True war and combat stories Books

Book SynopsisEx-Private X is the pseudonym of Alfred McClelland Burrage , author, who served with 1/28th London Regiment (Artists Rifles), 190th Brigade, 63rd (RN) Division. Since the end of 1914 the battalion had acted as an Officers Training Corps and out of 15000 who served in the battalion 10250 were commissioned. Private X was an unsuccessful candidate. He joined his unit at Hesdin in early 1917 where it formed part of GHQ Troops, but from the summer of 1917 potential officers were trained in the UK and 1/28th became an ordinary infantry battalion. His front line service began in July 1917 when the battalion joined the 63rd Division which was then occupying the Oppy and Gavrelle sectors; in October it moved north to the salient where Third Ypres was in full swing. There are graphic descriptions of the conditions and the fighting during the attack on Passchendaele alongside the Canadians on 30th October which cost the battalion 350 casualties. Two months later there was more fierce fighting at Welch Ridge following the German successful counter-attack at Cambrai battle and again in the early days of the German March offensive But his gift with the pen also resulted in attacks, at times vitriolic, on troops behind the lines, especially the Military Police, the staff and the generals. Nor did he care for the Australians. To quote one example from the book, in which he is referring to the military police, he writes: "The military police were a nice crowd, too. The only good word I have to say for the Australians is that they killed a lot of these swine; but they didn''t kill half enough." The New Zealanders on the other hand he really liked and admired. His war ended on 7th April when he was sent back suffering with trench feet and was invalided home. While waiting in hospital he spoke to a Warrant Officer asking him if he could get him marked for England. "I can," the WO replied, "and that will cost you two pounds." Unfortunately Burrage didn''t have it, so he had to wait on - till 14th April when he started his journey home.

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Book SynopsisParatrooper Lance-Corporal Vincent Bramley's account of his experiences in the frontline of modern warfare is a testament that could stand for any soldier who has to cope with fatigue, fear, aggression, carnage and death. It is a story filled with compassion and brutality in almost equal measure. Most of all, it is a story of confusion - confusion in the heat of battle and confusion in the hearts and souls of ordinary men.Trade Review'The most candid and shocking account of modern ground warfare ever written.' - The Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisA biography of one of the most prominent soldiers in the New Model Army, who made Cromwell Lord Protector but stopped him becoming king. John Lambert's life and career have long deserved this revealing study. The man who made Cromwell Lord Protector in 1653 also stopped him becoming king in 1657; and Lambert was the originator of the Instrument of Government, on which Cromwell's Protectorate was based. Committed to his deeply held, radical beliefs, Lambert first rose to prominence as a dashing cavalry commander in the civil wars of 1642 - 51, and he was a prominent upholder of the power ofthe New Model Army, particularly in his creation of the Major Generals, who ruled England in 1655. Lambert's refusal to countenance Cromwell as king saw his temporary fall from power, but he emerged after the Protector's death asa possible successor. His radical ideas seemed to threaten even 'his own side', and led to his imprisonment in the Tower in 1660, but he escaped and staged a last desperate republican stand against the return of Charles II. Although Lambert was subsequently convicted of treason, Charles did not have him executed - sure recognition that his character, private actions and beliefs were those of a man who was much more than a military revolutionary. DAVID FARR is head of history at Norwich School.Trade ReviewA well-put-together biography which...goes a long way towards plumbing the depths of an `unfathomed' swordsman with `a working brain'. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *An important study... A careful analysis of Lambert's motivation, his attachment to kinship, his military standing and his approach to religion. * NORTHERN HISTORY *A fine new biography....shows impressive command of both primary and secondary sources, and places Lambert within the context of his times most effectively. * HISTORICAL JOURNAL *

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Book Synopsis'I set out to find how courage is born and how it is sustained in a modern army of a free people. The soldier is alone in his war with terror and we have to recognise the first signs of his defeat, that we may come in time to his rescue.' Lord Moran First published in 1945 this early, groundbreaking account of the psychological effects of war, recounted by means of vivid first-hand observation and anecdote, came at a time when shell-shock was equated with lack of moral fibre. In 1940, Moran became Churchill's doctor and his position as a one of history's most important war physicians was secured. His humane, considered observations, scientific analysis and proposed solutions constitute one of the great First World War sources. However, they are perhaps just as relevant to our own conflict-ridden times. Charles McMoran Wilson was awarded the MC during the Battle of the Somme and the Italian Silver Medal for Military Valour. He was the Dean of St Mary's Hospital Medical School, became Winston Churchill's doctor in 1940 and was President of the Royal College of Physicians. He is also the author of Churchill: The Struggle for Survival and Churchill at War. PRAISE FOR THE ANATOMY OF COURAGE 'A remarkably human book ...arresting, and sometimes even unforgettable.' Desmond McCarthy, Sunday Times 'A fascinating book ...It is not easy to do justice to Lord Moran's discursive brilliancy ...a masterly piece of work.' Times Literary SupplementTrade ReviewAs relevant today as it was when first written over sixty years ago * The Bulletin of the Military Historical Society *

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Book SynopsisCounty Kerry saw many of the most vicious episodes in both the War of Independence and the Civil War. Many Republican survivors of these events were reluctant to speak about their experiences, even to their own family. However, they were willing to talk to Ernie O’Malley, who was the senior surviving Republican military commander from the period of those struggles. By transcribing O’Malley’s notebooks, where he recorded these interviews, Cormac O’Malley and Tim Horgan have made available previously unpublished first-hand accounts of Kerry’s role in the fight for independence. The interviews provide an unrivalled insight into this important period of Irish history, including controversial incidents such as the Ballyseedy massacre, the battle at Headford Junction and executions by the Free State forces.Trade Review'O'Malley's book provides a rare and illuminating window into the struggle as it happened on the ground.' -- Cahir O'Doherty

