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The city of Hue was of major strategic importance to the US Army in Vietnam, but the January 1968 offensive against the city by the North Vietnamese Army led, as the Black Hawk Down author Mark Bowden shows, to the war’s costliest campaign.

For 60 years, England was dominated by Henry II and his sons Richard the Lionheart and John. Combining biography and political history, this book begins with the dynasty’s turbulent origins in the death of Henry I’s heir William in the White Ship disaster and the ensuing war between Stephen and Matilda. It then follows Henry II’s conflict with Thomas à Beckett, the loss of Normandy, Richard’s crusades, and John’s struggle with the barons that led to Magna Carta.

For 60 years, England was dominated by Henry II and his sons Richard the Lionheart and John. Combining biography and political history, this book begins with the dynasty’s turbulent origins in the death of Henry I’s heir William in the White Ship disaster and the ensuing war between Stephen and Matilda. It then follows Henry II’s conflict with Thomas à Beckett, the loss of Normandy, Richard’s crusades, and John’s struggle with the barons that led to Magna Carta.

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The test pilots covered in this first volume include Bill Bedford, who carried out the first tethered hover of the Hawker P.1127 ( precursor to the Harrier and vertical take-off prototype) with his leg in plaster following a car accident.

A reorganization of the Gurkha units in the early 1990s resulted in the formation of the Royal Gurkha Rifles. Reviewing the new regiment's first quarter century, this celebration is a highly illustrated account of their deployments in the Balkans, East Timor, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan with additional sections exploring their training and unique traditions, such as the 'kukri' fighting knife. Slightly off-mint.

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Pigeons were still in use during the Second World War to carry messages from planes and battlefields but Operation Columba set them to work in a more ambitious project gathering intelligence across Nazi-occupied Europe. BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera tells the recently declassified story of the thousands of birds released over Holland, Belgium and France and assesses the value of the information they brought home. Slightly off-mint. Felt-tip mark on lower trimmed edge.

For those involved, the Manhattan Project was justified by the belief that Nazi Germany was close to developing its own atom bomb. Drawing on recently declassified documents in Britain, the USA, Russia and Germany, this book reveals that British intelligence knew this was untrue, but did not tell the Americans; and suggests that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed not to defeat Japan but to threaten Russia.

This history and analysis of snipers’ equipment and tactics takes an overview of the role and psychology of marksmen from the medieval period onwards, and details the improvements in observation, accuracy and ranging that transformed sniping over the last century. Individual stories include the Finn who amassed 505 kills in less than 100 days of the 1939–40 Winter War, resulting in the USSR training over 2000 snipers.

‘Human remains are not only one of the most common forms of archaeological evidence, but also arguably the richest in terms of what they can tell us.’ In this accessible introduction to conflict archaeology, Martin Smith examines bones and their injuries as evidence of violence between people ranging from Stone Age aggression to 19th-century warfare with firearms, and demonstrates how bones are our most reliable witnesses to human conflict.

Artillery using gunpowder was first deployed in China during the 11th century; as it spread westwards the new technology quickly rendered existing defences obsolete and prompted the development of larger, more destructive weapons. From early bombards to the atomic cannons of the Cold War, this chronological survey comprises illustrated case studies of the very largest guns, with descriptions of their use in land and sea battles and data on their length, weight, calibre and range.

Although the War of the League of Augsburg was mostly fought in northern Europe it was the Italian front that William of Orange, leader of the Grand Alliance against the French, regarded as crucial. This book explains the political background, profiles the protagonists, and follows the course of the war. Historic portraits, maps and prints are supplemented by eight specially commissioned colour plates illustrating the combatants’ uniforms and flags.

Since the MiG-23 was introduced by the Soviets in the 1970s, it has been exported to five major Arab countries. Illustrated with rare images, this history shows pivotal the role it has played in subsequent conflicts in the region.

The War of the Spanish Succession was fought across much of Europe, but this history focuses on the lesser-known campaign in Spain itself. It examines the size and composition of the British and Dutch forces fighting under the Duke of Marlborough and charts all the engagements in this theatre, from smaller skirmishes to Almanza. Historic paintings, prints and maps, alongside new colour plates, illustrate the narrative.

At the battle of Carham in 1018 the Scots, probably led by Máel Coluim II, defeated the Northumbrians and added the lands of ‘Lothian’ to the Scottish kingdom. Commemorating the millennium of Carham, this volume of nine essays by historians of Viking-Age Scotland explores aspects of this pivotal event and discusses some of the problems associated with its study, including dating, location and identifying the participants.

Among military weapons, there is an entire category of devices that are designed to operate surreptitiously: apparently harmless objects that become lethal when someone disturbs or approaches them. Alongside numerous illustrations of booby traps, mines, delayed-action devices and mobile charges, Ian Jones details the development of this destructive type of weapon, as well as the experts’ attempts to disarm them, from the First World War to Vietnam.

