The primary role of American B-52 bombers in the earlier years covered by this study was to carry the US nuclear threat. Other jet operations of the 1950s and 1960s saw MiGs, Mirages and F-4 Phantoms in action in conflicts including the Six Day War and Vietnam.

Beginning with the end of the Vietnam War this volume illustrates how fighter-bombers and tactics have developed up to the present day, examining conflicts including the Falklands War, the Gulf Wars and the recent campaigns against Islamic State.

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.

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.

As soon as the French troops entered a deserted Moscow in September 1812, a fire broke out that destroyed two thirds of the city and ultimately forced Napoleon to embark on the disastrous winter retreat that routed his army. Drawing on French, German, Polish and Russian archives and eyewitness accounts, Mikaberidze examines this pivotal event from Russian and French points of view, exploring the Russians’ motives for the conflagration and assessing its consequences.

The naval battle at Actium, when the future emperor Augustus defeated the forces of Antony and Cleopatra, was perhaps the most significant military engagement in Roman history. Yet many details of exactly what happened on that September day continue to elude scholars. This study of the literary and historical sources offers a fresh examination of the evidence, with close analysis of hitherto unconsidered allusions to Actium in the description of an equestrian engagement in Book Eleven of Virgil’s Aeneid.

The Macedonian army created by Philip II's reforms is widely recognized as representing 'one of the most important leaps in military thinking in the West before Napoleon'. However, Karunanithy's comprehensive analysis shows that modern scholarly research has neglected important sources of information about this hugely successful system. He presents the full range of archaeological and literary evidence, investigating such aspects as the army's training and preparation, soldiers' dress and battle equipment, and the logistical support provided by non-combatant specialists.

The British suffered notable defeats at the beginning of the Boer War as the outnumbered forces of the Boers employed guerrilla tactics, heralding a new era in military strategy. This collection of original despatches from the Second Boer War includes detailed commanders’ reports of engagements at Ladysmith, Magersfontein and Spion Kop and reports by subordinate officers, including Baden-Powell's account of the Siege of Mafeking.

The United States relied on British and French aircraft designs during the First World War, but during and after the Second World War developed a pre-eminence in military aircraft design and manufacture that has continued up to today's cutting-edge models, such as the bat-winged B-2 stealth bomber. This volume is a succinct and highly illustrated guide to the most notable aircraft deployed, including classics such as the P-51 Mustang and B-52 Stratofortress.

The Napoleonic Wars were fought as far afield as South America and the Caribbean as well as in Europe, and in line with British military procedure every action was reported to the Admiralty or War Office in an official dispatch. This book collects these original communiqués from over 50 battles, up to 1806, including Nelson's victories at Trafalgar and the Nile and the first encounter with Napoleon Bonaparte himself, as a young captain, at the Siege of Toulon in 1793.

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.

When Gerald Constable Maxwell was flying as a fighter pilot in WWI his brother Michael was born – both went on to have distinguished flying careers in WWII. This is the story of

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.

It was while researching the Chesapeake Bay Campaign of 1814 that Bryan Perrett came across 'Captain Gordon RN' in CS Forester's Naval War of 1812 and began to see parallels between Gordon, who had commanded a diversionary force on the Potomac, and Forester's later fictional character, Horatio Hornblower. In this book, Perrett presents a full biography of Admiral Gordon and his long and extraordinarily distinguished career.

In 264 BCE, when the Romans first went to war with Carthage, they had no navy, relying instead on ships from South Italian cities. However, when the Punic Wars ended more than a century later, Rome had developed a powerful fleet, which would prove vital for imperial expansion. DeSantis traces the growth of this naval supremacy and discusses the tactics that made it possible, such as the boarding-bridge by which the superior Roman infantry simply walked onto the enemy’s decks.

During the Second World War the German Kriegsmarine conducted many large scale fleet manoeuvers (sic) in the Atlantic and Pacific. Using rare German archive footage, this DVD shows these spectacular naval actions. The main film is accompanied by shorter pieces on the Battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. 1 DVD; running time 60 min.

Evoking the realities of life on the Home Front and recording the contributions of local men and women in the armed forces, these local histories of northern regions at war include details of rationing, medical services and women’s war work.

Simon James takes an archaeologist’s approach to the study of Rome’s military history, telling the story of the sword – ‘the literal cutting edge of Roman power’ – from early times to the fall of the western empire. To supplement the battle narratives of ancient historical writers, he explains developments in sword-smithing techniques and military ideology, considers cultural reasons for changes in hardware and tactics and helps the reader to visualize the direct human experience of the ‘myriad individual acts of mayhem’ in battle.

Sicily’s strategic location at the heart of the Mediterranean enabled Syracuse to become one of the most powerful cities of the ancient world but it also made the island a target for expansionist powers. This second volume of Champion’s narrative history covers the tumultuous political and military events in Sicily from the death of Dionysius the Elder until the Roman siege of Syracuse (213–211 BCE), when even the ingenious defences and inventions of Archimedes could not prevent the city’s capture.

Made by the Battlefield History TV team, this film follows the extremely dangerous – and for many, fatal – SAS campaign to disrupt railways and delay German reinforcements in Normandy. Running time 60mins.

This film was made in 1943 to inform and motivate German troops facing the Russian advance. Including a dramatization of an offensive by Soviet T34s, it gives a detailed summary of the advice given to infantrymen on repelling such attacks.

Manfred von Richthofen was the leading ace of the First World War and helped to develop effective new aerial combat tactics while leading his Jagdgeschwader 1 fighter unit. This documentary includes original wartime footage, a revealing assessment of the controversial circumstances of his death and bonus galleries of archive photographs.

Part of a series that uses original German newsreel film to examine the military history of the Third Reich, this DVD records the military events surrounding the decline and defeat of the U-Boat fleets.

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 Junkers Ju87, known as Stuka from the German Sturzkampfflugzeug ('dive bomber'), is one of the legendary planes of the Second World War, a symbol of the Third Reich's blitzkrieg. This DVD from Pen & Sword's World War II from Primary Sources series is a newsreel history of Luftwaffe operations throughout the war, with additional footage of veteran pilots' accounts and extracts from the original propaganda publications of the Luftwaffe. 1 DVD 60min

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 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.

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.

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.

This DVD covers three battles involving Panzer and heavy artillery in the West: Operation Cerberus, a spectacular operation by the German Kriegsmarine in the English Channel; the Dieppe Raid; and the last major German attack - the Ardennes offensive. One DVD, running time approx 58 min.

The status of the free city of Danzig (modern Gdańsk) gave Hitler a pretext to invade Poland in September 1939, and the newsreels of the invasion emphasize both the decisive power of German military forces and the validity of their cause.

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.

Using German archive film with English voice-over, this DVD follows a year of defensive war by German Tiger, Panther and 8.8 FLAK units fighting against the Red Army on the Eastern front. One DVD; running time approx 58 min.

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.

The Battle of Mons was the first engagement for the British Expeditionary Force, meeting the German Army on the Belgian-French border in August 1914. Despite performing well they were forced into a withdrawal through the sprawling industrial area around Mons, in the face of superior German numbers. This feature-length documentary visits key locations in France and Belgium to tell the story of the BEF from arrival in France to the perilous retreat from the battle. 1 DVD 90min

With the British 1st Airborne Division thwarted and isolated at Arnhem, the paratroopers fell back to Oosterbeek and a grim battle ensued against the German forces, which included the flame-throwing tanks of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps. DVD.

Recording Churchill’s attempt to seize the ‘soft underbelly’ of Europe, the DVD shows how Germany’s defensive battles lasted until the final moments of the Second World War.

Using original German film footage, these two films (on one DVD) track the successes and failures of the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka and Ju 88 aircraft during the course of the Second World War. 55mins.

In 1943 Bob Laycock succeeded Louis Mountbatten as Chief of Combined Operations, becoming the youngest major general in the British Army. This biography examines a military career that began with the Royal Horse Guards in 1927, ended with a period as Governor of Malta in the 1950s but is chiefly notable for involvement in the Battle of Crete, the Rommel Raid and in particular for a part in establishing the Commando special forces units.

During the Cold War, Warsaw Pact countries prepared for a third world war by manufacturing thousands of weapons, including Badger and Backfire bombers, MiG fighters and nuclear submarines. This fully illustrated guide by a former Intelligence Officer and military expert focuses on aircraft, warships and missiles (a companion volume focuses on ground vehicles), some of which are still deployed by armies and militia groups today.

Only two of Yorkshire’s wartime airfields are still in use by the RAF but during the Second World War the county was home to 33 stations of No.4 Group and No.6 Group, staging raids against the Ruhr, Hamburg and Berlin. Brief histories of the airfields are given in this volume, together with stories of notable characters and events and details of what remains of the bases today.

