Military History Books
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The FN FAL Battle Rifle
Book SynopsisOf all the infantry small arms developed during World War II, one that generated the most interest was the German ‘assault rifle’, the StG 44 Sturmgewehr. This innovative weapon inspired the Soviet AK-47 in 7.62x39mm calibre. In the West, the NATO countries looked hard at new weapons to upgrade their own infantry arsenals and counter the AK-47, resulting in the design of the Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL. It proved to be a successful battle rifle and was soon adopted by the military and police forces of no fewer than 93 nations. The FAL dominated the militaries of the West to such a degree that its nickname became the Right Arm of the Free World. The FAL fulfilled every role it was asked to perform and remains a viable and well-respected weapon to this day.Trade ReviewFor those of us who did have a love affair with this rifle, it is a book that should be on our bookshelves if not in our hands, and for those who have never experienced the weapon, it's an interesting and illuminating read that may help to understand why it was so revered. - arrse.co.ukTable of ContentsIntroduction/ Development /Use /Impact /Conclusion /Bibliography
£14.39
Quercus Publishing Secrets of the Knights Templar: The Hidden
Book SynopsisThe Knights Templar are one of the most mysterious and powerful religious orders in history. Highly trained, and adhering to a strict chivalric code, their success on the battlefield brought them both extraordinary wealth and political influence. It also ensured they would be entrusted to guard Christendom's greatest secrets. Our enduring fascination with the Templars is matched only by the swirling myths that surround and sometimes obscure the order's history. Secrets of the Knights Templar examines each of these mysteries in turn to reveal the truth about the Knights' secret practices, rituals and codes, as well as the continued influence of the Templars today. From the true location of the Holy Grail to the Templars' involvement in the Battle of Bannockburn, and from the sudden downfall of the order to the claims of those who believe they're descended from its Grand Masters, S. J. Hodge's thrilling and authoritative narrative uncovers the hidden links behind the stories and separates historical fact from fiction.Table of ContentsThe Origins of the Order. Holy War. The Temple of Solomon. The Guardians. Sacred Defence. Shifting Sands. The Descent. The Myths. An Enigma of History. List of Grand Masters. Index.
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The Deluge
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES PRIZE FOR HISTORY FINANCIAL TIMES AND NEW STATESMAN BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2014On the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, Deluge is a powerful explanation of why the war''s legacy continues to shape our world - from Adam Tooze, the Wolfson Prize-winning author of The Wages of DestructionIn the depths of the Great War, with millions of dead and no imaginable end to the conflict, societies around the world began to buckle. As the cataclysmic battles continued, a new global order was being born.Adam Tooze''s panoramic new book tells a radical, new story of the struggle for global mastery from the battles of the Western Front in 1916 to the Great Depression of the 1930s. The war shook the foundations of political and economic order across Eurasia. Empires that had lasted since the Middle Ages collapsed into ruins. New nations sprang up. Strikes, street-fighting and revolution convulsed much of the world. And beneath the surface turmoil, the war set in motion a deeper and more lasting shift, a transformation that continues to shape the present day: 1916 was the year when world affairs began to revolve around the United States. America was both a uniquely powerful global force: a force that was forward-looking, the focus of hope, money and ideas, and at the same time elusive, unpredictable and in fundamental respects unwilling to confront these unwished for responsibilities. Tooze shows how the fate of effectively the whole of civilization - the British Empire, the future of peace in Europe, the survival of the Weimar Republic, both the Russian and Chinese revolutions and stability in the Pacific - now came to revolve around this new power''s fraught relationship with a shockingly changed world. The Deluge is both a brilliantly illuminating exploration of the past and an essential history for the present.Trade ReviewBold and ambitious . . . probably the best of the current books about the First World War * Observer *A remarkable new synthesis which draws on [Tooze's] two particular areas of expertise, Eurasia and especially Germany, and the global financial system revolving around London ... the great strength of his book is that he invites us to look at familiar events in unfamiliar ways ... Tooze's account brims with contemporary resonances ... He is too good a historian, however, to turn this into a simple argument for Keynesian deficit financing ... the general public and policymakers alike will - must! - turn to Adam Tooze for instruction -- Brendan Simms * Tablet *It is particularly refreshing to read Adam Tooze's book ... it confirms his stature as an analyst of hugely complex political and economic issues ... Tooze's book covers a huge geographical sweep ... he shows himself a formidably impressive chronicler of a critical period of modern history, unafraid of bold judgements -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *Adam Tooze's masterly book should be required reading for anyone who wants to truly understand the significance of the war ... Extensively researched and written with exemplary clarity, this work is as monumentally ambitious as its subject ... his powers of description and analysis range across all inhabited continents ... this is a valuable look at the ways in which the years after the war came to define the rest of the 20th century * BBC History Magazine *Interesting, engaging and very readable ... Underpinning this account is an impressive facility with numbers and an ability to analyse them that is increasingly rare among historians nowadays ... he has also delivered, for the first time, ...a clear and compelling rationale as to why it is actually worth going back and looking at the era of the First World War at this particular moment in time ... The Deluge reminds us, then, why we write history and why we should read it * Literary Review *Tooze made his name with The Wages of Destruction . . . His study of the post-1918 era is equally impressive, explaining why the US and its allies, having defeated Germany, were unable to stabilize the world economy and build a collective security system in Europe -- Tony Barber * Financial Times BOOKS OF THE YEAR *
£17.09
Icon Books Waterloo: The Battle That Brought Down Napoleon
Book SynopsisA masterly and concise reinterpretation of one of the seminal events in modern history, by one of the world's foremost military historians. The battle on Sunday 18th June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium was to be Napoleon's greatest triumph - but it ended in one of the greatest military upsets of all time. Waterloo became a legend overnight and remains one of the most argued-over battles in history. Lord Wellington immortally dubbed it 'the nearest-run thing you ever saw in your life,' but the British victory became iconic, a triumph of endurance that ensured a 19th century world in which Britain played the key role; it was also a defining moment for the French, bringing Napoleon I's reign to an end and closing the second Hundred Years' War. Alongside the great drama and powerful characters, Jeremy Black gives readers a fascinating look at where this battle belongs in the larger story of the tectonic power shifts in Europe, and the story of military modernisation. The result is a revelatory view of Waterloo's place in the broader historical arc.Trade ReviewA splendidly lucid account that places the Battle of Waterloo squarely in its proper historical context. -- Andrew RobertsAn immensely stimulating book that makes the reader consider the great battle afresh - an exhilarating ride. -- War Books ReviewA wonderful example of a micro-history of one battle, re-contextualised as a decisive battle in the history of Europe but also, and more crucially, as a landmark in the history of warfare. -- Military History Journal
£7.49
Pan Macmillan To End All Wars
Book SynopsisAdam Hochschild is an award-winning author of six books, mostly on subjects related to human rights. King Leopold's Ghost was the winner of the prestigious Duff Cooper Prize and Bury the Chains was longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize. He lives in San Francisco and teaches at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California at Berkeley.
