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The Hidden History of Bletchley Park: A Social And Organisational History, 1939-1945
by Christopher SmithThis book is a 'hidden' history of Bletchley Park during the Second World War, which explores the agency from a social and gendered perspective. It examines themes such as: the experience of wartime staff members; the town in which the agency was situated; and the cultural influences on the wartime evolution of the agency.
The Hidden History of the Korean War, 1950–1951: 1950-1951 (Forbidden Bookshelf #10)
by I. F. Stone&“A great journalist&” raises troubling questions about the forgotten war in this courageous, controversial book—with a new introduction by Bruce Cumings (The Baltimore Sun). &“Much about the Korean War is still hidden, and much will long remain hidden. I believe I have succeeded in throwing new light on its origins.&” —From the author&’s preface In 1945 US troops arrived in Korea for what would become America&’s longest-lasting conflict. While history books claim without equivocation that the war lasted from 1950 to 1953, those who have actually served there know better. By closely analyzing US intelligence before June 25, 1950 (the war&’s official start), and the actions of key players like John Foster Dulles, General Douglas MacArthur, and Chiang Kai-shek, the great investigative reporter I. F. Stone demolishes the official story of America&’s &“forgotten war&” by shedding new light on the tangled sequence of events that led to it. The Hidden History of the Korean War was first published in 1952—during the Korean War—and then republished during the Vietnam War. In the 1990s, documents from the former Soviet archives became available, further illuminating this controversial period in history.
The Hidden History of the White House: Power Struggles, Scandals, and Defining Moments
by Corey MeadPresented by the hit podcast American History Tellers, The Hidden History of the White House reveals the behind-the-scenes stories of some of the most dramatic events in American history—set right inside the house where it happenedFor more than two centuries, the White House in Washington, DC, has been the stage for some of the most climactic moments in American history. Its walls and portraits have witnessed fierce power struggles, history-altering decisions, shocking scandals, and intimate moments among the First Family, their guests, and the staff.In the signature style of the popular American History Tellers podcast, The Hidden History of the White House places readers in the shoes of historical figures—from power brokers to everyday Americans alike—who lived through pivotal events that shaped America.As a fly on the wall of history, you’ll find yourself immersed in:Andrew Jackson’s disastrous 1829 inauguration, when a mob overran and trashed the White House.Woodrow Wilson’s stroke, which led to his wife Edith serving as shadow president during the final months of his administration.President-elect Abraham Lincoln’s clandestine journey to Washington to dodge an assassination plot on the eve of the Civil War.Winston Churchill’s wartime sojourn at the White House, during which he and FDR developed plans to defeat Germany.Barack Obama’s decision to green-light the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden.Equal parts social, political, and cultural history—written and presented in the accessible and engaging style for which American History Tellers is famous—The Hidden History of the White House offers readers a rare opportunity to live within the halls of the Executive Mansion, and explore some of the extraordinary people and events that made America what it is today.
The Hidden Nazi: The Untold Story of America's Deal with the Devil
by Dean Reuter Keith Chester Colm LoweryHe’s the worst Nazi war criminal you’ve never heard of Sidekick to SS Chief Heinrich Himmler and supervisor of Nazi rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, General Hans Kammler was responsible for the construction of Hitler’s slave labor sites and concentration camps. He personally altered the design of Auschwitz to increase crowding, ensuring that epidemic diseases would complement the work of the gas chambers. Why has the world forgotten this monster? Kammler was declared dead after the war. But the aide who testified to Kammler’s supposed “suicide” never produced the general’s dog tags or any other proof of death. Dean Reuter, Colm Lowery, and Keith Chester have spent decades on the trail of the elusive Kammler, uncovering documents unseen since the 1940s and visiting the purported site of Kammler’s death, now in the Czech Republic. Their astonishing discovery: US government documents prove that Hans Kammler was in American custody for months after the war—well after his officially declared suicide. And what happened to him after that? Kammler was kept out of public view, never indicted or tried, but to what end? Did he cooperate with Nuremberg prosecutors investigating Nazi war crimes? Was he protected so the United States could benefit from his intimate knowledge of the Nazi rocket program and Germany’s secret weapons? The Hidden Nazi is true history more harrowing—and shocking—than the most thrilling fiction.
