Search results for ""pen sword books""
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Wild Adventures of the New Aviators
Soaring over forest fires, a moonlight New Year's Eve flight over the Pennines, bungee-jumping from a paraglider as a birthday celebration, jumping off Mount Everest, or numerous several-hundred-mile flights over open country and on different continents. This book covering many exhilarating and enthralling stories from New Aviation including paragliding, hang-gliding, paramotoring and micro-lighting has them all. There is even the story of a pilot using flexwings to teach geese how to migrate and of a marriage proposal at 500 feet. The challenges explored by the renowned New Aviation expert Brian Milton includes Rich Pfieffer's legal charges of assault with a deadly weapon for flying a hang-glider over California's Rose Bowl American College Football competition, or Judy Leden's balloon drop from 40,000 feet over Jordan, with Israel on one side and Saudi on the other, despite her eyes being frozen shut. Along with this latter story, the author also discusses how women overcame pre
£22.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Private Life of James II
The personal side of James II and VII has long been obscured by the propagandastorm emanating from the Glorious Revolution of 1688, one of the great foundingmyths of modern Britain. Justine Brown unveils James the man, teasing out a freshdimension. The Private Life of James II details the romantic adventures of a trueCavalierhandsome, courageous, loyal, pleasure-seeking, lusty, determined andsoulful. The Stuart spare briefly experienced a golden childhood before, aged nine,he was flung headlong into the English Civil Wars of 1642-1649. After escapingEngland in disguise, he endured the execution of his adored father, Charles I, andyears of exile on the Continent. In 1660 the Duke of York returned to his native landin triumph. He rode into the capital at the right hand of his brother, Charles II. Jamesfully embraced the role of Restoration rake, headed up the Royal Navy, fought theFire of London with gusto, and was a great patron of theatre, painting, and music. The darling of the peop
£22.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Wellingtons Men Remembered
Wellington''s Men Remembered is a reference work which has been compiled on behalf of the Association of Friends of the Waterloo Committee and contains over 3,000 memorials to soldiers who fought in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo between 1808 and 1815, together with 150 battlefield and regimental memorials in 24 countries worldwide.
£45.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd ShipCraft 33 British Light Cruisers 2
The ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject, highlighting differences between ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the subjects, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.This is the second of two volumes covering Royal Navy 6-inch cruisers of the 1930s and later, this one devoted to the second generation' desi
£16.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Kings Men
The 4th and 5th Battalions, the Norfolk Regiment were formed in the early days of The Great War as part of the Territorial Force and deployed with 54th (East Anglian) Division to Gallipoli in 1915. Most significantly the 1/5th Battalion was unique in that it contained The Sandringham Company, the only unit to be raised entirely from a Royal Estate.Tragically the Company, along with King George V's Agent Captain Beck, disappeared without trace on 12 August 1915, presumed to have been overcome by their Turkish adversaries.The Battalion was rebuilt and saw out the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign being evacuated to Egypt in December 1915. Thereafter the Norfolks served with distinction in Palestine as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.The Author has compiled a fascinating history of these Battalions' distinguished service using contemporary records and personal accounts illustrated with a splendid selection of photographs. The result is a fitting tribute to the memory of these brave vo
£16.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Alamo Defenders
At a critical stage of the Texas Revolution a large Mexican army surrounded a makeshift fortification known locally as the Alamo. It was there that a small defensive force of mostly Texans had become holed up, and where they vowed to never surrender or retreat'. After a siege lasting thirteen days, the Mexicans assaulted the fortification during the early hours of Sunday, 6 March 1836. Except for a few women and children, and one male slave, everyone inside was killed. All this is well known, and to this day the Alamo Mission is an American national monument sacred to the people of Texas. The Battle of Alamo sits alongside such dramatic last stands as Little Big Horn and Rorke's Drift as one of the most heroic and sacrificial battles against the odds in military history. But what few realise is that a large number of those who fought and died for Texas at the Alamo were British. For the first time, the stories of these men, their lives and their deaths at the Alamo, are revealed. T
£22.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Petlyakov Pe2
During the Second World War, the Soviet Union's Petlyakov Pe-2 Peshka dive-bomber was unique in that it was as fast as most fighter aircraft. This was in a period when it was considered by the RAF that it was impossible for monoplane aircraft to conduct vertical bombing with any degree of success. During the war the Pe-2 was the principal dive- and light-bomber of Russia's air power across the vast Eastern Front and it continued in service until the early 1950s with the air forces of the Warsaw Pact countries and Yugoslavia. Conceived by a team of top aircraft designers whom Stalin had incarcerated in a prison camp on trumped-up political charges, the Pe-2 had originally been designed as a high-altitude twin-engine fighter plane, but, due to the outstanding success of the German Stukas in the Blitzkrieg, its role was quickly changed to that of a fast dive-bomber. The Pe-2 arrived in service around the time of the German attack on its hitherto ally. Although only a handful had reach
£22.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Pioneering Places of British Aviation
From as early as the beginning of the nineteenth century, Britain was at the forefront of powered flight. Across the country many places became centres of innovation and experimentation, as increasing numbers of daring men took to the skies. It was in 1799, at Brompton Hall in Yorkshire, that Sir George Cayley Bart put forward ideas which formed the basis of powered flight. Cayley is widely regarded as the father of aviation and his ancestral home the cradle' of British aviation. There were balloon flights at Hendon from 1862, although attempts at powered flights from the area later used as the famous airfield, do not seem to have been particularly successful. Despite this, Louis Blériot established a flying school there in 1910. It was gliders that Percy Pilcher flew from the grounds of Stamford Hall in Leicestershire during the 1890s. He was killed in a crash there in 1899, but Pilcher had plans for a powered aircraft which experts believe may well have enabled him to beat the
