Download or read book The Pointblank Directive written by L. Douglas Keeney and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-12-20 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Pointblank Directive is the result of extensive new research that creates a richly textured portrait of perhaps the last untold story of D-Day. Where was the Luftwaffe on D-Day? Following decades of debate, 2010 saw a formerly classified history restored and in it was a new set of answers. This title analyzes three uniquely talented men and why the German Air Force was unable to mount an effective combat against the invasion forces. Following a year of unremarkable bombing against German aircraft industries, General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, commander of the U.S. Army Air Forces, placed his lifelong friend General Carl A. “Tooey” Spaatz in command of the strategic bombing forces in Europe, and his protégé, General James “Jimmy” Doolittle, command of the Eighth Air Force in England. For these fellow aviation strategists, he had one set of orders – sweep the skies clean of the Luftwaffe by June 1944. Spaatz and Doolittle couldn't do that but they could clear the skies sufficiently to gain air superiority over the D-Day beaches. The plan was called Pointblank.

Download or read book Incomparable written by Terry Crowdy and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-09-20 with total page 602 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An elite battalion under Louis XVI, the 9th Light Infantry regiment were with Napoleon from almost the beginning, turning the field at Marengo and breaking the Austrians. They then spent over a decade fighting their way across the continent, following Napoleon to the bitter end. Bringing their Eagle out of hiding when Napoleon returned from exile in 1815 they almost saved the day again, at Waterloo, spearheading a charge to rejoin Napoleon. But unlike at Marengo, they failed. Napoleon dubbed them 'Incomparable', and their story is extraordinary even by the standards of the dramatic and turbulent years in which they lived.

Download or read book Rolling Thunder in a Gentle Land written by Andrew Wiest and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-05-20 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fifteen renowned authors from widely varied backgrounds examine the Vietnam War, providing a fresh insight into this controversial conflict, even for those who have 'read it all before'. “This is a superb and compelling reexamination of the major historical, political, and ethical issues that continue to smoulder many decades after the conclusion of the Vietnam War, I highly recommend Rolling Thunder in a Gentle Land. It is among the best books of its kind that I've encountered over the last dozen years.” - Tom O'Brien, author of The Things They Carried First-hand accounts, maps and contemporary photographs, analysis from the soldiers involved and new perspectives from combatants on both sides provide an incisive investigation into a fascinating and terrible war.

Download or read book Joshua L Chamberlain written by Thomas Desjardin and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-05-20 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The largest collection of never-before published letters from and to Civil War hero Joshua Chamberlain provides a foundation for a new look at the life of one of the War's most enduring legends. His life is a remarkable story of perseverance, tragedy and triumph. From an insecure young man with a considerable stutter who grew up in a small town in eastern Maine, Joshua Chamberlain rose to become a major general, recipient of the Medal of Honor, Governor of Maine and President of Bowdoin College. His writings are among the most oft-quoted of all Civil War memoirs, and he has become a legendary, even mythical historical figure. In 1995, the National Civil War Museum acquired a collection of approximately three hundred letters written by or sent to Chamberlain from his college years in 1852 to his death in 1914. Author Thomas Desjardin puts Chamberlain's words in contemporary and historical context and uses this extraordinary collection of letters to reveal – for the first time – the full and remarkable life of Joshua Chamberlain.

Download or read book The Daring Dozen written by Gavin Mortimer and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-06-20 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gavin Mortimer reveals the 12 legendary Special Forces commanders of World War II. Prior to the war, the concept of 'special forces' simply didn't exist, but thanks to visionary leaders like David Stirling and Charles Hunter, our very concept of how wars can be fought and won has totally changed. These 12 men not only reshaped military policy, but they led from the front, accompanying their troops into battle, from the sands of North Africa to jumping on D-Day and infiltrating behind enemy lines. Mortimer also offers a skilful analysis of their qualities as military commanders and the true impact that their own personal actions, as well as those of their units, had on the eventual outcome of the war.

Download or read book Vietnam written by Andrew Wiest and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-04-20 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Andrew Wiest, the bestselling author of The Boys of '67: Charlie Company's War in Vietnam and one of the leading scholars in the study of the Vietnam War, comes a frank exploration of the human experience during the conflict. Vietnam allows the reader a grunt's-eye-view of the conflict – from the steaming rice paddies and swamps of the Mekong Delta, to the triple-canopy rainforest of the Central Highlands and the forlorn Marine bases that dotted the DMZ. It is the definitive oral history of the Vietnam War told in the uncompromising, no-holds barred language of the soldiers themselves.

