Portugal was both the first and the last of the great European colonial powers. For 500 years Portugal had colonies in Africa. In 1960, as liberation movements swept across colonial Africa, the Portug
Men of action and elite soldiers with a young and dynamic spirit, the French Foreign Legion are capable of doing their duty anywhere anytime. Martin Windrow's superb text examines the history of this
The British Army in Queen Victoria's reign fought a series of regional campaigns against various African groups with complex military traditions well-suited to their environment. In many instances, th
Irish Guardsmen have been involved in all aspects of the campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq – from Kabul in 2001, through the invasion of Iraq in 2003 to the eventual withdrawal in 2009, and the campai
In the period of reform following the Crimean War, the British Army's main role reverted to the security and consolidation of the Empire and its trade, resulting in campaigns large and small all over
Louis XIV's army was in many ways the first modern army. After assuming power in 1661, Louis abolished the post of Colonel General of Infantry so he could exercise direct control over the armed forces
The specialist troops of Wellington's army played a crucial role in the success of the British Army. Though often understaffed and ineptly managed, the artillery, engineers, transport and commissariat
When conscription was eliminated in the early 1970s, the US Army found itself with a very different kind of soldier. While the personality of the Army remained the same, the organization of its higher
Whether referred to as web gear, TE-21, TA50, LBE or LCE, the American soldier's individual combat equipment was seldom praised – except by its developers. Nevertheless, it has always been, and will c
Once predicted to be 'the Middle East of the Year 2000', Central America and the Caribbean have long been a powder keg of revolutionary activity and guerilla warfare. The United States, with important
As World War II drew to a close, the Imperial Japanese military seized control of Laos, a French protectorate, and encouraged nationalist movements to forestall the revival of French power in the regi
This book examines the uniforms, equipment, history and organisation of the troops that fought in Cambodia in the 1970s. US and Cambodian forces are all covered, including Special Operations, and the
'A very remarkable people, the Zulu', the British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, said on hearing of a fresh disaster in the war of 1879, 'They defeat our generals; they convert our bishops; they h
Ultimately, regiments are judged by their behaviour in battle; and highlanders have always had a reputation as 'stormers', as exemplified by the impetuous charge of the Gordons at Waterloo, intermingl
The first prototype for the LVT (Landing Vehicle Tracked) was completed in July 1941, its design based on the Alligator, a tracked amphibious vehicle developed for rescue operations in the swamps of F
The First World War in the Mediterranean represented more than just a peripheral theatre to the war on the western front. This engaging volume includes details of allied attempts to capture Constantin
First published for the centenary of the Great Western Railway in 1935, Railway Ribaldry is an affectionate and humorous look at life on board the company's famous trains, incorporating some of Willia
Throughout history, cities have been at the center of warfare, from sieges to street-fighting, from peace-keeping to coups de mains. Sun Tzu admonished his readers of The Art of War that the lowest re
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy knew it would need vital information from the Pacific. Nationalist China was particularly well-suited to provide vital information about the Ja
