Military History

In August 1644, Turenne and Grand Condé battled the shrewd Bavarian Mercy in grueling fights at Freiburg, revealing wartime challenges.Early August 1644 saw the two greatest French men-of-war of the mid-seventeenth century, Turenne and the future Grand Condé, attempt to dislodge the Bavarian general Franz von Mercy from the heights of Freiburg in the Black Forest. In the twilight of the Thirty Years' War, there was probably no better opponent for these two geniuses than Mercy, who had the astonishing ability to anticipate his enemies' plans. Against such a general, it would take no less than Enghien and Turenne. The battles of 3 and 5 August were among the most difficult that the two men would face throughout their careers: their carefully prepared plans were thwarted by the shrewdness of their opponents and some unfortunate initiatives on the part of their subordinates. The battles were so deadly that they brought Mazarin to tears. On learning of what could be considered a victory, the Cardinal is said to have stated that France would have been lost if it had won many similar victories.The days of Freiburg were the setting for some fascinating actions in which doggedness gave way only to courage. Thanks to numerous contemporary accounts, the reader is immersed in the heart of the two battles that enabled the French, despite being held at bay, to keep the Bavarians away from the right bank of the Rhine. The context of the campaign, the character of the three protagonists, the phases of the various battles, the armies involved and the lessons learned are all analysed in detail.

Explores the controversial 1944 destruction of the Montecassino Abbey, questioning the motives behind such wartime decisions and their enduring impact on military ethics.On 15 February 1944, one of the most iconic buildings in European history was destroyed by allied bombers. Plumes of Smoke is a book about the consequences of war, written as war again comes to Europe. It is also a book about what wars are fought for, and about those that make the fundamental decisions that affect us all. The decision to destroy the Abbey of Montecassino was and remains highly controversial. Why was this building of inestimable cultural value so easily destroyed? Was it to win a battle, or to prove the legitimacy of American bombing theory? It is not a story of individual bravery, although this existed aplenty on both sides in the mud and mountains of 1944 Italy, but a story of a battle that has no winners and no heroes. This is a story from 80 years ago that resonates clearly through the decades. In a time filled with arguments concerning the laws and morality of war, this story from the last major war in Europe may lead the reader to understand that little changes. Military Necessity remains the principal excuse for unnecessary devastation. When nations or generals are faced with difficult decisions, when winning becomes more important than the reasons they fought for in the first place, then legal and moral boundaries are often forgotten in the fog of war. It appears that little has improved over the succeeding decades when political convenience trumps moral courage and the importance of our human heritage.

Since formation in 1957 the Army Air Corps has played a prominent role in almost every British Army operation in modern times. Ops Normal is an unrivaled and comprehensive operational history of the Army Air Corps experience. It is a unique insight into the aircraft deployed, and the experiences of the men and women involved.Volume 1 of Ops Normal is exceptional as it draws generously on the testimony of those who were deployed on the early operations. Aircrew and Groundcrew provided critical aviation support to the full spectrum of flying operations in the most hazardous environments, often under fire. It also captures the pace of change and turbulence as the small embryonic corps of aviators evolved into the fully fledged combat arm of today.Ops Normal covers operations in Malaya, Borneo, Hong Kong, Cyprus, Kuwait, Aden, British Guiana, Belize and in Northern Ireland. It uses previously unpublished material, thought-provoking first-hand accounts coupled with contemporary unit records, and many unpublished images. The result is a fresh and compelling history of a Corps that though diminutive in numbers, rank as one of the most potent in the British Army's order of battle.Ops Normal is the only complete and authorized account of British Army aviation operations undertaken by the Army Air Corps. It is a fitting tribute to all who wore the sky blue beret and especially those that made the ultimate sacrifice. It is also a testimony to those that survive with the physical and mental scars of their service.

The story of one king at war, another who could not be allowed to live and the bastard who sparked rebellion and a siege of London that changed the course of British history.

Historical Dictionary of Holocaust Cinema, Second Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 175 cross-referenced entries on films, directors, and historical figures. Foreign-language, experimental, and canonical films are included.

A World War II tabletop miniatures naval wargame set in the Pacific.

Cold War Museology is the first volume to bring together interdisciplinary and international contributions from leading practitioners and academics specialising in Cold War museology.

This book comprises essays that focus on a range of thinkers that challenge the boundaries of the just war tradition.

This book comprises essays that focus on a range of thinkers that challenge the boundaries of the just war tradition.

