Military History Books

Book SynopsisCutting through the headlines and spin, this is the first book to give us a true picture of the reality on the ground, through the words of the people there - from commanders to intelligence officers, army doctors to ordinary soldiers. Providing eye-witness accounts that contradict the official stories and figures, they give a chilling picture of the deceit, stupidity, wishful thinking, lack of forward planning and total intellectual failure of those behind the invasion. The result is an extraordinary new insight into the plight of ordinary soldiers doing nightmarish jobs, and the real nature of the fighting in Iraq.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Duke of Westminster Medal for Military Literature Different countries give different opening dates for the period of the Second World War, but perhaps the most compelling is 1937, when the ''Marco Polo Bridge Incident'' plunged China and Japan into a conflict of extraordinary duration and ferocity - a war which would result in many millions of deaths and completely reshape East Asia in ways which we continue to confront today. With great vividness and narrative drive Rana Mitter''s book draws on a huge range of new sources to recreate this terrible conflict. He writes both about the major leaders (Chiang Kaishek, Mao Zedong and Wang Jingwei) and about the ordinary people swept up by terrible times. Mitter puts at the heart of our understanding of the Second World War that it was Japan''s failure to defeat China which was the key dynamic for what happened in Asia.Trade ReviewThe best study of China's war with Japan written in any language ... comprehensive, thoroughly based on research, and totally non-partisan. Above all, the book presents a moving account of the Chinese people's incredible suffering ... A must read for anyone interested in the origins of China's contribution to the making of today's world -- Akira IriyeA major contribution to the one aspect of the Second World War of which we know far too little, and should know much more if we are to understand the new superpower today ... a model of clarity and good writing -- Antony Beevor * The Times *[Mitter] restores a vital part of the wartime narrative to its rightful place. Now, for the first time, it is possible to assess the impact of the war on Chinese society and the many factors that explain the Japanese failure in China and the eventual triumph of Mao Zhedong's communists in 1949, from which the superpower has grown. It is a remarkable story, told with humanity and intelligence; all historians of the second world war will be in Mitter's debt ... [he] explores this complex politics with remarkable clarity and economy ... No one could ask for a better guide than Mitter to how [the rise of modern China] began in the cauldron of the Chinese war -- Richard Overy * Guardian *Illuminating and meticulously researched ... [China's War with Japan] is about the Chinese experience of war, the origins of the modern Chinese identity and the roots of a relationship that will shape Asia in the 21st century. It is about China's existential crisis as it tried to regain its centrality in Asia. It is also a story, pure and simple, of heroic resistance against massive odds * Economist *Mitter deftly sketches the plight of Chinese intellectuals ... This is a many-stranded story and the author keeps his focus on the big picture while including many convincing, often horrific, details ... [this] is the best narrative of that long-ago war, whose effects still linger in China today, with Japan the major hate figure -- Jonathan Mirsky * Spectator *This is a story told mainly from the Chinese perspective, in all its horror. Drawing on a wide range of sources, Mitter pulls together a rich and complex narrative without losing the drama of China's fight for survival and the individuals who played a part in it ... lively [and] comprehensive * Prospect *

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Book SynopsisOrdinary Men has been admired all over the world and is now published in the UK for the first time. It takes as its basis the detailed records of one squad from the Nazis'' extermination groups and explores in detail its composition, its actions, andthe methods by which it was trained to perform acts of genocide on an industrial scale. He introduces us to cheerful, friendly, ordinary men who killed without hesitation or apparent remorse for years on end, in docile obedience to an authority theyhappily accepted as legitimate. It is a valuable corrective to the idea of German uniqueness and offers a much more chilling picture of human beings as avidly suggestible and desperate for an organising purpose in their lives, however disgusting.Table of ContentsOne morning in Jozefow; the Order Police; the Order Police and the Final Solution - Russia 1941; the Order Police and the Final Solution - deportation; reserve police battalion 101; arrival in Poland; initiation to mass murder - the Josefow massacre; reflections on a massacre; Lomazy - the descent of second company; the August deprotations to Treblinka; late-September shootings; the deportations resume; the strange health of Captain Hoffmann; the "Jew hunt"; the last massacre - "harvest festival"; aftermath; Germans, Poles and Jews; ordinary men; appendix - shootings and deportations by reserve police battalion 101.

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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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Book Synopsis[T]he amazing story of a woman who lived through one of the worst times in human history, losing family members to the Nazis but surviving with her spirit and integrity intact.” —Publishers WeeklyMarthe Cohn was a young Jewish woman living just across the German border in France when Hitler rose to power. Her family sheltered Jews fleeing the Nazis, including Jewish children sent away by their terrified parents. But soon her homeland was also under Nazi rule. As the Nazi occupation escalated, Marthe’s sister was arrested and sent to Auschwitz and the rest of her family was forced to flee to the south of France. Always a fighter, Marthe joined the French Army and became a member of the intelligence service of the French First Army. Marthe, using her perfect German accent and blond hair to pose as a young German nurse who was desperately trying to obtain word of a fictional fiancé, would slip behind enemy lines to retri

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Book SynopsisThe personal accounts of three young women who joined up in 1940.In the summer of 1940, Britain stood alone against Germany. The British Army stood at just over one and a half million men, while the Germans had three times that many, and a population almost twice the size of ours from which to draw new waves of soldiers. Clearly, in the fight against Hitler, manpower alone wasn't going to be enough.Eighteen-year-old Jessie Ward defied her mother to join the ATS, Margery Pott signed up for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, and nanny Kathleen Skin the WRNS. They left quiet homes for the rigours of training, the camaraderie of the young women who worked together so closely and to face a war that would change their lives for ever.Overall, more than half a million women served in the armed forces during the Second World War. This book tells the story of just three of them one from the Army, one from the Navy and one from the Air Force. But in their stories are reflected the lives of hundreds of thousands of others like them ordinary girls who went to war, wearing their uniforms with pride.

