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The Anome (Gateway Essentials #199)
by Jack VanceAt last a lone youth dares to challenge the unchallengeable, to defy the Anome. But first he must find him - and though all men obey his orders, no man knows his identity. He is the Faceless Man.
Los años del tropel
by Alfredo Molano BravoCrónicas de Alfredo Molano, ganador del premio Simón Bolívar de periodismo 2016, donde retrata esa Colombia profunda, diversa y desconocida de las últimas décadas. Hay muchos estudios sobre la violencia en Colombia, pero pocos logran retratarla de forma tan vívida como Alfredo Molano. Esta obra está compuesta por siete relatos, unos de víctimas, otros de victimarios, a partir de los cuales nos adentramos en lo más complejo y humano de la guerra, del despojo, del sufrimiento que entraña la violencia y sus más profundas contradicciones. Es el retrato de un país que quedó irremediablemente dividido después del 9 de abril de 1948. La crítica ha dicho: "Este bogotano, nacido en 1944, ha dedicado sus días a recorrer el país, muchas veces a lomo de mula o a pie, y ha creado una obra única que, en más de 20 libros, cuenta la historia de una Colombia muchas veces ignorada: el país rural, campesino e indígena que ha sufrido los embates de la guerra". Revista Semana
Another Bloody Century: Future Warfare
by Colin S. GrayHow the wars of the near future will be fought and who will win themMany nations, peoples and special interest groups believe that violence will advance their cause. Warfare has changed greatly since the Second World War; it continued to change during the late 20th century and this process is still accelerating. Political, technological, social and religious forces are shaping the future of warfare, but most western armed forces have yet to evolve significantly from the cold war era when they trained to resist a conventional invasion by the Warsaw Pact. America is now the only superpower, but its dominance is threatened by internal and external factors. The world's most hi-tech weaponry seems helpless in the face of determined guerrilla fighters not afraid to die for their beliefs.Professor Colin Gray has advised governments on both sides of the Atlantic and in ANOTHER BLOODY CENTURY, he reveals what sort of conflicts will affect our world in the years to come.
Another Bloody Century: Future Warfare
by Colin S. GrayHow the wars of the near future will be fought and who will win themMany nations, peoples and special interest groups believe that violence will advance their cause. Warfare has changed greatly since the Second World War; it continued to change during the late 20th century and this process is still accelerating. Political, technological, social and religious forces are shaping the future of warfare, but most western armed forces have yet to evolve significantly from the cold war era when they trained to resist a conventional invasion by the Warsaw Pact. America is now the only superpower, but its dominance is threatened by internal and external factors. The world's most hi-tech weaponry seems helpless in the face of determined guerrilla fighters not afraid to die for their beliefs.Professor Colin Gray has advised governments on both sides of the Atlantic and in ANOTHER BLOODY CENTURY, he reveals what sort of conflicts will affect our world in the years to come.
Another Bloody Chapter in an Endless Civil War: Northern Ireland and the Troubles, 1984–87
by Ken WhartonThe period under review covers the years of 1984-87 - nearing the end of the third decade of the Troubles. It will use research and oral contributions from the mid to late 1980s and will show not only how the Provisional IRA (PIRA) grew in financial and logistical strength, but also how the Security Forces (SF) worked hard to contain them. It was also a period where the Republican terror group fully embraced Danny Morrison’s mantra: ‘The Armalite and the ballot box’ as they moved toward a realization that the British military could not be beaten, but that they (PIRA) could at least sit down with them from a position of strength. Thereafter, their intention was not only political agitation, but also to keep up the terror campaign and force the British Government to talk; further to ensure that they – the British - accepted that there could only be an impasse (albeit one of continued violence). However, whilst they fought, talked and then fought again, a further 356 people died. This book will cover every major incident of the period - commencing with the ambush of an off-duty UDR soldier, Robert Elliott, through to the shameless bombing of Enniskillen. Significantly, both incidents were at the hands of the Provisional IRA. It will also look at the continued negative interference of the United States and the vast contribution of the Brit-hating Irish-Americans through NORAID, which ensured the killing and the violence would continue.
