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Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > Military life & institutions
For many years the magnificent color prints published by the firm of Rudolf Ackermann during the 19th century have been in the possession of lucky collectors. However, with the passing of many years these frail works of art have become damaged, or have perished, so that many are not available to those who wish to find and appreciate the work and care which went into these productions.
This book tells the story of the Frontline Walk, a sponsored walk across the former battlefields of the Western Front supporting the work of ABF The Soldier's Charity. The service charity was estalised in 1944, working with army veterans of every conflict and to support future generations and their dependants. This book uncovers the stories behind those who participated in the walks since 2014, why they took part and what it meant to them and how they discovered more about their forebears who very often served in the First World War on the terrain being discovered during these events. It also tells the stories behind some of those who have been affected by conflict and the work that the charity has done to help rebuild their lives. Illustrated throughout and with accompanying maps, this book can be used to uncover the routes taken and explore the stories behind those and the actions of the time with proceeds going towards the ongoing work of the charity.
Christian Samito writes in his introduction: "In reading Guiney's words, one can have a fuller appreciation of what motivated civilians to volunteer to fight a war and of the privations they suffered in service to their country." These are the collected Civil War letters of Patrick Robert Guiney, an Irish immigrant from Country Tipperary who relocated to Boston, Massachusetts. When the Civil War broke out, Guiney volunteered to defend the Union and, quickly rose from First Lieutenant to Colonel, to command the ninth Massachusetts regiment. A fervent supporter of Lincoln and passionately opposed to slavery, Guiney felt that, in his service to his new country, he was doing his part to gain freedom for the slaves. Being politically outspoken, Guiney was often criticized for his views by other Irish-Americans. His letters reveal not only the experiences and thoughts of an Irish Catholic soldier, but also the hidden tensions within his immigrant community. His views and observations not only illuminate his personal independence of thought, but also the political landscape which he tried to improve.
When Winston Churchill delivered his famous 'Iron Curtain' speech in 1946, he mentioned two words now engrained in Anglo-American terminology - 'special relationship'. Nowhere is the 'special relationship' more evident than in the scores of airfields used by the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. Today, just a handful remain in active service. Yet they continue to bind the United Kingdom and United States together. US Air Force Bases in the UK examines the history and continuing use of modern-day British airfields by the US Air Force. It also chronicles the many others that survived the Second World War, but not the passage of time. While most have been reclaimed by agriculture, one thing that still endures is the 'special relationship'. This book retraces its concrete paths.
In Living and Surviving in Harm's Way, experts investigate the psychological impact of how warriors live and survive in combat duty. They address the combat preparation of servicemen and women, their support systems, and their interpersonal and intrapersonal experiences. The text maintains a focus on cognitive-behavioral interventions for treating various combat-related disorders, and addresses psychological health and adjustment after leaving the battlefield. The text is logically organized for easy reading and reference, and covers often overlooked topics such as preparation and training of service personnel, women in combat, and the indirect effects of combat stress on family. This book is written by clinicians who have in some ways experienced what they write about, and resonates with mental health professionals, servicemen and women, and their families. Any clinician hoping to treat a serviceman or woman effectively cannot afford to overlook this book.
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) provides the Army s integral repair and recovery capability. Its soldiers are deployed at the front line and have to be capable of switching instantly from a technical role to fighting alongside those they support, as their many awards for gallantry demonstrate. This, the third, volume of REME s distinguished history covers the period from post-Cold War drawdown to the end of UK combat operations in Afghanistan, during which time REME was continuously involved in operations. The narrative knits together personal accounts of front line experiences with an explanation the political and military background, with a particular focus on equipment support issues. It explains how REME operates and deals with broader issues related to the procurement and support of equipment, and the changing organisations delivering these vital services, within which members of REME have frequently played key enabling roles.
