Bøker av David Nicolle

Air Power and the Arab World, 1909-1955 Volume 10 continues the story of the men and machines of the first half-century of military aviation in the Arab world. It tells the story of the first two weeks of the first of the Arab-Israeli Wars - also known as the Palestine War - in May 1948. Whilst part of an ongoing series, this volume stands alone as a history of the period covered.By that time, in Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, newly-independent Syria, Lebanon, and, to a lesser extent, Saudi Arabia, significant efforts had already been made to strengthen these countries' armed forces. Where Egypt, Iraq and Syria were concerned, these efforts included a determination to improve or, in the case of Syria, to establish their air forces. All three air forces were thrown into the First Phase of the Palestine War and, in the view of most subsequent commentators or historians, they had failed to perform as well as their government and populations had expected. However, closer investigation and the removal of layers of propaganda which have obscured the realities of this first Arab-Israeli War show that the Arab air forces performed better than is generally realized. Arguably, they had their limitations and weaknesses, and these had also become apparent as the fighting intensified and losses began to mount. All this was always clearly pointed out in Arabic sources, both official and unofficial, unpublished, or published only with limited circulation.Volume 10 of Air Power and the Arab World focuses on day-to-day events on the ground, in the air and at sea during this hard-fought phase. It does so in remarkable detail because the authors have accessed previously unpublished Arab official military documents supplemented by translations from Arabic books and articles containing official and personal accounts by those involved. Perhaps the most remarkable such source is the Operational Diary of the Royal Egyptian Air Force's Tactical Air Force based at al-Arish in north-eastern Sinai.Air Power and the Arab World, 1909-1955 Volume 10 is illustrated by abundant photographs from previously unused, or very rarely used, private and official sources, and includes specially commissioned color artworks.

Volume 6 of this mini-series continues the story of the men and machines of the first half century of military aviation in the Arab World. It looks at the first efforts to revive both the REAF and the RIrqAF, along with events in the air and on the ground elsewhere in the Arab World until the beginning of 1941.

Describes the uniforms, weaponry, military practices and daily life of the Saracen cavalry during the time of the Crusades in the early 12th century. They were not only expert fighters, but also well-educated and skilled in medicine.

A detailed reconstruction of the operational history, camouflage colours, markings, and operational service of MiG-designed fighters in six air forces of the Middle East, from 1967-1975.

The first authoritative and richly illustrated account about air warfare in the Arab World of the period 1911-1955. Volume 4 cover the period of 1936-1941.

Analyses of different aspects of the history of warfare in the Mediterranean in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.The kingdom of Sicily plays a huge part in the history of the Norman people; their conquest brought in a new era of invasion, interaction and integration in the Mediterranean, However, much previous scholarship has tended to concentrate on their activities in England and the Holy Land. This volume aims to redress the balance by focusing on the Hautevilles, their successors and their followers. It considers the operational, tactical, technical and logistical aspects of the conduct of war in the South throughout the eleventh and twelfth centuries, looking also at its impact on Italian and Sicilian multi-cultural society. Topics include the narratives of the Norman expansion, exchanges and diffusion between the "e;military cultures"e; of the Normans and the peoples they encountered in the South, and their varied policies of conquest, consolidation and expansion in the different operational theatres of land and sea. Dr GEORGIOS THEOTOKIS is Lecturer at Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul. Contributors: Matthew Bennett, Daniel P. Franke, Michael S. Fulton, Serban V. Marin, David Nicolle, Francesca Petrizzo, Luigi Russo, Charles D. Stanton, Georgios Theotokis, James Titterton.

Based on decades of research and newly available sources in Arabic and European languages, and illustrated with authentic photography, Volume 2 of the 'Air Power and the Arab World, 1909-1955' continues the story of the men and machines of the first half century of military aviation in the Arab World.

Explains how the Ottoman Turks conquered South East Europe. Sets the final fall of the Roman Byzantine Empire in its full context.

This volume deals principally with Western Europe and Byzantium, which for many centuries learnt from the Muslims in matters of arms, armour and military technology. Several articles also focus on military interactions in the Crusader states.

In the early decades of the 8th century AD, Islamic forces were flooding into Europe through the Iberian peninsula, threatening Frankish and Burgundian territory and raiding it with ever-increasing ferocity. At the battle of Poitiers, also known as Tours, Christian forces under the Frankish leader Charles Martel "The Hammer" (grandfather of Charlemagne) confronted a massive invading Islamic army. The Franks were victorious, effectively halting the northward advance of Islam and preserving Christianity as the dominant faith in Europe. Expert medievalist David Nicolle draws on contemporary sources to reconstruct this turning-point battle, places it in its historical context and reviews its background and immediate and longer-term historical consequences.

The Islamic world drew upon a myriad of pre-existing styles of fortification, taking Romano-Byzantine, Indian and Chinese ideas to create a highly effective and sophisticated hybrid fortification that was both new and distinctive.

