Alejandro de Quesada – författare

The Spanish Civil War, 1936–39, was the curtain-raiser to World War II, and the major international event of the 1930s.It was the first great clash of 20th-century ideologies, between the rebel Nationalist army led by General Franco (right-wing, and aided by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy), and the Republican army of the government (left-wing, and aided by the Communist Soviet Union and many volunteers from liberal democracies). Three years of widespread campaigns involved the most modern weapons available. The war was fought ruthlessly by both sides, and when the Nationalists secured victory they installed a dictatorship that lasted until November 1975 – the last such regime in Western Europe.Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork, this first part of a two-part study depicts the fighting men of the Nationalist forces that strove to take control of Spain alongside their German and Italian allies.

Germany’s 30–year colonial episode in Africa, the Pacific, and her enclave in China is a relatively unexplored aspect of the country’s history.Under the young Kaiser Wilhelm II, rivalry with the old colonial powers saw the protectorates, originally established by trading companies, transformed into crown colonies garrisoned by the newly raised Schutztruppe, with support from the Imperial Navy’s Seebataillone. This book explains the organization and the operations in these colonies, including an account of the Herero campaign in Southwest Africa. Illustrated with rare photos, and with color plates detailing the uniforms of German and native troops alike, this is an authoritive description of the garrisons manning the German colonies.

Nazi Germany's MP 38 and MP 40 submachine guns are among World War II's most recognizable weapons.Portable and with folding stocks, both were widely issued to airborne troops and became the hallmark of Germany's infantry section and platoon leaders. A million were produced during the conflict – and many found their ways into the hands of paramilitary and irregular forces from Israel to Vietnam after the war.Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork and period and close-up photographs, this is the story of the origins, combat use, and lasting influence of two of World War II's most famous firearms.

Some of the most famous Western movies have been set against the background of the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th century.Now, for the first time in English, Osprey offers a concise but fact-packed account of the events, armies, uniforms and weapons of those ten chaotic and bloody years, putting in context such famous but half-understood names as Diaz, Pancho Villa, Zapata, Madero and Huerta.The text is illustrated with many rare and fascinating period photographs, and with eight detailed color plates of orfiristas and Rurales, Maderisitas, Federales, Villistas, Zapatistas, and US volunteers and intervention troops.

This book details the uniforms and weapons of the American, Spanish, Cuban and Filipino forces involved in the United States Army's first overseas war.In 1898 the USA took the decision to intervene in the Cuban war of independence against Spain, and to expel the last vestige of European colonial rule from the Americas. This also led to the US acquiring rule over the Philippine Islands; and there, US troops were sent into the jungle to fight a “colonial” war of their own, against Filipino insurgents unwilling to exchange one master for another.The text is illustrated with rare early photographs and color plates.

The outbreak of World War II in Europe in 1939 led to cautious attempts to raise volunteer organisations among American men and women, to back the armed forces in the event of the USA becoming directly involved in the conflict.The attack on Pearl Harbor caused a huge surge of patriotic response, and voluntary enlistment in a wide range of armed forces auxiliary and civilian support services swelled vastly. Looking firstly at the background and general character of wartime life in the States, this book covers a number of these services, providing an interesting comparison with the conditions on the British Home Front and the experiences of other countries caught up in the war, examining organisations from the Red Cross to the Coast Guard and for the first time, containing full-colour reconstructions of over a dozen uniformed services.

From the shadowy world of the CIA to the desperate actions of exiles seeking to return home, this dramatic story reveals how Cold War politics were played out on the battlefield. The landings by the Cuban exile Assault Brigade 2506 at the Bay of Pigs on April 17, 1961 led to three days of savage but unequal combat. Before they even sailed for Cuba, a White House decision had condemned them to constant attacks by Castro's air force, which sank two of their ships loaded with vital supplies and equipment. Despite stubborn resistance to Castro's troops and tanks, and heroic sorties by Cuban and American B-26 pilots, the Brigade was strangled for lack of firepower and ammunition.Their story is illustrated with rare photos from Brigade veterans, and detailed color plates of the uniforms and insignia of both sides.

