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Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > Military life & institutions

Command and Control: The Sociotechnical Perspective (Hardcover, New Ed): Guy H. Walker, Neville A. Stanton, Daniel P. Jenkins Command and Control: The Sociotechnical Perspective (Hardcover, New Ed)
Guy H. Walker, Neville A. Stanton, Daniel P. Jenkins
R4,502 Discovery Miles 45 020 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Military command and control is not merely evolving, it is co-evolving. Technology is creating new opportunities for different types of command and control, and new types of command and control are creating new aspirations for technology. The question is how to manage this process, how to achieve a jointly optimised blend of socio and technical and create the kind of agility and self-synchronisation that modern forms of command and control promise. The answer put forward in this book is to re-visit sociotechnical systems theory. In doing so, the problems of 21st century command and control can be approached from an alternative, multi-disciplinary and above all human-centred perspective. Human factors (HF) is also co-evolving. The traditional conception of the field is to serve as a conduit for knowledge between engineering and psychology yet 21st century command and control presents an altogether different challenge. Viewing military command and control through the lens of sociotechnical theory forces us to confront difficult questions about the non-linear nature of people and technology: technology is changing, from platform centric to network centric; the interaction with that technology is changing, from prescribed to exploratory; and complexity is increasing, from behaviour that is linear to that which is emergent. The various chapters look at this transition and draw out ways in which sociotechnical systems theory can help to understand it. The sociotechnical perspective reveals itself as part of a conceptual toolkit through which military command and control can be transitioned, from notions of bureaucratic, hierarchical ways of operating to the devolved, agile, self-synchronising behaviour promised by modern forms of command and control like Network Enabled Capability (NEC). Sociotechnical system theory brings with it a sixty year legacy of practical application and this real-world grounding in business process re-engineering underlies the entire book. An attempt has been made to bring a set of sometimes abstract (but no less useful) principles down to the level of easy examples, design principles, evaluation criteria and actionable models. All of these are based on an extensive review of the current state of the art, new sociotechnical/NEC studies conducted by the authors, and insights derived from field studies of real-life command and control. Time and again, what emerges is a realisation that the most agile, self-synchronising component of all in command and control settings is the human.

Service Members Separated for Non-Disability Mental Conditions - A Review (Paperback): Scott Norton Service Members Separated for Non-Disability Mental Conditions - A Review (Paperback)
Scott Norton
R2,029 Discovery Miles 20 290 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Non-disability mental conditions, such as personality disorders, can render a service member unsuitable for military service and can lead to an administrative separation. This book examines the extent to which the Department of Defense (DOD) and the military services are able to identify the number of enlisted service members separated for non-disability mental conditions, and the military services are complying with DOD requirements when separating enlisted service members for non-disability mental conditions, including personality disorders, and how DOD and the military services oversee such separations.

Distributed Situation Awareness - Theory, Measurement and Application to Teamwork (Hardcover, New Ed): Paul M. Salmon, Neville... Distributed Situation Awareness - Theory, Measurement and Application to Teamwork (Hardcover, New Ed)
Paul M. Salmon, Neville A. Stanton, Daniel P. Jenkins
R4,655 Discovery Miles 46 550 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Having an accurate understanding of what is going on is a key commodity for teams working within military systems. 'Situation awareness' (SA) is the term that is used within human factors circles to describe the level of awareness that operators have of the situation that they are engaged in; it focuses on how operators develop and maintain a sufficient understanding of 'what is going on' in order to achieve success in task performance. Over the past two decades, the construct has become a fundamental theme within the areas of system design and evaluation and has received considerable attention from the human factors research community. Despite this, there is still considerable debate over how SA operates in complex collaborative systems and how SA achievement and maintenance is best supported through system, procedure and interface design. This book focuses on the recently developed concept of distributed situation awareness, which takes a systems perspective on the concept and moves the focus on situation awareness out of the heads of individual operators and on to the overall joint cognitive system consisting of human and technological agents. Situation awareness is viewed as an emergent property of collaborative systems, something that resides in the interaction between elements of the system and not in the heads of individual operators working in that system. The first part of the book presents a comprehensive review and critique of existing SA theory and measurement approaches, following which a novel model for complex collaborative systems, the distributed SA model, and a new modelling procedure, the propositional network approach, are outlined and demonstrated. The next part focuses on real-world applications of the model and modelling procedure, and presents four case studies undertaken in the land warfare, multinational warfare and energy distribution domains. Each case study is described in terms of the domain in question, the methodology employed, and the findings derived in relation to situation awareness theory. The third and final part of the book then concentrates on theoretical development, and uses the academic literature and the findings from the case study applications to validate and extend the distributed SA model described at the beginning of the book. In closing, the utility of the distributed SA model and modeling procedure are outlined and a series of initial guidelines for supporting distributed SA through system design are articulated.

