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Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence
Get up close to more than 400 of the most important tanks and
armoured vehicles ever built. In 1916, the British built a machine
that was impervious to enemy fire, and could dominate the
battlefield, crushing obstacles and barbed wire in its path. The
first tank, or "Mother" as it was known, had arrived. In The Tank
Book you can view it in detail, along with other iconic models,
including the German Panzer, the legendary Tiger, the Vickers
Medium Mark II, the Centurion, and the Hellcat - the fastest
armoured fighting vehicle ever. This comprehensive volume takes you
through the most exciting story in recent military history with the
development of heavy artillery, anti-tank weaponry, and the men -
such as Sir William Tritton and Mikail Koshkin - who designed these
awe-inspiring beasts. It shows each key model in stunning detail,
highlighting elements such as their armour and weaponry, and much
more besides. Produced in association with The Tank Museum, The
Tank Book traces the tank's development in response to two world
wars, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, and many other conflicts. If
you are interested in modern warfare, The Tank Book is truly
unmissable reading.
Canada's most popular military leader since the Second World War
tells his own story about our soldiers at war.
In the summer of 2008, General Rick Hillier resigned his command
as Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces. You could
almost hear the sigh of relief in Ottawa as Canada's most popular,
and most controversial, leader since the Second World War left a
role in which he'd been as frank-speaking, as unpredictable, and as
resolutely apolitical as any military leader this country has ever
seen.
Born and raised in Newfoundland, Hillier joined the military as
a young man and quickly climbed the ranks. He played a significant
role in domestic challenges, such as the 1998 ice story that
paralyzed much of eastern Ontario and Quebec, and he quickly became
a player on the international scene, commanding an American corps
in Texas and a multinational NATO task force in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
But it was his role as General Rick Hillier, Canada's Chief of the
Defence Staff, that defined him as a Canadian public figure. In
Afghanistan, Canada faced its first combat losses since the Korean
War and every casualty suddenly became front-page news. A country
formerly ambivalent or even angry about its role in the conflict
suddenly became gripped by the drama playing out not only in the
war zone of a country half-way around the world, but in the
unfriendly conference rooms in the country's capital as Hillier
pulled no punches, demanding more funding and more troops and more
appreciation for the women and men fighting a war on foreign
soil.
A Soldier First is a hard-hitting, frank account of Hillier's
role in his own words. The man who never backed down from the
Taliban or Canada's top political leaders tells all in what will be
one of the most important books to come out of this country this
decade.
This book provides up-to-date coverage of the policies, strategies,
and effects of suicide in war, examining this subject from societal
and military perspectives to shed light on the justifications for
using human beings as expendable weapons. Suicide warfare has
expanded over the years and become a global phenomenon. In some
parts of the world, it has become rooted in the fabric of society.
Westerners often find it difficult to grasp why someone would be
willing to sacrifice their life in order to take the lives of
others. Suicide Warfare: Culture, the Military, and the Individual
as a Weapon provides a thorough examination of the topic that
enables readers to understand the justification for suicide warfare
and better appreciate how the ideology of the individuals and
organizations that resort to suicide warfare greatly complicates
security issues in the 21st century. The book covers the policies,
strategies, and effects of suicide in war, examining suicide
warfare in its entirety from a theoretical standpoint, and then
applying those theories to the actual manifestations of and
politico-military responses to suicide warfare. The author
discusses specific organizations such as Al Qaeda and the Chechen
rebels, analyzing each within its societal context, military
justification, individual motivation, and outcomes, and addresses
principles of sociological and conflict theory to place suicide
warfare in a clearer conceptual framework. The book presents case
studies that allow readers to better understand abstract theories
and make distinctions between individual cases of suicide warfare.
Includes primary documents and statistical data Provides resources
for further study
This touching autobiography charts the incredible life of a
Yorkshire-born lad whose life story could match any Hollywood
script.Using his childhood talent of motorcycle racing he becomes a
stunt rider performing at many local shows. When World War II
breaks out his skill transfers perfectly to the role of despatch
rider for the Royal Corps of Signals. This eventful journey takes
him all over the world, till he is captured whilst serving in North
Africa and transferred to a prisoner of war camp in Italy. Luckily,
his farming expertise means he is sent to work on local farmland,
which enables his daring escape, aided by the partisans.Despite
living such a spectacular life, Nicholson remains a stoical,
down-to-earth man and tells his story with an openness and
enthusiasm which is heart-warming, and will remind you of the
indomitable spirit which makes Britain great.
