Military History Books

Book SynopsisIn an era of battlefield one-upmanship, the raid on the Nation's capital in July 1864 was prompted by an earlier failed Union attempt to destroy Richmond and free the Union prisoners held there. Jubal Early's mission was in part to let the North have a taste of its own medicine by attacking Washington and freeing the Confederate prisoners at Point Lookout in southern Maryland. He was also to fill the South's larder from unmolested Union fields, mills and barns. By 1864 such southern food raids had become annual wartime events. And he was to threaten and, if possible, capture Washington. This latter task was unrealistic in an age when the success of rifle fire was judged to be successful not by accuracy, but by the amount of lead that was shot into the air. Initially, the Union defenders of the city were largely former slaves, freemen, mechanic, shopkeepers and government clerks, as well as invalids. They might not have known much about riflery and accuracy, but they were capable of putting ample lead on the long until Regular Union regiments arrived. Jubal Early hesitated in attacking Washington, but he held the City at bay while his troops pillaged the countryside for the food Lee's Army needed to survive.This new account focuses on the reasons, reactions and results of Jubul Early's raid of 1864. History has judged it to have been a serious threat to the capital, but James H. Bruns examines how the nature of the Confederate raid on Washington in 1864 has been greatly misinterpreted - Jubal Early's maneuvers were in fact only the latest in a series of annual southern food raids. It also corrects some of the thinking about Early's raid, including the reason behind his orders from General Lee to cross the Potomac and the thoughts behind the proposed raid on Point Lookout and the role of the Confederate Navy in that failed effort. It presents a new prospective in explaining Jubal Early's raid on Washington by focusing on why things happened as they did in 1864. It identifies the cause-and-effect connections that are truly the stuff of history, forging some of the critical background links that oftentimes are ignored or overlooked in books dominated by battles and leaders.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Chapter 1 - The Confederates Turn the Tables Chapter 2 - Into the Valley Chapter 3 - The Rebels are Coming Chapter 4 - Defending Washington Chapter 5 - Across the Potomac Chapter 6 - 9 July - Monocacy Junction Chapter 7 - 9 and 10 July - Taking Shelter Chapter 8 - The Way to Washington Chapter 9 - The Rebels Take Their Toll Chapter 10 - Outside Baltimore Chapter 11 - 11 July Chapter 12 - 12 and 13 July Chapter 13 - 14 July Chapter 14 - Back Again Chapter 15 - Point Lookout Chapter 16 - Fort Stevens Chapter 17 - Early's Exit Conclusions Notes Index

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Book SynopsisSeptember 1944: With the Allies closing in on the Rhine, Adolf Hitler orders a counterattack on General Patton's Third Army in France. Near the small town of Arracourt, France, elements of the US 4th Armored Division met the grizzled veterans of the 5th Panzer Army in combat. Atop their M4 Shermans, American tank crews squared off against the technologically superior Mark V Panther tanks of the Wermacht. Yet through a combination of superior tactics, leadership, teamwork, and small-unit initiative, the outnumbered American forces won a decisive victory against the 5th Panzer Army.Indeed, of the 262 tanks and mobile assault guns fielded by German forces, 200 were damaged or destroyed by enemy fire. The Americans, by contrast, lost only 48 tanks. Following the collapse of the German counterattack at Arracourt, General Patton's Third Army found itself within striking distance of the Third Reich's borderlands.The battle of Arracourt was the US Army's largest tank battle until the Ardennes Offensive in December 1944. It helped pave the way for the final Allied assault into Germany, and showed how tactical ingenuity and adaptive leadership can overcome and an enemy's superior size or technological strength.Trade Review...an interesting study of small-unit leadership that emphasizes the importance of tank-crew training, the value of a reliable logistics system and effects of weather on battlefield activities. * ARMOR Magazine 21/12/2022 *This is an excellent resource for someone new to wargaming WWII, as it explains most of the basics. For the more experienced gamer, the excellent photos and analysis may be appreciated. * The Miniatures Page 07/09/2022 *Table of ContentsTimeline of Events Introduction Opposing Forces The Campaign Afterword Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisIn war, every action has a beginning and an end.Echo Among Warriors is a story of close combat between two opposing, equally committed adversaries. The powerful narrative immerses the reader in both sides of the battle, playing and replaying the same battle sequence from alternating viewpoints face=Calibri>– through the eyes of the Marines and through the eyes of the North Vietnamese. The bullet fired from a Marine's M-16 at a silhouetted enemy solider crouched on the jungle path will in the next chapter tear into the flesh of that crouched NVA trooper. The story face=Calibri>– unfolding from the initial contact to the final horrific ending face=Calibri>– represents just one of perhaps thousands of deadly encounters that reflect the reality of battle: a mind-numbing, intensely personal experience, that forever changes the participant.

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Book SynopsisIt is the summer of 1945, the last and very dangerous days of World War II. The Office of Strategic Services is in close, cooperative contact with Ho Chi Minh and the fighting cadre of the Viet Minh, working against the Japanese. In the closing months of the war, the OSS parachute a team of special operations soldiers into Tonkin, northern Viet Nam. Led by Major John Guthrie and his second-in-command, Captain Edouard Parnell, both experienced officers from their earlier assignments in occupied France and Belgium, the team are tasked with working with Ho Chi Minh against the Japanese in the midst of various groups vying for control of Indochina. Guthrie and his team have to adapt to the entirely different context of Vietnamese politics in order to encourage communist operations against the Japanese. Guthrie in particular, struggles with both his personal and professional conflicts. The relationship that Guthrie and the rest of the OSS team develops with the Viet Minh leadership is of distinct annoyance to French ambitions to regain control of their colony, Indochina. Based on the little-known true story of American and Viet Minh collaboration in 1945, this novel challenges the later-accepted dogma of both those supporting and those opposing the American role in the Viet Nam conflict. This novel notes how what is seen at a later time is often inadequate to understand what actually went on. Its contemporary relevance is simply a mirror of what is always the case in international affairs: today's enemies can and may be tomorrow's friends - and most importantly, the reverse is true also.Trade ReviewGeorge Wittman drops us into the middle of this chaotic time and place with a book that is nothing short of a riveting read. * The VVA Veteran *The at-times humorous dialogue and the descriptions of the settings transport us to the era. One can easily imagine a movie based on the novel’s scenes, with similar edge-of-the-seat excitement. The novel aptly illustrates the ever-changing political relationships between nations and competing factions within them. * Historical Novel Society *Casemate has a long history of publishing high quality military history non-fiction. Lately, they have expanded their range of work to include well written novels using wartime settings. * WWII History Magazine *A deftly written and inherently fascinating read from cover to cover. * Midwest Book Review *The atmosphere rings true as soldiers battle their own side's inertia as much as the Japanese … The book receives points for tackling a little-covered WWII front. Enjoyed it. * Historical Miniatures Gaming Society *Wittman took a literally novel approach to recounting this history by creating fictionalized characters reliving it. In this manner, the reader comprehends what happened through the eyes of the characters so as to better understand the complexities of the multi-national interests in Vietnam – the future of which was up for grabs in the summer of 1945. * Lt. Col. James Zumwalt 22/10/2021 *Fervid, riveting … intrinsically intriguing. * ARGunners.com 29/11/2021 *

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Book SynopsisThe narrative surrounding Britain’s anti-invasion forces has often centred on ‘Dad’s Army’-like characters running around with pitchforks, on unpreparedness and sense of inevitability of invasion and defeat. The truth, however, is very different.Top-secret, highly trained and ruthless civilian volunteers were being recruited as early as the summer of 1940. Had the Germans attempted an invasion they would have been countered by saboteurs and guerrilla fighters emerging from secret bunkers, and monitored by swathes of spies and observers who would have passed details on via runners, wireless operators and ATS women in disguised bunkers.Alongside these secret forces, the Home Guard were also setting up their own ‘guerrilla groups’, and SIS (MI6) were setting up post-occupation groups of civilians – including teenagers – to act as sabotage cells, wireless operators and assassins had the Nazis taken control of the country.The civilians involved in these groups understood the need for absolute secrecy and their commitment to keeping quiet meant that most went to their grave without ever telling anyone of their role, not even their closest family members. There has been no official and little public recognition of what these dedicated men and women were willing to do for their country in its hour of need, and after over 80 years of silence the time has come to highlight their remarkable role.Trade ReviewBeyond informative, this is a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read that will appeal to most readers, especially those interested in military studies, World War II buffs, and James Bond enthusiasts. * History: Reviews of New Books *Essential reading for anyone interested in Sealion or in the history of special operations forces. * The NYMAS Review 04/01/2023 *There is a tendency … to try and 'sex-up' the story of clandestine military units — there is no need; here, the truth is better than fiction and Chatterton recognises this in a thoughtful, analytical and sober manner … One thing is for sure: this is an exciting, tantalisingly, ongoing story and in due course, more will come out. * Britain at War magazine 03/10/2022 *Gives a good insight into guerrilla warfare tactics and concepts from the perspective of homeland defence. Individuals who are fans of military history or are in a position of leadership regarding homeland defence will find this book informative and interesting. * DODReads 07/12/2022 *Most people tend to associate tales of wartime resistance with France, but [this] new research has revealed details of a secret civilian army of British teenagers, trained to strike back at the Nazis should they ever invade. * The Telegraph 02/01/2022 *Very little is known about the resistance force because Britain was never invaded, and all the recruits had to sign the Official Secrets Act on joining. But [this book] details the clandestine preparations of the unit … Chatterton has pieced together the story of Section VII and other shadowy wartime organisations, and reveals this intriguing hidden chapter of the war. * The Daily Mail *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Chapter One - Formation Chapter Two - Role, ruthlessness and training Chapter Three - Bunkers, equipment, explosives and weapons Chapter Four - Changing role and stand-down Chapter Five - Special Duties Branch: Civilian spies and wireless operators Chapter Six - Signals and ATS Chapter Seven - Secrecy and change of role Chapter Eight - 'Unofficial' auxiliary unites and Home Guard guerrillas Chapter Nine - Post-occupation resistance: SIS Section VII and industrial saboteurs Conclusion

