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The combat photography and wartime experiences of Phil'Snapdragon'Stern, an iconic photographer of JFK, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, published for the first time and beautifully presented.Prior to Phil Stern's death on December 13, 2014, his original, unfinished, tattered wartime memoir was discovered, stashed away in an old folio box in his cluttered Hollywood bungalow. Best remembered for his iconic images, his remarkable service during World War II as a combat photographer with Darby's Rangers has remained largely unknown. Until now.Stern's catchy 1940s lingo, honest and intimate observations, and humor, paired with his striking combat photography, transport the reader 70 years back in time to meet the hardscrabble Rangers and experience some of the key battles of the Mediterranean Theater. Snapdragon is an artifact of that time, told not by a man reminiscing in his twilight years, but by a young soldier fresh from the battlefields.

Designed by a motorcycle racer turned small-arms engineer, George Patchett, the submachine gun that eventually became known as the Sterling was developed during World War II. Some suggest it first saw action during Operation Infatuate with No. 4 Commando, before becoming fully adopted by the British Army in 1953 as the Sterling Machine Carbine (L2A1). It was centre stage for many of Britain's post-colonial conflicts from Malaya to Kenya and from Yemen to Northern Ireland. The silenced L34A1 Sterling-Patchett entered service in 1966 and first saw action deep in the jungles of Vietnam in the hands of the elite special forces of Australia, New Zealand and the United States during prisoner snatches and reconnaissance patrols.Employing first-hand accounts and painstaking technical analysis, this engaging account features carefully selected archive photography and specially commissioned colour artwork depicting the submachine gun that armed British and other forces for nearly 60 years.

In July 1937, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident sparked a bloody conflict between Chinese and Japanese forces that would rage across China and beyond for more than eight years. The two sides'forces brought very different strengths and limitations to the conflict. In 1937 China was divided into factions, each controlled by warlords with independent forces, and there was no unified Chinese army. In order to fight the Japanese Chiang Kai-shek, the nominal leader of Nationalist China, was compelled to do deals with these regional powers. For their part, the Japanese employed ground forces broadly comparable to those fielded by Western powers, including modern artillery and tanks. Featuring specially commissioned artwork and drawing upon an array of sources, this study investigates the origins, training, doctrine and armament of the Chinese and Japanese forces who fought in the opening stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War.

In 1941–44, Nazi Germany's Gebirgsjäger - elite mountain troops - clashed repeatedly with land-based units of the Soviet Navy during the mighty struggle on World War II's Eastern Front. Formed into naval infantry and naval rifle brigades, some 350,000 of Stalin's sailors would serve the Motherland on land, playing a key role in the defence of Moscow, Leningrad, and Sevastopol. The Gebirgsjäger, many among them veterans of victories in Norway and then Crete, would find their specialist skills to be at a premium in the harsh terrain and bitter weather encountered at the northern end of the front line. Operating many hundreds of miles north of Moscow, the two sides endured savage conditions as they fought one another inside the Arctic Circle.Featuring archive photographs, specially commissioned artwork and expert analysis, this is the absorbing story of the men who fought and died in the struggle for the Soviet Union's northern flank at the height of World War II.

German army deficiencies are often cited as the reason for the failure of the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes region of France, Belgium and Luxembourg in December of 1944 to January 1945 which the Germans called Operation Wacht am Rhein, the Allies named the Ardennes Counteroffensive, and was also commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge. It is certainly true that the three German armies regrouped for the offensive were in differing states; only the 5th Panzer Army was in something resembling good condition, with the 6th and the 7th mediocre at best. The divisions were also often not mobile enough because of the lack of automotive equipment and were short on tanks and artillery. But these cannot be considered the only reasons for the German failure: it was also the speed of the Allied reaction, and especially the conduct of the Americans, who experienced some of the fiercest combat of the war, and suffered over 100,000 casualties.This volume in the Casemate Illustrated series, with over 100 photographs and 24 color profiles describes in detail the different events that caused the German defeat, from the beginning of the offensive on December 16, 1944 to the retreat behind the Siegfried Line. It looks at several topics in particular: the American resistance at St. Vith; the resistance of the 101st Airborne in Bastogne; German obstinacy in persisting with the siege at Bastogne; the airlift and the intervention of the 9th US Air Force; the rapid regrouping of the 3rd US Army; Patton's counterattack; the British counterattack; and finally how the Allies failed to transform the German withdrawal into rout, missing an opportunity to cross the Siegfried line and the Rhine on the heels of the Germans, leading to an incomplete victory.

Whereas on the Continent, the Missing Research and Enquiry Unit left no stone unturned to try to trace the thousands of airmen who still remained missing, strangely enough no similar operation was carried out by the RAF on crash sites in the United Kingdom. Many of these still contained the mortal remains of pilots whose names had been added to the Memorial to the Missing unveiled at Runnymede in 1953. It is difficult to understand today how it took so long for the realization to sink in that aircraft wreckage still remained buried. When it did, there followed what can only be described as an unholy scramble to find crash sites and dig them up, heavy plant being employed to make it easier and quicker. At the height of this unfettered exploration period during the 1970s, there were over 30 ‘aviation archaeology'groups at work, particularly in the counties of Essex, Kent and Sussex. Unrecovered human remains were now being found which understandably raised criticism from some quarters. Inevitably order had to be restored and the Ministry of Defence stepped in with a ‘code of conduct'for digging up crashed aircraft, a measure that was reinforced by an Act of Parliament in 1986. Thereafter a process was introduced whereby the Ministry issued licenses before a wreck site could be excavated, and every license application, whether granted or refused, is listed for the first time in this book.

