Pen & Sword Books

Elizabeth of York, often overshadowed by her famous descendants, was a strong and influential queen who united the warring houses of York and Lancaster.Elizabeth of York has often been overlooked by Tudor historians in favor of her infamous son King Henry VIII and his six wives, as well as her glorious ‘Virgin Queen’ granddaughter Queen Elizabeth I. But Elizabeth, the daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, deserves far more recognition than she currently receives. She suffered the loss of her younger brothers, the Princes in the Tower, and lived through the reign of her maligned uncle King Richard III, who it has been suggested plotted to marry his niece.Elizabeth was born at a time when having women in power was not considered desirable, but if she had been able to rule then Elizabeth would have been England’s first queen regnant. It was her position as the heiress to the House of York that solidified her husband’s claim to the throne. When she married Henry VII they finally united the warring houses of Lancaster and York. It is often thought that Elizabeth was a weak, ineffectual and pious woman who was too meek to challenge her husband’s rule, but in reality she held some sway over her husband and he often valued her opinion. If anything, Elizabeth was a resolute, well-respected and influential queen.Despite being of Plantagenet blood, Elizabeth of York was the mother of the Tudor dynasty, one of England’s most powerful and ruthless monarchies. Yet she was a devoted mother and an adored queen to the people of England.

Traces the history of anti-vaxxers, from 19th-century opposition to Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccine to modern-day vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.Retired drug regulator and medical historian Anthony C. Cartwright tells the story of the anti-vaxxers, starting with objections by ‘Anti-Vacks’ to Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccine in the early 19th century, and then a propaganda war waged by the Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League and its successor from 1853 to 1972. There was political lobbying and demonstrations across Britain against compulsory smallpox vaccination for children. Parents who refused to have their children treated were fined and even went to prison. The campaign spread to America and there were links to many countries. The popular appeal of anti-vaxxer views is reviewed in a new analysis and linked to libertarian objections to compulsion and fears of vaccine safety for their children. The early anti-vax leaders were germ theory deniers, and believers in alternative medicine.Using his regulatory expertise to review issues of historic safety, quality and efficacy of vaccines, major questions about later vaccines such as an early polio vaccine actually increasing polio deaths, infant deaths in Lübeck from a TB contaminated BCG vaccine, and reports linking neurological reactions to Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTP) vaccine are considered. These caused reluctance to vaccinate.Andrew Wakefield’s fraudulent 1998 scientific paper linking MMR vaccine to autism fuelled the fire for the anti-vaxxers and caused an epidemic of measles cases in children. Although modern Covid-19 vaccines were thoroughly tested for safety and efficacy, anti-vaccine sentiment came to a head again. Demonstrators marched in cities round the world carrying signs protesting government policies, and this book looks at the websites which proliferated on the Internet, bearing false witness about dangers.Lessons can be learned from history to mitigate vaccine hesitancy and mistrust, and to ensure all ethnic groups and sections of society receive the healthcare they deserve.

The untold story of how Agatha Christie conquered the serial market with her thrilling mysteries.Dame Agatha Christie reigns supreme as the ‘Queen of Crime.’ Numerous books have been written about the legendary crime writer, focusing on nearly every aspect of her craft. But until now no one has carried out an in-depth investigation into how she conquered the serial market with her thrilling tales of murder and intrigue.In the UK and US, Agatha Christie’s work was serialized in the most prestigious magazines and newspapers of the day, often under an array of different titles, prior to being published by Collins and Dodd, Mead and Company. Second serial rights could result in a single title being syndicated to over 40 newspapers. Over the decades, numerous records have been lost or destroyed and keeping track of her literary legacy has proved a major challenge for her publishers, literary agents and others until now.Jared Cade, author of the ground-breaking biography Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing Days, has unearthed a huge plethora of hitherto unknown facts about the timeline of her publishing history that will delight her devotees and enable future generations to write about her work with far greater authority and accuracy than ever before, especially when correlating her publications to the parallels in her life.Illustrated with rare pictures, Secrets from the Agatha Christie Archives is destined to become an essential reference tool for fans, librarians, scholars, antiquarian booksellers, broadcasters and others interested in the making of one of the 20th century's most beloved writers.‘Jared Cade is an acknowledged authority on Christianna’ — Crime Time

