Military History Books

Book SynopsisThe German Panther is one of the most famous, and greatest, tanks of World War II. Often considered the most elegant tank design of the war, it embodied a balance of firepower, armor protection, and mobility unmatched by any other tank of the period. This new study by German armor expert Thomas Anderson draws upon original German archival material to tell the story of the birth of the Panther in response to the Soviet tanks encountered in 1941. He then analyzes its success on the battlefield and the many modifications and variants that also came into play. Illustrated throughout with rare photographs and drawings, many of which have never been published in English before, this is a unique history of one of the most famous tanks of World War II.

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Book SynopsisDescribing in detail weaponry and armor, daily life on the march or in camp, clothing, food, medical care, military law, and titles of the Byzantine army of the seventh century, this text offers insights into the Byzantine military ethos. It also provides data for the historian, and even for the ethnologist.Trade Review"The most important Byzantine military text. . . . The standard translation." * Walter Kaegi, University of Chicago *

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Book SynopsisThe image of the Roman legionary is as familiar today as it was to the citizens – and enemies – of the vast Roman Empire two thousand years ago. This book goes beyond the stereotypes found in popular culture to examine the Roman Army from the first armed citizens of the early Republic through the glorious heights of the Imperial legions to the shameful defeats inflicted upon the late Roman Army by the Goths and Huns. Tracing the development of tactics, equipment and training, this work provides a detailed insight into the military force that enable Rome to become the greatest empire the world has ever seen. As well as describing the changes in the army over the centuries, The Roman Army also sheds light on the talented men who led these soldiers in battle and the momentous battles fought, including Cannae, Pharsalus and Adrianople. Illustrated with detailed maps, artwork and photographs, this volume provides a complete reference to the Roman Army from the 8th century BC to the period after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD.Table of ContentsChronology /Introduction /The Early Republican Army, 753-146 BC /The Army of the Late Republic, 146-27 BC /The Earlier Roman Empire, 27 BC-AD 200 /The Later Roman Empire, AD 200-6th century /Afterword /Further Reading /Index

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Book SynopsisThis fascinating title explains and analyzes the history, technology, and service of the Soviet Navy''s nuclear attack submarines, the formidable high-tech boats on the front line of the Cold War at sea. In this highly detailed book, naval historian Edward Hampshire reveals the fascinating history of the nuclear-powered attack submarines built and operated by the Soviet Union in the Cold War, including each class of these formidable craft as they developed throughout the Cold War period.The November class, which were the Soviet Union''s first nuclear submarines, had originally been designed to fire a single enormous nuclear tipped torpedo but were eventually completed as boats firing standard torpedoes. The Alfa class were perhaps the most remarkable submarines of the Cold War: titanium-hulled (which was light and strong but extremely expensive and difficult to weld successfully), crewed with only thirty men due to considerable automation and 30% faster than Table of ContentsIntroduction Weapons Systems and Sensors November Class (Projects 627, 627A and 645) Victor Class (Projects 671, 671RT, 671RTM, 671RTMK) Alfa Class (Project 705) Mike Class (Project 685) Sierra I and II Classes (Projects 945/945A) Akula Class (Project 971) Operational Service Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFor many years the first battle of St Albans was regarded as a ‘short scuffle in the street’. A.W. Boardman, the author of Towton 1461: The Anatomy of a Battle, proves this was not the case. Indeed, the battle was unique and a significant event in England’s medieval history.The street fighting was widespread, the town was pillaged in the aftermath, Henry VI was almost killed, and the battle’s political consequences proved so problematic for both sides that parliament used official propaganda to conceal the truth.St Albans was, along with other lesser-known battles of the early 1450s, the genesis of the Wars of the Roses, and it is probably the best-documented encounter of the period. The battle heralded the beginning of an intense blood feud that fuelled the civil wars between York and Lancaster for many generations. But what really happened in the streets of St Albans on 22 May 1455? What prompted Richard Duke of York and the Neville family to rebel against Henry VI? And who were the instigators of the conflict that caused the execution and deaths of a substantial portion of England’s nobility by the end of the fifteenth century?This book answers these questions and discusses the theories about St Albans following a detailed and multi-disciplined approach. A.W. Boardman reveals the anatomy of a battle hidden beneath the streets and alleyways of this modern city and explains the wider issues of the Wars of the Roses in northern England. Illustrated throughout with contemporary images, modern photographs and specially drawn battle maps, this new and fully updated edition is a thorough examination of the sources, the terrain and the military significance of the first battle of St Albans: a battle where the streets ran red with blood.

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Book SynopsisJohn Singer Sargent's Gassed is one of IWM's most iconic and best-loved objects. Truly monumental in scale, it is also the largest painting in the museum's collection and has been on near-constant display since it was first exhibited in 1919. A favourite among visitors and the most requested image by researchers and publishers, the work endures as a lasting symbol of modern art in public service, and of the transformative conflict from which it came. In the following pages IWM's Head of Art Rebecca Newell traces the origins of this large and powerful painting in the final months of the First World War and celebrates the vibrancy and visual power of the work, revealed once again during recent conservation. John Singer Sargent's Gassed reflects on the challenges of creating and displaying a canvas of such size and the dramatic impact the work has had on generations of visitors to IWM. Finally, the book considers the painting's enduring legacy in the context of art inspired by conflict - a legacy now secured for future generations.

