Bøker utgitt av Pen & Sword Books Ltd

* Re-issue of an esteemed piece of work, initially published in 1988 by Patrick Stephens Limited. * Extensively illustrated throughout, it offers a comprehensive and entertaining history of desert warfare from the Roman era to the 1980s. * Skilfully evokes a real sense of the desert landscapes that have played host to such an array of military en

The largely sea-borne invasion of Northern France in June 1944, Operation Overlord, is acknowledged as one of the key actions which hastened the end of the Second World War. The RAF played a vital part in the landings. It then supported the subsequent advance of Montgomery's 21st Army, and the Allies as a whole, through France, Belgium, Holland and into Germany.Following the breakout from the Normandy bridgehead in early August 1944, the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force moved forward in support of the troops, occupying a number of temporary airfields as it went. The ground support for this operation was complex, a situation that was exacerbated by the fact that much of it had to be highly mobile. The advance, however, was rapid and soon ran into problems as the supply lines grew longer by the day.The planners had envisaged that capturing the Belgian port of Antwerp would eventually enable them to bring in vitally needed supplies much further north on the Continent. Although the city and its port were liberated in September 1944, the port's route to the sea along the River Scheldt was still controlled by German forces. It took nearly three months until this was resolved, and the port opened for business. Until then, in the RAF's equivalent of the US Army's famed 'Red Ball Express', it was some 300 miles by road from Normandy with the Second Tactical Air Force largely reliant on the Army for transporting its needs. For an air force needing large volumes of fuel and ammunition, demand soon began to outpace supply.A number of emergency measures were put in place to keep the aircraft operational, which saw the RAF resorting to the use of its heavy bombers to fly in supplies. Even when Antwerp was up and running, supplying the Second Tactical Air Force remained a hand-to-mouth affair right through until the enemy's surrender in May 1945.In Forward Air Bases in Europe from D-Day to the Baltic the author explores the challenges of supporting a mobile air force in those uncertain days as Hitler's forces were retreating to their homeland. As the Allies found, things can go badly wrong when thinking loses touch with the art of the possible - logistics. In the end, miraculously, it worked, but it was a close-run thing.

A complete history of women's football, from its Victorian games beginning in 1881, to the plans for England to host the Euro Finals in England 2022, this book demonstrates how women's football began as a professional sport, and has only recently returned to these professional roots in the UK. This is because there was a fifty-year Football Association 'ban' on women playing on pitches affiliated to the governing body in England. The other British associations followed suit.Why was women's football banned in 1921? Why did it take until 1969 for a Women's Football Association to form? Why did it take until 1995 for England to qualify for a Women's World Cup? Answers to these key questions are supplemented across the chapters by personal accounts of the players who defied the ban, at home and abroad, along with the personal costs, and rewards, of being footballing pioneers.

This significant new reference book provides a complete list of the ships of the Royal Navy which were lost at sea in the age of sail. Arranged in chronological order, it includes outline details of each vessel lost and the circumstances of her loss. 1649 is the start date, which coincides with the execution of Charles I and that time when the Royal Navy entered a new phase as an instrument of state: the launch of the steam-powered and iron-hulled Warrior in 1860 effectively marks the end of the great era of the wooden-hulled sailing warship.Life at sea in the age of sail was a hazardous pursuit, and there were many reasons for a ship being lost. A correspondent to the Nautical Magazine in 1841 detailed some fifty reasons and causes, from being short of crew, abandonment without sufficient cause, the poor condition of a ship, incorrectness of charts, poor dead-reckoning as well as less obvious reasons such as 'the presence of captains' wives and other women.' Navigational error, particularly before the chronometer allowed for the accurate calculation of longitude, was a common reason, while poor weather in the form of fog or gales was an obvious peril. So many ships suffered the melancholy fate of lonely disappearance - overwhelmed by storm and sea, and witnessed by none. Collisions and fire feature regularly as does, of course, loss to the enemy.Each entry includes details of the ship, its name and type, tonnage and dimensions, origin and place of build, the circumstances of the loss, the date and a list of the main references used. All this material is presented here in a single and highly accessible volume, and represents a major milestone both in naval research and publishing; it offers too a fund of fascinating and compelling stories of maritime misadventure.Praise for the author's previous work: 'This volume is an amazing encyclopaedic, catalogue of British warships lost between 1920 and 1982 ... It is strongly recommended to historians, authors, researchers and all those with an interest in the history of the Royal Navy and the Second World War.' - Scuttlebut Magazine

