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Villers-Bretonneux: Somme (Battleground Europe)
Par Peter Pedersen. 2004
Villers-Bretonneux was the key to the strategically important communications centre of Amiens, a principal objective of the German offensive that…
began in March 1918. Until the Germans took the town, Amiens would remain beyond their grasp. The successful defence of Villers-Bretonneux has come to be regarded as an Australian battle but British formations were heavily involved as welA Military Atlas of the First World War
Par Arthur Banks. 2013
“With the ingenious use of maps, diagrams and statistics, this indispensable work explains the strategies of the combatants and the…
diplomatic history.” —The BeaconThis is a unique study of the conflict of 1914–18 on land, sea and in the air, through maps, diagrams and illustrations. Within the scope of some 250 maps, Arthur Banks has presented both broad general surveys of political and military strategy, and the most closely researched details of major individual campaigns and engagements. These are supplemented by comprehensive analysis of military strengths and command structures and illustrations.“One of the best books of maps I’ve seen about any war. With 250 separate maps, you get something on just about every aspect of the war, from the familiar Western Front to the Zeppelin raids over Britain, through to the campaigns in the Middle East and beyond.” —History of War“I am delighted that, after being out-of-print from time to time, this reprint has arrived, to answer the prayers of teachers, pupils, researchers and others who need a quick and accurate reference guide.” —Stand To! (journal of The Western Front Association)The First Day on the Somme: Revised Edition
Par Martin Middlebrook. 2016
A history of the British Army&’s experience at the Battle of the Somme in France during World War I. After…
an immense but useless bombardment, at 7:30 AM on July 1, 1916, the British Army went over the top and attacked the German trenches. It was the first day of the battle of the Somme, and on that day, the British suffered nearly 60,000 casualties, two for every yard of their front. With more than fifty times the daily losses at El Alamein and fifteen times the British casualties on D-day, July 1, 1916, was the blackest day in the history of the British Army. But, more than that, as Lloyd George recognized, it was a watershed in the history of the First World War. The Army that attacked on that day was the volunteer Army that had answered Kitchener&’s call. It had gone into action confident of a decisive victory. But by sunset on the first day on the Somme, no one could any longer think of a war that might be won. Martin Middlebrook&’s research has covered not just official and regimental histories and tours of the battlefields, but interviews with hundreds of survivors, both British and German. As to the action itself, he conveys the overall strategic view and the terrifying reality that it was for front-line soldiers.Revised in 2016 from the 1971 original edition.Praise for The First Day on the Somme&“The remembrance of those lives, difficult as it may be, will start in earnest now, with this wonderful book. It&’s almost like being there yourself... enough said.&”—Books Monthly (UK)The Kaiser's Battle
Par Martin Middlebrook. 2007
The author of The First Day on the Somme details what it was like during the 1918 Spring Offensive during…
World War I, which led to Germany&’s defeat. At 9:30 AM on March 21, 1918, the last great battle of the First World War commenced when three German armies struck a massive blow against the weak divisions of the British Third and Fifth Armies. It was the first day of what the Germans called the Kaiserschlacht (the Kaiser&’s Battle), the series of attacks that were intended to break the deadlock on the Western Front, knock the British Army out of the war, and finally bring victory to Germany… In the event, the cost of the gamble was so heavy that once the assault faltered, it remained for the Allies to push the exhausted German armies back and the war was at last over.Praise for The Kaiser&’s Battle&“The clever blending of written and oral accounts from some 650 surviving British and German soldiers makes the book an extremely convincing reconstruction.&” —The Sunday Times (UK)&“Mr. Middlebrook&’s industry and patience are displayed in his amazing collection of eyewitness accounts, the compassion in his commentary, the good sense in his analysis.&” —Daily Telegraphy (UK)Mortars in World War II
Par John Norris. 2015
Mortars were used throughout the Second World War by all armies and in all theatres. Although a very simple weapon…
