Najnovšie - Encyklopédie populárno-náučné strana 45 z 152
História 
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Air War Over Greece 1940–1950
Following the Italian invasion of Greece in October 1940, the RAF reluctantly deployed three squadrons of Bristol Blenheim light bombers and one squadron of Gloster Gladiators, an obsolescent biplane fighter, to assist the Greek defenders. The fear among the Allies was that with Greece in Axis hands, enemy supply lines to North Africa would be significantly shortened, threatening the Allied position there and in the Middle East. By the time Germany joined the invasion in April 1941, both the RAF and FAA had committed more squadrons and been joined by army units, but they were soon overwhelmed, retreating to Crete, from where they were evicted in May 1941 after a massive German paratroop operation. For the next three years the RAF and FAA attacked Axis forces on Crete, mainland Greece and in the Aegean with mixed success. In addition, Allied air arms, including USAAF units, dropped weapons and supplies to the Greek partisan groups. In late 1944, as the Germans were forced to withdraw from Greece, RAF units once again flew into Greek airfields, yet they were soon drawn into the bitter civil war, fighting alongside Greek government forces against Communist insurgents. After the final withdrawal of operational units in 1946, the RAF retained an air delegation in Athens until 1952, when Greece joined NATO. Richly illustrated with detailed maps and rare and previously unpublished photographs, Air War Over Greece 1940–1950: British, Dominions and United States Air Arms examines in unique detail a neglected corner of military aviation history.
No Exit from Vietnam
No Exit from Vietnam is a subversive, issue-driven memoir of the US-Vietnam war and its aftermath. In 2021, the Department of Veterans Affairs discontinued a prescription for Vicodin that Bob Armstrong had been taking for a back injury he sustained in 1976, ten years after he left the US Marine Corps. What began as an appeal to the VA to reverse this decision became this memoir, weaving together meditations on war and its social ills with a searing portrait of America in these perilous times. Drawing on his personal experience, the author recounts his time serving as a photographer in the 3rd Marine Division. Told with thrilling tension, his words and his photos, a selection of which are featured in the book, paint a vivid picture of combat in Vietnam's jungles. Alongside gripping tales of action, the book offers a larger social commentary on the treatment of veterans and their healthcare. The VA reduced opioid pain medicine prescriptions from 679,000 vets in 2012 to 247,000 in 2020. Armstrong recognizes the dimension of the drug crisis, yet also believes an untold number of responsible veterans have been deprived of pain medicine they need. With humor and cynicism, the author shares his insights into living with pain and his frustration with the bureaucratic system that controls access to medication. He admits his opinions at times seem perverse and twisted, but only because he is "off his med."
The Greatest Naval War Ever Fought
The greatest naval conflict in history was unquestionably that which took place during the Second World War. The geographical spread was global and involved dozens of nations, and it was a conflict that involved more than 15,000 ships and 43.7 million tons of shipping, while some 570,000 lives were lost at sea. Vince O’Hara captures every aspect of that vast naval conflict and provides a complete and panoramic single-volume history. The naval action begins in the Baltic Sea before dawn on 1 September 1939, when a German battleship opened fire on Polish troops barricaded in a fortress in the port city of Danzig, Poland. Over the ensuing nine months, the conflict spread into Great Britain’s home waters of the North Sea, the English Channel, and the eastern Atlantic; and in that theatre the battle against the U-boat grew into one of the most epic aspects of the whole war. One of the most remarkable naval achievements of the war occurred in 1940 during the German invasion of Norway when the Kriegsmarine’s successful attack in the face of immensely superior Allied naval forces signalled the advent of large-scale amphibious operations. As naval activities in Europe expanded into the Mediterranean, the war in the Pacific ignited with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, an assault that led to a series of critical naval battles between Japan and the United States, including Wake Island, Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. O’Hara not only deftly examines all the major naval contests in the European and Pacific theatres but also offers detailed analysis of secondary navies such as France, Italy, and the Soviet Union. He explores little-known, smaller engagements such as the campaigns between Thailand and France or Perú and Ecuador. He also connects this broad range of naval action by focussing on recurring themes such as technological innovation, command and control, logistics, and intelligence. And he shows that the most significant naval platforms to emerge from the war, and which gave the Allies victory, were the oiler, the Landing Ship Tank (LST), and the Liberty ship—not the aircraft carrier, the submarine, or the battleship. And, finally, he demonstrates to readers how the impact of the naval battles won by the Allies still reverberates today.
