories make a unique act of pre-archeology: the last chance to visit the living religion before all that will be left are the stones of the past.Trade ReviewA tragic portrait of a disappearing world, created with all of the great Janine di Giovanni’s passion and literary grace -- Salman RushdieJanine di Giovanni, a former winner of the Courage in Journalism prize, is a shining example of the dwindling band of investigative reporters -- Martin Chilton * independent.co.uk *di Giovanni brings a compassionate perspective to her narrative, interweaving complex, sometimes dense history with evocative vignettes and interviews * Economist *Extraordinary ... di Giovanni has a fine way of capturing landscapes and people * Spectator *Janine di Giovanni is a humane and persistent witness who knows when to stand out of the way, has a unique ability to be both unflinching and tender and, most importantly, never forgets that war is always a human tragedy. And because the story of Arab Christians is also the story of the Arab Middle East, the book is a record of the painfully fractured region, the consequences of war and foreign intrusion, of which its peoples, of all faiths, but particularly its minorities, have suffered most -- Hisham MatarProfoundly moving -- Mark TullyJanine di Giovanni’s beautifully written and deeply researched study of Christian communities in Iraq, Gaza, Syria, and Egypt is important not only for what it reveals about those vital but largely effaced communities, but also for its careful examination of an issue that is far more complex - as so much is in the Middle East - than typically presented or understood … A compelling and powerful study -- Sara RoyGorgeously written and deeply felt -- Elle HardyJanine di Giovanni, a former winner of the Courage in Journalism prize, is a shining example of the dwindling band of investigative reporters * independent.co.uk *Each book of hers should be required reading … In addition to contextualising the conflicts, Janine shared the human stories … She exposes what we find so hard to confront in humanity * Tablo, The Secret Life of Writers *Moving and insightful * Catholic Herald *The Vanishing is unique because di Giovanni is not seeking a solution, and indeed knows there may not be one. As a war reporter for 30 years she knows the reality of man ... I like The Vanishing because it’s true, and people in the West need to read the truth, even if they don’t like it and can’t do anything about it * First Things *Praise for Janine di Giovanni: It is crucial to reveal the human stories behind the news - and Janine di Giovanni does this with heartbreaking eloquence -- Elif Shafak * Financial Times *Like the work of the Belarussian Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich, Ms. di Giovanni’s book gives voice to ordinary people living through a dark time in history * New York Times *Such reporters as Giovanni, who not only visit but also live (and often die) through wars not their own, are heroic -- Robin Yassin-Kassab * Guardian *Few writers can match her evocations of individual suffering in wartime * Newsweek *Compelling reportage at its best * Economist *Janine di Giovanni has described war in a way that almost makes me think it never needs to be described again -- Sebastian JungerRead this book and you may begin to understand what war looks and feels like * Spectator *Janine di Giovanni writes with unblinking courage about war, death, marriage, motherhood, loss, love, redemption, fear - indeed, about all the world's most pressing risks and dangers ... Her writing here (as ever in her remarkable career) is a great and important achievement -- Elizabeth Gilbert

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Book SynopsisTo counter the Soviet threat and that of their client States during the Cold War years 1949-1991, the American military deployed an impressive range of main battle tanks (MBTs) and armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs). The Patton series of medium MBTs (including the M46, M47 and M48) supplemented by the M103s Heavy Tank initially formed the core of the US tank fleet. In 1960 the M60 MBT with its British designed 105mm gun entered service and, in turn, was replaced by the M1 Abrams in 1980. In support were armoured reconnaissance vehicles, progressively the M41 bull dog (1951); the M114 (1961), the M551 Sheridan (1967) and M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (1981). The armoured personnel carrier (APC) range included the ubiquitous M113 and its replacement the M2 Bradley, cousin of the M3. Expert author Michael Green covers all these vehicles and their variants in this informative and superbly illustrated Images of War series work.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive, accurate, and academically-supported reference of all of the major military and paramilitary camouflage patterns that have been in use around the world from the end of World War Two to today. This book will be a one-stop, generalized reference illustrating as many patterns as have been researched into the present time period. It will surpass all previous efforts. In addition to color tiles illustrating camouflage patterns it will include photographs of the designs actually being worn by military and paramilitary personnel, something few other references have done in suitable combination.

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Book SynopsisWhat was it like to be a military combat photographer in the most photographed war in history the Vietnam War? Shooting Vietnam takes you there as you read the firsthand accounts and view the hundreds of photographs by men who lived the war through the lens of a camera. They documented everything from the horror of combat to the people and culture of a land they suddenly found themselves immersed in. Some even juggled cameras with rifles and grenade launchers as they fought to survive while carrying out their assignments to record the war. Shooting Vietnam also finally brings recognition to these unheralded military combat photographers in Vietnam that documented the brutal, unpopular, and futile war. Firsthand accounts and photographs by military photographers in Vietnam from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, Shooting Vietnam puts the reader right alongside these men as they struggle to document the war and stay alive while doing it although some didn't survive. The cameras around their necks often shared space with a rifle or grenade launcher that enabled them to stay alive while performing their assigned military duties, killing, if necessary, to survive. Often, during a brief respite from trudging through swamps and rice paddies or jumping from a chopper into a hot landing zone, they would wander the streets of villages or even downtown Saigon, curiously photographing a people and a culture so strange and different to them. It is these photographs, of a kinder, more personal nature, removed from the horror and death of war that they also share with the reader. The accounts in this book come from twelve men, all who had their own unique perspective on the war. Some were seasoned photographers before the military, others had only recently held a camera for the first time.

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Book SynopsisMartin Bowman's revealing narrative of the aerial conflict in South-East Asia, 1965-1972, which had its beginnings in 1 November 1955, engulfed Vi tnam, Laos, and Cambodia and only ended with the fall of S ig n on 30 April 1975 has resulted from decades of painstaking fact-finding as well as detailed correspondence with surviving aircrew incorporating a wealth of first-hand accounts, some never told before, supported by dozens of rare and unusual photographs. Together they describe in adrenalin-pumping accuracy the furious aerial battles of a long suffering and bitter war in South-East Asia and in particular the frontline action in the skies over Vietnam that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. They too will find a new and useful perspective on a conflict that cost the Americans 58,022 dead and brought the USA worldwide condemnation for its role in Southeast Asia. Nearly 2,500 Americans remained missing'. This work serves as a tribute to the courageous pilots who flew the F-104 Starfighter in the Widowmakers' war and B-52 bomber crews on Arc Light' Linebacker II' strikes and the eleven days of Christmas which ultimately ended the aerial campaign against North Vi tnam. And as well, strike aircraft such as the USAF F-4 Phantom and the F-105 Thud' and the US Navy carrier-borne jet and propeller-driven strike aircraft and the Americans' sworn enemy, the North Vi?tnamese MiG fighters, feature large, from Rolling Thunder' onwards. Equally, the Hueys and Chinooks and other notable work horses that participated on combat assaults or Ash & Trash missions and transports like the C-130 Herky-Bird', C-123 Provider, Caribou and Vi tnamese C-47 - the Haulers On Call' - that performed sterling service during the gruelling air campaign are not forgotten either. Here, at first hand, are their stories which also include some of the less publicised American forces like the pilots and crewmen who flew the Bird Dogs and all manner of helicopters as well as the largely forgotten Australian and New Zealand Air Force units and the Anzac Battalions whose valuable contributions are too often overlooked. So too is the cost in human misery, death and destruction.

