Military & War

In 2007, after almost 40 years of operations, the SAS ceased operations in Northern Ireland and ended the longest operational commitment in the unit's history. Starting in 1969, Mark Urban reveals the extraordinary history of the special forces' operations in Northern Ireland and the unenviable dilemmas faced by intelligence chiefs engaged in a daily struggle against one of the world's most sophisticated terrorist organisations.

The Storm of Steel is a first-hand account of World War I trench combat lifted from the diaries of Ernst Junger, a German infantryman who would become one of Europe's most renowned writers. The book was first translated into English in 1929 by Basil Creighton, the acclaimed translator of many other classic works of German literature, and was widely hailed as a masterpiece. To many, The Storm of Steel remains the definitive account of World War I, following Junger through several major battles as he develops from an eager young soldier into a battle-hardened officer.

‘Stop screaming, I'm scared too!' is not what you'd expect to see on the back of a loadmaster's helmet in a Chinook helicopter flying over southern Afghanistan, but for Rod Henderson it sums up his 22 years of service as a soldier in the Australian Army. This is not the story of a general or a Special Forces hero. It is the extraordinary memoir of a regular Australian soldier. Like so many others who have served their country with honour and distinction, the little-known stories of ordinary soldiers deserve to be told.

Donald Macintyre’s U-Boat Killer is a unique account of the Battle of the Atlantic from the perspective of a British destroyer captain who fought through this brutal campaign. Few other books transport the listener to the deck of a convoy escort in the cold, stormy seas of the Atlantic Ocean and bring to life the terrifying conflict between the Royal Navy and the U-boats.

LBJ and McNamara: The Vietnam Partnership Destined to Fail details how President Lyndon B. Johnson and his secretary of defense, Robert McNamara, made choices central to US strategy in Vietnam, ending in defeat. The portrait emerges of men who knew that conventional victory was impossible but who could not or would not reverse the policies that they and the military pursued.

A no-holds-barred, straight-in-your-face account of combat in Vietnam. You know it's going to be hot when your brigade is referred to as a Fireball unit. From May 1967 through May 1968, Ted Arthurs was in the thick of it, humping an eighty-pound rucksack through triple canopy jungle, chasing down the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. As sergeant major for a battalion of eight-hundred men, it was his job to see them through this jungle hell and get them back home again.

There are moments in history when two different people who have two completely different visions of the future rise to prominence at the same time and in the same exact place. The Chinese Civil War, which saw Chiang Kai-shek and his rival Mao Zedong fighting for the future of China, is a great case in point. Chiang believed that China should modernize and embrace capitalism. Mao, however, believed that communist doctrine would be the true salvation for the Chinese masses.

Dive into a riveting historical journey that reveals the courageous triumph of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose, even if history tried to silence them. Have you ever wondered about the unsung heroes who dared to stand against tyranny? Does mainstream history leave you yearning for compelling stories of the figures who defied the odds? Are you searching for an engaging narrative that will challenge your intellect and resonate deeply with your sense of justice?

Kein Zweifel, Adolf Hitler war ein verbohrter Ideologe, dessen politisches Handeln von Rassismus und extremem Judenhass geprägt war. Zugleich aber konnte der faschistische Diktator durchaus anpassungsfähig sein und realpolitisch handeln. Tatsächlich handelte der Versager aus Österreich oft strategisch. Er kopierte das faschistische System seines Vorbildes Benito Mussolini in entscheidenden Punkten, bevor er es freilich zu einem totalitären Faschismus ausbaute und das Dritte Reich in den Holocaust und den Zweiten Weltkrieg führte.

Ready to unravel the complexities of one of history's most iconic military leaders? Curious about the rise and fall of a man who shaped the face of Europe? Fascinated by the blend of genius, ambition, and hubris that defines a legendary emperor? A Brief History of Napoleon Bonaparte dives deep into the life of the man who rose from Corsican obscurity to become the Emperor of the French. This book is more than a biography; it's a vivid narrative of power, conquest, and downfall.

It began like the genealogical search of so many families to find out more about the relatives who came before them. It led to the surprising discovery of the stories of family members spanning eight generations who each served in the conflict of their era from the War of Independence through Vietnam. Through this book’s masterfully re-created veterans’ stories, blending documented historical research with his gift for storytelling, author Armand Kinslow breathes life into his humble quest to know more about his ancestors and to now promise that They Shall Not Be Forgotten.

More than half a century after the Vietnam War, a riveting, true story emerges. The author embarks on a journey to bridge the silent gap between himself and his estranged father, whose memories of the war are deeply buried. This quest for understanding leads him to a close-knit brotherhood of Marine combat veterans who become the voice for the untold stories, filling the void left by his father's unspoken past.

Separated in age by eighteen years, Ron and Steve Lambrecht lived under the same farmhouse roof for only six months—yet both left the Minnesota cornfields of their birth for distinctly different roads of military service and achievement. Their joint memoir, Boundless Brothers: Two Warriors from the Heartland, One Mission for the Homeland, offers a fresh spin on a classic American motif of homegrown country boys who navigate the wild blue yonder of sky and sea.

A teenager from Amish country enlists as an Army DJ during the Vietnam War, beginning a life of adventure and a storied career spanning decades and continents. When he first opened his mic in Utapao, Thailand, he played music and dodged court-martial, unaware he was impacting troops and foreign nationals in surprising and unexpected ways. Find out how America's broadcasters in uniform influenced hall of fame rockers, shaped the attitudes of foreign politicians, and fought off censorship.

Wernher von Braun was a rare and complex figure. He went on to become one of the most prominent figures not just in one country but in two. Although the first half of his life and his contributions to Nazi Germany remain extremely controversial, it can’t be denied that he was a pioneer. He oversaw the development of the first long-range guided ballistic missile, the V-2, which became a terrifying weapon in Nazi Germany’s arsenal. After the war, von Braun and many of his colleagues were brought to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip.