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Ace of aces: the life of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker
By H. Paul Jeffers. 2003
A biography of captain Eddie Rickenbacker (1890-1973), the much decorated "Ace of Aces" who destroyed twenty-six enemy planes in World…
War I. Fascinated with engines and speed, he began his career as a race-car driver, becoming third-ranked in the country. He later founded Eastern Airlines. 2003The First World War marks a crucial period in the history of the socialist wing of the British labour movement.…
This book is an account of the development of the political ideas and activities of some of the most influential British socialist thinkers of that time: Beatrice and Sidney Webb, R. H. Tawney and G. D. H. Cole. The first part of the book examines the state of the Labour movement and of socialist ideas on the eve of the conflict, then turns to the central question of the impact of the War on the dissemination of British socialist ideas.The War Plans of the Great Powers: 1880-1914 (Routledge Library Editions: The First World War)
By Paul M. Kennedy. 2014
The origins of the First World War remain one of the greatest twentieth century historical controversies. In this debate the…
role of military planning in particular and of militarism in general, are a key focus of attention. Did the military wrest control from the civilians? Were the leaders of Europe eager for a conflict? What military commitments were made between the various alliance blocks? These questions are examined in detail here in eleven essays by distinguished historians and the editor’s introduction provides a focus and draws out the comparative approach to the history of military policies and war plans of the great powers.Berwick-Upon-Tweed in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
By Craig Armstrong. 2015
Berwick-upon-Tweed was an important garrison town and regional centre, which, as befit its history, had a strong sense of duty,…
reflected in its proud martial traditions.During the catastrophic years of 1914-18 many Berwick families found themselves greatly affected by the war. Large numbers of Berwick men volunteered to serve in the forces and many were killed. During the first months of war the local barracks were overwhelmed by the number of men volunteering for the King's Own Scottish Borderers, while a great many Berwick lads served with the Northumberland Fusiliers. Others were less keen to serve and this book considers some of these cases, ranging from hairdressers to farmworkers, who were brought before the military tribunal at Berwick.For many of those left behind the war was a time of worry and hardship. Others saw the business opportunities, and this book includes the telling accounts of the Berwick women who were imprisoned for running brothels, which were used by the many soldiers in the town, along with accounts of petty theft and profiteering. Berwick also suffered from wartime policies and severe shortages and these issues are meticulously analysed throughout with a view to how they affected the people of Berwick. As a port, Berwick witnessed the aftermath of the sinking of merchant vessels and the people of the town were keenly aware of the sacrifices being made. They went to great efforts to provide support for those fighting the war, despite the shortages they themselves were suffering from. These efforts are explained in the book, which is a testimony to the bravery, self-sacrifice and determination of the people of Berwick during the Great War.Harrogate & Ripon in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
By Stephen Wade. 2016
Harrogate and Ripon, just a few miles apart in one of the most beautiful localities in Yorkshire, have rarely had…
their contributions to the Great War told all together, in one volume. Stephen Wade has written an account of their importance, from the Ripon camps, where thousands of infantrymen for Kitcheners new Pals Battalions were trained, to the many Harrogate hospitals where casualties were cared for. Added to this are stories of local individuals, at home and in the European theatre of war, who played their part in this massive conflict. Harrogate and Ripon,made the usual contributions to the war effort, raising money and making food, but the local people experienced many of the significant Yorkshire events of the war, such as the explosion at Barnbow munitions factory and the housing of Belgian refugees. The book tells the stories of not only the heroes, such as Betty Stevenson and Donald Bell VC, but of the ordinary Yorkshire folk who endured the hardships and made great sacrifices. The book provides ample evidence that Harrogate and Ripon, along with their surrounding areas, have a fine record for courage and determination during the First World War.Cambridge in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
By Glynis Cooper. 2016
Cambridge is one of the most famous universities in the world and its library is one of only five copyright…
