Military History Books

Book SynopsisIan Knight's Warriors in Scarlet is a comprehensive and stirring history of the Victorian army between 1837 to 1860, from the Battle of Bossendon Wood to the Crimean War, a period of seismic change.An acclaimed military historian, Knight draws on first-hand accounts to show us the reality of life for the British soldier in this era – the drudgery of peace-time service, the excitement and privations of posting overseas, the floggings and desertions, the regimental pride and comradeship. The rapid expansion of the empire saw the army fighting in small wars across the world and Knight reveals the brutal reality of this colonial conflict from both sides. British soldiers trained in tactics that had beaten Napoleon were forced to adapt when faced with warriors with very different skills fighting on their home ground.Knight vividly recreates the action, from bloody skirmishes in Southern Africa and siege warfare in New Zealand to disasters like the Trade Review‘Ian Knight has long been an outstanding military historian of the nineteenth century, and here he mobilizes all his experience in an impressively researched and highly readable analysis of those British soldiers who served in all the corners of Queen Victoria’s empire . . . he paints vivid but also nuanced portraits not just of the men who took the Queen’s shilling, but also those who faced them on the battlefield, where at times they delivered devastating defeats against Victoria’s red-coated warriors’ -- Tony Pollard, Professor of Conflict History and Archaeology, University of GlasgowIan Knight masterfully shows that history might appear well-ordered when looking back at events, but at the time those events are disjointed, chaotic and often contradictory. Above all, he is to be commended for telling the heart-warming and heart-wrenching stories of the ordinary British soldiers, escaping rural and industrial poverty and thrown into conflicts in distant lands. -- Chris Green, The History Chap

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Book SynopsisCelebrating the lives of the magnificent women, the ATA girls, who courageously flew Spitfires, Tiger Moths, Lancaster Bombers and many other aircraft during World War Two Since the invention of aeroplanes, women have taken to the skies.They have broken records, performed daredevil stunts and faced such sexism and prejudice that they were effectively barred from working as pilots. That changed in the Second World War. Led by firebrand Pauline Gower, an elite group of British women were selected as ferry pilots to fly for the Air Transport Auxiliary. They risked their lives flying munitions and equipment for the boys on the front line. Flying day and night without radio; dodging storms, barrage balloons and anti-aircraft fire; and with only a map, compass and their eyesight to guide them, they navigated the treacherous wartime skies. The Hurricane Girls is the thrilling, moving and inspirational story of the female air Trade ReviewMeet the women who kept the RAF flying during World War ll . . . Nearly 80 years after the war started, the battle over equal work continues and prejudice still hold many girls back from taking up jobs considered to be men's work. But opinions are changing and the women of the ATA remain an inspiration * The Big Issue *

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Book Synopsis''The most honest attempt yet to tell how the Battle of Britain really was'' Andrew Wilson, ObserverHistory is swamped by patriotic myths about the aerial combat fought between the RAF and the Luftwaffe over the summer of 1940. In his gripping history of the Battle of Britain, Len Deighton drew on a decade of research and his own wartime experiences to puncture these myths and point towards a more objective, and even more inspiring, truth.''Revolutionised thinking about the Battle of Britain in a way that has not been seriously challenged since'' The TimesTrade ReviewRevolutionised thinking about the Battle of Britain in a way that has not been seriously challenged since. -- Robert Dawson Scott * The Times *Must surely rank as the most honest attempt yet to tell how the Battle of Britain really was. -- Andrew Wilson * Observer *The research was so meticulous that his conclusions, chiefly that the Few were very brave but their leaders were daft, could not easily be set aside. Indeed, they are now part of the orthodoxy. * The Independent *The best, most dispassionate story of the battle I have read and I say that even though the book destroyed many of my illusions and, indeed, attacks the validity of some of what I wrote as an eyewitness. -- Drew Middleton * New York Times Book Review *[We learn] that British anti-aircraft fire was ineffective, that some R.A.F. ground personnel fled under fire, that the Admiralty provoked costly skirmishes ...The book resounds with exploded myths. -- Leonard Bushkoff * Washington Post *Deighton has shown himself to be the most protean of British best-sellers. -- John Sutherland * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThe inspiring, uplifting true story of a group of London girls dispatched to a children''s home in rural England during the Blitz, and meet the formidable nurse and Lady in Waiting who transformed their lives forever . . .''A heartwarming story of hope and kindness'' Daily Express''An engaging war-time tale. These evocative first-person memories conjure a vivid picture of 1940s Britain, leaving a lasting impression'' Lucy Fisher__________Bombs were falling all over Britain . . .For one young Londoner in a children''s home - Queenie Clapton - it might have been the end of the world. Yet swiftly evacuated Queenie, along with the other children taken up by the Waifs and Strays Society, escaped the shattered streets.Instead, she found herself invited into the stately home of Dorothy Peyton, a recently widowed Lady in Waiting. There, under the formidable guidance of Matron Bailey, Queenie discovered a nTrade ReviewAn engaging war-time tale about the fortitude of children and the transformative impact of one woman's care for them. These evocative first-person memories conjure a vivid picture of 1940s Britain, leaving a lasting impression. -- Lucy FischerA heart-warming story of hope and kindness * Daily Express *Full of fascinating detail, affectionately told, The Angels of Englemere Wood is by turns a humbling, touching, astonishing and ultimately uplifting read -- Joanna ToyeA winning blend of nostalgic personal narratives with a detailed social history of World War Two. I guarantee you'll be charmed by every one of the cast of waifs and strays, as well as by the "Angels" who took care of them. * Duncan Barrett *An exquisite, meticulously researched account of what happened to Britain's disadvantaged children and all who touched their lives when war came. Gentle, fascinating, nostalgic - I loved being in the company of this beautiful humane book -- Tessa DunlopA well-documented, imaginatively empathetic account of her life * The Times Literary Supplement *The Angels of Englemere is a heart rending and meticulously researched story of love, loss, companionship and bonding through the eyes of a group of disadvantaged children during WW2. When their families couldn't cope with them, doors opened that would transform their lives. This is a beautifully written nostalgic read. -- Ellee Seymour

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Book SynopsisAn account of two lives during the war in Ukraine: one Ukrainian, one Russian, by the internationally bestselling author of Heimat Diaries of War is a magnificent feat of witness'' Alison Bechdel ''Nora Krug''s narrative can emotionally drain the reader, but the reader is unlikely to ever forget this book'' Andrey Kurkov Immediately following Russia''s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Nora Krug connected with two anonymous subjects - ''K.'', a Ukrainian journalist, and ''D.'', a Russian artist - and began what would become a year of correspondence. Deeply moved by the rawness of their responses, she felt that through the personal accounts of these individuals who, directly and indirectly, experienced the war firsthand, she might be able to communicate something of the war and its human impact. Over the course of the next twelve months she communicated with each of them individually via phone chat, condensing their someTrade ReviewDiaries of War is a magnificent feat of witness. Nora Krug’s illustrated weekly interviews with a Ukrainian journalist and a Russian artist are so much more raw and intimate than a conventional news account, conveying the texture of daily life in wartime as well as the smaller tragedies that often don’t make the headlines. Instead of watching from a serene distance, you’re engaging with K. and D. Your guard is down. The anguish and shock has gotten in. Read this remarkable book and grant them that act of solidarity -- Alison BechdelThis book will definitely make you think. The geography of Russian aggression is much wider than you might at first imagine. Russian aggression is not only bombs, rockets and millions of refugees. It is also a boomerang that hits the aggressor country itself in the most unexpected way. Nora Krug’s dual visualtextual narrative can emotionally drain the reader, but the reader is unlikely to ever forget this book -- Andrey KurkovPowerful graphic journalism that highlights the contrasting realities of a Ukrainian journalist and a Russian artist grappling with their own individual experiences of Russia’s war on Ukraine – collected, edited, and illustrated by award-winning author Nora Krug ... Krug approaches Diaries of War with the immense skill and thoughtfulness required to document these two complicated experiences for the purpose of encouraging critical thinking ... Diaries of War is a harrowing real-time record of an international conflict that continues to devastate countless lives -- Nancy Powell * Comics Beat *As fascist imperialism - with Vladimir Putin as its rotting figurehead - commands attention on the world stage, those living underfoot must survive. Here are the personal accounts of two such survivors, living on either side of the Russo-Ukrainian War, illustrated with poetic grace by Nora Krug. A vital and empathetic document of human experience in terrible times -- Jason LutesNora Krug leads us through the first dark year of the war, in search for the roots of violence. Her collage of two unusual and contrasting diaries - one Ukrainian and one Russian - that are presented in parallel and combined with her intrinsic minimalist illustrations, creates a document that enlightens and shocks in equal measure -- Katja PetrowskajaNora Krug does an extraordinary work combining painful and complex storytelling with an unusual grace and elegance. She manages to involve us in looking at history from an intimate and very human point of view. There is tact, decency and wonder in her books -- IgortIf we did not know it before, Covid-19 has taught us that headlines and op-eds are insufficient to convey the grinding reality of an ongoing traumatic event. While our mass media engages in a sustained effort to forget, Nora Krug here reminds us. Illustrated by Krug’s gem-like miniatures, these dual accounts from Ukraine and Russia, rooted on either side of that deadly border, each express their own sustained senses of horror and anxiety during the first year of Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine. Russian artist D’s total alienation from the shocking acts of his own government will resonate with Americans for whom the Trump administration was only the most recent and egregious example of same. And under any President, we should seek voices like that of Ukrainian journalist K — testimony of those who have suffered under our own government’s consistently violent foreign policy. May this book be a model for many others to follow -- Bill KartalopoulosGrowing up as a Jew in Nazi-occupied Hungary, being a victim of war was a fact of life. Diaries of War touches me very personally -- Miriam Katin