The Longest Day - The D-Day Story, June 6th, 1944 (Paperback): Cornelius Ryan The Longest Day - The D-Day Story, June 6th, 1944 (Paperback)
Cornelius Ryan
R524 R428 Discovery Miles 4 280 Save R96 (18%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

6 June, 1944. 156,000 troops from 12 different countries, 11,000 aircraft, 7,000 naval vessels, 24 hours. D-Day - the beginning of the Allied invasion of Hitler's formidable 'Fortress Europe' - was the largest amphibious invasion in history. There has never been a battle like it, before or since. But beyond the statistics and over sixty years on, what is it about the events of D-Day that remain so compelling? The courage of the men who fought and died on the beaches of France? The sheer boldness of the invasion plan? Or the fact that this, Rommel's 'longest day', heralded the beginning of the end of World War II? One of the defining battles of the war, D-Day is scored into the imagination as the moment when the darkness of the Third Reich began to be swept away. This is the story of D-Day, told through the voices of over 1,000 survivors - from high-ranking Allied and German officers, to the paratroopers who landed in Normandy before dawn, the infantry who struggled ashore and the German troops who defended the coast. Cornelius Ryan captures the horror and the glory of D-Day, relating in emotive and compelling detail the years of inspired tactical planning that led up to the invasion, its epic implementation and every stroke of luck and individual act of heroism that would later define the battle. In the words of its author, The Longest Day is a story not of war, but of the courage of men.

Soviet Naval Infantry 1917-91 (Paperback): David Greentree Soviet Naval Infantry 1917-91 (Paperback)
David Greentree; Illustrated by Johnny Shumate
R467 R383 Discovery Miles 3 830 Save R84 (18%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

Drawing upon Soviet sources, this book assesses the evolving organization, uniforms, insignia, weaponry and personal equipment of Soviet naval infantry units from 1917 to 1991. Featuring eight plates of specially commissioned artwork alongside carefully chosen archive photographs, this study charts the history and appearance of the Soviet Union's naval infantry, from the October Revolution to the end of the Soviet era. Although Russian naval infantry achieved fame during the October Revolution they were quickly disbanded, only being re-established in 1939. Following the Axis invasion of 1941 some 500,000 Soviet Navy personnel served on land, fighting in the defence of Leningrad, Odessa and Sevastopol and the recapture of the Crimea in 1943-44; Soviet naval troops also participated in the invasion of Manchuria in 1945. During the Cold War era the Soviet Union developed an amphibious assault capability that had a vital strategic role - to capture an aggressor's geographical exits to the oceans and thereby forestall threats to Soviet submarine bases. Naval infantry forces could deploy a wealth of firepower assets, while the use of amphibious ships, hovercraft and helicopters aided their rapid deployment, even amid ice-bound terrain in the Arctic. All of these developments are described and illustrated in absorbing detail in this study.

American Soldiers in Iraq - McSoldiers or Innovative Professionals? (Hardcover): Morten G. Ender American Soldiers in Iraq - McSoldiers or Innovative Professionals? (Hardcover)
Morten G. Ender
R4,356 Discovery Miles 43 560 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

American Soldiers in Iraq offers a unique snapshot of American soldiers in Iraq, analyzing their collective narratives in relation to the military sociology tradition.

Grounded in a century-long tradition of sociology offering a window into the world of American soldiers, this volume serves as a voice for their experience. It provides the reader with both a generalized and a deep view into a major social institution in American society and its relative constituents-the military and soldiers-during a war. In so doing, the book gives a backstage insight into the U.S. military and into the experiences and attitudes of soldiers during their most extreme undertaking-a forward deployment in Iraq while hostilities are intense.

