Search results for ""Author Chris McNab""
Haynes Publishing Group US Super Carrier
Author Chris McNab and photographer Patrick Bunce go above and below deck to discover how a supercarrier is built, examining its structure, systems, departments, flight deck and hangar deck. With the full cooperation of the US Navy, they join the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) to discover how a supercarrier operates, looking at flight operations, logistics and life onboard. Commissioned in 1977, this awesome carrier has a complement of more than 6,000 crew and an embarked air wing of anything up to 90 aircraft, together capable of delivering more than 150 combat sorties per day.|Few manmade objects in the modern world represent power projection as emphatically as the supercarriers of the US Navy. Emerging in the aftermath of the Second World War in the Forrestal and Enterprise classes, the supercarrier concept has become most potently embodied in the great Nimitz-class vessels, ten of which have been commissioned since 1975. It is these warships, plus the now emerging supercarriers of the Gerald R. Ford class, that form the lethal heart of the US Navy’s Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs), previously known as Carrier Battle Groups (CBGs). Author Chris McNab and photographer Patrick Bunce go above and below deck to discover how a supercarrier is built, examining its structure, systems, departments, flight deck and hangar deck. With the full cooperation of the US Navy, they join the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) to discover how a supercarrier operates, looking at flight operations, logistics and life onboard. Commissioned in 1977, this awesome carrier has a complement of more than 6,000 crew and an embarked air wing of anything up to 90 aircraft, together capable of delivering more than 150 combat sorties per day. Illustrated with more than 250 photographs, many taken specially for this manual aboard the Dwight D. Eisenhower by internationally respected photographer Patrick Bunce, the Haynes Supercarrier Manual offers an unrivalled look at the greatest warships afloat in the 21st century.|• Published with full cooperation of the US Navy. • Features super carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. • Insights into how a US super carrier operates and the working lives of its crew. • Fully illustrated with specially commissioned photography.|The Haynes Super Carrier Manual offers unrivalled insights into understanding how a modern US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is operated. Published with the cooperation of the US Navy, authors Chris McNab and Patrick Bunce take readers inside a super carrier to reveal how and why they are at the heart of global American military force. |The Haynes Super Carrier Manual offers unrivalled insights into understanding how a modern US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is operated. |Chris McNab is an author and editor specialising in military history and military technology. He has published more than 40 books, including several for Haynes. He lives and works in South Wales. Patrick Bunce is a US-based photographer who has contributed to a wide range of military book and magazine publications.|Introduction Chapter 1 History of the supercarrier Chapter 2 Structure, major systems and departments Chapter 3 Flight deck, hangar deck and key flight personnel Chapter 4 Flight operations Chapter 5 Major electronic and defensive systems Chapter 6 Carrier logistics Chapter 7 Daily life and operations Bibliography and further reading
£22.50
Casemate Publishers The U.S. Army Infantryman Vietnam Pocket Manual
Between 1964 and 1975, 2.6 million American personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, of whom an estimated 1-1.6 million actually fought in combat. At the tip of the spear were the infantry, the "grunts" who entered an extraordinary tropical combat zone completely alien to the world they had left behind in the United States. In South Vietnam, and occasionally spilling over into neighboring Laos and Cambodia, they fought a relentless counterinsurgency and conventional war against the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC). The terrain was as challenging as the enemy - soaring mountains or jungle-choked valleys; bleached, sandy coastal zones; major urban centers; riverine districts. Their opponents fought them with relentless and terrible ingenuity, on a daily basis with ambushes, booby traps, and mines, then occasionally with full-force offensives on a scale to rival the campaigns of World War II.This pocket manual draws its content not only from essential U.S. military field manuals of the Vietnam era, but also a vast collection of declassified primary documents, including rare after-action reports, intelligence analysis, first-hand accounts, and combat studies. Through these documents the pocket manual provides a deep insight into what it was like for infantry to live, survive, and fight in Vietnam, whether conducting a major airmobile search-and-destroy operation or conducting endless hot and humid small-unit patrols from jungle firebases. The book includes infantry intelligence documents about the NVA and VC threats, plus chapters explaining hard-won lessons about using weaponry, surviving and moving through the jungle, tactical maneuvers, and applications of the ubiquitous helicopter for combat and support.
