Military institutions Books

Book SynopsisThis is a very full history of one of the British Army''s elite cavalry regiments over two centuries, written by a former CO of the regiment just before the cavalry galloped out of the annals of war, pursued by the 20th century''s mechanisation of conflict. The 10th Royal Hussars were raised early in the 18th century, and saw their first action at the Battles of Falkirk and Culloden in putting down the 1745-46 Jacobite rebellion. In the Seven Years'' War with France, the 10th fought at the Battles of Minden, Warburg, Campen and Grebenstein. In the reign of George IIi the 10th became particularly fashionable, and George IV, when Prince of Wales, though a very non-military monarch, became its commander. (One of George''s favourites, the arbiter of fashion Beau Brummel, was briefly an officer of the regiment, though his career came to an inglorious end when he was thrown by his horse while parading at Brighton). In the Napoleonic Wars, the 10th faced the Emperor himself in Portugal, before taking part in the Corunna campaign under Sir John Moore. Returning to Iberia, the regiment fought in the battle of Vittoria under the Duke of Wellingortn, pursued the enemy into France, and took part in the battles of Orthez and Toulouse. In the battle of Waterloo, the 10th took a full part, charging the French Imperial Guard at the height of the battle. The 10th saw garrison duty in India before the outbreak fo the Crimean War in which it saw service during the siege of Sebastipol. The 10th Hussars took part in the Afghan Wars and the Suakim War in the Sudan, in which it saw action at the battle of El Teb. This history has many splendid illustrations, several in colour, and is accompanied by appendices listing the officers of the regiment and the sporting achievements of the 10th Hussars. This is a lively and colourful account of a British cavalry regiment at the height of its pomp

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Book SynopsisThe 2/20th Battalion was formed on 3 September 1914 and was allocated to 180th Brigade of the 60th (2/2nd London) Division with which it served till May 1918. The division went to France in June 1916 and served five months on the Western Front before being transferred to Salonika until June 1917 when it was again moved, this time to Palestine with the EEF. In May 1918 the battalion left the 60th Division in Palestine and returned to France, where it was attached briefly (three weeks) to 66th Division before being transferred to 185th Brigade, 62nd (2/West Riding) Division with which it saw out the war and with which it marched into Germany, the only Territorial division to be part of the Occupation Force.The 2/20th Bn''s war service in three different theatres makes this a specially interesting history, culminating as it does with the occupation of the Rhineland. This is an example of an excellent battalion history, intended primarily as a souvenir, an aid to memory for all who served in the battalion, a battalion fortunate enough to keep the same CO throughout the whole of its active service from arrival in France to demob in July 1919. The author has provided a comprehensive account of the battalion''s experiences, full of incident and one in which, bearing in mind his primary consideration, he has named many officers, NCOs and men as the story unfolds, an aspect most welcome to family historians, genealogists and medallists. There is a Roll of Honour for each theatre with names of the dead listed chronologically in each, regardless of rank. Total casualties amounted to 49 officers and 1313 other ranks of whom 18 and 331 were dead. Only six members of the battalion were taken prisoner. Appendices give the list of Honours and Awards; the nominal roll of officers who embarked with the battalion in June 1916 and what became of them; the nominal roll of WOs and sergeants who embarked in June 1916 including those started out at a lower rank but subsequently became sergeants - and what became of them; a list of the officers who joined the battalion overseas with date of joining and leaving (if they did) and why they left; and a similar list for WOs and sergeants. A final appendix describes the presentation of a King''s Colour to the battalion by HRH Prince Albert (later George VI) in April 1920, arranged to coincide with the unveiling of the war memorial. Highly recommended.

