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Raglan: From the Peninsula to the Crimea
by John SweetmanAll too many historians have dismissed FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, first Baron Raglan, as at best, an indifferent and, at worst, an incompetent on the basis of his association with the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade.Yet as this long overdue biography of a pivotal military figure of the 19th Century reveals Raglans achievements over fifty years should not be judged on so narrow a basis. True, as Commander of the Expeditionary Force to the Crimea, he must take his share of responsibility for the hardship suffered by the men under him particularly during the winter of 1854-55 but the fact remains that Raglan never lost a battle for which he was fully responsible.Commissioned in 1804 he served under Sir Arthur Paget and the Duke of Wellington, throughout the Peninsular War losing an arm at Waterloo. He held key posts, including Military Secretary for an astonishing 25 years and Master General of the Ordnance and his influence was far reaching.Raglan is revealed in this objective study as a brave, thoughtful, caring and capable man, who found himself an easy target for critics of an outdated and inadequate military administrative system. Very personal attacks, some from official quarters, mortally wounded him and he died in June 1855, a mere seven months after being appointed a field marshal amid public acclaim.In this first full biography of Raglan, John Sweetman examines not just the man himself but the workings of an Army that was straggling to keep up with social and technological change. Readers will find this a fine expos of a man who was placed in a no-win situation through little fault of his own.John Sweetman graduated from Brasenose College Oxford (Modern History) before taking a PhD at Kings College, London. He later became Head of Defence and International Affairs at RMA Sandhurst. He is the author of numerous military works. Now retired he lives at Camberley.
A Raid Over Berlin: A Miraculous True-Life Second World War Survival Story
by John Martin"I could see that still no one had been able to get out from the cockpit. It must have been at this moment that I thought I was going to die because I became remarkably calm." Trapped inside a burning Lancaster bomber, 20,000 feet above Berlin, airman John Martin consigned himself to his fate and turned his thoughts to his fiancee back home. In a miraculous turn of events, however, the twenty-one year old was thrown clear of his disintegrating airplane and found himself parachuting into the heart of Nazi Germany. He was soon to be captured and began his period as a prisoner of war. This engaging and compulsively readable true-life account of a Second World War airman, who cheated death in the sky, only to face interrogation and the prospect of being shot by the Gestapo, before having to endure months of hardship as a prisoner of war.
Raid! The Untold Story of Patton's Secret Mission
by Abe Baum Richard Baron Richard GoldhurstThe orders came from Patton himself: Take a strike force behind enemy lines--with no air or ground support--and liberate a POW camp at Hammelburg, where Patton's son-in-law was held. Captain Abe Baum and an armored task force answered the call, crashing through an enemy-held town, plunging into German territory, and fighting their way to Hammelburg. With the German army closing in around them, the raiders kept going, until they had liberated 1,500 prisoners of war. Baum's Raiders had just achieved an impossible objective. Now they had to get back out... Written by the men who were there, Raid! is the gripping real-life story of a controversial mission in the heart of World War II. From the belly of a Sherman Tank pelted with enemy fire to the POWs waiting behind barbed wire, this is a thrilling, you-are-there chronicle of human courage--in the face of impossible odds.
