Military History Books

Book SynopsisIndia is a vast sub-continent with a complex history and a great array of languages, cultures and religions. This books serves as a short introduction to the exquisite weapons used in the region from the earliest times to the twentieth century. Among others, it covers archery, swords, shields, daggers, firearms, artillery and elephant armour.

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Book Synopsis''Essential reading, not just for those interested in the Eastern Front, but for anyone who wants to understand Russia.'' Antony Beevor, Sunday Times They died in their millions, shattered by German shells and tanks, freezing behind the wire of prison camps, driven forward in suicidal charges by the secret police. Yet in all the books about the Second World War on the eastern front, there is very little about how the Russian soldier lived, dreamed and died. Catherine Merridale''s discovery of archives of letters, diaries and police reports have allowed her to write a major history of a figure too often treated as part of a vast mechanical horde. Here are moving and terrible stories of men and women in appalling conditions, many not far from death. They allow us to understand the strange mixture of courage, patriotism, anger and fear that made it possible for these badly fed, dreadfully governed soldiers to defeat the Nazi army that would otherwise have ensTrade Review"'Essential reading, not just for those interested in the Eastern Front, but for anyone who wants to understand Russia.' Antony Beevor, Sunday Times 'Outstanding.' Simon Sebag Montefiore 'A harrowing but unforgettable report on the chaos and tragedy that brought this Europe to birth... Magnificent.' Boyd Tonkin, Independent"

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Book SynopsisEggs or Anarchy is one of the great, British stories of the Second World War yet to be told in full. It reveals the heroic tale of how Lord Woolton, Minister for Food, really fed Britain. As a nation at war, with supply routes under attack from the Axis powers and resources scarce, it was Woolton's job to fulfil his promise to the British people, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill in particular, that there would be food on the shelves each week. Persuading the public to not resort to the black market and to manage on the very limited ration was one thing, but Woolton had to fulfil his side of the bargain and maintain supplies in time of crisis. A grammar school-educated genius, he was a fish out of water in Churchill's cabinet and the PM himself doubted Woolton would survive due to the unstinting criticism he faced from colleagues, the press and public.   This is the story of how he battled to save his own career while using every trick in his entrepreneuriaTrade Review‘William writes with irresistible wit and energy . . . A compelling portrait of one of the unsung, enigmatic heroes of the Second World War’ -- Michel Roux OBE‘The battles of the Second World War have been pored over in minute detail; not so the battles waged on the Kitchen Front. The food writer William Sitwell’s account of Lord Woolton, the man in charge of the Ministry of Food during the war, is an entertaining corrective to this.’ * The Times *‘Eggs or Anarchy is as much a beguiling study of social mobility as it is a hard war memoir … there is much to enjoy – with barely a powdered egg in sight – in this biography of the man who was responsible for arguably the healthiest national diet of all time’ -- Sinclair McKay * Sunday Telegraph *‘Eggs or Anarchy meticulously completes the backstory of the war. In this absorbing book Sitwell proves Woolton’s genuine intentions, absolves him for his tough line and also presents a portrait of a man whose style and approach to problems is still highly instructive. It is often said that generally the British were never healthier than in the war years. How we need a Woolton now’ -- Rose Prince * The Spectator *‘Fascinating biography’ -- Andrew Marr * Radio 4 Start the Week *‘A wonderful account of how Lord Woolton, Minster for Food, managed to keep Britain fed during World War Two… a riveting read full of delicious historical details about how one unassuming man battled against all odds to keep bellies full and morale high despite the dreaded food rationing. Excuse the pun, but I could have eaten this book up with a spoon’ * Red Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA brilliantly researched and vividly written history of the English Civil Wars, from one of Britain''s most prominent Civil War historiansThe sequence of civil wars that ripped England apart in the seventeenth century was the single most traumatic event in this country between the medieval Black Death and the two world wars. Indeed, it is likely that a greater percentage of the population were killed in the civil wars than in the First World War. This sense of overwhelming trauma gives this major new history its title: God's Fury, England's Fire. The name of a pamphlet written after the king's surrender, it sums up the widespread feeling within England that the seemingly endless nightmare that had destroyed families, towns and livelihoods was ordained by a vengeful God that the people of England had sinned and were now being punished. As with all civil wars, however, God's fury' could support or destroy either side in the conflict. Was God angry at Charles I for failing to support the true, protestant, religion and refusing to work with Parliament? Or was God angry with those who had dared challenge His anointed Sovereign?Michael Braddick's remarkable book gives the reader a vivid and enduring sense both of what it was like to live through events of uncontrollable violence and what really animated the different sides. God's Fury, England's Fire allows readers to understand once more the events that have so fundamentally marked this country and which still resonate centuries after their bloody ending.

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The first memoir of the Vietnam War and an all-time classic of war literature|40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION|In March 1965, Marine Lieutenant Philip J. Caputo landed in Danang with the first ground combat unit committed to fight in Vietnam. Sixteen months later, having served on the line in one of modern history's ugliest wars, he returned home - physically whole but emotionally destroyed, his youthful idealism shattered.A decade later, having reported first-hand the very final hours of the war, Caputo sat down to write ‘simply a story about war, about the things men do in war and the things war does to them’. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest war memoirs of all time.____________________‘A singular and marvellous work – a soldier’s-eye account that tells us, as no other book that I can think of has done, what it was actually like to be fighting in this hellish jungle’ The New York Times‘Unparalleled in its honesty, unapologetic in its candour and singular in its insights into the minds and hearts of men in combat, this book is as powerful to read today as the day it was published in 1977. Caputo has more than earned his place beside Sassoon, Owen, Vonnegut, and Heller’ Kevin Powers‘To call this the best book about Vietnam is to trivialize it. A Rumour of War is a dangerous and even subversive book, the first to insist that readers asks themselves the questions: How would I have acted? To what lengths would I have gone to survive? A terrifying book, it will make the strongest among us weep’ Los Angeles Times Book Review‘Caputo’s troubled, searching meditations on the love and the hate of war, on fear and the ambivalent discord warfare can create in the hearts of decent men are amongst the most eloquent I have read in modern literature’ New York Review of Books‘Superb. At times it is hard to remember that this is not a novel’ New Statesman

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Book SynopsisOn 12th April 1981 a revolutionary new spacecraft blasted off from Florida on her maiden flight. NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia was the most advanced flying machine ever built the high watermark of post-war aviation development. A direct descendant of the record-breaking X-planes the likes of which Chuck Yeager had tested in the skies over the Mojave Desert, Columbia was a winged rocket plane, the size of an airliner, capable of flying to space and back before being made ready to fly again. She was the world's first real spaceship.On board were men with the Right Stuff. The Shuttle's Commander, moonwalker John Young, was already a veteran of five spaceflights. Alongside him, Pilot Bob Crippen was making his first, but Crip, taken in by the space agency after the cancellation of a top secret military space station programme in 1969, had worked on the Shuttle's development for a decade. Never before had a crew been so well prepared for their missionTrade ReviewThe Right Stuff of our times * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisLearn about the rise of Adolf Hitler, Pearl Harbour and the D-Day Landings in The WWII Book.Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about World War 2 in this overview guide to the subject, brilliant for beginners looking to learn and war experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The WWII Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse yourself in. This captivating book will broaden your understanding of World War 2, with:- More than 100 ground-breaking ideas on the Second World War- Packed with facts, charts, timelines and graphs to help explain core concepts- A visual approach to big subjects with striking illustrations and graphics throughout- Easy to follow text makes topics accessible for people at any level of understandingThe World War II Book is t

