Contemporary illustrations are an important way of understanding and experiencing the past.
Our images of war series and other heavily illustrated titles are unique collections of photographs taken from wartime archives of official photographers or from soldiers who often illegally took a camera to war with them. These collections of photos are often seen for the first time through our titles and offer a unique perspective of the conflicts from which they originated.
"This is an excellent book for anyone interested in the LRDG, packed with rare photographs. The bulk of the book looks at the detail of clothing, vehicles, signals, supplies, weapons and the vital subject of navigation. It is only the last 3 chapters than cover Road Watch, Enemy Encounters and finally the Libyan Taxi service, another name for guiding other forces like the SAS to their objectives. The statement that the LRDG tried to avoid enemy action could be challenged by an earlier refence to their “hit and run” tactics and the fact that a typical raid would require 40,000 rounds of small arms ammunition! A must read for anyone interested in special forces."
Brian Smyth - York Model Engineers Newsletter
"This is an excellent book for anyone interested in the LRDG, packed with rare photographs. The bulk of the book looks at the detail of clothing, vehicles, signals, supplies, weapons and the vital subject of navigation. It is only the last 3 chapters than cover Road Watch, Enemy Encounters and finally the Libyan Taxi service, another name for guiding other forces like the SAS to their objectives. The statement that the LRDG tried to avoid enemy action could be challenged by an earlier refence to their “hit and run” tactics and the fact that a typical raid would require 40,000 rounds of small arms ammunition! A must read for anyone interested in special forces."
Brian Smyth - York Model Engineers Newsletter
"...a purchase of one or both (Victorian and Edwardian Locomotive Portraits, Northern England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland) may spur you buy other books to find out more about the subject..."
Steam World - February 2025
"...a purchase of one or both (Victorian and Edwardian Locomotive Portraits, Northern England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland) may spur you buy other books to find out more about the subject..."
Steam World - February 2025
"In short it is a good book and if you have a liking for railways as well as tramways, then this is worth adding to your collection."
Tramfare Magazine - Tramway and Light Railway Society - March-April 2025
"In short it is a good book and if you have a liking for railways as well as tramways, then this is worth adding to your collection."
Tramfare Magazine - Tramway and Light Railway Society - March-April 2025
From the laying of minefields to the early tactics of protecting merchant shipping from U-boats. The wide-ranging subjects that are covered and the vast amount of information in the many Appendices makes this book a valuable resource for both readers and researchers.
Another fascinating read from Mr Haarr.
Read the full review [link=https://historybookchat.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-gathering-storm.html]here[/link]
History Book Chat
From the laying of minefields to the early tactics of protecting merchant shipping from U-boats. The wide-ranging subjects that are covered and the vast amount of information in the many Appendices makes this book a valuable resource for both readers and researchers.
Another fascinating read from Mr Haarr.
Read the full review [link=https://historybookchat.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-gathering-storm.html]here[/link]
History Book Chat
GT3 The Unrealised Dream. The Story of Britain’s Last Gas Turbine Locomotive by Tim Hillier-Graves and published by Pen & Sword in 2025 is an admirable account of a railway enterprise which was "unrealised.” The author, with extensive research and engineering experience, recounts the story of a locomotive that should have succeeded but, alas, was shaped like a steam engine rather than a new and enterprising machine like an English Electric Deltic.
The book is very well designed and illustrated though, ironically, it is presented as one of Pen & Sword Locomotive Portfolios.
This book is a delight to read with many interesting drawings and photographs and I thoroughly commend it – and it makes you think too!
Rob Shorland-Ball - Author
GT3 The Unrealised Dream. The Story of Britain’s Last Gas Turbine Locomotive by Tim Hillier-Graves and published by Pen & Sword in 2025 is an admirable account of a railway enterprise which was "unrealised.” The author, with extensive research and engineering experience, recounts the story of a locomotive that should have succeeded but, alas, was shaped like a steam engine rather than a new and enterprising machine like an English Electric Deltic.
The book is very well designed and illustrated though, ironically, it is presented as one of Pen & Sword Locomotive Portfolios.
