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Air Marshal Sir Keith Park: Victor of the Battle of Britain, Defender of Malta
Par Murray Rowlands. 2021
A long-overdue biography of the dedicated commander from New Zealand who helped ward off the Luftwaffe and save Britain from…
a Nazi invasion.The Battle of Britain from July to September 1940 is one of the finest moments in Britain’s history. While credit rightly goes to “The Few,” victory could never have happened without the inspirational command and leadership of New Zealander Keith Park.He and Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding ensured that Fighter Command was prepared for the Nazi onslaught. Promoted to Air Vice Marshal, Park took over No 11 Group, responsible for the defense of London and South East England in April 1940. A shrewd tactician and hands-on commander, Park carefully husbanded his limited resources and famously wore down Goering’s Luftwaffe, thus forcing Hitler to abandon his invasion plans.Shamefully, Dowding and Park were dismissed from their commands in the aftermath of victory due to internal RAF politics. Fortunately, Park’s career was far from over and his management of the defense of Malta made a significant contribution to victory in the Mediterranean. This balanced and well overdue account aims to ensure that Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park receives the credit for this victory that he so richly deserves.Includes photographsJohnnie Johnson's Great Adventure: The Spitfire Ace of Ace's Last Look Back
Par Dilip Sarkar. 2020
The World War II fighter Ace&’s previously unpublished draft—an account of the &“Long Trek&” from Normandy into the heart of…
the Third Reich itself. Having published two of his own books, Wing Leader and The Circle of Air Fighting, Air Vice-Marshal Johnnie Johnson co-authored several more with another fighter ace, namely Wing Commander P.B. &“Laddie&” Lucas. In 1997, the &“AVM&” suggested to his friend, the prolific author Dilip Sarkar, that the pair should collaborate on The Great Adventure. &“Greycap Leader&” was to produce a draft, after which Dilip would add the historical detail and comment. Sadly, the project was unfulfilled, because Johnnie became ill and passed away, aged eighty-five, in 2001. Years later, Johnnie&’s eldest son, Chris, discovered the manuscript among his august father&’s papers. In order to keep Johnnie&’s memory evergreen, Chris turned to Dilip to finally see the project through to its conclusion. In this book Johnnie revisits certain aspects of his wartime service, including the development of tactical air cooperation with ground forces; his time as a Canadian wing leader in 1943, when the Spitfire Mk IX at last outclassed the Fw 190; and details his involvement in some of the most important battles of the defeat of Nazi Germany, including Operation Overlord and the D-Day landings in 1944, Operation Market Garden and the airborne assault at Arnhem, and the Rhine Crossings, throughout all of which Johnnie also commanded Canadian wings. Johnnie Johnson&’s Great Adventure &“brings to life the man of the book in such an interesting and heroic manner . . . if it wasn&’t for these brave heroes we might not have won the war&” (UK Historian).Waterloo Witnesses: Military and Civilian Accounts of the 1815 Campaign
Par Kristine Hughes. 2021
The events of Sunday, 18 June, stand as the defining moment of the year 1815, if not of an entire…
era. The allied victory over Napoleon’s French army at the Battle of Waterloo reshaped governments and boundaries, made or broke fortunes and touched thousands of lives in ways both large and small, and it has been analysed, dissected and refought on paper a hundred times. Perhaps, though, the very best words ever written about that momentous campaign are the first-person accounts recorded as events unfolded. It is these vivid accounts that Kristine Hughes has collected together in order to convey the hopes, fears and aspirations of their authors. They inject the story of the battle with a level of humanity that reclaims it from the realm of legend and restores it to the people who witnessed it. In chronological order her work pieces together a novel view of the battle and events surrounding it as they were experienced by both military men and civilians. The result is a fascinating and varied picture of the individuals involved and the society of the period. Their words make compelling reading.Men of the Battle of Britain: A Supplementary Volume
Par Kenneth G. Wynn. 2020
“Tells about various details of data, squadrons, training, life path, passport photos and more. This supplement contains addition for about…
350(!) airmen.” —Aviation Book ReviewsSince it was first published in 1989, Men of the Battle of Britain, the complete third edition of which was published in 2015, has become a standard reference book for academics and researchers interested in the Battle of Britain. This remarkable publication records the service details of every airman who took part in the Battle of Britain, and who earned the Battle of Britain Clasp, in considerable detail. Where known, an individual’s various postings and their dates are included, as are promotions, decorations, and successes claimed while flying against the enemy. There is also much personal detail, often including dates and places of birth, civilian occupations, dates of death and place of burial or, for those with no known grave, place of commemoration. There are many wartime head-and-shoulders photographs.Inevitably, the passage of time ensures that there is a constant reevaluation of the wealth of information contained within Men of the Battle of Britain. At the same time, since the 2015 edition it has been possible to expand many individual entries, some 330 in total, to give some idea of the wider social context around the aircrew who earned the Battle of Britain Clasp. This has been achieved by reference to existing sources, including information supplied by The Few themselves and their relatives over many years, as well as new research.This invaluable supplement to the 2015 edition ensures that these additions and revisions are available to all researchers, historians, enthusiasts and general readers.The Military Life and Times of General Sir Miles Dempsey: Monty's Army Commander
