[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars This book by Group Captain Winterbotham was first published in 1974 and provided the detail of how the highly classified decrypted signals sent by the Germans during WWII and dubbed Top Secret Ultra or just Ultra, were used. Even after 50 years the book reveals to modern generations the details of some of the highly publicised battles of that conflict were orchestrated by the Allies, in such a way that the enemy did not realise that their codes had been broken. Much has been written and filmed about the code breakers of Bletchley Park but this book takes us to the employment and application of the Ultra signals and message content. Winterbotham concludes that the War's outcome "was, in fact, a very narrow shave, and the reader may like to ponder [...] whether or not we might have won had we not had Ultra" A fascinating book that enhances our understanding of the major operations conducted during WWII and of the man who was responsible for managing the Ultra.. Read more
NetGalley, Sandra Miller
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars This book by Group Captain Winterbotham was first published in 1974 and provided the detail of how the highly classified decrypted signals sent by the Germans during WWII and dubbed Top Secret Ultra or just Ultra, were used. Even after 50 years the book reveals to modern generations the details of some of the highly publicised battles of that conflict were orchestrated by the Allies, in such a way that the enemy did not realise that their codes had been broken. Much has been written and filmed about the code breakers of Bletchley Park but this book takes us to the employment and application of the Ultra signals and message content. Winterbotham concludes that the War's outcome "was, in fact, a very narrow shave, and the reader may like to ponder [...] whether or not we might have won had we not had Ultra" A fascinating book that enhances our understanding of the major operations conducted during WWII and of the man who was responsible for managing the Ultra.. Read more
NetGalley, Sandra Miller
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars
This was an amazing nonfiction book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from this type of book. I enjoyed learning about the medieval nuns and really didn't think about nuns during this time-period. It was well researched and was glad I was able to read this. Elizabeth A Quillen has a strong writing style and am excited to read more.
NetGalley, Kathryn McLeer
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars
This was an amazing nonfiction book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from this type of book. I enjoyed learning about the medieval nuns and really didn't think about nuns during this time-period. It was well researched and was glad I was able to read this. Elizabeth A Quillen has a strong writing style and am excited to read more.
NetGalley, Kathryn McLeer
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars
I had never heard of Hazel ‘Jicky’ Smith before so I was excited to read a biography about this fascinating woman. It was everything that I was looking for and enjoyed getting into the research and how it was used in this storyline. It was well researched and enjoyed how good Nicoletta Maggi wrote this.
NetGalley, Kathryn McLeer
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars
I had never heard of Hazel ‘Jicky’ Smith before so I was excited to read a biography about this fascinating woman. It was everything that I was looking for and enjoyed getting into the research and how it was used in this storyline. It was well researched and enjoyed how good Nicoletta Maggi wrote this.
NetGalley, Kathryn McLeer
According to Simon Elliott, Gnaeus Julius Agricola was Roman Britain’s greatest warrior governor. Perhaps. It is a bold statement and one that drives Elliott’s analysis in his latest book, Agricola in Scotland. Elliott sets up the imperial context for Agricola’s governorship of Britain, from 77 to 83 CE, while along the way he describes many of the elements behind that fascinating story of conquest. Elliott begins with some Roman history 101, providing general context for the empire and the provinces, particularly Britain. This includes a glossary of key terms used in the book. After a chapter with an overview of the Republic and Principate Empire, Elliott digs into the Roman military system, again working from the most basic level. This covers the Legions and Auxiliaries, their weapons and armour, and the regional fleets. He moves onto a general description of Roman Britain in the later First Century CE, including its geography, which would prove so important in Agricola’s campaigns... Read more
Neil Smith
According to Simon Elliott, Gnaeus Julius Agricola was Roman Britain’s greatest warrior governor. Perhaps. It is a bold statement and one that drives Elliott’s analysis in his latest book, Agricola in Scotland. Elliott sets up the imperial context for Agricola’s governorship of Britain, from 77 to 83 CE, while along the way he describes many of the elements behind that fascinating story of conquest. Elliott begins with some Roman history 101, providing general context for the empire and the provinces, particularly Britain. This includes a glossary of key terms used in the book. After a chapter with an overview of the Republic and Principate Empire, Elliott digs into the Roman military system, again working from the most basic level. This covers the Legions and Auxiliaries, their weapons and armour, and the regional fleets. He moves onto a general description of Roman Britain in the later First Century CE, including its geography, which would prove so important in Agricola’s campaigns... Read more
Neil Smith
'Hazarika’s powerful and moving account uncovers a forgotten chapter of history-the haunting journeys of Indian prisoners of war in the east during World War II. Through painstaking research and compassionate storytelling, this book resurrects the tortured voices of those silenced by captivity, torn from home, and erased from memory.'
