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The British Soldier and his Libraries, c. 1822-1901
by Sharon MurphyThe British Soldier and his Libraries, c. 1822-1901 considers the history of the libraries that the East India Company and Regular Army respectively established for soldiers during the nineteenth century. Drawing upon a wide range of material, including archival sources, official reports, and soldiers' memoirs and letters, this book explores the motivations of those who were responsible for the setting up and/or operation of the libraries, and examines what they reveal about attitudes to military readers in particular and, more broadly, to working-class readers - and leisure - at this period. Murphy's study also considers the contents of the libraries, identifying what kinds of works were provided for soldiers and where and how they read them. In so doing, The British Soldier and his Libraries, c. 1822-1901 affords another way of thinking about some of the key debates that mark book history today, and illuminates areas of interest to the general reader as well as to literary critics and military and cultural historians.
The British Soldier in America: A Social History of Military Life in the Revolutionary Period
by Sylvia R. FreyIn her investigation of the social history of the common British soldier in the era of the American Revolution, Sylvia Frey has extensively surveyed recruiting records, contemporary training manuals, statutes, and memoirs in an attempt to provide insight into the soldier's "life and mind." In the process she has discovered more about the common soldier than anyone thought possible: his social origins and occupational background, his size, age, and general physical condition, his personal economics and daily existence. Her findings dispel the traditional assumption that the army was made up largely of criminals and social misfits. Special attention is given to soldiering as an occupation. Focusing on two of the major campaigns of the war—the Northern Campaign which culminated at Saratoga and the Southern Campaign which ended at Yorktown—Frey describes the human face of war, with particular emphasis on the physical and psychic strains of campaigning in the eighteenth century. Perhaps the most important part of the work is the analysis of the moral and material factors which induced men to accept the high risks of soldiering. Frey rejects the traditional assumption that soldiers were motivated to fight exclusively by fear and force and argues instead that the primary motivation to battle was generated by regimental esprit, which in the eighteenth century substituted for patriotism. After analyzing the sources of esprit, she concludes that it was the sustaining force for morale in a long and discouraging war. This book is a contribution to our understanding of the eighteenth century and should appeal not only to military historians but also to social and economic historians and to those interested in the history of medicine.
The British Soldier in the Peninsular War
by Gavin DalyCombining military and cultural history, the book explores British soldiers' travels and cross-cultural encounters in Spain and Portugal, 1808-1814. It is the story of how soldiers interacted with the local environment and culture, of their attitudes and behaviour towards the inhabitants, and how they wrote about all this in letters and memoirs.
The British Way in Warfare 1688 - 2000 (Routledge Revivals)
by David FrenchFirst published in 1990, this title examines British defence policy from 1688 onwards; the year in which Britain was successfully invaded for the final time, and which marked a generation of warfare that lasted until 1714, during which Britain came to be known as a major European power. David French considers the strategic alliances that formed and changed throughout the period, and tests his hypotheses in light of the varying paradigms of war, and British wartime and peacetime practices. The ways in which the needs of both the army and the navy have been balanced over time are analysed, with particular attention paid to how parliament allotted money and resources to each. Wars under discussion include the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. A detailed and critical title, this reissue will be of great value to history students studying Early Modern diplomacy, with a particular emphasis on the strategic development of British warfare and policy, and the place of Britain within the European power structure.
The British Way of War: Julian Corbett and the Battle for a National Strategy
by Andrew LambertHow a strategist's ideas were catastrophically ignored in 1914—but shaped Britain&’s success in the Second World War and beyond Leading historian Andrew Lambert shows how, as a lawyer, civilian, and Liberal, Julian Corbett (1854–1922) brought a new level of logic, advocacy, and intellectual precision to the development of strategy. Corbett skillfully integrated classical strategic theory, British history, and emerging trends in technology, geopolitics, and conflict to prepare the British state for war. He emphasized that strategy is a unique national construct, rather than a set of universal principles, and recognized the importance of domestic social reform and the evolving British Commonwealth. Corbett's concept of a maritime strategy, dominated by the control of global communications and economic war, survived the debacle of 1914–18, when Britain used the German "way of war" at unprecedented cost in lives and resources. It proved critical in the Second World War, shaping Churchill&’s conduct of the conflict from the Fall of France to D-Day. And as Lambert shows, Corbett&’s ideas continue to influence British thinking.