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Book SynopsisAfter World War Two the rapid advance of communism and associated political instability threatened Great Britain's interest in the Far East. From 1948 until around 1967, troops were deployed throughout the Malaysian region. To equip the British soldier and Commonwealth troops or jungle warfare the 1944 pattern 'jungle' webbing, designed during World War Two, was issued. In the 1960s, the new 1958 pattern equipment was issued to troops serving in Borneo, alongside the existing 1944 pattern set. Both patterns of equipment were unofficially customized and formally modified to meet the needs of individual jungle soldiers and the tough environment, to keep up with the rapid innovation of small-arms technology. Brought together into one reference book, the contents include: Components of post-war 1944 pattern webbing 1944 pattern equipment modifications 1944 pattern ancillary webbing items, bayonets and radio packs Small arms used during the conflicts, and carriage of their ammunition Special forces bespoke webbing Typical customisation of infantry belt kits Items comprising the 1958 pattern webbing equipment set

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Book SynopsisAll the guns examined in this new paperback edition of Machine Guns of World War 1 belong to the class known as "automatic" and seven classic World War 1 weapons are illustrated in some 250 colour photographs. Detailed sequences shows them in close-up:during step-by-step field stripping, and during handling, loading and live firing trials with ball ammunition, by gunners wearing period uniforms to put these historic guns in their visual context.Trade Review"A very valuable contribution to the study of the Great War." * Tank Journal *"Robert Bruce has produced a fantastic combination of highly detailed text, constructional and background information, together with realist live firing sequences. This book is a must for anyone with an interest in the weapons, uniforms and equipment from this period." * The Armourer *

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Book SynopsisIn March 1943 a team of expatriate Norwegian commandos sailed from the most northerly part of Britain for Nazi-occupied Norway. Their mission was to organise and support the Norwegian resistance. They were betrayed, and only one man survived the ambush by the Nazis.Crippled by frostbite, snow-blind and hunted by the Nazis, Jan Baalstrud managed to find a tiny arctic village. There - delirious, near death - he found villagers willing to risk their own lives to save him. David Howarth narrates his incredible escape in this gripping tale of courage and the resilience of the human spirit.Trade ReviewExcellent...a deeply moving Arctic saga * * The Times * *We Die Alone fills one with humble admiration for the stubborn courage of a man who refused to die under circumstances that would have killed ninety-nine men out of a hundred. * * New York Times * *A book that I absolutely could not put down...and one that I will never forget. * * Steven E. Ambrose, author of Band of Brothers * *Almost unbelievable. We Die Alone is a spine-chiller. It was well become a legend. -- Boston PostHowarth's narrative is thoroughly involving; you can almost hear the shriek of the Arctic wind, be blinded by the snow and feel the frostbite. As vividly portrayed as his personal courage is the desolating impact of war on a handful of remote Norwegian fishing settlements. -- David Stafford * * Times Literary Supplement * *One of the most extraordinary escape stories you will ever read . . . outstanding -- Andy McNabastonishing and enthralling * * The Scottish Mail on Sunday * *

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Book SynopsisNOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES, featuring interviews with Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola and Guillermo del ToroBefore the Second World War the Hollywood box office was booming, but the business was accused of being too foreign, too Jewish, too 'un-American'. Then the war changed everything. With Pearl Harbor came the opportunity for Hollywood to prove its critics wrong.America's most legendary directors played a huge role in the war effort: John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra, and George Stevens. Between them they shaped the public perception of almost every major moment of the war. With characteristic insight and expert knowledge Harris tells the untold story of how Hollywood changed World War II, and how World War II changed Hollywood.Trade ReviewThe bombs fall on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 and Hollywood rolls up its sleeves and swaps the diplomatic velvet glove for the patriotic steel fist . . . A story well worth telling * * Observer * *A captivating history . . . makes you want to revisit many of the films * * Daily Telegraph * *Mark Harris conducts a fastidious investigation into the five top filmmakers who put their careers on hold to help the war effort . . . Fascinating * * Total Film * *Harris deftly threads the story of each man into the wider canvases of Hollywood and the war * * Scotland on Sunday * *Gripping . . . reveals how an elite squad of Hollywood's greatest directors recorded the bravest - and bloodiest - actions of World War II * * Mail on Sunday * *Tough-minded, information-packed and irresistibly readable * * New York Times * *Can't-put-it-down history of the World War II propaganda film * * San Francisco Chronicle * *Harris has a huge story to tell, and he does so brilliantly . . . an inspirational, if cautionary, tale of the triumph of the individual over the collective, of personal vision over groupthink, and ultimately of art over propaganda * * Wall Street Journal * *Harris is a lively commentator, and a master weaver of multifarious threads * * Empire * *Impeccably researched and irresistibly entertaining * * Belfast Telegraph * *Full of colourful anecdotes about the golden age of Hollywood as well as unflinching descriptions of what the directors faced on the frontline, the 500-plus pages just fly by. This would make a great movie... * * Aberdeen Evening Express * *This is as epic an undertaking as those historical Hollywood sagas of the '30s and '40s, including anecdotes from this golden age of film * * Good Book Guide * *I enjoyed the honesty of this book. It opened my eyes * * The Truth About Lies * *A startling account of how five exemplary film-makers (John Ford, George Stevens, John Huston, William Wyler, Frank Capra) enlisted in every branch of the US forces, only to return, deeply moved and changed, to approach cinema in new ways * * Financial Times * *

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Book SynopsisChilling... To Hell and Back should be required reading in every chancellery, every editorial cockpit and every place where peevish Euroskeptics do their thinking…. Kershaw documents each and every ‘ism’ of his analysis with extraordinary detail and passionate humanism.—The New York Times Book ReviewThe Penguin History of Europe series reaches the twentieth century with acclaimed scholar Ian Kershaw’s long-anticipated analysis of the pivotal years of World War I and World War II. The European catastrophe, the long continuous period from 1914 to 1949, was unprecedented in human history—an extraordinarily dramatic, often traumatic, and endlessly fascinating period of upheaval and transformation. This new volume in the Penguin History of Europe series offers comprehensive coverage of this tumultuous era. Beginning with the outbreak of World War I through the rise of Hitler and the aftermath of

