Military History Books

Book SynopsisJohn Richardson was born in London in 1924. He studied art at the Slade School but soon gave up painting for art criticism. In 1949 he moved to France, where befriended Picasso, Braque, Léger, and Cocteau. The first volume of his magisterial four-volume A Life of Picasso won the Whitbread Prize in 1991. He was also the author of the memoir, The Sorcerer's Apprentice; an essay collection, Sacred Monsters, Sacred Masters; and books on Manet and Braque. He wrote for the New York Review of Books, New Yorker and Vanity Fair. He was made a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy in 1993, and served as the Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford University from 1995 to 1996. He died in 2019.Trade ReviewClever, amusing, flamboyant and outrageous... Even incomplete, this is Richardson's masterpiece. * The Times, *Books of the Year* *Richardson's monumental biography...comes at you like a roar... As biographer, Richardson is clever, amusing, flamboyant, outrageous - a worthy match for his subject... Even incomplete, this is Richardson's masterpiece. -- Laura Freeman * The Times *Magnificent, unparalleled... How [Volume IV] manages to be as gripping as it is, as fresh as it is, only the gods of art can answer... Richardson is both an intimate witness and a ravenous historian... No one will ever again be able to combine Richardson's personal familiarity with Picasso with such impressive levels of history, insight, detail, gossip and breezy writing. The greatest art biography ever written can never have a proper ending. It's an incomplete masterpiece. But a masterpiece nevertheless. -- Waldemar Januszczak * Sunday Times *What a magnificent resource this four-volume biography is, unfinished...yet unrivalled in its blend of erudition and gossipy insights. * Financial Times, *Books of the Year* *Magisterial... What has always made Richardson's biographical work on Picasso so alive is the fact of his personal friendship with the artist. It is thrilling to read a narrative in which scholarly prose is regularly interrupted with the phrase "Picasso once told me ... " followed by an entirely fresh anecdote... How lucky we are...that Richardson lived long enough to get this far. -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *One of the great biographical enterprises of our times. * New Statesman, *The Best Books of 2022 So Far* *Terrifically enjoyable... irresistible. -- Alastair Sooke * Daily Telegraph *No previous biographer of Picasso has commanded such detail, range and depth when dealing with this unendingly inventive and ferociously experimental artist. This fourth volume...reflects Richardson's gift for merging the personal with the professional. * Literary Review *Gripping, highly readable and thoughtfully illustrated... It's hard to imagine that he could be bettered as our guide in the labyrinth of the minotaur. -- Stephen Smith * Financial Times *Enlivened by...anecdotal intimacy... Richardson...has ingeniously deciphered the art without demystifying the artist. -- Peter Conrad * Observer *Every page carries an entertaining story or a fascinating gobbet of artistic gossip. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *A fluent writer with a gift for narrative and a sensitive ability to read the artist's work in relation to his life... The decade covered in this volume, which turns on Picasso's identification with the part-beast, part-man mythical Minotaur, is a tumultuous one, both in public and in private life... [it is] deftly presented as Richardson moves from the man to his circle to his art to larger historical events. -- Siri Hustvedt * New York Times Book Review *Personal and political collide in lively fourth volume of detailed biography... The Minotaur Years retells what might be considered a familiar story, but carries it off with a liveliness generated by short chapters, sharp judgements and occasionally waspish dismissals, all dispatched at pace. It is the fruit of 60 years of thinking, conversing and speculating about the artist, underpinned by detailed looking, research and investigation of his movements moment by moment. -- Matthew Gale * The Art Newspaper *[Richardson] set the standard for modern artists' biographies...The fourth and final volume...is a worthy follow-up to its predecessors... just as rich, just as astounding. -- Sebastian Smee * Washington Post *The final chapter of a magisterial biography... The author's unique, extensive knowledge and insider information about Picasso - both the man and artist - informs insightful explications of the nuances and symbolism in Picasso's works... A masterful accomplishment. * Kirkus Reviews *Monumental... Nobody has brought us closer [than Richardson] to understanding this extraordinary and complex artist. -- Miranda France * Prospect *[A] magisterial work... superbly illustrated. -- Nicky Haslam * Oldie *[A] magisterial and superbly illustrated biography. -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail, *Book of the Week* *Monumental... This uncompleted project will surely be the Ozymandias of all biographies, since Richardson's talents were uniquely matched to his protean subject. -- Fram Dinshaw * Catholic Herald *Wonderfully lively, greatly informative and memorably insightful... a great read. -- Alexander Adams * Jackdaw *

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Book SynopsisThe story of how Britain's intelligence operatives, experts and special operations teams contributed to the Allies' victory in the Second World War. Table of ContentsIntroduction • MI6 • Bletchley Park • MI5 • Special Operations Executive • Intelligence Services of the Governments-in-Exile - Poland, Norway and Czechoslovakia • Naval Intelligence • Air Intelligence • Intelligence in Occupied Europe • SOE Operations in Occupied Europe • North African Campaign • Intelligence in the Middle East • The Balkans • Churchill's Obsession with Intelligence • SOE Operations in the Middle East • The Invasion of North Africa and Southern Europe • Battle of the Atlantic • US Intelligence - working with Bletchley, MI6 and SOE • Women in the Secret War • MI19 - The Interrogation of German Prisoners • Double-Cross System • Intelligence in the Far East • D-Day Intelligence - Invention of the Modern Computer • D-Day and Operation Bodyguard • German Intelligence and How it Failed • MI6 Preparations for the Cold War.

