Here is the true story behind the immortal photograph that has come to symbolize the courage and indomitable will of America.In February 1945, American Marines plunged into the surf at Iwo Jima—and into history. Through a hail of machine-gun and mortar fire that left the beaches strewn with comrades, they battled to the island's highest peak. And after climbing through a landscape of hell itself, they raised a flag.Now the son of one of the flagraisers has written a powerful account of six very different young men who came together in a moment that will live forever.To his family, John Bradley never spoke of the photograph or the war. But after his death at age seventy, his family discovered closed boxes of letters and photos. In Flags of Our Fathers, James Bradley draws on those documents to retrace the lives of his father and the men of Easy Company. Following these men's paths to Iwo Jima, James Bradley has written a classic story of the heroic battle for the Pacific's most crucial island—an island riddled with Japanese tunnels and 22,000 fanatic defenders who would fight to the last man.But perhaps the most interesting part of the story is what happened after the victory. The men in the photo—three were killed during the battle—were proclaimed heroes and flown home, to become reluctant symbols. For two of them, the adulation was shattering. Only James Bradley's father truly survived, displaying no copy of the famous photograph in his home, telling his son only: "The real heroes of Iwo Jima were the guys who didn't come back."Few books ever have captured the complexity and furor of war and its aftermath as well as Flags of Our Fathers. A penetrating, epic look at a generation at war, this is history told with keen insight, enormous honesty, and the passion of a son paying homage to his father. It is the story of the difference between truth and myth, the meaning of being a hero, and the essence of the human experience of war.From the Hardcover edition.

    But in this rigorous re-investigation of the Battle of Britain, Stephen Bungay tells a story full of revelations. Whether assessing the development of radar or the relative merits of the Spitfire, Hurricane, and Messerschmitt, he uncovers the unexpected truth behind many time-honored myths. Not only a major work of modern history but also a truly compelling narrative, The Most Dangerous Enemy confirms the Battle of Britain as a crucial event in European history.

    It is laced with first-hand descriptions of ferocious and bloody fighting, sudden death and incredible heroism, and peopled with a cast of extraordinary individuals, hard-fighting soldiers of every rank and background.

    Wounded at Voroshilovsk, he experimented with a Russian sniper-rifle while convalescing and so impressed his superiors with his proficiency that he was returned to the front on his regiment’s only sniper specialist.In this sometimes harrowing memoir, Allerberger provides an excellent introduction to the commitment in fieldcraft, discipline and routine required of the sniper, a man apart. There was no place for chivalry on the Russian Front. Away from the film cameras, no prisoner survived long after surrendering. Russian snipers had used the illegal explosive bullet since 1941, and Hitler eventually authorised its issue in 1944. The result was a battlefield of horror.Allerberger was a cold-blooded killer, but few will find a place in their hearts for the soldiers of the Red Army against whom he fought.

    Rhea continues his spectacular narrative of the initial campaign between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee in the spring of 1864. May 13 through 25, a phase oddly ignored by historians, was critical in the clash between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia. During those thirteen days -- an interlude bracketed by horrific battles that riveted the public's attention -- a game of guile and endurance between Grant and Lee escalated to a suspenseful draw on Virginia's North Anna River.From the bloodstained fields of the Mule Shoe to the North Anna River, with Meadow Bridge, Myers Hill, Harris Farm, Jericho Mills, Ox Ford, and Doswell Farm in between, grueling night marches, desperate attacks, and thundering cavalry charges became the norm for both Grant's and Lee's men. But the real story of May 13--25 lay in the two generals' efforts to outfox each other, and Rhea charts their every step and misstep. Realizing that his bludgeoning tactics at the Bloody Angle were ineffective, Grant resorted to a fast-paced assault on Lee's vulnerable points. Lee, outnumbered two to one, abandoned the offensive and concentrated on anticipating Grant's maneuvers and shifting quickly enough to repel them. It was an amazingly equal match of wits that produced a gripping, high-stakes bout of warfare -- a test, ultimately, of improvisation for Lee and of perseverance for Grant.

    It will grab the attention of military buffs and general readers alike. The struggle for supremacy between Rome and Carthage encompassed the First (264-241 B.C.) and Second (149-146 B.C.) Punic Wars; both sides suffered casualties exceeding that of any war fought before the modern era. Its outcome had far-reaching consequences for the Western world, too, as it led to the ascendancy of Rome. In grand narrative style, follow the fighting on land and sea; the terrible pitched battles; and such generals as Hannibal, Fabius Maximus, and Scipio Aemilianus, who finally drove Carthage into the ground. A Main Selection of the History Book Club.