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Book SynopsisReveals, from a non-Eurocentric perspective, how Indian states developed and implemented maritime strategies which posed a serious threat to British naval power in the region. Most books on the colonisation of India view the subject in Eurocentric imperial terms, focusing on the ways in which European powers competed with each other on land and at sea and defeated Indian states on land, and viewing Indian states as having little interest in naval matters. This book, in contrast, reveals that there was substantial naval activity on the part of some Indian states and that this activity represented a serious threat to Britain's naval power. Considering the subject from an Indian point of view, the book discusses the naval activities of the Mahratta Confederacy and later those of Mysore under its energetic rulers Haidar Ali and his successor Tipu Sultan. Itshows how these states chose deliberately to develop a naval strategy, seeing this as the most effective way of expelling the British from India; how their strategies learned from European maritime technology, successfully blending this with Indian technology; how their opposition to British naval power was at its most effective when they allied themselves with the other European naval powers in the region - France, Portugal and the Netherlands, whose maritime activities in the region are fully outlined and assessed; and how ultimately the Indian states' naval strategies failed. Philip MacDougall, a former lecturer in economic history at the University of Kent, is a founder member of the Navy Dockyards Society, editor of the Society's Transactions, and the author or editor of seven books in maritime history, including The Naval Mutinies of 1797 (The Boydell Press, 2011).Trade ReviewA broad history of IndoEuropean maritime conflicts that is accessibly written and enjoyable. Additionally, he uses his background in maritime history to make valuable observations on the ships, strategies, and naval facilities of various Indian powers. * INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MARITIME HISTORY *This is an excellent study of a neglected but important aspect of Anglo-Indian history, and comes highly recommended. * WWW.HISTORYOFWAR.ORG *Historians outside MacDougall's geographic specialization would do well to take notice of this recent historiographical contribution. Maritime, military, and global historians as well as historians of technology and indigenous peoples will all find valuable examples to enrich their own comparative analyses. * H-NET Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroduction Calicut: The City of Spice Surat: Home of the Gujarat Sea Trade Bombay: a poor little island Alibag: fleet base of the Maratha northern command London: from where India came to be governed Vijaydurg: the strongest place in all India Jamalabad: main fleet base of the Mysore navy Port Louis, Ile de France: the grand arsenal Conclusion Bibliography

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Book Synopsis''If it had not been for you English, I should have been Emperor of the East; but wherever there is water to float a ship, we are sure to find you in our way.'' Emperor NapoleonBut just thirty-five years earlier, Britain lacked any major continental allies, and was wracked by crises and corruption. Many thought that she would follow France into revolution. The British elite had no such troubling illusions: defeat was not a possibility. Since not all shared that certainty, the resumption of the conflict and its pursuit through years of Napoleonic dominance is a remarkable story of aristocratic confidence and assertion of national superiority. Winning these wars meant ruthless imperialist expansion, spiteful political combat, working under a mad king and forging the most united national effort since the days of the Armada. And it meant setting the foundations for the greatest empire the world has ever known.Trade ReviewA vivid picture of how the British Empire not only had to defeat Napoleon but also some of its own people * Herald *

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Book SynopsisThis is the book which marked Frederick Forsyth's transition from journalist to author. A record of one of the most brutal conflicts the Third World has ever suffered, it has become a classic of modern war reporting. But it is more than that. It voices one man's outrage not only at the extremes of human violence, but also at the duplicity and self-interest of the Western Governments ' most notably, the British, who tacitly accepted or actively aided that violence.

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Book SynopsisThis is the inspiring and charming true story of one of the Second World War's most unusual combatants - a 500-pound cigarettesmoking, beer-drinking brown bear. Originally adopted as a mascot by the Polish Army in Iran, Wojtek soon took on a more practical role, carrying heavy mortar rounds for the troops and going on to play his part as a fully enlisted 'soldier' with his own rank and number during the Italian campaign. After the war, Wojtek, along with some of his Polish compatriots from II Corps, came to Berwickshire, where he became a significant member of the local community before subsequently moving to Edinburgh Zoo. Wojtek's retirement was far from quiet: a potent symbol of freedom and solidarity for Poles around the world, he attracted a huge amount of media interest that shows no sign of abating almost 50 years after his death.Trade Review 'It is both moving and amusing' -- Lord David Steel'hilarious and moving' * Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisIn 52 BC Caesar’s continued strategy of annihilation had engendered a spirit of desperation, which detonated into a revolt of Gallic tribes under the leadership of the charismatic young Arvernian noble Vercingetorix. Major engagements were fought at Noviodunum, Avaricum, and Gergovia, with the last action being the most serious reverse that Caesar faced in the whole of the Gallic War. However, Vercingetorix soon realized that he was unable to match the Romans in pitched battle. Taking advantage of the tribesmen’s superior knowledge of their home territory, Vercingetorix began a canny policy of small war and defensive manoeuvres, which gravely hampered Caesar’s movements by cutting off his supplies. For Caesar it was to be a grim summertime – his whole Gallic enterprise faced disaster. In the event, by brilliant leadership, force of arms, and occasionally sheer luck, Caesar succeeded in stamping out the revolt in a long and brutal action culminating in the siege of Alesia. Vercingetorix finally surrendered and Alesia was to be the last significant resistance to the Roman will. Never again would a Gallic warlord independent of Rome hold sway over the Celts of Gaul.Table of ContentsOrigins of the campaign /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing armies /Orders of battle /Opposing plans /The campaign /Aftermath /The battlefields today /Further reading /Index

