Military History Books

Book SynopsisFollowing on from his epic 1812: Napoleon''s Fatal March on Moscow', bestselling author Adam Zamoyski has written the dramatic story of the Congress of Vienna.In the wake of his disastrous Russian campaign of 1812, Napoleon''s imperious grip on Europe began to weaken, raising the question of how the Continent was to be reconstructed after his defeat. There were many who dreamed of a peace to end all wars, in which the interests of peoples as well as those of rulers would be taken into account. But what followed was an unseemly and at times brutal scramble for territory by the most powerful states, in which countries were traded as if they had been private and their inhabitants counted like cattle.The results, fixed at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, not only laid the foundations of the European world we know; it put in place a social order and a security system that lie at the root of many of the problems which dog the world today. Although the defining moments took place in Vienna, anTrade Review‘Deeply researched, elegantly written, gleaming with the political and sexual depravity of the Congress that decided the fate of Europe, Zamoyski's “Rites of Peace” is outstanding – a delicious, triumphant feast of a book.’ Daily Mail ‘Impressively detailed diplomatic history; it deals with the fate of nations and dynasties and the doings of emperors, kings and princes. The author keeps up a strong narrative drive, guiding the reader through the tortuously involved negotiations of the Congress.’ The Economist ‘Zamoyski's…account of the labyrinthine twists of diplomacy is both masterly and exhaustive…I closed the book full of admiration for its author.’ Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisA powerful and intensely human insight into the civil war in Zimbabwe, focusing on a white farmer and his maid who find themselves on opposing sides.One bright morning Nigel Hough, one of the few remaining white farmers in Mugabe's Zimbabwe, received the news he was dreading a crowd were at the gate demanding he surrender his home and land. To his horror, his family''s much-loved nanny Aqui was at the head of the violent mob that then stole his homestead and imprisoned him in an outhouseBy tracing the intertwined lives of Nigel and Aqui rich and poor, white and black, master and maid through intimate and moving interviews, Christina Lamb captures not just the source of a terrible conflict, but also her own conviction that there is still hope for one of Africa's most beautiful countries.Trade Review‘Lamb is a careful observer, and her anguished refrain is the terrible schizophrenia of people who fiercely love their land but do nothing to save it…the strength is in the storytelling…it is a good piece of reportage…her book deserves to be read.' Daily Telegraph ‘A perceptive account of Zimbabwean history since the colonial days.’ Times Literary Supplement 'Riveting…Lamb's book tells a disaster story on a massive scale.' Daily Mail 'Compelling…Lamb has a remarkable pair of stories to tell, and does so extremely well.' The Spectator

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Book SynopsisA gripping account of the epic hunt for Hitler's most terrifying battleship the legendary Tirpitz and the brave men who risked their lives to attack and destroy this most potent symbol of the Nazi's fearsome war machine.Tirpitz was the pride of Hitler's navy. To Churchill, she was the Beast', a menace to Britain's supply lines and a threat to the convoys sustaining Stalin's armies. Tirpitz was said to be unsinkable, impregnable no other target attracted so much attention.In total 36 major Allied operations were launched against her, including desperately risky missions by human torpedoes and midget submarines and near-suicidal bombing raids. Yet Tirpitz stayed afloat. It was not until November 1944 that she was finally destroyed by RAF Lancaster Bombers flown by 617 Squadron the Dambusters in a gruelling mission that tested the very limits of human endurance.The man who led the raid Willie Tait was one of the most remarkable figures of the war, flying missions almost continuouslyTrade Review‘This is a great wartime story, gung-ho in its praise of the men who finally sank Tirpitz, yet compassionate towards her courageous crew. Already a bestselling war historian with his books on the RAF, Target Tirpitz proves that Bishop has sea legs, and this book should add another fleet of fans to his existing army of admirers’ Sunday Telegraph ‘The story of the successive British efforts to destroy [the Tirpitz] is remarkable indeed, and Bishop deploys all his splendid narrative gifts to do it justice’ Max Hastings, Sunday Times ‘Spellbinding…While he is adept at explaining the strategic picture it is in his intense description of set-pieces and of the heroic dedication of their human participants that Bishop excels’ Daily Express ‘Patrick Bishop wisely concentrates his splendid narrative on the many ingenious and extremely hazardous British attempts to destroy [the Tirpitz]…Bishop does this tale extraordinary justice…Elegantly written and exhaustively researched, Target Tirpitz is a fitting memorial to all those who perished in this relatively unknown chapter of naval warfare.’ Daily Telegraph ‘The story of the successive British efforts to destroy (the Tirpitz) is remarkable indeed, and Bishop deploys all his splendid narrative gifts to do it justice’ Sunday Times

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Book Synopsis(Previously published as After the Flood')Former RAF Tornado Navigator and Gulf War veteran John Nichol sets out on a personal journey to discover what happened to 617 Squadron after the flood.RAF 617 Squadron's destruction of the dams at the heart of the Ruhr made them heroes and celebrities of their time. But this elite squadron was also called upon for a hundred more of the most secret and dangerous specialist precision attacks. As bestselling author John Nichol discovers, 617 would drop the largest bombs ever built on battleships, railway bridges, secret weapon establishments, rockets sites and U-boat construction pens. They were involved in attempts on the lives of enemy leaders, both Hitler and Mussolini, created a false fleet' on D-day which fooled the Germans, and knocked out a German super gun which would have rained 600 shells an hour on London. Of the 77 men who made it home from dams raid, only 45 survived to see the victory for which they fought as 617's reputation calledTrade Review‘This is not just another tale of heroism in the skies … This is a tale of victory, in the end, magnificently told in lip-biting detail’ Daily Mail ‘Full of stirring stories that will make you marvel at the aircrews’ fortitude … deeply moving’ Mail on Sunday ‘Absorbing … Thanks to the author’s intimate understanding of the dynamics of a bomber squadron, the reader is taken inside the history and allowed to view events from a human perspective’ Soldier Magazine Praise for John Nichol: ‘Full of poignant episodes … A fitting tribute to the raw courage of these young men’ Daily Express ‘A truly epic tale of courage and sacrifice – an intensely moving epitaph to the men of Bomber Command’ ANDY McNAB

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA masterly history of the Dambusters raid from bestselling and critically acclaimed Max Hastings.Operation Chastise was one of the most extraordinary episodes of the Second World War, yet it has also become one of the most misunderstood.Max Hastings tells the gripping story of the Dambusters raid, from the invention of the bouncing bomb to the moonlit cockpits of young pilots flying at treetop height through lethal enemy fire. But Hastings also challenges what we think we know about the Dambusters, bringing to light the difficult truths that have often been left out of the legend.Brings it to life as never before Hour by nerve-jangling hour' Daily Mail Superb The heroes shine, but their achievement haunts' TimesA virtuoso performance from a veteran military historian. It is a white-knuckle narrative that brings clarity and insight to a much-loved tale, as well as offering a vital corrective to the drum-thumping conclusions of earlier books' Sunday TimesTrade Review Praise for Chastise ‘A virtuoso performance from a veteran military historian. It is a white-knuckle narrative that brings clarity and insight to a much-loved tale, as well as offering a vital corrective to the drum-thumping conclusions of earlier books.’ Sunday Times ‘Hastings recounts the actual raids with dramatic intensity … He brings us into those Lancasters, flying perilously low, straight into flak … Superb.’ Times ‘Thoughtful and gripping … This is a fine book combining great storytelling with a deep appreciation of the melancholy and waste that march in step with glory.’ Patrick Bishop, Telegraph ‘What is at stake in this revision of the old glorious narrative is something important. The debate over whether this particular raid mattered is, in miniature, the wider historiographical debate over the morals and efficacy of the whole bombing war … A powerful parable which might instruct us in our own confused times.’ Spectator ‘Hastings, who is a master of his craft, unfolds the story skilfully … It doesn’t matter how many times you have seen the film, or heard the story, this book is gripping from start to finish’ Keith Lowe, Literary Review ‘A riveting account that also shines a light on the fact that more than 1,400 civilians died in the floods that followed … It’s a monumental read’ Sun ‘A fine book about that moonlit Dambusters’ raid of 76 years ago, a worthy tribute to the men of 617 Squadron – and their hapless victims’ Sunday Express ‘A remarkable book … Combining formidable narrative power with equally potent explanatory insight, it situates the Dambusters Raid in the broader strategic context of World War II’ Washington Post

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Book SynopsisFollowing the success of Forgotten Voices of the Great War, Lyn Smith visits the oral accounts preserved in the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive, to reveal the sheer complexity and horror of one of human history''s darkest hours. The great majority of Holocaust survivors suffered considerable physical and psychological wounds, yet even in this dark time of human history, tales of faith, love and courage can be found. As well as revealing the story of the Holocaust as directly experienced by victims, these testimonies also illustrate how, even enduring the most harsh conditions, degrading treatment and suffering massive family losses, hope, the will to survive, and the human spirit still shine through.Trade ReviewA powerfully moving chronicle * Daily Express *Powerful cries of pain...All of them capture some element of the torment, and of hope....What might seem a monotonous roll of horror stories becomes, under her keen ear, a mosaic of infinite variety...can be read with an assurance that there will be many aspects of Holocaust in them that will be new, remarkable and thought-provoking -- Martin Gilbert * Financial Times *Full of rich insights...There are no greater stories of courage than those of old relatives who sacrificed themselves so that others could survive * The Jewish Chronicle *Deserves maximum space everywhere this autumn... poignant and sometimes horrific reading... it is a timely reminder to appreciate our lives and those we share it with * The Bookseller *probably the most harrowing book I'll ever read...gripping....its subject matter is something that should never be forgotten * Bookseller *

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Book Synopsis'You are hereby ordered to fall upon the rebels, the MacDonalds of Glencoe, and to put all to the sword under seventy.' This was the treacherous and cold-blooded order ruthlessly carried out on 13 February 1692, when the Campbells slaughtered their hosts the MacDonalds at the Massacre of Glencoe. This book describes the terrible events at Glencoe.