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Book SynopsisFor three millennia the Mediterranean Sea served as the center of western civilization and the scene of many colossal wars and naval battles. In the early summer of 1940, this ancient body of water again played host to a new and extensive conflict as the Kingdom of Italy challenged Britain for dominance within the region. With France on the verge of collapse and Britain facing the prospect of imminent invasion, the Italians hoped to re-establish control over the Mediterranean. The only thing standing in their way was the heavily outnumbered British Mediterranean Fleet and the equally outnumbered British ground and air forces present in the region. Together, these forces would determine whether the Mediterranean reverted back to Italian control or whether the Allies would prevail and retain supremacy over this great body of water for themselves.This book tells the story of this epic struggle. This was a prolonged and colossal conflict waged at differing times against the combined forces of Italy, Germany and Vichy France over a wide area stretching from the coastal waters of Southern Europe in the north to Madagascar in the south and Africa's Atlantic coast in the west to the Persian Gulf in the east. Utilizing a variety of weapons including surface warships, submarines, and aircraft along with sizable merchant fleets, the British and their subsequent American partners maintained vital seaborne lines of communication, conducted numerous amphibious landings, interdicted Axis supply activities and eventually eliminated all semblances of Axis maritime power within the theatre. In turn, these actions facilitated multiple Allied victories that helped secure the defeat of the European Axis.Trade ReviewWalter highlights the British contribution to the war via its Mediterranean theater, while also placing it in the context of the strategic disagreements over campaigns in North Africa, Italy, and southern France. A strong piece of analysis, this book underscores why the Mediterranean was always more than just an Allied lake or secondary consideration to the war effort. * Naval History Magazine *There is a level of detail in this book which naval warfare buffs will enjoy … I found it very useful and will keep it handy for reference purposes. * Balkan Wargamer 15/11/2022 *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Setting the Stage Chapter 2: The Opening Moves Chapter 3: Germany Enters the Fray Chapter 4: Stabilizing the Middle East Chapter 5: Malta under Siege Chapter 6: Turning Point Chapter 7: Masters of the North African Shores Chapter 8: Italy Subdued Chapter 9: Supporting the Southern Flank Chapter 10: Victory on the Peripheries Chapter 11: Britannia’s Sea, Victory in the Mediterranean Chapter 12: The Triumph of British Maritime Power

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Book SynopsisPortugal fought a bush war in Mozambique - one of the most beautiful countries in the world - for over a decade. The small European nation was ranged against formidable odds and in the end was unable to muster the resources required to effectively take on the might of the Soviet Union and its collaborators - every single communist country on the planet and almost all of sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, Al Venter argues, Portugal did not actually lose the war, and indeed fought in difficult terrain with a good degree of success over an extended period. It was radical domestic politics that heralded the end.Mozambique is once again embroiled in a guerrilla war, this time against a large force of Islamic militants, many from Somalia and some Arab countries, and unequivocally backed by Islamic State and the lessons of Mozambique’s bush war are still relevant today.

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Book SynopsisBetween 1940 and 1945, the Diamond T Motor Car Company supplied just over 50,000 vehicles to the US military, and also to the Allies. Of these, just over 30,000 were heavy 4-ton 6x6 trucks of varying types: cargo, tow truck, pontoon carrier, engineer, and cartographic. The 'Diamond' would serve in all theatres of operations, wherever its robustness and reliability were necessary to complete the mission. Due to its expertise, Diamond T also produced the famous half-track, with more than 10,000 manufactured.All of these models are described in this book by Didier Andres, an expert in the subject. It is illustrated throughout using archival and period photographs and diagrams.Trade ReviewThe book is extensively researched and the photographs are documented. * IPMS USA 14/12/2022 *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Diamond T Story 1: The beginning 2: The first generation: Diamond T Model 967 3: The second generation: Diamond T Models 968, 969 & 970 4: The third generation: Diamond T Models 968A, 969A, 970A/968B, 969B and 970B 5: Cargo Trucks Model 968 & 968A 6: Wrecker Trucks Model 969 & 969A 7: Pontoon Trucks Model 970 & 970A 8: Dumper Truck Model 972 9: Canadian Trucks Model 975 & 975A 10: Bare frames 11: Special uses 12: Half-tracks 13: Prime Mover Trucks 980 & 981 14: Production 15: Data sheets Sources Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisCreated in 1943 from members of the Hitler Youth born in 1926, the division was attached to I SS Panzer Corps in March 1944 and transferred to Normandy. Based around Caen, it was intended to repel a possible and expected invasion from the sea. When the invasion came in June, it was one of the two closest panzer divisions to the landing beaches. The defensive battles that took place in Normandy, particularly the four battles around the city of Caen, saw the young soldiers of the Hitlerjugend demonstrate determined resistance, conceding only due to being greatly outnumbered. After the battles fought in Normandy, the division was withdrawn first to the Franco-Belgian border, where it was engaged in hard defensive fighting and then to Germany for reorganisation.Other difficult and demanding battles followed during the offensive in the Ardennes, on the Bastogne front, in Hungary and finally the last battles fought in Austria, on the sacred ground of the Reich, where the soldiers of the Hitlerjugend, despite the desperate situation and the superiority of the enemy, managed to achieve local success and launch desperate counterattacks even into the last weeks of the war, in the name and in defense of their homeland. Packed with photographs, maps and profiles, this Casemate Illustrated follows the actions of the 12th SS Panzer Division throughout its existence.Trade ReviewThe book is superbly illustrated with photos taken during the battle as well as some nicely done maps and charts to help provide a greater understanding of the battles. * Modelling Madness 26/10/2022 *Modelers and historians should be able to glean a great deal of technical and operational information from this book; firsthand accounts are particularly valuable. The wealth of images also provides a treasure trove of source material for research and inspiration for subject matter to model. * Armorama 07/12/2022 *

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Book SynopsisOn 9 November 1939, two unsuspecting British agents of the Special Intelligence Services walked into a trap set by German Spymaster Reinhard Heydrich. Believing that they were meeting a dissident German general for talks about helping German military opposition to bring down Hitler and end the war, they were instead taken captive in the Dutch village of Venlo and whisked away to Germany for interrogation by the Gestapo. The incident was a huge embarrassment for the Dutch government and provided the Germans with significant intelligence about SIS operations throughout Europe.The incident itself was an intelligence catastrophe but it also acts as a prism through which a number of other important narrative strands pass. Fundamental to the subterfuge perpetrated at Venlo were unsubstantiated but insistent rumours of high-ranking Germany generals plotting to overthrow the Nazi regime from within. After the humiliation suffered when Hitler tore up the Munich Agreement, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was anxious to see just how much truth there was in these stories; keen to rehabilitate his reputation through one last effort to find a peaceful rapprochement with Germany.When Franz Fischer, a small-time petty crook and agent provocateur, persuaded British SIS operatives in the Netherlands that he could act as a go-between for the British government with disaffected German generals, the German Security chief Reinhard Heydrich stepped in and quietly took control of the operation. Heydrich’s boss, head of the Gestapo Heinrich Himmler, was anxious to explore the possibility of peace negotiations with Britain and saw an opportunity to exploit the situation for his personal benefit.On the day before a crucial meeting of conspirators and British agents on the Dutch-German border, a bomb exploded in the Bürgerbräukeller in Munich in the exact spot where Hitler had stood to deliver a speech only minutes earlier. The perpetrator was quickly arrested, and Hitler demanded that Himmler find evidence to show that the two events were intimately connected—the British agents were snatched hours later.While the world was coming to terms with the fearsome power of German military might the British intelligence capability in northern Europe was consigned to the dustbin in the sleepy Dutch town of Venlo. This first full account of the Venlo incident explores the wider context of this German intelligence coup, and its consequences.Trade Review. . .there is much of interest for the reader in this book including the often overlooked description of both agent’s time in captivity as well as their correspondence with each other in the postwar era in which they disagreed on the nature of their captivity, including the results of their repeated interrogations. * The NYMAS Review *The text meanders from WWI to the Cold War, including interwar spying in the Netherlands, where both countries had spy HQs. * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 14/12/2022 *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1 British and Dutch Intelligence Chapter 2 Internal German Resistance Movements Chapter 3 Operation Gleiwitz [Operation Himmler] Chapter 4 The Elser Plot Chapter 5 The Venlo Incident Chapter 6 Captivity Appendices

