A Visual History of the Golden State Battleship BB-44The very first in a new series of value-priced hard cover horizontal format books on U.S. capital ships in the Second World War. Part of the “Extended” Visual History format, this 168 page book is packed with large, clear images of the USS California. Coverage begins with the laying of her keel in 1916 and continues with the ship’s launching, commissioning and outfitting. The title then explores the ship’s long history from her days in the “Blue Water Navy” to her sinking at Pearl Harbor using hundreds of detailed photos. Salvaged and refitted, the USS California was back in action at Saipan just 30 months later. The photographic coverage follows the history of the “Prune barge” all though her WWII experience right through to her decommissioning in 1959. The many photos are accompanied by beautifully rendered line drawings and color plates. An essential companion to the Trumpeter plastic kit.

This beautiful and evocative book gives an illustrated overview of the First World War, on land, on sea and in the air. With original drawings in full colour, Steven Patricia uses 30 years’ experience as a historical illustrator to give an informative and insightful account of the war, portraying the human faces of the participants and capturing moments in time with a vividness and immediacy that brings home both the emotional impact and the tragedy of war. Accompanied by soldier’s diary extracts and other contemporary literature, there are many drawings of the hardware of war: aircraft and airships, submarines and ships, guns and grenades. We also get a glimpse of weary officers relaxing in an RAF mess, see panicking sailors swimming desperately away from a sinking ship, soldiers stumbling across no-man’s land, and the dramatic scene of one of last great cavalry charges of any war, in Egypt. The role of animals is featured, including the importance of horses and rescue and messenger dogs. The text gives a concise introduction to the events of the war and why it started, with maps of the different fronts where fighting took place and a diagram of a trench system. Designed for readers with little familiarity of the conflict, this is a unique and unmissable book in the centenary of the ‘war to end all wars’.

Soldiers called it one of the “waste places of nature” and “a region of gloom”—the Wilderness of Virginia, seventy square miles of dense, secondgrowth forest known as “the dark, close wood.”“A more unpromising theatre of war was never seen,” said another.Yet here, in the spring of 1864, the Civil War escalated to a new level of horror. Ulysses S. Grant, commanding all Federal armies, opened the campaign with a vow to never turn back. Robert E. Lee, commanding the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, moved into the Wilderness to block Grant’s advance. Immovable object intercepted irresistible force—and the Wilderness burst into flame.With the forest itself burning around them, men died by the thousands. The armies bloodied each other without mercy and, at times, without any semblance of order. The brush grew so dense, and the smoke hung so thick, men could not see who stood next to them—or in front of them. “This, viewed as a battleground, was simply infernal,” a Union soldier later said.It was, said another, “hell itself.”Driven by desperation, duty, confusion, and fire, soldiers on both sides marveled that anyone might make it out alive.For more than a decade, Chris Mackowski has guided visitors across the battlefields of the Overland Campaign. Now in Hell Itself he invites readers of the Emerging Civil War Series to join him in the Wilderness—one of the most storied battlefields of the entire Civil War.

A major event of the Second World War, the landing of June 6, 1944 has been, for more than seventy years, the subject of countless books, films, surveys, reportages and TV series. Nowadays many are aware of the unprecedented technological achievements implied in the planning and construction of two artificial harbours, or of the heroic sacrifice of the Rangers under Lieutenant Colonel James Rudder’s command, who stormed the Pointe du Hoc; or again of the martyrdom the of GIs of the 29th and 1st Divisions of the American infantry on Omaha Beach, which went down in history by the sad name of "Bloody Ohama ". But did you know that the D Day was preceded in late April 1944 by a similar event that took place off the Slapton Sands coast, in Devon, and that caused the death of more than seven hundred soldiers, yet remaining a secret for decades? Did you know that the beautiful Lily Sergeyev, artist and traveller, was considered by the Allies one of their best agents... and by the Germans as one of their most effective spies in Britain? Did you know that Lionel Crabb, sentinel diver of the Royal Navy on the Normandy coast, inspired Ian Fleming to create the character of James Jump? Did you know that the US troops, when completely surrounded in Mortain, were supplied with penicillin, morphine and plasma by dropping empty bomb shells stuffed with chocolate bars used as a cushion to avoid damages? Did you know that Lili Marlene, the Germans’ favourite song, was also popular among Allied soldiers? These are only some of the original and instructive revelations you will find in this book, which is based on the rigorous research carried out in over half a century by Philippe Bauduin, who is passionate about the Landing and the Battle of Normandy since his childhood, and is author of a dozen books on the subject as well as numerous articles.

