Georgian Britain, Imperial China and the Irishman Who Introduced Them
In 1793, George Macartney became Britain's first envoy to imperial China, and set off one of the greatest power shifts in history. The impasse that resulted from Macartney's refusal to agree to kowtow to the Emperor Qianlong causes great reverberations even today, and is still a source of tension between Beijing and the West.
1945: a mushroom cloud rises 20,000 feet into the sky. This is not from the bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki. It is the remains of the battleship 'Yamato'. Representing the ambition and determination of Imperial Japan, the loss of the 'Yamato' in a kamikaze operation in April 1945 has become a symbol of the downfall of the Imperial Japanese ......
Letters from the 1914 Ceasefire on the Western Front
The Christmas Truce of 1914 remains a moment of enduring fascination more than a century after the day the First World War guns fell silent. Now for the first time hundreds of eyewitness accounts of this most extraordinary date in history have been gathered together telling the story in their own words of the men who met in peace in No Man's Land.
What forces contrived to motivate the "Supermen" of the Third Reich? They would be carefully, relentlessly molded into that which the world famous German writer of the day, Thomas Mann, would describe as "machinists of death" motivated by a "terrible obedience." Here their story is told via the photos they took at home and on the battlefront.
Hindenburg, Ludendorff, and the Kaiser's Military Elite
This book is a heavily illustrated history of German Emperor Wilhelm II's First World War marshals and generals, with maps, photographs, graphics, and cartoons. All battles, campaigns, strategies, tactics, and weaponry are covered. With over 500 photographs this provides a comprehensive history of the Kaiser's senior commanders.
The first great British aero-engine manufacturer Sunbeam made a vital contribution to victory in the First World War. Fitted to the first aircraft to torpedo a ship, the only one to fly at Jutland, they saw service on 3 continents. Sunbeams powered the R.34 airship, the first to fly the Atlantic east to west, and land speed record-breaking cars.
Sir Walter Scott, Continental Travel and the Tradition of the Grand Tour
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) wrote frequently of his desire to travel widely in Europe. However, he actually made only three Continental ventures. Two were to Belgium, Northern France and Paris. Then, shortly before his death, he at last journeyed to the Mediterranean, the British Admiralty giving him free passage in a warship - a notable ......
The innovative Fi 156 was the progenitor of today's STOL aircraft. Operated in large by the German Luftwaffe, it also saw service with more than 20 other air arms. Post-war, the Fi 156 continued in production in Czechoslovakia and France. Many were used in French Indochina. Today, the Fi 156 is a highly valued vintage aircraft.
American Guided Bombs, Missiles and Drones 1917-1950
'Off Target' relates in detail the then "Secret" research, development, and combat employment of these early guided bombs, missiles, and drones from 1917 to 1948. Using formerly Secret/Confidential manuals, reports, microfilm print outs, and photos, author Wolf, gives the air war historian and enthusiast an in depth look at this unknown topic.