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Eight King Henrys of England
During the 1,000-year history of the English monarchy there have been eight kings with the name of Henry. The Eight King Henrys of England is the history of the reigns of these sovereign lords. In 1100 King William II of England was killed by a wayward arrow while hunting and his younger brother, Henry I, succeeded to the crown of England. As king, Henry I secured and strengthened his governing powers over the English kingdom. The second king of England named Henry crossed the English Channel in 1153 with his army to overthrow his cousin, King Stephen of Blois. Henry III reigned over England for fifty-six years, where he was occupied with the revolts of his recalcitrant nobles. In 1398 the future King Henry IV was exiled from England and spent the next year in France orchestrating the downfall of King Richard II. He returned to England in 1399 with a small band of advocates and was joined by numerous English lords, who supported him in the overthrow of the king, recognizing Henry IV as
£22.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd How Hitler Evolved the Traditional Army Establishment
Under the surveillance of General von Seeckt the Germans re-established their military, which Hitler utilised for his aggression of recovering Germany's military greatness. This book explores some of the leading military figures. The often-ignored Field Marshal Keitel is explored, to see if there were any substance in the Allied belief that this Chief of the OKW was the driving force behind initial German success or was he merely Hitler's lackey and bureaucrat. He was derided by his contemporaries because of his unstinting Prussian obedience to Hitler. This sense of total compliance was also reflected by General Paulus, who although obedient, was reluctant to carry out Hitler's barbaric orders relating to Jews and prisoners, but otherwise was obedient and trusting of Hitler even though he knew it would lead to military disaster. It took time in a Russian prison camp to turn him against the once adored German dictator where he eventually became anti-Nazi. In striking contrast to the
£22.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Craft Your Own Happy: A collection of 25 creative projects to craft your way to mindfulness
Craft Your Own Happy is a collection of mindful craft projects to make you smile! Perfect for those moments when you need a bit of self-care and relaxation time. Do you ever feel like you spend too much of your day staring at screens, feeling anxious or stressed out? If the answer is yes - then you need this book! The cute colourful projects have all been designed with the feel-good-factor in mind. Crafting can help to take you away from the worries and pressures of your daily life, and give you back those moments of slowness and focus which can help to reduce anxiety. Unlike other craft books, this is a book that you can dip into and find projects based upon how you are feeling. So you can craft to suit your mood! There are 25 beginner friendly projects to choose from including cross stitching, embroidery, paper craft and more Why worry when you can craft happy!
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd British Railways AC Electric Locomotives: A Pictorial Guide
The genesis of 25kv overhead electrification began in the late 1960s on the West Coast Main Line, the 1980s for the East Anglian Main Line, and the East Coast Main Line in the late 1980s. Development took place in stages culminating in fully electrified lines from London to Scotland on both East and West Coast lines, and from London to Norwich. The introduction of these lines required the construction of new motive power. Initially five types were produced for the WCML, from which the second phase of loco design was developed, giving a higher level of reliability, as well as power output. These newer designs were applied to the Anglian services, but the ECML plans required an updated design, ostensibly for mixed traffic, but hardly ever used on anything other than express passenger services, for which their 140mph potential enabled a major recast of the timetable. The opening of the Channel Tunnel required a mixed traffic dual voltage locomotive, running on both 25kv and the Southern Region 750v third rail DC. The locomotives are classified between 81 and 92 inclusive, and this book of photographs by David Cable covers all the classes in a variety of locations and duties.
£27.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Railway Preservation Revolution: A History of Britain's Heritage Railways
A ride on a steam train is a popular family outing. More than 100 heritage railways cater for that demand, capturing the spirit of nostalgia while preserving the engines and equipment of past days of rail travel. Their interests even extend to the modern era of 1960s-70s diesels. Those heritage railways themselves have a long pedigree, back to 1951, when a group of enthusiasts saved the Talyllyn Railway in mid-Wales from closure. They ran this railway as volunteers, out of their love of the little trains and a desire to keep it going. Their example was followed by many more preservation societies who preserved and restored branch lines, country lines and industrial lines for our enjoyment now. Six decades have passed, and we are now beginning to realise what an impressive history the heritage railway movement has. This book traces that history, from the humble beginnings the hopes and ambitions of the pioneers on the different railway projects. There were times of failure and frustration, as some fell by the wayside, but others have made it through times of adversity to become the major heritage businesses of today.
£27.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Constructing Buildings for Model Railways
At some time during ownership a train set crosses an arbitrary threshold and becomes a model railway. The aspiring modeller then has the challenge of filling in all the gaps. Whether the line runs through the countryside, a village or town, some type of infrastructure is needed to represent the station, home, or factory. This can be a challenge to the modeller as there are a wide variety of offerings at differing price points and detail levels. This book progresses through planning and thought processes aiming to demonstrate pictorially several different build types. From the simple paper kit to mighty scratch-built edifices, each is broken down to show how the build is undertaken. This book also follows some of the rebuilding process undertaken by the Market Deeping Model Railway Club as layouts were repaired, enhanced, or replaced following their annual show being vandalised on the night before public opening in May 2019\. As the news of this sad event broke, it went worldwide through the modelling community and public in general. The images of layouts broken to matchwood showed many years of skilled building and devoted operation which were lost. This gave the opportunity for experienced club members to build a mini movie set, construct a major London terminus and patch repair what could be saved from damaged originals. The photographic capture of these projects has been used within this book alongside the detailed work of other modellers, clubs, and societies.
