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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.Take These Men: Tank Warfare with the Desert Rats
Par Cyril Joly. 2019
A 1955 military memoir offering a first-hand account of life in the British 7th Armoured Division during World War II.…
Few accounts of the tank battles in the Western Desert during the Second World War have provided so vivid an evocation as Cyril Joly&’s classic account Take These Men. In such inhospitable conditions, this was armoured warfare of a particularly difficult and dangerous kind. From 1940 to 1943, battles raged back and forth as one side or the other gained the upper hand, only to lose it again. Often the obsolescent British armour was outnumbered by the Italians or outgunned by Rommel&’s Afrika Korps, and frequently it suffered from the ineptitudes of higher command. Cyril Joly&’s first-hand narrative of these campaigns—highly praised when it was originally published in 1955—tells the story through the eyes of a young officer in the 7th Armoured Division, the famous Desert Rats. It describes in accurate, graphic detail the experience of tank warfare over seventy years ago, recalling the fortitude of the tank crews and their courage in the face of sometimes overwhelming odds.The British Partisan: Capture, Imprisonment and Escape in Wartime Italy
Par Michael Ross. 2019
An exciting, evocative memoir of combat in North Africa, danger behind enemy lines, and two daring escapes. In this…
action-packed account, a Welch Regiment officer describes his remarkable Second World War experiences. These include his baptism by fire in the Western Desert against Rommel&’s armor in 1942; the spontaneous help of nomad Arabs when he was on the run for ten days behind enemy lines; and his capture and life as a POW in Italy. Michael Ross and a fellow officer made the first escape from Fontanellato POW camp only to be recaptured on the Swiss border. During his second escape, Ross fought against the occupying German forces in north Italy alongside the Italian partisans, who nearly executed him initially. He avoided recapture for over a year before finally reaching Allied lines. The reader learns of the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of local Italians helping and hiding Allied soldiers. Ross&’s story has a poignant conclusion as, while on the run, he fell in love with a prominent anti-fascist&’s daughter whom he married after the war. Originally published as From Liguria With Love, this superbly written and updated memoir is a powerful and inspiring tribute to all those who risked their lives to help him and his comrades.Mortar Gunner on the Eastern Front Volume I: From the Moscow Winter Offensive to Operation Zitadelle
Par Dr Hans Heinz Rehfeldt. 2019
The first volume of the World War II diaries of Nazi mortar gunner constantly pushed to the brink of death…
while fighting against Russia. Following his Abitur (A-levels) in 1940, Hans Heinz Rehfeldt volunteered for Germany&’s Panzer Arm but was trained on the heavy mortar and heavy MG with Grossdeutschland Division. In 1941, he was on the Front fighting for the city of Tula, south of Moscow. Battling in freezing conditions without winter clothes, they resorted to using those taken from Soviet corpses. In 1942, his battalion fought near Oriel, suffered heavy losses, and disbanded. Ill with frostbitten legs, Rehfeldt was treated in hospital, and once recovered, was dispatched back to the Front. Following various battles (Werch, Bolchov) his battalion again suffered heavy losses and it merged. In agony from severe frostbite to his legs, Rehfeldt defied the odds and astonished his surgeon when he walked again. He was promoted from Gunner to Trained Private Soldier in 1942, and to Corporal for bravery in the field in 1943. He was also awarded numerous honors, including the Wound Badge and the Infantry Assault Badge. On 3 May 1945, he was captured by U.S. Forces and held as a POW for one month in a camp at Waschow before internment in Holstein where he was released in July 1945, after agreeing to work on the land. Then, in December 1945, he put his past behind him and began studying for his future career: veterinary medicine.With a Smile and a Wave: The Life of Captain Aidan Liddell VC MC
Par Peter Daybell. 2005
During the late summer of 1915 Captain Aidan Liddell's gallant exploits filled many newspaper columns and he was feted as…
