Military History Books

Book SynopsisThis volume covers September 3rd, 1939 to September 6th, 1940 of World War II. The book uses extracts from a log compiled by the Ministry of Home Security, which provides a contemporary diary of events. There are also articles by historians and eyewitnesses which interspace the daily happenings.

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Book SynopsisThis volume presents the most detailed history and accurate profiles to date of the Douglas Boston light bomber (DB-7B and A-20 models) in RAAF Pacific service.

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Book SynopsisThis book takes a new approach by synthesizing the work of scholars of military and Indigenous history to provide the first chronologically ordered, region-wide, and long-term narrative history of conflict in the Early American Northeast. War and Colonization in the Early American Northeast focuses on war and society, European colonization, and Indigenous peoples in New England from the pre-Columbian era to the mid-eighteenth century. It examines how the New English used warfare against Native Americans as a way to implement a colonial order. These conflicts shaped New English attitudes toward Native Americans, which further aided in the marginalization and the violent targeting of these communities. At the same time, this volume pays attention to the experiences of Indigenous peoples. It explores pre-Columbian Native American conflict and studies how colonization altered the ways of warfare of Indigenous people. Native Americans contested New English efforts atTable of Contents1. War before New England: Conflict and Society in Dawnland 2. "It is too furious, it slays too many:" English Colonization and Conflict in Southern New England through King Philip’s War 3. "For every Scalp. . . as Evidence of their Being Killed:" Wars and the Colonization of Northern New England

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Book SynopsisFrom the internationally acclaimed author of Hitler''s Private Library, a dramatic recounting of the six critical months before Adolf Hitler assumed power, when the Nazi leader teetered between triumph and ruin.In the summer of 1932, the Weimar Republic was on the verge of collapse. One in three Germans was unemployed. Violence was rampant. Hitler''s National Socialists surged at the polls. Paul von Hindenburg, an aging war hero and avowed monarchist, was a reluctant president bound by oath to uphold the constitution. The November elections offered Hitler the prospect of a Reichstag majority and a path to political power. But instead, the Nazis lost two million votes. As membership hemorrhaged and financial backers withdrew, the Nazi Party threatened to fracture. Hitler talked of suicide. The New York Times declared he was finished. Yet somehow, in a few brief weeks, he was chancellor of Germany.In fascinating detail and with previously un-access

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Book SynopsisA global account of histories of war, from Antiquity to the present day, this thoughtful book shows how the varied modes of representation record political, cultural and social developments as well as military events. Covers all forms of discussion and commemoration from statuary to scholarship, films to novels. Important not only to those interested in the history of war but also to those concerned with culture and history in general. This erudite volume on the theory and practice of military history will interest a wide readership including both professional historians of war and those concerned with its broader philosophical dimension. The author - a well established authority in European history - has provided an informed, rigorous analysis of a difficult topic. It will delight those who seek enlightenment of the historian's craft, military or otherwise.

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Book SynopsisThis is a study of the officers who were promoted to the rank of general and who were also awarded the Knight's Cross during the early period of Hitler's assault upon the Soviet Union. This takes us from the great onslaught of Operation _Barbarossa_, through to Hitler's decision to abandon his attempt to capture Moscow and adopt a temporary defensive stance due to the early onset of winter. Such was the scale of operations during these momentous first six months of the war on the Eastern Front there were endless opportunities for officers to display courage and leadership. This resulted in a total of 178 generals twenty-six _Generalmajors_; fifty-six _Generalleutnants_, eighty-four full _Generals_, eleven _Generalobersts_ and one _Generalfeldmarschall_ being awarded the Knight's Cross in this period alone. One such recipient was _General der Artillerie_ Erich Marcks who personally directed the fire of his guns against enemy bunkers at very close range. On the day he was notified of

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Book SynopsisDuring the Ardennes Offensive in December 1944, Kampfgruppe Peiper ran out of fuel in the small village of La Gleize, surrounded and caught in a vice-like grip by three elite American divisions: the 82nd Airborne Division, the 3rd Armored Division and the 30th Infantry Division. Behind it, 1. SS Panzer-Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler' did everything it could to come to its rescue and resume the offensive. A race against time ensued between the Americans, who wanted to annihilate the fighting group of one of Germany's most famous SS commanders, and the German soldiers who tried to come to the rescue of their brothers in arms. The clash between these units of seasoned veterans resulted in a bloody melee around the perimeter of La Gleize. Would Peiper be able to pull through once again?