This reappraisal of the early battles of the Britons and Saxons casts doubt on the reliability of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, while proposing explanations, tactical overviews and locations for the battles that established the kingdom of Wessex. It starts with an account of the historical situation after the Roman occupation, before focusing on the crucial Battle of Badon Hill, and using detailed maps, military theory and battle plans to analyse subsequent campaigns.

Charting Native American struggles against white interlopers from the Pequot Wars (1636–38) to the Ghost Dance War of 1891, this history profiles warriors such as Metacomet, Pontiac, Tecumseh and Sitting Bull, and examines the tactics they employed. Illustrated with more than 180 photographs and artworks, it also describes the varied tribes and cultures: East Coast agriculturalists, mound-builders on the Mississippi, buffalo hunters on the plains, and the pueblo-dwellers of the Southwest.

At the outbreak of war with France in 1793, the British Army was significantly understrength and its soldiers lacked expertise in advanced manoeuvres. Britain therefore had to rely on auxiliaries from various German states to pursue Allied campaigns in the Low Countries. This account of their role provides previously unpublished information on the negotiation of treaties with German princes and the organization and experiences of the contingents.

From Copenhagen, grandson of Eclipse, the great British Thoroughbred race horse, and the Duke of Wellington’s mount at the Battle of Waterloo, to a Mongolian mare, Sergeant Reckless carrying ammunition to US Marines under fire during the Korean War, this military history recounts the exploits of celebrated war horses, reflecting on the characteristics of different breeds as well as the qualities of the individual mounts.

This classic survey by two expert military historians looks at every battle fought on British soil since the Norman Conquest. Each campaign is described in detail, with battle plans and sketch maps, and placed in historical context; while details of arms and tactics illustrate the changing nature of warfare between 1066 and 1746.

After briefly surveying ancient constructions such as Maiden Castle and Gwalior Fort in India, Jeremy Black goes on to present a history of fortifications based on their depiction on maps and plans. From Norman castles – Pontefract is shown in a plan from 1561 – the book shows how buildings as bases for attack or defence changed as ever more powerful armaments were developed, up to the trenches and defences such as the Maginot and Siegfried Lines in the 20th century.

Challenging the conventional narratives of cotton mills and inspired innovators, Priya Satia argues that the constant state of war and Britain’s thriving gun trade were driving forces in the Industrial Revolution. Discussing the economic impact of war on political and industrial progress, she scrutinizes the claims by Samuel Galton Jnr, the leading gun manufacturer, that his industry was no worse than any other as everyone was participating in war manufacturing, and that guns were instruments of civilization, essential for preserving property. Slightly off-mint.

Produced in association with the National Museum of the Royal Navy, this exploration of the service’s campaigns since 1914 also features removable facsimile documents and ephemera including pages from a sketchbook showing the action at the Battle of Jutland, a report from the captain of one of the destroyers involved in the evacuation of Dunkirk and the commanding officer’s ‘design for battle’ notes for the amphibious landing at San Carlos in the Falkland Islands in 1982.

Even before the Second World War, senior German officers were seeking to save their country by overthrowing Hitler. Paddy Ashdown profiles opponents such as Admiral Canaris and draws on newly released files to reveal their repeated efforts to pass military secrets the Allies. He also consider whether half of Europe would have fallen under the Soviet yoke had Britain and the US heeded their attempts to negotiate a peace settlement in 1943. Slightly off-mint.

This new, more extensively illustrated edition of the authoritative 1990 work shows how, in the years after the Battle of Waterloo, British warships developed from sail and wood to steam and iron, culminating in the world’s first iron-hulled, seagoing battleship, HMS Warrior. Written by a naval architect, it progresses from the structural innovations of Robert Seppings (1767–1840) to subsequent refinements of steam and the paddle-fighting ship, metal hulls and screw propulsion, and the evolving role of the Royal Navy.

Based on the photography collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, each book in this series illuminates a facet of 20th-century African American history through 50–60 photographs, with brief captions and curators’ commentaries.Including a panoramic photograph of the entire Machine Gun Company 372nd Infantry in 1919, reproduced on a gatefold, this volume shows African Americans in uniform, serving in conflicts from the American Civil War to Iraq, 2011.

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During the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779–83), the longest ever endured by the British, the powerful forces of Spain and France blockaded and assaulted the isle from land and sea. Thousands of civilians and soldiers experienced starvation, disease and deadly bombardment. Including maps and illustrations, this book explores the story of the siege and its impact on life back home, while examining the argument that it ultimately cost the British the American War of Independence.