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Book SynopsisThis book tells the story of the various Allied operations and schemes instigated to keep Spain and Portugal out of WWII, which included the widespread bribery of high ranking Spanish officials and the duplicity of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr.Ian Fleming and Alan Hillgarth were the architects of Operation Golden Eye, the sabotage and disruption scheme that would be put in place had Germany invaded Spain. Fleming visited the Iberian Peninsula and Tangiers several times during the war, arguably his greatest achievement in WWII and the closest he came to being a real secret agent. It was these visits which supplied much of the background material for his fiction – Fleming even called his home on Jamaica where he created 007 'Goldeneye'.The book begins with Hitler's dilemma about which way to move, and his meeting with Francisco Franco at Hendaye in October 1940, a major turning point in the war when an alliance between Germany and Spain seemed possible. Simmons explores the British reaction to this, with Operation Tracer being created by Admiral Godfrey, head of Naval Intelligence. This was a plan to leave a listening and observation post buried in the Rock of Gibraltar should it have fallen to the Germans. A chapter is also devoted to Portugal – the SIS and SOE operations there and the vital Wolfram wars. Operation Golden Eye was eventually put on standby in 1943 as the risk of the Nazis occupying Spain was much reduced. Simmons consulted Foreign Office, SOE, CIA and OKW files when writing this book.

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Book SynopsisWhen the Soviet Union invaded Finland in late 1939, what transpired was a true “David and Goliath” conflict. When Finland refused a number of Soviet demands, including the ceding of substantial border territories ostensibly to enable the Soviets to protect Leningrad, the Soviets responded by launching an invasion. The invasion involved a large Soviet army, with several thousand tanks, and a large air force.But to the world's surprise the Finnish Army - many of them reservists without proper uniforms and limited ammunition - and Air Force battled overwhelming odds, and managed to resist Russian attacks for over two months, inflicting serious losses. Geography played its part as much of the Finnish-Soviet border was impassable, meaning that Soviet numerical superiority was of less import. Operating in the winter, with temperatures ranging as low as -43F, the Finns’ determined resistance won them international reputation. Although hostilities finally ended in a peace treaty that saw Finland cede 9% of its territory, Soviet losses had been heavy, and Finland retained its sovereignty.This fully illustrated text will cover the forces involved and all stages of the Winter War.Table of ContentsIntroduction Timeline of Events Finland Under Soviet Threat, 1939 The Soviet Invasion, November 1939 Advance to the Mannerheim Line, December 1939 The Air War 1939–1940 Finnish Guerrilla Warfare, December 1939–March 1940 Battles Along the Mannerheim Line, December 1939 Battles in Lagoda, Kainuu and Lapland, December 1939 Finland’s Defeat, February–March 1940 Afterword Index

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Book SynopsisIn March 2004, the unprovoked ambush, killing and desecration of the bodies of American civilian security contractors in Fallujah, Iraq, caused the National Command Authorities in Washington, DC. to demand that the newly arrived Marine Expeditionary Force there take action against the perpetrators and other insurgent forces. Planned Stability and Support Operations were cast aside as insurgent fighters dared the Marines to enter Fallujah. Marine infantrymen, tankers, helicopter crews, and amphibious vehicle drivers all pitched into high-intensity battles and firefights during the first fights of Fallujah in April 2004. Across the board cooperation and innovation marked these fighting Marines in combined arms fights that no one expected. Marines fought in the streets, conducted house-to-house searches, cleared buildings of enemy, and used tank main guns in direct support of urban environment operations. Helicopter crews supported operations on the ground with rockets and machine-gun fire, and Amtrac Marines transported forces to face enemy RPG and machine-gun fire. Marines from infantry squad members to a battalion commander were interviewed by Marine Corps field historians within days or weeks of the events at nearby combat outposts and camps. This book combines these interview notes and the words of the men themselves to create a unique narrative of Marines in this combat.Trade Review[A]n anthology of raw, brutal eye-witness accounts of the Marines sent to clear the Iraqi city of Fallujah of insurrectionists in the early months of 2004. * ARGunners.com *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Chapter 1: Lay of the Land - Field history team travel and arrival Chapter 2: Marine Tankers and Trackers - Marines in tanks supporting infantry, and daring rescue of a surrounded Marine infantry squad from Bravo 1/5 Chapter 3: Weapons Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marine Regiment (1/5) Chapter 4 : Marine Aviation - Staff officers, helicopter pilots and crew members (supporting operations in Fallujah) Chapter 5: Infantry - 2nd Battalion 2nd Marine Regiment (2/2) Chapter 6: Infantry - 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment (2/1) Chapter 7: Infantry - Bravo Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marine Regiment (1/5) Chapter 8: Final Thoughts - “Sir, what’s gonna happen with this interview?”

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Book SynopsisThe Vistula-Oder offensive was a massive Soviet Army operation on the Eastern Front which was launched on 12 January 1945 and paved the way for the Battle of Berlin. Its main objective was a major advance from the River Vistula to the River Oder, bringing Soviet forces within fifty miles of the gates of Berlin. The offensive faced a German defensive line east of Warsaw. These 450,000 German troops were outmatched three to one by the Soviet forces. The Red Army assault began what would be a devastating three weeks for the German forces of Army Group A.German attempts to hold their lines and avoid being sucked into a maelstrom of destruction were unsuccessful. Army Group A would collapse almost all the way back to Berlin, ending the Third Reich’s desperate efforts to cling onto land captured in Poland five years earlier, and stem enemy forces spilling over into Germany and threatening Berlin. The battle saw some 295,000 soldiers killed and 147,000 captured, as well as thousands of tanks, artillery, and machine guns destroyed. Within two months of the offensive the battle of Berlin was launched.This fully illustrated book relates this story of defeat and survival, offering a detailed visual record of Nazi Germany’s demise between two main rivers in Poland and Germany.Table of ContentsIntroduction Forces and commanders involved. Offensive Krakow and Breslau Encirclement of Upper Silesia Advance of 1st Belorussian Front Advance to the Oder Army Group Vistula Aftermath

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Book SynopsisTen years after the end of the American involvement in the Vietnam War, a career Foreign Service officer, Thomas J. Corcoran, set down in writing his thoughts on the history of U.S. State Department policy during America's involvement with South Vietnam. Like many Americans of his generation, he was perplexed by the failure of America to achieve its goals in South Vietnam. As an ambassador and with over 30 years of diplomatic experience – beginning in 1948 when he was assigned to Hanoi and involving other postings in Southeast Asia – he brought to his analysis a long and rich personal experience with events in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.The result is a thoughtful, objective and well-researched study that chronicles the key policy decisions made by the US State Department throughout the entire period from 1945 to 1975; decisions that ultimately led to the first war lost by the United States. In his extensive study, Corcoran does an excellent job of exposing many of the myths and falsehoods found in orthodox histories of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.Table of ContentsIntroduction by Andrew R. Finlayson (COL, USMC, Ret) About the Author Part I. The Beginnings: 1945-1954 Part II. Beginnings of United States Involvement (1955–1963) Part III. Deepening U.S. Involvement (1964–1968) Part IV. Conclusion of U.S. Involvement (1968–1975) Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIn Vietnam, in 1967, William Chickering commanded a Mike Force battalion of Montagnards, highland tribesmen who were also members of a secret army, FULRO, whose aim was to rid the highlands of all Vietnamese, both communist and non-communist. Fighting for land and dignity, they saw the Vietnamese as colonialists and themselves as revolutionaries. For a while, FULRO appeared capable of changing the course of the war. Then, inexplicably, it faded away. Chickering?s quest to understand FULRO took him to Phnom Penh in 1973, where he found five of the six leaders, the sixth having been mysteriously murdered. He was unable to discern the truth behind their political smoke. Two years later, 150 of them?men, women, and children?took refuge in the French Embassy as the city fell but were expelled into the hands of the Khmer Rouge. Among them was the family of Bhan, one of the leaders. In the United States at the time of the fall, he tried to learn their fate with Chickering''s help, but Cambodia had become a tomb. In 1986, Bhan headed out into the world to learn for himself. He resurfaced in Cambodia 22 years later, after an extraordinary odyssey, never having found them. Had they and the rest of the FULRO Montagnards been executed, or could they still be alive somewhere in the hinterlands? Determined to learn the truth, Chickering moved to Phnom Penh. His research led him to the widow of a Cambodian Cham widely assumed to have been FULRO?s puppeteer and eventually to FULRO?s secret papers. From these he was able to piece together why FULRO faded away and how that was connected to its one last heroic shot in 1965 to win a country of the Montagnards? own. This extraordinary account corrects history?s assumption that Vietnam?s Montagnards were only pawns, revealing how an ideology of their own?ethnonationalism?gave them the agency to create an army and clandestine movement that kept Hanoi, Saigon, and Washington guessing.