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Book SynopsisIn 1983, Grenada, a small Commonwealth Island in the Caribbean, had strong ties with Communist Cuba. Bernard Coard and a group of hard-line Marxist-Leninists overthrew the unelected Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and then executed Bishop and his entourage. President Ronald Reagan displayed a paranoic concern as he believed that, in Grenada, Cuba was building a powerful military base. To eliminate what he saw as a threat, he resolved to initiate regime change in Grenada. To justify an armed intervention, he made the safety of US citizens on the Island his casus belli. The poorly trained, lightly-armed and unmotivated military forces of Grenada were only hundreds strong. Nevertheless, Reagan assembled a major fleet and 7,500 troops to invade the island and rescue his citizens. This was an overly massive hammer to crack a miniscule nut. Reagan misled the British Government as to his intentions, ignored the trenchant views of Prime Minister Thatcher and, having assembled a cosmetic coalition of other Caribbean states, US forces invaded the island. This well-researched and perceptive book by an experienced historian examines what he describes as, a masterclass in political and military ineptitude'. The invasion was judged by the United Nations to be illegal and, during the USA's three-day Operation URGENT FURY, anything that could go wrong did. However, the courage of American servicemen is not in question although the quality of their senior leadership is. In this far-reaching book, the author covers the trial of the murderers, and the impact of Reagan's belligerent rhetoric that, following URGENT FURY, very nearly triggered World War III. This is a crisp, incisive summation and very readable account of an incident in modern history that restored democracy to Grenada, and led to major changes in the manner that the armed forces of the USA conduct their business.

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Book SynopsisIn October 1943, Frederick Bailey, a wireless operator who had trained with the Royal Armoured Corps, was selected for Special Operation Executive's wireless training centre at Fawley Court, Henley-on-Thames. It was the start of an incredible wartime career that saw Fred serve behind enemy lines in both the European and Far East theatres. With his training complete, and having adopted the fieldname Rétif, Sergeant Bailey became a member of one of the famous Jedburgh units, Team Citröen. The Jedburghs generally consisted of compact teams of three men, usually an officer, a radio operator and a soldier from the country the team was to be dropped into. Together with Major John Smallwood and Captain Pierre Bloch, a French Foreign Legionnaire, Bailey, as Team Citröen's radio operator, was dropped in into the Lagarde area of the Vaucluse region in German-occupied France by an American aircrew from Algiers during the night of 11/12 August 1944. Their mission was to support the local Resista

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Book SynopsisIn 1942, following a decisive British victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein, the sands of fortune were shifting against German forces in the Sahara. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's inexorable advance toward Cairo was thwarted. Church bells pealed in embattled England for the first time since the start of World War II as Winston Churchill hailed the end of the beginning. But the elusive Desert Fox was a master of mobility. Even as the sun set on his desert glory, he was far from finished. British Gen. Bernard Montgomery, victor of El Alamein, was at then the highest point of his career. He had overcome many adversities to meet his moment of military destiny, galvanized a flagging army and smashed the proud German troops with a blow he would be proud of for the rest of his life. But Monty found his own fortunes changing as he pursued the Desert Fox. Hamstrung by a distended supply line, Monty was now vulnerable to attack by the vengeful Rommel. The British troops, flush with victory,

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Book Synopsis_Battle of Monte Natale_ brings together contemporary accounts showing war, not only at the strategic level involving Corps, Division, Brigade and Battalion, but also the individual level, by extensive use of War Diaries, personal accounts, missing person reports and the inspiring stories of heroism and the sacrifices made which were recognised by the awards for valour. It is the story of those individuals who fought and died in the Battle of Monte Natale. Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, by words, pictures, and maps it shows what happened in the three weeks from 17th January to 7th February 1944 in an area of just nine square kilometres. It is a unique glimpse of an important battle from both sides of the conflict and includes personal German and British views of the battle. Few books about World War II show a battle in such detail.

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Book SynopsisSouthern Thailand, 1941. This is the story of Operation Cleeves. A daring and long forgotten SOE Far East mission, where a handful of tin miners risked their lives fighting against the onslaught of Japan on the eve of World War Two in Southeast Asia. Using declassified documents, previously undiscovered records and extensive original research, Kate Reid-Smith provides an intimate yet harrowing look into a most secret and turbulent operation shrouded in mystery. Where vivid and powerful accounts of tremendous courage in the face of resilience and redemption, uncovers how an eclectic mix of European civilians and Indian soldiers all marooned amid danger, violence and bloodshed, were suddenly confronted by unspeakable survival choices, as the circumstances of war catapulted them into an unimaginable world of horrific atrocities. Some of their stories are told for the very first time in this revelatory book, uncovering perilous undertakings requiring daring and sang-froid bravery, and how

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Book SynopsisVietnam's War of Hate recounts what returning from Vietnam was like for the author in 1969, proud of his combat service and proud of his Delta Company brothers. As a draftee who was discharged from the Army five months early with shrapnel a couple inches from his heart, Trewyn knew he was lucky to be alive. Inconceivably, five months later he was ready to go back to Vietnam. Dying with brothers in war looked better to him than living with haters in America while going to college in the anticipated refuge of his childhood hometown. This book is about his struggles trying to understand the animosity toward Vietnam veterans in the United States back then. The magnitude was overwhelming. It also documents the evolution of my knowledge about the war overall and his battles against the common, inaccurate representations of the largely honorable and valorous soldiers who deployed to Southeast Asia. It took Trewyn over thirty years to feel welcome in America, to experience a homecoming com

