Military History Books

Book SynopsisThis is a comparative study of the fighting systems of the British and German armies in The Great War. Taking issue with revisionist historians, Samuels argues that German success in battle can be explained by their superior tactical philosophy. The book provides a fascinating insight into the development of infantry tactics at a seminal point in the history of warfare.Table of ContentsStand To!- "This is an interesting book, offering some challenging ideas."Candian Military History- " Martin Samuels has written what might be a rather controversial text"Victorian Studies- " a wonderful analysis of German and British doctrines ...Well done!"Journal of Strategic Studies - " a useful comparative study"Marine Corps Gazette- " Martin Samuels...is perhaps the most promising military historian to come out of a British university in a generation...He provides essential background, not only on the ways that expeditionary warfare forces can learn from other sorts of military organisations, but also about the difficulty of transplanting concepts and practices from one military culture into another"International History Review- " Martin Samuels has written a remarkably good book in comparing the evolution of British and German ideas on warfare before and during the First World War...His book is an exhaustively researched and original look at how two armies struggled with situations that were entirely new to them...Samuels"s book is, therefore, required reading for all interested in First World War history."British Army Review -" it is a compelling read and an important work on the development of manoeuvre warfare techniques

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1944, Enemy Coast Ahead combines Guy Gibson''s RAF career, including the famous Dambuster raid which he himself led, with the inside story of life in RAF Bomber Command and is still a riveting read for the immediacy and vibrancy of its writing.And yet, what has not been widely known is that the published edition of Enemy Coast Ahead was carefully cut by wartime censors.Now, Gibson''s original manuscript, which was archived for almost 75 years, has been be brought to light. This uncut edition provides not only previously unpublished details of Gibson''s career, but also reveals his true view of the course of the war, of the wartime population, of his pilots and crews and of Bomber Command tactics. Combined with newly added photographs and diagrams Enemy Coast Ahead - Uncensored remains one of the outstanding accounts of WWII seen through the eyes of one of its most respected and controversial personalities, but now allows the reader to know Gibson''s own story in his

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Book SynopsisCommemorating its 80th anniversary, this book tells the full story of a crucial late campaign in the Second World War. Drawing on a variety of sources, the authors shine a light on an area that General Eisenhower said 'experienced some of the fiercest fighting of the whole war'.

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Book SynopsisThe US Navy's 1944 Philippines raids were the first time naval aircraft had challenged and beaten a land-based air force. With artwork and rare photos, this is the first book to study them. During September 1944, the US Navy's Task Force 38 launched a series of huge airstrikes against Japanese forces in the Philippines. Seventeen carriers, wielding over 1,000 combat aircraft, made up the most powerful naval fleet assembled to date. It was the first time aircraft carriers had dared to confront a major land-based air force. Over a period of two weeks, TF 38 demonstrated the power and mobility of the Fast Carrier Task Force. The strike forces claimed 368 Japanese aircraft shot down and 446 destroyed on the ground, with over a hundred ships destroyed and significant damage to ground installations.This book is the first to focus on the campaign, and is illustrated with archive photos, original artwork, maps and 3D diagrams. Renowned Pacific War historian Edward M.

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Book SynopsisA powerful and intensely moving memoir by an NHS surgeon who volunteered in war zones, operating under the most extreme circumstances.‘Brave, compassionate and inspiring – it left me in floods of tears’ – Adam Kay, author of This Is Going to HurtFor more than twenty-five years, David Nott has taken unpaid leave from his job as a general and vascular surgeon with the NHS to volunteer in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones. From Sarajevo under siege in 1993, to clandestine hospitals in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, he has carried out life-saving operations and field surgery in the most challenging conditions, and with none of the resources of a major London teaching hospital. The conflicts he has worked in form a chronology of twenty-first-century combat: Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Darfur, Congo, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Gaza and Syria. But he has also volunteered in areas blighted by natural disasters, such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Nepal. Driven both by compassion and passion, the desire to help others and the thrill of extreme personal danger, he is now widely acknowledged to be the most experienced trauma surgeon in the world. But as time went on, David Nott began to realize that flying into a catastrophe – whether war or natural disaster – was not enough. Doctors on the ground needed to learn how to treat the appalling injuries that war inflicts upon its victims. Since 2015, the foundation he set up with his wife, Elly, has disseminated the knowledge he has gained, training other doctors in the art of saving lives threatened by bombs and bullets.War Doctor is his extraordinary story.'One of the most brutally vivid evocations of modern warfare that you will read . . . superb, unforgettable, simply written and painfully clear' – Sunday TimesTrade ReviewDavid Nott is brave, compassionate and inspiring - War Doctor is all of those things and more: a wonderful book that has left me in floods of tears. He needs a knighthood and his book needs to be in every house. -- Adam Kay, author of This Is Going to HurtIncredible non-fiction filled with so much humanity. You will never forget these stories. -- Joanna Cannon, bestselling author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep and Three Things About ElsieSo powerful and honest. Extraordinary. -- Elizabeth Buchan, author of The New Mrs Clifton and I Can't Begin to Tell YouOne of the most brutally vivid evocations of modern warfare that you will read . . . superb, unforgettable, simply written and painfully clear . . . You are constantly amazed that men such as Nott can witness the extraordinary cruelties of the human race, so many and so foul, yet keep going. Be warned: this is a powerful but often traumatic read. * Sunday Times *A triumph: a love letter to surgery, and to helping others in extremis. Reading it is much like being taken apart and put together again in a fascinating way. It reveals a fascinating man whose life is a lesson in what good you can do with privilege . . . I spent the entire time wishing that David Nott would become our prime minister . . . This book is neither tidy, nor easy, yet it is so important. War Doctor is a reminder that we are all in this together, and that ordinary people can do extraordinary things -- Christie Watson * Daily Telegraph *Riveting . . . Nott is no ordinary doctor, as this dramatic telling of his extraordinary life makes clear -- Ian Birrell * The Times *As a surgeon myself, I can only look on what he has achieved with complete awe, overwhelmed by his heroism and compassion as much as by the world’s cruelty -- Henry Marsh, author of Do No Harm * New Statesman *His stories of courage and compassion in the face of seemingly certain death are breathtaking . . . If a film about his life isn't already in development, someone's missing a trick -- Fiona Sturges * The Guardian *A devastating account of two decades volunteering his services to some of the world's most dangerous places -- Helen Brown * Daily Mail *A stand out memoir by a vascular surgeon in the NHS who volunteered for more than twenty years in war zones. * Daily Record *Extraordinary * Independent *Not only a vivid, stirring and shocking account of the two months each year that the London-based consultant NHS surgeon has spent saving lives in warzones and disasters . . . It's also a love story. It's the tale of a man driven to seek out extreme situations and trying to repair the horrible damage that men inflict on other men, women and children. -- Nick Curtis * Radio Times *An unflinching, powerful and deeply compassionate story about pockets of humanity found in the midst of terrible atrocities. -- Hannah Beckerman * Sunday Express *This is a book of extraordinary honesty . . . enlightening, sobering, compelling. It is a marvellous read, and education in itself -- Pat Ashworth * Church Times *Nott remains an important witness to the haunting human price of that modern triad: geopolitical instability, poor governance and ever more powerful weaponry * Nature *An unflinching, unrelenting memoir . . . [David] has saved thousands of people across the world, but he is not one to make a big deal of it. There was no ego to find with a man who has been dubbed in the press as “surgery’s Indiana Jones”. -- Chris Pyke * South Wales Evening Post *Table of ContentsSection - i: Preface Chapter - 1: The Bomb Factory Chapter - 2: Two Epiphanies Chapter - 3: Welcome to Sarajevo Chapter - 4: Damage Control Chapter - 5: Under African Skies Chapter - 6: Flying In Chapter - 7: Trauma School Chapter - 8: Return to Syria Chapter - 9: Sniper City Chapter - 10: Lifeline Chapter - 11: The Razor's Edge Chapter - 12: Physician, Heal Thyself Chapter - 13: Escape from Aleppo Section - ii: Afterword by Eleanor Nott Acknowledgements - iii: Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisAdam Zamoyski’s bestselling account of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia and his catastrophic retreat from Moscow, events that had a profound effect on European history.Trade Review‘So brilliant that it is impossible to put the book aside … A master craftsman at work.’ Michael Burleigh, Sunday Times ‘Zamoyski’s book is a brilliant piece of narrative history, full of sparkling set-pieces, a wholly fascinating account of what must be reckoned one of the greatest military disasters of all time.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘No review can do justice to the scholarly integrity and human sensitivity of this book, or to the horror is describes … “1812” is one of the greatest stories ever told.’ Christopher Woodward, Spectator ‘An utterly admirable book. It combines clarity of thought and prose with a strong narrative drive.’ Daily Telegraph ‘A gripping tale.’ Economist ‘The best non-fiction version to be written so far … Zamoyski is brilliant at explaining what it must have been like to be a foot soldier.’ Mail on Sunday

