History, Mystery and the Latest Discoveries
Discovered by chance by farmers in 1974, the mausoleum of the first emperor of China contained one of the wonders of the world: the Terracotta Army. Based on unique access to leading Chinese archaeologists, this book sets the clay warriors in the context of Chinese society 2,200 years ago, describes the latest discoveries at the vast and only partly excavated site, and hints at what may still be uncovered – including the imperial tomb itself.
War Beneath the Waves
U-boat Flotilla Flandern 1915–1918
The inconclusive outcome of the Battle of Jutland left the Royal Navy in control of British waters, and Germany continued the war at sea with its U-boat fleet, building a substantial base on the Belgian coast. Translated from the Belgian edition, this is a detailed analysis of the U-boat campaign, supported by the author's own underwater archaeology. Tomas Termote examines the vessels and life for the submariners, and outlines the operational history of each of the 93 U-boats housed in Belgian ports. Translated from the Dutch.
The Tommies' Experience of the Third Battle of Ypres
The British offensive at Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, was launched at 3.30am on 31 July 1917; led by Sir Douglas Haig, this ‘big push’ was to achieve a breakthrough, but it became a four-month-long stalemate of constant shelling, torrential rain, mud and filth. Parker chronicles the operation, describes the conditions on the battlefield and the increasingly industrialized warfare of tanks, gas and mines that added to the carnage; and he questions the necessity of the sacrifice.
Epitaphs of the Great War: The Somme
‘Of all the voices of the First World War there is one that has been consistently overlooked, the voice of the bereaved.’ This collection of 100 epitaphs for soldiers who died during the Somme campaign of 1916 lets the bereaved families and friends speak through the inscriptions on War Graves Commission headstones. The book provides information on the soldiers and explains any biblical or literary allusions used in the short (they were limited to 66 characters) and often cryptic epitaphs.
Epitaphs of The Great War: Passchendaele
Inscriptions on the graves of the First World War dead were limited to 66 characters; a restriction that drove many to create compact, original and profound epitaphs, often relying on quotation or allusion. This book presents 100 headstone inscriptions for the dead of Passchendaele, giving details of the deceased, quoting the biblical or literary passages alluded to and explaining the contemporary meaning of the words, whether plain ‘He did his bit’, or the poetic ‘While the light lasts I shall remember. Georgina’.
Bloody Red Tabs
General Officer Casualties of the Great War 1914–1918
The prevailing 20th-century view of the First World War as fought by 'lions led by donkeys' has been subject to revision in recent decades and this account adds weight to the argument, exploding the myth of generals operating in distant safety while millions died in the trenches. The authors profile 78 British commanders who were killed and another 146 wounded while on active service, often in the front line, between 1914 and 1918. First published in 1995.
Victoria Cross Heroes of World War One
628 Extraordinary Stories of Valour
Between the first Victoria Cross awarded in 1857 and the outbreak of war in 1914, 500 medals were conferred. Over the next four years that figure more than doubled with trench warfare seemingly affording endless opportunities for courage in the face of the enemy. Comprehensively illustrated with photographs, newspaper cuttings and maps, this impressive book profiles the 628 acts of conspicuous bravery, on land, at sea and in the air, that were rewarded with a VC during the Great War.