Germany's 30-year colonial episode in Africa, the Pacific, and her enclave in China is a relatively unexplored aspect of the country's history. Under the young Kaiser Wilhelm II, rivalry with the old colonial powers saw the protectorates, originally...

While the introduction of the Merlin engine did improve the Mustang's performance and produce the bubble-canopied fighters with which we associate the name, credit must be given to the Allison-engined variants that preceded it. From its inception in...

In 1947, no one knew if it was possible to break the 'sound barrier'. The Bell X-1 was the tiny, rocket-powered craft that finally broke it. It was the result of innovative designers and engineers turning their attention from the pioneering jets of World...

Specially commissioned artwork and thrilling combat accounts transport the reader to the far-flung and inhospitable East African theatre of World War I, where the Schutztruppe faced off against the King's African Rifles. In an attempt to divert Allied...

World War II saw tanks assume a dominant role in warfare, capable of tearing through the enemy lines if left unchecked. To combat the threat posed by these armoured behemoths the United States developed the M1 Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher, better known as...

The Seven Years' War was the pinnacle of 18th-century warfare, with dramatic campaigns and battles, famous leaders, and wide variety of colourful uniforms. Compared with the later Napoleonic Wars, tactics were simpler, armies more professional, and...

In the years between 1776 and 1815, grand square-rigged sailing ships dominated warfare on the high seas. Fighting Sail is a tabletop wargame of fleet battles in this age of canvas, cannon, and timbers. Players take on the roles of fleet admirals in...

In December 1943 Monte La Difensa was part of the formidable German defences overlooking the Allies' planned route to Rome via Monte Cassino. In the First Special Service Force's first combat in the Mediterranean theater, the Force would employ its...

The battle of the Catalaunian Fields saw two massive, powerful empires square up in a conflict that was to shape the course of Eurasian history forever. For despite the Roman victory, the Roman Empire would not survive for more than 15 years following...

Step into the cockpits of the Luftwaffe's Bf 109 and the Red Air Force's Yaks 1-7, two fighters which were involved in some of the largest, fiercest aerial battles in history. The Iconic Messerschmitt fighter and its combat hardened pilots inflicted a...

In the early 20th century Britain's largest colonies established their own small naval presence, and their ships fought alongside the Royal Navy during World War I. These fleets were expanded during the inter-war years, and in 1939 the Royal Australian...

The story of Operation Neptune was, of course, more than just a tale of planning, building and logistics. It had action a-plenty and the emotive tales of bravery, ingenuity and determination by the crews of the ships involved brought credit to the naval...

This book examines those railways in Britain that served industry and had a track gauge smaller than the British 'standard gauge' of 4 feet 81/2 inches. Whether they were temporary contractor's lines or more permanent installations, these meandering,...

Whether they are still operational or long-abandoned, Quarries are often dismissed as eyesores. Despite this, they can be fascinating to visit, and provide an interesting link to a once-powerful and necessary industry. Although the Romans worked...

Flax has been cultivated for thousands of years to produce the fibre to make linen. This book gives an account of the processes and tools involved in the production of linen from flax. The traditional methods, when the work was done by hand, are...

One of the most basic of agricultural operations, ploughing enriches and aerates the soil, producing a fertile seed bed ideal for the germination and growth of a new crop. The technology of ploughs has progressed a long way from the primitive prehistoric...

During the Middle Ages siege warfare played a vital role in military strategy. Sieges were far more numerous than pitched battles, ranging from small-scale affairs against palisaded earthworks to full-scale assaults on vast strongholds. Needless to say,...

The very name El Cid sums up much of the special character of medieval Spanish warfare. It comes from the Arabic al sayyid, master or chieftain, and seems to have been given to Rodrigo de Vivar by his Muslim foes. But was it given in recognition of El...

In 1870, after completing a 1000-mile trek across Canada, Lt. W.F. Butler, an officer of the British Army, recommended the establishment of a 'well-equipped force from 100 to 150 men, one-third to be mounted' for the purpose of policing the North West;...

After Prussia's dismemberment a drastic re-organisation of the entire army was necessary, and the cavalry underwent this process with the rest. At the time of the mobilisation in 1813, the somewhat reduced mounted arm was supplemented by voluntary and...

The Lebanese Civil War of 1975-76 caused 80,000 dead and totally split the country along factional lines. An estimated 50 different militias came into existence, and acts of violence were both individual and collective. In the midst of this explosive...

On 28 September 1066 William of Normandy landed near Hastings and prepared to meet the Anglo-Saxon army of King Harold Godwinson. On 10 October 1066 the two armies met; and after six hours of fighting the Anglo-Saxon army was crushed and their king slain...