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Book SynopsisAn examination of the Venezuela 1992 military uprisings that marked the onset of the Bolivarian Revolution and a new political era in Latin America.Rich in oil, Venezuela should have been one of the wealthiest nations in Latin America, if not the world, yet in the 1980s its economy collapsed plunging many of its citizens into poverty. In 1992 elements of the armed forces of Venezuela twice attempted to overthrow the nation?s government. These coup attempts saw the army, navy and air force fighting one another and the other security forces on the streets and in skies of Venezuela in what would ultimately prove, in 1992 at least, to be futile attempts at revolution. For Now and Forever! examines these 1992 coup attempts.Like many South American countries, Venezuela has had something of a tumultuous history, the modern independent state being born in 1830 following a series of revolutions and wars against Spain and breaking away from Gran Columbia, with further civil wars and confrontation with European powers continuing into the early twentieth century. Politically, the country veered between various forms of democracy and dictatorship marred by occasional violence. A left-wing revolutionary guerilla movement in the 1960s failed to gain popular support and was ruthlessly suppressed.Oil was discovered in Venezuela in the early twentieth century and for a while brought prosperity to the country. Following the Middle East war and crisis of 1973 oil prices soared and Venezuela borrowed heavily on this basis; when in the 1980s oil prices crashed, so did Venezuela?s economy. Growing discontent led to the Caracazo riots in 1989 that were brutally put down by the security forces leaving hundreds of protesters dead.Many junior officers in the military had long sought reform and revolution. Cultivated by future president Hugo Chávez and the MBR-200 (Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement-200), the events of 1989 provided a spark to action that would lead to two attempts to conduct military coups in 1992 to overthrow President Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez.For Now and Forever! provides a detailed two-volume military history of the 1992 coup attempts. The first volume examines the history, organisation and equipment of Venezuela?s armed forces, the political background and causes of discontent within the country, the 1989 Caracazo riots, and the early stages of the first coup attempt in February 1992. This volume is richly illustrated throughout with original photographs and includes specially commissioned artworks and maps.

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Book SynopsisTHE UNTOLD STORY OF BRITAIN'S MOST SECRETIVE SPECIAL FORCES UNITJune 1942. The shadow of the Third Reich falls across Europe. In desperation, Winston Churchill and his chief of staff form an unusual plan - a new commando unit made up of Jewish refugees. This top secret unit becomes known as X Troop. Others simply call them a suicide squad.From British internment camps, to the beaches of Normandy, the battlefields of Italy and Holland, and the hellscape of Terezin concentration camp, Leah Garrett follows this band of brothers who will stop at nothing to defeat the Nazis.'A thrilling, stirring story' Daily Telegraph'Gripping... Garrett's chief strength is her ability to relight the lamps of the past so that they glow anew' The TimesTrade ReviewX Troop is brilliantly researched, utterly gripping history * Alex Kershaw, author of The First Wave *Gripping... Garrett's chief strength is her ability to relight the lamps of the past so that they glow anew * The Times *This is Inglourious Basterds but much better. Because it is the real story of clandestine Jewish fighters wreaking havoc against the Nazi war machine * Norman Ohler, author of Blitzed *This dramatic, previously untold story of extraordinary covert valour and victory takes readers all across the European front... A rousing and redefining portrait of an, until now, overlooked group of dedicated warriors * Booklist *A compelling read... Garrett's evocation of the tension and drama of the many clandestine operations in Europe undertaken by X-Troopers is gripping * Sydney Morning Herald *Gripping... Garrett's chief strength is her ability to relight the lamps of the past so that they glow anew -- James Owen * The Times *Leah Garrett's X Troop is brilliantly researched, utterly gripping history: the first full account of a remarkable group of Jewish refugees-a top-secret band of brothers-who waged war on Hitler -- Alex Kershaw, New York Times best-selling author of The Longest Winter, The Bedford Boys, and The LiberatorThis is Inglorious Basterds-but much better. Because it is the real story of clandestine Jewish fighters wreaking havoc against the Nazi war machine -- Norman Ohler, New York Times best-selling author of Blitzed and The BohemiansA compelling read . . . Garrett's evocation of the tension and drama of the many clandestine operations in Europe undertaken by X-Troopers is gripping * Sydney Morning Herald *Part history and part mystery, X-Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos of World War II tells a compelling and little known story about an improbable group of "British" soldiers who made an important contribution to the war effort. Their transformation from interned "enemy aliens" to soldiers with high security clearances is fascinating -- Deborah E. Lipstadt, author of Antisemitism Here and Now

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Book SynopsisA family-authorised biography of one of the top-scoring aces of the Battle of Britain.Trade Review‘Among all the many stories of the Battle of Britain, Bob Doe’s stands out. In this sensitive and well-researched biography we see the modest man behind the fighter ace.’ -- Richard Overy‘Compelling and moving.’ -- Stephen Bungay‘[A] truly wonderful biography ... meticulously researched and referenced and also expertly written in a fashion that makes it an exceptionally good read ... If one were to recommend a single fighter pilot biography ... this would be it.’ -- Britain at War'This book is probably the best biographical account I have read of anybody in any walk of life and I recommend it without reservation. Whilst the final comment from Doe, that he and his colleagues should not be seen as heroes but remembered for what they did, is probably a good reflection of the man but perhaps too modest, given the pivotal importance of the Battle of Britain and its place in history.' -- Royal Air Force Historical Society, Journal 65 (2017) pp. 129-131