A comprehensive history of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) from its inception in 2004 until replacement in 2007 by UNAMID.A comprehensive history of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) from its inception in 2004 until replacement in 2007 by UNAMID.In response to the ongoing civil war in Darfur that began in 2003, the African Union deployed a peacekeeping force to the region in 2004. Initially just 150-strong, this force would grow to some 7,000 by the following year.Peacekeeping in Darfur: The AMIS provides a comprehensive history of AMIS I, II and III, the context to the conflict in Darfur and the various participants. It further describes the support provided by the European Union and the eventual transition of AMIS into UNAMID (African Union - United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur) in 2007. The author brings his personal experience of operations as part of AMIS and the role of the Hungarian Defence Forces to this book.Peacekeeping in Darfur: The AMIS is extensively illustrated by the author's own photographs taken while participating in the mission and includes specially commissioned artworks.

King George's Army: British Regiments and the Men who Led Them 1793-1815 will contain five volumes, with coverage given to army administration and cavalry regiments (Volume 1), infantry regiments (Volumes 2, 3 and 4), and ordnance (Volume 5). It is the natural extension to the web series of the same name by the same author which existed on The Napoleon Series from 2009 until 2019, but greatly expanded to include substantially more biographical information as well as biographies of leading political figures concerned with the administration of the army as well as commanders in chief of all major commands.Volume 3 covers in great detail the 31st to 60th Regiments of Foot within the army of King George III for the period of the Great War with France; and the men who commanded them. Regimental data provided includes shortform regimental lineages, service locations and dispositions for the era, battle honours won, tables of authorised establishments, demographics of the field officer cohorts and the men, and even sources of recruits from the militia. But the book is essentially concerned with the field officers, the lieutenant colonels and majors who commanded the regiments, and Volume 3 alone contains over 900 mini-biographies of men who exercised such command, including their dates of birth and death, parentage, education, career (including political), awards and honours, and places of residence. Volumes 4 and 5 will extend the coverage to ultimately record over 4,500 biographies across more than 200 regiments.These biographies will show the regimental system in action, officers routinely transferring between regiments for advancement or opportunity, captains who were also (brevet) colonels, many who retired early, some who stayed the distance to become major generals and beyond. Where it has been possible to accurately ascertain, advancement by purchase, exchange or promotion has also been noted.Readers with military ancestors will no doubt find much of interest within, and the author hopes that the work will allow readers to break down a few 'brick walls'; either through connecting to the officers recorded, or through an understanding of the movements of the regiments around the world, or from the volunteering patterns of the militia regiments into the regular army.Encyclopaedic in scope, and aimed to be a lasting source of reference material for the British army that fought the French Revolution and Napoleon between 1793 and 1815, King George's Army: British Regiments and the Men who Led Them will hopefully be a necessary addition to every military and family history library for years to come.

Reflections on the Revolution in France offers provocative political commentary from the British statesman Edmund Burke, that examines the early stages of the French Revolution. It¿s a searing criticism of those in and outside formal government who support the movement¿s unconventional methods. The French Revolution was a decade-long social and political conflict that changed the landscape of modern France. Irish philosopher and politician Edmund Burke of the Whig Party wrote a pamphlet explaining fundamental errors within the revolution¿s approach. He believed the fight for freedom was too abstract and needed more sustainable and proven direction. Burke warned that without proper planning and experience, the movement could ultimately devolve into violence. A staple among political theorists, Reflections on the Revolution in France is a biting declaration of harsh truths and potential consequences. Burke¿s critique of the French Revolution foreshadows the demise of one government and the eventual corruption of another. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Reflections on the Revolution in France is both modern and readable.

The Crock of Gold (1912), one of three original novels by James Stephens, is a work only a master of fiction and folklore could imagine. Taking up the major philosophical and psychological concerns of the early-twentieth century-over a decade before works by T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf, among others, would cement literary Modernism's place in history-Stephens' novel is a groundbreaking and important work.The text centers on the Philosopher and his wife, the Thin Woman, who undergo a series of journeys and harrowing trials. Faced with danger both human and divine, the two characters are forced to weather the winds of change in order to change themselves. Divided into six books, The Crock of Gold-no doubt inspired by the Irish oral tradition of storytelling-follows the Philosopher's quest to save the most beautiful woman in the world; his encounter with the gods who have captured her; his return home and arrest for murder (he has been framed by leprechauns incensed at the loss of their crock of gold); and finally, the Thin Woman's quest to find the fabled Three Infinites.James Stephens' The Crock of Gold is perhaps unparalleled in its ability to weave together ancient narrative techniques, mythological sources, and such dominant themes of its day as gender equality and humanity's quest for self-understanding beyond the traditional boundaries of faith and religion. It is also a darkly comic novel, full of ironic political commentary and suspiciously human conversations situated within the animal world. Most popular of Stephens' works, The Crock of Gold conceals in its humorous, irreverent outlook a deeply serious, ultimately reverent love for the human soul-unsurprising for an author whose life was marked with difficulty from the very beginning.With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this new edition of James Stephens' The Crock of Gold is a classic of Irish literature reimagined for modern readers.

