Military History Encyclopedia on the Web

2023 onwards -2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - April-December 2012 - November 2011-March 2012 - July-October 2011 - January-June 2011 - March-December 2010 - January-April 2010 - September-December 2009 - January-August 2009- 2008 - 2007

29 March 2012

George Washington's Westchester Gamble, Richard Borkow. An interesting study of the impact of the American War of Independence on Westchester County, just to the north of New York, combined with a history of the major events that happened in and around the county, most notably the encampment at which George Washington decided to march to Yorktown, where he won the decisive battle of the war. [read full review]
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27 March 2012

Javelin from the Cockpit, Britain's First Delta Wing Fighter, Peter Caygill. A study of the development, deployment and service record of the Javelin all weather fighter, a major improvement on the first generation of jet fighters to enter British service, but an aircraft that never saw combat. Also covers a large number of accidents involving the aircraft. [read full review]
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Images of War: Hitler's Headquarters 1939-1945, Ian Baxter. A photographic history of the many different headquarters used by Hitler during the Second World War, supported by a useful text explaining the construction of each HQ and the periods in which they were used. Also includes a set of photographs from a recent visit to the most famous of those headquarters, the site of the 1944 assassination attempt. [read full review]
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5 March 2012

Ancient History Magazine Vol V Issue 6: Clad in gold and silver: Elite units of the Hellenistic Era. Five articles examining elite troops in the successor states to the empire of Alexander the Great, the reign of Mithridates VI of Pontus, as well as a look at a depiction of Trajan, and a possible Roman siege at Burnswark in southern Scotland. [read full review]
Ancient History Vol V Issue 2: Swords around the throne: Bodyguards of kings and emperors. Focuses on royal bodyguards, from the biblical guards of King David, to possible guards for the kings of Sparta, the guards of Alexander the Great and his successors in Egypt and on to the Praetorian Guard. . [read full review]
Teddy Suhren, Ace of Aces, Teddy Suhren and Fritz Brustat-Naval. The memoirs of one of the most successful U-boat commanders of the Second World War, covering his early training, his time at sea, where he was one of the most successful U-boat aces, and the final years of his wartime career, when he was given a series of shore commands in a deliberate attempt by his superiors to make sure he survived. [read full review]
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Barbarossa Through Soviet Eyes: The First Twenty-Four Hours, Artem Drabkin, Alexei Isaev, Christopher Summerville. Uses eyewitness accounts to describe the impact of the first twenty-four hours of the German invasion in the Soviet Union. Mostly covered the army and air force, but also has good sections on the navy and on the impact of the news well behind the front lines. [read full review]
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Growing Remembrance: The Story of the National Memorial Arboretum, David Childs. Written by the person who had the original idea and whose efforts turned it into reality this is a fascinating insight into the process of turning a good idea into a functioning and sustainable institution. Interesting in its own right, this will also be an invaluable read for anyone planning to visit the site. [read full review]
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13 February 2012

The Wolf Packs Gather: Mayhem in the Western Approaches 1940, Bernard Edwards. A study of the fate of four convoys hit very hard by the German U-boat wolf packs in the autumn of 1940. Forty-eight merchant ships were lost, hundreds of trained merchant seamen were lost and hundreds of thousands of tons of cargo sent to the bottom of the Atlantic, threatening Britain's ability to stay in the war. [read full review]
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Imperial General – The Remarkable Career of Petellius Cerialis, Philip Matyszak. A rare example of a biography of a general of Imperial Rome who wasn't either the Emperor or his heir. Cerialis fought against Boudicca, took part in the civil wars that brought his relative Vespasian to the throne, helped restore the Roman position on the Rhine and was then a successful general and governor in Britain. [read full review]
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Air Raid Shelters of the Second World War, Family Stories of Survival in the Blitz, Stephen Wade. Looks at the physical construction of the shelters, tales of life within the shelters and the many tragedies caused by direct hits. Avoids the overly nostalgic tone of some similar books to give a better idea of the dangers as well as the small pleasures of life in the shelters. [read full review]
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7 February 2012

