Bøger udgivet af Pen & Sword Books Ltd

'The book relates in wonderful detail the tragedy of an era through the dreadful actions of a war criminal' - Nikos MarantzidesHitler's Hunting Squad in Southern Europe traces the violent path of Fritz Schubert and his Greek 'hunting squad' across occupied Crete and Macedonia, offering a complete translation of Thanasis Fotiou's comprehensive study on the German Lieutenant during World War II.The author's research reveals previously unknown aspects of Schubert's life and his actions as an officer, including the murder and torture of civilians, and the looting and burning of homes.Fritz Schubert, born in 1897, joined the German Forces in 1914 and concluded his service in Turkey, where he settled and married. By 1934, he had joined the National Socialist Party, influenced by Nazi ideology and propaganda. Fluent in several languages, he trained at the School of Interpreters under the reserve army's administration, attaining the rank of Unteroffizier. Hitler intended for Crete to play a significant role in the Middle East and Egypt due to its strategic oil reserves.In 1947, a special commissioner's report on Schubert's hunting squad stated, 'They murdered, they tortured in the most brutal ways numerous civilians, they looted and burned many homes. Generally, the arrival of Schubert's gang signaled unrelenting plunder, marked by tears, pain, and bloodshed.'

Among the great hidden narratives of twentieth-century history are the movements in Europe which, between the two world wars, aimed to restore the royal and imperial houses forced out of power in 1918 (or, in Portugal's case, eight years earlier). These efforts acquired media coverage and, often, strategic importance far greater than would be now supposed from the cursory, often dismissive, treatment which they have received from most historians since. Campaigns to reinstate such dynasties as the Hohenzollerns, the Habsburgs, the Wittelsbachs, the Braganças, and even France's House of Orléans, were taken seriously at the highest governmental and journalistic levels in London and Paris, not to mention the Holy See. Upon the whole phenomenon, this book seeks to shed light. It discusses both the phenomenon's 'soft power' manifestations (the designs of newspaper tycoon Lord Rothermere upon the Hungarian throne for his son, for instance) and the phenomenon's 'hard power' manifestations, among which probably the most dramatic were the successful monarchical campaigns in Albania and Greece. With a cast that includes not only the monarchist candidates themselves but Churchill, Lloyd George, Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco, this is a drama that embraces a continent and forces thorough reappraisals of events which we thought we knew. No one can read it without acquiring a firmer grasp of political power's very nature and the sheer narrowness of the gap between victory and defeat.

Based on Captain John Orr's previously unseen campaign diary and personal documents, this is the first biography of the man who would become Superintendent of the Scottish Naval & Military Academy (SNMA). We follow John during his eighteen months in Portugal and Spain informed by his first-hand accounts of the Battle of Salamanca, the siege of Burgos and fighting in the Pyrenees. Later he fought at Quatre Bras and was wounded at Waterloo. He was retired on full pension in 1821. Ten years later, aged 41, resigning himself that he would no longer be commissioned into a regiment, he enrolled as a captain in the Edinburgh Militia. Almost immediately he was asked to become the Superintendent of the Scottish Naval & Military Academy which was situated in Edinburgh. It had been established six years earlier and was struggling after the Directors had made a number of bad decisions.John's appointment stabilised the SNMA and the enrolment started to grow. He had enthusiasm for his job and managed to mix discipline with affection for the boys. In 1832 the Duke of Wellington became President. By the mid-1840s it had become a successful military college. It sent over a thousand young men into the services, including over a hundred who fought in the Crimean War. Nearly every British army regiment had at least one officer who had studied at the SNMA. Through John's letters, the history of the Academy is interwoven with a description of the Orr family. John died in 1879, aged 89 years old. He was the last surviving member of the Black Watch who had fought at Waterloo. The book is brought to life with paintings and photographs of John, his family, his uniform and pages from his Peninsular War diary. It is an intimate portrait of a soldier who served his country on and off the battle field.

According to Pliny (admittedly a native of the province), Gallia Narbonensis was 'by the cultivation of its soil, the manners and civilization of its inhabitants and the extent of its wealth, surpassed by no other province in the Empire'. Philip Kay-Bujak describes how this vital area came to be occupied and incorporated into Rome's domains  and how it was then governed. Straddling important roads connecting Rome with Spain, northern Gaul and the Channel ports, the province grew into an agricultural and economic powerhouse. Containing some of the finest examples of Roman cities, such as Narbonne and Lyon, it was among the most sought after postings for Roman officials. However, this strategic positioning also made it the battlefield for numerous foreign invasions and civil wars, and we follow the region's fluctuating fortunes through several centuries of drama. Drawing on extensive research and many personal visits to the area, Philip Kay-Bujak brings us a fascinating story of this particular region. Moreover, it also serves as an excellent case study in the evolving methods, challenges and impacts of imperial governance across the Roman world. Part historical study, part travel guide, it explores the legacy the Roman Empire bequeathed to this beautiful region.