Raiders: World War Two True Stories
by Ross KempTo the people of Great BritainWorld War II was the deadliest and bloodiest war in history. Never before or since have so many people made such a personal sacrifice in the line of duty.Raiders tells the extraordinary true stories of six of the most daring special operations ever undertaken in warfare and the heroism of the people behind them.Operation Chariot was the most ambitious amphibious raid ever mounted by the British Forces. Attacking the heavily fortified dry dock at St Nazaire in German occupied France, an elite group of commandos battered their way through a maelstrom of bullets and incendiaries. Their boat is punctured by over a hundred shell holes, the dead and wounded lie all around them on the decks, but still their guns are blazing and still they press on...'Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees all others'Winston Churchill
Raiders (eBook Sampler): World War Two True Stories
by Ross KempA free sampler of Ross Kemp's Raiders: six true stories of the most daring British operations of World War Two.This sampler contains the story of Operation Judgement; believed to be one of the most incredible raids of World War Two.The full ebook and hardback will be available on 25th October 2012.Six raids that changed the course of history.Operation Judgement: one of the most spectacular efforts of World War Two, where obsolete British biplanes attacked the Italian fleet in Taranto.Operation Archery: the first true combined operation carried out by all three British forces. THis successful raid persuaded Hitler that the Allies were planning a full scale invasion.Operation Biting: a cross-Channel raid into France that was the first major attack by the British Airborne Division and its first battle honour.Operation Gunnerside: a dramatic demolition assault on Hitler's atomic bomb plant in Norway.Operation Chariot: 'the greatest raid of all': the British amphibious attack on the Normandie dry dock at St Nazaire in German-occupied France.Operation Deadstick: the story of the first Allies into the fray on D-Day, tasked with seizing and holding two bridges to prevent an armoured German counter-attack.
Raiders from the Sea: The Story of the Special Boat Service in WWII
by John LodwickThe Special Boat Service was a small force during World War II, never more than about 300 men. But that did not stop it from inflicting great damage on the enemy. In the Mediterranean arena and in the Aegean, which the Germans controlled after the fall of Greece and Crete, this small commando force kept up a constant campaign of harassment, thus pinning down enemy forces and preventing their joining other fronts.They travelled by night to their targets, using submarines, small surface vessels or canoes, with the commanders of the vessels often putting themselves in danger in order to help the men carry out their dangerous and secret missions. They were reliant on the co-operation of the fiercely independent Greeks and in particular the Cretans, all working together in their common objective against the German invaders.John Lodwick took part in the SBS Mediterranean campaign and writes from personal experience with the panache and verve of the squadron itself. For it is more than the story of the remarkable men who made up the force: men such as Anders Lassen, ‘the Dreadful Dane’ who was awarded a posthumous VC, Fitzroy Maclean, Eric Newby, Jock Lapraik, and Lord Jellicoe, who commanded the squadron for almost two years and who contributed a memorable foreword to this memoir.Strong, determined individuals, together the men of the Special Boat Service formed a deadly, cohesive fighting force which contributed much to the war in the Mediterranean and to whom John Lodwick’s book is an excitingly readable tribute.
Raiding on the Western Front
by Anthony SaundersThe trench raid came to typify the aggression and close-combat of trench warfare on the Western Front. Inevitably, raiding by aggressively minded units had a psychological effect on the enemy. Dominance over the enemy could be established by aggressive raiding. Equally, raiding had an effect on the morale of friendly troops but not always a positive one. Successful raids buoyed spirits but unsuccessful raids could be detrimental because of the casualties sustained for no gain and raiding provoked retaliation from enemy artillery or mortars or a tit-for-tat return raid.Raids came to be the epitome of all-arms operations, combining individual weapons skills with tactical sense and requiring cooperation with artillery and mortar batteries for success. Yet, a raiding party was an ad hoc all-arms combat team put together and trained for a specific operation. In the early days of raiding, the raiders were always volunteers but the steady toll of experienced soldiers led to raiders being told off for the first task like any other.This is the first book to look at how raids were carried out, the successes, the failures, the consequences of raiding, and their effect on morale and their contribution to military operations on the Western Front.
Raiding with Morgan: American Civil War 1 (American Civil War Ser. #1)
by Jim R. WoolardPursued by the Union army, Morgan's Raiders blazed a trail of destruction unparalleled in Civil War history. Only a handful of Morgan's men lived to tell the tale...For seventeen years, Ty Mattson never knew if his father survived the Mexican War. But when he receives news that his father is alive--and he's joined the Confederate forces of General John Morgan--Ty leaves home to enlist with the Raiders...Owen Mattson turns out to be everything Ty imagined he would be: a good man, a true mentor, a great soldier. But a Confederate assassin's bullets nearly divide father and son yet again. From the blood-soaked chaos of Morgan's devastating defeat at Buffington Island to the harsh brutality of a Union prison, Ty Mattson will do whatever it takes to fight and survive. For his father. For the love of a beautiful woman. For the life and the land he treasures.
