Military vehicles Books

Book SynopsisThe Mary Rose was one of King Henry VIII''s favourite warships until she sank during an engagement with the French fleet on 19 July 1545. Her rediscovery and raising were seminal events in the history of nautical archaeology. Apart from the Captain and the Vice Admiral, nothing is known about the crew of the Mary Rose - the only evidence about her complement of 415 men rests with their skeletal remains. In The Men of the Mary Rose A.J. Stirland uses archaeological and skeletal evidence to give the reader a welcome insight into the soldiers of the Mary Rose, from their ages and height to their health, diet and physical condition.This book examines the building, sinking and raising of the Mary Rose and her historical context, before moving on to the examination of what the remain of the crew can reveal to us about the fighting men of that period. Many new findings have been made through analysis of their bones, including the effects of some activities and occup

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Book SynopsisThe first encounter between British armour and the Red Army was not on friendly terms with the British sending surplus tanks to reinforce the pro-monarchy White Army in the Russian Civil War. When the Reds won, war trophy Mark V heavy tanks as well as medium Mk.A Whippets and Mk.B Hornets entered service with the RKKA. As the political landscape changed during the 1920s, the Red Army assessed British designs available for export and a licensed copy of the Vickers Mk.E entered production in 1931 as the T-26.During the early days of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, armour losses were huge and the Red Army once again looked abroad to acquire new fighting vehicles. A large-scale programme of military aid to the USSR began in August 1941, with the US and Britain offering help under separate terms though not for free. A deal was struck and Convoy PQ-1 with the first 20 British tanks for the Red Army left for Arkhangelsk on September 29, 1941. These tanks arrived in time to take pla

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Book SynopsisRare photographs from SS sources illustrating the armored formations which took part in this titanic struggle. Includes rare images of the Panther in action.