Walking holidays have become more popular, and it certainly looks like they're here to stay. In 2022 Mintel found that walking is the UK's most popular active holiday, while in June 2023, the New York Times ran a headline that claimed 2023 as the year of the walk. Whether it's setting off on a long walk or going walking for the day, it doesn't get much better than doing it in Italy. Italy has it all: mountains, hilltop towns, medieval squares, olive groves, vineyards, Renaissance art, routes which speak the stories of people and places.This is a book about walking that's not necessarily for walkers. It's for those who love walking and go regularly but it's also aimed at beginners, those of us who enjoy a walk followed by lunch or dinner in a medieval square and a night at a cosy B&B. Maybe you'll never actually go on any of the walks. This is also the book for you. It's full of the history and stories of routes and places, so you can go on your own journey from the comfort of your living room. It gives you all the relevant links you'll need such as up-to-date maps, detailed routes, GPS navigation, updates, further reading, and advice on the walking itself. Start reading, start dreaming and maybe you too could be walking through Italy soon.

London has been a favorite city for film directors to shoot on location for decades, as it houses some of the most iconic British landmarks as well as beautiful historic buildings. With the constant regeneration of the city, there are also inevitably some shifty-looking derelict sites just perfect for despicable criminal activities to be shot. That is what this book is about.Have you ever wondered where Hatchet Harry's office was in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, where Mitchel gets stabbed in London Boulevard, where the final fight took place between the Millwall and Chelsea gangs in the Football Factory, or where Poirot's flat was in the iconic TV series?You will be able to visit all of these locations using this book. You can also take a tour of your favorite movie's locations, go on a crime movie pub crawl (although be warned - there are a lot of pubs in crime movies), take a chilled walk through cemeteries and churches or even create your own tours based on postcode.In this book you will find more than 630 locations from 76 crime movies and 12 crime-related TV shows. The book also has more than 100 images taken around the city showing the locations as you will see them today to help you channel your inner Danny Dyer, Poirot or even Kingsman.

Edinburgh is forever bound to The Royal Scots, the oldest regiment in the British Army and now part of The Royal Regiment of Scotland. For a period in the early twentieth century, it also had a Highland battalion, the kilted 9th Royal Scots, which became affectionately known as the Dandy Ninth. The battalion was formed in the aftermath of the Boer War's Black Week. It sent volunteers to South Africa and established itself as Edinburgh's kilted battalion, part of the Territorial Force. Mobilised in 1914 as part of the Lothian Brigade, they defended Edinburgh and environs from the threat of invasion, and constructed part of the landward defences around Liberton Tower. They were part-time soldiers and new recruits, drawn from the breadth of society but with a strong representation of lawyers, rugby players and artists such as the Scottish Colourist F.C.B. Cadell, and William Geissler of the Edinburgh School. A remarkably high proportion of the battalion received commissions and served in many branches of the armed forces, and in many theatres. In the Great War they mobilised to France and Flanders and served in many of the major actions: in Ypres in both the Second and Third (Passchendaele) Battles of Ypres as well as on the Somme 1916 at High Wood and the Ancre (Beaumont Hamel), at Arras 1917 (Vimy Ridge); at Cambrai 1917 (Fontaine); and during the 1918 German Spring Offensive at St Quentin and at the Battle of Soissonais-Ourcq. They were with the 15th (Scottish) Division in the Advance to Victory. Some 6,000 men passed through the ranks of the Dandy Ninth and over a thousand never returned.

Florence Nightingale is synonymous with nursing in the Crimean War of 1854 -1856. There were, however, many other women who contributed to nursing at this time. Martha Clough, who dismissed the rule of Nightingale and took charge of nursing the Highland Regiments; Eliza Roberts, an experienced hospital surgical nurse who became Nightingale's aide-de-camp, nursing Nightingale when she fell ill with Crimean Fever and those with a wider scope of caring, such as Mary Seacole, whose nutritious supplements and caring demeanour meant everything to the soldiers. This book focuses on the relationship between Nightingale and two very interesting characters: the irascible Betsy Cadwaladyr and the equally strong-willed Mother M. Francis Bridgeman, head of the nursing Irish Sisters of Mercy in the Crimea. Bridgeman came from a similar social standing as Nightingale but whose pathway saw her leaving society lifestyle as a young girl and following the convent life. Cadwaladyr earned Nightingale's respect towards the end of her time in the Crimea due to her care of soldiers and her ability to run the kitchen at Balaklava, but nothing would change her stubborn dislike of Nightingale. The Sisters of Mercy, much overlooked in nursing history, were clinically nursing the victims of cholera and dysentery (two of the biggest killers in the Crimea) in their localities long before their journey to the battlefront. Betsy Cadwaladyr preferred domestic service and cooking to nursing, whilst Nightingale had the unenviable task of proving the nursing experiment to those watching from Westminster, trying not to upset the medical men as well as trying to filter out the best women to nurse with her, which was a nightmare in itself.

