Pen & Sword Books Ltd strana 9 z 40

Dilip Sarkar, renowned for his meticulous research, delves into the Battle of Britain in this first volume of an eight-part series. His evidence-based approach offers a comprehensive view of the 1940 aerial conflict, exploring the development of air power, Britain’s defense, the German strategy, the Home Front, and political events. Sarkar goes beyond the well-known narrative, revealing new human stories and events.The book traces the conflict''s background, including the German invasion of Norway, the Fall of France, and the air battles over Dunkirk. Sarkar questions the official start date of the Battle of Britain, arguing that the fighting began earlier, on 2 July 1940. A detailed, day-by-day account follows, acknowledging aircrews lost before 10 July and recognizing contributions from Bomber and Coastal commands, not just the pilots of Spitfires and Hurricanes.Sarkar’s research, based on official sources and personal accounts, challenges many myths and the accepted narrative. This work is more than a record of combat losses; it’s a deep dive into the broader context of the battle, drawing on unique firsthand accounts, intelligence reports, and political documents. It’s an unprecedented look at the Battle of Britain and its far-reaching implications.

The Second World War saw the eclipse of the battleship as the capital vessel in any navy by a new feat of maritime engineering: the aircraft carrier. It was to change naval warfare forever. But when one thinks of the Kriegsmarine during this period, the German effort to construct an aircraft carrier is often overlooked. Designed in the late 1930s, Graf Zeppelin was the largest ship built by Nazi Germany. The lead ship of her class, she represented the Kriegsmarine’s efforts to create a balanced, ocean-going fleet capable of projecting German naval power across the oceans. Though 85 per cent complete by the outbreak of war in September 1939, Graf Zeppelin became a white elephant, a ship filled with promise but ultimately disappointing. Hitler’s war arrived too early for the Kriegsmarine and construction of Germany’s only aircraft carrier was never completed. Graf Zeppelin: The Story of Hitler’s Aircraft Carrier tells the full story of the monumental effort and ultimate failure by the Kriegsmarine to crown the German fleet with that most coveted of naval assets, an aircraft carrier.

Reginald Bacon was no Drake, Hawke or Nelson, yet in a naval career that spanned four decades of critical change for the Royal Navy, he was a pivotal figure among Admiral ‘Jacky’ Fisher’s ‘five best brains in the navy’ who revolutionised Britain’s naval warfighting capability between 1900 and the end of the First World War. This new biography traces Bacon’s remarkable career from his service as a fifteen-year-old Midshipman aboard Sir Geoffrey Hornby’s Mediterranean flagship to his three years in command of the Dover Patrol. A mine and torpedo specialist, he was by turns the father of the Submarine Service, the first captain of HMS Dreadnought and Director of Naval Ordnance at the Admiralty before leaving the Royal Navy for five years to run Coventry Ordnance Works whose fortunes he transformed. Having ended the war as Controller of Munition Inventions with the rank of Admiral, over the next twenty-five years he re-invented himself as a writer, dividing his time between homes in Hampshire and Italy. No stranger to controversy, having been unwittingly caught in the bitter Beresford/Fisher feud of 1909, he robustly defended Sir John Jellicoe as C-in-C Grand Fleet against accusations of weak and defensive tactics that deprived the nation of a resounding victory at Jutland. He went on to write acclaimed biographies of both Jacky Fisher and Earl Jellicoe besides two novels and two layman’s guides to new technologies, the motor car and the wireless, the latter in his A Simple Guide to Wireless for All Whose Knowledge of Electricity is Childlike. His account of his service in Command of the Dover Patrol is considered a classic of naval reminiscence and reveals undercurrants of contested naval doctrine that resonate today. As war threatened again in the 1930s, he wrote two more books championing the role of the Royal Navy in wartime. This highly readable biography does justice to both the man – ‘the ablest and cleverest officer I have ever known,’ wrote Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Oliver – and his remarkable input into so many aspects of the development of the Navy at a time of exponential change.

In 1941, the battlecruiser HMS Hood – at 860 feet long, with a beam of 105 feet, a displacement of 48,360 tons (fully loaded), and a maximum speed of 32 knots – was Britain’s largest and fastest warship. And yet on 24 May, HMS Hood, the epitome of British naval power, with an armament which included eight 15-inch guns, was blown up a mere eight minutes after engaging the German battleship KMS Bismarck and her consort, the heavy cruiser KMS Prinz Eugen. As HMS Hood sank into the icy depths of the Atlantic Ocean on 24 May 1941, she took with her the lives of 1,415 brave men – there were only 3 survivors - and a secret that has haunted the maritime world ever since. How could this possibly have happened? HMS Hood had seemed invincible, and the hopes of the British Navy in wartime had rested upon her great reputation. Her tragic demise was greeted with disbelief by the nation, and the shock waves reverberated all around the world. Various theories have been put forward to account for her sinking, none of them entirely satisfactory. Here, these theories are reappraised in the light of the discovery of the wreckage of HMS Hood in 2001. Furthermore, a new and intriguing theory is proposed.