The author triangulates qualitative and quantitative field data collected while residing with soldiers in Iraq, comparing and contrasting various groups from officers to enlisted soldiers, as well as topics such as boredom, morale, preparation for war, day-to-day life in Iraq, attitudes, women soldiers, communication with the home-front, "McDonaldization" of the force, civil-military fusion, the long-term impact of war, and, finally, the socio-demographics of fatalities. The heart of American Soldiers in Iraq captures the experiences of American soldiers deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom at the height of the conflict in a way unprecedented in the literature to date.

This book will be essential reading for students of military studies, sociology, American politics and the Iraq War, as well as being of much interest to informed general readers.

European Military Crisis Management - Connecting Ambition and Reality (Paperback): Bastian Giegerich European Military Crisis Management - Connecting Ambition and Reality (Paperback)
Bastian Giegerich
R807 Discovery Miles 8 070 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

International demand for military crisis-management missions continues to grow and demand for troops continues to outstrip supply. Like other Western democracies, European Union member states, because of their wealth, relative military competence and commitment to human rights, bear a particular responsibility to expand the international community s capacity for action. But while the EU has succeeded in defining a complex military-technical and political-strategic framework to boost its role and that of its member states in crisis management, its performance so far has fallen well short of its ambitions.

This paper analyses what the EU wants to be able to do militarily its level of ambition and contrasts this aspiration with the current reality. To explain the gap between the two, the paper examines national ambitions and performance across the EU and analyses their domestic determinants using the examples of Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom. The paper concludes by suggesting that the EU might need to strike a new balance between the inclusiveness and the effectiveness of its activities in this area if it wants to increase its military crisis-management performance and live up to its declared ambitions.

Cultural Diversity in the Armed Forces - An International Comparison (Paperback): Joseph L. Soeters, Jan Van Der Meulen Cultural Diversity in the Armed Forces - An International Comparison (Paperback)
Joseph L. Soeters, Jan Van Der Meulen
R1,069 R651 Discovery Miles 6 510 Save R418 (39%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This volume explores ethnicity and gender developments in relation to the military.
In some countries, the armed forces have a long history in responding to ethnic diversity, while elsewhere it has come up only recently as a policy issue. An even-handed representation of ethnic minorities in the military is recognized as crucial for enhancing its social legitimacy and professional quality. The same can be said about the integration of women in the military, which during a few decades across the board has grown into more than just another issue of personnel policies. Indeed with regard to gender, the symbolism and sensitivities surrounding core identities are at stake - as with the presence of gays and lesbians in the military.
Written by experts in the field, the chapters cover fourteen countries around the world: the USA, Canada, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, South-Africa, Eritrea, India, Israel, Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands. Taken together, the armed forces of these countries offer a fascinating mix of similarities and differences in the ways they try to manage cultural diversity.
Cultural Diversity in the Armed Forces will be of interest to students and scholars of military studies, sociology, gender and political science.

NIV, Holy Bible, Compact, Paperback, Black, Comfort Print (Paperback): Zondervan NIV, Holy Bible, Compact, Paperback, Black, Comfort Print (Paperback)
Zondervan
R240 R193 Discovery Miles 1 930 Save R47 (20%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days
The Redcoat and Religion - The Forgotten History of the British Soldier from the Age of Marlborough to the Eve of the First... The Redcoat and Religion - The Forgotten History of the British Soldier from the Age of Marlborough to the Eve of the First World War (Paperback)
Michael Snape
R1,369 Discovery Miles 13 690 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This compelling study presents the most comprehensive examination available of the role of religion in the army during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Through extensive analysis of official military sources, religious publications and personal memoirs, Michael Snape challenges the widely-held assumption that religion did not play a role in the British Army until the mid-Victorian period, and demonstrates that the British soldier was highly susceptible to religious influences long before the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny rendered the subject of wider public concern.

In The Redcoat and Religion Snape argues that religion was of significant, even defining, importance to the British soldier and reveals the enduring strength and vitality of religion in contemporary British society, challenging the view that the popular religious culture of the era was wholly dependent upon the presence and activities of women.

Students of British history, military history, and religion will all find this an insightful resource for their studies.