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Book SynopsisOn 1st May 1915, the luxury ocean liner Lusitania sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool. Her passengers were anxious. Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone and its submarines were bringing terror to the Atlantic.Trade ReviewGripping, superbly well-researched...he ratchets up the tension as the doomed ship speeds towards the inevitable. Though you know it’s going to happen, you keep praying that it won’t, right up until the moment when the torpedo strikes. You feel this way because Larson makes you care...Thanks to Larson’s vivid narrative, you are there with those passengers in the thick of it. It may have happened 100 years ago, but this masterpiece made it feel like yesterday. -- James Delingpole * MAIL ON SUNDAY *A fascinating, well-researched read. * Kate Atkinson *With practised skill Larson confronts the emotional pathos of wartime tragedy. -- Iain Finlayson * THE TIMES *Vivid...Larson tells his story well. -- Andrew Holgate * SUNDAY TIMES *Larson's irresistibly pacey narrative moves between the various scenes of action, conjuring them up in vivid detail...the sources are remarkable...[his] detailed conversational endnotes are an added bonus. -- Lucy Moore * LITERARY REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES #1 BESTSELLERThe great airborne battle for the bridges in 1944 by Britain''s Number One bestselling historian and author of the classic Stalingrad''Our greatest chronicler of the Second World War'' - Robert Fox, Evening Standard______________On 17 September 1944, General Kurt Student, the founder of Nazi Germany''s parachute forces, heard the growing roar of aeroplane engines. He went out on to his balcony above the flat landscape of southern Holland to watch the air armada of Dakotas and gliders carrying the British 1st Airborne and the American 101st and 82nd Airborne divisions. He gazed up in envy at this massive demonstration of paratroop power.Operation Market Garden, the plan to end the war by capturing the bridges leading to the Lower Rhine and beyond, was a bold concept: the Americans thought it unusually bold for Field Marshal Montgomery. But could it ever have worked? The cost of failure was horrendous, above all for the Dutch, who risked everything to help. German reprisals were pitiless and cruel, and lasted until the end of the war.The British fascination with heroic failure has clouded the story of Arnhem in myths. Antony Beevor, using often overlooked sources from Dutch, British, American, Polish and German archives, has reconstructed the terrible reality of the fighting, which General Student himself called ''The Last German Victory''. Yet this book, written in Beevor''s inimitable and gripping narrative style, is about much more than a single, dramatic battle.It looks into the very heart of war.______________''In Beevor''s hands, Arnhem becomes a study of national character'' - Ben Macintyre, The Times''Superb book, tirelessly researched and beautifully written'' - Saul David, Daily Telegraph''Complete mastery of both the story and the sources'' - Keith Lowe, Literary ReviewTrade ReviewMasterly...illuminated by a host of hitherto unpublished anecdotes and quotations, together with the fruits of his own labors in Dutch archives. A meticulous, wonderfully vivid, and justly angry account of one of the great cock-ups of World War II -- Max HastingsThis absorbing new account of the battle with the eye for telling detail which we have come to expect from Antony Beevor. . . this time, though, he turns his brilliance as a military historian to a subject not just of defeat, but dunderhead stupidity. * Daily Mail *Beevor tells a story that is more human and complex than what he calls "the great myth of heroic failure", a tale of vanity, hubris, occasional incompetence, human frailty and remarkable grit. . . In Beevor's hands, Arnhem becomes a study of national character. * The Times *Antony Beevor's magnificent account. . . Beevor's skill lies in his ability to recreate the tumultuous brutality of battle. . . With stark honesty, Beevor describes the terrible panoply. * The Times *The analysis he has produced of the disaster is forensic. Aficionados of military history will revel in Beevor's microscopic detail, with every skirmish given its rightful place. . . Beevor's prodigious research has nevertheless unearthed many treasures, particularly his record of the sufferings of Dutch civilians who risked their necks by nursing wounded allied soldiers. * Sunday Times *Complete mastery of both the story and the sources. The beauty is in the details. . . . This gripping book, with its tightly focused timescale and subject matter, shows him once again at his very best. * Literary Review *Another masterwork from the most feted military historian of our time. . . Does the story need to be retold? Beevor is such a good writer, with a gift for clarity and a knack for the telling personal portrait, that the answer is undoubtedly yes. * Prospect Magazine *Our greatest chronicler of the Second World War . . . The drama of manoeuvre and counter-thrust, the courage and cowardice of soldier and civilian, the follies and vanities of commanders, which are especially rich in this story, are deployed with colour and humanity. His fans will love it. * Evening Standard *As Antony Beevor showed in Stalingrad, he is a master of his craft as a military historian. . . We have here a definitive account of one of the most painful episodes of the Second World War. * The Tablet *It is, in short, a chapter of the Second World War that was crying out for the storytelling talents of Sir Antony Beevor, arguably the finest narrative historian of his generation. This is the result - and his many fans will not be disappointed . . . Beevor's particular skill is his ability to unearth new sources that articulate the experience of war felt by ordinary people: soldiers and civilians, men and women. . . Beevor has produced another superb book, tirelessly researched and beautifully written, that will long be the benchmark for this subject. * Daily Telegraph *Beevor's superlative new book . . . Arnhem sees him return to Stalingrad form. Forensic is too soft a word to describe the breadth of detail he brings. * Daily Express, ***** *The compressed time scale and limited strategic scope of Market Garden ideally suit the author's testimony-rich approach . . . Beevor is a highly accomplished architect of what the American literary scholar Samuel Hynes calls 'battlefield gothic': the nightmarish horrors and absurdities of combat * Wall Street Journal *On holiday I read and am wholly absorbed by Antony Beevor's Arnhem. Though I am defeated by much of the military detail, the human side of the action, the troops in the gliders, their fears and all too often their fates, are beautifully told, with some of the bloodshed and killing unbearable * Diary 2018 *This is destined to be a World War II military history classic . . . Beevor's superb latest offering, in keeping with his established record of excellence, is a must-read * Publishers' Weekly *Arnhem brings a wealth of new detail to a major World War II disaster . . . Beevor brings to the familiar story a vast amount of research in German, British, American, Polish, and Dutch archives. As usual, his narrative bristles with specifics, including countless observations gleaned from eyewitnesses to every stage of Market Garden. Devoted readers of military history will enjoy the wealth of details * The Christian Science Monitor *With devastating command of his subject, Antony Beevor shows how one commander's hubris destroyed an army . . . No one beats Beevor at recreating the bewildering cacophony of war * The Times, History Book of the Year *Arnhem was one of the most epic engagements of WW2 and Antony Beevor gives it his usual excellent and fascinating big battle treatment, which makes for a gripping read