£14.99
Amber Books Ltd World's Worst Historical Disasters: Natural and Man-made Catastrophes from the Ancient World to the Present Day
World’s Worst Historical Disasters examines some of the most significant natural and man-made disasters in world history, from those almost lost in the mists of time, such as the plague in Athens which killed 75 per cent of the population and the earthquake in Corinth that left 45,000 people dead to modern day catastrophes such as the New Delhi air collision and the Samastipur train disaster which both cost hundreds of lives. All kinds of horrendous disasters are covered including plagues, earthquakes, volcanoes, genocides, floods, train crashes and aeroplane crashes. Each fascinating account gives a full and detailed analysis of the events leading up to the disaster, the actual disaster itself and then the extent of the damage and the dreadful aftermath. Learn about the massacre at Milan, the great fire of London and the historic San Francisco earthquake. Each story is highly illustrated bringing every disaster to life, plus key facts outline the most important information and allows the reader the see facts at a glance. Whether the result of mankind or an inevitable and uncontrollable act of nature, World’s Worst Historical Disasters will provide an educational and riveting read.
£9.99
Casemate Publishers The Battle of Britain Pocket Manual 1940
In the summer of 1940, Britain stood alone. For three long months, brave young RAF pilots took off every day, ready to defend British skies against large-scale Luftwaffe raide. 'The Few' were young, but they were trained and they were determined. Eighty years on the last of the pilots to fly in the Battle of Britain are feted, and their part in World War II is widely remembered.This pocket manual covers the training that these young pilots would have had, and the air combat tactics they were taught to use against the German raiders. It also covers the role of the ground crews; control and command systems; anti-aircraft defences; and radar and raid detection.
£11.99
Casemate Publishers Fighting from the Heavens: Tactics and Training of Usaaf Bomber Crews, 1941–45
During World War II, the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) projected American military might across distances and with destructive force unimaginable just a decade previously. The B-17s and B-24s of the US Eighth Air Force turned much of Germany’s infrastructure to twisted steel and burnt rubble between 1943 and 1945. B-29 Superfortresses unleashed conventional raids on Japan of even greater area destruction than that created by the atomic bomb attacks (also delivered by USAAF crews). Beyond heavy strategic bombing, US bombers performed a multitude of other tactical roles, including hunting Axis submarines, bombing enemy shipping, low-level runs against precision targets, and providing heavy air support to advancing infantry and armour. While the US bombers dealt out violence, they were also prey to a terrifying spectrum of antiaircraft threats, and by the end of the war 88,119 US airmen had died in service. Bomber crews were a world unto themselves, composed of pilots, co-pilots, engineers, navigators, wireless operators, gunners, and bombardiers. And each aircraft type had its own unique characteristics and capabilities, from twin-engine B-25 Mitchells designed for strafing and skip-bombing to the four-engine workhorses of the strategic bombing campaign: the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, and B-29 Superfortress. Fighting from the Heavens presents an invaluable collection of material from US wartime manuals, including doctrinal, training, technical, aircraft-specific, and position-specific publications. Through these manuals, the reader gains an insider’s insight into the demands of US bomber warfare, including long-distance navigation, gun-turret operation, formation flying, bomber start-up procedures, and bomb aiming.
£22.50
Amber Books Ltd The Crusades: Holy War, Piety and Politics in Christendom from the First Crusade to the Reconquista
Crusading fervour gripped Europe for more than 200 years and yet, almost a millennium later, we continue to question the crusaders’ motivation: was it purely spiritual reward or did greed play a part? What did knights from Western Europe have to gain from a hugely risky and expensive missions to the the Holy Land? The Crusades expertly takes the reader into the mindset of crusading knights, exploring, on the one hand, the role played by pilgrimage, penance and piety in Christian life and, on the other, the politics of Western Europe, the Papacy, Byzantium and the Sunni and Shi’a groups in the Middle East. Encompassing both the crusades to the Holy Land, Iberia and the Baltic as well as popular crusading, the book explores how crusades were financed, how the crusader principalities functioned and how they were lost by the end of the 13th century. Looking more broadly at the era, the book reveals how the crusades were reflected in art and the influence they had in reviving Mediterranean trade and in the development of banking. From Christian holy war to Muslim jihad, from the Templars to the Teutonic Knights, from warring monarchs to popular preachers, from pogroms against Jews to crusades against heretics, the book tells the crusading story from the 11th century through to the completion of the Reconquista of Spain in the 15th. Illustrated with 160 photographs, paintings, artworks and maps, The Crusades is a fascinating and accessible history.
