On January 21, 1840, Dumont d'Urville discovers an immense Antarctic land. At the head of the Astrolabe, the future Rear Admiral, last in line of great discoverers, pushes the impossible and explores new lands from New Zealand to the pole. The Norman navigator brings back hundreds of species of insects and unknown plants. Yves Jacob offers us an exciting biography of this character "argumentative, disdainful, jealous, resentful when he is second", but who knows how to rise on great occasions.Le 21 janvier 1840, Dumont d’Urville découvre une immense terre antarctique. À la tête de l’Astrolabe, le futur contre-amiral, dernier de la lignée des grands découvreurs, repousse l’impossible et explore des terres nouvelles, de la Nouvelle-Zélande au pôle. Des îles et des montagnes portent ainsi son nom. Botaniste, entomologiste, philologue, hydrographe, ethnologue, le navigateur normand rapporte des centaines d’espèces d’insectes et des plantes inconnues. Grâce à de longues investigations et à la mise à jour de documents inédits, Yves Jacob nous offre une passionnante biographie de ce personnage «chicanier, dédaigneux, jaloux, rancunier quand il est le second », mais qui sait s’élever dans les grandes occasions.

With 158 victories under his belt and dying in the Egyptian sky on the 30th of September, 1942, aged only 22, Hans-Joachim Marseille became a legend of the World War II aviation. Besides his being an exceptional pilot, he owes his reputation to his unconventionality and aversion to authority, which caused him much trouble with his superiors; his chivalrous attitude, moreover, led him to return to his base with a wounded enemy or a damaged plane on several occasions. This behaviour and his formidable combat skills made him famous in Germany as well as among allied pilots, who both respected and feared him. Having collected testimonies from veterans who experienced Marseille, American authors Colin D. Heaton and Anne-Marie Lewis wrote an extremely well-documented biography that traces the short but intense life of this unique aviator, who entered the Hall of Fame or fighter pilots at only 22 years old.

Le 16 octobre 1946, Joachim von Ribbentrop, ex ministre desAffaires Étrangères du Troisième Reich, est pendu après avoir étécondamné à mort par le Tribunal de Nuremberg sous l’accusationde « préparation d’une guerre d’agression ». L’historiographie leprésente généralement de manière univoque. Cet ouvrage a lemérite de fournir des éclairages nouveaux. Rudolf von Ribbentrop,son fils, nous en présente trois principaux. Né en 1921, il se retrouveplacé par ses parents dans les secrets de la politique et de ladiplomatie, dès l’âge de 12 ans. C’est un témoin de premier ordre quinous présente une nouvelle biographie de son père et des aspectsinconnus – et sourcés – de la politique étrangère allemande ; unexceptionnel témoignage pour l’Histoire. C’est aussi son témoignaged’officier, sur le front de l’Est et en Normandie, jusqu’à sa dernièreentrevue en février 1945 avec Hitler, réduit à une totale déchéance.C’est enfin, troisième volet, un témoignage qui démonte les ressortsde l’hitlérisme de manière efficace, comme personne ne l’avait faitjusqu’à présent. C’est donc un ouvrage exceptionnel sur ces troisaspects. Un événement sur le plan de la littérature historique.

The study of medieval Scandinavian society necessarily involves learning Norse language. Its vocabulary should be considered a vestige of the past as much as archaeological artefacts. These words, indeed, allow everyone to establish a direct contact with the medieval civilization of the North. Thus ‘Le Parler Viking’ was born of out a desire to catalogue in a simple and didactic way the key words of medieval Scandinavian society. Scandinavian legends translations are sometimes interspersed with indigenous words that at times leave the reader confused and doubtful about their true meaning. By collecting these words in one place, the author wants to offer a valuable tool towards the discovery of the fascinating ancient and medieval Scandinavian society . Easily accessible, ‘Le Parler Viking’ aims to be as accurate as possible, addressing both students as well as amateurs and historians. The entries, which are deliberately short, have been organised by theme, so to allow the reader to consult only the sections of interest. Therefore, the most varied aspects of this fascinating society are addressed, including both concrete and abstract concepts, such as weapons and tactics or costumes and traditions. Vikings fans will not be disappointed either as also the most popular terms used by the pirates of the ancient North have been included; even if some of these words do not properly belong to the Viking age, they have nonetheless been included as they represent important linguistic milestones for the XII and XIII century Scandinavia. The author Grégory Cattaneo obtained a PhD in medieval history at the Paris VI Sorbonne and Iceland University. He has been living in Iceland since 2005 and has taught at the University of Iceland between 2007 and 2014.