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Book SynopsisThis instant Sunday Times bestseller tells the story of two fighter pilots whose remarkable encounter during the Second World War became the stuff of legend.Five days before Christmas 1943, a badly damaged American bomber struggled to fly over wartime Germany. At its controls was a twenty-one-year-old pilot. Half his crew lay wounded or dead. Suddenly a German Messerschmitt fighter pulled up on the bomber's tail - the German pilot was an ace, a man able to destroy the American bomber with the squeeze of a trigger. This is the true story of the two pilots whose lives collided in the skies that day - the American - 2nd Lieutenant Charlie Brown and the German - 2nd Lieutenant Franz Stigler.A Higher Call follows both Charlie and Franz's harrowing missions and gives a dramatic account of the moment when they would stare across the frozen skies at one another. What happened between them, the American 8th Air Force would later classify as 'top secret'. It was an act that Franz could never mention or else face a firing squad. It was the encounter that would haunt both Charlie and Franz for forty years until, as old men, they would seek out one another and reunite.Trade ReviewWell worth reading... A Higher Call pounds along with the all-action rhythm its genre seems to demand, but still manages to rescue the idea of German chivalry from cliché... A Higher Call is deeply felt by its author and deeply affecting to read. Apparently humans react more sentimentally to films and books consumed on aeroplanes than on the ground. I read this at 30,000ft... but I suspect it would have ambushed my emotions anywhere. -- Giles Whittle * The Times *A truly awe inspiring story of wartime chivalry -- Tony Rennell * Daily Mail *A riveting story of humanity and mercy set against the ghastly backdrop of war * Publishers Weekly *A remarkable story... Brown and Stigler, former enemies who became friends, died within months of each other in 2008. Their story is worth retelling and celebrating. * USA Today *

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Book SynopsisDan Jones narrates in his inimitably vivid and authoritative fashion the remarkable story of the Knights Templar. 'Exhilarating, epic, sword-swinging history' TLS 'Jones is certainly an entertainer, but also a fine historian who knows how to render serious scholarship into accessible prose' The Times 'Another triumphant tale from a historian who writes as addictively as any page-turning novelist' Observer ‘When it comes to rip-roaring medieval narratives, Jones has few peers, and in the Templars he finds the perfect subject' Sunday Times The Knights Templar were the wealthiest, most powerful – and most secretive – of the military orders that flourished in the crusading era. Their story – encompassing as it does the greatest international conflict of the Middle Ages, a network of international finance, a swift rise in wealth and influence followed by a bloody and humiliating fall – has left a comet's tail of mystery that continues to fascinate and inspire historians, novelists and conspiracy theorists.Trade ReviewExhilarating, epic, sword-swinging history... A skilful storyteller [...] he enlivens the narrative with bloodcurdling details and arresting turns of phrase... There is also fine scholarly intuition' * TLS *Told with all Jones's usual verve and panache, this is a dramatic and gripping tale of courage and stupidity, faith and betrayal * Mail on Sunday *Jones is certainly an entertainer, but also a fine historian who knows how to render serious scholarship into accessible prose * The Times *Another triumphant tale from a historian who writes as addictively as any page-turning novelist * Observer *When it comes to rip-roaring medieval narratives, Jones has few peers, and in the Templars he finds the perfect subject * Sunday Times *A fresh, muscular and compelling history of the ultimate military-religious crusading order, combining sensible scholarship with narrative swagger, featuring a cast of exuberantly monstrous sword-swingers spattering Christian and Islamic blood from Spain to Jerusalem -- Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem: The BiographyThe story of the Templars, the ultimate holy warriors, is an extraordinary saga of fanaticism, bravery, treachery and betrayal, and in Dan Jones they have a worthy chronicler. The Templars is a wonderful book! -- Bernard Cornwall, author of The Last KingdomSnappy, well-paced... The author's ambition, he says, is to tell the story of the Templars in a straightforward way and "to write a book that will entertain as well as inform". He has done precisely that' * Daily Telegraph *Full of tales of bloodshed, bravery and betrayal, this is a passionate guide to the unstoppable rise and spectacular fall of the poster boys of the Middle Ages * The Tablet, Books of the Year *[The Templars'] colourful story is grippingly told by the excellent Dan Jones * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisEach autumn, a small red flower begins to appear. It flourishes ata time when others do not. But what does it mean? And why do peoplewear it?Stunningly illustrated, Tomos Roberts' moving poem will help anyonehoping to better understand the meaning of the poppy.Ù0.50 fromeach copy sold goes to support the Royal British Legion.

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Book SynopsisAs gripping as any spy thriller, Hastings's achievement is especially impressive, for he has produced the best single volume yet written on the subject' Sunday TimesAuthoritative, exciting and notably well written' Daily TelegraphA serious work of rigourous and comprehensive history royally entertaining and readable' Mail on SundayIn The Secret War, Max Hastings presents a worldwide cast of characters and extraordinary sagas of intelligence and Resistance to create a new perspective on the greatest conflict in history. The book links tales of high courage ashore, at sea and in the air to the work of the brilliant boffins' battling the enemy's technology. Here are not only the unheralded codebreaking geniuses of Bletchley Park, but also their German counterparts who achieved their own triumphs and the fabulous espionage networks created, and so often spurned, by the Soviet Union. With its stories of high policy and human drama, the book has been acclaimed as the best history of the secTrade Review‘As gripping as any spy thriller. Hastings understands, better than any previous historian, that this is as much a story about human nature as it is about the mechanics of code-breaking or spycraft … he has the novelist’s eye for the telling detail … this book works because Hastings is simply a very fine writer who is not afraid of making judgements … Hastings’s achievement is especially impressive, for he has produced the best single volume yet written on the subject’ Lawrence Rees, Sunday Times ‘A total thriller with a full cast of killers, swashbucklers and beautiful adventuresses. The best history of war intelligence yet’ Simon Sebag Montefiore ‘This is his war and he writes with an easy assurance, scatter-gunning opinions … Hastings is on form. He has set out to provide thought and discussion and, with his familiar robustness, shotgun at side, he has succeeded’ The Times ‘Authoritative, exciting and notably well written’ Daily Telegraph ‘A serious work of rigorous and comprehensive history … royally entertaining and readable’ Mail on Sunday ‘Vintage Hastings: a vivid cast of characters, social observation and opinions forcefully expressed … Given the national fixation with spies and special forces, Hastings’s book is a very necessary corrective’ Evening Standard ‘Lively and entertaining … a rich gallery of rogues, eccentrics and brainstorming professors which … Hastings can manipulate with wonderful deftness’ Observer ‘A compendious, crisply argued and witty assessment’ Financial Times ‘[Hastings] writes with infectious relish … a magnificent parade of crooks, alcoholics and fantasists … [he] has drawn fascinating fresh material … A book that pulses along, yet is filled with acute insight into human ingenuity, frailty, and the ironies of evil’ Spectator ‘Magisterial … an author at the top of his game’ Country Life ‘Hastings deploys a formidable arsenal to tell his human stories, plus a refreshing degree of scepticism’ Daily Telegraph