On War (1832) is a treatise on the philosophical aspects of warfare by Prussian general, scholar, and strategist Carl von Clausewitz. Published posthumously by the author¿s wife¿who edited his manuscript and wrote the book¿s introduction¿On War is one of history¿s most important works on warfare and military strategy, and continues to be studied to this day.With a background in art, culture, and history, and with extensive experience as a combat veteran, Clausewitz sought to understand the military success of such figures as Napoleon and Frederick the Great. What interested Clausewitz the most was how these leaders effectively mobilized entire nations to launch military campaigns larger and more violent than any in European history. Although he initially began with the theory that war was one aspect of a population¿s struggle for survival, he eventually came to believe that war was a method of imposing the will of one state on another. By privileging politics and philosophy in his study of warfare, Clausewitz changed the way military figures, politicians, and scholars thought of and perpetrated the process of war. Most crucially, Clausewitz suggests that war serves no purpose in and of itself, but rather acts as an instrument of a political party or group. In addition, Clausewitz believed that strong moral and political motivations¿especially in the case of defense¿greatly increased the chance of victory. On War was read and interpreted by Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Dwight Eisenhower, and has, for over a century and a half, continued to shape the concept and conduct of war.With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Carl von Clausewitz¿s On War is a classic of history, philosophy, and military theory reimagined for modern readers.

George Armstrong Custer is famous for his fatal defeat at the Little Bighorn in 1876, but CusterΓÇÖs baptism of fire came during the Civil War. After graduating last in the West Point class of 1861, Custer served from the First Battle of Bull Run (only a month after graduation) through Appomattox, where he witnessed the surrender. But CusterΓÇÖs true rise to prominence began at Gettysburg in 1863. On the eve of the Battle of Gettysburg, only twenty-three years old and barely two years removed from being the goat of his West Point class, Custer received promotion to brigadier general and command ΓÇô his first direct field command ΓÇô of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade, the ΓÇ£Wolverines.ΓÇ¥ Now that he held general rank, Custer felt comfortable wearing the distinctive, some said gaudy, uniform that helped skyrocket him into fame and legend. However flashy he may have been in style, Custer did not disappoint his superiors, who promoted him in a search for more aggressive cavalry officers. At approximately noon on July 3, 1863, Custer and his men heard enemy cannon fire: StuartΓÇÖs signal to Lee that he was ready for action. Thus began the melee that was East Cavalry Field at Gettysburg. Much back and forth preceded CusterΓÇÖs career-defining action. An hour or two into the battle, after many of his cavalrymen had been reduced to hand-to-hand infantry-style fighting, Custer ordered a charge of one of his regiments and led it into action himself, screaming one of the battleΓÇÖs most famous lines: ΓÇ£Come on, you Wolverines!ΓÇ¥ Around three oΓÇÖclock, Stuart mounted a final charge, which mowed down Union cavalry ΓÇô until it ran into CusterΓÇÖs Wolverines, who stood firm, with Custer wielding a sword at their head, and broke the ConfederatesΓÇÖ last attack.In a book combining two popular subjects, Tucker recounts the story of Custer at Gettysburg with verve, shows how the Custer legend was born on the fields of the warΓÇÖs most famous battle, and offers eye-opening new perspectives on GettysburgΓÇÖs overlooked cavalry battle.

This catalogue documents the Royal Museums of Art and History''s collection of war lace, and recounts the history of the endeavour, the leaders and artists involved, and the symbolism of the designs, with expert interpretations.

From the outbreak of war in 1914 to the creation of the Mercantile Marine Reserve and the eventual introduction of convoys in 1917, this book charts the experiences, contribution and sacrifices made by merchant mariners from Wales. During the First World War, merchant crew faced the dangers of mines, U-boats and commerce raiders in the course of moving the goods, men and materials that were vital for victory. The outcomes of such encounters are examined within a broader context of the diversity of vessels, trades and prevailing working conditions. This study also includes important new insights into the participation of both women and minority-group seafarers in the mercantile marine. Using a wide range of evidence drawn from contemporary newspaper reports, ships' crew agreements and official papers, the multi-faceted world of civilian mariners caught up in the war at sea is revealed.

This riveting book is an astonishing testimony of what befell two sisters, Whitehouse's own mother-in-law and aunt, who managed to escape the killing fields in Vichy France against all odds.

A meticulously researched new history of the Essex Yeomanry, a volunteer cavalry and artillery regiment, from its inception in the late eighteenth century through two world wars