Plenty of Time When We Get Home - Love and Recovery in the Aftermath of War (Hardcover): Kayla Williams Plenty of Time When We Get Home - Love and Recovery in the Aftermath of War (Hardcover)
Kayla Williams
R674 Discovery Miles 6 740 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Brian, on his way back to base after mid-tour leave, was wounded by a roadside bomb that sent shrapnel through his brain. Kayla waited anxiously for news and, on returning home, sought out Brian. The two began a tentative romance and later married, but neither anticipated the consequences of Brian s injury on their lives. Lacking essential support for returning veterans from the military and the VA, Kayla and Brian suffered through posttraumatic stress amplified by his violent mood swings, her struggles to reintegrate into a country still oblivious to women veterans, and what seemed the callous, consumerist indifference of civilian society at large.

Kayla persevered. So did Brian. They fought for their marriage, drawing on remarkable reservoirs of courage and commitment. They confronted their demons head-on, impatient with phoniness of any sort. Inspired by an unwavering ethos of service, they continued to stand on common ground. Finally, they found their own paths to healing and wholeness, both as individuals and as a family, in dedication to a larger community."

The Veterans Treatment Court Movement - Striving to Serve Those Who Served (Hardcover): Anne S. Douds, Eileen M. Ahlin The Veterans Treatment Court Movement - Striving to Serve Those Who Served (Hardcover)
Anne S. Douds, Eileen M. Ahlin
R3,907 Discovery Miles 39 070 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Veterans Treatment Court Movement provides a comprehensive, empirical analysis of the burgeoning veteran's court movement from genesis through to operation, and concluding with comments on its societal relevance. Beginning with the unlikely convergence of therapeutic jurisprudence with the oft-misunderstood warrior ethos that undergirds the entire movement, the text examines every component of veterans courts, weighing the cultural, legal, and practical strengths and limitations of these programs. Each chapter assesses key components of the court, including the participants, law enforcement, judges, prosecution, defense counsel, court administration, data management, the Veterans Justice Outreach Officer (VJO), probation, mentors, and the community. The book concludes with recommendations on how these courts can further integrate with communities, maximize efficiency, and improve. The book shows how veterans courts seek to serve veterans' legal, social, and psychological needs, and how they serve more than just offending veterans by allowing law-abiding veterans, many of whom suffered greatly when they transitioned out of military service, to exorcize their own demons and integrate their experiences into a socially recognized system of care. Incorporating program evaluation with sociological considerations, this monograph offers a comprehensive, considered examination of how - and why - these courts operate, and provides a foundation for future development. The volume provides essential background for scholars studying law and the criminal courts, as well as policymakers, judges, academics, students, and practitioners concerned with effective jurisprudence.

Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Uniforms of the 19th Century (Hardcover): Kiley & Black Smith Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Uniforms of the 19th Century (Hardcover)
Kiley & Black Smith
R702 R554 Discovery Miles 5 540 Save R148 (21%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The uniforms from the 19th century are some of the most colourful and varied in the history of uniformology. In this book there are artworks of familiar Austrian hussars, Prussian dragoons, French chasseurs, American continentals and British grenadiers, but also Boer farmers, Zulu, Apache and Souix warriors, Boxers from the Chinese rebellion, and rebel Sepoys from the Great Indian mutiny. As well as illustrations of the uniforms, equipment and kit, the expert text examines the organization, tactics and experience of the men-at-arms of these pivotal times, where a century of war saw the beginning of a new era. This volume presents not only a unique visual directory of uniforms, but an evocative portrait of the political, military and social contexts of the soldiers of the time.

Cultural Diversity in the Armed Forces - An International Comparison (Hardcover, 1. Auf. 1994. K): Joseph L. Soeters, Jan Van... Cultural Diversity in the Armed Forces - An International Comparison (Hardcover, 1. Auf. 1994. K)
Joseph L. Soeters, Jan Van Der Meulen
R1,279 Discovery Miles 12 790 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This volume explores ethnicity and gender developments in relation to the military. In some countries, the armed forces have a long history in responding to ethnic diversity, while elsewhere it has come up only recently as a policy issue. An even-handed representation of ethnic minorities in the military is recognized as crucial for enhancing its social legitimacy and professional quality. The same can be said about the integration of women in the military, which during a few decades across the board has grown into more than just another issue of personnel policies. Indeed with regard to gender, the symbolism and sensitivities surrounding core identities are at stake - as with the presence of gays and lesbians in the military. Written by experts in the field, the chapters cover fourteen countries around the world: the USA, Canada, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, South-Africa, Eritrea, India, Israel, Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands. Taken together, the armed forces of these countries offer a fascinating mix of similarities and differences in the ways they try to manage cultural diversity. Cultural Diversity in the Armed Forces will be of interest to students and scholars of military studies, sociology, gender and political science.

