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Biography of a German Jewish scientist whose discoveries embodied both the beneficial and the destructive capacities of science. Discusses the…
intellect of Fritz Haber (1868-1934), who moved confidently between laboratory, factory, and battlefield, who invented famine-preventing agricultural processes, and who developed poisonous gas later used in Nazi concentration camps. 2005Ace of aces: the life of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker
Par H. Paul Jeffers. 2003
A biography of captain Eddie Rickenbacker (1890-1973), the much decorated "Ace of Aces" who destroyed twenty-six enemy planes in World…
War I. Fascinated with engines and speed, he began his career as a race-car driver, becoming third-ranked in the country. He later founded Eastern Airlines. 2003The First and the Last of the Sheffield City Battalion
Par John Cornwell. 2020
This is the story of two British men from very different social backgrounds, who both joined a new Pals battalion…
during World War I.To encourage men to volunteer, the British Army established Pals battalions that allowed men who enlisted together to serve together during the First World War. One of these men was Vivian Simpson, a 31-year-old solicitor who was well known in the city; partly because he was an outstanding footballer, playing for Sheffield Wednesday and an England trialist. Simpson was the very first man to enroll for the new battalion and was commissioned in January 1915.The other man was Reg Glenn, a clerk in the Education Offices who served as a signaler in each battle the 12th Battalion fought in until the summer of 1917, when he was selected to become an officer.To his annoyance, Vivian Simpson was kept back in England as a training officer until after the battalion’s disaster on the Somme on 1 July 1916. However, after that he became a most energetic and courageous officer. He was awarded an MC in 1917, but was killed in the German offensive on the Lys in April 1918.Reg Glenn went back to France in 1918 as a subaltern in the North Staffordshires and was wounded on the Aisne in his first day of combat as an officer. He was never fit enough to go back to the trenches and became a training officer in Northumberland with his new regiment and later with the Cameronians at Invergordon. He survived the war and lived to be 101 years old, making him the last survivor of the 12th Battalion.Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck
Par Evan McGilvray. 2020
This military biography explores the life and service of a British Indian Army officer who served with distinction across both…
world wars.During the First World War, Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck was awarded a Distinguished Service Order for his efforts in Egypt and the Mesopotamian Campaign. Afterward, he aided the pacification of the Northwest Frontier, now Pakistan. In the Second World War he briefly led a division in the ill-fated Norway campaign before being appointed Commander-in-Chief, India. Auchinleck is best remembered for his time as Commander-in-Chief of the Middle East Theatre, where he halted Rommel at the First Battle of El Alamein. He then resumed command in India, where his leadership was vital to success in Burma. In the post-war years, he planned and oversaw the Partition of India and the British withdrawal.In this extensively researched biography, historian Evan McGilvray examines Auchinleck’s long career as well as the transformations of the British military and the Empire itself.Prisoners on Cannock Chase: Great War PoWs & Brockton Camp
Par Richard Pursehouse. 2020
The “fascinating” story of a First World War prisoner of war camp which held captured German personnel in the very…
heart of the English countryside (Books Monthly).Richard Pursehouse first became aware of the existence of a camp while walking over Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, finding sewer covers in what appeared to be uninhabited heathland. Intrigued, the author set out to investigate the mystery and discovered that the sewers were for two Army camps—Brocton and Rugeley—that had been constructed for soldiers training during the First World War. What he also found, however, was that the Brocton Camp site also included a segregated autonomous prisoner of war camp. With the aid of an old postcard, Richard was able to identify the exact location and layout of the long-lost camp. His research continued until he had accumulated an enormous amount of detail about the camp and life for its prisoners. He found a file by the Camp Commandant, Swiss Legation correspondence, stories in newspapers, letters and diaries, and received photographs from interested individuals. Amongst his finds was a box holding scores of fascinating letters sent home by an administration clerk while he was working at the camp. During his investigations, Richard also learned of attempted murders and escapes (including the only escapee to make it back to Germany), deaths, thefts—and a fatal scandal. The letters, documents and diaries reveal how the prisoners coped with incarceration, as well as their treatment, both in terms of camp conditions and their medical needs. The result is a unique insight into what life was like inside a British Prisoner of War camp during the First World War.Jean, Lady Hamilton, 1861–1941: Diaries of A Soldier's Wife
Par Celia Lee. 2020
“A pleasure to read. It’s predominantly about the life of Jean Hamilton’s husband Ian as an officer during the Great…
War and life for both before and after.” —UK HistorianJean, Lady Hamilton’s diaries remained forgotten and hidden in the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King’s College, London, for fifty years. The story begins with the young couples’ wedding, a dazzling bride, Jean Muir, marrying a star-struck Major Ian Hamilton. The daughter of the millionaire businessman Sir John Muir, Jean had all the money whilst Hamilton was penniless.Having spent their early married years in India, the Hamiltons returned and set up house in the prestigious Hyde Park area of London, also eventually buying Lullenden Manor, East Grinstead, that they purchased as a country home from Winston Churchill when he could no longer afford it. Churchill in particular was like family in the Hamiltons’ home; he used to go there and practice his speeches, and painted alongside Jean to whom he sold his first painting.Jean chronicled Ian’s long army career that culminated in the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. The failure there ended her husband’s distinguished career and almost ended Churchill’s as he had to leave his job as First Lord of the Admiralty. This account is Lady Hamilton’s “attempt to chronicle her husband’s life as a top-flight but penniless soldier, this at a time when young Winston Churchill . . . was emerging from his own distinguished and very colourful military career to enter a life of politics . . . Jean Hamilton is one of those larger than life people of whom we know very little until a book such as Celia’s comes along” (Books Monthly).On the Road to Victory: The Rise of Motor Transport with the BEF on the Western Front
Par Michael Harrison. 2020
The story of a revolution in moving troops and supplies: “A rare gem that will fill a gap in your…
World War I library. Highly recommended.” —Indy Squadron Dispatch The Great War produced many innovations, in particular the spectacular development by the British and French armies of motor transport.The age-old problem of moving soldiers and their supplies was no different in 1914 than it had been some 2,400 years ago, when the great Chinese military thinker Sun Tzu informed his readers that the further an army marched into enemy territory, the more the cost of transport increased, even to the point that more supplies were consumed by the transportation of men and their horses than was delivered to the troops.Using many previously unpublished illustrations, including artists’ impressions, this book tells the story of the men and women who made motor transport work for the victorious British Army on the Western Front, so that in 1918, the humble lorry did indeed help propel the British Army forward on the road to victory.Tynemouth in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
Par Craig Armstrong. 2020
A history of the English seaside town during World War I, from its significance to its sacrifices.Tynemouth Borough, which included…
the towns of Tynemouth and North Shields, was an area of strategic value to the national war effort as it contained the mouth of the river Tyne and was the entry point to the most important munitions center in Britain. Industry upriver included the manufacture of munitions, armaments, and military and civilian ships, while the port of Tyne was one of the busiest in the country with its internationally important coal export industry.Away from its industrial importance, the area was also a hotbed of military recruitment. In common with the rest of the northeast, Tynemouth had large numbers of young men who were serving in the forces before the outbreak of the war. Its record for wartime recruitment was second to none and it lay in a key recruitment area for the local regiment, the Northumberland Fusiliers, who raised over fifty battalions during the war—a record. Given its location on the coast, Tynemouth also had a proud tradition of service in the Merchant Navy and many Tynemouth men had the sea in their blood, whilst North Shields was the home base of a large and active fishing fleet. Many of the men who manned the trawlers saw active service, whilst others were exposed to even greater dangers due to the war.This engaging book is the first to look at the fascinating social history of Tynemouth during the shattering years of the Great War and charts the huge sacrifices made by the townspeople.The First Blitz in 100 Objects (In 100 Objects Ser.)