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Book Synopsis''A magnificent story, brilliantly told. Read it!'' ANTHONY HOROWITZSIX GENTLEMEN, ONE GOAL - THE DESTRUCTION OF HITLER''S WAR MACHINE.In the spring of 1939, a top secret organisation was founded in London: its purpose was to plot the destruction of Hitler''s war machine through spectacular acts of sabotage. The guerrilla campaign that followed was to prove every bit as extraordinary as the six gentlemen who directed it. One of them, Cecil Clarke, was a maverick engineer who invented a lethal bomb. Another, William Fairbairn, was the world''s leading expert in silent killing. Led by dapper Scotsman Colin Gubbins, and aided by a group of formidable women, these six men and their sabotage attacks single-handedly changed the course of the war.''Terrific . . . a great read'' IAN HISLOP''Could not be faster-moving or more exciting'' LITERARY REVIEWPreviously published in hardback as The MiTrade Review[A] wonderful book . . . A fascinating and lively account . . . Milton writes with a pace and panache suitable to the subject * The Times *[A] wonderful book . . . A fascinating and lively account . . . Milton writes with a pace and panache suitable to the subject * The Times *[A] wonderful book . . . A fascinating and lively account . . . Milton writes with a pace and panache suitable to the subject * The Times *What sets Milton's work apart from other recounting is his behind-the-scenes access to the stories of the small group of men who put their minds to creating new ways to wage war * The Spectator *What sets Milton's work apart from other recounting is his behind-the-scenes access to the stories of the small group of men who put their minds to creating new ways to wage war * The Spectator *What sets Milton's work apart from other recounting is his behind-the-scenes access to the stories of the small group of men who put their minds to creating new ways to wage war * The Spectator *Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller . . . a fascinating account of England's top-secret operatives who designed and deployed the chilling but effective weapons of clandestine warfare * USA Today *Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller . . . a fascinating account of England's top-secret operatives who designed and deployed the chilling but effective weapons of clandestine warfare * USA Today *Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller . . . a fascinating account of England's top-secret operatives who designed and deployed the chilling but effective weapons of clandestine warfare * USA Today *Milton is a first-rate storyteller . . . a rousing account - and celebration - of most insidious heroes * Wall Street Journal *Milton is a first-rate storyteller . . . a rousing account - and celebration - of most insidious heroes * Wall Street Journal *Milton is a first-rate storyteller . . . a rousing account - and celebration - of most insidious heroes * Wall Street Journal *[Giles Milton] writes with relish about the eccentrics who dreamed up the likes of anti-tank 'sticky bombs' while the adventures he describes could not be faster-moving or more exciting * Literary Review *[Giles Milton] writes with relish about the eccentrics who dreamed up the likes of anti-tank 'sticky bombs' while the adventures he describes could not be faster-moving or more exciting * Literary Review *[Giles Milton] writes with relish about the eccentrics who dreamed up the likes of anti-tank 'sticky bombs' while the adventures he describes could not be faster-moving or more exciting * Literary Review *This account of dirty bombs and derring-do rattles along with the pace of a spy novel * Daily Express *This account of dirty bombs and derring-do rattles along with the pace of a spy novel * Daily Express *This account of dirty bombs and derring-do rattles along with the pace of a spy novel * Daily Express *A magnificent story, brilliantly told. Read it! * Anthony Horowitz *A magnificent story, brilliantly told. Read it! * Anthony Horowitz *A magnificent story, brilliantly told. Read it! * Anthony Horowitz *Terrific . . . a great read * Ian Hislop *Terrific . . . a great read * Ian Hislop *Terrific . . . a great read * Ian Hislop *

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Book Synopsis70th Anniversary Edition with a New Foreword by Sunday Times Bestselling Author Simon Sebag Montefiore''A classic'' Observer ''A legend'' Washington Post ''The best book you will read this year'' Colonel Tim CollinsPosted to Moscow as a young diplomat before the Second World War, Fitzroy Maclean travelled widely, with or without permission, in some of the wildest and remotest parts of the Soviet Union, then virtually closed to foreigners. In 1942 he fought as a founder member of the SAS in North Africa. There Maclean specialised in hair-raising commando raids behind enemy lines, including the daring and outrageous kidnapping of the German Consul in Axis-controlled Iraq. In 1943 he parachuted into German-occupied Yugoslavia as Winston Churchill''s personal representative to Josip Broz Tito and remained there until 1945, all enemy attempts to capture him proving unsuccessful.Eastern Approaches is Maclean''s classic, grippingTrade ReviewOne of the bravest men in the British army, and one of the funniestAn absorbing mixture of military adventure, political judgement, urbane wit, cool humour and surprising incidentA man of daring character

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES NON FICTION BESTSELLER WHSmith NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018'The best book you will ever read about Britain's greatest warplane' Patrick Bishop, bestselling author of Fighter Boys‘A rich and heartfelt tribute to this most iconic British machine’ Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 607 'As the RAF marks its centenary, Nichol has created a thrilling and often moving tribute to some of its greatest heroes' Mail on Sunday magazine  The iconic Spitfire found fame during the darkest early days of World War II. But what happened to the redoubtable fighter and its crews beyond the Battle of Britain, and why is it still so loved today? In late spring 1940, Nazi Germany’s domination of Europe had looked unstoppable. With the British Isles in easy reach since the fall of France, Adolf Hitler Trade Review‘A rich and heartfelt tribute to this most iconic British machine. By focussing on the men (and women) who flew the Spitfire, John Nichol has brought a fresh and powerful perspective to the story. And by recording their bravery, humility, camaraderie, tragedy and sheer joy in flying their beloved Spits he has done them - and us - a valuable service’ -- Rowland White - author of Vulcan 607'The best book you will ever read about Britain's greatest warplane.' -- Patrick Bishop, bestselling author of Fighter Boys'As the RAF marks its centenary, Nichol has created a thrilling and often moving tribute to some of its greatest heroes.' -- Jon Dennis * Mail on Sunday magazine *'A stirring portrait of a piece of aviation art in motion flown by the bravest of the brave. Nichol's Spitfire is still a sky-borne prima ballerina that kicks like Bruce Lee.' * RAF News *'A superb and compelling book. Brilliantly written with some incredible and astonishing stories; it is gripping, moving, emotional and sometimes humorous – just perfect' -- Squadron Leader (Ret) Clive Rowley, former Officer Commanding RAF Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight'A superb journey through the remarkable tale of that British icon, the Spitfire. Brilliantly and engagingly written, this is the most readable story of the aircraft and her pilots that I have ever had the pleasure to read in a period spanning some forty-odd years of personal study and research. Truly stunning.' -- Andy Saunders, Editor * Britain at War Magazine *‘It packs such an emotional punch. If you don't believe an object can bring you to tears and instil such passion - read this book, it will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.’ -- Stephen McEntee, WHSmith non-fiction buyer'A rich tribute to Britain's greatest warplane' * Sunday Times Culture *

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Book SynopsisFollowing Roman Heavy Cavalry (1) on the earlier centuries, this book explains and illustrates the armor, weapons, organization, and deployment of elite heavy armored cavalry units during their long history in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.In the twilight of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th6th centuries, the elite of the field armies was the heavy armored cavalrythe cataphracts, clad in lamellar, scale, mail, and padded fabric armor. After the fall of the West, the Greek-speaking Eastern or Byzantine Empire survived for nearly a thousand years, and cavalry remained predominant in its armies, with the heaviest armored regiments continuing to provide the ultimate shock-force in battle. Accounts from Muslim chroniclers show that the ironclad cataphract on his armored horse was an awe-inspiring enemy: ...they advanced against you, iron-coveredone would have said that they advanced on horses which seemed to have no legs. The heavy uniTable of ContentsIntroduction Select Chronology Heavy Armoured Cavalry in the Eastern Roman Army Organization & Units Formation & Tactics Weapons & Armour Horses Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAn detailed illustrated exploration of the Japanese raid into the Indian Ocean in April 1942 one of the largest operations conducted by the Imperial Navy during the war.In the wake of Japan's conquest of Burma in early 1942, plans were formed by the Imperial high command to capture Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka) to consolidate Japan's defensive perimeter and disrupt British shipping lanes to India, Australia, and the Middle East. The Imperial Japanese Army, however, could not release sufficient troops for an invasion, and so in response the Japanese Navy developed Operation C, an aggressive raid by the Combined Fleet into the Indian Ocean. The key objective was to destroy the British Eastern Fleet in port.Expert naval historian Mark Stille documents the high point of Japanese naval air power as its carriers struck Ceylon the heart of British naval power in the East sinking several Allied ships. He describes the Allied air attempts to destroy Admiral Chuichi NaTable of ContentsORIGINS OF THE CAMPAIGN CHRONOLOGY OPPOSING COMMANDERS Japanese British OPPOSING FORCES Japanese British Orders of Battle OPPOSING PLANS Japanese British THE CAMPAIGN Opening Japanese Moves The Invasion of the Andaman Island The Striking Force Enters the Indian Ocean Somerville’s Manoeuvring The Striking Force is Detected The Attack on Colombo The Death of Cornwall and Dorsetshire Shadow Boxing Between 5 and 9 April The Attack on Trincomalee Operations of the Malaya Unit Striking Force Japanese Submarine Operations Operation C – the Final Accounting AFTERMATH FURTHER READING INDEX

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated exploration of the development, technology and operations of Wilde Sau fighters in the night skies over Germany during the Defence of the Reich.In July 1943, the Nachtjagdverband's defence of Germany from the RAF's increasingly effective night bombing campaign was nearly brought to a standstill. Window' strips of paper with aluminium foil covering one side had been introduced, dropped by bombers to jam German radar. Fortunately for the Luftwaffe, the Wilde Sau concept of defending point targets using single-engined fighters was already in existence, and would become the cornerstone of the night defence of Germany during the summer and autumn of 1943. In this new study, Martin Streetly details the origins, tactics and implementation of Wilde Sau, exploring its successes and failures through the experiences of pilots who flew Bf 109s, Fw 190s and Me 262s into combat against Lancaster and Halifax heavy bombers. First-h

