Soldier, journalist and centenarian: a triple badge of honour, especially for a woman. Introducing Rena Stewart (1923-2023), a remarkable, 100-year-old Bletchley Park Girl who translated Hitler's will and blazed a trail for women at the BBC. The Story of Rena Stewart narrates Rena's fascinating tale, in her own words, and is a testament to a life that was seriously well lived. On graduating from St Andrews University in 1943, Scottish linguist Rena and her friend Agnes decided to 'do something about the war'. They signed up for the Auxiliary Territorial Service and were posted to Bletchley Park, where Rena processed secret German messages. At the end of the war, Rena and her Bletchley chums were sent to Germany, to translate the statements of captured Nazi officers. There, she and another friend, Margery, were also given a top-secret task: to translate Hitler's personal will. Career woman Rena had, however, always wanted to work in the media. On her return to England, she managed to secure a position as a lowly clerk at the BBC World Service. She worked her way up from there, including spending ten years listening in to Russian Cold War broadcasts. Finally, she became the first female Senior Duty Editor in the World Service newsroom. 'My greatest achievement,' she declared with pride, 'has been getting people to recognise that a woman can be as good a journalist as a man'. Alongside Rena's story, this book delves into the lives of her closest Bletchley friends and uncovers intriguing historical mysteries from her remarkable century of life.
Julian Zuromski was on the verge of becoming a fighter pilot when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939. He witnessed the Luftwaffe's bombings and the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, eventually escaping to Romania. After being imprisoned, he fled to France, where he fought in the Battle of France before escaping to Great Britain after France's surrender. There, he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Zuromski served as an instructor at RAF Dumfries and later flew operational patrols, claiming his first aerial victory in 1942 while flying a Spitfire with 308 Squadron. He went on to achieve two more victories, including the destruction of a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 with 66 Squadron in 1943. On that same day, Zuromski was shot down, captured, and sent to Dulag Luft, where he wrote anti-Bolshevik propaganda, later being moved to a special camp in Berlin. Zuromski escaped captivity during an Allied bombing raid, eventually making his way to Poland and reuniting with his fiancée. Although suspected of collaboration due to his wartime activities, he was exonerated and later served in the Royal Pakistan Air Force. This book also explores the fate of Zuromski's father, a victim of the Katyn massacre, and the contributions of other Polish pilots in WWII.
This is a true story. About survival. A Breton soldier who fought at Hastings returns to his family's ancient Celtic roots in the West County. Nicholas St Aubyn follows his family's tenuous path over the next one thousand years, describing those they loved, the many wars they fought, and their role in Cornish rebellions. His story also features a host of remarkable women, from the Countess of Oxford in the 14th century to Honor Basset at the 16th century Tudor court and Vita Sackville-West, a member of the 20th century Bloomsbury Group. He shows how the St Aubyns acquired St Michaels' Mount during the Civil War, the Jacobite conspiracy plotted by Sir John St Aubyn, and the love between his grandson Sir John and local farmer's daughter, Juliana, who inspired Winston Graham's Poldark novels. The story moves from medieval battles, and shipwrecked treasure in Mount's Bay, to love at the Court of Henry VIII, and the political fortunes of fourteen family MPs since 1283. The diary of one illegitimate son reveals the life of a Regency rake, as another builds a property empire in Devonport, while a third shocks his parishioners. In the First World War, St Aubyns were found on the Western Front, and during the Second, they served on the PQ17 Arctic Convoy and at the Battle of Arnhem. The gift of the family castle to the National Trust seventy years ago is one of many events that give this history its unique and increasingly personal perspective as the family identity evolves.
