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'Hard eyes stare out of
massive beards, their
faces marked by the scars
of battle. With these
guys their webbing looks
like it belongs to them,
rather than it's been
hung on a pair of
reluctant shoulders.
There's not a word been
said to us, but the ante
has clearly been upped.
There's a dark and
sinister feeling in the
air. It doesn't take a
genius to figure it's
about to kick off.'
Former SAS soldier Big
Phil Campion tells it
like is in this brutally
honest account of his
insanely dangerous life
as a private military
operator. From playing
chicken with a suicide
bomber in backstreet
Kabul, to taking on
pirates with his bare
hands, this is true-life
action-packed drama at
its best.
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Details:At the beginning
of World War II, the
Luftwaffe was the worlds
most advanced air force.
With superior tactics,
aircraft and training,
it cut through opposition
air forces. Despite this
auspicious beginning, by
1945 the Luftwaffe was a
dying force. The Allies
were destroying German
aircraft at unequal
rates, and Luftwaffe
aviators were dying in
their thousands in an
unbalanced battle to save
Germany from destruction.
Hitlers Eagles charts the
turbulent history of the
Luftwaffe from its
earliest days to its
downfall. Once Hitler was
in power, the Luftwaffe
came out of the shadows
and expanded under a
massive rearmament
programme, then embarked
upon the war that would
define its existence. As
well as providing a
detailed history of the
Luftwaffes combat
experience, the book
expands on its human and
material aspects. Aces
and commanders are
profiled and aircraft are
described both
technologically and
tactically. The book
conveys all the drama of
the Luftwaffes existence
with Ospreys famous
aviation artwork bringing
the story incomparably to
life. Ideal for:A
brilliant read for those
with an interest in
history and military
activity. Perfect for
beginner and advanced
WW11 students.
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In most people's opinion,
the German Panther tank
was the most elegant tank
design of World War II.
It embodied a balance of
firepower, armor
protection, and mobility
unmatched by any other
tank of the period. Yet,
it was not the war-winner
it might have been.
Author Mike Green
examines the disparity
between the potential of
the Panther design and
the actuality of the
fielded Panther tank in
this new book. Though
many viewed the Panther
as an engineering
masterpiece and a
technological
breakthrough, it failed
to meet expectations on
the battlefield, and
thus proved a major
setback to Hitler's
dreams of world
domination. Green
explores the evolution,
and devolution, of the
Panther, providing keen
insight and new reasons
for its ultimate failure.
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Fighter pilots are the
elite of the elite; it
can take years of
training to produce a
fighter pilot and even
longer to produce a plane
that is worthy of their
skills. Yet a dogfight
can last only minutes.
Drawing inspiration from
The History Channel's
popular show, Dogfight
and the new Osprey DUEL
series, Dogfight offers
readers a chance to
discover what it felt
like to be a fighter
pilot during World War
II, flying some of the
most iconic planes to
have ever graced the
skies during operations
when man and machine were
tested to the limit.
Meticulously researched
digital artwork recreates
the cockpit of each of
these iconic fighter
planes and accompanies a
step-by-step explanation
of the design and
development of these
warbirds, from prototype
to combat. First-hand
accounts and interviews
with surviving pilots
detail pilot training
differences among the
combatants as well as the
equipment used in their
preparations for war.
Maps and diagrams reveal
the wider strategic
setting in which each
dogfight took place. From
Spitfires battling
Messerschmitts over the
skies of southern England
to Fw 190s desperately
attempting to turn the
tide against the
advancing Mustangs of the
8th Air Force during the
dying days of the war,
discover the history of
these amazing pilots and
their aircraft in the
awesome dogfights of
World War II.
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Details: Even 100 years
on from the First World
War it haunts us still.
No other conflict has
revealed so dramatically
the senselessness of war,
and none has shaped the
modern world to the same
extent, from its impact
on the Russian Revolution
and the rise of Hitler to
the final break-up of the
British Empire and the
supremacy of America.
These compelling
eyewitness accounts -
over 180 of them - of the
War to End All Wars cover
every facet of the war,
from the Flanders
trenches to the
staffrooms of the
Imperial German Army,
from T. E. Lawrence
(Lawrence of Arabia) in
the desert to German
figher ace the Red Baron
in the air, and from
English Land Girls to
German U-boat crews in
the North Atlantic. There
are contributions from
all combatant nations,
including the UK, USA,
France, Germany,
Canada, Italy,
Australia, Russia,
Serbia, and India. Ideal
For: This would make the
perfect read for anyone
interested in military
and war history.
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Details: Commando to
Colditz is an unusual -
perhaps unique - war
story. It is centred
around a most unusual war
hero: Michael 'Micky'
Burn, soldier, poet and
novelist, whose journey
from fascist follower,
to commander of Six
Troop, 2 Commando, to
prisoner (and communist
lecturer) in the
notorious prison of
Colditz forms the focal
point of this powerful
narrative. In 1942 Micky
led his commando troop of
28 men on one of the most
daring raids of the
Second World War, the
assault on the French
port of St Nazaire. As a
result of this 'night of
fire and death',
fourteen of Micky's men
were killed; seven,
including Burn, were
captured. Micky's bond
with his soldiers is at
the story's heart. Before
the raid, he had asked
his parents to write to
his men's families if the
worst should happen; the
result was the creation
of a rich and moving
archive of letters
between these grieving or
anxious families,
letters that illuminate
the lives and deaths of a
small but closeknit group
of British soldiers and
those who loved them.
Author Peter Stanley,
one of Australia's
leading military
historians, explores the
effect of war not only on
those who fight, but
also on soldiers'
families struggling with
uncertainty, denial and
grief. In Burn he reveals
a truly remarkable,
complex and colourful
character; one who
continues to muse on the
raid, its human cost -
and what it means today.
Key points: compelling
story telling; a riveting
read that offers a
microcosm of those who
fought on the Allied
side; illustrated with
contemporary photos that
brings the reader close
to the central characters
of the narrative; with
its fascinating subject
matter and universal
themes of loyalty,
compassion, love and
utter determination to
overcome. Ideal For: This
book will be suitable for
all people with an
interest in history and
the war.
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A riveting history book
that reads like a novel,
STIRLING'S MEN
investigates the story of
the SAS from its creation
by David Stirling to the
last battles of World War
II. This is the first
account of the SAS to be
officially supported by
the veterans and based on
their unique first-hand
testimony. Gavin Mortimer
weaves their stories
together to produce a
fabulous page-turning
narrative that will
capture the imagination.
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'Being a JTAC is the
closest a soldier on the
ground in the midst of
battle can get to feeling
like one of the gods -
unleashing pure hellfire,
death and destruction' -
Duncan Falconer Meet
Sergeant 'Bommer'
Grahame, one of the
deadliest soldiers on the
battlefield. He's an
elite army JTAC (Joint
Terminal Attack
Controller- pronounced
'jay-tack') - a specially
trained warrior
responsible for directing
Allied air power with
high-tech precision.
Commanding Apache
gunships, A10
tank-busters, F15s and
Harrier jets, he brings
down devastating fire
strikes against the
attacking Taliban, often
danger close to his own
side. Due to his
specialist role,
Sergeant Grahame usually
operates in the thick of
the action, where it's
at its most fearsome and
deadly. Conjuring the
seemingly impossible from
apparently hopeless
situations, soldiers in
battle rely on the skill
and bravery of their JTAC
to enable them to win
through in the heat of
the danger zone. Fire
Strike 7/9 tells the
story of Bommer Grahame
and his five-man Fire
Support Team on their
tour of Afghanistan.
Patrolling deep into
enemy territory, they
were hunted and targeted
by the Taliban, shot at,
blown-up, mortared and
hit by rockets on
numerous occasions. Under
these conditions Sergeant
Grahame notched up 203
confirmed enemy kills,
making him the difference
between life and death
both for his own troops
and the Taliban.
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The Royal Air Force is
synonymous with its
heroic achievements in
the summer of 1940, when
Winston Churchill's
'famous few' - the
Hurricane and Spitfire
pilots of RAF Fighter
Command - held Goering's
Luftwaffe at bay in the
Battle of Britain,
thereby changing the
course of the war. For
much of the twentieth
century, warplanes were
fixed in the world's
imagination, a symbol of
the perils and
excitements of the modern
era. But within the space
of a hundred years,
military aviation has
morphed from the exotic
to the mundane. An
activity which was
charged with danger - the
domain of the daring - is
now carried out by
computers and pilotless
drones. Aviators have
always seemed different
to soldiers and sailors -
more adventurous,
questing and imaginative.
Their stories gripped the
public and in both wars
and air aces dominated
each side's propaganda,
capturing hearts and
dreams. Writing with the
verve, passion and the
sheer narrative aplomb
familiar to many
thousands of readers from
his bestselling Second
World War aerial
histories, Fighter Boys
and Bomber Boys, Patrick
Bishop's Wings is a rich
and compelling account of
military flying from its
heroic early days to the
present.
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Jointly developed from
the air forces of
Germany, the UK and
Italy, the Tornado was
introduced in 1979, with
the last of the 992
constructed in 1999. It
is a major component of
four air forces worldwide
and has three main
variants. Tornados saw
action in the Gulf War
with the Italian and
British air forces, and
the type was unjustly
criticised after the loss
of 6 aircraft in this
war. With 10, 000 words
and full colour
photographs, this book
comprehensively tells the
story behind the Tornado
and will be an invaluable
addition to every
aviation enthusiast's
library.
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In 1939, John Wright, a
four-year-old boy from a
deprived but loving
Middlesbrough home, was
uprooted from his family
and evacuated to a large
house in North Yorkshire,
requisitioned as a
nursery school. His story
is not unlike any other
during the upheaval of
wartime, but in this
remarkably lucid and
detailed set of
recollections, a
seventy-three-year-old
man tells his story of
love, loss and life with
the delight and fear of a
wartime child. His
poignant memories of
cruelty and hurt are set
against a beautiful
voyage of discovery as a
young boy explores the
Yorkshire countryside and
comes of age in a unique
environment, only to be
struck by an unbearable
tragedy. A bittersweet
tale of innocence and
stark realities, Child
from Home explores why
wartime means so much to
our collective memory -
and reveals the
devastating effect we
have on children as we
try to protect them from
conflict.
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Details: The Victoria
Cross is one of the
world's most famous
medals. It was introduced
by Queen Victoria in 1856
for 'most conspicuous
bravery, or some daring
or pre-eminent act of
valour or self-sacrifice,
or extreme devotion to
duty in the presence of
the enemy', and has been
awarded only 1, 358
times. Exploring the
actions and events that
lead to the VC being
awarded, Forgotten
Voices of the Victoria
Cross is full of heroic
tales, drama and action
from the last century.
