Adam Hook – illustratör

This absorbing study describes and illustrates the US, British, Japanese, French, Italian and Czechoslovak troops deployed to North Russia and Siberia at the height of the Russian Civil War.Between March 1918 and late 1920, a multinational force was deployed in the former Russian Empire’s Arctic Circle and in Eastern Siberia, becoming drawn into the Russian Civil War. American, British, Canadian, Czechoslovak, French and Japanese troops all took the field as the victorious Allied Powers sought to intervene in the unfolding struggle between the Bolsheviks and their opponents. In this book, Phoebus Athanassiou surveys the main operations conducted by the expeditionary forces before covering the organization, weapons and equipment of each of the contingents involved. Eight plates of specially commissioned artwork reveal the appearance of these troops, many of them World War I veterans, as they lived and fought in the challenging environment of North Russia and Siberia.

A detailed exploration of a critical month-long battle, which set the stage for German strategic-level defeats on both the Eastern and Western fronts.In February 1944, 1st Panzer Army (under Generaloberst Hube) played a major role in the relief operation that saved part of the German forces trapped in the Korsun Pocket. However, the losses suffered in that effort left Hube’s forces materially weakened, exhausted and with vulnerable flanks. Unexpectedly, Zhukov’s 1st Ukrainian Front and Konev’s 2nd Ukrainian Front attacked on 4 March, conducting a huge pincer operation against 1st Panzer Army. Within three weeks, Hube’s 200,000-strong army was isolated, with its back to the Dniester River. The destruction of Hube’s army would doubtless precipitate a rapid German collapse on the Eastern Front – two months before the Allied invasion of France. In this work, Eastern Front expert Robert Forczyk presents a superbly illustrated examination of the initial Soviet encirclement operation, Hube’s full-scale breakout operation to save his army, and the relief operation by 2nd SS-Panzer Corps (redeployed from the West) in April 1944. Although Hube’s army managed to escape Zhukov’s trap, it lost most of its equipment and was no longer fully combat capable. The German Army in the East had been seriously weakened, and the amount of German armour deployed in the West to counter any Allied landings in France had simultaneously been reduced.

Erich von Manstein är mest känd för sina insatser på östfronten, men han var också en av de mest inflytelserika tyska generalerna under hela andra världskriget. För Manstein var den preussiska traditionen bakom manöverkrigföringen närmast en trosartikel och hans operativa snille låg i förmågan att snabbt hitta okomplicerade lösningar på komplexa militära problem. Under andra världskriget nyttjade Manstein sin talang för manöverkrigföring och bidrog därmed till Tredje rikets största krigsframgångar. Under operation Barbarossa 1941 ledde han erövringen av Krimhalvön och förintade fyra sovjetiska arméer. Under den katastrofala vintern 1942/1943 bidrog Manstein till att den södra delen av den tyska östfronten undvek total kollaps genom att återta det operativa initiativet och leda en skicklig motoffensiv. Detta och mycket mer kan du läsa om i den här boken. Författaren Robert Forczyk är en mycket välkänd och uppskattad militärhistorisk författare. Översättningen har gjorts av en av Sveriges kunnigaste militärhistoriska översättare, Mikael Dahlgren. Serien Andra världskrigets generaler består av 10 titlar och beskriver tyska och allierade generaler som i hög grad påverkade andra världskrigets förlopp. Respektive titel beskriver alla de viktigaste fälttågen och slagen där generalen i fråga spelade en viktig roll, och ger dessutom insikt om personen bakom titeln och vad som hände efter kriget.

A highly illustrated history of Operation Suvorov, the Soviet assault against German positions around Smolensk in late 1943.With the German defeat at Kursk, the Soviet Stavka (high command) ordered the Western and Kalinin Fronts to launch Operation Suvorov in order to liberate the city of Smolensk. The Germans had held this city for two years and Heeresgruppe Mitte’s (Army Group Centre) 4. Armee had heavily fortified the region.The Soviet offensive began in August 1943 and they quickly realized that the German defences were exceedingly tough and that the Western Front had not prepared adequately for an extended offensive. Consequently, the Soviets were forced to pause their offensive after only two weeks, in order to replenish their combat forces and then begin again. The German 4. Armee was commanded by Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici, one of the Wehrmacht’s top defensive experts. Although badly outnumbered, Heinrici’s army gamely held off two Soviet fronts for seven weeks. Eventually, the 4. Armee’s front was finally broken and Smolensk was liberated on 25 September 1943. However, the Western Front was too exhausted to pursue Heinrici’s defeated army, which retreated to the fortified cities of Vitebsk, Orsha and Mogilev; the 4. Armee would hold these cities until the destruction of Army Group Centre in June 1944.This detailed volume focuses on a major offensive that is virtually unknown in the West and which set the stage for the decisive defeat of Heeresgruppe Mitte in the next summer offensive.