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Book SynopsisBy 1959 the newly independent Kingdom of Laos was being transformed into a Cold War battleground for global superpower competition, having been born out of the chaos following the French military defeat and withdrawal from Indochina in 1954. The country was soon engulfed in a rapidly evolving civil war as rival forces jockeyed for power and swelling foreign intervention further fueled the fighting. Adding even more fuel to the fire, "neutral" Laos's geographic entanglement in the intensifying war in neighboring South Vietnam deepened in the early 1960s as Hanoi's reliance on the Ho Chi Minh Trail for moving men and material through the southern Laotian panhandle grew exponentially and became a priority target of American interdiction efforts. For almost twenty years, the fighting between the Western-supported Royal Lao government and the communist-supported Pathet Lao would rage across the plains, jungles, and mountaintops largely unseen by most of the world in this so-called "secret war." Thousands on each side would die and many more would be displaced as the conflict on the ground ebbed and flowed from season to season and year to year. And in the skies above, American and Royal Laotian aircraft would rain down their deadly payloads, decimating large swaths of the countryside in pursuit of victory. Nearly 3 million tons of bombs would be dropped on Laotian territory between 1965 and 1973, leaving a deadly legacy of unexploded ordnance that lingers to this day. Thus, the battle for Laos is the story of entire communities and generations caught up in a war seemingly without end, one that pitted competing foreign interests and their proxies against each other, and one that was forever tied to Washington's pursuit of victory in Vietnam.

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Book SynopsisIt took courage and a certain sense of wild adventure to be a combat medic during the Vietnam War, and William 'Doc' Osgood exemplified their daring attitude. Serving in the 101st Airborne Division, Osgood would see combat in the deadly A Shau Valley and all along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Hawk Recon is a story of what arguably was the most dangerous job in the deadliest part of Vietnam as told by a US Special Forces Green Beret. This is the tale of paratrooper combat medics of the 101st Airborne Air Cavalry fighting in the largest NVA base camp in South Vietnam-the A Shau Valley. Their war was was fought mostly in the mountains and on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

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Book SynopsisZero Dark Thirty meets 127 Hours - a riveting war journal from photographer Paul Conroy, who accompanied Marie Colvin (called by her peers &ldquothe greatest war correspondent of her generation”) during her ill-fated final assignment in Syria.Marie Colvinwas an internationally recognized American foreign war correspondent who was killed in a rocket attack in 2012 while reporting on the suffering of civilians inside Syria. She was renowned for her iconic flair and her fearlessness: wearing the pearls that were a gift from Yasser Arafat and her black eye-patch, she reported from places so dangerous no other hard-core correspondent would dare to go. Paul Conroy, who had forged a close bond with Colvin as they put their lives on the line time and time again to report from the world's conflict zones, was with her when she died. Under the Wire is Paul's gripping, visceral, and moving account of their friendship and the final year he spent alongside her. When Marie and Paul were smuggled into Syria by rebel forces, they found themselves trapped in one of the most hellish neighbourhoods on earth. Fierce barrages of heavy artillery fire rained down on the buildings surrounding them, killing and maiming hundreds of civilians. Marie was killed by a rocket which also blew hole in Paul's thigh big enough to put his hand through. Bleeding profusely, short of food and water, and in excruciating pain, Paul then endured five days of intense bombardment before being evacuated in a daring escape in which he rode a motorbike through a tunnel, crawled through enemy terrain, and finally scaled a 12-foot-high wall. Astonishingly vivid, heart-stoppingly dramatic and shot through with dark humour, in Under the Wire Paul Conroy shows what it means to a be a war reporter in the 21st century. His is a story of two brave people drawn together by a shared compulsion to bear witness.Trade ReviewBookviews "Anyone who has spent any time in a war zone, in combat, or just wondering what it is like will thoroughly enjoy this book. One might say they shared a foxhole or two together and the story he tells is gripping and a great tribute to his friend, a great journalist." Sunday Times "A fine and gripping account of how the brave, rackety band of war reporters and photographers bring the human consequences of war to our breakfast tables." The Times, UK "Paul Conroy's touching memoir...is a tribute to the metier of reporting conflict...It's a touching, if heartbreaking story." Humphrey Hawksley, BBC "A masterpiece, possibly the finest account of war of this generation." Books Examiner "This is an eye-opening account of what journalists go through to tell the world about the atrocities going on in war-torn countries like Syria." Another Opinion David Remnick, The New Yorker "Colvin devoted her life--and gave her life--for the proposition that the truth of history demands witnesses. Her death, like that of so many others, is yet another reminder, as if any more were needed, that experience in the field is no shelter from disaster." Tom Fletcher, British ambassador to Lebanon "Paul's experience is a chilling testimony to what families in Homs are experiencing. We need renewed focus on humanitarian support and to put an end to violence." Booklist "In this tense, hour-by-hour account, he takes readers back to Syria and the events that led to their being behind the battle lines... Colvin was a significant voice in international journalism and will be sorely missed, and Conroy's account is unforgettable." Vanity Fair "In Under the Wire, Conroy relives their odyssey and its harrowing final hours." Publisher's Weekly "Conroy's visceral account is provides readers with a greater appreciation for the work of war correspondents and insight into the sacrifices they make."

