Naval Battle of the Yalu River (17 September 1894)

The Naval Battle of the Yalu River (17 September 1894) was a Japanese victory that saw them inflict heavy losses on the main Chinese fleet early in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95.

First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)

The First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) was Japan's first overseas war after she came out of isolation in the 1860s, and saw the rapidly modernised Japanese armed forces inflict an embarrassing defeat on less successfully modernised Chinese forces.

Medieval Warfare Vol III Issue 4 - The Albigensian Crusade: Catharism condemned.

Medieval Warfare Vol III Issue 4 - The Albigensian Crusade: Catharism condemned.

Focuses on the early thirteenth century crusade against the Cathar heresy in southern France, a bloodthirsty episode that greatly expanded the definition of a crusade. Also includes a look at the fate of disabled warriors and the Hungarian campaign in Italy in 1348-50.
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Medieval Warfare III 3 - The advance of the Seljuq Turks: Byzantine power in decline.

Medieval Warfare III 3 - The advance of the Seljuq Turks: Byzantine power in decline.

Looks at both sides in the clash between Byzantium and the Seljuq Turks, with articles on Manzikert and Myriokephalon, the rise of the Seljuqs, Seljuq technology, the Byzantine army of the period and the Byzantine sources. Also looks at the Scottish invasion of England of 1138 and late Medieval Irish warriors.
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Medieval Warfare II 6: Frustrating the Fatimids: Basil II and the conquest of Syria.

Medieval Warfare II 6: Frustrating the Fatimids: Basil II and the conquest of Syria.

Looks at the clash between Byzantium and the impressive Fatimid Empire, which had expanded from north Africa to include Egypt and much of Syria, before being halted by the able Byzantine emperor Basil II. Also includes articles on rural revolts in Burgundy, the siege of Harlech, the siege of Rouen and the naval commander Eustace the Monk.
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USS Springfield (CL-66)

USS Springfield (CL-66) was commissioned as a Cleveland class light cruiser (CL-66) and fought in the Pacific during the Second World War. She was later converted into a Providence class Guided Missile Cruiser (CLG-7), and her active career lasted until 1974. During her short combat career she was awarded two battle stars.

USS Pasadena (CL-65)

USS Pasadena (CL-65) was a Cleveland class light cruiser that fought in the Pacific, taking part in attacks on Formosa, the Japanese Home Islands, Indo-China, the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The Pasadena earned five battle stars during World War II.

Destination Berchtesgaden - The US Seventh Army during World War II, John Frayn Turner & Robert Jackson.

Destination Berchtesgaden - The US Seventh Army during World War II, John Frayn Turner & Robert Jackson.

 A straightforward narrative history of the US Seventh Army's battles from Sicily, to the south of France and on to the Ardennes, the German border, the crossing of the Thine and the advance into Germany.
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Unusual Footnotes to the Korean War, Paul Edwards,

Unusual Footnotes to the Korean War, Paul Edwards,

 A selection of 33 short articles on unusual aspects of the Korean War, covering most phases of the war and a wide range of interesting topics that help remove the normal image of this as a fairly monolithic war. A nice way of bringing together a collection of interesting stories, most of which wouldn't have supported an entire book of their own. [read full review]

The Great Event, B. Randolph Beynon

The Great Event, B. Randolph Beynon.

A lengthy history of the American Civil War supported by a vast number of quotations - over 1,000 during the full length of the book, with a good mix of familiar and unfamiliar quotes from a wide range of figures on both sides, all connected by a good history of the war. [read full review]

Robert E. Lee in War and Peace - The Photographic History of a Confederate and American Icon, Donald A. Hopkins.

Robert E. Lee in War and Peace - The Photographic History of a Confederate and American Icon, Donald A. Hopkins.

 Combines an examination of every known 'from life' photograph of Robert E. Lee with an history of photography during this period and biographies of the photographers who took the photos. A fascinating book for the general reader and a useful reference work for the collector.
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383rd Bombardment Group, USAAF

The 383rd Bombardment Group, USAAF, went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a training unit and then as a B-29 unit in the Eighth Air Force in the Pacific.

380th Bombardment Group

The 380th Bombardment Group was a B-24 unit that entered combat from Australia and that was attached to the RAAF for most of its operational career, fighting over New Guinea, the Dutch East Indies, Bornea, the Philippines, Formosa and eventually Japan.

378th Bombardment Group

The 378th Bombardment Group was a short-lived anti-submarine warfare unit that served in the US during 1942.

377th Bombardment Group

The 377th Bombardment Group was an anti-submarine group that operated for a short period in 1942.

376th Bombardment Group

The 376th Bombardment Group was a heavy bomber unit that was formed in the Mediterranean theatre and remained there until the spring of 1945, fighting in North Africa, Italy and raiding across the southern part of the Nazi Empire.