The British West Indies Regiment: Race and Colour on the Western Front
by Dominiek DendoovenThis is a military-political history with a vital and all-pervading cultural and social theme which shapes the narrative - race, color and prejudice. But despite this, there is an extraordinary underlying theme of empire loyalty among serving soldiers - NCOs and private soldiers - and a growing grasp of political ideas and liberal democracy. And the loyalty to the British crown as an agent of the ending of slavery will be amazing to some readers. War experience was a powerful catalyst and contributed to a 'West Indianess' and desire for political advance. But even here the desire was for independence within the empire - a 'West Indian Dominion' as with 'elder sisters' of empire, the Dominions of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. The political and economic status of the islands was a potent reason for the 'colored contingents' enlisting - work was scarce - but a major impetus was the cultural concept of 'manliness' and empire-status - shared by George V, who insisted, against government pressure, on allowing West Indians to serve with white British soldiers. But all were volunteers and not enlisted men. The West Indies Regiment was small and its contribution in action limited, and restricted largely to Egypt and Mesopotamia, and with limited service on the Western Front. But it shows vividly the ingrained racialism and color prejudice of British society and the British Army and above all, in the insensitive omission of the West Indies Regiment at the Victory Parade in 1919.
The British Working Class and Enthusiasm for War, 1914-1916 (Military History And Policy Ser.)
by David SilbeyMillions of men volunteered to leave home, hearth and family to go to a foreign land to fight in 1914, the start of the biggest war in British history. It was a war fought by soldier-citizens, millions strong, most of whom had volunteered willingly to go. They made up the army that first held, and then, in 1918, thrust back the German Army to win t
The British at First and Second Ypres: Rare Photographs From Wartime Archives (Images of War)
by Bob CarruthersThis new volume in the long-running Images of War series features the actions of the British Army at Ypres from 1914-15. Rare photographs illustrating the optimistic men of the BEF in the act of mobilization and transport to France are contrasted with photographs from the battlefield during the opening phases of the campaign, which culminated in the four-year struggle for the Ypres salient. The photographs are accompanied by a fascinating text, featuring Bruce Bairnsfather's personal description of the conditions endured by the men in the rudimentary trenches on the Ypres salient during 1914-15 as the early phase of the battle for Ypres raged around them. This book incorporates a wide range of photographic images encompassing the actions of the cavalry, infantry and artillery. Also featured are images, which depict the myriad activity behind the lines, dealing with German prisoners of war, the endless supply columns of the commissariat and the extraordinary efforts to provide proper medical care for the wounded.
The British on the Somme 1916: Memoirs From The Trenches 1916-1918 (Images of War)
by Bob CarruthersThis new volume in the long-running Images of War series features the actions of the British Army on the Somme. Not only is the book comprised of rare photographs illustrating the actions of the British army fighting on the Somme, but it is accompanied by a powerful text written by Official War Correspondent Philip Gibbs, who was an eyewitness to the events. Photographs from the battlefield illustrate the terrible conditions, which the British forces on the battlefield endured in the notorious engagement, which has become synonymous with vainglorious sacrifice.This book incorporates a wide range of images encompassing the actions of the British infantry and their supporting artillery. Also featured are images, which depict the almost incomprehensible reality of landscape, which characterized the war in the trenches. Portraits of the British troops are contrasted with German prisoners of war and the endless battle to get the supply columns through to the front.
