Specific wars and military campaigns Books

1515 products


  • The University of Alabama Press The Perfect Scout

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisA rare and dramatic first-person account by a Union scout who served General William Tecumseh Sherman on his march to the sea. More than a chronicle of day-to-day battles and marches, The Perfect Scout is more episodic and includes such additional elements as the story of how he met his wife and close encounters with the enemy.Trade ReviewAn important contribution to Civil War scholarship. It provides the perspective of a scout, and there are few published narratives by men who held this important role."" - Wendy Venet, author of A Changing Wind: Commerce and Conflict in Civil War Atlanta""The Perfect Scout is a good read that will appeal to a general audience as well as scholars. George Quimby had a gift for storytelling and a great sense of humor."" - Lorien Foote, author of The Gentlemen and the Roughs: Violence, Honor, and Manhood in the Union Army

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • NATO in the Crucible

    Hoover Institution Press,U.S. NATO in the Crucible

    Book SynopsisWhen the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) became involved in security operations during the War in Afghanistan, it faced a range of complex challenges, including a highly motivated Afghan insurgency that changed over time and repeatedly defied assumptions. Conflicts within NATO also posed challenges. The alliance brought together a quarter of the world's nations, each with its own goals and interests, in an effort to stabilize an agrarian country that posed no immediate security threat. For more than a decade, through changes in leadership and strategy, the nations experienced bitter disagreements, resentments, and a conflict that escalated to a level of violence and uncertainty few had anticipated. In NATO in the Crucible, Deborah Lynn Hanagan analyzes these challenges and explains how the alliance maintained cohesion despite them. She examines why NATO succeeded in Afghanistan when history suggests most coalitions fracture under such intense pressure. In the end, she arg

    £19.97

  • University of Missouri Press Shades of Blue and Gray Introductory Military

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisEmphasizing technology and its impact on the US Civil War, this text examines the evolving warfare of the time. It includes material on land and sea mines, minesweepers, hand grenades, automatic weapons, and balloons, as well as covering the evolution of military professionalism.

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • University of Missouri Press Lessons Unlearned

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisIn this blunt critique of the leadership of the US Army, Colonel Pat Proctor contends that after the fall of the Soviet Union, the US Army refused to reshape itself in response to the new strategic reality, a decision that saw it struggle through low-intensity conflicts in the 1980s and ‘90s, and leaving it unprepared for Afghanistan and Iraq.Trade ReviewA brutally honest, thought-provoking, and brilliant examination of the American military’s failure to adapt to post-Cold War realities and understand the challenges of the post-9/11 world; and a compelling warning against completely jettisoning hard-won lessons eventually learned in Iraq and Afghanistan while (understandably) shifting priorities to the potential of large-scale combat in an era of renewed great power rivalries." —David Petraeus, General, U.S. Army, Ret., former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command, and former Director of the CIA"Dr. Proctor's critiques of the past are hard-hitting, but even for those of us who would not go quite so far, his clear-eyed emphasis on the importance of future stabilization and counterinsurgency missions is compelling in a world heading soon for 10 billion humans and many dozens of megacities—with enormous nontraditional threats of great potential consequence to American national security lurking within.” —Michael O’Hanlon, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and author of The Future of Land Warfare"Having done his homework thoroughly and having deployed widely in Iraq and Afghanistan, Colonel Pat Proctor has sallied forth to challenge U.S. Army doctrine. How does an organization prepare and perform to win both an unlikely major war and the every-day skirmishing called low-intensity conflicts? Proctor has the courage and intellectual firepower to challenge the status quo and to prescribe deep, real changes.” —Bing West, co-author with Jim Mattis of Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead" —Colonel (Retired) Pat Proctor has written an extremely thorough study of the history of the US Army from the fall of the Soviet Union to the present day, examining how the world's most professional and capable land force has struggled so mightily to succeed in two counterinsurgency campaigns. His conclusion—that the Army failed to prepare for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan despite considerable evidence that these were the kind of wars it was going to fight in this century—rings true and is informed by his own experience during so much of that time period. Highly recommended." —John Nagl, Headmaster at The Haverford School, author of Knife Fights: A Memoir of Modern War in Theory and Practice"Will contribute to very important debates about the future of the Army." —Richard A. Lacquement Jr., United States Army War College, author of Shaping American Military Capabilities after the Cold War.

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • University of Missouri Press Contesting the Constitution

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe issue of what would come to be known as the Missouri Crisis tested the still young American republic and, some four decades later, would all but rend it asunder. This collection of essays engages the intersections of history and constitutional law, and is certain to find eager readers among historians, legal scholars, and political scientists.Trade Review“An important and fresh collection of essays on a topic of interest to scholars as well as many Missourians.”—Lorri Glover, Saint Louis University, author of The Fate of The Revolution: Virginians Debate the Constitution

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • WW Norton & Co Confederate Soldier of the American Civil War

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis book provides a glimpse at the lives, weapons, and equipment of these soldiers through a collection of artifacts and exacting reproductions.

