Military History Books

Book SynopsisNapoleon's attack on Egypt in 1798 was the first on a Middle Eastern country by a Western power in modern times. With 335 ships and 40,000 men, it was the largest long-distance seaborne force the world had ever seen. Napoleon's assault was intended to be much more than a colonial adventure, however, for he took with him over one hundred and fifty scientists, mathematicians, artists and writers - a 'Legion of Culture' - with a view to bringing Western civilization to 'backward' Egypt.Ironically, what these intellectuals discovered in Egypt would transform our knowledge of Western civilization and form the basis of Egyptology. But there were also setbacks. Nelson's destruction of the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile apparently put an end to Napoleon's secret plans to follow in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and invade India. Napoleon was just twenty-eight when he invaded Egypt and it was an episode which contained in embryo many seminal events of his later career and set the standard for his brilliant, ambitious and ultimately disastrous career.Trade ReviewPaul Strathern's enthralling description of this bizarre imperial adventure reads like Conrad's Heart of Darkness...as a piece of storytelling, it is a masterpiece * Daily Telegraph *To begin with, the book leaps off the shelf-display into the hands: the dustjacket is a remarkably fine reproduction of a painting of Napoleon...This is an illuminating and most engaging book * Spectator *Superb... Strathern tells the appalling tale of the forced marches across endless deserts...with commendable gusto -- Andrew Roberts * Sunday Telegraph *An ambitious and wonderfully detailed saga * Financial Times *This is popular narrative history at its best * Independent on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis'A brilliant tour-de-force' - Times Literary SupplementBomber Command is acclaimed historian Sir Max Hastings' compelling account of one of the most controversial struggles of the Second World War.RAF Bomber Command’s offensive against the cities of Germany was one of the epic campaigns of the Second World War. More than 56,000 British and Commonwealth aircrew and 600,000 Germans died in the course of the RAF’s attempt to win the war by bombing. The struggle began in 1939 with a few primitive Whitleys, Hampdens and Wellingtons, and ended six years later with 1,600 Lancasters, Halifaxes and Mosquitoes razing whole cities in a single night.Max Hastings traced the developments of area bombing using a wealth of documents, letters, diaries and interviews with key surviving witnesses. Bomber Command is, in turn, a fascinating, meticulously-researched, and vivid assessment of the RAF's integral role in the Second World War.Trade ReviewProbably the most brilliant use of anecdotal material that has so far come out of the Second World War . . . A brilliant tour-de-force. * Times Literary Supplement *This is the most critical book yet written about Bomber Command . . . it is also far and away the best * The Economist *Table of ContentsSection - i: List of Illustrations Section - ii: Foreward Section - iii: Prologue: Norfolk and Heligoland Bight, 18 December 1939 Chapter - 1: In the Beginning, Trenchard: British Bomber Policy, 1917-40 Chapter - 2: 82 Squadron, Norfolk, 1940-41 Chapter - 3: 10 Squadron, Yorkshire, 1940-41 Chapter - 4: Crisis of Confidence, 1941-42 Chapter - 5: The Coming of Area Bombing Chapter - 6: 50 Squadron, Lincolnshire, 1942 Chapter - 7: Protests and Policy, 1942-43 Chapter - 8: 76 Squadron, Yorkshire, 1943 Chapter - 9: The Other Side of the Hill: Germany 1940-44 Chapter - 10: Bomber Command Headquarters, Buckinghamshire, 1943-44 Chapter - 11: Conflict and Compromise, 1943-44 Chapter - 12: Pathfinders: 97 Squadron, Lincolnshire, 1944 Chapter - 13: 'A Quiet Trip All Round': Darmstadt, 11/12 September 1944 Chapter - 14: Saturation Chapter - 15: The Balance Sheet Section - iv: Appendix A: Bomber Command sorties dispatched and aircraft missing and written off, 1939-45 Section - v: Appendix B: Specifications and performance of the principal aircraft of Bomber Command and Luftwaffe night-fighters, 1939-45 Section - vi: Appendix C: Letter to Sir Norman Bottomley from Sir Arthur Harris Section - vii: Appendix D: British and German production of selected armanents, 1940-44 Section - viii: Appendix E: Schedule of German Cities subjected to area attack by Bomber Command, 1942-45 Section - ix: Appendix F: Comparative Allied and German aircraft production, 1939-45 Section - x: Bibliography and a note on sources Section - xi: Notes and references Section - xii: Glossary od ranks, abbreviations and codenames Acknowledgements - xiii: Acknowledgements Index - xiv: Index

