Modern warfare Books

Book Synopsis"Manila Memories" contains four narratives of life in Manila under Japanese occupation in World War 2. The interlaced narratives come from four classmates who attended the American School in Manila and survived the war. Some of their family members and friends were not so lucky.

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Book Synopsis1st Sergeant Arthur "Bud" Locke was based at Clark Field in the Philippines, as part of the USAAF's Far East Air Service Command, in 1941. He was taken prisoner with many others in the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, experienced the Bataan Death March, and was transported to a POW work-camp in Kobe, Japan, from which he was liberated at the end of the war. This is the story of his war.

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Book SynopsisIn 1939 Hitler went to war not just with Great Britain; he also went to war with the whole of the British Empire, the greatest empire that there had ever been. In the years since 1945 that empire has disappeared, and the crucial fact that the British Empire fought together as a whole during the war has been forgotten. All the parts of the empire joined the struggle and were involved in it from the beginning, undergoing huge changes and sometimes suffering great losses as a result. The war in the desert, the defence of Malta and the Malayan campaign, and the contribution of the empire as a whole in terms of supplies, communications and troops, all reflect the strategic importance of Britain's imperial status. Men and women not only from Australia, New Zealand and India but from many parts of Africa and the Middle East all played their part. Winston Churchill saw the war throughout in imperial terms. The British Empire and the Second World War emphasises a central fact about the Second World War that is often forgotten.Trade Review'There have been few single volume books on this episode. Ashley Jackson...has filled that gap with an insightful and deeply researched work that will be a useful source for anyone interested in the subject. The book is nicely produced and good value...Jackson has achieved something wholly admirable; he has ensured that nobody should ever again take seriously the notion of Britain "standing alone"' BBC History Magazine, Denis Judd, 01/08/2006'an impressive work...Jackson deserves considerable congratulations for a most interesting work...Readers of this journal will find much of value here.' ~ Jeremy Black, RUSI Journal, 2006 -- Jeremy Black"This book is elegantly written, superbly structured, and deserves a wide readership far beyond that of academic specialists." Reveiwed by Ritchie Ovendale in English Historical Review, February 2008"Carefully researched and well-written, The British Empire and the Second World War is encyclopedic in its content and fills a gap in the study of World War II. It is the first single-volume of the subject." -Bowling Green Daily News"As the title indicates, this work deals with the role 60 or more political entities more or less tied to the United Kingdom - crown colonies, Dominions, mandates, protectorates, and many more - played in the ‘British' war effort...It's an impressive contribution, as he shows what even the smallest and most obscure entities within the Empire contributed to the war, from the Indian Princely States to British Honduras to the Maldive Islands and others. In the process, he also provides a unique insight into the extremely complex strategic concerns of a truly global empire in a truly global war." - New York Military Affairs Symposium Review, 2009"engrossing and substantial study" "like the british empire itself, this book is vast, sprawling and impressive" Asian Affairs, nov 2007 -- Keith Jeffery'a fittingly magisterial work.' ~ Graham Stewart, The Spectator * Spectator, The *'The great merit of this well-researched book is that it provides page after page of documented detail supporting the main proposition....The book will appeal massively to readers who enjoy the simple possession of facts; and any study that encourages scepticism of too Eurocentric a view of history, especially of British history, is greatly to be welcomed.'- Gordon Johnson Times Higher Education Supplement -- Gordon Johnson * The Times Higher Education Supplement *'Ashley Jackson's vast and ambitious narrative is an attempt to place the second world war in an imperial context....Jackson's well-researched and wide-ranging book goes some way towards redressing the balance.' ~ Nick Rennison, Times Online * Times *'[a] splendid and long-overdue study...It is a thorough and comprehensive work that neither glamorizes the Imperial war effort nor cherry-picks the more dramatic contributions.' -- Michael Howard * Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsIllustrations; Preface; Note; Abbreviations; 1 Prologue; 2 The Approach of War; 3 Imperial War; 4 The Home Front; 5 The Atlantic; 6 The Carribean; 7 The Mediterranean; 8 Iraq, Iaran and Syria; 9 SubSaharan Africa; 10 The Indian Ocean; 11 The Islands of the Indian Ocean; 12 India and Burma; 13 South-East Asia and the Far East; 14 Australia and New Zealand; 15 The Pacific; 16 Epilogue; Notes; Bibliography; Index

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Book SynopsisThis book is the first comprehensive survey of resistance movements in Western Europe in World War II. Until now, most work on resistance has centred either on espionage networks, partisans and their external links, or on comparisons between national movements and theories of resistance. This book fills a major gap in the existing literature by providing an analysis of individual national historiographies on resistance, the debates they have engendered and their relationship to more general discussions of the occupation and postwar reconstruction of the countries concerned. Explaining the context, underlying motivations and development of resistance, contributors analyze the variety of movements and organizations as well as the extent of individual acts against the occupying power within individual states. While charting the growth of resistance activity as the war turned against the Axis, this book will also deal with the roles of specific groups and the theories which have been put forward to explain their behaviour. This includes patterns of Jewish resistance and the participation of women in what has largely been considered a male sphere. The conclusion then provides a comparative synthesis, and relates the work of the contributors to existing theories on the subject as a whole.This book will not only be core reading on courses on the social or military history of World War II but also, more generally, all courses covering the social and political history of Western European states in the twentieth century.Trade Review'This useful summary of the state of research into resistance to Nazism in some of the countries the Nazis conquered will make a good teaching tool.'Intelligence and National Security'The most usable survey of western European resistance to date, as well as an object lesson in comparative history.'War in History

