Warrior - Böcker

Nicknamed the 'Libyan Desert Taxi Service' by the SAS, the Long Range Desert Group was tasked with strategic reconnaissance and raiding operations deep inside the enemy-held deserts of North Africa. Armed with light weapons only, and equipped with specially converted light cars and trucks capable of withstanding the harsh conditions, the LRDG quickly proved it could operate in parts of the desert which other troops, including the enemy, found impassable. This new Warrior title, examines the soldiers of the LRDG from the group's formation, through training, to combat in vast, lonely, and deadly deserts of North Africa.

The Fallschirmjager divisions were solely used in airborne assault role, small units capturing local objectives ahead of traditional forces. Apart from the prestige of belonging to an elite, two reasons why infantrymen transferred to the paratroopers were for the higher pay and chances of more rapid promotion. It was this shared motivation which fostered rapid group "bonding" despite diverse social backgrounds. This title looks at the life and experiences of the average Fallschirmjager, and includes first-hand accounts from different theatres and periods of the war, including Holland/Belgium 1940, Kampfgruppe "Ramcke" in North Africa, Cassino, Leningrad, Normandy and Arnhem. As the war progressed, the parachute corps suffered a decline, and the soldiers were used as elite line infantry. Although several new Fallschirm "divisions" were created, most of their men never made a single drop.

Continental Army regulars fought in massive and famous battles from New England to Virginia, but in the South a different kind of warfare was afoot.Local militia, sometimes stiffened by a small core of the Continental Line, played a pivotal role. This lesser-known war ultimately decided the fate of the Revolution by thwarting the British "Southern strategy". In this book, the authors provide a unique and personal focus on the history of their own ancestors, who fought for the South Carolina Militia, to show just how effective the irregular forces were in a complex war of raids, ambushes, and pitched battles.The book explores the tactics, equipment, leadership and performance of the opposing Patriot and Rebel forces, shining new light on the vicious struggle in the South.