Under the Devil's Eye, Alan Wakefield and Simon Moody. An account of the British involvement in the campaign in Macedonia during the First World War, a sideshow that began with an attempt to help the Serbs but developed into a stalemate with British, French and Serbian forces facing the Bulgarians and their German allies. [read full review]
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Panzers on the Eastern Front, Erhard Raus, ed. Peter Tsouras. A series of accounts of German successes on the Eastern Front written for the US military by General Erhard Raus during the 1950s. A very valuable historical source, well presented by the editor, and of great value for anyone with an interest in the fighting on the Eastern Front. [read full review]
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Through all the Changing Scenes of Life, ed Susan Harrison. The memories of William Edward Jones, a career Navy man who joined up in 1899 and served during the First World War. An interesting account of life in a navy that still had some old 'three deckers' (mainly as training ships) operating alongside turbine driven destroyers and the great dreadnoughts. [read full review]
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31 January 2012

Hitler: Dictator or Puppet? Andrew Norman. An attempt to analyse Hitler's mental health using the evidence of his actions, known beliefs, quotes and eyewitness accounts of his behaviour. Includes some good material on the sources of Hitler's ideas, and the way they were put into effect during the Second World War. [read full review]
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The Persian Invasions of Greece, Arthur Keaveney. Fairly short but informative account of the famous campaigns of Darius and Xersex, written by an expert on ancient Persia and so with a rather different tone and emphasis than most books on this subject. Also covers the Ionian revolt and the build-up to the war in more detail than is often the case. [read full review]
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When shall their Glory Fade? The Stories of the Thirty-Eight Battle Honours of the Army Commandos, James Dunning. Examines those Commando operations that were considered significant enough to be recognised as a battle honour, including some large scale single actions (St. Nazaire or Dieppe) and some longer campaigns and their individual actions (Italy, North Africa, Burma). Written by a former Army Commando who took part in some of the earlier raids before becoming an instructor. [read full review]
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27 January 2012

Letters from my Son: A Texas Boy's Journey to the RAF, Dolcie Suggs Ehlinger & Karen Guelfo Ehlinger. Biography of Early Willson Jr, an American volunteer in the RAF, told through his letters to his parents stretching over a fifteen year period, and ending just before his tragic death in a flying accident in Wales in 1941. [read full review]

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De Ruyter, Dutch Admiral, ed Jaap R. Bruijn, Ronald Prud'homme van Reine and Rolof van Hövell tot Westerflier. A collection of interesting essays written by Dutch historians and that examines different aspects of de Ruyter’s life and the wider world of the Dutch Republic. This is a valuable piece of work that helps explain the important of de Ruyter as a European figure (not just as a commander during the Anglo-Dutch Wars). [read full review]
Artillery in the Great War, Paul Strong and Sanders Marble. An examination of the way in which artillery was used during the First World War, tracing the development of artillery tactics, starting with the early clashes of 1914, in which different pre-war doctrines were tested in combat, before following the way that artillery tactics evolved during the conflict to produce the highly effective British artillery of 1918. [read full review]
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19 December 2011

Stay the Distance - The Life and Times of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham, Peter Jacobs. A biography of one of the RAF's most important post-war leaders, tracing his career from his wartime tour with Bomber Command to his post as Chief of the Air Staff during the Falklands War. [read full review]
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Battle of the Crater, Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen. Historical novel set in the Petersburg campaign, focusing on the Battle of the Crater, a potentially war winning Union attack that failed after the plan of attack was changed at the very last minute. Seen through the eyes of a war artist and a black NCO in one of the well trained units that should have taken part in the initial attack. [read full review]
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Winter Uniforms of the German Army and Luftwaffe in World War II, Vincent Slegers. A very detailed and meticulously researched examination of the winter uniforms of the German Army and the Luftwaffe, looking at items ranging in size from the bulky greatcoats down to rank badges and labels. All supported by a huge selection of photographs, many in colour. [read full review]
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16 December 2011

