'The 3 Commando Brigade's six month deployment in Helmand Province was among the finest pieces of soldiering I have come across' - General Sir Richard Dannett, Chief of General Staff. In October 2006, the Royal Marine Commandos took up their six month tour of duty in war-torn Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan - the toughest and hottest war zone on earth. After the tactical retreat of their predecessors, the Paras, the Marines knew they would have to take a different approach to have any chance of success.

So they took the war to the enemy. Roving and aggressive, the Commandos forced the insurgent Taliban on to the back foot. As a result, they were involved in daily fire fights of an intensity not encountered by British troops since North Korea."3 Commando Brigade" is a thrilling first-hand account of that dogged, heroic pursuit of the Taliban by the ordinary Marines, sailors and soldiers responsible.

It is a story of valour, fortitude, supreme physical and mental fitness, and unrivalled professionalism under the most testing of circumstances. The account explodes from the first page with Operation Glacier, a graphic, no-holds-barred account of a Commando attack on a key Taliban base south of Garmsir - a battle that ends with the dramatic recovery of a Corporal's body from alongside the fort by Apache helicopters. From this opening salvo the action never lets up, offering a startlingly honest account of the war in Afghanistan as told by the junior officers, corporals and marines on the ground.

'The 3 Commando Brigade's six month deployment in Helmand Province was among the finest pieces of soldiering I have come across' - General Sir Richard Dannett, Chief of General Staff. In October 2006, the Royal Marine Commandos took up their six month tour of duty in war-torn Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan - the toughest and hottest war zone on earth. After the tactical retreat of their predecessors, the Paras, the Marines knew they would have to take a different approach to have any chance of success.

So they took the war to the enemy. Roving and aggressive, the Commandos forced the insurgent Taliban on to the back foot. As a result, they were involved in daily fire fights of an intensity not encountered by British troops since North Korea."3 Commando Brigade" is a thrilling first-hand account of that dogged, heroic pursuit of the Taliban by the ordinary Marines, sailors and soldiers responsible.

It is a story of valour, fortitude, supreme physical and mental fitness, and unrivalled professionalism under the most testing of circumstances. The account explodes from the first page with Operation Glacier, a graphic, no-holds-barred account of a Commando attack on a key Taliban base south of Garmsir - a battle that ends with the dramatic recovery of a Corporal's body from alongside the fort by Apache helicopters. From this opening salvo the action never lets up, offering a startlingly honest account of the war in Afghanistan as told by the junior officers, corporals and marines on the ground.

Every day for nine months from September 1944, young British Commonwealth and Norwegian airmen flew from Banff, Fraserburgh and Peterhead in northern Scotland to target German U-Boats, merchantment and freighters in the fjords and leads of southwest Norway, encountering the Luftwaffe and flakships every step of the way. Truly this was a war within a war, bitter and bloody, at low level and close quarters. By recording their crucial contribution to winning the world war, in a compelling, accurate and fascinating way, Andrew Bird has ensured their memory will not be overlooked.

In this, the third book of Spellmount's "Campaign in Context" series, Rupert Matthews looks to the first major campaign of Alexander the Great. One of the most famous generals all time, Alexander was just 20 when he led his army into battle at Granicus. Despite his youth and his army being heavily outnumbered, he was victorious, and it was this victory that allowed him to conquer Asia Minor.

The course of this key battle remains controversial, owing to conflicting accounts in contemporary sources. As with his previous titles in the series, Rupert Matthews carefully balances the evidence from textual sources with knowledge of the battlefield and reconstructed weaponry in order to explain the events of the battle to the general reader, and the context in which it took place.

An astonishing first book, Apache is a story of courage, comradeship, technology and tragedy, during the ongoing war in Afghanistan. 'Apache' is the first book to come from the cockpit of the most sophisticated fighting helicopter the world has ever known. Designed in the mid 1980s to take on the Soviets, these machines have proven themselves as the perfect tool for combat in Afghanistan.

Ed Macy's account of the incredibly hard Apache selection process, tougher than that of the SAS, combined with his description of the sheer difficulty of flying one of these helicopters provides a fascinating insight into the relationship between man and machine fighting in the toughest conditions imaginable. The climactic build-up to the rescue mission at Jugroom Fort is both dramatic and deeply moving. The rescue of Lance Corporal Mathew Ford has been hailed as one of the most remarkable and daring rescues of modern wartime and Ed's bravery on the ground at Jugroom Fort led to him being awarded the Military Cross - one of the first in the Army Air Corps' history.Taking the reader right to the heart of the war in Afghanistan, 'Apache' offers an unprecedented degree of proximity to the action and horror that troops in the region are faced with on a daily basis.

Gripping from the first page to the last, it is utterly compelling and impossible to put down.

Since 300 B.C.E., the Atlantic has served as the corridor for fundamental exchanges of peoples and technologies and as a pathway for the transfer of ideas and cultures. This, the first illustrated and comprehensive history of the Atlantic World, is at the forefront of an exciting new wave of study in universities and think tanks. Atlantic History is an increasingly dynamic field of scholarship based on the notion that the Americas, Africa and Europe have composed a regional system from the late 15th century to the present.Sandler explores the historical, socioeconomic, political, scientific and cultural developments that occurred throughout this region and shaped the modern world.