Investigates the formations that operated these deservedly famous vehicles and uses archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine the markings, camouflage and technical aspects of the Jagdtigers.

The Great War Illustrated 1917 covers the battles at Arras, Passchendaele and Cambrai, the use of aviation and the role of the tanks. Some images will be familiar, and many will be seen for the first time by a new generation interested in the months that changed the world for ever.

"Dedicated to the fallen of Umpty Squadron, R.F.C., June-December 1916"--Page 6.

This recently discovered memoir gives an intimate glimpse into the Great War service of Beatrice Hopkinson, a Territorial Forces Nursing Service Sister, who remained steadfastly and true to her profession as she nursed through shot and shell. Dr Vivien Newman's meticulously researched Introduction brings Beatrice's world out of the shadows, juxtaposing her war service against the background of the Army Nursing Service, where dedicated, professional nurses worked closer to the Front Line than women could have ever previously imagined doing. Beatrice was selected for the most onerous type of duty in the bitterest phase of the war. She had arrived in St Omer in the summer of 1917 when the town was being continuously bombed. With her hospital under nightly attack, Beatrice simply got on with the job she had come to France to do: saving the lives and easing the dying of soldiers on the Western Front. For Beatrice, spring 1918 was marked by a 'sea of blood'. Caught up in the British Army's headlong retreat when hospitals and patients risked being captured by the enemy, she and her 'rapid response' team were rushed between several Casualty Clearing Stations in France and Belgium. They operated on thousands of soldiers wounded in Germany's final attempt to win the War. As the fortunes of war finally turned in the Allies' favour, Beatrice advanced through Belgium, a land destroyed by war and enemy occupation. This diary gives rare insight into the realities of Front Line nursing through the eyes of someone who had never anticipated working for the Army but who, when her country called, willingly and steadfastly answered.

This is a lively exploration of the everyday lives of women in early modern England, from 1540-1740. The book uncovers details of how women filled their days, what they liked to eat and drink, what jobs they held, and how they raised their children. With chapters devoted to beauty regimes, fashion, and literature, the book also examines the cultural as well as the domestic aspect of early modern women's lives. Further, the book answers questions such as how women understood and dealt with their monthly periods and what it was like to give birth in a time before modern obstetric care was available. The book also highlights key moments in women's history such as the publication in 1671, of the first midwifery guide by an English woman, Jane Sharp. The turmoil caused by the Civil Wars of the 1640s gave rise to a number of religious sects in which women participated to a surprising extent and some of their stories are included in this book. Also scrutinised are cases of notorious criminals such as murderer Sarah Malcolm and confidence trickster Mary Toft who pretended to give birth to rabbits. Overall the book describes the experiences of women over a two hundred year period noting the changes and continuities of daily life during this fascinating era.

The only single-volume annual survey of naval developments around the world.

Compelling new account of the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union.

A tour of the very worst leadership in ancient Rome.

Gives a general overview of commercial fisheries, including British landings.

Clear narrative of the war from the start of the invasion to the end of 2022.