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Book SynopsisSince World War II, the American public has become fully aware of the exploits of the 101st Airborne Division, but within the ranks of the 101st there existed a notorious sub-unit whose formidable reputation has persisted among veterans over the decades. Primarily products of the Dustbowl and the Depression, and never ones to salute an officer, or take a bath, the Filthy 13 attained legendary status within the Screaming Eagles for its hard drinking, and savage fighting skill – and that was only in training.Trade ReviewThe true story of the Dirty Dozen is fascinating, funny, thrilling, fantastic, and larger than life. * Books Monthly *

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Book SynopsisNo turkey. No fruit to make a decent pudding. No money for presents. Your children away from home to keep them safe from bombing; your husband, father and brothers off fighting goodness knows where. How in the world does one celebrate Christmas? That was the situation facing the people of Britain for six long years during the Second World War. For some of them, Christmas was an ordinary day: they couldn't afford merrymaking - and had little to be merry about. Others, particularly those with children, did what little they could. These first-hand reminiscences tell of making crackers with no crack in them and shouting 'Bang!' when they were pulled; of carol-singing in the blackout, torches carefully covered so that no passing bombers could see the light, and of the excitement of receiving a comic, a few nuts and an apple in your Christmas stocking. They recount the resourcefulness that went into makeshift dinners and hand-made presents, and the generosity of spirit that made having a happy Christmas possible in appalling conditions. From the family whose dog ate the entire Christmas roast, leaving them to enjoy 'Spam with all the trimmings', to the exhibition of hand-made toys for children in a Singapore prison camp, the stories are by turns tragic, poignant and funny. Between them, they paint an intriguing picture of a world that was in many ways kinder, less self-centred, more stoical than ours. Even if - or perhaps because - there was a war on.

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Book SynopsisIn July 1940, Walter Schellenberg of the German Secret Service drew up a list of 2,694 people believed to be living in Britain, who were known enemies of the Reich. In that month, the Wehrmacht was poised across the Channel ready to hit Britain with blitzkrieg, the terrible and hugely successful tactic that had already overwhelmed Poland, Denmark, Norway, Holland, Luxembourg, Belgium and France. The names on Schellenberg's list represent the heart and soul of a nation that made the British what they were but the list also includes a diaspora from Europe - the intellectuals, politicians and writers who had been driven out of their own homelands by the speed of the German conquests. All human life is there - lives that were, to the Nazis, unworthy of life.Historians have found the list a curiosity. Surely, it cannot be real? It was. The Black Book is the first book to evaluate the list, and look at the chilling reality of what Hitler had in store for the nation.

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Book SynopsisSuperb well-captioned images show SS troops and their equipment in action.

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Book SynopsisA new softcover edition of a classic work at a very pleasing price. Superb photographs from the author's exhaustive collection. Simply the best reference book available on the most popular subject in naval history -destined for bestseller status.

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Book SynopsisA highly illustrated introduction to some of World War II''s most famous and important battles, featuring colourful artwork throughout.World War II was the single greatest conflict the world has ever known, fought in theatres all around the globe, and many of its battles Stalingrad, Monte Cassino, the Battle of Britain are household names. While the Western Front in Europe is often what first comes to mind, bitter and bloody battles were also fought in Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, on land, at sea, and in the air, and their many stories help illuminate both the scale and the varying character of the conflict.This compact gift book takes thirty of World War II''s most significant clashes, both the famous and the lesser known, and presents their stories in a concise, easy to digest format, accompanied by beautiful Osprey artwork plates in full colour that illuminate a key moment in each battle.Trade ReviewA concise overview of the major battles of the Second World War * Battlefield Magazine *Table of ContentsChronology /The Invasion of Poland /The Battle of Belgium /The Battle of Britain /The Sinking of the Bismarck /Operation Barbarossa /The Siege of Leningrad /The Battle of Moscow /The Siege of Sevastopol /The Attack on Pearl Harbor /The Malayan Campaign /The Second Battle of Kharkov /The Battle of Gazala /The Battle of Midway /The Battle of Guadalcanal /The Battle of Stalingrad /The El Alamein Battles /The Battle for Tunisia /The Battle of Kursk /The Battle of Monte Cassino /The Battle of Imphal /The Normandy Landings /The Battle of Saipan /The Battle of the Philippine Sea /The Warsaw Uprising /Operation Market-Garden /The Battle of Hürtgen Forest /The Battle of the Bulge /The Battle of Iwo Jima /The Battle of Okinawa /The Battle of Berlin /Index