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Book SynopsisUntil 1943 there was little effective resistance to the German occupation of The Netherlands. Though numerous small opposition groups had formed immediately after the German invasion in 1940, there was no concerted movement or over-arching organisation. Gradually, though, as the Germans introduced harsher measures against certain groups, opposition grew, particularly in the urban areas. These met with very limited success due to poor security which was to plague the Dutch resistance movement in general. As is made clear in this official account, individuals were often members of more than one resistance group at the same time. This inevitably meant that when one cell was compromised others quickly met the same fate. Nevertheless, in 1941 the Netherlands, or N, Section of the Special Operations Executive under Major Seymour Bingham started sending trained agents to The Netherlands. These operatives were dropped by parachute or infiltrated into the country from France or Belgium. Unf

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Book SynopsisIn April 1945, American forces were sweeping eastwards toward Berlin, in part advancing across territory that would eventually become part of the Soviet Occupation Zone. As they advanced, US troops uncovered major parts of the manufacturing facilities and the people associated with the engines that powered Germany's last generation of miliary aircraft: the jet fighters and bombers. Understandably, the engine technology involved in powering these aircraft, such as the Messerschmitt Me 262 and the Arado Ar 234, was of great interest to the Allied nations. Among the many questions that needed to be answered was whether the Germans had made important breakthroughs in their successful use of these engines. Having made these discoveries and seizures, the American authorities needed to decide exactly what they would do with them. Would they share the bounty with the other Allies? American collaboration with the British was a fact. The French, while Allies, were, in American eyes, militari

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Book SynopsisEleven years after Reinhard Gehlen, the head of Adolf Hitler's Eastern Front military intelligence unit, emerged from hiding to hand himself over to US forces, he had, with the help of the American CIA, created a legend for himself as founder and first president of the West German Secret Service. In this role he employed many of the same Wehrmacht and SS officers he had served with during the Second World War. All through the steady progression of his career before and during the Second World War, Gehlen had been far too industrious and committed to court the limelight. Then after the defeat of Germany, when he transferred his allegiance to the CIA and later became head of the Bundesnachrichtendienst, he became a man whom Hugh Trevor Roper's described as someone who always moved in the shadows'. For some, the German intelligence network that Gehlen had controlled since 1942, was part of an unbroken tradition going back to the days of Bismarck. For a great many in Gehlen's organisat

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Book SynopsisFor General George S. Patton, Leadership is the thing that wins battles. I have itbut I'll be damned if I can define it. Probably it consists in knowing what you want to do and then doing it and getting mad if anyone steps in the way. Self-confidence and leadership are twin brothers.Indeed, Patton excelled at virtually every dimension of leadership, most vitally as a war commander. His record as a general is clear. The larger, more armored, and better supplied his armies, and the freer he was to decide what to do with them, the more rapid and further they advanced to inflict more defeats on the enemy. In that no other American army commander matched him during World War II. That ranks Patton among the Valhalla of America's greatest generals, with him most resembling Thomas Stonewall Jackson and Nathan Bedford Forrest as a fast-moving, hard-hitting commander who repeatedly outflanked and devastated enemy forces. Patton led from the front and tried to inspire his troops by being a mode

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Book SynopsisThis story of life in a German prisoner of war camp is different from the normal British POW story, as the author was a Gunner in the Royal Artillery - not an officer - who was accepted by the German Authorities as a Medical Orderly and, therefore, Protected Personnel. As such, he gives a unique portrait of being a prisoner of the Germans. He gives graphic descriptions of the day to day life in POW camps and his tasks and experiences as a medical orderly over the five year period. He also gives a vivid account of what turned out to be a forced three month, one thousand mile march, from Poland into Germany in the height of winter towards the end of the war and his experiences as a medical orderly. Out of the three thousand who started the march, he writes, only seven hundred survived.

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Book SynopsisFrom the start of the war on the Eastern Front, Hitler's Ostheer, his Eastern Army, would wage a vernichtungskrieg, or war of annihilation, in the East. Never before had such a wide-reaching campaign been fought. Preparations for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union had included the drawing up of plans and allocation of resources to secure the newly conquered territories. These plans included the premeditated murder of many innocent civilians. Adolf Hitler said as much when in July 1941, shortly after Stalin ordered the formation of partisans, he told his Army High Command: This partisan war has some advantage for us; it enables us to eradicate everyone who opposes us.'Anticipating resistance to Nazi occupation and rule, Hitler instructed the Ostheer to act ruthlessly, not only on the front lines but in the rear areas as well. When, in July 1941, Stalin ordered partisan forces to be created, the stage was therefore set for the largest and most savage conflict ever waged between a m

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Book SynopsisIn a world defined by the brutalities of war, one German general stands apart from the Hollywood stereotype. Before the storm of the Second World War,Fridolin von Senger und Etterlinwas a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, fluent in multiple languages, and a devoted Christian a lifelong Benedictine Oblate.From the very outset he was anti-Nazi and, on many occasions, defied Hitler's orders. His military skills were good; in France he beat Rommel to Cherbourg and on the Eastern Front he tried to relieve the German 6th Army in Stalingrad. It was in Italy where his reputation grew by safely evacuating German troops from Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, a delicate matter because the Italians had changed sides. He defeated General Clark's forces at the Rapido battle fiasco, and he caused Cassino to become a serious hold up for the Allied advance north. It was he who willingly signed the surrender documents in Italy on 4 May 1945. His Christian beliefs meant there were no barbarities within his command, and he made lifelong friends with some occupied residents, helping to save lives from the dreaded SS, and the Italian partisans never attacked him because he had helped the helpless. He was a brilliant tactician, always with his troops on the frontline, and his anti-Nazi views were not a post-war justification but were widely known during the war years by friend and foe. Von Senger was never even considered for war crimes, and was granted the rare privilege of being allowed to explore the English countryside from the Bridgend PoW camp. Discover the life of a general who fought not just for victory, but for honour, compassion, and morality under the brutal Nazi regime.