A detailed, illustrated account of the Army of the Shenandoah’s campaign against the Army of the Valley, which led to President Lincoln's re-election in 1864.For three years of war the Union and the Confederacy had battled over the picturesque Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians to the west, the valley served as the granary for the Army of Northern Virginia. It provided bread and beef to feed this shield of the Confederacy and remounts for its cavalry.This beautifully illustrated study explores one of the major campaigns of the Civil War in 1864, which saw a decisive victory for the Union forces under Sheridan and featured some of the most famous commanders of the war, including Philip Sheridan, Jubal Early, George Armstrong Custer, John B. Gordon and George Crook.

This colourful study describes and illustrates the troops of the Seleucid Empire in West Asia throughout its turbulent 250-year existence.Founded by the Macedonian general Seleucus I Nicator in 312 BC in the wake of the death of Alexander the Great 11 years previously, the Seleucid Empire came to control much of the territory conquered by Alexander in western Asia, and at its height reached from the Mediterranean to Afghanistan. The colourful armies fielded by Seleucus I and his successors are described and illustrated in this absorbing study of a major power at war in the ancient world.As the fortunes of their realm ebbed and flowed, Seleucid kings deployed vast armies recruited from diverse peoples that drew upon an array of military traditions, including the mighty phalanx, war elephants, scythed chariots and camel-mounted archers. Illustrated throughout with photographs and drawings as well as eight pages of specially commissioned artwork, this fascinating study draws upon a range of literary, archaeological and artistic sources to explore the organization, tactics, weapons and equipment of the varied units of Seleucid armies over two-and-a-half turbulent centuries in the ancient world.

With the violent separation between the United States and Britain which began in 1776, the new 'Americans' set off to fulfill their manifest destiny and rule their new land from coast to coast.As they pushed westward, they came into conflict with both natives and other European settlers, and began to build fortresses to defend their newly claimed land. This book charts the development and variation of the fortresses of the American Frontier, covering both American defenses and those of the Spanish in the west. It also examines the little-known forts of early Russian settlers on the Pacific coast.

Albert Kesselrings namn kommer för alltid att vara förknippat med det italienska fälttåget under andra världskriget: de legen­dar­iska slagen vid Salerno, Mon­te Cassino och Anzio 1943 1944. Kesselrings karriär omfattade emellertid mycket mer. Under senare delen av kriget blev Kesselring känd som en befälhavare man kunde lita på i alla krislägen, någon med förmåga att skapa små mi­rakel för att hejda motståndarens genombrott och återta kontrollen när situationen såg som mörkast ut. Han ersatte generalfältmarskalk Gerd von Rundstedt som överbefälhavare i Västeuropa efter det svidande misslyckandet vid Remagen i mars 1945 och presenterade sig för sina nya stabsmedarbetare med den ironiska kommentaren Jag är det nya mirakelvapnet . Detta och mycket mer kan du läsa om i boken. Författaren Pier Paulo Battistelli är en mycket välkänd och uppskattad militärhistorisk författare. Översättningen har gjorts av en av Sveriges kunnigaste militärhistoriska översättare, Mikael Dahlgren. Serien Andra världskrigets generaler består av 10 titlar och beskriver tyska och allierade generaler som i hög grad påverkade andra världskrigets förlopp. Respektive titel beskriver alla de viktigaste fälttågen och slagen där generalen i fråga spelade en viktig roll, och ger dessutom insikt om personen bakom titeln och vad som hände efter kriget.

