The essays collected here topics ranging from Hindu mythology to modern gamelan music. Eiseman’s approach is that of a dedicated reporter in love with his subject—he has the knowledge and patience to explain the near-infinite permutations of the Balinese calendar, and yet he is still moved by the majesty of the great Eka Dasa Rudra ceremony. The author’s 28 years experience on the island shows and this book rewards close reading—even by the most seasoned students of Balinese culture.　

A little girl goes to the beach with her mother, never expecting the day full of magic and wonder that is ahead of her. When she scoops up a tiny octopus in her small, clear container, and they see each other eye to eye, there’s a spark between them! But a little octopus cannot be happy for long in a container. So the girl sets out to discover what the octopus needs. And that’s when something truly magical happens! Soon, the little girl is on an underwater adventure with her new octopus friend, where she discovers the joy and beauty of the octopus’s world and learns how she can help take care of the ocean in her own way.　

一个小女孩和妈妈一起去海边，她从未想到在前方等待着她的是个充满魔法与奇迹的一天。当她用一个小小的透明容器捞起一只小章鱼，并与它四目相对时，它们之间仿佛产生了一种奇妙的联系！但一只小章鱼不可能在容器里长久快乐。于是，小女孩开始探索章鱼真正需要的是什么。而就在这时，真正的魔法发生了！很快的，小女孩和她的新章鱼朋友展开了一段海底冒险之旅，在海里，小女孩发现了章鱼世界的快乐与美丽，并学会了如何以自己的方式去守护海洋。

Maxwell Craven is a historian, conservationist and graduate of Nottingham University. He worked at Derby Museum for twenty-five years as assistant keeper (archaeology) and keeper of antiquities. He is a former chairman of Derby Civic Society, vice-chairman of Derby Cathedral FAC and trustee of Derby Bridge Chapel. He was elected FSA and awarded an Hon. DLitt by Derby University in 2013. He is a published architectural, Roman and local historian.

Carole Craven, Max’s Staffordshire-born wife, is also a Nottingham graduate. She is a retired geography teacher, former SENCO and a keen motorist. They have a daughter and live in Derby.

About Max Craven

Maxwell Craven is a historian, conservationist and graduate of Nottingham University. He worked at Derby Museum for twenty-five years as assistant keeper (archaeology) and keeper of antiquities. He is a former chairman of Derby Civic Society, vice-chairman of Derby Cathedral FAC and trustee of Derby Bridge Chapel. He was elected FSA and awarded an Hon. DLitt by Derby University in 2013. He is a published architectural, Roman and local historian.

Since the early nineteenth century, war games tended to be produced whenever there was a rise in diplomatic tension or an outbreak of war. Once peace was restored, the games were usually discarded and today it is often hard to find surviving copies. Some of these forgotten games had excellent box-lid graphics, conjuring up visions of battles. Others were exciting to play, presenting intellectual challenges with problems of strategy and tactics. But war gaming has always been about much more than entertainment. Top secret games were arranged by governments to plan for real wars—and still are. This book discusses what is known about them and the insights they have provided into the real-life consequences of pursuing various strategies, including the use of nuclear weapons.

In an age of increasingly dynamic and popular computer games, War Games and their History Volume 2 explores the fascinating and much forgotten heritage upon which modern war gaming, in its myriad forms, has been built.　

Christopher Lewin has been fascinated by the intellectual challenges of strategic war games ever since he invented one at the age of ten. Nowadays he still plays chess with friends and board games with his two grown-up sons, as well as electronic games on a computer. Having had a successful career as an actuary, managing large pension schemes, he now participates in professional studies of infrastructure investment and its risks, especially the uncertainties connected with climate change. In addition, he has a long-standing interest in British social history up to 1800. He lives in Scotland with his wife.

Designed in the late 1930s, Graf Zeppelin was the largest ship built by Nazi Germany. The lead ship of her class, she represented the Kriegsmarine’s efforts to create a balanced, ocean-going fleet capable of projecting German naval power across the oceans. Though 85 per cent complete by the outbreak of war in September 1939, Graf Zeppelin became a white elephant, a ship filled with promise but ultimately disappointing. Hitler’s war arrived too early for the Kriegsmarine and construction of Germany’s only aircraft carrier was never completed.

Graf Zeppelin: The Story of Hitler’s Aircraft Carrier tells the full story of the monumental effort and ultimate failure by the Kriegsmarine to crown the German fleet with that most coveted of naval assets, an aircraft carrier.　

Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Daniel Knowles attended the University of Northumbria where he attained a joint honours degree in history and politics. His previous works include Tirpitz: The Life and Death of Germany’s Last Great Battleship (2018), HMS Hood: Pride of the Royal Navy (2019), The Battle of the Denmark Strait (2020) and Yamato: Flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy (2021). He currently resides in Newcastle.

Cold War Aircraft in Scale: Avro Vulcan contains extensive photographs and profiles, unique reference materials and detailed step-by-step scale model builds in all the main scales: everything you need to inspire, inform and instruct you in your creation of a showpiece replica of this iconic Cold War bomber.　

GEOFF COUGHLIN is a huge F-4 Phantom fan and scale modeller. He has contributed to many scale model magazines and written several books. His modelling output is prolific, covering many genres from the First World War to the present day. Geoff is the founder and editor of the very popular online magazine www.scalemodellingnow.com.

