Bøker av David Fletcher

Life is full of trivia. More and more, it seems, every waking minute of our lives is spoken for - by the inconsequential, the irrelevant, the incidental, the positively wasteful, and by a whole host of other 'stuff' that serves no purpose whatsoever other than to distract us from what is really important.

Absolutely Galapagos provides an insight into every feature of that famous archipelago - warts and all - and a further insight into the unique and confused mind of Brian. And, of course, he is more 'at sea' in this book than in any of those that have gone before...

A mauling of mankind and a travel diary make rather odd bedfellows. However, in The Country-cides of Namibia and Botswana, these unlikely playmates not only share the same pages, but they also enfold each other in a somewhat intimate embrace.

Marmite, Bites and Noisy Nights (in Zambia) is another day-by-day account of an expedition made by Brian and his wife, Sandra, this time around the South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi national parks in, unsurprisingly, Zambia.

Looks at the Medium Mark A Whippet, one of the most successful British tanks of World War I and, when placed alongside existing titles covering the Mark I, Mark IV and Mark V, completes the New Vanguard series' coverage of the major British tanks of the war.

The first Rolls-Royce armoured car was a privately owned vehicle fitted with a machine-gun and a limited amount of armour plate, used by the Royal Naval Air Service in Flanders in 1914. By 1915, nearly 100 had been built and turned over to the Army. From then on, as Sir Albert Stern said 'They searched the world for war', operating as far apart as the northwest frontier of India, the Middle East and southern Africa. The cars were fast, quiet and reliable but above all powerful. 'A Rolls in the desert is above rubies,' said Lawrence of Arabia. After World War I, the War Office continued to produce the Rolls-Royce while tinkering with the design. These further cars served all across the Empire, including in Ireland and even later Shanghai, returning for a final brief appearance in the early stages of World War II.This book tells the complete story of the Rolls-Royce Armoured Car, following its design and development as it fought from theatre to theatre during World War I and the turbulent inter-war years.

Presents the study of British light tanks of the Second World War. This book draws upon a vast and comprehensive body of archival information and research to explore their technical characteristics and combat performance. It focuses on the very widely used Mark VI, and also covers all the variants that preceded it.

Although, to the casual eye, various British tanks of World War I look much the same, the Mark V is quite outstanding and has a strong claim to be the tank that won the Great War. This title examines the technological developments that made this tank excel where others had failed.

The Covenanter (which never saw active service) and Crusader Cruiser tanks were developed between 1939 and 1940. The Crusader first saw action in the North African desert in June 1941: its speed and sleek design made it a hard target to hit, and the tank was well-respected by the Afrikakorps for its velocity in combat. But its hurried development prior to World War II also made it prone to mechanical failure. This book examines the Covenanter and the many variants of the Crusader tank, detailing the designs, developments and disappointments of these infamous World War II tanks.

The Matilda was the principal British infantry tank in the early years of World War II. It served with the BEF in France and later in North Africa, where it earned the title ''Queen of the Desert''. Outclassed by increasingly powerful German anti-tank weapons, it still remained a power in the South-East Pacific, and was kept in service until the end of the war by Australian forces. In this title, David Fletcher deals with Marks I to V. Development and operational history are discussed, along with service in other countries, including Germany and Russia. Numerous variants are also covered, including the prototype ''Hedgehog'' bunker-busting weapon.