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Book SynopsisRigidly organised and harshly disciplined, the Georgian Royal Navy was an orderly and efficient fighting force which played a major role in Great Britain's wars of the 18th and early 19th centuries. This guide explores what it was like to be a sailor in the Georgian Navy. Focusing on the period from 1714 to 1820, this concise book examines the Navy within its wider historical, national, organisational and military context, and reveals exactly what it took to survive a life in its service.It looks at how a seaman could join the Royal Navy, including the notorious ''press gangs''; what was meant by ''learning the ropes''; and the severe punishments that could be levied for even minor misdemeanours as a result of the Articles of War. Military tactics, including manning the guns and tactics for fending off pirates are also revealed, as is the problem of maintaining a healthy diet at sea and the steps that sailors themselves could take to avoid the dreaded scurvy.Covering other fasTrade ReviewPacked with great facts and a multitude of figures this is a very engaging little book and wherever you dip into, you will find it very hard to put it down. * Model Boats *A jolly good read for history buffs and is full of useful, interesting and distracting information about the Royal Navy during the Georgian period. * Warship World *

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The battles fought between the Allied armies and the German Wehrmacht at Monte Cassino in 1944 were key episodes in the protracted Italian campaign, and the eventual Allied victory was a decisive step in the wider war to liberate Europe from German occupation. Much has been written about Cassino, but few books have chosen to tell the story through photographs - to give a visual insight into the fighting and the forces involved, the conditions in which they fought, and the landscape around the Monte Cassino abbey which became a battlefield. That is why Jeffrey Plowman's photographic history is of such value. Using almost 200 wartime images, many of which have not been published before, he gives a graphic impression of the realities of the fighting as it was experienced by the troops on the ground. He focuses on the tanks - the array of armoured vehicles deployed by both sides which played a critical role. This aspect of Cassino has rarely been covered in such detail and in such a vivid way. The book will be of special interest to modellers and historians of armoured warfare, but it will also appeal to readers who have a more general interest in the Italian campaign.

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Book SynopsisJonathan Trigg reveals the human agony behind such statistics through the words of the Germans who were there: âYouâll regret this insulting, provocative and thoroughly predatory attack on the Soviet Union! Youâll pay dearly for it!â (Dekanazov, Soviet Ambassador in Berlin). The Germans did. But the butcherâs bill was huge for both sides.Trade Review‘With his soldier’s instincts Trigg has brought the grit, grime and guts of the German experience to life to show just what total war means’ -- Patrick Mercer OBE

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Book SynopsisCaen, a D-Day objective on 6 June 1944, did not fall to the British and Canadian troops of Second Army until 6 August, by which time much of the city had been reduced to rubble. The two-month struggle was a crucial stage in the Normandy campaign and, as Simon Forty demonstrates in this photographic history, one of the most controversial. His detailed, graphic account gives the reader a fascinating insight into the opposing forces, the conditions, the terrain, the equipment and weaponry deployed-and it illustrates just how intense and protracted the fighting was on the ground. The reasons for the slow Allied advance have been hotly disputed. Deficiencies in British and Canadian equipment and tactics have been blamed, as has the tenacity of the German resistance. Ultimately a sequence of Allied operations sapped the defenders' strength, and it is these operations-Perch, Martlet, Epsom, Windsor, Charnwood, Jupiter, Atlantic, Goodwood-that feature strongly in the striking photographs that have been selected for this book. They record in the most dramatic fashion the character of the fighting and show how even the SS divisions and heavy tank battalions were eventually defeated.

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Book SynopsisAllied success in invading Fortress Europe (the area of Continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany) depended on getting armor onto the beaches as fast as possible. This book explains how the Allies developed the specialist tanks it needed, their qualities, deployment and numbers, and how they performed on the two crucial days when France was invaded, firstly in Normandy and then in Provence. The focus of this volume will be on the specialized tanks developed for the Operation Neptune amphibious landings including the Duplex Drive amphibious Sherman tanks used on both the US and British/Canadian beaches. It also covers the specialized engineer tanks called Armoured Funnies of the British 79th Armoured Division and addresses the popular myth that US Army refusal to employ the Armoured Funnies was a principal cause for the high casualties at Omaha Beach. There is also coverage of Operation Overlord's Forgotten D-Day, the amphibious landings of Operation DragoTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION Lessons learned? SPECIALIZED TANKS FOR OVERLORD The CDL Canal Defence Light Night-Fighting Tank The Sherman Duplex Drive Amphibious Tank Deep-Wading Tanks Churchill AVRE AVRE Bridging Devices AVRE Carpet Layers Crab Flail Mine-Clearing Tank Churchill Crocodile Flamethrower Tank T1 Armored Engineer Vehicle M1 Tank-Dozer US Army acquisition of Armoured Funnies TANKS, DOCTRINE, AND ORGANIZATION 21 Gunfire support groups Armored engineer support THE CAMPAIGN 25 Sword Beach Juno Beach Gold Beach Omaha Beach Utah Beach The other D-Day BATTLE ANALYSIS 45 FURTHER READING 47 INDEX 48

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Book SynopsisIn this new study of personal relationships within the British (including Canadian) Command in 21st Army Group during the campaign in North-West Europe in 1944-1945, Malcolm Pill considers the scope and depth of these relationships, ranging from those of the Secretary of State for War to the Corps Commanders. Montgomery is central. His great success in the management of his own multinational team is contrasted with the hostility created and lack of success achieved with those outside his team. Pill explores the importance of his great skill with the written word. The relevance of these personal relationships to the success of Britain’s last major campaign as a great power is assessed as are the post-war consequences for those involved.

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Book SynopsisRon Kovic went to Vietnam dreaming of being an American hero. What he found there changed him profoundly, even before the severe battlefield injury that left him paralysed from the waist down. He returned to an America indifferent to the realities of war and the fate of those who fought for their country. From his wheelchair he became one of the most visible and outspoken opponents of the Vietnam War.Born on the Fourth of July is a journey of self-discovery, a reckoning with the horrors of an unjust war, a testament to courage and a call to protest. A modern classic of anti-war writing, it inspired an Oscar-winning film, sold over one million copies and remains as powerful and relevant today as when it was first published.Trade ReviewClassic and timeless * * New York Times * *Read it and rejoice. Read it and weep -- BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