This book explores the Brontë siblings growing up with maternal deprivation and loss, and how this affected their development both as children and as adults. It examines how their sibling rivalry led to disharmony and separation, where each of the surviving children became isolated and separated into their own personalities and beliefs. Research into sibling rivalry is referenced from modern studies and the structure of the family. The importance of each person's position in the 'pecking order' is shown to reflect on their behaviour and interaction within the family and the outside world. There is particular focus on the eldest and the youngest in the family hierarchy. The author examines the relationships between the four younger Brontë siblings and how Charlotte's role and behaviour changed when she suddenly became the eldest child. There is a detailed look at the position and expectations of Anne Brontë, as the youngest sibling and least expected to excel. There is an examination of her novels, hymns and poetry and reference to possible autobiography and also to her crises of faith. Anne's last illness and death are particularly highlighted to try and explain her final separation, physically and metaphorically, from her home and family. The irony of her burial in a place known as 'Paradise' and her longing to gain a heaven with her family, is especially discussed as a consequence of her overbearing eldest sister's character, beliefs and behaviour. This book is not a criticism or discussion of the Brontë's works but an examination of how these four exceptional siblings related to each other and how their relationships affected all of their lives with unforeseen and unexpected consequences.
The best things are worth waiting for. SAS veteran Colin Maclachlan's much anticipated book is arresting, revelatory, inspirational and explosive. An elite operator's gripping true story. It blows the door off!' - **Damien Lewis**'Colin has made a fascinating start to his life already, but the adventure is just beginning!' - **Andy McNab**"An incredible story of courage and commitment under fire" **- Bear Grylls**"A rollercoaster of an account of a young boy through to SAS Commander on some of the biggest missions in modern times" **- Chris Ryan**The Pilgrim is the book the MOD tried to ban. It is a rollercoaster of an autobiography of Colin Maclachlan, known for his appearances on shows like Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5's Secrets of the SAS. His autobiography starts with his troubled childhood and escape to the military where, as a fifteen-year-old boy, he grows up and matures into the SAS soldier we now recognise. Early chapters describe physical, mental and sexual abuse and Colin could easily have ended up in a home but despite the odds and with the help of both the Children's Panels, NSPCC and some diligent schoolteachers, Colin escaped to the army. Colin had to get special permission to join the army at only fifteen years of age and goes from being a young vulnerable and damaged boy to a capable soldier through preparation for the first Gulf War and joining the oldest and most senior infantry regiment in the British Army, The Royal Scots. From operations in Northern Ireland to being the Queen's Butcher to Colin's first TV cameos on Soldier Soldier and Gladiators, Colin's stories and anecdotes are both exhilarating and hilarious. Colin then describes the arduous SAS selection process, the hardest and most gruelling military selection process in the world. Colin describes in some detail what most have never even heard in this secretive world where Colin goes from a course of 196 down to just 12 in six months! The reader is then taken on a never seen before description of life as an SAS operator. Daily life in an operational squadron and the operations, missions and training involved all described in detail. Colin was part of Mountain Troop, D Squadron who were to be involved in some of the most high-profile and dangerous missions in SAS history. Missions like Operation Barras, described as Operation Certain Death in the best seller of the same name by Damien Lewis, rescuing hostages at Stansted Airport in the longest running hijacking in UK history make for incredible reading. Task Force Black/Knight was the name given to UK/US special forces operations in Iraq and Colin was part of the teams hunting down the famous 'playing cards', a set of cards with the top 52 high ranking Iraqi officials including Saddam Hussein. Colin then joins Delta Force and later Seal Team 6 and is one of probably only a handful of people on the planet whom have worked with the SAS, SBS, Seal Team 6, Delta Force and the CIA. Colin is head of a station protecting MI6 and breaking down terrorist cells in Iraq when he is captured and just before he is beheaded is rescued by his own guys. Colin becomes probably the only person in the world to have been a hostage negotiator, hostage rescuer and been a hostage himself. Colin leaves the military shortly afterwards and that isn't the end of his story. Colin first heads up a bodyguard team looking after CNN and NBC news and is in the centre of the biggest triple car bombing in the Middle East. He meets his first wife who it is his job to protect and does several other high profile security jobs ranging from A list celebrities to the Saudi Royal Family. Colin is part of a security team for the Big Brother TV series when Fathers for Justice assault the house and it's left to Colin and his friend from the SAS to defend the house during live television! Surveillance jobs follow on and Colin does anti-surveillance and counter surveillance in some quite high-profile court cases. This leads on to training jobs where Colin is in charge of security, bodyguard and surveillance courses throughout the UK. Penetration testing is another field which Colin gets involved in and this involves trying to overtly break into businesses, airports, headquarters and government buildings which test all of Colin's training. Colin has been involved in Motion Capture for the Video games industry since 2008 and has played characters from Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series as well as games like Red Dead Redemption and LA Noire. Colin also plays characters in Sumo's Hood: Outlaw and Thieves. An insight into how the video game industry has evolved since 2008 is both fascinating and mind-blowing and Colin has been involved in stunts as a stunt performer for both video games, television and film. The next few chapters describe a world in television and film where Colin has been involved. Before being involved in Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins as the only SAS presenter, Colin was already involved in television as a military advisor and had filmed scenes on Taggart and River City as well some short films. He had already been involved in commercials and as an extra when Channel 4 came calling. Colin was then involved in Channel 5's Secrets of the SAS which highlighted his capture and escape and took part in documentaries for the BBC's Panorama series and ITV's This Morning programme. Colin was the main author for the highly successful SAS: Leadership Secrets book which came out shortly afterwards. The MOD tried to ban The Pilgrim in 2017 but Colin fought the system, the MOD and huge legal army that they possess. In 2024, Colin won and this is his story.