Uniforms of the Armies at Waterloo - Volume 3: Prussian Army (Paperback): Charles Lyall Uniforms of the Armies at Waterloo - Volume 3: Prussian Army (Paperback)
Charles Lyall
R700 R657 Discovery Miles 6 570 Save R43 (6%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

Drawn from authentic sources by the artist Charles James Lyall, one of the classic English uniform artists at the beginning of the 20thcentury. In 1894 Lyall launched a series of uniform plates on the armies at Waterloo in 1815. Lyall compiled series of numerous uniform prints of British, Indian and various European armies and epochs. His works can be found in the large uniform collections such as the Anne S. K. Brown Collection, USA. This volume contains a description of the 16 June 1815 Battle of Ligny that was fought at the same time as the Battle of Quatre Bras (see Volume 2 of the series). At Ligny, the Prussian forces met French units under the direct command Napoleon, who wanted to exploit the strategic advantage of the separation of the Prussians from Wellington's forces. Two maps from William Siborne's rare atlas facilitate understanding of the course of the Battle of Ligny. Like in the two previous volumes, the plates by the 19th century artist Charles Lyall are critiqued based on current knowledge of the uniforms, equipment and weapons. A detailed description of the Prussian forces' organization and uniforms supplements Lyall's illustrations.

The Gurkhas - An updated in-depth investigation into the history and mystique of the Gurkha regiments (Paperback): John Parker The Gurkhas - An updated in-depth investigation into the history and mystique of the Gurkha regiments (Paperback)
John Parker
R302 Discovery Miles 3 020 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Their ferocity is as legendary as their loyalty to the British Monarch and their regimental histories are crammed with acts of incredible bravery and sacrifice. The Gurkhas' particular reputation as fearsome fighting men remains undisputed and the mere threat of their kukri knives has put fear into the hearts of opposing forces throughout the world. The Gurkhas have been on the British frontlines since 1815 and these small but extraordinarily tough fighters have demonstrated their courage ever since, in battles ranging from the Indian Mutiny through Afghanistan to Kosovo. John Parker has fully updated his bestselling book to include the Gurkhas' recent operations in Africa and to celebrate their successful campaigning for British citizenship. His book is a fascinating testimony to a fighting force that stands dramatically apart in British military history.

Russian Military Reform, 1992-2002 (Hardcover, New): Anne C. Aldis, Roger N McDermott Russian Military Reform, 1992-2002 (Hardcover, New)
Anne C. Aldis, Roger N McDermott
R4,372 Discovery Miles 43 720 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Military reform has featured prominently on the agenda of many countries since the end of the Cold War necessitated a re-evaluation of the strategic role of the armed forces, and nowhere more publicly than in Russia. Not since the 1920s have the Russian Armed Forces undergone such fundamental change. President Boris Yeltsin and his successor Vladimir Putin have both grappled with the issue, with varying degrees of success. An international team of experts here consider the essential features of Russian military reform in the decade since the disintegration of the USSR. Fluctuations in the purpose and priorities of the reform process are traced, as well as the many factors influencing change. Chapters analyse the development of Russia's security policy, structural reform of the services, the social impact of military service and experience of military conflict in Chechnya. Critical evaluations of the impact of social change on the Russian Armed Forces' capabilities and expectations complement the analysis of the on-going debate. Russian Military Reform, 1992-2002 will prove invaluable to all those interested in civil-military relationships and international security as well as to students of military theory and practice.