£14.24
Schiffer Publishing Ltd The Age of Orion
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£39.09
Schiffer Publishing Ltd The Collectorâs Guide to Cloth Headgear of the
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£71.99
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Panzer Feldjacke
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£58.39
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Gau Badges of Hitlerâs Germany
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£34.84
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Panzer Feldjacke
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£85.49
HarperCollins Publishers Together We Stand
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of Fortress Malta this is the second book in the Mediterranean war trilogy. This book looks afresh at the conflict in Northern Africa, focusing for the first time on the involvement of the US and the way this early collaboration to defeat shaped the whole Anglo-American axis for the rest of the war in Europe.By June 1942, Britain had reached her lowest ebb. Her military command was in tatters, her armies beaten, and in the Middle East it seemed all might be lost. Her new ally, America, had only fledgling armed forces and was severely under-trained, yet it was this alliance of the weary combatant and naïve newcomer, coming together for the first time in North Africa, that would eventually bring about the defeat of Nazi Germany.This crucial period from defeat at Gazala through to the victories of Alamein and, ultimately, Tunisia was a time of learning for the Allies. Yet by the end Britain and America had finally gained material and certain tactical advantagTrade Review'Anyone who wants to know how it felt to fight in the desert war should read Holland's book. It represents a remarkable collation of personal experience and sensible historical judgments.'Sunday Telegraph, Max Hastings 'Holland has produced a wonderful book whose pace…never seems to flag … he is a master at evoking time and place, with haunting descriptions of the desert landscape … If there is a better book on the North African campaign, I haven't read it.'Daily Telegraph, Saul David 'Using personal testimony and private memoirs as effectively as official archives, he recreates the hardships and challenges faced by ordinary soldiers and reassesses the tactical and strategic innovations that finally gave the allies the upper hand.'Sunday Times 'as Holland shows, this period saw the realisation of how the war might eventually be won'BBC History Magazine 'stands out from the crowd’Literary Review, Nigel Jones 'The book gives the individuals, be they commander-in-chiefs or infantry, space that attests to their bravery and sacrifices … a comprehensive appraisal of the war in North Africa.'Good Book Guide 'Holland tells the story brilliantly. He has delved into archives for letters and diaries and diligently tracked down survivors … Vividly, intelligently, movingly, Holland's monumental chronicle tells it like it was.'Patrick Bishop, Mail on Sunday
£17.99
HarperCollins Publishers Unbroken
Book SynopsisThe incredible true story of Louis Zamperini, now a major motion picture directed by Angelina Jolie.THE INTERNATIONAL NUMBER ONE BESTSELLERIn 1943 a bomber crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Against all odds, one young lieutenant survives. Louise Zamperini had already transformed himself from child delinquent to prodigious athlete, running in the Berlin Olympics. Now he must embark on one of the Second World War's most extraordinary odysseys. Zamperini faces thousands of miles of open ocean on a failing raft. Beyond like only greater trials, in Japan's prisoner-of-war camps.Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini's destiny, whether triumph or tragedy, depends on the strength of his will Now a major motion picture, directed by Angelina Jolie and starring Jack O' Connell.Trade Review‘The pages almost turn themselves. His tale is remarkable and his resilience inspiring.’ Ben Macintyre ‘An instant classic’ Mail on Sunday ‘One of the most remarkable survival tales ever recorded. Do yourself a favour and by the book’ Vanity Fair ‘”Unbroken” is an extraordinarily compelling read, a match for any thriller…a remarkable book.’ Evening Standard ‘More gripping than fiction’ Sunday Telegraph ‘Staggering … mesmerising … Hillenbrand’s writing is so ferociously cinematic, the events she describes so incredible, you don’t dare take your eyes off the page’ People
£11.69
Oxford University Press Hannibals War
Book Synopsis''You know how to win a battle, Hannibal; you do not know how to use the victory!''Livy''s great history of Rome contains, in Books 21 to 30, the definitive ancient account of Hannibal''s invasion of Italy in 218 BC, and the war he fought with the Romans over the following sixteen years. Livy describes the bloody siege of the Spanish city of Saguntum, Rome''s ally, which sparked the war, and the Carthaginian leader''s famous march with elephants over the Alps into Italy. Livy''s gripping story-telling vividly conveys the drama of the great battles, the disastrous encounters at Trasimene and Cannae, and the final confrontation between Hannibal and the youthful Scipio Africanus. Individuals as well as events are brought powerfully to life, as the long course of the Second Punic War unfolds.This new translation captures the brilliance of Livy''s style, and is accompanied by a fascinating introduction and notes.The complete Livy in English, available in five volumes from Oxford World''s Classics. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade Review...has long been recognised as 'one of the most outstanding narratives in ancient historiography'. * John John Jacobs, Yale University *'Altogether, Yardley and Hoyos have collaborated to produce what will now become the authoritative English rendering of Livy 21-30. Yardley's exemplary translation strikes the right balance between a strict fidelity to the syntax of the Latin and the need to explain what Livy means while translating him.' * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
£13.29
Cambridge University Press A World at Arms A Global History of World War II
Book SynopsisWidely hailed as a masterpiece, this is the first history of WWII to provide a truly global account of the war that encompassed six continents. Starting with the changes that restructured Europe and her colonies following the WWI, Gerhard Weinberg sheds new light on every aspect of World War II.Trade ReviewFrom reviews of first edition: 'Few historians could have taken on the daunting challenge of attempting a global history of the Second World War; but Gerhard Weinberg succeeds brilliantly. It is a masterly study which is unlikely to be surpassed.' Ian Kershaw, University of Sheffield'Weinberg's book is a clearly-written account of events, with enormous … reliable encyclopaedic summaries of anything about which you need to know.' Norman Stone, The Times'… a remarkable achievement … It certainly deserves to be placed alongside the war histories of John Keegan, Martin Gilbert and A. J. P. Taylor. As a sheer work of reference it outclasses even them.' Andrew Roberts, The Sunday Telegraph'This is a tour de force; classical diplomatic history at its best. Weinberg's global view of the war pays dividends again and again … '. David Reynolds, New York Times'This is an extraordinary book … an invaluable source for anyone needing in one place as many ideas as possible about the Second World War … Moral and humane feelings underpin his copious scholarship at every point, giving admirable depth and dimension to this monumental intellectual performance.' The Washington Post'… fully lives up to its subsidiary title and to the claims made by its publishers. This is a first class strategic history of the war.' The British Army Review'… a coherent - in fact, hypnotic - narrative offered up in a single, handsome volume … surely the finest one-volume history we have of the most important event of the century.' American Heritage'… a blockbuster of a survey, grounded, to a remarkable extent for so large a work, in primary sources and also in an evident mastery of the secondary literature. It is a joy to read: lively, vigorous, and...altogether a stylistic gem … [it] offers refreshingly forthright judgments on every major aspect of World War II strategy and policy.' Naval War College ReviewTable of Contents1. From one war to another; 2. From the German and Soviet invasions of Poland to the German attack in the West, September 1, 1939 to May 10, 1940; 3. The world turned upside down; 4. The expanding conflict, 1940–1941; 5. The Eastern Front and a changing war, June to December, 1941; 6. Halting the Japanese advance, halting the German advance; keeping them apart and shifting the balance: December 1941 to November 1942; 7. The war at sea, 1942–1944, and the blockade; 8. The war in Europe and North Africa 1942–1943: to and from Stalingrad; to and from Tunis; 9. The home front; 10. Means of warfare: old and new; 11. From the spring of 1943 to summer 1944; 12. The assault on Germany from all sides; 13. Tensions in both alliances; 14. The halt on the European fronts; 15. The final assault on Germany; 16. The war in the Pacific: from Leyte to the Missouri; Conclusions: the cost and impact of the war.