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Book SynopsisOperation Market Garden was Major Digby Tatham Warter’s first action. As the OC of ‘A’ Company, 2 Para, he led the advance to the Arnhem road bridge, brushing aside German resistance to reach the objective. Over the course of the next four days, Digby - a well-known eccentric - enhanced his reputation further by displaying solid leadership and a fearlessness that left everyone who witnesses it in awe. Picking up an umbrella and bowler hat from one of the houses, Tatham Warter strolled around the perimeter oblivious to shot and shell, instilling confidence in his men and inspiring them to battle on in the face of overwhelming odds. Wounded and captured at the battle’s end, Digby escaped and linked up with the Dutch Resistance. For weeks he strutted around the area disguised as a deaf and dumb Dutchman to fool the Germans. He collected over hundred paratroopers (‘evaders’) and forged a plan to lead them through enemy lines to safety. His post-war years are just as exciting. This is his story.Table of ContentsForeword; Preface; Author Notes; Acknowledgements; 1 Family; 2 Military Life, 3 Siblings go to War; 4 North Africa; 5 The Airborne; 6 Bitter Disappointment; 7 Sunday 17 September 1944; 8 Monday 18 September 1944; 9 Tuesday 19 September 1944; 10 Wednesday 20 September 1944; 11 Escape and Evasion; 12 The Deaf and Dumb Son of a Lawyer; 13 Developing Plans; 14 A Golden Opportunity; 15 Post-Arnhem; 16 A New Beginning and the Mau Mau; 17 Life in Kenya; 18 A Bridge Too Far; 19 Later Life; Appendix I: Digby Tatham Warter’s Report; Appendix II: Digby Tatham Warter Evasion Report; Appendix III: David Dobie Report; Endnotes; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisHas any war in history gone according to plan? Monarchs, autocrats and elected leaders alike have a dismal record on launching and prosecuting wars. From pursuing over- ambitious goals, to making decisions without considering intelligence, terrain, morale or the enemy's capabilities, they have all erred. This not only wastes the lives of civilians, the enemy and one's own soldiers, but also means a failure to accomplish your objectives. Conflict scholar and former soldier Mike Martin takes the reader through the hard, elegant logic of how to fight an interstate war on land, including the factors that are often overlooked: the importance of psychology, training, getting the logistics right, and maintaining your esprit de corps. He then explains how to orchestrate the building blocks of military force--from infantry, artillery and air support, to information and cyber warfare-- in order to prevail over your adversary. 'How to Fight a War' explains in cool and precise prose the art of using extreme violence to convince your enemy that they should submit. It should be read by everyone who seeks to understand today's conflicts and those to come--and by all those who wish to lead us through the next decade of wars.Trade Review'Colourful, punchy, admirably challenging and clear--essential reading for every soldier, officer and General.' -- General Sir Patrick Sanders, Chief of the General Staff, British Army; 'War is abhorrent and complicated. But it is also human. In this easy-to-read book Mike Martin strips away much of its technical characteristics and reminds us that war is determined by some basic tenets that only a fool ignores. How to Fight a War is for statesmen, diplomats and generals to keep by their side when conflict beckons.' -- General Douglas Chalmers (CB, DSO, OBE) Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, 2018-2021; Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge University

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Book SynopsisA fascinating analysis of the World War II battle between Great Britain and France to ensure French ships were kept out of German hands during World War II. Following France''s armistice with the Axis powers, Great Britain realized that if Germany or Italy insisted upon the transfer of battleships, cruisers, and destroyers from the French Navy to the control of their own navies, the balance in the Mediterranean would immediately swing in their favour. Churchill decided that the Marine Nationale''s most powerful vessels would need to be secured through diplomacy, coercion, or force. The French Navy commander-in-chief was equally eager to keep their ships out of Axis hands, but he also did not want the British to have them. These increasingly hostile circumstances led to Operation Catapult, which began on 3 July 1940, and saw the two nations battle for the ships. Expert naval historian Ryan Noppen analyses the Royal Navy Operation Catapult at Mers

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Book SynopsisA new history and analysis of the German and Soviet tank forces that battled on eastern German soil in the final months of World War II.The final months of World War II on the Eastern Front saw the Wehrmacht fighting with exhausted armoured divisions, albeit now armed with the most advanced and heaviest tanks of the war, to slow the Soviet advance. The Red Army meanwhile was rolling relentlessly westwards, with its own highly developed tank forces now equipped with T34/85s and the huge IS-2 heavy tanks, intent on taking Berlin and as much German territory as possible.This book is a history and analysis of the state of these two mighty armoured forces, as their battles decided the fate of Germany. It covers their initial encounters on the German frontier in 1944 (East Prussia), the fighting of the Oder-Vistula offensive in January 1945 and describes the condition of the German tank forces and their Hungarian allies as they were beaten back. It also considers the huge impact of ThTrade ReviewPhotos show tanks and AFVs in various campaign locations, and top-notch artwork by Felipe Rodriguez. Recommended. -- John Ham * Tankette *It is another worthy addition to this series and fans of Zaloga’s previous works will not be disappointed. * The Aviation Historian *Table of Contents(Subject to confirmation) Introduction The Campaign The Tanks, Doctrine and Organization Technical Factors Analysis Further Reading

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Book SynopsisExplore the Eastern Front battle that resulted in one of the greatest defeats of World War I, in which an entire Russian army was annihilated by German arms.Tannenberg is a major battle that deserves a fully illustrated treatment all of its own, and for the first time this book brings the epic Eastern Front clash to life in visual detail. No other book on this topic walks you through the action like this one, using detailed maps to provide unit locations and movements and help explain key command decisions, while period photographs and colour battlescenes put soldiering back at the core of the events by revealing the military material culture of the opposing sides. Michael McNally guides you through the initial border engagements and the battles of Gumbinnen and Stallupönen, before moving on to explore the massive, often confused running battle of Tannenberg in easy to follow and concise detail. This work helps you understand how the Germans managed to maul Samsonov's Second ArmTrade Reviewgives a good feel for the strategic choices and command-quality on both sides -- Chris Jarvis * Miniature Wargames *If you have never thought about this theatre of operations in WWI, this work will make you reconsider your opinion and wish to read more on the subject. -- John Norris * Gunmart *Table of ContentsORIGINS OF THE CAMPAIGN Alliance and misalliances Girding for war Stavka plans CHRONOLOGY OPPOSING COMMANDERS Russian German OPPOSING FORCES Russian German Orders of battle OPPOSING PLANS Russian German THE CAMPAIGN Der Russeneinfall –the Russian invasion Invasion Stallupönen: 17 August Gumbinnen: 20 August A change of strategy Man of the moment Samsonov’s progress Der Alte Hase – the old hand Lahna and Orlau: 23–24 August See the elephant: Usdau and Bischofsburg, 25–26 August The sound of the guns: Usdau, 27 August Turning the flank: 27 August Interlude at Osterode A day of decision: 28 August The beginnings of collapse: 28–29 August Days of decision: 29–30 August AFTERMATH GAZETEER OF PLACE NAMES SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisExplores the critical battle of Carrhae, a fascinating tale of treachery, tactics, and topography in which Rome experienced one of its most humiliating defeats.The Battle of Carrhae is from a heady moment in Roman history that of the clever carve-up of power between the ''First Triumvirate'' of Caius Iulius Caesar, Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Marcus Licinius Crassus (the Roman general who had famously put down the Spartacan revolt). It is a fascinating tale of treachery, tactics, and topography in which Rome experienced one of its most humiliating defeats at the hands of the Parthians, not far from a trade-route town hunkered down on the fringes of the arid wastes of northern Mesopotamia, sending shock waves through the Roman power structure. In this work, classical historian Dr Nic Fields draws out the crucial psychological and political factors (including Crassus'' lust for military glory and popular acclaim) that played a key role in this brutal battle. DesTrade ReviewThe author has produced a thoroughly researched profile of this humiliating defeat of one of the Triumvirate and the loss of most of a Roman army. He combines a knowledge of the classical sources (as usual, few in number and reliability) with a grasp of the military issues at both strategic and tactical level. -- Chris Jarvis * Miniature Wargames *Complemented by excellent illustrations and maps plus photographs where appropriate I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent book. * Amy Rumour Service *Table of ContentsORIGINS OF THE CAMPAIGN OPPOSING COMMANDERS Marcus Licinius Crassus Surena OPPOSING FORCES Crassus’ army Surena’s army THE BACKGROUND TO WAR Departing Rome The setting THE BATTLE OF CARRHAE Into Parthia The day of battle The Roman retreat The death of Crassus The reasons why AFTERMATH Cicero in Cilicia Bloodshed at home Roman renegade Marcus Antonius’ adventure Augustus the avenger ABBREVIATIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisThis highly illustrated new study tells the full story of the German light Panzers in World War II.The light Panzers that equipped the first Panzer divisions were originally intended as training or stopgap machines, suitable only until the arrival of the better-armed and -armoured PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV. However, despite their limitations, they ended up playing key roles in the victorious campaigns waged by the German Army from 1939 to 1942.This highly illustrated title describes the development and organizational history of the PzKpfw I, introduced in 1934, and the PzKpfw II, introduced in 1936. It explains how the annexation of German-speaking Sudetenland in 1938 and, subsequently, of Czechoslovakia itself delivered an unexpected bonus for the Panzerwaffe in the form of two Czech Army light tanks, introduced into German service as the PzKpfw 35(t) and PzKpfw 38(t). It goes on to cover the considerable operational service of these tanks in Poland, Fr

