War and defence operations Books
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The War of 1812
Book SynopsisIn this fully illustrated introduction, acclaimed historian Carl Benn examines the War of 1812 and its significance in US history. The war of 18121815 was a bloody confrontation that tore through the American frontier, the British colonies of Upper and Lower Canada, and parts of the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico. The conflict saw British, American, and First Nations forces clash, and in the process, shape the future of North American history. Carl Benn explains what led to America''s decision to take up arms against Great Britain and assesses the three terrible years of fighting that followed on land and sea, where battles such as Lake Erie and Lake Champlain launched American naval traditions.This new edition has been updated throughout to draw on the research and advances in scholarship in the two decades since original publication in 2002. Benn examines how this has not only impacted basic assumptions of force size and battle dates in some cases, buTable of ContentsIntroduction Background to War Warring Sides Outbreak The Fighting The World Around War How the War Ended Conclusion and Consequences Chronology Further Reading Acknowledgements Index
£11.69
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Battles of the Jacobite Rebellions: Killiecrankie
Book SynopsisMany books have been written about the Jacobite rebellions - the armed attempts made by the Stuarts to regain the British throne between 1689 and 1746 - and in particular about the risings of 1689, 1715, 1719 and 1745. The key battles have been described in graphic detail. Yet no previous book has given a comprehensive military account of the campaigns in their entirety - and that is the purpose of Jonathan Oates's new history. For over fifty years the Jacobites posed a serious threat to the governments of William and Mary, Queen Anne and George I and II. But they were unable to follow up their victories at Killiecrankie, Prestonpans and Falkirk, and the overwhelming defeat suffered by Bonnie Prince Charlie's army when it confronted the Duke of Cumberland's forces at Culloden in 1746 was decisive. The author uses vivid eyewitness testimony and contemporary sources, as well as the latest archaeological evidence, to trace the course of the conflict, and offers an absorbing insight into the makeup of the opposing sides, their leadership, their troops and the strategy and tactics they employed. His distinctive approach gives the reader a long perspective on a conflict which is often viewed more narrowly in terms of famous episodes and the careers of the leading men.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Germans in Normandy
Book SynopsisThe Allied invasion of Northern France was the greatest combined operation in the history of warfare. Up until now it has been recorded from the attackers' point of view whereas the defenders' angle has been largely ignored. While the Germans knew an invasion was inevitable, no-one knew where or when it would fall. Those manning Hitler's mighty Atlantic Wall may have felt secure in their bunkers but they had no conception of the fury and fire that was about to break. After the initial assaults of June established an Allied bridgehead, a state of stale-mate prevailed. The Germans fought with great courage hindered by lack of supplies and overwhelming Allied control of the air. When the Allies finally broke out the collapse was catastrophic with Patton's army in the East sweeping round and Monty's in the West putting remorseless pressure on the hard pressed defenders. The Falaise Gap became a graveyard of German men and equipment. To read the war from the losing side is a sobering and informative experience.
£13.49
Casemate Publishers Britain’S Secret Defences: Civilian Saboteurs,
Book SynopsisThe narrative surrounding Britain’s anti-invasion forces has often centred on ‘Dad’s Army’-like characters running around with pitchforks, on unpreparedness and sense of inevitability of invasion and defeat. The truth, however, is very different.Top-secret, highly trained and ruthless civilian volunteers were being recruited as early as the summer of 1940. Had the Germans attempted an invasion they would have been countered by saboteurs and guerrilla fighters emerging from secret bunkers, and monitored by swathes of spies and observers who would have passed details on via runners, wireless operators and ATS women in disguised bunkers.Alongside these secret forces, the Home Guard were also setting up their own ‘guerrilla groups’, and SIS (MI6) were setting up post-occupation groups of civilians – including teenagers – to act as sabotage cells, wireless operators and assassins had the Nazis taken control of the country.The civilians involved in these groups understood the need for absolute secrecy and their commitment to keeping quiet meant that most went to their grave without ever telling anyone of their role, not even their closest family members. There has been no official and little public recognition of what these dedicated men and women were willing to do for their country in its hour of need, and after over 80 years of silence the time has come to highlight their remarkable role.Trade ReviewBeyond informative, this is a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read that will appeal to most readers, especially those interested in military studies, World War II buffs, and James Bond enthusiasts. * History: Reviews of New Books *Essential reading for anyone interested in Sealion or in the history of special operations forces. * The NYMAS Review 04/01/2023 *There is a tendency … to try and 'sex-up' the story of clandestine military units — there is no need; here, the truth is better than fiction and Chatterton recognises this in a thoughtful, analytical and sober manner … One thing is for sure: this is an exciting, tantalisingly, ongoing story and in due course, more will come out. * Britain at War magazine 03/10/2022 *Gives a good insight into guerrilla warfare tactics and concepts from the perspective of homeland defence. Individuals who are fans of military history or are in a position of leadership regarding homeland defence will find this book informative and interesting. * DODReads 07/12/2022 *Most people tend to associate tales of wartime resistance with France, but [this] new research has revealed details of a secret civilian army of British teenagers, trained to strike back at the Nazis should they ever invade. * The Telegraph 02/01/2022 *Very little is known about the resistance force because Britain was never invaded, and all the recruits had to sign the Official Secrets Act on joining. But [this book] details the clandestine preparations of the unit … Chatterton has pieced together the story of Section VII and other shadowy wartime organisations, and reveals this intriguing hidden chapter of the war. * The Daily Mail *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Chapter One - Formation Chapter Two - Role, ruthlessness and training Chapter Three - Bunkers, equipment, explosives and weapons Chapter Four - Changing role and stand-down Chapter Five - Special Duties Branch: Civilian spies and wireless operators Chapter Six - Signals and ATS Chapter Seven - Secrecy and change of role Chapter Eight - 'Unofficial' auxiliary unites and Home Guard guerrillas Chapter Nine - Post-occupation resistance: SIS Section VII and industrial saboteurs Conclusion
£16.96
Casemate Publishers The Winter War 1939–40