Par Peter Rostron. 2010
Miles Dempsey, Commander of the British Second Army in the invasion of Europe 1944-45, is almost unknown to the general…
public. Yet his part in Britains contribution to that campaign was second only to Montgomerys in importance. Dempsey survived two and a half years of bitter fighting as an infantry officer on the Western Front before accompanying his beloved Royal Berkshire Regiment in the little-known North West Persia campaign of 1920-21. In six years he rose from Major to command over half a million men in the largest combined operation in history, and led them to victory a year later.Based on sources which include some of Dempseys previously unpublished work and the views of those who knew him, the book traces his career as a soldier of rare distinction, a talented sportsman and a man of huge charm and shrewd intellect, dedicated to his beloved regiment and ever mindful of the lives of his soldiers. Peter Rostron examines his methods of command and his relationships with Montgomery, his Corps commanders, the Americans and the RAF. It highlights his crucial role in the Dunkirk evacuation, the training of the Canadian Army, and the invasion of Sicily, Italy, and North West Europe, and analyses why his army performed so brilliantly on D Day. Lasly, Rostron examines his contribution to the campaign in Europe, focussing on the controversial operations of EPSOM, GOODWOOD, Arnhem and the Rhine Crossing.The Military Life & Times of General Sir Miles Dempsey GBE KCB DSO MC: Monty's Army Commander
Par Peter Rostron. 2010
Miles Dempsey, Commander of the British Second Army in the invasion of Europe 1944-45, is almost unknown to the general…
public. Yet his part in Britains contribution to that campaign was second only to Montgomerys in importance. Dempsey survived two and a half years of bitter fighting as an infantry officer on the Western Front before accompanying his beloved Royal Berkshire Regiment in the little-known North West Persia campaign of 1920-21. In six years he rose from Major to command over half a million men in the largest combined operation in history, and led them to victory a year later.Based on sources which include some of Dempseys previously unpublished work and the views of those who knew him, the book traces his career as a soldier of rare distinction, a talented sportsman and a man of huge charm and shrewd intellect, dedicated to his beloved regiment and ever mindful of the lives of his soldiers. Peter Rostron examines his methods of command and his relationships with Montgomery, his Corps commanders, the Americans and the RAF. It highlights his crucial role in the Dunkirk evacuation, the training of the Canadian Army, and the invasion of Sicily, Italy, and North West Europe, and analyses why his army performed so brilliantly on D Day. Lasly, Rostron examines his contribution to the campaign in Europe, focussing on the controversial operations of EPSOM, GOODWOOD, Arnhem and the Rhine Crossing.Accidental Agent: Behind Enemy Lines with the French Resistance
Par John Goldsmith. 2016
A covert agent’s memoir of three perilous missions in Nazi-occupied Paris, told with “unconditional honesty” (Kirkus Reviews).At first, John Goldsmith’s…
services were consistently refused. But in 1942, he was recruited into Buckmasters F Section of the Special Operations Executive—and his wartime exploits would be remarkable. His faultless French and upbringing in Paris were to prove invaluable. After intensive training he was parachuted into France for the first of his three missions. His adventures included crossing the Pyrenees, sabotage, forming his own circuits, being captured by the Gestapo, a daring escape, and black-marketeering. In 1944, he was advisor to the Maquis guerrillas in the Mont Ventoux area, where they fought the Germans in pitched battles and won. In this candid autobiography, he vividly recounts his dramatic and dangerous World War II adventures.Hitler: Memoirs of Hitler From Those Who Knew Him
Par Heinz A. Heinz. 1919
Heinz A. Heinz was the only writer authorised by the Nazi Party to draw a biography of the Fhrer for…
publication in the English speaking world. The result was the 1938 authorised biography of Adolf Hitler entitled Germany's Hitler.The book was based on interviews supplied first hand by those friends, helpers and comrades who had believed in him from the beginning of his political career. Heinz A. Heinz was a professional journalist and author, he interviewed Hitler's old school friends, army colleagues, landlords, his jailer, and early party comrades including an invaluable interview with Anton Drexler to produce an unprecedented insight into Adolf Hitler as viewed by his acquaintances during the inter-war period.These remarkable interviews were given by those who had stood by him in his darkest days, and who lived to see one of the most astounding political achievements in history. Included are vivid and unique descriptions of Hitler at school, his First World War battlefield experiences, the early political struggles, the full story behind the 9th November Beer Hall Putsch, Hitler in prison, and the struggle to power from 1926 to 1933.Featuring a new introduction by Emmy Award winning writer and historian Bob Carruthers, this book is a vital primary source reference work for anyone interested in understanding how and why Hitler won the total adulation and support of such a large section of the German people.'Strafer': The Life & Killing of Lt. Gen. W.E. Gott CB CBE DSO MC
