Heinkel He 45, 46, 49, 50, 51, 52 and 66

The Heinkel He 45 was a biplane developed as a bomber in the period before Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, but that entered service as a reconnaissance aircraft in the newly public Luftwaffe.
The Heinkel He 46 was a short-range reconnaissance and army co-operation aircraft that was designed as a biplane but entered service as a parasol wing monoplane
The Heinkel He 49 was the designation given to the first three prototypes of the aircraft that entered service as the Heinkel He 51, the first fighter aircraft to be used by the Luftwaffe after its official formation in April 1935.
The Heinkel He 50 was a biplane dive bomber developed for the Japanese Navy before being taken up by the Luftwaffe
The Heinkel He 51 was the first fighter aircraft to be used by the Luftwaffe after its official formation in April 1935
The Heinkel He 52 was a high-altitude version of the He 51, the first fighter aircraft to serve with the new Luftwaffe after its official formation
The Heinkel He 66 was the designation given to a small number of Heinkel He 50 dive-bombers produced for export to Japan and China

Latin War of 340-338 BC

The Latin War of 340-338 BC was a major step in the road that led to Roman control of the Italian peninsula, and that saw a major change in the relationship between the Roman republic and her former Latin allies.

The battle of Veseris (or Vesuvius) of 340 BC was the first major battle of the Latin War of 340-338 BC and was a Roman victory made famous by the execution of the young Manlius Torquatus by his father, the consul Manlius Torquatus and the self-sacrifice of the consul Decius Mus.
The battle of Trifanum (340 BC) was a Roman victory that ended the Campanian phase of the Latin War of 340-338 BC.
The battle of the Fenectane Plains (339 BC) was a Roman victory in the second year of the Latin War of 340-338 BC
The battle of Astura was one of two Roman victories during 338 BC that ended the Latin War of 340-338 BC
The battle of Pedum (338 BC) was the decisive battle of the Latin War of 340-338BC and saw the Romans defeat a Latin army sent to protect Pedum and capture the city in the same day

First Samnite War (343-341 BC)

The First Samnite War (343-341 BC) was the first of three clashes between Rome and the Samnite hill tribes, and ended in a Roman victory that saw the Republic begin to expand into Campania.
The battle and siege of Capua of 343 B.C. triggered the First Samnite War (343-341 B.C.), the first of three wars between Rome and the Samnites.
The battle of Mount Gaurus, 343 B.C., was the opening battle of the First Samnite War (343-341 B.C.), and was a hard fought Roman victory.
The battle of Saticula (343 B.C.) was a Roman victory that saw a rare example of the Roman army fighting at night in an attempt to avoid a disaster.
The battle of Suessula (343 B.C.) was the final major clash during the First Samnite War (343-341 B.C.), and was a major Roman victory

Review: Hitler's Panzer Armies on the Eastern Front, Robert Kirchubel

Hitler's Panzer Armies on the Eastern Front, Robert Kirchubel. A 'unit history' written on the largest scale, tracing the campaigns fought by the four Panzer Armies on the Eastern Front, from their roles in the early German victories, to their eventual defeat and destruction in the ruins of the Reich. A very useful contribution to the literature on the Eastern Front. [read full review]

Review: The Crusades: Crescent & The Cross (DVD).

The Crusades: Crescent & The Cross (DVD). A 3-DVD boxed set that looks at the first three Crusades. Dramatic reconstructions supported by a good mix of experts means that the programmes give a well balanced account of the crusades, from the successful first crusade to the clash between Saladin and Richard the Lion Heart. [read full review]

Review: Sniper Ace: From the Eastern Front to Siberia, Bruno Sutkus

Sniper Ace: From the Eastern Front to Siberia, Bruno Sutkus, An account of the life of one of the most successful German snipers on the Eastern Front and of the decades he spent in exile in the Soviet Union, of most value for the picture it paints of the fate of many German prisoners of war when they fell into Soviet hands at the end of the war. [read full review]

Review: Atomic: The First War of Physics, Jim Baggott

Atomic: The First War of Physics, Jim Baggott. A look at the race to develop the atom bomb that clearly explains the science behind the bomb and the problems faced in turning theory into practise, looking at the British, German, American and Soviet bomb programmes from the point of view of the individual scientists and of the Allied and Soviet spies attempting to discover what their enemies and allies knew or were capable of. [read full review]

Review: The Soldier: A History of Courage, Sacrifice and Brotherhood

The Soldier: A History of Courage, Sacrifice and Brotherhood, Darren Moore. A study of the life of the soldier, based on first hand accounts and interviews from the Napoleonic Wars to the current wars in Afghanistan and Ira, and a valuable insight into the often devastating mental and physical cost of war to the soldiers on the front line. Moore's work serves as a valuable reminder that war should always be the last resort. [read full review]

Review: Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Solder

Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier, From Marius to Commodus, 112 BC-AD 192, Raffaele d'Amato and Graham Sumner. A very impressive, hugely detailed, well organised and comprehensively illustrated look at the equipment of the Roman Soldier of the late Republic and early Empire, covering the arms, armour, cloths and symbols of the Roman infantry, cavalry, naval and auxiliary forces. [read full review]

Junkers Ju 86

The Junkers Ju 86 was a disappoint medium bomber developed at the same time as the Heinkel He 111, and that had been phased out of front line service by the start of the Second World War
The Junkers Ju 86A was the first production version of the Ju 86 medium bomber, but suffered from poor stability and was soon replaced by the Ju 86B.
The Junkers Ju 86B was the designation given to civil versions of the Ju 86 medium bomber that were intended for the German market
The Junkers Ju 86C was a civil version of the Ju 86 that was given the same 42cm fin at the back of the fuselage as the Ju 86D bomber
The Junkers Ju 86D was the second production version of the Ju 86 bomber and differed from the Ju 86A mainly in having a 42cm extension at the rear of the fuselage.
The Junkers Ju 86E was the first military version of the Ju 86 to be powered by BMW radial engines in place of the diesel engines of earlier versions
The Junkers Ju 86G was the final version of the aircraft to be produced as a standard medium bomber, and was given a new nose that greatly improved visibility from the cockpit.
The Junkers Ju 86K was the designation given to the export version of the Ju 86 bomber. At lease eight different versions were produced, and were sold to Sweden, South Africa, Hungary, Austria, Chile, Portugal and Bolivia
The Junkers Ju 86P was a high altitude bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that gave an extra lease of life to the otherwise unsuccessful Ju 86 medium bomber.
The Junkers Ju 86R was an improved version of the Ju 86P high altitude bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, capable of reaching 14,800m (48,500), an increase in service ceiling of 10,000ft over the earlier aircraft.
The Junkers Ju 86Z was the designation given to civil versions of the Ju 86 built for the export market. It was produced in at least five versions, including one that was later used against the Axis powered by the South Africa Air Force.
The Junkers Ju 186 was a design for a high-altitude research plane based on the Ju 86 bomber
The Junkers Ju 286 was to have been a six engined high-altitude bomber based on the Ju 86