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Book SynopsisThe Avars arrived in Europe from the Central Asian steppes in the mid-sixth century CE and dominated much of Central and Eastern Europe for almost 250 years. Fierce warriors and canny power brokers, the Avars were more influential and durable than Attila's Huns, yet have remained hidden in history. Walter Pohl's epic narrative, translated into...Trade ReviewWalter Pohl has succeeded in stripping much of this veil of mystery from the Avars.... a heterogeneous group from central Asia who dominated the Byzantine Danube frontier in a complicated relationship that saw raids, wars, trade, and the payment of large annual sums of tribute. In tracing the history of the Avars and the peoples they dominated or fought and traded with, this is an illuminating history of southeast Europe in the early Middle Ages. * Speculum *This volume contains a wealth of information and informed discussion; it will repay careful study by anyone involved in the late Roman and early medieval period, and will remain the standard guide into the foreseeable future. * English Historical Review *Walter Pohl picks his way judiciously though the minefield of primary sources—fragmentary and contradictory—and secondary interpretations of varied value. His solid medievalist training coupled with common sense often balk at the most fanciful interpretations. The documentation assembled by Pohl is impressive; the use he made of it commands respect. Future research on all questions concerning the Avars, henceforth cannot bypass this very important book. * Journal of Asian History *Though the book was first published in German in 1988, this English version includes many revisions and updates and will be the definitive English-language study of the Avar empire for years to come. It will be invaluable for those interested in medieval history or in the impact of nomadic steppe empires on sedentary civilizations. * Choice *The book clearly stands as a monumental starting point of any future research on the Avars. Pohl and Cornell University Press deserve praise for publishing this important work of scholarship in English. * Studies in Late Antiquity *One wonders how it could have taken thirty years for the appearance of this, the first English edition of Walter Pohl's seminal work. But now that it is finally accessible to a much wider readership, it must be made clear that The Avars is more than just a translation. * Journal of the Australian Early Medieval Association *Table of ContentsList of Maps Timeline Preface 1. Approaching the Avars 1.1. Marginal Europeans? 1.2. Sources and Prejudices 1.3. Steppe Research and Its Methodological Problems 2. The Avar Migration 2.1. Constantinople 558 2.2. The Empire and the Steppe Peoples 2.3. Fugitives from the East 2.4. Avars or Pseudo-Avars? 2.5. The Advance of the Avars 2.6. Byzantium and the Turks 2.7. The Discovery of Europe 2.8. Decisive Years 2.9. 568: A Turning Point 3. The New Power, 567–90 3.1. The First Attack on Sirmium 3.2. Between Peace and War 3.3. Baian's Alliance with Byzantium 3.4. The Conquest of Sirmium 3.5. 