    10 in stock

    £11.39

  • Americas Civil War

    John Wiley and Sons Ltd Americas Civil War

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisSuch is the continuing volume of work on the Civil War that we are regularly in need of an authoritative and accessible brief synthesis to keep us up to date with this endlessly fascinating subject. Brooks Simpson meets that need for the 1990s in America''s Civil War, a wonderful feat of compression in which he addresses all the great issues of the war in 200 pages of clear and readable prose. Rightly, he puts the military history of the conflict at the center of the picture, but he excels in relating the drama of the war itself to the politics of both Union and Confederacy, to the stresses and strains-and opportunities-of the home front, and to the great issues of emancipation and reconstruction. This book is a fine achievement, and it will be invaluable not only to students but to many other readers-and even Civil War specialists will benefit from its fresh insights.Peter J. Parish, Cambridge UniversityTrade Review"Sensible, well-written, and thoroughly grounded in the most recent scholarship, America's Civil War is the best short synthesis of the subject available." —Mark Grimsley, Ohio State University "This book is a fine achievement, and it will be invaluable not only to students but to many other readers—and even Civil War specialists will benefit from its fresh insights." —Peter J. Parish "Simpson has written a lively and interpretive history of the US Civil War. Based on a mastery of the secondary literature, Simpson's narrative weaves the political, military, and social history of this significant period." (CHOICE, September 1996) "This work finally condenses the story of the War to a manageable size for the beginner and student alike. ...Written in a clear, concise manner, this book belongs on the book shelves of any collector of writings on the Civil War." (The Cincinnati Civil War Round Table, November 1996) "Students looking for a condensed, clear, and evenhanded summary of a particular campaign would do well to consult this volume. ...America's Civil War will be a useful supplemental reading in survey courses and a solid short text for courses on the war itself. Occupying an important niche between the single-chapter accounts of the American history textbooks and much longer single-volume treatments...Simpson's book admirably fulfills the goals of the American History Series." (Civil War History, June 1997)Table of ContentsForeword VII Preface and Acknowledgments XII Introduction: On Understanding the Civil War 1 Chapter One: Secession and the First Shot 7 Secession 9 The First Shot 21 Chapter Two: War Begins 24 Mobilizing For Conflict 25 War Aims 31 The First Battles 37 The European Response 45 Chapter Three: The Limited War 49 Forts Henry and Donelson 50 Shiloh 53 Rebels Resurgents in Virginia 57 Confederate Escalation 66 Chapter Four: War Becomes Revolution 70 Toward Emancipation 71 Confederate Counteroffensives: Lee Moves North 80 Confederate Counteroffensives: Perryville, Iuka, and Corinth 87 Emancipation and Elections 89 Union Battlefield Standoffs and Rebuffs 94 Chapter Five: Gambles Won and Lost 100 Chancellorsville 101 Vicksburg and Gettysburg 105 Chickamauga and Chattanooga 114 The Impact of Emancipation 120 Chapter Six: The Home Front 130 The Folks Back Home 131 The Northern Economy and War Effort 137 The Southern Economy and War Effort 141 Politics and Society: The North 145 Politics and Society: The South 152 Wartime Reconstruction: Early Steps 157 Chapter Seven: The Campaigns of 1864 162 Grant’s Grand Design 163 The Wilderness Campaigns 166 The Atlanta Campaign 175 Lincoln’s Bid for Reelection 177 Victory on the Battlefield and at the Ballot Box 183 Chapter Eight: Victory and Defeat 188 Sherman’s March to the Sea 189 Fort Fisher and the March through the Carolinas 194 Emancipation, Reconstruction, and Peace Proposals 197 From Richmond to Appomattox 201 Foundations for Peace 206 Conclusion: Why the Union Won 213 Bibliographical Essay 221 Index 233 Maps: Major Campaigns of the Civil War 35 Campaigns in the West, February to April 1862 52 The Peninsula Campaign 1862 64 Campaigns in Virginia and Maryland, August to December 1862 82 War in the East, 1863 103 The Vicksburg Campaign, April to July 1863 108 Grant vs. Lee 168 Campaigns in the West, 1864-65 190

    5 in stock

    £22.75

  • The New Left

    John Wiley and Sons Ltd The New Left

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn his latest publication, William L. O'Neill presents a concise critical history of the New Left, the thinking, people, and events that helped shape the 1960s in America, and its principal heir, the Academic Left.Table of ContentsForeword V Preface IX Chapter One: The Rise of SDS 1 Birth of the New Left 3 SDS Takes the Stage 7 Chapter Two: SDS: Decline and Fall 28 Chapter Three: Hippies and Yippies 45 The Counterculture 45 The Yippies 46 HUAC and The Yippies 54 The End of the Yippies 57 Chapter Four: Fadeout 60 Why the New Left Failed 66 Chapter Five: The Academic Left 79 Speech Codes 84 Multiculturalism 89 Affirmative Action 92 Sexual Harassment 100 Postmodernism 103 Conclusion 106 Bibliography Essay 11 Index 117

    10 in stock

    £25.54

  • Platoon Leader

    Presidio Press Platoon Leader

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    10 in stock

    £9.11

  • A Life In A Year The American Infantryman in

    Presidio Press A Life In A Year The American Infantryman in

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis provocative in-depth book focuses on the experiences of the infantry soldier in Vietnam. More than 60 Army and Marine Corps infantrymen speak of their experiences during their year-long tours of duty.