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Book SynopsisIn early 2002 Sam Faddis was named to head a CIA team that would enter Iraq, prepare the battlefield and facilitate the entry of follow-on conventional military forces numbering in excess of 40,000 American soldiers. This force, built around the 4th Infantry Division would, in partnership with Kurdish forces and with the assistance of Turkey, engage Saddam's army in the north as part of a coming invasion. Faddis expected to be on the ground inside Iraq within weeks and that the entire campaign would likely be over by summer. Over the next year virtually every aspect of that plan for the conduct of the war in Northern Iraq fell apart.The 4th Infantry Division never arrived nor did any other conventional forces in substantial number. The Turks not only did not provide support, they worked overtime to prevent the U.S. from achieving success. An Arab army that was to assist U.S. forces fell apart before it ever made it to the field.Alone, hopelessly outnumbered, short on supplies and threatened by Iraqi assassination teams and Islamic extremists Faddis' team, working with Kurdish peshmerga, nonetheless paved the way for a brilliant and largely bloodless victory in the north and the fall of Saddam's Iraq. That victory, handed over to Washington and the Department of Defense on a silver platter, was then squandered.The surrender of Iraqi forces in the north was spurned. All existing governmental institutions were, in the name of de-Baathification, dismantled. All input from Faddis' team, which had been in country for almost a full year, was ignored. The consequences of these actions were and continue to be catastrophic.This is the story of an incredibly brave and effective team of men and women who overcame massive odds and helped end the nightmare of Saddam's rule in Iraq. It is also the story of how incompetence, bureaucracy and ignorance threw that success away and condemned Iraq and the surrounding region to chaos.Trade Review...deserving of the widest readership possible -- especially when we as a nation are still dealing with the consequences of this troubled and troubling conflict. * Midwest Book Review *The CIA War in Kurdistan is a good read. A conflict as large as Operation Iraqi Freedom will get a lot of media and book coverage over the course of time. However, thus far, the war that took place in northern Iraq during OIF has not received much print. * SOFNews *

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Book SynopsisIn war, every action has a beginning and an end.Echo Among Warriors is a story of close combat between two opposing, equally committed adversaries. The powerful narrative immerses the reader in both sides of the battle, playing and replaying the same battle sequence from alternating viewpoints face=Calibri>– through the eyes of the Marines and through the eyes of the North Vietnamese. The bullet fired from a Marine's M-16 at a silhouetted enemy solider crouched on the jungle path will in the next chapter tear into the flesh of that crouched NVA trooper. The story face=Calibri>– unfolding from the initial contact to the final horrific ending face=Calibri>– represents just one of perhaps thousands of deadly encounters that reflect the reality of battle: a mind-numbing, intensely personal experience, that forever changes the participant.

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Book SynopsisIn March 2004, the unprovoked ambush, killing and desecration of the bodies of American civilian security contractors in Fallujah, Iraq, caused the National Command Authorities in Washington, DC. to demand that the newly arrived Marine Expeditionary Force there take action against the perpetrators and other insurgent forces. Planned Stability and Support Operations were cast aside as insurgent fighters dared the Marines to enter Fallujah. Marine infantrymen, tankers, helicopter crews, and amphibious vehicle drivers all pitched into high-intensity battles and firefights during the first fights of Fallujah in April 2004. Across the board cooperation and innovation marked these fighting Marines in combined arms fights that no one expected. Marines fought in the streets, conducted house-to-house searches, cleared buildings of enemy, and used tank main guns in direct support of urban environment operations. Helicopter crews supported operations on the ground with rockets and machine-gun fire, and Amtrac Marines transported forces to face enemy RPG and machine-gun fire. Marines from infantry squad members to a battalion commander were interviewed by Marine Corps field historians within days or weeks of the events at nearby combat outposts and camps. This book combines these interview notes and the words of the men themselves to create a unique narrative of Marines in this combat.Trade Review[A]n anthology of raw, brutal eye-witness accounts of the Marines sent to clear the Iraqi city of Fallujah of insurrectionists in the early months of 2004. * ARGunners.com *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Chapter 1: Lay of the Land - Field history team travel and arrival Chapter 2: Marine Tankers and Trackers - Marines in tanks supporting infantry, and daring rescue of a surrounded Marine infantry squad from Bravo 1/5 Chapter 3: Weapons Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marine Regiment (1/5) Chapter 4 : Marine Aviation - Staff officers, helicopter pilots and crew members (supporting operations in Fallujah) Chapter 5: Infantry - 2nd Battalion 2nd Marine Regiment (2/2) Chapter 6: Infantry - 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment (2/1) Chapter 7: Infantry - Bravo Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marine Regiment (1/5) Chapter 8: Final Thoughts - “Sir, what’s gonna happen with this interview?”

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Book SynopsisTen years after the end of the American involvement in the Vietnam War, a career Foreign Service officer, Thomas J. Corcoran, set down in writing his thoughts on the history of U.S. State Department policy during America's involvement with South Vietnam. Like many Americans of his generation, he was perplexed by the failure of America to achieve its goals in South Vietnam. As an ambassador and with over 30 years of diplomatic experience – beginning in 1948 when he was assigned to Hanoi and involving other postings in Southeast Asia – he brought to his analysis a long and rich personal experience with events in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.The result is a thoughtful, objective and well-researched study that chronicles the key policy decisions made by the US State Department throughout the entire period from 1945 to 1975; decisions that ultimately led to the first war lost by the United States. In his extensive study, Corcoran does an excellent job of exposing many of the myths and falsehoods found in orthodox histories of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.Table of ContentsIntroduction by Andrew R. Finlayson (COL, USMC, Ret) About the Author Part I. The Beginnings: 1945-1954 Part II. Beginnings of United States Involvement (1955–1963) Part III. Deepening U.S. Involvement (1964–1968) Part IV. Conclusion of U.S. Involvement (1968–1975) Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIn Vietnam, in 1967, William Chickering commanded a Mike Force battalion of Montagnards, highland tribesmen who were also members of a secret army, FULRO, whose aim was to rid the highlands of all Vietnamese, both communist and non-communist. Fighting for land and dignity, they saw the Vietnamese as colonialists and themselves as revolutionaries. For a while, FULRO appeared capable of changing the course of the war. Then, inexplicably, it faded away. Chickering?s quest to understand FULRO took him to Phnom Penh in 1973, where he found five of the six leaders, the sixth having been mysteriously murdered. He was unable to discern the truth behind their political smoke. Two years later, 150 of them?men, women, and children?took refuge in the French Embassy as the city fell but were expelled into the hands of the Khmer Rouge. Among them was the family of Bhan, one of the leaders. In the United States at the time of the fall, he tried to learn their fate with Chickering''s help, but Cambodia had become a tomb. In 1986, Bhan headed out into the world to learn for himself. He resurfaced in Cambodia 22 years later, after an extraordinary odyssey, never having found them. Had they and the rest of the FULRO Montagnards been executed, or could they still be alive somewhere in the hinterlands? Determined to learn the truth, Chickering moved to Phnom Penh. His research led him to the widow of a Cambodian Cham widely assumed to have been FULRO?s puppeteer and eventually to FULRO?s secret papers. From these he was able to piece together why FULRO faded away and how that was connected to its one last heroic shot in 1965 to win a country of the Montagnards? own. This extraordinary account corrects history?s assumption that Vietnam?s Montagnards were only pawns, revealing how an ideology of their own?ethnonationalism?gave them the agency to create an army and clandestine movement that kept Hanoi, Saigon, and Washington guessing.