Discover the Rome that has inspired writers for centuries, from the Classical era to the present day. Walk in the footsteps of Virgil’s Aeneid, trace the path of Renaissance laureates or writers on the Grand Tour. The Book Lover’s Guide to Rome takes you to the favourite haunts of the Romantic poets, the places that stirred the Victorian imagination or formed the backdrop to the dolce vita. It also showcases the literature from a different Rome, one that struggled through the war and aired its scars in neo-realism and detective fiction. Whether at the scene of Ovid’s amorous adventures whilst watching the chariot races in the Circus Maximus or at a caffe that attracted the literati, each location is accompanied by sumptuous full colour photographs and helpful information on the best mode of travel.

On an August evening in 2002, two little girls named Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman set out to buy sweets, but they never returned home… The last person to see them was Ian Huntley, a man who had seamlessly integrated himself into the fabric of a new community under false pretences. With an alibi from his girlfriend, Maxine Carr, the truth of their disappearance remained a mystery - until a large-scale investigation unfolded over the following weeks which would reveal horror after horror. This narrative dives into one of the most extensive police searches in British history, capturing the heart-gripping grief and trauma that ripped through families and communities for decades to come. Explore the psyche of Huntley and Carr through expert analyses, as this chilling account unravels the complexities of human behaviour and sordid pasts. Discover the haunting true story behind the sensationalised headlines, where innocence met depravity and lives remain irrevocably changed.

On 4 September 1944, Allied forces and local resistance fighters captured the Belgian port of Antwerp, the largest harbour in Europe. Once opened to Allied shipping, the port would revolutionise the Allies’ delivery of supplies into mainland Europe, stores which were still having to make the long overland journey from Normandy and places such as Cherbourg. But to enable this to happen, the Scheldt Estuary and, more importantly, the island of Walcheren also needed to cleared of Hitler’s forces. The task of storming and liberating the heavily defended island of Walcheren was handed to the men of the Commandos. Under Operation Infatuate, the plan was to land Commandos at Westkapelle and Flushing, and have the Canadians push across the Walcheren Causeway. Launched on 1 November 1944, Operation Infatuate was the last and one of costliest Combined Operations attacks of the Second World War in Europe. Such was the bitter nature of the fighting, in one sector alone, out of twenty-eight landing craft deployed, only five survived touchdown. Despite the Allies’ victory, the fighting was far from over for the Commandos. Indeed, a number of them were rushed to help fill the lines during Hitler’s Ardennes offensive – the Battle of the Bulge. Despite the urgency of such a move, many of the Commandos felt they were wasted undertaking what they considered to be an infantry task, and should have reverted back to their original raiding role. In fact, the 4th Commando Brigade did find itself on the River Maas line until the end of the war in Europe, while the 1st Commando Brigade was called upon to lead the advance across a number of major rivers into the very heart of Germany. Starting with the mighty Rhine, the Brigade used its specialist amphibious skills as assault troops before advancing on across the Weser, Aller, and Elbe rivers, all of which was only achieved after much hard fighting. With the Commandos tells a story which has been largely forgotten, namely that of the Commandos’ role in the last few months of the war in Europe. It was a period when, following D-Day and the Normandy landings and subsequent breakout, these men battled their way into the heart of Third Reich fighting against a fanatical foe.

Sixty years before the International Brigades fought for the Spanish Republic, international volunteers entered the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 in response to the call of Giuseppe Garibaldi’s Army of the Vosges to save a fledgling French republic there from the new Prussianized German empire. Inspired by the lingering radical visions of 1848 and supported by elements of the First International of Marx and Bakunin, several thousand men (and women) came not only from neighbouring Spain, Italy, and Belgium but from Germany itself, as well as the Mediterranean societies and as far as the Americas to fight for a “universal republic”. Garibaldi and his volunteers faced enemies ultimately more powerful than the Prussian-led German Confederation. The French imperial interests that had started the war remained an ultimately dominant force in the republic and their hostility to “red republicanism” was evident even before their bloody repression of the Paris Commune. They shaped the histories of the war, the international volunteers and the French who fought alongside them. This study explores the politics of constructing historical memory to challenge that narrative and offers a different assessment of contemporary before its translations into the new language of anarchism and socialism.

