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Linear A is a Middle and Late Bronze Age script principally used on Crete. Dated to 1800 - 1450 BC, it was discovered by archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans in 1900 and for over 120 years it has – until now – defied decipherment.In his book, author Mark Cook, a forensic accountant, demonstrates how he deciphered Linear A. His work describes how he first approached decipherment by setting aside commonly held misconceptions. Previous decipherment attempts typically incorrectly assumed the underlying language was an unknown Minoan language (Crete being the heart of the Minoan Empire), or misconstrued its relationship with Linear B (the earliest written form of Greek, which replaced it).Linear A is found mainly on clay tablets recording ephemeral accounting information, and Mark Cook tackled the decipherment as an accountant, focussing on the numbers, noting the mathematical relationships between the items recorded (which relationships were evident in the later Linear B script where the same things were being recorded), and analysing the characters used to record them.Mark Cook demonstrates that Linear A is Middle Egyptian, written in a form of shorthand used by the later Greeks and Romans, using hieroglyphs that were modified and simplified to be incised quickly and easily in wet clay. Many of the tablets, he reveals, are Egyptian taxation records.Based on the tablets he translates, and the reinterpretation of Egyptian evidence, Mark Cook concludes that New Kingdom Egypt ultimately came to rule Crete for a brief period, rewriting what we know of the end of the Minoan Empire.

On 3 July 1944, a train of cattle wagons set out from Toulouse, heading for Germany. Crammed inside eventually were 724 souls of various nationalities and backgrounds, all of whom the German occupiers had held captive in concentration camps and prisons across south-western France. Among them was Francesco Fausto Nitti, an Italian antifascist activist who had survived Mussolini’s gaols and the Spanish Civil War.The journey to Dachau was expected to take three days. Instead – bombed, re-routed and often immobilised – it lasted for two months, making it the longest of all deportation journeys out of France during the Second World War. Nitti kept a daily log of the odyssey of the Phantom Train, as it has become known, and the document was in his pocket when, on 25 August, he and some fellow captives made a perilous last-minute escape by removing some of their wagon’s floorboards and lowering themselves onto the track as the train sped through the night.Once back with his family and the Resistance, Nitti turned his log into a book, which was published at the end of 1944 by a small press run by a Resistance member. Now, with this first English translation of The Phantom Train and an extended introduction, a whole new readership can learn about that never-ending journey to Dachau and everything that led up to it, and marvel at the determination and endurance of some courageous people, notably the remarkable Francesco Fausto Nitti.

The third volume of a series on a glossary of codebreaking, WW2 Codebreaking Systems and Equipment, brings to the reader an easily understandable account and listing, of those methods, systems, and equipment collecting and analysing military intelligence principally during the second world war and beyond. A listing is provided which outlines the development of codebreaking and gathering of enemy intelligence.Whilst Bletchley Park was the HQ of codebreaking activities in wartime, numerous organisations became involved in a support role, and this became critical when more advanced enemy encoding machines were introduced by the Nazis. The evolution of certain organisations over time, can be tracked to a degree, by reading the glossary in depth.The text outlines the systems, equipment, and deception relevant to intelligence and codebreaking in some detail, which also complements the first two volumes in the series. The author has taken time to ensure the reader can more easily understand how the various systems and equipment used during WW2 enabled the gathering of military and other intelligence, and was used to apply codebreaking of enemy messages. Also, in some cases, the use of specialist deception techniques to attempt to fool the enemy.

By the summer of 1943, the Soviet partisan forces had grown from small, disorganized groups into a formidable fighting force. Hitler, still holding some advantages, hoped to crush a Red Army salient near Kursk and shorten the front lines with a localized offensive. However, the Soviets anticipated the attack and built extensive defense lines to thwart it, employing large numbers of partisans to disrupt German preparations.The critical period of 1943 saw intense fighting behind German lines, particularly during the "Battle for the Rails" in July and August. Stalin''s partisans worked relentlessly to block the flow of German supplies and troops, forcing the Germans to contend with a growing insurgency. Dr. Antonio J. Munoz’s book examines these guerrilla operations, using German maps to detail partisan movements and the German response, which included increasing anti-partisan operations.The year 1943 marked a turning point in the war on the Eastern Front. While Stalingrad in 1942 revealed Germany''s inability to win in Russia, the failed Battle of Kursk in 1943 demonstrated the inevitable loss of the war. The partisan efforts were so successful that, by August 1943, only 80% of the trains carrying supplies reached Army Group Centre’s front lines.

