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
Raids | |
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1-977000
OSPREY WARRIOR SERIES
RAID series: $10.00 each or 3/24 |
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1-977001
001 RANGERS LEAD THE WAY-Pointe du Hoc D-Day 1940
1 vol, 72 pgs
2009 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977002
002 ISRAEL'S LIGHTING STRIKE-Raid on Entebbe 1976
1 vol, 72 pgs
2009 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977003
003 THE CABANATUAN PRISON RAID-Philippines 1945
1 vol, 72 pgs
2009 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977004
004 THE SAS AND THE IRANIAN EMBASSY SIEGE 1980
1 vol, 72 pgs
2009 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977005
005 THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE:Andrews Raid 1862
Union forces planned to steal a train and travel at high speed to Chattanooga, Tennessee, disabling the lines as they went. 1 vol, 72 pgs
2009 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977006
006 THE SAMURAI CAPTURE A KING:Okinawa 1609
A brilliant but little-known operation, the Shimaz clan raid on the independent kingdom of Ryukyu (modern Okinawa) in 1609. A fascinating tale. 1 vol, 72 pgs
2009 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977008
008 THE COCKLESHELL RAID-Bordeaux 1942
On the night of December 7, 1942, five canoes were launched with a pair of British commandos tasked with slipping into Bordeaux and destroying as many ships as possible. A rousing tale. 1 vol, 72 pgs
2010 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977009
009 Rescuing Mussolini-Gran Sasso 1943
1 vol, 72 pgs
2010 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977010
010 Certain Death in Sierra Leone
SAS and Operation Barras 2000 1 vol, 72 pgs
2010 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977018
Castle, Ian 018 THE ZEPPELIN BASE RAIDS: Germany 1914
In the summer of 1914, as Europe teetered on the brink of war, the specter of immediate Zeppelin raids on London and other major British towns and cities loomed large. When Winston Churchill accepted responsibility for the defense of London, he realized that Zeppelins were most vulnerable when on the ground. Despite limited resources, he believed that attack was the best form of defense. In the final four months of 1914, the RNAS launched four separate air attacks on Zeppelin bases in Germany: Dusseldorf/Cologne twice, Friedrichshafen, and Cuxhaven. Author Ian Castle presents the full story of Britain's first strategic bombing campaign and the results it achieved. 1 vol, 72 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977046
Chartdand, Rene 046 Montcalm's Crushing Blow - French and Indian Raids along New York's Oswego River 1756
The year 1755 saw the rivalry between Britain and France in North America escalate into open warfare as both sides sought to overcome the other's forts and trading posts. Lord Loudoun and the Marquis de Montcalm were sent out to lead their forces and Montcalm was soon tasked with capturing the formidable Anglo-American post at Oswego. Montcalm's 3,000-strong force surrounded the forts at Oswego and soon forced the defenders to surrender - an outstanding French success. Featuring specially commissioned full colour artwork, expert analysis, and lively narrative, this engaging study casts light on a daring feat of arms at the height of the French and Indian War |
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1-977027
Chartrand, Rene 027 TOMAHAWK AND MUSKET: French and Indian Raids in the Ohio Valley 1758
In 1758, at the height of the French and Indian War, British Brigadier General John Forbes led his army on a methodical advance against Fort Duquesene, French headquarters in the Ohio valley. As his army closed in upon the fort, he sent Major Grant of the 77th Highlanders and 850 men on a reconnaissance in force against the fort. The French, alerted to this move, launched their own counter-raid. 500 French and Canadians, backed by 500 Indian allies, ambushed the highlanders and sent them fleeing back to the main army. With the success of that operation, the French planed their own raid against the English encampment at Fort Ligonier under less than fifty miles away. With only 600 men, against an enemy strength of 4,000, he ordered a daring night attack on the heart of the enemy encampment. This book tells the complete story of these ambitious raids and counter-raids, giving in-depth detail on the forces, terrain, and tactics. 1 vol, 80 pgs
2012 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977034
Chartrand, Rene 034 Oldest Allies - Alcantara 1809
