TRENDING NOW: MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR · TAIL GUNNER · ROME'S FIRST MILITARY · TREBLINKA PHOTOS · CIVIL WAR HORSES · BOOK REVIEWS
DISTINGUISHED LECTURE & ARTICLES SERIES: CLASSICAL MILITARY HISTORY
CLASSICAL MILITARY HISTORY: c.1000 BCE-500 CE · Published 1 January 2025 at 10:03am EDT · COMMENTS
Focus on Military Organization: Rome’s “Polybian” Legion by Prof. Brian Todd Carey
ABOVE: Bas relief of three second century BCE Republican era legionaries in battle kit. Notice the oval shields (scutums) of the period and the wearing of Montefortino- type helmets and chain-mail body protection (lorica hamata). From the Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus on the Field of Mars in Rome. Louvre Museum, Paris.
When Rome first appeared as a city-state in the Tiber Valley sometime in the middle of the eighth century BCE, its first army differed little from those of other small communities in Latium. It is believed Rome’s first military organization was based on the tribal system, reflecting the three original Roman tribes (the Ramnes, the Tities, and the Luceres). Each tribe provided 1,000 infantry towards the army, made up of ten centuries consisting of 100 men. The tribal contingent was under the command of a tribunus or tribal officer. Together, these 3,000 men made up a legio or levy. This infantry force was supplemented by a small body of 300 equites or “knights,” aristocratic cavalry drawn equally from the three tribes. ☞ The full article
FEATURED ARTICLES SERIES - U.S. CIVIL WAR: 1861-1865
U.S. CIVIL WAR: 1861-1865 · Published 23 DECEMBER 2024 at 8:03pm EDT · COMMENTS
"They Shoot Horses, They Do!" by Randall S. Wells, Jr.
ABOVE: Harry Bensons Battery A, of the Second United States Artillery, and Horatio Gates Gibsons Batteries C and G, combined of the Third United States Artillery, near Fair Oaks, Virginia, June 1862, The photographic history of the Civil War - thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities (1911).
Since time immemorial, mankind has used animals in one form or another during armed conflict. Ancient historian Livy tells of how the Romans used geese to avert an attack from Gallic barbarians in 386 B.C. Livy relates that as barbarian invaders silently scaled the walls of the Citadel, neither Roman guards nor dogs heard them. Roman Consul Marcus Manlius would have been slain had it not been for the flapping of goose wings. In 1207, the Mongols reportedly used cats to attack the city of Volohai by tying cotton to the cats’ tails and lighting them on fire. The terrified felines ran back into the city, igniting it on fire. The defenders were so busy fighting the fires that had erupted that the Mongols enjoyed a leisurely time breaching the city's walls. ☞ Read the full article
DISTINGUISHED LECTURE & ARTICLES SERIES: THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR
GLOBAL 19TH CENTURY CONFLICT · Published 16 December 2024 at 3:46am EDT · COMMENTS
"Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850: Anglo-American Epilogue of the Mexican-American War (1846–8)" by Prof. Benjamin J. Swenson
ABOVE: The 1847 Battle of Churubusco by J. Cameron, published by Nathaniel Currier.
American diplomat Elija Hise’s journey to Guatemala in 1848 was the embodiment of the obstacles expansionists faced south of the Rio Grande and the reason Americans needed to deal diplomatically with the British to avoid a war centering around the isthmian contest that intensified after the Mexican conflict. In essence, the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850, designed to mitigate hostilities arising out of Central America , amounted to a geopolitical and continental epilogue to the 1848 Mexican-American War and Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Imperfect as it was, the agreement was successful in that it prevented an immediate confrontation over a region both sides believed was essential to their future geostrategic and commercial interests. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II - THE PHILIPPINES
WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 24 November 2023 at 8:09pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSTION
"9 January 1945: Beginning of the End - The Battle of Luzon"
Luzon, Philippines, 1945. U.S. Army infantry squad advancing with Sherman tank armored support. Source: U.S. National Archives, Public Domain. Click to enlarge.
In the early months of 1942, the Japanese Army successfully invaded and conquered all areas of the Philippines. However, the tide of the war shifted when Allied forces launched a daring amphibious operation on the island of Leyte on 20 October 1944. This was a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle for the Philippines, as it marked the beginning of a concerted effort to liberate the country from Japanese occupation. The mission involved significant strategic planning and the coordination of troops, ships, and aircraft from multiple countries, and the result was a decisive victory for the Allies that helped to turn the tide of the war in the Pacific. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II - ITALY
NORTH AFRICA AND ITALIAN CAMPAIGNS · Published 5 October 2023 at 8:17pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"17 January 1944: Fighting Among the Ruins - The Battle of Monte Cassino"
ABOVE: Monte Cassino, Italy. May 1944. British soldier with a Bren gun in the ruins of Monte Cassino. Source: Public Domain. Click to enlarge.
The Italian Campaign of World War II holds a significant place in the annals of military history, despite its long-standing overshadowing by the more famous Normandy invasion. The campaign was fought across multiple fronts in Italy, beginning with the invasion of Sicily and culminating in the capture of Rome and the eventual defeat of Axis forces in Italy. The campaign was a protracted and grueling fight, characterized by difficult terrain, extreme weather, and a tenacious German defense. However, the lessons learned on the Italian front proved to be invaluable tactical and logistical experience that would pay dividends for the Allies in later battles. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II - ENGLAND
D-DAY AND THE WAR IN WESTERN EUROPE · Published 29 December 2023 at 9:00pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"20 January 1944: Those Tricky Allies - The Ghost Army of World War II"
ABOVE: Inflatable tank lifted by four soldiers of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. Source: Wikimedia. In the Public Domain. Click to enlarge.
The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, popularly known as the “Ghost Army,” was one of the most innovative and unique units of the United States Army during the Second World War. Officially designated as a tactical deception unit, the Ghost Army was responsible for misleading and deceiving the enemy by creating illusionary military formations and positions, thereby contributing significantly to the Allied victory in Europe. Activated on 20 January 1944, the Ghost Army comprised an authorized strength of 82 officers and 1023 men under the leadership of Colonel Harry L. Reeder, a veteran of the US Army. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE VIETNAM WAR: 1955-75
THE VIETNAM WAR: 1955-75 · Published 12 November 2023 at 2:21pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"21 January 1968: Fighting in the Hills - The Battle of Khe Sanh Begins"
Khe Sanh, January 1968. CH-46A Sea Knight helicopters drop U.S. Marines at Khe Sanh Combat Base. Public Domain, click to enlarge.