£30.99
Oxford University Press Inc The Glorious Cause
Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A] tour de force. Middlekauff has the admirable ability to capture historical truths in vivid images and memorable phrases.... Middlekauff's empathy enhances this massive book's cumulative power. The cause was glorious; the book is too."--Dennis Drabelle, Washington Post Book World"This is narrative history at its best, written in a conversational and engaging style.... A major revision and expansion of a popular history of the American Revolutionary period."--Library Journal"The reader in search of a wide-ranging overview of the Revolution would be better off turning to any number of earlier books (from Trevelyan's classic 'American Revolution' to more recent works like 'The Glorious Cause' by Robert Middlekauff)."--Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times, in a review of 1776Table of ContentsMaps Editor's Introduction Porlogue: The Sustaining Truths 1. The Obstructed Giant 2. The Children of the Twice-Born 3. Beginnings: From the Top Down 4. The Stamp Act Crisis 5. Response 6. Selden's Penny 7. Chance and Charles Townshend 8. Boston Takes the Lead 9. The "Bastards of England" 10. Drift 11. Resolution 12. War 13. "Half a War" 14. Independence 15. The War of Posts 16. The War of Maneuver 17. The Revolution Becomes a European War 18. The War in the South 19. The "Fugitive War" 20. Inside the Campaigns 21. Outside the Campaigns 22. Yorktown and Paris 23. The Constitutional Movement 24. The Children of the Twice-Born in the 1780s 25. The Constitutional Convention 26. Ratification: An End and a Beginning Epilogue
£19.94
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Gaza Medic
Book SynopsisNo stranger to operating in conflict-torn countries, Richard Villar, a former SAS Medical Officer and current war surgeon, volunteered to provide medical support in Central Gaza during the 2024 invasion. In Gaza Medic, he offers a gripping and harrowing first-hand account of his experiences working in the war zone, where he faced his most daunting challenges yet. After travelling overland from Cairo across the Sinai Peninsula, Villar found himself working in a 200-bed hospital overrun with 700 patients, including many women and children. Conditions were dire and there was nowhere safe in Gaza. The hospital was under constant threat from drones, missiles, naval shells, and machinegun fire, making it one of the most perilous environments imaginable. Despite these dangers, he and fellow medics performed complex surgeries on victims of bombings. Medicines were limited, equipment minimal, and basic necessities such as clean water and sufficient food were luxuries. Villar's moving accoun
£22.00
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Lords of the Sky
Book SynopsisTrade Review"An excellent, well-researched, literate overview of 20th century warfare and the development of the fighter plane. Lords of the Sky will captivate history and aviation buffs alike." -- STEPHEN COONTS, New York Times bestselling author of Flight of the Intruder "Meticulously researched and beautifully written, this must-read chronological history of fighter pilots reads like a great literary novel. Dan Hampton has crafted an important work that is sure to become a classic within the historic lore of military aviation." -- CHRISTINA OLDS, co-author of Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds Praise for Viper Pilot: "Hampton's one of the most decorated pilots in Air Force history... We may never see his like again." -- New York Post "Dramatic, fast-paced, and definitive -- a pleasure for everyone who loves reading about aviation, and the life-and-death drama of air combat." -- MICHAEL KORDA, author of With Wings Like Eagles and Ike "An epic history of the fighter pilot world by a gifted author and historian with the trained eye of a combat pilot. This will be an enduring work of aviation literature. Experience the thrill, hear the wind, encounter the danger: Read this book!" -- Major General DON SHEPPERD (USAF Ret.), co-author of Bury Us Upside Down; former Director of the Air National Guard. "Superbly written. Paints a vivid picture of the skills, scares, scars, and science of air combat brilliantly, weaving them into a fascinating historical fabric that embraces technology, history, and politics. Buffs and the general public will agree that this is a first in the field!" -- Colonel WALTER BOYNE (USAF, Ret.), Former Director of the National Air & Space Museum and author of Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the United States Air Force
£9.49
John Murray Press In My Fathers House The Years before The Hiding
Book SynopsisConcentrating upon her family and their life in Holland before the war, this inspiring and revealing book describes in moving detail living above the family watch shop in Harlem and her memories of the family together before their lives changed for ever with the advent of war and persecution.Corrie believed that this life helped prepare them for carrying out God''s work later and gave her the strength to survive the war, brutal hardship and persecution and begin her worldwide ministry.This much loved book is being re-issued in B format with a contemporary cover.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Hitler
Book SynopsisThe book covers the whole of Hitler''s life, from his obscure beginnings through his advance to supreme absolute power and then his final decline and suicide in the bunker as Russian shells fell around him. Bullock divides the narrative into three main sections. The first deals with Hitler''s early life, his rise to party leader in the years following the First World War, and his gaining of the Chancellorship in 1933. The second part describes how he consolidated his position and extended his power once he was in office. The third and final part is about his actions in the Second World War.
