- Table View
- List View
Great Escape Forger: The Work of Carl Holmstrom—POW#221. An Artist in Stalag Luft III
by Susan Holmstrom KohnowichCarl Holmstrom’s superb artwork depicts life as a ‘kriegie’ in a unique manner. But, more than that, he spent the major part of his captivity in Stalag Luft III Prisoner of War Camp, famous for ‘The Great Escape’. The audacity of the 76 escapees was only matched by the callousness of the Nazis who murdered 50 after recapture. As well as skillfully recording camp life, Carl forged invaluable official documents. He also sketched his fellow prisoners and encouraged others to take up drawing as hobby. Remarkably he saved over 200 examples of his work by carrying them on the appallingly arduous 1945 winter march from Poland into Germany. Post war, Carl Holmstrom said, “The drawings were made during imprisonment and represent a sincere effort to portray to the American people and especially to the relatives of the prisoners, intimate glimpses of Kriegie life.” His words proved to be prophetic. An expansion of his earlier self-published Kriegie Life, this superb book honors Carl’s exceptional artistic gift. This book has strong claim to contain the finest collection of POW art to emerge from Nazi-occupied Europe.
Great Escapes #1: Nazi Prison Camp Escape (Great Escapes #1)
by Michael BurganAre you ready for some of the most exciting, death-defying escape stories ever told? Perfect for fans of the I Survived series, the first installment in a brand-new, edge-of-your-seat series based on real events! In spring 1942, Royal Air Force pilot Bill Ash’s plane was shot down by Germans, who captured and eventually brought him to Stalag Luft III, a notorious camp for prisoners of war. The Germans boasted that the camp—which was isolated, heavily guarded, and surrounded by wire fences—was escape proof. But Ash was ready to prove them wrong. He, along with other POWs, would dig tunnels, hide in shower drains, or jump on trucks—all in the name of freedom. Because resisting the Germans was their mission, and escaping was their duty.From reluctant reader to total bookworm, each book in this page-turning series—featuring fascinating bonus content and captivating illustrations—will leave you excited for the next adventure!
Great Escapes #3: Civil War Breakout (Great Escapes #3)
by W. N. BrownAre you ready for some of the most exciting, death-defying escape stories ever told? The third installment in the unputdownable Great Escapes series is here—perfect for fans of the I Survived series!Civil War, 1863. Virginia. Union soldiers Colonel Thomas Rose and Major A. G. Hamilton were captured by the Confederate Army and taken to Libby Prison—one of the most horrific prisons ever run.Few ever made it out of the overcrowded, vermin-infested prison alive.But neither fear, nor darkness, nor squealing rats could keep Rose and Hamilton from freedom. They and other POWs would fight against the odds to attempt the largest prison escape in American history. From reluctant reader to total bookworm, each book in this page-turning series—featuring fascinating bonus content and captivating illustrations—will leave you excited for the next adventure!
Great Escapes #6: Across the Minefields (Great Escapes Ser. #6)
by Pamela D. Toler W. N. BrownAre you ready for some of the most exciting, death-defying escape stories ever told? The sixth installment in the Great Escapes series is here—perfect for fans of the I Survived series!June, 1942—Libya. Free French Officer Susan Travers was one of the few women on the frontlines in Africa during World War Two. After the Germans surrounded the military camp of Bir Hakeim, a shocking order was issued. The French troops were going to break out in the middle of the night—crossing through dangerous minefields and enemy territory—to reach their British allies. And Officer Travers would be leading the charge.With the lives of thousands of military men at risk, stakes were high. But Officer Travers didn’t face rejection and break gender barriers to back down now. Her country needed her to fight. And win. For reluctant readers to total bookworms, this gripping historical fiction story—featuring fascinating bonus content and captivating illustrations—will leave you eager to read the whole series!
Great Escapes of World War II
by George SullivanThe true stories of 7 dating escapes by prisoners of war during WWII including Colditz Castle, Auschwitz, Stalag Luft III, and more.