The Brittle Star: An epic story of the American West
by Davina LangdaleA DAILY MAIL STARS BOOK OF THE YEARA FOYLES BEST BOOK OF 2017'Langdale is excellent . . . The Brittle Star is a great beginning to what I hope is a long and productive career' GuardianIf a man beats you, you never let your anger show, never at the time. You wait, until he least expects it, until nobody remembers that you were angry at all . . . In 1860s Southern California, life on the Burn ranch has been peaceful for 15-year-old John Evert since the death of his father. But recently there have been violent raids on nearby properties, where it's not just cattle and horses that are taken, but women too. And when the white-painted men arrive at the Burn ranch on horses in the dead of night, John Evert is near-fatally injured, his beloved mother spirited away, and their house torched to the ground. Setting out on a journey to find his mother and reclaim his land, John Evert will fight in the Civil War and befriend an outlaw, challenge his assumptions and fall in love, before returning to fledgling Los Angeles older, sager and set on revenge . . .'Fans of Annie Proulx, or Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy will love her eloquent descriptions of California's rural terrain' Henry Deedes, Daily Mail'This book artfully blends careful research with beautiful writing. This young British writer is clearly incredibly talented and versatile, and I hope this will be the first book in a long and fruitful career' Historical Novel Society
The Broken Country: On Trauma, a Crime, and the Continuing Legacy of Vietnam (Association of Writers and Writing Programs Award for Creative Nonfiction Series #30)
by Paisley RekdalAn attack in a grocery store parking lot launches an examination of the Vietnam War&’s dark legacy—by the author of The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee.The Broken Country uses a violent incident that took place in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2012 as a springboard for examining the long-term cultural and psychological effects of the Vietnam War. To make sense of the shocking and baffling incident—in which a young homeless man born in Vietnam stabbed a number of white men purportedly in retribution for the war—Paisley Rekdal draws on a remarkable range of material and fashions it into a compelling account of the dislocations suffered by the Vietnamese and also by American-born veterans over the past decades. She interweaves a narrative about the crime with information collected in interviews, historical examination of the arrival of Vietnamese immigrants in the 1970s, a critique of portrayals of Vietnam in American popular culture, and discussions of the psychological consequences of trauma. This work allows us to better understand transgenerational and cultural trauma and advances our still complicated struggle to comprehend the war. &“A moving and often gripping meditation on the fallout of war, from violence and racism to melancholy and trauma.&”—Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Refugees &“Assembling a remarkable range of materials and testimonies, she shows us both the persistence of war&’s trauma and how we might more ethically imagine those it harms.&”—Beth Loffreda, author of Losing Matt Shepard: Life and Politics in the Aftermath of Anti-Gay Murder &“A compact, thoughtful debut addressing violence, immigrant identity, and the long shadow of the Vietnam War…. A poignant, relevant synthesis of cultural studies and true-crime drama.—Kirkus Reviews
The Broken House: Growing up Under Hitler – The Lost Masterpiece
by Horst Krüger'Exquisitely written... haunting... Few books, I think, capture so well the sense of a life broken for ever by trauma and guilt' Sunday Times 'An unsparing, honest and insightful memoir, that shows how private failure becomes national disaster' Hilary MantelTwenty years after the end of the war, Horst Krüger attempted to make sense of his childhood. He had grown up in a quiet Berlin suburb. Here, people lived ordinary lives, believed in God, obeyed the law, and were gradually seduced by the promises of Nazism. He had been 'the typical child of innocuous Germans who were never Nazis, and without whom the Nazis would never have been able to do their work'. With tragic inevitability, this world of respectability, order and duty began to crumble.Written in accomplished prose of lingering beauty, The Broken House is a moving coming-of-age story that provides a searing portrait of life under the Nazis.
The Broken Mirrors: Sinalcol
by Elias KhouryWhy did he return to Beirut? Why did Karim leave his wife and children and the life he had built in France to return to a homeland still reeling from civil war? Was it to answer his brother Nasim's call to raise a hospital out of the ashes? Was it to kick over the traces of past love affairs? Or to establish the truth behind his father's death? Or was it to confront at last the ghost of the man known only as "Sinalcol", a legendary phantom of the civil war, and a broken mirror of himself? In Beirut, Karim will learn the fate of old comrades, and face a brother who shares a past as divided as the city itself. And he will find that peace is only ever fleeting in a war without end.