£17.09
Yale University Press Auschwitz and After
Book SynopsisWritten by a mamber of the French resistance who became an important literary figure in postwar France, this memoir of life and death in Auschwitz and the post-war experiences of women survivors has become a key text for Holocaust studies classes.Trade Review"I find Rosette C. Lamont’s remarkable translation of Charlotte Delbo’s work perceptive, delicate, and poignant—in short: exceptional."—Elie Wiesel"For 75 years, Nazism’s victims have told their affliction. This will carry on. Meanwhile, no other “Auschwitz” writer than Charlotte Delbo has so clearly shown human detail and human depth."—John Felstiner, author of Can Poetry Save the Earth?: A Field Guide to Nature Poems"Delbo's exquisite and unflinching account of life and death under Nazi atrocity grows fiercer and richer with time. The superb new introduction by Lawrence L. Langer illuminates the subtlety and complexity of Delbo's meditation on memory, time, culpability, and survival, in the context of what Langer calls the 'afterdeath' of the Holocaust. Delbo's powerful trilogy belongs on every bookshelf."—Sara R. Horowitz, York University
£16.99
Yale University Press The Somme
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£14.04
Penguin Putnam Inc Command and Control
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£12.80
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Roman Soldier vs Dacian Warrior
Book SynopsisFully illustrated, this book assesses the Roman and Dacian fighting men who clashed in three bloody encounters during the Dacian Wars of AD 85106. While the Roman emperor Trajan's two campaigns against the Dacian people (AD 10102 and 10506) are widely known, the earlier conflicts between the Dacians and their Roman neighbours are also important. Drawing upon the latest research and findings, this fully illustrated study investigates the emperor Domitian's Dacian war (AD 8688) as well as Trajan's campaigns. Inhabiting an area of Europe from the Tisza River to the Black Sea, the Dacians mounted raids into Roman territory throughout the 1st century AD. In 85 Dacian forces invaded Roman territory; after defeating the invaders, the Roman Army moved into Dacia. Distracted by other crises, Domitian made peace and Dacia became a client kingdom of Rome. In AD 101, the emperor Trajan launched a pre-emptive strike on Dacia, prompting the Dacians to sue for peace in 102. In 105, Trajan's
£17.25
Amber Books Ltd British Aircraft of World War I
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£16.19
Penguin Books Ltd Stalingrad
Book SynopsisThe international million copy bestseller recounting the epic turning point of the WW2______________In October 1942, an officer wrote ''Stalingrad is no longer a town . . . Animals flee this hell; the hardest stones cannot bear it for long; only men endure''.The battle for Stalingrad became the focus of Hitler and Stalin''s determination and its citizens endured unimaginable hardship as a result. But the eventual victory of the Red Army, and the failure of Hitler''s Operation Barbarossa, was the first defeat of Hitler''s territorial ambitions in Europe, and the start of his decline.An extraordinary story of tactical genius, civilian bravery, obsession, carnage and the nature of war itself, Stalingrad will act as a testament to the vital role of the soviet war effort.______________''He reveals the full awfulness and human cost of the conflict with scholarly verve and deep sympathy'' Ben Macintyre''A superb re-telling. Beevor combines a soldier''s understanding of war''s realities with the narrative techniques of a novelist'' Orlando Figes, Sunday Telegraph''A brilliantly researched tour de force of military history'' Sarah Bradford, The TimesTrade Review'Captivating . . . Jingoistic statues never pay a proper tribute to the dead, but honest books, like this one, certainly do' -- Vitali Vitaliev * Guardian *Antony Beevor gained access to the unplumbed records, and he reveals the full awfulness and human cost of the conflict with scholarly verve and deep sympathy. The pity of war has seldom been rendered so well -- Ben MacintyreA brilliantly researched tour de force of military history -- Sarah Bradford * The Times *Antony Beevor's account of this historic turning-point is truly powerful, written with a compelling narrative drive . . . This is a fine achievement -- David Pryce-Jones * Daily Mail *A superb re-telling. Beevor combines a soldier's understanding of war's realities with the narrative techniques of a novelist . . . This is a book that lets the reader look into the face of battle -- Orlando Figes * Sunday Telegraph *
£11.69
Schiffer Publishing Ltd A Pictorial History of the B2A Spirit Stealth
Book SynopsisThe history and development of Northrop's Flying Wings, from the innovative XB-35A to the B-2A Spirit.
£28.79
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Dassault Mirage
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£43.99
McFarland and Company, Inc. Flying Tigers Over Cambodia An American Pilots
Book SynopsisThis is the memoir of Larry Partridge who flew 52 missions into Phnom Penh, delivering rice and other supplies in hostile conditions to Cambodians surrounded by the Khmer Rouge forces in 1975.Trade Reviewriveting...a remarkable, highly recommended story of courage and necessity in the battlefields of Cambodia and Viet Nam"—Midwest Book Review"it is a well-written exciting book"—Military Review"unique...exceedingly human and humane story...remarkable...heroic...heartwarming"—Brothers Judd"a well-balanced account...unique"—Khmer Institute"one of those books that you will not want to put down"—Airways Magazine"Unique...invaluable. The author gives us a 'jump seat' view of this epic event."—Art Chin, Author of Anything, Anytime, Anywhere and The Seaboard Saga.
£14.24
McFarland and Company, Inc. Submarine Torpedo Tactics An American History
Book SynopsisThese never-before- published, first-hand accounts of undersea action presented with a summary of torpedo tactics illustrate how a submarine's crew can hit a target that is determined to avoid being hit. Legendary figures in American submarine history come to life in actual logs of undersea warfare, and in accounts of sailors who were in the vanguard of torpedo tactics development.