Named after his famous grandfather, John of Gaunt, John of Lancaster Duke of Bedford, has been largely forgotten and sidelined in history. As the third of four sons, he was not his father's heir, but he nonetheless distinguished himself in his youth in his service on the Scottish borders. As an adult, he was overshadowed by his charismatic older brother, the warrior king and victor of Agincourt, Henry V. Yet Henry trusted John the most of all his brothers and twice left him to rule England during his expeditions in France. John Duke of Bedford was the man who really governed England for almost half of his brother's nine-year reign. John reached the pinnacle of his career when he was appointed Regent of France. As Regent, he governed a polity that had not existed for three centuries: a truly Anglo-Norman realm. It was not just ruled by England but populated by English settlers who lived & fought alongside the French. For thirteen years, John held the English kingdom of France together on the negotiating table and often on the battlefield. He struggled against renegade soldiers and his adversary, Charles VII of France, but sometimes against the political machinations of his relatives to keep his late brother's dream alive. John became a man noted for equitable rule and an unshakeable commitment to justice. In England, people looked to him to heal the divisions which poisoned Henry VI's government, and in France, they viewed him as the only statesman fully committed to the good governance of Normandy and Paris. Today, John is only remembered as the man who condemned Joan of Arc, even though he was not involved. This biography provides a much-needed reassessment of John's life and political career.

DNA research is one of the most important and rapidly advancing areas in modern science and the practical use of DNA testing in genealogy is one of its most exciting applications. This accessible, wide-ranging introduction, the first British publication in this field, has been revised in a completely new edition with new topics and illustrative case studies. It offers a clear and practical way into the subject, explaining the scientific discoveries and techniques and how it can be used by genealogists to gain an insight into their ancestry. The subject is complex and perhaps difficult for traditional genealogists to understand but, with the aid of this book, novices who are keen to take advantage of it will be able to interpret test results and use them to help answer genealogical questions which cannot be answered by documentary evidence alone. It will also appeal to those with some experience in the field because it places the practical application of genetic genealogy within a wider context, highlighting its role as a genealogical tool and suggesting how it can be made more effective.

To many people the Supermarine Spitfire was Britain's saviour during the Battle of Britain and the embodiment of air combat during the Second World War. The Story of the Spitfire presents a thrilling appraisal of this unique aircraft, focusing on its fighting capability and the tactics of the pilots who flew it. Using official evaluations and reports, alongside technical and tactical developments, plus the recollections of Spitfire pilots, Ken Delve provides a fascinating insight into the combat career of this legendary aircraft. Despite some problems with their new aircraft, the Fighter Command pilots of 1938 were generally delighted with the Spitfire - speed, manoeuvrability and firepower were all far greater than they had been with the earlier biplanes. In tactics and training the RAF was outdated, but it adapted quickly and the air battles over Britain in late 1940 forged the Spitfire legend. How justified was the legend? There were only nineteen Spitfire squadrons in Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain; it was only later, as the RAF turned to the offensive, that the number of Spitfire units increased dramatically. At certain times the combat initiative was lost to improved Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, but with increased performance and better training, the Spitfire clawed back the advantage. By 1944 the Spitfire was operating as a fighter-bomber in various theatres of war, with new tactics and new problems. Many fighter pilots thought that having bombs strapped under the aircraft verged on an insult - but with aerial targets in short supply, this was the most effective, if risky, way of taking the war to the enemy. After the war the Spitfire saw action right up to 1948 in the Arab-Israeli War. Today there are approximately seventy airworthy Spitfires in existence and R.J. Mitchell's remarkable aircraft is still the highlight of flying displays around the world.

Hitler's Ardennes Offensive, his last great throw of the dice, was stagnating. After the initial German successes, the Allies had rallied. In a desperate bid to recover the momentum, the Luftwaffe aimed to gain control of the air by launching a major attack upon Allied airfields in the Low Countries - Operation Bodenplatte. On 1 January 1945, more than 800 fighters and fighter-bombers, predominantly Focke-Wulf Fw 190s and Messerschmitt Bf 109s, were despatched in this low-level, dawn raid on Allied airfields in Belgium and the Netherlands. The object was to destroy or cripple as many Allied aircraft, hangars and airstrips as possible. Generalleutnant Adolf Galland, the man in charge of Germany's fighter force and responsible for the original plans for Operation Bodenplatte, saw that the Allies had accumulated such a strong force of aircraft that there must be heavy congestion on the airfields used by the Allies. As the Luftwaffe rarely risked daylight raids, he hoped to take the Allies by surprise and catch their aircraft on the ground in a single massive strike. Galland's plan worked. Surprise was complete, and many Allied aircraft were destroyed before they could be scrambled. Allied pilots and aircrew ran or dived for cover as the German fighters swept over the airfields of Duerne at Antwerp, Evere in Brussels, Eindhoven, Ghent and another twelve bases of the RAF's 2nd Tactical Air Force, and the American Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. But not all the attacks were as successful as Galland had hoped. At some airfields the Allied squadrons were absent, already engaged in operations and at others powerful anti-aircraft batteries took a heavy toll of the attackers. As Galland, explained: 'In Unfamiliar conditions and with insufficient training and combat experience, our numerical strength had no effect. It was decimated while in transfer, on the ground, in large air battles ... and was finally destroyed.'Figures vary enormously, though it has been recorded that 224 Allied aircraft were destroyed (of which 144 were RAF) with a further eighty-four damaged beyond unit repair. For its part, the Luftwaffe lost sixty-two aircraft to Allied fighters and 172 to anti-aircraft guns - losses that it never really replaced, particularly in terms of aircrew. In Galland's words, the Luftwaffe 'received its death blow at the Ardennes offensive'. Told through a detailed narrative and a unique collection of dramatic photographs, the story of the last major air battle of the Second World War, is portrayed in vivid detail allowing the reader to see the destruction and devastation of the German attacks - and the crippling losses the Luftwaffe sustained.