libraries in the UK. At the start of the twentieth century it was a privileged life for some, but many in Cambridge knew that war was becoming truly inevitable. What the proverbial gown feared communicated itself to the surrounding town. Terrible rumours were rife, that the Germans would burn the university library and raise Kings College chapel to the ground, before firing shells along the tranquil Backs of the River Cam until the weeping willows were just blackened stumps. Frightened but determined, age-old town and gown rivalries were put aside as the city united against the common enemy. This book tells Cambridges fascinating story in the grim years of the Great War. Thousands of university students, graduates and lecturers alike enlisted, along with the patriotic townsfolk. The First Eastern General Military Hospital was subsequently established in Trinity College and treated more than 80,000 casualties from the Western Front. Though the university had been the longtime hub of life and employment in the town, many people suffered great losses and were parted from loved ones, decimating traditional breadwinners and livelihoods, from the rationing of food, drink and fuel, to hundreds of restrictions imposed by DORA. As a result, feelings ran high and eventually led to riots beneath the raiding zeppelins and ever-present threat of death.The poet, Rupert Brooke, a graduate of Kings College, died on his way to the Dardanelles in 1915, but his most famous poem The Soldier became a preemptive memorial and the epitaph of millions.If I should dieThink only this of me That theres some corner of a foreign field That is forever England.Defiance!: Withstanding the Kaiserschlacht (Eyewitnesses from The Great War)
By G.H.F. Nichols. 2015
George Nichols was an artillery officer serving with the 82nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He was wounded in 1917, and…
returned to the guns in March 1918, just in time to experience the fury of the Kaiserschlacht, the great German offensive designed to knock the British army out of the war.Nichols wrote a powerful account of the Kaiser's last great offensive battle from inside the eye of the storm, and it is one of the few primary source accounts which are told from the often overlooked perspective of the British artillerymen. Nichols, with wonderful British reserve, records how the men of the Royal Field Artillery steadfastly manned their guns. Nichols survived the onslaught and in 1919, was able to produce a full account of both the retreat and the British counter-attack which won back the lost ground.First published in 1919, while censorship was still in force, this wonderful primary source has long been out of print and it's welcome return makes for essential reading for anyone with an interest in the Great War.Dartford in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
By Stephen Wynn. 2016
Dartford was a hive of activity during the Great War years, with most in the community doing their bit for…
the war effort in what ever way that they could. For men that meant enlisting in the armed forces, and for women that they were to take up roles that previously belonged to men. They worked in industry, delivered post, drove buses and taxis, and became carpenters and plumbers. They were also heavily relied on by volunteer organizations, such as Voluntary Aid Detachments, the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps and later in the war, the Women's Land Army. Nearby, there was a large munitions factory in the town, which maintained a large yet productive, mostly female, workforce to ensure it met the ever-increasing demand for shells and bullets and, throughout the town, hospitals to cared for the wounded servicemen of Britain, Australia, America and even Germany, whose captured military personnel were held at one of many local prisoner of war camps. Joyce Green Aerodrome was home to units of the Royal Flying Corps and latterly the Royal Air Force, who protected both Dartford and London from air raids. This book cover how Dartford endured thirty-seven German air raids. Miraculously, not one local resident was killed.At the end of the war, the people of Dartford returned to the normality of life as best as they could, but the world had changed forever. For those who had lost loved ones, and over 300 local families had, the changes would always be a painful reminder of the terrible price of the war.Dartford in the Great War is a meticulous and compelling account of this town and its dedicated people, who sacrificed so much in their effort to thrive in one history's most difficult periods.A &“fascinating&” guide to war propaganda of WWI and WWII, from &“Loose Lips Sink Ships&” to &“Keep Calm and Carry…
On&”—includes vintage images (Firetrench). A Guide to War Publications of the First & Second World War is devoted to the printed ephemera that was designed to educate, instruct, inform, and entertain during the first and second World Wars. This includes soldiers&’ Field Regulations, updates airmen received about airborne early warnings, bomb sights, and radio navigation, and materials sailors were given to help them identify enemy aircraft and operate new weapons on submarines. This comprehensive guide illustrates the large amount of material produced during the war by looking at encouraging wartime sayings such as: &“Go To IT!,&” &“Come Into The Factories,&” &“Keep Calm and Carry On,&” &“Dig for Victory,&” &“Lend A Hand on the Land,&” and &“Walk When You Can.&” While showing how other messages warned of consequences to irresponsible behavior: &“Careless Talk Cost Lives,&” &“Loose Lips Sink Ships,&” &“Keep It Under Your Hat,&” and &“Be Like Dad, Keep Mum.&” Arthur Ward gives information on what propaganda was produced, what items are still available and where to find them, and how to conserve and store vintage printed items.Dover in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