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Book SynopsisHoratio Nelson was a shrewd political operator who charmed and impressed political leaders. He was a difficult subordinate, only happy when completely in command, and capable of great ruthlessness. This biography takes a look at Nelson's status as a hero, explaining how Nelson achieved such extraordinary success.

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Book SynopsisHUGH THOMAS (Lord Thomas of Swynnerton) is the author of a number of highly successful histories, most famously CUBA, THE SLAVE TRADE and THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR.

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Book Synopsis''An energetic, ambitious, provocative work by a young historian of notable gifts, which deserves a wide readership'' Max Hastings, The Sunday Times''Bold and breathtaking... I have never read a more daringly panoramic survey of the period'' Jonathan Wright, Herald ScotlandThe most terrible emergency in Britain''s history, the Second World War required an unprecedented national effort. An exhausted country had to fight an unexpectedly long war and found itself much diminished amongst the victors. Yet the outcome of the war was nonetheless a triumph, not least for a political system that proved well adapted to the demands of a total conflict and for a population who had to make many sacrifices but who were spared most of the horrors experienced in the rest of Europe.Britain''s War is a narrative of these epic events, an analysis of the myriad factors that shaped military success and failure, and an explanation of what Trade ReviewThis is an energetic, ambitious, provocative work by a young historian of notable gifts, which deserves a wide readership -- Max Hastings * The Sunday Times *A gifted historian...he tells the big story well but also illustrates his themes with many small stories and appealing anecdotes. -- Peter Clarke * Financial Times *Todman explores every aspect of the British experience of the war...rich in telling detail and reliant on the records kept by a host of ordinary Britons as they came to terms with the events going on around them...what ordinary people thought about the time they were living through provides a texture and depth that older wartime narratives have often lacked. -- Richard Overy * Literary Review *[Dan Todman] has succeeded in creating something that adds to our perception of what happened during this critical period...It is a compliment to Todman that time and again in reading his book I found myself thinking that I wanted to know more about this or that aspect. -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *The first volume of Dan Todman's new history of Britain and the Second World War is a tour de force. Taking the story up to the end of 1941, Todman provides us with a judicious guide to the road to war and its catastrophic first phase, offering in addition a shrewd portrait of Churchill which is worth the price of the book alone. Total history at its best. -- Jay Winter, Yale UniversityBold and breathtaking... I have never read a more daringly panoramic survey of the period...Todman has taken on a mammoth task but, at half-time, he shows every sign of completing it triumphantly. -- Jonathan Wright * Herald Scotland *

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Book SynopsisKeith Lowe''s Savage Continent is an awe-inspiring portrait of how Europe emerged from the ashes of WWII.The end of the Second World War saw a terrible explosion of violence across Europe. Prisoners murdered jailers. Soldiers visited atrocities on civilians. Resistance fighters killed and pilloried collaborators. Ethnic cleansing, civil war, rape and murder were rife in the days, months and years after hostilities ended. Exploring a Europe consumed by vengeance, Savage Continent is a shocking portrait of an until-now unacknowledged time of lawlessness and terror.Praise for Savage Continent:''Deeply harrowing, distinctly troubling. Moving, measured and provocative. A compelling and plausible picture of a continent physically and morally brutalized by slaughter'' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times''Excellent'', Independent ''Unbearable but essential. A serious account of things we never knew and our fathers would rather forget. Lowe''s transparent prose makes it difficult to look away from a whole catalogue of horrors...you won''t sleep afterwards. Such good history it keeps all the questions boiling in your mind'', ScotsmanKeith Lowe is widely recognized as an authority on the Second World War, and has often spoken on TV and radio, both in Britain and the United States. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Inferno: The Devastation of Hamburg, 1943 (Penguin). He lives in north London with his wife and two children.Trade ReviewGrimly absorbing, conveys the pity of war and its sorry aftermath with integrity and proper sympathy -- Ian Thomson * Sunday Telegraph *Moving, measured and provocative -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *Extraordinary...exceptional...reveals a continent where moral values were often missing and basically lawlessness prevailed for several years -- Trevor James * The Historian *Savage Continent is a powerful and disturbing book, painstakingly researched and written with both authority and an impressive historical sweep -- James HollandA major new historical talent has arrived... a brilliantly organised and scrupulously objective survey of a continent on the floor * BBC History Magazine *An excellent account...Lowe's vivid descriptions of Europeans scrambling for scraps of food, rampant theft and 'destruction of morals' are a timely reminder that a certain humility is in order when we look at less fortunate continents today. -- Brendan Simms * The Independent *Impressive and heart-rendering study...Lowe marshals all the elements of the story with cool even-handedness, especially where statistics are concerned, and explains how subsequent generations have manipulated the historical record to suit their own purposes, either to diminish their guilt or demonise others. -- Christopher Silvester * Daily Express *Extraordinary, disturbing and powerful ... it is to Lowe's great credit that he resists the temptation to sit in moral judgment ... it is time we acknowledged the hidden realities of perhaps the darkest chapter in all human history * Daily Mail *Graphic and chilling. This excellent book paints a little-known and frightening picture of a continent in the embrace of lawlessness and chaos -- Ian Kershaw

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Book SynopsisWhen the Nazis invaded Hungary in 1944, they sent virtually the entire Jewish population to Auschwitz. A Hungarian Jew and a medical doctor, Dr. Miklos Nyiszli was spared from death for a grimmer fate: to perform scientific research on his fellow inmates under the supervision of the infamous Angel of Death: Dr. Josef Mengele. Nyiszli was named Mengele''s personal research pathologist. Miraculously, he survived to give this terrifying and sobering account of the terror of Auschwitz. This new Penguin Modern Classics edition contains an introduction by Richard Evans.Trade ReviewThe best brief account of the Auschwitz experience available * The New York Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisA mesmerising, chilling close-up portrayal of Stalin from Milovan Djilas, a Communist insider - with an introduction from Anne Applebaum, author of Gulag and Iron CurtainThis extraordinarily vivid and unnerving book three meetings held with Stalin during and after the Second World War. Djilas brilliantly describes the dictator in his lair - cunning, cruel, enormously talented. Few books give as clear a sense of what made Stalin such a compelling figure and how he was able to hypnotise and terrify those around him. Djilas also describes the key members of Stalin''s court: Beria, Malenkov, Zhukov, Molotov and Khruschchev. The result is a gripping account of the ruler at the height of his fame and power.

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Book Synopsis''Superb ... likely to become a classic'' ObserverIn the summer of 1914 most of Europe plunged into a war so catastrophic that it unhinged the continent''s politics and beliefs in a way that took generations to recover from. The disaster terrified its survivors, shocked that a civilization that had blandly assumed itself to be a model for the rest of the world had collapsed into a chaotic savagery beyond any comparison. In 1939 Europeans would initiate a second conflict that managed to be even worse - a war in which the killing of civilians was central and which culminated in the Holocaust.To Hell and Back tells this story with humanity, flair and originality. Kershaw gives a compelling narrative of events, but he also wrestles with the most difficult issues that the events raise - with what it meant for the Europeans who initiated and lived through such fearful times - and what this means for us.Trade ReviewA great achievement ... There could hardly be a more judicious guide to this bloody terrain ... a stark lesson in man's capacity for evil -- Dominic Sandbrook * The Sunday Times *A triumph ... one of a tiny handful of historians whose books will still be read in 100 years -- Laurence Rees * The Mail on Sunday *Chilling epic-size history ... should be required reading -- Harold Evans * The New York Times *The story of how the Old World plunged toward hell for 30 years ... There is no man better qualified than Kershaw to take us through the dark valleys of the world wars and the two sombre intervening decades ... fair-minded, deeply researched and highly readable -- Brendan Simms * Wall Street Journal *We are in the hands of a master historian -- Nigel Jones * Spectator *Few authors would have the ability, and perhaps the determination, to take on the history of both world wars and the connecting decades at this level of sophistication, depth and breadth -- Robert Tombs * The Times *Authoritative -- Nicholas Shakespeare * Telegraph *Kershaw leads his readers through this complex history in a clear and compelling manner -- Joanna Bourke * Prospect *