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Book SynopsisThe first B-29 flew over Tokyo on 1 November 1944. It was a photographic reconnaissance aircraft ironically named ‘Tokyo Rose’. The Ki.44 fighters of the 47th Sentai took off to intercept it but as it turned out the Superfortress flew at such an altitude and speed that they could not reach it. The Ki-44-II-Otsu had been specifically designed for this type of interception and could reach the astonishing rate of climb of 5,000 m in four minutes; however it was not good enough. During the following ten months, a devastating bombing campaign of thousands of Superfortress destroyed 67 Japanese cities and half of Tokyo. The cultural shock and the political consequences were huge, when it was realised that the Japanese industry was not able to produce the specially heat and stress-resistant metallic alloys that were required to manufacture the turbo superchargers needed by the fighters in charge of defending the Japanese mainland. They lacked the essential chromium and molybdenum metals to harden the steel. This fact thwarted the manufacturing of numerous advanced projects of both conventional fighters and those derived from the transfer of German technology fitted with turbojets and rocket engines. They are thoroughly described in this book.Table of ContentsThe Japanese Aggressor (28 January 1932 to 15 August 1945); Imperial Japanese Army Aircraft and Projects; Nakajima Ki.44 Shoki; Kawasaki Ki.45 Toryu; Mitsubishi Ki.46 Shin Shitei; Kawasaki Ki.60/Ki.61/Ki.100 Hien; Nakajima Ki.62, Ki.63, Ki.84, Ki.106, Ki.113, Ki.116 and Ki.117 Hayate; Kawasaki Ki.64, Ki.78 (Ken-3) and Ki.88; High-altitude interceptors Nakajima Ki.87 and Tachikawa Ki.94; Manshu Ki.65 and Ki.98; Rikugun Kogiken Heavy Fighter; Nakajima Ki.201 Karyu; Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft and Projects; Mitsubishi A6M Zero; Mitsubishi J2M Raiden; Kawanishi N1K1-J Shiden; The IJN “20-shi-Ko” specification; Mitsubishi J4M Senden; Kyushu J7W1 Shinden; Nakajima Kikka; Yokosuka R2Y2 Keiun; Mizuno Shinryu II; Kakukyoku Rammer; Kayaba Katsuodori; Rocket Fighters; Night Fighters; Nakajima J1N1 Gekko; Kawasaki Ki.45 Toryu; Mitsubishi Ki.46 Shin Shitei (Dinah); Nakajima Ki.84 Hayate; Yokosuka D4Y Suisei; Nakajima C6N Saiun; Yokosuka Ginga, Kawanishi Kyokko, Nakajima Byakko and Kugisho Tenga; Aichi S1A Denko; Kawasaki Ki.102; Mitsubishi Ki.109; Mitsubishi A6M2, A6M3, A6M5 and A6M5-S Zero Sen; Mitsubishi J2M3 and J2M4 Raiden; Schräge Musik; Radar Warfare; Operation Downfall; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisCombat gliders were called by some as Death Crates, Purple Heart Boxes, Flying Coffins and Tow Targets . They were not pretty and had no graceful lines. Viewed from the front, they had a pug nose and a sloping Neanderthal forehead. Their wings looked like the heavily starched ears of a jackrabbit placed at right angles on a canvas-covered frame. Twice the length of the body, these wings were eighty-four feet in length, 70 per cent as long as the Wright Brothers first powered flight at Kitty Hawk. They could not become airborne, let alone fly, unless assisted by an engine-powered tow plane. And for those riding in the back, it was like flying through the gates of hell . The men who were trained and assigned to guide gliders into battle were said to be the only pilots who had no motors, armament, parachutes and no second chances. Like the aircraft they commanded, they were called inglorious names such as The Bastards Nobody Wanted, Glider Gladiators in Wooden Chariots; Hybrid Jackasses and Glory Boys. Beautifully written, profoundly illustrated and researched, Silent Invaders: Combat Gliders of the Second World War is a work that is dedicated to those brave men under impossible odds from the British and American servicemen on D-Day, the doomed Operation Market Garden in Holland and Hitler s radical commando raid to rescue Mussolini."Table of ContentsForeword; Preface; Part I The Machines: The Beginning; Pug Ugly and Deadly; Gliders in the UK; German Gliders; Japan and the Soviet Union; Tugs and Tows; PART II The Men and their Training: The Men; Training: Washed Out, RTU, and LMF; The Devil is in the Details; Part III The Missions (In Chronological Order): “Far Away Places, With Strange Sounding Names”; Another Route to War, Another Destination to Combat; Eben Emael: Old and Conventional vs New and Unconventional; Unternehmen Merkur Operation Mercury Crete; Operation Freshman; Sicily “This was a bad time for the Regiment”; Commando Skorzeny; Burma Operation Thursday/Project 9 “Tonight you’re going to find out if you have a soul”; D-Day Operation Overlord: Voices from Normandy; Southern France Operation Dragoon: Dingson 35A; Silent Invaders; Operation Market Garden; Nuts!; Operation Varsity 3 Hours, 20 Minutes: The Summer of ’45; Endnotes; Acknowledgements; Bibliography; Photographic Appendix; Index.

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Book SynopsisA concise, visual guide to Porsche's giant tank hunter.

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Book SynopsisThe 'ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sisterships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic survey of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites. This volume is devoted to the famous ships of Admiral Hipper's First Scouting Group. Slower but more robust than their British equivalents, German battlecruisers enjoyed a reputation for absorbing punishment, and although Lutzow was sunk at Jutland, Seydlitz and the rest of the Scouting Group survived heavy damage.This book concentrates on the seven completed ships but coverage extends to the 'proto-battlecruiser' Blucher and the ships building or designed by the end of the war.

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Book SynopsisThe Phantom was developed for the US Navy as a long range all-weather fighter and first flew in May 1958. Phantoms have been used in combat in many conflicts throughout its long service history. This text provides a history of this craft.

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Book SynopsisAn insight into the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the British Army's most successfull post-war tank, The Centurion is significant in the history of British armoured fighting vehicles as well as being one of the most important post-war Western tanks. Introduced into British Army service in December 1946, versions of Centurion were still serving with British forces in the Iraq War of 2003, some 58 years later. Centurions have also seen combat in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, in the Middle East wars, and in the Indo-Pakistan War (1965) where it fought against US-supplied M47 and M48 Patton tanks. The Haynes Centurion Tank Manual is published in association with the Tank Museum and has been written with full access to the museum's Centurion collection., Author: Simon Dunstan is an author, filmmaker and photographer who has written more than 50 books on military history to his credit. He is the author of The Centurion (1980) and Centurion vs T-55 (2009). He lives in London.