£22.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Lost at Sea in Mysterious Circumstances: Vanishings and Undiscovered Shipwrecks
When you think of something being lost at sea, you imagine a ship sinking gracefully, the survivors being rescued or a tragedy being caught on camera. But what if a ship is lost at sea without trace? What if an aircraft takes off on a routine flight and is never seen again? This book details over fifty of the most mysterious vanishings, ships that have made headlines but have never been found, both famous and forgotten cases that have left an outward ripple of tragedy and mystique. Most people have heard of the Mary Celeste crew vanishing, but how many knew that this was not the last case of an entire crew going missing? What about the three Scottish lighthouse keepers who were never seen again? Or the world famous aviation pioneers who took flight to never return? This book will tell you that MH370 was not the first airliner to disappear over the sea, nor was the Bermuda Triangle actually the cause of so many disappearing ships. How could six airplanes disappear in one day? Why did a ship with over 300 people on board not send a single distress call? Which ships vanished and then later messages in a bottle suddenly turn up, not just once but two separate shipwrecks? Lost at Sea in Mysterious Circumstances will cover all these and more as we reveal the stories of some of the most fascinating incidents above and below the waves.
£19.80
Pen & Sword Books Ltd On the Trail of The Wild West: Then and Now
The Old West may have faded from living memory but the actual locations where the robberies and shoot-outs took place can still be found over one hundred years later. In the pages of On the Trail of the Old West Then and Now, we glimpse the past through contemporary newspaper reports, illustrated with comparison then and now' photographs. Here are towns like Dodge City and Tombstone and the stories of the clashes between lawmen and the badmen, with grim details of lawlessness, violence, and harsh frontier justice meted out by vigilante committees, to recall a timeless era of American history the Wild West!'
£18.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Last Man Standing: The Memoirs, Letters and Photographs of a Teenage Officer
It hardly seems credible today that a nineteenyear- old boy, just commissioned into the Seaforth Highlanders, could lead a platoon of men into the carnage of the Battle of the Somme. Or that, as the machine gun bullets whistled past and shells exploded, he could maintain his own morale to lead a platoon, keeping its discipline and cohesion, in spite of desperate losses. Norman Collins, the author of this superb memoir, was this remarkable man.Using Norman's own words, Last Man Standing follows him from his childhood in Hartlepool to his subsequent service in France. The book also covers such shattering events as the German naval assault on Hartlepool in December 1914 when, as a seventeen-year-old, Norman was subjected to as big a bombardment as any occurring on the Western Front at that time. Norman's love for, and devotion to, the men under his command shine out in this book and his stories are gripping and deeply moving. They are illustrated by a rare collection of private photographs taken at or near the front by Norman himself, although the use of a camera was strictly proscribed by the Army. Most of the images have never been published before.
£12.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Armoured Warfare in the Arab-Israeli Conflicts
The latest volume in Anthony Tucker-Jones's series of books on armoured warfare in the Images of War series is a graphic account of the development of armoured forces in the Arab and Israeli armies from 1948 to the present day. In a sequence of over 200 archive photographs he tells the story of the role armour played in Arab-Israeli conflicts over the last sixty years, from the initial battles of 1948, through the Suez Crisis, the Six Day War, the Yom Kippur War, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and the Israeli attack on Hamas in Gaza in 2008. In all these clashes armoured vehicles played a prominent, sometimes decisive part. As the photographs show, an extraordinary range of Second World War and post-war tanks, armoured cars and armoured personnel carriers was deployed by all sides. Russian T-34s, SU-100s, T-54/55s, T-62s and T-72s were imported from the Eastern Bloc by the Egyptians and Syrians. Shermans, Pattons, Centurions and AMX-13s were imported from the West by the Israelis. In addition, the Israelis developed modified hybrids such as the Sherman/Isherman, the Sho't, Magach and Sabra, and they produced to their own design their main battle tank, the Merkava. Anthony Tucker-Jones's photographic survey is an excellent introduction to late-twentieth-century armoured warfare, and it gives a fascinating insight into the military history of Israel and its Arab neighbours.
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Patton Tank: Images of War Series
The end of WW2 and the early Cold War years saw the need for a more powerful tank than the Sherman and Pershing tanks. The first Patton tanks (M46) were converted Pershings which saw service in Korea. As the Cold War intensified, the M47 with a more effective 90mm gun and turret went into mass production (9000 built) and countered the Soviet build up.The M48 entered service in 1953 and the M47s were sold off to allies whose armies were being rebuilt.The original M48 had serious deficiencies. Nevertheless over 12000 of numerous variants (MY8A1/A2/A2C) came into service. These were followed by the M48A3 which the Marines took to Vietnam.In the late 1950s the Americans overcame their aversion to diesel power and the M60 with its British designed 105mm gun came into service. By 1982 over 15000 units had been built in four basic models.Simultaneously 200 of the M48A5 with the 105mm gun went into service with the Army Reserve and National Guard and friendly foreign armies.To complicate matters, countries such as Israel made their own modifications to M48s which remained in service until the late 1990s.As this fascinating book reveals Pattons were made into specialist role vehicles, be they anti-aircraft, flame throwers, recovery, combat engineer.
£21.23
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Birth, Marriage and Death Records: A Guide for Family Historians
Birth, marriage and death records are an essential resource for family historians, and this handbook is an authoritative introduction to them. It explains the original motives for registering these milestones in individual lives, describes how these record-keeping systems evolved, and shows how they can be explored and interpreted. Authors David Annal and Audrey Collins guide researchers through the difficulties they may encounter in understanding the documentation. They recount the history of parish registers from their origin in Tudor times, they look at how civil registration was organized in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and explain how the system in England and Wales differs from those in Scotland and Ireland. The record-keeping practised by nonconformist and foreign churches, in communities overseas and in the military is also explained, as are the systems of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Other useful sources of evidence for births, marriages and deaths are explored and, of course, the authors assess the online sites that researchers can turn to for help in this crucial area of family history research.