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Book SynopsisFor the first ten years of its existence the regiment was on the Scottish establishment, but with the abdication of James II and the arrival of William (and Mary) the RSF came over to the English establishment as a Fusilier regiment (it had been equipped with ''fusils'' instead of matchlocks), first known as The Scots Fusiliers Regiment of Foot, changed around 1713 to The Royal North British Fusiliers and when, in 1751, the regiments of the line were numbered it became the 21st (Royal North British) Fusiliers Regiment of Foot. This was its title till 1877 when it became the 21st (Royal Scots Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot, and finally, in 1881, The Royal Scots Fusiliers. Most regimental histories cover the 1914-18 War in one or more separate volumes, but here that conflict takes up the final third or so of the book in which Buchan devotes one chapter to each year of the war and, at the end of the chapter, lists in alphabetical order the names of the officers who died in that year, with date but not place (theatre) of death. As there were nine battalions (1, 2, 1/4, 1/5, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12) which between them served on the Western Front, in Gallipoli, Egypt, Palestine and Macedonia, this doesn''t leave too much room for detail. But this lack is redressed by some fine, descriptive writing which provides the reader with a clear picture of the regiment''s part in that war. Four VCs were won and the dead numbered 5,600. It is the same with the pre-1914 history which makes for easy and absorbing reading. In its early days the regiment fought against the Jacobite uprisings of 1715 and 1745, and was in the centre of Cumberland''s first line at Culloden which put an end to the Highland rebellion. In the American War of Independence the regiment was part of Burgoyne''s force compelled to surrender at Saratoga. In 1814 the regiment led the way in the capture of Washington. It fought at the Alma and Inkerman in the Crimea, at Ulundi in the Zulu War and in the S African War won its first VC at Colenso. In an appendix all the Colonels of the regiment are listed and the COs of all the battalions.

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Book SynopsisA magnificent history - well written and authoritative. It contains good accounts of service during the mutiny and the Second Afghan War, and is the primary source of reference for Hodson''s Horse. One of the best of all Indian Army histories.Index; Apps; honours and awards (for all campaigns from 1857 to WWI inclusive); list of former COs (with biographical notes); list of former officers (some with biographical notes); list of former Risaldar - Majors; notes on casualties, etc.

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Book SynopsisAn interesting and informative memoir which was written by an officer who went to France in 1914 with the 2nd Bn and who served throughout its time on the Western Front. He commanded the Bn during the battles at Aubers, Festubert and Loos and his account bear the stamp of authority.At the outbreak of war and leaving aside the Gurkha regiments, the 39th Garhnal Rifles were the only Regiment of the Indian Army to have two regular Bns. Both were swiftly committed to the early battles in France and Flanders and both suffered horrendous losses. Honours and awards, list of British Officers (with war services), copies of various operational orders, notes on trenches.

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Book SynopsisThe Offaly War Dead, a comprehensive list of those from Co. Offaly who died during the First World War, is the fourth in this series, following the successful The Tipperary War Dead, The Wicklow War Dead and The Wexford War Dead. The men honoured in The Offaly War Dead died during the First World War or following it, while in the service of the British Army, the Australian Army, the New Zealand Army, the American Army, the Indian Army, the Canadian Army, the South African Army, the Royal Navy or the British Mercantile Marine. Such a list, combined with intricate data and never-before-seen correspondence and photographs, is an essential addition to any local historian or military enthusiast’s bookshelf.

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Book SynopsisThe military photographs in family albums stand out as different and distinctive and the sight of an ancestor in uniform stirs thoughts of what he or she did and where they served. Neil Storey offers advice on identifying military uniforms, badges, insignia, ranks, medals and the equipment worn by our military ancestors. These items can provide a wealth of information about the person or people in the photograph and can lead to many new avenues of research. The book covers our Nation's military history from the 1870's to the 1940's.Trade Review"For analyzing a photograph of someone in the military anywhere in the British Empire from 1865 to the 1940s, this book is a must."--Maureen Taylor, Providence, RI"National Genealogical Society Quarterly" (06/01/2013)