The Birth of British Airpower describes how Hugh Trenchard, a man with few leadership skills, became a much-loved and inspirational commander who laid the foundation for British airpower on the Western Front in World War I and created the preconditions for the establishment of the world's first independent air service, the Royal Air Force. Author Peter Dye explores how friendship can overcome significant personal and character deficiencies and how, by assembling the right senior leadership team, Trenchard achieved greatness. The book also examines how the development of airpower doctrine in the First World War owed as much to chance as to careful planning and how air superiority was achieved only through sustained effort, underpinned by an effective and responsive logistic system. Finally, it explains how the ethos of the postwar air force was built around these experiences and the collective effort of all those involved in the air war.
This is the only book ever published which concentrates on Titanic people from one particular region - Greater Manchester. The RMS Titanic disaster, which occurred on the night of 14/15 April 1912, is one of history's most catastrophic human tragedies, which resulted in a terrible sacrifice of life. The people on board were proud to be part of the ship's maiden voyage, but what they didn't know was that it was destined to be its only voyage. The county of Greater Manchester in the north-west of England is made up of the Metropolitan boroughs of Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan. More than 30 people from the region had connections with RMS Titanic - they being a mixture of passengers and crew, and the majority of them lost their lives. This is the story of who they were, what happened to them during the disaster, and what the future held for those who survived. Some of them left detailed accounts of the horrific incident.
Fighting for Hitler intricately weaves together the personal stories of German historical witnesses across thematic chapters, covering diverse facets of the wartime experience. From the frontlines of battle to the harrowing conditions in POW camps, these narratives are enriched with personal documents and photographs, vividly providing the human face of history. This book is more than just a chronicle of events; it is a profound exploration of human suffering and memory. Each testimony contributes to a larger mosaic, unveiling the emotional and psychological landscapes of those who endured one of history's darkest periods. Included are stories from the Eastern Front, from the invasion of Poland to Operation Barbarossa and the fierce fighting at Stalingrad. The book also contains accounts from those who served in the Kriegsmarine, depicting life on a battleship and gripping U-Boat battles. The book goes on to cover D-Day, the fall of the Reich, and stories of survival in POW camps across the globe. The author's dedication to impartial presentation allows these stories to resonate on their own, providing a rare and invaluable perspective on the past. Years of painstaking research, translation, and editing have transformed this book into a treasure trove for scholars and general readers alike. It serves as a vital preservation of a generation's voices, fostering a deeper understanding of how the Third Reich's profoundly impacted ordinary lives. By presenting these accounts in their unaltered and honest form, the author ensures that the true essence of these experiences is captured and conveyed.