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Book SynopsisThe scale and organisation of the Roman army was unprecedented in the ancient Western world. This book tells the story of everyday aspects of the army in the heyday of the Roman Empire from life in a tent to the food soldiers consumed and explains its hierarchy, roles, equipment and place in a vast multiethnic society divided between citizens and subjects. Everything the best history books can be: erudite, entertaining and eloquent.' Terry Deary, author of Horrible Histories Splendidly direct, clear and jargon free You are unlikely to find a clearer or more comprehensive account' Classics for All The Roman army has been immortalised in heroic art and screen epics, but what was life really like for an ordinary soldier? This book explores everyday life in the army including the experiences of women and enslaved people through a range of rare objects and testimonies. These include letters from Apion and Terentianus, young Egyptian soldiers writing home to their families; the tomTable of ContentsForewords Timeline and map Introduction 1. Enlisting 2. A soldier’s remains 3. Ranks and roles 4. Aristocracy and the army 5. Dressing for battle 6. Camp and campaign 7. Fort life 8. Soldiers in society Glossary Rulers of the Roman Empire Notes Bibliography Lenders Picture credits Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisMary Kaldor's New and Old Wars has fundamentally changed the way both scholars and policy-makers understand contemporary war and conflict.Trade Review"A timely and important book. Putting the so-called revolution in military affairs firmly to one side, Mary Kaldor has provided us with a window into the future of war." Martin van Creveld, Hebrew University of Jerusalem "If you don’t read Mary Kaldor’s New and Old Wars, you won’t understand the world of violence we live in. And you will miss the only way out: the perspective of a cosmopolitan realpolitik that Kaldor opens up and paints in detail in her highly sophisticated and original analysis. Now revised and updated, it is the classical book on new wars." Ulrich Beck, University of Munich "More than any other book, the third edition of Mary Kaldor's brilliantly sustained enquiry into 'new wars' helps us grasp the complex terrain of political violence since the end of the Cold War. The richness and clarity of the overall presentation greatly strengthens Kaldor's stature as one of the most consistently imaginative and conceptually creative thinkers of our time on the central issues of global affairs." Richard Falk, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsPreface to the Third Edition Abbreviations 1. Introduction 2. Old Wars 3. Bosnia-Herzegovina: A Case Study of a New War 4. The Politics of New Wars 5. The Globalized War Economy 6. Towards a Cosmopolitan Approach 7. The ‘New Wars' in Iraq and Afghanistan 8. Governance, Legitimacy and Security Afterword Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe dramatic, untold story of the extraordinary women recruited by Britain's elite spy agency to help pave the way for Allied victoryTrade ReviewCompelling - these under-reported stories of fearless and principled women will provide inspiration - BooklistWith skill and heart, Sarah Rose captures the adventures of an extraordinary group of women who kept the resistance alive during the darkest days of World War II, risking everything to liberate their loved ones, their nations, and democracy itself. I couldn't stop reading - Jason Fagone, Author of The Woman Who Smashed CodesRose delivers a swift moving . . . expert blow-by-blow account . . . A spy thriller that fights against the idea of "the original sin of women at war" - Kirkus ReviewsDaring, modern, and gorgeously written . . . This is the D-Day book the world has been waiting for - Karen Abbott, Author of Sin in the Second City and Liar, Temptress, Soldier, SpySarah Rose's D-Day Girls is . . . a page-turning spy story that will, at long last, inscribe the names of three remarkable female spies-Andree Borrel, Odette Sansom, Lise de Baissac-into our history books - Susannah Cahalan, Author of Brain on FireA fresh, thrilling account of the female spies whose courage and audacity helped win the day on June 6, 1944 - Alex Kershaw, Author of the Bedford Boys and Avenue of Spies

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Book Synopsis''Awesome!'' ANDY McNAB ''You must read this book'' Colonel TIM COLLINS OBE ''Extraordinary'' Sir RANULPH FIENNES Forget what you thought you knew. Discover the REAL story of how the SAS was created.From ex-SAS Commander Tom Petch, this is the never-before-told story of how the world''s preeminent Special Forces came into existence. Flashing between dramatic accounts from the frontlines and power negotiations in Westminster, it''s an adventure that reaches from the trenches of the Western Front to piracy in the deserts of North Africa, to the final assault on Germany.Drawing on hidden archives and told with captivating drama, it focuses on two characters largely overlooked in the traditional narrative - Dudley Clarke the mastermind, and William Fraser the frontline operator. Without them there would never have been an SAS.''Gripping and fascinating... Packed with unforgettable characters and thrilling adventures'' WILL IREDALE, bestTrade ReviewAwesome! The true story of the men who invented Special Forces warfare is even more compelling than the mythology * ANDY McNAB *We rightly value the SAS as a precious national jewel. However its is rarely seen in its full splendour, embedded in our national sceptre of strategic operations - in which the UK excels. To marvel at this phenomenon you must read this book. Well written, entertaining - with breathtaking depth of research telling a genuinely new story of an old tale -- Colonel Tim Collins OBEA genuinely fresh and insightful account of the origins of the SAS. Combining extraordinary depth of research with an understanding born of first-hand experience, this is the page-turning and revelatory story of how a small group of men tried to change the way that war was fought and, in doing so, led to the formation of the world's first special force * Sir Ranulph Fiennes *I thought I knew this story. I didn't. Tom Petch's account of the creation of the Special Forces is more complex, more compelling and more inspiring than the versions we've previously heard. And the fate of the men who have been written out of history - until now - gives it a profoundly poignant conclusion * John Nichol, bestselling author of TORNADO *Gripping and fascinating in equal measure... A highly readable, fast-paced and enjoyable account of the SAS, packed with unforgettable characters and thrilling adventures * Will Iredale, bestselling author of The Pathfinders *A fascinating study of a complex and innovative man -- Gavin Mortimer * Aspects of History *The mystique and exploits, past and present, of the SAS continues to be a source of fascination to the public. This excellent book by an author who served in the regiment strips away the myth from the reality, reveals new information, and presents a lucid account of the making of this elite and lethal force. * Kim Sengupta, World Affairs Editor, The Independent *I can honestly say that this book is the best there is on that subject * Mars and Minerva, The SAS Regimental Association *

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Book SynopsisThis is the story of the Anglo-American amphibious assault and subsequent battle on the Italian west coast at Anzio which was launched in January 1944 in a bold attempt to outflank the formidable German defences known as the ''Gustav Line''. ANZIO - THE FRICTION OF WAR outlines the strategic background to the offensive before detailing the landing, the development of an Allied defensive position, the battles in and around the perimeter, the stalemate, the breakout and the capture of Rome on 4 June 1944. While assessing the events at Anzio with the eye of an experienced military historian, Lloyd Clark also examines in detail the human response to the battle from high command to foot soldier. He also emphasises the German story - the first time this has ever been done.Trade Review'Lloyd Clark's lucid, elegantly written book is well overdue... Absolutely first class' * Alex Kershaw *

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Book SynopsisThis book describes, in great detail, the second year of Putin's 'Special Operation' to obliterate Ukraine. General (Ret) Harrel's previous book, entitled The Russian Invasion of Ukraine, February - December 2022, described the initial invasion, identifying the units and weapons on the battlefield with military precision. Now he continues the story of Ukrainian resistance in the face of overwhelming odds. The author knowledgeably reports on twenty-first century mechanized warfare, and how drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have evolved to dominate the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of war. The year 2023 saw the dawn of drone warfare as combatants on both sides of the conflict at first tinkered with the use of civilian hobby-type machines but then, having had great success, rushed forward to design, purchase (often with crowd funding) and deploy drones through all domains of the battlefield. Drones performed reconnaissance, targeting for artillery and direct attacks, seeking, identifying, and striking targets not only on the battlefield but in the Black Sea and deep inside Mother Russia. As the fighting raged, Russia successfully continued its worldwide cyber campaign to influence elections, divide allies and undercut support for Ukraine. The Pyrrhic Russian victories at Bakhmut and Avdviika were offset by Ukrainian victories in the Black Sea, after its failed counteroffensive in the Summer of 2023. Finland and Sweden joined NATO, while US support was stymied and delayed by internal politics. NATO clearly assumed its place as the bastion of Western freedom as the war continued into 2024.

