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John Lee

The mist of poisonous gas that drifted across no man's land from the German trenches opposite the Ypres salient on 22 April 1915 caused ghastly casualties and suffering among the unprepared defenders, and it opened up a huge seven-mile gap in the defensive line. It also signalled the beginning of a new and frightful era of industrialized warfare. 

John Lee's graphic and perceptive reassessment of this milestone in the history of the Great War - and of the gruelling full-scale battle that followed - is one of the few full-length studies of the event to have been published in recent times.

Pen & Sword Military

Campaign Chronicles

The Gas Attacks: Ypres 1915

David G. Williamson

An in-depth history of the attack that began World War II, and one country’s courageous fight against two unstoppable forces.

Hitler’s military offensive against Poland on September 1, 1939 was the brutal act that triggered the start of World War II, wreaking six years of death and bloodshed around the world. But the campaign is often overshadowed by the momentous struggle that followed across the rest of Europe.

In this thought-provoking study, each stage of the battle is reconstructed in graphic detail. The author examines the precarious situation Poland was in, caught between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. He also reconsiders the pre-war policies of the other European powers—particularly France and Britain—and assesses the evolving scenario in a vivid, fast-moving narrative.

Included throughout are first-hand accounts of soldiers and civilians who were caught up in the war as well as the Polish capitulation and its tragic aftermath.

Poland Betrayed: The Nazi-Soviet Invasions of 1939

This study of the Polish resistance movement chronicles the operations of various factions from WWII through the postwar battle for power.

The Polish partisan army famously fought with tenacity against the Wehrmacht during World War II. Yet the wider story of the Polish underground movement, which opposed both the Nazi and Soviet occupying powers, has rarely been told. In this concise and authoritative study, historian David Williamson presents a major reassessment of the actions, impact and legacy of the Polish resistance.

The Polish resistance movement sprang up after the German invasion of 1939. As the war progressed, it took many forms, including propaganda, spying, assassination, disruption, sabotage and guerrilla warfare. Many groups were involved, including isolated partisan bands, the Jewish resistance, and the Home Army which confronted the Germans in the disastrous Warsaw Uprising of 1944.

Going beyond the Second World War, Williamson's graphic account chronicles the clandestine civil war between the Communists and former members of the Home Army that continued until the Communist regime took power in 1947.

The Polish Underground, 1939–1947

John Barratt

“Paints a vivid picture of such battles as Pilleth in Wales, Homildon Hill in Scotland and of course Shrewsbury, so bloodily fought at Battlefield.” —Shropshire Weekend
 
 The opening years of the fifteenth century saw one of the most bitterly contested political and military convulsions in the history of the British Isles, a conflict that is too-often overlooked by military historians. Henry IV, who had overthrown and probably murdered his predecessor Richard II, fought a protracted and bloody campaign against the most powerful nobles in the land. This war is the subject of John Barratt’s gripping study.
 
 The Percy family, the Kings of the North, and their most famous leader Sir Henry Percy Hotspur, whose fiery nature and military prowess were immortalized by Shakespeare stood out against Henry’s rule. And the beleaguered king also had to contend with a range of other unrelenting opponents, among them Owain Glyn Dwr, who led the Welsh revolt against English supremacy.
 
 In this graphic account of the first, deeply troubled years of Henry IV’s reign, John Barratt concentrates on the warfare, in particular on the set piece pitched battles fought at Homildon Hill, Pilleth, and Shrewsbury. His story brings to life the embittered politics and the personal and family enmities that gave rise to armed conflict. And he describes in vivid detail the tactics and fighting methods of the day, which were dominated by the devastating power of the English longbow.
 
“Complimented by a wealth of contemporary accounts, supplemented by modern research, maps and illustrations of the battles, the book should appeal greatly to all with an interest in medieval history.” —The Lance and Longbow Society

War for the Throne: The Battle of Shrewsbury, 1403

Alexander Mikaberidze

The full story of Napoleon’s legendary escape from Russia under seemingly impossible odds is recounted in this thrillingly vivid military history.

In the winter of 1812, Napoleon's army retreated from Moscow under appalling conditions, hunted by three separate Russian armies. By late November, Napoleon had reached the banks of the River Berezina—the last natural obstacle between his army and the safety of the Polish frontier. But instead of finding the river frozen solid enough to march his men across, an unseasonable thaw had turned the Berezina into an icy torrent.

Having already ordered the burning of his bridging equipment, Napoleon's predicament was serious enough: but with the army of Admiral Chichagov holding the opposite bank, and those of Kutusov and Wittgenstein closing fast, it was critical. In a gripping narrative that draws on contemporary sources—including letters, diaries and memoirs—Alexander Mikaberidze describes how Napoleon rose from the pit of despair to execute one of the greatest escapes in military history.

The Battle of the Berezina: Napoleon's Great Escape

Angus Konstam

“The hunting down and sinking of the magnificent German battle cruiser Scharnhorst was one of the epic actions of World War II … stirring” (Work Boat).