Great Generals of the Ancient World: The Personality, Intellectual and Leadership Traits That Made Them Great
by Richard A. GabrielThe military expert and author of Philip II of Macedonia presents 9 profiles of exemplary leadership from the ancient world. Of all the military commanders throughout history, only a few are remembered as great leaders of men in battle. Is there a combination of personal attributes and historical circumstances that produces great commanders? Professor Richard A. Gabriel analyses the biographies of ten great generals, all of whom lived between 1481 BC and AD 632, in order to identify the characteristics of intellect, psychology, personality, and experience that allowed them to tread the path to greatness. Some of the names included in Gabriel&’s selection, such as Moses and Muhammad, will surprise many readers—as will the historical figures Gabriel chooses to omit, including Alexander the Great and Atilla the Hun. But Gabriel is not merely interested in famous military exploits. A retired soldier and professor at the Canadian Defence College, he distils the timeless essence of military leadership through the examples of Julius Caesar, Philip II of Macedonia, Thutmose III of Egypt, and others
Great Hunting Rifles: Victorian to the Present
by Terry WielandIn Great Hunting Rifles, firearms expert Terry Wieland leads the reader on a journey through the history of some of the most exquisite rifles made in the twentieth century.The rifles featured in the book, all personally owned by the author and described in loving detail, were chosen for their particular importance. Each rifle either represents a particular era of gun making, is historically important, or is simply a paragon of gun making skill. In his treatment of these special rifles, Wieland provides a close look at some individual guns that are superb in a unique way, and which illustrate high points of the twentieth century. Each chapter is dedicated to one particular rifle, and is accompanied by photographs of the author's own examples, including:James Woodward hammer double .450 Express 3 1/4" Holland & Holland hammer .500 Express 3 1/4" Haenel-Mannlicher bolt action .450 Ackley custom rifle Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1908 Savage Model 1899 Al Biesen custom .270 Winchester .505 Gibbs custom built on a Granite Mountain Mauser 98 And many more! Great Hunting Rifles is perfect for anyone who wants to know more about the history of those few, special rifles that have made their mark on time.
Great Lakes Naval Training Station (Images of America)
by Therese GonzalezGreat Lakes Naval Training Station was authorized as a "training ship on land" in 1904. The base opened on July 1, 1911, and the first class of 300 U.S. sailors graduated four months later in a grand ceremony attended by Pres. William H. Taft as guest of honor. It has since sent to the fleet over four million sailors, serving the nation through all the conflicts of the 20th century. Today Great Lakes is the sole remaining navy boot camp in the United States. Anchored by the stately Building One, the entire 43-building complex was designated as Great Lakes Naval Training Station on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This book, with over 200 vintage images, explores its colorful and important history.
Great Lakes Warships 1812-1815
by Paul Wright Mark LardasWhen war broke out in 1812, neither the United States Navy nor the Royal Navy had more than a token force on the Great Lakes. However, once the shooting started, it sparked a ship-building arms race that continued throughout the war. This book examines the design and development of the warships built upon the lakes during the war, emphasizing their differences from their salt-water contemporaries. It then goes onto cover their operational use as they were pitted against each other in a number of clashes on the lakes that often saws ships captured, re-crewed, and thrown back against their pervious owners. Released in 2012 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the outbreak of the war, this is a timely look at a small, freshwater naval war.
Great Maritime Patrol Aircraft of the World: From the Curtiss “America” to the Kawasaki P-1
by Ralph J. DeanAn action-filled, highly readable history of the great maritime patrol aircraft of the world, spanning WWI to the present.
Great Military Disasters: From Bannockburn to Stalingrad
by Julian SpilsburyGreat Military Disasters tells the dramatic stories behind the world's most calamitous conflicts. From the French army's failure to understand the impact of new technology at Crécy to Hitler's blatant overconfidence at Stalingrad, military historian Julian Spilsbury provides thrilling accounts of each disaster, covering exactly what went wrong, how and why. Of course, a disastrous outcome for one side meant victory for another, so as well as exploring the reasons the conflict ended in disaster, Great Military Disasters also reveals the key to victory. Eyewitness quotations add another dimension to this intriguing study of human incompetence of the gravest kind.
Great Military Disasters: From Cannae To Stalingrad
by Julian SpilsburyGreat Military Disasters tells the dramatic stories behind the world's most calamitous conflicts. From the French army's failure to understand the impact of new technology at Crécy to Hitler's blatant overconfidence at Stalingrad, military historian Julian Spilsbury provides thrilling accounts of each disaster, covering exactly what went wrong, how and why. Of course, a disastrous outcome for one side meant victory for another, so as well as exploring the reasons the conflict ended in disaster, Great Military Disasters also reveals the key to victory. Eyewitness quotations add another dimension to this intriguing study of human incompetence of the gravest kind.