Download or read book Between Giants written by Prit Buttar and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-05-20 with total page 617 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From an expert on the Eastern Front of World War II, this book chronicles the cataclysmic experience of the region that includes modern-day Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic States suffered more than almost any other territory during World War II, caught on the front-line of some of the war's most vicious battles and squeezed between the vast military might of the German Wehrmacht and the Soviet Red Army. Combining new archival research and numerous first-hand accounts, this is a magisterial description of conquest and exploitation, of death and deportation and the fight for survival both by countries and individuals.

Download or read book The Rice Paddy Navy written by Linda Kush and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-11-20 with total page 405 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A detailed history of SACO-“the rice paddy navy”-the U.S. Navy's accomplished, top-secret, covert operation in China during World War II. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy knew it would need vital information from the Pacific. After a meeting and a handshake agreement with Chiang Kai-shek, the Sino-American Cooperative Organization was born. This top-secret network worked hand in hand with the Nationalist Chinese to fight the Japanese occupation of China while it intercepted Japanese code, laid mines, and trained Chinese peasants in guerrilla warfare. Its work supplied critical information to the U.S. and contributed to the felling of more than 70,000 Japanese – while losing only five of their own men. SACO – “the rice paddy navy” – was one of the best-kept secrets of the war. Linda Kush uncovers the military accomplishments and political wrangling that colored one of the most successful and little known efforts of World War II.

Download or read book Naval Miscellany written by Angus Konstam and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-05-20 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For armchair admirals, history buffs, and naval enthusiasts everywhere, A Naval Miscellany is an indispensible and entertaining collection of fascinating and little-known facts, anecdotes, lists, curiosities and stories from our naval past. Forgotten heroes, amazing blunders, surprising trivia, and strange-but-true stories are all included. Who were the naval heroes of the ancient world, and the world's worst admirals? How much did a midshipman get paid in the eighteenth century? What are the origins of sea shanties? Where are the biggest naval bases in the world today? And how does a ship float? It's all here in this little book that will amaze and enlighten even the most avid student of naval history!

Download or read book Iraq Full Circle written by Darron L. Wright and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-10-20 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: U.S. Army LTC Darron Wright and former U.S. Coast Guard officer Mike Walling join forces to detail a complete, unique history of the Iraq War through first-hand, street-level accounts of the key events and battles that shaped the conflict. From 2003 through 2010, more than 200,000 men and women were deployed in Iraq. For seven years, they fought ferociously in the blistering sands in the Land Between the Two Rivers. Some fought for pride or survival, some to bring democracy to a forsaken land that has known only tyranny and strife. Scores of books have been published about the war, most criticizing the strategies and execution. Some have been personal memoirs capturing the heroism and sacrifice. Here U.S. Army LTC Darron Wright, a proven combat leader, joins forces with author Mike Walling to lift the veil on the Iraq War, revealing the build-up of troops; the equipping, training, and planning; the capture of Saddam Hussein; the formation of the new Government; and the last patrol. Through vivid stories and military documents, this provides readers with a first-hand of the full conflict.

Download or read book Hitler s Eagles written by Chris McNab and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-11-20 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hitler's Eagles charts the turbulent history of the Luftwaffe from its earliest days to its downfall. At the beginning of World War II, the Luftwaffe was the world's most advanced air force. With superior tactics, aircraft and training, it cut through opposition air forces. Despite this auspicious beginning, by 1945 the Luftwaffe was a dying force. The Allies were destroying German aircraft at unequal rates, and Luftwaffe aviators were dying in their thousands in an unbalanced battle to save Germany from destruction. Once Hitler was in power, the Luftwaffe came out of the shadows and expanded under a massive rearmament programme, then embarked upon the war that would define its existence. As well as providing a detailed history of the Luftwaffe's combat experience, the book expands on its human and material aspects. Aces and commanders are profiled and aircraft are described both technologically and tactically. The book conveys all the drama of the Luftwaffe's existence with Osprey's famous aviation artwork bringing the story incomparably to life.