Par N. S. Nash. 2013
Unexpectedly selected by Churchill to command 8th Army in 1942 in place of the sacked Auchinleck, 'Strafer' Gott was targeted…
by German intelligence as he flew to Cairo to take up his new post. Six ME109s intercepted his aircraft and, after shooting it down, deliberately machine-gunned the crash scene. Gott became the only Allied general to be successfully targeted by the Germans and, as a result, Montgomery was given command and the rest is history.But as this long overdue and well researched biography reveals, 'Strafer' deserves to be remembered for his exceptionaltalents, meteoric career and record of gallantry. As a young officer in The Great War he won the Military Cross (many thought a VC would have been more appropriate) and he repeatedly attempted to escape. In 1939 he was commanding his Battalion as a Lieutenant Colonel and two years later he became a Lieutenant General. He was recognised as a superb Desert General whose aggression, originality and leadership qualities were supported by charm, warmth and compassion.While it is fascinating, if unproductive, to surmise what would have happened had Gott and not Monty fought Rommel, it can be confidently said that relations with our allies would have benefitted.Drawing on primary source material, this first biography of an outstanding soldier and commander is not only a rewarding and revealing read but an important addition to the bibliography of the Second World War.As featured in the Dover Express, Ashford Herald and Folkestone Herald.One Leg: The Life and Letters of Henry Wiliiam Paget, First Marquess of Anglesey, K.G. 1768–1854
Par The Marquess of Anglesey. 1996
Letters and unpublished material contribute to this dramatic, humorous, and romantic biography of the heroic nobleman written by his descendant.…
Henry William Paget, first Marquess of Anglesey, was born more than twenty years before the French Revolution. Like his famous contemporary the Duke of Wellington, he became a legend during his lifetime. As a youth he was in one scrape after another; in his forties he figured in a celebrated elopement and duel which caused much scandal; but he is best known for his greatness as a cavalry leader. His brilliant timing of the charge of his &“heavies&” at Waterloo averted disaster in the first crisis of that battle. Having lost a leg by one of the last shots fired on that sanguinary day, he was later known as One-Leg Paget. Anglesey was twice lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. He was still in high office two years before his death at the age of sixty-five. Among the famous figures prominent in this absorbing story are the Prince Regent, Queen Victoria, Sir John Moore, Lord Melbourne, Daniel O&’Connell and, of course, the &“Iron Duke,&” with whom Anglesey was often at odds but of whom in old age he became a very close friend.The defeat of Napoleons French army by the combined forces of Wellington and Blcher at Waterloo on 18 June 1815…
was a turning point in world history. This was the climax of the Napoleonic Wars, and the outcome had a major influence on the shape of Europe for the next century and beyond. The battle was a milestone, and it cannot be properly understood without a detailed, on-the-ground study of the landscape in which it was fought and that is the purpose of David Butterys new battlefield guide. In vivid detail, using eyewitness accounts and an intimate knowledge of the terrain, he reconstructs Waterloo and he takes the reader and the visitor across the battleground as it is today. He focuses on the pivotal episodes in the fighting the day-long struggle for the chateau at Hougoumont, the massive French infantry assaults, repeated cavalry charges, the fall of La Haye Sainte, the violent clashes in the village of Plancenoit, the repulse of the Imperial Guard and rout of the French army. This thoroughgoing, lucid, easy-to-follow guide will be a fascinating introduction for anyone who seeks to understand what happened on that momentous day, and it will be an essential companion for anyone who explores the battlefield in Belgium.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.Night Action: MTB Flotilla at War: A Thrilling Account of Torpedo Boat Action in the North Sea
Par Peter Dickens. 1974
A highly decorated Royal Navy officer recounts his experiences at the command of a motor torpedo boat in the North…
Sea during WWII. In 1942-43, Captain Peter Dickens commanded the 21st MTB Flotilla, mainly in the North Sea and the English Channel. In Night Action, he vividly recounts his experiences performing daring missions amid storms of gunfire, usually under the cover of darkness. Dickens and his crew managed to closely engage enemy convoys and escorts in high-speed attacks and wreak havoc among the German supply lines. Like the sailors who fought Nazi U-boats in the battle of the Atlantic, Dickens and his comrades were experiencing a new kind of warfare and had to develop techniques and tactics as they went along; their kind of action called for great courage, spilt-second timing and complete understanding between captain and crew. For his bravery and heroism, Dickens was awarded The Distinguished Service Order, a Distinguished Service Cross, and The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. In Night Action, he offers a frank depiction of live aboard the 21st MTB Flotilla, combining comradery and humor with the true horror of warCold War Command: The Dramatic Story of a Nuclear Submariner
