Military History

Following the enormous success of HITLER: HUBRIS this book triumphantly completes one of the great modern biographies. No figure in twentieth century history more clearly demands a close biographical understanding than Adolf Hitler; and no period is more important than the Second World War. Beginning with Hitler's startling European successes in the aftermath of the Rhinelland occupation and ending nine years later with the suicide in the Berlin bunker, Kershaw allows us as never before to understand the motivation and the impact of this bizarre misfit. He addresses the crucial questions about the unique nature of Nazi radicalism, about the Holocaust and about the poisoned European world that allowed Hitler to operate so effectively.

Rudolph Hoess was Commandant of Auschwitz during the war. He was taken prisoner by the British. Between his trial and his execution he was ordered to write his autobiography. This is it.

Taken from Appian's Roman History, the five books collected here form the sole surviving continuous historical narrative of the era between 133-35 BC - a time of anarchy and instability for the Roman Empire. A masterly account of a turbulent epoch, they describe the Catiline conspiracy; the rise and fall of the First Triumvirate; the murder of Julius Caesar; the formation of the Second Triumvirate by Antonius, Octavian, and Lepidus; and brutal civil war. A compelling depiction of the decline of the Roman state into brutality and violence, The Civil Wars portrays political discontent, selfishness and the struggle for power - a struggle that was to culminate in a titanic battle for mastery over the Roman Empire, and the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra by Octavian in 31 BC

It's spring 1983. It seemed that one of the most startling discoveries of the century had been made, and that one of the world's most sought after documents had finally come to light, the private diaries of Adolf Hitler. What followed was the exchange of extraordinary sums of money for world-wide publishing rights. But that was just the beginning.

The controversial account of what really happened in the south Atlantic skies

Debunking what were accepted truths about the Second World War, the author argues provocatively that Hitler did not set out to cause the war as part of an evil master plan, but blundered into it partly by accident, aided by the shortcomings of others.

The Panzer Lehr Division was one of the most élite German armoured formations in existence in early 1944. Its baptism of fire was in the deadly Normandy bocage.Although suffering heavy losses in Normandy, the Division continued to fight in North-West Europe until the end of the war, seeing particularly notable service during the Ardennes Offensive and in the Ruhr. The first volume in Helion's WWII German Military Studies series prints an extensive number of reports written by former officers of the Division, principally its commander Fritz Bayerlein. Virtually all of these reports have remained unpublished since they were written soon after the end of the war. They cover all aspects of the Division's history, although with particular emphasis upon events in Normandy, the Ardennes and Germany. A number of the reports include detailed order-of-battle and other organisational data.Important though the reprinting of these documents is, this book is made doubly important thanks to the linking text and expert annotations from editor Fred Steinhardt. In effect, this book provides an extremely detailed chronological history of the Division's activities, in greater detail than has yet appeared in print before.

In the tumultuous saga of the Napoleonic Wars, one critical narrative has remained notably absent: a comprehensive medical history. This meticulously researched new volume from Martin R. Howard fills this gap in the literature. From the blood-stained fields of battle to the makeshift hospitals overflowing with sick and wounded soldiers, every aspect of medical care is vividly portrayed. Readers are immersed in the chaos of battlefield triage, groundbreaking surgical procedures, and the epidemics of disease. Not just mere historical documentation, this work is a gripping testament to human resilience. Through the eyes of those who lived it, the pages pulsate with the drama and urgency of the era, offering a riveting narrative that is both informative and compelling. The book draws on accounts from Europe, North America, The West Indies, Egypt, and India to give a truly global picture of the medical landscape of the time. The often-overlooked medical legacy of the Napoleonic Wars is given due recognition.

The first authoritative account of the remarkable women who worked in the back rooms of British intelligence - the female army of clerks, typists, telephonists, and secretaries who were the cornerstone of the British secret state, and the real women who inspired Miss Moneypenny.

Why did the Cold War erupt so soon after the Second World War? How did it escalate so rapidly, spanning five continents over six decades? And what led to the spectacular collapse of the Soviet Union? In this comprehensive guide to the most widespread conflict in contemporary history, Vladislav Zubok traces the origins of the Cold War in post-war Europe, through the tumultuous decades of confrontation, to the fall of the Berlin Wall and beyond. With remarkable clarity and unique perspective, Zubok argues that the Cold War, often seen as an existential battle between capitalist democracy and totalitarian communism, has long been misunderstood. He challenges the popular Western narrative that economic superiority and democratic values led the USA to victory. Instead, he looks beyond the familiar images of East-West rivalry, shining a light on the impact of non-Western actors and placing the war in the context of global decolonisation, Soviet weakness and the accidents of history. Here, he interrogates what happens when stability and peace are no longer the default, when treaties are broken and when diplomacy ceases to function. Drawing on years of research and informed by Zubok's three decades in the USSR followed by three decades in the West, The Cold War paints a striking portrait of a world on the brink.

Produced using beautiful traditional Chinese bookbinding techniques, Five Rings is presented in an exquisite edition with a brand-new modern translation and new cover design. Written around 1645, Miyamoto Musashi's Five Rings is a classic Japanese work on mastery in swordsmanship, leadership, and conflict. Musashi was a swordsman, philosopher, and strategist, and today his work remains of influence not only in the realm of martial arts but in the business world as well. Musashi's no-nonsense approach to the martial arts and combat includes eliminating technical flourishes, understanding that technique should simply be understood as defeating your opponent, and appreciating that the same qualities apply in both small-scale and large-scale conflicts. Repeatedly, he stresses the importance of learning through practice, rather than merely reading about it.