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Book SynopsisThe COSSAC planners in 1943 outlined a strategy to capture the city of Caen, some 10 miles in-land from the coastline with an airborne division. On assumption of command of 21st Army Group, General Montgomery up-scaled the invasion and inserting SWORD Beach, gave the task of capturing the city to the 3rd Division on D Day or shortly afterwards. The Germans, however, seeing the number of Allied divisions, many fictional, multiplying on their situation maps, believed that a secondary landing would be made in Normandy. In April 1944, they therefore made significant reinforcements including moving the 21st Panzer Division to the important transport node of Caen that, if held, barred the way onto the more open country south to Falaise. Though aware of the German reinforcement thanks to ULTRA, the Allied aspiration remained to capture Caen and fix the Germans against the British Second Army on the eastern flank of the lodgement. In doing so, it became obvious that the city would not be captured as quickly or cleanly as originally envisaged. On D Day, the 3rd Division faced not just the coastal crust of defences, but German formations deployed in depth, including the 21st Panzer Division barring the way to Caen. Beset with difficulties resulting from Eisenhower's decision to go' in less-than-ideal conditions, the landing was slow and the division could not develop the necessary momentum to carry them to the city.

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Book SynopsisA variety of factors surround military firearms they needed to be produced in large numbers to astandardised pattern at an affordable price. This bookexamines the transition from traditional hand-craftmethods to the beginnings of mechanised manufactureusing as examples the French Model 1777 and theRussian Model 1808 infantry muskets. A number of factors led to this choice. The FrenchModel 1777 musket, designed by Honoré Blancworking under General Gribeauval, contained manynovel features which became blueprints for thearms of numerous countries and was copied in itsentirety by Russia. Another factor is that they arethe only firearms whose manufacture is covered incontemporary accounts. A third factor is that theyprovide contrasts in their methods of manufacture;the French 1777 musket was largely produced byhand-craft methods, whereas in Russia we see thebeginnings of extensive mechanisation in the early19th century. Another important aspect which appears isinterchangeability' the a

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Book SynopsisPeredur, The Undiscovered Truth of the Nazi Grail Quest is written in two parts. The first part of the book charts the life and adventures of Otto Rahn, the man tasked by the Nazis, in the 1930s, with finding and getting his hands on the Holy Grail for them. The Nazis were hell bent on finding the Grail and reuniting it with the Holy Lance in a bid to create a mythical past of the Aryan race. Rahn believed that by uncovering the truth behind the Germanic saga of Parzival he would discover the whereabouts of the Grail. Parzival had, according to legend, successfully completed a quest to find the Grail, whilst being a knight in the court of King Arthur. In dissecting the story of Parzival, Rahn concluded that the Grail had been held by the Cathars, a heretical Christian sect, in their fortress at Montsegur. He believed that the Grail was still there, waiting for him to find it and based his quest around this belief. Unfortunately, after chasing round Europe in his efforts to find the Grail, and coming within touching distance of finding the truth, the Nazis patience with him ran out with him, and Rahn came to a sticky end, without ever having found the Grail. Rahn was the real-life figure who inspired the fictional movie character Indiana Jones. The second part focusses on Peredur, a British knight hailing from York, and the true hero of the original Grail Story. By examining the life of Peredur and the Grail Story, Peredur, the Son of Evrawc, written about him, we are able to reach the truth of the Grail Rahn and the Nazis never found. Rahn came very close to uncovering this, but the Nazis had lost faith in him, and casting him as a charlatan, hounded him to his death. Much of the story of Peredur, the Son of Evrawc is played out in the ancient British kingdom of Elmet, encompassing much of what we now call South Yorkshire, and whose southern border lay along the line of the River Don. As the story is unpicked, the truth of the Grail, is unravelled, leading to some astonishing findings.

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Book SynopsisBy the autumn of 1944, Hitler's plans for the conquest of Europe were in disarray. The Führer's much-vaunted Third Reich, facing an Allied onslaught from the east and west, was slowly collapsing. Desperate to seize the initiative on the Western Front, Hitler, seeing himself as a beleaguered modern-day Frederick the Great, looked for some bold counterattack that could change his fortunes. Hitler's wish had at least one clear result, for as even as early as 19 August 1944, he had instructed Alfred Jodl to consider a bold counter-stroke in the west in November. Hitler's generals therefore set about drawing up plans for an offensive in the area of the Ardennes Forest. It was to be an attack that would enable German forces to cross the Meuse and, decisively breaking through the Allied front-line, advance on Antwerp. Given the limitations he and his forces faced, Hitler knew he would need panzer leaders capable of a delivering a Blitzkrieg advance, perhaps one that took advantage of night-time hours. One of the German officers who was tasked with delivering this audacious victory was the battle-hardened veteran SS-Obersturmbannführer Jochen Peiper. A Waffen SS officer and one of the most celebrated heroes of Hitler's armies, Peiper, and the SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte as a whole, were already on his mind. A long-time adjutant of Heinrich Himmler, and completely dedicated to the Nazi cause, Peiper had fought in every major campaign of the Second World War. However, having been wounded in Normandy following the D-Day landings, Peiper, also ailing from a combination of battle fatigue and hepatitis, had been evacuated to a field hospital and then back Germany in August 1944. It was while he was recuperating at the SS Reserve Hospital 501, overlooking Lake Tegernsee in Bavaria, that Peiper learnt of his part in the forthcoming offensive. Though his skin had a sickly ochre cast from jaundice and three years of front-line combat, too many days of coffee and cigarettes, followed by nights of fighting and frustration, and the fact that his nerves were shot, he had been selected as one of the men who would lead the Führer's final great gamble. Comprising some 4,800 men and 600 vehicles, including a number of the powerful Tiger II heavy tanks, Kampfgruppe Peiper played a central part in the Ardennes Offensive, or the Battle of the Bulge as it is commonly known, which was unleashed on 16 December 1944. It is a role that is explored here by Danny S. Parker, who reveals the successes, defeats and war crimes that Kampfgruppe Peiper was involved in before the Ardennes Offensive ended in failure in January 1945.

