Modern warfare Books
The History Press Ltd Surviving Tenko
Book SynopsisThe dramatic tale of Margot Turner''s survival as a prisoner of war during the Pacific conflict of the Second World War inspired the 1980s television series Tenko. The cargo ship on which she was evacuated from Singapore in 1942 was shelled, leaving her on a makeshift raft with sixteen other survivors. One by one they perished, leaving her along, burnt black by the sun, and suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. Discovered by a Japanese destroyer, she was imprisoned on Banka Island and nursed back to health by nuns. A nurse by profession, Margot was initially permitted to help run the operating theatre on her recovery, when, unexpectedly she was arrested by the dreaded Kempeitai and thrown into Palembang jail. There, crammed with murderers and rapists in a filthy cell, she spent six months living in daily fear of joining the many prisoners who were noisily tortured and executed, before being returned to the prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war.In this, the first biography for forty years, Penny Starns describes the often horrific but occasionally heart-warming experiences of this unbreakable woman who, not content with surviving the war, went on to become a brigadier and matron-in-chief of the British Army nursing services. Using recently released material from the National Archives and Turner''s own words, Starns re-analyses the Pacific conflict against a backdrop of one person''s incredible fortitude and strength, and brings the story of a remarkable woman to life.
£12.34
The History Press Ltd Soes Secret Weapons Centre Station 12
Book SynopsisThe full story of Aston House in the Second World War has never been told before. Its activities were top secret and as important to the Allied war effort as those of Bletchley Park, but in a different way. Situated near Stevenage, Aston House was one of many British country houses requisitioned during the Second World War by the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Born out of Bletchley Park, where it began life as SIS Section ''D'' (for Destruction), Station 12''s scientific and military personnel invented, made and supplied ''toys'' for the Commandos, Special Boat Service, SAS, and resistance groups. Included in their deadly arsenal of weapons were plastic explosives, limpet mines, pressure switches, tree spigots, incendiary bombs, incendiary liquids and arrows, and a variety of time fuses. They worked on the tools for famous operations, such as the St Nazaire and Dieppe Raids, and the assassination of Himmler''s deputy in Prague. Also revealed are the human stories of personnel stat
£10.79
The History Press Ltd UXB Malta Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal 194044
Book SynopsisFaced with the terror of the unexploded bomb, the Maltese people looked for help to the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Section, who dealt with all unexploded bombs, outside of airfields and the RN dockyard, across an area the size of Greater London.
£14.99
Orion Publishing Co Englands Last War Against France
Book SynopsisGenuinely new story of the Second World War - the full account of England's last war against France in 1940-42.Trade ReviewSmith describes unfamiliar battles with notable fluency and skill -- Max Hastings * SUNDAY TIMES *Riveting -- Robert Fisk * INDEPENDENT *his descriptions of these obscure battlefield encounters are thrilling and his narrative is spruce and peppery. -- Christopher Silvester * DAILY TELEGRAPH *a narrative of war that has much of Patrick O'Brian about it. -- Carmen Callil * GUARDIAN *excellent account of a woefully understudied 'war within a war'...Astonishingly, this is the first book -- Andrew Roberts * LITERARY REVIEW *Smith's considerable achievement is to unmask the reality and make us understand this painful period far better than ever before. * CATHOLIC HERALD *"a classic on the conflict with Hitlers Vichy allies... a superb book on an astonishing array of long-buried incidents." * OXFORD TIMES *"Colin Smith's light yet detailed touch superbly outlines a wasteful and depressing story... A quality read with many political and military twists and turns." * SOLDIER MAGAZINE *In this exemplary work, Smith displays a real knack for conveying time, place and pungent action. * WARSHIP INTERNATIONAL FLEET REVIEW *
£14.24
Schiffer Publishing Ltd The 17th WaffenSS Panzergrenadier Division GÃtz
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£32.79
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Corsair
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£17.09
Syracuse University Press The Odyssey of an Apple Thief
Book SynopsisMoishe Rozenbaumas (1922-2016) recounts his fascinating life, from his Lithuanian boyhood, to the fraught experiences that take him across Europe and Central Asia and back again, to his daring escape from Soviet Russia to build a new life in Paris.Trade ReviewA fascinating read that portrays life in Telz, the vibrant Jewish shtetl or market town that was also a famous Yeshiva center. With an enchanting eye for detail, Moishe Rosenbaumas tells a lesser known story out of the Holocaust: escape to Russia from Lithuania, heroic service in the Red Army, hair-raising escape from the Soviet Union and successful resettlement in France. His is a fresh and unique voice and his book deserves recognition as a literary masterpiece in the library of Jewish memoir literature of the twentieth century. A riveting story of a resilient survivor who underwent the most harrowing experiences during the time of World War II and its aftermath, never lost courage, always exhibited saving resourcefulness, and emerged from it all to build a good life for himself and his family. This is far from a run-of-the-mill memoir about the horrors of the Holocaust, and it will be a real gift to American readers. "[An] incredibly gripping memoir.