The bold Allied plan to defeat Germany quickly in September 1944 by capturing the bridges leading to the lower Rhine, was ultimately a failure and led to the complete destruction of Arnhem and cruel reprisals on the Dutch population for the remainder of the war. Antony Beevor’s account describes the airborne assault, its planning and aftermath, drawing on many overlooked and new sources from Dutch, German, Polish, British and American archives. Slightly off-mint.

Credit for creating the British army often goes to Charles II or William III, with James II’s role in the organization of a viable, expanded institution overlooked. Ede-Borrett addresses this with a thorough, illustrated account of its development, drawing on royal archives and contemporary documents to detail its regiments, troops, uniforms, equipment, flags and other paraphernalia.

One of the most inglorious events of Nelson’s career concerned the fate of the short-lived republic established in Naples by revolutionary France. Drawing on accounts by Nelson himself, Lady Hamilton and others, this book tells how, after being offered safe passage, the republicans were handed over to the besieging Royalists, from whom they received no mercy. It also investigates whether Nelson was personally guilty of this betrayal, or whether the orders came from London.

The author’s extensive experience of flying for the RAF and for the North Sea oil industry provides some of the stories of dangerous and daring helicopter missions in this collection. From Africa and Afghanistan to the Shetlands, the real-life adventures, in a range of different rotorcraft, include attending the Piper Alpha oil rig disaster, operating Chinooks from a merchant ship during the Falklands War and distributing aid in Kosovo in 1999.

A jet-powered medium bomber, the Canberra was developed by English Electric in response to a 1944 Air Ministry request for a successor to the de Havilland Mosquito. This illustrated book tells its story, using anecdotes from the many pilots and operators who participated in its first test flights and in missions such as the Suez campaign, the Indonesian Confrontation and early British nuclear tests. Slightly off-mint.

The two titles in this WWI postcard images set are: Till We Meet Again (Read more...) Memories (Read more...)

Each of the titles in Pen and Sword's Fact File series gives an overview of a class of military equipment. Every model or variation is given a separate entry containing a brief history, technical data table, illustrations and photographs, often of it in use. The four titles included in this set are: German Half-Tracks and Wheeled Vehicles (Read more...) German Artillery (Read more...) Panzers of the Wehrmacht (Read more...) German Heavy Artillery Guns (Read more...)

David Randall presents transcriptions of 15 military news pamphlets, ranging from an account of Henry VIII’s invasion of France in 1513 to Philip Vincent’s True Relation of the Late Battel fought in New England (1637); and argues for their value as a source for the conduct of military campaigns and for various aspects of military life in Renaissance Europe.

Modelling English, Scottish and Welsh soldiers of the 14th century, the templates in this book also include a castle, siege engines, camp tents and instructions for wargaming medieval battles. Slightly off-mint.

In 2018 Latvia’s politicians released KGB files seized when the Soviet Union collapsed almost three decades earlier. Alongside eyewitness interviews, they form the basis of this disturbing account of 50 years of tyranny that saw dissidents tortured and killed and 45,000 exiled to the gulags.

Fresh from victory over Sweden, Peter the Great took on the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, only to be defeated. This book examines the causes of the conflict, and the size, composition and tactics of the armies. Their uniforms are illustrated in specially commissioned artwork.

When Britain found itself at war with revolutionary France in 1793, its army was chronically underfunded, undermanned and poorly disciplined. This study analyses the recruitment, training and organization instituted by Sir Ralph Abercromby, which turned it into an effective fighting force, and offers a detailed account of its victorious campaign against the French Army of the Orient in Egypt in 1801.

This concluding DVD of the four-part Waterloo Collection covers the climax of the Battle of Waterloo at Mont St Jean Ridge, the Napoleonic army’s last victory at Wavre and the Prussians’ vengeful pursuit of the French towards Paris.

Heinrich Himmler’s fanaticism for the superiority of the Aryan race extended to mysticism and the occult and this programme explores his attempts to align his SS organization with an imagined ancient pagan master race.

Part of the Hitler’s War Machine series tracing the military history of the Third Reich through wartime German newsreels with English translation, this film records the decisive and massively destructive siege of Leningrad, which lasted from September 1941 to the Red Army victory in January 1944.

This compilation of the RAF’s official ‘Gen’ films from 1944 includes an animated propaganda warning from the USA and footage on the war in the Pacific, the liberation of Brussels and the WAAF’s contribution to the war effort.

The ‘Gen’ films were originally made to communicate RAF activities to RAF personnel and the general public. This DVD presents all three Gen films from 1943, including coverage of the Queen congratulating the Dambuster crews.

Contemporary footage of the German advances through Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and France (1939–41) are featured on the three films on this DVD, with additional still images from the period.