Another Homecoming
by Janette Oke Davis BunnDuring World War II Martha faces difficult decisions when her husband is reported missing in action. THE WORLD IS AT WAR. A young man bravely kisses his weeping bride goodbye at the train station, leaving her all alone. Then the dreaded telegram, and a decision that nearly tears her apart... A LITTLE GIRL GROWS into young womanhood, unaware of the forces that swirl around her past and her future. WILL THERE BE... Another Homecoming
Another Kind of War: The Nature and History of Terrorism
by John A. LynnAn accessible and comprehensive history of terrorism from ancient times to the present In the years since 9/11, there has been a massive surge in interest surrounding the study of terrorism. This volume applies distinguished military historian John Lynn’s lifetime of research and teaching experience to this difficult topic. As a form of violence that implies the threat of future violence, terrorism breeds insecurity, vulnerability, and a desire for retribution that has far-reaching consequences. Lynn distinguishes between the paralyzing effect of fear and the potentially dangerous and chaotic effects of moral outrage and righteous retaliation guiding counterterrorism efforts. In this accessible and comprehensive text, Lynn traces the evolution of terrorism over time, exposing its constants and contrasts. In doing so, he contextualizes this violence and argues that a knowledge of the history and nature of terrorism can temper its psychological effects, and can help us more accurately and carefully assess threats as well as develop informed and measured responses.
Another Man's War: The Story Of A Burma Boy In Britain's Forgotten Army
by Barnaby PhillipsIn December 1941 the Japanese invaded Burma. For the British, the longest land campaign of the Second World War had begun. 100,000 African soldiers were taken from Britain’s colonies to fight the Japanese in the Burmese jungles. They performed heroically in one of the most brutal theatres of war, yet their contribution has been largely ignored. Isaac Fadoyebo was one of those 'Burma Boys’. At the age of sixteen he ran away from his Nigerian village to join the British Army. Sent to Burma, he was attacked and left for dead in the jungle by the Japanese. Sheltered by courageous local rice farmers, Isaac spent nine months in hiding before his eventual rescue. He returned to Nigeria a hero, but his story was soon forgotten. Barnaby Phillips travelled to Nigeria and Burma in search of Isaac, the family who saved his life, and the legacy of an Empire. Another Man’s War is Isaac’s story.
Another River, Another Town: A Teenage Tank Gunner Comes of Age in Combat--1945
by John P. IrwinMany narrative accounts of men in combat during World War II have conveyed the horrors and emotions of warfare. However, not many reveal in such an intimate way the struggle of innocent youth to adapt to the primitive code of "kill or be killed," to transform from lads into combat soldiers. Another River, Another Town is the story of John P. Irwin, a teenage tank gunner whose idealistic desire to achieve heroism is shattered by the incredibly different view of life the world of combat demands. He comes to the realization that the realm of warfare has almost nothing in common with the civilian life from which he has come. The interminable fighting, dirt, fatigue, and hunger make the war seem endless. In addition to the killing and destruction on the battlefield, Irwin and his crew are caught up in the unbelievable depravity they encounter at Nordhausen Camp, where slave laborers are compelled to work themselves to death manufacturing the infamous V-rockets that have been causing so much destruction in London, and that are expected one day to devastate Washington, D.C. At the end of the war, the sense of victory is, for these men, overshadowed by the intense joy and relief they experience in knowing that the fighting is at last over.From the Hardcover edition.