October 14, 1066, on the hill of Caldbec the armies of William the Conqueror and Harold Godwinson confronted each other in a bloody battle, which will later be called the battle of Hastings. The victory Normandy obtained on that occasion is still perceived as pivotal in determining the common destiny of the Kingdom of England and the Duchy of Normandy; it is also around this axis that the future of England is determined, giving the idea of how impactful the Normans had been in influencing the Saxon society. Overall, the course of the battle is relatively well known, thanks to the many medieval authors who mention it, or simply through the research that has been done. However, the before and after the battle remain rather unfamiliar topics. The origins of the conflict can however be easily traced back in early Eleventh century, when a certain Cnut the Great, who was in fact the king of Norway and Denmark, became King of England by marrying Emma of Normandy. Similarly, also the impressive political game between the three contenders to the throne – Harald III of Norway, Godwinson Harold and William the Conqueror – played a determining role for the conquest of England. From Stamford Bridge to appeasement of the North, through the battles of Hastings and London, this book will allow the reader not only to rediscover this pivotal battle and understand the political and strategic aspects of the conquest, but also to learn about Norman and Saxon warriors outfits.

The period between the two World Wars is an extremely interesting but largely unknown part of the German aviation history. Signed in June 1919 and promulgated in January 1920, the Treaty of Versailles included many measures to limit the Germany's rearmament: it revoked the right to having tanks, artillery and military aviation, which caused the dissolution of the Luftstreitkräften. However, the Treaty did not damage the aeronautical industry as much, which indeed managed to bypass the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty regarding building vehicles and equipment, especially in other countries. For pilot training and equipment testing, Germany could count on the secret aviation school in Lipetsk, USSR, allowing the Weimar Republic to develop aeronautical expertise without France and the UK knowing. The school of Lipetsk closed in September 1933, a few months after the Nazis seized power in Germany. In 1935, the Third Reich restored its air force: the Luftwaffe, which will become in 1939, on the eve of World War II, the most powerful military aviation of the Western world. Historian Jacques Pernet – an expert in German and American aviation – and journalist and writer Jean-Charles Stasi vividly tell us the story of German aviation in this richly illustrated book.

La phase décisive du débarquement, du 6 au 14 juin 1944, racontéepar les coiffures.Du 6 au 14 juin 1944, en Normandie, le sort du monde va se jouer.Cette première phase décisive du débarquement conduira les alliésdes plages jusqu’à l’enlisement devant Caen. Les alliés réussirontilsleur incroyable pari : Établir une tête de pont en Normandie pourvaincre l’Allemagne nazie ?Les soldats ont laissé sur le champ de bataille coiffures etéquipements personnels qui nous racontent aujourd’hui l’Histoire.Chaque coiffure a une histoire, chaque coiffure se rattache à un lieu etun moment du débarquement. C’est aussi l’histoire de ces hommes,ces soldats anonymes, leur rencontre avec les grands moments dudébarquement.Grâce aux insignes et aux marquages spécifiques qui ont été peintspour le D-Day et la bataille de Normandie, nous pouvons resituerces objets dans leur lieu et leur contexte historique. Ces témoinsabandonnés lors des combats vous feront revivre les heuresdécisives du débarquement.Découvrez des histoires émouvantes et des photos exceptionnelles.• Plus de 80 coiffures illustrées par 300 photos détaillées• Des objets exceptionnels, témoignages historiques émouvants• Les messages radiodiffusés « radio Normandie – place du châteauBayeux » pendant la bataille, totalement inédits• La symbolique des insignes des soldats• L’histoire du débarquement, des plages jusqu’aux portes de Caen• De nombreuses photos d’époqueVivez le débarquement à travers d’extraordinaires témoins oubliés !

