<div>The end of the beginning… An epic conflict<P>North Africa was a turning point for the British in the Second World War: a harsh landscape of sand and enemy tanks, but ultimately a place of victory, that Churchill famously called ‘the end of the beginning.’</P><P>When General Montgomery became commander of the Allied Eighth Army in 1942, he found the troops dispirited after a series of defeats by his nemesis, General Rommel. However, under Monty’s inspired leadership the army turned their fortunes around, going on to win seven battles and driving the enemy out of North Africa.</P><P>However, little credit has been attributed to the Eighth Army for its victories, and even the legendary Battle of El Alamein has been consistently underrated. This highly informed and gripping account brings to light how the troops, and their leaders, won these decisive battles, and helped to win the war.</P><P><B>Lucid and accessible, this masterly account is vital reading for all enthusiasts of military history. Perfect for readers of Jonathan Dimbleby and Max Hastings. </B></P><P></P></div>

Victory in the Desert

<div>The author begins this fascinating book by tracing aircraft carrier development between the Wars.  Eschewed by the Germans and Italians and with Britain squandering her early lead, the Americans and Japanese became front-runners.The Royal Navy learnt the hard way in the early stages of WW2 with the loss of HMS Courageous and Glorious but, following successes at Taranto and Matapan, the value of carriers was no longer in doubt.  The sinking of Bismarck and the cataclysmic Pearl Harbor attack signaled the end of the Battleship era.  Stung by such spectacular losses the US Navy threw its weight behind the carrier concept and the naval war in the Pacific (Guadalcanal, East Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz, Midmay and Leyte Gulf) revolved round carrier-borne aircraft.Meanwhile the carrier became pivotal in protecting vital convoys in the Atlantic, Arctic and Mediterranean.  The author backs his arguments with copious examples of naval and air action.</div>

Carriers at War, 1939–1945

<div>For many years the importance and contribution of the Hawker Hurricane was eclipsed by the Spitfire but statistically the Hurricane was superior in the majority of cases.  Thanks to Tommy Sopwiths initiative and gamble the Hurricane was ready at the outbreak of the Second World War and in service throughout.As this superbly researched book reveals by examining the roles, actions and personalities of ten Hurricane squadrons, this iconic aircraft was not only exceptionally robust but astonishingly versatile.  We track its performance from the Battle of France and Britain through the Middle East, Italy and on to Burma.  It excelled as day and night interceptor, intruder and importantly as a rocket firing tank buster.The Hurricane inspired great loyalty among its pilots and their colourful personalities and thrilling experiences make this splendid book an informative and entertaining read.</div>

Ten Squadrons of Hurricanes

<div><B>A celebration of the renowned WWII aircraft and the aviators who flew them&mdash;includes rare photographs.</B><BR />  <BR /> The Hawker Hurricane, together with the Spitfire, is the most famous aircraft of the Second World War. Many pilots, including Douglas Bader, thought it was superior to the Spit&mdash;but together they saved Britain from Nazi invasion and possible defeat.<BR />  <BR /> Adrian Stewart has produced a gloriously atmospheric and nostalgic book capturing the spirit of these great aircraft and the pilots who flew them. It tracks the aircraft as it was developed and improved, and follows it to the many theaters of the war where it saw service. Among the lesser-known are Burma and hazardous convoy protection in the Arctic and Mediterranean, flying from makeshift carriers. This book will fascinate specialist aviation historians and those who enjoy a rattling good war story, and includes a superb selection of rare photographs.</div>