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Book SynopsisCovering the development of the atomic bomb during the Second World War, the origins and early course of the Cold War, and the advent of the hydrogen bomb in the early 1950s, Churchill and the Bomb explores a still neglected aspect of Winston Churchill''s career his relationship with and thinking on nuclear weapons. Kevin Ruane shows how Churchill went from regarding the bomb as a weapon of war in the struggle with Nazi Germany to viewing it as a weapon of communist containment (and even punishment) in the early Cold War before, in the 1950s, advocating and arguably pioneering what would become known as mutually assured destruction as the key to preventing the Cold War flaring into a calamitous nuclear war. While other studies of Churchill have touched on his evolving views on nuclear weapons, few historians have given this hugely important issue the kind of dedicated and sustained treatment it deserves. In Churchill and the Bomb, however, Kevin Ruane has undertaken eTrade Review[An] astute chronicle of a long overlooked aspect of Churchill's service to Great Britain … Ruane makes a compelling case for the atomic bomb as both a military and a diplomatic instrument, as seen from the perspective of a power vulnerable to Soviet devastation a decade earlier than the United States … Kevin Ruane has refined our understanding of a towering figure of the twentieth century. * Michigan War Studies Review *[Ruane] has identified a lacuna in the vast literature about a very great (if flawed), much-studied man, and he has filled it admirably, producing a thoroughly researched and carefully constructed historical monograph. * Journal of Modern History *If you thought there was nothing fresh to say about Winston Churchill, the look at Kevin Ruane’s tremendously assured Churchill and the Bomb which has new things to say both about the great man himself and the diplomatic climate of the 1940s and 1950s. * A Book of the Year, BBC History *Excellent … Thorough in its analysis and scrupulously fair in its judgments. * A Book of the Year, Times Higher Education *A hugely impressive analysis of Churchill's relationship with peaceful and military nuclear fission ... There have been books on this subject before, but Kevin Ruane's is the best of them and has the huge advantage of making complicated scientific theories easily explicable to the layman ... [The subject] makes for gripping reading in Ruane's capable hands. * Literary Review *There are times when books appear whose insights have specific resonance, helping to create a greater understanding of world events than before. Kevin Ruane's profound analysis of the changing nature of the relationship between Winston Churchill and the development of the atomic bomb provides an example. * Military History Monthly *Kevin Ruane’s Churchill and the Bomb is a work of impeccable scholarship, based on a profound study of many primary sources. It cannot be recommended too highly. * Twentieth-Century British History *This is an important addition to the Churchill literature, filling a gap…in what we can now know—thanks to declassification of documents on both sides of the Atlantic—about a crucial period, especially the postwar jockeying for national position in the growing Cold War. * Finest Hour: Journal of the International Churchill Society *Big man. Big weapon. Big theme. Kevin Ruane blends all three in a fascinating and fluent fusion! * Peter Hennessy, Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History, Queen Mary, University of London, UK, author of Cabinets and the Bomb *Kevin Ruane has taken as his subject Winston Churchill, a well-worn protagonist, dealing with a lesser-known subject, nuclear weapons, and produced an original, compelling study which hands the reader a real page-turner. * Kathleen Burk, University College London, UK, author of Old World, New World: the Story of Britain and America *This masterly account is a very important addition to the Churchill literature … By putting Churchill's atomic diplomacy into its wider context, Kevin Ruane illuminates one of the most vital issues of our times: the origins of the first weapons of Mass Destruction and the dilemmas that they pose for humanity. This book is scholarly yet easy to read and will appeal to all those interested in the period. * Richard Toye, University of Exeter, UK, author of Churchill’s Empire: the World that Made him and the World He Made *Kevin Ruane's study of Churchill's engagement with nuclear issues combines the in-depth knowledge of the Historian with a lucid writing style that readers will find highly informative and engaging. He has accessed a wide range of archives to tell a fascinating story that delves into nuclear science, great power diplomacy, British political history and the towering figure of Churchill himself. * John Young, Nottingham University, UK, author of Winston Churchill’s Last Campaign: Britain and the Cold War 1951-1955 *Carefully researched and marvellously detailed, Kevin’s Ruane’s Churchill and the Bomb is a major historical contribution that reveals new insights about the role of nuclear weapons during the early Cold War, as well as a deeper understanding of Britain’s most important 20th century statesman. * Martin J. Sherwin, author (with Kai Bird) of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer *With the aid of fresh insights and first-class scholarship, Kevin Ruane has written a lively reappraisal of Churchill’s ever-changing nuclear policies, and the enduring puzzle of his transition from warmonger to prophet of détente. Churchill and the Bomb is important both as a critical portrait of Churchill in old age, and as a contribution to the history of international relations. * Paul Addison, University of Edinburgh, author of Churchill: The Unexpected Hero *In his excellent study Ruane describes three “incarnations” of Churchill and nuclear weapons during the period 1941 to 1955: the atomic bomb-maker, the atomic diplomatist, and the nuclear peace-maker … Churchill and the Bomb in War and Cold War is a well-researched, detailed, and comprehensive study of Churchill and nuclear weapons. * A Blog on Winston Churchill *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Abbreviations used in text Introduction: So Many Winston Churchills Part I: War 1. Only Connect 2. Tube Alloys 3. Allies at War 4. The Quebec Agreement 5. Mortal Crimes 6. Bolsheviks, Bombs and Bad Omens 7. Trinity and Potsdam Part II: Cold War 8. Heavy Metal, Iron Curtain 9. Warmonger/Peacemonger 10. To the Summit 11. Atomic Angles 12. Hurricane Warning 13. A Pill to End it All 14. H-bomb Fever 15. The July Days 16. Sturdy Child of Terror Conclusion: '… if God wearied of mankind' Abbreviations used in notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisDuring the final year of World War II, the defending Axis forces were steadily driven from southern skies by burgeoning Anglo-American power. This was despite the steady withdrawal of units to more demanding areas. In this fifth volume of the series the activities of the Allied tactical air forces in support of the armies on the ground – as their opponents were steadily extracted from northern Italy and the Balkans for the final defence of the central European homeland – are described in detail. The book commences with coverage of the final fierce air-sea battles over the Aegean which preceded the advance northwards to Rome and the ill-conceived British attempt to secure the Dodecanese islands following the armistice with Italy. The authors also deal fully and comprehensively with the advance northwards following the occupation of Rome, and the departure of forces to support the invasion of France from the Riviera coast, coupled with the formation of a new Balkan Air Force in eastern Italy to pursue the German armies withdrawing from Yugoslavia and take possession of newly freed Greece. The effect of the creation within the same area of the US and RAF strategic forces to join the Allied Combined Bombing Offensive is discussed. The final volume in the series will be concerned most especially with this latter campaign.

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Book SynopsisAfter the Normandy break-out, the Allies' headlong dash east came to a halt in the autumn with the ill-fated MARKET GARDEN operation and over-extended supply lines short of the Rhineland. After repulsing the Nazis' daring Ardennes offensive, Montgomery's and Bradley's Army Groups cleared the Reichwald and Rhineland and closed on the Rhine. With both sides aware of the strategic significance of this physical barrier the stakes could not have been higher. Eisenhower's plan involved a vast airborne assault by General Ridgway's XV11 Airborne Corps (codename VARSITY) and the simultaneously coordinated river crossing by Monty's 21 Army Group codename PLUNDER with Dempsey's British Second Army and General William H. Simpson's US Ninth Army. This superbly illustrated and researched book describes the March 1945 assault crossing involving naval amphibious craft, the air and artillery bombardment and diversionary attack by the British 1st Commando brigade at Wesel. In concert with VARSITY and PLUNDER, Patton's US Third Army Group crossed further south. As a result of this triumph of strategic planning and tactical execution, the fate of Hitler's Thousand Year Reich' was finally sealed.

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Book SynopsisIncredible detail on every aspect of the infantrymans daily life, from weapons drill and unit organization to hygiene and cooking regulations, field punishments and hair styles etc.