With rare wartime photography, this WWII history presents an in-depth look at one of the most grueling and vital battles of the Normandy campaign.After storming the beaches on D-Day, the US First Army labored to advance through the Norman bocage country in the west. The lethal struggle that developed there was a defining episode in the Normandy campaign, and this photographic history is a vivid introduction to it.The Germans mounted a tenacious defense from the high hedgerows. But the Americans adapted their tactics and brought in special equipment including bulldozers and tanks with hedgerow cutters to force their way through. In spite of appalling losses, First Army overcame their tactical problems and ground their way to Saint-L.Through a selection of over 150 carefully chosen and meticulously captioned wartime photographs, Simon Forty traces the course of the battle and gives the reader a graphic impression of the conditions, the terrain, and the experience of the troops.

In the fourth and final volume of Nik Cornish's photographic history of the Second World War on the Eastern Front the defeat of the German army, the destruction and occupation of the cities in eastern Germany and the humiliation of the German people are shown in over 150 mostly unpublished wartime photographs. The extent of the fighting, from the Baltic in the north to the Balkans in the south, is recorded in a selection of graphic images, as is the tenacity and desperation of the German resistance and the unstoppable force of the Red Army as offensive after offensive crushed the Third Reich. While most of the photographs show the Red Army, its troops, equipment and the conditions in which it fought, the shattered cities of Germany and eastern Europe and the suffering and destitution of the civilians are recorded in graphic detail.

In March 1945 the German Wehrmacht undertook its final attempt to change the course of the war by launching a counteroffensive in the area of Lake Balaton, Hungary. Here, the best panzer forces of the Third Reich and the elite of the Panzerwaffe were assembled - the panzer divisions SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, Das Reich, Totenkopf, Wiking and others, staffed by ardent believers in Nazism and armed with the most up-to-date combat equipment, including up to 900 tanks and self-propelled guns. At the time, this was considered a secondary axis for the Red Army, and thus the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front had to stop the German counteroffensive with their own forces and could not count upon reinforcements from the Stavka Reserve, which were needed for the decisive storming of Berlin. Relying upon their combat skill and rich combat experience, the Soviet troops carried out this task with honor, stopping the tidal wave of German armor and inflicting a decisive defeat and enormous, irreplaceable losses upon the enemy. The defeat of the Sixth SS Panzer Army became a genuine catastrophe for Germany, and Balaton became the tomb of the Panzerwaffe. In this book, penned by two leading Russian military historians, this major defeat suffered by the Wehrmacht has been described and analyzed for the first time using data from both Soviet and German archives. It focuses not only on Operation Spring Awakening, but also describes the preceding Konrad offensives conducted by the Germans in the effort to come to the aid of the encircled and desperate German and fascist Hungarian defenders of Budapest. This edition is lavishly illustrated with over a hundred rare photographs of destroyed or disabled German armor taken shortly after the battle by a Soviet inspection team, besides other photographs and specially commissioned color maps.

Armistice Day in 1918 was arguably the most joyous day of the 20th century. As the guns fell silent, crowds celebrated across the Western world.The foremost artists of all nations including Pierre Bonnard in Paris and Gilbert Beal in New York, were inspired to convey the emotions of the historic moment. The Irish painter William Orpen was in Amiens.The tense and difficult process of making the peace ensued. Orpen and Augustus John were assigned as official artists at the Versailles conference. Painters also recorded on canvas the extraordinary closing events of the War, including the surrender of the entire German battle fleet.One hundred years on, The Armistice and the Aftermath brings together in one book a superb collection of the most epic paintings of the era. The result, with informed and perceptive commentary, is a unique record of those momentous days which not only re-drew the world map but, more ominously, shaped the future of the 20th Century.

A pictorial history of events that occurred during World War I in 1918.The final book in a series of five titles which graphically cover each year of the war. Countless thousands of pictures were taken by photographers on all sides during the First World War. These pictures appeared in the magazines, journals, and newspapers of the time. Some illustrations went on to become part of postwar archives and have appeared, and continue to appear, in present-day publications and TV documentary programs—many did not. The Great War Illustrated series, beginning with the year 1914, includes in its pages many rarely seen images with individual numbers allocated, and subsequently they will be lodged with the Taylor Library Archive for use by editors and authors.While some of the images in The Great War Illustrated 1918 will be familiar, many will be seen for the first time by a new generation interested in the months that changed the world for ever.Praise for The Great War Illustrated 1918“Add this book to the others in the series and you have the most comprehensive photographic record of WWI.” —The Armourer, Editor's Choice“This has been a fantastic series of books and this last volume has maintained the standard from first to last.” —War History Online

A fascinating look at the Napoleonic Wars from French soldiers'and officers'points of view, based on hundreds of their letters, memoirs, and reports.The British army during the Napoleonic Wars is often studied using English sources, and the British view of their French opponents has been covered in exhaustive detail. However, the French view of the British has been less often studied and is frequently misunderstood. This book, based on hundreds of letters, memoirs, and reports of French officers and soldiers of the Napoleonic armies, adds to the existing literature by exploring the British army from the French side of the battle line. Each chapter looks at a specific campaign involving the French and the British. Extensive quotes from the French soldiers who were there are complemented by detailed notes describing the context of the war and the career of the eyewitness. Throughout, the emphasis is on the voices of the lower ranks, the conscripts and the noncommissioned and junior officers. They describe in their own words the full range of warfare during the period—not only land battles but battles at sea, including the Nile and Trafalgar and accounts of captivity in England are covered. This original and revealing material gives a fascinating insight into the attitudes and concerns of the French soldiers of the period and their views about their British enemy.