At 12.08pm on Friday 31 January 1919, Margaret Buchanan drives her tram into George Square in Glasgow’s city centre. She slows down to avoid the youths and men holding their arms up to stop her; some even jump onto the front of her tram. Swirling around her tram is a sea of heavy-coated men who have been on strike since Monday, demanding a reduction to a forty-hour working week. Crucially, the tram workers have not joined the strike; they are being abused as ‘scabs’. Constables and officers of Glasgow’s police force use their hands to try to part the crowd to allow the tram to proceed, but their efforts fail and batons are drawn.Within minutes, the violence will have spread across and beyond the Square; men will have been injured; the Sheriff will have read the Riot Act; strike leaders will lie stunned and bleeding inside the City Chambers; policemen and protestors will lie beaten in the streets.The violence and destruction in the Square, the streets to the north and south, in Glasgow Green and even south of the River Clyde, involves thousands of men. The city authorities believe the situation is beyond the control of the outnumbered police; the Sheriff sends a message to the local army commander requesting assistance.For the first time in history, tanks will be despatched as ‘military aid to the civil power’. They will be accompanied by 10,000 soldiers. At approximately 12.30pm on Friday 31 January 1919, a century of myth-making commences. Using thousands of pages of court papers, memoirs and news reports, this book is the first attempt to tell the story of what happened in day-by-day detail.

Prisons, as you know, have been my hobby wrote the prominent suffragette Lady Constance Bulwer-Lytton. An influential British activist as well as a writer, speaker and campaigner for votes for women - and not forgetting prison reform - Constance Lytton was born in Vienna and spent the first eleven years of her life in India (her father was the Viceroy). After meeting a number of suffragettes, particularly at the Esperance Club and including Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence, Constance took on the 'hobby' of prison reform. She later demonstrated at the House of Commons, along with fellow suffragettes and was arrested, imprisoned, but subsequently released due to her social position and health. Whilst in Holloway Prison in March 1909, she carved the outline of a V on her chest. Outraged by the treatment of fellow suffragettes of a lower class, in January 1910 she took on the pseudonym of Jane Warton to avoid release and suffered much mistreatment, including forcible feeding, at the hands of the prison warders. She was to include these experiences in her book, Prisons and Prisoners. Constance Lytton died in 1923 after many health complications, but with the knowledge that (some) women over the age of 30 had finally been given the right to vote.

Constantine V, was the second East Roman (Byzantine) emperor of the Isaurian Dynasty. A masterful general, who halted the Arab Umayyad advance and went on the counter attack, he was loved by the fighting men of the East till well after his death. He was also an active ruler in other spheres, continuing the legal, social and governmental reforms of his father. His reign effectively strengthened the Empire, which was on the brink of collapse at the end of the Heraclian dynasty and he is generally regarded as one of the most capable men to rule from Constantinople. A ruthless persecutor and iconoclast, he was, however, reviled and maligned by the monastic historians of the church. His true brilliance and accomplishments would always be overshadowed by the name they bestowed upon him after his death: Copronymos (‘the dung-named’). He was compared to a summoner of demons, a magician or even a precursor to the Antichrist.Married three times to women who themselves are worthy of books, he was shrewd in his choice of wives and poltically savvy. As a shrewd ruler and administrator, and for his influence upon the theological debates of his day, he bears comparison with the much-better-known Justinian I, some 200 years before. However, unlike Justinian, his military leadership was more personal and he met his death on campaign in Bulgaria.

Catherine of Aragon was the first wife and queen of England''s most married King, Henry VIII. She did not know it, but she would be immortalised as the first in a line of six queens still hotly debated and discussed today. Catherine and Henry were married for over twenty years, longer than his other five marriages combined, but she knew him even longer. Arriving in England in 1501 to marry Henry''s elder brother, Arthur, she was widowed shortly after and was forced to endure seven years of uncertainty and hardship before marrying her second husband. Henry and Catherine were happy and indeed in love on their wedding day in 1509, and they had a lot of shared interests and ambitions.Setbacks and losses would tear apart this once-happy couple. As one of three parties involved in the King''s Great Matter, which changed the face of England forever, Catherine refused to back down and fought for what she believed to be right until the very end. This book gives us a glimpse of Catherine''s world: her family, her friends, her enemies, and her legacy, which still inspires us with her loyalty and courage to this day.

