Pen & Sword Books Ltd strana 35 z 40

Of the thousands of commanders who served in historys armies, why is it that only a few are remembered as great leaders of men in battle? What combination of personal and circumstantial influences conspire to produce great commanders? What makes a great leader great? Richard A Gabriel analyses the biographies of ten great generals who lived between 1481 BC and AD 632 in an attempt to identify the characteristics of intellect, psychology, personality, and experience that allowed them to tread the path to greatness. Professor Richard Gabriel has selected the ten whom he believes to be the greatest of them all. Those included, and more so those omitted, will surprise many readers. Conspicuous by their absence, for example, are Alexander the Great and Attila the Hun. Richard Gabriel, himself a retired soldier and professor at the Canadian Defence College, uses his selected exemplars to distil the timeless essence of military leadership.

Formed in July 1940 for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering behind enemy lines, the Long Range Desert Group was the first British special force unit. In no time the LRDG earned itself an enviable reputation for deep penetration patrols into German and Italian held territory. Its successes on prolonged missions into harsh terrain and under extreme climatic conditions were out of all proportion to its size. Wide-ranging military skills, including exceptional navigation techniques, and the highest standards of discipline and leadership were required from all ranks.Many of the previously unpublished and well captioned images in this comprehensive and well researched book come from the collections of LRDG veterans. They show the weapons, equipment, uniforms and insignia used and, together with personal accounts and operational reports, bring to life the extraordinary achievements of this legendary unit.The result is a fascinating record of the LRDG’s contribution to the Allied victory in North Africa.

For General George S. Patton, “Leadership is the thing that wins battles. I have it—but I’ll be damned if I can define it. Probably it consists in knowing what you want to do and then doing it and getting mad if anyone steps in the way. Self-confidence and leadership are twin brothers.”Indeed, Patton excelled at virtually every dimension of leadership, most vitally as a war commander. His record as a general is clear. The larger, more armored, and better supplied his armies, and the freer he was to decide what to do with them, the more rapid and further they advanced to inflict more defeats on the enemy. In that no other American army commander matched him during World War II. That ranks Patton among the Valhalla of America’s greatest generals, with him most resembling Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and Nathan Bedford Forrest as a fast-moving, hard-hitting commander who repeatedly outflanked and devastated enemy forces.Patton led from the front and tried to inspire his troops by being a model officer who exemplified bravery, problem-solving, tactical brilliance, and decisiveness. He was in near constant motion from his headquarters to rear echelon and front line troops, everywhere exhorting them to greater efforts and overcoming challenges, at times enduring shell fire, strafing, mines, snipers, and other dangers. His greatest attribute was his drive to be the best at whatever he chose or was ordered to do. He recognized that developing a successful military career depended not just on will and chance but on incessant training and study. Yet he believed that instincts were just as vital as skills in being a successful leader: “I have a sixth sense in war and…can put myself in the enemies head and I am also willing to take chances.”Patton harbored plenty of flaws. He was a narcissist who constantly strove to be center-stage and outshine his rivals. He contrived an idealized version of himself as the epitome of the brilliant general and fearless soldier, immaculately dressed, and spent his life playing that role. He was a braggart who regaled listeners with at times exaggerated tales of his past deeds and those yet to come. His boasting did have one positive element. He sought to surpass his past glories with greater future victories.Patton seesawed between elation and despair, rage and compassion. He could chew out a subordinate for some mistake in the morning and comfort him for a similar mistake in the afternoon. His quick-temper and provocative views often overpowered his self-control. Twice that cost him an army command. During Germany’s occupation in August 1945, he casually quipped to several reporters that being a Nazi in Germany was no different from being a Republican or Democrat in the United States. For that Eisenhower relieved him from Third Army’s command. Most notoriously, during the Sicily campaign he slapped two soldiers suffering combat fatigue that he accused of malingering.General George S. Patton and the Art of Leadership is his most psychologically penetrating biography that captures the paradoxical character behind his brilliant military feats and often dismaying failures. Throughout Patton explains his values and deeds through hundreds of quotes along with scores of insights from those who knew him—comrades and critics alike.