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Book SynopsisResistance is futile. You can run, but you’ll only die tired.The AC-130 Gunship was quickly developed in 1968 to provide fire support for ground forces in Vietnam. Twenty-eight C-130 cargo aircraft were converted into AC-130s for night attack operations. The AC-130 was crude, ugly, ad hoc, and detested by many within the USAF…but it worked, and it worked well. Likewise, AC-130 crews were deemed unruly “biker gangs,” but performed magnificently in every major US military operation from 1976 to 1995. Most of these combat operations were cloaked in secrecy, but records once classified for up to twenty years have now been opened. Based on this newly declassified information and hundreds of interviews with SOF veterans, Ghostriders 1976-1995 is the first authoritative historical account of the AC-130 operations, written by an AC-130 Aerial Gunner who participated in every AC-130 combat operation from 1980 through 1994.

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Book SynopsisIn this vivid first-person narrative, a Special Operations Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) and his commanding general give fascinating and detailed accounts of America’s fight against one of the most barbaric insurgencies the world has ever seen. In the summer of 2014, three years after America’s full troop withdrawal from the Iraq War, President Barack Obama authorized a small task force to push back into Baghdad. Their mission: Protect the Iraqi capital and U.S. embassy from a rapidly emerging terrorist threat. A plague of brutality, that would come to be known as ISIS, had created a foothold in northwest Iraq and northeast Syria. It had declared itself a Caliphate—an independent nation-state administered by an extreme and cruel form of Islamic law—and was spreading like a newly evolved virus. Soon, a massive and devastating U.S. military response had unfolded. Hear the ground truth on the senior military and political interactions that shaped America’s war against ISIS, a war unprecedented in both its methodology and its application of modern military technology. Enter the world of the Strike Cell, secretive operations centers where America’s greatest enemies are hunted and killed day and night. Plunge into the realm of the Special Operations JTAC, American warfighters with the highest enemy kill counts on the battlefield. And gain the wisdom of a cumulative half-century of military experience as Dana Pittard and Wes Bryant lay out the path to a sustained victory over ISIS. For more information about the book, visit www.huntingthecaliphate.com.Trade Review"With the complementary insights of a general and his senior enlisted man, along with an insider's eye for detail and an unshakeable belief in their mission, Pittard and Bryant expertly pull back the curtain on the front line fight against ISIS. From Iraq to Afghanistan and Syria, Pittard and Bryant describe the development of a devastating air campaign waged from a distance, where rapid life or death decisions must be made with limited information and murky rules of engagement, and where ultimate success hinges on coordination between a state-of-the-art operations center with a small group of highly-trained Americans led by Pittard and Bryant, and their indigenous allies battling ISIS on the ground. Eye-opening, candid, and at times deeply human, Hunting the Caliphate is a must read for understanding a new kind of war told by two men who not only fought that war, but helped define it." -- David Broyles, former USAF Pararescueman (PJ) and co-creator of History Channel's combat drama, SIX"From mass executions to pinpoint air strikes, political and military frustrations, and the politics of coalition warfare, Hunting the Caliphate is a compelling blend of military history and first-person memories of the war against terror—the complex battlefield, the joys of victory, the tragedy of loss and the sacrifice of the men and women who carried out the mission. An insider account from a senior Army ground commander and a front line battlefield airman, the book is a gritty, compelling read for all who hope to understand America’s longest war." -- Deborah Lee James, 23rd Secretary of the Air Force, author of Aim High: Chart Your Course and Find Success“Simply excellent. Hunting the Caliphate is the first account to give sustained insights into the events and personalities shaping the war on ISIS that academics and journalists have been unable to capture except in snapshots. Effectively written, and with editing nothing short of first-rate, it is a descriptive and gripping narrative from two contrasting yet intersecting perspectives that offers readers a broader view of the US military campaign against ISIS. As a historian of modern combat operations, I applaud the insightful observations appearing throughout that serve to accurately convey an important history—and dispel its myths.” -- Mark J. Reardon, Senior Historian, US Army Center of Military History"Providing an in-depth view into the worlds of military commands and strike forces on the ground, the book reveals insider details such as how the use of drones and airstrikes—representing a significant change in American warfare—came about. Though primarily a memoir, the text straddles several genres, all of which keep Pittard and Bryant at the fore. They provide both a historical account of the fight and psychological insights into the mentalities of professional soldiers... Pittard and Bryant take turns telling the story, but the narrative is cohesive and engaging, revealing stories that most of the general public will not know... Hunting the Caliphate is a raw and honest account of how ISIS was beaten, told from the inside by those who brought the caliphate down.” -- Foreword Clarion Reviews

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Book SynopsisA challenge to common assumptions about the future of land warfareGround Combat reveals the gritty details of land warfare at the tactical level and challenges today's overly subjective and often inaccurate approaches to characterizing war. Ben Connable's motivation for writing the book is to offer an evidence-based approach to examining the future of war. Connable created and analyzed an original dataset of more than four hundred global ground combat cases, showing that there was an evolutionary rather than revolutionary shift in the characteristics of ground combat from World War II through the early 2020s. Despite advances in military technology, tanks, artillery, and infantry remain central to how war is waged on land. This book asks readers to stop and think about the implications of these findings for force planning and future predictions about military-technical revolutions. This book sets an essential evidentiary baseline for military officers, policymakers, and scholars who think about the future of modern war.

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Book SynopsisA new theory of how soldiers persevere through the hardships of long warsNationalism and its effect on military strategy have long been of interest to scholars of conflict. Outcomes of war are not solely determined by firepower and numbers, but also by the motivations of soldiers fighting for their nation. This book presents a new theory about the will to fight, arguing that how a conflict resonates with the myths, symbols, and core beliefs underlying national identity shapes soldiers' morale, discipline, and initiative in battle. Brathwaite compares the will to fight of British, Indian, and Australian soldiers in World War II. She draws on military records, such as unit diaries and morale reports, to demonstrate the connection between identity and the will to fight. Her research is important because political leaders make key decisions on matters ranging from the use of force to military manpower policy based on beliefs about what motivates soldiers in battle. Scholars of security studies, policymakers, and military professionals will be interested in this new theory of a key aspect of military effectiveness and power.

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Book Synopsis“The most bracingly honest, refreshing account of the Afghan war” (Sebastian Junger, New York Times bestselling author) from a Marine Corps Combat Cameraman and director of the acclaimed documentary Combat Obscura. This is a war story. But it is also a story of a lost generation. As an artsy eighteen-year-old from New York City, Miles Lagoze arrived in the Marine Corps surrounded by fellow millennials who were enticed by promises of stability, community, and a shot at economic security. Deployed as a Combat Cameraman—an active duty videographer and a photographer—Lagoze produced images of glory and heroism amid his fellow soldiers and the occupied Afghan people. But his government-approved footage hid a grim reality. Here, Lagoze pulls back the curtain and illustrates the grisly truth of the longest war in American history. He shows us acts of brutality on innocent people performed by young men inured to violence, desensitized by their digital worlds, and uncertain of their mission. We see soldiers and Afghan locals drawn together by the terror of the Taliban. We witness the devastating effects on those caught in the deadly crossfire. And we see a generation of American military cast out into an unfamiliar world, steeped in nihilism, and sent back home with first-hand training in extremism and insurrection. An unfiltered account of the war in Afghanistan unlike any other, this is a shocking and vivid look at a country eager to exploit its youth while also ignoring its sacrifices. A new modern classic that deserves to stand alongside Michael Herr’s Dispatches and Evan Wright’s Generation Kill.Trade Review"A raw, introspective look at the harsh realities of war, a vivid snapshot of some of the soldiers who were sent to fight the 'Global War on Terror,' and a story of the human 'costs' of endless wars" —Francis P. Sempa, Real Clear"Gonzo, ghoulish, and unforgettable: one of the strongest books yet to emerge from America's misadventure in Afghanistan." —Kirkus (starred review)"This may be the most bracingly honest, refreshing account of the Afghan war that I've ever read." —Sebastian Junger, New York Times Bestselling author of War and Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging“Lays bare just how far from the truth the official word is. . . this book is tremendous.” —Andy Levy, from The Daily Beast’s The New Abnormal podcast"Whistles From the Graveyard hits, immediate and ruthless. An important and courageous record of a catastrophic time." —Sean T. Conroe, author of Fuccboi: A Novel"The Marine Corps is a weird place and when you go to war everything only gets weirder. You see beauty and horror, tragedy and joy, savagery and kindness. In short, it’s a mess; and it takes a camera obscura to capture it all. Miles Lagoze did this in his groundbreaking film and he’s going to do it again in his memoir." —Elliot Ackerman, National Book Award Finalist and author of Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning“If the military is a microcosm of our country, Miles Lagoze's book is a warning for our society--an indictment of not just our greedy war machine but of the culture that ignores and even supports it. Lagoze turns on a night vision camera in a dark corner and instead of scattering, the roaches flock and perform, reveal their true selves. Shelve it aside Michael Herr's Dispatches and Evan Wright's Generation Kill." —Matt Young, author of Eat the ApplePraise for Miles Lagoze's Combat Obscura “An eye-opening dispatch from a conflict mired in confusion.” —The New York Times “The camera documents reality as it simultaneously creates a version of it – a mix of therapy, confessional, and a mirror held up to young, grime-streaked faces.” —The Washington Post “A warts-and-all approach at in-the-trenches behavior and misbehavior.” —The Hollywood Reporter “An unexpurgated ‘making of’ of the Afghan Campaign. This remarkable film comes across as war’s backstage story – it’s about the stuff they leave out of the official coverage.” —Film Comment “So raw the Corps doesn’t want you to see it. One of the most genuine looks at what the Forever War was like for those who waged it.” —Task & Purpose “Depicts the war beneath the narratives, capturing the soldier’s experience with an immediacy that explodes political abstraction, placing it in a more humanist context.” —Newsweek “A filmmaking masterpiece… The film’s true brilliance lies in its situational hysteria, a scene-by-scene unpredictability that serves as a microcosm of a war with no end — and no definitive outcome — in sight.” —Military Times “Detonates any lingering fantasies of military heroism.” —AV Club