Download or read book The Para Fitness Guide written by Sam McGrath and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-07-20 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Para Fitness Guide, Major Sam McGrath of the legendary Parachute Regiment has collected together an inspirational series of exercises which are perfect for anyone. Every year getting fit and losing weight is at the top of the list of resolutions but few of us manage to stick to any kind of fitness regime. What you need is a military instructor watching over your exercise programme, helping you out and encouraging you along the way. Unfortunately, we can't supply you with your own personal fitness expert, but this book is the next best thing! Sam offers advice on how to choose a gym, eat well, prepare for exercise, warm up and how to warm down to reduce the impact of all of those aches and pains. The book also sets out six challenges for readers to aim for as they follow this programme, including a 10-mile race and the grueling Fan Dance around the Brecon Beacons. Recession proof your fitness programme with our accompanying iPhone app; have Major Sam McGrath as your own personal, portable trainer on your mobile device! The updated app now features the Emperor Training programme, pushing your quest for fitness further with weight training. With our help you can be fighting fit in time for your summer hols!

Download or read book Secret Weapons written by Brian J Ford and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-09-20 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deep in the bunkers of Nazi Germany, many of the world's top scientists worked to create a new generation of war winning super-weapons. A few of these, such as jet aircraft and the V2 rocket, became realities at the end of the war, others never made it off the drawing-board. Written by noted research scientist, Brian Ford, this exciting book charts the history of secret weapons development by all the major powers during the war, from British radar to Japanese ray-guns, and explains the impact that these developments eventually had on the outcome of World War II. Ford also takes a look at the weapons that never made it to development stage, as well as the more radical plans, such as the idea of turning Hitler into a woman with hormone treatment.

Download or read book Sticklers Sideburns and Bikinis written by Graeme Donald and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-05-20 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complete guide to everyday words with military origins. Did you know they started 'hearing through the grapevine' during the American Civil War, that 'ghettos' originated in Venice or that 'deadline' has a very sinister origin? Jam-packed with many amazing facts, Sticklers, Sideburns and Bikinis is a fascinating trip through the words and phrases that came to us from the military but nowadays are used by soldier and civilian alike. The sources of many are surprising and their original use is often far removed from that of today. From 'duds' to 'freelancers' and 'morris dancing' to 'bikini' this enthralling book describes the military origins of words and phrases that we use on a daily basis.

Download or read book Panther written by Michael Green and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-07-20 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Author Mike Green provides new insights into the creation and ultimate failure of the German Panther tank. In most people's opinion, the German Panther tank was the most elegant tank design of World War II. It embodied a balance of firepower, armor protection, and mobility unmatched by any other tank of the period. Yet, it was not the war-winner it might have been. Author Mike Green examines the disparity between the potential of the Panther design and the actuality of the fielded Panther tank in this book. Though many viewed the Panther as an engineering masterpiece and a technological breakthrough, it failed to meet expectations on the battlefield, and thus proved a major setback to Hitler's dreams of world domination. Green explores the evolution, and devolution, of the Panther, providing keen insight and new reasons for its ultimate failure.

Download or read book Battleground Prussia written by Prit Buttar and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-02-20 with total page 535 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An engrossing history of the last year of the Second World War, charting the battles fought between the Soviet Red Army and the Nazis across German soil. The terrible months between the arrival of the Red Army on German soil and the final collapse of Hitler's regime were like no other in the Second World War. The Soviet Army's intent to take revenge for the horror that the Nazis had wreaked on their people produced a conflict of implacable brutality in which millions perished. From the great battles that marked the Soviet conquest of East and West Prussia to the final surrender in the Vistula estuary, this book recounts in chilling detail the desperate struggle of soldiers and civilians alike. These brutal campaigns are brought vividly to life by a combination of previously untold testimony and astute strategic analysis recognising a conflict of unprecedented horror and suffering.

Download or read book America s Secret MiG Squadron written by Gaillard R. Peck, Jr and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-07-20 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: America's Secret MiG Squadrons is the story of a group of incredibly brave military pioneers who put their lives on the line to establish a training program that would prepare the US Air Force for a potential Cold War battle with Soviet aircraft. As a F-4 Phantom II pilot in Vietnam, Col. Peck had been shocked by the technological abilities of Soviet-built aircraft, and at the poor level of training available to US pilots to aid them in their battles with Soviet MiGs in the skies over Vietnam. Working with the support of Gen Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Jr., and under conditions of extreme secrecy, the CONSTANT PEG program was launched with Peck as the original Red Eagle. This is the fascinating history of the men who trained to fly and maintain covertly obtained MiGs, for the first time providing an insider's perspective, personal anecdotes, and photographs, revealing how Peck battled bureaucracy and scepticism to ultimately establish the premier fighter pilot training center – the real Top Gun.