Scottish Lion on Patrol was first published in 1950, the record of the 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiments formation, training ands service in the campaign that took them from Normandy to the Baltic. They played a key role in the liberation of Europe and the Regiment was unique in that it was in the forefront of the crossings of the Rivers Seine, Rhine and Elbe. The troops who landed in Normandy were highly trained but most of them had not experienced actual combat; however they very quickly learned the skills necessary to survive and defeat a cunning and resourceful foe. Full of eye-witness accounts, this is a true story of a real Band of Brothers, the original work being faithfully reproduced and significant new material from personal recollections which are graphic, moving and occasionally humorous.
Few brigades of the Civil War can boast of a record as distinguished as that of New York's 69th, yet it has never fully received the attention warranted by its record of military excellence, distinctive reputation, and the unusual perspective its members brought to the Civil War. In fact, the 69th was engaged in nearly every major action of the eastern theater; its military reputation was well deserved and its combat casualties, which are some of the highest of the war, are testimony to the soldiers' collective bravery and patriotism. In his post as war correspondent for the New York Herald, Capt. David Power Conygham was required to be an eyewitness to the many battles on which he reported - some of the experiences he would later describe when writing the history of the Irish Brigade. Conygham's account of the Irish Brigade is one of the best - filled with vivid accounts of battle, wit and humor, and an appendix of scrupulously gathered biographical data on the men who served the unit.
The public services and care being provided to our veteran citizens are rapidly changing due to the increasing number of veterans that live in our cities. There are more veteran citizens now living in America than ever before, and the veteran population is becoming ever more diverse. For this reason, cities throughout our nation are expanding their public services in scope and scale, as well as enhancing the quality of existing services. This volume documents these rapid developments in order to help our veteran citizens and supporting communities understand the evolving, dynamic, and innovative services and care that are increasingly available to them.
Following the success of his #1 New York Times bestseller Make Your Bed, which has sold over one million copies, Admiral William H. McRaven is back with amazing stories of bravery and heroism during his career as a Navy SEAL and commander of America's Special Operations Forces. Admiral William H. McRaven is a part of American military history, having been involved in some of the most famous missions in recent memory, including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips, and the raid to kill Osama bin Laden.Sea Stories begins in 1963 at a French Officers' Club in France, where Allied officers and their wives gathered to have drinks and tell stories about their adventures during World War II-the place where a young Bill McRaven learned the value of a good story. Sea Stories is an unforgettable look back on one man's incredible life, from childhood days sneaking into high-security military sites to a day job of hunting terrorists and rescuing hostages.Action-packed, humorous, and full of valuable life lessons like those exemplified in McRaven's bestselling Make Your Bed, Sea Stories is a remarkable memoir from one of America's most accomplished leaders.
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.
This is an innovative account of how the concept of comradeship shaped the actions, emotions and ideas of ordinary German soldiers across the two world wars and during the Holocaust. Using individual soldiers' diaries, personal letters and memoirs, Kuhne reveals the ways in which soldiers' longing for community, and the practice of male bonding and togetherness, sustained the Third Reich's pursuit of war and genocide. Comradeship fuelled the soldiers' fighting morale. It also propelled these soldiers forward into war crimes and acts of mass murders. Yet, by practising comradeship, the soldiers could maintain the myth that they were morally sacrosanct. Post-1945, the notion of kameradschaft as the epitome of humane and egalitarian solidarity allowed Hitler's soldiers to join the euphoria for peace and democracy in the Federal Republic, finally shaping popular memories of the war through the end of the twentieth century.
In this compelling new study of the disastrous 1940 campaign in France and Flanders, Matthew Richardson reconstructs in vivid detail the British army's defeat as it was experienced by the soldiers of a single battalion, the 2nd/5th Leicesters. These men typified the ill-equipped, under-trained British battalions that faced the blitzkrieg and the might of Hitler's legions. They were thrown into a series of desperate, one-sided engagements that resulted in a humiliating retreat, then evacuation from Dunkirk. This is their story.Matthew Richardson is curator of social history at Manx National Heritage and was formerly assistant keeper of the Liddle Collection at the University of Leeds. He has a long-term interest in military history and research, focusing in particular on the First and Second World Wars and on the history of the Leicestershire Regiment. In addition to writing many magazine articles on military history, he has published the following books: The Tigers and Fighting Tigers. He is currently working on 1914: Clash of Empires.
