Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Battle of Nomae (450 BC)

The battle of Nomae (450 BC) was a defeat that reduced the power of Ducetius, king of the Sicels, and that eventually forced him into exile.

Ducetius, king of the Sicels (fl.461-440 BC)

Ducetius, king of the Sicels (fl.461-440 BC) was a Sicilian leader who created a short-lived Sicel league that threatened Greek control of the interior of the island.

Monday, July 30, 2012

The WAAF at War, John Frayn Turner.

The WAAF at War, John Frayn Turner.

First-hand accounts of the achievements of the WAAFs, organised by topic and supported by a good connecting text. The range of duties carried out by WAAFs is very impressive and ranges from the famous plotting rooms of the Battle of Britain to ferry pilots and even SOE agents.
[read full review]

Clydebank Battlecruisers, Ian Johnston.

Clydebank Battlecruisers, Ian Johnston.

An impressive collection of photographs taken at John Brown & Sons during the construction of the battlecruisers Inflexible, Australia, Tiger, Repulse and Hood during their construction between 1906 and 1920. The pictures are very crisp and provide a fascinating view of these powerful warships under construction.
[read full review]

Images of War: British Tanks of the Second World War, Pat Ware.

Images of War: British Tanks of the Second World War, Pat Ware.

A good quality selection of photos, organised by the British designations (Light, Cruiser, Infantry and Heavy), along with chapters on the development of the tank, American tanks in British service and the 'funnies' that were the most important British contribution to wartime tank design.
[read full review]

Friday, July 27, 2012

Naval battle of Cumae (or Cyme) of 474 BC

The naval battle of Cumae (or Cyme) of 474 BC saw a combined fleet from Syracuse and Cumae defeat an Etruscan fleet in a battle fought in the bay of Naples.

Syracusan Revolution of 466 BC

The Syracusan Revolution of 466 BC ended a period of tyrannical rule in the city and ushered in a prolonged period of democracy and prosperity.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Albatros G.III

The Albatros G.III was a two engined bomber that was produced in small numbers starting late in 1916.

Albatros G.II

The Albatros G.II was a twin engined bomber that served as the prototype for the similar Albatros G.III, which was produced in small numbers.

Albatros G.I

The Albatros G.I was an unsuccessful four-engined bomber, developed during 1915-1916.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Battle of Crastus (c.465 BC)

The battle of Crastus (c.465 BC) took place in the period between the removal of several Tyrants on Sicily and the establishment of a period of peace, and was fought between Akragas on one side and the inhabitants of the town of Crastus and their allies from Himera and Gela on the ot

Battle of Akragas (c.472-1 BC)

The battle of Akragas (c.472-1 BC) was a clash between Heiro, tyrant of Syracuse and Thrasydaeus, tyrant of Akragas, that ended in victory for Heiro.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Pegasus Bridge & Horsa Bridge, Carl Shilleto.

Pegasus Bridge & Horsa Bridge, Carl Shilleto.

One of two entries in the Battleground Normandy series devoted to the exploits of 6th Airborne Division, this one provides a guided tour of the Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge areas, supported by first-hand accounts of the fighting.
[read full review]

Hobart's 79th Armoured Division at War: Invention, Innovation and Inspiration, Richard Doherty.

Hobart's 79th Armoured Division at War: Invention, Innovation and Inspiration, Richard Doherty.

Combines a biography of General Percy Hobart and a history of the 79th Armoured Division and Hobart's 'funnies', the special purpose tanks that became famous on D-Day. Follows the division from D-Day, though the fighting in Holland and on to the crossing of the Rhine and the end of the war.
[read full review]

German Capital Ships of the Second World War, Siegfried Breyer & Miroslaw Skwuit.

German Capital Ships of the Second World War, Siegfried Breyer & Miroslaw Skwuit.

A splendid photographic history of the seven completed capital ships to serve with the German navy during the Second World War, with an impressive collection of photos showing each of the ships under construction, in service and showing their eventual fate.
[read full review]

Monday, July 23, 2012

Albatros Dr.II

The Albatros Dr.II was the second triplane design produced by Albatros, and like the Dr.I didn't enter production.

Albatros Dr.I

The Albatros Dr.I was one of a large number of triplane fighters designed in Germany during 1917, but didn't enter production.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Mitsubishi Ki-2

The Mitsubishi Ki-2 was the most successful of a series of early Mitsubishi aircraft based on Junkers originals and was a light bomber based on the Junkers K 37.

