True war and combat stories Books

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Book SynopsisA gripping new collection from Max Hastings that puts you at the heart of the battle Compelling' Daily MailAn unmissable read' Sunday TimesSoldiers is a very personal gathering of sparkling, gripping tales by many writers, about men and women who have borne arms, reflecting bestselling historian Max Hastings's lifetime of studying war. It rings the changes through the centuries, between the heroic, tragic and comic; the famous and the humble. The nearly 350 stories illustrate vividly what it is like to fight in wars, to live and die as a warrior, from Greek and Roman times through to recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.Here you will meet Jewish heroes of the Bible, Rome's captain of the gate, Queen Boudicca, Joan of Arc, Cromwell, Wellington, Napoleon's marshals, Ulysses S. Grant, George S. Patton and the modern SAS. There are tales of great writers who served in uniform including Cobbett and Tolstoy, Edward Gibbon and Siegfried Sassoon, Marcel Proust and Evelyn Waugh, George OrwTrade Review‘[Stories] of breathtaking derring-do … A gripping new collection from Max Hastings that puts you at the heart of the battle … In his powerful new book, Soldiers: Great Stories Of War And Peace, he has collected first-person accounts that illustrate in searing detail and immediacy all the violence, grief, pathos, black humour and courage of conflict. In these compelling extracts, a young officer agonises over his decision to leave a dying comrade, a badly wounded Gurkha gets back into battle, and a legendary field marshal is executed by his own side’Daily Mail ‘These accounts show the reality of military life … A pointillist portrait of enthralling sensitivity … stories tumble from the pages of this book like gems from a pirate’s chest … The anecdotes about female soldiers in this book are fascinating’Gerard DeGroot, The Times ‘An unmissable read … A brilliant, wide-ranging anthology … The book ambly proves Max Hastings’s contention that “all generalisations about soldiers fail” and that “they come in as many sorts and conditions as does the rest of humanity” … The sheer variety of voices for which Hastings has found room is impressive … The most famous names of military history, from Julius Caesar to Erwin Rommel, have their places, yet some of the most compelling tales are those of ordinary, often reluctant warriors. For all those who share Hastings’s “fascination with wars and those who have fought through the ages”, Soldiers is an unmissable collection’Sunday Times ‘A delightful book, which can be dipped into anywhere and which will provide enormous enjoyment to all those who are interested in how people react to war’Aspects of History ‘A fascinating collection of military stories … The sort of book that can be picked up at intervals … [but] once tasted, is hard to put down’Washington Post

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Book SynopsisIn March 1943, in the sky and sea near New Guinea, Australian and American pilots faced some of the darkest days of World War II. Bestselling author Michael Veitch (Turning Point, 44 Days) tells the dramatic tale of the battle that thwarted Japan's final, desperate lunge for the South West Pacific.Trade ReviewReaders look for and admire good writers and great writing. They will find it, in spades, in The Battle of the Bismarck Sea ... The Battle of the Bismarck Sea is a superb achievement. In Turning Point, Michael Veitch rescued, with superlative skill, the battle of Milne Bay from obscurity. With this book he has done it again, perhaps with even greater success. -- Michael McKernan * The Canberra Times *

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Book SynopsisSimon Chase''s life is a maze of burner phones, encrypted emails, secret meetings, and weaponry - all devoted to executing missions too sensitive for government acknowledgement. Working for shadowy British and American organisations, Chase has been on the trail of Bin Laden in Afghanistan, protected allied generals in Iraq, and been part of an operation directly related to the attack in 2012 on the US consulate in Benghazi.Zero Footprint takes us to this dangerous and thrilling world, and tells the true story of a private military contractor whose work forms the foundation for western security abroad, especially when the UK and US military, intelligence agencies, and departments of state need something done that they can''t - or won''t - do themselves.

