<div><B>From the naval battle of Guadalcanal to rescuing George Bush Sr. in the Pacific, here are the stories of US submariners in WWII.</B><BR />  <BR /><I>The Silent Service in World War II</I> tells the story of America&rsquo;s intrepid submarine warriors in the words of the men who served and fought in the Pacific against Japan. When Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, the enemy had already deployed naval forces, but the United States was soon able to match them. By 1943, new Gato-class submarines were making a difference, carrying the war not just to the Japanese Imperial Navy, but to the vital merchant fleet that transported essential resources to the island country.<BR />  <BR /> Starting with the American victory at Guadalcanal, US submarine forces began to constrict the Japanese sea lanes. Operating independently and in wolfpacks, they attacked convoys operating beyond the range of American airpower, making daring forays even into Japanese home waters. Taking on Japanese warships, as well as rescuing downed airmen&mdash;including the grateful first President Bush&mdash;US submarines made an enormous contribution to our war against Japan.<BR />  <BR /> Aside from enemy action, the sea itself could be an extremely hostile environment&mdash;as many of these stories attest. From early war patrols in obsolescent, unreliable S-boats to modern fleet submarines roving the Pacific, the forty-six stories in this anthology offer a full understanding of life as a US Navy submariner in combat.</div>

The Silent Service in World War II

<div><P><B>This pictorial history presents an in-depth study of the various tanks built and deployed by the Axis Alliance during WWII.</B></P> Though Nazi Panzer tanks have become a ubiquitous symbol of Axis Alliance combat, the Japanese Army had more tanks than Germany in 1938. These included the Type 95 light tank and the Type 89 and 97 medium tanks. Other Axis powers, including Italy, Romania and Hungary also built their own tanks. The latter was responsible for the Toldi and Turan light tank series.<BR /><BR /> In this informative collection of wartime photographs, military expert Michael Green discusses how the Axis powers drew on British and French tank designs in the period leading up to the Second World War. The Carden-Loyd tankette suspension was used as a model for the Panzer 1 series as well as the light Italian and Japanese tanks. German engineering talent then produced the ingenious designs of the Panzer II, III and IV series and, later in the War, the Panther Medium and Tiger heavy tanks.</div>

Axis Tanks of the Second World War

<div>Expert author Michael Green has compiled a full inventory of the tanks developed and deployed by the Allied armies during the six year war against Nazi Germany and her Axis partners.There were four categories of tank: Light, Medium, Heavy and Super Heavy. Combat experience proved Light tanks (such as the Stuart and T-26) to be ineffective.  Medium tanks (the US M4 series, named Sherman by the British, and Russian T-34) soon dominated with their fire power, protection and mobility.The later stages of the War required the Allies to answer the Axis Panther and Tiger tanks with up-gunned and up-armoured second generation M4s, T-34-85s and the Sherman Firefly.  Totally new heavy tanks such as the M-26, Pershing, Soviet KV-1 series and the British Centurion only saw action in the final months.Allied Tanks of the Second World War covers all these categories in detail as well as the few super heavy tanks such as the French Char 2C and the TOG.  For an informed and highly illustrated work this book has no comparable rival.</div>

Allied Tanks of the Second World War

<div>Expert author Michael Green has compiled a full inventory of the armored fighting vehicles developed and deployed by the Allied armies during the six year war against Nazi Germany and her Axis partners.Tank destroyers included the US Army's M18 Hellcat and M36 Jackson, the British Archer and Achilles and the Soviets SU-85, SU-100 and SU-122.Self-propelled artillery vehicles provide indirect fire support. Examples of these were the British Bishop and Sexton, the US M7 Army Priest and The Red Armys SU-152 Beast Slayer.For reconnaissance the Allies fielded armored cars and scout cars such as the Daimler Dingo, the US M8 Greyhound and T17 Staghound, and the Russian BA-10, –20 and -64.AFVs such as the British full tracked Universal Carrier and US M3 halftracks were fitted with a range of weapon systems, such as mortars or machine guns.All these and many more AFVs are expertly described in words and captioned images in this comprehensive work which is the companion volume to the authors Allied Tanks of the Second World War.</div>