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Book SynopsisGeneral Stanislaw Maczek's stirring memoir captures the élan, the sacrifice and the disappointed hopes of the Polish soldiers who fought alongside the Allies during the Second World War. As Commander of the 10th Motorised Cavalry Brigade in the September 1939 campaign, his men played a crucial role in resisting the German advance before crossing into Hungary with orders to rebuild the Polish Army on French soil. Fighting a further rearguard action during the 1940 Allied retreat, he and his men escaped to Britain. In February 1942, Maczek assumed command of 1st Polish Armoured Division, created out of the Polish forces which had been training in Scotland since 1940. The Division first saw action in Normandy in early August 1944 and was responsible for closing the Falaise Gap at Mont Ormel and Chambois. Thereafter it fought on through Belgium and Holland, ultimately accepting the surrender of the German naval base at Wilhelmshaven. The Price of Victory is an inspiring tale of bravery

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Mahdi of Sudan is generally related from the British point of view, though it was more an African event. The Mahdi's uprising was the latest in a series of Islamic rebellions and wars which began in the eighteenth century. It also had a profound effect on the rest of North and East Africa, destroying the Egyptian Empire, provoking Ethiopia into a new unification, which allowed it to successfully resist the Mahdists, the Egyptians, and the Italians; it brought British forces forward from the East African coast as far as Uganda for fear that some European power would seize the sources of the Nile and block the river's flow. Eventually (but only after several humiliating defeats) the Mahdist state was overthrown by a British invasion (led by Kitchener and participated in by Churchill); this also produced a difficult confrontation at Fashoda between the British conquerors and a French expedition sparking a European crisis. The author sets the Mahdist war in the wider context of Africa and Islam, and in the context of the development of African states, but also with a glance forward to the present day, where the most important development in Africa is the extensive Islamic uprising, which is replicating that of the nineteenth century.

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Book SynopsisThis groundbreaking book offers a detailed exploration of the dress of the thirty-seven regiments of Light Infantry and other support troops in Napoleon's Grande Armée, including foot and horse artillery, sapeurs, musicians, and carabiniers. For the first time in two centuries, it accurately examines how these troops were clothed and equipped. Paul Dawson's research draws from over 1,000 archive boxes in the Service Historique de l'Armée de Terre and the Archives Nationales in Paris. These documents reveal how the 1806 uniform regulations and Bardin regulations were implemented in practice, offering insights previously unavailable to the public. The archives focus on the annual inspections of regiments, where the condition of uniforms and equipment was assessed. Soldiers' uniforms were provided through stoppages in their pay, with a prescribed lifespan for each item. The regimental Council of Administration also drew funds for clothing renewals, repairs, and equipment. Dawson's study demonstrates that the Bardin regulations, often seen as the standard, were largely a myth until the Waterloo Campaign. Through contemporary illustrations and photographs of existing uniforms, this book provides an authoritative understanding of the actual dress worn by Napoleon's troops, making previous descriptions of the Grande Armée's appearance obsolete.

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Book SynopsisStrengths of the book include emphasis on ... the abilities of military leaders [and with] lively and insightful psychological sketches brings to life ... cental figures as figures as Gustavus Adolphus ... [and] ... his revisionist analysis includes of the role of Wallenstein.' Professor Malcolm Falkus

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Book SynopsisTraces the military history of the Knights of St John from its origins in the Crusades to their defeat by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798.

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Book SynopsisThe Mosquito was the most successful battle-winning multi-role combat aircraft of the Second World War. It was introduced by the de Havilland Aircraft Company as an unarmed, un-interceptable, long range, high speed, high altitude medium bomber. An unarmed bomber without protective armament was a concept that ran directly contrary to the tactical doctrines of both the Royal Air Force and the US Army Air Force. Notwithstanding, it was developed to carry out almost unlimited roles including ground-attack dive-bomber, anti-shipping strike aircraft, day, and night fighter, 'Pathfinder' marking targets for a main heavy bomber force, and long-range reconnaissance aircraft. There seemed to be nothing it could not be adapted to do with unmatched success. Its most important role was as a deadly long-range, low level precision ground attack fighter-bomber, ideal for 'special duties' operations. The book examines the crucial role of designers and engineers from drawing board to production and comp

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Book SynopsisA unique insight into the Great War 1915.

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Book SynopsisThis fascinating book documents the impact of the First World War on the people of Kent, using a selection of primary sources and contemporary photographs.

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated study of both the combat vehicles of Russia''s legendary Spetsnaz special forces and the whole range of unique and modified vehicles that Russia''s elite units use, from combat snowmobiles to the world''s biggest water-cannon.Elite forces need elite vehicles. As Vladimir Putin has devoted effort and funds into modernising Russia's armed forces and turning them into an instrument geared not just for defending the Motherland but also projecting power beyond its borders, Russia has seen a growing emphasis on special and specialist forces. Traditionally, the elite Spetsnaz commandos had to make do with regular vehicles or civilian-based technicals', not least to conceal their presence (or, indeed, very existence). Now, increasingly at the forefront of Russian power projection, the Spetsnaz are acquiring more capable, versatile vehicles, such as the paratroopers' BTR-D personnel carrier, and also experimenting with exotic, specialist new acquisitions, such as the ChaboTable of ContentsIntroduction The Spetsnaz: Whatever They Need The Airborne Troops: By Air and Land The Naval Infantry: Finding Their Sea Legs Specialized Forces: War and Peacekeeping Security Forces: Hurricanes And Punishers Prospects For The Future Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the US infantry against the Chinese Army amid the unforgiving terrain of Korea during the first real clash of the Cold War.On June 25, 1950, North Korean troops invaded South Korea, triggering a bitter conflict that drew in US and other United Nations forces in support of the South, and soon prompted the Chinese to intervene on the side of the North. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, this study assesses the US and Chinese forces that clashed at Chipyongni (February 1315, 1951), Triangle Hill (October 1425, 1952), and Pork Chop Hill (July 611, 1953), casting light on the origins, doctrine, and combat effectiveness of these two very different forces during the struggle for victory in Korea. The Chinese forces fighting in Korea were composed of experienced, confident soldiers buoyed by the Communists' success in the recent Chinese Civil War. Initially armed and equipped with much the same weaponry and doctrine that they had employed in World War II, US ArTrade ReviewThis book is an excellent introduction to readers who may not know much about this war and, for those who do, it will add to their understanding. -- John Norris * Gunmart *There are tactical maps and colour illustrations to bring the action to life, with plenty of black and white photos from the conflict. A concise analysis rounds it all off. * The Armourer Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction The Opposing Sides Chipyong-ni, February 15, 1951 Triangle Hill, October 14-25, 1952 Hill 598, October 14, 1952 Analysis Aftermath Unit Organizations Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA compact but comprehensive guide to the iconic fighter planes that fought during World War II, which features full color profile artwork throughout.World War II saw pilots from around the world battling in the skies over Europe, Asia and Africa, with victory resting upon their nerve, skill and the capabilities of some of history''s most iconic aircraft. In the chaos of battle, it was vital that they could quickly identify friend from foe. But do you know your Hurricane from your Bf 109, or what the legendary P-51 Mustang looks like? Do you know the wingspan of the A6M Zero-sen, or how fast it could fly?THE WORLD WAR II FIGHTER PLANES SPOTTER''S GUIDE answers all of these questions and more, providing essential information on over 90 legendary aircraft, from the celebrated Spitfire to the jet-powered Me 262. Featuring full-colour artwork to aid recognition, as well as all the details you need to assess their performance, this is the perfect pockeTable of ContentsCovering 86 fighter planes of World War II.

