http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk Pen and Sword specialise in all areas of military history, naval and maritime history, aviation, local history, family history, collectables and antiques, nostalgia and true crime. en-uk Copyright 2008 Pen and Sword Books Limited 2008-07-03 00:00:00 2008-07-03 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/images/pslogo.gif http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1656 The criminal cases vividly described by Nicholas Corder in this gripping book take the reader on a journey into the dark secret side of Cumbria's long history. The hills, villages and market towns of this famous landscape have been the setting for a series of horrific, bloody, sometimes bizarre incidents over the centuries. From crimes of brutal premeditation to crimes born of passion or despair, the whole range of human weakness and wickedness is represented here. Swindlers, conmen, smugglers, pirates, child killers, deserters, fraudsters, robbers and common murderers people these pages, along with their victims. There are descriptions of public executions and instances of extraordinary domestic cruelty and malice that ended in death. Unforgettable local cases are reconstructed - the extraordinary career of the imposter John Hatfield, the Whitehaven raid of John Paul Jones, the unsolved murder of poor Lucy Sands, and many more. Nicholas Corder's chronicle of Cumbria's hidden history will be compelling reading for anyone who is interested in the sinister side of human nature. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-07-03 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1661 On 16 April 1945 the Red Army unleashed a colossal offensive against Berlin with the aim of destroying Hitler's armies in the East and capturing the German capital before the Western Allies. Over two million soldiers confronted each other in the last act in the war against Nazi Germany. In the course of the next three weeks, relentless Soviet assaults crashed against a desperate, sometimes suicidal defence, and the historic city was turned into a vast battleground. This was the climax of an awful conflict. It represented the death struggle of Hitler's Third Reich and the supreme achievement of Stalin's forces, and the story of the battle has fascinated students of warfare ever since. Yet this epic contest can only be understood by visiting the sites of the battle on the ground, on the outskirts of the city, in the suburbs, in the city centre where the final dramatic combat took place. And this is the aim of Tony Le Tissier's definitive guide to the Battle of Berlin. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-07-03 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1663 On the night of 9-10 July 1943, an Allied armada launched the invasion of Sicily, a larger operation than the Normandy landings the following year. Over the next thirty-eight days, half a million Allied servicemen fought the Germans and Italians for control of this rocky island, which was to become the first part of Axis homeland to fall during World War II. Despite their success in capturing the island, inter-Allied and inter-service divisions and rivalries robbed them of the opportunity to inflict a crushing defeat on the Germans and Italians, who were able to conduct a fighting withdrawal to the Italian mainland and save sizable forces to continue the war. Regarded by some as a 'blind alley', by others as the way into Europe via the 'soft underbelly', the decision to invade Sicily was and remains controversial. Notwithstanding the campaign's failure to achieve its potential, invaluable lessons were learned which contributed to success in France later. Many of the leading generals who were to take prominent roles in North-West Europe - amongst them Eisenhower, Montgomery, Bradley and Patton - brought with them the experience of Sicily. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-07-03 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1672 Edward 'Teddy' Mortlock Donaldson was one of three aviator brothers to win the DSO during World War II. He joined his brother in the RAF and was granted a sort-service commission. He quickly became both a stunt pilot and a crack-shot, winning the RAF's Gunnery Trophy One and leading the RAF's aerobatic display team. When war was declared Donaldson was commanding No 151(F) Squadron flying Hurricanes and in their first engagement destroyed six enemy aircraft, shooting down many more in the following months. For his leadership of the squadron during the battle and his personal tally of eleven, plus ten probable destructions he was awarded the DSO. He then spent three years as a gunnery instructor in the USA where he taught American Gun Instructors and helped set up new gunnery schools. On his return to England he converted onto jet aircraft and commanded a Meteor squadron. This lead to him being selected to command the Air Speed Flight, established in 1946 to break the world record. 'Teddy' eventually snatched the title, setting a new speed record and breaking the 1000 kmph barrier. He retired as an Air Commodore and became the Air Correspondent for the Daily Telegraph. He died in 1992. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-06-23 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1699 Pen and Sword Books are proud to be re-issuing this the only book that the legendary 'legless' ace Douglas Bader (immortalised by the film Reach For The Sky) wrote. He tells the inspiring story of the Battle of Britain from the viewpoint of 'The Few'. Using superb illustrations he traces the development of the Spitfire and Hurricane and describes the nail-biting actions of those who flew them against far superior numbers of enemy aircraft. As an added bonus, other well-known fighter aces including Johnnie Johnson, 'Laddie' Lucas and Max Aikten contribute to Douglas's book, no doubt out of affection and respect. This is a really important contribution to RAF history by one of the greatest -and certainly the most famous - pilot of the Second World War. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-06-23 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1657 Amongst the many thousands of lives tragically cut short in the First World War were hundreds of young men who had athletic and sporting promise. This book studies fourteen professional sportsmen who gave their lives in that most vicious of conflicts. It also looks deeper into the impact that the War had on professional sport in Britain and the raising of sportsman-specific Pals units that enabled a number of these men to serve side-by-side in the trenches of France and Flanders. Their intriguing yet tragic stories are drawn from the ranks of professional footballers, international rugby stars, Wimbledon champions, Olympic gold medallists, cricketing heroes, golfing professionals, a member of the Ice Hockey Hall of Fame and a Tour de France winner of the countries fighting for the Allied cause. Once in uniform they became soldiers, sailors and airmen and as vulnerable and mortal as any of their comrades-in-arms. Whilst some were awarded Britain's highest military accolade, the Victoria Cross, many others lay in unmarked graves and are today listed on memorials to the missing. All left their lives of fame, wealth and security to play 'the Greater Game' overseas and pay the ultimate price on the field of battle. In addition to detailing the sporting achievements of these men this book delves into their military experiences, their battles are studied and footsteps are followed across the old front line. The Greater Game - Sporting Icons who Fell in The Great War will appeal to sporting and military enthusiasts alike whilst providing a fascinating and long overdue tribute to our true sporting heroes of ninety years ago. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-06-16 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1647 The coup remains the single most common form of power change throughout the world. The government being targeted by a coup attempt could be democratically elected, a long-standing dictatorship, or nothing more than a junta put in place by the previous month's coup. The motivation will always be lust for power, patriotism, greed or exploitation. It is usually a combination of power, greed and exploitation disguised as patriotism. How to Stage a Military Coup explores these violent and often bloody appropriations of authority, alongside the political, military, and social conditions out of which they arise. Taking into account factors such as timing, media control, popular support and government organisational structure, and by drawing on examples of coups from all over the world, both failed and successful, the authors reveal exactly what it takes to carry out a successful government take-over. This latest, updated edition includes a new Foreword. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-06-09 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1621 Dozens of British and Commonwealth officers of the rank of colonel and above were captured by the Japanese at the fall of Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Burma. These senior officers, many of whom were decorated war heroes, were separated from the men and formations, and shipped around the Japanese Empire in one group, kept alive so that the Japanese could ritually humiliate them at every opportunity. In direct contrast to how the Germans treated captured Allied senior officers, the Japanese inflicted the same appalling regime of starvation, beatings and hard labour on these senior prisoners, and several died through such abuse. Prominent personages treated in this way included General Percival, (GOC Malaya) and a host of major-generals, brigadiers, colonels and senior colonial officials. The detailed post-war testimonies given by these prominent prisoners greatly aided the Tokyo War Crimes tribunal in exposing the nature of Japanese treatment of Allied POWs. It was an extraordinary story of middle-aged military professionals living a day-to-day existence at the behest of cruel and capricious gaolers. All previous POW books on the Far East have concentrated upon the well-known sufferings of the thousands of more junior officers and other ranks taken prisoner, and largely ignoring the fates of the men whose command decisions actually led to captivity. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-29 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1622 The 6th Airborne Division was a major element of the British Security Force in Palestine between September, 1945 and May 1948. Faced with the unenviable task of upholding the law in a lawless country, the individual British soldier had to face continual opposition from a hostile Jewish community. This story is described by General Wilson, then a Major, who served with the division during this period. The mission of British forces was simply "to keep the peace". To achieve this goal, the 6th Airborne Division conducted a variety of counter-insurgency operations in both urban and rural environments. These operations were designed to locate illegal arms caches, limit Jewish-Arab violence and capture dissidents who had attacked British positions. The destruction of the King David Hotel, the most famous terrorist attack of the Mandate period, is treated in great detail. With 6th Airborne Division in Palestine 1945 - 48 is a tribute to the British soldier. It is also an excellent case study in unconventional warfare. It will be of great interest to any student of the intricate problem that Palestine presents. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-29 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1631 Widely regarded as one of America's greatest historians, Dodge's work on Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 is without parallel for scholarship or psychological sophistication. Beginning with Napoleon's doomed march on Russia, Dodge examines Napoleon's state of mind and the factors behind his decisions using personal letters and genuine reports. How could Napoleon, a proficient strategist, have led his army into such an atrocious situation and underestimated the severity of the Russian winter? In one of the most imposing invasions ever attempted - Napoleon could draw upon 600,000 men and 250,000 horses - the Grande Army's success seemed inevitable. Few could imagine that only 100,000 would reach Moscow and all without having achieved the decisive battle that Napoleon sought. Dodge sheds new light on Napoleon's character as a soldier by focusing on his personal matters and behaviour, putting aside his politcial concerns. The narrative provides the perfect introduction for those who want to learn more about Napoleon and the disastrous winter of 1812, as well as for the more seasoned Napoleonic scholar. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-29 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1640 During the early years of WW2 it soon became apparent that the system for tracing the remains of RAF aircrew deemed 'Missing Believed Killed' was totally inadequate. The Missing Research Section (MRS) of the Air Ministry was set up in 1941 to deal with this problem. It collected and collated intelligence reports from a wide variety of official, unofficial and covert sources in an attempt to establish the fate of missing aircrew, using forensic or semi-forensic work to identify personal effects passed on through clandestine channels or bodies washed up on Britain's shores. In 1944 the MRS a small team of fourteen men was sent to France to seek the missing men on the ground. With 42,000 men missing, the amount they achieve was limited, although a lot of useful work was carried out through contacts in the French Resistance. The book explains why, men volunteered for the job, and why they worked for so long at such a gruesome task. Facing difficulties in terrain and climate, from the Arctic Circle to the jungles of Burma and Germany and not knowing if the local people would be friendly or hostile. The book also explains how to trace RAF members through both personnel and operational records, where these records are kept and how to access them. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-29 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1641 'Butcher' Cumberland is portrayed as one of the arch villains of British history. His leading role in the bloody defeat of the Jacobite rebellion in 1745 and his ruthless pursuit of Bonnie Prince Charlie's fugitive supporters across the Scottish Highlands has generated a reputation for severity that has endured to the present day. He has even been proposed as the most evil Briton of the eighteenth century. But was Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, the younger son of George II, really the ogre of popular imagination? Jonathan Oates, in this perceptive investigation of the man and his notorious career, seeks to answer this question. He looks dispassionately at Cumberland's character and at his record as a soldier, in particular at this behaviour towards enemy wounded and prisoners. He analyses the rules of war as they were understood and applied in the eighteenth century. And he watches Cumberland closely through the entire course of the '45 campaign, from the retreat of the rebels across northern England to the Highlands, through Battle of Culloden and on into the bloodstained suppression that followed. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-29 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1642 After two years' extensive research the author has written a thorough account of the political and military background to the German invasion of Crete and the bitter fighting that followed the first airborne assault on an island in history. The book tells of confused negotiations between the British and Greek governments; the misunderstandings between Winston Churchill's War Cabinet and commanders in the field; the near capture of the King of Greece; the lack of preparation by the defenders and the suppression of a critical post-battle report by General Wavell. There are vivid individual accounts of the fighting both during the invasion and the subsequent campaign and ultimate retreat and evacuation. The Royal Navy and RAF's contribution is well documented as are the roles of the German air force. Crete was a 'close run' campaign fought with aggression by both sides. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-29 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1644 Hitler's Armada examines the aborted German invasion of 1940 in a fresh and original manner by looking past the myths and legends which have subsequently surrounded it, in order to arrive at significant new conclusions by referring back to the actual events. The book presents fascinating detail of Hitler's Operation SEALION and, by study of its weaknesses, demonstrates that control of the sea, not the air, was the critical factor. It also questions whether the traditional British view of the importance of the Battle of Britain as the key factor in the prevention of invasion is really tenable. The importance of the Royal Navy during this period, generally overlooked, is brought into sharp focus and, possibly for the first time, the actual dispositions of the Royal Navy anti-invasion forces are presented in detail. The author examines the relative strengths of the two sides drawing interesting conclusions about the inadequacies of the German resources particularly and their reliance on mine laying.The author discusses the conflict between air and sea power in the months leading up to the summer of 1940, concluding that, at this stage of the Second World war, air power was far from supreme. The findings of the author may be controversial, but the process by which they are reached strongly supports their validity. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-29 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1646 The word 'Gestapo' has become synonymous with the terrible brutality and terror of the Nazi regime in World War II. The Gestapo came into existence in 1933 as Department 1A of the Prussian State Police. Under the SS, the Gestapo grew in power, and was given the job of investigating and combatting 'all tendencies dangerous to the state'. Schutzhaft (protective custody) gave the Gestapo the power to imprison without judicial proceedings, often in concentration camps. It was also responsible for destroying opposition to Hitler. By early 1942, as the Nazi regime became increasingly unpopular in Germany, a number of protests took place. The Gestapo's response was brutal. Thousands were arrested and executed, and all dissent was crushed. The History of the Gestapo provides an authoritative overview of this sinister instrument of repression. Never before had an organisation attained such complexity, been vested with such power, or reached such a pitch of 'perfection' in efficiency and horror. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-29 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1491 The authors, both Yorkshiremen, both saw active service with the British Army during the wartime years, have decribed in meticulous detail the fascinating story of the campaigns fought by the Yorkshire regiments in the various parts of the world during the Second World War. This is not just the story seen through senior commanders but experiences of the Tykes themseleves. It gives a revealing insight into the terrifying reality of the battle front, of the surprising reserves of herosim, courage and humour. Bound by their experiences they epitomised that grim determination inherent in the very definition of that word 'Tyke'. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1620 Except for the strength of the U-boat fleet at the height of the Battle of the Atlantic, the German Navy, or Kriegsmarine, was never a match for the Royal Navy, even though the latter was overstretched and fighting in the Atlantic, Pacific, the Mediterranean and the Arctic. It was not meant to be that way. Hitler and his naval staff had a vision for a large and well-balanced fleet, including aircraft carriers. PLAN Z was the name given for the massive fleet that Germany intended to build, However the Plan relied on the outbreak of the war not occurring at least until 1942. This book examines the way in which such a fleet could have influenced the major battles between the Royal Navy and the Germans. Plan Z starts by looking at Germany's history and ambitions as a maritime power. The relationships between the three armed forces and between them and the Fuhrer are also examined, along with the country's economic and industrial position. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1623 Frank Broome was a 15 year old schoolboy when he experienced the three major blitzes in his home city of Coventry and at the age of 17 volunteered for the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1942 for pilot training. This autobiography, based on his copious diary entries and log books traces his pilot training in the UK, Canada and the USA where he flew single and twin-engined aircraft. Despite his almost perfect training record he, like many of his fellow trainees at this time, was not to gain his RAF wings. There was a shortage of air crew, other than pilots, and Frank eventually transferred to an air-gunnery course. On his return to the UK he undertook operational crew training on Wellington as a tail gunner and made operational training sorties over enemy territory shortly after the D-Day landings. His crew then converted to four-engined heavy bombers - first the Halifax and then the Lancaster. He gives first-hand detailed accounts of the many missions during his tour with No. 626 Squadron during the height of Bomber Command's massed raids over Germany and occupied Europe. Excitement abounds with narrow squeaks from enemy night-fighters, radar directed anti-aircraft fire and other hazards of this most dangerous task. He eventually flew with two Wing Commanders and a Squadron Leader with crews who gained several gallantry awards. His book is written with a skill that portrays the dangers inherent in his task, the humour of service life and the sound reasons why his generation were proud to fly with Bomber Command. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1624 Following the conquest of his native Latvia by the Nazis, the author was given the stark choice: service in the SS or forced labour in a slave camp. So he 'volunteered' to fight for the Nazis. He describes his training and how he became an instructor before being sent into Russia. He nearly perished during the terrible winter of 1943-44 being wounded and finding himself with his friend lying dead on top of him. As the tide turned and the Russians advanced remorselessly through. He was wounded twice more and awarded the Iron Cross for bravery. With German resistance collapsing, the author had to flee for his life - capture by the Russians meant almost certain death. He surrendered to the Americans but describes the neglect he suffered at their hands. Unable to return to Latvia now occupied by the Russians, he became a Displaced Person eventually settling in the UK. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1625 Jim Auton was posted to 178 Squadron who were operating ex-USAAF, war-weary Liberator heavy bombers. This squadron he was based in Foggia in Italy, living under canvas without the barest of military or personal necessities. The duration of a tour at that time was 40 front-line operations over such dangerous targets as Ploesti and the Danube - few in the squadron felt they could survive since the casualty rate was so high. Then came his part in the desperate attempts to supply the besieged city of Warsaw when the Liberators were ordered to fly in at 500 feet, at their lowest speed and with flaps and undercarriage down, to drop desperately needed ammunition and supplies. All this through a hail of both German and Russian gunfire. On his 37th sortie Jim, aged twenty, was severely wounded when he was hit by Flak whilst is in his bomb-aimer's position in the aircraft's nose. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1626 The Anzac legend was born on the shores of Gallipoli during the historic morning of 25th April 1915. Landing on a hostile beach, under the cover of darkness, the Anzacs moved inland rapidly, but the response of the Ottoman forces was equally quick. The outcome of the campaign was arguably sealed during the first day, when the door for an Anzac victory was closed. With the order to dig, dig, dig and to stick it out, a stalemate was secured from the clutches of almost total disaster. After the Australians and New Zealanders received their baptism of fire, they became a stubborn thorn in the sides of the Ottoman army. Futilely after eight gruelling months of fighting, the campaign came to an end with the complete evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula. Failure did not mar the actions and sacrifice of the Anzacs who bestowed a powerful legacy, as well as being a landmark in the birth of modern Turkey. Almost a century later, with all the veterans now sadly gone, their legacy still survives in Anzac Day and with the ever increasing numbers of pilgrims who visit the battlefield today. This attractive and well-written book will serve as either a handy guide or concise history (or both). Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1627 Kent Murder and Mayhem takes the reader on a sinister journey through centuries of local crime and conspiracy, meeting villains of all sorts along the way. Cut-throats and poisoners, murderous lovers, desperate wives and husbands, violent thieves, boy killers, infanticides - almost every type of murder is represented here. Roy Ingleton's fascinating book recalls many grisly events and sad or unsavoury characters whose conduct throws a revealing light on their lives and the society of their day. Among the many instances of violence, wickedness and deceit the author recalls are a 14-year-old boy who killed, a mother who did away with her son, a husband who killed his wife and four children, the poisoning of an old lady, the murder of two wives by drowning, and the case of the last man to be hanged in public at Maidstone. These cases are compelling reading for anyone who is interested in the dark side of human nature. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1628 Dublin has always been a city of paradoxes, opposites and conflicts. Its population expanded rapidly throughout the nineteenth century, despite the great famine and emigration to England, America and elsewhere. Even if we leave out the crime related to political upheavals and dissensions, as the author does in this book, there is still a long and fascinating social history of crime in the story of this wonderful,energetic and cultural city - the pride of Irish achievement in the arts and literature. It is a city of gaols as well as municipal and grandiose architecture. Maps through the centuries show its many prisons, from a Newgate to a Bridewell and several major ones such as Kilmainham and Mountjoy. At times in the eighteenth century the street crime was beyond the strength of the law to manage. This collection of stories include murders, robberies, frauds, libels and even a strange and bizarre offence by a Russian priest; and a killing by a crazed army officer. Here we have tales of courtroom drama, murder in the streets and sensational investigations. The people who figure in these 'strange eventful histories' include Oscar Wilde's father, Jim Larkin, and the working-class hero and the artist, Kirwan, condemned to prison on the horrendous Spike Island. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1629 In Part 1 of his book the author describes his life as a young officer in the Somaliland Scouts in the (then) British Protectorate of Somaliland. At that time tribal quarrels, generally over water, were taking place in the troubled strip of country between the Protectorate and Ethiopia; the Ogaden. It was the Scouts' difficult task to keep the warring clansmen apart. It gives a vivid account of a nineteen-year-old in command of Somali troops in a fascinating and unpredictable country. The second part of the book deals with the Author's second period of service with Muslims, a quarter of a century later. This time in the Southern Province of Oman - Dhofar. Here he commanded the Northern Frontier Regiment of the Sultan's Armed Force in a limited but fierce war against Communist Insurgents. It shows how the tide was turned against a brave enemy fighting on their home ground - the savage wadis and cliffs of the jebel. Dangerous Frontiers will appeal to a wide audience, including those interesting in military and world history and in those two little known areas - the Horn of Africa and Southern Oman. In both campaigns it reflects the mutual liking and respect that the handful of British officers had for their Muslim soldiers and the soldiers for their leaders. It is written with humour and an understanding of other cultures. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1635 Vice Admiral Cuthbert (Cuddy) Collingwood may have been 10 years older than Horatio Nelson but he was Nelson's close friend from the outset. They served together for over 30 years and only at Trafalgar, was Nelson his superior officer. The relationship is all the stranger as their temperaments greatly differed. Collingwood was reserved, austere and shy but utterly competent which was why Nelson's meteoric career was so closely linked to his. Collingwood's reputation was made in battles such as The Glorious First of June (1794) and Cape St Vincent (1797). Collingwood's career survived reverses; he was court-martialled in 1777 by a commander for whom he had no respect. He was acquitted. Collingwood in The Royal Sovereign led the lee column at Trafalgar. After assuming command of the Fleet on Nelson's death he was the author of the famous Trafalgar Despatch that announced the victory and death of Nelson to the Nation. He became Commander in Chief Mediterranean Fleet but was never to return home. He died at sea in 1810. He is buried beside Nelson in St Paul's Cathedral. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1639 Maud Allan, the famous exotic dancer was destroyed by the infamous libel trial brought by charismatic MP and pilot, Noel Pemberton-Billing. In this wonderfully written book, Russell James charts her rise and fall from the days when she saved the 1908 London Olympics from failure to the outrageous miscarriage of justice of her trial which knocked the dark days of the First World War off the front pages of the national newspapers. In his gripping narrative, Russell seamlessly moves from the days when Maud was courted by society to the end when her friends, apart from former PM's wife, Margot Asquith, shunned her in case they, too, were labelled as sexual deviants. The trial was based on the existence of the notorious (and fictional?). German black book and its list of 47,000 sexually depraved people who could be used by the Germans to defeat the British in War. Names included Herbert and Margot Asquith and the judge himself. Maud did not stand a chance. A fantastic read brought out in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics which will be looking ahead to the next London Olympics, in four years' time. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-05-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=95 Major and Mrs Holt's Battlefield Guide to the Somme is, without doubt, one of the bestselling guide books to the battlefields of the Somme. This latest up-dated edition, includes four recommended, timed itineraries representing one day's travelling. Every stop on route has an accompanying description and often a tale of heroic or tragic action. Memorials, private and official, sites of memorable conflict, the resting places of personalities of note are all drawn together with sympathetic and understanding commentary that gives the reader a sensitivity towards the events of 1916. NEW, FULLY UPDATED EDITION WITH A FOREWORD FROM SIR MARTIN GILBERT PACKAGED WITH A FREE, FULL COLOUR FOLD-OUT MAP WORTH £3.00 Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-28 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1556 This book depicts the military history of Southern Rhodesia from the first resistance to colonial rule, through the period of UDI (unilateral declaration of independence) by the Smith government to the Lancaster House agreement that transferred power. There are vivid accounts of the operations against the 'guerillas' by the security forces and the intensity of the fighting will surprise readers. Atrocities were undoubtedly committed by both sides but equally the protagonists were playing for very high stakes. But this is more than just a book on military operations. It provides expert analysis of the historical situation and examines events up to the present day, including Mugabe's operations against rival tribes and white farmers. For a thorough work on its subject this book cannot be bettered. Essential reading for those wishing to learn more about a counter-insurgency campaign. The ingenuity of the Rhodesian military fighting against overwhelming odds and restricted by sanctions is impressive but the outcome culminating in the Lancaster House Agreement was inevitable. PLEASE NOTE: THIS TITLE IS NOT DUE FOR RELEASE UNTIL APRIL 2008 Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-28 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1588 In the history of naval warfare probably no type of ship has provided more firepower per ton than the monitor - indeed they were little more than a huge gun mounting fitted on a simple, self-propelled raft. Designed and built rapidly to fulfil an urgent need for heavy shore-bombardment during World War I, they were top secret in conception, and largely forgotten when the short-lived requirement was over. Nevertheless, they were important ships, which played a significant role in many Great War campaigns and drove many of the advances in long-range gunnery later applied to the battle fleet. Indeed, their value was rediscovered during the Second World War when a final class was built. Monitors were largely ignored by naval historians until Ian Buxton produced the first edition of this book in 1978. Although published privately, this became an established classic and copies of the first edition are now almost unobtainable, so this new edition will be welcomed by many. It has been completely revised, extended and redesigned to a generous large format which allows material deleted from the original edition for lack of space to be restored. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-21 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1603 Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths Around Portsmouth takes the reader on a sinister journey through centuries of local crime and conspiracy, meeting villains of all sorts along the way - cut-throats and poisoners, arsonists and assassins, mutineers, duellists and marauders, prostitutes and thieves, and the brawling seamen and common murderers who moved through the cruel underworld of this historic town. Sarah Quail has selected over 20 notorious episodes that give a fascinating insight into criminal acts and the criminal mind. She recalls intriguing and shocking cases dating from medieval times to the present day. In the process she uncovers an extraordinary variety of misdeeds, some motivated by brutal impulse or despair, others by malice, which taint the history of every age. Most of the cases she recounts involve ill-fated individuals who are only known to us because they were caught up in crime, but she also reconsiders more famous episodes like the murder of the Duke of Buckingham and the disappearance of the Cold War frogman Buster Crabb. The human dramas that are played out in these pages often take place in the most commonplace of circumstances, but others are so odd as to be stranger than fiction. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-21 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1615 This remarkable work is a comprehensive historiographical and bibliographical survey of the most important scholarly and printed materials about the naval and maritime history of England and Great Britain from the earliest times to 1815. More than 4,000 popular, standard and official histories, important articles in journals and periodicals, anthologies, conference, symposium and seminar papers, guides, documents and doctoral theses are covered so that the emphasis is the broadest possible. But the work is far, far more than a listing. The works are all evaluated, assessed and analysed and then integrated into an historical narrative that makes the book a hugely useful reference work for student, scholar, and enthusiast alike. It is divided into twenty-one chapters which cover resource centres, significant naval writers, pre-eminent and general histories, the chronological periods from Julius Caesar through the Vikings, Tudors and Stuarts to Nelson and Bligh, major naval personalities, warships, piracy, strategy and tactics, exploration, discovery and navigation, archaeology and even naval fiction. Quite simply, no-one with an interest and enthusiasm for naval history can afford to be without this book at their side. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-21 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1583 In the summer of 1944 the Germans launched more than 10,000 flying bombs at Britain most of them towards London. Thousands of people were killed many more injured. RAF fighter pilots flew round the clock patrols desperately trying to shoot the robot rockets down and stop them from reaching their targets. The introductory chapter of Buzz Bomb brings the reader right into the cockpits of the Tempests, Mosquitoes, Spitfires and Mustangs while setting the stage for the battle. From the launching pads in Northern France to panic in Whitehall as the menace grows, this book takes the reader through the day by day battle, not just with the pilots but also the Anti-Aircraft gunners who were blasting away at the flying bombs. Recollections from people who survived the buzz bomb attacks bring the battle into life as people tell about their fears and experiences. Was it a success? Was it worth the cost? Did it achieve it's objectives? Were all the efforts of the fighter pilots and gun crews trying to stop the dreaded flying bombs, worth it? Did they make a difference? Did they save lives? These questions will be answered in Terror from the Sky. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-16 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1591 Detecting and destroying enemy Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) and radar is arguably the most dangerous mission that any pilot can undertake. Tactics differ with air forces, but the general principal is to fly a formation of aircraft into an area where the enemy's air defences are strong, wait for their radar to illuminate the aircraft and then launch a volley of anti-radiation missiles to destroy the radar and thus blind the SAMs and air defences. Put simply, without the Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) mission, the loss of other aircraft will be too high and the effectiveness of attack on the enemy too low.Despite the undeniable bravery of the aircrews who flew these missions for the United States Air Force in every conflict since the Vietnam war, and their colleagues in other air forces across the world who have risked their lives in similar missions, the tactics, history, aircraft and weapons of the SEAD mission have seldom benefited from rigorous historical examination. Using interviews with SEAD pilots, industrial experts and historical documents this book for the first time will give a detailed history of the SEAD mission from the Vietnam War to the present day. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-16 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1602 What have Penistone, Hull, Thirsk and Bradford got in common? Along with many other places in Yorkshire, they were the scenes of major disasters. This book is a fascinating collection of events including railway accidents, lifeboat disasters, mining disasters, floods, boats sinking, chimneys collapsing and ferries being blown up. The stories explain how the disasters happened, how people reacted at the time and where the blame was seen to lie, though all too often the word 'accident' covered a multitude of sins. The disasters cover a range of types, places and dates showing that no one is ever really safe anywhere, any time! Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-16 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1604 The twin fascinations of death and villainy will always hold us in their grim but thrilling grip. In Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in Suffolk the chill is brought close to home as each chapter investigates the darker side of humanity in cases of murder, deceit and pure malice committed over the centuries in this part of East Anglia. From crimes of passion to opportunistic killings and coldly premeditated acts of murder, the full spectrum of criminality is recounted here. The traditionally rural nature of Suffolk creates isolated, inward looking communities with their own peculiar customs and practices. While this is one of the more endearing aspects of country life, it can also spawn narrow-mindedness and parochialism that leads to conflict - and occasionally even to death. In this collection of grisly crime stories Mark Mower takes us on a journey through the darker side of Suffolk folklore, with tales of poisoning, grave robbing, stabbing, shooting and larceny. On the way we meet highwaymen, cut-throats, murderous lovers, homicidal relatives, pirates and purveyors of human flesh. The dramas he describes are often played out in the most commonplace of circumstances, but others are so odd as to be stranger than fiction. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-16 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1605 The destruction of the trapped German forces in the Falaise pocket in August 1944 is one of the most famous episodes of the Normandy campaign. But myths have grown up around accounts of the battle, and its impact on the course of the war is sometimes misunderstood. In this meticulously researched and perceptive study Anthony Tucker-Jones dispels misconceptions about the battle, describes the combat in graphic detail and reassesses the outcome in the context of the campaign to liberate Europe. He takes a broad view of the sequence of operations that culminated in the battle at Falaise, tracing the course of the campaign mainly from the German viewpoint. For two bloody months the Germans held the Allies at bay following the D-Day landings, but then they were blocked in at Falaise and the area became a killing ground. Some liken the event to Hitler's defeat at Stalingrad, while others argue the victory was flawed because so many German troops escaped. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-16 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1606 The female criminals of nineteenth-century Warwickshire were far from the delicate gentle sex of popular belief. Gangs of prostitutes lured men into the back alleys of Birmingham to rob them with such extreme violence that the city reeled with shock. Psychotic servants suddenly turned on their unwitting employers with stunning savagery. It was an era when domestic tranquillity could be silently stifled with a well-placed dose of arsenic. Sheer greed drove one woman to fake her mother-in-law's suicide. She had already buried two husbands. Another lady finally snapped after years of abuse, seeking revenge for being sold into prostitution as a child. Utter selfishness made other women find devious ways to rid themselves of inconvenient children, with poverty and alcohol the backdrop of such crimes. In a world that seems so antique, we still have so much in common: thwarted love affairs, chillingly callous abuse of the weak and sick, exploitation and violence. A few Victorian women were just as wicked as the men. In a male dominated world many women walked free from court, the judge and jury unable to believe that they could be anything other than their stereotype. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-16 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=149 This splendid record takes the reader behind enemy lines not only in North Africa but in Italy, the Aegean and the Balkans.The Author, who commanded the LRDG, paints a vivid picture of the unit's colourful characters: for example, Ralph Bagnold who put to good use the knowledge he gained from his pre-war desert travels.The LRDG was truly international with New Zealanders and Rhodesians playing key roles.This classic book won acclaim from the critics on its first publication by virtue of the author's unique knowledge, experience and narrative skills. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-07 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1542 Operation NEPTUNE was the codeword for the naval side of the OVERLORD plan for the historic June 1944 landings in Normandy. Massive in its scale, its tasks were wide-ranging and varied, from beach reconnaissance, minesweeping, shore bombardment as well as the organisation of loading, assembly and disembarkation; it was also responsible for positioning two 'Mulberry' artificial harbours and 'Pluto': the laying of the cross-channel fuel pipeline under the sea. Operation NEPTUNE may not have been a naval battle in the traditional sense, but it ranks as one of the greatest naval exploits in history. In this timeless book, Vice Admiral Schofield describes the great events of June 1944 which, as Captain of HMS Dryad, the Royal Naval shore establishment which housed General Dwight Eisenhower's Supreme Allied Headquarters before the landing, he witnessed at first hand. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-07 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1576 In 52BC at Alesia in what is now Burgundy in France Julius Caesar pulled off one of the great feats of Roman arms. His heavily outnumbered army utterly defeated the combined forces of the Gallic tribes led by Vercingetorix and completed the Roman conquest of Gaul. The Alesia campaign, and the epic siege in which it culminated, was one of Caesar 's finest military achievements, and it has fascinated historians ever since. In this, the first full-length study to be published in recent times, Peter Inker reconstructs the battle in graphic detail, combining ancient and modern sources and evidence derived from archaeological research. He questions common assumptions about the campaign, reassesses Caesar's own account of events, and looks again at aspects of the battle that have been debated or misunderstood. His gripping account gives new insight into Caesar the commander and into the Roman army he commanded. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-07 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1599 Napoleon's incredible career went through a number of distinct periods. Much has been written about his rise to power, his time as leader of France, his ultimate defeat at Waterloo and his exile on St Helena. But the short critical period of his fall from power, the few months in 1815 between Waterloo and his arrival on St Helena, has received less attention. J. David Markham's gripping new study focuses on this, Napoleon's last journey, and the final dramatic episodes in his fateful life. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-07 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1601 Few pivotal years in history are less understood than that of 1918. It was a momentous period, which began with Germany's desperate gamble to win the Great War through a sequence of offensives on the Western Front. Ian Passingham's graphic new study draws on a wide range of original German, British and French sources, and it features previously unpublished eyewitness accounts and photographs. He boldly reassesses German military doctrine, the strategic thinking behind the offensives and the effectiveness of the stormtroop tactics used. He also considers how the poor state of German military morale and the privations and unrest of the German people contributed to the army's defeat. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-07 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1608 The war on Western Front from 1914 to 1918 remains one of the notoriously great tragedies of the twentieth century. Most people hold it in their minds as a milestone in modern history, yet many of them know less about this devastating clash of nations than they would like - and they would be interested to discover more. Paddy Griffith's short history of the conflict has been written with them in mind - it provides an accessible primer to an enormous and fascinating subject. His account is aimed at an English-speaking readership, and he concentrates on the part played by British Expeditionary Force and the Americans in the conflict. The French and German perspectives are also explained and the wider political and strategic evolution of the war as a whole is laid out as essential background. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-07 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1612 Fighting With The Commandos tells what the Second World War was like for a fighting soldier. After enlisting under-age, he was 'found out', joined the Home Guard and then a Young Soldiers Unit (for those too young to serve overseas). He managed to get out to Iraq but was again sent home. He then joined 3 Commando led by Brigadier Peter Young and landed on SWORD Beach on D-Day. He graphically describes the action thereafter which included being among the first to reach Pegasus Bridge and relieve the glider borne troops under Major John Howard. Plenty of excitement and danger were to follow and readers will revel in a no-holds-barred memoir which points an illuminating picture of life for the rank-and-file in the build-up to the climax of the war. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-07 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1613 On 16 May 1811, the small town of Albuera was the setting for one of the Peninsular War's most bloody and desperate battles. A combined Spanish, British and Portuguese force of more than 30,000 men, under the command of Lord Beresford, stubbornly blocked the march of the French field marshal Soult, who was trying to reach the fortress of Badajoz, 12 miles north. Beresford, who defended himself with his bare hands against a Polish lancer, was victorious, but at the cost of 6,000 Allied deaths and 7,000 French in just four hours. The battle is best known for the Fusilier Brigade's charge, made famous by Sir William Napier's melodramatic description, and because of the tenacity of the 57th Foot that earned them the 'Die Hards' nickname. The battle has not been seriously studied since Sir Charles Oman and Sir John Fortescue's histories early in the 20th century - accounts which are incomplete and sometimes simply incorrect. This compelling new book fills this gap by using authentic primary sources to tell the story of the battle as completely as possible and dispels long-standing myths. The book also brings to life the human dimension of the story by using first-person recollections to describe experiences on and off the battlefield. The battle's drama is intensified by the circumstances of the fighting, which led to extremes of behaviour ranging from incomprehensible valour to rank cowardice. The book balances the traditional Anglocentric bias by paying equal attention to Spanish, Portuguese, French, Polish and German soldiers who fought there. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-07 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1614 The battlecruiser HMS Hood is one of the great warships of history. Unmatched for beauty, unequalled for size, for twenty years the Hood was the glory ship of the Royal Navy, flying the flag across the world in the twilight years of the British Empire. Here, in words, photos and colour illustrations, is the story of her life, her work and her people from keel-laying on the Clyde in 1916 to destruction at the hands of the Bismarck in 1941. Among the eyecatching strengths of the book is a unique gallery of photos, including stills from a recently discovered piece of colour footage of the ship, plus a spectacular set of computer-generated images of both the exterior and interior by the world's leading exponent of the art - a man who worked with the film director James Cameron (of Titanic fame). A wealth of new information on Hood's structure and operation make it essential reading for the enthusiast, modeller and historian alike. Hugely successful from its first publication, this is the third printing of the ultimate book on the ultimate ship of the pre-war era. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-07 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1637 This is the story of the author's uncle, David Maltby and the crew with whom he flew on the famous Dam Raid in 1943. Just five months later, on their return from an aborted mission to bomb the Dortmund Ems Canal, they all died when their aircraft went down in the North Sea. Only David's body was recovered, washed ashore a day later, and identified by his 18 year old sister - the author's mother. David was the pilot of the fifth Lancaster, J-Johnny' to drop a bomb on the Mohne Dam and cause the final breach in the dam. He was then just 23 years of age, but already had 30 operations and a DFC to his name. This book tells the story of the crew, what made them join the RAF when they new the risk was so high, how fate threw them together, what it was like for one crew to take part in the raid and what happened to them in the five months between Operation Chastise and their deaths. It goes beyond the raid to look at what happened afterwards and how the families left behind were affected. Their sons, brothers and fathers might have become famous but they had to cope with life and loss in the same way as did thousands of other British families. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-07 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1648 After the June 1944 D-Day landings Donitz withdrew his U-boat wolf-packs from the Atlantic convoy war and sent them into coastal waters, where they could harass the massive shipping movements necessary to supply the Allied armies advancing across Europe. Caught unawares by this change of strategy, the Allied anti-submarine forces were ill-prepared for the novel challenges of inshore warfare. It proved surprisingly difficult to locate U-boats that could lie silently on the seabed, and the shallow waters meant less than ideal conditions for sonar propagation. Furthermore, because the battle was nearer home, the U-boats wasted less time on transit, so at any one time there were more of them in combat. In the final months of the war there was also the threat of far more advanced and potent submarine types entering German service, but thanks largely to overwhelming numbers of escorts this last gamble by DÃÆ'¶nitz was defeated. In fact, the Allied navies had never really established superiority, and this was to have enormous significance later during the Cold War, when the same tactics were planned by the Soviets. Since it had such a major impact on post-war naval thinking, it is a story of the utmost importance told by an accomplished U-boat author. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-07 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1619 This year sees the ninetieth anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force. It was founded during the First World War by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service, and is the world's oldest air force which became independent of army or naval control. This magazine charts the development of aviation through they eyes of the RAF. It also looks at the evolution of aviation as a strategic weapon; developing from one initially of defence, to being more offensive, a concept fashioned by Hugh Trenchard, who played a key role in the early development of the RAF. Trenchard, supported by Churchill, fought to keep resources diverted to the RAF allowing it to develop and be better prepared for WW2, whilst there were those who wanted to cut all resources as they felt that war was unlikely. The last ninety years have seen some incredible technological developments and a vast array of aircraft, some of which have been hugely successful, whilst others have been more a danger to their pilots than the enemy. Certainly the development of the jet engines, radar and some of the modern missile systems have played a huge role in determining the make up, shape and role of the RAF over its ninety years. This magazine looks at the different aircraft, their respective technologies, pilots and crew that flew, and the actions in which they served the RAF. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-04-01 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1573 Modern research methods - archaeological, historical, forensic - have transformed our view of the past. This is especially true of the history of the Great War. In this, the first comprehensive survey of this exciting new field, Andrew Robertshaw and David Kenyon introduce the reader to the techniques that are employed and record, in vivid detail, many of the remarkable projects that have been undertaken. They show how archaeology can be used to reveal the position of trenches, dugouts and other battlefield features and to rediscover what life on the Western Front was really like. And they show how individual soldiers are themselves part of the story, for forensic investigation of the war dead is now so highly developed that individuals can be identified and their fate discovered. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-31 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1600 The Franco-Prussian War was a turning point in the history of nineteenth-century Europe, and the Battle of Sedan was the pivotal event in that war. For the Germans their overwhelming victory symbolized the birth of their nation, forged in steel and tempered in the blood of the common enemy. For the French it was a defeat more complete and humiliating than Waterloo. Douglas Fermer's fresh study of this traumatic moment in European history reconsiders how the mutual fear and insecurity of two rival nations tempted their governments to seek a solution to domestic tensions by waging war against each other. His compelling narrative shows how war came about, and how the dramatic campaign of summer 1870 culminated in a momentous clash of arms at Sedan. He gives fascinating insights into the personalities and aims of the politicians and generals involved, but focuses too on the experiences of ordinary soldiers and civilians. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-31 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1607 In Kitchener's Men John Hutton provides a absorbing account of the raising, training and fighting experiences of the Service and Territorial battalions of the King's Own Royal Lancasters in France during the Great War. His book gives a graphic insight into the daily routine and grim reality of warfare on the Western Front for men who were mostly recruited from the Furness area of the North-West. They came from the steel mills, shipyards and engineering workshops of this heavily industrialised part of Britain. They responded to the call to defend their country and its values at a critical moment in the nation's history, and the endured incredible hardship, suffering and violence as a result. All together, these battalions of the King's Own took part in every major campaign on the Western Front from the spring of 1915 until the end of the war. They had a remarkable record, and John Hutton's meticulously researched history allows the reader to follow them through every phase of the fighting. His account makes compelling reading. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-31 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1609 Pals on the Somme covers the history of all the Pals Battalions who fought on the Somme during the First World War. The book looks at the events which led to the war and how the 'Pals' phenomenon was born. It considers the attitude and social conditions in Britain at the time. It covers the training and equipping of the Battalions, the preparations for the 'Big Push', 1st July 1916, and going over the top, and how each battalion fared, failed or succeeded. It looks at how they Battalions had to undergo a change after the 1st July, due to the heavy casualties, and the final victory in 1918, and how the battalions were eventually amalgamated. The final chapter examines how each area coped in the aftermath of losing their men in the three year slaughter. It covers the organisations and visits to the Battlefields as they are today. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-31 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1611 From the very outset of war Nazi Germany demonstrated its determination and ability to lay siege to the British Isles by the laying of mines in shipping lanes. Losses to both merchant ships and naval vessels became a serious factor. If supplies continued to be lost by a combination of U-Boat and mine attacks the very survival of the nation was at risk. Finding counter-measures to the German mine offensive was thus a top priority. The responsibility for this vital work rested with a small group of highly skilled and courageous naval specialists based at HMS Vernon, the RN's mine and torpedo shore-base at Portsmouth. Ranged against them was a growing and ingenious array of weapons: magnetic, acoustic, oyster, booby-trap mines to name but four varieties. Some were laid by boat, others dropped from the air. The story of HMS Vernon's contribution led by men such as Commander JGD Ouvry DSO and Captain R L Lewis DSO and many other courageous figures has been written by John Frayn Turner, the distinguished historian who served with them.He adopts a fast moving style to describe the near continuous struggle to detect, understand and master the best efforts of the German war machine. He brings home the constant deadly danger faced by these highly skilled and dedicated men. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-31 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1578 In 53BC the Proconsul Marcus Crassus and 36,000 of his legionaries were crushed by the Parthians at Carrhae in what is now eastern Turkey. Crassus' defeat and death and the 20,000 casualties his army suffered were an extraordinary disaster for Rome. The event intensified the bitter, destructive struggle for power in the Roman republic, curtailed the empire's eastward expansion and had a lasting impact on the history of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. It was also the first clash between two of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world. Yet this critical episode has often been neglected by writers on the period who have concentrated on the civil war between Pompey and Caesar. Gareth Sampson, in this challenging and original study, reconstructs the Carrhae campaign in fine detail, reconsiders the policy of imperial expansion and gives a fascinating insight into the opponents the Romans confronted in the East - the Parthians. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-26 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1589 Samurai tells the story of the courageous and highly disciplined fighting men of this time, showing how they evolved from the primitive fighters of the seventh century into an invincible military caste with a fearsome reputation. In the early seventh century, the samurai rose to prominence during the struggles between the emperor and the military leaders (shogun). They took part in the invasion of Korea, as well as helping to keep Japan free from foreign influence. From the Heian period through to the Onin wars, the history of the samurai is replete with tales of heroism and bloodshed. Although the samurai is most famous for his use of the sword, he also used a wide variety of other weapons, such as the crossbow, the dagger and the spear. Samurai armour and costume were constantly evolving, and by the twelfth century most samurai were wearing the box-like yoroi armour. Samurai examines samurai fighting tactics, as well as acts such as ritual suicide (hari-kiri) and the taking of enemy heads as trophies. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-26 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1610 One and a half minutes after take-off on the clear and sunny afternoon of 8 April 1968, the Number 2 engine of BOAC Boeing 707 G-ARWE broke away from its mounting pylon and fell, tumbling in flames. Captain Cliff Taylor managed an extremely smooth touchdown about 400 yards beyond the Heathrow runway threshold and the aircraft came to a stop 1,400 yards further along the runway. The cabin crew had the doors open and passengers began escaping from the starboard over-wing exit and then via chutes at the forward and rear galley doors. Several explosions occurred and the port wing fell off, the resulting blast hurling flaming debris over the side of the aircraft. The rear escape chute was damaged by the fire and burst but, of the 126 people aboard, most of the 121 survivors had escaped before the arrival of the main fire and rescue services. Thirty-eight people received treatment for injuries and five, including stewardess Barbara Jane Harrison, were overcome by heat and fumes and died aboard G-ARWE. For her bravery in trying to rescue the remaining passengers on that day Jane Harrison was awarded the George Cross. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-26 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1577 The Battle of the River Plate was the first major naval confrontation of the Second World War, and it is one of the most famous. The dramatic sea fight between German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee and the British cruisers Exeter, Ajax and Achilles off the coast of South America caught the imagination in December 1939. Over the last 60 years the episode has come to be seen as one of the classics of naval warfare. Yet the accepted interpretation of events has perhaps been taken for granted and is ripe for reassessment, and that is one of the aims of Richard Woodman's enthralling new study. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-20 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1571 In 1643 and again in 1644 the forces of King Charles I and Parliament clashed at Newbury in a bloody fight. Each time the fate of the country hung in the balance. Chris Scott retells the story of these two complex and exciting pitched battles and provides a fascinating guided tour of the surviving battlefields. By skilful use of detailed maps and other illustrations, he sets out in a graphic and easily understood way the movements of the opposing armies and relates their actions to the Newbury landscape of the present day. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-17 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1575 Weakened by hunger, thirst and ill-treatment, author Charles McCormac, then a World War Two prisoner-of-war in Japanese-occupied Singapore, knew that if he did not escape he would die. With sixteen others he broke out of Pasir Panjang camp and began an epic two-thousand-mile escape from the island of Singapore, through the jungles of Indonesia to Australia. With no compass and no map, and only the goodwill of villagers and their own wits to rely on, the British and Australian POWs? escape took a staggering five months and only two out of the original seventeen men survived. You'll Die in Singapore is Charles McCormac's compelling true account of one of the most horrifying and amazing escapes in World War Two. It is a story of courage, endurance and compassion, and is a gripping read. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-17 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1582 Afrika Korps is an illustrated record of Field-Marshal Erwin Rommel and his desert troops that fought in North Africa against British and Commonwealth forces between 1941 and 1943. Using previously rare and unpublished photographs, many of which have come from the albums of individuals who took part in the desert campaign, it presents a unique visual account of the famous Afrika-Korps' operations and equipment. Thanks to an informative caption with every photograph Afrika Korps vividly portrays how the German Army fought across the uncharted and forbidding desert wilderness of North Africa. Throughout the book it examines how Rommel and his Afrika Korps were so successful and includes an analysis of desert war tactics which Rommel himself had indoctrinated. These tactics quickly won the Afrika-Korps a string of victories between 1941 and 1942. The photographs that accompany the book are a fascinating collection that depicts life in the Afrika-Korps, as seen through the lens of the ordinary soldier. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-17 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1585 Group Captain Tom Eeles served in the RAF for 44 years and totaled over 8000 hours of flying in twenty-eight different aircraft types. Tom entered RAF College Cranwell in 1961, he gained his RAF wings in 1963. His first posting was to No 16 squadron flying the Canberra. Its role as a light bomber squadron was primarily nuclear strike, with a secondary role of conventional ground attack by day and night. 16 Squadron was deployed Kuantan, Malaya. In July 1966 and on loan to the Senior Service, Tom reported to RNAS Lossiemouth for a swept wing conversion course on the Hunter before starting the Buccaneer Operational Flying Course. After 65 hours in the Buccaneer he was posted to 801 NAS, HMS Victorious. In 1969 he joined 736 Naval Air Squadron which was responsible for training courses for RAF aircrew converting to the Buccaneer. He moved to 12 Squadron based at RAF Honington. Their task was to provide a maritime strike/attack capability and a nuclear strike capability in support of the UK National Plan. 1975 saw a move to 79 Squadron flying the Hunter. After a spell at the RAF Staff College, Tom became staff officer responsible for all aspects of fast jet advanced flying training on the Hawk at Valley and multi engine advanced flying training at Finningley. In 1983, selected to command 237 OCU, again flying the Buccaneer at Lossiemouth. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-17 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1617 Maurice Morson has reconstructed, in painstaking detail, several of the most shocking and intriguing episodes from Norfolk's criminal history for this gripping study. He recalls the extraordinary case of Richard Nockolds, the violent weaver who revelled in assault, arson and machine-wrecking; the two cut-throats who were hanged for killing Hannah Mansfield; Herbert Bennett, found guilty of strangling his wife with a bootlace; Rosa Kowen who may - or may not - have battered her husband to death; John Stratford who murdered the wrong man; Samuel Yarham, the prosecution witness and real murderer; William Jacobs and Thomas Allen, both convicted of killing policemen; and, perhaps the most infamous case of all, the Burnham Westgate multiple murders. To these cases Maurice Morson has applied his skill as a historical researcher and his forensic experience as a former detective. Each case is closely reviewed, and the evidence is questioned. He gives a vivid insight into the local background, the personalities of the individuals involved, their relationships, the means by which the crimes were committed, and the workings of the police force and the justice system which often seems, to our modern eyes, clumsy and mistaken. This engrossing new book confirms Maurice Morson's reputation as the leading chronicler of crime in the county. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-17 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1537 The Second World War battleship HMS Rodney achieved lasting fame for her role in destroying the pride of Hitler's navy, the mighty Bismarck in a thrilling duel. The Rodney carrying the largest guns ever mounted in a British warship finally succeeded in turning her adversary into twisted metal and so removed a major threat to the Atlantic convoy routes so vital to the survival of the Nation and the war effort. This splendid book traces not only this mighty battleship's career in detail but describes the careers of all the ships carrying the name. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1580 From the eighteenth century, York was one of the places employing its own hangmen, copying London and Newgate, even to the use of the word Tyburn to define it's Knavesmire gallows, also known as the 'three-legged mare'. That was where highwayman Dick Turpin met his fate; but later, in the Victorian period, Armley Gaol in Leeds also became a hanging prison, the site of the death of the notorious killer Charlie Peace. The tales of the villains and the victims are well documented, but Stephen Wade also provides us with the stories of both Yorkshire-born hangmen and others who worked in Leeds, Hull or Wakefield. For the first time, Yorkshire's Hangmen brings together the tales of the lives and professional careers of these men, some famous, others long forgotten, who held a morbid fascination for the public. Their trade was mysterious, revolting and yet justified by many famous figures in history. The book includes accounts of killers, spies and traitors meeting their doom, but also tells something of the personalities of the hangmen, and of their moral dilemmas as they had to hang women and young people as well as hardened villains. Many of the executioners suffered terrible depression; some took their own lives, and others, such as the famous Albert Pierrepoint, even questioned their work in later life. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1586 The 'Pals' battalions were a phenomenon of the Great War, never repeated since. Under Lord Derby's scheme, and in response to Kitchener's famous call for a million volunteers, local communities raised (and initially often paid for) entire battalions for service on the Western Front. Their experience was all too frequently tragic, as men who had known each other all their lives, had worked, volunteered, and trained together, and had shipped to France together, encountered the first full fury of modern battle on the Somme in July 1916. Many of the Pals battalions would not long survive that first brutal baptism, but their spirit and fighting qualities have gone down into history - these were, truly, the cream of Britain's young men, and every single one of them was a volunteer. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1590 The Franco-Austrian War of 1809 was Napoleon's last victorious war. Napoloen faced the Archduke Charles, the best of the Habsburg commanders, and a reformed Austrian Army that was arguably the best ever fielded by the Danubian Monarchy. The French ultimately triumphed but the margin of superiority was decreasing and all of Napoleon's skill and determination was required to achieve a victorious outcome. Gill tackles the political background to the war, especially the motivations that prompted Austria to launch an offensive against France while Napoleon and many of his veterans were distracted in Spain. Though surprised by the timing of the Austrian attack on the 10th April, the French Emperor completely reversed a dire strategic situation with stunning blows that he called his 'most brilliant and most skillful manoeuvres'. Following a breathless pursuit down the Danube valley, Napoleon occupied the palaces of the Habsburgs for the second time in four years...The Austrians recovered, however, and Napoleon suffered his first unequivocal repulse at the Battle of Aspern-Essling on the shores of the Danube opposite Vienna. He would win many battles in his future campaigns, but never again would one of Europe's great powers lie broken at his feet...In this respect 1809 represents a high point of the First Empire as well as a watershed, for Napoleon's armies were declining in quality and he was beginning to display the corrosive flaws that contributed to his downfall five years later. His opponents, on the other hand, were improving. This volume is the first of three, the second edition is due to be published November 2008 and the third will follow in 2009. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1564 The physical conditions of jungle warfare and the closeness of contact with the enemy pose unique problems and call for special soldiering skills. Colonel John Cross, a life long Gurkha officer, has an unrivalled knowledge of this demanding warfare and uses it to best advantage in this instructive yet personal account of techniques and experiences. He uses examples from British and Japanese sides in the Second World War and goes on to demonstrate how tactics and strategy developed in the Malay, Borneo and Indo-China theatres thereafter. He laces his work with vivid recollections and assessments of friend and foe along with entertaining anecdotes from a wide range of sources. This excellent book offers a perfect blend of factual military history and personal recollection and the reader gains a unique insight into this most challenging form of warfare. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-10 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1581 The book starts with on the capture of Vimy Ridge and the nearly spur of Notre Dame de Lorette in October 1914. The major battles of spring and autumn 1915 is described as is the twelve month period from late autumn 1915 when British forces occupied the lines on the western Ridge. The period from late autumn 1916 onwards when the Canadian Corps was preparing for the April 1917 assault on the ridge, is given detailed treatment, with special emphasis (based on original German intelligence and interrogation files) on how the defenders built up a detailed picture of Allied plans and how they intended to counter them. The battle (9 - 14 April 1917) is described in detail and the conclusion summarises the aftermath of the battle and its consequences for the way the German army prepared for the Third Battle of Ypres. The book employs a similar format to The German Army on the Somme 1914 - 1916 and The German Army at Passchendaele; the greater part of the text is based on the words of the German participants themselves. Commentary and evidence from senior commanders is introduced as necessary; the aim once more being to produce a work of popular history, which nevertheless provides an important contribution to the overall historiography of the Great War. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-10 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1584 Ted 'Shippy' Shipman was one of 'The Few' who flew with 41 Squadron in the Battle of Britain. He left his father's farm in 1930 and enlisted in the RAF as a driver ACII. He flew for thirteen years of his thirty years service, achieved the highest grade of flying instructor and retired as a Wing Commander. This book is based on the copious notes that 'Shippy' wrote in the 1970s and brings a first-hand insight into the life of an RAF Spitfire pilot during the early war years and then his remaining wartime and post-war service until 1959. His career as a senior instructor included No 8 Service Flying Training School, Montrose and the Central Flying School at Upavon. He then went on to teach at the Flying Instructors School at Hullavington in 1942 and the Rhodesian Air Training Group between 1943 and 1945. After the war he did tours in Germany and Cyprus. He was Commanding Officer at RAF Sopley, Hampshire and RAF Boulmer in Northumberland until his retirement in 1959. During retirement he actively supported the Air Training Corps, Battle of Britain Fighter Association and the RAF Benevolent Fund. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-10 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1638 The Royal Welch Fusiliers were present at all Marlborough's great victories; they were one of the six Minden regiments; they fought throughout the Peninsula and were present at Wellington's final glorious victory at Waterloo. In The Great War their officers included the writer poets Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves; their 22 battalions fought not just on the Western Front but at Gallipoli, in Egypt, Palestine, Salonika, Mesopotamia and Italy. In WW2 they won battle honours from the Reichswald to Kohima. More recently they have served with distinction in the war against terror in the Middle East. Like so many famous regiments the RWF are no longer in the British Army's order of battle having been amalgamated into the Royal Regiment of Wales. But this fine book is the lasting memorial to a fiercely proud and greatly admired regiment. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-10 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1574 The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 was one of the decisive battles of British history. The bitter hostility between England and Scotland which had continued since 1296, the contrasting characters of the opposing commanders Edward II and Robert the Bruce, the strategy of the campaign and the tactics of the battle itself - all these elements combine to make the event one of absorbing and lasting interest. And the enormous impact of the Scottish victory on the fate of the two kingdoms means the battle is ripe for the vivid and scholarly reassessment that John Sadler provides in this fascinating book. The Scottish victory meant that Scotland would not simply become an appendage to England but would remain a free and independent state - it also implied the war would continue… Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-04 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1579 On 23 April 1918 a force drawn from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines launched one of the most daring raids in history. The aim was to block the Zeebrugge Canal, thereby denying U-boat access, although this meant assaulting a powerfully fortified German naval base. The raid has long been recognised for its audacity and ingenuity but, owing to the fact that the official history took overmuch notice of the German version of events, has been considered only a partial success. The error of that view is now exposed, for in this stirring account there is evidence from many sources that the raid achieved much more than is usually credited to it. The raid is presented from a variety of viewpoints, from the airmen who took part in the preliminary bombing to the motor launches which picked up survivors. The crews of the launches and coastal motor boats were frequently 'amateur' sailors but their courage and skill were second to none. Philip Warner has talked with many of the survivors and corresponded with others, some of whom now live in distant parts of the world. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-04 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1587 From the inception of the RAF in 1918 the new service developed traditions fast. In particular, its squadrons assumed a combination of heraldic devices and colourful markings with which to identify machines and inspire men. With the potential onset if war in 1938, the very public and well-known unit markings were replaced by two-letter codes, designed to confuse the enemy. Through the uneasy period leading to the formal declaration of war, these codes became well-known locally and there was a second set for application with the onset of war. As the war progressed the unit codes expanded to incorporate numerals and the system expanded to the USAFF and the Commonwealth and the Allied units. To preserve secrecy the codes were only ever listed in a series of top-secret documents and the previous set destroyed. The authors have painstaking researched the codes and building on from earlier works have produced the definitive work on the subject. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-03-04 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1560 Originally conceived as a carrier-born maritime attack aircraft, the Blackburn design included many original features such as Boundary Layer Control, a system which blew hot air over the flying surfaces to increase lift when landing. The rotating bomb bay was also new and enabled easier maintenance, accessibility and reduced drag. The first model, the S Mk 1, entered operational service with the Fleet Air Arm in 1961. S Mk 2 became operational in 1964, powered by Rolls-Royce Spey engines that gave considerably more thrust. The aircraft were armed with rocket pods, up to 1,000 lb free-fall bombs, Martel air-to-ship missiles or the nuclear Red Beard system. During the financial upheavals of the mid 1960s, the government decided to retire the RN carrier fleet, thus eliminating a fixed-wing aircraft requirement. Simultaneously, the TSR2 development programme was abandoned and left the RAF without a new attack aircraft. Enter the S Mk2B, a land-based Buccaneer, with increased range and payload, which joined the RAF in 1969, and by the early 1970s the ex-Fleet Air Arm aircraft were also carrying RAF markings. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-25 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1566 This comprehensive reference work describes and illustrates some 200 types of inshore craft which once fish and traded, under oar and sail, around the coasts of the British Isles. The types are arranged by coastal area and each is described in terms of its shape and design, fitness for location and purpose, build, evolution and geographical distribution. Details of dimensions, rig, building materials, seamanship and the survivial of examples are given where known, while hundreds of line drawings and photographs show the vessels in their original forms. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-25 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1030 Cheerful Sacrifice tells the story of the spring offensive of April - May 1917, otherwise known as the Battle of Arras. Probably because the noise had hardly died down before it started up again with the explosions at Messines, shortly to be followed by the even more horrible Third Ypres - remembered as Passchendaele - the Battle of Arras has not received the attention it deserves. Yet, as the author points out, on the basis of the daily casualty rate it was the most lethal and costly British offensive battle of the First World War. In the thirty-nine days that the battle lasted the average casualty rate was far higher than at either the Somme or Passchendaele. Jonathan Nicholls, in this his first book, gives the Battle of Arras its proper place in the annals of military history, enhancing his text with a wealth of eye-witness accounts. One is left in no doubt that the survivor who described it as 'the most savage infantry battle of the war', did not exaggerate. Nor can there be much doubt that the author is destined to rise high in the firmament of military historians. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-20 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1383 This book is a chronology of the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and the famous victory drive of the Seventh Army. It starts at the Worms' Rhine bridgehead and moves quickly onto Aschaffenburg, before describing the Hammelburg Raid to release US POWs. Driving South through Karlstadt the Army seized crossing of the River Mainz at Wurzburg (which has a fine castle). The seizure of Nuremberg was hugely symbolic and this beautiful city was the scene both of the infamous Nazi Rallies and of course the War Crimes Tribunals. The road to Munich, always worth visiting (bierfest or no bierfest!) is via the Danube crossings and the books takes in the liberation of the appalling Dachau Concentration Camp and the battle at the SS Barracks. Munich was the centre of Hitler's early life and represented his powerbase. He was imprisoned here and wrote Mein Kampf. The book climaxes with the approach to the Alps and the superb Eagle's Nest, so popular with tourists. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-20 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1539 Liverpool Pals, is a record of duty, courage and endeavour of a group of men who, before war broke out in 1914, were the backbone of Liverpool's commerce. Fired with patriotism, over 4,000 of these businessmen volunteered in 1914 and were formed into the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th (Service) Battalions of the King's (Liverpool Regiment); they were the first of all the Pals battalions to be raised, and they were the last to be stood down. It is commonly held that the North of England's Pals battalions were wiped out on the 1st July, 1916, certainly this befell a number of units, but the Liverpool Pals took all their objectives on that day. From then on they fought all through the Somme Battle, The Battle of Arras and the muddy hell of Passchendaele in 1917, and the desperate defence against the German offensive of March 1918. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-20 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1547 When first published in 2005 this book was hailed as a major contribution to naval history, and its value as a reference work was reflected in the speed with which it went out of print. This revised edition incorporates some important corrections, but retains the comprehensive coverage of the first, with details of well over 2000 ships that served during the Wars of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Empire - whether purpose-built, captured, purchased or merely hired. As well as technical data on the ships, information includes commissioning dates, refit periods, changes of captain, the stations where they served (and when), as well as notes on any actions in which they took part. The book is well illustrated with contemporary prints and drawings that show the wide variety of service required of naval vessels in these wars, while specially commissioned general arrangement drawings depict the most significant classes. In all, it is a fitting tribute to a navy that at the zenith of its power in 1809 comprised one half of all the warships in the world. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-20 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1476 In Spring 1945 the outcome of the war was ritually certain but the mighty River Rhine still stood in the way of the Allies. Eisenhower's strategy was to guarantee a crossing in the Ruhr area by allocating the main effort to Montgomery's 21st Army Group. Monty's task was to envelope and take out the last German war production and open the way onto the North German Plain. On the morning of 24 March 1945 the Normandy veterans of 6th British Airborne Division were to land just three to six miles in front of XII Corps, within supporting distance of their artillery, with the aim of linking up with the ground forces on day one. First in were the two parachute brigades, who benefited from the numbing effect of the Allied bombardment but by the time 6th Airlanding Brigade came in aboard their gliders, the German anti-aircraft gunners were recovering and, on the DZs, resisting and even counter-attacking the British and Canadian paratroopers. Casualties were heavy, not least because the Airlanding Brigade were gliding in amidst an armoured kampfgruppe. Despite their presence, the glider infantry of the Ox and Bucks and the Ulster Rifles took their bridges and the Devons fought a desperate battle for the key village of Hammelkeln. By evening, despite heavy losses, General Bols's 6th Airborne Division had linked-up with XII Corps, the airborne objectives had been taken and the gateway onto the North German Plain and final victory was open. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-18 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1569 Compiled by British Intelligence, for restricted official issue by the General Staff, German Army Handbook of April 1918, is a comprehensive assessment of the German Army during the latter stages of the First World War. Illustrated throughout with plates, diagrams, charts, tables and maps, it provides a detailed breakdown of the army, covering all aspects from recruiting and training, mobilization, command and organisation, weapons and signals to transportation, medical and veterinary services, and uniform. The German Army Handbook of 1918 was a remarkable achievement. It provides solutions to many questions that histories of the First World War and acounts of its battles are unable to answer. It shows how the static conventions of trench warfare usurped the traditional role of cavalry, and how the German Army were able to take advantage of the dominance of the machine-gun on the Western Front in 1915. There are also two maps, showing Army Corps Districts, and Zones of Administration and Lines of Command in June 1917. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-18 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=321 From the moment he was shot down to the final whistle, Jimmy James' one aim as a POW of the Germans was to escape.The Great Escaper describes his experiences and those of his fellow prisoners in the most gripping and thrilling manner. The author made more than 12 escape attempts including his participation in The Great Escape, where 50 of the 76 escapees were executed in cold blood on Hitler's orders.On re-capture, James was sent to the infamous Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp where, undeterred, he tunnelled out. That was not the end of his remarkable story.Moonless Night has strong claim to be the finest escape story of the Second World War. A tribute to Squadron Leader B.A James. M.C By Douglas Littlejohn Jimmys Home Run The Stalag's far behind hin now The tunnels and the fear, The Search Lights and the Guard Dogs The boredom year by year. The constant nagging hunger The longing to be free, The final dash for freedom That could never be. Jimmys made a 'Home Run' He's now at Heavens Gate, The 'Kreggies' are there to greet him They've had a lengrhy wait! He's the Greatest 'Great Escaper' Jimmys story must be told, He'll be welcomed now in Heaven The Boldest of the Bold. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-15 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1592 On 25 September 1939 Melvin Young reported to No.1 Initial Training Unit. He was selected as a bomber pilot and promoted to Flying Officer. Having undertaken a Lancaster conversion course Melvin and his new crew were posted to 57 Squadron at Scampton - soon to become 617 Squadron. On 15 May the Order for Operation Chastise was issued - the raid to be flown the next night, 16/17 May. The plan for the operation was that three waves of aircraft would be employed. The first wave of nine aircraft, led by Gibson, would first attack the Mohne Dam, then the Eder followed by other targets as directed by wireless from 5 Group HQ if any weapons were still available. This wave would fly in three sections of three aircraft about ten minutes apart led by Guy Gibson, Melvin Young and Henry Maudslay. At 00.43 Melvin and his crew made their attempt on the Mohne dam. Gibson recorded that Young's weapon made 'three good bounces and contact'. Once the dam had been breached Gibson with Melvin as his deputy led the three remaining armed aircraft towards the Eder Dam. On the return trip Melvin Young and his crew fell victim to enemy guns. At 02.58 gunners at Castricum-an-Zee reported shooting down an aircraft and several batteries also reported firing at it. AJ-A crashed into the sea. Over the North Sea, Guy Gibson called Melvin on the radioââ'¬¦there was no reply Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-12 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1551 This is the history of two RAF squadrons which shared the task of dropping agents and supplies on behalf of the Special Operations Executive, took part in the D-Day landings, suffered heavy losses at Arnhem, dropped Special Air Service troops behind enemy lines and were involved with the Rhine crossing that sealed Germany's fate in 1945. Both squadrons flew the Short Stirling from Leicester East, then Fairford and finally Great Dunmow. Although there was a healthy rivalry between personnel serving on 190 and 620 Squadrons, there was a deep sense of camaraderie that forged bonds between them. Many of the operations involved a lone aircraft flying at night, using visual navigation to find the small pinpricks of light where resistance forces were waiting to receive agents and supplies. There were also tasks of towing gliders and dropping paratroops that demanded skilled piloting and navigation. Apart from his research into operational records and archive material, the author has found many ex-squadron members who have captured many unique moments from sixty years ago and thus made it possible to tell their story. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-01 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1561 Le Cateau (26-27 August 1914) was the second major action fought by the BEF in the Great War. His men exhausted after fighting at Mons and by the subsequent speedy retreat, Lieutenant-General Horace Smith-Dorrien (commanding II Corps) decided that he had to make a stand in the vicinity of Le Cateau. There his men took on elements of four German corps in an action that succeeded in giving the BEF a respite, but at considerable cost. Amongst other elements of controversy in the conduct of the battle was the handling of the Royal Artillery. The battle also undermined the already fraught relationship between Smith-Dorrien and the BEF's commander, John French. The battlefield today remains largely as it was, open countryside, and it is an ideal location to view one of the most significant British battlefields of the early days of the war. In this action no less than five Victoria Crosses were won, three of them in one howitzer battery and two by men of the 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-01 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1562 Ultra -- the code word for the greatest secret of World War II -- was the method by which the Allies intercepted German radio transmissions and broke their coded contents. But how was this information transmitted to the battlefield? Author Ronald Lewin was the first historian to utilize actual Ultra intercepts to show how this information was used in combat. He is also the first historian to have interviewed the men, both British and American, who produced and used Ultra intercepts in the key positions of leadership throughout the war. In documenting these incredible events, author Ronald Lewin tells the story of Ultra from 1920 through 1945. He utilized more than 70,000 previously secret Ultra intercepts. He has interviewed the Head of the Polish secret service who provided the Allies with the first Ultra code-breaking equipment before WWII started. He shows how the German radio signals were intercepted, how the codes were broken, how the information was evaluated, how Allied reactions were planned, and what impact this Ultra material had on the field of battle. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-01 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1567 During the First World War the British soldiers were renowned for their chirpy songs and plucky sayings. Indeed nothing would lift the spirits of the often exhausted and demoralized troops more than a hearty singalong. These cheery and at times ribald and satiric songs and sayings have been collected together to give a fascinating The songs include marching tunes, songs for billets and rude chants for when no commanding officer was present. Each song is accompanied by a short passage that traces the origins of the melody and accounts for lyrical alternatives. There is also a large glossary of soldiers' slang words and phrases, revealing the Tommies' vocabulary in all its bawdiness. The Daily Telegraph - Dictionary of Tommies' Song and Slang reveals the courage, gaiety and astringent cynicism with which men armed themselves against the horrors of trench warfare. Includes 16 pages of plates illustrating the favourite comic cartoons, recruiting posters and other arresting images from the Great War. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-01 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1593 When Monty was given Allied command of the D Day landings he wasted no time gathering around him individuals and formations he could trust. Foremost among the latter were two armoured brigades: 4th (Black Desert Rats) and 8th (Red Fox's Mask). Both these brigades had unrivalled fighting records whether in North Africa, Sicily or Italy. They had proved themselves in bitter fighting against Rommel's Afrika Korps and the Italians. Once ashore in Normandy the two superb brigades went on to enhance their reputations on the journey to the heartland of Hitler's Third Reich and final victory. The author has written a fast moving and enthralling account of war at the sharp end. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-01 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1595 Three hundred years ago Queen Anne's Captain-General, John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough, led the Allied armies in an epic struggle against the powerful French forces of Louis XIV, in campaigns that stretched across wide areas of the Low Countries, France and Germany. Marlborough's victories at the Schellenberg, Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde and Malplaquet are among the most remarkable feats in all of British military history. Marlborough broke France's military power for a hundred years. As James Falkner demonstrates in this, the first full-scale guide to the subject, the story of these famous campaigns makes compelling and exciting reading, and the sites associated with them are evocative places that can easily be visited today. His battlefield guide is essential reading for anyone who is keen to understand the military history of the era, and it is an invaluable companion for visitors to the many battlefields associated with Marlborough's triumphs. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-01 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1596 Between the Crimean War and the dawn of the 20th century, the British Army was almost continuously engaged in one corner of the globe or another, in military operations famously characterized by Kipling as the 'savage wars of peace'. In his new work on the most dramatic Victorian campaigns Mike Snook bring's the most dramatic clashes of the age of empire back to life. Here focuses closely on defeat and disaster - the occasions when things went badly awry for the British. The names of these great battles - Isandlwana, Maiwand, Majuba Hill, Khartoum, Colenso, Spion Kop and Magersfontein still resonate down through the ages. In a meticulously researched military history, the author exposes the true and sometimes embarrassing causes of defeat. Overstretch, political meddling, military incompetence and petty jealousy all played their part. Above all else, however, these are dramatic and perceptive accounts of mere mortal men struggling to deal with the often overpowering dynamics and horrors of 19th-century warfare on the fringes of Empire. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-02-01 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1558 Volume II of this mammoth reference work covers the years in which the League of Nations failed because of the emerging dictatorships in Germany and Italy and the expansionist policies adopted by Japan. Britain was still reeling from the consequences of World War I and the RAF was sadly far behind the other major world powers in aircraft design, still relying on bi-planes that were direct descendants of World War I thinking. It gradually became apparent that, despite UK government dithering, the RAF needed to develop new aircraft, engines and increase production to confront the bully-boy tactics of the Axis powers. As the turn of the decade approached extraordinary measures were taken to enable RAF to defend Britain's skies and this her freedom. As with Volume 1, this book covers every conceivable part of the RAF's history through these pre-War days. It looks at the development and invention of new equipment such as radar, monoplane fighters, metal construction and the heavy bomber. This was an era when science in aviation was rushing ahead and fortunately for Britain's freedom, it laid the foundations of victory in 1.945 Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-01-31 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=615 The Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651 was the final decisive engagement of the English Civil Wars. In this fascinating guide, Malcolm Atkin sets out in a graphic and easily understood way the movements of the opposing armies of Cromwell and Charles II as they approached Worcester and gives a detailed and gripping account of the deadly combat that followed. He also describes of the fate of 10,000 Scottish prisoners and retraces the route of Charles II as he made his dramatic escape. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-01-29 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1594 Soviet bombers played a vital role in defeating the Germans on the Eastern Front, yet their contribution is often forgotten. This graphic memoir should help to set the record straight. The author, a leading Soviet bomber pilot who flew throughout the conflict, tells his story from the desperate days of the German assault in 1941 to the point where Germany was invaded and the Nazis were destroyed. He gives a vivid account of his experiences during over 300 bombing missions in the dangerous skies over Russia, the Ukraine, Poland and Germany. His story is compelling reading. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-01-29 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1540 The Glider Pilot Regiment, having been raised as the first element of the new Army Air Corps in 1942 and disbanded in 1957, can probably claim the dubious distinction of having been the smallest and shortest-lived Regiment ever to form part of the British Army. Nevertheless, in those few years the Regiment gained as much distinction as it has taken other units hundreds of years to achieve. Yet, strangely enough, the story of these heroic men who piloted their flimsy gliders to most of the important battlefields of the Second World War has never before been told. It is indeed a remarkable story and no one is better qualified to tell it than Claude Smith, who himself served with the Regiment and took part in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and later in the ill-fated landing at Arnhem, where he was taken prisoner. Claude Smith tells the story of these supremely brave men, factually and unemotionally, but it is impossible to read this book without being moved by their heroism. As General Sir John Hackett says in his foreword: 'Those who went to battle in gliders and above all those who got them there, the Glider Pilots, deserve our enduring esteem'. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-01-23 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1543 This book provides a thorough introduction to the War of American Independence. Told with great authority and clarity the book describes and details the effects of each notable event from 1770 to 1781. The book examines each of the major battles and skirmishes but does not get bogged down in deep analysis of battle formations and strategies. Instead the book concentrates on the war as a whole and its political and ecomonic impacts on Britain and America and consequently how each commander's startegy was affected. The book is littered with anecdotes to give the reader a clearer understanding of how the war affected the lives of those involved. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-01-23 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1544 For more than half a century the big gun was the arbiter of naval power, but it was useless if it could not hit the target fast and hard enough to prevent the enemy doing the same. Because the naval gun platform was itself in motion, finding a 'firing solution' was a significant problem made all the more difficult when gun sizes increased and fighting ranges lengthened and seemingly minor issues like wind velocity had to be factored in. To speed up the process and eliminate human error, navies sought a reliable mechanical calculation. This heavily illustrated book outlines for the first time in layman's terms the complex subject of fire-control, as it dominated battleship and cruiser design from before World War I to the end of the dreadnought era. Covering the directors, range-finders, and electro-mechanical computers invented to solve the problems, America's leading naval analyst explains not only how the technology shaped (and was shaped by) the tactics involved, but analyses their effectiveness in battle. His examination of the controversy surrounding Jutland and the relative merits of competing fire-control systems draws conclusions that will surprise many readers. He also reassesses many other major gun actions, such as the battles between the Royal Navy and the Bismarck and the US Navy actions in the Solomons and at Surigao Strait. All major navies are covered, and the story concludes at the end of World War II with the impact of radar.This is a book that everyone with a more than passing interest in twentieth-century warships will want to read, and nobody professionally involved with naval history can afford to miss. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-01-23 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1616 Aimed at visitors and residents alike, this companion to the history of Coventry is an indispensable reference guide to the long, varied and sometimes surprising story of the town. Essential information on the people, places and events that played key roles in the story is presented in a convenient A to Z format. Famous and notorious individuals are portrayed here, dramatic, sometimes tragic events are remembered, and familiar local myths and legends are explored. The volume is a source of fascinating insights into Coventry's past and should provide answers to frequently asked historical questions - the whos, wheres and whys that make up the rich history of the city. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-01-23 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1618 A detailed narrative of S-boat, or schnellboot, actions during World War II in all the theatres where they were deployed. The author, describes, with the help of a multitude of maps and photographs, all the incidents that these 45-knot fast attack craft were involved in. The German motor torpedo boat (German: S-boot, English: E-boat) was a controversial subject in the pre-war period of German naval rearmament. As late as 1938, the Fleet Commander recommended that S-boot building be terminated on the grounds that the craft was merely a 'weapon of opportunity' without a defined role. This outlook changed dramatically after the first wartime successes. Soon the S-boot was required on all fronts, and the area of operations. In this volume the operational deployment of the S-Boot in these theatres is given comprehensive treatment for the first time, and not purely from the isolated viewpoint of S-Boot warfare, but as an integral part of the overall military objectives of the time. This study of the effectiveness of the S-Boot, its successes and failures, is based on war diary entries and previously unseen original sources. It is a first-class account of this German naval arm in which survived to be the last class of German surface warship still carrying the offensive to the enemy. Pen and Sword Books - enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk 2008-01-23 00:00:00 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1541 In March 1918 the German Army launched a series of offensives that brought them very close to winning the war. Military photographers followed their advance and took many photographs of the operations as they progressed. This is the war seen from the German perspective, British and French soldiers lie dead on the battlefield, and Allied prisoners are escorted to the rear, as the German Artillery pound away covering the advance of the 'Feldgrau'. These photographs are seldom seen in books dealing with the allied point of view. Many scarce and rare photographs show the