Book SynopsisWhen the Soviet Union invaded Finland in late 1939, what transpired was a true “David and Goliath” conflict. When Finland refused a number of Soviet demands, including the ceding of substantial border territories ostensibly to enable the Soviets to protect Leningrad, the Soviets responded by launching an invasion. The invasion involved a large Soviet army, with several thousand tanks, and a large air force.But to the world's surprise the Finnish Army - many of them reservists without proper uniforms and limited ammunition - and Air Force battled overwhelming odds, and managed to resist Russian attacks for over two months, inflicting serious losses. Geography played its part as much of the Finnish-Soviet border was impassable, meaning that Soviet numerical superiority was of less import. Operating in the winter, with temperatures ranging as low as -43F, the Finns’ determined resistance won them international reputation. Although hostilities finally ended in a peace treaty that saw Finland cede 9% of its territory, Soviet losses had been heavy, and Finland retained its sovereignty.This fully illustrated text will cover the forces involved and all stages of the Winter War.Table of ContentsIntroduction Timeline of Events Finland Under Soviet Threat, 1939 The Soviet Invasion, November 1939 Advance to the Mannerheim Line, December 1939 The Air War 1939–1940 Finnish Guerrilla Warfare, December 1939–March 1940 Battles Along the Mannerheim Line, December 1939 Battles in Lagoda, Kainuu and Lapland, December 1939 Finland’s Defeat, February–March 1940 Afterword Index
£21.21
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Picton's Division at Waterloo
Book SynopsisIn the two hundred years since the Battle of Waterloo countless studies examining almost every aspect of this momentous event have been published - narratives of the campaign, graphic accounts of key stages in the fighting or of the role played by a regiment or by an individual who was there - an eyewitness. But what has not been written is an in-depth study of a division, one of the larger formations that made up the armies on that decisive battlefield, and that is exactly the purpose of Philip Haythornthwaite's original and highly readable new book. He concentrates on the famous Fifth Division, commanded by Sir Thomas Picton, which was a key element in Wellington's Reserve. The experiences of this division form a microcosm of those of the entire army. Vividly, using a range of first-hand accounts, the author describes the actions of the officers and men throughout this short, intense campaign, in particular their involvement the fighting at Quatre Bras and at Waterloo itself.
£21.25
The History Press Ltd Churchills Third World War
Book SynopsisThis is a fascinating insight into the upheaval as the Second World War drew to a close and former alliances were shattered. Operation Unthinkable became the blueprint for the Cold War.
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Hastings 1066: The Fall of Saxon England
Book SynopsisVery few battles of the medieval period can be regarded as decisive but Hastings was certainly one of them. Fought on 14th October 1066 between Duke William of Normandy and Harold Godwinson, king of England, the outcome irrevocably changed the course of English history. William's victory was largely due to the tactical superiority of his forces: not only did he possess infantry and cavalry, but also a significant number of archers or crossbowmen, to whose withering fire the English could make little reply. The eventual death of King Harold prompted an English collapse the successful outcome ensuring William's accession to the English throne.Table of ContentsThe Background to the Crisis of 1066/The Commanders/Opposing Armies/Plans and Preparations/The Battle/Aftermath/The Battlefield Today/Chronology/A Guide to Further Reading/Wargaming the Battle of Hastings
£16.14
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Fall of English France 1449–53
Book SynopsisDespite the great English victories at Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt, the French eventually triumphed in the Hundred Years War. This book examines the last campaign of the war, covering the great battles at Formigny in 1450 and Castillon in 1453, both of which hold an interesting place in military history. The battle of Fornigny saw French cavalry defeat English archers in a reverse of those earlier English victories, while Castillon became the first great success for gunpowder artillery in fixed positions. Finally, the book explains how the seemingly unmartial King Charles VII of France all but drove the English into the sea, succeeding where so many of his predecessors had failed.Table of ContentsOrigins of the campaign /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing armies /Orders of battle /Opposing plans /The campaign /Aftermath /The battlefield today /Further reading /Index
£16.14
Crecy Publishing RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War
Book SynopsisThis eighth volume in the highly respected series covers the HCUs, Lancaster Finishing Schools, Flights, Ferry Training Units, Station Flights and other miscellaneous units, identifying units, aircraft, crews and the circumstances behind each loss, day-by-day.
£15.29
Helion & Company The Chaco Air War 1932-35: The First Modern Air
Book Synopsis
£16.10
Helion & Company Journey Through the Wilderness: Garnet Wolseley's
Book Synopsis
£23.96
Helion & Company Days of Battle: Armoured Operations North of the
Book Synopsis
£22.50
Helion & Company On the Dangerous Edge: British and Canadian
Book Synopsis
£30.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd With Recce at Arnhem
Book SynopsisDetermined to do his bit Des Evans absconded from a reserved occupation and joined the newly formed Reconnaissance Corps. He saw action in North Africa and Italy before being evacuated back to England with pneumonia in early 1944. Fully recovered he volunteered as a wireless operator with 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron and after parachute training joined C Troop before the ill-fated but glorious attempt to seize the Rhine Bridge at Arnhem.Des vividly describes the intense action that followed the drop. Ambushed twice and badly wounded he was made a POW and eventually succeeded in escaping.Fresh first-hand accounts of the bitter fighting at Arnhem are rare indeed and this one is brutally honest, at times shockingly so.Des Evans was born in Liverpool in 1923. Despite being in a Reserve Occupation he finally succeeded in joining the Army. This book covers his wartime service in North Africa, Italy and at Arnhem. Post war he served in Italy, Palestine, Germany and the Suez Canal Zone
£13.49
The New York Review of Books, Inc A Savage War Of Peace
Book SynopsisThe Algerian War lasted from 1954 to 1962. It brought down six French governments, led to the collapse of the Fourth Republic, returned de Gaulle to power, and came close to provoking a civil war on French soil. More than a million Muslim Algerians died in the conflict and as many European settlers were driven into exile. Above all, the war was marked by an unholy marriage of revolutionary terror and repressive torture.Nearly a half century has passed since this savagely fought war ended in Algeria’s independence, and yet—as Alistair Horne argues in his new preface to his now-classic work of history—its repercussions continue to be felt not only in Algeria and France, but throughout the world. Indeed from today’s vantage point the Algerian War looks like a full-dress rehearsal for the sort of amorphous struggle that convulsed the Balkans in the 1990s and that now ravages the Middle East, from Beirut to Baghdad—struggles in which questions of religion, nationalism, imperialism, and terrorism take on a new and increasingly lethal intensity.A Savage War of Peace is the definitive history of the Algerian War, a book that brings that terrible and complicated struggle to life with intelligence, assurance, and unflagging momentum. It is essential reading for our own violent times as well as a lasting monument to the historian’s art.