£19.90
Pen & Sword Books Normandy
£13.49
Quercus Publishing Leningrad Siege and Symphony
Book SynopsisShostakovich''s Seventh Symphony was first played in the city of its birth on 9 August, 1942. There has never been a first performance to match it. Pray God, there never will be again. Almost a year earlier, the Germans had begun their blockade of the city. Already many thousands had died of their wounds, the cold, and most of all, starvation. The assembled musicians - scrounged from frontline units and military bands, for only twenty of the orchestra''s 100 players had survived - were so hungry, many feared they''d be too weak to play the score right through. In these, the darkest days of the Second World War, the music and the defiance it inspired provided a rare beacon of light for the watching world.Setting the composition of Shostakovich''smost famous work against the tragic canvas of the siege itself and the years of repression and terror that preceded it, Leningrad: Siege and Symphony is a magisterial and moving account of one of themost tragic periods in histoTrade ReviewA Spectator Book of the Year * Spectator *Like a movie camera, [Moynahan] zooms in and out on the besieged civilians, the bitterly cold troops on the city's edge and the simultaneous efforts of Shostakovich to set these experiences to music from the relative safety of evacuation... This multi-perspective approach makes for a gripping story... Moynahan's Leningrad: Siege and Symphony vividly brings to life a hero city that refused to die. * The New York Times Book Review *A passionate and moving book...nothing short of masterly. * Wall Street Journal *A narrative that is by turns painful, poignant and inspiring * Minneapolis Star Tribune *Moynahan...is a vivid writer, and his account bulges with the reminiscences and contemporaneous accounts of participants; the accumulation of individual experience sears his narrative while sometimes threatening to overwhelm it. He reaches into the guts of the city to extract some humanity from the blood and darkness, and at its best Leningrad captures the heartbreak, agony and small salvations in both death and survival...Moynahan's descriptions of the battlefield, which also draw from the diaries of the cold, lice-ridden, hungry combatants, are haunting. * Washington Post *As Moynahan reveals, the real story of the symphony's genesis and its triumph was more complex and more tragic than is generally understood...Combining a full description of the birth of the Seventh Symphony with a rich and horrifying account of the hell that was Leningrad under siege, this selection brings new depth and drama to a key historical moment * Booklist *Brian Moynahan interweaves three gripping stories in this compelling kaleidoscope of war-ravaged Leningrad: Hilter's 900-day siege, Stalin's purges that decimated the city's professional and cultural leaders and Dmitri Shostakovich's desperate struggle to write his haunting Seventh Symphony. Its performance by half-starved musicians between bouts of German shelling attests to the triumph of the human spirit amidst the greatest upheaval of the twentieth century. * Angela Stent, author of The Limits of Partnership: US-Russian Relations in the Twenty-First Century and professor at Georgetown University *Leningrad: Siege and Symphony is a remarkable achievement. Brian Moynahan holds the reader in suspense while teaching an important chapter in the history of the Second World War. His magnificent tale portrays the terror within and without Leningrad during its heroic defiance of the Nazi conquerors and subtle resistance to its Stalinist masters. Like Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony, this is a triumph * Charles Glass, author of Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation and The Deserters: A Hidden History of World War II *A stupendous story, driven by a furious narrative yet biblical in its thematic confrontations of beauty and evil. It's vivid in three dimensions: The Red Army's battles with Hitler's war machine; the ordeals of the Russian people terrorized by the malevolent maniac in the Kremlin; and throughout the faint but swelling counterpoint of hope as the great Dmitri Shostakovich struggles to write the score of his Seventh Symphony to express the soul of his martyred city . . . This is history to cherish. * Sir Harold Evans, Editor at Large at Reuters, author of The American Century, and publisher of The Russian Century *Beautifully written and profoundly moving, Leningrad is a stunning, haunting book that has stayed with me long after I turned the last page. * James Holland, Dam Busters *'A bold attempt to set the composition of Shostakovich's 7th Symphony within the extraordinary context of its times' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday. * Mail on Sunday *'A really gripping read ... the narrative is fantastic, very skilfully done ... I couldn't put it down. It's like reading a novel' Professor Erik Levi, Music Matters BBC Radio 3. * BBC Radio 3 *'The scale of Leningrad's suffering and the lasting impact of [Shostakovich's] inspirational music are brilliantly captured in this extraordinary book ... Unique, a powerful and redemptive piece of work' Curtis Hutchinson, Military History Monthly. * Military History Monthly *'The extraordinary tale of the symphony and the city that inspired it, an engrossing, finely researched new book' Petroc Trelawny, Catholic Herald. * Catholic Herald *'Tolstoyan ... Moynahan's account is by far the fullest and most compelling I've read ... it's certainly hard to read his gripping, skilfully woven account without emotion' Stephen Walsh, Spectator. * Spectator *Table of ContentsDramatis Personae. Maps. Overture. Terror. War. To Mid-September 1941. To Mid-October 1941. October 1941. November 1941. December 1941. New Year. January 1942. February 1942. March 1942. April-May 1942. June 1942. July 1942. Symphony No. 7. Farewell. Notes. Bibliography. Acknowledgements. Index.
