The Yompers

The Yompers PDF Author: Ian R. Gardiner
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1781599181
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 365

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Book Description
A British company commander details his experience serving in the Falklands War and reflects on the 1982 conflict. “Yomping” was the word Commandos used for carrying heavy loads on long marches. It caught the public’s imagination during this short but bitter campaign and epitomized the grim determination and professionalism of our troops… Called to action on April 2, 1982, the men of 45 Commando Royal Marines assembled from around the world to sail 8,000 miles to recover the Falkland Islands from Argentine invasion. Lacking helicopters and short of food, they “yomped” in appalling weather carrying overloaded rucksacks, across the roughest terrain. Yet for a month in mid-winter, they remained a cohesive fighting-fit body of men. They then fought and won the highly successful and fierce night battle for Two Sisters, a 1,000-foot-high mountain which was the key to the defensive positions around Stanley. More than just a first-hand story of that epic feat, this book is the first to be written by a company commander in the Falklands War. It offers a vivid description of the “yomp” and infantry fighting, and it also offers penetrating insights into the realities of war at higher levels. It is a unique combination of descriptive writing about frontline fighting and wider reflections on the Falklands War, and conflict in general. “This is the real thing, from someone who gave the orders and led from the front, from beginning to bitter end. His account is articulate, poignant and precise, even though thirty years have elapsed . . . highly recommended.” —Military History Monthly

The Yompers

The Yompers PDF Author: Ian R. Gardiner
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1781599181
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 365

Get Book Here

Book Description
A British company commander details his experience serving in the Falklands War and reflects on the 1982 conflict. “Yomping” was the word Commandos used for carrying heavy loads on long marches. It caught the public’s imagination during this short but bitter campaign and epitomized the grim determination and professionalism of our troops… Called to action on April 2, 1982, the men of 45 Commando Royal Marines assembled from around the world to sail 8,000 miles to recover the Falkland Islands from Argentine invasion. Lacking helicopters and short of food, they “yomped” in appalling weather carrying overloaded rucksacks, across the roughest terrain. Yet for a month in mid-winter, they remained a cohesive fighting-fit body of men. They then fought and won the highly successful and fierce night battle for Two Sisters, a 1,000-foot-high mountain which was the key to the defensive positions around Stanley. More than just a first-hand story of that epic feat, this book is the first to be written by a company commander in the Falklands War. It offers a vivid description of the “yomp” and infantry fighting, and it also offers penetrating insights into the realities of war at higher levels. It is a unique combination of descriptive writing about frontline fighting and wider reflections on the Falklands War, and conflict in general. “This is the real thing, from someone who gave the orders and led from the front, from beginning to bitter end. His account is articulate, poignant and precise, even though thirty years have elapsed . . . highly recommended.” —Military History Monthly

Utta Drivel

Utta Drivel PDF Author: Alan Pinkett
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0244102074
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
Utta Drivel is a comic novel that follows the lives of laid-back entrepreneur Wilfric and his two friends. Wilfric is 1600-odd years-old, which gives him a unique view of history. His get-togethers with walking disaster Boothroyd and eccentric patriot Utta Drivel always involve much laughter. Their lives cover a wide spectrum. From an Israeli landscape painter by the name of Mori Arty to the use of bonsai whales in garden ponds. From a naïve Catholic priest called Father Thousands to EU regulations requiring French windows to be made in France. From a Middle-aged Folk's Home to a conman called Big One O'Really. And whether funfairs are just a chance for 13-year-old girls to meet gypsies. As life goes by, Wilfric increasingly feels he is being watched. He eventually discovers who by, but not why. That is only resolved when they try to intercept him, resulting in an exciting canal barge chase. An audaciously satirical work in which the author's wit will make you laugh out loud.

Bringing War to Book

Bringing War to Book PDF Author: Rachel Woodward
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137570105
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
This book explores how military memoirs come to be written and published. Looking at the journeys through which soldiers and other military personnel become writers, the authors draw on over 250 military memoirs published since 1980 about service with the British armed forces, and on interviews with published military memoirists who talk in detail about the writing and production of their books. A range of themes are explored including: the nature of the military memoir; motivations for writing; authors’ reflections on their readerships; inclusions and exclusions within the text; the memories and materials that authors draw on; the collaborations that make the production and publication of military memoirs possible; and the issues around the design of military memoirs' distinctive covers. Written by two leading commentators on the sociology of the military, Bringing War to Book offers a new and original argument about the representations of war and the military experience as a process of social production. The book will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines including sociology, history, and cultural studies.

In the Service of the Sultan

In the Service of the Sultan PDF Author: Ian Gardiner
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1848849907
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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Book Description
A memoir of how a small number of British officers led Muslim soldiers in the hard-fought anti-insurgency war that has shaped today’s Gulf. While the Americans were fighting in Vietnam, a struggle of even greater strategic significance was taking place in the Middle East: The Sultanate of Oman stood guard at the entrance to the Arabian Gulf, and thus controlled the movement of oil from that region. In the 1960s and 70s, the Communists tried to seize this artery and, had they succeeded, the consequences for the West and for the Middle East would have been disastrous—and yet, few people have ever heard of this geo-political drama at the height of the Cold War. In the Service of the Sultan “is an enthralling book. In a mere 180 pages, Ian Gardiner, an army officer who fought with the Sultan of Oman’s forces, succeeds in three major objectives. He describes what it is like to be a young officer leading men of different nationalities into combat against wily and courageous guerrillas. He captures the landscape and the spirit of Oman, ‘that entrancing, fascinating, hauntingly beautiful country.’ Finally, he puts the battles he fought in their geopolitical context . . . It should be read with enduring pleasure by anyone who wishes to reaffirm his pride in his country and in its fighting forces” (The Telegraph). “For anyone interested in understanding the ingredients behind a successful counterinsurgency campaign, In the Service of the Sultan is a must read.”—Imperial Armour Blogspot “Politics, history, irregular warfare, religion, and international affairs: all are ingredients in this absorbing, informative read.”—Oxford & Cambridge Club Military History Group