The Battle of Khe Sanh, which took place in the Khe Sanh area of northwestern Quảng Trị Province, Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), during the Vietnam War, is often considered one of the most significant battles of the conflict. The battle was fought from 21 January to 9 July 1968, between two divisional-size elements of the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and two regiments of the United States Marine Corps (6000 strong), with support from the United States Army, the U.S. Air Force, and a small number of Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) troops. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE VIETNAM WAR
THE VIETNAM WAR ERA: 1955-75 · Published 20 January 2023 at 10:18pm EDT · COMMENT AND CONVERSATION
"22 January-18 March 1969: Operation Dewey Canyon"
ABOVE: Leathernecks of the 2d Battalion, 9th Marines [2/9] trudge across a mountain stream in search of the enemy during Operation Dewey Canyon in the northern A Shau Valley complex (official USMC photo by Lance Corporal Bill Carroll). From the Jonathan F. Abel Collection (COLL/3611), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections, Quantico, Virginia. OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH. Click to enlarge.
The Vietnam War was characterized by numerous military campaigns and operations, but Operation Dewey Canyon stands out as one of the significant engagements by the United States Marine Corps. In the latter stages of the conflict, particularly throughout 1967 and 1968, Marine units in the northern I Corps region of South Vietnam had been tethered to combat bases along the border in alignment with the strategic defensive blueprint known as the McNamara Line. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II - ENGLAND
D-DAY AND THE WAR IN WESTERN EUROPE · Published 1 JANUARY 2024 at 11:50am EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"23 January 1940: Bletchley Park's First Break into Enigma"
ABOVE: Staff members working at Bletchley Park. Source: Wikipedia; in the Public Domain. Click to enlarge.
During the Second World War, one of the most guarded secrets of the Allies was the work done at a seemingly nondescript country house in Bletchley, Milton Keynes. This was Bletchley Park, which became the nerve centre of Allied code-breaking. The work done here helped to shorten the war by two to four years, and without it, the outcome of the war would have been uncertain. The establishment of Bletchley Park can be traced back to the First World War, during which the British intelligence broke the German diplomatic code. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: LENINGRAD AND THE EASTERN FRONT
THE EASTERN FRONT · Published 14 October 2023 at 7:33pm EDT · COMMENT
"27 January 1944: 872 Days of Starvation and Death - The Siege of Leningrad Ends"
Right: Leningrad, Soviet Union. September 1941. German soldiers in front of burning houses and a church. Source: Wikimedia. Click to enlarge.
The Siege and Battle for Leningrad (8 September 1941 – 27 January 1944) were events of enormous significance, yet they are often overlooked in the history of World War II. This was a microcosm of the War on the Eastern Front, an epic clash that had far-reaching implications for both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. In September 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, with the primary objective of capturing Leningrad, which was situated in the north. Hitler's strategy was to clear his Baltic flank and link up with Finnish troops, downplaying the importance of Moscow despite the objections of his army commanders. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE HOLOCAUST, SHOAH
THE HOLOCAUST "SHOAH" · Published 25 October 2023 at 8:20pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVO
"27 January 1945: Auschwitz is Liberated by the Soviet Red Army"
ABOVE: Wearing adult-size prisoner jackets, child survivors of Auschwitz are led by relief workers and Soviet soldiers through a narrow passage between two barbed-wire fences. Standing next to the nurse are Miriam and Eva Mozes. Behind them (wearing white hats) are Judy and Lea Csenghery. Both sets of sisters are twins. From the Soviet film of the liberation of Auschwitz, taken by the film unit of the First Ukrainian Front. Photo Source: Wytwornia Filmow Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych. Copyright: Public Domain. Click to enlarge.
On 27 January 1945, the Soviet army entered Auschwitz concentration camp and liberated around 7,000 prisoners still alive in the Main Camp, Birkenau, and Monowitz. For years, this complex had served as a killing center for Nazi Germany, where over 1.1 million people had been murdered, mostly Jews. The prisoners who were mostly ill and dying greeted them as true liberators. This historic moment marked the end of the deadliest phase of the Holocaust, which saw millions of Jews and others brutally killed by Nazi Germany between 1940 and 1945. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II - THE PHILIPPINES
WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 25 DECEMBER 2023 at 4:27pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"30 January 1945: To Freedom: The Raid at Cabanatuan"
ABOVE: Philippines, 1945: The Alamo Scouts after the Raid at Cabanautan. Top row left to right: Gil Cox, Wilbert Wismer, Harold Hard, Andy Smith, and Francis Laquier. Bottom row left to right: Galen Kittleson, Rufo Vaquilar, Bill Nellist, Tom Rounsaville, and Frank Fox. Source: In the Public Domain, click to enlarge. Click to enlarge.
The Raid at Cabanatuan, also known as the Great Raid, was one of the most daring and successful rescue missions of World War II. The mission, which took place on 30 January 1945, involved a small force of United States Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and Filipino guerrillas who traveled over thirty miles behind Japanese lines to liberate over 500 American and other Allied prisoners of war and civilians from the Cabanatuan prison camp in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II - THE PACIFIC
WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 27 October 2023 at 9:26pm EDT · COMMENT
"31 January 1944: Island Hopping - The Battle of Kwajalein"
ABOVE: Marine infantry fighting their way inland. Kwajalein USMC Photo No. K-20. From the Frederick R. Findtner Collection (COLL/3890), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections. OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH. Click to enlarge.
The Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign marked a significant chapter in the Pacific theatre of World War II, with a series of battles spanning from August 1942 to February 1944. Led by the United States Pacific Fleet and Marine Corps, the primary objective was to establish airfields and naval bases, vital for air and naval support operations across the Central Pacific. Under the code names Operation Galvanic, Kourbash, Flintlock and Catchpole, the campaign involved seizing control of strategic locations such as Tarawa, Makin, Kwajalein, Eniwetok and Majuro. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE VIETNAM WAR
THE VIETNAM WAR: 1955-75 · Published 10 November 2023 at 7:41pm EDT · COMMENT
31 January 1968: The War in Vietnam Turns - The Battle of Hue Begins"
ABOVE: Hue, South Vietnam, 4 February 1968: U.S. Marine infantry firing from cover behind a wall, keeping low from NVA sniper fire. Possibly at the Citadel. Public Domain, click to enlarge.
