Military history: post-WW2 conflicts Books

Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, InspiringThe Cold War dominated international life from the end of World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. But how did the conflict begin? Why did it move from its initial origins in Postwar Europe to encompass virtually every corner of the globe? And why, after lasting so long, did the war end so suddenly and unexpectedly? Robert McMahon considers these questions and more, as well as looking at the legacy of the Cold War and its impact on international relations today.The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction is a truly international history, not just of the Soviet-American struggle at its heart, but also of the waves of decolonization, revolutionary nationalism, and state formation that swept the non-Western world in the wake of World War II. McMahon places the ''Hot Wars'' that cost millions of lives in Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere within the larger framework of global superpower competition. He shows how the United States and the Soviet Union both became empires over the course of the Cold War, and argues that perceived security needs and fears shaped U.S. and Soviet decisions from the beginning--far more, in fact, than did their economic and territorial ambitions. He unpacks how these needs and fears were conditioned by the divergent cultures, ideologies, and historical experiences of the two principal contestants and their allies. Covering the years 1945-1990, this second edition uses recent scholarship and newly available documents to offer a fuller analysis of the Vietnam War, the changing global politics of the 1970s, and the end of the Cold War.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition McMahon has produced a commanding short narrative of a vital period in recent world history. Clear, concise, and compelling, The Cold War is a superb primer on the subject. * Fredrik Logevall, University of California, Santa Barbara *A riveting read that brings order to complexity. McMahon is a brilliant guide to the major events of the Cold War and has a gift for clear-headed analysis of the controversies that swirl around it. * Professor Barbara Keys, Durham University *In concise and compelling prose, Robert McMahon offers critical insights about the truly global dimensions and profound legacies of the Cold War. * Dr. Wen-Qing Ngoei, author of Arc of Containment *Robert McMahon's The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction is an extraordinary work of both concision and analysis. It incorporates the most up-to-date scholarship in the field, while giving students and excellent overview of this crucial period in international history. The book is truly unique in its short length and clear and concise summary of the main issues of the Cold War, while written with grace and subtlety. A masterful achievement! * Professor Thomas Schwartz, Vanderbilt University *Small but impressive * Soldier Magazine *Table of ContentsPreface List of illustrations List of maps 1: World War II and the destruction of the old order 2: The origins of the Cold War in Europe, 1945-50 3: Towards 'Hot War' in Asia, 1945-50 4: A global Cold War, 1950-8 5: From confrontation to detente, 1958-68 6: Cold wars at home 7: The rise and fall of superpower detente, 1968-79 8: The final phase, 1980-90 Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe story of the British army, from its inception in the late seventeenth century to the present.This new concise history by one of Britain''s leading military historians explores the British army from the creation of a permanent standing army in the seventeenth century to the present. It sets the institutional development of the British army, and its often ambiguous relationship with state and society, as well as the army''s wider political, social, economic, and cultural role within international, imperial, national, regional, and local contexts. An army exists to fight, however, and the British army''s story cannot be separated from those wars and conflicts that have punctuated its evolution. Consequently, attention is also paid to the army''s commanders, operations, and battlefields from the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in the seventeenth century to Iraq and Afghanistan in the twenty-first. Beckett traces the army''s evolution through five chronological phases: the standing army of tTrade ReviewAn impressive account of a key force not only in British but also in world history. * Jeremy Black, Emeritus Professor *Beckett has provided an intellectual treat. * Edward M. Spiers, Emeritus Professor *Table of ContentsAbbreviations Introduction 1: A Standing Army 2: A National Army 3: An Imperial Army 4: A People's Army 5: A Global Army Appendix: Major Wars and Campaigns since 1661

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Book SynopsisEvery war has its bridge--Old North Bridge at Concord, Burnside''s Bridge at Antietam, the railway bridge over Burma''s River Kwai, the bridge over Germany''s Rhine River at Remagen, and the bridges over Korea''s Toko Ri. In Vietnam it was the bridge at Thanh Hoa, called Dragon''s Jaw.For many years hundreds of young US airmen flew sortie after sortie against North Vietnam''s formidable and strategically important bridge, dodging a heavy concentration of anti-aircraft fire, surface-to-air missiles and enemy fighters. Many American airmen were shot down, killed, or captured and taken to the infamous POW prisons in Hanoi. But after each air attack, when the smoke cleared and the debris settled, the bridge stubbornly remained standing. For the North Vietnamese it became a symbol of their invincibility; for US war planners an obsession; for US airmen a testament to American mettle and valor.Using after-action reports, official records, and interviews with surviving pilot

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Book SynopsisA definitive account of the American experience in Afghanistan from the rise of the Taliban to the depths of the insurgency.Trade Review"A useful and generally lively account of what can go wrong when outsiders venture onto the Afghan landscape." -- Steven Simon - Foreign Affairs"This is a serious work that should be factored in as a new policy in Afghanistan evolves." -- Jay Freeman - Booklist"Seth G. Jones’s book provides a vivid sense of just how paltry and misguided the American effort has been.… In the Graveyard of Empires will help to show what might still be done to build something enduring in Afghanistan and finally allow the U.S. to go home." -- Dexter Filkins - The New Republic"[An] excellent book." -- James Blitz - Financial Times"How we got to where we are in Afghanistan." -- Matthew Kaminski - Wall Street Journal"[Zeroes] in on what went awry after America’s successful routing of the Taliban in late 2001." -- Michiko Kakutani - The New York Times"A blueprint for winning in a region that has historically brought mighty armies to their knees." -- Doug Childers - Richmond Times-Dispatch"Offers a valuable window onto how officials have understood the military campaign." -- Robert D. Crews - San Francisco Chronicle"Seth Jones . . . has an anthropologist’s feel for a foreign society, a historian’s intuition for long-term trends, and a novelist’s eye for the telling details that illuminate a much larger story. If you read just one book about the Taliban, terrorism, and the United States, this is the place to start." -- Jeremi Suri, author of Henry Kissinger and the American Century"A timely and important work, without peer in terms of both its scholarship and the author’s intimate knowledge of the country, the insurgency threatening it, and the challenges in defeating it." -- Bruce Hoffman, Georgetown University, author of Inside Terrorism"A deeply researched and well-analyzed account of the failures of American policies in Afghanistan, In the Graveyard of Empires will be mandatory reading for policymakers from Washington to Kabul." -- Peter Bergen, author of Holy War, Inc. and The Osama bin Laden I Know"Seth Jones has combined forceful narrative with careful analysis, illustrating the causes of this deteriorating situation, and recommending sensible, feasible steps to reverse the escalating violence." -- James Dobbins, author of After the Taliban: Nation Building in Afghanistan

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Book SynopsisThe Assassins'' Gate recounts how the United States set about changing the history of the Middle East and became ensnared in a guerrilla war in Iraq. The consequences of that policy are shown in the author''s vivid reporting on the ground in Iraq, where he made several tours on assignment for The New Yorker. We see up close the struggles of individual American soldiers and civilians and Iraqis from all backgrounds. Here is the full range of ideas and emotions stirred up by America''s most controversial foreign-policy venture since Vietnam.Trade Review"* probably the most valuable book about the lead-up to the war, and the period before the Iraqi election of January 2005 - The Times * informative and lively... An excellent reporter, Packer emerges as one of the few Western journalists who developed a feel for Iraq. - Mail on Sunday * absorbing... It's a riveting tale of mixed motives, willful connivance, skewed ideology and sheer incompetence... Meanwhile, the invasion of Irq seems to defy analysis, although Pakcer does an excellend job here. He has trodden the dusty ground, talking to countless Iraqis, and he knows how awful Saddam really was. - Guardian * Packer's strengths in telling this story are fastidious research and his parallel career as a novelist... he is drawn to the intimacy of human experience... He is an intellectual too but, unlike most of the Iraq war intellectuals, Packer came to Iraq burdened neither by the rigid certainties of the pro-war camp, not the absolutism of the anti-war camp... Instead, Packer admits he was an ambivalently pro-war liberal. And it is exactly this sense of ambivalence... that allows him to cross-examine so powerfully what unravelled in Iraq. - Observer"