By Stephen Wynn. 2017
Situated on the south coast of England, geographically and strategically, Dover more than played its part in the First World…
War. It was from its harbor that the many vessels of the Dover Patrol set about preventing German ships from using the English Channel. It was undoubtedly one of the most important Royal Naval units that Britain had during the First World War.Because of its important defensive roll, Dover was identified as a legitimate and relevant target by the German authorities. As a result, German Zeppelin's and Gotha aircraft subjected Dover to 113 aerial attacks, dropping 185 bombs in the process. The first of these raids took place on Christmas Eve, 1914; this was also the first time a German bomb had been dropped on British soil. The last raid was on 24 August 1918, in which twenty adults and three children were killed.The local residents who, for whatever reason, were unable to enlist in the military during the war, but who still felt the desire and obligation to serve their King and country, were able to do so in organizations such as the Dover Volunteer Training Corps. Most towns had similar units, and their members carried out some sterling work on the Home Front.By the end of the war, Dover and its people had sustained through testing and difficult times. Like every community throughout the nation, they had paid a heavy price. They had been as close to the war as it was possible to be, without actually being on the Front Line. Ships had sailed from its harbour to engage the enemy, and wounded soldiers had returned to the same harbour. Its men had gone of to fight in the war and, sadly, 721 of them never came back.Grimsby in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
By Stephen Wade. 2016
Grimsby in the Great War is a detailed account of how the experience of war impacted on the seaside town…
of Grimsby from the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, to the long-awaited peace of 1918.Grimsby and Cleethorpes were among the most vulnerable and exposed British towns in August 1914 when the Great War broke out. Situated on the North Sea, and facing the German Baltic fleet, their vessels were to face the mines and the U-boat torpedoes as the war progressed. But this is merely one of the incredibly dramatic and testing developments in the wartime saga of 1914-18, which impacted on the the town of Grimsby. Written into the greater story are the achievements of the Grimsby Chums and the other regiments containing Grimsby men, and the amazing story of the Home Front experience, from the local shell factory staffed largely by women, to the War Hospital Supply Depot and the Womens Emergency Corps.Throughout this compelling book, Stephen Wade documents the town's remarkable stories of heroism, determination and resolution in the face of the immensity of the war and its seemingly endless tests and trials of Grimsby's mettle.Morpeth in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
By Craig Armstrong. 2016
Morpeth played a key role in Northumberland's war effort. As a market town and the seat of government of the…
county authority, the town was significant in the coordination of Northumberlands war effort. With a wide rural hinterland, it played a huge part in the production and dispersal of vital food. The town also occupied a position on the fringes of the Northumberland coal district, and many of the men and businesses of Morpeth were engaged in the equally vital work of mining. The town shared a proud tradition of military service with the wider region, reflected in the huge numbers of Morpeth men and women who came forward for service in the military or in roles such as nursing. It was a recruitment centre, with its own unit of the 1/7th (Territorial) battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers.For many of those left behind in Morpeth the war was a time of fear and hardship. This book includes accounts of the struggles that many families faced in coping with wartime policies, severe shortages, rising wartime prices, longer working hours and endless worry, sometimes in the face of accusations of drunkenness or idleness from the authorities and unfair criticism of the rural districts recruiting record. Despite the hardships, Morpethians continued to provide incredible charitable support right up until the end of the war, in addition to their work efforts. These momentous efforts are explained throughout this book, which is a poignant testimony to the bravery, self-sacrifice and determination of the people of Morpeth during the Great War.Halifax in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
By David Millichope. 2015
Halifax was surprised by the outbreak of war in August 1914 but within days the public mood had turned into…