Highlights the overlooked contributions of women like Betsy Cadwaladyr and Mother M. Francis Bridgeman to nursing during the Crimean War.Florence Nightingale is synonymous with nursing in the Crimean War of 1854 -1856. There were, however, many other women who contributed to nursing at this time. Martha Clough, who dismissed the rule of Nightingale and took charge of nursing the Highland Regiments; Eliza Roberts, an experienced hospital surgical nurse who became Nightingale’s aide-de-camp, nursing Nightingale when she fell ill with Crimean Fever and those with a wider scope of caring, such as Mary Seacole, whose nutritious supplements and caring demeanour meant everything to the soldiers.This book focuses on the relationship between Nightingale and two very interesting characters: the irascible Betsy Cadwaladyr and the equally strong-willed Mother M. Francis Bridgeman, head of the nursing Irish Sisters of Mercy in the Crimea. Bridgeman came from a similar social standing as Nightingale but whose pathway saw her leaving society lifestyle as a young girl and following the convent life. Cadwaladyr earned Nightingale’s respect towards the end of her time in the Crimea due to her care of soldiers and her ability to run the kitchen at Balaklava, but nothing would change her stubborn dislike of Nightingale.The Sisters of Mercy, much overlooked in nursing history, were clinically nursing the victims of cholera and dysentery (two of the biggest killers in the Crimea) in their localities long before their journey to the battlefront. Betsy Cadwaladyr preferred domestic service and cooking to nursing, whilst Nightingale had the unenviable task of proving the nursing experiment to those watching from Westminster, trying not to upset the medical men as well as trying to filter out the best women to nurse with her, which was a nightmare in itself.

No one can deny the enduring power of medieval myths and legends. Tales of King Arthur, Merlin, Robin Hood, Sir Lancelot, magic, dragons, giants, demons, and the Holy Grail are as fascinating for us today as they have ever been.However, the stories we have inherited from our medieval forebears have often been transformed by the embellishments and additions of later generations. In every century since the Middle Ages, stories have been re-imagined, re-told, and sometimes radically changed to suit the audience of the day.This book aims to transport the reader back to the age of the Plantagenets and re-tell these stories as they would have been understood at the time. It explores the stories in detail and looks at what they meant to people living then, how they were told and why they were important.Myths and Legends of the Medieval World provides a detailed account of medieval mythology in its original context. It offers a window into a medieval mind-set in which such things as angels, demons, visions, magic, holy relics, and other supernatural entities were an accepted reality.Explore some of the most puzzling and captivating mysteries of the Middle Ages. What lay behind the legend of the Holy Grail? How did people regard the perilous world of the medieval fairy? How did the medieval world view witchcraft? And what happened during the infamous trial of the Templars?These are all questions that Myths and Legends of the Medieval World sets out to answer.

Explores the rise, migrations, and eventual decline of the Celtic tribes, detailing their wars, culture, and resistance against Roman expansion.The people we know as the Celts were an Iron Age culture that originated in central Europe, probably around modern-day Hungary, Southern Germany and the Czech Republic, some three thousand years ago. They were groups of distinct tribal peoples who shared a common language and culture that thrived until they were confronted by an aggressive and expansionist Roman Empire set on conquest.This book traces their many migrations westward over the following centuries, and their advances into the Atlantic coastal regions, especially into countries like France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Britain and Ireland, largely replacing the Neolithic people that formerly occupied these territories. These migrations were rarely peaceful and as a result the Celts were widely regarded as warlike and inherently aggressive.The book describes the many inter-tribal and territorial confrontations that occurred during the Roman period. It explains the fighting methods, tactics and style of Celtic warfare as well as the warrior leaders like Boudicca, Brennus, Ambiorix and Vercingetorix, and others who emerged to resist Roman incursions. Despite fierce resistance, in the end, little of that great culture survived intact. Many of these tribes were savagely and purposely exterminated as a matter of policy, others were Romanised to become reluctant citizens of the Roman Republic, and only those whose territories lay in the northern and western extremities of the Empire – in the British islands, Ireland and Brittany in North-West France, avoided total subjugation.Several hundred of these ancient Celtic and other related tribes are included here. Although each had its own distinct identity, they shared a common culture with a widespread and unifying system of religious belief largely held together by Druids. The tribes described in the book include Gauls, Germans, Galatians, Lusitanians, Britons, Picts, Cambrians and Caledonians, among many others.

