Modern warfare Books

Book SynopsisEscaping the Blitz is the story of the biggest social upheaval in British history. Portrayed by the government as a positive by-product of the Second World War, civilian evacuation represented the cornerstone of Britain's civil defence strategy. In a single stroke, children were uprooted from their close-knit families and replanted in unfamiliar and sometimes hostile surroundings. Over the course of three days beginning on 31st August 1939, three and a half million vulnerable adults and children were evacuated from cities to rural areas. This totally haphazard mingling of social classes had profound and long-lasting effects on British society. From a government standpoint evacuation was an exercise in military logistics, but for those who took part it was a life changing experience. Furthermore, there was no typical evacuee experience, only a shared sense of alienation in the face of extreme adversity. The general trend for domestic evacuation was for central government to offload responsibility for evacuees onto rural local authorities. When it became clear that the latter had neither the basic resources nor administrative machinery to cope with large influxes of evacuees, central government was forced back into the policy driving seat. Yet a completely different approach was adopted towards overseas evacuation. Known as Sea-Vacs, children sent abroad were expected to act as ambassadors for Britain, tug at the heart strings of host nations, and elicit international financial support for the war effort. Aside from this role Sea-Vacs were essential for the survival of the British race, and government ministers fully expected them to eventually fight from the colonies in the event of a German invasion of Britain. Public perceptions of children however, shifted throughout the war. In 1939 children were either viewed as innocents in need of protection, or as useless mouths who were draining the nation of vital food supplies. Yet by 1941 they had become active participants in the war effort, and children as young as five could be found working on the land. By 1943 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries considered children to be a vital component in Britain's food production industry. They remained so long after the war had ended. Moreover, although some evacuees were lucky enough to have positive and uplifting encounters with their host families, others less fortunate suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse. This book reveals the myths and mayhem which accompanied the three waves of wartime evacuation and document the experiences of evacuees in their own words. Throughout the book QR codes link readers (using a suitable phone or tablet) to unique video content of evacuees telling their story in their own words.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Author's Note Introduction Prologue Chapter One – Evacuation 1939 Chapter Two – Evacuation 1940 Chapter Three – Overseas 1940 Chapter Four – Suffer the Children Chapter Five – Homecoming and Legacy Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis fascinating history, recounted from both the American and Japanese perspectives, follows the course of the Empire of the Sun's ultimately unequal struggle against the great allied powers. Drawing on archive material, this new history provides the reader with piercing strategic and political insights which debunk many of the enduring myths which encompass Japan's apocalyptic drive for hegemony in Southeast Asia. Why did Japan invade China? Was war with America and the British Empire inevitable? Why was the Japanese mobile fleet defeated so decisively at Midway? Why did the Japanese continue fighting when defeat was inevitable? Was Emperor Hirohito merely a puppet of the militarists? Why did the Japanese people acquiesce in the occupation of their homeland? Whilst unsparing in its treatment of Japan's ultimate culpability for unleashing the Second World War, 'Japan at War 1931-1945' is an objective appraisal of the tragedy that engulfed much of the territories under Japanese control, and eventually Japan itself.

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Book SynopsisThe concept of strategic assault of a Nation’s industrial and military base by air was heralded by Britain as far back as the immediate period before the start of WWI. However, stringent post-War economy ensured that the creation of Bomber Command in 1936 witnessed a daunting disparity between the aim of striking at an adversary’s ability to sustain itself on the Field of Battle and the means to do so. The initial three years of WWII left the Command very weak in both human and material terms. The navigational means with which to accurately guide the bombers to targets was almost completely lacking during this period, while the enemy defensive network inflicted serious casualty rates. The punishment handed out was accordingly minimal in effect. The resurgence of the Command’s fortunes coincided with the appointment of Sir Arthur Harris as C-in-C. The advent of the more efficient Lancaster and Halifax designs ensured a greatly increased bomb tonnage could be delivered. Electronic aids such as ‘Gee’, ‘Oboe’ and ‘H2’S’ ensured the task of locating targets was simplified. So it was that by 1944/45 the Third Reich’s industrial base was virtually rendered impotent.Table of Contents1 The Bomber as a Strategic Concept; 2 Girding up for Battle; 3 From Sublime Optimism to Harsh Reality; 4 ‘In the Dark-Literally’ (May-October 1940); 5 A Staccato Offensive? (October 1940-Mid-1941); 6 Descent into Crisis (July-December 1941); 7 ‘Area Bombing’: The Unavoidable Adaptation; (January 1942-December 1942); 8 ‘Pathfinders’: The Way Ahead; 9 ‘Terrible Swift Sword’: Battle of the Ruhr; 10 ‘The Specialists’: No. 617 Squadron (March 1943-April 1944); 11 Operation Gomorrah: A City Put to the Sword; 12 Peenemünde; 13 ‘Battle of Berlin’: A Major Rebuff?; 14 Berlin Diminuendo to Nuremberg’s Ghastly Conclusion; 15 The Transportation Plan: A Necessary Operational Retrenchment?; 16 The Die is Cast (August-December 1944); 17 Irreversible Breach in the Wall: No. 100 Group’s Electronic Magic; 18 ‘The Final Act’; Appendix I: Order of Battle on 15 December 1936; Appendix II: Order of Battle on 26 September 1939; Appendix III: Order of Battle on 4 March 1943; Appendix IV: Order of Battle on 19 April 1945; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisRussia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine came from nowhere...? Felshtinsky and Stanchev's gripping history of Putin's attempts to take Ukraine reveals his first deadly attack came as early as 1999. As early as 2015 the authors predicted that the Russian invasion was a matter the Russian army's 6-year planning cycle and would happen in 2021 (not knowing the pandemic would happen). They argue how Putin must be resisted in order to avoid a potential nuclear conflict that could drag the world into a global war. An authoritative must-read to understand the causes of the crisis and what to do when.Trade Review‘Seizing Ukraine remains the main goal of Putin. Unfortunately, these words, much like the rest of the book, will prove prophetic.’ OLEG KALUGIN, Former KGB General and Head of Counter-Espionage; ‘Historians are blessed with numerous virtues, but bravery is rarely among them. Still, living in a modern world requires fundamental reconsideration of all of the conventional notions regarding Russia and Ukraine, United States and Europe. This book by two brave and scrupulous historians will undoubtedly help the reader to comprehend the present, as well as to live in the future.’ ALEXANDER ETKIND, Professor of History, European University Institute, FlorenceTable of ContentsUkraine: The First Battle of World War III? Introduction: Time will Tell 1 A Thousand Year Wait 2 Dawdling in Europe 3 Georgiy Gongadze's Assassination 4 The Poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko 5 The Orange Revolution 6 The Sfinx 7 A Burglar as President 8 The Turning Point, Minsk 9 EuroMaidan 10 The Mysterious Return of the "Banderites" 11 Civil War 12 Change of Power or Oligarchs? 13 The Invasions of Crimea 14 False "Russian Spring" 15 "Substitution of Ideas" as a Dance to War 16 Do Russians Want War? Conclusions Appendix - Vladimir Putin: "The Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians" Endnotes Index