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Book SynopsisLiam Lynch joined the Irish Volunteers after the Easter Rising of 1916 and quickly rose through its ranks. He reorganised the Cork Brigade in 1919 and in 1921 became the commanding officer of the First Southern Division which controlled all the Volunteer Brigades in the south of the country. A prominent opponent of the Treaty of 1921, he became chief of staff of the anti-Treaty IRA, leading the fight against the pro-Treaty forces until his death in 1923. With the aid of Liam Lynch’s personal letters, private documents and historical records, 'Liam Lynch: The Real Chief' traces the turbulent career of one of Ireland’s greatest guerrilla commanders from his birth in 1893 until his death twenty-nine years later in the Civil War when he was killed in action on the Knockmealdown mountains. This book demonstrates Liam Lynch’s importance in Irish history, including his efforts with Michael Collins, Richard Mulcahy and others to avoid a civil war, and his unwavering efforts to achieve a thirty-two county republic, rather than a partitioned state. Part of the 'Irish Revolutionaries' series being published in the run-up to the centenary of the 1916 Rising.Trade ReviewNo tag line - Brief Summary * Books Ireland *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements 7 Introduction 1 The Fatal Shot 2 Early life and vision of Ireland 3 Declaration for an Irish Republic 4 Love and marriage postponed for Roisin Dubh 5 Military activity continues 6 Talks with Michael Collins and GHQ 7 Arrested with Tomas MacCurtain 8 Hostilities intensify - death of a true friend 9 More comrades shot 10 Intelligence 11 Spies 12 Formation of First Southern Division 13 GHQ's lack of consultation with Cork brigades 14 Truce - hope for full settlement 15 Collins' offer - commander-in-chief position 16 IRB's allegiance to the Republic 17 First indication of Treaty split 18 Army conventions - Executive chief-of-staff appointment 19 Efforts for army unity 20 Arms exchanged in northern offensive 21 Disunity and Civil War 22 Compromise Limerick agreement Memo on Michael Collins' death Determination and hope of victory With Executive members Death on the Knockmealdowns Inquest and Final Resting Appendix I Appendix II Appendix III Appendix IV Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisFormed at the personal insistence of Winston Churchill after the Nazi Blitzkrieg of Western Europe, the Parachute Regiment quickly acquired a formidable reputation as tough, fearless soldiers; it was the Germans themselves who christened then the 'Red Devils'. More than 10,000 men of the Parachute Regiment took part in some of the most desperate actions of the Second World War. In the 'savage wars of peace' following 1934, the Paras have never been out of action.

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Book Synopsis‘PAT PATTLE WAS A LEGEND IN THE RAF … HE WAS FAR AND AWAY THE GREATEST ACE THE MIDDLE EAST WAS EVER TO SEE, WITH AN ASTRONOMICAL NUMBER OF VICTORIES TO HIS CREDIT’ Roald Dahl

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Book SynopsisFrom near suicidal RAF attacks in 1939 through to the dawn of the jet age in 1945, FLAMES IN THE SKY captures the astonishing drama, intensity, heroism and incomparable exhilaration of the World War Two air war like no other book.

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Book SynopsisIn the tradition of The Chosen Few, a riveting, gritty account of the single Marine battalion that routed the fanatic fighters of Al-Qaeda in Iraq in dangerous Anbar province

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Book SynopsisDeng Adut was six years old when war came to his village in South Sudan. Taken from his mother, he was conscripted into the Sudan People''s Liberation Army. He was taught to use an AK-47 then sent into battle.Shot in the back, dealing with illness and the relentless brutality of war, Deng''s future was bleak. A child soldier must kill or be killed. But, after five years, he was rescued by his brother John and smuggled into a Kenyan refugee camp. With the support of the UN and help from an Australian couple, Deng and John became the third Sudanese family resettled in Australia.Despite physical injuries and ongoing mental trauma, Deng seized the chance he''d been given. Deng taught himself to read and, in 2005, he enrolled in a Bachelor of Laws at Western Sydney University.Songs of a War Boy is the inspirational story of a young man who has overcome unthinkable adversity to become a lawyer, refugee advocate and NSW Australian of the Year. Deng''s memoir is an important reminder of the power of compassion and the benefit to us all when we open our doors and our hearts to those fleeing war, persecution and pain.Trade ReviewWhether or not Australia deserves the praise and faith vested in us by Adut, he certainly makes one want to strive to live up to his vision of the nation he now so proudly calls home. * ArtsHub *In our oft overheated conversation about migrants, Songs of a War Boy seriously challenges our notions of what it means to be Australian. It's much less about genetic heritage than the fact that we are welcoming and free and live by the rule of law. Here, there's an immense pride in a citizenship that most of us take for granted. * Sydney Morning Herald *

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Book SynopsisThe riveting story of the missing piece of Australia''s World War II history, told by bestselling historian Mat McLachlan (Walking with the Anzacs, Gallipoli: The Battlefield Guide).During World War II, in the town of Cowra in central New South Wales, Japanese prisoners of war were held in a POW camp. By August 1944, over a thousand were interned and on the icy night of August 5th they staged one of the largest prison breakouts in history, launching the only land battle of World War II to be fought on Australian soil. Five Australian soldiers and more than 230 Japanese POWs would die during what became known as The Cowra Breakout.This compelling and fascinating book, written by one of Australia''s leading battlefield historians, vividly traces the full story of the Breakout. It is a tale of proud warriors and misfit Australian soldiers. Of negligence and complacency, and of authorities too slow to recognise danger before it occurred - and too quick to c

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Book SynopsisA Coastwatcher''s work is ... to sit in hiding like a spider, right in the web of the enemy, unseen and unheard. We became the eyes and ears of the Pacific.'' Reg Evans, CoastwatcherHidden deep in the jungles and high in the mountains of the Southwest Pacific during World War II, Australia''s secret army - the Coastwatchers - reported every move of the Japanese invaders to Allied intelligence.Following World War I, the Coastwatcher organisation was formed from European planters, missionaries and patrol officers living in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. All volunteers, they were tasked with keeping an eye on Australia''s porous northern border and providing early warnings via radio.When World War II came to the Pacific, however, overnight the Coastwatchers found themselves no longer just observers but spies operating behind enemy lines. Besides evading the enemy''s desperate efforts to hunt them down, the Coastwatchers battled exhaustion, tropical d