£19.99
Haynes A1 - Pract Lifestyle HB The Blitz
£22.99
Amber Books Ltd SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training: How to Improve your Mind's Strength and Manage Stress
SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training examines what it takes to be as mentally fit as a special forces soldier. The book explains why it is equally important to focus on stress management and mental discipline as it is to concentrate on push-ups, sit-ups and other physical exercises. Using simple steps, the book shows the reader how they can build up their endurance over a matter of weeks and months, and how their quality of life will benefit. SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training demonstrates how you can gain the psychological edge over your opponent, as well as ready yourself for critical challenges ahead. Whether you are competing in unarmed combat sports, running a marathon or just looking to get ahead, SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training will have helpful and practical advice for you. The book includes a number of military training programmes designed to assess a trainee’s fitness for the arduous life of a combat soldier, as well as chapters on leadership, battle tactics, escape and survival techniques, and improving intelligence and concentration. SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training is an essential guide to testing and improving mental agility and resilience in the modern combat environment.
£17.99
The History Press Ltd Battle Story: Passchendaele 1917
Passchendaele 1917 is the story of one of the most pitiless and iconic battles of the First World War, known today as Third Ypres. Fought over three tortuous months in 1917, the fighting raged through some of the worst physical conditions of the entire war, across battlefields collapsing into endless mud and blood. Eventually, more than 500,000 casualties bought front-line changes measured only in hundreds of yards. If you truly want to understand what happened and why – read Battle Story.
£12.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Waffen-SS Soldier vs Soviet Rifleman: Rostov-on-Don and Kharkov 1942–43
Fully illustrated, this study assesses the Soviet and Waffen-SS troops who contested the cities of Kharkov and Rostov-on-Don on the Eastern Front during 1942–43. As the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union unfolded, two places that suffered exceptionally severely were Kharkov (now Kharkiv) in Ukraine and Rostov-on-Don in Russia. In total, Kharkov would change hands violently four times between October 1941 and August 1943, and Rostov-on-Don also four times between November 1941 and February 1943. In this book, Chris McNab examines the fighting men of the Red Army and the Waffen-SS who clashed in three battles – one for Rostov (July 1942) and two for Kharkov (February–March and August). He clearly explains the key differences between these two opponents – training, tactics, weaponry, ideology and motivation – and examines how these differences played out in the three engagements, which ranged from open-terrain combined-arms battles to close-quarters street fighting in major urban zones. The text is complemented by specially commissioned artwork and mapping and carefully chosen archive photographs.
£15.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Armies of the Iran–Iraq War 1980–88
Driven by the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the insecurities it provoked in Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi dictatorship, the Iran–Iraq War would become the largest conventional conflict of the period. Curiously little-known considering its scale and longevity, the struggle between Iran and Iraq was primarily fought along the 1,458km border in a series of battles which, despite both sides being armed with modern small arms, armour and aircraft, often degenerated into attritional struggles reminiscent of World War I. Such a comparison was underlined by frequent periods of deadlock, the extensive use of trenches by both sides, and the deployment of chemical weapons by Iraq. Fully illustrated with specially commissioned artwork, this study investigates the organization, appearance and equipment of the ground forces of both sides in the Iran–Iraq War, including Iraq’s Republican Guards and Iran’s Pasdaran or Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The war resulted in stalemate with some half a million dead and at least as many wounded. The financial costs incurred in waging such a long and debilitating war were one of the spurs that led Saddam Hussein to invade Kuwait barely two years later, setting in motion one of the defining currents of recent Middle-Eastern history.