Two German defectors turned British double agents, disillusioned with Nazism, manipulated wartime intelligence and postwar politics.Two German defectors who were to serve British Intelligence from 1942 to 1945 were, in many ways, two of a kind. One was a Nazi, having served in the Waffen-SS and given the code name COLUMBINE as a double agent under the Double-Cross System, while the other was not. Both had become disillusioned with the way things were going with the war and generally disgusted with the Nazi regime and resolved to try to change the course of events. One was an adventurer who claimed after the war to have been a British agent and parachuted into France, yet nothing could have been further from the truth. He even tried his hand at acting in an American B-movie.There was also a family connection with a future British prime minister. Like many spies, they both had large egos and were good at manufacturing information or distorting the truth. One of them ended up working for the Political Warfare Executive, so it is perhaps not surprising that he exploited his craft in post-war West Germany, mostly for his own ends. Between them, they were to cause MI5 a lot of headaches both during the war and afterwards into the Cold War period.

Celebrates the inspiring stories of LGBTQ veterans whose careers in the British Armed Forces were impacted by the “gay ban.”In January 2000, the ban on LGBTQ servicemen and women being in the British Armed Forces was finally lifted after a fierce battle at the European Court of Human Rights, by veterans who won freedoms for others that they were themselves denied.. To mark the event’s 25th anniversary, this book shares the stories of LGBTQ Armed Forces veterans who have lived remarkable lives. Their stories are profoundly moving testaments to their loyalty, their courage on the battlefield, and their unswerving sense of right and wrong.This book celebrates the lives of servicemen and women who have stood tall and taken their place with pride and dignity in the fighting units of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and the British Army. These are inspiring stories of people who created amazing careers in their service in the United Kingdom's Armed Forces, but so many of these careers would ultimately fall victim to the 'gay ban'.

In the spring of 1940, Stalin‘s NKVD executed 22,000 Polish officers, ensigns and state officials near the Russian village of Katyn and other places. When Wehrmacht soldiers discovered some of the graves three years later, the Soviets succeeded in convincing US President Roosevelt of the German perpetration.British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had no clear picture of the crime, and therefore made no public comments. Using thousands of recently released US documents, this book refutes the popular thesis that the Western Allies deliberately lied about the Katyn case in order not to endanger the alliance with Stalin.As well as consulting Polish and Russian documentation on this war crime, for the first time, the diaries of the Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels, who wrote a great deal about Katyn, have been examined.Completely new for research is the role that Hitler's opponents in the Wehrmacht played in solving the crime: at the Nuremberg trial they convinced the US delegation that the executors were not from the SS, but from the NKVD.Nevertheless, it took until 1990 for Kremlin chief Gorbachev to admit Soviet responsibility. Today in Putin's Russia, however, there is a tendency once more to keep quiet about the crime or even to blame the Germans.

Uncovers a daring SOE mission in 1941 Southern Thailand, where civilians and soldiers bravely fought Japan's invasion.Southern Thailand, 1941. This is the story of Operation Cleeves. A daring and long forgotten SOE Far East mission, where a handful of tin miners risked their lives fighting against the onslaught of Japan on the eve of World War Two in Southeast Asia. Using declassified documents, previously undiscovered records and extensive original research, Kate Reid-Smith provides an intimate yet harrowing look into a most secret and turbulent operation shrouded in mystery. Where vivid and powerful accounts of tremendous courage in the face of resilience and redemption, uncovers how an eclectic mix of European civilians and Indian soldiers all marooned amid danger, violence and bloodshed, were suddenly confronted by unspeakable survival choices, as the circumstances of war catapulted them into an unimaginable world of horrific atrocities. Some of their stories are told for the very first time in this revelatory book, uncovering perilous undertakings requiring daring and sang-froid bravery, and how using only their wits for survival, all bore the full brunt of Japan’s initial invasion.

Details the second year of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, focusing on drone warfare, strategic battles, and global impacts.This book describes, in great detail, the second year of Putin’s 'Special Operation' to obliterate Ukraine. General (Ret) Harrel’s previous book, entitled The Russian Invasion of Ukraine, February — December 2022, described the initial invasion, identifying the units and weapons on the battlefield with military precision. Now he continues the story of Ukrainian resistance in the face of overwhelming odds.The author knowledgeably reports on twenty-first century mechanized warfare, and how drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have evolved to dominate the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of war. The year 2023 saw the dawn of drone warfare as combatants on both sides of the conflict at first tinkered with the use of civilian hobby-type machines but then, having had great success, rushed forward to design, purchase (often with crowd funding) and deploy drones through all domains of the battlefield. Drones performed reconnaissance, targeting for artillery and direct attacks, seeking, identifying, and striking targets not only on the battlefield but in the Black Sea and deep inside Mother Russia.As the fighting raged, Russia successfully continued its worldwide cyber campaign to influence elections, divide allies and undercut support for Ukraine. The Pyrrhic Russian victories at Bakhmut and Avdviika were offset by Ukrainian victories in the Black Sea, after its failed counteroffensive in the Summer of 2023. Finland and Sweden joined NATO, while US support was stymied and delayed by internal politics. NATO clearly assumed its place as the bastion of Western freedom as the war continued into 2024.