On the night of 1-2 April 1982, the Argentinian Junta led by Gen. Leopoldo Galtieri made its move against the Falkland Islands. On 3 April British Prime Minister Mrs. Margaret Thatcher faced an appalled and furious House of Commons to announce that...

In April 1756 the Horse Guards agreed, with some reluctance, to the addition of a single 'light troop' to most cavalry regiments. From their formation these troops were fashionable and treated as having a special character, and they became so useful that...

The epic conflict between Rome and Carthage remains one of the most compelling stories of military history. The wars included such legendary events as the crossing of the Alps by Hannibal, and the Battle of Cannae. Terence Wise's fine text details the...

The Byzantines had a remarkably sophisticated approach to politics and military strategy. Unlike most of their contemporaries, they learnt very early in their history that winning a battle did not necessarily win a war, and they frequently bought off...

Between 1869 and 1874, Edward Cardwell, Gladstone's Secretary for War, undertook major reforms to modernise the British Army. The Crimean War, and campaigns in India, had revealed serious administrative and command shortcomings. Cardwell's legislation...

By the end of the nineteenth century the fame of the Zulu was world-wide, and their army was one of the few non-European military organisations to have become the subject of serious historical study. Their very name is still synonymous with bravery,...

'There never was so fine an American army,' wrote second-lieutenant, John Sedgwick, in describing the troops under Major-General Zachary Taylor in 1846. Another then second-lieutenant, destined to see many more armies; U.S. Grant, also thought highly of...

Of all the world's seaborne military organizations, the British Royal Navy is perhaps the most prestigious. Protector of the British Empire and defender of British freedom, it has provided the template on which nearly all other national navies have...

In the wake of the Jacobite rebellions, companies of trustworthy Highlanders were raised from royal clans to protect the populace, deter cattle stealing and guard against any possible Jacobite incursion. Soon after its formation, the companies organized...

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 search out the heritage of the working canals.

This book seeks to preserve the memory of the coopers skills, tracing the history of the craft and describing and illustrating how a barrel was made.

It is often forgotten that in the early nineteenth century, before the arrival of the railways, Britain had the fastest and most efficient form of public overland transport the world had ever seen. By the 1820s, what had once been a hideous chore became...

Of the millions of enamel advertising signs produced between 1850 and 1950, only a few thousand survived and the authors describe and illustrate over 100 samples from their own collection.

This book examines the rise and fall of the picture house in Britain before the advent of the dreary and unadventurous multiplex.

For such a familiar part of the British scene, the telephone box is something of an unknown quantity. What is its story? Why is it the way it is? Who designed it? What came before it? This generously illustrated book answers these questions and more,...

The steam shovel was the forerunner of all powered, single-bucket, 'dry land' excavators and was the first machine successfully to replace the hand shoveller in loading wagons on construction sites. This book explains the workings of the machine and its...

The oldest keys known to exist date from around 4,000 BC in Ancient Egypt. These were simple wooden cylinders that were part of a mechanism to secure doors. By the time of the Roman Empire, metal keys were in common usage and had begun to adopt the...

Iron has been used for about 4000 years; it was essential to the industrial revolution and is still the principal metal of commerce. This book describes how iron and steel have been made from earliest times to the 20th century.

William Richard Morris, later Lord Nuffield, rose from humble beginnings to become one of Britain's leading industrialists and philanthropists, and it is to his career that Oxford's industrial standing can largely be attributed. Having established his...

Are you feeling happy, sad, excited, worried, shy, scared, or grumpy? Do you know why? This book will introduce emotions and show you how to talk about, share, or enjoy what you feel. There are lovely illustrations that will make you smile, frown, or...

Providing a unique glimpse into the experiences of regular British and French infantry during the French and Indian War, Stuart Reid reveals what it was like to fight in three battles at the height of the struggle for Canada- La Belle-Famille, the Plains...

When the Red Army needed to mechanize its cavalry branch in the 1930s, the BT fast tank was its solution. Based on the American Christie high-speed tank, the Red Army began a program to adapt the design to its own needs. Early versions were mechanically...

Whether you're a nameless Dark Lord looking to conquer the known world, a Champion of Light holding out against the forces of evil or a Northern barbarian facing claimants to a stolen throne, Dragon Rampant allows you to bring those battles to the...

The number of wounded in the First World War was unprecedented, and inadequate military planning presented the medical and voluntary community with huge and daunting challenges. Yet in the face of tremendous adversity both tackled their work with...

This book surveys the variety of types of motor vehicle mascots and badges, introduces the designers, outlines the manufacturers and discusses forgeries and reproductions.