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Book SynopsisA Book of English Food is an elegant compendium of brilliant recipes adapted from the cookery books of the 1920s and 1930s by Arabella Boxer, with beautiful new illustrations by Cressida Bell.Arabella Boxer''s Book of English Food describes the delicious dishes - and the social conditions in which they were prepared, cooked and eaten - in the short span between the two World Wars when English cooking suddenly blossomed.The food in these wonderful recipes comes from the great country houses, where little had changed since Victorian times, the large houses in London and the South, where fashionable hostesses vied with each other to entertain the most distinguished guests at their tables, and less grand establishments, like those in Bloomsbury where the painters and writers of the day contrived to lead cultured and civilised lives on little money.Containing 200 recipes, drawn from cookery books, magazines of the period, family sourcesTrade ReviewA captivating exploration and celebration of the flowering of English cooking in the 1920s and 30s * Financial Times *A treasury of social gossip . . . immensely enjoyable and useful * Spectator *That rare thing, a cookery book with an argument: viz, that English cookery was once both good and independent of the cuisines of her neighbours . . . a rollicking good read * Observer *A book which celebrates a gastronomy which we would be unwise to forget. It's a rediscovery of British food remembered from before the War * Derek Cooper *I recommend it, not only for its excellent food but also for the superb introductions and details of social history in the great houses with their shimmering hostesses * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisSurvivor on the River Kwai is the heartbreaking story of one of the last survivors of the Burma Railway.February 1942. A young British soldier is caught up in the worst defeat in the history of the British Army, the fall of Singapore. Reg Twigg spends the next three years in hell, moving from jungle camp to jungle camp and building the Burma Railway for the all-conquering Japanese. Beaten, tortured, starving and forced to watch his comrades die, Reg fights for his survival, stealing from his captors, trapping animals and even making his own tobacco. That Reg survived is testimony to his own courage and determination, his will to beat the alien brutality of camp guards who had nothing but contempt for him and his fellow POWs. He was a risk taker whose survival strategies sometimes bordered on genius. As moving and harrowing as The Last Fighting Tommy, with the drama of David Lean''s The Bridge Over the River Kwai and the heart of Trade ReviewOne of the finest accounts yet of life in the jungle PoW camps, at once humbling, heartwarming and enraging -- Allan Mallinson * The Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER''A timely re-appraisal . . . a masterpiece'' General Lord Richard DannattThe Third Battle of Ypres was a ''lost victory'' for the British Army in 1917. Between July and November 1917, in a small corner of Belgium, more than 500,000 men were killed or maimed, gassed or drowned - and many of the bodies were never found. The Ypres offensive represents the modern impression of the First World War: splintered trees, water-filled craters, muddy shell-holes.The climax was one of the worst battles of both world wars: Passchendaele. The village fell eventually, only for the whole offensive to be called off. But, as Nick Lloyd shows, notably through previously overlooked German archive material, it is striking how close the British came to forcing the German Army to make a major retreat in Belgium in October 1917. Far from being a pointless and futile waste of men, the battle was a startling illustration ofTrade ReviewA timely re-appraisal . . . a masterpiece -- General Lord Richard DannattSweeps aside mythology and provides a rational explanation and cool description of what took place -- Max Hastings * The Sunday Times *Nick Lloyd has unearthed a mass of new material for this harrowing account of one of the most infamous engagements of the Great War -- Ian Thomson * The Guardian *Meticulously researched . . . A harrowing and important history -- PD Smith * The Guardian *With clean, clear and often eviscerating writing, Nick Lloyd compels us to re-evaluate Passchendaele and all that word conjures -- Paul Gross, director and star of the film 'Passchendaele'Rigorously researched . . . one of the great features of this excellent book, absent from too many less rigorous histories of events in the First World War, is a clear account of how things were on the German side, and how the British attack not only gained ground, but devastated German morale . . . Lloyd's research is superb; the book is well-illustrated with photographs and maps; he brings the battle and its political context vividly to life . . . this is in almost every respect a model of what a work of military history should be, and is now perhaps the definitive account of this phase of the war on the Western Front -- Simon Heffer * The Telegraph *I thought it both precise and compassionate - a properly definitive history, with clear sightlines from the strategic planning, to the horror of the battle itself from both sides, through to its consequences for the war as it entered its complex final phase -- Dr Emily MayhewA fresh and thorough examination of the events of July to November 1917 is definitely needed. Dr Nick Lloyd has achieved this in his book Passchendaele: A New History, an account that is both scholarly and gripping. -- Glyn Harper, Professor of War Studies, Massey UniversityConfirms his position among the best young scholars of WWI in this comprehensively researched, convincingly presented analysis of the still-controversial 1917 battle of Passchendaele . . .Lloyd's thesis is controversial, but his scholarship makes it impossible to dismiss * Publishers Weekly *His narrative of the campaign is superb and written with clarity and dispassion. He teaches military history at King's College London and has done his research thoroughly in German and Allied archives. It is fascinating to know the preoccupations, hopes and plans of the Kaiser ("The English must be made to grovel") and his generals, and to hear the voices of German frontline soldiers -- Lawrence James * The Times *'An eloquent retelling of one of the First World War's most mismanaged battles. Lloyd movingly recounts the ordeal of German and British infantry in the mud and blood of Passchendaele -- Professor Alexander WatsonDid Passchendaele mark the moment when German morale collapsed on the Western Front? Nick Lloyd makes a compelling case . . . both as narrative and analysis, this book is masterly -- Allan Massie * Scotsman *Masterly . . . He argues convincingly -- Allan Mallinson * The Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisA GRIPPING, AUTHORISED HISTORY OF THE DARING 'RED DEVILS' TOLD THROUGH THE FATES OF SIX HEROES. 'Riveting . . . Full of daring action, standout characters and cutting edge operations, this is unputdownable' Damien Lewis'Gripping and authoritative. Family men, circus performers, solicitors, communists, and reactionaries all fought together and shed blood for their country - a true and moving story of war' Andy McNab------------------------------------Their German enemies called them the 'Red Devils'. Montgomery described them as 'men apart - every man an Emperor'. The cards they received on qualifying began: 'You are the elite of the British army'. The Parachute Regiment. In this gripping, authorized account, bestselling historian Mark Urban tells the story of the wartime creation and development of Britain's elite airborne infantry - who ranged from circus performers to solicitors, policemen to gravediggers, Christians and Jews to communists. Through the fates of six men - including recently widowed Geoffrey Pine-Coffin, who had to leave his little boy at home to head to the front, and Mike Lewis, whose photographs became iconic images of war - Urban vividly shows what it took to succeed in this new regiment. All six men would shed blood for their country in daring actions at D-Day, Arnhem and across the Second World War; two would not survive, and one would face disgrace. Based on deep archival research, British and German sources and new material from the men's families, and giving overdue recognition to the North African campaign, Urban's unvarnished history is a compelling and moving depiction of the highs and lows of battle.Trade ReviewGripping and authoritative. Family men, circus performers, solicitors, communists, and reactionaries all fought together and shed blood for their country-a true and moving story of war * Andy McNab *Riveting. Impeccably researched. Authoritative. Urban reveals the Red Devils in all their glory, as they forged the path for airborne forces to follow in WWII. Full of daring action, standout characters and cutting edge operations, this is unputdownable * Damien Lewis *A detailed, fast-paced history of these remarkable men that reads like a thriller. Brilliantly researched and brilliantly told * Julia Boyd *I couldn't put Red Devils down * Amanda Foreman *Excellent . . . Mark Urban has brought an old soldier's insights and a fine journalist's clarity to tell this story resoundingly well, mixing superb accounts of the battles with a deep understanding of personalities, service politics and the paratrooper ethos -- Patrick Bishop * Telegraph *If you want to get under the skin of the pioneers of airborne soldiering, this is it . . . fast paced, well written and attention-grabbing from start to finish -- Adrian Weale * Daily Mail Plus *Masterful . . . Mark Urban paints a colourful picture of the officers and men who volunteered for what in 1940 was a leap into the unknown -- Paul de Zulueta * Spectator *Does not disappoint . . . A story of courage and adversity, Red Devils is a must-read * Who Do You Think You Are Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA study of the Holocaust, evaluating accepted views of its history and meaning. Yehuda Bauer offers his own interpretation of why the Holocaust occurred and how another can be prevented. He also examines topics such as the relationship between the Holocaust and the establishment of Israel.Trade Review"In this original and compelling book Bauer considers all the major issues of Holocaust historiography. Everything Bauer touches he illuminates." Michael Berenbaum "An eye-opening synthesis of the whole historiography of the Shoah... The meat of the book is a brilliant review of vexed issues like Jewish resistance (armed and unarmed), the role of the Judenrate, or Nazi-imposed Jewish Councils, and the plans to rescue Jews by buying their freedom... With the skill of a sleuth and the assiduous patience of a born scholar, Bauer reconstructs the schemes, characters and motives in a spirit of factual inquiry, keen empathy and, of all unlikely things, common sense." Morris Dickstein, New York Times Book Review "Bauer is the preeminent student of Jewish resistance and rescue efforts... Bauer's book also reaches beyond issues of rescue, offering a strong introduction to many of the analytic debates on Nazi genocide." Paul Breines, Washington Post Book World