£14.99
Casemate Publishers The World War I Aviator’s Pocket Manual
Aviation was still in its infancy when World War I broke out. The first men to take to the skies above the battlefield undertook reconnaissance. Pilots and observers soon branched out into primitive bombing attempts, and attacking enemy aircraft when they came into contact. Nascent air forces produced manuals to help these pioneers as they took warfare into a new dimension. Pulling together information from British manuals such as A Few Hints for the Flying Officer and Practical Flying, as well as American, German and French training guides, this pocket manual shows what type of information the pilots were given. From the basics of how to care for, start, and fly an aircraft, through tactics and strategy in the air, identifying whether vehicles below were friend or foe, interacting with mechanics, and coordinating with army or naval forces, this fascinating time capsule opens up the world of the Great War aviator. With introductions to the manuals by Chris McNab, setting them in context and providing background.
£9.04
Amber Books Ltd Iceland
A hotspot in the North Atlantic, Iceland is one of the world's most unusual countries. It is Europe's second largest island but its most sparsely populated country. Sitting astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, linking the North Atlantic plate with the Eurasian plate, it is closer to Greenland than Europe. It lies just south of the Arctic Circle, but, warmed by Gulf Stream waters, has a temperate climate. It has fiery volcanoes and freezing glaciers, striking black sand beaches and hot geysers the word geyser itself comes from Icelandic. And a geologically young landmass, Iceland is still taking shape: a volcanic eruption in 1963 caused the formation of the new island of Surtsey. Iceland is a fascinating exploration of this most beautiful island. From volcanoes and lava flows to geysers and geothermal pools, from bird life to whale-watching, from national parks, verdant valleys to inland tundra, and from how waterfalls are used for hydro-electric power to Reykjavik's city life,
£17.99
Amber Books Ltd Farming: Growing the food that feeds us
Farming – whether domestic crops, forestry, fish or livestock – is one of the pillars of human civilization, dating back to the early settlements of Neolithic times. Today, approximately one billion people work the land, providing food and other products for our ever-increasing human population. Arranged geographically, Farming explores the many types of farm and farming that exist today. See how farmers in Malaysia extract milky latex from the bark of rubber trees, used to make everything from protective gloves to vehicle tires; be amazed at the gorgeous stepped rice fields of Bali, where the traditional subak irrigation system is created around ‘water temples’ and managed by Hindu priests; marvel at the vast corn and soya bean fields of Ontario, much of it used for animal feed to support Canada’s beef industry; learn about nomadic pastoralism in low rainfall areas such as Somalia, where herders move camels, cattle, sheep and goats in search of grazing; explore the wineries and vineyards in Bordeaux, where more than 700 million bottles of wine are produced each year by more than 8,500 châteaux; and see how freshwater prawns are harvested for export in the watery deltas of Bangladesh. Presented in a landscape format and with more than 180 outstanding photographs of farming from every part of the planet, Farming offers a pictorial celebration of mankind’s deep connection with the land that sustains us.
£17.99
Haynes A1 - Pract Lifestyle HB Napoleons Military Machine Operations Manual
£20.69
Amber Books Ltd Iceland
A hotspot in the North Atlantic, Iceland is one of the world’s most unusual countries. It is Europe’s second largest island but its most sparsely populated country. Sitting astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, linking the North Atlantic plate with the Eurasian plate, it is closer to Greenland than Europe. It lies just south of the Arctic Circle, but, warmed by Gulf Stream waters, has a temperate climate. It has fiery volcanoes and freezing glaciers, striking black sand beaches and hot geysers – the word geyser itself comes from Icelandic. And a geologically young landmass, Iceland is still taking shape: a volcanic eruption in 1963 caused the formation of the new island of Surtsey. Iceland is a fascinating exploration of this most beautiful island. From volcanoes and lava flows to geysers and geothermal pools, from bird life to whale-watching, from national parks, verdant valleys to inland tundra, and from how waterfalls are used for hydro-electric power to Reykjavik’s city life, the book is packed with 200 spectacular colour photographs. Presented in a landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each entry, Iceland is a stunning collection of images celebrating the world’s most curious island.