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Book SynopsisThe Battle for Milne Bay - Japan''s first defeat on land in the Second World War - was a defining moment in the evolution of the indomitable Australian fighting spirit. For the men of the AIF, the militia and the RAAF, it was the turning point in the Pacific, and their finest - though now largely forgotten - hour. Forgotten, until now.In August 1942, Japan''s forces were unstoppable. Having conquered vast swathes of south-east Asia - Malaya, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies - and now invading New Guinea, many feared the Empire of the Rising Sun stood poised to knock down Australia''s northern door.But first they needed Port Moresby. In the still of an August night, Japanese marines sailed quietly into Milne Bay, a long, malaria-ridden dead end at the far eastern tip of Papua, to unleash an audacious pincer movement. Unbeknown to them, however, a secret airstrip had been carved out of a coconut plantation by US Engineers, and a garrison of Australian troops had been established, supported by two locally based squadrons of RAAF Kittyhawks, including the men of the famed 75 Squadron. The scene was set for one of the most decisive and vicious battles of the war.For ten days and nights Australia''s soldiers and airmen fought the elite of Japan''s forces along a sodden jungle track, and forced them back step by muddy, bloody step.In Turning Point, bestselling author Michael Veitch brings to life the incredible exploits and tragic sacrifices of these Australian heroes.Trade ReviewVeitch has done a wonderful job . . . a fast-paced and thrilling tale * Daily Telegraph on Michael Veitch's Barney Greatrex *Veitch has done a wonderful job . . . a fast-paced and thrilling tale * Daily Telegraph on Michael Veitch's Barney Greatrex *should be part of Australian military folklore * Adelaide Advertiser on Michael Veitch's 44 Days *should be part of Australian military folklore * Adelaide Advertiser on Michael Veitch's 44 Days *fascinating . . . Veitch brings the story vividly to life * Sydney Morning Herald on Michael Veitch's Barney Greatrex *fascinating . . . Veitch brings the story vividly to life * Sydney Morning Herald on Michael Veitch's Barney Greatrex *

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Book SynopsisIan McLachlan has spent many years researching a brand new collection of exciting United States Army Air Force fighter stories of the Second World War. He has trawled official archives, interviewed survivors and gained privileged access to personal letters, diaries and photo albums to relate a series of compelling stories of the USAAF''s fighter squadrons at war. Each story is self-contained and looks at a particular incident or theme. Among the selection of diverse stories are the following examples: In broad daylight - Dutch resistance operatives spirit a young 4th Fighter Group P-51 pilot away from his captors. Osce Jones - crash-landing just after D-Day, Osce journeys on foot through enemy territory, but will he escape? Frank Klibbe - an eventual 56th Fighter Group ace is fined USD50 for damage to Government property - one P-47 Thunderbolt. Back from the dead - Harry Howard, a 339FG pilot turns up to tell the tale after his memorial service.

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Book SynopsisTrue tales of Second World War spies from across the West Country have been collected together for the very first time in this fascinating book.

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Book SynopsisFirst-hand accounts of what D-Day was really like for those who took part in Operation Overlord

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Book SynopsisThe stories of the innocent; the survivors and those left behind, who paid the price of terrorism in Northern IrelandTrade ReviewKen Wharton’s epic history of the black days in Northern Ireland is both stark and sensitive. We all owe him a great debt for his dedication to keeping the memory of the Troubles alive. -- Patrick BishopA deeply moving and extremely important contemplation of the horrors of Northern Ireland’s Troubles and their aftermath. -- Kevin MyersTo A Dark Place shatters your senses and chills the blood in a way only Ken Wharton can. It’s a tale of unmitigated terror all the more horrifying for its truth, when fiends of either stripe, Loyalist or Republican, roamed the streets of Northern Ireland, popping up on doorsteps like gruesome Jack-in-the-boxes, and “offing” innocents for spurious offences against “the cause”. -- Steven McLaughlinSouth East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) are working collaboratively with author Ken Wharton in securing involvement from victims/survivors in sharing their lived experiences. -- Kenny Donaldson

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Book SynopsisMayday. Mayday. Mayday . . . Every member of the Goldfish Club has been forced to broadcast these terrifying words from a stricken aircraft, making them one of the most unusual fellowships in the world. Formed during the Second World War to foster comradeship among pilots who had been forced to bail out over water, the Goldfish Club has taken on new airmen (and one woman) ever since and there are hundreds of tales to be told. All are different. All are utterly gripping.Award winning journalist and author Danny Danziger has brought together some of the most powerful stories of this extraordinary brotherhood. A few will leave you open-mouthed, others may reduce you to tears, but all are a fascinating testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

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Book Synopsis ''A great and inspiring book from Doncaster''s bravest son. Read it in a day'' - Jeremy Clarkson ''Ben is the embodiment of positive thinking. What he has achieved, in large part through willpower, is nothing short of miraculous. An inspiration to us all'' - Ant Middleton The story of Ben Parkinson MBE, the most injured soldier to have survived Afghanistan---What were you doing when you were 22? Where were you in the world? What did you want to do with your life? Ben Parkinson was a 6''4 Paratrooper. He was in Afghanistan fighting for his country. He wanted to always be a soldier, to be a father and to get home in one piece. But we don''t always get what we want. So the question is: how do we react when that happens? Easy: You find something new to fight for.Ben Parkinson MBE is an inspiration to everyone. He suffered 37 injuries when his Land Rover hit a mine in Helmand in 2006, incluTrade ReviewIt will move you - not just to tears but fury...a brilliantly visceral and detailed account * The Times *One of many reasons for reading this military memoir and self-help guide is to remind yourself what a proper hero looks like ... Losing The Battle, Winning The War is that rare thing - a book that's recommended unreservedly * Mirror *

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Book SynopsisPresents the experiences of Scottish soldiers during the Second World War in their own words. This book includes descriptions ranging from the brutal hardships suffered by General Slim''s ''forgotten'' 14th Army as it fought its way through Burma to the large scale onslaught of the D-Day landings to the deprivations of the Siege of Malta.

