- Table View
- List View
Passchendaele in Perspective: The Third Battle of Ypres
by Peter H. LiddlePasschendaele In Perspective explores the context and real nature of the participants experience, evaluates British and German High Command, the aerial and maritime dimensions of the battle, the politicians and manpower debates on the home front and it looks at the tactics employed, the weapons and equipment used, the experience of the British; German and indeed French soldiers. It looks thoroughly into the Commonwealth soldiers contribution and makes an unparalleled attempt to examine together in one volume specialist facets of the battle, the weather, field survey and cartography, discipline and morale, and the cultural and social legacy of the battle, in art, literature and commemoration. Each one of its thirty chapters presents a thought-provoking angle on the subject.They add up to an unique analysis of the battle from Commonwealth, American, German, French, Belgian and United Kingdom historians. This book will undoubtedly become a valued work of reference for all those with an interest in World War One.
Passchendaele: The Hollow Victory (Campaign Chronicles)
by Martin Matrix EvansPasschendaele is one of the most evocative names associated with the Great War. For over 80 years, the battle has epitomized pointless slaughter on an unimaginable scale. The bare statistics are shocking in themselves - the British, French and German armies suffered over half a million casualties between July and November 1917. Ever since, the image of hapless soldiers struggling through the mud and the shellfire has come to represent the futility of trench warfare and the incompetence of their commanders. Yet, as Martin Marix Evans demonstrates in this gripping and perceptive reassessment, some common assumptions about the course of the battle - and the ways in which it was fought - are mistaken and should be looked at again.
Passchendaele: The Lost Victory of World War I
by Nick LloydThe definitive account of Passchendaele, one of the most influential and tragic battles of the First World WarPasschendaele. The name of a small, seemingly insignificant Flemish village echoes across the twentieth century as the ultimate expression of meaningless, industrialized slaughter. In the summer of 1917, upwards of 500,000 men were killed or wounded, maimed, gassed, drowned, or buried in this small corner of Belgium.On the centennial of the battle, military historian Nick Lloyd brings to vivid life this epic encounter along the Western Front. Drawing on both British and German sources, he is the first historian to reveal the astonishing fact that, for the British, Passchendaele was an eminently winnable battle. Yet the advance of British troops was undermined by their own high command, which, blinded by hubris, clung to failed tactics. The result was a familiar one: stalemate. Lloyd forces us to consider that trench warfare was not necessarily a futile endeavor, and that had the British won at Passchendaele, they might have ended the war early, saving hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives. A captivating narrative of heroism and folly, Passchendaele is an essential addition to the literature on the Great War.
Passchendaele: The Story Behind The Tragic Victory Of 1917 (Pen & Sword Military Classics)
by Philip WarnerNearly ninety years ago, on 31st July 1917, the small Belgian village of Passchendaele became the focus for one of the most gruelling, bloody and bizarre battles of World War 1. By 6th November, when Passchendaele village and the ridge were captured, over half a million British, French, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and Germans had become casualties. Philip Warner, the noted historian of twentieth-century warfare and the author of over fifty books on military history, many published by Pen & Sword, has skilfully brought together all the elements of this horrific campaign - the historical background, personal accounts, strategies and tactics, the personalities and the political manoeuvres. He investigates the issues which had a crucial effect on the course of the battle, including the mutinous state of the French army, the bombardment which destroyed the drainage system, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig's determination to continue operations despite the appalling weather and ground conditions, and the stormy relationship between Haig and Lloyd George. However, it is the determined fighting ability and the bravery of the allied soldiers, rather than the tactical plans of the commanders, that dominate this detailed and totally absorbing account of the harrowing four-month campaign called the Battle of Passchendaele.Passchendaele is a masterly and timely analysis of one of the most important battles in history.