    Relating the history of the war as it developed, Anderson shows how the complex array of forces brought into conflict helped both to create Britain’s empire and to sow the seeds of its eventual dissolution.Beginning with a skirmish in the Pennsylvania backcountry involving an inexperienced George Washington, the Iroquois chief Tanaghrisson, and the ill-fated French emissary Jumonville, Anderson reveals a chain of events that would lead to world conflagration. Weaving together the military, economic, and political motives of the participants with unforgettable portraits of Washington, William Pitt, Montcalm, and many others, Anderson brings a fresh perspective to one of America’s most important wars, demonstrating how the forces unleashed there would irrevocably change the politics of empire in North America.

    Jorgenson spent 7 years in the Army; three as an infantryman and four as a journalist. After surviving a number of missions as a LRRP with Hotel Company (Airborne), Jorgenson transferred to Alpha (aka Apache) Troop, where he walked point for its reaction force, the Blues. Jorgenson brings his considerable experience as a soldier and journalist to bear in this absorbing account.

    This book is not for the squeamish. It blends the intrinsic pathos and humor peculiar to war with face-to-face combat in the bush and death at point-blank range. Now, here is your chance to read what several critics have called the best book on the Rhodesian War ever written.

    By July, the activities of the artillery and infantry of Ripcord had caught the attention of the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) and a long and deadly siege ensued. Ripcord was the Screaming Eagles’ last chance to do significant damage to the NVA in the A Shau Valley before the division was withdrawn from Vietnam and returned to the United States. At Ripcord, the enemy counterattacked with ferocity, using mortar and antiaircraft fire to inflict heavy causalities on the units operating there. The battle lasted four and a half months and exemplified the ultimate frustration of the Vietnam War: the inability of the American military to bring to bear its enormous resources to win on the battlefield. In the end, the 101st evacuated Ripcord, leaving the NVA in control of the battlefield. Contrary to the mantra “We won every battle but lost the war,” the United States was defeated at Ripcord. Now, at last, the full story of this terrible battle can be told.

    With no backup and little communication with the outside world, these men disappeared for weeks on end in the wilderness with nothing but intellect and iron will to protect them--as they would watch, wait, and finally strike. But of all of the snipers who ever hunted human prey, one man stands above and beyond as one of the most legendary fighting men ever to pull a trigger… That man was Carlos Hathcock. In Marine Sniper, the true-life missions of United States Marine Corps sniper Carlos Hathcock were revealed in explosive detail. Now, the incredible story of a remarkable Marine continues—with harrowing, never-before-published accounts of courage and perseverance. These are the powerful stories of a man who rose to greatness not for personal gain or glory, but for duty and honor. A rare inside look at the U.S. Marine’s most challenging missions—and the one man who made military history.

    A war veteran tells his story with vivid and compelling immediacy, blending the terror of hunting and encountering the elusive Vietcong with the tender relationship between a naive young Australian soldier and his larrikin labrador-kelpie cross, Caesar.

    Using German sources, the author has investigated an important aspect of the pre-attack deception, the degree to which the German public and armed forces were themselves caught unawares.

    The adventures of Richard Sharpe and co. in the Peninsular War and on the Indian continent have thrilled hundreds of thousands of readers over the years and over sixteen books.Now comes the book that Cornwell’s fans have been waiting for: the definitive guide to the historical and military background to the characters and events of the Sharpe novels.Compulsively readable, exhaustively detailed, with a chapter devoted to each book and a complete glossary of characters, both real and fictional, this guide will be a must for every devoted reader of Sharpe. Complete with black and white plates of famous battle scenes and characters, exquisite line drawings and complete maps of every battle and skirmish fought in by Richard Sharpe, The Sharpe Companion is a wonderful and necessary addition to every Sharpe library.

    In 1972 the U.S. military took steps to ensure that such a book could never be printed by destroying all the known photos that existed of the top-secret Studies and Observations Group. But unknown to those in charge, SOG veterans brought back with them hundreds of photographs of SOG in action and kept them secret for more than three decades. More than 700 irreplaceable photos bring to life the stories of SOG legends Larry Thorne, Bob Howard, Dick Meadows, George Sisler, Q and others, and documents what really happened deep inside enemy territory: Operation Tailwind, the Son Tay raid, SOG's defense of Khe Sanh, Hatchet Force operations, Bright Light rescues, HALO insertions, string extractions, SOG's darkest programs and much more.

    He succinctly details the operation with special emphasis on the human side of the conflict. The graphic depiction of the war and candid interviews with the top brass makes for a true-to-life experience for the reader.

    Known collectively as Henry Lawrence's young men, each had distinguished himself in the East India Company's wars in the Punjab before going on to make his name as a political on the Frontier - Herbert Edwardes, who pacified Bannu; John Nicholson, a forebear of the author, who became the terror of the Sikhs as Nikkal Seyn; Uncle James Abbot of Hazara, and many others.