The second of three volumes, this book is part of a series considered the most complete and detailed study on the uniforms and the equipment used by Second World War German paratroopers (Fallschirmjäger). Virtually every element of the uniforms is presented in detail, including different models of parachutes (Knochensack) and all the equipment used by the Luftwaffe from the mid-30s until the capitulation of the Reich, as well as the typical badges of the Fallschirmjäger and many untold stories. In short, this book accompanies the reader through a visual but detailed reconstruction of the operation of "Green Devils" and the attack Norway carried out during the last days of the Third Reich against the Belgian fortress of Eben Emael, but also through the campaigns in Holland, Crete, North Africa, Russia, Italy, Normandy and the Ardennes. With the help of collectors and museums from all around the world, the author and his German publisher started an unprecedented and prolific collaboration. The three volumes contain thousands of unpublished photos of objects belonging to the Fallschirmjäger, including coins that have never been seen or studied before.

Throughout the Vietnam War, one focal point persisted where the Viet Cong guerrillas and ARVN were not a major factor, but where the trained professionals of the North Vietnamese and United States armies repeatedly fought head-to-head. A Shau Valor is a thoroughly documented study of nine years of American combat operations encompassing the crucial frontier valley and a 15-mile radius around it—the most deadly killing ground of the entire Vietnam War. Beginning in 1963 Special Forces A-teams established camps along the valley floor, followed by a number of top-secret Project Delta reconnaissance missions through 1967. Then, U.S. Army and Marine Corps maneuver battalions engaged in a series of sometimes controversial thrusts into the A Shau designed to disrupt NVA infiltrations and to kill enemy soldiers, part of what came to be known as Westmoreland’s “war of attrition.” The various campaigns included Operation Pirous in 1967, 1968’s Operations Delaware and Somerset Plain, 1969’s Operations Dewey Canyon, Massachusetts Striker, and Apache Snow—which included the infamous battle for Hamburger Hill—culminating with Operation Texas Star and the vicious fight for and humiliating evacuation of Fire Support Base Ripcord in the summer of 1970, the last major U.S. battle of the war. By 1971 the fighting had once again shifted to the realm of small Special Forces reconnaissance teams assigned to the ultra-secret Studies and Observations Group—SOG. Other works have focused on individual battles or units, but A Shau Valor is the first to study the nine-year campaign—for all its courage, sacrifice and valor—chronologically and within the context of other historical, political, and cultural events. In addition to covering the strictly military aspects of the various campaigns in the A Shau, Tom Yarborough, author of the renowned Da Nang Diary, shows how events in both Vietnam and the United States became inexorably linked, as domestic dissent and a lack of realistic military strategy ultimately led to America’s first lost war.

In this engaging book we see how an 18-year-old miner shoveling ore from deep in the ground in Utah suddenly found himself, only two years later, 30,000 feet in the air over Nazi Germany, piloting a Flying Fortress in the first wave of America’s air counteroffensive in Europe. Like thousands of other young Americans, Ray Brim was plucked by the U.S. Army to be a combat flyer, and was quickly pitted against the hardened veterans of the Luftwaffe. Brim turned out to have a natural knack for flying, however, and was assigned to the select squadron developing lead Pathfinder techniques, while experimenting with radar. He was among the first to test the teeth of the Luftwaffe’s defenses, and once those techniques had been honed, thousands of other bomber crews would follow into the maelstrom, from which 80,000 never returned. This work gives us vivid insights into the genesis of the American air campaign, told with the humor, attention to detail and humility that captures the heart and soul of our “Greatest Generation.” Brim was one of the first Pathfinder pilots to fly both day and night missions leading bomb groups of 600-plus bombers to their targets. At the onset of his missions in the spring of 1943, B-17 crews were given a 50-50 chance of returning. Each of his raids were nerve-wracking forays into the unknown; with struggles to survive the damage to his plane due to flak and German fighter attacks, in order to bring his 10-man crew home, often wounded but still alive. After Germany’s surrender, Brim held a number of commands during the Korean War and flew B-17 drone planes during atomic tests, in which the Pentagon wished to see the effects of nuclear fallout on aircraft. Surprisingly having lived on into his 90s, Colonel Brim has provided us a fascinating firsthand memoir of frontline air war during the 20th century.