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Book SynopsisA dramatic story of secrets, espionage, murder and cover-ups - the most important Cold War spy story for a generation.Trade ReviewRiveting! * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *

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Book SynopsisRather than being a conventional regimental history, Fighting Tigers instead picks out fourteen classic actions and campaigns fought by men of the Leicestershire (later Royal Leicestershire) Regiment. These are some of the actions in which the bravery and determination shone through most clearly.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines representations of war throughout American literary history, providing a firm grounding in established criticism and opening up new lines of inquiry. Readers will find accessible yet sophisticated essays that lay out key questions and scholarship in the field. War and American Literature provides a comprehensive synthesis of the literature and scholarship of US war writing, illuminates how themes, texts, and authors resonate across time and wars, and provides multiple contexts in which texts and a war''s literature can be framed. By focusing on American war writing, from the wars with the Native Americans and the Revolutionary War to the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this volume illuminates the unique role representations of war have in the US imagination.Trade Review… a diverse volume … It analyses war literature through themes including propaganda, injury, memorialization, cultural change, patriotism, queerness, ecocriticism and whiteness.' Alice Kelly, The Times Literary Supplement'Highly recommended.' G. Grieve-Carlson, Choice ConnectTable of ContentsIntroduction Jennifer Haytock; Part I. Aspects of War in American Literature: 1. War and morality Ty Hawkins; 2. Propaganda for war from the revolution to the Vietnam war Nicholas J. Cull; 3. Representing soldiers Jennifer Haytock; 4. Bodies, injury, medicine Michael Zeitlin; 5. Veterans, trauma, afterwar Philip Beidler; 6. Mourning, elegy, memorialization from the Civil war to Vietnam Steven Trout; 7. On antiwar literature Lawrence Rosenwald; Part II. Cultural Moments and the American Literary Imagination: 8. Liberty, freedom, independence, and war James J. Gigantino II; 9. Indians, defeat, persistence, and resistance Tammy Wahpeconiah; 10. Civil war literature and memory Sarah E. Gardner; 11. African American literature, citizenship, and war, 1863-1932 David Davis; 12. World war I and cultural change in America Pearl James; 13. On the home fronts of two world wars Karsten Piep; 14. Patriotism, nationalism, globalism Jonathan Vincent; 15. The 'good war' script Diederik Oostdijk; 16. The Vietnam war and its legacy Mark A. Heberle; 17. The forever wars Stacey Peebles; Part III. New Lines of Inquiry: 18. War and queerness Eric Keenaghan; 19. War and disability studies John M. Kinder; 20. War and ecocriticism Laura Wright; 21. War and whiteness Roger Luckhurst; 22. War and posthumanism Tim Blackmore.

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Book SynopsisTHE STORY OF BRITAIN''S LEADING FORENSIC EXPLOSIVES SCIENTIST, WHO FOR NEARLY THREE-DECADES INVESTIGATED SOME OF THE MOST PROMINENT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL BOMB ATTACKS IN HISTORY.Cliff Todd devoted his life to bringing bomb makers to justice. He and his colleagues at the Ministry of Defence''s Forensic Explosives Laboratory are the unsung heroes of terrorist bomb attacks - the men and women in white suits who piece together who planted the bombs, what a device consisted of and how the perpetrators might give themselves away.They played a pivotal role in uncovering the secrets behind some of the world''s most horrifying terrorist outrages. Explosive tells the stories of these high-profile cases and details, for the first time, the contribution Todd and his team made in tracking down bombers during a time when Britain was under attack first by the IRA and then by Islamic extremists inspired by al-Qaeda.Explosive takes thTrade ReviewCliff Todd devoted his life to bringing bomb makers to justice. He and his ingenious colleagues at the MoD's Forensic Explosives Laboratory played a pivotal role in uncovering the secrets behind many of the world's most horrifying terrorist outrages. From Lockerbie, through 7/7, to the Shoe Bomber and beyond, this elite band of unsung heroes did their duty without fanfare, and often at great personal cost. They are the technicians in white coats who stand behind the men in black, but are themselves no strangers to the killing zone. Explosive tells their fascinating and deeply moving story. * Major Chris Hunter, QGM, bestselling author of Eight Lives Down and Extreme Risk *Gripping! A fantastic insight into a world only few understand * Kim Hughes GC, author the Sunday Times bestseller Painting The Sand *An incredible story about the government unit who allowed us (the SAS) to do our job * Mark’ Billy’ Billingham, SAS veteran and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hard Way. *Command is a stunning achievement. This is a book that sucks you in from the first page. Deeply incisive, each paragraph brings a new revelation. Al Murray's writing is as original and his conclusions as controversial as the generals he depicts. At the end of each chapter, you are left exhaling with a sense of "I didn't expect that." -- Peter Caddick-Adams