In January 2000, the ban on LGBTQ servicemen and women being in the British Armed Forces was finally lifted after a fierce battle at the European Court of Human Rights, by veterans who won freedoms for others that they were themselves denied.. To mark the event's 25th anniversary, this book shares the stories of LGBTQ Armed Forces veterans who have lived remarkable lives. Their stories are profoundly moving testaments to their loyalty, their courage on the battlefield, and their unswerving sense of right and wrong. This book celebrates the lives of servicemen and women who have stood tall and taken their place with pride and dignity in the fighting units of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and the British Army. These are inspiring stories of people who created amazing careers in their service in the United Kingdom's Armed Forces, but so many of these careers would ultimately fall victim to the 'gay ban'.

The end of the Great War in the Near East began with the Turkish Armistice but was not complete until the final peace treaty in 1923. During that five-year period the British Navy dealt with the overspill from the Russian Revolution in the Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and Central Asia as well, and then in the Aegean Sea and the Straits confronting the resurgent Turkish forces under Mustafa Kemal. The British in India were very concerned about Bolshevik activities in Central Asia and had sent two battalions of Indian troops under a British general to attempt to cope with it. They were successful in battle against larger forces, but politically they were unable to reach any sort of settlement. They were withdrawn when an Afghan war broke out. A second expedition was sent early in 1918 from Iraq through Persia to gain control of the oil fields at Baku in Azerbaijan. The object here was to prevent the oil falling into German or Turkish hands. This was an expedition at the limit of military capabilities, but it did succeed in seizing Baku and preventing a German conquest. In the process ships in the Caspian Sea were captured and turned into a Caspian Sea flotilla to fight Russian Bolshevik advances. These adventures happened before the Turkish Armistice. Constantinople had been occupied, but holding it became increasingly difficult and required the use of considerable forces, mainly British. The other allies gradually faded away or adopted the Turkish side. The resurgence of Turkish power in Anatolia eventually led to a tense confrontation between British and Turkish forces at Chanak on the Dardanelles and a difficult negotiation between generals. The result was a truce, British withdrawal from all occupied areas, and the collapse of the Lloyd George government in Britain, which was prepared to indulge in another war over the issues.

As this superb memoir bears out, General Sir Frank Kitson's 41-year career ranks among the most distinguished and eventful of the post-1945 era. Commissioned into the Rifle Brigade at the end of the Second World War, he distinguished himself during the vicious Mau Mau campaign. His highly innovative tactics and personal courage earned him his first Military Cross. The second quickly followed in Malaya at the height of the Emergency. In typically understated style, the Author describes his role planning the fight against communist aggression in Oman and his two tours in Cyprus, the second when commanding 1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets. His effective uncompromising approach while commanding 39 Infantry Brigade in Belfast in the early 1970s was to have life-long security implications for Kitson and his family. Despite controversy he was marked out for high command. As GOC 2nd Armoured Division in BAOR and Commandant of The Staff College, his forensic brain and experience made a significant impact at a time of change. His final appointment was Commander-in-Chief UK Land Forces. How fortunate that this gifted, gallant and inspiring leader was persuaded by his ever-supportive wife Elizabeth to record his career and military thinking, albeit on the condition it would only be published after his death. The result is a highly readable, wide-ranging work which will appeal to all interested in late 20th Century military history.

In the heart of London, where the whispers of wealth and power echo through the cobblestone streets, a daring plan unfolds to pull off the ultimate heist: stealing from the prestigious Bank of England without plunging the nation into chaos. Going Underground is a gripping crime thriller that brings together an unlikely band of criminals for a high-stakes robbery that could change their lives forever. Tommy, a retired criminal seeking one last score to fund his luxurious lifestyle, enlists his son Terry, who yearns to surpass his father's legendary status. Together, they assemble a team including Jack, a fearless rooftop burglar,, Keith the Quiff, a well-connected facilitator with a penchant for vintage style, tech-savvy Veronica, and quiet and determined insider Jane. As their intricate plan unfolds, tensions rise, and the stakes grow higher with each passing moment. Will this eclectic crew of thieves pull off the impossible, or will their ambitions lead them to ruin?

