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With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
by E. B. SledgeIn The Wall Street Journal, Victor Davis Hanson named With the Old Breed one of the top five books on epic twentieth-century battles. Studs Terkel interviewed the author for his definitive oral history, The Good War. Now E. B. Sledge's acclaimed first-person account of fighting at Peleliu and Okinawa returns to thrill, edify, and inspire a new generation.An Alabama boy steeped in American history and enamored of such heroes as George Washington and Daniel Boone, Eugene B. Sledge became part of the war's famous 1st Marine Division-3d Battalion, 5th Marines. Even after intense training, he was shocked to be thrown into the battle of Peleliu, where "the world was a nightmare of flashes, explosions, and snapping bullets." By the time Sledge hit the hell of Okinawa, he was a combat vet, still filled with fear but no longer with panic.Based on notes Sledge secretly kept in a copy of the New Testament, With the Old Breed captures with utter simplicity and searing honesty the experience of a soldier in the fierce Pacific Theater. Here is what saved, threatened, and changed his life. Here, too, is the story of how he learned to hate and kill-and came to love-his fellow man.From the Trade Paperback edition.
With the Tanks, 1916–1918: Memoirs of a British Tank Commander in the Great War (Eyewitnesses from The Great War)
by W.H.L. WatsonWilliam Watson was a young Oxford post-graduate at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Along with several friends from Oxford he enlisted in the army expecting the war to last six weeks. Watson began his service in the Great War as a British Army motorcycle despatch rider. He saw active service during the key battles of 1914 and early 1915. Watson was then commissioned and became a tank commander and saw active service with the tanks most notably at Cambrai in 1917. This well written and evocative memoir was originally published under the tile 'A Company Of Tanks' it constitutes a wonderful primary source and is an invaluable addition to the library of anyone with an interest in the evolution of the tank as a decisive weapon on the battlefield. Highly detailed, but nonetheless accessible this superb new illustrated edition, edited by Emmy AwardTM winning historian Bob Carruthers is greatly recommended for serious enthusiasts and casual readers alike.
With Their Backs To The World: Portraits from Serbia - from the bestselling author of the Bookseller of Kabul
by Asne SeierstadFrom the bestselling author of THE BOOKSELLER OF KABUL comes a remarkable exploration of the lives of ordinary Serbs under the regime of Slobodan Milosevic-during the dramatic events leading up to his fall, and finally in the troubled years that have followed. Asne Seierstad traveled extensively through Serbia between 1999 and 2004, following the lives of people from across the political spectrum. Her moving and perceptive account follows nationalists, Titoists, Yugonostalgics, rock stars, fugitives and poets. Seierstad brings her acclaimed attention to detail to bear on the lives of those whom she encounters in With Their Backs to the World, as she creates a kaleidoscopic portrait of a nation made up of so many different-and often conflicting-hopes, dreams, and points of view.
With Their Backs To The World: Portraits from Serbia - from the bestselling author of the Bookseller of Kabul
by x Asne SeierstadFrom the bestselling author of THE BOOKSELLER OF KABUL comes a remarkable exploration of the lives of ordinary Serbs under the regime of Slobodan Milosevic-during the dramatic events leading up to his fall, and finally in the troubled years that have followed. Asne Seierstad traveled extensively through Serbia between 1999 and 2004, following the lives of people from across the political spectrum. Her moving and perceptive account follows nationalists, Titoists, Yugonostalgics, rock stars, fugitives and poets. Seierstad brings her acclaimed attention to detail to bear on the lives of those whom she encounters in With Their Backs to the World, as she creates a kaleidoscopic portrait of a nation made up of so many different-and often conflicting-hopes, dreams, and points of view.