Some testimonies come
from soldiers, sailors
and airmen who were
awarded the VC; others
come from those who
witnessed extraordinary
acts for which the medal
was won. Collected from
the Imperial War Museum's
Sound Archives, most of
the first-hand accounts
in this book are
published for the very
first time. Forgotten
Voices of the Victoria
Cross explores the very
nature of bravery by
those whose job it was to
be brave. It is a
landmark addition to the
Forgotten Voices series.
Ideal for: Anyone who
enjoys military history
books. This hardback book
has 382 pages and
measures: 24.1 x 16 x
3.5cm
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Details: Divorced,
beheaded, died,
Divorced, beheaded,
survived. ? the fates of
Henry VIIIs wives
Beginning with the
victory of Henry Tudor
over Richard III at
Bosworth Field in 1485,
and ending with the death
of the childless
Elizabeth I in 1603
following a 45-year
reign, the Tudor dynasty
marks a period in British
history where England was
transformed from a minor
medieval kingdom to a
preeminent European power
on the verge of empire.
Yet this period of great
upheaval had a dark side:
Henry VIIIs
notorious break with the
Roman Catholic Church and
his divorce or execution
of four of his six wives;
the sad story of teenaged
Lady Jane Grey, who was
monarch for just nine
days before being
executed in favor of the
Catholic Mary I; and
Queen Elizabeth I, who
defeated the Spanish
Armada, suppressed the
Irish rebellion, and
sponsored pirates and
slave traders in the
quest for new territories
in America. Illustrated
with 180 photographs,
paintings, and
illustrations, Dark
History of the Tudors is
a fascinating,
accessible account of the
murder, adultery, and
religious turmoil that
characterized
Englands most
infamous royal dynasty.
Ideal for: History
enthusiast and people
with an interest in the
Tudors. This hardback
book has 224 pages and
measures: 25 x 19.5 x
2.2cm
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With a foreword by
renowned World War I
historian Dr Gary
Sheffield, War on the
Western Front examines
the day-to-day lives of
the brave men of the
First World War, as they
died in the trenches,
from their recruitment
and their training to
their combat experience,
vividly recounting the
shock of life on the
front.
This
book has a collection of
essays by well known
First World War
contributors such as Dr
Stephen Bull, Ian Drury,
Thomas A. Hoff, Martin
Pegler and Ian Sumner.
World War I
stands as a watershed in
the evolution of modern
warfare, with the
development of
sophisticated trench
systems forming a
battlefield over 400
miles long; innovations
in weaponry and
equipment; and the
introduction of tanks in
battle. Without the
ordinary soldier,
however, there could
have been no war: The
Great War was very much a
conflict of infantrymen -
Tommies, Stormtrooper,
Poilus and
Doughboys.
War
on the Western Front
provides an extensive
re-assessment of trench
warfare, a revolutionary
tactic that challenged
the very idea of war,
and details developments
in weaponry and armoured
vehicles, including
terrifying innovations in
the use of poison gas,
flamethrowers and
tanks.
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Details:
In this
follow up to CALL THE
MIDWIFE, Jennifer Worth,
a midwife working
in
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Details: The French
Foreign Legion is an
extraordinary and unique
army, specifically
created for foreign
nationals wishing to
serve in the French Armed
Forces, but commanded by
French officers. For
nearly two centuries
adventure seekers or men
on the run from all
around the globe have
found a home in the
Foreign Legion and shed
blood for France. Even
today, the British are
one of the largest
foreign contingents in
the world's longest
standing mercenary army.
In this book, author
Douglas Boyd has been
given unrivalled access
to the Legion to tell its
story from its inception
in the 1830s, when it
was primarily used to
protect and expand the
French colonial empire
during the 19th century,
but it has also fought in
almost all French wars
including the
Franco-Prussian War and
both World Wars. The
Foreign Legion has
remained an important
part of the French Army,
surviving three
Republics, one empire,
two World Wars, the rise
and fall of mass
conscript armies, the
dismantling of the French
colonial empire and the
French loss of the
legion's homeland,
Algeria. The Legion is
today known as an elite
military unit whose
training focuses not only
on traditional military
skills but also on its
strong esprit de corps.
As its men come from
different countries with
different cultures, this
is a widely accepted
solution to strengthen
them enough to work as a
team. Consequently,
training is often
described as not only
physically challenging,
but also extremely
psychologically
stressful. To give the
reader a feeling of what
it has been like to
soldier in the Legion the
author has distilled many
personal experiences from
his own interviews and
the Legion's archives.
His knowledge of French
history and politics also
enables him to place the
Legion's activities in
context - often what
motivates the Legion is
different from the
mainstream politics of
the French government.
The object of romance and
myth-making, Douglas
Boyd lifts the veil of
secrecy surrounding the
Legion to portray its
true story. Ideal for:
History buffs,
especially those with an
interest in military
history, specifically
the 'foreign legion'.
This paperback book has
464 pages and measures:
20 x 13 x 4cm
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Ian Gardner, co-author
of "Tonight We Die as
Men, is back with the
second installment of the
exploits of the 3/506 in
WWII. Drawing on years of
research and more than
seventy extended
interviews with veterans
and civilians caught up
in the fighting, Deliver
Us from Darkness" begins
where the earlier book
ended, with the troops
taking R&R back in
England after weeks of
grueling fighting in
Normandy. "Deliver Us
from Darkness" explains
how, with little notice
on Sept 17, 1944, the
101st Airborne Division
parachuted into Holland
as part of Operation
Market Garden. Their
mission was to secure the
main highway that passed
through the city of
Eindhoven and facilitate
the advance of Gen. Sir
Miles Dempsey's Second
British Army towards
Arnhem. The soldiers had
been lead to believe that
after the capture of
Eindhoven their mission
would be over. In the
end, however, it was
only the beginning of a
bloody 72-day campaign
that would see no quarter
given by either side.
Thousands of heavily
armed enemy troops
trapped behind Allied
lines were reorganized
into temporary fighting
groups and sent on the
offensive. Supported by
Tiger tanks and self
propelled artillery, the
German army began an
audacious series of
counter attacks along the
road to Nijmegen that
became known as 'Hell's
Highway. ' Over the next
two weeks the 506th was
constantly called upon to
defend the transport hubs
north of Eindhoven at
Sint Oedenrode, Veghel
and Uden suffering
horrendous casualties.
The mission in Holland
would be one that the men
would never forget. Many
felt that their lives had
been misused and
wasted--Normandy had been
bad enough, but this
time the members of 3/506
had been through hell.
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A distinguished
international team of
military historians
provides an enthralling
overview of the careers
and leadership of the
worlds greatest
military commanders on
land, at sea and in the
air, from Cyrus the
Great in 6th-century BC
Persia to Vo Nguyen Giap
in 20th-century Vietnam.
Truly global in scope,
the book offers a 2, 500
year history of warfare
uniquely told from the
viewpoint of the leading
protagonists, shot
through with informed
insights about changes in
the nature of war,
tactics and strategies
through time and varied
issues of command. Richly
illustrated with
photographs,
contemporary portraits
and battle scenes, and
images of weapons and
uniforms, and featuring
more than 120 specially
commissioned full-colour
campaign maps, battle
plans and 3-D battle
reconstructions, this
book gets to the heart of
what makes a ?great
commander? and is
essential reading for
anyone interested in
military history.
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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.
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Im not going to teach you
how to survive in snowy
mountains with only a tea
bag; this book will teach
you how to fight and
survive war in the 21st
century.--Robert
Stirling, from the
Introduction In the
tradition of John Lofty
Wisemans "SAS Survival
Handbook" comes a new
combat handbook from a
seasoned speical forces
soldier. Whereas Wiseman
initiated hundreds of
thousands of readers to
the survival techniques
developed by the SAS in
far-flung covert ops in
Burma, the Middle East,
Africa, and elsewhere,
Stirlings focus is on
fighting techniques for
the contemporary soldier.
Stirling, a combat
veteran of Northern
Ireland, the Bush Wars
in Africa, and
Afghanistan, provides a
fully-illustrated
training-manual for
combat readiness. This is
the stuff they dont teach
you in boot camp, but
they damn well should.
Stirling writes in a
aggressive style that
will appeal to the
warrior in every reader.
He also serves up
first-hand anecdotes and
advice drawn from
operations that went
well--and those that went
wrong. Table of Contents:
Why Do You Need This Book
- Tools of the Soldiers
Trade - Food, Shelter &
Dealing with Weather -
Medical Aid - How to
Avoid Getting Shot - How
to Avoid Blast Injury -
How to Deal with Suicide
Bombers - How to Deal
with Bombs Under the Road
- How to Survive an
Interrogation - Defending
a Position - Attacking
the Enemy
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Offers a review of the
MRCA story. It deals with
the technical development
and construction of the
aircraft, pre-production
flight testing and its
service with the European
nations who ordered the
aeroplane. Its war
service in the Gulf and
Kosovo is fully dealt
with, as are the
programmes to keep it in
service into the 21st
century.
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Details: In the early
hours of the 27th of May,
1941, the German
warship Bismarck -
scourge of the Atlantic
ocean - was sailing
towards a fateful
encounter. Two days
previously, Prime
Minister Winston
Churchill had issued the
order to "Sink the
Bismarck". High winds and
low visibility added to
the atrocious morning
weather as Fleet Air Arm
pilot, John Moffat,
took to the air in his
open cockpit bomber.
Along with twelve other
brave pilots, John
Moffat took down the
largest warship of its
time. A warship that had
destroyed the famed HMS
Hood within minutes, and
was able to withstand
anything the British
military threw at them.
These men, in their
Swordfish, managed to
avoid the fearful
anti-aircraft fire and
launched their torpedoes.
One of them hit, holing
the German warship. This
is his story - of how as
a young man he
experienced first-hand
the titanic struggle for
naval supremacy, the
cramped-cabins and meagre
rations of WW2, the
mind-numbing patrols over
hundreds of miles of
ocean and the adrenalin
and fear of being in a
fragile aircraft sought
out by gunfire. As the
only surviving member of
his fellow pilots, John
Moffat tells of
everything that led him
to be able to say, I sank
the Bismarck. Ideal for:
Those interested in the
ww2. A fascinating
account from the last
surviving pilot who took
down the largest warship
of its time. This
paperback has 399 pages
and measures: 19.7 x 12.7
x 2.6cm
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Provides an insight into
the history of warfare,
featuring 100 battles
that have had a
significant ifluence on
the make up of the modern
world. Includes colour
tactical maps that allow
the reader to grasp the
decisive moves of the
battle. Locator maps put
the reader on the spot
and the information boxes
help the reader to
quickly understand the
importance and impact of
the battles. Artwork
illustrate uniforms,
tactics, and military
technology of the time.
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Details: Horace 'Jim'
Greasley was twenty years
of age in the spring of
1939 when Adolf Hitler
invaded Czechoslovakia
and latterly Poland.
There had been whispers
and murmurs of discontent
from certain quarters and
the British government
began to prepare for the
inevitable war. After
seven weeks training with
the 2nd/5th Battalion
Leicester, he found
himself facing the might
of the German army in a
muddy field south of
Cherbourg, in Northern
France, with just thirty
rounds of ammunition in
his weapon pouch.
