Major General Julian Thompson first wrote No Picnic when the momentous events of April - June 1982 were fresh in his mind. As Commander of 3 Commando Brigade, he was at the heart of the planning and conduct of the War. Under his direct command had been the Royal Marine Commandos and the two battalions of the Parachute Regiment who conducted the lion's share of the fighting.returncharacterreturncharacterNo-one therefore is better qualified to tell the extraordinary story of there-taking of the Falkland Islands from the Argentinians. The author, now a celebrated military historian, has revised his early book and added for this 25 Anniversary edition more of his own personal thoughts and impressions.returncharacterreturncharacterIt is all too easy to overlook just how perilous and risky a venture this expedition to the depths of the Southern Hemisphere was. Victory and defeat hung in the balance. Even those who feel they know about this most remarkable of wars will learn more from reading this classic account.

In 1982, 8,000 miles from home, in a harsh environment and without the newest and most sophisticated equipment, the smaller British Task Force defeated the Argentinian forces occupying the Falkland Islands and recaptured this far-flung outpost of what was once an empire. It was a much-needed triumph for Margaret Thatcher's government and for Britain, but what was it really like for the men involved? Many books have been published on the Falklands Campaign, some offering accounts from participants, but Ordinary Heroes is the first one to consist only of interviews with the ordinary heroes. Seamen, marines, soldiers and airmen who achieved the victory are included, as well as those whose contribution is often overlooked: the merchant seamen who crewed ships taken up from trade, the NAAFI personnel who supplied the all-important treats that kept spirits up and the Hong Kong Chinese laundrymen who were aboard every warship. Published near forty years after the conflict, this book documents the harsh reality that was 'Britain's last colonial war'.

The Falklands War is a story of occupation, fierce air battles, heavy naval losses and bitter encounters between ground forces amidst an inhospitable terrain and unforgiving climate. With complex political machinations and nationalist sentiment at the centre of the conflict, even today the sovereignty of the islands is hotly contested in political circles. For the first time, renowned military historian Gregory Fremont-Barnes has compiled a definitive A-Z guide to the British involvement in the Falklands conflict, including personalities, weapons, battles, ships, places, and much more. This accessible yet comprehensive companion to the Falklands War will be a welcome addition to any enthusiast's shelves.

Henry Jones, an unprepossessing London insurance clerk, knows that his uncle has disinherited him. The old man's will, made out at the last minute in favour of Henry's charming cousin Isabel Brodrick, lies neatly folded in a well-thumbed volume of sermons in his book-room; Henry saw him put it there before he died. Unfortunately nobody else knows where the will is, and Henry stands to lose everything by making the knowledge public. Cousin Henry, first published in 1879, is one of the most unusual and intriguing of Trollope's shorter novels and its unlikely hero is a timid coward consumed by guilt. But Trollope's handling of his character and dilemma is masterly in its insight and compassion; he knew he had nothing quite like it elsewhere in his fiction. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

This book, published to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day - the last to be commemorated by significant numbers of surviving veterans - is a graphic account of the storming and taking of Hitler's Festung Europa ('Fortress Europe') by the Allies during the final eleven months of the Second World War. From the long-awaited opening of the second front in the West on D-Day, 6 June 1944, to the final surrender of Germany on 8 May 1945, the Allied armies in north-west Europe under the supreme command of Eisenhower fought a gruelling series of battles against Axis forces hardened by years of war and desperate to defend their homeland from destruction. This book shows the relentless progress of the epic war in the European Theatre of Operations, and focuses on the world-famous engagements such as Operation Market Garden (immortalised in the film A Bridge too Far), the Battle of the Bulge (the largest land battle fought by American troops in the Second World War), the Bridge at Remagen, the bombing of Dresden and other German cities, the discovery of the concentration camps, the US link-up with the Red Army on the Elbe, the fall of Berlin, the German surrender and VE Day itself. Written by a leading military historian, Julian Thompson, Victory in Europe contains 30 facsimile items of the Second World War reproduced throughout the book. The reader can re-live this momentous period of history by examining maps, diaries, letters, sketches, secret memos and reports, posters and labels which up till now have remained filed or exhibited in the Imperial War Museum and other museum collections in Northern Europe and America.