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Book SynopsisAs the definitive final volume of the history of The Royal Leicestershire Regiment Marching with The Tigers covers events in that Regiment and its successor, the 4th Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, over the years 1955-75. During this period the Battalions undertook overseas and operational tours in Cyprus, Germany, Hong Kong, Borneo, Aden, Malta and Libya, Bahrain and Northern Ireland. Supported by seventeen maps and many black and white photographs, its lively text describes the Regular battalions' activities up to the disbandment of Tiger Company in 1975, the Territorial Army battalions' up to the disbandment of The Royal Leicestershire Regiment (Territorial) in 1971, the early years of the Leicestershire Companies in the 5th and 7th (Volunteer) Battalions The Royal Anglian Regiment, the Depot, the Museum, the Regimental Chapel in the Cathedral and Affiliations. The final chapter brings The Tigers' History right up to the present day including Royal Tigers' Wood and the dedication of the various national memorials commemorating the Regiment.Its numerous appendices contain a wealth of information such as lists of Honours and Gallantry Awards (including Long Service and Efficiency Decorations and Medals), Colonels and Commanding Officers and of those who commanded other units and formations, Late Entry Commissions and National Service Officers. Marching with The Tigers is not only comprehensive but lavish as well with the four Cuneo paintings, the capbadges and the Colours all displayed in colour.

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Book SynopsisIt hardly seems credible today that a nineteenyear- old boy, just commissioned into the Seaforth Highlanders, could lead a platoon of men into the carnage of the Battle of the Somme. Or that, as the machine gun bullets whistled past and shells exploded, he could maintain his own morale to lead a platoon, keeping its discipline and cohesion, in spite of desperate losses. Norman Collins, the author of this superb memoir, was this remarkable man.Using Norman's own words, Last Man Standing follows him from his childhood in Hartlepool to his subsequent service in France. The book also covers such shattering events as the German naval assault on Hartlepool in December 1914 when, as a seventeen-year-old, Norman was subjected to as big a bombardment as any occurring on the Western Front at that time. Norman's love for, and devotion to, the men under his command shine out in this book and his stories are gripping and deeply moving. They are illustrated by a rare collection of private photographs taken at or near the front by Norman himself, although the use of a camera was strictly proscribed by the Army. Most of the images have never been published before.Trade ReviewThis fantastic little WWI book is a must for any budding historians. Collins was underage when he joined the Seaforth Highlanders and was a 19-year-old officer when he led at the battle of the Somme. This book contains extracts from his diaries and a remarkable personal collection of photographs which lend this account a poignancy and immediacy which is often breathtaking. - Scottish Field This is a harrowing tale of battle, loss and the horrors of war. - Scotland Magazine

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Book SynopsisMore than a century has passed past since German archeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the treasures of Bronze Age Mycenae. The richly decorated artefacts of the entombed warriors, whose bodies still lay in their graves, confirmed that Homer's epic The Iliad was based upon true events, and that the Achaeans described in his poems probably did exist. Through a combined study of the mythical tradition, archeological findings and written sources, this fascinating addition to the Warrior series explores the evolution of warfare in the Bronze Age Greek world. Covering weaponry, clothing, helmets and body armour, it provides a richly illustrated guide to the warriors who have shone from the pages of Homer's poem for almost three millennia.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Appearance and equipment On campaign Belief and belonging Experience of battle After the battle Collecting/Museums/Re-enactment Bibliography Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisIn the years between 31 BC and AD 500 the Romans carved out a mighty empire stretching from Britain to the deserts of North Africa. The men who spearheaded this expansion were the centurions, the tough, professional warriors who led from the front, exerted savage discipline and provided a role model for the legionaries under their command. This book, the second volume of a two-part study, reveals the appearance, weaponry, role and impact of these legendary soldiers during the five centuries that saw the Roman Empire reach its greatest geographical extent under Trajan and Hadrian, only to experience a long decline in the West in the face of sustained pressure from its 'barbarian' neighbours. Featuring spectacular full-colour artwork, written by an authority on the army of the Caesars and informed by a wide range of sculptural, written and pictorial evidence from right across the Roman world, this book overturns established wisdom and sheds new light on Rome's most famous soldiers during the best-known era in its history.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Organization: centurions under the early Principate, in the army of the Julio-Claudian Caesars – the Flavian and Trajanic army – in the Marcomannic Wars – the 2nd and 3rd centuries – the period of military anarchy – the 4th century – the Eastern and Western Empires /Weapons, armour and clothing: offensive weapons, helmets, shields, body armour, rank symbols and insignia, and clothing /Service and discipline /Social status /Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis is a description of the uniforms, weaponry, military practices and daily life of the Roman soldier during the twilight years of the Empire, a time which saw the army increasingly influenced by German troops and the rise of private armies. The book is illustrated with contemporary images, diagrams and colour plates.Table of ContentsHistorical Background · Chronology · Recruiting · Training · Appearance and Equipment · Conditions of Service · The Soldier on Campaign · The Experience of Battle · Glossary · Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis volume describes the uniforms, weaponry, military practices and daily life of the Union Army's cavalry troopers during the American Civil War, a fighting force whose initial inexperience and lack of training was overcome as the campaign progressed and new weaponry was introduced. It is illustrated with contemporary images, detailed diagrams and colour plates.Table of ContentsHistorical Background · Enlistment · Training · Uniforms and Equipment · Weapons · Field Service · Combat and Tactics · Wounds and Sickness · Sites of Interest