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Book SynopsisAn urgent, insightful account of the human side of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine by seasoned war reporter Tim Judah Making his way from the Polish border in the west, through the capital city and the heart of the 2014 revolution, to the eastern frontline near the Russian border, Tim Judah brings a rare glimpse of the reality behind the headlines. Along the way he talks to the people living through the conflict - mothers, soldiers, businessmen, poets, politicians - whose memories of a contested past shape their attitudes, allegiances and hopes for the future. Together, their stories paint a vivid picture of what the second largest country in Europe feels like in wartime: a nation trapped between powerful forces, both political and historical.''Visceral, gripping, heartbreaking'' Simon Sebag Montefiore''Haunting . . . timely . . . Interviewing a wide range of people who have been caught up in the recent conflict, Judah concentrates skilfully and affectingly on the human cost'' Alexander Larman, Observer ''Comes close to the master, Ryszard Kapuscinski'' Roger Boyes, The Times ''A kaleidoscopic portrait . . . Judah looks at the present - what Ukraine looks and feels like now'' Marcus Tanner, IndependentTrade ReviewHaunting . . . timely . . . Judah concentrates skilfully and affectingly on the human cost of manoeuvres in Ukraine. He seldom makes his own thoughts and opinions seem intrusive, instead letting his eloquent and compassionate subjects give a far greater insight into the horror and privations -- Alexander Larman * Observer *Tim Judah has got a lot closer to the war in eastern Ukraine than most western reporters - close enough to be able to convey vividly to readers the smells and sounds . . . His experience of the Balkan Wars of the 1990s helped Judah spot this war as it mutated from malignant propaganda into blood-spattered reality. As a reporter, he excels at letting the Ukrainians themselves do the talking. -- Niall FergusonThe strength of Judah's In Wartime lies in the depth, range and balance of his reportage and his eye for telling details. -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *Tim Judah . . . does not tell us what to think about war but instead teaches us how: with courage, humility, attention to human detail, and admirable historical intuition. -- Timothy SnyderVisceral, gripping, heart-breaking and often shocking, based on interviews with witnesses and victims on the ground, In Wartime is both astute political analysis and vivid war reportage of what's really happening in the dirty war in Ukraine by a veteran observer of the Balkan wars who truly understands the complexities and nuances -- Simon Sebag MontefioreA compelling and acute piece of contemporary reportage -- David Edgar * London Review of Books *Judah has carved out a reputation as one of Europe's best writers on the Balkans. His job description should be something like History Wars Correspondent . . . comes close to the master, Ryszard Kapuscinski -- Roger Boyes * Times *A kaleidoscopic portrait . . . Judah Looks at the present - what Ukraine looks and feels like now. He criss-crosses the country from the Russian-speaking east to the Ukrainian-speaking west. -- Marcus Tanner * Independent *A timely account . . . a vivid human portrait -- Annabelle Chapman * Prospect *Essential for anyone who wants to understand events in Ukraine and what they portend for the West. . . . Mr. Judah has written the first important book about the war in Ukraine, and it should be on the shelf of every diplomat and journalist shipping out to the region * Wall Street Journal *The historical analysis in "In Wartime: Stories From Ukraine" is deep, fastidious and detailed. Judah articulately and comprehensively explains what happened in the region during World War II, and the important connection between history and present-day violence.... rich and beautiful... an impartial account of the situation today that depicts people from all sides of the conflict in a fair and respectful way. Additionally, "In Wartime" brilliantly explains the significance of the past, covering in detail World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires. * Chicago Tribune *A fascinating and often grim portrait of Ukraine... Judah offers a compassionate human view of these conflicts, mixing personal stories, history, politics, and reportage... This special and timely book will provide lay readers with an apt introduction to Ukraine, and specialist will appreciate its atypical yet enlightening approach * Publishers Weekly *A fascinating and often grim portrait of Ukraine... Judah offers a compassionate human view of these conflicts, mixing personal stories, history, politics, and reportage... This special and timely book will provide lay readers with an apt introduction to Ukraine, and specialist will appreciate its atypical yet enlightening approach * Foreign Affairs *Judah's book is full of detailed reporting from both Western and Eastern Ukraine-he covered the conflict with Russia for The New York Review of Books-and although he sympathizes with the attempts to strengthen the government in Kiev and repel Russian aggression, his book offers a nuanced portrait of people on all sides of the conflict. -- Isaac Chotiner * Slate *Vividly clear... A portrait of what it's like living during wartime... Judah gives a very helpful overview of Ukraine's systematic economic difficulties... Brave, thoughtful, self-effacing, and effective. -- William T. Vollmann * Bookforum *An important new book... fast-paced and very topical... Judah's expertise is appealingly ambitious in its scope... Readers won't forget the pathos and violence Tim Judah has described, and they owe him a vote of thanks for that. * Christian Science Monitor *

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Book SynopsisAt the terrible heart of the modern age lies Auschwitz. In a total inversion of earlier hopes about the use of science and technology to improve, extend and protect human life, Auschwitz manipulated the same systems to quite different ends. In Sybille Steinbacher''s terse, powerful new book, the reader is led through the process by which something unthinkable to any European in the 1930s had become a sprawling, industrial reality during the course of the world war. How Auschwitz grew and mutated into an entire dreadful city, how both those who managed it and those who were killed by it came to be in Poland in the 1940s, and how it was allowed to happen, is something everyone needs to understand.

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Book SynopsisFor decades, China''s rise to power was characterized by its reassurance that this rise would be peaceful. Then, as Susan L. Shirk, shows in this sobering, clear-eyed account of China today, something changed.For three decades after Mao''s death in 1976, China''s leaders adopted a restrained approach to foreign policy. They determined that any threat to their power, and that of the Chinese Communist Party, came not from abroad but from withina conclusion cemented by the 1989 Tiananmen crisis. To facilitate the country''s inexorable economic ascendence, and to prevent a backlash, they reassured the outside world of China''s peaceful intentions.Then, as Susan Shirk shows in this illuminating, disturbing, and utterly persuasive new book, something changed. China went from fragile superpower to global heavyweight, threatening Taiwan as well as its neighbors in the South China Sea, tightening its grip on Hong Kong, and openly challenging the United States for preeminence not just economicalTrade ReviewComplete with 64 pages of notes and a 15-page Index, her new book (which includes a fine analysis of the hot-button issues of Hong Kong and Taiwan) is an accessible and detailed account of where we have been with China, and how we got to this difficult state of affairs. * Dr. Cliff Cunningham, Research Fellow at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia, Sun News Austin *Susan Shirk's superb new book addresses the singular question echoing in the corridors of political and commercial power: why is China asserting itself in ways that upset global order? Drawing on decades of experience, Shirk answers it with insights drawn from myriad sources. Overreach is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand where China is going--and what America must do in response. * Kurt Campbell, White House Coordinator for the IndoPacific *A fascinating, behind-the-scenes investigation of China's internal politics that makes the unconventional but ultimately persuasive argument that the personalities, politics, and processes that have powered China's rise for decades are simultaneously subverting it. With Overreach, Shirk proves yet again why she is one of the most interesting thinkers and important voices on China of our time. * Elizabeth Economy, author of The World According to China *In this timely and important book, Susan Shirk dissects the nature of China's emerging threat, driven by growing aggressiveness in foreign policy and Xi Jinping's tightening domestic grip. Overreach, she warns in jargon-free prose, has triggered an equally self-defeating overreaction from America, and without a dramatic change in policy could lead to war. * Jerry Brown, former governor of California *Susan Shirk has both long experience and a deep understanding of China. Overreach offers an illuminating and sobering appraisal of where things stand today. It masterfully explains why China has taken its current worrisome course and offers invaluable advice as to how the United States should respond. An authoritative look at China in this critical movement in history. * Stephen J. Hadley, former National Security Advisor for President George W. Bush *Susan Shirk's masterful dissection of China's political leadership reveals a Party-state in near-constant struggle against perceived threats, creating a vicious policy cycle for the country and its partners. As Shirk's brilliant analysis shows, this dynamic upends global stability and China's vaunted peaceful rise. * Charlene Barshefsky, former United States Trade Representative *The book includes excellent access to sources and endnotes that support Shirk's analysis. * Choice *Table of ContentsPrologue: How China Lost the West 1. The Origins of Overreach 2. Deng's Ghost 3. Inside the Black Box 4. The Rise and Fall of Collective Leadership 5. Loss of Restraint 6. Stability Maintenance 7. Strongman Rule 8. Going to Extremes 9. State pf Paranoia 10. Downward Spiral Conclusion: Overreach and Overreaction

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Book SynopsisAuthor of Lincoln and His Admirals (winner of the Lincoln Prize), The Battle of Midway (Best Book of the Year, Military History Quarterly), and Operation Neptune, (winner of the Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature), Craig L. Symonds has established himself as one of the finest naval historians at work today. World War II at Sea represents his crowning achievement: a complete narrative of the naval war and all of its belligerents, on all of the world''s oceans and seas, between 1939 and 1945. Opening with the 1930 London Conference, Symonds shows how any limitations on naval warfare would become irrelevant before the decade was up, as Europe erupted into conflict once more and its navies were brought to bear against each other. World War II at Sea offers a global perspective, focusing on the major engagements and personalities and revealing both their scale and their interconnection: the U-boat attack on Scapa Flow and the Battle of the Atlantic; the miracle evacuation from Trade ReviewWell-written and often original narrative... a very accessible operational and strategic history. * Eric Grove, The Times Literary Supplement *Any reader, whether general or specialist, can pick it up, become immersed in its flowing narrative and energetic prose, and come away with a good general understanding of the war at sea, and the central importance of the maritime dimension to the Anglo-American victory in the West. * Nick Hewitt, Military History *This truly monumental work really does what it says on the label ... A military work of the first order. * Steve Craggs, Northern Echo *Craig L. Symonds has produced a magisterial volume covering the conflict at sea... The multi-award winning Professor Symonds has shown why he is one of the world's leading naval historians in this book... Highly recommended for those who want to know why the sea was so important from 1939 to 1945 and to undertstand the mechanics behind naval operations. * Paul Donnelley *In World War II at Sea, Mr. Symonds does for the naval struggle what Martin Gilbert did for the conflict on land in his The Second World War. A thoroughly enjoyable read, World War II at Sea sweeps its glass across the worlds oceans and deftly recounts battles that shaped the course of history's greatest war. * Wall Street Journal *Craig Symonds is a seaman and historian of the first order. His telling of this Navy Saga is as vast as the oceans themselves and as gloriously detailed as were the battles for them. * Tom Hanks *A scholarly yet extremely accessible work that will be of value to anyone interested in World War II; this will likely be a new standard on the topic. * Library Journal *Sweeping, majestic, and brilliant are the words that come to mind reading World War II at Sea by distinguished naval historian Craig Symonds. This will be the definitive single volume treatment of the enormously critical naval contributions to winning World War II. * Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret), Supreme Allied Commander at NATO 2009-2013, Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University *World War II at Sea somehow manages to distill this entire naval history into a single volume without missing a beat. How Craig Symonds accomplished this while keeping the story interesting and the narrative engaging is a fine feat. This book is a treat! * John Prados, author of Islands of Destiny: The Solomons Campaign and the Eclipse of the Rising Sun *Craig L. Symonds's World War at Sea is a wonderfully ample and invaluable single-volume naval history of the all-hands-on-deck 1939 to 1945 global conflict. All major naval engagements are concisely and brilliantly recounted here. And there are fine assessments of military leaders like Ernest King and Isoroku Yamamoto. My admiration for this book is boundless! * Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History, Rice University, co-author of Driven Patriot: The Life and Times of James Forrestal *Readers will welcome this fine account from a highly qualified guide... A solid storyteller and naval scholar, Symonds mixes politics, strategy, sea battle fireworks, technical details, and personal anecdotes to deliver one of the better single-volume histories of the naval portion of WWII. * Kirkus *World War II at Sea is an effective, well-written account of the war above, on, and below the oceans that draws on both classic and very recent writing to synthesize a single narrative of the entire conflictno small feat. Even experienced readers will find valuable insights about participants, such as Finland and Italy, that are generally neglected. For anyone seeking a one-stop-shop, up-to-date naval history of the period, World War II at Sea is the book to read. * America in WWII *Table of ContentsPrologue: London, 1930 PART I. THE EUROPEAN WAR 1. Unterseeboote 2. Panzerschiffe 3. Norway 4. France Falls 5. The Regia Marina 6. The War on Trade, I 7. The Bismarck PART II. THE WAR WIDENS 8. The Rising Sun 9. A Two Ocean Navy 10. Infamy 11. Rampage 12. The War on Trade, II PART III. WATERSHED 13. Stemming the Tide 14. Two Beleaguered Islands 15. A Two Ocean War 16. The Tipping Point 17. The War on Trade, III PART IV. ALLIED COUNTERATTACK 18. Airplanes and Convoys 19. Husky 20. Twilight of Two Navies 21. Breaking the Shield 22. Large Slow Target PART V. RECKONING 23. D-Day 24. Seeking the Decisive Battle 25. Leyte Gulf 26. The Noose Tightens 27. Denouement Epilogue: Tokyo Bay, 1945 Afterword

