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Much has been written about the V-bombers – the Valiant, Victor
and Vulcan – but virtually nothing has been said about their
strategic nuclear strike role. How would Britain’s small force of
subsonic bombers have retaliated following a Soviet attack? Would
they have succeeded in visiting thermonuclear catastrophe on their
Soviet targets? V-Bombers: Britain’s Nuclear Frontline is the
first detailed account of the operational capability and
credibility of Britain’s airborne nuclear deterrent during the
peak years of the Cold War. This book is the product of six years
of research by the author, Dr Tony Redding. It includes a great
deal of fresh material on V-force weapons, war mission, targeting,
vulnerabilities and tactics for attacking targets within Soviet
Russia. Over 70 V-force aircrew and ground crew were interviewed
and over 300 operational research reports and other official
documents were reviewed. This book demonstrates how the V-bombers
retained a unilateral capacity to destroy the largest cities in the
Soviet Union until the handover of the strategic nuclear deterrent
to the Polaris submarines in 1969. It concludes that a small force
of surviving V-bombers could have unleashed the explosive power of
all Allied bombs dropped on Germany in six years of war, but in the
space of the first two hours of World War 3. A sobering thought and
a fascinating and necessary read for all those interested in this
period of history.
Life and Death in Bomber Command is an intimate account of the
human cost of the bombing offensive against Nazi Germany and
targets in occupied Europe. The story of Lancaster rear gunner W/O
Sidney Knott, DFC, unfolds within a detailed assessment of the
bomber war by author Tony Redding. Sidney Knott survived sixty-four
operations. The first tour, beginning in January 1943, included
many 'Battle of the Ruhr' targets. His aircraft attacked Duisburg
five times and Essen on three occasions. They also participated in
three raids on Berlin. In April 1944, Knott began a second tour as
a Pathfinder. Another thirty-five operations included attacks on
German cities, but the focus was the assault on V1 and V2 sites and
French rail targets prior to D-Day and the Normandy landings. This
unique combination of dramatic narrative and strategic overview
includes controversial views about post-war perspectives on the
morality of area bombing and its contribution to victory in Europe.
It is a moving account of squadron life and describes how every
individual lived with unspoken fears. The story is complete as it
also portrays how former aircrew struggled to set aside traumatic
wartime experiences and adjust to life on 'civvy street'.
War in the Wilderness is the most comprehensive account ever
published of the human aspects of the Chindit war in Burma. The
word 'Chindit' will always have a special resonance in military
circles. Every Chindit endured what is widely regarded as the
toughest sustained Allied combat experience of the Second World
War. The Chindit expeditions behind Japanese lines in occupied
Burma 1943-1944 transformed the morale of British forces after the
crushing defeats of 1942. The Chindits provided the springboard for
the Allies' later offensives. The two expeditions extended the
boundaries of human endurance. The Chindits suffered slow
starvation and exposure to dysentery, malaria, typhus and a
catalogue of other diseases. They endured the intense mental strain
of living and fighting under the jungle canopy, with the
ever-present threat of ambush or simply 'bumping' the enemy. Every
Chindit carried his kit and weapons (equivalent to two heavy
suitcases) in the tropical heat and humidity. A disabling wound or
sickness frequently meant a lonely death. Those who could no longer
march were often left behind with virtually no hope of survival.
Some severely wounded were shot or given a lethal dose of morphia
to ensure they would not be captured alive by the Japanese. Fifty
veterans of the Chindit expeditions kindly gave interviews for this
book. Many remarked on the self-reliance that sprang from living
and fighting as a Chindit. Whatever happened to them after their
experiences in Burma, they knew that nothing else would ever be as
bad. There are first-hand accounts of the bitter and costly battles
and the final, wasteful weeks, when men were forced to continue
fighting long after their health and strength had collapsed. War in
the Wilderness continues the story as the survivors returned to
civilian life. They remained Chindits for the rest of their days,
members of a brotherhood forged in extreme adversity.
Enter the world of the 1950's child. From the corner sweet shop to
the playground, to boys pretending to be spitfires and Rin Tin Tin,
frozen jubblies and the Ford Popular. Tony Redding brings back a
flood of memories as he takes us back to 1950's London. This book
will appeal to all those who remember the 50's, especially those
from the south east of London. The lighthearted approach to the
50's should have nationwide appeal, especially with the 60th
anniversary of the Coronation in 2013. Why was growing up in the
1950's so different and special? If you are in your early 60's you
will know the answers. If you remember cream soda, wagon wheels,
snake belts, Rin Tin Tin, Robin Hood and Popeye, this book is for
you. If you were born long after 1960, here is the world of your
parents or grandparents, set out in all its 1950's glory: "six of
chips", Eddie Cochran, The Shadows, smog, bomb sites, a canning at
school, Penny for the guy and British bulldog. Turn the pages and
shift into a time when you could press the 'button B' and get your
money back, whiten your teeth with Pepsodent and listen to adults
criticising the police for failing to lock up enough teddy boys.
Enjoy!
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