The Battle of Hue, also known as the Siege of Hue, was one of the most significant and bloody events of the Vietnam War. The intense fighting between the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces, and U.S. Marines and Army soldiers and ARVN (South Vietnamese troops) lasted from 31 January to 2 March 1968, resulting in the death of thousands of soldiers and civilians. This battle challenged the confidence of the American public, who increasingly questioned the U.S. military involvement in the conflict. ☞ The full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE EASTERN FRONT
THE EASTERN FRONT · Published 27 JANUARY 2024 at 6:33pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"2 February 1943: Wehrmacht Defeat on the Eastern Front: The Battle of Stalingrad Ends"
ABOVE: Stalingrad, Soviet Union, 15 December 1942. German soldiers of the 24th Panzer Division in action during the fighting for the southern station of Stalingrad. Source: Wikimedia. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. Click to enlarge.
The Battle of Stalingrad, fought between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union from August 1942 to February 1943, was a turning point for the war in the Eastern Front. The battle was marked by intense urban warfare and direct assaults on civilians in air raids. It was the bloodiest battle of the Second World War, with both sides suffering enormous casualties. Devastated by the Nazi invasion, the Soviet Union was determined to defend Stalingrad, a strategically important industrial and transport hub on the Volga River. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II - NORTH AFRICA
WAR IN NORTH AFRICA · Published 23 November 2023 at 8:46pm EDT · COMMENT
"19-24 February 1943: First Blood - The Battle of Kasserine Pass"
ABOVE: North Africa, Tunis.- Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (saluting with marshal's baton) and Lieutenant Colonel Fritz Bayerlein, standing in the car, passing motorized troops, including soldiers in captured American half-track M3. Source: Wikipemia, Public Domain. Click to enlarge.
The Battle of Kasserine Pass in Tunisia was a significant moment during World War II as it marked the first major engagement between American and German forces. The Kasserine Pass was a critical point of convergence for the Allied supply lines, which were essential for the success of the North African campaign. The battle took place in Tunisia on 14 February 1943 and was a resounding defeat for the United States Army. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WAR IN THE PACIFIC
WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 29 October 2023 at 9:51pm EDT · COMMENT AND CONVERSATION
"19 February 1945: 'Uncommon valor was a common virtue' and 'A Marine Corps for the next 500 years' - The Battle of Iwo Jima Begins"
ABOVE: Marines landing on the beaches of Iwo Jima. Source: Archives Branch, USMC History Division. Click to enlarge.
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a pivotal moment in the Pacific War during World War II. The United States military launched Operation Detachment on 19 February 1945, with the objective of capturing the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army. The island had two airfields, South Field and Central Field, that the Americans needed to capture as they would provide important airstrips for their planes. In the following weeks, the battle saw some of the most vicious fighting of the Pacific War, leading to the deaths of thousands on both sides. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE VIETNAM WAR
THE VIETNAM WAR · Published 9 December 2023 at 2:16pm EDT · COMMENT
"22 February 1967: Operation Junction City - The First U.S. Army Combat Airborne Operation in Vietnam Begins"
ABOVE: Tay Ninh City, Vietnam 1967. Operation Junction City was the largest U.S. operation of the Vietnam War to "find and break the spine of the Viet Cong, destroy the headquarters," focusing on one target, the northern base of Tay Ninh. The operation was divided into two waves. Source: Public Domain. Click to enlarge.
Operation Junction City was an 82-day military operation that took place during the Vietnam War in 1967. The operation was a joint effort between United States and Republic of Vietnam (RVN) forces aimed at locating the elusive Communist uprising in South Vietnam, the Central Office of South Vietnam. The operation involved the equivalent of nearly three divisions of U.S. troops and was the first U.S. combat airborne operation since the Korean War. The grand tactical plan for Junction City involved a "hammer and anvil" tactic, with airborne forces "flushing out" the VC headquarters and driving it against a prepared "anvil" of other forces. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR - WORLD WAR I AND THE INTERWAR YEARS
WORLD WAR I AND THE INTERWAR YEARS - THE GATHERING STORM · Published 6 April 2024 at 9:55pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"8 March 1917 - The February Revolution: Prelude to Tsardom's Fall and Global Impact"
ABOVE: Winter Palace, Petrograd (Later Leningrad and now Saint Petersburg) 1917. Russian army officers take the oath of allegiance to the October Revolution. Soldiers gathered in the square of the Winter Palace, many of whom previously supported the Provisional Government. Source: License assigned to War History Network. Click to enlarge.
On the precipice of World War I in 1917, Russia found herself at the heart of an immense historical upheaval that would alter not only her course but the world's as well. Two revolutions unfolded, each rippling across the globe, signaling irreversible change. When Nicholas II ascended the throne in 1894, it was with the expectation of lifelong rule, continuing the lineage of absolute power bequeathed by his father, Alexander III. Yet, barely two decades into his reign, Nicholas would witness the disintegration of both his authority and the tsarist regime itself—a monumental descent catalyzed by socioeconomic tribulations. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR - THE VIETNAM WAR ERA: 1955-75
THE VIETNAM WAR ERA - 1955-75 · Published 4 December 2023 at 8:58pm EDT · COMMENT
"13 March 1954: Prologue to Vietnam: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu Begins"
ABOVE: 2 April 1954: French union soldiers with automatic weapons move up over the battered Dien Bien Phu terrain in Indochina during a counterattack on communist-led Vietminh besiegers. The French garrison commander called for paratroop reinforcements today to help withstand continued suicidal assaults by the rebels trying to penetrate the northwestern Vietnam bastion. Source: In the Public Domain. Click to enlarge.
The occurrence of significant historical events is never a coincidence, especially when it comes to major conflicts and wars throughout history. These events are shaped by a multitude of political, economic, imperialistic, and societal factors that are instrumental in propelling countries into war. The Vietnam War, for instance, cannot be fully understood without considering the aftermath of World War II. One indelible event that ought to be considered in this context is the pivotal Battle of Dien Bien Phu. This battle was a significant turning point in Vietnamese history, and it marked the end of French colonial influence in the region. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: POPULAR MEDIEVAL MILITARY HISTORY
ANCIENT, CLASSICAL, AND MEDIEVAL MILITARY POPULAR HISTORY · Published 17 FEBRUARY 2023 at 11:41pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"First War of Scottish Independence: 26 March 1296-1 May 1328 and the Battle of Bannockburn: 23–24 June 1314"
ABOVE: The statue of King Robert I (also known as Robert The Bruce), who secured Scotland's independence from England. In the background National Wallace Monument commemorates Sir William Wallace. Source: War History Network license. Click to enlarge.