Fully illustrated, this study examines the US Army and Japanese troops who fought for control of the Philippine Islands in the climactic months of World War II.In October 1944 the Sixth US Army landed on Leyte in the Japanese-held Central Philippine Islands, initiating a series of battles that became the largest contest between the US and Japanese armies. Determined to liberate the Philippines, General Douglas MacArthur’s forces confronted the Japanese troops intent on extracting a bitter price from their adversaries, amid challenging terrain ranging from the urban streets of Manila to the mountains and jungles of Leyte. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, archive photographs, and full-color mapping, this book examines three important battles of the Philippines campaign.The IJA’s 1st Division faced the US Army’s 24th Division as it attacked toward the port of Ormoc (Breakneck Ridge, November 3–11, 1944), in a fight that pitted one of Japan’s crack divisions against prewar US Regular units. The US 38th Division battled the reinforced 39th Infantry Regiment at Zig-Zag Pass (February 1–13, 1945), an action that saw a relatively green US division facing IJA veterans located in highly defensible terrain. Finally, Gregg Adams examines the battle for the Ipo Dam (May 6–21, 1945), where the veteran US 43d Division fought the Kawashima Force. This absorbing study casts light on the fighting men on both sides.

A marvelously illustrated look at the life of the whaleWhales are the majestic giants of the ocean, yet much of their world remains a mystery to us. The routes of their vast oceanic migrations are largely elusive, as are the intricacies of their behavior and social dynamics. This narrative biography takes you out beyond our shorelines and into the depths, providing an up-close exploration of the life of the whale. It covers everything from conception and childhood to family history, relationships, communication, and life challenges, and explains why studying whales helps us to monitor the health of our planet’s oceans and marine ecosystems. Written by internationally acclaimed expert Asha de Vos, Whale: The Illustrated Biography blends engaging profiles of the best-known species with stunning illustrations to tell the story of these magnificent creatures in all their diversity and complexity.Features a wealth of specially commissioned illustrationsDiscusses familiar species such as the humpback whale, blue whale, killer whale, and sperm whale, as well as smaller and more elusive cousinsCovers anatomy, hunting and feeding, migration, habitats, whale song, conservation, human interactions with whales, and much moreExplains how whales play key roles in nutrient cycling, regulating prey populations, and influencing carbon sequestrationA must-have reference for whale watchers everywhere

The 100th title in the Fortress series, this book describes and examines the Führerhauptquartiere – the 14 or so headquarters built for Hitler.This guide covers all of the essential locations and how they were used to direct the Nazi war apparatus, including the subterranean Führerbunker complex in Berlin where Hitler committed suicide, the infamous Wolfsschanze ('Wolf's Lair') in East Prussia, and the Eagle's Nest in Bavaria.With a map showing the locations of all of Hitler's bunkers and fortifications on the eastern and western fronts and illustrated with photographs and specially commissioned artwork, this book is an essential introduction to Hitler's command structures and recreates numerous bunkers and buildings which were destroyed by Allied bombing raids or by fleeing German troops.

Although muskets delivered devastating projectiles at comparatively long ranges, their slow rate of fire left the soldier very vulnerable while reloading, and early muskets were useless for close-quarter fighting.The development of the flintlock musket produced a much less cumbersome and faster-firing firearm, which could be used for close combat with a short knife stuck into its muzzle. However, the musket could not be loaded or fired while the plug bayonet was in place. The socket bayonet solved this problem and the musket/bayonet combination became the universal infantry weapon from c.1700 to c.1870.The perfection of the small-bore magazine rifle in the 1890s saw the bayonet lose its tactical importance, a trend that continued in the world wars. Its potential usefulness continued to be recognized from the 1950s, but its blade was often combined with an item with some additional function, most notably a wire-cutter.Ultimately, for all its fearsome reputation as a visceral, close-quarter fighting weapon, the bayonet's greatest impact was actually as a psychological weapon. Featuring full-colour artwork as well as archive and close-up photographs, this is the absorbing story of the complementary weapon to every soldier’s firearm from the army of Louis XIV to modern-day forces in all global theatres of conflict.

