German Troops in the American Revolution (1) Hessen-Cassel, Donald M. Londahl-Smidt

Looks at the Hessian units that served in North America, where they seem to have performed well despite being most famous for suffering an embarrassing defeat at Trenton in 1776. Starts with a brief explanation of how Hessian troops came to be in British service, details of the divisions that served and a look at their major actions, before moving onto a detailed look at the uniform colours of the individual regiments.  

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Malplaquet 1709, Marlborough’s Bloodiest Battle, Simon MacDowall

A good account of Marlborough’s most costly victory of the War of the Spanish Succession, a genuine example of a Pyrrhic victory, won at such cost that it helped turned British opinion against the war, and that was of more benefit to the defeated side than to the victors. Good material on the campaign that led to the battle, the unusual battlefield, and the brutal and costly battle itself.

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The Reckoning – the Defeat of Army Group South 1944, Prit Buttar

A compelling account of the series of Soviet victories that saw them defeat Army Group South, complete the liberation of the Ukraine and force Romania and Bulgaria out of the Axis, a series of battles in which the Red Army demonstrated an ever increasing level of skill and willingness to learn from its experiences, while the Germans increasingly ran out of options. The detailed analysis of these battles demonstrates that the improvement in Soviet fighting skill played as big a part in their victories as their material superiority, while the Germans found that even their Panzer divisions could no longer achieve any significant breakthroughs 

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HMS Goldfinch (1910)

HMS Goldfinch (1910) was an Acorn class destroyer that served with the Second Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet in 1914-15, before being wrecked in the Orkneys on 18-19 February 1915.

USS Coghlan (DD-326)

USS Coghlan (DD-326) was a Clemson class destroyer that served in the Pacific during the 1920s, apart from one year in European waters in 1925-26, before being scrapped because of her badly worn boilers.

Felixstowe F.5

The Felixstowe F.5 was the last in a series of flying boats developed by John Porte based on earlier Curtiss boats, and served with the RAF after the First World war and entered production in American as the Curtiss F-5L.

Operation Infatuate or the battle of Walcheran (1-8 November 1944)

Operation Infatuate or the battle of Walcheran (1-8 November 1944) was the last stage of the campaign to clear the Scheldt Estuary and with it allow work to begin on clearing the approaches to Antwerp.

British Light Infantry in the American Revolution, Robbie Macniven

Looks at the most flexible infantry in the British Army of the period, a force capable of scavenging, skirmishing, fighting in the line and raiding, and a sign that the British Army of the period was more flexible than is often imagined. Looks at the British use of light infantry before the War of Independence, how they were trained and equipped, and how they were actually used during the war,  

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Panzer IV, Thomas Anderson

An interesting approach to the Panzer IV, focusing more on its tactical performance, using after-action reports to give some idea of what the German tank forces thought of it and the improvements they requested, and then looking at what changes were made and why. Almost entirely based on wartime documents, with plenty of German after-action reports and development notes to help explain the story of the most numerous German tank of the Second World War 

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The Kaiser’s U-Boat Assault on America – Germany’s Great War Gamble in the First World War, Hans Joachim Koerver

Looks at the reasons why the German Navy’s High Command was so determined to be given permission to conduct unrestricted submarine warfare rather than obey the existing cruiser rules, going as far as disobeying direct orders from the Kaiser and distorting the evidence that cruiser rules actually worked perfectly well. A fascinating history of the First Battle of the Atlantic, painting a very different picture of the story and placing the blame for the failure of the U-boat campaign firmly on the shoulders of the German admirals who had campaigned against the cruiser rules and refused to operate in the western approaches unless they got their own way

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HMS Fury (1911)

HMS Fury (1911) was an Acorn class destroyer that served with the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla in the Grand Fleet in 1914-15 and at Devonport in 1915, then with the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean in 1916-18.

USS Mullany (DD-325)

USS Mullany (DD-325) was a Clemson class destroyer that served with the Pacific Fleet during the 1920s before being scrapped because of her badly worn boilers.

Felixstowe F.4 Fury

The Felixstowe F.4 Fury was the last flying boat designed by John Porte, and was a massive triplane flying boat that only reached the prototype stage.

Operation Vitality or the battle of South Beveland (16 October-1 November 1944)

Operation Vitality or the battle of South Beveland (16 October-1 November 1944) saw a mainly Canadian force clear the Germans off the South Beveland peninsula, opening the way for an attack on Walcheran Island, which in turn would allow the Allies to open the port of Antwerp.