Diaries and letters from service personnel who were held captive throughout the Second World War survive in quite large numbers, but rarely are they so detailed as those of John Blomfield Dixon, whose home was in the Hertfordshire town of Ware. Having joined the Territorial Army in 1938, he soon found himself hurried through officer training and, with the outbreak of the Second World War, being commissioned as a subaltern, attached to the East Riding Yeomanry. Following his death in 2013, his family were bequeathed a series of scrapbooks, folders, maps, photographs and documents, along with a small pile of well-worn booklets, revealing his voracious appetite in describing his training, life and death during the retreat to Dunkirk, his humiliating capture by the enemy at the culmination of the Battle of Cassel and the long arduous journey through a series of 'Offizierslagers', which would, ultimately, lead him to Oflag VIIB, which was located in the Bavarian town of Eichstätt. Complimented by a series of annotated photographs, some of which have not been seen before, this book provides an insight to the long tedious days, miserable food shortages, his thoughts for home, the woman he desperately loved, his hatred for both captors and captives, the killing of his comrades both on and off the battlefield, the tireless efforts and disasters of escape, and his passion for the theatrical life, which was borne out on dusty prison camp stages, all of which provide a picture of his experiences and emotions. His views and opinions on the wild and inaccurate rumours, as well as propaganda relayed through both the German and Allied press, paint an oft distorted picture of the war's progression at that time. The Normandy landings in June 1944 brought a sudden realisation that freedom may soon become a reality. However, the frustration and anxiety of anticipated release culminate in a terrible disaster at the very moment liberty appears upon the horizon. This was on 14 April 1945, when the prisoners were machine-gunned by U.S. aircraft as they moved to Moosburg. Fifteen were killed and a further forty-one were wounded. Liberation too brings its own frustrations, borne out in the final diary entries and supplemented by a post-war summary of his long journey home. Combined with a narrative lifted from both official records of the period, and the recollections of men who served or were imprisoned with him, the carefully selected entries not only provide one of the most detailed pictures of life at Oflag VIIB, but also serve to memorialise the service of John Blomfield Dixon and those with whom he shared his incarceration.

Commemorating 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, this book tells the story of the camp's construction and its evolution into the largest mass murder factory of all time. Using hundreds of captured German documents and architectural plans, the book is a unique historical source of how the architects came to plan and accomplish the horror we now call Auschwitz. Drawing on key documents from the Building Office archive, this in-depth study uses plans, letters, telegrams, worksite labour reports and minutes of meetings. It reveals how the SS needed civilian knowledge to install electrical, sewage and heating systems, and build chimneys and other structures. It explains how various outside contractors were involved in cooperating in genocide and shows just how eager they were to produce goods for the SS for financial reward. Just after the construction had begun on Birkenau in 1941, architectural plans were presented to include new crematoria and gas chambers. By the summer of 1943 Birkenau had been transformed into a murder camp but building and planning to further extend the site continued. In November 1944 Himmler gave the order to halt and dismantle the extermination facilities to conceal their murderous activities. When the Red Army arrived on 27 January 1945, most of the camp was still intact. Although the SS had incinerated the camps' archives they forgot to destroy the construction archive, which was kept in another building. As a result, the Russians found many of the technical drawings including construction blueprints that clearly detailed the extermination facilities. With detailed captions and text together with a plethora of rare photographs, the book is an important study into those that masterminded the murder of over 1 million people.

Once upon a time, it was necessary to have a weapon that could unleash hell. Britain hand-picked its healthiest and cleverest men to undertake a truly terrifying mission: to create and detonate an atomic bomb. Somehow, a country beset by post-war rationing and isolated from her allies created the most devastating weapons known to man, on the cheap and at the hurry-up. But it came at a horrifying price for them - and their families. The race to build a nuclear bomb sucked thousands into its vortex, who are still dealing with the effects of radiation today: veterans, widows, children, scientists and indigenous people, all subjected to fear, radiation, and experimentation. A black cloud still hangs over those who survive, and their descendants who fear the consequences of every fresh pregnancy. Exposed tells the complete story of the Cold War arms race, from inception to fallout, and for the first time reveals the blood-stained truth at the heart of the British state's longest criminal cover-up. Today, the UK's nuclear deterrent is a theoretical shield that shelters millions worldwide, protects it from aggressors, and guarantees its Prime Minister a seat at the top table. But for seven decades the veterans who created it have been denied truth and justice. As the handful of survivors launch a last-ditch legal bid for the answers, Exposed reveals the full price they paid for our peace and prosperity.