The Zulu War has long captured the public imagination, yet original accounts by participants in the campaign are rare. This revised edition of Hamilton-Browne’s classic memoir is therefore a welcome addition to the literature on this legendary conflict. ‘Colonel’ George Hamilton-Browne was a British soldier of fortune and adventurer who served in the Ninth Cape Frontier War in 1878, before fighting in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, the Bechuanaland Expedition of 1884–5 and the uSuthu Rebellion of 1888. The centrepiece of the book is Hamilton-Browne’s vivid recollections of the battle of Isandlhwana – one of the greatest and most humiliating defeats in the history of the British Empire. He was also part of the force that returned to the stricken British camp after the battle and relieved Rorke’s Drift the following day. This new, expanded edition offers readers a greater insight into the events Hamilton-Browne describes thanks to an introduction and commentary throughout by John Laband and a Foreword by Adrian Greaves, both leading Anglo-Zulu War experts. This fascinating and distinctive memoir will be essential reading for anyone interested in the Anglo-Zulu War. ‘Colonel’ – he never held a rank higher than major – George Hamilton-Browne (1851 –1916) was a soldier of fortune of Irish descent who emigrated to New Zealand in 1872 and then to the Cape Colony in 1878. In southern Africa he commanded colonial and local troops in many campaigns: the Ninth Cape Frontier War (1878); the Anglo-Zulu War (1879); the Bechuanaland Expedition (1884 –5); the uSuthu Rebellion (1888); the First Matabele War (1893); the Second Matabele War (1896); and Mashonaland (1896–7). He returned to England in 1902 where he wrote three popularly received books of colonial adventuring, including this one. He died in Jamaica in 1916.Colonel George Hamilton-Browne (1844-1916) was a British soldier and adventurer of Irish descent who took part in Britain's march into Zululand under Lord Chelmsford and fought in the Anglo-Zulu War. As an officer of the Natal Native Contingent (a Major in the 1st Battalion/3rd Regiment), he took part in the action at Sihayo's Kraal on 12 January 1879 and witnessed the final moments of the the battle of Isandlhwana ten days later on 22 January 1879. He died in Jamaica in 1916.

An up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the history of the ''Arthurian'' phenomenon - the imaginary and historical world of the great British warlord and one of the huge historical mysteries of early and medieval Britain. The Arthurian story, based on fact and fiction, is central to Britain''s ''creation myth'' and the concept of Britain''s heroic past. This is a deeply researched and scholarly but essentially accessible history and analysis for general readers and specialists and based on an impressive array of sources including Romano-British, Anglo-Saxon, rare medieval English, French and German sources, and archaeology - essential for modern historical research in early history. Modern and contemporary historiography is covered including ''debunking'' treatments. The study surveys King Arthur in fact and fiction, his family, knights, and the legends that have grown up around them and developed to the enduring interest from history, literature to TV and film.

Like Gomorrah with horses – that’s probably the best way to describe the stories of those inhabiting the heather-clad hills between England and Scotland who were strung up on gallows during the turbulent period of the border reivers and after, when King James I/VI attempted to ‘Pacify the Border’. The condemned here were cattle rustlers, counterfeiters, burglars, protection racketeers, thieves and murderers who rode in family-based gangs, terrorised the countryside on both sides of the dividing line, and were essentially the mafia of their time. They were executed in places such as Edinburgh, Dumfries, Jedburgh, Hawick, Peebles, Selkirk, Berwick, Morpeth, Alnwick, Newcastle, Hexham and Carlisle in a period marked by conflict between the two great nations where their land became a warzone. Anyone interested in the darker side of the history of the bloodstained border can trace the lineage of those families embroiled in criminal society from the Scottish Wars of Independence right through to the Acts of Union between the countries in 1707. The March Laws that the border reivers lived under were finally ended in 1603 when King James ascended to the English throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth I – and the ‘pacification’ of the criminal gangs began.

The two main Zulu War battles of Hlobane and Khambula were fought on consecutive days, 28 and 29 March 1879, with very different outcomes. The first, a bungled raid to deprive the Zulus of vital cattle, ended in a humiliating debacle due to poor planning and reconnaissance. The latter saw the outnumbered British first repulse the counterattack against their camp and then unleash their cavalry to turn the Zulu withdrawal into a bloody rout, thus sealing the first decisive British victory of the war. As Adrian Greaves contends in his exciting account, this change in fortunes made Khambula the most important battle of the war, since it persuaded both Lord Chelmsford and the Zulu king, Cetshwayo, that the British could defeat the Zulus. Yet, despite their importance, these linked encounters have been neglected by historians due mainly to their inaccessibility and dangerous terrain. Both battles are described in the fullest detail possible, drawing on eyewitness testimony and meticulous research and benefitting from the author’s twenty-five years’ experience of leading guided tours of the battlefields and surrounding terrain. He recounts tales of extraordinary courage but also exposes blunders and cowardice that tarnish some famous reputations. Colonel (later Field Marshal) Wood in particular comes out badly. This is an essential, eye-opening book for anyone with an interest in the Anglo-Zulu War.