Sexual violence was a widespread reality during the war and the occupation in the Soviet Union: Wehrmacht soldiers and SS men made women and girls victims of sexual torture, committed rape and sexual enslavement. They also visited both 'secret' prostitutes and official military brothels, and had encounters with women who were forced to trade sex for protection or food. In some areas, they engaged in consensual relations, which sometimes led to applications for marriage permits. This book dispels the myth that military leaders, in adhering to the Nazi ideology of 'race defilement', strictly repressed soldiers' sexuality. Regina Muhlhauser opens up new perspectives on the complexity of wartime sexual practices beyond the Nazi case by looking at the whole spectrum of heterosexual encounters--forced and consensual, violent and non-violent, commercial and non-commercial. In doing so, she develops a more nuanced understanding of soldiers' sexual behavior and the ways in which military commands assess soldierly sexuality and integrate it into their strategic thinking.
What was it like to be a soldier on a Napoleonic battlefield? What happened when cavalry regiments charged directly at one another? What did the generals do during battle? Drawing on memoirs, diaries, and letters of the time, this dramatic book explores what actually happened in battle and how the participants' feelings and reactions influenced the outcome. Rory Muir focuses on the dynamics of combat in the age of Napoleon, enhancing his analysis with vivid accounts of those who were there-the frightened foot soldier, the general in command, the young cavalry officer whose boils made it impossible to ride, and the smartly dressed aide-de-camp, tripped up by his voluminous pantaloons. This book sheds new light on how military tactics worked by concentrating on the experience of soldiers in the firing line. Muir considers the interaction of artillery, infantry, and cavalry; the role of the general, subordinate commanders, staff officers, and aides; morale, esprit de corps, and the role of regimental officers; soldiers' attitudes toward death and feelings about the enemy; the plight of the wounded; the difficulty of surrendering; and the way victories were finally decided. He discusses the mechanics of musketry, artillery, and cavalry charges and shows how they influenced the morale, discipline, and resolution of the opposing armies. This is a volume that will fascinate all readers with an interest in military history, European history, or the psychology of combat.
Military Pilgrimage and Battlefield Tourism is the first volume to bring together a detailed analysis of professional military pilgrimage with other forms of commemorating military conflict. The volume looks beyond the discussion of battlefield tourism undertaken primarily by civilians which has dominated research until now through an analysis of the relationship between religious, military and civilian participants. Drawing on a comparative approach towards what has mostly been categorised as secular pilgrimage, dark tourism/thanatourism, military and religious tourism, and re-enactment, the contributors explore the varied ways in which memory, material culture and rituals are performed at particular places. The volume also engages with the debate about the extent to which western definitions of pilgrimage and tourism, as well as such related terms as religion, sacred and secular, can be applied in non-western contexts.
The Great War was a pivotal experience for twentieth-century Canada. Shoestring Soldiers is the first scholarly study since 1938 to focus exclusively on Canada's initial overseas experience from late 1914 to the end of 1915. In this exciting new work, Andrew Iarocci challenges the dominant view that the 1st Canadian Division was poorly prepared for war in 1914, and less than effective during battles in 1915. He examines the first generations of men to serve overseas with the division: their training, leadership, morale, and combat operations from Salisbury Plain to the Ypres Salient, from the La Bassee Canal to Ploegsteert Wood. Iarocci contends that setbacks and high losses in battle were not so much the products of poor training and weak leadership as they were of inadequate material resources on the Western Front. Shoestring Soldiers incorporates a wealth of research material from official documents, soldiers' letters and diaries, and the battlefields themselves, surveyed extensively by the author. It marks an important contribution to the growing body of literature on Canada in the First World War.
