0
Your cart

Your cart is empty

Browse All Departments
Price
  • R50 - R100 (4)
  • R100 - R250 (97)
  • R250 - R500 (324)
  • R500+ (222)
  • -
Status
Format
Author / Contributor
Publisher

Books > Fiction > True stories > War / combat / elite forces

To the Last Ridge (Paperback): W.H. Downing To the Last Ridge (Paperback)
W.H. Downing 2
R279 R225 Discovery Miles 2 250 Save R54 (19%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Written just after the heat of battle and in the language of the time, this extraordinarily moving account expresses in a brutally honest and personal way the ordinary soldier's experience of one of the most horrific series of battles ever fought. Fleurbaix, Bapaume, Beaumetz, Lagnicourt, Bullecourt, The Menin Road, Villers-Bretonneux, Peronne and Mont St. Quentin. Downing describes the mud, the rats, the constant pounding of the guns, the deaths, the futility, but also the humour and heroism of one of the most compelling periods in world history. His writing is spare, beautiful in its clarity and heart-breakingly vivid. Quite simply the finest and most graphic description of these actions ever written. Anyone with an interest in war and the ordinary person's struggle to survive must read this book

Escape from Paris - A True Story of Love and Resistance in Wartime France (Paperback): Stephen Harding Escape from Paris - A True Story of Love and Resistance in Wartime France (Paperback)
Stephen Harding
R456 R383 Discovery Miles 3 830 Save R73 (16%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

Escape from Paris is the true story of a small group of U.S. aviators whose four B-17 Flying Fortresses were shot down over German-occupied France on a single, fateful day: July 14, 1943, Bastille Day. They were rescued by brave French civilians and taken to Paris for eventual escape out of France. In the French capital, where German troops walked on every street and Gestapo agents hid around every corner, the flyers met a brave Parisian resistance family living and working in the Hotel des Invalides, a complex of buildings and military memorials, where Nazi officials had set up offices. Hidden in the complex the Americans, along with dozens of other downed Allied pilots and resistance operatives, hatched daring escape plots. The danger of discovery by the Nazis grew every day, as did an unlikely romance when one of the American airmen begins a star-crossed wartime romance with the twenty-two-year old daughter of the family sheltering him-a noir tale of war, courage and desperation in the shadows of the City of Light. Based on official American, French, and German documents, histories, personal memoirs, and the author's interviews with several of the story's key participants, Escape from Paris crosses the traditional lines of World War II history with tense drama of air combat over Europe, the intrigue of occupied Paris, and courageous American and Allied pilots and French resistance fighters pitted against Nazi thugs. All of this set in one of the world's most beautiful and captivating cities.

Immortal Valor - The Black Medal of Honor Winners of World War II (Hardcover): Robert Child Immortal Valor - The Black Medal of Honor Winners of World War II (Hardcover)
Robert Child
R769 R629 Discovery Miles 6 290 Save R140 (18%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

The remarkable story of the seven African American soldiers ultimately awarded the World War II Medal of Honor, and the 50-year campaign to deny them their recognition. In 1945, when Congress began reviewing the record of the most conspicuous acts of courage by American soldiers during World War II, they recommended awarding the Medal of Honor to 432 recipients. Despite the fact that more than one million African-Americans served, not a single black soldier received the Medal of Honor. The omission remained on the record for over four decades. But recent historical investigations have brought to light some of the extraordinary acts of valor performed by black soldiers during the war. Men like Vernon Baker, who single-handedly eliminated three enemy machineguns, an observation post, and a German dugout. Or Sergeant Reuben Rivers, who spearhead his tank unit's advance against fierce German resistance for three days despite being grievously wounded. Meanwhile Lieutenant Charles Thomas led his platoon to capture a strategically vital village on the Siegfried Line in 1944 despite losing half his men and suffering a number of wounds himself. Ultimately, in 1993 a US Army commission determined that seven men, including Baker, Rivers and Thomas, had been denied the Army's highest award simply due to racial discrimination. In 1997, more than 50 years after the war, President Clinton finally awarded the Medal of Honor to these seven heroes, sadly all but one of them posthumously. These are their stories.

