Books published by Helion & Company

The second book ever made on this subject in the last century, and the first in English; both by the same author.

Study of the Polish army that in 1626-1629 fought against Swedes in Prussia; its command, organisation, equipment and tactics.

The first authoritative account of the Paulista War published in the English language, providing a detailed account of both aerial and ground combat operations.

This book examines the capabilities and performance of the Italian army in the North African campaign and its significant contributions to the Axis effort there.

This book examines through historical and archaeological research the sieges of Bristol, Gloucester, Worcester, Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury during the First Civil War (1642-1646).

Richly illustrated, the first comprehensive and inclusive operational history of military flying in the Middle East and Northern Africa in the 1918-1936 period.

In 1961, Portugal found itself fighting a war to retain its colonial possessions and preserve the remnants of its Empire. It was almost completely unprepared to do so, and this was particularly evident in its ability to project power and to control the vast colonial spaces of Africa. Following the uprisings of March 1961 in the north of Angola, Portugal poured troops into the colony as fast as its creaking logistic system would allow; however, these new arrivals were not competent and did not possess the skills needed to fight a counterinsurgency. While counterinsurgency by its nature requires substantial numbers of light infantry, the force must be trained in the craft of fighting a ¿small war¿ to be effective. The majority of the arriving troops had no such indoctrination and had been readied at an accelerated pace. Even their uniforms were hastily crafted and not ideally suited to fighting in the bush. In reoccupying the north and addressing the enemy threat, Portugal quickly realized that its most effective forces were those with special qualifications and advanced training. Unfortunately there were only very small numbers of such elite forces. The maturing experiences of the Portuguese and their consequent adjustments to fight a counterinsurgency led to the development of specialized, tailored units to close the gaps in skills and knowledge between the insurgents and their forces. This book is about the fuzileiros or Portuguese marines, a naval force that operated in the riverine littorals of Africa and that was both feared by the enemy and loved by those loyal to Portugal. The fuzileiros underwent one of the longest and most physically demanding specialist infantry training regimes in the world, lasting some forty-two weeks. Perhaps only 15 to 35 percent of the inductees eventually passed the course and were awarded the traditional and highly coveted navy blue beret. When deployed to Africa, they underwent further acclimation for weeks until they were able to move through the slime and mud of a riverbank with ease, as their lives depended on it. They became experts at riverine warfare and regularly ranged inland on extended patrols, many of which are recounted here. They were comfort able with the uncomfortable fighting nvironment, and this ability translated into an unpredictability that the enemy feared. This book is the story of how they came to be formed and organized, the initial teething difficulties, and their unqualified successes.

This is the story of how, in 1808, the Royal Navy used its dominance in the Baltic to rescue the Spanish Army of the Marques de La Romana.

Suriname became independent in 1975 under the Netherlands' decolonisation program. Bureaucratic mismanagement by the democratic government led to a military coup in 1980 and ultimately a civil war that lasted from 1986 to 1992. The volume is illustrated by more than 120 contemporary photographs, maps and authentic colour profiles.

This book outlines the plans for the English attack on the Spanish West Indies in 1655, their defeat on Hispaniola and occupation of Jamaica until the end of 1655.

A comprehensive account of the military career of one of the great and tragic figures from the final death throes of the Swedish empire.

Ripe for Rebellion is the first of two volumes examining the so-called 'Congo Crisis'.

Heeresgruppe Weichsel, or Vistula, was created on the order of Adolf Hitler in part to "organise the national defence on German soil.

A military history of the armies and campaigns of the Norfolk and Western rebellions of 1549

A detailed account of the Battle of Villamuriel, the largest action during Wellington's retreat from Burgos in 1812, based on extensive use of international archives.

An account of the actions that followed the formation of the League of Cambrai in 1508.

The Chaco War provides an indispensable, single-point-source-of-reference for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

A detailed study of the early Cold War development and operations of the Bulgarian Air Force. It covers the entire spectrum of counter air operations undertaken by the Bulgarian air arm between 1946 and 1960, including the tragic downing of El Al Flight 402.