'On the beach the Lieutenant asked if he could say a prayer before being shot. "Don't be so bloody silly," I replied, "get into the boat."' My Friends, The Enemy recounts the Falklands War from the viewpoint of the only Intelligence Corps in HQ 3 Commando Brigade and serving with its Intelligence Section of Royal Marines, It is a personal account supported by intelligence assembled since 1982. Nick van der Bijl was a Staff Sergeant and his role meant that he was expected to provide accurate intelligence to Brigade Headquarters and deploy specialist skills. Little was known about the Argentine threat and so the Intelligence Section was very heavily involved in collecting, collating and distributing intelligence from a variety of sources, initially from the UK and after landing at San Carlos Water, also from documents, prisoners of war, and a counter-intelligence operation. While the intelligence proved to be accurate throughout the campaign, some has been controversial, particularly relating to the Battle of Goose Green. Van der Bijl was one of the first into Stanley after the Argentinian surrender and was part of an intelligence operation that searched enemy HQs for documents and selected several hundred officers for further interrogation. My Friends, The Enemy is the first time that the story of intelligence operations has been told by a witness to events in the Falklands from the start of the campaign to the finish.

In this lively, intimate portrayal of county society Trollope introduces two of his most endearing heroines.

Lilian and Bell Dale live with their mother at the Small house in Allington, near their uncle, who inhabits the adjoining Great house. Pretty, spirited and warm-hearted, they are not short of suitors. Before long Lily has succumbed to the charms of the dashing young swell Alphonse Crosbie, while their cousin Bernard, spurred on by their uncle, proposes to Bell, who promptly rejects him. Crosbie, lured away by the grandeur of high society and the bland attractions of Lady Alexandrina, abandons Lily in favour of a loveless marriage of convenience. Will the unhappy Lily ever fall in love again? Or Bell, so self-contained, let any man near her heart?

Written when Trollope was approaching the height of his popularity The Small House at Allington is the fifth of the Barsetshire Chronicles and the sequel to Framley Parsonage.

'On the beach the Lieutenant asked if he could say a prayer before being shot. "Don't be so bloody silly," I replied, "get into the boat."' My Friends, The Enemy recounts the Falklands War from the viewpoint of the only Intelligence Corps in HQ 3 Commando Brigade and serving with its Intelligence Section of Royal Marines, It is a personal account supported by intelligence assembled since 1982. Nick van der Bijl was a Staff Sergeant and his role meant that he was expected to provide accurate intelligence to Brigade Headquarters and deploy specialist skills. Little was known about the Argentine threat and so the Intelligence Section was very heavily involved in collecting, collating and distributing intelligence from a variety of sources, initially from the UK and after landing at San Carlos Water, also from documents, prisoners of war, and a counter-intelligence operation. While the intelligence proved to be accurate throughout the campaign, some has been controversial, particularly relating to the Battle of Goose Green. Van der Bijl was one of the first into Stanley after the Argentinian surrender and was part of an intelligence operation that searched enemy HQs for documents and selected several hundred officers for further interrogation. My Friends, The Enemy is the first time that the story of intelligence operations has been told by a witness to events in the Falklands from the start of the campaign to the finish.