The Hidden Threat: Mines and Minesweeping Reserve in WWI
by Jim CrossleyIt is not widely remembered that mines were by far the most effective weapon deployed against the British Royal Navy in WW1, costing them 5 battleships, 3 cruisers, 22 destroyers, 4 submarines and a host of other vessels. They were in the main combated by a civilian force using fishing boats and paddle steamers recruited from holiday resorts. This unlikely armada saved the day for Britain and her allies. After 1916, submarine attacks on merchant ships became an even more serious threat to Allied communications but submarines were far less damaging to British warships than mines.This book contains the following:Mines in WWIMain cause of ship losses; The Konigin Louise; Loss of Amphion; The Berlin; Loss of Audacity; Losses in the Dardanelles; The Meteor; German mines and how they worked; Minefields - British and German; Fast minelayers; Submarine minelayers.Formation of RNMRPersonnel and discipline; Sweeping technique and gear; Trawlers and drifters; Paddlers; Fleet minesweepers; Sloops.ActionsEast Coast and the Scarborough Raid; Dardanelles; Dover Straight; Mine ClearanceSome Typical IncidentsMine strikes and Mine sweeping.StatisticsMines swept; Ships lost; Minesweepers lost.
The Hidden Victims: Civilian Casualties of the Two World Wars (The Princeton Economic History of the Western World)
by Cormac Ó GrádaA staggering new account of the civilian death toll of the world wars—and what it reveals about the true nature and cost of modern warSoldiers have never been the only casualties of wars. But the armies that fought World Wars I and II killed far more civilians than soldiers as they countenanced or deliberately inflicted civilian deaths on a mass scale. By one reputable estimate, 9.7 million civilians and 9 million combatants died in World War I, while World War II killed 25.5 million civilians and 15 million combatants. But in The Hidden Victims, Cormac Ó Gráda argues that even these shocking numbers are almost certainly too low. Carefully evaluating all the evidence available, he estimates that the wars cost not 35 million but some 65 million civilian lives—nearly two-thirds of the 100 million total killed. Indeed, he shows that war-induced famines alone may have killed 30 million people, making them the single largest cause of death.The Hidden Victims is the first book to attempt to measure and describe the full scale of civilian deaths during the world wars, from all causes, including genocide, starvation, aerial bombardment, and disease. While nations went to great lengths to record military casualties, they often didn&’t count or deliberately obscured civilian deaths. Getting the numbers right is important. It reveals much about the true human costs of the wars, the nature of modern warfare, and the failure of efforts to stop civilian casualties. It also makes it possible to argue with those who try to deny, minimize, or exaggerate wartime savagery.
The Hidden War: PTSD on the Front Lines
by Constance Louie-HandelmanDriven by her passionate desire to serve, psychologist Connie Louie-Handelman joined the US Army at the age of 56. Disturbed by the high rates of PTSD and suicide among warriors, she wanted to make a difference. After training, she was deployed at a forward operating base in the hot and dusty plains of Kandahar, Afghanistan. There she found soldiers fighting more than the enemies they encountered in the battlefield. The casualty rate from invisible enemies like anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and fear was high. When improvised explosive devices killed or wounded warriors near the base, she would journey "outside the wire" to units that were under attack. Besides their shattering experiences on the battlefield, many warriors were also locked in domestic tragedies, with spouses having affairs or wanting divorces, or children going astray. Connie and her fellow mental health professionals faced enormous obstacles as they treated their patients. Basic supplies were scarce and they worked out of tiny spaces where privacy was impossible. Many warriors were rotating through different duty stations and Connie often had only one session to help them before they moved on. Besides her conventional psychological training, Connie had a "secret weapon" for treating trauma. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) combines elements of cognitive therapy with acupressure, in the form of fingertip tapping on acupuncture points. She describes how she used EFT to treat PTSD, anger, insomnia, depression, and stress. Many of her patients calmed down within a few minutes of tapping and were able to make substantial progress, often in just a single session. They learned EFT quickly and many referred their buddies. In this lucid and compelling account, she shares the knowledge she gained while treating 199 warriors over a total of 574 sessions. She went on to become a passionate advocate for EFT as well as work for the Veterans Administration.
The Hideout
by Egon Hostovský Fern LongA kind, blundering Czech engineer is pressured by the Nazi government to hand over his invention, which could be key to their military operations. He flees to Paris, hoping to sell his invention to the French government instead; yet when the Germans invade France, he is forced into hiding, and spends months in a dark, damp cellar. Alone, he dwells on his memories - of his troubled marriage, and his decision to leave his wife behind in Czechoslovakia. When he is given the unexpected chance to redeem himself, both to his wife and history, he seizes it with utter determination - even though this heroic act will be his last.A powerful and moving novel about one man's final, fatal, heroic act of resistance in Nazi France.