With "The Thirty-Second" In The Peninsular And Other Campaigns
by Prof. John Henry Wardell Major Harry Ross-LewinThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Although the 32nd Regiment was primarily recruited in and around Cornwall, leading to many scraps with the Navy for manpower, in its ranks during the Napoleonic wars the two Irish brothers of the Ross-Lewin family fought, the elder brother Harry left an exciting and vibrant account of his campaigning. His adventures took him from the West Indies, engagements with rebel Irishmen, Copenhagen, even before his arrival in the Peninsular to start his campaigns under Wellington in 1808. His first major trial under fire begins at Rolica and Vimiero, before he and his brave men are sent off to the pestilent climes of Walcheren. Returning to the Spain once again he is heavily engaged during the battle of Salamanca, during which he is wounded, once mended his service takes him onward to France via a number of battles at Bayonne, Orthez and Toulouse. During his campaigning he suffers the loss of his brother Edward and writes touchingly of his bravery before he fell. His account of the Waterloo campaign is amongst the best that survive, accurate and vividly written, he was lucky to survive the culminating battle as his regiment was one of the most severely depleted. Major Ross-Lewin originally wrote three volumes of his memoirs of his time in the British army under the title of "The Life of a Soldier, by a Field Officer" in three volumes; this edition has been expertly trimmed the then reader of Modern History at Trinity College, Dublin. This work shares the tone of his countryman William Grattan's memoirs, with a wry view of the antics of his soldiers, an eye for the details of what passed before him, interspersed with battle vignettes that convey the fire and confusion of battle. Text taken, whole and complete from the 1904 edition, Hidges and Figgis & Co, Dublin. Original -368 pages Author - Major Harry Ross-Lewin (1781-1872) Editor - Prof. John Henry Wardell (1898- Aug 1957) Linked TOC
With The Trench Mortars In France [Illustrated Edition]
by Captain William Esmonde Lennox NapierIllustrated with a portrait of the author and multiple illustrations of the mortar weapons"The following account of the work of the Light Trench Mortars in France is given in order that the usefulness in the Great War of this wonderful invention of Stokes may be more widely known in New Zealand than at present is the case. The information given in the following pages is all of more or less value because it has been gained from personal experience in the field in France and with the help of official war diaries of different batteries engaged both in trench warfare and in attack, and these batteries are considered to have taken part in more offensive actions than any other batteries in the whole British Army, commencing from Armentières in February, 1916, right up to the end of the War.Very little has been said in any other book written during or since the War, not even in the History of the N.Z.E.F., nor in the history of any of its regiments, of the Trench Mortars or their work, and, therefore, without making this little brochure an effort for people to read by supplying a lot of technical detail, I think it preferable to narrate in simple language some of the principal achievements of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force with this wonderful invention of Sir Wilfred Stokes, after its introduction to the Army."--Introduction
With The Twenty-Ninth Division In Gallipoli, A Chaplain's Experiences. [Illustrated Edition]
by Rev Creighton Oswin"The padre of the 86th Brigade, 29th Division, gives an account of his experiences at Gallipoli where he landed on 25th April 1915 to his evacuation on medical grounds on 12th August....it covers the period 27th January 1915, when he reported to the HQ of the newly formed 29th Division in Leamington, to 12th August 1915 when he arrived in Alexandria having been evacuated sick (diphtheria) from the Peninsula. The 86th Brigade was a Fusilier Brigade with 2nd Royal Fusiliers, 1st Lancashire Fusiliers, 1st Royal Munster Fusiliers and 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and it was the first to land on 25th April 1915. It was with the first two mentioned that Creighton had most contact and they feature prominently in this account. The other two battalions, being recruited mainly from the south of Ireland, were predominantly RC.Creighton had come straight from civvy street and took a little while to find his feet among regular troops....This account is based on his diary and he took pains to write only what he got firsthand and from personal observation and he has tried to be as accurate as possible.The interesting photos were borrowed from the CO of 2nd RF and his narrative does give a feel for the conditions and fighting on the Peninsula. At one stage he gives vent to his feelings after a fruitless attack by a brigade of the newly arrived 52nd (Lowland) Division which cost over fifty percent casualties: "These things seem to happen every battle. The amount of unnecessary lives simply thrown away is appalling."...The book closes with a chapter by the BM, Major H.M. Farmar, on the landing of the 86th Brigade and the subsequent operations till 3rd May."N&M print versionAuthor -- Rev. Creighton Oswin, 1883-1918Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in London, Longmans, Green and co., 1916.Original Page Count - xiv and 191 pages.Illustrations -- 26 maps and Illustrations.