a national hero. Already decorated for bravery while serving with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, and it was as a pilot that he attracted national acclaim.Badly wounded over enemy occupied Belgium, Liddell lost consciousness as his two-seater RE5 aircraft was raked by machine gun fire, and plunged out of control towards the ground. Despite terrible injuries and the extensive damage to his machine, he somehow recovered from an inverted dive and flew on for a further half an hour to the safety of the Allied lines, so saving his observer and a valuable aircraft.For this action he was awarded the Victoria Cross, but did not live to receive Britain's highest gallantry award and succumbed to his wounds a month later. With a Smile and a Wave provides a vivid picture of the squalor and danger of war, the backbreaking hardship of trench life and of the challenges of pioneer air fighting. It draws extensively on Captain Liddell's own letters and diaries and exposes the character and courage of the man in his own often compelling and moving words. But it is a story not just of war, but of growing up in a devout and prosperous family, of a Jesuit education at Stonyhurst College, and of Edwardian Oxford before the Great War. It portrays the privileged lifestyle of the English country gentleman, and describes how a very close knit and patriotic family dealt with the adversity of war.Missing But Not Forgotten: Men of the Thiepval Memorial-Somme
Par Ken Linge, Pam Linge. 2015
Stories offering insight into the lives of 200 of the 72,000 men who went missing in action at the Battle…
of the Somme in France during WWI.The Thiepval Memorial commemorates over 72,000 men who have no known grave; all went missing in the Somme sector during the three years of conflict that finally ended on 20 March 1918.The book is not a military history of the Battle of the Somme, it is about personal remembrance, and features over 200 fascinating stories of the men who fought and died and whose final resting places have not been identified. Countries within the UK are all well represented, as are the men whose roots were in the far-flung reaches of the Empire and even foreigners. The stories that lie behind each of the names carved into the memorials panels illustrate the various backgrounds and differing lives of these men. The diverse social mix of the men young and old, gentry to laborers, actors, artists, clergy, poets, sportsmen, writers, and more is something that stands out in the book. Despite their social differences, what is most apparent is the wide impact of the loss for over fifty widows, around 100 children left fatherless and over thirty families mourning more than one son. Ranks from private to lieutenant colonel are expertly covered, as well as all seven winners of the Victoria Cross.These captivating stories stand as remembrance for each man and to all the others on the memorial. They are meticulously organized so the book can be of use to visitors as they walk around the memorial; as a name is viewed, the story behind that name can be read.Praise for Missing but Not Forgotten“This book specifically explores what is known about the lives and service of 200 of those men. The men selected aptly represent the wide variety of those who fought in the epic conflict, from laborers to gentry, from humble Tommies to VC recipients. Photographs, diary entries and other accounts bring at least a few of the sobering ranks of names to life.” —Your Family HistoryFirst In: A History of the 21st Independent Parachute Company, 1942–1946
Par Ron Kent. 2015
The First World War as a living history is to all intents and purposes over. As of today February 2005,…
there are only twelve veterans from six million alive who served on the Western Front. Richard has spent the last 20 years interviewing and carefully recording the memories of over 270 veterans and this book is a culmination of his 20 years of work.The book will be an extraordinary collection of stories told by the veterans themselves but also through the author's memories of them: the remarkable, the sad, the funny, the moving. It will also feature an outstanding collection of photographs taken of the veterans as they were, as soldiers during the war together with recent images of almost all of these men, taken at home, back on the Western Front, at the final veterans' reunion, and at various investitures. Britain's Last Tommies will also offer a unique list of veterans, all of who individually hold the poignant title of being the last Gallipoli veteran, the last Royal Flying Corps veteran, the last Distinguished Conduct Medal holder, the last cavalryman, the last Prisoner of War.Wellington in the Peninsula, 1808–1814: 1808-1814 (Napoleonic Library)
Par Jac Weller. 1992
The author of Wellington at Waterloo delivers an in-depth history of the military commander&’s tactics and strategy in the Peninsular…
