When a historic battlefield site is discovered and studied, the focus is often on the “hardware”: remnants of weaponry, ammunition, supplies, and equipment that archaeologists carefully unearth, analyze, conserve, and frequently place on display in museums.But what about the “software”? What can archaeology teach us about the humans involved in the conflict: their social mores and cultural assumptions; their use and understanding of power?In The Archaeology of Engagemen...

Filled with fresh interpretations and information, puncturing old myths and challenging new ones, Battle Cry of Freedom will unquestionably become the standard one-volume history of the Civil War. James McPherson's fast-paced narrative fully integrates the political, social, and military events that crowded the two decades from the outbreak of one war in Mexico to the ending of another at Appomattox. Packed with drama and analytical insight, the book vividly recounts the momentous...

This biography of the 12th century Islamic military leader provides a fascinating view of the Crusades and the Medieval Muslim world.Saladin was a Kurdish military leader who led the fight against the Crusades and rose to become first Sultan of Egypt and Syria. He united warring Muslim lands, reconquered the bulk of Crusader states and faced King Richard I of England in one of the most famous confrontations in medieval warfare. His extraordinary character and career...

On St Stephen's Day 1960 Dónal Donnelly made his dramatic escape from the prison known as 'Europe's Alcatraz'. Three years earlier, the teenage Dónal had been convicted of membership of the IRA in the first year of 'Operation Harvest'. He was sentenced to ten years. Here he reflects on why he came to be on top of a prison wall risking his life. This is the story of a man who overcame the hurdles of his early years to live a successful, happy life.

Forward Into Hell, written by a soldier from the ranks, is a candid account of the bloody battle for Mount Longdon during the Falklands War. Vincent Bramley describes in shocking detail the 12 hours of brutal man-to-man combat that it took before the Third Battalion Parachute Regiment were able to take the mountain from the Argentine forces. He exposes the effects that the fear of dying and the reality of killing have on the ordinary soldier during the heat of battle. He tells how some men...

In the summer of 1914, our finest young men flocked to the colors in Northern towns and cities to answer Lord Kitcheners Call to Arms in a spontaneous burst of enthusiasm and patriotism. The Call appealed to their sense of adventure and offered an escape from the humdrum life of office, factory and mill.The new recruits volunteered with brothers, cousins, friends and work mates. The newly formed units became the focus of local civic pride and soon became known as the Pals. The City of Birm...

Poetry, essays, interviews from witnesses to war. Soldiers and civilians give voice to the trauma, suffering, and longterm damage caused by war, and the need for the nation and community to accept the challenge of healing the wounds of war. Contributors include Jonathan Shay, Brian Turner, Jonathan Schell, Emily Warn, Wilfred Owen, Chris Hedges, Andrew Himes, etc.

An illustrated combat history of the A-4 Skyhawk, which flew numerous attack missions in Israeli service and initiated the Israeli Air Force's transition from French to US aircraft.The light and agile A-4 Skyhawk was the first modern American jet to be offered to the Israeli Air Force, marking the point where the US took over from France as Israel's chief military supplier. Deliveries began too late for the A-4 to fight in the Six-Day War, but it soon formed the ba...

In 1795 the Russian army was as vast as the territory from which it was drawn.The College of War calculated that the regular army amounted to 541,741 men, plus 46,601 enrolled cossacks, and at least a further 100,000 irregular cavalry which could be mobilised in time of war. Inspired by the icons paraded by their priests before battle, the Russian infantry were capable of astonishing feats and total, blind obedience to orders.Philip Haythornwaite examines t...

"Military history at its best and in the grand style . . . offering cogent, convincing analysis. . . . Indispensable." — ChoicePerhaps no person in history has dominated his or her own era as much as Napoleon. Despite his small physical stature, the shadow of Napoleon is cast like a colossus, compelling all who would look at that epoch to chart their course by reference to him. For this reason, most historical accounts of the Napoleonic er...

From its origins to its use in combat today, The Little Book of Camouflage tells the history of camouflage in conflict.Its conception, its uses and the colours are looked at, as well as the key patterns such as the German uniforms of World War II, the ever-recognisable American type worn during Vietnam and the British DPM forming a sort of recognition guide to the various patterns in use in the armies of history and present day.Illustrated througho...

In eleven dramatic years, Anwar Sadat changed history—not just that of Egypt, or of the Middle East, but of the entire world. As the architect of the 1973 war against Israel, he gained the support of other Arab nations and inspired the oil embargo that transformed the global economy. Following the war, however, he forever ended Arab aspirations of unity by making peace with Israel. Early in his presidency, Sadat jettisoned Egypt’s alliance with the Soviet Union and turned to the United Sta...