The inaugural conflict for Scottish freedom, known as the First War of Scottish Independence, is a defining segment in Scotland's storied past. Within this turbulent era, spanning from the onset of English incursions in 1296 until the affirmation of Scottish independence via the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton in 1328, the gritty narrative of Scotland's fight for self-governance unfolded. Culminating from this period's chronicled events was Scotland's fortified stand, solidified by their heralded victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: U.S. CIVIL WAR
U.S. CIVIL WAR 1861-65 AND RECONSTRUCTION · Published 21 DECEMBER 2023 at 8:22pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"29 March to 9 April 1865: War of Brother Against Brother Ends - The Appomattox Campaign"
ABOVE: The Appomattox courthouse in April 1865. Source: Library of Congress. Click to enlarge.
The Appomattox campaign marked a turning point in the American Civil War. It was the culmination of four years of fighting, and the decisive victory by the Union Army signaled the end of the war and the beginning of a new era in American history. The Appomattox campaign was one of the most critical and decisive events of the United States Civil War. The campaign marked the end of the longest and most brutal conflict in American history and gave rise to the dawn of a new era, one in which slavery was abolished, and the prospects of unity and progress were enhanced. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II - EUROPE
D-DAY AND THE WAR IN WESTERN EUROPE · Published 10 FEBRUARY 2024 at 11:16pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"24 March 1944: 'Big X' and the Night of the Great Escape"
ABOVE: Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, Leutnant Eberhardt (German Security), and Paddy Byrne. Byrne succeeded in escaping by feigning insanity, and as a consequence was repatriated. Source: Wikipedia; in the Public Domain. Click to enlarge.
Stalag Luft III marked a significant chapter in the history of World War II, particularly for the captured Western Allied Air personnel it confined. Situated in Sagan, Lower Silesia, the camp acquired notoriety for its sand-rich soil, a strategic detail that rendered escape through tunneling a formidable challenge. Despite the physical barriers, the prisoners within — resilient and determined — orchestrated daring breakouts that have since become the stuff of legends. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WAR IN THE PACIFIC
WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 14 DECEMBER 2023 at 9:19pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"1 April 1945: The Setting Sun at Okinawa - World War II's Last Battle"
ABOVE: Okinawa USMC Photo 17-2. "Marines firing on Japs with light machine gun." From the Eric Bonin Collection (COLL/5320), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections, Quantico, Virginia. Official USMC photograph. Click to enlarge.
The island of Okinawa, located approximately 350 miles from Japan's home islands, was the largest land, air, and sea battle in history and longest of the Pacific War. The United States' goal was to secure the island, as its airfields and waters were essential staging areas for the planned invasion of Japan, known as Operations Olympic and Coronet. Winning the battle meant the potential deployment of an estimated one million troops authorized by President Harry S. Truman, further increasing the urgency and intensity of the fighting. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: U.S. CIVIL WAR - 1861-1865
U.S. CIVIL WAR - 1861-1865 · Published 13 JANUARY 2024 at 4:37pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"6-7 April 1862: Exorbitant Casualties in Tennessee: The Battle of Shiloh"
ABOVE: The Battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, April 6th & 7th, 1862 / J.H. Bufford's lithograph, Boston. Names: J.H. Bufford's Lithograph. Created/Published: Boston: Published by Oliver Ditson & Co., c1862. Headings: United States, History, Civil War, 1861-1865-Campaigns & battles; Shiloh, Battle of, Tenn., 1862; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Songs & music. Source: Library of Congress. Click to enlarge.
The Battle of Shiloh was a turning point in the American Civil War and a defining moment in the history of the United States. The two-day conflict, fought on April 6-7, 1862, between General Ulysses S. Grant's Union forces and General Albert Sidney Johnston's Confederate troops, resulted in a Union victory that changed the course of the war. The battle was fought in southwestern Tennessee, along the Tennessee River, and was known by the Union as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, after the landing where Grant's troops disembarked. ☞ Read the full article
CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WAR IN THE PACIFIC - THE PHILIPPINES
WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 6 JANUARY 2024 at 3:57pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION
"9 April 1942: Walk to Live - The Bataan Death March Begins"
ABOVE: April 1942: U.S. Army soldiers surrendering on Bataan. Source: U.S. National Archives. In the Public Domain. Click to enlarge.
The Bataan Death March marked one of the darkest moments of the Second World War. In April 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army ordered nearly 75,000 Filipino and American soldiers, who had surrendered in the battle of Bataan, to march 65 miles through the sweltering heat of the Philippines without food, water, or medical care. The aim of this forced march was to take the prisoners to different prison camps where they would be held captive under brutal and inhumane conditions. ☞ Read the full article
LEYDEKKERS PHOTOGRAPHY
ABOVE: Museum Overloon, Overloon, Netherlands. Erwin Leydekker's select portfolio:
American Cemetery Normandy · Auschwitz Birkenau · The Bedford Boys · Belgium · Berchtesgaden and The Eagle's Nest · Buchenwald · Dieppe, France · Equipment · Finland · Germany · The Great War · Holland · The Holocaust · Hong Kong · Italy · Juno Beach · La Cambe German War Cemetery · Landsberg Prison · Militracks 2023 · Monte Cassino · Museums · Netherlands · Normandy 2023 · Normandy 2024 · Normandy, France · Omaha Beach · Operation Market Garden · Pointe du Hoc · Resistance Museum (Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam) · The Somme · Spottinger Cemetery · Treblinka · Vimy Ridge · War Museum Medemblik · Waterloo · World War II Veterans
LECTURES & DISCUSSIONS
THE EDGE OF HISTORY
Ancient, Classical and Medieval Military History: Popular History
PROF. BRIAN TODD CAREY'S OPEN SEMINARS & ARTICLES
Ancient Military History: c.3100-c.1000 BCE
Classical Military History: c.1000-BCE-500 CE
Medieval Military History: c.500-c.1500
EARLY MODERN ERA
Early Modern and Napoleonic Wars: 1500-1815
AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY PERIODS
Mexican-American War: 1846-1848
Revolutionary War: 1775-1783
War of 1812
All 18th and 19th Century Conflict
U.S. CIVIL WAR & RECONSTRUCTION
U.S. Civil War: 1861-1865
WORLD WAR I & THE INTERWAR YEARS
World War I: 1914-1918
The Gathering Storm: 1919-1939
WORLD WAR II
North Africa and Italy
Battle of the Seas
China-Burma-India Theatre
D-Day and the European Theatre
Eastern Front
Holocaust, Shoah
Pacific Theatre
KOREA
Korean War: 1950-1953
VIETNAM, LAOS & CAMBODIA
Vietnam War Era: 1955-1975
MODERN WAR & CONFLICT