They include everything from exploration and discovery, the dissemination of ideas, the growth of global commerce and the fall of imperialism. Lavishly illustrated with exquisite antique maps, period paintings and engravings, documents, political cartoons and photographs, this unique volume is an engaging read sure to appeal to audiences everywhere.

Between June 1941 and May 1945 the largest conflict the world had ever seen was fought across Eastern Europe, culminating in the absolute defeat of the German Army. This second volume takes a chronological look at the Soviet counter-attack around Stalingrad, Manstein's enigmatic counterstroke through the battle of Kursk, and subsequent German retreat to the Dneipr. By the summer of 1944, the Red Army had achieved a level of offensive experience incomparable to its performances of 1941 and 1942.

The success of the operations in Belorussia and the Balkans brought the Soviet forces into Eastern Europe, and German defeat was inevitable, the Soviet offensives destroying not only the Ostheer, but the traditions of German militarism. Soviet victory in the east changed the political face of Europe and determined the next half-century of European history.

In 1215, the Barons of England forced King John to sign a revolutionary document which would change the political landscape of Britain and beyond for the next 800 years. Magna Carta was the forerunner of the Constitution that limited the powers of the crown and its echoes can be found in the seventeenth century Civil Wars, the struggles for American Independence, the work of Thomas Paine and in the bedrock of all contemporary liberal nations. As civil liberties and the rule of law are increasingly under question as part of the 'War on Terror', it has never been more essential to return to the original document, signed at Runnymede in June 1215.

Leading medieval historian Geoffrey Hindley retells the story of events leading up to the conference and looks at the document itself, showing how it has resonated over centuries and throughout the world.

Cambrai was the last battle fought by the British on the Western Front in 1917. With Russia out of the war, Italy on the brink of collapse, and the French still reeling from the effects of widespread mutiny, Britain was the only member of the Western Allies still capable of holding the mighty German Army at bay. They did so by taking the fight to the Germans in one of the greatest turning point battles of twentieth-century warfare.

At dawn on 20 November 1917, the British attacked the German lines with almost 400 tanks - the first ever mass use of this brand new weapon of war. The Germans were taken completely by surprise and crumpled beneath the blow. For a brief moment it looked as though a stunning breakthrough had been achieved, and church bells rang out across England in celebration.

But the Germans were not defeated. Indeed, they used their counterattack as an opportunity to pioneer their own new 'stormtroop' tactics, and suddenly the British were in disarray. In a series of bloody and terrifying reverses the British were driven right back to their start lines.

Over the decades many myths have grown up about this iconic battle.For one thing, it was not the tanks that most shocked the Germans at Cambrai at all, but brilliant British innovations in artillery techniques. But such was the potency of the tank myth that after the war it seduced generals and historians on both sides, until the myth was finally brought to reality in the mobile battles that engulfed Europe just thirty years later. In this new look at one of the century's most important battles, Bryn Hammond tells the story of what exactly happened at the end of 1917, and how the myths that were created in those tragic two weeks were to change the face of warfare forever.

When she agrees to take on one of the abused horses just rescued by the local SPCA, a new chapter opens in Susan Richards' difficult life. She lost her mother at the age of five and was raised by uncaring relatives; she married unhappily and divorced; and she'd been an alcoholic. Now, at the age of forty-three, she lives with three horses who keep her company: the diva-like Georgia, boyish Tempo and hopelessly romantic Hotshot.

While trying to capture another horse assigned to her, Lay Me Down, a skeletal mare, walks into Susan's horse trailer of her own volition. When Susan agrees to take her, she begins to forge a special, healing relationship that alters her life. Poignant and evocative, this is a book for anyone who has ever loved a horse, and for everyone who has ever lost a loved one.

Making full use of archival sources, studies by other scholars, and information provided by family members, Vincent Orange has completed the first biography of Air Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding to cover his entire life. Soldier, pilot, wireless pioneer, squadron commander, spiritualist, champion skier, 'Stuffy' Dowding is perhaps best known as the creator of the first radar-based air defence system and his no less remarkable management of such throughout the Battle of Britain. Dowding served in 'delightful and dangerous Iraq', helped to pacify unrest in the Holy Land, was involved in the R.101 airship disaster and oversaw the creation of Britain's first eight-gun monoplanes, the Hurricane and Spitfire.Controversially dismissed from Fighter Command and refused the RAF's highest rank, he nevertheless became the first airman elevated to the peerage since Trenchard.

Westminster Abbey was packed for his memorial service in March 1970 with more that 46 air marshals in attendance; and in 1988 HM the Queen Mother unveiled a statue in his honour. With his expert eye, respected historian Orange has analysed and evaluated every episode of Dowding's exceptional career to produce what will be seen as the definitive biography.

First in a brand-new series, this book includes interviews with the few surviving members of the Ethiopian resistance movement during the Italo-Abyssinian War. They fought an army that did not balk at using chemical weapons and enabled the Allies to achieve victory in East Africa. The foreword by the late, great Bill Deedes is the last work from the man who was there.