82 Days on Okinawa - One American's Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War's Greatest Battle (Paperback):... 82 Days on Okinawa - One American's Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War's Greatest Battle (Paperback)
Art Shaw, Robert L Wise
R292 Discovery Miles 2 920 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

"A gritty, first-person account. ... One can hear Shaw's voice as if he were sitting beside you." -Wall Street Journal An unforgettable soldier's-eye view of the Pacific War's bloodiest battle, by the first American officer ashore Okinawa. On Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, 1.5 million men gathered aboard 1,500 Allied ships off the coast of the Japanese island of Okinawa. The men were there to launch the largest amphib ious assault on the Pacific Theater. War planners expected an 80 percent casualty rate. The first American officer ashore was then-Major Art Shaw (1920-2020), a unit commander in the U.S. Army's 361st Field Artillery Battalion of the 96th Infantry Division, nicknamed the Deadeyes. For the next three months, Shaw and his men served near the front lines of the Pacific's costliest battle, their artillery proving decisive against a phantom enemy who had entrenched itself in the rugged, craggy island. Over eighty-two days, the Allies fought the Japanese army in a campaign that would claim more than 150,000 human lives. When the final calculations were made, the Deadeyes were estimated to have killed 37,763 of the enemy. The 361st Field Artillery Battalion had played a crucial role in the victory. The campaign would be the last major battle of World War II and a key pivot point leading to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and to the Japanese surrender in August, two months after the siege's end. Filled with extraordinary details, Shaw's gripping account gives lasting testimony to the courage and bravery displayed by so many on the hills of Okinawa.

Liberation (Paperback): Imogen Kealey Liberation (Paperback)
Imogen Kealey
R259 R148 Discovery Miles 1 480 Save R111 (43%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Inspired by the incredible true story of the most decorated servicewoman of the second world war.

Nancy Wake was an Australian girl who, aged, 16 ran away from her abusive mother to the other side of the world.

Nancy Wake was a wife who, when her husband was snatched by the Gestapo, fought to be trained by SOE and returned to France to take her revenge.

Nancy Wake was a soldier who led a battalion of 7,000 French Resistance fighters who called her Field Marshall. Who had a 5-million Franc bounty on her head. Who killed a Nazi with her bare hands. Who defeated 22,000 Germans with the loss of only 100 men. Who sold her medals because, "I'll probably go to hell and they'd melt anyway."

Discover the roots of her legend in a thriller about one woman's incredible quest to turn the tide of the war, save the man she loves and take revenge on those who have wronged her.

Lone Survivor - The Incredible True Story of Navy SEALs Under Siege (Paperback): Marcus Luttrell, Patrick Robinson Lone Survivor - The Incredible True Story of Navy SEALs Under Siege (Paperback)
Marcus Luttrell, Patrick Robinson 1
R284 R171 Discovery Miles 1 710 Save R113 (40%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In June 2005 four US Navy SEALs left their base in Afghanistan for the Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al-Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less than twenty-four hours later, only one of those Navy SEALs was alive. This is the story of team leader Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing. Blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing, Luttrell endured four desperate days fighting the al-Qaeda assassins sent to kill him, before finding unlikely sanctuary with a Pashtun tribe who risked everything to protect him from the circling Taliban killers.

Conspiracy, Calamity and Cover-up - The Truth Behind the Hess Flight to Scotland, May 10th 1941 (Hardcover): John Harris,... Conspiracy, Calamity and Cover-up - The Truth Behind the Hess Flight to Scotland, May 10th 1941 (Hardcover)
John Harris, Richard Wilbourn
R790 Discovery Miles 7 900 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Hess affair requires an understanding of a variety of disciplines and practices: Wartime aviation, political history and human psychology to name but three. Harris and Wilbourn have over an extended period tried to learn as much as possible about all relevant aspects of what is in concert a complicated subject, one that has not yet been satisfactorily explained even after more than 80 years. In the past there have been works that have concentrated on single aspects of the affair; usually in great detail, but in Conspiracy, Calamity and Cover-up the authors' work on the individual components provides the best ever yet plausible explanation of the affair as a whole. Official secrecy on the grounds of 'National Security', obfuscation and downright lying have all played a part in preserving the truth behind the flight. Through dogged perseverance and endeavour Harris and Wilbourn now present what they believe is the ultimate truth behind the affair.

The Circuit - An Ex-SAS Soldier, the War on Terror, A True Story (Paperback): Bob Shepherd The Circuit - An Ex-SAS Soldier, the War on Terror, A True Story (Paperback)
Bob Shepherd 1
R310 R268 Discovery Miles 2 680 Save R42 (14%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

After nearly 20 years of SAS operations, including a never before published role in the infamous Bravo Two Zero patrol, Bob retired from the military to work as an advisor on the international commercial security circuit. Certain his most dangerous days were behind him, Bob settled into a sedate life looking after VIPs. Then 9/11 happened.

