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Books > History > World history > From 1900 > First World War
What did British combatants wear on the western front in the First
World War? From the idealized recruitment images to the coarse
trousers and ill-fitting tunics, Jane Tynan retraces wartime
culture through images and experiences of khaki. Photographs,
newspapers, memoirs, war office documents and tailoring ephemera
reveal the impact of the war on the tailoring trade. But the story
of uniform also involves the wartime knitting projects, the issue
of 'Kitchener Blue', Sikhs wearing khaki on the western front, and
the punishments given to COs. Military uniforms were designed to
make soldiers of civilian men and to rank them according to race
and class, but Tynan argues that neat images of men in khaki
concealed the reality that clothing an ever-expanding army involved
compromise, resistance and improvisation. Uniforms transformed men
and war changed British society. This book tells the story of
British army clothing during wartime and offers insights into why
khaki has endured as the symbol of modern militarism.
A woman in Iraq
This book of a woman's ordeal at the hands of Arabs in post First
World War Mesopotamia (now modern day Iraq) is such a riveting
account that to describe too much would be to spoil the experience
for the reader. The young wife and mother, Zetton Buchanan, had
joined her husband, Captain 'Billy' Buchanan of the RAF, on his
eastern posting with a degree of expectation and sense of impending
adventure. Nothing she could have imagined would have prepared her
for the events that followed. This is a touching and inspirational
first hand account of a young woman's ability to cope with tragedy
and overcome astonishing difficulties. Although the narrative takes
place in the 1920s there is much with the pages of Zetton
Buchanan's book that resonates with the experiences of many in this
still troubled land. A recommended read for those interested in
women's issues.
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.
Piero Gobetti was an astonishing figure. A radical liberal and
fierce critic of Italian politics in the years after World War I,
he was fascinated by the workers' struggles in his native Turin and
by Gramsci's vision of a factory-based democracy. Gobetti proposed
liberalism as an emancipatory theory grounded in social conflicts.
"Revolutionary liberalism," as he called it, guided his opposition
to Fascism and, following his untimely death at twenty-five,
inspired key figures in the Italian Resistance. Accessible but
critical, this volume is the first English-language study of
Gobetti's political ideas and offers a balanced assessment of his
enduring significance.
Three invaluable and exciting accounts of the German U-Boats of the
Great War
Following the success of the original Leonaur volume concerning the
U-Boat War 1914-1918, the Leonaur editors have brought together
three more interesting and vital accounts for the sake of good
value and because, in view of their comparatively small size, they
are unlikely to see individual re-publication in modern times.
Here, in volume two, the first account is the journal of a U-Boat
Commander at war and its author eloquently describes his patrols
and his attacks on merchant shipping. K nig's account of the
'Deutschland' may be a revelation to many. K nig captained an
unarmed commercial submarine until his vessel was eventually
commissioned into the Imperial German Navy. It plied a highly
successful and lucrative submersible merchant trade to the still
neutral United States of America under the waters of a hostile
Atlantic Ocean patrolled by the Royal Navy. The final piece in this
trilogy of U-Boat accounts is an interesting and immediate account
which draws the reader inside the close community of the
submariners and contains much vital detail, dialogue and inevitable
humour. A tour-de-force for submarine enthusiasts, this special
Leonaur edition is available in softcover and hardcover with dust
jacket.
The Sunday Times bestselling author of Dresden on the most important city of the 20th century.
An almighty storm hit Berlin in the last days of April 1945. Enveloped by the unstoppable force of East and West, explosive shells pounded buildings while the inhabitants of a once glorious city sheltered in dark cellars - just like their Fuhrer in his bunker. The Battle of Berlin was a key moment in history; marking the end of a deathly regime, the defeated city was ripped in two by the competing superpowers of the Cold War.
In Berlin, bestselling historian Sinclair McKay draws on never-before-seen first-person accounts to paint a picture of a city ravaged by ideology, war and grief. Yet to fully grasp the fall of Berlin, it is crucial to also explore in detail the years beforehand and to trace the city being rebuilt, as two cities, in the aftermath. From the passionate and austere Communists of 1919 to the sleek and serious industrialists of 1949, and from the glitter of innovation from artists such as George Grosz to the desperate border crossings for three decades from 1961, this is a story of a city that shaped an entire century, as seen through the eyes not of its rulers, but of those who walked its streets.
This book presents a unique insight into an extraordinary period of
European history that had far-reaching significance for British
cinema and for the way history itself is represented. The work
collected in this volume draws from the best knowledge, enthusiasm
and critical insight of leading scholars, archivists and historians
specialising in British cinema. The editors are experts in the
field of British silent cinema; in particular, its complex
relationship to the Great War and its afterimage in popular
culture. As the Great War continues to fade from living memory, it
is a significant task to look back at how the cinema industry
responded to that conflict as it unfolded, and how it shaped the
war's memory through the 1910s and 1920s.