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Book SynopsisResistance is futile. You can run, but you’ll only die tired.The AC-130 Gunship was quickly developed in 1968 to provide fire support for ground forces in Vietnam. Twenty-eight C-130 cargo aircraft were converted into AC-130s for night attack operations. The AC-130 was crude, ugly, ad hoc, and detested by many within the USAF…but it worked, and it worked well. Likewise, AC-130 crews were deemed unruly “biker gangs,” but performed magnificently in every major US military operation from 1976 to 1995. Most of these combat operations were cloaked in secrecy, but records once classified for up to twenty years have now been opened. Based on this newly declassified information and hundreds of interviews with SOF veterans, Ghostriders 1976-1995 is the first authoritative historical account of the AC-130 operations, written by an AC-130 Aerial Gunner who participated in every AC-130 combat operation from 1980 through 1994.

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Book SynopsisIn this vivid first-person narrative, a Special Operations Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) and his commanding general give fascinating and detailed accounts of America’s fight against one of the most barbaric insurgencies the world has ever seen. In the summer of 2014, three years after America’s full troop withdrawal from the Iraq War, President Barack Obama authorized a small task force to push back into Baghdad. Their mission: Protect the Iraqi capital and U.S. embassy from a rapidly emerging terrorist threat. A plague of brutality, that would come to be known as ISIS, had created a foothold in northwest Iraq and northeast Syria. It had declared itself a Caliphate—an independent nation-state administered by an extreme and cruel form of Islamic law—and was spreading like a newly evolved virus. Soon, a massive and devastating U.S. military response had unfolded. Hear the ground truth on the senior military and political interactions that shaped America’s war against ISIS, a war unprecedented in both its methodology and its application of modern military technology. Enter the world of the Strike Cell, secretive operations centers where America’s greatest enemies are hunted and killed day and night. Plunge into the realm of the Special Operations JTAC, American warfighters with the highest enemy kill counts on the battlefield. And gain the wisdom of a cumulative half-century of military experience as Dana Pittard and Wes Bryant lay out the path to a sustained victory over ISIS. For more information about the book, visit www.huntingthecaliphate.com.Trade Review"With the complementary insights of a general and his senior enlisted man, along with an insider's eye for detail and an unshakeable belief in their mission, Pittard and Bryant expertly pull back the curtain on the front line fight against ISIS. From Iraq to Afghanistan and Syria, Pittard and Bryant describe the development of a devastating air campaign waged from a distance, where rapid life or death decisions must be made with limited information and murky rules of engagement, and where ultimate success hinges on coordination between a state-of-the-art operations center with a small group of highly-trained Americans led by Pittard and Bryant, and their indigenous allies battling ISIS on the ground. Eye-opening, candid, and at times deeply human, Hunting the Caliphate is a must read for understanding a new kind of war told by two men who not only fought that war, but helped define it." -- David Broyles, former USAF Pararescueman (PJ) and co-creator of History Channel's combat drama, SIX"From mass executions to pinpoint air strikes, political and military frustrations, and the politics of coalition warfare, Hunting the Caliphate is a compelling blend of military history and first-person memories of the war against terror—the complex battlefield, the joys of victory, the tragedy of loss and the sacrifice of the men and women who carried out the mission. An insider account from a senior Army ground commander and a front line battlefield airman, the book is a gritty, compelling read for all who hope to understand America’s longest war." -- Deborah Lee James, 23rd Secretary of the Air Force, author of Aim High: Chart Your Course and Find Success“Simply excellent. Hunting the Caliphate is the first account to give sustained insights into the events and personalities shaping the war on ISIS that academics and journalists have been unable to capture except in snapshots. Effectively written, and with editing nothing short of first-rate, it is a descriptive and gripping narrative from two contrasting yet intersecting perspectives that offers readers a broader view of the US military campaign against ISIS. As a historian of modern combat operations, I applaud the insightful observations appearing throughout that serve to accurately convey an important history—and dispel its myths.” -- Mark J. Reardon, Senior Historian, US Army Center of Military History"Providing an in-depth view into the worlds of military commands and strike forces on the ground, the book reveals insider details such as how the use of drones and airstrikes—representing a significant change in American warfare—came about. Though primarily a memoir, the text straddles several genres, all of which keep Pittard and Bryant at the fore. They provide both a historical account of the fight and psychological insights into the mentalities of professional soldiers... Pittard and Bryant take turns telling the story, but the narrative is cohesive and engaging, revealing stories that most of the general public will not know... Hunting the Caliphate is a raw and honest account of how ISIS was beaten, told from the inside by those who brought the caliphate down.” -- Foreword Clarion Reviews