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Book Synopsis''General Leclerc'' was the nom de guerre adopted by the Gaullist officer Philippe de Hautcloque, to protect his family in occupied France. He became France''s foremost fighting commander, and his armored division (the ''2e DB'') its most famous formation. Starting as a small scratch force of mostly African troops organised and led by Leclerc in French Equatorial Africa, it achieved early success raiding Italian and German positions in co-operation with Britain's Long Range Desert Group. Following the Allied victory in North Africa it was expanded and reorganised as a US Army-style armoured division, with American tanks and other armoured vehicles. Shipped to the UK, in spring 1944, it was assigned to Patton''s US Third Army, landing in time for the Normandy breakout and being given the honour of liberating Paris in August 1944. Combining a thorough analysis of their combat and organisation with detailed colour plates of their uniforms and equipment, this is the fascinating stoTrade ReviewA very interesting account with top notch artwork illustrating the colourful vehicle markings and uniforms of the division's units * Tracklink *Table of Contents* Introduction: Philippe de Hautecloque becomes 'Francois Leclerc' * Gaullist mission to French Equatorial Africa, August 1940 * The Colonne Leclerc – seizure of French West Africa – raids on Italians in southern Libya – capture of strategic Kouffra Oasis, March 1941 * Co-operation with LRDG – link-up with Eighth Army, 1942 * Brigade-strength 'L Force' in Tunisia, February-May 1943 * Formation of division, May-August 1943 - equipment by US Army * Assignment to Patton's Third Army in UK, spring 1944 * August 1944: Operation 'Cobra', and liberation of Paris * Alsace/Lorraine – capture of Strasbourg, November 1944 * Into Bavaria, April 1945 * Occupation duties, and stand down, 1946.

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Book SynopsisThe technical details of British warships were recorded in a set of plans produced by the builders on completion of every ship. Known as the 'as fitted' general arrangements, these drawings represented the exact appearance and fitting of the ship as it entered service. Intended to provide a permanent reference for the Admiralty and the dockyards, these highly detailed plans were drawn with exquisite skill in multi-coloured inks and washes that represent the acme of the draughtsman's art. Today they form part of the incomparable collection of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, which is using the latest scanning technology to make digital copies of the highest quality. This book is one of a series based entirely on these draughts which depict famous warships in an unprecedented degree of detail-complete sets in full colour, with many close-ups and enlargements that make every aspect clear and comprehensible. Extensive captions point the reader to important features to be found in the plans, and an introduction covers the background to the design. HMS _Victorious_ was a ship with two almost separate incarnations-as built in 1941 she was one of a new type of armoured carrier which saw strenuous wartime service; post-war the ship underwent a massive reconstruction lasting nearly eight years that saw her recommission in1958 as one of the best equipped carriers in the world, ready for another decade of duty. Both these phases of the ship's life are fully documented, which allows this novel form of anatomy to cover two generations of carrier design.

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

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Book SynopsisA fascinating and detailed exploration of one of the most famous warships of the Ancient world - the trireme - and its tactical employment by the opposing sides in the 5th-century BC Graeco-Persian Wars.You may be familiar with the Athenian trireme but how much do you know about the ram-armed, triple-oared warships that it dueled against at the battles of Artemision, Salamis and the Eurymedon River? How similar or different were these warships to each other? And why did the Persians rely on Phoenician vessels to form much of their navy? Much attention has been devoted to the Greek trireme, made famous by modern reconstruction with only passing notice given to the opposing Persian navy's vessels in illustrated treatments. Join us on the Aegean as, for the first time, we reveal a rarely attempted colour reconstruction of a trireme in Persian service. Compare the form, construction, design, manoeuvrability, and tactical deployment of the opposing triremes, aided by stunning illusTable of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Design and Development Technical Specifications The Combatants Combat Statistics and Analysis Aftermath Glossary and Abbreviations Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisJunkers Ju 188 - German bomber during World War II, successor of the Ju 88) was flown in January 1943. In February 1943, production lines launched three Ju 188E-0 planes powered by BMW 801ML engines. The first seven serial Ju 188E-1s received the BMW 801C-2 engines. Airplanes powered by Junkers Jumo in-line engines were to be marked A, B, C and D, while those powered by BMW, F, G and H radial engines. The identification variant of the E-1 version was the Ju 188F-1, equipped with two cameras.