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Book SynopsisImmediately after the Second World War, the victorious Allies authorized and helped to carry out the forced relocation of German speakers from their homes across central and southern Europe to Germany. This is a study of the largest recorded episode of what we now call "ethnic cleansing".Trade Review"This is an important book, deserving of the widest readership."—Max Hastings, Sunday Times "Douglas provides a fascinating glimpse of the backstage of the Nazi war effort, as hundreds of thousands were shifted from Poland and the Baltic states as part of a forced Germanisation policy that sheer lack of preparation doomed to failure."—Benedicte Williams, Budapest Times"The expulsion of Germans is understandably a politically-charged topic. Until recently, it has been taboo to examine the depths of German suffering after 1945, because of the suffering they themselves had caused. Drawing on meticulous research, Douglas thoughtfully explains the context for this policy, before showing convincingly that its rationale was flawed."—Hester Vaizey, Independent"Well-researched and dispassionately written. . . . Those who want to understand the tensions in modern Europe, not least in central Europe, ought to read this book."—Gisela Stuart, The Housing Magazine"Douglas has produced a highly valuable and convincing account of the expulsion of Germans. . . "—Pertti Ahonen, Journal of Modern History “A timely read” —Harvey Richardson, Methodist RecorderRunner-up in the General Non-Fiction category at the 2013 Great Southeast Book FestivalWinner of the 2013 George Louis Beer Prize given by the American Historical AssociationWon an honorable mention for the 2012 Association of American Publishers PROSE Awards in the European & World History Category"Orderly and Humane is an outstanding and well-written work that fills a significant gap in books written in English about this large subject and the very period of its compass. It ought to be in every serious American library and should be required reading for scholars interested in the history of the end of the Second World War and the years thereafter in Europe."—John Lukacs, author of The Future of History and Five Days in London, May 1940"R.M. Douglas has written a fair-minded, deeply researched and courageous book that carefully demystifies the claims and accusations surrounding the awful history of the expulsion of the ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe. A first-rate work, Orderly and Humane compels us to admit that the postwar expulsions were not simply a regrettable accident but a deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing on a breathtaking scale that decisively shaped postwar Europe’s history."—William I. Hitchcock, author of The Bitter Road to Freedom: The Human Consequences of Allied Victory in World War II Europe"The tragedy of the post-World War II ethnic German refugees and expellees has been told before but no account is based on so many original documents from so many countries as Douglas’s eminently readable work."—Istvan Deak, Columbia University

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Book SynopsisOffers a radical reappraisal of Great Britain's fighting forces during World War II, challenging the common belief that the British Army was no match for the forces of Hitler's Germany. This study of the campaign to liberate Northern Europe in the war's final years features a large cast of colourful unknowns and grand historical personages alike.Trade Review‘His authority, blended with readability and a genuinely fresh, exciting and convincing thesis, makes this the finest account of D-Day and beyond for many, many a year.’ —James Holland, BBC History Magazine -- James Holland * BBC History Magazine *‘ A well-argued take on the role of the British army in the campaign in northwest Europe… a balanced study that stresses the British Army’s effectiveness, both in using the resources at its disposal appropriately and in developing skills that made a valuable contribution to Allied success.’—Diane Lees, The Times. -- Diane Lees * The Times *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Zapruder . . . has done a great service to history and the future. Her book deserves to become a standard in Holocaust studies classes. . . . These writings will certainly impress themselves on the memories of all readers."—Publishers Weekly"These extraordinary diaries will resonate in the reader’s broken heart for many days and many nights."—Elie Wiesel"Salvaged Pages offers important perspectives for today’s Holocaust education students. The voices of young adults during the Holocaust resonate in a way that can’t be replicated by other resources."—Jennifer L. Goss, Robert E. Lee High School"Salvaged Pages shares the despair, frustrations, hopes, and loves of young adults who struggle mightily with the impact of the hatred and indifference of their neighbors. My students are enthralled."—Lynne Ravas, Lower Dauphin Middle School"Salvaged Pages is a window into the private world of young diarists existing under Nazi occupation. Readers cannot help but respond to the humanity of writers in a world whose deprivations we can only begin to comprehend through their own words."—Elaine Culbertson, Director, Holocaust and Jewish Resistance Teachers’ Program"A searing collection of Jewish youngsters’ private Holocaust diaries, Salvaged Pages shines a bright light on their daily lives and their inner lives. Zapruder offers us the opportunity follow these child and adolescent writers as they endured and responded to an ever harsher Nazi regime. Salvaged Pages gives us a glimpse, too, of the unfulfilled potential lost with the murder of a generation. A key text for teachers and students alike, Salvaged Pages enriches our understanding of how life was lived and lives were destroyed, day by day, year after year."—Debórah Dwork, Director, Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Clark University

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Excellent . . . An admirable study."—Nicholas Stargardt, Wall Street Journal"An engaging investigation of the German army’s complex relationship with the Third Reich. The author, the Glasgow academic Ben Shepherd, does a sterling job of boiling down the 12 years of Nazi Germany to produce an accessible account of the Faustian pact entered into by German generals . . ."—Roger Moorhouse, Times"Shepherd has written a comprehensive history of the 20th century’s most formidable fighting machine. It is also an unanswerable indictment of the moral cowardice and arrogance of an officer corps who sold their souls to Hitler and allowed him to lead them and their beloved country into the abyss."—Nigel Jones, BBC History"Highly readable and with great narrative scope, this is an excellent starting-point for anyone who wishes to have a broad overview of WWII from the German military point of view."—Robert Carver, Military History Monthly

