A masterful history of how war and insecurity, both real and perceived, have driven Russia’s destiny for centuries, including the disastrous invasion of Ukraine. Putin retains his stranglehold on his position in Russia despite an almost ruinous invasion of Ukraine. The answer as to how and why can be found in Russian history as detailed by Mark Galeotti in this new book.With no naturally defensible borders, and environmental factors constraining its economy, Russia has been pitched against the pre-eminent military powers of the age across the centuries, and often at a technological disadvantage. To respond to these challenges, it has had to sit heavily on the backs of its people, and so war – and the need to be able to fight it – has shaped its evolution, from tsars to commissars and presidents. The national identity has been forged in the furnace of war.From the medieval kingdom of Rus battling against a Scandinavian princes and Mongol emperors, to its own empire-building conflicts in 19th-century Asia, to the formative wars of the 20th century which saw Russia pitch from Tsarist empire to communist state and defender against Nazism, all these conflicts stained the lands of Russia red with blood. A weak post-Cold War Russia then turned to Putin, who created a new mood for martial triumphalism which led directly to the Ukrainian war. Packed with contemporary accounts, Forged in War strips away the myth to give an insider’s view on Russia’s past and present.
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 64, Publishers: OSPREY PUB INC, Author: Martin Windrow, ISBN-13: 9781472862471, Date of issue: 2024
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 96, Publishers: OSPREY PUB INC, Author: Adam Tooby, ISBN-13: 9781472855329, Date of issue: 2023
Fully illustrated, this study investigates the origins, evolution and use of the mail and scale armour worn by the soldiers and gladiators of Imperial Rome. Less glamorous than the Roman Army's instantly recognizable plate armour but much more versa
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 80, Publishers: Bloomsbury Publishing, Author: Alan Gilliland, ISBN-13: 9781472850843, Date of issue: 2022
This study looks at how the Soviet armed forces developed and deployed a range of machine guns that fitted with their offensive and defensive infantry tactics across six years of total war. In 1939, three machine guns dominated the Red Army's front-
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 48, Publishers: Bloomsbury Publishing, Author: Gabriele Esposito, ISBN-13: 9781472844354, Date of issue: 2021
A highly detailed study of the World War II German battleship that sparred with the British Royal Navy from 1939-43.The Kriegsmarine's Scharnhorst was a German capital ship, described either as a battleship or battlecruiser, and the
An expanded edition of the Origins Award-nominated Lion Rampant, featuring new rules, scenarios, and sample armies.Take to the battlefield as Richard the Lionheart, Joan of Arc or William Wallace – or forge your own legend – with Lion Rampant: Second Edition. From the Dark Ages to the Hundred Years' War, raids, skirmishes, and clashes between small retinues were a crucial part of warfare, and these dramatic small-scale battles are at the heart of this easy-to-learn but tactically rewarding wargame.Lion Rampant: Second Edition is a new, updated version of the hit Osprey Wargames series title, and retains the core gameplay while also incorporating a wealth of new rules and updates from several years' worth of player feedback and development. Whether they are looking to recreate historical encounters or tell their own stories, the varied scenarios, unit types, and sample retinue lists found in this volume provide everything players need to face each other in quick, exciting, and, above all, fun tabletop battles.
War bows were a mainstay of armies throughout the world from the earliest recorded battles over three thousand years ago to the 16th century, when firearms finally came of age. Even then, in some cultures, the bow remained in use by elite warriors. The
A fascinating account of an often overlooked naval action of World War II, and one of the bloodiest chapters in the history of the Royal Navy. In April 1941, following the Axis invasion of Greece, the British Mediterranean Fleet was ordered to evacu
Bursting with full colour illustrations this is a handy, complete guide to the Vikings, from the lives they led at home to their voyages of plunder across Europe and into America.
First flown in 1969, Concorde was the first supersonic aircraft to go into commercial service in 1976 and made her final flight in 2003. She was operated primarily by British Airways and Air France. British Airways' Concordes made just under 50,000 flig
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 96, Publishers: Bloomsbury Publishing, Author: Seán Ó'Brógáin, ISBN-13: 9781472849045, Date of issue: 2022
INTRODUCED BY STEPHEN KING'There aren't any grown-ups anywhere.' A plane crashes on a desert island. The only survivors are a group of schoolboys. By day, they explore the dazzling beaches, gorging fruit, seeking shelter, and ripping off their uniforms to swim in the lagoon. At night, in the darkness of the jungle, they are haunted by nightmares of a primitive beast. Orphaned by society, they must forge their own; but it isn't long before their innocent games devolve into something far more dangerous . . .
