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Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > General
The Peninsular War and Waterloo told in an ordinary British
infantryman's own words
Young Dorset-man William Lawrence had no appetite to be apprenticed
to an abusive builder. He attempted to sign on as a sailor bound
for Newfoundland, but when that failed he launched himself into a
military career in the 40th regiment of foot. He was now a
red-coated infantryman of the British Army at a time when there
would be years of continual war-first with Spain during the River
Plate Expedition in South America and then in the Iberian peninsula
fighting under the command of the Duke of Wellington against
Napoleon's invading French army. Lawrence adapted well to the life
of a soldier and was no angel. He stole, looted and absconded and
had the marks of the lash on his back to show for it. Yet he was
also the consummate soldier-a typical, tough, hard-fighting
component of the army that could 'go anywhere and do anything'. He
fought in most of the famous engagements of the Peninsular War
including it's most bloody assault at Badajoz. After Napoleon's
abdication Lawrence sailed to America, only to return in time for
the momentous battle of Waterloo of which he gives us an often
quoted account. This are Lawrence's entire recollections told in
his own simple dispassionate style-essential as a memoir of the
quintessential British infantryman on campaign during the
Napoleonic Age.
In the summer of 1940, the German Luftwaffe was preparing to
destroy London by bombing it for fifty-six consecutive days and
nights.
To spare British children from witnessing the carnage and from
possible death, millions of youth were evacuated from their London
homes and sent away to safe locations. For many boys and girls,
their lives would start over in new towns and often with unknown
families. Historically, the idea of evacuating an entire generation
of children, separating them from their parents, was
unprecedented.
This is the story of one of those evacuee children, Jayne Jaffe,
who at age nine, began witnessing the best and worst of humanity:
war, love, death, separation, tears, euphoria, destruction and
rebuilding.
For the first time, Jayne's remarkable journey is told with
compelling narrative by author Jon Helminiak in "This Token of
Freedom."
""This Token of Freedom" is an extraordinarily well written and
heartwarming story about family courage in a time of historic
global strife. It's important reminder of the upheavals wrought by
WWII on British parents and their children." "The British Literary
Society"
This book fills an important gap in the literature of modern
warfare by focusing on random elements in warfare often overlooked
in both the planning and execution of military operations—factors
that can turn certain success into devastating failure. By
definition, the unforeseeable cannot be seen, but one way to bring
more variables under consideration when planning a military action
is to review those instances where the unforeseeable changed
everything. For professionals and enthusiasts alike, Imponderable
But Not Inevitable: Warfare in the 20th Century does just that,
reviewing specific instances in 20th-century warfare when things
did not go according to plan. Imponderable but Not Inevitable uses
case studies to expose the "Inevitability Syndrome," exploring the
role of luck, fate, and randomness in influencing both victory and
defeat. In essays drawn from World War II, Konfrontasi, the Vietnam
War, and the Gulf War, a distinguished set of military experts
looks at real scenarios of inexplicable losses, illustrating why
nothing—nothing—should be taken for granted in war.
Exactly how did the Israelites cross the desert? How did Moses
cross the Red Sea? How did Joshua take Jericho, and how did the sun
appear to stand still at the Ayjllon Valley? No one has ever
analyzed the Bible as a military history Gabriel provides the first
attempt at a continuous historical narrative of the military
history of ancient Israel. He begins with a military analysis of
Exodus, an unprecedented and hugely significant contribution to
Exodus Studies. This book includes collaborative findings from
archaelogy, demography, ethnography, and other relevant
disciplines. As a seasoned infantry officer and military historian,
Gabriel brings a soldier's eye to the infantry combat described in
the Bible. Seeking to make military sense of the Biblical narrative
as preserved in Hebrew, he renders comprehensible some of the
"mysterious" explanations for famous events.
In late 1775, a few months after the first shots of the Revolution
were fired, Benedict Arnold led over 1,000 troops into Quebec to
attack the British there. Departing from Massachusetts, by the time
they reached Pittston, Maine, they were in desperate need of
supplies and equipment to carry them the rest of the way. Many
patriotic Mainers contributed, including Major Reuben Colburn, who
constructed a flotilla of bateaux for the weary troops. Despite his
service in the Continental Army, many blamed Colburn when several
of the vessels did not withstand the harsh journey. In this
narrative, the roles played by Colburn and his fellow Mainers in
Arnold's march are re-examined and revealed.
Final Mission is the true story about Rob and Sharon Sander's five
year journey to uncover the mystery of the final resting place of
Rob's uncle who was killed on his 50th and last mission over
Vienna, Austria during WWII. Beginning with nothing but a faded
picture of Uncle Bobby in his flight suit, which bares an uncanny
resemblance to Rob, the search led them across seven states and two
continents. Over the course of several years, personal interviews
with surviving crew members and letters written home from Uncle
Bob, assisted them in piecing together the chronology of events
that would eventually lead to their goal. As information unfolded,
Sharon began to experience visions and dreams affirming that they
were on the right path. Emphasizing the importance of love,
remembrance and the healing needed for families and souls subject
to the devastation of war, the reader will share as they find
themselves compelled to honour not just one fallen hero, but over
four hundred thousand fallen heroes. forefront the possibility of
reincarnation and ones ability to recognize divine guidance through
coincidence and synchronicity. The Cape Cod Times, a local daily
newspaper, chronicled their trip to Nuepre, Belgium in May, 2001,
as the first family members to ever hold a full military and
religious service for one soldier at the Ardennes. Later, it
received two first place awards for best human interest story of
the year by the New England Press Associates and the New England
Associated Press Newspapers Editors Association. It is Rob and
Sharon's greatest hope that Final Mission will reach out to as many
as possible, bringing forth Uncle Bob's message to remember the
price paid and the sacrifice given, that future generations would
live in peace.
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