Stalingrad 1942-43 (1) The German Advance to the Volga, Robert Forczyk

Looks at the dramatic 1942 campaign that saw the Germans advance to Stalingrad and into the Caucasus, apparently putting them in a position to win two major victories after inflicted yet more heavy losses on the Soviets. A useful book that focuses entirely on this part of the campaign, rather than seeing it as the prelude to the more famous battle of Stalingrad 

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Athenian Hoplite vs Spartan Hoplite, Peloponnesian War 431-404 BC, Murray Dahm

Looks at three clashes that involved Spartan and Athenian hoplites during the Great Peloponnesian War, including an unusual battle on an island at Sphacteria, a surprise attack by a daring Spartan commander at Amphipolis and a standard hoplite battle at Mantinea, three of the relatively few direct clashes between Spartan and Athenian land forces. Good accounts of these three battles, combined with a clear understanding of the failings on both sides. 

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Vietnam War Booby Traps, Gordon L. Rottman

Looks at the impressively wide range of booby traps used by both sides during the Vietnam War, although with a focus on their use by the North Vietnamese and VC, where they helped compensate for their general inferiority in direct confrontations. Also looks at where the booby traps were located, demonstrating that their use was always carefully thought through, and they weren’t scattered around the jungle. Written by a Vietnam veteran and historian, which gives it a level of authenticity that you rarely find

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HMS Comet (1910)

HMS Comet (1910) was an Acorn class destroyer that served with the Second Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet in 1914-15 and at Devonport in 1915 then with the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean before she was torpedoed and sunk on 6 August 1918, while being towed back to port after suffering damage in a collision two days earlier.

USS Robert Smith (DD-324)

USS Robert Smith (DD-324) was a Clemson class destroyer that served with the Pacific Fleet in the 1920s, before being scrapped because of her badly worn boilers.

Felixstowe F.3

The Felixstowe F.3 was the most numerous of the British Felixstowe flying boats, and had a wider wingspan and could carry a heavier payload than the earlier F.2A, although at the cost of reduced agility.

Operation Switchback, or the battle of the Breskens Pocket (6 October-3 November 1944)

Operation Switchback, or the battle of the Breskens Pocket (6 October-3 November 1944) saw a mainly Canadian force clear the Germans off the southern bank of the Scheldt, at the start of the campaign to open up the port of Antwerp.

The Balkans 1940-41 (1) – Mussolini’s Fatal Blunder in the Greco-Italian War, Pier Paolo Battistelli

Looks at the disastrous Italian invasion of Greece in 1940, which ended with the Italian attack firmly repulsed and the Greeks advancing into Albania, where they became the first power to liberate a city occupied by an Axis power, then repelled another Italian offensive early in 1941. Looks at the background to the campaign, the poor state of the Italian army (and in particular its officer corps), the inept Italian plan and the impressive Greek response. A useful account of a key campaign that is over brushed over as a prelude to the German invasion of Greece. 

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Rome City in Terror: The Nazi Occupation 1943-44, Victor Failmezger

A compelling look at the nine months that saw Rome occupied by the Germans and treated as a hostile city, complete with its own Gestapo network, assault on the Jewish community and the familiar Nazi atrocities. Also looks at the increasingly impressive partisan movement within the city, and the escape lines that helped support large numbers of POWs, as well as the Allied spy networks that flourished in the city. Perhaps a little short on the life of normal Romans, but otherwise a compelling look into life inside the occupied city, and one of those books that really takes you into its world 

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War in Greek Mythology, Paul Chrystal

Focuses on the many Greek myths devoted to warfare, from the epic clashes that saw Zeus establish himself as the chief of the gods, through divine role in the semi-mythical human comflicts and on to the satirical ‘war between the mice and the frong’. Acknowledges the complexity of the topic, and the many different versions of most Greek myths, as well as the differing attitudes of the ancient Greeks to their myths

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HMS Cameleon (1910)

HMS Cameleon (1910) was an Acorn class destroyer that served with the Second Destroyer of the Grand Fleet in 1914-15 and at Devonport in 1916, the British Adriatic Squadron briefly at the end of 1916, the Malta Flotilla for most of 1917-1918 and the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla at Brindisi then the Aegean later in 1918.

USS Chase (DD-323)

USS Chase (DD-323) was a Clemson class destroyer that served with the Pacific Fleet during the 1920s before being scrapped because of her badly worn boilers.

Felixstowe F.2

The Felixstowe F.2 was an improved version of the Curtiss H-12 ‘Large America’, produced in Britain by fitting the Curtiss wings to a new hull that had been developed in an attempt to improve the earlier Curtiss H-4 ‘Small America’.

Antwerp and the Scheldt Estuary (4 September-8 November 1944)

The battle for Antwerp and the Scheldt Estuary (4 September-8 November 1944) saw the Allies capture the great port of Antwerp intact on 4 September, but fail to give clearing the approaches a high enough priority, eventually forcing them fight three difficult battles starting in early October to clear the Scheldt