On 9 May 1912 the first airplane take-off from a ship was made from the deck of the HMS Hibernia. In July 1918, seven Sopwith Camels launched from the converted battlecruiser HMS Furious damaged the G
A rusting antiaircraft fort in the North Sea. A German submarine base in France. A Flak tower in a Viennese park — more than 70 years after the end of World War II, its legacy can still be seen from E
With 30 million soldiers and civilians killed, the Eastern Front proved to be World War II’s bloodiest conflict. Drawing on rare photographs from the Ukrainian State Archive, Eastern Front in World Wa
When Europe went to war in 1939 the expectation was that this war would see a repeat of the scenes of 1914–18. However, the Wehrmacht was to change all that. Learning the lessons of World War I, the G
From their humble beginnings as a small, select band responsible for protecting the leader of the Nazi Party, to its million members and 38 divisions by the end of World War II, the SS achieved some o
Ever since it first appeared on the battlefield in World War I, the tank has had an awe-inspiring effect on the enemy. Tank Combat reveals how the tank has developed as an offensive tool over the cour
How to Survive at Sea confronts the daunting scenario of finding yourself isolated miles from civilization when stranded in one of the world's oceans. The book offers the reader a variety of solutions
How to Sail outlines basic sailing techniques for both the beginner and experienced sailor. Whatever your level of ability, this book is packed with useful hints and essential tips that will make sail
Who were the greatest commanders of the American Civil War, and what made them so? In The Great Commanders of the American Civil War, the best military leaders of both sides are pitted against each ot
Is the story of the United States that of George Washington, John Adams and Barack Obama? Or of slave rebel Nat Turner, of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King? Or Sitting Bull and Al Capone? Or Marilyn
Think of Paris and you might picture romantic images of elegant boulevards, bohemian artists and café society. Those aren’t wrong, but the story of Paris is also a tale of riots and revolution, plague
Piracy has been a curse of sea travellers and traders since records began. This wide-ranging book looks at the reality of how pirates lived and operated, from the ancient world right up to the pirates
Russian Tanks of World War II is an authoritative history of Soviet armoured forces before 1945, detailing their development, tactics and equipment from the early days of the tank arm in the 1920s, th
"Once the recorder was the first musical instrument that you learned to play at school, but these days the ukulele is becoming the most popular classroom choice. It’s cheap, light, easily portable, su
Crime has been part of human society for centuries. It has been punished in many ways: from banishment to flogging and the death penalty. The History of Punishment reviews the penalties imposed in dif
Death is universal, but each culture has found a different way of dealing with it. This wide-ranging book examines the compelling subject of death, funeral rites and burial in different cultures and s
The earth’s weather system is capable of almost unimaginable destruction. Hurricanes can engulf entire regions with devastating wind speeds of over 100 mph. Tornadoes have the power to lift vehicles p
Illustrated with detailed artworks of Japanese aircraft and their markings, Japanese Aircraft of World War II is a detailed guide to all the aircraft deployed by the Japanese military from the Second
Organized chronologically by type, Russian Tanks of World War II offers a highly illustrated guide to the main armored fighting vehicles used by the Red Army during World War II. The book offers a com
Is there anything more galling than a fat cat who got the cream? We all know of someone who has indulged themselves a little too much. How about Chuck Blazer, alleged to have collected untold millions
The SAS is one of the world's greatest military elite units and its soldiers are renowned for their ability to cope when under great physical and mental stress. With this book readers can acquire the
How to Fight Like a Special Forces Soldier is the most in-depth study yet of how trained soldiers kill and wound, and a complete insight into how human beings can be turned into deadly fighting machin
Twice a year, 150 anxious recruits gather at SAS headquarters in the UK, their minds focused on one objective: to become SAS soldiers in one of the world’s most elite regiments. Yet between arriving a
From the penguins of the Arctic to the flamboyant inhabitants of the Amazon rainforests, The World of Birds includes fascinating examples from all of the world’s major bird families.The entries are gr
For 150 million years, dinosaurs were the undisputed rulers of the Earth. Today, these great lizards still fire our imaginations. Dinosaurs profiles the creatures who lived during the great Age of Rep
Do you know your fibia from your tibia? How does the endocrine system work? Why does the body produce saliva? You may be able to vent your spleen, but what does it actually do?In The Human Body, disco
Following the ‘Big Bang’, it took the universe billions of years to evolve into the unique system of stars and planets that we know of today. Scientists have studied the planets of our solar system fo
Mammals include some of the most intriguing creatures on the planet: the big cats of Africa, the monkeys that inhabit the trees of the Amazon basin, the whales and dolphins that roam the world’s ocean
Six thousand years ago ancient Egypt was the cradle of modern civilisation. Powerful pharaohs built great cities on the fertile banks of the Nile, and employed thousands of labourers to create lavish
From around 750BC to 12BC, the Celts were the most powerful people in central and northern Europe. With the expansion of the Roman Empire and the later Christianization of these lands, they were pushe
Barbarossa, Leningrad, Kursk, Kharkov — the Eastern Front was the scene of the most decisive campaign of World War II and Hitler’s elite soldiers, the Waffen-SS, fought in the East from the beginning
Whoever has the youth has the future. My teaching will be hard. Weakness will be knocked out of them. A violently active, dominating, brutal youth – that is what I am after.– Adolf Hitler Between 1933
No military organization has fought as well against such overwhelming odds as the Waffen-SS, but few have earned such an infamous reputation in the process. Hitler’s elite proved itself in some of the
Since 1914 the art and increasingly science of warfare has become ever deadlier. Tanks have become more mobile and more protected, artillery has come to dominate battlefields and even ordinary infantr
No one can get past the German soldier.– Adolf Hitler For the first three years of World War II the German Army was a fearsome offensive organization, capable of subduing countries in a matter of week
No military organisation has fought as well against such overwhelming odds as the Waffen-SS, but few have earned such an infamous reputation in the process. Waffen-SS soldiers embraced the concept of
You may not think you know much about Norse mythology but you’ve heard of Valhalla and the Valkyrie, and of trolls and elves, and you’d certainly miss Wednesday and Thursday – named after Norse gods –
The divisions of the Waffen-SS were the elite of Hitler’s armed forces in World War II, but what is often forgotten is that their military achievements were due in no small measure to the hardware the
Illustrated with detailed artworks of Wehrmacht vehicles and their markings with exhaustive captions and specifications, The Essential Vehicle Identification Guide: Panzergrenadier Divisions, 1939–45
Illustrated with detailed artworks of vehicles and their markings, Waffen-SS Divisions: 1939–45 is the definitive study of the equipment and organization of Germany’s elite Waffen-SS divisions during