The campaign for Iwo Jima (Operation Detachment) from 19 February-26 March 1945 pitted the USMC Fifth Amphibious Corps (VAC) and the USN's Fifth Fleet against the IJA 109th Division and assorted IJN ground troops under the command of Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi. After neutralizing Japanese air assets on Iwo Jima, the objective was to seize Iwo Jima's two completed airfields in the southern and central sectors and make them operational after the heavy pre- and post-invasion aerial, naval and Marine artillery bombardment. USAAF 7th Fighter Command would then have this Volcano Island as a base from which to escort the four-engine B-29 heavy bombers on their Japanese Home Islands' raids from their Mariana Islands bases and to provide emergency airfields for battle-damaged or low-on-fuel Superfortresses on their return flight that otherwise would have crashed in the sea. The combined American force numbered over 100,000 troops against 20,933 Japanese soldiers and sailors. Kuribayashi's defences were so well fortified with caves, tunnels and daunting terrain that the VAC lost 6,821 KIA and 19,217 wounded compared to approximately 18,000 Japanese troops KIA or MIA with only 216 prisoners taken. In a 'mopping up' phase to clear the remaining Japanese hidden in the island's caves, the Army's 147th IR, 37th Division captured an additional 867 prisoners. This epic USMC campaign resulted in an unprecedented ratio of three American casualties for every two Japanese soldiers. In all, 2,251 emergency B-29 landings were made saving the lives of almost 25,000 aircrew members. The flagraisings atop Mount Suribachi on 23 February 1945 galvanized American morale at home.
A snow-capped hill in modern day Czech Republic, dominated by a small church with black onion dome, stands on a field of battle that cemented Napoleon's position as Emperor of the French. His throne was secure. His power was limitless. Europe lay at his feet. The Battle of Austerlitz is almost universally regarded as the most impressive of Napoleon's many victories. The magnitude of the French achievement against a larger Russian and Austrian force was unprecedented, the great victory being met by sheer amazement and delirium in Paris, where, just days earlier, the nation had been teetering on the brink of financial collapse. It was a time when Napoleon's Grande Armée was at the apogee of its power.Trained on the Channel coast for over two years, the Grande Armée was considered to be the most powerful, and in many respects the most glamourous, fighting force in Europe. Using archive documents from the time, this book sets out to chart the story of the men who made up the army. Incorporating rare eye-witness reports, that have to date never been used in English or French histories, we assess if the army was indeed the best in the world. Men like Grouchy, Oudinot, Ney, D'hautpoul and many other famous names put the army through its paces - it is their judgements that confirm or deny the effectiveness of the army.These men also minutely examined the men's clothing and equipment. Using these reports we present for the first time the true story of the Grande Armée. This has been possible due to the author's access to a vast resource, as yet untapped by the vast majority of researchers and historians for understanding Napoleonic era in general. These are the regimental archive boxes preserved in the French Army Archives. From the regimental inspections, as well as the observations of Divisional commanders written at the time, these sources provide, potentially bias free empirical data - it is based on personal assessments thus is not error free - from which we can reconstruct the life story of a regiment, its officers and above all its clothing.More uniquely, the text is supported by an unrivalled collection of full colour illustrations, many of which have never been published before, including images of original items of equipment that are held in both museums and private collections to which the author has been granted special access.In this beautifully illustrated book, Paul Dawson critically re-examines the mythos and presents the judgement call made at the time about the army, that has ever since been overtly romanticised by both lovers and haters of Napoleon.