£12.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Luck of the Devil: Flying Swordfish in Wwii
Robert le Page flew with the Fleet Air Arm from 1940 to 1945, mostly in 816 Squadron flying carrier-based Fairey Swordfish. He saw action mine-laying off Cherbourg, hunting U-boats, escorting convoys in North Atlantic and in the Arctic seas and covering D-Day. Much of his early war years were aboard HMS Dasher and he was lucky to be ashore when the carrier mysteriously blew and sank in the Clyde. This decimated 816 Squadron which was eventually re-equipped and then worked up to operational readiness to fly from HMS Tracker. His story is full of insights into wartime naval flying. When they were tasked with finding and attacking German E Boats they found that in a headwind these powerful boats could outdistance the 'Stringbag'. They devised a plan which was to glide as quietly as possible on their approach to the quarry and power up the engine only seconds before they attacked - however they never managed to sink one. Once when landing in rough weather his aircraft was waved to go round again. With throttle wide open the Swordfish struggled back into the air, but alas the tailhook snagged the top wire of the barrier protecting other parked aircraft. The author remembered staring down from the stalling aircraft to see a terror stricken fitter gazing up at him. Fortunately all survived.
£19.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Armoured Warfare in the Korean War
After the Second World War military analysts thought that the only place significant armoured forces were ever likely to confront each other again was in central Europe where the Nato alliance would fend off the Soviet Red Army. But then during the Korean War of 1950-53 large numbers of armoured fighting vehicles were deployed by both sides, and this neglected aspect of the conflict is the subject of Anthony Tucker-Jones's photographic history. Korea, with its rugged mountains, narrow passes, steep valleys and waterlogged fields. was not ideal tank country so the armour mainly supported the infantry and rarely engaged in battles of manoeuvre. Yet the wide variety of armour supporting UN and North Korean forces played a vital if unorthodox role in the swiftly moving campaigns. For this fascinating book over 180 contemporary photographs have been selected to show Soviet-built T-34/85s and Su-76s, American M4 Shermans, M26 Pershings and M46 Pattons, and British Cromwells and Centurions in action in one of the defining conflicts of the Cold War.
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Blitzkreig Poland (Images of War Series)
These photographs are taken from three unpublished albums featuring the German invasion of Poland in 1939. One set was taken by an SS officer, another by a regular officer and a third by a soldier attached to a medical unit. Included are German units on the move, tanks, artillery and aircraft. There are several shots of recently knocked out Polish vehicles, captured Polish troops and civilians. The shots reflect the rapid pace of the German advance through Poland, some of the cities, towns and villages show signs of heavy fighting, whilst others appear to be untouched. One of the sets show a German unit mounted in fast open cars, heavily armed, speeding through the Polish countryside, another features armoured vehicles and engineers and a third the ambulance teams moving up to the front through devastation and chaos. Throughout there are numerous opportunities to see uniforms in their various guises and how they were actually worn in practice. There are shots of earlier German armour, "antique" Polish armour and photographs of German troops at rest and preparing to move forward again.
£12.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Saturday at M.I.9: The Classic Account of the WW2 Allied Escape Organisation
Saturday at M.I.9 is the inside story of the underground escape lines in occupied North-West Europe which brought back to Britain over 4,000 Allied servicemen during World War Two.Airey Neave, who in the last two years of the war was the chief organiser at M.I.9 gives his own unique account. He describes how the escape lines began in the first dark days of German occupation and how, until the end of the war, thousands of ordinary men and women made their own contribution to the Allied victory by hiding and feeding men and guiding them to safety.There isn't a page in the book which isn't exciting in incident
£15.29
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Tanks on the Somme: from Morval to Beaumont Hamel
On 15 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme, tanks - one of the decisive weapons of twentieth-century warfare - were sent into action for the first time. In his previous books Trevor Pidgeon, one of the leading authorities on the early tanks, has told the story of that memorable day, but only now has his account of later tank operations during the Somme battle become available. In this, his last work which was completed shortly before he died, he reconstructs the tank actions that took place between late September and November when the Somme offensive was closed down. His account gives a vivid insight into the actions and experiences of the tank crews, and it shows the appalling dangers they faced as they manoeuvred their crude, vulnerable and unreliable machines towards the enemy. His book will be essential reading for anyone who is familiar with his previous studies of the subject and for anyone who wants to follow in the tracks of the tanks as they lumbered across the battlefield nearly 100 years ago.
£19.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd 1809 Thunder on the Danube: Napoleon's Defeat of the Hapsburgs, Volume II
In the second volume of this epic work, John H. Gill traces Napoleon's progress as he sought to complete his victory over the Habsburgs. The war had erupted on April 10th with Austria's invasion of Germany and Italy. After just two weeks, Napoleon had battered the Habsburg Archduke Charles in a series of bruising defeats. This volume begins with Napoleon astride the Danube at Regensburg. He faced a critical strategic choice - whether to pursue the injured Austrian main army into Bohemia or march directly for Vienna, the seat of Habsburg power. After electing to target Vienna, his troops defeated the Austrians in the brutal Battle of Ebelsberg, allowing him to enter the city on May 13th. However on the far side of the Danube, he then suffered a dramatic loss at the gruelling, two-day Battle of Aspern. While his Danube forces recovered from this setback, the Emperor cleared trouble from his strategic flanks. Gill describes in vivid detail the hopeful Habsburg invasion of Italy, led by the 27-year-old Archduke Johann, and the fierce French counter-offensive under Napoleon's stepson, Eugene de Beauharnais (also aged 27). In a series of encounters across Italy, de Beauharnais rebounded from initial defeat to advance triumphantly into Austrian territory, shattering and scattering Johann's army. In the wake of Aspern, while the Austrians vacillated, Napoleon gathered every man, horse and gun around Vienna, setting the stage for the gigantic spectacle of the Battle of Wagram, the final chapter in the story of the 1809 war.
