Böcker av Martin Windrow

The French Indochina War (1946ΓÇô54) was the largest of the first generation of post-World War II wars of decolonization as Vietminh insurgents sought to topple their French colonial masters. It was also unique in that the insurgency evolved from low-level guerrilla activity to mobile operations by a large conventional army which finally defeated a large European-led expeditionary force supported by artillery, armor, and air-power. The war''s progress was almost entirely dictated by the extreme terrain, and by the Chinese support enjoyed by the Vietnamese insurgents. The actions explored in this study cover three contrasting phases of the war in Tonkin during 1948ΓÇô52, setting both sides on the path that would lead to the conflict''s climactic encounter at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Featuring specially commissioned artwork and drawing upon a range of sources, this meticulously researched study casts new light on the troops who fought on both sides in this evolving and momentous conflict.

The gripping true story of the French Foreign Legion in the Sahara.

'Perched on the back of a sunlit chair was something about 9 inches tall and shaped rather like a plump toy penguin with a nose-job. Raising her from a fledgling, through adolescence and into her prime years, Windrow recorded every detail of their time living together (secretly) in a south London tower block, and later in a Sussex village.

The decision, in Spring 1948, to form two battalions of Foreign Legion paratroopers was prompted by the requirement for enlarged airborne forces in the First Indochina War (1946), and the healthy recruitment then employed by the Legion. There were some initial doubts. The Legion were known to be magnificent heavy infantry, but were felt by some to lack the flexibility and agility demanded by independent airborne operations. In the Legion itself there were some misgivings over the possible clash between the self-consciously exclusive ''para mentality'', and the Legion''s own very marked ésprit de corps. Over time, however, all these doubts evaporated with experience.

Stalingrad in the jungle: the battle that doomed the French Empire and led America into Vietnam

The technological might of France fought against a strong urban guerrilla movement during the Algerian war. Fighting for Algerian independence, the ALN used tactics ranging from assassination to the intimidation of natives to reach their goal, and they are described in this volume.

Details the French attempts to regain control of Indochina, following Japan's defeat in World War II. From the disatrous "Battle of RC.4" to the final French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, this book includes a variety of French troops, their uniforms and equipment.