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Book Synopsis"Yes you have beaten us; you had the best guns, but we have the best men . . . But we'll fight again in two or three years' time." - Prince Dabulamanzi kaMpande (who led the Zulu at Rorke's Drift) On 22 January 1879, during the final hour of the Battle of Isandlwana - one of the greatest disasters ever to befall British troops during the Victorian era - a very different story was about to unfold a few miles away at the mission station of Rorke's Drift. A Zulu force of more than 3,000 warriors had turned their attention to the small outpost, defended by around 150 British and Imperial troops. The odds of the British surviving were staggeringly low. The British victory that ensued, therefore, would go down as one of the most heroic actions of all time, and has fascinated military history enthusiasts for decades. In this classic work, Anglo-Zulu War experts Lee Stevenson, Alan Baynham-Jones and Ian Knight examine a wide range of personal testimonies from those present at Rorke's Drift, while also presenting a clear overview of the battle in its entirety. By reading this account, readers will gain an impressive, unique breadth of knowledge about one of the most epic battles in British history. This updated edition includes even more first-person accounts from the combatants on both the British and Zulu sides. Providing personal, microscopic accounts of events, while at the same time presenting a clear overview of the battle in its entirety, this second volume completes the collection of accounts of the defenders of Rorke's Drift and also includes contemporary accounts of those who saw the immediate aftermath of the battle.

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated history of the long Cold War careers of the US Navy''s last gun destroyers, from the modernized World War II-era Fletcher-class to the Forrest Sherman-class. The finest American destroyers of World War II had surprisingly long careers into the Cold War and the missile age. The 175-strong Fletcher-class was the largest class of US Navy destroyers ever built, and most received some modernization after World War II. A handful were converted into ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) escorts and one was even converted into the US Navy's first guided missile destroyer. Many Sumner-class destroyers were also kept in service, with the last decommissioned in 1973. The Gearing class was the classic US Navy wartime destroyer to have a second Cold War career, some being modified into picket ships and others into ASW escorts. Ninety-five were extensively modernized under the Fleet Modernization and Rehabilitation (FRAM) program which allowed them to serve until 1980. The majority ofTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION USN COLD WAR DESTROYER DESIGNS USN COLD WAR DESTROYER WEAPONS Guns Missiles Torpedoes ASW weapons USN COLD WAR DESTROYER SENSORS Radars ASW sensors COLD WAR GUN DESTROYERS AT WAR AND IN PEACE THE DESTROYER CLASSES The Fletcher class Sumner class Gearing class Norfolk class Mitscher class Forrest Sherman class ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION FURTHER READING INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Battle of Stalingrad with wartime pictures and modern day comparisons to present this title in our 'then and now' theme.

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Book SynopsisA Churchill Treasury fulfills a marketneed for publishing a new bookdocumenting memorabilia fromSir Winston Churchill's decades of public service.Globally called Churchilliana, these items encompassover 60 years of materials, includingbadges, ribbons, textiles, porcelain,glassware and ephemera with the lastChurchillianabook being published over 20 years ago as a collectors'guide. A Churchill Treasury will be enjoyed by collectors as well as readers interested in history since ituses period items to portray and explain Sir Winston'spublic service, starting with his father and chief inspiration,Lord Randolph and ending with retirement afterhis second premiership.A Churchill Treasury includesmany rare items and pieces seen by the public for the very first time. Readers of all ages will enjoy learning about Sir Winstonas they discover and appreciate the period pieces shown here.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating portrait of Reinhard Heydrich, one of the darkest figures of Hitler's elite, featuring words with those who knew him best, including in-depth and rare interviews with his wife, Lina. He was called the 'Hangman of the Gestapo' and the 'Butcher of Prague'. He had a reputation as a ruthlessly efficient killer and was known as an exemplar of Nazi ideals. He was the head of the SS and the Gestapo, second in command to Heinrich Himmler and supposedly in line to succeed the Fuhrer.His orders set in motion the Kristallnacht pogrom of 1938 and he was the lead planner of the Final Solution, which led to the murder of millions of Jews across Nazi-occupied Europe.Hitler called him 'the man with the iron heart'.This incredible biography explores who Reinhard Heydrich was, how he came to be and what led him to do what he did.Using in-depth research, Nancy Dougherty (and, following her death, Christopher Lehman-Haupt), paint a detailed picture of Heydrich as never seen before. Through extensive interviews with those who knew him best, including his wife Lina von Osten Heinrich, we hear about his rarefied musical family origins and ugly-duckling childhood, his failed Naval career and struggles to find employment, and finally his meteoric rise through the Nazi high command and his time within the Third Reich.The Man With the Iron Heart is an astonishing journey into the depths of Nazi evil and a powerful insight into one of humanity's darkest figures.

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Book SynopsisA detailed analysis of the organization, uniforms and weapons of the French Imperial Guard created by Napoleon I. The author describes how this large military body evolved from the Consular Guard created by Bonaparte as early as 1799 and how this came to include dozens of different military units belonging to each branch of service (infantry, cavalry, artillery, specialist corps). The Imperial Guard was a 'miniature army' made up of veteran soldiers, who were dressed with the most spectacular and elegant uniforms ever seen on the battlefields of Europe. The Guard also included several 'exotic' non-French units that are also covered in the text: Egyptian Mamelukes, Polish and Lithuanian lancers, Tatar scouts, Dutch grenadiers and lancers. The way in which Napoleon employed the Guard in battle is discussed and also how it differed from the rest of the French Army in terms of military dress and weaponry.

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Book Synopsis"This book is a masterpiece. It captures the essence of the Tuskegee Airmen's experience from the perspective of one who lived it. The action sequences make me feel I'm back in the cockpit of my P-51C 'Kitten'! If you want to know what it was like fighting German interceptors in European skies while winning equal opportunity at home, be sure to read this book!" —Colonel Charles E. McGee, USAF (ret.) former president, Tuskegee Airmen Inc. “All Americans owe Harry Stewart Jr. and his fellow airmen a huge debt for defending our country during World War II. In addition, they have inspired generations of African American youth to follow their dreams.” —Henry Louis Gates Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University He had to sit in a segregated rail car on the journey to Army basic training in Mississippi in 1943. But two years later, the twenty-year-old African American from New York was at the controls of a P-51, prowling for Luftwaffe aircraft at five thousand feet over the Austrian countryside. By the end of World War II, he had done something that nobody could take away from him: He had become an American hero. This is the remarkable true story of Lt. Col. Harry Stewart Jr., one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen pilots who experienced air combat during World War II. Award-winning aviation writer Philip Handleman recreates the harrowing action and heart-pounding drama of Stewart’s combat missions, including the legendary mission in which Stewart downed three enemy fighters. Soaring to Glory also reveals the cruel injustices Stewart and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen faced during their wartime service and upon return home after the war. Stewart’s heroism was not celebrated as it should have been in postwar America—but now, his boundless courage and determination will never be forgotten.

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Book SynopsisThis is a unique study of the conflict of 1914-18 on land, sea and in the air, through maps, diagrams and illustrations. Within the scope of some 250 maps, Arthur Banks has presented both broad general surveys of political and military strategy, and the most closely researched details of major individual campaigns and engagements. These are supplemented by comprehensive analysis of military strengths and command structures and illustrations.