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Book SynopsisUnderstanding Adolf Hitler''s ideology provides insights into the mental world of an extremist politics that, over the course of the Third Reich, developed explosive energies culminating in the Second World War and the Holocaust. Too often the theories underlying National Socialism or Nazism are dismissed as an irrational hodge-podge of ideas. Yet that ideology drove Hitler''s quest for power in 1933, colored everything in the Third Reich, and transformed him, however briefly, into the most powerful leader in the world.How did he discover that ideology? How was it that cohorts of leaders, followers, and ordinary citizens adopted aspects of National Socialism without experiencing the leader first-hand or reading his works? They shared a collective desire to create a harmonious, racially select, community of the people to build on Germany''s socialist-oriented political culture and to seek national renewal. If we wish to understand the rise of the Nazi Party and the new dictatorship''s remarkable staying power, we have to take the nationalist and socialist aspects of this ideology seriously. Hitler became a kind of representative figure for ideas, emotions, and aims that he shared with thousands, and eventually millions, of true believers who were of like mind . They projected onto him the properties of the necessary leader, a commanding figure at the head of a uniformed corps that would rally the masses and storm the barricades. It remains remarkable that millions of people in a well-educated and cultured nation eventually came to accept or accommodate themselves to the tenants of an extremist ideology laced with hatred and laden with such obvious murderous implications.Trade ReviewThis work is worthy of serious attention. The way in which the nationalist, socialist, and antisemitic view of Hitler and his political party fit with the preferences of many Germans surely deserves the exposure that this book affords them. * The Journal of Interdisciplinary History *This sweeping account draws on career-long research by one of the foremost scholars of Nazism today. Hitler's True Believers gets at the core of a perennial question: why did people choose to follow Hitler? Rather than focusing on the leader himself, Gellately delves deeply into an ideology defined by nationalism, socialism, and antisemitism. Nazi socialism must be taken especially seriously, he argues, and he shows that Germans often shared the party's ideas before they joined it, just as the party drew on popular impulses. To learn how the Nazis obtained and maintained the support of millions of Germans, this outstanding book will be essential reading for many years to come. * Julia Torrie, Professor of History, St. Thomas University *A remarkable read. Gellately argues with conviction that if we want to fully understand why millions of ordinary Germans became 'true believers' in Nazism, then we need to look beyond Hitler's 'charisma' and take seriously the presence of National Socialist dreams and desires in the plural. * Matthew Stibbe, Professor of Modern European History, Sheffield Hallam University, UK *Robert Gellately's Hitler's True Believers provides a powerful rebuttal of the tendency to present National Socialism as 'nonsensical and irrational.' Its arguments - that Hitler was a man of ideas and that we cannot understand Nazi Germany's considerable staying powers unless we take the regime's socialist attitudes and expectations seriously - are as provocative as they are persuasive. Gellately's book is the most important and original book on the history of the Third Reich published in a generation. * Thomas Weber, author of Becoming Hitler: The Making of a Nazi *A clear and accessible account of an atrocious yet widely popular regime. * Moritz Föllmer, American Historical Review *Thoughtful, thorough and well-written book. * H-Soz-Kult *Table of ContentsChapter 1: How Hitler Found National Socialist Ideas Chapter 2: Early Leaders' Paths to National Socialism Chapter 3: The National Socialist "Left" Chapter 4: The Militants Chapter 5: The Nazi Voters Chapter 6: National Socialism Gains Power Chapter 7: Embracing the Volksgemeinschaft Chapter 8: Striving for Unanimity Chapter 9: Quest for a Cultural Revolution Chapter 10: The Racist Ideology Chapter 11: Nationalism and Militarism Chapter 12: War and Genocide Conclusion

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Book SynopsisPaths out of the Apocalypse fundamentally rethinks some key debates in the scholarship on early 20th-century Central Europe, the First World War, violence, nationalism and modern European comparative social and cultural history, considering the population of the hinterland as an active subject that decisively shaped the outcomes of the war.Trade ReviewMethodically, the book stands out as an ambitious interlacing of perspectives...consult this volume as a material-rich and stimulating special research on the history of violence in three historical areas of the dual monarchy. * Markus Pöhlmann, Journal of History *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I 1: Uncle Rudolf 2: Degenerates 3: Seeking the truth 4: Mental illness in court 5: Poverty in court 6: Improvising in court 7: Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes 8: Cannibals, poachers, and deserters 9: Crime or politics 10: That the president may long govern 11: Ominous eagles PART II 12: Youths outside the house 13: Prostitutes and workers 14: Appeasement in the public square 15: Fat ones, rich ones, Jews, and gendarmes 16: The Russian hunter 17: Disintegrating societies 18: The wild west or a new republic? 19: The victors and the vanquished 20: A slapped factory owner 21: Gallows and committess 22: The wild east 23: Blackshirts Conclusion

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Book SynopsisIn this powerful and revelatory new work, historian Mary Fulbrook takes on one of the most fraught issues in modern times: the role of ordinary Germans in enabling the rise of Nazism and with it the exclusion, persecution, and then extermination of millions of people across Europe. The question often asked of the Nazi erawhat and when did ordinary Germans know about the crimes being committed in their name?is, Fulbrook argues, the wrong one. The real question is how they interpreted and actedor failed to actupon what they knew; and how, in the process, became complicit.To address these issues, Fulbrook examines German society before and during the Nazi regime, exploring the social conditions that eventually facilitated mass murder. She explores the creation of a bystander society, one in which the majority of Germans were either unable to act or developed growing indifference to the fate of those deemed non-Aryanmainly Jews and therefore outside the Volksgemeinschaft, or national community. Over the course of the 1930s, from Hitler''s assumption of the German chancellorship, through the passage of the Nuremberg Laws, to the devastation of Kristallnacht, this bystander society became more entrenched. Ordinary Germans became passive about the fate of non-Aryans and, by turning away, contributed to their isolation from mainstream society. For many citizens of the Reich, conformity led progressively through growing complicity in everyday racism to more active involvement in genocide during World War Two. In other words, social changes under Nazi rule shaped the perceptions and responses of German citizens, creating the conditions that made the Holocaust possible.Based on an extraordinary archive of personal accounts, Bystander Society moves between the individual and the wider context, highlighting the significance of changing social and political circumstances over the course of the Nazi period by offering first-hand testimony both from those who were its primary victims, and those who initially sought to stay on the side lines but could not avoid being caught up in the violence of the times. These accounts illuminate how interpersonal relations in everyday life shifted, such that some fellow citizens could first be viewed as outcasts and then, in wartime, deportedmost often to their deathsin full view of those who would later often claim ignorance of their fates.Chilling and illuminating, Bystander Society reconceives the whole notion of bystanding within Nazi Germany, offering an interpretation of the conditions for inaction, one with wide and enduring relevance.Trade ReviewA commendable attempt to understand why people stood by and did nothing when confronted with Nazi barbarism, written by one of the greatest historians of modern Germany. * Darren O'Byrne, The Critic *[a] terrific work of historical scholarship * Richard Lofthouse, QUAD *[A] brilliant new book... Fulbrook brings a lifetime of scholarship and reflection, as well as a fearless courage, to the task. * Nicholas Stargardt, Literary Review *Mary Fulbrook superbly weaves contemporary accounts of experiences from Jews and non-Jews into a rich tapestry that shows how Germany under Hitler gradually turned into a society capable of the Holocaust. * Ian Kershaw *With her signature insightfulness, historian Mary Fulbrook addresses the fascinating but troubling problem of 'bystanders' to the Holocaust. She probes how social dynamics in Hitler's early years pushed non-Jews to conform, and how after the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 most fervently did so. By the late 1930s, more Germans became complicit in Nazi crimes and, during World War II, German, Austrian, and Baltic 'bystanders' eagerly engaged in violence, participating in genocide. This gripping account is a must-read for anyone interested in how bystanders became accomplices and later perpetrators, and how democracy could be destroyed. * Marion Kaplan, Professor Emerita of Modern Jewish History, New York University, author of Between Dignity and Despair: Jewish Life in Nazi Germany and Hitler's Jewish Refugees: Hope and Anxiety in Portugal *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Introduction: Bystanders and collective violence PART I THE SLIPPERY SLOPE: SOCIAL SEGREGATION IN NAZI GERMANY 1. Lives in Germany before 1933 2. Falling into line: spring 1933 3. Ripping apart at the seams: the racialization of identity, 1933-4 4. Shifting communities: dissembling and the cost of conformity 5. A nation of Aryans? The normalization of racial discrimination PART II THE EXPANSION OF VIOLENCE AT HOME AND ABROAD 6. Changing horizons: views from within and without 7. Shock waves: polarization in peacetime society, November 1938 8. Divided fates: empathy, exit, and death, 1939-41 9. Over the precipice: from persecution to genocide in the Baltics 10. Inner emigration and the fiction of ignorance 11. Towards the end: rescue, survival, and self-justifications CONCLUSION 12. The bystander myth and responses to violence