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Book SynopsisThe magnificent Douglas A-4 Skyhawk served with the Royal Australian Navy from 1968 until 1984 with two squadrons: VF805 and VC724. VF805 was the front-line fighter unit that served aboard the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne, while VC724 was shore-based at Naval Air Station Nowra for training and support.Table of ContentsForeword Preface and Acknowledgments Glossary Chapter 1 1945–67: Role, Testing and Purchases Chapter 2 1967–68: Initial Instructor Training Chapter 3 1968–69: The Skyhawk goes to sea Chapter 4 Flight deck engineering Chapter 5 1970: Exercise Bersatu Padu Chapter 6 1971: Training and growing the A-4 fleet Chapter 7 1972: A very busy year Chapter 8 1973: The first losses Chapter 9 1974: Tragedy Chapter 10 1975: Rimpac 75 Chapter 11 1976: OFS and VC724 Chapter 12 Support People Chapter 13 1977: Spithead Review Chapter 14 1978: Rimpac 78 and Sandgroper 78 Chapter 15 1979: Three losses in a year Chapter 16 1980: The beginning of the end Chapter 17 1981: The year that wasn’t Chapter 18 1982–1984: The end of RAN fixed-wing aviation Chapter 19 The Skyhawk squadrons Chapter 20 The pilots and their aircraft Chapter 21 Tributes Chapter 22 The case for carrier-based fighters Annex A Contributors Annex B The Sundowners Song Index of Names

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA gripping study of white power…It is impossible to read the book without recalling more recent events…The book’s explosive thesis: that the white power movement ...emerged as a radical reaction to the [Vietnam] war…It is a breathtaking argument, one that treats foreign policy as the impetus for a movement that most people view through the lens of domestic racism…It’s a stunning indictment of official culpability, and Belew constructs her case with forensic care. In doing so, she shows that, while racism is ever with us, policy choices ranging from local police strategies to the furthest reaches of foreign policy create the space for white power to flourish. * New York Times *Compelling…Meticulously researched and powerfully argued, Belew’s book isn’t only a definitive history of white-racist violence in late-20th-century America, but also a rigorous meditation on the relationship between American militarism abroad and extremism at home…The power of Belew’s book comes, in part, from the fact that it reveals a story about white-racist violence that we should all already know. * The Nation *Superbly comprehensive…supplants all journalistic accounts of America’s resurgent white supremacism. -- Pankaj Mishra * The Guardian *Fascinating…Belew connects seemingly disparate events like the killings at Greensboro, the persecution of Vietnamese fishers in Texas in the early 1980s, and the siege at Ruby Ridge. She shows how hatred of the federal government, fears of communism, and racism all combined in white-power ideology and explains why our responses to the movement have long been woefully inadequate. * Slate *A gorgeously rendered account of the white power movement in this country that reveals its symbiotic character, one that both feeds on mainstream angst and stimulates it to new heights. * Los Angeles Review of Books *An engrossing and comprehensive history of the white power movement in America, highlighting its racism, antigovernment hostility, and terrorist tactics…Belew presents a convincing case that white power rhetoric and activism continue to influence mainstream U.S. politics. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Belew…counters the treatment of white terrorists as ‘lone wolves’ by tracing the contours of an organized white power movement that connected radical white extremists from Greensboro, North Carolina, to Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and from Waco, Texas, to Oklahoma City…Belew does the hard work of restoring those connections, revealing how white supremacists built a coalition of rural survivalists, urban skinheads, and anti-Semitic Christian Identity believers. * Los Angeles Review of Books *An essential reference book for our times. -- Rachel Maddow * Rachel Maddow Show *This is a work of fierce intelligence. Belew shows how white power activists used their view of the Vietnam War to advance every element of their reactionary agenda and to justify domestic terrorism. A book of signal importance and urgency, it provides a haunting vantage point on contemporary American political culture. -- Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for AmericaBring the War Home is a tour de force. An utterly engrossing and piercingly argued history that tracks how the seismic aftershocks of the Vietnam War gave rise to a white power movement whose toxic admixture of violent bigotry, antigovernmental hostility, and racial terrorism helped set the stage for Waco, the Oklahoma City bombing, and, yes, the presidency of Donald Trump. -- Junot DíazThis is a troubling book for many reasons, not just because of the scope of the white power network it reveals…[It] raises questions about how the elements of United States culture that valorize violence and draw ready distinctions between the deserving ‘us’ and the less deserving ‘them’ ...contribute to mass shootings…Belew treats the trajectory of white power victimhood as a shift from attacks on the other to a declaration of war against the federal government. * Jotwell *Fascinating and riveting... that archive is truly incredible. -- Soledad O’Brien * Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien *Belew…traces the origins of the white power movement to the aftermath of the Vietnam War. She examines how various racist groups—skinheads, Klansmen, white separatists, neo-Nazis, militiamen, and others—united under a common banner and took the movement in a violent and revolutionary direction…Belew also argues that the anti-government sentiment created by the Vietnam War helped consolidate and radicalize the white power movement in ways we haven’t fully understood. -- Sean Illing * Vox *Kathleen Belew’s vital new book begins in the belly of a Huey helicopter somewhere over South Vietnam. From there she follows with unflinching honesty the violence that violence begat, from the tiny cadre of veterans who decided to bring the war home through Ruby Ridge and Waco to the horror of the Oklahoma City terrorist attack. Over the years I’ve read any number of exemplary histories. Never have I read a more courageous one. -- Kevin Boyle, author of Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz AgeAn engaging account of how and why the modern white power movement emerged from 1975 to 1995…[Belew] offers an unprecedented level of detail, engaging deeply with developments that other authors typically gloss over…Bring the War Home is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the history of America’s white power movement. * Reason *A smart and powerfully argued book about the way that the Vietnam War in particular reshaped white power in the United States… It’s really fascinating. -- Nicole Hemmer * Past Present *The connection between hate groups and the military is not new… Bring the War Home charts the path of radical white supremacists from the end of the Vietnam War to the 1995 bombing of a Federal government building in Oklahoma City. * CBS News *Examine[s] how romantic public narratives have been deployed to suppress collective memory of the violence that underwrites white supremacy. * Times Literary Supplement *An unquestionably powerful, well-researched and must-read addition to the post-2016 upsurge in analysis and investigation of the foundations of modern fascism. Anyone seeking to understand the origins of the modern far right in the U.S. should include this work at the top of their reading list. -- Ryan Smith * Truthout *Alarming and meticulously researched. -- Wajahat Ali * NYR Daily *This necessary work reminds readers that white violence—on behalf of, and against, the state—has a long and deep history. * Library Journal *In this major work of scholarly synthesis, Kathleen Belew uses letters, ephemera and ‘zines’ as well as newspaper reports and official documents to reconstruct a dark chapter in American history that has chilling echoes for today. * Times Higher Education *Bring the War Home is a fascinating account of right-wing white power extremists in the United States. Kathleen Belew illuminates this history through staggeringly broad research. A compelling and sometimes shocking read, it is an outstanding contribution to the history of violence. -- Mary L. Dudziak, author of War Time: An Idea, Its History, Its ConsequencesIf you weren’t afraid of the violent white power movement before reading [this], you will be when you’re done…Belew details fifty years of energetic racist organizing and violent acts…A ringing call to recognize the extent of the threat, in order to better organize an effective response. -- Micol Seigel * American Historical Review *For those who wish to make sense of the enduring ‘catastrophic ricochet of the Vietnam War’ as well as recent events in places like Charlottesville, Belew’s Bring the War Home is required reading. -- Keira Williams * PopMatters *Invaluable to understanding our current political moment. -- Angela E. Hubler * Against the Current *A carefully written book that argues that violent white-supremacist groups were mobilized by the Vietnam War and the Cold War more generally to undertake an armed campaign in the service of their anticommunist, White supremacist goals…Belew’s work suggests that armed violence by militant movements is a far more enduring and deep-rooted part of American politics than conventional understandings admit. -- Paul Musgrave * Systemic Organization *

