At the end of 1944 a proposal was offered by Oberst Hans-Joachim "Hajo" Herrmann. His plan called for 1,500 fighter aircraft to conduct a massive attack against an Allied bomber formation on April 7, 1945, inflicting such casualties that the Allies would think twice about continuing their bombing campaign. Attacking bombers was not a new idea, but the method of attack was new. The German pilots were to fly their planes into the bombers, causing enough damage to bring down the aircraft. Unlike the Japanese Kamikaze pilots who carried explosives on board and died in the attack, the German pilots were instructed to bail out and parachute to safety to fly another day. Sonderkommando Elbe: The Luftwaffe’s Kamikaze Force is the full story of the unit and its pilots.　

Walter S. Zapotoczny Jr. is an award-winning writer and editor of over forty years’ experience. He is the author of numerous books and over 150 published articles, and contributes frequently to several international publications. He is also a former historian with the U.S. Army, specializing in military history, Holocaust studies, and events that transcend single states, regions, and cultures. A native of Pennsylvania, Zapotoczny holds a BA in world military history, an MA in global history from American Public University, and a Ph.D. in history from Liberty University.

This first volume gives the citations of the 1,522 men and one woman whose courageous exploits during the American Civil War (1861–1865) were deemed worthy of their country’s highest award for bravery.　

Kevin Brazier has long been intrigued by medals and medal recipients, in particular by the VC, Britain’s highest award for gallantry. His study of the history of the Victoria Cross led to his definitive work The Complete Victoria Cross, and he has also compiled similarly comprehensive books on the George Cross and the Blue Max. This new book on the VCs awarded during the Anglo-Zulu and Boer wars complements his earlier writing on heroism in the British armed forces.

Using previously unseen records, photographs, diaries, accounts and letters, Steve Smith has conducted the first thorough investigation into what truly happened at Kuchuk Anafarta Ova on 12 August 1915. His research has led him to Turkish archives, where he has uncovered accounts of troops who faced the advancing 1/5th Battalion—accounts that debunk the myth of a mass slaughter in cold blood. To substantiate the written sources, Smith has combed the battlefield on foot, charting the course of the day’s events in a series of new maps.

The Norfolks at Gallipoli 12 August 1915: Truth and Myth is the definitive account of what became of the 16 officers and 250 men of the 1/5th Battalion who climbed over the parapet on that fateful day. It is also a battlefield guide for those who want to explore, down at trench level, the ground on which this extraordinary episode of the Gallipoli campaign took place.　

Steve Smith’s fascination with military history stems from his family’s experiences in the two world wars, which he has traced in detail. His initial interest soon developed into a passion, and then a calling. Steve served in the RAF from 1985 to 2003 as an RAF Police NCO, and settled in Norfolk, where he and his wife have brought up three daughters. He is now an accredited battlefield guide and author of three books relating to subjects in both world wars. His favourite pastime is guiding groups around battlefields, where he is constantly learning and developing his knowledge.

This second volume covers the seven and a half decades between the end of the Civil War and America’s entry into World War II. In that period the Medal of Honor was awarded to US combatants and non-combatants for conspicuous bravery in a series of small wars—some, like the Korean Expedition of 1871, lasting a matter of weeks, others, like the Indian Wars of 1861–98, drawn over decades—and some much larger conflicts like World War I. The full citation for every recipient of the USA’s highest award for bravery during that period is reproduced here.　

Kevin Brazier has long been intrigued by medals and medal recipients, in particular by the VC, Britain’s highest award for gallantry. His study of the history of the Victoria Cross led to his definitive work The Complete Victoria Cross, and he has also compiled similarly comprehensive books on the George Cross and the Blue Max. This new book on the VCs awarded during the Anglo-Zulu and Boer wars complements his earlier writing on heroism in the British armed forces.

This first volume takes the story from the formation of the battalion in 1939, through its baptism of fire at Dunkirk and reconstruction in the UK, to the Allied victory in North Africa. The second volume will cover the battalion’s experiences in the Italian campaign and post-war occupation, through to its disbandment in 1946. Together they describe the exertions of training, the terrors of battle, the hardships of captivity, and the challenges brought by peace.