Mitsubishi Ki-1 Army Type 93 Heavy Bomber

The Mitsubishi Ki-1 Army Type 93 Heavy Bomber was an unsuccessful attempt to produce a heavy bomber based on the Junkers K 37, and was an unpopular aircraft in service.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

No.107 Squadron, RAAF

No.107 Squadron, RAAF, was an anti-submarine warfare squadron that used the Vought-Sikorsky Kingfisher to fly anti-submarine patrols off the east coast of Australia.

No.102 Squadron, RAAF

No.102 Squadron, RAAF, was formed as a heavy bomber squadron but the war ended before it entered combat, and it saw limited use as a transport unit.

No.100 Squadron, RAAF

No.100 Squadron, RAAF, was the first Australian squadron to be equipped with Australian built Beaufort torpedo bombers, and fought in the defence of Australia and during the Allied campaigns on New Guinea.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Fogg in the Cockpit, Richard and Janet Fogg.

Fogg in the Cockpit, Richard and Janet Fogg.

The wartime diary of Howard Fogg, later a famous railroad artist, but then a US fighter pilot based in Britain and engaged in the long range escort of American bombers. Fogg's diary is supported by the monthly reports of the official Group Historian, so events are seen from two points of view.
[read full review]

Eisenhower, Steven J. Zaloga.

Eisenhower, Steven J. Zaloga.

A short biography of Eisenhower, focusing on his time as a senior Allied commander, from North Africa to D-Day and the campaign in North-West Europe, and looking at the reasons he was chosen for such high command and what made him such a successful coalition commander.
 [read full review]

Casca 36: The Minuteman, Tony Roberts.

Casca 36: The Minuteman, Tony Roberts.

In this entry in the series Casca is present in the first days of the American War of Independence, living close to Boston when the fighting breaks out. The action takes him to New York, both for the fighting and to rescue his latest love, and finishes at Princeton.
[read full review]

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Morane-Saulnier M.S.317

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.317 was a post Second World War designation given to forty M.S.315 primary trainers that were given new engines in the 1960s.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.316

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.316 was the designation given to a single M.S.315 basic trainer that was powered by a Regnier inverted V engine.

Morane-Saulnier Mörkö

The Morane-Saulnier Mörkö was the designation given to M.S.406s and M.S.410s in Finnish service after they had been given the Klimov M-105P engine.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Battle of Himera (autumn 480 BC)

The battle of Himera (autumn 480 BC) was a famous victory won by the Greeks of Syracuse over an invading Carthaginian army.

Siege of Himera (480 BC)

The siege of Himera (480 BC) was the first military action of the Carthaginian invasion of Sicily of 480, and was ended by the dramatic Carthaginian defeat at the battle of Himera.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Albatros D.XII

The Albatros D.XII was one of a series of unsuccessful Albatros fighter designs produced during 1918.

Albatros D.XI

The Albatros D.XI was the first Albatros fighter to be powered by a rotary engine, but like the other Albatros fighter designs of 1918 didn't enter production.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896, Sean McLachlan.

Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896, Sean McLachlan.

More than just a look at the armies that fought at the battle, this book also includes a history of the Italian involvement in East Africa and the Ethiopian victory at Adowa that ended Italian ambitions for the next four decades.
[read full review]

The Second War of Italian Unification 1859-61, Frederick C. Schneid.

The Second War of Italian Unification 1859-61, Frederick C. Schneid.

Focuses on the three separate conflicts that made up the Second War of Italian Unification (the Franco-Austrian War, Garibaldi's invasion of the kingdom of Naples and the invasion of the Papal State), the conflict that saw the creation of the Kingdom of Italy.
[read full review]

Wabash 1791, St Clair's defeat, John F Winkler.

Wabash 1791, St Clair's defeat, John F Winkler.

A study of one of the first campaigns conducted by the US Army after Independence, one that ended in a crushing defeat at the hands of an alliance of Native American tribes on the Wabash River, the worst ever suffered by US troops.
[read full review]

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Morane-Saulnier M.S.315

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.315 was a parasol wing two-seat primary trainer that was produced in significant numbers and served with the Armée de l'Air and the Aéronavale.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.302

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.302 was an intermediate step between the M.S.300 of 1930 and the M.S.315 of 1932.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.301

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.301 was the second in the series of prototypes that led to the successful M.S.315 trainer.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.300

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.300 was the first in a series of prototypes that led to the successful M.S.316 primary trainer.

Monday, July 09, 2012

The Secret Army: The Memoirs of General Bor-Komorowski, Tadeusz Bor-Komorowski.