Passchendaele: The Untold Story; Third Edition
by Robin Prior Trevor WilsonNo conflict of the Great War excites stronger emotions than the war in Flanders in the autumn of 1917, and no name better encapsulates the horror and apparent futility of the Western Front than Passchendaele. By its end there had been 275,000 Allied and 200,000 German casualties. Yet the territorial gains made by the Allies in four desperate months were won back by Germany in only three days the following March. The devastation at Passchendaele, the authors argue, was neither inevitable nor inescapable; perhaps it was not necessary at all. Using a substantial archive of official and private records, much of which has never been previously consulted, Trevor Wilson and Robin Prior provide the fullest account of the campaign ever published. The book examines the political dimension at a level which has hitherto been absent from accounts of "Third Ypres." It establishes what did occur, the options for alternative action, and the fundamental responsibility for the carnage. Prior and Wilson consider the shifting ambitions and stratagems of the high command, examine the logistics of war, and assess what the available manpower, weaponry, technology, and intelligence could realistically have hoped to achieve. And, most powerfully of all, they explore the experience of the soldiers in the light--whether they knew it or not--of what would never be accomplished.
Passing Misery: The Journal of a Forced Laborer in the Third Reich
by Jean Louis Mary PasquiersThe Service du Travail Obligatoire (STO), or the Compulsory Work Service, program remains one of the most unsettling features of France’s history in World War II. Established by the Vichy government in 1943, this initiative saw young men provide forced labor, primarily within France or Germany, in support of the Third Reich’s war effort. In this illuminating translation of the journal of Jean Louis Mary Pasquiers, a former teacher and forced laborer from Paris, Passing Misery documents Pasquiers’ life within war-torn Europe, in unwilling service to the Nazi regime. By exploring Pasquiers' personal story, this book offers an unrivalled insight into the complexities of war-time collaboration, resistance, and moral culpability, shedding light on one of the darkest chapters in European history.
Passing Through Havana: A Novel of a Wartime Girlhood in the Caribbean
by Felicia RosshandlerFor some Europeans fleeing the gathering Holocaust on the Continent, the bright wash of Cuba's azure skies and sparkling sands offered a last refuge. For Suze, a strong, seductive woman who saved her family from Hitler's Jewish witch-hunt with her Magda Lupescu-an appeal and wile, Havana meant life and freedom after their determined, often desperate, flight across Europe and the Atlantic.But for Claudia, Suze's blond, blue-eyed adolescent daughter, the Latin tempo and allure of upper-class Catholic society are too tempting and draw her away from her parents and their expatriate community and into the friendships and parties of Cuba's pre-Castro gilded set. Her Aryan features and skill at "passing" allow her to recast her identity for the circumstance, and each time deny her own feeling of rootlessness.One evening, at a party at the Havana Yacht Club, she falls in love with a young German, who does not know she is Jewish, and Claudia is caught up in a taboo relationship both frightening and erotic.Claudia's story explores another side of the Holocaust: about Jews who escaped to exotic places only to rediscover their heritage of homelessness; and about both the psychology of self-hate and the inner strength of individuals who survive. Novelist and screenwriter Edmundo Desnoes sums it up this way: "Is love or is history the answer? If you read Passing Through Havana you will discover the price of both."
Passing Through the Fire: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in the Civil War (Emerging Civil War Series)
by Brian F. SwartzAs the brigade he commanded attacked a Confederate battery on a hill outside Petersburg in July 1864, a bursting shell blew Col. Joshua L. Chamberlain from the saddle and wounded his horse. After the enemy battery skedaddled, the brigade took the hill and dug in, and up came supporting Union guns. Chamberlain figured the day’s fighting ended. Then an unidentified senior officer ordered his brigade to charge and capture the heavily defended main Confederate line. Chamberlain protested the order, then complied, taking his men forward—until a bullet slammed through his groin and left him mortally wounded. Miraculously surviving a nighttime battlefield surgery, he returned home to convalesce as a brigadier general following an impromptu deathbed promotion. Struggling with pain and multiple surgeries, Chamberlain debated leaving the army or returning to the fight. His decision affected upcoming battles, his family, and the rest of his life. Passing Through the Fire: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in the Civil War chronicles Chamberlain’s swift transition from college professor and family man to regimental and brigade commander. A natural leader, he honed his fighting skills at Shepherdstown and Fredericksburg. Praised by his Gettysburg peers for leading the 20th Maine Infantry’s successful defense of Little Round Top—an action that would eventually earn him Civil War immortality—Chamberlain experienced his most intense combat after arriving at Petersburg. Drawing on Chamberlain’s extensive memoirs and writings and multiple period sources, historian Brian F. Swartz follows Chamberlain across Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia while examining the determined warrior who let nothing prevent him from helping save the United States.