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Book SynopsisAn utterly compelling and much needed reminder of what war is really all about.

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Book SynopsisFrom 1947 to 1963 some 2.3 million men were conscripted to do national service. For some it was to prove the most exciting and terrifying time of their lives, as many were sent to the Korean War or to countries such as Palestine and Kenya where the terrorist threat was ever-present. They faced death and learned about sex. For others, it was a frustrating interference in their lives, made all the more ridiculous by endless hours of square-bashing or painting coal white.Tom Hickman shows just how varied were the experiences of the recruits. By talking to over 80 veterans, he recalls the hilarious and moving stories from those times, and seeks to explain why the subject still causes debate more than 40 years on. Above all, The Call-Up is a portrait of a vanished era that many still feel has something to teach us today.Trade Review'fascinating account of National Service...A compelling read about compulsory military service during peacetime' * Sun *

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Book SynopsisMany years after becoming the youngest person ever to be awarded the VC for attacking a company of Panzer Grenadiers on his own - an action that proved a turning point in one of the major battles of the Second World War - John Kenneally made an extraordinary confession. The courageous hero of the Irish Guards, who had taken on a whole company single-handed was not, in fact, John Kenneally at all, but Leslie Jackson, the illegitimate son of Neville Blond and Gertrude Robinson (a ''high-class whore''), who had deserted his former regiment, the Honourable Artillery Company. In THE HONOUR AND THE SHAME, he tells his story with great verve and frankness - a story of riotous living, great courage on the front line, and intense loyalties. Full of the escapades of battle - from the triumphant Tunisian campaign to the bloodbath of Anzio - and the many adventures of a freewheeling youth, THE HONOUR AND THE SHAME is a vivid portrait of a fascinating man.

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Book SynopsisFrom surviving a horrific terrorist attack in Northern Ireland, to the violence of the Gulf War and an assault course of harrowing experiences in Iraq, Bosnia and Columbia, Major Bill Shaw, MBE, had seen it all.But Bill''s strength and courage was tested to its absolute limits when he was arrested for a crime he did not commit. Posted in Afghanistan after two years in Iraq, Bill was responsible for the safety of four hundred men in a full-scale danger zone in one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Bill had long accepted that each day could be his last. But he never expected to find his own life at risk under a corrupt legal system. Thrown into prison and forced to share a cramped, vermin-infested cell, Bill had no idea when, or even if, he would see his family again.This is the incredible true story of a brave soldier who survived some of the toughest war zones in the world only to face the nightmare of being wrongfully imprisoned a very long way fr

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Book Synopsis''A fast-paced, thrilling account of British heroism, brave men surrounded and fighting against overwhelming odds. This is the real, sometimes shocking, and deeply personal story of modern warfare and PTSD.'' Andy McNab''This hugely timely book reveals in gripping detail the personal stories of its hidden victims - lest we forget.'' Damien LewisTrapped in an isolated outpost on the edge of the Helmand desert, a small force of British and Afghan soldiers is holding out against hundreds of Taliban fighters. Under brutal siege conditions, running low on food and ammunition, he experiences the full horror of combat. As the casualties begin to mount and the enemy closes in, Evans finds both his leadership and his belief in the war severely tested. Returning home, he is haunted by the memories of Afghanistan. He can''t move on and his life begins to spin out of control.Under the Bearskin was previously published as Code Trade ReviewAuthentic. Revelatory. Shocking. Edge-of-the seat heart-thumping dust and blood and sheer guts. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a hidden time-bomb amongst British veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. This hugely timely book reveals in gripping detail the personal stories of its hidden victims - lest we forget. * Damien Lewis *An absorbing, authentic and movingly accurate account of the fight in Helmand and at home. * Patrick Hennessey, author of Kandak and The Junior Officer's Reading Club *Code Black is a tale of our war in Afghanistan told by one of the men who fought there. It is visceral, truthful and, above all, thought-provoking. Code Black is an impressive achievement and a compelling read. * Bernard Cornwell *An excellent read, the pressures of command and combat intercut with the pressure of subsequently trying to make sense of what happened, how he reacted and whether it was worth it. -- Robert Crampton * Sunday Times Magazine *A fast-paced, thrilling account of British heroism, brave men surrounded and fighting against overwhelming odds. This is the real, sometimes shocking, and deeply personal story of modern warfare and PTSD. If you're going to buy one book about the Afghan conflict, make it this one A must read for anyone interested in our soldiers in Afghanistan. * Andy McNab *

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Book SynopsisIn Bonzo''s War, Clare Campbell told the fascinating story of what it was like for Britain''s pets when the world was at war. This time, she follows the incredible journey of the dogs who conscripted to fight for their country, with some even returning with medals for their bravery. During the most dangerous days of the Second World War, the British government set out to recruit an army of canines - a ''Guard Dog Unit''. This experimental team of brave hounds would later use their incredible sense of smell to sniff out the anti-personnel mines that barred the way to reclaiming Europe. Dog owners countrywide shed tears as they bid farewell to their beloved ''Brian'', ''Rex'', or ''Molly'' and packed them off to the War Dogs Training School to learn the skills they''d need to ''do their bit for Britain'' on the very frontiers of the Third Reich. The soldiers waiting out in the field to greet their canine counterparts were under strict instructions: do no

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Book SynopsisIn 194144, Nazi Germany''s Gebirgsjäger--elite mountain troops--clashed repeatedly with land-based units of the Soviet Navy during the mighty struggle on World War II''s Eastern Front. Formed into naval infantry and naval rifle brigades, some 350,000 of Stalin''s sailors would serve the Motherland on land, playing a key role in the defense of Moscow, Leningrad, and Sevastopol. The Gebirgsjäger, many among them veterans of victories in Norway and then Crete, would find their specialist skills to be at a premium in the harsh terrain and bitter weather encountered at the northern end of the front line. Operating many hundreds of miles north of Moscow, the two sides endured savage conditions as they fought one another inside the Arctic Circle.Featuring archive photographs, specially commissioned artwork, and expert analysis, this is the absorbing story of the men who fought and died in the struggle for the Soviet Union''s northern flank at the height of World War I