Although somewhat overshadowed by Wellington's main campaign in the north, the Alcantara raid was an outstanding success. The primary objective of alarming and distracting the French forces in Spain was achieved. Furthermore, the raiders also succeeded in preventing a French incursion into Portugal and tied down one of Napoleon's best marshals. There were further raids to come, but the 1809 Alcantara raid delivered a strong, permanent message: that the Anglo-Portuguese were willing and able to strike back against the French, and that they would support their Spanish allies as much as they were able. 1 vol, 80 pgs
2012 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977024
Chun, Clayton 024 THE LAST BOARDING PARTY: The USMC and the SS Mayaguez 1975
Just two weeks after the close of the Vietnam War, communist Cambodian Khmer Rouge elements seized the S.S. Mayaguez in international waters. Believing they had to act quickly, United States Marines boarded the ship, only to find the crew had been removed. They then launched an assault on a nearby island where they believed the crew had been taken. Instead of a quick strike against a limited foe, the Marines encountered major opposition and were quickly pinned down. With large numbers of Cambodians closing in all around, the a desperate firefight developed as US forces tried to extract the Marines. This book recounts the bloody struggle on Koh Tang island, as a badly botched hostage rescue turned into a desperate evacuation. 1 vol, 80 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977031
Chun, Clayton 031 GOTHIC SERPENT: Black Hawk Down Mogadishu 1993
This book tells the story of Task Force Ranger - a unit of US Rangers and Special Forces - and their attempt to capture the lieutenants of the Somali warlord Muhamed Farrah Aideed, during the 1993 United Nations' humanitarian relief mission. What started as a simple snatch-and-grab mission quickly degenerated into a desperate battle for survival when US Black Hawk helicopters were struck by rocket-propelled grenades and crashed into the streets of Mogadishu. |
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1-977016
Dildy, Doug 016 Dambusters - Operation Chastise 1943
In May 1943, a specially established RAF squadron made its permanent imprint on military aviation history by flying a high-risk, low level, nighttime attack against German hydro-electric dams vital to the Nazi armaments industry in the Ruhr Valley. A comparatively tiny part of Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris' four-month-long 'Battle of the Ruhr' this one raid had an impact totally out of proportion to the small number of aircraft involved. It highlights the synergy of science and technology, weapons development and production, mission planning and practice, and the unflinching courage in the execution of a highly dangerous bombing raid. Furthermore, it established a legend that still resonates today. 1 vol, 72 pgs
2010 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977036
Field, Ron 036 AVENGING ANGEL: John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry 1859
The Harpers Ferry raid confirmed for many Southerners the existence of a widespread Northern plot against slavery. In fact, Brown had raised funds for his raid from Northern abolitionists. To arm the slaves, he ordered one thousand pikes from a Connecticut manufacturer. Letters to Governor Wise betrayed the mixed feelings people held for Brown. For some, he was simply insane and should not be hanged. For others, he was a martyr to the cause of abolition, and his quick trial and execution reflected the fear and arrogance of the Virginia slave-owning aristocracy. |
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1-977030
Forczyk, Robert 030 RED CHRISTMAS: The Tatsinskaya Airfield Raid 1942
By December 1942, the Soviets had surrounded the German 6th Army in Stalingrad, cutting off all lines of supply except through the air. Seeking to sever this last German lifeline, Soviet Command decided to launch a raid with the entire 24th Tank Corps to seize the airfield at Tatsinskaya, the primary operating base for the German airlift efforts. On 17 December, the 24th Tank Corps advanced toward Tatsinskaya, seizing the airfield on Christmas Eve. |
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1-977013
Ford, Ken 013 The Bruneval Raid - Operation Biting 1942
In the darkest days of World War II, the British planned a daring airborne operation to capture the secret of the new German radar. Lead by Major John Frost, a company of paratroopers dropped into Bruneval on the French coast, and quickly neutralized a small German garrison. Then began a desperate fight for time as the British tried to dismantle the German radar and evacuate back to England, as ever more German units converged on their position. Using artwork, photographs, and detailed maps, this action-packed narrative puts the reader in the planning room and on the battlefield of one of the greatest raids of World War II. 1 vol, 72 pgs