£12.34
Crecy Publishing Fist from the Sky
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£16.96
Crecy Publishing The Luftwaffe Fighters Battle of Britain The
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£10.40
Crecy Publishing The Luftwaffes Blitz
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£10.40
Crecy Publishing Migs Over North Vietnam
Book SynopsisFor many years, the day to day working and opinions of the Vietnamese Peoples'' Air Force (VPAF) has remained relatively unknown until the author uncovered rare first-hand accounts and many new photographs of VPAF operations over North Vietnam between 1965-1975. Frank opinions are voiced on how the North Vietnamese viewed the gradual escalation of the aerial conflict over their country, including details on key operations and VPAF tactics against USAF F-4s, F-105s, F-8s and B-52s. Details of the Black Friday Massacre, America''s heaviest aerial defeat are related in the words of Nguyen Van Coc (the highest scoring pilot of the Vietnam conflict) who tells of his first kill and Dong Van De who recalls how he achieved the first ever double kill over American-flown aircraft, events which were never released into the public domain. Leading VPAF pilots including Major General Pham Ngoc Lan discuss their aerial engagements and tactics and Nguyen Tiem Sam recollects his kills of F-4 Phantoms
£10.76
Crecy Publishing American Aircraft Development of WWII
Book SynopsisThe years of World War II saw the greatest single leap in US military aircraft technology and design, from the relatively fragile pre-war designs to the very edge of the supersonic era. Many remarkable aircraft came and went in quick succession with some missions and types disappearing altogether. Indeed, there were scores of little known or minimally documented aircraft projects which significantly advanced technology of aeronautics, propulsion, aircraft systems, avionics and weapons, whilst never achieving full-rate production and deployment. Focusing almost exclusively on official programs and aircraft that actually entered development, American Aircraft Development of WWII, Special Types 1939-1945 opens with the ''state of the art'' designs at the beginning of the war, to the advances during the conflict itself. These so-called ''special types'' are far less widely known than fighter and bomber designs, but no less important, and include armed photo reconnaissance aircraft, catapult launched seaplanes, autogyros, tactical haulers and armed drones. Other designs covered include ''one-off'' experimental aircraft, rocket boost, floats and skis added to landplanes, fighters with second seats added for training, engine testbeds, ''oddball'' experiments and more besides. Illustrated through-out with 3-view drawings and rare photographs, many of little-known and unusual aircraft and missiles, American Aircraft Development of WWII, Special Types 1939-1945 tells the stories of engineering teams and test pilots struggling against short schedules and tight resources to develop new aircraft that pushed the bounds of technology. This book is a fitting testament to the epic and sometimes life-threatening accomplishments which were every bit as vital to the war effort as actual combat operations themselves.
£23.76
Pen & Sword Books Ltd DDay Then and Now v 2
Book SynopsisThis is the second part of a two volume set exploring the inception, planning and preparation of the offensive to liberate Europe, Operation Overlord, culminating in its launch on D-Day.Table of Contents"Die invasion hat begonnen!", Oberst Bodo Zimmerman; Omaha and Utah areas, Lieutenant General Omar N. Bradley; the Medals of Honor - Gold Area, Brigadier Harold Pyman; the D-Day Victoria Cross - Juno Area, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles P. Stacey; Sword Area, Brigadier David Belchem; Mulberry, Captain Harold Hickling; airfields, Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory; an appreciation, Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt; postscript, the editor; 50th anniversary commemorations, Brigadier Tom Longland; Normandy today, Major Tonie Holt.
