Search results for ""Pen Sword Books Ltd""

The Wars of the Roses was a complicated, bloody affair between the houses of Lancaster and York, and witnessed much changing of sides. That disjointed feuding persisted for a staggering thirty years and was a north versus south affair. However, the period and conflicts covered by this title are refreshingly clear. An intriguing tale of treachery and deceit.

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Drawing on eyewitness accounts, this excellent book paints a graphic picture of the battle that was at the very center of Hitler's last gamble. Numerous photos through the text illustrate then and now scenes and bring to life the epic battle. Maps clearly show the progress of events and practical information is given to the reader about visiting the town of Bastogne today.

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Although the Battle of Arnhem was fought over sixty years ago. It still evokes such interest that it would seem to rank with the great victories of Agincourt, Trafalgar, Waterloo and the Battle of Britain, all of which proved to be turning points in the history of our nation. Arnhem was not a victory, but its outcome may have had results equally vital to the more recent history of the world. To many people the Battle of Arnhem was the Battle of Arnhem Bridge, which has now passed into history as The Bridge Too Far". This is understandable

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The British offensive, which became known as Passchendaele, got underway on 31 July, 1917 with the objective of capturing fifteen miles of territory.The attack quickly lost momentum and, it was not until finally in November that the line managed to advance seven miles.With winter setting in, the British troops were subjected to some of the worst conditions they had ever faced. During the attack 265,000 were either killed or injured.This battlefield guide gives details of the attacks whilst guiding the reader through the battlefield as it stands today.With illustrated maps and then and now photographs it will appeal to those visiting the area as well as armchair historians.

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The term ‘feminist’ would have been anachronistic in the Tudor period, but surely we would not hesitate to call the lady, who would be queen, Anne Boleyn, a feminist? All ten women examined in this book, from Catherine Parr to Margaret Beaufort, lived their lives in a way that challenged the patriarchal world they lived in. Each chapter is dedicated to one remarkable woman, ahead of her time. It explores her achievements and examines the impacts she had on a male-dominated world, while placing her in the context of her particular circumstance and background. These Renaissance women, from the high born to the merchant class, were rule breakers, they railed against the rigid social norms of their time and stand out vividly against a backdrop of domestic servitude.

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King Richard III remains one of the most infamous and recognisable monarchs in English or British history, despite only sitting on the throne for two years and fifty-eight days. His hold on the popular imagination is largely due to the fictional portrayal of him by William Shakespeare which, combined with the workings of five centuries of rumour and gossip, has created two opposing versions of Richard. In fiction he is the evil, scheming murderer who revels in his plots, but many of the facts point towards a very different man. Dissecting a real Richard III from the fictional versions that have taken hold is made difficult by the inability to discern motives in many instances, leaving a wide gap for interpretation that can be favourable or damning in varying degrees. It is the facts that will act as the scalpel to begin the operation of finding a truth obscured by fiction. Richard III may have been a monster, a saint, or just a man trying to survive, but any view of him should be based in the realities of his life, not the myths built on rumour and theatre. How much of what we think we know about England's most controversial monarch will remain when the facts are sifted from the fictions?

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Whenever vessels have foundered off the coasts of Britain, there have always been those willing to give their all to save those in peril. But in 1823, Sir William Hillary decided that this admirable but impromptu approach was not enough. He believed that many more lives could be saved by the establishment of a national, organised rescue service. His idea was realised the following year. From the days of oar-powered open boats to modern high speed, hi-tech vessels, rescuers have battled storms and unimaginable conditions, risking - and sometimes forfeiting - their own lives in efforts to save others. The most outstanding of these operations led to the awarding of gold medals for gallantry, the RNLI version of the Victoria Cross. Above all, these are human stories. Using information gleaned from archives, contemporary newspaper accounts and genealogical records, this book looks not just at the details of the rescues, but into the people behind them.

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In late 1941, President Roosevelt agonized over the rapid advances of the Japanese forces in Asia; they seemed unstoppable. He foresaw their intentions of taking India and linking up with the two other Axis Powers, Germany and Italy, in an attempt to conquer the Eastern Hemisphere. US naval forces had been surprised and diminished in Pearl Harbor and the army was not only outnumbered but also ill-prepared to take on the invading hoards. One of Roosevelt's few options was to form a defensive line on the eastern side of the Patkai and Himalayan Ranges; there, he could look for support from the Chinese and Burmese. It was the only defence to a Japanese invasion of India. To support and supply the troops who were fighting in hostile jungle terrain, where overland routes had been cut off, he desperately needed to set up an air supply from Eastern India. His problem was lack of aircraft and experienced pilots to fly the dangerous 'Hump, over the world's highest mountains. Hence the inception of Operation Seven Alpha, a plan to enlist the aircraft - DC-3s - and the pilots - veterans of World War One - of American Airlines.This newly formed elite Squadron would fly the medium-range aircraft in a series of long-distance hops across the Pacific and Southern Asia to the Assam Valley in India. They would then create and operate the vital supply route, carrying arms, ammunition and food Eastward to the Allied bases, before returning with wounded personnel. This is the story of that little-known operation, carried out in the early days of the Burma Campaign. The book is based on first-hand experiences of those who were involved, and it serves as a fitting tribute to the bravery and inventiveness of a band of men who answered their country's desperate call at the outset of the war against Japan in Asia.