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Book SynopsisThe captivating story of WWII Airman Frank Murphy, who features in new TV miniseries Masters of the Air. THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “In the pursuit of authenticity, of accurate history and undeniable courage, no words matter more than, ‘I was there.’ Read Luck of the Draw and the life of Frank Murphy and ponder this: how did those boys do such things?” Tom Hanks The epic true story of an American hero who flew during WWII, featured in the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks TV Series, Masters of the Air. Beginning on August 17, 1942, American heavy bomber crews of the Eighth Air Force took off for combat in the hostile skies over occupied Europe. The final price was staggering. 4,300 B-17s and B-24s failed to return; nearly 28,000 men were taken prisoner or interned in a neutral country, and a further 26,000 made the ultimate sacrifice. Luck of the Draw is more than a war story. It’s the incredible, inspiring story of Frank Murphy, one of the few survivors from the 100th Bombardment Group, who cheated death for months in a German POW camp after being shot out of his B-17 Flying Fortress. Now with a new foreword written by his granddaughter Chloe Melas, of NBC, and daughter Elizabeth Murphy.Trade Review“In the pursuit of authenticity, of accurate history and undeniable courage, no words matter more than, ‘I was there.’ Read Luck of the Draw and the life of Frank Murphy and ponder this: how did those boys do such things?” Tom Hanks "Navigator Frank Murphy’s propulsive account of the American bomber war against Nazi Germany is also a powerful and poignant memoir of survival in a German POW compound. The book’s heart-stopping account of the brutal Winter March of the captured Allied airmen across the heart of Hitler’s dying Reich places it with Twelve O’Clock High as a classic of World War II literature." Donald L. Miller, author of Masters of the Air: The American Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany "Murphy describes some of the bloodiest air battles of the war as only a person who was actually there can. Luck of the Draw is a riveting and often harrowing must-read for anyone interested in military aviation, the second world war, or just plain real-life adventure." John Orloff, writer, Band of Brothers (HBO) and Masters of the Air (Apple TV+) "Originally published in 2001, this finely wrought memoir captures the fortitude and resilience of the "greatest generation"...Students of military history will appreciate Murphy’s detailed accounts of the Army Air Corp’s training program and a B-17 navigator’s responsibilities, while more casual readers will savor Murphy’s heartfelt tributes to comrades in arms. The result is a winning WWII story." Publishers Weekly "We should be grateful to have this book again, with or without a TV tie-in. A lot of cliches have been spilled about the Greatest Generation, but without ever being the least bit boastful Frank Murphy embodies it...Ultimately, Murphy remembered just about everything, augmented by excellent research." New York Journal of Books“A gripping, inspirational account of incredible bravery, resilience, and sheer will to survive. Frank Murphy was a true American hero who served courageously in the skies over Europe during WWII and who then demonstrated extraordinary fortitude and determination in the face of unimaginable challenges as a prisoner of war. A truly extraordinary story!" General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and NATO and US Forces in Afghanistan, and former Director of the CIA “Ever wonder if you had what it took to stare death in the face and push it aside and go forth into the unknown? That is what these young airmen of the 8th Army Air Force accomplished every time they loaded up for another mission. Frank Murphy has eloquently described the harrowing experiences of a B-17 crew from the loss of crewmembers, confronting his own mortality and ultimately the trauma of incarceration as a prisoner of war. This account is partly to honor his noble brothers of the air but also a reminder to future generations of the heroic young men of the Bomber Command.” Rick Perry, son of B-17 tail gunner 95th BG, 14th Governor of Texas, and 7th Secretary of Energy “Every generation needs a spokesman for its endeavors. In this respect Murphy does the young men of VIII Bomber Command proud.” Roger A. Freeman, author and Eighth Air Force historian “I urge you to read Frank Murphy’s truly memorable story.” Ian L. Hawkins, author and World War II historian

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Book SynopsisIn this rare World War II memoir, Lothar Herrmann, a soldier from the Wehrmacht, details his unimaginable experience as a German Prisoner-of-War in the Soviet Union. Hermann grew up in Bavaria, going through the RAD (Nazi Labour Service) before being conscripted into a Wehrmacht Mountain Division (the Gebirgsdivision) in 1940. He participated in Germany's advance through southern Ukraine in 1941 and, in 1944, was arrested in Romania while retreating to Germany. The Romanians passed him onto the Soviets, who placed him in a forced labour camp, where he watched two-thirds of prisoners around him die. In 1949, Herrmann was finally released to Germany and returned to Bavaria. Three million German troops were taken prisoner by the Red Army and around two-thirds of them survived to return to Germany in 1949, but their stories are little known. Klaus Willmann draws on interviews he conducted with Herrmann, to recount these astonishing recollections in the first-person. Depicting the challenges of growing up in Nazi Bavaria to becoming a Soviet prisoner-of-war, this is a gripping and enlightening account from a necessary but rarely explored perspective.