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Book Synopsis'Tony is the real deal.' Andy McNabThe full, explosive, boots-on-the-ground story of the Falklands War, from a soldier at the heart of the action, published for the 40th anniversary of the conflict. Tony Hoare always knew he wanted to be in the SAS.Both his grandfather and father had been soldiers, and so Tony signed up for the Cadets at 13, then the Infantry at 17 and enlisted into the Royal Green Jackets before passing arduous SAS selection in 1978.Less than four years later, Tony and his team were sent to a collection of islands just off the coast of Argentina called the Falklands, where tensions were rising and war was on the horizon.No amount of training could prepare Tony for what happened over the course of the next twelve weeks, as the Falkland Islands became a battleground between British and Argentinian forces. As helicopters crashed and ships sank, Tony, at the centre of the action, battled across treacherous terrain and against a fearsome enemy, doing whatever it took to retake the islands.From one of the only soldiers who was on the frontline throughout the entire conflict, this is a thrilling account of what really happened in the Falklands, an explosive story of land, sea and air battles from a trooper who saw it all.Trade Review'There is no higher accolade than a fellow solider wanting you to be beside them in the fight. Tony is the real deal and a personal hero of mine. All soldiers would have wanted him alongside them when things got brutal. This is a no holdout account of the Falklands War from a man who was in the fight' -- Andy McNab

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Book SynopsisThis is the author's personal account of how the 22 pilots of No 258 Squadron RAF left Scotland in late October 1941 until 120 days later when all those who had not been killed became prisoners of the Japanese. The story takes us to the final defence of Singapore and then on to Sumatra and Java where the author recaptures the atmosphere of the bitter aerial engagements with the Japanese enemy and the hostile jungle terrain over which they fought.

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Book SynopsisFranz (Frank) Oberle was nine years old when his family was relocated from Germany to Poland. Once there, he was taken from his parents to an isolated school where adolescents were being indoctrinated into the Hitler Youth. As the tide of war changed, he became a refugee fleeing the Russian advance, arriving in Dresden as the city became the target of the most horrific Allied bombing of the war. Surviving on grass and stolen eggs, Franz and a friend walked 800 kilometres to his ancestral village on the edge of the Black Forest, only to find that his parents had not returned and to face rejection from his remaining family. But the indominable Franz survived amid the disillusioned populace of Germany and, with his youthful sweetheart, dreamed of a new life in a new land. With the blessing of his beloved Hanna (Joan), he set off for Canada, promising to send for her when he was able to provide for her. Their subsequent life together in BC has encompassed tragedy and pure joy, hard work and hard times, failure and triumph, as Frank Oberle rose from self-educated immigrant to acclaimed federal politician. Set against the backdrops of the Second World War and the raw British Columbia frontier, Finding Home covers Frank''s fascinating life story up until the time he visited Germany after a decade in Canada. Rich in detail, drama and humour, this is a love story, an inspirational saga and a book that sings the song of the Canadian immigrant.

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Book SynopsisGifted newspaperman Bogi Bjarnason fought in WWI, ran several prairie newspapers, flew airplanes and wrote poetry. His short story ''the Parson''s Dream'' was published in the company of literary work by renowned writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and W S Gilbert. This gem and a wide selection of other enduring pieces, including letters from the war, editorials, essays and poems, are brought together as an eloquent reminder of the events and issues that preoccupied a generation of Western Canadians whose dreams and sacrifices helped shape the nation''s future. From ''shuddery'' socialism to ''so-called'' Christianity, Bogi always got to the heart of a story and had fun along the way.