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Book Synopsis''My fingers close around the trigger. I pause for a split second to think about the bullets I am about to spray across the ground. After today, I''ll no longer be the new girl.''Captain Charlotte Madison is blonde, beautiful and flies Apache helicopters for a living. She has completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan and is currently fighting on the frontline in her third. DRESSED TO KILL shows us what life is like for a girl in a resolutely male-dominated environment. But she isn''t just a woman in a man''s world, she''s a woman women aspire to be - glamorous as well as brave, and beating the men at their own game. Only a tiny percentage of people can multi-task to the extreme level the aircraft demands, and most airmen who try to qualify as an Apache pilot fail. Full of the exciting, adrenaline-filled action that has made other military memoirs so successful, DRESSED TO KILL is also unique. A highly intelligent and brilliant young woman, Charlotte is Britain''s fTrade ReviewIt's not very often a war book makes its way onto Hot Stars' radar, but this real-life memoir by 26-year-old Charlotte is truly unique. She is just like one of us - she loves reading about celebs and fashion - but she's also on the frontline in Afghanistan. Passionate, hilarious and at times heart-wrenching, this brilliant book had us gripped! * *

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Book SynopsisThe odd-looking "Ontos" self-propelled recoilless rifle(s) was prized by the Marines in Vietnam for its agility and firepower.

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Book SynopsisAll too little remembered today, the Korean War was bitterly fought out under atrocious conditions of weather and terrain. Greatly outnumbered by their Communist Chinese and North Korean enemy, the United Nations forces fought with extraordinary resolve and gallantry. The Hook, the name given to a prominent ridge on the Peninsula, saw more blood spilt than any other feature in this prolonged and grisly war. Not surprisingly it became known as 'the bloody Hood'. The two costliest battles are described in detail in Fortune Favours The Brave, a classic account of the war. Both involved British infantry battalions of 29 Commonwealth Brigade. In November 1952, The Black Watch saw off a major Chinese attack against all odds. In May 1953 it was the turn of 1st Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's Regiment to face what must have seemed an overwhelming onslaught. Along a 1,000 yard front the greatest concentration of artillery fire since the Great War was brought to bear on Chinese human-wave

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Book SynopsisThe story of one of the great fighter pilots of the jet age.

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Book SynopsisA pilot in the US Army, the author flew operations in the Vietnam War in 1974 and 1975. This autobiography explores the occasions during which his aircraft came under fire.

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Book Synopsis2011 is the centenary of US Naval Aviation Author has direct links with US Tailhook Association Includes many unique rare photographs the majority in colour

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Book SynopsisThis detailed, intimate and often visceral account of the Falklands invasion, occupation and war is based on the journals of Graham Bound, the then editor of the Falklands' only newspaper.

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Book SynopsisThe inside story of the most daring SAS rescue mission everIn September 2000 eleven British soldiers were captured by a notorious militia gang in Sierra Leone. The so-called ''West Side Boys'' had subjected their part of the country to a long reign of terror, murdering, kidnapping and mutilating anyone who stood in their way.Now British soldiers were at their mercy. Surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered, any resistance would have seen them all killed; yet their hopes of a quick exchange soon faded. They were assaulted and subjected to mock executions. Negotiations with the ''Revolutionary United Front'' leaders and the ''West Side Boys'' proved futile.Prime Minister Tony Blair ordered the armed forces to get the men back. The SAS and elements of the Parachute Regiment were rushed to West Africa and a naval squadron assembled offshore. The stage was set for the biggest British military operation on the continent for a generation - and their most daring Trade ReviewIn Operation Barras William Fowler describes the historic setting for British involvement in Sierra Leone that led up to the rescue mission. The build up to the airborne assault by the SAS and Paras on September 10 is covered in great detail and you are pitched into the action. It is an insider's book that will appeal to soldiers and anyone with an interest in the development of post colonial Africa * EYE SPY *Far more than an account of a very fine rescue operation. The essential background to the situation is painted in some detail and gives the reader a real feel for that unfortunate country -- Major-General Julian Thompson, CB, OBE

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Book SynopsisDiscover the exhilarating first-hand account of one man''s white-knuckle life as a fighter pilot with the Royal Navy Sea Harriers''A wild ride . . . the literary equivalent of injecting pure adrenaline into your brain via your eyeball '' Aviation Historian''Searingly honest, keenly observed, well written and extremely funny'' RAF NEWS''Puts you in the cockpit for carrier landings, missile firings and some of the most intense close air support stories imaginable'' MIKE SUTTON____________Few have what it takes to be a fighter pilot. From the cockpit to the crew room, the pressure is relentless. One mistake is the difference between life and death. But in the air, you''ll never feel more alive . . .Paul Tremelling knows this better than anyone. With nearly 20 years of experience, he puts you in the pilot''s seat in this thrilling first-hand account of a life in combat.From saving the liTrade ReviewThis is a searingly honest, keenly observed, well written and extremely funny military memoir and a must read for anyone interested in the tight brother and sisterhood of fast jet jockeys. It's a rare insight into a world hidden from view by operational security and corporate PR and all too often only revealed years too late . . . It's insightful, unapologetic and, at times hilarious * RAF News *This isn't a book for the faint-hearted. It is a book for anyone who appreciates insight into how a fighter pilot trains, trains more, thinks (fast), handles the aircraft and onboard tech . . . then fights * Flyer Magazine *The storytelling wouldn't be out of place in a thriller. If you are going to take one book on holiday it has to be Harrier . . . it's a superb read. You won't be able to put it down * Aerospace *A wild ride. This is the literary equivalent of injecting pure adrenaline into your brain via your eyeball. Taut and lean. It’s a blast from start to finish * Aviation Historian *

