The Indian Mutiny struck at the very heart of the British Empire. If India was lost the whole edifice of British domination across its colonies was in jeopardy. Everything was at stake, Britains leading role in the word, its international commerce and the reputation of its armed forces. Across the globe Britain ruled only through the compliance of the subordinate nations but if India could throw off the imperialist yolk others might also rebel. The very fate of the Empire hung in the balan...

It was not just the searing heat of the day, hot enough to boil an egg on the bonnet of a lorry, or the sand that nestled in every crevice of the body, or the shivering cold of the starlit nights, that the British and Commonwealth troops had to battle in the North African desert it was also the tough and determined Axis forces under their brilliant leader, Erwin Rommel.The actions which resulted in the awarding of twenty-nine VCs in the Desert War included that of stretcher bearer Private ...

The Armistice of November 1918 ended four years of slaughter that left armies exhausted and populations weary of war – but the fighting was not over. In Russia, civil war and revolution had divided the nation and the Allies sought to intervene on behalf of the 'White' Russians against the Bolsheviks and this conflict continued long after the war had finished elsewhere in Europe. A vital source of information from inside the Bolshevik-held territory came from British secret agents in Petrog...

A historical analysis of the courageous military acts denied the highest award from the British honours system.The Victoria Cross is the most exclusive and prestigious of all gallantry awards. In order to retain this exclusivity, the standard of courage, endeavor or sacrifice required for a recommendation to be accepted for the award of the VC must be of the highest possible order. This has meant that many extremely courageous acts have failed to be rewarded with th...

This maritime history recounts the exploits of sixteenth century English privateers in conflict with the Spanish Empire.The Sea Dogs were seafaring merchants who originally traded mainly with Holland and France. During Queen Elizabeth's reign, however, they began sailing further afield, spreading the reach of English exploration and plundering. At that time, England was a relatively impoverished country. But it soon found a new source of wealth in the Caribbean—a re...

Fought amid the most challenging terrain of any theater during the Second World War, the campaign in the Far East saw heroic actions against the unyielding Japanese that resulted in the awarding of more than forty Victoria Crosses greater than a fifth of all the VCs of the war.Such actions include that of Major Frank Blaker, whose battalion of the Gurkha Rifles was held up by Japanese machine-guns on 9 July 1944. After climbing for five hours up a 2,100-foot hill, Blaker crawled on his han...

When the war was declared in August 1914, one of the first acts to be implemented by the politicians and military was a strict censorship on the newspapers. As the poacher turned gamekeeper, Winston Churchill said: The war is going to be fought in a fog and the best place for correspondence about the war is London, The military sought to have one of their officers, dubbed "Eyewitness", to be the official spokesman to enable them to control what the newspapers could print. In the early stag...

It was the events of the Crimean War that changed everything. Until that time, those serving in Britain's army or navy had been expected to do their duty without thought of recognition or reward, particularly the men in the lower ranks. Fueled by reports from the first ever war correspondents, which were read by an increasingly literate public, the mumblings of discontent over how the gallantry and valor of the ordinary man was recognized rapidly grew into a national outcry. Questions were...

After a slow start, the Second World War produced an enormous number of war correspondents. Correspondents like Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos and George Orwell were all inspired to put their experiences on the printed page. Hemingway and his wife, Martha Gellhorn, went on to cover the D-Day Landings and the final victory in Germany.The British Broadcasting Corporation was the first to use live broadcasts from the front. Encouraged by the RAF's favourable acceptance of Richard Dimbleby'...

The incredible true stories of the first reporters from the battlefield—from Europe's Napoleonic era to the Boer Wars of South Africa.Over two centuries ago, newspapers first considered sending a reporter overseas to observe, gather information, and write about war. With no experience to draw upon, both newspapers and correspondents gradually worked out a procedure that has evolved into today's incredibly sophisticated systems of reportage. Here are the gripping ac...

Janet Well's achievements make for fascinating reading. She was only 18 when decorated for her nursing service to the Russians in the 1878 Balkan War. The following year she became the only nurse to serve at the Front in the Anglo Zulu War. After a period in Northern Zululand she was sent to the garrison at Rorke' Drift very soon after the legendary action. Revered by the soldiers, she had to make do in appalling conditions with scant supplies. She overcame extreme difficulties and prejudi...

A firsthand account of the battle of Isandlwana from one of the only survivors of the Zulu attack, Lieutenant Henry Curling of the Royal Artillery.The crushing defeat suffered by the British Army by the Zulus at Isandlwana on 22 January 1879 is by any standards a gripping and shocking story. The discovery of a complete set of diaries written by a young Royal Artillery officer who was the only survivor of his unit which lost all their guns is a very important find.