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Book SynopsisOften romanticized in print and on the silver screen, real-life pirates were a brutal menace that plagued the high seas. In this book, Angus Konstam separates myth from reality, tracing the history of piracy through the centuries, from the pirates who plagued the Ancient Egyptians to the Viking raids and on to the era of privateers. He discusses the so-called Golden Age of Piracy and colorful characters such as Blackbeard and Captain Kidd, before examining the West''s initial encounters with Eastern pirates off the Chinese coast and the phenomenon of the modern pirate. Highly illustrated with color images and specially commissioned maps throughout, this is a unique exploration of the pirate world.Table of ContentsIntroduction /1.Pirates of the Ancient World /2. Medieval Pirates /3.The Sea Dogs of the Renaissance /4. Mediterranean Corsairs /5. The Buccaneers /6. The Golden Age of Piracy /7. The Pirate Round /8. The Last of the Pirates /9. The Chinese Pirates /10. Modern Piracy /11. Pirates in Fiction /Conclusion /Notes /Select Bibliography /Index

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Book SynopsisThe riveting exploits of a fighter aircraft – and an underrated aerial hero of the Second World WarThe Hawker Hurricane was flying on the outbreak of war in 1939. Six years later, having saved Britain, it was still playing a major part in the war effort.Widely remembered in its fighter role and unjustly left in the shade of the Spitfire, the Hurricane’s role was varied and pivotal: as a fighter, fighter-bomber, anti-tank aircraft and used at sea. Nor was its theatre of operations any less wide: it saw action in France from the beginning of the Phoney War to the outbreak of the Blitzkrieg, in the Battle of Britain, and then as far afield as Russia, Sumatra and Madagascar.In this intensely readable, spirited and classic account, Adrian Stewart describes all the Hurricane’s roles, adventures and achievements. He recounts the exploits of the aircraft’s outstanding pilots who contributed so much towards mastery of the skies and eventual victory.Perfect for readers of John Nichol’s Spitfire and Lancaster.

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Book SynopsisRigidly organised and harshly disciplined, the Georgian Royal Navy was an orderly and efficient fighting force which played a major role in Great Britain's wars of the 18th and early 19th centuries. This guide explores what it was like to be a sailor in the Georgian Navy. Focusing on the period from 1714 to 1820, this concise book examines the Navy within its wider historical, national, organisational and military context, and reveals exactly what it took to survive a life in its service.It looks at how a seaman could join the Royal Navy, including the notorious ''press gangs''; what was meant by ''learning the ropes''; and the severe punishments that could be levied for even minor misdemeanours as a result of the Articles of War. Military tactics, including manning the guns and tactics for fending off pirates are also revealed, as is the problem of maintaining a healthy diet at sea and the steps that sailors themselves could take to avoid the dreaded scurvy.Covering other fasTrade ReviewPacked with great facts and a multitude of figures this is a very engaging little book and wherever you dip into, you will find it very hard to put it down. * Model Boats *A jolly good read for history buffs and is full of useful, interesting and distracting information about the Royal Navy during the Georgian period. * Warship World *

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Book SynopsisOn June 6, 1944, D-Day, the Allied invasion of northern France began. Thousands of Allied soldiers, along with their equipment and vehicles, landed in Normandy on five main beaches. Most tanks arrived on the beaches by landing craft, and a few days later, after the construction of the temporary Mulberry harbor at Arromanches-les-Bains, tanks, along with supply trucks and more troops, started pouring from the ships into the ever-expanding beachhead. This guide book examines the surviving World War Two tanks, tank turrets and other armored fighting vehicles currently on display in Normandy, France, most of which took part in the fighting following the D-Day landings. The background history of each vehicle is explored, and location details are given. Many of the tanks are exhibited in museums, but a number are on display as war memorials, with some being in difficult-to-find places. Also included are the fascinating, little-known stories of the Allied tank attacks on two separate German beach defense fortifications at Gold Beach, both of which survived the initial Air Force bombing and Navy bombardment. They have been preserved and can be visited. 150 illustrations