Another War, Another Peace: A Novel
by Ronald J. GlasserThe powerful story of an unlikely friendship and a doctor&’s re-education on the battlefields of the Vietnam WarFresh out of medical school and planning to enter academia, David pragmatically applies to serve in the US Army, thinking he would rather work in a stateside military hospital than get drafted. But when he gets reassigned to Southeast Asia, he suddenly finds himself on a base in Vietnam. He joins a civilian aid mission on a supposedly secure plateau, and spends his days dispensing pills to villagers. As David comes to terms with the unexpected factors that brought him to Vietnam, he must adjust to many more twists and turns—among them his relationship with his driver, Tom, a young, rough-hewn Southerner whose reticence feels unnervingly like indifference. Gradually, however, David sees that there&’s far more to Tom than he initially thought. As their friendship grows, David also realizes that his fellow doctors and the troops on base hold widely diverging opinions about the war and its objectives. As it becomes clear that their base is located on a key strategic route—the notorious Ho Chi Minh Trail—and thus a vulnerable target, it&’s only a matter of time before battles break out . . .
Anson's Navy: Building a Fleet for Empire 1744–1763
by Brian LaveryDespite a supreme belief in itself, the Royal Navy of the early eighteenth century was becoming over-confident and outdated, and it had more than its share of disasters and miscarriages including the devastating sickness in Admiral Hosier’s fleet in 1727; failure at Cartagena, and an embarrassing action off Toulon in 1744\. Anson’s great circumnavigation, though presented as a triumph, was achieved at huge cost in ships and lives. And in 1756 Admiral Byng was shot after failure off Minorca. In this new book, the bestselling author Brian Lavery shows how, through reforms and the determined focus of a number of personalities, that navy was transformed in the middle years of the eighteenth century. The tide had already begun to turn with victories off Cape Finisterre in 1747, and in 1759 the navy played a vital part in the ‘year of victories’ with triumphs at Lagos and Quiberon Bay; and it conducted amphibious operations as far afield as Cuba and the Philippines, and took Quebec. The author explains how it was fundamentally transformed from the amateurish, corrupt and complacent force of the previous decades. He describes how it acquired uniforms and a definite rank structure for officers; and developed new ship types such as the 74 and the frigate. It instigated a more efficient (if equally brutal) method of recruiting seamen, and boosted morale and motivation and a far more aggressive style of fighting. The coppering of ships’ hulls and the solving of the problems associated with longitude and scurvy, were also hugely significant steps. Much of this transformation was due to the forceful if enigmatic personality of George, Lord Anson. In a largely static society, he changed the navy so that it was fit for purpose, and in readiness for Nelson just decades later. Using a mass of archival evidence and a mix of official reports and personal reminiscences, this book offers a fascinating and engrossing analysis of all these far-reaching reforms, which in turn led to the radical transformation of Britain’s navy into a truly global force. The consequential effect on the world’s history would be huge.
Answering the Call: Life of a Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam
by Bob GrandinIn 1966, Bob Grandin was a Royal Australian Airforce helicopter pilot stationed in Vietnam. This book is written from the logbook he kept while working in Nui Dat and is a fascinating look at life during war – the dangers, the challenges and the mundaneness. On 18 August he was co-pilot on a 9 Squadron Iroquois &‘Huey&’ helicopter that flew over the enemy to resupply desperate solders engaged in battle at the Long Tan rubber plantation. Enduring extremely poor weather conditions and enemy fire the critical role played by Bob and 9 Squadron in the Battle of Long Tan contributed to the success of this battle. The narrative of his war experiences are interwoven with stories of his life after Vietnam, revealing the difficulties he faced back home, the impact of the war on his psyche and relationships, and his struggles with PTSD. A collection of Australian newspaper articles saved by Bob&’s father feature throughout, giving further insight into how important helicopters were in Vietnam, and also how the press reported the war to the Australian public. Answering the Call provides the unique perspective of a wartime helicopter pilot and is an important addition to Vietnam War history.