Rail Transport and the Winning of Wars
by James A Van FleetJames Alward Van Fleet (March 19, 1892 – September 23, 1992) was a U.S. Army officer during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Van Fleet was a native of New Jersey, who was raised in Florida and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. He served as a regimental, divisional and corps commander during World War II and as the commanding General of U.S. Army and other United Nations forces during the Korean War. “This survey reviews the role of railroads in national security. It is based upon both personal observation and recorded experience of the effect of rail transport, or the lack thereof, on the outcome of campaigns and the winning of wars.”
Railroad Generalship: Foundations Of Civil War Strategy
by Dr Christopher R. GabelIncludes 4 figures, 13 maps and 4 tables.Renowned Military Historian Dr Christopher Gabel investigates the effects of the Railroad on the strategies employed by both the Union and Confederate Generals of the Civil War.According to an old saying, "amateurs study tactics: professionals study logistics." Any serious student of the military profession will know that logistics constantly shape military affairs and sometimes even dictate strategy and tactics. This excellent monograph by Dr. Christopher Gabel shows that the appearance of the steam-powered railroad had enormous implications for military logistics, and thus for strategy, in the American Civil War. Not surprisingly, the side that proved superior in "railroad generalship," or the utilization of the railroads for military purposes, was also the side that won the war.
Railroading in Eighteen Countries: The Story of American Railroad Men Serving in the Military Railway Service, 1862 to 1953
by Maj.-Gen. Carl R. GrayThis is the story of the Military Railway Service of the United States Army from its beginning in 1862 and including a brief account of the Service in World War I. It is specifically the story of the military use of railroads in World War II and in Korea. General Gray has focused his comprehensive account on the performance of the personnel of the Service, and on outstanding individuals wherever possible. Out of more than 351,000 men and women employees of American railroads serving in all arms in World War II, 43,500 were assigned to various units of the Military Railway Service. This impressive record of their achievements covers history, organization, training and operations in Alaska, England, North Africa, Sicily and Italy, Northern France and Belgium, Southern France, Germany and Austria, Iran, India, the Philippines, New Caledonia, Australia, Japan and Korea.A notable feature of this handsome volume is the wealth of fine photographs of operations in all areas, for the most part photographs not seen before.
Rails of War: Supplying the Americans and Their Allies in China-Burma-India
by Steven James HantzisIn a theater of war long forgotten and barely even known at the time, James Harry Hantzis and his fellow soldiers labored at a thankless task under oppressive conditions. Nonetheless, as Rails of War demonstrates, without the men of the 721st Railway Operating Battalion, the Allied forces would have been defeated in the China-Burma-India conflict in World War II. Steven James Hantzis’s father served alongside other GI railroaders in overcoming danger, disease, fire, and monsoons to move the weight of war in the China-Burma-India theater. Torn from their predictable working-class lives, the men of the 721st journeyed fifteen thousand miles to Bengal, India, to do the impossible: build, maintain, and manage seven hundred miles of track through the most inhospitable environment imaginable. From the harrowing adventures of the Flying Tigers and Merrill’s Marauders to detailed descriptions of grueling jungle operations and the Siege of Myitkyina, this is the remarkable story of the extraordinary men of the 721st, who moved an entire army to win the war. For more information about Rails of War, visit railsofwar.com.
