Books at On Military Matters
Updated as of 12/05/2024
ABBREVIATIONS: dj-dust jacket, biblio-bibliography, b/w-black and white, illust-illustrations, b/c-book club addition.rct - recent arrival or pending publication, spc - OMM Special Price
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1-976000
OSPREY COMMAND SERIES
COMMAND series: $8 each or 3/21.00 |
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1-976027
Battistelli, Pier Paolo 027 Albert Kesselring
Although he is mostly remembered for his part in the campaign in Italy from 1943 to 1945, Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring was also chief of staff of the Luftwaffe in 1936-37, playing a crucial role in the shaping of the service for the coming war. As commander of Luftflotte 1 in Poland and Luftflotte 2 in France and the Low Countries, he was responsible for supporting the armoured spearheads of the German Army as they undertook their Blitzkrieg campaigns. With the Fall of France, the Battle of Britain began and Luftlotte 2 was the main force in the air attack against the British air defences, with Kesselring planning many raids. Following the war Kesselring was tried and convicted of war crimes following a number of massacres of civilians in Italy. He was sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment before being released on the grounds of ill health in October 1952. Here Pier Paolo Battistelli provides a detailed study of one of the most famous German commanders of World War II. |
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1-976013
Battistelli, Pier Paolo 013 HEINZ GUDERIAN
This book gives a focused, military biography of Heinz Guderian, perhaps the most highly respected tank commander of World War II. Guderian was a typical product of the Prussian military elite; the son of a general in the army, there was little doubt that he would follow in his father's footsteps. Some consider Guderian to be the founding father of blitzkrieg warfare, and he certainly brought the whole concept to public attention and prominence, chiefly through the publication of his book Achtung Panzer in 1937. He commanded the XIX (Motorized) Army Corps in the 1939 Polish campaign, and Panzergruppe Guderian during Operation Barbarossa. In March 1943 he became chief inspector of the Panzer forces, but even the great tank commander could achieve little more than to delay the inevitable defeat of Germany. 1 vol, 64 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976005
Battistelli, Pier Paolo 005 Erwin Rommel
Nicknamed 'The Desert Fox' for his cunning command of the Afrika Korps, Erwin Rommel remains one of the most popular and studied of Germany's World War II commanders. He got his first taste of combat in World War I, where his daring command earned him the Blue Max, Germany's highest decoration for bravery. He followed this up with numerous successes early in World War II in both Europe and Africa, before facing his biggest challenge - organizing the defense of France. Implicated in the plot to kill Hitler, Rommel chose suicide over a public trial. This book looks at the life of this daring soldier, focusing on his style of command and the tactical decisions that earned him his fearsome reputation 1 vol, 72 pgs
2010 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976008
Cowper, Marcus 008 Henry V
Immortalised in the plays of Shakespeare, Henry V is the most famous and celebrated of all England's medieval monarchs. Although his most famous battles and conquests took place in France, Henry, as was common amongst medieval aristocracy, was introduced to battle at an early age when he fought with his father, Henry IV, at the battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. |
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1-976020
Diamond, Jon 020 ORDE WINGATE
Orde Wingate rose to fame by creating the Chindits in Burma in 1943. He is an extremely important figure in military history, and deserves just as much attention as Alanbrooke, Montgomery, and Auchinleck. Unlike them, however, he always operated outside the accepted etiquette and the formal chain of command. He was a maverick and misfit, and he held to the belief that the type of mass warfare demonstrated on the Western Front (1914-18) had very little to do with the warfare of the future. He believed that the latter would require an 'indirect approach', in which heavily lumbering armies would be exquisitely vulnerable to small groups of highly motivated, mobile and well-armed guerrillas. |
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1-976028
Diamond, Jon 028 ARCHIBALD WAVELL
Archibald Wavell remains one of the great Allied commanders of the early phases of World War II. In fact, between June 1940 and June 1941, he was the only British theater commander actively engaging Axis forces. At a time when the British Expeditionary Force had been expelled from Europe, Wavell was conducting campaigns across nine countries and two continents. |
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1-976030
Erickson, Edward 030 Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
Mustafa Kemal was one of the 20th century's greatest combat commanders. Born in Salonika to a middle-class family, this book follows the life of a great commander who served in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-12 and the Balkan Wars of 1912-13 before taking command of the 19th Division based in Gallipoli during World War l. |
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1-976031
Erickson, Edward 031 ATTILA THE HUN