This book examines the brief but colorful history of the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry, and details the rich experiences of the men who fought in its ranks.Founded in May 1898 after the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, the unit was composed of volunteers from all walks of American life. Posted to Cuba, it fought in the battles of Las Guasimas, Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill. At this time, Theodore Roosevelt assumed command, and the unit became known as 'Roosevelt's Rough Riders'.Eventually withdrawn, the men returned to a hero's welcome in the US. The last veteran of the unit died in 1975, but a rich body of source material has survived, and much of this is covered in this fascinating work.

To maintain its imperial power in America, Spain built fortifications across the width of the continent.These outposts were established along Spanish borders from the late sixteenth century onwards to defend its interests against rival European powers and to suppress uprisings of the Native Americans and local population. By the eighteenth century, Spain's defenses spread from the northern area of the Gulf of Mexico through to California. Some of these imperial fortifications, such as the Alamo, played key roles in conflicts including the American Revolution and the Texan War of Independence.This book provides a cogent analysis of Spain's defensive network at the height of the country's imperial strength on the American continent. Forts covered include Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía in Texas, the Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas in Florida, and the Presidio of San Diego in California.

Alex de Quesada reveals the full history of the US Coast Guard throughout World War II in this Elite title.In particular, the book draws attention to the little-known story of how the US Coast Guard ran a number of the landing craft throughout D-Day in 1944 as well as providing crucial anti-U-boat patrols throughout the war years. A number of Coast Guard servicemen were lost in these two campaigns, and their undeniable contribution to the US war effort deserves greater recognition. The Coast Guard also provided aviators and gunners to the Merchant Marine and manned Port Security Services.These roles are all fully explained and illustrated with rare photographs and specially commissioned artwork.

The Chaco War was massive territorial war between Bolivia and Paraguay, which cost almost a 100,000 lives.An old fashioned territorial dispute, the contested area was the Gran Chaco Boreal, a 100,000-square mile region of swamp, jungle and pampas with isolated fortified towns. The wilderness terrain made operations difficult and costly as the war see-sawed between the two sides.Bolivian troops, under the command of a German general, Hans von Kundt, had early successes, but these stalled in the face of a massive mobilization programme by the Paraguans which saw their force increase in size ten-fold to 60,000 men.This book sheds light on a vicious territorial war that waged in the jungles and swamps of the Gran Chaco and is illustrated with rare photographs and especially commissioned artwork.

On March 9, 1916, troops under the command of Pancho Villa attacked Columbus, New Mexico and its local detachment of the US 13th Cavalry Regiment, killing 18 people and burning the town.Six days later, on orders from President Woodrow Wilson, General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing led an expeditionary force of 4,800 men into Mexico to capture Villa. What followed was a series of skirmishes, battles, and chases through the wild and uncharted Mexican countryside. While the Americans failed in their ultimate purpose of catching Villa, they did kill two of his top lieutenants.This book charts the progress of the entire enterprise, covering the dusty marches and the bitter gunfights in the streets of small border towns, analyzing the successes and failures of this unique military expedition.

De tyska kulsprutepistolerna MP 38 och MP 40 har en självskriven plats bland andra världskrigets mest välkända vapentyper. De var ursprungligen framtagna som personlig beväpning för fallskärmsjägare och stridsfordonsbesättningar på grund av sin lätthanterliga storlek och fällbara axelstöd. Snart tilldelades emellertid varje skyttegrupp- och skytteplutonchef i tyska krigsmakten en MP 38 eller MP 40, liksom en rad andra befattningshavare. Över en miljon kulsprutepistoler av dessa modeller tillverkades under andra världskriget och efter 1945 hamnade många av dem i händerna på halvmilitära och irreguljära stridskrafter, från Mellanöstern till Vietnam. Norska armén behöll dem i tjänst fram till början av 1990-talet och såväl originalexemplar som varianter av kulsprutepistolen nyttjades i stor omfattning under de jugoslaviska krigen samma årtionde. MP 38 och MP 40 påverkade både britter och amerikaner när de utvecklade sina egna kulsprutepistoler Sten Gun respektive M3 Grease Gun . Efterkrigstidens jugoslaviska M56 och den spanska Star Z-45 är baserade på dessa tyska förebilder. Detta är historien om dess bakgrund, användning och inflytande. Boken är illustrerad med särskilt framtagna fyrfärgsplanscher och samtida närbilder.