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Book SynopsisThe definitive history of Flak-Bait, the most accomplished American bomber of the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisFor over 40 years NATO and Warsaw Pact aircraft faced each other across the Iron Curtain, or fought in proxy wars around the world. Illustrated with detailed artworks of combat aircraft and their markings, Aircraft of the Cold War 1945–1991: Identification Guide is a comprehensive study of the planes in service with NATO and the Warsaw Pact and their respective units from the end of World War II until the reunification of Germany. Arranged chronologically by theatre, the book gives a complete organizational breakdown of the units of both sides, including the units and aircraft used in the proxy wars fought in Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East and elsewhere as well as the ‘frontline’ in Germany. Packed with 250 colour profiles of every major type of combat aircraft from the era, Aircraft of the Cold War 1945–1991 is an essential reference guide for modellers, military historians and aircraft enthusiasts.Table of ContentsChapter 1 Europe Chapter 2 Air Power at Sea Chapter 3 Strategic Bombers and Air Defence Chapter 4 Strategic Reconnaissance Chapter 5 The Middle East Chapter 6 Africa Chapter 7 Southern Asia Chapter 8 The Far East Chapter 9 Latin America Appendices Index

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Book SynopsisBy 1944, the evolution of armored doctrine had produced very different outcomes in Britain and Germany. Offering a good balance of speed, protection, and firepower, the British Cromwell tank was much faster than its German opponent. However, the Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyer had a high-velocity main gun and a lower profile that made it formidable on the defensive, especially in ambush situations. The two types would fight in a series of bloody encounters, from the initial days of the struggle for Normandy through its climax as the Allies sought to trap their opponents in the Falaise Pocket. Using archive photographs, specially commissioned artwork, and battle reports, this fascinating study expertly assesses the realities of tactical armored combat during the desperate battles after D-Day.Table of ContentsIntroduction / Chronology / Design and Development / The Strategic Situation / Technical Specifications / The Combatants / Combat / Statistics and Analysis / Conclusion / Further Reading / Index

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Book SynopsisThe Macchi C.202 was probably the most successful Italian fighter during the Second World War. It is generally agreed that the performance of the Macchi was superior to both the Hawker Hurricane and the Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk and on a par with the Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V. It is not by chance that virtually all the Italian top scoring aces flew this plane either with the Regia Aeronautica or the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana. At the same time, the Mc.202 is the symbol of the dysfunctions in the Italian military-industrial complex: the lack of sound industrial planning resulting in orders from the Regia Aeronautica for an exaggerated number of different aircraft; the lack of the development of adequate engines limiting aircraft performance and reducing capacity to house weapons with a proper punch; the corruption of politics and the culpable connivance of the high military spheres. The Mc.202 was therefore produced in limited numbers, while there is consensus that air war, especially in the African theatre, would have been different had the aircraft been adopted before.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1 Historical Context; 2 The Schneider Trophy and Agello's record; 3 Mario Castoldi; 4 The Macchi MC200 Saetta; 5 The MC202 in combat, 1941-45. Construction and variants; 6 The MC202 in combat, 1941-45. Training and organisation; 7 The MC202 in combat, 1941-45. Combat; Epilogue.

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Book SynopsisIn World War Two, allied armies were issued with identification guides to the enemy armour they might encounter on the battlefield. These black & white printed books were a vital aide for soldiers dealing with the confusion of fighting and the difficulty of identification at distance or in all weathers. The German tanks were often lethal to become entangled with and known to be formidable pieces of military engineering. The German army deployed a wide variety of tanks in many different variants and forms of camouflage. The likes of the Tiger have become famous and continue to be fascinating examples of World War Two firepower. This book features a unique collection of colour illustrations, showing in detail the vehicles' development and differences in design. The artwork is accompanied by descriptions and technical information about each tank, written by respected expect Craig Moore, making this an essential handbook for anyone interested in the German armed forces and World War Two armour.