So much has been written, and is still being written, about the Wars of the Roses - both in print and on the internet - that the interested student of history is in grave danger of being utterly overwhelmed. The key players in the conflict are very interesting personalities but they have become so distorted by caricature that they now appear as a procession of heroes and villains rather than living, breathing people. The aim of A Guide to the Wars of the Roses is simple: to help the reader understand what happened and why during the great political upheaval of the fifteenth century. It describes the origins, nature and aftermath of the wars in short, accessible chapters and explains how the period can be divided into three separate, though related, political crises. In describing the rise of Richard, Duke of York, in the mid-fifteenth century, the Guide traces how his rivalry with Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, ultimately led to the deposition of the hard-pressed, and wholly unsuitable, King Henry VI. It also explains how the accession of a new king from the House of York failed to solve England's political problems. The triumphant Yorkist faction is examined to chart how the fears and jealousies of its leading figures eventually led to a fatal instability at the heart of government. By putting the wars firmly in their medieval context, the Guide seeks to strip away the hype of half a millennium to examine objectively the roles and motives of those involved, without seeking either to exonerate, or demonise, any particular individual. While the Guide is intended to be comprehensive, it is also an easy-to-follow manual for a subject which has often been dismissed as 'too complicated'.

More than a Viking call to arms, An O.S.S. Secret Agent Behind Enemy Lines chronicles the incredible life of Leif Bangsboll up to and including the Second World War. Compiled by Bangsboll's son, this book explores the life of, variously, a Danish sailor, Norwegian aviator, American airborne serviceman, Green Beret soldier, and secret agent with the Office of Strategic Services. Brook G. Bangsboll heard his father's stories told and retold around the dinner table as far back as he could remember. He recalled his father talking of his christening at five weeks old aboard His Danish Majesty's Ship Grønsund in the middle of the North Sea during the First World War; about his attendance as a young man at German Chancellor Adolf Hitler's 50th birthday celebration in Berlin; and about his unplanned role in a rescue mission off the embattled shores of Dunkirk. Invigorated by the heroic efforts of the Allies at Dunkirk, Leif then joined the Norwegian Air Force and was trained as a pilot in Canada as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Prior to being assigned to an operational squadron, Flight Sergeant Bangsboll was recruited into the United States Army by Colonel William 'Wild Bill' Donovan to become a field agent for the Office of Strategic Services, or O.S.S.. After completing his O.S.S. training at the top-secret facility known as Camp X, located on the shores of Lake Ontario, Second Lieutenant Bangsboll was sent to the United Kingdom to work with the O.S.S.' counterparts at Special Operations Executive. In October 1944 Lieutenant Bangsboll was parachuted into in the dark skies over occupied Denmark to lead the Danish Resistance forces in the central region of Jutland, operating out of the city of Aarhus. Operating under the field name of Mr. Jorgen Bech, ostensibly a Danish Maritime Engineer and businessman, Bangsboll trained Danish resistance fighters, planned and led sabotage missions against the German occupation forces and hunted down and eliminated known collaborators. For ten months he played a dangerous and daring game of cat and mouse with the Gestapo. In the spring of 1945, Lieutenant Bangsboll was reassigned by the O.S.S. to Copenhagen where during the final days of the war, he led an assault to capture the fortified German garrison at Ryvangen. His efforts in this assault would earn him the United States Distinguished Service Cross as well as the Danish Royal Knights Order of King Christian X - sighted for 'courage and selfless bravery in the face of the enemy'.

Many are the remarkable stories of the men who, through good fortune or sheer determination, survived the loss of their aircraft in the Second World War. Depending on the circumstances, these aircrew often became members of the Caterpillar, Goldfish or Late Arrivals clubs, as well as the famous Guinea Pig Club where membership was reserved to aircrew who were operated on by the legendary plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe. Such individuals include Captain R.L. Morrison who was injured when his Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk was shot down over North Africa; he was one of six aircraft brought down by the Luftwaffe Ace Hans-Joachim Marseille in just eleven minutes. Having survived his crash landing, Morrison was eventually picked up by a South African armoured car unit operating behind enemy lines. He finally reached Tobruk, gaining membership of the Late Arrivals Club in the process, from where he was evacuated just two days before the port-city was taken by Rommel's Afrika Korps. Then there is the story of Flight Lieutenant Charles Parish, who was the sole survivor of the crew of a Wellington bomber which was shot down in the English Channel. In pitch darkness, Parish swam seven miles to reach the English coast supported only by his Mae West life-preserver. For this remarkable achievement Parish was admitted into the hallowed ranks of the Goldfish Club. Other airmen who became a member of the Goldfish Club include rear-gunner Sergeant Frederick Price, who had been adrift at sea for six days before being rescued, and navigator Brian Beecroft, who survived not one, but two ditchings at sea. After parachuting to safety over France, and in so doing gain membership of the Caterpillar Club, Flight Engineer Kenneth Board evaded capture with the help of the Resistance. Some, however, survived the horror of the downing of their aircraft only to land in the hands of the enemy. Sergeant John Lord, who became a member of the Caterpillar Club, was one of these men; he was killed in error while a prisoner of war. Sergeant Cecil Room, meanwhile, had been adrift for three days before he was rescued by the Luftwaffe. Often these men received gallantry awards, and all have fascinating experiences to relate but their tales have not been told - until now. This collection of more than twenty accounts covers several theatres of war and deals with a wide variety of escapes following the disastrous loss of an aircraft over land or sea in the Second World War.

