Pen & Sword Books Ltd strana 16 z 40

The role of the police firearms officers is possibly one of the most thankless jobs there is in a non-military environment. Home Office figures for March 2022 to March 2023 show there were 6,038 police officers throughout England and Wales who were authorised to carry firearms for operational purposes, out of a total of 149,572 officers overall - the culmination of a four-year decline in firearms officers, from a peak of 6,621 in March 2019.Being a firearms officer carries a kudos in policing, although why this is the case is not absolutely clear, especially when considering  the real risk of either being shot dead, shooting somebody and being charged with their murder, or not shooting somebody and it resulting in the death of a colleague or a member of the public.In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the police''s use of firearms was far removed from what it is today. Nominated officers were allowed to draw firearms on an ''as and when'' basis, and would undertake firing practice on only a few occasions throughout the course of the year, with little or no thought or consideration given to tactical approaches to a particular scenario. However, the change in attitudes by senior officers to firearms can be traced back to the August 1966 murders of three Metropolitan police officers by two armed criminals close to Wormwood Scrubs prison, in west London.This book looks at the history of police firearms units, which started to be formed in the immediate aftermath of the 1966 killings, and how they have subsequently evolved, improving in the selection of suitable officers, along with the weaponry and equipment used and the training provided to the officers who volunteer for this extremely dangerous and stressful role.

The 1688 “Glorious Revolution” that toppled James II and VII also veiled his consort in propaganda. Mary of Modena: James II’s Dazzling Queen reveals the extraordinary woman beneath. Lovely and spirited, Mary Beatrice Isabella d’Este is also England’s sole Italian queen. Her father came from an ancient line, while her mother was one of Cardinal Mazarin’s seven famed nieces (the “Mazarinettes”).Mary Beatrice learned the rudiments of governance at her widowed mother’s knee, and would one day act as regent of the Stuart court-in-exile—first for King James, then for their son, James Francis Edward. “The Queen over the Water” would shine as a beacon for the Jacobite cause.Once, Mary Beatrice longed to be a nun. Instead, the young woman had to accept a different mission—marriage to James Duke of York, heir to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Although James’s conversion to Catholicism made their marriage possible, it set off a firestorm of controversy in the mysterious northern realm.The story of the British Isles was romantic, but the reality was jarring. Thrown into the frenzy of Restoration politics, Mary Beatrice met each fresh episode courageously. Charles II adored his sister-in-law, but MPs strove to annul the “Italian match” before it could be consummated. She and James fell in love, but his philandering nearly broke her.Building on Este tradition, Mary Beatrice won over the common folk, inspired poets and painters, introduced Italian opera, and drew talented ladies to court. She also attracted her flamboyant Mazarinette cousin Hortense Mancini to England, where she joined King Charles’s harem.Ultimately, James and Mary Beatrice were coronated with great ceremony, but their troubles were only just beginning. For the first time in English history, it looked like the birth of a healthy prince might actually destroy the monarchy instead of strengthening it…

In the early hours of Tuesday, 3 April 1888, just after the Easter Bank Holiday, Emma Elizabeth Smith, a middle-aged woman living in unfortunate circumstances, was brutally attacked in a side street off Whitechapel Road. In the crime-ridden East End of late Victorian London, such violence was tragically common. Yet this particular attack marked the beginning of a mystery that would achieve worldwide notoriety: the Whitechapel murders, otherwise known as the Jack the Ripper murders.Unlike the other Ripper victims, Emma Elizabeth Smith survived long enough to recount her ordeal, stating that her attack was not at the hands of a lone madman, but of three men, one possibly as young as 19. Her testimony has often been dismissed, as it does not fit the long-held narrative surrounding the Ripper''s crimes. Consequently, Emma’s story has been overlooked, her suffering disconnected from the infamous murders that followed.This book seeks to reconcile all the Whitechapel murders of 1888 and beyond, offering critical context about the streets where these crimes occurred and the shadowy figure who haunted them. Could Edward Buckley, a violent local thug with a history of knife attacks as early as 1884, hold the key to understanding the ''Autumn of Terror''?It is time to finally listen to the voice of Emma Smith, the first victim of Jack the Ripper.

