Russell Phillips – författare

The Warsaw Pact fielded a variety of combat vehicles, from the 2P26 "Baby Carriage" to the T-80U main battle tank. Often innovative, always deadly, this reference work details over 100 war machines that would have confronted NATO if the Cold War turned hot.

The ability to advance rapidly over sometimes difficult terrain was a key part of the Warsaw Pact''s strategy. The Eastern European nations which formed this historic alliance wanted to be able to move quickly and effectively so they didn''t give their enemies an advantage.

The vital tools which helped the Warsaw Pact overcome the challenges it faced included a whole range of combat engineering equipment. This book is a factual reference of the equipment which was used throughout the Cold War period and the important roles each piece played.

With obstacles including rivers and minefields to negotiate, combat units could have faced costly delays if it hadn''t been for the diligent work of the Warsaw Pact''s engineers. Refusing to allow troops to be slowed down by the landscape, these combat engineers worked in sometimes challenging conditions to find safe routes to their destination.

From building bridges and clearing safe lanes through minefields to repairing and recovering broken down vehicles and creating field fortifications, the work of these engineers played an essential part in the Warsaw Pact''s military strategy.

But the work of this effective force would have been impossible without the specialist engineering equipment they used. Rugged, simplistic compared to their Western equivalents, these items would play a crucial part in both peacetime military exercises and combat operations in Afghanistan.

Considered to be “the god of modern war” by the Soviet army, artillery played a vital role in the Cold War period.

The armies of the Warsaw Pact made artillery a cornerstone of their military strategies. And the importance they placed on this type of weaponry saw them use their technology and expertise to develop a wide range of munitions including mortars, rocket launchers, missiles and large-calibre guns.

Artillery of the Warsaw Pact provides a compelling and detailed account of the artillery used by Warsaw Pact countries and the important role it played during this period of suspicion, tension and unease. The powerful weapons created at this time had the potential to destroy significant enemy resources, posing a very real threat to NATO forces.

This book will allow you to gain an insight into the way in which artillery was used by the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations. Read about mortars ranging from light 50mm weapons to enormous 240mm breech-loaded versions capable of destroying fortified buildings from a distance.

Artillery of the Warsaw Pact also looks at the widespread use of towed guns as well as the growth in popularity of self-propelled guns. The book also details how Second World War weapons like multiple rocket launchers continued to play a key part in the Cold War hostilities, alongside newly-developed artillery, including tactical ballistic missiles which Khrushchev viewed as a critical part of his response to the threat posed by the United States.

This is the inspiring true story of what happens when ordinary people unite to make a stand against evil.Lidice was a peaceful and vibrant community in Czechoslovakia with a rich mining heritage. But an act of Nazi revenge saw this village wiped from existence in a horrifying chapter of European history.Disaster struck for Lidice in 1942 when the prominent Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich was assassinated. Described by Hitler as "the man with an iron heart", Heydrich was one of the key architects of the Holocaust.His death, after an attack by members of the Czech resistance, left Hitler furious and desperate for vengeance. Looking for a scapegoat to blame for Heydrich''s death, he settled on the village of Lidice, which had been falsely linked to the assassination.In a brutal act which shocked the world, Lidice was completely destroyed. The men were shot while the women and children were rounded up and sent to their deaths in Nazi concentration camps.Hitler was determined that by the time he had finished, no one would even remember Lidice, let alone live there. What he hadn''t reckoned on was the efforts of a group of campaigners in Britain, who resolved to make sure Lidice would never be forgotten.A Ray of Light tells the tale of Lidice''s downfall and what happened next. Would the village simply be allowed to become a footnote in history, or would it rise from the ashes and forge a new future?This book is a compelling testament to the power of friendship and solidarity, and how empathy and compassion can help rebuild the world.