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Book Synopsis“The most bracingly honest, refreshing account of the Afghan war” (Sebastian Junger, New York Times bestselling author) from a Marine Corps Combat Cameraman and director of the acclaimed documentary Combat Obscura. This is a war story. But it is also a story of a lost generation. As an artsy eighteen-year-old from New York City, Miles Lagoze arrived in the Marine Corps surrounded by fellow millennials who were enticed by promises of stability, community, and a shot at economic security. Deployed as a Combat Cameraman—an active duty videographer and a photographer—Lagoze produced images of glory and heroism amid his fellow soldiers and the occupied Afghan people. But his government-approved footage hid a grim reality. Here, Lagoze pulls back the curtain and illustrates the grisly truth of the longest war in American history. He shows us acts of brutality on innocent people performed by young men inured to violence, desensitized by their digital worlds, and uncertain of their mission. We see soldiers and Afghan locals drawn together by the terror of the Taliban. We witness the devastating effects on those caught in the deadly crossfire. And we see a generation of American military cast out into an unfamiliar world, steeped in nihilism, and sent back home with first-hand training in extremism and insurrection. An unfiltered account of the war in Afghanistan unlike any other, this is a shocking and vivid look at a country eager to exploit its youth while also ignoring its sacrifices. A new modern classic that deserves to stand alongside Michael Herr’s Dispatches and Evan Wright’s Generation Kill.Trade Review"A raw, introspective look at the harsh realities of war, a vivid snapshot of some of the soldiers who were sent to fight the 'Global War on Terror,' and a story of the human 'costs' of endless wars" —Francis P. Sempa, Real Clear"Gonzo, ghoulish, and unforgettable: one of the strongest books yet to emerge from America's misadventure in Afghanistan." —Kirkus (starred review)"This may be the most bracingly honest, refreshing account of the Afghan war that I've ever read." —Sebastian Junger, New York Times Bestselling author of War and Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging“Lays bare just how far from the truth the official word is. . . this book is tremendous.” —Andy Levy, from The Daily Beast’s The New Abnormal podcast"Whistles From the Graveyard hits, immediate and ruthless. An important and courageous record of a catastrophic time." —Sean T. Conroe, author of Fuccboi: A Novel"The Marine Corps is a weird place and when you go to war everything only gets weirder. You see beauty and horror, tragedy and joy, savagery and kindness. In short, it’s a mess; and it takes a camera obscura to capture it all. Miles Lagoze did this in his groundbreaking film and he’s going to do it again in his memoir." —Elliot Ackerman, National Book Award Finalist and author of Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning“If the military is a microcosm of our country, Miles Lagoze's book is a warning for our society--an indictment of not just our greedy war machine but of the culture that ignores and even supports it. Lagoze turns on a night vision camera in a dark corner and instead of scattering, the roaches flock and perform, reveal their true selves. Shelve it aside Michael Herr's Dispatches and Evan Wright's Generation Kill." —Matt Young, author of Eat the ApplePraise for Miles Lagoze's Combat Obscura “An eye-opening dispatch from a conflict mired in confusion.” —The New York Times “The camera documents reality as it simultaneously creates a version of it – a mix of therapy, confessional, and a mirror held up to young, grime-streaked faces.” —The Washington Post “A warts-and-all approach at in-the-trenches behavior and misbehavior.” —The Hollywood Reporter “An unexpurgated ‘making of’ of the Afghan Campaign. This remarkable film comes across as war’s backstage story – it’s about the stuff they leave out of the official coverage.” —Film Comment “So raw the Corps doesn’t want you to see it. One of the most genuine looks at what the Forever War was like for those who waged it.” —Task & Purpose “Depicts the war beneath the narratives, capturing the soldier’s experience with an immediacy that explodes political abstraction, placing it in a more humanist context.” —Newsweek “A filmmaking masterpiece… The film’s true brilliance lies in its situational hysteria, a scene-by-scene unpredictability that serves as a microcosm of a war with no end — and no definitive outcome — in sight.” —Military Times “Detonates any lingering fantasies of military heroism.” —AV Club

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Book SynopsisRussia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine came from nowhere...? Felshtinsky and Stanchev's gripping history of Putin's attempts to take Ukraine reveals his first deadly attack came as early as 1999. As early as 2015 the authors predicted that the Russian invasion was a matter the Russian army's 6-year planning cycle and would happen in 2021 (not knowing the pandemic would happen). They argue how Putin must be resisted in order to avoid a potential nuclear conflict that could drag the world into a global war. An authoritative must-read to understand the causes of the crisis and what to do when.Trade Review‘Seizing Ukraine remains the main goal of Putin. Unfortunately, these words, much like the rest of the book, will prove prophetic.’ OLEG KALUGIN, Former KGB General and Head of Counter-Espionage; ‘Historians are blessed with numerous virtues, but bravery is rarely among them. Still, living in a modern world requires fundamental reconsideration of all of the conventional notions regarding Russia and Ukraine, United States and Europe. This book by two brave and scrupulous historians will undoubtedly help the reader to comprehend the present, as well as to live in the future.’ ALEXANDER ETKIND, Professor of History, European University Institute, FlorenceTable of ContentsUkraine: The First Battle of World War III? Introduction: Time will Tell 1 A Thousand Year Wait 2 Dawdling in Europe 3 Georgiy Gongadze's Assassination 4 The Poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko 5 The Orange Revolution 6 The Sfinx 7 A Burglar as President 8 The Turning Point, Minsk 9 EuroMaidan 10 The Mysterious Return of the "Banderites" 11 Civil War 12 Change of Power or Oligarchs? 13 The Invasions of Crimea 14 False "Russian Spring" 15 "Substitution of Ideas" as a Dance to War 16 Do Russians Want War? Conclusions Appendix - Vladimir Putin: "The Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians" Endnotes Index

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Book SynopsisWhen reporter Quentin Jones investigates a shadowy military programme during the desert war, he discovers cutting edge technology that simulates reality during interrogation. As the shadowy labyrinth of governmental corruption unfurls and tightens around him, unnerving links to his protégé Bruce keep emerging, who disappeared into the war several years earlier. The Dimensions of A Cave is a haunting journey into networks of power and corruption, exploring our drive towards war and obsession with new technologies. A modern day retelling of Heart of Darkness, this masterful debut novel heralds a dazzling and singular voice in fiction.Trade ReviewA very contemporary story about surveillance capitalism, virtual reality, and 21st-century forever war, [that] will still be read a century from now for the news it brings about the timeless riddle of the human self. It's increasingly rare these days to find a novelist with Greg Jackson's world-swallowing ambition, and rarer still for one to make good on that ambition as gloriously as Jackson does here -- Christopher BehaGreg Jackson's prose is sly, wise, and almost self-consciously heroic, undaunted by the present moment, though it threatens to be our last -- Joshua CohenGreg Jackson is an athletically talented writer who packs so much into every single sentence and scene it almost scares me. His debut novel is somehow both a hardboiled thriller and a philosophical treaty with dialogues that would make Sorkin blush -- Catherine LaceyGreg Jackson's Dimensions of a Cave is, sentence to sentence, a linguistic marvel, a genre-bending tale with moral and philosophical stakes as profound as they come -- Dinaw Mengestu

