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Engines of War: How Wars Were Won & Lost on the Railways
by Christian WolmarBefore the nineteenth century, armies had to rely on slow and unreliable methods of transportation to move soldiers and equipment during times of conflict. But with the birth of the railroad in the early 1830s, the way wars were fought would change forever. In Engines of War, renowned expert Christian Wolmar tells the story of that transformation, examining all the engagements in which railways played a part from the Crimean War and American Civil War through both world wars, the Korean War, and the Cold War with its mysterious missile trains. He shows that the 'iron road' not only made armies far more mobile, but also greatly increased the scale and power of available weaponry. Wars began to be fought across wider fronts and over longer timescales, with far deadlier consequences. From armored engines with their swiveling guns to track sabotage by way of dynamite, railway lines constructed across frozen Siberian lakes and a Boer war ambush involving Winston Churchill, Engines of War shows how the railways - a fantastic generator of wealth in peacetime - became a weapon of war exploited to the full by governments across the world.
England and the Aeroplane: Militarism, Modernity and Machines
by David EdgertonThe story of the strange mixture of romanticism, militarism and technology that has made planes so important to England, from the brilliant author of Britain's War MachineThe history of England and the aeroplane is one tangled with myths - of 'the Few' and the Blitz, of boffins, flying machines, amateur inventors and muddling through. In England and the Aeroplane David Edgerton reverses received wisdom, showing that the aeroplane is a central and revealing aspect of an unfamiliar English nation: a warfare state dedicated to technology, industry, empire and military power.England had the strongest air force in the Great War, the largest industry in the world in the 1920s, outproduced Germany by 50% at the time of the Battle of Britain and was the third largest producers of aeroplanes well after this time. In a revelatory recounting of the story of aeronautical England, from its politics to its industry and culture, David Edgerton reconfigures some of the most important chapters of our history.Reviews:'A brilliant polemic' Guardian'Full of good stories ... an illuminating read' Spectator'A tour de force, after which the history of the aircraft industry will never be quite the same again' Business History'David Edgerton's sure-footed essay ... sees Britain from an unusual perspective ... His arguments provide sound backing for the idea that modern Britain is as much a warfare state as a welfare one' EconomistAbout the author:David Edgerton is Hans Rausing Professor at Imperial College London, where he was the founding director of the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine. He is the author of a sequence of groundbreaking books on 20th century Britain: Science, Technology and the British Industrial 'Decline', 1870-1970; Warfare State: Britain, 1920-1970; and Britain's War Machine, published by Penguin. He is also the author of the iconoclastic and brilliant The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History Since 1900.
England, France and Aquitaine: From Victory to Defeat in the Hundred Years War
by Richard BallardThe author of The Unseen Terror “looks at the fortunes of Richard II and Charles VI of France in a fascinating account of that war” (Books Monthly).This is a narrative history of England and France during the Hundred Years War, from the triumphs of Henry V to the defeat of the English and loss of Gascony and Bordeaux—a huge blow to English prestige and economic interest. This is a military history with technical detail, linked to high politics, courtly intrigue, dynastic ambition, economic interest (wine trade and Bordeaux). The story revolves around the death of two Kings, Henry V of England, soon after his military triumphs, and Charles VI of France, in 1422. Both had historic claims to the “French fiefs.” Henry was succeeded by Richard II, and Charles was succeeded by Charles VII. The contrast could hardly have been greater between Richard, a diffident, scholarly and religious figure, in an age when kings were expected to be aggressive leaders and military commanders; and Charles—an able politician, soldier and, in modern parlance, a “hard man,” who embodied the 15th century concept of kingship. Intermittent but constant warfare continued until English defeat in 1476 and the loss of Gascony and Bordeaux, and the Peace of Picquigny brought to an end a decisive episode in the Hundred Years War, foreshadowing England’s future total withdrawal from France.“An entertaining and informative review of the conflict and the factors leading up to the loss of Gascony and Bordeaux.” —Firetrench“[Ballard] teases apart the very tangled web of alliances, treaties, and double-dealing in a very clear concise and easy to follow way.” —Army Rumour Service (ARRSE)
England in the Age of Chivalry . . . And Awful Diseases: The Hundred Years' War and Black Death
by Ed WestA revealing glimpse into the tumultuous history of England’s medieval period, full of knights in shining armor and terrible peasant suffering. Covering the violent and disease-ridden period between 1272 to 1399, England in the Age of Chivalry. . . And Awful Diseases covers the events, personages and ideas most commonly known as "medieval". This includes Geoffrey Chaucer, the Peasants revolt, the Scottish wars of independence, the Great Famine of 1315, the Black Death and the 100 Years War. Central to this time is King Edward III, who started the 100 Years War and defined the concept of chivalry, including England's order of the garter. His legacy continues to shape our view of England’s history and is crucial in understanding the development of Europe.