Allied Armoured Fighting Vehicles of the Second World War

<div>During the Second World War the Axis powers, most prolifically the Germans, deployed a vast array of armored fighting vehicles to support their tanks and infantry. These included tank destroyers, reconnaissance vehicles, flame-thrower vehicles, and self-propelled artillery pieces.  Armored tank destroyers, such as the Marder series, the Nashorn, Jagdpanther, Jagdtiger and the turretless German Stu III series (based on the Panzer III medium tank), helped the Nazis overcome their shortage of tanks. Copying the Stu III series the Italians created the turretless Semovente da 75/18 assault gun and the Hungarians the turretless Zrinyi.  In the role of self-propelled artillery the German fielded the Hummel, the Wespe and the Grille while the Brummbar and the Sturmtiger performed in the dedicated assault gun role.  For armored reconnaissance German industry came up with a series of capable armored cars; examples were the eight-wheel Puma and the full-tracked Luchs reconnaissance tank. The Italians developed the impressive four-wheel Autoblinda armored cars. Specialized antiaircraft tanks such the Mobelwagen, Wirbelwind and the Ostwind gave some protection against the ever more powerful Allied air forces. This fine book covers all these variants and many more besides in words and rare images and will delight readers, collectors, model-makers and war-gamers.</div>

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Axis Armoured Fighting Vehicles of the Second World War

<div><P><B>This pictorial history of US battleships illustrates the power, versatility, and many combat operations of this naval stalwart across the 20th century.</B></P> Between 1895 and 1944, the US Navy commissioned some 60 steel-clad battleships; from the USS<I> Indiana</I> (BB-1) to the USS <I>Missouri</I> (BB-63). After an impressive showing in the Spanish-American War and the Great White Fleet&#39;s circumnavigation of the world, US battleships played only a minor role in the First World War. They came into their own in World War II, bombarding enemy-held coastal regions, facing off against their Japanese counterparts, and providing essential protection of aircraft carriers. Their armor, at nearly a foot and a half thick, saved many lives in the face of suicidal kamikaze pilots.<BR /><BR /> After World War II, battleships were relegated to war reserve status, but their conversion to platforms for cruise missiles gave them a vital new role. The last US battleship retired in 1992, having served in Korean, Vietnam, and Iraq. Combining rare wartime photographs and authoritative text by military expert Michael Green, <I>Battleships of the United States Navy </I>gives the expert and layman a detailed overview of one of the greatest weapon systems in military history.</div>

Battleships of the United States Navy

<div>The routing of the British and French Armies in May and June 1940 by the Wehrmachts armored divisions caused a major rethink by the US Armys senior leadership. The result was the formation of the two armored divisions in July 1940; the first named Old Ironside and second designated Hell on Wheels.In 1941, a further three armored divisions were created; the third (Spearhead), the fourth (remained unnamed) and the fifth called Victory. The following year seven more were created, the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth. The final two armored divisions formed in 1943 numbered the sixteenth and twentieth. All but one of these powerful formations went on to see service in the European Theatre of Operation (ETO); the exception being the 1st armored Division that served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.These fourteen divisions proved their effectiveness against the Axis forces. In this carefully researched book military historian and much published author Michael Green explains their operational and fighting doctrine. Equipment enthusiasts will appreciate the lavish images and informed captions of the armored fighting vehicles and other equipment employed.</div>

United States Army Armored Divisions of the Second World War

<div>The helicopter came on the scene too late to play other than a minor role in the Second World War but by the Korean conflict the Bell H-13 Sioux, OH-23 Raven, and Sikorsky H–19 Chickasaw were in service.It was in Vietnam that the US military helicopters really came into their own and the best known were the Bell UH-1 Iriquois (known as the Huey), the Boeing CH-47 Chinook, and the massive CH-37 Mojave.  The USAF combat search and rescue Jolly Green Giant was indispensable.Attack helicopters have evolved from the early Huey Cobra or Snake and the Boeing AH-64 Apache in the late 80s to when the Sikorsky UH-60 series became the military general purpose chopper.All these formidable aircraft and many more are covered in detail in this superbly illustrated and comprehensive book.</div>

