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In his short life, Liverpool-born Alexander Foote went from being a volunteer in the International Brigade in Spain to becoming an agent of Soviet military intelligence in Switzerland. Pretending to his friends that he was a dim-witted Englishman with private means, Foote became the key telegraphist of the so-called 'Red Three' network of radio stations, communicating top secret German intelligence to the USSR from under the noses of the Swiss authorities. The information from Foote's Morse key originated from sources in Germany and came to Foote via the enigmatic figure of Rudolph Rossler, known as Agent Lucy. Where he obtained the information from is a mystery that has never been solved. During the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, Soviet generals came to depend on the information from Foote's transmitter and those of his comrades. On his release from a ten-month remand in a Swiss gaol on an espionage charge, Foote absconded to Paris in 1944 before being invited for debriefing in Moscow. When he arrived, he became aware that he was under suspicion of being a British spy and it took all his wit to talk his comrades in Soviet intelligence out of sending him to the gulag: a fate that waited for many of the others in his Swiss network. Disillusioned with life in the USSR, Foote approached British intelligence while he was on a Soviet mission in Berlin. He made them an offer: if they got him back to Britain he would tell them all he knew about Soviet intelligence, from the inside. This is his story.

Hillforts in modern day Britain occupy often, but not always, isolated, windswept locations on the edge of modern day society. For the Iron Age tribes of that turbulent period 2-3000 years ago, hillforts or defended settlements were built for a number of reasons, they were seen as a statement of wealth and power by local chiefs and warlords, places of refuge for the local population in times of need as well as meeting points for trade, markets and religious festivals. With the advent of aerial drone photography these obscure locations are brought to life spectacularly from above to provide an unparalleled view of the subject matter. The Iron Age Dobunni Tribe occupied the modern day counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire in the centuries leading up to the Roman invasion of AD 43. The different types, classifications and construction of hillforts are explained with aerial photographs illustrating these differences. Questions are answered on who were the Dobunni tribe and where did they come from, what social structure existed and what were their religious beliefs. This new, fully illustrated study puts forward a thesis to establish the frontiers of the tribal area using local topography and the location of hillforts. A chapter is given over to each county with individual hillforts discussed as to their location, structure, type and classification, myths and excavated finds. For each hillfort there are what3word locations on where to park, Ordnance Survey six figure map references, information on the length of walk in kilometres and a grading of the difficulty of the walk, making this book essential reading for historians, tourists, and photographs enthusiasts alike.

Eleven years after Reinhard Gehlen, the head of Adolf Hitler's Eastern Front military intelligence unit, emerged from hiding to hand himself over to US forces, he had, with the help of the American CIA, created a legend for himself as founder and first president of the West German Secret Service. In this role he employed many of the same Wehrmacht and SS officers he had served with during the Second World War. All through the steady progression of his career before and during the Second World War, Gehlen had been far too industrious and committed to court the limelight. Then after the defeat of Germany, when he transferred his allegiance to the CIA and later became head of the Bundesnachrichtendienst, he became a man whom Hugh Trevor Roper's described as someone who 'always moved in the shadows'. For some, the German intelligence network that Gehlen had controlled since 1942, was part of an unbroken tradition going back to the days of Bismarck. For a great many in Gehlen's organisation the Cold War was merely an extension of an anti-Soviet campaign that had begun on 22 June 1941, when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa. After the war, Gehlen had emerged unscathed from Hitler's bunker and no war crimes charges were ever brought against him. His name, and those of 350 of his Wehrmacht command, were redacted from the official lists of German prisoners of war. Gehlen protected and employed men like Heinrich Schmitz who had been part of Einsatzgruppe A, the murder squad that massacred so many, including communist functionaries and Jewish women, men and children, in the Baltic States. Though Gehlen had remained loyal to Hitler right to the end, once state authority collapsed he wasted little time in making contact with the Americans and offered to place his vast intelligence resources at their disposal in the new fight against Soviet communism. While German generals Heinz Guderian and Franz Halder placed great store by Gehlen's reports on the tactical level, Hitler called them 'defeatist' and gave them barely a glance when making his disastrous strategic decisions. Allen Dulles, head of the CIA, did not repeat Hitler's mistake, but Gehlen deeply resented the way that his reports to Dulles were mishandled. It became Gehlen's ambition initially to head up a completely independent West German foreign intelligence service. However, it was not until 1951 that talks to establish a West German intelligence service at federal level began. In the immediate post-war years, Gehlen tirelessly made his case to defend the harbouring of former Wehrmacht and SS personnel in his organisation and battled to prove his worth to the Americans. This book looks at Gehlen's life from his early career in the chaos of Weimar, through his elevation to General Staff intelligence officer on the Russian Front. It describes how he survived the defeat of the Third Reich and offered himself to the Americans as a foil against the Soviet Union in the Cold War. In doing so it closely examines Gehlen's record to separate fact from his self-serving fictions.