A focused, illustrated history and analysis of perhaps the most complete air power victory in modern times, NATO's war against Serbian forces over Kosovo. On the night of March 24, 1999, NATO forces began military action to stop Serbia's campaign of
In 1960, SAC's B-52s began a nonstop, eight-year, nuclear-armed patrol. Fully illustrated, this study explains how one of the Cold War's most challenging operations was conceived and flown. Operation Chrome Dome was Strategic Air Command's unprecede
'One swallow does not make a summer; neither does one day. Similarly neither can one day, or a brief space of time, make a man blessed and happy' What does it mean to be a good person? Ranging over eternal questions of right and wrong, pleasure and
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 48, Publishers: Bloomsbury USA, Author: Waldemar Góralski,Piotr Forkasiewicz, ISBN-13: 9781472866608, Date of issue: 2025
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 80, Publishers: Bloomsbury USA, Author: Edouard A Groult, ISBN-13: 9781472866837, Date of issue: 2025
Language: English, Binding: Hardback, Number of pages: 256, Publishers: Bloomsbury USA, Author: Stephen Sewell, ISBN-13: 9781472871800, Date of issue: 2026
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 96, Publishers: Bloomsbury USA, Author: Gareth Hector,Janusz Swiatlon, ISBN-13: 9781472867919, Date of issue: 2026
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 96, Publishers: Bloomsbury USA, Author: Darren Tan, ISBN-13: 9781472862297, Date of issue: 2025
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 48, Publishers: Bloomsbury USA, Author: Felipe Rodríguez, ISBN-13: 9781472864796, Date of issue: 2025
At the beginning of 1917, the three empires fighting on the Eastern Front were reaching their breaking points, but none was closer than Russia. After the February Revolution, Russia's ability to wage war faltered and her last desperate gamble, the Keren
Language: English, Binding: Hardback, Number of pages: 208, Publishers: Bloomsbury USA, Author: Alan Lathwell, ISBN-13: 9781472868640, Date of issue: 2025
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 96, Publishers: Bloomsbury USA, Author: John Rogers,Jim Laurier, ISBN-13: 9781472866554, Date of issue: 2025
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 96, Publishers: Bloomsbury USA, Author: Jim Laurier,Gareth Hector, ISBN-13: 9781472865038, Date of issue: 2025
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 80, Publishers: Bloomsbury USA, Author: Gareth Hector,Jim Laurier, ISBN-13: 9781472866400, Date of issue: 2025
Language: English, Binding: Paperback, Number of pages: 48, Publishers: Bloomsbury USA, Author: Adam Tooby, ISBN-13: 9781472868138, Date of issue: 2025
A fascinating exploration of the often-overlooked gunnery duels between the formidable artillery weapons in the Atlantic Wall defences and the mighty US and Royal Navy battleships. A fascinating exploration of the often-overlooked gunnery duels between the formidable artillery weapons in the Atlantic Wall defences and the mighty US and Royal Navy battleships.Amphibious landings were an essential tool of Allied military strategy in World War II. The Royal Navy and the US Navy provided operational mobility that allowed the Allies to strike unexpectedly across the vast coastlines of the Mediterranean and Atlantic. Nazi Germany did not have sufficient naval power to seriously contest this, and consequently relied heavily on the huge and costly Atlantic Wall fortification programme. By 1944, the French coast featured more than 1,900 coastal guns over 75mm in calibre. At the heart of this fascinating book by renowned military historian Steven J. Zaloga is the clash between Batterie Hamburg (defending Cherbourg) and the Allied naval bombardment group led by the battleship USS Texas on 25 June 1944. Stunning artworks reveal details of the design, construction and ammunition of the weapons involved, and the locations of important sites are shown on maps. The author also explores the evolution of Allied naval doctrine, which was based on repeated experiences during a succession of amphibious operations, and which enabled the Allies to successfully overcome the coastal gun threat. Illustrated with over 50 period photographs, the result is a fascinating exploration of a key battle during the Allied invasion of mainland Europe.
This new account explores the most notorious pirates in history and how their rise and fall can be traced back to a single pirate haven, Nassau. This new account explores the most notorious pirates in history and how their rise and fall can be traced back to a single pirate haven, Nassau. Angus Konstam, one of the world's leading pirate experts, has brought his 30 years of research to create the definitive book on the Golden Age of Piracy. Many of the privateers the British had used to prey on French and Spanish shipping during the War of the Spanish Succession turned to piracy. The pirates took over Nassau on the Bahamian island of New Providence and turned it into their own pirate haven, where shady merchants were happy to buy their plunder. It became the hub of a pirate network that included some of the most notorious pirates in history: Blackbeard, 'Calico Jack' Rackam, Charles Vane and Bartholomew Roberts.The growth of piracy led to a major surge in attacks in the Caribbean and along North America's Atlantic seaboard. With the fragile maritime economy of the Americas threatened with collapse, major ports were threatened and trade brought to a standstill, the British government finally declared war on the pirates. The Pirate Menace draws on extensive research, as well as a wide range of first-hand accounts, to produce a new history of the heyday of historical piracy.