346th Bombardment Group, USAAF

The 346th Bombardment Group, USAAF, went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a US-based training unit and the second as part of the Eighth Air Force in the Far East.

A Gunner's Great War, Ian Ronayne.

A Gunner's Great War, Ian Ronayne.

Based around the journal of Clarence Ahier, a Jersey man who served in the artillery during the First World War, fighting on the Somme in 1916 and Ypres in 1917 before ending up as part of the British garrison in India. The journal is supported by a useful framework that puts Ahier's experiences into context. A useful view of the Great War from the position of the guns rather than from the trenches.
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Hitler's Wave Breaker Concept: An Analysis of the German End Game in the Baltic, Henrik O. Lunde.

Hitler's Wave Breaker Concept: An Analysis of the German End Game in the Baltic, Henrik O. Lunde.

A detailed examination of the thinking that led to a large German army being trapped on the Baltic coast during the last months of the Second World War, when those experienced troops would have been invaluable in the battle for Berlin. Looks at Hitler's reasons for insisting on defending the Baltic coast and tests them to see if they were valid.
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Empires of the Dead - How One Man's Vision led to the Creation of WWI's War Graves, David Crane.

Empires of the Dead - How One Man's Vision led to the Creation of WWI's War Graves, David Crane.

Combines a biography of Fabian Ware and a history of the Commonwealth war cemeteries that he played such a major part in creating. Recreates the controversies that surrounded these cemeteries that are now such an accepted part of the British and Commonwealth reaction to the slaughter of the Great War.
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The Complete George Cross, Kevin Brazier.

The Complete George Cross, Kevin Brazier.

A single volume history of the George Cross, with brief accounts of each award, both of the George Cross and of awards that were later exchanged for the GC, a total of 406 awards at the time of writing. The main focus is on brief accounts of the incidents which led to the award, with a sentence of two on earlier life or later fate. A good single volume reference work on the GC.
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Mitsubishi Ki-40

The Mitsubishi Ki-40 was a design for a long range twin-engined aircraft based on the Ki-39 fighter.

Mitsubishi Navy 7-Shi Experimental Carrier Fighter (1MF10)

The Mitsubishi Navy 7-Shi Experimental Carrier Fighter (1MF10) was an unsuccessful design for a fighter to replace the Nakajima A2N, and was the first low wing monoplane fighter to be submitted to the Japanese Navy.

Saladin's Holy War of 1187-1192

Saladin's Holy War of 1187-1192 was the culmination of a lifetime of planning, and saw Saladin inflict a crushing defeat on the Crusaders at Hattin, capture Jerusalem and conquer most of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and then successfully defend most of those conquests against the forces of the Third Crusade led by Richard the Lionheart, king of England.

336th Bombardment Group, USAAF

The 336th Bombardment Group, USAAF, was a training unit that was based in the US from 1942-44.

335th Bombardment Group, USAAF

The 335th Bombardment Group, USAAF, was a training unit that served in the United States during the Second World War.

323rd Bombardment Group

The 323rd Bombardment Group was a B-26 Marauder unit that formed part of the Eighth and then Ninth Air Forces and took part in the campaign against German positions in occupied France before D-Day and supported the Allied armies after the invasion.

Images of War: Royal Flying Corps, Alistair Smith.

Images of War: Royal Flying Corps, Alistair Smith.

Four photo albums showing aspects of live in the RFC, including training at Tangmere and in Canada and early seaplanes on the River Crouch. Includes some astounding pictures of aircraft destroyed in crashes or by bad weather, as well as a good selection illustrating daily life in the RFC away from the front line.
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With Napoleon's Guard in Russia - The memoirs of Major Vionnet 1812, Louis Joseph Vionnet, trans. Jonathan North

With Napoleon's Guard in Russia - The memoirs of Major Vionnet 1812, Louis Joseph Vionnet, trans. Jonathan North.

Fascinating memoir written by an officer in the French Imperial Guard during the campaign in Russia in 1812 and the main part of the campaign in Germany in 1813. Vionnet gets us to Moscow rather quickly, but provides far more detail for the fire in Moscow and the desperate retreat which destroyed the Grand Army.
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Saladin (1137/8-1193)

Saladin (1137/8-1193) was one of the greatest leaders of the Muslim world. He created an empire that included Egypt, Syria, the Hejaz and Mesopotamia, and used his power to inflict a crushing defeat on the Crusader states, capturing Jerusalem and holding it against the forces of the Third Crusade. Despite his successes against the Crusaders Saladin gained an impressive reputation in Western Europe, where he became known as one of the most chivalrous enemies of Christendom.

Saladin's Conquest of Syria, 1174 to 1186

Saladin's Conquest of Syria, which took from 1174 to 1186, established him as the ruler of a powerful empire that included Egypt, Syria and parts of Mesopotamia, and that gave him a real chance of crushing the Crusader states.