they could greatly enhance the firepower of infantry formations, giving them their own mobile artillery arm. They repeatedly proved their worth in both offensive and defensive situations, breaking up or supporting infantry attacks and laying smoke or illumination rounds. Despite their ubiquity and effectiveness, there have been relatively few works devoted to these important and versatile weapons. John Norris give a brief history of the origins of the weapon and its use in the Great War before moving on to look in detail at the many types developed and used in the Second World War. The design and development of various types and their various munitions (HE, smoke and illumination) are discussed, including those incorporated into fixed defensive systems such as the Atlantic Wall, specialist variants developed for airborne units and those mounted on vehicles to provide mobile fire support. The tactics developed for their use and the structure of the support companies formed to utilize them are also examined in detail. And of course their combat history in the many theatres is outlined, using examples drawing on first-hand accounts of those that used them. This book is sure to be of great value to enthusiasts who collect mortars and their ammunition, re-enactors, modellers and wargamers as well as those readers interested in the history of weapons generally or those of World War II in particular.A Spy in the Sky: A Photographic Reconnaissance Spitfire Pilot in WWII
Par Kenneth B. Johnson. 2019
&“An enjoyable ramble . . . the memoir of an unassuming, self-doubting aviator who, despite himself, proved to be pretty bloody good.&”…
—Aircrew Book Review Many stories abound of the daring exploits of the RAF&’s young fighter pilots defying the might of Hitler&’s Luftwaffe, yet little has been written about the pilots who provided the key evidence that guided the RAF planners—the aerial photographers. Ken Johnson joined No.1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit as an eighteen-year-old. In this lighthearted reminiscence, he relives his training and transfer to an operational unit, but not the one he had expected. He had asked if he could fly Spitfires. He was granted that request, only to find himself joining a rare band of flyers who took to the skies alone, and who flew in broad daylight to photograph enemy installations with no radios and no armament. Unlike the fighter pilots who sought out enemy aircraft, the pilots of the PRU endeavored to avoid all contact; returning safely with their vital photographs was their sole objective. As well as flying in northern Europe, Ken Johnson was sent to North Africa, where his squadron became part of the United States Army Air Force North West African Photographic Wing (NAPRW). In this role, he flew across southern Europe, photographing targets in France and Italy. The Spy in the Sky fills a much-needed gap in the history of the RAF and, uniquely, the USAAF during the latter stages of the Second World War. &“The sorties he flew are nothing less than heroic . . . his writing style is very good, and very humorous at that!&” —Flyin&’ and Ridin&’ BlogRoll of Honour: Schooling & The Great War, 1914–1919
Par Barry Blades. 2015
The Great War was the first 'Total War'; a war in which human and material resources were pitched into a…
life-and-death struggle on a colossal scale. British citizens fought on both the Battle Fronts and on the Home Front, on the killing fields of France and Flanders as well as in the industrial workshops of 'Blighty'. Men, women and children all played their part in an unprecedented mobilisation of a nation at war. Unlike much of the traditional literature on the Great War, with its understandable fascination with the terrible experiences of 'Tommy in the Trenches', Roll of Honour shifts our gaze. It focuses on how the Great War was experienced by other key participants, namely those communities involved in 'schooling' the nation's children. It emphasises the need to examine the 'myriad faces of war', rather than traditional stereotypes, if we are to gain a deeper understanding of personal agency and decision making in times of conflict and upheaval. The dramatis personae in Roll of Honour include Head Teachers and Governors charged by the Government with mobilising their 'troops'; school masters, whose enlistment, conscription or conscientious objection to military service changed lives and career paths; the 'temporary' school mistresses who sought to demonstrate their 'interchangeability' in male dominated institutions; the school alumni who thought of school whilst knee-deep in mud; and finally, of course, the school children themselves, whose 'campaigns' added vital resources to the war economy. These 'myriad faces' existed in all types of British school, from the elite Public Schools to the elementary schools designed for the country's poorest waifs and strays. This powerful account of the Great War will be of interest to general readers as well as historians of military campaigns, education and British society.Cambridgeshire Kitcheners: A History of 11th (Service) Battalion (Cambs) Suffolk Regiment
Par Joanna Costin. 2016
In the opening months of the First World War, 1,500 men from Cambridgeshire came forward to serve their country as…
