Bøger udgivet af Pen & Sword Military

When the amphibious Duplex Drive (DD) Sherman tanks of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (QMO) touched down on the sand of Sword Beach as the vanguard of the D-Day invasion, ahead of the infantry and Commandos, it was the culmination of an evolution spanning several years. Switching roles from a mounted regiment in India, into a mechanised, armoured cavalry regiment, they fought in France in 1940, then faced an uncertain future, after evacuating through Dunkirk.However, the 13th/18th would subsequently be selected to spearhead the assault on Sword Beach in new, top secret amphibious tanks. Having successfully secured the beach on D-Day, the Regiment became heavily engaged in the battle for Normandy, earning themselves an excellent reputation with the infantry brigades which they supported, before pushing north into the Fatherland. Their casualties from D-Day onwards amounted to 142 Hussars lost, 236 wounded, with many gallantry awards received.In addition to recording the Regiment's achievements during World War II, the story includes the personal testimonies of many of the Regiment's soldiers and officers throughout the war, along with many previously unpublished photographs.

The British army between 1783 and 1815 - the army that fought in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars - has received severe criticism and sometimes exaggerated praise from contemporaries and historians alike, and a balanced and perceptive reassessment of it as an institution and a fighting force is overdue. That is why this carefully considered new study by Kevin Linch is of such value. He brings together fresh perspectives on the army in one of its most tumultuous - and famous - eras, exploring the global range of its deployment, the varieties of soldiering it had to undertake, its close ties to the political and social situation of the time, and its complex relationship with British society and culture.In the face of huge demands on its manpower and direct military threats to the British Isles and territories across the globe, the army had to adapt. As Kevin Linch demonstrates, some changes were significant while others were, in the end, minor or temporary. In the process he challenges the 'Road to Waterloo' narrative of the army's steady progress from the nadir of the 1780s and early 1790s, to its strong performances throughout the Peninsular War and its triumph at the Battle of Waterloo. His reassessment shows an army that was just good enough to cope with the demanding campaigns it undertook.

The Battle of the Frigidus River, fought on 5 and 6 September 394 in what is now Slovenia, was a crucial clash between the Eastern Roman emperor, Theodosius (later 'the Great'), and the usurper Eugenius, who had seized power in the Western Empire. The battle was hard fought and lasted two days. At the end of the first, Theodosius was on the brink of defeat but the following day a great wind blowing against his enemy resulted in him securing a decisive victory. Eugenius, like Theodosius, was a Christian but, unlike Theodosius, he was tolerant of pagans, so this wind was seen as miraculous and the victory was attributed to God's favour.Nic Fields' narrative sets the battle in the context of the political situation within the empire and the campaigns leading up to this pivotal showdown. The armies of both protagonists are described, the tactics and strategy of the time discussed. Drawing on his detailed knowledge of the sources, the latest research and his own visits to the battlefield and surrounding terrain, the author then recounts the battle itself. Importantly he reveals the natural phenomenon behind the 'miracle' that saved Theodosius.Finally, the author analyzes and assesses the aftermath and consequences of this significant clash, which included Eugenius' execution and the temporary reunification of the Eastern and Western Roman empires.

Ken Adams, as a trained medic, was sent out to the Far East and immediately saw action on the Malay Peninsula. Captured at Singapore he initially worked at Changi Hospital. Many moves and much worse capos in Thailand were to follow. He describes his life, work and the terrible conditions endured at the hands of the Japanese and Korea guards and worst of all, the Kempetai secret police.Illnesses such as dysentery, malaria, avitominosis, cholera and smallpox had to be treated with minimal or no medicines. Starvation was a fact of life.The author was frequently moved around and in 1945 took part in a march of many hundreds of miles which inevitably proved fatal to many of his fellow POWs.Liberation and repatriation are movingly described as, most significantly, is the whole process of settling back into normal life after so long in captivity of the worst kind.Healing in Hell is an exceptional account that demands reading.