With this third volume John Gill brings to a close his magisterial study of the war between Napoleonic France & Habsburg Austria. The account begins with both armies recuperating on the banks of the Danube. As they rest important action was taking place elsewhere: Eugene won a crucial victory over Johann on the anniversary of Marengo Prince Poniatowskis Poles outflanked another Austrian archduke along the Vistula & Marmont drove an Austrian force out of Dalmatia to join Napoleon at Vienna. These campaigns set the stage for the titanic Battle of Wagram. Second only in scale to the slaughter at Leipzig in 1813 Wagram saw more than 320 000 men & 900 guns locked in two days of fury that ended with an Austrian retreat. The defeat however was not complete: Napoleon had to force another engagement before Charles would accept a ceasefire. The battle at Znaim its true importance often not acknowledged brought an extended armistice that ended with a peace treaty signed in Vienna. Gill uses an impressive array of sources in an engaging narrative covering both the politics of emperors & the privations & hardship common soldiers suffered in battle. Enriched with unique illustrations forty maps & extraordinary order-of-battle detail this work concludes an unrivalled English-language study of Napoleons last victory. Christmas Selection 2010 Napoleon.org website ...

Adam Zamoyskis bestselling account of Napoleons invasion of Russia & his catastrophic retreat from Moscow events that had a profound effect on European history. In 1812 the most powerful man in the world assembled the largest army in history & marched on Moscow with the intention of consolidating his dominion. But within months Napoleons invasion of Russia
- historys first example of total war
- had turned into an epic military disaster. Over 400 000 French & Allied troops perished & Napoleon was forced to retreat. Adam Zamoyskis masterful work draws on the harrowing first-hand accounts of soldiers & civilians on both sides of the conflict. The result takes the reader beyond the invasion of Russia to present both a poignant tale of the individual foot soldier & a sweeping history of a turbulent time.

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In 1888 Jack the Ripper made the headlines with a series of horrific murders that remain unsolved to this day. But most killers are not shadowy figures stalking the streets with a lust for blood. Many are ordinary citizens driven to the ultimate crime by circumstance a fit of anger or a desire for revenge. Their crimes overshadowed by the few sensational cases are ignored forgotten or written off. This book examines all the known murders in London in 1888 to build a picture of society. Who were the victims? How did they live & how did they die? Why did a husband batter his wife to death after she failed to get him a cup of tea? How many died under the wheels of a horse-driven cab? Just how dangerous was London in 1888? ...

This colourful birthday card to celebrate the momentous day of a 18th birthday has a big number 18 in silver inside a green circle surrounded by multicoloured circles spelling out he words ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’. Greeting inside the card reads ‘ Happy Birthday’ & the card comes complete with a green envelope ready for posting..

Approximate dimensions: 22.5 x 10.3cm

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This bright birthday card designed exclusively for WHSmith to celebrate an 18th birthday has a big number 18 in red on a white background decorated with multicoloured spots. This card is blank inside for your own message & comes complete with a green envelope ready for posting. Approximate dimensions: 12.5x 17.5cm ...

In 1912 Rosa White arrived in New York almost destitute friendless & alone. She had been a passenger on the Titanic
- the largest
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Forever in the shadow of the war which followed 1913 is usually seen as little more than the antechamber to apocalypse. Our perspectives narrowed by hindsight the world of that year is reduced to its most frivolous features
- last summers in grand aristocratic residences a flurry of extravagant social engagements
- or its most destructive ones: the unresolved rivalries of the great European powers the anxieties of a period of accelerated change the social fear of revolution the violence in the Balkans. Our images of the times are too often dominated by the faded pastels of upper-class indulgence or by the unmitigated blackness of a world rushing headlong into the abyss of an inevitable war. 1913: The World before the Great War proposes a strikingly different portrait returning the world in that year to its contemporary freshness its future still undecided its outlook still open. Told through the stories of twenty-three cities
- Europe's capitals at the height of their global reach the emerging metropolises of America the imperial cities of Asia & Africa the boomtowns of Australia & the Americas
- Charles Emmerson presents a panoramic view of a world crackling with possibilities from St Petersburg to Shanghai & from Los Angeles to Jerusalem. What emerges is a rich & complex world more familiar than we expect connected as never before on the threshold of events which would change the course of global history.



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1914-1918 David Stevensons history of the First World War has been acclaimed as the definitive one
- volume account of the conflict.
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The Easter Rising began at 12 noon 24 April 1916 & lasted for six short but bloody days resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians the destruction of many parts of Dublin & the true beginning of Irish independence. The 1916 Rising was born out of the Conservative & Unionist parties illegal defiance of the democratically expressed wish of the Irish electorate for Home Rule; & of confusion mishap & disorganisation compounded by a split within the Volunteer leadership. Tim Pat Coogan introduces the major players themes & outcomes of a drama that would profoundly affect twentieth-century Irish history. Not only is this the story of a turning point in Irelands struggle for freedom but also a testament to the men & women of courage & conviction who were prepared to give their lives for what they believed was right. ...

With over 1 000 colourful images Robert Opie brings to life the 1920s & captures the mood of this radical decade in Great Britain. The Twenties were a time for change & invention. The arrival of the wireless provided a new form of entertainment & The Radio Times" was launched in 1923. The popularity of the cinema continued & was changed forever with the coming of talkies & " The Jazz Singer" in 1926. While there were many notable events from the Tutankhaman discoveries to the Empire exhibition at Wembley unemployment & workers discontent pervaded everyday life culminating in the General Strike of 1926. For children however fun & amusement could be found with new cartoon characters: the antics of Felix the Cat at the pictures tales of Pooh Bear in A.A. Milnes book " Winnie-the-Pooh" & in newspapers Bonzo the Dog (" Daily Sketch") Rupert the Bear (" Daily Express") Teddy Tail (" Daily Mail") & Pip Squeak & Wilfred (" Daily Mirror"). Apart from women daring to smoke (especially Turkish cigarettes) the young flappers found freedom in the rising hemlines that revealed their legs & enabled the new energetic dances such as the Charleston & Black Bottom. It was an experimental age for hairstyles perming crimping bobbing. No wonder that this decade became known as the Roaring Twenties." ...