Famous tells the Great War stories of twenty of Britain's most respected, best known and even notorious celebrities. They include politicians, actors, writers, an explorer, a sculptor and even a murderer. The generation that grew up in the late 19th Century enlisted enthusiastically in the defence of the country. Many would become household names such as Basil Rathbone, the definitive Sherlock Holmes, AA Milne, creator of Winnie the Pooh, and Arnold Ridley who found fame and public affection as the dour Scotsman Fraser, and the gentle and genial Godfrey, in Dad's Army. From politicians such as Harold Macmillan and Winston Churchill to writers includsing JB Priestley, and JRR Tolkein, from sculptors like Henry Moore, to composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, their fame and influence continue even into the 21st Century. The authors Richard van Emden and Vic Piuk have discovered the exact locations where these celebrities saw action. They tell the story of where CS Lewis was wounded and invalided home, and how Basil Rathbone won the Military Cross for a trench raid (while dressed as a tree). Each story will be examined in detail with pictures taken of the very spot where the actions took place. There are maps of the area that will guide enterprising readers to walk in the footsteps of their heroes.

Lt Colonel E.W. Hermon died in a hail of bullets on the 9th April 1917, the first day of the Battle of Arras, leading his men of the 24th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers into the attack. Like hundreds of thousands of others in the Great War, he gave his life for his King and country.

He was shot through the heart, one bullet slicing through the papers in his top pocket, including the four-leaf clover his wife had given him for good luck. His final words to his Adjutant were 'Go on!' before he sank to his knees and died almost instantaneously. He was carried from the battlefield by his faithful soldier servant, Buxton, and now lies buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Roclincourt, three miles from Arras.

This could have been the end of the story but he left a testament of his life and ideals in a unique and hitherto unknown and unpublished collection of long and detailed letters he wrote to his darling wife and his children, 'the Chugs'. Now, nearly a century after his death, he speaks to us of a past, less cynical life, where selflessness, honour, duty and courage were admired above all else.His own courage was officially recognised as he was mentioned in despatches three times and posthumously awarded the D. S.O.

The letters have been transcribed and edited by Hermon's granddaughter Anne Nason with the guidance and historical advice of James Holland, the distinguished historian and writer. Peter Caddick-Adams, who works alongside Richard Holmes at Cranfield University, believes the letters to be unique in their candour and context since Hermon was Battalion Commander and thus his letters were not censored.

This is a history of the forgotten third battle of 1066, the battlefield which until now remained undiscovered. Three weeks and three days before the epic clash at Hastings in 1066 between Harold II and William of Normandy, a battle of the same size and scale took place just south of York at Fulford. Harald Hardrada, king of Norway, in alliance with Tostig, Harold II's brother, invaded with 300 ships, sailing up the Ouse just south of York.

Edwin and Morcar, Harold's brothers-in-law and earls of Mercia and Northumbria, gave battle at Fulford. This site has been forgotten, and largely undisturbed, for almost a thousand years. Charles Jones' book investigates the complex events that forced King Harold II of England to divide his army in order to defend his new kingdom from the invasions he expected in the north and the south.

The war on Western Front from 1914 to 1918 remains one of the notoriously great tragedies of the twentieth century. Most people hold it in their minds as a milestone in modern history, yet many of them know less about this devastating clash of nations than they would like - and they would be interested to discover more. Paddy Griffith's short history of the conflict has been written with them in mind - it provides an accessible primer to an enormous and fascinating subject. His account is aimed at an English-speaking readership, and he concentrates on the part played by British Expeditionary Force and the Americans in the conflict. The French and German perspectives are also explained and the wider political and strategic evolution of the war as a whole is laid out as essential background.

Amongst the many thousands of lives tragically cut short in the First World War were hundreds of young men who had athletic and sporting promise.

This book studies fourteen professional sportsmen who gave their lives in that most vicious of conflicts. It also looks deeper into the impact that the War had on professional sport in Britain and the raising of sportsman-specific Pals units that enabled a number of these men to serve side-by-side in the trenches of France and Flanders.
Their intriguing yet tragic stories are drawn from the ranks of professional footballers, international rugby stars, Wimbledon champions, Olympic gold medallists, cricketing heroes, golfing professionals, a member of the Ice Hockey Hall of Fame and a Tour de France winner of the countries fighting for the Allied cause.

Once in uniform they became soldiers, sailors and airmen and as vulnerable and mortal as any of their comrades-in-arms. Whilst some were awarded Britain's highest military accolade, the Victoria Cross, many others lay in unmarked graves and are today listed on memorials to the missing. All left their lives of fame, wealth and security to play 'the Greater Game' overseas and pay the ultimate price on the field of battle.

In addition to detailing the sporting achievements of these men this book delves into their military experiences, their battles are studied and footsteps are followed across the old front line.