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Victory on the battlefield is sometimes achieved against the odds - victory snatched from the jaws of apparently inevitable defeat. A daring counter attack, an unexpected manoeuvre, a stubborn refusal to be beaten and the impossible victory is won. In the ten dramatic episodes in this book, military historian Bryan Perrett revisits battles from the Peninsula War of 1811 to Vietnam in 1967, via colonial action in two world wars...an excellent book, informative, fascinating in detail, and above all an easy and enjoyable read - The Royal Tank Regiment Journal

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Germany in the Great War Illustrated - Mobilisation and the Western Advance is the first volume of a projected six-part series that details, graphically, the Central Powers - Germany and Austro-Hungary - fighting to the west during the concluding months of 1914. This superbly illustrated and highly researched book covers the schema of a 'quick victory' on the WestFront (Western Front). From preparatory build-up, to mobilisation and to subsequent annexation and occupation, (90 per cent of northern France and the Kingdom of Belgium), this title manifest the 'German' perspective - a pictorial digest. Evincing German offense against the BEF (British Expeditionary Force), French and Belgium armies at the Battle of Mons, heralding the mass exodus of British troops from region, the siege of Antwerp and the breakthrough toward Paris. Each successive chapter includes a short, introductory narrative, documenting holistically events and is accompanied by a wealth of fully captioned and rarely before seen photographs: over 500 images.

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In 1804, Liverpool was the largest slave trading port in Great Britain, yet her influential traders felt threatened by the success, in Parliament, of the anti-slavery movement. Few, in Liverpool, condemned the 'Trade'. William King, son of a Liverpool slave trader, sickened by what he experienced aboard a Spanish slaver, was one of the few who did speak out. This epic, set during the dying days of this despicable practice, weaves themes of generational change, moral wickedness, greed, romance, and the fortunes of war as they impact upon the lives of a father and son caught up in the turmoil that preceded the implementation of the British Trade Act of 1807, which would end Britain's involvement in the slave trade. The city of Liverpool is one still scarred by its past involvement with the morally contemptible Triangle Trade. Indeed, the cities prosperity was built on the profits of slavery, and the reverberations of this inheritance continue to impact on the city today. This novel roots the reader firmly in a city on the brink of change, evoking a real sense of the struggles at play, and informing our understanding of the realities of slavery, those who fueled its continuation and those who brought about its eventual cessation, as well as the legacy inherited by the City of Liverpool and the wider world.

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This book examines the history of the German Army which, for the best part of two centuries, influenced the course of events in Continental Europe. It was an army that studied the conduct of war at the highest levels, planning for the destruction of its opponents during the early stages of a war. On some occasions, this principle succeeded brilliantly. On others, its details were flawed and the results were disastrous. This new and exciting publication from seasoned historian and author Bryan Perrett charts the ups and downs of the German army from the days of Frederick the Great to the dying days of World War Two. It passes through the Napoleonic period, takes in the growth of war machinery under the leadership of Clausewitz and Moltke and acquaints the reader with the various victories won against Austria in 1866 and France in 1870. It then moves forwards into the twentieth century, following the course of the Imperial German army, its successes and ultimate failure in the Great War, its recovery in the inter-war years and its final destruction under the leadership of Hitler. The book is written for the professional and the general reader alike in the easy, readable style that has ensured Bryan Perrett's international popularity as a military and naval historian.

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Despatches in this volume include the Despatch on air operations by the Allied Expeditionary Air Force in North West Europe between November 1943 and September 1944, the despatch on the assault phase of the Normandy landings June 1944, despatch on operations of Coastal Command, Royal Air Force in Operation Overlord - the invasion of Europe 1944, the despatch on operations in North West Europe between 6 June 1944 and 5 May 1945, by Field Marshal the Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, Commander 21st Army Group, the despatch on the final stages of the naval war in North West Europe, and, as an addition, the despatch on the Dieppe Raid in 1942. This unique collection of original documents will prove to be an invaluable resource for historians, students and all those interested in what was one of the most significant periods in British military history.

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In 1918, the Germans launched the Spring Offensive. Aware that American troops would soon be arriving in Europe, the Germans saw this as their last chance to win the war. If they could overcome the Allied armies and reach Paris, victory might be possible. The German offensive was initially a great success. Striking at the Allied line's strongest point, the Chemin des Dames, they burst their way through and made quick progress towards Marne. However, the advance eventually stalled. With supply shortages and lack of reserves, this was to be the 'last ebb' of the German war effort.Rogerson, a young officer in the West Yorkshire Regiment, describes the experiences of his battalion from the Aisne through to the Marne. Fighting under French command, the West Yorkshires were inadequately supported by artillery and practically without help from the air. The 4 tired divisions were forced to fight and run 27 miles across wooded downlands and 3 rivers on emergency rations. The author vividly conveys the bravery and extraordinary resilience of the West Yorkshires, who were able to face up to the terrible ordeal of such a battle without loss of morale. Remarkably for a book of this period, an account by Major-General A. D. von Unruh, which gives the German perspective of the offensive, has been included.

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America deployed a diverse group of special operations forces (SOF) throughout World War II and in Korea. These elite units quickly earned a redoubtable reputation and proved themselves adept at hit-and-run raids, gathering intelligence in long-range patrols, rescuing PoWs and living and fighting in hostile environments. This valuable, fully illustrated guide includes more than 100 rare and unusual photographs of the men, uniforms, special equipment and insignia of these elite troops. Units covered include the Marine Raider regiments and Paramarines; Ranger battalions; 'Merill's Marauders'; the Special Service Force, OSS teams; Naval CDUs; and ski and mountain troops.

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This valuable addition to the G.I. series is an illustrated guide to America's armoured forces from the use of prototypes tanks sputtering their way forward in 1918, to the complex technology of Operation Desert Storm. With detailed commentary by John P. Longellier, this book demonstrates just why these lethal troops were known as 'Hell on Wheels'.

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