The Antares Maelstrom (Star Trek: The Original Series)
by Greg CoxAn epic new Star Trek saga by New York Times bestselling author Greg Cox set during the original Five-Year Mission!The final frontier erupts into chaos as vast quantities of a rare energy source are discovered beneath the surface of Baldur-3, a remote planet beyond the outer fringes of Federation space. Now an old-fashioned &“gold rush&” is underway as a flood of would-be prospectors, from countless worlds and species, races toward the planet to stake their claim. The galactic stampede threatens the stability of neighboring planets and space stations, as widespread strife and sabotage and all-around pandemonium result in a desperate need for Starfleet assistance. Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise are dispatched to deal with the escalating crisis…which lies on the other side of a famously perilous region of space known as the Antares Maelstrom.
Antebellum and Civil War San Francisco: A Western Theater for Northern & Southern Politics (Civil War Ser.)
by Monika TrobitsWhen Americans migrated westward, they took their politics with them, making San Francisco a microcosm of the nation as the Civil War loomed. Spurred by the promise of gold, hungry adventurers flocked to San Francisco in search of opportunity on the eve of the Civil War. The city flourished and became a magnet for theater. Some of the first buildings constructed in San Francisco were theater houses, and John Wilkes Booth&’s famous acting family often graced the city&’s stages. In just two years, San Francisco&’s population skyrocketed from eight hundred to thirty thousand, making it an &“instant city&” where tensions between transplanted Northerners and Southerners built as war threatened the nation. Though seemingly isolated, San Franciscans took their part in the conflict. Some extended the Underground Railroad to their city, while others joined the Confederate-aiding Knights of the Golden Circle. Including a directory of local historic sites and streets, author Monika Trobits chronicles the dramatic and volatile antebellum and Civil War history of the City by the Bay. Includes photos
Anthem for Doomed Youth: Twelve Soldier Poets of the First World War
by Prof Jon StallworthyLeading poet and former professor of English Literature, Jon Stallworthy, tells the story of the lives and work of twelve major poets of the First World War and provides selections of their best work. The First World War began with flag-waving, parades and poets inspired by abstract ideals. In part this reflected the national mood , but it revealed an almost universal failure to understand what modern mass warfare would really mean. The story of the 'war poets' is also the story of an awakening to the full horror of what the twentieth century came to know as 'The Great War'.Wilfred Owen said, 'My subject is War - and the pity of War'. He also said 'true Poets must be truthful'. The best war poetry was the work of writers who were also serving soldiers and was born out of their desire to tell the truth about what it was to be a soldier in the trenches - what it felt like, what it did to you and what it did to your fellow soldiers, friend or foe. The greatness of the poetry lay not just in the writer's talent, but in the unflinching accuracy with which it portrayed their terrible circumstances.
An Anthology of World War One, 1914–1918: Extracts from Selected Titles
by Pen & SwordSelected complete chapter extracts from some ofPen & Swordsmost exciting, brand new,First World War titles, books included are;Slaughter on the Somme, by John Grehan and Martin MaceTeenage Tommy, by Richard Van EmdenLondoners on the Western Front, by David MartinVeteran Volunteer, edited by Jamie Vans and Peter WiddowsonCommand and Morale, by Gary SheffieldInto Touch, by Nigel McCreryConscientious Objectors of the Second World War, by Ann KramerHome Front in the Great War, by David Bilton
Anthony Fokker: The Flying Dutchman Who Shaped American Aviation
by Marc DierikxComprehensive biography of Anthony Fokker, the famed Dutch pilot and daredevil aviatorAnthony Fokker: The Flying Dutchman Who Shaped American Aviation tells the larger-than-life true story of maverick pilot and aircraft manufacturer Anthony Fokker. Fokker came from an affluent Dutch family and developed a gift for tinkering with mechanics. Despite not receiving a traditional education, he stumbled his way into aviation as a young stunt pilot in Germany in 1910. He survived a series of spectacular airplane crashes and rose to fame within a few years. A combination of industrial espionage, luck, and deception then propelled him to become Germany's leading aircraft manufacturer during World War I, making him a multimillionaire by his midtwenties.When the German Revolution swept the country in 1918 and 1919, Fokker made a spectacular escape to the United States. He set up business in New York and New Jersey in 1921, and shortly thereafter became the world's largest aircraft manufacturer. The U.S. Army and Navy acquired his machines, and his factories equipped legendary carriers such as Pan American and TWA at the dawn of commercial air transport.Yet despite his astounding success, his empire collapsed in the late 1920s after a series of ill-conceived business decisions and deeply upsetting personal dramas. In 1927, aviator Richard Byrd solicited a Fokker three-engine plane to be the first to fly non-stop across the Atlantic. The plane was damaged on a test flight and Charles Lindbergh beat him to it. Lindbergh's solo adventure in the Spirit of St. Louis earned him--and cost Fokker--a lasting place in the history books. Using previously undiscovered records and primary sources, Marc Dierikx traces Fokker's extraordinary life and celebrates his spectacular achievements.