Great Naval Battles of the Ancient Greek World
by Owen ReesNaval warfare is the unsung hero of ancient Greek military history, often overshadowed by the more glorified land battles. Owen Rees looks to redress the balance, giving naval battles their due attention. This book presents a selection of thirteen naval battles that span a defining century in ancient Greek history, from the Ionian Revolt and Persian Invasion to the rise of external naval powers in the Mediterranean Sea, such as the Carthaginians.Each battle is set in context. The background, wider military campaigns, and the opposing forces are discussed, followed by a narrative and analysis of the fighting. Finally, the aftermath of the battles are dealt with, looking at the strategic implications of the outcome for both the victor and the defeated. The battle narratives are supported by maps and tactical diagrams, showing the deployment of the fleets and the wider geographical factors involved in battle. Written in an accessible tone, this book successfully shows that Greek naval warfare did not start and end at the battle of Salamis.
Great Naval Battles of the Pacific War: The Official Admiralty Accounts: Midway, Coral Sea, Java Sea, Guadalcanal & Leyte Gulf
by John GrehanThe key naval battles against Imperial Japan in the Pacific during the Second World War have been described many times by numerous diligent and skilful historians. Such histories are, of course, the products of many years, even decades, of accumulated knowledge, but also of a received consensus of how the war played out to its, seemingly, inevitable conclusion. That of course is not how it was perceived at the time. Hindsight, as we know, gives us 20/20 vision. The accounts here, compiled for and on behalf of the Admiralty, were written either during or immediately after the end of the war before historians had begun to give their assessments of these momentous events. These accounts were written for internal consumption, to guide and instruct naval officers. It was never intended that they would be released to the general public. As such, there was no jingoistic drum beating, no axes to grind, no new angles to try and find. The authors of these accounts relate each battle, move by move, as they unfolded, accurately and dispassionately. This makes these accounts so invaluable. They read almost like a running commentary, as action follows action, minute follows minute. This sensation is magnified by the absolute impartiality of the authors, their sole attempt being to provide a thorough but very clear and comprehensible record so that others in the future could understand precisely how each battle was fought. These accounts can never be superseded and never replaced. Written by naval officers of the time for naval officers of the future, they are the permanent record of the great victories, and the sobering defeat in the Java Sea, during the struggle for control of the Pacific which, for many months, hung precariously in the balance.
Great North Road
by Peter F. HamiltonNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. New York Times bestselling author Peter F. Hamilton’s riveting new thriller combines the nail-biting suspense of a serial-killer investigation with clear-eyed scientific and social extrapolation to create a future that seems not merely plausible but inevitable. A century from now, thanks to a technology allowing instantaneous travel across light-years, humanity has solved its energy shortages, cleaned up the environment, and created far-flung colony worlds. The keys to this empire belong to the powerful North family—composed of successive generations of clones. Yet these clones are not identical. For one thing, genetic errors have crept in with each generation. For another, the original three clone “brothers” have gone their separate ways, and the branches of the family are now friendly rivals more than allies. Or maybe not so friendly. At least that’s what the murder of a North clone in the English city of Newcastle suggests to Detective Sidney Hurst. Sid is a solid investigator who’d like nothing better than to hand off this hot potato of a case. The way he figures it, whether he solves the crime or not, he’ll make enough enemies to ruin his career. Yet Sid’s case is about to take an unexpected turn: because the circumstances of the murder bear an uncanny resemblance to a killing that took place years ago on the planet St. Libra, where a North clone and his entire household were slaughtered in cold blood. The convicted slayer, Angela Tramelo, has always claimed her innocence. And now it seems she may have been right. Because only the St. Libra killer could have committed the Newcastle crime. Problem is, Angela also claims that the murderer was an alien monster. Now Sid must navigate through a Byzantine minefield of competing interests within the police department and the world’s political and economic elite . . . all the while hunting down a brutal killer poised to strike again. And on St. Libra, Angela, newly released from prison, joins a mission to hunt down the elusive alien, only to learn that the line between hunter and hunted is a thin one.
Great Power Cyber Competition: Competing and Winning in the Information Environment (Routledge Advances in Defence Studies)
by David V. Gioe Margaret W. SmithThis volume conceptualizes the threats, challenges, opportunities, and boundaries of great power cyber competition of the 21st century. This book focuses on a key dimension of contemporary great power competition that is often less understood due to its intangible character: the competition taking place in the cyber domain, including information and cyber operations. Democracies across the globe find themselves in an unrelenting competition with peer and near-peer competitors, with a prevailing notion that no state is "safe" from the informational contest. Adversarial powers, particularly China and Russia, recognize that most competition is principally non-kinetic but dominates the information environment and cyberspace, and the volume articulates the Russian and Chinese strategies to elevate cyber and information competition to a central position. Western governments and, in particular, the U.S. government have long conceived of a war–peace duality, but that perspective is giving way to a more nuanced perception of competition. This volume goes beyond analyzing the problems prevalent in the information space and offers a roadmap for Western powers to compete in and protect the global information environment from malicious actors. Its genesis is rooted in the proposition that it is time for the West to push back against aggression and that it needs a relevant framework and tools to do so. The book demonstrates that Western democratic states currently lack both the strategic and intellectual acumen to compete and win in the information and cyber domains, and argues that the West needs a strategy to compete with near-peer powers in information and cyber warfare. This book will be of much interest to students of cyber-warfare, information warfare, defense studies, and international relations in general, as well as practitioners.