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Book SynopsisThe truth & the myths about the legless Battle of Britain fighter aceTrade Review‘At long last, the definitive account of Bader’s career by his most knowledgeable biographer’ -- Professor Paul Mackenzie

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary tale of the remarkable bond between one man and his dog during the Second World War.Trade ReviewNo Better Friend personifies the relationship we all aspire to have with our dogs, and takes us on a harrowing journey to a place and time lost in the history books. A must read * Robin Hutton, author of Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse *Robert Weintraub captures the beauty and power of friendship and loyalty between man and animal in this captivating narrative. We'd all be lucky to have a dog like Judy by our sides in our darkest times * Cate Lineberry, author of The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines *Both a testament to animal intelligence and a much overdue account of canine sacrifice and service, No Better Friend is also masterfully told. Soaring and graceful, Weintraub's narrative reclaims the history of two unlikely heroes - in a tale that is the stuff of which Hollywood blockbusters are built * Mim Eichler Rivas, author Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World and co-author of The Pursuit of Happyness with Chris Gardner *A thought-provoking story about human suffering in conflict * Soldier *

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Book SynopsisThe Red Army suffered such catastrophic losses of armor in the summer of 1941 that they begged Britain and the United States to send tanks. The first batches arrived in late 1941, just in time to take part in the defense of Moscow. The supplies of British tanks encompassed a very wide range of types including the Matilda, Churchill, and Valentine and even a few Tetrarch airborne tanks. American tanks included the M3 (Stuart) light tank and M3 (Lee) medium tank and the M4 Sherman tank, which became so common in 1944-45 that entire Soviet tank corps were equipped with the type. With these Western tanks, the Soviets were finally able to beat back the German tide in the East.This study examines the different types of tanks shipped to the Soviet Union during the war, Soviet assessments of their merits and problems, and combat accounts of their use in Soviet service using full color artwork, contemporary photographs and detailed cut-away illustrations.

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Book SynopsisIn 1917 the soldiers of the Canadian Corps would prove themselves the equal of any fighting on the Western Front, while on the other side of the wire, the men of the Royal Bavarian Army won a distinguished reputation in combat. Employing the latest weapons and pioneering tactics, these two forces would clash in three notable encounters: the Canadian storming of Vimy Ridge, the back-and-forth engagement at Fresnoy and at the sodden, bloody battle of Passchendaele. Featuring carefully chosen archive photographs and specially commissioned artwork, this study assesses these three hard-fought battles in 1917 on the Western Front, and offers a new take on the evolving nature of infantry combat in World War I.

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Book SynopsisThe Men Who Would Be Kings is a set of rules designed for fighting historical or Hollywood colonial battles in the mid- to late-Nineteenth Century, from the Indian Mutiny to the Boxer Rebellion. Large scale colonial clashes tended to be one-sided affairs, but there are countless reports of brief, frantic skirmishes in every colonial war--where either side could be victorious--and these are the battles that The Men Who Would Be Kings seeks to recreate. Although focusing on the British colonial wars against the Zulus, Maoris, and others, these rules will also permit players to explore the empires of France, Germany, and other nations, as well as allowing for battles between rival native factions. Gameplay is very simple, and is driven by the quality of the officers leading your units, in the true spirit of Victorian derring-do and adventure, where larger than life characters such as the (real) Fred Burnaby and the (fictional) Harry Flashman led their troops to glory and medTable of ContentsOverview/ Understanding the basics/ Playing the game/ Army lists/ Strategies and tactics/ Sample armies/ Scenarios/ Campaigns

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Book SynopsisWhat is the definition of assassination? Robert Baer's boss at the CIA once told him, 'It's a bullet with a man's name on it.' Sometimes assassination is the senseless act of a psychotic, a bloodletting without social value. Other times, it can be the sanest and most humane way to change the course of conflict: one bullet, one death, case closed. Assassination has been dramatised by literature and politicised by infamous murders throughout history, and for Robert Baer, one of the most accomplished agents ever to work for the CIA, it's a source of endless fascination. Over several decades, Baer served as an operative, from Iraq to India and beyond. In THE PERFECT KILL, he takes us on a wildly entertaining narrative adventure through a history of political murder, interweaving his first-hand experience and his decades-long cat-and-mouse hunt for the greatest assassin of the modern age. A true maverick with an undeniably captivating personal story, Baer pulls back the curtain to give a glimpse of the underbelly of world politics, and the quiet murderers who operate on the fringe of our society.Trade ReviewThe Perfect Kill is a meditation on the art of political murder. Baer knows his subject -- ED CAESAR * SUNDAY TIMES *This potted history of assassination, with its carefully worded anecdotes and sense of absolute authenticity is intriguing, terrifying and occasionally lightened by the author's drily black sense of humour -- Russel D McLean * GLASGOW HERALD *riveting and insightful * BIGNEWSNETWORK.COM *

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Book SynopsisThe first of John Master's evocative memoirs about life in the Gurkhas in India on the cusp of WWII

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Book SynopsisA major new history of the most infamous battle of the First World War, as described by the men who fought it.