By the end of World War I, 45,000 Australians had died on the Western Front. Some bodies had been hastily buried mid-battle in massed graves; others were mutilated beyond recognition. Often men were simply listed as 'Missing in Action' because nobody knew for sure. Lieutenant Robert Burns was one of the missing, and now that the guns had fallen silent his father wanted to know what had become of his son. He wasn't the only one looking for answers. A loud clamour arose from Australia for information and the need for the dead to be buried respectfully. Many of the Australians charged with the grisly task of finding and reburying the dead were deeply flawed. Each had his own reasons for preferring to remain in France instead of returning home. In the end there was a great scandal, with allegations of 'body hoaxing' and gross misappropriation of money and army possessions leading to two highly secretive inquiries. Untold until now, Missing in Action is the compelling and unexpected story of those dark days and darker deeds and a father's desperate search for his son's remains.
This riveting book follows a small group of Australian front-line soldiers from their enlistment in the dark days of 1940 to the end of World War II. No ordinary soldiers, they were members of Don Company of the Second 43rd Battalion, part of the famous 9th Australian Division, which during campaigns in Tobruk, El Alamein, New Guinea and Borneo sustained more casualties and won more medals than any other Australian division. It is an evocative and detailed account of the dayto-day war of three infantry soldiers whose experiences included night patrols at Tobruk, advancing steadily through German barrages at Alamein, charging enemy machine guns in New Guinea, and repelling Japanese charges on Borneo. Inspired by American historian Stephen Ambrose's landmark book, Band of Brothers, about the US Army's Easy Company of the 506th Regiment, Mark Johnston, one of our best military historians, here gives an Australian company the same treatment. Using the frank and detailed personal letters, diaries and memoirs of three Australian soldiers, he brings to life their campaigns, battles and interactions with their comrades and enemies. His book is a unique and powerful account of the everyday experiences of a small unit of soldiers on the front line.
When does becoming part of the team go too far? For decades, young men and women endured degrading and dangerous rituals in order to join sororities and fraternities while college administrators blindly accepted their consequences. In recent years, these practices have spilled over into the mainstream, polluting military organizations, sports teams, and even secondary schools. In Destroying Young Lives: Hazing in Schools and the Military, Hank Nuwer assembles an extraordinary cast of analysts to catalog the evolution of this dangerous practice, from the first hazing death at Cornell University in 1863 to present day tragedies. This hard-hitting compilation addresses the numerous, significant, and often overlooked impacts of hazing, including including sexual exploitation, mental distress, depression, and even suicide. Destroying Young Lives is a compelling look at how universities, the military, and other social groups can learn from past mistakes and protect their members going forward.
This book chronicles the history, training, and operations of United States Army Special Forces, including never before published photos and insignia that were designed and worn by the men of the United States Army Special Forces. The modern United States Army Special Forces was formed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on June 19, 1952. Special Forces have served in every major and numerous minor conflicts the United States military has been involved in since their inception. During and after these operations, individual teams had unique insignia produced to commemorate their operations.
The town of Skagway was born in 1897 after its population quintupled in under a year due to the Klondike gold rush. Balanced on the edge of anarchy, the U.S. Army stationed Company L, a unit of Buffalo Soldiers, there near the end of the gold rush. Buffalo Soldiers in Alaska tells the story of these African American soldiers who kept the peace during a volatile period in America’s resource-rich North. It is a fascinating tale that features white officers and Black soldiers safeguarding U.S. territory, supporting the civil authorities, protecting Native Americans, fighting natural disasters, and serving proudly in America’s last frontier. Despite the discipline and contributions of soldiers who served honorably, Skagway exhibited the era’s persistent racism and maintained a clear color line. However, these Black Regulars carried out their complex and sometimes contradictory mission with a combination of professionalism and restraint that earned the grudging respect of the independently minded citizens of Alaska. The company used the popular sport of baseball to connect with the white citizens of Skagway and in the process gained some measure of acceptance. Though the soldiers left little trace in Skagway, a few remained after their enlistments and achieved success and recognition after settling in other parts of Alaska.  |
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