Horace's war didn't last
long. He was taken
prisoner on 25th May 1940
and forced to endure a
ten week march across
France and Belgium
en-route to Holland.
Horace
survived...barely... food
was scarce; he took
nourishment from
dandelion leaves, small
insects and occasionally
a secret food package
from a sympathetic
villager, and drank rain
water from ditches. Many
of his fellow comrades
were not so fortunate.
Falling by the side of
the road through sheer
exhaustion and
malnourishment meant a
bullet through the back
of the head and the
corpse left to rot. After
a three day train journey
without food and water,
Horace found himself
incarcerated in a prison
camp in Poland. It was
there he embarked on an
incredible love affair
with a German girl
interpreting for his
captors. He experienced
the sweet taste of
freedom each time he
escaped to see her, yet
incredibly he made his
way back into the camp
each time, sometimes
two, three times every
week. Horace broke out of
the camp then crept back
in again under the cover
of darkness after his
natural urges were
fulfilled. He brought
food back to his fellow
prisoners to supplement
their meagre rations. He
broke out of the camp
over two hundred times
and towards the end of
the war even managed to
bring radio parts back
in. The BBC news would be
delivered daily to over
3, 000 prisoners. This is
an incredible tale of one
man's adversity and
defiance of the German
nation. Ideal for: Those
interested in events
around the first world
war and anyone with an
interest in historical
events. This paperback
book has 313 pages and
measures: 19.7 x 12.8 x
2.2cm
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Deep in the bunkers of
Nazi Germany, many of
the world's top
scientists worked to
create a new generation
of war winning
super-weapons. A few of
these, such as jet
aircraft and the V2
rocket, became realities
at the end of the war,
others never made it off
the drawing-board.
Written by noted research
scientist, Brian Ford,
this book charts the
history of secret weapons
development by all the
major powers during the
war, from British radar
to Japanese ray-guns,
and explains the impact
that these developments
eventually had on the
outcome of World War II.
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Who was responsible for
the design of the Admiral
Popov, the circular
Russian battleship that
wouldn't steer straight?
Why did Lord Ansonset out
to circumnavigate the
world with a crew of
Chelsea pensioners? And
how did the British
cruiser HMS Trinidad
manage to torpedo itself
in the Arctic. The
answers to these
questions and details of
numerous other
entertaining and
unbelievable historical
events are revealed in
this absorbing survey of
naval incompetence from
Roman times to the
Falklands War.
Bestselling author
Geoffrey Regan certainly
sets out to prove that
there is truth in the old
adage "Worse things
happen at sea". Crammed
with intriguing and often
bizarre anecdotes and
over fifty illuminating
illustrations, Naval
Blunders takes a serious,
but often entertaining
look at the misjudgements
and oversights of
captains, fleet
commanders, strategic
planners and ship
designers over the ages.
Peppered with"es
from those who did their
utmost (albeit
unwittingly) to hinder
naval progress, such as
Admiral Lord Sir Charles
Beresford who stated, The
submarine can only
operate by day and in
clear weather, and it is
practically useless in
misty weather, this
entertaining and
instructive book will
appeal to the naval
enthusiast and general
reader alike.
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Through the portrayal of
the families selfless,
courageous, persistent
campaigning, Julieann
Campbell has set the
truth free CHRISTY MOORE
An intelligent and
emotive inside account of
the Bloody Sunday Justice
Campaign, which records
the personal stories of
the campaigners, the
relatives and the wounded
themselves right up to
the Saville Reports
publication in June 2010.
Written by Derry
journalist and niece of
Jackie Duddy who was
killed on that day, with
a foreword by political
activist Gareth Peirce,
Setting the Truth Free is
published to coincide
with the 40th anniversary
of Bloody Sunday on
Monday 30 January, 2012.
On 30th January 1972
thirteen people were shot
dead and a further
fourteen wounded, one of
whom died later, by
British paratroopers
during a peaceful civil
rights march in Derry. In
June 2010, thirty-eight
years later, Lord
Savilles report made
headlines all over the
world, and the people of
Derry were brought to a
stunned silence as
British Prime Minister
David Cameron apologised
on behalf of his
government and his
country for the
unjustified and
unjustifiable acts of
Bloody Sunday. Setting
The Truth Free is the
first ever account of the
remarkable Bloody Sunday
Justice Campaign as told
by the campaigners,
relatives and the wounded
themselves. Many books
have been written on the
subject but few mention
in significant detail how
these ordinary people
achieved the impossible
and unwittingly made
history. Determined to
clear their loved ones
names, this group took
on the might of the
British government, and
won. Each major turning
point during the campaign
is described and
accompanied by family
testimonies. Show More
Show Less
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DOGS IN WAR From World
War I battlefields to
present-day Afghanistan,
dogs have been the loyal
companions and trusted
compatriots of soldiers
worldwide. Now the
exciting, heartwarming
and heroic stories of
history's most famous
combat dogs are compiled
in this incredible
collection. *CAIRO, SEAL
Team Six's Belgian
Malinois, who was
choppered in with his
top-secret unit on their
heroic mission to take
out Osama bin Laden.
*RAGS, a Highland
terrier who dodged German
shell-fire, shrapnel and
poison gas to deliver
crucial messages to the
Western Front. *GANDER,
the Canadian Royal
Rifles' Newfoundland,
who sacrificed his life
by scooping up a grenade
and carrying it in his
mouth away from his unit.
*EBONY, the fearless
German shepherd who
alerted soldiers to an
imminent ambush, saving
25 men from sudden death
in Vietnam's unyielding
jungle. *COOPER, the
bomb-sniffing Labrador
who relentlessly scoured
Iraq for explosives until
the fateful day when an
IED killed him and his
handler.
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In 1968, at the age of
22, Karl Marlantes
abandoned his Oxford
University scholarship to
sign up for active
service with the US
Marine Corps in Vietnam.
Pitched into a war that
had no defined military
objective other than kill
ratios and body counts,
what he experienced over
the next thirteen months
in the jungles of South
East Asia shook him to
the core. But what
happened when he came
home covered with medals
was almost worse. It took
Karl four decades to come
to terms with what had
really happened, during
the course of which he
painstakingly constructed
a fictionalized version
of his war, MATTERHORN,
which has subsequently
been hailed as the
definitive Vietnam novel.
WHAT IT IS LIKE TO GO TO
WAR takes us back to
Vietnam, but this time
there is no fictional
veil. Here are the
hard-won truths that
underpin MATTERHORN: the
author's real-life
experiences behind the
book's indelible scenes.
But it is much more than
this. It is part exorcism
of Karl's own experiences
of combat, part
confession, part
philosophical primer for
the young man about to
enter combat. It It is
also a devastatingly
frank answer to the
questions 'What is it
like to be a soldier?'
What is it like to face
death?' and 'What is it
like to kill someone?'
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Yes, there are dozens of
books on the Afghan wars.
Most of them are all
about firefights and
heroics. But this is the
first to take the events
of the war Bush and Blair
started and put them in
the context of the Soviet
war and even the British
imperial wars that
preceded them, and draw
the lessons out, and
make a sharp summary of
what should happen next.
Ghosts of Afghanistan
stands out for the
combination of its calm
clarity and
comprehensibility, the
firmness of its
arguments, Steele's
stature as an analyst of
the region of 30 years
standing, his position
as the one UK journalist
who had first access to
the WikiLeaks cache on
Afghanistan, and his
interpretation of what he
found there.
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During the Second World
War, an American
behavioural psychologist
working with pigeons
discovered that the birds
could be trained to
recognise an object and
to peck at an image of
it; when loaded into the
nose-cone of a missile,
these pecks could be
translated into
adjustments to the
guidance fins, steering
the projectile to its
target. Pigeon-Guided
Missiles reveals this and
other fascinating tales
of daring plans from
history destined to
change the world we live
in, yet which ended in
failure, or even
disaster. Some became the
victims of the eccentric
figures behind them,
others succumbed to
financial and political
misfortune, and a few
were just too far ahead
of their time. Discover
why the great groundnut
scheme cost British
taxpayers GBP49 million,
why the bid to build
Minerva, a whole new
country in the Pacific
Ocean, sank, and why
the first Channel Tunnel
(started in 1881, over a
century before the one we
know today) hit a dead
end.
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Saul David's 100 DAYS TO
VICTORY is a totally
original, utterly
engaging account of the
Great War - the first
book to tell the story of
the 'war to end all wars'
through the events of one
hundred key days between
1914 and 1918. The
history of any war is
more than a list of key
battles and Saul David
shows vividly how the
First World War reached
beyond the battlefield,
touching upon events and
lives which shaped the
conduct and outcome of
the conflict. Ranging
from the young Adolf
Hitler's reaction to the
assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand, through a
Zeppelin raid on
Scarborough, the tragic
dramas of Gallipoli and
the battlefields of the
Western Front to the
individual bravery of the
first Indian VC, Saul
David brings people and
events dramatically to
life. 100 DAYS TO VICTORY
is a 360 degree portrait
of a global conflict that
stretched east from the
shores of Britain to the
marshes of Iraq, and
south from the forests of
Russia to the bush of
German South East Africa.
Throughout his gripping
narrative we hear the
voices of men and women
both eminent and
ordinary, some who were
spectators on the Home
Front, others -
including Saul David's
own family - who were
deeply embroiled in epic
battles that changed the
world forever. 100 DAYS
TO VICTORY is the work of
a great historian and
supreme story teller.
Most importantly, it is
also an enthralling
tribute to a generation
whose sacrifice should
never be forgotten.
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Details: They were
branded as cowards and
accused of being the
British Special Forces
Squadron that ran away
from the Iraqis. But
nothing could be further
from the truth. Ten years
on, the story of these
sixty men can finally be
told. In March 2003 M
Squadron - an SBS unit
with SAS embeds - was
sent 1, 000 kilometres
behind enemy lines on a
true mission impossible,
to take the surrender of
the 100, 000-strong Iraqi
Army 5th Corps. From the
very start their tasking
earned the nickname
'Operation No Return'.
Caught in a ferocious
ambush by thousands of
die-hard fanatics from
Saddam Hussein's
Fedayeen, plus the
awesome firepower of the
5th Corps' heavy armour,
and with eight of their
vehicles bogged in Iraqi
swamps, M Squadron
launched a desperate bid
to escape, inflicting
massive damage on their
enemies. Running low on
fuel and ammunition,
outnumbered,
outmanoeuvred and
outgunned, the elite
operators destroyed
sensitive kit and
prepared for death or
capture as the Iraqis
closed their deadly trap.
