The Price of Victory - The Red Army's Casualties in the Great Patriotic War, Lev Lopukhovsky & Boris Kavalerchik

. Looks at the various attempts to produce ‘official’ figures for the Soviet casualties during the Second World War, arguing that they are all deeply flawed, underestimate the number of casualties and are largely politically motiviated. The authors also attempt to produce their own figures, using many of the same sources as their opponents, but coming up with a much higher figure. The resulting book is somewhat hard going, as its partly based around a detailed analysis of statistics and partly around an argument with the authors of the official work, but does make a convincing case. 

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The Avro Type 698 Vulcan Design and Development, David W. Fildes

A look at the design and development of the Vulcan bomber, almost entirely presented using original documents, including material from AVRO, the Air Minstry, RAE, RAF and other interested parties. We look at the original idea that developed into the Vulcan, the design and construction of small scale test aircraft and the first prototypes, and the ongoing development process that turned the prototypes into a satisfactory service aircraft, then kept updating it, first in an attempt to improve its high altitude performance, then to make it more suited for the new low level role. The heavy use of contemporary documents makes it quite a dry read in places, but also makes the book of great value if you are interested in the process of aircraft design. 

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Rome & Parthia: Empires at War: Ventidus, Antony and the Second Romano-Parthian War 40-20 BC, Gareth C. Sampson

Looks at the war that started with a Parthain invasion of Rome’s eastern provinces after the victory of the triumvirs at Philippi and that saw both sides carry out unsuccessful invasions of each others territory during a war that was repeated disrupted by civil wars within both powers. Not the best known of Romans wars from this period, and rather over-shadowded by the rivaly between Octavian and Antony, but still an interesting conflict and one that demonstrates the problems faced by the two empires as they expanded towards each other. 

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HMS Druid (1911)

HMS Druid (1911) was an Acheron class destroyer that took part in the battles of Heligoland and Dogger Bank, then served with the 3rd Battle Squadron, and with destroyer flotillas on the south coast, before spending most of 1918 in the Mediterranean.

USS Decatur (DD-341)

USS Decatur (DD-341) was a Clemson class destroyer that spend most of the Second World War on escort duty in the Atlantic and Caribbean, as well as one tour with the hunter-killer group built around USS Card late in 1943.

Curtiss SC Seahawk

The Curtiss SC Seahawk was the last fixed wing scouting aircraft produced for service on the US Navy’s battleships and cruisers, and entered service late in 1944.

No.401 Squadron, RCAF

No.401 Squadron, RCAF, was a fighter squadron that took part in bomber escort and fighter sweeps before joining 2nd Tactical Air Force to support the D-Day landings and the campaign in north-western Europe.

Battleship Bismarck – A Design and Operational History, William Garzke Jr, Robert O Dulin Jr and William Jurens, with James Cameron

The most detailed book on a single ship I’ve ever read, covering the entire history of German capital ship design after the First World War, their service records before the Bismarck’s fatal cruise, followed by a massively detailed account of the Bismarck’s one war cruise, including the battle of the Denmark Strait and the final sinking of the Bismarck, covering just about every shot fired by every ship, every bit of damage suffered by the Bismarck, all supported by evidence from the German survivors, British eyewitnesses and the dives to the wreck

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Rome Rules the Waves – A Naval Staff Appreciation of Ancient Rome’s Maritime Strategy, 300 BCE-500 CE, James J Bloom

An interesting idea, examining Roman naval history from the point of view of the important late 19th century and early 20th century naval strategists, in particular Mahan and Corbett, as well as the terminology of modern naval warfare. Does a good job of proving how important control of the sea was to Rome, and the loss of that control played a major role in the fall of the Western Empire, although could do with being better organised  

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A Waste of Blood & Treasure - The 1799 Anglo-Russian Invasion of the Netherlands, Philip Ball

 A look at one of the least succesful British campaigns of the Revolutionary Wars, the Anglo-Russian attempt to free the Netherlands from French control that ended with a negotiated retreat, largely on French terms, after three costly battles fought in difficult terrain close to the Dutch coast. Looks at the reasons for the failure of the expedition, as well as providing a detailed narrative of the fairly short campaign. A good study of this brief but disasterous Anglo-Russian campaign 

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