The Greater Game - Sporting Icons who Fell in The Great War will appeal to sporting and military enthusiasts alike whilst providing a fascinating and long overdue tribute to our true sporting heroes of ninety years ago

As the West finds itself embroiled in conflict with radical Islam at home and abroad it is fascinating to hear the echoes of militant Islam from the Second World War, and the Nazis attempt to preach 'Jihad' against the British Empire and Stalin. Hitler's Jihadis tells the story of the tens of thousands of Muslims, from as far away as India who volunteered to wear the SS double lightning flashes and serve alongside their erstwhile conquerors. Jonathan Trigg gives insight into the pre-war politics that inspired these Islamic volunteers, who for the most part did not survive. Those who did survive the war and the bloody retribution that followed saw the reputation of the units in which they served in berated as militarily inept and castigated for atrocities against unarmed civilians. Using first hand accounts and official records Hitler's Jihadis peels away the propaganda to reveal the complexity that lies at the heart of the story of Hitler's most unlikely 'Aryans'.

Helmand Province, October 2006: British soldiers are engaged in the most intense, sustained fighting they've faced since the Korean War. Against a tough, experienced and frighteningly motivated enemy, their lives too often depended on the success of danger-close, pin-point attacks pressed home from the air. When 800 Naval Air Squadron - callsign 'Recoil' - arrived in theatre, their Boss, Commander Ade Orchard, knew there could be no slip-ups.

Day and night, the Fleet Air Arm crews were on constant alert, ready to scramble their heavily armed Harrier attack jets at a moment's notice in support of the men on the ground. The call wasn't slow in coming. Just fifteen minutes after getting airborne for the first time, Orchard and his wingman were in the thick of it, called in when an Apache helicopter gunship was forced back by heavy fire ...The first book written by a serving British fast jet pilot since the 1991 Gulf War, "Joint Force Harrier" offers an unprecedented, heart-stopping insight into the realities of modern air warfare.

The complexity and sophistication of the equipment may have moved on since the epic war battles of WWII, but it's clear that the courage, skill and character of the men engaged in this struggle for a country's survival has not.

Helmand Province, October 2006: British soldiers are engaged in the most intense, sustained fighting they've faced since the Korean War. Against a tough, experienced and frighteningly motivated enemy, their lives too often depended on the success of danger-close, pin-point attacks pressed home from the air. When 800 Naval Air Squadron - callsign 'Recoil' - arrived in theatre, their Boss, Commander Ade Orchard, knew there could be no slip-ups.

Day and night, the Fleet Air Arm crews were on constant alert, ready to scramble their heavily armed Harrier attack jets at a moment's notice in support of the men on the ground. The call wasn't slow in coming. Just fifteen minutes after getting airborne for the first time, Orchard and his wingman were in the thick of it, called in when an Apache helicopter gunship was forced back by heavy fire ...The first book written by a serving British fast jet pilot since the 1991 Gulf War, "Joint Force Harrier" offers an unprecedented, heart-stopping insight into the realities of modern air warfare.

The complexity and sophistication of the equipment may have moved on since the epic war battles of WWII, but it's clear that the courage, skill and character of the men engaged in this struggle for a country's survival has not.

At a certain point, most of us begin to realise that perhaps our eyesight isn't as sharp as it was, nor our hearing quite as acute. We may think that food doesn't taste as good as it did when we were young, or that roses don't smell as sweet.Many people accept such experiences as a normal part of ageing but, as this book will show, you really don't have to! Drawing on expert knowledge and tried-and-tested techniques as well as cutting-edge research, "Keep Your Senses Sharp" offers a personal action plan for anyone to preserve and even enhance their senses of sight, hearing, taste and smell.The book contains three comprehensive sections covering sight, hearing, taste and smell with masses of advice on what to do to protect your senses, how to recognise and assess any problems (including checklists of symptoms and when to seek help), and the dozens of ways that specialists can help to correct disorders and cure disease.

This is a complete Lancaster story with a concise authoritative narrative and fully illustrated in color and black and white. It is pocket-sized hardback. Series title with "The Spitfire Story".

Here is the unique story of the RAF's Avro Lancaster bomber. Peter R. March covers the Lancaster's genesis, first flight and flight testing; its part in the bomber offensive during the Second World War and how this iconic aircraft lives on in the 21st Century, with a listing of surviving Lancasters and where to see them.

The text is supported by a comprehensive selection of color and black and white photographs.

William Van der Kloot examines the experiences of seven future national leaders during the First World War. Adolf Hitler served on the Western Front for four years; Charles de Gaulle was bayonetted and captured at Verdun; Benito Mussolini was so badly wounded that he was discharged as a hero; Gustav Mannerheim was a cavalry commander who fought on the Eastern Front; Mustafa Kemal Ataturk commanded a division at the Battle of Gallipoli; Harold Macmillan was wounded at Loos and again at the Somme; and Herbert Hoover, although a civilian, organized humanitarian relief in German-occupied Europe, especially Belgium. Combining information gleaned from memoirs, diaries, biographies and regimental histories, this book illustrates how these experiences formed them into the men remembered by history.

