North-west Europe, 1944-5

North-west Europe, 1944-5 PDF Author: John North
Publisher: London : H.M. Stationery Ofice
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
The story of the 21st [British] Army Group in the Allied invasion of north-west Europe during the Second World War.

North-west Europe, 1944-5

North-west Europe, 1944-5 PDF Author: John North
Publisher: London : H.M. Stationery Ofice
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 312

Get Book Here

Book Description
The story of the 21st [British] Army Group in the Allied invasion of north-west Europe during the Second World War.

The British Way of War in Northwest Europe, 1944-5

The British Way of War in Northwest Europe, 1944-5 PDF Author: L. P. Devine
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1474225659
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
This book examines the experience of two British Infantry Divisions, the 43rd (Wessex) and 53rd (Welsh), during the Overlord campaign in Northwest Europe. To understand the way the British fought during Operation Overlord, the book considers the political and military factors between 1918 and 1943 before addressing the major battles and many of the minor engagements and day-to-day experiences of the campaign. Through detailed exploration of unit war diaries and first-hand accounts, Louis Devine demonstrates how Montgomery's way of war translated to the divisions and their sub units. While previous literature has suggested that the British Army fought a cautious war in order to avoid the heavy casualties of the First World War, Devine challenges this concept by showing that the Overlord Campaign fought at sub-divisional levels was characterised by command pressure to achieve results quickly, hasty planning and a reliance on massive artillery and mortar contributions to compensate for deficiencies in anti-tank and armoured support. By following two British infantry divisions over a continuous period and focusing on soldiers' experience to offer a perspective 'from below', as well as challenging the consensus of a 'cautious' British campaign, this book provides a much-needed re-examination of the Overlord campaign which will be of great interest to students and scholars of the Second World War and modern military history in general.

The Men Behind Monty

The Men Behind Monty PDF Author: Richard Mead
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473827167
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description
The Men Behind Monty examines the role played by the staff in the victorious campaigns of Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery, Britain's most successful field commander since the Duke of Wellington.??When Monty took command of Eighth Army in August 1942, he inherited the staff of his predecessor. He retained all the key members and most of them stayed with him not only from El Alamein to Tunis, but also in Sicily and Italy. When he took command of 21st Army Group in January 1944, many accompanied him to take up the most prominent positions on the HQ staff and the majority remained until the German surrender in May 1945.??This fascinating work focuses not only on the senior officers responsible for the various staff branches, and notably on Monty's outstanding Chief of Staff, Freddie de Guingand, but also on his personal staff, the ADCs and personal liaison officers.?The book sheds light on the work of the staff generally, and on their direct contribution to Monty's decisions, his sometimes difficult and controversial relationships with his superiors and allies.

Military Power

Military Power PDF Author: Stephen Biddle
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400837820
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
In war, do mass and materiel matter most? Will states with the largest, best equipped, information-technology-rich militaries invariably win? The prevailing answer today among both scholars and policymakers is yes. But this is to overlook force employment, or the doctrine and tactics by which materiel is actually used. In a landmark reconception of battle and war, this book provides a systematic account of how force employment interacts with materiel to produce real combat outcomes. Stephen Biddle argues that force employment is central to modern war, becoming increasingly important since 1900 as the key to surviving ever more lethal weaponry. Technological change produces opposite effects depending on how forces are employed; to focus only on materiel is thus to risk major error--with serious consequences for both policy and scholarship. In clear, fluent prose, Biddle provides a systematic account of force employment's role and shows how this account holds up under rigorous, multimethod testing. The results challenge a wide variety of standard views, from current expectations for a revolution in military affairs to mainstream scholarship in international relations and orthodox interpretations of modern military history. Military Power will have a resounding impact on both scholarship in the field and on policy debates over the future of warfare, the size of the military, and the makeup of the defense budget.

The Human Face of War

The Human Face of War PDF Author: Jim Storr
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1441179372
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 422

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Book Description
Warfare is hugely important. The fates of nations, and even continents, often rests on the outcome of war and thus on how its practitioners consider war. The Human Face of War is a new exploration of military thought. It starts with the observation that much military thought is poorly developed - often incoherent and riddled with paradox. The author contends that what is missing from British and American writing on warfare is any underpinning mental approach or philosophy. Why are some tank commanders, snipers, fighter pilots or submarine commanders far more effective than others? Why are many generals sacked at the outbreak of war? The Human Face of War examines such phenomena and seeks to explain them. The author argues that military thought should be based on an approach which reflects the nature of combat. Combat - fighting - is primarily a human phenomenon dominated by human behaviour. The book explores some of those human issues and their practical consequences. The Human Face of War calls for, and suggests, a new way of considering war and warfare.