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Book SynopsisIn November 2011, Geoff Dyer fulfilled a childhood dream of spending time on an aircraft carrier. Dyer's stay on the USS George Bush, on active service in the Arabian Gulf, proved even more intense, memorable, and frequently hilarious, than he could ever have hoped. In Dyer's hands, the warship becomes a microcosm for a stocktaking of modern Western life: religion, drugs, chauvinism, farting, gyms, steaks, prayer, parental death, relationships and how to have a beach party with 5000 people on a giant floating hunk of steel. Piercingly perceptive and gloriously funny, this is a unique book about work, war and entering other worlds.Trade ReviewReading Dyer is akin to the sudden elation and optimism you feel when you make a new friend, someone as silly as you but cleverer too, in whose company you know you will travel through life more vagrantly, intensely, joyfully * * Daily Telegraph * *Stuffed with wonderful anecdotes * * Independent * *One advantage of Dyer's attention to the minutiae of this strange world is the continual surprise of his descriptive powers; he approaches on-board rituals with an art critic's eye that sometimes renders Steele-Perkins's powerfully constructed photographs redundant * * Observer * *A hilarious account of life on board an aircraft carrier is filled with delights...If this is the new reality, I hunger for more * * Telegraph * *Quite possibly the best living writer in Britain * * Daily Telegraph * *I hope one day to meet the demented genius who decided to put Geoff Dyer aboard an American aircraft carrier. The result sounds in places as if Sterne en route to his sentimental journey had paused for a week's stint on HMS Victory . . . In the end one is forced to call it "a Dyer book," which luckily for him and us is a high compliment -- John Jeremiah Sullivan, author of PULPHEADA great day is any day you get to read Geoff Dyer, and this book is no exception. Witty, empathetic, and insatiably curious, Dyer is the perfect guide to the floating world of an American aircraft carrier. With Another Great Day at Sea he makes a perfect night landing on the "postage stamp, with élan to spare" -- Sam LipsyteAnother Great Day at Sea, Geoff Dyer's chronicle of his two weeks in residence aboard the USS George H. W. Bush, is a tale of routine, lyricism and terror, of long hours and hard work, and of camaraderie and conviction, which are a form of faith. Original, humane, and very funny, Another Great Day is another great book by an incomparable writer -- Brenda WineappleDyer stows himself away on an American aircraft carrier, fortunately, with all his hilarious tics in place. A rare kind of non-fiction, with sentences that keep on giving long after your eye has sailed on -- Steve MartinGeoff Dyer has managed to do again what he does best: insert himself into an exotic and demanding environment (sometimes, his own flat, but here, the violent wonders of an aircraft carrier) and file a report that mixes empathetic appreciation with dips into brilliant comic deflation. Welcome aboard the edifying and sometimes hilarious ship Dyer -- Billy CollinsThere is no contemporary writer I admire more than Dyer, and in no book of his does he address his animating idea - The Only Way Not to Waste Time Is to Waste It - more overtly, urgently, emphatically and eloquently -- David Shields, author of REALITY HUNGEROne of my favourite of all contemporary writers -- Alain de BottonI have read Geoff Dyer on World War I, jazz, photography, the Bienalle, and D. H. Lawrence, among many other subjects. It's as though his mind is slave to some unpredictable Internet browser inaccessible to the rest of us. His new book - an inimitably close study of life on an American aircraft carrier -is one of his best, funniest, and most humane yet. Geoff Dyer remains an unconventionally great writer - perhaps the most bafflingly great writer at work in the English language today -- Tom Bissell

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Book SynopsisA prolific sub-contractor building airframes during the First World War, Boulton & Paul entered thefield of design and manufacture in 1917 with the formation of an Aeronautical and Research Divisionunder John Dudley North. Never destined to be one of the big players, they produced a relativelymodest output of prototype aircraft and then in 1937 a series of bombers and a small batch ofcivilian two seaters. The relatively unsuccessful Defiant was their best known aircraft.However, hidden from public view was a prolific output of proposals, trials and inventions. Frombiplane fighters through the novel turret fighters and into the supersonic age with VTOL lift-fan jets,Boulton Paul were always at the forefront of development.Based upon over 60 years of research, this book recounts many of these radical and innovativeprojects using development layouts, final schemes, drawings and photographs of mock-ups, modelsand prototype airframes. Many projects are recreated in CAD and other drawings by the authorpreviously an apprentice and a technical engineer with the company and archivist of the BoultonPaul Association.This book sheds much new light on the activities of a hitherto often overlooked company which wasin many respects at the forefront of aeronautical innovation in Britain for several decades.