The Bronc Rider's Baby: Charm School For Cowboys Fortune's Surprise Engagement The Bronc Rider's Baby (Rocking Chair Rodeo #2)
by Judy DuarteA pint-sized Texas surprise! Nothing-not even a bucking bronc-can unnerve Nate Gallagher...until he lays eyes on the tiny newborn who's been entrusted to his care. The former rodeo champ isn't ready for fatherhood. Heck, the precious baby girl may not even be his. Still, he aims to step up and give her a home at the Rocking C. That is, if pretty social worker Anna Reynolds decides Nate's daddy material after all. Making sure that father and infant daughter bond is Anna's job. But what about the fiery bond forming between Anna and Nate? Can Nate become the family man Anna believes he can be? Because she's this close to gambling her future on the rugged cowboy daddy!
The Brontës and War: Fantasy and Conflict in Charlotte and Branwell Brontë’s Youthful Writings
by Emma ButcherThis book explores the representations of militarisim and masculinity in Charlotte and Branwell Brontë’s youthful writings. It offers insight into how the siblings understood and reimagined conflict (both local and overseas) and its emotional legacies whilst growing up in early-nineteenth-century Britain. Their writings shed new light on a period little discussed by social and military historians, providing not only a new approach to Brontë Studies, but also acting as a familial case study for how the media captivated and enticed the public imagination.
The Brookwood Killers: Military Murderers of WWII
by Paul JohnsonNestled deep in the Surrey countryside stands the Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial. Maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, its panels contain the names of nearly 3,500 men and women of the land forces of Britain and the Commonwealth who died in the Second World War and who have no known grave. Among the men and women who names are carved on the memorial are Special Operations Executive agents who died as prisoners or while working with Allied underground movements, servicemen killed in the various raids on enemy occupied territory in Europe, such as Dieppe and Saint-Nazaire, men and women who died at sea in hospital ships and troop transports, British Army parachutists, and even pilots and aircrew who lost their lives in flying accidents or in aerial combat. But the panels also hide a dark secret. Entwined within the names of heroes and heroines are those of nineteen men whose last resting place is known, and whose deaths were less than glorious. All were murderers who, following a civil or military trial, were executed for the heinous offence they had committed. The bodies of these individuals, with the exception of one, lay buried in un-consecrated ground. As Paul Johnson reveals, the cases of the ‘Brookwood Killers’ are violent, disturbing and often brutal in their content. They are not war crimes, but crimes committed in a time of war, for which the offender has their name recorded and maintained in perpetuity. Something that is not always applied in the case of the victim.
The Brookwood Killers: Military Murderers of World War Two
by Paul Johnson&‘This little bit of dark twisted history is well worth the time.&’ - Casper Hileman Nestled deep in the Surrey countryside stands the Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial. Maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, its panels contain the names of nearly 3,500 men and women of the land forces of Britain and the Commonwealth who died in the Second World War and who have no known grave. Among the men and women who names are carved on the memorial are Special Operations Executive agents who died as prisoners or while working with Allied underground movements, servicemen killed in the various raids on enemy occupied territory in Europe, such as Dieppe and Saint-Nazaire, men and women who died at sea in hospital ships and troop transports, British Army parachutists, and even pilots and aircrew who lost their lives in flying accidents or in aerial combat. But the panels also hide a dark secret. Entwined within the names of heroes and heroines are those of nineteen men whose last resting place is known, and whose deaths were less than glorious. All were murderers who, following a civil or military trial, were executed for the heinous offence they had committed. The bodies of these individuals, with the exception of one, lay buried in un-consecrated ground. As Paul Johnson reveals, the cases of the Brookwood Killers are violent, disturbing and often brutal in their content. They are not war crimes, but crimes committed in a time of war, for which the offender has their name recorded and maintained in perpetuity. Something that is not always applied in the case of the victim.&‘A well-written and researched book about servicemen who died in WWII and whose names are inscribed alongside actual heroes of the war, but who aren't heroes at all.&’ Monica Mac&‘An enlightening book from a completely different perspective of criminals and tragically, their victims during the war&’. Brenda GR&‘A great read for the true crime enthusiast.&’ Ron Baumer
The Brothel in Rosenstrasse and Other Stories: The Best Short Fiction of Michael Moorcock Volume 2