Rajesh Rai, Associate Professor & Head, South Asian Studies Programme, National University of Singapore
'Hazarika’s powerful and moving account uncovers a forgotten chapter of history-the haunting journeys of Indian prisoners of war in the east during World War II. Through painstaking research and compassionate storytelling, this book resurrects the tortured voices of those silenced by captivity, torn from home, and erased from memory.'
Rajesh Rai, Associate Professor & Head, South Asian Studies Programme, National University of Singapore
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ShipCraft 8: Fletcher Class Destroyers
The 'ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, using scale plans to highlight differences between sisterships and changes in their appearance over their careers, then moves to an extensive… Read more...
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The Yompers
'Yomping' was revealed by the journalist Charles Laurence in 1982 as the word which the Royal Marines used to describe carrying heavy loads long distances on foot. Given the intense public interest in the dramatic events then unfolding in the South Atlantic, it caught on and is now in common usage. The Yompers is the first account to be written by… Read more...
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Born of the Desert
Born of the Desert is a classic account of the early years of the SAS. The Special Air Service was formed in 1941 and quickly earned a reputation for stealth, daring and audacity in the Western Desert Campaign. This elite force utilised the endless expanse of the desert to carry out surprise attacks and hit and run raids behind the Afrika Korps' lines,… Read more...
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Hitler's Boy Soldiers
Founded in 1922, the Hitler Youth movement, or Hitlerjugend, was comprised of male youths aged 14 – 18 and, by December 1936, membership stood at over 5,000,000. During the Second World War its role evolved from assisting with the postal, train and fire services into full war fighting. Recruits went into units such as the elite 12th SS Panzer-Division… Read more...
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The Waffen SS in Combat
This is the photographic history of the Waffen-SS in combat on all fronts. The short six year history of the Waffen SS spanned triumph and disaster, and their story can be traced through these powerful images, which clearly document the reality of combat from 1940 to 1945. These rare images span the combat history of the Waffen-SS from the optimism… Read more...
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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...
History has not been kind to the memory of Tiberius Caesar (42 BC-AD 37), second emperor of the Romans. His reputation for capable generalship and sensible civic leadership are marred by reports of cruelty, treason trials and sexual depravity. Some historians have described him as a ‘tyrant’ or even a ‘monster’. But does he deserve this negative… Read more...
Many wargamers enjoy the challenge of skirmish games where, instead of the strategy of vast armies portrayed by traditional wargames, the focus is on the tactics of a small unit. However, skirmish rules are often so complex that it can take hours of rolling dice, consulting tables and recording data to recreate what would in reality be a fast and furious… Read more...
How to Undertake Surveillance and Reconnaissance offers you a systemic way to learn about these fascinating subjects—what they are and what they are not. In doing so, it will teach you how to employ the unique tradecraft associated with these interesting occupation in order to help you plan and carry out your own recon missions. In a world of growing… Read more...
The story of First World War deserters who were shot at dawn, then pardoned nearly a century later has often been told, but these 306 soldiers represent a tiny proportion of deserters. More than 80,000 cases of desertion and absence were tried at courts martial on the home front but these soldiers have been ignored. Andrea Hetherington, in this thought-provoking… Read more...
From the mountains of Italy to the beaches of Normandy, and from the deserts of North Africa to the ruined cities of Germany, experience the history of the Second World War in Western Europe from 1939-1945 in an entirely different way. Using unpublished letters and diaries, follow the journeys of some fifty Allied soldiers (American, British, French,… Read more...
Hersch effectively uses his father’s unusual story to convey the horrors of the Holocaust. A valuable addition to Holocaust literature. - Publishers Weekly Hersch's amazing tale is told for the first time by his son Jack who has retraced his footsteps for his new book. - The Daily Mail In a warm and emotionally engaging story, Jack digs deeply into… Read more...