The single best work of reportage about the battlecruiser, ever, by
a war correspondent who was with Beatty's Battlecruiser Squadron at
Jutland. Filson Young: the Bob Woodward of battlecruisers.An
excerpt: Here, then, was the ideal type for which Lord Fisher in
our conversations had so often sighed; and I was secretly
disappointed when, on my mentioning Fisher's name, Beatty merely
smiled. And I was still more crestfallen when, a few days later, I
spoke of Beatty enthusiastically to Lord Fisher, he gave me a
blank, sour look and said: "Really? Never met him."I did not know
the Navy as well in those days as I know it now, or I would have
been less surprised than I was that the obviously ablest men in
control of naval affairs were far from seeing eye to eye with one
another, and even (what was more remarkable) neglected to make any
real study of one another's aims and potentialities. Naval thought,
where it existed, was divided into camps, each one regarding
victory over the others as essential to victory over the Germans.
Thus Lord Charles Beresford, whose best work in his retirement was
his untiring public advocacy of naval efficiency, gave one in
private a most alarming impression that the Navy was already
practically in German control; and one of his mildest views of Lord
Fisher was that he was a madman who, on the eve of war, had
deliberately scrapped the majority of our cruisers. Winston
Churchill was at one time probably one of the men most disliked by
the Navy at large; but when one tried to discuss his administration
seriously, one was told stories of his bad manners: as, for
example, of his going on board a ship, entering the wardroom,
ringing the bell and sending for the Commander - a solecism the
gravity of which one must have lived in a wardroom to appreciate.
And yet, one felt, it was not quite an argument against his
efficiency as an administrator. But all the naval officer saw was a
man to whose power our sacred naval traditions were committed, and
who apparently knew or cared so little for the smallest of them
that the greatest might well be in peril at his hands. The
anti-Churchill camp was a very strong one. He, on the other hand,
seemed to regard Lord Fisher as a dangerous genius to be caught,
chained, tamed, and made careful use of; Lord Fisher regarded him
(I am speaking of the two years before the war) as a politician to
be fought or flattered, made or destroyed, according to his degree
of adaptability to the great purpose.
The twelve essays in this book explore in depth for the first time
the publishing and reading practices which were formed and changed
by the First World War. Ranging from an exploration of British and
Australian trench journals and the reading practices of Indian
soldiers to the impact of war on the literary figures of the home
front in Britain, these essays provide crucial new historical
information about the production, circulation and reception of
reading matter during a period of international crisis.
Far from the battlefront, hundreds of thousands of workers toiled
in Bohemian factories over the course of World War I, and their
lives were inescapably shaped by the conflict. In particular, they
faced new and dramatic forms of material hardship that strained
social ties and placed in sharp relief the most mundane aspects of
daily life, such as when, what, and with whom to eat. This study
reconstructs the experience of the Bohemian working class during
the Great War through explorations of four basic spheres-food,
labor, gender, and protest-that comprise a fascinating case study
in early twentieth-century social history.
The experiences of American soldiers in World War I differed
enormously from those of European combatants. With the U. S.
emerging from its previous isolation, soldiers arrived in the
European theater late, fought briefly, and soon found themselves
among the victors. Exposed for the first time to a foreign culture
and bombarded by the messages of America's first concerted
propaganda campaign, doughboys and other American participants
struggled to make sense of their role and participation in the
war.
Mark Meigs here juxtaposes more official views--as expressed in
speeches and in The Stars and Stripes, army handbooks, and unit
histories--with informal, widely disseminated sources, such as
popular songs, jokes, and postwar fiction, together with the
soldiers' own letters and journals. Optimism at Armageddon begins
with an exploration of how Americans rationalized their involvement
and goes on to examine the effects of veterans' experiences during
the war, focusing on combat, cultural and sexual contact with their
European hosts, and death and concludes with the doughboys' account
of their return to American society.
The first battles of the skies
The author of this overview and analysis of the Allied air campaign
during the years of the First World War was eminently qualified for
the task. He was one of the first aviators on the 'British List, '
had been a balloonist before the war and, although he was not a
combatant in the truest sense, flew during the conflict on
reconnaissance over the battle lines of the Western Front and took
part in night raiding with the Handley Page bombers of the RAF. His
work considers the development and capabilities of aircraft in a
military role and the early theories for their application in the
Great War. This thorough history examines air to air combat as it
progressed in each year of the conflict. Zeppelin and other air
raids on England are considered together with the measures employed
to counter them. Bomber operations at night and the roles of
reconnaissance, artillery and balloon observation and the of the
newly formed Royal Naval Air Service and the aircraft's role at sea
are also given consideration here. This is a fine perspective from
one who was at the heart of the events he has written about. An
essential total view for all those interested in the early days of
the war in the air. Available in softcover and hardcover with dust
jacket.