Par Ian Castle. 2020
A visual history of this forgotten WWI bombing campaign: &“A fantastic book. Remnants of stained glass windows, grocery shop scales…
. . . and so much more.&” —War History Online The First World War ushered in many new and increasingly deadly weapons and strategies—none more so than Germany&’s sustained aerial bombing campaign against Britain, which opened an entirely new theatre of war—the Home Front. It was a shocking awakening to twentieth-century warfare for the military and civilians alike. There are still fascinating glimpses of this first air campaign, long overshadowed by the Blitz of World War II—to be found in the streets of British towns and cities. Often unnoticed, each tells its own dramatic tale of death and destruction, or maybe of heroism and narrow escapes. Museums hold tantalizing reminders of the air raids, from complete aircraft that defended the country to relics of great Zeppelins that initially brought terror to the British population but ultimately were doomed to become nothing more than great heaps of burnt and twisted wreckage. This first-time assault from the air both terrified and fascinated citizens—and unexpectedly, a significant trade in air raid souvenirs developed, from postcards of wrecked houses and bomb craters to china models of Zeppelins and their bombs and pieces of Zeppelin wreckage. And among the 100 Objects brought together in this book, there can also be found tales of resilience, humor, and determination—which all have their place in the story of this First Blitz'Luxury' Fleet: The Imperial German Navy 1888-1918 (Routledge Library Editions: The First World War)
Par Holger H. Herwig. 2014
Originally published in 1980 ‘Luxury’ Fleet (the phrase was Winston Churchill’s) was the first history of the Imperial German navy…
from 1888 to 1918. After tracing the historical background to German naval ambitions, the first two sections of the book analyse Admiral Tirpitz’s programme of building a battle fleet strong enough to engage the Royal Navy in the North Sea. The author shows the fleet in its European setting and describes the warships and the attitudes of the officer corps and seamen. The final section of the book discusses the tactical deployment of the German fleet during the First World War, both in home waters and overseas; and it weighs the balance between those who supported fleet actions in preference to those who favoured cruiser and submarine warfare.We Can Take It!
Par Mark Connelly. 2003
`We Can Take It!' shows that the British remember the war in a peculiar way, thanks to a mix of…
particular images and evidence. Our memory has been shaped by material which is completely removed from historical reality. These images (including complete inventions) have combined to make a new history. The vision is mostly cosy and suits the way in which the Britons conceive of themselves: dogged, good humoured, occasionally bumbling, unified and enjoying diversity. In fact Britons load their memory towards the early part of the war (Dunkirk, Blitz, Battle of Britain) rather than when we were successful in the air or against Italy and Germany with invasions. This suits our love of being the underdog, fighting against the odds, and being in a crisis. Conversely, the periods of the war during which Britain was in the ascendant are, perversely, far more hazy in the public memory.The First World War marks a crucial period in the history of the socialist wing of the British labour movement.…
This book is an account of the development of the political ideas and activities of some of the most influential British socialist thinkers of that time: Beatrice and Sidney Webb, R. H. Tawney and G. D. H. Cole. The first part of the book examines the state of the Labour movement and of socialist ideas on the eve of the conflict, then turns to the central question of the impact of the War on the dissemination of British socialist ideas.The War Plans of the Great Powers: 1880-1914 (Routledge Library Editions: The First World War)
Par Paul M. Kennedy. 2014
The origins of the First World War remain one of the greatest twentieth century historical controversies. In this debate the…
role of military planning in particular and of militarism in general, are a key focus of attention. Did the military wrest control from the civilians? Were the leaders of Europe eager for a conflict? What military commitments were made between the various alliance blocks? These questions are examined in detail here in eleven essays by distinguished historians and the editor’s introduction provides a focus and draws out the comparative approach to the history of military policies and war plans of the great powers.Berwick-Upon-Tweed in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
Par Craig Armstrong. 2015
Berwick-upon-Tweed was an important garrison town and regional centre, which, as befit its history, had a strong sense of duty,…
