Best of
Military-History

1976

Admiral Halsey's Story


William F. Halsey - 1976
    “Bull” Halsey earned a legendary reputation for daring and boldness as commander of the U.S. Third Fleet. Admiral Halsey’s Story is this admiral’s record of his actions through the course of his remarkable career in the U.S. Navy. The account begins with a brief overview of his years in school and early years with the navy where he fought in the First World War and served in Mexico and Greece as he rose through the ranks to become vice admiral just before the outbreak of the Second World War. Halsey’s life was dramatically altered with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor as through the next four years he rose from relative obscurity to become one of the most famous allied naval figures in the war. The events of Halsey’s life through World War Two are split into three sections in the book and are covered in wonderful detail: Firstly he uncovers the details of his command of a carrier task force in the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor until May 1942. Next the book discusses his life as Commander of the South Pacific Area and its forces which lasted until June 1944. And finally the book gives an in-depth overview of the final year of the war when Halsey was commander of the U.S. Third Fleet. During the war Halsey had continually acted with bravery and speed and all of his most famous actions are covered through the book such as how he directed the campaigns in the Solomons and led the attacks on the Carolines and New Britain. “The book is pure Halsey — the personal yarn of a seagoing, fighting admiral who was forthright, honest, often brilliant, sometimes rash, but who possessed above all else, a natural modesty that enhanced his uncommon valor.” Naval War College Review “To learn what went on behind the wartime newspaper reports, her is an incomparable document. Admiral Halsey has written simply and modestly a book that will further enhance the Halsey legend.” The Saturday Review “he knew far better than armchair historians do that the best defense is a good offense. That is the legacy of Bull Halsey.” Warfare History Network William F. Halsey was an American admiral in the United States Navy during World War II. In 1943 he was made commander of the Third Fleet, the post he held through the rest of the war. He was promoted to fleet admiral in December 1945 and retired from active service in March 1947. Admiral Halsey's Story was first published in 1947 and Halsey passed away in 1959. The book was written with Lieutenant Commander J. Bryan III, USNR, who during the war had served a lieutenant commander assigned to naval air combat intelligence in the Pacific. In civilian life he was a journalist and writer who was born into the influential Bryan family of newspaper publishers and industrialists. He passed away in 1993.

When Hell Was in Session


Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. - 1976
    Navy was shot down during a combat mission over North Vietnam. A prisoner of war for seven and a half years, Denton provided the first direct evidence of torture by the North Vietnamese, blinking in Morse code the word torture during a televised interview before and after which he was tortured. Denton's unshakable faith in God and country sustained him through year of solitary confinement, beatings, starvation and terror. The first edition of When Hell Was In Session sold over 100,000 copies; this special 25th anniversary edition will inspire a whole new generation of readers.

The Face of Battle: A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo and the Somme


John Keegan - 1976
    It examines the physical conditions of fighting, the particular emotions and behaviour generated by battle, as well as the motives that impel soldiers to stand and fight rather than run away.In his scrupulous reassessment of three battles, John Keegan vividly conveys their reality for the participants, whether facing the arrow cloud of Agincourt, the levelled muskets of Waterloo or the steel rain of the Somme.

Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank


R.P. Hunnicutt - 1976
    From its introduction in 1942 until the production line closed in the second half of 1945, tens of thousands of these versatile armored fighting vehicles were produced. In addition to the basic tank, which itself went through numerous modifications during its three year production run, many more Sherman variants were produced. The M4 was adapted for use as armored artillery, self-propelled antiaircraft artillery, tank destroyers, cargo and personnel carriers, and a vast array of specialized armored combat engineer vehicles.As a result of the vast numbers of operational M4s still in service at the end of World War II, the Sherman soldiered on around the world for decades. Indeed, the basic design was so sound and durable that the Israeli Army still had some in use in the 1973 Yom-Kippur War. Heavily modified with a modem, high velocity 75mm gun it was dubbed the Super Sherman.This massive, heavily illustrated book is, without doubt, the definitive work on its subject.

P.O.W.: A Definitive History of the American Prisoner-Of-War Experience in Vietnam, 1964-1973


John G. Hubbell - 1976
    This title is organized around several main groupings: first, Practical Matters - quick reference travel information presented in an easy-to-use format; Viewing - information on what see in this land of contrasts, from flora and fauna to folklore, history and food; What to See - alphabetical listings of places to visit, with star ratings, map references and practical information; Features - special sections featuring, for example, winter sports, glaciers, railways and scenic journeys; Where to - detailed listings of the best places to eat, drink, stay, shop and be entertained.

The Great Boer War


Byron Farwell - 1976
    1990 1st Thus Norton

The Iron Marshal: A Biography of Louis N. Davout


John G. Gallaher - 1976
    d'Avout (later Davout) was born in 1770. He died in 1823, having lived a life encompassing the span of French history from the Revolution to the restoration of Louis XVIII. He was born into an old and distinguished military Burgundian family and served France as a soldier all his life.Gallaher pays particular attention to Davout's career as a Napoleonic commander and military administrator. Hence, the new point of view Gallaher brings to his work and his original research into the documents provide an historical perspective on the complex Napoleonic wars and other military history of the period.

