This is the wartime history of the battleship HMS Royal Sovereign, along with the story of her four sister ships HMS Revenge, HMS Resolution, HMS Royal Oak and HMS Ramillies. These ships were built and launched during World War I and although old and slow, and bitterly criticised by Churchill and others as being "Coffin Ships", the Royal Sovereign class battleships in fact played a valiant and doughty role in World War II. The Royal Oak was an early loss, thanks mainly to pre-war Governmen...

A comprehensive account of the origins, design, and history of the A-10A Warthog: "Highly recommended." — AMPS IndianapolisIncludes photosThe Fairchild-Republic A-10A Close Support aircraft has become a legend over its long front line life. Known as the Warthog due to her unusual appearance, this little aircraft has built up an awesome reputation in the specialized ground-attack role, where her accuracy and deadliness are widely recognized a...

The incredible story of the dive bomber is told through official reports and personal accounts from combat pilots in this sweeping military history.The History of Dive Bombing delves beneath the myths to present an in-depth history. Peter Smith tells the full story of these planes from the first true combat dive bombing by a Royal Air Force pilot in 1917 to the last stirring wartime actions. Interviews with pilots from both World Wars representing all comba...

The use of formulae has become widespread in recent years across most developed countries. In the UK, a conservative estimate is that annually £150 billion of public service expenditure is distributed using formulae, in services such as health care, local government, social security and higher education. This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice underlying the use of such formulae as a basis for funding public services.The philosophy, design and econo...

In this brand new publication from eminent historian Peter C. Smith, we are regaled with the engaging and often incredibly disturbing history of the Kamikaze tradition in Japanese culture. Tracing its history right back to the original Divine Wind (major natural typhoons) that saved Japan from invaders in ancient history, Smith explores the subsequent resurrection of the cult of the warrior in the late nineteenth century. He then follows this tradition through into the Second World War, de...

For three hundred years or more the Royal Navy really did Rule the Waves, in the sense that during the numerous wars with our overseas enemies, British fleets and individual ships more often than not emerged victorious from combat. One French Admiral wa

A history of the Japanese aircraft, "illustrated by well reproduced black and white photographs" details the plane's impressive WWII aviation record. ( Aviation News)The Mitsubishi Zero is one of the greatest fighter aircraft ever to have graced the skies. Symbolic of the might of Imperial Japan, she represented a peak of developmental prowess in the field of aviation during the early years of the Second World War. Engineered with maneuverability in mind, t...

This WWII history examines how the Royal Navy defended the English Channel from the first Dover Patrols to the liberation of the Channel Islands.The English Channel has always provided Great Britain with a natural defensive barrier, but it was never more vital than in the early days of World War Two. This book relates how the Royal Navy maintained control of that vital seaway throughout the war.Military historian Peter Smith takes readers from the early days ...

The Laforays were the largest, most powerfully armed and successful ships of this type to see frontline action with the Royal Navy in WWII. They were also the handsomest warships to see service and presented a perfect combination of power and speed. They were assigned to the most dangerous theaters of war including Force H, sailing between Gibraltar and Malta, from where they operated against the German supply lines to North Africa. They escorted minelayers into the German backyard in the ...

Aviation and maritime historian Peter C. Smith reveals how both Allied and Axis powers used World War I era aircraft in Combat Biplanes of World War II.The era of the combat biplane is usually thought to have been between 1914 and 1938. By the outbreak of World War II, most of the advanced air forces of the world had moved on to monoplane aircraft for their front-line battle forces, both in bomber and fighter capacities. Yet despite this, many biplanes did ...

This new edition to the Luftwaffe at War ser ies captures the many roles adopted by the Ju 87 in this dem anding theatre - from dive bomber to tank buster and the var ieties of plane type. The illustrations show the planes'' cou rageous contribution to war.

Authoritative study of the battleship in World War II. Stirring episodes of naval combat. Covers the famous chase after the Bismarck, the sinking of the Scharnhorst, the coastal bombardments on D-Day, and other actions.