Bob found himself back in war zones on assignments far more perilous than anything he had encountered in the SAS: from ferrying journalists across firing lines in The West Bank and Gaza to travelling to the heart of Osama bin Laden's Afghan lair. As part of a two-man team, Bob searched for ITN Correspondent Terry Lloyd's missing crew in Basra, Iraq, while in Afghanistan he was forced to spend the night as the only Westerner in Khost - with a $25,000 bounty on his head.

As the War on Terror escalated, Bob contended with increasingly sophisticated insurgents. But the most disturbing development he witnessed was much closer to home: The Circuit's rise from a niche business staffed by top veterans into an unregulated, billion dollar industry that too often places profits above lives. This is a pulse-racing and at times shocking testament to what is really happening, on the ground, in the major trouble spots of the world.

The World War 2 Trivia Book - Interesting Stories and Random Facts from the Second World War (Paperback): Bill O'Neill,... The World War 2 Trivia Book - Interesting Stories and Random Facts from the Second World War (Paperback)
Bill O'Neill, Dwayne Walker
R313 R259 Discovery Miles 2 590 Save R54 (17%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days
The Traitor of Colditz - The Definitive Untold Account of Colditz Castle: 'Truly revelatory' Damien Lewis (Paperback,... The Traitor of Colditz - The Definitive Untold Account of Colditz Castle: 'Truly revelatory' Damien Lewis (Paperback, UK Airports)
Robert Verkaik
R390 R308 Discovery Miles 3 080 Save R82 (21%) Ships in 3 - 5 working days

'A vastly entertaining tale, bursting with astonishing stories and extraordinary characters ... A fascinating read' Sunday Telegraph 'Brilliant ... An amazing story, one I hadn't heard too much about' Dan Snow IT IS THE DEPTHS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. The Germans like to boast that there is 'no escape' from the infamous fortress that is Colditz. The elite British officers imprisoned there are determined to prove the Nazis wrong and get back into the war. As the war heats up and the stakes are raised, the Gestapo plant a double-agent inside the prison in a bid to uncover the secrets of the British prisoners. Captain Julius Green of the Army Dental Corps and Sergeant John 'Busty' Brown must risk their lives in a bid to save the lives of hundreds of Allied servicemen and protect the secrets of MI9. Drawn from unseen records, The Traitor of Colditz brings to light an extraordinary, never-before-told story from the Second World War, an epic tale of how MI9 took on the Nazis and exposed the traitors in their midst.

Born For War - One SAS Trooper's Extraordinary Account of the Falklands War (Hardcover): Tony Hoare Born For War - One SAS Trooper's Extraordinary Account of the Falklands War (Hardcover)
Tony Hoare
R533 R438 Discovery Miles 4 380 Save R95 (18%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

'Tony is the real deal.' Andy McNab The full, explosive, boots-on-the-ground story of the Falklands War, from a soldier at the heart of the action, published for the 40th anniversary of the conflict. Tony Hoare always knew he wanted to be in the SAS. Both his grandfather and father had been soldiers, and so Tony signed up for the Cadets at 13, then the Infantry at 17 and enlisted into the Royal Green Jackets before passing arduous SAS selection in 1978. Less than four years later, Tony and his team were sent to a collection of islands just off the coast of Argentina called the Falklands, where tensions were rising and war was on the horizon. No amount of training could prepare Tony for what happened over the course of the next twelve weeks, as the Falkland Islands became a battleground between British and Argentinian forces. As helicopters crashed and ships sank, Tony, at the centre of the action, battled across treacherous terrain and against a fearsome enemy, doing whatever it took to retake the islands. From one of the only soldiers who was on the frontline throughout the entire conflict, this is a thrilling account of what really happened in the Falklands, an explosive story of land, sea and air battles from a trooper who saw it all.

Charles de Gaulle - A Thorn in the Side of Six American Presidents (Hardcover): William R. Keylor Charles de Gaulle - A Thorn in the Side of Six American Presidents (Hardcover)
William R. Keylor
R1,088 Discovery Miles 10 880 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

In this definitive history, William R. Keylor traces the tumultuous relationship between Charles de Gaulle and a host of other key twentieth-century figures: his former mentor Marshal Philippe Petain, who headed the collaborationist government in the southern French city of Vichy as the German army occupied the northern two-thirds of the country; Sir Winston Churchill, the British prime minister whose government supported and financed de Gaulle and the Free French, but who clashed with the French leader on a number of hot-button issues; and, most critically, the six American presidents from FDR to Nixon. Keylor uses the metaphor "thorn in the side" to emphasize the fact that challenges from the intrepid French leader were often an annoyance to the Americans, who all had many more important issues to deal with-World War II for Roosevelt and Truman, the Cold War for Eisenhower, and the Vietnam War for Kennedy and Johnson. Richard Nixon alone had an excellent relationship, but the two men overlapped for only four months before de Gaulle's retirement. Thoroughly researched and deeply knowledgeable, this gripping book will appeal to all readers interested in contemporary French and US history.