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Book SynopsisFormed at the personal insistence of Winston Churchill after the Nazi Blitzkrieg of Western Europe, the Parachute Regiment quickly acquired a formidable reputation as tough, fearless soldiers; it was the Germans themselves who christened then the 'Red Devils'. More than 10,000 men of the Parachute Regiment took part in some of the most desperate actions of the Second World War. In the 'savage wars of peace' following 1934, the Paras have never been out of action.

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Book SynopsisThe Sociology of the Military is an authoritative selection of articles providing an historical overview of the field and illustrating the major directions of contemporary research. The book considers the forerunners to a sociology of the military and the research trends in America and the rest of the world. Topics covered include models for comparative research, the military profession and the relationship between military and civil society. Finally, the book explores new roles for the armed forces in our changing world.Trade Review'This is one good compendium of military sociology . . . This book would be very useful for the committee members of the next pay commission, besides those interested in a psychological and militaristic analysis of the vast subject of military sociology - from the human to the economic and market trends.' -- P.K. Gautam, U.S.I. Journal 'This is a very full collection of articles on the sociology of the military.'– Peter Woodward, Reviewing SociologyTable of ContentsContents: Acknowledgements • Introduction PART I ANTECEDENTS 1. F. Battistelli (1993), ‘War and Militarism in the Thought of Herbert Spencer’ 2. M.D. Wolpin (1978), ‘Marx and Radical Militarism in the Developing Nations’, 3. G. Dearborn Spindler (1948), ‘The Military – A Systematic Analysis’ 4. R.D. Miewald (1970), ‘Weberian Bureaucracy and the Military Model’ PART II THE AMERICAN SCHOOL 5. D.R. Segal, B.A. Lynch and J.D. Blair (1979), ‘The Changing American Soldier: Work-Related Attitudes of US Army Personnel in World War II and the 1970s’ 6. R.M. Williams, Jr. (1989), ‘The American Soldier: An Assessment, Several Wars Later’ 7. J. Burk (1993), ‘Morris Janowitz and the Origins of Sociological Research on Armed Forces and Society’ 8. H.D. Lasswell (1941), ‘The Garrison State’ 9. R. Aron (1979), ‘Remarks on Lasswell’s “The Garrison State”’ 10. A. Perlmutter (1969), ‘The Praetorian State and the Praetorian Army: Toward a Taxonomy of Civil-Military Relations in Developing Polities’ 11. G. Welty (1990), ‘A Critique of the Theory of the Praetorian State’ PART III A WORLDWIDE SOCIOLOGY OF THE MILITARY A. A Model for Comparative Research 12. C.C. Moskos, Jr. (1977), ‘From Institution to Occupation: Trends in Military Organization’ 13. M. Janowitz (1977), ‘From Institutional to Occupational: The Need for Conceptual Continuity’ 14. C.C. Moskos (1986), ‘Institutional/Occupational Trends in Armed Forces: An Update’ 15. D.R. Segal (1986), ‘Measuring the Institutional/Occupational Change Thesis’, 16. G. Caforio (1988), ‘The Military Profession: Theories of Change’ B The Military Profession 17. S.P. Huntington (1963), ‘Power, Expertise and the Military Profession’ 18. J.S. van Doorn (1965), ‘The Officer Corps: A Fusion of Profession Organization’ 19. B. Boëne (1990), ‘How “Unique” should the Military be?: A Review of Representative Literature and Outline of a Synthetic Formulation’ 20. G. Harries-Jenkins (1990), ‘The Concept of Military Professionalism’ 21. G. Caforio and M. Nuciari (1994), ‘The Officer Profession: Ideal-Type’ 22. A. Weibull (1994), ‘European Officers’ Job Satisfaction and Job Commitment’ 23. K.W. Haltiner (1994), ‘Is there a Common European Defence Identity? The Views of Officers of Eight European Countries’ 24. J. Kuhlmann (1994), ‘What do European Officers Think about Future Threats, Security and Missions of the Armed Forces?’ C Armed Forces and Society 25. Albert D. Biderman and Laure M. Sharp (1968), ‘The Convergence of Military and Civilian Occupational Structures; Evidence from Studies of Military Retired Employment’ 26. A.R. Luckham (1971), ‘A Comparative Typology of Civil-Military Relations’ 27. M. Lissak (1985), ‘Boundaries and Institutional Linkages between Elites: Some Illustrations from Civil-Military Relations in Israel’ 28. C.C. Moskos (1992), ‘Armed Forces in a Warless Society’ 29. L. Mandeville, P. Combelles and D. Rich (1996), ‘French Public Opinion and the New Missions of the Armed Forces’ 30. G. Caforio and M. Nuciari (1996), ‘Military Profession and Defence Issues in the Italian Public View’ 31. H.-Ulrich Kohr and R. Zoll (1996), ‘General Concept of Security in the Perception of German Students’ 32. B. Roshco (1996), ‘U.S. Security Policies and Americans’ Priorities: Insights from New and Old Polls’ D The New Missions of the Armed Forces 33. Christopher Dandeker (1994), ‘New Times for the Military: Some Sociological Remarks on the Changing Role and Structure of the Armed Forces of the Advanced Societies’ 34. C.C. Moskos and J. Burk (1993), ‘The Postmodern Military’ 35. J.J. Harris and D.R. Segal (1985), ‘Observations from the Sinai: The Boredom Factor’, 36. D.R. Segal, M.W. Segal and D.P. Eyre (1992), ‘The Social Construction of Peacekeeping in America’ 37. F. Battistelli (1997), 'Peacekeeping and the Postmodern Soldier' Name Index