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Book Synopsis1314. On a marsh-fringed plain south of Stirling Castle, King Robert the Bruce led the Scottish army in a singularly devastating victory over the English. Bannockburn was Scotland's greatest battlefield triumph, achieved against the odds by a combination of brilliant tactical leadership and the fatal overconfidence of the English King, Edward II.On the 700th anniversary of the battle, Peter Reese's definitive history shines a spotlight on this pivotal moment in Scottish History and considers the wider implications of this momentous victory.Trade ReviewAn admirably vivid account of the Scots' greatest victory over the English . . .The measured, precise build-up makes the final eruption of violence all the more compelling and impresses upon the reader just how much was at stake on the battlefield of Bannockburn in the summer of 1314. * * Scotsman * *A cracker of a book, which reads like a novel yet has the authority of many a weightier tome * * Sunday Herald * *A thoroughly researched overview of this crucial period of Scotland's history . . . it is the sense of calm progression that makes this book so effective * * Scots Magazine * *Peter Reese has vision, insight and understanding. * * The Herald * *

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Book SynopsisThis book tells the tale of the illustrious Royal Air Force career of Tom Clark, a World War Two gunner and post-war signaller in action during some of the most pivotal events of the twentieth century. Lovingly penned by his son, it provides an authentic insight into this dynamic period of world history. From work as an air gunner, involved in the daunting task of taking on the might of Hitler's U-boat fleet, to post-war involvement in an Intelligence capacity during the dramatic events surrounding Khrushchev and the atomic threat of the late 1950s, Clark's career was dramatic and varied to say the least. Having joined the RAF as an aircraft man just before the Second World War, Clark was destined to take part in a whole range of wartime operational engagements. His career featured involvement in the famous 1941 hunt for the elusive Bismarck, the dangers of life as part of an Air Sea Rescue squadron in conflicted waters, and the experience of training as a gunnery leader (later an instructor), training air gunners for the famed Desert Air Force. His career also took in a fraught period behind enemy lines, when his crew of four were shot down in enemy territory in Northern Italy. Seven weeks in a safe house in Florence are relayed in engaging and dramatic style, as are a raft of other personal and professional achievements, set within the context of the wider conflict. Here is a career that deserves to be recorded and celebrated, and there is perhaps no-one better placed than the subject's son to act as custodian to his thrilling story.

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Book SynopsisIn ancient times, the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) was home to warriors of great renown. Spanish and Celtiberian warriors, both infantry and cavalry, provided the backbone of the Carthaginian armies that terrorized Italy under Hannibal and proved even more ferocious in defence of their homeland against later Roman occupation. The Lusitanian resistance under Viriathus was among the toughest the Romans encountered anywhere. Professor Quesada Sanz details the arms, armour and equipment of the various warriors of the region in fantastic detail, drawing on his intimate knowledge of the latest archaeological and historical research. His clear and informative text is supported throughout by a wealth of photographs, diagrams and exquisite colour artwork by Carlos Fernandez del Castillo. This beautiful book is a rare combination of detailed, comprehensive information and sumptuous visual appeal that will be cherished by anyone with an interest in the warriors and weapons of the ancient world. The Spanish edition won the Hislibris Award for the 'Best Historical Book' for 2010 and is here faithfully translated into English.

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Book SynopsisResisting Hitler is a biography of the only American woman to have been executed for treason against Germany during World War II. Mildred Harnack was born in Wisconsin but moved to Germany with her husband in 1929 where she taught American literature. Both Mildred and her husband, Arvid (a professor of philosophy and a native of Gemany), socialised with the intellectual elite of Berlin. Appalled by the rise of Hitler, they joined with others to resist fascism by any means they could. Brysac''s exhaustive reasearch has found evidence to support the theory that both Mildred and Arvid gave classified information on Germany to both the Soviets and the US in an effort to sabotage the Nazis. Before and during the war, the Harnacks were founding and leading members of the Red Orchestra, an important covert intelligence group that transmitted messages of resistance with the use of contraband radios. In 1942, Hitler personally ordered their execution.That the heroic efforts of Mildred Harnack''Trade ReviewReview from previous editionResisting Hitler is one of the best researched books on the Second World War that I have ever read . . . Shareen Brysac has added greatly to our knowledge of anti-Nazi resistance in Germany. * Andrew Roberts, Mail on Sunday, 25/02/01 *splendid richly textured biography . . . . This is fine writing * Richard Overy, The Sunday Telegraph, 04/02/2001 *

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Book SynopsisIn 1943, the Norwegian forces formed No. 333 Squadron-their third detachment to fly under RAF command. One of its Flights was equipped with de Havilland's modern wonder, the Mosquito, and among its pilots was twenty-one year- old Finn Eriksrud. Mosquito Attack! A Norwegian RAF Pilot at War charts his escape from occupied Norway, his travels across the world, his bomber training in Canada, and the reconnaissance and patrol missions he flew over his homeland. By December 1943, all of the original pilots of Finn's squadron had died, either in flying accidents or shot down around the Scandinavian Peninsula. That winter, Finn would himself be forced to bail out over the coast of Norway. He was captured and later imprisoned by the German Luftwaffe in Lower Silesia, and spent the rest of the war as a POW in Stalag Luft III Bellaria. In spite of thoughts of escape, Finn was only able leave the camp when the Germans abandoned it in early 1945. Tor Idar Larsen's narrative is a compelling and well-researched interpretation of Finn Eriksrud's original memoirs, written upon his return to Norway after the war.The result is a unique perspective on the Second World War: it offers fresh insight, not only into the experiences of a Mosquito pilot, but also into the friendships, personal development, and adventures of a young man far from home.

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Book SynopsisHere is the remarkable story of the foreigners who volunteered to join the guerrilla war against Germans and Fascists in Second World War Italy. The fighters included Britons, Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders, South Africans, Americans, Russians, Poles and Yugoslavs. Most were escaped prisoners of war who fled their camps after the Italian armistice and surrender in September 1943. From the summer of 1944 the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) built on information from their compatriots in enemy territory to send in agents to help arm and train the partisans and to coordinate airdrops. Against the backdrop of twenty months of savage warfare on the mainland, this is the full story of the Allied servicemen who took part in the Italian Resistance, which became one of the greatest insurgent movements in Western Europe. Partisan forces hit enemy communications, tied down seven German divisions and provided tactical support for the Allied armies. 'Among the Italian Partisans' is a celebration of brave men and great events.

