Military history Books

An indispensable guide to understanding modern warfare, especially the decisions made by politicians and generals both good and bad.Has any war in history gone according to plan? Monarchs, dictators and elected leaders alike have a dismal record on...

The Crimean War was the greatest international crisis of the Victorian era, anda modern war of rifles, railroads and telegraphs. As it raged, two writers embedded in the conflict the young Russian officer Lev Tolstoy, and William Howard Russell, an Irish...

Oxford played a unique part in the national endeavour to defend Britain in the Second World War. During the Blitz and beyond, thanks to its proximity to London, the city provided an alternative base for civil servants from the Ministry of Food, the...

'Truly excellent...Goes into fascinating detail.' - Military History MattersThis is the little-known story of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, the women's branch of the Royal Air Force in the Second World War, and the vital work they...

The moment in the sun for special operations sometimes appears to have passed, seemingly eclipsed by preparations for potential conflict under the guise of 'great power' competition, combined with failure in Afghanistan. Yet the war in Ukraine serves as...

An intimate conversation between towering public intellectuals examining the contentious interplay between the Cuban Revolution and U.S. empire.An audacious revolutionary experiment in the backyard of empire, Cuba has occupied a vexed role in the...

Britain has historically been seen as an upholder of international norms, at least in its relations with western powers. This has often been contrasted with the violence perpetrated in colonial contexts on other continents. What is often missed, however,...

After discovering that her grandmother had pro-German sympathies, Ann Shukman resolved to investigate her grandfather Walter Runciman's 1938 Mission to Prague. This government-sponsored British delegation sought to broker peace between the Czechoslovak...

Britain and Russia maintained a frosty civility for a few years after Napoleon's defeat in 1815. But, by the 1820s, their relations degenerated into constant acrimonious rivalry over Persia, the Ottoman Empire, Central Asia the Great Game and, towards...

Jack Kennedy (Sydney), Stuart Walch (Hobart), Dick Glyde (Perth), Ken Holland (Sydney), Pat Hughes (Cooma and Sydney), Bill Millington (Adelaide), John Crossman (Newcastle) and Des Sheen (Canberra): eight Australian Spitfire and Hurricane pilots of the...

Secret Tactics offers ancient wisdom for contemporary readers - with new interpretations of Japanese martial arts classics.In the tradition of The Martial Artist's Book of Five Rings, one of America's most experienced teachers of karate...

"Irresistible . . . My aviation title of the year." - Rowland White"Stupendously brilliant . . . Completely addictive." - James Holland"The most explosive book about aircraft ever." - Jim Moir, aka Vic ReevesFrom the terror and exhilaration of First...

The incredible story of an Australian hero who helped save the life of a future president.On a moonless night in August 1943, a US torpedo boat commanded by Lt John F Kennedy, on patrol in Solomon Islands, was rammed by a Japanese destroyer. Left...

Who was Rome's greatest general, statesman, and nation-builder: Caesar or Pompey?Few people have had as many words written about them down through the centuries as Julius Caesar - the brilliant general who made Queen Cleopatra of Egypt his mistress. He...

Imperial conquest and colonisation depended on pervasive raiding, slaving, and plunder. European empires amassed global power by asserting a right to use unilateral force at their discretion. They Called It Peace is a panoramic history of how these...

**Shortlisted, 2024 NSW Premier's History Awards, Anzac Memorial Trustees Military History Prize**On 9 August 1918, at Chipilly Spur overlooking the Somme River, an entire British Army Corps is held up by German machine gunners.The battle has raged for...

Become a Better Martial Artist by Applying Lessons from the World's Greatest Military Strategists from Sun Tzu to Von ClausewitzLessons in the Art of War investigates the theories and philosophies of the most prominent military thinkers in Asia and...

Tale of Ahmedis a gripping fictional account of the dangerous journey of a teenage boy, Ahmed, who travels from Afghanistan, across the Middle East and Europe, to seek refuge in England.Author Henry Cockburn lives at one end of a long trail stretching...

Robert Salas, a retired United States Air Force officer, witnessed firsthand a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon) while visiting and disabling nuclear missiles. He shares his experience as well as the many incidents of similar visits during the last...

"10 Years Late", was the headline covering the 1985 parade in New York City. But as these authors and Tom Stack saw it, this parade really was the preface for the main event: the Chicago WELCOME HOME Vietnam Veterans parade on Friday, June 13, 1986. From...

This revealing memoir by the former president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians describes the long journey towards resolution for the historic injustice that deprived Japanese Canadians of their basic human rights during and after World...

Based on dramatic first-hand evidence, Deadly Betrayal uncovers why and how a cabal of Pentagon Advisors in the George W. Bush Administration created a fabricated justification to attack Iraq.The book provides a detailed insider account of how a Pentagon...

An original study of empire creation and its consequences, from ancient through early modern times.The world's first great empires established by the ancient Persians, Chinese, and Romans are well known, but not the empires that emerged on their margins...

Surprisingly, the remarkable story of the Scottish role in the discovery of the Northwest Passage a long desired trade route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific has not received a great deal of attention. This book charts the extensive contribution to...

