Perhaps one of the most memorable sights in the Second World War was the arrival in Scapa Flow of the Home Fleet after the successful sinking of Scharnhorst in the last week of 1943. Harry Semark was one of the few civilians privileged to witness it. This and other of his eye witness accounts, remembered with such clarity down the years, add value to the record of what was a monumentous six years in the history of not only these isles but most of the world. This book describes with complete a...

Hank Adlam began his naval flying career in 1941, his first operational posting was to the newly formed No. 890 Squadron. When 890 was disbanded he joined 1839 Squadron flying the new Grumman Hellcat.

The bestselling, highly-acclaimed and most famous account of the Falklands War, written by the commander of the British Task Force.On 5 April 1982, three days after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, British armed forces were ordered to sail 8,000 miles to the South Atlantic. It soon became obvious they were sailing to war. But with no advantage in the air or on land and the vast distances involved, many felt that victory was at best unlikely – and at worst, impossible.

A British company commander details his experience serving in the Falklands War and reflects on the 1982 conflict."Yomping" was the word Commandos used for carrying heavy loads on long marches. It caught the public's imagination during this short but bitter campaign and epitomized the grim determination and professionalism of our troops…Called to action on April 2, 1982, the men of 45 Commando Royal Marines assembled from around the world to sail 8,0...

In 1982, 8,000 miles from home, in a harsh environment and without the newest and most sophisticated equipment, the numerically inferior British Task Force defeated the Argentinian forces occupying the Falkland Islands and recaptured this far-flung outpost of what was once an empire. It was a much-needed triumph for Margaret Thatcher's government and for Britain.Many books have been published on the Falklands War, some offering accounts from participants in it. But...

The author of Bloody Belfast delivers "a vivid and unforgettable record" of the Northern Irish conflict that captures the "true horrors of war" ( Best of British).There are stories from some of the most seminal moments during the troubles in Northern Ireland—the Crossmaglen firefights, the 1988 corporals killings, the Ballygawley bus bombing, and more—told from the perspective of the British soldiers who served there between 1969 and 1998. This wa...

Robert le Page flew with the Fleet Air Arm from 1940 to 1945, mostly in 816 Squadron flying carrier-based Fairey Swordfish. He saw action mine-laying off Cherbourg, hunting U-boats, escorting convoys in the North Atlantic and Arctic seas and covering D-Day. Much of his early war years were aboard HMS Dasher and he was lucky to be ashore when the carrier mysteriously exploded and sank in the Clyde. This decimated 816 Squadron which was eventually re-equipped and then worked up to operationa...

This is Ken Wharton's second oral history of the Northern Ireland troubles told again from the perspective of the ordinary British soldier.This book looks deeper into the conflict, utilising stories from new contributors providing revealing and long-forgotten stories of the troubles from the back streets of the Ardoyne to the bandit country of South Armagh. Ken Wharton - himself a former soldier - is now known and trusted by those who served and they are keen for their part in Brit...

Former soldier Ken Wharton witnessed the troubles in Northern Ireland first hand. Bloody Belfast is a fascinating oral history given a chilling insight into the killing grounds of Belfast's streets.Wharton's work is based on first hand accounts from the soldiers. The reader can walk the darkened, dangerous streets of the Lower Falls, the Divis Flats and New Lodge alongside the soldiers who braved the hate-filled mobs on the newer, but no less violent stree...

The cruiser HMAS Australia II and the Pacific War on JapanIn 1924, the grand old battle cruiser HMAS Australia I was sunk off Sydney Heads. Once she had been the pride of the navy and the nation. She had saved Australia from an attack by a German squadron in the Pacific in World War I.But after the war she was obsolete, and a victim in the race to disarm after WWI. It was a day of national mourning when they blew the bottom out of her; she...

With the outbreak of World War II, Britain's Royal Navy and her fleet of battleships would be at the forefront of her defence.Yet ten of the 12 battleships were already over 20 years old, having served in World War I, and required extensive modifications to allow them to perform a vital service throughout the six long years of conflict. Angus Konstam offers a comprehensive review of the development of these British battleships from their initial commissioning to th...

Acclaimed historian Max Arthur pays tribute to the Royal Navy from 1914 to 1945 and VE Day, drawing on the personal stories of those who have served during this period, creating a unique narrative history.Lost Voices of the Royal Navy is a memorable and moving testament to the courage, spirit, skill and irrepressible humour of those who served in the Royal Navy during these crucial years.