The Hiding Place
by John Sherrill Elizabeth Sherrill Corrie Ten BoomCorrie ten Boom was a woman admired the world over for her courage, her forgiveness, and her memorable faith. In World War II, she and her family risked their lives to help Jews escape the Nazis, and their reward was a trip to Hitler's concentration camps. But she survived and was released--as a result of a clerical error--and now shares the story of how faith triumphs over evil. For thirty-five years Corrie's dramatic life story, full of timeless virtues, has prepared readers to face their own futures with faith, relying on God's love to overcome, heal, and restore. Now releasing in a thirty-fifth anniversary edition for a new generation of readers, The Hiding Place tells the riveting story of how a middle-aged Dutch watchmaker became a heroine of the Resistance, a survivor of Hitler's death camps, and one of the most remarkable evangelists of the twentieth century.
The Hiding Place
by Karen HarperA private detective investigates a murder that happened while she was in a coma in this romantic suspense mystery by a New York Times–bestselling author.After spending nine months in a coma, Tara Kinsale awakes to devastating news. Her best friend, Alexis, has been murdered, leaving Tara as guardian to her daughter, Claire. And Tara’s husband has divorced her for another woman.Forced to start over, Tara focuses on reopening her P.I. firm and caring for Claire. But soon her world is shattered again when Nick MacMahon, Claire’s uncle, returns from military service in Afghanistan to take guardianship of his niece. The bad dream turns unbearable when Tara learns that something precious was taken from her while she was in a coma.Working with Nick, a man haunted by his own past, Tara begins to investigate the missing months of her life. Together, they will find that secrets don’t stay buried forever . . . even when they are kept in the darkest of hiding places.“The tension steadily escalates to a pulse-pounding climax.” —Publishers WeeklyOriginally published in 2008
The High Cost of Vengeance
by Freda UtleyIn 1948, Readers Digest posted English writer and political activist Freda Utley to Germany. The result was The High Cost of Vengeance, first published in 1949, in which Utley critically discusses and analyses the Allied occupation policies, including the expulsion of millions of Germans from European nations after World War II and the Morgenthau plan. She explores the United States’ treatment of German captives, the Allied use of slave labour in France and the Soviet Union, and the Nuremberg Trials legal processes.
The High Ground: Leading in Peace and War
by R. D. Hooker"This is much more than a primer...readers will find numerous nuggets on the art and science of leadership that they can place in their kitbag." — Military ReviewThe High Ground draws on the author’s personal experiences as a combat leader to illustrate examples of successful and inspiring leadership in military organizations at all levels. Many of the essays contained in this volume focus on specific military personalities that portray effective leader behaviors in both peacetime and combat settings from the tactical to the strategic. Others describe key leadership characteristics and attributes of successful leaders, from small-unit level to the Pentagon. Throughout the author provides specific and compelling leadership advice and suggestions to new soldiers, new lieutenants, staff officers and commanders. The author served over thirty years in the post-Vietnam Army, rising from private to colonel and serving in the invasion of Grenada and in Somalia, the US response to the Rwandan genocide, in Bosnia and Kosovo, in peacekeeping operations in the Sinai, and in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. He commanded a paratrooper company, battalion and brigade and served in the continental US, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Southwest Asia. The High Ground describes his observations and interactions with military leaders at all levels, in battle and in garrison, to describe and portray military leader development and leader excellence in all its many and varied dimensions. Gripping and fast-paced, these leadership vignettes will carry the reader from peacetime into battle with the American Soldier.