This book details the extraordinary life of Sean Moylan. Moylan became a major and very influential character in the war against the British during the years 1919 to 1921. Moylan, and the men he commanded, fearlessly confronted the enemy and managed to claim a string of notable IRA victories against all the odds which, to this day, are embedded in local and national folklore. The purpose of this book, based on the author's very extensive research into the Bureau of Military History's Witness Statement archive, is to revisit the life of a true Irish hero whose exploits during the War of Independence contributed, in no small way, to bringing the British to the negotiating table. Moylan graduated from being captain of the Newmarket Volunteers Company to Commanding Officer of the IRA's Cork No 2 Brigade by the time he was captured by the British in May 1921. During the War of Independence he also led a very effective Active Service Unit which inflicted major damage on the forces of the Crown at places like Clonbanin and Tureengarriffe. Such was his military prowess he had the distinction of not losing even one of his men in the many engagements he oversaw with the enemy. During the conflict he became a legendary and influential figure among his own people in Cork, not only because of his military activities but also because of his political work as a Sinn Fein member of the Dail. In May 1921, Moylan was eventually captured by the British but because of an extraordinary set of circumstances he narrowly avoided the death penalty. He went on to oppose the Anglo-Irish Treaty because it failed to deliver the Irish Republic he had gallantly fought for. During the Civil War he spent many months in the United States of America, at the behest of Eamon de Valera, raising money for the Republicans and championing the anti-Treaty cause. After the Civil War, Moylan was eventually coaxed back into politics by de Valera who saw in him a potential to contribute to the emerging Ireland under the stewardship of Fianna Fail. Moylan went on to become a popular and influential member of Dail Eireann and, in due course, was elevated to cabinet level. As a government minister in the Departments of Lands, Education and Agriculture he made very valuable and progressive economic and social contributions to the process which saw Ireland remove the shackles of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and assert herself as a truly independent nation.

This is the account of a very ordinary woman who, during a 38-year career in nursing, had many exciting and far-from-ordinary adventures. Nursing was not always easy, as evidenced in various episodes, not least, during training, visits to matron with broken thermometers and later, stressful times when newly qualified, and during midwifery. There were exciting months as a Nursing Sister on board the P&O liner 'Oriana' followed by a few years as a domiciliary midwife in Liverpool, culminating in nineteen years serving in Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps. They include the tale of a Christian Dior necklace, one of owning a rowing boat while a pupil midwife in Plymouth, and world exploration with the Merchant Navy. QA Postings included Hong Kong, Nepal, Germany and Cyprus, the latter working with the Royal Air Force at Princess Mary's RAF Hospital, Akrotiri. Several flights were great privileges, one in a Shackleton, one with the Red Arrows, one in a Lightning, and one in a helicopter, having been winched up from the deck of a Landing Craft at sea.

The Knights Templar have fascinated us for centuries. They were holy warriors who fought with incredible bravery in the Crusades but were then destroyed by their own side. In battle they were the bravest knights - first on the battlefield and the last to quit. Charging towards the enemy with their white cloaks emblazoned with the red cross of martyrdom. Every young man in medieval Europe yearned to be a Knight Templar. The reality, though, could be tough. Battles fought against fearsome foes sometimes resulted in terrible defeat with a huge loss of life. The Templars were always the target of jealousy and hatred because of their military prowess, financial acumen, and strict organisation. Eventually, their enemies got the better of them. Not the Saracens they had fought in the Holy Land, but kings and bishops back home. The Templars were accused of bizarre initiation rituals and heretical beliefs. Many were executed for the sole crime of being a Templar. But their memory was not extinguished. It has endured. Today, millions of people still want to understand the history and mystery of the Knights Templar. Is it true they possessed the Holy Grail? Why were they destroyed so brutally?This book sets out to find the answers.

"The peerless musicians of the Royal Marines Band Service are no strangers to war, as the Author, Brian Short, himself a musician, reminds us in his book. Brian Short has an engaging style, and sense of humour, combined with a shrewd assessment of his fellow human beings. His description of his training and early years in the Band Service provide a vivid and necessary prelude to what follows, setting the scene and introducing the reader to aspects of life in the Royal Marines Band Service and the Band's experiences at war. From time to time the future existence of Royal Marines Bands is questioned by politicians. They should read this book; perhaps they will come to appreciate what a splendid contribution the Royal Marines Band Service has made to our country, by land and sea, and will continue to do so." **- Major General Julian Thompson Royal Marines**The Royal Marines Band Service are well known for their professional musical performances around the world and at all Royal and major high profile public engagements in the UK. Arguably one of the finest military bands, perhaps they are less well known for their military deployments in war zones around the globe, along with their humanitarian work in times of need. These fine musicians, can turn their talented hands to a multitude of non musical taskings, bringing enthusiasm and 'musical intellect' to whatever is asked of them. Held in high regard by Royalty, the Royal Marines and the anyone in the public who has seen them perform; the book 'Royal Marines musicians at war' shows them in a different light as they show their worth in the likes of Afghanistan, Kosovo, The Falklands and many more areas of conflict besides.