Flight By Elephant - The Untold Story of World War II's Most Daring Jungle Rescue (Paperback): Andrew Martin Flight By Elephant - The Untold Story of World War II's Most Daring Jungle Rescue (Paperback)
Andrew Martin 1
R283 R255 Discovery Miles 2 550 Save R28 (10%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The incredible story of Gyles Mackrell and his Burmese, elephant-assisted wartime rescue mission.

In the summer of 1942, Gyles Mackrell a decorated First World War pilot and tea plantation overseer, performed a series of heroic rescues in the hellish jungles of Japanese-occupied Burma with the aid of twenty elephants.

At the age of 53, Mackrell went into the green hell of the Chaukan Pass on the border of North Burma and Assam. Here, Mackrell and a team of elephant riders rescued Indian army soldiers, British civilians and their Indian servants, from the pursuing Japanese, directing the elephants through raging rivers, and territory infested with sand flies, mosquitoes and innumerable leeches. Those he saved were all on the point of death from starvation or fever: that summer was spent in a fight against time.

Now in Andrew Martin s hands this tale of heroics is given the shape of a suspenseful adventure, a wartime rescue whose facts are the stuff of fiction. Flight By Elephant is a gripping chronicle of war and survival, starring everyone s favourite animal the powerful, exotic and hugely loveable elephant."

Never Will I Die - The inspiring Special Forces soldier who cheated death and learned to live again (Hardcover): Toby... Never Will I Die - The inspiring Special Forces soldier who cheated death and learned to live again (Hardcover)
Toby Gutteridge, Michael Calvin
R614 R502 Discovery Miles 5 020 Save R112 (18%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

PRAISE FOR NEVER WILL I DIE 'Toby's sheer grit and determination is a powerful testament to his character. His story demonstrates the true nature of inner strength and courage. I think he's an inspiration to all of us.' Tom Hardy 'Inspirational. An amazing book.' Jason Fox 'The inspiring soldier who never gave up.' This Morning 'Toby's truly humbling journey will realign your benchmark for the words determination, hero and inspiration.' Victoria Pendleton CBE 'Toby has overcome more obstacle than anyone I know. His is a story of life triumphing over death, and shows the strength of the human spirit.' Nims Purja 'Motivational and powerful.' The Telegraph 'A truly inspiring story of an amazingly driven individual who refused to go quietly and fought back against all the odds.' Titch Cormack 'In international rugby we speak about putting your body on the line for your mates. Toby's inspirational story gives an unforgettable insight into the men who do that for real, in life or death situations. A remarkable book.' Dylan Hartley 'Nothing short of inspirational.' Ollie Ollerton 'Toby is one of life's most inspirational men with an amazing life story. He has endured great adversity but continues to face life head on.' Jodie Kidd ------------------------------ There's no pain, no theatrical agony. No screaming, no shouting. The kill shot is catastrophic and conclusive. I slump silently on to my knees and topple forward, head first, into the dirt. The lads have seen enough death to assume mine is instantaneous. The lights are out. That's him gone. Toby Gutteridge was only 24 when he was shot through the neck while operating behind enemy lines in Afghanistan. He survived despite not breathing for at least 20 minutes. Back in the UK, doctors recommended that his life support machine be switched off, but with the defiant spirit that would define his recovery, Toby pulled through. Now quadriplegic, capable of movement only with his head, Toby has rebuilt his life. His is an extraordinary story of survival against overwhelming odds, and of the power of the human spirit to overcome extreme adversity. Brutally honest and authentic, he builds a compelling picture of the type of person produced by the Special Forces system, and tells of how one split second changed the course of his life forever. Powerful and inspiring, Never Will I Die is a universal story of life triumphing over death.

Brothers in Arms - Real War. True Friends. Unlikely Heroes. (Paperback): Geraint Jones Brothers in Arms - Real War. True Friends. Unlikely Heroes. (Paperback)
Geraint Jones 1
R250 R195 Discovery Miles 1 950 Save R55 (22%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

In July 2009, Geraint (Gez) Jones was sitting in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan with the rest of The Firm – Danny, Jay, Toby and Jake, his four closest friends, all junior NCOs and combat-hardened infantrymen. Thanks to the mangled remains of a Jackal vehicle left tactlessly outside their tent, IEDs were never far from their mind. Within days they’d be on the ground in Musa Qala with the rest of 3 Platoon – a mixed bunch of men Gez would die for.