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Book SynopsisA fully illustrated study of the Soviet Navy's biggest and most powerful surface combatants of the Cold War.Heavily armed and formidable, guided missile cruisers formed the core of the Soviet Navy during the Cold War. From the last class of conventional Sverdlov-class cruisers through to increasingly complex and formidable missile cruisers, these ships ensured that NATO took the Soviet naval threat seriously.Soviet Cold War Guided Missile Cruisers covers all classes of these impressive warships, from the early Sverdlov through the Kynda, Kresta, Kara and Slava to the enormous Kirov classes. Together, these vessels marked the apogee of Soviet naval technology and capability and they remain today the largest non-aircraft carrier warships built since 1945.Containing material previously only available in Russian and fully researched from specialist defence journals, this comprehensive volume examines the design, development, and intended role of these impressive, hi-tech warTable of ContentsIntroduction Strategic and operational context Sverdlov class (Project 68bis, Project 70E) Grosnyy class (‘Kynda’/Project 58) Admiral Zozulya class (‘Kresta I’/Project 1134) Kronstadt class (‘Kresta II’/Project 1134A) Nikolayev class (‘Kara’/Project 1134B) Slava class (Project 1164) /Kirov class (Project 1144) Operational service: tactics and confrontations Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSince the Gulf War, the Abrams tank has undergone a transformation, while fighting in conflicts across the world. Its M1A1 and M1A2 variants have seen great improvements made to this iconic tank, including in fire-control, armour protection, and thermal imaging technology. Involvement in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan necessitated a number of upgrades and modifications as the United States fought two of its longest wars. Recent years have seen new variants of the series such as the ABV Assault Breacher Vehicle and M104 Wolverine Heavy Assault Bridge. Over the past few decades, the M1A1 Abrams has also been extensively exported and is license produced in Egypt. The long-awaited follow-up to NVG 2 M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank 198292 (1993), this fully illustrated study examines the Abrams tanks' last quarter-century of service with both the United States and its various foreign operators with a focus on its combat history.

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Book SynopsisThis title details the author''s unique military experience, from platoon command in the jungles of Vietnam, through service with the Paras in Northern Ireland and commanding a troop in the legendary 22 SAS, to operating with the ParaBats in South Africa and training the Special Forces of Oman. We are the Pilgrims, master; we shall go, Always a little further; it may be, Beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow.If there was ever anyone who went a little further, a little beyond, it was Alastair MacKenzie. In a career spanning 30 years, MacKenzie served uniquely with the New Zealand Army in Vietnam, the British Parachute Regiment, the British Special Air Service (SAS), the South African Defence Force''s famed ParaBats, the Sultan of Oman''s Special Forces and a host of private security agencies and defence contractors. MacKenzie lived the soldier''s life to the full as he journeyed the Golden Road to Samarkand. This extraordinary new work fromTable of ContentsGlossary 1. Early Days, 1948–65 2. New Zealand Army, 1966–73 3. 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, 1973–76 4. 22 Special Air Service Regiment, 1976–80 5. 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, 1980–81 6. 44 South African Parachute Brigade (The Parabats), 1981–82 7. KMS Limited, 1982 and 21 SAS 8. New Zealand Army, 1982–85 9. The Sultan of Oman’s Special Forces, 1985–89 10. Royal Ordnance plc; Reliance Security Limited; Territorial Army, 1989–94 11. AMA Associates Limited; Territorial Army; and a Return to New Zealand, 1994–present Index

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Book SynopsisA unique first-hand narrative of the Falklands war. Rick Jolly was the Senior Medical Officer in the Falklands, setting up and running the field hospital at Ajax Bay, where he and his Royal Marine and Parachute Regiment medical teams treated a total of 580 casualties, of which only 3 died of wounds. The building itself was a derelict meat-packing factory, hastily converted to treat incoming wounded both British and Argentine even though two unexploded bombs lay at the back of the building. Rick''s diary of the campaign and its aftermath is a fast-paced and gripping account of war experience that covers the entire conflict from initial preparations and passage to the South Atlantic on the requisitioned liner Canberra to daily action reports, and observations and interaction with the key players of the conflict Col. H. Jones, Brian Hanrahan, Julian Thompson and Max Hastings. Incredible human stories abound, as Rick, a trained commando, dangles from the rescue winch of a Sea KinTrade ReviewJolly manages to convey so much within a relatively small number of pages, the pace of all 74 days of the conflict immediately apparent. The highs written with dark humour ... The lows are written with a moving sensitivity. I will definitely be reading this one through again very soon. * Rear Party Forum *This is a book for anyone interested in military medicine and psychology, anyone who just wants a fine testament to human endurance, leadership and stoicism in difficult and highly emotional circumstances, but perhaps most of all for veterans of the conflict who had little idea at the time of the miracles being worked on their colleagues as the battles raged around them. Personally, I found it absolutely compelling reading, filling another major jigsaw piece into the complex picture of those few short but bloody weeks in 1982. Highly recommended. * Flagship, the magazine for Seafarers UK *

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Book SynopsisThis study explores the organization, appearance, and equipment of both sides'' ground forces during the IranIraq War (198088).Driven by the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the insecurities it provoked in Saddam Hussein''s Iraqi dictatorship, the IranIraq War would become the largest conventional conflict of the period. Curiously little-known considering its scale and longevity, the struggle between Iran and Iraq was primarily fought along the 1,458km border in a series of battles which, despite both sides being armed with modern small arms, armour and aircraft, often degenerated into attritional struggles reminiscent of World War I. Such a comparison was underlined by frequent periods of deadlock, the extensive use of trenches by both sides, and the deployment of chemical weapons by Iraq. Fully illustrated with specially commissioned artwork, this study investigates the organization, appearance and equipment of the ground forces of both sides in the IranTable of ContentsIntroduction Iran-Iraq War Chronology The Iranian Army The Pasdaran The Basij Iran's Other Paramilitary Forces Iranian Weaponry and Equipment The Iraqi Army The Iraqi Republican Guard Iraqi Paramilitary Forces Iraqi Weapons and Equipment Conclusion Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe Douglas F3D Skyknight was an early but effective attempt at combining new technologies together in a lethal package capable of shipboard operation. Whereas most fighters relied on speed and maneuverability, the portly, straight-winged F3D relied on three radars, four 20mm cannon, and most importantly darkness. Having first flown in March 1948, the Skyknight's first taste of war came in September 1952, when Marine Night Fighter Squadron 513 [VMF(N)-513] deployed to Korea. The most important job assigned to VMF(N)-513 was the escorting of USAF B-29 bombers over northern Korea. Whereas Chinese and North Korean MiG-15s relied on ground-controlled intercept radar for steering guidance into firing positions, the F3D, with its own onboard radars, was autonomously lethal it could detect, track and target MiGs all on its own. Skyknight crews ended the Korean War with six nocturnal kills in exchange for one combat loss. After the war, 35 Skyknights were converted into electronic warfareTable of ContentsChapter 1 Skyknights over Korea Chapter 2 Cold War Elint Chapter 3 'Whales' over Vietnam Appendices Colour Plates Commentary Index

