Sieges played a key
role in the crusades, but they tend to be overshadowed by
the famous battles fought between the Franks and the
Muslims, and no detailed study of the subject has been
published in recent times. So this thought-provoking book is
a landmark in the field. It considers the history of siege
warfare in the Holy Land from every angle: the tactics and
technology, the fortifications, the composition of the
opposing armies, and the ways in which sieges shaped
Frankish and Muslim strategy at each stage of the conflict.
The differences and similarities between the Eastern and
Western traditions are explored, as is the impact of the
shifting balance of power in the region.
New in d/w - 344pp, numerous colour &
b/w photos & illustrations, maps & plans
When war broke out in 1939, German U-boats went quickly into
action, but with only four years of production and
development, the armament of these submarines was
considerably weaker than equivalent boats in other navies
and many of the other main features, such as living and
fighting conditions, were also significantly inferior.
Nevertheless, the German U-boat onslaught against British
merchant ships during the autumn of 1940 was highly
successful because the attacks were made on the surface at
night and from such close range that a single torpedo would
sink a ship. A new generation of attack U-boats that had
been introduced since Hitler came to power needed urgent
improvement. This is the story of the Types II, VII and IX
that had already become the workhorse of the
Kriegsmarine’s submarine fleet and continued to put out to
sea to attack Allied shipping right up to the end of the
war.
THE U-BOAT COMMANDERS: KNIGHT'S CROSS HOLDERS
1939-1945
by Jeremy Dixon
The Knight’s Cross (Ritterkreuz)
was one of the highest decorations given for extreme acts of
valour to all ranks of the German armed forces during the
Second World War. In the perilous and close-knit world of
the U-boat crews the award of the decoration to their
captain was an event of particular pride and sometimes it
was even added to the boat’s insignia. In all, there were
123 recipients, including their commander-in-chief Karl
Donitz. This extensively illustrated book is the ideal guide
to all these men and their wartime service. Graphic text
accompanied by almost 200 archive photographs describes the
exploits of each of them, including those who received the
higher grades of the award. Full details are given of their
tours of duty, the operations they took part in, how they
won their award, how many ships they sank and their
subsequent careers.
PANZERFAHRZEUGE UND PANZEREINHEITEN DER
ORDNUNGSPOLIZEI
by Werner Regenberg
A detailed study of armoured
vehicles and tank units of the German Ordungspolizei, 1936 -
1945. Contains 18 pages of tables and silhouettes of
transport and AFVs plus more than 300 black and white
photographs illustrating vehicles and personnel in training
and in action.
German text.
Fine in pictorial
boards - Large format, 287pp, 300 b/w photos. tables etc.
HOW HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF: AIR WARS OVER
IRAQ SINCE 1914
by Peter G. Dancey
An interesting monograph tracing
the use of airpower over Iraq, or Mesopotamia as it was
previously known, since it was first employed by The Royal
Flying Corp to harass the Turks of the Ottoman Empire in
World War I. Via anti-insurgency operations in the 1920s and
'30s, World War II, the Arab/Israeli wars of the 1960s and
'70s and the Iran/Iraq War, the story comes right up to date
with Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and enforcement of the
UN 'No Fly' zones in the '90s, to Operation Iraqi Freedom in
2003.
New in card cover
- A4 format, 73pp, 50 b/w photos, illustrations & maps,
colour profiles