    In battle, they fly behind enemy lines to rescue downed pilots. In peacetime, PJs stay sharp with daring civilian rescues, recovering victims from scorching deserts, treacherous mountaintops, raging seas, and natural disasters. Their almost unimaginable courage first came to the public's attention in Sebastian Junger's "The Perfect Storm," with that book's riveting account of how a helicopter of PJs plunged into the Atlantic during a tragic rescue attempt. Senior Master Sergeant Jack Brehm was the PJ supervisor coordinating their dramatic efforts that night. "That Others May Live" not only sheds new light on that rescue, it also tells the thrilling story of Jack Brehm's devotion to the PJs, a career choice that transformed him from an aimless kid to an on-call hero. Jack's vivid account reveals not only the dangerous rescues and relentless training he and his fellow PJs endure, but the emotional struggles as well: losing friends, waiting anxiously to be called into action, and trying to keep their families together despite the enormous life-and-death pressures of the job. This book is a compelling and deeply personal story of one man's "ordinary" heroism that is, in reality, extraordinary.

    Pretorius also gives the first full account of the search for the German cruiser Königsberg which had sunk the Pegasus at Zanzibar and then gone into hiding in the Rufiji delta.“I have never seen a more thrilling story of a hunter’s life. It is full of almost unbelievable incidents, of reckless daring, and of hair-breadth escapes. If one knew the writer the interest increases, for he was a quiet, gentle, unassuming person in appearance. What fire lay hidden under those quiet features and that gentle manner! His very person seemed to be a camouflage.”—Foreword by J. C. Smuts

    Through more than 1,000 detailed photos and clear instruction, Brian Price presents a working handbook for aspiring and active armourers who want to develop their skills in the production of medieval armour in the style of the 14th century. The book is divided into four sections: a sweeping history of armour and its production from its medieval roots to its modern revival; a practical introduction to all the tools and supplies necessary to equip a modern workshop; a thorough review of key techniques; and a series of actual courses in constructing armoured defenses for the head, body, arm, hand and leg. Taking the reader through the construction of an authentic medieval harness from conception to completion, Techniques of Medieval Armour Reproduction is a vital addition to the libraries of serious craftsmen, historians, collectors and researchers.

    Squadron member Lavell tells the tragic, comic, and moving story of the pilots who flew support missions for riverine forces, SEALs, and allied units.

    Filled with transatlantic jets and projects that were on the drawing board or in prototype form at the war's end. Full color action illustrations in contemporary markings and performance data tables show vividly what might have been achieved had the war continued beyond 1945.

    A vital and vibrant tale packed with bravado, duels, deceptions, and no lack of derring-do, it recounts in authentic detail and with compelling immediacy the careers that Napoleonic soldiers made of military perils, personal risks, and tactical maneuvers in the service of an imperial France. Originally published in France as a two-volume set under the title The Adventures of Baron de Marbot, the exploits of the man who was promoted to the rank of general on the eve of Waterloo appear here for the first time in a one-volume English edition. Not only has this classic soldier's memoir been discreetly edited to heighten the narrative of de Marbot's colorfully picaresque and anecdotal tale, but also expert commentary and essential background materials have been added to make the book's lively history more accessible, and the fascinating biography more illuminative for contemporary readers. "The first of all soldier books in the world - which gives us the best picture by far of the Napoleonic soldiers." - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    In July 1863 the regiment's eight-hundred-plus troops--young men from North Carolina's mountains, farmlands, and hamlets--were thrust into the firestorm of Gettysburg, the greatest battle ever fought in North America. By the time the fighting ended, the 26th North Carolina had suffered what some authorities would calculate to be the highest casualties of any regiment in the Civil War.Following a bone-wearying march into Pennsylvania with the rest of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, the soldiers of the 26th found themselves in ferocious, almost face-to-face combat with some of the hardest-fighting troops in the Federal army--the heralded Iron Brigade. The bloody contest on McPherson's Ridge produced some of Gettysburg's fiercest fighting, and the troops involved--men from North Carolina, Michigan, and Indiana--established an enduring legacy of American fortitude and will.On Gettysburg's third day of battle, the 26th North Carolina was placed in the front ranks of Pickett's Charge. Following a massive artillery barrage, the tattered regiment was commanded to go the distance in what would prove to be the most famous assault of the war. At one point, as he watched the men of the 26th in battle, Brigadier General James J. Pettigrew dispatched a message to the regiment's commander: "Tell him his regiment haas covered itself with glory today."The story of the 26th North Carolina at Gettysburg is an American saga of duty performed in the worst of warfare. It unfolds through the lives of key characters--the regiment'stwenty-one year old commander, Colonel Henry K. Burgwyn, Jr.; its second-in-command, twenty-six-year-old farmer-turned-lieutenant colonel John R. Lane; twenty-two-year-old Major John Jones, who had abandoned his college studies to join the army; and common soldiers like Private Jimmie Moore, a North Carolina mountain boy who had gone to war at the age of fifteen."Covered In Glory is an intensely personal narrative based on exhaustive research into the diaries, letters, memoirs, and official records of the men who struggled on the bloody field at Gettysburg. It is a powerful, moving account of American courage and sacrifice.