By the end of the first week of November 1942, the German Sixth Army held about 90 per cent of Stalingrad. Yet the Soviets stubbornly held on to the remaining parts of the city, and German casualties started to reach catastrophic levels. In an attempt to break the deadlock, Hitler decided to send additional German pioneer battalions to act as an urban warfare spearhead. These combat engineers were skilled in all aspects of city fighting, especially in the use of demolitions and small arms to overcome defended positions and in the destruction of armoured vehicles. Facing them were hardened Soviet troops who had perfected the use of urban camouflage, concealed and interlocking firing positions, close quarters battle, and sniper support.This fully illustrated book explores the tactics and effectiveness of these opposing troops during this period, focusing particularly on the brutal close-quarters fight over the Krasnaya Barrikady (Red Barricades) ordnance factory.

A lavishly illustrated volume marking the defining point in American history. The American Revolution reshaped the political map of the world, and led to the birth of the United States of America. Yet these outcomes could have scarcely been predicted when the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord. American rebel forces were at first largely a poorly trained, inexperienced and disorganized militia, pitted against one of the most formidable imperial armies in the world.Yet following a succession of defeats against the British, the rebels slowly rebounded in strength under the legendary leadership of George Washington. The fortunes of war ebbed and flowed, from the humid southern states of America to the frozen landscapes of wintry Canada, but eventually led to the catastrophic British defeat at Yorktown in 1781 and the establishment of an independent United States of America.The Improbable Victory is a revealing and comprehensive guide to this seminal conflict, from the opening skirmishes, through the major pitched battles, up to the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Impressively illustrated with photographs and artwork, it provides an invaluable insight into this conflict from the major command decisions down to the eye level of the front-line soldier.Published to coincide with the official opening of the new American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

A lavish photographic history that reveals the vital role that the pilots and their aircraft played throughout the course of World War II.Soaring high above the fields and cities of Europe and Asia as well as the vast expanse of the Pacific, Allied and Axis pilots engaged in a deadly battle for control of the skies in World War II. Whoever won the skies would win the war.Published in association with the National Museum of World War II Aviation, Storm of Eagles is a fully illustrated coffee-table book that brings together classic as well as never-before-seen wartime images. Compiled by one of the world's premier aviation photographers and historians, this remarkable volume is a must-have for anyone interested in World War II aviation.

Compiled by an acclaimed Civil War historian, this beautiful volume illustrated with stunning photography examines America's deadliest conflict through the camera's lens.The Civil War changed America forever. It shaped its future and determined its place in history. For the first time in military history, the camera was there to record these seismic events from innovations in military and naval warfare, to the battles themselves; the commanders at critical moments in the battle, and the ordinary soldier tentatively posing for his first ever portrait on the eve of battle.Displaying many rare images unearthed by the author, an acclaimed Civil War historian, this beautiful volume explores how the camera bore witness to the dramatic events of the Civil War. It reveals not only how the first photographers plied their trade but also how photography helped shape the outcome of the war, and how it was reported to anxious families across the North and South.

During World War I, New Haven was a hive of wartime activity. The city hummed with munition production from the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, while food conservation campaigns, canning kitchens and book drives contributed to the war effort. Meanwhile, Walter Camp, father of American football, whipped recruits and city residents into shape with his fitness programs. The Knights of Columbus were also busy preparing their'Everyone Welcome! Everything Free!'huts. And one hero--a brown-and-white dog, Sergeant Stubby--first made his appearance at Camp Yale, home of the 102nd Regiment of the Yankee Division. Using library and museum collections, author Laura A. Macaluso demonstrates how the Elm City contributed its time and money, men and women and one special dog to the first global war of the twentieth century.

After six failed attempts to reach Vicksburg, General Ulysses S. Grant developed a plan. The Yazoo Pass Expedition was a Union army/navy operation meant to bypass Vicksburg by using the backwaters of the Mississippi Delta. Operations began on February 3, 1863, with a levee breach on the Mississippi River. The expedition was delayed as a result of natural obstacles and Confederate resistance, which allowed the Confederate army under Lieutenant General John Pemberton to block passage of the Federal fleet. The Confederates continued to rebuff the fleet and finally defeated it in the spring. Larry McCluney examines the expedition from start to finish in never-before-seen detail.

