Introduction to JavaScript Object Notation

Featuring specially commissioned artwork, this study breaks new ground in covering all the uniformed Soviet security organizations from the Russian Revolution through to World War II. While the average person reacts to the term 'SS' with justified horror, most do not realize that, like Nazi Germany, Stalin's Soviet Union had its own instrument of terror, the NKVD. The precursor to the NKVD, the Cheka, was central to the Bolsheviks' elimination of political dissent during the Russian Civil War (1918-21). After 1922 the Soviet state-security organs became the GPU and then the OGPU (1923-34) before coalescing into the NKVD. After it played a central role in the Great Terror (1936-38), which saw the widespread repression of many different groups and the imprisonment and execution of prominent figures, the NKVD had its heyday during the Great Patriotic War (1941-45). During the conflict the organization deployed full military divisions, frontier troop units and internal security forces and

Published to coincide with the 80th birthday of the Spitfire, this is the combat history of one of the most iconic planes ever built as it pushed on from the successes of the Battle of Britain and too

With Cold War fears mounting, the M47 and M48 were rushed into production – teething troubles were inevitable. In the decade that followed, however, these tanks proved to be the backbone of US armoure

Today, nails are such an ordinary and widespread object that it may come as a surprise to learn that the range of shapes and sizes available now is but a fraction of those made in the nineteenth centu

A detailed exploration of one of the most famous warships of the Ancient world―the trireme―and its tactical employment by the opposing sides in the 5th-century BC Graeco-Persian Wars.The trireme was a sleek, wooden oar-powered warship armed with a bronze-sheathed waterline ram. It was very long and narrow for its length and beam, which made the vessel as fragile as it was fast. Triremes fought in several crucial clashes of the Graeco-Persian Wars, including Artemisium and Salamis. Alongside developments that took place in the design of these vessels, naval tactics in this period also flourished, the diekplous being the best known (a manoeuvre designed to row between opposing ships and to turn about so as to ram an enemy vessel in the stern quarter). Such advances were to make the Athenian trireme an object of dread by mid-5th century BC.This fascinating volume vividly brings to life these popular fighting ships. Superb colour artworks reveal construction and design differences between

This new Shire Album is primarily an introduction to narrowboats. It is illustrated by modern colour photographs of boats on the inland waterways today and will act as a guide to those who want to sea

The organ has been called the king of instruments. This extensively illustrated book is an introduction to the organ, its history, design, and repertoire, and will be especially useful to the general

Since its introduction in the 1950s the innovative G3 battle rifle has seen widespread combat around the globe, from South America to Afghanistan. This absorbing study investigates the origins, develo

The perfect introduction to a style of architecture that has transformed the look of the modern age in America and the rest of the world, this book reveals Chicago's architecture as constantly pushing

This title will provide an introduction to the extraordinary range of conditions and challenges experienced by British airmen during the Second World War. The airman of the Royal Air Force served in e

During the nineteenth century there was a tremendous expansion of education in England and Wales. A combination of voluntary rffort and government action led to the introduction of a system of element

A new analysis of the technology and tanks that faced off against each other on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain, during the very height of the Cold War.From the 1960s onwards, there was a generational shift in tank design and warfare with the advent of CBR (chemical, biological, radiological) protection and a move away from HEAT ammunition to APFSDS. This shift confronted the growing threat of guided anti-tank missiles and saw the introduction of composite armor. Soviet heavy tanks and tank destroyer/assault guns became obsolete, giving way to the technological might of the T-62 and T-64, while NATO forces employed the Chieftain, AMX-30, Leopard I, and M60, plus the initial attempt at a common US-German tank, the MBT-70. Using detailed illustrations and contemporary photographs, this companion volume to NVG 301, Tanks at the Iron Curtain 1946-60 focuses on key battle tanks and their technology to give a comprehensive overall picture of how tanks developed during modern times.