England in the Seven Years War – Vol. I: A Study in Combined Strategy (England in the Seven Years War #1)
by Sir Llm. Julian Stafford CorbettThis 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. The Seven Years War (1756-1763) was one of the truly world-wide conflicts following the expansion of European colonies, with engagements spanning from India to Canada. As with so many of the European wars, the causes were a question of land and legitimacy. The ever-present simmering tensions between England and France, and the newly emergent Prussia and Austria, led to a conflict that dragged many other nations into the strife. Notable in this war were the brilliance of Frederick, who would earn his title "the Great" during these wars, and the eclipse of Spain, Portugal and Sweden as powers of the first rank. However, the policy of England, that of Pitt, was to limit the commitment in terms of men; priority was given to the Royal Navy, and an indirect form of colonial warfare allied with blockade was established. The naval intricacies, along with their political and land-based military corollaries, are illuminated in Corbett's two volume history of the English contribution to the Seven Years war. This First volume in the series focusses on the actions to 1759, including the warfare in the Caribbean, around the French and German coast-lines, and the actions in and around Quebec, leading to that city's capture. Sir Julian S. Corbett was a prolific author and authority on British warfare and more particularly the naval aspects; he was also lecturer in history to the Royal Naval College. Title - England in the Seven Years War - Vol. I Sub-Title - A Study in Combined Strategy Series Name - England in the Seven Years War Series Number --1 Author -- Sir Julian Stafford Corbett, LLM. (1854-1922) Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in 1907, London, by Longmans, Green and Co. Original - xi and 476 pages. Illustrations - 10 maps and plans.
England in the Seven Years War – Vol. II: A Study in Combined Strategy (England in the Seven Years War #2)
by Sir Llm. Julian Stafford CorbettThis 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. The Seven Years War (1756-1763) was the one of the truly world-wide conflicts, with engagements spanning from India to Canada. The causes, as with so many of the European wars, was a question of land and legitimacy, the ever present simmering tensions between England and France, and the newly emergent Prussia and Austria, leading to a conflict that dragged many other nations into the strife. Notable in this war were the brilliance of Frederick, who would earn his title "the Great" during these wars; and the eclipse of Spain, Portugal and Sweden as powers of the first rank. However, the policy of England - that of Pitt - was to limit the commitment in terms of men; priority was given to the Royal Navy, and an indirect form of colonial warfare allied with blockade was established. The naval intricacies, along with their political and land-based military corollaries, are illuminated in Corbett's two volume history of the English contribution to the Seven Years war. The second volume carries the narrative on into 1760: an abortive counter-attack by French forces in Canada; further pressure in Germany thwarted by Frederick and his generals; and the catastrophic intervention of Spain into the war. Sir Julian S. Corbett was a prolific author and authority on British warfare and more particularly the naval aspects; he was also lecturer in history to the Royal Naval College. Title - England in the Seven Years War - Vol. II Sub-Title - A Study in Combined Strategy Series Name - England in the Seven Years War Series Number --2 Author -- Sir Julian Stafford Corbett, LLM. (1854-1922) Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in 1907, London, by Longmans, Green and Co. Original - 389 pages. Illustrations - 4 maps and plans.
England Versus Scotland (The Great British Battles)
by Rupert MatthewsDelve into a thousand years of battle and rebellion with this vivid chronicle of warfare between Scotland and England—with battlefield information.Today, England and Scotland limit their fierce rivalry to the football field, but as historian Rupert Matthews demonstrates in this engaging volume, this was not always the case. Before the eighteenth century Act of Settlement in the Eighteenth Century, these neighboring lands were locked in a long, contentious, and often bloody conflict. Matthews has researched more than twenty major battles between England and Scotland. They range from the seventh century Battle of Degsastan to the Jaobite Rising’s bitter end at Culloden in the eighteenth century. Each battle forms a chapter, explaining the causes of the conflict, the forces involved, the battle itself, and a brief guide to the battlefield as it is today.