    His dream was shattered when he was selected instead for a career as a wireless operator in Bomber Command.But he got all the adventure he signed on for. Hewer and his crews of 218 and 148 Squadrons flew important night operations over Germany and North Africa, dropping their deadly payloads and dodging enemy flak.And he was not always much safer on the ground. He survived the Blitz in London, a U-boat attack in the South Atlantic, a fire-fight with Italian troops near el-Alamien, as well as chaste love affairs, fistfights, and beers with Boer rebels.Self-deprecating, bittersweet, and alive to both the horrors of war and the friendships and courage of the men and women who fight it, In for a Penny, In for a Pound is the unforgettable story of a young Canadian’s experience of history’s greatest war.

    Nimitz, the principal architect of victory in the Pacific during World War II.

    It is a unique combination of three components: a 58-page guidebook, a driving audio tour (CD) and a computer CD-ROM- all packaged in a handsome hardcover book.The computer CD-ROM is packed with award-winning battle map animations, history movies, virtual tours and quiz games. The illustrated guidebook and audio tour take you on a compelling tour of the battlefield, complete with detailed battle maps, illustrations and famous photographs. This is the ideal package for anyone who wants to tour the battlefield or just gain a better understanding of the Battle of Gettysburg.

    submarine commanders in World War II. The first skippers went to battle hamstrung by conservative peacetime training and plagued by defective torpedoes. Drawing extensively from now declassified files, Japanese archives, and the testimony of surviving veterans, James DeRose has written a fascinating account of the men and vessels responsible for the only successful submarine campaign of the war. They clearly charted a new course to victory in the Pacific.ADVANCE PRAISE FOR UNRESTRICTED WARFARE"James DeRose has done an excellent job-- surprisingly so, in view of his lack of true WWII submarine experience. He obviously contacted everyone he could find who served on one of the three boats he concentrated on, and he read, as well, everything he could find that was written about them. . . . DeRose shines by his interpretation of events as the Japanese must have seen them. . . . His reconstruction of how Wahoo came to her end may well be pretty close to correct. . . . He does the same with Tang."-CAPTAIN EDWARD L. BEACH, USN author of Submarine! and Run Silent, Run Deep"An outstanding addition to the literature of the Silent Service. . . . The depth of research is wonderful. . . . This is fine history . . . that rivals Blair's Silent Victory."-PAUL CROZIER, sitemaster, "Legends of the Deep" (www.warfish.com) Web site on the USS Wahoo"I knew all of the book's main characters quite well. . . . I am also completely familiar with submarine operations in the Pacific. With that background I couldn't fail to thoroughly enjoy DeRose's book. It is well written and has the right feel."-CHESTER W. NIMITZ JR., rear admiral, USN (Ret.)"Sail with American submariners into tightly guarded Japanese home waters; undergo the horror of a depth charge attack; experience the thrill of victory with some of the U.S. Navy's ace submarine skippers. All this--and much more--is contained in James F. DeRose's compelling Unrestricted Warfare. No one interested in the naval side of World War II should be without it."-NATHAN MILLER author of War at Sea: A Naval History of World War II

    The unit saw action in the attempted relief of Stalingrad, the tremendous tank engagements at Kursk, and the bitter fighting to relieve German unit encircled at the Tscherkassy Pocket. It then defended against the Allies in Normandy in 1944, and ended the war with desperate fighting in Hungary and Austria.

    Its five oversized volumes, rich with illustrations, maps, and primary source documents, offer more than 1,600 authoritative entries that chart the war's strategic aims, analyze diplomatic and political maneuvering, describe key military actions, sketch important participants, assess developments in military science, and discuss the social and financial impact of the conflict.Written by scholars, the essays are both authoritative and easily accessible to history buffs, students, and general readers. Brief entry bibliographies lead curious readers to the most reliable sources for further information.

    More than 180 photographs that have never been seen by any reading public accompany color maps and an authoritative text debunking 50-year-old Western beliefs about Operation Barbarossa. The lives and accomplishments of Soviet fighter aces, about which little, if anything, has previously been published, make this groundbreaking history essential reading for both enthusiasts and casual history buffs.

    Using period training manuals, after-action reports, countless interviews with Panzer veterans, and his own experiences as an armor commander in the modern German Army, Schneider describes World War II Panzer tactics, coupling his narrative with scores of illustrations that highlight armor concepts. Schneider covers the major types of small-unit operational art-offensive and defensive-and also discusses road marches, reconnaissance, command and control, working with other arms of service, life in a tank, armor training, gunnery, and the future of armor. The book provides useful insight into armor tactics for both the layman and the armor enthusiast.