United States Military Helicopters

<div>From humble beginnings in 1911 with floatplanes, by the 1930s, the US Navy possessed dirigibles and were introducing fighter planes.  By the start of WW2, monoplane fighters were replacing bi-planes and a major aircraft carrier build was underway.Fighters such as the Grumman FLF Hellcat and Vought F4U Corsair were joined by carrier attack aircraft such as the Dauntless, Devastator and Helldriver.  As well as carrier-borne aircraft, others operated from shorebases using both wheels and floats.Post WW2, jet aircraft took over from prop driven, and famous early examples were the Shooting Star and McDonnell Phantom, which saw action in Korea.  By Vietnam the F4 Phantom II, Skyhawk and Intruder were in service.  As well as these fighter attack aircraft were the Lockheed Viking, anti-sub and nuclear capable Douglas Skywarrior.Post Vietnam the F14 Tomcat and Hornet came into service along with the Prowler (Electronic warfare) and Hawkeye (early warning).These aircraft were complemented by a range of helicopters from the massive Super Stallion, through Sea Kings, Seasprites and Seahawks.Today the Super Hornets predominates along with an impressive multi-capable range of aircraft and helicopters.All these and more are described in expert detail and illustrated in this fine book.  Future projects are also covered.</div>

United States Naval Aviation, 1911–2014

<div>During the arduous campaigns in theatres of war from the Pacific to North West Europe, American infantry weapons played a key role in the eventual victory over the Axis forces.  In so doing they earned a special reputation for ruggedness and reliability.  In addition to being used by US ground forces they were widely adopted by other Allied nations.Expert author Michael Green puts the full range of small arms, be they rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, pistols, machine guns as well as mortars, anti-tank weapons and close infantry support artillery under the microscope.Many names such as the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) and the incomparable semi-automatic Garand will be well known whereas others (the Johnson Rifle and Reising SMG) are not.  The typically informative text completes the wide range of photographic images.</div>

United States Infantry Weapons of the Second World War

<div><P><B>This WWII pictorial history of Russia&rsquo;s tanks and armored fighting vehicles provides a vivid look at the Eastern Front through rare wartime photographs.</B></P><P>When Hitler&rsquo;s armies advanced into Russia, it was Stalin&rsquo;s tanks and armored fighting vehicles that finally pushed them back from the outskirts of Moscow. At the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943, the Soviet tanks and AFVs proved their effectiveness by defeating the cream of the Panzertruppen. From that point on, the tanks and armored fighting vehicles of the Red Army continued their offensive operations until they victoriously entered Berlin in April and May of 1945.</P> In this fascinating pictorial history, military expert Michael Green provides historical images of the full range of Russian armor as well as exterior and interior color photos of preserved and restored tanks and AFVs from the period. This latest book in the Images of War series brings to life the Red Army&rsquo;s efforts to repel Hitler&#39;s Panzer Armies.</div>

Russian Armour in the Second World War

<div>The United States Marine Corps played a leading role in the war against Japan from Pearl Harbor in December 1941 until VJ Day on September 2, 1945. Living up to its motto the "First to Fight," the 1st Marine Division landed on the Japanese-occupied island of Guadalcanal in the south Pacific on August 7, 1942 and fought its way up the central Solomon Island to Cape Gloucester in the territory of New Guinea.In October 1942, the Marine Corps captured Tarawa Atoll and so began their advance across the central Pacific, fighting many famous and bloody battles such as Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Iwo Jima, and finally the 82-day epic struggle for Okinawa. These victories came at high cost, with 19,737 Marine killed and 67,207 wounded.This classic Images of War title presents a graphic overview of the Corps' legendary campaign in text and contemporary images. The author expertly describes the full range of Marine Corps weaponry and explains their organization, tactics, and fighting doctrine.</div>

US Marine Corps in the Second World War

<div><B>“A solid quick reference on the evolution of American wheeled AFVs, and provides excellent visual information for the enthusiast [and] researcher.” —<I>War Wheels</I></B><br/><br/>Numerous wheeled armoured fighting vehicles have seen service in the US armed forces on and off for over eighty years. There have been various changes of policy and twice, after the Second World War and Vietnam, they went out of favour but their use is now well established. <br/><br/>This well researched and superbly illustrated book describes all the different types and variants since the first M1 was ordered in 1931. The M8 armoured car was widely used during World War Two but it was not until Vietnam that further wheeled AFVs came into service, notably the M706 armoured car. After a lull the US Marine Corps adopted the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) in 1983. The US Army first used armoured Humvees in 1994 and variants remain in service (M1141 and M1116). Other types today include the Guardian (M1117) and the Army version of the LAV names the Stryker. To meet the operational requirements of Iraq and Afghanistan the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle (MRAP) was ordered in bulk from 2007.<br/><br/>A must have for the military history buff, this volume contains rare photographs from wartime archives.<br/><br/>“Modellers will appreciate the clarity of the images for details like armour and stowage.” —<I>FineScale Modeler</I></div>

American Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles

<div><P><B>This pictorial history of the legendary M1 Abrams Tank illustrates its versatility and advancement from the Cold War Era to the present day.</B></P> The M1 Abrams has proved itself to be the finest main battle tank in the world since its introduction into US Army service in 1981. It combines the ultimate balance between firepower, mobility and protection as demonstrated by its superior performance during the two Gulf Wars and in Afghanistan. It routed the Soviet equipment of Saddam Hussein&#39;s army and today remains the yardstick by which friends&#39; and foes&#39; MBTs are judged.<BR /><BR /> As military expert Michael Green demonstrates in this illustrated history, the M1&rsquo;s versatility, and its continual modernization of weaponry armor and engineering, guarantees that it will remain the US Army&#39;s spearpoint for years to come. With its comprehensive collection of images and authoritative text, this volume is an ideal resource for information on M1 Abrams Tank design and combat operations.</div>

M1 Abrams Tank

<div><P><B>This pictorial history of the Indochina and Vietnam Wars captures the range of armored warfare used in the region through rare wartime photographs.</B></P> The two conflicts that engulfed Indochina and Vietnam in the decades after World War II are generally thought of as infantry wars. But in fact, they both involved a significant amount of armored warfare. In this fully illustrated volume, military expert and Vietnam veteran Michael Green describes the many kinds of armored vehicles deployed and their contributions in combat.<BR /><BR /> The ill-fated French Expeditionary Force of the Indochina War was largely equipped with World War II era American tanks&mdash;including M3 and M5 Stuart, M4 Sherman and M24 light tanks&mdash;as well as armored cars and half-tracks. Most of these eventually went to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, but were outdated and ineffective due to lack of logistics and training.<BR /><BR /> The US Army and Marine Corps build-up in the 1960s saw vast quantities of M48 Pattons, M113 APCs and many specialist variants and improvised armored vehicles arrive in the theatre. The Australians also brought their British Centurion tanks. But it was the Russians, Chinese and North Vietnamese who won the day and their T-38-85 tanks, ZSU anti-aircraft platforms.</div>

Armoured Warfare in the Vietnam War

<div>When the United States Army Signal Corps created the Aeronautical Division in August1907, it had a mission to take charge of all matters pertaining to military ballooning,air machines, and all kindred matters. That small inconsequential portion of the USArmy would grow progressively over the many decades to become a separate service named the USAir Force in 1947 following the Second World War. Overnight, it became the worlds most powerfulmilitary establishment, able to deliver conventional and nuclear ordnance anywhere around theglobe.Todays cutting-edge example of this power-projection is the supersonic, bat-winged B-2 Spiritstealth bomber, which can fly at an altitude of 50,000 feet, and is built of carbon-graphite compositematerials. The B-2 Spirit is a far cry from the early days of the service when it relied on fragile prop-drivenwood and fabric aerial platforms, such as the Wright Type B, which could barely reach analtitude of 100 feet.In between have been such iconic Second World War aircraft as the P-51 Mustang and P-47Thunderbolt fighters and bombers such as the B-25 Mitchell, B-17 Flying Fortress and B-29 SuperFortress which dropped the first A-Bomb in 1945. The Cold War demanded ever more powerfulaircraft, such as the B-58 Hustler and B-52 Stratofortress, and fighters including the F-86 Sabre, F-104Starfighter and F-4 Phantom. All these aircraft and more are vividly illustrated and described in detailin this superb Images of War publication.</div>

Combat Aircraft of the United States Air Force

<div><B>The military historian and tank expert examines the evolution of the Patton tank through archival photographs across four decades of armored warfare.</B><BR /><BR /> In the early Cold War years, a tank more powerful than the Sherman or Pershing was needed. The first Patton tanks&mdash;the M46s&mdash;were converted Pershings which saw service in Korea. The M47, with a more effective 90mm gun and turret, was then developed to counter the Soviet military threat. Later, the diesel-powered M48A3 was used by the US Marine Corps and US Army in South Vietnam.<BR /><BR /> Further Patton models emerged in the coming decades, including the diesel-powered M60 series with its British-designed 105mm gun. Pattons were also made into specialist vehicles, including anti-aircraft, flame throwers, recovery and combat engineer vehicles. Other countries, notably Israel, made their own modifications to their M48s as well. In this volume full of superbly detailed wartime photographs, American tank expert Michael Green discusses all of these variations and their uses in combat zones around the world.</div>