A history of World War I's Battle of Passchendaele featuring words and photographs from the British soldiers who were there.Passchendaele is the next volume in the highly-regarded series of books from the best-selling First World War historian Richard van Emden. Once again, using the winning formula of diaries and memoirs, and above all original photographs taken on illegally-held cameras by the soldiers themselves, Richard tells the story of 1917, of life both in and out of the line culminating in perhaps the most dreaded battle of them all, the Battle of Passchendaele. The author has an outstanding collection of over 5,000 privately-taken and overwhelmingly unpublished photographs, revealing the war as it was seen by the men involved, an existence that was sometimes exhilarating, too often terrifying, and occasionally even fun. Richard van Emden interviewed 270 veterans of the Great War, has written extensively about the soldiers'lives, and has worked on many television documentaries, always concentrating on the human aspects of war, its challenge and its cost to the millions of men involved.

The period of relative peace enjoyed by the Roman Empire in its first two centuries ended with the Marcomannic Wars. The following centuries saw near-constant warfare, which brought new challenges for the Roman Navy. It was now not just patrolling the Mediterranean but also fighting against invaders with real naval skill such as Genseric and his Vandals. With research from newly discovered shipwrecks and archaeological finds as well as the rich contemporary source material, this study examines the equipment and tactics used by the navy and the battles they fought in this tumultuous period, which includes the fall of Rome and the resurgence of the Eastern Empire under Justinian the Great.Using spectacular illustrations, carefully researched ship profiles, and maps, this third volume in Osprey's Roman Warships miniseries charts the ultimate evolution of the Roman fleet in one of the most fascinating periods of its history.

The Red Army suffered such catastrophic losses of armour in the summer of 1941 that they begged Britain and the United States to send tanks. The first batches arrived in late 1941, just in time to take part in the defence of Moscow. The supplies of British tanks encompassed a very wide range of types including the Matilda, Churchill, and Valentine and even a few Tetrarch airborne tanks. American tanks included the M3 (Stuart) light tank and M3 (Lee) medium tank and the M4 Sherman tank, which became so common in 1944–45 that entire Soviet tank corps were equipped with the type. With these Western tanks, the Soviets were finally able to beat back the German tide in the East.This study examines the different types of tanks shipped to the Soviet Union during the war, Soviet assessments of their merits and problems, and combat accounts of their use in Soviet service using full colour artwork, contemporary photographs and detailed cut-away illustrations.

In 1979 the Soviet Union moved from military'help'to active intervention in Afghanistan. Four-fifths of the Afghan National Army deserted in the first year of the war, which, compounded with the spread and intensification of the rebellion led by the formidable guerrilla fighters of the Mujahideen, forced the Soviets to intensify their involvement. The Soviet army was in generally poor condition when the war started, but the troops of the airborne and air assault units were better trained and equipped. As a result they developed aggressive, sometimes effective tactics against an enemy that refused to behave the way most Soviet commanders wished him to. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, this absorbing study examines the origins, combat role and battlefield performance of the Soviet Union's paratroopers and their Mujahideen adversaries during the long and bloody Soviet involvement in Afghanistan during the 1980s.

The tank battles in the Soviet Union during the summer of 1941 were the largest in World War II, exceeding even the more famous Prokhorovka encounter during the Kursk campaign. Indeed, they were the largest tank battles ever fought. This book examines two evenly matched competitors in this conflict, the German Panzer 38(t) and the Soviet BT-7. Both were of similar size, armed with guns of comparable firepower, and had foreign roots – the Panzer 38(t) was a Czechoslovak design and the BT-7 was an evolution of the American Christie tank. With full-colour artwork and archive and present-day photography, this absorbing study assesses the strengths and limitations of these two types against the wider background of armoured doctrine in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa.

The Republic Thunderbolt came into RAF inventory when it became clear the RAF would be unable to obtain enough North American Mustangs from the Americans. By 1943, the RAF was looking a fighter-bomber able to succeed the Hurricane and the Kittyhawk. The idea was to succeed both type in the Mediterranean and the Hurricane in the Far East. Eventually the Thunderbolt would serve in the Far East only with considerable success even if the Thunderbolt was seen by the RAF as an interim fighter-bomber pending the availability of the promised Mustangs. This book comes to complete the study started with the Thunderbolt Mk. I published in SQUADRONS! No. 2. This present book covers the RAF usage of the Thunderbolt Mk II in 68 pages, illustrated with over 50 photos and seven color profiles.

This in-depth chronicle examines the series of political upheavals that led to division, violence, and civil war in the ancient Roman Republic. The last century of the Roman Republic saw the consensus of the ruling elite shattered by a series of high-profile politicians who proposed political or social reform programs, many of which culminated in acts of bloodshed on the streets of Rome itself. This began in 133 BC with the military recruitment reforms of Tiberius Gracchus, which saw him and his supporters lynched by a mob of angry Senators. Gracchus's grim example was followed by a series of radical politicians, each with their own agenda that challenged the status quo of the Senatorial elite. Each met a violent response from elements of the ruling order, leading to murder and even battles on the streets of Rome. These bloody political clashes paralyzed the Roman state, eventually leading to its collapse. Covering the period 133–70 BC, this volume analyzes each of the key reformers, what they were trying to achieve and how they met their end, narrating the long decline of the Roman Republic into anarchy and civil war.