2010 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977021
Ford, Ken 021 OPERATION ARCHERY: The Commandos and the Vaagso Raid 1941
Operation Archery, the raid on Vaagso and Maaloy in Norway on 27 December 1941, was the first true combined operation carried out by British forces involving the Army, Royal Navy, and the Royal Air Force. The Islands of Vaagso and Maaloy on the Norwegian coast between Bergen and Trondheim, were selected because they offered a perfect opportunity to damage German installations and morale. Mountbatten, the new head of Combined Operations, hoped to eliminate the local garrison, destroy the fish oil factories and sink enemy shipping. The raiding force consisted of No. 3 Commando, two troops of No. 2 Commando, a medical detachment from No. 4 Commando, and a Royal Norwegian Army detachment totaling 51 officers and 525 men. To support the amphibious raid was a flotilla of warships and low-level bomb attacks by the RAF. The raid was launched on Christmas Day 1941, taking the German defenders entirely by surprise. German resistance was stiff, however, and a fierce firefight ensued. Relive the nail-biting action of one of the great raids of World War II in this exciting book, packed with maps and photographs. |
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1-977028
Ford, Ken 028 RUN THE GAUNTLET: The Channel Dash 1942
In February 1942, three of the major ships of the German surface fleet - the battle-cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen - stormed out of the harbour at Brest on a dramatic voyage back to Germany. Passing through the straights of Dover, the ships faced everything the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy could throw at them. In a dramatic running fight, the ships managed to sail right under the nose of history's greatest maritime nation to reach the safety of Germany. |
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1-977029
Ford, Ken 029 THE HUNT FOR PANCHO VILLA: The Columbus Raid and Pershing's Punitive Expedition 1916-17
On March 9, 1916, troops under the command of Pancho Villa attacked Columbus, New Mexico and its local detachment of the US 13th Cavalry Regiment, killing 18 people and burning the town. Six days later, on orders from President Woodrow Wilson, General John J. 'Black Jack' Pershing led an expeditionary force of 4,800 men into Mexico to capture Villa. |
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1-977011
Fowler, Will 011 Pegasus Bridge - Benouville D-Day 1944
The night before D-Day, light infantry and a detachment of Royal Engineers landed by gliders at Pegasus Bridge, which spanned the Caen Canal. Quickly overwhelming the guards, they managed to hold the bridge and help prevent German reinforcements from reaching the British landing beaches. Will Fowler provides a detailed blow-by-blow account of this classic wartime raid. |
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1-977054
Galeotti, Amrk 054 STORM-333: KGB and Spetsnaz seize Kabul, Soviet-Afghan War 1979
Storm-333, the operation to seize Kabul and assassinate Afghan leader Hafizullah Amin, was at once a textbook success and the start of a terrible blunder. It heralded the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, an operation intended to be a short, largely symbolic show of force, yet which quickly devolved into a gritty ten-year counter-insurgency that Moscow was never able to win. |
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1-977059
Galeotti, Mark 059 PUTIN TAKES CRIMEA 2014: Grey-Zone Warfare Opens the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 was almost bloodless - fought as much through propaganda, cyberattacks, and subversion as by force of arms - but it is crucial for our understanding of both modern warfare and recent Russian history. Ironically, this slick triumph eventually led to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the largest and costliest conventional war in Europe since 1945. Examines how Russia developed its new model of 'hybrid' or 'grey-zone' warfare, and planned and deployed it against Crimea, from the choreographed appearance of 'spontaneous' protesters through to the deployment of unbadged Russian elite forces. 1 vol, 80 pgs
2023 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977015
Greentree, David 015 A FAR FLUNG GAMBLE - HAVANA 1762
At the height of the Seven Years' War, Great Britain made an audacious strike at the heart of Spanish colonial power in the Caribbean. Gathering troops from bases in Britain and Canada and sailing across the Atlantic in secrecy was an incredible feat. The raid on Havana took Spanish colonial forces completely by surprise and following vicious fighting, the city defences at El Moro collapsed. Havana, the jewel in the Spanish colonial crown, now belonged to Britain. The success of the raid influenced British military policy for centuries as the true potential off amphibious warfare was realized. |