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Book SynopsisThe impact that the war had on the city of Sheffield.

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Book SynopsisAberdeen was the most frequently bombed city in Britain suffering 32 raids and 364 air raid warnings. As a result, Aberdeen was nicknamed the Siren City'.

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Book SynopsisA STORY OF UNSUNG BRAVERY AT A DEFINING MOMENT IN BRITAIN'S HISTORY 'Superb' Stephen Fry 'Thrillingly told' Dan Jones 'Fascinating' Neil MacGregor 'Astonishing' Peter Frankopan We like to think we know the story of how Britain went to war with Germany in 1939, but there is one chapter that has never been told. In the early 1930s, a group of young, queer British MPs visited Berlin on a series of trips that would change the course of the Second World War. Having witnessed the Nazis' brutality first-hand, these men were some of the first to warn Britain about Hitler, repeatedly speaking out against their government’s policy of appeasing him. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain hated them. Branding them ‘the glamour boys’ to insinuate something untoward about them, he had their phones tapped and threatened them with deselection and exposure. At a time when even the suggestion of homosexuality could land you in prison, the bravery these men were forced to show in their personal lives gave them extraordinary courage in public. Undaunted, they refused to be silenced and when war came, they enlisted. Four of them died in action. And without them, Britain would never have faced down the Nazis. A Guardian Book of Autumn 2020Trade ReviewIn The Glamour Boys, Chris Bryant sets out to bring to light the remarkable and in some cases heroic contribution of gay MPs to Britain’s involvement in the Second World War . . . They are largely unknown. Not any longer, it is to be hoped: [Bryant] has done them honour . . . He has handled the difficult form of group biography skilfully, using a great deal of never before published material, and introducing us to a number of little known figures -- Simon Callow * Guardian *Bryant’s biggest achievement is in uncovering the stories of four almost forgotten men . . . Groundbreaking * Evening Standard *A sprightly biography . . . Bryant invests his forgotten cast with heroism, proof of the grit, determination, bravery and resourcefulness lurking behind exteriors frequently written off as “flamboyant”’ * Telegraph *An inspiring story of defiant courage - alternately hilarious, triumphant and harrowing. A story about which I knew nothing but which has filled me with admiration for its brave and brilliant participants and for Chris Bryant’s superb, suspenseful telling -- Stephen FryA fascinating and thrillingly told story. Chris Bryant weaves together political and cultural history with great skill. And in doing so he shines new light on an unspoken but hugely important group of men, whose bravery shaped the course of the Second World War. This is an important, wonderfully written and often very moving book -- Dan JonesRiveting and bursting with revelations throughout. A book that is as astonishing as it is important -- Peter FrankopanGay MPs of the 1930s could play a major part in national politics, but only if they led a dangerous double life. In this tale of high society, high camp and high courage, Chris Bryant charts what that meant in the everyday life of a group of Parliamentarians. In affluent, liberal circles their homosexuality was widely tolerated, but they were never free from the dangers of blackmail, violence or prosecution. Chris Bryant paints a compelling picture of a glamorous, gossipy, unstable world of concealment and enjoyment – and of the bravery of a group of gay MPs . . . A fascinating book is a story that needs to be told, and that fills an important historical gap -- Neil MacGregor, author of 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'An absolutely fascinating history of how queer British MPs - who have until this book been unjustly erased from history - had the courage to confront the horror of Nazism in the era of Appeasement. Whatever your sexuality, this is a must-read -- Owen JonesA fascinating, beautifully written story I had never heard before -- Hugh GrantBrilliantly told, this is a piece of our history we needed to know -- Helena KennedyAs moving as it is extraordinary. Chris Bryant has unearthed one of the great untold stories of World War Two -- John PrestonYou can't deal with today's injustices without knowing how we got here in the first place . . . This is fascinating, authoritative and radical history at its best * Owen Jones on 'Entitled' *Magnificent . . . Chris Bryant is a fine historian * Express on 'Parliament: The Biography' *Admirably comprehensive . . . And written in the kind of lucid, elegant prose now rarely associated with our elected representatives -- Praise for 'Parliament: The Biography' * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisThe First Polish Armoured Division was formed in Scotland in February 1942 from Polish exiles who had escaped first Poland and then France. Its commander, Stanislaw Maczek, and many of its men had previously served in Polish 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade (10 BKS), which had taken part in the Polish invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1938 and given a good account of itself in the defence of Poland against German and Soviet invasion of 1939\. Under Maczek's leadership the division was trained and equipped along British lines in preparation for the invasion of France. Attached to 1st Canadian Army, the division was sent to Normandy in late July 1944\. It suffered heavily during Operation Totalize but went on to play a crucial role in preventing an orderly German withdrawal from the Falaise Pocket by its stand at Hill 262\. They then played their part in the advance across Western Europe and into Germany. This detailed history, supported by dozens of archive photos, concludes by looking at the often-poor treatment of Maczek and his men after the war.