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Book SynopsisThe first volume of a two part set on the history of the Galician Division is based on over 25 years research by accomplished historian Michael James Melnyk who has sourced additional new and hitherto unseen original material on all aspects of the Division's history from archives and private collections in Europe, Australia, North American and Canada. Complemented by the individual accounts and contributions of many veterans which add an engaging personal dimension, this new definitive two volume account supersedes his earlier divisional history published in 2002. As a recognised authority on the subject he has produced the most reliable and exhaustive account to date lavishly illustrated with many rare and unique photos and crammed full of details, notes and references in this last ever book to include direct and new material from the participants.

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Book SynopsisWar has been a perennial feature of human history since ancient times, yet it remains a poorly understood phenomenon. It has done much to shape our world, from overthrowing leaders, establishing international governance, and inspiring social change, to destroying cities, dividing nations and breeding animosity. In this book, Dr Aaron Edwards succinctly combines political theories with historical realities. Using eyewitness accounts, war poetry and insightful analysis of a wide range of conflicts, War: A Beginner's Guide introduces the reader to the complexity and human face of war and invites readers to question whether violence is the most effective way to resolve disputes.Trade Review"As our societies become further disengaged from the military services that protect them, and our educational systems lose sight of the enduring value of history to educate our citizenry, we have lost touch with the human tragedy of war. This is a pity but War: A Beginner's Guide offers a timely remedy. Dr Edwards captures the essence of the political, social and technological realities of war over the ages in about as concise and clear a presentation I have ever seen. Readers looking for a well-crafted and superbly researched publication to reconnect with the deadly essence of human security, will find this book to be an invaluable resource." -- Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) F. G. Hoffman, National Defense University"Aaron Edwards has produced a lively analysis of the big issues around warfare. His authoritative study draws on history and theory while also being right up to date on contemporary issues. It is an invaluable starting point for those looking at the issue of war from a range of perspectives, from history or war studies to philosophy or political science." -- Richard Grayson, Professor of Twentieth Century History, Department of History, Goldsmiths, University of London"Edwards admirably pulls together the most important themes of war to provide a very solid foundation for any student, or indeed for any reader, wanting to learn more about the subject." -- Professor Antulio J. Echevarria II, US Army War College

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Book SynopsisThe Missing of the Somme has become a classic meditation upon war and remembrance. It weaves a network of myth and memory, photos and films, poetry and sculptures, graveyards and ceremonies that illuminate our understanding of, and relationship to, the Great War.Trade ReviewThe great Great War book of our time * * Observer * *Articulates a response to the Great War which many feel, but no one has analysed so scrupulously * * Spectator * *A penetrating meditation upon war and remembrance * * Daily Telegraph * *Dyer is excellent on the different ambitions and effects of municipal memorials, and on photographs and paintings -- Sebastian Faulks * * Mail on Sunday * *A gentle, patient, loving book. It is about mourning and memory, about how the Great War has been represented - and our sense of it shaped and defined - by different artistic media * * Guardian * *

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Book SynopsisOn 1 July 1916, after a five-day bombardment, 11 British and 5 French divisions launched their long-awaited 'Big Push' on German positions on high ground above the Rivers Ancre and Somme on the Western Front. Some ground was gained, but at a terrible cost. In killing-grounds whose names are indelibly imprinted on 20th-century memory, German machine-guns – manned by troops who had sat out the storm of shellfire in deep dugouts – inflicted terrible losses on the British infantry. The British Fourth Army lost 57,470 casualties, the French Sixth Army suffered 1,590 casualties and the German 2nd Army 10,000. And this was but the prelude to 141 days of slaughter that would witness the deaths of between 750,000 and 1 million troops. Andrew Roberts evokes the pity and the horror of the blackest day in the history of the British army – a summer's day-turned-hell-on-earth by modern military technology – in the words of casualties, survivors, and the bereaved. Trade Review'Always highly readable, gives a succinct and cohesive overview of the day, and is hearteningly even-handed' Spectator.'Let's be honest about Somme historiography; it either comes drenched in pitying tears or in posturing outrage, but both occlude. Roberts has played it straight with a clean and lucid overview so that one can actually see and understand what happened on that day' The Times.'The book's opening chapters on the strategy and tactics of the battle provide an excellent, succinct summary of the constraints within which it was planned. Roberts rightly stresses the subordination of British planning to that of the French, and sensibly eschews the British desire to say it was undertaken to save their allies at Verdun' Evening Standard.'The shattering story of the blackest day in the history of the British Army, the first day of the Somme Offensive, through the words of casualties, survivors, and the bereaved' Military History Monthly.'A well-written, clear, moving introduction to the slaughter on the Somme and its place in wider conflict' Sunday Times.'Blending deep scholarly skill with a real literary talent' Dan Jones, Evening Standard.'By dealing with just the first day of the battle, its strategic background, tactical thinking and significance, he has produced a most digestible narrative commentary' Country Life.'Roberts's vividly written, crisply authoritative account of the first day of the battle is full of details that stick stubbornly in the mind' Daily Mail.'The best thing about this excellent book is the depth of its detail. Once the battle proper starts, Roberts describes the fighting almost regiment by regiment' Literary Review.'A short, elegantly written and above all accessible book, solidly based on recent scholarship augmented by primary research ... this is a welcome, and often very moving, contribution to the debate on a battle that, a hundred years on, remains deeply controversial' Times Literary Supplement.'Roberts explains, with great judgement, why it happened and how it happened ... He helps us to remember' i newspaper.'Roberts's succinct treatment is confined to the battle's first day ... Tragedy, not melodrama, is Roberts' commemorative homage to the bravery of hundreds of thousands who did their duty, fought, died, or were maimed' The New Criterion.'A very objective book and Roberts does not get bogged down in blame as many books about the Somme do ... [He] evokes the horror of 1st July 1916 by deftly balancing the facts with personal accounts and experiences' Eleanor Baggley, Centenary News.'[A] limpid, sober account both of the battle and of the personalities involved in its conduct' The Tablet.'Highly emotive reading' History of War.