A detailed look at the various defensive structures and preparations that Germany constructed for the defense of the Rhine.The Rhine River represented the last natural defensive barrier for the Third Reich in the autumn of 1944. Although Hitler had been reluctant to allow the construction of tactical defence lines in France, the final defense of the Reich was another matter. As a result, construction of a Rhine defence line began in September 1944.Steven J. Zaloga examines the multiple phases of construction undertaken to strengthen the Westwall (Siegfried Line), to fortify many of the border villages, and finally to prepare for the demolition of the Rhine bridges. Using detailed maps, colour artwork, and expert analysis, this book is a thorough examinations of Germany's last line of defence.

Gustaf Mannerheim är en av 1900-talets mest enastående militära befälhavare och betraktas av många som det moderna Finlands fader, men under sin första karriär var han rysk undersåte och framstående kavalleribefälhavare i den kejserliga armén. Han avslutade sin ryska karriär som högt dekorerad gene­rallöjtnant och kårchef. Han stred för Ryssland i rysk-japanska kriget och i första världskriget. Vid ryska inbördeskrigets utbrott återvände Mannerheim till sitt hemland och ledde dess unga krigsmakt i ett brutalt krig mot bolsjevikiska styrkor 1918. Under andra världskriget ledde han Finlands krigsmakt mot Ryssland i vinterkriget 1939 1940, fortsättningskriget 1941 1944 och mot Tyskland i Lapplandskriget 1944 1945. Han utsågs till president i slutet av fortsättningskriget och säkerställde Finlands svåra utträde ur alla konflikter innan han begärde avsked i mars 1946. Detta och mycket mer kan du läsa om i den här boken. Författaren Steven J. Zaloga, är en mycket välkänd och uppskattad militärhistorisk författare. Översättningen har gjorts av en av Sveriges kunnigaste militärhistoriska översättare, Mikael Dahlgren. Serien Andra världskrigets generaler består av 10 titlar och beskriver tyska och allierade generaler som i hög grad påverkade andra världskrigets förlopp. Respektive titel beskriver alla de viktigaste fälttågen och slagen där generalen i fråga spelade en viktig roll, och ger dessutom insikt om personen bakom titeln och vad som hände efter kriget.

Explaining and illustrating the immediate background to the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, this book investigates the Ukrainian and Russian regular and irregular forces which have been fighting in the Donbas region since 2014.In February 2014, street protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities led to the ousting of the Russian-backed President Yanukovych. Simultaneously, Russia carried out an almost-bloodless seizure of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. Ukraine’s ‘Euromaidan Revolution’ would see many changes to the country’s constitution, and a turn towards the West for civic assistance and military training. Meanwhile, a violent reaction in the mainly Russian-speaking south-eastern industrial Donbas region led to a local armed counter-revolution, backed by Russia from April 2014.This conflict became an essential example of Russia’s policy of so-called ‘hybrid warfare’, which pursues its strategic aims by a blend of propaganda and misinformation with the clandestine deployment of Special Forces and regular troops, alongside ‘deniable’ proxies and mercenaries. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s efforts to reform its government culminated in the landslide election of President Zelensky in April 2019.Using his extensive contacts in both Russia and Ukraine, Prof Mark Galeotti presents a thorough and intriguing primer on all the forces involved in the conflict up to 2018. Supported by orders-of-battle, colour photos and specially commissioned artwork, his book also analyses the background and the stuttering progress of the war, and addresses the Russian military capabilities which are today being tested in all-out battle.

Explaining and illustrating the immediate background to the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, this book investigates the Ukrainian and Russian regular and irregular forces which have been fighting in the Donbas region since 2014.In February 2014, street protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities led to the ousting of the Russian-backed President Yanukovych. Simultaneously, Russia carried out an almost-bloodless seizure of Ukraine''s Crimean peninsula. Ukraine''s ''Euromaidan Revolution'' would see many changes to the country''s constitution, and a turn towards the West for civic assistance and military training. Meanwhile, a violent reaction in the mainly Russian-speaking south-eastern industrial Donbas region led to a local armed counter-revolution, backed by Russia from April 2014.This conflict became an essential example of Russia''s policy of so-called ''hybrid warfare'', which pursues its strategic aims by a blend of propaganda and misinformation with the clandestine deployment of Special Forces and regular troops, alongside ''deniable'' proxies and mercenaries. Meanwhile, Ukraine''s efforts to reform its government culminated in the landslide election of President Zelensky in April 2019.Using his extensive contacts in both Russia and Ukraine, Prof Mark Galeotti presents a thorough and intriguing primer on all the forces involved in the conflict up to 2018. Supported by orders-of-battle, colour photos and specially commissioned artwork, his book also analyses the background and the stuttering progress of the war, and addresses the Russian military capabilities which are today being tested in all-out battle.

