Friday, December 30, 2016

Field Marshal Hans David Ludwig Yorck, Graf von Wartenburg (1759-1830)

Field Marshal Hans David Ludwig Yorck, Graf von Wartenburg (1759-1830) was a senior Prussian commander during the campaigns of 1813 and 1814, but his most important contribution to the defeat of Napoleon came late in 1812 when he agreed to make his corps, then operating with the French in Russia, neutral, a move that helped trigger the War of Liberation in Germany,

General Gerhard Johann David von Scharnhorst (1755-1813)

General Gerhard Johann David von Scharnhorst (1755-1813) was the most important of a group of military reformers who revived the Prussian army after the disasters of 1806 and turned it into an effective weapon during the War of Liberation of 1813 and the campaigns of 1813 and 1814.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Assault Tank T14

The Assault Tank T14 was a more heavily armoured version of the Sherman, designed to lead attacks.

Medium Tank M4A3(105)

The Medium Tank M4A3(105) was a version of the Sherman tank armed with a 105mm howitzer and that used the US Army's preferred Ford GAA V-8 engine.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Philip II of Macedon (r.359-336 BC)

Philip II of Macedon (r.359-336 BC) was one of the great conquerors of Greek history, inheriting his kingdom in the aftermath of a dangerous defeat in which his predecessor was killed, and ending his reign as the dominant power in Greece, with an empire that including Thessaly and large parts of Thrace.

Friday, December 23, 2016

USS Gwin (DD-71)

USS Gwin (DD-71) was a Caldwell class destroyer that had a limited career between the World Wars.

USS Craven (DD-70)

USS Craven (DD-70) was a Caldwell class destroyer that entered service too late for the First World War, but entered Royal Navy service as HMS Lewes in 1940, serving in British Home Waters, from South Africa and in the Far East.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Hitler's Swedes, A History of the Swedish Volunteers in the Waffen-SS, Lars T. Larsson.

Hitler's Swedes, A History of the Swedish Volunteers in the Waffen-SS, Lars T. Larsson
A detailed study of the motives and experiences of the comparatively small number of Swedes who volunteered for service with the Waffen SS during the Second World War, a group of just under 200 men, most of whom ended up fighting on the Eastern Front. Covers the stories of 144 of them in some detail, providing both a snapshot of the experiences of the SS on the Eastern Front, and an insight into why anyone from a safely neutral country would volunteer for the SS
[read full review]

In Hospital and in Camp - The Civil War through the eyes of its Doctors and Nurses, Harold Elk Straubing.

In Hospital and in Camp - The Civil War through the eyes of its Doctors and Nurses, Harold Elk Straubing
A selection of ten accounts of the medical services during the American Civil War, produced by a mix of doctors and nurses, mainly from the Union side. Includes diaries, letters and narrative accounts, and ends with some of Walt Whitmann's poems. Varies in tone from gruesome medical detail to Victorian sentimentality.
[read full review]

Imperial Chinese Armies, 1840-1911, Philip S. Jowett.

Imperial Chinese Armies, 1840-1911, Philip S. Jowett
 Looks at a period of somewhat chaotic and ultimately unsuccessful reform in the Chinese armies, which still saw a dramatic transformation from armies that would have been familiar to the original Manchu emperors to a recognisably modern, if somewhat chaotic army. As a result the book covers an unusually wide range of troop types, from bowmen to machine gunners! You'll probably struggle to find an Osprey that covers as much change and variety in such a short period
[read full review]

Monday, December 19, 2016

Medium Tank M4 (105)

The Medium Tank M4 (105) was a version of the Sherman tank that carried a 105mm howitzer, and was powered by the Wright-Continental R975 engine.

Medium Tank M4E5

The Medium Tank M4E5 was the designation given to two pilot vehicles for the 105mm armed version of the M4 Sherman.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Siege of Amphipolis (357 BC)

The siege of Amphipolis (357 BC) was an early victory for Philip II of Macedon, and saw him capture a key foothold in Thrace, although at the cost of permanently damaging his relationship with Athens.

Battle of Erigon Valley or the Lyncus Plain (358 BC)

The battle of Erigon Valley or the Lyncus Plain (358 BC) was the first major battle during the reign of Philip II of Macedon, and saw him defeat the Illyrian king Bardyllis.

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Boulton Paul P.91

The Boulton Paul P.91 was a design for a heavy bomber that was produced to the specification that eventually produced the Handley Page Halifax and Avro Manchester and Lancaster.

Boulton Paul P.90

The Boulton Paul P.90 was a heavy bomber designed to the same specification as the Short Stirling.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

USS Caldwell (DD-69)

The USS Caldwell (DD-69) was the name ship of the Caldwell class of destroyers, and served at Queenstown and on experimental work during the First World War.

Caldwell Class Destroyers

The Caldwell Class Destroyers were the first of the famous 'flush-deckers' and were partly experimental ships that tested out the new design and a variety of power plants.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Fall of the Double Eagle - The Battle for Galicia and the Demise of Austria-Hungary, John R. Schindler.

Fall of the Double Eagle - The Battle for Galicia and the Demise of Austria-Hungary, John R. Schindler
Looks at the opening clashes between Russia and Austria-Hungary on the Eastern Front of the First World War, some of the biggest battles of 1914, and a series of defeats that played a major part in the decline and fall of the Hapsburg Empire, destroying the pre-war Regular army that had been one of the strongest props of the Hapsburg realm and giving the Russians a rare clear-cut victory
[read full review]

Victoria Crosses on the Western Front: August 1914 - April 1915, Mons to Hill 60, Paul Oldfield.