Zero Six Bravo recounts
in vivid and compelling
detail the most desperate
battle fought by British
and allied Special Forces
trapped behind enemy
lines since World War
Two. It is a classic
account of elite
soldiering that ranks
with Bravo Two Zero and
the very greatest Special
Forces missions of our
time. Ideal for: Anyone
interested in reading
about the operations of
the special forces. This
paperback has 318 pages
and measures: 24 x 16 x
3cm
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Details: Introducing 100
of the most renowned and
revered military
commanders history has
ever seen. Including
familiar names as well as
lesser-known and more
recent examples, the
great military commanders
of history are profiled
and analysed. Ideal for:
History and warfare
enthusiasts who would
like to know more about
the achievements of the
100 greatest military
commanders of all time.
This book has 208 pages
and is 25cm x 18cm x 2cm
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During the desperate
winter of 1940, as the
threat of German invasion
hung over England, the
British government
mounted a massive,
secret campaign of
propaganda to weaken the
isolationist sentiment in
America and manipulate
the country into entering
the war on Englands
behalf. Under the command
of the now legendary
INTREPID, the British
planted propaganda in
American newspapers,
covertly influenced radio
stations and wire
services, and plotted
against American
corporations doing
business with the Third
Reich. They also pushed
President Roosevelt to
create a similar covert
intelligence agency in
the US, and played a
role in the selection of
William Donovan as its
head.Now for the first
time, with great
research and reporting,
Jennet Conant reveals
that the beloved author
Roald Dahl was a member
of Churchills infamous
dirty tricks squad, and
tells the full story of
how he was recruited to
spy on the Americans
during World War II.
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A full account of the
part played by North-East
England's airfields in
Northumberland, Durham
and around Tyne and Wear
during the Second World
War. The history of each
airfield is described
with the squadrons and
aircraft based at them
and the main operations
flown. The effects of the
war on the daily lives of
civilians, and the
constant dangers from
raids and night bombing
are also detailed. Fully
illustrated.
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Beginning with the last
stand of the Spartans at
Thermopylae. History's
Worst Battles feature 50
of the most disastrous
military engagements ever
fought, from antiquity
to modern times.
Illustrated in full
colour, with detailed
maps and over 100
photographs and classic
paintings, this
informative book brings
these pivotal conflicts
of world history into
focus.
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London, 15 September
1940. The air battle over
Britain on that day saw
two of the most advanced
fighter planes, the
British Supermarine
Spitfire and the German
Messerschmitt Bf 109,
battle for supremacy of
the skies. The Decisive
Duel tells the stories of
these iconic, classic
aircraft and the people
that created them: Willy
Messerschmitt, the
German designer with a
love for gliders and
admiration for Hitler;
R.J. Mitchell, his
brilliant British
counterpart, who
struggled against illness
to complete the design of
the Spitfire. In
fascinating detail,
David Isby describes the
crucial role the two
opposed planes played,
from the drawing boards
to Dunkirk, the Battle
of Britain to the final
battles over Germany.
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A Battle of the First
World War fought with the
weapons of the Second.
Military experts have
long agreed that it would
hardly be possible to
find a better example of
an impregnable natural
defensive barrier on the
road to Rome than that
provided by Monte
Cassino. When this was
defended by resolute and
battle-hardened troops it
is easy to see how and
why the Germans held out
repeatedly against the
massive Allied assault
despite lavish air and
artillery support. There
were four separate and
distinct battles of
Cassino during late 1943
and early 1944, each one
being immensely costly in
Allied lives. In their
turn, Americans,
Indians, British,
Gurkhas and Poles reached
the summit of Monte
Casino but found it
impossible to retain a
hold for long. The
destruction wrought of
the world-famous
monastery on the summit
of the mountain was but
part of the damage that
occurred during this
period. The campaign to
take Monte Cassino was
one of the most dramatic
of the Italian campaign.
In his latest book for
Ian Allan Publishing,
noted military historian
George Forty examines in
detail the campaign to
take Monte Cassino and
clear the road to Rome.
Drawing upon superb
archive photographs and
first-hand reminiscences,
he sets the scene for
the battle, examines the
forces ranged against
each other and describes
each of the phases of the
battle.Allied to the
photographs and text are
clear line drawings which
allow the reader to
comprehend fully the
complex nature of the
battle. Ian Allan
Publishings series of
detailed military
histories have proved to
be highly successful,
garnering excellent
reviews and an
enthusiastic readership.
This new addition to the
series, featuring one of
the seminal engagements
of the war, is certain
to build upon the success
of the earlier volumes in
the series and become a
classic account of the
battle.
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In the spring of 1839,
the British invaded
Afghanistan for the first
time. Led by lancers in
scarlet cloaks and plumed
shakos, nearly 20, 000
British and East India
Company troops poured
through the high mountain
passes and re-established
on the throne Shah Shuja
ul-Mulk. On the way in,
the British faced little
resistance. But after two
years of occupation, the
Afghan people rose in
answer to the call for
jihad and the country
exploded into violent
rebellion. The First
Anglo-Afghan War ended in
Britain's greatest
military humiliation of
the nineteenth century:
an entire army of the
then most powerful nation
in the world ambushed in
retreat and utterly
routed by poorly equipped
tribesmen. Return of a
King is the definitive
analysis of the First
Afghan War, told through
the lives of
unforgettable characters
on all sides and using
for the first time
contemporary Afghan
accounts of the conflict.
Prize-winning and
bestselling historian
William Dalrymple's
masterful retelling of
Britain's greatest
imperial disaster is a
powerful and important
parable of colonial
ambition and cultural
collision, folly and
hubris, for our times.
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Details: It was the
British victory at the
Battle of El Alamein in
November 1942 that
inspired one of
Churchill's most famous
aphorisms: 'This is not
the end, it is not even
the beginning of the end,
but it is, perhaps,
the end of the
beginning'. And yet the
true significance of this
iconic episode remains
unrecognised. In this
thrilling historical
account, Jonathan
Dimbleby describes the
political and strategic
realities that lay behind
the battle, charting the
nail-biting months that
led to the victory at El
Alamein in November 1942.
It is a story of high
drama, played out both
in the war capitals of
London, Washington,
Berlin, Rome and Moscow,
and at the front, in
the command posts and
foxholes in the
desert.Destiny in the
Desert is about
politicians and generals,
diplomats, civil
servants and soldiers. It
is about forceful
characters and the
tensions and rivalries
between them. Drawing on
official records and the
personal insights of
those involved at every
level, Dimbleby creates
a vivid portrait of a
struggle which for
Churchill marked the turn
of the tide - and which
for the soldiers on the
ground involved fighting
and dying in a foreign
land. Ideal For: Ideal
for all readers who have
an interest in military.
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Details: In the early
morning hours of June 6,
1944, a small detachment
of British airborne
troops stormed the German
defense forces and paved
the way for the Allied
invasion of Europe.
Pegasus Bridge was the
first engagement of
D-Day, the turning point
of World War II. This
gripping account of it by
acclaimed author Stephen
Ambrose brings to life a
daring mission so crucial
that, had it been
unsuccessful, the entire
Normandy invasion might
have failed. Ambrose
traces each step of the
preparations over many
months to the
minute-by-minute
excitement of the
hand-to-hand
confrontations on the
bridge. This is a story
of heroism and cowardice,
kindness and brutality--
the stuff of all great
adventures. Ideal for:
Anyone with an interest
in WW2 and the events on
D-Day. This is a classic
of military history. This
paperback book has 233
pages and measures: 19.7
x 12.8 x 1.8cm
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-
Londons East Enders
are known for being a
tough, humorous and
lively lot. In the early
20th century, families
crowded into single
rooms, children played
on the streets and
neighbours? doors were
never locked in case you
needed an escape route
from the police... The
Second World War changed
everything. During the
Blitz, men set off for
work never to return and
rows of houses were
reduced to rubble
overnight. Yet the East
Enders? ability to keep
calm and carry on
cemented their reputation
for cheerful resilience.
They say Hitler killed
off the bugs but, along
with the slums, the
Blitz destroyed a way of
life. After the war
families were scattered ?
some to estates on the
edge of London, others
to isolated high-rise
blocks. The old East End
communities were gone
forever. Told by the
residents themselves,
The War on Our Doorstep
is an eye-opening,
moving and laugh-out-loud
depiction of what it
means to be an East
Ender.
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Foreword - The sinking of
the Princess Victoria off
the coast of Northern
Ireland in 1953 was the
worst shipping disaster
in the history of the
province. One hundred and
thirty-five people
perished during that
dreadful day of 31
January. Not a single
child, nor a single
woman survived. Sir
Walter Smiles, the then
Member of Parliament for
the North Down
constituency in Northern
Ireland, was amongst the
men who lost their lives
when the Princess
Victoria sank. His tragic
death caused shock waves
far beyond the
constituency itself,
where the outpouring of
grief and sympathy became
transformed into massive
support for his daughter
at the ballot-box during
the ensuing by-election.
So it was that Patricia
Forde was returned
unopposed in 1953 as MP
for North Down and thus
became the first woman
ever to be returned to
Westminster from any
constituency in Northern
Ireland. Sadly, however,
Patricia stood down at
the next general election
in 1955, after only two
years. Although we never
met I nevertheless feel a
strange affinity with
Patricia, not just
because I was born in
1955 but, much more
importantly, because in
the general election of
2001 I was returned as
the MP for her former
constituency. North Down
then became the first
and, to date, the only
constituency from amongst
Northern Ireland's 18 to
have been represented
twice in the House of
Commons by a woman. My
connection, therefore,
with the Princess
Victoria is a vicarious
one, but one about which
I feel most strongly. It
is a privilege to have
been invited by Stephen
Cameron to write the
foreword for this
excellent piece of
research about the
Princess Victoria. This
book will, I firmly
believe, stand both as a
fine memorial to the 135
who died and as a
reminder of the terrible
experience endured by the
survivors. Stephen's
style is sensitive, not
mawkish, thus ensuring
that survivors and the
many friends and
relatives of those who
died could read this book
and find between its
pages a real testimony to
the courage of all those
who set sail from
Stranraer on that fateful
morning. His detailed
account of the events
leading up to, during
and after that day brings
a fresh understanding of
the reasons for the
disaster and its
consequences. It also
brings an intimacy which
enables readers to share
in the poignant
recounting of this
terrible tragedy. Its
poignancy makes the book
unforgettable. - Lady
Sylvia Hermon
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Details: Complete book
and DVD set with a
detailed take into the D
Day Landings. Complete
with a mini book by Liam
McCann featuring over 100
photographs. Complete
with a documentary DVD
showing the incredible
stories of the Allied
Invasion of Normandy.
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Details: A young captain
in the Royal Norfolk
Regiment, Reggie Burton
was wounded in the
closing stages of the
disastrous defense of
Malaya and Singapore. He
vividly, yet calmly and
with great dignity,
describes the horror of
captivity at the hands of
the Japanese. After
initial confusion, the
true nature of their
captors emerged as,
increasingly debilitated,
the POWs were forced
into backbreaking work.
This was only a taste of
what was to come.