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Book SynopsisThis is the true and dramatic testimony of a German grenadier during World War II. Erhard Steiniger joined his Wehrmacht unit on 12 October 1940 as a radio operator, a role which required his constant presence with troops at the Front, right in the midst of combat. On 22 June 1941, he accompanied his division to Lithuania where he experienced the catastrophic first day of Operation Barbarossa. He later witnessed intense clashes during the conquest of the Baltic islands and the battles leading up to Leningrad on the Volkhov and Lake Ladoga. He describes the retreat from battles in Estonia, Kurland and East Prussia and his eventual surrender and captivity in Siberia. He finally returned to Germany in October 1949, a broken man. From the first page to the last, this is a captivating eyewitness account of the horrors of war.

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Book SynopsisThis incredible visual record of life and death along the Eastern Front features more than 250 images from the the PIXPAST Archive, a collection of more than 32,000 original colour photographs taken between 1936 and 1946\. Collated into three parts and organised thematically, the book begins with images of the ground war, including Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union and the tanks, vehicles, weaponry and infantry on both sides. Moving into the war in the skies, the images depict aircraft in flight and on the ground, the bombers, fighters, Luftwaffe personnel and the destruction wrought from battle. And finally, the images take us behind the lines, to the prisoners of war, partisans, medics, the daily lives and leisure activities of soldiers and civilians along the front and the impact of the harsh Russian winter. Accompanied by text by renowned author and commentator Anthony Tucker-Jones, these images offer a rare, often surprising insight into the realities of the Second World War and people caught up in it, in vivid colour detail.

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Book SynopsisThroughout the course of the Second World War, many millions of animals were enlisted to serve. Though they had no choice, yet they demonstrated loyalty, determination and bravery as they shared the burden of war with their human companions both on active service and on the Home Front. From the dogs trained to locate air-raid victims buried under rubble, to the mules that carried ammunition and supplies through the jungles of the Far East, each animal played a crucial role in the war effort. In fact, such was their contribution that those animals that showed exceptional gallantry or devotion to duty were recognised officially with the introduction of the Dickin Medal in 1943. This fascinating book draws from first-hand accounts and contemporary sources to reveal the wide-ranging contributions that animals made both on and off the battlefield.Table of ContentsIntroduction Horses and Mules War Dogs Pigeons All Creatures Great and Small On the Home Front Furry and Feathered Heroes Legacies Further Reading Places to Visit Index

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Book Synopsis‘A masterly work of profound research and reflection, objective and humane’ Hugh Trevor-Roper, Sunday TelegraphWhat would have happened if the Nazis had invaded Britain? How would the British people have responded – with resistance or collaboration? In Madeleine Bunting’s pioneering study, we begin to find the answers to this age-old question.Though rarely remembered today, the Nazis occupied the British Channel Islands for much of the Second World War. In piecing together the fragments left behind – from the love affairs between island women and German soldiers, the betrayals and black marketeering, to the individual acts of resistance – Madeleine Bunting has brought this uncomfortable episode of British history into full view with spellbinding clarity.Trade ReviewMadeleine Bunting is a superb chronicler of what happened - if you want a classic example of the dilemmas of Resistance, here it is. -- Professor Norman Stone * The Times *A masterly work of profound research and reflection, objective and humane -- Hugh Trevor-Roper * Sunday Telegraph *I am full of admiration for this book. By careful research and sensitive use of light and shade, Ms Bunting holds the reader's attention through an uncomfortable passage in our history - and one which we have been most reluctant to inform ourselves -- Alan Clark * Guardian *Excellently researched... This book...is an important historical document, if an uncomfortable one, in the understanding of our national character -- John Mortimer * Sunday Times *[An] excellent book...thoroughly unflinching, fair-minded, humane and sensitive -- Jonathan Keates * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisIn August 1939, curators at the Louvre nestled the world's most famous painting into a special red velvet-lined case and spirited her away to the Loire Valley as part of the biggest museum evacuation in history. As the Germans neared Paris in 1940, the French raced to move the masterpieces still further south, then again and again during the war, crisscrossing the southwest of France. Throughout the German occupation, the museum staff fought to keep the priceless treasures out of the hands of Hitler and his henchmen, often risking their lives to protect the country's artistic heritage. Saving Mona Lisa is the sweeping, suspenseful narrative of their struggle. Trade ReviewGerri Chanel's account of how France preserved its art from both the destruction of war and the pillaging of the German occupiers reads like a thriller -- Caroline Moorehead * TLS *Fantastic ... At its best this is a story of the inhabitants of a humiliated country doing all in their power to preserve their nation's cultural heritage ... The black-and-white photographs in this book are worth of an art exhibition in themselves. * Daily Mail *Chanel's history is a work of substance and scholarship that should be part of every art history collection and required reading for anyone who cares about Western civilization. * Booklist (starred review) *A brilliant piece of storytelling explaining how the masterpieces of the Louvre escaped Göring's mantelpiece and Himmler's walls ... This is a grippingly written and meticulously researched contribution to the history of the Second World War. * The Tablet *A compelling true account of the men and women who fought to save France's heritage and a fascinating story of art and intrigue. * France Magazine *This book tells a fascinating story. * Choice *