Great Power Strategy in Asia: Empire, Culture and Trade, 1905-2005
by Jonathan BaileyGreat Power Strategy in Asia, 1905-2005 analyzes the enduring themes underlying the strategic struggles in East Asia, beginning with the crucial event of the 1904-5 Russo-Japanese War. Jonathan Bailey clearly shows why military history is highly relevant in understanding today’s strategic problems, and how the most important areas of current affairs have their roots in often forgotten corners of military history. He makes his powerful case in three clear sections: an analysis of the explosive factors that led to war between Russia and Japan in 1904, presenting a ten-year perspective of the War, focusing on its consequences: cultural shock in ‘the West’, re-alignment of Asian imperial geography and the failure to learn vital military lessons, as World War I approached a thirty-five year perspective of the war, showing why Japan repeated the essential strategic, operational and tactical ploys of its war against Russia in 1904 in its strike upon the USA in 1941. Allied victory assured the downfall of Europe’s empires in Asia, with the USA inheriting much of the old imperial legacy a centennial view of the Russo-Japanese War, which demonstrates that many of the broader issues identifiable in 1904-05 remain at the heart of today’s strategic discourse: Western apprehension about the economic rise of Japan; the anomalies of an ‘American Empire’; tensions between Occident and Orient; the apparent new relevance of geopolitics; and the importance of demography in perceptions of global power. This book is multidisciplinary, emphasizing the linkages between imperial power-politics, military operations, cultural conflict and commercial rivalry. It is also the story of military innovation, the pathology of learning lessons from the experience of war, and the anticipated rise of Asian, or more specifically Chinese, power a century after the false dawn of the Japanese victory in 1905. This book will be of great interest to all students of the Russo-Japanese War, Asian security, and of military and strategic studies.
Great Powers
by Thomas P.M. BarnettFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Pentagon's New Map, a bold, trenchant analysis of the post-Bush world In Great Powers, New York Times bestselling author and prominent political consultant Thomas Barnett provides a tour-de-force analysis of the grand realignments in the post-Bush world-in the spheres of economics, diplomacy, defense, technology, security, the environment, and more. The "great powers" are no longer just the world's nation- states, but the most powerful and dynamic influences on the global stage, requiring not simply a course correction, but a complete recalibration. Globalization as it exists today was built by America- and now, Barnett says, it's time for America to shape and redefine what comes next.
Great Powers and Strategic Stability in the 21st Century: Competing Visions of World Order (Routledge Global Security Studies)
by Graeme P. HerdThis book addresses the issue of grand strategic stability in the 21st century, and examines the role of the key centres of global power - US, EU, Russia, China and India - in managing contemporary strategic threats. This edited volume examines the cooperative and conflictual capacity of Great Powers to manage increasingly interconnected strategic threats (not least, terrorism and political extremism, WMD proliferation, fragile states, regional crises and conflict and the energy-climate nexus) in the 21st century. The contributors question whether global order will increasingly be characterised by a predictable interdependent one-world system, as strategic threats create interest-based incentives and functional benefits. The work moves on to argue that the operational concept of world order is a Concert of Great Powers directing a new institutional order, norms and regimes whose combination is strategic-threat specific, regionally sensitive, loosely organised, and inclusive of major states (not least Brazil, Turkey, South Africa and Indonesia). Leadership can be singular, collective or coalition-based and this will characterise the nature of strategic stability and world order in the 21st century. This book will be of much interest to students of international security, grand strategy, foreign policy and IR. Graeme P. Herd is Co-Director of the International Training Course in Security Policy at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP). He is co-author of several books and co-editor of The Ideological War on Terror: World Wide Strategies for Counter Terrorism (2007), Soft Security Threats and European Security (2005), Security Dynamics of the former Soviet Bloc (2003) and Russia and the Regions: Strength through Weakness (2003).