Writings of certain nineteenth and twentieth-century historians continue to colour our perceptions of the past, but is the picture of Katherine Howard painted by some of them necessarily fair? Was she really a neglected young girl set up by an unscrupulous family to enable them to exercise control over Henry VIII, or a secure teenager brought up in the home of her illustrious step-grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, who treated her well? Ultimately, was her untimely death the fault of others or the result of Katherine's own ill-advised choices?Through original research and use of primary sources, Queen Katherine and the Howards: A Tudor Family on the Brink of Disaster examines the Howards' journey from practising law in East Anglia to their elevation to the dukedom of Norfolk by Richard III and, following the Yorkist defeat at Bosworth, their decades of service and loyalty to the fledgling Tudor dynasty. The final weeks of Katherine Howard's short life, presented as a day-to-day narrative, enables the reader to appreciate how terrifyingly quickly the old duchess and Katherine's associates, most involved against their wishes, were rounded up and consigned to the Tower for concealing what they knew of her lively past. The last chapters examine how the third Duke of Norfolk, Katherine's paternal uncle, although surviving the turmoil of the scandal and continuing in his roles as Lord Treasurer and Henry VIII's leading general, remained highly vulnerable; he and his son eventually fell victim to the king's deadly paranoia.

The reasons behind the USA's involvement in Vietnam remain a subject of extensive debate. Initially, America supported the French until their defeat at Dien Bien Phu, which then shifted to backing the South Vietnamese government due to fears of communism spreading throughout Southeast Asia. Why Vietnam delves into the myriad reasons for US involvement, examining theories that date back to 1918 when Woodrow Wilson ignored Ho Chi Minh's plea for independence at the Treaty of Versailles, through to Johnson's full commitment to the undeclared war, which restrained the military to a defensive role in protecting South Vietnam instead of an offensive one that would send troops across the DMZ into Laos and Cambodia. The questions of why the USA became involved, whether their involvement was justified, and if the war was ever winnable have been fiercely debated for over 50 years. This book seeks to address these 'whys' by providing a thorough examination of all contributing factors, from presidential actions to foreign policy, and the social and political climates of the war era.

Vietnam's War of Hate recounts what returning from Vietnam was like for the author in 1969, proud of his combat service and proud of his Delta Company brothers. As a draftee who was discharged from the Army five months early with shrapnel a couple inches from his heart, Trewyn knew he was lucky to be alive. Inconceivably, five months later he was ready to go back to Vietnam. Dying with brothers in war looked better to him than living with haters in America while going to college in the anticipated refuge of his childhood hometown. This book is about his struggles trying to understand the animosity toward Vietnam veterans in the United States back then. The magnitude was overwhelming. It also documents the evolution of my knowledge about the war overall and his battles against the common, inaccurate representations of the largely honorable and valorous soldiers who deployed to Southeast Asia. It took Trewyn over thirty years to feel welcome in America, to experience a homecoming commensurate with the sacrifices made. Unfortunately, the erroneous portrayal of U.S. forces in Vietnam persists in popular culture and in the conventional wisdom of far too many Americans. The image of those who served remains tainted to this day including, most tragically, perception of the 58 thousand men and 8 women who died in Vietnam. Pride in their service to America was stolen from them by America. It was ripped from the hearts of their loved ones. Vietnam's War of Hate describes the authors arduous journey entangled in this awful saga. Its causes are exposed along the way. Alarmingly, America is once again experiencing the type of strife and convulsions that he came home to in 1969. The bitterness and polarization of that period have resurfaced. Thus, the long trek charted in this book offers both timely and enduring lessons for our current era.

The Red Fox of Colditz recounts the tale of Lt AM Sinclair KRRC, from his capture post-Calais' fall in May 1940 to his demise in September 1943 while attempting an escape from Colditz Castle, the notorious prison camp for tenacious escape artists. He was WWII's most prolific British escapee, enjoying more freedom in occupied Europe than any other, yet never completing a successful 'home run' to his dismay. His most famous escape attempt involved impersonating a red-haired German guard commander, complete with a notable moustache, resembling Emperor Franz Joseph-a feat inaccurately credited to the Senior British Officer in the film 'The Colditz Story'. After extensive preparation, Sinclair, in disguise alongside two prisoners in German uniforms, rappelled from a window, replacing the sentries. However, their plan was foiled when a soldier at the moat gate sounded the alarm. Amidst the chaos, Sinclair was shot but recovered. Despite six escape attempts from Colditz, reaching the borders of Switzerland and Holland, he never achieved his objective of returning to England for active service. Tragically, in September 1944, he discovered the deaths of his younger brother at Anzio and his friend and escape partner, Ronnie Littledale, in Normandy. In a final, desperate attempt to rejoin his Regiment and contribute to Germany's defeat, Sinclair chose to mimic Maurice LeBrun's successful park escape. On September 25, 1944, cloaked in an overcoat to hide his civilian attire and declining his close friend Gris Davies-Scourfield's offer of companionship, Sinclair merged with the prisoners heading to the park. Once settled, he discarded his overcoat, dashed to the perimeter wire fence, and started climbing. Disregarding the German sentries' 'Halt' commands, he clambered over the fence and fled amid gunfire, one bullet striking his elbow and ricocheting into his heart, killing him instantly. Days later, he received a burial with full military honors in the local cemetery, attended by officers from Colditz on parole and several German guards. As Sinclair's possessions were gathered for his family, a hidden note was discovered: "I take full responsibility. Safe home to you, all you good chaps." For his numerous valiant escape attempts and determination to return to active service, Sinclair was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

The Pink Panther series is one of the most enduring and financially successful franchises in movie history, beginning with 1963's The Pink Panther, which introduced audiences to the iconic Inspector Clouseau, unforgettably played by Peter Sellers. Drawing on previously unseen material and 'exclusive' interviews with stars of the films and crew members, along with friends and colleagues of Peter Sellers, Robert Sellers presents, for the very first time, the untold story and some of the secrets behind the Pink Panther films. The original Pink Panther movie proved popular enough to spawn eight sequels. The films also inspired a popular animated TV series based on the pink panther cartoon character that appeared in the film's credit sequences. There were also spin-off toys, games, clothes, even breakfast cereal. In the 2000s, comedy legend Steve Martin twice stepped into the role of Inspector Clouseau. But behind the laughs, there was madness and darkness, and at the series' heart was one of cinema's most tragic figures: Peter Sellers. A comedic genius, Sellers could be temperamental, unprofessional, and unpredictable. Add to that a heart problem Sellers feared could kill him at any moment. This book reveals many of the Pink Panther's secrets for the first time, shining a spotlight behind the scenes at the making of some of the most beloved comedies of all time, and the extraordinary personalities that brought them to life.

When the Carry On Stopped looks at how the Carry On film series made its painful transition from one film company, Anglo-Amalgamated, to another, the Rank Organisation. In examining this little-known but fascinating story, the growth of Anglo-Amalgamated is highlighted through the success of its owners, partners Stuart Levy and Nat Cohen. Levy's sudden death in 1966 encouraged Cohen to ditch the Carry Ons in favour of more prestigious feature films. Without a film distributor, the series' producer Peter Rogers, was forced to search for another, eventually finding the series a new home at Rank. However, Rank was unwilling to endorse the work of a rival and so dropped the 'Carry On' title. The Carry On series looked doomed. When the Carry On Stopped also sheds new light on the careers of the Carry On stars at this critical time. We learn of Barbara Windsor's involvement in the stage disaster Twang!!, of Jim Dale's stage success, Sid James' first heart attack and Charles Hawtrey losing his mother. The book calls out the fat shaming of Joan Sims as one of the many injustices shown to her by the producer. This is essential reading for Carry On fans and those interested in the machinations of the British entertainment industry in the 1960's.