    10 in stock

    £9.15

  • Blood Trails The Combat Diary of a Foot Soldier

    Random House Publishing Group Blood Trails The Combat Diary of a Foot Soldier

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisBAPTISM BY FIREChris Ronnau volunteered for the Army and was sent to Vietnam in January 1967, armed with an M-14 rifle and American Express traveler’s checks. But the latter soon proved particularly pointless as the private first class found himself in the thick of two pivotal, fiercely fought Big Red One operations, going head-to-head against crack Viet cong and NVA troops in the notorious Iron Triangle and along the treacherous Cambodian border near Tay Ninh.Patrols, ambushes, plunging down VC tunnels, search and destroy missions-there were many ways to drive the enemy from his own backyard, as Ronnau quickly discovered. Based on the journal Ronnau kept in Vietnam, Blood Trails captures the hellish jungle war in all its stark life-and-death immediacy. This wrenching chronicle is also stirring testimony to the quiet courage of those unsung American heroes, many not yet twenty-one, who had a job to do and did it without complaint-fighting, sacrificing, and dying f

    10 in stock

    £10.31

  • Sourcebooks Fire The Civil War

    Book Synopsis

    £8.57

  • 10 in stock

    £30.74

  • Congress at War

    Random House USA Inc Congress at War

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe story of how Congress helped win the Civil War--a new perspective that puts the House and Senate, rather than Lincoln, at the center of the conflict.This brilliantly argued new perspective on the Civil War overturns the popular conception that Abraham Lincoln single-handedly led the Union to victory and gives us a vivid account of the essential role Congress played in winning the war.Building a riveting narrative around four influential members of Congress--Thaddeus Stevens, Pitt Fessenden, Ben Wade, and the proslavery Clement Vallandigham--Fergus Bordewich shows us how a newly empowered Republican party shaped one of the most dynamic and consequential periods in American history. From reinventing the nation''s financial system to pushing President Lincoln to emancipate the slaves to the planning for Reconstruction, Congress undertook drastic measures to defeat the Confederacy, in the process laying the foundation for a strong central government that came ful

    Out of stock

    £16.20

  • St Martin's Press Robert E Lee and Me A Southerners Reckoning with

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisSoldier and head of the West Point history department Ty Seidule challenges the myths and lies of the Confederate legacy - and explores why some of this country's oldest wounds have never healed.

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley

    St Martin's Press The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisA New York Times notable book of 2023 A finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for biography[An] erudite, enlightening new biography . . . [Waldstreicher's] interpretations equal Wheatley's own intentional verse, making it a joy to follow along as he unpacks her words and their arrangement. Tiya Miles, The AtlanticThoroughly researched, beautifully rendered and cogently argued . . . The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley is [. . .] historical biography at its best. Kerri Greenidge, The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice)A paradigm-shattering biography of Phillis Wheatley, whose extraordinary poetry set African American literature at the heart of the American Revolution.Admired by George Washington, ridiculed by Thomas Jefferson, published in London, and read far and wide, Phillis Wheatley led one of the most extraordinary American lives. Seized in West Africa and forced into slav