The Murder of Heinrich Himmler
On 23 May 1945, Heinrich Himmler - Reichsführer SS and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany - was reported to have committed suicide in British custody. But how much of the official narrative holds tru? n The Murder of Heinrich Himmler, historian Krzysztof Drozdowski delves into inconsistencies and unanswered questions surrounding Himmler’s final hours. Drawing on newly accessed archives, eyewitness statements, and correspondence, Drozdowski explores whether Himmler was really the man who died in Lüneburg, or if he was silenced to prevent the spread of dangerous secrets. Why was the autopsy report sealed until 2045? Why were the Soviets and Americans denied access to the body? What role did British intelligence and military authorities play? Could Himmler have escaped, or was his death the result of a well-planned cover-u? his compelling book offers not only a thorough re-examination of Himmler’s demise, but also a chilling glimpse into the murky world of post-war intelligence and political intrigue.
Mosquito Intruders - Target Europe
It was only the ‘above average’ pilots and navigators who were invited to volunteer for what was some of the most challenging, daring and rewarding flying operations of the Second World War. Their role was to take Mosquitos at low level through the night across Europe to loiter near a Luftwaffe airfield to attack and shoot down returning enemy bombers or night fighters. The Mosquito intruders’ story starts during the Battle of Britain, when RAF planners noticed a few German interlopers ‘hiding’ in the returning bomber streams, so that they could attack landing RAF aircraft. They recognised that this was a tactic the RAF could also employ. To exploit this concept properly, the RAF needed the right equipment, training programme and airmen. Each would take time to establish. It was not until mid-1943, with the superior performance and capabilities of the iconic de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB VI, that the intruders’ full impact would at last be felt. The first three intruder squadrons, Nos. 23, 418 and 605, were the elite of the elite. Their ‘Battle Honours’ demonstrate their contribution to delivering victory over the Axis forces. Mosquito Intruders – Target Europe uses diaries, first-hand accounts, contemporaneous sources, and official records to take the reader through the development of the intruder concept, their early days equipped initially with the Douglas DB-7 Boston and the Mosquito NF II (Special), to the operations of the first three Mosquito intruder squadrons. These three squadrons defended Malta, supported the invasion of Sicily, assisted No. 617 ‘Dambusters’ Squadron on their famous Dortmund-Ems Canal raid, were the first to attack on D-Day, and worked out how to defeat the V1 flying bombs. They were led from the front, and through example, by larger-than-life fighter aces. The Mosquito demanded respect and could take punishment. Beautifully balanced, fast and with a powerful punch, for most of the aircrew, it was the aircraft of their dreams. By the end of Mosquito Intruders – Target Europe, you will understand why!
Women of the Middle Ages
For centuries, the lives of medieval women have been overshadowed by queens, saints and warriors, their stories of power and defiance celebrated while the voices of ordinary women have faded into obscurity. Women of the Middle Ages challenges this narrative, shedding light on the everyday experiences of those who ploughed fields, healed the sick, and sought refuge in religious life. From the Beguines, who defied convention to serve their communities, to the midwives, nuns, and traders who shaped medieval society, this book reveals the resilience and determination of women who lived beyond the pages of history. Meticulously researched and richly told, Women of the Middle Ages uncovers the realities of life for the women who made the medieval world turn.