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Book SynopsisA riveting account of ancient Rome's imperial bodyguard, the select band of soldiers who wielded the power to makeor destroythe emperors they served Founded by Augustus around 27 B.C., the elite Praetorian Guard was tasked with the protection of the emperor and his family. As the centuries unfolded, however, Praetorian soldiers served not only as protectors and enforcers but also as powerful political players. Fiercely loyal to some emperors, they vied with others and ruthlessly toppled those who displeased them, including Caligula, Nero, Pertinax, and many more. Guy de la Bédoyère provides a compelling first full narrative history of the Praetorians, whose dangerous ambitions ceased only when Constantine permanently disbanded them. de la Bédoyère introduces Praetorians of all echelons, from prefects and messengers to artillery experts and executioners. He explores the delicate position of emperors for whom prestige and guile were the only defenses against bodyguards hungry for power. Folding fascinating details into a broad assessment of the Praetorian era, the author sheds new light on the wielding of power in the greatest of the ancient world's empires.Trade Review“Any future researcher into the subject will certainly begin here.”—Peter Jones, Times (London)"This book is a lively and up-to-date history of the Praetorian Guard, the anti-coup divisions of the Roman emperors from Augustus to Constantine. De la Bédoyère tells their story with clarity and panache, and his book can be most warmly recommended both to aspiring tyrants and the ordinary armchair historian."—Peter Thonemann, Sunday Times"This is a fast paced and engaging history of the Praetorian Guard."—Harry Sidebottom, Sunday Telegraph"Aptly illustrated and impeccably referenced, with a helpful glossary and appendices. . . . It is an altogether impressive piece of compressed scholarship, a thorough study of its subject as well as an engaging history of imperial Rome."—Allan Mallinson, Spectator"[Praetorian] shows that even popular histories can illustrate the complexity of imperial power. . . . Conveying complexity, without subjecting the reader to the dozens of triple-barreled Roman names that make up the finer grain of imperial politics, has long been de la Bedoyere’s metier, as has been the easy charm with which good popular history distinguishes itself."—Michael Kulikowski, London Review of Books"A potted history of the Roman Empire, told through the triumphs and travails of the praetorians. . . . Praetorian is filled with engaging detail and grapples with the lacunae in the historical record with admirable assiduity. It will be a useful resource for any student of the tribulations of the Roman Empire."—Frank Brinkley, Literary Review"De la Bedoyere’s book on the Praetorian’s will likely become the definitive account of the rise and fall of the emperor’s bodyguards."—History of War"The dramatic story of the soldiers at the heart of the Roman empire. Lively and full of insight, de la Bedoyere traces the history of the praetorians and the emperors they served, murdered and made, through three hundred years of intrigue and drama."—Adrian Goldsworthy"A definitive and highly readable account of a key institution of the Roman Empire."—Tom Holland, author of Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“An impressively forensic study, which not only throws light on an intriguing (and murky) backwater of World War II but also on an unresolved ethical dilemma still with us today.”—Tony Rennell, Daily Mail Book of the Week“In 1954 Scotland wrote his memoirs, but Special Branch raided his publishers and seized the manuscript . . . Now, finally, the original manuscript has been released by the National Archives. This uncensored version is the backbone of Fry’s absorbing book, and Scotland’s powerful personality dominates virtually every page.”—William Cook, Spectator"Intelligence professionals should read The London Cage: it is they who will be tasked to build and run future interrogation programs, and Dr. Fry's book offers an important historical analogue for the work."—J. R. Seeger, CIA Studies in Intelligence“A most valuable addition to our understanding of British intelligence activities. . . highly recommended.” —Britain at War“Golders Green historian Helen Fry has trawled the National Archives to uncover life inside this top secret facility in The London Cage” —Bridget Galton, Ham&High“Impressively researched, this overdue investigation sheds new light on British interrogation methods during and after the Second World War. Shocking and important.” —Clare Mulley, author of The Spy who Loved "A tour de force. Helen Fry's absorbing and authoritative account of how Britain's wartime spies used both brutality and guile to get vital intelligence out of German prisoners-of-war is a shocking but fascinating read."—Michael Smith, author of The Anatomy of a Traitor “A compelling account of the subterranean world of the London Cage and the 3,000 POWs who passed through its doors, presided over by the tough and eccentric Colonel Scotland. Despite the fact that some of the records still remain classified, Helen Fry makes an important contribution to our understanding of what took place in Kensington Palace Gardens during these years, shining a powerful light onto this hidden corner of WW2 history.” —Tom Carver, author of Where the Hell Have You Been?: Monty, Italy and One Man's Incredible Escape"Helen Fry shines the light of historical inquiry into a dark and disturbing corner of World War II, revealing for the first time the shocking story of The London Cage."—Mark Felton, author of Castle of the Eagles: Escape from Mussolini's Colditz “The history of the London Cage is controversial and, even after 70 years, many questions are unanswered. Helen Fry’s book gives a cohesive picture of WW2 British Military Intelligence, raising important questions about means and ends in wartime. A clear and chilling insight into a long concealed chapter of Military Intelligence.” —Michael Jago, author of The Man Who Was George Smiley

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Book SynopsisDramatic, illustrated account of the biggest naval battle of the First World War.On 31 May, 1916, the great battle fleets of Britain and Germany met off Jutland in the North Sea. It was a climactic encounter, the culmination of a fantastically expensive naval race between the two countries, and expectations on both sides were high. For the Royal Navy''s Grand Fleet, there was the chance to win another Trafalgar. For the German High Seas Fleet, there was the opportunity to break the British blockade and so change the course of the war. But Jutland was a confused and controversial encounter. Tactically, it was a draw; strategically, it was a British victory.Naval historians have pored over the minutiae of Jutland ever since. Yet they have largely ignored what the battle was actually like for its thousands of participants. Full of drama and pathos, of chaos and courage, JUTLAND, 1916 describes the sea battle in the dreadnought era from the point of view of those who were there.

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Book SynopsisA vivid page-turning narrative of the most horrific battle in history by a soldier turned bestselling novelistA fast-paced and vivid narrative of the most horrific campaign in history: the four-year slaughter around the Belgian town of Ypres 1914-18. Switching seamlessly between the generals'' headquarters, the politicians'' councils and -- above all -- the mud and blood of the trenches, this is a wonderfully accessible history.Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler both fought in the frontline at Ypres: Groom reveals what happened to both men. We see the campaign through their eyes and the experience of other officers and men, including the war poet Edmund Blunden (later professor of poetry at Oxford). From the desperate defence put up by the tiny British regular army in 1914 to the infamous Passchendaele offensive, this is popular history at its best.

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Book SynopsisJohn Keegan has assembled a cast of seventeen generals whose reputations were made (and some of them broken) by Churchill and the Second World War.Trade ReviewMilitary history doesn't get much better than this. A real gem for aficionados. * SCOTTISH LEGION NEWS *

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Book SynopsisOn June 23, 1812, Napoleon''s Grande Armée, over 500,000 men strong, poured over the Russian border. An equally massive Russian army faced them. The ensuing campaign was a catastrophe for Napoleon. Although the battle of Borodino, which resulted in heavy losses on both sides, allowed Napoleon to enter Moscow, his stay in that empty and decimated city was disastrous. By the time Napoleon had retreated to the Berezina river in late November, his Grande Armée was only a fifth of its original strength. His retreat had become a rout, and his allies began to desert him. In this book, Clausewitz analyzes all the significant players with sharp and enlightening characterizations, and provides perhaps the best eyewitness accounts of the battle of Borodino and the Convention of Tauroggen. The Campaign of 1812 in Russia is a brilliantly observed study of one of the major turning points of history.Table of Contents* Arrival at Wilna * Plan of Campaign * Camp of Drissa * General Review of the Incidents of the Campaign of 1812 in Russia * Further Progress of the Campaign

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Book SynopsisA fascinating and enlightening explanation of the dilemma Switzerland found itself in during the 1930''s and 1940''s. - Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisLike a scene from Where Eagles Dare , a small team of American spies parachutes into Italy behind enemy lines. Their orders: link up with local partisans and sabotage the well-guarded Brenner Pass,the Nazis'' crucial supply route through the Alps,thereby bringing the German war effort in Italy to a grinding halt.

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Book SynopsisSOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTUREMay, 1945. Hitler is dead, the Third Reich is little more than smoking rubble, and no GI wants to be the last man killed in action against the Nazis. The Last Battle tells the nearly unbelievable story of the unlikeliest battle of the war, when a small group of American tankers, led by Captain Lee, joined forces with German soldiers to fight off fanatical SS troops seeking to capture Castle Itter and execute the stronghold''s VIP prisoners. It is a tale of unlikely allies, startling bravery, jittery suspense, and desperate combat between implacable enemies.Trade ReviewPraise for The Last Battle "A tale as compelling as it is unlikely. The Last Battle demonstrates that truth can indeed be stranger than fiction, particularly in war. Well-researched and well-told."--Rick Atkinson, author of The Day of Battle "Stephen Harding has a laser-beam instinct for the detail that tells the story, he's a fine writer, and, most important, knows a good story when he sees one. All the above is true of The Last Battle, one of the more remarkable battles in a truly vast war, now very nicely illuminated."--Alan Furst, bestselling author of Dark Star and Night Soldiers "A little-known but fascinating story brought brilliantly to life."--Alex Kershaw, bestselling author of The Liberator "I love untold stories from World War II, and this is a great one. Brilliantly told, meticulously researched, and filled with larger-than-life heroes and villains. The Last Battle is such a compelling read, I couldn't put it down."--Patrick K. O'Donnell, bestselling author of Dog Company "The Last Battle combines good history and good storytelling. Harding writes with the skill and grace of a novelist but also the authority of an historian who has done some rather remarkable research into a previously lost chapter from World War II's final days. I had trouble putting this book down, and I think you will, too."--John C. McManus, author of September Hope "The Nazis capture two former Prime Ministers of France (who detest each other) and lock them in a medieval castle in Austria. A handful of intrepid American soldiers sets out to rescue them. And then...well, you'll have to read The Last Battle to find out what happened. It's going to make a fantastic action movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger, call your agent!"--Peter Carlson, author of K Blows Top San Diego Union Tribune, 4/28/13 "At the heart of The Last Battle is a largely unknown story that (a) seems implausible, (b) would make a great movie, and (c) reminds us that almost 70 years after the end of World War II there are countless tales still to be told...Harding's skills as a researcher and dedicated historian are apparent...[A] moment-by-moment real-time report of the events from the viewpoints of the Americans and prisoners...Page-turning...Harding has brought the implausible story to life." New York Journal of Books, 4/29/13 "Well done and eminently readable." Daily Beast, 5/12/13 "The most extraordinary things about Stephen Harding's The Last Battle, a truly incredible tale of World War II, are that it hasn't been told before in English, and that it hasn't already been made into a blockbuster Hollywood movie...Steven Spielberg, how did you miss this story?...Harding is a respected military affairs expert...and his writing style carries immediacy as well as authority...Everything that Harding reports in this exciting but also historically accurate narrative is backed up with meticulous scholarship. This book proves that history can be new and nail-bitingly exciting all at once...While the book concentrates on the fight for Castle Itter, it also sets that battle in the wider strategic contexts...This book is thus a fascinating microcosm of a nation and society in collapse...Part Where Eagles Dare, part Guns of Navarone, this story is as exciting as it is far-fetched, but unlike in those iconic war movies, every word of The Last Battle is true." Roanoke Times, 6/9/13 "If, in these halcyon days, a Hollywood screenwriter had approached a major producer with a movie script so packed with improbabilities, so extraordinary in its premises and fanciful in its conclusions, he -- the screenwriter -- would very likely have been shown the door...sheer tension and melodrama...Stephen Harding, a career journalist and military historian, has put together a fine tale of heroism and cowardice, petty bickering and unselfish sacrifice, and if Hollywood does not snap it up for an epic film, that's its loss...A page-turner." ARMY Magazine, 9/1/13 "The book is a very quick read...The Last Battle has the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster... Harding is a gifted storyteller and effective military historian who details the battle and its background with precision...This compact work is an unqualified success and will prove immensely enjoyable for virtually any reader of ARMY. With the pace of a tightly-written novel, Harding writes with the determination of a true crime novelist and thoroughness of a first-rate historian." CollectedMiscellany.com, 8/15/13 "Harding recounts a fascinating piece of World War II history...Harding writes an engaging story about a battle that helped save many of France's political elite from certain death."