Ever since its introduction in the late 1950s, the B-52 Stratofortress has been the United States’ primary heavy bomber and a powerful symbol of its immense military might. Its powerful electronic cou

Take the fight to the enemy with this new theatre book for Bolt Action. From the D-Day landings to the final battle for Berlin, this volume gives players everything they need to focus their gaming on

In many respects the most successful, versatile and widely-used combat aircraft of the post-war era the F-4 Phantom II was quickly adopted by the USAF after its spectacular US Navy introduction. It wa

The Light Armored Vehicle -25 (LAV-25) has played a significant role in transforming Marine Corps doctrine since its introduction in the early-1980s. The Marine Corps Light Armored Vehicle program was

Early Anglo-Saxon England saw some of the most important elements in the creation of modern England: the Germanic migrations after the departure of the Romans and the introduction of Christianity in t

The middle years of Queen Victoria's reign saw huge changes in society: the rise of the middle classes, the introduction of compulsory education and the growth of the labor movement. The Great Exhibit

First invented in 1830, the early lawn mower was hampered by the inadequacy of materials and machine tools available and its development and speed did not pick up until the introduction of chains and

The rapid development of the tank as an offensive weapon following its introduction in World War I gave artillery theorists cause for concern during the 1920s and 1930s. By the beginning of World War

A detailed exploration of the land, sea and air units that defended Malta, and the repeated Axis attempts to bring the crucial Allied island fortress to its knees.From June 1940 through 1942, Malta was effectively besieged by a joint Italian and German air offensive. The strategically situated Mediterranean island, and, to some extent, nearby Gozo, were subjected to one Axis air raid after another. Italo-German forces were expected to invade, but first the islands had to be subjugated. Malta was reliant for defence on antiaircraft guns and often-outnumbered fighter aircraft and dependent for survival on naval supply convoys. But, soon, the population was reduced to starvation rations. Anti-aircraft guns were restricted in ammunition use and fighter aircraft were sometimes grounded through lack of fuel or numbers. Against the odds, and at heavy cost, Malta was held.Anthony Rogers’ fascinating account of these desperate times explores the background to events, and shows how the Royal Air

Strap in alongside the Sabre pilots as they experienced the first large-scale jet-vs-jet combat. Brought to life with tactical artwork and first-hand accounts from the pilots themselves.The F-86A Sabre had entered USAF service in 1949, and in December 1950 three squadrons were sent to South Korea. Despite primitive basing conditions and overwhelming Chinese opposition, the Sabre pilots stopped communist air forces from attacking UN ground troops and allowed Allied fighter-bombers to operate without threat of interception. The ensuing air battles between Sabres and MiG-15s were the first since World War II, and the last in recent times to involve large numbers of jet fighters in direct confrontation. In all of them the victorious F-86 pilots demonstrated the superiority of their training and tactics and the outstanding qualities of their Sabres. Relive these dramatic encounters in the skies over Korea through the words of the pilots themselves and exciting ribbon diagrams which expertly

This study explores the organization, history and uniforms of the Soviet Red Army during the 20 years between its victory in the Civil War and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941.The two decades following the Bolshevik victory over the “Whites” in the Russian Civil War saw widespread and fundamental developments for the Red Army. Nevertheless, these still left it largely unready to face the German’s Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. Having been reduced in size and planning for modernization, the Red Army of the 1920s was employed to ruthlessly crush anti-Bolshevik opposition (real or suspected) in several regions of the USSR, notably Ukraine and Central Asia, and to fight a brief border war against Chinese Manchuria.During the 1930s, Stalin virtually “beheaded” the army by a needless series of murderous purges of the officer class; despite this, the Red Army was victorious in clashes against Imperial Japan in the Nomonhan region in 1938–39, where General Zhukov earned his spur

An illustrated study of the little-known history of the failed Allied bombing campaign designed to shatter German defenses on D-Day.D-Day is one of the most written-about events in military history. One aspect of the invasion, however, continues to be ignored: the massive pre-assault bombardment by the Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF), reinforced by RAF Bomber Command and the US Eighth Air Force on June 6 which sought to neutralize the German defenses along the Atlantic Wall. Unfortunately, this failed series of attacks resulted in death or injury to hundreds of soldiers, and killed many French civilians.Despite an initial successful attack performed by the Allied forces, the most crucial phase of the operation, which was the assault from the Eighth Air Force against the defenses along the Calvados coast, was disastrous. The bombers missed almost all of their targets, inflicting little damage to the German defenses, which resulted in a high number of casualties among the Allied in