Having lived in Germany for a time before the outbreak of the First World War, middle-aged, middle-class diarist Mabel Goode knew 'the enemy nation' as many Britons did not, which adds an extra dimension to her contemporary account of the years 1914–1916. She records enrolment, rationing, the collapse of domestic service and the growth of war work, the Zeppelin attacks over Yorkshire, the ever-mounting casualty lists and a growing disillusionment with a lengthening conflict.

Gabrielle West worked variously as a Red Cross volunteer, a cook and a police officer during the First World War. Her diary entries, now part of the Imperial War Museum archives, note the discrimination she encountered as a woman in a position of responsibility, and the dangers posed by the Zeppelin raids over London. They paint a lively picture of her experience of the British Home Front and are illustrated with her drawings and family photographs.

Within days of the start of the First World War there were calls for women to come to the fields, but it would be almost three years before the Women’s Land Army was formally established. Using previously unpublished accounts and photographs, this social history looks at how the movement impacted agriculture at a time of national crisis and examines the rhetoric surrounding it, the political purpose that shaped it and the experiences of those who worked for it.

Tanks became the main weapon of the Wehrmacht in the 1940s and this guide provides a concise history of all types used, from small armoured vehicles to the various developments of infantry Panzer and the big-gunned Howitzer-Panzer.

Still an important part of the German military capability in the Nazi era, the artillery reviewed here includes mortars, infantry, mountain and anti-tank guns, and light, medium and heavy field guns.

Armoured scout cars, personnel carriers, tracked lorries, armoured tractors and self-propelled anti-tank and flak guns are among the 75 Second World War German military vehicles detailed in this volume.

Trained to precisely target individual combatants, marksmen were deployed in the First World War to tackle the static nature of much of the fighting. Featuring eyewitness accounts, this study analyses their role on the Western Front and in other theatres of the war, describes the training, fieldcraft and counter-sniping measures that were employed and outlines developments in rifles, ammunition and sighting equipment.

Although successful in its primary objectives, the ingenious ‘Dambusters’ bombing raid of May 1943 failed to halt production in the Ruhr factories but it did devastate infrastructure and inundate towns and villages over a wide area. Using eyewitness accounts and archive photographs, this analysis examines the Allied operation itself, looks at the resulting destruction and aftermath from the German perspective, and describes the rapid rebuilding programme.

The three battalions of Durham Light Infantry raised during the First World War all saw significant action in France from 1916. This history describes their recruitment, training and active service and is supported by first-hand accounts and archive photographs.

The husband of Daphne du Maurier, Frederick ‘Boy’ Browning was the founding commander of the British Airborne forces in the Second World War. This biography charts a colourful life in which he also achieved distinction in the First World War and competed in the Olympics .

After the Allies secured Sicily and invaded Italy in 1943, Mussolini was deposed and an armistice was signed with the Italians. However the subsequent long, bloody campaign only ended just before the German surrender in 1945. This chronological history by a leading Irish historian covers the crucial battles of Monte Cassino in early to mid-1944, with a particular focus on the Northern Irish troops involved.

Sir Colin Gubbins, codename M, was director of the Special Operations Executive established by Churchill in 1940 to ‘set occupied Europe ablaze’. Drawing on declassified archives and full access to family papers, this first biography records his service in the First World War, Russia and Ireland. It then examines his wartime organization of intelligence gathering, resistance activity and sabotage, including the deployment of women agents behind enemy lines.

Proxy wars were fought across Africa and the Middle East during the Cold War, using Soviet weaponry that had been manufactured across Eastern Europe in anticipation of a Third World War. This photographic history details the iconic T-54, T-62 and T-72 tanks and associated technology including personnel carriers, assault guns, self-propelled guns and anti-tank missiles.

The Waffen-SS deployed their particular combination of risk-taking, aggression and inventive tactics on every German front (excluding North Africa) throughout the Second World War. Following an introductory essay on their role this photographic history collates rarely seen images of the Nazi special forces in action.

Formed in September 1915 in response to the new threat posed by Germany’s Fokker monoplanes, 20 Squadron saved many lives through its aerial reconnaissance work, with its members winning some 70 gallantry decorations. Sellwood, whose grandfather was killed within a week of joining the squadron, presents the fruits of more than 15 years’ research into its almost daily air battles during the First World War.