General George Monck is famous for the key role he played in the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 - his actions changed the course of British history. But his statesmanship in the dangerous time between the death of Cromwell and the bloodless return of Charles II distracts attention from his extraordinary career as a soldier and general, admiral, governor and administrator. During the confused, often bloody era of the English Civil Wars and the Protectorate he was one of the great survivors. Peter Reese, in this perceptive new study, follows Monck through his long, varied career, from his impoverished upbringing in the West Country and his military apprenticeship on the Continent, to his experience as a commander on both sides during the civil wars. He distinguished himself on the battlefields of Ireland and Scotland, and as a general-at-sea for both Cromwell and Charles II. His shrewdness and firmness of character, his skill as a leader, his high popularity with his troops and his occasional ruthlessness gained for him a formidable reputation. And on Cromwell's death he was one of the few men in England with the power, personal authority and political skill to secure the restoration of Charles II and to bring to an end twenty years of conflict.

Clive Beaumont was diagnosed with Younger Onset Dementia at age 45, when his children were aged just 3 and 4. He had become less and less able to do his job properly and had been made redundant from the Army the year before.Clive's wife, Helen, tells of how she and the rest of the family made it through the next six years until Clive died: the challenge of continually adapting to his progressive deterioration; having to address the legal implications of the illness; applying for benefit payments; finding nursing homes; and juggling her responsibilities as a wife, a mother and an employee. She also describes the successful founding and development of The Clive Project, a registered charity set up by Helen and others in a bid to establish support services for people with Younger Onset Dementia.

Younger Onset Dementia is comparatively rare, but not that rare. This story is for the family and friends of people with the condition, for the people themselves, and for the professionals working with them

The struggle with Communist terrorists in Malaya known as The Emergency became a textbook example of how to fight a guerrilla war, based on political as much as military means. This book deals with both the campaign fought by British, Commonwealth and other security forces in Malaya against Communist insurgents, between 1948 and 1960, and also the security action in North Borneo during the period of Confrontation with Indonesia from 1962 to 1966. Both campaigns provided invaluable experience in the development of anti-guerrilla tactics, and are relevant to the conduct of similar actions which have been fought against insurgent elements since then. The book written with the full co-operation of various departments of the UK Ministry of Defence contains material that until recently remained classified.
This is the first full study to cover the role of airpower in these conflicts. It will be of relevance to students at military colleges, and those studying military history, as well as having a more

The book describes the role of Frederick Roberts in the 2nd Afghan War, culminating in his famous march in 1880 with 10,000 picked British and Indian soldiers, 300 miles in twenty-three days, from Kabul to Kandahar, to defeat the Afghan army of Ayub Khan, pretender to the Amirship of Kabul. The march made Roberts one of late Victorian England's great military heroes, partly because of the achievement itself, partly because the victory restored British prestige after defeat, and finally because of Roberts' astute use of the press to puff his victory. This overcame the earlier damage done to his reputation by the political storm raised by his hanging over eighty Afghans in revenge for the massacre of a British envoy and his escort. It enabled the liberal Viceroy of India, Lord Ripon, to extract his forces from an Afghan imbroglio with prestige restored and an emir on the Afghan throne who for thirty-nine years maintained friendship with British India. Roberts (or 'Bobs' as he was known) subsequently advanced to command the Indian Army, working closely with future Viceroys to influence Indian defence policy on the North-West Frontier, being hymned by Rudyard Kipling, poet of empire. His best-selling autobiography, Forty-One Years in India, established his image before the British public and he remains one of Britain's best known, if least understood, military figures.

In an age of backroom generals who command from far behind troop lines, it is often forgotten that wars have been won or lost by the personality and leadership of a maverick commander. In twelve riveting portrait, best-selling historian, Robert Harvey, explores the mind and the action of such men. From the Mediterranean sea Harvey investigates what make a military commander different - a charismatic leader of men, rational under fire, unafraid to improvise or lead his men into victory against the odds.

Packed with compelling and insightful analysis and story telling, "Mavericks" is Robert Harvey's best book to date.The Mavericks, what made them great and their key battles include: Clive of India - a master of the decisive strike, and going for the jugular, Plassey; James Wolfe - renowned by his troops for being as demanding on himself as on them, Quebec; George Washington - patience, then boldness, Yorktown; Horatio Nelson - flamboyance, careful planning and improvisation, Trafalgar; Thomas Cochrane - Fearless commando tactics and an eye for the unexpected strike, Aix Roads; The Duke of Wellington - style and soundbites, caution and planning, Salamanca; Guiseppe Garibaldi - charismatic communicator, bold in battle, Messina; Ulysses S. Grant - Cool and rational, with determination to overcome all obstacles, Vicksburg; and, Erwin Rommel - Careful calculation followed by bold strikes, Desert Campaign.It also includes: George Patton - Aggression coupled with skill in tanks and training, The Battle of the Bulge; Field Marshal Montgomery - A natural rebel with a lightning mind, El Alamein; and, Douglas MacArthur - brilliant communicator and bold, cared for his men, Inchon. Praise for "War of Wars": 'This is the 'definitive' one-volume account of a particularly rich slab of history' - "Daily Express".

When Judith Summers' husband and father both died within the space of two weeks, she found herself floundering. Life for her and her eight-year-old son Joshua seemed relentlessly bleak. Then George bounced into their lives.

A loving Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with film-star looks, George reawoke their joie de vivre. Yet Judith soon discovered that living with George had its drawbacks. He was a full-time job and as expensive to run as a Ferrari.

