Researched from genuine primary sources, this is the first book to explain and illustrate the organization, activities and personal stories of the female 'support staff' who played a major role in the day-to-day life of Napoleon's armies. The cantinieres who accompanied Napoleon's armies to war have an iconic status in the history of the Grande Armee. Sutler-women and laundresses were officially sanctioned members of the regiment performing a vital support role. In a period when the supply and pay services were haphazard, their canteen wagons and tents were a vital source of sustenance and served as the social hubs of the regiment. Although officially non-combatants, many of these women followed their regiments into battle, serving brandy to soldiers in the firing line, braving enemy fire. This book is a timely piece of social history, as well as a colourful new guide for modellers and re-enactors. Through meticulous research of unprecedented depth and accuracy, Terry Crowdy dispels the inaccurate portrayals that Napoleon's Women Camp Followers have suffered over the years to offer a fascinating look at these forgotten heroines.

The Khazars were one of the most important Turkic peoples in European history, dominating vast areas of southeastern Europe and the western reaches of the Central Asian steppes from the 4th to the 11th centuries AD. They were also unique in that their aristocratic and military elites converted to Judaism, creating what would be territorially the largest Jewish-ruled state in world history. They became significant allies of the Byzantine Empire, blocking the advance of Islam north of the Caucasus Mountains for several hundred years.

They also achieved a remarkable level of metal-working technology, and their military elite wore forms of iron plate armour that would not be seen in Western Europe until the 14th century. The Khazar state provided the foundations upon which medieval Russia and modern Ukraine were built. Fully illustrated with detailed colour plates, this is a fascinating study into the armies, organisation, armour, weapons and fortifications of the Khazars.

In 32 BC, the Roman Republic declared war on Egypt and set in motion a chain of events that would tear the Republic apart. In Rome, the forces of the western republic were marshaled together under Octavian (the future Emperor Augustus) and Marcus Agrippa. In the east, armies were gathered under the leadership of the famous lovers, Marc Antony and Cleopatra.
On September 2, 31 BC, the forces of Octavian and Marcus Agrippa managed to trap their enemies in the Gulf of Actium. Although Anthony and Cleopatra managed to escape, their army and navy, along with their hopes for victory were crushed. A few months later, the lovers would commit suicide. Their death saw the end of the war and the end of the Roman Republic. Now wielding supreme power, Octavian declared himself Emperor.
Actium has remained one of the most famous battles of the Ancient World thanks to its colorful cast of characters that have been reinvented by the writings of Shakespeare and the stars of the silver screen. This new book tells the true story of the decisive and bloody battle that would once and for all seal the fate of the Roman Republic.

Ian Castle tells the story of Germany's air offensive against Britain, in which, from May 1915 until October 1917, zeppelins dropped thousands of tons of bombs on London. Initially the city was woefully unprotected but an integrated air defense system was progressively developed in response to the early months' destruction and casualties.
Over a year was to pass before the first zeppelin was downed over British soil by the Royal Flying Corps but successes then steadily mounted as observation and communication networks improved and new tactics were learned. In his revealing account of a terrifying campaign which was to be repeated only decades later in the Luftwaffe's Blitz, the author describes the birth of a new arena of warfare, "the home front."

Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson's decisive victory over the combined fleets of France and Spain on 21 October 1805 remains one of the greatest naval triumphs in history. Off Cape Trafalgar, 27 British and 33 Franco-Spanish ships pounded each other in an epic four-hour struggle on whose outcome rested nothing less than Britain's security against Napoleonic invasion. Nelson's brilliant tactics, inspiring leadership and the superior training and morale of his crews left his opponents shattered in a savage encounter that not only marked the last great battle fought in the age of sail, but ushered in a century of British naval mastery.

When the Great Patriotic War began many women volunteered for the armed forces, but most of them were rejected. They were steered towards nursing or other supportive roles. Many determined women managed to enter combat by first volunteering as field medics and nurses, then simply picking up a gun during the battle, and charging boldly into the line of fire. In the area of aviation, women also contributed greatly to the war effort. In rickety biplanes, they flew bombing missions at night, without parachutes; their only protection was the darkness. This book tells the stories of the brave women that were awarded the Soviet Union's most prestigious title - Hero of the Soviet Union - for their bravery in protecting their homeland.

This all-new volume chronicles the events that climaxed on the field of Austerlitz in one of the most famous battles of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). Not only was it the first campaign that Napoleon waged as Emperor of France, but also the first great test for his Grande Armee. The Emperor himself regarded it as his greatest victory and it undoubtedly won him a mastery of Europe that would remain unbroken for almost a decade. Most accounts of the campaign have until now been based almost exclusively on French sources, but following extensive research in the Austrian archives Ian Castle is now able to provide a far more balanced account of Austerlitz.

The retreat to Corunna is one of the epic campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars. Late in 1808 Sir John Moore found himself virtually alone with his small British army deep inside Spain. The armies of his Spanish allies had been overwhelmed and he faced a victorious French force under the Emperor Napoleon. He had little option but to order a retreat to the port of Corunna. This became the most arduous of trials with armies traversing mountainous terrain over appalling roads in the depths of winter. Somehow Moore held his outnumbered, exhausted men together as they struggled to reach safety. Finally at Corunna Moore's army turned to face its tormentors.