With Wellington in the Peninsula: The Adventures of a Highland Soldier, 1808–1814
by Paul CowanFew men from the 71st Highland Light Infantry who sailed from Cork with Wellington to Portugal in 1808 returned to the Irish port six years later. The author of Vicissitudes in the Life of a Scottish Soldier was one of the survivors and claims only four other men from his company came through the entire six years with him. As one of Wellington's elite Light Infantry units the 71st were in the fore of the fighting in some of the hardest fought battles of the Peninsular War. The book was controversial on its release in 1827 for its unvarnished and unsentimental account of the grim war against the French in Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal and France itself. A cynic with a highly developed sense of humour, the author was not afraid to criticise his superiors, be they thieving sergeants or officers who were far from gentlemen. Editor Paul Cowan draws on little known diaries and other accounts written by the author's contemporaries to corroborate and expand on this frank but all too long neglected first-hand picture of the war in the Peninsula as it was really fought.
With Wellington's Hussars in the Peninsula and Waterloo: The Journal of Lieutenant George Woodberry, 18th Hussars
by Gareth GloverGeorge Woodberry was commissioned into the 18th Light Dragoons (Hussars) as a cornet on 16 Jan 1812, and joined Wellingtons army as a lieutenant, seeing action in the key battles of 1813 and 14 Moralles, Vittoria, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Croix dOrade and the final battle of the war at Toulouse. He was wounded at Mendionde in a clash with French cavalry as Wellington advanced into France. He also served in the 1815 campaign, being at Waterloo and the march to Paris.What is most remarkable is that Woodberry found time to record events at length in his journal almost every single day. This enables the reader to trace accurately the movements of the 18th Hussars and Wellingtons army in general with precision. It also provides an insight into life on campaign in Spain, France and Belgium with the British Army of the early nineteenth centuryHis lively, detailed and entertaining account of his time in Wellingtons army is matched by the unusual story of the history of his journal. It was published once before, in 1898, but in French by a Paris-based publisher. The original journal, in two leather-bound volumes, has since been lost, but the French edition has now been translated back into English by renowned Napoleonic historian Gareth Glover and is published in the UK for the first time.
With Wings As Eagles: The Eighth Air Force in World War II
by Philip KaplanBeginning in 1942, the Eighth Air Force began a precision bombing raid offensive deep into Nazi Germany, embarking from bases in rural England. Nearly 350,000 Americans were transplanted to English soil, joining their British colleagues for this joint Allied offensive. For many it was a period of great risk, and arguably the greatest adventure of their lives.With Wings As Eagles celebrates the heroics of these pilots and their missions. A lavishly illustrated, full-color, hardcover original, the narrative is the result of the author’s exclusive interviews with many of the pilots and crew, as well as research from contemporary diaries, journals, and scrapbooks. Readers relive the nostalgia and vivid reminiscences - of days of seemingly endless boredom and fatigue, the loneliness of soaring in an aluminum cocoon four miles over an intended target, and a surprising account of parachuting onto German soil and being captured by women and children.With Wings As Eagles relives the drama and history of an heroic era.
With Wings Like Eagles
by Michael KordaIn the summer of 1940, fewer than three thousand young fighter pilots of the Royal Air Force stood between Hitler and the victory that seemed almost within his grasp.In this superb history of three epic months that saved the world, Michael Korda brilliantly re-creates the intensity of combat in "the long, delirious, burning blue" of the sky above southern England--while tracing, perhaps for the first time, the entire complex web of political, diplomatic, scientific, industrial, and human decisions during the 1930s that inexorably led to the world's first, greatest, and most decisive air battle. With Wings Like Eagles brings to vivid life the extraordinary men and women on both sides of the conflict--from Winston Churchill, Neville Chamberlain, and Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring to the ground crews, the German pilots, the American volunteers, and the courageous airmen and airwomen of the RAF.
With Wings Like Eagles: A History of the Battle of Britain
by Michael KordaIn the summer of 1940, fewer than three thousand young fighter pilots of the Royal Air Force stood between Hitler and the victory that seemed almost within his grasp. In this superb history of three epic months that saved the world, Michael Korda brilliantly re-creates the intensity of combat in "the long, delirious, burning blue" of the sky above southern England--while tracing, perhaps for the first time, the entire complex web of political, diplomatic, scientific, industrial, and human decisions during the 1930s that inexorably led to the world's first, greatest, and most decisive air battle. With Wings Like Eagles brings to vivid life the extraordinary men and women on both sides of the conflict--from Winston Churchill, Neville Chamberlain, and Reichsmarschall Hermann GÖring to the ground crews, the German pilots, the American volunteers, and the courageous airmen and airwomen of the RAF.