The First World War was an unprecedented event, and some of its effects on the state of Maryland can be seen to this day. Maryland's civilian contributions included agricultural and industrial production, providing goods ranging from canned oysters to light artillery pieces. Wartime industrial requirements led to the creation of entire communities, including Dundalk. Maryland hosted a variety of military facilities, many of which are still active. The largest was Camp Meade, a virtual city, one of 16 new National Army training cantonments that sprang up in a matter of weeks in the summer of 1917. Other major facilities included the US Naval Academy, Fort McHenry, Naval Proving Ground Indian Head, and the new Aberdeen Proving Ground. The state's military contributions also included regional units of the National Guard and new National Army, which fought during the most deadly battle in American history, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

The declaration of war in 1917 and the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, stirred the men and women of Kane County, Illinois, to action and service. In World War I, many in Kane County joined the Illinois National Guard 3rd Regiment, 65th and 66th Brigades, and 129th and 131st Infantries of the 33rd Infantry Division. Many of the men also served in the infantry regiments of the 1st Division, known also as the'Big Red One.'They trained for war in places like Camp Deneen in Elgin, Camp Grant in Rockford, and Camp Logan in Houston, Texas. In World War II, Kane County's men performed on the war's biggest stages, aiding in Operation Torch, Operation Husky, and the invasion of Normandy. The women of Kane County also served overseas in both world wars as Red Cross nurses and WAVES, and domestically, they worked in factories, supporting in many vital ways.

A rare, revealing, and chilling photographic history of Adolf Hitler—from mollycoddled child to vile propagandist to despotic madman. One of the most intriguing mysteries about the rise of history's most despised dictator is just how utterly ordinary he once seemed. A chubby child, a mama's boy, an idle student, a failed artist, self-pitying outcast, and just another face in the crowd. The early images of Adolf Hitler give no hint of the demonic spirit bent on global domination. Only later in his tortured life came the metamorphosis, and the mask fell away to reveal a monster. Adolf Hitler: Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives traces this dramatic process in photographs—some iconic, some rare and intimate. And they are all revealing in their gradually subtle and disturbing transformation, demonstrating the mesmerizing power that Hitler wielded not only over the German public but also statesmen, industrialists, and the global media. Many culled from the author's private collection, the photographs collected here provide unique insight into the mind of a megalomaniac and architect of the twentieth century's most unfathomable atrocity.

By late June 1862, the Union army, under George B. McClellan, stood at the doorstep of Richmond. In a desperate hour for the Confederate capital, Robert E. Lee attacked McClellan and drove the Union army into a full retreat toward the safety of the James River. Lee recognized an opportunity to seal a decisive victory and commanded his Army of Northern Virginia to prevent the Union forces from retreating. A.P. Hill, James Longstreet and'Stonewall'Jackson were among those who engaged in the harrowing day of battle during the Seven Days'Campaign. Author Douglas Crenshaw details the dramatic Battle of Glendale in the Civil War.

The Second World War saw many people consigned to long periods of exile, far from home. How did the exiled keep in touch with home? Why were some exiles silent when others wrote frequently and at length? Posted in Wartime explores the nature of such exile and considers what could be written in diaries and letters, given that letters were censored and diaries were, at best, frowned upon. At the books heart are the stories of three very different exiles: a Liberty Ship captain; a doctor in the Royal Army Medical Corps; and an airman in Iraq and Palestine. Set alongside those are the experiences of a number of celebrated wartime exiles whose diaries and letters are both extensive and detailed, and whose stories loosely connect with the journeys of the three main protagonists; they include the travel writer Freya Stark, the photographer Cecil Beaton, and the playwright Nol Coward.• Exhibition of Cecil Beaton photography (of the Duchess of Devonshire and her set) at Chatsworth, March 2016 to January 2017.• The reopening of the British Postal Museum & Archive as The Postal Museum in London in 2017• 100th anniversary of the Imperial War Museum, London, 2017•75 years since the release of Noel Cowards film about the Navy at war, In Which We Serve (1942)• 75 years (on 15 April) since the authors father sailed to the Middle East in Winston Special convoy WS18• 100 years (in November 2017) since the Balfour Declaration (Middle East)• 70 years since Indian independence.

A fully-illustrated account of the dangers, the deaths, and the hardships of the thousands of Allied men who became prisoners of war during World War I. After being forced or making the decision to surrender, the soldier, sailor, or airman was at the mercy of his captors. Here, readers will learn what it felt like to surrender, the hazards involved, and then the often-arduous journey to a prisoner camp in Germany. Not all camps were the same; some were better than others, a situation that could easily change with the replacement of the commandant. But most were poor. Disease was rife and there was little medical care. With the arrival of parcels from home most prisoners could implement their diet, but this was not the case for Russians who received little help and relied on handouts from other prisoners. Barracks were usually cold and there were few blankets and little clothing. Men were abused, starved, denied their basic rights, sent to work in appalling conditions, and some were simply murdered. Escape was a priority for many men, but few made it home. This is the stark, unflinching true story of men who volunteered to fight for their country, only to end up in a war for survival at the mercy of the enemy.

Beneath the Killing Fields of the Western Front still lies a hidden landscape of industrialised conflict virtually untouched since 1918. This subterranean world is an ambiguous environment filled with material culture that that objectifies the scope and depth of human interaction with the diverse conflict landscapes of modern war. Covering the military reasoning for taking the war underground, as well as exploring the way that human beings interacted with these extraordinary alien environments, this book provides a more all-encompassing overview of the Western Front. The underground war was intrinsic to trench warfare and involved far more than simply trying to destroy the enemys trenches from below. It also served as a home to thousands of men, protecting them from the metallic landscapes of the surface. With the aid of cutting edge fieldwork conducted by the author in these subterranean locales, this book combines military history, archaeology and anthropology together with primary data and unique imagery of British, French, German and American underground defences in order to explore the realities of subterranean warfare on the Western Front, and the effects on the human body and mind that living and fighting underground inevitably entailed.