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1-977032
Greentree, David 032 Knight's Move - The Hunt for Marshal Tito 1944
On 25 May 1944, 800 men of the 500th SS Parachute Battalion descended on Drvar, a town behind enemy lines in north-western Bosnia. Their aim was to kill or capture Tito, the leader of the partisan movement in the region. The plan was to land the battalion by glider and parachute in two waves which would be relieved the next day by a ground assault. Tito knew an attack was imminent but dismissed the idea of an airborne assault. The attempt to eliminate Tito was a colossal failure. The elite battalion had been decimated, with only 200 men fit for duty the next day. Inter-agency rivalry between the Abwehr and the SS had meant that intelligence was not shared, a problem exacerbated by a failure to exploit HUMINT about Tito's precise location and the adoption of a plan that did not take into account these intelligence limitations. |
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1-977050
Greentree, David 050 HEROES OF TELEMARK: Sabotaging Hitler's Atomic Bomb Norway 1942-44
In May 1941, the Norwegian Section of SOE received a dossier warning of the dangers of a hydroelectric fertilizer plant in Norway. Vemork produced heavy water, an essential part of making plutonium for nuclear weapons. When the Germans overran Norway the entire stock had been smuggled out of the country, but the plant was intact and soon producing heavy water again, destined for the German nuclear program. |
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1-977047
Higgins, David 047 BEHIND SOVIET LINES: Hitler's Brandenburgers Capture the Maikop Oilfields 1942
In the summer of 1942, following the invasion of Russia the previous year, Hitler's 'Brandenburger' commando units undertook a daring operation deep inside Soviet-held territory. Disguised as members of Stalin's NKVD, the secret police dreaded by most Soviet citizens and soldiers, the Brandenburgers passed unsuspected past the Red Army's checkpoints, before launching their surprise operation to seize the vital Soviet oil facilities around Maikop - delivering them intact into Nazi hands. |
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1-977042
Higgins, David R 042 THE SWAMP FOX: Francis Marion's Campaign in the Carolinas 1780
The American Revolution was deadlocked in the north, and in 1778, the focus of the conflict shifted south. Following his decisive 1780 victory at Charleston, Cornwallis launched a campaign through the Carolinas that was designed to expel American Continental and militia forces from the south. The subsequent patriot victory at King's Mountain forced Cornwallis to withdraw into South Carolina in what was one of the turning points in the Revolutionary War. |
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1-977033
Konstam, Angus 033 U-47 in Scapa Flow - The Sinking of HMS Royal Oak 1939
At the outset of World War II, Scapa Flow was supposed to be the safe home base of the British Navy - nothing could penetrate the defences of this bastion. So how, in the dead of night, was Gunther Prien's U-47 able to slip through the line of protective warships to sink the mighty Royal Oak? This book provides the answer with an account of one of the most daring naval raids in history. |
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1-977037
Konstam, Angus 037 BLACKBEARD'S LAST FIGHT: Pirate Hunting in North Carolina 1718
In April 1713 the War of the Spanish Succession came to an end. During the conflict hundreds of privateers - licensed pirates - preyed on enemy shipping throughout the Caribbean. These privateers now found themselves out of a job, and many turned to piracy. |
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1-977051
Konstam, Angus 051 TIRPITZ IN NORWAY: X-craft Midget Submarines Raid the Fjords, Operation Source 1943
In September 1943, under the cover of darkness, six British midget submarines crept into the heart of enemy territory, penetrating a heavily guarded Norwegian fjord in an attempt to eliminate the threat of the powerful German battleship, the Tirpitz. Numerous previous attempts to attack the ship from both air and sea had failed, and this mission was carefully organized, and undertaken by skilled operatives who had undergone extensive training in an isolated sea loch. |
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1-977055
Konstam, Angus 055 BIG GUNS IN THE ATLANTIC: Germany's Battleships and Cruisers Raid the Convoys 1939-41