    10 in stock

    £16.14

  • Napoleon  A Life Told in Gardens and Shadows

    WW Norton & Co Napoleon A Life Told in Gardens and Shadows

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisMarking the 200th anniversary of his death, Napoleon is an unprecedented portrait of the emperor told through his engagement with the natural world.Trade Review"Beautiful.... It is an adjustment to think of Napoleon as a cultivator rather than as a conqueror, a planter rather than a planner. But such ambivalences are precisely Ms. Scurr’s métier.... The mountain of biographies written about the 'Little Corporal' must, at this point, be higher than the Alps he famously crossed in 1800, but her horticultural angle allows Ms. Scurr to tell the endlessly fascinating story of his life anew: not as a megalomaniac’s power-hungry ascent to temporary glory but as the constantly frustrated reaching for the plenitude and happiness that Joséphine’s found in her garden." -- Christoph Irmscher - Wall Street Journal"An elegant prose stylist, Scurr is above all a fabulous historian, and a vivid storyteller with a novelist’s eye for engaging detail. With the exception of the Battle of Waterloo—the most significant fighting of which took place over a garden at Hougoumont—the wars in this book occur largely offstage. Napoleon emerges not in his warrior guise but in his full humanity... History’s palimpsest emerges in these pages too, through Scurr’s accounts of modern-day places shaped by Napoleon’s vision: while his empire is the stuff of history books, his legacy as a landscape genius endures." -- Claire Messud - Harper’s Magazine"Scurr has ingeniously somehow found an entirely new prism through which to view Napoleon... Dr Scurr takes the opportunity to discourse on numerous aspects of Napoleon and the natural world, and has ultimately produced a somewhat eccentric but immensely satisfying and captivating book... 'There is always something new to say,' Scurr says of Napoleon, 'no matter how many regiments of biographers have marched across the same ground.' With this charming and intelligent book about a hitherto entirely unexamined aspect of the Bonapartist epic, she persuades us of this comforting truth." -- Andrew Roberts - Times Literary Supplement"Improbably glorious and exceptionally herbaceous.... Scurr, lecturer in history and politics at Cambridge university, has achieved something remarkable: a completely original book on a completely unoriginal subject. But then she is herself a truly remarkable writer, one of the most gifted non-fiction authors alive.... Marvellous." -- Simon Schama - Financial Times"The Cambridge historian Ruth Scurr brings shades of subtletly and nuance to a life well known, telling Napoleon’s story through his love of nature and the gardens. A brilliantly original biographer of Robespierre – briefly Napopleon’s ally – and of John Aubrey, Scurr has attributes too often missing among her contemporaries. She can write, beautifully : and she casts a cold eye on proceedings, unfazed by previous adoration or condemnation of her subject…. Grippingly original." -- Paul Lay, The Sunday Times [UK]"Scurr’s is an approach that pays some real dividends [of] rich details [and] fresh perspectives." -- David Crane - The Spectator"Looking at Bonaparte through the lens of his passion for gardens brings out new and fascinating details about his life, including his love of science and engineering, his obsession with botany and especially his desire to stamp order upon an unruly natural and political world.... Scurr is well known for her inventive and absorbing biographies.... A rewarding book that gives intriguing and novel insight into a man about whom we thought everything had already been said." -- Deborah Mason - Bookpage"Even readers well-versed in Napoleon’s rise and fall will learn something new from this gracefully written and imaginatively conceived portrait." -- Publishers Weekly"A diligent historian, Scurr does not ignore the wars and politics that dominated Napoleon’s life, and she concludes with a vivid account of the battle of Waterloo, in which the chateau of Hougoumont, with its 'high garden walls,' played a central role . . . A wealth of natural history and a fine Napoleon biography." -- Kirkus Reviews"Scurr. . . uses her signal strength as biographer. . . Scurr’s vivid writing helps to convey a visual portrait . . . [and] presents an unusual perspective on the life of the general." -- David Keymer - Library Journal"If you read just one biography this year, make it Ruth Scurr’s brilliant and original exploration of Napoleon’s life as an amateur gardener. Everything makes sense once you realize this was a man obsessed with making nature go his way." -- Amanda Foreman, bestselling author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire"From Napoleon’s first garden as a schoolboy to his last on Saint Helena, Ruth Scurr takes us on a journey filled with unexpected new vistas on a familiar life. Napoleon: A Life Told in Gardens and Shadows foregrounds his passion for science and love of the natural world. The result is a refreshing, engaging read." -- Victoria Johnson, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of American Eden"Ruth Scurr’s imaginative take on Napoleon’s life serves up fascinating insights into the man’s behavior and motivations, as well as an illuminating account of those around him. The gardening angle is fresh and perfectly developed; to garden is to control and manipulate, an empire builder does the same." -- Penelope Lively"It is hard to find fresh things to say about Napoleon, but Ruth Scurr has managed it. . . . No one interested in Napoleon will fail to discover here something unknown or unexpected." -- William Doyle, professor emeritus of history at the University of Bristol and author of The Oxford History of the French Revolution"A pleasure to read. . . . Ruth Scurr’s sharp perception opens new vistas in the extensive landscape of Napoleon’s boundlessly curious mind." -- Sue Prideaux, author of I Am Dynamite! A Life of Nietzsche"Ruth Scurr gives us a captivating, original perspective on a man too often simplified as a glorious—or vainglorious—emperor on horseback. Her sparkling book reminds us of Napoleon’s human frailties and, above all, that he was also a man of science fascinated by the order, diversity, and richness of the plant world." -- Peter McPhee, author of Liberty or Death: The French Revolution

    10 in stock

    £14.86

  • Fighting for Napoleon

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Fighting for Napoleon

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisA rare insight into the lives of Napoleonic soldiers taken from over 1,600 letters, most of which have never been published before.

    15 in stock

    £20.61

  • The Napoleonic Dads Army

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Napoleonic Dads Army

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisA book that explores what is often described as the Dad’s Army of the Napoleonic Wars.

    10 in stock

    £37.46

  • The Redcoats of Wellingtons Light Division in the

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Redcoats of Wellingtons Light Division in the

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisEssential addition to every Peninsular War library.