One of the most powerful men in late antiquity, Attila's peerless Hunnic empire stretched from the Ural mountains to the Rhine river. In a series of epic campaigns dating from the AD 430s until his death in AD 453, he ravaged first the Eastern and later the Western Roman Empire, invading Italy in AD 452 and threatening Rome itself. |
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1-976007
Field, Ron 007 Robert E. Lee
Beloved by his soldiers and respected by his enemies, Robert E. Lee is undoubtedly the most popular general in American history to fight on the losing side. This book takes an in-depth look at this southern gentleman as a strategist and a tactician, covering all of his most important victories and defeats. |
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1-976014
Field, Ron 014 GARIBALDI
This book looks closely at the life, military experiences, and key battlefield exploits of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Born on 4 July 1807 in the city of Nice, the turning point in his life occurred in April 1833 when he met Giovanni Battista Cuneo, a member of the secret movement known as 'Young Italy'. Joining this society, Garibaldi took an oath dedicating his life to the struggle for the liberation of his homeland from Austrian dominance. The subsequent years would see him fighting in Brazil, in the Uruguayan Civil War, and on the Italian peninsula. Between 1848 and 1870, Garibaldi and his men were involved in a prolonged struggle that eventually led to the final unification of Italy in 1870. 1 vol, 64 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976004
Fields, Nic 004 Julius Caesar
One of the greatest military commanders in history, Julius Caesar's most famous victory -- the conquest of Gaul -- was to him little more than a stepping stone to power. An audacious and decisive general, his victories over the Gauls allowed him to challenge for the political leadership of Rome. Leading a single legion across the Rubicon in 49 BC, Caesar launched a civil war which would end the Roman Republic and usher in the Roman Empire, with Caesar at its helm. This examination of the great general's life covers his great victories and few defeats, looking at the factors which lay behind his military genius. |
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1-976023
Fields, Nic 023 POMPEY
Pompey, or Pompey the Great, was one of the best military leaders of the late Roman Republic. His campaigns against the Marians, his battles in Hispania and his defeat of the Mediterranean pirates launched him to political stardom where he became an ally of Julius Caesar and a member of the First Triumvirate. However, an alliance between two such ambitious figures could not last, and the two became bitter rivals as the Republic descended into civil war. This book tells the complete story of Pompey as a military commander, pulling him out from the shadows of Julius Caesar's writings and examining him and his campaigns on their own merits. 1 vol, 64 pgs
2012 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976011
Fields, Nic illust by Peter Dennis 011 Hannibal
By the end of the First Punic War, the Romans had reduced the capital city of the Carthaginian Empire to a heap of ashes and destroyed its culture. However in 219 BC Hannibal, the eldest son of the charismatic general Hamilcar Barca, began the Second Punic War and was so successful that he threatened to destroy Roman power completely. Hannibal was a cool, thoughtful general, and can arguably be described as the greatest general of antiquity. His genius rested on a mixture of bluff, double bluff, and an ability to use all troop types to their best advantage. The battle of Cannae remains a chef-d'oeuvre to which generations of subsequent generals have aspired. 1 vol, 64 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976015
Forczyk, Robert 015 WALTHER MODEL
This volume details the military career and accomplishments of Walther Model, the youngest Generalfeldmarschall in the Wehrmacht in World War II and Hitler's favorite commander. Model was a tough and tenacious commander, particularly when on the defensive, and his career rise was virtually unprecedented in German military history. Model really made his mark late in the war, when time was already running out for the Third Reich, but time and again he was rushed from one crumbling front to the next and succeeded in temporarily restoring the situation. Above all, Model deserves recognition as one of the great defensive commanders of modern military history. 1 vol, 64 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976002
Forczyk, Robert illust by Adam Hook 002 Erich von Manstein
Erich von Manstein was one of the most successful German commanders of World War II. His military mind proved outstanding in many a conflict but perhaps his greatest triumph was his ingenious operational plan that led to the rapid defeat of France in May 1940. Manstein also showed great skill under adversity by commanding a furious rebuff to the Soviet armies in 1943, whilst Germany were retreating. 1 vol, 72 pgs
2010 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976001
Fremnont-Barnes, Gregory illust by Peter Dennis 001 Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte is renowned as one of the great military commanders in history, and the central figure in so many of the events of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. 1 vol, 72 pgs
2010 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976016
Konstam, Angus 016 HORATIO NELSON