• A guide to the history, markings, physical and digital models of the Pfalz D.III and D.IIIa. • Features five builds of different model kits of the Pfalz. • Outlines various model making techniques common in WWI aircraft models. • Illustrates many squadron paint schemes. • Explains factory markings and shows many different　

M. R. Bentley has had a fascination with military aircraft his entire life. From a young age he has been building model kits, primarily focusing on First and Second World War aircraft. In the past few years, he has become increasingly interested in Pfalz machines and their paint schemes, and since 2009 he has been flying in flight simulators and making digital skins for a broad range of virtual aircraft. First World War Aircraft In Scale: The Pfalz D.III and D.IIIa is his first book.

Handley Page Halifax: Second World War Strategic Bomber is a comprehensive assessment of the aircraft, covering its design, production, testing and RAF service, both as a bomber and in its other roles.　

Philip Birtles joined the de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School in 1957 as an engineering apprentice and worked as PA to John Cunningham, the Second World War night fighter ace and chief test pilot. He went into marketing for aircraft and, later, weapons systems, before being appointed senior contracts executive on BAe.146 customer deliveries, a post he held until Hatfield aerodrome closed in 1993. Birtles wrote the first of some fifty books on aerospace subjects in 1980, and has been involved with the de Havilland Aircraft Museum as a volunteer for around fifty years.

Dr WILLIAM WOLF was a dentist for twenty-two years before retiring at the age of 45 to pursue his aviation interests and outdoor pastimes. Over the past forty-five years he has amassed an archive of over 27,000 books and magazines, 10,000 or more images, and hundreds of reels of microfilm, among other material, on the subject. He is the author of twenty-four books on aerial warfare in the Second World War, including nine on American bombers, two on US fighters, five on American flying units, and three volumes on US aerial armament.

The complexity of the propulsion system and the need to develop new aerodynamic concepts were challenges too great for the aeronautical industries of the major powers at the time, which specialized in the mass construction of piston fighters. Nor were fighter pilots able to adapt to the high-G combat conditions that came with achieving speeds of nearly 900 mph; it was simply not possible for them to aim and fire.

In 280 immaculate technical drawings, each set within its historical context and with full performance specifications, Rocket Interceptors 1941–1947 presents 125 project, prototype and combat rocket-powered aircraft developed by Germany, the United States, the USSR and Japan in the 1940s—though initial development for some can be traced as far back as the 1920s. This book is the last word on a technology that, had it been properly harnessed, might have changed the course of the Second World War.　

Justo Miranda is a technical illustrator and Spanish Air Force Museum advisor who uses advanced drawing methods to help rebuild historical aircraft. As a historian he specializes in German secret weaponry, and his research has helped deconstruct several myths on flying saucers and Hitler’s ‘A’ bomb. Justo has published thirty-three books and thirty monographs on aeronautical subjects. He lives in Madrid with his wife Paula, a journalist at Reuters.

The story of this aircraft, which brought a whole new concept to air combat, covers the development of the V/STOL system into a practical asset and the Harrier’s operational service in regional conflicts with the USMC, RAF, and FAA. It was the key British aircraft in the Falklands Campaign, with both RAF Harriers and FAA Sea Harriers serving there, and was an instrumental component of the Indian, Spanish, and Italian navies. This book is illustrated with over 400 images documenting the aircraft’s development, the majority of which are previously unpublished.　

Philip Birtles joined the de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School in 1957 as an engineering apprentice and worked as PA to John Cunningham, the Second World War night fighter ace and chief test pilot. He went into marketing for aircraft and, later, weapons systems, before being appointed senior contracts executive on BAe.146 customer deliveries, a post he held until Hatfield aerodrome closed in 1993. Birtles wrote the first of some fifty books on aerospace subjects in 1980, and has been involved with the de Havilland Aircraft Museum as a volunteer for around fifty years.

With many previously unseen photographs and drawings, this is the most comprehensive history of the Skyvan ever published, and the first in an exciting new series on aviation workhorses.　

John Hayles is now retired after thirty-five years working in the aircraft industry with British Aerospace and Airbus, mainly on aircraft systems. He has been a keen aircraft enthusiast since the age of four, and has developed an extensive background knowledge of aviation history worldwide. He is a member of Air-Britain, the international society of aviation historians. Always interested in the lesser-known aspects of aviation history, he has had several articles published in mainstream aviation magazines. He has also been editor of the Aeroflight website since 1998.

The Lightning was advanced for its time and required considerable investment and research to take it from the drawing board to active service as an effective fighting machine. Significant strides were made in the early years after the award of the contract—all of which could have come to nothing when it was deemed in the 1957 Defence White Paper that piloted aircraft had had their day. The design was saved only by its advanced stage of development; as is often the case in flight, turbulence is to be expected. But despite the obstacles put in its path, the Lightning prevailed to become one of Britain’s most admired and respected fast jets.

Taking the reader through the politics that threatened its development, its groundbreaking design, its service career and many other aspects of its extraordinary history, Lightning: From Inception to Preservation is a comprehensive study of Britain’s first and only truly homegrown supersonic jet-powered interceptor.　

Richard Hall’s interest in aviation was sparked at the age of five when his father pointed to a tiny triangle, a Vulcan, drawing four vapour trails across a clear blue summer sky. From then on Richard was hooked. His hobby became his passion, ultimately leading to his ownership of BAC Lightning T.5 XS420. Along with aircraft preservation, Richard is a published aviation photographer with particular interest in Bomber Command, a subject he continues to research with regular article contributions for the Lincolnshire Lancaster Association.

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.

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.