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Book SynopsisWorld War Two was the most devastating conflict in recorded human history. It was both global in extent and total in character. It has understandably left a long and dark shadow across the decades. Yet it is three generations since hostilities formally ended in 1945 and the conflict is now a lived memory for only a few. And this growing distance in time has allowed historians to think differently about how to describe it, how to explain its course, and what subjects to focus on when considering the wartime experience. For instance, as World War Two recedes ever further into the past, even a question as apparently basic as when it began and ended becomes less certain. Was it 1939, when the war in Europe began? Or the summer of 1941, with the beginning of Hitler''s war against the Soviet Union? Or did it become truly global only when the Japanese brought the USA into the war at the end of 1941? And what of the long conflict in East Asia, beginning with the Japanese aggression in China in the early 1930s and only ending with the triumph of the Chinese Communists in 1949? In The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two a team of leading historians re-assesses the conflict for a new generation, exploring the course of the war not just in terms of the Allied response but also from the viewpoint of the Axis aggressor states. Under Richard Overy''s expert editorial guidance, the contributions take us from the genesis of war, through the action in the major theatres of conflict by land, sea, and air, to assessments of fighting power and military and technical innovation, the economics of total war, the culture and propaganda of war, and the experience of war (and genocide) for both combatants and civilians, concluding with an account of the transition from World War to Cold War in the late 1940s. Together, they provide a stimulating and thought-provoking new interpretation of one of the most terrible and fascinating episodes in world history.Trade Review... The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two is a thoughtful and thought-provoking volume, which succeeds very well in bringing at least a taste of the wealth of current Second World War scholarship to a wider audience. There is much here to admire; not least the erudition of the contributors and the eclectic and original selection of photographs ... an excellent, concise and enlightening volume. As such, it is a worth addition to the library of every student and every scholar of the conflict. * Roger Moorhouse, History Today *A stimulating and thought-provoking new interpretation of one of the most terrible episodes in world history. * Military History *The Oxford Illustrated History of World War II is an exemplary book that not only provides an insightful and in-depth analysis of the war from both sides, but does so while providing an astounding array of photographs, some in vivid colour, of the real and devastating effects of war experienced by both civilians and combatants. * Ireland's Eye *Compelling in its narrative, fascinating in its detail, magisterial in its analysis, global in its breadth, Richard Overy, one of our outstanding scholars of mid-20th Century history, here delivers a military, political and economic history of WW2, aided by a galaxy of distinguished scholars, that is essential, accessible reading for general readers as well as students. * Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin: the Court of the Red Tsar *Incisive essays by leading scholars, richly illustrated with unfamiliar pictures, make this an ideal introduction to the defining conflict of the twentieth century - from which our contemporary world still struggles to recover. * David Reynolds, University of Cambridge, and author of In Command of History: Churchill Fighting and Writing the Second World War *A welcome and most useful addition to the historical literature ... the photographs, many of them new to me, were a real delight. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the war. * Paul Kennedy, Yale University, and author of Engineers of Victory and The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers *combines a breadth and depth not seen in much military history writing. The skillful analysis of each chapter does not sacrifice narrative ability to address topics ranging from the German, Italian, and Japanese conduct of the land, sea, and air wars to the political intricacies of the Grand Alliance, scientific innovation, and the cultural history of the war ... Did this reviewer mention the illustrations? Astounding. * M. A. Mengerink, CHOICE *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgements ; Editor's Introduction ; 1. The Genesis of World War ; 2. Japan's War in Asia ; 3. The Italian Wars ; 4. The German Wars ; 5. The West and the War at Sea ; 6. The Allies from Defeat to Victory ; 7. Fighting Power: World War and Military Innovation ; 8. Economies in Total War ; 9. Front Line I: Armed Forces at War ; 10. Front Line II: Civilians at War ; 11. Unnatural Deaths ; 12. War, Invention, and Experts ; 13. The Culture of War: Propaganda, Arts and Ideas ; 14. From World War to Cold War ; Epilogue ; Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe story of a small town near Auschwitz and of its local Nazi administrator. An ordinary functionary and family man without whose help, and those of thousands like him, the murderous plans of the Nazi elite could never have been fully realized.Trade ReviewIn many ways, A Small Town near Auschwitz is about seeing and not seeing, of integrating and not integrating. The book itself illuminates more than it hides, includes more than it omits. It is the work of a sensitive professional historian examining a matter of urgent personal interest: how could someone close to her family have perpetrated one of the great crimes of the century? Catherine Epstein, American Historical ReviewTable of ContentsPreface ; 1. Legacies of Violence ; 2. Bedzin before 1939 ; 3. Border Crossings ; 4. The Making of a Nazi Landrat ; 5. An Early Question of Violence ; 6. 'Only administration' ; 7. Means of Survival ; 8. Escalation, 1941-42 ; 9. Towards Extermination ; 10. The Deportations of August 1942 ; 11. Ghettoization for the 'Final Solution' ; 12. Final Thresholds ; 13. Afterwards and After-words ; Notes ; Index

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

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

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

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

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Book SynopsisIn the spring of 1945 the Allies arrested the physicists they believed had worked on the German nuclear programme during the war. Interned in an English country house, their conversations were secretly recorded. MI6's Operation Epsilon sought to determine how close Nazi Germany had come to building an atomic bomb. It was in this remote setting - Farm Hall, near Cambridge - that the German physicists first heard of the bombing ofHiroshima. August 6 1945 was a night that changed the course of history. The terrible weapon unleashed on Japan caused unprecedented destruction and loss of life. That the Allies had such a weapon at their disposal came as a great shock to the German scientists who had worked under the assumption that the Allies knew nothing of nuclear fission. This is the story of the wartime race to develop an atomic bomb, and the genius, guilt, complicity and hubris of Nobel Prize-winning scientists working to create a weapon that would undoubtedly have won the war for the Germans.