Lindsay Powell offers a fresh reassessment of Tiberius Caesar, highlighting his leadership, reforms, and misunderstood legacy as emperor.History has not been kind to the memory of Tiberius Caesar (42 BC-AD 37), second emperor of the Romans. His reputation for capable generalship and sensible civic leadership are marred by reports of cruelty, treason trials and sexual depravity. Some historians have described him as a 'tyrant' or even a 'monster'. But does he deserve this negative appraisal?In Tiberius, Lindsay Powell presents a fresh and penetrating reassessment of the life and legacy of the extraordinary man handpicked by Augustus to succeed him. He shows that Tiberius was the right man for the job, at the right time.Tiberius built upon the innovations of Augustus by bolstering the Roman Commonwealth's institutions and reining in its expenditures. He used his proven leadership skills in military and diplomatic affairs to avoid war whenever possible. A no-nonsense disciplinarian willing to eschew popularity for the good of the Res Publica, he respected the Senate's independence, recruited competent public administrators, rooted out malpractice in provincial government, and was generous to communities blighted by disaster.Tiberius examines the known facts of the personal and professional life of Ancient Rome's third longest serving emperor. He was a poet, a collector of art and an astrologer. Lindsay Powell explores how he dealt with success, disappointment and loss all while under the unrelenting pressure of serving Augustus, and then carrying out his ultimate duty by ruling the empire in his own right.Descended from a famous family, his standing has been undermined by his infamous appointees: right-hand man, Aelius Sejanus, who betrayed him; prefect of Judaea, Pontius Pilatus, who crucified Jesus of Nazareth; and his successor, Caius, better known as Caligula. Yet, when he died of old age (or was he murdered?), he left the Roman Empire both stronger and at peace.Meticulously researched, Tiberius is lucidly written by the author of the acclaimed biographies Marcus Agrippa and Germanicus.
Explore the Welsh hills, uncovering Dylan Thomas's legacy, rebellion history, and a landscape filled with cultural and personal significance.Embark on a mesmerizing journey through the Welsh hills, where each step unveils a tapestry woven with history, culture, and personal connection. Traverse the poetic landscapes that inspired Dylan Thomas, wandering through the Uplands where he was born and raised, and losing yourself in the tranquillity of Cwmdonkin Park, where Thomas's childhood adventures breathed life into his timeless works. Then, immerse yourself in the timeless charm of Laugharne, where Thomas found solace in his writing shed and echoes of his poignant verses still linger among the picturesque scenery.As you wander through Pontarddulais, a landscape steeped in the tumultuous history of the Rebecca Riots, you'll be transported back to a time of dissent and defiance. Follow the path from Coed Bach Park to St Telio's Church, where gravestones whisper tales of rebellion, and pause at the Fountain Inn, a silent witness to the love and courage of Daniel Lewis and Elizabeth. Venture into the heart of Wales, where rugged mountainsides and haunting forests hold secrets untold. In 'Walking Welsh History', every trail is a journey of discovery, offering a glimpse into the soul of a nation shaped by its past.
Explore the dark side of football, from match-fixing and corruption to riots and scandalous tragedies.It was Pelé who popularised the idea of football as 'the Beautiful Game' and so it is. But football also has its uglier side.As far back as the Edwardian era matches were 'fixed' to benefit gamblers, or to help clubs desperately in need of points to win promotion or to avoid relegation.There have been matches so brutal that on one occasion it was necessary for the BBC to precede televised highlights with a warning to viewers that what they were about see was 'appalling, disgusting, disgraceful'.Crowd disorders, inadequate policing, and stadiums left in disrepair have resulted in loss of life and added to the scandals that have scarred 'the Beautiful Game' and caused public outrage.From Bolton to Brussels, Manchester to Montevideo, Seoul to Santiago, football has seen many dark chapters, many tragedies and more than a few shady characters, from the goalkeeper who offered not to 'accidently' let in goals to the referee who was arrested with 13lbs of heroin hidden in his underpants.Soccer Scandals: When the Beautiful Game Turned Ugly tells of the high-ranking officials who were at the centre of some of the most remarkable widespread corruptions that football has ever seen, of the betting rings involving unscrupulous players and referees, of doping, blackmail and phone taps, of 'shameful savagery' on the pitch and riots off it, even of suicide and attempted murder.It is the stuff of pulp fiction rather than of just games and goals and Saturday heroes. It is the ugly side of the game that Pelé found so beautiful.