Camp Merritt, located in Bergen County, New Jersey, was authorized by the federal government in August 1917 as a critically needed embarkation base for processing US Army soldiers bound for the battlefields of Europe during World War I. The site of the camp, which now encompasses parts of five towns, was chosen for its proximity to roadways, railroads, and the Hudson River, which enabled the rapid movement of large numbers of troops and equipment to the nearby shipping port of Hoboken. As the war progressed, the size and scope of the base expanded; it was closed on June 30, 1920. During its lifetime, the camp processed over one million soldiers and nurses both going to and returning from war zones.

This pictorial history of the infamous Nazi tank presents a full account—in words and photographs—of Hitler's most fearsome and versatile war machine. Throughout the Second World War, the Panzerkampfwagen Mk IV proved to be the one constant in Hitler's Panzerwaffe. It was the German equivalent of the American Sherman and the Soviet T-34. In this pictorial history, military expert Anthony Tucker-Jones provides a concise account of the Mk IV's design, development and performance in combat. The Mk IV served on every major front: in France, the Balkans, North Africa, the Soviet Union and, at the end of the war, in Germany itself. It was a key weapon in the blitzkrieg attacks and in the later desperate defense of the Reich. Using more than 150 rare wartime photographs, plus a selection of specially commissioned color images, Tucker-Jones illustrates how the initial design of the Mk IV was refined throughout the war to counter the design advances in Allied tanks and anti-tank guns. While the Mk IV was never produced in the same numbers as the leading Allied tanks, it was one of the most important armored vehicles of the Second World War.

We all have Nonconformist ancestors. In the mid-nineteenth century almost half of the English population were Nonconformists. And there were very few villages where there was not at least one Nonconformist chapel. Local and family historians need to be aware of the diversity of Nonconformity, and of the many sources which will enable them to trace the activities of Nonconformist forebears.Stuart Raymond's handbook provides an overview of those sources. He identifies the numerous websites, libraries and archives that local and family historians need to consult. These are described in detail, their strengths and weaknesses are pointed out, and the contribution currently made by the internet is highlighted.Most Nonconformist denominations are discussed not just the mainstream Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Quakers and Methodists, but also obscure sects such as the Muggletonians and Glasites, and even the two groups who regularly appear on our doorsteps today Jehovahs Witnesses and the Mormons.The religious activities of our Nonconformist ancestors tell us a great deal about them, and provide fascinating insights into their lives.

Upon declaration of war on April 6, 1917, Redlands mobilized immediately. The local National Guard Company G departed on April 4 to Arcadia and quickly relocated to San Diego. Residents worked to establish a chapter of the American Red Cross and formed war committees through the YMCA, YWCA and Salvation Army. Thousands of residents pulled together to serve the war at home, donating their time and orchestrating bond drives. More than eight hundred locals served in the military, and Redlanders could be found fighting in every major battle involving American troops. Thirty-nine men and one woman made the ultimate sacrifice. This book commemorates the community's perseverance and sacrifices during the Great War.

In 1941, Paris, Tennessee, became the home of Camp Tyson. The 2,000-acre camp named for Knoxville World War I veteran Brig. Gen. Lawrence Tyson was built by some 800 laborers and consisted of 450 buildings including barracks, a hospital, and a theater. Over the course of World War II, the camp grew to about 6,000 acres in size and served as a training ground for as many as 25,000 servicemen, as well as a POW camp for many Germans and Italian prisoners. At Camp Tyson, soldiers trained to construct, maintain, and operate barrage balloons. These balloons were successfully used to provide anti-aircraft protection during World War I and again in World War II with the help of those trained in Henry County. However, the atomic bomb made barrage balloons obsolete, and after the war, Camp Tyson was decommissioned.

In late 1944, the German Air Ministry organised what it called an'Emergency Fighter Competition'intended to produce designs for quick-to-build yet technically and tactically effective jet fighter aircraft capable of tackling the anticipated arrival of the B-29 Superfortress over Europe, as well as the British Mosquito and US P-38 Lightning which were appearing in ever greater numbers.Thus was born a cutting-edge, highly sophisticated series of aircraft including the futuristic and elegant Focke-Wulf Ta 183; the extraordinary Blohm und Voss P.212, and the state-of-the-art Messerschmitt P.1101 series. Armed with heavy cannon and the latest air-to-air rockets and missiles, these were designed to inflict carnage on American bomber formations at high speed. Using stunning three-view illustrations of each prototype along with full colour artwork, aviation expert Robert Forsyth traces the history of the extraordinary aircraft of the'Emergency Fighter Competition', Hitler's last throw of the dice in the air war against the Allies.