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Book Synopsis'German militarism' has long been understood to be a central element of German society. Considering the role of militarism, this book investigates how conscription has contributed to instilling a strong sense of military commitment amongst the German public.A Nation in Barracks tells the story of how military-civil relations have evolved in Germany during the last two hundred years. Focusing on the introduction and development of military conscription, the author looks at its relationship to state citizenship, nation building, gender formation and the concept of violence. She begins with the early nineteenth century, when conscription was first used in Prussia and initially met with harsh criticism from all aspects of society, and continues through to the two Germanies of the post-1949 period. The book covers the Prussian model used during World War I, the Weimar Republic when no conscription was enforced and the mass military mobilization of the Third Reich.Throughout this comprehensive account, acclaimed historian Ute Frevert examines how civil society deals with institutionalized violence and how this affects models of citizenship and gender relations.Trade Review'Ute Frevert's characteristically sweeping and incisive history of military conscription in Germany makes an original and stimulating contribution to our understanding of the problem of militarism in German society in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In this book Ute Frevert confirms her reputation as one of the most original and wide-ranging historians writing on the last two centuries of Germany's troubled past.' Professor Richard J. Evans, Professor of Modern History, Cambridge University'A gripping account of the meaning and impact of conscription in Germany from the nineteenth century to the present. By challenging the view that conscription helped forge a relationship between the state and its citizens, A Nation in Barracks will become required reading for anyone interested in the relationship between violence, gender, and civil society.' Joanna Bourke, Professor of History, Birkbeck College, London, and author of An Intimate History of Killing: Face to Face KillTable of ContentsMilitary Conscription and Civil Society: Historical TrajectoriesI. War, Nation, Gender Images: Core Concepts in Conscription in the Early Nineteenth Century * Criticism of Existing Prussian Army Structures * Conscription: Setbacks on the Road to a 'National Army' * The Battle for the Middle Classes * Military Service, Wartime Service, and Manliness * 'Female patriotism'II. 'Both Citizen and Soldier'? Prussia in the Vormrz Period (1815-48) * The Law on Wartime Service: Rules and Practice * The Landwehr as a Citizen's Militia? * Citizenship and Masculinity: The Jewish Population Demands Participation * The Army as the 'Training School' for War and Peace * Soldiers and Civilians: Soldiers as Citizens?III. Military Systems in the 'Third Germany' * The Move from Exemption to Substitution * Army Service: The View from Inside * Civilian Counterparts: An Armed Citizenry and a Man's Right to Bear Arms * Civilian Militias During the Vormrz period and in 1848-9 * The 'Martial Spirit' in Military Associations or Dreams of a Democratic Army IV. War and Peace: Imperial Germany in the Prussian Barracks * Constitutional or Military State: Paving the Way in the Pre-Empire Years * Middle-Class Arrangements: One-Yearers and Reserve Officers * Soldiers at the 'School of Manliness' * The Regiment as a Family: The Potential and Limits of Military Comradeship * Liaisons Dangereuses: The Military and Civil Society V. The Twentieth Century: The (Ex-)Soldier as Citizen * The Post-World War I Years: Militarisation without Military Service * Soldiers and 'Volksgenossen': The Escalation of Violence Under the Nazis * Post-war Germany: From Disarmed to Rearmed State * Civic Spirit and Gender Politics: The End of Conscription?

