Military Biographies
BiographiesPen and Sword have a strong tradition for publishing biographies, particularly first hand accounts. Autobiographies have always been a cornerstone of our publishing list and we have a rich history of important original accounts of key battles in history. First hand accounts always tell a unique story. We always learn something new about a battle no matter what role the author played. The key part was that they were an eyewitness to events and uniquely qualified to enhance our study of history.
We are immensely proud of this collection of Biographies which have taken many years to build up and now is broken down by conflict.
Before Action
William Noel Hodgson never intended to be a soldier; he wanted to write. The Great War made his reputation as a poet but it also killed him. This groundbreaking biography traces his path through the pre-war world and explores why he set his own hopes and plans aside to join the army. His story is personal but it evokes the experience of a generation.… Read more...
The Last Great Cavalryman
Nearly 70 years have passed since October 1944 when Dick McCreery became the third and final Commander of the legendary Eighth Army in Italy – in succession to Monty and Oliver Leese. With his outstanding record as a fighting soldier and armoured tactician, it was no surprise to anyone that he was to be hugely successful. McCreery was commissioned… Read more...
Winged Scalpel
In this fast paced narrative, ex-SAS surgeon Richard Villar provides 'a very personal insight into the difficulties, dangers and occasional virtual impossibility of providing medical aid to disaster areas and war zones. He shares his remarkable experiences in the aftermath of three major earthquakes – Kashmir (2005), Java (2006) and Haiti (2010)… Read more...
The Sterling Redemption
The untold true story of James Edmiston who suffered an extraordinary miscarriage of justice in 1983 when senior officials blocked vital witnesses coming to his trial which led to a personal tragedy; a broken marriage, and the loss of a business. The Sterling Redemption explains how he was wrongly charged with alleged illegal exports to Iraq, and then… Read more...
A Talent for Adventure
Books on prison camps, daring escapes and life with the Resistance abound. Pat Spooner's story is different and more compelling in one important respect. It recounts the gripping and dramatic rescue of two senior British generals (one a VC) and an air vice marshal from occupied Italy by the author and his companion who had themselves both escaped from… Read more...
Dangerous Frontiers
Since the Second World War British soldiers have been continuously involved in small wars many of which, largely for political reasons, have received little or no publicity. Dangerous Frontiers is a gripping personal memoir of soldiering in two hot and hostile areas of the world. In Part 1 the author describes his life as a young officer in the Somaliland… Read more...
Once a Hussar
Once a Hussar is a vivid account of the wartime experiences of Ray Ellis, a gunner who in later life recorded in this well-written, candid and perceptive memoir the conflict he knew as a young man seventy years ago. As an impressionable teenager, fired with national pride, he was eager to join the army and fight for his country. He enlisted in the… Read more...
Commando to Captain-Generall
This is the story of Brigadier Peter Young (1915-1988), a highly decorated soldier who was one of the founding members of 3 Commando, rising during WWII from 2 Lt to Brigadier in the space of 6 years. His battle honours include Vaagso, Dieppe, Sicily, Italy, Normandy and Burma. A career soldier, he returned to his parent regiment, the Beds and Herts,… Read more...
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