By the autumn of 1944, Hitler's plans for the conquest of Europe were in disarray. The Führer's much-vaunted Third Reich, facing an Allied onslaught from the east and west, was slowly collapsing.Desperate to seize the initiative on the Western Front, Hitler, seeing himself as a beleaguered modern-day Frederick the Great, looked for some bold counterattack that could change his fortunes. Hitler's wish had at least one clear result, for as even as early as 19 August 1944, he had instructed Alfred Jodl to consider a bold counter-stroke in the west in November. Hitler's generals therefore set about drawing up plans for an offensive in the area of the Ardennes Forest. It was to be an attack that would enable German forces to cross the Meuse and, decisively breaking through the Allied front-line, advance on Antwerp.Given the limitations he and his forces faced, Hitler knew he would need panzer leaders capable of a delivering a Blitzkrieg advance, perhaps one that took advantage of night-time hours. One of the German officers who was tasked with delivering this audacious victory was the battle-hardened veteran SS-Obersturmbannführer Jochen Peiper.A Waffen SS officer and one of the most celebrated heroes of Hitler's armies, Peiper, and the SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte as a whole, were already on his mind. A long-time adjutant of Heinrich Himmler, and completely dedicated to the Nazi cause, Peiper had fought in every major campaign of the Second World War. However, having been wounded in Normandy following the D-Day landings, Peiper, also ailing from a combination of battle fatigue and hepatitis, had been evacuated to a field hospital and then back Germany in August 1944.It was while he was recuperating at the SS Reserve Hospital 501, overlooking Lake Tegernsee in Bavaria, that Peiper learnt of his part in the forthcoming offensive. Though his skin had a sickly ochre cast from jaundice and three years of front-line combat, too many days of coffee and cigarettes, followed by nights of fighting and frustration, and the fact that his nerves were shot, he had been selected as one of the men who would lead the Führer's final great gamble.Comprising some 4,800 men and 600 vehicles, including a number of the powerful Tiger II heavy tanks, Kampfgruppe Peiper played a central part in the Ardennes Offensive, or the Battle of the Bulge as it is commonly known, which was unleashed on 16 December 1944. It is a role that is explored here by Danny S. Parker, who reveals the successes, defeats and war crimes that Kampfgruppe Peiper was involved in before the Ardennes Offensive ended in failure in January 1945.

Pompey's career in command began at a young age, taking control of his deceased father's legions in support of Sulla during the civil war with Marius. A precocious and ambitious talent, he held repeated commands before he was the legal age. Sulla called him 'the teenage butcher'. He served in the Sertorian War in Spain (recovering from an early defeat), helped crush Spartacus' revolt then freed the Eastern Mediterranean from the depradations of Cilician pirates in a matter of weeks. He brought a victorious end to the long-running Third Mithridatic War and brought the whole of Asia Minor, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Judea under Roman influence by a mix of force and diplomacy. For good reason he was hailed even in his own lifetime as the 'Roman Alexander' and Lee Fratantuono gives these events the detailed coverage they deserve. All this came before the events for which he is usually remembered: his great civil war against Julius Caesar. There is detailed analysis of the opening moves in Italy, Pompey's victory over Caesar at Dyrrhachium and the climactic battle at Pharsalus in September 48 BC. Pompey was defeated, fled ignominiously and was assassinated, leaving his two sons to carry on the war.