583/84: Avar Raids and Symbolic Politics 3.6. 585/86: Slavic Raids and the Bookolabras Affair 3.7. 587: The War in Thrace 3.8. The Carpathian Basin in the Later Sixth Century: The Archaeological Evidence 3.9. Cultures around Keszthely 4. Avars and Slavs 4.1. Slavs before the Avars: Perceptions and Origins 4.2. The Saint and the Barbarians 4.3. Slavic Campaigns and Memories of Avars on the Greek Peninsula 4.4. The Obor and His Slavs 4.5. Avar Rule and Slavic Expansion 4.6. Becoming Slavs 5. The Balkan Wars of Maurice, 591–602 5.1. Maurice's Campaign and the Date of the Wars 5.2. The Avars on the Offensive 5.3. 593: Attacks on the Slavs North of the Danube 5.4. 594: The Limits of the Slavic War 5.5. 595: The Illyrian War 5.6. The Avars' Western Policy and the Slavs 5.7. 598: Only the Plague Can Stop the Avars 5.8. 599: The Khagan under Pressure 5.9. 600–602: The End of Imperial Politics on the Danube 6. Life and Organization in the Avar Empire 6.1. Nomads, Warriors, Steppe Peoples 6.2. "Their Life Is War" 6.3. The Early Avar Khaganate 6.4. The Avars and Byzantium 6.5. Avar Gold: Prestige, Gifts, Representation 6.6. Logades and Warriors 6.7. Forms of Production and Distribution 6.8. Exchanges and Their Limits 6.9. Religion and Ritual 6.10. The Development of Identities in the Avar Empire 7. The Seventh Century 7.1. Consolidation and New Offensives 7.2. The Surprise Attack on the Emperor 7.3. 626: The Siege of Constantinople 7.4. Samo 7.5. Croat Migrations? 7.6. Alciocus and Kuvrat 7.7. Kuver and Asparukh 7.8. Continuity and Cultural Change 8. The Century of the Griffin 8.1. Ways of Life in Archaeological Evidence 8.2. The Hierarchy of the Late Avar State 8.3. Limes Certus: The Avars and the West 8.4. The Collapse of Avar Power 8.5. Why Did the Avars Disappear? 8.6. Conclusion Appendix: Amount of Subsidies Paid by Byzantiumto the Avars Abbreviations Notes Sources Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn the early years of the Third Reich, Hermann Goring, one of the most notorious leaders of the Third Reich, worked to establish his own personal army to rival Himmler's SS and Reichswehr. The result: a private Prussian police force which grew into one of the most powerful armoured units in Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht. This unit fought throughout the Second World War, meeting Anglo-American forces in vicious battles across the European theatres of Tunisia, Sicily and Italy before finally being defeated by the Red Army on the Eastern Front. The Hermann Goring Panzer Division incorporates technical details of these battles with the turbulent politics and Machiavellian manoeuvring of Hitler's inner circle, giving military-history enthusiasts fresh insights into the development and role of this unusual division through the war. Drawing on first-hand accounts and extensive archive material, World War II historian Lawrence Paterson presents a comprehensive and unbiased history of the establishment of the famous 1\. Fallschirm-Panzer Division.