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Book SynopsisDragan was a Yugoslav peasant who flirted with the ideals of Communism and aspired to become a teacher. Instead, he became a slave in a German labour camp. Galina was an only child growing up in the harsh reality of Stalinist Russia. She survived the siege of Leningrad only to be exiled and enslaved in her turn. Chance is the true story of two ordinary people who lived in extraordinary times. Displaced by war and the vagaries of politics, Dragan and Galina met and married in the chaos that followed the conflict. For them, survival was not a question of heroes and victims but simply a matter of chance.

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Book SynopsisOn 31st January 2010, Trooper Corie Mapp of The Life Guards was driving his armoured vehicle on combat operations in Afghanistan when it ran over an IED. The explosion that followed caused him massive injuries. But this was not the end of his active life but rather the beginning. The next thing Corie remembers was waking in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Selly Oak, Birmingham, not realising that he was a double amputee. Two months later, and having made an almost miraculous against-the-odds recovery, Corie was back with his regiment in Windsor, and continued to serve until 2013. Sport was an important part of Corie's life before the explosion and a vital one after. In rehabilitation, he rediscovered his sporting skills, and competed successful in disabled cricket at a national level, and was a member of Team GB for sitting volley ball and athletics at the Warrior and the Invictus Games. However, when he was offered the chance to bobsleigh, his horizons widened considerably. After just one year of training, in 2014 Corie won gold in the inaugural Para Bobsleigh World Cup competition in St Moritz, was second overall in the World Cup 2014/15 season and became the overall World Cup champion in 2018. In the 2021-22 season, he will continue to train and compete at the highest levels in North America and Europe. On the international bobsleigh circuit he is affectionately known 'Black Ice'. This book is Corie Mapp's remarkable story of triumph over adversity.Trade Review"No matter what obstacles have come his way in life, he will never give up until he overcomes them. With sheer determination, strength and courage, Corie has proved to be top of whatever sport he has taken on at an elite level. The incredible list of his personal and professional accomplishments just keeps growing." Les Ferdinand MBE Director of Football, Queens Park Rangers Football Club;Table of ContentsPreface by Les Ferdinand Foreword by the Rt Hon Sir Hugh Robertson A Personal View by Barney Campbell Prelude A Moment of Truth 1. Bimshire 2. Pride and Industry 3. The Beat of a Distant Drum 4. A Donkey Walloper in Khaki 5. A Tin in the Kit 6. Marilyn Monroe 7. Mount Doom 8. Operation MINIMISE 9. Back on Two Feet 10. Playing to Win 11. The Purest Form of Insanity 12. Life, Death and the Whole Black Thing postscript And finally . . . Glossary of Army slang etc Index Acknowledgements About the co-author About the Household Cavalry Foundation

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Book SynopsisThis compilation of 76 World War II veterans'' stirring recollections presents a remarkable array of stories from all of the major theatres of the war, including the Pacific, Europe, and a saga of Japanese internment in the United States. Gleaned from a series of memoir-writing classes, veterans of the greater Fresno, California, region recorded their memories, thoughts, fears, and feelings on having played a role in World War II. Ranging from riveting to poignant, the stories capture the dramatic moments of epochal combat -- including the landings at Okinawa and the Battle of the Bulge -- while acutely expressing the difficulties and privations of life during wartime.

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Book SynopsisThe two political classics in this book are the product of a time of intense turmoil in Chinese history. Dating from the Period of the Warring States (403-221BC), they anticipate Machiavelli's The Prince by nearly 2000 years. The Art of War is the best known of a considerable body of Chinese works on the subject. It analyses the nature of war, and reveals how victory may be ensured. The Book of Lord Shang is a political treatise for the instruction of rulers. These texts are anything but armchair strategy or ivory-tower speculation. They are serious, urgent and practical responses to the desperate situations in which they were written. They have been immensely influential both inside and outside China.