At the outbreak of World War II the German Kriegsmarine still had a relatively small U-boat arm. To reach Britain's convoy routes in the North Atlantic, these boats had to pass around the top of the British Isles - a long and dangerous voyage to their 'hunting grounds.' Germany's larger surface warships were much better suited to this kind of long-range operation. So, during late 1939 the armored cruiser Deutschland, and later the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were used as commerce raiders, to strike at Allied convoys in the North Atlantic. These sorties met with mixed results, but for Germany's naval high command they showed that this kind of operation had potential. Then, the fall of France, Denmark, and Norway in early 1940 dramatically altered the strategic situation. The Atlantic was now far easier to reach and to escape from. |
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1-977017
Konstam, Angus illust by Peter Dennis 017 The Great Expedition - Sir Francis Drake on the Spanish Main 1585-86
In 1585, the English launched a pre-emptive strike against Spain, by attacking her New World colonies. Led by Sir Francis Drake, in command of 21 ships and 1,800 soldiers, the expedition struck first at the Canary Islands, then attacked the city of Santo Domingo and the treasure port of Cartagena. Frequently outnumbered, Drake's soldiers won an series of spectacular victories and, laden with treasure, sailed home to a hero's welcome. |
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1-977012
Lardas, Mark 012 Roughshod Through Dixie - Grierson's Raid 1863
On April 17, 1863 Benjamin Grierson led a force of 1,700 Union cavalrymen across enemy lines into Confederate-held Tennessee in a bold diversionary raid. Over the next seventeen days, Grierson's horsemen caused havoc by destroying railroad lines, attacking outposts, burning military stores and fighting numerous small actions, before breaking back through the lines at Baton Rouge. The raid was a tremendous success, not only by virtue of the destruction it caused, but also because the Confederates were forced to divert thousands of troops away from the front lines during General Grant's critical Vicksburg offensive. This book tells the complete story of one of the most daring Union raids of the war. |
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1-977058
Lardas, Mark 058 THE CAPTURE OF U-505: The US Navy's Controversial Enigma Raid, Atlantic Ocean 1944
Analyses Capt. Gallery's dangerous strategy to capture scuttled U-boats. Instead of attempting to sink the next U-boat that surfaced among them, a destroyer escort would send off its whaleboat. Everyone else was to smother the U-boat with light gunfire to encourage its crew to abandon quickly. Unaware that the Allies had already cracked the German's codes and the capture of a U-boat could endanger that secret, Gallery hoped to capture the vessel's codes and coding equipment to read U-boat message traffic. |
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1-977022
Lardas. Mark 022 DECATUR'S BOLD AND DARING ACT: The Philadelphia in Tripoli 1804
On a dark night in 1804, Lt. Stephen Decatur and a team of hand-picked men slipped into Tripoli harbor in a small boat. Their target was the USS Philadelphia. Captured by the Barbary pirates four months previously, the Philadelphia had been refitted to fight against her former masters. Decatur's mission was to either recapture the ship, or failing that, burn her to the waterline. This book recounts one of the greatest raids in American military history, an event that propelled Stephen Decatur to international renown, and which prompted Horatio Nelson to declare it 'the most bold and daring act of the age.' 1 vol, 80 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977057
Lyman, Robert 057 OPERATION JERICHO: Freeing the French Resistance from Gestapo Jail - Amiens 1944
Operation Jericho was the spectacular WWII prison break staged by an elite group of British, Australian, and New Zealand bomber pilots, who flew a daring low-level mission to blow holes in the walls of Amiens jail and free French Resistance prisoners under the sentence of death. Uses first-hand accounts, explanatory 3D diagrams, and dramatic original artwork, to explain how one of the most difficult and spectacular air raids of World War II was pulled off. Debunks some of the myths over why the raid was ordered in the first place. |
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1-977035
McLachian, Sean 035 THE LAST RIDE OF THE JAMES-YOUNGER GANG: Jesse James and the Northfield Raid 1876