Passing the Test: April–June 1951 (Combat in Korea)
by William T. Bowers and John T. Greenwood“Passing the Test completes the story of ground combat during the Chinese offensives of 1951 . . . This is combat history at its best.” —Lt. General Julius W. Becton, Jr. (Ret.)For US and UN soldiers fighting the Korean War, the spring of 1951 was brutal. The troops faced a tough and determined foe under challenging conditions. The Chinese Spring Offensive of 1951 exemplified the hardships of the war, as the UN forces struggled with the Chinese troops over Line Kansas, a phase line north of the 38th parallel, in a conflict that led to the war’s final stalemate. Passing the Test: Combat in Korea, April–June 1951 explores the UN responses to the offensive in detail, looking closely at combat from the perspectives of platoons, squads, and the men themselves. Editors William T. Bowers and John T. Greenwood emphasize the tactical operations on the front lines and examine US and UN strategy, as well as the operations of the Communist Chinese and North Korean forces. They employ a variety of sources, including interviews conducted by US Army historians within hours or days of combat, unit journals, and after-action reports, to deliver a comprehensive narrative of the offensive and its battles. Passing the Test highlights the experiences of individual soldiers, providing unique insights into the chaos, perseverance, and heroism of war. The interviews offer a firsthand account that is untainted by nostalgia and later literature, illuminating the events that unfolded on the battlefields of Korea.“Serves as a monument to the fighting spirit of the individual soldier.” —Army
Passion Punch: Key West Escape Book Three (The Key West Escape Series #3)
by Tricia Leedom"There is a lot be said in favor of a talented author bringing a combination of romance, heat, and adventure to what otherwise could be a very tired genre. Leedom brings it all!" When April Linus’ best friends find themselves in trouble with the Miami Mafia, the former heiress turns to an even more dangerous criminal for help… her father. Not an easy decision for the young, single mother who found herself pregnant at nineteen and forced to choose between her trust fund and having a baby. April’s father agrees to loan her the money, if she moves home for a few months so he can get to know his grandchild. Before she can decide what to do, she comes face to face with the last man she ever expected to see again… her father’s former bodyguard who disappeared five years ago after she slept with him. Black Ops operative Jonas Ostergaard made a nearly fatal mistake the last time he was in Key West. After working his way into Philip Linus’ circle of trust, Jonas let the Arms Dealer’s beautiful, kindhearted daughter distract him from his mission. He was yanked off the job by his superiors, but now he’s back to stop Linus from selling a dangerous new technology on the black market. Needing to prove himself to save his job, Jonas is determined to keep his distance from April this time. But when he suspects she knows more about her father’s illegal business dealings than she admits, he’s torn between protecting her and uncovering the truth.Passion ignites when April and Jonas end up on the run dodging arms dealers in the steamy Amazon rainforest, but April wonders what kind of relationship she could have with a man who has more secrets than she does. A man who could disappear at any moment and leave her heart in tatters. Trapped between loyalty to her father and a new allegiance with the man she’s falling in love with, April realizes none of it will matter if they don’t escape the jungle alive.The Key West Escape Series1. Rum Runner 2. Bahama Mama 3. Passion Punch
Passion in Secret (Mistress To A Millionaire Ser.)
