Military History

A gripping new history of London during the Blackout—revealing the violent crime that spread across the capital under the cover of darkness

A gripping and important memoir by a Finnish woman who migrated to Stalin's Soviet Russia in the 1930s and escaped in 1941

The story of one man's escape from Stalin's genocide to heroism in the skies

A family-authorised biography of Pat Hughes, one of the top-scoring aces of the Battle of Britain.

How the character of war is changing and how militaries can successfully adapt to meet the challenge

A fascinating and moving biography of Colin Anson, the German refugee who became an elite British commando

An incisive account of the Arctic convoys, and the essential role Bletchley Park and Special Intelligence played in Allied success

An illustrated history of the SAS

A book supporting the opening of the National Holocaust Museum, Amsterdam. Text in English and Dutch.

Was the outcome of the First World War on a knife edge? In this major new account of German wartime politics and strategy Holger Afflerbach argues that the outcome of the war was actually in the balance until relatively late in the war. Using new evidence from diaries, letters and memoirs, he fundamentally revises our understanding of German strategy from the decision to go to war and the failure of the western offensive to the radicalisation of Germany's war effort under Hindenburg and Ludendorff and the ultimate collapse of the Central Powers. He uncovers the struggles in wartime Germany between supporters of peace and hardliners who wanted to fight to the finish. He suggests that Germany was not nearly as committed to all-out conquest as previous accounts argue. Numerous German peace advances could have offered the opportunity to end the war before it dragged Europe into the abyss.

The river Aisne featured prominently in August 1914 during the Retreat from Mons and in September was the scene of bitter fighting when the BEF re-crossed it in their unsuccessful attempt to dislodge the German Army entrenched along the Northern Crest.

Updated to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, D-Day: Operation Overlord and the Battle for Normandy, tells the full story of the invasion, with detailed accounts of each of the five landing zones on June 6, 1944, the airborne assault and the Normandy campaign that followed. It was the most ambitious military operation in history - the invasion of Nazi-occupied France by sea. A fleet larger than any ever seen before was assembled and launched under conditions of utmost secrecy to catch the defenders of Adolf Hitler's formidable Atlantic Wall by surprise.At H-Hour on D-Day, British, American and Canadian soldiers landed on beaches whose codenames have since become a byword for heroism - Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah. Men waded ashore into a hail of machine gun fire and fought their way through a tangle of concrete bunkers and armoured emplacements. More ferocious combat followed as fanatical Waffen-SS divisions armed with terrifying new weapons such as the King Tiger tank battled to the death to contain the Allied advance.D-Day: Operation Overlord and the Battle for Normandy tells the story of the most important battle of the Second World War and remembers the men whose extraordinary courage and sacrifice brought about the liberation of Europe and put an end to Hitler's tyranny.

It has been 80 years since the largest seaborne invasion in military history but D-Day could not have happened without the Royal Air Force. When the dramatic events of June 6, 1944, are retold the courage of British and Commonwealth pilots and aircrew is seldom mentioned - yet the dangerous missions they flew were vital to Operation Overlord's success. To mark the 80th anniversary of arguably the war's most crucial turning point, the author recounts stories of quiet bravery and individual heroism high above the blood-soaked beaches and landing grounds of France, illustrated through a combination of rare period photographs and beautiful aviation art. D-Day RAF: The RAF's Part in the Great Invasion presents the very human face of the air force''s role in the Normandy landings, and looks in detail at the types flown in support of them, from Supermarine Spitfire fighters and Hawker Typhoon fighter-bombers to A-20 Boston and Avro Lancaster bombers. D-Day RAF: The RAF's Part in the Great Invasion written by retired Squadron Leader and former Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Officer Commanding Clive Rowley.

