A Bibliography of Regimental Histories of the British Army


Book Description

This is one of the most valuable books in the armoury of the serious student of British Military history. It is a new and revised edition of Arthur White's much sought-after bibliography of regimental, battalion and other histories of all regiments and Corps that have ever existed in the British Army. This new edition includes an enlarged addendum to that given in the 1988 reprint. It is, quite simply, indispensible.




The Dead of the Irish Revolution


Book Description

The first comprehensive account to record and analyze all deaths arising from the Irish revolution between 1916 and 1921 "A monumental new book [and] an incredible piece of research. . . . Formidable, authoritative and handsomely produced, The Dead of the Irish Revolution is a fitting memorial."--Andrew Lynch, Irish Independent "Will surely serve as the indispensable reference work on this topic for the foreseeable future. . . . A truly remarkable feat of close scholarship and calm exposition."--Gearoid O Tuathaigh, Irish Times Weekend This account covers the turbulent period from the 1916 Rising to the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921--a period which saw the achievement of independence for most of nationalist Ireland and the establishment of Northern Ireland as a self-governing province of the United Kingdom. Separatists fought for independence against government forces and, in North East Ulster, armed loyalists. Civilians suffered violence from all combatants, sometimes as collateral damage, often as targets. Eunan O'Halpin and Daithí Ó Corráin catalogue and analyze the deaths of all men, women, and children who died during the revolutionary years--505 in 1916; 2,344 between 1917 and 1921. This study provides a unique and comprehensive picture of everyone who died: in what manner, by whose hands, and why. Through their stories we obtain original insight into the Irish revolution itself.




British Military Operations in Egypt and the Sudan


Book Description

The British Army's campaigns in Egypt and the Sudan from 1882 to 1899 were among the most dramatic and hard-fought in British military history. In 1882, the British sent an expeditionary force to Egypt to quell the Arabic Revolt and secure British control of the Suez Canal, its lifeline to India. The enigmatic British Major General Charles G. Gordon was sent to the Sudan in 1884 to study the possibility of evacuating Egyptian garrisons threatened by Muslim fanatics, the dervishes, in the Sudan. While the dervishes defeated the British forces on a number of occasions, the British eventually learned to combat the insurrection and ultimately, largely through superior technology and firepower, vanquished the insurgents in 1898. British Operations in Egypt and the Sudan: A Selected Bibliography enumerates and generally describes and annotates hundreds of contemporary, current, and hard-to-find books, journal articles, government documents, and personal papers on all aspects of British military operations in Egypt and the Sudan from 1882 to 1899. Arranged chronologically and topically, chapters cover the various campaigns, focusing on specific battles, leading military personalities, and the contributions of imperial nations as well as supporting services of the British Army. This definitive volume is an indispensable reference for researching imperialism, colonial history, and British military operations, leadership, and tactics.







The King's Shropshire Light Infantry,1881-1968


Book Description

This book presents a photographic record of the service of a distinguished county regiment whose origins go back to the Seven Years' War, in the middle of the eighteenth century. Formed in 1881, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the KSLI, formerly the 53rd and 85th Regiments, did tours of duty around the world in the days of the Empire - serving in India, the Far East, the West Indies, and the Mediterranean. This book also shows the KSLI on active service which took them to Egypt in 1882, the Sudan in 1885, and South Africa during the Boer War. Much expanded, the KSLI rendered outstanding service during the First World War. The eight battalions that went overseas served on the Western Front (notably in the Ypres Salient, on the Somme, and in the great offensives of 1918), in Palestine and in Salonika. During the Second World War, the KSLI played a major part in engagements in France in 1940, in Tunisia, in Italy and in North West Europe. Post-war campaigning took them back to Palestine, to Korea, and to Kenya, with peaceful interludes in Germany and Malaysia. The regiment ceased to exist as a distinct unit in 1968, when it was absorbed into the new Light Infantry as the 3rd Battalion. This fascinating book presents a vivid picture of the life of the regiment in times of peace and war through photographs from the regimental archives, the majority of which have never before been published.




