In 1921, Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Gerald Peake formed the Arab Legion as a police force in the former British protectorate of Transjordan. The Legion's main roles were to keep order among Transjordian tribes and safeguard the villagers from Bedouins. In subsequent years, under the leadership of Glubb Pasha, the Arab Legion was transformed into the best-trained of all Arab armies. This richly illustrated book examines the history of the Arab Legion, detailing the infantry, supporting arms and services, and air, sea, police and national guard forces. It also profiles leaders, like Pasha,...

The specialist troops of Wellington's army played a crucial role in the success of the British Army. Though often understaffed and ineptly managed, the artillery, engineers, transport and commissariat, and medical services contributed to Wellington's ultimate victory in 1815. The Royal Artillery and Corps of Royal Engineers comprised a small number of highly trained officers, while the commissariat was composed of untrained civilians outside military discipline, and the medical services suffered from a shortage of trained surgeons. This richly illustrated book examines the organization,...

Israel assumes in advance that defeat in war means an end to the Jewish nation, and it wages war accordingly. This fact influences the Israeli approach to its army and to the strategy, tactics, training and conduct of war. Surrounded by hostile nations, Israel has fought six victorious wars between 1948 and 1973. For a force which began as an irregular, impoverished and improvised group, this is a formidable record. Backed by plenty of photographs and eight full page colour plates, this fine text examines the six wars fought between 1948 73, including the extraordinary Israeli victory of...

In the 1930s the War Office grew increasingly aware of the need for a new and more rational combat dress, and by 1937 the design for what would become known as 'battledress' was complete. Though the change in uniform was initially disappointing to the British soldiers, the new battledress served its purpose well, clothing the servicemen for more than 25 years with reasonable warmth and convenience. Complete with a wealth of photographs, diagrams and colour plates, this book offers a history of British battledress up to 1961, detailing its evolution in design, materials, sizes and applied...

The Royal Regiment of Artillery originated in 1716, when two companies of artillery were formed to ensure that a regular force of gunners was readily available. The Regiment expanded rapidly in the 18th century and, since then, has seen service in campaigns worldwide, from the Boer and Crimean wars of the 19th century, to World Wars I and II. Today the Regiment forms a powerful and complex branch of the Army - the only section that has employed nuclear weapons. This book outlines the history, development and uniforms of the Royal Regiment of Artillery up to the late 1960s.

Throughout the 20th Century, Canadian armies participated in the world's major conflicts, from the Boer War at the dawn of the century (1899-1902), to the Korean War in the 1950s. As part of the British empire, Canada supported Britain in South Africa, and came to the aid of the Allies in both World Wars. This book chronicles the development of the Canadian Army and the legendary achievements of a nation which might have justifiably stayed aloof from the quarrels of others. As both author and illustrator, Mike Chappell paints an engaging picture of the history, equipment and uniforms of the...

When Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne in 1837, British troops had recently concluded a war in southern Africa against the Xhosa people, and the seeds were already sown for a clash with the Boers. When she died in January 1901 Britain was fighting the Boers in one of the longest and costliest of the imperial colonial wars. This book details the history of Britain's numerous conflicts with the people of southern Africa, namely the Xhosa, Basotho, Tswana and Boers. Numerous illustrations, including rare photographs and colour plates, detail the dress, weaponry and organization of...

The Lebanese Civil War of 1975-76 caused 80,000 dead and totally split the country along factional lines. An estimated 50 different militias came into existence, and acts of violence were both individual and collective. In the midst of this explosive atmosphere, cross-border conflict between Israel and Lebanon intensified, culminating in Operation Peace for Galilee - the invasion of Lebanon. This book offers a day-by-day account of the invasion and the subsequent siege of Beirut, an operation that resulted in both the PLO and Israel claiming victory. Numerous photographs and colour plates...

Although light infantry tactics formed one of the cornerstones of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), their employment was by no means restricted to Light regiments. Thus, from the early 1800s, if not before, the distinction between Light and Line infantry was largely one of costume and tradition. One marked difference from the Line infantry, however, was in the superior esprit de corps of the Light regiments. Their attitude of superiority was reinforced by their different (and often more impressive) uniform, the theoretical difference in role, and supposed superior training. Philip...

'The French Foreign Legion Infantry and Cavalry Since 1945' details one of the world's most celebrated military units, and is published to celebrate the landmark of the 300th volume of the world's most famous series of military books.