Dilip Sarkar’s fifth volume examines September 1940 in the Battle of Britain, challenging myths with detailed research and firsthand accounts.In this unprecedented series exploring the big story of the Battle of Britain, renowned historian Dilip Sarkar investigates the wider context and intimate details of the epic aerial conflict in the summer of 1940 from all sides. In so doing, he gives due acknowledgement to the roles of Bomber and Coastal Commands in addition to the fabled Few of Fighter Command.This unique narrative draws upon a lifetime of research, the author having enjoyed a long relationship with survivors and the relatives of casualties; his innumerable interviews and first-hand accounts collated, in addition to privileged access to personal papers, providing essential human interest to this inspirational story.In this the fifth volume, Battle of Britain: Target London, Dilip continues to examine the fighting on a day-by-day, combat-by-combat basis from 7 September to 17 September 1940. It was on 7 September that the Luftwaffe changed tack, and instead of continuing its successful strikes on 11 Group and its airfields, switched its focus to the round-the-clock bombing of London. According to popular narrative, this move lost the Germans the Battle of Britain, providing Fighter Command an opportunity to recover. This, however, is not necessarily the opinion of certain German scholars — all of which is explored by the author.The events of 7 September also saw the 12 Group Duxford Wing go into action for the first time, the effects of which are analysed. This review confirms that the formation massively over claimed and was not, therefore, as successful as believed at the time by certain senior commanders and politicians. Likewise, the events of 15 September 1940, long accepted as ‘Battle of Britain Day’, are often stated to represent a great turning point in the aerial fighting of the summer of 1940 — but is this correct? Two days later, Hitler postponed Operation Sealion, the invasion of the United Kingdom, indefinitely. Could, therefore, this day be considered the date the Battle of Britain really ended?Through diligent research, combined with crucial official primary sources and personal papers, Dilip unravels many myths, often challenging the accepted narrative. This is not simply another dull record of combat losses and claims — far from it. Drawing upon unique first-hand accounts from a wide-range of combatants and eyewitnesses, along with Daily Home Intelligence Reports and numerous other primary sources, this book forms part of what is likely to be the first and last such comprehensively woven account of this epic air battle.

A spine-chilling exploration of premature burials, miraculous escapes, and humanity's deep fear of being buried alive throughout history.The macabre meets the factual in this spine-chilling exploration of humanity's darkest fear: being buried alive. From ancient folklore to modern medical marvels, Buried Alive delves deep into the annals of history, uncovering tales of premature interment and miraculous escapes.Imagine the horror of waking up in a coffin, surrounded by suffocating darkness, with no hope of escape. Drawing on historical records and eyewitness accounts, this book reveals the grim reality of those who were inadvertently entombed before their time. From cases of war, where whole battalions have been covered in earth whilst still living, to ritual and superstition, from voodoo to suttee in Haiti and India, as well as the immurement in walls or errant monks and convent sisters. Less-known cases of burials of the living, through murderous intentions and natural disasters are also told, alongside tales of fakirs and hypnotists whose challenges were to have themselves put into a grave and left for days.Amidst tales of terror, this book also celebrates the resilience and heroism of those who defied death's grasp, providing a wealth of historical detail and many cases which have never before appeared in print. From the invention of bell-rigged coffins to the formation of societies dedicated to preventing premature burials, discover the remarkable measures taken to combat this age-old fear.Through meticulous research and a gripping narrative, Buried Alive separates fact from fiction, shedding light on the truth behind centuries of taphophobia. This book is a haunting reminder of the fragility of life and the enduring power of human resilience in the face of our deepest fears.

Provides a detailed, strategic account of VC actions, complemented by maps, photographs, and biographies.In the past, while visiting the First World War battlefields, the author often wondered where the various Victoria Cross actions took place. He resolved to find out. In 1988, in the midst of his army career, research for this book commenced and over the years numerous sources have been consulted.Victoria Crosses on the Western Front — The Final Advance in Picardy is designed for the battlefield visitor as much as the armchair reader. A thorough account of each VC action is set within the wider strategic and tactical context. Detailed sketch maps show the area today, together with the battle-lines and movements of the combatants. It will allow visitors to stand upon the spot, or very close to, where each VC was won. Photographs of the battle sites richly illustrate the accounts. There is also a comprehensive biography for each recipient, covering every aspect of their lives warts and all parents and siblings, education, civilian employment, military career, wife and children, death and burial/commemoration. A host of other information, much of it published for the first time, reveals some fascinating characters, with numerous links to many famous people and events.