a staggering display of unified support. Voluntary fund raising organisations sprang up and bore witness to an incredible self-help ethic that supported the troops at the front, their dependant families at home and the returning wounded. People came to fear the Zeppelins, were forced to retrieve their children from German naval guns in Scarborough and read with horror the stories of local lads gassed at the front. Residents of German descent found themselves in difficult situations, and Belgian refugees were offered sanctuary.Struggling local industry was revitalised by government orders for Khaki cloth, machine tools and munitions. Halifax can claim to have contributed many interesting technological items such as bomb release mechanisms, flame projectors and Tommy's iconic bowl shaped steel helmet. Women were increasingly employed in traditional male occupations. In 1917 the food crisis fermented tensions, but at the end of 1918 there was triumph of a sort.Lincoln in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
By Louise Blackah. 2015
Lincoln produced many heroes during WW1 including, Wing Commander Fiennes who was the Commanding Officer of 38 Squadron from 1916…
to 1917 flying FE2b aircraft (known as the 'Fees') on patrol against raiding German Zeppelins over Lincolnshire and the surrounding counties. Also, a winged version of the Lincoln Imp adorned many of the First World War aircraft including the famous Sopwith Camel, manufactured extensively by Lincoln firms Clayton and Shuttleworth, Robeys and Ruston Proctor.This book also looks at how the experience of war impacted on the City, from the initial enthusiasm for sorting out the German Kaiser in time for Christmas 1914, to the gradual realization of the enormity of human sacrifice the families of Lincoln were committed to as the war stretched out over the next four years. The Great War affected everyone. At home there were wounded soldiers in military hospitals, refugees from Belgium and later on German prisoners of war. There were food and fuel shortages and disruption to schooling. The role of women changed dramatically and they undertook a variety of work undreamed of in peacetime. Extracts from contemporary letters reveal their heroism and give insights into what it was like under battle conditions, particularly from those of the Lincolnshire Yeomanry.Mansfield in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
By Carol Lovejoy Edwards. 2015
Mansfield was the largest town near the Duke of Portland's home at Welbeck Abbey. The duke and duchess often held…
house parties for their friends who included the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Lord Kitchener – one whose death triggered the war and the other who lost his life on a ship halfway through the war. The archduke visited Welbeck Abbey only a few months before his death. The military camp, built near to the town at Clipstone, became vitally important in the training of troops for the war and at the end of the war as a demob station. Thousands of men descended upon Mansfield to train at the nearby camp. Those men, and thousands of native Mansfield men, left Mansfield for the mud-filled trenches of France and Belgium. Many were miners who were working for the war effort, producing coal for the munitions factories and the military as well as homes, even before signing up. This is the moving story of those left behind to cope without their men; to cope with the influx of up to 30,000 soldiers; to cope with food shortages and hardships and with the tough living conditions prevalent in the early twentieth century. The book concentrates on the social impact of the war on this particular town and its inhabitants, showing how they coped and the efforts they too made for the war.With a Smile and a Wave: The Life of Captain Aidan Liddell VC MC
By Peter Daybell. 2005
During the late summer of 1915 Captain Aidan Liddell's gallant exploits filled many newspaper columns and he was feted as…
a national hero. Already decorated for bravery while serving with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, and it was as a pilot that he attracted national acclaim.Badly wounded over enemy occupied Belgium, Liddell lost consciousness as his two-seater RE5 aircraft was raked by machine gun fire, and plunged out of control towards the ground. Despite terrible injuries and the extensive damage to his machine, he somehow recovered from an inverted dive and flew on for a further half an hour to the safety of the Allied lines, so saving his observer and a valuable aircraft.For this action he was awarded the Victoria Cross, but did not live to receive Britain's highest gallantry award and succumbed to his wounds a month later. With a Smile and a Wave provides a vivid picture of the squalor and danger of war, the backbreaking hardship of trench life and of the challenges of pioneer air fighting. It draws extensively on Captain Liddell's own letters and diaries and exposes the character and courage of the man in his own often compelling and moving words. But it is a story not just of war, but of growing up in a devout and prosperous family, of a Jesuit education at Stonyhurst College, and of Edwardian Oxford before the Great War. It portrays the privileged lifestyle of the English country gentleman, and describes how a very close knit and patriotic family dealt with the adversity of war.An examination of the uses of explosive traps in a military context and the measures that have been taken to…