The Anthrax Letters: A Bioterrorism Expert Investigates the Attack That Shocked America
by Leonard A. ColeAt 2:00am on October 2, 2001, Robert Stevens entered a hospital emergency room. Feverish, nauseated, and barely conscious, no one knew what was making him sick. Three days later he was dead. Stevens was the first fatal victim of bioterrorism in America. Bioterrorism expert Leonard Cole has written the definitive account of the Anthrax attacks. Cole is the only person outside law enforcement to have interviewed every one of the surviving inhalation-anthrax victims, along with the relatives, friends, and associates of those who died, as well as the public health officials, scientists, researchers, hospital workers, and treating physicians. Fast paced and riveting, this minute-by-minute chronicle of the anthrax attacks recounts more than a history of recent current events, it uncovers the untold and perhaps even more important story of how scientists, doctors, and researchers perform life-saving work under intense pressure and public scrutiny. Updated with new information about Ivins and a series of upcoming Congressional hearings into the FBI's conduct in this case, The Anthrax Letters amply demonstrates how vulnerable America was in 2001 and whether we are better prepared now for a bioterror attack.
Anthropological Intelligence: The Deployment and Neglect of American Anthropology in the Second World War
by David H. PriceBy the time the United States officially entered World War II, more than half of American anthropologists were using their professional knowledge and skills to advance the war effort. The range of their war-related work was extraordinary. They helped gather military intelligence, pinpointed possible social weaknesses in enemy nations, and contributed to the army's regional Pocket Guide booklets. They worked for dozens of government agencies, including the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Office of War Information. At a moment when social scientists are once again being asked to assist in military and intelligence work, David H. Price examines anthropologists' little-known contributions to the Second World War. Anthropological Intelligence is based on interviews with anthropologists as well as extensive archival research involving many Freedom of Information Act requests. Price looks at the role played by the two primary U. S. anthropological organizations, the American Anthropological Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology (which was formed in 1941), in facilitating the application of anthropological methods to the problems of war. He chronicles specific projects undertaken on behalf of government agencies, including an analysis of the social effects of postwar migration, the design and implementation of OSS counterinsurgency campaigns, and the study of Japanese social structures to help tailor American propaganda efforts. Price discusses anthropologists' work in internment camps, their collection of intelligence in Central and South America for the FBI's Special Intelligence Service, and their help forming foreign language programs to assist soldiers and intelligence agents. Evaluating the ethical implications of anthropological contributions to World War II, Price suggests that by the time the Cold War began, the profession had set a dangerous precedent regarding what it would be willing to do on behalf of the U. S. government.