£20.89
Henry Holt and Co. Overthrow
Book SynopsisStephen Kinzer''s Overthrow provides a fast-paced narrative history of the coups, revolutions, and invasions by which the United States has toppled fourteen foreign governments -- not always to its own benefitRegime change did not begin with the administration of George W. Bush, but has been an integral part of U.S. foreign policy for more than one hundred years. Starting with the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 and continuing through the Spanish-American War and the Cold War and into our own time, the United States has not hesitated to overthrow governments that stood in the way of its political and economic goals. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 is the latest, though perhaps not the last, example of the dangers inherent in these operations.In Overthrow, Stephen Kinzer tells the stories of the audacious politicians, spies, military commanders, and business executives who took it upon themselves to depose monarchs, presidents, and
£19.50
The Crowood Press Ltd The World War II Tommy: British Army Uniforms
Book SynopsisA paperback edition of this classic work, which describes and illustrates the uniforms and equipment of the WWII British soldier using original items worn by live models in authentic settings.
£17.99
Harvard University Press Racing the Enemy
Book SynopsisHasegawa rewrites the history of the end of World War II in the Pacific by integrating the key actors in the story—the US, the USSR, and Japan. From April 1945, when Stalin broke the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact and Truman assumed the presidency, to the final Soviet military actions against Japan, he reveals the real reasons Japan surrendered.Trade ReviewRacing the Enemy is a tour de force -a lucid, balanced, multi-archival, myth-shattering analysis of the turbulent end of World War II. Tsuyoshi Hasegawa sheds fascinating new light on fiercely debated issues including the U.S.-Soviet end game in Asia, the American decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Japan's frantic response to the double shock of nuclear devastation and the Soviet Union's abrupt declaration of war. -- John W. Dower, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War IIWith this book, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa will establish himself as the expert on the end of the war in the Pacific. This important work will attract a wide readership. -- Ernest R. May, author of Strange Victory: Hitler's Conquest of FranceIn summer 1945 Truman and his advisers set a foreign policy course that demanded American use of doomsday weapons not only against Japan but, indirectly, against humanity itself. In this groundbreaking book, Hasegawa argues that the atomic bombs were not as decisive in bringing about Japan's unconditional surrender as Soviet entry into the Pacific War. His challenging study reveals the full significance of Truman's decision not to associate Stalin with the Potsdam Declaration and offers fresh evidence of how Japan's leaders viewed Stalin's entrance into the war as the decisive factor. Others have shown that Truman missed opportunities to secure Japan's unconditional surrender without an invasion or the nuclear destruction of Japanese cities. But few have so thoroughly documented the complex evasions and Machiavellism of Japanese, Russian, and, especially, American leaders in the process of war termination. -- Herbert P. Bix, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Hirohito and the Making of Modern JapanIn this landmark study, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa gives us the first truly international history of the critical final months leading to Japan's surrender. Absorbing and authoritative, provocative and fair-minded, Racing the Enemy is required reading for anyone interested in World War II and in twentieth-century world affairs. A marvelously illuminating work. -- Fredrik Logevall, author of Choosing War: The Lost Chance for Peace and the Escalation of War in VietnamThe long debate among historians about American motives and Japanese efforts at ending World War II is finally resolved in Racing the Enemy, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa's brilliant and definitive study of American, Soviet and Japanese records of the last weeks of the war. -- Richard Rhodes * New York Times Book Review *Without doubt the best-informed book in English on Japanese and Soviet manoeuvres in the summer of 1945...[Hasegawa] provides an international context sorely missing from most previous work. He has mined Japanese and Russian literature and documentation and, despite much that is based on surmise, provides fresh insight into the extraordinary inability of Japanese leaders to surrender, and into Stalin's machinations aimed at maximizing Soviet territorial gains in East Asia. -- Warren I. Cohen * Times Literary Supplement *A landmark book that brilliantly examines a crucial moment in 20th-century history...[An] important, enlightening, and unsettling book. -- Jonathan Rosenberg * Christian Science Monitor *The most comprehensive study yet undertaken of Japanese documentary sources. The highly praised study argues that the atomic bomb played only a secondary role in Japan's decision to surrender. By far the most important factor, Hasegawa finds, was the entry of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan on Aug. 8, 1945, two days after the Hiroshima bombing. -- Gar Alperovitz * Philadelphia Inquirer *One of the first to make a detailed study of the political interplay among the Soviet Union, Japan, and the United States in 1945. -- Alex Kingsbury * U.S. News and World Report *As Tsuyoshi Hasegawa has shown definitively in his new book, Racing the Enemy--and many other historians have long argued--it was the Soviet Union's entry into the Pacific war on Aug. 8, two days after the Hiroshima bombing, that provided the final 'shock' that led to Japan's capitulation. -- Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin * Los Angeles Times *[Racing the Enemy] might be called the definitive analysis of the U.S. decision to use atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Professor Tsuyoshi Hasegawa of the University of California, Santa Barbara, has mined both Japanese and Soviet sources to produce the first truly international study of the Hiroshima decision. -- Errol MacGregor Clauss * Winston-Salem Journal *Managing to convey the thought processes, assumptions and biases of the Imperial elite is Hasegawa's greatest achievement...Hasegawa's story is a weird, compelling one, and his case for revising our view of the leadup to VJ Day is overwhelming. -- John Dolan * The Exile *Hasegawa's study provides the most comprehensive examination yet published on the international factors that shaped the decision-making processes and policies adopted in Washington, Moscow, Potsdam and Tokyo, and which ultimately contributed to Japan's surrender in 1945. Racing the Enemy provides a fresh and multi-faceted perspective on a well studied topic primarily because the author draws on information from Russian, Japanese and American archives and sources. While this study both complements and challenges the well-informed findings of Asada Sadao, Robert Butow, Richard Frank and Leon Sigal, the international framework in which Hasegawa places the surrender of Japan makes this book a compelling read for students and scholars alike. -- J. Charles Schencking * Pacific Affairs *Will we ever really know why Japan surrendered in World War II? In this judicious and meticulously researched study of the endgame of the conflict, [Hasegawa] internationalizes (by a thorough look at American, Japanese, and Soviet literature and archives) the diplomatic and political maneuvering that led to Japanese capitulation...No study has yet to bundle together the myriad works on the war's end in such a complete manner...This work should become standard reading for scholars of World War II and American diplomacy. -- Thomas Zeiler * American Historical Review *Tsuyoshi Hasegawa's Racing the Enemy is a splendid book--the first to examine the end of the Second World War in the Asia Pacific from a comprehensive, international perspective. Based on archival and published materials in Russian, English, and Japanese, it provides a gripping account of the complex diplomatic maneuvers and political battles that culminated in the tumultuous events of August 1945...Hasegawa has written the first truly international history of the end of the Pacific War. By bringing hitherto separate literatures together into a much-needed dialogue, he has recast the contours of the whole debate. Racing the Enemy will remain essential reading for students of foreign policy and international history for many years to come. -- Anno Tadashi * Monumenta Nipponica *This book is a well-researched and provocative analysis of a fascinating yet neglected aspect of World War II: the American public's conventional assumption is that Japan surrendered to the Allies because of American atomic bombs...Hasegawa's conclusion raises tempting hypothetical questions for further research of this topic, and he provides intriguing answers to them. -- Sean Savage * Historian *What ended World War II?...Tsuyoshi Hasegawa--a highly respected historian at the University of California, Santa Barbara--has marshaled compelling evidence that it was the Soviet entry into the Pacific conflict, not Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that forced Japan's surrender. His interpretation could force a new accounting of the moral meaning of the atomic attack. It also raises provocative questions about nuclear deterrence, a foundation stone of military strategy in the postwar period. And it suggests that we could be headed towards an utterly different understanding of how, and why, the Second World War came to its conclusion. -- Gareth Cook * Boston Globe *