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Book SynopsisEvery war has its bridge--Old North Bridge at Concord, Burnside''s Bridge at Antietam, the railway bridge over Burma''s River Kwai, the bridge over Germany''s Rhine River at Remagen, and the bridges over Korea''s Toko Ri. In Vietnam it was the bridge at Thanh Hoa, called Dragon''s Jaw.For many years hundreds of young US airmen flew sortie after sortie against North Vietnam''s formidable and strategically important bridge, dodging a heavy concentration of anti-aircraft fire, surface-to-air missiles and enemy fighters. Many American airmen were shot down, killed, or captured and taken to the infamous POW prisons in Hanoi. But after each air attack, when the smoke cleared and the debris settled, the bridge stubbornly remained standing. For the North Vietnamese it became a symbol of their invincibility; for US war planners an obsession; for US airmen a testament to American mettle and valor.Using after-action reports, official records, and interviews with surviving pilot

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Book SynopsisEscape from Paris is the true story of a small group of U.S. aviators whose four B-17 Flying Fortresses were shot down over German-occupied France on a single, fateful day: July 14, 1943, Bastille Day. They were rescued by brave French civilians and taken to Paris for eventual escape out of France. In the French capital, where German troops walked on every street and Gestapo agents hid around every corner, the flyers met a brave Parisian resistance family living and working in the Hôtel des Invalides, a complex of buildings and military memorials, where Nazi officials had set up offices. Hidden in the complex the Americans, along with dozens of other downed Allied pilots and resistance operatives, hatched daring escape plots. The danger of discovery by the Nazis grew every day, as did an unlikely romance when one of the American airmen begins a star-crossed wartime romance with the twenty-two-year old daughter of the family sheltering him-a noir tale of war, courage and despe

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for HistoryIn this magisterial biography, T. J. Stiles paints a portrait of Custer both deeply personal and sweeping in scope, proving how much of Custer’s legacy has been ignored. He demolishes Custer’s historical caricature, revealing a capable yet insecure man, intelligent yet bigoted, passionate yet self-destructive, a romantic individualist at odds with the institution of the military (court-martialed twice in six years) and the new corporate economy, a wartime emancipator who rejected racial equality. Stiles argues that, although Custer was justly noted for his exploits on the western frontier, he also played a central role as both a wide-ranging participant and polarizing public figure in his extraordinary, transformational time—a time of civil war, emancipation, brutality toward Native Americans, and, finally, the Industrial Revolution—even as he became one of its casualties. Intimate, dramatic, and pro

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Book Synopsis The astonishing untold story of the WWII airmen who risked it all in the deadly race to become the greatest American fighter pilot. In 1942, America''s deadliest fighter pilot, or ace of aces -- the legendary Eddie Rickenbacker -- offered a bottle of bourbon to the first U.S. fighter pilot to break his record of twenty-six enemy planes shot down. Seizing on the challenge to motivate his men, General George Kenney promoted what they would come to call the race of aces as a way of boosting the spirits of his war-weary command. What developed was a wild three-year sprint for fame and glory, and the chance to be called America''s greatest fighter pilot. The story has never been told until now. Based on new research and full of revelations, John Bruning''s brilliant, original book tells the story of how five American pilots contended for personal glory in the Pacific while leading Kenney''s resurgent air force against the most formidable enemy America ever faced. The pilots -- Richard Bong, Tommy McGuire, Neel Kearby, Charles MacDonald and Gerald Johnson -- riveted the nation as they contended for Rickenbacker''s crown. As their scores mounted, they transformed themselves from farm boys and aspiring dentists into artists of the modern dogfight. But as the race reached its climax, some of the pilots began to see how the spotlight warped their sense of duty. They emerged as leaders, beloved by their men as they chose selfless devotion over national accolades. Teeming with action all across the vast Pacific theater, Race of Aces is a fascinating exploration of the boundary between honorable duty, personal glory, and the complex landscape of the human heart. Brings you into the cockpit of the lethal, fast-paced world of fighter pilots . . . Fascinating. -- Sara Vladic Extraordinary . . . a must-read. -- US Navy Captain Dan Pedersen A heart-pounding narrative of the courage, sacrifice, and tragedy of America''s elite fighter pilots. -- James M. Scott Vivid and gripping . . . Confirms Bruning''s status as the premier war historian of the air. -- Saul David

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Book SynopsisHistory of the United States Naval Operations in World War II.

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Book Synopsis''Fascinating . . . a poignant book . . . an unusual and absolutely authentic view of those convulsive years'' OBSERVER ''Each story in Wave Me Goodbye is a relic of the Second World War'' SUNDAY TIMES ''This is as stark and acidic a collection of war stories as you will read . . . Stripped bare of the sentimentalism attached to love in wartime'' SCOTSMAN This collection of wartime stories includes some of the finest writers of a generation. War had traditionally been seen as a masculine occupation, but these stories show how women were equal if different participants. Here, war is less about progress on the frontline of battle than about the daily struggle to keep homes, families and relationships alive; to snatch pleasure from danger, and strength from shared experience. The stories are about saying goodbye to husbands, lovers, brothers and sons - and sometimes years later trying to remake their livesTrade ReviewFascinating ... a poignant book ... an unusual and absolutely authentic view of those convulsive years - ObserverThis is as stark and acidic a collection of war stories as you will read ... Stripped bare of the sentimentalism attached to love in wartime, writers such as Elizabeth Bowen, Jean Rhys, Beryl Bainbridge and Dorothy Parker provide poignant, wry, subversive tales ... Revelatory reading - ScotsmanEach voice is individual and unsentimental ... Molly Lefebure and Margery Sharp write succinctly of the Blitz, while in Miss Anstruther's Letters, Rose Macaulay brilliantly paints spiritual as well as material devastation - Daily TelegraphEach story in Wave Me Goodbye is a relic of the Second World War - Sunday TimesWritten in and about the decade 1939-1949, the stories in this high caliber anthology are the work of women, chiefly English (five Americans are represented), who were actively engaged in the war effort on the home front. The experience of war--the London blitz, evacuation, the fronts in Europe and Africa--become personalized in stories from Barbara Pym, Rosamond Lehmann, Sylvia Townsend Warner, and others as notable ... the stories poignantly illuminate the ''second war'' behind the frontlines. - Publishers WeeklyWritten in and about the decade 1939-1949, the stories in this high caliber anthology are the work of women, chiefly English (five Americans are represented), who were actively engaged in the war effort on the home front. The experience of war--the London blitz, evacuation, the fronts in Europe and Africa--become personalized in stories from Barbara Pym, Rosamond Lehmann, Sylvia Townsend Warner, and others as notable ... the stories poignantly illuminate the ''second war'' behind the frontlines. - Publishers WeeklyThis is as stark and acidic a collection of war stories as you will read ... Stripped bare of the sentimentalism attached to love in wartime, writers such as Elizabeth Bowen, Jean Rhys, Beryl Bainbridge and Dorothy Parker provide poignant, wry, subversive tales ... Revelatory reading - Scotsman

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Book SynopsisAs a 19-year old Black Watch conscript Tom Renouf''s war began with some of the most vicious fighting of the conflict - against Himmler''s fanatical ''Hitler Youth'' SS Division. It ended with the capture of Himmler himself and Tom taking a trophy he still treasures - the Gestapo commander''s watch.Seriously wounded and later decorated with a Military Medal for gallantry, Tom Renouf witnessed the death and maiming of countless of his teenage comrades and saw the survivors transformed into grizzled veterans. Tom Renouf draws on his own personal experiences - as well as his unique archive of interviews with veterans amassed over twenty years as secretary of the 51st Highland Division Veterans'' Association - to paint a vivid picture of the Battle of Normandy, the liberation of Holland, the Battle of the Bulge and many more memorable WW2 events.