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Book SynopsisIn "A Lion in the Bedroom" Pat tells the story of her charmed life among the glittering names of the twentieth century and the day everything changed for her, when a lover in Africa presented her with a tiny lion cub and she entered a world more magical and inspiring than anything she had known before.

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Book SynopsisThe U.S. Military Academy at West Point is one of America's oldest and most revered institutions. Since its founding in 1802 it has prepared young men - and recently, young women - for careers as officers in the army and for a lifetime of service to the nation. The distinguished record of Academy graduates in war and peace has earned West Point a reputation as one of the world's premier leader-development institutions. West Point celebrated its bicentennial in 2002. In honor of the milestone, the USMA Department of History hosted a multi-disciplinary conference that provided an opportunity for serious study of the Academy and its place in American society. The topics included the Academy's role in developing officer professionalism, its influence on the careers of distinguished graduates, institutional challenges and changes, the experiences of women and minorities at West Point, and the evolution of the academic curriculum. The twenty-four chapters in this volume examine these issues and reflect the rich scholarship of the bicentennial conference. The Academy has undergone dramatic changes during its long history. As it begins its third century, however, continuity - not change - is what most characterizes West Point and the Corps of Cadets. By perpetuating the noble values of the profession of arms, the Academy continues to accomplish its vital mission of producing leaders of character for the nation. In this regard, the Corps of today still treads ""where they of the Corps have trod.

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Book SynopsisIn August 1979 twenty-seven-year-old Mike Trueman set sail from the south-west coast of Wales, en route to Cornwall. The young army helicopter pilot was helping to move his friend's yacht from Northern Ireland to the south coast of England. But as they sailed out into the Irish Sea, the sky turned progressively darker and the winds gathered pace. Over the next twenty-four hours the two young sailors battled to survive force-10 gales in what became known as the Fastnet disaster and which claimed the lives of fifteen sailors off the coast of Ireland.Almost seventeen years later, Trueman was at Camp 2 at 6,400 metres on Mount Everest as the May 1996 tragedy unfolded high above him. As stricken guides, clients and Sherpas tried to survive the fierce storms which engulfed the upper mountain, Trueman was able to descend and - using his twenty-four years of experience as an officer in the British Army - coordinate the rescue effort from Base Camp. The Storms is the remarkable memoir of a British Army Gurkha officer. Trueman, a veteran of twenty expeditions to the Himalaya, gives a candid account of life inside expeditions to the highest mountain in the world. He gives a unique personal perspective on the 1996 Everest storm, as well as on the fateful day in May 1999 when Briton Mike Matthews disappeared high on the mountain after he and Trueman had summited.