£9.99
Amber Books Ltd Military Vehicles: 300 Innovative Forms of Transport
Military Vehicles is a wide-ranging guide to the world of military mobility in the twentieth century and beyond. In 300 detailed entries, it explores the combat, transport and utility vehicles that have supported military units from World War I to the present day. Categories include armoured personnel carriers, armoured cars, anti- aircraft vehicles, tank destroyers, trucks and transporters, amphibious vehicles, self- propelled artillery and more. From early iron-clad machines such as the German Büssing A5P and the Russian Garford-Putilow armoured cars to advanced machines such as the Italian MICV Dardo and the German LGS Fennek, Military Vehicles examines the development of these powerful weapons of war. Each vehicle featured is illustrated by a full-colour side-profile artwork. The service history and key features of the vehicle are explained, and a detailed specification table lists the country of origin, crew, weight, dimensions, armour, armament, powerplant and performance. The book also features an introductory history of the development of military vehicles from 1900 to the present and a full glossary of technical terms and abbreviations. Presented in a handy, pocket-book size, Military Vehicles is a colourful guide that will interest any enthusiast of military technology and modelling.
£9.99
Casemate Publishers Eyes on the Enemy: U.S. Military Intelligence-Gathering Tactics, Techniques and Equipment, 1939–45
On December 7, 1941, an imperial Japanese carrier strike force attacked the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, taking advantage of what was one of the most profound intelligence failures in US history. Galvanised into action, the branches of the U.S. military subsequently developed one of the greatest, albeit imperfect, intelligence-gathering and analysis networks of the combatant nations, opening an invaluable window onto the intentions of their enemies. The picture of U.S. military intelligence during World War II is a complex one. It was divided between the fields of signal intelligence (SIGINT) and human intelligence (HUMINT), combat intelligence and War Department intelligence, and between numerous different organisations, including the Military Intelligence Division (MID), Military Intelligence Service (MIS), the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC), the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the many intelligence units organic to Army, Navy, Army Air Forces, and Marine Corps.The documents collected in this book reveal the theoretical and practical principles behind wartime intelligence gathering and analysis, from the frontline intelligence officer to the Washington-based code-breaker. They explain fundamentals such as how to observe and record enemy activity and intercept enemy radio traffic, through to specialist activities such as cryptanalysis, photo-reconnaissance, prisoner interrogation, and undercover agent operations.The painstaking work of an intelligence operator required a sharp, attentive mind, whether working behind a desk or under fire on the frontlines. The outputs from these men and women could ultimately make the difference between victory and defeat in battle.
£22.50
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Hitler's Tanks: German Panzers of World War II
The Panzers that rolled over Europe were Germany’s most famous fighting force, and are some of the most enduring symbols of World War II. However, at the start of the war, Germany’s tanks were nothing extraordinary and it was operational encounters such as facing the Soviet T-34 during Operation Barbarossa which prompted their intensive development. Tactical innovation gave them an edge where technological development had not, making Hitler's tanks a formidable enemy. Hitler’s Tanks details the development and operational history of the light Panzer I and II, developed in the 1930s, the medium tanks that were the backbone of the Panzer Divisions, the Tiger, and the formidable King Tiger, the heaviest tank to see combat in World War II. Drawing on Osprey’s unique and extensive armour archive, Chris McNab skilfully weaves together the story of the fearsome tanks that transformed armoured warfare and revolutionised land warfare forever.
£27.00
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Medieval Knight
The ‘knight in shining armour’ has become a staple figure in popular culture, and images of bloody battlefields, bustling feasting halls and courtly tournaments have been creatively interpreted many times in film and fiction. But what was the medieval knight truly like? In this fascinating title, former Senior Curator at the Royal Armouries Christopher Gravett describes how knights evolved over three centuries of English and European history, the wars they fought, their lives both in peacetime and on campaign, the weapons they fought with, the armour and clothing they wore and their fascinating code and mythology of chivalry. The text is richly illustrated with images ranging from manuscript illustrations to modern artwork reconstructions and many photographs of historic artefacts and sites.