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Book Synopsis'Fascinating ... if this gripping account teaches anything, it is the folly of tyrannical regimes believing they can act with the same violence and impunity abroad as they do at home' THE SPECTATOR'Heart-thumpingly powerful ... history told from the closest and most frightening quarters.' SINCLAIR MCKAY, author of The Secret Life of Bletchley ParkForty years on from the outbreak of the war, acclaimed TV journalist Julian Manyon digs down into Argentina's 'Dirty War' and its effect on the Falklands conflict On May 12th, 1982, after the first bloody exchanges of the Falklands War, journalist Julian Manyon and his TV crew were kidnapped on the streets of Buenos Aires and put through a traumatic mock execution by the secret police. Less than eight hours later they were invited to the Presidential Palace to film a world-exclusive interview with an apologetic President Galtieri, the dictator and head of the Argentine Junta.Spurred on by the recent release of declassified CIA documents about Argentina's 'Dirty War', Manyon discovered that his kidnapper was a key figure in the Junta's bloody struggle against left-wing opposition, with a terrifying record of torture and murder. Also in the secret documents were details of the wider picture - the turmoil inside the Junta as the war with Britain got under way, and how Argentina succeeded in acquiring vital US military equipment which made its war effort possible.Published on the 40th anniversary of the Falklands conflict, this book is an extraordinary insight into the war behind the war. Manyon provides a harrowing depiction of the campaign of terror that the Junta waged on its own population, and a new perspective on an episode of history more often centred on Mrs Thatcher, the Belgrano and the battle of Goose Green.'Shocking, terrifying and revealing. Ground-breaking history, expertly told - a dramatic new insight into the Falklands conflict.' ROGER BOLTON, BBC journalist and broadcasterTrade ReviewFascinating ... if this gripping account teaches anything, it is the folly of tyrannical regimes believing they can act with the same violence and impunity abroad as they do at home * The Spectator *Heart-thumpingly powerful ... history told from the closest and most frightening quarters. * SINCLAIR MCKAY, author of The Secret Life of Bletchley Park *A full-throttle adrenaline ride from the word go ... Manyon has a gift for recreating scenes from his past and the archives with almost cinematic visual details. * The Critic *[Manyon's] personal involvement gives an emotional charge to his writing and his book is full of chilling detail. * Literary Review *Shocking, terrifying and revealing. Ground-breaking history, expertly told - a dramatic new insight into the Falklands conflict. * ROGER BOLTON, BBC journalist and broadcaster *Drawing on a huge tranche of recently declassified US documents, Julian Manyon authoritatively nails the Argentine Junta's regime as one of the most depraved and deluded of modern times. After reading this book, packed with so much graphic new detail, I feel more fortunate than ever to have escaped Argentina with my life. * IAN MATHER, former defence correspondent of The Observer *Gripping ... a compelling account of a dark period of modern history. * STEPHAN SHAKESPEARE, founder and CEO of YouGov *

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Book SynopsisIn the years after the Second World War, aircraft optimised for various kinds of special missions began assuming ever-greater importance in the inventories of the world''s leading air forces. The Soviet Union was no exception - numerous special mission versions of Soviet military fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters were developed and fielded, and the process is continuing in modern Russia. Some of them have seen action in various armed conflicts, including the Afghan War, the Chechen Wars and, most recently, the Syrian War.The need to control friendly forces on the move and manage airborne air defence assets efficiently resulted in the development of airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. The first of these in the Soviet inventory was the early 1960s vintage Tupolev Tu-126 which was replaced in the 1980s by the Ilyushin/Beriyev A-50. The latter has been constantly upgraded but is now due for replacement by the latest A-100.An equally important role is filled by airborne command posts - mostly based on airliners, including the Ilyushin Il-22 army-level ABCP, the Tu-214PU and the Il-80 national emergency airborne command post (the Russian equivalent of the Boeing E-4 ''doomsday aircraft''). The latter may be replaced by a specialised derivative of the Il-96-400 airliner. Rotary-wing aircraft in this class were also developed, such as the Mil'' Mi-8VzPU and Mi-6VKP/Mi-22.Another important class is reconnaissance aircraft of various categories - photo reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, nuclear/biological/chemical reconnaissance, radiation intelligence (RINT). These were represented by ELINT versions of bombers (including the Tu-22 and Tu-22M), airliners and transports (ELINT versions of the Antonov An-12 and An-26 transports, the Il-20 derivative of the Il-18 airliner), RINT versions of the An-12 and the An-24 airliner etc.A separate chapter covers electronic countermeasures aircraft, such as specialised versions of the Tu-16 and Tu-22 bombers and An-12 transport, the latest Il-22PP, the Army Aviation''s many ECM versions of the Mi-8 helicopter (including the latest Mi-8MTPR) and the heavy Mi-10PP.A singularly important class is in-flight refuelling tankers supporting the operations of both heavy aircraft (notably strategic bombers) and tactical jets. These include tanker versions of the Tupolev Tu-16 and Myasishchev M-4/3MS series bombers and the Il-78, including the latest Il-78M-90.Another category which assumed considerable importance is search and rescue aircraft, such as the naval An-12PS equipped to carry a paradroppable lifeboat and the latest Beriyev Be-200PS amphibian able to pick up survivors at the scene of a maritime disaster.The book is illustrated with numerous previously unpublished photos, line drawings and many colour side views.