Argues Shakespeare was a dark-skinned Jewish woman, Emilia Bassano, challenging the traditional authorship and gender perceptions.Was Shakespeare a white man from Stratford? Debate still rages over the identity of the most beloved poet of all time and 'father' of the English-speaking world. Generations of researchers have tried to dismantle the myth of the Stratford man. Now, in this intriguing and well-documented book, Irene Coslet conclusively demonstrates that Shakespeare was a not a man, but a woman: a dark-skinned lady, of Jewish origin, born into a family of Court musicians from Venice, and the mother of the English-speaking world. Her name was Emilia Bassano. Based on a re-examination of often-overlooked historical documents, shrewd, chilling, and profound, this volume offers extensive evidence that Emilia was the author of the canon. This is not just a book about the authorship debate: it is about the condition of women at the time Shakespeare was writing. It explains that feminism already existed in Elizabethan and Jacobean England. It reveals not only that Shakespeare was a woman, but also that she defended women. It reintegrates Emilia in the context of the time, for example, by exploring the relationship between Emilia and Queen Elizabeth I. The reader will leave this book with a sense of wonder, transformation, and will experience a paradigm shift. Be prepared to meet the next feminist icon.
Sarkar's sixth volume examines the fourth phase of the Battle of Britain, detailing Luftwaffe failures and Britain's resilience.In this, the sixth of Dilip Sarkar's unprecedented eight-volume series, the day-by-day events occurring in the fourth phase of the Battle of Britain are chronicled and set within a much wide context, including the operations of Bomber and Coastal Commands and the Home Front. Renowned for his evidence-based approach, the author has returned to primary sources, the analysis arising often challenging our previous understanding and the popular narrative.In Volume 5, Target London: 7 September 1940 - 17 September 1940, the beginning of the Blitz was explored at length. This illuminated the inescapable fact that Luftwaffe air intelligence completely failed to understand how Fighter Command was organised and controlled, nor that it was replacement pilots, not aircraft, that was Air Chief Marshal Dowding's greatest concern. Indeed, on 15 September 1940, Luftwaffe aircrews were briefed to expect but a token resistance over London from the last handful of RAF fighters - their morale shattered when their first attack was met by over 300, the second by nearly as many. This convinced Hitler that the Luftwaffe could not achieve the aerial superiority needed for the invasion of Britain to proceed. Two days later Operation Seelöwe was postponed 'indefinitely'.Reichsmarschall Herman Göring, however, still believed that the Luftwaffe could prevail - and so continued attacking the UK, changing tack, yet again. As London had proved it 'could take it', the Luftwaffe, whilst continuing to bomb the capital by night, now focussed its daylight attacks on the British aircraft industry. Naturally the Supermarine Spitfire factory at Southampton was a primary target; it was subsequently badly hit, with great loss of life. Other factories, in the West Country, were also targeted, and, owing to a navigation error due to cloud cover, the picturesque town of Sherborne was devasted on 30 September 1940.By that date, however, it was clear that Göring's He 111 force was unable to continue absorbing such losses and the type was exclusively switched to night-bombing - thereby substantially reducing the German daylight bombing force. On 20 September 1940, Me 109 fighter-bombers attacked London, and going forward the next and final phase would see such attacks, and high-flying fighter sweeps, dominate the daytime arena.Such raids, though, were never going to defeat Britain, so it is fair to say that the period reviewed in this volume really did see the 'Daylight defeat' of the Luftwaffe over England in 1940 - and the events involved are interpreted and recounted in great detail.
The Royal Navy invented the aircraft carrier and most of the key innovations which have enabled carriers to remain effective, exploiting continuing changes in aircraft technology, from biplanes to supersonic jets. This book tells (and explains) how that happened over more than a century of British carrier development, based largely on declassified official documents, both British and US. Major themes include British domination of the early years of carrier development, and the audacious and highly original plans for their use during World War I, which inspired later naval thinking on the potential of carrier aviation. The introduction of armoured flight decks in the 1930s was only the first of a sequence of British innovations, the most important of which made it possible for carriers to operate jet aircraft (the angled deck, the steam catapult, and the mirror landing sight). These British developments, particularly the steam catapult, were crucial to the survival of the US carrier force in the postwar era, to an extent often forgotten. Later the Royal Navy produced the first commando carriers, and played a crucial role in the VSTOL carrier revolution, and continues to demonstrate originality and innovation as seen in the current pair of large carriers. This book covers all British-built carriers, including those in Commonwealth and foreign service, with the historical context, both operational and technical, explained in detail, as is the connection to larger British national concerns. The book is heavily illustrated with photographs, but also reproduces official plans from the National Maritime Museum, many of which have never previously been published.