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Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, InspiringIs religion a force for war, or a force for peace? Some of the most terrible wars in history have been caused and motivated by religion. Much of the violence that fills our screens today springs from the same source. Yet some of the bravest pacifists have also been deeply religious people, and many of the laws and institutions that work to soften or prevent war have deep religious roots. This Very Short Introduction provides an overview of the history of religion and war, and a framework for analysing it. Ranging from the warrior gods of Ancient Greece and Rome, and the ethical drama of the Mahabharata, through the Islamic wars of conquest and the Crusades, to present day conflicts in Sri Lanka and the Balkans, it considers the entanglement of war and religion. Yet from Just War theory and the restraints on war-making imposed by Islamic jurisprudence, through the Pax Christi of the middle ages, to the non-violence of Gandhi and Bacha Khan; there is also a story to be told of peace and religion as well. Jolyon Mitchell and Joshua Rey consider both sides of the age long drama of war and religion, challenging assumptions at the most fundamental level. Throughout, they encourage a more sophisticated and well-grounded view on these issues that have had such weight in the past, and continue to shape our present and future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewWar and Religion is written in a clear, accessible style that offers concise, informative details. It would be a useful introductory text for undergraduate students in political science and war and religious studies, as well as the core program. * Arab Studies Quarterly *Mitchell and Rey offer a panoramic narrative of the historical and contemporary relationship between war and religion. Though brief (as expected of a title in the "Very Short Introductions" series), the book covers a lot of ground. Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; general readers. * M. S. Hill, Liberty University, CHOICE *Table of ContentsList of illustrations Acknowledgements 1: Remembering wars 2: Waging holy wars 3: Sanctifying secular wars 4: Softening the horrors of war 5: Invoking peace 6: Questioning religion and war References Further Reading

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Book SynopsisThere are few moments in American history in which the course of events tipped so suddenly and so dramatically as at the Battle of Midway. At dawn of June 4, 1942, a rampaging Japanese navy ruled the Pacific. By sunset, their vaunted carrier force (the Kido Butai) had been sunk and their grip on the Pacific had been loosened forever. In this riveting account of a key moment in the history of World War II, one of America''s leading naval historians, Craig L. Symonds, paints an unforgettable portrait of ingenuity, courage, and sacrifice. Symonds begins with the arrival of Admiral Chester A. Nimitz at Pearl Harbor after the devastating Japanese attack, and describes the key events leading to the climactic battle, including both Coral Sea--the first battle in history against opposing carrier forces--and Jimmy Doolittle''s daring raid of Tokyo. He focuses throughout on the people involved, offering telling portraits of Admirals Nimitz, Halsey, Spruance and numerous other Americans, as well as the leading Japanese figures, including the poker-loving Admiral Yamamoto. Indeed, Symonds sheds much light on the aspects of Japanese culture--such as their single-minded devotion to combat, which led to poorly armored planes and inadequate fire-safety measures on their ships--that contributed to their defeat. Symond''s account of the battle itself is masterful, weaving together the many disparate threads of attack--attacks which failed in the early going--that ultimately created a five-minute window in which three of the four Japanese carriers were mortally wounded, changing the course of the Pacific war in an eye-blink.Symonds is the first historian to argue that the victory at Midway was not simply a matter of luck, pointing out that Nimitz had equal forces, superior intelligence, and the element of surprise. Nimitz had a strong hand, Symonds concludes, and he rightly expected to win.Trade Review"The Battle of Midway was the hinge on which the war in the Pacific turned. Its story deserves retelling, and Symonds' book does a wonderful job of it." --The American Spectator "Mr. Symonds has marshaled the data of seven decades to produce an account that is clear and readable, benefiting from his easy expertise in naval matters." --The Wall Street Journal "Important...documenting a role too often overlooked and too little understood: the essential role played by the U.S. Navy in winning the war in the Pacific." - The Dallas Morning News "[W]holly satisfying . . . a lucid, intensely researched, mildly revisionist account of a significant moment in American military history." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Craig Symonds has delivered yet another outstanding work, a work that will set the standard for studies of the Battle of Midway for years to come. Even if one thinks one knows all there is to know about Midway, Mr. Symonds' plethora of new facts, rationales for what and why each side performed the way it did, human interest stories and more make The Battle of Midway indispensable . . . The story of the battle unfolding and being fought is absolutely outstanding, but the events before and after it are equally well told. In addition, the supporting charts, photographs, references and bibliography are awesome. For anyone at all interested in the Battle of Midway, the Pacific War or the Navy, this is a must read." --The Washington Times Selected as a Best Book of 2011 by Military History Quarterly "Deeply researched, shrewdly argued, and powerfully narrated, The Battle of Midway is a superb work of the historian's craft. It easily takes its place as the best and most comprehensive account of the pivotal battle from the American perspective." -Richard B. Frank, author of Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle and Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire "In The Battle of Midway Symonds has effectively synthesized the huge mass of information about the Midway battle into a fast-moving, highly readable account filled with nuggets of fascinating biographical material about many of the principals, both American and Japanese . . . Symonds describes the scenes of the Battle of Midway itself with the knowing eye of a fine historian . . . Craig Symonds has crafted an excellent addition to the pantheon of important literature about the transcendent American naval victory at Midway. The Battle of Midway deserves to be read and enjoyed." --Naval History "Compulsively readable" --The Week "Well documented through interviews, official records, and secondary sources, the book will show readers that Midway was, as Wellington would have said, "a close-run thing." General military history enthusiasts will be fascinated, and specialists will revel in the careful dissection of the action. -- Library Journal "[A] superb narrative, clearly, vividly, and energetically written, with attention to detail that is always relevant to his interpretation . . . this book will be read appreciatively by other non-specialists. Indeed, it demonstrates why military history should not be considered 'merely' a 'niche' subject, but part of the mainstream of the national narrative." --HNN.com "A fascinating and informative retelling of the most important naval battle of the Pacific War. Symonds once again demonstrates his superb mastery of his craft." -Jonathan Parshall, co-author of Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway Chosen as one of Proceedings Notable Books of 2011Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. CinCPac ; 2. The Kido Butai ; 3. The Brownshoe Navy ; 4. American Counterstrike ; 5. Seeking the Decisive Battle ; 6. Pete and Jimmy ; 7. The Codebreakers ; 8. The Coral Sea ; 9. The Eve of Battle ; 10. Opening Act ; 11. Nagumo's Dilemma (4:00 A.M. to 8:30 A.M.) ; 12. The Flight to Nowhere (7:00 A.M. to 11:20 A.M.) ; 13. Attack of the Torpedo Squadrons (8:30 A.M. to 10:20 A.M.) ; 14. The Tipping Point (7:00 A.M. to 10:30 A.M.) ; 15. The Japanese Counterstrike (11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.) ; 16. Denouement ; Epilogue

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Book SynopsisWarfare is the most dangerous threat faced by modern humanity. It is also one of the key influences that has shaped the politics, economics, and society of the modern period. But what do we mean by modern war? What causes modern wars to begin? Why do people fight in them, why do they end, and what have they achieved? In this accessible and compelling Very Short Introduction, Richard English explores the assumptions we make about modern warfare and considers them against the backdrop of their historical reality. Drawing on the wide literature available, including direct accounts of the experience of war, English provides an authoritative account of modern war: its origins, evolution, dynamics, and current trends. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade Review... what this book achieves would be remarkable in one several times its length... The book as a whole is notable for the careful throught and sound judgement that are on display, with the result that it does not at all feel like a superficial skim over the material. * Political Studies Review, Tim Benbow *The book as a whole is notable for the careful thought and sound judgement that are on display, with the result that it does not at all feel like a superficial skim over the material. * Tim Benbow, Kings College London/UK Defence Academy, Political Studies Review *English has developed a cogent and useful introduction to modern war. An understanding of war is a key element of civic education, and English has made the subject accessible. Modern War will be of particular value not just to students but to educators considering how to teach the topics of war and modern military history. * H.R. McMaster, Survival *Profound thought and a compelling text explain why and how states, societies and peoples resort to "the awfulness of war". English avoids glib generalisations because he knows too much and thinks too deeply. ... Anyone who wants to understand wars and their legacies should read it, twice. * Times Higher Education *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; List of illustrations and maps ; Introduction ; 1. What is modern war? ; 2. What causes modern wars to begin? ; 3. What has the experience of modern war involved? ; 4. What have modern wars achieved? ; Conclusion: war, terrorism, and the future ; References ; Further reading

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Book SynopsisConsiders the crucial question of how armies adapt to changing circumstances during the course of conflicts for which they are initially unprepared. This book is a timely examination of the lessons of previous counterinsurgency campaigns that will be hailed by both military leaders and interested civilians.Trade Review"Nagl's study is especially relevant today, and one that military leaders and interested citizens at all levels should read. It suggests how to encourage the spirit of innovation - a spirit that helped the British Army succeed in Malaya and that is currently transforming America's Army in Afghanistan, in Iraq, and around the globe." - From the Foreword by General Peter J. Schoomaker "Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife has become must reading for high-level officers in Iraq because its lessons seem so directly applicable to the situation there." - National Review Online"

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Book SynopsisA three-thousand year history of the world that examines the causes of war and the search for peaceIn three thousand years of history, China has spent at least eleven centuries at war. The Roman Empire was in conflict during at least 50 per cent of its lifetime. Since 1776, the United States has spent over one hundred years at war. The dream of peace has been universal in the history of humanity. So why have we so rarely been able to achieve it? In A Political History of the World, Jonathan Holslag has produced a sweeping history of the world, from the Iron Age to the present, that investigates the causes of conflict between empires, nations and peoples and the attempts at diplomacy and cosmopolitanism. A birds-eye view of three thousand years of history, the book illuminates the forces shaping world politics from Ancient Egypt to the Han Dynasty, the Pax Romana to the rise of Islam, the Peace of Westphalia to the creation of the United Nations.