This ground-breaking series is a comprehensive history that traces the “Presidential line” of the Washingtons. Volume one begins with the immigrant John Washington who settled in Westmoreland Co., Va. , in 1657, married Anne Pope, and was the great-grandfather of President George Washington. It continues the record of their descendants for a total of seven generations. Volume two is a collection of notable descendants of the next eight generations of John and Anne Washington’s descendants, including Gen. George S. Patton, author Shelby Foote, and actor Lee Marvin. Future volumes trace generations eight through fifteen, making a total of more than 63,000 descendants.Although structured in a genealogical format for the sake of clarity, this is no barebones genealogy but a true family history with more than 1,200 detailed biographical narratives. These, in turn, strive to convey the greatness of the family that produced not only The Father of His Country but many others, great and humble, who struggled to build that country. The Washingtons includes a special volume on the time-honored John Wright line, which in recent years has been challenged largely on the basis of DNA evidence, and another on the royal descents of the presidential line. A cumulative index completes the series.

This ground-breaking series is a comprehensive history that traces the “Presidential line” of the Washingtons. Volume one begins with the immigrant John Washington who settled in Westmoreland Co., Va. , in 1657, married Anne Pope, and was the great-grandfather of President George Washington. It continues the record of their descendants for a total of seven generations. Volume two is a collection of notable descendants of the next eight generations of John and Anne Washington’s descendants, including Gen. George S. Patton, author Shelby Foote, and actor Lee Marvin. Future volumes trace generations eight through fifteen, making a total of more than 63,000 descendants.Although structured in a genealogical format for the sake of clarity, this is no barebones genealogy but a true family history with more than 1,200 detailed biographical narratives. These, in turn, strive to convey the greatness of the family that produced not only The Father of His Country but many others, great and humble, who struggled to build that country. The Washingtons includes a special volume on the time-honored John Wright line, which in recent years has been challenged largely on the basis of DNA evidence, and another on the royal descents of the presidential line. A cumulative index completes the series.

This detailed study on the uniforms of the French Foreign Legion during the Algerian War presents more than 400 collector’s pieces and around 200 period photos, giving an unprecedented look at this painful war which ended France’s rule in Algeria and, from 1939 to 1962, represented 23 years of uninterrupted combat by the French Foreign Legion. The first part retraces the beginning phases of the history of this elite army on Algerian soil. The second part is dedicated to the uniforms of the soldiers of the Foreign Legion. The third part presents a complete and never-before-seen study of the uniforms of the Saharan formations of the Foreign Legion. This book is dedicated to the 3,475 legionnaires fallen in combat in Algeria since 1831, and to the Frenchmen and Algerians who died in the conflict between France and Algeria.

Après Landser, Ordre Noir et Deutsche Luftwaffe, voici un nouveau livrede la même collection sur les troupes de choc de la Première Guerremondiale.Les premières unités d'assaut (Sturmtruppen) ont été formées au coursdu printemps et de l'été de 1916, quand le Sturmbataillon Rohr a étéorganisé et après que le général Falkenhayn, chef de la Ligue de l'Ontario,a donné les ordres pour la création de détachements spéciaux. Cesdétachements avaient pour mission de répandre une nouvelle tactiquequi a transformé de manières décisive les méthodes de combats del’armée allemande. Mais bien avant cela, un autre type de troupes avaitété crée au sein de l’infanterie allemande au cours de l’hiver 1914-1915 : lestroupes de choc (Stosstruppen), des groupes d’infanterie qui n’ont jamaisété officiellement reconnus comme tels et n’ayant jamais appartenu àune unité permanente, mais qui sont restés actifs jusqu’à la fin de laguerre et qui ont contribué à l’amélioration de la capacité offensive del’infanterie allemande.Ce livre est un récit de l’histoire des troupes d’assaut et il couvre leursméthodes de combat. Il propose une description complète de leursuniformes, de leur équipement, leurs armes, avec un grand nombred’illustrations et de photographies d’époque rarement vues.