The third of three volumes, this book offers to English readers, for the first time, the memoirs of Ilya Timofeyevich Radozhitskii, which rank among the best in the vast Napoleonic memoir literature. Radozhitskii, a distinguished Russian artillery officer, chronicled his experiences shortly after the wars against Napoleon, drawing from notes kept during his campaigns.Born in 1788, the author was educated at the Imperial Orphanage and entered military service in 1806 as part of an artillery unit. Through skill and determination, he rose steadily through the ranks, earning a reputation as a capable and dedicated officer. Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 changed his life. Serving as an artillery lieutenant, Radozhitskii saw action in virtually every major battle of that historic campaign. In 1813-1814, he took part in the War of the German Liberation and the invasion of France, serving with distinction in several battles before finishing the war as a staff captain in Paris in 1814.Radozhitskii’s memoirs provide vivid, unvarnished insight into the daily lives of Russian officers during the Napoleonic Wars. This volume follows him through the invasion of France and its aftermath, offering striking descriptions of soldiers’ trials and triumphs, gripping accounts of battles, and poignant tales of human suffering. When first published in Russia, these memoirs captured the public imagination and were widely acclaimed. Leo Tolstoy drew upon them while crafting his epic War and Peace. Now, these evocative pages allow readers to step into the chaos, courage, and calamity of the Napoleonic era through the eyes of one who lived it.

Much has been written about the Second World War and certainly about the campaigns in North Africa. While often a historical perspective is chosen, this book chooses a more organisational approach in addition to a historical perspective. The reason for this is that the course and outcome of military actions can only be understood if one has a clear picture of the organisational dimensions of the armies involved. After all, the combinations of the number of men and weapons is vital when considering the way the war will be fought and the outcome of the confrontation. This includes elements such as the organisational structure, the degree of decentralisation, the leadership style, the training level of the troops, team building, the command, control and intelligence structure, etc.When we talk about North Africa, we of course also talk about Rommel, a central figure in the events described. Other names that are for ever connected with North Africa are El Alamein, one of the turning points of the Second World War, and Montgomery, the British general who managed to turn the tide.This book begins with a sketch of the organisational dimensions of the German and British armies, but also looks at the dynamics of the fighting in North Africa and the demands it placed on men, officers, equipment, leadership, training, logistics, planning etc.

Flying Though a Nuclear Cloud is the unusual story of a frontline navigator who flew on Canberra, Shackleton and F4 Phantom squadrons between 1954 and 1974. It also reveals his involvement with nuclear weapon testing in 1956 and 1958. It was during his time on Canberras that, in 1955, volunteers were called for ‘An Interesting Overseas Tour’. Robin Adams put his hand up. The task was to collect samples resulting from nuclear explosions. This, however, was only revealed to the volunteers after they had arrived in Australia.On 19 June 1956 that Robin, then the navigator of Canberra WH976, took off from the RAAF Perth. Along with his pilot, Robin was about to be involved in the second and final nuclear test under Operation Mosaic – both explosions taking place at the Montebello Islands.In 1957 Robin joined Coastal Command flying the Avro Shackleton. After this interlude, a year later he was back nuclear testing. This time it was at Christmas Island in the Pacific, with the awesome megaton H bombs of Operation Grapple Z. His task was to collect weather data and clear shipping from the potential danger areas. From 1963-1966 Robin was on 31 Squadron which, equipped with Canberra PR.7s, was stationed in Germany and tasked with day and night low-level photo reconnaissance. It was during this time that he was involved in a serious aircraft accident following a single engine approach at night.By 1969 the front-line days were over for the Canberra, and Robin was posted onto the F4 Phantom as a Flight Commander on 14 Squadron. The squadron''s primary role was all-weather tactical nuclear weapon delivery to targets in East Germany, secondary roles being ground attack and air defence. Crews stood Quick Reaction Alert for twenty-four hour stretches, twice a month, in a hut, with a nuclear weapon loaded on the aircraft parked outside. Robin’s nuclear journey had gone full circle.