£23.36
Harvard University Press The Histories Volume I Books 12
Book SynopsisIn his history, Polybius (ca. 200–118 BC) is centrally concerned with how and why Roman power spread. The main part of the work, a vital achievement despite the incomplete state in which all but the first five books of an original forty survive, describes the rise of Rome, its destruction of Carthage, and its eventual domination of the Greek world.Trade ReviewPolybius found a brilliant subject for his history in the Roman drive to supremacy in the Mediterranean. As an experienced Greek politician who lived as a hostage among the elite in Rome from 167 to 159 BC, he was ideally positioned to write it. He had formidable organizational powers, and he really did know what he was talking about. Without him, our understanding of the whole period and of the dynamics of Roman imperialism would be inconceivably impoverished. -- Denis Feeney * Times Literary Supplement *These are the first two volumes of a revised text and translation of the Histories of Polybius. Polybius was the Greek historian who wrote of the rise of Rome to Mediterranean power, and who is usually ranked as one of the ancient world’s great historians. This edition is based on that of W. R. Paton (1922), which has long served scholars but has been in sore need of updating and correction. This new version comes thanks to Frank W. Walbank (1909–2008), the great Polybius scholar of the modern world, whose monumental three-volume A Historical Commentary on Polybius (1957–79) is the starting point for all modern studies of the historian and the era he chronicled. While writing his commentary, Walbank systematically corrected Paton’s edition in hundreds of places, and these changes have now been incorporated by Christian Habicht, himself one of the great historians of the Hellenistic age. Habicht has provided a new introduction, bibliography, and notes, and the result is a splendid, reliable, and up-to-date edition of Polybius that will be accessible to students and scholars alike. One looks forward eagerly to the remaining volumes that are to appear over the next year. -- J. M. Marincola * Choice *
£23.70
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Sherman Tank Vol. 2
Book Synopsis
£18.04
Schiffer Publishing Ltd The French Foreign Legion in Indochina 19461956
Book Synopsis
£51.19
Schiffer Publishing Ltd German Aircraft Landing Gear
Book Synopsis
£28.79
Schiffer Publishing Ltd FockeWulf Fw 190 Long Nose An Illustrated History
Book Synopsis
£27.19
Atlantic Books A Burning Sea
Book Synopsis'Superb. A Burning Sea is a vivid, enthralling read, yet again proving that Theodore Brun is a force to be reckoned with.' Giles KristianDoomed to wander. Destined for glory.Convinced he is cursed, Erlan Aurvandil has turned his back on his native Northern lands. In search of freedom, he embarks on a perilous trip to Byzantium, the greatest city in the world. But as his voyage ends, Erlan is brutally betrayed and sold into slavery to a powerful Byzantine general.Meanwhile, Lilla Sviggarsdottír, Queen of Svealand, has lost her husband - and with him her kingdom. Fleeing for her life, Lilla journeys east on a new quest: to find Erlan and raise an army mighty enough to defeat her usurper.But, on reaching Byzantium, Lilla discovers a dark tide is rising against the Emperor, both outside the city walls and within his own court. As the whispers of war grow ever louder, both her and Erlan's fate become entwined with that of the city. Are they doomed to fall, or can freedom be won in the fierce heat of battle?Trade ReviewSuperb. A Burning Sea is another vivid, enthralling read, yet again proving that Theodore Brun is a force to be reckoned with in both historical fiction and historical fantasy. * Giles Kristian *Brilliant. Theodore Brun might just be historical fiction's next big thing. * Adam Lofthouse *Gripping. Gut-wrenching. Visceral. Highly recommended * Eric Schumacher *Brun's writing is filled with nuance and humanity, jeopardy and violence. This is epic historical adventure at its very best. * Matthew Harffy *Engages you from the first page, throws you into the plot, and thrills and exhausts at the same time. Very highly recommended. * Robin Carter, Parmenion Books *A masterly debut. ... If Bernard Cornwell and George RR Martin had a lovechild, it would look like A Mighty Dawn. I devoured it late into the night, and eagerly await the sequel. * Antonia Senior on A Mighty Dawn *Evocative prose and the brutality of the Viking world, it's all here, woven with a deft touch into a tremendous tale. * Giles Kristian on A Mighty Dawn *
£8.54
Oxford University Press Hitlers First Hundred Days When Germans Embraced
Book SynopsisThe story of how Germans came to embrace the Third Reich.Germany in early 1933 was a country ravaged by years of economic depression and increasingly polarized between the extremes of left and right. Over the spring of that year, Germany was transformed from a republic, albeit a seriously faltering one, into a one-party dictatorship. In Hitler''s First Hundred Days, award-winning historian Peter Fritzsche examines the pivotal moments during this fateful period in which the Nazis apparently won over the majority of Germans to join them in their project to construct the Third Reich. Fritzsche scrutinizes the events of the period - the elections and mass arrests, the bonfires and gunfire, the patriotic rallies and anti-Jewish boycotts - to understand both the terrifying power that the National Socialists came to exert over ordinary Germans and the powerful appeal of the new era that they promised.Trade ReviewPeter Fritzsche gives a comprehensive overview of how the Nazis took over Germany. * Paul Donnelley, The Daily Express *[A] dramatic retelling... with tremendous verve... Fritzsches skill is in finding a wide enough cast of Germans to give a sense not just of the faithful, but of the sceptics, the disbelieving and the defeated... it is [Fitzsches] capacity for turning the lens back onto the viewer that makes his work so profound and so convincing. * Nicholas Stargardt, New York Times *Fritzsche draws on a vast amount of research to take us into the heart of a tumultuous 100 days, bringing in voices from all sides of the political spectrum. In the process, he turns what seems like an impossible sequence of events into one that seems both understandable and frighteningly repeatable. * History of War *Hitlers First One Hundred Days is gripping from the first lines. With elegance and deep knowledge, Peter Fitzsche tells the story of how Hitler and the Nazis consolidated their hold on power in the spring of 1933. Fritzsche knows this ground like few others, and his eye for the telling detail makes this book surprising at every turn, even as he shows how the story is chillingly relevant to our times. * Benjamin Hett, author of The Death of Democracy: Hitlers Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Quarter Past Eleven, One Hundred Days, a Thousand Years 1: "Crisis, if You Please" 2: Mystery Tour 3: Assault 4: The "Communist Beast" 5: The German Spring 6: "Your Jewish Grandmother" 7: The Administration of Life 8: "This Enormous Planet" 9: The One Hundred Days A Postscript and Acknowledgments Notes Index
£26.77
Thomas Nelson Publishers A Hobbit a Wardrobe and a Great War
Book SynopsisThe untold story of how the First World War shaped the lives, faith, and writings of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. Giving an unabashedly Christian vision of hope in a world tortured by doubt and disillusionment, the two writers created works that changed the course of literature and shaped the faith of millions---now in paperback.