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Book SynopsisThe young men who graduated from the Naval Academy in 1938 left Annapolis on the cusp of the twentieth century's mightiest conflagration and faced its perils around the world while serving on ships, planes, submarines, and even an airship. In the process, these junior officers earned medals and fame, left legacies of heroism and loss, and sparked tales of renown and bravery that reverberate today. Scattered Far and Wide tells the stories of midshipmen from the Class of 1938 who graduated at a historically perilous time, going on to face the trials of combat as new officers in the war's early days and, in its later years, as ship captains, pilots in leadership positions, and submariners in charge. Tested as young leaders, they bore the new burdens of command while at the fore of the Pacific War's largest and most pivotal campaigns. They felt the wind and spray in their faces and the percussion of ships' guns and depth charges, at the perfect moment in their lives and careers to make their experiences unusually compelling, heartbreaking, andmost assuredlyinstructive. Their sacrifice was substantial: 42 of the 438 graduates were killed in action. These men were scattered across Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. They struggled for survival as part of the Navy's Asiatic Fleet, attempting to stem the onslaught of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the war's early months; were captured and shipped to brutal prisoner-of-war camps; took to the air off aircraft carriers as members of torpedo, bomber, and fighter squadrons during the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway; and served on submarines in the conflict's latter stages, enduring some of the most legendary war patrols in the history of the Silent Service. Justin Laborde is a gifted storyteller and uniquely positioned to tell this story. His grandfather, Alden Laborde, was a member of the Class of 1938, and upon his death Justin obtained a 1938 edition of The Lucky Bag, the U.S. Naval Academy yearbook. Perusing the memoirs of Alden's classmates, Justin realized he was well placed to tell the fascinating and unreported tale of this class' experiences in World War II. He spent five years gathering primary materials and researching the histories and wartime stories of the Class of '38's members. As a result, his book focuses on smaller, more personal, and more relatable experiences than most previous histories of the war and shows the reader these well-known battles and strategic developments through the eyes of young naval officers new to leadership and to combat. Readers will finish this book caring deeply about the fates of the men who were part of the Naval Academy's Class of 1938.

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Book SynopsisLate in 1944, thirteen U.S. B-24 bomber crews bailed from their cabins over the Yugoslavian wilderness. Bloodied and disoriented after a harrowing strike against the Third Reich, the pilots took refugee with the Partisan underground. But the Americans were far from safety. Holed up in a village barely able to feed its citizens, encircled by Nazis, and left abandoned after a team of British secret agents failed to secure their escape, the airmen were left with little choice. It was either flee or be killed. In The Lost Airmen, Charles Stanely Jr. unveils the shocking true story of his father, Charles Stanely-and the eighteen brave soldiers he journeyed with for the first time. Drawing on over twenty years of research, dozens of interviews, and previously unpublished letters, diaries, and memoirs written by the airmen, Stanley recounts the deadly journey across the blizzard-swept Dinaric Alps during the worst winter of the Twentieth Century-and the heroic men who fought impossible odds to keep their brothers in arms alive.

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Book SynopsisWhen the Japanese invade in 1942, the Australian men and women stationed at the New Guinea port of Rabaul flee into the jungle.Written off by their government as ‘hostages to fortune’, the little-known garrison on Australia’s tropic frontier has been left with no modern equipment, no lifeline to the outside, and no means of escape. Most are captured and killed in the sinking of the prison ship Montevideo Maru, which remains Australia’s worst sea disaster. But the surviving soldiers and nurses carry on, to fight the Japanese on other fronts, or to witness the collapse of the Japanese Empire from the inside. Having borne the brunt of defeat, their letters and diaries also record the turning point of the war and the march to victory. Rich in detail drawn from first person accounts, Should We Fall To Ruin illuminates this untold period in military history. It is a compelling tale of bravery and resilience in the face of a seemingly unstoppable enemy.Trade Reviewan important addition to the Australian wartime canon * The Saturday Paper *

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Book SynopsisThis is a comprehensive account of the history of the Second World War, with expert commentary on its political and economic causes, every key moment, and the impact of new technologies and military strategies. It offers moving eyewitness and contemporary accounts from survivors of the battles and conflicts, personally interviewed by the author. It covers every major battle on land, at sea and in the air, with an expert analysis of the events and descriptions of weaponry. It features a chronology of the period that helps put all specific actions of the war into a historical context. It covers 380 contemporary photographs recording incidents as they happened, plus maps and battle plans. World War II was the most immense human conflict the world has ever known. You can discover how the war took shape, from its beginnings with the rise to power of Hitler in the 1930s to its apocalyptic end in the ruined cities of Germany and Japan in 1945. It features eyewitness accounts, maps, battle plans and hundreds of contemporary photographs that bring the past to life. All the major turning points of the war are included - D-Day and the invasion of Normandy, Operation Barbarosa, the battle of Midway and many others. This authoritative and accessible military history will enable the reader to understand the war more fully than ever before.

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Book SynopsisNOW WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY W. STANLEY MOSS'S DAUGHTER GABRIELLA BULLOCK AND AN AFTERWORD BY PATRICK LEIGH FERMORIll Met By Moonlight is the true story of one of the most hazardous missions of the Second World War. W. Stanley Moss is a young British officer who, along with Major Patrick Leigh Fermor, sets out in Nazi-occupied Crete to kidnap General Kreipe, Commander of the Sevastopool Division, and narrowly escaping the German manhunt, bring him off the island - a vital prisoner for British intelligence.As an account of derring-do and wartime adventure, made into a classic film starring Dirk Bogarde, Ill Met By Moonlight is one of the most brilliantly written, exciting and compelling stories to come out of the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisThe breech-loading, single-shot .458in Martini-Henry rifle has become a symbol of both the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 and the numerous battles in Egypt and the Sudan in 1884–85, but continued to be used by both British and colonial troops well into the 20th century. Its invention and introduction into British service were in direct response to the success of the Prussian Dreyse needle gun, which demonstrated that the breech-loading rifle offered faster loading, improved accuracy and superior range; significantly, the weapon could be loaded and fired from a prone position, thus offering the rifleman greater security on the battlefield. Due to the longevity of service, many Martini-Henry rifles survive today, both in museums and in private collections, and the weapon is highly prized by shooting enthusiasts. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and an array of arresting first-hand accounts and written by an authority on warfare in the Victorian era, this engaging study tells the story of the powerful Martini-Henry and its impact on the battlefield, from the Anglo-Zulu War to the opening months of World War I.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Development /Use /Impact /Further Reading /Index