The enthralling new drama in the epic story of Caratacus: the barbarian king who led the tribes of Britannia against mighty Rome . . .WHILE THE MILITARY LEADERS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE WATCH FROM THE SIDELINES, BRITANNIA'S WARLORD CARATACUS FIGHTS TO UNITE THE WARRING TRIBES.AD 43, Britannia. A barbarian land . . . Caratacus is warlord of his tribe. Only King Cunobelinus holds more power. The island's clans are constantly at war. Caratacus has relentlessly driven new alliances, but those are ready to crumble at any provocation. A situation King Verica, an implacable enemy, is keen to exploit, with the support of ever-ambitious Rome. And Rome has a spy in Cunobelinus's inner circle.The elders believe their island is impregnable. Caratacus is powerful enough to ignore their mockery, as he calls on thousands of men to enlist, and prepare to defend their homeland. But even Caratacus cannot be certain that an army of warriors and ragtag bands of farmers can be turned into a disciplined fighting force that can defy the mighty military machine poised to invade.Caratacus and his men are preparing for the most deadly battle of their lives. The future of their world is at stake.Readers are gripped by the books of Simon Scarrow and T. J. Andrews:'A riveting read from start to finish. Cannot wait for the next instalment' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'The characters in this book are brilliantly created, full of depth and lively description' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Thundering good adventure . . . I regretted having to put it down to go to bed' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The enthralling new drama in the epic story of Caratacus: the barbarian king who led the tribes of Britannia against mighty Rome . . .WHILE THE MILITARY LEADERS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE WATCH FROM THE SIDELINES, BRITANNIA'S WARLORD CARATACUS FIGHTS TO UNITE THE WARRING TRIBES.AD 43, Britannia. A barbarian land . . . Caratacus is warlord of his tribe. Only King Cunobelinus holds more power. The island's clans are constantly at war. Caratacus has relentlessly driven new alliances, but those are ready to crumble at any provocation. A situation King Verica, an implacable enemy, is keen to exploit, with the support of ever-ambitious Rome. And Rome has a spy in Cunobelinus's inner circle.The elders believe their island is impregnable. Caratacus is powerful enough to ignore their mockery, as he calls on thousands of men to enlist, and prepare to defend their homeland. But even Caratacus cannot be certain that an army of warriors and ragtag bands of farmers can be turned into a disciplined fighting force that can defy the mighty military machine poised to invade.Caratacus and his men are preparing for the most deadly battle of their lives. The future of their world is at stake.Readers are gripped by the books of Simon Scarrow and T. J. Andrews:'A riveting read from start to finish. Cannot wait for the next instalment' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'The characters in this book are brilliantly created, full of depth and lively description' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Thundering good adventure . . . I regretted having to put it down to go to bed' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The enthralling new drama in the epic story of Caratacus: the barbarian king who led the tribes of Britannia against mighty Rome . . .WHILE THE MILITARY LEADERS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE WATCH FROM THE SIDELINES, BRITANNIA'S WARLORD CARATACUS FIGHTS TO UNITE THE WARRING TRIBES.AD 43, Britannia. A barbarian land . . . Caratacus is warlord of his tribe. Only King Cunobelinus holds more power. The island's clans are constantly at war. Caratacus has relentlessly driven new alliances, but those are ready to crumble at any provocation. A situation King Verica, an implacable enemy, is keen to exploit, with the support of ever-ambitious Rome. And Rome has a spy in Cunobelinus's inner circle.The elders believe their island is impregnable. Caratacus is powerful enough to ignore their mockery, as he calls on thousands of men to enlist, and prepare to defend their homeland. But even Caratacus cannot be certain that an army of warriors and ragtag bands of farmers can be turned into a disciplined fighting force that can defy the mighty military machine poised to invade.Caratacus and his men are preparing for the most deadly battle of their lives. The future of their world is at stake.Readers are gripped by the books of Simon Scarrow and T. J. Andrews:'A riveting read from start to finish. Cannot wait for the next instalment' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'The characters in this book are brilliantly created, full of depth and lively description' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Thundering good adventure . . . I regretted having to put it down to go to bed' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The partisan war in the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944 has been the subject of considerable political manipulation in the decades following 1945.In great part this was due to the need to project the image of a country united behind Joseph Stalin and the Communist regime when the truth was much more complex than that. The opening weeks of Operation Barbarossa had exposed the lack of unity in the Soviet Empire as nationalist and anti-Communist groups emerged in the western provinces such as Belo Russia, Galicia, Bukovina, Ukraine and the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Consequently it was vital for the survival of the Soviet Union that such groups were countered in situ and that the authority of Moscow was maintained in what were known as the Occupied Territories. During the summer of 1941 plans, dormant since the 1930s, for the conduct of partisan warfare behind the lines of an invading force were resurrected.The plans were intended to make life for the invaders as problematic as possible by acts of sabotage, but most important of all to maintain the physical presence of Soviet authority.

A detailed account of the upbringing, training and culture of the Apache Warrior of the American Southwest during the Apache Wars of the 19th century.Focusing on the Chiricahua Apache, led by such famous warriors as Cochise Mangas Coloradas, Victorio, Nana and Geronimo, this book explains how their culture equipped them uniquely for survival in the harsh environment of New Mexico and Arizona, and enabled them to fight off their Mexican and American enemies for so long.Specially commissioned, full-colour illustrations featuring ‘exploded’ kit scenes and battle artwork complement meticulous research that seeks to strip away the myths behind the history of some of the most feared opponents of the US Army in the south-west United States.

Inspired by the exploits of the German Fallschirmjäger in the blitzkrieg campaigns, Winston Churchill called for the formation of a 5,000-strong Airborne Force in June 1940.From these beginnings The Parachute Regiment became one of the foremost units of the British Army both in World War II and up to the present day. This new history of the British Paratrooper, from 1940 to 1945, details the unique training, weapons and equipment used by these elite troops. A wealth of first-hand and until now unpublished materials brings the history of the ordinary paratrooper to life, drawing on the author’s position as a former curator of the Regimental Museum.Illustrations and photographs illuminate the equipment and combat performance of the elite ‘Paras’ in the context of some of the most significant campaigns of World War II, including D-Day and Operation Market-Garden.

Diocletian and Constantine were the greatest of the Late Roman emperors, and their era marks the climax of the legionary system.Under Constantine’s successors the legions were reduced in size and increasingly sidelined in favour of new units of elite auxilia, but between AD 284 and 337 the legions reigned supreme. The legionaries defeated all-comers and spearheaded a stunning Roman revival that humbled the Persian Empire and reduced the mighty Goths and Sarmatians to the status of vassals.This is a detailed account of the equipment, background, training and combat experience of the men from all parts of the empire who made up the backbone of Rome’s legions in this pivotal period.