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Book SynopsisThe Holocaust/Genocide Template in Eastern Europe discusses the âœmemory warsâ in the course of the post-Communist re-narration of history since 1989 and the current authoritarian backlash.The book focuses specifically on how âœmnemonic warriorsâ employ the âœHolocaust templateâ and the concept of genocide in tendentious ways to justify radical policies and externalize the culpability for their international isolation and worsening social and economic circumstances domestically. The chapters analyze three dimensions: 1) the competing narratives of the âœuniversalization of the Holocaustâ as the negative icon of our era, on the one hand, and the âœdouble genocideâ paradigm, on the other, which focuses on âœour ownâ national suffering under â allegedly âœequallyâ evil â Nazism and Communism; 2) the juxtaposition of post-Communist Eastern Europe and Russia, reflected primarily in the struggle of the Baltic states and Ukraine to challenge Russian propaganda, a struggle that runs the risk of employing similarly distorting and propagandistic tropes; and 3) the post-Yugoslav rhetoric portraying oneâs own group as âœthe new Jewsâ and oneâs opponents in the wars of the 1990s as (akin to) âœNazisâ. Surveying major battle sites in this âœmemory warâ: memorial museums, monuments, film and the war over definitions and terminology in relevant public discourse, The Holocaust/Genocide Template in Eastern Europe will be of great interest to scholars of genocide, the Holocaust, historical memory and revisionism, and Eastern European Politics.This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Genocide Research.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Holocaust/Genocide Template in Eastern Europe Ljiljana Radonić 1. Limits of Universalization: The European Memory Sites of Genocide Éva Kovács 2. From “Double Genocide” to “the New Jews”: Holocaust, Genocide and Mass Violence in Post-Communist Memorial Museums Ljiljana Radonić 3. A Baltic Struggle for a “European Memory”: The Militant Mnemopolitics of The Soviet Story Maria Mälksoo 4. Genocide, Holodomor and Holocaust Discourse as Echo of Historical Injury and as Rhetorical Radicalization in the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict of 2013–18 Nicolas Dreyer 5. Talking Past Each Other: Language and Post-World War II Killings in Slovenia Gregor Kranjc 6. Defending the “Good Name” of the Polish Nation: Politics of History as a Battlefield in Poland, 2015–18 Jörg Hackmann 7. Liberty Square, Budapest: How Hungary Won the Second World War István Rév

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Book SynopsisThe Routledge History of Global War and Society offers a sweeping introduction to the most significant research on the causes, experiences, and impacts of war throughout history. This collection of twenty-seven essays by leading historians demonstrates how war and society studies have dramatically expanded the chronological, geographic, and thematic breadth of the field of military history. Each chapter addresses the ways in which recent scholarship has integrated cultural, ethical, environmental, medical, and ideological factors to explain both conventional conflicts and genocide, terrorism, and other forms of mass violence. The broad scope of the collection makes it the perfect primer for scholars and students seeking to understand the complex interactions of warfare and those affecting and affected by conflict.Trade Review"A superb summary , topically and chronologically organized in some 27 essays, of the more recent studies and controversies in this field."Peter Karsten, Editor-in-Chief of the prize-winning 3 volume Encyclopedia of War and American Society"An essential volume for scholars and students alike: providing masterful summations, by prominent historians, of the now rich historiography of war and society: including key thematic issues and a regional coverage that, crucially, extends beyond the traditional focus on Europe and North America to incorporate the often-neglected non-European world." Joan Beaumont, The Australian National UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction -- Matthew S. Muehlbauer and David J. Ubrich Part I: Regional and Temporal Approaches War and Society in East Asia -- Kenneth M. Swope War and Society in Southeast Asia -- Richard A. Ruth War and Society in Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania – Peter J. Dean and Tristan Moss War and Society in South Asia -- Kaushik Roy War and Society in the Middle East and Northern Africa – Eileen Ryan War and Society in Sub-Saharan Africa -- Bruce Vandervort and Marilyn Zilli War and Society in the Ancient Mediterranean -- Matthew Trundle War and Society in Early Modern Europe -- Aaron Graham War and Society in Modern Europe -- Adam R. Seipp War and Society in Modern England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales – Margaret Sankey War and Society in Latin America -- Ellen Tillman War and Society: North America to 1877 -- Matthew S. Muehlbauer War and Society: North America since 1877 -- Antulio J. Echevarria II ? Part II: Thematic Approaches Media and War -- Jay Lockenour War, the Body, and Health – Bobby A. Wintermute The Combatant Experience -- Eric W. Klinek Prisoners of War and Repatriation – Paul J. Springer Home Fronts -- Bianka J. Adams War and Environment – Jason W. Smith War, Atrocity, and Genocide -- Hilary Earl War and Terrorism -- Stephen Connor Religion, Ethics, and War – Jacqueline E. Whitt Race and Ethnicity – David J. Ulbrich and Alexander M. Bielakowski Gender and Sexuality -- Heather Marine Stur Nationalism and Militarism -- Ingo Trauschweizer Memory and Memorialization -- Michael Dolski War and Culture -- Matthew S. Muehlbauer ?

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

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Book SynopsisA definitive account of the American experience in Afghanistan from the rise of the Taliban to the depths of the insurgency.Trade Review"A useful and generally lively account of what can go wrong when outsiders venture onto the Afghan landscape." -- Steven Simon - Foreign Affairs"This is a serious work that should be factored in as a new policy in Afghanistan evolves." -- Jay Freeman - Booklist"Seth G. Jones’s book provides a vivid sense of just how paltry and misguided the American effort has been.… In the Graveyard of Empires will help to show what might still be done to build something enduring in Afghanistan and finally allow the U.S. to go home." -- Dexter Filkins - The New Republic"[An] excellent book." -- James Blitz - Financial Times"How we got to where we are in Afghanistan." -- Matthew Kaminski - Wall Street Journal"[Zeroes] in on what went awry after America’s successful routing of the Taliban in late 2001." -- Michiko Kakutani - The New York Times"A blueprint for winning in a region that has historically brought mighty armies to their knees." -- Doug Childers - Richmond Times-Dispatch"Offers a valuable window onto how officials have understood the military campaign." -- Robert D. Crews - San Francisco Chronicle"Seth Jones . . . has an anthropologist’s feel for a foreign society, a historian’s intuition for long-term trends, and a novelist’s eye for the telling details that illuminate a much larger story. If you read just one book about the Taliban, terrorism, and the United States, this is the place to start." -- Jeremi Suri, author of Henry Kissinger and the American Century"A timely and important work, without peer in terms of both its scholarship and the author’s intimate knowledge of the country, the insurgency threatening it, and the challenges in defeating it." -- Bruce Hoffman, Georgetown University, author of Inside Terrorism"A deeply researched and well-analyzed account of the failures of American policies in Afghanistan, In the Graveyard of Empires will be mandatory reading for policymakers from Washington to Kabul." -- Peter Bergen, author of Holy War, Inc. and The Osama bin Laden I Know"Seth Jones has combined forceful narrative with careful analysis, illustrating the causes of this deteriorating situation, and recommending sensible, feasible steps to reverse the escalating violence." -- James Dobbins, author of After the Taliban: Nation Building in Afghanistan

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Book SynopsisA bold exploration of the Holocaust by a pre-eminent scholar in the field.Trade Review"... this clear, well-written... book has much of importance to tell us in an age of sudden fear, propaganda and fake news, in which the Third Reich and its crimes reappear often as a "touchstone"." -- Times Higher Education

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Book SynopsisA gripping account of the infamous Nazi doctor from a former US Justice Department official tasked with uncovering his fate.Trade Review"It must be the most thorough-going account of Mengele's life available to date, a calm and professional read, but one that inevitably makes you want to look away." -- The Spectator"What specifically distinguishes Marwell’s account from previous studies concerns his personal involvement in the Justice Department’s Office of Special Investigations (O.S.I.) and the search for and identification of Mengele." -- The International New York Times"Gripping… sober and meticulous." -- David Margolick - The Wall Street Journal"Marwell’s life has much new to tell us, both about Mengele himself and, more significant, about the social and scientific milieu that allowed him to flourish." -- Adam Gopnik - The New Yorker"Compelling... At once a compact biography of the notorious war criminal, a detailed account of Mengele’s flight to South America, and an absorbing narrative of the quest to bring him to justice." -- Patricia Heberer Rice - Science

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Book SynopsisA must for those who aspire to follow the profession of arms.-Maj. Gen. George S. PattonHere is a unique book that emphasizes the attainment of military excellence through reading and field experience. Written to help men and women prepare for positions of command in the American Armed Forces, it is a product of the author''s years of discussions with military commanders about their roles as decision-makers, moral standard bearers, and energizers of military organizations.In his commentary on the problems of the commander as tactician, strategist, warrior, trainer, mentor, disciplinarian, and moral leader, the author analyzes and recommends both classical and current readings that are available for those who seek an expanded vision of their potential as commanders. This book is designed to raise new challenges to conventional thinking about the art of military command.

