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DISTINGUISHED LECTURE & ARTICLES SERIES: MEDIEVAL MILITARY HISTORY 

MEDIEVAL MILITARY HISTORY: c.500-c.1000 CE · Published 1 February 2025 at 12:29am EDT · COMMENTS

Focus on Military Organization: Early Medieval Byzantine Army Structures (c. 500-c.1000 CE) by Prof. Brian Todd Carey

ABOVE: Istanbul, Turkey. 6 April 2017. View of the Byzantine walls. Source: War History Network license. Click to enlarge.

The high point of Byzantine power and territorial expansion took place in the sixth century during the reign of Emperor Justinian (r.527-565 CE), often referred to as “the Great.”  Described by his chroniclers as “the emperor who never sleeps,” Justinian was a vigorous, intelligent and ambitious ruler who was determined to reestablish the Roman Empire throughout the Mediterranean basin, ordering Byzantine armies to fend off Sassanian Persian attacks on the eastern frontiers of Anatolia and the Levant while also regaining parts of Italy from the Ostrogoths and North Africa from the Vandals.

ABOVE: Byzantine Empire at the Death of Emperor Basil II, c.1025 CE.

In 527, Justinian inherited an empire policed by five mobile field armies and a large number of smaller regional armies (limitanai) located along and behind the frontiers. These five field armies (comitatenses) were the Army of the East (a large region that included Egypt and the Levantine, Armenian, and Mesopotamian frontiers), the Army of Thrace, the Army of Illyricum, and two local imperial guard armies located in Thrace and northwestern Anatolia to protect Constantinople.  Each field army was commanded by a “Master of the Soldiers” (magister militum).   ☞ The Full Article

DISTINGUISHED LECTURE & ARTICLES SERIES: THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR

GLOBAL 19TH CENTURY CONFLICT · Published 15 January 2025 at 8:39pm EDT · COMMENTS

“Annexation as War" – The 1844 Presidential Election and US-Mexican Conflict by Prof. Benjamin J. Swenson

ABOVE: Mexican-American War. The storming of Chapultepec, 13 Sept 1847. Drawn on stone, printed in colors by Sarony & Major. Color Lithograph, Currier & Ives, 1848. Source: War History Network license.

The U.S. presidential election held in late autumn of 1844 was not merely a contest over which party would administer the executive branch of the federal government, it was a referendum on whether the nation would go to war with Mexico. The margin of victory was razor-thin but the ascendancy of James K. Polk to the post of Commander-in-chief meant a plurality of voting Americans believed the United States should annex the breakaway state and accept the consequences: that incorporation of the Lone Star Republic meant inheriting an ongoing war with Mexico   ☞  The full article

ABOVE: Antique map of Mexico and internal provinces showing Texas as part of Mexico, published in 1847. Source: War History Network license.

DISTINGUISHED LECTURE & ARTICLES SERIES: CLASSICAL MILITARY HISTORY 

CLASSICAL MILITARY HISTORY: c.1000 BCE-500 CE · Published 1 January 2025 at 10:03am EDT · COMMENTS (1)

Focus on Military Organization: Rome’s “Polybian” Legion by Prof. Brian Todd Carey

ABOVE: The Colosseum, located in the heart of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum, is the largest ancient amphitheater ever constructed and remains the largest standing amphitheater in the world today. Its construction began in 72 AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian (69–79 AD) and was completed in 80 AD under the rule of his successor and heir, Emperor Titus. Source: War History Network license.

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

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.

PUBLIC FORUM

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"

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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"

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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"

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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"

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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

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR I

WORDL WAR I ·Published 26 March 2023 at 10:05am EDT · COMMENT

"21 April 1918: Manfred von Richthofen - The Red Baron Shot Down"

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Germany, 23 April 1917. German Federal Archives caption: "The famous Fighter Squadron 11 with Manfred von Richthofen at the controls of his 'Red Airplane'. From this fighter squadron emerged Jagdgeschwader I, which officially bore the name 'von Richhofen'. During its one-year existence in 1917/18, the Richthofen Squadron won no less than 1,000 victories. At the age of 25, Rittmeister von Richthofen, recipient of the Order Pour le Merite, had become commander of the squadron, which, according to a military decree, had the combat value of several divisions on the sector of the front where it was deployed." Source: Wikipedia. In the Public Domain. Click to enlarge

Manfred von Richthofen, widely known as the 'Red Baron', was a figure of valor and tactical prowess during the tumultuous skies of the First World War. Born into an aristocratic Prussian family on 2 May 1892 in Breslau, Germany (present-day Wrocław, Poland), he would rise to become a legendary German flying ace, claiming an unparalleled 80 victories against Allied aircraft.   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR I

WORLD WAR I · Published 26 March 2023 at 10:07am EDT · COMMENT

"22 April-25 May 1915: The Second Battle of Ypres, Belgium"

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An artist's interpretation of the Second Battle of Ypres from the Allied perspective. Painted by Canadian Richard Jack in 1917; from the Canadian War Museum Collection. In the Public Domain.