On December 25, 1943, the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst slipped out of Altenfjord in Norway to attack Arctic convoy JW55B which was carrying vital war supplies to the Soviet Union. But British naval intelligence knew of the Scharnhorst’s mission before she sailed, and the vulnerable convoy was protected by a large Royal Naval force including the battleship Duke of York. In effect the Scharnhorst was sailing into a trap.

One of the most compelling naval dramas of the Second World War had begun.

“Angus Konstam’s gripping account tells the story of this crucial but under-studied naval battle, and explains why the hopes of the German Kreigsmarine went down with their last great ship; only 37 of the German battle cruiser’s 1700 crew were saved. ” —The Nautical Magazine

“Angus Konstam has written the definitive masterpiece of the Battle of North Cape. ” —Naval Historical Foundation

“An excellent read and strongly recommended … thoughtful and totally engrossing… . If you are interested in the Royal Navy in the Second World War, the Arctic convoy campaign or capital ship actions, The Battle of the North Cape is well worth its cover price. ” —The Naval Review

The Battle of North Cape: The Death Ride of the Scharnhorst, 1943

Geoffrey Stewart

For sixty years the dramatic story of the Dunkirk evacuation and the defeat of France—the story of the German conquest of northwest Europe—has been the focus of historical study and dispute, yet myths and misconceptions about this extraordinary event persist. The ruthless efficiency of the German assault, the 'miracle' of Dunkirk, the feeble French defense—these still common assumptions are questioned in Geoffrey Stewart's highly readable and concise account of the campaign. The German victory was not inevitable

Second World War: Dunkirk and the Fall of France

Peter Inker

An ancient historian vividly reconstructs—and persuasively reassesses—the Roman Empire’s most significant victory of the Gallic Wars.

 In 52 B.C., Julius Caesar pulled off one of the great feats of Roman arms in what is now Burgundy, France. His heavily outnumbered army utterly defeated the combined forces of the Gallic tribes led by Vercingetorix and completed the Roman conquest of Gaul. The Alesia campaign, and the epic siege in which it culminated, was one of Caesar’s finest military achievements, and it has fascinated historians ever since.

 In Caesar’s Gallic Triumph, Peter Inker reconstructs the battle in graphic detail, combining ancient and modern sources and evidence derived from archaeological research. He questions common assumptions about the campaign, reassesses Caesar's own account of events, and looks again at aspects of the battle that have been debated or misunderstood. His gripping account gives new insight into Caesar the commander and into the Roman army he commanded.

Caesar's Gallic Triumph: Alesia 52BC

Ian Passingham

The author of All the Kaiser’s Men provides “a very helpful reference … to the battles which finally led to the German Army’s defeat in the field. ” —The Western Front Association

Few pivotal years in history are less understood than that of 1918. It was a momentous period, which began with Germany’s desperate gamble to win the Great War through a sequence of offensives on the Western Front. Ian Passingham’s graphic new study draws on a wide range of original German, British and French sources, and it features previously unpublished eyewitness accounts and photographs. He boldly reassesses German military doctrine, the strategic thinking behind the offensives and the effectiveness of the stormtrooper tactics used. He also considers how the poor state of German military morale and the privations and unrest of the German people contributed to the army's defeat.

The German Offensives of 1918: The Last Desperate Gamble

Paul Hill

In the spring of 878 at the Battle of Edington the tide of English history turned. Alfred's decisive defeat of Guthrum the Dane freed much of the south and west of England from Danish control and brought to a halt Guthrum's assault on Alfred's Wessex. The battle was the culmination of a long period of preparation by Alfred in the wilderness - a victory snatched from the jaws of catastrophic defeat. As such, this momentous turning point around which an entire nation's future pivoted, has given rise to legends and misconceptions that persist to the present day. Paul Hill, in this stimulating and meticulously researched study, brings together the evidence of the medieval chronicles and the latest historical and archaeological research to follow the struggle as it swung across southern England in the ninth century. He dispels the myths that have grown up around this critical period in English history, and he looks at Alfred's war against the Vikings with modern eyes.

Pen & Sword History

The Viking Wars of Alfred the Great

Richard Woodman

A study and reassessment of the major World War II battle in the South Atlantic between the British and German navies.

 The Battle of the River Plate was the first major naval confrontation of the Second World War, and it is one of the most famous. The dramatic sea fight between the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee and the British cruisers Exeter, Ajax, and Achilles off the coast of South America caught the imagination in December 1939. Over the last sixty years the episode has come to be seen as one of the classics of naval warfare. Yet the accepted interpretation of events has perhaps been taken for granted and is ripe for reassessment, and that is one of the aims of Richard Woodman’s enthralling new study.