The 1st Battalion, The Rhodesian Light Infantry, was one of the most innovative and successful counter-insurgency units in modern history.Formed as a commando battalion in 1964 after the dissolution of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, the RLI was an all-white unit made up of South Africans and men from the UK, Europe and US. It was a key weapon in independent Rhodesia’s struggle against the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army and Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army during the bloody Rhodesian Bush War.This comprehensive study explores the unit’s dramatic history, revealing the RLI’s fearsome airborne and combat capacity, which gave the unit, at times, near total tactical superiority against its opponents.

The words 'Retreat? Hell, we just got here' have become a central part of the legend of the US Marine Corps, indicative of its reputation for dogged determination and bravery.Uttered at the height of the fierce battle for Belleau Wood, the phrase came to define the Corps, establishing their 'first to fight' ethos in the public eye. This history follows the experiences of the Marines during the Great War, from their training in the US and France through the fighting in the trenches and battlefields of the Western Front and right up to their occupation duties in the Rhineland.Packed with first-hand accounts and detailed information from the USMC History Division at Quantico, and published to coincide with the 100th anniversary of America's involvement in World War I, this is a timely analysis of one of the US Marine Corps' finest hours.

In October 2001 the most militarily advanced nation on earth came into conflict with one of the least developed nations as American forces poured into Afghanistan.The tip of the spear was drawn from the US Special Forces community, and largely from the units of the United States Army Special Forces – the famous Green Berets. Together with the Special Activities Division of the CIA and the Afghan Northern Alliance, they overthrew the Taliban in a lightning campaign that redefined modern warfare.This up-to-date study reveals the grueling Green Beret training and preparation, the specialized equipment they used in the field and traces their deployment throughout the campaign, from the first insertion of forces through to the fall of Kabul and Kandahar, the Taliban uprising at the notorious Fort of War in Mazar-e-Sharif, and the clearance of Tora Bora and Operation Anaconda in the Shahikot Valley.

With Hitler's army rampaging across Europe, Winston Churchill ordered the creation of a special fighting force – the Commandos.These valiant men were volunteers drawn from the ranks of the British Army, formed into a Special Service Brigade and put through a rigorous but highly effective training programme. Over the course of World War II they would see action in every major theatre of operation and are credited with numerous feats of gallantry during the D-Day landings. Although many units were disbanded after the war, the Royal Marine Commandos have maintained the standards of this elite fighting formation to the present day.Angus Konstam explores the history of the Commandos during their formative years, providing detailed descriptions of their training, weapons and equipment. Battle reports are accompanied by specially commissioned Osprey artwork and historical photographs, offering readers an in-depth analysis of some of the most famous fighting units in the British Army's history.

The period from 1200 BC onwards saw vast changes in every aspect of life on both the Greek mainland and islands as monarchies disappeared and were replaced by aristocratic rule and a new form of community developed: the city-state.Alongside these changes a new style of warfare developed which was to be the determining factor in land warfare in Greece until the defeat of the Greek city-state by the might of Macedonia at Chaeronea in 338 BC. This mode of warfare was based on a group of heavily armed infantrymen organized in a phalanx formation – the classic hoplite formation – and remained the system throughout the classical Greek period.This up-to-date, illustrated guide details this pivotal period that saw the transition from the Bronze Age warriors of Homer to the origins of the men who fought the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars.

A detailed account of the background and combat experience of the British tank crewman of World War II.Great Britain had introduced the tank to the world during World War I, and maintained its lead in armoured warfare with the ‘Experimental Mechanised Force’ during the late 1920s, watched with interest by German advocates of Blitzkrieg. Despite these successes, the Experimental Mechanised Force was disbanded in the 1930s, making Britain relatively unprepared for World War II, both in terms of armoured doctrine and equipment. This fully illustrated study examines the men who crewed the tanks of Britain’s armoured force during World War II, which was only four battalions large in 1939. It looks at the recruitment and training of the vast numbers of men required, their equipment, appearance and combat experience in every theatre of the war as the British armoured division sought to catch up with the German Panzers.