Unbelievably, Red Dwarf came back. Its first six series from 1988 to 1993 were quite an achievement, and it’s likely we would still be remembering it fondly if the story had ended there. But it didn’t. Tom Salinsky has been looking at exactly how this show came to be, how it got on the air, and how it stayed there. But in 1993, when Volume I ended, it was thought that Red Dwarf was gone for good. In Volume II, Tom will look at how it was relaunched, rebooted and reconceived in 1997 and again in 1999. And then how it came back from the dead in 2009 with a supposedly one-off mini-series, which instead launched three more series and a feature-length special. Along the way he’ll look at why star Chris Barrie wanted out and then wanted back in again, the perils of having or not having a live studio audience, the wisdom of trying to remake the show in America – or as a movie – and whether or not there’s life left in the show yet.It’s also a detailed critical analysis, examining why the best episodes succeed and why the less impressive episodes struggle, while also finding time to ask whether the rules of time travel really allow JFK to assassinate himself, should you really rock out with Hitler, do you have the universe on speed dial, and of course whether Series IX really deserves its reputation as the best by miles. And we’ll look at Red Dwarf beyond broadcast television and into unmade episodes, novels, computer games and more besides.

Adoption is one of the most emotive and complex subjects in social and family history. Gill Rossinis social history of adoption between 1850 and 1961 uncovers the perspectives of all those concerned in adoption: children, birth relatives, adoptive families, and all the agencies and organisations involved.Rossini charts the transformation of the adoption process from a chaotic informal arrangement to a legal procedure. Set against the backdrop of the moral, cultural, and legal climate of the times, the contemporary voices of those who played a part in an adoption give real insights into this often turbulent period in their lives. Discover how shocking stories of baby farmers and unwanted orphans fuelled the campaign for change, and hear previously untold stories.For those who wish to conduct their own research into an adoption, Rossini has compiled a comprehensive guide to resources.

The outbreak of the Second World War had an enormous effect on the railway system in Britain. Keeping the trains running through times of conflict was not such a distant memory for the railway companies and their workers but in this second major war of the twentieth century, the task was to prove a very different one. The railway system no longer consisted of the hundreds of companies of the past, but the Big Four' still needed to learn how to work together and forget their differences for the war effort. The logistics of the mass evacuation of children, and transporting thousands of troops during the evacuation of Dunkirk and the preparations for D-Day, for instance, were unprecedented. At the same time, they had to cope with the new and constant threat of aerial bombing that military advances brought to the Second World War. The railway system, and the men and women who ran it, effectively served as another branch of the military during the conflict. This book is a fascinating account of the important role that the railways played in the defence of the country as well as in their support of the Allied forces in theatres of war around the world. It brings to light the often forgotten stories of the brave and hard-working men and women who went to work on the railways and put their lives on the line.

This book examines the uniforms and equipment of the backbone of the French army, the Line Infantry, at the height of its glory. The crushing defeat of the Prussian army at the twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt in 1806 was arguably the most impressive of all Napoleon’s many victories. This was followed in 1807 with the defeat of the Russians at Friedland, leaving Napoleon as the unrivalled master of Europe.Just weeks after the Battle of Friedland, Napoleon became embroiled in Spanish politics. Seeking to rid the continent of Europe of British influence, the Emperor sought to conquer Portugal and subjugate the British ally to the Empire. The Peninsular War had begun. As the Grande Armée trudged from Germany to Spain, what were the troops wearing? A huge stock take took place across the armed forces of France in winter 1807 to spring 1808. Using tens of thousands of archive sources, housed in over 1,000 archive boxes, we are able to reconstruct in meticulous detail how the army appeared at the beginning of the Peninsular War. This book looks at the dress of the Line Infantry following the reforms of 1806 which did most to change the way the army appeared until the proto-Bardin regulation of 1811. The book seeks to explore the famous or infamous white habits as well as the dress of the army on campaign, notably in the Peninsular War.The author demonstrates that the perception of ‘anything goes’ was largely myth, regarding the dress of the line infantry during the rigours of the gruelling peninsular war. The author demonstrates that not every grenadier wore a bearskin let alone had scarlet epaulettes, nor every voltigeur had unique distinctions and sapeurs were a ‘rare beast’ in the Grande Armée.