Following a horrific
journey in overcrowded
cattle trucks, Burton
and his dwindling band of
colleagues were put to
work building the
notorious Burma Railway.
Somehow he survived to
tell this moving and
shocking story. Ideal
for: Anyone with an
interest in WW2 and
specifically about what
POW's in WW2 went
through. This paperback
book has 173 pages and
measures: 19.7 x 12.8 x
1.5cm
Availability: In Stock
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-
The role of the bomber
has proved to be on of
the most controversial
aspects of
twentieth-century
warfare. "Bombers" tells
the story of the bomber
with a blend of narrative
and personal accounts,
recording the history of
the principle bombing
raids and the skill and
courage of those who flew
them.
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-
The Descent from the
Cross, or Deposition,
is the last act in the
human drama of Christ's
mission on earth, in
which Joseph of Arimathea
obtains Pontius Pilate's
permission to take
Christ's body down from
the Cross and bury it.
The pathos of this
particular scene has
captured the imagination
of artists from every
age, and this book
presents a chronological
sequence of over 100
versions of the event
selected from
masterpieces of all
periods by the greatest
artists. Like its
companion volumes,
Descent presents an
extended meditation on a
single theme that has
many facets: the
universal human tragedy
of loss, grief and the
shattering of all hope on
the one hand; and the
promise, as yet unknown
to the participants, of
renewed hope and eternal
life on the other. This
complex web of emotions
has inspired a rich
heritage of
interpretation, and the
images presented here
form a deeply moving and
ever-evolving study of
grief and resignation; of
human and divine drama;
of individual physiognomy
and character; and of
ultimate hope and
salvation. The
concentration on a single
theme opens up an intense
and heightened awareness
of the intricacy of human
emotion and the magnitude
of the artist's
expressive resources.
Each respective image
reveals a new insight,
as the profoundest
mysteries of religion,
human experience and
artistic creation are
explored here in a
concentrated form. Like
its companion volumes
Annunciation,
Crucifixion and Last
Supper, Descent presents
a focused meditation on a
single theme that is
infinitely rich,
allowing the viewer to
appreciate the nuances of
character and the endless
skill with which artists
have created new
masterpieces out of old
materials. Whether one
focuses on the religious
mystery, the human drama
or the marvellous skill
of the artist, these
uncluttered and simply
presented works of art
provide endless food for
thought and
contemplation.
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Written by leading Second
World War historian
Richard Overy, Britain at
War transports the reader
right back into the heart
of the action. Each key
event is presented
concisely, with maps,
photographs and documents
bringing the epic story
to life as never before.
Every theatre involving
British troops is
covered, from the first
two years of the global
conflagration in which
Britain and her
Commonwealth allies,
stood alone against the
might of Nazi Germany and
her Axis allies fascist
Italy and Imperial Japan,
to the later years when
allied alongside the
United States and Russia,
they continued the long,
hard, but ultimately
victorious fight for the
freedom of Europe,
Africa and Asia.
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This beautifully
illustrated book tells
the story of remarkable
men and women, such as
Calico Jack Rackham,
Captain Kidd, Anne Bonny
and Bartholomew Roberts,
who chose a life of
derring-do on the open
seas over poverty and
injustice in the place
they were born. Covering
every aspect of life
under the Jolly Roger,
and based on first-hand
accounts by pirates and
their victims, discover
the secrets of how these
outlaws and fighting men
lived and died - all too
often ignominiously at
the end of a rope. Broken
down into themed
sections, topics include
pirate attacks, the
cramped living conditions
aboard their ships, the
weapons they used and the
code they lived by, plus
a section on ruthless
modern-day pirates who
threaten seafarers today.
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See the history of
civilization through the
world's most deadly and
fascinating tools of
battle. In the
Illustrated History of
Weaponry, the
extraordinary weapons
from the Berman Museum of
World History, some of
which have never been
photographed before, are
collected in one unique
volume. Within these
pages, you'll find
weapons owned by Napoleon
Bonaparte, Heinrich
Himmler, Catherine the
Great, Benito Mussolini,
Jefferson Davis, Belle
Starr, Hermann Goering,
Napoleon III, Kaiser
Wilhelm and Maximilian I.
This book also offers
information on weapons
innovators including John
C. Garand and the Mauser
brothers. A variety of
exceptional weapons of
espionage, combination
curiosities and rarities
rounds out the compelling
selection, making this a
must-have guide for both
military historians and
antique armament
collectors.
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Why did the country which
produced Goethe,
Beethoven, Bach,
Schiller, Einstein,
Kant and Hagel allow
itself to be led to the
precipice of self
destruction by a ragged
collective of criminals,
misfits, sadists and
petty bureaucrats?
Featuring many rare
archive photographs,
Nazis and the Occult
reveals the true nature
of the Third Reich's link
with arcane influences
and of evil itself, as
well as explaining how an
ill-educated,
psychologically
unbalanced nonentity
succeeded in mesmerizing
an entire nation. This is
the real secret history
of Nazi Germany and its
dark Messiah - Adolf
Hitler.
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This book follows the
story of one of the most
iconic aircrafts from
World War II. Illustrated
with colour and black and
white photographs, it
gives you an insight into
the contribution of the
legendary Spitfire, from
conception to production,
as well as its pivotal
role during the war. Also
included are 5 pieces of
classic memorabilia,
with guidance documents,
aircraft logbook, a
collectable postcard and
a permanent pass. A
must-have for aviation
enthusiasts.
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£4.99
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When Hitler's deputy
Rudolf Hess set off for
Britain on a peace
mission in May 1941, he
launched one of the great
mysteries of the Second
World War. Had he really
acted alone, without
Hitler's knowledge? Who
were the British he had
come to see? Was British
intelligence involved?
Now, award-winning
historian Peter Padfield
presents striking new
evidence that demands the
wholesale reappraisal of
the episode, both in
terms of what actually
happened - and who knew
what - and its
significance in the wider
context of the war. For,
allied to a powerful
argument that Hess must
have had both Hitler's
backing and considerable
encouragement from
Britain, Padfield
demonstrates that he also
brought with him a draft
peace treaty committing
Hitler to the evacuation
of occupied European
countries. Made public,
this would have destroyed
Churchill's campaign to
bring the United States
into the war. Expertly
woven into a compelling
narrative that touches on
Lord (Victor) Rothschild
and the Cambridge spy
ring, possible British
foreknowledge of
Operation Barbarossa and
the 'final solution',
MI6's use of Hess to
prevent the bombing of
London and the mysterious
circumstances of his
death in Spandau prison -
including the previously
unseen witness accounts
from that day - Hess,
Hitler and Churchill is
among the most important
history books of recent
years.
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For Bomber Command, the
term 'Phoney War' never
really meant much. Five
Blenheims of 107 Squadron
were among the blood and
bullets the day after war
was declared and only one
came back. On 14 December
1939, in a disastrous
raid on shipping, 99
Squadron lost six
Wellingtons with only
three survivors out of
thirty-six crew. Even
worse, in the biggest
air battle so far, 18
December, Wilhelmshaven,
five Wellingtons of 9
Squadron went down, four
of 37 Squadron and two of
149 Squadron. Bomber
Command lost sixty-eight
aircraft and crews in
action in the four war
months of 1939, and a
further seventy-eight in
accidents. In the months
up to the French
surrender, losses rose
spectacularly as the
Germans triumphed
wherever they went. In a
few hours on 14 May,
resisting the Blitzkrieg,
forty-seven Fairey
Battles and Bristol
Blenheims were shot from
the sky. Through the
Scandinavian defence, in
France and Belgium, at
Dunkirk and, at last,
over Germany, for Bomber
Command there was no
Phoney War. It was real
war from the start.
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Details: Charles Steel
took part in two military
disasters - the Fall of
France and the Dunkirk
evacuation, and the Fall
of Singapore. Shortly
before the latter, he
married Louise. Within
days of being captured by
the Japanese, he began
writing a weekly letter
to his new bride as means
of keeping in touch with
her in his mind, for the
Japanese forbade all
writing of letters and
diaries. By the time he
was liberated 3 1/2 years
later, he had written
and hidden some 180
letters, to which were
added a further 20
post-liberation letters.
Part love-letter, part
diary these unique
letters intended for
Louise's eyes only
describe the horror of
working as a slave on the
Burma - Siam Railway and,
in particular, the
construction of the
famous Bridge over the
River Kwai. It is also an
uplifting account of how
man can rise above
adversity and even
secretly get back at his
captors by means of
'creative accounting'!.
Now, we can share the
appalling and inspiring
experiences of this
remarkable man. Ideal
for: People with an
interest in the second
world war and the life of
a POW. This paperback
book has 184 pages and
measures: 19.7 x 12.9 x
1.4cm
Availability: In Stock
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Details:
In 1979 a
secret unit was
established by the most
gifted minds within the
US Army.
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Details: An engaging
history of the aircraft
of the Great War.
Includes incredibly
detailed colour profiles
of all major types of
combat aircraft
Illustrated with detailed
artworks of combat
aircraft and their
markings, The Essential
Aircraft Identification
Guide: Aircraft of WWI is
a comprehensive study of
the aircraft that fought
in the Great War of 1914
- 18. Arranged
chronologically by
theatre of war and
campaign, this book
offers a complete
organisational breakdown
of the units on all the
fronts, including the
Eastern and Italian
Fronts. Each campaign
includes a compact
history of the role and
impact of aircraft on the
course of the conflict,
as well as orders of
battle, lists of
commanders and campaign
aces such as Manfred von
Richtofen, Eddie
Rickenbacker, Albert
Ball and many more. Every
type of aircraft is
featured, including the
numerous variations and
types of well-known
models, such as the
Fokker Dr.I, the Sopwith
Camel and the SPAD SVII,
through to lesser-known
aircraft, such as the
Rumpler C.1, and the
Amstrong Whitworth FK8.
Each aircraft profile is
accompanied by exhaustive
specifications, as well
as details of individual
and unit markings. Packed
with more than 200 colour
profiles of every major
type of combat aircraft
from the era, The
Essential Aircraft
Identification Guide:
Aircraft of WWI is an
essential reference guide
for modellers, military
historians and aircraft
enthusiasts. Ideal for:
Great reference guide for
modellers, military
historians and aircraft
enthusiasts. This
hardback book has 192
pages and measures: 24.5
x 19.7 x 2.1cm
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-
April 1945. The mutilated
bodies of Mussolini and
his mistress hang by
their heels in Milan
while a hostile crowd
whistles and jeers.
Desperate to avoid the
same fate, Adolf Hitler
leaves orders for his own
body to be burned after
his death. With the
Russian Army closing in
on Berlin and his world
crashing in to flames,
Germany s doomed leader
would never allow his
enemies the satisfaction
of desecrating his
corpse. This is the story
of an immensely exciting
few days, but it is also
a snapshot of the whole
world at the end of an
extraordinary week.