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Book Synopsis''Stands in the absolute first rank of books about the resistance in World War II. If you wish to read about a man more courageous and honourable than Jan Karski, I would have no idea who to recommend'' Alan Furst It is 1939. Jan Karski, a brilliant young Polish student, enjoys a life of parties and pleasure. Then war breaks out and his familiar world is destroyed. Now he must live under a new identity, in the resistance. And, in a secret mission that could change the course of the war, he must risk his own life to try and save those of millions. ''Insistently asks the question: What would you do? Would you fight, or acquiesce, or collaborate? ... Karski was deeply patriotic and ludicrously brave ... an astonishing testament of survival'' Ben Macintyre ''Karski''s adventures are worthy of the wildest spy thriller'' Daily Telegraph ''This eye-witness testimony is imbued with a passion that subsequent memoirs can rarely match'' Financial Times ''Deeply moving'' Daily Mail ''Reads like the screenplay to an incredibly exciting war movie - but it is all true'' Andrew RobertsTrade ReviewJan Karski's Story of a Secret State stands in the absolute first rank of books about the resistance in World War II. If you wish to read about a man more courageous and honorable than Jan Karski I would have no idea who to recommend. Yes, it's that good. -- Alan FurstIt deserves its status as a Penguin Classic, not only because it is a great historic document, but also because it's a cracking good read: Karski's adventures are worthy of the wildest spy thriller -- Nigel Jones * Telegraph *His account of his missions is an electrifying tale of false identities, near captures, spies and secret film capsules ... in human terms, Karski's account is invaluable -- Frank Trentmann * Daily Express *Story of a Secret State is now viewed as a classic insider's account of the Resistance in occupied Europe...After all the harrowing descriptions of Holocaust horrors there have been over the years from survivors of Auschwitz, Belsen, and Ravensbruck, Karski's vivid account of what he saw back in 1942 is still deeply moving. We feel his shock and incredulity that this could really be happening in 20th century 'civilised' Europe. -- Tony Rennell * Daily Mail *The bravery of the man who risked all to tell the world about the Holocaust is truly staggering ... an extraordinary testament to Man's inhumanity to Man, and the even more remarkable courage required to resist it -- Ben McIntyre * The Times *Karski's exploration of the moral fog in which he and his colleagues operated ... made me recall thrillers like Man Hunt and Hangmen Also Die ... two episodes resemble scenes tantalisingly directed by Hitchcock ... Karski's account of the systematic brutality of the Nazi regime is literally chilling -- Peter Conrad * The Observer *Reads like the screenplay to an incredibly exciting war movie - but it is all true -- Andrew RobertsSeared with an urgency that pitches the reader into the heart of the horror -- Ben Felsenburg * Metro *His story deserves not just revival but reflection ... Karski's electrifying words still speak only too eloquently for themselves -- Marek Kohn * Independent *

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Book SynopsisDiscover the story of the Second World War brought to life in full colour by renowned historian James Holland and award-winning artist Keith Burns''A fully immersive experience. A comprehensive yet fast-paced and gripping insight into the Second World War. Not just accessible, but riveting. An absolute pleasure to read'' GET HISTORY''A ground-breaking collaboration between bestselling historian James Holland and award-winning artist Keith Burns presents the war in full colour, bringing the text vividly to life'' HISTORY OF WAR__________From the great cities of Europe to the jungles of Burma, and from the deserts of North Africa to the remote islands of the South Pacific and the freezing waters of the Arctic, the Second World War touched every continent and ocean on the planet. And from the Blitzkrieg to the atom bomb, the fighting fuelled new technological development on land, at sea and in the air at a ferocious pace. Our futuTrade ReviewA bold attempt to expand the market for military history . . . aimed at a general reader who wants to get an overall grasp of a massive subject . . . this is an impressive achievement * BOOKBRUNCH *A ground-breaking collaboration between bestselling historian James Holland and award-winning artist Keith Burns presents the war in full colour, bringing the text vividly to life * HISTORY OF WAR *Gripping text, masterful imagery and touching personal stories make this a must-buy for anyone with an interest in World War Two * CLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLES *The war itself becomes something tangible, a fully immersive experience where the reader is transported to the mosquito-infested, stinking, dripping jungles of Burma, or to the arid, baked expanses of the North African desert . . . Both sides of the book - the written and the drawn - independently are stunning. But together they create something greater: a comprehensive yet fast-paced and gripping insight into the Second World War. This illustrated history ticks every box. For the reasonably uninitiated, there is enough explanation, enough references to films and TV series, and enough action to make the book not just accessible, but riveting. For those familiar with the Second World War, Holland's style, his arguments and his anecdotes, along with the exquisite illustrations of Burns, make The Second World War: An Illustrated History an absolute pleasure to read * GET HISTORY *Epic * HISTORY FIRST *Superb * Damcasters podcast *

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Book Synopsis* * * Special 75th Anniversary Edition * * * Hugh Sebag-Montefiore''s Dunkirk: Fight to the Last Man tells the story of the rescue in May 1940 of British soldiers fleeing capture and defeat by the Nazis at Dunkirk.Dunkirk was not just about what happened at sea and on the beaches. The evacuation would never have succeeded had it not been for the tenacity of the British soldiers who stayed behind to ensure they got away. Men like Sergeant Major Gus Jennings who died smothering a German stick bomb in the church at Esquelbecq in an effort to save his comrades, and Captain Marcus Ervine-Andrews VC who single-handedly held back a German attack on the Dunkirk perimeter thereby allowing the British line to form up behind him. Told to stand and fight to the last man, these brave few battalions fought in whatever manner they could to buy precious time for the evacuation. Outnumbered and outgunned, they launched spectacular and heroic attacks time and again, despite ferocious fighting and the knowledge that for many only capture or death would end their struggle.''A searing story . . . both meticulous military history and a deeply moving testimony to the extraordinary personal bravery of individual soldiers'' Tim Gardam, The Times ''Sebag-Montefiore tells [the story] with gusto, a remarkable attention to detail and an inexhaustible appetite for tracking down the evidence'' Richard Ovary, Telegraph Hugh Sebag-Montefiore was a barrister before becoming a journalist and then an author. He wrote the best-selling Enigma: The Battle for the Code. One of his ancestors was evacuated from Dunkirk.Trade ReviewA searing story . . . both meticulous military history and a deeply moving testimony to the extraordinary personal bravery of individual soldiers -- Tim Gardam * The Times *Sebag-Montefiore tells [the story] with gusto, a remarkable attention to detail and an inexhaustible appetite for tracking down the evidence -- Richard Overy * Telegraph *Several fine books have been written about "the miracle of Dunkirk", but none better than this -- Andrew Roberts * Mail on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis''I loved this book, as I love any good adventure story sublimely told . . . a gloriously exciting high, followed by a crushing realisation of war''s enormous waste'' Gerard deGroot, The Times''Absorbing . . . The extraordinary bravery of the participants shines out from the narrative'' Patrick Bishop, Sunday Telegraph_________________________________FROM THE AUTHOR OF BRIDGE OF SPIES: A dramatic and colourful new account of the most daring British commando raid of World War TwoIn the darkest months of the Second World War, Churchill approved what seemed to many like a suicide mission. Under orders to attack the St Nazaire U-boat base on the Atlantic seaboard, British commandos undertook the greatest raid of all, turning an old destroyer into a live bomb and using it to ram the gates of a Nazi stronghold. Five Victoria Crosses were awarded -- more than in any similar operation.Drawing on offiTrade ReviewI loved this book, as I love any good adventure story sublimely told...This book has the same effect as that drug. It's a gloriously exciting high, followed by a crushing realisation of war's enormous waste -- Gerard deGroot * The Times *Enthralling . . . the heroism on display that night was unsurpassed, and Whittell is right to call his book The Greatest Raid -- Simon Griffith * Mail on Sunday *Absorbing . . . The extraordinary bravery of the participants shines out from the narrative -- Patrick Bishop * Sunday Telegraph *A story of extraordinary courage . . . Without Chariot there might have been no further raids such as the much larger, and ultimately disastrous, attack on Dieppe five months later -- Jonathan Boff * Spectator *A compelling page-turner, the work of a master storyteller. The drama of the March 1942 operation is cinematic in its sweep and detail -- and Whittell's detective work on the real reasons for the raid is extraordinary. It is also beautifully written -- Matthew d'AnconaA spellbinding account of one of the most astonishing episodes of the whole war. Thrilling and tragic in equal measure, it is a story of self-sacrifice, comradeship and courage on an unimaginable scale -- Julia Boyd, author of Travellers in the Third ReichChurchill called St Nazaire "a deed of glory intimately involved in high strategy." This vivid and moving book shows why -- David Reynolds, author of Island Stories: An Unconventional History of BritainGiles Whittell's crisp, tight, prose is perfectly suited to record one of World War 2's great moments of heroism: his journalistic skills tease apart the flaws in the plan, while expertly bringing back to life the rich cast of protagonists -- Charles Spencer, author of The White ShipWorld War Two's Operation Chariot against Nazi Germany's battleship repair facility is the greatest commando raid of all time. So bravo to Giles Whittell for this meticulously researched and utterly gripping account of the heroism at St Nazaire. The Greatest Raid does great justice to its subjects -- Dr Amanda Foreman

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Book Synopsis''A breathtaking story'' Daily Mail Extraordinary' The Telegraph on the Cook sistersDesperate circumstances can cause ordinary women to achieve extraordinary things.No one would have predicted such glamorous and daring lives for Ida and Louise Cook two decidedly ordinary women who lived quiet lives in the London suburbs. But throughout the 1930s, the remarkable sisters rescued dozens of Jews facing persecution and death.Ida''s memoir of the adventures she and Louise shared remains as fresh, vital, and entertaining as the woman who wrote it. Even when Ida began to earn thousands as a successful romance novelist, the sisters directed every spare resource, as well as their considerable courage and ingenuity, towards saving as many as they could from Hitler''s death camps.Trade Review'A breathtaking story'Daily Mail “They defy the generalisation of social history: they wereextraordinary.”The Telegraph on the Cook sisters