Wilful and badly behaved, he refused to eat anything other than roast chicken, preferred travelling by car to walking, and became as jealous as a spurned lover if any man dared show an interest in her. And when a near-death tangle with a Staffordshire Bull terrier resulted in costly sessions with an animal psychologist, Judith found that it was she who was put on the couch.

A masterly narrative history of the climactic battles of the Second World War, and companion volume to his bestselling 'Armageddon', by the pre-eminent military historian Max Hastings. The battle for Japan that ended many months after the battle for Europe involved enormous naval, military and air operations from the borders of India to the most distant regions of China. There is no finer chronicler of these events than the great military historian Max Hastings, whose gripping account explores not just the global strategic objectives of the USA, Japan and Britain but also the first-hand experiences of the airmen, sailors and soldiers of all the countries who participated in the Far East and the war in the Pacific.The big moments in the story are chosen to reflect a wide variety of human experience: the great naval battle of Leyte Gulf; the under-reported war in China; the re-conquest of Burma by the British Army under General Slim; MacArthur's follies in the Philippines; the Marines on Iwojima and Okinawa; LeMay's fire-raising Super-fortress assaults on Japan; the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the kamikaze pilots of Japan; the almost unknown Soviet blitzkrieg in Manchuria in the last days of the war, as Stalin hastened to gather the spoils; and the terrible final acts across Japanese-occupied Asia.

This is classic, epic history -- both in the content and the manner of telling.

All children learn at school the story of Florence Nightingale - the Lady with the Lamp - who heroically tended the sick during the Crimean War. But she was not the only woman in the Crimea. It is usually assumed that women did not become involved in international conflict until the First World War.

But in No Place For Ladies, respected historian Helen Rappaport proves otherwise: numerous women were actively involved in the Crimean in a variety of ways. Four wives would be chosen to accompany each regiment of 100 men, enduring the vermin-ridden troop ships and then left to fend for themselves in the barren Crimean terrain, before combing the battlefields in search of their men. Yet the suffering of the soldiers' wives left behind was more terrible.

At home, vast numbers of women - including Queen Victoria herself - knitted socks to cheer the soldiers stranded in freezing Sevastopol. Florence Nightingale had a band of unruly, often hard-drinking orderlies to control. Rejected by Nightingale, maverick black nurse Mary Seacole set up her own dispensary in the Crimea.

And then there were the lady battlefield tourists, watching engagements from a safe distance in between picnics and yacht trips. This rich, colourful and fascinating picture of very different women at war, based on hundreds of rare accounts, is now available in B-format paperback. Helen Rappaport is a historian and author of An Encyclopaedia of Women and Social Reformers and Joseph Stalin: A Biographical Companion.

Told in full never-before-seen detail, this is the first complete illustrated history of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of France at Normandy. Covering on-the-ground and behind-the-scenes accounts of both the attacking Allies and defending Axis, this offers a uniquely broad perspective on the Normandy landing and subsequent battles. Capturing this tense build-up during training in England, through the aerial build-up, the drama of embarkation, night-drops, the beach landings, fierce fighting on the beaches to the breakout and race across France and Europe.

Moving between both Allied and Axis High Command and battlefield troops, this is a unique perspective on the Normandy landings, bound to be welcomed by any military buff, an enthralling, entertaining, valuable title.

She lived only for pleasure...until war forced her to find courage she did not know she had, and love where she least expected it. It is 1941, and while Britain is in the grip of war, life in the Far East is one of wealth and privilege. In Singapore Susan Roper, secure in the supremacy of the British Empire, enjoys dancing, clothes and fast cars, tennis and light flirtations with visiting naval officers - her life is devoted solely to pleasure.

When she meets an Australian doctor who warns her of the danger that they all face she dismisses him as an ignorant colonial. Singapore goes on partying, oblivious to the threat of invasion. The British flag will, they believe, protect them from all enemies.

But when Japan invades, Susan finds herself in grave danger. She become an ambulance driver and is taken prisoner by the Japanese. Gradually and reluctantly she realizes that she has fallen in love with the tough, arrogant and totally unsuitable doctor, but she has to face many hardships and witness terrible events before she can acknowledge the truth.

This is the definitive history of one of East Anglia's most active bomberstations. It will appeal to many of those stationed there. It is complemented by interviews with personnel and many photographs, old and modern.

It features: B-29 Washingtons; B-52 deployments; Canberra Jet Bombers; V-Bomber Victors; Valiants; and, finally Tornados. "RAF Marham's" history reaches back into the First World War when its aircraft served a vital home defence role,intercepting raiding Zeppelins and Gothas. In the late 1930s the station was reopened as a bomber base and, post-war, operated bombers and reconnaissance aircraft.

Its squadrons played a leading role in the Falklands and Gulf Wars, and over Bosnia and Iraq. Today the Marham Wing is one of the largest and busiest in the RAF, operating four squadrons of Tornado GR4 aircraft in the attack and reconnaissance roles.

This book depicts the military history of Southern Rhodesia from the first resistance to colonial rule, through the period of UDI (unilateral declaration of independence) by the Smith government to the Lancaster House agreement that transferred power. There are vivid accounts of the operations against the 'guerillas' by the security forces and the intensity of the fighting will surprise readers. Atrocities were undoubtedly committed by both sides but equally the protagonists were playing for very high stakes.