The Secret Army: The Memoirs of General Bor-Komorowski, Tadeusz Bor-Komorowski.

The memoirs of the commander of the Polish Home Army during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. An invaluable source for this heroic but tragic attempt to liberate Warsaw from the Nazis as the Soviet armies approached from the east and for the earlier efforts of the Polish Resistance.
[read full review]

Mosquito Menacing the Reich, Martin W. Bowman.

Mosquito Menacing the Reich, Martin W. Bowman.

First-hand accounts from the crews of Mosquitoes, covering a wide range of topics, from high level photo reconnaissance to precision bombing, night intruders and the American use of the aircraft, connected by some useful supporting information.
[read full review]

Camp Z - How British Intelligence Broke Hitler's Deputy, Stephen McGinty.

Camp Z - How British Intelligence Broke Hitler's Deputy, Stephen McGinty.

Looks at the year Hess spent at Mytchett Place near Aldershot being examined by British Intelligence in the hope that he might provide some insight into Hitler's plans or any other valuable information.
[read full review]

Friday, July 06, 2012

Battle of the Helorus River (c.493 BC)

The battle of the Helorus River (c.493 BC) saw Hippocrates, tyrant of Gela, defeat the army of Syracuse, but he was unable to capitalise on his victory by capturing the city.

Hippocrates, Tyrant of Gela (fl.498-491 BC)

Hippocrates, Tyrant of Gela (fl.498-491 BC) created a short-lived empire in eastern Sicily and was one of the first Sicilian Tyrants known to have been a major military leader.

Phalaris of Akragas (fl.c.571-554 BC)

Phalaris of Akragas (fl.c.571-554 BC) was one of the first Sicilian tyrants about whom we have any substantial information. He appears to have been a successful military leader, famous for his cruelty and who was overthrown by his own people after ruling for sixteen years.

Thursday, July 05, 2012

Morane-Saulnier M.S.341/3

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.341/3 was the only entry in the M.S.340 to M.S.345 series of aircraft to see military service, and was produced in small numbers for the Armée de l'Air.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.152

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.152 was a two-seat fighter reconnaissance aircraft produced in small numbers in the late 1920s.

Morane-Saulnier MS.141S

The Morane-Saulnier MS.141S was an improved version of the MS.140S air ambulance, with a more powerful engine.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.140S

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.140S was a biplane air ambulance designed to carry a single stretcher patient.

Wednesday, July 04, 2012

The Wars of the Maccabees, John D. Grainger.

The Wars of the Maccabees, John D. Grainger.

A military history of the hundred years of warfare between the revolt of the Maccabees in 167BC and the Roman conquest of the Hasmonean kingdom and their capture of Jerusalem in 63BC. The author does an excellent job of comparing the Jewish and other sources to produce a more realistic assessment of the conquests and achievements of the Hasmonean kings.
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Japan's Last Bid for Victory: The Invasion of India 1944, Robert Lyman.

Japan's Last Bid for Victory: The Invasion of India 1944, Robert Lyman.

An excellent detailed account of the Japanese invasion of India in 1944, best known for the battles of Kohima and Imphal. Supported by a large number of eyewitness accounts, mainly British but with some valuable Japanese and Naga sources.
[read full review]

Child of Loki, Richard Denning.

Child of Loki, Richard Denning.

Second in a series of historical novels set in the dark ages, following the early days of the kingdom of Northumbria, this time centred around the battle of Degsastan, a period in while Angles, Britons, Scots and Picts struggled for control of northern England and southern Scotland.
[read full review]

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Albatros D.X

The Albatros D.X was developed for the second D type Competition, of June 1918, but wasn't accepted for production.

Albatros D.IX

The Albatros D.IX was an attempt to produce a fighter that was easier to produce than earlier models, but its performance was poor and only one was built.

Albatros D.VII

The Albatros D.VII was an experimental single seat fighter produced during 1917.

Monday, July 02, 2012

Dorieus' Expedition to Sicily (c.510 BC)

Dorieus' Expedition to Sicily (c.510 BC) was an unsuccessful attempt by a band of Greek adventurers to capture the town of Eryx in western Sicily and use it as the basis of a new Greek city.

Pentathlus' Expedition to Sicily of c.580

Pentathlus' Expedition to Sicily of c.580 was probably one of the first clashes between the Greeks and the Phoenician inhabitants of western Sicily, and ended with a victory for the Phoenicians and their local allies.