“This is an excellent examination of one of the most important Allied naval weapons of the Second World War.”—HistoryOfWar.org The Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel—LCVP for short, or simply the “Higgins boat” to most of its users—was one of the keystones of victory in the Second World War. Like the army's Jeep or the Air Forces C-47 transport, it served in almost every theatre of war, performing unglamorous but vital service in the Allied cause. Derived from a humble workboat, the Higgins boatbuilding company designed a brilliantly simple craft that performed its role so well that over 23,000 of them were constructed—indeed, a high proportion of all the troops landed on enemy beaches came ashore from LCVPs, an achievement that led General Eisenhower to describe it as “the boat that won the war.” As Eisenhower had more experience of major amphibious operations than any other commander, it is a judgment to be taken seriously. This book combines the first in-depth history of the development and employment of the type, with a detailed description of its construction, machinery, performance and handling, based on the author's first-hand experience masterminding the restoration of a wartime example for his museum. Well-illustrated with plans and photographs, it will be of interest to modelmakers and enthusiasts, both military and naval. “An invaluable record for military historians and the designers, builders and operators of the successor boats. The photographs and drawings of every imaginable aspect of the LVCPs are beyond price. A magnificent contribution to both naval history and the future planning of amphibious operations.”—Ausmarine

With the Netherlands overrun by French Republican forces, the British and Russian governments sent an allied army of 48,000 men under the Duke of York to liberate the country and restore the House of Orange.The largest operation mounted by Pitt's ministry during the French Revolutionary Wars, the amphibious expedition involved the first ever direct cooperation between British and Russian forces, embroiled the armies in five full-scale battles, and secured the capture of the Dutch fleet. As Britain's first major continental involvement since 1795, it played a part in shaping the early careers of many famous military commanders of the Napoleonic Wars. In the end, however, the campaign failed spectacularly. Its inglorious end provoked parliamentary outrage and led to diplomatic rupture between Britain and Russia. The Duke of York never commanded an army in the field again.This book examines British, French, Dutch and Russian sources to reveal a fascinating tale of intrigue, diplomatic skullduggery and daring action. Spies, politicians, sailors and soldiers all play a part in the exciting story of an expedition that made (and broke) reputations and tested alliances. It recounts in lavish detail the series of battles fought to liberate a people who showed little interest in being saved and explores the story behind the triumphs and failures of this forgotten campaign.

Savannah, Georgia was home to one of the most notable Civil War moments, naval battles, and has a deep Civil War past. Noted local filmmaker and author tells the stories of Savannah's deep engagement in the conflict.Union general William T. Sherman cemented Savannah's most notable Civil War connection when he ended his'March to the Sea'there in December 1864. However, more fascinating stories from the era lurk behind the city's ancient, moss-draped live oaks. A full-scale naval battle raged between ironclad warships just offshore. More than seven thousand prisoners were confined in the area surrounding Forsyth Park. And on March 21, 1861, the present-day Savannah Theatre was the site of one of the most inflammatory and controversial speeches of the entire war. Noted local filmmaker and author Michael Jordan delves deep into this fabled city's Civil War past.

Rhode Island's contribution to World War II vastly exceeded its small size.Narragansett Bay was an armed camp dotted by army forts and navy facilities. They included the country's most important torpedo production and testing facilities at Newport and the Northeast's largest naval air station at Quonset Point. Three special, top-secret German POW camps were based in Narragansett and Jamestown. Meanwhile, Rhode Island workers from all over the state - including, for the first time, many women - manufactured military equipment and built warships, most notably the Liberty ships at Providence Shipyard. Authors from the Rhode Island history blog smallstatebighistory.com trace Rhode Island's outsized wartime role, from the scare of an enemy air raid after Pearl Harbor to the war's final German U-boat sunk off Point Judith.

A visual guide to the history of tanks, Tank tells the full history of tanks through stunning photography and informative text.From the early Mark Is of World War I to the T-34 of World War II to the cutting-edge M1 Abrams of today, Tank showcases the most famous (or infamous) armored fighting vehicles in history. Packed full of tanks, armored vehicles, personnel carriers, and anti-tank weaponry, Tank combines comprehensive photographic spreads with in-depth histories of key manufacturers and specially commissioned visual tours of the most iconic examples of their kind. The featured vehicles are placed in their wider context, along with with tactical and technological improvements, and the impact of the tank on the evolution of battlefield and military strategy.Tank charts the evolution of the tank over the past century, covering over 450 tanks and military vehicles from all over the world. Look through the history of tanks and explore the form and function of a weapon that changed history. Learn the different vehicles'weight, size, country of origin, and time of use through in-depth profiles.An essential visual history, Tank provides a complete and exciting overview to the iconic vehicles that changed history.

The Vietnam War remains one of the most heroic and heartbreaking events in history. This definitive guide charts the unforgettable story of the world's first televised war.Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution, this authoritative guide chronicles America's fight against Communism in southeast Asia during the 1960s and 1970s, and comprehensively explores the people, politics, events, and lasting effects of the Vietnam War.Hundreds of insightful images and a compelling narrative combine to chronicle this catastrophic conflict.?? From 1955, the communist government of North Vietnam waged war against South Vietnam and its main ally, the USA. Over the course of two decades of hostility and warfare, the number of casualties reached an incomprehensible three million people.Detailed descriptions of every episode, including Operation Passage to Freedom and the evacuation of the American embassy in Saigon, tell the stories in iconic photographs and eyewitness accounts. Discover the real people behind the conflict, with gripping biographies of key figures, including Henry Kissinger, General Thieu, President Nixon, and Pol Pot. This incredible visual record is supported by locator maps, at-a-glance timelines, archive photography, and key quotations to ensure an all-encompassing experience.The Vietnam War is an essential historic reference to help humanity learn the lessons of suffering and sacrifice from one of the bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century.