Nicholas Best tells a
compelling tale of the
men and women from all
around the world who
experienced the final
chaotic days of World War
II. Fast-paced, at times
brutal and at others
poignant, this
page-turner of a book
recreates the dying days
of the Axis powers as the
Allied armies closed in
on Berlin.
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Panzer attack was the
secret of Hitlers
early land successes. The
man behind the strategy,
and in command of the
tanks, was Guderian.
This is his manual of
attack Based on
Guderians own First
World War experiences,
sharply told Still
compulsory reading for
tank commanders ?
everywhere
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This is the definitive
work on Hitler's war
machine charting its
evolution from the
formidable force which
won stunning victories
during the Blitzkrieg in
1940, to the hard
campaigns it fought in
the deserts of North
Africa and the frozen
wastelands of the Soviet
Union to the eventual
retreat to the Fatherland
itself. Drawing upon
Osprey Publishing's
unique archive, this
volume expertly weaves
together the story of the
development and
deployment of Hitler's
armies displayed
alongside a stunning
collection of original
artwork and photographs
to show the kit and
equipment of the various
land forces.
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-
The story of the BEF in
France after Dunkirk.
Thanks to Churchill s
refusal to admit defeat,
many men were needlessly
sacrificed, including
800 from the 51st
Highland Division
captured by Rommel at St
Valery. This is the
fascinating story of an
inglorious and all but
forgotten hour in
Britain's military
history.
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Details: Stephen
Bungays magisterial
history is acclaimed as
the account of the Battle
of Britain. Unrivalled
for its synthesis of all
previous historical
accounts, for the
quality of its strategic
analysis and its truly
compulsive narrative,
this is a book ultimately
distinguished by its
conclusions ? that it was
the British in the Battle
who displayed all the
virtues of efficiency,
organisation and even
ruthlessness we
habitually attribute to
the Germans, and they
who fell short in their
amateurism,
ill-preparedness, poor
engineering and even in
their old-fashioned
notions of gallantry. An
engrossing read for the
military scholar and the
general reader alike,
this is a classic of
military history that
looks beyond the
mythology, to explore
all the tragedy and
comedy; the brutality and
compassion of war. Ideal
for: A compelling read
for the military scholar
and general reader alike,
this is a classic of
military history. This
paperback book has 492
pages and measures: 20 x
13 x 4cm
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-
6 June 1944: the day
Allied forces crossed the
Channel and began
fighting their way into
Nazi-occupied Northwest
Europe. Initiated by
airborne units and
covered by air and naval
bombardment, the
Normandy landings were
the most ambitious
combined airborne and
amphibious assault ever
attempted. Their success
marked the beginning of
the end for Nazi Germany.
Drawing on thousands of
hours of eyewitness
testimony recorded by the
Imperial War Museum,
Forgotten Voices of D-Day
tells the compelling
story of this turning
point in World War 2.
Hearing from paratroopers
and commandos, glider
pilots and landing craft
crewmen, airmen and
naval personnel, we
learn first-hand what it
was like as men waited to
go in, as they neared
the beaches and drop
zones, and as they
landed and met the enemy.
Accounts range from
memories of the daring
capture of 'Pegasus'
bridge by British
glider-bourn troops to
recollections of brutal
fighting as the assault
forces stormed the
beaches. Featuring a mass
of previously unpublished
material, Forgotten
Voices of D-Day is a
powerful and important
new record of a defining
moment in modern history.
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-
Details: The Falls Curfew
of 3-5 July 1970 is
considered by many to be
the turning point in
Catholic-Army relations
throughout Northern
Ireland and Belfast in
particular, and
ultimately led to
Catholic alienation from
the state. The curfew was
intended to dispel the
violence, it lasted 36
hours during which 4
people were killed, at
least 75 were wounded
(including 15 soldiers)
and 337 people were
arrested. Allegations of
army brutality towards
Catholics and destruction
of property have also
popularised this belief.
However, the seeds of
Catholic mistrust were
sown decades before. The
partition of Ireland in
1922, the subsequent
Unionist domination of
government and the
ignorance of the British
government towards the
province, ensured that
it was only a matter of
time that the initial
welcome for the army in
1969 faded. This is the
story of the Falls
Curfew, its causes, and
the subsequent
polarisation of a
community under siege. It
is a story many wish
could be forgotten, but
its legacy still lives
on. Ideal For: Would make
a great read for those
who are interested in
history.
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-
Details: It is the night
of 28 March 1942. Royal
Navy and British
commandos are poised to
assault the German-held
port of Saint-Nazaire in
what will be one of the
most audacious and daring
raids of the Second World
War. The plan is simple:
to drive an old
destroyer, packed with
three tons of explosive,
at full speed into the
outer gate of the
Normandie dock. The aim
is to destroy the base
from which the formidable
battleship Tirpitz would
be able to devastate the
convoys supplying Britain
from the United States.
'Operation Chariot' was
to be dramatically
successful, but at a
great cost. Fewer than
half the men who went on
the mission returned. In
recognition of their
valour, eighty-nine
decorations were awarded,
including five Victoria
Crosses. Into the Jaws of
Death is the true story
of how the decisive
courage of a small group
of men changed the course
of the war. Ideal for:
People with an interest
of the St Nazaire Raid.
This paperback book has
344 pages and measures:
20 x 13 x 2.5cm
Availability: In Stock
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-
Details: Ross Kemp has
encountered conflict and
warfare the world over,
broadcasting from some of
the most volatile
military hot-zones. From
meeting the world's
deadliest gangsters, to
perhaps his hardest
assignment of all;
embedded with the British
Army in Afghanistan's
Helmand province, where
he witnessed some of the
fiercest fighting of the
conflict and was trained
in the tactics they use
to stay alive. Stationed
with British forces for
his award-winning
television documentaries,
Ross Kemp has not only
experienced the terror
and exhilaration of life
on the frontline, but
also the courage and
leadership of today's
servicemen and women. The
plight of our Armed
Forces is one especially
close to his heart, and
here for the first time
Kemp tells the
breathtaking stories of
commandos, medics,
submariners, fighter
pilots, infantrymen,
sailors and engineers in
daring raids, stirring
last stands and acts of
extreme valour. British
Fighting Heroes is Ross
Kemp's personal tribute
to some of the most
remarkable men and women
to have served in the
British Armed Forces
during the two World
Wars, many of them
unsung or forgotten. From
Sgt Major Stan Hollis,
D-Day's only VC winner,
to Freddie Spencer
Chapman the reluctant war
hero who spent three
years behind enemy lines
in Burma fighting
guerrilla warfare against
troops, each account is
an extraordinary tale of
courage, adventure and
patriotic sacrifice.
Ideal for: A good read
for any fan of World
Wars. This paperback book
has 328 pages and
measures: 19 x 12 x 2cm
Availability: In Stock
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-
From the redcoat who
served Charles II to the
modern, camouflage-clad
guard at Camp Bastion,
from battlefield to
barrack-room, this is a
magisterial social
history of the British
soldier. Since 1660 the
army has evolved and
adapted, but the social
organisation of the men
has changed less, with
the major combat arms
retaining many of the
characteristics familiar
to those who fought at
Blenheim, Waterloo and
the Somme. The Duke of
Marlborough, who built
up the British army to
become a world-class
fighting force in the
1660s, would recognise
in the tired heroes of
Helmand the descendants
of the men he led to
victory at Blenheim over
three hundred years ago.
'Soldiers' is
exhaustively researched,
and Holmes's affection
for the soldier shines
through on every page.
Above all, this book is
brimming with great
stories, from the chaos
of the battlefield to the
fug of the barrack-room,
from Ulster to Bengal,
from Flanders' fields to
the Afghan hills. This is
a magisterial social
history of the British
soldier - and Richard
Holmes's fitting last
tribute to the British
soldier to whom he was so
devoted.
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-
America's Elites takes
the reader through some
of the most dramatic
special forces operations
in US history, from
sniping British
commanders during the
Revolutionary War to
Riverine incursions in
the Mekong Delta in
Vietnam, and from
demolition missions on
D-Day to the SEAL assault
on Osama bin Laden's
compound in 2011.
Training and selection
procedures are explained
in detail, and the book
also describes some of
the technologies that
have separated regular
soldiers from their
Special Forces
counterparts. Illustrated
throughout with striking
photography and artworks,
America's Elites forms
the most comprehensive
and visually impressive
single-volume guide to US
Special Forces available.
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-
A full account of the
part played by
Nottinghamshire &
Derbyshire's airfields
during the Second World
War, including
Balderton, Blidworth,
Hucknall, Papplewick
Moor, Church Broughton
and Ashbourne. The
history of each airfield
is described with the
squadrons and aircraft
based at them and the
main operations flown.
The effects of the war on
the daily lives of
civilians, and the
constant dangers from
raids and night bombing
are also detailed. Fully
illustrated.
Availability: In Stock
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-
Details: The Black Watch,
3rd Battalion The Royal
Regiment of Scotland
Battle Group deployed on
Op HERRICK 10 to
Afghanistan for six
months during the summer
of 2009. Its role was
that of Aviation Assault
Battle Group and its main
task was raiding into
insurgent-held areas in
both Helmand and Kandahar
Provinces. The Battle
Group was dubbed the
'flying squad' by the
media as it took the
fight to the Taliban with
aggressive helicopter
assaults. The book
follows the Battle
Group's progress starting
with pre-tour training
and deployment. It
describes, using
first-hand accounts, the
thirteen Battle Group
operations including the
Sangin Valley raids and
the one wave assault at
the start of Operation
PANTHER'S CLAW. Also
covered are the fighting
patrols in Kandahar
Province in an area known
as the 'heart of
darkness'.Above all,
this is a record of the
achievements of every
member of the Battle
Group who were
individually and
collectively asked to do
extraordinary things in
the face of an highly
experienced and ruthless
enemy. Personal accounts
and letters, supported
by superb images, many
taken by Battle Group
members, vividly
illustrate the paradox of
conflict: the elation and
fear of contact; the
intensity of combat and
the boredom of waiting;
the calm of camp life and
chaos of battle. The book
exposes the humour, the
grief, the hardship and
the camaraderie
experienced by soldiers
on the front line of
modern warfare. The vital
contribution of those
left behind, both Rear
Party and families, is
underlined. There were
casualties and losses,
each one felt deeply,
and we see how the joy of
the homecoming was
tempered by these. While
members, families and
friends of the Battle
Group should see this as
a personal tribute,
others will find Aviation
Assault Battle Group an
inspiring account of the
combined efforts of this
highly professional,
dedicated and courageous
team. It is hoped that
the book will also lead
to a better understanding
of what our Servicemen
and women are achieving
in this most dangerous
and controversial of war
zones. Ideal for: Anyone
who likes real life
action epecially military
books, extremely
exciting and you will not
be able to put the book
down. This hardback book
has 315 pages and
measures: 27 x 20 x 2.5cm
Availability: In Stock
£6.99
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-
Details: The McDonnell
Douglas F-4 Phantom was
the outstanding aircraft
in many of the Western
World's air forces during
the 1960s and 70s. It
played a key role in the
'Cold War' and saw action
in Vietnam. It first flew
in 1958 and went into
operation with the US
Navy in 1960. During its
long front-line life it
flew in the roles of an
interceptor,
fighter-bomber and
reconnaissance aircraft.