Oswald Mosley and A Short History of Fascism
Oswald Mosley and A Short History of Fascism is an engrossing examination of Britain’s flirtation with fascism and the troubling allure of authoritarianism, both past and present. As the nineteenth century closed and the trauma of the First World War shook the foundations of society, Britain’s elite and ‘upper classes’ increasingly looked to strongman leadership. Inspired by Mussolini’s rise in Italy, figures like Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists (BUF) gained traction, offering a seductive alternative to democracy rooted in fear of the loss of colonies, communism and anti-Semitism. From the drawing rooms of the influential Cliveden Set and the Mitford family to the sympathies of the abdicated King Edward VIII, fascism found unexpected champions. But it was not just the privileged classes whose interest was piqued – working-class citizens too were drawn to its promises of a better and brighter future. This powerful book draws chilling parallels between history and today, examining the thin line between democracy and extremism. With rising autocracies across Europe and beyond, it asks urgent questions about the resilience of democratic values and warns of a cycle we seem doomed to repeat. Provocative and timely, Oswald Mosley and A Short History of Fascism is a stark reminder that the past is never as far away as we think.
The Other Codebreakers
The work of the Military codebreakers at Bletchley Park is now rightly and justly celebrated for its contribution to the Allied victory in World War Two. The ability to read enemy communications allowed strategic and tactical information to be understood and utilized. However less attention has been given to a range of other non-military codes, and the organisations involved with them, yet their significance on the development of the war is profound. This account outlines how these other areas functioned, who was there and what was achieved. In particular it covers the working of the Diplomatic and Commercial section of the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS), which was evacuated to Bletchley Park in August 1939 with the military codebreakers as war loomed, and remained there until early 1942 when the section went back to London to be housed in Berkeley Street and other nearby buildings. The section did not handle military material except where military matters appeared in diplomatic communications (which by their nature were more strategic than combat in nature). This book sets the scene for the economic, diplomatic, sociological and even psychological struggle which was part of the war, including raw materials, food, power supplies and transportation. Neutral countries, by their very status still able to interact with belligerents on both sides, also played important roles, as did the information that could be drawn from them. The ability to read many neutral messages between representatives gave valuable indications of enemy intentions, issues and conditions. This new account of the ‘other’ codebreakers draws on original documents in the National Archives and from Bletchley Park to describe fully how the breaking of non-military codes revealed the activities of diplomats, commercial groups, espionage rings, financial and business interests, traders and smugglers, all locked in a battle of wits. It will be of interest to anyone wanting to learn more about codebreaking, the second world war, and the economics and politics of nations.
The Life and Times of a Medieval Knight
Sir Geoffrey de Langley, a Warwickshire knight, was studied within the context of a ‘crisis’ of the knightly class. This much respected, and much cited study, concluded that this family failed to achieve anything much of note and fell from history, due to lack of heirs. Meanwhile, in Middleton, Lancashire, historians were trying to establish the beginnings of the local Langley family. Their most famous son is ‘Cardinal’ Thomas de Langley, Bishop of Durham. Thomas’ parents seem to spring up from nowhere, as sheep farmers. Some built Agecroft Hall, but that now stands in Virginia, USA. Despite much hypothesis, nothing is confirmed with a primary source. The Langley Cartulary was translated, and published, which confirmed the bride’s pedigree, when Isabella de la Pole married Sir Walter de Langley, of Kent. In Shipton-under-Wychwood, a local historian published a history of the Langley family, wardens of Wychwood Forest. But at no point, until now, has the possibility that all of this research tells the story of the same family, been explored. Spurred on by the fact she knew for certain that the Langley family of Warwickshire had survived, the author tells the story of her journey from a chance internet search, through historical archives, abbeys, houses and cemeteries, deciphering manuscripts, and trying to understand Latin. Slowly drawing together the genealogical chart, she could then relate the tales of the monk driven to insanity by study, the babes in the wood, the murder of a young Oxford scholar and a long journey across Europe with a leopard. The result is an easy-to-digest retelling of medieval history from the point of view of the knight, and his family. Studying the lives of those who work, those who fight and those who pray, she uncovers secrets, answers questions and provides a better understanding of what the period was like when one was not of high birth.