This book contains the lives of some of the greatest American generals and officers who have served the United States from its founding to the present. It also includes a complete military history of the country, providing an insight into various battles, wars, and conflicts. A must-read for those who are interested in American military history.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This book is a powerful collection of letters written by soldiers throughout history, exploring the joys and struggles of military life. From the soldiers in the trenches of World War I to the American soldiers on the front lines in Vietnam, these letters offer a unique perspective on war and its impact on those who fight it. An essential read for history buffs and military enthusiasts alike.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA fast-paced account of America's plunge into simultaneous cold wars against two very different adversaries - Xi Jinping's China and Valdimir Putin's Russia.New Cold Wars - the latest from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author of The Perfect Weapon David E. Sanger - tells the riveting story of America at a crossroads. At the turn of the millennium, the United States was confident that a democratic Russia and a newly wealthy China could gradually be pulled into the Western-led order. That proved a fantasy. By the time Washington emerged from the age of terrorism, the three nuclear powers were engaged in a high-stakes struggle for military, economic, and technological supremacy - with nations around the world forced to take sides.Interviewing a remarkable array of top officials in the United States, world leaders, and tech companies thrust onto the front lines, Sanger unfolds a riveting narrative spun around the era's critical questions. Will Putin's ill-considered invasion of Ukraine prove his undoing, and will he reach for his nuclear arsenal? Will China strike back at the US chip embargo, or seize Taiwan, the world's semiconductor capital?Taking readers from the battlefields of Ukraine - where trench warfare and cyberwarfare are fought side by side - to the back rooms and boardrooms where diplomats, spies, and tech executives jockey for geopolitical advantage, New Cold Wars is an astonishing first-draft history chronicling America's return to superpower conflict, the choices that lie ahead, and what is at stake for the United States and the world.

The epic story of the imperial rivalry between two of the greatest empires of the ancient world - Parthian and Persian - and how they rose and eventually fell.The Roman empire shaped the culture of the western world against which all other great powers are compared. Stretching from the north of Britain to the Sahara, and from the Atlantic coast to the Euphrates, it imposed peace and prosperity on an unprecedented scale.However, the exception lay in the east, where the Parthian and then Persian empires ruled over great cities and the trade routes to mysterious lands beyond. This was the place Alexander the Great had swept through, creating a dream of glory and conquest which tantalised Greeks and Romans alike. Caesar, Mark Antony and a long succession of emperors longed to follow in Alexander's footsteps. All failed. Only here did the Roman empire slow down and eventually stop because it was unable to go any further.Following seven centuries of conflict that, ultimately, neither Rome nor Persia would win, The Eagle and the Lion delves into the clash, context and journeys of these entities of great power and the people caught in their wider struggle.

The life-changing Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller, now with new material from Edie's childhood.Even in hell, hope can flower...In 1944, sixteen-year-old ballerina Edith Eger was sent to Auschwitz. Separated from her parents on arrival, she endured unimaginable experiences, including being made to dance for the infamous Josef Mengele. When the camp was finally liberated, she was pulled from a pile of bodies, barely alive.With over a hundred pages of new material covering Edie's childhood and teen years, this is the unforgettable story about finding hope in the most unlikely spaces.PRAISE FOR THE CHOICE'I'll be forever changed by her story' - Oprah Winfrey'Extraordinary ... will stick with you long after you read it' - Bill Gates'One of those rare and eternal stories you don't want to end' - Desmond Tutu

Stranded deep in Persia, after their leader Cyrus was killed, Xenophon played an instrumental role in encouraging his army of 10,000 to march north across deserts and mountain passes, towards the Black Sea and its Greek shoreline cities.

He has endured more than any child ever should, but now he must survive Block 66

**SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 2024****A BEST BOOK OF 2024 BY THE NEW YORKER** From the Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of Ghost Wars, the inside story of America's long and ruinous relationship with Saddam HusseinThe Achilles Trap masterfully untangles the people, ploys of power and geopolitics that led to America's disastrous war with Iraq and, for the first time, details America's fundamental miscalculations during its ruinous, decades-long relationship with Saddam Hussein.Beginning with Saddam's rise to power in 1979 and the birth of Iraq's secret nuclear weapons programme, Steve Coll traces Saddam's motives through understanding his inner circle. He brings to life the diplomats, scientists, family members and generals who had no choice but to defer to their leader - a leader directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, as well as the torture or imprisonment of many more. This was a man whose reasoning was impossible to reduce to a simple explanation, and the CIA and successive presidential administrations failed to grasp critical nuances in his paranoia, resentments and inconsistencies - even when the stakes were incredibly high.Using unpublished and underreported sources, interviews with surviving participants, and Saddam's own transcripts and audio files, The Achilles Trap is a remarkable picture of a dictator who was convinced the world was out to get him and acted accordingly. A work of great historical significance, it is the definitive account of how corruptions of power, lies of diplomacy and vanity - on both sides - led to avoidable errors of statecraft: ones that would enact immeasurable human suffering and forever change our political landscape.

'Viktor Frankl gives us the gift of looking at everything in life as an opportunity' - Edith Eger, bestselling author of The ChoiceAn inspirational new collection on turning tragedy into triumph by Holocaust survivor and multi-million copy bestselling author of Man's Search for Meaning.During his lifetime, world renowned psychiatrist and Auschwitz survivor Viktor Frankl had an unshakably optimistic outlook on life. He believed that regardless of circumstance, we can all find meaning and fulfilment in our lives, even in the face of great adversity.But how much influence do we have on shaping our own lives? How do we seize opportunities and create a meaningful life? And in doing so, can we still respect the dignity of others and tolerate all views?Published in English for the first time, Embracing Hope shows that by exercising our freedoms, we have a duty and responsibility to ourselves, to others and to the world around us. This collection of timeless lessons offers hope and consolation, admonition and warning, and reveals how to turn tragedy into triumph and lead a fulfilled, purposeful life.