War. After gaining strategic and tactical experience in Colonial India, Arthur Wellesley went to battle against French forces in the Peninsular War. With his decisive victories there, he ascended to the peerage of the United Kingdom as the 1st Duke of Wellington. Inthis volume, historian Jac Weller delivers a complete account of Wellington&’s career on the Iberian Peninsula, covering all the battles in which he took part. Talavera, The battles of Busaco, Salamanca and Vitoria are among the famous conflicts Weller brings to life in the lively chronicle, combining meticulous research with extensive visits to the historic battlefields. Supplementing his accessible narrative with photographs, Weller demonstrates how this great commander finally achieved victory after six years of battle against Napoleon&’s army.Apache Over Libya
Par Will Laidlaw. 2016
In this military memoir, an Army Air Corps pilot recounts his experience flying Apache helicopters behind enemy lines in the…
First Libyan Civil War. In May 2011, after a routine exercise in the Mediterranean, HMS Ocean and her fleet of Apache attack helicopters were about to head home. But the civil war in Libya and the resulting NATO air campaign intervened. Soon the author and his fellow Apache pilots were flying at night over hostile territory. Despite Libya's cutting-edge defense systems and land-to-air weapons, the Apaches made nightly raids at ultra low-level behind enemy lines. They had to fight their way into Libya and complete their mission before the hazardous return to Ocean.Apache Over Libya describes the experiences of eight Army and two Royal Navy pilots who played a significant role in the NATO-led campaign. Despite fighting the best armed enemy British aircrew have faced in generations, they defied the odds and survived. Thrilling firsthand action accounts vividly convey what it means to fly the Apache in combat at sea and over enemy-held terrain. This unforgettable account gives a rare insight into attack helicopter operations in war.Boy on the Bridge: The Story of John Shalikashvili's American Success (American Warriors Series)
Par Andrew Marble. 2021
&“This isn&’t just a must-read for military buffs—it&’s a source of inspiration for every American and anyone who aspires to…
be one.&” —John Kerry, former US Secretary of State Born in Poland, John Shalikashvili (1936-2011) emigrated to the United States in 1952 and was drafted into the army as a private in 1958. He rose steadily through the ranks, serving in every level of unit command from platoon to division. In 1993, Shalikashvili was tapped by President Bill Clinton to replace General Colin Powell as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becoming the first immigrant, first draftee, and first Officer Candidate School graduate to hold the position. This first-ever biography of Shalikashvili&’s riches-to-rags-and-back-to-riches story reveals how his distinctive background helped him become one of the United States&’s greatest military leaders. He exhibited a unique and unconventional leadership style—employing expertise, humility, straightforwardness, and empathy—that he adroitly used to resolve or prevent destructive conflict. His distinctive leadership style greatly benefited the United States, Europe, and beyond: as when he led the rescue of 500,000 Kurdish refugees in the first Gulf War&’s aftermath; when he represented Joint Chiefs chairman Colin Powell in helping secure loose nukes in the former Soviet republics; as he joined forces with fellow immigrant Madeleine Albright on the Partnership for Peace initiative and NATO enlargement program in the 1990s; and in retirement, when he helped end the military&’s &“Don&’t Ask, Don&’t Tell&” policy, thereby finally allowing gay servicemembers to serve openly without fear of dishonorable discharge. &“An engaging story of a remarkable man whose life story would be fascinating even without regard to his military career.&” —Foot Notes BlogEscape Artist: The Incredible Second World War of Johnny Peck
Par Peter Monteath. 2018
The never-before-told story of World War II escape artist extraordinaire, Johnny Peck.In August 1941, an eighteen-year-old Australian soldier made his…