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Book SynopsisThis vivid narrative history tells the full story of the US Air Force's involvement in the wars in the air over Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.The involvement of the US Air Force in the Southeast Asian Wars began in 1962 with crews sent to train Vietnamese pilots, and with conflict in Laos, and finally ended in 1972 with the B-52 bombing of Hanoi, though there were Air Force pilots unofficially flying combat in Laos up to the end in 1975. The missions flown by USAF aircrews during those years in Southeast Asia differed widely, from attacking the Ho Chi Minh Trail at night with modified T-28 trainers, to missions Downtown, the name aircrew gave Hanoi, the central target of the war. This aerial war was dominated by the major air operations against the north: Rolling Thunder from 1965 to 1968, and then Linebacker I and II in 1972, with the latter seeing the deployment of America's fearsome B-52 bombers against the North Vietnamese capital Hanoi. These operations wTrade ReviewAs ever, the author provides a sublimely distilled and perfectly readable account of a grueling period of history. * Flypast *A fascinating inside story of what it was like for pilots over south east Asia. * The Armourer *An outstanding overview of the Air Force’s war in Vietnam…This is combat history in the words of the aviators themselves… and shaped by the author's detailed archival research, oral history interviews, and a commanding knowledge of the available literature… [A] riveting account that constitutes at once both an outstanding history and a tribute to the airmen who flew across Southeast Asia more than a half-century ago. * Dr Richard P Hallion, former Historian of the US Air Force and author of 'Rolling Thunder 1965-68: Johnson's Air War Over Vietnam' *In Going Downtown Thomas McKelvey Cleaver provides a rare combination, a macro-micro view of the war in the air. In setting the context of Southeast Asian air operations, the author adroitly combines Vietnam history with some heart-pounding combat episodes. * Barrett Tillman, author of 'Dragon's Jaw: An Epic Story of Courage and Tenacity in Vietnam' *There are many “I was there” books telling the USAF story in Vietnam; but Going Downtown: The U.S. Air Force in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia 1961–75 by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver paints a much broader picture of that air war. In this extensively researched and well written book, Cleaver gives you the action from the cockpits of both the North Vietnamese MiGs as well as the American jets. This book gives you the perspective of the decision makers in Washington, the generals in theater, and the pilots and crews in the cockpits. If you want to get a true understanding of USAF operations up North Going Downtown is for you. * Thomas E. Rodgers, Lt.Col., USAF (ret.) *Table of ContentsList of Maps and Illustrations Preface Foreword 1. “Zorro-16 - Nail-43. You are on Fire. What Are Your Intentions?” 2. Good Intentions and Ignorance 3. Planning for the Wrong War 4. Early Days – 1962–65 5. Going up North – 1965–66 6.Feather Duster 7. Bridges, Sams, and MiGs – the Widening War 8. Blackman and Robin 9. The MiGs Fight Back 10. Bloody May and June 11. The Hot Summer of 1967 12. Rolling Thunder’s Zenith 13. The End of Rolling Thunder 14. Interregnum – 1968–72 15. The Easter Offensive 16. Operation Linebacker 17. The Christmas Bombing 18. The Final Wars in Southeast Asia Bibliography Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisThis study explains how the armies of North and South Vietnam, newly equipped with the most modern Soviet and US tanks and weaponry, fought the decisive armored battles of the Easter Offensive.Wearied by years of fighting against Viet Cong guerillas and North Vietnamese regulars, the United States had almost completely withdrawn its forces from Vietnam by early 1972. Determined to halt the expansion and improvement of South Vietnamese forces under the U.S. Vietnamization program, North Vietnam launched a major fourteen-division attack in March 1972 against the South that became known as the Easter Offensive. Hanoi's assault was spearheaded by 1,200 tanks and was counteracted on the opposite side by Saigon's newly equipped armored force using U.S. medium tanks. The result was ferocious fighting between major Cold War-era U.S. and Soviet tanks and mechanized equipment, pitting M-48 medium and M-41 light tanks against their T- 54 and PT-76 rivals in a variety of combat environmentsTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION THE TANKS, DOCTRINE, AND ORGANIZATION Army of the Republic of Vietnam North Vietnamese Army TECHNICAL FACTORS Medium tanks Light tanks Armored personnel carriers and other AFVs Self-propelled antiaircraft guns (SPAAGs) THE OFFENSIVE Quang Tri: the offensive begins An Loc: attacks on the road to Saigon Kontum: attack in the Central Highlands ARVN counterattack in the north BATTLE ANALYSIS Strategic, operational, and tactical lessons TECHNICAL LESSONS Tank against tank Airpower ATGMs RPGs and LAWs THE AFTERMATH: VIETNAM, 1973–75 FURTHER READING INDEX

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Book SynopsisA fully illustrated study into the extraordinary Convair B-36 during the Cold War.Conceived during 1941 in case Germany occupied Britain, when US bombers would then have insufficient range to retaliate, the B-36 was to be primarily a 10,000-mile bomber' with heavy defensive armament, six engines and a performance that would prevent interception by fighters. Although rapid developments in jet engine and high-speed airframe technology quickly made it obsolescent, the B-36 took part in many important nuclear test programmes. The aircraft also provided the US nuclear deterrent until the faster B-52 became available in 1955. It was one of the first aircraft to use substantial amounts of magnesium in its structure, leading to the bomber's Magnesium Overcast' nickname. It earned many superlatives due to the size and complexity of its structure, which used 27 miles of wiring, had a wingspan longer than the Wright brothers' first flight, equivalent engine power to 400 cars, the same inteTable of Contents1. Bigger and Bolder 2. Birth of a Heavyweight 3. Test and Development 4. Service Entry 5. Doomsday Bomber 6. Global Reach 7. Many Crew, Many Tasks 8. Massive Changes Appendices Colour Plates Commentary Index

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Book SynopsisWith first-hand insight into the into the key role of the US Air Force''s fighter-bomber from the Vietnam War through to Operation Desert Storm during the First Gulf War, this book is an unmissable account of some of the most dangerous and demanding missions in the two wars.The advent of the surface-to-air missile (SAM) in the early 1950s threatened the whole concept of aerial bombing from medium and high altitude. Countermeasures were developed during the Korean War, but with little initial success. It was only in the closing stages of the Vietnam War, with the F-4Cww Phantom II (Wild Weasel 4), that this equipment started to become successful enough to allow a substantial investment in converting 116 F-4E Phantom IIs into dedicated SEAD aircraft. This move introduced a new generation of anti-radar missiles which became invaluable in later operations including operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Northern Watch overTrade ReviewNo Phantom fan should miss this excellent book * Airfix Model World *This is a must read and a worthy addition to any aviation historian's bookshelves. * Aviation News *Table of Contents(Subject to confirmation) Chapter 1: Development of SEAD Chapter 2: F-4Cww Wild Weasel Operations in Vietnam Chapter 3: Creation of the F-4G Chapter 4: Cold War Developments Chapter 5: Operation Desert Storm Appendices - Performance table for F-4Cww and F-4G. - Unit deployment dates and locations for F-4Cww and F-4G squadrons. - Colour plates commentaries. Index