Nelson's War (Peter Padfield Naval History)


Peter Padfield - 1976
    The main interest of the book lies in its presentation of tactics in vivid, accurate and thought-provoking contexts... may be cordially recommended.' The Mariner's Mirror 'Mr Padfield analyses each action and its outcome in a fresh and perceptive manner, salting all with glimpses of the social side of sea service. This easily readable work is generously illustrated.' The Scotsman In a series of major victories at sea against the French, the Spanish and the Dutch during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the Royal Navy gained for Great Britain what later historians termed the 'Empire of the Seas', that complete dominion over the seas and oceans of the world that allowed Britain to build a world empire. This period culminating in the battle of Trafalgar, 1805, was notable for the emergence of several outstanding admirals, Howe, Jervis, Duncan and Nelson. Between them they revolutionised fleet tactics. Although very different in character, all were united in their determination to exploit the superior gunnery and seamanship of British ships' companies over that of their enemies and press in close for the kill whatever the consequences. Peter Padfield describes the great battles resulting: The Glorious First of June, St Vincent, Camperdown, the Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar, and shows how traditional, usually indecisive line of battle tactics were discarded, to become in Nelson's hands tactics of contempt. And he paints a lively picture of the sailors whose skill and phenomenal disregard for danger delivered these famous victories - together with one very dangerous mutiny. Generously illustrated, Nelson's War brings to life in fascinating detail the admirals, men and ships of the golden age of the Royal Navy and its inspiring genius, Horatio Nelson.

Clausewitz and the State: The Man, His Theories, and His Times


Peter Paret - 1976
    Peter Paret combines social and military history and psychological interpretation with a study of Clausewitz's military theories and of his unduly neglected historical and political writing.This timely new edition includes a preface which allows Paret to recount the past thirty years of discussion on Clausewitz and respond to critics. A companion volume to Clausewitz's On War, this book is indispensable to anyone interested in Clausewitz and his theories, and their proper historical context.Peter Paret is Professor Emeritus in the School of Historical Studies of the Institute for Advanced Study. He is the author of many books and coeditor of Clausewitz's On War (Princeton).

The Art of Warfare in the Age of Marlborough


David G. Chandler - 1976
    . . a truly valuable source for the serious student of military history.”—Military History

Men at Arnhem


Geoffrey S. Powell - 1976
    Geoffrey Powell, himself a veteran of the Arnhem operation, drew on conversations with many other survivors of the battle to write one of the most dramatic of all accounts of the battleWhen the book was first published in 1976 under a pseudonym, it was at once recognized as one of the finest evocations of an infantryman's war ever written.

The Levellers and the English Revolution


H.N. Brailsford - 1976
    

Not As A Duty Only: An Infantryman's War


Henry Gullett - 1976
    Gullett's story is often grim, but leavened by humour and ennobled by accounts of selfless heroism.

The Army of Francis Joseph


Gunther E. Rothenberg - 1976
    Rothenberg's work in the first analytical, full-length study of the army of Francis Joseph throughout its history from 1815-1918.

The Week France Fell


Noel Barber - 1976
    A moving account of how ordinary men and women faced the loss of their beloved country to Nazi invaders.

The Seleucid Army


Bezalel Bar-Kochva - 1976
    The first part of the book discusses the numerical strength of the armies, their sources of manpower, the contingents of the regular army, their equipment and historical development, the chain of command, training and discipline. The second part reconstructs the great campaigns in order to examine the Seleucid tactics. The book provides a lesson in Hellenistic and military history and discusses several questions: how did the Hellenistic armies develop after Alexander? What distinguished the Seleucid army as superior to its Hellenistic contemporaries? The answers illuminate the expansion of Hellenism as we learn how the Seleucid army was used as a military, social and cultural instrument to impose the rule of the dynasty over the vast regions of the Empire and how it helped to shape Hellenistic society in the East.

The French Navy And American Independence: A Study Of Arms And Diplomacy, 1774 1787


Jonathan R. Dull - 1976
    Dull contends, and this belief shapes his account of the French navy as the means by which French diplomacy helped to win American independence. The author discusses the place of long-range naval requirements in the French decision to aid the American colonists, the part played by naval rivalry in the transition from limited aid to full-scale war, and the ways naval considerations affected French wartime diplomacy. His book focuses on military strategy and diplomatic requirements in a setting in which military officers themselves did not participate directly in decision-making, but in which diplomats had to take continual account of military needs.Since military action is a means of accomplishing diplomatic goals, even military victory can prove hollow. The author examines the American war not as a successful exercise of French power, but rather as a tragic failure based on economic and political miscalculations. Among the questions he asks are: What relationship did the war bear to overall French diplomacy? What strains did the limited nature of the war impose on French diplomacy and war strategy? How did the results of the war relate to the objectives with which France entered the conflict?Originally published in 1976.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Operation Menace: The Dakar Expedition and the Dudley North Affair


Arthur J. Marder - 1976
    A pet operation of Prime Minister Churchill, the operation was undertaken against all advice, and it turned out to be a fiasco. In the author's words, "Menace exemplified, in its genesis, planning, and execution, all that can go wrong in warfare; an operation fouled up by unforeseen contingencies, the accidents of war, and human error, and against a background of undue political interference, inadequate planning, and half-baked co-operation between Allies."Using Admiralty and Cabinet papers, as well as private sources of information, Marder weaves a skilled course through all the complex material to produce a masterly case-study of how an operation is mounted and how it can go disastrously wrong. It is a classic, tragicomic illustration of the fog of war.

The My Lai Massacre and Its Cover-Up: Beyond the Reach of Law?: The Peers Commission Report


Joseph Goldstein - 1976
    

The Fox of the North: The Life of Kutuzov, General of War and Peace


Roger Parkinson - 1976
    Letters and documents never previously translated from Russian contribute to making this book a fascinating examination of Kutuzov's military career.

A History Of War At Sea: An Atlas And Chronology Of Conflict At Sea From Earliest Times To The Present


Helmut Pemsel - 1976
    

Civil War Times Illustrated Volume XIV


William C. Davis - 1976
    The year's special issue (April 1975) was "The Campaign to Appomattox" and written by William C. Davis.