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Book SynopsisBy the summer of 1943, the Soviet partisan forces had grown from small, disorganized groups into a formidable fighting force. Hitler, still holding some advantages, hoped to crush a Red Army salient near Kursk and shorten the front lines with a localized offensive. However, the Soviets anticipated the attack and built extensive defense lines to thwart it, employing large numbers of partisans to disrupt German preparations. The critical period of 1943 saw intense fighting behind German lines, particularly during the Battle for the Rails in July and August. Stalin's partisans worked relentlessly to block the flow of German supplies and troops, forcing the Germans to contend with a growing insurgency. Dr. Antonio J. Muñoz's book examines these guerrilla operations, using German maps to detail partisan movements and the German response, which included increasing anti-partisan operations. The year 1943 marked a turning point in the war on the Eastern Front. While Stalingrad in 1942 revealed Germany's inability to win in Russia, the failed Battle of Kursk in 1943 demonstrated the inevitable loss of the war. The partisan efforts were so successful that, by August 1943, only 80% of the trains carrying supplies reached Army Group Centre's front lines.

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Book SynopsisIn 1927, mounted cavalry was still a powerful and effective force in the mountains and plains of Northern India, where it policed and protected the border of the British Empire. When, in 1939, the world was engulfed in the flames of a second world war, horsed transport was still vital to the success of all armies involved, but the rapid advance of military technology meant that the men of the British Cavalry would have to learn new skills if they were to be effective against the steel monsters that were starting to dominate the battlefield. From Yorkshire to the Northwest Frontier of India, from France to Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Italy, THE LAST CAVALRYMAN recounts the experiences of an ordinary man who along with so many others, was thrown into the turmoil of an extraordinary time. Although he also served as a hussar, and an infantryman, he was always proud to be a member of The Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons, and this is his story. Richly illustrated with photographs, maps, and military documents, the memoirs of Quartermaster Sergeant Harry Holgate provide a vivid and fascinating insight into the changing role of a British cavalryman from 1927 to 1944. His letters home offer an intimate glimpse of a time when warfare was changing out of all recognition, and when the cost of defeat would be unimaginable.

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Book SynopsisBy spring 1942, Hitler's forces on the Eastern Front were suffering heavy losses. To replace these casualties, the Army requested the transfer of 20,000 men from the Kriegsmarine and 200,000 airmen from the Luftwaffe to be retrained as infantry. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, head of the Luftwaffe, vehemently opposed the plan, fearing it would diminish his political power after several Luftwaffe failures. He proposed instead that the Luftwaffe raise and equip these 200,000 men, arguing their Nazi spirit would benefit the war effort. Hitler, prioritizing political loyalty over military logic, approved the creation of Luftwaffen Felddivisionen (Luftwaffe Field Divisions). Despite being ill-suited for front-line combat, these divisions were deployed in all theatres except North Africa. They were generally ineffective, with many regarded as fit only for garrison duties. On the Eastern Front, they struggled due to the brutal intensity of the fighting. However, two divisions, the 12th and 21st, performed relatively well. This in-depth study examines the Luftwaffe Field Divisions, uncovering the tragic consequences of Göring's decision. Many Luftwaffe personnel perished in these ill-prepared divisions, whose lives might have been spared had they received proper Army training. The research draws on extensive archival materials, highlighting the human cost of this strategic blunder.

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Book SynopsisResistance in Nazi Germany was a brave but extreme reaction to the totalitarian regime, requiring individuals to confront evil, face torture, and risk death. In a country with no tolerance for dissent, opposition meant confronting the brutal consequences of one's actions, often with little hope of changing the course of events. Most stories of German opposition focus on the failed assassination attempt on Hitler on 20 July 1944 by Oberst Claus von Stauffenberg. However, this was just one of many plots against the Führer, involving military and political leaders who sought peace by eliminating Hitler. Many of these individuals, if they had survived, might have faced war crime charges at Nuremberg. This book explores both the military and diplomatic figures who resisted Hitler, as well as other forms of internal opposition that predated Nazi control of the Reichstag in 1933. It highlights the tens of thousands who were imprisoned, tortured, or executed for standing against the dictatorship. The elites who welcomed the end of Weimar democracy were often more willing to accommodate Hitler, but many othersmotivated by religious, political, or humane beliefsrefused to compromise, showing immense courage and sacrifice. The book also examines the Gestapo's efforts to track down and eliminate these resistance groups.