The Mizrahi Era of Rebellion
During the postwar period of 1948–56, over 400,000 Jews from the Middle East and Asia immigrated to the newly established state of Israel. By the end of the 1950s, Mizrahim, also known as "Oriental Jewry," represented the ethnic majority of the Israeli Jewish population. Despite their large numbers, Mizrahim were considered outsiders because of their non-European origins. Viewed as foreigners who came from culturally backward and distant lands, they suffered decades of socioeconomic, political, and educational injustices. In this pioneering work, Roby traces the Mizrahi population’s struggle for equality and civil rights in Israel. Although the daily "bread and work" demonstrations are considered the first political expression of the Mizrahim, Roby explores the myriad ways in which they agitated for change. Drawing upon a wealth of archival sources, many then recently declassified, Roby details the activities of the highly ideological and politicized young Israel. Police reports, court transcripts, and protester accounts document a diverse range of resistance tactics, including sit-ins, tent protests, and hunger strikes. Roby shows how the Mizrahi intellectuals and activists in the 1960s began to take note of the American civil rights movement, gaining inspiration from its development and drawing parallels between their experience and that of other marginalized ethnic groups. The Mizrahi Era of Rebellion shines a light on a largely forgotten part of Israeli social history, one that profoundly shaped the way Jews from African and Asian countries engaged with the newly founded state of Israel.
British Volunteers and the Spanish Civil War
Ninety years ago, a Civil War broke out in a then little-known country. For thousands of British, Irish and Commonwealth people, the Spanish Civil War was their main focus for three years. Over 2,500 “British” (including Irish and Commonwealth) men and women fought in the International Brigades or served in the medical services of the Spanish Republic. Over 500 volunteers were to die in Spain. Other “British” volunteers served as mercenary pilots and in the revolutionary militias (including George Orwell); some even served on the side of the rebel forces. At home, thousands participated in ‘Spanish Aid’ activities, raising funds for food ships and medical supplies for Republican Spain. During the Civil War, 4000 Basque refugee children were supported by public donations. Picasso’s Guernica painting toured England to raise funds. This is the story of ordinary men and women, told in their own words and reflecting the whole gamut of emotions from ecstasy to despair. Many volunteers would go on to fight in the Second World War and some became leading figures in post-War Britain. But for many volunteers, the Spanish Civil War was the “Passionate Cause” and the outstanding episode of their lives. This is their story.
Strategies of Ukrainian War
It is a political, military and social history of the East European subcontinent at constant war – imperial, national, civil, and brigandage – for scholars and readers interested in warfare, empires, and the “phenomenon” of Ukraine. Overlapping major powers – the Ottomans, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Muscovy-Russia – clashed over the grand geopolitical Ukraine, stretching from the Danube through the Black Sea and Caucasus to the Caspian Sea. Embedded in this turbulent conflict is the emergence of Ukraine or several “Ukraines,” proto-states of military groups, bound together by strategic objectives, social class and economic interest. They were sponsored by the empires and overwhelmed them from within, developing superior resources and fighting capabilities. It is a link to contemporary Ukraine and a fascinating glance into the current confrontation.