Examines the Kennedy presidency, Cold War tensions, and JFK's assassination's enduring legacy of intrigue.From the glamour of Kennedy's presidency to the enigma of Lee Oswald and the murky world of Jack Ruby, learn their motivations, and see the shadows that continue to linger over one of the most significant moments in modern history.Unraveling the threads of the Cold War and the Cuban conflict, this historical backdrop fuels the paranoid tension leading up to that fateful day in Dallas, and offers fresh perspectives on a pivotal period in American history.Explore the Kennedy legacy.In an era marked by skepticism towards powerful institutions, Kennedy's legacy compels us to question, analyze, and seek transparency. JFK's assassination emerges as a stark reminder of the consequences of unchecked power

Photographic account of Manfred von Richthofen's life, WWI aerial combat achievements, propaganda influence, and enduring historical legacy.It is more than a hundred years since the First World War fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen was killed in combat on the Western Front. By then, due to a strange twist of fate, his name was becoming as well known in Britain, France and the USA as it was in Germany.Following the outbreak of war in 1914, von Richthofen initially served as a calvary reconnaissance officer. Such a role was soon diminished by the stagnation of trench warfare, and so von Richthofen volunteered for aircrew duties. From June to August 1915 he flew as an observer over the Eastern Front, before transferring to the Western Front. From there he progressed to pilot training.Von Richthofen’s first confirmed victory occurred on 17 September 1916, by which time he had transferred from two-seater reconnaissance aircraft to single-seater fighters. After achieving his sixteenth ‘kill’, the up and coming fighter ace was awarded the Pour le Mérite in January 1917, this being highest military honour in Germany at the time and informally known as ‘The Blue Max’. That same month, he assumed command of Jasta 11, by which time a legend surrounding his name was becoming firmly established.His life and deeds as a fighter pilot were so convincingly sold by a highly polished and quite ruthless propaganda machine that it created an image of knightly virtue and courage that has fame has lasted to this day and, indeed, shows no sign of lessening. And yet this phenomenon owes much to the fact that he was a highly successful killer of Allied airmen in a war of extreme violence where gallantry, if practised at all, was rarely done so. Kill or be killed became their mantra for survival.Beginning in late 1916, when his lethal skills were first realised, his carefully nurtured image proved a godsend to a war weary nation soon to face defeat and ignominy. Far above the misery of life in the trenches was created a shooting star of unimaginable potency which was then exploited with little regard of the personal cost to this increasingly war weary young man.This unique photographic record not only charts his life in great detail, but also places it in a much wider historical context, so giving it greater meaning and potency. He didn’t live or fight his battles in a small exclusive bubble, but in the full glare of military and public scrutiny both of which, although essential to the German cause, allowed him no rest or privacy as he struggled to survive.The Red Baron’s life was one of great endeavour and sacrifice which broke down national and political barriers so allowing us to consider the achievements of an undoubted hero and the period in which he lived. This fresh photographic assessment of von Richthofen’s life and times offers us a rare view of all that made him famous and the events that surrounded his rise to fame.

Details the British Navy's efforts during the post-Great War period, facing challenges in the Near East, from the Russian Revolution to Turkish resurgence under Mustafa Kemal.The end of the Great War in the Near East began with the Turkish Armistice but was not complete until the final peace treaty in 1923. During that five-year period the British Navy dealt with the overspill from the Russian Revolution in the Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and Central Asia as well, and then in the Aegean Sea and the Straits confronting the resurgent Turkish forces under Mustafa Kemal.The British in India were very concerned about Bolshevik activities in Central Asia and had sent two battalions of Indian troops under a British general to attempt to cope with it. They were successful in battle against larger forces, but politically they were unable to reach any sort of settlement. They were withdrawn when an Afghan war broke out.A second expedition was sent early in 1918 from Iraq through Persia to gain control of the oil fields at Baku in Azerbaijan. The object here was to prevent the oil falling into German or Turkish hands. This was an expedition at the limit of military capabilities, but it did succeed in seizing Baku and preventing a German conquest. In the process ships in the Caspian Sea were captured and turned into a Caspian Sea flotilla to fight Russian Bolshevik advances.These adventures happened before the Turkish Armistice. Constantinople had been occupied, but holding it became increasingly difficult and required the use of considerable forces, mainly British. The other allies gradually faded away or adopted the Turkish side.The resurgence of Turkish power in Anatolia eventually led to a tense confrontation between British and Turkish forces at Chanak on the Dardanelles and a difficult negotiation between generals. The result was a truce, British withdrawal from all occupied areas, and the collapse of the Lloyd George government in Britain, which was prepared to indulge in another war over the issues.