£38.21
Crecy Publishing Mosquito Victory
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£7.59
Trustees of the Royal Armouries The Art of Prowling
Book SynopsisThe Art of Prowling is one of a series of training booklets written by Colonel G. A. Wade for the newly-recruited Home Guard. This reproduction by the Royal Armouries shows how trainees during the Second World War learned to sneak up on the enemy without being seen.
£999.99
Fighting High Ltd Slybirds
Book SynopsisThe 353rd Fighter Group, the `Slybirds’, participated in the major WWII aerial battles. 450 photographs provide a unique window on this historic group.Trade ReviewA real boon for modellers is the Markings, Nose Art and Famous Aircraft section, with its splendid views of various P-47s and P-51s. This is a classy book indeed. * Airfix Model World *The basic story and detailed information is interesting reading, while the number of archive photos, and mix of both colour and black and white images will be a delight to modellers and 8th Air Force historians alike. Heartily recommended. * Military Model Scene *As well as being of interest to general readers, this is a very useful book for modellers seeking detailed archive pictures. * Flypast Magazine *This superb book by 353rd FG historian Graham Cross is packed with 450 photographs covering the highs and lows of life serving with a fighter group from both the air and groundcrew perspective. * Editor - Model Boat World *In one book you will get photos of the main US aircrafts and their pilots, what should come handy in our [military modelling] hobby. Moreover, it might be important to read in order to understand some things connected to 353rd fighter group. * DetailScaleView *Every now and then a book comes along that is so good in every aspect - content, photo reproduction, editing, production values - that it can't possibly be matched...That benchmark may have just been surpassed. * Flightpath Magazine *The book gives a comprehensive look at the 353rd Group, and a unique look at the men and machines which made up this formidable fighting force, Highly recommended. * Britmodeller.com *Packed with nearly 450 photos, the majority of which are previously unpublished, unseen wartime colour photographs and detailed captions, this book is a visual and informative feast providing a unique window on a Fighter Group at war. Essential for any student of the air war over Europe. * Classic Wings *An amazing photographic tribute to the 353rd fighter group of the USAF. Magnificent. * Books Monthly *The photo selection is little short of outstanding…succeeds in representing all aspects of life on a US Army Air Forces fighter station in the latter stages of the war. *Winner of the November 2017 Book of the Month award* * Aeroplane Magazine *A very nicely produced book which will be enjoyed by USAAF enthusiasts with its unique collection of images and information. * Air Modeller *A magnificent book on the distinguished career of a ground attack and bomber escort unit. * Aviation News *
£23.96
Avonmore Books South Pacific Air War Volume 1
Book SynopsisSouth Pacific Air War Volume 1 is the first book in a trilogy chronicling the early months of the Pacific War in the lead up to the Battle of the Coral Sea.Trade ReviewTo draw on so many threads and weave them together is no easy feat. Putting it in a relatively compact package is rather brilliant. * Flightpath Magazine *The two authors are uniquely qualified to tell this story. […] For the modeller there is plenty of colour reference material in profiles etc. supplied as well as some good period photographs of aircraft. All in all, this book is a good read and useful for the modeller. Well recommended. * Model Airplane International Magazine 19/07/2021 *An interesting aspect of the book is that – unusually – it also describes the campaign from the Japanese viewpoint. * Flypast Magazine 01/05/2019 *
£21.21
Cambridge University Press The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy
Book SynopsisThe inspiring and unknown story of how the villagers of Graignes joined in solidarity with US paratroopers following the invasion of Normandy. Inspired by his own father's experience, Stephen G. Rabe recounts how the villagers supported and saved paratroopers from marauding Nazi SS forces in the post-D-Day period.Trade Review'Lost no longer, the American paratroopers who helped to liberate Normandy find a sympathetic chronicler in Stephen G. Rabe. This is micro-history at its most intimate. In granular detail, Rabe recounts the story of how American troops and French villagers rescued Graignes from German occupation. Drawing on deep research and even deeper feeling, the author pays tribute to his veteran father, to a generation, and to enduring ties between two nations bound together by collective sacrifices and shared valor.' Susan Carruthers, author of Dear John: Love and Loyalty in Wartime America'Compelling and suspenseful, The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy highlights the bravery and resourcefulness of American soldiers and the people of Graignes while further demolishing the myth of a blameless Waffen SS.' Steven P. Remy, author of The Malmedy Massacre: The War Crimes Trial Controversy'Stephen G. Rabe's exhaustively researched work breaks the silence surrounding the heroic roles played by French men and women to assure the success of the American landings. Engagingly written, the story emphasizes the courage of both soldier and civilian in the face of SS murder and atrocity. A must-read for anyone who wishes to explore another view of the D-Day landings. Highly recommended.' Mary Louise Roberts, author of D-Day Through French Eyes: Memoirs of Normandy 1944'Stephen G. Rabe provides a fascinating and multi-layered military, diplomatic, and social history of US World War II paratroopers, French villagers, and the protection they gave each other in June 1944. In the process, he provides a fitting tribute to his father, who was one of those paratroopers.' Mark A. Stoler, author of Allies in War: Britain and America against the Axis Powers, 1940–1945'… this history combines heroism and tragedy in equal measure. WWII buffs will be engrossed.' Publishers WeeklyTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Paratrooper; 2. Overseas; 3. Occupied France; 4. Liberators and friends; 5. Days of friendship, hope, and waiting; 6. The longest day in Graignes; 7. Escape, exile, and annihilation; 8. Graignes in historical memory; Afterword.