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Book SynopsisAfghanistan was an unwinnable war. As British and American troops withdraw, discover this definitive account that explains why. It could have been a very different story. British forces could have successfully withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2002, having done the job they set out to do: to defeat al-Qaeda. Instead, in the years that followed, Britain paid a devastating price for their presence in Helmand province. So why did Britain enter, and remain, in an ill-fated war? Why did it fail so dramatically, and was this expedition doomed from the beginning? Drawing on unprecedented access to military reports, government documents and senior individuals, Professor Theo Farrell provides an extraordinary work of scholarship. He explains the origins of the war, details the campaigns over the subsequent years, and examines the West's failure to understand the dynamics of local conflict and learn the lessons of history that ultimately led to devastating costs and repercussions still relevant today.'The best book so far on Britain's...war in Afghanistan' International Affairs 'Masterful, irrefutable... Farrell records all these military encounters with the irresistible pace of a novelist' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewMasterful, irrefutable… [Farrell] records all these military encounters with the irresistible pace of a novelist. -- Justin Marozzi * Sunday Times *Authoritative and provocative… For its range and breadth, it is a tour de force and a must read -- Robert Fox * Evening Standard *A devastating account of the Afghan saga -- Simon Jenkins * Guardian *The best book so far on Britain's recent war in Afghanistan...also beautifully written...the new material which Farrell has unearthed is remarkable -- Tim Willasey-Wilsey * International Affairs *There have been many books written on this subject, but Farrell's stupendous research, clear vision and succinct writing are likely to outlast them all -- Ahmed Rashid * Prospect *Remarkable… It is full of anecdotes gleaned from hundreds of diligent interviews with the players on the ground. And for a devotee of military history, it is a delight… Farrell’s masterpiece of a must-read… Magnificent -- Sherard Cowper-Coles * The Times *As a reminder of how not to prosecute a war in far-off place that has confounded the best efforts of many foreign powers over the centuries, Theo Farrell’s Unwinnable: Britain’s War in Afghanistan 2001-2014…is surely the last word on the subject -- Justin Marozzi * Evening Standard *Theo Farrell has written the definitive history of what was effectively the Fourth Anglo-Afghan War. His encyclopaediac knowledge of the thirteen-year-long struggle derives from interviewing many of the key decision-makers – on both sides - as well as an intimate knowledge of all the written sources. Well-sourced, well-written and riveting, Unwinnable should be studied by politicians and in military academies across the West. ‘How to’ books abound; this is the ultimate ‘How not to’ book. -- Andrew Roberts, author of NAPOLEON THE GREATWith its broad scope and detail, Unwinnable is akin to an official history in the finest of British historical tradition. In fact, whenever the official history does come out, it will find itself in stiff competition with Farrell’s work. -- Carter Malkasian * Joint Force Quarterly *This penetrating and superbly researched book explains how the United Kingdom came to intervene in Afghanistan, how it tried to meet its objectives, and why these objectives could not be achieved. -- Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, author of STRATEGY: A HISTORYThere is a small mountain of books on Britain's Fourth Afghan War and this one stands atop them all; the best single account of the whole conflict. Clear and simply written without ever being simplistic; understanding the courage and resolve of the military without ever being in thrall to it; excoriating political leadership without ever being unfair, this book is a masterclass in world class research as well as being a thoroughly good read. -- Professor Michael Clarke, Former Director General of the Royal United Services InstituteMasterful. With lucid, pacey prose Theo Farrell brilliantly reveals the political neglect, military hubris and ultimate fallacy of Britain's long war in Afghanistan. Unwinnable captures the frustrating reality of Helmand with remarkable accuracy and will surely be the definitive account for years to come. -- Patrick Bury, author of CALLSIGN HADESA powerful, perceptive and authoritative account of Britain's military failure in Afghanistan. Farrell delivers a forensic dissection of what went wrong, and why. Unwinnable should be required reading for soldiers, strategists and policymakers for years to come. -- Jason Burke, author of THE NEW THREAT FROM ISLAMIC MILITANCYHighly readable and penetrating account ... Many of those who served in Afghanistan will wish that they had known some of what Theo has uncovered. For anyone who did not serve there, they could not hope for a better survey of the campaign. -- Lt-Gen. Jonathon Riley, Former Deputy Commander of the International Security Assistance Force, AfghanistanSalutary reading for politicians and generals alike -- Sir David Bell * Times Higher Education Supplement *

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Book Synopsis'Fascinating ... if this gripping account teaches anything, it is the folly of tyrannical regimes believing they can act with the same violence and impunity abroad as they do at home' THE SPECTATOR'Heart-thumpingly powerful ... history told from the closest and most frightening quarters.' SINCLAIR MCKAY, author of The Secret Life of Bletchley ParkForty years on from the outbreak of the war, acclaimed TV journalist Julian Manyon digs down into Argentina's 'Dirty War' and its effect on the Falklands conflict On May 12th, 1982, after the first bloody exchanges of the Falklands War, journalist Julian Manyon and his TV crew were kidnapped on the streets of Buenos Aires and put through a traumatic mock execution by the secret police. Less than eight hours later they were invited to the Presidential Palace to film a world-exclusive interview with an apologetic President Galtieri, the dictator and head of the Argentine Junta.Spurred on by the recent release of declassified CIA documents about Argentina's 'Dirty War', Manyon discovered that his kidnapper was a key figure in the Junta's bloody struggle against left-wing opposition, with a terrifying record of torture and murder. Also in the secret documents were details of the wider picture - the turmoil inside the Junta as the war with Britain got under way, and how Argentina succeeded in acquiring vital US military equipment which made its war effort possible.Published on the 40th anniversary of the Falklands conflict, this book is an extraordinary insight into the war behind the war. Manyon provides a harrowing depiction of the campaign of terror that the Junta waged on its own population, and a new perspective on an episode of history more often centred on Mrs Thatcher, the Belgrano and the battle of Goose Green.'Shocking, terrifying and revealing. Ground-breaking history, expertly told - a dramatic new insight into the Falklands conflict.' ROGER BOLTON, BBC journalist and broadcasterTrade ReviewFascinating ... if this gripping account teaches anything, it is the folly of tyrannical regimes believing they can act with the same violence and impunity abroad as they do at home * The Spectator *Heart-thumpingly powerful ... history told from the closest and most frightening quarters. * SINCLAIR MCKAY, author of The Secret Life of Bletchley Park *A full-throttle adrenaline ride from the word go ... Manyon has a gift for recreating scenes from his past and the archives with almost cinematic visual details. * The Critic *[Manyon's] personal involvement gives an emotional charge to his writing and his book is full of chilling detail. * Literary Review *Shocking, terrifying and revealing. Ground-breaking history, expertly told - a dramatic new insight into the Falklands conflict. * ROGER BOLTON, BBC journalist and broadcaster *Drawing on a huge tranche of recently declassified US documents, Julian Manyon authoritatively nails the Argentine Junta's regime as one of the most depraved and deluded of modern times. After reading this book, packed with so much graphic new detail, I feel more fortunate than ever to have escaped Argentina with my life. * IAN MATHER, former defence correspondent of The Observer *Gripping ... a compelling account of a dark period of modern history. * STEPHAN SHAKESPEARE, founder and CEO of YouGov *