negate their effects and to neutralize them. War has always provided a stimulus to technological development, and throughout the twentieth century this new technology was harnessed to produce increasingly deadly and malicious types of explosives in the form of booby traps, mines, delayed-action devices and mobile charges. Designed, constructed or adopted to kill or injure, these lethal mechanisms function when a person disturbs or approaches a seemingly harmless object or performs an apparently safe act. In other instances they are set off by remote control or automatically after a lapse of time. Fully illustrated with diagrams and photographs, Malice Aforethought traces the design, deployment and effectiveness of these deadly devices throughout both world wars to the Vietnam War. Expertly and compellingly written, this unique study is a tribute to the brave men who risked their lives daily to neutralize the booby traps laid in the dimly lit dugouts of the Western Front, on the beaches of Normandy, or in the dark and dangerous tunnels of Chu Chi.Missing But Not Forgotten: Men of the Thiepval Memorial-Somme
By Ken Linge, Pam Linge. 2015
Stories offering insight into the lives of 200 of the 72,000 men who went missing in action at the Battle…
of the Somme in France during WWI.The Thiepval Memorial commemorates over 72,000 men who have no known grave; all went missing in the Somme sector during the three years of conflict that finally ended on 20 March 1918.The book is not a military history of the Battle of the Somme, it is about personal remembrance, and features over 200 fascinating stories of the men who fought and died and whose final resting places have not been identified. Countries within the UK are all well represented, as are the men whose roots were in the far-flung reaches of the Empire and even foreigners. The stories that lie behind each of the names carved into the memorials panels illustrate the various backgrounds and differing lives of these men. The diverse social mix of the men young and old, gentry to laborers, actors, artists, clergy, poets, sportsmen, writers, and more is something that stands out in the book. Despite their social differences, what is most apparent is the wide impact of the loss for over fifty widows, around 100 children left fatherless and over thirty families mourning more than one son. Ranks from private to lieutenant colonel are expertly covered, as well as all seven winners of the Victoria Cross.These captivating stories stand as remembrance for each man and to all the others on the memorial. They are meticulously organized so the book can be of use to visitors as they walk around the memorial; as a name is viewed, the story behind that name can be read.Praise for Missing but Not Forgotten“This book specifically explores what is known about the lives and service of 200 of those men. The men selected aptly represent the wide variety of those who fought in the epic conflict, from laborers to gentry, from humble Tommies to VC recipients. Photographs, diary entries and other accounts bring at least a few of the sobering ranks of names to life.” —Your Family HistoryBristol in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
By Jacqueline Wadsworth. 2014
When war was declared in 1914 the people of Bristol erupted in patriotic excitement - but what was it like…
when the cheering died down?This book tells the city's unique story during those grinding years, when women risked their lives filling shells with mustard gas, factories turned out chocolate and cigarettes for the troops, Shirehampton's fields were full of war horses, and Filton's nascent aeroplane industry took off. Also described are the lives of the women who waited at home for news of their men at the Front, the long shop queues and blackouts, the bone-shaking military vehicles that rumbled past their homes, and the kindness shown to the traumatized refugees from Belgium.Jacqueline Wadsworth's extensive research brings Bristol's story to life using contemporary accounts and high-quality photographs, many of which have never been published before.As seen in The Bristol Post, Western Daily Press and Gazette Series.This book makes five original documents relating to the work of Britain's Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) during the First…
World War readily available to students and historians. To enhance visual interest a large collection of photographs, many hitherto unpublished, has been added. Some of these relate directly to the aircraft and events mentioned in the documents, but others show developments before and after the periods covered. The five documents concerned are the Diary of Important Operations, Flanders, 1916; Disposition of Aircraft, 24 February, 1917; Royal Naval Air Service Communiques Nos 1 to 14; Truing-up of Aeroplanes: Issued by the Air Department on 1 September 1916; and The Grain drawings, a unique set of sketches and drawings made by a draughtsman at the RNAS seaplane repair station at Port Victoria, Isle of Grain, in Kent during the Great War.All of these documents offer an array of fascinating insight into Royal Naval Air Service practices during the Great War. Much of the content on display has never been printed before. This unique treasure trove of visual reference is sure to appeal to all serious First World War historians, students and enthusiasts.