£30.44
Cambridge University Press Kiev 1941 Hitlers Battle for Supremacy in the
Book SynopsisIn just four weeks in the summer of 1941 the German Wehrmacht wrought unprecedented destruction on four Soviet armies, conquering central Ukraine and killing or capturing three quarters of a million men. This was the Battle of Kiev - one of the largest and most decisive battles of World War II and, for Hitler and Stalin, a battle of crucial importance. In this book, David Stahel charts the battle's dramatic course and aftermath, uncovering the irreplaceable losses suffered by Germany's 'panzer groups' despite their battlefield gains, and the implications of these losses for the German war effort. He illuminates the inner workings of the German army as well as the experiences of ordinary soldiers, showing that with the Russian winter looming and Soviet resistance still unbroken, victory came at huge cost and confirmed the turning point in Germany's war in the East.Trade ReviewReviews of the hardback: 'David Stahel has written a remarkable book. Not only is it the fullest English-language account of the Battle of Kiev, based on an expert knowledge of the records of the German formations directly involved, but it is also a stimulating attempt to put what appeared to be Hitler's greatest victory into the context of his eventual defeat.' Evan Mawdsley, author of Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War'David Stahel's new book on the battle of Kiev is a brilliant contribution to our knowledge of the German-Soviet war. Ranging widely over strategic debates within the high command, operational and tactical details of the fighting, the logistical situation behind the front, and industrial production at home, this is an essential book for any student of World War II. A major addition to the literature from a master scholar.' Robert M. Citino, author of Death of the Wehrmacht: The German Campaigns of 1942'A fitting follow-on to Stahel's previous books, Kiev 1941 is a fresh, accurate, and authoritative volume. A thoroughly enjoyable read, it injects a healthy dose of realism into the history of this dramatic battle. Dismantling myths left and right, the book sets right one of the most significant stages of Operation Barbarossa.' David Glantz, author of Barbarossa Derailed: The Battle for Smolensk, 10 July–10 September 1941'Building on his work in Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East, in Kiev 1941 David Stahel further highlights how German operational successes were no compensation for strategic miscalculation. Stahel uses a rich mix of German archival and other sources to provide a comprehensive analysis of the battle from a German perspective - a valuable contribution to the literature.' Alexander Hill, author of The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union, 1941–1945: A Documentary Reader'Most original … a thoughtful and thought-provoking text.' Richard Overy, Literary Review'… this book is essential reading for what was the greatest military encounter of the Second World War. In a succinctly worded, well-argued text, it has opened a new debate on the very ability of Nazi Germany to wage a major war … Stahel is to be congratulated for a controversial and stimulating book. It comes highly recommended.' Military History Monthly'[Stahel's] incisive survey cuts through much of the postwar myth making [and] shows mastery of the German sources … Issues of logistics and command are leavened by valuable insights into the strategic miscalculations of Hitler and his high command and vivid use of veteran testimony.' Michael Jones, BBC History Magazine'Even readers familiar with the Russian theater of WWII will find much to intrigue them here, although the wonder of Stahel's book is how accessible it is to the non-specialist; in addition to recounting the history of a pivotal battle, [he] is very conscious that he's telling a story as well. A dark story – two evil nations tearing each other's guts out – but, in Stahel's hands, a powerful and a necessary one as well. A highly recommended account.' Open Letters Monthly'Relying mainly on German sources, [Stahel] brings new evidence to bear on the conflict with the official war diaries of German divisions, as well as making good use of published editions of the private field-post letters and diaries of German soldiers of all ranks … overall [he] conveys extremely complex military action with exemplary clarity.' Richard J. Evans, The New Republic'Like [Stahel's] previous book, Kiev, 1941 is a magnificent work of historical revision, a first-rate example of how military history ought to be written.' Mackubin Thomas Owens, The Weekly Standard'[Stahel] makes extensive use of the diaries and letters of German soldiers as well as works by and about German generals and political figures like Hitler and Goebbels – there are about a hundred pages of endnotes and bibliography. Excellent maps and tables clarify the complex military operations … To sum up, in this most detailed English-language treatment of the battle of Kiev, David Stahel furnishes ample evidence that, despite its Ukrainian victories in late September 1941, Germany remained ill prepared to defeat the USSR.' Walter G. Moss, Michigan War Studies Review'Stahel provides vivid depictions of the Ostheer's growing 'demodernization' … and convincingly shows that the victory in Ukraine was a result both of Hitler's insistence on turning his forces southwards and away from Moscow, and of Stalin's determination to hold on to Kiev despite the clear indications of a looming catastrophe.' Omer Bartov, The Times Literary Supplement'To historians with a serious interest in the Eastern Front in World War II, David Stahel is fast becoming a household name … While