by Michael MoorcockThe second part of Gollancz's definitive collection of Moorcock's short fiction, this selection features some of his finest work. From 'The Brothel in Rosenstrasse' to 'The Surrealist Sporting Club', the stories here are incredibly varied in their style, execution and subject matter.The stories included in this volume are:The Brothel in RosenstrasseThe Opium GeneralLondon BoneA Winter AdmiralDoves in the CircleA Slow Saturday Night at the Surrealist Sporting Club
The Brown Water Navy In The Mekong Delta: COIN In The Littorals And Inland Waters
by Lieutenant Commander Richard SessomsIn 1964 the Viet Cong was firmly entrenched in the Mekong Delta region. Using fear and terror tactics, the insurgency gained control of the population creating a safe haven for the movement to thrive and expand. The United States and the Government of South Vietnam recognized the infiltration problem in the Mekong Delta but their military organizations were either unable or incapable to deal with the problem. The geography of the region made it impossible for a U.S. Army or Marine Corps division to operate effectively and the South Vietnamese Army and Navy lacked the training and equipment to operate successfully. In response to these obstacles, Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, commissioned the U.S. Navy to develop a fighting force capable of operating in the delta and ridding the region of the Viet Cong influence. The Navy used for main Operations: MARKET TIME, GAME WARDEN,-The Mobile Riverine Force, and SEALORDS to achieve these goals. In four short years the Brown Water Sailors experienced marked success with Viet Cong influence minimized and resupply efforts rerouted to the tortuous Ho Chi Minh Trail. However, by the end of 1968 American resolve to fight a war in South Vietnam had deteriorated and the Government needed a way out. President Nixon's Vietnamization program provided the exit for American forces and in turn mitigated the Brown Water Navy's successes of the previous four years.The Brown Water Navy overcame tremendous obstacles in less than one year to create and deploy a formidable fighting force to the Mekong Delta. In four years aggressive strides against the Viet Cong insurgency were achieved only to be mitigated by the effects of Vietnamization.
The Browning Automatic Rifle
by Johnny Shumate Robert HodgesFor nearly fifty years the hard-hitting, mobile Browning Automatic Rifle, or BAR, served in US infantry units as a light squad automatic "base of fire" weapon, providing quick bursts of concentrated fire. It was developed in response to the central dilemma of infantry combat in World War I - the need for a squad-level weapon that could suppress emplaced machine-gun positions. Designed by the renowned firearms manufacturer John M. Browning, the BAR could be fired from the shoulder or the hip while on the move. Unfortunately, initial production difficulties and commanders' reluctance to feed the new weapon piecemeal into the front line meant it was September 1918 before the BAR saw combat.In the interwar years US forces used the BAR across the world, from China to Nicaragua; versions equipped the armed forces of Belgium, Sweden and Poland. It also became a favorite of notorious gangsters like Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, who prized its ability to punch through police armored cars as though they were made of cardboard. US lawmen rapidly acquired the BAR for themselves, with the Colt R 80 "Monitor" variant becoming the official fighting rifle of the FBI from 1931.At the outset of World War II the US armed forces decided to adapt the BAR for a light machine gun role. The BAR was not without its flaws; it was heavy and difficult to dismantle and reassemble, and it didn't cope well with sustained fire. Nevertheless, the BAR saw action in every major theater of World War II and went on to be used in Korea and in the opening stages of the Vietnam War. Brigadier General S.L.A. Marshall's pioneering study of men in combat revealed the tremendous psychological boost that the BAR gave to a squad in the field; Marshall discovered that riflemen were so glad to have a BAR in their midst that they readily volunteered to carry extra ammunition for their gunner.Featuring arresting first-hand accounts, specially drawn full-color artwork and close-up photographs, many in color, this lively study offers a vivid portrait of this powerful, long-lived and innovative weapon that saw service with US and other forces across the world for much of the twentieth century.
The Bruneval Raid - Operation Biting 1942
by Howard Gerrard Ken FordIn the darkest days of World War II, the British planned a daring airborne operation to capture the secret of the new German radar. Lead by Major John Frost, a company of paratroopers dropped into Bruneval on the French coast, and quickly neutralized a small German garrison. Then began a desperate fight for time as the British tried to dismantle the German radar and evacuate back to England, as ever more German units converged on their position. Using artwork, photographs, and detailed maps, this action-packed narrative puts the reader in the planning room and on the battlefield of one of the greatest raids of World War II.