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Book SynopsisOn 26 May 1940, the Admiralty issued the directive for Operation Dynamo, aiming to rescue the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) from Dunkirk. Initially, they expected to evacuate only 45,000 men within two days, anticipating that enemy action would soon end the operation. However, the outcome exceeded all expectations. Between 26 May and 4 June 1940, a fleet of naval and civilian vessels evacuated 338,682 men, a feat considered impossible. The scale of this success prompted The New York Times to declare Dunkirk a word of reverence. The British Army's Quartermaster-General called it unprecedented in the history of war.The Dunkirk evacuation has been immortalized in numerous books and films, becoming one of the defining moments of British history. Today, many artifacts from the operation remain, including shipwrecks, rifles, and photographs, each serving as poignant reminders of the event. Through 100 objects, this book tells the powerful story of The Miracle of Dunkirk, bringing the past to life by showcasing these historical remnants and memorials.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1959, this volume covers the history of the Service which has been through the centuries the first, and often the last line of British defence, and the spearhead of Britianâs imperial expansion. In the book Professor Lewis puts the Royal Navy into its true perspective in history in general and maritime history in particular. He shows its origin in the Crownâs personal sea-force, still blended with, and largely reliant upon the United Kingdomâs total sea-force; and relates how it emerged as the principal fighting element in her sea-strength; principal, but not sole fighting element, because the reserves of the Royal Navy are an integral part of the entire Navy.

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Book SynopsisNapoleon â arguably more than any other single man â was the creator of modern total war; and in this book, originally published in 1962, he is seen creating one important side of it â that which concerns prisoners of war. In sheer numbers, the Royal Navy, the Merchant Navy and the Army were the principal victims. In one respect the book is a study in naval, maritime and military history, but its scope is wider than this: Michael Lewis discusses both principles and people as he examines the conventions of âexchangeâ and âparoleâ shattered by Napoleon. The conditions of capture and captivity are discussed, as well as escapes from prisons and camps.

