Image credits: Tahitian Scene by Tupaia (c) British Library Board, Codex Amiatinus (c) Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence
Today we reveal the British Library’s cultural highlights for the year ahead, including:
Monthly Archives: November 2017
Tank Hunter World War One
A book that is well-worth its cover price. The story of the tank in WWI has never been told better, or more comprehensively, with some stunning images, mostly in full colour. – highly recommended.
Images of War, US Military Helicopters, Rare Photographs From Wartime Archives
A new addition to the very popular Images At War Series that includes mostly full colour photographs. The helicopter story has developed since 1945 and rotary wing aircraft have made some impressive advances which are nicely detailed in this new book, with some clear introductory text, good captions and extended captions, with some longer sections of text. As always the images are outstanding. – highly recommended.
Snipers at War, an Equipment and Operations History
This is a nicely balanced history of the art of sniping detailing the equipment and operations. The sniper has grown in importance over the years, from a handful of good shots in the early days of firearms to the highly polished and considerably more numerous sniper teams of today. – much recommended.
The Japanese Navy in World War II, in the words of former Japanese Naval Officers, Second Edition
The second edition of a definitive work first published in 1986 and lauded by historians. The collection of essays and thoughts of Japanese Naval officers provides many fresh insights from a Japanese perspective. – Very Highly Recommended.
Continue reading The Japanese Navy in World War II, in the words of former Japanese Naval Officers, Second Edition
Churchill and Tito, SOE, Bletchley Park and Supporting the Yugoslav Communists in World War II
This book is likely to be THE definitive account of the co-operation between Britain and the Yugoslav Communists. The author has researched carefully and provides fresh information and insights. – Much recommended.
The Royal Navy at Dunkirk, Commanding Officers’ Reports of British Warships in Action During Operation Dynamo
http://tinyurl.com/ybpyucj5
This is original source material, in the form of Commanding Officers’ Reports, collected and presented by Martin Mace who has a long reputation for military history publishing and writing. The words convey so much more than just the facts, being personal briefings from those who commanded vessels during the evacuation of British and French troops from Dunkirk. – Very Highly recommended.
Alastair Denniston, Code-Breaking From Room 40 to Berkeley Street and the Birth of GCHQ
The author is a specialist in signals intelligence and has provided an enthralling account of Alastair Denniston and his contribution to modern electronic intelligence. This book follows from his excellent biography of another great of signals intelligence, Gordon Welshman – Most Highly recommended.
Destroyer At War, The Fighting Life And Loss Of HMS Havock From The Atlantic to the Mediterranean 1939 – 1942
The authors have made good use of first hand accounts and provided an exceptional photo-plate section to support their text. This book encapsulates the incredible service of RN destroyers during WWII – Most Highly recommended.
El Alamein 1942, Turning Point in the Desert
Churchill described El Alamein as ‘not the beginning of the end but perhaps the end of the beginning’, an important point in the war, but with so much more to be accomplished. A relatively modest photo-plate section has avoided the most used images of other books to support a well-researched and nicely presented review of this critical battle of WWII – Very Highly recommended.