The 452nd Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, staffed by Black soldiers, protected vital installations and shot down 68 enemy aircraft during WWII.During the Second World War, the airplane became a true menace. Flying faster, higher, and capable of carrying a heavier payload, air forces of the warring nations formed a formidable threat to the forces on the ground.To counter this, special anti-aircraft artillery battalions were created by the US Army. Several of these battalions, including the 452nd Antiaircraft Artillery (AAA) Battalion, were staffed by Black American soldiers. The 452nd AAA deployed in England in November 1943 and went ashore in Normandy, France, in June 1944. Assigned to XII Corps, part of General Patton's Third Army, the 452nd AAA was a valuable asset of the US Army. Armed with the deadly 40mm Bofor's gun and the .50 cal M45 Quadmount, these Black soldiers protected bridges, field artillery battalions and other vital installations during the Second World War. Some of the white soldiers from the field artillery battalions the 452nd AAA was protecting, doubted their abilities, but quickly came to appreciate the accuracy and coolness under fire of the Black soldiers.Credited with shooting down almost 68 hostile aircraft (one of the highest among AAA units in Europe), the 452nd AAA has rightfully earned its place in the history of the US Armed Forces during the Second World War. Although the battalion's motto was 'We Guard the Skyways', it would perhaps be more appropriate to call them 'Airplane Destroyers'.Almost 80 years after the war, this outstanding unit's history is finally made public.
Explores how Harry Styles' artistry and fandom profoundly transformed the life of one fan and others worldwide.Harry Styles captivates audiences worldwide with his talent, charisma and sartorial wit. From his early days as a member of the boyband One Direction to his wildly successful solo career, Styles marries mass appeal with a celebration of fluidity; blurring the lines of fashion, musical genres and gender norms. Once dismissed as a flash-in-the-pan teen trend, Styles has proven himself as a once-in-a-generation talent. Today, Harry Styles is less of a pop star and more of a lifestyle.When her twenty-year marriage ended, Keris Fox fell into the One Direction fandom and her whole life changed. Ten years on, and numerous live shows later, Keris has travelled the world with a host of new-found fandom friends and learned that it's never too late to let the things you love teach you how to be yourself.Part fandom memoir, part celebration of Harry Styles as an artist, The Harry Styles Effect is about the profound impact one of the biggest stars in the world can have on fans of all ages and backgrounds, and the transformative power of collective joy.
The French Resistance fought against Nazi occupation and Vichy collaboration, playing a pivotal role in France's liberation.Resistance was a refusal to accept the finality of the military defeat of 1940; a refusal to accept that Vichy was the legitimate voice of France; a refusal to accept Vichy policy of collaboration. 'Resisters' were those French men and women who decided to keep on fighting the Germans.Rare men and women joined the Resistance in 1940, soon after the signature of the armistice, individually or within small isolated groups, alone, with no links between them. Others placed themselves at the service of the British SOE networks or the Free French networks. In line with the Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact of August 1939, the Communist Party first took a neutral stance, though uncompromisingly hostile toward the Vichy regime. The Party joined the Resistance at the end of June 1941, when Germany attacked the Soviet Union, and soon created a clandestine armed force, 'Francs Tireurs et Partisans' (FTP).The communists called for immediate action and on August 21, a two-man squad shot Fähnrich Alfons Moser, a clerk with the Kriegsmarine, in the underground Metro in Paris. Five days later, the Germans shot five communists in reprisal, the first hostages to be executed in France. Many more followed, and recent studies indicate that 834 hostages were killed by the Germans between 1941 and 1944, in addition to approximately 2,900 resistance fighters executed after trial.The resistance movements were gradually organised, in the Occupied Zone, as well as in the Free Zone south of the Demarcation Line. In January 1942, de Gaulle sent Jean Moulin to France with the mission of unifying the Resistance. Jean Moulin succeeded in this unification and a National Council of Resistance (CNR) was created in May 1943, with representatives of the resistance movements of the two zones, political parties, and unions. The Germans hit hard in June, arresting Moulin on the 21st. He was so badly tortured by his SD interrogators that he succumbed within a fortnight. He revealed nothing, and the Germans were unable to