SAS South Georgia Boating Club

SAS South Georgia Boating Club PDF Author: Tony Shaw
Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
ISBN: 1399087770
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
Many aspire to serve with the Special Air Service, arguably the world’s most prestigious regiment, but few achieve their aim. In this inspiring memoir the author describes how he left school without any qualifications and embarked on a 30 year career much of it spent in Hereford, including four years in ‘The Regiment’. Against the odds he rose through the ranks before being commissioned and eventually retiring as a Major. Initially attached to 22 SAS as a signaller, he volunteered for and passed ‘Selection’, the most gruelling and demanding of tests. He was posted to D Squadron Boat Troop with whom he saw active service in the Falklands War, Northern Ireland and the UK counter-terrorist team. Thanks to the diary he kept during the Falklands War, the reader is treated to a gripping first-hand account of the intense action that he and his colleagues experienced, including recces, diversionary attacks, raids and ambushes both on South Georgia and the Falklands Islands. Later he commanded the Royal Signals troop supporting D Squadron, 22 SAS before commissioning and later on pursuing a second career as a security consultant in various Middle Eastern hotspots. It is a privilege to read this commendably modest account of one man’s unique career which provides a fascinating insight into elite special forces soldiering.

Amphibious Assault Falklands

Amphibious Assault Falklands PDF Author: Michael Clapp
Publisher: Grub Street Publishers
ISBN: 178159631X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
A British Naval commander’s eyewitness account of the 1982 war in the South Atlantic. Since he was in charge of the amphibious operations in the Falklands War, it goes without saying that there is no one better qualified to tell the story of that aspect of the campaign than Commodore Michael Clapp. Here he describes, with considerable candor, some of the problems met in a Navy racing to war and finding it necessary to recreate a largely abandoned operational technique in a somewhat ad hoc fashion. During the time it took to “go south,” some sense of order was imposed and a not very well defined command structure evolved, this was not done without generating a certain amount of friction. He tells of why San Carlos Water was chosen for the assault and the subsequent inshore operations. Michael Clapp and his small staff made their stand and can claim a major role in the defeat of the Argentine Air and Land Forces.

A Companion to the Falklands War

A Companion to the Falklands War PDF Author: Gregory Fremont-Barnes
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0750982802
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description
The Falklands War is a story of occupation, fierce air battles, heavy naval losses and bitter encounters between ground forces amidst an inhospitable terrain and unforgiving climate. With complex political machinations and nationalist sentiment at the centre of the conflict, even today the sovereignty of the islands is hotly contested in political circles. For the first time, renowned military historian Gregory Fremont-Barnes has compiled a definitive A–Z guide to the British involvement in the Falklands conflict, including personalities, weapons, battles, ships, places, and much more. This accessible yet comprehensive companion to the Falklands War will be a welcome addition to any enthusiast's shelves.

Air Power in the Falklands Conflict

Air Power in the Falklands Conflict PDF Author: John Shields
Publisher: Air World
ISBN: 139900753X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 463

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Book Description
A Royal Air Force veteran of the Falklands Conflict presents a comprehensive, myth-busting study of the air campaign. In the spring of 1982, Argentina and the UK engaged in tense combat over control of the Falkland Islands. The ten weeks of fighting are often portrayed with a decidedly one-sided narrative: either heroic Argentine pilots relentlessly pressing home their attacks, or the Sea Harrier force utterly dominating its Argentine enemies. In Air Power in the Falklands Conflict, RAF veteran John Shields presents a detailed and even-handed analysis of the Falkland Islands air war. As an RAF officer, John Shields spent two and a half years in the Falklands as an air defense navigator. Using recently released primary source material, Shields looks at the air campaign at the operational level. He develops a considered view of what should have occurred, and contrasts it with what actually happened. In so doing, John Shields has produced a comprehensive account of the air campaign that has demolished many of the enduring myths of this Cold War conflict.

IRWELL VALLEY VERSE:POEMS AND VERSE FROM THE IRWELL VALLEY

IRWELL VALLEY VERSE:POEMS AND VERSE FROM THE IRWELL VALLEY PDF Author: T J Turner
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1326836420
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description
A collection of verse about some of the modern art installations from the Irwell Valley Sculpture Trail, as well as the pubs, bars, landmarks, shops and people who inhabit the valley.From Bacup and Rawtenstall in the north, through Ramsbottom and Bury, to Kersal Moor and Salford Quays in the heart of Manchester.A full colour book with stunning images and illustrations about a wonderfully diverse region.

Scimitar into Stanley

Scimitar into Stanley PDF Author: Roger Field
Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
ISBN: 1399072358
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description
A British staff officer and armored vehicle commander vividly recounts his experience on the frontlines of the Falklands War. In May 1982, Captain Roger Field of the Blues and Royals, attached to HQ Fifth Infantry Brigade, sailed on the Queen Elizabeth 2 as part of the second wave to liberate the Falkland Islands. His journey took him to Fitzroy in time to witness the Argentineans bomb the landing ships Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram. Later, a chance meeting led to him joining the Commanding Officer of 2 Para for the Battle of Wireless Ridge. When the Paras lost a Scimitar commander, Roger took command of the armored vehicle and fought the rest of the battle from the turret. The next day, his Scimitar was the tip of the spear as 2 Para and The Blues and Royals led the victorious charge into Port Stanley.