When Anne Lister, ‘Gentleman Jack,’ and her infamous diaries hit the headlines a few years ago, their popularity spawned a plethora of Gentleman Jack blogs, research and books which have focused primarily on Anne Lister’s romantic relationships with (a huge) number of women, but whilst they are an integral part of the Lister story, there is another woman lurking in the pages of her diaries: The original Lister Sister, Marian. Marian Lister was Anne’s younger sister and the two women had a complex and fascinating relationship. The evidence reveals Marian to be a complicated woman who both resented, loved and was fiercely protective of her older sister. Forced to live together for a large part of their lives Anne vehemently disapproved of Marian’s desire to escape in order to marry a “carpet maker” feeling him to be unworthy of the sister she herself derided. Marian, for her part, did not understand her elder sister's relationships with women, but she accepted them, defended her and worried about her excessively even whilst she ranted about Anne’s spending, scheming and selfishness. When together, the two women bickered constantly with Marian, literally at times screaming in frustration at her headstrong sister. Anne, for her part, complained that Marian was “simple … good for nothing,” yet her approval meant a good deal to her. Here, for the first time, we look at the complex relationship between the two women, how it developed, its moments of triumph and tragedy, as well as the profound influence it had on each of their lives.

Strange Ways to Die in the Dark Ages takes an amusing yet grim dive into the bizarre, unexpected, and downright ridiculous ways people met their untimely ends in early medieval Europe. Join us as we recount tales of battles gone awry and tell the stories of monarchs who demonstrated they might not be all that fit for the throne. Together, we will uncover what weird and wonderful ways our ancestors attempted to cure themselves or the awful inventions created to torture and execute each other. Tread carefully in the past, though, as you never quite know what perils are lurking. From Viking warriors felled by cheese to kings who perished in toilet-related mishaps, this book uncovers the strange, often absurd realities of life and death in an age of superstition, blood feuds, and very questionable medical advice. Packed with dark humour, historical oddities, and stories so strange they simply must be true, this is history as you've never read it before—deadly, disturbing, and delightfully ridiculous!

He’s iconic. He’s atomic. And at 70 years young, he’s still the King of the Monsters. Ever since his silver screen debut back in 1954, Godzilla has maintained a mighty hold on the collective imaginations of cinema lovers around the world. Originally conceived as a powerful metaphor for Japan’s fears of nuclear destruction, the character has undergone a complex metamorphosis over an incredible seven decades and more than three dozen films. From allegory to superhero, from atom-age menace to children’s matinee star, from arthouse to grindhouse and back again, Godzilla has survived by adapting and reacting to the changing cultures and generational expectations of the countries—and the filmmakers—that bring him to life. In this exploration and celebration of Godzilla’s first 70 years, the full story of Japan’s kaiju icon is revealed through detailed histories, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, cultural connections, and contextualizing thematic analyses. Beginning with his postwar origins and continuing through his many rises, falls, revitalizations, and reinterpretations, this comprehensive companion to the Godzilla franchise seeks to place the character in his proper historical perspective and, by doing so, shed light on the depth, the flexibility, and the fun that’s kept him relevant and beloved for generations.

Fighting from Dunkirk to Berlin chronicles the extraordinary military service of Wilfred Needler, from his mention in despatches at Dunkirk in 1940 and continuing through pivotal moments such as his battlefield commission in Africa, his participation in the Invasion of Sicily, landing on Gold Beach on D-Day, and his appointment as Brigade Intelligence Officer. Wounded at El Alamein and recommended for the Belgian Order of Leopold for his work with the Resistance, Wilfred’s remarkable journey is documented through firsthand accounts, personal diary records, and war diary archives, alongside powerful photographs that bring his story to life all the way through to his retirement as a Major, in 1957 and his life post-war. This book illuminates the critical role of intelligence officers in the Second World War, providing new insight into their often-unseen contributions to military strategy and espionage. Through Wilfred’s experiences, readers will discover the complex world of codebreaking, tactical intelligence, and the quiet heroism of those working behind the frontlines. His story offers a rare and invaluable perspective on the art of war, showing how intelligence shaped battles and altered the course of history. Beyond military service, this memoir is a rich family legacy, offering a profound and inspiring account of sacrifice, resilience, and bravery. Filled with powerful images and historical documents, it stands as both a tribute to Wilfred’s courage and a testament to the enduring impact of one family’s contributions to the war effort. His story, filled with tragedy, triumph, and a legacy of quiet leadership, will inspire and astound readers for generations to come.