9th Reconnaissance Group

The 9th Reconnaissance Group was a home-based training unit that operated in the United States from October 1943 until May 1944.

8th Reconnaissance Group (USAAF)

The 8th Reconnaissance Group (USAAF) served in India from March 1944 until the end of the Second World War.

7th Reconnaissance Group (USAAF)

The 7th Reconnaissance Group (USAAF) was allocated to the Eighth Air Force and operated from bases in England from the summer of 1943 to the end of the Second World War.

USS New Orleans (CA-32)

USS New Orleans (CA-32) was the name ship of the New Orleans class of heavy cruisers and fought at the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf and during the invasions of the Gilbert Islands, the Marshal Islands, Hollandia, the Palau Islands and Okinawa.

New Orleans class heavy cruisers

The New Orleans class heavy cruisers were the last in a series of related treaty cruisers that began with the Pensacola class and were the first to carry armour designed to stop 8in shells.

Accrington's Pals - The Full Story, Andrew Jackson.

Accrington's Pals - The Full Story, Andrew Jackson.

Looks at the two units raised by the Mayor of Accrington, the famous Accrington Pals infantry battalion and the less well known Howitzer artillery brigade. Between them they fought in most of the major battles of 1916-18, suffering heavy losses on the Somme, and again in 1917 and 1918.
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Union Infantryman vs Confederate Infantryman: Eastern Theatre 1861-65, Ron Field.

Union Infantryman vs Confederate Infantryman: Eastern Theatre 1861-65, Ron Field.

  Describes three infantry clashes, taken from Bull Run in 1861, Gettysburg in 1863 and the siege lines outside Richmond and Petersburg in 1864. Provides three snapshots of infantry combat during the American Civil War rather than a more general analysis of the infantry war.
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Somme Intelligence - Fourth Army HQ 1916, William Langford.

A fascinating collection of the intelligence material available to the British Fourth Army on the Somme, mainly captured German material, including letters to and from the front, extracts from diaries, orders and other material taken from German prisoners or found in the German trenches after successful attacks, all of which suggested that German morale was at a low ebb, and perhaps encouraging the Allied commanders in their belief that a major victory was possible.
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Nieuport 20

The Nieuport 20 was a variant of the Nieuport 12 two-seater that was produced in small numbers for the RFC late in 1916.

Nieuport 17

The Nieuport 17 was the most famous in the series of Nieuport fighters, and was a redesigned version of the original Nieuport 11, with larger wings and a more powerful engine.

Battle of Agnadello (14 May 1509)

The battle of Agnadello (14 May 1509) was the only major battle of the War of the League of Cambrai, and was a Venetian defeat that caused the Republic to temporarily abandon many of its mainland possessions.

Battle of the Garigliano (28-29 December 1503)

The battle of the Garigliano (28-29 December 1503) was the second of two major Spanish victories won in Naples during 1503 that saw the French expelled from the south of Italy.

Charles II, 8th Duke of Bourbon, Count of Montpensier

Charles II, 8th Duke of Bourbon, Count of Montpensier, known as the 'Constable of Bourbon', was a French nobleman who fought for both sides during the Italian Wars, after arguing with Francis I of France.

Antoine de Bourbon, duke of Vendome, king of Navarre (1518-62)

Antoine de Bourbon, duke of Vendome, king of Navarre (1518-62) was a French nobleman who played a minor part in the Hapsburg-Valois Wars, before being killed at the siege of Rouen (First War of Religion).

Für Volk and Führer - The Memoir of a Veteran of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Erwin Bartmann.

Für Volk and Führer - The Memoir of a Veteran of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Erwin Bartmann.

Gives a good feel for the chaos of combat on the Eastern Front and in the last days of the Reich in 1945, as well as the seductive nature of the Nazi regime for someone growing up in the 1930s. Falls firmly into the 'Waffen SS' as a normal fighting force school of writing, hardly surprising from a veteran of the unit.
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Captured Eagles - Secrets of the Luftwaffe, Frederick A. Johnsen.