F-100 Super Sabre Units of the Vietnam War, Peter E. Davies with David W Menard. A look at the varied roles performed by the F-100 Super Sabre in Vietnam, from its limited role as a fighter, to its long period providing close support for the ground troops and on to its final role in forward air control and search and rescue. [read full review]
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Panzers in the Sand: The History of Panzer-Regiment 5, Volume One 1934-41, Bernd Hartmann. A history of the first armoured unit to be formed in Germany after the First World War, tracing its history from its formation in 1933, through the campaigns in Poland and France and into North Africa, ending with the Axis powers on the back foot, having been forced to abandon the siege of Tobruk. [read full review]
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Tracing your Tank Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians, Janice Tait and David Fletcher. Combines a history of the British armoured forces, and in particular the Royal Tank Corps and Royal Armoured Corps, with a guide to the resources available for family histories trying to trace ancestors who served in British tanks [read full review]
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15 December 2011

Wild Strawberries, Derek Smith. The memoirs of an evacuee who was moved from Birmingham into the Staffordshire countryside, close to the village of Yoxall, before illness took him into the wartime health system. Well written and involving, and covers a different part of the evacuee experience to most memoirs. [read full review]
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The Parthian, Pete Darman. Historical novel following the adventures of a Parthian prince who is captured by the Romans and taken to Italy, where he is rescued by Spartacus and joins his revolt. Nicely paced, and with a different take on the familiar story of Spartacus. [read full review]
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If Chaos Reigns, Flint Whitlock. Focuses on the activities of the Allied airborne forces on both flanks of the D-Day beaches, covering the British, American and Canadian paratroopers and glider-borne troops. Most of the book covers the fighting on D-Day itself, although the author also includes a history of the development of airborne troops [read full review]
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6 December 2011

Return Flights in War and Peace, the Flying Memoirs of Squadron Leader John Rowland, DSO, DFC. The memoirs of an RAF pilot who started with war in Army Co-Operation before joining Bomber Command, where he flew 50 missions, ending the war as a flight leader. Covers the experiences of a Bomber Command pilot in the second half of the war, when targets became rather more varied than earlier [read full review]
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A Magnificent Disaster: The Failure of Market Garden, David Bennett. An interesting study of the failure at Arnhem, focusing on the wider aspects of the campaign as much as on the narrow thrust or the fighting at Arnhem. Bennett covers the German point of view, the flanking operations of XII & VIII Corps and the actions of the 101st Airborne, as well as the wider strategic aims of the operation. [read full review]
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King's African Rifles - A History, Malcolm Page. A study of the King's African Rifles, one of the most important of the local forces raised by the British in Africa. Looks at their experience against the 'Mad Mullah', their contribution in East Africa in the First World War, and against the Italians, Vichy French and Japanese during the Second World War, before moving on to the end of Empire and the last imperial wars [read full review]
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2 December 2011

6th Battalion the Manchester Regiment in the Great War, John Hartley. A history of a territorial army battalion that fought at Gallipoli before moving to the Western Front, where it took part in the fighting at Ypres in 1917 and in the major battles of 1918, both the German offensive of the spring and the victorious Allied advance of the late summer and autumn [read full review]
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Voices from the Front: The 2nd Norfolk Regiment, from Le Paradis to Kohima, Peter Hart. A history of the 2nd Norfolk Regiment during the Second World War, based on interviews conducted with veterans of the battalion conducted by the author, and tracing the battalion's story from France in 1939-40 to Burma, the fight for Kohima and the reconquest of the country [read full review]
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Waterloo Collection 1: Ligny and Quatre Bras (DVD). The first of four DVDs looking at the Waterloo campaign, this DVD looks at the background to the campaign and the battles of Quatre Bras and Ligny, the first serious fighting of the short campaign. An informative DVD, filmed on the battlefield and presented by a group of historians and expert battlefield guides [read full review] cover