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Book SynopsisDaniel Larsen reveals the dramatic role of British codebreaking during the First World War - leading to a revolutionary re-interpretation of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's diplomacy, British Prime Ministers H.H. Asquith's and David Lloyd George's war leaderships, British intelligence, and the Anglo-American economic relationship during the war.Trade Review'This ground-breaking book transforms our understanding of British policy and American mediation during the First World War, incorporating the missing dimension of spies, codes and intelligence, together with new insights from economic history. It corrects many of the distortions in our current understanding of this crucial conflict.' Richard J. Aldrich, author of GCHQ: The Uncensored Story of Britain's Most Secret Intelligence Agency'Dr Larsen challenges assumptions both about how to write international history and about the events of 1914-1917. Using the tools of political, diplomatic, economic and intelligence history, he analyses the failed American mediation attempts, and argues that long-held historical beliefs are entirely wrong. It is a very stimulating book.' Kathleen Burk, author of The Lion and the Eagle: The Interaction of the British and American Empires 1783-1972'A bold reinterpretation of Britain and America in the Great War, probing anew whether the struggle had to be fought to a finish. It reconsiders Woodrow Wilson's mediation efforts in 1914-17 and offers revisionist portraits of Asquith and Lloyd George.' David Reynolds, author of Island Stories: Britain and its History in the Age of Brexit'Daniel Larsen provides us with by far the best account of Anglo-American relations in the crucial months preceding America's entry into the First World War. Challenging received interpretations, compellingly argued, and eloquently written, it blends finance and secret intelligence with diplomacy and high politics.' David Stevenson, author of 1917: War, Peace, and Revolution'Fascinating … helps to redress the balance, away from howitzers and trenches, and towards understanding.' Peter Hitchens, The Mail on Sunday'A memorable lesson in the sheer contingency of history and how the lives and deaths of millions can depend on the decisions of a few men.' Oliver Moody, The Times'… invaluable, gripping and entertaining …' Simon Heffer, Daily TelegraphTable of ContentsPreface; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. The First Year of War (August 1914–August 1915); 2. Strategy (August–December 1915); 3. Negotiations (January–March 1916); 4. Deliberations (March–May 1916); 5. The Gamble (June–August 1916); 6. The Knock-out Blow (September–October 1916); 7. The Fall of Asquith (October–December 1916); 8. Peace Moves (December 1916–January 1917); 9. The Zimmermann Telegram and Wilson's Move to War (February–April 1917); Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThe first single-authored, comparative account of European and Asian responses to German and Japanese occupation during World War II. Using eleven comparative case studies from two continents, Roshwald explores three themes: patriotism, civil wars, and anti-colonial nationalism in the context of Axis occupation.Trade Review'Wide-ranging while sharply focused, limpidly written while attuned to complexity and nuance, this confident comparative study of European and Asian societies' reactions to Axis occupation should be read by anyone interested in 20th-century global history.' Sophie De Schaepdrijver, Penn State University'The topic of wartime occupation remains fascinating and controversial, but there has been little study to date of where the European and East Asian experiences resembled each other or differed. Aviel Roshwald breaks new ground by examining occupation in wartime Greece, Italy and France and providing parallels with China and Thailand. This is comparative history at its most stimulating and suggestive.' Rana Mitter, University of Oxford'A masterful synthesis of the Axis occupations and a true global history of World War II. Told with great clarity and interpretive verve, this book makes sense of the diversity of political responses to wartime occupation across Europe and Asia. A must-read!' Jeremy A. Yellen, The Chinese University of Hong KongTable of ContentsIntroduction; Part I. Patriotisms Under Occupation (The Netherlands, France, Denmark, and Thailand); Introduction to Part I; 1. Initial choices and conditions; 2. Patriotic solidarity in the first flush of defeat; 3. The shifting parameters of the patriotically plausible; Conclusion to Part I; Part II. Fractured Societies and Fractal Identities – Civil Wars Under Occupation (Greece, Yugoslavia, Italy, and China): Introduction to Part II; 4. The civil wars in a nutshell: historical overview; 5. Continuities and ruptures; 6. From parochial interests to internationalist visions: The fractal structures of political identity in civil wars; Conclusion to Part II; Part III. Conquest in the Guise of Liberation (the Philippines, Indonesia, and Ukraine): Introduction to Part III; 7. Colonial histories; 8. The ghosts of colonialisms past and the weight of occupations present; Conclusion to Part III; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisAmerican Survivors is a fresh and moving historical account of U.S. survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings, breaking new ground not only in the study of World War II but also in the public understanding of nuclear weaponry. A truly trans-Pacific history, American Survivors challenges the dualistic distinction between Americans-as-victors and Japanese-as-victims often assumed by scholars of the nuclear war. Using more than 130 oral histories of Japanese American and Korean American survivors, their family members, community activists, and physicians - most of which appear here for the first time - Naoko Wake reveals a cross-national history of war, illness, immigration, gender, family, and community from intimately personal perspectives. American Survivors brings to light the history of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that connects, as much as separates, people across time and national boundaries.Trade Review'This deeply researched, sensitively analyzed, and beautifully written book rests on a source base of 132 interviews with American atomic-bomb survivors. Wake respectfully shows the range of ways that these individuals navigated their complicated lives and made sense of the enormous tragedy at their center.' Laura Hein, Harold H. and Virginia Anderson Professor of History, Northwestern University'Ghostly figures, American survivors of their nation's nuclear holocaust, speak for themselves and for those who failed to survive in profound utterances and silences, the living and the dead. Their haunting testimonies, in translation, speak of the unspeakable and of life - remembering, forging connections with families and other survivors, and working for peace in and across the Pacific. Indeed, as Naoko Wake astutely observes, nuclear holocaust is by definition a global phenomenon for all times.' Gary Y. Okihiro, Professor Emeritus, Columbia University'Naoko Wake's American Survivors is a beautifully written portrayal of the traumas suffered by atomic bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She offers lyrical depictions of the visceral experience and the profound significance of silence. The work also foregrounds the cross-national and gendered experience of being hibakusha and the ways in which they and their allies engaged in transnational forms of activism.' Judy Tzu-Chun Wu, Professor of Asian American Studies, and Director of the Humanities Center, University of California, Irvine'Conceptually original and analytically versatile, American Survivors has made many scholarly contributions. All these achievements, however, are made possible by the extraordinary efforts that the author has made to gather, record, and preserve historical information about US survivors … A groundbreaking study and a call for further research …' Toshihiro Higuchi, Peace & ChangeTable of ContentsList of Figures; Acknowledgements; Notes on the Text; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Cities of Immigrants; 2. Remembering the Nuclear Holocaust; 3. Reconnecting Families; 4. War and Work Across the Pacific; 5. Finding Survivorhood; 6. Endlessness of Radiation Illness; Epilogue; Glossary; Select Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisShawn McHale explores why the communist-led resistance in Vietnam won the anticolonial war against France (194554), except in the south. He shows how broad swaths of Vietnamese people were uneasily united in 1945 under the Viet Minh Resistance banner, all opposing the French attempt to reclaim control of the country. By 1947, resistance unity had shattered and Khmer-Vietnamese ethnic violence had divided the Mekong delta. From this point on, the war in the south turned into an overt civil war wrapped up in a war against France. Based on extensive archival research in four countries and in three languages, this is the first substantive English-language book focused on southern Vietnam''s transition from colonialism to independence.Trade Review'Finally a book on the First Indochina War that goes beyond the standard account of a simple conflict between Ho Chi Minh's Vietnam and the French. The war against the colonizer is there, but so is the one that divided Vietnamese until the bitter end. McHale provides a wonderfully researched and impressively argued story of violence and statecraft in southern Vietnam. It is a major contribution to our understanding of Vietnam.' Christopher Goscha, Université du Québec à Montréal'In this pathbreaking book, Shawn F. McHale overturns much of the conventional historical wisdom about the Indochina War of 1945–1954 in the Mekong Delta. He shows that the war in the delta differed in crucial ways from the better-studied campaigns and battles that took place in central and northern Indochina. Instead of a straightforward narrative of anticolonial struggle and national liberation, The First Vietnam War reveals a complex and fragmented conflict shaped by local rivalries, ethnic violence, and civil warfare.' Edward Miller, Dartmouth College'McHale's innovative study is a welcome departure from the standard scholarship on the First Indochina War. Creatively combining 'bottom up' and 'top down' approaches, McHale demonstrates that local, ethnic, and religious conflicts shaped the war in the Mekong delta as much as larger imperial and nationalist forces.' Nu-Anh Tran, University of Connecticut'This book is ultimately valuable for understanding conflicts other than through ideology and strategy, to enrich itself with its questions dealing with event history, historical anthropology and political philosophy.' Pascal Bourdeaux, MoussonsTable of ContentsIntroduction: Sovereignty, Violence, and Institutional Collapse at the Edge of France's Empire; Part I. Fracture, 1945–1947: 1. A Plural Mekong Delta under Stress; 2. The Southern General Uprising; 3. Priming Upheavals in the Mekong Delta; 4. The Double Fracture of The Mekong Delta; Part II. Disassemblage/Reassemblage, 1947–1953: 5. Empire, Racial Survival, and Race Hatred; 6. Contesting State and Sovereignty; 7. Forced Migrations and Suffering; 8. French Pacification Meets the Vietnamese Resistance; 9. Alternative Trajectories: Seeing Like Parastates, Militias, And Strongmen; Part III. Endgame, 1953–1956: 10. The Twilight of Empire and the Strange Birth of South Vietnam.