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They Flew Hurricanes

<div>As this well researched work reveals, Hitlers handling the German Navy during the Second World War was full of contradictions.The seriousness of the U-boat threat was never in doubt and in the dark days of 1940 1942, the Donitzs daring strategy coupled with the courage and determined actions of the captains and crews became perilously close to starving Britain into submission.But, despite having built and nurtured a surface fleet with capital ships of formidable power, Hitler was uncharacteristically cautious of employing them aggressively. Examination of the reasons for this make for fascinating reading, possibly stemming from the early loss of the Graf Spee and the fact that, whenever possible, the Royal Navy threw all its weight regardless of cost at the Nazi threat; the loss of the Hood in the pursuit of the Bismarck being one example. Even Goebbels could not spin the loss of a battleship.The War against Hitlers Navy describes in fascinating detail the many fronts on which the adversaries faced each other and analyzes the reasons for the ultimate outcome.</div>

The War With Hitler's Navy

<div>As the saying goes 'it is darkest before the dawn' and so it was for Churchill and the British people during the Second World War.During February 1942, bad news of disasters came in an unbroken and seemingly endless sequence from the Far East to the Home Front. Some such as the Fall of Singapore and the Royal Navy's humiliation over the escape of the Scharhnhorst and Gneisenau are well known but always worth re-telling. Others less written about such as the challenge to Churchill at home, heavily strained relations with Commonwealth allies, the Japanese raid on Darwin and Rommel's return in North Africa were equally serious and full of foreboding for the future outcome of the War.February 1942 was in retrospect, the month in which many long-established beliefs were destroyed for ever. It was the month that confirmed that Britain no longer ruled the waves; that saw British prestige so damaged that it could never be fully restored; that foreshadowed and ensured the end of Britain's Empire; that demonstrated the immense strain that could be put on Britain's relations with the Commonwealth's self-governing Dominions. In short it was the month that changed Britain's world.It was also the month at the end of which Britain seemed likely to lose the War. Happily, this did not prove the case  so perhaps February 1942 further shows that a country can receive terrible blows but still survive and endure.</div>

February 1942

<div><B>This enlightening WWII history examines Japans Kamikaze Corps of special forces pilots who engaged in terrifying suicide attacks.</B><br/><br/>By late 1944, the Japanese had already proved themselves fanatical in their quest for victory. But the actions of the Kamikaze Corps took matters to a new level. Western military forces were dumbfounded by an enemy strategy of deliberate self-sacrifice.<br/><br/>Beginning with the Leyte Gulf battle, Kamikaze attacks continued during the invasion of the Philippines in early 1945 and reached a climax during the months-long Battle of Okinawa. In total, more than a thousand kamikaze airmen perished.<br/><br/>In <I>Kamikaze</I>, historian Adrian Stewart examines the historic and cultural roots of the unique and unsettling phenomenon. He also provides graphic descriptions of these suicide attacks and their devastating impact on Allied forces.</div>

Kamikaze

<div>The Hawker Hurricane was the RAF’s most valuable fighter asset in the Second World War, yet even today is relatively under-appreciated by the general public. Yet from the early months of the war it was the single engine fighter most often encountered by the Luftwaffe and during the Battle of Britain it made 80% of the successful interdictions of enemy formations.  As this superbly researched book written by a leading authority on the air war reveals, this was only the start of the Hurricane’s war service. Its reliability and versatility ensured that variants saw action in more war theaters worldwide than any other fighter. Indeed, as the RAF’s Official History recalls ‘Everywhere the Ubiquitous Hurricane was to be seen’.  This book follows the ‘Hurri’ to Russia, Malta, North Africa and as far afield as Burma, Sumatra and Java.  Seaborne versions fought in the Battle of the Atlantic and defended the Mediterranean convoys. In the ground attack role Hurricane fighter bombers made countless sweeps over occupied Europe. Pilots’ first-hand accounts supplement the text.  Readers are left in no doubt as to the massive contribution that the Hurricane made to ultimate victory.</div>

Adrian Stewart
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Books By Adrian Stewart (8 Books)

Victory in the Desert

Carriers at War, 1939–1945

Ten Squadrons of Hurricanes

They Flew Hurricanes

The War With Hitler's Navy

February 1942

Kamikaze

Hurricanes in Action Worldwide!

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Adrian StewartFollow this author