London, 15 September 1940. The air battle over Britain on that day saw two of the most advanced fighter planes, the British Supermarine Spitfire and the German Messerschmitt Bf 109, battle for supremacy of the skies.The Decisive Duel tells the stories of these iconic, classic aircraft and the people that created them: Willy Messerschmitt, the German designer with a love for gliders and admiration for Hitler; R.J. Mitchell, his brilliant British counterpart, who struggled a...

A startling history of modern Afghanistan: the story of a country caught in a vortex of terror.Veteran defense analyst and Afghanistan expert David Isby provides an insightful and meticulously researched look at the current situation in Afghanistan, her history, and what he believes must be done so that the US and NATO coalition can succeed in what has historically been known as “the graveyard of empires.” Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world wi...

A detailed, comparative look at the design, development, and combat performance of the M60 and the T-62.Designed for the battlefields of Europe at the height of the Cold War, the M60 and T-62 were the premier combat tanks of their day. However, it was in the deserts of the Middle East that they finally met in battle.This Duel title examines the design and development of these main battle tanks, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and describing and ...

A comprehensive study of both sides in the Afghan war.In this compact edition, published in the midst of the conflict as it was happening, David Isby examines Soviet forces in Afghanistan during the war of 1979-1989. The origins and conduct of the war and the operational organisation of Soviet forces are discussed, and Afghan resistance and weaponry is also explored.Featuring colour plates by Ron Volstad, this detailed examination of the troops that fought ...

A comprehensive study of both sides in the Afghan war.In this compact edition, published in the midst of the conflict as it was happening, David Isby examines Soviet forces in Afghanistan during the war of 1979-1989. The origins and conduct of the war and the operational organisation of Soviet forces are discussed, and Afghan resistance and weaponry is also explored.Featuring colour plates by Ron Volstad, this detailed examination of the troops that fought ...

A detailed, comparative look at the design, development, and combat performance of the M60 and the T-62.Designed for the battlefields of Europe at the height of the Cold War, the M60 and T-62 were the premier combat tanks of their day. However, it was in the deserts of the Middle East that they finally met in battle.This Duel title examines the design and development of these main battle tanks, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and describing and ...

From Pearl Harbor to VJ-Day, the humble Douglas C-47/R4D carried out missions every bit as strategically important, and as dramatic for the aircrew involved, as those of the fighters and bombers in the vast Pacific/CBI theatres.The C-47's wartime operations paved the way for post-war military and civil air transport, proving that aircraft could safely conduct routine flights from the USA, Australia and India throughout the Pacific and South-east Asia. The flights a...

The C-47 units of the USAAF were an integral part of some of the most dramatic episodes of the European war: the airborne assaults in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, southern France, Operation Market Garden and the crossing of the Rhine.The mass fratricide off Sicily, the night drop for D-Day and the Bastogne supply missions are also covered, along with more typical accounts of training, formation flying, airdrops and casualty evacuation missions.This book ...

It was 1968 and Robert Hartley was on his first combat mission in Vietnam as copilot of a helicopter gunship. As he and his platoon leader flew over the A Shau Valley, a Chinook helicopter engulfed in flames suddenly came into view. Hartley noticed tiny black smoking objects exiting the tail ramp of the aircraft. Seconds later, he realized those objects were men escaping the flames and plunging to their deaths. It was in that moment that he silently wondered, How the hell did I get here?

Our Lancaster raced over the perimeter track and then tore down the slope through the dispersal area... with its wheels thumping on the grass but still firmly on the ground. It now seemed that nothing could save us and that, in the next couple of moments, we would disappear in a great explosion. I could hear Bob saying "Get off the ground, you bastard, get off," while Harry just said nothing..."Into the Darkness" is the true story of a young Australian thown into the crucible of th...

In 1939 a 21 year old joined the N.Z.R.A.F. as a reservist. When World War II was declared he was called up and sent to Woodburn training camp in Blenheim and taught to fly. In August 1940 he sailed from New Zealand for England and went to war. As the sea voyage progressed from holiday cruise to deadly dangerous, he kept a diary and then gave it to a steward to post home from LA.He was a foundation member of 485 NZ Spitfire Squadron. He watched his best friends die before his eyes,...

At a crucial moment, Ed Whitcomb, a B-17 navigator, made a split-second decision and thereby set off a hair-raising, spine-tingling sequence of narrow escapes, captures, unexpected breaks and bitter betrayals that culminated in his final extrication from enemy territory.Whitcomb reached Clark Field just before its demolition by the Japanese. He then evaded capture at the fall of Bataan by fleeing in a row boat to the bastion of Corregidor, where he was caught. Escaping under cover ...