From the end of 1941 to 1945 a pivotal but often overlooked conflict was being fought in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War 2 - the Burma Campaign. In 1941 the Allies fought in a disastrous retreat across Burma against the Japanese - an enemy more prepared, better organised and more powerful than anyone had imagined. Yet in 1944, following key battles at Kohima and Imphal, and daring operations behind enemy lines by the Chindits, the Commonwealth army were back, retaking lost ground one bloody battle at a time. Fighting in dense jungle and open paddy field, this brutal campaign was the longest fought by the British Commonwealth in the Second World War. But the troops taking part were a forgotten army, and the story of their remarkable feats and their courage remains largely untold to this day. The Fourteenth Army in Burma became one of the largest and most diverse armies of the Second World War. British, West African, Ghurkha and Indian regiments fought alongside one another and became comrades. In Forgotten Voices of Burma - a remarkable new oral history taken from Imperial War Museum's Sound Archive - soldiers from both sides tell their stories of this epic conflict.

World War II from Above offers a never-before-seen combination of annotated satellite images and expertly drawn battle maps. It aims to satisfy both the military history buff and those seeking a visually stunning history gift book, bringing the war vividly and dramatically to life by showing the actual landscapes where battles took place along with specially commissioned annotations depicting remarkable events, troop movements, heroic last stands, or even where individual soldiers stood or fell. Each of the 25 chapters features an enhanced Google Earth image, along with specially commissioned battle maps showing every facet of the conflict in exceptional detail. Here you will find all the key milestones of World War II: the invasion of France, Germany's first blitzkrieg offensives, the Battle of Alamein, Monte Cassino, Arnhem, the invasion of Sicily, the Battle of the Bulge, Iwo Jima, D-Day and the final push to Berlin, along with a host of other strategic and battle maps from every geographical location. Written by a highly decorated soldier and leading military history expert, this is an innovative, richly detailed and visually stunning overview of history's most destructive conflict.

Masters of the Battlefield examines the lives and tactics of 28 of the world's greatest military leaders, from Julius Caesar to Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf. Arranged chronologically, each general is represented by a double-page spread containing a biography, a list of his most important dates and battles and a map showing all his campaigns. Each commander's most famous victory is illustrated and described in detail on a specially commissioned step-by-step full-colour battle map. Written by one of Britain's most successful commanders, Major General Thompson, whose expert analysis provides a rich commentary on each individual genius, from Alexander the Great to Hannibal, Rommel to MacArthur up to Norman Schwarzkopf. This is military history writing at its best.

War Behind Enemy Lines tells the unvarnished story of British Special Forces in the Second World War. While the SAS and SBS remain household names today, there were a plethora of lesser known units, large and small, that played their part before departing the scene. Of special note was the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) formed in North Africa who imparted their skills to David Stirling's SAS in the early days. The Special Boat Sections and Squadron and other Royal Marine units inflicted great damage. Popski's Private Army used heavily armed jeeps effectively in Italy while the Jedburghs parachuted in to assist the French Resistance. In Burma, the Chindits, under the controversial Orde Wingate, conducted deep penetration patrols against the Japanese, suffering heavy casualties from enemy action and disease. Drawing on personal accounts as well as official records, the author paints a vivid picture of the operations and contribution of these and other units. He also analyses, using his own experience, the reasons for the resulting successes and failures. There is unlikely to be a more comprehensive and authoritative account of the 'Golden Age of British Special Forces'.

They were Britain's Second World War 'Band of Brothers', a secret army of fifty handpicked, cross-Channel raiders who carried the fight to the enemy shore long before D-Day. Created after the fall of Dunkirk, they commandeered a Brixham fishing boat and planned clandestine attacks on German warships in the Channel. But not all their enemies wore German uniform. Thwarted by rivals working for Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), the unit sailed to West Africa where, as part of Special Operations Executive (SOE), they carried out an audacious top-secret raid on neutral shipping. Returning to Britain in triumph and feted now by Churchill himself, they expanded into the Small Scale Raiding Force. In almost twenty daring missions for Combined Operations, whilst operating from a secret manor house in Dorset, they raided German outposts, kidnapped sentries, ambushed patrols and shot prisoners, all the while sowing fear and havoc along the rim of Hitler's Fortress Europe. Britain's Band of Brothers is their story of courage and comradeship, of patriotism, tragedy and dawn-cold courage, told here in full for the first time.