An in-depth exploration of the Spitfire's combat legacy, pilot tactics, and its enduring iconic status.To many people the Supermarine Spitfire was Britain’s saviour during the Battle of Britain and the embodiment of air combat during the Second World War. The Story of the Spitfire presents a thrilling appraisal of this unique aircraft, focusing on its fighting capability and the tactics of the pilots who flew it. Using official evaluations and reports, alongside technical and tactical developments, plus the recollections of Spitfire pilots, Ken Delve provides a fascinating insight into the combat career of this legendary aircraft.Despite some problems with their new aircraft, the Fighter Command pilots of 1938 were generally delighted with the Spitfire — speed, manoeuvrability and firepower were all far greater than they had been with the earlier biplanes. In tactics and training the RAF was outdated, but it adapted quickly and the air battles over Britain in late 1940 forged the Spitfire legend. How justified was the legend? There were only nineteen Spitfire squadrons in Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain; it was only later, as the RAF turned to the offensive, that the number of Spitfire units increased dramatically.At certain times the combat initiative was lost to improved Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, but with increased performance and better training, the Spitfire clawed back the advantage. By 1944 the Spitfire was operating as a fighter-bomber in various theatres of war, with new tactics and new problems. Many fighter pilots thought that having bombs strapped under the aircraft verged on an insult — but with aerial targets in short supply, this was the most effective, if risky, way of taking the war to the enemy.After the war the Spitfire saw action right up to 1948 in the Arab-Israeli War. Today there are approximately seventy airworthy Spitfires in existence and R.J. Mitchell’s remarkable aircraft is still the highlight of flying displays around the world.

Among all the branches of the Red Army during the Second World War, self-propelled artillery is probably the most overlooked and misinterpreted. Attention has focused on the tanks the Red Army deployed against the Germans on the Eastern Front, the T-34 in particular; the self-propelled guns, which played an increasingly important tactical role after the shocking defeats of 1941 and 1942, have been neglected. Alexey Tarasov, in this detailed, wide-ranging and very heavily illustrated history, describes how the Soviets rose to the challenge of creating a series of self-propelled guns in extraordinarily difficult wartime conditions, and he assesses, and illustrates, all the types they produced. Also he covers the organization, training, tactics and combat operations of the self-propelled artillery units.When the Germans invaded the Soviets lacked self-propelled artillery, believing that tanks and field guns would provide sufficient support for their infantry. But the effectiveness of the German assault guns persuaded them that they had to design similar armoured vehicles and rapidly they did so. As the author shows, by the end of the war, after an intense process of improvisation and development, they fielded self-propelled guns, in particular the SU-76, SU-122 and SU-152, which matched those of the Germans in terms of performance and heavily outnumbered them on the battlefield.Alexey Tarasov’s photographic history will be essential reading for anyone who has a special interest in Soviet armour and armoured warfare in general, and it will be a valuable source for modellers.

Pompey’s career in command began at a young age, taking control of his deceased father’s legions in support of Sulla during the civil war with Marius. A precocious and ambitious talent, he held repeated commands before he was the legal age. Sulla called him ‘the teenage butcher’. He served in the Sertorian War in Spain (recovering from an early defeat), helped crush Spartacus’ revolt then freed the Eastern Mediterranean from the depradations of Cilician pirates in a matter of weeks. He brought a victorious end to the long-running Third Mithridatic War and brought the whole of Asia Minor, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Judea under Roman influence by a mix of force and diplomacy. For good reason he was hailed even in his own lifetime as the ‘Roman Alexander’ and Lee Fratantuono gives these events the detailed coverage they deserve.All this came before the events for which he is usually remembered: his great civil war against Julius Caesar. There is detailed analysis of the opening moves in Italy, Pompey’s victory over Caesar at Dyrrhachium and the climactic battle at Pharsalus in September 48 BC. Pompey was defeated, fled ignominiously and was assassinated, leaving his two sons to carry on the war.