Sherwood Boys: Biography of a Battalion is a personal history, a battalion epic researched, assembled and written for readers wanting to comprehend the Second World War from the perspective of the ordinary British soldier. It is written as a tribute to those ordinary men who were called upon to do the extraordinary—and did so.　

Michael Somerville graduated with a degree in History from Cambridge University, and in 2017, after a career in IT consultancy, he was awarded a doctorate in Military History by the University of Buckingham. His thesis on how the American Civil War influenced the Victorian British army was published under the title Bull Run to Boer War. Michael is a trustee of the American Civil War Round Table UK, for which he has produced several presentations and articles. His father served in Italy with the 2/5th Sherwood Foresters in the Second World War. He lives in Wimbledon with his wife Gillian.

Angelos Mansolas was born in 1962 in Athens, Greece. He served for 30 years as a communications technician in the Hellenic Air Force, retiring in 2012 with the rank of flight lieutenant. He is a dedicated military aviation researcher and has written for several Greek-language history magazines. As an artist, he has also provided colour profiles of aircraft. He currently works for Greek magazine Military History, specialising in Byzantine history, the American Civil War, military aviation and the battles of the First and Second World Wars.

This first volume, based on official personnel files and other contemporary documentation, analyzes the lives and careers of the thirteen highest-ranking SA leaders—men who held the ranks of Oberster SA-Führer and SA-Stabschef.　

Michael D. Miller was born in Torrance, California in 1971. A US Navy veteran (1989–1993) who served in Sardinia and Spain, he is the author or co-author of seven books on the senior leadership of the Third Reich. His interest in European history dates back to 1978. He currently works as a certified peer specialist for the Department of Veterans Affairs in California.

About Andreas Schulz

Andreas Schulz was born in Stendal (Altmark) in 1965. After completing his studies in Magdeburg, he worked as a hydraulic engineer. For over a decade, he has served in the Bundespresseamt (Federal Press Office) of the German government.

By the time Germany joined the invasion in April 1941, both the RAF and FAA had committed more squadrons and been joined by army units, but they were soon overwhelmed, retreating to Crete, from where they were evicted in May 1941 after a massive German paratroop operation. For the next three years the RAF and FAA attacked Axis forces on Crete, mainland Greece and in the Aegean with mixed success. In addition, Allied air arms, including USAAF units, dropped weapons and supplies to the Greek partisan groups. In late 1944, as the Germans were forced to withdraw from Greece, RAF units once again flew into Greek airfields, yet they were soon drawn into the bitter civil war, fighting alongside Greek government forces against Communist insurgents. After the final withdrawal of operational units in 1946, the RAF retained an air delegation in Athens until 1952, when Greece joined NATO.

Richly illustrated with detailed maps and rare and previously unpublished photographs, Air War Over Greece 1940–1950: British, Dominions and United States Air Arms examines in unique detail a neglected corner of military aviation history.　

This is the story of a lifetime in aviation, from eager youngster to strike formation leader, with an insider’s view into squadron life, the camaraderie of the mess, the howlers committed during training and the tensions of frontline duty during the Cold War. It reveals the inner workings of the Red Arrows during a year of exceptional pressure when, with new jets and a redesigned display, the nation expected something truly groundbreaking. Through it all, and onwards into an extraordinary career in civil aviation, Ward’s boyish enthusiasm never faded; this book is, above all, a testament to the joys of flying.　

Wyndham Ward joined the RAF as a boy, progressing to fighter pilot flying Hunters and Buccaneers with the RAF and Royal Navy off HMS Ark Royal. In 1979 he was selected to join the Red Arrows, the year of the Gnat’s exit and the introduction of the Hawk. After his RAF career, Ward flew B747s and A340s for Cathay Pacific before being appointed royal flight captain to the Sultan of Oman, with responsibility for transporting heads of state around the globe. In the latter part of his career, following training in Toulouse, he held CAA and US FAA training appointments for Airbus and CAE.