Captive State
For decades, Louisiana has had the highest incarceration rate in the United States. If it were a country, it would have the second-highest incarceration rate in the world. Far from a modern phenomenon, this distinction is rooted in more than three centuries of historyroots that extend out from the principal city of New Orleans, once the epicenter of the American slave trade, to the agricultural fields of the Louisiana State Prison, commonly known as Angola. In its examination of the states long march toward confining more of its citizens than almost anywhere on earth, Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration arrives at an irrefutable truth: that the institutions of slavery and mass incarceration are historically linked. Adapted from the groundbreaking exhibition of the same name, Captive State traces the evolution of laws and customs that created this carceral system and that, by design, have disproportionately harmed Black Louisianians. Captive State accentuates this narrative with profiles of people impacted by these systems, spotlights on key historical objects, and insightful data visualizations. As the human and financial costs continue to mount, this book details the choices that led us here--and asks whether Louisiana is fated to remain captive to its history.Captive State is supported by a grant from Borealis Philanthropys Spark Justice Fund. Distributed for the Historic New Orleans Collection
The Life of a Cold War and Red Arrows Pilot
Wyndham Ward grew up with a determination to fly whatever the odds. Starting out as boy mechanic in the RAF, he progressed to being a ‘Junior Joe’ fighter pilot in the iconic Hawker Hunter, despite making almost every mistake possible during air combat training. The Cold War threat loomed large, and Ward was transferred to operating high-speed low-level Buccaneers—a dangerous job—flying with the RAF and Fleet Air Arm on board HMS Ark Royal, where he eventually mastered hair-raising catapult launches and the art of shaky recoveries. Following active duty, Ward received an unexpected posting to the Red Arrows aerobatic team in a significant year—1979—when the Gnat was replaced by the Hawk. This is the story of a lifetime in aviation, from eager youngster to strike formation leader, with an insider’s view into squadron life, the camaraderie of the mess, the howlers committed during training and the tensions of frontline duty during the Cold War. It reveals the inner workings of the Red Arrows during a year of exceptional pressure when, with new jets and a redesigned display, the nation expected something truly groundbreaking. Through it all, and onwards into an extraordinary career in civil aviation, Ward’s boyish enthusiasm never faded; this book is, above all, a testament to the joys of flying.
The Italian Way of War
English-language historiography traditionally disregards Italian military history with sweeping generalizations about ineptitude, cowardice, and an ethnic/cultural aversion to warfare. This dismissive and demeaning approach obscures thoughtful analysis and discourse on the strengths, weaknesses, and ways in which Italy?s military history is not dissimilar from other nations. Italy experienced two anti-insurgent operations, two conventional wars against European powers, a civil war, and two colonial campaigns during its first fifty years as a nation. These encounters forced versatility. Italy entered World War One as a young nation with a fledgling industry and limited raw materials. Nevertheless, it progressed along the tactical learning curve of modern industrial warfare like other belligerents. The country?s strategic aspirations in World War Two, like those of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, exceeded its war-making capabilities. The Italian Way of War synthesizes previous scholarship with original research to provide a balanced narrative and assessment of Italian military history from 1866 to 1943.
Givenchy in the Great War
The village of Givenchy-ls-la-Basse sits on a small rise in the Pas de Calais Department in northern France. One hundred years ago it was overtaken by the First World War. The fighting there was intense eleven Victoria Crosses were won in this tiny locality between 1914 and 1918. Phil Tomasellis in-depth account shows what happened at Givenchy when it became a battlefield, and the story here was repeated in the other villages and towns on the Western Front. Givenchys key position made it the target for crushing bombardments, infantry assaults and subterranean warfare. The landscape was pulverized by shellfire, the ground beneath was honeycombed with tunnels. Mining operations, shelling, sniping and trench raids took place around the remains of the village even when this stretch of the front line was relatively quiet. The gruelling struggle of attrition that characterized the fighting on the Western Front continued here throughout the war. Phil Tomasellis gripping narrative makes extensive use of war diary extracts, personal stories, official and unofficial histories.
