In the whole course of the war,' conceded Britain's chief press censor, 'there was no story which gave me so much trouble as that of the attempted German invasion, flaming oil on the water and 30,000 burned Germans.' Sparked by the Directorate of Military Intelligence and MI6, rumours that Britain had set fire to the English Channel to defeat a German invasion in 1940 quickly spread around the world. Highly popular in America, the incendiary 'Big Lie' became Britain's first significant propaganda victory of the Second World War. Yet the unlikely deception was founded in fact. Dead German soldiers were washed ashore on British beaches, a secret Petroleum Warfare Department tested lethal flame barrages on land and sea, and fire ships were hastily dispatched to enemy ports as part of Operation Lucid. British intelligence agencies even managed to plant the burning sea story on their opposite numbers in Nazi Germany. Burn the Sea is the definitive account of the origin, circulation and astonishing longevity of the myth of the 'invasion that failed' in 1940, as well as its remarkable revival in 1992.

Accounts of the First World War usually centre on gruelling life in the trenches, living and fighting on the front line. While incorporating wartime life, this book gives a refreshingly different perspective by looking at the rich crop of legends that sprang from the battlefields. Many of these myths still persist in the public consciousness even today. Some of the legends remain well-known while others are more obscure. Yet all are mirrored in recent conspiracy theories, folk tales of the paranormal and moral panics. Tales such as the Angel of Mons are still debated today. The phenomenon occurred when British troops, exhausted from many days marching to battle, reported sightings of a troop of angels on the battlefield at Mons. The story goes that the supernatural presence terrified the German soldiers, who were forced to retreat. The unexplained disappearance of a whole Territorial battalion of the Norfolk Regiment at Gallipoli, is also a lingering controversy. Using a wide range of contemporary documentary sources, James Hayward retells the story of each myth with possible explanations for how they came about. He illustrates his narrative with a variety of contemporary photographs and illustrations, some of which are rare and from his own private collection.

Manufacture of components from powders frequently requires a compaction step. Modelling of Powder Die Compaction presents a number of case studies that have been developed to test compaction models. It will be bought by researchers involved in developing models of powder compaction as well as by those working in industry, either using powder compaction to make products or using products made by powder compaction.

Manufacture of components from powders frequently requires a compaction step. Modelling of Powder Die Compaction presents a number of case studies that have been developed to test compaction models. It will be bought by researchers involved in developing models of powder compaction as well as by those working in industry, either using powder compaction to make products or using products made by powder compaction.

Accounts of the First World War usually centre on gruelling life in the trenches, living and fighting on the front line. While incorporating wartime life, this book gives a refreshingly different perspective by looking at the rich crop of legends that sprang from the battlefields. Many of these myths still persist in the public consciousness even today. Some of the legends remain well-known while others are more obscure. Yet all are mirrored in recent conspiracy theories, folk tales of the paranormal and moral panics. Tales such as the Angel of Mons are still debated today. The phenomenon occurred when British troops, exhausted from many days marching to battle, reported sightings of a troop of angels on the battlefield at Mons. The story goes that the supernatural presence terrified the German soldiers, who were forced to retreat. The unexplained disappearance of a whole Territorial battalion of the Norfolk Regiment at Gallipoli, is also a lingering controversy. Using a wide range of contemporary documentary sources, James Hayward retells the story of each myth with possible explanations for how they came about. He illustrates his narrative with a variety of contemporary photographs and illustrations, some of which are rare and from his own private collection.

As with the Great War, the Second World War gave rise to a rich crop of legends, many of which persist in the public consciousness even today. Some are well known, like the Dunkirk story, which portrayed the disaster of 1940 as a victory. Others are more obscure like the rumours of a German invasion attempt on the beaches of Norfolk in 1940, a myth that resurfaced in 1992. There are stories of the 'Manston Mutiny' during the Battle of Britain, espionage myths that surround the sinking of the battleship Royal Oak at Scapa Flow, the falsehood that no German spies in Britain operated outside MI5's double-cross system, and the real story behind 'the man who never was' (first revealed in 1996). Also covered are the Rudolf Hess story, myths about the nature and true effectiveness of the Resistance movements in Europe, and the true extent of Hitler's belief in astrology and his quest for the Holy Grail. Myths on land, sea and air are also discussed including the 'betrayal' at Dieppe, Nazi U-boat bases in Ireland. Weaving his narrative around a wide range of contemporary documentary sources, James Hayward presents an objective and rigorous analysis of the main myths, legends and popular falsehoods of the Second World War. The result is a new and refreshing perspective on the popular image of the Second World War. Related title, Myths and Legends of the First World War, 0750928654. HB ISBN 0750930470