The most famous admiral in history, Horatio Nelson's string of naval victories helped secure Britain's place as the world's dominant maritime power, a position she held for more than a century after Nelson's death. A young officer during the American Revolution, Nelson rose to prominence during Britain's war with Revolutionary France, becoming a hero at the battle of Cape St. Vincent. He went on to win massive victories at the Nile and Copenhagen, before leading the British to their historic victory at Trafalgar in 1805. But, in that moment of his greatest glory, Nelson was struck down by a French sharpshooter. Today Nelson is revered as an almost mythical figure - a naval genius and a national hero. He was also a deeply flawed individual whose vanity, ego and private life all threatened to overshadow his immense abilities. This book reveals the real Nelson. 1 vol, 64 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976021
Lardas, Mark 021 George Washington
Despite his lack of formal military training, George Washington may be one of history's must underrated commanders. Building an army virtually from scratch, he defeated the preeminent military power of his day. Although, he made mistakes, especially early in the war when he composed over-complicated plans that proved beyond the ability of his army to fulfill, he learned from them. He learned how to utilize the strength of his army and strike where the British were weakest, most notably in his famous surprise attacks on Trenton and Princeton after crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night. However, Washington's true legacy comes from his actions at the end of the war. His ability to walk away from the battlefield, sheath his sword, and willingly relinquish the reigns of power made him truly great. 1 vol, 64 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976029
Lardas, MArk 029 ULYSSES S. GRANT
Ulysses Grant was his country's greatest general since George Washington. Like Washington, Grant's battlefield performance was the only factor standing between the United States continuing as one, indivisible nation. Grant was the keystone of Union victory, a man whose removal would have resulted in the Union cause crumbling into defeat - and the United States dissolving into a collection of competing sovereign states. It was not always so clear cut. |
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1-976017
Lyman, Robert 017 BILL SLIM
'Bill' Slim was one of the greatest British generals of World War II. In a career that stretched from 1914 until 1958, his greatest triumphs came in WWII against the Japanese, retreating from Burma and then turning for victory in India. Slim also left a legacy of training and morale building that endures in the British Army to this day. This book examines his military career and his place in military history by examining his strategies, tactics, and some of his greatest battles. 1 vol, 64 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976009
Moreman, Tim 009 Bernard Montgomery
This Osprey Command title looks closely at the early life, military experiences and key battlefield exploits of Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, first Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (1887-1976), perhaps the best-known, most highly respected and most controversial British general of World War II. Monty's reputation was made while in command in North Africa, in the Mediterranean and then North-West Europe. Arguably his best-known achievement was rebuilding a dispirited and defeated Eighth Army and inflicting a decisive defeat on Rommel at El Alamein. Montgomery's style and exercise of command and his personal reputation were largely shaped by his highly driven, but often difficult and enigmatic personality. He made an incalculable contribution to the Allied victory in Europe, and his leadership had played a crucial role in transforming the British Army into a war-winning weapon. |
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1-976019
Murphy. David 018 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
Thomas Edward Lawrence, more popularly known as Lawrence of Arabia, is remembered today more for being immortalized on stage and screen rather than for his dramatic exploits in the Middle East during the World War I. This book shines a light on his military achievements, his major campaigns, and the impact that his influence had on shaping the war in the Middle East. Lawrence quickly rose to prominence following the outbreak of the Arab Revolt in 1916. His skills in Arab languages helped him coordinate Navy support in an effort to regain captured coastal ports, whilst gathering widespread local support and building up the Arab Northern Army. He pioneered new tactics, which would shape British strategy four decades later, recognizing the importance of aircraft, mobile artillery, and armor in desert warfare. In two short years, the obscure staff officer had attained the rank of full colonel and helped to shape the outcome of the war in the Middle East. 1 vol, 64 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976012
Nicolle, David illust by Peter Dennis 012 SALADIN
This Osprey Command book looks closely at the early life, military experiences, and key battlefield exploits of Al-Malik al-Nasir Yusuf Ibn Najm al-Din Ayyub Ibn Shahdi Abu'l-Muzaffar Salah al-Din - or Saladin as he is more commonly known outside the Islamic world - who is broadly regarded as the greatest hero of the Crusades, even in Europe. Most chroniclers present him as a man of outstanding virtue, courage, and political skill. More recently, however, efforts have been made to portray Saladin as an ambitious, ruthless, and even devious politician, and as a less brilliant commander than is normally thought. This book sets out to reveal that the truth is, as usual, somewhere in between. 1 vol, 64 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976026