As they fight furiously, are pushed to their limits, hemmed in by IEDs and hampered by the chain of command, Gez starts to wonder what is the point of it all. The bombs they uncover on patrol, on their stomachs brushing the sand away, are replaced the next day. Firefights are a momentary victory in a war they can see is unwinnable. Gez is a warrior – he wants more than this. But then death and injury start to take their toll on The Firm, leaving Gez with PTSD and a new battle just beginning.

Templar Knight vs Mamluk Warrior - 1218-50 (Paperback): David Campbell Templar Knight vs Mamluk Warrior - 1218-50 (Paperback)
David Campbell; Illustrated by Johnny Shumate
R480 R389 Discovery Miles 3 890 Save R91 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

Step into the violent world of the 13th century, where the European states of the Levant battled with Muslim powers for control of Jerusalem. At the cutting edge of the conflict were the elite fighting men of the Crusader and Egyptian armies - the Knights Templar and the Mamluks, respectively. The Templars were the most famous and formidable of the European Military Orders, while the Mamluks were a slave caste whose fighting prowess had elevated them to the point of holding real political power, threatening their Ayyubid masters who relied on them so desperately for military success. This book draws on the latest research to tell the story of three key engagements from the Fifth Crusade to the Seventh Crusade. It reveals the extraordinary ferocity with which these battles were fought, and how the struggle between Templar and Mamluk came to shape the political future of the region.

Battles of Conscience - British Pacifists and the Second World War (Hardcover): Tobias Kelly Battles of Conscience - British Pacifists and the Second World War (Hardcover)
Tobias Kelly
R683 R559 Discovery Miles 5 590 Save R124 (18%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

A ground-breaking new study brings us a very different picture of the Second World War, asking fundamental questions about ethical commitments Accounts of the Second World War usually involve tales of bravery in battle, or stoicism on the home front, as the British public stood together against Fascism. However, the war looks very different when seen through the eyes of the 60,000 conscientious objectors who refused to take up arms and whose stories, unlike those of the First World War, have been almost entirely forgotten. Tobias Kelly invites us to spend the war five of these individuals: Roy Ridgway, a factory clerk from Liverpool; Tom Burns, a teacher from east London; Stella St John, who trained as a vet and ended up in jail; Ronald Duncan, who set up a collective farm; and Fred Urquhart, a working-class Scottish socialist and writer. We meet many more objectors along the way -- people both determined and torn -- and travel from Finland to Syria, India to rural England, Edinburgh to Trinidad. Although conscientious objectors were often criticised and scorned, figures such as Winston Churchill and the Archbishop of Canterbury supported their right to object, at least in principle, suggesting that liberty of conscience was one of the freedoms the nation was fighting for. And their rich cultural and moral legacy -- of humanitarianism and human rights, from Amnesty International and Oxfam to the US civil rights movement -- can still be felt all around us. The personal and political struggles carefully and vividly collected in this book tell us a great deal about personal and collective freedom, conviction and faith, war and peace, and pose questions just as relevant today: Does conscience make us free? Where does it take us? And what are the costs of going there? '[An] excellent book' - DAILY TELEGRAPH 'A moving tribute' - SPECTATOR

Silent Running - My Years on a World War II Attack Submarine (Hardcover): James F. Calvert Silent Running - My Years on a World War II Attack Submarine (Hardcover)
James F. Calvert
R940 R719 Discovery Miles 7 190 Save R221 (24%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

"The boat was eerily quiet and hot as an oven. Shirts came off and men were either in skivvy shirts or bare from the waist up. Every body glistened with sweat—some from the heat and some from just raw fear. Click . . . BANG! Click . . . BANG! Two more [depth charges], still very close. A couple of lightbulbs shattered. . . ."

In this riveting personal account, an authentic American hero relives the perils and triumphs of eight harrowing patrols aboard one of America's most successful World War II submarines. Courageous deeds and terror-filled moments—as well as the endless hard work of maintaining and operating a combat sub—are vividly recalled in James Calvert's candid portrait. From rigorous training and shakedown cruises off the coast of New England, to tense patrols within shouting distance of Japan's major cities, the progress of the newly commissioned USS Jack parallels Calvert's own growth from callow ensign to charter member of one of the sharpest attack teams in the fleet.