£12.99
Arcturus Publishing Ltd Jeff Bezos: The World-Changing Entrepreneur
£9.04
Casemate Publishers The Paratrooper Training Pocket Manual 1939–1945
Airborne assault was one of the great innovations of the 1930s and 1940s, adding a new ‘vertical’ dimension to infantry warfare. By the onset of World War II in 1939, Germany, Italy, and Russia were already advanced in their development of paratrooper units. Germany in particular demonstrated the tactical shock of paratroopers in Western Europe in 1940 and, most spectacularly, in Crete in 1941, galvanizing the UK and the United States to expand and train their own airborne forces, which they unleashed in 1943–45. The Allied paratrooper drops on D-Day (6 June 1944) and those of Operation Market Garden (17–25 September 1944) were the stuff of legend, huge in scale and ambition, but both Allied and Axis paratroopers were deployed in numerous other actions, including special forces raids.It quickly became apparent that the physical and tactical demands placed upon paratroopers required men of exceptional stamina, courage and intelligence. To create these soldiers, levels of training were unusually punishing and protracted, and those who came through to take their ‘wings’ were a true elite.The Paratrooper Training Pocket Manual provides an unusually detailed insight into what it took to make a military paratrooper, and how he was then utilized in actions where expected survival might be measured in a matter of days. Using material from British, US, German archives and other primary sources, many never before published, the book explains paratrooper theory, training and practice in detail. The content includes details of the physical training, instruction in static-line parachute deployment, handling the various types of parachutes and harnesses, landing on dangerous terrain, small-arms handling, airborne deployment of heavier combat equipment, landing in hostile drop zones, tactics in the first minutes of landing, radio comms, and much more.Featuring original manual diagrams and illustrations, plus new introductory text explaining the history and context of airborne warfare, The Paratrooper Training Pocket Manual provides a detailed insight into the principles and practice of this unique type of combat soldier.
£9.99
Amber Books Ltd Mountains: Great Peaks and Ranges of the World
They define landscapes, people risk their lives to climb them, and they can even make their own weather. Mountains often serve as geographic features that determine natural borders of countries. Their height can influence weather patterns, stalling storms that roll off the oceans and squeezing water from the clouds. And many are the subject of myth and legend, both expressions of nature’s power and symbols of the sacred. Mountains is arranged by geographical region, featuring the greatest, most spectacular, most infamous and legendary mountains from every part of the world. Read about Mount Aconcagua, with an elevation of 6,959 metres (2,831ft), and the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere; or Half Dome, the semi-spherical mountain that towers over the valley floor in Yosemite National Park; or Mount Olympus, reputed home of the Ancient Greek gods; or K2, considered by many to be the most difficult mountain to climb in the Himalayas; or Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia – a popular hike for many thousands of tourists each year, and the highest mountain in Southeast Asia; or Gunung Agung, the active volcano that remains sacred to the Balinese people as a replica of the mythological Mount Meru of Hindu legend. Each entry is accompanied with a caption explaining the significance and history of the mountain. Illustrated with 200 outstanding colour photographs, Mountains is a visual feast for those who want to gaze down from the roof of the world.
£17.99
Amber Books Ltd Small Arms: The World's Greatest Small Arms from the Age of Automatic Weapons
Small arms have developed hugely since the introduction of the machine gun in the 1870s. Magazine-fed rifles, submachine guns, automatic pistols and, later, assault rifles and personal defence weapons have changed the face of infantry warfare, offering a range of weaponry designed for both the specialist and novice. Small Arms features 52 weapons from the late 19th century to the present day. The book includes the best-known weapons from throughout the modern era, from the Gatling gun, SMLE rifle and Luger pistol, to the Uzi, FN MAG and the M110 sniper rifle. Great iconic weapons, such as the Colt M1911 pistol, Bren Gun, MP5 submachine gun, and Steyr AUG rifle are featured, as well as timeless classics still in use today: the M2 Browning 50 cal, AK-47 and M16 rifle. Each weapon is illustrated with a colour profile artwork and photographs, along with a description of the weapon’s development and history, key features and a full specifications box. Including more than 200 artworks and photographs, Small Arms is a colourful guide for the military historian.
£17.99
Haynes Publishing Coal Mine
This manual explains the evolution of British coalmining from the 18th to the 20th century, the heyday of British mining, and examines every aspect of life as a pit worker.
£22.50
Amber Books Ltd Mammals: 300 Amazing Animals
Mammals include some of the most intriguing creatures on the planet: the big cats of Africa, the monkeys that inhabit the trees of the Amazon basin, the whales and dolphins that roam the world’s oceans. This book profiles the mammals of the world, using an entry by entry approach. By including fascinating examples from all of the world’s major mammal families, Mammals offers a truly comprehensive overview of mammals from every continent and gives a sense of the incredible diversity of mammal types. The entries are grouped by order, then within each order by family (and, where necessary, within each family by subfamilies); each family section contains examples of the key species, which are illustrated with beautifully detailed, full-colour artworks. For easy reference, each entry includes a table of information on scientific name, order and family, features, habitats, distribution, diet and breeding.