Englanders and Huns
by James HawesA completely fresh look at the enmity between Britain and Germany that all but destroyed Europe.Half a century before 1914, most Britons saw the Germans as poor and rather comical cousins - and most Germans looked up to the British as their natural mentors. Over the next five decades, each came to think that the other simply had to be confronted - in Europe, in Africa, in the Pacific and at last in the deadly race to cover the North Sea with dreadnoughts.But why? Why did so many Britons come to see in Germany everything that was fearful and abhorrent? Why did so many Germans come to see any German who called dobbel fohlt while playing Das Lawn Tennis as the dupe of a global conspiracy?Packed with long-forgotten stories such as the murder of Queen Victoria's cook in Bohn, the disaster to Germany's ironclads under the White Cliffs, bizarre early colonial clashes and the precise, dark moment when Anglophobia begat modern anti-Semitism, this is the fifty-year saga of the tragic, and often tragicomic, delusions and miscalculations that led to the defining cataclysm of our times - the breaking of empires and the womb of horrors, the Great War. Richly illustrated with the words and pictures that formed our ancestors' disastrous opinions, it will forever change the telling of this fateful tale.
England's Colonial Wars 1550-1688: Conflicts, Empire and National Identity (Modern Wars In Perspective)
by Bruce LenmanBruce Lenman's hugely ambitious study explores three interacting themes: the growth of England's sprawling colonial empire; its military dimension; and the impact of colonial warfare on national identity. He starts in Ireland, with the renewed assault of English settlers on the Irish Gaeltacht. Under the (Scottish) Stuarts, England then began a dramatic expansion across the North Atlantic. In America, the 'Indian Wars', fought with minimal Crown support, helped forge an independent military capability among the colonists; while, in the West Indies, slave numbers and French intervention forced English settlers into a new dependency on the Crown. In India, the East India Company achieved ascendancy by sepoy armies under British control. These were very different kinds of empire; and a showdown became inevitable. The climactic conflict, the American Revolution, would not only dictate the future shape of colonial expansion, but also decisively reshaped the identities of all the participants.
England's Last War Against France: Fighting Vichy 1940-42
by Colin SmithGenuinely new story of the Second World War - the full account of England's last war against France in 1940-42.Most people think that England's last war with France involved point-blank broadsides from sailing ships and breastplated Napoleonic cavalry charging red-coated British infantry. But there was a much more recent conflict than this. Under the terms of its armistice with Nazi Germany, the unoccupied part of France and its substantial colonies were ruled from the spa town of Vichy by the government of Marshal Philip Petain. Between July 1940 and November 1942, while Britain was at war with Germany, Italy and ultimately Japan, it also fought land, sea and air battles with the considerable forces at the disposal of Petain's Vichy French.When the Royal Navy sank the French Fleet at Mers El-Kebir almost 1,300 French sailors died in what was the twentieth century's most one-sided sea battle. British casualties were nil. It is a wound that has still not healed, for undoubtedly these events are better remembered in France than in Britain. An embarrassment at the time, France's maritime massacre and the bitter, hard-fought campaigns that followed rarely make more than footnotes in accounts of Allied operations against Axis forces. Until now.
England's Medieval Navy, 1066–1509: Ships, Men & Warfare
by Susan RoseWe are accustomed to think of England in terms of Shakespeare's 'precious stone set in a silver sea', safe behind its watery ramparts with its naval strength resisting all invaders. To the English of an earlier period from the 8th to the 11th centuries such a notion would have seemed ridiculous. The sea, rather than being a defensive wall, was a highway by which successive waves of invaders arrived, bringing destruction and fear in their wake.Deploying a wide range of sources, this new book looks at how English kings after the Norman Conquest learnt to use the Navy of England, a term which at this time included all vessels whether Royal or private and no matter what their ostensible purpose to increase and safety and prosperity of the kingdom. The design and building of ships and harbour facilities, the development of navigation, ship handling, and the world of the seaman are all described, while comparisons with the navies of England's closest neighbours, with particular focus on France and Scotland, are made, and notable battles including Damme, Dover, Sluys and La Rochelle included to explain the development of battle tactics and the use of arms during the period. The author shows, in this lucid and enlightening narrative, how the unspoken aim of successive monarchs was to begin to build 'the wall' of England, its naval defences, with a success which was to become so apparent in later centuries.
English Castles 1200-1300
by Adam Hook Christopher GravettThe simple castles raised after the Norman conquest had been developed throughout 11th and 12th centuries, whilst the introduction of Islamic and Byzantine fortification techniques from the late 12th century led to further developments in castle architecture. These fortifications were to be well tested throughout the course of the 13th century as England was riven by the conflict, characterized by prolonged sieges, between the monarchy and powerful magnates. As well as providing the focus for warfare, castles increasingly became the centres of their communities, providing a more permanent base for the lord, his family and retainers, as well as acting as centres for justice and administration.