    7 in stock

    £32.07

  • National Geographic Society National Geographic The Civil War

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisA complete list of all of the major campaigns as well as short biographies of key leaders and influential figures sheds light on the strategic manoeuvres of the war.Trade Review“This guide will prove indispensable on any expedition to explore Civil War history in America.”-hive.co.uk

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Through Spain with Wellington

    Amberley Publishing Through Spain with Wellington

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisWith background information and commentary provided by expert Adrian Greenwood, meticulously footnoted, this is a worthy addition to the literature of the Napoleonic Wars.Trade Review‘One of the most revealing first-hand accounts of life in Wellington’s army to be discovered for many years.’ -- Rory Muir, author of Wellington

    7 in stock

    £23.94

  • Bushwhacker Belles

    Pelican Publishing Co. Bushwhacker Belles

    Book Synopsis

    £20.79

  • Pelican Publishing Co Camel Regiment The A History of the Bloody

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisA tale of a desert dweller on the battlefields of the South! The 43rd Mississippi Infantry of the Confederate States of America is the only regiment to have used a camel militarily east of the Mississippi. Referred to as the Camel Regiment, it was organized in 1862 and surrendered in 1865. Using a variety of resources, the author provides a roster of the regiment along with detailed information on the formation, battles, and controversies surrounding the men. From the acquisition of the African dromedary Old Douglas to carry baggage and musical instruments through his death at Vicksburg and the fate of his fellow soldiers, Bell provides an entertaining historical narrative of this little-known chapter in American history.

    Out of stock

    £24.79

  • History Press Potomac Marble

    Book Synopsis

    £20.39

  • Rebel Richmond  Life and Death in the Confederate

    The University of North Carolina Press Rebel Richmond Life and Death in the Confederate

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn the spring of 1861, Richmond, Virginia, suddenly became the capital city, military headquarters, and industrial engine of a new nation fighting for its existence. In Rebel Richmond, Stephen Ash vividly evokes life in Richmond as war consumed the Confederate capital.Trade ReviewDeeply researched, revealing, and compelling. . . . Will set the standard for other much-needed intensive, close-up examinations of what the Civil War meant on the ground.--Library Journal

    1 in stock

    £30.36

  • Mystery of Missing Flight FBELV

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Mystery of Missing Flight FBELV

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Mystery of Missing Flight F-BELV, believed to be the only aircraft never to have been recovered from the Vietnam War.

    5 in stock

    £19.99

  • Eyewitness Korea

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Eyewitness Korea

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisVivid first-hand accounts of American and British soldiers in the front line of the Korean War, giving insight into their recruitment, training, casualties and captivity as well as combat experience.

    4 in stock

    £25.00

  • Capstone Press The Wound Is Mortal The Story of the

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Capstone Press Wound Is Mortal Story of the Assassination of

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Air War Over North Vietnam: Operation Rolling

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Air War Over North Vietnam: Operation Rolling

    Book SynopsisIn early 1965 the United States unleashed the largest sustained aerial bombing campaign since World War II, against North Vietnam. Through an ever-escalating onslaught of destruction, Operation Rolling Thunder intended to signal America's unwavering commitment to its South Vietnamese ally in the face of continued North Vietnamese aggression, break Hanoi's political will to prosecute the war, and bring about a negotiated settlement to the conflict. It was not to be. Against the backdrop of the Cold War and fears of widening the conflict into a global conflagration, Washington policymakers micromanaged and mismanaged the air campaign and increasingly muddled strategic objectives and operational methods that ultimately sowed the seeds of failure, despite the heroic sacrifices by U.S. Air Force and Navy pilots and crews Despite flying some 306,000 combat sorties and dropping nearly 650,000 tons of ordnance on North Vietnam - more than that used in the Pacific theater during World War II - Operation Rolling Thunder failed to drive Hanoi decisively to the negotiating table and end the war. That would take another four years and another air campaign.

    £14.99

  • The Sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo 1810 and 1812: The

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo 1810 and 1812: The

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe area astride the Spanish/Portuguese border between the respective fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Almeida was the focus of the Peninsular War for much of the period from the autumn of 1809 through until 1812\. The fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo that dominated the country between the Rivers Agueda and Coa, was one of the 'Keys to Spain' for any army attacking either east or west across the frontier. With the defeat of the Fifth Coalition at Wagram in 1809, Napoleon was free to turn his attention to the rebellious Iberian Peninsula and the small British Army. Tasking a reluctant Marshal Massena to 'throw the leopard into sea', preparations started for what proved to be a protracted and lacklustre siege. Marshal Ney, however, champed at the bit and wanted to press on with the invasion and despite an increasing tempo of outpost actions, such as the renowned affair at Barbra del Puerco, Napoleon in attempting to control events from Paris, insisted on an orderly siege. With the fall of Ciudad Rodrigo, Craufurd's Light Division remained covering the Army's frontage but after a superbly conducted withdrawal, Craufurd's judgement erred and he was force into a costly fighting withdrawal to the River Coa. The British now fell back into Portugal but by Spring 1811 they were back and with Napoleon stripping troops from the Peninsular Wellington could prepare to invade Spain and besiege Ciudad Rodrigo Preparations for the siege were almost complete in December 1811, when further troops were stripped from Marshal Marmont, an opportunity to presented itself for a lightening operation to take Ciudad Rodrigo in the 1812 siege, which was of very different character.