£13.49
Casemate Publishers Armor Attacks: The Tank Platoon: an Interactive
Book SynopsisIn this unique, interactive story, you are the leader of a U.S. Army M1 Abrams tank platoon. Throughout the text, you will have an opportunity to make life-or-death decisions, and the events that unfold will be dictated by the choices you make. As you progress through the book, you will learn important tactical and operational lessons. Whether or not you are – or want to be – a tank platoon leader you will find this book highly entertaining and instructive.There are two operations to survive – an assault and a counter-reconnaissance mission. In each you must bring your knowledge and judgment to bear on the scenario in order to achieve the objective. If you choose wrong, defeat and even death may be your fate. If you succeed, you can savor the taste of victory and live to fight another day. The scenarios are highly realistic, and there are maps and appendices with detailed specifications of the hardware involved to help you make informed decisions.Written before Operation Desert Storm, and published in 1991, the military technology in Armor Attacks may be dated by today’s standards, but the need for human leadership and effective, rapid decision-making has not changed. Armor Attacks was recognised as an invaluable teaching tool by United States Military Academy, West Point and used to teach cadets the essential skills of leadership, decision-marking and tactics – a decade of USMA leaders trained with this book. To supplement the original text, this new edition includes the West Point instructor reference guide, which explains and amplifies the teaching points of each scenario encountered.Want to know more? Click here to hear John Antal discuss all things gaming - from tabletop war-gaming to WWII video games.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Forewrod by Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, USA (Ret) Preface Introduction Map Symbols Armor Attacks Appendix A: Weapons Data Appendix B: U.S. Unit Organizations Appendix C: Threat Unit Organizations Appendix D: Troop-Leading Procedures Appendix E: Tank Fighting Positions Appendix F: Order Formats Glossary Decision Charts
£21.24
WW Norton & Co Accessory to War
Book SynopsisAn exploration of the age-old complicity between sky watchers and war fighters, from the best-selling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.Trade Review"Accessory to War is thought-provoking and reflective…" -- Nature"... wide-ranging and very readable history of the overlap between science and the military, penned with editor Avis Lang... The book is a fascinating exploration of humanity' s capacity to combine discovery with destruction…" -- BBC Sky at Night"In Accessory to War, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang give a sweeping panoramic overview of the enduring alliance between astrophysics and the military—from the Greeks to Galileo to GPS. The book's key contribution is in documenting the various ways science has aided military endeavors over the millennia and making the sometimes-arcane source material accessible." -- Science"Throughout history, wars tend to be won by nations that are at the forefront of science. Thus astronomers and physicists have, since ancient times, benefited from an uneasy alliance with the military. This enlightening book explores the history and current implications of this partnership between space science and national security." -- Walter Isaacson
£14.24
Oxford University Press The Oxford Illustrated History of World War II
Book SynopsisWorld War Two was the most devastating conflict in recorded human history. It was both global in extent and total in character. It has understandably left a long and dark shadow across the decades. Yet it is three generations since hostilities formally ended in 1945 and the conflict is now a lived memory for only a few. And this growing distance in time has allowed historians to think differently about how to describe it, how to explain its course, and what subjects to focus on when considering the wartime experience. For instance, as World War Two recedes ever further into the past, even a question as apparently basic as when it began and ended becomes less certain. Was it 1939, when the war in Europe began? Or the summer of 1941, with the beginning of Hitler''s war against the Soviet Union? Or did it become truly global only when the Japanese brought the USA into the war at the end of 1941? And what of the long conflict in East Asia, beginning with the Japanese aggression in China in the early 1930s and only ending with the triumph of the Chinese Communists in 1949? In The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two a team of leading historians re-assesses the conflict for a new generation, exploring the course of the war not just in terms of the Allied response but also from the viewpoint of the Axis aggressor states. Under Richard Overy''s expert editorial guidance, the contributions take us from the genesis of war, through the action in the major theatres of conflict by land, sea, and air, to assessments of fighting power and military and technical innovation, the economics of total war, the culture and propaganda of war, and the experience of war (and genocide) for both combatants and civilians, concluding with an account of the transition from World War to Cold War in the late 1940s. Together, they provide a stimulating and thought-provoking new interpretation of one of the most terrible and fascinating episodes in world history.Trade Review... The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two is a thoughtful and thought-provoking volume, which succeeds very well in bringing at least a taste of the wealth of current Second World War scholarship to a wider audience. There is much here to admire; not least the erudition of the contributors and the eclectic and original selection of photographs ... an excellent, concise and enlightening volume. As such, it is a worth addition to the library of every student and every scholar of the conflict. * Roger Moorhouse, History Today *A stimulating and thought-provoking new interpretation of one of the most terrible episodes in world history. * Military History *The Oxford Illustrated History of World War II is an exemplary book that not only provides an insightful and in-depth analysis of the war from both sides, but does so while providing an astounding array of photographs, some in vivid colour, of the real and devastating effects of war experienced by both civilians and combatants. * Ireland's Eye *Compelling in its narrative, fascinating in its detail, magisterial in its analysis, global in its breadth, Richard Overy, one of our outstanding scholars of mid-20th Century history, here delivers a military, political and economic history of WW2, aided by a galaxy of distinguished scholars, that is essential, accessible reading for general readers as well as students. * Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin: the Court of the Red Tsar *Incisive essays by leading scholars, richly illustrated with unfamiliar pictures, make this an ideal introduction to the defining conflict of the twentieth century - from which our contemporary world still struggles to recover. * David Reynolds, University of Cambridge, and author of In Command of History: Churchill Fighting and Writing the Second World War *A welcome and most useful addition to the historical literature ... the photographs, many of them new to me, were a real delight. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the war. * Paul Kennedy, Yale University, and author of Engineers of Victory and The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers *combines a breadth and depth not seen in much military history writing. The skillful analysis of each chapter does not sacrifice narrative ability to address topics ranging from the German, Italian, and Japanese conduct of the land, sea, and air wars to the political intricacies of the Grand Alliance, scientific innovation, and the cultural history of the war ... Did this reviewer mention the illustrations? Astounding. * M. A. Mengerink, CHOICE *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgements ; Editor's Introduction ; 1. The Genesis of World War ; 2. Japan's War in Asia ; 3. The Italian Wars ; 4. The German Wars ; 5. The West and the War at Sea ; 6. The Allies from Defeat to Victory ; 7. Fighting Power: World War and Military Innovation ; 8. Economies in Total War ; 9. Front Line I: Armed Forces at War ; 10. Front Line II: Civilians at War ; 11. Unnatural Deaths ; 12. War, Invention, and Experts ; 13. The Culture of War: Propaganda, Arts and Ideas ; 14. From World War to Cold War ; Epilogue ; Further Reading ; Index
£29.32
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Dambusters Was the Raid Worthwhile
Book SynopsisBased on interviews and correspondence with those closely associated with, and actually involved in, the Dambusters Raid.