It was the beginning of the end for the James gang. Over the past ten years, Frank and Jesse James had gone from unknown ex-Confederate guerrillas to the most famous outlaws in the world. A string of daring robberies of banks, trains, and stagecoaches had brought them fame, admiration, hatred, and a surprisingly small amount of wealth. |
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1-977025
McLachlan, Sean 025 Ride Around Missouri: Shelby's Great Raid 1863
In July 1863, with the Confederacy still reeling from the defeats at Vicksburg and Gettysburg, Union forces pushed deep into Arkansas, capturing the capital of Little Rock. In response, Colonel Joseph O. Shelby launched a daring raid to disrupt the advance. Taking 600 men and a section of light artillery, he slipped behind enemy lines. Moving by night to confuse the enemy, Shelby captured a series of small outposts, collecting weapons and recruits as he went. As they continued their ride, the rebels tore up railroad tracks, burned bridges, and cut telegraph lines. Despite these successes, the Union troops slowly closed in on the raiders. Shelby fought a series of bitter skirmishes, until he found himself surrounded. Unwilling to surrender, Shelby led a charge through the Federal lines, bursting out into the open country and onto the road back to the Confederacy. While the results of this raid are still debated by historians, no one has ever doubted its boldness, and west of the Mississippi it became common to boast, 'You've heard of Jeb Stuart's ride around McClellan? Hell, brother, Jo Shelby rode around MISSOURI!' 1 vol, 72 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977041
McLachlan, Sean 041 TOMBSTONE: Wyatt Earp, the O.K. Corral, and the Vendetta Ride 1881-82
The Gunfight at the OK Corral on 26 October 1881 is one of the most enduring stories of the Old West. It led to a series of violent incidents that culminated in the Vendetta Ride, in which Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and several other gunslingers went after their rivals the Cowboys. Like most tales of the Wild West, the facts are buried under layers of myth, and the line between good guys and bad guys is blurry. |
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1-977019
McNab, Chris 019 STORMING FLIGHT 181: GSG 9 and the Mogadishu Hijack 1977
In 1977, Lufthansa flight 181 was hijacked by terrorists and flown to Mogadishu, Somalia. There, members of the German special missions group, GSG 9, assisted by two SAS advisors, stormed the plane, killing three of the terrorists and wounding the fourth, while avoiding any major harm to the hostages. This book details the backgrounds of both GSG 9 and the hijackers and offers a detailed analysis of the planning and execution of the mission, code-named Operation Feuerzauber (Fire Magic) one of the most audacious special forces operations of modern times. 1 vol, 80 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977038
McNab, Chris 038 FALL OF EBEN EMAEL: Belgium 1940
In early May 1940, the fortress of Eben Emael was a potent sentinel over the Belgian-Dutch borderlands. The fortress covered 75 hectares (185 acres) on the surface, had 5km of tunnels underground and was studded with bunkers, gun turrets and casemates. Add a garrison of 1,200 men and the natural protection of 60m-high canal walls, and Eben Emael gave the impression of near-impregnability. |
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1-977043
Mortimer, Gavin 043 KILL ROMMEL! Operation Flipper 1941
In November 1941, a small party of British Commandos landed by submarine in Libya, tasked with the assassination of General Erwin Rommel, commander of the German forces in North Africa, who was believed to be staying in a villa near the coast. Three men - Lt-Col Geoffrey Keyes, Capt Robin Campbell and Sgt Jack Terry - stormed the villa, but the German general was nowhere to be found. |
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1-977049
Mortimer, Gavin 049 STIRLING'S DESERT TRIUMPH: The SAS Egyptian Airfield Raids 1942
The night of July 26, 1942 saw one of the most audacious raids of World War II, just as the outcome of that conflict hung in the balance. |
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1-977039
Neville. Leigh 039 TAKUR GHAR - The SEALs and Rangers on Roberts Ridge, Afghanistan 2002
On March 4, 2002, a team of SEALs was choppered onto a hostile Afghan mountain peak as part of Operation Anaconda. The largest operation by US forces since Vietnam, it was intended to bring to battle foreign al-Qaeda fighters who had fled after the overthrow of the Taliban and the battle of Tora Bora. But when their special ops Chinook was hit by RPGs, it marked the beginning of the SEALs' epic day-long battle for survival, which involved Coalition special forces, gunships and Predators in a 17-hour firefight against the al-Qaeda guerrillas. 1 vol, 80 pgs