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Book SynopsisBrought to life by the personal accounts of six Navy pilots and one British POW, this is the history of the U.S. Navy airstrikes on Japanese-held Hong Kong.Commander John Lamade started the war in 1941 a nervous pilot of an antiquated biplane. Just over three years later he was in the cockpit of a cutting-edge Hellcat about to lead a strike force of 80 aircraft through the turbulent skies above the South China Sea. His target: Hong Kong. As a storm of antiaircraft fire darkened the sky, watching from below was POW Ray Jones. For three long years he and his fellow prisoners had endured near starvation conditions in a Japanese internment camp. Did these American aircraft, he wondered, herald freedom?Trawling through historic records, Steven K. Bailey discovered that the story of the U.S. Navy airstrikes on Japanese-held Hong Kong during the final year of World War II had never been told. Operation Gratitude involved nearly 100 U.S. Navy warships and closTable of ContentsAcronyms Place Names List of Illustrations Maps 1. January 1945 2. December 1941 3. We Are Now Prisoners of War 4. Boxing Day, 1941 5. Training Days 6. Little Jack and the Big John 7. Manila Bay 8. Convoy Hi-87 9. Crew Two 10. Hot, Straight, and Normal 11. Shootin’ Star 12. The Most Frightening Thing 13. Blanket Missions 14. A Complete Failure 15. Target 8 16. Fifteen to Twenty Seconds of Flotation 17. Intense to Unbelievable 18. Three Planes Down 19. Triple X 20. The Man in the Harris Tweed 21. The Bombing of Bungalow C 22. The Results Were Not Commensurate with the Losses 23. The Navy Department Deeply Regrets to Inform You 24. Houseguests 25. Eager Beavers 26. Courts of Inquiry 27. Killed on a Sunday 28. Ten Centuries 29. The Bombing of Bungalow A 30. On the Beach 31. Forever and a Day 32. Reparations, Reassignments, and Record Jackets 33. Ninety-four Pounds 34. Hungjao Road 35. Unknowns Epilogue Acknowledgments Endnotes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisNever heard before real stories of soldiers who fought in WW2''Extraordinary ...If they had not made our war their war also, victory might not have come in 1945'' DAILY TELEGRAPHIn this powerful and moving narrative, Christopher Somerville skilfully links personal testimonies to present an epic which embraces comedy and tragedy, pride and degradation, close comradeship and stark racial prejudice, devotion to the benign Mother Country and a burning desire to see the back of her. Many of the veterans had never previously talked of their experiences, even to close loved ones. They cover such topics as attitudes to Britain before and after the war, why Commonwealth citizens offered to fight, and how some volunteers were inspired by their wartime service while others were thoroughly disillusioned. The result is a rare and faithful memoir to the five million Commonwealth citizens who fought for the Allies and the 170,000 who died or went missing.Trade ReviewVivid reading. Knowing that some of the fighting in the Burmese jungle was hand-to-hand is one thing; reading what it was like to take part in a bayonet charge is quite another * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *But for Somerville, many of the stories in this fascinating book would have been lost with the deaths of their tellers. This is the first time some of these men and women have spoken about their experiences * EYE ON TUESDAY *An extraordinary kaleidoscope of the last Imperial experience ... the Africans, whom the British paid miserably even when they were in the front line in Burma, are humblingly generous in their recollections ... If they had not made our war their war also, victory might not have come in 1945 -- John Keegan * DAILY TELEGRAPH *An engrossing, well told story of terror, extraordinary courage and friendships forged for life. And humour. Somerville wisely gives his interviewees free rein to show that even in the most frightening incidents, people can still raise a smile * HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER *The book says that Commonwealth veterans may feel exasperation, affection or disillusion for this 'boxed and foxed old Dame' named Britain, but never indifference * NZ HERALD *OUR WAR is based on interviews with over eighty men and women from all corners of the globe who participated and shared some notion of what it was to be a member of the Commonwealth at war. It is a beautifully produced book ... enabling so many different voices from the Commonwealth to enrich our knowledge of the experiences of war * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *There are biographies and reminiscences of heroes and villains but this is the first report by ordinary people without illusion or love of war ... These ordinary men and women have brought out some old dreams and nightmares which many of us can match with small packets of faded letters precious in their very unordinary stories * CONTEMPORARY REVIEW *One of the strengths of OUR WAR is that it is truly and even-handedly a Commonwealth history. All its combatants are given attention * NEWSWEEK BULLETIN *OUR WAR is very well-researched and balanced. This is no essay by generals or politicians but a day-to-day account of grassroots experience from its highs to its devastating catastrophes * CANBERRA TIMES *A readable, revealing book ... This is an inspiring story: politicians and generals make the decisions but it is the ordinary people who make history * THE AGE, MELBOURNE *Christopher Sommerville reminds us in Our War... with pictures and eyewitness stories, has been reissued to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the war. * SOLDIER MAGAZINE *

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Book SynopsisDarkly funny, shockingly honest, Brothers in Arms is an unforgettable account of a soldier's tour of Afghanistan, the brutal reality of war – every scary, exciting moment – and the bonds of friendship that can never be destroyed.‘If you could choose which two limbs got blown off, what would you go for?’ Danny said. ‘Your arms or your legs?’In July 2009, Geraint (Gez) Jones was sitting in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan with the rest of The Firm – Danny, Jay, Toby and Jake, his four closest friends, all junior NCOs and combat-hardened infantrymen. Thanks to the mangled remains of a Jackal vehicle left tactlessly outside their tent, IEDs were never far from their mind. Within days they’d be on the ground in Musa Qala with the rest of 3 Platoon – a mixed bunch of men Gez would die for. As they fight furiously, are pushed to their limits, hemmed in by IEDs and hampered by the chain of command, Gez starts to wonder what is the point of it all. The bombs they uncover on patrol, on their stomachs brushing the sand away, are replaced the next day. Firefights are a momentary victory in a war they can see is unwinnable. Gez is a warrior – he wants more than this. But then death and injury start to take their toll on The Firm, leaving Gez with PTSD and a new battle just beginning.'Jones writes of his brothers and their Afghan experience, from its adrenalin-filled highs to the many lows, with passion and candour.' – Major Adam Jowett, bestselling author of No Way Out'A gritty, brutal book about men at war. Raw and real. Brilliant.' – Tom Marcus, author of Soldier SpyTrade ReviewA stunning account of war that gives a detailed look into the psyche of the twenty-first century British infantryman. Jones writes of his brothers and their Afghan experience, from its adrenalin-filled highs to the many lows, with passion and candour. The pace is unrelenting, whilst the epilogue stands as the sobering full stop for a generation of soldiers who campaigned in Iraq and Afghanistan. -- Major Adam Jowett, bestselling author of No Way OutA gritty, brutal book about men at war. Raw and real. Brilliant. -- Tom Marcus, bestselling author of Soldier Spy and Capture or KillAt times darkly funny, at times tragic, this is a powerful and honest book about the British soldier, about the reality of conflict and the struggles some face when they come home. -- Brian Wood MC, bestselling author of Double CrossedPowerful, raw and poignant, but also darkly funny in places. * The Times Magazine *