The Doctor wouldn’t be half the Time Lord they are, without some assistance. But how much do you know about the people who played the companion? his book is the first of its kind. It’s your comprehensive guide to the actors who have played Doctor Who companions over the years.Inside, you will find biographies of every companion actor who has been in Doctor Who. There are complete chronologies of companion arrivals and departures through the show’s history, enriched with original interviews with some of the cast.As an encyclopaedia, it is packed with dates, details and knowledge, a valuable reference source for any Doctor Who fan.As a guide, this book also offers a personal perspective on the show and explores what these talented, hard-working professionals brought to the show. The author traces its origins in 1963, through the ensuing decades, and takes you right up to the most recent serials. Doctor Who: An Encyclopaedia of Companion Actors is a testament to the actors and a meticulously-crafted love-letter to the show.

In 1905 Japan and Russia were at war. With the Russian Far East Fleet destroyed, the Czar decided to send his Baltic Fleet half way around the world to exact revenge. This mammoth journey took many months and was, in itself, an amazing feat of seamanship. But, at the end of this epic adventure, the Russians were totally overwhelmed and the vast majority of the fleet went to the bottom. There was no alternative for the Czar but to sue for an ignominious peace.The story of the journey and the final battle remain fascinating, the people involved acting and deporting themselves like characters from a novel. Russian Admiral Rozhestvensky was a gunnery expert but someone who had never held active command in a major sea battle. Japanese Admiral Togo had trained in Britain, enlisting as a cadet on the Training Ship Worcester, even though he was far too old and was forced to lie about his age. Inept generalship on the part of the Russians, combined with brilliant seamanship from the Japanese Admiral Togo, saw the complete destruction of the Russian fleet.The naval battle of Tsushima is one of the forgotten actions of the twentieth century, but it has a significance that is immense in world history.

The First World War was the first conflict in history to be fought in the air, as well as on land and at sea. Britain’s fledgling air arms, the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service, developed a methodology for aerial combat from scratch, devising tactics and improving weaponry as they went. From them, in 1918, the RAF was born. The first combat pilots were considered then, as now, to be heroes, untainted by the squalor of the war in the trenches. Yet no pilot could even take off, let alone score combat victories, without the support of mechanics, riggers, and armourers to name but a few of those on the ground. The Airman’s War examines the experiences of all British flying service personnel, from Air Mechanic to Squadron Commander, in fixed wing aircraft, balloons and airships, from air fields and from aircraft carriers. Using long forgotten personal accounts, it contrasts these experiences with those of the opposing air services, on the Western Front, in the defence of Britain, and in the Aegean and Mediterranean theatres. With evocative images, some never before published, it presents a commanding overview of a subject which continues to inspire fascination among each subsequent generation.

From their introduction in 1940, the German army''s Sturmgeschütz assault guns played a vital role in the campaigns of the Blitzkrieg era, the gargantuan struggles in Russia and the final defensive battles. Evolving from a mobile bunker-buster, armed with a short-barrelled howitzer, the Sturmgeschütz III was up-armoured and up-gunned and by 1943 its tank killing abilities were widely recognised. In 1944, largely as an emergency quick-fix, the Sturmgeschütz IV entered service and over 10,000 examples of both versions had been built by the end of the war. Although not as well known as the Tiger or Panther tanks, they were among the most frequently encountered German armoured vehicles and as the Wehrmacht’s resources continued to decline, the assault guns were thrown into every operation and increasingly substituted for gun tanks in official unit establishments. In the second volume in the TankCraft series to examine the Sturmgeschütz, Dennis Oliver employs official documentation and unit histories to investigate the formations that operated these vehicles and uses archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine the markings, camouflage and technical aspects of the Sturmgeschütz III and Sturmgeschütz IV that served on the Eastern Fronts during what was almost certainly the pivotal year of the campaign. A key section of his book displays available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined, providing everything the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of these historic vehicles.

The ''ShipCraft'' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sisterships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic survey of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.The two ships covered in this volume were the only capital ships designed and built between the wars - a special concession of the Washington Treatys ban on new battleships - and they were unlike anything before them, with the superstructure three-quarters aft and all main armament turrets forward of the bridge. During the war Nelson survived mine and torpedo damage, while Rodney played a major part in the destruction of the Bismarck, both surviving to be broken up post-war.LES BROWN is a leading light in the Small Warships Group of the IPMS and the editor of their newsletter. He is the author of a number of titles in the ShipCraft series, including two on British destroyers, and, with John Lambert, he produced two larger works, one on ‘Flower’ class corvettes and another on Allied torpedo boats. He also wrote the volume on Black Swan Class Sloops in Seaforth’s ‘Original Builders’ Plans’ series. ROBERT BROWN is a Canadian ship modeller, who has contributed a number of volumes in the ShipCraft series, the most recent being British Aircraft Carriers published in 2024. He is also the author of Battleship Warspite, the first in a new series based on original builder’s plans.