2013 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977020
Nicolle, David 020 THE GREAT CHEVAUCHEE: John of Gaunt's Raid on France 1373
In 1373, John of Gaunt set off from Calais on a great raid to strike at the heart of France. Driven by the high ideals of chivalry,the raiders left with epic pageantry. However, the reality soon overwhelmed the raiders. Beset on all sides by French ambushes and plagued by disease and starvation, the raiders battled their way through Champagne, east of Paris, into Burgundy, across the Massif Central and finally down into the Dordogne. Unable to attack any major fortifications, John of Gaunt's men plundered the countryside, raiding towns and villages, weakening the French infrastructure. While the military value of the raid is debatable, the English knights who finally made it home were hailed as heroes. This book charts the course of the raid from beginning to end, studying all the battles and skirmishes the raiders fought along the way in this bloody example of chivalric warfare. 1 vol, 80 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977045
Panzeri, Pete 045 Killing Bin Laden - Operation Neptune Spear 2011
On May 2, 2011 a ten-year manhunt drew to a deadly end as the men of the US Naval Special Warfare Development Group (a.k.a. SEAL Team Six) closed in on their prey, Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind of the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. Flown from Afghanistan by Army Special Operations Command's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) and evading detection by the Pakistani military, two US helicopters flew towards the compound where they believed Bin Laden to be. Forty minutes later one helicopter had crashed and five people were dead, including the al-Qaeda leader. In this book the story of the raid is told, from start to finish, using specially commissioned full-colour artwork, photographs, and maps. The operation, codenamed Neptune Spear, is expertly analyzed and the events are told in a concise and clear account of its build-up, execution, and aftermath, demonstrating the skill and courage of the men who carried it out. |
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1-977007
Prince, Stephen 007 The Blocking of Zeebrugge - Operation Z-O 1918
On the night of 22-23 April 1918 the Royal Navy carried out a raid on the German held ports of Zeebrugge and Ostend - Operation Z-O. |
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1-977014
Rottman, Gordon 014 Los Banos Prison Camp Raid - The Philippines 1945
On the southwest shore of Laguna de Bay in the Philippines stood the Los Banos Internment Camp. Held within were 2,147 starving POWs, surrounded by thousands of Japanese troops. As the desperate battle for Manila raged, only 130 Paratroopers could be spared for the rescue operation. Supported by Alamo Scouts, local guerrillas, and amphibious tractors, they seized the element of surprise, and rescued the POWs. It was a stunning triumph of courage and perfect timing in the face of overwhelming odds. 1 vol, 72 pgs
2010 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977044
Rottman, Gordon 044 CARLSON'S MARINE RAIDERS: Makin Island 1942
On August 17-18, 1942, 211 men of the US Marine Corps' 2nd Raider Battalion conducted a daring amphibious raid on the Japanese-occupied Makin Island in the South Pacific. This ambitious but flawed operation was intended to divert Japanese reinforcements bound for Guadalcanal, over 1,000 miles to the southwest, in the wake of the US landings there ten days earlier; the Raiders were to destroy the seaplane base and radio station, take prisoners, and collect intelligence. |
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1-977056
Sheppard, Si 056 THE VIKING SIEGE OF PARIS: Longships Raid the Seine AD 885-86
Fully illustrated volume, accompanied with maps and strategic diagrams tells the full story of the Vikings' expedition to conquer medieval Paris. In 885, a year after Charles the Fat was crowned King of the Franks, Danish Vikings sailed up the Seine demanding tribute. The Franks' refusal prompted the Vikings to lay siege to Paris, which was initially defended by only 200 men under Odo, Count of Paris, and seemingly in a poor state to defend against the Viking warriors in their fleet of hundreds of longships. 1 vol, 80 pgs
2021 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977053
Sheppatd, Si 053 We Killed Yamamoto - The long-range P-38 assassination of the man behind Pearl Harbor, Bougainville 1943
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet during WWII, masterminded the most devastating surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and became a marked man in the war that followed. A key intelligence breakthrough enabled the military to pinpoint his location. An elite team was assembled and charged with his execution. |