Apart from giving a
comprehensive overview of
the Phantom's history,
this book looks
particularly at the
experiences of the Royal
Air Force and Fleet Air
Arm when they received a
new model designed with a
British Rolls-Royce
turbofan instead of the
original American
power-plant. All was not
sweetness and light when
the first trials
commenced and this book
traces its development
and progression from
being a carrier-based
attack aircraft flown by
the Fleet Air Arm to the
many successful roles it
played as a land-based
aircraft with the RAF.
Ideal for: Those with a
flying background as well
as those with an
historical and technical
interest in aviation.
This hardback book has
173 pages and measures:
24.1 x 16.3 x 2.2cm
Availability: In Stock
£5.99
Available
-
The definitive guide to
the greatest maritime
warships of all time.
Complete with stunning
photography and a
detailed account of the
battleship era, this
book will take you on a
journey through military
history. Discover the
development,
construction, operation
and engagement of these
fighting machines and how
they once ruled the
world's oceans, in
battle. Also included are
5 pieces of sentimental
memorabilia, with iconic
postcards, collectable
photographs and a Royal
Navy poster.
Availability: In Stock
£4.99
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-
No Greater Ally is an
absolutely crucial
contribution to the
history of the Second
World War. Anybody who
seeks to understand the
dynamics of betrayal and
resistance as they apply
to this period, in
Poland, in Europe, must
read this book." -Alan
Furst, auhor of "The
Polish Soldier" "This
fascinating book fills a
yawning gap in our
knowledge of the Second
World War. By bringing in
the personal
reminiscences of people
of all stations, the
author gives pace and
immediacy to this
extraordinary story."
Adam Zamoyski, author of
"Forgotten Few: The
Polish Air Force in World
War II"
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A comprehensive
illustrated survey of the
events which combined to
form the 'Cold War' - an
episode which still
dominates the world in
which we live today. For
over four decades the
world lived in the shadow
of instant nuclear
annihilation. The world
map was divided into East
and West, and
war-scarred Europe was
partitioned by the Iron
Curtain. Each camp was
presided over by the
'Superpowers' that
emerged from the Second
World War - the Soviet
Union and the United
States - superpowers
divided by ideology but
united by an ambition for
world domination.
Structured around a
detailed timeline of
critical events and
brought to life by
hundreds of unique
contemporary photographs
and images drawn from the
world-famous Mirrorpix
archive, this book
examines the origins,
development and eventual
demise of the Cold War,
and sets its darkest
moment - the 40-year
nuclear stalemate between
East and West - in a
broader historical and
cultural landscape. As a
record of the elaborate
game of move and
counter-move that was
played out on a global
chessboard, this book
provides a rich and
fascinating reference
resource. As an
introduction to
understanding the complex
shape of the world we
live in today it is
invaluable.
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Details:Go head to head
with history and the
greatest fighters of the
war. Matching up ten sky
rivals including
spitfires,
messerschmitts,
mustangs, and zeros with
their greatest foes. This
book analyses the history
of the machines and their
tactics. With a
background look at the
pilots, Dogfight is the
complete story of ten
iconic fighters. Ideal
for:An excellent book,
perfect for anyone with
an interest in aviation
and military history. A
great book to add to any
collection!This book
measures: 24.4 x 20.1 x
3cm.
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Bletchley Park's cracking
of the Enigma code was
one of the greatest
achievements of the war.
Now, for the first time,
here are the stories of
the ordinary men and
women who made it happen.
At the secret code
breaking centre of
Bletchley Park,
debutantes, factory
workers, students and
Wrens were thrown
together with Britain's
most brilliant brains,
united in work of almost
unbearable intensity,
and even greater
importance. But there was
far more to their days
and nights than the long
hours spent decrypting
enemy messages. From
world-class concerts by
visiting musicians and
amateur dramatics to
ice-skating on the frozen
lake and furtive romances
sealed down quiet country
lanes, Sinclair McKay's
acclaimed book reveals
what life was really like
for the young people
whose clandestine efforts
were instrumental in
winning the war.
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It has been almost a
decade since the peace
accords were signed in
Northern Ireland, yet
many loyalist
paramilitaries continue
to operate. In this book,
Gallaher (School of
International Service,
American U.) explores the
reasons these
paramilitaries have
continued and discusses
the possible paths for
decommissioning and
reintegration, focusing
on
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Details: Paratrooper
Lance-Corporal Vincent
Bramley's account of his
experiences in the
frontline of modern
warfare is a testament
that could stand for any
soldier who has to cope
with fatigue, fear,
aggression, carnage and
death. It is a story
filled with compassion
and brutality in almost
equal measure. Most of
all, it is a story of
confusion - confusion in
the heat of battle and
confusion in the hearts
and souls of ordinary
men. Ideal for: People
who enjoy reading about
true accounts of war.
This paperback book has
303 pages and measures:
17.7 x 11 x 2.1cm
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At the end of the Second
World War some of the
highest ranking members
of the Nazi party escaped
from justice. Some of
them are names that have
resonated deeply in
twentieth-century history
- Eichmann, Mengele,
Martin Bormann and Klaus
Barbie - not just for the
monstrosity of their
crimes, but also because
of the shadowy nature of
their post-war existence,
holed up in the depths
of Latin America, always
one step ahead of their
pursuers. The nature of
their escape was as
gripping as any good
thriller. They were aided
and abetted by corrupt
Catholic priests in the
Vatican, they travelled
down secret 'rat lines',
hid in foreboding castles
high in the Austrian
alps, and were taken in
by shady Argentine secret
agents. The attempts to
bring them to justice are
no less dramatic, with
vengeful Holocaust
survivors, inept
politicians, and daring
plots to kidnap or
assassinate the
fugitives. Guy Walters
has travelled the world
in pursuit of the real
account of how the Nazis
escaped at the end of the
war, the attempts,
sometimes successful, to
bring them to justice,
and what really happened
to those that got away.
He has interviewed Nazi
hunters, former members
of Mossad, travelled the
'rat lines', and poured
through archives across
the globe to bring this
remarkable period of our
recent history to
dramatic and vivid life.
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It could have been the
biggest military disaster
suffered by the British
in the Second World War,
but against all odds the
British Army was
successfully evacuated,
and 'Dunkirk spirit'
became synonymous with
the strength of the
British people in
adversity. On the same
day that Winston
Churchill became Prime
Minister, Nazi troops
invaded Holland,
Luxembourg and Belgium.
The eight-month period of
calm that had existed
since the declaration of
war was over. But the
defences constructed by
the Allies in preparation
failed to repel a German
army with superior
tactics.The British
Expeditionary Force soon
found themselves in an
increasingly chaotic
retreat. By the end of
May 1940, over 400, 000
Allied troops were
trapped in and around the
port of Dunkirk without
shelter or supplies.
Hitler's army was just
ten miles away. On 26
May, the British
Admiralty launched
Operation Dynamo. This
famous rescue mission
sent every available
vessel - from navy
destroyers and troopships
to pleasure cruisers and
fishing boats - over the
Channel to Dunkirk. Of
the 850 'Little Ships'
that sailed to Dunkirk,
235 were sunk by German
aircraft or mines, but
over this nine day period
338, 000 British and
French troops were safely
evacuated. Drawing on the
wealth of material from
the Imperial War Museum
Sound Archive, Forgotten
Voices of Dunkirk
presents in the words of
both rescued and rescuers
in an intimate and
dramatic account of what
Winston Churchill
described as a 'miracle
of deliverance'.
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From the end of 1941 to
1945 a pivotal but often
overlooked conflict was
being fought in the
South-East Asian Theatre
of World War 2 - the
Burma Campaign. In 1941
the Allies fought in a
disastrous retreat across
Burma against the
Japanese - an enemy more
prepared, better
organised and more
powerful than anyone had
imagined. Yet in 1944,
following key battles at
Kohima and Imphal, and
daring operations behind
enemy lines by the
Chindits, the
Commonwealth army were
back, retaking lost
ground one bloody battle
at a time. Fighting in
dense jungle and open
paddy field, this brutal
campaign was the longest
fought by the British
Commonwealth in the
Second World War. But the
troops taking part were a
forgotten army, and the
story of their remarkable
feats and their courage
remains largely untold to
this day. The Fourteenth
Army in Burma became one
of the largest and most
diverse armies of the
Second World War.
British, West African,
Ghurkha and Indian
regiments fought
alongside one another and
became comrades. In
Forgotten Voices of Burma
- a remarkable new oral
history taken from
Imperial War Museum's
Sound Archive - soldiers
from both sides tell
their stories of this
epic conflict.
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The Great War: four
devastating years told by
twenty eyewitnesses.
There are many books on
the First World War, but
award-winning and
bestselling historian
Peter Englund takes a
daring and stunning new
approach. Describing the
experiences of twenty
ordinary people from
around the world, all
now unknown, he explores
the everyday aspects of
war: not only the tragedy
and horror, but also the
absurdity, monotony and
even beauty. Two of these
twenty will perish, two
will become prisoners of
war, two will become
celebrated heroes and two
others end up as physical
wrecks. One of them go
mad, another will never
hear a shot fired.
Following soldiers and
sailors, nurses and
government workers from
Britain, Russia and
Germany, and from
Australia and South
America - and in theatres
of war often neglected by
major histories on the
period - Englund
reconstructs their
feelings, impressions,
experiences and moods.
This is a piece of
anti-history: it brings
this epoch-making event
back to its smallest
component, the
individual.
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'The Gestapo kept me
three days in this
interrogation house. They
especially wanted to know
what I did after my
escape, and precise
things on the
organisation of the SOE.
And just for fun I
suspect, because I had
really not much to tell
them, they pulled one of
my toenails out...' -
Robert Sheppard, SOE
agent The Special
Operations Executive
(SOE) was a secret
British organisation
created early in World
War 2 to encourage
resistance and carry out
sabotage behind enemy
lines: in Winston
Churchill's famous
phrase, to 'set Europe
ablaze'. Drawing on the
vast resources of the
Imperial War Museum Sound
Archive and featuring a
mass of previously
unpublished personal
testimonies, Forgotten
Voices of the Secret War
tells the stories of SOE
agents, HQ staff,
diplomats, aircrew and
naval personnel in their
own words. As the war
unfolds, we learn of
parachute drops into
enemy territory, torture
by the Gestapo and
nerve-wracking sabotage
missions in far-flung
climes. Forgotten Voices
of the Secret War is both
an incredible account of
espionage during World
War 2 and a fitting
testament to the efforts
and sacrifices of a
dedicated group of
courageous men and women.