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Book Synopsis'A vastly entertaining tale, bursting with astonishing stories and extraordinary characters ... A fascinating read' Sunday Telegraph'Brilliant ... An amazing story, one I hadn't heard too much about' Dan SnowIT IS THE DEPTHS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR.The Germans like to boast that there is 'no escape' from the infamous fortress that is Colditz.The elite British officers imprisoned there are determined to prove the Nazis wrong and get back into the war.As the war heats up and the stakes are raised, the Gestapo plant a double-agent inside the prison in a bid to uncover the secrets of the British prisoners. Captain Julius Green of the Army Dental Corps and Sergeant John 'Busty' Brown must risk their lives in a bid to save the lives of hundreds of Allied servicemen and protect the secrets of MI9.Drawn from unseen records, The Traitor of Colditz brings to light an extraordinary, never-before-told story from the Second World War, an epic tale of how MI9 took on the Nazis and exposed the traitors in their midst.Trade Review'A rump of die-hard British fascists intent on horrific treachery, a hunt that echoes down the dark and sinister halls of Colditz Castle, secret and ingenious codes to fox the enemy, unbelievably courageous and ingenious escapes executed by Allied POWs who would not be denied, MI9's masterful body lines that spirited escapees back to Britain to continue the fight – this book has it all ... An intensively researched work, this is a period of WWII history that Robert Verkaik brings to life with real verve and flair' -- Damien Lewis, author of SAS Band of BrothersA masterly book... An incredible piece of research that has uncovered an unknown story of betrayal, double agents against a sense of honour and need for justice by those British POWs who were betrayed. It's a real page-turner' -- Dr Helen Fry, author and leading expert on MI9'Verkaik has managed to add considerably to the history of Purdy, the traitor at Colditz... An excellent book' -- William Neave, son of Airey Neave, the first British officer to escape from Colditz'A vastly entertaining tale, bursting with astonishing stories and extraordinary characters. Much of it will be new, even to fans of the Second World War espionage genre ... Verkaik has done a great job mining the secret service files in the National Archives and unearthing narrative gold ... The truth about the traitors may be that there is no great enigma to be unravelled. But in Verkaik's hands the story of their treachery makes for a fascinating read' -- Patrick Bishop, Sunday Telegraph'Riveting story' * Mail on Sunday *'A gripping tale of wartime espionage and counterespionage' * History of War Magazine *'A brilliant book about Walter Purdy, one of the worst Nazi sympathisers who passed on information about British escape plans, including in Colditz Castle ... Us Brits don't like talking about traitors during the Second World War so Purdy doesn't fit the narrative. Purdy is an uncomfortable reality' * Dan Snow's History Hit podcast *'A welcome addition to the Colditz historiography ... This book will have you hanging on every word' * Key Military *

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Book SynopsisFor months, The Few' had defended Britain against the might of the Luftwaffe. Then, on 7 September 1940, everything changed. Instead of targeting airfields, the German bombers turned their attention to London. The Blitz had begun. For two months, London was systemically attacked in one of the most sustained aerial bombing campaigns in history. The onslaught soon spread to other cities, including Liverpool, Bristol, Cardiff, Hull, Birmingham and Belfast, causing widespread destruction. In the face of this extreme devastation and heartbreak, however, came stories of survival, heroism and courage from the people of Britain. With sections examining life in the shelters, Britain's air raid defences and bomb disposal, citizen heroics and the rise of crimes such as looting, this book takes a look back at the Luftwaffe's unsuccessful attempt to break the British spirit and shares what life was really like during the Blitz.

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Book Synopsis'Without the networks of the French Resistance, the invasion would not have been possible' Major General Walter Bedell Smith, Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary ForceDays after France fell in June 1940, Charles de Gaulle appointed André Dewavrin to create, from scratch, the Free French Intelligence Service.Recruiting agents among the sailors, farmers, painters, housewives and children of Occupied France, he managed cells of spies across the country, and focused their attention on one goal: preparing for the Allied invasion of France, even at the risk of torture and death.Hitler’s fortifications along the European coastline – known as the Atlantic Wall – were their target. Gun battery locations, troop movements, and more... All this information was funnelled back to the Allies by a network of brave individuals, creating a living map that became essential to the planning of D-Day, and the selection of Normandy as the invasion point.Using a wealth of material both published and unpublished, including interviews with Dewavrin and de Gaulle himself, Collier has produced an authentic record of one of the most remarkable episodes of the Second World War; a human story of a group of ordinary people whose faith paved the way for Eisenhower’s great sweep across Europe. Perfect for readers of Antony Beevor and Max Hastings.

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Book Synopsis'A compelling history of the dark arts of statecraft... Fascinating' Jonathan Rugman'Rich in anecdote and detail.' The TimesToday's world is in flux. Competition between the great powers is back on the agenda and governments around the world are turning to secret statecraft and the hidden hand to navigate these uncertain waters. From poisonings to electoral interference, subversion to cyber sabotage, states increasingly operate in the shadows, while social media has created new avenues for disinformation on a mass scale.This is covert action: perhaps the most sensitive - and controversial - of all state activity. However, for all its supposed secrecy, it has become surprisingly prominent - and it is something that has the power to affect all of us. In an enthralling and urgent narrative packed with real-world examples, Rory Cormac reveals how such activity is shaping the world and argues that understanding why and how states wield these dark arts has never been more important.Trade ReviewRich in anecdote and detail... Cormac, you can see, is an engaged teacher, the kind of lecturer who holds his students' attention with illustrative stories of derring-do and dirty tricks. They will like this book, as I do, with its relish of good yarns... A zippy read. * The TImes *A compelling history of the dark arts of statecraft - from assassination and sabotage through to disinformation, election interference and cyberattack. Rory Cormac combines the best true-life spy stories with thoughtful analysis of the perils of covert government operations. So full is it of fascinating and astutely examined examples of these murky practices that you wouldn't want his book to fall into the wrong hands. * Jonathan Rugman, author of The Killing in the Consulate *Even as major powers flaunt their military hardware and brazenly trample over borders, their struggles also continue in the shadows. Rory Cormac's raid into this confusing terrain is daring, incisive and exact, an intellectual special operation in itself. In particular, it reveals the hard choices and delicate trade-offs practitioners must consider, between secrecy, control and impact. Much that is written on this subject is overblown and vapid. Cormac's work, by contrast, is a much-needed correction. Britain needs Cormac. * Patrick Porter, author of The False Promise of Liberal Order *A dazzling journey through the subterranean world of covert action: from assassination, secret wars, cyberattacks and sabotage, to rigging elections, spreading influence, and subverting democracy. This major new book is stacked full of fascinating examples from around the world, perceptive analysis and careful warnings. A must read for anyone interested in international politics and secret statecraft. * Jamie Gaskarth, author of Secrets and Spies *An absolute must read for understanding the wide range of tools states pursue in the realm of covert statecraft. It has immense lessons for cyber operations, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and more. * Michael Poznansky, author of In the Shadow of International Law *Rory Cormac offers a delightfully incisive and much needed corrective to the opacity surrounding covert action. He shows that reality is, in fact, far more interesting than fiction... It may sound odd to say, but despite it being about some of the most underhanded behaviors a state can undertake, it is a fun book to read. It is a must read for both practitioners of the dark arts and the curious general public alike. * Diplomatic Courier *A must read for those interested in intelligence, secret warfare and the hidden hand. * Intelligence and National Security *A valuable and thought-provoking work, the most thorough treatment of the topic to date. * Studies in Intelligence *An important public service... Cormac's book has an ambitious scope, and its arguments and information are truly timeless. * International Affairs *Table of Contents1: How to assassinate your enemies 2: How to get away with murder 3: How to influence others 4: How to subvert governments and undermine democracy 5: How to rig an election 6: How to stage a coup 7: How to wage a secret war 8: How to pick your rebels 9: How to sabotage 10: How to cyberattack 11: How to wield the hidden hand