With Winston Churchill at the Front: Winston on the Western Front, 1916
by Andrew Dewar GibbFollowing his resignation from the Government after the disastrous Gallipoli campaign, Winston Churchills political career stalled. Never one to give in, Churchill was determined to continue fighting the enemy.He was already a Major in the Territorial Reserve and he was offered promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and with it command of a battalion on the Western Front. On 5 January 1916, Churchill took up his new post with the 6th (Service) Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers. The battalions adjutant was Captain Alexander Dewar Gibb who formed a close relationship with Churchill that lasted far beyond their few weeks together in the war.Dewar Gibb subsequently wrote an account of his and Churchills time together in the trenches. Packed with amusing anecdotes and fascinating detail, Gibbs story shows an entirely different side to Churchills character from the forceful public figure normally presented to the world. Churchill proved to be a caring and compassionate commander and utterly fearless. Despised on his arrival, by the time he departed he was adored by his men.Supplemented with many of Churchills letters, the observations of other officers and additional narrative this is the most unusual and absorbing account of this part of Churchill's life that has ever been told.
With The Zionists In Gallipoli
by Lt.-Col J. H. Patterson"Rare account by the C.O. of the Judeans - a unit of Jewish Zionists within the British army who helped drive the Ottoman Turks out of Palestine in 1917-18.This is an extraordinary account of one of the most unusual units ever to have fought in the ranks of the British army. 'The Judeans' were a battalion of Jewish soldiers raised during the Great War specifically to serve in Palestine, which, then as now, was a politically and racially sensitive area. Set against the background of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which pledged British support for establishing a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine, this is the account of the Judeans by its outspoken (non-Jewish) Commanding Officer, Col. J. H. Patterson, who is palpably proud of having led the Judeans, which he rightly describes as a 'unique unit' whose formation was 'unprecedented in our annals'...Patterson's account of the victorious 1918 campaign that swept the Turks out of what is now Israel, Palestine and Jordan, is shot through both with his pride in his men, when he goes as far as claiming that the campaign 'was actually pivoted on the sons of Israel who were once again fighting the enemy, not far from the spot where their forefathers had crossed the Jordan under Joshua'. Patterson is also - unusually, given the high degree of anti-Semitism then prevalent in Britain's officer class - highly critical of his fellow officers for discriminating against the Judeans, and other Jewish settlers in Palestine. This book is a rare insight into a remarkable episode in Anglo-Jewish history, and should interest anyone wishing to know more of the background to current conflicts in the Middle East. It is illustrated with 22 photographs of officers of the Judeans and Palestinian scenes, including Biblical sites."-N&M Print ed.
Withdrawing from Iraq: Alternative Schedules, Associated Risks, and Mitigating Strategies
by John Gordon David C. Gompert Keith Crane Stuart E. Johnson Walter L. PerryIn studying the withdrawal from Iraq, RAND assessed logistical constraints, trends in insurgent activity, the readiness of Iraqi security forces, and implications for the size of the residual U.S. force and for security in Iraq and the region. This report presents alternative schedules: one consistent with the Obama administration's intentions, one somewhat slower, and another faster. It also identifies steps to alleviate constraints and risks.
Wither Iran?: Reform, Domestic Politics and National Security (Adelphi series)
by Shahram ChubinTerrorism and the Middle East are often connected. The fear that these will be a future source of threat with weapons of mass destruction, notably nuclear or biological weapons, has grown in recent years. This book looks at the politics of one important state in the region - Iran - and concludes that political reform in that country is changing it in ways that are reducing it as a threat to its neighbours and to international security.