£9.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Roman Army: The Greatest War Machine of the Ancient World
The image of the Roman legionary is as familiar today as it was to the citizens – and enemies – of the vast Roman Empire two thousand years ago. This book goes beyond the stereotypes found in popular culture to examine the Roman Army from the first armed citizens of the early Republic through the glorious heights of the Imperial legions to the shameful defeats inflicted upon the late Roman Army by the Goths and Huns. Tracing the development of tactics, equipment and training, this work provides a detailed insight into the military force that enable Rome to become the greatest empire the world has ever seen. As well as describing the changes in the army over the centuries, The Roman Army also sheds light on the talented men who led these soldiers in battle and the momentous battles fought, including Cannae, Pharsalus and Adrianople. Illustrated with detailed maps, artwork and photographs, this volume provides a complete reference to the Roman Army from the 8th century BC to the period after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD.
£19.11
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC US Air Cavalry Trooper vs North Vietnamese Soldier: Vietnam 1965–68
The tactics and technologies of modern air assault – vertical deployment of troops by helicopter or similar means – emerged properly during the 1950s in Korea and Algeria. Yet it was during the Vietnam War that helicopter air assault truly came of age and by 1965 the United States had established fully airmobile battalions, brigades, and divisions, including the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).This division brought to Vietnam a revolutionary new speed and dexterity in battlefield tactics, using massed helicopters to liberate its soldiers from traditional overland methods of combat manoeuvre. However, the communist troops adjusted their own thinking to handle airmobile assaults. Specializing in ambush, harassment, infiltration attacks, and small-scale attrition, the North Vietnamese operated with light logistics and a deep familiarity with the terrain. They optimized their defensive tactics to make landing zones as hostile as possible for assaulting US troops, and from 1966 worked to draw them into ‘Hill Traps’, extensive kill zones specially prepared for defence-in-depth. By the time the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) withdrew from Vietnam in 1972, it had suffered more casualties than any other US Army division. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, archive photographs, and full-colour battle maps, this study charts the evolution of US airmobile tactics pitted against North Vietnamese countermeasures. The two sides are analysed in detail, including training, logistics, weaponry, and organization.
£13.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Coalition Armor vs Iraqi Forces: Iraq 2003–06
An illustrated study of how coalition armor in Iraq in 2003–06 handled a unique multi-threat environment, from enemy armor to IEDs. On 20 March 2003, Coalition forces launched the invasion of Iraq on a massive scale. Their armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) faced an uncertain level of resistance, and soon had to overcome a wide range of enemy threats. These included tank vs tank clashes during the first days of the invasion (most famously at Basra and Mahmoudiyah), and subsequently the dangers posed by enemy rocket-propelled grenades, cannon fire, antitank guided missiles, and improvised explosive devices. This vital new study covers both the opening clashes between opposing AVFs and the tactics developed by Iraqi insurgents seeking to neutralize Coalition superiority. Featuring full color photos, battle scenes, weaponry, and tactical illustrations, it draws upon first-hand accounts and official post-battle analyses to examine how Coalition forces responded to the change in the nature of the threats. Among the topics addressed are the coordination between Coalition infantry and air power; how dealing with roadside bombs in Iraq resulted in changes to equipment, tactics, and force structure; and the lessons learned for future warfare.
£14.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC German Automatic Rifles 1941–45: Gew 41, Gew 43, FG 42 and StG 44
This book explores the origins, development, combat use and lasting influence of Nazi Germany’s automatic rifles, focusing on the Gew 41(W), Gew 43/Kar 43, FG 42 and MP 43/StG 44. The Blitzkrieg campaigns of 1939–40 convinced many observers that most infantry combat took place at closer ranges than the 750–1,000m. From 1941 Germany’s arms designers took note and produced a new series of infantry firearms. This study not only provides a detailed technical description of each weapon, but also explores how the firearms performed on the battlefields of World War II. The combat takes us from the FG 42 in the hands of Fallschirmjäger at Monte Cassino through to StG 44s being used by Waffen-SS soldiers on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. Postwar service is also studied, such as the Gew 43’s adoption by the Czech Army and the StG 44’s use by the Viet Cong in the Vietnam War. Setting each firearm in its tactical and historical context, and employing striking photographs and full-colour artwork, firearms expert Chris McNab sets out the absorbing story of this distinctive and influential series of weapons.