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Book Synopsis"This is an important book for the country." -- Sean HannityIf you know one thing about Chris Miller, it's that he was President Donald Trump's final Secretary of Defense, elevated to that position in the days after the 2020 election. If you know a second thing about Chris Miller, it's that he oversaw the U.S. Armed Forces during one of the most controversial and tumultuous periods the military has experienced in decades, culminating in the shocking events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Yet Chris Miller is no political partisan. On the contrary, Miller has spent his adult life in the crosshairs of America's most dangerous enemies--from Middle Eastern deserts to the bowels of U.S. intelligence agencies--and emerged as one of the leading national security minds of his generation.Needless to say, Chris Miller has stories to tell. In Soldier Secretary, he reveals for the first time everything he saw--in a book that is candid, thought-provoking, and like that of no Secretary of Defense before him. This book is not just the inside story of what happened during the Trump administration--it's the inside story of what happened to America, its military, and its institutions during the two decades after September 11, 2001.Part badass, part iconoclast, Miller is an irreverent, heterodox, and always-fascinating thinker whose personal journey through war and the White House has led him to some shocking conclusions about the state of American power in 2021. With a perspective that will surprise and interest both Republicans and Democrats, Miller argues for a radical rethinking of U.S. national security strategy unlike anything since the creation of the joint armed forces in the 1980s. He offers a roadmap for how the United States can win in the era of unrestricted warfare by shedding the bloated defense bureaucracy, bringing American forces home from endless conflicts, renewing our national unity, and beating China at its own game.Miller is a true American warrior whose incredible journey from Iowa to Afghanistan to Iraq to the White House endeared him to the troops, prepared him for the unprecedented crisis of January 6, and left him deeply concerned about the future of our military and the future of our nation.

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Book SynopsisAn honest reckoning with the war on terror, masculinity, and the violence of American hegemony abroad, at home, and on the psyche, from a veteran whose convictions came undone When Lyle Jeremy Rubin first arrived at Marine Officer Candidates School, he was convinced that the “war on terror” was necessary to national security. He also subscribed to a strict code of manhood that military service conjured and perpetuated. Then he began to train and his worldview shattered. Honorably discharged five years later, Rubin returned to the United States with none of his beliefs, about himself or his country, intact.  In Pain Is Weakness Leaving the Body, Rubin narrates his own undoing, the profound disillusionment that took hold of him on bases in the U.S. and Afghanistan. He both examines his own failings as a participant in a prescribed masculinity and the failings of American empire, examining the racialized and class hierarchies and culture of conquest that constitute the machinery of U.S. imperialism. The result is a searing analysis and the story of one man’s personal and political conversion, told in beautiful prose by an essayist, historian, and veteran transformed. 

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Book SynopsisWhen the Japanese invade in 1942, the men and women stationed at the New Guinea port of Rabaul flee into the jungle. Written off by their government as ‘hostages to fortune’, the little-known garrison on Australia’s tropic frontier has been left with no modern equipment, no lifeline to the outside, and no means of escape. Most are captured and killed in the sinking of the prison ship Montevideo Maru, which remains Australia’s worst sea disaster. But the surviving soldiers and nurses carry on, to fight the Japanese on other fronts, or to witness the collapse of the Japanese Empire from the inside. Having borne the brunt of defeat, their letters and diaries also record the turning point of the war and the march to victory. Rich in detail drawn from first person accounts, Should We Fall To Ruin illuminates this untold period in military history. It is a compelling tale of bravery and resilience in the face of a seemingly unstoppable enemy. PRAISE FOR SHOULD WE FALL TO RUIN‘an important addition to the Australian wartime canon’ – The Saturday Paper

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Book SynopsisThe extraordinary story of how a Derbyshire coal miner survived as an escaped POW in occupied Poland by posing as a deaf-mute for three years. A few years before Colin Marshall died in 1993 he wrote his story and gave it to his daughter Hazel. She knew he'd had an extraordinary life but she read things he had never talked about, and it seemed part of another world. Years later, after Hazel's mother Nancy died, Hazel found tucked away in a cupboard, unseen letters, postcards and photographs that her mother had saved from Colin's time in Poland during WWII. As a tribute to her dad and the Polish people who helped him, Hazel decided to turn it into a book. This true story takes the reader from Colin growing-up in a Derbyshire mining village in the 1920s: starting work at the local colliery, joining the Lincolnshire Regiment of the Royal Engineers, being called-up at the outbreak of war, captured at Dunkirk and escaping from a POW camp in Poland - to being befriended by a Polish family, in a village occupied by German soldiers. Unable at that time to speak Polish, he posed as a deaf-mute for three years to avoid capture. Any slip-up and Colin knew that his Polish friends would be shot. It is a story of courage and determination and of two Polish families who risked their lives in order to save others.