Queen Victoria famously presided over an empire upon which the sun never set. Extending, defending and policing Britain’s global territories required the British Army to fight a bewildering array of foes, in equally varied terrain and climates. From the subarctic mountains of Canada to the Sahara Desert and the South African veldt, from the jungles of West Africa and central India to China, the British forces flew the flag. The task was only made possible by the recruitment of troops from throughout the colonies, some of which then served far from home (such as the Australians used in the Boer Wars). Colonial troops not only boosted the numbers available to the Empire’s forces but their local knowledge of climate and terrain, as well as their differing fighting styles, offered vital variety and flexibility. This allowed the ‘British’ armies to adapt to the wide range of enemies and environments encountered.Gabriele Esposito offers an excellent overview of the troops raised from every corner of the British Empire, discussing their organization, weapons, uniform and equipment as well as how and where they were employed. The informative text is lavishly illustrated with colour artworks.

First flown in 1940, the prototype Vought F4U Corsair instantly became the fastest fighter in the world and the fastest US aircraft of any description. Powered by a huge 18-cylinder Pratt and Whitney Double Wasp engine driving an enormous 13 feet 4 inch propeller, the first Corsairs were capable of 417mph. This figure would rise to nearly 450mph in later versions despite the fact that fuel load and overall weight was increased.Production began in 1941, not only by Vought but also by Goodyear and Brewster. The F4U entered service with the US Navy in September 1942, although carrier-borne operations were initiated a little later not by the Americans but by the British Fleet Air Arm. The aircraft subsequently came to be extensively used from land and sea by the US Marines, Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Air Force. Famous squadrons like VMF-214 ''The Black Sheep’ and VF-17 ‘Jolly Rogers’, along with many others, maintained total ascendancy over the Japanese for the rest of the war - a remarkable achievement for a single type.After the Second World War, the Corsair stayed in production and was used with distinction by the French in Indo-China and again by the US Navy in Korea. Since then Corsairs have achieved significant success in air races and more and more are being restored to fly for museums and warbird enthusiasts the world over.Martin Bowman’s comprehensive new book combines technical information and detailed development history with a fascinating combat history told, in many cases, by the Second World War pilots themselves. Well researched, readable and illustrated with dozens of rare and previously unpublished photographs, The Men Who Flew the Vought F4U Corsair is the perfect book for any fan of the ‘bent wing bird’.

By mid-1944, the Allies, especially the United States, began preparing for a potential invasion of Japan. Churchill expected the Royal Navy to support the U.S. Navy in achieving aerial dominance. The Admiralty focused on strengthening its carrier forces, forming the 15th Naval Fighter Wing. However, a key question arose: which aircraft would the Wing us? he Supermarine Seafire lacked the necessary range and endurance for Pacific operations, while Hellcats were in short supply and prioritized for U.S. use. This left the Vought F4U Corsair as the best option. Although initially dismissed due to its poor safety record on carriers, the Corsair was transferred to the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm, relieving American forces of the controversial aircraft.The 15th Naval Fighter Wing, made up of Nos. 1830, 1831, and 1833 squadrons, became the first to deploy the Corsair at sea. Despite early losses, British and Commonwealth pilots demonstrated its effectiveness, eventually convincing even the skeptical U.S. Navy of its capabilities. The Corsair proved to be one of the war’s most effective fighters.Led by Battle of Britain ace Dickie Cork until his death in 1944, the Wing achieved notable successes against Japanese forces aboard HMS Illustrious. Drawing on accounts from 20 veterans and extensive archives, this book highlights the Corsair’s transformation into a legendary naval fighter and the pilots’ indomitable spirit.

In this our fifth book in this modelling series we undertake an excursion into a new scale, modelling in TT120. Falling between the popular stalwarts of OO and N, the Market Deeping club were challenged to create a display layout in this scale, based upon the Devon Riviera coastal railway. In doing so they explored the arguments for and against the scale. Working with the challenges of ‘if I have X space what will fit into it?’ and ‘if I am depicting a scenario what space do I need?’ the club engineered the line alongside the famed red cliffs beloved of so many holidaymakers to run with full length HST consists. We illustrate a single day at ‘Holcombe Beach’ near Teigmouth, with the approaching Great Storm of 1987. The reward at exhibition is immediate recognition of the coastal strip and a flood of reminiscences from viewers. We also created a plan B practice layout based on County Durham to fit the early Hornby steam rolling stock releases. The Market Deeping Club commenced writing modelling books after experiencing extensive vandalism of their annual Stamford model railway exhibition in May 2019. The skills built up in rebuilding damaged, or replacing broken layouts, has led to a nimble team able to put their skills into a scale where initial perception of size is difficult, and resources feel thin on the ground.