In June 1943, the Jack made its first patrol into Japanese waters, and Calvert began to build a reputation as a crack TDC operator—the crew member who set the torpedo's course based on the approach officer's readings. With Calvert at the TDC and his much admired skipper Tommy Dykers at the periscope, the Jack had five hits and four confirmed kills on its first patrol. The Jack's fame grew. Despite recurring engine trouble, and the notorious failure of American torpedo detonators early in the war, the sub continued to take its toll on enemy shipping. At one point, Calvert hit an enemy vessel at 5,000 yards, roughly three times the maximum distance recommended for accurate torpedo shooting. The ship earned its nickname, "Jack the Pack," when a besieged Japanese admiral radioed for help, saying that he was under attack by a "wolf pack."

Telling his story with sensitivity and great affection for his shipmates, Calvert combines an intimate knowledge of the nitty-gritty technical details of submarine warfare with the fast-paced action and nail-biting tension of a Tom Clancy novel. He relives long and terrifying hours spent hundreds of feet beneath the ocean's surface, punctuated by the relentless click-BANG of exploding depth charges. He recounts the perilous nighttime cat-and-mouse games that Dykers played with convoy escorts, accompanied on the bridge by a crewman renowned for his night vision—and the disconcerting habit of singing "Nearer My God to Thee" whenever the situation got tense. And a lively account of a completely unauthorized tour of Tokyo before the official surrender recalls an escapade that nearly cost Calvert his career.

Advance praise for Jim Calvert's Silent Running

"I am just one of many who experienced life on a submarine during World War II. Silent Running is a story sincerely told—free of any revisionism or cynicism—and I commend Vice Admiral Calvert for sharing this dramatic personal account of that difficult and exciting time." —President George Bush

"Hardened old sub vet that I am, I still felt the need for two weeks R&R after reliving Jim's only too realistic war patrolling adventures." —C. W. Nimitz, Jr., Rear Admiral, USN (Ret.)

"I believe it is the best personal account yet written on U.S. submarine operations in the Second World War. . . . [Calvert] writes with lucidity and a rare candor. We get an extraordinary sense of what it was like, feeling the tensions and emotions, sharing the successes and disappointments.

. . . This is a true story with real people, always gripping and sometimes tender. It is exciting to read and hard to put down. —J. L. Holloway, Admiral, USN (Ret.) President, Naval Historical Society Chief of Naval Operations, 1974-1978

"I knew Jim Calvert throughout the war, and in this book he has told the submarine story in a way that catches the flavor and tang of the real thing. This is the way it really was." —Frederick B. Warder, Rear Admiral, USN (Ret.) Legendary WWII skipper of the Seawolf

Black Ice - The memoir of a soldier, double amputee and world champion (Hardcover): Corie Mapp Black Ice - The memoir of a soldier, double amputee and world champion (Hardcover)
Corie Mapp; Preface by Les Ferdinand MBE; Foreword by Sir Hugh Robertson KCMG PC DL
R468 R384 Discovery Miles 3 840 Save R84 (18%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

On 31st January 2010, Trooper Corie Mapp of The Life Guards was driving his armoured vehicle on combat operations in Afghanistan when it ran over an IED. The explosion that followed caused him massive injuries. But this was not the end of his active life but rather the beginning. The next thing Corie remembers was waking in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Selly Oak, Birmingham, not realising that he was a double amputee. Two months later, and having made an almost miraculous against-the-odds recovery, Corie was back with his regiment in Windsor, and continued to serve until 2013. Sport was an important part of Corie's life before the explosion and a vital one after. In rehabilitation, he rediscovered his sporting skills, and competed successful in disabled cricket at a national level, and was a member of Team GB for sitting volley ball and athletics at the Warrior and the Invictus Games. However, when he was offered the chance to bobsleigh, his horizons widened considerably. After just one year of training, in 2014 Corie won gold in the inaugural Para Bobsleigh World Cup competition in St Moritz, was second overall in the World Cup 2014/15 season and became the overall World Cup champion in 2018. In the 2021-22 season, he will continue to train and compete at the highest levels in North America and Europe. On the international bobsleigh circuit he is affectionately known 'Black Ice'. This book is Corie Mapp's remarkable story of triumph over adversity.

Secret Spitfires - Britain's Hidden Civilian Army (Paperback): Howman, Cetintas, Gavin Clarke Secret Spitfires - Britain's Hidden Civilian Army (Paperback)
Howman, Cetintas, Gavin Clarke
R400 Discovery Miles 4 000 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

September 1940: In the midst of the Second World War, The Luftwaffe unleashed a series of devastating raids on Southampton, all but destroying its Spitfire factories. But production didn't stop. Instead, manufacturing of this iconic fighter moved underground, to secret locations staffed by women, children and non-combatant men. With little engineering experience between them, they built a fleet of one of the greatest war planes that has ever existed. This is their story.