reflected in its proud martial traditions.During the catastrophic years of 1914-18 many Berwick families found themselves greatly affected by the war. Large numbers of Berwick men volunteered to serve in the forces and many were killed. During the first months of war the local barracks were overwhelmed by the number of men volunteering for the King's Own Scottish Borderers, while a great many Berwick lads served with the Northumberland Fusiliers. Others were less keen to serve and this book considers some of these cases, ranging from hairdressers to farmworkers, who were brought before the military tribunal at Berwick.For many of those left behind the war was a time of worry and hardship. Others saw the business opportunities, and this book includes the telling accounts of the Berwick women who were imprisoned for running brothels, which were used by the many soldiers in the town, along with accounts of petty theft and profiteering. Berwick also suffered from wartime policies and severe shortages and these issues are meticulously analysed throughout with a view to how they affected the people of Berwick. As a port, Berwick witnessed the aftermath of the sinking of merchant vessels and the people of the town were keenly aware of the sacrifices being made. They went to great efforts to provide support for those fighting the war, despite the shortages they themselves were suffering from. These efforts are explained in the book, which is a testimony to the bravery, self-sacrifice and determination of the people of Berwick during the Great War.Harrogate & Ripon in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
Par Stephen Wade. 2016
Harrogate and Ripon, just a few miles apart in one of the most beautiful localities in Yorkshire, have rarely had…
their contributions to the Great War told all together, in one volume. Stephen Wade has written an account of their importance, from the Ripon camps, where thousands of infantrymen for Kitcheners new Pals Battalions were trained, to the many Harrogate hospitals where casualties were cared for. Added to this are stories of local individuals, at home and in the European theatre of war, who played their part in this massive conflict. Harrogate and Ripon,made the usual contributions to the war effort, raising money and making food, but the local people experienced many of the significant Yorkshire events of the war, such as the explosion at Barnbow munitions factory and the housing of Belgian refugees. The book tells the stories of not only the heroes, such as Betty Stevenson and Donald Bell VC, but of the ordinary Yorkshire folk who endured the hardships and made great sacrifices. The book provides ample evidence that Harrogate and Ripon, along with their surrounding areas, have a fine record for courage and determination during the First World War.Cambridge in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
Par Glynis Cooper. 2016
Cambridge is one of the most famous universities in the world and its library is one of only five copyright…
libraries in the UK. At the start of the twentieth century it was a privileged life for some, but many in Cambridge knew that war was becoming truly inevitable. What the proverbial gown feared communicated itself to the surrounding town. Terrible rumours were rife, that the Germans would burn the university library and raise Kings College chapel to the ground, before firing shells along the tranquil Backs of the River Cam until the weeping willows were just blackened stumps. Frightened but determined, age-old town and gown rivalries were put aside as the city united against the common enemy. This book tells Cambridges fascinating story in the grim years of the Great War. Thousands of university students, graduates and lecturers alike enlisted, along with the patriotic townsfolk. The First Eastern General Military Hospital was subsequently established in Trinity College and treated more than 80,000 casualties from the Western Front. Though the university had been the longtime hub of life and employment in the town, many people suffered great losses and were parted from loved ones, decimating traditional breadwinners and livelihoods, from the rationing of food, drink and fuel, to hundreds of restrictions imposed by DORA. As a result, feelings ran high and eventually led to riots beneath the raiding zeppelins and ever-present threat of death.The poet, Rupert Brooke, a graduate of Kings College, died on his way to the Dardanelles in 1915, but his most famous poem The Soldier became a preemptive memorial and the epitaph of millions.If I should dieThink only this of me That theres some corner of a foreign field That is forever England.Defiance!: Withstanding the Kaiserschlacht (Eyewitnesses from The Great War)
Par G.H.F. Nichols. 2015
George Nichols was an artillery officer serving with the 82nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He was wounded in 1917, and…
returned to the guns in March 1918, just in time to experience the fury of the Kaiserschlacht, the great German offensive designed to knock the British army out of the war.Nichols wrote a powerful account of the Kaiser's last great offensive battle from inside the eye of the storm, and it is one of the few primary source accounts which are told from the often overlooked perspective of the British artillerymen. Nichols, with wonderful British reserve, records how the men of the Royal Field Artillery steadfastly manned their guns. Nichols survived the onslaught and in 1919, was able to produce a full account of both the retreat and the British counter-attack which won back the lost ground.First published in 1919, while censorship was still in force, this wonderful primary source has long been out of print and it's welcome return makes for essential reading for anyone with an interest in the Great War.Dartford in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