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Book SynopsisWhen at Hitler's insistence the first Tiger I tanks went into action in Tunisia in December 1942 they rapidly gained a formidable fighting reputation despite their lack of reliability and the small number deployed. With its heavy armour and 88mm gun, it outclassed all the Allied tanks then in service and forced the Allies to accelerate the introduction of improved anti-tank guns and tanks that could match the Tiger in terms of firepower and protection. In this, his second volume in the TankCraft series on the Tiger, Dennis Oliver uses archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine the Tiger tanks and German army units that first took them into combat in North Africa and then operated them as they fell back through Sicily and Italy between 1943 and 1945. A large part of the book showcases available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined providing everything the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of the tanks that made such an immediate impact on the southern front during the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisBy early August 1944 the Germans fighting in Normandy had been worn down by the battles around Caen, while to the west, the American breakout was finally gaining momentum. Now was the time to launch II Canadian Corps south towards Falaise. With much of the German armour having been stripped away for the Mortain Counter-Attack, hopes ran high that the Corps, reinforced with British tanks, the 51st Highland and the Polish Armoured Divisions, would repeat the success of their predecessors in the Battle of Amiens. An innovative change of tactics to a night armoured assault and the conversion of seventy-two self-propelled guns to armoured personnel carriers for the accompanying infantry was very successful, but up against their implacable foes, 12th Hitlerjugend SS Panzer Division, the pause for bombing allowed Kurt Panzer' Meyer to deploy his division. Consequently, when the 4th Canadian and Polish Armoured Divisions were launched into their first battle they made frustratingly little progress. As the Canadians advanced over the following days, the battle degenerated into a costly fight for ground as the Hitlerjugend struggled to contain the inexperienced Poles and Canadians. Operation Totalize is renowned for the death of SS panzer Ace Michael Wittmann at the hands of Trooper Joe Ekins and the destruction of Worthington Force, the result of a navigational error.

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Book SynopsisThe German panzer armies that swept into the Soviet Union in 1941 were an undefeated force that had honed their skill in combined arms warfare to a fine edge. The Germans focused their panzers and tactical air support at points on the battlefield defined as Schwerpunkt - main effort - to smash through any defensive line and then advance to envelope their adversaries. Initially, these methods worked well in the early days of Operation Barbarossa and the tank forces of the Red Army suffered defeat after defeat. Although badly mauled in the opening battles, the Red Army's tank forces did not succumb to the German armoured onslaught and German planning and logistical deficiencies led to over-extension and failure in 1941\. In the second year of the invasion, the Germans directed their Schwerpunkt toward the Volga and the Caucasus and again achieved some degree of success, but the Red Army had grown much stronger and by November 1942, the Soviets were able to turn the tables at Stalingrad. Robert Forczyk's incisive study offers fresh insight into how the two most powerful mechanized armies of the Second World War developed their tactics and weaponry during the critical early years of the Russo-German War. He uses German, Russian and English sources to provide the first comprehensive overview and analysis of armored warfare from the German and Soviet perspectives. His analysis of the greatest tank war in history is compelling reading.

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Book SynopsisThe Third Roman-Macedonian War was a disaster for Macedon, a defeat leading to the end of that kingdom's independence. This is usually attributed to an innate superiority of the Roman legionary tactics over the Macedonian system. Graham Wrightson, on the other hand, argues that the blame lies entirely with Perseus, the last king of Macedon. He analyses the whole war, following the primary source accounts and focusing on Perseus’ military decisions and his battlefield strategies. It confirms the prevailing view of the sources that Perseus was too hesitant and non-committal in his early conduct of the war. More significantly it argues that Perseus mishandled the Macedonian army when it comes to combined-arms tactics by adopting a defensive posture, particularly at the final battle of Pydna. The Macedonian military system based on a slow sarissa phalanx is suited entirely to an offensive battle plan coordinating a frontally irresistible phalanx in the centre and a rapid heavy cavalry attack on one wing. Most importantly, though, Perseus refused to spend money to hire 10,000 Gallic horsemen and the lack of cavalry cost him the initiative and the victory. This is a fascinating and thoroughly researched study of these dramatic events that adds fresh insight to the question of the legion's supposed supremacy over the phalanx.

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Book SynopsisNow a green, open space enjoyed by residents, Fort Hunt, Virginia – about 15 miles south of Washington, DC. – was the site of one of the highest-level, clandestine operations during World War II. Shortly after entering World War II, the U.S. military realised that it had to work on exploiting any advantages it might gain on the Axis Powers. One part of these endeavours was to establish a secret facility not too close, but also not too far from the Pentagon, which would interrogate and eavesdrop on the highest-level Nazi prisoners and also translate and analyse captured German war documents. The complex established at Fort Hunt was known by the code name: PO Box 1142.The American servicemen who interrogated German prisoners or translated captured German documents were young, bright, hardworking, and absolutely dedicated to their work. Many of them were Jews, who had escaped Nazi Germany as children – some had come to America with their parents, others had escaped alone, but their experiences and those they had been forced to leave behind meant they all had personal motivation to do whatever they could to defeat Nazi Germany. They were perfect for the difficult and complex job at hand. They never used corporal punishment in interrogations of German soldiers but developed and deployed dozens of tricks to gain information.The Allies won the war against Hitler for a host of reasons, discussed in hundreds of volumes. This is the first book to describe the intelligence operations at PO Box 1142 and their part in that success. It will never be known how many American lives were spared, or whether the war ended sooner with the programs at Fort Hunt, but they doubtless did make a difference. Moreover these programs gave the young Jewish men stationed there the chance to combat the evil that had befallen their families.Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Escape from the Nazis Chapter 3: Setting Up the Program Chapter 4: Name, Rank, Serial Number and ... Chapter 5: There Was More Than One Way to Skin a Cat Chapter 6: Translating Captured Documents Chapter 7: Operation Paperclip Chapter 8: Reunions at Fort Hunt Chapter 9: What Happened to the Soldiers after 1142 Appendix: Escape and Evasion

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Book SynopsisThe medieval city of Ypres will forever be associated with the Great War, especially by the British. From 1914 to 1918 it was the key strongpoint in the northern sector of the Western Front, and the epic story of its defence has taken on almost legendary status. The city and the surrounding battlefields are also among the most visited sites on the Western Front, and Paul Reed's walking guide is an essential travelling companion for anyone who is eager to explore them either on foot, by bike or by car. His classic book, first published as Walking the Salient over ten years ago, is the result of a lifetime's research into the battles for Ypres and the Flemish landscape over which they were fought. He guides the walker to all the key locations - Ypres itself, Yser, Sanctuary Wood, Bellewaarde Ridge, Zillebeke, Hill 60, Passchendaele, Messines, Kemmel and Ploegsteert are all covered. There are walks to notable sites behind the lines, around Poperinghe, Vlamertinghe and Brandhoek. And, for this second edition which he has revised, updated and expanded, he has provided new photographs and included two entirely new walks covering the Langemarck and Potijze areas.Walking Ypres brings the visitor not only to the places where the armies clashed but to the landscape of monuments, cemeteries and villages that make the Ypres battlefields among the most memorable sites of the Great War.

