Louis d'Armagnac, duke of Nemours (1472-1503)

Louis d'Armagnac, duke of Nemours (1472-1503) was the defeated French commander at the battle of Carignola (28 April 1503), where he became one of the first generals to be killed by handgun fire.

François de Bourbon, Count of Enghien (1519-1546)

François de Bourbon, Count of Enghien (1519-1546) was a French commander who defeated an Imperial army at Ceresole in 1544 while only 25 but who died two years later in an accident and was thus denied a longer military career.

USS Helena (CA-75)

USS Helena (CA-75) was a Baltimore class heavy cruiser that saw combat during the Korean War. She was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Service Medal with four stars.

USS Columbus (CA-74/ CG-12)

USS Columbus (CA-74/ CG-12) was a Baltimore class heavy cruiser that was later converted into a guided missile cruiser and served in that role with the Atlantic Fleet into the 1970s.

Machine Gunner 1914-1918: Personal Experiences of the Machine Gun Corps, C. E. Crutchley.

Machine Gunner 1914-1918: Personal Experiences of the Machine Gun Corps, C. E. Crutchley.
Contains a series of first hand accounts of service in the Machine Gun Corps during the First World War, a short-lived military formation that played an increasingly major part in the fighting as the war went on.
[read full review]

Sailor in the Desert: The Adventures of Phillip Gunn, DSM, RN in the Mesopotamia Campaign 1915, David Gunn.

Sailor in the Desert: The Adventures of Phillip Gunn, DSM, RN in the Mesopotamia Campaign 1915, David Gunn.
Follows the author's father through his experiences on one of the last sail and coal warships in the Royal Navy and onto ever smaller ships as he took part in the campaign in Mesopotamia that ended in disaster at Kut.
[read full review]

Hitler's Alpine Headquarters, James Wilson.

Hitler's Alpine Headquarters, James Wilson.
 Fascinating reproductions of German postcards marred by a rather annoying text that is far too impressed with the Nazis and their 'achievements' in the Obersalzberg and Berchtesgaden areas. If the text is taken as an example of the sort of propaganda that the German people were subjected at the time then the postcards themselves can be appreciated for their historical value.
 [read full review]

Matilda Mk I, Infantry Tank Mk II (A12)

The Matilda Mk I, Infantry Tank Mk II (A12) was the first production version of the Matilda II, and would have been one of the most effective tanks in service in 1940 if it had been available in significant numbers.

Matilda Infantry Tank Mk II (A12)

The Matilda Infantry Tank Mk II (A12) was the most capable British tank of 1940, but was slow to produce, could only carry a 2pdr gun, and was thus soon obsolete.

Battle of Finschhafen (22 September-28 October 1943)

The battle of Finschhafen (22 September-28 October 1943) marked the start of the Huon Peninusla campaign and saw Australian troops capture the former German port of Finschhafen, at the eastern tip of the Huon Peninsula, and then fight off a major Japanese counterattack.

Huon Peninsula Campaign (22 September 1943-24 April 1944)

The Huon Peninsula Campaign (22 September 1943-24 April 1944) was part of the second stage of Operation Postern, and was conducted to clear the Japanese from the shores of the Vitiaz Strait, in order to allow the Allies to use their naval forces off the northern coast of New Guinea.

Nieuport 83

The Nieuport 83 was an advanced trainer based on the Nieuport 10 two-seat observation aircraft.

Nieuport 82

The Nieuport 82 was a basic trainer based on the Nieuport 14 observation aircraft.

Siege of Memphis (early 525 BC)

The siege of Memphis (early 525 BC) was the last recorded resistance to Cambyses II of Persia's invasion of Egypt, and came after the main Egyptian army had been defeated at Pelusium.

Battle of Pelusium (early 525 BC)

The battle of Pelusium (early 525 BC) was the decisive battle of the first Persian invasion of Egypt, and saw Cambyses II defeat Psamtik III, opening the rest of Egypt to conquest.

Battle of Renty (13 August 1554)

The battle of Renty (13 August 1554) was a minor French victory during an Imperial invasion of Picardy that was most notable as Charles V's last battle (Fifth Hapsburg-Valois War).

Battle of Marciano (2 August 1554)

The battle of Marciano (2 August 1554) saw the active field army of Siena suffer a heavy defeat, allowing their Florentine enemies to focus all of their efforts on the siege of Siena.

USS Pittsburgh (CA-72)

USS Pittsburgh (CA-72) was a Baltimore class heavy cruiser that was completed in time to take part in the attacks on Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Japanese Home Islands and that served in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Korean War.

USS St Paul (CA-73)

USS St Paul (CA-73) was a Baltimore class heavy cruiser that took part in the final carrier raids on Japan during 1945 and carried out three combat tours of Korea, firing the last naval salvo of the war and five combat tours of Vietnam.

Battle of Lae (4-16 September 1943)

The Battle of Lae (4-16 September 1943) was the final stage in the Salamaua-Lae Campaign, and saw Australian troops with US support capture the last Japanese stronghold in the Huon Gulf area of New Guinea.

Attack on Nadzab (5 September 1943)

The attack on Nadzab (5 September 1943) was a successful airborne assault carried out in order to support the Australian advance on Lae, at the head of the Huon Gulf .

Nieuport 81

The Nieuport 81 was a dual control trainer based on the earlier Nieuport 12 and Nieuport 13.

Nieuport 80

The Nieuport 80 was a two-seat trainer with one set of controls, developed from the Nieuport 12 and Nieuport 13.