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Book SynopsisOn the afternoon of 17 September 1944, Lieutenant Joseph Enthammer, a Wehrmacht artillery officer based in Arnhem, gazed up to the clear skies, hardly believing what he saw. White ''snowflakes'' appeared to hang in the air. ''That cannot be'' he thought. ''It never snows in September! They must be parachutists!''They were. He was witnessing the first wave of the British parachute assault on Arnhem. The war had reached the Reich. The blow moreover had come as a total surprise. The Allies had expected operation Market-Garden to bring the collapse of the Wehrmacht in the West and shorten World War II. But the Germans resolved to fight.This ground-breaking military study uniquely chronicles this period of the war through the eyes of the ordinary German soldier and analyses the reasons for the eventual outcome. A major work of military history, this new paperback edition is certain to stimulate renewed debate about one of the most controversial operations of World War II.

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Book SynopsisDrawing on IWM's unique collection, Winston Churchill showcases 50 iconic images of Britain's wartime prime minister.

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Book SynopsisA NATIONAL BESTSELLERfor fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz!A BookBub Pick for Best Historical Fiction of Summer 2023A heartwarming story about the power of books to bring us together, inspired by the true story of the underground library in WWII Warsaw, by theNew York Timesbestselling author ofThe Last Bookshop in London. All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler's forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving. With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly foTrade Review“The Keeper of Hidden Books is a powerful and poignant tour de force chronicling the efforts of Warsaw’s librarians and book-lovers to keep Poland’s culture alive during the dark days of the German Occupation. Impeccably researched and beautifully written, The Keeper of Hidden Books reads as a love letter to family, friendship, and the power of literature to sustain, inspire, and endure.”–Bryn Turnbull, author of The Woman Before Wallis “Intimate and immersive, Madeline Martin's The Keeper of Hidden Books is an expertly researched portrayal of the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, a tale of profound resilience and loyalty, and a powerful reminder of literature's ability to bind, inspire, encourage, and lend hope. Historical fiction readers will be transported and transfixed by this poignant, timely story." –Gabriella Saab, author of Daughters of Victory “The Keeper of Hidden Books is a timely novel based on the brave librarians of Warsaw during the German Occupation of WWII who risked their lives to save books and Polish culture from being erased from history. Madeline Martin’s impeccable research leaps off every page in this powerfully absorbing story of resilience, enduring friendship and a love of literature and the arts. An inspiring novel you don’t want to miss!”–Eliza Knight, USA Today bestselling author of Starring Adele Astaire "The Keeper of Hidden Books shows us just why historical fiction is so relevant today – because it touches on universal themes that recur in every century throughout time. As more and more books are banned from our libraries and schools, Madeline Martin's novel gives us a much needed shot of inspiration and hope that stories will always win. Zofia's incredible bravery in doing whatever she can to save books and literature while the world is at war and despite the personal cost makes her a remarkable heroine for the ages. This is a stunning story for booklovers to sink into with all their heart and soul and be rewarded by the ultimate message – reading matters. Yes it does, and bravo to Madeline Martin for reminding us in this wonderful book." –Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan "The Keeper of Hidden Books is yet another expertly researched and inspiring work of historical fiction from Madeline Martin. As Zofia Nowak and her young friends fight for their fellow Polish and Jewish citizens during the horrific German occupation, they witness again and again the power of friendship and literature in even the darkest times. With her direct, brave and thoughtful manner (so wonderfully reminiscent of Jo March), loyalty and love for her Jewish best friend, and touching first love with a fellow resistance fighter, Zofia is destined to capture readers' hearts everywhere--rarely have I loved or admired a character more. A heart-pounding, illuminating, and very important addition to the canon of WWII fiction." –Natalie Jenner, internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society “A powerful and poignant tale of the enduring bonds of friendship, the courage of resistance, and the transformative power of books against the backdrop of the horrors of war, Madeline Martin’s The Keeper of Hidden Books is a richly detailed, emotional read that will captivate historical fiction lovers.”–Chanel Cleeton, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Cuban Heiress "An enthralling, wrenching tale of a young woman’s courage and conviction, and of the vital importance of preserving and defending literature and culture against a tyranny bent on destroying them. The Keeper of Hidden Books is essential reading for book lovers everywhere."–Christine Wells, internationally bestselling author of One Woman’s War "The Keeper of HIdden Books pulled me right into the rubble-strewn streets of World War II Warsaw and didn’t let go. I loved Madeline Martin’s smart, brave, and resourceful women characters and cheered their refusal to surrender. This inspiring story proves how banning books never truly stops people from asking questions, connecting, and—most importantly—resisting fascism. –Elise Hooper, author of Angels of the Pacific “Told in exquisite detail, Martin brings to life the gritty truth of occupied Poland during World War II, and the country’s many brave souls willing to risk it all to preserve their culture. A harrowing, heartfelt, heart racing story you won’t be able to put down."– Noelle Salazar, USA Today bestselling author of The Flight Girls "In The Keeper of Hidden Books, Madeline Martin skillfully transforms a difficult period in WW2 history into a book that makes it difficult to put down. This story is a testament to the power of friendship and the power of fiction at our lowest points. The Keeper of Hidden Books serves as a timely reminder that even small acts of resistance matter."–Kaia Alderson, author of Sisters in Arms "Martin has penned a novel that is both heartbreaking and timely... Martin captures the fear that so many families must have felt as friends and neighbors disappeared and there was no way to know who might be next... Highly recommended."–The Historical Novels Society "Ms. Martin does an outstanding job of capturing just what it means when tyrants are in charge and how that actually looks for the folks suffering under their rule. It has the added benefit of highlighting just how much courage and perseverance it took for those who did resist"–All About Romance

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative analysis of how Putin''s Russia conquered the Crimea in 2014 using ''grey zone'' warfare techniques, blending operations by anonymous special forces with cyber, sabotage, and propaganda. Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 was almost bloodless fought as much through propaganda, cyberattacks and subversion as by force of arms but it is crucial for our understanding of both modern warfare and recent Russian history. Ironically, this slick triumph eventually led to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the largest and costliest conventional war in Europe since 1945. This is a fascinating account of the Crimea conquest from a supremely qualified expert on modern Russian forces. Illustrated throughout, it explores how Russia developed its new model of hybrid' or grey zone' warfare, and planned and deployed it against Crimea, from the choreographed appearance of spontaneous' protesters through to the deployment of unbadged Russian elite forceTable of ContentsIntroduction Origins The Plan Consolidation Analysis Conclusion Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisAllied Fighters 1939–45 offers an highly-illustrated guide to Allied fighter aircraft that fought in Europe during World War II. Featuring all the main models flown by the Allied air forces from 1939 to 1945, the book offers a wealth of detail, including unit markings, organization, numbers of aircraft flown by campaign and exhaustive specifications for each model.The book is arranged first by country and then chronologically by campaign so that every aspect of the air war in Europe is covered. The guide features fighters from throughout World War II, including early models, such as the Morane Saulnier MS.406C.1, Hawker Hurricane Mk I and Fokker D XXI, and the most advanced fighters of the period, such as the Lavochkin La-7, P-51K Mustang and Gloster Meteor Mk I.The book also covers aircraft that were used for air-to-air combat (Supermarine Spitfire), ground attack (P-47 Thunderbolt), bomber escort (P-51B Mustang), night defence (Bristol Beaufighter) and photographic reconnaissance (P-38 Lightning).Packed with more than 200 profiles and dozens of archive photographs of every major Allied fighter aircraft, Allied Fighters 1939–45 is a core reference volume for modellers and World War II aviation enthusiasts.Table of Contents1. Polish Air Force 2. Norway/Netherlands/Belgium 3. Armee de l’Air 4. RAF Advanced Air Striking Force 5. RAF Fighter Command 6. RAF Desert Air Force 7. Soviet V-VS 8. RAF Fighter Command 9. RAF 1st Tactical Air Force 10. RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force 11. US 8th Air Force 12. US 9th Air Force 13. US 12th Air Force 14. US 15th Air Force 15. RAF Fighter Command 16. RAF Coastal Command and FAA 17. Soviet V-VS 18. Minor airforces (Brazil, Italian co-belligerent, Greece etc) Appendices Orders of battle, glossary, terminology, total production numbers. Index

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Book Synopsis''Vivid, wholly convincing, compelling. One of the best memoirs for years about the experience of flying in war'' Max Hastings, Sunday TelegraphTwo months before the outbreak of WWII, seventeen-year-old Geoffrey Wellum becomes a fighter pilot with the RAF . . .Desperate to get in the air, he makes it through basic training to become the youngest Spitfire pilot in the prestigious 92 Squadron. Thrust into combat almost immediately, Wellum finds himself flying several sorties a day, caught up in terrifying dogfights with German Me 109s. Over the coming months he and his fellow pilots play a crucial role in the Battle of Britain. But of the friends that take to the air alongside Wellum, many never return.***''An intimate account . . . rich in detail'' James Holland, Wall Street Journal, ''Five Best World War II Memoirs''''An extraordinarily deeply moving and astonishingly evocative story. Reading it, you feel you are in the Spitfire with him, at 20,000ft, chased by a German Heinkel, with your ammunition gone'' Independent''A brilliantly fresh, achingly written memoir. Thrilling and frightening on virtually every page . . . Wellum takes you into battle with him. A book for all ages and generations, a treasure'' Daily ExpressTrade ReviewVivid, wholly convincing, compelling. One of the best memoirs for years about the experience of flying in war -- Max Hastings * Sunday Telegraph *It took him 35 years to turn his notebooks into a narrative, and the result is a highly personal account of what it is like to face mortal combat, day and night, and what it does to a man who is barely more than a boy -- Ben MacintyreAn intimate account . . . rich in detail * Wall Street Journal, 'Five Best World War II Memoirs' *An extraordinarily deeply moving and astonishingly evocative story. Reading it, you feel you are in the Spitfire with him, at 20,000ft, chased by a German Heinkel, with your ammunition gone * Independent *A brilliantly fresh, achingly written memoir. Thrilling and frightening on virtually every page . . . Wellum takes you into battle with him. A book for all ages and generations, a treasure * Daily Express *Amazingly fresh and immediate . . . absolutely honest, it is an extraordinarily gripping and powerful story * Evening Standard *There have been countless books about the Battle of Britain. But the combination of immediacy - Geoffrey Wellum had jotted down notes in an exercise book at the time - and distance - another 35 years would pass before he expanded his notes into a narrative - gives this account extraordinary depth and resonance . . . First Light will rank among the finest of Second World War memoirs * Independent *One of the most gripping personal accounts of aerial warfare ever written * Guardian *Wellum's story is astonishing . . . moving yet startlingly clear-eyed * Telegraph *No other account of flying in the Battle of Britain has been articulated as well as Geoffrey's in First Light * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisTo coincide with the 2015 bicentennial of the Battle of Waterloo, Osprey publishes Waterloo 1815, a definitive three volume history of the historic battle. Based on new research drawn from unpublished first-hand accounts and illustrations, Waterloo 1815 provides a detailed resource for all aspects of the famous battle.This first volume of the trilogy, Quatre Bras, focuses on the lead-up to Waterloo itself. Two days before the main battle, an initial 8,000 Allied troops faced the 48,000 men of the French Armée du Nord under Marshal Ney at the strategically vital crossroads of Quatre Bras. Having been tricked by Napolean who was trying to drive a wedge between the Prussians and the Anglo-allied army, Wellington concentrated his troops at Quatre Bras, hoping to link up with the Prussians. There Wellington just managed to hold off Ney''s attacks. The battle ended in a tactical stalemate but, because he was unable to join with Blücher''s Prussians, Wellington retreated back alongTable of ContentsIntroduction / Chronology / Opposing commanders / Opposing forces / Orders of battle / Opposing plans / The campaign opens / Aftermath / The battlefield today / Further reading / Index

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Book SynopsisRichard Freiherr von Rosen was a highly-decorated Wehrmacht soldier and outstanding panzer commander. His memoirs, richly illustrated with contemporary photographs, including key confrontations of World War II. After serving as a gunlayer on a Pz.Mk.III during Barbarossa, he led a Company of Tigers at Kursk, later a company of King Tiger panzers at Normandy and in late 1944 commanded a battle group (12 King Tigers and a flak Company) against the Russians in Hungary in the rank of junior, later senior lieutenant (from November 1944, his final rank.) ?? Only 489 of these King Tiger tanks were ever built. They were the most powerful heavy tanks to see service, and only one kind of shell could penetrate their armour at a reasonable distance. Every effort had to be made to retrieve any of them bogged down or otherwise immobilized, which led to many towing adventures. The author has a fine memory and eye for detail, his account is easy to read and not technical, and adds very substantially to the knowledge of how the German Panzer Arm operated in the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisA rigorous new analysis of America''s legendary Big Week air campaign which enabled the Allies to gain air superiority before D-Day.In the years before the outbreak of World War II, there was a general consensus among military strategists that strategic bombing had the ability to win wars. However, no-one could foresee the devastation that German radar-directed interceptors would inflict on large bomber formations.With the increasingly urgent need to eliminate these German fighter-aircraft prior to D-Day, a concerted two-phase effort, code-named Operation Argument, was launched by USSAF. Targeting aircraft factories with hundreds of heavy bombers escorted by the new long-range P-51 Mustang, the operation, now known as the Big Week campaign, was designed to destroy aircraft production on the ground and force the Luftwaffe into combat to defend these vital facilities, allowing the new escort fighters to take their toll on the German interceptors. Packed with speTrade ReviewThe book is wonderfully supplemented by the usual stunning artwork known in many of the Osprey series. There are excellent maps, orders of battle, and a good selection of photographs. I found few if any editing errors in this book. It is a fantastic look at a very focused and short campaign in February 1944 that was deemed crucial to the success of the impending Allied invasion. In fact by April 1944, the USAAF switched priorities and focus by being subordinated to Eisenhower for invasion support. If you are looking for a compact yet comprehensive and affordable look at Operation Argument, then this is the book for you. -- Todd Shughart * Aviation News Magazine *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION CHRONOLOGY ATTACKER’S CAPABILITIES -The Pointblank Directive -Aircraft: their capabilities, roles, and missions -Commanders ORDERS OF BATTLE, February 1944 DEFENDER’S CAPABILITIES -The Luftwaffe’s air defence system -Aircraft: their capabilities, roles, and missions -Commanders CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES -“Black Week” – the crisis of American daylight strategic bombing -The Luftwaffe’s response -Operation Argument planning THE CAMPAIGN -Eighth AF Mission 226, February 20 -Eighth AF Mission 228, February 21 -Eighth AF Mission 230, February 22 -Fifteenth AF Missions, February 22, 23, and 24 -Eighth AF Mission No.233, February 24 -Eighth and Fifteenth AF Missions, February 25 AFTERMATH AND ASSESSMENT BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisA Washington Post Best Book of 2021 ​The #1 New York Times bestselling investigative story of how three successive presidents and their military commanders deceived the public year after year about America’s longest war, foreshadowing the Taliban’s recapture of Afghanistan, by Washington Post reporter and three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Craig Whitlock.Unlike the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 had near-unanimous public support. At first, the goals were straightforward and clear: defeat al-Qaeda and prevent a repeat of 9/11. Yet soon after the United States and its allies removed the Taliban from power, the mission veered off course and US officials lost sight of their original objectives. Distracted by the war in Iraq, the US military become mired in an unwinnable guerrilla conflict in a country it did not understand. But no president wanted to admit failure, especially in a war that began as a just cause. Instead, the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations sent more and more troops to Afghanistan and repeatedly said they were making progress, even though they knew there was no realistic prospect for an outright victory. Just as the Pentagon Papers changed the public’s understanding of Vietnam, The Afghanistan Papers contains “fast-paced and vivid” (The New York Times Book Review) revelation after revelation from people who played a direct role in the war from leaders in the White House and the Pentagon to soldiers and aid workers on the front lines. In unvarnished language, they admit that the US government’s strategies were a mess, that the nation-building project was a colossal failure, and that drugs and corruption gained a stranglehold over their allies in the Afghan government. All told, the account is based on interviews with more than 1,000 people who knew that the US government was presenting a distorted, and sometimes entirely fabricated, version of the facts on the ground. Documents unearthed by The Washington Post reveal that President Bush didn’t know the name of his Afghanistan war commander—and didn’t want to meet with him. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld admitted that he had “no visibility into who the bad guys are.” His successor, Robert Gates, said: “We didn’t know jack shit about al-Qaeda.” The Afghanistan Papers is a “searing indictment of the deceit, blunders, and hubris of senior military and civilian officials” (Tom Bowman, NRP Pentagon Correspondent) that will supercharge a long-overdue reckoning over what went wrong and forever change the way the conflict is remembered.Trade Review"Fast-paced and vivid... chock-full of telling quotes" — The New York Times Book Review “Craig Whitlock has forged a searing indictment of the deceit, blunders and hubris of senior military and civilian officials, with the same tragic echoes of the Vietnam conflict. The American dead, wounded and their families deserved wiser and more honorable leaders.” — Tom Bowman, NPR Pentagon correspondent "The excellent new book... Bombshell revelations... [and] damning evidence of things we already intuited.” — The Washington Post“At once page-turning and rigorous, The Afghanistan Papers makes a lasting and revelatory contribution to the record of America's tragic management of our longest war. In transparent and nuanced detail, Whitlock chronicles how American leaders and commanders undermined their country's promises to the Afghans who counted on them and to the U.S. troops who made the ultimate sacrifice after 9/11.” — Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Ghost Wars and Directorate S“The Afghanistan Papers is a gripping account of why the war in Afghanistan lasted so long. The missed opportunities, the outright mistakes and more than anything the first-hand accounts from senior commanders who only years later acknowledged they simply did not tell the American people what they knew about how the war was going.” — Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon correspondent "Whitlock is unsparing in his assessment of presidents Bush, Obama and Trump, as well as U.S. military leaders, saying all failed to level with the American public....Whitlock's book is based on hundreds of ‘lessons learned’ interviews conducted privately by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. ...The candid interviews are revealing.” —NPR "A hallmark achievement of primary source reporting....The Afghanistan Papers reminds readers of the power of reportage built on documented evidence with names attached." — The Daily Beast“A damning account of America’s longest war that reveals what top generals and government officials really knew about the cost and futility of the mission. Whitlock puts the pieces together in a way nobody has before, bringing us the most comprehensive, inside story of this conflict ever told.” — Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan“The Afghanistan Papers is an autopsy of America’s folly into central Asia. It chronicles years of recklessness and bad decision-making that the nation is still grappling with today. This book is one part indictment of mission creep and American hubris, and one part warning to future leaders.” — Kevin Maurer, co-author of The New York Times bestsellers No Easy Day and American Radical“Like the Pentagon Papers of the Vietnam War, The Afghanistan Papers expose decades of deceit and the persistence of an American brand of imperialism. Examined by the sharp eye of Craig Whitlock, this history provides ample evidence that citizens should finally reject the baseless claim that U.S. military power is a unique force for good in the world.” — Christian G. Appy, author of American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity "An unputdownable account of imperial hubris, blundering and deception." — The Spectator