Russian Military Reform, 1992-2002 (Paperback): Anne C. Aldis, Roger N McDermott Russian Military Reform, 1992-2002 (Paperback)
Anne C. Aldis, Roger N McDermott
R1,486 Discovery Miles 14 860 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Military reform has featured prominently on the agenda of many countries since the end of the Cold War necessitated a re-evaluation of the strategic role of the armed forces, and nowhere more publicly than in Russia. Not since the 1920s have the Russian Armed Forces undergone such fundamental change. President Boris Yeltsin and his successor Vladimir Putin have both grappled with the issue, with varying degrees of success. An international team of experts here consider the essential features of Russian military reform in the decade since the disintegration of the USSR. Fluctuations in the purpose and priorities of the reform process are traced, as well as the many factors influencing change. Chapters analyse the development of Russia's security policy, structural reform of the services, the social impact of military service and experience of military conflict in Chechnya. Critical evaluations of the impact of social change on the Russian Armed Forces' capabilities and expectations complement the analysis of the on-going debate. Russian Military Reform, 1992-2002 will prove invaluable to all those interested in civil-military relationships and international security as well as to students of military theory and practice.

Naval Mutinies of the Twentieth Century - An International Perspective (Hardcover, annotated edition): Christopher Bell, Bruce... Naval Mutinies of the Twentieth Century - An International Perspective (Hardcover, annotated edition)
Christopher Bell, Bruce Elleman
R4,426 Discovery Miles 44 260 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This volume brings together a set of scholarly, readable and up-to-date essays covering the most significant naval mutinies of the 20th century, including Russia (1905), Brazil (1910), Austria (1918), Germany (1918), France (1918-19), Great Britain (1931), Chile (1931), the United States (1944), India (1946), China (1949), Australia, and Canada (1949).
Each chapter addresses the causes of the mutiny in question, its long- and short-term repercussions, and the course of the mutiny itself. More generally, authors consider the state of the literature on their mutiny and examine significant historiographical issues connected with it, taking advantage of new research and new methodologies to provide something of value to both the specialist and non-specialist reader. The book provides fresh insights into issues such as what a mutiny is, what factors cause them, what navies are most susceptible to them, what responses lead to satisfactory or unsatisfactory conclusions, and how far-reaching their consequences tend to be.

Art Therapy with Military Veterans - Trauma and the Image (Hardcover): Janice Lobban Art Therapy with Military Veterans - Trauma and the Image (Hardcover)
Janice Lobban
R3,922 Discovery Miles 39 220 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Art Therapy with Military Veterans: Trauma and the Image provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and applying art therapy with former and serving armed forces personnel who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This book brings together experienced contributors in one volume to provide the range of information essential to those seeking to understand the complexities of working in this context. In recent years, art therapy has received increasing attention as a promising treatment for veterans with PTSD. This cutting-edge book provides vital background information on PTSD, military culture and mental health provision, and an effective art therapy working model. The text explores creative partnerships with other disciplines, in different settings, and includes first-hand accounts from veterans about the role art therapy has played in their recovery. This accessible book is a timely response to growing recognition of the value of art therapy with veterans, and it also addresses issues relevant to the wider population of people whose lives have been detrimentally affected by trauma. With chapters authored by leading clinicians in this field, Art Therapy with Military Veterans: Trauma and the Image will be of interest to all art therapists and mental health professionals working with traumatised veterans.

The Soviet High Command: a Military-political History, 1918-1941 - A Military Political History, 1918-1941 (Hardcover, 3rd... The Soviet High Command: a Military-political History, 1918-1941 - A Military Political History, 1918-1941 (Hardcover, 3rd Revised edition)
John Erickson
R5,484 Discovery Miles 54 840 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

An objective and documentary history of the earliest origins and formative years of the Workers-Peasants Red Army from the Civil War to the initial disasters of the war with Germany, the Great Patriotic War, culminating in the "battle for Moscow" in November-December 1941.

With Our Backs to Berlin - The German Army in Retreat 1945 (Paperback, 2nd edition): Tony Tissier With Our Backs to Berlin - The German Army in Retreat 1945 (Paperback, 2nd edition)
Tony Tissier
R325 Discovery Miles 3 250 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Based upon interviews with a wide-range of former German Army and SS soldiers, these unique personal episodes vividly depict the extraordinary circumstances of the Third Reich's final days as armies closed in from all sides. Le Tissier's interviews link the brutality of combat with the humanity of the desperate battles.