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Book SynopsisA landmark history of the war that firmly places the First World War in the context of imperialism and gives due weight to the role of non-Europeans in the conflict.Trade Review'Morrow is an excellent military historian who follows quite strictly the war's events on the various fronts, revealing the colonial effort in troops and economics.' - Prof. Annette Becker, The Times Educational Supplement '[Morrow] penetrates the phenomenon of war as few have managed ... the sort of compassionate, original historian who gives you faith in the future.' - The Observer'Lively, informative and based on a lifetime of reading ... Morrow's history will give readers reason to think about a wide range of issues: not least the possibility that, during and after the First World War, Europeans began to apply to one another the brutality they had formerly reserved for their African subjects.' - The Independent'With a staggering wealth of reference, John H Morrow has produced a universal historical tapestry which weaves together the international threads that provide the woof and warp of the conflict that introduced and essentially shaped the most barbaric century in human history. Given his canvas, he writes with amazing clarity, never allowing the reader to feel that he is being sold short on this panoramic journey through four years when the world went mad.' - Morning Star'Morrow is an excellent military historian who follows quite strictly the war's events on the various fronts, revealing the colonial effort in troops and economics.' - Times Higher Education SupplementTable of ContentsTranslator's Note Introduction Part 1: 1. War, the Liberator 2. Patriotic War 3. Inevitable War 4. Imaginary War 5. 'War on War' 6. War is Declared Part 2: 7. From Movement to Stagnation 8. Strong Points and Weak Points 9. Verdun and the Great Battles 10. Cannon Fodder and the New Art of War 11. Styles of War: Direct and Indirect 12. World War and Total War 13. The Possible and the Impossible Part 3: 14. Tensions New and Old 15. Crises of War 16. Revolutionary Peace, Compromise Peace, Victorious Peace Part 4: 17. Between War and Crusade 18. The Illusions of Victory Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe American Civil War: A Literary and Historical Anthology brings together a wide variety of important writings from the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, including short fiction, poetry, public addresses, memoirs, and essays, accompanied by detailed annotations and concise introductions.Now in a thoroughly revised second edition, this slimmer volume has been revamped to: Emphasize a diversity of perspectives on the war Showcase more women writers Expand the number of Southern voices Feature more soldiers'' testimony Provide greater historical context. With selections from Louisa May Alcott, Walt Whitman, Sidney Lanier, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Kate Chopin, and many more, Ian Finseth's careful arrangement of texts remains an indispensable resource for readers who seek to understand the impact of the Civil War on the culture of the United States. The American Civil War rTrade Review"There was no dominant voice of the Civil War epoch. As The American Civil War: A Literary and Historical Anthology reveals, Northerners and Southerners of all social classes and racial backgrounds refused to be silent about their experiences. Each group wrote about the trauma and triumphs of organized killing with great imagination, showing that there was no one "real war," but many "real wars." And undoubtedly Walt Whitman would be pleased to see all of these perspective collected in a single book, skillfully edited by Ian Frederick Finseth, whose cast of Civil War writers puts to rest the myth that war is incommunicable." – Peter S. Carmichael, Fluhrer Professor of History, Gettysburg College"In this second edition, Ian Finseth builds on the strengths of his remarkable volume: the selections reflect the richly complex field of Civil War scholarship, while remaining highly accessible to new students, and offering an important pedagogical tool for instructors. The volume captures a diversity of perspectives on the Civil War, and impresses on us the important role literature, across genres, played during the conflict. We not only understand the literature of the Civil War in reading the anthology; we come to realize that we cannot fully grasp the lived experience of the Civil War unless we study its literature. Well-organized and thoughtfully annotated, Finseth’s volume reflects careful scholarship and pedagogical engagement at their best." – Colleen G. Boggs, Associate Professor of English, Dartmouth College"Expertly compiled and deftly edited... A welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Civil War Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists." – The Midwest Book Review, June 2013"This book does a superb job as a literary anthology about the American Civil War." - The Lone Star Book ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Written War I. ORIGINS II. BATTLEFIELDSIII. AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCEIV. THE HOME FRONTV. RECONSTRUCTING The Writers Glossary

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Book SynopsisThe American Revolution Reader is a collection of leading essays on the American revolutionary era from the eve of the imperial crisis through George Washingtonâs presidency. Articles have been chosen to represent classic themes, such as the British-colonial relationship during the eighteenth century, the political and ideological issues underlying colonial protests, the military conflict, the debates over the Constitution, and the rise of political parties. The volume also captures how the field has been reshaped in recent years, including essays that cover class strife and street politics, the international context of the Revolution, and the roles of women, African Americans and Native Americans, as well as the reshaping of the British Empire after the war. With essays by Gordon S. Wood, Mary Beth Norton, T.H. Breen, John M. Murrin, Gary B. Nash, Woody Holton, Rosemarie Zagarri, John Shy, Alan Taylor, Maya Jasanoff, and many other prominent historians, the collectiTable of ContentsPart I: Imperial Context 1. Liberty, Province, and Empire Ned C. Landsman 2. The Nation Abroad: The Atlantic Debate over Colonial Taxation Eliga H. Gould Part II: Imperial Crisis 3. “Baubles of Britain”: The American and Consumer Revolutions of the Eighteenth Century T.H. Breen 4. 1776: The Countercyclical Revolution John M. Murrin 5. “Rebel against Rebel”: Enslaved Virginians and the Coming of the American Revolution Woody Holton6. Twenty-seven Reasons for Independence Robert G. Parkinson Part III: War and the Home Front 7. The Military Conflict Considered as a Revolutionary War John Shy 8. Class War? Class Struggles during the American Revolution in Virginia Michael A. McDonnell 9. Eighteenth-Century American Women in Peace and War: The Case of the Loyalists Mary Beth Norton 10. Restraint and Retaliation: The North Carolina Militias and the Backcountry War of 1780-1782 Wayne E. Lee Part IV: American Constitutionalism and Nation-Building 11. Writing on a Clean Slate: The Struggle to Craft State Constitutions, 1776-1780 Gary B. Nash 12. Interests and Disinterestedness in the Making of the Constitution Gordon S. Wood 13. Constitutional Recognition of a Free Religious Market Frank Lambert 14. Aristocracy Assailed: The Ideology of Backcountry Anti-Federalism Saul Cornell 15. “To Man Their Rights”: The Frontier Revolution Alan Taylor Part V: A Social Revolution? 16. The Revolution in Black Life Ira Berlin 17. The Continuing Revolution in Indian Country Colin G. Calloway 18. The Rights of Woman Rosemarie Zagarri 19. From Slaves, Convicts, and Servants to Free Passengers: The Transformation of Immigration in the Era of the American Revolution Aaron S. Fogleman Part VI: Legacies 20. The Other Side of Revolution: Loyalists in the British Empire Maya Jasanoff 21. The Greatness of George Washington Gordon S. Wood

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Book SynopsisNow available in English for the first time, Gunpowder and Incense (translated from the Spanish La Pólvora y el Incienso) chronicles the role of the Church in Spanish politics, looking in particular at the Spanish Civil War. Unlike most books on the subject, Hilari Raguer looks beyond the traditional explanation that the war was primarily a religious struggle. His writing presents an exemplary insider''s perspective, and is notable for its balance and perception on the role of the Catholic Church before, during and after the War.The material is presented in a lucid, elegant manner - which makes this book as readable as it is historiographically important. It will be vital reading for students and scholars of European, religious and modern history.Trade Review"... without any doubt, the most nuanced and sophisticated analysis of the subject anywhere in existence" - Helen Graham, Professor of Spanish History, Royal Holloway, University of London.'ground-breaking ... this study is a most valuable addition to the literature on the Civil War and will become indispensable for its balanced understanding of a most complicated field of history' - Contemporary Review. . . Without any doubt, the most nuanced and sophisticated analysis of the subject anywhere in existence. - Helen Graham, Professor of Spanish History, Royal Holloway, University of LondonGround-breaking ... this study is a most valuable addition to the literature on the Civil War and will become indispensable for its balanced understanding of a most complicated field of history - Contemporary ReviewScholars of modern Spain and, indeed, the Church in twentieth-century Europe more generally must not hesitate to refer to this engrossing, thoroughly researched, and perspective-changing work. - Raymond McCluskey, The Catholic Historical ReviewTable of ContentsPrologue. Introduction 1. The religious Question during the Spanish Republic 2. The Initial Reasons for the Rebellion 3. From the Pronunciamiento to the Crusade 4. The Initial Attitude of the Spanish Bishops 5. The Initial Attitude of the Vatican 6. The Collective Letter 7. Persecution and Repression 8. Stories of Persecution and Repression 9. Franco’s Relations with the Vatican are Strengthened 10. The Third Spain: Doves and Hawks 11. The Republic Desires Reconciliation with the Church 12. The Exile of Cardinal Vidal i Barraquer 13. The Church of Victory. Documentary Appendix. Chronology. Bibliography. Abbreviations. Index