In the past, while visiting the First World War battlefields, the author often wondered where the various Victoria Cross actions took place. He resolved to find out. In 1988, in the midst of his army career, research for this book commenced and over the years numerous sources have been consulted. Victoria Crosses on the Western Front - The Final Advance in Picardy is designed for the battlefield visitor as much as the armchair reader. A thorough account of each VC action is set within the wider strategic and tactical context. Detailed sketch maps show the area today, together with the battle-lines and movements of the combatants. It will allow visitors to stand upon the spot, or very close to, where each VC was won. Photographs of the battle sites richly illustrate the accounts. There is also a comprehensive biography for each recipient, covering every aspect of their lives warts and all parents and siblings, education, civilian employment, military career, wife and children, death and burial/commemoration. A host of other information, much of it published for the first time, reveals some fascinating characters, with numerous links to many famous people and events.

Who's Who in the Moon is aimed not only at the beginner or near-beginner, but also at the backyard astronomer who is perhaps experienced in other areas of observation but who has decided to spend more time considering the Moon as an alternative target. The book provides a visual introduction to our closest celestial neighbour, opening with an introductory section which details both with the history of lunar mapping and naming of lunar formations as well as providing useful information on observing the lunar surface and what observers can realistically expect to see when they look at the Moon with the naked eye, binoculars or a small/medium telescope. The introductory section is followed by a lengthy series of images, including not only wide field panoramic views, but also a large number of more detailed images showing close-up views of different areas of the Moon and featuring individual craters, mountains, valleys and much more. Many of the individual features shown on these images are identified by name and are accompanied by biographical sketches relating to the men and women after whom they are named. This is a non-technical, up-close-and-personal visual look at the Earth's only natural satellite and many of the individual features scattered across its surface. Rather than offering itself as a full and exhaustive guide to the lunar surface, A Guide to the Moon is more of a **vade mecum** which enables and (hopefully) encourages the reader to become more acquainted with the lunar landscape on a personal level, with a view to learning more about the astronomers and other scientists whose names are immortalised by having lunar features named after them. Who's Who in the Moon was inspired by, and is a tribute to, a Memoir published by the British Astronomical Association (BAA) in 1938 entitled Who's Who in the Moon written by Mary Evershed, the first Director of the BAA Historical Section. The biographical notes in A Guide to the Moon include examples of those penned by Mary Evershed in her original publication.

At a time when the subject of the trans-Atlantic slave trade is seldom out of the news, this book provides a challenge to the popularly accepted view of the matter.

For decades the classic, evergreen BBC comedy Dad's Army has entertained millions of viewers around the world. But the farcical antics of Walmington-on-Sea's bumbling Home Guard platoon camouflage the true military service of some of the actors themselves. Despite their light-hearted appearance, many of the cast saw active service in one, or even both, of the world wars - and much of it far from humorous. The inspiration behind the sitcom was the experiences of one its writers, Jimmy Perry, who, as a young 16-year-old wannabe comedian, was still waiting for his call up papers when he joined the eager warriors of the Home Guard in 1940. Little did he know how decades later that ribald group of men in the Watford battalion would provide the inspiration which put his name up in lights. Indeed, was it Perry's own goofy gullibility as a teenager that helped form the character of Private Pike?Also, admitted Perry, the affable Lance Corporal Jones - in real life Clive Dunn, a former prisoner-of-war who served in the 4th Queen's Own Hussars - was partly based on an old soldier Perry knew who had served in the Sudan. This veteran recalled being told by a CO to 'piss on your rifle' to cool it down. Perry went on to serve in India in the Royal Artillery and then later with Combined Services Entertainments. As a twenty-year-old British Army officer, David Croft was stationed in North Africa when a raft of comical events, including his struggles with a Bofors gun, went on to shape the calamities which befall the Dad's Army troopers! Theatre-mad Derbyshire lad Arthur Lowe, who played the redoubtable Captain Mainwaring, was thin with knobbly knees when he was seconded to the No.2 Field Entertainment Unit in Egypt. Meantime languid, good mannered actor John Le Mesurier reported for duty with the Royal Tank Regiment complete with golf clubs in his car boot. By 1943 he was ironically enduring life in Deolali (Doolally in India), when he 'had a captaincy thrust upon him' until being demobbed in 1946. The astonishing bravery of actor and playwright Arnold Ridley, who was denied a DSO and a Military Medal for his actions during the First World War, makes for heart-rending reading. His creation of dear old Private Godfrey won him millions of adoring fans. The classical actor John Laurie - Private 'We're all doomed' Frazer - was also a hero of the trenches. Always dry-witted he once made everyone laugh on set when he remarked: 'I've played every part in Shakespeare, I was considered to be the finest Hamlet of the 1920s and I had retired, and now I am famous for doing this crap!'That each man, including the mocking Laurie, helped turn Dad's Army into everlasting success will never be forgotten. And why? Well, in reality they had seen war and knew war, and yet always completely realised and understood how the power of laughter is the ultimate triumph.