The men and women of the Section, hailing from a variety of trades and professions, turned everyday items into concealment devices to carry weapons, ammunition, film, radios, false documents, microfilm and codes. These vessels ranged from oil cans, firewood and ornamental clocks, to record players, water bottles and tubes of toothpaste. Explosives and incendiary devices for industrial and military sabotage were concealed in dead rats, hollowed-out pieces of coal, books, torches, statues and suitcases. Convincing disguises were created to ensure that field agents would pass as locals in whatever region they were parachuted into. Essentially the Camouflage Section was responsible for keeping SOE agents behind enemy lines safe in the most nerve-wracking of circumstances—when under the suspicious gaze of the Gestapo.

After the war, SOE’s Camouflage Section was dissolved, but not before its work was collated and published in a secret document. That document remained classified for thirty years. This is the first time it has been presented in book form to the general public.　

Craig Moore has had a passion for military history since he was child. He is chiefly interested in the two world wars, in which eight of his close relatives fought and two died. One of his uncles lost a leg in Normandy in 1944 when his Sherman tank was hit by a shell. In 2010 Craig retired from London’s Metropolitan Police after 30 years of service. He lives in south-west London where he makes regular contributions to military history magazines. He also often visits museums and military events around the world. This is his ninth book on topics pertaining to the world wars.

The Italian Way of War synthesizes previous scholarship with original research to provide a balanced narrative and assessment of Italian military history from 1866 to 1943.　

Jeffrey LaMonica is professor of history and coordinator of the Global Studies Program at Delaware County Community College in Media, Pennsylvania. He holds degrees in history and global studies from LaSalle University, Villanova University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Professor LaMonica’s publication topics include the US Army’s 1916 punitive expedition into Mexico, tactical development in the US Army during World War One, and Cold War diplomacy. He resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The final defeat of the Greek army in Asia Minor came in August 1922 and precipitated the 11 September 1922 Revolution in Athens, which led to Prince Andrew’s lifelong banishment from his homeland. Towards Disaster is Prince Andrew’s own account of the campaign in Asia Minor in which he defends his actions during the Battle of the Sakarya, a hopeless contest in his estimation, during which he was intent on avoiding needless loss of life　

Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark was born in 1882, the fourth son of King George I and Queen Olga of Greece. He served as an officer in the Balkan Wars and the Greco-Turkish War, and in the latter was held partly responsible for his country’s defeat and loss of territory. After being court-martialled for disobeying orders, Prince Andrew and his family, including his son Philip, later Duke of Edinburgh, were banished from Greece. Andrew died in exile 1944. Towards Disaster, an account of the war and a defence of his actions, was published in 1930.

About John Van der Kiste

John Van der Kiste has published over ninety books, including historical and royal biographies covering the Stuart, Georgian and Victorian eras in Britain, and the German, Austrian and Russian dynasties, including Queen Victoria’s Children; The Romanovs: Alexander II and his family; The End of the Habsburgs; biographies of Emperors William II and Francis Joseph, and titles on contemporary rock music, including biographies and studies of the work of The Beatles, ELO, Led Zeppelin, and Steve Winwood; and works on local history and true crime. He has reviewed books and records for national, local and independent publications, and contributed to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. He lives in Devon and his recreations include reading, music and painting.

The British parliament was at the heart of the process. It sanctioned each railway and was instrumental in imposing regulations and setting new standards for operation. With the success of early schemes came a greater incentive to invest in new proposals, and such was the clamour for new railways that parliament had to select the most promising concepts, thereby laying the foundations for the railway network.

This first volume of The Great Railway Speculations concentrates on the early years of the creation of the Midland Railway Network, between 1825 and 1847, when the risks were high and returns higher, and the government, realising the momentous changes that were afoot, tried to keep pace.　

Ray Shill was educated at Handsworth Grammar School and Liverpool University and spent his working career at British Railways and Central Trains. He started writing books in 1992 and has been published on topics that include canals, railways and industry.