An illustrated study of the British tribal warriors and Roman auxiliaries who fought in three epic battles for control of Britain in the 1st century AD.Following the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43, the tribes of the west and north resisted the establishment of a ‘Roman peace’, led in particular by the chieftain Caratacus. Even in the south-east, resentment of Roman occupation remained, exploding into the revolt of Boudicca’s Iceni in AD 60. Roman auxiliaries from two particular peoples are known to have taken part in the invasion of Britain: the Tungrians, from what is now Belgium, and the Batavians, from the delta of the River Rhine in the modern Netherlands. From the late 80s AD, units of both the Batavians and the Tungrians were garrisoned at a fort at Vindolanda in northern Britain. The so called ‘Vindolanda tablets’ provide an unparalleled body of material with which to reconstruct the lives of these auxiliary soldiers in Britain.Featuring full-colour maps and specially commissioned battlescene and figure artwork plates, this book examines how both the British warriors and the Roman auxiliaries experienced the decades of conflict that followed the invasion. Their recruitment, training, leadership, motivation, culture and beliefs are compared alongside an assessment of three particular battles: the final defeat of Caratacus in the hills of Wales in AD 50; the Roman assault on the island of Mona (Anglesey) in AD 60; and the battle of Mons Graupius in Scotland in AD 83.

The first illustration of a cannon in Europe can be dated quite precisely to 1326. This book explores the development of gunpowder, the earliest appearance of cast-bronze cannon in Western Europe, followed by the design and development of the wrought-iron cannon. The wrought-iron hoop-and-stave method of barrel construction was a system that came to dominate medieval artillery design both large and small until the end of the 15th century, and saw the cannon used not only as a prestige weapon, but start to be used as a practical and terrifying weapon on the medieval battlefield. In 1453, the Ottomans'' conquest of Constantinople, with their extensive artillery, marked the triumph of medieval firepower. The book will focus on the technology and tactics of early European artillery on both sea and land, and assess its impact on medieval warfare.

A fascinating study of one of the great Native American tribes and their attempt to preserve their independence during the 19th century.The Apache culture of the latter half of the 19th century blended together the lifestyles of the Great Plains, Great Basin and the South-West, but it was their warfare that captured the imagination. This book reveals the skilful tactics of the Apache people as they raided and eluded the much larger and better-equipped US government forces.Drawing on primary research conducted in the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona, this book reveals the small-unit warfare of the Apache tribes as they attempted to preserve their freedom, and in particular the actions of the most famous member of the Apache tribes – Geronimo.

A careful examination of the development of infantry tactics from the late sixteenth to middle seventeenth century.Throughout the 17th century large parts of Europe were depopulated during the wide-ranging and savage wars of religion and dynasty, involving all of the major powers. This was therefore a key period in the development of 'modern' infantry tactics, such as the use of pole-arms and muskets together hence the popular expression 'pike and shot'. These infantry tactics involved different national schools on thought and practice, and were tested bloodily in great battles.This title covers the Dutch-Spanish wars of independence, The Thirty Years' War and the English Civil Wars.

The Numidian light cavalry were among the best-known horsemen in the ancient world.Riding without saddles or bridle, carrying only hide shields for defense and clutching a handful of light javelins, they were renowned for their darting attacks, swift retreats, and skirmishing prowess. Yet, as much as they were respected by their allies and enemies, they were unfairly dismissed as uncivilized, nomadic barbarians from beyond the cultured, settled Mediterranean world.Recent scholarship, however, has shown that there is far more evidence for the armour and equipment of the Numidians than hitherto assumed. Based on up-to-date findings including the decorative friezes of the stone ‘altars’ at Kbor Klib and Chimtou in North Africa, this book reveals that the Numidians also fielded infantry, slingers, archers, and even war elephants in conflicts across the Mediterranean, including Spain, Greece, northern Italy, and Thrace.All of these troops are brought to life in original colour artwork, complemented by chapters on their weapons and equipment, history, tactics, and organization.

Pansargeneral är inte en titel utan snarare en egenskap som passar Heinz Guderian väl med tanke på hans roll i utvecklingen av den tidiga pansarkrigföringen. Han var de tyska pansartruppernas skapare och ledde dessa framgångsrikt på slagfälten i Polen 1939 och sedan i Frankrike 1940. Guderians karriär var unik i detta avseende. Till skillnad från de flesta andra militära innovatörer hade han ett stort inflytande över utvecklingen av nya doktriner och taktiska tillämpningar och testade dessa själv på slagfältet med mycket goda resultat. Guderian var inte bara en skicklig taktiker utan också en förstklassig förbandschef. I den här boken kan du bland annat läsa om på vilket sätt Guderian bidrog till utvecklingen av pansarkrigföringen och de fälttåg och stider hand deltog i som förbandschef i tyska krigsmakten. Författaren Pier Paulo Battistelli är en mycket välkänd och uppskattad militärhistorisk författare. Översättningen har gjorts av en av Sveriges kunnigaste militärhistoriska översättare, Mikael Dahlgren. Serien Andra världskrigets generaler består av 10 titlar och beskriver tyska och allierade generaler som i hög grad påverkade andra världskrigets förlopp. Respektive titel beskriver alla de viktigaste fälttågen och slagen där generalen i fråga spelade en viktig roll, och ger dessutom insikt om personen bakom titeln och vad som hände efter kriget.

An up-to-date, illustrated study on the unique and modified vehicles of Russia's legendary Spetsnaz and other elite units, from combat snowmobiles to the world's biggest water-cannon, by Russia expert Mark Galeotti.Elite forces need elite vehicles. As Vladimir Putin has devoted effort and funds into modernising Russia’s armed forces and turning them into an instrument geared not just for defending the Motherland but also projecting power beyond its borders, Russia has seen a growing emphasis on special and specialist forces. Traditionally, the elite Spetsnaz commandos had to make do with regular vehicles or civilian-based ‘technicals’, not least to conceal their presence (or, indeed, very existence). Now, increasingly at the forefront of Russian power projection, the Spetsnaz are acquiring more capable, versatile vehicles, such as the paratroopers’ BTR-D personnel carrier, and also experimenting with exotic, specialist new acquisitions, such as the Chaborz M-3 buggy and Yamaha Grizzly all-terrain vehicle. The other elite branches of Russia’s forces, such as the Arctic-warfare troops of the 200th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade, the paratroopers of the Air Assault Troops (VDV), the Naval Infantry, and the elite units of the security forces are also developing and fielding new vehicles for their specialist roles, from combat snowmobiles to urban-warfare vehicles. From highly-mobile LMVs able to operate in the deserts of Syria or the streets of Ukraine, through dedicated fire-support vehicles such as the air-droppable Sprut-SD or the massive BMPT ‘Terminator’, to amphibious tanks and drone-equipped security trucks, these are the workhorses of Russia’s special forces. This study explores all these combat vehicles in detail, combining expert analysis from Russia expert Mark Galeotti with highly accurate full-colour illustrations and photographs.

The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), waged between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies, involved some of the most important developments in ancient warfare.A life-and-death struggle between the two most powerful Greek city-states in the wake of their combined successes against the Persian invasion of Xerxes in 480–479 BC, the conflict dragged in communities from all over the Greek world on one side or the other. Ranging from the Black Sea to Sicily, the war saw the first recorded widespread use of light-armed troops, reserves, the deep phalanx, and other ideas important for the development of Western warfare into the 4th century BC, such as strategic thinking. It also revealed lessons (some learned and some not) with respect to the strengths and weaknesses of hoplite warfare and the various states in Greece.Featuring full-color artwork and drawing upon an array of sources, this study of three pivotal clashes between Spartan and Athenian hoplite forces during the Peloponnesian War highlights all of these developments and lessons.