    Chapters include: German Combat Organization (overview); Number of Soldiers Employed; Effects of Allied Air Power; German Armor in Normandy; German Losses in Normandy; Combat Efficiency; and, Unit Movements. In addition, there is a capsule history of every major formation employed in Normandy: infantry and Panzer divisions and separate formations; artillery and Werfer (rocket) units; corps and field-army formations and miscellaneous elements which could bring combat power to bear. Dr. Zetterling provides a sobering analysis of the subject matter and debunks a number of popular myths concerning the campaign (the effectiveness of Allied air power; the preferential treatment of Waffen-SS formations in comparison to their army counterparts; etc.). He supports his text with exhaustive footnoting and provides an organizational chart for most of the formations covered in the book. Includes numerous organizational diagrams, charts, tables and graphs.

    Photographs are available of almost everything he describes, which include edged weapons, handguns, rifles, shotguns, automatic rifles, machine guns, grenades and launchers, trench mortars, the 37 mm gun, and flame throwers. He describes some weapons that were developed but never deployed. He includes notes for collectors. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

    USS Pampanito, however, is not a typical submarine adventure. It is the story of a sub and crew that, though they caused plenty of destruction, found the pinnacle of their honor and fame in a dramatic sea rescue. Gregory F. Michno relates the experiences of the crewmen who served on the USS Pampanito -- both the enlisted men and the officers.The Pampanito story begins with the boat's construction in 1943, continues through its six combat missions, to its decommissioning after the war in 1945. The heart of the book focuses on the September 12-14, 1944, attack on a Japanese convoy carrying English and Australian POWs from the Burma Siam Railway (of Bridge on the River Kwai fame) to prison camps in Japan. The Pampanito helped sink two of the prison ships, unwittingly killing hundreds of Allied soldiers, then returned to rescue its own victims. The Pampanito crew picked a record seventy-three men from the sea.USS Pampanito: Killer Angel presents a full picture of life on a "pigboat" and the attitudes of a whole generation who found their defining experience in World War II.

    This is first-rate military history." --David McCullough In the years since the Revolutionary War, legend has obscured the story of the Battle of Paoli, better known in history as the Paoli Massacre. For this first-ever full-length treatment of the battle, the author has uncovered never-before-published primary documents to tell of British General Charles Grey's brutal attack on Anthony Wayne's division of 1,500 men in September 1777. The detailed account follows the action from the arrival of Wayne's division south of the Schuylkill River, near Paoli Tavern, to defend Philadelphia against Howe's encroaching troops to Grey's discovery of Wayne's position, the bloody battle that ensued, and the subsequent court-martial of Wayne, who had been accused of negligence.

    In this book, WWII airmen of all ranks candidly speak on all aspects of their experiences--the missions and the planes they flew; their enemies; the places they saw and people they met; their morale, fears, and leadership; and the aerial brotherhood that sustained them.

    This book is a representative selection of those plans as well as descriptions of ship development.

    America's top military leaders are scrutinized as Puryear ponders what prepared our generals for the terrible responsibilities they bore during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and on to today.

    A one-volume collection of Azar Gat's acclaimed trilogy, it traces the quest for a general theory of war from its origins in the Enlightenment. Drastically re-evaluating B.H. Liddell Hart's contribution to strategic theory, the author argues that in the wake of the trauma of the First World War, and in response to the Axis challenge, Liddell Hart developed the doctrine of containment and cold war long before the advent of nuclear weapons. He reveals Liddell Hart as a pioneer of the modern western liberal way in warfare which is still with us today.

    Included are stories of sniper training, "Hell week", covert operations and training, including Operation Michael Jordan and Desert Storm.

    Inured as they had become from quite an early age to discomfort, discipline, indifferent food and absence from home, many appeared to make an effortless transition from the peace of their upbringing to the dangers of front line soldering.Timpson had the good fortune to find this way, via the Scots Guards, into the Long Range Desert Group, the most romantic of special force units. In Rommel s Backyard describes the threefold roles of the LRDG, all of which involved daring, dash and incredible feats of endurance and navigation deep behind enemy lines. They were the eyes and ears of the Eighth Army, road-watching and reporting enemy movement; they destroyed enemy aircraft, supply dumps and vehicles; and transported other special forces and agents to their objectives.Fortunately, Alastair Timpson kept a meticulous record of all his activities with the LRDG, although he never saw this as being of interest to more than his family. However, after his death, his son realized its wider appeal and offered it for publication. Although In Rommel s Backyard is a very personal account it epitomizes the spirit of a campaign which involved many thousands of young men. In a calm, often detached way - his modesty is noteworthy - the author gives an account of his and his colleagues war behind enemy lines which will appeal not only to historians of the period but to all those who enjoy a real-life adventure story of epic encounters fought, and won, against the odds.REVIEWS A superb addition to anyone s library and great reference to one of the pioneering units of the Special Forces. Military Modelcraft International, 7/12/2011"

    This is despite the fact that by 1360 the English had become the foremost martial nation of Europe; that famous victories had been won at Dupplin Moor, Halidon Hill, Cr�cy, and Poitiers; and David II of Scotland and Jean II of France were Edward's prisoners, and the French, with the Treaty of Br�tigny, had agreed to surrender a third of their kingdom to his sovereign rule in exchange for peace. In 'War Cruel and Sharp', Dr Rogers offers a powerfully argued and thoroughly researched reassessment of the military and political strategies which Edward III and the Black Prince employed to achieve this astounding result. Using a narrative framework, he makes the case that the Plantagenets' ultimate success came from adapting the strategy which Robert Bruce had used to force the 'Shameful Peace' on England in 1328. Unlike previous historians, he argues that the quest for decisive battle underlay Edward's strategy in every campaign he undertook, though the English also utilized sieges and ferocious devastation of the countryside to advance their war efforts. CLIFFORD J. ROGERS is Assistant Professor of History, United States Military Academy, West Point.