The history of Poland is a fascinating study of a people struggling to achieve nationhood in the face of internal and external enemies. Poland became a unified Christian state in AD 966 and by the 12th century a knightly class had emerged - a force that was integral to the defense of Poland against increasingly frequent foreign invasions. Intent on crushing rival Christian states, the Templars, Hospitallers and Teutonic Knights all mounted attacks but were beaten back by the Poles, as were invading Mongols and Turks. This book reveals the organization, equipment and battle histories of the medieval Polish armies as they developed and modernized to emerge as one of the dominant powers of Eastern Europe.

In terms of the development of siege warfare, the mediaeval world was probably the most inventive in history. This text explores a range of devices and details the changes in siege warfare brought about by the mixing of traditions from Greece, Rome, Persia, India and China.

During the Middle Ages, Islam was Christian Europe''s only civilized and most troublesome neighbor. The Middle Ages saw almost continual strife between these two distinct cultures. By the time the Frankish Crusaders reached the Middle East at the end of the 11th century, Islam had already incorporated three major races: Arabs, Persians and Turks, each of which contributed different strengths to the armoury of Islam. This title explores the organization, uniforms and equipment of the armies of Islam from the 7th to 11th centuries, backed by illustrations, museum photographs and eight full page color plates by popular Osprey artist Angus McBride.

The fascinating story of the battle of the Kalka River, the culmination of Ghengis Khan's reconnaissance expedition into Russia of 1221. The decisive Mongol victory over a combined Russian and Kipchaq army opened up vast regions of Russia and Christian Eastern Europe to Mongol conquest.

The clash between King Richard I 'The Lionheart' of England and Saladin has become legendary. Throughout the ages, military enthusiasts have been fascinated by the strategy of the resolute, heavily armed Anglo-Saxon army versus their more lightly armed opponents. Richard's inability to recapture Jerusalem was disappointing, but it proved to the crusaders that Saladin was not invincible. This book describes the struggle that has evolved into a mythic campaign for the Holy City of Jerusalem, providing an in-depth look at the battle, the personalities involved and the tactics employed by each army.

By 1429, French fortunes in the Hundred Years War were at their lowest ebb. At the darkest hour, a deeply religious peasant girl from Champagne came to the Dauphin. Her name was Joan of Arc. This volume tells the story of a legendary episode in France's history.

The Hospitallers were the first of the Secular Crusading Orders to be created, and they played a major part in the military struggle between Christendom and the Islamic World. This work considers their significant cultural, political and economic role within the Christian Empire.

Between the 13th and 15th centuries Russia developed along different lines from the rest of Europe. The Mongol conquest had an influence on arms, armour, organization, recruitment and tactics. This text reveals how firearms and the development of distinct fortifications make this period unique.

One of the key battles of the Hundred Years' War, the Battle of Poitiers had huge political consequences. Fought in the picturesque Loire Valley, it led to the capture of King John and a treaty that subsequently gave England half of France.

Tamerlane or Timur-i-Lenk (''Timur the Lame'') is one of the most extraordinary conquerors in history. In the late 14th century his armies seized huge territories from the borders of Mongolia to Palestine and Anatolia. His passage was marked by massacres that outdid even those of the Mongols for sheer savagery. Timur''s career was unequalled since Alexander the Great in terms of constant battlefield success. Only in his youth, while recovering his family estates south of Samarqand, did he face occasional defeat. This title tells the remarkable story of Timur and details the organisation, tactics, arms and armour of his all-conquering army.

The MiG-21 provided the backbone of frontline Arab air combat strength for many years and remained the Arabs only real hope of challenging Israeli air supremacy. This book tells, in great detail, the story of the MiG-21 in Egyptian, Syrian and Iraqi service.

For almost five centuries the Moors were the cutting edge of the Islamic assault on the Christian world. This title details the Arab, Berber, Almoravid and Almohad armies of Muslim Spain, including the powerful Emirate of Cordoba that terrorized Christian Spain and Europe.

An examination of the colourful mediaeval warfare of Scandinavia in the aftermath of the Viking Age. It shows how armies were of local infantry levies raised by "democratic" methods to defend home territory, and details how the crossbow, ambush tactics and winter campaigning were employed.

This work shows that the majority of Italy's battles took place on the frozen slopes of the Alps, including the numerous battles of the Isonzo, the disaster at Caporetto and, in its aftermath the holding of the Piave line.

In April 1291, a Mamluk army laid siege to Acre, the last great Crusader fortress in the Holy Land. For six weeks, the siege dragged on until the Mamluks took the outer wall, which had been breached in several places. The Military Orders drove back the Mamluks temporarily, but three days later the inner wall was breached. King Henry escaped, but the bulk of the defenders and most of the citizens perished in the fighting or were sold into slavery. The surviving knights fell back to their fortress, resisting for ten days, until the Mamluks broke through. This book depicts the dramatic collapse of this great fortress, whose demise marked the end of the Crusades in the Holy Land.