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Book SynopsisWith over 260 images, this is a highly illustrated history of the ships and operations of the Royal Navy during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II.During the 70 years spanned by the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Navy changed out of all recognition. Its status as a superpower navy with worldwide bases and operations has been eclipsed, but it remains a powerful force because of its potency if not its size. Maritime history author Paul Brown takes us through each decade in turn, outlining the key events and developments, and charting the changes to the size, structure and capabilities of the Navy. Fully illustrated with over 260 colour and black and white images, this book also provides a stunning visual record of the ships and operations that featured most prominently in each decade.Trade ReviewThis is a visual treat. * The Armourer *Dr Brown's clear passion and in-depth expertise make for a thoroughly enjoyable read. * History of War *A well-presented book with hundreds of photographs reproduced in superb clarity, Elizabeth’s Navy is a new addition to the publisher’s roster of titles and a delightful focus on the Royal Navy... See the power of sea power in a well laid-out package. * Britain at War *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Big Navy: 1952–1959 2. Rebuilding the Navy: 1960–1969 3. Eastern Atlantic Focus: 1970–1979 4. The Falklands Decade: 1980–1989 5. Peace and War: 1990–1999 6. Millennium Retrenchment: 2000–2009 7. Broadening Horizons: 2010–2022 Appendix 1: Organisation of the Fleets, May 1952 Appendix 2: Fleet Organisation, 10 March 1964 Glossary Endnotes Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWith specially commissioned artworks and dynamic combat ribbon diagrams, this volume reveals how the ''last of the gunfighters'', as the F-8 was dubbed by its pilots, prevailed against the growing MiG threat of the Vietnamese People''s Air Force.When the Vietnam War began, the F-8 was already firmly established as a fighter and reconnaissance aircraft. It entered combat as an escort for Alpha strike packages, braving the anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles alongside the A-4 Skyhawk bombers and meeting MiGs for the first time on 3 April 1965. Although the Crusader was nicknamed ''last of the gunfighters'', its pilots employed ''secondary'' AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles in all but one of their MiG kills, with guns also used as back-up in three. Its 20 mm guns were unreliable as they often jammed during strenuous manoeuvres, although they were responsible for damaging a number of MiGs. However, in combat the F-8 had the highest ''exchange ratio'' (kilTable of Contents(Subject to confirmation) 1. In Battle 2. Setting the Scene 3. Path to Combat 4. Weapon of War 5. Art of War 6. Combat Aftermath Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisNaval dominance was crucial to the defence of South Korea, and this illustrated study explains how the US Navy brought its war-winning fleet to bear in a complex campaign. Fought just five years after the US Navy's carrier-led forces swept into Tokyo Bay, the naval campaign in Korea was a very different war, and one that set the trend for naval warfare for the rest of the century. In this book, Dr Corbin Williamson, a specialist on the US Navy of the period, explains how a fleet built to fight an uncompromising total war rapidly adapted to a successful Cold War multinational intervention. Seventh Fleet's role included blockading enemy ports, escorting convoys, close air support, interdiction, naval gunfire support, and amphibious invasions and evacuations. With few exceptions, Seventh Fleet's command of the sea around Korea was unchallenged, allowing the fleet to focus its efforts on supporting the ground war. The Korean War was also part of a period of intense technological change, and it saw the combat debut of naval jet aircraft and helicopters. Packed with battle diagrams, photographs and meticulously researched battlescenes, this book examines the ships and technology, command and organization, logistics, intelligence, and combat performance of the fleet. It is a rounded portrait of how Seventh Fleet proved the flexibility and importance of sea power in an unexpected theater.

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Book SynopsisThis book details all the milestones of the Lynx's career since its entry into service in 1976 to the present day, whilst simultaneously offering a unique cockpit perspective on events.

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Book Synopsis Combat helicopter pilots in the Vietnam War flew each mission facing the possibility of imminent death. Begun as a series of attempted letters to the Department of Veterans Affairs, this compelling memoir of an aircraft commander in the 116th Assault Helicopter Company--The Hornets--relates his experience of the war in frank detail. From supporting the 25th Infantry Division''s invasion of Cambodia, to flying the lead aircraft in the 101st Airmobile Division''s pivotal Operation Lam Son 719 invasion of Laos to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail at LZ Hope, the author recounts the traumatic events of his service from March 1970 to March 1971.

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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? Cameras, Combat, and Courage , a companion volume to "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. Cameras, Combat, and Courage 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, Cameras, Combat, and Courage 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 young men thrust into a conflict half way around the world, and 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 SynopsisThe Indonesian Confrontation that raged from 1963 to 1966 stemmed from Indonesia's opposition to the creation of Malaysia. Fighting in the challenging jungle terrain of Borneo and in the countryside straddling the Malaysia/Indonesia border, where there were few roads, posed significant logistical challenges to both sides. That the conflict was ultimately a victory for the Commonwealth forces was in due in no small part to the fact that they enjoyed the advantage of vastly superior helicopter resources and better trained crews - many of which were provided by British units. During the Confrontation, many of these vital helicopter assets were flown by pilots and crews who had gained their knowledge and experience first-hand during the Malayan Emergency, one of the Cold War's first flash-points which had begun in 1948. Without doubt, the Malayan Emergency marked the formative years of the RAF's and Royal Navy's helicopter operations - the very early days in fact, when equipment and knowledge were much more basic. It was a time when operational procedures were still under development, even though the helicopters were already being flown on front line service. Told in the main through their own words, by the RAF and Royal Navy air and ground crews involved, this is the story of how these guinea pigs' undertook many of Britain's first rotary wing combat operations and, therefore, cemented their rightful place in the history of the helicopter.

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Book SynopsisDuring the 1980s and early 1990s the Challenger 1 main battle tank played a central role in Britain's armoured forces and it achieved remarkable success in combat, destroying around 300 Iraqi tanks in the Gulf War. With its advanced Chobham armour and hydropneumatic suspension system, it was one of the most sophisticated and effective armoured vehicles of the time and, in a modified form, it is still in service with the Jordanian army. It is also a popular subject with tank modellers and enthusiasts, which is why this volume in the TankCraft series is of such value. Archive photos of the Challenger 1 in service and extensively researched colour profile illustrations depict the tank throughout its operational life. A large part of the book showcases available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined and provide everything the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of the Challenger 1.

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Book SynopsisOn June 25, 1950, the North Korean Army invaded South Korea. Among the US forces sent to South Korea was the 1st Marine Division. In September 1950, the Division audaciously landed deep behind enemy lines at Inchon port, throwing the North Korea Army into disarray. In November 1950, the Chinese Army invaded North Korea with eight divisions tasked with the destruction of the 1st Marine Division at the Chosin Reservoir. The Marines made a 78-mile fighting withdrawal in arctic conditions before being evacuated by the US Navy. In February 1951, the 1st Marine Division returned to combat assisting Eighth (US) Army to repulse five Chinese Army offensives over four months. By November 1951, the large-scale back and forth offensives operations by the opposing sides had ended, replaced by a stalemate which lasted until the 27 July, 1953 armistice. The bitter three-year conflict accounted for the death of 4,267 Marines with another 23,744 wounded. In classic Images of War style, expert author Michael Green describes the Marine Corps' outstanding contribution, organization, tactics, fighting doctrine and weaponry.

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Book SynopsisWhile the use of drones is now commonplace in modern warfare, it was in its infancy during the Vietnam War, not to mention revolutionary and top secret. Drones would play an important - and today largely unheralded - role in the bloody, two-decade US air war over Vietnam and surrounding countries in the 1960s and '70s. Drone aircraft spotted targets for manned US bombers, jammed North Vietnamese radars and scattered propaganda leaflets, among other missions. This book explores that obscure chapter of history. DRONE WAR: VIETNAM is based on military records, official histories and published first-hand accounts from early drone operators, as well as on a close survey of existing scholarship on the topic. In their fledgling efforts to send robots instead of human beings on the most dangerous aerial missions, US operators in South-East Asia in the 1960s and '70s wrote the first chapter in the continuing tale of autonomous warfare.