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Book SynopsisA ‘sensational affair.. carried out with great audacity’ - New York Times. An astonishing act of piracy, the capture of the British war ship, the Upnor changed the course of Ireland's Civil War. Flawless in its planning and execution, while Winston Churchill remarked on Irish 'genius for conspiracy', a furious Michael Collins accused the British of deliberately arming his enemies. Indeed, it’s highly likely that the bullet that killed him originated in the Upnor. The Ballycotton Job brings this riveting story to life, its cast of disparate characters and strands of adventure beautifully woven together. This book sees events leading up to the capture as well as the consequences of the Upnor seizure discussed in detail. Based on years of archival research, it tells a unique story of both sides, Irish and British. The book's fast-paced narrative is enlivened by dialogue and details obtained from interviews with participants. Ireland teetered on the verge of civil war, the IRA splitting into anti-Treaty and pro-Treaty stance, Michael Collins and the Provisional Government on the pro-Treaty side. Cork's Sean O’Hegarty, the local anti-Treaty IRA leader, prevented Collins’ National Army from entering the city. As the British evacuated soldiers and equipment back to England, O’Hegarty came up with a brilliant plan to capture the munitions en route. Commandeering a tugboat from the Royal Navy base at Queenstown/Cobh, they sped out of the fortified harbour on a mission. Simultaneously, over eighty trucks and lorries were hijacked all across Cork, leaving citizens mystified as to what was going on. In a clever ruse, the IRA squad captured arms ship Upnor, bringing it into the small port of Ballycotton. The village, now under the control of IRA fighters, witnessed the unloading of weaponry onto waiting lorries then driven off to secret arms dumps throughout Cork. O’Hegarty's men seized eighty tons of arms, subsequently distributed to southern IRA divisions during the Civil War. This audacious act of piracy caused a sensation. A field day for the newspapers, The Irish Independent called it ‘an amazing exploit’; The Times ‘a clever and daring coup’.Trade Review‘The pacy narrative…is a great read’ * Irish Times *‘A lively and enjoyable story.’ 'A story that could make a riveting film.’ ‘The capture of the Upnor is told in graphic and exciting detail.’ ‘The writing is lively’. ‘I very much enjoyed reading the book.’ * Books Ireland Magazine *'Superbly researched and written to read like a thriller. Yet contains details that put context into a fascinating period in our history. Highly recommended.' Pat B 'Researched and recorded in detail but written with all the excitement of a great adventure story.''The British warship Upnor was carrying huge quantities of arms and ammunition from Cobh (then Queenstown) to Woolwich in March 1922 and its capture by the anti-Treaty IRA was masterminded by Seán O’Hegarty, commandant Cork No 1 Brigade. His men commandeered a Royal Navy tugboat from Cobh, while simultaneously hijacking more than 80 trucks and lorries all over Cork. The tugboat towed Upnor into Ballycotton, where the munitions were loaded on to the waiting lorries, which distributed them to secret arms dumps. The daring venture supplied much of the weaponry used by the anti-Treaty IRA during the Civil War, thus significantly affecting that conflict. The pacy narrative, conveyed mainly from the perspectives of O’Hegarty and Admiral Sir Ernest Gaunt (head of the Royal Navy in Ireland), is a great read.' -- Brian Maye * The Irish Times *Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgements Glossary Key Characters Medusa’s Return Tremble and Obey A Ruthless Bastard Bugger All Micky and Dicky The Italian Job Queenstown, 1921 The Cork Republic De Courcy The Ball at their Feet The Warrior A Speedy Departure Message from the Admiralty The Fecking War is Over Hitting the Fan Civil War Conclusion Notes and References Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisEscaping the Blitz is the story of the biggest social upheaval in British history. Portrayed by the government as a positive by-product of the Second World War, civilian evacuation represented the cornerstone of Britain's civil defence strategy. In a single stroke, children were uprooted from their close-knit families and replanted in unfamiliar and sometimes hostile surroundings. Over the course of three days beginning on 31st August 1939, three and a half million vulnerable adults and children were evacuated from cities to rural areas. This totally haphazard mingling of social classes had profound and long-lasting effects on British society. From a government standpoint evacuation was an exercise in military logistics, but for those who took part it was a life changing experience. Furthermore, there was no typical evacuee experience, only a shared sense of alienation in the face of extreme adversity. The general trend for domestic evacuation was for central government to offload responsibility for evacuees onto rural local authorities. When it became clear that the latter had neither the basic resources nor administrative machinery to cope with large influxes of evacuees, central government was forced back into the policy driving seat. Yet a completely different approach was adopted towards overseas evacuation. Known as Sea-Vacs, children sent abroad were expected to act as ambassadors for Britain, tug at the heart strings of host nations, and elicit international financial support for the war effort. Aside from this role Sea-Vacs were essential for the survival of the British race, and government ministers fully expected them to eventually fight from the colonies in the event of a German invasion of Britain. Public perceptions of children however, shifted throughout the war. In 1939 children were either viewed as innocents in need of protection, or as useless mouths who were draining the nation of vital food supplies. Yet by 1941 they had become active participants in the war effort, and children as young as five could be found working on the land. By 1943 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries considered children to be a vital component in Britain's food production industry. They remained so long after the war had ended. Moreover, although some evacuees were lucky enough to have positive and uplifting encounters with their host families, others less fortunate suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse. This book reveals the myths and mayhem which accompanied the three waves of wartime evacuation and document the experiences of evacuees in their own words. Throughout the book QR codes link readers (using a suitable phone or tablet) to unique video content of evacuees telling their story in their own words.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Author's Note Introduction Prologue Chapter One – Evacuation 1939 Chapter Two – Evacuation 1940 Chapter Three – Overseas 1940 Chapter Four – Suffer the Children Chapter Five – Homecoming and Legacy Bibliography

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Book SynopsisEdwin Lutyens' Memorial to the Missing of the Somme at Thiepval in Northern France, visited annually by tens of thousands of tourists, is arguably the finest structure erected by any British architect in the twentieth century. It is the principal, tangible expression of the defining event in Britain's experience and memory of the Great War, the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916, and it bears the names of 73,000 soldiers whose bodies were never found at the end of that bloody and futile campaign. This brilliant study by an acclaimed architectural historian tells the origin of the memorial in the context of commemorating the war dead; it considers the giant classical brick arch in architectural terms, and also explores its wider historical significance and its resonances today. So much of the meaning of the twentieth century is concentrated here; the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing casts a shadow into the future, a shadow which extends beyond the dead of the Holocaust, to the Gulag, to the 'disappeared' of South America and of Tianenmen. Reissued in a beautiful and striking new edition for the centenary of the Somme.Trade Review[a] moving and eloquent book * Literary Review *as a piece of architectural analysis it is impressive * The Spectator *Stamp has provided an invaluable, detailed and illuminating study * Guardian *the value of Stamp's book lies in its eloquent account of the genius of the vision of Edward Lutyens ... who created in the Monument to the Missing at Thiepval the central metaphor of a generation's experience of appalling loss. * Observer *This book is a gem...an eloquent, moving lament for the futile waste and industrialised killing of the First World War, and indeed of the 20th Century - an elegy which resonates powerfully today. * Sunday Telegraph *Much, much more than architectural history, for here, encapsulated in marmoreally angry prose, is an account of that collective act of mass murder, without parallel in history, known as the Great War. An unforgettable, passionate book. -- A.N. Wilson * Evening Standard *Perfectly formed and beautifully written, this book is a minor masterpiece, a paragon of its genre. It will move all but the hardest heart to tears at the folly, and the glory, that is man. -- Ross Leckie * The Times *

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Book SynopsisThe single-engine Junkers Ju 52 first flew in 1930. Designed and built by the Junkers Aircraft Company of Dessau, Germany, the Ju 52 was originally intended as a cargo aircraft. An upgraded model, the Ju 52/3m, was powered by three engines, excelling as an 18-seat airliner. By the late 1930s, hundreds of the safe and reliable Ju 52/3m were serving with airlines in more than 20 countries, including the prewar British Airways. It was used as a bomber by the reestablished Luftwaffe, particularly in the Spanish Civil War. During the Second World War, the Ju 52/3m was the mainstay of the Luftwaffe transport squadrons. Affectionately known as Faithful Old Annie and Iron Annie, the Ju 52/3m was used during the invasions of Norway, the Low Countries, Crete as well as the resupply of Stalingrad and Rommel s Africa Corps. In all, more than 5,000 were built. After the war, production continued in France and Spain. Amazingly, captured Ju 52/3ms were rebuilt postwar and briefly operated as airliners on domestic routes in Great Britain! Today, about 50 Ju 52/3ms survive, with less than ten flying. The Junkers Ju 52/3m is one of the most significant transport airplanes in the history of aviation."Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Notes on Sources; Author's Note; Abbreviations; Introduction; The Junkers Flugzeug-und Motorenwerke AG and its Predecessors; Hugo Junkers; The First All-metal Aeroplanes; A Shift to Civilian Transport Aeroplanes; Larger and More Capable Transport Aeroplanes; Technical Description; Ju 52/3m Airliner Operations in Germany; Junkers Ju 52/3m Production in Germany; France; Hungary; Spain; Further Development; Junkers Ju 252; Junkers Ju 352 Herkules; Into Luftwaffe Service; Spain; Other Duties; Poland; Denmark and Norway; Blitzkrieg; Operation Seelowe; North Africa-The Initial Phase; Invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece; Crete; Iraqi Diversion; Operation Barbarossa; Demyansk Airlift; Stalingrad; North African Defeat; On the Retreat; Final Defeat; Civilian Operators; Military Operators; Preserved Junkers Ju 52/3ms; Appendices; Lufthansa Ju 52/3ms; Luftwaffe Ju 52/3m units; A.A.C.1 Production List; A.A.C.1 Production List; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThis fascinating history, recounted from both the American and Japanese perspectives, follows the course of the Empire of the Sun's ultimately unequal struggle against the great allied powers. Drawing on archive material, this new history provides the reader with piercing strategic and political insights which debunk many of the enduring myths which encompass Japan's apocalyptic drive for hegemony in Southeast Asia. Why did Japan invade China? Was war with America and the British Empire inevitable? Why was the Japanese mobile fleet defeated so decisively at Midway? Why did the Japanese continue fighting when defeat was inevitable? Was Emperor Hirohito merely a puppet of the militarists? Why did the Japanese people acquiesce in the occupation of their homeland? Whilst unsparing in its treatment of Japan's ultimate culpability for unleashing the Second World War, 'Japan at War 1931-1945' is an objective appraisal of the tragedy that engulfed much of the territories under Japanese control, and eventually Japan itself.