£21.25
Chronicle Books Ghost Army of World War II: How One Top-Secret
Book Synopsis"A riveting tale told through personal accounts and sketches along the way - ultimately, a story of success against great odds. I enjoyed it enormously." - Tom Brokaw The Ghost Army of World War II is the first book to tell the full story of how a traveling road show of artists wielding imagination, paint, and bravado saved thousands of American lives - now updated with new material. In the summer of 1944, a handpicked group of young GIs - including such future luminaries such as Bill Blass, Ellsworth Kelly, Arthur Singer, Victor Dowd, Art Kane, and Jack Masey - landed in France to conduct a secret mission. From Normandy to the Rhine, the 1,100 men of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, known as the Ghost Army, conjured up phony convoys, phantom divisions, and make-believe headquarters to fool the enemy about the strength and location of American units. Every move they made was top secret and their story was hushed up for decades after the war's end. Hundreds of color and black-and-white photographs illuminate how their creations supported the war tactics that helped open the way for the final drive to Germany. The stunning art created between missions offers a glimpse of life behind the lines during World War II. Collectors of World War II books will find The Ghost Army of World War II an essential addition to their library.
£28.00
Oxford University Press SIPRI Yearbook 2022 Armaments Disarmament and
Book SynopsisThe 53rd edition of the SIPRI Yearbook analyses developments in 2021 in security and conflicts; military spending and armaments; non-proliferation; arms control; and disarmament.
£115.00
Oxford University Press Inc Six Days of War
Book SynopsisIn 1967 the future of the state of Israel was far from certain. But with its swift and stunning military victory against an Arab coalition led by Egypt in the Six Day War, Israel not only preserved its existence but redrew the map of the region, with fateful consequences. The Camp David Accords, the assassinations of Anwar Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the intifada, and the current troubled peace negotiations--all of these trace their origins to the Six Day War.Michael Oren''s Six Days of War is a gripping account of one of the most dramatic and important episodes in the history of the Middle East. With exhaustive research in primary sources--including Soviet, Jordanian, and Syrian files not previously available--he has reconstructed the tension-filled background and the dramatic military events of the conflict, drawing the threads together in a riveting narrative, enlivened by crisp characters sketches of major characters (many of whom, from Ariel Sharon to Yasser Arafat, are still leadingTrade ReviewThis admirable book is likely to be the last word on the six-day war for a long time * The Sunday Times June 2002 *the most detailed, the most comprehensive and by far the best-documented history that we have on this short but fateful war * The Guardian *most comprehensive history yet... Six Days of War scores highly in telling an extremely complicated story within a narrative which despite being loaded with a crushing volume of research reads at times like the breeziest blockbuster... Oren's narrative is at its most gripping during the day-by-day account of the war * Financial Times *
£29.92
Oxford University Press Hattin
Book SynopsisThe story of Saladin's recapture of the Holy City of Jerusalem from the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin in 1187. A pivotal battle in the history of the Crusades - and in the subsequent history of the Middle East and the Muslim world.Trade Review[France] reminds us why Hattin, more so than the subsequent Christian victory four year later at Arsuf, became embedded in popular culture. * Victor Davis Hanson, Times Literary Supplement *France's highly accessible book examines the causes and consequences of [the Battle of Hattin], tracing its impact way beyond its immediate aftermath and impact on Euro-Islamic relations. He follows the path of its tremors all the up to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the uneasy relationship between Eastern Islamic culture and Western Christian culture that still exists today. * History of War *The Battle at Hattin, despite its immense significance, is often overlooked or even forgotten by the twenty-first century student of military history. That being the case, it is wonderful to see the excellent 'Great Battles' series from the Oxford University Press redressing this fact and giving it the attention that it warrants ... A hugely interesting, engaging and accessible book which brings the period and the personalities of the battle to life. * Major P D Horne RA, British Army Review *a useful and absorbing examination of the importance of the Battle of Hattin * Battlefield Magazine *[A] tour de force. I was surprised how much information an author can squeeze into only 168 pages of text ... a delightful read ... Hattin is a good book, well-written and full to the brim with information. * Jona Lendering, Medieval Warfare *Table of Contents1. Salvation through Slaughter ; 2. Crusade and Jihad ; 3. The Battle of Hattin ; 4. Hattin: Bloody Consequences ; 5. Hattin Today: A Poisoned Heritage ; Notes ; Further Reading ; Index
£20.24
The University of Chicago Press The Pursuit of Power
Book SynopsisIn this magnificent synthesis of military, technological, and social history, William H. McNeill explores a whole millennium of human upheaval and traces the path by which we have arrived at the frightening dilemmas that now confront us. McNeill moves with equal mastery from the crossbowbanned by the Church in 1139 as too lethal for Christians to use against one anotherto the nuclear missile, from the sociological consequences of drill in the seventeenth century to the emergence of the military-industrial complex in the twentieth. His central argument is that a commercial transformation of world society in the eleventh century caused military activity to respond increasingly to market forces as well as to the commands of rulers. Only in our own time, suggests McNeill, are command economies replacing the market control of large-scale human effort. The Pursuit of Power does not solve the problems of the present, but its discoveries, hypotheses, and sheer breadth of learning do offer a pe