Rails To Oblivion: The Decline Of Confederate Railroads In The Civil War [Illustrated Edition]
by Dr Christopher R. GabelIncludes 2 charts, 7 maps, 7 figures and 5 Illustrations.Renowned Military Historian Dr Christopher Gabel charts the decline of the Confederate Railways system that was to spell ultimate doom to the outnumbered soldiers of the Southern states.Military professionals need always to recognize the centrality of logistics to military operations. In this booklet, Dr. Christopher R. Gabel provides a companion piece to his "Railroad Generalship" which explores the same issues from the other side of the tracks, so to speak. "Rails to Oblivion" shows that neither brilliant generals nor valiant soldiers can, in the long run, overcome the effects of a neglected and deteriorating logistics system. Moreover, the cumulative effect of mundane factors such as metal fatigue, mechanical friction, and accidents in the civilian workplace can contribute significantly to the outcome of a war. And no matter how good some thing or idea may look on paper, or how we delude ourselves, we and our soldiers must live with, and die in, reality. War is a complex business. This booklet explores some of the facets of war that often escape the notice of military officers, and as COL Jerry Morelock intimated in his foreword to "Railroad Generalship," these facets decide who wins and who loses.
The Railway Girls: Their bond will see them through (The railway girls series #1)
by Maisie ThomasThe first novel in the wonderful new Railway Girls series, perfect for fans of Nancy Revell and Ellie Dean._____________________ 'Stunning writing [and] perfectly paced' Frost Magazine'A story of true friendship, love, loss and trust' Candis _____________________In February, 1922, at the western-most entrance to Victoria Station in Manchester, a massive plaque was unveiled. Beneath a vast tiled map showing the lines of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway network, a series of seven bronze panels recorded the names of the men of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway who gave their lives for King and Country in the Great War - a total of 1,460 names.In March, 1940, a group of women of varying ages and backgrounds, stand in front of the memorial, ready to do their bit in this new World War..._____________________Mabel is determined to make a fresh start as a railway girl where no one will know the terrible thing she did and she can put her guilt behind her... Or is she just running away?Meanwhile Joan will never be as good as her sister, or so her Gran keeps telling her. A new job as a station clerk could be just the thing she needs to forget her troubles at home.And Dot is further into her forties than she cares to admit. Her beloved sons are away fighting and her husband - well, the less said about him the better. Ratty old sod. She is anxious to become a railway girl just like her dear mam - anything to feel she is supporting the sons she prays for every night.The three women start off as strangers, but soon form an unbreakable bond that will get them through the toughest of times..._____________________ **Maisie's brand new novel THE RAILWAY GIRLS IN LOVE is available to pre-order now. Just search: 9781787463981**
The Railway Girls in Love (The railway girls series #3)
by Maisie ThomasThe brand new Railway Girls novel set in Manchester during WWII. Perfect for fans of Nancy Revell, Daisy Styles and Margaret Dickinson.___________________Readers LOVE the Railway Girls: 'Gripping and intriguing''Great story lines''Exceptional story . . . a must-read' 'Poignant''Emotional . . . strong women' ___________________Love is in the air, and together the railway girls can overcome even the hardest of times.Mabel has finally put the past behind her, and her relationship with the dashing Harry is stronger than ever. That is, until an old flame shows up, leaving Mabel questioning her future.Meanwhile Joan has made amends with Bob - if only she could do the same with Gran. And there's still that family mystery she wants answer to, isn't there?As a mother and grandmother, Dot Green has always put her family first. Her job as a parcels porter has brought new purpose to her life, so is it finally time to start following her heart . . .Life as a railway girl is busy but as war rages on and air raids disrupt daily life, the women realise they need each other more than ever, especially when there might be wedding bells on the horizon.