When Nicholas Winton cancelled his skiing holiday in favour of going to Prague to visit a friend, little did he know this decision would change the course of thousands of lives, including his own. As millions of Jewish families attempted to flee the growing clutches of the brutal Nazi war of terror, this twenty-nine-year-old stockbroker decided to act, pulling off one of the most remarkable rescue missions of the century. The British Oskar Schindler tells the story of this remarkable man’s life and those around him who helped him to achieve all he did.

All know about the ''defenestration of Prague'', the coup d''etat staged by Bohemian nobles against the ruling officials of the Hapsburg empire, which triggered the Thirty Years War - a local dispute which started European and global conflict between the Spanish and Austrian Hapsburgs - the Hapsburg Imperium - the greatest power in Europe and the world - linked by the ''Spanish Road'' stretching from Spain and Portugal to Austria, Italy, Germany, the Low Countries and with vast American, Asian and African empires, and buttressed by the Holy Roman Empire. But the ''Golden Age'' was ending with threats to monopoly, economic downturn, revolts - as in Bohemia above - and rivalry from rising powers in Europe, especially the Dutch Republic, as a world colonial, economic power especially in international finance. This study shows that Imperial victory at Nordlingen (1634) was merely the prologue to Hapsburg disaster, and to the decisive change in global power politics with the rise of France as a great power under Richelieu and Louis XIII, French victory in Spain, the continuing power and rivalry of Sweden and the Protestant powers in German, and the financial power and imperial challenge of the Dutch Republic. The result was the greatest war of attrition in modern times and precursor of the wars of the 20th century. It is a truly tragic yet magnificent story of great men and women playing huge roles, including the ''titanic'' Imperial general Wallenstein, but above all for the triumph of the under-sung yet most successful commander, Torstenson, on the Protestant side, He is a worthy successor to the legendary Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. The final victory at Prague ended the conflict, where it had begun, with Imperial defeat and the destruction the Hapsburg imperium. The Treaty (Treaties) of Westphalia followed Hapsburg defeat and spiralling political and economic collapse, and great human suffering, following a war which changed the global balance of power for the whole modern era.

The summer of 1940 marked a pivotal moment in the Second World War. Following the Fall of France, Britain and the Commonwealth stood alone against the threat of Nazi Germany. With the prospect of invasion looming and Hitler’s forces undefeated, the outlook appeared bleak. As the new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill predicted, "the Battle of Britain is about to begin."Under the leadership of Reichmarshall Hermann Göring, the Luftwaffe sought to destroy the RAF and secure aerial supremacy, but Fighter Command’s young aircrew—immortalised by Churchill as "The Few"—resisted with great determination. Over sixteen weeks, from 10 July to 31 October 1940, nearly 3,000 aircrew fought, with 544 losing their lives. Their sacrifice was supported by the RAF, Allied forces, and the civilian population, all playing vital roles in the struggle.In his eight-volume series, Dilip Sarkar MBE, FRHistS, explores the Battle of Britain with a meticulous evidence-based approach. Drawing on primary sources, Sarkar challenges popular narratives while providing comprehensive day-by-day accounts of every raid, squadron action, and strategic operation, including Bomber and Coastal Command activities and the impact on the Home Front. Produced in collaboration with the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, this series offers the most up-to-date research available.This final volume focuses on how the Battle of Britain has been commemorated over time and examines its cultural and historical significance. Concluding with a comprehensive directory of memorials, museums, and sites related to the battle, the book serves as an essential guide for those interested in exploring these locations and connecting with the dramatic events of 1940.

The story of America’s cavalry is rich with colorful personalities and thrilling action, shaping much of the early military history of the United States. In this lively account, the author, an avid horseman, explores the key events and figures that defined the cavalry’s formative years.From the American Revolution, where figures like Henry ‘Light-Horse Harry’ Lee III and Francis Marion pioneered guerrilla tactics, the narrative moves to Stephen Kearny, known as the ‘Father of the Cavalry.’ Kearny’s Dragoons famously traveled West to California on mules. The account also highlights other iconic figures, including Jonathan ‘Stonewall’ Jackson, George Crook, who respected the Native Americans he was ordered to fight, and George Armstrong Custer, whose tragic defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876 remains a pivotal moment in American history.The narrative also touches on Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and Black Jack Pershing, who led his troops in automobiles. This saga of daring raids, epic marches, and grueling battles reflects not only the legacy of the U.S. Cavalry but also the birth and growth of America itself.