The Battle of Coronel on 1 November 1914, when Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock and ships of his 4th Cruiser Squadron were out gunned and out matched by the German East Asiatic Squadron under Vice Admiral Maximilian Graf von Spee, was the worst British naval disaster for more 100 years; two ships, HMS Monmouth and Good Hope were lost with all hands, totalling more than 1,600 men, including Cradock. He went to his death in a forlorn hope, believing that if he could damage his opponent sufficiently to slow them down, superior forces could eventually be brought to bear.Admiral Sir John ‘Jacky’ Fisher, recently returned to the Admiralty as First Sea Lord immediately despatched two battlecruisers from the Grand Fleet to exact revenge under the command of Vice Admiral Doveton Sturdee, whom he detested and half expected to fail in this mission. And indeed, Sturdee’s force was surprised by von Spee’s ships while coaling at the Falkland Islands, but managed to get under way and perform the task for which Fisher had designed the battlecruisers: sweeping from the seas lesser craft by virtue of superior speed and gun power. The ships of the East Asiatic Squadron was sunk or scattered and von Spee and his two sons lost their lives.Tragedy and Revenge details both the battles and the events leading up to them, with the use of eye-witness accounts. It examines the ships which fought on both sides and points up the inferiority of the forces at Cradock’s disposal, resources which Churchill insisted were fit for the task of destroying von Spee. The hopelessness felt by many of the Royal Navy participants in Cradock’s little squadron is related, as is Cradock’s story, alone in the Atlantic and Pacific, and his crisis of conscience whilst staying with the governor of the Falkland Islands.The book also examines the leaders, Cradock, Churchill, Fisher, Sturdee and von Spee and the interplay of character between them. It demonstrates how Churchill’s interference, and the dispositions adopted by the Admiralty while Sturdee was Chief of the War Staff, led directly to the disaster at Coronel. The book evaluates the gap between the reality on the high seas and the perception held by those at the Admiralty, especially Churchill, and how this gap helped bring about a terrible tragedy.

Few television science fiction series have had the enduring appeal of the original, late 1970s Battlestar Galactica. Despite lasting only one season (1978-1979), almost half a century later Battlestar remains a cultural touchstone and major influence on genre productions in a variety of media. For all its popularity, however, Battlestar remains a largely unstudied series, with relatively few resources available for those interested in learning more about the show, including both its development and its afterlife.This companion is the definitive resource for fans of the series. It contains all the essential facts that fans would expect, such as plot and other details of each episode, but uniquely also explores the scholarly and philosophical influences on the series. Battlestar Galactica borrows extensively from classical mythology and biblical sources, as well as from myths and folklore associated with nation-building and the timeless wonder of travel stories. In many regards, Battlestar is nothing less than an Aeneid in outer space, telling the story of how an exiled, defeated people seeks a return to their ancestral home, surmounting countless perils along the way. Fratantuono brings his expertise in classical mythology and ancient history to bear on the series.There are new interviews with stars Dirk Benedict (Lt. Starbuck) and Cathey Paine (the voice of Galactica''s computer, C.O.R.A). Comprehensive information is provided on series merchandise, a concise overview of the short-lived Galactica, 1980), and the connection of the series to Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. There is no comparable guide available.

The Revolutionary period was marked by upheaval for France and its army. The early Republic’s military comprised former Royal Army members and revolutionary volunteers, reflecting diversity in their uniforms. Despite the chaos, records were meticulously maintained, and Paul L. Dawson examined thousands of documents from the Service Historique Armée du Terre in Paris to detail the uniforms worn before Napoleon’s rise.Soldiers’ clothing followed strict regulations, with each item assigned a specific lifespan. Regular inspections assessed uniform conditions, and unserviceable items were returned and replaced. Repairs were logged, and soldiers bore the costs of replacements. A regiment’s clothing officer managed equipment purchases for enlisted men, while officers supplied their own uniforms. The regimental council ensured purchases met quality standards, recorded in a Register of Uniforms.Inspection returns and registers provide unprecedented insights into Revolutionary army uniforms, much of which was previously unpublished. Though not all regiments’ data were found, Dawson’s research offers the most accurate depiction to date. His book combines detailed records with illustrations and photographs of rare surviving items, giving readers a unique visual and historical perspective on soldiers’ appearances during this transformative era.