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Book SynopsisOutside of the Nazi hierarchy, Odilo Globocnik is almost certainly the most culpable in the planned and almost successfully executed attempt to annihilate all the Jews of Europe. In producing this book, the author was soon to discover several interesting facets to the history of this unsavory character. Not only did he play a leading role in the process of murdering the Jews, he was also the arch highwayman in the plunder of their possessions. Additionally, he was responsible for the compulsory uprooting of thousands of Polish non-Jewish citizens, the destruction of their communities, and the trafficking of enforced slave laborers. Often justifiably vilified for his crooked dealings as Gauleiter of Vienna, his function as asset stripper of the Polish Jews is overshadowed by his unquestionable major role in their physical destruction. The ultimate crime of mass murder far outweighs the less significant, but nevertheless considerable, offenses of robbery and human trafficking, for obvious reasons. Odilo Globocnik was guilty of them all.Table of ContentsForeword; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1 Early Days; 2 City of Music; 3 Gauleiter; 4 The New Man in Town; 5 The First Grand Strategy; 6 The Globus Clique; 7 Quest for Germanic Blood; 8 Head Office in Berlin; 9 The Psychopath’s Club; 10 The Road to Heaven; 11 Aktion Reinhardt; 12 Bełżec; 13 Sobibor; 14 Treblinka, the Assembly Line of Death; 15 Jilted; 16 Harvest Festival in Utopia; 17 Golden Boy Tarnished; 18 OZAK; 19 Rumbled; 20 A Life Evaluated ; Appendix I Himmler’s Posen Speech; Appendix II The Stroop Report; Appendix III The Globocnik Reports; Appendix IV Department of the Army Pamphlet (Extract); Appendix V General Government as at 1 September 1941; Appendix VI The Jewish Population of Lublin District; Appendix VII Aktion Reinhardt Camps Personnel; Appendix VIII The Katzmann Report; Appendix IX T4 Reviewers; Appendix X The Confessions of Kurt Gerstein (Extract); Appendix XI The Franke-Griksch Report (Extract); Appendix XII List of Globocnik’s Awards and Decorations; Appendix XIII Christian Wirth—Observations by Franz Suchomel; Endnotes; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThe concept of strategic assault of a Nation’s industrial and military base by air was heralded by Britain as far back as the immediate period before the start of WWI. However, stringent post-War economy ensured that the creation of Bomber Command in 1936 witnessed a daunting disparity between the aim of striking at an adversary’s ability to sustain itself on the Field of Battle and the means to do so. The initial three years of WWII left the Command very weak in both human and material terms. The navigational means with which to accurately guide the bombers to targets was almost completely lacking during this period, while the enemy defensive network inflicted serious casualty rates. The punishment handed out was accordingly minimal in effect. The resurgence of the Command’s fortunes coincided with the appointment of Sir Arthur Harris as C-in-C. The advent of the more efficient Lancaster and Halifax designs ensured a greatly increased bomb tonnage could be delivered. Electronic aids such as ‘Gee’, ‘Oboe’ and ‘H2’S’ ensured the task of locating targets was simplified. So it was that by 1944/45 the Third Reich’s industrial base was virtually rendered impotent.Table of Contents1 The Bomber as a Strategic Concept; 2 Girding up for Battle; 3 From Sublime Optimism to Harsh Reality; 4 ‘In the Dark-Literally’ (May-October 1940); 5 A Staccato Offensive? (October 1940-Mid-1941); 6 Descent into Crisis (July-December 1941); 7 ‘Area Bombing’: The Unavoidable Adaptation; (January 1942-December 1942); 8 ‘Pathfinders’: The Way Ahead; 9 ‘Terrible Swift Sword’: Battle of the Ruhr; 10 ‘The Specialists’: No. 617 Squadron (March 1943-April 1944); 11 Operation Gomorrah: A City Put to the Sword; 12 Peenemünde; 13 ‘Battle of Berlin’: A Major Rebuff?; 14 Berlin Diminuendo to Nuremberg’s Ghastly Conclusion; 15 The Transportation Plan: A Necessary Operational Retrenchment?; 16 The Die is Cast (August-December 1944); 17 Irreversible Breach in the Wall: No. 100 Group’s Electronic Magic; 18 ‘The Final Act’; Appendix I: Order of Battle on 15 December 1936; Appendix II: Order of Battle on 26 September 1939; Appendix III: Order of Battle on 4 March 1943; Appendix IV: Order of Battle on 19 April 1945; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisEight days after the start of World War I, four German cavalry regiments charged into glory, history, and disaster at the Belgian village of Halen. These eight separate charges would be the last large-scale mounted cavalry charge on the Western Front.

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Book SynopsisIn the years after the First World War, thousands of men who had fought on the battlefields were drawn back to the Western Front. For the former soldier, these journeys of remembrance offered a chance to pay homage to their past and to see what peace looked like in those places where they had only known war. Pilgrimage to the Western Front gathers together the first-hand accounts of veterans as they retrace their wartime footsteps and stand again at the scenes where they lived through history's bloodiest conflict. The fascinating reports reveal what they found on their return and their reflections and memories of places still healing from the devastation of the war years. Discover their emotions and what greeted the battle-scarred men as they revisited old haunts, met former friends and foes, and confronted their past. Illustrated with remarkable archive images of the destruction of post-war France and Belgium, many drawn from the collection of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this volume features fifty personal stories spanning each of the interwar years. Join those who witnessed the Great War on a poignant voyage back to the Western Front and see a world recovering from one great conflict and edging towards another.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Acknowledgements; Glossary of terms; 1919; 1920; 1921; 1922; 1923; 1924; 1925; 1926; 1927; 1928; 1929; 1930; 1931; 1932; 1933; 1934; 1935; 1936; 1937; 1938; 1939; References; Index

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Book SynopsisIn the two hundred years since the Battle of Waterloo countless studies examining almost every aspect of this momentous event have been published - narratives of the campaign, graphic accounts of key stages in the fighting or of the role played by a regiment or by an individual who was there - an eyewitness. But what has not been written is an in-depth study of a division, one of the larger formations that made up the armies on that decisive battlefield, and that is exactly the purpose of Philip Haythornthwaite's original and highly readable new book. He concentrates on the famous Fifth Division, commanded by Sir Thomas Picton, which was a key element in Wellington's Reserve. The experiences of this division form a microcosm of those of the entire army. Vividly, using a range of first-hand accounts, the author describes the actions of the officers and men throughout this short, intense campaign, in particular their involvement the fighting at Quatre Bras and at Waterloo itself.

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Book SynopsisBorn in the dark days of the great crusades, the warrior monks of the Knights Templar vowed to defend pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. Yet strangely, there are few historical records of the Templars ever fulfilling this task. Instead, their history is one of bloodshed and conquest, wealth and power, dark secrets and conspiracies. Today, the story of the Knights Templar is intimately linked with the story of the Holy Grail. But what exactly is this ancient artifact, and how has it been used to manipulate history for the last one thousand years? This book, based on the notes of the recently deceased historian, Dr. Emile Fouchet, attempts to unlock the secrets of the Knights Templar. It begins with an examination of their historical origins, their growth in the early middle-ages, and their supposed destruction under the charges of heresy. From there, it uses the clues left by the Templars themselves to reconstruct their secret journeys as they moved the Holy Grail from Europe to the New World and back. It also charts the secret, three-way war that is still being fought between the Templars, the Freemasons, and the Catholic Church. Finally, the book reveals the greatest of all Templar conspiracies, the attempt to found a new world order under the auspices of the European Union.Table of ContentsIntroduction / Origins and Growth / Downfall / Survival / The Magicians / The Manipulators / The Holy Grail / The New World / The Templar Treasure / Templar Locations / Bibliography / Glossary

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Book SynopsisAircraft Salvage in the Battle of Britain and Blitz will comprise of some 140-150 images of the work of RAF and civilian salvage squads during the Battle of Britain, the Blitz and beyond. The images will depict losses across Britain, both RAF and German, during this period. Each picture will tell its own story, and will be fully captioned with historical detail. The author will be covering a topic that has rarely been examined in this detail. Each section will have a short introduction and the images will include those of shot down aircraft, including relatively intact machines, badly damaged/destroyed wreckages, photographs of pilots and other related illustrations. All images are from the author's unique collection of wartime photographs of Luftwaffe losses, collected from a variety of sources across some thirty-five years of research.

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Book SynopsisRussia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine came from nowhere...? Felshtinsky and Stanchev's gripping history of Putin's attempts to take Ukraine reveals his first deadly attack came as early as 1999. As early as 2015 the authors predicted that the Russian invasion was a matter the Russian army's 6-year planning cycle and would happen in 2021 (not knowing the pandemic would happen). They argue how Putin must be resisted in order to avoid a potential nuclear conflict that could drag the world into a global war. An authoritative must-read to understand the causes of the crisis and what to do when.Trade Review‘Seizing Ukraine remains the main goal of Putin. Unfortunately, these words, much like the rest of the book, will prove prophetic.’ OLEG KALUGIN, Former KGB General and Head of Counter-Espionage; ‘Historians are blessed with numerous virtues, but bravery is rarely among them. Still, living in a modern world requires fundamental reconsideration of all of the conventional notions regarding Russia and Ukraine, United States and Europe. This book by two brave and scrupulous historians will undoubtedly help the reader to comprehend the present, as well as to live in the future.’ ALEXANDER ETKIND, Professor of History, European University Institute, FlorenceTable of ContentsUkraine: The First Battle of World War III? Introduction: Time will Tell 1 A Thousand Year Wait 2 Dawdling in Europe 3 Georgiy Gongadze's Assassination 4 The Poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko 5 The Orange Revolution 6 The Sfinx 7 A Burglar as President 8 The Turning Point, Minsk 9 EuroMaidan 10 The Mysterious Return of the "Banderites" 11 Civil War 12 Change of Power or Oligarchs? 13 The Invasions of Crimea 14 False "Russian Spring" 15 "Substitution of Ideas" as a Dance to War 16 Do Russians Want War? Conclusions Appendix - Vladimir Putin: "The Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians" Endnotes Index

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Book SynopsisThe updated paperback of the acclaimed first history of 8 June, 1982, Britain's Worst Day of Combat since WWII.