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Book SynopsisThis pocket guide will give you all the information you need to explore over 80 cemeteries in London with detailed reviews for each cemetery complete with a who's who of famous permanent residents, along with opening times and travel information.

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Book SynopsisStep through the iron gates of one of London's most spectacular Victorian cemeteries on the hunt for the lost poets of Nunhead.Literary investigator Chris McCabe pushes back the tangled ivy and hacks his way through the poetic history of south-east London, revealing a map of intense artistic activity with Nunhead at its heart: from Barry MacSweeney in Dulwich to Robert Browning and William Blake in Peckham.Join McCabe on a journey back in time along underground rivers, through Elizabethan villages and urban woodland. Discover the surprising lives and lines of writers neglected amongst the moss-covered monuments of Nunhead Cemetery: from the 'Laureate of the Babies' and a New Zealander soldier-poet to those who chronicled London at the height of her industrial powers.But this is also a personal journey that highlights poetry's force in overcoming trauma; McCabe's exploration of Nunhead Cemetery is interwoven with diary entries that document his mother's illness.In this latest instalment in an ambitious project to plot the dead poets of the Magnificent Seven - London's great Victorian cemeteries - McCabe drills deep into the psyche of the city, and into his own past.Encounters with the dead and forgotten are charted in sinuous prose and with a wry humour that belies his meticulous research. Cenotaph South offers a powerful meditation on art, writing, memory and community, confirming McCabe as contemporary poetry's most innovative thinker. This is essential reading for anyone who has ever wondered what lies behind the canon, or beyond the cemetery gates.Table of ContentsPrologueWhite Feather, New HawthornAngels Planted in Hawthorn Bowers: William Blake at Peckham RyeEntering Nunhead CemeteryThe White GoddessThe Fall and Rise of Nunhead CemeteryThe Prince of Sparty Lea at Dulwich CollegeInto the Valley of DeathAt Home with the BBC: Reconsidering the CanonNunhead Poets: William Cox Bennett and Joshua RussellThe Goose Pie at Telegraph Hill: Robert Browning after SordelloNunhead Poets: Cuthbert Collingwood and Kirwan de VerdonCFCs and English Bluebells: into Dulwich WoodsNunhead Poets: Colonel Richard Hort and Charles Godfrey TurnerThe Land Built on Poetry: Walking with Edward Alleyn and B.S. Johnson in Dulwich VillageNunhead Poets: Albert Craig and William HerbertDrawing a Casket Around MyselfNunhead Poets: Richard Alfred Davenport and Marian RichardsonNunhead Poet: Tom HoodHaunted London: The Lost Chronologer Walter ThornburyThis Place is Not Real: In Nunhead Cemetery with Charlotte MewCenotaph South: Mapping the New Peckham

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Book SynopsisThe letters of 2nd Lt. Victor George Ursell 1913 -1917 and War Diary of the 8th Kingâ??s Shropshire Light Infantry. With a Mathematics scholarship to Oxford in 1912 the hopes and aspirations of Victorâ??s parents and teachers are riding high, but his exuberance, vitality, sporting ability and his engagement to what the family refer to as his â??Russian Princessâ?? Lena, are thrown into jeopardy by the unfolding horror of war. His fiancÃe has to return to Moscow and Victor enlists, commencing a journey that will take him to France, Salonika, Malta, England and back to France again. If any story illustrates the loss, both personal and national during the First World War it can be found in these letters.