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Book SynopsisBy December 1942, the Soviets had surrounded the German 6th Army in Stalingrad, cutting off all lines of supply except through the air. Seeking to sever this last German lifeline, Soviet Command decided to launch a raid with the entire 24th Tank Corps to seize the airfield at Tatsinskaya, the primary operating base for the German airlift efforts. On 17 December, the 24th Tank Corps advanced toward Tatsinskaya, seizing the airfield on Christmas Eve. The Soviet tankers succeeded in destroying many Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground, but afterwards found themselves isolated and out of fuel behind the German lines. Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein rapidly organized a counterattack with elements of two panzer divisions, crushing most of the raiding force between 26 and 28 December. Just before the raiding force was annihilated, it received permission to abandon its heavy equipment and escape back to Soviet lines on foot. Thus, the raiders accomplished their mission of severely disrupting the airlift to Stalingrad, but at the cost of an entire tank corps.

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Book SynopsisAs commander of No. 11 Group, Fighter Command and responsible for the air defence of London and South-East England, Keith Park took charge of the day-to-day direction of the battle. In spotlighting his thoughts and actions during the crisis, Vincent Orange reveals a man whose unfailing energy, courage and cool resourcefulness won not only supreme praise from Churchill but the lasting respect and admiration of all who served under him. However, few officers in any of the services packed more action into their lives, and this book covers the whole of his career youth in New Zealand, success as an ace fighter pilot in World War I, postings to South America and Egypt, Battle of Britain, Command of the RAF in Malta 1942/43, and finally Allied Air Commander-in-Chief of SE Asia under Mountbatten in 1945. His contribution to victory and peace was immense and this biography does much to shed light on the Big Wing controversy of 1940 and give insight into the war in Burma, 1945, and how the huge problems remaining after the wars sudden end were dealt with. Drawn largely from unpublished sources and interviews with people who knew Park, and illustrated with maps and photographs, this is an authoritative biography of one of the worlds greatest unsung heroes.

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Book SynopsisIn the vast literature of the Second World War there has never been a naval atlas showing graphically the complexities of the war at sea, a war which spread across every ocean. This new book will fill the gap.With more than 200 beautifully-designed maps and charts, the atlas sets out to visualise the great campaigns and major battles as well as the smaller operations, amphibious landings, convoys, sieges, skirmishes and sinkings. While whole sections are given over to the Pacific war, the battle of the Atlantic and the campaigns in the Mediterranean, smaller but crucial events such as the landings at Dieppe receive in-depth treatment. The maps depict the dynamics of campaigns and battles but also include extensive information on the opposing forces, their ships and equipment and the strategic significance of events. General thematic maps, for instance, on ship losses, aerial strengths or convoy routes, give the reader an understanding of the many contributing factors that shaped the tactics and strategies of the Allied and Axis forces.No other work has attempted such an ambitious coverage of the war at sea in this period and it is destined to become a definitive reference work for naval enthusiasts and historians as well as general readers fascinated by the naval war that extended from the coldest arctic seas to the tropical islands of the Pacific.

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Book SynopsisThe German campaign in France during the summer of 1940 was pivotal to Hitler's ambitions and fundamentally affected the course of the Second World War. Having squabbled about fighting methods right up to the start of the campaign, the German forces provided the Führer with a swift, efficient and decisive military victory over the Allied forces.In achieving in just six weeks what their fathers had failed to accomplish during the four years of the First World War, Germany altered the balance of power in Europe at a stroke. Yet, as Lloyd Clark shows in this enthralling new book, it was far from a foregone conclusion. Blitzkrieg tells the story of the campaign, while highlighting the key technologies, decisions and events that led to German success, and details the mistakes, good fortune and chronic weaknesses in their planning process and approach to war fighting. There are also compelling portraits of the officers who played key roles, including Heinz Guderian, Erwin Rommel, Kurt Student, Charles de Gaulle and Bernard Montgomery.Clark argues that far from being undefeatable, the France 1940 campaign revealed Germany and its armed forces to be highly vulnerable - a fact dismissed by Hitler as he began to plan for his invasion of the Soviet Union - and offers a gripping reassessment of the myths that have built up around one of the Second World War's greatest military victories.Trade ReviewThis genuinely revisionist account of the Battle of France in 1940 proves a deeply shocking fact - we are essentially still in thrall to the view of Blitzkrieg tactics that Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels wanted us to have, even over three-quarters of a century later. Lloyd Clark's brilliant analysis proves that Fall Gelb (the Germans' Plan Yellow) wasn't all about unstoppable, superior panzers and Stukas, but was in fact an audacious, highly risky infantry-based plan that could have gone badly wrong given a different Allied mindset. * Andrew Roberts *Lloyd Clark has written a lucid, intelligent and thought-provoking reappraisal... His groundbreaking, detailed research will make it the seminal work on the fall of France in 1940. The story of the breakthrough unfolds at a fascinating and cracking pace... Blitzkrieg is a remarkable book that will reshape many of the traditional assertions made about this battle. * Robert Kershaw *A breakthrough book, bringing the drama of Hitler's May 1940 offensive in France vividly to life - alongside a major reappraisal of the campaign's significance. Excellent. * Michael Jones *A compelling and fresh retelling of one of the century's most intriguing and significant campaigns. * BBC History Magazine *A masterly account teeming with vivid personalities and the usual mixture of heroism, incompetence, and luck * Kirkus Reviews *In this new volume, acclaimed historian Lloyd Clark . . . paints a very different look at the German victory . . . Clark does an excellent job of describing the first critical five days of the campaign . . . He highlights multiple opportunities the French and British had to stop the German advance at vulnerable moments . . . Lloyd presents a well-balanced narrative that highlights the knife-edge victory of the German forces. * New York Journal of Books *