1 December 2011

The Rise and Fall of the Japanese Imperial Naval Air Service, Peter J. Edwards. An unusual book, containing some fascinating material on the early development of Japanese naval aviation, its increasing efficiency during the 1930s and the dramatic early victories and eventual costly defeat of the Naval Air Service during the Second World War. Written very much from the Japanese point of view, and in a rather breathless style [read full review]
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US MACV-SOG Reconnaissance Teams in Vietnam, Gordon L. Rottman. Focuses on an elite reconnaissance unit that carried out deep penetration missions into Laos and Cambodia to scout out the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Each team consisted of a mix of American soldiers and local troops, and their tasks were amongst the most dangerous of any combat missions during the Vietnamese War [read full review]
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The Battle for Flanders - German Defeat on the Lys 1918, Chris Baker. An account of the second major German offensive of 1918, Operation Georgette, or the Battle of the Lys of April 1918. A clear narrative is supported by copious eyewitness accounts from the British side to produce a clear account of this pivotal battle after which the Germans began to lose the initiative on the Western Front [read full review]
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30 November 2011

Prussian Napoleonic Tactics 1792-1815, Peter Hofschröer. An examination of the organisation, tactics and battlefield effectiveness of the Prussian Army, from the early reasonably successful involvement in the Revolutionary Wars, through the crushing defeats at Jena and Auerstadt and on to the brief involvement in Russia in 1812, the War of Liberation and the final defeat of Napoleon. [read full review]
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Armies of the Irish Rebellion 1798, Stuart Reid. A study of the British, French and Irish rebel armies involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and the brief French intervention that came after the defeat of the main rebel armies. Demonstrates the variety of troops involved on the British side, the tiny size of the French expeditionary force and the limited organisation of the Irish rebels. [read full review]
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Matchlocks to Flintlocks, Warfare in Europe and Beyond 1500-1700, William Urban. A study of the development of warfare and of the nature and role of the soldier in the period between the French invasion of Italy in 1494 and the Austrian victories over the Turks before 1718, a period in which France dominated in the west, Poland-Lithuania, Sweden and Russia competed in central and eastern Europe and the Ottoman Turks posed a real threat to Vienna. [read full review]
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29 November 2011

Samurai Women, 1184-1877, Stephen Turnbull. A wide ranging book, looking at the role of women on the battlefields of Japan from the semi-legendary Empress Jingu of 170-260 AD to the Samurai women who fought against the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Mainly covers women's roles in sieges, but also includes some rare examples of involvement on the battlefield. [read full review]
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The Very Thing: The Memoirs of Drummer Richard Bentinck, Royal Welch Fusiliers 1807-1823, Jonathan Crook. Based on a series of interviews conducted with Bentinck in 1873 and a narrative that he dictated in his old age, and supported by a historical narrative that fills the gaps and explains the context of the memoirs, this is a fascinating view of the life of the British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars. [read full review]
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Operation 'Overlord' June-September 1944: Volume 2: USAAF Eight and Ninth Air Forces, Neil Robinson and Peter Scott. A detailed pictorial study of the paint schemes and markings of the aircraft of the 8th and 9th Air Forces during the period of the D-Day landings and the battle of Normandy, complete with a background history of the two air force and their orders of battle in 1944. [read full review]
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28 November 2011

Hitler's Army, Chris McNab. Ten times larger than many Ospreys, this book looks at the development of the Germany army from the triumphs of 1939-40 to its eventual defeat in 1944-45. Covers a wide range of topics, from the overall organisation of the army to the evolution of different parts of the uniform, all supported by illustrations, photos and maps from Osprey's archives. A very useful and readable reference work. [read full review]
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Operation 'Overlord' June-September 1944: Volume 1 RAF & Commonwealth Air Force plus Luftflotte 3, Neil Robinson & Jon Freeman. A guide to the colour schemes and markings used by the aircraft of 2nd Tactical Air Force, Air Defence of Great Britain and Luftflotte 3 during Operation Overlord. A useful introduction is followed by a huge number of illustrations showing each type of aircraft and each squadron, each with an explanation of what we are seeing. [read full review]
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25 November 2011