Hawker Aircraft Ltd at Kingston was arguably the most successful and long-lasting manufacturer of military aircraft in Great Britain and Europe. In its various evolved manifestations - Hawker Aircraft, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, British Aerospace - its output of war winning aircraft, mainly fighters, was unsurpassed. From the Hart and Hurricane through the Hunter, Harrier and Hawk, the company consistently produced aircraft that the UK fighting services wanted. But some designs, for whatever reason, failed to reach flight or were declined by the services.With their sometimes advanced aerodynamics and technology, these aircraft could have had successful service careers but instead were abandoned, their stories failing to reach mainstream consciousness. Having not received their just dues, the present book seeks to redress this omission. The reasons for failure are many and varied, often financial or political, but in each case the reasons behind the failure of the design are examined.In a wide-ranging investigation that documents the origins of Hawker Aircraft Ltd and its famous Project Office, this work, the third in Christopher Budgen's investigation of the inner workings of Hawker Aircraft, is a fitting tribute to the many who made the company the success it was.

Fresh new look at the life of Cicero, Rome's greatest orator and one of the key figures of the 1st century BCE.

Dr Simon Elliott describes eight of the greatest, most decisive of the Roman Empire of the first to third centuries. The list includes battles fought from the highlands of Scotland and the forests of Germany to the deserts of the Middle East. They show how the vaunted Roman legions adapted to extremes of terrain and climate as well as a wide array of very different foes, from the wild Caledonian tribes to the sophisticated, combined-arms armies of Sassanid Persia with their war elephants and superb cavalry. Some of the battles even pit the Roman legions against their own kind in brutal civil wars.After an introductory chapter on the Imperial Roman army, detailing its organization, equipment, tactics and doctrine, the author moves on to describing each battle in detail. He sets the strategic context and background of the chosen engagement before analyzing the size and composition of the opposing forces, also detailing the nature of the enemy faced. The maneuvers leading up to the battle are described, followed by deployment and the course of the fighting itself. Finally, the aftermath and implications of the battles outcome are assessed. The well-researched and engaging text is supported by clear maps.

This is a military-political history with a vital and all-pervading cultural and social theme which shapes the narrative - race, color and prejudice. But despite this, there is an extraordinary underlying theme of empire loyalty among serving soldiers - NCOs and private soldiers - and a growing grasp of political ideas and liberal democracy. And the loyalty to the British crown as an agent of the ending of slavery will be amazing to some readers.War experience was a powerful catalyst and contributed to a 'West Indianess' and desire for political advance. But even here the desire was for independence within the empire - a 'West Indian Dominion' as with 'elder sisters' of empire, the Dominions of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.The political and economic status of the islands was a potent reason for the 'colored contingents' enlisting - work was scarce - but a major impetus was the cultural concept of 'manliness' and empire-status - shared by George V, who insisted, against government pressure, on allowing West Indians to serve with white British soldiers. But all were volunteers and not enlisted men.The West Indies Regiment was small and its contribution in action limited, and restricted largely to Egypt and Mesopotamia, and with limited service on the Western Front. But it shows vividly the ingrained racialism and color prejudice of British society and the British Army and above all, in the insensitive omission of the West Indies Regiment at the Victory Parade in 1919.

A revisionist history showing a gradual build-up of opposition and a drift to conflict which few expected or wanted. And this was despite growing Stuart absolutism, threats to Parliament and the accepted civil order and religious controversy. It is forensic study, full of fascinating and even unexpected details, principal actors come to life and readers will feel involved in an existential crisis of the British state(s).The study of the three Kingdoms covers the major themes of religious dispute with Laud, Wentworth and Strafford - towering figures - church reform, 'godly' religions and explosion of 'news' and pamphlets, the King and Lords and Commons, the Queen's, often suspect influence, King Charles' absolutism and rigidity, and iconic events like the Grand Remonstance, arrest of the Five Members, Charles' departure from London and the raising of the Royal Standard for war.

The life of Giacomo Casanova and a chronicle of eighteenth-century Europe.