    The most notable of these occurred at Bennett Place, near Durham, North Carolina, when Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee to Union General William T. Sherman. In this first full-length examination of the end of the war in North Carolina, Mark Bradley traces the campaign leading up to Bennett Place.Alternating between Union and Confederate points of view and drawing on his readings of primary sources, including numerous eyewitness accounts and the final muster rolls of the Army of Tennessee, Bradley depicts the action as it was experienced by the troops and the civilians in their path. He offers new information about the morale of the Army of Tennessee during its final confrontation with Sherman's much larger Union army. And he advances a fresh interpretation of Sherman's and Johnston's roles in the final negotiations for the surrender.Even after Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox, the Civil War continued to be fought, and surrenders negotiated, on different fronts. The most notable of these occurred at Bennett Place, near Durham, North Carolina, when Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee to Union General William T. Sherman. In this first full-length examination of the end of the war in North Carolina, Mark L. Bradley depicts the action as it was experienced by the troops and the civilians in their path.

    Noted naval architect David Brown brings this crucial era into focus as he analyzes the principle pre-war developments, including the first purpose-built aircraft carriers and the growing perception of the threat of air attack to warships. In addition, all the wartime construction programs-such as the massive amphibious warfare fleet used on D-Day are covered, as well as the lessons learned from wartime damage and the top-secret pre- and postwar damage trials. This heavily illustrated sequel to Warrior to Dreadnought and The Grand Fleet completes Chatham's highly praised British Warship Design and Development trilogy. It is an essential reference and provides a wealth of information on British maritime history.

    It sweeps away the myth that the army suffered from poor morale, and that it only won its battles through the use of 'brute force' and by reverting to the techniques of the First World War. Few soldiers were actively eager to close with the enemy, but the morale of the army never collapsed and its combat capability steadily improved from 1942 onwards.

    This fully-illustrated volume describes the design, construction, and armament of the dashing frigates.

    This book chronicles these developments, describing the systems themselves and concluding with an analysis of future possibilities.

    A detailed account, based on unprecedented access to European archives, of the Austrian army of the 18th century, and its Croatian, Bosnian and Serbian auxiliaries.

    Historian Edward G. Longacre has consulted 50 manuscript collections pertaining to general officers of cavalry as well as the unpublished letters and diaries of 200 officers and enlisted men, representing almost every mounted unit in the Army of the Potomac. Well known for interrogating "conventional wisdom," he also contributes some provocative analyses regarding the mounted army's organization, leadership, and tactics. This is an exhaustive study that no Civil War enthusiast will want to miss.

    It is this recognition which has led its author to his proposal of Somerled’s wider historical importance as the personality who most represents the first fully-fledged emergence of the medieval Celtic-Scandinavian cultural province from which is directly descended the Gaelic Scotland of today.

    This question was most fractious in the border states of Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri. In Missouri, it was largely settled at Wilson's Creek on August 10, 1861, in a contest that is rightly considered the second major battle of the Civil War.In providing the first in-depth narrative and analysis of this important but largely overlooked battle, William Piston and Richard Hatcher combine a traditional military study of the fighting at Wilson's Creek with an innovative social analysis of the soldiers who participated and the communities that supported them. In particular, they highlight the importance of the soldiers' sense of corporate honor--the desire to uphold the reputation of their hometowns--as a powerful motivator for enlistment, a source of sustenance during the campaign, and a lens through which soldiers evaluated their performance in battle.In the summer of 1861, Americans were preoccupied by the question of which states would join the secession movement and which would remain loyal to the Union. This question was most fractious in the border states of Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri. In Missouri, it was largely settled at Wilson's Creek on August 10, 1861, in a contest that is rightly considered the second major battle of the Civil War. In an in-depth narrative and analysis of this important but largely overlooked battle, William Piston and Richard Hatcher combine a traditional military study of the fighting with an innovative social analysis of the soldiers who participated and the communities that supported them.

    The armour suffered from failures of experience. Disagreements between General Montgomery and the War Office exacerbated matters.