The High Peak Dambuster: Sergeant Jack Marriott DFM
by Frank PleszakOperation Chastise, the audacious attack on the dams in the Ruhr valley, is arguably one of the most famous airborne attacks in history. During the night of 16/17 May 1943, 133 men in nineteen specially-adapted Lancasters – the famous Dambusters – set off to attack six dams deep in the heart of Germany. Eight of the bombers, and 56 of the aircrew, did not come home. Three of the aircrew who took part were from the High Peak region of Derbyshire. Flight Lieutenant Bill Astell, the pilot of ED864 who hailed from Coombs near Chapel-en-le-Frith, was killed after flying into electricity pylons on the way to the dams. The navigator in ED924, Sergeant John Nugent, from Stoney Middleton, survived the Dambusters Raid but was killed later in the war. The third High Peak Dambuster, on whom this biography concentrates, is the little-known Sergeant Jack Marriott from Chinley, the flight engineer on Lancaster ED937 during the attack. Marriott’s Lancaster, Z-Zebra, reached the Möhne Dam, only to discover that it had been breached, some five bouncing bombs already having been released at it. The crew, led by Squadron Leader Henry Maudslay DFC, then flew on to the Eder Dam where their ‘bouncing bomb’ exploded beneath the Lancaster after hitting the parapet of the structure. The damaged Lancaster struggled homeward, but was shot down on the Dutch border; Jack, together with his crew, was killed in the crash. In this autobiography, Frank Pleszak explores Jack’s life, his RAF service prior to joining 617 Squadron, and then the events leading up to and during Operation Chastise itself. But for Jack, one the immortal Dambusters, his story continued on after that historic night – particularly during the filming of the 1955 epic Dam Busters in which his aircraft features.
The High Road To Tokyo Bay — The AAF In The Asiatic-Pacific Theater [Illustrated Edition]
by Daniel HaulmanIncludes over 10 photos and mapsIn early 1942, Japanese military forces dominated a significant portion of the earth’s surface, stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Bering Sea and from Manchuria to the Coral Sea. Just three years later, Japan surrendered, having lost most of its vast domain. Coordinated action by Allied air, naval, and ground forces attained the victory. Air power, both land-and carrier-based, played a dominant role.Understanding the Army Air Forces’ role in the Asiatic-Pacific theater requires examining the context of Allied strategy, American air and naval operations, and ground campaigns. Without the surface conquests by soldiers and sailors, AAF fliers would have lacked bases close enough to enemy targets for effective raids. Yet, without Allied air power, these surface victories would have been impossible.The High Road to Tokyo Bay concentrates on the Army Air Forces’ tactical operations in Asia and the Pacific areas during World War II. A subsequent pamphlet will cover the strategic bombardment of Japan.
The Higher Frontier (Star Trek: The Original Series)
by Christopher L. BennettAn all-new Star Trek movie-era adventure featuring James T. Kirk! Investigating the massacre of a telepathic minority, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise confront a terrifying new threat: faceless, armored hunters whose extradimensional technology makes them seemingly unstoppable. Kirk must team with the powerful telepath Miranda Jones and the enigmatic Medusans to take on these merciless killers in an epic battle that will reveal the true faces of both enemy and ally!
The Highland Battles: Warfare on Scotland's Northern Frontier in the Early Middle Ages
by Chris PeersThis in-depth history of medieval Scottish warfare highlights the rivalries between the Norse warlords and the early Scottish kings.Between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, Scotland’s northern and western highlands underwent a turbulent period of significant wars. The Highlands and islands were controlled by the kings of Norway or by Norse or Norse-Celtic warlords, who not only resisted Scottish royal authority but on occasion seemed likely to overthrow it.In The Highland Battles, Chris Peers provides a coherent and vivid account of the campaigns and battles that shaped Scotland. The narrative is structured around a number of battles—Skitten Moor, Torfness, Tankerness, Renfrew, Mam Garvia, Clairdon and Dalrigh—which illustrate phases of the conflict and reveal the strategies and tactics of the rival chieftains.Peers explores the international background to many of these conflicts which had consequences for Scotland’s relations with England, Ireland and continental Europe. He also considers to what extent the fighting methods of the time survived into the post-medieval period.
The Highland Furies
by Victoria SchofieldAs the oldest of the Highland Regiments, The Black Watch has an enviable roster of Battle Honours and a mystique born of repeated service on behalf of King, Queen and country. On the strength of her acclaimed biography of Field Marshal Earl Wavell, the regimental trustees commissioned Victoria Schofield to write this, the first volume of her magisterial history of the The Black Watch, and have fully cooperated with her as she traces the story of the Regiment from its early 18th-century beginnings through to the eve of the South African War at the end of the 19th-century. Originating as companies of highland men raised to keep a 'watch' over the Highlands of Scotland, they were formed into a regiment in 1739. Its soldiers would go on to fight with extraordinary bravery and élan in almost every major engagement fought by the British Army during this period, from the American War of Independence, the Peninsular Wars, Waterloo, the Crimea, Indian Mutiny to Egypt and the Sudan. Drawing on diaries, letters and memoirs, Victoria Schofield skilfully weaves the multiple strands of this story into an epic narrative of a valiant body of officers and men over one-and-a-half centuries. In her sure hands, the story of The Black Watch is no arid recitation of campaigns, dates and battle honours, but is instead a rich and compelling record of the soldier's experience under fire and on campaign. It is also a celebration of the deeds of a regiment that has played a unique role in British history and a vivid insight into the lives of the many remarkable figures who have marched and fought so proudly under its Colours.