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Book SynopsisTudor and Stuart Britain charts the political, religious, economic and social history of Britain from the start of Henry VII's reign in 1485 to the death of Queen Anne in 1714, providing students and lecturers with a detailed chronological narrative of significant events, such as the Reformation, the nature of Tudor government, the English Civil War, the Interregnum and the restoration of the monarchy.This fourth edition has been fully updated and each chapter now begins with an introductory overview of the topic being discussed, in which important and current historical debates are highlighted. Other new features of the book include a closer examination of the image and style of leadership that different monarchs projected during their reigns; greater coverage of Phillip II and Mary I as joint monarchs; new sections exploring witchcraft during the period and the urban sector in the Stuart age; and increased discussion of the English Civil War, of Oliver Cromwell and oTrade Review'Roger Lockyer’s Tudor and Stuart Britain, 1485-1714 has been a standard text for three editions. This fourth edition, revised by Peter Gaunt, retains the strengths of Lockyer’s clear prose and even-handed analysis, while incorporating much recent research. Peter Gaunt’s careful attention to recent scholarship is evidenced by the addition of important new material on the joint monarchy of Mary I and Philip II, witchcraft, the Civil Wars and the influence of Oliver Cromwell, and the significance of urban life during the Stuart era. Equally importantly, the 4th edition has new, short introductions to each chapter, which reinforce the most important points and situate them within the context of evolving historiographical debates. These are little gems of synthesis and analysis and add a very effective new dimension to the text. In explaining what historians have seen as important and which issues they debate, these introductory sections also show the reader what is interesting about each chapter. The 4th edition of Tudor and Stuart Britain updates a standard work for the next generation of students.'Cynthia Van Zandt, University of New Hampshire, USATable of ContentsPreface 1 The new monarchy; 2 King and cardinal; 3 The break with Rome; 4 Henry VIII’s government; 5 Edward VI and Mary I; 6 Tudor England; 7 Ireland and Scotland in the Tudor period; 8 Elizabeth I and the Church of England; 9 Roman Catholics and foreign policy under Elizabeth I; 10 Government, Parliament, and the royal finances under Elizabeth I; 11 James I: Finance and religion; 12 James I: the law and Parliament; 13 Charles I: Parliament and religion; 14 Charles I: the breakdown of prerogative rule; 15 The Civil War; 16 Commonwealth and Protectorate; 17 Early Stuart England; 18 Charles II; 19 James II, The Glorious Revolution, and the reign of William III; 20 Queen Anne; 21 Ireland, Scotland and overseas possessions in the seventeenth century; 22 Late Stuart England; Guide to further reading; Appendices; Index