Goering: The Rise and Fall of the Notorious Nazi Leader, Roger Manvell and Heinrich Fraenkel. A very high quality biography of Hermann Goering, the 'second man' of the Third Reich. Best known as head of the Luftwaffe, Goering played a wider role in the rise of the Nazis to power and was a major figure in Nazi Germany until the failures of the Luftwaffe to protect against Allied bombers undermined his position. [read full review]
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Saladin, David Nicolle. The book is a fascinating, balanced read portraying Saladin as a complex political and military leader of the Muslim world, who faced as many Muslim as Christian enemies. It is well written and as usual with Osprey well illustrated with maps, colour plates and black and white as well as colour photographs. The book examines his early life, his military and political campaigns and briefly his well known battles; it also looks at what motivated him as a leader. [read full review]
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23 November 2011

Casca: Sword of the Brotherhood, Tony Roberts. This entry in the Casca series is set in an interesting period - the last clashes between Byzantium and the soon to be overwhelmed Persian Empire. Casca is blackmailed into taking part in this struggle by his arch enemies, who want to retrieve his spear, used at the crucifixion, captured by the Persians when they briefly held Jerusalem. [read full review]
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Ancient Warfare Vol V Issue 3: The last great enemy: Rome and the Sassanid Empire. This issue of Ancient Warfare Magazine focuses on Sassanid Persia, the last great civilised opponent of Rome (and a major opponent for the early Byzantines). Includes an overview of the Sassanid era, a look at the role of their army, an examination of their many victories over the Romans, and a reconstruction of one type of Sassanid soldier. [read full review]
Armies of the Napoleonic Wars, ed. Gregory Fremont-Barnes. A collection of ten articles by nine different authors looking at the main armies of the Napoleonic Wars, from 1803 to 1815. The chapters vary in tone, with some only having the space to trace the evolving structure of an army, while others, for the smaller participants, also provide details on the army's performance. A very useful reference work. [read full review]
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4 November 2011

Battleground Ypres: The Battle of the Lys 1918, Givenchy and the River Lawe, Phil Tomaselli. A detailed account of the fighting on the southern half of the battlefield during the first four days of the Battle of the Lys, one of the series of major German offensives that pushed the Allied line back in the spring and early summer of 1918. Finishes with a selection of tours of the battlefield [read full review]
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Motherland: Part One, Through Hunger and War, Natan Gimelfarb. Part one of the autobiography of a Jewish director living in the Soviet Union, covering his childhood, wartime experiences and student days. The author grew up in the Ukraine, suffered during the pre-war famines, and was forced to flee east ahead of the advancing Germans. A period in the Red Army ended when he was seriously wounded, and the final part of the book looks at his experiences as a wartime student.  [read full review]
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31 October 2011

Up to Mametz and Beyond, Llewelyn Wyn Griffith. A classic account of life on the Western Front (Up to Mametz, first published in 1931), accompanied by the same author's unpublished memoirs covering his time as a staff officer during the last two years of the war. The two books are very different in tone, well written and of great value. [read full review]
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ANZAC Infantryman 1914-15, From New Guinea to Gallipoli, Ian Sumner. Looks at the raising, training and deployment of the Australian and New Zealand armies in 1914-15, a period that saw them deployed in the south Pacific, Egypt and most famously at Gallipoli. Gallipoli rather dominates, but it is nice to have more of the background than normal. [read full review]
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Retreat and Retribution in Afghanistan 1842 - Two Journals of the First Afghan War, Margaret Kekewich. An account of the First Afghan War, based on two diaries produced during the war, one by Lady Florentia Sale, the wife of a British officer caught up in the disaster at Kabul, the second by the Reverend Isaac Allen, a clergyman who accompanied the army of retribution that rescued the prisoners taken during the retreat from Kabul. [read full review]
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Sparta at War, Scott M. Rusch. A study of the rise, dominance and fall of Sparta, the most famous military power in the Classical Greek world. Sparta dominated land warfare for two centuries, before suffering a series of defeats that broke its power. The author examines the reasons for that success, and for Sparta's failure to bounce back from defeat. [read full review]
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The Maginot Line: History and Guide, J.E Kaufmann, H.W. Kaufmann, A. Jankovic-Potocnik and P. Lang. A combination of a history of the Maginot Line, from its design and construction to its use in battle in 1940 and 1944-45, with a detailed guide to the individual fortified areas (or ouvrages). A very useful guide to this controversial line of fortifications, and to the brief periods when it was caught up in the fighting [read full review]
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3 October 2011