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Book SynopsisThe Potsdam Conference (officially known as the "Berlin Conference"), was held from 17 July to 2 August 1945 at Cecilienhof Palace, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm, in Brandenburg, and saw the leaders of the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States, gathered together to decide how to demilitarise, denazify, decentralise, and administer Germany, which had agreed to unconditional surrender on 8 May (VE Day). They determined that the remaining German populations in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary - both the ethnic (Sudeten) and the more recent arrivals (as part of the long-term plan for the domination of Eastern Europe) - should to be transferred to Germany, but despite an undertaking that these would be effected in an orderly and humane manner, the expulsions were carried out in a ruthless and often brutal manner. Land was seized with farms and houses expropriated; the occupants placed into camps prior to mass expulsion from the country. Many of these were labour camps already occupied by Jews who had survived the concentration camps, where they were equally unwelcome. Further cleansing was carried out in Romania and Yugoslavia, and by 1950, an estimated 11.5 million German people had been removed from Eastern Europe with up to three million dead. The number of ethnic Germans killed during the 'cleansing' period is suggested at 500,000, but in 1958, Statistisches Bundesamt (the Federal Statistical Office of Germany) published a report which gave the figure of 1.6 million relating to expulsion-related population losses in Poland alone. Further investigation may in due course provide a more accurate figure to avoid the accusation of sensationalism.

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Book SynopsisAs of October 1950, a quarter of a million Communist Chinese troops, in twenty-seven divisions, had poured across the Yalu River into North Korea, with the singular objective of forcing General Douglas MacArthur's United Nations troops back across the 38th Parallel and into the Sea of Japan. Shortly before midnight on 22 April 1951, to the west of the US Eighth Army's defensive front, the Chinese Sixty-third Army fell on the British 29th Brigade. On the left flank, the 1st Battalion, Gloucester Regiment ( Glosters') held a tenuous position at a ford on the Imjin River. Despite a gallant defence, the battalion was pushed back to make a desperate but futile stand on Hill 235\. On what became known as Glosters' Hill', the battalion ceased to exist. It was subsequently estimated that the attacking force of 27,000 Chinese troops suffered 10,000 casualties, forcing the Chinese army to be withdrawn from the front. From August 1951 to the summer of 1952, the USAF conducted Operation Strangle in a futile and costly attempt to disrupt Chinese supply routes. In the last two years of fighting, Communist Chinese and UN forces faced each other from well-entrenched positions in hilly terrain, where mapped hill numbers were contested. From June 1952 to March 1953, a series of five hard-fought engagements took place in central Korea as the antagonists sought ownership of Hill 266, commonly referred to as Old Baldy'. This was followed during April-July 1953 by two tactically pointless battles over Pork Chop Hill, in which the UN forces won the first battle and the Chinese the second, with both sides sustaining major casualties. On 27 July 1953, the two belligerents signed an armistice agreement, implementing a ceasefire that stands to this day. De facto, the Korean War has never ended.

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Book SynopsisThe combatants in the three Vietnam wars from 1945 to 1975 employed widely contrasting supply methods. This fascinating book reveals that basic traditional techniques proved superior to expensive state of the art systems. During the Indochina or French' war, France's initial use of wheeled transport and finally air supply proved vulnerable given the terrain, climate and communist adaptability . The colonial power gave up the unequal struggle after the catastrophic defeat at Dien Bien Phu. To stem the advance of Communism throughout the region, the Americans stepped in to support the pro-Western South Vietnam regime and threw vast quantities of manpower and money at the problem. The cost became increasingly unpopular at home. General Giap's and Ho Chi Minh's ruthless use of coolies most famously on the Ho Chi Minh Trail proved resistant to carpet-bombing and Agent Orange defoliation. The outcome of the final war between the Communist North Vietnam and the corrupt Southern leadership, now with minimal US support, was almost a forgone conclusion. The Author is superbly qualified to examine these three wars from the logistic perspective. His conclusions make for compelling reading and will be instructive to acting practitioners and enquiring minds.

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Book SynopsisProvides readers with a new, interesting way to study the impact of the Vietnam War on American history. Through in-depth analysis of important primary documents from 1956-1975, readers will gain new insight into the causes, issues and lasting effects of this pivotal time in American history.

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Book SynopsisCharged with monitoring the huge civilian press corps that descended on Hue during the Vietnam War's Tet offensive, US Army Captain George W. Smith witnessed firsthand a vicious twenty-five day battle. Smith recounts in harrowing detail the separate, poorly coordinated wars that were fought in the retaking of the Hue. Notably, he documents the little-known contributions of the South Vietnamese forces, who prevented the Citadel portion of the city from being overrun, and who then assisted the US Marine Corps in evicting the North Vietnamese Army. He also tells of the social and political upheaval in the city, reporting the execution of nearly 3,000 civilians by the NVA and the Vietcong. The tenacity of the NVA forces in Hue earned the respect of the troops on the field and triggered a sequence of attitudinal changes in the United States. It was those changes, Smith suggests, that eventually led to the US abandonment of the war.Trade ReviewMilitary history buffs will have a heyday with this account of the longest continuous battle in the Vietnam War.... Smith, who was stationed in Hue during the battle, provides an intensely realistic description of the horror of warfare and hand-to-hand combat. A riveting, first-person account of the pivotal 25-day 1968 Battle of Hue. Smith has put together a harrowing eyewitness account of the largest single engagement of the Vietnam War.... [It is] a disturbing and informative book that would be a welcome addition to any military library. Smith provides a sense of intimate knowledge as he outlines the desperate nature of the urban combat. His inclusion of South Vietnamese units and the description of the role played stands out in the reporting of the war. Table of Contents Next Stop Vietnam. The Lotus Flower. Staying Alive. To the Rescue. Help for the Citadel. Facing the Unknown. Total War. The Tide Turns. Live, From Hue. The Citadel. A Jump Start. Beginning of the End. Credit the ARVN. The Aftermath.

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Book SynopsisBetween 1964 and 1975, 2.6 million American personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, of whom an estimated 1-1.6 million actually fought in combat. At the tip of the spear were the infantry, the "grunts" who entered an extraordinary tropical combat zone completely alien to the world they had left behind in the United States. In South Vietnam, and occasionally spilling over into neighboring Laos and Cambodia, they fought a relentless counterinsurgency and conventional war against the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC). The terrain was as challenging as the enemy - soaring mountains or jungle-choked valleys; bleached, sandy coastal zones; major urban centers; riverine districts. Their opponents fought them with relentless and terrible ingenuity, on a daily basis with ambushes, booby traps, and mines, then occasionally with full-force offensives on a scale to rival the campaigns of World War II.This pocket manual draws its content not only from essential U.S. military field manuals of the Vietnam era, but also a vast collection of declassified primary documents, including rare after-action reports, intelligence analysis, first-hand accounts, and combat studies. Through these documents the pocket manual provides a deep insight into what it was like for infantry to live, survive, and fight in Vietnam, whether conducting a major airmobile search-and-destroy operation or conducting endless hot and humid small-unit patrols from jungle firebases. The book includes infantry intelligence documents about the NVA and VC threats, plus chapters explaining hard-won lessons about using weaponry, surviving and moving through the jungle, tactical maneuvers, and applications of the ubiquitous helicopter for combat and support.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Training 2. Kit, equipment and weaponry 3. The enemy 4. Tactics - Search-and-destroy and irregular warfare 5. Airmobile combat and air/fire support 6. Survival, escape, and evasion

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Book Synopsis1970 - the height of the Vietnam War. A group of young Forward Air Controllers based in Thailand are assigned with supporting the Truck War and the People's War in southern Laos, where the fate of the Vietnam War, and Laos' very future, is being decided.Tasked with shutting down the Ho Chi Minh Trail - the North Vietnamese supply lines running into South Vietnam - literally stopping the constant stream of trucks in their tracks, these American airmen, call sign "Nail," fly missions 24 hours a day. Daily they run the gauntlet of intense anti-aircraft fire to bring in accurate attacks by American fighter bombers. At night, streams of red tracers scream up from the ground, seeking the metallic flesh of their fragile craft. During the day, they search the skies for the telltale black puffs of smoke that reveal the self-destructive warheads of the North Vietnamese gunners. Even when tragedy befalls the group, they perserve with their mission. But will courage and dedication be enough?