first prison break an audacious night-time escape from a German prisoner-of-war camp in Crete. Astoundingly, this was only the first of many escapes.An infantryman in the 2/7 Battalion, Johnny Peck was first thrown into battle against Italian forces in the Western Desert. Campaigns against Hitlers Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe in Greece and Crete followed. When Crete fell to the Germans at the end of May 1941, Peck was trapped on the island with hundreds of other men. On the run, they depended on their wits, the kindness of strangers, and sheer good luck.When Pecks luck ran out, he was taken captive by the Germans, then the Italians. Later, after his release from a Piedmontese jail following the Italian Armistice of 1943, and at immense risk to his own life, Peck devoted himself to helping POWs cross the Alps to safety. Captured once more, Peck was sentenced to death and detained in Milans notorious, Gestapo-run San Vittore prison until escaping again, this time into Switzerland.Historian Peter Monteath reveals the action-packed tale of one young Australian soldier and his remarkable war.Memoirs of a Wartime Interpreter: From the Battle for Moscow to Hitler's Bunker
Par Yelena Rzhevskaya. 2018
"By the will of fate I came to play a part in not letting Hitler achieve his final goal of…
disappearing and turning into a myth I managed to prevent Stalins dark and murky ambition from taking root his desire to hide from the world that we had found Hitlers corpse" - Elena Rzhevskaya"A telling reminder of the jealousy and rivalries that split the Allies even in their hour of victory, and foreshadowed the Cold War"- Tom Parfitt, The GuardianOn May 2,1945, Red Army soldiers broke into Hitlers bunker. Rzhevskaya, a young military interpreter, was with them. Almost accidentally the Soviet military found the charred remains of Hitler and Eva Braun. They also found key documents: Bormann's notes, the diaries of Goebbels and letters of Magda Goebbels.Rzhevskaya was entrusted with the proof of the Hitlers death: his teeth wrenched from his corpse by a pathologist hours earlier. The teeth were given to Rzhevskaya because they believed male agents were more likely to get drunk on Victory Day, blurt out the secret and lose the evidence. She interrogated Hitler's dentist's assistant who confirmed the teeth were his.Elenas role as an interpreter allowed her to forge a link between the Soviet troops and the Germans. She also witnessed the civilian tragedy perpetrated by the Soviets. The book includes her diary material and later additions, including conversations with Zhukov, letters of pathologist Shkaravsky, who led the autopsy, and a new Preface written by Rzhevskaya for the English language edition.Rzhevskaya writes about the key historical events and everyday life in her own inimitable style. She talks in depth of human suffering, of bittersweet victory, of an author's responsibility, of strange laws of memory and unresolved feeling of guilt.Bligh: Master Mariner
Par Rob Mundle. 2017
Beyond the Bounty: A biography of the Royal Navy officer from &“a master of the maritime narrative&” (The Sydney Morning…
Herald). The eighteenth century was an era when brave mariners took their ships beyond the horizon in search of an unknown world. Those chosen to lead these expeditions were exceptional navigators, men who had shown brilliance as they ascended the ranks in the Royal Navy. They were also bloody good sailors. From ship&’s boy to vice-admiral, discover how much more there was to Captain Bligh than his infamous bad temper. Meet a twenty-four-year-old Master Bligh as he witnesses the demise of his captain and mentor, Cook; a thirty-four-year-old Lieutenant Bligh at the helm of the famous Bounty then cast adrift by Fletcher Christian on an epic forty-seven-day open-boat voyage from Tonga to Timor; and a thirty-six-year-old Captain Bligh as he takes HMS Providence, in the company of a young Matthew Flinders, on a grand voyage to Tahiti and back. This book goes beyond the character we&’ve seen in movies—into the real life of a complex and remarkable seaman.Dorking in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
Par Kathryn Atherton. 2014
From Zeppelin raids to housing refugees and evacuees or from men volunteering to fight or women working in the local…
Gunpowder factory, Dorking in the Great War looks at how the experience of war impacted on the town, from the initial enthusiasm for sorting out the German Kaiser in time for Christmas 1914, to the gradual realization of the enormity of human sacrifice the families of Dorking were committed to as the war stretched out over the next four years. The Great War affected everyone. At home there were wounded soldiers in military hospitals, refugees from Belgium and later on German prisoners of war. There were food and fuel shortages and disruption to schooling. The role of women changed dramatically and they undertook a variety of work undreamed of in peacetime. Meanwhile, men serving in the armed forces were scattered far and wide. Extracts from contemporary letters reveal their heroism and give insights into what it was like under battle conditions.Seven Troop
Par Andy McNab. 2008
INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF BRAVO TWO ZERO IN HIS EXPLOSIVE TRUE STORY“A gripping account of special forces at work…
. . . a tremendous adventure story.”–Daily Telegraph“The best account yet of the SAS in action.”–Sunday TimesFrom the SAS soldier who invented the modern military memoir comes a storming battering ram of thrill-packed, unforgettable drama.Never-before-revealed covert operations and heartbreaking human stories combine to create a new classic and a book that takes us back to where it all began… SEVEN TROOP is Andy McNab’s gripping account of the time he served in the company of a remarkable band of brothers – from the day, freshly badged, he joined them in the Malayan jungle, to the day, ten years later, when he handed in his sand-coloured beret and started a new life. The things they saw and did during that time would take them all to breaking point – and some beyond – in the years that followed. He who dares doesn’t always win…___________________________________________________________________"Paying tribute to the soldiers he served with for 10 years, he tells the poignant story of five brave men of whom, tragically, he is the only one still alive." - News of the World"Brutal, touching, and humorous, this book recounts McNab’s time in the SAS’s Air Troop. It made me realise that he can fight as well as write. Treading in the footsteps of Sassoon, Brooke and Owen he pretty much founded the genre of the modern military memoir." Professor Kevin Dutton, University of Oxford_______________________________________________________What people are saying about SEVEN TROOP:????? "From the heart of a true warrior"????? "Seven Troop is yet another well written account of SAS actions on a much more personal scale, literally "a day in the life" thereof."????? "What he does differently in this book compared to his two others is describe the costs of being SAS. How he and others react to the deaths of their friends when they are killed on operations, the political decision making of the higher ups that override tactical common sense, being a small cog in a big machine and ultimately not being very valued by SAS headquarters."Seven Troop
Par Andy McNab. 2008
INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF BRAVO TWO ZERO IN HIS EXPLOSIVE TRUE STORY“A gripping account of special forces at work…
. . . a tremendous adventure story.”–Daily Telegraph“The best account yet of the SAS in action.”–Sunday TimesFrom the SAS soldier who invented the modern military memoir comes a storming battering ram of thrill-packed, unforgettable drama.Never-before-revealed covert operations and heartbreaking human stories combine to create a new classic and a book that takes us back to where it all began… SEVEN TROOP is Andy McNab’s gripping account of the time he served in the company of a remarkable band of brothers – from the day, freshly badged, he joined them in the Malayan jungle, to the day, ten years later, when he handed in his sand-coloured beret and started a new life. The things they saw and did during that time would take them all to breaking point – and some beyond – in the years that followed. He who dares doesn’t always win…___________________________________________________________________"Paying tribute to the soldiers he served with for 10 years, he tells the poignant story of five brave men of whom, tragically, he is the only one still alive." - News of the World"Brutal, touching, and humorous, this book recounts McNab’s time in the SAS’s Air Troop. It made me realise that he can fight as well as write. Treading in the footsteps of Sassoon, Brooke and Owen he pretty much founded the genre of the modern military memoir." Professor Kevin Dutton, University of Oxford_______________________________________________________What people are saying about SEVEN TROOP:????? "From the heart of a true warrior"????? "Seven Troop is yet another well written account of SAS actions on a much more personal scale, literally "a day in the life" thereof."????? "What he does differently in this book compared to his two others is describe the costs of being SAS. How he and others react to the deaths of their friends when they are killed on operations, the political decision making of the higher ups that override tactical common sense, being a small cog in a big machine and ultimately not being very valued by SAS headquarters."The Complete History of the SAS: The World's Most Feared Elite Fighting Force
Par Nigel McCrery. 2021
Specializing in covert reconnaissance, counter-terrorism and hostage rescue, the SAS is one of the world's most famous, feared and respected…