The Hall of Mirrors

The Hall of Mirrors PDF Author: Jim Storr
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1913118495
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 500

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Book Description
The military scholar and author of The Human Face of War analyses the nature of 20th-century war and warfare in this wide-ranging study. The 20th Century was possibly the most violent and turbulent century in history. The wars waged in those ten decades reshaped the globe and wreaked an incalculable toll on human life. In The Hall of Mirrors, military analyst and historian Jim Storr explores what can we learn from war, and warfare, in the 20th century. Rather than presenting a narrative history, The Hall of Mirrors takes a deep look at the nature of 20th Century war and warfare. Storr looks at the strategy, operational art, and tactics employed. He analyzes how technology developed, and how those technologies affected military events. He also considers the effect of individual human beings and organizations. By 1919 the First World War was already over. Millions had died, empires had crumbled, new nations had been born. And yet the so-called Great War was merely setting the stage for another eighty years of crisis, conflict, and change; of alliances forged and broken; of apparent chaos that can appear futile, and yet has enormous consequence.

First Polish Armoured Division 1938–47

First Polish Armoured Division 1938–47 PDF Author: Evan McGilvray
Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
ISBN: 1526724189
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description
“If the Polish armed forces are of interest to you this title covering their distinguished service during World War II should appeal to many.” —Armorama The First Polish Armored Division was formed in Scotland in February 1942 from Polish exiles who had escaped first Poland and then France. Its commander, Stanislaw Maczek, and many of its men had previously served in Polish 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade (10 BKS), which had taken part in the Polish invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1938 and given a good account of itself in the defense of Poland against German and Soviet invasion of 1939. Under Maczek’s leadership the division was trained and equipped along British lines in preparation for the invasion of France. Attached to 1st Canadian Army, the division was sent to Normandy in late July 1944. It suffered heavily during Operation Totalize but went on to play a crucial role in preventing an orderly German withdrawal from the Falaise Pocket by its stand at Hill 262. They then played their part in the advance across Western Europe and into Germany. This detailed history, supported by dozens of archive photos, concludes by looking at the often-poor treatment of Maczek and his men after the war. “A Polish armoured division comprising volunteers from Polish refugees—it reads like a story from the Boys Own Paper . . . Astonishing!” —Books Monthly

Second World War Lives

Second World War Lives PDF Author: James Goulty
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1781597510
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 243

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Book Description
The Second World War was a momentous event in twentieth-century history and it is a fascinating period for family historians to explore. Numerous records are available to researchers whose relatives served in the war, and James Goultys book is an accessible guide on how to locate and understand these sources - and get the most out of them.Using evidence gleaned from a range of sources archives, official records, books, libraries, oral history and the internet he reconstructs the wartime records of a revealing and representative group of ordinary men and women: a signaler, an infantryman, a doctor, an artillery officer, a woman serving with anti aircraft units, a commando, a Royal Navy bomb disposal officer, RAF fighter and bomber pilots, and others. He describes their wartime careers and experiences and demonstrates how they fitted into contemporary military organizations and operations. He looks at their backgrounds, their wartime training and duties, their front line service, and the conditions they endured. In each case he shows how the research was conducted and explains how the lives of such individuals can be explored highlighting methods that can be used and sources that can be consulted. James Goultys informative book will be essential reading and reference for anyone who wants to find out about the Second World War and is keen to understand the part an ancestor played in it.

A Bibliography of British History, 1914-1989

A Bibliography of British History, 1914-1989 PDF Author: Keith Robbins
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780198224969
Category : Great Britain
Languages : en
Pages : 962

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Book Description
Containing over 25,000 entries, this unique volume will be absolutely indispensable for all those with an interest in Britain in the twentieth century. Accessibly arranged by theme, with helpful introductions to each chapter, a huge range of topics is covered. There is a comprehensiveindex.

North-West Europe 1944-5

North-West Europe 1944-5 PDF Author: John North
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description