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Book SynopsisIn the Second World War, Malta was subjected to continual air attacks during a siege lasting nearly two and a half years.This is part of that story, from the early days in June 1940, when only a few Gladiator biplanes were available to combat Italian bombers and fighters, to the intervention of the Luftwaffe and the tenuous defence by outclassed Hurricanes, culminating in the desperate months of fighting following the arrival on Malta of the first Spitfires in March 1942.Of more than 1,000 aircraft destroyed during the battle, many fell into the Mediterranean or were written off in landing, and at least 200 crashed among the Maltese Islands.This book documents all known aircraft crashes that occurred in and around Malta and Gozo during 1940-42, describing in detail the circumstances of each loss and what became of the pilot or crew, including some who even today are officially listed as missing.The immediacy of eyewitness accounts from both sides provide a fascinating perspective of an epic battle - much of the material is previously unpublished, not least the narratives by those who were there. Meticulously researched ... not only documents the location of all known air crashes - Allied and Axis - that occurred in and around the Maltese Islands ... but also tells the often fascinating story of each and every one ... This engagingly-written tome details the various crashes in chronological order, and includes in its appendices a table containing all the details of each crash, full endnote references and a properly compiled index, making it a valuable work of reference. - NICK STROUD - THE AVIATION HISTORIAN Unbiased, poignant, tragic - but also humorous - account of events during [the] air battles over Malta. - LUKE VINCENTI - THE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA Compelling and utterly fascinating. - JAMES HOLLAND Excellent. - FLYPAST Recommended. - AVIATION HISTORYTrade Review"A compelling and utterly fascinating account of one of the greatest air battles of the Second World War and the crash sites that exist today" --James Holland, author of The War in the West and The Battle of Britain "This book documents all known aircraft crashes that occurred in and around Malta and Gozo during 1940-42, describing in detail the circumstances of each loss and what became of the pilot or crew, including some who even today are officially listed as missing.The immediacy of eyewitness accounts from both sides provide a fascinating perspective of an epic battle - much of the material is previously unpublished, not least the narratives by those who were there. "--Recollections of WW2 Meticulously researched. Not only documents the location of all known air crashes -- Allied and Axis -- that occurred in and around the Maltese Islands during those years, but also tells the often fascinating story of each and every one. Malta's strategic location in the Mediterranean was of vital importance to both sides, and the fighting that took place in its skies was brutal and frequent. This engagingly-written tome details the various crashes in chronological order, and includes in its appendices a table containing all the details of each crash, full endnote references and a properly compiled index, making it a valuable work of reference.--The Aviation Historian, Issue 20 "These stirring black and white images have shed light on the RAF air battle over Malta, a ferocious but often forgotten chapter of the Second World War. The stunning pictures show British Royal Air Force pilots proudly displaying Swastika-clad trophies from downed Luftwaffe planes on the island, a strategically situated outpost of the British Empire. Other shots show children playing among the plane wreckage, pilots posing with their planes and surviving participants of the battle revisiting Malta - a British colony at the time - years later."-- (04/01/2018) "This comprehensive volume documents all known aircraft crash sites in and around the Maltese Islands and provides the circumstances of each loss are related in detail with accounts from both sides. In Germany especially there are many still unaware of the fate of family members who never returned after the Second World War. This book reveals what happened to some who even today are still officially listed as 'missing'."--Desert Stories "Rogers puts us in the seats of the doomed aircraft, together with the airmen who fought in them, allowing us to see through the eyes of those who witnessed with jubilation or shock at the destruction of aircrafts of their friends or foe. The relief at the escape and survival of its crews; and the sorrow at the demise of their fellow airmen, friends, countrymen or enemies in the sky... through Rogers's words, we feel all this and more."--Times of Malta

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Book SynopsisThis volume''s main theme is the 9th Australian Division''s contribution in 1941-42 to the defeat in North Africa of the German and Italian Army commanded by Field Marshal Rommel.In March 1941, soon after its formation, the division was sent untrained and without its artillery to Cyrenaica as part of a garrison force which, within a few weeks, took the brunt of a surprise advance by Rommel''s newly-arrived armoured force. Retreaing to Tobruk the division withstood, with the support of British armoured, artillery and machine-gun units, several assaults and a long siege, and maintained a threat on the flank of Rommel''s long line of communications to the Egyptian frontier.Before the siege ended the division was withdrawn by sea but in the succeeding year it was recalled to the front as Rommel''s forces were approaching the El Alamein defences, only 70 miles from Alexandria. In General Auchinleck''s counter-offensive in July 1942 it captured the Tel el Eisa ridges and other important positions near the coast and later under General Montgomery took a leading part in Rommel''s defeat in the battle of El Alamein.As well as recording the exploits of Australian soldiers, the book examines the actions of the generals who successively commanded the Middle East Forces and the Eighth Army - Wavell, Auchinleck, Cunningham, Ritchie, Alexander and Montgomery. The inter-governmental differences concerning the 9th Division''s withdrawal from Tobruk and its later return to Australia are also related.An appendix recounts the experiences of Australian prisoners of war in Europe.

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Book SynopsisThis is much more than just another book to add to the thousands on The Great War. It sets out to fill a gap. Written for the layman by a layman (who is also an articulate and experienced battlefield guide) it summarises the key events and contributions of key individuals, some well, others unknown but with a story to tell. To get a true picture of this monumental event in history, it is necessary to grasp the fundamentals, be they military, political, social or simply human. The slaughters at Verdun, Somme and Passchendaele are no more than statistics without the stories of those that fought, drowned and died there. It is designed to capture the imagination and feed the mind of those ever increasing number of people who seek a better understanding of The Great War.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A gripping classic. Exhaustively researched, The Hunter Killers puts you directly into a Wild Weasel fighter cockpit during the Vietnam War. Dam Hampton lets you feel it for yourself as no one else could." -- Colonel LEO THORSNESS, Wild Weasel pilot and Medal of Honor recipient "Exciting. ... Hampton's command of the nuances of technology, in addition to his knowledge of the Vietnam War on the ground and in the air, renders this book both informative and moving. A fast-paced Vietnam War story." -- Kirkus "An in-the-cockpit air combat chronicle. ... Hampton uses the words of surviving Wild Weasel aviators to imaginatively recreate dramatic and dangerous missions over enemy territory. ... Gripping." -- Publishers Weekly "Intense. ... [Hampton's] overall writing style is excellent; in particular, his vivid, fast-paced combat narratives. ... Will appeal to military history fans or anyone looking for an absorbing read." -- Library Journal