The ‘Wild West’, or American Frontier as it is also known, developed in the years following the American Civil War. However, this period of myth-making cowboys, infamous gunslingers, not always law-abiding lawmen, and saloon madams, is as much the product of fiction writers and film makers as reality.The outlaw came into his, or indeed her, own in the mid to late 19th century. Some of these individuals, men such as Billy the Kid, William Clarke Quantrill, Butch Cassidy or Harry Longabaugh, better known as the Sundance Kid, became household names. Many of those who roamed America’s West in the period between 1850 and 1900 often appear as colourful, romanticised, legendary characters. This includes the likes of Frank and Jesse James, who had stepped outside the law due to the harshness of life after the Civil War or under circumstances beyond their control.The majority of outlaws, though, were anonymous common criminals. In 1877, for example, the State Adjutant General of Texas, published ‘wanted posters’ for some 5,000 outlaws and bandits in the Rio Grande district alone, almost all of whom have since vanished into the mists of time.When it comes to the Wild West, it is important to separate fact from fiction. Of the known recorded killings by the various outlaws and gunfighters, Billy the Kid killed four men, not the twenty that some writers attributed to him. A notorious gunslinger, John Wesley Hardin was said to have killed twenty-seven men, but was only charged with one murder. Wild Bill Hickok killed three men, two of them in Abilene whilst he was City Marshal, and one in Springfield, Missouri, for which he was tried and found not guilty. Clay Allison, however, was thought to have killed at least fifteen men in his time as a gunfighter, whilst some of the outlaw gangs, such as the Rufus Buck Gang and the Evans Gang, were particularly violent and ruthless.The days of the outlaws of the Wild West gradually came to an end at the turn of the nineteenth into the twentieth century. The legends, however, live on.

How well do you know Star Tre? ifelong science fiction fan, podcaster and author Tom Salinsky decided that the answer was “not well enough”, and so at the beginning of 2022, he embarked on a two-year mission to watch everything from the start of The Original Series to the end of Enterprise, at the rate of one episode per day. This book is the second part of that odyssey, covering Deep Space Nine, and the first two seasons of Voyager plus the first two Next Generation movies.As well as having fun saluting the show’s triumphs, cringing at its lapses in taste, and admiring its willingness to swing for the fences, there’s lots of fascinating behind-the-scenes information here. Was Morn really such a chatterbox? Why was Deep Space Nine allowed to do so much serialisation? Did Star Trek need Michael Dorn more than Michael Dorn needed Star Trek? Just whatever happened to Genevieve Bujold? How is Nicholas Locarno related to Tom Pari? ut you’ll also get the benefit of a complete overview of these hugely successful and beloved spin-offs, which expanded and extended the Star Trek universe to new quadrants, new eras and new modes of storytelling. Plus there are contributions from notable fans, writers, authors and experts, giving their own perspectives on these classic episodes.Whether you’re a die-hard fan, a casual viewer, or just someone interested in the history of television, you’ll adore coming on this daily journey though the highs and lows of one of the most significant and much-loved media properties in the world.**Praise for Volume I: ****The Original Series, The Animated Series and The Next Generation**“Funny, absorbing, perceptive and a fine reminder of the wealth of work that Star Trek has produced through the decades.” – Critical Popcorn“Even if you’re not the world’s biggest Star Trek fan, the way this book is written will certainly keep you entertained.” – Total Entertainment“Whether you''re a devoted aficionado or a casual viewer, this book offers an immersive experience.” – Kuriositas.com“An honest labour of love from a lifelong sci-fi specialist, and even gives the episodes that fail a fair hearing.” – Lou Reviews