Captured Eagles - Secrets of the Luftwaffe, Frederick A. Johnsen.

Looks at American efforts to understand the Luftwaffe, from wartime intelligence efforts, through the hunt for Luftwaffe assets in occupied Europe and the post-war use of German and Austrian scientists to advance American research projects. Makes some interesting points about the short-lived value of German wartime research, and the greater contribution made by the captured scientists.

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Behind the Lines - A Critical Survey of Special Operations in World War II, Michael F. Dilley.

Behind the Lines - A Critical Survey of Special Operations in World War II, Michael F. Dilley.

Uses a set of fixed criteria to examine the successes and failures of a wide range of Special Forces units during the Second World War, with a refreshing willingness to acknowledge successful attacks and well organised units as well as pick out flaws.
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Battle of the Philippine Sea

The Battle of the Philippine Sea or 'Great Marianas Turkey Shoot (19-20 June 1944) was the first major naval battle in the Pacific since 1942 and was a crushing American victory that permanently destroyed Japanese naval aviation, leaving their carriers as hollow shells for the rest of the war

Nieuport 16

The Nieuport 16 was a version of the Nieuport 11 'Bébé' that was powered by an 110hp Le Rhône engine instead of the 80hp engine of the original aircraft.

Nieuport 12

The Nieuport 12 was a larger and more powerful version of the Nieuport 10, designed to overcome the earlier aircraft's lack of power when used as a two-seat scout.

siege of Gaeta (June-October 1503)

The siege of Gaeta (June-October 1503) was an unsuccessful Spanish attempt to capture one of the last French strongholds in Naples in the aftermath of the great Spanish victory at Cerignola in April 1503

siege of Gaeta (June-October 1503)

The siege of Gaeta (June-October 1503) was an unsuccessful Spanish attempt to capture one of the last French strongholds in Naples in the aftermath of the great Spanish victory at Cerignola in April 1503

Treaty of Granada (11 November 1500)

The Treaty of Granada (11 November 1500) was an agreement between Louis XII of France and Ferdinand II of Aragon to split the Kingdom of Naples between them.

Baghdad Operators: Ex Special Forces in Iraq, James Glasse with Andrew Rawson.

 Looks at the experiences of a retired British Special Forces soldier who ended up founding a sizable security firm operating in Iraq in the years after the Second Gulf War. Takes the reader through the chaos of Iraq, where survival was often a matter of random chance, helped by the impressive skills acquired by Glasse and his colleagues.
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Diving Stations - The Story of Captain George Hunt and The Ultor, Peter Dornan.

Diving Stations - The Story of Captain George Hunt and The Ultor, Peter Dornan.

Follows the wartime career of Captain George Hunt, commander of a U-class submarine in the Mediterranean theatre where he sank more enemy ships than any other British submarine. A fascinating insight into life on a small submarine, carrying only eight torpedoes and with a tiny crew, operating in difficult waters.
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The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War I, general editor Chris Bishop.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War I, general editor Chris Bishop.

A useful collection of articles on the main weapons of the First World War, based on Orbis's War Machine of the 1980s. Still accurate despite its relative age, well illustrated and supported by some informative general articles, and provides a good overview of the military technology of the Great War.
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USS Indianapolis (CA-35)

USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was a Portland class cruiser that fought in the Aleutians, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, Saipan, the battle of the Philippine Sea, Tinian, Guam the Carolines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, but is best know for being sunk after parts of the first Atomic bomb to Tinian.

USS Portland (CA33)

USS Portland (CA33) was the name ship of the Portland class of heavy cruisers and was heavily involved in the Pacific War, fighting at Midway, the Coral Sea, off Guadalcanal, in the Aleutians, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, supporting operations on New Guinea, at Peleliu, and taking part in the battle of Leyte Gulf and the invasion of Okinawa.

Posters of the Great War, Frederick Hadley & Martin Peglar.

A splendid volume filled with 200 full colour posters from every major combatant, covering a wide range of subjects from recruitment to the funding of the war, views of the enemy and of their own soldiers and the home front, all supported by explanatory captions and a good introduction text.
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The Jeffersonian Vision, 1801-1815, William Nestor.