But this is more than just a book on military operations. It provides expert analysis of the historical situation and examines events up to the present day, including Mugabe's operations against rival tribes and white farmers.

For a thorough work on its subject this book cannot be bettered. Essential reading for those wishing to learn more about a counter-insurgency campaign. The ingenuity of the Rhodesian military fighting against overwhelming odds and restricted by sanctions is impressive but the outcome culminating in the Lancaster House Agreement was inevitable.

Commander Edward Cary Tyndale-Biscoe R.N. relates the part played by the Navy Brigades at Suez in 1882 and in Sudan in 1884 combating the slave trade. He recounts the events surrounding his raising of the Union Jack in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) in 1890 and the prowess of the Naval Guns at the siege of Ladysmith 1899-1900 during the Boer War. Well-known names walk the pages. The logistical support of the Simon’s Bay Naval Base was critical.

Do you know how to take care of yourself? Not just the pedicures and the organic museli but the real nitty gritty of looking out for yourself? Surrounded by a wealth of magazines, lifestyle books and makeover shows it's easy to find out how to be more glamorous, more successful and more in control of our destinies. But it's not so easy for us to find out how to keep ourselves safe. Our worlds now change so rapidly in terms of how we live, where we live and who we live with that there are no longer any guidelines for navigating our way through the everyday and, very occasionally, not-so-everyday dangers of modern living.

Now, with Savvy!, all of that is set to change as former Crimewatch presenters Fiona Bruce and Jacqui Hames provide us with their comprehensive and down-to-earth guide to negotiating the practical perils of the 21st Century. All aspects of female safety are covered - in the home, on your travels, in your finances, out on the town, in your workplace, in your relationships and in the increasing intimidating world of technology. Never patronising and always realistic - thankfully drinking more than 5 units of alcohol and staying out past midnight is still ok!- and packed full of personal anecdotes from the authors themselves, this book is about doing it all and having it all, without risking it all.

Are you still struggling to set the clock on your video recorder? Are you worried that the times are moving without you and you're simply being dragged kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century? Does the thought of using an iPod or Blackberry make your palms sweaty? Or does the idea of going into Starbucks for a coffee strike fear in your heart?"The Seniors' Survival Guide" is here to help clear the fog and make sense of all the confusing mumbo-jumbo surrounding modern life. You don't need to be old to have those 'senior moments' either: anyone who has ever watched a four-year-old text with the speed and dexterity of a skilled touch-typist will know the feeling. The ultimate manual for modern living, "The Seniors' Survival Guide" includes everything from buying and selling on eBay and using that internet thingy, to understanding teen-speak, tackling global warming and negotiating telephone helplines.

An auto-biography of an extremely accomplished and heroic figure, it also gives a broader historical insight into various weighty events of the time. From beginnings that would be enough to deter most - being severely wounded as a sniper at Beaumont Hamel in 1916 - he really came into his own as a controller in the Battle of Britain. Awarded the OBE and promoted to group captain, he went on to become a pivotal figure in the defence of Malta.

Woody writes extremely well and gives exceptional attention to detail. His book is filled with anecdotes and humour, and is an illuminating and significant primary source, ideal for historians, military buffs and anyone with an interest in flying.

This beautifully presented book captures the spirit of a little known war where the Royal Navy played a peripheral but crucial role. The power of the British Empire was at its height, thanks to the reach of the Royal Navy and officers from that service who often found themselves far from home and in positions of power way beyond their rank. Rudolf de Lisle was one of these and fortunately he recorded his exploits in words and superb watercolours. Together these make a unique record of the war and period. Rudolf de Lisle's experiences are placed in their historical perspective by Professor Celia Wu-Brading's authoritative introduction

Denis Forman insisted from infancy on reasoning why. At the beginning of this book he has stopped doing so. But history comes crashing down on what promised to be tremendously enjoyable way of life, and World War Two begins. Denis is soon joining his regiment, and, in circumstances of high comedy, he reverts with a vengeance to asking awkward questions. They add up to this: why, when he and his colleagues are about to fight in World War Two, are they being trained to fight in World War One, not to say the Battle of Waterloo? At Barnard Castle there is a Battle School where a man called Lionel Wigram is answering all the right questions in the right way. Denis determines to get there, and does. Training becomes thrillingly relevant, and Wigram becomes his friend as well as his mentor. They meet again in Italy, where the Eighth Army is edging its painful way northwards. Lionel is in disgrace. He wrote a report (printed at the end of this book) to which General Montgomery took exception, has been demoted and is in despair. He recovers his spirits, however, when he starts organising a mini-battle-school behind the lines, and eventually is put in charge of 'Wigforce', a private army of Italian partisans. The story of Wigforce is told in detail, up to its bitter end.