The Roman centurion, holding the legionaries steady before the barbarian horde and then leading them forward to victory, was the heroic exemplar of the Roman world.This was thanks to the Marian reforms, which saw the centurion, although inferior in military rank and social class, superseding the tribune as the legion’s most important officer. This period of reform in the Roman Army is often overlooked, but the invincible armies that Julius Caesar led into Gaul were the refined products of 50 years of military reforms.Using specially commissioned artwork and detailed battle reports, this study examines the Roman legionary soldier at this crucial time in the history of the Roman Republic from its domination by Marius and Sulla to the beginning of the rise of Julius Caesar.

Two major Army units operated in the Pacific – the 11th Airborne Division and the 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team (PRCT).They launched small-scale operations on extremely difficult, if not, outright dangerous, terrain, while also conducting amphibious assaults, fighting on jungled hills, swamps and mud. The two units were very different, with the 503rd PRCT being reserved for special purpose missions and the 11th Airborne Division occupying a more traditional role.This title examines the background to these two units and their training, before detailing the specific equipment used in the theatre and, finally and most importantly, the combat experience at a personal level of the US Army Paratrooper in the Pacific.

Between AD 69 and 161 the composition of the Roman legions was transformed.Italians were almost entirely replaced by provincial recruits, men for whom Latin was at best a second language, and yet the ‘Roman-ness’ of these Germans, Pannonians, Spaniards, Africans and Syrians, fostered in isolated fortresses on the frontiers, was incredibly strong. They were highly competitive, jealous of their honour, and driven by the need to maintain and enhance their reputations for virtus, that is manly courage and excellence.The warfare of the period, from the huge legion versus legion confrontations in the Civil War of AD 69, through the campaigns of conquest in Germany, Dacia and Britain, to the defence of the frontiers of Africa and Cappadocia and the savage quelling of internal revolts, gave ample opportunity for virtus-enhancing activity. The classic battle formation that had baffled Pyrrhus and conquered Hannibal was revived.Heroic centurions continued to lead from the front, and common legionaries vied with them in displays of valour. The legions of the era may have been provincial but they were definitely Roman in organisation and ethos.

Despite the attention paid to the Afrikakorps over the years, it was the numerically far superior forces of the Italian Army that held the line and formed the bulk of the fighting power available to the Axis powers during the War in the Desert from 1941 through to 1943.Their performance has been unfairly criticised over the years – the best units of the Italian Army were equal to those of the British and Germans – but they suffered from a lack of mobility and poor equipment that made it impossible for them to meet mobile British forces on anywhere near equal terms. Despite this, the Italian Army went through many changes through the period, with the introduction of a variety of elite units – armoured, mechanised and parachute divisions that did much to restore the fighting reputation of the Italian soldier in the desert war. Their German allies belatedly acknowledged this with the redesignation of Panzerarmee Afrika as 1st Italian Army in February 1943.This title details recruitment, organisation and experience of the Italian forces in this theatre, casting fresh light on a force whose fighting power and capabilities have been unfairly ignored and maligned for too long.

The mainland and islands of Greece were extensively settled by peoples moving from Asia Minor in c.5000 BC, while a further wave in c.5000 BC introduced bronze-working to the region.It is from this point on that it is possible to discern a distinct Cycladic or Aegean civilisation, developing at roughly the same time as the Egyptian and Persian civilisations. Further to the south, the Minoan civilisation based on Crete held sway, and this power – along with the Helladic Achaeans to the north gradually swamped the Cycladic civilisation in between. In common with most Bronze Age societies, the culture of the Aegean world was dominated by warfare, with the inhabitants living in organized settlements and small citadels with fortification walls and bulwarks, towers and gates to provide protection against invaders from the sea or internecine conflicts.Using up-to-date archaeological evidence, this title recreates the world of these peoples through a detailed examination of their material culture.

Based on a genuine memoir by an officer named D’Artagnan, Dumas published The Three Musketeers.The King’s Musketeers were formed in 1622 and were populated by young men of noble birth, but often of poorer means. The Musketeers served as a form of military academy, which enabled these men to qualify for commission into the regular army, but the academy was not just a schoolroom - the Musketeers served in all major battles and campaigns of the period; their reputation for bravery was well deserved.This title explores the history behind the legends created by Dumas. Drawing on historical and fascinating accounts the truth of this most colourful and flamboyant of units is revealed.