Entering service in early 1941, the Dornier Do 217 was designed as an improved version of the ‘Flying Pencil’, the Do 17 bomber. The Do 217E-1 twin radial-engine bomber first flew in October 1940, the same month that the production of the Do 17 ceased.The Do 217 was initially used for conventional bombing and anti-shipping missions around the United Kingdom, including the infamous Baedeker Blitz against British provincial cities in 1942\. The Do 217 was the main German bomber in this theatre until late 1943, when it started to be replaced by the Messerschmitt Me 410 and Junkers Ju 188\. During this period, the Do 217E was improved, leading to the introduction of the Do 217K or M, the difference between the two being the engines.The Do 217 would be deployed in all of the Luftwaffe’s campaigns and fronts in the Second World War. Curiously, though, the only operational units to use the type on the Eastern Front were the night reconnaissance units, aside from which only occasionally did other Do 217 units fly missions against Stalin’s forces.With the delay in the Heinkel He 177 entering service, it was the Do 217 that became the first aircraft in history to be used to deploy precision-guided weapons in combat. This came on 21 July 1943, when Do 217s of KG 100 attacked Allied shipping in Augusta harbour, Sicily, using Fritz X radio-guided glide bombs. Then, on 25 August 1943 twelve Do 217E-5s from II./KG 100 attacked a convoy off the Spanish coast with a similar weapon to the Fritz X, the Henschel Hs 293 radio-guided glide bomb. This attack resulted in damage to three warships.In response to the intensifying Allied strategic bomber offensive, additional night fighters were needed by the Luftwaffe. The Do 217E-2 was therefore modified by fitting four MG17s and four MG-FF 20mm cannon in a solid nose. The rear firing guns, including the MG131 in the turret, were retained, as was the ability to carry bombs, creating the Do 217J-1 which was intended as a night intruder. The Do 217 also served extensively as a night fighter, with examples being fitted with Lichtenstein radar and obliquely mounted upward-firing MG151 cannon in the fuselage, the so called Schräge Musik modification.Despite the Do 217’s versatility and wide-spread deployment – all of which is explored here by the author through a remarkable set of archive images, many of which have never been seen in print before – production ceased in October 1943\. By the following year, the Do 217 had become obsolete.

Following Britain and the Ocean Road, Ian Friel expertly navigates the history of Britain and the sea from the Middle Ages to modern times. With Breaking Seas, Broken Ships, we follow the story of Britain’s maritime history through some of it’s most dramatic shipwrecks. From the country’s imperial zenith to the very different world of the early twenty-first century we encounter an extraordinary range of people, ships and events, including…the crew and passengers of a state-of-the-art Victorian steamship who vanished in the Atlantic;the sailors of a doomed collier brig in the dying days of sail – and the wives and children they left behind;a lowly ex-naval stoker who went into showbiz with his version of a disaster caused by an admiral;a First World War merchant ship captain who fought a running battle with German U-Boats;the courage and compassion shown by British sailors who escaped their dive-bombed ships;the people who confronted the ‘black tide’ left by the oil tanker Torrey Canyon;how the container ship has helped to make a new world for us all – for better or worse.With people at the heart of every chapter, it explores major environmental themes alongside the traditional concerns of maritime history, such as trade, social issues and naval warfare. Their experiences tell us the story of Britain’s maritime past, one that is remarkable, moving and at times horrifying. Based on brand new scholarship, it is perfect for history enthusiasts, professional historians and archaeologists alike.

The ''Defenestration of Prague'', the coup d''etat staged by Protestant Bohemian nobles against officials of the Hapsburg Emperor triggered the Thirty Years War. When Habsburg Spain intervened in support of their Holy Roman Emperor relative, what had started as a localised political and religious dispute in Germany, transformed into a European and global conflict.In seeking to exploit the Bohemian revolt, Spanish Habsburg revanchist ambitions directed by the Spanish Count of Olivarez at the economically powerful Dutch Republic were allied with the Habsburg Emperor’s counter-reformation ambitions. After the Bohemian defeat at the White Mountain in 1620 the war widened as the Dutch Republic, England, Transylvania, Denmark, Sweden, and Richelieu’s France all intervened to roll back Habsburg hegemony and restore the balance power.There was extensive fighting across the globe, as the Dutch and English sought to challenge the Spanish Habsburg global monopoly. These colonial wars were a major factor in the Iberian revolutions with brought down the Habsburg Imperium. Professor Charles Boxer called it: “the first world war”.It was a tragic war of attrition but also an epic story of remarkable individuals including the ''titans’ of the era,'' Imperial General Wallenstein, warrior King Gustavus, sinister Count Olivarez, and the masters of international intrigue, realpolitik and diplomacy- Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin. Above all there were the decisive victories of the under-sung military genius of the era, Lennart Torstensson.The Treaties of Westphalia followed a war which not only changed the global balance of power, but accelerated over thirty years the transformation of the European continent from a world characterized by dynasties and the medieval concept of United Christendom to a European order that was recognisably modern.