The English Civil War Armies
by Michael Roffe Peter YoungThe year 1642 witnessed the outbreak of the first English Civil War, which saw Royalist troops loyal to King Charles fight the Parliamentarians in several major battles and many sieges. Peter Young explores the tactics, equipment and organisation of the armies of both sides, drawing a compelling picture of what it must have been like for the men who lived and fought in England over 350 years ago. Chapters on fighting, cavalry, infantry, artillery and discipline examine the subject in depth, with many contemporary accounts, such as those of Royalist Captain, Richard Atkyns, who served in one of the most "active" regiments of the war.
English Civil War Fortifications 1642-51
by Peter Harrington Donato SpedaliereThe techniques of European warfare were transformed during the 15th and 16th centuries by the use of gunpowder and by substantial progress in the effectiveness and destructive power of artillery. The series of conflicts in the 1640s, known collectively as the English Civil War, was the first in the British Isles that reflected this new reality. Sieges that aimed at isolating and reducing fortified places became the dominant instrument for prosecuting the war and protective fortifications were vital, for both the besieged as well as the besieger. This title describes how both the Parliamentarians and the Royalists made use of new fortification techniques throughout the course of this conflict.
The English Civil Wars: 1640-1660
by Blair WordenA brilliant appraisal of the Civil War and its long-term consequences, by an acclaimed historian.The political upheaval of the mid-seventeenth century has no parallel in English history. Other events have changed the occupancy and the powers of the throne, but the conflict of 1640-60 was more dramatic: the monarchy and the House of Lords were abolished, to be replaced by a republic and military rule.In this wonderfully readable account, Blair Worden explores the events of this period and their origins - the war between King and Parliament, the execution of Charles I, Cromwell's rule and the Restoration - while aiming to reveal something more elusive: the motivations of contemporaries on both sides and the concerns of later generations.
The English Civil Wars: 1640-1660
by Blair WordenA brilliant appraisal of the Civil War and its long-term consequences, by an acclaimed historian.The political upheaval of the mid-seventeenth century has no parallel in English history. Other events have changed the occupancy and the powers of the throne, but the conflict of 1640-60 was more dramatic: the monarchy and the House of Lords were abolished, to be replaced by a republic and military rule.In this wonderfully readable account, Blair Worden explores the events of this period and their origins - the war between King and Parliament, the execution of Charles I, Cromwell's rule and the Restoration - while aiming to reveal something more elusive: the motivations of contemporaries on both sides and the concerns of later generations.
The English Civil Wars: 1640-1660 (UNIVERSAL HISTORY)
by Blair WordenA brilliant appraisal of the Civil War and its long-term consequences, by an acclaimed historian.The political upheaval of the mid-seventeenth century has no parallel in English history. Other events have changed the occupancy and the powers of the throne, but the conflict of 1640-60 was more dramatic: the monarchy and the House of Lords were abolished, to be replaced by a republic and military rule.In this wonderfully readable account, Blair Worden explores the events of this period and their origins - the war between King and Parliament, the execution of Charles I, Cromwell's rule and the Restoration - while aiming to reveal something more elusive: the motivations of contemporaries on both sides and the concerns of later generations.
English Collusion and the Norman Conquest
by Arthur Colin WrightA historical analysis of the warfare during the Norman Conquest of England, and a look at the truth behind the legendary victor, King William I.The reality of war, in any period, is its totality. Warfare affects everyone in a society. Here, for the first time, is a comprehensive analysis of eleventh century warfare as exposed in the record of the Norman Conquest of England. King William I experienced a lifetime of conflict on and off so many battlefields. In English Collusion and the Norman Conquest, Arthur Wright’s second book on the Norman Conquest, he argues that this monarch has received an undeserved reputation bestowed on him by clerics ignorant alike of warfare, politics, economics and of the secular world, men writing half a century after events reported to them by doubtful sources. How much of this popular legend was actually created by an avaricious Church?Was he just a lucky, brutal soldier, or was he instead a gifted English King who could meld cultures and talents? This is a tale of blood, deceit, ambition and power politics which pieces together the self-interested distortion of events, brutalizing conflict and superb strategic acumen by using and analyzing contemporary evidence the like of which is not to be found elsewhere in Europe.By 1072 King William should have been secure upon the English throne, so what went wrong? How did a Norman Duke and a few thousand mercenaries take and hold such a wealthy and populous Kingdom? Even in the “Harrowing of the North,” which probably saw the death of tens of thousands, who was really to blame and why did it happen?Praise for English Collusion and the Norman Conquest“Arthur C Wright’s fresh look at how things panned out before and after the invasion provides new and fresh evidence that should not be overlooked. Brilliant.” —Books Monthly (UK)
The English Conquest of Jamaica: Oliver Cromwell's Bid for Empire
by Carla Gardina PestanaLong before sugar and slaves made Jamaica Britain’s most valuable colony, its conquest sparked conflicts with European powers and opened vast tropical spaces to English exploitation. Carla Gardina Pestana captures the moment when Cromwell’s plan to take Spain’s American empire altered his revolutionary state’s engagement with the wider world.