Public affection for the iconic Spitfire endures; indeed, if anything, it increases as more of these incredible aircraft are restored to airworthy condition. The Spitfire story, however, is one of people, designers, engineers, pilots, groundcrew, and more, whose lives were touched in some way by this extraordinary machine – and such stories are the inspiration for this book.Spitfire Mk.IA R6644 was built by Supermarine at Woolston, and test-flown by the famous test pilot Jeffrey Quill on 30 May 1940. Thereafter, the aircraft was taken on charge by 5 Operational Training Unit at Aston Down. While there, it was flown by a number of The Few, new replacement pilots converting to type.It is likely, for example, that R6644 was flown by Pilot Officer Richard Hillary, who, shot down and badly burned, became a member of the Guinea Pig Club. In his classic memoir The Last Enemy, Hillary described how 5 OTU’s young pilots would fly beneath the arches of the great railway bridge spanning the Severn estuary. This inspired the famous scene in the 1980s TV series Piece of Cake, when Ray Hanna flew Spitfire MH434 beneath a bridge for the cameras. Amongst the other pilots known to have flown R6644 at Aston Down are at least two aces. On 26 February 1941, R6644 was handed on to 65 Squadron. One of the latter’s pilots who flew in R6644 was the great ace Flying Officer Brendan ‘Paddy’ Finucane DFC. In April, R6644 was taken on charge by the recently formed 308 (Polish) Squadron. On 11 May 1941, Pilot Officer Franciszek Surma was flying R6644 to investigate an unidentified radar plot, which transpired to be a friendly Blenheim, but was forced to abandon the Spitfire near Malvern, Worcestershire, owing to an engine fire. Surma, again one of The Few, descended safely by parachute; he was reported missing off Dunkirk during Circus 110 on 8 November 1941.This book not only explores the men who flew R6674 throughout its wartime service, but also brings the story up to date by detailing the excavation of the Spitfire’s crash site in 1987.

From a choirboy on HMS Victory to a Royal Marine and then an early recruit of the Special Boat Service and Special Air Service, Ken Smith was a witness to many of the key events of the Second World War. Not for nothing was he often heard to say, ‘I never expected to see the end of the war.’ He did survive and credited the SAS with saving his life, although he carried a permanent reminder of his service for over seventy years: a bullet embedded in his arm.As a Royal Marine Ken survived the North Atlantic, Arctic and Mediterranean. When he heard there was a call for men to join a special forces group, Smith volunteered and was accepted into the SBS. Operating across the Mediterranean, the SBS raided German garrisons in North Africa, the Greek islands, Albania, Italy and Yugoslavia. In the Dodecanese, Smith and his comrades terrorized the occupying Germans. ‘We used to go out every night, landing on all these islands, shooting up Germans,’ recalled Ken.One of these missions was the famous raid on the island of Symi in July 1944. In what was one of the SBS’s largest raids, the entire German garrison was killed or taken prisoner. Ken was also there, as part of a specially selected force of eighteen men, when the legendary Dane, Anders Lassen, earned his posthumous Victoria Cross a raid on the north shore of Lake Comacchio in Italy. It was in a raid in Yugoslavia that Ken was hit with one bullet going through his back and out the other side, and a second being the one which remained in his arm for the rest of his life. Ken’s many missions saw him cradling his mortally wounded officer in his arms and sitting alongside an officer, in the same canoe, when he earned his Military Cross. This is Ken’s astonishing story.

Towards the end of 1906, a meeting took place between two emerging giants of the age, Mohandas K. Gandhi and General Jan Christian Smuts. United under the same empire, but separated by distance and culture, Smuts was born in the Cape Colony, and Gandhi in Porbandar, a duchy of the Indian province of Gujarat. Both, however, went on to study law in Britain, and while developing a great admiration for the institutions of empire, each man also suffered his own particular crisis of faith. From their widely dispersed origins, Gandhi and Smuts collided over the issue of race and equality in a turbulent province of the empire, each attempting to hold the British to their stated ideals. This insightful book explores attitudes to race, and belonging, in an age when the English speaking peoples straddled the globe, and sought to impose on all of their subject races, basking under the radiance of Britannia, a common ideal of parity, equal opportunity and free movement.