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Book SynopsisThe seizure of Pegasus Bridge by six glider borne platoons of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry under Major John Howard very early 6th June 1944, is one of the better-known stories of D-Day. Landing just yards from vital bridges over the River Orne and the Caen Canal near Benouville, Howard's men took and held the bridges in a remarkable coup de main operation with minimal casualties. The 7th Parachute Battalion dropped in soon afterwards to relieve Howard's men and the action remains, by any standards, a remarkable feat of arms. But it was only one act in a much grander production put on by 6th Airborne Division that night to secure and protect the eastern flank of the Allied landings inland from Sword, the British landing beach. Key bridges over the Dives had to be blown to foil possible German counter attacks and to north east, at Merville, a battery of guns which the allied planners thought could wreak havoc on the beaches and ships at sea, had to be eliminated. The task fell to the men of the 9th Parachute Battalion, whose actions in assaulting the Merville Battery became another D-Day epic - but for very different reasons.

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Book SynopsisMartin Middlebrook is the only British historian to have been granted open access to the Argentines who planned and fought the Falklands War. It ranks with Liddell Hart's The Other Side of the Hill in analysing and understanding the military thinking and strategies of Britain's sometime enemy, and is essential reading for all who wish to understand the workings of military minds.The author has managed to avoid becoming involved in the issue of sovereignty and concentrates entirely upon the military story. He has produced a genuine 'first' with this balanced and unique work. Among the men he met were the captain of the ship that took the scrap-metal merchants to South Georgia; the admiral in charge of planning the Falklands invasion; the marine commander and other members of the invasion force; two brigadier-generals, five unit commanders and many other men of the large army force sent to occupy and defend the islands.; the officer in charge of the Argentine garrison at Goose Green; and finally the brigadier-general responsible for the Defence of Port Stanley and soldiers of all ranks who fought the final battles.

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Book SynopsisThe two-engined Mosquito was one of the classic aircraft of the Second World War. Famously wooden-built, its graceful lines and powerful performance have made it into an airborne icon. Its operational versatility as a fighter, low level bomber and reconnaissance aircraft was unsurpassed.In this book we get the first-hand crew accounts of a selection of the actions and missions that the 'Mossie' undertook. These include audacious raids on Nazi HQs and Gestapo jails - real precision attacks carried out by ace fliers.

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'[Reveals] the full horror of a warped version of Bushido. It is not a pleasant read, but a necessary one.' Russ Lockwood, MagwebThe war crimes trials at Nuremberg and Tokyo meted out the Allies' official justice; Lord Russell of Liverpool's sensational bestselling books on the Axis' war crimes decided the public's opinion. The Knights of Bushido, Russell's shocking account of Japanese brutality in the Pacific in World War II, describes how the noble founding principles of the Empire of Japan were perverted by the military into a systematic campaign of torture, murder, starvation, rape and destruction. Notorious incidents like the Nanking Massacre and the Bataan Death March emerge as merely part of a pattern of human rights abuses. Undoubtedly formidable soldiers, the Japanese were terrible conquerors. Their conduct in the Pacific is a harrowing example of the doctrine of mutual destruction carried to the extreme, and begs the question of what is acceptable - and unacceptable - in total war.

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Book SynopsisAt 21:00 on 9 May 1940 Codeword Danzig was issued alerting Adolf Hitler's airborne troops that they were about to spearhead an attack on Belgium and the Netherlands. The following day his blitzkrieg rolled forward striking the British Expeditionary Force and the French armies in Belgium and in northern France at Sedan. The desperate attempts of the allied armies to stem the Nazi tide proved futile and, once their reserves had been exhausted and the remaining forces cut off, Paris lay open. By early June, it was all over - trapped British, Belgian and French troops were forced to evacuate Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne and the defeated French army agreed to an armistice leaving the country divided in two. This dramatic story is shown in a sequence of over 150 historic photographs that Anthony Tucker-Jones he has selected for this memorable book. The images he has chosen cover every aspect of this extraordinary campaign, but his main focus is on the vital role played by the armoured fighting vehicles of both sides. The book is a graphic record of the destruction wrought by the Wehrmacht's lightning offensive through the Low Countries and France.