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Book SynopsisUsing first-hand accounts and many previously unpublished images, this highly illustrated new book provides a detailed analysis of Germany''s Panzergrenadier in World War II.Throughout history, infantry has been the main attacking force deployed by armies around the world, but positioning substantial infantry forces has always required precious time to assemble the troops to launch an attack or form defensive positions. Transportation of men and their equipment has been a major issue through the ages, and one that was only partly alleviated by the establishment of railway systems in the 19th century and motor vehicles in the early 20th century. With the development of the German Panzerwaffe, military planners realized both the enormous potential of the tank as a breakthrough weapon, but also the issues faced by support units following the attacking force including the infantry. A tank assault moved rapidly forwards and this required a motorized infantryTrade ReviewAnother great addition to this series of books from Thomas Anderson and Osprey. * Military Model Scene *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. 1936 – A New Infantry 2. The Schützenpanzerwagen 3. 1939 – Poland 4. 1940 – France 5. 1941 – New Challenges 6. 1941 – Variants 7. 1942 – Armoured Infantry 8. 1943 – In Combat 9. 1944 – Defending the Reich 10. Weaponry Index

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Book SynopsisAllied success in invading Fortress Europe (the area of Continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany) depended on getting armor onto the beaches as fast as possible. This book explains how the Allies developed the specialist tanks it needed, their qualities, deployment and numbers, and how they performed on the two crucial days when France was invaded, firstly in Normandy and then in Provence. The focus of this volume will be on the specialized tanks developed for the Operation Neptune amphibious landings including the Duplex Drive amphibious Sherman tanks used on both the US and British/Canadian beaches. It also covers the specialized engineer tanks called Armoured Funnies of the British 79th Armoured Division and addresses the popular myth that US Army refusal to employ the Armoured Funnies was a principal cause for the high casualties at Omaha Beach. There is also coverage of Operation Overlord's Forgotten D-Day, the amphibious landings of Operation DragoTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION Lessons learned? SPECIALIZED TANKS FOR OVERLORD The CDL Canal Defence Light Night-Fighting Tank The Sherman Duplex Drive Amphibious Tank Deep-Wading Tanks Churchill AVRE AVRE Bridging Devices AVRE Carpet Layers Crab Flail Mine-Clearing Tank Churchill Crocodile Flamethrower Tank T1 Armored Engineer Vehicle M1 Tank-Dozer US Army acquisition of Armoured Funnies TANKS, DOCTRINE, AND ORGANIZATION 21 Gunfire support groups Armored engineer support THE CAMPAIGN 25 Sword Beach Juno Beach Gold Beach Omaha Beach Utah Beach The other D-Day BATTLE ANALYSIS 45 FURTHER READING 47 INDEX 48

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Book SynopsisFor the first time, a book exposes an obscure theatre of the First World War in great detail and comprehensively, not just in terms of geography but also from the perspectives of both Allied and Axis participants. 'U-Boats off Bermuda' provides details of specific U-Boat patrols and their commanders, as well as a general overview of the situation in the theatre of war around Bermuda. It is a detailed analysis of individual casualties, broken down by a) background of ship, b) background of U-boat, c) attack method (surface and/or submersed), d) details of survivors and their plight at sea and e) their rescue, recuperation and repatriation.Detailed maps and illustrations provide a human face to what were often tragic attacks with fatal consequences. Did you know that half a dozen German submarines came close enough to the Naval Operating Base in Bermuda to see Gibbs Hill? Or that hardy Canadians from a sunken trading schooner rowed and sailed their way to the remote island-on their own? Allied pilots based in Bermuda sank two German U-Boats, rescued dozens in daring water landings, and several crashed.

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Book SynopsisThe six Douglas D-558 research aircraft, built as two variants, were produced for a US Navy and NACA collaborative project to investigate flight in the high subsonic and supersonic regimes and to develop means of coping with the dangerous phenomena of compressibility and pitch-up which had caused many accidents to early jets. Wind tunnels could not provide the necessary data so pilots had to risk their safety in experimental aircraft which, for their time, achieved phenomenal performance. Both series of D-558 were well-designed, strong and efficient aircraft which enabled test pilots to tackle the unknown in comparative safety. Though delayed by their innovative but troublesome power-plants, and limited by the cost of their air-launched sorties, they went well beyond their original Mach 1 speed objective and continued to generate information that provided design solutions for a whole generation of supersonic combat aircraft. Although the final stage of the D-55 programme, the USN's

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