    Not well known in the West, the battles of Isonzo were nevertheless ferocious, and compiled a record of bloodletting that totaled over 1.75 million for both sides. In sharp contrast to claims that neither the Italian nor the Austrian armies were viable fighting forces, Schindler aims to bring the terrible sacrifices endured by both armies back to their rightful place in the history of 20th century Europe. The Habsburg Empire, he contends, lost the war for military and economic reasons rather than for political or ethnic ones.Schindler's account includes references to remarkable personalities such as Mussolini; Tito; Hemingway; Rommel, and the great maestro Toscanini. This Alpine war had profound historical consequences that included the creation of the Yugoslav state, the problem of a rump Austrian state looking to Germany for leadership, and the traumatic effects on a generation of young Italian men who swelled the ranks of the fascists. After nearly a century, Isonzo can assume its proper place in the ranks of the tragic Great War clashes, alongside Verdun, the Somme, and Passchendaele.

    Erickson's study fills this gap by studying the operations of the Ottoman Army from October 1912 through July 1913, and by providing a comprehensive explanation of its doctrines and planning procedures. This book is written at an operational level that details every campaign at the level of the army corps. More than 30 maps, numerous orders of battle, and actual Ottoman Army operations orders illustrate how the Turks planned and fought their battles. Of particular note is the inclusion of the only detailed history in English of the Ottoman X Corps' Sarkoy amphibious invasion. Also included are definitive appendix about Ottoman military aviation and a summary of the Turks' efforts to incorporate the lessons learned from the war into their military structure in 1914. The Ottoman Empire fought the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 against the joint forces of Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia--and was decisively defeated. The Ottoman Army is frequently depicted as a mob of poorly clad, faceless Turks inept in their attempts to fight a modern war. Yet by 1912, the Ottoman Army, which was constructed on the German model, was in many ways more advanced than certain European armies.

    

    A superb photo coverage of the daring German recapture of Kharkov in early 1943 - largely by SS armored formations. Most of the exceptional photos have never been published before or are rare. The photos showcase German armor, uniforms and other military equipment - many are full page. Starting in December 1942, they take the reader through the many small actions across the Russian countryside and small villages, culminating in the street fighting for Kharkov in March of 1943. Their panoramic scope of the photographs will surprise and please the reader. If you enjoy photos of German armor, uniforms, equipment and known personalities, this book is for you. The 32 pages of artwork from Mr. Restayn are of his usual superb quality, showing the various German and Russian vehicles and aircraft which were employed in the fighting.

    It excludes several notable episodes of the war on the border, such as Quantrill s raid on Lawrence, that fall outside its narrow geographic limits and that have been covered in detail by previous authors. It concentrates instead on lesser-known events such as Senator Jim Lane s raid on Osceola, Missouri, the sacking of Humboldt, Kansas, and Quantrill s battle and massacre at Baxter Springs.Larry Wood is a retired public school teacher and a member of Western Writers of America who has written on historical topics for publications such as America s Civil War, Blue and Gray Magazine, Gateway Heritage, The Ozarks Mountaineer, True West, and Wild West.

    Take a look at the fighters and their firsts, from the beginning of air combat in World War One through World War Two's dogfights and blitzkriegs. Some aircraft made their mark immediately; others initially showed less promise but then came through with flying colors. Also center stage are the pilots who worked miracles with their machines and became as famous as the planes they flew.

    Organized almanac-style by month, it presents our favorite seamarks and their steadfast keepers through anecdotes about weather, astronomy, gardening, cooking, medicine, popular literature, historical events, superstition, and the arts. As this book proves, no structure is quite as endearing as a lighthouse, nor as intriguing.

    Campbell of the Canadian Army was serving in Europe and visited Abbaye d’Ardenne in 1980. Noting that there was no tourist literature about the men who had fallen there or the circumstances around the event, Major Campbell undertook to do some research and prepare a small pamphlet, and also to try to arrange for a bronze plaque to mark the historic site. Working with Dr. Bennett and M. Jacques Vico, they decided that a monument might be built using some original stones from the Abbaye recovered and discarded during recent archaeological work at the site so that the monument would be consistent in style with the architecture of the Abbaye. It was proposed to build it on the Vico property right in the park where the murders had taken place. In 1984, Colonel Campbell had a bronze memorial tablet cast in Vancouver and delivered to France for mounting on the monument built by master craftsmen Leon Garnier and Jean Mesnil. Costs were defrayed by donations from Veterans, serving members, relatives and supporters of the project. The monument was unveiled on the Fortieth Anniversary of D-Day, 6 June 1984, by The Hon W. Bennett-Campbell, Minister of Veterans Affairs. The inscription reads:On the night of June 7/8, 1944, 18 Canadian soldiers were murdered in this garden while being held here as prisoners of war. Two more prisoners died here or nearby on June 17. They are dead but not forgotten.

    The third volume in an acclaimed series, giving the most detailed tables of organization available for the Waffen SS, foreign volunteers and Luftwaffe and naval ground units.