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Book SynopsisKoonz’s latest work reveals how racial popularizers developed the infrastructure and rationale for genocide during the so-called normal years before World War II. Challenging conventional assumptions about Hitler, Koonz locates the source of his charisma not in his summons to hate, but in his appeal to the collective virtue of his people, the Volk.Trade ReviewFaced with the German degradation and murder of the Jews from 1933 to 1945, historians and, indeed, so many thoughtful men and women have posed no question more insistently than, 'How could it happen?' Claudia Koonz's powerfully written study of the inculcation of a Nazi racialist ethos in the years before extermination answers this question as persuasively as any other to date. -- Charles S. Maier, author of The Unmasterable Past: History, Holocaust, and German National IdentityIn this valuable and original book, Claudia Koonz analyzes how the Nazis legitimized the Third Reich and facilitated Hitler's consensual dictatorship and genocidal policies. This daring reinterpretation of the relationship between the Nazi leadership, its middle- and low-ranking cadres, and other sectors of the German population shows the gradual shift in public opinion toward the regime's worldview. Ultimately, Nazism created a positive, moral image of itself just as it sanctioned the annihilation of enemies perceived as unethical and immoral. -- Omer Bartov, author of Germany's War and the Holocaust: Disputed HistoriesClaudia Koonz's arresting new book makes the case that between 1933 and 1939, before the Second World War and the Holocaust, the Nazis built a perverse ethical consensus in Germany. Preaching fears of racial weakness along with pride and commitment to a new moral order, self-righteous opinion leaders created an ethnic fundamentalism--of which we have not, she suggests in a closing reflection, seen the last. -- Michael R. Marrus, author of The Holocaust In HistoryThis is an artfully written book, with engaging asides and a captivating sense of detail and touching comment that is rare for a volume on Nazism. I don't know where else I've learned so much about everyday life and culture under Nazism. -- Robert N. Proctor, author of The Nazi War on CancerHitler, Koonz says, understood the German people's need for a sense of coherence in the wake of what many saw as the degeneracy of the Weimar Republic--and 'he promised to rescue old-fashioned values of honor and dignity' by offering a secular faith to replace lost religious certainties. Koonz explores the promotion of these beliefs in German culture and law, and how they led to the catastrophe of the Holocaust, adding much to our understanding of how a civilized society could reach such infamous levels of violence. * Publishers Weekly *Claudia Koonz...explains in her insightful new book how Germans, who were among Europe's least anti-Semitic people, came to support a leadership that sought to annihilate European Jewry...The readiness of many Germans to acquiesce evolved as a consequence of their internalization of the knowledge that was disseminated apparently by legitimate institutions of the state. As Koonz notes, the indoctrination was successful because there was little reason to question the facts conveyed by experts, documentary films, educational materials, and popular science. The German public was reeducated to support the elimination of Jews, Gypsies, the chronically ill, and other categories of the 'unfit'--all as a moral good, consistent with the dictates of conscience. Koonz's prodigious work is a major contribution to our understanding of the social and ideological history of the Third Reich. -- Jack Fischel * Weekly Standard *Koonz does not deny the existence of extremist and violent anti-Semites in the Nazi leadership. But her stress on the moderate way their ultimately genocidal plans were presented as necessary cruelties adds an important dimension in our understanding of the Nazi regime and its crime. -- Antony Polonsky * Boston Globe *Trudl Junge, former personal secretary to Adolf Hitler, once noted that the Führer's success came with his ability to manipulate other people's conscience. On a vast scale, the German people no longer knew right from wrong. Koonz presents a compelling argument to suggest that Junge was in some degree right. The Germans did not surrender their conscience but submitted to its transformation away from conventional Western notions of right and wrong to a radical, racial nationalism that established criteria for assessing moral actions and outcomes. -- J. Kleiman * Choice *Koonz displays the gradual transformation of the traditional idea of conscience into something that was utterly shaped by the subordination of one's own self to that of the Volk. -- Aharon ben Anshel * Jewish Press *[Koonz] documents in exemplary fashion what the historical actors actually thought, felt, advocated, planned, and organized before they acted...impressively researched, lucidly organized, disturbing, yet eminently readable. -- Michael Meyer * American Historical Review *Table of ContentsPrologue 1. An Ethnic Conscience 2. The Politics of Virtue 3. Allies in the Academy 4. The Conquest of Political Culture 5. Ethnic Revival and Racist Anxiety 6. The Swastika in the Heart of the Youth 7. Law and the Racial Order 8. The Quest for a Respectable Racism 9. Racial Warriors 10. Racial War at Home Abbreviations Notes Acknowledgments Illustration Credits Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis book is a must for anybody who is interested in machines that have changed the world of aviation and have been instrumental in the development of other iconic aircraft. It could also be used as reference for plastic modellers who may find it useful for some of the finer detail they require. The author has delivered another excellent volume and this will be a very welcome addition to any discerning aviation enthusiast. Anyone with a general interest in aviation will enjoy this book. Sven Atkin

