Besides being the only British territory occupied by the Germans in the World War II it is perhaps less generally known that the Channel Islands were fortified out of all proportion to the rest of Hitlers Atlantic Wall: a legacy that is explored in individual chapters on Alderney Guernsey Jersey & Sark. First-hand accounts of all seven Commando raids are brought together plus a summary of how the islands hotels were put to use by their German guests may intrigue present day visitors. There is a review of war museums which aims to give an insight into the variety of relics that enthusiasts have had the foresight to preserve. The war cemeteries are described & there is a list of every grave of both sides of the two World Wars. Annotated aerial photographs also form an important aspect of this work. ...

War in the Wilderness" is the most comprehensive account ever published of the human aspects of the Chindit war in Burma. The word Chindit will always have a special resonance in military circles. Every Chindit endured what is widely regarded as the toughest sustained Allied combat experience of the Second World War. The Chindit expeditions behind Japanese lines in occupied Burma 1943
- 1944 transformed the morale of British forces after the crushing defeats of 1942. The Chindits provided the springboard for the Allies later offensives. The two expeditions extended the boundaries of human endurance. The Chindits suffered slow starvation & exposure to dysentery malaria typhus & a catalogue of other diseases. They endured the intense mental strain of living & fighting under the jungle canopy with the ever-present threat of ambush or simply bumping the enemy. Every Chindit carried his kit & weapons (equivalent to two heavy suitcases) in the tropical heat & humidity. A disabling wound or sickness frequently meant a lonely death. Those who could no longer march were often left behind with virtually no hope of survival. Some severely wounded were shot or given a lethal dose of morphia to ensure they would not be captured alive by the Japanese. Fifty veterans of the Chindit expeditions kindly gave interviews for this book. Many remarked on the self-reliance that sprang from living & fighting as a Chindit. Whatever happened to them after their experiences in Burma they knew that nothing else would ever be as bad. There are first-hand accounts of the bitter & costly battles & the final wasteful weeks when men were forced to continue fighting long after their health & strength had collapsed. " War in the Wilderness" continues the story as the survivors returned to civilian life. They remained Chindits for the rest of their days members of a brotherhood forged in extreme adversity."
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The author an Anglo-American married to an Italian landowner in 1924 found herself raising a family during the civil war & foreign invasion in the remote Tuscan countryside. This diary records her concerns to keep her household & sixty orphans together & save a rural community from annihilation. It is a story of confusion & bewilderment as a peasant society is confronted by disaster when in the space of a few months a whole way of life is changed completely beyond recognition. It is also a story of tragedy & suffering of individual courage generosity & heroism. ...

An utterly gripping thriller that sees former cavalry Major turned hardened mercenary Alex Devereux plunged into conflict in the dark heart of Africa as he battles the dominant militia in the Congo. China intends to take over the Kivu region in The Democratic Republic of Congo a tribal slaughterhouse of rival militias who are butchering the local population & fighting over mineral resources. Alex's mission is to defeat the dominant militia the FDLR. But details of how Kivu will be governed under the new order are sketchy & Alex must run the gamut of the United Nations the Congolese army & the clash of superpower claims on the region. Alex knows that the plan is risky. But he can't resist -- could he succeed in bringing stability when everyone else has failed? He & his crack regiment take on their toughest assignment yet. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions & Alex is about to find out why the region has been called the dark heart of Africa! ...

Who were the men & women whose names are commemorated on war memorials around the country? Where did they live
- & how & why did
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This heart-stopping account of the war in Iraq & Afghanistan reveals the grim reality of our soldiers daily battle for survival. From the embattled British outposts & insurgent hideouts of southern Iraq to the intense debates the war provoked inside 10 Downing Street & the Whitehouse here is the first on-the-ground report of the true costs of Britains involvement in Iraq. ...

Long ago the brother gods Osiris & Set ruled peacefully over the lands of Upper & Lower Egypt each in his own kingdom. But over time Set came to covet his brother's lands & crown & eventually the temptation overwhelmed him. Usurping Osiris' throne Set began a blood feud that spread war death & mutilation through both the heavens & the earth. Gods & men chose sides & took up arms on behalf of both Set & Horus the heir of Osiris. This book retells the mythic struggle between Horus & Set exploring the variations & background to the feud & examining the earthly realities that inspired or reflected the actions & allegiances of the Gods such as the political rivalries between the two kingdoms & the invasion of Egypt by Cambyses II. Ancient Egyptian weapons & strategies are also examined showing how their gods & men did battle. ...

Michael Morpurgo is a master storyteller former Childrens Laureate & multi-award winner. This is a fresh reissue of a much-loved story with a beautiful new cover. Toby Jenkins hates going to Redlands Boarding School
- he gets called Jinks & thinks hell never make the top rugby team. But then he meets Christopher who claims to have powers. Christopher promises Toby a miracle. When Toby goes fishing he crosses to the other side even though he knows it belongs to the villagers. The village boys catch Toby & beat him up injuring his ear. Thus the war of Jenkins ear begins with all-out sticks & stones battles. Will Christopher be able to provide much-needed miracle?
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The year is 1900 & China is plunged into barbaric chaos. The Boxers a cult of young peasants who blame the foreign barbarians living in their country particularly the missionaries for the nations ills are rampaging through the country killing foreigners. Chinas Dowager Empress The Dragon Lady secretly encourages them into this maelstrom land Simon Alice & Jenkins as they are enroute to visit Alices uncle a country missionary. Threatened by the Boxers the three escort the missionary & his family to the safety of Peking. En route the party is attacked by the red-bannered Boxers & the missionary is killed. The survivors reach Peking only to find that the capital is no sanctuary. The Legations of the foreign ministers within the city is surrounded & the Siege of Peking begins. Fonthill Jenkins & Chang the missionarys adopted son volunteer to slip through the enemy lines to bring help. It proves to be Fonthills most dangerous mission... ...

The dwarves have gone to battle & they have been victorious. But outside the realm dark forces are working.. .A secret army of Orcs made immortal by the hidden powers of the Black Water now marches towards Girdlegard set to unleash its fury upon the kingdom. Sooner than they realise Tungdil & his comrades will need to summon all their courage to do battle against this bloodthirsty horde. The Orcs are not the only threat. An unspeakable new power is growing & threatens the very existence of the dwarves. But both enemies have forgotten one very important truth: a dwarf is never more dangerous than when total obliteration seems inevitable.. . ...