Cuban Migs - The Defenders of Castro's Air Force (Paperback): Helio Higuchi, Paulo Roberto Bastos Junior Cuban Migs - The Defenders of Castro's Air Force (Paperback)
Helio Higuchi, Paulo Roberto Bastos Junior
R689 Discovery Miles 6 890 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria (FAR), one of the most powerful and little-publicised air forces in the Americas, had Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) fighters as its main fighter aircraft, both in the defence of Cuban territory against the threat of US invasion and in support of Cuban leader's efforts to export their revolutionary ideals. The book casts an unprecedented look at the introduction and utilisation of all MiG models in Cuban service, since their arrival before the Cuban Missile Crisis, to current times, going through all of the conflicts in which Cuba was involved, from incidents with the Dominican Republic ('Operacion Pico') and the Bahamas, to its entanglements in wars in Vietnam, Syria, Guinea, Southern Yemen, Angola, Ethiopia and Nicaragua and the recent apprehension of 'export goods' to North Korea in the Panama Canal. The story of military aviation in Cuba before the arrival of the MiGs is also briefly presented, from the beginning of their air corps and its role in the political crises that affected the country, in Castro's Revolution and the ill-fated attempted invasion at the Bay of Pigs, contextualising the times when they happened. This is the result of extensive research using Cuban publications, documents, interviews with former pilots, historians and contributions by veteran Cuban airmen both in exile and residing in their homeland. The book is richly illustrated with over 170 photographs and colour profiles detailing the history of all twenty models of MiG fighters operated by Cuba from 1962 to the present.

Liberation - Inspired by the incredible true story of World War II's greatest heroine Nancy Wake (Hardcover): Imogen Kealey Liberation - Inspired by the incredible true story of World War II's greatest heroine Nancy Wake (Hardcover)
Imogen Kealey 1
R512 R291 Discovery Miles 2 910 Save R221 (43%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The must-read thriller inspired by the true story of Nancy Wake, whose husband was kidnapped by the Nazis and became the most decorated servicewoman of the Second World War - soon to be a major blockbuster film. To the Allies she was a fearless freedom fighter, special operations super spy, a woman ahead of her time. To the Gestapo she was a ghost, a shadow, the most wanted person in the world with a five-million-Franc bounty on her head. Her name was Nancy Wake. Now, for the first time, the roots of her legend are told in a thriller about one woman's incredible quest to turn the tide of the war, save the man she loves and take brutal revenge on those who have wronged her.

We Were Warriors - One Soldier's Story of Brutal Combat (Paperback): Johnny Mercer We Were Warriors - One Soldier's Story of Brutal Combat (Paperback)
Johnny Mercer 1
R266 Discovery Miles 2 660 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

'An adrenalin-fuelled, gritty story of heroism on the frontline in Afghanistan' Andy McNab

The rounds were single shot from the same two enemy positions, trying to pick me off. They were kicking up the dirt around me. Then all hell broke loose as the gunship's Gatling vomited ammo right over my head. The sound was deafening. It was now or never. I got up and ran.

A captain in 29 Commando, Johnny Mercer served in the army for twelve years. On his third tour of Afghanistan he was a Joint Fires Controller, with the pressurized job of bringing down artillery and air strikes in close proximity to his own troops. Based in an area of northern Helmand that was riddled with Taliban leaders, he walked into danger with every patrol, determined to protect them. Then one morning, in brutal close quarter combat, everything changed . . .

In We Were Warriors Johnny takes us from his commando training to the heat, blood and chaos of battle. With brutal honesty, he describes what it is like to risk your life every day, pushing through the fear that follows watching your friends die. He took the fight back to the enemy with a relentless efficiency that came at a high personal cost. Back in the UK, seeing the inadequate care available for veterans and their families, he was inspired to run for Parliament in the hope he could improve their plight. Unflinching, action-packed and laced with wry humour, We Were Warriors is a compelling read.