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Book SynopsisThe events of 1942 marked a pivotal year in the history of British air power. For more than two decades the theory that long-range bombing could win wars had dominated British defence policy. The vast majority of warplanes ordered for the RAF were designed either to bomb enemy cities or stop the enemy from bombing British cites. Conventional armies and the air forces that supported them were seen as an outmoded way of waging war. During 1941 evidence began to mount that British policy was wrong. It had become clear the RAF's bomber offensive against Germany had, until that point, achieved very little. Meanwhile, the wars raging in Europe, Africa and Asia were being decided not by heavy bombers, but by armies and their supporting tactical air forces. Britain had never had the resources to build a large army as well as a strategic bomber fleet; it had always had to make a choice. Now it seemed the country might have made the wrong choice. For the first time since 1918 Britain began thinking seriously about a different way of fighting wars. Was it too late to change? Was a strategic bombing campaign the only option open to Britain? Could the United Kingdom help its Soviet ally more by invading France as Stalin so vehemently demanded? Could this be done in 1942? Looking further ahead, was it time to begin the development of an entirely new generation of warplanes to support the Army? Should the RAF have specialist ground attack aircraft and air superiority fighters? The answers to these questions, which are all explored here by aviation historian Greg Baughen, would help shape the development of British air power for decades to come.Trade Review'An excellently researched and written volume. Baughen covers in great detail the political, industrial and technological aspects of the bomber campaign and its impact in terms of resources and outcomes for land operations, the Atlantic Battle and Coastal Command operations and the Air Defence of Great Britain. There are insights into the minds of key players including Portal, Tedder, Harris, Douglas, Conningham, Leigh-Mallory, Brooke, Eisenhower and Churchill to name just a few. The book stimulates thought on questions such as When does doctrine become dogma? I thoroughly recommend this book to those with an interest not only in the Bomber Offensive but also in the more diverse aspects of war strategy and its conduct' - *Martin Willoughby, Chairman of the Wessex Branch of the Western Front Association* 'This new study (2021) provides a fresh perspective on how a series of crucial decisions were made in the middle of the war. A deeply researched and highly readable study, RAF at the Crossroads is a must read for anyone interested in this central plank of British - and later American - strategy for the war in Europe. Books like this should not be taken in any way as diminishing the bravery of bomber air crew - all too many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice. Nevertheless it is right to ask sceptical questions and consider the many factors in play when these decisions were made.' - *WW2Today, April 2022* 'This is an excellent little book… [It] is going to appeal to all but especially those interested in aviation and the RAF… Certainly a good book for students that want to look at other ways the war could have been won... I really enjoyed the debate and discussion.' - *The History Fella April 2022*

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Book SynopsisWas World War II really the `Good War''? In the years since the declaration of peace in 1945 many myths have sprung up around the conflict in the victorious nations. In this book, Peter Hitchens deconstructs the many fables which have become associated with the narrative of the `Good War''. Whilst not criticising or doubting the need for war against Nazi Germany at some stage, Hitchens does query whether September 1939 was the right moment, or the independence of Poland the right issue. He points out that in the summer of 1939 Britain and France were wholly unprepared for a major European war and that this quickly became apparent in the conflict that ensued. He also rejects the retroactive claim that Britain went to war in 1939 to save the Jewish population of Europe. On the contrary, the beginning and intensification of war made it easier for Germany to begin the policy of mass murder in secret as well as closing most escape routes. In a provocative, but deeply-researched book, HitcheTrade ReviewHitchens devotes much of his indictment to the war at sea, arguing that the Navy had been starved of resources between the wars and was ill-equipped to fight the all-important Battle of the Atlantic against the Nazi U-boat fleet. He regales the reader with touching stories from his days at boarding school, when he and his friends built plastic models of warships. * Standpoint *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Timeline Introduction 1. The British Guarantee to Poland of March 1939 2. Plucky Little Poland 3. Appeasement and Pacifism from Fulham to Bridgwater, or 'The Left Has Its Cake and Eats It' 4. The War We Couldn't Afford 5. America First 6. The Invasion that Never Was 7. In Peril on the Sea 8. Gomorrah 9. Orderly and Humane Conclusion Notes Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisDuring World War II, the United States Marine Corps (USMC) evolved into a powerful multi-division force, playing a central role in the Pacific theater. Among its lesser-known units were the Paramarines and the Raiders. The Paramarines, the Marine parachute troops, were formed in 1942, with the first operational unit taking part in the Guadalcanal and Tulagi battles. Though their only combat jump occurred in southern France with an OSS unit, they saw action as infantry in the Solomons Campaign before being disbanded in 1944. The Raiders, modeled after the British Commandos, were a hard-hitting assault force trained to strike swiftly from any location. The initial group trained in Scotland became the foundation of the 1st and 2nd Raider Battalions. Pioneers in camouflage, they used black-dyed shirts and trousers, sprayed their green uniforms, and crafted helmet covers from burlap and netting. In this book, Jim Moran, a collector and researcher, delves into the uniforms and gear used by these elite units. Illustrated with over 200 photos, including close-ups of surviving items, it offers a detailed guide to their distinctive equipment. Supported by the US Marine Corps Historical Center, this work serves as an essential reference for collectors, historians, and enthusiasts.

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Book SynopsisThe Stalingrad of the ancient world, this is an immensely readable, brilliant, brutal and vivid history of the greatest and bloodiest war of ancient Greece.The Peloponnesian War, fought 2,500 years ago between oligarchic Sparta and democratic Athens for control of Greece, is brought spectacularly to life in this magnificent study. Kagan demonstrates the relevance of this cataclysmic event to modern times in all its horror and savagery. As two uncompromising empires fight a war of survival from diametrically opposing political, social and cultural positions, the seemingly invincible glory of Athens crumbles in tragedy.Athenian culture and politics was unmatched in originality and fertility, and is still regarded as one of the peak achievements of Western civilisation. Dramatic poets such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes raised tragedy and comedy to a level never surpassed; architects and sculptors were at work on the Acropolis; natural philosophers like Anaxagoras andTrade Review‘It is a lively narrative that moves with immense speed towards its grim conclusion…Recent events have enhanced Kagan’s reputation among American conservatives as a sage.’ Daily Telegraph ‘It is a daunting task to cover the same ground as a great classical historian, but Donald Kagan achieves it splendidly with “The Peloponnesian War”.’ Sunday Times, Books of the Year ‘Kagan’s narrative of one of the critical episodes in the history of the ancient world is as good an account of the subject as one could ask for.’ Spectator

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Book SynopsisA New Yorker staff writer, investigates his grandfather, a Nazi Party Chief, in this unflinching, gorgeously written, and deeply moving exploration of morality, family, and war Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of PainThe book we need right now' Atul Gawande, author of Being MortalWhat do we owe the past? How to make peace with a dark family history? Burkhard Bilger hardly knew his grandfather growing up. His parents immigrated to Oklahoma from Germany after World War II, and though his mother was an historian, she rarely talked about her father or what he did during the war. Then one day a packet of letters arrived from Germany, yellowing with age, and a secret history began to unfold.Karl Gönner was a schoolteacher and Nazi party member from the Black Forest. In 1940, he was sent to a village in occupied France and tasked with turning its children into proper Germans. A fervent Nazi when the war began, he grew close to the villagers over the next four years, till he came to thinTrade Review EARLY PRAISE FOR FATHERLAND ‘Fatherland is the book that we need right now. Gripping, gorgeously written, and deeply humane, it’s both a moving personal history and a formidable piece of detective work. Bilger wrestles with one of the essential questions of our time: How can we make peace with our ancestors’ past?’ Atul Gawande, author of Being Mortal ’Burkhard Bilger has long been one of our great storytellers: an acute observer, an intrepid reporter, and a writer of unmatched grace. Now he has brought these gifts to his own family story, rummaging through the past to unearth long-kept secrets and to shed light on the nature of war and complicity. Fatherland is that rare book—a finely etched memoir with the powerful sweep of history’ David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon ‘An important and compelling investigation into one family’s dark and troubling history, grippingly told’ Thomas Harding, author of Hanns and Rudolf ‘Bilger’s atmospheric account probes the complex ethical ambiguities of wartime Alsace and his mother’s harrowing childhood experience of the defeat and devastation of Germany, conveying both narrative strands with a fine moral irony couched in prose that’s both psychologically shrewd and matter-of-fact’ Publishers Weekly, *starred review* ‘[A] powerful investigation of morality…a vivid portrait of [Bilger’s] grandfather and his times [and] a fascinating, deeply researched work of Holocaust-era history… A moving, humane biography’ Kirkus, *starred review*

