"A successful book, giving a picture of life on a major warship, as well as a different view of some of the main naval actions of the Second World War." —HistoryOfWar.orgThis is the story of the Royal Navy battle-cruiser HMS Renown, a famous ship with a long and distinguished operational career. Originally built for the First World War she subsequently served in the post-war fleet and took royalty around the world. Modernized just in time for World War Two,...

This is an in-depth study of the battle of Midway that reviews the many previous accounts and compares their accuracy and veracity with fresh documentation that has been released recently, including new material on the post-war analysis made by a US select committee. There are new viewpoints on the muddle among the US Admirals; the total failure of the USAAF, despite elaborate claims; fresh thinking on the part played by the US Navy Dauntless dive-bombers in the action; the mystery of the ...

This WWII history examines how the Royal Navy defended the English Channel from the first Dover Patrols to the liberation of the Channel Islands.The English Channel has always provided Great Britain with a natural defensive barrier, but it was never more vital than in the early days of World War Two. This book relates how the Royal Navy maintained control of that vital seaway throughout the war.Military historian Peter Smith takes readers from the early days ...

The Laforays were the largest, most powerfully armed and successful ships of this type to see frontline action with the Royal Navy in WWII. They were also the handsomest warships to see service and presented a perfect combination of power and speed. They were assigned to the most dangerous theaters of war including Force H, sailing between Gibraltar and Malta, from where they operated against the German supply lines to North Africa. They escorted minelayers into the German backyard in the ...

A history of the Japanese aircraft, "illustrated by well reproduced black and white photographs" details the plane's impressive WWII aviation record. ( Aviation News)The Mitsubishi Zero is one of the greatest fighter aircraft ever to have graced the skies. Symbolic of the might of Imperial Japan, she represented a peak of developmental prowess in the field of aviation during the early years of the Second World War. Engineered with maneuverability in mind, t...

A comprehensive account of the origins, design, and history of the A-10A Warthog: "Highly recommended." — AMPS IndianapolisIncludes photosThe Fairchild-Republic A-10A Close Support aircraft has become a legend over its long front line life. Known as the Warthog due to her unusual appearance, this little aircraft has built up an awesome reputation in the specialized ground-attack role, where her accuracy and deadliness are widely recognized a...

This is the wartime history of the battleship HMS Royal Sovereign, along with the story of her four sister ships HMS Revenge, HMS Resolution, HMS Royal Oak and HMS Ramillies. These ships were built and launched during World War I and although old and slow, and bitterly criticised by Churchill and others as being "Coffin Ships", the Royal Sovereign class battleships in fact played a valiant and doughty role in World War II. The Royal Oak was an early loss, thanks mainly to pre-war Governmen...

Peter C. Smith presents us here with the second release in his visually splendid Cruise Ships series. Whilst his first book concerned itself with the large-scale ships currently cruising through our seas (those weighing 40,000 GT and more) this volume focusses on the other end of the market; the ships that weigh in at less than 40,000 GT, but which are often much more stylish and aesthetically pleasing than their larger-scale counterparts. The elegant interiors and luxurious features on di...

For three hundred years or more the Royal Navy really did Rule the Waves, in the sense that during the numerous wars with our overseas enemies, British fleets and individual ships more often than not emerged victorious from combat. One French Admiral wa

"[An] extensively researched complete history of the famous SBD Dauntless dive bomber, hero of the Battle of Midway. Very Highly Recommended." — FiretrenchThe Douglas SBD Dauntless, a monoplane dive-bomber designed by Ed Heinemann for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, arrived in service in the months just preceding America's entry into World War II. The first such aircraft were being shipped out to the USMC units just as the Ja...

Aviation and maritime historian Peter C. Smith reveals how both Allied and Axis powers used World War I era aircraft in Combat Biplanes of World War II.The era of the combat biplane is usually thought to have been between 1914 and 1938. By the outbreak of World War II, most of the advanced air forces of the world had moved on to monoplane aircraft for their front-line battle forces, both in bomber and fighter capacities. Yet despite this, many biplanes did ...

The incredible story of the dive bomber is told through official reports and personal accounts from combat pilots in this sweeping military history.The History of Dive Bombing delves beneath the myths to present an in-depth history. Peter Smith tells the full story of these planes from the first true combat dive bombing by a Royal Air Force pilot in 1917 to the last stirring wartime actions. Interviews with pilots from both World Wars representing all comba...