Providing a unique glimpse into the experiences of regular British and French infantry during the French and Indian War, Stuart Reid reveals what it was like to fight in three battles at the height of the struggle for Canada: La Belle-Famille, the Plains of Abraham, and Sainte-Foy. In 1755, Britain and France both decided to escalate a low-intensity frontier war that had started the previous year by dispatching regular troops to their respective colonies in North America. Far from home, both sides' equipment and tactics were initially more suited to the European theatre. As the war ground on,...
Providing a unique glimpse into the experiences of regular British and French infantry during the French and Indian War, Stuart Reid reveals what it w...
Written by an expert on modern special forces units and the operations they undertake, this book explains the evolution of the Rangers' missions in Panama, the first Gulf War, Somalia, and the post-9/11 invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. It reveals the training and organizational changes that the unit has undergone and investigates, in particular, how their doctrine and mantra have changed during the fourteen-year war in Afghanistan.
At the beginning of the war, the Rangers were an elite light infantry unit of men tasked with short-duration recon raids and securing ground behind...
Written by an expert on modern special forces units and the operations they undertake, this book explains the evolution of the Rangers' missions in...
As the war in North Africa escalated, Axis military efforts became increasingly dependent on supply lines across the Mediterranean. To try to sever these lines of supply, the British deployed submarines from the besieged island of Malta with the directive to sink as much merchant convoy tonnage as possible. Italy responded by sending her torpedo boats to protect and escort Axis convoys.
Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork and carefully chosen archive photographs, this engaging study assesses the evolving battle between Britain's submarines and Italy's torpedo boats...
As the war in North Africa escalated, Axis military efforts became increasingly dependent on supply lines across the Mediterranean. To try to sever...
Now the standard weapon for British soldiers across the globe, the SA80's early years were shrouded in controversy after a series of dismal performances. It was prone to jamming in desert conditions, had several flimsy parts that would often break after repeated use, and had an incredibly sensitive magazine catch. When these issues came to light, the SA80 was lambasted by the news, leading to the Ministry of Defence ordering an extensive modification program that dramatically improved reliability.
Combat accounts and in-depth analysis of the SA80's performance in Kosovo, Sierra...
Now the standard weapon for British soldiers across the globe, the SA80's early years were shrouded in controversy after a series of dismal perform...
The battle of Zama, fought across North Africa around 202 BC, was the final large-scale clash of arms between the world's two greatest western powers of the time--Carthage and Rome. The engagement ended the Second Punic War, waged from 218 until 201 BC. The armies were led by two of the most famous commanders of all time--the legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal, renowned for crossing the Alps with his army into Italy, and the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio, who along with his father was among the defeated at the battle of Cannae in 216 BC.
Drawing upon years of research,...
The battle of Zama, fought across North Africa around 202 BC, was the final large-scale clash of arms between the world's two greatest western powe...
The battle of the Thames was the culmination of a bloody campaign that saw American forces clash with the British and their Native American allies on multiple occasions. In a battle that included the future US president William Henry Harrison, American naval hero Oliver Hazard Perry, and the legendary Shawnee leader Tecumseh, the Americans prevailed, due in part to their imaginative use of Kentucky mounted riflemen to charge British regular infantry and artillery. Their victory allowed them to secure the Northwest frontier, a crucial strategic gain in the War of 1812.
Drawing on his...
The battle of the Thames was the culmination of a bloody campaign that saw American forces clash with the British and their Native American allies ...
For more than 30 years, the Nile river gunboat was an indispensable tool of empire, policing the great river, and acting as floating symbols of British imperial power. They participated in every significant colonial campaign in the region, from the British invasion of Egypt in 1882, to the Battle of Omdurman in 1898, when Britain finally won control of the Sudan. After that, the gunboats helped maintain British control over both Egypt and the Sudan, and played a key role in safeguarding British interests around the headwaters of the Nile--a region hotly contested by several European powers....
For more than 30 years, the Nile river gunboat was an indispensable tool of empire, policing the great river, and acting as floating symbols of Britis...
As infantry units advanced across Europe the only support they could rely on from day to day was that provided by the heavy weapons of their own units. While thundering tanks struck fear into the hearts of their enemies, it was the machine guns, mortars, and light cannon that proved to be most important, causing the majority of casualties suffered during World War II. Common principles were shared across units but the wide variety of weapons available to the different armies altered the way they were used in battle.
Focusing on the US, British, German, and Soviet troops, this...
As infantry units advanced across Europe the only support they could rely on from day to day was that provided by the heavy weapons of their own un...
A heavy javelin, normally used as a shock weapon immediately before contact, the pilum was designed with a particular specialty: it could penetrate a shield and carry on into the individual behind it. Relying on mass rather than velocity, at short range a volley of pila had much the same effect on a charging enemy as musketry would in later periods. The design was not uniform, with a wide diversity of types throughout the developmental history of the weapon, but for more than four centuries it remained a vital part of the arsenal of weapons at the disposal of the Roman...
A heavy javelin, normally used as a shock weapon immediately before contact, the pilum was designed with a particular specialty: it could pe...
For centuries, the crossbow had dominated the battlefields of continental Europe, with mercenaries from Genoa and Brabant in particular filling the ranks of the French army, yet on the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War they came up against a more powerful foe. To master the English longbow was a labor of years, requiring far greater skill to use than the crossbow, but it was much more flexible and formidable, striking fear into French men-at-arms and cavalry.
This study examines three battles: Sluys (1340), Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356), and shows how the use of the longbow...
For centuries, the crossbow had dominated the battlefields of continental Europe, with mercenaries from Genoa and Brabant in particular filling the...