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Through this story the author restores a past that has been erased by history and emphasizes the historical memory of what must never be repeated or forgotten." * Daejon Ilbo *"[An] exceptional novel… Soom captures the agonizing legacy of a dark chapter from the recent past." * Booklist *"The process of directly confronting the comfort women’s hellish experiences is truly painful. However, because the novel is not a product of the author’s imagination but in fact based on historical reality, we cannot turn our heads away. No, we must not." * Donga Ilbo *"Though it is fiction, Kim Soom’s novel is steeped in fact. One Left dignifies its subjects as an authentic memorial that makes an indelible mark on history." * Foreword Reviews *"It may seem cliché to state that a novel is necessary. But this one really is." * Asian Review of Books *"This is a painful, powerful literary indictment of the systemic subjugation of Korean comfortwomen, whose own #MeToo movement has yet to be fully reckoned with, decades after the fact." * Bookmonger *"This Korean novel dramatizes, with indelible force, the utter dehumanization of women confined to authoritarian patriarchal imprisonment." * The Arts Fuse *"[A] landmark — the first novel dedicated to depicting comfort women, a topic that invokes as much weariness as it does outrage among today’s public. Though a work of fiction, Kim Soom’s story is based on exhaustive research and testimonies given by actual comfort women...By rendering this topic in the form of a novel, Kim injects a new sense of emotional urgency in recognizing these very real and hauntingly painful experiences." * International Examiner *"[S]ynthesizes acute personal memories with painful history, straddling the line between fact and fiction. The result is a gut-wrenching narrative." * Korean Herald *"All credit then, to author, translators and publisher for bringing this important book to us." * London Korean Links *"In their even, experienced hands the translation avoids any temptation toward melodrama or obscenity, especially tricky and crucial given the raw, violent subject at hand... For English readers, one must note commensurate, masterful sensitivity to every word and nuance in the translation." * Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature (TSWL) *"[T]he first Korean novel devoted exclusively to the subject of the “comfort women.” In direct opposition to the Japanese government’s efforts to suppress the memory of its sex slave camps, Kim chooses to deploy language like a scalpel, crafting her narrative from the testimonies of dozens of Korean survivors... Granting dignity to the few living survivors is a matter of urgency, as highlighted by the fictional construct of One Left." * Ploughshares *"In this a telling of a tragic history from the perspective of one elderly former sex slave who sees herself as “the last one,” Kim revitalizes energy for this irreconcilable injustice in a new generation of readers." * Korean Quarterly *

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Book SynopsisPresents historiographic research on Nazi Germany. This book brings together the important aspects of the author's research on the Holocaust. Featuring three sections: Hitler and the 'Final Solution', popular opinion and the Jews in Nazi Germany, and the 'Final Solution' in historiography, it provides a section on the uniqueness of Nazism.Trade Review"'this short book goes to the heart of the great debates over Nazism, then examines the progress of the debates themselves... an important contribution to the historiography of the Second World War. Plus it's a page-turner.' Andrew Roberts, The Mail on Sunday 'an excellent chance to acquire, in a single volume, Kershaw's writings on the Holocaust... The classic essays in the first two sections of the book will remain required reading for students of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust for years to come.' Dan Stone, BBC History Magazine 'To a field that is increasingly fragmented, faddish and cursed by jargon, Kershaw brings a grounded, unified perspective that is conveyed with precision and clarity. His unflashy style, personal reticence and sheer decency are, sadly, too often absent among 'celebrity historians'.' David Cesarini, Literary Review"

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Book SynopsisThe definitive history of the Spanish Armada, lavishly illustrated and fully revisedTrade Review“Will surely become the definitive account. . . . Distinguished by incisive analysis, Armada fuses the complementary skills of the historian and the underwater archaeologist, exploiting the latest discoveries from the archives and seabed alike.”—Stephen Brumwell, Wall Street Journal“Its extensive updates, drawing on international archive research and marine archaeology, mean it should remain the definitive English study of the Armada for at least another generation.”—Dan Jones, Times (UK)“Martin and Parker have been working together on the Armada since its quatercentenary in 1988. This is their most comprehensive work, the profit of decades of tricky deep-sea archaeology and archive-trawling. It is this archaeological focus that makes their writing stand out among many competent histories. The remains of musical instruments and medical tools tell a human tale, balancing out detailed analysis of the innovations that provided the English with a military edge.”—Daniel Brooks, Sunday TelegraphOn Wall Street Journal’s list of “10 Books to Read: The Best Reviews of January 2023”“The most authoritative account of the Armada yet published. . . . A window onto the early modern world and a complete analysis of an event that continues to intrigue and enlighten.”—Margarette Lincoln, Times Literary Supplement“Martin and Parker relish all the technical detail and their enthusiasm is infectious.”—Jessie Childs, London Review of Books“The most comprehensive and authoritative book on the subject to date. It is also lucidly written and beautifully illustrated—altogether a superb work of historical narrative and analysis.”—Sean McGlynn, The Spectator“This work of scholarship, percipient judgement and lively style, illustrated beautifully and in astounding forensic and archaeological detail, is a pearl of great price.”—Allan Mallinson, Country Life“This is a magisterial study bringing together 40 years of archival and archaeological research. It has no rivals as a comprehensive and authoritative account of the Spanish Armada.”—David Childs, Naval Review“Those who claim you cannot improve on perfection need to explain this book. Parker and Martin’s original account of the Armada campaign was the work from which all subsequent scholars took their lead; this one, with 30 years’ worth of extra research and thought, sets a new benchmark. Magisterial.”—Dan Snow, author of On This Day in History“An elegant marriage between archival research and marine archaeology yields new light on the Armada and its benighted crews in a compelling account of the 1588 campaign. After reading this absorbing book, who can now still believe that history is static, carved in stone?”—Robert Hutchinson, author of The Spanish Armada“A gripping, scholarly and masterful appraisal of the events of 1588. Piecing together a wealth of original sources, from letters and papers in the archives of England, Spain and the USA to evidence from the shipwrecks, Parker and Martin have constructed a narrative that is as vivid as it is dramatic. This brilliant book will rapidly take its place as the definitive work on the Armada.”—Tracy Borman, author of The Private Lives of the Tudors“Martin and Parker’s Armada is the best explanation of the defeat of the attempted Spanish Invasion of England in 1588. Skilfully combining archaeological and historical research, these great scholars provide here the authoritative edition of their lifetimes’ work on the subject.”—Hiram Morgan, University College Cork “This is a magisterial study of some 50 years in the making. Bringing together for the first time the latest insights from archaeological research with important new manuscript discoveries, Martin and Parker have written the authoritative book on the Spanish Armada of 1588, which is as comprehensive as it is compelling.”—James Daybell, University of Plymouth

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Book SynopsisA moving, deeply researched account of survivors’ experiences of liberation from Nazi death camps and the long, difficult years that followedTrade Review“[An] engrossing and illuminating book—the first full and comparative study of the subject.”—Richard J. Evans, New York Review of Books“[Stone] has produced a body of thoughtful, occasionally provocative work that has genuinely enhanced our understanding of these subjects. He writes with clarity, straightforwardness and a willingness to allow his personal commitment to show. . . . [A] typically engaging and rewarding read.”—Ben Barkow, Jewish Chronicle“The real power of Stone’s history lies in a sense in of indomitable vigour and self-belief. . . . Stone does a good job of showing how even as nations declared peace, individuals and families still had to fight on desperately.”—Sinclair McKay, Daily Telegraph“The real power of Stone’s history lies in a sense in of indomitable vigour and self-belief. . . . Stone does a good job of showing how even as nations declared peace, individuals and families still had to fight on desperately.”—Sinclair McKay, Daily Telegraph“[A] thoughtful, sensitive and well-researched treatment of an important and rarely covered subject.”—Roger Moorhouse, BBC History Magazine“Is freedom really a thing that can be brought by one person to another, for example by a soldier to an inmate of a concentration camp? It is appealing to think so, and thus to imagine a precise and satisfying ending to the war. Stone’s pioneering study of the process of liberation demands, instead, that we consider seriously the meaning of freedom.”—Timothy Snyder, Association for Jewish Studies“In recent years, Dan Stone’s name has been a guarantee of quality. . . . A clear step in the right direction, it focuses on the centre-piece of western Holocaust memory—the moment when the American and British armies, in April 1945, made the shocking discovery of the concentration camps in Germany.”—Jan Lanicek, History“Dan Stone’s history of the liberation of the camps is remarkable for the vast array of its sources, its extremely detailed inquiry and, nonetheless, for its highly readable narrative. It will remain a reference for years to come.”—Saul Friedländer, author of Nazi Germany and the Jews“The liberation of the camps in 1944–45 can be seen as a merciful release by Allied armies dedicated to eliminating the cruelties of Hitler’s Reich. Dan Stone in this searingly honest account of the liberation and its aftermath shows how many paradoxes and ambiguities there were in the whole process. This is the story of an awful human tragedy told with sympathy and understanding. There are lessons here for our own age.”—Richard Overy, author of Why the Allies Won“The Liberation of the Camps should become the most important and widely read book on its subject.”—Geoff Eley, author of Nazism as Fascism: Violence, Ideology, and the Ground of Consent in Germany, 1930–1945“Thoroughly researched, carefully conceived, wisely guided, and beautifully executed, The Liberation of the Camps should become the most important and widely read book on its subject.”—Geoff Eley, author of Nazism as Fascism: Violence, Ideology, and the Ground of Consent in Germany 1930–1945“This is the best book on the liberation of Jews from the Nazi camps—important and insightful. Drawing on many deeply moving testimonies, Dan Stone expertly charts the long and painful path from prisoner to survivor.”—Nikolaus Wachsmann, author of KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps

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Book SynopsisThe controversial account of what really happened in the south Atlantic skiesSharkey Ward commanded 801 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Invincible, was senior Sea Harrier adviser to the Command, flew over sixty missions and was awarded DSC. Yet had he followed all his instructions to the letter, Britain might well have lost the Falklands War.His dramatic first-hand story of the air war in the South Atlantic is also an extraordinary, outspoken account of inter-Service rivalries, bureaucratic interference, and dangerous ignorance of the realities of air combat among many senior commanders. As Sharkey Ward reveals, the 801 pilots were fighting not just the enemy, exhaustion, and the hostile weather, but also the prejudice and ignorance of their own side.Trade ReviewThe definitive account of the battle above the South Atlantic islands * NAVY NEWS *the definitive account of the battle above the South Atlantic islands * Navy News *