Anti-Access Warfare
by Sam TangrediThe book is the definitive conceptual and historical introduction to the concept of anti-access strategies. Unlike current studies, it is not simply technology focused. Nor is it primarily intended as critique of the current Air-Sea Battle concept. It combines conceptual thinking with historical examples and potential scenarios in order to identify options for future defense planning.Strategies of "anti-access," also known as "area denial" (more recently combined into the awkward acronym "A2/AD") are presumed to be the primary threats to the employment of U.S. military forces in overseas crises. This presumption has gradually evolved into a joint concept of "operational access." Anti-access capabilities appear to be the current military posture of the People's Republic of China and Islamic Republic of Iran. The study of anti-access or area denial strategies for use against American power projection capabilities has strong naval roots-which have been largely ignored by the most influential commentators. In reality, denial of access was the Soviet Navy's operational objective during the Cold War. The first use of the actual anti-access term can be traced to a series of "anti-Navy" studies by the Office of Net Assessment designed to examine the ability of the U.S. Navy to carry out its Maritime Strategy and, later, "...From the Sea" strategic vision. Sustained long-range power projection is both a unique strength of U.S. military forces and a requirement for an activist foreign policy and forward defense. In more recent years, the logic of the anti-access approach has been identified by the Department of Defense as a threat to this U.S. capability and the joint force; countering it is one of the defense priorities identified in the President's directions issued this past January. In addition to potential regional powers, a number of think-tanks have suggested that non-state actors, such as terrorist organizations, are developing anti-access/area denial capabilities.The book's conclusions differ from most commentary on anti-access. Rather than a technology-driven post-Cold War phenomenon, the anti-access approach has been a routine element of grand strategy used by strategically weaker powers to confront stronger powers throughout history. But they have been largely unsuccessful when confronting a stronger maritime power. Although high technology weapons capabilities enhance the threat, they also can be used to mitigate the threat. Rather than arguing against reliance on maritime forces-presumably because they are no longer survivable-the historical analysis argues that maritime capabilities are key in "breaking the great walls."
Anti-Aircraft Artillery in Combat, 1950–1972: Air Defence in the Jet Age
by Colonel Mandeep SinghAn in-depth look at the combat performance of ground-based air defenses during the Korean War, Vietnam War, Middle East conflicts, and other campaigns. Though anti-aircraft artillery was extensively used in combat in the First World War, it wasn&’t until World War II that it came into prominence, shooting down more aircraft than any other weapon and seriously degrading the conduct of air operations. In the battle between the attackers and anti-aircraft artillery, the latter had the upper hand when the war ended. The post-war years saw a decline in anti-aircraft artillery as peace prevailed, and the advent of the jet aircraft seemed to tilt the balance in favor of the aircraft as they flew faster and higher, seemingly beyond the reach of anti-aircraft artillery. It would take all the hi-tech equipment and the guile and cunning that anti-aircraft artillery could muster to try and reclaim pole position. It is that story, of the tug of war between the aircraft and artillery, that forms the narrative of this book—as it traces the history of combat employment of anti-aircraft artillery from the Korean War, in effect the first Jet Age war, to the War of Attrition between Arab states and Israel when the missiles came of age, sending the aircraft scurrying for cover. Mandeep Singh&’s book is the first attempt to look at the performance of anti-aircraft artillery, incorporating the views, analyses and experiences of Soviet, Arab and South Asian Armies through the major wars between 1950 and 1972.
An Anti-Communist on the Eastern Front: The Memoirs of a Russian Officer in the Spanish Blue Division 1941-1942
by Vladimir KovalevskiVladimir Kovalevskii’s memoirs record in graphic detail a remarkable military career. As a soldier, a committed anti-communist and Russian patriot he saw from the inside a series of conflicts that ravaged Europe in the first half of the twentieth century. In the First World War he fought the Germans, as a White Russian he opposed the Bolsheviks. He joined the French Foreign Legion and served in Africa before fighting for Franco in the Spanish Civil War and for Hitler in the Spanish Blue Division on the Eastern Front in the Second World War. His memoirs give a vivid insight into the armies he fought with and the causes he fought for – and they show how eventually the mental toll became so great that he was devoured by his own contradictions and the contradictions of his times. His experiences on the Eastern Front during the Second World War were shocking. He hoped the German campaign in the Soviet Union would liberate the Russian people, but after witnessing the grim suffering inflicted on the civilian population by a brutal occupying army he was deeply disillusioned and tormented by a sense of guilt. In the late 1940s, in order to make sense of his life as a soldier and to document the extraordinary sights he’d seen, he wrote these memoirs in Russian. They were buried in an archive for over seventy years, but they have now been edited, annotated and translated for this first English edition.