Images of War: Twin Mustang - the North American F-82 at War, Alan C. Carey.

Images of War: Twin Mustang - the North American F-82 at War, Alan C. Carey.

A photographic history of the unusual Twin Mustang, the last piston engined fighter to be purchased in large numbers by the US Air Force and a short-lived aircraft that saw limited combat during the Korean War, scoring the first UN aerial victory of the war.
 [read full review]

Stalingrad Battle Atlas Volume 2 (14 October-18 November 1942), Anton Joly.

Stalingrad Battle Atlas Volume 2 (14 October-18 November 1942), Anton Joly.

 Detailed maps, orders of battles and combat strengths for the second part of the Battle of Stalingrad, from the largest German attack of the battle to the start of the great Soviet counterattack that trapped the Germans. A very well researched book that will be of great value to anyone studying this battle.
[read full review]

Stalingrad Battle Atlas Volume 1 (13 September-13 October 1942), Anton Joly.

Stalingrad Battle Atlas Volume 1 (13 September-13 October 1942), Anton Joly.

Detailed maps, orders of battles and combat strengths for the first part of the Battle of Stalingrad, from the first fighting in the suburbs to the eve of the biggest German attack of the battle. A very well researched book that will be of great value to anyone studying this battle.
[read full review]

Cambyses I was king of Persis (c.600-559)

Cambyses I was king of Persis (c.600-559) and the father of Cyrus II the Great, founder of the Persian Empire.

Cyrus I, fl mid 7th C. BC

Cyrus I, fl mid 7th C. BC, was the third Achaemenid king of Persis, then part of the wider Median Empire.

Teispes, fl. mid 7th C BC

Teispes, fl. mid 7th C BC, was the second recorded king of the Achaemenid dynasty, and may have expended his kingdom from its basis in Persis during a period of weakness in the Median Empire.

Achaemenes (or Hakhamanesh), fl. early 7th C. BC

Achaemenes (or Hakhamanesh), fl. early 7th C. BC, was the possibly legendary founder of the Achaemenid dynasty, the founders of the Persian Empire.

Siege of Siena (January 1554-April 1555)

The siege of Siena (January 1554-April 1555) was one of the longer sieges of the Italian Wars, and was one of the last attempts by the pro-French party in Italy to counter Imperial and Spanish power in Italy.

Siege of Metz (October 1552-January 1553)

The siege of Metz (October 1552-January 1553) was a failed Imperial attempt to recapture Metz that was one of Charles V's last major military operations and that was said to have played a part in the decline of his health and his decision to abdicate (Fifth Hapsburg-Valois War).

Kawanishi E10K1 Experimental 9-Shi Night Reconnaissance Seaplane

The Kawanishi E10K1 Experimental 9-Shi Night Reconnaissance Seaplane was designed to serve as a spotter aircraft with the Japanese fleet, but failed to satisfy in that role, or in its alternative role as a light transport.

Kawanishi E8K1 Experimental 8-Shi Reconnaissance Seaplane

The Kawanishi E8K1 Experimental 8-Shi Reconnaissance Seaplane was an advanced monoplane design that didn't have the manoeuvrability required by the Japanese navy and thus never entered production.

In the Teeth of the Wind: Memoirs of the Royal Naval Air Service in the First World War, Squadron Leader C P O Bartlett DSC.

In the Teeth of the Wind: Memoirs of the Royal Naval Air Service in the First World War, Squadron Leader C P O Bartlett DSC.

Very different to the more familiar RFC memoirs, this traces the wartime experiences of a RNAS bomber pilot, mainly operating near the Channel coast, taking part in the first sustained bombing campaign in military history.
[read full review]

A Chronology of World War II, David Jordan.

A Chronology of World War II, David Jordan.

 An introduction to the Second World War with a narrative account of the fighting supported by two timelines, one for the war against German and one for the war against Japan. Good, but could have done with a combined timeline rather than the two split ones.
[read full review]

Captured at Arnhem - From Railwayman to Paratrooper, Norman Hicks.

Captured at Arnhem - From Railwayman to Paratrooper, Norman Hicks.

Fascinating account of the life of a railwayman and paratrooper, who fought in Tunisia and on Sicily before being captured at Arnhem. Includes a rare account of the experiences of lower ranked POWs, who were used for hard labour in Germany, in this case down a Lead Mine.
[read full review]

72nd Reconnaissance Group (USAAF)

The 72nd Reconnaissance Group (USAAF) was a reconnaissance group that was based in the Panama Canal Zone during 1942 and 1943.

71st Reconnaissance Group (USAAF)

The 71st Reconnaissance Group (USAAF) operated in the Pacific theatre from the end of 1943 until the end of the Second World War, focusing on reconnaissance but flying a wide range of other missions at the same time.

70th Reconnaissance Group (USAAF)

The 70th Reconnaissance Group (USAAF) was a home based unit that was used to help with the training of army units.

Pedro Navarro, count of Oliveto (c.1469-1528)

Pedro Navarro, count of Oliveto (c.1469-1528) was a highly successful Spanish engineer who entered French service after the Spanish government refused to pay his ransom after he was captured at the battle of Ravenna in 1512.

Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (El Gran Capitán), 1453-1515

Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (El Gran Capitán), 1453-1515, was a Spanish general who reformed the infantry in the early stages of the Italian Wars, helping to create the famous tercio formation that made Spanish armies so formidable during the sixteenth century.