The Epic of Industry


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Britain at Bay


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From statesmen and military commanders to ordinary Britons, a bold, sweeping history of Britain's entrance into World War II—and its efforts to survive it—illuminating the ways in which the war permanently transformed a nation and its people “Might be the single best examination of British politics, society and strategy in these four years that has ever been written.” —The Wall Street Journal Here is the many-faceted, world-historically significant story of Britain at war. In looking closely at the military and political dimensions of the conflict’s first crucial years, Alan Allport tackles pressing questions such as whether the war could have been avoided, how it could have been lost, how well the British lived up to their own values, and ultimately, what difference the war made to the fate of the nation. In answering these questions, he reexamines our assumptions and paints a vivid portrait of the ways in which the Second World War transformed British culture and society. This bracing account draws on a lively cast of characters—from the political and military leaders who made the decisions, to the ordinary citizens who lived through them—in a comprehensible and compelling single history of forty-six million people. A sweeping and groundbreaking epic, Britain at Bay gives us a fresh look at the opening years of the war, and illuminates the integral moments that, for better or for worse, made Britain what it is today.




Leningrad 1941–44


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Osprey's Campaign title for Hitler's protracted siege of Leningrad, which resulted in one of the most brutal campaigns on the Eastern Front during World War II (1939-1945). The German Army Group North was able to isolate the city and its garrison for a period of 900 days, during which an estimated 1.5 million Soviets died from combat, disease and starvation. For over two years, German forces pounded the city with artillery and air assaults while the Soviets made repeated efforts on the frozen swamplands of the Volkhov Front to break through. Finally, in January 1944, the Soviets were able to break Army Group North's front and relieve Leningrad. While most histories of the siege of Leningrad focus on the plight of the starving civil population, this refreshing title instead examines the strength of the garrison's defenses - which ultimately prevented the Germans from capturing the city - and the growing sophistication of Soviet offensive tactics. Dr. Forczyk also provides an assessment of how weather and terrain factors shaped the campaign in this superb addition to the history of the Eastern Front.




Bismarck


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The author of Blitzkrieg covers one of the most dramatic events of the Second World War in an “outstanding book about naval warfare” (World War II History). When the German battleship Bismarck—a masterpiece of engineering, well-armored with a main artillery of eight 15-inch guns—left the port of Gotenhafen for her first operation on the night of May 18, 1941, the British battlecruiser Hood and the new battleship Prince of Wales were ordered to find her quickly, as several large convoys were heading for Britain. On May 24, Bismarck was found off the coast of Greenland, but the ensuing battle was disastrous for the British. The Hood was totally destroyed within minutes, with only three crewmen surviving, and Prince of Wales was badly damaged. The chase resumed until the German behemoth was finally caught, this time by four British capital ships supported by torpedo-bombers from the carrier Ark Royal. The icy North Atlantic roiled from the crash of shellfire and bursting explosions until finally the Bismarck collapsed, sending nearly two thousand German sailors to a watery grave. Tamelander and Zetterling’s work rests on stories from survivors and the latest historical discoveries. The book starts with a thorough account of maritime developments from 1871 up to the era of the giant battleship, and ends with a vivid account, hour by hour, of the dramatic and fateful hunt for the mighty Bismarck, Nazi Germany’s last hope to pose a powerful surface threat to Allied convoys. “Exciting story-telling . . . recreat[es] the thrill of the hunt.” —International Journal of Maritime History “[An] epic sea chase and its vivid, human details.” —World War II




Netaji


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The complete life story of SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE from the pen of Krishna Bose, an eminent member of the Bose family and pioneering Netaji researcher. Featuring 95 images and letters from family albums and Netaji Research Bureau archives. Written over six decades by an esteemed scholar and Bose family member, Netaji: Subhas Chandra Bose’s Life, Politics and Struggle vividly reveals the human being alongside the revolutionary and freedom fighter, traversing Bose’s life from childhood to his mortal end in August 1945. Krishna Bose travelled the subcontinent and the world to discover Netaji’s life. As she pieces together her findings, we gain striking new insights into Subhas Chandra Bose’s political motivations, his personal relationships, and the epic journeys and daring military campaigns he undertook to secure India’s independence. We visit the Manipur battlefields where the Indian National Army waged its valiant war, the Andamans where Netaji raised the national tricolour; Singapore, where the INA tookshape; Vienna and Prague, his favourite European cities; and Taipei, where his life was tragically cut short. We meet Netaji’s key political contemporaries – from Nehru and Gandhi to Tojo and Hitler. And we learn in gripping detail about the Azad Hind Fauj’s spirit of unity and the bravery in war of its men – as well as the women who fought as the Rani of Jhansi Regiment. Krishna Bose closely knew many personalities who feature in this book – Basanti Debi, Subhas’s adopted mother; Emilie Schenkl,his spouse; Lakshmi Sahgal, Abid Hasan and many other leading soldiers of the Azad Hind movement – who all shared vital memories that helped complete Netaji’s life story. Drawing on Netaji Research Bureau’s archives and decades of fieldwork and interviews, this book offers an unmatched portrait of Subhas Chandra Bose – the man, his politics and his epic struggle for India’s freedom. Krishna Bose’s writings were compiled, edited and translated from Bengali by her son Sumantra Bose. Krishna Bose’s writings were compiled, edited and translated from Bengali by her son Sumantra Bose.




Historical Dictionary of Iraq


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The Historical Dictionary of Iraq, Second Edition covers the history of Iraq through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has several hundred cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Iraq.







Bf 109D/E Aces 1939–41


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The period covered in this volume was considered to be the 'glory years' for the Jagdwaffe fresh from the experience gained in the Spanish Civil War and for the Bf 109 in particular. Many famous pilots scored their first kills in the classic dogfights staged over Poland, Western Europe, the Channel and finally southern England. Some 40 Knight's Crosses were awarded in 1940 alone. However, after sweeping all before them in support of the Blitzkrieg across continental Europe, the Bf 109E pilots were to suffer badly during the Battle of Britain, the result of poor tactics inflicted upon them by the Luftwaffe High Command, and their mount's less then generous range.