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Book SynopsisAt the end of World War II, over 20,000 French people accused of collaboration with Germany endured a particularly humiliating act of revenge: their heads were shaved in public. Nearly all those punished were women. This episode in French history continues to provoke shame and unease and as a result has never been the subject of a thorough examination.This groundbreaking book by Fabrice Virgili throws new light on these acts of retribution and reveals that, contrary to popular belief, a vast number of those women accused were innocent of any sexual involvement with Germans. Further, this form of punishment was in evidence well before the Liberation and in fact occurred in most European countries both in the twentieth century and earlier.Why were these punishments largely directed at women? Was a relationship with a German emblematic of female collaboration and betrayal, or were contemporary feelings of violence towards the enemy subsequently re-directed? Answering these questions and many more, Virgili suggests that the punishment was not only meted out for 'horizontal collaboration' but also for many other forms of involvement, and that the act of shaving the head was itself a form of sexual punishment. For Virgili, the public nature of the punishment was a defence strategy, a response to the German Occupation and a reaction to the suffering and violence that had preceded the Liberation.This pioneering investigation of one of France's darkest moments will be fascinating reading for anyone interested in World War II, French history or women's studies.Trade Review'At last, the story of this common act of retribution ... a remarkable achievement.'Le Monde'Painstaking crosschecking of grains of information gleaned from diverse sources ... achieved to perfection ... This book is a masterpiece of historical method and should be recommended reading for all serious scholars of history whatever their subject matter. One of the best pieces of scholarship about the Second World War, the sooner it becomes available in English the better.'Modern and Contemporary France 'We have had to wait over half a century for a systematic historical study to appear concerning the public shaving of women ...allegedly punished for 'horizontal collaboration'...[the author] brings the evidence of his research to light with convincing and indisputable precision.'Le Monde Diplomatique'Fabrice Virgili introduces new factors into the historical debate over the division between legal and illegal acts of reparation.'Le Monde des Debats'A remarkable work ...Fabrice Virgili...succeTable of ContentsContents Translator's Note Introduction Part I: From Myth to Reality 1 Sexual Collaboration? 2 Where and How Many? Part II: 1943@1946: The High Season 3 During the Occupation ... 4 The Explosion of the Liberation 5 Head Shaving and Brutalities After the Liberation Part III: Why? 6 Neighbourhood Violence 7 Women as Scapegoats 8 Virile France Appendix: A Paucity of Sources? Sources Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisNazi Germany utilized every available resource to fight the Second World War, and one significant weapon in Hitler's economic arsenal was gold - gold looted from the central banks of those European countries which were occupied by the Nazi regime between 1939 and 1942. Calculated at pre-1939 prices, the Germans gained access to about $625 million (US) in monetary gold, only about half of which was recovered by American Forces in April 1945 from a mine in central Germany. The 'Gold War' did not end then, however; it just assumed a different shape. Instead of fuelling Hitler's war effort, the recovered gold soon became a pawn in the Cold War struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union and has remained a controversial issue in international politics for years, one not completely resolved to this day.Although this is an important aspect of the Second World War and its aftermath, it has been largely neglected in historical research because of the lack of adequate source materials. The author succeeded in gaining access to hitherto unavailable but crucial records from archives in West Germany, Britain and the United States and is thus in a position to piece together, for the first time, the story of the Nazi gold loot and the long, complicated restitution of part of this gold by the Western Allies. Hitler's Gold represents an essential contribution to the economic history of the Second World War.Trade Review'Smith resists any sensationalist temptations and provides us with an extremely detailed account of Nazi subterfuge and Allied duplicity."An important book...there is a need for works such as this.It is a terse and dispassionate study .'Religious studies ReviewNicholas Hill, H&H Series

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Book SynopsisBooks on World War II abound, yet there are remarkably few publications on South Africas role in this war, which had such an influence on how we live today. There is even less written about those who participated on the margins of the war, especially those who were physically removed from the battlefields through capture by enemy forces. South Africas prisoners of war during World War II, their experiences and recollections, are largely forgotten. That is until now. Historian Karen Horn painstakingly tracked down a number of former POWs. Together with written memoirs and archival documents, their interviews reveal rich narratives of hardship, endurance, humour, longing and self-discovery. Instead of fighting, these men adapted to another war, one which was fought on the inside of many prison camps. It was a war against hunger and deprivation, at times against ever-encroaching despondency and low morale amongst their companions in captivity. In their interviews, all the POWs expressed surprise at being asked to share their experiences. The author found it astonishing that almost all of them claimed not to be heroes of any kind. This is not surprising when one considers that they returned to a country which soon tried its utmost to promote national amnesia with regard to the countrys participation in the war. With great insight and empathy, Karen Horn shines a light on a neglected corner of South African history.

