USS Wood (DD-317)

USS Wood (DD-317) was a Clemson class destroyer that served with the Pacific Fleet in the 1920s before being scrapped because of her badly worn boilers.

With their Bare Hands – General Pershing, the 79th Division and the battle for Montfaucon, Gene Fax

Focuses on the exploits of the 79th Division during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, one of the largest battles in US military history, and in particular the battle for Montfaucon, supported by an excellent account of the American entry into the First World War, the doctrine and training of the US Army, the decisions of Pershing and his senior commanders. Shows how the American army was able to learn from its costly experiences and adapt to the conditions on the Western Front, often despite Pershing’s own believes about how the fighting should have gone

(Read Full Review)

The First & Second Italian Wars 1494-1504, Julian Romane

A detailed history of the first two Italian Wars, both triggered by unsuccessful French attempts to conquer Naples, and which triggered a series of wars that disrupted Italy for almost seventy years, and largely ended the independence of most Italian powers, as well as failing to gain the French any of their initial objectives. A fascinating look at this period, which saw last the last vestiges of medieval chivalry come up against the Spanish infantry armies, against the backdrop of the high renaissance  

(Read Full Review)

Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia – Brother and Sister of History’s most vilified family, Samantha Morris.

A fairly convincing attempt to restore the reputation of the most famous and most notorious of the Borgias, the brother and sister Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia. Does a good job of redeeming Lucrezia’s reputation, although Cesare still emerges as unusually bloodthirsty and treacherous even for the period, so much so that he attracted the special interest of Machiavelli (although most of the more scandalous stories are easily disproved)! Overall this is an entertaining account of the lives of one of the most infamous families of European history

(Read Full Review)

HMS Bonetta (1907)

HMS Bonetta (1907) was a B class destroyer that served with submarine flotillas during the First World War, supporting the Ninth Submarine Flotilla on the Clyde until the end of 1915, then the Sixth and Second Flotillas at Blyth (near the Tyne) for the rest of the war.

USS Sloat (DD-316)

USS Sloat (DD-316) was a Clemson class destroyer that served with the Pacific Fleet during the 1920s, and was used as a target ship in the early 1930s, before being sunk in 1935.

Curtiss H-1 'America'

The Curtiss H-1 'America' was a long range biplane seaplane, originally designed to fly across the Atlantic, and that became the basis of the wartime H-4, H-12 and H-16 in the US and the British Felixstowe F boats.

Jacob Loucks Devers (1887-1979)

Jacob Loucks Devers (1887-1979) was the commander of the 6th Army Group during the final battles on the southern front in France and Germany in 1944-45. 

HMS Albacore (1906)

HMS Albacore (1906) was a B class destroyer that was attached to the Grand Fleet from 1914 until the spring of 1918, then joined the Irish Sea Flotillas, part of the battle against the final period of unrestricted U-boat warfare. 

USS La Vallette (DD-315)

USS La Vallette (DD-315) was a Clemson class destroyer that served with the Pacific Fleet during the 1920s before being scrapped in 1931.

Curtiss MF

The Curtiss MF was a single seat flying boat introduced to replace the older Model F, and that saw some service after the end of the First World War.

Lesley James McNair (1883-1944)

Lesley James McNair (1883-1944) was largely responsible for creating and training the US army that fought in Europe and the Pacific during the Second World War, but is perhaps best known for being the highest ranked US general to be killed in action during the war.

Russian Tanks of World War II – 1939-1945, Stephen Hart

Looks at the tanks used by the Soviet Union during the Second World War, from the obsolete light tanks of the 1930s to the excellent T-34 and their increasingly powerful heavy tanks, as well as their self-propelled guns, and even the many types of western tanks sent to the Soviet Union under lend-lease. Most tanks get a page or two, with a brief history, a technical description, notes on their performance, stats and a side-on full colour illustration 

(Read Full Review)

Destroyer Cossack detailed in the original builders’ plans, John Roberts

A splendid entry in this series based around builders plans of warships, looking at the Second World War Tribal class destroyer HMS Cossack. Includes the normal series of deck and side plans taken from the massive ‘as fitted’ plans, along with more unusual plans, including detailed plans of the engine room and bridge, diagrams showing the water supply system and internal fuel pipes and extra plans showing other members of the class, as well as a design history of the class, and a more detailed look at the Cossack’s own short service life.

(Read Full Review)

Spanish Galleon vs English Galleon, 1550-1605, Mark Lardas

Looks at the design, construction and crews of English and Spanish galleons, the differences between them (and how they changed), their place in the naval world of the late sixteenth century, and three iconic clashes involving galleons on both sides. Particularly interesting when looking at why the two countries produced different designs of galleons, and how the Spanish in particular learnt from their experiences and produced better ships after the Armada. 

(Read Full Review)

HMS Swift (1907)

HMS Swift (1907) was one of Admiral Fisher’s less successful ideas. She was meant to be the first of a new class of large high speed destroyers that would replace the River class and be able to work with Fisher’s battlecruisers, but she ended up far too large and expensive for the role, and wasn’t repeated

USS Yarborough (DD-314)

USS Yarborough (DD-314) was a Clemson class destroyer that served with the Pacific Fleet during the 1920s, before being scrapped because her Yarrow boilers were badly worn.

Curtiss Model F

The Curtiss Model F was an early single engine flying boat that saw extensive service as a US training aircraft during the First World War.