Pen and Sword have developed an unrivalled reputation for the quality and scope of its battlefield guides.
We are proud to publish the Holt's Series of Guide Books. Tonie and Valmai Holt are the pioneers of battlefield touring, having developed the concept nearly 40 years ago. Now millions visit the battlefields every year and their bestselling titles have been assisting with this for many years.
For those looking to understand battles in a bit more detail, then the battleground series, now with over 100 titles in print, is perfect for the armchair historian or battlefield traveller alike.
I have to admit here that this was/is a totally different book to what I expected, but it was a pleasant surprise. I expected to be reading biographies celebrating brave young men, whilst I did get that later in the book. What you do get for about the first 80 pages of the book is the detail of the Battle at Amiens, which is very good and stunning in detail, which I must say runs throughout the book. I was probably thinking just because I knew about the battle I didn’t need to know about it. But I was wrong, the battle was very well written and informative. The amount of research and documentation that has been gone through is phenomenal. We then go onto the stories that were awarded Victoria Crosses. Again the research and information is stunning, Paul Oldfield the author has done an amazing job with the research and background. Generally this is pretty much it, but don’t be fooled the work, battle, biographies in this particular book is first class. The book is also supported by.. Read more
UK Historian
I have to admit here that this was/is a totally different book to what I expected, but it was a pleasant surprise. I expected to be reading biographies celebrating brave young men, whilst I did get that later in the book. What you do get for about the first 80 pages of the book is the detail of the Battle at Amiens, which is very good and stunning in detail, which I must say runs throughout the book. I was probably thinking just because I knew about the battle I didn’t need to know about it. But I was wrong, the battle was very well written and informative. The amount of research and documentation that has been gone through is phenomenal. We then go onto the stories that were awarded Victoria Crosses. Again the research and information is stunning, Paul Oldfield the author has done an amazing job with the research and background. Generally this is pretty much it, but don’t be fooled the work, battle, biographies in this particular book is first class. The book is also supported by.. Read more
UK Historian
… a good history and an interesting way to experience it yourself.
The Armourer, March 2021
… a good history and an interesting way to experience it yourself.
The Armourer, March 2021
Without question, this is yet another special book in this fantastic series and one for all battlefield enthusiasts and historians to have a copy of.
Jon Sandison
Without question, this is yet another special book in this fantastic series and one for all battlefield enthusiasts and historians to have a copy of.
Jon Sandison
As the British advance in Normandy began to move around Caen, the innocuously named Hill 112 and its dominating heights became a vital position for both sides, changing hands several times. This book focuses on Operation Jupiter, which ended in a stalemate with neither side able to fully control the hill, though it did succeed in drawing the German armoured reserves into a costly battle they could ill-afford, helping to pave the way for the American breakout in the west. In the time honoured style of the superb Battleground Europe series, Tim Saunders compresses a substantial amount of information into a remarkably small space, with his clear and concise narrative excellently supported by numerous veterans accounts, reports, photographs and detailed maps.
Read the full review [link=https://www.pegasusarchive.org/shop/shop_bnormandy.htm]here[/link]
Pegasus Archive
As the British advance in Normandy began to move around Caen, the innocuously named Hill 112 and its dominating heights became a vital position for both sides, changing hands several times. This book focuses on Operation Jupiter, which ended in a stalemate with neither side able to fully control the hill, though it did succeed in drawing the German armoured reserves into a costly battle they could ill-afford, helping to pave the way for the American breakout in the west. In the time honoured style of the superb Battleground Europe series, Tim Saunders compresses a substantial amount of information into a remarkably small space, with his clear and concise narrative excellently supported by numerous veterans accounts, reports, photographs and detailed maps.
Read the full review [link=https://www.pegasusarchive.org/shop/shop_bnormandy.htm]here[/link]
Pegasus Archive
An exceptional retelling of a pivotal moment in history. Incredibly well researched, the authors offer new information and insights even to those who are familiar with the Battle of Hastings. The writing itself is clear and accessible to any reader with an interest, avoiding academic pretensions which sometimes come with very focused history books.
NetGalley, Louise Gray
An exceptional retelling of a pivotal moment in history. Incredibly well researched, the authors offer new information and insights even to those who are familiar with the Battle of Hastings. The writing itself is clear and accessible to any reader with an interest, avoiding academic pretensions which sometimes come with very focused history books.
NetGalley, Louise Gray
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Fort Vaux
The bitter fight for Fort Vaux is one of the most famous episodes in the Battle of Verdun - it has achieved almost legendary status in French military history. The heroic resistance put up by the fort's commander, Major Raynal, and his small, isolated garrison in the face of repeated German assaults was remarkable at the time, and it is still seen… Read more...
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Aisne 1914
The 1914 Battle of the Aisne, officially from 12 – 15 September, came about as a result of the German retirement from the Battle of the Marne, which took place further south as the huge conscript armies of France and Germany jostled for position almost within sight of Paris. By the time the British arrived on the Aisne the battle line stretched some… Read more...
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Operation Bluecoat-Over the Battlefield
After seven weeks of bitter fighting there was a desperate need to break out of the Normandy bridgehead. In late July 1944 Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey's Second Army moved two entire corps from the Caen sector to the relatively quiet countryside around Caumont. Here, the British XXX Corps prepared to give battle, with VII Corps advancing in… Read more...
The invasion was launched to round off Hitler's Balkan Campaign against Crete in May 1941. The Island was important to Britain's control of the Eastern Mediterranean and Churchill was determined that the Island would be held. The British garrison was largely made up of New Zealand and Australian troops who had been evacuated from Greece, with little… Read more...