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Book SynopsisThe Fw 190D-9 -- the ''long-nosed'' Dora -- represented the cutting edge and pinnacle of wartime Germany''s piston-engine aviation development. This new history by leading German aviation specialist Robert Forsyth reveals what it was like to pilot her in combat as Germany desperately battled to remain in the war.Arguably one of the finest piston-engined fighters ever built, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 raised the bar in terms of aircraft design and operational capability during World War II. Designed by Kurt Tank, the ''long-nosed'' Fw 190D9 ''Dora'' bettered most of the fighters that the Allied and Soviet air forces could field when it first appeared in the skies over the Western and Eastern Fronts in 1944. Indeed, with experienced German pilots at the controls it proved to be an immediate match for even the later-mark Griffon Spitfire and the P-51D/K. Well-armed, with two 13mm machine guns and two 20mm cannon, the D-9 began to equip Luftwaffe units frTrade ReviewA natural storyteller, the author is ably assisted by fine illustrations from Gareth Hector and numerous photographs and maps. -- Nick Stroud * The Aviation Historian *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1 In Battle An all-action account of III./JG 54 engaging Typhoons or Tempests over western Germany in April 1945 Chapter 2 Setting the Scene Design, development, production, early actions, the Ardennes and Operation Bodenplatte Chapter 3 Path to Combat Charting the careers of two Luftwaffe pilots who flew the D-9 in combat – one, a Knight’s Cross-holder and ace, the other, a lesser known ‘Dora 9’ pilot Chapter 4 Weapon of war A brief technical appraisal of the Fw 190D-9, detailing its development and the weaponry it employed Chapter 5 Art of War Tactics for Fw 190D-9 units were quite ‘loose’, as was tactical doctrine by this stage of the war – the key word was ‘survival’. This chapter will look at the ‘Split S’ manoeuvre and the evolution of the Rotte and Schwarm tactical formations Chapter 6 Combat In this chapter, Fw 190D-9 pilots explain what it was like fly the ‘Dora 9’ in an aerial engagement against some of the best Allied fighters of World War II such as the Spitfire XIV, P-51D Mustang and Tempest V Aftermath Selected Sources Index

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Book SynopsisA companion volume to his bestselling Armageddon', Max Hastings' account of the battle for Japan is a masterful military history.Featuring the most remarkable cast of commanders the world has ever seen, the dramatic battle for Japan of 194445 was acted out across the vast stage of Asia: Imphal and Kohima, Leyte Gulf and Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Soviet assault on Manchuria.In this gripping narrative, Max Hastings weaves together the complex strands of an epic war, exploring the military tactics behind some of the most triumphant and most horrific scenes of the twentieth century. The result is a masterpiece that balances the story of command decisions, rivalries and follies with the experiences of soldiers, sailors and airmen of all sides as only Max Hastings can.Trade Review‘A monumental achievement…compassionate but unsparing in its judgements.’ Sunday Times ‘An outstandingly gripping and authoritative account of the battle for Japan, and a monument to human bravery and savagery.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Absolutely excellent.’ John Simpson, Observer ‘Magisterial…it is truly cathartic to reach the end of the Second World War in Hastings’s company.’ The Times ‘Brilliantly though Hastings lays out the strategic context, his real talent lies in his account of the “terrible human experience” that it involved…This is a book for anyone who wants to understand what happened in half the world during one of the bloodiest periods of the blood-soaked 20th century.’ Spectator ‘Spectacular…Hastings makes important points about the war in the East that have been all too rarely heard…excellent…compelling…searingly powerful.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘As Hastings brilliantly describes, conditions for fighting men on both sides were appalling…the fire-bombing of Tokyo and the decision to drop the atomic bombs were influenced by the urge to 'get this business over with', but the argument, as Hastings explains so well with his usual exemplary judgement, is far more complex.’ Financial Times

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Book SynopsisOne of the most remarkable stories in the history of Special Forces' operations - Daily ExpressIn the bleak moments after defeat on mainland Europe in winter 1939, Winston Churchill knew that Britain had to strike back hard. So Britain's wartime leader called for the lightning development of a completely new kind of warfare, recruiting a band of eccentric free-thinking warriors to become the first 'deniable' secret operatives to strike behind enemy lines, offering these volunteers nothing but the potential for glory and all-but-certain death. Churchill's Secret Warriors tells the story of the daring victories for this small force of 'freelance pirates', undertaking devastatingly effective missions against the Nazis, often dressed in enemy uniforms and with enemy kit, breaking all previously held rules of warfare. Master storyteller Damien Lewis brings the adventures of the secret unit to life, weaving together the stories of the soldiers' brotherhood in this compelling narrative, from the unit's earliest missions to the death of their leader just weeks before the end of the war.Trade ReviewOne of the most extraordinary stories of World War II is also one of the least commonly known ... compelling ... an eloquent and welcome tribute to their selfless, sometimes reckless courage - a howitzer of a tale that more people should know about -- Brian Viner * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisAn illustration-packed new account of the powerful Royal Navy fleet that fought alongside the US Navy throughout the last year of the Pacific War.The British Pacific Fleet was the Royal Navy''s primary contribution to the direct defeat of Japan in 1945, and is among the most powerful fleets Britain has ever sent into action. With naval supremacy in home waters achieved by 1944, many of the best and most modern ships in the Royal Navy could be sent to the Pacific, including battleships, submarines, light forces, replenishment groups, and shore establishment. However, the main striking force was the fast carrier force.Illustrated throughout with dramatic new artwork, 3D diagrams, maps and archive photos, this book explains how the Royal Navy joined the Pacific carrier war, and how the fleet adopted the US Navy''s ruthlessly effective fast carrier doctrine. With ships optimized for short-range operations in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the BPF had to rapidly adapt to the long-raTable of Contents(Subject to Confirmation) THE FLEET'S PURPOSE FLEET FIGHTING POWER The Ships Technical Factors HOW THE FLEET OPERATED Doctrine, Command, and Communication Intelligence and Deception Logistics and Facilities COMBAT AND ANALYSIS The Fleet in Combat Analysis FURTHER READING

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Book Synopsis'Riveting. Extraordinary. A real-life thriller.' - Dan SnowIn SAS Great Escapes, bestselling author Damien Lewis tells the story of seven of the most dramatic and daring escapes executed during WWII by what is arguably the world's most famous military fighting force - the SAS.With each story comes a nail-biting, rollercoaster ride in classic Damien Lewis style - readers join individual escapees and experience events through their own words, taken from contemporaneous diaries, mission reports, debriefings and letters - recapturing the most terrifying and exhilarating moments of their lives.These tales of almost unbelievable derring-do reveal the most desperate of times, when men were cornered by the enemy and were forced to fight their way out of certain death or capture. Around every corner, upon every decision and every movement lurked the possibility of discovery.

