Over 1,300 British soldiers were killed in the comprehensive defeat by the Zulus at Isandlwana in January 1879, including 52 officers - more than any battalion had ever lost in a single engagement. This study of the disaster uses recently discovered contemporary accounts to dispel the myth that a lack of ammunition and the actions of Colonel Anthony Durnford were the deciding factors, instead crediting the outcome to British command errors and the skill of the Zulu warriors.

Agincourt is probably the most celebrated battle in English history. Dramatized by Shakespeare, manipulated for propaganda purposes, it has passed into legend. This book strips away layers of myth to provide a graphic account of what really happened on that day in October 1415. It examines the causes of the conflict, surveys its aftermath, charts the ways in which it has been represented - and misrepresented - over the centuries, and explores the French view of their defeat.

As surprising as Wellington and other officers attending a lavish ball in Brussels on the eve of Waterloo was the presence there of a French spy, who was intent on undermining British chances in the battle. Mixing social history with politics and espionage, this book tells the story of how the scandalous craze for the waltz enthralled Europe and how the hostesses of high society interacted with European politics and affected the course of empires.

The green-jacketed riflemen of Wellington's Peninsular Army were an innovation at the time and played an important part in Britain's military success. This study of the new regiments, made famous by Bernard Cornwell's novels starring Richard Sharpe, examines the introduction of more accurate 'rifled' muskets into the British Army and investigates the training and tactics of the riflemen, as well as describing each of their significant engagements from the Seven Years War in North America to Waterloo.

From the earliest accounts of human civilization and modern studies of the behaviour of surviving traditional societies, it is clear that warfare has always been an important facet of our existence. This broad survey examines the military development of the powers and nations within the great world cultures (China, India, the Asian Steppe, the Mediterranean lands and Europe) from the earliest times to the present, with a focus on how the West emerged as the dominant power in modern times.

Following the winter retreat to Corunna in 1809, Wellington's crack rifle regiment (Sharpe's famous 'green jackets') fought the French back and forth across the Iberian Peninsula taking part in a number of actions, including the River Coa, Bussaco Ridge, Fuentes de Onoro, Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. Shot on location in Spain and Portugal, this documentary tells the story of the regiment up to the key battle at Salamanca in July 1812. 1 DVD 105mins

Attempting to open up another front against Napoleon, Britain sent a force of 40,000 men and 600 ships to the Dutch coast at Walcheren in 1809. Although 4,000 men were lost in the debacle, few of them were casualties of any fighting but rather a mysterious disease that became known as Walcheren Fever. A Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Pathologists, author Martin Howard applies medical as well as historical analysis to this account of the campaign.

From its formation as part of the Royal Flying Corps in 1915 and early operations in Egypt and Sinai, Napier traces the history of the personnel, aircraft and operations of one of the RAF's most senior squadrons.

This volume presents the original dispatches sent back to Britain by the commanding officers Thesiger and Wolseley, reporting the course of the war from February to November 1879, with details of battles including Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift.

The superior resources available to Cromwell's parliamentary forces have been cited as the decisive advantage in the first English Civil War of 1642-6, but the reasons for the King's defeat have been as much disputed as the causes of the war itself. This analysis focuses on the key battles, exploring contemporary accounts, historians' narratives and the battlefield terrain to question traditional assumptions about each battle and therefore the course of the war.

This volume examines the development of the modern military staff during the major conflicts of the second half of the 20th century, with the focus on operational-level officers. It includes chiefs of staff to Auchinleck, General Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, Montgomery, Patton and Rommel, ending with Walter T Kerwin supporting General Westmoreland in Vietnam.

Nelson was a hero from 1797, when his dramatic initiative won the battle of St Vincent, to his death at Trafalgar, the battle which decimated the enemy's naval forces. As well as detailed studies of the battles that played such an important part in Napoleon's defeat, Tracy examines the contemporary development of ship design, weaponry, tactics and seamanship - and Nelson's consummate mastery of those technical elements of naval warfare. Revised edition, with a new foreword by David Brown.

This reprint of a classic 1954 publication presents 32 full-page colour illustrations of American soldiers from the Pennsylvania Rifle Battalion of 1775 to the Infantry of the Second World War and the 1st Cavalry Division of 1950. The detailed drawings highlight the equipment, weapons and key decorative details associated with each outfit, making the book an invaluable reference for military historians, re-enactors and modellers.