£21.48
Pen & Sword Books Ltd It Had to be Tough: The Origins and Training of the Commandos in World War II
It Had to Be Tough tells the fascinating story of the origins of the Commandos (Britain's first Special Service troops and the forerunners of today's Parachute Regiment, the SAS and the SBS). The Commandos were raised on the specific and personal orders of Winston Churchill in the dark days of the summer of 1940 when these islands faced the real threat of a Nazi invasion. It was a bold, but typically Churchillian, decision.This engaging book traces the formation of the Commandos and the extreme and often unorthodox training methods and techniques used to prepare the volunteers from all branches of the British Army for subsequent world-wide operations. These ground-breaking operations included the 'great raids' on Norway and France, and the full scale invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Normandy and Burma.Arguably the Army Commandos were disbanded too hastily after the War but their legacy, traditions and fighting spirit live on in those artillery, engineer and corps troops who today win their coveted 'Green Berets' and serve
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd With Hitler to the End: The Memoirs of Adolf Hitler's Valet
Heinz Linge worked with Adolf Hitler for a ten-year period from 1935 until the Fuhrer's death in the Berlin bunker in May 1945. He was one of the last to leave the bunker and was responsible for guarding the door while Hitler killed himself. During his years of service, Linge was responsible for all aspects of Hitler's household and was constantly by his side. He claims that only Eva Braun stood closer to Hitler over these years. Through a host of anecdotes and observations, Linge recounts the daily routine in Hitler's household; his eating habits, his foibles, his preferences, his sense of humour and his private life with Eva Braun. In fact, Linge believed Hitler's closest companion was his dog Blondi. After the war Linge said in an interview, 'it was easier for him to sign a death warrant for an officer on the front than to swallow bad news about the health of his dog'. Linge also charts the changes in Hitler's character and his fading health from around 1942. During his last days, Hitler's right eye began to hurt intensely and Linge was responsible for administering cocaine drops to kill the pain. In a number of instances - such as with the Stauffenberg bomb plot of July 1944 - Linge gives an excellent eyewitness account of events. He also gives thumbnail profiles of the prominent members of Hitler's 'court': Hess, Speer, Bormann and Ribbentrop amongst them.
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Like Wolves on the Fold: The Defence of Rorke's Drift
Wednesday 22 January 1879 was one of the most dramatic days in the annals of military history. In the morning, a modern British army was swept aside by the onset of a seemingly unstoppable host at Isandlwana. Nearby, at a remote border outpost on the Buffalo River, a single company of the 24th Regiment and a few dozen recuperating hospital patients were passing another hot, monotonous day. News of the disaster across the river came like a bolt from the blue. Retreat was not an option. It seemed certain that the Rorke's Drift detachment would share the terrible fate of their comrades. Colonel Snook brings the insights of a military professional to bear in this strikingly original account. It is an extraordinary tale - a victory largely achieved by the sheer bloody-mindedness in adversity of the British infantryman, fighting at the remarkable odds of over thirty to one. The heroics of all eleven VC winners are recounted in detail, and we are offered new insights into how the Zulu attack unfolded and how 150 men achieved their improbable victory. The author describes the remainder of the war, from the recovery of the lost Queen's Colour of the 24th to the climactic charge of the 17th Lancers at Ulundi. We return to Isandlwana to consider culpability, and learn of the often tragic fates of many of the war's participants.
£16.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Dornier Do 17 the Luftwaffe's 'Flying Pencil': Rare Luftwaffe Photographs from Wartime Collections
For the first three years of the Second World War, the Dornier Do 17 was the Luftwaffe's principal light bomber. Designed to be fast enough to outrun contemporary fighter aircraft, the Dornier helped to spearhead Germany's Blitzkrieg as Hitler's armies raced through Poland and then France and the Low Countries. Until its withdrawal to secondary duties in 1941, the Dornier Do 17 served in every theatre of war involving German forces. This included the invasion of the Balkans and Greece as well as the battle to capture Crete. After suffering heavy losses at the hands of Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain, the Do 17 was employed in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. The Do 17 was withdrawn from frontline service later in 1941 but continued to be used by the German Air Force in various roles until the end of the war, including seeing service as a glider tug and in the defence of the Reich in 1944 as a night fighter. In this compilation of unrivalled images collected over many years, and now part of Frontline's new War in the Air series, the widespread deployment of the Dornier Do 17 is portrayed and brought to life.
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd British Aircraft Carriers: Design, Development and Service Histories
This book is a meticulously detailed history of British aircraft-carrying ships from the earliest experimental vessels to the Queen Elizabeth class, currently under construction and the largest ships ever built for the Royal Navy. Individual chapters cover the design and construction of each class, with full technical details, and there are extensive summaries of every ship's career. Apart from the obvious large-deck carriers, the book also includes seaplane carriers, escort carriers and MAC ships, the maintenance ships built on carrier hulls, unbuilt projects, and the modern LPH. It concludes with a look at the future of naval aviation, while numerous appendices summarise related subjects like naval aircraft, recognition markings and the circumstances surrounding the loss of every British carrier. As befits such an important reference work, it is heavily illustrated with a magnificent gallery of photos and plans, including the first publication of original plans in full colour, one on a magnificent gatefold. Written by the leading historian of British carrier aviation, himself a retired Fleet Air Arm pilot, it displays the authority of a lifetime's research combined with a practical understanding of the issues surrounding the design and operation of aircraft carriers. As such British Aircraft Carriers is certain to become the standard work on the subject.
