First published in 1992, Medieval Military Technology has become the definitive book in its field, garnering much praise and a large readership. This thorough update of a classic book, regarded as both an excellent overview and an important piece of scholarship, includes fully revised content, new sections on the use of horses, handguns, incendiary weapons, and siege engines, and eighteen new illustrations.The four key organizing sections of the book still remain: arms and...

Carl von Clausewitz was a 19th century military theorist who drew many of his ideas from his own experience as a Prussian soldier. Clausewitz's conception of war is strikingly unique: characterizing it as a Hegelian dialectic of opposing factors which interact and build upon each other, Clausewitz's theories are surprisingly romantic. Nevertheless, the author stresses war as a political action that must be ruthless and uncompromising in its annihilation of the enemy.

Robert le Page flew with the Fleet Air Arm from 1940 to 1945, mostly in 816 Squadron flying carrier-based Fairey Swordfish. He saw action mine-laying off Cherbourg, hunting U-boats, escorting convoys in the North Atlantic and Arctic seas and covering D-Day. Much of his early war years were aboard HMS Dasher and he was lucky to be ashore when the carrier mysteriously exploded and sank in the Clyde. This decimated 816 Squadron which was eventually re-equipped and then worked up to operationa...

Gordon Williamson examines the design, development and operational use of the battleships used by the Kriegsmarine during World War II.The 'Schlesien' and 'Schleswig-Holstein' were used mostly as training ships until the end of the war when they took part in bombardment of Soviet troop movements in East Prussia. The 'Scharnhorst' had a successful career until her sinking at the battle of the North Cape, and the 'Gneisenau' with her ignominious end as a block-ship.

A gripping account of one of the Royal Navy's most significant modern warships.The HMS Invincible is a ship whose eventful life story, it is argued, embodies that of the Royal Navy itself during the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st. From her conception and design, through her various deployments (including the Falklands) and her evolving role and technical adaptation to meet changing strategic requirements, her fluctuating fortunes have bee...

"An in-depth illustrated history of one of the most successful post-war British tanks" from the author of Special Forces Vehicles (Forces Pension Society).Few tank designs have been as effective, versatile and long-lived as that of the British Centurion. Conceived during the Second World War as the answer to the superior German Tiger and Panther tanks and to the lethal 88mm gun, this 52-ton main battle tank incorporated the lessons British designers had lea...

Over the last two decades of the 20th century, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) introduced a variety of new AFVs.Old models such as the M48 and M60 were improved beyond recognition, in the form of the Magach 7. The performance of Israel's indigenous Merkava tank was similarly enhanced with new variants and the new Merkava 4 MBT entered service. Israeli infantry also received machines such as the Achzarit assault carrier, the Puma combat engineer vehicle and the Nagma...

The M4 Sherman tank was the mainstay of the Western allies between 1942 and 1945.Fast and modern it was a big success and was transported as far afield as Russia and North Africa. The American Chief of Staff claimed in November 1943 it was 'hailed widely as the best tank on the battlefield today…'. However, by the Normandy invasion of June 1944 this was not the case: the new German heavy tanks such as the Panther and Tiger were completely outclassing the Sherman.

Publishing for the first time in paperback. this book by the specialist for the specialist is a must-have illustrated history of the definitive tank of World War II – the Tiger.One of the most feared weapons of World War II, the Tiger tank was a beast of a machine which dominated the battlefields of Europe with its astonishing size, speed and firepower, which continues to fascinate more than 70 years after it was first designed.Revealing its design and deve...

The design and development of the key dreadnought classes for the German Imperial Navy and their deployment in World War I, including the great clash of dreadnoughts at the Battle of Jutland and operations in the Baltic.Supported by official documents, personal accounts, official drawings and specially commissioned artwork, this is an informative history of the key classes Kaiser, König and Bayern that formed the backbone of the German Imperial Navy throughout Worl...

The German Navy of World War II was small in number, but contained some of the most technologically advanced capital ships in the world.This meant that although the Kriegsmarine never felt capable of encountering the might of the British Navy in a fleet action, her ships were individually more than a match for the outdated vessels of the Royal Navy. Nowhere was this more the case than in Germany's fleet of light cruisers. There were only six vessels in this fleet: ...

The South African 'Arms Deal' was never a single event. Rather it was, and still is, a series of scandals and outrages, all contributing towards a dubious momentum that takes South Africa further away from transparent democratic practice. The Devil in the Detail, written by two of South Africa's leading researchers on the subject, takes the reader on a journey of insight. Witness at close hand the breaking open of State secrets, with tales of outrageous personal enrichment. Explore how the...