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...
Richard (University College London, UK) Macrory Hon KC
In 1839, forces of the British East India Company crossed the Indus to invade Afghanistan on the pretext of reinstating a former king, Shah Soojah, to his rightful throne. The reality was that this was another step in Britain's Great Game--Afghanistan would create a buffer to any potential Russian expansion toward India.
This history traces the initial, highly successful campaign as the British easily occupied Kabul and the rebellion that two years later humbled the British army. Forced to negotiate a surrender, the British fled Kabul en masse in the harsh Afghan winter. Decimated...
In 1839, forces of the British East India Company crossed the Indus to invade Afghanistan on the pretext of reinstating a former king, Shah Soojah,...
The formidable European longsword--featuring a double-edged straight blade in excess of 40 inches, and capable of being used with one or both hands--remains one of the most impressive and distinctive edged weapons of the late medieval era. Also known as the bastard sword or the hand-and-a-half sword, the longsword evolved from the war swords and great swords of the fourteenth century, and emerged as a battlefield weapon in the early stages of the Hundred Years' War. Fully illustrated, with specially commissioned full-color artwork and an array of period illustrations and close-up...
The formidable European longsword--featuring a double-edged straight blade in excess of 40 inches, and capable of being used with one or both hands...
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...
For the British Empire it was a military disaster, but for Imperial Japan the conquest of Malaya was one of the pivotal campaigns of World War II. Giving birth to the myth of the Imperial Japanese Army's invincibility, the victory left both Burma and India open to invasion. Although heavily outnumbered, the Japanese Army fought fiercely to overcome the inept and shambolic defense offered by the British and Commonwealth forces.
Detailed analysis of the conflict, combined with a heavy focus on the significance of the aerial campaign, help tell the fascinating story of the Japanese...
For the British Empire it was a military disaster, but for Imperial Japan the conquest of Malaya was one of the pivotal campaigns of World War II. ...
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...
The Men Who Would Be Kings is a set of rules designed for fighting historical or Hollywood colonial battles in the mid- to late-Nineteenth Century, from the Indian Mutiny to the Boxer Rebellion. Large scale colonial clashes tended to be one-sided affairs, but there are countless reports of brief, frantic skirmishes in every colonial war--where either side could be victorious--and these are the battles that The Men Who Would Be Kings seeks to recreate. Although focusing on the British colonial wars against the Zulus, Maoris, and others, these rules will also permit players to...
The Men Who Would Be Kings is a set of rules designed for fighting historical or Hollywood colonial battles in the mid- to late-Nineteenth Cent...
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...