a battalion in Kitchener's New Army. They came from the city and they came from the fields. Many had never left the county before, let alone their country, and all too many would never return. Whether farm laborers, shop assistants, bricklayers, chauffeurs, university scholars or college porters, men from all walks of life united and became the Cambridgeshire Kitcheners. Sent to the Western Front in January 1916, they took part in some of the bloodiest battles of the war, including the Battle of the Somme. One hundred and eighty-seven men lost their lives on 1 July 1916, most within a few minutes of each other, as they marched over the top into no man's land and shell and machine-gun fire. This was not the end of their story. In early April, the battalion saw fierce fighting during the Battle of Arras and in a doomed assault on a heavily fortified position near Roux at the end of the month.In 1918 they resisted the German Spring Offensive, never falling back without orders, despite parts of the battalion becoming cut off and nearly surrounded during the fighting.Mixing personal accounts with official documents, this is the story of the Cambridgeshire Kitchener's war. Their momentous efforts are explained throughout this book, which is a timely reminder of this heroic battalion's dedication, skill and bravery.William Watson was a young Oxford post-graduate at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Along with several…
friends from Oxford he enlisted in the army expecting the war to last six weeks. Watson began his service in the Great War as a British Army motorcycle despatch rider. He saw active service during the key battles of 1914 and early 1915. Watson was then commissioned and became a tank commander and saw active service with the tanks most notably at Cambrai in 1917. This well written and evocative memoir was originally published under the tile 'A Company Of Tanks' it constitutes a wonderful primary source and is an invaluable addition to the library of anyone with an interest in the evolution of the tank as a decisive weapon on the battlefield. Highly detailed, but nonetheless accessible this superb new illustrated edition, edited by Emmy AwardTM winning historian Bob Carruthers is greatly recommended for serious enthusiasts and casual readers alike.War! Hellish War! Star Shell Reflections, 1916–1918: The Illustrated Diaries of Jim Maultsaid
Par Barbara McClune. 2016
Jim Maultsaid's illustrated diaries of his Great War service offer a unique and completely original perspective of a fighting mans…
experiences.Although an American citizen Jim was living in Donegal in 1914 and first joined the Young Citizens Volunteers and then the British Army. On 1 July 1916 the first day of the Somme, Sergeant Maultsaid was seriously wounded. To quote from his diary as he lay in no-mans-land The most awful cries rent the night air it was a shambles it was Hell with the lid off it was. Unlike so many, Jim survived and was hospitalised in Blighty. After a spell in Northern Ireland, he was selected for officer training at Cambridge. He was commissioned into The Chinese Labour Corps and his words and art work throw fascinating light on this little known but invaluable organization. Jims admiration for the CLCs contribution and culture is obvious.War! Hellish War! is more than a Great War diary it is a masterpiece and a collectors item of great historical and educational value. Despite the countless records of this conflict there is nothing to compare it with.This illustrated WWI battlefield guide explores the heroic acts honored with Victoria Crosses—and the sites where they took place—in 1918…
France. Historian and battlefield tour guide Paul Oldenfield spent years researching the Victoria Cross actions of the First World War and accurately locating where each event took place. He now shares his remarkable findings with battlefield visitors and armchair historians in this fascinating series of guidebooks. This volume in the Victoria Crosses on the Western Front series covers the first Battles of the Somme in 1918, the Battle of the Lys, and other combat operation in western France. A thorough account of each VC action is set within the wider strategic and tactical context. Detailed maps show the area today, together with the battle-lines and movements of the combatants, while photographs of the battle sites richly illustrate the accounts. Oldfield also includes a comprehensive biography for each recipient, covering their families, education, civilian employment, military career, death, and commemoration. A host of other information, much of it published for the first time, reveals some fascinating characters, with numerous links to many famous people and events.During visits to the First World War battlefields the author often wondered where various Victoria Cross actions took place; he…
resolved to find out. Research commenced in 1988 and numerous sources have been consulted in the meantime. The book is designed for the battlefield visitor as much as the armchair reader. A detailed account of each VC action is set within the wider strategic and tactical context. Detailed sketch maps show the area today, together with the battle-lines and movements of the combatants. It allows visitors to stand upon the spot, or very close, where the VC actions took place and understand what happened and where. Photographs of the battle sites illustrate the accounts. There is also a comprehensive biography for each recipient covering every aspect of their lives 'warts and all' - parents and siblings, education, civilian employment, military career, wife and children, death and burial/commemoration. There is also a host of other information, much of it published for the first time. Some fascinating characters emerge, with numerous links to many famous people and events.The Zeppelin Offensive: A German Perspective in Pictures and Postcards
Par David Marks. 2019
Airship propaganda that&’s &“a visual treat . . . it will appeal to all those interested in how artwork was harnessed to…