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Book SynopsisIn this highly entertaining and informative book, Christopher Joll and Anthony Weldon have captured the careers, accomplishments, follies and the occasional crimes of over three hundred of the officers and men who have served in the seven Regiments (two Household Cavalry and five Foot Guards) of the sovereign's personal troops. The pages of The DRUM HORSE IN THE FOUNTAIN will reveal a whole parade of remarkable and unusual characters... In the world of the arts - theatre, film, music, and writing - and sport there are many notable, and some surprising, Guardsmen including * two Oscar winning film stars - one of whom was drunkenly responsible for dispatching a Drum Horse into "The Fountain" in front of Buckingham Palace. And some of the most eccentric men ever to have been let loose on the public including * The irresponsible officer in charge of the Tower of London guard who had to break back into the Tower by climbing the mast of a barge on the Thames and then onto Traitor's Gate; * The VC who rallied his troops with a hunting horn; * The officer who dressed as a nun to entertain the Duke of Wellington; * The unfortunate officer who Queen Victoria thought was addressing her when he was actually trying to admonish his unruly horse - she was not amused; * Traitors, conmen, bigamists, a purveyor of `honours for cash' and three accused of murder - as well as at least five murder victims, one of whom died in a Chicago bootleggers' shoot-out. On military service the officers and men of the Household Division have * earned forty-four Victoria Crosses; * been founding members of SOE, SAS, Commandos, operated behind enemy lines and pioneered military parachuting; * acted as spies, double agents and spy masters; * been supported through the fiercest fighting of WW2 by a remarkably loayl tea-lady in her NAAFI wagon. As well as Prime Ministers and politicians, churchmen also feature prominently with * a Cardinal who, had he lived, might have been Pope; an Archbishop of Canterbury, known as `Killer', with an MC (as well as four padres awarded MCs), a bishop, two monks, three Lord Priors of the Order of St John, and two Grand Masters of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (who rank as Cardinals). Were this not enough, amongst actual, as well as aspiring, royalty and their progeny - legitimate and otherwise, there was * the aristocratic candidate for the throne of Albania (who, although almost blind, fought as a regimental officer in WW1 without actually enlisting). ...and, not to be forgotten, are * one regimental wolfhound in the 1930s which dispatched the Italian Ambassador's greyhound, three bears (one stuffed), two WW1 milking cows who took part in the 1919 Victory Parade, one monkey with the rank of Corporal of Horse and a very alert goose called Jacob.Table of ContentsContents Illustrations Foreword by Field Marshal the Lord Guthrie Acknowledgements Introduction Notes on styles, titles, honorifics and regimental names and ranks 1. For Valour 2. Of Hector and Lysander 3. A Soldier's Knapsack 4. O.H.M.S.S. 5. The Gentlemen Adventurers 6. The Concert Party 7. Sports Day 8. Doolally 9. On and Around the Velvet Bench 10. The Church Militant 11. Conduct Unbecoming 12. Animals On Parade And Finally . . . The Purple of Commerce Appendices i The Guards Memorial ii List of holders of the Victoria Cross iii Officers who served with the Special Operations Executive iv The Regiments, Formations and sub-units of the Household Division and their antecedent units Index About the Authors

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Book SynopsisRose, Castle and Crown is a unique history of the part-time soldier of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, from the time of the militia, yeomanry and volunteer, through to the Territorial Army and today's Army Reserve. This is all placed in the wider context of the British Army's history. For centuries, the country has defended its shores with a mixture of regular and auxiliary soldiers, but little has been written about the latter, particularly in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. All military volunteers, throughout history, have had to balance the requirement of their service with family demands and their main civilian employment. This book tells their story.

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Book SynopsisExplores the decline of the XIV Reserve Corps from 1917 to 1918 including post-war effects, veteran experiences, and the rise of the Nazi Party.The Other Side of the Wire Volume 4: With the XIV Reserve Corps to the Bitter End, September 1917?11 November 1918 explores the events that occurred from preparations for the great German offensives to the transition of the Westheer from a powerful force to no more than a shell of an organization. Since then, many have assumed that it was not defeated in the field but by the undermining consequences of political unrest at home - the so-called ?stab in the back? conspiracy theory. This volume will show what truly happened within the ranks of the defeated army.While many volumes end with the Armistice, The Other Side of the Wire Volume 4 also explores the post-war years; the establishment of the veteran organizations, rise of the Nazi Party and the decades that followed the end of the Second World War. The tragic fate of Jewish veterans of the Great War under the Third Reich is also examined in detail.The final volume of the series, The Other Side of the Wire Volume 4 chronicles the often personal stories of the men who marched to war in 1914 only to face ultimate defeat four years later. It is unique in the sense that the wartime and postbellum experience of XIV Reserve Corps officers and men are chronicled from mobilization through the late 20th century.This superb Great War title has been published in a strictly limited edition hardback run of 750 copies, each individually numbered and signed by the author.

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