Modern War and Conflict: 1976-Present
SEE ALSO
Aerial Warfare Throughout History
Book Forum and Reviews
The Home Front
War in Film and Movie Reviews
UPDATES
Histories of the American Revolution ordinarily feature wise Founding Fathers, military heroes and, in the end at least, glorious triumph. “Scars of Independence” presents the image of a violent struggle, not between freedom-loving Americans and…
Not all war history centers on the battlefield. The home front has its own contributions. “Women Remember the War” is a fascinating collection of oral histories of 25 Wisconsin women who lived through World War II. It consists of edited versions…
To some, 1778-1783 is identified with the American Revolution. From Ushant To Gibraltar relates the men and actions of the Royal Navy Channel Fleet during those years. Americans would be interested in this book for its study European naval combat…
To some, 1778-1783 is identified with the American Revolution. From Ushant To Gibraltar relates the men and actions of the Royal Navy Channel Fleet during those years. Americans would be interested in this book for its study European naval combat…
Not all war history centers on the battlefield. The home front has its own contributions. “Women Remember the War” is a fascinating collection of oral histories of 25 Wisconsin women who lived through World War II. It consists of edited versions…
Focus on Military Organization: Rome’s “Polybian” Legion
When Rome first appeared as a city-state in the Tiber Valley sometime in the middle of the eighth century BCE, its first army differed little from those of other small communities in Latium.…
When Rome first appeared as a city-state in the Tiber Valley sometime in the middle of the eighth century BCE, its first army differed little from those of other small communities in Latium.…
Focus on Military Organization: Rome’s “Polybian” Legion
When Rome first appeared as a city-state in the Tiber Valley sometime in the middle of the eighth century BCE, its first army differed little from those of other small communities in Latium.…
When Rome first appeared as a city-state in the Tiber Valley sometime in the middle of the eighth century BCE, its first army differed little from those of other small communities in Latium.…
Since time immemorial, mankind has used animals in one form or another during armed conflict. Ancient historian Livy tells of how the Romans used geese to avert an attack from Gallic barbarians in 386 B.C. Livy relates that as barbarian invaders…
Since time immemorial, mankind has used animals in one form or another during armed conflict. Ancient historian Livy tells of how the Romans used geese to avert an attack from Gallic barbarians in 386 B.C. Livy relates that as barbarian invaders…
Hard to believe someone could fall 4 miles to earth in the tail of a B-17 and survive but Eugene Moran did. Watch the 14 min video below to learn more about his horrific adventure which only began with the crash."On November 29th, 1943, a large…
Hard to believe someone could fall 4 miles to earth in the tail of a B-17 and survive but Eugene Moran did. Watch the 14 min video below to learn more about his horrific adventure which only began with the crash."On November 29th, 1943, a large…
Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850: Anglo-American Epilogue of the Mexican-American War (1846–8)
American diplomat Elija Hise’s journey to Guatemala in 1848 was the embodiment of the obstacles expansionists faced south of the Rio Grande and the reason…
American diplomat Elija Hise’s journey to Guatemala in 1848 was the embodiment of the obstacles expansionists faced south of the Rio Grande and the reason…
Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850: Anglo-American Epilogue of the Mexican-American War (1846–8)
American diplomat Elija Hise’s journey to Guatemala in 1848 was the embodiment of the obstacles expansionists faced south of the Rio Grande and the reason…
American diplomat Elija Hise’s journey to Guatemala in 1848 was the embodiment of the obstacles expansionists faced south of the Rio Grande and the reason…
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From Ushant To Gibraltar: The Channel Fleet 1778-1783
by Quintin Barry, author
Posted by Jim Gallen on 5 January 2025 at 2:26pm
To some, 1778-1783 is identified with the American Revolution. From Ushant To Gibraltar relates the men and actions of the Royal Navy Channel Fleet during those years. Americans would be interested in this book for its study European naval combat and to better appreciate the American Revolution in its global context. ☞ The full review · All book reviews
BOOK FIX: NEW FOR 2025
The Battle of Manila: Poisoned Victory in the Pacific War
by Nicholas Evan Sarantakes (Author)
Publisher: Oxford University Press. Publication date: 3 February 2025. Hardcover, 528 pages. ISBN-10 0199948852
From the publisher: "In 1945 the United States and Japan fought the largest and most devastating land battle of their war in the Pacific, a month-long struggle for the city of Manila. The only urban fighting in the Pacific theater, the Battle of Manila was the third-bloodiest battle of World War II, behind Leningrad and Berlin. It was a key piece of the campaign to retake control of the Philippine Islands, which itself signified the culmination of the war, breaking the back of Japanese strategic power and sealing its outcome."
From Trenton to Yorktown: Turning Points of the Revolutionary War
by John R. Maass (Author)
Publisher: Osprey Publishing. Publication date: 11 February 2025. Hardcover, 272 pages. ISBN-10 1472863755
From the publisher: "For eight grueling years, American and British military forces struggled in a bloody war over colonial independence. This conflict also ensnared Native American warriors and the armies and navies of France, Spain, the Dutch Republic, and several German principalities. From frozen Canada to tropical Florida and as far west as the Mississippi River, the Revolutionary War included hundreds of campaigns, battles, and skirmishes on land and sea in which soldiers and sailors fought and died for causes, crowns, and comrades."
Manfred von Richthofen: His Life and Times in Pictures
by Tim Hillier-Graves (Author)
Publisher: Air World. Publication date: 30 January 2025. Hardcover, 272 pages. ISBN-10 1036100316
From the publisher: "It is more than a hundred years since the First World War fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen was killed in combat on the Western Front. By then, due to a strange twist of fate, his name was becoming as well known in Britain, France and the USA as it was in Germany. Following the outbreak of war in 1914, von Richthofen initially served as a calvary reconnaissance officer."
Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman's March and the Story of America's Largest Emancipation
by Bennett Parten (Author)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster. Publication date: 21 January 2025. Hardcover, 272 pages. ISBN-10 1668034689
From the publisher: "In the fall of 1864, Gen. William T. Sherman led his army through Atlanta, Georgia, burning buildings of military significance—and ultimately most of the city—along the way. From Atlanta, they marched across the state to the most important city at the time: Savannah. Mired in the deep of the South with no reliable supply lines, Sherman’s army had to live off the land and the provisions on the plantations they seized along the way."