Par Stephen Wynn. 2016
Dartford was a hive of activity during the Great War years, with most in the community doing their bit for…
the war effort in what ever way that they could. For men that meant enlisting in the armed forces, and for women that they were to take up roles that previously belonged to men. They worked in industry, delivered post, drove buses and taxis, and became carpenters and plumbers. They were also heavily relied on by volunteer organizations, such as Voluntary Aid Detachments, the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps and later in the war, the Women's Land Army. Nearby, there was a large munitions factory in the town, which maintained a large yet productive, mostly female, workforce to ensure it met the ever-increasing demand for shells and bullets and, throughout the town, hospitals to cared for the wounded servicemen of Britain, Australia, America and even Germany, whose captured military personnel were held at one of many local prisoner of war camps. Joyce Green Aerodrome was home to units of the Royal Flying Corps and latterly the Royal Air Force, who protected both Dartford and London from air raids. This book cover how Dartford endured thirty-seven German air raids. Miraculously, not one local resident was killed.At the end of the war, the people of Dartford returned to the normality of life as best as they could, but the world had changed forever. For those who had lost loved ones, and over 300 local families had, the changes would always be a painful reminder of the terrible price of the war.Dartford in the Great War is a meticulous and compelling account of this town and its dedicated people, who sacrificed so much in their effort to thrive in one history's most difficult periods.A &“fascinating&” guide to war propaganda of WWI and WWII, from &“Loose Lips Sink Ships&” to &“Keep Calm and Carry…
On&”—includes vintage images (Firetrench). A Guide to War Publications of the First & Second World War is devoted to the printed ephemera that was designed to educate, instruct, inform, and entertain during the first and second World Wars. This includes soldiers&’ Field Regulations, updates airmen received about airborne early warnings, bomb sights, and radio navigation, and materials sailors were given to help them identify enemy aircraft and operate new weapons on submarines. This comprehensive guide illustrates the large amount of material produced during the war by looking at encouraging wartime sayings such as: &“Go To IT!,&” &“Come Into The Factories,&” &“Keep Calm and Carry On,&” &“Dig for Victory,&” &“Lend A Hand on the Land,&” and &“Walk When You Can.&” While showing how other messages warned of consequences to irresponsible behavior: &“Careless Talk Cost Lives,&” &“Loose Lips Sink Ships,&” &“Keep It Under Your Hat,&” and &“Be Like Dad, Keep Mum.&” Arthur Ward gives information on what propaganda was produced, what items are still available and where to find them, and how to conserve and store vintage printed items.Dover in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
Par Stephen Wynn. 2017
Situated on the south coast of England, geographically and strategically, Dover more than played its part in the First World…
War. It was from its harbor that the many vessels of the Dover Patrol set about preventing German ships from using the English Channel. It was undoubtedly one of the most important Royal Naval units that Britain had during the First World War.Because of its important defensive roll, Dover was identified as a legitimate and relevant target by the German authorities. As a result, German Zeppelin's and Gotha aircraft subjected Dover to 113 aerial attacks, dropping 185 bombs in the process. The first of these raids took place on Christmas Eve, 1914; this was also the first time a German bomb had been dropped on British soil. The last raid was on 24 August 1918, in which twenty adults and three children were killed.The local residents who, for whatever reason, were unable to enlist in the military during the war, but who still felt the desire and obligation to serve their King and country, were able to do so in organizations such as the Dover Volunteer Training Corps. Most towns had similar units, and their members carried out some sterling work on the Home Front.By the end of the war, Dover and its people had sustained through testing and difficult times. Like every community throughout the nation, they had paid a heavy price. They had been as close to the war as it was possible to be, without actually being on the Front Line. Ships had sailed from its harbour to engage the enemy, and wounded soldiers had returned to the same harbour. Its men had gone of to fight in the war and, sadly, 721 of them never came back.