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Book Synopsis“This book is well paced, factual... and is a really good read, especially for those unfamiliar with the ‘war’ in the first place.” - Scale Military Modeller International, June 2009“A detailed and exciting account of incidents in the 1987-8 tanker war in the Gulf.” -The Naval Review, November 2008In May 1987 the US guided missile frigate Stark, sailing the waters of the Persian Gulf, was suddenly blown apart by an Exocet missile fired by a MiG of Iraq’s Saddam Hussein. A fifth of the ship’s crew were killed and many others wounded. This event jump-started one of the most mysterious conflicts in American history, the Tanker War, which was waged for control of the Middle East’s oil supply, and was carried out in the shadow of the Iran-Iraq War.Losing on the battlefield, Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iran had decided to close the Persian Gulf against shipments from Iraq, and especially from their oil-rich backers, the emirate of Kuwait. The Kuwaitis appealed for international help to protect their tankers, and the Soviet Union was first to respond. This prompted America to react and send their own fleet to the Gulf, raising the Stars and Stripes over Kuwait’s commercial tankers. The result was a free-for-all, as the Iranians laid mines throughout the passage and launched their torpedo attacks. The Tanker War was the US Navy’s largest surface battle since World War II.Trade ReviewThis book is well paced, factual and does an excellent job of describing the tension aboard the US ships and helicopter/air crews and is a really good read, especially for those unfamiliar with the ‘war’ in the first place.Anyone thirsting for the maximum detail of the period under the spotlight will not be disappointed. It is packed with information, covering the politics, the global impact, and the tiniest minutia of life on board the various naval vessels that are suddenly thrust into a scary war. * Royal Navy & Maritime Book Reviews *A detailed and exciting account of incidents in the 1987-8 tanker war in the Gulf. * The Naval Review *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of the primary sources for understanding both the Northern war effort and the federal government at its highest levels. . . . Extremely important for all libraries. Essential."--Choice "One of the most important journals to emerge from the Civil War Era… This book, many years in the making, is an important contribution to Civil War scholarship." --Blue and Gray Magazine"It is hard to imagine any Lincoln administration, Civil War military, or Civil War naval studies without Welles' revelations as an inside man to the workings of a government fighting for its life, or his often pungent and sharp-edged personality clips. . . . this user-friendly volume will be the preferred source for one of the most astute observers and active participants of the Civil War."--Naval History"The Gienapp edition of Welles's diary should occupy a prominent place in every Civil War reference collection."--Journal of American History"Marks a milestone in the published primary literature. Meticulously faithful to the original document, it renders sections in both earlier editions entirely irrelevant."--Civil War Times"This edition of the diary gives us a much clearer and more immediate picture of what Welles thought about events at the moment he was writing. We get a vivid look at how confusing and frightening the opening weeks of the Lincoln administration seemed to those experiencing them. . . . Of immense value to anyone writing on the war."--NYMAS Review"The new edition will be the first choice for most researchers or readers interested in Welles's account of Lincoln's administration." --Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association"This diary--especially in its original, fresh, unexpurgated form as presented here--is surely one of the most important building blocks for our understanding of the Civil War."--From the Foreword by James M. McPherson, author of War on the Waters: The Union and Confederate Navies, 1861-1865 "The Welles diary is an indispensable primary source for scholars of the Lincoln administration and the Civil War in general. It also offers a fascinating glimpse into the daily workings of the federal government as it coped with the war's many challenges. A must have for any Civil War collection."--Brian Dirck, author of Lincoln and the Constitution

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Book SynopsisIn June 2007 a very special event will happen in the aviation world. A restored Avro Vulcan Mark 2 XH558 will take to the air again to help commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Falklands conflict. To coincide with this the memoirs of one of its test pilots, Tony Blackman, will be published the first ever book about test flying this monumental delta-wing aircraft which dominated the history of the late 20th century. Tony is the ideal man to write such a tale as he flew no less than 105 of the 136 built, logging 850 flights at over 1,327 hours. His book will describe in laymans terms what it was like to tame the first prototypes and to master the unusual characteristics necessitated by the Vulcans shape. Although Tony puts the developments, demonstrations, incidents and accidents in their political and historical context, his story is a highly personal one. He explains how this awesome aircraft became a national treasure and captured the imagination of the whole country. His words, descriptions and hitherto largely unpublished photographs will make people feel as he did the excitement of handling such an incredibly powerful monster always in the knowledge that he had to be in complete charge all the time as the monster could and did bite back.