Par Richard Woodman, Dan Conley. 2014
A British nuclear submariner sheds critical light on the Royal Navy&’s Cold War operations in this revealing military memoir. The…
role played by the Royal Navy's submarines throughout the Cold War remains largely shrouded in secrecy. In Cold War Command, Captain Dan Conley, RN (Ret.), offers an insider&’s look at commanding nuclear hunter-killer submarines. As captain of the HMS Courageous and HMS Valiant, Conley was tasked with covertly following Soviet submarines in order to destroy them should there be any outbreak of hostilities. Conley recounts his early career in diesel submarines, as well as his exceptional success against the Soviet Navy at the height of the Cold War. He was involved in the initial deployment of the Trident nuclear weapon system and divulges previously unknown facets of nuclear weapons strategy and policy during this period. He also describes the Royal Navy's shortcomings in ship and weapons procurement, assessing how these failures led to the effective bankrupting of the Defense budget as it entered the 21st century.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.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.Life at Full Throttle: From Wardroom to Boardroom
Par John Treacher. 2004
By any standards, Admiral Sir John Treacher is an exceptional man who has had the fullest of lives. Old enough…
to have served and be sunk in the War, he went to be a naval aviator flying in the Korean War. His career took ff too and he rose rapidly to be the captain of the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle and soon after Commander in Chief Channel. To everyone's surprised he left the Navy when all the indications were that he was about to become First Sea Lord. For many this would have meant a quiet retirement. Not so here! A number of influential appointments quickly followed including controversially Chairmanship of Playboy Club UK at a critical time for their vital gaming interests. He was deeply embroiled in the highly political Westland drama which resulted in the resignation of Cabinet ministers. Today as he approaches 80 he is still an active and influential figure in the aeronautical industry.On the Edge of Flight: A Lifetime in the Development and Engineering of Aircraft
Par Eric William Absolon. 2013
This is the story of Eric William Absolon, a relentlessly enthusiastic Aviation champion, whose lifelong love of aircraft has never…
wavered throughout his long and varied career. From boyhood fascination to the adult realization of his ambitions, this first-hand account takes in some of the key events of the dynamic period of twentieth century history which the author lived and worked through. Working his way up the ranks of the Gloster Aircraft Company, Absolon was able to see all the component processes of Aircraft production. The insight he provides into the inner workings of this busting center of Twentieth Century Aircraft production is unparalleled in modern accounts. Anyone with a fascination for the secret life of Aircraft is in for a treat here as the author relays his working experiences at the creative hub of the industry. His experiences including involvement with the post-war Drop testing of Meteor aircraft, working closely with these infamous vehicles of war in his role as Chief of Engineering Research, as well as an involvement with the more commercial side of Aviation production, a division within Gloster for which he served as Manager. This narrative charts his career with Gloster as well as a series of other companies who invited Absolon to offer his services. It also relays the story of the implementation and development of his own Aviation production business, Aljac Engineering Ltd. His expertise was highly prized then, and is now applied in the translation of experience into engaging prose, set to appeal to all genre enthusiasts.Brutus: Caesar's Assassin
Par Dr Kirsty Corrigan. 2015
The extraordinary life of the &“noblest Roman of them all.&” Although Marcus Junius Brutus is one of the most…
famous, or infamous, conspirators of Rome and the ancient world, if not of all time, knowledge of this historical figure has principally been passed to the modern world through the literary medium of Shakespeare&’s tragedy, Julius Caesar. Furthermore, any interest in Brutus has tended to focus only on events surrounding his most legendary act: Caesar&’s murder. This biography instead considers Brutus in his historical context, gathering details from ancient evidence and piecing together, as much as possible, his whole life. While his actions played a pivotal role in Roman history, ultimately, although completely unintentionally, bringing about the downfall of the Roman republic, Brutus has often been neglected. Indeed, he has rarely been considered on his own merits, instead featuring as part of the biographies and studies of other leading political figures of the time, especially those of Julius Caesar, Cicero, and Octavian. As the first dedicated biography in over thirty years, this full and balanced reconsideration of this significant Roman republican is long overdue.