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Book SynopsisMajor General Rea Leakey was one of the Royal Tank Regiment’s greatest heroes of the Second World War. As a young tank commander, he fought Rommel’s Afrika Korps in the Western Desert of Egypt, before becoming trapped for six months in the siege of Tobruk and temporarily joining the Australian infantry as an honorary Lance Corporal. He later returned to the European theatre in 1944 and served as a Churchill tank commander in Normandy, the Rhine and Germany. Despite it being strictly forbidden, Leakey kept a diary throughout his soldiering career. Based on this valuable account, Leakey’s Luck documents Leakey’s wartime service in its entirety, and offers a view of the war through the eyes of a man who was there at the ‘sharp end’. Many of his exploits were hair-raising, some even too fantastic to believe. Incredibly, Leakey’s luck held out throughout the war, and he remained in the British Army until retirement in 1968.

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Book SynopsisA former senior mujahidin figure and an ex-counter-terrorism analyst cooperating to write a book on the history and legacy of Arab-Afghan fighters in Afghanistan is a remarkable and improbable undertaking. Yet this is what Mustafa Hamid, aka Abu Walid al-Masri, and Leah Farrall have achieved with the publication of their ground-breaking work. The result of thousands of hours of discussions over several years, The Arabs at War in Afghanistan offers significant new insights into the history of many of today's militant Salafi groups and movements. By revealing the real origins of the Taliban and al-Qaeda and the jostling among the various jihadi groups, this account not only challenges conventional wisdom, but also raises uncomfortable questions as to how events from this important period have been so badly misconstrued.Trade ReviewAn extraordinary, fascinating document. This combination of investigation, testimony and analysis will be essential reading for any one interested in the truth about the foreign involvement in the war against the Soviets and the early history of al-Qaeda. -- Jason Burke, South Asia correspondent, The Guardian, and author of The 9/11 WarsLeah Farrall and Mustafa Hamid's creative dialogue provides a unique synthesis between an insider's knowledge and a critical expert's analysis of the origins of global jihadism. Each helps the other, and both help us, see this multi-faceted movement in new and sometimes contradictory ways. -- Barnett Rubin, Senior Fellow and Director at the Center on International Cooperation, New York UniversityThis is an incredible book. Gripping, detailed, and important, it lays bare a story that is all too often shrouded in myth. Read it and understand the roots of al-Qaeda, ISIS, and many of the other crises ripping through the Middle East. -- Gregory D. Johnsen, author of The Last Refuge: Yemen, Al-Qaeda, and America's War in ArabiaEssential reading for anyone who studies militancy in the Islamicate world. Hamid and Farrall offer a persuasive alternative history of the foundation of al-Qaeda and the internal politics of foreign fighters inside Afghanistan. This insider account is an important document that deserves to be studied for many years to come. -- Alex Strick van Linschoten, co-author of An Enemy We Created: The Myth of the Taliban/Al-Qaeda Merger in Afghanistan, 1970-2010…a rare piece of original research into a subject that remains little understood and is often over-simplified. The book argues, correctly, that without understanding the early history of the jihadist movement we cannot hope to assess how the movement will evolve. It is also one of the few works to try to explain this history from the perspective of an early, active participant. … The Arabs at War in Afghanistan should therefore be essential reading for specialists trying to understand the Islamic State, and serve as a warning against any attempt to provide static descriptions of Salafi jihadism rather than seeing it as a continually evolving process. * War on the Rocks *As Farrell's dialogue develops, she extracts intriguing nuggets of information from Hamid such as the participation of Afghan mujaheddin fighters in the first Gulf War; the early involvement of Pakistan’s spy agency, the ISI; divisions within the mujaheddin; and the rise of the Taliban. … As so many questions are being asked about what led to the rise of Islamic State, Farrell has done a commendable job in bringing us an alternative perspective on what historians will look back on as the defining period in the crisis now enveloping the Arab world. * The Australian *

