Stackpole Military Photo Series – serie

As June began, the situation in France was bleak for the Allies. With the evacuation of the BEF, the French Army and remaining British troops were left to defend a long front from the Channel to Sedan with minimal forces and no reserves. This was compounded by the fact that much of their armor and heavy weapons had been lost during the fighting in May. On June 5, the Germans renewed their offensive and quickly broke through the French lines. Nine days later Paris fell, and the French government fled to Bordeaux. With the French in full retreat south, the British evacuated their remaining 215,000 troops from Cherbourg and St. Malo (Operation Ariel). On June 25, the French surrendered, with the Germans requiring them to sign the documents at Compiègne in the same rail car that Germany had been compelled to sign the armistice ending World War I. German forces occupied much of northern and western France, while an independent, pro-German state (Vichy France) was formed in the southeast under the leadership of Marshal Philippe Pétain.* Hundreds of photos, many of them rare and never published before* Photos of men, tanks, weapons, uniforms, terrain, and much more* Excellent complement to the narratives of the Stackpole Military History Series* Ideal reference for World War II history fans, scholars, modellers, and reenactors

A visual history of the German armed forces at war on the brutal Eastern Front during World War II. The Third Reich began its war against the Soviet Union with Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. After a series of lightning victories in which millions of Soviet troops were killed, wounded, or captured, the German invasion bogged down outside Moscow that winter. What followed were punishing months of freezing cold conditions, strained supply lines, and bloody battles with a regrouped Soviet enemy fighting for the existence of its homeland. This book contains hundreds of photos, many of them rare and never published before, illustrating men, tanks, weapons, uniforms, terrain, and much more. It is also an ideal reference for World War II history fans, scholars, modellers, and reenactors.

The role of artillery on the Eastern Front should not be underestimated. While dashing aerial battles waged overhead and panzers and T-34s rumbled across the vast steppes, it was the artillery that rained down the most destruction. Steel Thunder takes the reader deep into the action, illuminating the massive array of weapons that were constructed by both sides in an effort to literally smash their enemy into the earth. From light artillery pieces that could be man-handled by a small crew to guns so monstrous they had to be transported in pieces, and from rockets that wailed like screaming death to fully tracked armoured artillery vehicles designed to pulverise concrete, steel, and flesh, the sheer quantity and variety of weapons designed to hurl high explosives fills these pages.About the AuthorChris Evans holds a master's degree in military history and is history editor for Stackpole Books. He lives in New York City.

When aircraft retire from active service, they are sent to “boneyards,” usually in dry desert locations to limit damage from the elements. There the planes are stored, ready to be revamped for future use or eventually turned into scrap. These boneyards are storehouses of American aviation history, consisting of aircraft of all varieties, from fighters and bombers to transports and tankers. These aircraft represent a cross-section of American wars, including World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, and the Global War on Terror. Many are in excellent condition, with their art and other markings preserved. Nick Veronico has visited boneyards in the American Southwest and photographed these remarkable planes, focusing on the cartoons, caricatures, lettering, and other art that give them their unique identities and personalities. Planes covered include B-17, B-24, P-38, P-47, P-51, B-29, B-52, B-1, B-2, F-4, F-111, F-14, F-15, F-16, F-4, A-4, A-6, A-10, F-105, F-106, KC-130, KC-135, C-5, C-130, KC-135, AC-130, and C-9, among others. This collection is a unique look at American military aircraft throughout the modern era and a must-have for all aviation fans.About the AuthorNick Veronico's previous books include The Blue Angels. He lives near San Francisco.

Aviation journalist Nicholas Veronico, author of Boneyard Nose Art, presents a detailed visual history of the well-known U.S. Eighth Air Force and their courageous war in the skies during World War II. Featuring hundreds of photos of American aircraft damaged or shot down by the German Luftwaffe, this book covers all types of U.S. aircraft, from bombers to fighter planes, with detailed captions providing key information on the planes and squadrons, crews, missions, and more. This is the perfect complement to narrative accounts in the Stackpole Military History Series, and an ideal reference for military history fans, scholars, and modelers.

This collection of photographs presents a visual history of the German soldier’s experiences and challenges on the Eastern Front during World War II. Hundreds of photos depict army and Waffen SS soldiers, uniforms, weapons and equipment, tanks and other vehicles, aircraft, local villages, life on the front lines, and much more, while the caption text offers insight and detailed information. Many of these photos are rare, and most come from private collections and have never been published before. This is an ideal reference for military history fans, scholars, modelers, and reenactors, and the perfect companion to the narrative accounts found in the Stackpole Military History Series.

More than 400 photographs detail the American military experience in World War I on the ground, in the air, and at sea, from recruitment to the Armistice. This is the premier visual history of the United States in the Great War to be published during these centennial years. * Features not only the infamous Doughboys and Devil Dogs, but also flying aces, doctors and nurses, seamen, and the German enemy * Color photos of weapons and equipment, uniforms, insignia, medals, and posters * Richly informative text and captions by an expert on World War I and battlefield interpretation.