First Blood in Normandy: The Combat History of the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division Gotz von Berlichingen
by Hans Stober (Author)
Publisher: Pen and Sword Military. Publication date: 30 May 2025. Hardcover, 520 pages. ISBN-10 1399024043
From the publisher: "This is the first book in a series that describes in detail the establishment and combat history of the 17th SS Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Gotz von Berlichingen”. By order of Adolf Hitler, this division was established in October 1943 in France and trained there until its first actions at the beginning of June 1944. It was certainly a unique Waffen-SS division because it fought exclusively on the Western Front."
Annapolis Goes to War
by Craig L. Symonds (Author)
Publisher: Oxford University Press. Publication date: June 2, 2025. Hardcover, 512 pages. ISBN 9780197752678
From the publisher: "Author is acknowledged as among the leading naval historians of his generation, and taught Midshipmen at the Naval Academy -- the subject of this book -- for over thirty years. Offers a deeply affecting and powerful portrait of young men at war, reminiscent of Band of Brothers. Based on diaries, letters, and first-hand accounts of those who fought, survived, and died on the front lines of World War Two"
The Skeptic Isle
by Steven Casey (Author)
Publisher: Oxford University Press. Publication date: May 1, 2025. Hardcover, 384 pages. ISBN 9780197781876
From the publisher: "Provides a significant new interpretation of how the British government sold every aspect of the Second World War, from morale to mobilization, rationing to civil defense, the football field to the battlefield. Shows the limits to the wartime consensus, not only inside Westminster and along Fleet Street, but also across the country, as many people questioned the official information they received. Highlights the importance of foreign events--from the Prague coup in 1938 to the liberation of the concentration camps in 1945--in shaping popular attitudes to the Second World War"
Gettysburg
by Adam I. P. Smith (Author)
Publisher: Oxford University Press. Publication date: August 7, 2025. Hardcover, 332 pages. ISBN 9780199671274
From the publisher: "The Great Battles Series. The story of the world's most important battles -- how they were fought, how they have been commemorated, and the long historical shadows that they have cast. Offers a succinct story of the Battle of Gettysburg as a key battle of the American Civil War. Delves into the cultural and political aftermath of Gettysburg to explore why this battle still resonates in contemporary society"
Life in the Viking Great Army: Raiders, Traders, and Settlers
by Dawn Hadley (Author), Julian Richards (Author)
Publisher: Oxford University Press. Publication date: April 9, 2025. Hardcover, 432 pages. ISBN-10 147286946X
From the publisher: "The Viking Great Army that landed in East Anglia in late 865 had a lasting impact on English society, culture, politics, and economy. The Viking Great Army landed in East Anglia in late 865 and over the following fifteen years it fought numerous battles in all four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, made and broke peace treaties, and deposed or killed at least three Anglo-Saxon kings, replacing them with its own appointees. It had a major impact on English society, initiating extensive transformations in Anglo-Saxon society, culture, economy, and political organisation. Previous Viking armies had raided only in the summer months, but the Great Army was a constant presence over this period, overwintering at various locations in northern and eastern England."
Opening the Gates of Hell: Germany's Invasion of Russia, June-July 1941
by Richard Hargreaves (Author)
Publisher: Osprey Publishing. Publication date: June 3, 2025. Hardcover, 488 pages. ISBN-10 147286946X
From the publisher: "A unique account of the opening weeks of history's largest, most brutal conflict, told through the eyes of those who were there and based on original source material from across Europe. Opening the Gates of Hell is based on over a decade's research in archives and sites across Europe. It is a ground-breaking examination of the start of the Nazi–Soviet conflict, a narrative history not just of the fighting, but also the impact on civilians, the atrocities committed by both sides and ethnic cleansing carried out by the inhabitants of the regions invaded."
Gettysburg: The Tide Turns: An Oral History
by Bruce Chadwick (Author)
Publisher: Pegasus Books. Publication date: May 20, 2025. Hardcover, 272 pages. ISBN-10 1639368256
From the publisher: "The definitive oral history of the battle that turned the tide of the Civil War that combines vivid first-hand accounts with rich historical narrative. In late June of 1863, one month after his victory over Union forces at Chancellorsville, Virginia, General Robert E. Lee, head of the Army of Northern Virginia, invaded the North. He would cross the Potomac River and head towards Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with the goal of seizing the trains which would then take his army into Philadelphia and perhaps even New York City. He hoped that these victories would force U.S. President Abraham Lincoln to surrender."
Korea: War Without End
by Richard Dannatt (Author), Robert Lyman (Author)
Publisher: Osprey Publishing. Publication date: May 20, 2025. Hardcover, 352 pages. ISBN-10 1472869753
From the publisher: "Korea: War Without End examines the stand-off between East and West in Korea that ultimately defined the second half of the 20th century. It provides a critical analysis of the lack of preparation by the West for war; the results of the North Korean invasion in June 1950; the counter-stroke by MacArthur in September and then the strategic overreach which led to communist China's involvement on the North Korean side, and the rapid escalation to consideration of the use of nuclear weapons."
Nightmare in the Pacific: The World War II Saga of Artie Shaw and His Navy Band
by Michael Doyle (Author)
Publisher: University of North Texas Press. Publication date: January 15, 2025. Hardcover, 288 pages. ISBN-10 1574419463
From the publisher: "World War II loomed over the twentieth century, transforming every level of American society and international relationships and searing itself onto the psyche of an entire generation, including that of seven American presidents: John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush. "
Presidents at War: How World War II Shaped a Generation of Presidents, from Eisenhower and JFK through Reagan and Bush
by Steven M. Gillon (Author)
Publisher: Dutton. Publication date: February 11, 2025. Hardcover, 528 pages. ISBN-10 0593183134
From the publisher: "World War II loomed over the twentieth century, transforming every level of American society and international relationships and searing itself onto the psyche of an entire generation, including that of seven American presidents: John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush. "
Every Weapon I Had: A Vietnam Vet's Long Road to the Medal of Honor
by Paris Davis (Author)
Publisher: St. Martin's Press. Publication date: June 17, 2025. Hardcover, 256 pages. ISBN-10 1250387655
From the publisher: "The story of a Green Beret commander's heroism during the Vietnam War, and the long fight to recognize his bravery. Every Weapon I Had is an inspiring tale of valor and sacrifice, set against the backdrop of major escalations in both the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. It is also a story of deferred honor and delayed recognition; Davis earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions, but his nomination for the Congressional Medal of Honor was repeatedly “lost.” No official reason has ever been given for this oversight, but those who fought to correct it believe that it was motivated by racial prejudice. Davis was finally awarded the Medal in 2023, 58 years after the battle."