While the war depleted the Devon countryside of men and horses for the Army in France, Naval personnel flooded into the county, to the important base at Devonport and the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth.

Like other cities, Edinburgh sent men to the front, cared for war wounded and coped with profound social changes. Personal accounts, letters and newspaper reports give a sense of the experience of living in the capital during the conflict.

This history records the impact of the First World War on every aspect of life in Derbyshire. Illustrated with historic photographs, it details the recruitment drive, the role of women, anti-German feeling, the reception of Belgian refugees, Zeppelin raids, the treatment of conscientious objectors, and the deadly flu pandemic of 1918–20.

A populous city and a centre of manufacturing, Manchester attracted heavy German bombing during the Second World War, as shown in the contemporary photographs illustrating this review of the wartime city.

Town and gown were both greatly depleted in 1914 as volunteers left for the front. This account of the war years in Cambridge describes how the community coped with the changes and took on additional war work.

Women took on roles in transport and food production in Brighton as the town continued to offer recreation and entertainment as well as taking in the wounded, notably Indian Army casualties at the Royal Pavilion.

The thousands of women who volunteered to take on agricultural work in Yorkshire during the Second World War were housed in a network of hostels, where they slept in shared dormitories and were often provided with only basic facilities. With first-hand accounts and contemporary photographs, this local history describes life under the sometimes-domineering wardens and out on the farms during the war and throughout the 1940s.

The volunteer ‘Saturday night soldiers’ of the West Yorkshire Territorials were considered ‘too sleepy to fight well’ by General Haig, but on the Western Front the 1/5th Battalion became a formidable body of men. Sheehan uses newspapers, letters and photographs to tell the stories of many individuals who displayed heroism and fought with honour, even as their battalion was virtually wiped out on the Somme, at Passchendaele and at Wytschaete.

After resisting the Japanese in Indochina, the Viet Minh sought independence from French colonial rule. This illustrated history charts the decade-long conflict that ended with the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, and presaged America’s involvement in Vietnam.

The British Army’s Pioneer battalions were formed in 1914 in order to provide logistical support including the construction and repair of roads and the laying of barbed wire to protect the front line. This history of one battalion, originally published in the 1920s, gives an eyewitness account of movements around the war zone and shows how Yorkshire miners and engineers applied civilian skills in the new arena of industrialized warfare.

Armed and trained by the British to fight the Japanese in the Second World War, communist guerrillas then turned on their colonial rulers. Illustrated throughout, this book follows their 12-year struggle for independence, and the campaigns fought against them by troops brought in from all over the British Empire.

Jim Maultsaid was injured on the Somme in 1916, after which he was commissioned into the Chinese Labour Corps, directing these foreign recruits in non-combatant support work and manual labour. His unusual war diaries include his frank but often upbeat observations about his experiences as well as drawings, satirical cartoons and scrapbook photographs which give a unique insight into his everyday activities and the characters he encountered.

In June 1945, a charred body was discovered near Madrid. The man was identified as Mendel Szkolnikoff, a Russian Jew and one of the biggest black marketeers of the Occupation. Drawing on 6,000 boxes of archives in five countries, this first biography uncovers the shadowy deals that bought him prime real estate in Paris and the Riviera, the identity of his protectors, what happened to his vast wealth, and the mystery of his death.

On 31 January 1916, nine German Zeppelins bombed several major towns in the Midlands, killing 70 people in the worst air raid of the First World War. Using local newspapers, coroner’s reports and GCHQ documents, this history records the routes taken by each airship and where its bombs fell, and names the officers, crew members and those who died.

By the summer of 1940 nearly a million and a half British men had joined the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV), a response to the very real threat of invasion by a rapidly advancing German Army. This book explores the LDV’s transformation from an enthusiastic yet ill-equipped organization into the capable Home Guard, which, as the threat of invasion receded, nevertheless became key to the UK’s local defence strategy, as well as a means of combating the purported Fifth Column. Off-mint.

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Demonstrating the development of German artillery leading up to and during the First World War, this edition profiles over 100 field guns and cannons as well as anti-tank, mountain, fortress and coastal guns.

The first decades of the 20th century saw significant modernization of the British Army. This collection of over 500 contemporary postcards, with detailed captions by a military expert, shows the development of motorized transport, and the personal side of soldiers’ lives, including a group pictured with their donkey mascot, a tug-of-war and field catering facilities.