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Book SynopsisA classic in the field (New York Times), this is a penetrating investigation into moral and ethical questions raised by war, drawing on examples from antiquity to the present.Just and Unjust Wars has forever changed how we think about the ethics of conflict. In this modern classic, political philosopher Michael Walzer examines the moral issues that arise before, during, and after the wars we fight. Reaching from the Athenian attack on Melos, to the Mai Lai massacre, to the war in Afghanistan and beyond, Walzer mines historical and contemporary accounts and the testimony of participants, decision makers, and victims to explain when war is justified and what ethical limitations apply to those who wage it.Table of ContentsPreface to the Fifth Edition Preface to the First Edition Part One: The Moral Reality of War 1. Against "Realism" The Realist Argument The Melian Dialogue Strategy and Morality Historical Relativism Three Accounts of Agincourt 2. The Crime of War The Logic of War The Argument of Karl von Clausewitz The Limit of Consent The Tyranny of War General Sherman and the Burning of Atlanta 3. The Rules of War The Moral Equality of Soldiers The Case of Hitler's Generals Two Sorts of Rules The War Convention The Example of Surrender Part Two: The Theory of Aggression 4. Law and Order in International Society Aggression The Rights of Political Communities The Case of Alsace-Lorraine The Legalist Paradigm Unavoidable Categories Karl Marx and the Franco-Prussian War The Argument for Appeasement Czechoslovakia and the Munich Principle Finland 5. Anticipations Preventive War and the Balance of Power The War of the Spanish Succession Pre-emptive Strikes The Six Day War 6. Interventions Self-Determination and Self-Help The Argument of John Stuart Mill Secession The Hungarian Revolution Civil War The American War in Vietnam Humanitarian Intervention Cuba, 1898, and Bangladesh, 1971 7. War's Ends, and the Importance of Winning Unconditional Surrender Allied Policy in World War II Justice in Settlements The Korean War Part Three: The War Convention 8. War's Means and the Importance of Fighting Well Utility and Proportionality The Argument of Henry Sidgwick Human Rights The Rape of the Italian Women 9. Noncombatant Immunity and Military Necessity The Status of Individuals Naked Soldiers The Nature of Necessity (1) Submarine Warfare: The Laconia Affair Double Effect Bombardment in Korea The Bombing of Occupied France and the Vemork Raid 10. War Against Civilians: Sieges and Blockades Coercion and Responsibility The Siege of Jerusalem, 72 A.D. The Right to Leave The Siege of Leningrad Taking Aim and the Doctrine of Double Effect The British Blockade of Germany 11. Guerrilla War Resistance to Military Occupation A Partisan Attack The Rights of Guerrilla Fighters The Rights of Civilian Supporters The American "Rules of Engagement" in Vietnam 12. Terrorism The Political Code The Russian Populists, the IRA, and the Stern Gang The Vietcong Assassination Campaign Violence and Liberation Jean-Paul Sartre and the Battle of Algiers 13. Reprisals Deterrence Without Retribution The FFI Prisoners at Annecy The Problem of Peacetime Reprisals The Attack on Khibye and the Beirut Raid Part Four: Dilemmas of War 14. Winning and Fighting Well "Asinine Ethics" Chairman Mao and the Battle of the River Hung The Sliding Scale and the Argument from Extremity 15. Aggression and Neutrality The Right to Be Neutral The Nature of Necessity (2) The Rape of Belgium The Sliding Scale Winston Churchill and Norwegian Neutrality 16. Supreme Emergency The Nature of Necessity (3) Overriding the Rules of War The Decision to Bomb German Cities The Limits of Calculation Hiroshima 17 Nuclear Deterrence The Problem of Immoral Threats Limited Nuclear War The Argument of Paul Ramsey Part Five: The Question of Responsibility 18. The Crime of Aggression: Political Leaders and Citizens The World of Officials Nuremberg: "The Ministries Case" Democratic Responsibilities The American People and the War in Vietnam 19. War Crimes: Soldiers and Their Officers In the Heat of Battle Two Accounts of Killing Prisoners Superior Orders The My Lai Massacre Command Responsibility General Bradley and the Bombing of St. Lo The Case of General Yamashita The Nature of Necessity (4) The Dishonoring of Arthur Harris Conclusion Afterword: Nonviolence and the Theory of War Postscript: A Defense of Just War Theory

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Book Synopsis The New York Times bestselling account of one of history's most brutal—and forgotten—massacres, when the Japanese army destroyed China's capital city on the eve of World War II, “piecing together the abundant eyewitness reports into an undeniable tapestry of horror” (Adam Hochschild, Salon) In December 1937, one of the most horrific atrocities in the long annals of wartime barbarity occurred. The Japanese army swept into the ancient city of Nanking (what was then the capital of China), and within weeks, more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers were systematically raped, tortured, and murdered. In this seminal work, Iris Chang, whose own grandparents barely escaped the massacre, tells this history from three perspectives: that of the Japanese soldiers, that of the Chinese, and that of a group of Westerners who refused to abandon the city and created a safety zone, which saved almost 300,000 Chinese. Drawing on extensive interviews with survivors and documents brought to light for the first time, Iris Chang's classic book is the definitive history of this horrifying episode. Trade ReviewChicago Tribune "A powerful new work of history and moral inquiry. Chang takes great care to establish an accurate accounting of the dimensions of the violence." Nien Cheng, author of Life and Death in Shanghai "Meticulously researched ... A gripping account that holds the reader's attention from beginning to end." Beatrice S. Bartlett, professor of history, Yale University "Iris Chang's research on the Nanking holocaust yields a new and expanded telling of this World War II atrocity and reflects thorough research. The book is excellent; its story deserves to be heard." Frederic Wakeman, director of the Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley "Heartbreaking... An utterly compelling book. The descriptions of the atrocities raise fundamental questions not only about imperial Japanese militarism but the psychology of the torturers, rapists, and murderers." George F. Will, syndicated columnist "Something beautiful, an act of justice, is occurring in America today concerning something ugly that happened long ago... Because of Chang's book, the second rape of Nanking is ending." Orville Schell, The New York Times Book Review "In her important new book ... Iris Chang, whose own grandparents were survivors, recounts the grisly massacre with understandable outrage." Ross Terrill, author of Mao, China in Our Time, and Madame Mao "Anyone interested in the relation between war, self-righteousness, and the human spirit will find The Rape of Nanking of fundamental importance. It is scholarly, an exciting investigation, and a work of passion. In places it is almost unbearable to read, but it should be read--only if the past is understood can the future be navigated."Table of ContentsForeword by William C. Kirby Introduction Part I 1. The Path to Nanking 2. Six Weeks of Terror 3. The Fall of Nanking 4. Six Weeks of Horror 5. The Nanking Safety Zone Part II 6. What the World Knew 7. The Occupation of Nanking 8. Judgment Day 9. The Fate of the Survivors Part III 10. The Forgotten Holocaust: A Second Rape Epilogue Epilogue for the 2011 Edition Acknowledgments Notes Index

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