The Highland Laird's Bride: A Marriage of Convenience in Medevial Scotland (Lovers and Legends #3)
by Nicole LockeAt the gates of a Scottish keep... Lioslath of Clan Fergusson has defended her clan and her orphaned siblings against countless enemies. So when Laird Colquhoun, the man responsible for the death of her father, arrives at the gates of her crumbling keep, she'll fight him all the way! It's soon clear Bram's famed tactics of seduction and negotiation won't work on this guarded, beautiful woman. But when the sparks between them turn to passion, and they're forced to wed, Bram must do whatever it takes to win over his new bride...
The Highway of Death
by Earl Bishop DownerThe Highway of Death, first published in 1916, is the chilling account of the Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia (a tragic, largely forgotten aspect of the First World War) as viewed by American Red Cross surgeon Earl Bishop Downer. Based in Belgrade, he describes the bitter back-and-forth fighting for control of this capitol city, the devastating artillery barrages, the doctors and nurses trying to treat the endless stream of wounded combatants, and a typhus epidemic that ravaged soldiers and civilians alike. Included are 34 pages of illustrations.
The Hijacked War: The Story of Chinese POWs in the Korean War
by David Cheng ChangThe Korean War lasted for three years, one month, and two days, but armistice talks occupied more than two of those years, as more than 14,000 Chinese prisoners of war refused to return to Communist China and demanded to go to Nationalist Taiwan, effectively hijacking the negotiations and thwarting the designs of world leaders at a pivotal moment in Cold War history. In The Hijacked War, David Cheng Chang vividly portrays the experiences of Chinese prisoners in the dark, cold, and damp tents of Koje and Cheju Islands in Korea and how their decisions derailed the high politics being conducted in the corridors of power in Washington, Moscow, and Beijing. Chang demonstrates how the Truman-Acheson administration's policies of voluntary repatriation and prisoner reindoctrination for psychological warfare purposes—the first overt and the second covert—had unintended consequences. The "success" of the reindoctrination program backfired when anti-Communist Chinese prisoners persuaded and coerced fellow POWs to renounce their homeland. Drawing on newly declassified archival materials from China, Taiwan, and the United States, and interviews with more than 80 surviving Chinese and North Korean prisoners of war, Chang depicts the struggle over prisoner repatriation that dominated the second half of the Korean War, from early 1952 to July 1953, in the prisoners' own words.
The Hill
by Leonard B. ScottTy is the grunt. Point man for his platoon. Jason is the favored one: a football hero picked for officer training school who leads his men into a slaughter ground from which most of them will never return. Ty and Jason -- Oklahoma brothers different in character, yet close in soul -- are about to meet in the Battle of Dak To, upon the blood-drenched sides of Hill 875.
The Hill Fights: The First Battle of Khe Sanh
by Edward F. MurphyWhile the seventy-seven-day siege of Khe Sanh in early 1968 remains one of the most highly publicized clashes of the Vietnam War, scant attention has been paid to the first battle of Khe Sanh, also known as "the Hill Fights." Although this harrowing combat in the spring of 1967 provided a grisly preview of the carnage to come at Khe Sanh, few are aware of the significance of the battles, or even their existence. For more than thirty years, virtually the only people who knew about the Hill Fights were the Marines who fought them. Now, for the first time, the full story has been pieced together by acclaimed Vietnam War historian Edward F. Murphy, whose definitive analysis admirably fills this significant gap in Vietnam War literature. Based on first-hand interviews and documentary research, Murphy's deeply informed narrative history is the only complete account of the battles, their origins, and their aftermath. The Marines at the isolated Khe Sanh Combat Base were tasked with monitoring the strategically vital Ho Chi Minh trail as it wound through the jungles in nearby Laos. Dominated by high hills on all sides, the combat base had to be screened on foot by the Marine infantrymen while crack, battle-hardened NVA units roamed at will through the high grass and set up elaborate defenses on steep, sun-baked overlooks. Murphy traces the bitter account of the U.S. Marines at Khe Sanh from the outset in 1966, revealing misguided decisions and strategies from above, and capturing the chain of hill battles in stark detail. But the Marines themselves supply the real grist of the story; it is their recollections that vividly re-create the atmosphere of desperation, bravery, and relentless horror that characterized their combat. Often outnumbered and outgunned by a hidden enemy--and with buddies lying dead or wounded beside them--these brave young Americans fought on. The story of the Marines at Khe Sanh in early 1967 is a microcosm of the Corps's entire Vietnam War and goes a long way toward explaining why their casualties in Vietnam exceeded, on a Marine-in-combat basis, even the tremendous losses the Leathernecks sustained during their ferocious Pacific island battles of World War II. The Hill Fights is a damning indictment of those responsible for the lives of these heroic Marines. Ultimately, the high command failed them, their tactics failed them, and their rifles failed them. Only the Marines themselves did not fail. Under fire, trapped in a hell of sudden death meted out by unseen enemies, they fought impossible odds with awesome courage and uncommon valor.