The Railway Man: A POW's Searing Account of War, Brutality and Forgiveness
by Eric LomaxNow a Major Motion Picture Starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. The Railway Man is a remarkable memoir of forgiveness--a tremendous testament to the courage that propels one toward remembrance, and finally, peace with the past. Eric Lomax, sent to Malaya in World War II, was taken prisoner by the Japanese and put to punishing work on the notorious Burma-Siam railway. After the radio he illicitly helped to build in order to follow war news was discovered, he was subjected to two years of starvation and torture. He would never forget the interpreter at these brutal sessions. Fifty years after returning home from the war, marrying, and gaining the strength from his wife Patti to fight his demons, he learned the interpreter was alive. Through letters and meeting with his former torturer, Lomax bravely moved beyond bitterness drawing on an extraordinary will to extend forgiveness.
Railway of Hell: A Japanese POW's Account of War, Capture and Forced Labour
by Reginald BurtonA young captain in the Royal Norfolk Regiment, Reggie Burton was wounded in the closing stages of the disastrous defense of Malaya and Singapore. He vividly, yet calmly and with great dignity, describes the horror of captivity at the hands of the Japanese. After initial confusion, the true nature of their captors emerged as, increasingly debilitated, the POWs were forced into backbreaking work. This was only a taste of what was to come. Following a horrific journey in overcrowded cattle trucks, Burton and his dwindling band of colleagues were put to work building the notorious Burma Railway. Somehow he survived to tell this moving and shocking story.
Railway Security: Protecting Against Manmade and Natural Disasters
by Richard R. Young Gary A. Gordon Jeremy F. PlantThis book provides an overview and assessment of the security risks, both manmade and natural, facing the railways and rail networks.Railroads face significant threats from disasters, but with situational awareness and coordinated effort these can often be substantially minimized. Transportation assets have always been vulnerable to natural disasters, but in the current environment these assets are also a preferred target of human-caused disruption, especially in the form of terrorism, as the events in many other parts of the world have underscored. Railways are not a homogeneous mode of transportation given their various roles in intercity and commuter passenger movement, as well as being a major portion of the freight ton-miles upon which the U.S. economy is highly dependent. Designed to provide advice for railway owners and first responders, this text discusses how to secure hazardous material transport and how to establish guidelines for rail freight operations and rail passenger operations. The book aims to develop an understanding of the unique operating characteristics of railways, the nature and the range of vulnerabilities, the present means for protecting the infrastructure, and the public policy initiatives that are prerequisite for developing a comprehensive appreciation of the magnitude of this issue. The book utilizes case studies of transport disasters to illustrate lessons learned and to provide critical insight into preventative measures.This book will be of great interest to students and practitioners of transportation, technology and engineering, and security management.
The Railway that Helped Win the Crimean War: The Story of the Grand Crimean Central Railway
by Anthony DawsonWeek after week, the guns of the British expeditionary force battered away at the defences of Sevastopol, eight miles away from Balaklava, the port through which all besiegers’ supplies arrived. As autumn turned to winter, rain and frost turned the track from Balaklava into a muddy quagmire and soon it became virtually impassable. Horses were dying daily in their endeavours to pull carts up the hills to the siege lines, and with few supplies reaching the front, the troops suffered terribly from malnutrition and frostbite. Unless a solution could be found, the entire operation was doomed to humiliating, disastrous failure. When news of the terrible plight of the troops reached the UK, a leading railway contractor and his partners undertook to build a railway at cost from Balaklava to the front line – and promised that they could construct it in just three weeks after they arrived in the Crimea. Though it took almost seven weeks to complete the railway, in that time a double track which rose 500 feet from the port and travelled for seven miles to the siege lines had been laid. With food, clothing and ammunition at last able to reach the front, the British along with their French allies were able to capture Sevastopol and bring the Crimean War to an end. In this comprehensive and detailed account of the construction and use of what became known as the Grand Crimean Central Railway the author describes the astonishing achievement in building the first railway ever employed in warfare, and the first to be used for casualty evacuation, thousands of miles from the UK.