6 juin 1944, deux divisions aéroportées américaines sont larguées à l’est de la Presqu’île du Cotentin. L’une d’elles, la 101st Airborne Division, a pour mission d’ouvrir les sorties de plages pour la 4th Infantry Division qui va débarquer sur Utah Beach mais aussi de dégager les passages sur la Douve, au sud, au milieu des marais pour atteindre et prendre Carentan, petite ville située au coeur de cette zone aquatique mais aussi carrefour stratégique permettant la jonction avec la tête de pont d’Omaha Beach. Prendre Carentan, c’est réunir les forces américaines, un échec isolerait dangereusement les forces ayant pris pied dans le Cotentin. Les Allemands sont numériquement surclassés mais un régiment d’élite, les paras du Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6 de von der Heydte, se trouve à proximité et monte en ligne face à la 101e. Ce sera alors un combat acharné entre paras américains et paras allemands, dans le secteur de Saint-Côme-du-Mont puis devant Carentan. Les paras du 502 PIR attaquent la chaussée, avec de lourdes pertes puis sur la ferme Ingouf. C’est enfin le mythique combat du « carré de choux ». Submergé dans Carentan, véritable « Cassino » normand, von der Heydte décroche dans la nuit du 11 au 12 juin, avant la contre-attaque allemande du 13 menée avec la « Götz ». C’est un échec, la bataille est finie. Les Américains ont assuré la jonction entre les deux têtes de pont. Cet ouvrage très documenté suit ces opérations mal connues, jour par jour avec de nombreux témoignages et des documents exceptionnels.

Matthieu Longue nous proposeun récit complet et une analysedétaillée du parcours au combatdu 2e bataillon du 506th ParachuteInfantry Regiment de la101st Airborne, ainsi que les principauxhauts faits d'armes de lamondialement célèbre EasyCompany « Band of Brothers »,avec le concours de vétérans etd'autres spécialistes.En compagnie des paras, lelecteur va suivre, de près, leurentraînement avant de se retrouverau coeur des combats deNormandie, de Hollande, desArdennes et d’Alsace, revivantainsi les moments tragiquesd’une aussi sombre que glorieusepage de l’histoire de l’US Army dela Seconde Guerre mondiale.L'ouvrage comporte de nombreusesdescriptions ainsi quedes organigrammes nous renseignantsur la composition desunités et donnant des informationsprécises sur les armes etles équipements utilisés par lestroupes parachutistes américaines de cette époque.

June 7, 1944. The Allies have landed in Normandy, where they have set a bridgehead : yet this one is narrow and fragile. The Canadians sprint on to Carpiquet, but their attack is crushed by panzers of the Hitlerjugend Division that have just rejoined the frontline. Canadians and Germans are going to fight each other violently, and the tension is at its highest – some Canadian soldiers are murdered in Buron, and at the Ardenne Abbey. June 8, 1944. The Winnipegs are crushed by a German counter-attack in Putot. Some German soldiers are executed on Hill 102, and some Canadian soldiers are executed in Audrieu and Le Mesnil-Patry. Who are the people responsible for those actions ? For the first time, the mystery is partially unveiled. Then, the crazy night attack on Bretteville-l’Orgueilleuse – some panzers will burn and light this terrible night. June 9, 1944. The “Ribbentrop Company” attacks Norrey : seven Panther tanks are destroyed. The Hitlerjugend’s counter-attack is stopped. In Norrey, this is “the accident” : shrapnel wipe out a lot of civilians. The acme of horror has been reached. Thanks to a large number of testimonies, given by the combatants and the Norman civilians – who also suffered a lot during the battle –, this book offers a degree of precision never reached regarding the Battle of Normandy. The wartime and current pictures, the portraits of soldiers and civilians, the maps and the plans make this book a real movie of these “three days in hell” between Bayeux and Caen, whilethe frontline was still not stabilized, while the soldiers were trying to go from one enemy strongpoint to another, and while the civilians did not know where the danger was…

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.

The Wekusta 2 was a flying unit of the Luftwaffe used for weather reconnaissance, which historians have hitherto explored only marginally. The history of Wekusta2, however, deserves more consideration. Few were, indeed, the Luftwaffe units that, during the Occupation, had permanently been based in France: the Wekusta2, whose aircrafts took off daily from Lanvéoc Brest, Nantes-Chateau Bougon Mont de Marsan and Bordeaux-Merignac, is one of those. Pierre Babin has therefore spent the last years working towards reconstructing the history the Wekusta 2. He explored the few available records, travelled to Germany and other Commonwealth countries to interview and collect the precious stories of veterans who served in the unit, and consulting the documents preserved by the airmen’s families.With this book – illustrated throughout with never-before-published photographs – Pierre Babin offers a unique and thorough account of the Wekusta 2.

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.

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.

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 -