by Catherine SpencerWill the truth finally set them free—or drive them apart forever? Years ago, when he was nineteen, Jake Harrington had loved Sally with a passion. But he had been tricked into marrying someone else. Now free of that marriage, navy pilot Jake wants a second chance with Sally. Though the timing is wrong and reputations are at stake, after so much wasted time they finally confess their feelings—secretly! Keeping their passion private brings its own tensions, but the revelations of the lies and secrets that caused their past breakup only push them further into each other&’s arms. Until Sally reveals one final secret—and it&’s the one thing Jake just can&’t forgive. . . .
Passion's Timeless Hour
by Vivian Knight-JenkinsSworn to defend the Confederacy, Alexander would let nothing stop him from completing his secret mission--until a dedicated army nurse stole his heart. Rebecca worked on the killing fields of Vietnam--until a freak accident propelled her back to Civil War times. But his growing love cooled when he began to suspect that the spirited young woman might be a Yankee spy.
Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt
by Charlotte GrayA captivating biography of two famous women whose sons, Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt, would change the course of the 20th century—by award-winning historian Charlotte Gray. Born into upper class America in the same year, 1854, Sara Delano and Jennie Jerome refused to settle into predictable, sheltered lives as little-known wives to prominent men. Instead, both women concentrated their energies on enabling their sons to reach the epicentre of political power on two continents. In the mid-19th century, the British Empire was at its height, France&’s Second Empire flourished and the industrial vigour of the USA was catapulting the republic towards the Gilded Age. Sara and Jennie, raised with privilege but subject to the constraints of women&’s roles at the time, learned how to take control of their destinies, Sara in the prosperous Hudson Valley and Jennie in the glittering world of Imperial London. Yet their personalities and choices were dramatically different. A vivacious extrovert, Jennie married Lord Randolph Churchill, rising politician and scion of a noble British family. Her deft social and political manoeuvrings helped not only her mercurial husband but, once she was widowed, her ambitious son, Winston. By contrast, deeply conventional Sara Delano married a man as old as her father. But once widowed, she made Franklin, her only child, the focus of her existence. Thanks in large part to her financial support and to her guidance, Franklin acquired the skills he needed to become a successful politician.Set against one hundred years of history, Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons is a study in loyalty and resilience. Gray argues that Jennie and Sara are too often presented as lesser figures rather than two remarkable individuals who were key in shaping the characters of the sons who adored them, and preparing them for leadership on the world stage. A masterful biographer and acclaimed historian, Charlotte Gray breathes new life into Sara and Jennie. Impeccably researched and filled with intriguing social insights, Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons offers a fascinating and fulsome portrait of how leaders are not just born but made.
Passport Not Required
by Ronald White Eric Dietrich-Berryman Charlotte HammondBefore America entered World War II, twenty-two U.S. citizens went to England and volunteered with the Royal Navy. Commissioned between September 1939 and November 1941, they fought in the Battle of the Atlantic and on a variety of fronts. While the history of Americans serving in the Royal Air Force is well known, the story of these naval volunteers has not been previously told. Most trained at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, but since foreign military service was against U.S. law, their names were never made public. Now, after years of research, their identities and the details of their contributions can be made known.
Passport to Danger
by Sheila GrantPassport to Danger is a thrilling story of espionage during the height of the Cold War with the action racing from posh office towers in New York City to a crescendo in the resort towns of Cuernavaca and Acapulco with stakes of nuclear proportions.The CIA-backed invasion of the Bay of Pigs had been repelled by Russian-armed Cuba, the Berlin Wall had been erected separating East from West, and the Cuban Missile Crisis had brought the US and Russia one launch button away from World War III. The arms race between the two world powers was at a fevered pitch and the Cold War was at its apex. It is against this backdrop that supermodel Elizabeth Lamont is recruited by the CIA after a case of mistaken identity and thrust into the conflict as a double agent impersonating notorious KGB operative Nicola Neumann. Elizabeth&’s mission is to reach Anton Sobokov, who defected from Russia and became a leading US nuclear physicist. Now he&’s being held by the KGB in a house in Cuernavaca, Mexico, waiting to be transported to Cuba by plane and Moscow by boat. While impersonating Nicola Neumann, Elizabeth must gain access to the house and obtain the encrypted code to Sobokov&’s work before it falls into the hands of the Soviets. Should she fail, the balance of power could shift from the US to Russia. With a growing affection for Steve Brenner, a nuclear scientist and close friend of the perceived traitor, Sobokov, the stakes become personal as Elizabeth must prevent her emotions from sabotaging her mission—even if the answers she uncovers devastate the man she may be growing to love.