Packed with illustrations, this is a study of the Polish warships such as the Grom-class destroyers that were developed and built in the interwar years.Newly independent Poland’s naval force was created in 1920, initially with six ex-German torpedo boats. However, after German-Soviet exercises off the Polish coast in 1924, funding for warships was hastily allocated. Two destroyers and three submarines were built in France but, disappointed with their quality. Poland ordered new ships, mostly from British and Dutch shipyards.By summer 1939, the Polish Navy comprised four destroyers, five submarines, one minelayer, six minesweepers and a handful of lesser ships. Although the Grom-class destroyers were two of the fastest and best-armed destroyers of the war, the tiny Polish fleet would stand little chance against the Kriegsmarine, and on 30 August three destroyers were dispatched to Britain, followed by two submarines that escaped internment. The remaining Polish surface fleet was sunk by

A new illustrated history of one of the key air campaigns of late World War II – the American effort to cripple Germany's oil production, and grind its armed forces to a halt.With retreating German forces losing their oilfields on the Eastern Front, Germany was reliant on its own facilities, particularly for producing synthetic oil from coal. However, these were within range of the increasingly mighty Allied air forces. In 1944 the head of the US Strategic Air Forces, General Carl Spaatz was intent on a new campaign that aimed to cripple the German war machine by depriving it of fuel.The USAAF’s Oil Campaign built up momentum during the summer of 1944 and targeted these refineries and plants with its daylight heavy bombers. Decrypted German communications made it clear that the Oil Campaign was having an effect against the Wehrmacht. Fuel shortages in the autumn of 1944 forced the Luftwaffe to ground most of its combat units except for fighters involved in the defense of the Reich. Fue

This is the second volume in a two-part illustrated study of the October 23-26 Battle of Leyte Gulf, which resulted in a decisive defeat for the Japanese.In the epic naval battle of Leyte Gulf, crucial roles were played by the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Northern and Southern forces. The Northern Force was a key part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's SHO-1 plan: its mission was to lure the US Navy’s Task Force 38 to the north, which would allow the Japanese Center Force to attack into Leyte Gulf. The success of this decoy operation would prove to be the most controversial part of the battle, with US Admiral William Halsey ordering Task Force 38 to head north, creating an opportunity for Center Force.The Imperial Japanese Navy's Southern Force (and the small, unattached Shima Force) fought the Battle of Surigao Strait on October 25. In this key clash, the Japanese were attempting to enter Leyte Gulf from the south, but encountered the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet, resulting in the last battleship

A detailed look at the deadly battle between US Navy F9F Panther jet fighter-bombers and communist anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) defenses that proliferated throughout the Korean War.The F9F Panther was one of the many fighters converted for ground-attack duties, following an established US tradition. Originally designed as a jet fighter, in April 1951 it became the first jet to launch from a carrier with bombs loaded, using them to destroy a crucial railway bridge at Songjin. The Panther’s four 20 mm guns were considered to be very effective for flak suppression and these aircraft were used as escorts for propeller-driven AD Skyraider and F4U Corsair attack aircraft. However, later in 1951, flak damage to Panthers increased as the Chinese established better AAA weapons to defend key transport routes. The communist AAA crews had heavy guns of 37 mm caliber and above. Gunners could use optical height finders, predictors and in many cases radar control. They learned to conceal their weapo