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Book SynopsisThe text discusses the creation of Pakistan, political instability, military coups, and the genocide in East Pakistan leading to India's involvement in training Mukti Bahini. It also highlights international repercussions and the author's first-hand account of the Bangladesh liberation struggle.

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Book SynopsisThe true story of one man''s determination to master the world''s deadliest helicopter and of a split-second decision that changed the face of modern warfare.May 2006. Pilot Ed Macy arrives in Afghanistan with a contingent of the Apache AH Mk1. It's the first operational tour for the deadly machines and confidence in the cripplingly expensive attack helicopter is low. It doesn't help that for their first month in action', Ed and his mates see little more than the back-end of a Chinook.But when the men of 3 Para get pinned down during Op Mutay, reservations about the fearsome new attack helicopters are thrown out the window. In the blistering firefight that follows, Ed unleashes the first ever Hellfire missile in combat and, with one squeeze of the trigger, changes the war in Afghanistan forever. What had been rumoured as a 4.2 billion mistake quickly becomes the British Army's greatest asset, as the awe-inspiring Apache is dramatically redirected to fight the enemy head-on.In this gripTrade Review‘Ed Macy is a 21st Century Top Gun. His journey to the gunship pilot elite is truly awesome.’ Andy McNab Praise for ‘Apache’: ‘Puts you right in the cockpit with your finger on the trigger. A truly awesome read; and a climax that Hollywood couldn’t invent…’ Andy McNab 'Macy is the real deal. Nobody could write that powerfully about combat, or emotionally about the men fighting with him, unless he has been at the gunship's controls. A fantastic, totally exhilarating rollercoaster read. Forget his Hellfire missiles, the book itself is enough to blow you away' Sergeant Major Dan Mills, author of number one bestseller Sniper One 'An honest account of exceptional bravery' Ross Kemp

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Book SynopsisA poet, a gangster and an agent of the Resistance; 'Deserter' details three astonishing lives shaped by the decision to flee during WWII.During the Second World War, the British lost 100,000 troops to desertion, and the Americans 50,000. Commonwealth forces from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Britain''s colonial empire also left the ranks in their thousands. But, surprisingly, only one WWII deserter was executed for his crime.In Deserter', veteran reporter and historian Charles Glass gives voice to the powerful stories of three soldiers, two Americans and one Brit, who all ran from the conflict to meet with distinctly different fates. He follows each into the heat of battle, exploring the pressures that formed their decisions and the lasting impact of their choices. The result is a highly emotional and engaging study of an under-explored area of World War II history.Trade Review‘Sensitive and thought-provoking … As this compelling and well-researched book shows, the battlefield was not a place for heroes, but a place where young men were dehumanised and killed … Given such conditions who among us would not also have considered walking away?’ Sunday Telegraph ‘[These] stories of individual human beings who eventually cracked under the strain of hardly imaginable fear and misery – are wonderful, unforgettable acts of witness, something salvaged from a time already sinking into the black mud of the past’ Guardian ‘Gripping … painstaking … sympathetic … Glass reveals just how inglorious war really is’ The Times ‘Charles Glass gives us something rare – he describes war, it’s foulness and demonic chaos, not from the heroes’ point of view but from a human point of view … A valuable work’ Evening Standard ‘Remarkable’ Sunday Times ‘With his own skill and sensitivity, Glass recreates the inhuman scenes that pummel the other soldiers he examines … Glass displays an unusual degree of empathy and kinship with these men … refreshing and stimulating – history told from the loser’s perspective. 5*’ Nicholas Shakespeare, Daily Telegraph ‘Glass’s humane and groundbreaking history brings these untold, often tragic stories to light’ Sunday Telegraph ‘An important and refreshing book, shedding light on a subject that deserves attention … deepens our understanding of the realities of modern warfare and is a welcome challenge to the unquestioning hagiography of “The Greatest Generation”’ Times Literary Supplement ‘This is a world of frustrated and degrading brutality, racism and moral stupidity, of opportunistic greed, corruption, fear, mental disintegration and crime … the more familiar narratives of war seem uplifting in contrast … if Glass makes little attempt at neutrality few readers will mind that … If you have tears, prepare to shed them now’ David Crane, Spectator