a number of historians before him have also dealt with the subject, Stahel has brought to his study a remarkable familiarity with primary and secondary German sources as well as a willingness to unambiguously re-address a question which has mystified generations of historians: did the Ostheer ever have a chance of inflicting crippling damage on the USSR in 1941?' Klaus Schmider, The Journal of Military History'Stahel has written a well-balanced, often provocative … book, which sheds much new light on our knowledge of the fighting around the capital of the Ukraine.' Martijn Lak, The Journal of Slavic Military Studies'… masterful … superbly researched and well written …' Leo J. Daugherty, III, The Journal of Slavic Military StudiesTable of Contents1. The bulldog, the eagle and the bear; 2. Germany's defeat in the east; 3. The road to Kiev; 4. War in the Ukraine; 5. Ominous horizons; 6. The battle of Kiev; 7. Slaughter in the Ukraine; 8. Visions of victory; 9. The calm before the storm; 10. Moscow in the crosshairs; Conclusion.
£25.00
St Martin's Press The Darkest Year
Book SynopsisThe Darkest Year is acclaimed author William K. Klingaman's narrative history of the American home front from December 7, 1941 through the end of 1942, a psychological study of the nation under the pressure of total war.For Americans on the home front, the twelve months following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor comprised the darkest year of World War Two. Despite government attempts to disguise the magnitude of American losses, it was clear that the nation had suffered a nearly unbroken string of military setbacks in the Pacific; by the autumn of 1942, government officials were openly acknowledging the possibility that the United States might lose the war.Appeals for unity and declarations of support for the war effort in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor made it appear as though the class hostilities and partisan animosities that had beset the United States for decades and grown sharper during the Depression suddenly disappeared. They did not, and a
£13.49
Cambridge University Press Anatomy of a Campaign
Book SynopsisThe British campaign in Norway in 1940 was an ignominious and abject failure. It is perhaps best known as the fiasco which directly led to the fall of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his replacement by Winston Churchill. But what were the reasons for failure? Why did the decision makers, including Churchill, make such poor decisions and exercise such bad judgement? What other factors played a part? John Kiszely draws on his own experience of working at all levels in the military to assess the campaign as a whole, its context and evolution from strategic failures, intelligence blunders and German air superiority to the performance of the troops and the serious errors of judgement by those responsible for the higher direction of the war. The result helps us to understand not only the outcome of the Norwegian campaign but also why more recent military campaigns have found success so elusive.Trade Review'Kiszely's work is a model of how to analyse the political, strategic and operational dimensions of such a campaign. As such, it provides a great deal to ponder on the nature of war and decision-making. In an era when the UK seems to have abandoned the attempt to produce official history and analyses of past campaigns, Kiszely's work demonstrates the value of assessing the key failures and lessons of military campaigns.' Niall Barr, RUSI Journal'For those who are really interested in the study of war and the interrelationship between strategy, operations, and tactics, General Kiszely has written an extraordinarily important book. If military leaders fail to take the study of their profession seriously, they will inevitably find themselves incapable of connecting means to ends. Nor will they be able to provide sensible advice to politicians who have no background in military affairs or who, as occurred in Iraq in 2003, are willfully ignorant. Moreover, perhaps most disastrously, generals who have not taken the trouble to study their potential opponents will not understand the other side of the hill and, on the basis of the most facile assumptions, will send their troops into combat unprepared to deal with a living, adapting opponent.' Williamson Murray, Joint Force Quarterly'Kiszely's volume (already recipient of the Duke of Westminster Gold Medal for best military writing from the [Royal United Services Institute]) reflects its author. Methodical, precise and reflective of the planning and organisational training of a professional British Army officer and cites Clausewitz. … Clearly written and expressed, this is one of the best narratives on the subject available.' The Society of Friends of the National Army Museum Book Review Supplement'The book is written in an engaging style, and short biographical sketches bring to life the major participants. The maps are excellent and an appendix with a useful timeline helps orient the reader … The book is recommended for readers interested in World War II and especially for students at professional military education institutions.' Corbin Williamson, H-WarTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. 'A legitimate shadow'; 3. Deciding to decide; 4. Warning signs; 5. 'The major project'; 6. 'Hare-brained'; 7. Taking stock; 8. WESERÜBUNG; 9. 'Something must be done'; 10. The jigsaw puzzle; 11. 'Something must be done'; 12. 'Boldness is required'; 13. 'An even greater prize'; 14. Maurice; 15. Sickle; 16. 'We must get out'; 17. The third dimension; 18. 'In the name of God, go!'; 19. 'A good dividend'; 20. 'No time to lose'; 21. The long retreat; 22. Finale; 23. Conclusions.