In the spring of 878 at the Battle of Edington the tide of English history turned. Alfred's decisive defeat of Guthrum the Dane freed much of the south and west of England from Danish control and brought to a halt Guthrum's assault on Alfred's Wessex. The battle was the culmination of a long period of preparation by Alfred in the wilderness - a victory snatched from the jaws of catastrophic defeat. As such, this momentous turning point around which an entire nation's future pivoted, has given rise to legends and misconceptions that persist to the present day. Paul Hill, in this stimulating and meticulously researched study, brings together the evidence of the medieval chronicles and the latest historical and archaeological research to follow the struggle as it swung across southern England in the ninth century. He dispels the myths that have grown up around this critical period in English history, and he looks at Alfred's war against the Vikings with modern eyes.

In recent years Pakistan has changed from being a state of regional strategic significance to one of major global importance. Its geographical position and delicate religious and tribal mix, coupled with a complex political structure, have ensured that its actions - and inactions - have attracted close scrutiny since Nine-Eleven and the declaration of the 'War on Terror'.\r\n Yet there remains widespread disagreement among political and military analysts as to the real position of this enigmatic nation. What is not in dispute is the importance of the Pakistani Army whose backing was crucial to President Musharraf's rule, as it was to his military predecessors. With restoration of civilian governance in 2008 the army remains no less important in the affairs of the nation.\r\n The author has been closely acquainted with the Pakistani military for some thirty years. His links with its past and present senior officers have given him a unique insight into its operations and its controversial role within government. While making the Army's position clear, Cloughley is at pains to be objective. For example he is critical of Musharraf's 1999 invasion of the Kargil Sector of the Line of Control. This and similar instances of objectivity and even-handedness, which may not be welcomed in all quarters, gives this work its credibility.\r\n Operations against the 2003-2004 tribal uprising are described for the first time and benefit from access to the Corps Commander's diary of the period and from further detailed information in 2006-2008.\r\n With its coverage of military-political relations since Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power in 1971, this book, the first major study of the Pakistan Army for many years, will be welcomed by all those seeking a closer understanding of this enigmatic and complex country, its ambitions, affiliations and loyalties. While its content and conclusions will inevitably be contentious there is no disputing the topicality and importance of War, Coups and Terror.

Jane Wellesley is a member of one of Britain's most illustrious families. Her father, the 8th Duke of Wellington, was born in 1915, a hundred years after the first Duke's momentous victory over Napoleon at Waterloo, but only a little over sixty years after the death of his celebrated ancestor. When the 'Iron Duke' died Queen Victoria wept with the nation, mourning the loss of 'the greatest man England has known'.

A million and a half people swarmed London's streets to watch his cortege pass on its way to St Paul's. Few facts can now be added about the public man, but Jane's family memoir animates the First Duke as husband and father, as brother and several degrees of grandfather. Her journey through this richly compelling family history begins and ends with the first Duke, visiting the battlefield of Waterloo with her father to set her fascinating tale in motion.

Through her parents she reaches back to earlier generations, weaving together characters and places, establishing connections, and exploring in greater depth than usual the Wellington women, who are often reduced to footnotes in conventional histories. She unearths memories, visits places from her parents' past, and discovers much about the lives of her grandparents and the generations before them. Most of us view the First Duke of Wellington as an iconic figure, whose name has been claimed by pubs, squares, streets, and, of course, rubber boots.

In this highly personal account, the public man gives way to the private, and Wellington's legacy is seen through the eyes of those who have followed in his footsteps. Jane Wellesley triumphantly succeeds in wresting the Duke from his lonely column to reclaim him for his family, and so for the reader.

Photography has the ability to reveal truths, expose lies, advance public discourse and inspire people to demand change. Socially conscious pioneers with cameras have transformed the world - and that legacy lives on in this thought-provoking book. "What Matters" asks: What are the essential issues of our time? What are the pictures that will spark public outrage and spur reform? The answer appears in 18 powerful stories by the foremost photojournalists of our age, edited by "New York Times" best-selling author David Elliot Cohen and featuring trenchant commentary from well-recognised experts and thinkers.The combination of compelling photographs and insightful writing will make this a highly relevant, widely discussed book, bound to appeal to anyone concerned about the crucial issues afflicting our world - from global warming to third world child labour.

The volume also includes extensive "What You Can Do" sections with a menu of web links and effective actions readers can take now.

This book includes a foreword by Richard Holmes. This timely history - published in the 90th anniversary year of the end of the Great War - tells the full story of the 17th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, the 'Footballers' Battalion'. Based on extensive original research, Andrew Riddoch and John Kemp draw on many previously unpublished letters, personal accounts and photographs to paint a vivid portrait of this legendary British Army battalion that fought in three of the fiercest battles of the Great War - the Somme, Arras and Cambrai.

The authors show how this remarkable battalion helped shape football, as well as military history.

You know you're past it when...your back goes out more often than you do; it takes twice as long to look half as good; you forget you have a car, let alone where you parked it; you throw a party and the neighbours don't even notice; and you're given this book as a timely birthday gift.If any of the above seem familiar, then you are most definitely in need of this book. "You Know You're Past It When..." celebrates the inevitable fate that awaits all of us and makes the best out of growing old. Including hundreds of telltale signs, real-life case studies and quirky top-ten clues that wryly prove when someone is past their prime, you can learn to embrace the ageing process.

There's nothing wrong with getting on a bit, as long as you do it with style.