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Book SynopsisIn one of the world's most intractable and under-reported rebellions, the Naxalites have been engaged in a decades-long battle with the Indian state. Presented in the media as a deadly terrorist group, the movement is made up of Marxist ideologues and lower-caste and tribal combatants who seek to overthrow a system that has abused them. In 2010, anthropologist Alpa Shah embarked on a seven-night trek with some of these communist guerrillas, walking 250 kilometres through the dense, hilly forests of eastern India. Speaking to leaders and living for years with villagers in guerrilla strongholds, Shah seeks to understand how and why some of India's poor have shunned the world's largest democracy and taken up arms to fight for a fairer society--and asks whether they might be undermining their own aims. Nightmarch is a compelling reflection on dispossession and conflict at the heart of contemporary India. SHORT-LISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING, 2019 SHORT-LISTED FOR THE NEW INDIA FOUNDATION BOOK PRIZE, 2019 WINNER OF THE 2020 ASSOCIATION FOR POLITICAL AND LEGAL ANTHROPOLOGY BOOK PRIZE A 2018 New Statesman Book of the YearTrade Review‘One of the most nuanced, informed accounts yet of this strange and awful conflict . . . one of the few accounts we possess that gives [the Naxalites] a voice.’'I’ve enormously enjoyed and admired Alpa Shah’s careful, rich, sympathetic account of the Maoist insurgency in India . . . a brave and necessary work'.'This remarkable account offers unprecedented insight into the Naxalite movement .... skilfully sketching characters such as Gyanji, the intellectual elder, Kohli, the tribal teenager 'adopted' by the guerrillas, and Vikas, the corrrupt commander ... What emerges is a portrait of India's diminishing democracy, under the yoke of its ultra-Hindu nationalist government.' -- Le Monde Diplomatique'Powerful, emotional and painstakingly detailed analysis . . . a rare insight. . . the book is engrossing and its characters will haunt you.' * The Hindu *'A subtle and moving portrait . . . Shah combines powerful first-hand description – as gripping as any novel – with analysis which understands the rebel’s motivations and backgrounds without ever falling into simplistic political binaries.’‘Powerful, reflective and deeply engaged scholarship . . . rarely does a work of social science transport one so fully into the lives and worlds of those whose stories are being recounted. Alpa Shah succeeds in doing just that and more by combining ethnographic profundity with almost cinematic vividness . . . the work is a perfect illustration of the unique contribution anthropologists can bring in comprehending the world we live in.’'An astonishing journey. A rare, granular portrait.' -- The Indian Express‘[Alpa Shah] treats the groups she is living with as equal social and political beings … The result is a powerful synthesis, warm but never uncritical, a distillation of her own scholarship and the experiences of her subjects, that immerses the reader in a lifeworld.’ -- New Left Review'A thoughtful and balanced account.' -- La Stampa'Simultaneously a major contribution to scholarship and at the same time written to entice a wider readership to care about the poor and their insurgent politics.' -- Journal of Peasant Studies‘A beautifully crafted and highly engaging narrative that draws the reader into the secretive world of one of today’s forgotten revolutions . . . [an] ethnographically rich and vivid rendering.’'An eloquent and compassionate account of revolutionaries whose voices are rarely heard. Shah skilfully analyses the individual motivations for the Naxalites' radical commitment, their failures, and the deep history of exploitation and neglect that has provoked their struggle for liberation.' -- David Lan, theatre producer and author of 'Guns and Rain'‘[A] vibrant piece of anthropological work . . . written in a way that provides food for thought and, at the same time, moves hearts, this book is an example of the unique contribution anthropologists can bring to understanding the world we live in.’'Shah’s brilliant, careful research and writing is not meant to be an apologia for her subject. It’s quite the opposite. . . . a book that dwells on the electrifyingly complex battle between ideas and experience.''As a committed independent observer and researcher, [Shah's] experience has endowed her with a genuine understanding of the Naxalite revolutionaries.''A story that could not be more important, told with the perfect balance of clear-eyed realism, thoughtful criticism, and deep and abiding love. ... Nightmarch reveals what anthropology can do in the hands of a master willing to take genuine risks in the name of human freedom.' -- David Graeber, author of 'Bullshit Jobs' and 'Debt: The First 5000 Years''One of the most gripping, engaging and accessible books I've encountered on the Naxalites. Shah fearlessly bears witness to the upheavals caused by India's rising inequalities, while also asking many urgent, difficult questions.' -- Meena Kandasamy, author of 'When I Hit You''Compassionate, courageous and uncommonly observant. This is an extraordinary work of rigorous, reflective and deeply engaged scholarship, full of unexpected insights. At the same time, it manages to be haunting, lyrical, occasionally harrowing, even racy--more compelling than some of the best fiction writing.' -- Harsh Mander, human rights worker and author of 'Fatal Accidents of Birth', 'Looking Away' and 'Ash in the Belly''It is hard to imagine a work of social science as a page-turner that you cannot put down. But this intrepid author has produced that rare find: ... a beautifully written and absorbing book that disturbs, moves and educates the reader all at once.' -- Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University'In this intimate and insightful book, Shah elucidates why Adivasis become Naxalites and are also able to alternate between being Naxalites and not being Naxalites; brings out several contradictions in the Naxalite movement; breaks stereotypes about the Adivasis; discusses issues of class, community, privilege, sexual behaviour, and the status of women; and asks one vital question: Is the Naxalite movement doing good for the Adivasis?' -- Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, author of 'The Adivasi Will Not Dance''Brave, brilliant and beautifully written, Nightmarch is an anthropological tour de force. Shah portrays the Naxalites' revolutionary dedication with love, respect and analytical acumen, while laying bare the tragic contradictions of their armed struggle.' -- Philippe Bourgois, author of 'In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio' and 'Righteous Dopefiend''Nightmarch is outstanding, combining ethnographic depth with almost cinematic vividness. From an extraordinary inside perspective, Shah reveals a complex interplay among the Naxalites of political ideals, cultural values, personal attachments, and the lure of money.' -- Sherry B. Ortner, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, UCLA'Riveting, finely textured, and acutely perceptive, Nightmarch captures both the Naxalite insurgency's contradictions and its human promise against the background of the crippling indignities and exclusions of Indian society. It is a model of what ethnography can offer.' -- James C. Scott, author of 'Against the Grain''Profoundly insightful and compassionate, but also critical. ... An admirable example of serious social science writing, this book exhibits the potential of ethnographic research with a comparative angle -- grounded and accessible, yet still theoretically rich.' -- Surinder S. Jodhka, Professor of Sociology, Jawaharlal Nehru University'Bold and courageous, humane and sensitive, Nightmarch is an excellent illustration of how to take ethnography beyond the confines of the academic world.' -- Virginius Xaxa, author of 'State, Society and Tribes: Issues in Post-Colonial India'‘Woven into a fascinating account of her walk through the Maoist heartland, Shah tells a scorching story of dispossession, displacement, exploitation, intense inequality and state violence in India.’

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisIn the early years of the second world war, Japan had the upper hand in the Pacific theatre. Thousands of Allied servicemen were captured and endured brutal treatment – many died, and most of the survivors were held until war’s end in August 1945.This book tells the story of the men who were incarcerated at the Mukden POW camp in northeast China, which was designated for prisoners with special technical skills and high-ranking officers. They included troops from British and Dutch territories and Australia, but the majority were Americans who had been captured in the Philippines and taken part in the infamous Bataan Death March.Based on extensive field research and interviews with former POWs, Yang Jing’s harrowing account of life in the Mukden camp provides detailed evidence of the crimes perpetrated by the Japanese during the second world war, as well as a Chinese perspective on a fascinating period of history.

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Book SynopsisSpanning Europe and Asia, Playing Chess with the Devil is the true story of the remarkable people who risked their lives to protect countless civilians from the Nazis and the Japanese during the second world war. Among these heroic individuals were a German military governor, a Chinese housewife, a Danish sailor, an American missionary and two China-based German businessmen.This is an updated and extended version of Zhang Yawen’s award-winning 2002 novel A Chinese Woman at Gestapo Gunpoint, which has been adapted for the small screen and broadcast in a primetime national TV slot in China. In 2015, the book was selected by Chinese President Xi Jinping as a gift for King Philippe of Belgium. Based on extensive interviews and research, Zhang not only presents the dramatic events surrounding the resistance to fascism, but also delivers a passionate plea for mankind to learn from the mistakes of the past.

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