The Patton Tank

<div><B>This pictorial history of US aircraft carriers illustrates the many classes and types of carriers used by the navy from before WWII to the present day.</B><BR />  <BR /> In 1922 the US Navy commissioned its first small experimental aircraft carrier. This was followed into service by two much larger carriers in 1927 with five more being built&mdash; including three large Yorktown class&mdash;prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Then, to take the offensive against the Japanese Navy, the American Congress funded by far the largest carrier-building program in history.<BR /><BR /> Since 1975, when the first of a fleet of ten nuclear-powered Nimitz class carriers was commissioned, The United States Navy&rsquo;s fleet of carriers has optimized its superpower status and worldwide power projection. Yet these are due to be replaced in the decades to come with the even more sophisticated nuclear-powered Gerald R. Ford class.<BR /><BR /> Compiled and written by Michael Green, <I>Aircraft Carriers of the United States Navy</I> contains superb images of all the different types of classes of carriers employed by the US Navy since 1922. These and its highly informative text and captions give the reader a broad overview of this fascinating subject.</div>

Aircraft Carriers of the United States Navy

<div><B>This expert study of the U.S. military&rsquo;s armored vehicles deployed during the Cold War features rare photographs from the wartime archives.</B><BR />  <BR /> To counter the Soviet threat and that of their client States during the Cold War years 1949-1991, the American military deployed an impressive range of main battle tanks and armored fighting vehicles. Expert author Michael Green presents a detailed study of these vehicles and their variants in this informative volume of stunning wartime photographs.<BR />  <BR /> The Patton series of medium main battle tanks&mdash;including the M46, M47 and M48&mdash;supplemented by the M103s Heavy Tank initially formed the core of the US tank fleet. In 1960 the M60 MBT entered service and, in turn, was replaced by the M1 Abrams in 1980. In support were armored reconnaissance vehicles, progressively the M41 bull dog (1951); the M114 (1961), the M551 Sheridan (1967) and M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (1981). The armored personnel carrier range included the ubiquitous M113 and its replacement the M2 Bradley, cousin of the M3.<BR />  <BR /> All of these vehicles are covered in this highly detailed volume in the Images of War series.</div>

US Cold War Tanks and Armoured Fighting Vehicles

<div><B>A &ldquo;brilliant history of the USA&rsquo;s underwater exploits,&rdquo; filled with photos (<I>Books Monthly</I>).</B><BR />  <BR /> In 1900, the US Navy took its first submarine, the <I>Holland VI</I>, into service. With a single torpedo tube, it had a crew of six, weighed eighty-two tons, and traveled submerged at 6.2mph at a depth of up to seventy-five feet.<BR />  <BR /> Contrast this to the 18 Ohio Class nuclear-powered submarines that entered service in 1981. Weighing 21,000 tons with a crew of 155, its underwater speed is estimated at thirty mph at a depth of some one thousand feet. It carries sixteen nuclear warhead ballistic missiles with a range of 4,600 miles.<BR />  <BR /> This photographic history in the Images of War series provides detailed insight into the many US Navy submarine classes. Particularly fascinating is the post Second World War program of nuclear powered submarines stating with the <I>Nautilus</I> and progressing to the <I>Skate</I>, <I>Thresher</I>, <I>Sturgeon</I>, <I>Los Angeles</I>, and <I>George Washington</I>. Admiral Hyman G Rickover&rsquo;s role as father of the nuclear navy is also examined in detail.</div>

United States Navy Submarines 1900–2019

<div><B>A pictorial history “jam packed full of excellent visual and textual history of US Marine Corps operations in the Vietnam War”</B> (<B><I>AMPS</I>).</B><br/><br/>With the American-supported South Vietnamese government verging on collapse in early 1965, President Lyndon Johnson decided to commit conventional ground forces in the form of a United States Marine Corps brigade of approximately 3,000 men on March 8, 1965. So began a massive and costly ten-year commitment. <br/><br/>At its height in 1968, the USMC had 86,000 men in South Vietnam. Almost a half million Marines would eventually rotate in out of South Vietnam during their typical one-year tours of duty. In the end, the fighting during well-known battles at Con Tien, Chu Lai, Hue, Khe Sanh, and Dong Ha—and thousands of now forgotten smaller-scale engagements—would cost the USMC 13,070 killed in action and 88,630 wounded, more casualties than they suffered during the Second World War. <br/><br/>In this book, well-known military historian Michael Green, using hundreds of dramatic images, tells the gallant story of the Marines’ contribution to an unwinnable war; the battles; their equipment, from rifles to helicopters and jets; and the strategy adopted by the Corps.</div>