Past Remembering
by Catrin CollierJack-Knifed' is the first novel featuring DCI Martin Phelps and his team, based in the world-famous and vibrant Cardiff Bay. Mark Wilson, a decent, well-liked gay man, lives alone in a beautiful house in Cardiff. One Saturday evening, his closest friends go to his house for an evening of drinks and catching-up. Finding no answer, the concerned friends break in - to a horrific murder scene. For Mark Wilson has been brutally, sadistically murdered in his own home. As DCI Phelps investigates, Mark's traumatic early life is revealed. Was his killer someone from his past? Was his sexuality a motive? What about his violent, homophobic father - a man who has already killed more than once ... Meanwhile, Mark's estranged sister Amy broods on the hatred she has for her brother, blaming him for turning their father into a killer. As she sinks further in to the depths of drug addiction, who's to say what her next move will be? As the body count rises, Phelps and his sergeant, Matt Pryor, soon realise they are on the trail of a serial killer ...
Past Tense: A Jack Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher #23)
by Lee Child#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Don&’t miss the hit streaming series Reacher!Family secrets come back to haunt Jack Reacher in this electrifying thriller from &“a superb craftsman of suspense&” (Entertainment Weekly).Jack Reacher hits the pavement and sticks out his thumb. He plans to follow the sun on an epic trip across America, from Maine to California. He doesn&’t get far. On a country road deep in the New England woods, he sees a sign to a place he has never been: the town where his father was born. He thinks, What&’s one extra day? He takes the detour.At the same moment, in the same isolated area, a car breaks down. Two young Canadians had been on their way to New York City to sell a treasure. Now they&’re stranded at a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere. The owners seem almost too friendly. It&’s a strange place, but it&’s all there is.The next morning, in the city clerk&’s office, Reacher asks about the old family home. He&’s told no one named Reacher ever lived in town. He&’s always known his father left and never returned, but now Reacher wonders, Was he ever there in the first place? As Reacher explores his father&’s life, and as the Canadians face lethal dangers, strands of different stories begin to merge. Then Reacher makes a shocking discovery: The present can be tough, but the past can be tense . . . and deadly.This edition includes an excerpt of Lee Child&’s novel Blue Moon.
Patchwork (Storm Fronts #2)
by Elle E. IreStorm Fronts: Book TwoEmpath Kelly LaSalle means everything to cybernetic soldier Vick Corren—and Kelly deserves a partner who can love her in a romantic way. For the first time since receiving her robotic enhancements and an AI that makes her faster and stronger than the average merc, Vick thinks she can be that person. Vick wants Kelly for life, and she’ll do whatever it takes to be worthy. A holiday on a tropical planet seems the perfect time for Vick to demonstrate her commitment. And she has big plans. But the best intentions unravel when they’re pursued by a rival mercenary company that wants Vick’s technology—with or without her cooperation. A competitor for Kelly’s affection is determined to tear them apart, and a lover from Vick’s past has depraved plans of her own. Vick might not be able to save their lives without giving herself over to the machine she’s trying so hard to transcend.