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Book SynopsisWithout doubt Boeing Flying Fortress B-17F 41-42285 Memphis Belle and her crew generate an image that is an all-American icon. Indeed, it has been claimed that the Memphis Belle is in the top five of the most famous American aircraft of all time.In September, 1942, a new Flying Fortress was delivered at Bangor, Maine, to a crew of ten eager American lads headed by Robert K. Morgan, a lanky 24-year-old USAAF pilot from Asheville, N. C. The boys climbed aboard, flew their ship to Memphis, Tenn. and christened her Memphis Belle in honour of Morgan's fiancee, Miss Margaret Polk of Memphis, and then headed across the Atlantic to join the US Eighth Air Force in England.Between November 7 1942 and May 171943 they flew the Memphis Belle over Hitler's Europe twenty-five times. They dropped more than 60 tons of bombs on targets in Germany, France and Belgium. They blasted the Focke-Wulf plant at Bremen, locks at St. Nazaire and Brest, docks and shipbuilding installations at Wilhelmshaven, railway yards at Rouen, submarine pens and power houses at Lorient, and airplane works at Antwerp. They shot down eight enemy fighters, probably got five others and damaged at least a dozen.Memphis Belle flew through all the flak that Hitler could send up to them. She slugged it out with Goering's Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs. She was riddled by machine gun and cannon fire. Once she returned to base with most of her tail shot away. German guns destroyed a wing and five engines. Her fuselage was shot to pieces but Memphis Belle kept going back.The Memphis Belle crew has been decorated 51 times. Each of the 10 has received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and three Oak Leaf Clusters. The 51st award was Sergeant Quinlan's Purple Heart.

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Book SynopsisThe exploits of the 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment have long been overshadowed by those of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion. Yet the actions of the 3rd Battalion during the D-Day landings were every bit as incredible. This is the astounding story of how, after suffering many immediate casualties on landing, the surviving paratroopers fought on towards their objective against horrendous odds. Using fascinating first-hand accounts of the soldiers and the French civilians who witnessed the Normandy campaign, and illustrated with black and white photographs and maps throughout, the authors offer a unique and comprehensive account of the experiences of the 3rd Battalion from training through to D-Day and beyond.Table of ContentsForeword by Ed Shames, 3rd BN, 506th PIR ·Acknowledgments . Introduction · 1. “Hit it - 13 weeks of pain” - Creation of the 506th PIR · 2. “Time, gentlemen, please” - The 506th at Ramsbury, UK · 3. “Here’s to your dog tags” - Preparations for D-Day · 4. “Jump into the fight” - Operation Overlord · 5. “God, let me live til morning” - D-Night Part 1 · 6. “For Christ’s sake, let’s go” - D-Night Part 2 · 7. “A real feeling of victory” - D-Day: June 6, 1944 · 8. “No word from 3rd Battalion, 506th PIR” - D-Day + 1 · 9. “A pitiful sight” - D-Day + 2 · 10. “Don’t shoot, we’re Americans” - Regrouping and consolidation · 11. “Still an American paratrooper” - POWs and counterattacks ·12. “I ain’t dead yet” - The battle of Bloody Gully , June 13 1944 · 13. “Things are pretty calm right now” - Operations on the Main Line of Resistance · 14. “Go on Yank, have a drink” - Return to Ramsbury · Bibliography · Index

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Book SynopsisThe British codebreakers at Bletchley Park are now believed to have shortened the duration of the Second World War by up to two years. During the dark days of 1941, as Britain stood almost alone against the the Nazis, this remarkable achievement seemed impossible. This extraordinary book, originally published as Action This Day, includes descriptions by some of Britain's foremost historians of the work of Bletchley Park, from the breaking ofEnigma and other wartime codes to the invention of modern computing, and its influence on Cold War codebreaking. Crucially, it features personal reminiscences and very human stories of wartime codebreaking from former Bletchley Park codebreakers themselves. This edition includes new material from one of those who was there, making The Bletchley Park Codebreakers compulsive reading. The best collection of military, espionage, and adventure stories ever told. The Dialogue Espionage Classics series began in 2010 with the purpose of bringing back classic out-of-print spying and espionage tales. From WWI and WWII to the Cold War, D-Day to the SOE, Bletchley Park to the Comet Line this fascinating spy history series brings you the best stories that should never be forgotten.Trade Review'Absolutely the best book ever written about codebreaking at Bletchley Park' Louis Kruh, Editor, Cryptologia '(A) remarkable collection of essays. Leaves one in awe of the complexity of Bletchley Park and its impact on both the world war and our postwar world.' Whitfield Diffie, Times Higher Educational Supplement

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Book SynopsisThis illustrated, action-packed book contains a full account of the part played by Suffolk's airfields during the Second World War. The history of each airfield is described, with details of the planes and the pilots who flew them, and the local civilians who worked alongside them. The subject is brought vividly to life with detailed accounts, alongside photos of the airmen themselves and their aircraft. The build-up of the RAF air offensive after 1940, and the arrival of the huge USAAF Eighth Air Force in 1942, meant that by early 1945 in Suffolk alone, there were some 1300 aircraft flying from 32 airfields. This book details the history of these airfields - RAF or USAAF - and highlights the major wartime operations and the many and varied aircraft that comprised the operational squadrons. Numbered among them are the Blenheim, Wellington, Stirling, Lancaster, Liberator, Flying Fortress, Spitfire, Hurricane, Thunderbolt, Mustang and the Sunderland Flying Boat. These, and the young airmen who flew them, made an immense contribution to the final defeat of the Third Reich, as Allied bombers and fighters flew increasingly larger raids across the North Sea and into the dangerous, smoke-filled skies of occupied Europe. This is their incredible story.Table of ContentsCONTENTS Map of the Suffolk Airfields Map of the targets 1. Setting the Scene; Bomber Command; USAAF; The Airfields 2. Beccles 3. Bentwaters 4. Bungay 5. Bury St Edmunds 6. Chedburgh 7. Debach 8. Eye 9. Felixstowe 10. Framlingham 11. Great Ashfield 12. Halesworth 13. Honington 14. Horham 15. Ipswich 16. Knettishall 17. Lakenheath 18. Lavenham 19. Leiston 20. Martlesham Heath 21. Mendlesham 22. Metfield 23. Mildenhall 24. Newmarket Heath 25. Rattlesden 26. Raydon 27. Shepherd's Grove 28. Stradishall 29. Sudbury 30. Tuddenham 31. Wattisham 32. Westley 33. Woodbridge 34. Civilians at War Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a detailed history of the wartime airfields of the North West of England, including Cark, Crosby-on-Eden, Great Orton and Millom. It is presented in an illustrated format.