United States Marine Corps in Vietnam

<div><B>This pictorial history covers the US Marine Corps’ outstanding contribution, organization, tactics, fighting doctrine and weaponry during the Korean War.</B><br/><br/>On June 25, 1950, the North Korean Army invaded South Korea. Among the US forces sent to South Korea was the 1st Marine Division. In September 1950, the Division audaciously landed deep behind enemy lines at Inchon port, throwing the North Korea Army into disarray.<br/><br/>In November 1950, the Chinese Army invaded North Korea with eight divisions tasked with the destruction of the 1st Marine Division at the Chosin Reservoir. The Marines made a 78-mile fighting withdrawal in arctic conditions before being evacuated by the US Navy.<br/><br/>In February 1951, the 1st Marine Division returned to combat assisting Eighth (US) Army to repulse five Chinese Army offensives over four months. By November 1951, the large-scale operations by the opposing sides had ended, replaced by a stalemate which lasted until the 27 July, 1953 armistice. With rare wartime images, this volume vividly chronicles the bitter three-year conflict.</div>

The United States Marine Corps in the Korean War

<div><B>This pictorial history examines the key role played by US Navy destroyers from the turn of the twentieth century through the Cold War and beyond.</B><br/><br/>The first sixteen United States Navy destroyers were ordered in 1898. Prior to America’s entry into the First World War, another sixty-three destroyers were commissioned and, due to the U-boat threat, 267 more were authorized by Congress once hostilities were joined.<br/><br/>Between 1932 and Pearl Harbor ten new classes totaling 169 destroyers came into service. During the Second World War, American shipyards turned out a further 334 vessels. Of the three classes, the 175 Fletcher-class were judged the most successful.<br/><br/>The Cold War years saw the development of seven more classes, while more recent additions include eighty-two of the stealth-shaped Arleigh Burke class. In this comprehensive account, author and military expert Michael Green combines a superb collection of historical images with an authoritative text.</div>

United States Navy Destroyers

<div><B>An extensively illustrated history covering the artillery weaponry of the United States military from the eighteenth to the twenty-first century.</B><br/><br/>The first regiment of artillery in the American Continental Army was formed in 1775. During the American Civil War almost a century later, artillery evolved from the employment of individual batteries to massed fire of grouped batteries.<br/><br/>In 1907, the US Army Artillery Corps was reorganized into the Field Artillery and the Coast Artillery Corps. During the First World War, a lack of American-made weapons saw the adoption of foreign artillery pieces. The Second World War demanded the introduction of many new field artillery pieces by the US Army. General Patton later commented, “I don’t have to tell you who won the war, you know our artillery did.”<br/><br/>American artillery firepower also took a heavy toll of the enemy during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. During the Cold War American artillery continued to develop, as the military embraced new weapons systems including tactical nuclear missiles, which thankfully never had to be used. Conventional artillery continued to prove highly effective in the country’s twenty-first century wars. This superbly illustrated and authoritative work covers the full range of artillery weaponry that has been in service with US armed forces.<br/><br/>“Full of technical details on cannon, rocket and missile launchers, munitions, and fire-direction equipment. There is also considerable information on how new ordnance was developed and adopted into service over time.” —<I>Military Heritage Magazine</I></div>

American Artillery

<div>This comprehensive and superbly illustrated book describes in authoritative detail the characteristics and contribution to victory of these formidable American fighting vehicles.<BR /><BR />Only after the Nazis invaded Poland and France did the United States Government authorize mass production of tanks. By the end of the War American industry had built nearly 90,000 tanks, more than Germany and Great Britain combined.  The first big order in May 1940 was for 365 M2A4 light tanks, the initial iteration of the Stuart series, with almost 24,000 constructed. The Stuart series was supplemented by almost 5,000 units of the M24 Chaffee light tank. There was also the failed M22 Locust light tank intended for airborne operations.  The M4 series of medium tanks, best known as the Sherman, were the most numerous with some 50,000 in service with not only the American military but British and other Allied armies. It was not until later in the war that the M26 Pershing heavy tank was built.  Initially the US Army doctrine saw tanks as primarily for the exploitation role. Later the concept of tank destroyers evolved to counter large scale German armored offensives. These defensive AFVs included the half-track-based 75mm Gun Motor Carriage M3 and the full-tracked M10, M18, and M36.  This comprehensive and superbly illustrated book describes in authoritative detail the characteristics and contribution to victory of these formidable fighting vehicles.</div>