Villers-Bocage is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic actions the Battle of Normandy. Many historians have recounted documented way the events of 13 June 1944, including the destruction of a British armored column by Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann in a Tiger I.- TEXT IN FRENCH -

One of the shortest lived and most battle hardened of the 1st Australian Imperial Force’s battalions, the 47th was formed in Egypt in 1916 and disbanded two years later having suffered one of the highest casualty rates of any Australian unit. Their story is remarkable for many reasons.Dogged by command and discipline troubles and bled white by the desperate attrition battles of 1916 and 1917, they fought on against a determined and skilful enemy in battles where the fortunes of war seemed stacked against them at every turn. Not only did they have the misfortune to be called into some of the A.I.F.’s most costly campaigns, chance often found them in the worst places within those battles.Though their story is one of almost unrelieved tragedy, it is also story of remarkable courage, endurance and heroism. It is the story of the 1st A.I.F. itself – punished, beaten, sometimes reviled for their indiscipline, they fought on - fewer, leaner and harder - until final victory was won. And at its end, in an extraordinary gesture of mateship, the remnants of the 47th Battalion reunited. Having been scattered to other units after their disbandment, the survivors gathered in Belgium for one last photo together. Only 73 remained.

A gripping true story of survival set in Hong Kong and Burma, as one family struggles against overwhelming odds in World War Two. Divided by war, in order to see each other again they must overcome terrible danger. The beautiful landscape of Burma and the tragedy of war are evocatively portrayed in this haunting and moving book. Hong Kong. Leading an attack on Golden Hill, Jack Devereux of the Royal Scots is shot through the head. A Japanese officer attempts to behead him, in order to blood his samurai sword; waking momentarily, he kills his would-be executioner. His head swarming with maggots, he survives capture as the Japanese are both impressed and fascinated by his wounds. Alive, albeit in a dangerously precarious physical state he then goes on to experience and escape the horrific and tragic incident of the sinking of the Lisbon Maru, in which hundreds of POWs drown, the sharks of the South China Sea, the mines of Nagasaki and the atom bomb. Burma. Jack’s wife Kate Devereux, her infant son (the author) and mother Harriet desperately try to avoid the unstoppable advance of the Japanese; they flee their home, taking only what they can carry and walk the jungles foraging for food while avoiding predators, snakes and armed bandits (dacoits). Terrified Kate’s marriage certificate will be discovered by the Japanese, they adopt the guise of the Mons Burmese tribe. The once prosperous family becomes destitute and starving. Their chance of survival was slim; multitudes of people like the Devereux’s fleeing the Japanese died of exposure and starvation, were shot by dacoits or killed in bombing raids. They are kept alive by the author’s incredible grandmother, a strong-willed resourceful woman with a proud bearing, able to speak fluent Japanese but also to pass herself off as native Burmese. Their destination is the deserted and mystic city of Pagan. The beautiful but deadly landscape of Burma is the setting for their adventure-filled story.

When Germany’s Sixth Army advanced to Stalingrad in 1942, its long-extended flanks were mainly held by allied armies—the Romanians, Hungarians, and Italians. But as history tells us, these flanks quickly caved in before the massive Soviet counter-offensive which commenced that November, dooming the Germans to their first catastrophe of the war. However, the historical record also makes clear that one allied unit held out to the very end, fighting to stem the tide—the Italian Alpine Corps. When the Don front collapsed under Soviet hammer blows, it was the Alpine Corps that continued to hold out until it was completely isolated, and which then tried to fight its way out through both Russian encirclement and “General Winter” to rejoin the rest of the Axis front. Only one of the three alpine divisions was able to emerge from the Russian encirclement with survivors. In this all-sides battle across the snowy steppe, thousands were killed and wounded, and even more were captured. By the summer of 1946, only 10,000 survivors returned to Italy from Russian POW camps.

In their own words the Aussie diggers provide a fascinating glimpse of the many funny and touching moments that our Diggers often hold to their chest. This collection of stories in this book provides a taste of what a soldiers life is like in both war and peace.