The civilian-manned Royal Fleet Auxiliary (its unofficial motto: 'Ready For Anything') provides worldwide support to the Royal Navy. This history discusses its rising importance, from inception in 1905, through two world wars, to 1950. The book features many little-known military operations, plus archive photographs and personal accounts of life in the auxiliary. Tables contain data on vessels that served in the fleet, while appendices include such information as colour schemes, battle honours and a detailed chronology.

The Journal of a Soldier of the 71st or Glasgow regiment, Highland Light Infantry from 1806-1815, to give its full title, was first published in Edinburgh in 1819. Writing from the ranks, yet obviously well educated, the author graphically describes life in the regiment and its exploits in Whitlock's disastrous South American adventure in 1806, the Peninsular War, the Walchern Expedition and Waterloo. The Journal is edited, with an introduction by Stuart Reid, who unravels the puzzle of the book's true author.

The sixth volume in a series which records the services of the Militia Regiments and Volunteers Corps of Wales between the 18th and early 20th centuries, this book deals with the Montgomeryshire Regiments of Militia, Volunteers and Yeomanry Cavalry from 1757 up to the implementation of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act of 1907. The book includes an obituary for its author, Bryn Owen (1928- 99).

Although Britain was in decline as a world power after the Second World War, advances in military technology made the RAF ever more important to its defences as increasingly sophisticated aircraft patrolled the front line of the Cold War. In this assessment of the RAF and its planes since 1945, Ian Watson charts a golden age for the service and decries the political wranglings and budget management of recent years that has led to calls for its abolition.

Oliver Cromwell's reputation tends to overshadow his 'lesser' generals, yet they each had an important role to play. Once such man was John Lambert. Tasked with commanding forces in the North in 1648- 9, he proved to be a popular and effective general who undertook the sieges at Pontefract and Scarborough and united his troops in resisting Royalist rebels and Scots invaders. This carefully researched account offers a detailed and balanced reappraisal of Lambert's achievements.

In a relatively short period of time, between the late 19th century and the middle of the 20th, the British aviation industry produced a profusion of groundbreaking and history-making inventions, establishing the names of aircraft designers and manufacturers such as de Havilland, Sopwith, Hawker and Handley Page. Each chapter in this review of the era looks at one of these key innovators, from airship pioneer Ernest Willows to Spitfire designer RJ Mitchell and the inventor of the jet engine, Frank Whittle.

A Crispin Jewitt traces the 19th century production of military maps, plans and views at Horse Guards (offices of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army) and later at the War Office, providing military and cartographical historians with a corpus of contemporary topographical intelligence products. The security interests covered in the listings include both major and minor international conflicts, international boundaries, expanding colonial interests and domestic security concerns.

Using nearly 200 personal testimonies preserved in the vast archive of the Imperial War Museum, this book tells the story of the modern anti-war movement and examines the motivations of protestors, traversing the last hundred years from conscientious objectors at the time of the First World War to Brian Haw's long-running campaign in Parliament Square and the two million Britons who marched in opposition to the Iraq war in 2003. With a foreword by Robert Fisk.

Around 1,000 British servicemen were held as PoWs by the Chinese and North Koreans during the Korean War. In prison camps along the Yalu River they faced what Mackenzie describes as 'a unique and prolonged test of mind, character and body; grappling with an intensive and sustained effort by the enemy to change their allegiance'. Drawing on recently released materials, this study explores in detail the experience of the PoWs, their treatment by their captors and their reaction to indoctrination.

Although the British had adopted khaki uniforms by 1914, French troops still sported blue coats and red trousers at the outbreak of the First World War. By the time of the Second World War, all combatant nations issued battledress featuring camouflage patterning of some sort. This review of combat uniform design illustrates garments used across the world since 1940 and explains how the colours, patterns and other design features have been adapted to different climates, environments and operational requirements.

The English campaign of 1066 involved three critical battles - the Viking victory at Fulford, near York, and defeat five days later at Stamford Bridge, and William of Normandy's decisive victory at Hastings - with the defending King Harold Godwinson force marching his men up and down the country to repel the invaders. DVD. Running time 80 minutes.