Caen Controversy


Book Description

On 6 June 1944 British, American, Canadian and French troops landed in Normandy by air and sea. This was one of the key moments of the Second World War, a long-anticipated invasion which would, ultimately, lead to the defeat of Nazi Germany. By the day’s end a lodgment had been effected and Operation OVERLORD was being hailed as a success. In reality the assault had produced mixed results and at certain points along the French coastline the position was still far from certain. The key Allied objectives had also not been captured during the first day of the fighting and this failure would have long-term consequences. Of the priority targets, the city of Caen was a vital logistical hub with its road and rail networks plus it would also act as a critical axis for launching the anticipated follow-on attacks against the German defenders. As a result an entire brigade of British troops was tasked with attempting its capture but their advance culminated a few miles short. This new book examines this significant element of the wider D-Day operation and provides a narrative account of the operations conducted by 3 British Infantry Division. It examines in some detail the planning, preparation and the landings that were made on the beaches of Sword sector. To do this it considers the previously published material and also draws upon archival sources many of which have been previously overlooked to identify key factors behind the failure to capture the city. Its publication coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Allied liberation of France.




Legacy of the Somme 1916


Book Description

The Battle of the Somme is widely regarded as one of the bloodiest and most controversial land battles ever fought. The first British troops went over the top on 1 July 1916 and by the day's end some 19,000 had been killed in the greatest one-day loss the British Army has ever known. This notoriety has ensured that the Somme and its many fallen warriors live on in countless books, plays and films. Documentary sources about the Somme abound and there is a voracious appetite among the book-buying public for more. Legacy of the Somme 1916 is a unique bibliographical and media guide to the battle, setting on record - in as comprehensive a listing as is possible - much of what has been written, filmed or sound-recorded in the English language between 1916 and 1995. This detailed listing includes official, unofficial and unit histories of the British and Commonwealth armies; biographies, autobiographies and memoirs; literature, drama and media; archives, tanks and war graves registers. Short commentaries accompany each entry and a detailed index enables accurate cross-referencing of subjects. First and foremost this is a unique work of reference which will appeal to all with an interest in the First World War. It will aid historians, researchers and enthusiasts to track down the vast amount of information available on the battle, and will also prove valuable to libraries, museums and the book trade.




Dictionary of British Military History


Book Description

From the invasion of Britain by the Danes through the battle of Hastings, Agincourt and Waterloo up to the present day, this fascinating dictionary includes entries on battles, campaigns and famous commanders, as well as ranks, regiments, uniforms and weapons. The reader will find an outline of the British army since its formation in the 17th century, together with brief histories of battles and biographies of great military leaders. A handy reference source for all levels of student or enthusiast, including the general reader of historical reference and anyone with an interest in the British military.







Strick


Book Description

A biography on the unique military career and decorations of the British general Strick. He commanded no fewer than three armored regiments in World War II. Major-General Eugene Vincent Michael Strickland CMG, DSO, OBE, MM, CStJ, Star of Jordan – Strick – rose from penniless hardship to great military distinction. He was a tank man, a war hero who fought in France, North Africa and Italy during World War II, and whose name is revered even today among regiments that he commanded. His is the extraordinary tale of a man who gained a Regular Commission in the Indian Army from Sandhurst, but resigned soon afterwards. After a series of intriguing adventures, he then enlisted as a private soldier in the Royal Tank Corps. In May 1940, he played a major part in the counterattack at Arras, where two British infantry tank battalions held up the German advance for three days, enabling the success of the Dunkirk evacuation – and perhaps saving Britain from ultimate defeat in the process. Strick's outstanding success as a troop-sergeant in France saw him immediately (re-)commissioned, and his rise to high command was then swift. He commanded the leading Squadron of North Irish Horse in Tunisia 1943, and then commanded the North Irish Horse in its greatest battle, the breaking of the Hitler Line, in Italy in 1944. He served in seven regiments and had four regimental commands. This book focuses on his experience during World War II, drawing out the unique qualities required of leaders in close-combat battle, the particular demands of armored infantry cooperation, and how an individual can make a success of such a rapid rise through the ranks during wartime. This fine story of adventure and achievement is brought alive by Strick’s remarkable correspondence – he wrote home to his family every second or third day throughout the war, except when action was too fierce to write – supplemented by the recollections of his comrades and years of archival research. More than a portrait of a gifted and morally courageous man, this biography also offers an insight into the arts of command and tactical control, and the difficulties of a family life fragmented by war.