* Features his decorated service in World War I, postwar duties in Japan, and role in the Korean War * Perfect complement to narrative accounts in the Stackpole Military History Series * Compelling reference for military history fans, scholars, and anyone interested in this legendary military figure General Douglas MacArthur was one of the most colorful, controversial, and image-conscious military figures of the twentieth century. This military biography in photos captures the spirit of the man and his legend in hundreds of historical images.

New Guinea describes in archival photographs with accompanying detailed captions and chapter narratives the conflict between the Australian-American forces under General MacArthur in combating the tenacious Japanese first in Papua in 1942-43 and then along the entire northern coast of the world’s second largest island in 1943-44 to both isolate the Japanese bastion at Rabaul and pave the way for the American invasion of the Philippine Islands in 1944-45.

The final year of World War II witnessed the decline of the piston-engine fighter and the beginning of the jet age. Taking to the skies were tried-and-true fighters, improved versions of old aircraft, and newly developed jets, including prototypes that flew for the first time just before the war ended. * Hundreds of photos chronicle these dynamic aircraft in Europe and the Pacific * Includes American Mustangs, Thunderbolts, and Shooting Stars (first operational U.S. jet); British Tempests, Spitfires, and Gloster Meteors (first operational Allied jet); German Fw 190s, Bf 109Ks, and Messerschmitt Me 262s (first operational jet fighter); Japanese Ki 100s, Raidens, and Tojos; and many more * Ideal reference for military history fans, scholars, and modelers

The popular conception of the Vietnam War focuses on the ground war—the soldiers and grunts who humped along jungle trails and fought the Vietcong face to face—but an important part of the war was waged in the skies over Southeast Asia, and indeed many of the war’s most well-known figures were pilots, from John McCain and James Stockdale to the unknown men who unleashed napalm hell and who carried out Curtis LeMay’s “bomb them into the Stone Age” doctrine, Lyndon Johnson’s Rolling Thunder, and Richard Nixon’s Linebacker. This photo book chronicles the U.S. Air Force’s operations in Vietnam, covering the aircraft, munitions, battle damage, and uniforms of Vietnam in the air.

The first volume garnered such popular acclaim--and drew so many more veterans and photographs out of obscurity--that a follow-up book was called for. Like the first installment, this one assembles hundreds of photos--most of them in color, most of them never seen by the public before--of the artwork soldiers painted on their helicopters during the Vietnam War. Shown here are the cartoons (such as Charlie Brown), musical and film references (Iron Butterfly and Easy Rider, for example), slogans (“Ho Chi Minh sucks”), and names that adorned aircraft like Hueys and Chinooks. This is a vivid slice of American folk art but also a unique look into the military history of the Vietnam War.

On August 7, 1942, U.S. Marines landed on the island of Guadalcanal, northeast of Australia, launching the first major Allied offensive against Japan. In one of the best-known campaigns of World War II's Pacific Theater, the Marines and then the U.S. Army endured a bitter six-month struggle for the island.• Hundreds of photos depict soldiers and commanders, vehicles, weapons and equipment, terrain, living conditions, medical care, and much more• Text narrates the campaign and captions expertly describe the photos• Perfect complement to the narrative accounts in the Stackpole Military History Series• Ideal reference for military history fans, scholars, modelers, and reenactors

Photo chronicle of Patton’s Americans versus Rommel’s Afrika Korps in World War IIIn November 1942, eleven months after Pearl Harbor, the U.S. launched Operation Torch, its first major offensive against the Germans. This photo chronicle covers the initial landings in Morocco and Algeria and the subsequent desert clashes in Tunisia as American forces under Eisenhower and Patton battled the German Afrika Korps of Erwin Rommel, the famous “Desert Fox.”

Assault guns (Sturmgeschütz in German) were armored fighting vehicles similar to tanks, with the chassis and tracks of a panzer but without the rotating turret, which allowed the mounting of a larger gun. They were usually used to support infantry assaults, but they also proved effective as tank destroyers, especially late in the war when German tank inventory diminished. Among the most famous variants are the Sturmtiger and Brummbär (“Grouch”). Hans Wijers has assembled hundreds of photos—most of them never seen anywhere before—of these vehicles at war on the Eastern Front of World War II.

Just in time for 75th anniversary commemorations of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, this latest addition offers a complete visual history of the attack, its aftermath, and the salvage efforts that followed. Over 300 photos, with detailed captions - complete with information such as aircraft serial numbers - document aircraft, ships, submarines, and key locations. Text sidebars highlight President Roosevelt's famous speech, the little known failed Japanese attack that followed in March 1942, and more.