Andrew Rawson - Böcker

Medieval Europe is a dark and dangerous place. In 1054 the Church tears itself in two, setting the scene for nearly 500 years of turmoil. Empires will collide and dynasties will rise and fall; marriages will be made and alliances broken. It is a place where love clashes with ambition and violence rules – enemies are blinded, rivals are murdered and heretics are burnt at the stake. As the Black Death sweeps the continent and the Mongol hordes threaten its borders, can the kings of the old world survive the dawn of a new era?

The rise of Hitler's Nazi Party is one of the defining phenomena of the twentieth century. The manner in which National Socialist ideologies took over life in Germany is difficult to comprehend over 75 years later. This fully illustrated book is a single volume encyclopedia on all aspects of this period in modern history. It starts with a shattered post-war Germany and charts the violent political tactics used by the Nazis to seize political control in 1933. The subsequent consolidation of power and brutal suppression of opponents followed as they took over all areas of society, introducing a new festival calendar to celebrate their takeover. The various military, political and youth organisations are considered, the Nazis' warped methods for maintaining law and order and their use of the press and propaganda to control the people and introduce their racial ideals. Chapters also cover art, culture, education, the economy, resistance, the leaders themselves, and more.

A fully illustrated study of the notorious Nuremberg rallies and the part they played in the Nazis’ quest to establish the 1000 Year Third Reich. Between 1923 and 1938 the Nazis held ten ‘Reich National Party Conventions’ in the city of Nuremberg. Each rally was bigger than the last, with the number of visitors growing to over half a million, this growth reflecting the spread of National Socialism across Germany. This book reveals how the rallies were organised, what the daily schedules were, who spoke at them and who attended. It also explores the development of the Rally Grounds under Albert Speer, the importance of the rallies in Joseph Goebbels’ propaganda campaign and the story of Leni Riefenstahl’s filming of the rallies, in particular the Triumph of the Will in 1934. Using over 140 dramatic and informative images, both of the rallies and Nuremberg today, author Andrew Rawson provides new insight into the most spectacular propaganda exercises since the games of Ancient Rome.

By the end of January 1968 the American people thought their armed forces were winning in South Vietnam after three years of escalating conflict. Then the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong struck back, hitting military and political targets across the country. While the NVA and Viet Cong suffered a military defeat, they dealt a huge blow to US support for the war. If you want to understand what happened and why − read Battle Story. Detailed profiles examine the background of the opposing commanders, as well as the contrasting tactics and equipment of their fighting forces. Contemporary accounts reveal the true story of this pivotal battle and its consequences for the Vietnam War. Specially commissioned maps analyse the key developments during the battle. Excellent photographs place the reader at the centre of the fighting. Orders of battle show the composition of the opposing forces’ armies.

The Battle of Loos formed part of a wider offensive conducted by both French and British Forces in September 1915. The British First Army, under the leadership of General Haig, were to break through the German line at Loos thanks in part to their superior numbers, while other operations were to achieve a similar result in Champagne and at Vimy Ridge.Due to lack of artillery the Loos attack was planned to be preceded by a massive gas attack. Chlorine gas would hopefully entirely overcome the Germans' inadequate gas masks and lead to a swift breakthrough.Unfortunately all did not go to plan. First some of the gas was blown back into the British trenches causing over 2,000 casualties. Then when the assault itself took place the attackers were met by fierce German resistance, none more so than at Hill 70 where the German defences were strong. Despite many waves of attack, very few troops made it into enemy trenches. After a few days the attack had to be called off. It had cost 60,000 British casualties for virtually no gain. Rudyard Kipling's son John, serving with the Irish Guards, was also lost.

This is the history of Britain’s munitions industry in the First World War. It begins with the shortages caused by an expanding army required to fight in trenches, then shows how the country was organised, with the expansion of private companies and the introduction of state owned factories. It also explains how new laws regulated industry.The narrative describes how production was initially estimated, until experience illustrated how the armed services’ demands could be met. It also looks at the problems caused by unchecked enlistment, which took no account of men’s skills, and the attempts to recall key workers from the armed services.The story continues with the raw materials, such as coal, which was dug by one million miners, and the huge amounts of iron ore imported from Spain. Learn how Britain’s steel industry struggled to make enough forgings for shells, while many more were imported from North America. See how manufacturing issues were resolved, while battlefield experience led to modifications being made. Also see how the nation’s chemical industry expanded to produce enough explosives before working out how to make large amounts of lethal gases.Learn how the war required the relations between the government, the employers, the unions, and the workforce to change; in some cases, forever. See how diluting production allowed the workforce to increase and how tens of thousands of women entered the factories. Also hear how various issues caused widespread industrial unrest at times, as the cost of living rose and the rules became stricter. On a positive note, a desire to improve production increased awareness of health and safety, as well as the benefits of positive welfare.The story ends with a nation being pushed to its limits suddenly demobilising, leaving everyone wondering what the future would hold for them.