The Red Army 1922-41 - From Civil War to 'Barbarossa' (Paperback): Philip Jowett The Red Army 1922-41 - From Civil War to 'Barbarossa' (Paperback)
Philip Jowett; Illustrated by Stephen Walsh
R358 R290 Discovery Miles 2 900 Save R68 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

This study explores the organization, history and uniforms of the Soviet Red Army during the 20 years between its victory in the Civil War and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941. The two decades following the Bolshevik victory over the 'Whites' in the Russian Civil War saw widespread and fundamental developments for the Red Army. Nevertheless, these still left it largely unready to face Germany's Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. Having been reduced in size and planning for modernization, the Red Army of the 1920s was employed to ruthlessly crush anti-Bolshevik opposition (real or suspected) in several regions of the USSR, notably Ukraine and Central Asia, and to fight a brief border war against Chinese Manchuria. During the 1930s, Stalin virtually 'beheaded' the army by a needless series of murderous purges of the officer class; despite this, the Red Army was victorious in clashes against Imperial Japan in the Nomonhan region in 1938-39, where General Zhukov earned his spurs. Simultaneously, the Soviet Union sent instructors and pilots to fight for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany allowed Stalin to take over half of Poland in September 1939; but a few months later his 'Winter War' against Finland demonstrated serious inadequacies in the Red Army's readiness for modern warfare, which would be shockingly confirmed in the first days of Operation Barbarossa. Using rare photos and detailed colour artwork, this study explores the interwar history of the Red Army, describing its campaigns, organization and uniforms, and focusing on the 20 years between its victory in the Civil War and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941.

The Storms - Adventure and Tragedy on Everest (Paperback): Mike Trueman The Storms - Adventure and Tragedy on Everest (Paperback)
Mike Trueman
R403 R321 Discovery Miles 3 210 Save R82 (20%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In August 1979 twenty-seven-year-old Mike Trueman set sail from the south-west coast of Wales, en route to Cornwall. The young army helicopter pilot was helping to move his friend's yacht from Northern Ireland to the south coast of England. But as they sailed out into the Irish Sea, the sky turned progressively darker and the winds gathered pace. Over the next twenty-four hours the two young sailors battled to survive force-10 gales in what became known as the Fastnet disaster and which claimed the lives of fifteen sailors off the coast of Ireland.Almost seventeen years later, Trueman was at Camp 2 at 6,400 metres on Mount Everest as the May 1996 tragedy unfolded high above him. As stricken guides, clients and Sherpas tried to survive the fierce storms which engulfed the upper mountain, Trueman was able to descend and - using his twenty-four years of experience as an officer in the British Army - coordinate the rescue effort from Base Camp. The Storms is the remarkable memoir of a British Army Gurkha officer. Trueman, a veteran of twenty expeditions to the Himalaya, gives a candid account of life inside expeditions to the highest mountain in the world. He gives a unique personal perspective on the 1996 Everest storm, as well as on the fateful day in May 1999 when Briton Mike Matthews disappeared high on the mountain after he and Trueman had summited.

The Varangian Guard 988-1453 (Paperback): Raffaele Damato The Varangian Guard 988-1453 (Paperback)
Raffaele Damato; Illustrated by Giuseppe Rava
R320 Discovery Miles 3 200 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Varangian Guards were Viking mercenaries who operated far beyond their native shores as an elite force within the Byzantine Armies. Descendants from a legendary line of warriors, the Varangian Guard was formed after a group of Viking mercenaries made a major contribution to the Byzantine Emperor Basil II's victory over rebel forces in 988 AD. These 5,000 men were then retained as Basil's personal guard and would provide loyal service to many successive occupants of the imperial throne.
Commonly referred to as 'foreigners' (Etaireia), they were nonetheless absorbed into a new Palatine regiment under command of an officer termed the Akolouthos, who was either a Norsemen or a Rus (Norsemen colonizers of Russia). The Varangians wore mixtures of their native clothing and armor together with a splendid formal Byzantine uniform. But most famously, they always wielded their own traditional battle-axes; this became a sign that the emperor was on the battlefield in person. This is an insightful look of one of the legendary guard units of the medieval world, complete with a dazzling array of artwork plates showing the Varangian Guard in an array of settings from court ceremonies to the battlefield.

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