A superbly illustrated new account of how Germany's High Seas Fleet was built, operated and fought, as it challenged the world's most powerful navy in World War I.Seven years before the outbreak of World War I, the Imperial German Navy rebranded its Home Fleet as the Hochseeflotte, or High Seas Fleet. It was a force designed to take on the Royal Navy, then the world's most powerful, and for the next four years the North Sea would be their battleground.Drawing on extensive research, Angus Konstam offers the reader a concise, fully illustrated account of how the entire High Seas Fleet was designed and built, how it operated, and how it fought. The fleet was a modern, balanced force of dreadnought battleships, battlecruisers, cruisers and torpedo boats, using Zeppelins and U-boats for reconnaissance. The ultimate test between them came in May 1916, when they clashed at Jutland.Packed with spectacular original artwork, maps, 3D diagrams and archive photos, it explains how and why the fleet was built, its role, and how and why it fought as it did. From fighting doctrine and crew training to intelligence, logistics, and gunnery, this book is an essential guide to the Kaiser's audacious bid for naval glory. A superbly illustrated new account of how Germany's High Seas Fleet was built, operated and fought, as it challenged the world's most powerful navy in World War I.
The full history of how the United States targeted and destroyed the Japanese capital from the air, in a ten-month long campaign by the US Army Air Force and the US Navy.In November 1944, the US Army Air Force launched a 111-plane B-29 strike against Tokyo, the first raid since the morale-boosting Doolittle Raid of 1942. From then until August 13, 1945, the United States would attack Tokyo 25 times, 20 from B-29s based in the Marianas and five from US Navy carrier task forces. The campaign included the single deadliest air raid in human history, when around 100,000 people were killed by the firestorm created by the Operation Meetinghouse raid of March 10, 1945.This book, the first to examine the full history of the United States' air campaign against the greatest target in Japan, looks at the USAAF's and US Navy's efforts to use air power to eliminate Tokyo's strategic value to the Empire. It considers how the campaign developed from daylight bombing to firebombing and anti-ship mining, and finally how the target was handed over to the US Navy, whose carrier-based bombers and fighter-bombers continued to strike Tokyo during July and August 1945.Using specially commissioned battlescenes, strategic maps and diagrams, this volume presents a detailed picture of how Tokyo was vanquished from the air. The full history of how the United States targeted and destroyed the Japanese capital from the air, in a ten-month long campaign by the US Army Air Force and the US Navy.
Like Crécy itself, this book is a triumph and the tale it tells gives an old story new life. BERNARD CORNWELL, bestselling author of The Last Kingdom series The battle of Crécy in 1346 is one of the most famous and widely studied military engagements in history. The repercussions of this battle were felt for hundreds of years, and the exploits of those fighting reached the status of legend. Yet cutting-edge research has shown that nearly everything that has been written about this dramatic event may be wrong. In this new study, Michael Livingston reveals how modern scholars have used archived manuscripts, satellite technologies and traditional fieldwork to help unlock what was arguably the battles greatest secret: the location of the now quiet fields where so many thousands died. Crécy: Battle of Five Kings is a story of past and present. It is a new history of one of the most important battles of the Middle Ages: a compelling narrative account that nonetheless adheres to the highest scholarly standards in its detail. It is also an account that incorporates the most cutting-edge revelations and the personal story of how those discoveries were made.
From an internationally acclaimed expert in the field comes a detailed, analytical and comprehensive account of the worldwide evolution of tanks, from their inception a century ago to the present day. With new ideas stemming from the latest academic research, this study presents a reappraisal of the development of tanks and their evolution during World War I and how the surge in technological development during World War II and the subsequent Cold War drove developments in armour in Europe and America, transforming tanks into fast, resilient and powerful fighting machines. From the primitive, bizarre-looking Mark V to the Matilda and from the menacing King Tiger to the superlative M1 Abrams, Professor Ogorkiewicz shows how tanks gradually acquired the enhanced capabilities that enabled them to become what they are today the core of combined-arms, mechanized warfare.
Richly illustrated, this title describes Anglo-Saxon monarchs, warlords and their warriors and households in Anglo-Saxon Britain, from the first post-Roman mercenaries to the Norman Conquest. Richly illustrated, this title describes Anglo-Saxon monarchs, warlords and their warriors and households in Anglo-Saxon Britain, from the first post-Roman mercenaries to the Norman Conquest.In a country fragmented by Roman withdrawal during the 5th century AD, the employment of Germanic mercenaries by local rulers in Anglo-Saxon Britain was commonplace. These mercenaries became settlers, forcing Romano-British communities into Wales and the West Country. Against a background of spreading Christianity, the struggles of rival British and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were exploited by the Vikings, but eventually contained by the Anglo-Saxon king, Alfred of Wessex. His descendants unified the country during the 10th century, however, subsequent weak rule saw its 25-year incorporation into a Danish empire before it finally fell to the Norman invasion of 1066. Scholars of the early Church have long known that the term 'Dark Ages' for the 5th to 11th centuries in Britain refers only to a lack of written sources, and gives a false impression of material culture. The Anglo-Saxon warrior elite were equipped with magnificent armour, influenced by the cultures of the late Romans, the Scandinavian Vendel people, the Frankish Merovingians, Carolingians and Ottonians, and also the Vikings. In this volume, co-authors Raffaele D'Amato and Stephen Pollington access their extended knowledge to paint a vivid picture of the kings and warlords of the time with the aid of colour illustrations, rare photos and the latest archaeological research.
