A milestone in twentieth century aviation is brought to life in this chronicle of the Short Empire, the plane that transformed British global transportation.In 1937, the Short Brothers aerospace company introduced the most successful flying-boat airliner ever built. Designed to a specification for Imperial Airways, then Britain's national airline, the Short Empire flying-boat carried passengers and, more importantly, mail throughout the British Empire. The airliner ...

How can we begin to make sense of the Great War now that over 100 years have passed since it ended with the defeat of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman empire and Bulgaria, and the collapse of Tsarist Russia? The conflict had such a profound influence on world history that is it difficult to reconcile the different perspectives and draw clear conclusions. That is why this thought-provoking collection of original essays on the outcome of the war and its aftermath is of such value.It com...

The Royal Artillery played an absolutely vital, though often forgotten, part in the British armed forces successful operation to recapture the Falkland Islands in 1982. The actions of the artillery were recorded by one young officer in a journal which he kept before, during and after the conflict.Second Lieutenant Tom Martin was a Command Post Officer with 29 (Corunna) Field Battery RA which deployed to the South Atlantic in 1982 as part of the Task Force dispatched to retake the Falklands...

At 11.00 hours on 11 November 1918, the guns fell silent across the battlefields of Europe. After the deadliest conflict the world had ever seen, peace had finally arrived. Since the withdrawal from the Somme and the repulse at Verdun, the Germans knew they could not win the war and had sought a negotiated end to the fighting. This was rejected by the Allies and the fighting continued until, almost two years later, with its economy on the verge of collapse, Germany had no choice but to acc...

"The compelling story of the squadron of adventurous young American pilots who were among the first to engage in air combat." — Tampa Bay TimesIn First to Fly, lauded historian Charles Bracelen Flood draws on rarely seen primary sources to tell the story of the daredevil Americans of the Lafayette Escadrille, who flew in French planes, wore French uniforms, and showed the world an American brand of heroism before the United States entered the Grea...

The historian and author of Postwar Counterinsurgency and the SAS reveals the full story of how the Special Air Service Regiment began during WWII.Britain's elite Special Air Service Regiment is one of the most revered special-ops units in the world. Its high-profile operations include the storming of the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980 and the hunt for Osama bin Laden in southern Afghanistan following 9/11. Since its inception during the Second World War...

Filled with larger-than-life characters, and revelations of the vision and technology it took to dominate the skies before and during, World War II, here is a gripping piece of aviation history.Pan Am at War chronicles the airline's historic role in advancing aviation and serving America's national interest before and during World War II. From its inception, Pan American Airways operated as the "wings of democracy," spanning six continents and placing the ...

"Makes you proud to be an American . . . a wonderful, fast-paced read, and I highly recommend it for any World War II aviation enthusiast" ( Military Review).There were no mission limits for a pilot in the Pacific during World War II; unlike in Europe, you flew until it was time to go home. So it was for James "Jug" Curran, all the way from New Guinea to the Philippines with the 348th Fighter Group, the first P-47 Thunderbolt outfit in the Pacific.Af...

From the author of Bismarck: " A work of simply outstanding scholarship . . . unreservedly recommended for . . . World War II Military History collections" ( Midwest Book Review).The successes of the German Blitzkrieg in 1939-41 were as surprising as they were swift. Allied decision-makers wanted to discover the Germans' secrets, even though only partial, incomplete information was available to ...

Allegedly the only man capable of holding the Führer's intense gaze, Rothay Reynolds was a leading foreign correspondent between the wars and ran the Daily Mail's bureau in Berlin throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The enigmatic former clergyman was one of the first journalists to interview Adolf Hitler, meeting the future Führer days before the Munich Putsch.While the awful realities of the Third Reich were becoming apparent on the ground in Germany, in Britain the Daily...

The name George Armstrong Custer looms large in American history, specifically for his leadership in the American Indian Wars and unfortunate fall at the Battle of Little Bighorn. But before his time in the West, Custer began his career fighting for the Union in the Civil War. In Custer: The Making of a Young General, legendary Civil War historian Edward G. Longacre provides fascinating insight into this often-overlooked period in Custer's life.In 1863, under the patronage ...

The account of these elite paratroopers' encounter with the Germans is " a story of raw courage in the face of seemingly impossible odds . . . a great read" ( World War II).In December 1944, an enormous German army group crashed through the thin American line in the Ardennes forest. Caught by surprise, the Allies were initially only able to throw two divisions of paratroopers to buttress the collapse—the 82nd Airborne, which was rushed to ...