    10 in stock

    £23.75

  • Bombing Campaign North Vietnam: Volume II:

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Bombing Campaign North Vietnam: Volume II:

    Book SynopsisOn March 30, 1972 some 30,000 North Vietnamese troops along with tanks and heavy artillery surged across the demilitarized zone into South Vietnam in the opening round of Hanoi's Easter Offensive. By early May South Vietnamese forces were on the ropes and faltering. Without the support of U.S. combat troops - who were in their final stage of withdrawing from the country - the Saigon government was in danger of total collapse and with it any American hope of a negotiated settlement to the war. In response, President Richard Nixon called for an aggressive, sustained bombardment of North Vietnam. Code-named Operation Linebacker I, the interdiction effort sought to stem the flow of men and material southward, as well as sever all outside supply lines in the first new bombing of the North Vietnamese heartland in nearly four years. To meet the American air armada, North Vietnamese MiG fighters took to the skies and surface-to-missiles and anti-aircraft fire filled the air from May to October over Hanoi and Haiphong. With the failure of its Easter Offensive to achieve military victory, Hanoi reluctantly returned to the negotiating table in Paris. However, as the peace talks teetered on the edge of collapse in mid-December 1972, Nixon played his trump card: Operation Linebacker II. The resulting twelve-day Christmas bombing campaign from 18-30 December unleashed the full wrath of American air power. More than 2,200 attack sorties, including 724 B-52 sorties alone, were flown by Air Force and Navy aircraft delivering 15,287 tons of bombs that laid waste to the North Vietnamese capital. Railyards, military storage depots, power stations, and bridges, as well as radar and communication sites, airfields, and anti-aircraft defences were pummelled day and night. Linebacker II would prove to be decisive: a ceasefire agreement was signed on 23 January 1973.

    £14.99

  • The Anglo-Boer War in 100 Objects

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Anglo-Boer War in 100 Objects

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Anglo-Boer War in 100 Objects brings the victories and the tragedies-and the full extent of the human drama behind this war-to life through 100 iconic artefacts. While a Mafeking siege note helps to illustrate the acute shortages caused by the siege, a spade used by a Scottish soldier at Magersfontein and the boots of a Boer soldier who died at Spion Kop tell of the severity of some of the famous battles. The book follows the course of the war but also highlights specific themes, such as British and Boer weaponry, medical services and POW camps, as well as major figures on both sides. The text is interspersed with striking historical images from the museum's photographic collection. More than 200 additional objects have been included to help tell the story of a conflict that left an indelible mark on the South African landscape.

    10 in stock

    £29.90

  • Napoleon's Downfall: Madame Recamier and Her

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Napoleon's Downfall: Madame Recamier and Her

    20 in stock

    Book SynopsisNapoleon Bonaparte and Juliette Recamier were both highly influential and well-known in France, yet they were often at odds with each other. Their story played out on the European stage during a period of political upheaval and new political ideas. Napoleon gained power in the aftermath of the French Revolution, and he would go from spectacular victories to dismal failure. His defeat in the early nineteenth century would result in Europe acquiring new national borders and with that Britain, Russia, and the United States would gain greater international influence. Juliette, on the other hand, wielded her own power. Because of the tumultuous French Revolution, noble and aristocratic landowners were being replaced by a new wealthy class in the private sector. Juliette and her husband were among the beneficiaries of this growing affluence and influence, and her power came from her new-found position in society. Juliette also viewed life differently than Napoleon. She saw life from the standpoint of a wealthy socialite whereas Napoleon's desires were always shaded by his military experiences and his meteoric rise to power. Along the way, Juliette would have to face the testy Emperor, and she would find that his own brother would fall for her. Even some of Napoleon's greatest enemies would woo her.

    20 in stock

    £23.83

  • Vehicles and Heavy Weapons of the Vietnam War

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Vehicles and Heavy Weapons of the Vietnam War

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe ground war in Vietnam pitted a myriad of American tanks, artillery, APC and trucks against not only the weapons of Communist North Vietnam, but also the terrain. Through archival images, the arsenal of the US Army and USMC are revisited. From the iconic M113 APC to the M48A3 tank, M551 Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle, M151 and M54 trucks, M50 Ontos, M107 and M109 artillery, and M42 Duster, the complete array of vehicles fielded is shown. This book, the first in a series on the US military's weapons, vehicles, aircraft, and naval vessels of the Vietnam War, offers a highly illustrated reference for this wishing to delve deeper into this conflict.

    7 in stock

    £25.00

  • Inchon Landing: MacArthur's Korean War

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Inchon Landing: MacArthur's Korean War

    Book SynopsisInchon, a dramatic Cold War event: in the first two volumes in the author's series on battles of the Korean War, North Korean ground forces, armour and artillery cross the 38th Parallel into South Korea, inflicting successive ignominious defeats on the ill-prepared US-led UN troops, pushing them ever southward into a tiny defensive enclave the Pusan Perimeter on the tip of the Korean Peninsula. General Douglas MacArthur, Second World War veteran of the South East Asia and Pacific theatres, meets with considerable resistance to his plans for a counteroffensive, from both Washington and his staff in South Korea and Japan: it is typhoon season, the approaches to the South Korean port city of Inch'?n are not conducive to amphibious assault, and it will leave the besieged Pusan Perimeter in great danger of being overrun. However, the controversial MacArthur's obstinate persistency prevails and, with a mere three weeks to go, the US X Corps is activated to execute the invasion on D-Day, 15 September 1950. Elements of the US Marine Corps land successfully on the scheduled day, and with the element of surprise on their side, immediately strike east to Seoul, only 15 miles away. The next day, General Walker's Eighth US Army breaks out of Pusan to complete the southerly envelopment of the North Korean forces. Seoul falls on the 25th. MacArthur's impulsive gamble has paid off, and the South Korean government moves back to their capital. The North Koreans have been driven north of the 38th Parallel, effectively bringing to an end their invasion of the south that started on 25 June 1950.