£23.75
Yale University Press For God and Kaiser
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Transworld Publishers Ltd Too Important for the Generals Losing and Winning
Book SynopsisWar is too important to be left to the generals' snapped future French prime minister Georges Clemenceau on learning of yet another bloody and futile offensive on the Western Front. One of the great questions in the ongoing discussions and debate about the First World War is why did winning take so long and exact so appalling a human cost? After all this was a fight that, we were told, would be over by Christmas. Now, in his major new history, Allan Mallinson, former professional soldier and author of the acclaimed 1914: Fight the Good Fight, provides answers that are disturbing as well as controversial, and have a contemporary resonance. He disputes the growing consensus among historians that British generals were not to blame for the losses and setbacks in the war to end all wars' that, given the magnitude of their task, they did as well anyone could have. He takes issue with the popular view that the amateur' opinions on strategy of politicians such as LloyTrade ReviewAllan Mallinson puts his case compellingly in a stimulating overview of the war. He combines the authority of a soldier-turned-military historian with the imaginative touch of the historical novelist. -- Lawrence James * The Times *Allan Mallinson puts his case compellingly in a stimulating overview of the war. He combines the authority of a soldier-turned-military historian with the imaginative touch of the historical novelist. -- Lawrence James * The Times *Very readable . . . excellently researched . . .a must for anyone interested in military history and the interface of political and military power; the fact that, 100 years on, historians are still in such disagreement demonstrates just how important and absorbing the debate remains. * COUNTRY LIFE *Provocative . . . succinctly summarises the big battles of the conflict, before discussing the commanders' shortcomings, which is his theme.' -- Max Hastings * SUNDAY TIMES *Mallinson . . . argues persuasively that those charged with sending men into battle should have given a better account of themselves. As the nation commemorates one of the darkest chapters in British Army history, it is hard to disagree. * SOLDIER magazine *
£11.69
Vintage The Napoleonic Wars 18031815
Book SynopsisKnown collectively as the ''Great War'', for over a decade the Napoleonic Wars engulfed not only a whole continent but also the overseas possessions of the leading European states. A war of unprecedented scale and intensity, it was in many ways a product of change that acted as a catalyst for upheaval and reform across much of Europe, with aspects of its legacy lingering to this very day. There is a mass of literature on Napoleon and his times, yet there are only a handful of scholarly works that seek to cover the Napoleonic Wars in their entirety, and fewer still that place the conflict in any broader framework. This study redresses the balance. Drawing on recent findings and applying a ''total'' history approach, it explores the causes and effects of the conflict, and places it in the context of the evolution of modern warfare. It reappraises the most significant and controversial military ventures, including the war at sea and Napoleon''s campaigns of 1805-9. The studTrade ReviewThis is a compact, stimulating, and at times surprisingly polemical account * The International History Review *Napoleon helped shape modern French politics, as much as he determined the nature of modern warfare... Dr Gates's book is a sure guide to the wars whose effects were felt well into the twentieth century -- Hew Strachan, Chichele Professor of the History of War, Oxford University
£17.09
Penguin Books Ltd Directorate S
Book SynopsisWinner of the the National Book Critics Circle Award for Non-Fiction''Spellbinding ... a magisterial account of the great tragedy of our age ... it is a classic'' Evening Standard''In the finest traditions of American investigative journalism'' The Times''Spectacular ... makes Bourne movies pale in comparison'' Financial TimesFrom the Pulitzer Prize winning of the acclaimed Ghost Wars, this is the full story of America''s grim involvement in the affairs of Afghanistan from 2001 to 2016. In the wake of the terrible shock of 9/11, the C.I.A. scrambled to work out how to destroy Bin Laden and his associates. The C.I.A. had long familiarity with Afghanistan and had worked closely with the Taliban to defeat the Soviet Union there. A tangle of assumptions, old contacts, favours and animosities were now reactivated. Superficially the invasion was quick and efficient, but Bin Laden''s successful escape, togetTrade ReviewEvery assertion is carefully sourced and checked. This book is in the finest traditions of American investigative journalism. Coll is the thinking man's Michael Wolff. -- Sherard Cowper-Coles * The Times *A masterful and entertaining account ... the story is delivered with a literary prowess that has been absent in previous western accounts of America's longest running war -- Rafia Zakaria * Guardian *Spectacular ... Directorate S has a cast of characters that makes Bourne movies pale in comparison -- Demetri Sevastopulo * Financial Times *Impressively detailed, stylishly crafted and authoritative... as gloomy as it is compelling * Economist *
£17.09
The History Press Ltd Dunkirk
Book SynopsisOperation Dynamo, and its rescues from beaches and harbour, has gone down in history as a victory from certain defeat. Here Tim Lynch presents the true story of this miraculous event using stunning, rare images from the Mirrorpix archive.