£40.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Argentine Fight for the Falklands
Martin Middlebrook is the only British historian to have been granted open access to the Argentines who planned and fought the Falklands War. It ranks with Liddell Hart's The Other Side of the Hill in analysing and understanding the military thinking and strategies of Britain's sometime enemy, and is essential reading for all who wish to understand the workings of military minds.The author has managed to avoid becoming involved in the issue of sovereignty and concentrates entirely upon the military story. He has produced a genuine 'first' with this balanced and unique work. Among the men he met were the captain of the ship that took the scrap-metal merchants to South Georgia; the admiral in charge of planning the Falklands invasion; the marine commander and other members of the invasion force; two brigadier-generals, five unit commanders and many other men of the large army force sent to occupy and defend the islands.; the officer in charge of the Argentine garrison at Goose Green; and finally the brigadier-general responsible for the Defence of Port Stanley and soldiers of all ranks who fought the final battles.
£16.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd A British Achilles: The Story of George, 2nd Earl Jellicoe KBE DSO MC FRS 20th Century Soldier, Politician, Statesman
Son of the victor of Jutland, George Jellicoe has enjoyed power and privilege but never shirked his duty. His war exploits are legendary and, as a founder member of Stirling's SAS and first Commander of the Special Boat Service, he saw action a-plenty. A brigadier at 26 with a DSO and MC he liberated Athens as the Germans withdrew and saved Greece from a Communist revolution.After the war Jellicoe joined the Foreign Office and worked with spies Burgess, Philby and Maclean in Washington and on the Soviet Desk. His political life saw him in the Cabinet of the Heath Government and he is frank with his biographer over the issues and characters of his fellow ministers.Jellicoe's Achilles heel is his weakness for, and attraction to, women. His resignation over an involvement with a prostitute was a national scandal but he is refreshingly honest and devoid of self-justification. He remained an active member of the Lords pursuing a top level business career.A British Achilles is a superb biography of a major public figure and exemplary wartime soldier.
£14.07
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Tewkesbury 1471
On 4 May 1471 the forces of Lancaster under the Duke of Somerset and those of York under Edward IV clashed at Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire in one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. Edward's overwhelming victory secured for him the throne of England and led to the near ruin of the Lancastrian cause. Steve Goodchild's gripping account of the fighting, and of the politics and intrigue that led to it, is the first to take fully into account the landscape of the West Country over which the opposing armies marched and the terrain on which they fought.
£12.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Juno Beach: Canadian 3rd Infantry Division
By June 1944, Juno Beach was a key part of Hitler's vaunted Atlantic Wall, with no less than four major strong points along its length. German pillboxes were sited to sweep the beaches with machine gun fire and were surrounded by belts of barbed wire and mines. Leading the attack were the 3rd Canadian Division, supported by the specialist assault tanks of the 79th Armoured Division (Hobart's 'Funnies'). Despite careful planning, poor D-Day weather led to a piecemeal landing and heroic individual battles in the streets of the seaside towns.
£12.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Angel Meadow: Victorian Britain's Most Savage Slum
"It is all free fighting here. Even some of the windows do not open, so it is useless to cry for help. Dampness and misery, violence and wrong, have left their handwriting in perfectly legible characters on the walls."(Manchester Guardian, 1870.)Step into the Victorian underworld of Angel Meadow, the vilest and most dangerous slum of the Industrial Revolution. In the shadow of the world's first cotton mill, 30,000 souls trapped by poverty are fighting for survival as the British Empire is built upon their backs.Thieves and prostitutes keep company with rats in overcrowded lodging houses and deep cellars on the banks of a black river, the Irk. Gangs of 'scuttlers' stalk the streets in pointed, brass-tripped clogs. Those who evade their clutches are hunted down by cholera, typhoid and tuberculosis. Lawless drinking dens and a cold slab in the dead house provide the only relief from this filthy and frightening world.In this shocking book, journalist Dean Kirby takes readers on a hair-raising journey through the alleyways, gin palaces and underground vaults of this nineteenth century Manchester slum, which was considered so diabolical it was re-christened 'hell upon earth' by Friedrich Engels. Enter Angel Meadow if you dare...
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Tabletop Wargames: A Designers' and Writers' Handbook
Unlike chess or backgammon, tabletop wargames have no single, accepted set of rules. Most wargamers at some point have had a go at writing their own rules and virtually all have modified commercially available sets to better suit their idea of the ideal game or to adapt favourite rules to a different historical period or setting. But many who try soon find that writing a coherent set of rules is harder than they thought, while tweaking one part of an existing set can often have unforeseen consequences for the game as a whole. Now, at last, help is at hand. Veteran gamer and rules writer John Lambshead has teamed up with the legendary Rick Priestley, creator of Games Workshop's phenomenally successful Warhammer system, to create this essential guide for any would-be wargame designer or tinkerer. Rick and John give excellent advice on deciding what you want from a wargame and balancing 'realism' (be it in a historical or a fantasy/sci-fi context) with playability.They discuss the relative merits of various mechanisms (cards, dice, tables) then discuss how to select and combine these to handle the various essential game elements of turn sequences, combat resolution, morale etc to create a rewarding and playable game that suits your tastes and requirements
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd German Army in the Spring Offensives 1917: Arras, Aisne and Champagne
After the great battles of 1916, the Allied Armies planned to launch massive attacks North and South of the Somme. The German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917 forced the new French CinC General Nivelle to rethink and the French embarked on a major attack in the Aisne area and along the Chemin des Dames, with the British conducting large scale diversionary operations around Arras. The French suffered disastrously and, rendered incapable of further offensive operations, it fell to the British to step up the pressure, which they did albeit at a terrible price. This latest work by expert Jack Sheldon describes the event of Spring 1917 from the defenders' perspective. In particular it reveals the methods the Germans used to smash the French attacks and Oberst Fritz von Lossberg's transformation of the defences in the Arras front. Actions described in detail are the bitter battles around Monchy Le Preun, the Roeux Chemical works and Bullecourt as well as the capture of Vimy Ridge.