£14.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Weapons of the US Special Operations Command
The units and formations of the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) have privileged access to the finest weaponry in the world’s arsenal. Whether Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines, the SOCOM troops select weapons that match their mission requirements, but which also sit at the cutting edge of combat technology. This means that, while SOCOM troops frequently use standard-issue weaponry, they also adopt many specialist pieces of kit that are not so accessible to the broader armed services, including sniper rifles, battle rifles, and machine guns, as well as high-tech tactical accessories used to transform standard weaponry into something exceptional. Assessing the technology and capabilities of these combat weapons, as well as how they have been used in modern combat, this fully illustrated study lifts the veil on some of the most distinctive hand-held weapon systems of US special operations forces since 1987.
£14.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Sagger Anti-Tank Missile vs M60 Main Battle Tank: Yom Kippur War 1973
The 1973 Yom Kippur War rewrote the textbook on the tactics of modern armored warfare. Unlike the previous major Arab-Israeli war of 1967, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) faced an enemy that had invested heavily in modern Soviet weapon systems and tactics. Using detailed colour artwork and insightful analysis, this book explains how the effective use of the Soviet-supplied AT-3 Sagger (9M14 Malyutka) anti-tank missile allowed small Arab tank-killing teams to destroy Israeli armor at an astonishing rate. It also analyses the tank that opposed it, the US-built M60A1, which had to fight for survival against the Arab Saggers, and shows how in both the Sinai and the Golan Heights, the IDF quickly learned that firepower and infantry/artillery cooperation were the keys to their survival.
£14.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC MG 34 and MG 42 Machine Guns
With the MG 34, the German Wehrmacht introduced an entirely new concept in automatic firepower – the general-purpose machine gun (GPMG). In itself the MG 34 was an excellent weapon: an air-cooled, recoil-operated machine gun that could deliver killing firepower at ranges of more than 1,000m. Yet simply by changing its mount and feed mechanism, the operator could radically transform its function. On its standard bipod it was a light machine gun, ideal for infantry assaults; on a tripod it could serve as a sustained-fire medium machine gun. During World War II, the MG 34 was superseded by a new GPMG – the MG 42. More efficient to manufacture and more robust, it had a blistering 1,200rpm rate of fire. Nicknamed ‘Hitler’s buzzsaw’ by Allied troops, it was arguably the finest all-round GPMG ever produced, and alongside the MG 34 it inflicted heavy casualties. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and drawing upon numerous technical manuals and first-hand accounts, this study explores the technological development, varied roles and lasting influence of the revolutionary MG 34 and MG 42 machine guns and their postwar successors.
£14.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The SVD Dragunov Rifle
Featuring specially commissioned artwork and carefully chosen photographs, this study charts the SVD Dragunov rifle’s development, combat use and lasting legacy, from Vietnam to Syria. Developed as a medium-range sniping rifle in the Soviet Union during the 1960s, the Dragunov stood out against most Western sniping rifle types by being semi-automatic, a configuration that marginally lowers accuracy compared to bolt-action sniping rifles, but which allows for faster follow-up shots. Even so, the SVD is still capable of taking precision killing shots out to 800m and beyond, making it a thoroughly practical combat weapon for marksmen and snipers. In this fully illustrated study, Chris McNab explores the Dragunov’s development and performance in detail. But the story of this weapon really comes to life with its combat history. It is the world’s most widespread sniping rifle, still in use in the former Soviet armies and sold to more than 40 countries worldwide. Its rugged design, dependable capabilities and relatively low cost mean that it has been used in every conceivable type of conflict, from Vietnam and Afghanistan to Iraq and Syria. Illustrated with cutaway artwork and battlescenes, plus technical and historical photographs, this study tells the story of this remarkable weapon, from design and development to tactical use in action.
£15.99