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Book SynopsisA NATIONAL BESTSELLERfor fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz!Readers will be on the edge of their seats. A brilliant tale of resistance, courage and ultimately hope. Kelly Rimmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw OrphanFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London comes a moving new novel inspired by the true history of America's library spies of World War II. Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence. Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It's a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in orderTrade Review“This story blew me away. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as they are transported to 1940s Portugal and France with Madeline Martin's vivid and inspiring characters. The Librarian Spy is a brilliant tale of resistance, courage and ultimately hope.”—Kelly Rimmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan “Madeline Martin immerses us in the expertly rendered and fascinating worlds of Lisbon and Lyon during the war as we follow the stories of two brave women who are willing to risk everything for the cause of freedom. Uplifting, inspiring and suspenseful, this is one to savor!” –Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Riviera House “Madeline Martin is a fantastic author, and this beautiful, heartbreaking tale of two young women who risk everything as they use the power of words to fight back against the Nazis will have you glued to your chair. The Librarian Spy is a stunning tour de force of historical fiction.”—Karen Robards, author of The Black Swan of Paris “In Madeline Martin’s stirring new novel, readers will be whisked into her brilliantly depicted portrayal of 1940’s Lisbon, Portugal, and Lyon, France. Martin captures the essence of the French resistance in war-riddled France as we race with hearts in our throats through Elaine’s harrowing tale, juxtaposed with Ava’s thrilling and engrossing passages illustrated with sensory delights. Both heroines push the boundaries of their worlds, risking much in their shared missions for survival and hope. Not to be missed, The Librarian Spy is an inspiring novel that highlights the women who dared to resist in the face of adversity." —Eliza Knight, USA To bestselling author of The Mayfair Bookshop "Martin shows great reverence for the power of the written word in her pacey new novel, The Librarian Spy, set during the tumultuous backdrop of WWII in Lisbon and Lyon, when Nazis attempted to silence the press of the Resistance. This engaging, lively read featured a cast of characters I loved to root for and I couldn’t put it down!"—Heather Webb, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Next Ship Home The danger of Resistance Lyon and the uncertainty of refugee life in wartime Lisbon leap off the page in Madeline Martin's The Librarian Spy. She artfully weaves an incredible, tense tale that will set your heart pounding as her characters navigate life and death decisions in this incredible novel of sacrifice, struggle, and hope. This is historical fiction at its absolute best! —Julia Kelly, international bestselling author of The Last Dance of the Debutante “From Lyon to Lisbon, the settings in The Librarian Spy are every bit as vivid and appealing as the women working in Resistance. Madeline Martin takes readers into the belly of the beast, but with characters of such determination, heart, and strength, hope never fails. In increasingly dark times, The Librarian Spy is the book we need.” —Erika Robuck, National Bestselling Author of Sisters of Night and Fog “The wartime ambience in both Lisbon and Paris and the thoroughly fascinating story of the IDC will please all lovers of WWII espionage.” –Booklist“The description and events in this novel prove to be deftly researched. The different locations and the vernacular used highly add to the tale's credibility, offering depth and insight into the happenings of this era. With suspense and tension throughout, this reads like a stealthy shadow lurking around a dark corner, producing hair-raising situations sure to raise one's hackles while making the reader ponder why this horror was allowed.”—New York Journal of Books"Resistance and activism... vividly reimagined."—The Washington Post“Another powerful, moving historical novel by Martin that will stay with you long after the final page is turned. Beautifully written and meticulously researched, it’s a story I’ll be recommending to all my readers.”—Soraya M. Lane, Kindle #1 bestselling author of The Last Correspondent“The Librarian Spy is a truly captivating read.”—BookPage (starred)"Powerful and unforgettable reading. ... I highly recommend this book."—Historical Novels Review"The Librarian Spy is a beautifully written, well-researched work of historical fiction."—The Plain-Spoken Pen "The Librarian Spy is another gorgeous read by Madeline Martin. The writing is fluid and beautiful, and the story touching. ... Full of courage, resistance, and sacrifice, this story was a lovely read."—The 52 Book Club "Full of twists, turns, and international intrigue, The Librarian Spy is about two women facing overwhelming odds with courage, daring, and heart."—The Register Herald“The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin is a taut story of courage, endurance, and hope at a time when the world was anything but normal.”—Herald-Whig