    An estimated three million people lost their lives during the war. For Americans who think that only GIs and their United Nations contingent comrades fought effectively, The Korean War will be a surprising introduction to the valor and sacrifice of the South Korean army. This comprehensive view of the war from the South Korean perspective has not been previously available in English translation.The Korean War comprises three volumes. Volume one examines the background of the war and sketches its development up to the intervention by Communist China. It carefully analyzes North Korean war planning, South Korea's early defensive efforts, and the collective security measures taken by the United Nations. The volume summarizes subsequent military operations, the defense along the Naktong Line, and the counteroffensive carried out in conjunction with the United Nations forces. The Korean War considers recently declassified documents as well as primary accounts by veterans.

    

    Attempts to weave numerous short extracts from letters, diaries, and personal narratives of American soldiers in World War I into a seamless narrative that gives a picture of the experience of the war from training, through various campaigns, to the return home.

    Intricate and richly colored drawings, with special focus on markings and insignia. Accompanying text lists units' combat strengths, equipment, commanders, and engagements.

    Editor Bob Dye has selected articles that originally appeared in the popular monthly magazine Paradise of the Pacific (now known as Honolulu Magazine).

    Panzerarmee, and is supported by over 210 photographs and maps.

    Henry Havelock, whose statue stands with Nelson in Trafalgar Square, was a British army general in India on mission for Christ.

    Navy's peacetime "Pineapple Fleet" in Pearl Harbor to a secret convoy transporting the "Flying Tigers" to Asia. After the disaster at Pearl Harbor, his ship raids Japanese bases in the central Pacific. He watches Doolittle's bombers take off from the Hornet to bomb Tokyo, then proceeds to the carrier air battles of Midway and Santa Cruz. At Guadalcanal he is wounded when his ship sinks. From hospitals in New Zealand he moves to New Guinea, then to a destroyer at Okinawa, shooting at kamikazes. Post-war service in China and Japan round out his story.

    Monumental reference work identifying each German infantry unit operating between 1939 and 1945, with details of organization and precise composition from divisional to company level.

    In 1942, Heinkel received a contract to develop the twin-engined He 219. Not only was the He 219 very fast, with a maximum speed in excess of 600 km/h, but it also possessed excellent maneuverability, had a well-designed cockpit, and was equipped with airborne radar. The He 219 was the first German production aircraft to have a tricycle undercarriage and ejector seats for both crew members. The author provides many previously unpublished details in describing the development history of the He 219, the technology it employed, its testing, production, and use in combat.

    Baugh shows that Latter-day Saints as United States citizens "had every right to take up arms to defend themselves, particularly when local and state officials failed or refused to intervene in their behalf." While there was wrong-doing especially on the part of some Mormon extremists, this study, contrary to other recent interpretations, places the balance of responsibility for this antagonism heavily and decisively on the side of the Missourians.This study demonstrates that local vigilantes, county regulators, and a number of state officials (both civil and military), operated illegally against the Mormons in their attempts to force them to remove from selected regions, and finally the entire state altogether. When the Latter-day Saints' efforts to settle the difficulties by legal means failed, they were constrained to take matters into their own hands. Even then, however, the Mormons made every attempt to lawfully defend themselves by operating under the legally constituted militia of the county. Furthermore, the majority of the Mormon defenders who participated in the conflict did not have criminal intentions, nor should they be characterized as being a group of lawless miscreants. Theirs was a mission of community defense.Therefore, the 1838 contest must be examined from the standpoint of a defensive struggle on the part of the Mormons to maintain civil order and to protect their constitutional rights as citizens.

    The enduring perception that the Viking raids targeted the Christian Church, however, is a myth born rather of the bias of the Old English historians than of any discrimination on the part of the Vikings, and by the 830's their attacks were clearly aimed primarily at Europe's economic centers. Mark Harrison investigates the lifestyle, the motivation and the status of these early Scandinavian warriors.

    At Cannae the Romans confronted Hannibal with an army of 80,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry. Hannibal faced them with 40,000 foot and 10,000 horse. By the end of the conflict the Romans had lost 47,500 infantry and 2,700 cavalry killed and a further 19,300 captured. Hannibal's stratagem has become a model of the perfectly fought battle and is studied in detail at military academies around the world.

    Codenamed 'Operation Bagration', this campaign climaxed five weeks later with the Red Army at the gates of Warsaw. The Wehrmacht's Army Group Center was routed, a total of 17 Wehrmacht divisions were utterly destroyed, and over 50 other German divisions were shattered. It was the most calamitous defeat of the German armed forces in World War II.

    Fought against the ritualised and colourful backdrop of Samurai life, it was the culmination of a long-standing power struggle between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hashiba Hideyoshi, two of the most powerful men in Japan. Armies of the two sides met on the plain of Sekigahara on 21 October 1600, in thick fog and deep mud. By the end of the day 40,000 heads had been taken and Ieyasu was master of Japan. Within three years the Emperor would grant him the title he sought – Shogun. This title describes the campaign leading up to this great battle and examines Sekigahara, including the forces and personalities of the two major sides and that of the turncoat Kobayakawa Hideaki.