£38.41
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Picturing Genocide in the Independent State of
Book SynopsisPicturing Genocide in the Independent State of Croatia examines the role which atrocity photographs played, and continue to play, in shaping the public memory of the Second World War in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Focusing on visual representations of one of the most controversial and politically divisive episodes of the war -- genocidal violence perpetrated against Serbs, Jews, and Roma by the pro-Nazi Ustasha regime in the Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945) -- the book examines the origins, history and legacy of violent images. Notably, this book pays special attention to the politics of the atrocity photograph. It explores how images were strategically and selectively mobilized at different times, and by different memory communities and stakeholders, to do different things: justify retribution against political opponents in the immediate aftermath of the war, sustain the discourses of national unity on which socialist Yugoslavia was founded, or, in the post-Trade ReviewThis thoughtful and persuasively argued book explores images of Ustasha atrocities to shed light not only on Yugoslavia’s troubled and divided visual memory but also on the broader social and cultural history of the socialist country and its post-socialist successors. Byford’s thought-provoking and nuanced analysis of these graphic photographs and their many uses opens an unexpected window onto some of the most important moments, transitions and conflicts in Yugoslav history. * Ana Antic, Associate Professor of History, University of Copenhagen, Denmark *Picturing Genocide in the Independent State of Croatia is a theoretically-sophisticated and painstakingly-researched book. It debunks several major mythologies about the postwar memory of genocidal Ustasha violence during World War II. Byford approaches the history of atrocity photography in Yugoslavia and its successor states with strong ethical commitments and razor-sharp analysis, and illuminates the questions of production and consumption of atrocity photography in changing historical contexts more generally. * Emil Kerenji, Applied Research Scholar, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, USA *Table of Contents1. Introduction: Picturing Genocide 2. Evidencing ‘Unprecedented Savagery’: Atrocity Photographs in Occupied Yugoslavia 3. ‘Gather Photographs!’: The Birth of the Visual Memory of Ustasha Violence 4. Why Look at Fascism? Visual Propaganda and Revolutionary Justice in Post-war Yugoslavia 5. Ustasha Violence through the Prism of ‘Brotherhood and Unity’: The Dilemmas of Visual Memory in Socialist Yugoslavia 6. ‘The Dead Open the Eyes of the Living’: Atrocity Images after Tito 7. Mobilising Images: Visual Memory of the Second World War and the Yugoslav Conflict of the 1990s Conclusion: Atrocity Photographs beyond Idolatry and Oblivion Bibliography Index
£95.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Battles of El Alamein
Book SynopsisAimed at the new or returning modeller, featuring easy to copy building, painting, weathering and detailing techniques to help bring the model to life.