This DVD presents a rare film from 1947: a documentary on the Nuremberg trials by Soviet film-makers, which, despite its partisan nature, is interesting for making the USSR’s case against some of the more lenient sentences.

The first bomber to return to the United States after completing 25 missions, the Flying Fortress Memphis Belle became famous through this 1944 film, directed by William Wyler. The DVD also includes outtakes from the documentary, stills and further downloadable information.

The He 111 was a primary Luftwaffe medium bomber in service 1939 to 1944. Using subtitled footage from the weekly Wochenschau newsreels, this DVD shows bomber crews preparing for and carrying out raids on Polish cities during the German invasion, along with footage of the destruction.

Using original German newsreel footage with new English commentary, this documentary records the often forgotten story of Hitler’s armies on the northern front, engaged in the long and bitter struggle with the Red Army.

The start of Operation Barbarossa is depicted in this collection of subtitled footage from the Wochenschau newsreels. Starting with Hitler’s repudiation of the Non-Aggression Pact, it shows battle scenes, Jewish ghetto clearances and captured Bolsheviks from Russia’s borders with the Baltic States and Eastern Europe.

In late summer 1356 French forces pursued retreating Anglo/Gascon troops across the Loire, but the ensuing battle was a key victory for Edward, Prince of Wales. In this DVD, BHTV experts visit the locations and use re-enactment footage to bring the combat to life.

The Battle of Crécy was the first major conflict in the 100 Years War. The Battlefield History TV team visit its location, and use source material, reconstructions and demonstrations of medieval military equipment to show how the battle established the effectiveness of the longbow in action.

In 1799 Britain and Russia joined forces – their first such joint venture – to send a 48,000 strong army to liberate the Netherlands from French occupation. This first study for a generation of an important but neglected campaign explains the diplomatic manoeuvring that preceded it, and the political fallout from its failure. Drawing on eyewitness reports from soldiers, sailors and politicians, and supported by six maps, it also offers descriptions of the major battles.

Drawing on the archives of the Second World War Experience Centre, this collection presents the personal accounts of over 200 people who grew up during wartime. Their testimony reveals a childhood of extremes, from the excitement and terror of living under heavy bombardment to the culture shock and upheaval of evacuation. Arranged by subject, including Air-Raid Shelters, Schools and Entertainment, the recollections of those who survived offer a child’s-eye view of life on the Home Front.

A soldier of enormous height, Maximinus ‘the Thracian’ was enlisted into the Roman imperial bodyguard before himself becoming Emperor in a coup. Pearson charts this lesser-known ruler’s rise, his response to Rome’s 3rd-century ‘crisis’ and his campaigns against Persia and into barbarian Germania.

In the 1812 war between Britain and America, USS Essex destroyed a British whaling fleet. The ship’s pursuit by HMS Phoebe, and their deadly confrontation at Valparaiso, are explained here using official reports, newspaper articles, letters and a sailor’s newly discovered memoir.

The regiment serving under Colonel Charles Howard in 1743 was already more than 50 years old when it attained its distinctive name from the greenish facings of its uniforms. This history charts the Green Howards' engagements in Britain's major conflicts, including the French wars of the 18th century, Crimea and the two world wars, but also gives equal weight to deployments of more recent decades in Suez, Malaya, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan.

The six tours in this guide follow the route of Edward III’s victorious English army across northern France from St-Vaast-la-Hougue via Abbeville to the battlefield itself. Illustrated with colour photographs and maps, each tour has information on public transport and local facilities.

Overshadowed by the events of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, British military campaigns in the South Atlantic in 1805–7 nevertheless had a profound effect in shaping the destiny of the Cape Colony and Spanish possessions in South America. Describing the capture of Cape Town and the ultimately unsuccessful attacks on Buenos Aires and Montevideo, this analysis also assesses the longer-term repercussions in encouraging independence movements in South America and shaping the population and politics of South Africa.

As a young army officer, the founder of the Boy Scout movement served in military intelligence in Malta. In this book, written in 1915, he describes his adventures, discusses German espionage before and during the First World War, and outlines the basic techniques of spycraft: codes and disguises; how to observe troop movements and evade sentries; and how to conceal secret information in apparently innocent drawings of butterflies and leaves.

After importing British and European aircraft and designs in the 1910s and 1920s, the Japanese Army and Navy developed their own aviation capability between the wars. This study traces the development of the industry, culminating in the formidable fighters and bombers of the 1940s.

The Victoria Cross is the most prestigious British military accolade and is rarely awarded. This investigation into the origins and bestowal of the medal reveals the political issues that have directed the selection of recipients since its inception. Gary Mead reviews the origins of the decoration; tells some of the heroic stories of qualifying candidates; and asks why some other acts of bravery have been inexplicably overlooked and why no women have ever been awarded the VC.