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Book SynopsisThe inaugural title in a collaboration between the Wiener Library and Granta Books. These two pamphlets, 'Prelude to Pogroms? Facts for the Thoughtful' and 'German Judaism in Political, Economic and Cultural Terms' mark the first time that Alfred Wiener, the founder of the Wiener Holocaust Library, has been published in English. Together they offer a vital insight into the antisemitic onslaught Germany's Jews were subjected to as the Nazi Party rose to power, and introduce a sharp and sympathetic thinker and speaker to a contemporary audience. Tackling issues such as the planned rise of antisemitism and the scapegoating of minorities, these pamphlets speak as urgently to the contemporary moment as they provide a window on to the past.

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Book SynopsisHans Talhoffer's professional fencing manual of 1467 illustrates the intricacies of the medieval art of fighting, covering both the 'judicial duel' (an officially sanctioned fight to resolve a legal dispute) and personal combat. Combatants in the Middle Ages used footwork, avoidance, and the ability to judge and manipulate timing and distance to exploit and enhance the sword's inherent cutting and thrusting capabilities. These skills were supplemented with techniques for grappling, wrestling, kicking and throwing the opponent, as well as disarming him by seizing his weapon. Every attack contained a defence and every defence a counter-attack. Talhoffer reveals the techniques for wrestling, unarmoured fighting with the long sword, pole-axe, dagger, sword and buckler, and mounted combat. This unparalleled guide to medieval combat, illustrated with 268 contemporary images, provides a glimpse of real people fighting with skill, sophistication and ruthlessness. This is one of the most popular and influential manuals of its kind.

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Book SynopsisTake a visual journey through North Africa during the Second World War with Anthony Tucker-Jones and Ian Spring as they chart the path of Erwin Rommel and his Afrika Korps through a series of stunning, rare colour photographs. Taken from Ian Spring's incredible digital archive of over 32,000 original colour photographs dated between 1936 and 1946, more than 250 images in Rommel's Afrika Korps In Colour offer readers a vivid, detailed insight into this German expeditionary force and their long North African Campaign. Fascinating colour photographs of German soldiers, weaponry, tanks and aircraft fill these pages, and are balanced by the equally captivating and rare photographs of the people and the landscapes of North Africa. Renowned author and military historian Anthony Tucker-Jones' remarkable text accompanies Ian Spring's collection of rare photographs, together making for a highly informative and utterly engrossing read. Rommel's Afrika Korps In Colour affords readers a new way of reading and learning about one of the most unique campaigns in the Second World War, and will stay with them long after they turn the final page.

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Book Synopsis**A TIMES, GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH, SPECTATOR, THE CRITIC, MAIL ON SUNDAY, ECONOMIST AND PROSPECT BOOK OF THE YEAR**'A gifted narrative historian, eloquent, graceful and witty; the stories she tells are the ones we all should know' Hilary MantelIt was a time of climate change and colonialism, puritans and populism, witch hunts and war . . .This is the story of a home that became a warzone. Basing House in Hampshire saw one of the longest and bloodiest sieges of the English Civil War. Defended for over two years by artists and aristocrats, actors and apothecaries, women and children, it became a symbol of royalist defiance and a microcosm of the wider conflict.Drawing on unpublished manuscripts and the voices of dozens of soldiers and civilians, award-winning historian Jessie Childs weaves a thrilling tale of war and peace, terror and faith, savagery and civilization.__________'Extraordinary, thrilling, immersive ... at times almost Tolstoyan in its emotional intelligence and literary power' Simon Schama'Compellingly readable... [a] beautifully written and lucid account' Mail on Sunday'Brilliant. Original. Gripping.' Antonia Fraser'Beautifully written and gripping from first page to last. A sparkling book by one of the UK's finest historians' Peter Frankopan'The Siege of Loyalty House is not only deeply researched. Childs has composed a wonderfully poetic narrative and adds a touch of the gothic' The Times'Successfully brings the ghastliness of the period to life, dramatically, vividly and with pathos' Charles Spencer, SpectatorTrade ReviewAtmospheric, unflinching and...exquisitely witty * Guardian, *Books of the Year* *This is war as it should be, passionate, brutal, bloody and chaotic, all described in luscious, evocative prose * The Times, *Books of the Year* *Jessie Childs is one of the finest historians working today; her illuminating, deeply researched, and beautifully written books are never anything short of superlative, and here she does it again. This is a vivid, thrilling story, rendered in delicious prose and brilliant with gems dug from the archives -- Suzannah LipscombA gripping account of the agony at Basing... Characters step off the page... The prose sparkles... Childs's book conveys the raw emotion of events, especially the trauma of the siege itself... In her aim 'to recover the shock of that experience and to look upon the face of the war' Childs could be describing the trenches of Ypres or Bakhmut or the sieges of Leningrad or Mariupol -- Malcolm Gaskill * London Review of Books *Compelling... Childs reveals brilliantly the world of the Civil War in the grain of sand that is Basing House. She captures the horror, the courage, the sheer humanity of those, both besiegers and besieged, who endured the long, desperate lulls punctuated by intense episodes of visceral violence * Daily Telegraph *The Siege of Loyalty House... enriches the packed civil war bookshelf with this elegantly written, close-focus history of a place whose ordeals epitomised the pain of a struggle that tore homes, clans, trades, and souls apart * Financial Times *A spectacular work of scholarship, this is epic, vital history, sweeping from the great trends and ideas of the time to the individual details of vividly lived lives. This brilliant book takes you into the heart of the Civil War, the brutal struggle for the sympathies of a country, the men who fought, women who tried to survive; this is blood, desire and struggle on the page, taking you deep into the seventeenth century world; you can feel its beating heart -- Kate WilliamsCompellingly readable... [a] beautifully written and lucid account * Mail on Sunday *A thrilling account of Basing House, a royalist stronghold during the English Civil War nicknamed 'Loyalty' and the sieges it withstood until its fall to Oliver Cromwell in 1645 * New York Times *Riveting... The breaking of such lives and communities makes poignant reading... [Childs's] focus is local and English, but the story is human and timeless * Economist *

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