English Electric Canberra: The History and Development of a Classic Jet (Pen And Sword Large Format Aviation Bks)
by Bruce Barrymore HalpennyThis amazing airplane first flew in 1949 and is still in front-line service with the RAF. It has served in a variety of roles including those of tactical bomber, photo-reconnaissance, navigational trainer, maritime strike, electronic countermeasures and target-towing. It was manufactured in the USA under license as the Martin B-57 and has been exported to Argentina, Chile, India, Peru, South Africa and other Commonwealth countries. This book looks at the development of the aircraft during the early days of jet power and especially at its Rolls-Royce Avon power-plant. Each of the many marks and variants are described and illustrated by many remarkable and rare photographs. The type's record of service with RAF squadrons throughout its service life is given together with descriptions of the many experimental models that were used in the development of a variety of weapons and avionic systems.
The English Electric Lightning: Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)
by Martin W. BowmanA photo-packed history of this Cold War-era supersonic fighter aircraft. The early 1950s were a boom time for British aviation. The lessons of six years of war had been learned, and much of the research into jet engines, radar, and aerodynamics had begun to reach fruition. In Britain, jet engine technology led the world while wartime developments into swept-wing design in Germany and their transonic research program were used to give western design teams a quantum leap in aircraft technology. The English Electric Lightning emerged at this time. This supersonic fighter aircraft of the Cold War era is perhaps best remembered for its amazing takeoff performance, its exceptional rate of climb, and its immense speed. Here, Martin Bowman takes us on a photographic journey, illustrating the various landmarks of the Lightning's impressive operational history.
The English People on the Eve of Colonization, 1603-1630
by Wallace NotesteinIn this volume Professor Notestein employs his mastery of the source material of the seventeenth century to recreate the character of the English people at a time when many Englishmen were making a new start on this continent. He gives a lively picture of English society and institutions on the eve of the great migration to America. Here is depicted what went into the making of that New World society and character which was eventually to be called American.“This book gives ample evidence that it has been written by an authority with great erudition. On every hand are signs of extensive knowledge of a wide range of sources. The supporting data are well chosen. The style is easy and the various chapters leave a very clear impression. The illustrations are extremely valuable and will be new to most readers....This is a book that all interested in the England of the Virginia and New England plantations should ‘read, mark, learn and inwardly digest.’”—THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW“The editors could not have been wiser in their choice of an author for the volume under review. For years Dr. Wallace Notestein has been using the sources of English history and has directed numerous graduate students in the study of the early seventeenth century. He moves with grace and ease among his sources and gives the reader the sense of security that only the master can give.…The historical profession and the non-technical reader should be grateful to the author for a book that is scholarly, humane and eminently readable.”—the historian
English Poetry Of The First World War
by John H. JohnstonThe author deals with the shock of World War I as it was registered in the work of Rupert Brooke, Siegfried Sassoon, Edmund Blunden, Wilfred Owen, Isaac Rosenberg, Herbert Read, and David Jones. He finds in Read and Jones the culmination of a tendency away from personal lyric response toward formal control and a positive vision.
English Warfare, 1511-1642 (Warfare and History)
by Mark Charles FissellEnglish Warfare 1511-1642 chronicles and analyses military operations from the reign of Henry VIII to the outbreak of the Civil War. The Tudor and Stuart periods laid the foundations of modern English military power. Henry VIII's expeditions, the Elizabethan contest with Catholic Europe, and the subsequent commitment of English troops to the Protestant cause by James I and Charles I, constituted a sustained military experience that shaped English armies for subsequent generations. Drawing largely from manuscript sources, English Warfare 1511-1642 includes coverage of:*the military adventures of Henry VIII in France, Scotland and Ireland*Elizabeth I's interventions on the continent after 1572, and how arms were perfected*conflict in Ireland*the production and use of artillery*the development of logistics*early Stuart military actions and the descent into civil war.English Warfare 1511-1642 demolishes the myth of an inexpert English military prior to the upheavals of the 1640s.
An English Wife in Berlin
by Evelyn Mary Blücher von WahlstattThis is "perhaps the most trustworthy, and certainly the most interesting, account of events, politics and daily life in Germany during the First World War and the social revolution that followed it, it is characterized by a fairness which is a credit to the writer and to the qualities of her head and heart." [The Tablet]