convey information in time of war&” (Firetrench). Books on the Zeppelin raids during the First World War have, traditionally, focused on the direct impact of Britain, from the devastating effects on undefended towns and cities, the psychological impact of this first weapon of total war to the technological and strategic advances that eventually defeated the &“Baby Killers.&” Now, drawing on the largest postcard collection of its kind and other period memorabilia, David Marks tells the story of the Zeppelin during the First World War from a viewpoint that has rarely been considered: Germany itself. From its maiden flight in July 1900, the Zeppelin evolved into a symbol of technology and national pride that, once war was declared, was at the forefront of German&’s propaganda campaign. The Zeppelin links the rampant xenophobia at the outbreak of the conflict against England (it almost never was called Britain), France, Russia and their allies to the political doctrines of the day. The postcards that profusely illustrate this book show the wide-ranging types of propaganda from strident Teutonic imagery, myths and legends, biting satire and a surprising amount of humor. This book is a unique contribution to our understanding of the place of the Zeppelin in Germany&’s culture and society during the First World War. &“Well-recommended for its unique visual and psychological insights.&” —Over the Front &“Perfectly conveys the early optimism of the Zeppelin as both a symbol of national prestige and the weapon which would win the War.&” —Donna&’s Book BlogJutland: The Naval Staff Appreciation
Par William Schleihauf. 2016
The legendary hidden report on the Royal Navy&’s failures at the WWI Battle of Jutland is revealed for the first…
time in this transcribed edition. Jutland, the largest naval battle of the First World War, was the most controversial engagement in the Royal Navy&’s history. Falling well short of the total victory expected by the public, it sparked fierce debate among senior naval officers, many of whom had been directly involved in the battle. The first attempt to produce an objective record was delayed and heavily censored. That report was followed by a no-holds-barred critique of the fleet&’s performance intended for training purposes at the Naval Staff College. This became the now-infamous Naval Staff Appreciation, which was deemed too damaging to be published. All proof copies were ordered destroyed. Despite the orders, however, a few copies survived. Now this long-suppressed work is finally revealed in this edition featuring expert modern commentary and explanatory notes.In 1912, Norland childrens nurse Kate Fox was travelling by train heading to the British military station at Nowshera on…
the Afghan border to care for the premature baby born to the bases commanding officer. Two years later, Kate was escaping from Germany in the first days of the Great War, leaving behind her adored German royal charges and all her personal possessions. Due to their prestige as the crme-de-la-crme of Edwardian childrens nurses to Europes royal and wealthy families, Kate was one among many Norland nannies who witnessed the early days of the War on the Continent with all its tumult and fear. Some fled for home; others managed to stay for a while. And yet others gave up their privileged way of life to undertake war work as nurses in Flanders and refugee camps.The stories in this book are the nannies eye-witness accounts described in their correspondence with their beloved Norland Institute. These previously unpublished letters recount a version of womens Great War history that has remained untold until now. British Nannies and the Great War is the true story of a group of Edwardian, highly trained and opinionated women in the First World War. For the first time in a century, the Norland nannies unique stories of escape from enemy territory, their experiences at home and the Front during the War, and their thoughts on how the conflict changed their role in post-Edwardian Britain are told in their own words.Tumult & Tears: The Story of the Great War Through the Eyes and Lives of Its Women Poets
Par Vivien Newman. 2016
During the First World War and its immediate aftermath, hundreds of women wrote thousands of poems on multiple themes and…
for many different purposes. Womens poetry was published, sold (sometimes to raise funds for charities as diverse as Beef Tea for Troops or The Blue Cross Fund for Warhorses), read, preserved, awarded prizes and often critically acclaimed. Tumult and Tears will demonstrate how womens war poetry, like that of their male counterparts, was largely based upon their day-to-day lives and contemporary beliefs. Poems are placed within their wartime context. From war worker to parent; from serving daughter to grieving mother, sweetheart, wife; from writing whilst within earshot of the guns, whilst making the munitions of war, or whilst sitting in relative safety at home, these predominantly amateur, middle-class poets explore, with a few tantalising gaps, nearly every aspect of womens wartime lives, from their newly public often uniformed roles to their sexuality.All Quiet on the Home Front: An Oral History of Life in Britain During the First World War (Magna Large Print Ser.)