£22.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Hitler: A Life in Pictures
This exceptional source is probably the best of the contemporary accounts of Hitler in power, albeit from a heavily pro-Nazi stance. The testimonies collected together were based on interviews conducted by Heinz A. Heinz in 1933 and 1934, shortly after Hitler had taken power. Millions of ordinary Germans fell under Hitler's spell and this book is a creation of those emotions. It is very much a product of its time. Written by the party big-wigs, such as Goering, Speer and Goebbels, and published in 1935 under the title Adolf Hitler Bilder Aus Dem Leben Des Furhers, it appeared at a time when they were at the height of their unrivaled powers. This fascinating volume encompasses the superb photography of Heinrich Hoffman, the Munich photographer who was ever present on Hitler's journeys and who grew fabulously wealthy as a result of his intimate access to Hitler. Hitler had an innate understanding of what we would now call public relations. He recognised the excellence of Hoffman's photography and maintained control of his image by limiting the access of other photographers. He also strictly controlled Hoffmann's activities and personally selected the portraits that were allowed to go into circulation. The book incorporates sections on Hitler and the German people, Hitler and the German workers, Hitler and public works and so on, all accompanied by a series of excellent photographs which form a remarkable record of the public face of a man during his brief spell of absolute power. The Nazis were the first party who harnessed the full power of the media in a coherent and all-embracing manner. This is a classic example of the strength of their presentation skills. It is a compelling time-capsule which conveys vividly in almost visceral way the zeitgeist of the thirties in Nazi-Germany. By 1935 the bulk of the German people had fallen in behind Adolf Hitler, and with documents as persuasive as this, it is not too difficult to comprehend the allure of the glittering facade which a stream of publications such as this book sought to create and maintain.
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Killing the Bismarck: Destroying the Pride on Hitler's Fleet
In May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck, accompanied by heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, broke out into the Atlantic, to attack Allied shipping. The Royal Navy's pursuit and subsequent destruction of Bismarck was an epic of naval warfare. In this new account of those dramatic events at the height of the Second World War, Iain Ballantyne draws extensively on the graphic eye-witness testimony of veterans, to construct a thrilling story, mainly from the point of view of the British battleships, cruisers and destroyers involved. He describes the tense atmosphere as cruisers play a lethal cat and mouse game as they shadow Bismarck in the icy Denmark Strait. We witness the shocking destruction of the British battlecruiser Hood, in which all but three of her ship's complement were killed; an event that filled pursuing Royal Navy warships, including the battered battleship Prince of Wales, with a thirst for revenge. While Swordfish torpedo-bombers try desperately to cripple the Bismarck, we sail in destroyers on their own daring torpedo attacks, battling mountainous seas. Finally, the author takes us into the final showdown, as battleships Rodney and King George V, supported by cruisers Norfolk and Dorsetshire, destroy the pride of Hitler's fleet. This vivid, superbly researched account portrays this epic saga through the eyes of so-called 'ordinary sailors' caught up in extraordinary events. Killing the Bismarck is an outstanding read, conveying the horror and majesty of war at sea in all its cold brutality and awesome power.
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Life in the Victorian Kitchen: Culinary Secrets and Servants' Stories
Have you ever wondered what life was like for domestic servants, the etiquette involved during upper class banquets, or simply wished for a glimpse of day-to-day life in the Victorian kitchen? During the nineteenth century,the kitchen was a place where culinary worlds collided, bridging the gap between social classes. From the rural cottage to the well-staffed country house, Karen Foy takes readers on an entertaining and informative journey through a lost culinary world, uncovering the customs and traditions surrounding some of Britain's best loved dishes. Discover nineteenth century tips, techniques, stories and superstitions. Try your hand at foretelling the future using an egg or test recipes for everything from apple wine to sheep's head pie. Step into the world of the Victorian kitchen...
£12.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Battleships of the United States Navy
From 1895 to 1944 the US Navy commissioned some 60 steel-clad battleships; the first being Indiana (BB-1) and the last USS Missouri (BB-63). After an impressive showing in the Spanish-American War and the 'Great White Fleet's' circumnavigation of the world, US battleships played only a minor role in the First World War. They came into their own in WW2 primarily bombarding enemy held coastal regions and supporting Allied operations in Europe and the Pacific. Their firepower was awesome and the later examples had nine 16-inch and up to twenty 5-inch guns plus copious anti-aircraft defences. On the few occasions these mighty ships took on Japanese counterparts, they performed brilliantly but protection of the increasingly important aircraft couriers was more decisive. Armour plate nearly a foot and a half thick saved many from fatal attack from suicidal kamikaze pilots. Post WW2 the battleships were relegated to war reserve status but later their value projecting American military power worldwide and their conversion to platforms for cruise missile saw their re-birth. The last US battleship retired in 1992 having served in the Korean and Vietnam War, the Middle East and finally Desert Storm. This fine book gives the expert and layman a privileged overview of one of the greatest weapon systems in military history.