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Book SynopsisTwo sisters. Two special agents. One War. Sisters, Secrets and Sacrifice is the incredible true story of British special agents Eileen and Jacqueline Nearne, two sisters who risked everything to fight for our freedom during the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisBestselling author Charlie Connelly returns with a First World War memoir of his great uncle, Edward Connelly, who was an ordinary boy sent to fight in a war the likes of which the world had never seen. But this is not just his story; it is the story of all the young forgotten soldiers who fought and bravely died for their country

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Book SynopsisWhat is it like to kill? What is it like to be under fire? How do you know what's right? What can you never forget? The author asks the difficult questions of these combatants, many of whom he first met while in Afghanistan and Iraq and others he sought out from different wars.Trade Review"Sites highlights the importance of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and sharing stories. Most importantly, he forces readers, those average civilians, to look at what war does to people and think about whether it's always worth it." -- San Francisco Chronicle "The harrowing accounts detail the experiencesof 11 US soldiers and Marines who have been ravaged by modern warfare and its psychological aftermath. What makes Kevin's reporting unique and essential is that it didn't stop on the battlefield-he followed his subjects home." -- Vice "Brilliant! An unprecedented view into the heart, mind and soul of American Warriors from every generation. A must read for every American." -- Sean Parnell, New York Times Bestselling Author of Outlaw Platoon A vivid set of portrats of modern combatants written in prose taht moves with speed and heat." -- Edward Tick, Ph. D., codirector of Solider's heart and authof of War and Soul "Riveting and emotionally raw...These gripping stories...are evidence of a profound desire to heal." -- Publishers Weekly "This is tough stuff, as many of the experiences recounted here are graphic, cruel, and bloody, but they offer an intimate look at the costs of war on a personal, elemental level." -- Booklist "In sensitive, honest prose, the author emphasizes that this is a book about hope. An important book for warriors and the communities that send them to war." -- Kirkus Reviews A gritty look at postwar distress, including veterans' personal accounts, by a journalist with his own intimate perspective on the subject. -- Shelf Awareness (Bruce Jacobs of Watermark Books & Cafe, Wichita, KS

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Trade Review"Meticulous, eloquent, and compelling - and hugely readable. The 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack is well served by A Matter of Honor." -- Simon Winchester, New York Times bestselling author of The Men Who United the States and Pacific "Anthony Summers' & Robbyn Swan's A Matter of Honor is a noble and right-minded portrait of Admiral Kimmel, the scapegoat for Pearl Harbor. The amount of fresh research is deeply impressive. Highly recommended!" -- Douglas Brinkley, author of Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt & the Land of America "The most comprehensive, accurate and thoroughly researched book of events leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor ever written. It provides new information never before revealed." -- Admiral James Lyons, former Commander in Chief U.S. Pacific Fleet "Streamlined, muscular, objective, and well-written - a sensitive examination of a vast constellation of source material. [Summers and Swan] present a powerful argument in defense of Admiral Kimmel, who was blamed for the attack and forced into inglorious retirement. An excellent book." -- Martin Morgan, World War II historian and author "Meticulous research...thorough-going...provides a great deal of insight into the ordeal of Admiral Husband Kimmel, who served his nation well but was treated shabbily by its leaders." -- Paul Stillwell, author of Battleship Arizona "A fine book. Scrupulously researched and rigorously argued..[a] compellingly told story." -- David M. Kennedy, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression & War, 1929-1945