£14.25
Quercus Publishing Leningrad Siege and Symphony
Book SynopsisShostakovich''s Seventh Symphony was first played in the city of its birth on 9 August, 1942. There has never been a first performance to match it. Pray God, there never will be again. Almost a year earlier, the Germans had begun their blockade of the city. Already many thousands had died of their wounds, the cold, and most of all, starvation. The assembled musicians - scrounged from frontline units and military bands, for only twenty of the orchestra''s 100 players had survived - were so hungry, many feared they''d be too weak to play the score right through. In these, the darkest days of the Second World War, the music and the defiance it inspired provided a rare beacon of light for the watching world.Setting the composition of Shostakovich''smost famous work against the tragic canvas of the siege itself and the years of repression and terror that preceded it, Leningrad: Siege and Symphony is a magisterial and moving account of one of themost tragic periods in histoTrade ReviewA Spectator Book of the Year * Spectator *Like a movie camera, [Moynahan] zooms in and out on the besieged civilians, the bitterly cold troops on the city's edge and the simultaneous efforts of Shostakovich to set these experiences to music from the relative safety of evacuation... This multi-perspective approach makes for a gripping story... Moynahan's Leningrad: Siege and Symphony vividly brings to life a hero city that refused to die. * The New York Times Book Review *A passionate and moving book...nothing short of masterly. * Wall Street Journal *A narrative that is by turns painful, poignant and inspiring * Minneapolis Star Tribune *Moynahan...is a vivid writer, and his account bulges with the reminiscences and contemporaneous accounts of participants; the accumulation of individual experience sears his narrative while sometimes threatening to overwhelm it. He reaches into the guts of the city to extract some humanity from the blood and darkness, and at its best Leningrad captures the heartbreak, agony and small salvations in both death and survival...Moynahan's descriptions of the battlefield, which also draw from the diaries of the cold, lice-ridden, hungry combatants, are haunting. * Washington Post *As Moynahan reveals, the real story of the symphony's genesis and its triumph was more complex and more tragic than is generally understood...Combining a full description of the birth of the Seventh Symphony with a rich and horrifying account of the hell that was Leningrad under siege, this selection brings new depth and drama to a key historical moment * Booklist *Brian Moynahan interweaves three gripping stories in this compelling kaleidoscope of war-ravaged Leningrad: Hilter's 900-day siege, Stalin's purges that decimated the city's professional and cultural leaders and Dmitri Shostakovich's desperate struggle to write his haunting Seventh Symphony. Its performance by half-starved musicians between bouts of German shelling attests to the triumph of the human spirit amidst the greatest upheaval of the twentieth century. * Angela Stent, author of The Limits of Partnership: US-Russian Relations in the Twenty-First Century and professor at Georgetown University *Leningrad: Siege and Symphony is a remarkable achievement. Brian Moynahan holds the reader in suspense while teaching an important chapter in the history of the Second World War. His magnificent tale portrays the terror within and without Leningrad during its heroic defiance of the Nazi conquerors and subtle resistance to its Stalinist masters. Like Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony, this is a triumph * Charles Glass, author of Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation and The Deserters: A Hidden History of World War II *A stupendous story, driven by a furious narrative yet biblical in its thematic confrontations of beauty and evil. It's vivid in three dimensions: The Red Army's battles with Hitler's war machine; the ordeals of the Russian people terrorized by the malevolent maniac in the Kremlin; and throughout the faint but swelling counterpoint of hope as the great Dmitri Shostakovich struggles to write the score of his Seventh Symphony to express the soul of his martyred city . . . This is history to cherish. * Sir Harold Evans, Editor at Large at Reuters, author of The American Century, and publisher of The Russian Century *Beautifully written and profoundly moving, Leningrad is a stunning, haunting book that has stayed with me long after I turned the last page. * James Holland, Dam Busters *'A bold attempt to set the composition of Shostakovich's 7th Symphony within the extraordinary context of its times' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday. * Mail on Sunday *'A really gripping read ... the narrative is fantastic, very skilfully done ... I couldn't put it down. It's like reading a novel' Professor Erik Levi, Music Matters BBC Radio 3. * BBC Radio 3 *'The scale of Leningrad's suffering and the lasting impact of [Shostakovich's] inspirational music are brilliantly captured in this extraordinary book ... Unique, a powerful and redemptive piece of work' Curtis Hutchinson, Military History Monthly. * Military History Monthly *'The extraordinary tale of the symphony and the city that inspired it, an engrossing, finely researched new book' Petroc Trelawny, Catholic Herald. * Catholic Herald *'Tolstoyan ... Moynahan's account is by far the fullest and most compelling I've read ... it's certainly hard to read his gripping, skilfully woven account without emotion' Stephen Walsh, Spectator. * Spectator *Table of ContentsDramatis Personae. Maps. Overture. Terror. War. To Mid-September 1941. To Mid-October 1941. October 1941. November 1941. December 1941. New Year. January 1942. February 1942. March 1942. April-May 1942. June 1942. July 1942. Symphony No. 7. Farewell. Notes. Bibliography. Acknowledgements. Index.
£12.34
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Western Front Then and Now From Mons to the
Book SynopsisThis work covers the main British battle areas of the Western Front between 1914 and 1918. Starting with the spark that ignited the war, the outline of events brings the operations of the British Army in France and Flanders full circle.
£22.46
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The African Wars
Book SynopsisConsiders the training, weapons and fighting methods of the African warriors.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Lord Chelmsford and the Zulu War
Book SynopsisThe Anglo-Zulu war of 1879 was perhaps subjected to much controversy as a result of the epic Zulu victory at the battle of Isandlwana. Lord Chelmsford, the General Officer commanding the invasion force during the war, sustained severe criticism from both journalists and parliament following his actions and conduct at Isandlwana. In 1939 and on the sixtieth anniversary of the battle, Major, the Hon Gerald French, wrote a controversial but riveting book titledLord Chelmsford and the Zulu War, is based on defending both Lord Chelmsfords actions and reputation. The foreword to the book was written by General Sir Bindon Blood who served under Chelmsford in India and a devoted admirer.French however, had fallen into the error of selective inaccurate source material and false reports that were, at the time, specifically designed to shield Lord Chelmsford from the Isandlwana debacle and conveniently lay such blame on the shoulders of Colonel Anthony Durnford, Royal Engineers, who was present a
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The World Crisis Volume V