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Book SynopsisArgues that Hitler's rise to power was financed and supported by the US and Britain to prevent Germany allying with Russia.Trade Review'The most important book on modern European history since George Lichtheim's Europe in the Twentieth Century' -- Professor David MacGregor, University of Western OntarioTable of ContentsList of Figures A Chronology of Germany’s Undoing, 1900-1945 Preface 1. Introductory: The Eurasian Embrace. Laying Siege to Germany with World War One, 1900-1918. 2. The Veblenian Prophecy: From the Councils to Versailles by Way of Russian Fratricide, 1919-1920. 3. The Meltdown & the Geopolitical Correctness of Mein Kampf: Between the Kapp and the Beerhall Putsch, 1920-1923 4. ‘Death on the Installment Plan’, Whereby Governor Norman Came to Pace the Damnation of Europe, 1924-1933 5. The Reich on the Marble Cliffs. Fire, Legerdemain and Mummery all the Way to Barbarossa, 1933-1941 6. Conclusions Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisJames McPherson is Professor Emeritus of American History at Princeton University. Battle Cry of Freedom won the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction in 2003.Trade ReviewThe definitive study, meticulous in its scholarship and compulsive in its readability * Financial Times *McPherson is wonderfully lucid... Above all, everything is in a living relationship with everything else ... Omitting nothing important, whether military, political or economic, he yet manages to make everything he touches drive the narrative forward ... historical writing of the highest order * The New York Times *A distinguished contribution to American history ... He has succeeded brilliantly. He has written what will surely become the standard one-volume history of the great conflict which forged America as a united nation * Independent *Absolutely brilliant ... McPherson has fresh approaches to the war's background, the four years of struggle and the aftermath * Washington Post Book World *McPherson wears with equal ease the hats of biographer, economist, sociologist and military historian .. Probably the best single-volume history of America's Civil War yet written * Economist *Table of ContentsPrologue: from the halls of Montezuma. The United States of midcentury; Mexico will poison us; an empire for slavery; slavery, rum and Romanism; the crime against Kansas; mudsills and greasy mechanics for A. Lincoln; the revolution of 1860; the counterrevolution of 1861; facing both ways - the upper south's dilemma; amateurs go to war; farewell to the 90 Days' War; blockade and beachead - the Salt-Water War, 1861-1862; the River War in 1862; the sinews of war; Billy Yank's chickhominy blues; we must free the slaves or be ourselves subdued; carry me back to Old Virginny; John Bull's Virgina Reel; three rivers in winter, 1862-1863; fire in the rear; long remember - the summer of '63; Johnny Reb's Chattanooga Blues; when this cruel war is over; if it takes all summer; after four years of failure; we are going to be wiped off the Earth; South Carolina must be destroyed; we are all Americans. Epilogue: to the shoals of victory.

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Book SynopsisThe first history of how the aircraft of the British Pacific Fleet shattered Japanese oilfields in Sumatra, starving Japan of oil and proving how Anglo-American navies could fight together.With the war in Europe in its final stages, by 1944 the Royal Navy was able to put together a major force to join the campaign against Japan. The British Pacific Fleet was arguably the most powerful fleet the Royal Navy has ever sent into action. In this book, renowned naval historian Angus Konstam explores how the first target of British naval power in the Pacific would be the strategically vital oil fields in Japanese-occupied Sumatra, part of the Dutch East Indies. Between April 1944 and January 1945, the task force struck oil fields and production centres, Japanese airfields, naval facilities and troop concentrations. Initially working alongside US Navy carriers, and learning their ruthlessly effective fast carrier doctrine, the British would end the Sumatra campaign wit

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Book SynopsisEnriched by extraordinary first-hand accounts, this is a fascinating history of the dying days of the Third Reich as Stalin sought to consolidate his own empire. In January 1945, the Red Army launched a powerful offensive across the Vistula River to drive the Wehrmacht out of Poland, with the intention of securing a start line for an operation that would ultimately result in the capture of Berlin and the end of the war. But, as Prit Buttar expertly reveals, there were other issues at play. Stalin was determined to push the boundaries of the Soviet Union further west, restoring land lost by the tsars and securing vast industrial and mineral wealth. While negotiations took place between the Allied powers regarding the fate of Poland, the Red Army burst through the German lines, liberating Auschwitz even as the SS drove concentration camp inmates onto frozen roads in a series of death marches. The Wehrmacht staged a desperate fight back with their last major armoured offensive on the Eastern Front. Launched in February 1945 from the German-Polish border, it forced a halt to the Soviet forces on the banks of the Oder before the rush to Berlin. Written by an acknowledged expert on the Eastern Front and packed with first-hand accounts, this is the definitive account of the strategic goals, both military and political, of Stalin, his generals, and their armies as they raced into the Reich, and of the German forces who stood in the way.

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Book SynopsisA new study of how the first purpose-built anti-tank helicopter gunship the Bell AH-1 Cobra engaged communist armor and well-armed irregular fighters in the war for control of Vietnam.The Vietnam War was often dubbed the helicopter war' because it was the first conflict in which helicopters took a dominant role. As the only dedicated gunship to be fielded by US forces during the conflict, the AH-1 Cobra saw combat against North Vietnamese Army (NVA) tanks, armored personnel carriers (APCs), and heavy anti-aircraft weaponry while joining OH-6A "Loach" scout helicopters on "Pink Team" hunter-killer flights. There were more than 700 Cobras operational in Vietnam by 1972, and it proved such an effective weapon that the NVA often avoided shooting at it, fearing massive and instant retribution. In this action-packed new study, Vietnam War expert Peter E. Davies examines the development and deployment of the Cobra, its engagements with Soviet- and Chinese-supplied tanks and heavy machine guns, and how it was adapted to counter devastating surface-to-air missile attacks in 1972. Numerous key clashes including the Tet Offensive and actions at Loc Ninh and An Loc are explored in detail, with first-hand accounts, newly commissioned artwork, and more than 50 photographs bringing the operations of this iconic helicopter to life.

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Book SynopsisThe battle to keep the nation fed during the Second World War was waged by an army of workers on the land and the resourcefulness of the housewives on the Kitchen Front. The rationing of food, clothing and other substances played a big part in making sure that everyone had a fair share of whatever was available.In this fascinating book, Katherine Knight looks at how experiences of rationing varied between rich and poor, town and country, and how ingenuous cooks often made a meal from poor ingredients. Charting the developments of the rationing programme throughout the war and afterwards, Spuds, Spam and Eating for Victory documents the use of substitutions for luxury ingredients not available, resulting in delicacies such as carrot jam and oatmeal sausages. The introduction of Spam in America in the forties led to this canned spiced pork and ham becoming an iconic symbol of the worse period of shortage in the twentieth century.Seventy years after the outbreak of the Second World War, this book listens to some of the people who were young during the conflict share their memories, both sad and funny, of what it was like to eat for Victory.

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Book SynopsisThe Dirlewanger Brigade was an anti-partisan unit of the Nazi army, reporting directly to Heinrich Himmler. The first members of the brigade were mostly poachers who were released from prisons and concentration camps and who were believed to have the skills necessary for hunting down and capturing partisan fighters in their camps in the forests of the Eastern Front. Their numbers were soon increased by others who were eager for a way out of imprisonment—including men who had been convicted of burglary, assault, murder, and rape.Under the leadership of Oskar Dirlewanger, a convicted rapist and alcoholic, they could do as they pleased: there were no repercussions for even their worst behavior. This was the group used for its special “talents” to help put down the Jewish uprising of the Warsaw Ghetto, killing an estimated 35,000 men, women, and children in a single day. Even by Nazi standards, the brigade was considered unduly violent and an investigation of its activities was opened. The Nazi hierarchy was eager to distance itself from the behavior of the brigade and eventually exiled many of the members to Belarus. Based on the archives from Germany, Poland, and Russia, The SS Dirlewanger Brigade offers an unprecedented look at one of the darkest chapters of World War II.

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