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Chris Kyle tells his story with the same courage and grit he displayed in life and on the battlefield. American Sniper is a compelling read." -- CLINT EASTWOOD "An amazingly detailed account of fighting in Iraq--a humanizing, brave story that's extremely readable." -- PATRICIA CORNWELL, New York Times Book Review "In the elite community of warriors, one man has risen above our ranks and distinguished himself as unique. Chris Kyle is that man. A master sniper, Chris has done and seen things that will be talked about for generations to come." -- MARCUS LUTTRELL, author of Lone Survivor "Chris Kyle was incredible, the most celebrated war hero of our time, a true American hero in every sense of the word." -- D Magazine "The raw and unforgettable narrative of the making of our country's record-holding sniper, Chris Kyle's memoir is a powerful book, both in terms of combat action and human drama. Chief Kyle is a true American warrior down to the bone, the Carlos Hathcock of a new generation." -- CHARLES W. SASSER, Green Beret (US Army Ret.) and author of One Shot, One Kill "Reads like a first-person thriller narrated by a sniper. The bare-bones facts are stunning. ... A first-rate military memoir." -- BOOKLIST #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER -- No Source "American Sniper is the inside story of what it's like to be in war. A brave warrior and patriot, Chris Kyle writes frankly about the missions, personal challenges, and hard choices that are part of daily life of an elite SEAL Sniper. It's a classic!" -- RICHARD MARCINKO (USN, Ret.), First Commanding Officer of SEAL Team Six and #1 bestselling author of Rogue Warrior

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A story of awe-inspiring courage and steely determination. ... Stratton's book should be in every school library." -- The Missourian "If you really want to know what happened at Pearl Harbor, you'll want to read [Donald Stratton's] book." -- BILL O'REILLY, The O'Reilly Factor ("Tip of the Day") "Stratton tells his epic story in the memoir All the Gallant Men. ... Stratton would have been among the 1,177 USS Arizona shipmates - out of 1,511 aboard - who perished if not for a nail-biting escape." -- New York Post "An intimate account. ... A powerful voice." -- Library Journal "[An] epic tale." -- Daily Mail (UK) "Ninety-four-year-old veteran Donald Stratton delivers an extraordinary firsthand account in All the Gallant Men." -- Bookreporter.com "An amazing story, and we're lucky that Don Stratton decided to share it. -- Military.com "Add[s] to the historical knowledge of Pearl Harbor. ... Deeply personal. ... Stratton's book reminds us of a better America, an America that was strong in character, not just military power. ... As Stratton reminds us, true greatness comes from within." -- Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated columnist

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Book SynopsisA gritty, first-person account. ... One can hear Shaw’s voice as if he were sitting beside you. —Wall Street JournalAn unforgettable soldier’s-eye view of the Pacific War’s bloodiest battle, by the first American officer ashore Okinawa. On Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, 1.5 million men gathered aboard 1,500 Allied ships off the coast of the Japanese island of Okinawa. The men were there to launch the largest amphibious assault on the Pacific Theater. War planners expected an 80 percent casualty rate.The first American officer ashore was then-Major Art Shaw (1920-2020), a unit commander in the U.S. Army’s 361st Field Artillery Battalion of the 96th Infantry Division, nicknamed the Deadeyes. For the next three months, Shaw and his men served near the front lines of the Pacific’s costliest battle, their artillery proving decisive against a phantom enemy who had entrenched itself in the rugged, craggy island. Over eighty-two days, the Allies fought the Japanese army in a campaign that would claim more than 150,000 human lives. When the final calculations were made, the Deadeyes were estimated to have killed 37,763 of the enemy. The 361st Field Artillery Battalion had played a crucial role in the victory. The campaign would be the last major battle of World War II and a key pivot point leading to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and to the Japanese surrender in August, two months after the siege’s end. Filled with extraordinary details, Shaw’s gripping account gives lasting testimony to the courage and bravery displayed by so many on the hills of Okinawa.Trade Review"A gritty, first-person account remembered from the vantage point of 75 years later. One can hear Shaw’s voice as if he were sitting beside you reminiscing through misty eyes about the defining moments of his youth." — Wall Street Journal "82 Days on Okinawa is a personal view of war that is heartfelt and poignant. Col. Shaw’s account of the day-to-day grind brings new life to the historical record. His reflections of home and his longing to return, interspersed with the upcoming engagements, make for an impactful narrative. A fine autobiography/history book for all to enjoy.” — Portland Book Review “A comprehensive and action-packed memoir of the Battle of Okinawa…This dual perspective gives the book a wide-angled view that’s unusual in a soldier’s battle memoir…a satisfying presentation of the bloodiest battle in the Pacific Theater of WWII.” — Publishers Weekly "A vivid re-creation of a campaign so vicious that the soldiers involved rejoiced when they heard about Hiroshima." — Kirkus Reviews "World War II aficionados will love this book." — Library Journal