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Book SynopsisExcellent' Antony BeevorSaul David is a brilliant historian In shocking and jaw-dropping detail, he brings a battle that deserves far greater prominence and understanding vividly back to life' James HollandFrom award-winning historian Saul David, an action-packed and powerful new narrative of the Battle of Okinawa the last great clash of the Second World War, and one that had profound consequences for the modern world. For eighty-three blood-soaked days, the fighting on the island of Okinawa plumbed depths of savagery as bad as anything seen on the Eastern Front. When it was over, almost a quarter of a million people had lost their lives, making it by far the bloodiest US battle of the Pacific. In Okinawa, the death toll included thousands of civilians lost to mass suicide, convinced by Japanese propaganda that they would otherwise be raped and murdered by the enemy. On the US side, David argues that the horror of the battle ultimately determined President Truman's choice to use atomTrade Review Shortlisted for the 2021 British Army Military Book of the Year Longlisted for the 2021 HWA Non-fiction Crown Awards A BBC History Magazine Best Book of the Year 2020 An Amazon.com History Book of the Month A The Times Best Book of 2020 A Telegraph Best Book of 2020 ‘Gripping, even gruesome, yet deeply moving … Sweeps us masterfully from a coral charnel house in the Pacific to the mushroom cloud over Hiroshima’ David Reynolds ‘The best book I’ve read on the Battle of Okinawa. Finally a military historian has written a book which gives humanity to the Japanese, without taking anything away from what the Americans endured and achieved on that island … David fits perfectly into the fine tradition of war books by Max Hastings and Antony Beevor. It’s war at its most beautiful and most horrible’ Gerard deGroot ‘A superb soldier’s-eye history of Okinawa, the Second World War’s ghastliest battle … The meticulousness of his research really starts to display itself … A highly readable and informative book that often reads like a screenplay, but depicts suffering that was all too real … [David] is peerless now among our military historians’Daily Telegraph ‘David restores a human dimension to this battle – both sides are brave, stoic, frightened, barbaric and occasionally cowardly. This is narrative history at its most visceral as battles unfold almost in real time … A gripping reconstruction of the action’ Times 'Graphic and compelling … Written with style and verve … David brings the ghastly mayhem of war to life in a vivid way’ Literary Review 'Superbly researched, well-written … Reminds us that the defining characteristic of war is the mass destruction of individuals, both physically and psychologically’Spectator ‘Brilliant … harrowing. The attention to detail is exemplary: we see the conflict from just about every angle’Keith Lowe, BBC History Magazine

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Book SynopsisDavid Kenyon Webster left Harvard to join the paratroopers, training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. He could have used the influence of his wealthy family to land a comfortable desk job, but he was determined to do his duty and to see the war from the point of view of an ordinary soldier. He parachuted into Normandy the night before the D-Day landings and later into Holland as part of Operation Market Garden, going on to participate in the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest at the end of the war. After the war Webster worked as a journalist. On 9 September 1961, he went missing while shark fishing off the coast of California. His body was not found. His memoir remained unpublished until Stephen Ambrose discovered it, using it as a key source for his book Band of Brothers and later the series. It was Ambrose's championing of the work that led to its eventual publication.Trade ReviewGutsy, sometimes bemused and sometimes angry … it bites and hangs on * New York Times *[A] first-rate, skillfully written soldier's story * Booklist *Beautifully written and perfectly evokes life and battle in a parachute infantry company * Washinton Post *He understood the ties that bind men in battle have more to do with brotherhood and its obligations than ties to God or country * Kirkus Review *Perfectly pitched ... an authentic witness to the combat experience * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisA vivid, brutal and enthralling account of the Burma Campaign – one of the most punishing and hard-fought military adventures of World War Two.The Burma Campaign was one of the most punishing and protracted military adventures of World War Two.Trade ReviewEpic...a comprehensive and engrossing account -- Brian MacArthur * Literary Review *McLynn gives an honest, gruelling account of the longest most punishing campaign fought by the British during the Second World War -- Iain Finlayson * The Times *Easily one of the best books he has written in a long and distinguished career... A marvellous subject, too -- Trevor Royle * Sunday Herald *Magnificent...a closely woven, tightly argued and beautifully written account of the extraordinary men and women who were responsible for the higher direction of the war... This book delights, page after page. McLynn held me spellbound -- Robert Lyman * BBC History Magazine *A riveting read -- Christopher Sylvester * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisBerlin was the nerve-centre of Hitler's Germany - the backdrop for the most lavish ceremonies, it was also the venue for Albert Speer's plans to forge a new 'world metropolis' and the scene of the final climactic bid to defeat Nazism.Trade ReviewRoger Moorhouse has a deep knowledge of Wartime Germany... Moorhouse has a nice eye for social detail -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *As a leading historian of modern Germany, Moorhouse has chronicled a largely unknown story with scholarship, narrative verve and, at times, an awful, harrowing immediacy -- Ian Thompson * Sunday Telegraph *Moorhouse's evocative social history of Hitler's capital brings all these aromas together, along with the sights, sounds, thoughts and feelings of the ordinary Germans who lived here -- Keith Lowe * Daily Telegraph *Few books on the war genuinely increase the sum of our collective knowledge of this exhaustively covered period, but this one does... By trawling through the complex, often deeply morally compromised personal stories of many survivors, Moorhouse has produced new insights into the way ordinary Berliners tried to escape the disastrous ill-fortune of living in the belly of the beast -- Andrew Roberts * Financial Times *Roger Moorhouse's measured, sympathetic book offers a fascinating corrective to that Anglocentric perspective... After reading this thorough and engaging book you'll never be able to watch a war film or even a World Cup football match in quite the same way -- James Delingpole * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisA military leader of legendary genius, Caesar was also a great writer, recording the events of his life with incomparable immediacy and power. The Civil War is a tense and gripping depiction of his struggle with Pompey over the leadership of Republican Rome - a conflict that spanned the entire Roman world, from Gaul and Spain to Asia and Africa. Where Caesar''s own account leaves off in 48 BC, his lieutenants take up the history, describing the vital battles of Munda, Spain and Thapsus, and the installation of Cleopatra, later Caesar''s mistress, as Queen of Egypt. Together these narratives paint a full picture of the events that brought Caesar supreme power - and paved the way for his assassination only months later.Table of ContentsThe Civil WarIntroductionHistorical backgroundCaesar - the man and his aimsThe Civil War and the continuationsBibliographical NoteTranslator's NoteCaesar: The Civil WarPart I: The Struggle Begins1. Intransigence at Rome2. Caesar reacts3. The Seige of Corfinium4. Pompey leaves Italy5. Caesar's Senate6. Resistance at Massilia7. The First Spanish campaign - Ilerda8. A naval fight at Massilia9. Spain - a war of attrition10. The Pompeians capitulatePart II: Securing the West1. The Seige of Massilia2. Spain - the surrender of Varro3. Massilia capitulates4. Africa - Curio's campaign5. Curio's last standPart III: The Great Confrontation1. Caesar in Italy - Pompey's preparations2. Negotiations in Epirus3. Trouble in Italy4. Antony runs the gauntlet5. The Lieutenants in Macedon6. Stalemate at Dyrrachium7. Setbacks for Caesar8. Caesar moves to Thessaly9. Pompey follows10. The battle of Pharsalus11. The death of Peompey12. Caesar at AlexandriaThe Alexandrian WarI. Events in Egypt1. Miltary preparations2. The water supply poisoned3. Naval engagements4. The last stagesII. Events in AsiaIII. Events in IllyricumIV. Events in SpainV. Caesar Chastens Pharnaces: ZelaThe African War1. Initail landings in Africa2. Waiting at Ruspina3. Consolidation4. Caesar takes the offense5. The Pompeians lose the initiative6. Thapsus7. The settlement of AfricaThe Spanish War1. Caesar pursues the Pompeians2. The victory of Munda3. 'Mopping-up'NotesThe Civil WarThe AlexandrainThe African WarThe Spanish WarAppendixesI. The TextII. The Ultimate DecreeIII. PharsalusIV. Chronological Outline of the Careers of Pompey and CaesarGlossary or Persons and PlacesIndex of MapsMaps and Sketch-Plans