    £17.90

  • Logistics in the Vietnam Wars, 1945-1975

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Logistics in the Vietnam Wars, 1945-1975

    Book SynopsisThe combatants in the three Vietnam wars from 1945 to 1975 employed widely contrasting supply methods. This fascinating book reveals that basic traditional techniques proved superior to expensive state of the art systems. During the Indochina or French' war, France's initial use of wheeled transport and finally air supply proved vulnerable given the terrain, climate and communist adaptability . The colonial power gave up the unequal struggle after the catastrophic defeat at Dien Bien Phu. To stem the advance of Communism throughout the region, the Americans stepped in to support the pro-Western South Vietnam regime and threw vast quantities of manpower and money at the problem. The cost became increasingly unpopular at home. General Giap's and Ho Chi Minh's ruthless use of coolies most famously on the Ho Chi Minh Trail proved resistant to carpet-bombing and Agent Orange defoliation. The outcome of the final war between the Communist North Vietnam and the corrupt Southern leadership, now with minimal US support, was almost a forgone conclusion. The Author is superbly qualified to examine these three wars from the logistic perspective. His conclusions make for compelling reading and will be instructive to acting practitioners and enquiring minds.

    £23.75

  • Wellington's Light Division in the Peninsular

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Wellington's Light Division in the Peninsular

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn February 1810, Wellington formed what became the most famous British unit in the Peninsular War: the Light Division. Formed around the 43rd and 52nd Light Infantry and the 95th Rifles, the exploits of these three regiments would become legendary. Over the next 50 months, the division would fight and win glory in almost every battle and siege of the Peninsular War. From its origins as a brigade of light infantry which was involved in the first clashes of the British army in Portugal - the battles of Rolica and Vimeiro - and, having proved its worth, was developed into a full division when it returned to the Peninsula in 1810. The Light Division became famous for the speed of its marching over vast distances, its unique form of discipline based upon respect for the ordinary rankers and allowing individual initiative. The men were trained to operate independently and, unlike the musket-armed infantry of the line who delivered mass volleys, the men of the Light Division, many of who carried rifles, concentrated on aimed fire at individual targets. As such, Wellington expected the Light Division to perform the most difficult and hazardous operations, often being the first into battle and the last to retire. Understandably, some of the most memorable characters of Wellington's army and many of its notable diarist and historians. It is through those eyes and words that this major, and long-anticipated study of the early years of the Light Division, is compiled.

    7 in stock

    £30.00

  • The Trafalgar Chronicle: Dedicated to Naval

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Trafalgar Chronicle: Dedicated to Naval

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Trafalgar Chronicle is the publication of choice for new research about the Georgian Navy, sometimes called Nelson's Navy', though its scope includes all the sailing navies of the period from 1714 to 1837. The theme of the 2021 issue is Georgian Navy encounters with indigenous and enslaved populations'. The theme is particularly relevant to current-day discussions and social activism occurring across the globe, that have brought new insights and perspectives to Western history of colonisation, exploration, and slavery. The lead article, by 1805 Club member Tom D Fremantle, tells the story of his ancestor, Philip Gidley King, who sailed to Botany Bay with the First Fleet in 1787\. becoming the first Lieutenant Governor of Norfolk Island. and the third Governor of New South Wales. His encounters with the Maoris are unforgettably touching. Another contribution reveals how the British lured slaves away from their American masters' plantations with the promise of freedom during the War of 1812. In the tradition of recent editions, the 2021 Trafalgar Chronicle contains biographical sketches of Nelson's contemporaries including Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Saunders, naval hero of Quebec; Sir Harry Neale, Baronet GCB, a royal favourite; and Admiral Sir Philip Durham, a Trafalgar Captain turned politician. Meanwhile, Captain Christer H gg, RSwN Rtd regales readers with the tale of Captain Johan Puke leading the Swedish fleet in a daring breakout from the Russian blockade at Viborg in 1790. Scholars and students, experts and enthusiasts fascinated by the era of the sailing navy will be absorbed by the latest edition of this handsomely illustrated journal.