Victoria Crosses on the Western Front: August 1914 - April 1915, Mons to Hill 60, Paul Oldfield
Covers those VCs won between the outbreak of the First World War and April 1915, using an unusual (and very successful) format, with a narrative of the combat operations involved filling the first half of the book and individual biographies of the VC winners in the second half. Covers the first 59 Victoria Crosses to be won on the Western Front, so is able to include far more detail than in more general books
[read full review]

Death of an Empire - The Rise and Murderous Fall of Salem, America's Richest City, Robert Booth.

Death of an Empire - The Rise and Murderous Fall of Salem, America's Richest City, Robert Booth
Looks at the decline and fall of the wealthy merchant port of Salem, a city that became rich through International Trade, in particular during the long Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, but then like other American ports suffered from the self inflicted wounds of the War of 1812 and the tariffs that followed, before eventually murder and scandal finished off the ports decline. Not directly military history, but a fascinating story, and one that is related to the events of the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812
[read full review]

Friday, December 09, 2016

Field Marshal August Wilhelm Anton, Graf Neithardt von Gneisenau (1760-1831)

Field Marshal August Wilhelm Anton, Graf Neithardt von Gneisenau (1760-1831) was one of the main Prussian military reformers after the disasters of 1806, but is most famous for his role as Blücher's chief of staff in the campaigns in 1813, 1814 and 1815.

Freidrich von Gentz (1764-1832)

Freidrich von Gentz (1764-1832) was a Prussian writer who was consistently hostile to Revolutionary and Napoleonic France and ended up working for the Austrians after his attitudes made his position in Prussia too difficult.

Thursday, December 08, 2016

Medium Tank M4A4E1

The Medium Tank M4A4E1 was the first prototype for the 105mm howitzer armed versions of the M4 Sherman.

Medium Tank M4A3(76)W HVSS

The Medium Tank M4A3(76)W HVSS was the first production version of the Sherman to use a Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension system, which improved both the ground pressure of the tank and made the suspension more reliable.

Wednesday, December 07, 2016

Boulton Paul P.89

The Boulton Paul P.89 was a design for a twin engined cannon armed fighter, designed in response to Air Ministry Specification F.37/35.

Boulton Paul P.88

The Boulton Paul P.88 was a design for a cannon armed fighter, designed in response to the increased speed of bomber aircraft in the mid 1930s.

Tuesday, December 06, 2016

Rome Spreads Her Wings - Territorial Expansion between the Punic Wars, Gareth C. Sampson.

Rome Spreads Her Wings - Territorial Expansion between the Punic Wars, Gareth C. Sampson
Focuses on Rome's other wars in the period of the first two Punic Wars, including the first expansion east across the Adriatic into Greece and the Balkans and the conquest of Gallic northern Italy. This is a difficult period, with limited sources as ancient authors either concentrated on the more glamorous wars against Carthage, or have been lost to us. Sampson does a good job of guiding us through the difficult sources for this period, often providing alternative versions of key events, complete with their supporting sources. A useful book that helps fill a gap in the military history of Rome
[read full review]

VCs of the North - Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland, Alan Whitworth.

VCs of the North - Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland, Alan Whitworth
Looks at just under fifty winners of the Victoria Cross associated with the northern counties of Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland, covering the entire history of the award. The small number of recipients covered allows the author to include a great deal more background information than is normally the case in books on the V.C., allowing us to trace the impact of winning the V.C. on its recipients. Also allows the inclusion of many eyewitness accounts of the deeds themselves
[read full review]

No Room for Mistakes - British and Allied Submarine Warfare 1939-1940, Geirr H Haarr.

No Room for Mistakes - British and Allied Submarine Warfare 1939-1940, Geirr H Haarr
An excellent detailed history of Allied submarine warfare during the first sixteen months of the Second World War, a period of dramatic changes in the situation at sea, in which the British submarine service had to find a suitable role and absorb heavy losses, while coping with the Norwegian campaign and the sudden expansion of their duties after the Fall of France.
[read full review]

Friday, December 02, 2016

USS Shaw (DD-68)

USS Shaw (DD-68) was a Sampson class destroyer that survived having 90 feet cut off her bow in a collision late in 1918 while serving in European waters.

USS Wilkes (DD-67)

USS Wilkes (DD-67) was a Sampson class destroyer that served from Queenstown after America entered the First World War, and helped support the first trans-Atlantic flight in 1919.

Thursday, December 01, 2016

General Karl Philipp Gottlieb von Clausewitz (1780-1831)

General Karl Philipp Gottlieb von Clausewitz (1780-1831) was a Prussian general, most famous for his studies of military theory, largely published after his death in 1831.

General Freidrich Wilhelm Graf Bülow von Dennewitz (16 February 1755-25 February 1816)

General Freidrich Wilhelm Graf Bülow von Dennewitz (16 February 1755-25 February 1816) was a Prussian commander who played a major part in the campaigns of 1813, 1814 and 1815, winning the first Prussian victory since the disasters of 1806 at Grossbeeren in 1813, and playing a major part in the Allied victory at Waterloo.