The Tudor Theatre
In 1576, a young man could have attended the first performance at The Theatre, newly-built by James Burbage, the first arena exclusively dedicated to the drama in England since Roman times. Sixty-years later, as a very old man, he could have attended the last performance at the Globe Theatre before its summary closure by the Puritans. The two dates represent the beginning and the end of the golden age of English theatre. In this book, Nicholas Fogg recounts the epic and often tumultuous story of those years – the great poets and actors, the rivalries, personalities, hostility and panache that contributed to a monumental era, going beyond such household words as Shakespeare, Marlowe, Burbage, Alleyn and Jonson to the lesser-known who also made their vital contribution to the world that was the stage, which ranged from the humble provincial inn yard of the touring company to the sumptuous royal palace. Yet it was at heart a popular theatre, created by the people for the people, reflecting the vital breath of its times and continuing to speak to us today: a story which involves us all because it represents the universal drama in which we all play our many parts.
Roman Emperors and their Illnesses
Medical history has been particularly unkind to some historical figures. The, so-called, 'mad emperors' Caligula, Tiberius and Nero cannot question their various psychiatric diagnoses or request a second opinion. Neither can Maximinus Thrax, Nero or Caligula demand further testing to refute or confirm the suggestions that they all suffered from a type of hormonal disorder. By undertaking a detailed evaluation of the ancient sources relating to Augustus, he has been re-characterised as an individual surviving to the age of 75 with a long-term lung condition. Perhaps some of his enigmatic behaviours and actions represented a reaction to developing a chronic disease at a young ag? laudius suffered from a movement disorder that affected his mobility and speech. Although highly intelligent, the response of the Imperial family to his disability was to keep him in the shadows, out of politics and public affairs. He became of figure of fun, ridiculed within Roman high society and subjected to insults and cruel tricks. The indignities and hardships he experienced in his youth probably had an impact on his character, health and behaviour. Also, it seems much more likely that he died due to a stroke or a heart attack rather than from consuming poisoned mushrooms!Marcus Aurelius might not have been as physically unwell as has been suggested by both modern and ancient historians. Despite suffering from sinusitis, gastroenteritis plus various aches and pains, there is no evidence that he had any longer-term health problems. Diagnosing the illnesses of Roman emperors might not be viewed as an appropriate line of enquiry given the enormous gulf that separates ancient and modern medicine. However, although there are certainly some major challenges in using present medical knowledge to identify past diseases, there are potential opportunities too in augmenting – or even correcting – the historical record.
The Spy Who Betrayed
Clever, charismatic and daring, Mathilde Carré lived up to the image of the intrepid female spy. Codenamed “The Cat”, she co-founded the largest intelligence network in Occupied France and inspired her recruits to fight a secret war against the Germans. Carré delivered priceless information to the Allies, and her commitment to their cause seemed beyond question. But the reputation of The Cat hid a flawed and volatile personality, driven by a deadly combination of personal ambition, vanity and jealousy. When she finally fell into enemy hands, Carré chose to save herself rather than her comrades, betraying dozens of her own agents. Becoming her captor’s mistress, she enjoyed a life of luxury in Paris and earned the respect of her new German masters. But when a secret affair with a British agent led her to escape to London, Carré’s true intentions raised serious questions. How far could she be trusted, and where did her allegiances really lie? At her trial The Cat’s extraordinary exploits were finally revealed to the public, transforming a resistance hero into a figure of public hatred. Condemned to death, she remained fiercely unrepentant to the end, presenting herself as a victim of circumstance rather than a willing traitor. Mathilde Carré was a fascinatingly complex and enigmatic character who worked for the French, British, Polish and German secret services and double crossed them all. The result of more than ten years’ research, She Was The Cat is a story that poses questions about the boundaries between resistance and collaboration, and the power of myth and self-delusion.
V kategórii populárno - náučné encyklopédie nájdete široký výber kníh, ktoré vám poskytnú poznatky z rôznych oblastí zaujímavým a zrozumiteľným spôsobom. Encyklopédie vám pomôžu získať komplexný prehľad o rôznych témach, ako ľudské telo a človek, príroda, vesmír, veda a technika a história.
Naša ponuka encyklopédií populárno-náučného charakteru vám umožní objaviť fascinujúci svet poznania a rozšíriť svoje vedomosti o rôznych témach.