Within These Walls of Sorrow: A Novel of World War II Poland
by Amanda Barratt"As superbly written as it is haunting in its truth." --Kate Breslin, best-selling author of For Such a Time Zosia Lewandowska knows the brutal realities of war all too well. Within weeks of Germany's invasion of her Polish homeland, she lost the man she loves. As ghetto walls rise and the occupiers tighten their grip on the city of Krakow, Zosia joins pharmacist Tadeusz Pankiewicz and his staff in the heart of the Krakow ghetto as they risk their lives to aid the Jewish people trapped by Nazi oppression. Hania Silverman's carefree girlhood is shattered as her family is forced into the ghetto. Struggling to survive in a world hemmed in by walls and rife with cruelty and despair, she encounters Zosia, her former neighbor, at the pharmacy. As deportation winnow the ghetto's population and snatch those she holds dear, Hania's natural resiliency is exhausted by reality. Zodia and Hania's lives intertwine as they face the griefs and fears thrust upon them by war, until one day, they are forced to make a desperate choice . . . one that will inexorably bind them together, even as they are torn apart. Amanda Barratt's meticulous research and lush, award-winning writing shine once again in this moving look at a group of unsung heroes who fought for hope and humanity in the most harrowing of times. "An unflinching tale that implores readers to stop and see, not a massive crowd of people, but individual hearts and souls. This book will linger in your heart and mind long after you've read the final page." --Amanda Cox, Christy Award-winning author of The Edge of Belonging
Without a Country: The Untold Story of America's Deported Veterans
by J. Malcolm GarciaMany Americans believe service in the military to be a quintessential way to demonstrate patriotism. We expect those who serve to be treated with respect and dignity. However, as in so many aspects of our politics, the reality and our ideals diverge widely in our treatment of veterans. There is perhaps no starker example of this than the continued practice of deporting men and women who have served.J. Malcolm Garcia has travelled across the country and abroad to interview veterans who have been deported, as well as the families and friends they have left behind, giving the full scope of the tragedy to be found in this all too common practice. Without a Country analyzes the political climate that has led us here and takes a hard look at the toll deportation has taken on American vets and their communities.Deported veterans share in and reflect the diversity of America itself. The numerous compounding injustices meted out to them reflect many of the still unresolved contradictions of our nation and its ideals. But this story, in all its grit and complexity, really boils down to an old, simple question: Who is a real American?
Without Fail (Jack Reacher #6)
by Lee ChildJack Reacher takes aim at the White House in the sixth novel in Lee Child&’s #1 New York Times bestselling series.DON'T MISS REACHER ON PRIME VIDEO! Skilled, cautious, and anonymous, Jack Reacher is perfect for the job: to assassinate the vice president of the United States. Theoretically, of course. A female Secret Service agent wants Reacher to find the holes in her system, and fast—because a covert group already has the vice president in their sights. They&’ve planned well. There&’s just one thing they didn&’t plan on: Reacher.
Without Fear: A Hunter Stark Novel (The Hunter Stark Novels #2)
by David Hunt R. J. Pineiro"Outstanding . . . This military adventure thriller deserves to become a genre classic." —Publishers Weekly, starred reviewNew York Times–bestselling author Col. David Hunt and R. J. Pineiro have teamed up for a second action-packed, Hunter Stark thriller steeped in authenticity: Without Fear. Southern Afghanistan, 2005. NATO forces are battling the Taliban across Kandahar Province. In a terrifying twist, the rebels unearth a tactical nuclear bomb lost in the final days of the Soviet occupation. The years buried in the sand have damaged it, so the Taliban seeks the help of al Qaeda to secure replacement parts through its contacts in Saudi Arabia, the Opium Cartel, and the Russian Mafia. Doing so, however, inadvertently alerts the Americans, the Russians, and the Israelis. Hunter Stark and his team of CIA contractors are on the chase, dispensing explosive waves of violence to track where the Taliban is hiding the weapon. But Russian Spetsnaz and Israeli Mossad operatives are also in the region following their own agendas—as is NATO—triggering chaos and confusion. The stakes skyrocket when a courier delivers the components and the weapon becomes functional, forcing Stark to drive full throttle, without fear, into a world of terror, going beyond duty and honor to prevent the unthinkable.