£15.29
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Forward Air Bases in Europe from DDay to the
Book SynopsisThe largely sea-borne invasion of Northern France in June 1944, Operation Overlord, is acknowledged as one of the key actions which hastened the end of the Second World War. The RAF played a vital part in the landings. It then supported the subsequent advance of Montgomery's 21st Army, and the Allies as a whole, through France, Belgium, Holland and into Germany.Following the breakout from the Normandy bridgehead in early August 1944, the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force moved forward in support of the troops, occupying a number of temporary airfields as it went. The ground support for this operation was complex, a situation that was exacerbated by the fact that much of it had to be highly mobile. The advance, however, was rapid and soon ran into problems as the supply lines grew longer by the day.The planners had envisaged that capturing the Belgian port of Antwerp would eventually enable them to bring in vitally needed supplies much further north on the Continent. Although the city and
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd A Photographic History of Airborne Warfare 1939
Book SynopsisHighly illustrated history of airborne forces warfare during the Second World War.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd SS Foreign Divisions Volunteers of Lithuania
Book SynopsisLittle known and largely unrecorded contribution of the three occupied Baltic States to the Nazis' war effort.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Night Fighter Navigator
Book SynopsisOne of the top scoring night fighter navigators of WWII
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Four Geniuses of the Battle of Britain
Book SynopsisA unique overview to the hasty preparations for the defence of Britain in World War.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Unearthing Churchills Secret Army
Book SynopsisA list of all the officially recognised SOE casualties has not been produced before. The information uncovered by the authors has never been brought together in a single publication.
£14.39
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Fortune Favours the Brave The Battles of the Hook
Book SynopsisAll too little remembered today, the Korean War was bitterly fought out under atrocious conditions of weather and terrain. Greatly outnumbered by their Communist Chinese and North Korean enemy, the United Nations forces fought with extraordinary resolve and gallantry. The Hook, the name given to a prominent ridge on the Peninsula, saw more blood spilt than any other feature in this prolonged and grisly war. Not surprisingly it became known as 'the bloody Hood'. The two costliest battles are described in detail in Fortune Favours The Brave, a classic account of the war. Both involved British infantry battalions of 29 Commonwealth Brigade. In November 1952, The Black Watch saw off a major Chinese attack against all odds. In May 1953 it was the turn of 1st Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's Regiment to face what must have seemed an overwhelming onslaught. Along a 1,000 yard front the greatest concentration of artillery fire since the Great War was brought to bear on Chinese human-wave
£11.69
Pen & Sword Books Ltd MIG Menace Over Korea
Book SynopsisThe story of one of the great fighter pilots of the jet age.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Battle of Quiberon Bay 1759
Book SynopsisAnalysis of a crucial battle in British naval historyRe-examines a neglected moment in naval warfareGripping account of this daring attack on the French FleetPlaces the battle in the wider context of the Seven Years war, particularly upon the war in North America.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Firefighting the Blitz
Book SynopsisThe autobiography of the first and only person to head firefighting across the whole of Great Britain
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Mad Mike
Book SynopsisHighly successful when first published in 1997.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Bomber Command
Book SynopsisA uniquely personal and revealing insight in to the overall impact of the Allied bomber offensive in WW2.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Death Railway
Book SynopsisThis is Lieutenant Colonel Kappe's account of what he and the many other PoWs of F' Force endured from May to October 1943 whilst being forced to work on the infamous Burma-Thai railway -the so-called Death Railway.
£17.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Devils Workshop
Book SynopsisThe remarkable true story of Operation Bernhard - the Nazi plan to forge pound and dollar bank notes, thereby ruining the Allied economies.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd In the Ranks of Death
Book SynopsisMarks the 70th Anniversary of the outbreak of WW2.
£14.39
Pen & Sword Books Ltd End Game Burma 1945
Book SynopsisThis is an overdue study of a major campaign with huge implications for the outcome of the War.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Covert Radar and Signals Interception
Book SynopsisThe enthralling biography of Wing Commander Eric Ackermann, a man who, according to R.V. Jones, the Scientific Advisor to Winston Churchill, 'made the world tick a little faster'.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Invasion Scare 1940
Book SynopsisThis is by no means a work of chauvinistic self-congratulations; it is rather a distinguished historian's assessment of the last great invasion scare the British Isles have endured since the Martello towers were built in 1805.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd JG 26
Book SynopsisAll aviation and World War II buffs will want this book. Library Journal
£15.29
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Battle for Sicily
Book SynopsisThe successes and failures of Operation HUSKY.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Warships of the Soviet Fleets 19391945
Book SynopsisThe most comprehensive listing of Soviet warships of this era in English.
£36.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd A Fighter Command Station at War
Book SynopsisThe most comprehensive visual history of this key RAF fighter station throughout the Second World War.
£14.39
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Return via Rangoon
Book SynopsisReturn via Rangoon is the story of a young officer who took part in Wingate's Chindit campaign during the Second World War. I found the Prologue and Epilogue - unchanged since the first edition was written in 1945 - quite the most poignant writing I have read for many years.' Ewen Southby-Tailyour
£13.49