The Raider: A New England Runaway, the Chinese Communists, and the Birth of U.S. Marine Special Forces in World War II
by Stephen R. Platt (Author)
Publisher: Knopf. Publication date: May 13, 2025. Hardcover, 544 pages. ISBN-10 0525658017
From the publisher: "The extraordinary life of forgotten World War II hero Evans Carlson, commander of America’s first special forces, secret confidant of FDR, and one of the most controversial officers in the history of the Marine Corps, who dedicated his life to bridging the cultural divide between the United States and China"
The Many Lives of Anne Frank
by Ruth Franklin (Author)
Publisher: Yale University Press. Publication date: January 25, 2025. Hardcover, 440 pages. ISBN-10 0300248121
From the publisher: "In this innovative biography, Ruth Franklin explores the transformation of Anne Frank (1929–1945) from ordinary teenager to icon, shedding new light on the young woman whose diary of her years in hiding, now translated into more than seventy languages, is the most widely read work of literature to arise from the Holocaust."
The Traitor of Arnhem: The Untold Story of WWII's Greatest Betrayal and the Moment that Changed History Forever
by Robert Verkaik (Author)
Publisher: Pegasus Books. Publication date: February 4, 2025. Hardcover, 400 pages. ISBN-10 1639368272
From the publisher: "Revealing the hidden role of the Cambridge Spies during this Allied defeat, The Traitor of Arnhem relates for the first time the startling betrayal that changed the course of World War II. The end of World War II is in sight. Following the overwhelming victory on D-Day, Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin all seek to shape the future to their own ends by winning the race to Berlin."
The Killing Season: The Autumn of 1914, Ypres, and the Afternoon That Cost Germany a War
by Robert Cowley (Author)
Publisher: Random House. Publication date: February 18, 2025. Hardcover, 704 pages. ISBN-10 1400068525
From the publisher: "The final months of 1914 were the bloodiest interval in a famously bloody war, a killing season. They ended with the First Battle of Ypres, a struggle in West Flanders, Belgium, whose importance has been too long overlooked—until now."
Scorched Earth: A Global History of World War II
by Paul Thomas Chamberlin (Author)
Publisher: Basic Books. Publication date: May 6, 2025. Hardcover, 672 pages. ISBN-10 1541619269
From the publisher: "In Scorched Earth, historian Paul Thomas Chamberlin dispatches the myth of World War II as a good war. Instead, he depicts the conflict as it truly was: a massive battle beset by vicious racial atrocities, fought between rival empires across huge stretches of Asia and Europe."
Shots Heard Round the World: America, Britain, and Europe in the Revolutionary War
by John Ferling (Author)
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing. Publication date: April 1, 2025. Hardcover, 560 pages. ISBN-10 163973015X
From the publisher: "In April 1775, British troops marched to Lexington, where an armed group of Yankees awaited them. Despite an order to disperse, shots rang out. Militiamen were killed. The British continued marching, only to find even greater trouble in Concord and all the way down the road back to Boston. The Revolutionary War had begun."
Paris Undercover: A Wartime Story of Courage, Friendship, and Betrayal
by Matthew Goodman (Author)
Publisher: Ballantine Books. Publication date: February 4, 2025. Hardcover, 448 pages. ISBN-10 0593358929
From the publisher: "Etta Shiber and Kate Bonnefous are the unlikeliest of heroines: two seemingly ordinary women, an American widow and an English divorcée, living quietly together in Paris. Yet during the Nazi occupation, these two friends find themselves unexpectedly plunged into the whirlwind of history. With the help of a French country priest and others, they set out to rescue British and French soldiers trapped behind enemy lines—some of whom they daringly smuggle through Nazi checkpoints hidden inside the trunk of their car."
The Price of Victory: A Naval History of Britain: 1815–1945
by N. A. M. Rodger (Author)
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company. Publication date: May 13, 2025. Hardcover, 976 pages. ISBN 0393292223
From the publisher: "Across two acclaimed volumes, preeminent naval historian N. A. M. Rodger has traced the progress of naval warfare in Britain from the seventh century through to Trafalgar, combining decades of scholarship with original insights and analysis. In this final volume, Rodger links naval history with economic, political, and social history to demonstrate how naval warfare and the Royal Navy shaped the British state and society in the nineteenth and twentieth century."
The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America
by Kostya Kennedy (Author)
Publisher: St. Martin's press. Publication date: March 25, 2025. Hardcover, 304 pages. ISBN-10 125034137X
From the publisher: "On April 18, 1775, a Boston-based silversmith, engraver, and anti-British political operative named Paul Revere set out on a borrowed horse to fulfill a dangerous but crucial mission: to alert American colonists of advancing British troops, which would seek to crush their nascent revolt."
Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants' War
by Lyndal Roper (Author)
Publisher: Basic Books. Publication date: February 11, 2025. Hardcover, 544 pages. ISBN-10 154164705X
From the publisher: "The German Peasants’ War was the greatest popular uprising in Western Europe before the French Revolution. In 1524 and 1525, it swept across Germany with astonishing speed as well over a hundred thousand people massed in armed bands to demand a new and more egalitarian order. "
Remember Us: American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and A Forever Promise Forged in World War II
by Robert M. Edsel (Author), Bret Witter
Publisher: Harper Horizon. Publication date: April 29, 2025. Hardcover, 496 pages. ISBN-10 140033781X
From the publisher: "Set during the horrors of World War II, Remember Us by Robert Edsel—#1 New York Times bestselling author of The Monuments Men—opens in Limburg, a small, rural province at the southern tip of the Netherlands. In the pre-dawn hours of May 10, 1940, Hitler’s forces rolled through the city, shattering more than 100 years of peace in the Netherlands. The country fell one week later. The Dutch lived under German occupation for four-and-a-half years, until September 1944, when American forces reached Limburg, the last Western province liberated before the Allied advance was slammed to a halt by Nazi Germany."
Second Front: Anglo-American Rivalry and the Hidden Story of the Normandy Campaign
by Marc Milner (Author)
Publisher: Yale University Press. Publication date: May 13, 2025. Hardcover, 688 pages. ISBN-10 030027887X
From the publisher: "In June 1944, an Allied army of British, American, and Canadian troops sought to open up a Second Front in Normandy. But they were not only fighting to bring the Second World War to an end. After decades of Anglo-American struggle for dominance, they were also contending with one another—to determine who would ascend to global hegemony once Hitler’s armies fell."