Praise for The Battle of the River Plate: A Grand Delusion

 “This author has made it all so very riveting, it really is a book which is hard to put down until finished.” —Royal Geographical Society

 “Graphic, thought provoking—highly recommended.” —Britain at War

The Battle of the River Plate: A Grand Delusion

On 7 September 1812 at Borodino, 75 miles west of Moscow, the armies of the Russian and French empires clashed in one of the climactic battles of the Napoleonic Wars. This horrific - and controversial - contest has fascinated historians ever since. The survival of the Russian army after Borodino was a key factor in Napoleon's eventual defeat and the utter destruction of the French army of 1812. In this thought-provoking new study, Napoleonic historian Alexander Mikaberidze reconsiders the 1812 campaign and retells the terrible story of the Borodino battle as it was seen from the Russian point of view. His original and painstakingly researched investigation of this critical episode in Napoleon's invasion of Russia provides the reader with a fresh perspective on the battle and a broader understanding of the underlying reasons for the eventual Russian triumph.

 This book as just receive second prize by the Literary Committee of the International Napoleonic Society. A total of twelve distinguished works were carefully evaluated and Dr. Mikaberidze’s volume has met the rigorous criteria established by the Committee. The quality of the publication, especially in the area of research, originality, style and analysis, represents a significant contribution to Napoleonic Studies.

The Battle of Borodino: Napoleon Against Kutuzov

This WWII military study sheds new light on the legendary Siege of Malta, combining a detailed narrative with provocative strategic analysis.

 The heroic defense of Malta against the Axis powers is one of the most famous episodes of the Second World War. For more than two years this tiny island was the critical to maintaining control of the Mediterranean and essential to the outcome of the North African campaign. David Williamson, in this thought-provoking reassessment, examines the strategy underpinning British determination to hold on to the island.

 Expertly researched and vividly detailed, Malta Besieged sheds new light on the motives for persisting with such a costly defense against huge odds. he also explores the question of the islanders’ loyalty to the British crown. His incisive analysis takes account of the tactics employed by both sides, the political thinking and decision-making at the highest levels and the grim reality of the destruction and suffering on the ground.

Malta Besieged, 1940–1942: Second World War

A compelling account of the fierce ten-day battle that led to the end of Mussolini’s rule, with maps and photos.
 
 In September 1943, in the first weeks of the Allied campaign to liberate Italy, an Anglo-American invasion force of over 80,000 men was nearly beaten back into the sea by the German defenders in a ferocious ten-day battle at Salerno, south of Naples. This is the story of the tense, bitter struggle around the Salerno beachhead which decided the issue and changed the course of the campaign. For those ten critical days, the fate of Italy hung in the balance.
 
 Using documentary records, memoirs, and eyewitness accounts from all sides, Angus Konstam re-creates every stage of the battle at every level as it happened, day by day, hour by hour. His painstakingly researched account offers a fresh perspective on a decisive battle that has been neglected by British and American historians in recent years, and it gives a fascinating insight into the realities of warfare in Europe eighty years ago.
 
Praise for Angus Konstam’s previous books
 
 “Wonderful details.” —Publishers Weekly
 
 “Riveting.” —History of War
 
 "Interesting and exciting . . . thoroughly enjoyable.” —Booklist

Salerno 1943: The Allied Invasion of Italy

Martin Pegler

The Battle of the Somme is fixed in the country's collective memory as a disaster—probably the bloodiest episode in the catalogue of futile offensives launched by the British on the Western Front. Over five months of desperate fighting in 1916 the British wrestled with the Germans for control of a narrow strip of innocuous French countryside. When the fighting petered out the British had barely pushed back the Germans from their original positions for a combined casualty figure of over a million men. 

But after 80 years this notorious episode in western military history deserves to be reassessed. Previously unpublished eyewitness accounts are used to give a fascinating first-hand view of the immediate experience of the fighting. As Martin Pegler shows, a revision in our assessment of the Somme, in particular of the tactics and the weaponry employed by the combatants, is overdue, and he challenges the traditional assumptions about the course of the battle and its future impact on the development of warfare.

Attack on the Somme: Haig's Offensive 1916

Martin Matrix Evans

Passchendaele is one of the most evocative names associated with the Great War. For over 80 years, the battle has epitomized pointless slaughter on an unimaginable scale. The bare statistics are shocking in themselves - the British, French and German armies suffered over half a million casualties between July and November 1917. 

Ever since, the image of hapless soldiers struggling through the mud and the shellfire has come to represent the futility of trench warfare and the incompetence of their commanders. Yet, as Martin Marix Evans demonstrates in this gripping and perceptive reassessment, some common assumptions about the course of the battle - and the ways in which it was fought - are mistaken and should be looked at again.

Passchendaele: The Hollow Victory

Christopher Summerville

Napoleon's 1807 campaign against the Russians came close to being his first defeat. At Eylau the Emperor was outnumbered by the army of the Russian commander Bennigsen, yet he accepted battle. His reputation was saved by the flamboyant Murat, who led one of the greatest cavalry charges in history. 

Christopher Summerville's gripping account of this bitterly fought clash and of Napoleon's subsequent triumph at Friedland is the first extensive study of the campaign to be published for a century. The story is told in the concise, clear Campaign Chronicles format which records the action in vivid detail, day by day, hour by hour. Included are full orders of battle showing the chain of command and the fighting capabilities of the opposing armies.

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