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Book SynopsisThe ultimate history of the Blitz and bombing in the Second World War, from Wolfson Prize-winning historian and author Richard OveryThe use of massive fleets of bombers to kill and terrorize civilians was an aspect of the Second World War which continues to challenge the idea that Allies specifically fought a ''moral'' war. For Britain, bombing became perhaps its principal contribution to the fighting as, night after night, exceptionally brave men flew over occupied Europe destroying its cities. The Bombing War radically overhauls our understanding of the War. It is the first book to examine seriously not just the most well-known parts of the campaign, but the significance of bombing on many other fronts - the German use of bombers on the Eastern Front for example (as well as much newly discovered material on the more familiar ''Blitz'' on Britain), or the Allied campaigns against Italian cities. The result is the author''s masterpiece - a ricTrade ReviewMagnificent ... must now be regarded as the standard work on the bombing war ... It is probably the most important book published on the history of he second world war this century -- Richard J Evans * Guardian *Monumental ... this is a major contribution to one of the most controversial aspects of the Second World War ... full of new detail and perspectives ... hugely impressive -- James Holland * Literary Review *This tremendous book does what the war it describes signally failed to do. With a well-thought-out strategy and precision, it delivers maximum force on its objectives ... The result is a masterpiece of the historian's art * The Times *What distinguishes Mr Overy's account of the bombing war from lesser efforts is the wealth of narrative detail and analytical rigour that he brings to bear * Economist *Excellent ... Overy is never less than an erudite and clear-eyed guide whose research is impeccable and whose conclusions appear sensible and convincing even when they run against the established trends * Financial Times *It is unlikely that a work of this scale, scope and merit will be surpassed * Times Higher Education *Hard to surpass. If you want to know how bombing worked, what it did and what it meant, this is the book to read * Times Literary Supplement *My book of the year ... A staggering amount of research ... provides a sober and realistic assessment of [the bombings'] impact on the warring nations and on the civilians who bore the brunt of its impact ... It's hard to imagine a more thorough account: a masterpiece -- Richard J Evans * New Statesman BOOKS OF THE YEAR *A much needed breath of fresh air ... Overy argues his point with the confidence of someone who knows he is master of his subject: his rich and varied approach, coupled with exhaustive research, makes this probably the best history of bombing of the past 20 years -- Keith Lowe * Telegraph *A superbly detailed account of a terrifying aspect of the Second World War -- Simon Heffer * New Statesman BOOKS OF THE YEAR *An extraordinary and far-reaching history ... the first full narrative of the bombing war in Europe ... Overy's scope is incredibly broad and well-researched, also highly readable * Spectator *This is a tough, hardheaded and meticulous work of military history ... It is worth reading -- Dan Jones * Telegraph BOOKS OF THE YEAR *Overy's history explains and explores strategy, tactics, technology and results in one seamless story that shatters myths and establishes truths -- Nigel Jones * Sunday Telegraph *Utterly fascinating ... What is most surprising in Overy's book is its remarkable contemporary relevance -- Edward Luttwak * London Review of Books *The first full narrative of the bombing war in Europe -- Commander Barney White-Spunner * Country Life *

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Book SynopsisWhen the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945, killing 100,000 men, women and children, it was the beginning of a terrifying new episode in human history. Written only a year after the disaster, John Hersey brought the event vividly alive with this heart-rending account of six men and women who survived despite all the odds. He added a further chapter when, forty years later, he returned to Hiroshima to discover how the same six people had struggled to cope with catastrophe and with often crippling disease. The result is a devastating picture of the long-term effects of one very small bomb.Trade Review'To this day nothing tells better the horror of Hiroshima ... One of the most powerful writers of modern times' Washington Post 'A vision of hell ... its terrible images are reminiscent of Dante's Inferno' The Times

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER''The best new narrative of the battle thus far, reflecting his gifts for fluent prose and moving quotations.'' Max Hastings, Sunday Times No conflict better encapsulates all that went wrong on the Western Front during World War I than the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The tragic loss of life and stoic endurance by troops who walked towards their death is an iconic image - but this critically-acclaimed bestseller, on the four months of battle, shows the extent to which the Allied armies were in fact able to break through the German front lines again and again. In eight years of research, Hugh Sebag-Montefiore -- the author of Dunkirk -- has found extraordinary new material from Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians, and the British - from heartbreaking diaries and letters to hitherto unseen Red Cross files - recounting their experiences amid the horror of war. It has been hailed as the best Trade ReviewMagisterial, exemplary, heartbreaking. So original is the material, and so inventive is Sebag-Montefiore's approach . . . that this well-known tale is rendered strange again. Written with great style and sensitivity, superbly illustrated with many original plates and beautifully drawn maps, Sebag-Montefiore's brilliant new study will set the benchmark for a generation -- Saul David * David Telegraph *Sebag-Montefiore tells it with gusto, a remarkable attention to detail . . . The sense of confusion, anxiety, uncertainty, and intrepid courage which characterized this disastrous campaign is captured more successfully than any other existing account -- Richard Overy * Daily Telegraph *A beautifully crafted, blow-by-blow account with deep insight into the lives of these diverse young men * Kirkus Reviews *In his previous book, Dunkirk, one of Sebag-Montefiore's talents as a historian is never to lose sight of the variety of individual experience. It is impossible to read this book without being stuck afresh by the ripples of mourning and anxiety spreading out from the battlefield in France -- Daniel Todman * The Financial Times *Hugh Sebag-Montefiore's heroes are the junior officers and the ordinary soldiers. Their voices emerge loud and clear in his pages . . . The best historians of the war have always made good use of the words written by the participants themselves, but few have done so as effectively as here -- Nick Rennison * Daily Mail *The author's combination of thoughtful analysis with first-hand testimony from army soldiers, cameramen and diarists lends a gritty immediacy -- Ian Thomson * Observer *Comprehensive, authoritative and meticulously researched... [Of recent publications] it is the weightiest and best written -- Simon Humphrey * Mail on Sunday *Having read almost everything that has been written on this battle, I can vouch this is the best account yet. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *Comprehensive, authoritative and meticulously researched... [Of recent publications] it is the weightiest and best written. -- Simon Humphrey * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisThe epic, tragic story of the Puritan conquest of New England through the eyes of those who lived itOver several decades beginning in 1620, tens of thousands of devout English colonists known as Puritans came to America. They believed that bringing Christianity to the natives would liberate them from darkness. Daniel Gookin, Massachusetts''s missionary superintendent, called such efforts a war of the Lord, a war in which Christ would deliver captive souls from Satan''s bondage.When Puritan soldiers slaughtered hundreds of indigenous men, women, and children at Fort Mystic in 1637, during the Pequot War, they believed they were doing God''s will. The same was true during King Philip''s War, perhaps the bloodiest war in American history. The Puritan clergyman Increase Mather described this conflict, too, as a war of the Lord, a war in which God was judging the enemies of his people.Matthew J. Tuininga argues that these two wars are inextricably linked. Puritan Christianity, he shows, shaped both the spiritual and military conquests of New England from beginning to end. It is not only that the people who did these things happened to be Christians; it is that Christianity was the framework they used to guide, interpret, and defend every major act of peace or war. They made sincere efforts to treat Natives according to Christian principles of love and justice as they understood them, and their sustained missionary efforts demonstrate how serious they were about saving native souls. Yet they appealed to Christianity just as confidently when they subjugated, enslaved, or killed native peoples in the name of justice. A mission they saw as spiritual, peaceful, benevolent, and just devolved into a military conquest that was virtually genocidal.This book tells the story of how this happened from the perspective of those who lived it, both colonists and Native Americans.