elite fighting forces. This book tells the full, fascinating story of the regiment, from formation in the sand dunes of Africa during World War II to present action in the Middle East, and incorporates jungle, desert and urban warfare, counter-terrorism and an insider's view at the selection and training methods employed by this usually secretive unit.As well as an insightful foreword by Andy McNab – one of the most famous members of the SAS – this revised, updated edition includes completely new chapters, features and information, including Key Missions in WWII, The Battle of Mirbat, Iranian Embassy Siege, Kenyan Hotel Rescue and Victoria Cross Awards.A British Achilles: The Story of George, 2nd Earl Jellicoe KBE DSO MC FRS
Par Lorna Almonds Windmill. 2008
&“Intriguing . . . describes a modest but exceptional man from whom the contemporary soldier, politician, and citizen can learn how to enjoy…
life (and how not to).&” —The Spectator Son of the victor of Jutland, George Jellicoe has enjoyed power and privilege but never shirked his duty. His war exploits are legendary and, as a founder member of Stirling&’s SAS and first commander of the Special Boat Service, he saw action a-plenty. A brigadier at twenty-six with a DSO and MC, he liberated Athens as the Germans withdrew and saved Greece from a Communist revolution. After the war, Jellicoe joined the Foreign Office and worked with spies Guy Burgess, Kim Philby, and Donald Maclean in Washington and on the Soviet Desk. His political life saw him in the Cabinet of the Heath Government and he is frank with his biographer over the issues and characters of his fellow ministers. Jellicoe&’s Achilles heel is his weakness for, and attraction to, women. His resignation over an involvement with a prostitute was a national scandal, but he is refreshingly honest and devoid of self-justification. He remained an active member of the Lords pursuing a top-level business career. A British Achilles is a superb biography of a major public figure and exemplary wartime soldier.Hawker VC RFC ACE: The Life of Major Lanoe Hawker VC DSO, 1890–1916
Par Tyrrel M. Hawker. 2013
By the age of 25 Lanoe Hawker of the Royal Flying Corps had won the VC and DSO. He was…
the first pilot to record five 'kills' before being shot down and killed by Baron von Richthofen (The Red Baron).Lanoe's biography was written by his brother Tyrrel as a tribute. The Hawkers came from a distinguished sporting family with strong military and naval records and Lanoe from the outset set his sights on flying for the RFC. After attending the Central Flying School, he crossed to France in October 1914 with 6 Squadron equipped with BE2s and Henri Farmans.As the war in the air progressed, Hawker shone as both a combat pilot and commander. He was rapidly promoted and given command of 24 Squadron. He, like other pilots, flew numerous early fighter aircraft such as the Bristol Scout, BE2c, FE2b and the famous DH2. Casualty/death rates were appalling but this special band of brothers flew on regardless until their turn came.This book contains many combat reports by pilots of their actions in the air which make the most graphic reading. Of particular interest is von Richthofen's account of their fatal encounter. The relative merits, qualities and characteristics of the aircraft, both British, French and German, are discussed with pilots' opinions.As an insight into Great War combat air operations Hawker VC RFC Ace is unlikely to be surpassed.Born For War: One SAS Trooper's Extraordinary Account of the Falklands War
Par Tony Hoare. 2022
'Tony is the real deal.' Andy McNabThe full, explosive, boots-on-the-ground story of the Falklands War, from a soldier at the…
heart of the action, published for the 40th anniversary of the conflict. Tony Hoare always knew he wanted to be in the SAS.Both his grandfather and father had been soldiers, and so Tony signed up for the Cadets at 13, then the Infantry at 17 and enlisted into the Royal Green Jackets before passing arduous SAS selection in 1978.Less than four years later, Tony and his team were sent to a collection of islands just off the coast of Argentina called the Falklands, where tensions were rising and war was on the horizon.No amount of training could prepare Tony for what happened over the course of the next twelve weeks, as the Falkland Islands became a battleground between British and Argentinian forces. As helicopters crashed and ships sank, Tony, at the centre of the action, battled across treacherous terrain and against a fearsome enemy, doing whatever it took to retake the islands.From one of the only soldiers who was on the frontline throughout the entire conflict, this is a thrilling account of what really happened in the Falklands, an explosive story of land, sea and air battles from a trooper who saw it all.