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Book SynopsisNerve agents are the world’s deadliest means of chemical warfare. Nazi Germany developed the first military-grade nerve agents and massive industry for their manufacture—yet, strangely, the Third Reich never used them. At the end of the Second World War, the Allies were stunned to discover this advanced and extensive programme. The Soviets and Western powers embarked on a new arms race, amassing huge chemical arsenals. From their Nazi invention to the 2018 Novichok attack in Britain, Dan Kaszeta uncovers nerve agents’ gradual spread across the world, despite international arms control efforts. They’ve been deployed in the Iran–Iraq War, by terrorists in Japan, in the Syrian Civil War, and by assassins in Malaysia and Salisbury—always with bitter consequences. 'Toxic' recounts the grisly history of these weapons of mass destruction: a deadly suite of invisible, odourless killers.Trade Review‘[Kaszeta] reminds us that even with an international convention banning them, the threat of chemical weapons being used outside conventional warfare is ever-present … [his] book is informative.’ -- Nature‘Kaszeta has a difficult theme but he avoids both jargon and the intricacies of the science. …You feel part of the discussion, helped through the complexities and invited to turn back to previous pages to better understand a line of history or thinking.’ -- The Scotsman‘Dan Kaszeta weaves an extraordinary narrative from the secret history of some of the deadliest substances ever created. From the plains of north Germany to the suburbs of Damascus he explains the development and use of nerve agents, employing his own deep knowledge, telling detail, and deadpan humour.’ -- Mark Urban‘Impeccably researched and engagingly written, Toxic tells a fascinating, dark tale, which has a chilling resonance for our own times.’ -- Roger Moorhouse, historian, and author of 'The Devils’ Alliance: Hitler’s Pact with Stalin, 1939-1941' and 'First to Fight: The Polish War 1939'‘This is an accessible, well written and very useful book on a difficult and contentious topic. Offering a dispassionate account of the inception of nerve agents, Kaszeta does a great service by gathering up the history of these chemicals into one authoritatively written volume.’ -- Dr Matthew Ford, University of Sussex, author of 'Weapon of Choice: Small Arms and the Culture of Military Innovation'‘From Sarin to Novichok, the twenty-first century demonstrates that the use of nerve agents … is an increasing threat to civilian populations across the world. … How we reached this moment should not be forgotten, and nor should that history be twisted by conspiracists pursuing their own agendas.’ -- Eliot Higgins, founder of Bellingcat, the open-source investigative journalism website‘Brings to life this macabre and secretive subject like never before ... the investigatory work demonstrated by Kaszeta is clear and second to none. … [A] highly thought-provoking and entertaining read.’ -- The RUSI Journal

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Book Synopsis'Damning' - Mail on Sunday'Utterly horrific and compelling' - The Guardian'This investigation rings true' - Publishers WeeklyOn 1 August, 1990, British Airways Flight 149 departed from Heathrow airport, destined for Kuala Lumpur. It never made it there, and neither did its nearly 400 passengers and crew.Instead, Flight 149 stopped in Kuwait, as Iraqi troops invaded - delivering the passengers and crew into the hands of Saddam Hussein. Why did BA Flight 149 land, even as all other flights were rerouted - and even though British and American governments had clear intelligence that Saddam was about to invade?The answer lies in a secret, unaccountable organization - authorised by Margaret Thatcher - carrying out a 'deniable' intelligence operation. The plane was the 'Trojan Horse', and the plan - as well as the horrific consequences for the civilian passengers - has been lied about, denied and covered up by successive governments ever since. Soon to be a major TV drama, this explosive book is written with the full cooperation of the survivors, as well as astonishing and conclusive input from a senior intelligence source. It is a story of scandal, betrayal and misuse of intelligence at the highest levels of UK and US governments - which has had direct impact on terror attacks in the West and the shape of the Middle East today. It is high time the truth is told.

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Book SynopsisIn the years after the Second World War, aircraft optimised for various kinds of special missions began assuming ever-greater importance in the inventories of the world''s leading air forces. The Soviet Union was no exception - numerous special mission versions of Soviet military fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters were developed and fielded, and the process is continuing in modern Russia. Some of them have seen action in various armed conflicts, including the Afghan War, the Chechen Wars and, most recently, the Syrian War.The need to control friendly forces on the move and manage airborne air defence assets efficiently resulted in the development of airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. The first of these in the Soviet inventory was the early 1960s vintage Tupolev Tu-126 which was replaced in the 1980s by the Ilyushin/Beriyev A-50. The latter has been constantly upgraded but is now due for replacement by the latest A-100.An equally important role is filled by airborne command posts - mostly based on airliners, including the Ilyushin Il-22 army-level ABCP, the Tu-214PU and the Il-80 national emergency airborne command post (the Russian equivalent of the Boeing E-4 ''doomsday aircraft''). The latter may be replaced by a specialised derivative of the Il-96-400 airliner. Rotary-wing aircraft in this class were also developed, such as the Mil'' Mi-8VzPU and Mi-6VKP/Mi-22.Another important class is reconnaissance aircraft of various categories - photo reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, nuclear/biological/chemical reconnaissance, radiation intelligence (RINT). These were represented by ELINT versions of bombers (including the Tu-22 and Tu-22M), airliners and transports (ELINT versions of the Antonov An-12 and An-26 transports, the Il-20 derivative of the Il-18 airliner), RINT versions of the An-12 and the An-24 airliner etc.A separate chapter covers electronic countermeasures aircraft, such as specialised versions of the Tu-16 and Tu-22 bombers and An-12 transport, the latest Il-22PP, the Army Aviation''s many ECM versions of the Mi-8 helicopter (including the latest Mi-8MTPR) and the heavy Mi-10PP.A singularly important class is in-flight refuelling tankers supporting the operations of both heavy aircraft (notably strategic bombers) and tactical jets. These include tanker versions of the Tupolev Tu-16 and Myasishchev M-4/3MS series bombers and the Il-78, including the latest Il-78M-90.Another category which assumed considerable importance is search and rescue aircraft, such as the naval An-12PS equipped to carry a paradroppable lifeboat and the latest Beriyev Be-200PS amphibian able to pick up survivors at the scene of a maritime disaster.The book is illustrated with numerous previously unpublished photos, line drawings and many colour side views.