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1-977040
Short, Neil 040 KILL HITLER - Operation Valkyrie 1944
Although far from a typical raid, the 20 July Plot - Operation Valkyrie - was still a daring and audacious attack undertaken by a small, very brave, group of individuals, determined to kill Hitler. Hitler was badly shaken by the blast and, despite the fact that numerous other attempts had been made on the Fuhrer's life since he came to power, the July 20 Plot has achieved an almost mythic status. Numerous books, both factual and fictional, have been written on the subject. |
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1-977026
Stille, Mark 026 Tora! Tora! Tora! Pearl Harbor 1941
In the early hours of December 7, 1941, the Japanese First Air Fleet launched a massive air-strike against the American Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Supported by a group of midget submarines, the attack gutted the American battleship fleet but, owing to a lack of intelligence, the American aircraft carriers they hoped to destroy were not present. In this new study of the raid, Mark Stille reexamines the political context of the attack and the intelligence operations of both sides, and gives a detailed analysis of all the major events during the battle. Backed with numerous photographs, diagrams, maps, and artwork, this book is a complete study of the Japanese attack that awoke 'the sleeping giant'. 1 vol, 80 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977023
Turnbull, Stephen 023 REVENGE OF THE 47 RONIN: Edo 1703
When Lord Kira brought about the death of Lord Asano, he made Asano's loyal samurai into ronin - masterless warriors. These men secretly plotted their revenge and one snowy winter's night, launched an ambitious raid against their enemy's mansion in Edo. What ensued was the fiercest sword battle in Japan for over a century. The gates were stormed, Lord Kira was captured and executed, and his washed head placed on Lord Asano's tomb. This title details the background, planning, and execution of this incredible raid, looking at the equipment used by the ronin, the tactics they employed in storming the building, and the dramatic events that followed, as the surviving ronin committed mass suicide -- a final act of loyalty and defiance that sealed their legend. 1 vol, 80 pgs
2011 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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1-977048
Werner, Bret 048 STORMING MONTE LA DIFENSA: The First Special Service Force at the Winter Line, Italy 1943
In December 1943 Monte La Difensa was part of the formidable German defenses overlooking the Allies' planned route to Rome via Monte Cassino. In the First Special Service Force's first combat in the Mediterranean theater, the Force would employ its special training in mountain and winter warfare to scale the peak, capture it, and then hold it against the inevitable German counterattacks. |
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1-977052
Williamson, Justin 052 OPERATION EAGLE CLAW 1980: The Disastrous Bid to End the Iran Hostage Crisis
Following months of negotiations after the seizure of the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979, President Jimmy Carter ordered the newly formed Delta Force to conduct a raid into Iran to free the hostages. The raid, Operation Eagle Claw, was risky to say the least. US forces would have to fly into the deserts of Iran on C-130s; marry up with carrier-based RH-53D helicopters; fly to hide sites near Tehran; approach the Embassy via trucks; seize the Embassy and rescue the hostages; board the helicopters descending on Tehran; fly to an airbase captured by more US forces; and then fly out on C-141s and to freedom. Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly given the complexity of the mission, things went wrong from the start and when the mission was called off at the refueling site at Desert One, the resulting collision between aircraft killed eight US personnel. |
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1-977060
Williamson, Justin 060 SON TAY 1970: The Operation Ivory Coast POW Rescue Mission
Details the hugely complex US effort to rescue POWs at Son Tay during the Vietnam War. A joint Army-Air Force assault, with the Navy flying diversionary missions, the Son Tay raid was the first operation to be conducted under the direct command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and ranks among the most important moments in the development of modern US Special Operations Forces. Includes 50 photos and nine pages of color illustrations. 1 vol, 80 pgs
2023 UK, OSPREY PUBLISHING |
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