There’s the full gamut of Jowett specials featured here, covering pre-Second World War models through to modified versions of the post-war Bradford van. The Javelin and the Jupiter are also featured. Jowett Specials: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a celebration of them all, and the intrepid, mechanically minded owners who built them.　

Representing both his country and the Royal Air Force, you might think he would have gained enough maturity by now to get through this tour without too much drama… Alas, no. During his three-year fantasy ride, pushing the world’s most intoxicating jet to its red-hot limits and loving every moment, Tug narrowly avoids causing an unholy trinity of diplomatic incidents. Seriously, what did you expect?

So jump into the cockpit with Tug and experience the unrivalled camaraderie of the US Marine Corps, see how wondrous the exalted F-18 Hornet truly is, and find out what happens when a Yorkshire boy accustomed to the glamour of RAF Valley on the Isle of Anglesey is thrown into the California dreamland. This is the Wild West in the wildest of jets, and I can tell you, for a fighter pilot, it doesn’t get better than this.　

Known as Mr Ocean Liner, Bill Miller has written over 100 books on ocean liners – early ships, ships in war, cruise ships and smaller passenger ships. He has also written over 100 articles and is a frequent and popular guest speaker on cruise liners. To date, he has made over 450 voyages. Miller has also appeared in many television shows and documentaries.

From Vulcan to Spitfire and Back: A Life in Aviation is a humorous, unguarded, and often self-deprecating account of what it was like to be part of an RAF squadron during the Cold War—everything from burning pianos to a mid-air collision in a Tornado. It is also about the simple joys of flying, whether in the cockpit of the enormous delta-winged Vulcan or behind the sprightly controls of the inimitable Spitfire, and the camaraderie that comes with it, both in military and civil aviation.　

Bill Perrins was born and brought up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during the height of the Troubles. He joined the Royal Air Force during the mid-1970s and became a pilot on Vulcan bombers, which he flew during the Falklands War of 1982. Subsequently he became a qualified flying instructor prior to moving on to Tornado F3 fighters. After leaving the RAF he flew various commercial aircraft including Boeing 747s and Dreamliners, and several iconic planes at airshows, including Spitfires, the Vulcan, the P51 Mustang, and Soviet-era Yaks.

Using USS Vicksburg as his mobile headquarters, General Jacob Smith directed a scorched-earth campaign, burning villages and executing prisoners. Tuttle, who was serving aboard the Vicksburg, witnessed first-hand the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo, leader of the insurrection, and the crushing of the rebellion in the southern islands.

Back in the USA, the Philippine Insurrection was at the center of a debate between imperialists and anti-imperialists, with both President William McKinley and Senator Albert Beverage lending their considerable weight to the former group. Beverage believed that the US should annex the Philippines since, in his view, the inhabitants were uneducated and not capable of governing themselves. Conversely, Mark Twain asserted that for the US to govern another nation without consent would constitute a violation of the principles of the Declaration of Independence and lead to the corruption of the US’s democratic institutions. Away from the debating halls and opinion columns, Fred Tuttle’s fascinating eyewitness account reveals, in shocking detail, what an imperialist policy meant on the ground.　

Dale Thomas served for two years in the United States Army. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and education from Kent State University and a master’s in history from Case Western Reserve University. After teaching for thirty-one years, he took up writing and has had six books published on topics ranging from the American Civil War and Abraham Lincoln to World War I and the Ohio presidents. Dale has served as a director for the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable and the Olmsted Historical Society, and has judged student projects on History Day at Case Western Reserve University.

Additionally, Hughes’s work as a screenwriter—often completing scripts over a single weekend—contributed vastly to the success of many films, some of which he is not sufficiently credited for. As the 1980s ended, Hughes demonstrated his versatility as a filmmaker by making comedies targeting adult audiences over teens—films that have found their place in the hearts of many. This book celebrates the movies of John Hughes and the good times they have brought us, while examining the man behind the legacy.　

David Juskow is a film professor at Montclair State University in New Jersey. He has written for Maxim and Men’s Health magazines and the Huffington Post. He has also written for and appeared on SNL’s TV Funhouse and HBO’s Crashing.