Great Powers and the Quest for Hegemony: The World Order since 1500 (War, History And Politics Ser.)
by Jeremy BlackThis timely book provides a general overview of Great Power politics and world order from 1500 to the present. Jeremy Black provides several historical case-studies, each of which throws light on both the power in question and the international system of the period, and how it had developed from the preceding period. The point of departure for this
Great Powers, Small Wars: Asymmetric Conflict since 1945
by Larisa DeriglazovaA sophisticated appraisal of the problem of asymmetric conflict in the post–World War II period.In a sophisticated combination of quantitative research and two in-depth case studies, Larisa Deriglazova surveys armed conflicts post World War II in which one power is much stronger than the other. She then focuses on the experiences of British decolonization after World War II and the United States in the 2003 Iraq war. Great Powers, Small Wars employs several large databases to identify basic characteristics and variables of wars between enemies of disproportionate power. Case studies examine the economics, domestic politics, and international factors that ultimately shaped military events more than military capacity and strategy.
Great Push: The Battle of the Somme, 1916 (Images of War)
by William LangfordIn 1916, Sir Douglas Haig, commanding the BEF, began his great offensive to drive the invaders off the ground they had been occupying for over a year and a half. The Great Push, as the offensive was advertised to the nation, began 1 July 1916. A glossy picture magazine was produced to inform the British public of the progress of the offensive. Over a four month period until the Battle of the Somme faded away in November the magazine appeared with the following advertising blurb:Sir Douglas Haigs Great Push; The Battle of the Somme; A popular, pictorial and authoritative work on one of the Greatest Battles in History, illustrated by about 700 wonderful Official Photographs and Cinematograph Films; By Arrangement With the War Office; beautifully printed on the Best English Art Paper. As is well known, the Great Push turned out to be little more than a nudge, but, for the sake of national morale, the British public had to be encouraged to believe that all was going well; especially in view of the horrific casualties wrecking the lives of families throughout the land.The Great Push, in the form of Images of War, helps capture the propaganda thrust of the times and presents once more the illustrations of those bewildering days.
Great Train Crimes: Murder & Robbery on the Railways
by Jonathan OatesMurder and robbery committed on the railways have long held a special place in British criminal history. Railways and trains create special conditions—and opportunities—for criminal acts. Two legendary large-scale robberies took place on the British railways—the Gold Bullion Robbery of 1855 and the Great Train Robbery of 1963—and these extraordinary episodes are often used as examples of the ultimate in criminal audacity. <p><p> But as Jonathan Oates shows in this powerful selection of case studies, most railway crime is less sensational yet, in many ways, more revealing. He reconstructs in vivid detail some of the most memorable cases dating from Victorian times to the present day. Included are cases of adults and children who were thrown to their deaths from trains, decapitated corpses found beside railway lines, passengers who were pushed from platforms into the path of oncoming trains, and others who were stabbed, shot, or strangled during their journeys and were found dead on arrival. <p> The sheer variety of crimes is astonishing, as are the stories that unravel behind them. As he retells these sensational, bizarre, often ghastly tales, Oates gives an insight into the reality of railway crime. His collection is a must for addicts of true crime cases and for readers who enjoy railway history.
Great Walls and Linear Barriers
by Peter SpringEveryone has heard of the Great Wall of China and knows of Hadrian's Wall and the other barriers lining stretches of Rome's imperial frontiers. But Peter Spring's original new study demonstrates that far from being exceptional, the building of walls and other linear defences was commonplace among the peoples and states of pre-modern era. He finds examples virtually all across the globe and analyses their forms and strategic functions. He finds patterns for their distribution, an important recurrent theme being the divide between settled agriculture and nomads. The author argues that it is mistaken to view such undertakings as necessarily purely defensive measures that might be evidence of insecurity or a 'maginot line mentality', as they were in fact often about aggressive assertion of control over a region or strategic routes. This original and thought-provoking study brings new light and insight to a fascinating and neglected aspect of human political and military history. It The clear text is supported by numerous, specially drawn maps and photographs.
Great War Britain Coventry: Remembering 1914-18
by Peter Walters Culture Culture Coventry Culture CoventryThe First World War claimed over 995,000 British lives, and its legacy continues to be remembered today. Great War Britain: Coventry offers an intimate portrayal of the city and its people living in the shadow of the 'war to end all wars'. A beautifully illustrated and highly accessible volume, it describes local reaction to the outbreak of war; charts the experience of individuals who enlisted; the changing face of industry; the work of the many hospitals in the area; the effect of the conflict on local children; the women who defied convention to play a vital role on the home front; and concludes with a chapter dedicated to how the city and its people coped with the transition to life in peacetime once more. The Great War story of Coventry is told through the voices of those who were there and is vividly illustrated through evocative images from the archives of Culture Coventry.