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Book SynopsisThe new edition of The Cambridge Illustrated History of Warfare, written and updated by a team of nine distinguished military historians, examines how war was waged by Western powers across a sweeping timeframe, beginning with classical Greece and Rome, moving through the Middle Ages and the early modern period, down to the wars of the twenty-first century in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The book stresses five essential aspects of the Western way of war: a combination of technology, discipline, and an aggressive military tradition with an extraordinary capacity to respond rapidly to challenges and to use capital rather than manpower to win. Although the focus remains on the West, and on the role of violence in its rise, each chapter also examines the military effectiveness of its adversaries and the regions in which the West''s military edge has been - and continues to be - challenged.Trade Review'Here is the story of war as the driving force in the rise of the West from the Greeks to our own day, now updated to 2019. In the fifteen years since the first edition of this book, war has unfortunately not become less central to our concerns - just the opposite. This remarkable volume, written by some of the world's leading experts in military history, helps us to understand why and how something as terrible as war remains so important in the history of the West and the world. Rarely has so much learning, lucidity, and wisdom been found between two covers.' Barry Strauss, Cornell University, and author of Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine'This is, simply, the best survey of the history of warfare in half a century. It explains what the Western way of war is, whence it came, and how it dominated the planet down to the present day. The product of the collaboration of some of the best military historians now writing, it offers judgements as well as a compelling narrative, an argument as well as a story. There can be no better introduction to the study of military history.' Eliot A. Cohen, Robert E. Osgood Professor, Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies'Highly polished and well illustrated, this book is a comprehensive history of the Western (European) way of war … The text is superbly supported by numerous and handy sidebars providing details, insights, and anecdotes.' Library Journal'… this is a well-written and handsomely presented volume … the illustrations are pertinent, and the captions interesting … the range of scholarship is impressive … and it has all been pulled together by the finest military historian currently writing, who has also contributed several important sections'. History in Focus'… exceptional … and beautifully illustrated … A highly readable book, and an interesting one, both for the expert and the amateur enthusiast. A must for college libraries.' USI Journal'… impressive …' Contemporary ReviewTable of ContentsPreface; Introduction: The Western way of war Geoffrey Parker; Part I. The Age of Massed Infantry: 1. Genesis of the infantry, 600–350 BC Victor Davis Hanson; 2. From phalanx to legion, 350–250 BC Victor Davis Hanson; 3. The Roman way of war, 250 BC–AD 300 Victor Davis Hanson; Part II. The Age of Stone Fortifications: 4. On Roman ramparts, 300–1300 Bernard S. Bachrach; 5. New weapons, new tactics, 1300–1500 Christopher Allmand; 6. The gunpowder revolution, 1300–1500 Geoffrey Parker; Part III. The Age of Guns and Sails: 7. Ships of the line, 1500–1650 Geoffrey Parker; 8. The conquest of the Americas, 1500–1650 Patricia Seed; 9. Dynastic war, 1494–1660 Geoffrey Parker; 10. States in conflict, 1661–1763 John A. Lynn; 11. Nations in arms, 1763–1815 John A. Lynn; Part IV. The Age of Mechanized Warfare: 12. The industrialization of war, 1815–1871 Williamson A. Murray; 13. Towards world war, 1871–1914 Williamson A. Murray; 14. The West at war, 1914–1918 Williamson A. Murray; 15. The world in conflict, 1919–1941 Williamson A. Murray; 16. The world at war, 1941–1945 Williamson A. Murray; 17. The post-war world, 1945–1991 Williamson A. Murray; 18. The new world disorder, 1991–2019 Peter Mansoor and Geoffrey Parker; Epilogue: The future of Western warfare Geoffrey Parker and Leif A.Torkelsen; Reference guide; Chronology; Glossary; Bibliography; The contributors; Notes; Picture acknowledgements; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, acclaimed historian David Brewer investigates explores 1940s Greece -- one of the most tumultuous decades in Greece''s modern history. Beginning in 1941, the occupation of Greece by Germany was intensely brutal: children starved on the streets of Athens; the Jewish population was decimated in the Holocaust; heroic acts of resistance were met with vicious reprisals. When Greece was finally freed from Nazi rule in 1944, the fractured and embittered nation became engulfed in civil war, as conflict flared between the British and American-sponsored government and communist-led rebels. In Greece, The Decade of War, Brewer expertly analyses these events and in doing so provides a compelling military and political history.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Prologue 1. The Albanian Gateway to Greece 2. Mussolini's War on Greece 3. The German Invasion 4. The Battle for Crete 5. The Occupation Begins 6. Hyperinflation and Starvation 7. The Emergence of the Communists 8. Early Resistance 9. SOE, the Andartes and Gorgopotamos 10. Village and City 11. The Destruction of the Jews 12. The Fractured Resistance 13. The Question of the King 14. The Cairo Conference, August 1943 15. The Italian Armistice and the First Communist Offensive 16. The Resistance in Crete 17. Upheaval in the Greek Government 18. Liberation 19. Towards Sunday December 3rd 1944 20. The Battle for Athens 21. Dhamaskinos, Churchill and the Varkiza Agreement 22. The Government, the Communists and the Elections 23. The Truman Doctrine 24. 1947 – Civil War and American Involvement 25. Terror from Left and Right 26. The Plight of the Greek Children 27. The Marshall Plan 28. The Ending of the Civil War Epilogue Chronology Notes Select Bibliography

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Book SynopsisNew B-format paperback - The amazing stories of 38 female spies who operated in occupied France and Vichy France, many told for the very first time.

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Book SynopsisThe military heritage of Conwy from Iron Age times to the present day. Will be of interest to all those who would like to know more about Conwyâs remarkable military history.

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Book SynopsisThe colourful story of the Mamluk dynasty â marked with treachery, carnage and destructive behaviour â is a significant chapter in the history of the Near East.

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Book SynopsisLavishly illustrated throughout, this is a fascinating history of military concealment. Explaining the fascinating challenges of the new ways of warfare.Trade Review'With the artist’s eye, and the inventiveness and trickery of the illusionist, it is a branch of military craft which aims to achieve the feat of a magician – to make things disappear.' -- Shropshire Star

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Book SynopsisNew B-format paperback - 25 December 1941 is known to this day by the people of Hong Kong as âBlack Christmasâ. The battle for Hong Kong is a story that deserves to be better known.

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