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Soviet Cruisers 191745
Book SynopsisA history of the Soviet Navy''s cruisers, from the opening shots of the October Revolution through to the combat they saw during World War II.The Soviet Navy of World War II boasted a cruiser fleet that was among the most eclectic to see service. In this book, noted military historian and Soviet specialist Alexander Hill explains the role of cruisers in the Soviet Navy from the dramatic days of the October Revolution of 1917 through to the struggle they fought with Nazi Germany during World War II.Illustrated throughout with rare photos and original artwork, including a cutaway of Aurora, famous for its role in the Bolshevik October Revolution, and with profiles of the key classes, this book outlines the Soviets'' development of a cruiser force. Having inherited a number of cruisers from the Imperial Russian Navy, the new Soviet Navy went on to complete two unfinished Tsarist light cruisers during the 1920s. In the late 1930s, the Soviets built their f
£11.69
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Heinkel He 111
Book SynopsisA new pictorial history of one of the most significant aircraft of the Second World War.
£17.09
St. Martin's Publishing Group The Reaper
Book SynopsisThe Reaper is the astonishing memoir of Special Operations Direct Action Sniper Nicholas Irving, the 3rd Ranger Battalion's deadliest sniper. In the bestselling tradition of American Sniper and Shooter, Irving shares the true story of his extraordinary career, including his deployment to Afghanistan in the summer of 2009.
£13.75
Cambridge University Press The Spanish Labyrinth An Account Of The Social And Political Background Of The Spanish Civil War Canto Classics
Gerald Brenan's The Spanish Labyrinth has become the classic account of the background to the Spanish Civil War. Written during and immediately after the Civil War, this book has all the vividness of the author's experience. It represents a struggle to see the issues in Spanish politics objectively, whilst bearing witness to the deep involvement which is the only possible source of much of this richly detailed account. As a literary figure on the fringe of the Bloomsbury group, Gerald Brenan lends to this narrative an engaging personal style that has become familiar to many thousands of readers over the decades since it was first published.
£22.51
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger
Book SynopsisThe Fairbairn-Sykes Commando dagger has become iconic as the most widely recognized fighting knife in the world. The origins of the dagger can be traced to Shanghai in the 1930s where W. E. Fairbairn and US Marine officers including Sam Yeaton carried out experiments to develop what they considered the perfect knife for close combat. When Fairbairn and Sykes became instructors for the Commandos, they refined the design which would evolve into the classic Fairbairn-Sykes dagger. The dagger was first used during early Commando raids into occupied Europe but saw action in every theatre of World War II. US Rangers and Marines who had trained with the Commandos took their Fairbairn-Sykes daggers home, and this also influenced the development of American Special Forces daggers. The Fairbairn-Sykes remained in use with many units after the war. It has become a symbol of Commando and special forces units throughout the world.Table of ContentsIntroduction/ Development/ Use/ Impact/ Conclusion
£14.39
Palgrave Macmillan The Holocaust by Bullets A Priests Journey to
Book SynopsisThe poignant story of how a Catholic priest uncovered the truth behind the murder of one and a half million Ukrainian JewsFather Patrick Desbois documents the daunting task of identifying and examining all the sites where Jews were exterminated by Nazi mobile units in the Ukraine in WWII. Using innovative methodology, interviews, and ballistic evidence, he has determined the location of many mass gravesites with the goal of providing proper burials for the victims of the forgotten Ukrainian Holocaust. Compiling new archival material and many eye-witness accounts, Desbois has put together the first definitive account of one of World War II''s bloodiest chapters. Published with the support of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.[T]his modest Roman Catholic priest from Paris, without using much more than his calm voice and Roman collar, has shattered the silence surrounding a largely untold chapter of the Holocaust. --The Chicago TribuneTrade ReviewWINNER OF THE 2008 NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD 'Part memoir, part prosecutorial brief, The Holocaust by Bullets tells a compelling story in which a priest unconnected by heritage or history is so moved by an injustice he sets out to right a daunting wrong ...One might think Holocaust history has been exhausted, but Desbois breaks real news about how an emerging democracy in the New Europe still hasn't emerged from World War II. We have witnessed a decade of forensic excavations documenting genocides in Guatemala, Bosnia and Rwanda, but only now are these same tools being used to find the murdered Jews of Ukraine, thanks in large part to Desbois.'- The Miami Herald 'Using a diverse team consisting of a researcher, photographer, interpreter, and ballistics expert, Desbois endeavored to uncover these burial sites and the brutal stories behind them. He uses ample testimony from those who may have witnessed key parts of this brutal process, and he makes some surprising discoveries. The narrative flows because Desbois has such a passion for his subject; he writes simply and well, so that even readers with little initial understanding will learn a lot. The result is an outstanding contribution to Holocaust literature, uncovering new dimensions of the tragedy, and should be on the shelves of even the smallest library. Highly recommended.' - Library Journal, starred review 'An important addition to studies of the Shoah, agonizing to read and utterly necessary.' - Kirkus Reviews 'In Jewish tradition the greatest category of acts one can perform are those of 'loving kindness,' including taking care of the sick, welcoming the stranger, and sheltering the needy. The most treasured of these acts is taking care of the dead because, unlike the others, it cannot be reciprocated. Jewish tradition posits that it is then that the individual most closely emulates God's kindness to humans, which also cannot be reciprocated. Father Patrick Desbois has performed this act of loving kindness not for one person but for hundreds of thousands of people who were murdered in cold blood. He has done so despite the fact that many people would have preferred this story never to be uncovered and others doubted that it ever could be done. His contribution to history and to human memory, as chronicled in this important book, is immeasurable.'