Dignity, or karama in Arabic, is a nebulous concept that challenges us to reflect on issues such as identity, human rights, and faith. During the Arab uprisings of 2010 and 2011, Egyptians that participated in these uprisings frequently used the concept of dignity as a way to underscore their opposition to the Mubarak regime. Protesting against the indignity of the poverty, lack of freedom and social justice, the idea of karama gained salience in Egyptian cinema, popular literature, street art, music, social media and protest banners, slogans and literature. Based on interviews with participants in the 2011 protests and analysis of the art forms that emerged during protests, Zaynab El Bernoussi explores understandings of the concept of dignity, showing how protestors conceived of this concept in their organisation of protest and uprising, and their memories of karama in the aftermath of the protests, revisiting these claims in the years subsequent to the uprising.

The author believes that all international strategic manoeuvrings in the region, mostly rely on information that is entirely fabricated and portrayed by PakistanâEUR(TM)s adversaries to harm its national interests. In his opinion, knowing a realistic picture of Pakistan and the Pakistan army in its true perspective, is important not only for people inside the country but also for the international community, so that they may pursue their relationships and cooperation in the region based on ground realities. Considering his personal experiences in security and counterintelligence operations during last four decades, he thought of writing this book. He believes that his narrative provides a virtuous material for analysts to ponder history through an authentic premise and predict futuristic security scenarios based on a realistic perspective. To present his arguments with facts and figures, in a cohesive manner, the author has presented the narrative in shape of a memoir of his lifelong experiences in a cohesive manner, taking full measure of the individuals, institutions and organisations that made a strong impression on his life. During the process, an effort has been made to take the readers along the same curve he followed so that they can clearly grasp the dynamics that drives the life of a Pakistani soldier.

Late Roman Combat Tactics by Dr. Ilkka Syvÿnne is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand land combat in the period from the Tetrarchy to the death of Heraclius, a period when the Romans faced serious and growing military threats on many fronts. The authorâEUR(TM)s detailed analysis provides the reader with a complete understanding of the combat equipment worn by the soldiers, types of troops, tactics, different unit orders and formations used by the late Romans and their enemies. Importantly, he lays out the developments and changes in these aspects across this critical period, assessing how the Romans adapted, or failed to adapt to the varied and changing array of enemies, such as Persians, Avars and Arabs. The discussion examines how the Romans fought at every level, so that it covers everything from the individual fighting techniques all the way up to the conduct of large-scale pitched battles. There is an immense amount of technical detail but the human element and the experience of the officers and ordinary soldiers is not forgotten, with such factors as morale and the psychology of battle (the âEUR¿face of battleâEUR(TM)) given due consideration. The thoroughly researched text is well supported by dozens of diagrams and illustrations. A thoroughly illuminating read on its own, Late Roman Combat Tactics is also the perfect companion to Dr SyvÿnneâEUR(TM)s eight-volume Military History of Late Rome.

In the past, while visiting the First World War battlefields, the author often wondered where the various Victoria Cross actions took place. He resolved to find out. In 1988, in the midst of his army career, research for this book commenced and over the years numerous sources have been consulted. _Victoria Crosses on the Western Front - The Final Advance in Flanders and Artois_ is designed for the battlefield visitor as much as the armchair reader. A thorough account of each VC action is set within the wider strategic and tactical context. Detailed sketch maps show the area today, together with the battle-lines and movements of the combatants. It will allow visitors to stand upon the spot, or very close to, where each VC was won. Photographs of the battle sites richly illustrate the accounts. There is also a comprehensive biography for each recipient, covering every aspect of their lives, warts and all, parents and siblings, education, civilian employment, military career, wife and children, death and burial/commemoration. A host of other information, much of it published for the first time, reveals some fascinating characters, with numerous links to many famous people and events.