Everyone dies, it’s the one certainty in life. Whilst burials have been taking place for thousands of years, the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw the start of the gravestone boom as public graveyards became commonplace and personalised gravestones became more financially viable. The information provided on gravestones and monuments make them a valuable primary source for anyone wanting to trace their family history. They can provide details that are not available in the official records, holding clues to break down brick walls, but also work hand in hand with original records and documents.Taking an in depth look at what our ancestors left behind on their gravestones and monuments, Amanda Leedham advises the reader how to record this information, and explores how it can aid family research and paint a picture of our ancestors'' lives. From exploring the types of occupations listed, to how family ties are portrayed, and from child mortality, to the perception of women, this book is also a great insight into social history. In addition, the author looks into the beliefs and fears of the period in terms of burial, such as bodysnatchers and being buried alive, and how the depiction of death changed and burial traditions developed. The evidence that the graves give us for how people died, from illness to things such as accidents or murder, is also explored.With meticulous research into military graves, the author looks at the different types of military gravestones and the difference between personal graves and the Commonwealth War Graves in Britain. There is also large case study on how graves can help with our ancestors’ sense of place and belonging. All of this is complemented with official documents, records, and extensive use of the national and local newspapers to show how important gravestones can be.

In July 1936 a military revolt brought civil war to Spain; it erupted into a bitter political contest and a brutal land war which have been well covered by historians – a less appreciated dimension of the conflict was the crucial role played by the navies of both sides. This new book describes and explores the naval operations that played out over thirty-eight months and spread well beyond the seas of Spain. Spanish guns thundered off the English coast and as far south as the Bay of Guinea. Submarines lurked in the Aegean, waiting to torpedo ships bringing supplies from the Black Sea. To the west, operations extended into the Atlantic as warships searched for blockade runners and moved between the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean.The book begins by describing of the Spanish navy pre-war, then covers the generals’ revolt of July 1936 and its effect in the fleet. Subsequent chapters deal with the naval war as it unfolded. It describes Franco’s attempts to move the battle-hardened Spanish troops in Africa to the Spanish mainland, then shifts focus to the northern Spanish coast, where an isolated Republican enclave depended on the sea to receive weapons, food, and fuel. The author then pursues a split narrative, interweaving developments in the north and the Mediterranean and following the war to its conclusion. Significant actions fought between the two navies are all covered in detail. In addition, the book describes the crucial roles played by the British, French, German, and Italian navies in the Spanish struggle. Throughout, the author challenges the common view that the Republican navy was incompetent and inert.Based on primary as well as secondary sources, in both the English and Spanish languages, this book sheds genuinely new light on the Spanish navies of this civil war era and brings into focus their significance in the broader struggle.

As the Battle of the Atlantic raged, on Thursday 29 August 1940, the Dutch steamship Volendam set sail from Liverpool bound for Canada via New York. With a German invasion of Britain imminent, on board were 321 children or ‘sea-vacs’ and over 500 other passengers, including a 56-year-old naturalist, filmmaker and falconer by the name of Captain Charles Knight. Travelling with him was his showbiz partner, a golden eagle with a six-foot wingspan. His name was Mr Ramshaw and he had made Knight a celebrity on both sides of the Atlantic.At 11 pm the next night, a huge explosion tore through the ship which soon began to list badly. The German submarine, U-60, had fired two torpedoes at the Volendam, who was abandoned to her fate. In the chaos left behind was Knight''s golden eagle, Mr Ramshaw, and a 9-year-old boy called Robert. Miraculously both survived, Knight being reunited with Mr Ramshaw days later while the British government produced a classic Gaumont film about the attack called ‘Children torpedoed by Nazis’.The amazing life of Captain Charles Knight and his golden eagle, Mr Ramshaw, reads like an adventure from The Boy''s Own Paper.  It is the story of how Knight rose, from working in a tobacconist’s shop in Kent before the First World War, to become one of the most famous naturalists, filmmakers and falconers in the world.