The Falkland Islands had been invaded and a Task Force was already steaming south at full speed. On board the carriers were the Harriers that would provide essential aerial cover for the British troops and ships sent to re-capture the islands.

The death of Ptolemy VI brought his younger brother Ptolemy VIII to the kingship. This was the start of a prolonged, if intermittent, turbulent period of family strife, punctuated by rebellions, plots and wars. One king, Ptolemy VII, was murdered, Ptolemy VIII's two simultaneous wives plotted and rebelled, and when he died one of these, Kleopatra III, was his effective successor.Ptolemy VIII was in fact not a bad king in some ways, and encouraged the exploitation of the discovery of the monsoon climate of the Indian Ocean to develop trade with India, as well as using his (much reduced) navy to maintain contact with the lands of the Mediterranean. Kleopatra III made a renewed effort to reconquer Palestine, but failed (Eighth Syrian War).From the death of Ptolemy IX in 180 BC there were two overriding problems. Ptolemy IX was the last legitimate Ptolemy, and the succession was constantly in dispute from then on. And looming over all was the rising power of Rome. This had been largely absent from the eastern Mediterranean until the Mithradatic wars brought its power repeatedly into the East. Egypt gradually became drawn into the republic's orbit, mainly as a source of cash to fund its wars and the greed of the Roman aristocracy until, choosing the side of Mark Antony, the final Ptolemy, Kleopatra VII, went down to defeat before Octavian's forces.

One of the great names in British industrial history, the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Govan, Glasgow, was always associated with innovation - particularly the development of the compound steam engine which brought great fuel efficiency to deep sea transportation and led to the ubiquitous triple expansion steam engine. Through the design and construction of record-breaking Atlantic liners and their machinery for the Guion and Cunard companies, by the late nineteenth century Fairfield had become the most important shipyard and marine engine works in the world. Admiralty contracts for all classes of warship followed, notably during the world wars and as a lifeline during the depression of the 1920s and early 1930s. However, the Fairfield yard was probably best known for building magnificently appointed intermediate liners, among them a series of Empress liners for Canadian Pacific. From the late 1950s onwards as shipbuilding in Britain began a steady decline, Fairfield, one of the most modern yards in Europe with a large order book, hit the headlines this time not for the launch or completion of a ship but by declaring insolvency in 1965. The next 35 years, much of it under state ownership, were characterised by various name changes and campaigns to keep the yard open. With its traditional market for 'high class' tonnage gone and no longer designated a warship yard, new commercial markets had to be found. When this struggle for survival seemed to be all but over and the virtual elimination of the commercial shipbuilding industry in Britain now complete, BAE Systems acquired the yard in 2000 bringing with it stability and continuity. A major warship-builder once more, the former Fairfield yard has been heavily involved in the Type 45 destroyer programme, the production of major blocks for the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, the five River class Offshore Patrol Vessels and currently with the Type 26 frigate programme. With the skyline of Glasgow soon to be transformed once BAE Systems completes its next-generation ship construction hall, capable of building two Type 26 frigates side by side under cover, the future looks bright for the last of the great Clyde shipyards.

Aimed at those with some experience of painting in watercolour but helpful for beginners too, the book provides a comprehensive masterclass in the art of landscape painting. Readers will be taken on a journey, developing a rich understanding of the landscape as an inspirational subject, through the steps required to capture it in watercolour, to designing paintings and adopting strategies and structures that will deliver consistent results. The book concludes with advice and guidance on how to progress from painting as a hobby to earning a living as a full-time artist, navigating a way through the challenges of the digital era and social media.