Book SynopsisThe World Crisis is considered by many to be Winston S. Churchill's literary masterpiece. Published across five volumes between 1923 and 1931, Churchill here tells the story of The Great War, from its origins to the long shadow it cast on the following decades. At once a history and a first-hand account of Churchill's own involvement in the war, The World Crisis remains a compelling account of the conflict and its importance.In the fifth and final volume of The World Crisis, Winston Churchill turns his attention to the forgotten war' on the Eastern Front. His focus is the great rivalry between Russia and the Austro-German alliance during the years of the First World War, from the tensions over Bosnia and Serbia that triggered the conflict through the terrible battles on the Eastern Front to the final collapse of the Russian forces that triggered the RevoluTable of ContentsPreface 1. The Dusk of Hapsburg 2. The Annexation of Bosnia 3. Towards the Abyss 4. The Murder of the Archduke 5. The Austrian Ultimatum 6. The Fronts and the Combatants 7. Declarations of War 8. The Mobilization Interval 9. The Assembly of the Easter Armies 10. Austria Against Russia 11. The Battle of Lemberg 12. The Invasion of East Prussia 13. The Battle of Tannenberg 14. The First Masurian Lakes 15. The Second Round 16. The Battle of Lodz 17. East or West? 18. The Winter Battle 19. Beyond the Dardanelles 20. The Fall of Warsaw 21. The Reckoning with Serbia 22. Falkenhayn Returns to the West 23. Brusilov's Offensive 24. The Russian Collapse Appendix I: The Hapsburg Dynasty Appendix II: Some Authorities Consulted Appendix III: References
£24.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Battle of Britain
Book SynopsisThe Battle of Britain offers an in-depth assessment of the situation leading up to the summer of 1940, the strategies employed by the adversaries and the brutal aerial battle itself. In 1940 Britain was an island under siege. The march of the Nazi war machine had been unrelenting: France and Belgium had quickly fallen and now the British Empire and the Commonwealth stood alone to counter the grave threat. However, their fate would not be decided by armies of millions but by a small band of fighter pilots. It was on their shoulders that Britain''s best chance of survival rested. Above the villages and cities, playing fields and market towns, the skies of southern England were the scene of countless dogfights as the fledgling Fighter Command duelled daily against the might of the Luftwaffe. Lavishly illustrated with photographs, contemporary art and posters, and accompanied by numerous first-hand accounts, this is a volume that captures the reality of a defining chapter in BriTable of ContentsPreface /Introduction /Fighter Command /The Luftwaffe /Blitzkrieg: Germany’s Lightning Strike /Spitfire Summer: The Air Battle for Britain /Aftermath /Notes /Appendices /Bibliography /Index
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC We March Against England
Book SynopsisIn May 1940 Nazi Germany was master of continental Europe. The only European power still standing was Great Britain--and the all-conquering German armed forces stood poised to cross the Channel. After the RAF fighter forces had been destroyed, the Channel swept of mines, and the Royal Naval defenders worn down, two German army groups were set to storm the beaches of southern England. Despite near-constant British fears from August to October, the invasion never took place, first being postponed to spring 1941 before finally being abandoned entirely.Robert Forczyk, author of Where the Iron Crosses Grow, looks beyond the traditional British account of Operation Sea Lion, complete with plucky Home Guards and courageous Spitfire pilots, at the real scale of German ambition, plans and capabilities. Forczyk examines, in depth, how Operation Sea Lion fitted in with German air-sea actions around the British Isles as he shows exactly what stopped Hitler from invaTable of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Strategic Setting, June–July 1940 Chapter 2: Improvising an Invasion Force Chapter 3: Diplomacy, Espionage and Intelligence Chapter 4: Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe Capabilities Against England, 1940–41 Chapter 5: Countdown to Sea Lion Chapter 6: British Anti-invasion Capabilities, 1940–41 Chapter 7: Feasibility of S-Tag, 25 September 1940 Chapter 8: The Isle of Wight Gambit Chapter 9: Siege Operations against Great Britain, October 1940–May 1941 Chapter 10: Sea Lion Redux, May 1941 Chapter 11: Hidden Benefits of Sea Lion: Germany Gains an Amphibious Capability for other Theatres Chapter 12: The Reckoning Glossary Appendices Notes Bibliography Index
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Macedonian Phalangite vs Persian Warrior
Book SynopsisAlexander''s phalangites clash with Persian foot-soldiers in three key battles of the Ancient World.In this highly illustrated study, a noted authority assesses the origins, combat role and battlefield performance of Alexander''s phalangites and their Persian opponents in three key battles of the era--the Granicus River, Issus and Gaugamela--at the dawn of a new way of waging war.In August 334 BC, Alexander the Great invaded the Persian Empire and systematically set about its conquest. At the core of Alexander''s army were 10,000 members of the phalanx, the phalangites. Armed with a long pike and fighting in formations up to 16 ranks deep, these grizzled veterans were the mainstay of the Macedonian army. Facing them were the myriad armies of the peoples that made up the Persian Empire. At the center of these forces was the formation known as the Immortals: 10,000 elite infantry, armed with spears and bows.Trade ReviewAn inspiring account, well-written, and with clear battlefield maps and descriptions. * Miniature Wargames *Table of ContentsIntroduction / The opposing sides / Combat 1 / Combat 2 / Combat 3 / Analysis / Aftermath / Bibliography / Index
£12.59
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The First AngloSikh War 184546
Book SynopsisA highly illustrated account of the First Anglo-Sikh War of 184556, a dramatic, hard-fought, and colorful conflict during Britain''s rule of India.This fully illustrated study of the First Anglo-Sikh War tells the story of one of the major colonial wars of the nineteenth century, as the British East India Company attempted to wrest control of the Punjab region from a Sikh Empire riven by infighting.The First Anglo-Sikh War broke out due to escalating tensions between the Sikh Empire and the East India Company in the Punjab region of India in the mid-nineteenth century. Political machinations were at the heart of the conflict, with Sikh rulers fearing the growing power of their own army, while several prominent Sikh generals actively collaborated with the East India Company.The British faced a disciplined opponent, trained along European lines, which fielded armies numbering in the tens of thousands. The war featured a number of closely contested battleTable of ContentsOrigins of the campaign /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing armies /Orders of battle /Opposing plans /The campaign /Aftermath /The battlefields today /Further reading /Index
£16.14
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Desert Warfare
Book SynopsisRe-issue of an esteemed piece of work, initially published in 1988 by Patrick Stephens Limited.
£16.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Fighting in Ukraine: A Photographer at War
The outcome of the Second World War was decided on the Eastern Front. Denied a swift victory over Stalin's Red Army, Hitler's Wehrmacht found itself in a bloody, protracted struggle from late 1941 that it was ill-prepared to fight. Although many pictorial books have been published on Germany's hapless invasion of the Soviet Union, they are typically a collection of soldiers' snapshots or 'official' photographs taken by Propagandakompanien (PK) reporters. This book is different. It contains an extraordinary personal record of the war captured by a professional photographer, Walter Grimm, who served in the German Army in a communications unit. David Mitchelhill-Green brings Grimm's previously unpublished photographs together with a carefully researched introduction. The 300 evocative black and white images provide an absorbing insight into the daily life and privations of the ordinary German soldier amid the maelstrom of history's largest conflict. The Ukrainian people, many of whom initially welcomed the Germans as liberators, freeing them from the yoke of Bolshevik oppression, are also chronicled in this fascinating study of the fighting in Ukraine.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Invasion 1982
Book SynopsisIn this revised and updated edition new accounts have been included of the ways in which the islanders resisted occupation and did not - hitherto unpublished material describes how a small minority of islanders threw their lot in with the Argentines.