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Book SynopsisSTATION X tells the true story, as it has never been told before, of the amazing achievements of the codebreakers working at Bletchley Park in the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisTells the true story of how Mike Ritland grew from a skinny, bullied child, to a member of our nation's most elite SEAL Teams, to the trainer of the world's most highly skilled K9 warriors.

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Book SynopsisThis is the moving account of the horror of the Warsaw Ghetto -- written by the recognised archivist and historian of the area while he lived through it. Through anecdotes, stories, and notations -- some as brief as was slapped today in Zlota Street -- there emerges the agonising, eyewitness accounts of human beings caught in the furore of senseless, unrelenting brutality. In the Journal, there is the whole of life in the Ghetto, from the erection of the Wall, in November 1940, for hygienic reasons, through the brief period of deceptive calm to the eventual mass murders. It is a portrait of man tested by crisis, stained at times by the meanness of avarice and self-preservation, illumined more often by moments of nobility.

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Book SynopsisIn this sequel to the hugely-popular This Man’s Wee Boy, young Tony Doherty struggles to come to terms with the murder of his father, Paddy, on Bloody Sunday and the impact it has on his mother, Eileen, and his brothers and sisters. At nine years old, he knows a terrible wrong has been committed against his family but lacks the understanding or the means to do anything about it – yet. For his fractured family, life goes on, with Tony determined to preserve the memory of his father and the bond they shared, even as he becomes increasingly immersed in the violent conflict raging on Derry’s streets. As the 1970s unfold his father’s absence remains the backdrop to the teenage Tony’s newfound friendships and relationships, an ever-present ache amidst the craic and excitement of Sunday dances, first kisses and a trip to Butlins. Then, at seventeen, Tony decides it’s time to join the fight.

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Book SynopsisA true story of a Halifax aircraft and seven airmen flying much needed supplies from their base in Italy to Poland to aid partisans fighting heroically during the Warsaw Uprising. It traces the lives of the aircrew and one special man, the father I never knew. It is a story of tragedy and loss, survival and discovery, of a plane shot down and Polish partisans coming to the aid of the survivors. It concludes with a long journey from California to Poland to meet families who also share a truly special connection with this aircraft.

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Book SynopsisStumbling from a university anarchist meeting into a career in the army, Chip Chapman is aware of how consciously incompetent he is. The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst confirms his worst fears. He is eventually let loose on 6 Platoon of 2 PARA and, via the Falklands War, manages to elevate himself to a position of conscious competence and save his career. Snapshots on all aspects of military life, and government decision making, show the military at work and play. This hilarious, touching, informative and thought-provoking insight into a generation of soldiering in the late 20th century and beyond is set against the drumbeat of the social, cultural, legal and educational rhythms of the age, and the change from the certainties of the Cold War to the nihilism of 9/11. Chip Chapman eventually manages to somehow climb the greasy pole to become a General. With echoes of David Niven's The Moon's a Balloon, Lesley Thomas' Virgin Soldiers and the travelogues of Bill Bryson, Chapman captures the rawness, spirit and fortitude of the soldier and soldiering in both peace and war.

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Book SynopsisAs an 18-year-old, John Urwin was posted to Cyprus, where he was recruited into a top-secret unit called the Sixteen, whose task was to assassinate key figures throughout the Middle East. Now he breaks his silence to tell their story. Their training was said to have surpassed that of the SAS in unarmed combat and weaponry. His description of their four key missions is explosive and a riveting account of the turbulent 1950s in the Middle East. The Cold War was approaching its height and when there was a mission to be undertaken that no government could be seen to endorse, the Sixteen would do the job. No previous depiction of a military group, in book or movie, has remotely compared to the secrecy, skills and sheer professionalism of the Sixteen.

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