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Book SynopsisVolume 2 of our two-volume visual history of the North American B-25 Mitchell.

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Book SynopsisThe Falklands War, which may prove to be the last ‘colonial’ war that Britain ever fights, took place in 1982. Fought 8,000 miles from home soil, it cost the lives of 255 British military personnel, with many more wounded, some seriously. The war also witnessed many acts of outstanding courage by the UK Armed Forces after a strong Task Force was sent to regain the islands from the Argentine invaders. Soldiers, sailors and airmen risked, and in some cases gave, their lives for the freedom of 1,820 islanders. Lord Ashcroft, who has been fascinated by bravery since he was a young boy, has amassed several medal collections over the past four decades, including the world’s largest collection of Victoria Crosses, Britain and the Commonwealth’s most prestigious gallantry award. Falklands War Heroes tells the stories behind his collection of valour and service medals awarded for the Falklands War. The collection, almost certainly the largest of its kind in the world, spans all the major events of the war. This book, which contains nearly forty individual write-ups, has been written to mark the fortieth anniversary of the war. It is Lord Ashcroft’s attempt to champion the outstanding bravery of our Armed Forces during an undeclared war that was fought and won over ten weeks in the most challenging conditions.

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Book SynopsisSet deep in the heart of the Masurian woods of northern Poland, in what was formally East Prussia, lies a vast complex of ruined bunkers and shelters that once constituted Hitler's headquarters - the Wolfsschanze or Wolf's Lair - for Germany's attack upon the Soviet Union in 1941. Built in conditions of the utmost secrecy, the Wolfsschanze was surrounded by fences and guard posts, its paths and tracks were hidden, and buildings were camouflaged and concealed with artificial grass and trees planted on their flat roofs. As the war in Eastern Europe continued, so the Wolf's Lair grew in scale and sophistication, until it's 2.5 square miles incorporated more than eighty buildings including massive reinforced bunkers. It was also at the Wolfsschanze that Colonel von Stauffenberg almost killed Hitler in the summer of 1944\. That building is still there, its roof sitting on its collapsed walls. With the aid of a unique collection of colour photographs, the reader is guided around the Wolfsschanze as it appears today, with each building and its purpose identified. Laced with numerous personal accounts of the installation and of Hitler's routines, supplemented with contemporary images, the Wolfsschanze is brought to life once more. The Wolfsschanze, however, was not the only military complex in this small part of the Eastern Front. Once Hitler has established his command centre at the Wolfsschanze, in effect the home of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (or military high command), the other branches of the German armed forces and civil authorities quickly followed suit. Just a few miles away, for example, the German Army built its own operational headquarters at Mauerwald - a complex which amounted to an even greater concentration of buildings, many of which remain intact and open to the public. Goering duly ordered that the Luftwaffe's headquarters, codenamed _Robinson_, be built further out near the current Russian border, whilst Himmler's SS headquarters at Hochwald and that for Hans Lammers' Reich Chancellery were situated back nearer the Wolfsschanze. For the first time, these astonishing sites, five complexes from which the war on the Eastern Front was directed, are shown and described in one book, providing a comprehensive survey of the installations whose gigantic scale still evinces awe and wonder.

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Book SynopsisIn this fully illustrated introduction, leading Vietnam War historian Dr Andrew Wiest provides a concise overview of America''s most divisive war. America entered the Vietnam War certain of its Cold War doctrines and convinced of its moral mission to save the world from the advance of communism. However, the war was not at all what the United States expected. Dr Andrew Wiest examines how, outnumbered and outgunned, the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces resorted to a guerrilla war based on the theories of Mao Zedong of China, while the US responded with firepower and overwhelming force. Drawing on the latest research for this new edition, Wiest examines the brutal and prolonged resultant conflict, and how its consequences would change America forever, leaving the country battered and unsure as it sought to face the challenges of the final acts of the Cold War. As for Vietnam, the conflict would continue long after the US had exited its military adventure in SoutheTrade ReviewAn excellent read -- John Ham * Gun Mart & Militaria Mart magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction Background to War Warring Sides Outbreak The Fighting The World Around War How the War Ended Conclusion and Consequences Chronology Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisA dedicated career soldier and excellent division and corps commander, Dominique Vandamme was a thorn in the side of practically every officer he served. In this first book-length study of Vandamme in English, John Gallaher traces the career of one of Napoleon's most successful midrank officers.