Explosive - Bringing the World's Deadliest Bombers to Justice (Hardcover): Cliff Todd Explosive - Bringing the World's Deadliest Bombers to Justice (Hardcover)
Cliff Todd
R486 Discovery Miles 4 860 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

THE STORY OF BRITAIN'S LEADING FORENSIC EXPLOSIVES SCIENTIST, WHO FOR NEARLY THREE-DECADES INVESTIGATED SOME OF THE MOST PROMINENT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL BOMB ATTACKS IN HISTORY. Cliff Todd devoted his life to bringing bomb makers to justice. He and his colleagues at the Ministry of Defence's Forensic Explosives Laboratory are the unsung heroes of terrorist bomb attacks - the men and women in white suits who piece together who planted the bombs, what a device consisted of and how the perpetrators might give themselves away. They played a pivotal role in uncovering the secrets behind some of the world's most horrifying terrorist outrages. Explosive tells the stories of these high-profile cases and details, for the first time, the contribution Todd and his team made in tracking down bombers during a time when Britain was under attack first by the IRA and then by Islamic extremists inspired by al-Qaeda. Explosive takes the reader into the murky world of the amateur bomb maker, and reveals what Todd's department achieved in many now infamous attacks, including the device concealed in a radio cassette player that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, the IRA attacks on Warrington in Cheshire, the Bali nightclub bombings of 2002, and the 7/7 onslaught in central London that claimed 56 lives and injured 784 others in 2005. In Explosive, Todd takes us step by step through the investigations, explaining the chemistry, the forensic work and the emotional toll on him and his staff as they sought to recreate and understand what had happened at some of the most shocking tragedies in modern peacetime history.

The Way Forward - Master Life's Toughest Battles and Create Your Lasting Legacy (Hardcover): Robert O'Neill, Dakota... The Way Forward - Master Life's Toughest Battles and Create Your Lasting Legacy (Hardcover)
Robert O'Neill, Dakota Meyer
R496 Discovery Miles 4 960 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

NATIONAL BESTSELLER "The Way Forward will help every reader master their own challenges-this is a must-read book!" -Admiral Bill McRaven, U.S. Navy (Retired) and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Make Your Bed American Sniper meets Make Your Bed in these life lessons from decorated United States service members and New York Times bestselling authors Robert O'Neill and Dakota Meyer-an in-depth, fearless, and ultimately redemptive account of what it takes to survive and thrive on battlefields from Afghanistan and Iraq to our daily lives, and how the perils of war help us hold onto our humanity. Rob O'Neill and Dakota Meyer are two of the most decorated and recognized US service members: O'Neill killed the world's most wanted man, Osama bin Laden, and Meyer was the first living Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. But beyond their actions and courage in combat, O'Neill and Meyer also have much in common in civilian life: they are both sought-after public speakers, advocates for veterans, and share a non-PC sense of humor. Combining the best of military memoirs and straight-talking self-help, The Way Forward alternates between O'Neill's and Meyer's perspectives, looking back with humor at even the darkest war stories, and sharing lessons they learned along the way. The Way Forward presents O'Neill and Meyer's philosophy in combat and life. This isn't a book about the glory of war and combat, but one about facing your enemies, some who are flesh and blood and some that are not: Your thoughts. Your doubts. Your boredom and your regrets. From Rob's dogged repetition at the free throw line of his childhood basketball court to Dakota's pursuit of EMT and firefighter credentials to aid accident victims, these two American heroes turn their experiences into valuable lessons for every reader. Gritty and down-to-earth, O'Neill and Meyer tell their stories with candor and vulnerability to help readers handle stress, tackle their biggest obstacles, and exceed their expectations of themselves, while keeping life's battles in perspective with a sense of humor.

Free Delivery
Pinterest Twitter Facebook Google+
You may like...
The Madness - A Memoir of War, Fear and…
Fergal Keane Paperback R330 R264 Discovery Miles 2 640
The Book Collectors of Daraya - A Band…
Delphine Minoui Paperback R280 R219 Discovery Miles 2 190
The Waffenmeister
Kenneth Ballantyne Paperback R374 R350 Discovery Miles 3 500
Endurance - SAS Soldier. Polar…
Louis Rudd Paperback R250 R195 Discovery Miles 1 950
The Lady is a Spy - The Tangled Lives of…
Melanie King Paperback R550 R493 Discovery Miles 4 930
Freedom
Sebastian Junger Paperback R229 R200 Discovery Miles 2 000
The Confident Mind - A Battle-Tested…
Nathaniel Zinsser Paperback R265 R212 Discovery Miles 2 120
Doro - Refugee, hero, champion, survivor
Brendan Woodhouse, Doro Goumaneh Hardcover R426 Discovery Miles 4 260
Unbroken
Laura Hillenbrand Paperback  (1)
R288 R260 Discovery Miles 2 600
Say Nothing - A True Story of Murder and…
Patrick Radden Keefe Paperback  (1)
R324 R268 Discovery Miles 2 680

 

Partners