Stille, Mark 026 YAMAMOTO ISOROKU
Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku was the defining Japanese naval commander of World War II. Yamamoto's career in the Imperial Japanese Navy started in the early years of the 20th century and he saw service in the Russo-Japanese War, being wounded in the battle of Tsushima in 1904. He went on to study at Harvard University and serve as a naval attache in the inter-war years, an experience that was to give him a unique insight into the American psyche. |
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1-976006
Turnbull, S 006 Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Arguably the greatest military commander in the history of the samurai, Toyotomi Hideyoshi rose from the ranks of the peasantry to rule over all Japan. A student of the great unifier Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi would later avenge the murder of his master at the battle of Yamazaki. After consolidating his position, Hideyoshi went on the offensive, conquering the southern island of Kyushu in 1587 and defeating the Hojo in 1590. By 1591, he had accomplished the reunification of Japan. This book looks at the complete story of Hideyoshi's military accomplishments, from his days as a tactical leader to his domination of the Japanese nation. |
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1-976024
Turnbull, Stephen 024 TOKUGAWA IEYASU
Towards the end of the 16th century three outstanding commanders brought Japan's century of civil wars to an end, but it was Tokugawa Leyasu who was to ensure a lasting peace. In terms of his strategic and political achievements Leyasu ranks as Japan's greatest samurai commander. Leyasu possessed the rare wisdom of knowing who should be an ally and who was an enemy, a key skill for a successful military leader. Leyasu's crowning victory at Sekigahara depended on the defection to his side of Kobayakawa Hideaki, and the absence from the scene of Ieyasu's son Hidetada serves to illustrate how just once there was a failure in Ieyasu's otherwise classic strategic vision. To establish his family as the ruling clan in Japan for the next two and a half centuries was abundant proof of his true greatness. 1 vol, 64 pgs
2012 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976025
Zalaoga, Steven 025 OMAR BRADLEY
General Omar Bradley was the premier US Army tactical commander in the European Theater of Operations in 1944-45. A West Point classmate of Dwight Eisenhower, Bradley was the quintessential US field commander of World War II, elevated to high command with little combat experience but a solid track record as a skilled planner and organizer. He was part of a small cadre of highly skilled young officers groomed for higher command in the austere and bankrupt 1930s. |
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1-976003
Zaloga, Steven 003 George S Patton
George S. Patton Jr. was the iconic American field commander of World War II, and widely regarded as the US Army's finest practitioner of mechanized warfare. This title examines Patton's colorful life and leadership in three wars, with a concentration on his command in World War II. Despite his ability, Patton was thoroughly reviled by most GIs, partly due to his insistence on traditional military discipline in the ranks, but also because of his unwillingness to pander to the growing power of the press. This combination of ability and controversy have combined to make him one of the most interesting figures in American military 1 vol, 72 pgs
2010 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-976032
Zaloga, Steven 032 Gustaf Mannerheim
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim is a legendary figure, whose life and career were deeply influential in Finnish and European history. He is viewed by many as the father of modern Finland after leading the 'White' faction to victory and independence in the Finnish Civil War of 1918. He then commanded his country's forces in a sequence of bitter clashes in the ice and snow, in the build-up to, and during, World War II: the Winter War in 1939-40, the Continuation War in 1941-44 and the Lapland War in 1944-45. |
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1-976018
Zaologa, steven 018 EISENHOWER
Dwight Eisenhower represented a fundamentally new type of modern military commander, the manager commander, whose grasp of the politics and large-scale tactics of battle were uniquely suited to leading the huge coalition of forces that fought in Europe during World War II. Educated at West Point, Eisenhower rose to his position as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force through a series of powerful contacts and his natural aptitude for leadership and large scale tactical planning. This book analyses how Eisenhower's tactics and political astuteness helped him successfully lead the invasion of Europe, how he coaxed contradictory parties into supporting his policies, and how he triumphed in his now infamous clash with Montgomery. Uniquely, the author goes on to describe how Eisenhower's military influence continued when he became President, as his leadership and vision were tested by the outbreak of the Cold War. 1 vol, 64 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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