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Confrontation: The War with Indonesia 1962-1966
For over four years in the 'Swinging Sixties' the armed forces of the UK were engaged in a little publicised but crucial jungle war against communist aggressive on the vast island of Borneo. At any one time up to 50,000 troops (half of the Army's strength today) were deployed along a 1,000 mile front. Their enemy were the communist led Indonesians whose leaders were determined to seize the states of Sarawak, Sabah and the oil rich Brunei, all of whom for their part wished to maintain their Commonwealth links. The catalyst for the war was the 1962 uprising in Brunei which was quickly crushed by the bold intervention of British army units. The arrival of Major General Walter Walker, himself a controversial figure, gave the subsequent campaign a clear direction. Indonesian incursions were rigorously defended and ruthlessly pursued. Top Secret 'Claret' operations took the fight to the enemy with cross border operations initially using Special Forces and later with Chindit-style long range patrols. The outcome was a text book military victory thus avoiding a British 'Vietnam' debacle.
£15.32
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Case of the Chocolate Cream Killer: The Poisonous Passion of Christiana Edmunds
"The trial which terminated yesterday...revealed one of the strangest and most horrible stories possibly ever told in a court of justice." (Morning Post). When the news broke in 1871 of a series of mysterious poisonings in Brighton, shock and horror gripped the Victorian public. Even more disturbing was the revelation that the culprit was not a common criminal but rather a local 'lady of fortune' called Christiana Edmunds. From March 1871 Christiana had sent out dozens of poisoned chocolates and sweets to Brighton's residents. Her campaign resulted in the death of four-year-old holidaymaker Sidney Barker, and wounded countless others. Her arrest in August 1871 provoked such an emotional response from the local public that her trial was moved from Brighton to London's Old Bailey. The prosecution anticipated an easy victory. Christiana had not confessed, but witnesses confirmed that she had purchased strychnine and their testimonies placed her at the scene of the crimes. She had a motive too, argued the prosecution; she was a scorned woman.Despite the best efforts of the defence, the jury took only one hour to convict her of the murder of Sidney Barker and the attempted murder of three others. In a last dramatic twist, Christiana was reprieved after being declared insane by the Home Office and lived out her days in Broadmoor. Alongside Christiana's case, the book will offer a snapshot of life in Brighton, one of Victorian England's busiest and most popular leisure resorts. However, this wholesome holiday destination also had a steamy underworld of sexual licence, which reached even seemingly secure middle-class young women.
£12.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Nottingham: The Buried Past of a Historic City Revealed
Nottingham: The Buried Past of a Historic City Revealed covers the story of the part of the city which was known as Nottingham during the medieval times. It is an accessible read and the ideal book for anyone with a general interest in the history of the city of Nottingham. However, it will also suit professional archaeologists and students alike due to the large amount of previously unpublished material. Key points to be discussed include Nottingham Castle, the churches and friaries of the Medieval period, the Medieval town wall, Nottingham's manmade caves, the industries which took place in Saxon and Medieval times, as well as little known facts such as Nottingham's connections to the Vikings. This book also offers some possible answers to the never before published mysteries which archaeological work has uncovered such as the large burial site in the city centre and a mysterious village or suburb which briefly existed just outside of the city centre in the 14th century.
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Carthage's Other Wars: Carthaginian Warfare Outside the 'Punic Wars' Against Rome
Carthage was the western Mediterranean's first superpower, long before Rome, and her military history was powerful, eventful, and chequered even before her Punic Wars' against Rome. Although characterized in the surviving sources and modern studies as a predominantly mercantile state, Carthage fought many wars, both aggressive and defensive, before and in between the contests with the Roman parvenus. The Greek states of Sicily, above all Syracuse under its tyrants Dionysius the Great and then Agathocles, were her most resolute opponents, but in North Africa itself, in Sardinia, and later on in Spain she won and sometimes lost major wars. This is the first full-length study dedicated to these other wars which furthered Carthage's interests for over half a millennium. The book is based firmly and analytically on the ancient sources, and among many insights is that Carthage, though usually considered a naval power, did more fighting on land than at sea and with more success.
£19.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Victorian Guide to Sex: Desire and Deviance in the 19th Century
An exciting factual romp through sexual desire, practises and deviance in the Victorian era. The Victorian Guide to Sex will reveal advice and ideas on sexuality from the Victorian period. Drawing on both satirical and real life events from the period, it explores every facet of sexuality that the Victorians encountered. Reproducing original advertisements and letters, with extracts taken from memoirs, legal cases, newspaper advice columns, and collections held in the Museum of London and the British Museum, this book lifts the veil from historical sexual attitudes.
£12.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Visitor's Guide to Jane Austen's England
Immerse yourself in the vanished world inhabited by Austen's contemporaries. Packed with detail, and anecdotes, this is an intimate exploration of how the middle and upper classes lived from 1775, the year of Austen's birth, to the coronation of George IV in 1820. Sue Wilkes skilfully conjures up all aspects of daily life within the period, drawing on contemporary diaries, illustrations, letters, novels, travel literature and archives. Were all unmarried affluent men really 'in want of a wife?' Where would a young lady seek adventures? Would 'taking the waters' at Bath and other spas kill or cure you? Was Lizzy Bennet bitten by bed-bugs while travelling? What would you wear to a country ball, or a dance at Almack's? Would Mr Darcy have worn a corset? What hidden horrors lurked in elegant Regency houses?
£12.99