Virginia's Shenandoah Valley was known as the'Breadbasket of the Confederacy'due to its ample harvests and transportation centers, its role as an avenue of invasion into the North and its capacity to serve as a diversionary theater of war. The region became a magnet for both Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War, and nearly half of the thirteen major battles fought in the valley occurred as part of General Thomas J.'Stonewall'Jackson's 1862 Valley Campaign. Civil War historian Jonathan A. Noyalas examines Jackson's Valley Campaign and how those victories brought hope to an infant Confederate nation, transformed the lives of the Shenandoah Valley's civilians and emerged as Stonewall Jackson's defining moment.

Caen, a D-Day objective on 6 June 1944, did not fall to the British and Canadian troops of Second Army until 6 August, by which time much of the city had been reduced to rubble. The two-month struggle was a crucial stage in the Normandy campaign and, as Simon Forty demonstrates in this photographic history, one of the most controversial.His detailed, graphic account gives the reader a fascinating insight into the opposing forces, the conditions, the terrain, the equipment and weaponry deployed and it illustrates just how intense and protracted the fighting was on the ground.The reasons for the slow Allied advance have been hotly disputed. Deficiencies in British and Canadian equipment and tactics have been blamed, as has the tenacity of the German resistance. Ultimately a sequence of Allied operations sapped the defenders strength, and it is these operations Perch, Martlet, Epsom, Windsor, Charnwood, Jupiter, Atlantic, Goodwood that feature strongly in the striking photographs that have been selected for this book.They record in the most dramatic fashion the character of the fighting and show how even the SS divisions and heavy tank battalions were eventually defeated.

Spitfire, Mustang, Lightning, Thunderbolt in the darkest days of World War II, these legendary fighters escorted lumbering heavy bombers over enemy territory, providing protection, drawing cover, and taking on everything Germany's Luftwaffe could throw at them.Escort Pilot is the lavishly-illustrated celebration of these unique heroes, painstakingly researched and beautifully designed. It conjures up the lost world of these daring US, British, and other Allied pilots. Readers witness gripping, first-hand accounts of deadly dogfights over Germany, accompanied by warm, humorous personal reminiscences of life on the ground, accompanied throughout by hundreds of period photos and reproductions of vintage artifacts and keepsakes - many in full color.Filled with engaging anecdotes, little-known fighter lore, and a wealth of fascinating and colorful details you'd expect – from favorite, long-forgotten local pubs to personalized flight jacket artwork – Escort Pilot is a richly evocative reminiscence of a heroic era and the larger-than-life personalities that inhabited it.

The records of the Courts of Equity, which dealt with cases of fairness rather than law, are among the most detailed, extensive and revealing of all the legal documents historians can consult, yet they are often neglected. Susan Moore's expert introduction to them opens up this fascinating source to researchers who may not be familiar with them and dont know how to take advantage of them. As she traces the purpose, history and organization of the Courts of Equity from around 1500 to 1876, she demonstrates how varied their role was and how valuable their archives are for us today. She covers the Courts of Chancery, Exchequer, Star Chamber, Requests, Palatinates and Duchy of Lancaster in clear detail. Her work shows researchers why their records are worth searching, how to search them and how many jewels of information can be found in them. This introduction will be appreciated by local, social and family historians who are coming to these records for the first time and by those who already know of the records but have found them daunting.

A pictorial history of the Royal Army Medical Corps'service during World War I, featuring rare photographs from wartime archives.The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) supported the British Army throughout the First World War, treating sick and wounded military personnel. The military nursing services and voluntary medical personnel provided vital support to RAMC medical units and hospitals, ensuring the effective treatment of casualties.The size of the armies, the intensity of the combat, the power of modern weaponry and the global nature of conflict meant the number of casualties proved challenging for the medical services of all combatants, including the RAMC.A range of previously unpublished photographs, in thematic chapters considering aspects such as service in the United Kingdom, global warfare and commemoration, illustrate experiences of RAMC and medical personnel during the First World War.The book contributes to wider understanding of the RAMC and medical services in the First World War, and will be of relevance to readers with an interest in medical, social and photographic history.

Over a period of more than 150 years between the late eighteenth century and the 1930s the South Yorkshire rural landscape was transformed by coal mining and the movement of coal. But it was not just the development of collieries, canals and railways that caused this transformation. The population of the coalfield grew at a phenomenal rate and the new mining population, many of them migrants from other parts of the country, had to be housed near to the collieries where they worked. Small residential colonies were built near the new collieries, existing rural villages expanded, new satellite villages were established and completely new mining communities were created, the later ones carefully planned and laid out in the form of geometrically designed estates. This copiously illustrated book explores the history of the physical and social development of these very varied mining communities, drawing on a wide variety of sources. It is the first book to cover this subject and includes topics such as the settlement that was specifically built for blackleg miners, the development in one village of a large Welsh-speaking colony, how Earl Fitzwilliam housed his colliers and their families and the views of well-known writers like Fred Kitchen, Roger Dataller and George Orwell on the colliery villages. The book will be of great interest not only to readers living in South Yorkshire but also to the descendants of South Yorkshire miners now living in other parts of the country and elsewhere.