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Book SynopsisHere at last is the true story of the merchant fleet during World War II, the non-fighting service in which 32,000 men died yet whose essential role has never been fully appreciated. The author, himself a member of the service from 1941-47, relates the stories of merchantmen and their crews with unique insight. From the early days of the war to the day of victory on the Rhine, through combined operations in the Mediterranean and at Normandy, the complete operation of the fleet is examined, with vivid accounts of the horrific losses undergone, the heroism of the crews and the sacrifices endured to ensure that Britain received its essential supplies of food, oil, and raw materials. Highly illustrated, this book will be absorbing for the war historian, maritime enthusiast and general reader alike.

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Book SynopsisThe 'whole mess' as Stan put it, began on 7 December 1941, when the Japanese government attacked the United States Pacific fleet in Hawaii. On the following day the United States declared war on Japan and for those of Japanese decent, most of whom were American Citizens, life would never be the same. Stan's diary serves as witness to a dark time in our history and is told through the eyes of a teenager who will soon be expected to take up the responsibility of a man. As you read his diary, you will discover Stan's creative talents, as well as his idealism, his optimism, and his aspirations. He has a quirky sense of humour, along with a more serious side, and dreams of a 'United Nations of Earth'. He talks to his diary as a confidant, a safe place to express his opinions and record the everyday events of his life. No one told him he had to keep a journal. He wrote because he needed a private place to keep his ideas and think through the contradictions of his life. Stan and his family were swept up in the largest mass roundup in our country's history. On 14 May 1942 the Hayamis, along with thousands of others, were taken to the Pomona Fairgrounds, one of 16 Assembly Centres where the Nikkei (people of Japanese ancestry) were temporarily imprisoned until more permanent Relocation Centres were built. The Hayamis were moved from Pomona to Heart Mountain in Wyoming. In November 1942, Stan Hayami began keeping a diary that captures the harsh reality of Wyoming and his personal struggles as a student, son, brother, friend, and citizen of the world, who despite all obstacles, holds onto his dreams of the future. It is his optimism that continues to shine through his diary, and his determination to improve himself as well as the world. His dreams will continue to inspire those who work to build a world where differences are not met with racism and war, but with respect for others and kindness that allows all people to live in harmony and with dignity.

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Book SynopsisIn 1942 Norman Hanson learnt to fly the Royal Navy's newest fighter: the US-built Chance Vought Corsair. Fast, rugged and demanding to fly, it was an intimidating machine. But in the hands of its young Fleet Air Arm pilots it also proved to be a lethal weapon.Posted to the South Pacific aboard HMS Illustrious, Hanson and his squadron took the fight to the Japanese. Facing a desparate and determined enemy, Kamikaze attacks and the ever-present dangers of flying off a pitching carrier deck, death was never far away.Brought to life in vivid, visceral detail, Carrier Pilot is one of the finest aviator's memoirs of the war; an awe-inspiring, thrilling, sometimes terrifying account of war in the air.

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Book SynopsisAnthony J Randall examines the life of Joan Clarke and her role in breaking the Naval Enigma at Bletchley Park, alongside Alan Turing. An outstanding mathematician, Joan was the daughter of an Anglican priest and the granddaughter of the Archbishop of Melbourne. Having been recruited by GC&CS at the beginning of the war, Joan stayed with what then became GCHQ until well past retirement age. She worked on the unmasking of Philby, Burgess and Maclean, and on the decryption of intercepted Soviet communications during the Cold War. For ten years she lived 'very quietly' surrounded by the technology of the Cold War and the Early Warning systems installed on the east coast of Scotland, only to return to GCHQ in the early 1960s to take up a new position at Cheltenham, as though nothing had happened during the intervening years. Portrayed by Keira Knightley in the Hollywood film The Imitation Game, in reality Joan Clarke was the quiet woman of British Security; a role she played for forty-five years.Table of ContentsForeword. Clarke Family Tree. 1 Lambeth Conference 1. 2 Lymington in the New Forest 11. 3 Aunt and Grandfather 21. 4 Growing Up in the Shadows 31. 5 HMS Gleaner and U-33 43. 6 HMA Griffin and VP2623/Polaris 53. 7 Operation Claymore 62. 8 The Fourth Rotor and U-559 72. 9 Operation Overlord 82. 10 Eastcote GCHQ 92. 11 Alan Turing and a Proposal 102. 12 Crail and the Cold War 112. 13 Medals and Numismatics 122. 14 Cheltenham and Oxford 132. 15 Publishing the Secrets 142. 16 The End Game 148. Footnote 158. Appendix A Notable Persons 161. Appendix B Selected Documents 170. Appendix C Family Photographs 176.

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