British Images of Germany: Admiration, Antagonism &
Ambivalence, 1860-1914 is the first full-length cultural history of
Britain's relationship with Germany and the Germans in the key
period before the First World War. Representing a recent about-face
in scholarly appreciations of Anglo-German relations, Richard
Scully reassesses the assumption that the relationship in the lead
up to 1914 was increasingly fraught and reveals a more complex
picture: that a longstanding sense of kinship felt by Britons for
Germany and the Germans persisted right up to the outbreak of war,
even surviving times of acute diplomatic tension. This innovative
re-examination incorporates the reading of British images of
Germany in maps, travel literature, fiction and political cartoons:
forms which have never before been appreciated for the light they
shed on this fascinating period of history
Oswald Boelcke was Germanys first ace in World War One with a total
of forty victories. His character, inspirational leadership,
organisational genius, development of air-to-air tactics and impact
on aerial doctrine are all reasons why Boelcke remains an important
figure in the history of air warfare. Paving the way for modern air
forces across the world with his pioneering tactics, Boelcke had a
dramatic effect on his contemporaries. The fact that he was the Red
Barons mentor, instructor, squadron commander and friend
demonstrates the influence he had upon the German air force. He was
one of the first pilots to be awarded the famous Pour le Merite
commonly recognised as the Blue Max. All of this was achieved after
overcoming medical obstacles in his childhood and later life with a
willpower and determination. Boelcke even gained the admiration of
his enemies. After his tragic death in a midair collision, the
Royal Flying Corps dropped a wreath on his funeral, and several of
his victims sent another wreath from their German prison camp. His
name and legacy of leadership and inspiration live on, as seen in
the Luftwaffes designation of the Tactical Air Force Wing 31
Boelcke. In this definitive biography RG Head explores why Oswald
Boelcke deserves consideration as the most important fighter pilot
of the 20th century and beyond; but also for setting the standard
in military aviation flying. This book will appeal to enthusiasts
of the German air force, military aviation in general and World War
One in particular.
Organised chronologically by type, German Aircraft of World War I
offers a highly-illustrated guide to the main types of aircraft
used by the German Air Force during World War I. The book offers a
comprehensive survey of German aircraft, from the Albatros B.1 and
Fokker E.II of the early years, to the more sophisticated Fokker
D.VII and Junkers CL.1 of the final months of the war. All the
major and many minor types are featured, including monoplanes,
biplanes, single-seater fighters, two-seater fighters, bombers,
ground attack aircraft, night bombers, giant bombers and
floatplanes. This includes both well-known and lesser- known
models, such as the LVG and Pfalz single-seater fighters, the Gotha
and Zeppelin Staaken large bombers, AEG ground attack aircraft, and
the Albatross, Halberstadt and Brandenburg two-seater biplanes.
Each featured profile includes authentic markings and colour
schemes, while every separate model is accompanied by exhaustive
specifications. Packed with 110 full-colour artworks with detailed
specifications, German Aircraft of World War I is a key reference
guide for military modellers and World War I enthusiasts.
Drawing on examples from Britain, France, and the United States,
this book examines how scholars and scholarship found themselves
mobilized to solve many problems created by modern warfare in World
War I, and the many consequences of this for higher education which
have lasted almost a century.
A unique 1914 trilogy in one special edition
This Leonaur special edition, published to coincide with the
centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, collects three of
Edmund Dane's well regarded, concise histories of warfare Never
before published in this form, this substantial trilogy covers
events from the outbreak of hostilities in late July, 1914, to the
battle of Neuve Chapelle in early March, 1915-approximately the
first six months of the conflict. Germany had long planned this
war. It had its well equipped army's inexorable advance mapped out
in every detail, taking into account the French fortifications
along it's borders and the terrain to be traversed. German
commanders decided to march through the northern flank of Belgium
and present this as a 'fait de complete' to the Belgians, sweetened
by terms they thought would not be refused. However, the Belgians
and their small archaic army, fought back. This resistance, a story
of unparalleled bravery and tenacity has been substantially
forgotten due to the world-wide carnage that followed. The German
Army did, of course, advance through Belgium, into France and
towards Paris. The French Army fought as it stubbornly retired and
the small regular British Army was quickly transported to the
battle line. The B. E. F stood and fought at Mons, but could not
endure the seemingly endless supply of German troops thrown at it
or the vast superiority in well-served artillery at the disposal of
the invaders. A dogged retreat to the Marne was fought, with
actions around Le Cateau that saved the British Army from
annihilation. The British and French armies turned before Paris and
counter-attacked driving the Germans north over the Marne and
Aisne. Towards the end of the year the Germans stood at the First
Battle of Ypres-a pivotal engagement that marked the beginning of
the war of stalemate. From this point on the great armies of the
Western Front would gain little on the tortured battleground of
blood, mud and wire. Neuve Chapelle was the first of many
offensives that defined the conflict-typified by an appalling loss
of life for no significant gain. The days of mobility were over and
the armies began to dig into the ground for the long haul to
1918.
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.
"This dictionary is a model of its genre in both form and content
and will likely become for all large libraries the standard source
on the subject in any language for decades to come." RQ
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