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Gun-for-hire James 'Ash'
Ashcroft thought he'd
left Iraq behind. Last
time he only got out
alive thanks to the
bravery of his
interpreter and friend
Sammy. But now a call for
help means Ash must once
again face the chaos of
war-torn Baghdad - and
this time there's no pay
cheque. Abandoned by the
occupying Coalition
Forces, Sammy and his
family face certain death
at the hands of the
Shia-dominated Iraqi
Police and the death
squads that roam the
streets unless Ash and
his team can get in and
get them to safety over
the border. This is the
action-packed story of
their audacious escape
from Baghdad. It is a
gripping account of the
chaos of war, where the
only thing that can be
relied upon is the bond
between former
brothers-in-arms.
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If you see the Black
Banners coming from
Khurasan, join that
army, even if you have
to crawl over ice; no
power will be able to
stop them. The Black
Banners is the ultimate
insiders account of the
realities of
counter-terrorism. During
a decade on the front
lines, as the FBIs lead
investigator into Al
Qaeda, Ali Soufan
thwarted plots around the
world and won some of the
most important
confessions from
terrorists - without
laying so much as a hand
on them. Most of these
stories have never been
reported before, and
never by anyone with such
intimate firsthand
knowledge. Soufan takes
us into the interrogation
rooms, into the
hideouts. He even gives
us a ringside seat at bin
Ladens personal
celebration of the 9/11
bombings. This is a
gripping blow-by-blow
account of the ten-year
hunt for the most
dangerous and
well-connected Islamist
terrorists - some of whom
are still at large. In
The Black Banners Soufan
also explains why the
pervasive use of torture
is not helping in the War
on Terror, and how a
more enlightened approach
to intelligence is not
only possible, but
essential. This is a
story not just of
intrigue and bravery,
but of empathy. He shows
us how terrorists think
and operate. And he shows
that through this
understanding, they can
be stopped and finally
brought to justice.Ali
Soufan knows the truth
about the successes and
failures of countering
terrorism. His knowledge
is essential to us all.
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The Great War was the
first truly global
conflict, and it changed
the course of world
history. Empires fell,
others were crippled and
new contenders emerged.
Economies crashed, and
millions would be
affected by the
Depression that followed.
Understanding The Great
War is crucial to
understanding the history
of the twentieth century
and the present day. In
this magnum opus,
critically-acclaimed
historian Peter Hart
examines the conflict in
every arena around the
world, in a history that
combines cutting edge
scholarship with vivid
and unfamiliar eyewitness
accounts from kings and
generals, and ordinary
soldiers. He focuses in
particular on explaining
how technology and
tactics developed during
the conflict - and
determined which battles
were crucial to its
outcome. Combatants from
every corner of Earth
joined the fray, but
their voices are rarely
heard together. This is a
major history of the
conflict whose 100th
anniversary is fast
approaching.
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Details: Photographic
History of War 1 examines
the causes of the
conflict and charts its
course on all the major
fronts. The informative
text is superbly
illustrated with
photographs from the
Daily Mail archives. The
1914-18 conflict is
presented over 6
chapters: -A Divided
Europe -Germany Takes
Territory -A Deepening
Stalemate -Desperate
Measures -Victory at a
Price -An Uneasy Peace
This volume provides a
fascinating insight to
one of the most defining
moments of the twentieth
century. Ideal for:
History enthusiast and
people with an interest
in World Wars. This
hardback book has 256
pages and measures: 26 x
20 x 2.4cm
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The true story of the
White Queen and more,
this is a thrilling
history of the
extraordinary noblewomen
who lived through the
Wars of the Roses. The
events of the Wars of the
Roses are usually
described in terms of the
men involved: Richard
Duke of York, Henry VI,
Edward IV, Richard III
and Henry VII. But these
years were also packed
with women's drama and -
in the tales of
conflicted maternity and
monstrous births - alive
with female energy. In
this completely original
book, Sarah Gristwood
sheds light on a
neglected dimension of
English history: the
impact of Tudor women on
the Wars of the Roses.
She examines, among
others, Cecily Neville,
who was deprived of being
queen when her husband
died at the Battle of
Wakefield; Elizabeth
Woodville, the commoner
who married Edward IV in
secret; Margaret
Beaufort, mother of
Henry VII, whose love
and ambition for her son
knew no bounds. Until
now, the lives of these
women have remained
little known to the
general public. Sarah
Gristwood tells their
stories in detail for the
first time. Captivating
and original, this is
historical writing of the
most important kind.
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This is the story of how
the paintings moved to
Wales, but the gallery
stayed 'open for
business', a
photographic record of
the paintings' war, and
a celebration of the
wartime spirit when
Londoners found solace in
art and music. On
Wednesday 23 August 1939,
the National Gallery
closed its doors to the
public, not knowing when
they would open again.
The paintings were to be
secretly evacuated in a
relocation that took only
eleven days. The last
shipment left Trafalgar
Square on 2 September,
the day before war was
declared. At first the
majority of the
collection was stored in
a number of private
houses and public
buildings, predominantly
in Wales. However, by
May 1940 - as the
conflict progressed and
the risk of bombing in
Wales increased - it was
felt that the paintings
were no longer safe, and
they were dispersed
further.Ministers briefly
considered transporting
the entire collection to
Canada, but Churchill
immediately vetoed the
plan stating, 'hide them
in cellars or caves, but
not one picture shall
leave this island'. The
paintings were eventually
stored in Manod Quarry,
a slate mine covered by
200 feet of solid rock in
the mountains above the
village of Ffestiniog.
This book tells the story
of the National Gallery's
war for the first time.
Extensive and eloquent
archive photography,
alongside press reports
and Gallery
correspondence, provide
the basis for a story
that captures the
public's relationship
with the collection.
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This is the first in a
new series entitled
Transport & Industrial
Heritage that will
provide readers with
unique and
well-researched histories
exploring the true
historical heritage of
the country on a region
by region basis. Cornwall
is the first county under
the spotlight and is an
obvious region to
feature; it is relatively
self-contained but with a
long industrial and
transport heritage,
including tin mining and
china clay mining; a
buoyant fishing industry
and an extensive
transport infrastructure
that linked the county to
the rest of England. This
book explores the origins
and development of
Cornwalls unique
transport system, from
early horse drawn wagons,
to horse tramways and
railways and of course
shipping which was so
important for trade, but
also ferries which
transported goods and
people across estuaries
and rivers; crossings
which are still very much
part of life in Cornwall
in the 21st century.
Industry and agriculture
are also covered in
depth, including all the
many extractive
industries, limestone
burning, textile mills,
flower growing, brewing
and above all, fishing.
Over the past three
centuries the most
remarkable phenomenon has
been the development of
the tourist industry and
even though the rise of
the package industry had
a severe impact on
numbers of tourists
visiting the region,
evidence today shows that
business is steadily
recovering with more than
5 million visitors each
year, with new
attractions such as the
Eden Project proving a
great pull, and
watersports fans flocking
in their thousands to
enjoy the many
attractions the coastline
has to offer. The book
includes useful
references to surviving
structures (with a map
reference) so that it can
also be used as a guide
book for visitors to the
area. Illustrations
comprise a selection of
both historical images
recording the relevant
industry at its peak
along with views of the
surviving structures. For
social historians and
industrial archaeologists
this will provide a
wealth of detail
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'It wasn't until after he
was safely back in the
aircraft again that I
heard that he'd actually
been out on the wing to
try to put the fire out.
.. Remember that we were
flying at about 90 miles
an hour at a height of
13, 000 feet' Squadron
Leader RP Widdowson on
Sergeant James Ward, who
earned his VC in 1941 The
Victoria Cross, awarded
to the most courageous
and determined
servicemen, is the
highest military
decoration that can be
bestowed. In Forgotten
Voices: Victoria Cross,
first-hand accounts of
soldiers, sailors and
airmen describe the
incredible events that
earned these
extraordinary men the VC
in the last century.
Captivating and often
humbling, these stories
depict exceptional acts
of bravery in
unimaginable situations,
of men who would say they
were just doing their
duty.
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A definitive guide to the
world's oldest
independent air force.
For over 90 years, the
Royal Air Force have
played an integral part
in the British Military.
This book gives an
insight into the
creation, launch and
escalation of the oldest
and most famous
independent air force in
the world. Complete with
stunning photography,
this book is a must have
for war enthusiasts. Also
included are 5 pieces of
collectable memorabilia,
with RAF parade cover,
RAF hymn and 3 memorable
postcards.
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Thirty years after the
Falklands War 'Secret
Millionaire' Tony Banks
is still haunted by his
experiences in the South
Atlantic. As a member of
the crack Parachute
Regiment his unit was the
first to land on the
Falklands and he fought
in the bloody first and
last battles of the war
before liberating Port
Stanley. In this memoir
Tony vividly recalls the
fighting in the
Falklands. He relives the
bombing raids in San
Carlos bay, the Battle
of Goose Green, the
Argentinian attack on the
Sir Galahad and the
Battle of Wireless Ridge.
But he also tells of his
own battles with Combat
Stress and of how three
decades on the war is
still claiming victims.
He tells the stories of
British and Argentine
veterans and travels to
Argentina to return a war
trophy - a trumpet he had
taken from a prisoner -
to its rightful owner.
The return of the trumpet
brings closure to both
men. And finally Tony
returns to the Falklands
to lay the ghosts that
have haunted him to rest.
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How the Peace was Won" is
the inside track on how
the deal was done. Rowan
talks to the players in
the endgame, and brings
his years of reporting
experience to the pages
of this book. He
discusses the dilemmas of
reporting a war while
living in that conflict -
a conflict in which the
puppets and strings
became a tangled mess.
How did Adams and
McGuinness change the
orders? What made Paisley
say yes? How now does the
North make peace with its
past? In "How the Peace
was Won" the hardest
questions are asked and
answered.
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Details: From the summer
of 1938, British women
from all walks of life
joined the Women's
Voluntary Services (WVS).
This disparate band of
women came together for
the common good - to help
serve and protect their
communities. By 1941 a
million women had
enrolled. These brave and
dutiful women played a
vital role in Britain's
victory. The positive
impact of the WVS on
wartime society was
universally acknowledged.
They were instrumental in
implementing the
large-scale evacuation of
children from
bomb-targeted cities, in
the care of the wounded,
and in keeping those in
war service fed. Lady
Reading, founder and
fearless leader, was one
of the most influential
women in
twentieth-century
Britain. The story of the
WVS has never been fully
told before. Social
historians Patricia and
Robert Malcolmson bring
this vital part of the
Second World War to life
in a vivid and engaging
way through the diaries
and records of the women
serving their country on
the Home Front. Women at
the Readypromises to be a
magnificent saga of
sacrifice and
determination. Ideal for:
World War History buffs
and those with an
interested in the work
done by the women in the
'Women's Voluntary
Services' during the War.
This paperback book has
374 pages and measures:
19.7 x 12.6 x 2.5cm
Availability: In Stock
£2.99
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