dismantle the CNR.At the beginning of 1944, the armed groups of the different resistance movements were unified within the French Forces of the Interior (FFI).Plans were developed to bring chaos behind the German lines during the Allied landing in Normandy, and the Resistance promptly went into action on D-Day. The rail-cutting program was extraordinarily effective with hundreds of individual operations carried out.The Germans became alarmed by the impressive increase of the Resistance actions all over France and from the beginning of 1944 they launched successive attacks, for example against Mont Mouchet in the Massif-Central and at Saint-Marcel in Brittany in June. In the Alps, the Resistance being too strong to be dealt with solely by the occupation forces, the Germans were compelled to switch the 157. Reserve-Division, nominally a training formation, to anti-guerrilla operations against the Glières in March, and against the Vercors in July.Resistance activities increased significantly after D-Day, and harried German units committed numerous atrocities and war crimes against the civilian population. The worst of their crimes was committed by the 2. SS-Panzer-Division which hanged 99 men in Tulle on June 9 and murdered 642 civilians, women and children included, in Oradour-sur-Glane the next day.In the summer of 1944, Resistance forces liberated most of south-west and centre of France. In Brittany, the FFI provided very valuable assistance to the rapid advance of the American Third Army in August while in the south-east they facilitated the advance of the forces of the 6th Army Group which landed in Provence. In Paris, the Resistance launched an insurrection which practically liberated the city on August 25, before the arrival of the forces of the V Corps.After the Liberation, resistance fighters joined the new French Army and continued the fight alongside the Allies, allowing France to be associated with the 1945 victory over Nazi Germany.Including the resistance fighters executed, those killed in combat and those who died in deportation, some 37,500 resistance fighters died for France. In addition, some 3,900 people engaged in civil resistance were killed, bringing the total death toll to approximately 41,500.
From the start of the war on the Eastern Front, Hitler's Ostheer, his Eastern Army, and its associated forces would wage a vernichtungskrieg, or war of annihilation, in the East. Never before had such a wide-reaching campaign been fought.The preparations for the war against the partisans began before the launch of Operation Barbarossa, during which the Axis forces immediately put their plans into effect. The effects upon the newly conquered territories were soon being felt.The end of the initial phase of the German invasion of the Soviet Union was met by a Red Army winter offensive which began on 5 December 1941. As the author shows, this had repercussions behind the German lines, where the nascent Soviet partisan movement was attempting to grow and gain a foothold. By the spring of 1942 those early Soviet partisan units were ready to expand. The Germans, aware of the military situation both on the frontlines and in the rear of their armies, also prepared to counter the growing partisan threat. The partisans undoubtedly made a significant contribution to Stalin's war effort by countering Axis plans to exploit occupied Soviet territories economically, as well as providing valuable assistance to the Red Army by conducting systematic attacks against Hitler's rear communication network.As the German military planned to continue the Russian campaign into the summer of 1942, new security forces were gathered together and sent to the Soviet Union, and a new headquarters specifically organized to fight the guerrilla menace, was established. In this follow-up study, author Antonio Muñoz picks up the partisan and anti-partisan struggle in the East, where Hitler's War Against the Partisans During Operation Barbarossa left off.The struggle behind the frontlines in Russia proved to be as grand and epic as the fight along the front lines. Dr. Muñoz describes this war of attrition along the entire breath of the USSR. In 1942 the Ostheer, acting on Adolf Hitler's orders, launched their 1942 summer offensive which was aimed at capturing the Caucasus Mountains and the Russian oil fields that lay there.Dr. Muñoz not only covers the war behind the lines in every region of the occupied USSR, but also describes the German anti-partisan effort behind the lines of Army Group South, as its forces drove into the Caucasus Mountains, the Volga River bend and Stalingrad. No other work has included the guerrilla and anti-partisan struggle specific to the Stalingrad campaign. Muñoz manages to accomplish this, but also to convey the story of the rest of the partisan and anti-guerrilla war in the rest of the USSR from the spring of 1942 to the spring of 1943.
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