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Book SynopsisThe question is as searing as it is fundamental to the continuing debate over Japanese culpability in World War II and the period leading up to it: How could Japanese soldiers have committed such acts of violence against Allied prisoners of war and Chinese civilians? During the First World War, the Japanese fought on the side of the Allies and treated German POWs with respect and civility. In the years that followed, under Emperor Hirohito, conformity was the norm and the Japanese psyche became one of selfless devotion to country and emperor soon Japanese soldiers were to engage in mass murder, rape, and even cannibalization of their enemies. Horror in the East examines how this drastic change came about. On the basis of never-before-published interviews with both the victimizers and the victimized, and drawing on never-before-revealed or long-ignored archival records, Rees discloses the full horror of the war in the Pacific, probing the supposed Japanese belief in their own racial sup

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Book SynopsisOnly four men in American history have been promoted to the five-star rank of Admiral of the Fleet: William Leahy, Ernest King, Chester Nimitz and William Halsey. These four men were the best and the brightest the navy produced and together they led the U.S. navy to victory in World War II, establishing the United States as the world''s greatest fleet. In THE ADMIRALS, award-winning historian Walter R. Borneman tells their story in full detail for the first time. Drawing upon journals, ship logs, and other primary sources, he brings an incredible historical moment to life, showing us how the four admirals revolutionized naval warfare forever with submarines and aircraft carriers, and how these men-who were both friends and rivals-worked together to ensure that the Axis fleets lay destroyed on the ocean floor at the end of World War II.Trade ReviewThe first book to deal with the four [admirals] together, focusing on their intertwined lives, friendships, and rivalries....A very well-crafted book. - John Lehman, Washington Post In his superbly reported new book, historian Walter R. Borneman tackles the essential question of military leadership: What makes some men, but not others, able to motivate a fighting force into battle? - Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times Engagingly written and deeply researched... Mr. Borneman makes it easy to understand the complex series of maneuvers and counter-maneuvers at Leyte Gulf...which is not always the case with accounts of the battle. - Andrew Roberts, Wall Street JournalBorneman demonstrates comprehensive command of published and unpublished sources, fingertip understanding of the period, and a polished writing style in this unique collective biography of the four men who 'with a combination of nimble counsel, exasperating ego, studied patience, and street-fighter tactics' shaped the modern U.S. Navy to win WWII at sea. - Publishers WeeklyWalter Borneman's The Admirals is an epic group portrait of Nimitz, Halsey, Leahey, and King. Not since the heyday of Samuel Eliot Morison has a historian painted such a fine portrait of the five-star admirals who helped America beat Japan during the Second World War. Highly recommended! - Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History at Rice University and author of The Wilderness Warrior

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Book SynopsisMost Americans are now familiar with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its prevalence among troops. In this groundbreaking new book, David Wood examines the far more pervasive yet less understood experience of those we send to war: moral injury, the violation of our fundamental values of right and wrong that so often occurs in the impossible moral dilemmas of modern conflict. Featuring portraits of combat veterans and leading mental health researchers, along with Wood''s personal observations of war and the young Americans deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, WHAT HAVE WE DONE offers an unflinching look at war and those who volunteer for it: the thrill and pride of service and, too often, the scars of moral injury.Impeccably researched and deeply personal, WHAT HAVE WE DONE is a compassionate, finely drawn study of modern war and those caught up in it. It is a call to acknowledge our newest generation of veterans by listening intently to them and absorbing their storie

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Book SynopsisSea Wolves is the story of the crews who bravely manned British submarines in the Second World War. This small band of highly trained and highly skilled individuals fought in the front line for six long years, undertaking some of the most dangerous missions of the war. Britain''s Sea Wolves operated close to shore in mined waters, attacking warships and heavily guarded convoys. But in the course of these vital operations, the submariners suffered devastating casualties.This is the vivid, thrilling story of the survivors and their promising young comrades who fought with such courage, in the face of the sickening terror of depth-charge attacks and the cold fear of having to escape from a sunken submarine filled with the bodies of close friends.

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Book SynopsisIn 1870 the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck ordered the Prussian Army to invade France, inciting one of the most dramatic conflicts in European history. It transformed not only the states-system of the European continent but the whole climate of European moral and political thought. The overwhelming triumph of German military might, evoking general admiration and imitation, introduced an era of power politics, which was to reach its disastrous climax in 1914. Michael Howard's The Franco-Prussian War is widely acclaimed as a classic and the definitive history of one of the most dramatic and decisive conflicts in the history of Europe. Evoking a palpable sense of the struggle and the high stakes of the war, Howard analyses the tactics, political dynamics, morale and actions that determined the course of the conflict. He also describes the crucial role played by key figures in the war, including Bismarck, the Prussian military commander Helmuth Von Moltke, and the French generals MacMahon, Chanzy and Trochu. He also sheds fascinating light on how difficult it was to bring the war to an end, with extremists in both France and Prussia pushing to prolong the conflict. A tour de force of both European and military history, The Franco-Prussian War is a superb account of this dramatic and hugely important conflict, ideal for the student, historian and general reader alike.This Routledge Classics edition includes a new Foreword by Bertrand Taithe.Trade Review'No outline can suggest the richness of detail and significance, or the superb command of language with which he invests his chronicle. His book is a masterpiece.' - Sunday Times'The most influential British military historian of his generation.' - The Guardian'...an eminent military historian and decorated combat veteran who helped redefine the chronicling of conflict between states.' - The New York Times 'Teachers who have sought a history of the war of 1870-71 to recommend to their students will share my satisfaction on reading Michael Howard’s. The general reader interested in one of the epoch-making events of modern history will find it of equal value.' - Lawrence D. Steefel, The Journal of Modern History'Michael Howard has analysed the origins and the events of this great war with thoroughness, clarity, and high narrative skill.' - The TimesTable of ContentsForeword to the Routledge Classics Edition Bertrand Taithe Introduction 1. The Antagonists 2. The Outbreak 3. The First Disasters 4. The Army of the Rhine 5. The Army of Châlons 6. The Government of National Defence 7. Metz and Strasbourg 8. The Battle for Orléans 9. The Siege of Paris 10. Guerre à Outrance 11. The Peace. Notes on Sources Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA renowned historian and Resistance fighter—later executed by the Nazis—gives his firsthand perspective on why France fell in 1940.Trade Review"Much has been, and will be, written in explanation of the defeat of France in 1940, but it seems unlikely that the truth of the matter will ever be more accurately and more vividly presented than in this statement of evidence." -- P. J. Philip - New York Times Book Review"The most wisdom-packed commentary on the problem set [before] all intelligent and patriotic Frenchmen by the events of 1940." -- D. W. Brogan - Spectator

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Book Synopsis"A gut-wrenching story told with honesty, restraint, and dignity." —Ha Jin, National Book Award-winning author of Waiting Chanrithy Him felt compelled to tell of surviving life under the Khmer Rouge in a way "worthy of the suffering which I endured as a child."Trade Review"Intelligent and morally aware…[Him] tells us what it was like to struggle to survive while others played out utopian dreams." -- New York Times"An inspiring story that draws hope from horror." -- Seattle Times"There are few books that give a refugee’s point of view as clearly and passionately as Him’s." -- Time Out"Astonishing and heartbreaking…Written in spare, visual prose that makes the world it describes tangible." -- Katherine A. Powers - Boston Globe"A touching and illuminating human account and should not be missed by anyone around the world." -- Le Ly Hayslip, author of When Heaven and Earth Changed Places

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Book SynopsisAn incisive biography of E.E. Cummings' early life, including his First World War ambulance service and subsequent imprisonment, inspirations for his inventive poetry

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Book SynopsisThe Franco-Prussian War of 1870â1 violently changed the course of European History. Alarmed by Bismarck's territorial ambitions and the Prussian army's crushing defeats of Denmark in 1864 and Austria in 1866, French Emperor Napoleon III vowed to bring Prussia to heel. Digging into many European and American archives for the first time, Geoffrey Wawro's The Franco-Prussian War describes the war that followed in thrilling detail. While the armies mobilized in July 1870, the conflict appeared 'too close to call'. Prussia and its German allies overwhelmingly outnumbered the French. But Marshal Achille Bazaine's grognards ('old grumblers') were the stuff of legend, the most resourceful, battle-hardened, sharp-shooting troops in Europe. From the political intrigues that began and ended the war to the bloody battles at Gravelotte and Sedan and the last murderous fights on the Loire and in Paris, this is a stunning, authoritative history of the Franco-Prussian War.Trade Review'… a clear reminder that military history still needs lively and well researched accounts of wars and campaigns … what Wawro has done is to provide a history of the war which exploits to the full the available archive material. With consummate skill he has woven together diplomatic developments before and during the war, the decisions and motives of the key political and military figures on both sides, and military operations with detailed accounts of the fighting in the different battles … Part of the value of this book is that the movements of hundreds of thousands of troops are explained clearly, while the battles are brought to life through the diary and memoir material the author exploits … In addition to its highly readable style, another merit of The Franco-Prussian War is that its author has managed to pack so much material into the 314 pages of text without ever slackening the pace of his narrative … Wawro has written not only an extremely good book, but one which will quickly take its place as the standard single-volume account … university teachers will probably prefer to recommend Wawro's book to their undergraduates. Geoffrey Wawro is to be congratulated on his Franco-Prussian War. It deserves to be in the library of everyone interested in German, French, and European military history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.' German Historical Institute London'His skills as a battle historian are patent. He has a grasp both of detail and outline. His prose is crisp and clear. He constantly enlivens the technical analysis with the worm's-eye perspectives of the soldiers - a great attraction of the book.' Time Literary Supplement'Wawro's account of the conflict is brief, to the point and extremely well written … While not neglecting the general picture, Wawro obviously enjoys presenting details of battlefield events, and this is also where his account really adds a new twist that was largely missing from earlier histories of the war … Wawro's history of The Franco-Prussian War has all the ingredients to make it the relevant account of this conflict for the English-speaking world for some decades …'. War in HistoryTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Causes of the Franco-Prussian War; 2. The armies in 1870; 3. Mobilization for war; 4. Wissembourg and Spicheren; 5. Froeschwiller; 6. Mars-la-Tour; 7. Gravelotte; 8. The road to Sedan; 9. Sedan; 10. France on the brink; 11. France falls; 12. The peace.

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