United States Tanks and Tank Destroyers of the Second World War

<div><B>This military history chronicles nearly a century of armored combat through firsthand accounts of soldiers from WWI to Iraq.</B><br/><br/>Starting with the century’s first tanks as they entered no-man’s-land during World War I, <I>War Stories of the Tankers</I> continues through a century of military conflict, all the way to Operation Desert Storm. Here are the stories of green American tankers taking on massive and well-armored German Tigers and fighting through a screaming sea of Red Chinese soldiers in Korea. And here also are the personal tales of American tankers defending Western Europe from the threat of Soviet tanks during the Cold War.<br/><br/>From the American soldiers who pitted their tanks against the Viet Cong in the jungles of Southeast Asia to those who put their lives on the line in the streets of Baghdad, these are the heroes of our time, taking that rare moment to tell us what it is like to face the enemy in tank warfare.</div>

War Stories of the Tankers

<div><P>D-Day, June 6, 1944:  it was the biggest amphibious operation in history.  German Field Marshal Rommel, declared, “the enemy must be annihilated before he reaches our main battlefield,” the Allied Forces undertook a massive invasion of the German-occupied coast of Normandy, France.  First, there was the aerial onslaught by British and American airborne divisions, then the landing of the American, British, and Canadian seaborne troops.  Over 150,000 Allied troops took the fight to the enemy, their incursion paving the way to their ultimate victory over Nazi tyranny.  This book tells the story of those who lived and fought through this historic conflict.  In first-person accounts of the Normandy landings, soldiers recreate the harrowing, world-changing drama of taking the beaches of France, dropping from the sky, wading out of landing craft, fighting to survive and, in the process, keeping alight the hopes of humanity.</P></div>

War Stories of D-Day

<div><B>“Told by those who lived during . . . Hitler’s last gasp attack in the West . . . a riveting book for anybody with an interest in the Second World War.” —<I>CurledUp</I></B><br/><br/>The powerful German counteroffensive operation codenamed “Wacht am Rhein” (Watch on the Rhine) launched against the American First Army in the early morning hours of December 16, 1944, would result in the greatest single extended land battle of World War II. To most Americans, the fierce series of battles fought in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium and Luxembourg that winter is better known as the Battle of the Bulge. Here are the first-person stories of the American soldiers who repelled the powerful German onslaught that had threatened to turn the tide of battle in Western Europe during World War II.</div>

War Stories of the Battle of the Bulge

<div>Led by the USA with Western European partners, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in 1949 to counter the Soviet threat. In response the Soviet Union assembled and dominated the Warsaw Pact in 1954. The mainstay of both alliances’ groundforces were their main battle tanks (MBTs).  Initially both sides relied on Second World War MBTs; in NATO’s case the Sherman medium tank and its successor the M26 Pershing together with the British Centurion and the heavy Conqueror.  The Soviets originally fielded the T-34-85 medium tank and the IS-2 and IS-3 heavy tank replaced by the T-10. Next came the T-54 followed by the T-55 and 155mm armed T-63 (1965). The final WP Cold War MBTs were the T-64, T-72 and T-80 all with 122mm main armament.  By contrast, NATO nations increasingly deployed a range of MBTs; the widely used American Patton series (M46 through M48), British Chieftain (1963) and Challenger (1982), French AMX-13 (1950) and AMX-30. From 1963 the Bundeswehr was equipped with the homegrown Leopard 1 and 2. The US M60 series and M1 Abrams came into service from 1980.  These and more MBTs and variants are covered in expert detail in this superbly illustrated book.</div>