Polish fighter pilots received their baptism of fire over their own country in September 1939, when they were overwhelmed by the aerial might of Germany and the Soviet Union. Despite this, they claimed over 120 enemy aircraft destroyed. When the Polish Air Force was reborn in France, the same men fought against the same enemy, yet with more experience and with better understanding of their opponents' tactics - though, as the author reveals, the aircraft they flew were, in most cases, quite different.Polish airmen also proved themselves during the Battle of Britain, when 145 men from Poland, the biggest non-British contingent in Fighter Command, fought for the survival one of the last bastions of democracy. With an impressive tally of 126 enemy aircraft destroyed over Poland, and a further fifty-one in France, these men, including combat pilots, flying instructors and test pilots, had to be trained to serve under the command of the RAF. They had to learn a new language that was crucial for them to be part of the Fighter Command organization, and when they finally did, for every 100 men involved in fighting Göring's Luftwaffe in the air, up to twenty of them were Polish. During the Battle of Britain fighter pilots from Poland destroyed over 202 enemy aircraft with 303 Squadron becoming the most successful unit in the whole of Fighter Command.Ten Polish fighter squadrons were eventually formed and went on to fight alongside their British, Canadian, Australian, Belgian, or Dutch brothers in arms in the RAF's offensive over northern Europe that began in earnest in 1941. In so doing, the Polish fighter pilots achieved many successes against the enemy in the sky as well as on the ground, though, inevitably, at a cost.Polish Air Force Fighter Aircraft, 1940-1942 tells the story that the men and machines of the Polish squadrons underwent from the Battle of France to the Dieppe Raid. The latter was almost as disastrous in the air as it was on the ground - though, from the Polish perspective, it confirmed the long-developed skills of their pilots. This book, however, is not just about the aircraft the Polish aircrew flew, it also reveals how these men lived and fought in the early years of the Second World War.

The New Aviation began with a hang-gliding meeting on a sand-dune in southern California on 23 May 1971. The longest flight that day was 196 feet, the longest time in the air just 11 seconds. But it was a start - the start of a movement that has grown exponentially world-wide with every passing year.The essence of the New Aviation is to stand on a hill, spread your wings, and climb into the sky by your own skill. It is the fundamentals of flight as it is meant to be, and this is the story of the development of this exhilarating sport, and of its largely unknown pioneers.The first of these was German pioneer aviator, Otto Lilienthal. Despite dozens of deaths before him, Lilienthal was the first to establish that manned flight was actually possible; before him, flight was just a dream. His tragic death in 1896 inspired the American Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur, to their own experiments on a wind-swept beach in Kittyhawk, North Carolina, where the first powered flight there on 17 December 1903.The book begins and ends with two significant tales, opening with the life and death of Englishman Alvin Russell, and ending with the fabled Swiss flyer Didier Favre, who traversed the length of the Alps 'by foot or by flight'. It is full of terrific stories, often repeating exploits of the mainstream aviators but flying just a kite and a trapeze bar, flying with eagles and teaching orphaned geese to migrate.It has exclusive accounts of record-breaking distances, on adding engines to 'rag wings', on how women broke into the machismo world and an English girl led a team in which every other competitor was a man, and beat them all.A History of the New Aviation is the first in-depth 'narrative' to stitch together the history and evolution of a pastime which is enjoyed by hundreds of thousands around the world. It is told by Brian Milton, the man who formed the British Hang Gliding League and led the first two British teams to beat the mighty Americans, for which he won the Prince of Wales Cup from Prince Charles, now King Charles III. Brian went on to make the first flight around the world by a powered hang glider. Two men set off on this flight; Brian returned alone.

Stephen takes the reader from his earliest school days when it became clear he was academically bright, especially in maths, attending prep school, winning a scholarship to major public school Uppingham where he won maths prizes and, aged 16, passed 3 S (scholarship) levels.

A forensic study of war, imperial history and international relations, following the Second World War and leading into the Cold War and defeat of Western imperialism in Asia.

Reveals how the Nazis and Soviets used science fiction as science facts.

A major reassessment of the greatest tank war in history.

A collection of royal mysteries of the Tudor period.

The amazing life story of Sir Hardy Amies, SOE hero who led a fascinating double life as a couturier and an intelligence officer during the Second World War.

A collection of royal mysteries from the Stuart and Georgian Periods.