The Jeffersonian Vision, 1801-1815, William Nestor.

 Looks at the Presidential terms of Thomas Jefferson and his successor and political ally James Madison, a period best known for the Louisiana Purchase and the War of 1812. Focuses on the failure of Jefferson's political theories to adapt to the reality of American power, and Madison's drift to war in 1812.
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A Doctor on the Western Front - The Diaries of Henry Owens, 1914-1918, ed. John Hutton.

Follows a doctor who reached the front during the period of mobile warfare in 1914 and was present at Ypres, the Somme and Passchendaele. Makes it clear just how dangerous the life of a doctor was on the Western Front, often serving under shell fire and sometimes right at the very front.
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Marshal Odet de Foix, count of Lautrec (1485-1528)

Marshal Odet de Foix, count of Lautrec (1485-1528) was a French commander of the Italian Wars most famous for suffering a heavy defeat at La Bicocca in 1522.

Gaston de Foix, Duke of Nemours (1489-1512)

Gaston de Foix, Duke of Nemours (1489-1512) was a French commander in Italy whose period of dramatic success was cut short by his death towards the end of the battle of Ravenna.

Morane-Saulnier Type P (MoS 21)

The Morane-Saulnier Type P (MoS 21) was a two-seat parasol wing reconnaissance aircraft that was produced early in 1916 and was one of the more successful Morane-Saulnier aircraft of the First World War.

Morane-Saulnier Type BB and Type BH

The Morane-Saulnier Type BB and Type BH were almost identical biplane reconnaissance aircraft that were produced for the RFC during 1915.

Morane-Saulnier Type AN (MoS 31 to MoS 34)

The Morane-Saulnier Type AN (MoS 31 to MoS 34) was a two-bay biplane that was developed late in the First World War. Its disappointing performance, combined with the end of the war, meant that the type never entered production.

Morane-Saulnier Type AC (MoS 23)

The Morane-Saulnier Type AC (MoS 23) was a shoulder winged single-seat fighter of 1916 was developed from a string of earlier designs, and that was only produced in small numbers.

Giovanni de Medici (1498-1526)

Giovanni de Medici (1498-1526) was the most able soldier produced by the Medici family, and was the father of Cosimo I, the first grand duke of Tuscany.

Prospero Colonna (1452-1523)

Prospero Colonna (1452-1523) was a successful Italian commander of the Italian Wars who spent much of the later part of his life fighting against the French, and who rose to command the Imperial armies in Italy at the end of his career.

The German Fallschirmtruppe 1936-41- Its Genesis and Employment in the First Campaigns of the Wehrmacht, Karl-Heinz Golla.

The German Fallschirmtruppe 1936-41- Its Genesis and Employment in the First Campaigns of the Wehrmacht, Karl-Heinz Golla.

A hugely detailed account of the combat deployment of the German paratroops from Poland to Crete, covering their successes and the flaws and failures of their campaigns. Suffers from a tendency to repeat some wartime German propaganda, but still a very useful research tool.
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At War with the 16th Irish Division 1914-1918 - The Staniforth Letters, J.H.M. Staniforth.

At War with the 16th Irish Division 1914-1918 - The Staniforth Letters, J.H.M. Staniforth.

A fascinating collection of letters written by a Yorkshire-raised officer who served in Irish units during the First World War, entering the army as a private before quickly becoming an officer. Includes some very vivid descriptions of the battlefields of the war, in particular the Somme, with scales given using the northern fringes of the North York Moors.
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The Scourge of the Swastika - A Short History of Nazi War Crimes, Lord Russell of Liverpool.

The Scourge of the Swastika - A Short History of Nazi War Crimes, Lord Russell of Liverpool.

Somewhat controversial when it was first published in the 1950s, this now serves as a very clear and accurate account of the German war crimes written by a legal expert who was involved in the war crime trials. A very good answer to anyone who tries to defend the crimes of the German war machine during the Second World War.
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