Soldiers disguised as a herd of cows, cork bath mats for troops
crossing streams and a tank with a piano attachment for camp
concerts are just some of the absurd inventions to be found in this
book of cartoons designed to keep spirits up during the Second
World War. These intricate comic drawings poke gentle fun at both
the instruments of war and the indignity of the air-raid shelter in
Heath Robinson's inimitable style.
'Invasion Rabaul' is a gut-wrenching account of courage and
sacrifice, folly and disaster, as seen through the eyes of the
Allied defenders who survived the Japanese assault on Britain
during the opening days of World War II.
Naval mines are pernicious weapons of debated legality and fearsome
reputation. Since World War II over 18,400 of these ingenious
devices have been deployed during 24 naval mining events, seriously
damaging or sinking over 100 ships including 44 warships. Despite
this sustained drumbeat of use both in attack and in defence, there
were no modern books that examine this `Weapon That Waits'. Naval
Minewarfare: Politics to Practicalities is a comprehensive guide to
modern naval minewarfare. From explaining the basic tenets of both
naval mining and naval mine countermeasures, then examining the
modern history of naval mining, through to the legal, political and
statecraft factors that should underpin any decisions to employ
naval mines, this detailed analysis provides a contemporary view of
how this weapon is used as part of a military or insurgent
campaign. Focussing on both the psychological warhead in every mine
as well as naval mining's lethal effects, it contains a wealth of
invaluable information and explanation all carefully scripted to
enlighten military historians and inform international strategists.
The inclusion of an Annex of mitigations against mining
specifically designed for use by civilian ships, their owners and
also port authorities makes this an outstanding primary reference
for politicians through to practitioners of both military and
civilian elements of conflicts that involve naval mines.
An insightful and expert assessment examines how best to end-and
avert-wars. How do we avoid war? To arrive at an answer, master
analyst Richard Weitz explores the ways nations, international
organizations, and individuals have sought to bring order to an
inherently disorderly phenomenon-potential and actual violent
conflict among organized political entities. Specifically, War and
Governance: International Security in a Changing World Order
analyzes a number of critical issues such as whether regional
security institutions have distinct advantages and liabilities in
promoting international security, as compared with universal
organizations like the United Nations. Other important questions
are addressed, as well. How will international organizations, such
as the UN, EU, and NATO, change the nature of war in the 21st
century-and be changed by it? What role might less formal
institutions and nongovernmental organizations play in peacemaking?
Will the nation-state remain the most important international
security actor? The book ends with a gap analysis that identifies
incongruities between international needs and capabilities-and
suggests ways to overcome them. Short case studies A survey of key
institutions and sub-organizations Maps
Based on a true story, this moving account describes the four year
period that Jan Plesman, a Dutch fighter pilot, was stationed in
England during the Second World War. Here he meets an Australian
WAAF with whom he becomes deeply involved, but tragic and dramatic
events are to intervene.More than eighty percent of this story is
taken from Jan's diary and serves as a lasting tribute to a true
hero...
The Battle of Britain was the decisive air campaign fought over
Southern England in the summer and autumn of 1940. From 10th July
until 31st October 1940 Fighter Command aircrews from over 16
nations fought and died repelling the Luftwaffe. Discover tales of
courage, bravery and a host of fascinating, and little-known facts
about the combatants, leaders and strategies of both sides. Find
out about propaganda employed by both sides to try and influence
the battle, the Dowding system relaying information to the pilots
in their fighter's and the classic 1969 film starring Sir Laurence
Oliver. This absorbing book is published to coincide with the
commemorations surrounding the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of
Britain 2020. "The Amazing and Extraordinary Facts series" presents
interesting, surprising and little-known facts and stories about a
wide range of topics which are guaranteed to inform, absorb and
entertain in equal measure.
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