Patents for Power: Intellectual Property Law and the Diffusion of Military Technology
by Robert M. Farley Davida H. IsaacsIn an era when knowledge can travel with astonishing speed, the need for analysis of intellectual property (IP) law—and its focus on patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and issues of copyright—has never been greater. But as Robert M. Farley and Davida H. Isaacs stress in Patents for Power, we have long overlooked critical ties between IP law and one area of worldwide concern: military technology. This deft blend of case studies, theoretical analyses, and policy advice reveals the fundamental role of IP law in shaping how states create and transmit defense equipment and weaponry. The book probes two major issues: the effect of IP law on innovation itself and the effect of IP law on the international diffusion, or sharing, of technology. Discussing a range of inventions, from the AK-47 rifle to the B-29 Superfortress bomber to the MQ-1 Predator drone, the authors show how IP systems (or their lack) have impacted domestic and international relations across a number of countries, including the United States, Russia, China, and South Korea. The study finds, among other results, that while the open nature of the IP system may encourage industrial espionage like cyberwarfare, increased state uptake of IP law is helping to establish international standards for IP protection. This clear-eyed approach to law and national security is thus essential for anyone interested in history, political science, and legal studies.
Path of Blood: The Story Of Al Qaeda's War On The House Of Saud
by Thomas Small Jonathan HackerFrom the makers of the documentary of the same name, the history of Al Qaeda’s secret war against Saudi Arabia Path of Blood tells the gripping and horrifying true story of the underground army which Osama Bin Laden created in order to attack his number one target: his home country, Saudi Arabia. His aim was to conquer the land of the Two Holy Mosques, the land from where Islam had first originated, and, from there, to reestablish an Islamic Empire that could take on the West and win. Thomas Small and Jonathan Hacker use new insider evidence to expose the real story behind the Al Qaeda. Far from the image of single-minded holy warriors they present to the world, the bands of soldiers are riven by infighting and lack of discipline. Drawing on unprecedented access to Saudi government archives, interviews with top intelligence officials both in the Middle East and in the West, as well as with captured Al Qaeda militants, and access to exclusive captured video footage from Al Qaeda cells, Path of Blood tells the full story of the terrorist campaign and the desperate and determined attempt by Saudi Arabia’s internal security services to put a stop to it.
Pathfinder (Major Ariane Kedros #3)
by Laura E. ReeveWars may end. But vengeance is forever. Reserve Major Ariane Kedros needs a shot at redemption-and the mysterious aliens known as the Minoans need an extraordinary human pilot with a rejuv-stimulated metabolism like Ariane for a dangerous expedition to a distant solar system. But there's a catch. The Minoans have to implant their technology in Ariane's body, and it might not be removable. Ariane is willing, but as she begins the perilous journey, there is an old enemy hiding within the exploration team who is determined to see them fail. . . .
Pathfinder Pilot: The Wartime Memoirs of Wing Commander R A Wellington DSO OBE DFC
by R. A. WellingtonA riveting account of surviving sixty RAF bombing missions during World War II.During the Second World War, 55,573 RAF Bomber Command aircrew were killed, a shocking 44.4% death rate. A further 8,500 were wounded, and 9,800 became prisoners of war.The author of this thrilling memoir defied the odds, becoming one of the few Lancaster captains to survive his quota of sixty bombing missions. ‘Wimpy’ Wellington’s skills must have been exceptional. After serving in 106 Squadron under the legendary Guy Gibson, he and his crew moved to the elite 83 Pathfinder Squadron, where they coped with the prolonged strain of constant mortal danger, nighttime sorties to distant targets such as Milan, and the steady loss of comrades. Every night they danced with death, surviving enemy fighters, intense flak, and mechanical problems.On completion of flying duties Wellington was sent to the USA and South America to bolster support for the Allied cause. In this vivid account, the decorated and highly accomplished airman tells his story.