- Deborah E. Lipstadt, Ph.D. author of History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier 'In this very personal and affecting account of his gradual discovery of the events of the Holocaust in the Ukraine Patrick Desbois, a French priest, gives us a widened perspective of the extraordinarily complex manipulation of the local population by the Nazis, who forcibly requisitioned Ukrainian citizens of all ages to assist in the killings. In village after village, more than 60 years after the horrific events, the inhabitants, many of whom had been children at the time, came forward to bear witness. From the many interviews in the text, it is clear that the personal trauma of forced involvement in the mass executions has never diminished. And indeed, the stories of what they saw takes one's breath away. This is a significant addition to the history of the Holocaust that sheds new light on events in the Nazi occupied areas of the former USSR.'- Lynn H. Nicholas, author of Cruel World: The Children of Europe in the Nazi Web and The Rape of Europa: Europe's Treasures in the Third Reich and the Second World War 'Prompted by compassion and intellectual curiosity, Father Desbois revisited the graves of a million and a half Ukrainian Jews, who were murdered during the German occupation. Combining archival sources and ballistic evidence with the voices of Ukrainian eyewitnesses, Father Desbois delivers a complete, harrowing account of what happened. This book is a triumph of historical exploration, deeply moving and profoundly disturbing.'- Nechama Tec, Holocaust Scholar, University of Connecticut in Stamford, and author of the National Jewish Book Award-winning: Resilience and Courage: Women, Men and the Holocaust and of Defiance: The Bielski Partisans 'Father Patrick Desbois gives a horrifying account of dimensions of the Holocaust until now undocumented. His Catholic faith, experiences of his own family, the support of the French bishops and the research capacities of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum are enabling him to carry out a work of discovery, of healing and reconciliation. This book is a striking contribution to Christian-Jewish relations. We owe him a debt of enormous proportions.'- Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I. Archbishop of Chicago '[Desbois] is a human bridge between the modern Jewish world and the Catholic Church and a major conduit through which the Holocaust will be remembered.' - The Christian Science Monitor '[T]his modest Roman Catholic priest from Paris, without using much more than his calm voice and Roman collar, has shattered the silence surrounding a largely untold chapter of the Holocaust when Nazis killed 1.5 million Jews in Ukraine from 1941 to 1944.'- The Chicago TribuneTable of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS UKRAINE, SPRING 2007 Origins A Path From Auschwitz to Jerusalem The Priest of Belzec From Cemetery to Cemetery A Team and its Ethic Discovering the Truth Accepting the Truth They Saw The Requisitions Establishing a Methodology Your Brother's Blood A burial Place for the Dead The Mass Graves An Extermination in Every Village Operation 1005 Bousk He Who Saves a Single Soul Saves the Whole World Everyday Evil In Memory of Dora Acknowledgements Maps Notes Index
£15.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Off the Wall: Political Posters of the Lebanese
Book SynopsisIn this lavishly illustrated work, Zeina Maasri tells the tumultuous story of the struggle for Lebanon through the poster wars which raged on its streets. From 1975 to 1990, different factions in Lebanon's civil conflict flooded the streets with posters to mobilize their constituencies, undermine their enemies, and create public sympathy for their cause. Showcased here for the first time, the posters display a dramatic clash of cultures, ideologies and meanings.Maasri shows how the iconography of the posters changed throughout the war, and links this to changing political identities and imagined communities. She explores the factions' different aesthetic influences; from modern Arab visual culture to Latin America and revolutionary Iran. Combining in-depth knowledge of the local context with fascinating insights into the semiotics of visual media, "Off the Wall" is a highly original contribution to our understanding of visual culture, civil conflict, and the politics of the Middle East.
£23.74
HarperCollins Publishers All Hell Let Loose The World at War 19391945
Book SynopsisA magisterial history of the greatest and most terrible event in history, from one of the finest historians of the Second World War. A book which shows the impact of war upon hundreds of millions of people around the world- soldiers, sailors and airmen; housewives, farm workers and children..Reflecting Max Hastings's thirty-five years of research on World War II, All Hell Let Loose describes the course of events, but focuses chiefly upon human experience, which varied immensely from campaign to campaign, continent to continent.The author emphasises the Russian front, where more than 90% of all German soldiers who perished met their fate. He argues that, while Hitler's army often fought its battles brilliantly well, the Nazis conducted their war effort with stunning incompetence'. He suggests that the Royal Navy and US Navy were their countries' outstanding fighting services, while the industrial contribution of the United States was much more important to allied victory than that of thTrade Review“This is the book he was born to write: a work of staggering scope and erudition, narrated with supreme fluency and insight, it is unquestionably the best single-volume history of the war ever written….. he writes with a wonderfully clear, unsentimental eye……and has a terrific grasp of the grand sweep and military strategy……But what makes his book a compelling read are the human stories……at the end of this gruesome, chilling but quite magnificent book, you never doubt that the war was worth fighting”. Sunday Times “No other general history of the war amalgamates so successfully the gut-wrenching personal details and the essential strategic arguments. Melding the worm’s eye view and the big picture is a difficult trick to pull of – but Hastings has triumphed”. The Times “majestic…it is impossible to emerge without a sense of the sheer scale of human tragedy…..To gather all these anecdotes together is a task in itself, but to assemble them in a way that makes sense is something entirely different….Hastings shapes all these stories, almost miraculously, into a single coherent narrative”. Daily Telegraph “In this massive work, the crowning volume of the 10 impressive books he has written about the Second World War, Sir Max Hastings spares us nothing in portraying the sheer bloody savagery of the worst war that the world has yet seen….this magnificent book….is hypnotically readable from the first page to the last”. Sunday Telegraph “A fast-moving, highly readable survey of the entire war…Hastings combines a mastery of the military events with invariably sound judgment and a sharp eye for unusual telling detail….this is military history at its most gripping. Of all Max Hastings’s valuable books, this is possibly his best – a veritable tour de force”. Evening Standard
£13.49