This is the history of Britain’s armaments industry during the Second World War.It begins with the rearmament before the war and shows how a shadow industry was prepared, in response to German aggression. See how industry was organised and programmed, before learning how armaments were researched, designed and developed. The narrative then looks at how enlistment was controlled, how skilled workers were deployed and how manufacturing was diluted, to allow tens of thousands of unemployed men and women to play their part.The story continues with an explanation of the importance of the coal and oil industries, followed by the development of the metal industries. It then looks at the huge amounts of imports and merchant shipping required, as well as the American Lend Lease programme.See how factories equipped the Royal Air Force, so it could fight the Battle of Britain, and reequipped the British Army following the disaster at Dunkirk. Also learn how the shipyards worked around the clock on warships and merchant ships, so the Royal Navy could defend the nation and protect the supply convoys. See how the lessons learnt on the battlefield helped modify early factory designs into practical ones. Learn how the war changed relations between the government, the employers, the unions, and the workforce. See how issues could cause widespread industrial unrest, as the cost of living rose and the rules became stricter. Also learn how the desire to improve production improved health and safety at work, welfare arrangements and developed management and human resources. We also see how the Luftwaffe attempt to cripple British industry with its aerial Blitz.The story ends with a nation being pushed to its limits for a second time in thirty years, before suddenly demobilising, again leaving the British people wondering what the future would hold for them.

_Cambrai Campaign 1917_ is an account of the British Expeditionary Force s battles in November and December of 1917\. It starts with the plan to carry out a tank raid on the Hindenburg Line at Cambrai. The raid grew into a full scale attack and Third Army would rely on a different style of attack. The preliminary bombardment would be done away with and the troops would assemble in secret. Predicted fire had reached such a level of accuracy that 1,000 guns could hit targets without registration. Meanwhile, over 375 tanks would lead the infantry through the Hindenburg Line, ripping holes in the wire and suppressing the enemy. The study of the German counter-attack ten days later, illustrates the different tactics they used and the British experience on the defensive. Each stage of the battle is given equal treatment, with detailed insights into the most talked about side of the campaign, the British side. It explains how far the Tank Corps had come in changing the face of trench warfare. Over forty new maps chart the day by day progress of each corps on each day.Together the narrative and the maps provide an insight into the British Army s experience during this important campaign. The men who made a difference are mentioned; those who led the advances, those who stopped the counter-attacks and those who were awarded the Victoria Cross. Discover the Cambrai campaign and learn how the British Army s brave soldiers fought and died fighting to achieve their objectives.

Poland was re-created as an independent nation at the end of the First World War, but it soon faced problems as Nazi Germany set about expanding its control on Europe. The Wehrmacht's attack on 1 September 1939 was followed by a Red Army invasion two weeks later.The people of Poland were then subjected to a terrifying campaign of murder, imprisonment and enslavement which only increased as the war dragged on. Polish Catholics faced violence and deportation as they adapted to the draconian laws implemented by the German authorities. Meanwhile, the Polish Jews were forced into ghettos while the plans for the Final Solution were implemented. They then faced annihilation in the Holocaust, code named Operation Reinhard.Despite the dangers, many Poles joined the underground war against their oppressors, while those who escaped sought to fight for their nation's freedom from abroad. They sent intelligence to the west, attacked German installations, carried out assassinations and rose up to confront their enemy, all against impossible odds. The advance of the Red Army brought new problems, as the Soviet's dreaded NKVD introduced its own form of terror, hunting down anyone who fought for an independent nation.The story concludes with Poland's experience behind the Iron Curtain, ending with the return of democracy by 1991.

In December 1944 the German military made its final attempt to end the Second World War by throwing in all its reserves in a desperate attempt to shatter the Allied lines. After breaking through the American-held sector in the Ardennes, two Panzer armies headed for the bridges over the River Meuse. However, a combination of poor planning, bad weather, tortuous terrain and, above all, the determined defence of keys towns and villages delayed the advance. The Allies were able to hold the northern and southern shoulders of the attack, hemming the Germans in. The Bulge had been created, and as the fortunes of battle were reversed, the Allies struck back.In Battle of the Bulge 1944–45, historian Andrew Rawson gives a clear, concise account of those dramatic days at the end of 1944, supported by a timeline of events and orders of battle. If you want to understand what happened and why – read on.

On 19 February 1945, Operation Detachment began with US marine forces storming Iwo Jima, aiming to capture the island and its airfields. This was the first campaign on Japanese soil and would result in some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific. A brutal example of war at all costs, the defending garrison fought to almost the last man; it was a fight they couldn’t hope to win against the superior US numbers, but they exacted horrific casualties on the invading forces before their ultimate defeat.In this concise account, Andrew Rawson uses timelines, diary extracts and detailed profiles to explain the lead-up to the campaign, the battle itself and its legacy, while maps and rarely published photographs place you in the centre of the unfolding action. With painful lessons learned, this vital battle of the Pacific theatre would inform US strategies and actions through the rest of the war, and here Rawson shows exactly how and why.

In Spring 1945 one final hurdle faced the American and British Armies under Ike's supreme command - the Rhine. This mighty river was literally the last ditch for the defence of Hitler's Germany. Crossing it would be a major military undertaking. The race was on to find intact crossings. Famously the American forces in a daring coup-de-main operation seized the Bridge at Remagen which, due to German blunder and oversight, remained intact. This is the thrilling story of that success.