    5 in stock

    £29.72

  • Waterloo Letters: A Collection of Accounts from

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Waterloo Letters: A Collection of Accounts from

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Frontline Napoleonic Library is an unparalleled collection of classic works on the Napoleonic Wars. Presenting some of the finest memoirs and studies of the period the collection brings together renowned contemporary accounts with more recent analytical publications. One of the most important collections of original letters from participants in the Waterloo campaign The letters formed the basis of William Sibornes ground-breaking History of the Waterloo Campaign Accounts from every branch of the British Army

    7 in stock

    £23.61

  • The Hated Cage: An American Tragedy in Britain's

    10 in stock

    £25.60

  • 7 in stock

    £17.84

  • Chicago Review Press American Revolution for Kids

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisHeroes, traitors, and great thinkers come to life in this activity book, and the concepts of freedom and democracy are celebrated in true accounts of the distinguished officers, wise delegates, rugged riflemen, and hardworking farm wives and children who created the new nation. This collection tells the story of the Revolution, from the hated Stamp Act and the Boston Tea Party to the British surrender at Yorktown and the creation of the United States Constitution. All American students are required to study the Revolution and the Constitution, and these 21 activities make it fun and memorable. Kids create a fringed hunting shirt and a tricorn hat and reenact the Battle of Cowpens. They will learn how to make their voices heard in “I Protest” and how Congress works in “There Ought to Be a Law.” A final selection including the Declaration of Independence, a glossary, biographies, and pertinent Web sites makes this book a valuable resource for both students and teachers.Trade Review"Fun reading for adults and kids." --Geri Nikolai, Rockford Register Star"The dramatic events that lay behind the Founding Fathers' struggle for liberty are vividly recounted in Herbert's lively survey." -- Smithsonian"A valuable historical reference." -- Today's Parent"Make[s] a great study unit when combined with the children's literature of Jean Fritz or the American Girl Felicity books." -- The Home School Mom"The strength of this book lies in the wealth of information it provides and unflinching historical accuracy." -- Children's Literature"An excellent introduction to the American Revolution." -- John's Military History"Another must-have from Chicago Review Press." --Lee Littlewood, Copley News Service"The strength of this book lies in the wealth of information it provides and unflinching historical accuracy." -- Children's Literature

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • University of Massachusetts Press The Reverend Jacob Bailey, Maine Loyalist: For

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThis book tells the story of the Reverend Jacob Bailey, a missionary preacher for the Church of England in the frontier town of Pownalborough (now Dresden), Maine, who refused to renounce allegiance to King George III during the American War of Independence. Relying largely on Bailey’s unpublished journals and voluminous correspondence, James S. Leamon traces Bailey’s evolution from his rustic background through his Harvard education and subsequent career as a teacher, Congregational minister, and missionary preacher for the Church of England. Along the way, Bailey absorbed many of the intellectual currents of the Enlightenment, but also the more traditional conviction that family, society, religion, and politics, like creation itself, should be orderly and hierarchal. Such beliefs led Bailey to oppose the Revolution as unnatural, immoral, and doomed to fail. Reverend Bailey’s persistence in praying for the king and his refusal to publicise the Declaration of Independence from his Pownalborough pulpit aroused hostilities that drove him and his family to the safety of Nova Scotia. There, in exile, Bailey devoted himself to assisting fellow refugees while defending himself from others. During this time, he wrote almost obsessively: poems, dramas, novels, histories. Though few were ever completed, and even fewer published, in one way or another most of his writings depicted the trauma he underwent as a loyalist. Leamon’s study of the Reverend Jacob Bailey depicts the complex nature and burdens of one person’s loyalism while revealing much about eighteenth-century American life and culture.

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Civil War in Texas and New Mexico Territory

    Pelican Publishing Co Civil War in Texas and New Mexico Territory

    Book SynopsisMany heroic actions were taken by Hispanic soldiers who have not gotten much recognition for their efforts.

    £12.59

  • Clark's Regiments: An Extended Index

    Pelican Publishing Co Clark's Regiments: An Extended Index

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £32.79

  • Medieval Institute Publications The Cistercian Monastery of Zaraka, Greece

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisDuring the Frankish Crusader period, Cistercian monks built and developed the monastery of Zaraka in Greece for approximately forty years and were followed first by squatters, then by a seventeenth-century cemetery. The goal of this study has been to identify where the monks came from, how they lived, and why they left so suddenly.Trade ReviewThe strength of this volume rests in the clear presentation of material that strengthens the reader's understanding of this Cistercian abbey and its community. Careful attention to the later phases of the site's habitation--absent from the book's title--also provides vital information about this region in the late and post-Byzantine periods, re-populating the Stymphalos Valley with those whose stories have, until now, been lost. --Sharon E. J. Gerste, University of California-Los AngelesTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements by Sheila Campbell Foreword by Hector Williams Introduction to the Site by Sheila Campbell Historical and Ecclesiastical Context by Kathryn Salzer Architecture of the Church by Anthony Masinton Architectural Sculpture by Sheila Campbell Reconstructing the Abbey Library of Zaraka by Diane Reilly Pottery by Camilla Mackay Coins by Julian Baker Glass by Susan Young Animal Remains by Debbie Ruscillo Medieval Villages in the Peloponnese by Kostantinos Kourelis Human Remains by Sandra Garvie-Lok Conclusions and Areas for further Research by Sheila Campbell

    Out of stock

    £78.00

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