Railways and International Politics: Paths of Empire, 1848-1945 (Military History and Policy)
by T. G. Otte Keith NeilsonThis new study brings together leading experts to show how the modern world began with the coming of the railway. They clearly explain why it had a greater impact than any other technical or industrial innovation before and completely redefined the limits of the civilized world. While the effect of railways on economic development is self-evident, little attention has been paid to their impact on international relations. This is unfortunate, for in the period from 1848 to 1945, railways were an important element in the struggle between the Great Powers. This took many forms. Often, as in East Asia, the competition for railway concessions reflected the clash of rival imperial interests. The success or failure of this competition could determine which of the European Powers was to dominate and exploit the markets of China and Siam. Just as often, railways were linked with military matters. Prussia’s success in the wars of German unification depended on its strategic railways just as much as on the strength of its armies, and the rail links remained a vital aspect of German military thinking before the First World War. So, too, did they for the Russians, whose vast Empire required rail links capable of moving the Tsarist army quickly and competently. Just as importantly, railways could be vital for Imperial defence, as the British discovered on the North-West frontier of India. This book will be of much interest to students of international history, military history and strategic studies.
Railways and the Russo-Japanese War: Transporting War (Cass Military Studies)
by Felix Patrikeeff Harry ShukmanThis book explores the nexus between railways and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) - the first modern war, and one in which the railways played a key part.Felix Patrikeeff and Harry Shukman examine some of the key dimensions of the Russo-Japanese War, most notably how uncomfortably technological and human dimensions of Russia‘s war effort interleav
A Rainbow in the Desert: An Anthology of Early Twentieth Century Japanese Children's Literature
by Yukie OhtaA collection of eleven stories, a play and five poems. The authors featured were all influenced by Akai Tori (Red Bird), a Tokyo children's literary magazine and also wrote for adult audiences. The stories are striking in that they differ little in style and content from those written for adults.
Rainbow Six: The unputdownable thriller that inspired one of the most popular videogames ever created (John Clark #2)
by Tom ClancyTHE CLASSIC SECOND THRILLER IN TOM CLANCY'S INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING JOHN CLARK SERIES'Action-packed' New York TimesNewly named head of an elite multinational task force, John Clark faces the world's greatest fear: international terrorism. And following each terrifying new outbreak - the ghosts from his own past.The challenge of a new mission is just what Clark needs, but the opportunities come faster than he expected. Hostage-taking at a Swiss bank. The kidnapping of an international trader. Carnage at a theme park in Spain. Each incident seems separate, yet the timing disturbs Clark.Is there a connection? Is he being tested? Or is there a bigger threat out there, from terrorists so extreme that no government is ready to admit their existence?
Raise the Red Dawn
by Bart DavisWhen an aging Soviet submarine becomes caught under the polar ice cap while being escorted by one of the best submarines in the Soviet Navy, a high-tech game of cat and mouse involving the US ensues to see who can get to the submarine—and the dangerous propulsion system it’s carrying—first.
Raising Men: Lessons Navy SEALs Learned from Their Training and Taught to Their Sons
by Dina Santorelli Eric DavisAfter Eric Davis spent over 16 years in the military, including a decade in the SEAL Teams, his family was more than used to his absence on deployments and secret missions that could obscure his whereabouts for months at a time. Without a father figure in his own life since the age of fifteen, Eric was desperate to maintain the bonds he'd fought so hard to forge when his children were young--particularly with his son, Jason, because he knew how difficult it was to face the challenge of becoming a man on one's own. Unfortunately, Eric learned the hard way that Quality Time doesn't always show up in Quantity Time.Facebook, television, phones, video games, school, jobs, friends--they all got in the way of a real, meaningful father-son relationship. It was time to take action.As a SEAL, Eric learned to innovate and push boundaries, allowing him to function at levels beyond what was expected, comfortable, ordinary, and even imaginable, and he knew that as a father he needed to do the same with his son. Meeting extreme with extreme was the only answer.Using a unique blend of discipline, leadership, adventure, and grace, Eric and his SEAL brothers will teach you how to connect, and reconnect, with your sons and learn how to raise real men--the Navy SEAL way.