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Book SynopsisThe Isle of Wight went to war in August 1914 along with the rest of Britain. German waiters were arrested. The tourist trade slumped. Foreigners were denounced and lads from all walks of life flocked to the Colours. Then came privations, losses, hospitals full of the sick and crippled. After conscription was brought in tribunals were set up to catch draft-dodgers. Thousands of pounds were raised for the war effort and lectures, rallies and the local press all did their bit to keep morale high. There are no official figures for the Island's war dead, but 300 of the Isle of Wight Rifles fell on one day at Gallipoli in August 1915. The original plan to commemorate the dead was to erect a cross in Winchester but that changed so that every Island parish had a memorial of its own. Ex-Islanders from as far away as Australia and Canada volunteered to fight for king and country in this war to end all wars.

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Book SynopsisOn the 2nd of August 1947 a young man gets off a train in a small Swedish town. He has survived the Lodz ghetto, Auschwitz, and the harrowing slave camps and transports during the final months of Nazi Germany. Now he has to learn to live with his memories. In this intelligent and deeply moving book, Göran Rosenberg returns to his own childhood in order to tell his father's story. It is also the story of the chasm that soon opens between the world of the child, suffused with the optimism, progress and collective oblivion of post-war Sweden, and the world of the father, haunted by the long shadows of the past.

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Book SynopsisWhen reporter Quentin Jones investigates a shadowy military programme during the desert war, he discovers cutting edge technology that simulates reality during interrogation. As the shadowy labyrinth of governmental corruption unfurls and tightens around him, unnerving links to his protégé Bruce keep emerging, who disappeared into the war several years earlier. The Dimensions of A Cave is a haunting journey into networks of power and corruption, exploring our drive towards war and obsession with new technologies. A modern day retelling of Heart of Darkness, this masterful debut novel heralds a dazzling and singular voice in fiction.Trade ReviewA very contemporary story about surveillance capitalism, virtual reality, and 21st-century forever war, [that] will still be read a century from now for the news it brings about the timeless riddle of the human self. It's increasingly rare these days to find a novelist with Greg Jackson's world-swallowing ambition, and rarer still for one to make good on that ambition as gloriously as Jackson does here -- Christopher BehaGreg Jackson's prose is sly, wise, and almost self-consciously heroic, undaunted by the present moment, though it threatens to be our last -- Joshua CohenGreg Jackson is an athletically talented writer who packs so much into every single sentence and scene it almost scares me. His debut novel is somehow both a hardboiled thriller and a philosophical treaty with dialogues that would make Sorkin blush -- Catherine LaceyGreg Jackson's Dimensions of a Cave is, sentence to sentence, a linguistic marvel, a genre-bending tale with moral and philosophical stakes as profound as they come -- Dinaw Mengestu

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Book SynopsisThe captivating story of WWII Airman Frank Murphy, who features in new TV miniseries Masters of the Air. THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “In the pursuit of authenticity, of accurate history and undeniable courage, no words matter more than, ‘I was there.’ Read Luck of the Draw and the life of Frank Murphy and ponder this: how did those boys do such things?” Tom Hanks The epic true story of an American hero who flew during WWII, featured in the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks TV Series, Masters of the Air. Beginning on August 17, 1942, American heavy bomber crews of the Eighth Air Force took off for combat in the hostile skies over occupied Europe. The final price was staggering. 4,300 B-17s and B-24s failed to return; nearly 28,000 men were taken prisoner or interned in a neutral country, and a further 26,000 made the ultimate sacrifice. Luck of the Draw is more than a war story. It’s the incredible, inspiring story of Frank Murphy, one of the few survivors from the 100th Bombardment Group, who cheated death for months in a German POW camp after being shot out of his B-17 Flying Fortress. Now with a new foreword written by his granddaughter Chloe Melas, of NBC, and daughter Elizabeth Murphy.Trade Review“In the pursuit of authenticity, of accurate history and undeniable courage, no words matter more than, ‘I was there.’ Read Luck of the Draw and the life of Frank Murphy and ponder this: how did those boys do such things?” Tom Hanks "Navigator Frank Murphy’s propulsive account of the American bomber war against Nazi Germany is also a powerful and poignant memoir of survival in a German POW compound. The book’s heart-stopping account of the brutal Winter March of the captured Allied airmen across the heart of Hitler’s dying Reich places it with Twelve O’Clock High as a classic of World War II literature." Donald L. Miller, author of Masters of the Air: The American Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany "Murphy describes some of the bloodiest air battles of the war as only a person who was actually there can. Luck of the Draw is a riveting and often harrowing must-read for anyone interested in military aviation, the second world war, or just plain real-life adventure." John Orloff, writer, Band of Brothers (HBO) and Masters of the Air (Apple TV+) "Originally published in 2001, this finely wrought memoir captures the fortitude and resilience of the "greatest generation"...Students of military history will appreciate Murphy’s detailed accounts of the Army Air Corp’s training program and a B-17 navigator’s responsibilities, while more casual readers will savor Murphy’s heartfelt tributes to comrades in arms. The result is a winning WWII story." Publishers Weekly "We should be grateful to have this book again, with or without a TV tie-in. A lot of cliches have been spilled about the Greatest Generation, but without ever being the least bit boastful Frank Murphy embodies it...Ultimately, Murphy remembered just about everything, augmented by excellent research." New York Journal of Books“A gripping, inspirational account of incredible bravery, resilience, and sheer will to survive. Frank Murphy was a true American hero who served courageously in the skies over Europe during WWII and who then demonstrated extraordinary fortitude and determination in the face of unimaginable challenges as a prisoner of war. A truly extraordinary story!" General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and NATO and US Forces in Afghanistan, and former Director of the CIA “Ever wonder if you had what it took to stare death in the face and push it aside and go forth into the unknown? That is what these young airmen of the 8th Army Air Force accomplished every time they loaded up for another mission. Frank Murphy has eloquently described the harrowing experiences of a B-17 crew from the loss of crewmembers, confronting his own mortality and ultimately the trauma of incarceration as a prisoner of war. This account is partly to honor his noble brothers of the air but also a reminder to future generations of the heroic young men of the Bomber Command.” Rick Perry, son of B-17 tail gunner 95th BG, 14th Governor of Texas, and 7th Secretary of Energy “Every generation needs a spokesman for its endeavors. In this respect Murphy does the young men of VIII Bomber Command proud.” Roger A. Freeman, author and Eighth Air Force historian “I urge you to read Frank Murphy’s truly memorable story.” Ian L. Hawkins, author and World War II historian

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Book Synopsis*Shortlisted for the 2019 Mountbatten Award* "We went up on deck and were looking around when the awful crash came. The ship listed so much that we all scrambled down the deck and for a moment everything was in confusion. When I came to myself again I glanced around but could find no trace of Mr Prichard. He seemed to have disappeared." - Grace French The sinking of the Lusitania is an event that has been predominantly discussed from a political or maritime perspective. For the first time, The Lusitania Sinking tells the story in the emotive framework of a family looking for information on their son's death. On 1 May 1915, the 29-year-old student Preston Prichard embarked as a Second Class passenger on the Lusitania, bound from New York for Liverpool. By 2pm on the afternoon of 7 May, the liner was approaching the coast of Ireland when she was sighted by the German submarine U-20\. A single torpedo caused a massive explosion in the Lusitania's hold, and the ship began sank rapidly. Within 20 minutes she disappeared and 1,198 men, women and children, including Preston, died. Uncertain of Preston's fate, his family leaped into action. His brother Mostyn, who lived in Ramsgate, travelled to Queenstown to search morgues but could find nothing. Preston's mother wrote hundreds of letters to survivors to find out more about what might have happened in his last moments. The Lusitania Sinking compiles the responses received. Perhaps sensing his fate, Prichard had put his papers in order before embarking and told a fellow student where to find his will if anything happened to him. During the voyage, he was often seen in the company of Grace French, quoted above. Alice Middleton, who had a crush on him but was too shy to speak to him throughout the entire voyage, remembered that he helped her in reaching the upper decks during the last moments of the sinking: "[The Lusitania] exploded and down came her funnels, so over I jumped. I had a terrible time in the water, 41/2 hours bashing about among the wreckage and dead bodies... It was 10.30 before they landed me at the hospital in an unconscious condition. In fact, they piled me with a boat full of dead and it was only when they were carrying the dead bodies to the Mortuary that they discovered there was still life in me."Trade ReviewA fascinating, excellently-written reassessment of the sinking of the iconic liner Lusitania using the letters, diaries and memoirs of those who were extremely fortunate to survive. Anthony Richards is at his best in this ground-breaking history. - Richard van Emden

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