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Book SynopsisIn Service is the tale of one person's journey into manhood, ultimately finding himself in the theatre of war. It is a journey littered with colourful anecdotes and diverse experience: from military training in the Guards Depot to Trooping the Colour; from academic failure to intelligence work in Northern Ireland; from helping Rudolf Hess out of an ambulance to being tasked with taking the Queen's portrait. Tim Rees colours every experience with profound and often idiosyncratic observations that offer the reader a taste of the sometimes humorous, often arduous and, on too many occasions, brutal reality of service. But, as Tim says, 'The positive effect is the bond of common experience I share with men with whom I served in the army' - a type of bond that, in his opinion, is in danger of being lost in the modern age.

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Book SynopsisForged in Battle? tells the story of black soldiers, led by white officers, fighting on the side of apartheid. It traces the history of the unit from the Angolan civil war in 1975 to its disbanding a year before the fall of apartheid in 1993.As veterans of the Angolan civil war, many of the soldiers of 32 Battalion had no choice but to bring their families with them when they joined the army. Their dependents could not be left behind in Angola, against whom they were now, in part, fighting. The South African Defence Force, and the officers of 32 Battalion in particular, had to find ways in which to provide effective support to the soldiers as well as their families. All the former Angolans of 32 Battalion ? both soldiers and civilians ? depended on South Africa to provide accommodation, access to food, medical support, financial advice, and social structure.The unit?s motto, Proelio Procusi, translates as Forged in Battle. By adding a question mark, Forged in Battle? examines the extent to which the unit was shaped not just by war, but also by its unique social circumstances.

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Book SynopsisOn 8 March, 1965, 3,500 United States Marines of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade made an amphibious landing at Da Nang on the south central coast of South Vietnam, marking the beginning of a conflict that would haunt American politics and society for many years, even after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in January 1973. For the people of North Vietnam it was just another in a long line of foreign invaders. For two thousand years they had struggled for self-determination, coming into conflict during that time with the Chinese, the Mongols, the European colonial powers, the Japanese and the French. Now it was the turn of the United States, a far-away nation reluctant to go to war but determined to prevent Vietnam from falling into Communist hands. A Short History of the Vietnam War explains how the United States became involved in its longest war, a conflict that, from the outset, many claimed it could never win. It details the escalation of American involvement from the provision of military advisors and equipment to the threatened South Vietnamese, to an all-out shooting war involving American soldiers, airmen and sailors, of whom around 58,000 would die and more than 300,000 would be wounded. Their struggle was against an indomitable enemy, able to absorb huge losses in terms of life and infrastructure. The politics of the war are examined and the decisions and ambitions of five US presidents are addressed in the light of what many have described as a defeat for American might. The book also explores the relationship of the Vietnam War to the Cold War politics of the time.

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Book SynopsisMartin Middlebrook is the only British historian to have been granted open access to the Argentines who planned and fought the Falklands War. It ranks with Liddell Hart's The Other Side of the Hill in analysing and understanding the military thinking and strategies of Britain's sometime enemy, and is essential reading for all who wish to understand the workings of military minds.The author has managed to avoid becoming involved in the issue of sovereignty and concentrates entirely upon the military story. He has produced a genuine 'first' with this balanced and unique work. Among the men he met were the captain of the ship that took the scrap-metal merchants to South Georgia; the admiral in charge of planning the Falklands invasion; the marine commander and other members of the invasion force; two brigadier-generals, five unit commanders and many other men of the large army force sent to occupy and defend the islands.; the officer in charge of the Argentine garrison at Goose Green; and finally the brigadier-general responsible for the Defence of Port Stanley and soldiers of all ranks who fought the final battles.

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Book Synopsis'In clear and utterly compelling English, this moving memoir tells the story of the agony, and the ecstasy, of one refugee - and of every refugee. A must read for anyone interested in the triumph of Afghanistan's spirit over its seemingly endless suffering'. Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, British Ambassador to Afghanistan, 2007-2010 Flight From Afghanistan is a harrowing account of what drives a man to flee his home country in fear of his life, the trauma of refugee camps and the dangers he faces even when he reaches the sanctuary of the West. Afghans are the second largest refugee group in the world. When confronted by certain death at the point of a gun, Tella Omeri, an uneducated boy from a peasant family knew he had no alternative but to put his life in the hands of ruthless human traffickers, living on his wits and instincts. His 11-year flight, which began as a six-year- old child, is a story combining brutality with courage, hopelessness with resilience. The author asks for no pity, but in his short story he seeks to explain the motivation behind his decisions and paints a radically different picture of life in a troubled region, challenging world leaders and domestic warring factions to find a solution to the endless conflict. While thousands of refugees flee conflict and danger every day, Flight from Afghanistan shines a powerful light on what it actually means to undertake such a journey, and gives a voice to the often forgotten silent victims of the long running wars in the author's home country. * 'Afghan refugees represent one of the world's largest protracted refugee populations. Over the past four decades, many have been forced from their homes to never see them again. Some were able to return, for a while, but had their lives upended by a fresh eruption of conflict and violence - either to be displaced elsewhere in the country, or to become refugees yet again'. Amnesty International * 'Afghanistan is the world's least peaceful country'. Institute for Peace and Economics, June 2019 Tella Omeri now lives in the UK as a British Citizen with his wife and children.

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Book SynopsisOn a dark winter's night in December 1980 two US airmen who were security guards at a USAF base in Suffolk, England, encountered a mysterious unidentified craft with flashing lights that had landed in the forest outside the perimeter. When the story got out, despite a cover-up and official denials, there were many who saw it as clear evidence our planet was being visited by UFOs from outer space. Skeptics who felt sure that must be a false explanation rushed to offer more earthly suggestions, or to insist the story was quite untrue and the airmen were lying. But they weren't! Years after this strange incident, the actual identity of the "UFO" has become plain and also the purpose for which this weapon was devised. It was needed as a result of an international crisis. Now, author George Wingfield examines the background of these events and also other similar unexplained sightings and encounters with UFOs during that era.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1956, but still relevant and thought-provoking today, this book is an absolute revelation on test flying with the British aircraft organisations and manufacturers in the 1950s. Written from the pilots viewpoint, with refreshing candour and honesty which allegedly cost him his job at the Daily Express this account details what really went on behind the scenes in the defence world. Waterton pulls no punches in recounting the non co-operation of civil servants and designers in improving/altering recognised faults (often minor) when developing aircraft to the cost of lives lost. Mainly centring on his work with the mighty Gloster Meteor and the Javelin interceptors, this is an astonishing insight into the workings of the aircraft industry. Uncomfortable reading for many, it was seen by his supporters as a wake-up call at a time when British ingenuity and prowess were being overtaken by the Americans and Russians.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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