Bagration 1944: The Great Soviet Offensive
by Prit Buttar (Author)
Publisher: Osprey Publishing. Publication date: March 11, 2025. Hardcover, 480 pages. ISBN-10 1472863518
From the publisher: "Throughout the war on the Eastern Front, there were two consistent trends. The Red Army battled to learn how to fight and win, while involved in a struggle for its very survival. But by 1944 it had a leadership that was able to wield it with lethal effect and with far more effective equipment than before. By contrast, the Wehrmacht had commenced a slow process of decline after the invasion of the Soviet Union."
Ring of Fire: A New History of the World at War: 1914
by Alexandra Churchill (Author), Nicolai Eberholst (Author)
Publisher: Pegasus Books. Publication date: August 12, 2025. Hardcover, 528 pages. ISBN-10 1639369279
From the publisher: "The dramatic story of 1914—the start of World War I—presenting an expansive, dynamic history of the start of this truly global conflict. Most countries did not know what they were getting into during the precarious days of 1914. Global citizens believed they were going to get a short conflict that would settle old scores in a matter of weeks—but it was soon clear that was not going to be the case."
Crescent Dawn: The Rise of the Ottoman Empire and the Making of the Modern Age
by Si Sheppard (Author)
Publisher: Osprey Publishing. Publication date: February 25, 2025. Hardcover, 528 pages. ISBN-10 1472851463
From the publisher: "A groundbreaking new history of the wars of the Ottoman Expansion, a truly global conflagration that crisscrossed three continents and ultimately defined the borders and future of a modern Europe. The determined attempt to thwart Ottoman dominance was fought across five theaters from the Balkans to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, from Persia to Russia. This intercontinental melee is expertly re-told in this fascinating new history by historian Si Sheppard.."
Lincoln's Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War
by Michael Vorenberg (Author)
Publisher: Knopf. Publication date: March 18, 2025. Hardcover, 480 pages. ISBN-10 1524733172
From the publisher: "We set out on the James River, March 25, 1865, aboard the paddle steamboat River Queen. President Lincoln is on his way to General Grant’s headquarters at City Point, Virginia, and he’s decided he won’t return to Washington until he’s witnessed, or perhaps even orchestrated, the end of the Civil War. Now, it turns out, more than a century and a half later, historians are still searching for that end."
Devil’s Fire, Southern Cross: The Conclusion of the Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign, October 1943-February 1944
by Jeffrey Cox (Author)
Publisher: Osprey Publishing. Publication date: June 3, 2025. Hardcover, 488 pages. ISBN-10 1472864484
From the publisher: "This page-turning history examines the closing months of the vital campaign which ultimately determined the successful conclusion of the Pacific War for the Allies. But it had not been a smooth process. The campaign continued in fits and starts with both the US Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy making crucial errors."
Midnight on the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the Rebirth of America
by Scott Ellsworth (Author)
Publisher: Dutton. Publication date: July 15, 2025. Hardcover, 336 pages. ISBN-10 0593475615
From the publisher: "Told with a page-turning pace, New York Times bestselling author and historian Scott Ellsworth has written the most compelling new book about the Civil War in years. Focusing on the last, desperate months of the war, when the outcome was far from certain, Midnight on the Potomac is a story of titanic battles, political upheaval, and the long-forgotten Confederate terror war against the loyal citizens of the North."
The Old Breed... The Complete Story Revealed: A Father, A Son, and How WWII in the Pacific Shaped Their Lives
by W. Henry Sledge (Author)
Publisher: Knox Press. Publication date: June 3, 2025. Hardcover, 432 pages. ISBN -13 979-8888458488
From the publisher: "Forty years after the publication of Eugene Sledge’s memoir With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa comes The Old Breed… The Complete Story Revealed by Eugene’s son, Henry, adding new material and immeasurable depth to his father’s story."
No More Napoleons: How Britain Managed Europe from Waterloo to World War One
by Andrew Lambert (Author)
Publisher: Yale University Press. Publication date: June 24, 2025. Hardcover, 512 pages. ISBN-10 0300275552
From the publisher: "At the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, a fragile peace emerged in Europe. The continent’s borders were redrawn, and the French Empire, once a significant threat to British security, was for now cut down to size. But after decades of ceaseless conflict, Britain’s economy was beset by a crippling debt. How could this small, insular seapower state secure order across the Channel?"
The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780
by Rick Atkinson (Author)
Publisher: Crown. Publication date: April 29, 2025. Hardcover, 880 pages. ISBN-10 0593799186
From the publisher: "The first twenty-one months of the American Revolution—which began at Lexington and ended at Princeton—was the story of a ragged group of militiamen and soldiers fighting to forge a new nation. By the winter of 1777, the exhausted Continental Army could claim only that it had escaped annihilation by the world’s most formidable fighting force."
The Knights Templar: History & Mystery
by Tony McMahon
Publisher: Pen and Sword Military. Publication date: January 30, 2025. Hardcover, 232 pages. ISBN-10 1036113485
From the publisher: "The Knights Templar have fascinated us for centuries. They were holy warriors who fought with incredible bravery in the Crusades but were then destroyed by their own side. In battle they were the bravest knights – first on the battlefield and the last to quit. Charging towards the enemy with their white cloaks emblazoned with the red cross of martyrdom. Every young man in medieval Europe yearned to be a Knight Templar."
Martin Bormann: Hitler’s Executioner
by Volker Koop (Author)
Publisher: Frontline Books. Publication date: January 31, 2025. Softcover, 248 pages. ISBN-10 1526797518
From the publisher: "Born on 17 June 1900, Martin Ludwig Bormann became one of the most powerful and most feared men in the Third Reich. An obsessive bureaucrat, it was Bormann who helped steer Hitler’s apparatus of terror so effectively that he became the clandestine ruler of Nazi Germany. Drawing heavily on recently declassified documents and files, the historian and journalist Volker Koop reveals the full story of the most faithful member of Hitler’s inner circle, an individual who, whilst little known to the German people, became the second most powerful man in the Third Reich."
Hitler's Deserters: Breaking Ranks with the Wehrmacht
by Douglas Carl Peifer (Author)
Publisher: Oxford University Press. Publication date: January 7, 2025. Hardcover, 336 pages. ISBN-10 0197539661
From the publisher: "The German military executed between 18,000 and 22,000 of its personnel in World War II on the charges of desertion and "undermining the military spirt." This book examines who these Wehrmacht deserters were, why they deserted, what punishment they could expect, and how German military justice operated. The German army was not apolitical, but rather a pillar of the Nazi state."