Formed in 1800, the 95th Rifles were a new kind of regiment, specializing in sharpshooting and unconventional commando-style fighting. Distinguished by their green uniforms, the crack corps played a significant role in the outcome of the war. DVD.

Masterminded by Wellington, the Anglo-Portuguese victory at Salamanca in 1812 was a pivotal moment in the war, forcing the French to withdraw their troops from Andalusia and allowing Wellington to take Madrid. DVD.

Wellington had to overcome the two Spanish border fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz before he could advance into Spain in 1812. This film explores how he did so and examines the theory and practice of siege warfare at the time. DVD.

Some embarrassing cowardice displayed by the captains of several British ships at the Battle of Dungeness in 1652 led to the formulation of the 'Articles of War', establishing a strict code of conduct for the Navy and empowering officers to apply it. This collection of significant legal cases in the history of the Royal Navy ranges from a mutiny at the Battle of Cadiz in 1587 to a captain's decision to scuttle HMS Manchester in the Mediterranean in 1942.

John Norris charts the rise and fall of drums in military use, covering thousands of years from ancient Egypt and China, through their reintroduction to Europe with the Crusaders, to the coming of radio communications which have rendered them obsolete apart from their use at ceremonial occasions. Norris also celebrates the heroic battlefield contributions of drummers, who were deliberately targeted by opposing armies but also served as stretcher bearers rescuing the wounded.

Using first-hand accounts written by generals, cavalrymen and foot-soldiers of the Duke of Wellington's army, Peter Snow conjures up the horror of the early 19th century battlefield as he tells the story of how Wellington led 'one of the most successful military enterprises in British history' through seven years of struggle to victory and the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo.

Little more than 50 years passed between the first shipwrecked British traders to reach Zululand and the subjugation of the Zulus following the war of 1879. Including more than 80 illustrations and archive photographs, this history charts how the powerful and extensive Zulu nation was gradually diminished by successive waves of British ingress, first by traders and missionaries and eventually by soldiers and administrators who drew the Zulu King into a war that he had tried to avoid.

Some American missiles of the post-war era, such as the Patriot, have become household words, either because of their use in conflict or due to political controversy such as the British adoption of nuclear Polaris and Trident missiles in submarines from the 1960s. This guide provides comprehensive information on over 200 missiles, both operational and experimental, with illustrations and information on the specifications, speed and explosive capacity of each.

Alexander von Kluck, commander of the First German Army, was blamed for the crucial failure of the German offensive in the West in August and September 1914, which lead to years of trench warfare. Based on official records and his own Army Orders, Kluck's account of that momentous campaign presents events as seen from First Army headquarters and gives the General's explanations for his actions. First published in 1923; reissued with a new introduction by Mark Pottle.

After three military defeats in a week in South Africa in late 1900, two military heroes - Field Marshal Lord Roberts and Major General Lord Kitchener - were sent to replace the beleaguered General Sir Redvers Buller. This study of a spectacularly successful military partnership describes how, within weeks, Roberts and Kitchener had raised morale, reorganized their forces and transformed the war; but also how the relief of Kimberley and Ladysmith and the defeat of Boer forces sometimes involved less than heroic tactics.

The fifth ship to carry the famous name, Ark Royal was introduced into service in 1985 and enjoyed an illustrious career as the Royal Navy's flagship, including active deployments to the Adriatic during the Bosnian War and the Persian Gulf during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. This comprehensive illustrated volume includes contributions from each of the aircraft carrier's 12 captains, and recounts the vessel's operational history up to and including its premature decommissioning in 2011.

Carol Twinch describes women's wartime contribution to agriculture and forestry, tracing the history of the Women's Land Army from its formation during the First World War to the aftermath of the Second.

The recent inventions of the telegraph and photography allowed the Crimean War (1853-1856) to be reported as no conflict had been before. William H Russell reported its day-to-day progress for The Times, alerting the public to the horrors of the war and the incompetence of some of the leaders. This book presents Russell's influential coverage of battles including Alma, Sevastopol, Inkerman and Balaclava.

The Royal Navy mutinies of 1797 were unprecedented in scale and organization. In 16 essays this volume re-evaluates their causes, the sequence of events and topics such as the role of the Irish and quota men.