A new assessment of the British and Commonwealth contribution to the defeat of Japan in the Pacific. The monumental struggle fought against Imperial Japan in the Asia/Pacific theater during World War II is primarily viewed as an American affair. While the United States did play a dominant role, the British and Commonwealth forces also made major contributions—on land, at sea and in the air, eventually involving over a million men and vast armadas of ships and aircraft. It was a difficult a...

Offers a comprehensive, meticulously researched account of the British and Commonwealth armies’ global campaigns and impact during World War II.The British army emerged from World War I as the world’s premier fighting force. This same army, following two decades of government neglect, entered World War II pitifully small compared to its main rivals and wholly unprepared for the tasks at hand. Despite its sorry state of readiness, the army dutifully went forward to ...

A complete history of naval combat in the Mediterranean and North African campaigns throughout WWII.In the early summer of 1940, the Kingdom of Italy joined with Nazi Germany by challenging Britain for dominance in the Mediterranean region. With France on the verge of collapse and Britain facing imminent invasion, the Italians seized upon a rare opportunity to re-establish control. Heavily outnumbered, the British Mediterranean Fleet and its ground and air forces br...

The monumental struggle fought against Imperial Japan in the Asia/Pacific theater during World War II is primarily viewed as an American affair. While the United States did play a dominant role, the British and Commonwealth forces also made major contributions. It was a difficult and often desperate conflict fought against a skilled and ruthless enemy that initially saw the British suffer the worst series of defeats ever to befall their armed forces. Still, the British persevered and slowl...

For four centuries the British realm depended on sea power to defend itself against a myriad of threats. The Royal Navy established itself as the "Sovereign of the Seas," helping transform a small island nation into the center of a global empire. But Britain's maritime services faced an unprecedented challenge during World War II, and the survival of the nation was at stake.The Longest Campaign tells the epic story of British sea power in the Second World War. It is a comp...

For three millennia the Mediterranean Sea served as the center of western civilization and the scene of many colossal wars and naval battles. In the early summer of 1940, this ancient body of water again played host to a new and extensive conflict as the Kingdom of Italy challenged Britain for dominance within the region. With France on the verge of collapse and Britain facing the prospect of imminent invasion, the Italians hoped to re-establish control over the Mediterranean. The only thi...

The saga of the flags on Iwo Jima has fascinated America for decades. Hammel himself grew up in the company of WWII veterans and has always been intrigued by the photo of the flag, which became a powerful symbol of patriotism and national pride. But the story of how the flag got there, and even the identity of the soldiers in the photo, has been muddied by history. Eric Hammel here sets the record straight, viewing complex events through the lens of the story of the infantry company in whi...

Bloomsbury presents Victory to Defeat by Richard Dannatt and Robert Lyman, read by Richard Dannatt.‘A compelling history.’ – The Sunday Times‘Thought-provoking.’ – The Spectator‘Interesting and well-researched.’ – The Sunday TelegraphA compelling history of the decline of an army from the triumph of victory in 1918 to defeat in 1940 and why this happened. A salutary warning for modern Britain.The British Army won a convincing series of victories betwee...

In 1942, a rational fear was mounting that New York Harbor was vulnerable to sabotage. If the waterfront was infested with German and Italian agents then the US Navy needed a recourse just as insidious to secure it.Naval intelligence officer Commander Charles Radcliffe Haffenden had the solution: recruit as his own spies, members of La Cosa Nostra. Pier to pier, no one terrified the longshoremen, stevedores, shopkeepers, and boat captains along the harbor better than the Mafia gang...

One fateful week in June 1967 redrew the map of the Middle East. Many scholars have documented how the Six-Day War unfolded, but little has been done to explain why the conflict happened at all. As we approach its fiftieth anniversary, Guy Laron refutes the widely accepted belief that the war was merely the result of regional friction, revealing the crucial roles played by American and Soviet policies in the face of an encroaching global economic crisis, and restoring Syria’s often overloo...

**This program includes a preface and afterword read by Beau Wise.From Beau Wise and Tom Sileo comes Three Wise Men, an incredible memoir of family, service and sacrifice by a Marine who lost both his brothers in combat--becoming the only "Sole Survivor" during the war in Afghanistan.**Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, three brothers by blood became brothers in arms when each volunteered to defend their country. No military family has sacrificed more during the ensui...

**"If you are looking for an audiobook that will brighten your day and include short tuba interludes, look - or listen - no further." - AudioFile MagazineIncludes original music from the documentary R.A.W. Tuba*, as well as the author playing. This program is narrated by the author.***From the streets of Baltimore to the halls of the New Mexico Philharmonic, a musician shares his remarkable story in I'm Possible, an inspiring memoir of per...