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Book SynopsisPeter Tunstall's unforgettable memoir of his days in the RAF and as one of the most celebrated of all British POWs.Trade Review'A remarkable memoir of a British lad's salad days flying bombers against the Nazis and then repeatedly escaping their prison camps... An engrossing valediction to the tough, imaginative generation forged by the war' Kirkus Reviews'The historical account of behind-the-scenes drama makes this a valuable addition to the period literature' Publishers Weekly'The story is not sugar coated to make things lighter than they were. The stark reality of war is ever present in his detailed accounting of life as a prisoner of war. We are taken through the highs and lows of not only each failed attempt but the psychological effects of imprisonment on himself, others in the camps and ultimately how it changed each person involved' Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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Book SynopsisThe first in a two volume series, this book provides a study of another significant arm of the Luftwaffe that has not been covered to date, Aufklarungsflieger or reconnaissance units. Although such operations are sometimes erroneously perceived as being of lesser importance due to their apparent lack of an offensive function, the Luftwaffe was very advanced in its espousal of the importance of the doctrine of reconnaissance and fully understood its benefits. in fact, no single arm of the Luftwaffe operated such a wide range of aircraft types and many of the operations conducted by the Aufklarungsflieger units were of vital importance to the German war effort.This title covers the aircraft and operations of the reconnaissance units from their origins, in clandestine survey and photographic work over Poland and the United Kingdom in the 1930s, through the first part of World War 2 when they were used during the Spanish Civil War. Aufklarungsflieger were involved on every front where the Luftwaffe fought, from Poland in the east to Britain in the west and they also played their part in operations in the invasions of the Balkans and Russia. On the Russian and Mediterranean fronts, short-range reconnaissance usually involved low-level missions over enemy territory using the ubiquitous Fieseler Fi 156 Storch and Hs 126 biplanes, though Bf 109s and Fw 190s were also employed in such activities. Also included is coverage of the ''Wekusta'' weather reconnaissance units, responsible for the collection of meteorological data, where, because of the proximity of the enemy, normal land based observation was not possible. These units were assigned directly to the Meteorological Service of the Luftwaffe High Command and were considered very valuable assets.In the style of the already published Jagdwaffe, Kampflieger, Nachtjager, Transporter and Zerstorer series, this latest addition to the range will be welcomed by the many modelers, aviation enthusiasts and historians who are still interested in the activities, colours and markings of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisHow the age of the great WWI aces came to an end in the skies over the Western FrontTrade ReviewCasts fresh light on the broader canvas of the war * Daily Telegraph *a fascinating account of the rise and fall of the men who pioneered aerial combat...first-hand recollections bring the subject to life * Northern Echo *A timely book...this is a requiem for the brave men involved * Big Issue in the North *casts fresh light on the broader canvas of the war * DAILY TELEGRAPH *a fascinating account of the rise and fall of the men who pioneered aerial combat...first-hand recollections bring the subject to life * NORTHERN ECHO *A timely book...this is a requiem for the brave men involved * BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH *

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Book SynopsisBy 1916 the force had not been relieved, and on 29 April 1916 the British Army suffered one of the worst defeats in military history. His other publications include A Guide to the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, Kut 1916 and Loyal to Empire (The History Press, 2016).

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Book SynopsisThe definitive story of the Dresden bombingTrade Review'In narrative power and persuasion, he has paralleled in Dresden what Antony Beevor achieved in Stalingrad' Independent on Sunday 'A well-written, scholarly account' Guardian 'Well-researched and unpretentious ... fascinating ... Taylor skilfully interweaves various personal accounts of the impact of the raids' Michael Burleigh, Guardian 'Impressive ... Taylor weaves a chilling narrative from eyewitness accounts and painstaking documentary research, particularly with German sources. He explains the conceptual and strategic background with admirable clarity. His account of the air operation itself is quite superb' The Times