334th Bombardment Group, USAAF

The 334th Bombardment Group, USAAF, was a training unit that served in the United States during the Second World War.

333rd Bombardment Group, USAAF,

The 333rd Bombardment Group, USAAF, had two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a training unit and then as a B-29 group in the Eighth Air Force in the Far East.

322nd Bombardment Group

The 322nd Bombardment Group was a medium bomber group that had a disastrous introduction to combat in the spring of 1943, losing ten out of eleven aircraft on its second raid, but that went on to develop effective medium level medium bomber tactics and supported the Allied armies after the D-Day invasions.

The First Blitz, Andrew P Hyde.

The First Blitz, Andrew P Hyde.

 Inspired by a family connection to one of the victims of a bomb that hit a London primary school in June 1917, this book looks at the development of the German aerial attacks on Britain, with a focus on the most successful period of Gotha raids, the unit that carried them out and the leader who briefly turned that unit into an effective weapon.
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Images of War: Stuka, Hitler's Lethal Dive Bomber, Alistair Smith.

Images of War: Stuka, Hitler's Lethal Dive Bomber, Alistair Smith.

A collection of photos from the album of Erich Heine, a Stuka gunner and radio operator who mainly fought on the Eastern Front. Includes a good selection from his training, portraits, group photos, some fascinating aerial shots and a set from Luftwaffe funerals that illustrate how dangerous the ground attack role could be.
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331st Bombardment Group

The 331st Bombardment Group went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a replacement training unit and second as a B-29 unit with the Twentieth Air Force.

330th Bombardment Group, USAAF

The 330th Bombardment Group, USAAF, had two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a training unit and then as a B-29 unit that took part in the strategic bombing campaign against Japan.

321st Bombardment Group, USAAF

The 321st Bombardment Group, USAAF, was a B-25 group that fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and southern France, sinking the battleship Strasbourg during that campaign.

Jocks in the Jungle - Black Watch & Cameronians as Chindits, Gordon Thorburn.

Jocks in the Jungle - Black Watch & Cameronians as Chindits, Gordon Thorburn.

Looks at two of the normal units of British soldiers that were turned into Chindits and took part in the second and most gruelling of the Chindits raids. Looks at the history of the two regiments, the first Chindit operation, all building up to a detailed examination of the second Chindit raid, focusing on the columns that included the Black Watch and Cameronians.
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Images of War: The Germans in Flanders 1915-1916, David Bilton.

Images of War: The Germans in Flanders 1915-1916, David Bilton.

A narrative history of the fighting in Flanders in 1915 and 1916 as seen from the German side, supported by a superb collection of photographs. Concludes with a chronology of the main events during these two years and a brief history of each German division that fought in Flanders in this period.
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320th Bombardment Group, USAAF

The 320th Bombardment Group, USAAF, was a B-26 Marauder unit that fought in North Africa, Sicily and Italy before moving to the western Front to take part in the fighting in France and Germany.

319th Bombardment Group

The 319th Bombardment Group entered service as a B-26 unit that took part in Operation Torch and the campaign in of Italy, before at the start of 1944 it was withdraw to the US, converted to the A-26 and moved to Okinawa, where it entered combat against the Japanese in July 1945.

312th Bombardment Group

The 312th Bombardment Group fought in the South West Pacific, starting as a light bomber group equipped with P-40 fighter-bombers. It soon converted to the A-20 and used these aircraft in New Guinea and the Philippines. Late in the war the group began to convert to the Consolidated B-32 Dominator, but only a handful of these heavy bombers saw combat before the end of the fighting.

Mitsubishi Experimental Special-purpose Carrier Reconnaissance Aircraft (2MR5)

The Mitsubishi Experimental Special-purpose Carrier Reconnaissance Aircraft (2MR5) was one of a series of aircraft designed for Mitsubishi by Dr Alexander Baumann of Stuttgart University.

Mitsubishi Experimental Tobi-type Reconnaissance Aircraft (2MR1)

The Mitsubishi Experimental Tobi-type Reconnaissance Aircraft (2MR1) was a potentially promising aircraft that was badly damaged during an official Japanese Army test flight and never entered production.

310th Bombardment Group

The 310th Bombardment Group was a B-25 Mitchell group within the Twelfth Air Force that served in North Africa, Sicily and on the mainland of Italy, mainly targeting Axis communication targets.

309th Bombardment Group

The 309th Bombardment Group was a training group that served in the United States from early in 1942 until it was disbanded in the spring of 1944.

308th Bombardment Group

The 308th Bombardment Group was a heavy bomber unit that was based in China from March 1943 until June 1945, from where it supported the Chinese and attacked the Japanese Empire from the west.