Acclaimed historian Alistair Moffat sets off in the footsteps of the Highland clans. In twelve journeys he explores places of conflict, recreating as he walks the tumult of battle. As he recounts the military prowess of the clans surely the most feared...

"We're better off for having these men among us."-Wall Street JournalBefore 9/11, the rugby team at West Point learned to bond on a sports field. This is what happened when those 15 young men became leaders in war. Filled with drama, tragedy, and...

The great expedition to Sicily described in the sixth and seventh books of Thucydides' history can be depicted in a variety of ways. By some, it has been thoughtfully treated as an example of overreaching on the part of the Athenians. By others, it has...

An exploration of myth, legend, and origin stories passed from generation to generation.In the thirteenth century BC, a quarter of a century before the Trojan War, seven Greek warrior heroes went against the Greek city of Thebes to restore one of their...

The inside story of the most expensive and controversial military program in history, as told by those who lived it.The F-35 has changed allied combat warfare. But by the time it's completed, it will cost more than the Manhattan Project and the B-2...

An engaging history covering a century of conflict on the Korean Peninsula Korea at War recounts how two separate nations emerged on the Korean peninsula as the result of devastating conflicts involving provocative personalities and superpower intrigues...

The ultimate guide to the Japanese martial arts by the world's foremost expert! Author Alexander Bennett is the ultimate insider, having lived in Japan for decades. He holds multiple black belts in Kendo and Naginata, as well as PhDs in Japanese...

This is the little-known story of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, the women's branch of the Royal Air Force in the Second World War, and the vital work they did behind the scenes to ensure the success of some of the most important missions of the war...

The first volume in the landmark Official History of Australian Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor, Born of Fire and Ash is an honest, challenging and compelling account of the 19992000 East Timor crisis and Australia's response to it...

A captivating and wonderfully illustrated chronicle of one of the most influential and legendary names in gunsmithing history.John M. Browning was born in Ogden, Utah, in 1855, into a world of gunsmithing. His father was a gunsmith who was already well...

This book tells the story of Kazuo Odachi who - in 1943, when he was just 16 years-old-joined the Imperial Japanese Navy to become a pilot. A year later, he was unknowingly assigned to the Kamikaze Special Attack Corps - a group of airmen whose mission...

Ninja Fighting Techniques explains how to defend yourself against real-world threats using techniques perfected centuries ago by the great Ninja masters.Author Stephen K. Hayes is the world's leading expert on Ninjutsu techniques. In this book, he...

This seminal work by historian Alexander Bennett presents a broad overview of the Japanese "Way of the Warrior" as it is expressed in scores of classical Japanese texts written by famous Samurai themselves. Bennett's analysis of these writings shows that...

Modern Ninja Warfare takes a contemporary look at the stealthy methods of the Ninja (Shinobi) and how they can be employed to counter modern security threats. This book provides an ideal overview of Ninjutsu techniques for security personnel, military,...

Japanese swords, particularly those wielded by famous Samurai warriors, hold a continuing fascination for collectors of fine arts and historical military weapons. This book is designed to enhance one's appreciation for the wide variety of Japanese swords...

Ninjutsu is the most renowned and misunderstood of all martial arts. The long history of ninjutstu is often murky; surrounded by mystery and legend. Here, for the first time, is an in-depth, factual look at the entire art of ninjutsu, including emergence...

Samurai Tales is about the legendary men from the samurai class who fought for the helm of power in 19th century Japan. These are stories of courage, honor, fidelity, disgrace, fate, and destiny set in the bloody time of political change and social...

The Japanese sword is much more than just a weapon-it is a social and religious icon traditionally worn by the samurai warrior as an instrument of justice and courage, the sword was an embodiment of the soul of the person who...

Master the Japanese art of shuriken throwing with this illustrated martial arts guide.Japanese Throwing Weapons: Mastering Shuriken Throwing Techniques is a detailed instruction manual for learning authentic shuriken throwing techniques as practiced in...

An inside account of one of the most innovative R&D ecosystems of the 20th century, from the man who was at the center of it all.Over a 60-year career in public affairs, Vannevar Bush-engineer, inventor, educator, and public face of government-funded...

An eye-opening look at the source of the current wave of Saudi Arabian-sponsored terrorism, how it spread, and why the West did nothing. Here is the truth about ISIS, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and more. Lifting the mask of international terrorism, Terence...

#1 Best Seller - Over 50,000 Copies Sold Hailed by Israel's founder David Ben-Gurion, Days of Lead is a gripping best seller recounting the author's life on the front line during Israel's War of Independence. Exquisitely written with a poetically...

At the outbreak of war in August 1914, thousands of men from across the nation flocked to recruiting centres to sign up to serve in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). This figure includes approximately 1,200 Aboriginal people. The lives of these men as...

The raw, alluring beauty of the pearl and the stories of those who collected it form a fascinating part of Australia's national heritage. The Aboriginal trade and cultural significance of the magnificent Pinctada pearl shell had been well established...