The Hills and the Valley (The Hillsbridge Sagas)
by Janet TannerShe grew up wanting for nothing—but war and a family secret could put an end to her dreams: &“This well-told story holds the reader&’s attention.&” —Publishers Weekly In the English coal mining town of Hillsbridge, Barbara Hall, pretty, mischievous, and seventeen, has grown up wanting for nothing. But a long-buried family secret is about to be uncovered and threaten her happiness. Will it deny her the one man she truly loves? Meanwhile, outside of the close-knit community, a world war once again looms on the horizon. For the youngest of the Hall clan, fate is about to propel Barbara into maturity . . .
The Hindenburg Line (Battleground Europe)
by Peter OldhamThe Hindenburg Line, or Siegfriedstellung, achieved almost mythical status in the minds of the British public: the strongest defence system the world had then seen, scientifically designed by fortification experts with only one aim, to keep at bay the British Army. So pleased and delighted were the British that church bells were rung when the Line was pierced at Cambrai in November 1917. The new wonder-weapon, the Tank, had shown itself to be capable of great deeds and British Generals were seen to be capable of showing the Germans what Tommy could do when properly organised. The initial elation was followed by disappointment as the Germans fought back and the Hindenburg defences were retaken when the Germans used "defence-in-depth" and "elastic-defence", both new concepts to the British who were to learn from their mistakes. The British were to witness triumph and joy again, when, towards the end of the Great War, the Hindenburg Line was to be broken by men from the Midlands.This book examines the reasons for the German's decision to fall back to a strong defence line while their Navy starved Britain into submission, and the "burnt earth" policy of devastation in the area evacuated. The design and layout of the Hindenburg Line, and the Battles for its possession in 1917 and 1918, are given: with numerous maps covering different sectors and the struggles for each village and farm, together with the part played by many British Regiments. The maps contain information on how to find all remaining vestiges of both German and British defences in the region, most of which are rarely visited and many of which have not been seen by British eyes for many years.No book since the Great War has examined this area in such detail, nor has any single account contained so much for the battlefield visitor to see. The sites of individual acts of bravery, including the winning of many Victoria Crosses are featured, and existing locations of battle lines, headquarters, artillery observation and machine gun posts are also included, together with an absorbing narrative which also guides the armchair reader.
The Hindenburg Line Campaign 1918 (Australian Army Campaigns #26)
by Adam RankinIn the last devastating months of the First World War, the British Fourth Army pursued the Germans to their final defensive position — the Hindenburg Line, a formidable series of defensive positions studded with concrete dugouts and thickly set barbed wire. The Hindenburg Line 1918 describes the two fiercely fought set-piece battles which saw Fourth Army break through the German line, paving the way for the final pursuit which ended with the Armistice. The Australian Corps was a pivotal part of the offensive to breach the Hindenburg Line, culminating in the assault to capture Montbrehain, the last Australian battle of the war. By the time it reached the Hindenburg Line, the Australian Corps had been in the line for months, its units exhausted and depleted. Despite this, these final offensives saw the battle-hardened Australians demonstrate their skill in the use of infantry, artillery, machine-guns, tanks, aeroplanes and all the other implements of war that had altered so fundamentally since 1914. Australian commanders had likewise benefited from years of war and were highly skilled in planning complex operations that incorporated the latest tactics, techniques and procedures. But the scale of operations on the Western Front required close cooperation with British and Allied troops, and it was as part of this coalition that the Australian Corps would play its vital role in finally securing battlefield victory and bringing the war to an end.