Par Steve Humphries, Richard Van Emden. 2017
A &“fascinating&” look at hardship, heroism, and civilian life in England during the Great War (World War One Illustrated). …
The truth about the sacrifice and suffering among British civilians during World War I is rarely discussed. In this book, people who were there speak about experiences and events that have remained buried for decades. Their testimony shows the same candor and courage we have become accustomed to hearing from military veterans of this war. Those interviewed include a survivor of a Zeppelin raid in 1915; a Welsh munitions worker recruited as a girl; and a woman rescued from a bombed school after five days. There are also accounts of rural famine, bereavement, and the effects on families back home—and even the story of a woman who planned to kill her family to save them further suffering.Death Was Their Co-Pilot: Aces of the Skies
Par Michael Dorflinger. 1910
It was in World War I that the skies first became a battlefield, with nations seeking to decide military outcomes…
off the ground. This volume introduces the fighter pilots of World War I, including the infamous Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen. In addition to this iconic flying ace, the author presents the thrilling biographies of numerous others and recounts their exploits and the tragedies they suffered. Likewise, the book illustrates the Great Wars historical background and documents the increasing sophistication of aviation technology and warfare.Anti-Submarine Warfare: An Illustrated History
Par David Owen. 2007
A deep dive into the tactics and technology used to defend against submarines—from the opening of the First World War…
through World War II and beyond. The submarine was undoubtedly the most potent purely naval weapon of the twentieth century. In two world wars, enemy underwater campaigns were very nearly successful in thwarting Allied hopes of victory—indeed, annihilation of Japanese shipping by US Navy submarines is an indicator of what might have been. That the submarine was usually defeated is a hugely important story in naval history, yet this is the first book to treat the subject as a whole in a readable and accessible manner. It concerns individual heroism and devotion to duty, but also ingenuity, technical advances and originality of tactical thought. What developed was an endless battle between forces above and below the surface, where a successful innovation by one side eventually produces a countermeasure by the other in a lethal struggle for supremacy. Development was not a straight line: wrong ideas and assumptions led to defeat and disaster. &“Iconography (with dozens of photographs and often large-format diagrams), a vast bibliography and a complete and documented general approach make this volume a work of great quality and of great interest for all enthusiasts and scholars of this very interesting subject.&”—Storia Militare &“The modeller will not only find the text engaging but there is a superb collection of photographs and illustrations which of course include submarines, corvettes and destroyers. Subjects which the modeller increasingly appreciates. Highly recommended.&”—Model BoatsGerman Battlecruisers (ShipCraft #22)
Par Robert Brown, Steve Backer. 2013
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, highlighting differences between sisterships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic survey of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references—books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.This volume is devoted to the famous ships of Admiral Hipper's First Scouting Group. Slower but more robust than their British equivalents, German battlecruisers enjoyed a reputation for absorbing punishment, and although Lutzow was sunk at Jutland, Seydlitz and the rest of the Scouting Group survived heavy damage. This book concentrates on the seven completed ships but coverage extends to the 'proto-battlecruiser' Blucher and the ships building or designed by the end of the war.