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Book SynopsisThe eight previous volumes in this series, many of which have been reprinted over the years, provide a comprehensive listing of all Bomber Command aircraft losses between 1939 and 1947 in the European theatre of operations, along with information about the fate of the aircrew on board each individual aircraft. This final volume is in part an addendum to all the previous volumes, but its main constituent is a master index of about 55,000 entries - the Roll of Honour - bringing together all aircrew mentioned in the previous volumes. The Roll of Honour provides for each airman; their surname, rank, Christian name, service number, date killed, squadron, the serial number of the aircraft involved and the page and volume number where the loss is recorded.

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Book SynopsisSixty years ago over 100 aerodromes in east and north-eastern England were occupied by the men and machines of RAF Bomber Command. The tenure of the majority of the bases was brief - some six years - but during that time more than 55,000 men lost their lives while flying from them to attack targets on the Continent. Split into seven operational groups, the airfields of Bomber Command formed the cornerstone of Britain's efforts to carry on the war against Germany in the years before the landings in Normandy. Thereafter they played their part in the battle against the V-weapons with one of the last raids of the war being carried out against Hitler's personal mountain retreat. Each airfield has been explored and photographed in the "then and now" style of Roger Freeman's previous books for After the Battle on the US Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. The physical development, construction and operational history of every airfield is described in detail and all are illustrated with wartime and present-day aerial photographs.

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Book SynopsisNOW UPDATED AND IN COLOUR. From the Belgian coast, across the fields of Flanders, over the valley of the Somme and down the line to the Argonne: all the major battlefields of the First World War -- Ypres, Arras, Cambrai, Amiens, St Quentin, Mons, Le Cateau, Reims, Verdun and St Mihiel -- are criss-crossed in this book over more than thirty different routes, each clearly shown on a Michelin map. Every significant feature is described in detail. Indispensable for anyone contemplating a tour of the battlefields in Belgium and France, this book combines the years of knowledge, travel and research of its author, Rose Coombs, who worked at the Imperial War Museum in London for nearly forty years. Since her death in 1991, After the Battle's Editor, Karel Margry, has travelled every route, checking and revising the text where necessary, as well as re-photographing every -memorial. Many new ones are included, yet we have striven to keep true to the flavour of Rose's original concept ...before endeavours fade.Table of ContentsIntroduction by the Author; About this book; The Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Demarcation Stones; The Poppy Legend; Battlefield Debris; CALAIS-YPRES Route I via Bergues; CALAIS-YPRES Route II via Cassel; CALAIS-YPRES Route III via St Omer; ZEEBRUGGE-YPRES The Yser Battlefield - Battles of the Ypres Salient 1914-1918. Summary; YPRES; YPRES YPRES SALIENT BATTLEFIELD TOUR; Route I The Northern Sector; Route II The North-eastern Sector; Route III The Eastern Sector; Route IV The South-eastern Sector; Route V The Rear Areas; THE ROAD SOUTH; ARRAS THE BATTLES OF THE SOMME ARRAS-CAMBRAI; Route I via Monchy-le-Preux ARRAS-CAMBRAI; Route II via Bullecourt; FIVE ROUTES TO MONS; MONS; MONS MONS BATTLEFIELD TOUR; MONS TO LE CATEAU; LE CATEAU LE CATEAU TO AMIENS; AMIENS TO CALAIS; Route I via Abbeville; AMIENS TO CALAIS; Route II via St Pol-sur-Ternoise; ST QUENTIN TO REIMS; The Chemin des Dames and the Champagne Battlefields; REIMS TO VERDUN; The Argonne Battlefield; VERDUN; VERDUN BATTLEFIELD TOUR; THE ST MIHIEL SALIENT; REIMS TO COMPIEGNE; THE BATTLE OF FROMELLES; INDEX.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisOn a dark winter's night in December 1980 two US airmen who were security guards at a USAF base in Suffolk, England, encountered a mysterious unidentified craft with flashing lights that had landed in the forest outside the perimeter. When the story got out, despite a cover-up and official denials, there were many who saw it as clear evidence our planet was being visited by UFOs from outer space. Skeptics who felt sure that must be a false explanation rushed to offer more earthly suggestions, or to insist the story was quite untrue and the airmen were lying. But they weren't! Years after this strange incident, the actual identity of the "UFO" has become plain and also the purpose for which this weapon was devised. It was needed as a result of an international crisis. Now, author George Wingfield examines the background of these events and also other similar unexplained sightings and encounters with UFOs during that era.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1956, but still relevant and thought-provoking today, this book is an absolute revelation on test flying with the British aircraft organisations and manufacturers in the 1950s. Written from the pilots viewpoint, with refreshing candour and honesty which allegedly cost him his job at the Daily Express this account details what really went on behind the scenes in the defence world. Waterton pulls no punches in recounting the non co-operation of civil servants and designers in improving/altering recognised faults (often minor) when developing aircraft to the cost of lives lost. Mainly centring on his work with the mighty Gloster Meteor and the Javelin interceptors, this is an astonishing insight into the workings of the aircraft industry. Uncomfortable reading for many, it was seen by his supporters as a wake-up call at a time when British ingenuity and prowess were being overtaken by the Americans and Russians.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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