Vietnam Gun Trucks, Gordon L. Rottman. A study of the armed trucks used to escort vulnerable supply convoys as they crossed South Vietnam, looking at their origins as an impromptu solution to an unexpected problem, the development of more powerfully armed versions of the trucks, the tactics used by the truck crews and the often flamboyant decorative paint schemes used on the truck names. [read full review]
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Ian Fleming's Commandos: The Story of 30 Assault Unit in WWII, Nicholas Rankin. Partly a history of 30 Assault Unit and partly a look at Ian Fleming's wartime service and Naval Intelligence. This is an accessible look at an interesting topic, with plenty of background material as well as some fascinating accounts of the technological intelligence gathering activities of the unit. [read full review]
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Great War Lives: A Guide for Family Historians, Paul Reed. An unusual approach to family history, looking at the wartime experiences of twelve very different British soldiers (including the only black pilot in the RFC and a rare example of a major war poet of low rank). Each of these biographies is followed by research notes which explain where the information was found. [read full review]

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Haig - Master of the Field, Major General Sir John Davidson. An account of the events on the Western Front in 1917 and 1918, written by Haig's Director of Operations. The author was motivated by a desire to restore Haig's reputation against what he believed were unfair attacks, and to a large extent he succeeds, although on occasions he does rather over-state his case. [read full review]
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2Women in the Second World War, Collette Drifte. A collection of personal reminiscences from Women who served in the armed forces, industry or farming during the Second World War, looking at the ATS, WAAF, WRNS, the Land Army, the Timber Corps, the Voluntary Aid Detachment, Queen Alexandra's Nurses, the Fire Service, the NAAFI and finishing with the stories of three famous SOE operatives. [read full review]
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War in the Ruins: The American Army's Final Battle against Nazi Germany, Edward G. Longacre. A history of the US Army's 100th Infantry Division's involvement in the Second World War, focusing on the battle for Heilbronn, the last major battle fought by American troops in Europe in 1945, as well as covering the division's training, their advance to the German border, attacks on part of the Maginot Line and the impact of the Battle of the Bulge. [read full review]
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22 September 2011

Hitler Triumphant: Alternate Decisions of World War II, Peter G. Tsouras. A series of counterfactual scenarios which examine various ways in which the Germans might have won the Second World War, most starting with a single change and working out from there. An entertaining read, even if some of the scenarios do require further dramatic alterations of history to work. [read full review]
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August 1914 - Surrender at St. Quentin, John Hutton. A study of an infamous incident during the British retreat from Le Cateau in 1914, when the commanders of two infantry battalions decided to surrender under great German pressure, only for another officer to intervene and extract their men. Looks at the pressure the two men were under, their subsequent court martial and their different reactions to being disgraced. [read full review]
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Images of War: Operation Barbarossa, Hitler's Invasion of Russia, Hans Seidler. A collection of German photographs from the first six months of the invasion of the Soviet Union, from the triumphal advances in the summer to the first dreadful experiences of the Russian winter. A good selection of high quality pictures, showing the German army at the height of its powers and confidence. [read full review]
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Sacrifice on the Steppe, Hope Hamilton. The tragic tale of the Italian Alpine Corps sent by Mussolini to fight alongside the Germans in Russia, their disastrous  retreat after the Soviet counterattack at Stalingrad, and the fate of the many men who were captured by the Soviets, from the early poor treatment to the later political indoctrination. [read full review]
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15 August 2011