John Colliers war began on day one, flying Hampdens in 83 Squadron with his friend Guy Gibson, in a hunt for the battleship Admiral Scheer. By the summer of 1940 he was bombing the Dortmund-Ems Canal at low-level, then Bordeaux and the Scharnhorst at Brest, which led to his DFC and Bar.

The casual visitor to Carlisle Cathedral will notice massive sandstone walls, a magnificent ceiling, and the exquisite Flemish carving of the Brougham Triptych. Less obvious is a brass memorial tablet on the North Wall. It commemorates a man who would probably have preferred it not to be noticed.

The Trafalgar Chronicle is the publication of choice for new research on the Georgian era navy, sometimes called 'Nelson's Navy'. Its scope extends to the maritime world of 1714 to 1837. In this volume, authors from five countries provide tales of adventure, battles, conquests and intrigue that span the world's oceans, taking readers to the UK, the US, South America, Venice, France, the Caribbean, South Africa and the Ionian Islands. The theme for this New Series 9 is naval intelligence in the Georgian era. The contributions include two articles on the methods of gathering naval intelligence - one by author Steve Maffeo who has written the definitive book on the subject. Two articles explore how Nelson and Rodney respectively applied naval intelligence in their missions. Three articles about intelligence agents follow, including a featured monograph on Baron d'Imbert, a royalist spy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Biographical portraits include a discussion of Duckworth's dilemma of choosing between his mission in the Caribbean and safeguarding the health of his men from the threat of yellow fever. The tale of Joshua Penny tells of a Royal Navy sailor who deserted and found refuge in a cave in South Africa. A third article documents the last survivors of the Battle of Trafalgar as they reached their final years. Five more articles of general interest cover a range of topics, to include the parliamentary debates concerning the War of 1812, the cruise of the US Frigate Essex, copper bottoms on Royal Navy ships, political wranglings in South America, and the origin of the name of Villeneuve's flagship, Bucentaure. This richly illustrated, peer reviewed, scholarly journal of naval history is a 'must-read' for all enthusiasts and historians of the Age of Sail. **'Well written, well researched, well-illustrated, this is a publication that will both delight and inform. A most enjoyable read.' D J Paul in Naval Review****'The Chronicle is a wonderful collection of articles, and a delight to dip into.' ****Warship World**

Opened in the spring of 1942 to house captured Allied airmen, Stalag Luft III at Sagan was planned and built to make escape particularly difficult, especially tunnelling. This, though, did not deter the prisoners. Numerous escape attempts followed, involving prisoners trying to go over, through or under the wire fences.

The Roman Empire (long since ruled from Constantinople) was in a perilous and tumultuous position in the early eighth century. Surrounded by expansionist enemies, most notably the Muslim Arab Umayyad Caliphate but also the Khazars, Slavs, Avars, Bulgars and Lombards, it was also riven by religious controversy and internal political instability. When a plot brought Leo III to the throne in 717, he was the fourth Emperor since Justinian II's assassination six years earlier. Within weeks of his accession he was faced with the year-long siege of his capital by the Arabs. The siege was eventually broken (with the help of the secret weapon, Greek fire) but was only the first of many crises Leo faced in his twenty-four-year reign. His tenure saw a number of rebellions, and Peter Crawford considers how Leo dealt with these (and the extent to which his own policies caused them). Space is given to the great religious development of his reign, the initiation of Iconoclasm, its impact on the empire and its tainting of the reputation of Leo and much of his dynasty. He also considers various aspects of Leo's administration: coinage, provincial infrastructure, civil law and foreign policy. This is a thorough and fascinating reassessment of a ruler who brought the Empire from the brink of extinction and maintained it through a time of real crisis.