This is the second part of a highly detailed yet accessible two-volume history of America's involvement in Vietnam from the end of World War II through to the Fall of Saigon in 1975.No Wider War is the second part of a two-volume, accessible narrative history of America’s involvement in Indochina from the end of World War II to the Fall of Saigon in 1975. Following on from the first volume, In Good Faith, which told the story from the Japanese surrender in 1945 through America’s involvement in the French Indochina War and the initial advisory missions that followed, No Wider War takes up the story from the first deployment of US combat ground troops in March 1965 through to the fall of the South in April 1975.Drawing on the latest research, unavailable to the authors of the classic Vietnam histories, No Wider War follows the story of America’s increasingly heavy commitment to the war from the Marines on the beaches of Da Nang, through the 1st Air Cavalry Division in the Central Highlan

An illustrated history of how Japan devised and launched a new kind of air campaign in late 1944–the suicidal assaults of the kamikaze units against the approaching Allied fleets.As summer changed to autumn in 1944, Japan was losing the war. Still unwilling to surrender, Japan’s last hope was to try to wear down US resolve enough to reach a negotiated settlement. Extraordinary measures seemed necessary, and the most extraordinary was the formation of Special Attack Units – known to the Allies as the kamikazes.The concept of organized suicide squadrons was first raised on June 15, 1944. By August, formations were being trained. These formations were first used in the October 1944 US invasion of the Philippine Islands, where they offered some tactical success. The program was expanded into a major campaign over the rest of the Pacific War, seeing a crescendo during the struggle for Okinawa in April through May 1945.This highly illustrated history examines not just the horrific missions t

A gripping study of the brutal urban battle for Budapest, which saw German and Hungarian troops struggling to halt the joint Soviet-Romanian offensive to take the key city on the Danube.The 52-day siege of Budapest was one of the most significant urban battles of World War II, the brutality and savagery of which has earned it the moniker of the 'second Stalingrad'. The Transdanubia region was strategically vital to Nazi Germany for its raw materials and industry, and because of the bridgehead it allowed into Austria. As a result, Hitler declared Budapest a fortress city in early December 1944. The battle for the city pitted 90,000 German and Hungarian troops against 170,000 Soviet (2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts) and Romanian attackers. The operations to take the city ran across several phases, from the initial Soviet approach to Budapest commencing in late October 1944, through the encirclement of city first on the Pest side of the Danube, and then on the Buda bank, and on to the savage

This highly illustrated volume tells the inside story of the rifles carried by snipers of all the major powers during World War I.Although military sharpshooting had existed since the 18th century, in 1914 only the German and Austro-Hungarian armies fielded trained snipers armed with scoped rifles. Thus upon the outbreak of World War I, the Allied armies found themselves on the receiving end of a shooting war to which they had no means of response. Only the Canadians brought a dedicated sniping rifle into the trenches, but in small numbers. For the British, although production of a suitable rifle and scope were settled on quickly, the establishment of sniper training was difficult and its success was mostly due to the efforts of a handful of dedicated officers. The French eventually introduced a competent scoped rifle and a sniper training system, as did the Italians. Entering the war in 1917, the Americans experienced rifle shortages but were able to build on their pre-1914 efforts to

This is the story of the daring prison break by British, Australian and New Zealand bomber pilots, who blew holes into Amiens jail to free French Resistance prisoners during World War II.Early 1944 was a time of massive intelligence activity across northern France in advance of D-Day. Large numbers of résistants were being captured by the Germans and imprisoned in gaols across northern France. Among these was Amiens. The raid was mounted as a debt of honour by MI6 and the RAF to try to free prisoners who would otherwise be executed by the Germans for what was considered traitorous activity.MI6 requested an exceptionally precise air raid, to blow holes in the prison walls, free as many men and women as possible, minimize casualties among the prisoners and hit the German guards’ quarters. The RAF decided that, with the fast and accurate Mosquito light bomber, the raid had a good chance of success. This resulted in the creation of a Mosquito wing that comprised British, Australian and New

A study of the Macchi Folgore and Veltro, the most successful Italian fighters in World War II. The book looks at how the fighters were conceived, their performance and their pilots’ stories.Italian fighters, such as the Fiat G.50 and Macchi C.200, had always struggled with their straight-line speed and restricted armament when engaging their Allied counterparts. To solve these problems, Macchi initially designed the C.202 Folgore using German engines, which contributed to create a faster aircraft, with a superior rate of climb and reachable altitude. Folgore’s success in various North African engagements then paved the way for the development of Macchi’s most successful fighter, the C.205V Veltro, which managed to combine increased speed and increased power. Packed with specially commissioned artwork and original photos, and written by Italian military aviation specialist Marco Mattioli, this fascinating book explores how the premier Italian fighter of the war came to life and the his