The 16th Durham Light Infantry in Italy, 1943-1945, Peter Hart. Using interviews conducted from the mid 1980s, this book tells the story of the 16th Durham Light Infantry's time in Italy as seen by the men of the unit. The result is a very valuable ground level view of the world of the fighting men, supported by a good overall account of the campaign. [read full review]
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Marshal Vauban and the Defence of Louis XIV's France, James Falkner. A biography of the famous French military engineer, whose fortifications dominated many French towns for centuries after his death. Vauban was both a builder and besieger of fortifications, and this biography looks at both his defensive work, where he created a strongly defended border, and his military career, where by his own count he was involved in over fifty major sieges. [read full review]
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Erich von Manstein - Hitler's Master Strategist, Benoit Lemay. Focuses on Manstein's wartime career, from the planning for the invasions on Poland and France to his time on the Eastern Front. This is an objective account, acknowledging both Manstein's great ability as a general and his involvement in the massive war crimes committed in Russia, with his knowledge, and on occasion encouragement. [read full review]
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8 August 2011

Merville Battery and the Dives Bridges, Carl Shilleto. One part of a two part guide to the British airborne operations at the Merville Battery and Pegasus Bridge on D-Day. The book combined an account of the attack on the Merville gun battery and nearby operations with a guide for visitors to the modern battlefields. [read full review]
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World War II Soviet Armed Forces (1), 1939-41, Dr Nigel Thomas. This is a fairly traditional Osprey Man at Arms book looking at the soviet armed forces during the early stages of the Second World War 1939-1941. The book gives a brief outline of the early course of the war, the purges of high command, and the land forces' main campaigns, with sections on the Air force, Navy and NKVD uniforms. The book is short and gives an introduction to a big subject with excellent detail on uniforms and organisation at this early stage. [read full review]
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Images of the Past: Fishing Industry, Jon Sutherland & Diane Canwell. An interesting photographic record of the fishing industry of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although there is little directly relevant to military history, these men and these boats did serve in vast numbers in the Royal Navy in both world wars. [read full review]
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Border Reiver, 1513-1603, Keith Durham. An examination of the last century of warfare on the Anglo-Scottish border, which mainly involved the local families, or reivers, who took part in an endless series of border raids. Most were more criminal than military, but the same men were normally involved in the regular battles on the borders, and their activities turned the whole border region into a fortified area. [read full review]
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North American Indian Tribes of the Great Lakes, Michael G. Johnson. Packs a great deal of information into its 48 pages, with a look at the main tribes and tribal groupings in the Great Lakes, or Old North West. Includes a guide to the tribes, an account of the main wars from the mid 18th to early 19th centuries, and some mini biographies of Indian leaders.  [read full review]
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Hitler's Savage Canary - A History of the Danish Resistance in World War II, David Lampe. Tells the story of the Danish Resistance, which from a slow start in 1940 became one of the most effective in occupied Europe, and is now most famous for helping the vast majority of Denmark's Jews escape to neutral Sweden. [read full review]
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3 August 2011

Commando Tactics: The Second World War, Stephen Bull. A study of the way in which the Commandos were selected, trained and used during their brief existence and how that changed during the course of the Second World War. The author traces the way in which during their short life the Commandos became increasingly proficient, and expanded dramatically in size, and the early small scale raiding was replaced by larger scale operations. [read full review]
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The Kensington Battalion, G. I. S. Inglis. A history of the 22nd Royal Fusiliers (the Kensington Battalion), one of the many service battalions raised as part of Kitchener's 'New Army'. This is one of the best 'unit' histories that I've read, with a good balance between the close-up details and the wider picture.The Kensington Battalion, G. I. S. Inglis. A history of the 22nd Royal Fusiliers (the Kensington Battalion), one of the many service battalions raised as part of Kitchener's 'New Army'. This is one of the best 'unit' histories that I've read, with a good balance between the close-up details and the wider picture. [read full review]
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Wandsworth & Battersea Battalions in the Great War, Paul McCue. Tells the story of two battalions raised in neighbouring parts of London as part of Kitchener's 'New Army'. An interesting approach, this allows the reader to compare the experiences of two similar battalions, one of which was captured in large numbers in the German advance of 1918. [read full review]
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The Holy Boys: A History of the Royal Norfolk Regiment and The Royal East Anglian Regiment, 1685-2010, Jon Sutherland and Diane Canwell. A study of the long history of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, from its formation in the seventeenth century, through its time as the 9th foot, the Norfolk regiment and its current incarnation as part of the Anglian Regiment. The largest sections look at the massively expanded regiment of the two World Wars, when enough battalions were formed to fill a small division. [read full review]
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The Battle of Borodino, Napoleon against Kutuzov, Alexander Mikaberidze. A valuable new study of the bloody battle of Borodino, looking at the course of the battle and examining the many historical controversies that have grown up since the fighting ended, both at the time and in later historical debates. [read full review]
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The Hunt for Martin Bormann - The Truth, Charles Whiting. A look at the post-war hunt for Martin Bormann, the most senior Nazi leader not accounted for in 1945. Bormann died in Berlin in 1945, but his body wasn't found for three decades, and in the gap a wide range of theories grew up to explain his escape, from major Nazi networks in South America to his being a Soviet spy in retirement in Moscow. [read full review]
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29 July 2011