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Book Synopsis''The bitter tragedy of human life-- horrors of death, attack, retreat, advance, and the great game of Destiny and Chance. '' In The Liberation of Jerusalem (Gerusalemme liberata, 1581), Torquato Tasso set out to write an epic to rival the Iliad and the Aeneid. Unlike his predecessors, he took his subject not from myth but from history: the Christian capture of Jerusalem during the First Crusade. The siege of the city is played out alongside a magical romance of love and sacrifice, in which the Christian knight Rinaldo succumbs to the charms of the pagan sorceress Armida, and the warrior maiden Clorinda inspires a fatal passion in the Christian Tancred.Tasso''s masterpiece left its mark on writers from Spenser and Milton to Goethe and Byron, and inspired countless painters and composers. This is the first English translation in modern times that faithfully reflects both the sense and the verse form of the original. Max Wickert''s fine rendering is introduced by Mark Davie, who places TTrade ReviewThe translation is accompanied by a clear, detailed and helpful introduction by Mark Davie. * David Robey, Times Literary Supplement *Wickert's is a remarkable achievement...the translation is consistently faithful to almost every detail of the content. * David Robey, Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisFrom the fury of the Punic Wars to the onslaught of Operation Desert Storm, relive the most famous battles in history in this gripping guide.This military history book takes you on a journey through the battlefields of history, from the ancient world to the American Civil War, World War II, Vietnam, the Cold War, and beyond. Maps, paintings, and photographs reveal the stories behind more than 90 of the most important battles ever to take place, and show how fateful decisions led to glorious victories and crushing defeats.From medieval battles and great naval confrontations to the era of high-tech air battles, key campaigns are illustrated and analysed in detail - the weapons, the soldiers, and the military strategy. Famous military leaders are profiled, including Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and Rommel, and crucial arms, armour, and equipment are explained. Whether at Marathon, Agincourt, Gettysburg, or Stalingrad, Battles that Changed History takes y

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Book Synopsis''The most moving Holocaust diary published since Anne Frank'' Daily TelegraphFirst they led us to the baths, where they took from us everything we still had. Quite literally there wasn''t even a hair left. I didn''t even recognize my own mother till I heard her voice . . .In 1941, aged 12, Helga Weiss, her mother and father were forced to say goodbye to their home, their relatives and all that they knew, and were interned in the Nazi concentration camp of Terezín. For the next three years, Helga documented her experiences there, and those of her friends and family, in a diary. Then they were sent to Auschwitz, and the diary was left behind, hidden in a wall.Helga was one of a tiny number of Jewish children from Prague to survive the holocaust. After she returned home, she eventually managed to retrieve her diary and completed the journal of her experiences. The result is one of the most vivid first-hand accounts of the Holocaust ever toTrade ReviewThe most moving Holocaust diary published since Anne Frank * Telegraph *A moving testimony to the courage, endurance and painfully premature maturity of the young victims of the Holocaust * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis''Pulse-pounding'' Sinclair McKay ''Truly masterful'' Damien Lewis ''Who needs spy fiction, when fact can provide as thrilling a story as this?'' Lindsey HilsumThe Spymaster of Baghdad is the gripping story of the top-secret Iraqi intelligence unit that infiltrated the Islamic State. More so than that of any foreign power, the information they gathered turned the tide against the insurgency, paving the way to the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019.Against the backdrop of the most brutal conflict of recent decades, we chart the spymaster''s struggle to develop the unit from scratch in challenging circumstances after the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, we follow the fraught relationship of two of his agents, the al-Sudani brothers - one undercover in ISIS for sixteen long months, the other his handler - and we track a disillusioned scientist as she turns bomb-maker, threatening the lives of thousands.With unprecTrade ReviewAuthentic, moving, visceral, chilling, utterly revelatory, truly masterful. A stunning tour de force by an author who has lived every word of it on the ground. A story of our time that absolutely needs to be told -- Damien Lewis, bestselling author of Zero Six BravoSearing, pulse-pounding, yet also acutely human, this compelling account of how Iraqi agents infiltrated ISIS takes us deep beneath the lurid Baghdad and Mosul headlines and into a sharply focused world of courage, ingenuity, terror and love. This is not just a story of dry-mouthed espionage, but also of its profound repercussions upon loved ones and family; the intense struggle to live in peace in a land where extremists of all varieties seek to bring death. Greatly illuminating and powerful -- Sinclair McKay, bestselling author of DresdenCoker's book would do John le Carré - and undoubtedly any number of Operations Officers - proud for her treatment of the role, value, and challenges of human intelligence and agent running. This book is not about the high-tech gadgetry of surveillance drones, signals intercepts, or cyber intelligence, though all three play a role in this story. It is about the unrivaled value of the man or woman on-the-ground or in the loop with access to the information. It is about the delicate art of handling a source, an agent, or an informant -- Joshua C. Huminski, Director of the Mike Rogers Center for Intelligence & Global Affairs at the Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress * Diplomatic Courier *This eye-opening account of the Iraqi intelligence unit which infiltrated Islamic State may read like a thriller, yet it is also grounded in the experiences of everyday Iraqis . . . a unique masterpiece in the genres of espionage writing and spy biography -- Vin Arthey * Scotsman *Margaret Coker, formerly of The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, continued to cover Iraq after most of the American press corps had moved on; she has produced a gripping new book about the shadow war between Iraqi intelligence officers and the Islamic State, The Spymaster of Baghdad . . . Her subject is an elite Iraqi espionage unit called "the Falcons," composed of ordinary men who helped save their country from the onslaught of ISIS. Coker's reporting on these men, their families, and the family of a young woman recruited by terrorists is so meticulous that it lets her enter invisibly a closed, sometimes frightening world and portray it with cinematic detail -- George Packer * Atlantic *Fast-moving and suspenseful -- Samuel Sweeney * Wall Street Journal *

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