The history of Nazi Germany’s attempt to build a modern aircraft carrier, and the other aviation ships that Germany and Italy designed or operated.The quest for a modern aircraft carrier was the ultimate symbol of the Axis powers’ challenge to Allied naval might, but fully-fledged carriers proved either too difficult, expensive, or politically unpopular for either to make operational. After the Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935, Hitler publicly stated his intention to build an aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin, which was launched in 1938. A year later, the ambitious fleet-expansion Z-Plan, was unveiled with two additional aircraft carriers earmarked for production. However, by the beginning of World War II, Graf Zeppelin was not yet completed and work was halted. Further aircraft carrier designs and conversion projects such as the ocean liner Europa and heavy cruiser Seydlitz were considered but, in January 1943, all construction work on surface vessels ceased and naval resources

The Fw 190D-9 -- the 'long-nosed' Dora -- represented the cutting edge and pinnacle of wartime Germany's piston-engine aviation development. This new history by leading German aviation specialist Robert Forsyth reveals what it was like to pilot her in combat as Germany desperately battled to remain in the war. Arguably one of the finest piston-engined fighters ever built, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 raised the bar in terms of aircraft design and operational capability during World War II. Designed by Kurt Tank, the 'long-nosed' Fw 190D9 'Dora' bettered most of the fighters that the Allied and Soviet air forces could field when it first appeared in the skies over the Western and Eastern Fronts in 1944. Indeed, with experienced German pilots at the controls it proved to be an immediate match for even the later-mark Griffon Spitfire and the P-51D/K. Well-armed, with two 13mm machine guns and two 20mm cannon, the D-9 began to equip Luftwaffe units from August 1944. Later on in the war, one of

Throughout the first year of the war in the Pacific during World War II the USAAF was relatively ineffective against ships. Indeed, warships in particular proved to be too elusive for conventional medium-level bombing. High-level attacks wasted bombs, and torpedo attacks required extensive training. But as 1942 closed, the Fifth Air Force developed new weapons and new tactics that were not just effective, they were deadly. A maintenance officer assigned to a B-25 unit found a way to fill the bombardier's position with four 0.50-cal machine guns and strap an additional four 0.50s to the sides of the bomber, firing forward. Additionally, skip-bombing was developed. This called for mast-top height approaches flying the length of the target ship. If the bombs missed the target, they exploded in the water close enough to crush the sides. The technique worked perfectly when paired with "strafe" B-25s. Over the first two months of 1943, squadrons perfected these tactics. Then, in early March,

This long-awaited addition to the Campaign series addresses the bloody fighting in Hue, South Vietnam, during theCommunists' 1968 Tet Offensive. Hue was the ancient capital of Vietnam, and as such, had been previously avoided byboth sides, thus it had not seen any serious fighting prior to 1968. All that changed on the night of 31 January that yearwhen four North Vietnamese battalions and supporting Viet Cong units simultaneously attacked and occupied both partsof the city, which straddled the Perfume River. The Communist forces dug in and prepared to defend their hold on the city. US Marines and a small group of South Vietnamese soldiers were ordered to clear the city. An epic battle ensued as thecombat raged from house to house and door to door. It was a bloody fight and resulted in large-scale destruction of Hue.Eventually, the Marines and the South Vietnamese forces retook the city, but it turned out to be one of the most important battles of the war.

This informative study explores the Soviet invasion of Finland, detailing the events of the Winter War of November 1939 to March 1940. The invasion was expected to be swift and decisive, however, the

This new title tells the story of Japan's long-range air campaign to destroy the "Cactus Air Force" on Guadalcanal, why Henderson Field was so vital to both sides, and how the Allies defeated the prev