The Battle-Cruiser HMS Renown 1916-1948, Peter C. Smith. Built as a First World War battlecruiser, the Renown survived to become one of the most important British warships of the Second World War. Making extensive use of the memories of the crewmen who served in her, this book tells the tale of a fast, happy, but vulnerable ship that despite her thin battlecruiser armour surivied to play a major part in the most British naval successes, especially in the Mediterranean. [read full review]
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Images of War: Blitzkrieg Poland, Jon Sutherland and Diane Canwell. Contains three photo albums belonging to German soldiers who took part in the invasion or occupation of Poland in 1939. Each picture is accompanied by an informative caption, discussing either the details of the picture or the wider situation in the fighting. [read full review]
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Britain's Part-Time Soldiers: The Amateur Military Tradition 1558-1945, Ian F. W. Beckett. An in depth study of the amateur military tradition, from its medieval roots to the modern Territorial Army. Looks at the impact of the militia, volunteers and territorials on society, their composition and their relationship with the professional army. [read full review]
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Rising Sun, John Toland. A well researched and compelling history of the Second World War in the Pacific, mainly told from the Japanese point of view. As a result we learn more about the Japanese strategy for the war, the reasons for each decision, and the political background in Japan. [read full review]
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26 July 2011

The Soviet Union at War 1941-1945, ed. David R. Stone. An examination of the impact of the German invasion on the Soviet Union, and how effective the various elements of the Soviet system were in fighting the war. Topics covered include the collective farming system, Soviet industry, the structure and attitudes of the military, the role of Women and the fate of non-Russians on both sides of the front line. [read full review]
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Cross and Crescent in the Balkans - the Ottoman Conquest of Southeastern Europe, David Nicolle. Partly chronological and partly thematic, this book looks at the Ottoman conquest and retention of the Balkans, overcoming the remnants of Byzantium, a number of powerful Balkan states, before  recovering from the devastation caused by Tamerlane. Looks at Ottoman culture, architecture, urban and rural life as well as the military campaigns that established an empire that lasted into the Twentieth Century. [read full review]
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Frigates, Sloops and Brigs, James Henderson. Originally published as two separate books, this single volume edition looks at the frigates and smaller ships that served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic and Revolutionary Wars. Tales of daring successes mix with stories of bold actions that ended in defeat to produce an picture of life and death in the small ships. [read full review]
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Ancient Warfare Magazine: Volume IV, Issue 5, Fighting for the Gods: Warfare and ReligionAncient Warfare Vol V Issue 1: The 'new man' who saved Rome: Gaius Marius at War. An examination of the career of one of the great military and political leaders of the late Republic, looking at his military achievements, the innovations attributed to him and the political background to his rise and career. Also looks at professionalism under Alexander the Great and the role of the chariot on the battlefield. [see more]

Ancient Warfare Magazine: Volume IV, Issue 5, Fighting for the Gods: Warfare and ReligionAncient Warfare Vol IV, Issue 6: Royal Stalemate: Hellenistic kingdoms at war. An examination of the long series of wars between the successor states to Alexander the Great, often seen as a series of futile wars that only ended when Macedonia, Ptolemaic Egypt and Seleucid Empire were swept away by the Romans. [see more]


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