United States Army Center of Military History publication, CMH Pub 12-3-1. 2nd edition.Photographs selected and text written by Kenneth E. Hunter. Mary Ann Bacon, editor. This book deals with the European Theater of Operations, covering the period from build up in Britain through V-E Day.

The First World War at sea by Americans who fought in it
It's easy to understand why this book was originally published under the jingoistic title of 'Over the Seas for Uncle Sam'-perhaps edited by rather than 'written' by Elaine Sterne-for when it was written the subject was nothing less than reportage. The passage of time provides new perspectives on works such as this, and for that reason we have changed the title to alert readers to the unique nature of the content. Sterne's book contains fifteen first hand accounts by those serving in the United States Navy in the first American conflict of the modern age on a global stage. The United States entry into the First World War in April, 1917, (particularly in terms of it's immediately engaged naval contribution) was pivotal, if not essential. The Allied war effort was being strangled for want of materials as a result of the German U-Boat successes against merchant shipping, especially in the Atlantic Ocean. These accounts by serving men and women in the U. S Navy-including contributions by marines-are mainly from the enlisted ranks, with a few from officers. They are told in 'their own words, ' and enable the modern student of the period to read of the experiences of those service men and women whose voices-in the absence of a work such as this-would have been forever lost to posterity.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.

The First World War (1914-1918) marked a turning point in modern history and culture and its literary legacy is vast: poetry, fiction and memoirs abound. But the drama of the period is rarely recognised, with only a handful of plays commonly associated with the war."First World War Plays" draws together canonical and lesser-known plays from the First World War to the end of the twentieth century, tracing the ways in which dramatists have engaged with and resisted World War I in their works. Spanning almost a century of conflict, this anthology explores the changing cultural attitudes to warfare, including the significance of the war over time, interwar pacifism, and historical revisionism. The collection includes writing by combatants, as well as playwrights addressing historical events and national memory, by both men and women, and by writers from Great Britain and the United States.Plays from the period, like "Night Watches" by Allan Monkhouse (1916), "Mine Eyes Have Seen" by Alice Dunbar-Nelson (1918) and "Tunnel Trench" by Hubert Griffith (1924), are joined with reflections on the war in "Post Mortem" by Noel Coward (1930, performed 1944) and "Oh What A Lovely War" by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop (1963) as well as later works "The Accrington Pals" by Peter Whelan (1982) and "Sea and Land and Sky "by Abigail Docherty (2010).Accompanied by a general introduction by editor, Dr Mark Rawlinson.

Michael Stephenson's "Patriot Battles" is a comprehensive and richly detailed study of the military aspects of the War of Independence, and a fascinating look at the nuts and bolts of eighteenth-century combat. Covering everything from what motivated those who chose to fight to how they were enlisted, trained, clothed, and fed, it offers a close-up view of the war's greatest battles, with maps provided for each. Along the way many cherished myths are challenged, reputations are reassessed, and long-held assumptions are tested.

One of the most satisfying and illuminating contributions to the literature on the War of Independence in many years, "Patriot Battles" is a vastly entertaining work of superior scholarship and a refreshing wind blowing through some of American history's dustier corridors.

Controlling Sex in Captivity is the first book to examine the nature, extent and impact of the sexual activities of Axis prisoners of war in the United States during the Second World War. Historians have so far interpreted the interactions between captors and captives in America as the beginning of the post-war friendship between the United States, Germany and Italy. Matthias Reiss argues that this paradigm is too simplistic. Widespread fraternisation also led to sexual relationships which created significant negative publicity, and some Axis POWs got caught up in the U.S. Army's new campaign against homosexuals. By focusing on the fight against fraternisation and same-sex activities, this study treads new ground. It stresses that contact between captors and captives was often loaded with conflict and influenced by perceptions of gender and race. It highlights the transnational impact of fraternisation and argues that the prisoners' sojourn in the United States also influenced American society by fuelling a growing concern about social disintegration and sexual deviancy, which eventually triggered a conservative backlash after the war.

Possibly there is nothing more conducive to thoughts of the Eternal, than having one's face slammed into red, wet muck, with explosions so close your body arcs and bounces off the ground, hot shards burn in your flesh, and concussions are bright flashes of dirty fire beating a tattoo on the light receptors in the backs of your eyes. Your head aches; throbbing from visual shock waves.

Time has come to an end; there is no right, no wrong, only whatever follows a life that is now over. The dark reaper is here. What's it going to be like on the other side? Is there an "other side"?

The old timers use the maxim, "There are no atheists in a fox-hole." Possibly so; I can only give my own experience, and I never had the opportunity to be in one. Combat aviators crash and sometimes burn instead. But close calls almost always give rise to interminable questions; especially when the survived experience is seared into the human psyche.

For some, satisfactory answers never seem to come. For myself, may I pro-offer both scorching experience, and incredible life-lessons learned? Then, should you ever fall into similar adventure; you man go into it better prepared than I was.
JWV

During World War II, author Dale J. Satterthwaite was a B-25 pilot who flew more than seventy missions over Italy and France in 1944. "Truth Flies with Fiction," his memoir, presents a truthful, firsthand account of the missions and adventures of the real Catch-22 airmen.

A personal tale full of humor and tragedy, this memoir provides insight into the life of a B-25 bomber pilot, as well as the experience of being part of an elite and highly decorated bomb group. Satterthwaite was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross twice, the Presidential Unit Citations twice, and the Air Metal eight times.

Told through journal entries and letters written home to Satterthwaite's fiancee, Eleanor, "Truth Flies with Fiction" includes dozens of photos showing the airplanes in action, including the aftermath of the Vesuvius eruption that destroyed eight-eight airplanes at the Pompeii airbase. With a unique perspective, this firsthand account explains the equipment, missions, and tactics of World War II airmen and brings their experiences to life."

Following the myths and legends about Nazis recruited by the French Foreign Legion to fight in Indochina, Eric Meyer's new book is based on the real story of one such former Waffen-SS man who lived to tell the tale. The Legion recruited widely from soldiers left unemployed and homeless by the defeat of Germany in 1945. They offered a new identity and passport to men who could bring their fighting abilities to the jungles and rice paddies of what was to become vietnam. These were ruthless, trained killers, brutalised by the war on the Eastern Front, their killing skills honed to a razor's edge. They found their true home in Indochina, where they fought and became a byword for brutal military efficiency.

The conquest of the air-and beyond
This interesting book, which includes photographs and diagrams, describes the early years of man's attempts to gain mastery of the air. It chronicles the first, rudimentary attempts at flight in balloons to their ultimate development including their use during the Great War. Next came the age of the dirigible including, of course, the mighty Zeppelin. Allied dirigibles of the First World War are also considered. Most significant, however, was the development of powered, heavier than air, winged, machines and in this account they are described from their genesis with the Wright brothers to their use in the first great conflict which led to the creation of the air forces of the world. German and Allied aircraft are discussed, together with their various uses, applications and the deeds of the intrepid young men who flew them. There are not many accounts of the early days of aviation in peace and war so any addition to their number is welcome. This book was written before the potential of the aircraft had been fully realised and is an interesting perspective on how the first pilots, aircraft designers, manufacturers and visionaries saw them and their future in the opening decades of the twentieth century. An essential addition to any library of early aviation, this book is recommended.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.