In answer to Lord KitchenerâEUR(TM)s appeal, in late August and September 1914 many men joined AlexandraâEUR(TM)s Princess of WalesâEUR(TM)s Own Yorkshire Regiment, better known as The Green Howards. Recruits came from around the Middlesbrough area and the ironstone mines on the North Yorkshire moors, while others came from the East Durham coalfield and the Durham City area. The 8th and 9th Battalions left the Regimental Depot in Richmond in late September and moved to Frensham on the Hampshire/Surrey border, where they trained hard until bad weather forced a move to barracks in Aldershot. They arrived on the Somme front at the end of June 1916, but were not involved in the fighting until 5 July, when the 9th Battalion captured Horseshoe trench and Lieutenant Donald Simpson Bell won the VC when he destroyed a German machine gun position. On 10 July both battalions took part in the capture of Contalmaison, a village that had been a first day objective. A second VC was awarded posthumously to Private William Short of the 8th Battalion during the fighting in Munster Alley in August 1916. The next year found the 23rd Division in the Ypres Salient, where they were in and out of the line until June 1917 when they took part in the Battle of Messines and the 8th Battalion had the honour of taking Hill 60. In November 1917 the division was sent to Italy to bolster the hard-pressed Italian Army, but the 9th Battalion returned to France in 1918 where they fought until the Armistice. The 8th Battalion stayed on in Italy and fought at the crossing of the Piave and Vittorio Veneto, which brought the war to an end in Italy.

Captain Vincent Bertrand was a French light infantry soldier who survived the key campaigns of Napoleon. Called to arms through conscription, he was directed from his hometown of Nîmes to the depot of the 7ÿme RÃ(c)giment LÃ(c)ger (7th Light Infantry Regiment), in Huningue, where he arrived on 16th November, 1805\. He did not leave this regiment composed almost exclusively of sons of the department of Gard, until 1815. His recollections focus on his loves, adventures and mishaps, as well as the pride of being part of an elite unit. It was this pride that kept him with his regiment and his musket operational during the retreat from Moscow in 1812, unlike his fellow soldiers. He tells of the discipline and organisation of the few soldiers still able to pull their triggers and thrust their bayonets, amidst the frostbite and chaos of those who had become stragglers or marauders. Bertrand's unfailing bravery and composure are evident throughout his memoirs, demonstrating character, discipline and patience, as well as dedication to his regiment and its values and standards. The non-combatants he saved, the esteem he earned from his comrades in battle, and the comfort he gave to a fellow convalescent on the brink of death, would all indicate he was a hero to some, and an admirable soldier to all. Bertrand gives sincere accounts of his time on the battlefields, in the cantonments in Austria, in Germany, in Poland, and finally of the painful stages of his captivity as an Austrian prisoner of war. His writing is entertaining and fast paced, but with plenty of unique detail. First published in 1909 by Bertrand's grandson, this is the first translation from French into English.