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Book SynopsisThis is the true story of the greatest special forces' operation of the 20th Century and the first shot in the West's long war against international terrorism. It is a tale of human drama and unbearable tension in which courage, comradeship, fanaticism, incompetence and luck all play their part.Trade ReviewThis is a minute-by-minute narrative of that week by a scrupulous and thorough historian, who has written what will most likely be the definitive work on the subject and produced a tense and riveting account of what has come to be known as the Entebbe raid. By means of extraordinarily deep research, David essentially lets the characters speak for themselves...This is the achievement of a masterly, first-rate historian. * The New York Times Book Review *It's a brilliantly orchestrated book, wonderfully rich in detail, but at the same time roaring along at a heart-thumping pace... I embarked on this book as someone not particularly interested in the Middle East, or in adventure tales of soldiers in action; I finished it in a state of high tension, buzzing through the pages in the need to know what happened next. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Long fuse. Slow burn. Big bang. A Krakatoa of a tale. * Damien Lewis, author of Operation Certain Death *Combining exceptional research with gripping storytelling, Saul David's Operation Thunderbolt is an unputdownable account of perhaps the most extraordinary Special Forces mission in history. I loved it. * Rowland White, author of 'Vulcan 607' *Totally thrilling, totally poignant. Bringing the greatest special forces operation of modern times blazingly to life, David's book, full of new revelations, written with the excitement of an action-movie, the authority of a historian, is great drama, superb storytelling - and yet tells us much about the Middle East today. * Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem *A brilliant, breathless account that reads like the plot of an action movie. * Sunday Telegraph *Better than fiction can ever hope to be and true to Saul David's characteristically authentic style, this breathtakingly tense and incredibly moving account of history's most audacious Special Forces operation is one of the best true stories I've ever read. Gritty, visceral and edge-of-the-seat dramatic, Operation Thunderbolt ticks all the boxes and is destined to be one of the military history classics of the decade. - Major Chris Hunter, author of Broadcaster and Former Special Forces Bomb Disposal Operator. * Major Chris Hunter, author of Eight Lives Down *Gripping... will introduce a whole new generation of readers to an extraordinary story... The climax of the rescue itself is brilliantly told; nearly 40 years on, you still heave a sigh of relief when the last when the last Hercules lifts off from the Entebbe runway and lumbers off into the night and a new daw for the hostages - and for Israel. * Jewish Chronicle *For the first time in my reading life I felt physically thrilled by a book... Wonderful. -- Jonathan Mirsky * Literary Review *Gripping... As the hours tick down to the threatened bloody denouement, tension mounts and the atmosphere thickens... A page-turner, with its single clear mission, cast of distinct personalities and very filmic scenes. * The Spectator *Told with the style and pace of TV thrillers such as 24. * The Times *A meticulously researched, skilfully constructed, carefully balanced and absorbing book. * The Observer *A ripping read and a meticulously researched work of history. * Evening Standard *Combines phenomenal research with the paciness of a thriller. * Economist Intelligent Life *Well-researched and highly readable. * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisFully illustrated with stunning full color artwork, this is the fascinating story of arguably the world''s first modern air campaign. Following the failure of Rolling Thunder US aircraft were now armed with new technologies such as new laser-guided bombs and electronic warfare capabilities. The Air Force now had the fearsome AC-130 gunship and a new generation of Wild Weasel anti-radar aircraft, and the US Navy aviators now had much better dogfighting training thanks to the new TOPGUN fighter school. As the Paris peace talks floundered in early 1972 and the US began to disengage from Vietnam, it was clear that the North Vietnamese were conducting a major build up for an attack into South Vietnam. Screened by bad weather and heavy air defenses in the north, the attack advanced quickly but the US quickly pushed back with an air campaign named Operation Linebacker. Their objective: defeat the invasion, preserve the government of South Vietnam, and bring tTrade ReviewA truly excellent title. * Panorama Difesa *Table of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Attackers' Capabilities /Defenders' Capabilities /Campaign Objectives /The Campaign /Analysis and Conclusion /Further Reading /Index

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction /Flying Wing Evolution /The XB-35 /The YB-49 /|Disaster and Diminuendo /Flying Wing Legacy Bibliography /Index

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in September 1941, it was the first such account of air combat against the Luftwaffe in France in the Second World War, and it struck an immediate chord with a British public enthralled by the exploits of its young airmen.

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Book SynopsisBritain’s war in the shadows of male spies and subterfuge in the heart of occupied France is a story well known, but what of the women who also risked their lives for Britain and the liberation of France?In 1942 a desperate need for new recruits, saw SOE turn to a previously overlooked group – women.Trade Review‘They were the war’s bravest women, devoted to defeating the Nazis yet reluctant ever to reveal their heroic pasts. Now a new book tells their intrepid tales.’ * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisYankee Air Pirates is a highly detailed look at United States Air Force uniforms and equipment as used during the Vietnam War. This comprehensive book the first of a multi-volume set presents hundreds of Air Force named items in over 900 full color photos, giving the reader a precise insight and reference covering fifty-eight Air Force units. Flight suits, utility shirts, jungle jackets, headgear, insignia, weapons, plaques, souvenir lighters, and many theater-made items are featured to illustrate the history of both flying and ground units. Topics covered in this initial volume are: Command & Control, Tactical Control, Forward Air Control, Rescue, Electronic Warfare, and Air Police/Security Police units. An extensive chapter offers a detailed review of uniforms, headgear, and footwear, referenced by model and date.Trade Review'Reviewed in Militaria, March 2014'

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