A mistake is an error of judgement, a blunder is a mistake caused by carelessness or ignorance, implying incompetence. Blunders are not always the result of incompetence; a chess player may give a critical piece away being distracted by noise, but in war it results in death with serious repercussions. This book explores such errors during the Second World War, some hardly known, a few contentious, many embarrassing. An American destroyer which fired a live torpedo at a battleship carrying Roosevelt, an American officer who unintentionally passed British information to Rommel, and a German plane crash-landing in neutral territory with plans for invasion are some little-known incidents. Overconfidence resulted in a Luftwaffe raid hitting exposed American gas shells killing Italian civilians, British and American military. Self-assurance led to an American general who lost men and tanks failing to rescue his son-in-law from a PoW camp. Inadequate planning brought disaster in the raid on Dieppe. Poor tactics deployed in the bombing of Monte Cassino was bad propaganda for the Allies but assisted the German defence. There are some issues which remain disputed, as with the British sinking the French Fleet, but whether it was a blunder remains questionable. There is the issue of the abdicated King Edward often accused of being a traitor, which may not have stood a court case but possibly a Judas caused by immature naivety. Finally, Dönitz was condemned at Nuremberg, but his U-boat warfare was no different from the Allies and at times almost chivalrous.

When Hitler was striving for recognition and relevance in the political turmoil of the early Weimar years in Germany he gave little thought to the world on the other side of the Atlantic other than to nurture a constant nagging resentment over President Wilson's role in the post-war evisceration of Germany at Versailles in 1919. It was the United States, however, that had bankrolled the German economy to substantially boost industrial production and employment in the 1920s and the evidence of American wealth and economic power was hard to ignore.Even when the Nazis took over in Germany after the elections of March 1933, Hitler's narrow vision was still concentrated on consolidating his power base in Germany itself and quickly thereafter expanded to take in the countries of Eastern Europe. What impressions he had of American culture and society were encapsulated in the trivialities and stereotypes of Hollywood movies depicting the 'wild west' or the deprivations of the Great Depression.Despite its economic power, nothing in Hitler's world view envisaged the United States as a potential player in European politics, but the Germans intelligence services that he inherited were not so easily convinced. They had been aware of American power and influence since before the First World War and for them, spying on the United States was nothing more than a continuation of their efforts to prevent that country thwarting German ambitions.There had been spectacular successes in the past, such as the espionage attack that had wreaked massive destruction in the Black Tom Island explosion on 30 July 1916. But overall, the German agencies had gone to great lengths and considerable expense without achieving their ambitions and failed to prevent American participation in the war. With another war in prospect, the Germans once again made plans to influence American policy and do what they could to keep their forces out of European affairs.Spying for Hitler traces the history of German espionage in the United States and describes, in detail, the personnel involved and operations they conducted all through the 1930s and early 1940s. It examines the training of German agents and the espionage techniques they employed.The way in which the FBI reacted to the threat, in particular, from the Griebl-Lonkowski spy ring, shows how Hoover's 'Feds' were initially slow to appreciate the danger, but soon learned the lessons. This was later to put them on a sounder footing to counter further attempts to infiltrate agents into the United States. This was most spectacularly displayed in Operation Pastorius, when saboteurs were landed on the American East Coast from U-boats.This book also examines the way in which the Germans used 'sleeper' agents and also describes how the FBI successfully 'turned' German agents to feed disinformation to Abwehr headquarters in Berlin. It describes how espionage missions played out and the fate of those involves.

Hitler's Third Reich and Stalin's Soviet Union invaded Poland in September 1939 and the two autocracies proved utterly ruthless in their efforts to subjugate the Polish people. The resultant loss of life was almost unimaginable in scale but Poles from all walks of life refused to submit, either at home or abroad. Germany turned on its Soviet ally in June 1941, with Britain, the USA and the USSR eventually becoming partners in the war against Hitler. At various meetings and conferences, the 'Big Three' agreed post-war Poland would fall into the Soviet sphere of influence and Poles fighting for a free and independent country found themselves cut adrift. They had a stark choice after VE Day: live in Poland dominated by Stalin's puppets or face a life in exile. Betrayal of Poland is the first major English-language compendium of Polish first-hand accounts from the Second World War. Two of the witnesses flew over the Third Reich and faced the deadly threat of night fighters and flak. One fought at Hill 262 in Normandy, joining the effort to close the Falaise Gap, while another was parachuted into the Arnhem campaign. Two saw the horrors of Auschwitz: one from behind the wire and the other outside it. Others detailed the hell of being deported into Stalin's Soviet Union and their daily struggle to survive. Departing the USSR and joining what became the Polish II Corps, many went onto to fight at Monte Cassino. Finally, several witnesses recalled life under German Occupation and how they joined the Warsaw Uprising - the unequal and ultimately doomed battle against some of Hitler's most-murderous units. Backed by comprehensive appendices and several never-seen-before photographs, this work is a must-have for anyone interested in Polish history or the Second World War.