The Brutality of War
by Gene R. DarkA US Marine Corps Vet offers a gripping firsthand account of fighting on the frontlines of Vietnam in this hard-hitting memoir. In 1968, nineteen-year-old Gene R. Dark joined the Marine Corps. It was the height of the Vietnam War, and Dark was assigned to Fox Company, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines—one of the most decorated companies to be deployed there. A carefree young man when he had entered the service, Dark was soon transformed into a hardened soldier. Dark recounts his experience in the notoriously dangerous Arizona Territory, humping through the swampy jungles, forging a brotherhood with his fellow soldiers, and watching many of those same comrades die in combat. While Dark found solace in surrendering his fate on the battlefield to God, it took him many years to find peace with his experiences. A tribute to every man and woman who has served the United States, this moving account demonstrates the exacting price of war on America and her many fallen, forgotten, and heroic soldiers.
The Buccaneer King: The Story of Captain Henry Morgan
by Graham A. ThomasThis is the story of a Welshman who became one of the most ruthless and brutal buccaneers of the golden age of piracy. His name was Captain Sir Henry Morgan and, unlike his contemporaries, he was not hunted down and killed or captured by the authorities. Instead he was considered a hero in England and given a knighthood as well as being made governor of Jamaica. As Graham Thomas reveals in this fresh biography of this complex and intriguing character, Morgan was an exceptional military leader whose prime motivation was to amass as much wealth as he could by sacking and plundering settlements, towns and cities up and down the Spanish Main.As featured on BBC Radio Wiltshire and in Cardiff Times.
The Buccaneers Of The Caribbean: How Piracy Forged An Empire 1607-1697
by Jon LatimerThe True Story of Piracy on the Spanish Main.This is the incredible true story of piracy in the Caribbean, proof positive that fact is stranger than fiction. From the moment the English established their first tiny colonies in the New World, semi-legal pirates took on the might of the Spanish Empire. The lure of Spanish gold was so strong that French and Dutch privateers soon joined them. Sometimes licensed by governments, but often not, desperate gangs of cut-throats dominated the Caribbean throughout the seventeenth century. Led by ruthless captains, they wrested many of the key islands from Spanish control, then fought each other for the region's strategic bases. Most notoriously, the 'brethren of the coast' established the pirate port of Tortuga, the infamous city of crime. From Piet Heyn's capture of the entire Spanish treasure fleet in 1628, to Henry Morgan's sack of Panama, this was the Age of the Bucaneers. This epic story continued up to the destruction of the pirates' lair of Port Royal by an earthquake in 1692 -- recognised at the time as the judgement of God. . .International treaties at the end of the century brought this dramatic era to a close, by which time the division of the Caribbean among European powers was complete. And a legend had been born.
The Buchanan Campaign (Federation War #1)
by Rick ShelleyStep onto the front lines of a galactic battlefield in the first Federation War novel from the national bestselling author of the Special Ops Squad.Rick Shelley’s Federation War trilogy takes you through military barracks, corridors, and trenches, bringing the war of the future home with a combination of battlefield action and home-town heroics.For Doug Weintraub of the Buchanan Planetary Commission, it begins with a fuzzy call, quickly cut off. Federation troops have invaded his world. The battle they’ve long feared and tried to avoid is coming. Now it’s time to seek help, to launch a rocket into Q Space and hope for Second Commonwealth troops to arrive—and soon.Aboard the Starship Victoria, it begins differently. It’s a short, unexpected message on the screen for Sergeant David Spencer of the Royal Marines. New orders, surprising ones, that will send him and his men to an independent frontier world that’s become a new front in the war between the Commonwealth and Federation.Doug Weintraub and David Spencer soon find themselves in unexpected roles, a skilled warrior in the Royal Marines side-by-side with a back-world farmer. They’ll need each other to keep the Federation at bay.“Rick Shelley was a soldier at heart, and his books were written from the heart. They carry the real feel of the sweat, blood, and camaraderie of those on the front lines.” —Jack Campbell, New York Times–bestselling author“Rick Shelly knows how to write compelling military science fiction thrillers that are so action packed, readers hardly have a moment for an oxygen break.” —AllReaders.com