This book is a delight to read with many interesting drawings and photographs and I thoroughly commend it – and it makes you think too!
Rob Shorland-Ball - Author
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Hitler's Boy Soldiers
Founded in 1922, the Hitler Youth movement, or Hitlerjugend, was comprised of male youths aged 14 – 18 and, by December 1936, membership stood at over 5,000,000. During the Second World War its role evolved from assisting with the postal, train and fire services into full war fighting. Recruits went into units such as the elite 12th SS Panzer-Division… Read more...
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Luftwaffe Flak and Field Divisions 1939-1945
In true Images of War Series style, this authoritative book tells the unique story of Hitler’s Luftwaffe Flak and Field Divisions in words and rare images. From the outset of WW2, Go¨ ring’s Luftwaffe Flak units saw extensive fighting with their 2cm, 3.7cm and deadly 8.8cm anti-aircraft guns. By the time of the Nazis’ invasion of Russia, Luftwaffe… Read more...
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Armoured Warfare in the Italian Campaign 1943-1945
The Second World War campaigns in North Africa, on the Eastern Front and in northwest Europe were dominated by armoured warfare, but the battles in Italy were not. The mountainous topography of the Italian peninsula ensured that it was foremost an infantry war, so it could be said that tanks played a supporting role. Yet, as Anthony Tucker-Jones demonstrates,… Read more...
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Day Fighters in Defence of the Reich
Day Fighters in Defence of the Reich is a detailed, comprehensive daily reference to the air operations flown by the Luftwaffe. These operations were designed to combat the daylight strategic missions by the United States Army Air Force targeting the German Reich and the western zone occupied by Germany. This volume is a unique look at the German air… Read more...
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The Germans in Flanders 1914
THE GERMANS IN FLANDERS 1914, the latest of historian David Bilton's works in the popular Images of War series, follows the presence and campaigns of the Kaiser's Army in Flanders during the traumatic period from its arrival in August 1914 through to the end of the year. It covers the battles with the French, Belgians and British, concentrating primarily… Read more...
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Flying Legends of World War II
Fifty Allied Force’s WWII aircraft types are illustrated in previously unpublished black and white and unique colour photographs. Each type is described giving vital data on development history, combat record, famous pilots and significant air battles. Performance, range and weapon loads are also included. The unique colour photographs are from the… Read more...
On 10 July 2018, exactly 100 years and 100 days after the formation of the world’s first independent air force, 103 aircraft of twenty-four types from twenty-five squadrons flew over London in the largest formation of military aircraft seen over the capital of the UK in nearly thirty years. Involving over 250 aircrew and operating out of fourteen… Read more...
From the mountains of Italy to the beaches of Normandy, and from the deserts of North Africa to the ruined cities of Germany, experience the history of the Second World War in Western Europe from 1939-1945 in an entirely different way. Using unpublished letters and diaries, follow the journeys of some fifty Allied soldiers (American, British, French,… Read more...
The pilot cutters that operated around the coasts of northern Europe until the First World War were amongst the most seaworthy and beautiful craft of their size ever built, while the small number that have survived have inspired yacht designers, sailors and traditional craft enthusiasts over the last hundred years. Even in their day they possessed… Read more...
This is a fascinating and highly informative guidebook to the Capital which will be invaluable to those who wish to understand what Londoners went through during the Second World War. By means of five easily manageable walks, the reader is transported back to those dark days of devastating destruction. Using rich anecdotes and first-hand accounts the… Read more...
Lifeline in Helmand: RAF Front-Line Air Supply in Afghanistan
Lifeline in Helmand tells the story of the Royal Air Force tactical transport force operating in one of the most dangerous regions in the Afghanistan campaign – Helmand province. The Chinook helicopters of 1310 Flight fly heavy-lift and trooping missions to remote Forward Operating Bases and in direct support of Deliberate Ground Operations. They… Read more...
This magnificent book tells the story of the evolution of swords, how they were made, how they were used, and the people that used them. It doesn't claim to give comprehensive coverage but instead takes certain surviving examples as landmarks on a fascinating journey through the history of swords. Each is selected because it can be linked to a specific… Read more...