Pathfinder Pioneer: The Memoir of a Lead Bomber Pilot in World War II
by Raymond E. BrimOne young man&’s story of combat in the air, constant battles for survival, and the development of radar technology for use against the Luftwaffe. This is the story of how an eighteen-year-old miner shoveling ore from deep in the ground in Utah suddenly found himself, only two years later, 30,000 feet in the air over Nazi Germany, piloting a Flying Fortress in the first wave of America&’s air counteroffensive in Europe. Like thousands of other young Americans, Ray Brim was plucked out by the US Army to be a combat flyer, and was quickly pitted against the hardened veterans of the Luftwaffe. Brim turned out to have a natural knack for flying, however, and was assigned to the select squadron developing lead pathfinder techniques, while experimenting with radar. He was among the first to test the teeth of the Luftwaffe&’s defenses, and once those techniques had been honed, thousands of other bomber crews would follow into the maelstrom—from which 80,000 never returned. This book gives us vivid insights into the genesis of the American air campaign, told with the humor, attention to detail, and humility that captures the heart and soul of our &“Greatest Generation.&” Brim was one of the first Pathfinder pilots to fly both day and night missions, leading bomb groups of six-hundred-plus bombers to their targets. At the onset of his missions in the spring of 1943, B-17 crews were given a fifty-fifty chance of returning. All his raids were nerve-wracking forays into the unknown, struggles to survive the damage to his plane caused by flak and German fighter attacks and bring his ten-man crew home, often wounded—but still alive.
Pathfinder, 'Kriegie' and Gumboot Governor: The Adventurous Life of Sir James Rowland AC, KBE, DFC, AFC
by Sir James Rowland Dr Peter YuleA descendant of early pioneers of New South Wales, James Rowland combined a thirst for adventure with a strong sense of duty. Aged just 22, he became a Lancaster pilot in the elite Pathfinder force, flying 34 missions over occupied Europe and being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In January 1945, he was the only survivor of a collision with a Canadian aircraft over Germany. After narrowly escaping being shot as a spy, he spent the rest of the war as a POW. Returning to the RAAF in 1947, Rowland was a test pilot during the early years of the supersonic era, and played a leading role in the Mirage procurement. His leadership qualities and technical expertise saw him become head of RAAF engineering in 1972, and, in a controversial appointment, Chief of the Air Staff in 1975, the first and still the only engineer to head the RAAF. In 1981, Rowland was appointed Governor of New South Wales, a position he held with distinction for eight years. A brilliant pilot and aeronautical engineer, who combined a strong commitment to duty with a great sense of fun, Rowland has a well-earned place among the great leaders of the RAAF.
Pathfinder: A Special Forces Mission Behind Enemy Lines
by David BlakeleyNine men. 2,000 enemies. No back-up. No air support. No rescue. No chance...First in - the official motto of one of the British Army's smallest and most secretive units, 16 Air Assault Brigade's Pathfinder Platoon. Unofficially, they are the bastard son of the SAS. And like their counterparts in Hereford, the job of the Pathfinders is to operate unseen and undetected deep behind enemy lines. When British forces deployed to Iraq in 2003, Captain David Blakeley was given command of a reconnaissance mission of such critical importance that it could change the course of the war. It's the story of nine men, operating alone and unsupported, fifty miles ahead of a US Recon Marine advance and head straight into a hornets nest, teeming with thousands of heavily-armed enemy forces. This is the first account of that extraordinary mission - abandoned by coalition command, left with no option but to fight their way out of the enemy's backyard. And it provides a gripping insight into the Pathfinders themselves, a shadowy unit, just forty-five men strong, that plies its trade from the skies. Trained to parachute in to enemy territory far beyond the forward edge of battle - freefalling from high altitude breathing bottled oxygen and employing the latest skydiving technology - the PF are unique.Because of new rules introduced since the publication of Bravo Two Zero, there have been no first-hand accounts of British Special Forces waging modern-day warfare for nearly a decade. And no member of the Pathfinders has ever told their story before. Until now. Pathfinder is the only first-hand account of a UKSF mission to emerge for nearly a generation. And it could be the last.