From the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 until the Japanese surrender in August 1945, a multitude of military and civil-defence forces strove to support the Japanese war effort and latterly prepared to defend the Home Islands against invasion.During World War II, Japan was the world’s most militarized society and by 1945 nearly every Japanese male over the age of 10 wore some kind of military attire, as did the majority of women and girls. In this volume, Philip Jowett reveals the many military and civil-defence organizations active in wartime Japan, while specially commissioned artwork and carefully chosen archive photographs depict the appearance of the men, women and children involved in the Japanese war effort in the Home Islands throughout World War II.

Mustafa Kemal was one of the 20th century’s greatest combat commanders.Born in Salonika to a middle-class family, this book follows the life of a great commander who served in the Italo–Turkish War of 1911–12 and the Balkan Wars of 1912–13 before taking command of the 19th Division based in Gallipoli during World War l. His sterling service led to his promotion to corps command during the fighting against the Russians in the Caucasus.Following the end of the war he took command of the nationalist forces struggling against the occupation of Turkey, and managed to defeat Greek forces that sought to occupy Smyrna, thus preserving Turkey’s territorial integrity. Labelled as the ‘Man of Destiny’ by Winston Churchill, his services in Gallipoli and the War of Independence were pivotal to the success of his armies.After leading the nationalist army to victory, he established the modern Turkish Republic and became Turkey’s first ever president taking the name Atatürk, meaning Father of the Turks, as his own.

This fully illustrated study examines the German, Italian and Bulgarian occupation forces in Greece during 1941–44 as well as those of the two Greek Resistance organizations. Italy''s failed invasion of Greece in 1940–41 led to the German invasion of Yugoslavia in spring 1941 being extended into Greece, and, after the fall of Athens and Crete in April and May, the division of the country under German, Italian and Bulgarian occupation. The royal government and Army survivors withdrew to British-ruled Egypt, but at home resistance organizations of differing political character soon sprang up, forming guerrilla forces that exploited Greece''s rugged terrain and limited communications. The strongest resistance force was the Communist-dominated National Liberation Front (EAM) with its partisan Greek Popular Army (ELAS). Agents of the Western Allied powers had only brief success in mediating cooperation between the mutually hostile EAM/ELAS, and the National Republican Greek League (EDES) with its EOEA. Foreshadowing the Greek Civil War that would follow liberation, ELAS and EOEA clashed, in the background to their separate operations against the Axis occupiers.Drawing upon a wide range of sources, Phoebus Athanassiou charts the development of the fighting in occupied Greece: a struggle as ferocious as that fought in neighbouring Yugoslavia, which cost both the resistance and the Axis forces some 15,000 men killed.

During the American Civil War, the mounted soldiers fighting on both sides of the conflict carried a wide array of weapons, from sabers and lances to carbines, revolvers, and other firearms. Though some sections of the cavalry placed their trust in the sabre, the advent of viable breechloading carbines -- especially repeaters such as the Spencer -- was to transform warfare within little more than a decade of General Lee''s final surrender at Appomattox. However, output struggled to keep up with unprecedented demands on manufacturing technology and distribution in areas where communication was difficult and in states whose primary aim was to equip their own men rather than contribute to the arming of Federal or Confederate regiments. In addition, the almost unparalleled losses of men and equipment ensured that almost any firearm, effectual or not, was pressed into service. Consequently, the sheer variety of weaponry carried reflected the mounted soldiers'' various roles in different theatres of operation, but also the availability -- or otherwise -- of weapons, notably on the Confederate side. Fully illustrated, this study assesses the effectiveness of the many different weapons arming the Civil War cavalryman and analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the decisions made after 1865 concerning the armament of the US cavalry.

The Munich Olympics massacre in 1972 was a shock awakening to the public.In the decades since, European countries have faced a wide range of threats from Palestinian and home-grown terrorists, to the more recent world-wide jihadists. The threats they pose are widespread from aircraft hi-jacking and political assassinations to urban warfare against security forces, and murderous attacks on civilian crowd targets, forcing governments have had to invest ever-greater efforts in countering these threats.This book traces the evolution of police (and associated military) counter-terrorist forces across Europe over the past 45 years. Using specially commissioned artwork and contemporary photographs, it details their organization, missions, specialist equipment, and their growing cross-border co-operation.