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Book SynopsisPeter Clark's year in Vietnam began in July 1966, when he was shipped out with hundreds of other young recruits, as a replacement in the 1st Infantry Division. Clark was assigned to the Alpha Company. Clark gives a visceral, vivid and immediate account of life in the platoon, as he progresses from green recruit to seasoned soldier over the course of a year in the complexities of the Vietnamese conflict.Clark gradually learns the techniques developed by US troops to cope with the daily horrors they encountered, the technical skills needed to fight and survive, and how to deal with the awful reality of civilian casualties. Fighting aside, it rained almost every day and insect bites constantly plagued the soldiers as they moved through dense jungle, muddy rice paddy and sandy roads. From the food they ate (largely canned meatballs, beans and potatoes) to the inventive ways they managed to shower, every aspect of the platoon's lives is explored in this revealing book. The troops even managed to fit in some R&Rwhilst off-duty in the bars of Tokyo.Alpha One Sixteen follows Clark as he discovers how to cope with the vagaries of the enemy and the daily confusion the troops faced in distinguishing combatants from civilians. The Viet Cong were a largely unseen enemy who fought a guerrilla war, setting traps and landmines everywhere. Clark's vigilance develops as he gets used to 'living in mortal terror,' which a brush with death in a particularly terrifying fire fight does nothing to dispel. As he continues his journey, he chronicles those less fortunate; the heavy toll being taken all round him is powerfully described at the end of each chapter.

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Book SynopsisIn 1982, the United Kingdom and Argentina fought a war over an historical disagreement over the colonial 'ownership' or rights over the Falkland Islands. Within months of the Argentinian defeat, General Edgardo Calvi, then the Argentine Head of the Army Joint Chief of Staff, was instructed to undertake a wide-ranging and formal inquiry to investigate the performance of the Argentine Army during the Falklands.Calvi concluded that while the Army had the motivation, it lacked the organisation, equipment, training, and ability to oppose an army capable of operating in a variety of environments. The war exposed political, military, and public weaknesses in a period of considerable internal unrest during the seven years of the Dirty War. Several senior officers who fought in the Falklands were imprisoned for offenses committed during the Dirty War. Secrecy and political disagreements isolated the Service chiefs of staff from the logistic and operational planning. This book tells the story of the Falklands War from the Argentine Army perspective, written by a British soldier who served there in collaboration with Argentine historians and veterans. It adds an illuminating perspective on this conflict whose impact is still felt 40 years on.

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Book SynopsisThe Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) was a highly classified, multi-service United States Special Forces unit which conducted covert unconventional warfare operations prior to and during the Vietnam War. The unit conducted strategic reconnaissance missions in South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia; carried out the capture of enemy prisoners, rescued downed pilots, and conducted rescue operations to retrieve allied prisoners of war throughout Southeast Asia; and conducted clandestine agent team activities and psychological operations.This book tells the story of the Teams operating out of FOB2 Kontum, near the tri-border area, in 1968–69. From recon missions over the fence to the heroic, and sometimes fatal efforts undertaken to try and rescue missing SOG members, the events are told through the words of the men themselves, supported by previously unreleased official documents.Trade ReviewEvery one of the personnel mentioned in SOG Kontum is a hero. The book also provides a list of medals/decorations awarded after some missions described, but the awards are only a footnote to the highly engaging narrative. The men of SOG-MACV fought for each other, not for the awards or glory. * On Point: The Journal of Army History *This book is a very moving tribute to the heroism of the top-secret unit based on research and oral histories gathered from SOG veterans themselves. . . [A] powerful sense of sacrifice permeates the book and makes it profound and unique—especially when one considers the void of secrecy in which SOG existed. * Vietnam Magazine *The format of the book works well. The move from one eyewitness account to the next is seamless . … [A] tribute to the SOG personnel and to the helicopter crews who risked their lives picking up endangered units * The VVA Veteran *Table of ContentsRoad Mining Mission with Tony Love Kedenburg Loss Tony Love - Bob Barnes Duffield - RT Hawaii Hunt and Love - Wolfkeil Grommett - Tho wounded Bryant Bright Light Dennis Mack Ghost Helo SOG SLAM VII w/Jaeger comments Last Days SOG SLAM VII Russian Helo Scherdin-Jerson Loss- Huey Crash with RT-Vermont Insertion Attempt RT-Iowa HP Recon in Force Goulet-Cadenbach; Insert RT-NM Insert HP - Hill 1152 Attack on FOB - March 2 Loss of Ripanti Operation Nightcap Attack on 'Yard camp Operation Spindown

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Book SynopsisCodenamed Operation Telic, the British component of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was the largest gathering of British troops since the Second World War. Whilst the British public prepared for the worst as its soldiers were facing weapons of mass destruction, most servicemen and women were under no illusion that they were invading Iraq to rid the people of Saddam Hussein.While much has been said about WMD and Tony Blair’s government, not nearly enough has been heard from those men and women that took part in Operation Telic. Based upon dozens of veteran interviews, personal diaries and archival material, this book tells their stories, in their own words.From controlling the vast Allied Air Forces at 34,000 feet in an AWACS plane down to submariners beneath the warm waves of the Persian Gulf firing Tomahawk Cruise missiles, from the steaming hot turret of a Challenger Tank as it is peppered with RPGs, to being on your belly in a sandstorm disarming unexploded bombs face=Calibri>– these veteran accounts cover the whole spectrum of experiences.Polarised public opinion and the post-war media portrayal of the war has detracted from what was achieved by these forces, when tasked to do so, often with insufficient or inadequate resources. These are their stories of courage, fortitude, pride, and brotherhood amidst the harsh realities of modern asymmetric warfare.Trade Review[A] fascinating contribution to our understanding of the Iraq War. * Midwest Book Review *There are dozens of books about the U.S. involvement in Iraq but very few about what the British experience so Burning Horizon helps fill in that part of the history. Basing it upon first-hand accounts also makes it much more engaging than your usual military account. * Musings on Iraq *This is an important book. . . . Burning Horizon is unofficial history; detailed, confused and unadulterated. It is probably too much to hope, as Peter Caddick-Adams alludes in his fine foreword, that an official campaign history is in the offing. In the meantime this book will keep memories alive. * Military Historical Society Bulletin *In these detailed and compelling recollections of British soldiers at the very start of the Iraq war in 2003, Julian Whippy not only captures the chaos of those earliest days of the war but also how the UK military stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the US as they have done so often and for so many years. Burning Horizon reminds us how British and American servicemen and women train together, learn together, and, when called upon, fight together to defeat threats to our common values. * General James N. Mattis, US Marine Corps (retired) *Table of ContentsOrder of Battle Introduction Chapter 1. 9/11 and all that Chapter 2. The Brown envelope Chapter 3. On the Bus Chapter 4. SCUDs, Goolies and Gold Chapter 5. Zero hour Chapter 6. Breaching the berms Chapter 7. Danger: UXB Chapter 8. Caveman and Bondo Chapter 9. Hackles raised Chapter 10. Here come the Cavalry Chapter 11. Major Combat Operations cease Chapter 12. Going home The Veterans – where are they now Glossary Bibliography Index

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