Without Hesitation: The Odyssey of an American Warrior
by Hugh Shelton Ronald Levinson Malcolm McConnellThe powerful unvarnished memoir of General Hugh Shelton, war hero, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during 9/11, and one of the leading military figures of our time.Whether serving under a Democratic president or a Republican president, General Shelton was never afraid to speak out and tell it like it is. Shelton chronicles his incredible journey from a small farming community in North Carolina to the highest level of American military and political power at the Pentagon and White House.As one of the nation's elite Special Forces soldiers, Shelton served twice in Vietnam, commanding a Green Beret unit and then an airborne infantry company. He was awarded a Bronze Star for valor and a Purple Heart for a wound suffered when a booby trap drove a poisoned stake through his leg.Shelton rose up the ranks and was assistant division commander of the 101st Airborne Division as they invaded Iraq in the Persian Gulf War, then led the 20,000 American troops tasked with restoring Haiti's deposed President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to power. Promoted to 4-star General, he became Commander in Chief of U.S. Special Operations Command (including Delta Force, Navy SEALS and other top secret Special Mission Units).But it was while serving as Chairman during both the Clinton and Bush administrations that he faced his biggest challenges, including his role as chief architect of the U.S. military response to 9/11. General Shelton speaks frankly of how decisions were made behind the scenes in the inner sanctum of the E-Ring and Oval Office, and reveals key military operations and meetings that have not yet been revealed, including:* High-ranking Cabinet member proposes intentionally allowing an American pilot to be killed by the Iraqis to have an excuse to retaliate and go to war.* Details of a contentious Camp David meeting among President George W. Bush and his National Security Council immediately after 9/11, where internal battle lines were drawn---and Shelton (along with Colin Powell) convinced President Bush to do the right thing.* How Rumsfeld persuaded General Tommy Franks to bypass the Joint Chiefs, leading to a badly flawed Iraq war plan that failed to anticipate the devastating after-effects of the insurgency and civil war.* Attempts to kill Usama bin Laden that were shot down by our State Department.* CIA botched high-profile terrorist snatches, leaving Shelton's Special Operations teams to clean up their mess.* How Shelton "persuaded" Haiti's dictator to flee the country.* And much more.Yet it's Shelton's amazing personal story that puts his military career in perspective. It began with a fall from a ladder in his backyard, resulting in total paralysis from the neck down---and a risky experimental procedure, so dangerous that if it didn't cure him, chances are it would kill him.Revealing, compelling, and controversial, Without Hesitation is the story of a man whose integrity and ethics were always above reproach, and who dedicated his life to serving his country.
Without Honor (Kirk McGarvey series #1)
by David HagbergThe skyjacking of a plane bound for Cuba left four people dead, two of them CIA operatives. To reveal the true nature of the incident, the CIA knows of one man that can get them the answers they need; a man whom they had relied on before... Kirk McGarvey is a man with a past; a past that has recently resurfaced and threatens to darken a present in which he tries to put the days of "The Company" behind him. However, drawn back in to help the agency ferret out a spy who has penetrated the upper echelon of the U.S. Government, he discovers that who he was then had never really been that far away from who he is now. In a world where deception is a survival trait, can McGarvey trust anyone to tell him the truth?
Without Regard to Race: The Integration of the U.S. Military After World War II (First Books)
by Hedda GarzaExamines the racist attitudes that kept African-Americans from meaningful service in the United States military and the changes that occurred in the armed forces policies during World War II.
Without Remorse (John Clark #1)
by Tom ClancyNOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING MICHAEL B. JORDAN'Highly entertaining' Wall Street JournalHis code name is Mr. Clark. His work for the CIA is brilliant, cold-blooded and efficient...But who is he really?In a harrowing tour de force, Tom Clancy shows how an ordinary man named John Kelly crossed the lines of justice and morality to become the CIA legend, Mr. Clark.It is an unforgettable journey into the heart of darkness. Without mercy. Without guilt. Without remorse.
Without Trace: The Extraordinary Last Voyages of Eight Ships
by John Harris‘…and if there had been only one survivor, there would have been no mystery in any of these cases…’Bestselling author John Harris freshly investigates seven of the most gripping and intriguing voyages of the past 150 years. Bringing his unique skills as a novelist and sailor to reassess the fragmentary evidence, he aims to finally answer these enduring and terrifying mysteries.He takes us:Aboard Erebus and Terror on Sir John Franklin’s disastrous Arctic expedition, last seen parting from their escort…Aboard the Mary Celeste, crewed by a well-respected captain and an experienced crew, abandoned in the mid-Atlantic…Aboard the battleship Maine, blown sky-high in Havana harbour…Aboard the collier Cyclops, disappeared between Barbados and Virginia during the First World War…Aboard the Teignmouth Electron, winner-apparent of the round the world yacht race, sighted deserted and drifting…This is life at sea at its most epic and frightening.