Among all the branches of the Red Army during the Second World War, self-propelled artillery is probably the most overlooked and misinterpreted. Attention has focused on the tanks the Red Army deployed against the Germans on the Eastern Front, the T-34 in particular; the self-propelled guns, which played an increasingly important tactical role after the shocking defeats of 1941 and 1942, have been neglected. Alexey Tarasov, in this detailed, wide-ranging and very heavily illustrated history, describes how the Soviets rose to the challenge of creating a series of self-propelled guns in extraordinarily difficult wartime conditions, and he assesses, and illustrates, all the types they produced. Also he covers the organization, training, tactics and combat operations of the self-propelled artillery units. When the Germans invaded the Soviets lacked self-propelled artillery, believing that tanks and field guns would provide sufficient support for their infantry. But the effectiveness of the German assault guns persuaded them that they had to design similar armoured vehicles and rapidly they did so. As the author shows, by the end of the war, after an intense process of improvisation and development, they fielded self-propelled guns, in particular the SU-76, SU-122 and SU-152, which matched those of the Germans in terms of performance and heavily outnumbered them on the battlefield. Alexey Tarasov's photographic history will be essential reading for anyone who has a special interest in Soviet armour and armoured warfare in general, and it will be a valuable source for modellers.

Retired drug regulator and medical historian Anthony C. Cartwright tells the story of the anti-vaxxers, starting with objections by 'Anti-Vacks' to Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccine in the early 19th century, and then a propaganda war waged by the Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League and its successor from 1853 to 1972. There was political lobbying and demonstrations across Britain against compulsory smallpox vaccination for children. Parents who refused to have their children treated were fined and even went to prison. The campaign spread to America and there were links to many countries. The popular appeal of anti-vaxxer views is reviewed in a new analysis and linked to libertarian objections to compulsion and fears of vaccine safety for their children. The early anti-vax leaders were germ theory deniers, and believers in alternative medicine. Using his regulatory expertise to review issues of historic safety, quality and efficacy of vaccines, major questions about later vaccines such as an early polio vaccine actually increasing polio deaths, infant deaths in Lübeck from a TB contaminated BCG vaccine, and reports linking neurological reactions to Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTP) vaccine are considered. These caused reluctance to vaccinate. Andrew Wakefield's fraudulent 1998 scientific paper linking MMR vaccine to autism fuelled the fire for the anti-vaxxers and caused an epidemic of measles cases in children. Although modern Covid-19 vaccines were thoroughly tested for safety and efficacy, anti-vaccine sentiment came to a head again. Demonstrators marched in cities round the world carrying signs protesting government policies, and this book looks at the websites which proliferated on the Internet, bearing false witness about dangers. Lessons can be learned from history to mitigate vaccine hesitancy and mistrust, and to ensure all ethnic groups and sections of society receive the healthcare they deserve.

When Soviet troops were liberating Auschwitz concentration camp in January 1945 among the piles of half burnt corpses and emaciated prisoners left behind, they were amazed to find nesting boxes for birds. The same boxes were found in the walled garden at the house of Rudolf Hoess, the notorious camp commandant. In his safe, they also discovered a research paper on the birds of Auschwitz with a personal dedication. It read 'I owe this to the great understanding which the commandant of Konzentrationslager Auschwitz, SS-Sturmbannführer Höß, gave to the scientific development of this area and the research tasks that the German expansion in the East brings with it.'The nesting boxes and research paper belonged to one of the most erudite but naive guards ever to serve at the camp, Dr. Günther Niethammer. On his arrival in 1940 Niethammer's passion for birds soon became known throughout Auschwitz and led to him being assigned to 'special duties' by Hoess. So instead of guard duties, Niethammer shot game to order for commandant and conducted the most infamous bird survey of all time. Turning a blind eye to the heinous treatment of the prisoners and the extermination of the Jews, Niethammer instead shot birds and created a macabre museum of bird skins at the camp working with one of the inmates. After leaving Auschwitz, he carried out further bird surveys in occupied Crete, Bulgaria, and Italy. When the war was finally over Niethammer was put on trial but spent just 3 years in prison before returning to the Museum Koenig where his career, although tainted by association with Auschwitz, still flourished until his death in 1974. This is the story of the one of the greatest ornithologists of his generation who was seduced by the Nazis and became 'The Birdman of Auschwitz'.