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Book SynopsisForty years of confrontation in Europe have produced a complex set of conditioned reflexes in western military thinking. With the ending of the Warsaw pact, planning and analysis specialists have had to look again at the basic principles of war: there is no sure ground any more. The analysis of threat and response has been transformed and new patterns of likely action, such as the Gulf intervention, have been accommodated. In practical terms, this affects what is taught to both new officers and senior officers about to assume command responsibilities. The essays in the Science of War attempt to develop a broader understanding of the factors that operate at the higher levels of war, and to study the operational level of war from a general, speculative and penetrating viewpoint. Many contributors also attempt to integrate military theory and historical experience. The aim throughout is to lay down a theoretical grounding in the principles of the planning and conduct of war at the operTable of ContentsList of illustrations, Notes on contributors, Preface, Introduction, 1 THE LESSONS OF THE 1920s AND MODERN EXPERIENCE, 2 THE CONTRIBUTION OF ORIGINALITY TO MILITARY SUCCESS, 3 ECONOMY OF EFFORT: A PASSIVE PRINCIPLE, 4 LIDDELL HART AND THE INDIRECT APPROACH TO STRATEGY, 5 BURMA, 1943–5: WHAT LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE?, 6 INCREASING TEMPO ON THE MODERN BATTLEFIELD, 7 DEPTH FIREPOWER: THE VIOLENT, ENABLING ELEMENT, 8 THE FUTURE OF SURPRISE ON THE TRANSPARENT BATTLEFIELD, 9 THE IMPACT OF THE MEDIA ON THE PROSECUTION OF CONTEMPORARY WARFARE, 10 A STUDY OF EUROPEAN DEFENCE NEEDS IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, Index

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Book SynopsisUsing diaries, journals, and correspondences, Druett recounts the daily grind surgeons on nineteenth-century whaling ships faced: the rudimentary tools they used, the treatments they had at their disposal, the sorts of people they encountered in their travels, and the dangers they faced under the harsh conditions of life at sea.Trade Review"This book is literally a page-turner - I could not put it down - filled with new windows on history, technology and personal experience. It can be highly recommended." -- John Townley, International Journal of Maritime History"...You definitely do want to read the author's colorful stories." -- The Dallas Morning News"Those who enjoyed Patrick O'Brian's eye for historical detail will delight in Druett." -- Publisher's Weekly"Druett offers us a vivid sense of shipboard life in her descriptions of medicines, surgical tools, the tumult of a whale hunt and treatment of such common ailments as dysentery, dropsy, syphilis, scurvy and insanity." -- TheArizona Republic"Joan Druett's latest work lives up to her reputation as one of our foremost chroniclers of maritime lore." -- Roy Porter, author of The Greatest Benefit to Mankind"A wonderfully effective therapy for anyone interested in the story of the sea...Invigorating." -- Tim Severin, author of In Search of Moby Dick and The Brendan Voyage"Filled with accounts of the drama and tedium of whaling, exciting battles with whales, and the occasional gruesome medical event, the book should please sailing buffs, history buffs, and fans of the well-told, lifely story." -- William Beatty, BooklistTable of ContentsChapter One - Medicine ar Sea: Woodall's the Surgion's Mate Chapter Two- Shipping Out Chapter Three- The Medicine Chest Chapter Four - the First Leg: Day-to-Day Life Chapter Five- The Whale Hunt Chapter Six Accidents, Injuries and Ailments Chapter Seven- Battling Scurvy Chapter Eight- Encounters with Native Peoples Chapter Nine- Motley, Reckles & Profligate:Troubles with Captains and Crews Epilogue0 The Fates of Our Surgeons Acknowledgements Bibliography Glossary John King's Patient Log Medical Chests:Comparative Chart Index

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Book SynopsisA dogged enemy of Hitler, resolute ally of the Americans, and inspiring leader through World War II, Winston Churchill is venerated as one of the truly great statesmen of the last century. But while he has been widely extolled for his achievements, parts of Churchill''s record have gone woefully unexamined. As journalist Madhusree Mukerjee reveals, at the same time that Churchill brilliantly opposed the barbarism of the Nazis, he governed India with a fierce resolve to crush its freedom movement and a profound contempt for native lives. A series of Churchill''s decisions between 1940 and 1944 directly and inevitably led to the deaths of some three million Indians. The streets of eastern Indian cities were lined with corpses, yet instead of sending emergency food shipments Churchill used the wheat and ships at his disposal to build stockpiles for feeding postwar Britain and Europe. Combining meticulous research with a vivid narrative, and riveting accounts of personality and policy clashes within and without the British War Cabinet, Churchill''s Secret War places this oft-overlooked tragedy into the larger context of World War II, India''s fight for freedom, and Churchill''s enduring legacy. Winston Churchill may have found victory in Europe, but, as this ground-breaking historical investigation reveals, his mismanagement- facilitated by dubious advice from scientist and eugenicist Lord Cherwell- devastated India and set the stage for the massive bloodletting that accompanied independence.

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Book SynopsisA fundamental reassessment of Germany's 1941 campaign against the Soviet Union - a key turning point of the Second World War. This book highlights the enormous internal problems of the vital Panzer forces and reveals that their demise in the earliest phase of the war undermined the whole German invasion.Trade Review'… thought-provoking and valuable. It dispels any illusions that the first months of Operation Barbarossa were a pushover for the Wehrmacht; Stahel documents in detail, from German war diaries and letters, the heavy fighting and the high casualties.' Evan Mawdsley, The English Historical Review'… a thoroughly researched, comprehensive, and convincing analysis of Barbarossa … Any still-lingering notions of a German 'genius for war', as opposed to skill in some aspects of warmaking, is unlikely to survive this intellectually-disciplined, archivally-documented analysis of one of history's most misbegotten, mistakenly executed campaigns.' Dennis Showalter, Journal of Military History'Stahel paints a convincing portrait of a Germany army whose shape edge was already well into the process of being blunted during the first weeks of the fighting … This is a serious book and a welcome contribution to the military debate over Operation Barbarossa, a debate that has largely been carried out in the 'English speaking world' up till now.' Robert M. Citino, Central European History'The author's research is impressive … Stahel's clearly written and accessible account convincingly questions the competency of the German planning for Barbarossa … all will profit from reading this fine work.' Howard D. Grier, The Journal of Modern History'Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East will undoubtedly stand as a standard work on the first phase of Operation Barbarossa for a long time to come … The staggering amount of detail offered ensures this is an invaluable addition to Eastern Front literature and Operation Barbarossa in particular.' Yan Mann, Global War Studies'… a thrilling book that no military historian can afford to ignore.' German HistoryTable of ContentsIntroduction; Part I. Strategic Plans and Theoretical Conceptions for War against the Soviet Union: 1. Fighting the bear; 2. The gathering storm; 3. Barbarossa's sword - Hitler's armed forces in 1941; 4. The advent of war; Part II. The Military Campaign and the July/August Crisis of 1941: 5. Awakening the bear; 6. The perilous advance to the east; 7. The Battle of Smolensk; 8. The attrition of Army Group Centre; 9. In search of resurgence; 10. Showdown; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisIn the bleakest years of the Second World War when it appeared that nothing could slow the advance of the German army, Hitler set his sights on the Mediterranean island of Crete, the ideal staging ground for domination of the Middle East. But German command had not counted on the strength of the Cretan resistance or the eccentric band of British intelligence officers who would stand in their way, conducting audacious sabotage operations in the very shadow of the Nazi occupation force.The Ariadne Objective tells the remarkable story of the secret war on Crete from the perspective of these amateur soldiers who found themselves serving because, as one of them put it, they had made ''the obsolete choice of Greek at school''. John Pendlebury, a swashbuckling archaeologist with a glass eye and a swordstick; Xan Fielding, a writer who would later produce the English translations of books like Bridge on the River Kwai and Planet of the Apes; Sandy Rendel, a futuTrade ReviewAn exciting, fast-moving and crisply written adventure story… Highly recommended * The Literary Review *Wes Davis’s fast-paced tale of wartime sabotage reads more like an Ian Fleming thriller than a mere retelling of events * Wall Street Journal *What really sets the book apart from the host of look-alikes is Davis’s dedication to fleshing out the eccentricity of the main players… It is surely a good thing that we no longer associate war with adventure; if it were always as appealing as Davis has made it here, we would grow to love it too much * Daily Beast *

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