"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...

This pictorial history of the legendary American tank combines color photographs, commissioned illustrations and authoritative information.The M4 Sherman was one of the most famous tanks of the Second World War. Produced in greater numbers than any other Allied tank, it fought on every front, and continued to serve as a front-line fighting vehicle in the Korean War, the Arab-Israeli wars, and the Indo-Pakistani wars. This detailed history of the Sherman covers its ...

A pictorial history and analysis of the infamous World War II German tanks.The German Tiger I and Tiger II (known to the Allies as the King Tiger or Royal Tiger) were the most famous and formidable heavy tanks of the Second World War. In their day, their awesome reputation inspired such apprehension among Allied soldiers that the weaknesses of these brilliant but flawed designs tended to be overlooked.Anthony Tucker-Jones, in this illustrated history, tells t...

Discover where events in the Old and New Testaments took place and see how people lived in Biblical times.Take a trip around the Holy Land with these beautifully drawn maps, which show where events from the Bible took place. You can follow the journeys of the patriarchs, view inside Solomon's Temple, witness Jesus' miracles, and see exactly where Paul traveled while spreading the message of Christianity. As well as recapping many of the stories from both Old and Ne...

In 1964 Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, activated a joint unconventional task force known as the Studies and Observation Group-MACV-SOG. As a cover its mission was to conduct analysis of lessons learned in combat by all branches of service. SOG's real mission was to conduct covert strategic reconnaissance missions into Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam as well as sabotage and 'Black' psychological operations. Ground, air and naval assets were employed to insert, collect, extract, and ...

Despite all technological advances, final mastery of any battlefield depends upon the tight-knit group of footsoldiers trained to manoeuvre, shoot and dig in.This first of a two-part study examines the methods by which the Western infantry of World War II - the German, British and US armies - actually brought their firepower to bear. Drawing upon period training manuals for the evolving theory, and on personal memoirs for the individual practice, this first book co...

Commonly mistaken for the locally raised Viet Cong, the NVA was an entirely different force, conducting large-scale operations in a conventional war. Despite limited armour, artillery and air support, the NVA were an extremely politicized and professional force with strict control measures and leadership concepts. Gordon Rottman follows the fascinating life of the highly motivated infantryman from conscription and induction through training to real combat experiences. Covering the evolutio...

Determined to learn from the lessons of World War I, the US Army developed a new generation of field artillery weapons and tactics during the 1930s.Consequently, in World War II it was the clear leader in field artillery. This compact, illustrated guide provides a thorough examination of the US' many critical innovations and doctrines, and the impact they had on performance, including the motorization of artillery, Fire Direction Centers, aerial observation, and ra...

In May 1943 a specially established RAF squadron made its permanent imprint on military aviation history.They flew a high-risk, low level, nighttime attack against German hydro-electric dams vital to the Nazi armaments industry in the Ruhr Valley. A comparatively tiny part of Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris' four-month-long “Battle of the Ruhr” this one raid had an impact totally out of proportion to the small number of aircraft involved. It highlights the syne...

The task of Germany's new Große Kreuzer at the beginning of the 20th century was to form an independent reconnaissance division that was able to perform special tasks.With a speed superiority of at least 3 knots, they should also be capable of fighting in the line, and would thus require heavy armour and good defensive qualities. The battlecruisers that were built did indeed have a remarkable ability to withstand battle damage, as demonstrated by the Goeben, which ...

In 1965, soon after the first US combat troops had arrived in Vietnam, it was realized that in some areas the Viet Cong had developed vast tunnel complexes in which to hide from the enemy.It was long known that such complexes existed, but it was not realized just how extensive they were in some areas, how important they were to the Viet Cong, and how difficult it was to detect and neutralize them. At first infantrymen volunteered to enter the tunnels armed with onl...

From the beginning of the 2nd millennium AD northern India began to fall under the sway of a number of Muslim-Turkic rulers who, at the start of the 13th century, founded the series of dynasties known to history as the Delhi Sultanate.For three centuries these sultans expanded their territory, which led to a dramatic rise in the number of fortifications throughout the subcontinent. This period is the defining age of the Indian castle and the combined influence of t...