Anti-personnel Weapons (Routledge Library Editions: Cold War Security Studies #3)
by SipriThis book, first published in 1978, analyses the development, uses and effects of conventional anti-personnel weapons such as rifles and machine guns, grenades, bombs, shells and mines. It provides the historical, military, technical and clinical background to the international legal discussions as part of the ongoing efforts to prohibit or restrict the uses of some of the more inhumane and indiscriminate of these weapons, the most successful being the 1997 Ottawa Treaty that banned the use of anti-personnel mines.
Anti-Submarine Warfare: An Illustrated History
by David OwenA deep dive into the tactics and technology used to defend against submarines—from the opening of the First World War through World War II and beyond. The submarine was undoubtedly the most potent purely naval weapon of the twentieth century. In two world wars, enemy underwater campaigns were very nearly successful in thwarting Allied hopes of victory—indeed, annihilation of Japanese shipping by US Navy submarines is an indicator of what might have been. That the submarine was usually defeated is a hugely important story in naval history, yet this is the first book to treat the subject as a whole in a readable and accessible manner. It concerns individual heroism and devotion to duty, but also ingenuity, technical advances and originality of tactical thought. What developed was an endless battle between forces above and below the surface, where a successful innovation by one side eventually produces a countermeasure by the other in a lethal struggle for supremacy. Development was not a straight line: wrong ideas and assumptions led to defeat and disaster. &“Iconography (with dozens of photographs and often large-format diagrams), a vast bibliography and a complete and documented general approach make this volume a work of great quality and of great interest for all enthusiasts and scholars of this very interesting subject.&”—Storia Militare &“The modeller will not only find the text engaging but there is a superb collection of photographs and illustrations which of course include submarines, corvettes and destroyers. Subjects which the modeller increasingly appreciates. Highly recommended.&”—Model Boats
Anti-Submarine Warfare in World War I: British Naval Aviation and the Defeat of the U-Boats (Cass Series: Naval Policy and History)
by John AbbatielloInvestigating the employment of British aircraft against German submarines during the final years of the First World War, this new book places anti-submarine campaigns from the air in the wider history of the First World War. The Royal Naval Air Service invested heavily in aircraft of all types—aeroplanes, seaplanes, airships, and kite balloons—in order to counter the German U-boats. Under the Royal Air Force, the air campaign against U-boats continued uninterrupted. Aircraft bombed German U-boat bases in Flanders, conducted area and ‘hunting’ patrols around the coasts of Britain, and escorted merchant convoys to safety. Despite the fact that aircraft acting alone destroyed only one U-boat during the war, the overall contribution of naval aviation to foiling U-boat attacks was significant. Only five merchant vessels succumbed to submarine attack when convoyed by a combined air and surface escort during World War I. This book examines aircraft and weapons technology, aircrew training, and the aircraft production issues that shaped this campaign. Then, a close examination of anti-submarine operations—bombing, patrols, and escort—yields a significantly different judgment from existing interpretations of these operations. This study is the first to take an objective look at the writing and publication of the naval and air official histories as they told the story of naval aviation during the Great War. The author also examines the German view of aircraft effectiveness, through German actions, prisoner interrogations, official histories, and memoirs, to provide a comparative judgment. The conclusion closes with a brief narrative of post-war air anti-submarine developments and a summary of findings. Overall, the author concludes that despite the challenges of organization, training, and production the employment of aircraft against U-boats was largely successful during the Great War. This book will be of interest to historians of naval and air power history, as well as students of World War I and military history in general.