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Book SynopsisThe fourth volume in this momentous series commences with the attacks on the Italian island fortress of Pantellaria which led to its surrender and occupation achieved almost by air attack alone. The account continues with the ultimately successful, but at times very hard fought, invasions of Sicily and southern Italy as burgeoning Allied air power, now with full US involvement, increasingly dominated the skies overhead. The successive occupations of Sardinia and Corsica are also covered in detail. This volume, then, is essentially the story of the tactical air forces up to the point when Rome was occupied, just at the same time as the Normandy landings were occurring in north-west France. In its pages are found what can justifiably be considered the story of `the soldiers’ air force’. Frequently overlooked by more immediate newsworthy events elsewhere, their struggle was often of an equally Homeric nature. With regards to the long-range tactical role of the Allied heavy bombers, only the period from May to October is examined herein, while they remained based in North Africa. Thus the period from November 1943 when the US 15th Air Force was formed to pursue the strategic air offensive against the Reich, together with the RAF’s 205 Group of night bombers, will be covered in a future (sixth) volume. Volume Five will deal with the rest of the tactical war in Italy and Greece, over the Adriatic and Aegean, and with the entry into the South of France to join forces advancing southwards from Normandy.Trade ReviewVolume four is highly recommended, one of the best books of the year, and we're already impatient to see volume five. -- Bill Stone * Stone & Stone *

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Book SynopsisThis is a major new study of Italian naval camouflage schemes developed and used during World War Two. When Italy entered the War in June 1942, the Regia Marina (Italian navy) was a force still under development and both Italian warships and merchant ships faced the War in their peace colours; and nor had any had prewar plans been made for camouflaging ships. At that time all the principal warships were painted in a light matt grey ('grigio cenerino chiaro'), which had been adopted in the 1920s and early '30s. With the advent of War, and the start of convoy traffic to Libya, the need to camouflage ships for purposes of deception, rather than outright concealment, became apparent and the first initiatives were undertaken. In the first part of the book, employing contemporary schematic drawings, photographs and his own CAD profiles, the author describes the development of the varied schemes that were adopted for the capital ships, such as _Caio Duilia_ and _Littorio_, cruisers, destroyers and torpedo boats, landing craft and merchant ships; even the royal yacht and small tugs were given camouflage schemes. In the second, and longest, part he depicts all the ships and their schemes, at different dates, with both sides of a ship shown where possible, in his own beautifully rendered schematic profiles, all in full colour, and it is this section with more than 700 drawings that gives the reader a complete and detailed picture of the whole development of Italian naval camouflage. He also looks in detail at the Greek theatre where there were many exceptions, influenced by the German presence and by the camouflage schemes of captured vessels. This major new reference book will prove invaluable to historians, collectors, modelmakers and wargamers and follows in the wake of the hugely successful Seaforth editions covering German and British camouflage schemes of the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisThe first full account of an African secession that introduced the modern mercenary ‒ and killed the head of the United Nations

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Book SynopsisHow perceptual technologies have shaped the history of war from the Renaissance to the present From ubiquitous surveillance to drone strikes that put “warheads onto foreheads,” we live in a world of globalized, individualized targeting. The perils are great. In The Eye of War, Antoine Bousquet provides both a sweeping historical overview of military perception technologies and a disquieting lens on a world that is, increasingly, one in which anything or anyone that can be perceived can be destroyed—in which to see is to destroy. Arguing that modern-day global targeting is dissolving the conventionally bounded spaces of armed conflict, Bousquet shows that over several centuries, a logistical order of militarized perception has come into ascendancy, bringing perception and annihilation into ever-closer alignment. The efforts deployed to evade this deadly visibility have correspondingly intensified, yielding practices of radical concealment that presage a wholesale disappearance of the customary space of the battlefield. Beginning with the Renaissance’s fateful discovery of linear perspective, The Eye of War discloses the entanglement of the sciences and techniques of perception, representation, and localization in the modern era amid the perpetual quest for military superiority. In a survey that ranges from the telescope, aerial photograph, and gridded map to radar, digital imaging, and the geographic information system, Bousquet shows how successive technological systems have profoundly shaped the history of warfare and the experience of soldiering. A work of grand historical sweep and remarkable analytical power, The Eye of War explores the implications of militarized perception for the character of war in the twenty-first century and the place of human subjects within its increasingly technical armature.Trade Review"This wonderfully erudite genealogy of the increasingly precise ways in which the linkage of military perception and weaponry has brought us to the point where being detected puts one within a spatio-temporally fine-grained ‘kill box’ is fascinating and important. Ranging over hundreds of years of documents, beginning with telescopes and ending with the overlap of light and death in the laser, Bousquet’s work will be both at the forefront of security studies and a crucial addition to the knowledge base of concerned citizens."—John Protevi, author of Life, War, Earth: Deleuze and the Sciences"The Eye of War is a masterful contemporary history of the martial gaze that reviews the relation between seeing and targeting. The expansion of ocularcentrism—the ubiquitization of vision as power—Antoine Bousquet shows us, coincides with the inverse: the relegation of the eye to an instrument of a war order that relies on the sensorium as the means to its own ends. As he traces the development of a technocracy of military vision, Bousquet discloses the vision of a military technocracy that has transformed the given world into units of perception indistinct from ‘kill boxes.’"—Daniel Bertrand Monk, Colgate University"This book dives deeply back into history of canonic studies of perspective and projective geometry, recognised as founding methods for further the rationalisation of visions and mathematization of space, as well as introducing the first technologies of space-measuring as distance meter. " —Leonardo ReviewsTable of ContentsIntroduction: Visibility Equals Death1. Perspective2. Sensing3. Imaging4. Mapping5. HidingConclusion: A Global Imperium of TargetingAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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