NATO and Warsaw Pact Tanks of the Cold War

<div>Patton was champing at the bit to lead the D-Day invasion, but Eisenhower placed him in command of a decoy unit, the First U.S. Army Group. Nearly seven weeks after D-Day, Patton finally got his chance to take Third Army into battle. He began a ten-month rampage across France, driving through Germany and into Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia and Austria. Along the way Third Army forces entered the Battle of the Bulge, breaking the siege of Bastogne. It was a turning point in the war, and afterward the Third Army pushed eastward again.    Patton’s Third Army in World War II covers Patton’s command of Third Army with a focus on the armor. It was a new style of fighting, avoiding entrenched infantry warfare by continuously pushing forward, and it appealed to Patton’s hard-charging personality. Archival photos along with frequent quotes complete the portrait of Patton as well as his men as they fight their way across the Third Reich.</div>

Patton's Third Army in World War II

<div>"I love the infantry," famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle said, "because they are the underdogs. They are the mud-rain-frost-and-wind boys. They have no comforts, and they even learn to live without the necessities. And in the end they are the guys that wars can't be won without."This book tells the stories of these soldiers. From the muddy trenches of France in World War I to the arid landscape of Iraq, War Stories of the Infantry immerses the reader in the immediate drama of combat as American infantrymen, Army and Marine Corps, have experienced it. In its pages, infantrymen tell of their struggles with the enemy, the terrain, and the weather, as well as their own fears and doubts in battle. In the humid heat of a faraway jungle, in the bone-chilling cold of a Korean mountaintop, we endure what they endure, see what they see--as they rout the enemy, open their eyes in a field hospital, or suffer the indignities of a POW camp. These are the stories of the largely unsung heroes who do the lion’s share of fighting and dying for their country while protecting the freedoms and liberties that many of us take for granted.</div>

War Stories of the Infantry

<div>While the Red Army’s arsenal at the start of the Second World War included weapons dating back to the Great War or earlier, the 1930s’ modernization program had introduced the automatic Tokarev pistol and self-loading Tokarev rifle.  Its small arms were soon replaced by mass-produced sub-machine guns, such as the PPSh 1941, nicknamed the ‘PePeSha,’. Supplementing the submachine guns, the Degtyarev Light Machine Gun DP-27. Fitted with a circular pan magazine, it received the not-unsurprising nickname ‘Record Player.’  New mortars and towed artillery pieces, ranging from 76mm to 203mm, entered service in the pre-war years. In addition to a wide range of towed, self-propelled and anti-tank guns, the Soviets fielded the Katyusha rocket launchers in 1941, nicknamed the ‘Stalin’s organ’ by the Germans.  The 1930s saw the introduction of the BT light tank series. The iconic T-34 medium tank series came into service in late 1940, joined by the IS-2 heavy tank from early 1944, the prefix letters ‘IS’ translates to Joseph Stalin. These formidable AFVs led the Red Army to victory in May 1945 over Nazi Germany.  All these weapons and more are covered with numerous images in this authoritative overview of the subject.</div>

Red Army Weapons of the Second World War

<div>"...a praiseworthy examination of the evolution of the Soviet air force throughout the Cold War." — Journal of Military History<BR /><BR />At the peak of the Cold War in the 1950s the Soviet Union possessed some 12,000 aircraft, making it the largest air force of all the protagonists. By the 1990s this had declined to around 8,000, the reduction largely reflecting the increase in aircraft capability.  As well as fighters and bombers, the Soviet inventory included trainers, transports, seaplanes, electronic warfare and ground attack aircraft, as well as an impressive helicopter fleet, notably the Mi-24 ‘Hind’ gunship and the massive Homer transport.  The Tu-4 ‘Bull’ was the first Russian nuclear-capable bomber, a copy of the US B-29, which was followed by their range of jet bombers, the Il-28 ‘Beagle’, Tu-16 ‘Badger’ and M-4 ‘Bison’. The prop driven Tu-20 ‘Bear’ and its successors including the Tu-22 ‘Backfire’ and finally the Tu-160 ‘Backfire’, were all formidable.  The jet-engined MiG-15 fighter entered service in 1948 and proved itself during the Korean War. The MiG-17, MiG-19 and MiG-21 followed . Ground-attack aircraft included the Su-7 ‘Fitter’ and M-23 ‘Flogger’. The 1970s saw the MiG-25 ‘Foxbat’ interceptor, followed by the MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’ and Su-27 ‘Flanker’, coming into service.  All these aircraft and many more are authoritatively described and vividly illustrated in this comprehensive work.</div>

Michael Green
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Books By Michael Green (33 Books)