When Hitler came to power in 1933 he promised the German people a technocratic state where science, technology and education would grow and flourish. Unfortunately, any attempts to achieve such a goal were dependent on his educational background which was fundamentally flawed and severely distorted. HitlerâEUR(TM)s schooling was a troubled time where he struggled with many subjects. In particular he found conflicting views between science and religion so difficult to understand it caused him to âEURœrun his head against the wallâEUR?. He was also heavily educated in subjects like myths, magic, pseudo-sciences and the occult which would become his versions of alternative science and alternative facts. These alternatives remained with him into adulthood where, as Fuhrer, his mentality and mindset towards science was highlighted when he announced: "A new age of magic interpretation of the world is coming, of interpretation in terms of the will and not the intelligence."HitlerâEUR(TM)s ideology and rise to power also came at an interesting time for physics which was hinting at that will not intelligence interpretation. The early decades of the twentieth century had seen a revolution in two apparently connected key areas of the subject known as quantum mechanics and relativity; these would have a dramatic influence on Hitler and the physics of the Third Reich. During the 1920s quantum mechanics was suggesting that just by observing an experiment a scientist could alter the outcome and reality. However, at the same time Albert EinsteinâEUR(TM)s theory of relativity was also developing and whereas the two areas were believed to be linked, to the Nazis there was a serious problem. Whereas German physicist Max PlanckâEUR(TM)s quantum physics was a non-Jewish science hinting at that promised magical underlying foundation to physics and reality, Einstein was Jewish and so was his theory. Moreover, relativity was difficult to understand and accept, especially amongst certain right-wing experimental physicists. Therefore, relativity was easy to reject with the magical quantum world eagerly accepted by the Nazis. However, with HitlerâEUR(TM)s ability to understand science clearly strained and steadfast from childhood together with his seething anti-Semitism, this decision set the Nazis on a research road very different from the Allies. As the decade progressed so did the ridicules towards Jewish science through Einstein and his theory. This set in motion extreme anti-Semitic attacks on him by those extreme right-wing experimental physicists many of whom would later find key roles in HitlerâEUR(TM)s government. As such, the theoretical physics dominated by Jewish scientists was rejected en mass with key Jewish scientists dismissed from their academic posts. Instead, the Third Reich favoured experimental, or applied, physics which shaped much of HitlerâEUR(TM)s war machine with the so-called magical interpretation of quantum mechanics and its apparent will over intelligence providing the basis for unconventional pseudo-scientific research, research like free energy, anti-gravity and hidden occultist physics through ancient texts. Through HitlerâEUR(TM)s key reforms in science and education and Heinrich HimmlerâEUR(TM)s SS, science became politicised with an added danger that certain areas were replaced with Nazi alternatives like pseudo-science, magic and the occult. The result was certain areas of true sciences became pseudo-sciences while the Third ReichâEUR(TM)s pseudo-sciences became the true sciences. Disciplines then became Aryan physics, Aryan chemistry, Aryan biology, Aryan mathematics, and so on, with all expected to prove their place within National Socialism or perish. From there science experienced an era of division and decline with loss of freedom and diversity, misapplication of innovation and the inevitable decline in some areas of the natural sciences, especially physics and mathematics. By the warâEUR(TM)s end HimmlerâEUR(TM)s SS had taken control of much of Nazi GermanyâEUR(TM)s scientific research and with the unthinkable dawning on the Nazis that they might lose the war, Hitler placed SS General Hans Kammler in charge of producing new and unconventional wonder weapons, even super weapons, through his own think tank along the lines as HimmlerâEUR(TM)s Ahnenerbe. HitlerâEUR(TM)s faith in Kammler meant he was promoted to only one rank below Himmler working with him in an intense effort to turn the war around, especially following the D-Day landings. To the very end Hitler continued to declare these super weapons would save Nazi Germany, but this led to intolerable strain on his generals when Hitler ordered troops to make last ditch attempts to protect certain locations, locations his generals did not fully understand and made no tactical sense as the Allies advanced on Berlin. Once again, Hitler had failed to understand the true situation while Kammler and Himmler had their own plans in place. It is clear the foundations of HitlerâEUR(TM)s education and its support by like-minded Nazis set in place a destiny that helped the downfall of the Third Reich. Consequently, over time the promised veneer of scientific and educational modernisation under his technocratic state suffered seriously and although this did not initially cause his government to collapse, it neither allowed it to thrive anywhere close to the many promises he made to the German people. All this was a far cry from GermanyâEUR(TM)s scientific research of the nineteenth century which saw staggering achievements up to HitlerâEUR(TM)s rise to power. These golden years built an unrivalled global reputation from the foundations of chemistry expanding into other scientific disciplines like physics and astronomy. In doing so GermanyâEUR(TM)s economy flourished and by the early twentieth century over half of the Nobel Prizes were won by German scientists or German speaking scientists many of whom were Jews. Although Hitler spoke of the golden years and promised to build upon them, it was yet another broken promise based on his lack of scientific understanding and how science needed to do its job. With fleeing Jewish scientists and failures under a dictator focused on pseudo-science and seething anti-Semitism, the Allies took full advantage of the destiny Hitler had created for himself.