£11.69
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Great Escapes of the First World War
Book SynopsisFirst-hand experiences - the stories are written by soldiers who describe what happened to them during the war therefore the stories were written while the images were fresh in their minds.
£16.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Devil's Trap: The People of the Cawnpore
Book SynopsisAt the height of the savage and bitter Indian Mutiny, the British garrison at Cawnpore found itself surrounded in June 1857\. Through a lack of resources, its commander, Major General Wheeler, agreed to surrender the city providing all the British inhabitants were granted free passage out of Cawnpore. But, just as the men women and children were about to embark on the boats that would take them to safety, the Mutineers attacked. All the British troops were killed, as were some of the women and children, with others being wounded. Those who survived, approximately 200 in number, were moved to a small villa called Bibighar. Held in awful conditions, many subsequently died from cholera and dysentery. When the rebel leader, Nana Sahib, learned that a large British force was approaching to relieve the captives, he ordered all the women and children to be killed. Though some of the sepoys refused to act, others began to hack about them with swords and cleavers. In the orgy of horror that followed, women were raped and mutilated, children stripped and murdered. In a bid to conceal the atrocity from the revengeful British troops, the corpses were thrown into a deep well. Just four of the original 200 people captured at Cawnpore lived to tell the gruesome tale by hiding under the bodies of the dead. Over many years James Bancroft has collected information on the victims and has interviewed some of the descendants. This has enabled him to examine the events at Cawnpore in 1857 through the lives of those who died and survived the atrocity, throwing new light on this very dark tale. The book is completed with photographs of the sites in India taken by one the families of the victims.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Hunters over Arabia: Hawker Hunter Operations in
Book SynopsisBased on official records held at the National Archives and other published sources, 'Hunters over Arabia' presents an in-depth account of the operations performed by the Hawker Hunter squadrons policing the desert wastelands and high mountain ranges of the Middle East. Copiously illustrated with colour and black and white photographs, a high percentage of operations performed by this versatile British ground attack and reconnaissance fighter are described in detail. Using a chronological format, the narrative focuses on the period during which the Hunter served in the Middle East, from 1960 to 1971. Further chapters are dedicated to the three Hunter variants most closely associated with the Middle East, the FGA.9, FR.10 and T.7, together with their respective allocation dates. A short background to Aden, its historical links to Britain, and RAF airfields administered by Middle East Command complete this factual account.
£24.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Hitler's Defeat on the Western Front, 1944-1945
Book SynopsisHitler's Defeat on the Western Front 1944-1945 is a compelling account of the Nazis' ten month struggle against the overwhelming Allied military might on the Western Front. Thanks to the successful Images of War format of authoritative text supported by copious, well captioned contemporary images, the reader witnesses the intensity of the fighting from the Normandy beaches, through France and the Low Countries and finally into Germany itself. Despite demoralising withdrawals and reversals the Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS, Hitlerjugend, Volkssturm with many barely trained conscripts, continued to fight tenaciously inflicting significant losses on their superior enemy. The graphic images are testimony to their exhaustion and resilience but defeat became increasingly certain. Even when the Allies crossed the Rhine in early 1945 with the Russians closing on Berlin from the East, the shattered remnants of Hitler's once all-conquering forces had nowhere to go. That did not stop fanatical elements fighting to the death but the bulk of the survivors accepted surrender as inevitable. This superbly illustrated book captures the drama of that historic period.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Soviet Cavalry Operations During the Second World
Book SynopsisWhile the development of tanks had largely led to the replacement of cavalry in most armies by 1939, the Soviets retained a strong mounted arm. In the terrain and conditions of the Eastern Front they were able to play an important role denied them elsewhere. John Harrel shows how the Soviets developed a doctrine of deep penetration, using cavalry formations to strike into the Axis rear, disrupting logistics and lines of communication, encircling and isolating units. Interestingly he shows that this doctrine did not stem from the native cavalry tradition of the steppe but from the example of the American Civil War. The American approach was copied by the Russians in WWI and the Russian Civil War, refined by the Soviets in the early stages of World War Two and perfected during the last two years of the war. The Soviet experience demonstrated that deep operations (cavalry raids) against enemy rear echelons set the conditions for victory. Although the last horse-mounted units disappeared in the 1950s, their influence led directly to the formation of the Operational Manoeuvre Groups that, ironically, faced US forces in the Cold War.
£21.25
Casemate Publishers Nanjing 1937: Battle for a Doomed City
Book SynopsisThe infamous Rape of Nanjing looms like a dark shadow over the history of Asia in the 20th century, and is among the most widely recognized chapters of World War II in China. By contrast, the story of the month-long campaign before this notorious massacre has never been told in its entirety. Nanjing 1937 by Peter Harmsen fills this gap. This is the follow-up to Harmsen's best-selling Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze, and begins where that book left off. In stirring prose, it describes how the Japanese Army, having invaded the mainland and emerging victorious from the Battle of Shanghai, pushed on toward the capital Nanjing in a crushing advance that confirmed its reputation for bravery and savagery in equal measure. While much of the struggle over Shanghai had carried echoes of the grueling war in the trenches two decades earlier, the Nanjing campaign was a fast-paced mobile operation in which armor and air power played mayor roles. It was blitzkrieg two years before Hitler's invasion of Poland. Facing the full might of modern, mechanized warfare, China's resistance was heroic, but ultimately futile. As in Shanghai, the battle for Nanjing was more than a clash between Chinese and Japanese. Soldiers and citizens of a variety of nations witnessed or took part in the hostilities. German advisors, American journalists and British diplomats all played important parts in this vast drama. And a new power appeared on the scene: Soviet pilots dispatched by Stalin to challenge Japan's control of the skies. This epic tale is told with verve and attention to detail by Harmsen, a veteran East Asia correspondent who consolidates his status as the foremost chronicler of World War II in China with this path-breaking work of narrative history.Trade ReviewYou certainly get a feel for the pace and nature of the campaign, and the tensions between politicians and generals. […] a useful foray into a rare topic, with a 14-page bibliography demonstrating considerable research effort. * Miniature Wargames 19/07/2021 *The author has obviously researched both widely and deeply. That, combined, provides a really good overview of what was a particularly cataclysmic event in comparatively recent military history. * Baird Maritime 13/09/2021 *
£17.09