The Second Battle of Ypres, fought from April 22 to May 25, 1915, marked a significant turning point in World War I as it was the first time Germany used poison gas on the Western Front. The Second Battle of Ypres was fought for control of the strategically important area east and south of the Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium. It was the second battle fought in this region, following the previous autumn's First Battle of Ypres.The battle comprised four distinct engagements: the Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge, the Battle of St. Julien, the Battle of Frezenberg, and the Battle of Bellewaarde.  ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: 19TH CENTURY WAR AND CONFLICT

19TH CENTURY WAR AND CONFLICT· Published 28 April 2023 at 1:24pm EDT · COMMENT

27 April - 13 May 1805: To the Shores of Tripoli: The Battle of Derna (North Africa)

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ABOVE: First Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon, USMC (with raised rifle) at Derna. Source: Colonel Charles Waterhouse, U.S. Marines (Marine Corps Art Collection). Public Domain; click to enlarge.

The Battle of Derna, fought on April 27, 1805, was a significant turning point in the First Barbary War, also referred to as the Tripolitan War or the Barbary Coast War. The conflict marked one of the earliest military engagements in U.S. history and stemmed from trade disputes between the United States and Tripolitania, a state within the Barbary Coast — a region notorious for state-sponsored piracy during the 18th and early 19th centuries.   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: AMERICAN CIVIL WAR: 1861-1865

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR · Published 26 March 2023 at 10:09am EDT · COMMENT

"30 April - 6 May 1863: A Costly Confederate Victory: Battle of Chancellorsville"

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30 April 1863: Lieutenant George B. Winslow commanding 1st New York Light Artillery Regiment. 1st New York Artillery Light Regiment was engaged in the Chancellorsville Campaign, attached to Artillery Brigade, 3rd Army Corps, from April 27-May 6, 1863. Source: Library of Congress, https://bit.ly/42CIPJD. In the Public Domain. Click to enlarge

The Battle of Chancellorsville is often epitomized as a paragon of military leadership and strategy, particularly from the Confederate perspective due to General Robert E. Lee's masterful employment of complex battle tactics in the face of considerable numerical disadvantage. This encounter, which spanned from April 30 to May 6, 1863, unfolded near the village of Spotsylvania, Virginia, and was a pivotal event in the American Civil War, underpinned by the tactical acumen that contributed to its classification as "Lee's Perfect Battle."   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WAR IN THE PACIFIC

WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 6 May 2022 at 9:45am EDT · COMMENT

"May 1945: Desmond Doss wins the Congressional Medal of Honor"

Corporal Desmond Doss, CMOH Winner, U.S. Army, and his wife Dorothy in 1945. Photograph in the Public Domain (Click to enlarge). Click to enlarge

Desmond Thomas Doss, a United States Army corporal, served as a combat medic in an infantry company during World War II. Guided by his steadfast Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, Doss refused to bear arms despite the dangerous realities of war. His unwavering commitment to his principles and his remarkable courage on the battlefield earned him a place in history as one of the most extraordinary conscientious objectors to serve in the U.S. military.   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II

WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 20 January 2024 at 10:04am EDT · COMMENT

"4 May to 8 May 1942: Carrier War: Battle of the Coral Sea"

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View on the flight deck of USS Lexington (CV-2), at about 1500 hours on 8 May 1942, during the Battle of the Coral Sea. The ship's air group is spotted aft, with Grumman F4F-3 fighters nearest the camera. SBD scout bombers and TBD-1 torpedo planes are parked further aft. Smoke is rising around the after aircraft elevator from fires burning in the hangar. Note fire hose, wheels, propellers, servicing stands and other gear scattered on the flight deck. Source: Official U.S. Navy Photograph. In the Public Domain. Click to enlarge

The Battle of the Coral Sea--a turning point for the War in the Pacific? Yes, as Japan lost two key aircraft carriers which would later prove costly at the Battle of Midway in June of 1942. This epic sea battle took place from 4 May to 8 May 1942. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) faced off against the United States and Australian naval and air forces, engaging in a revolutionary shift in tactics. It was the first naval battle in history where opposing fleets never sighted nor fired upon one another. Instead, they attacked over the horizon with aircraft carriers, marking a turning point in how naval warfare was conducted. The incorporation of aircraft carriers in naval battles had revolutionized warfare, and the United States and Australia had mastered it. The Allies' victory in the Battle of Coral Sea was vital in turning the tide of World War II's Pacific conflict. It forced Japan to reassess its military strategy and capabilities and reminded them that they were not invincible. ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR I AND THE INTERWAR YEARS

WORLD WAR I AND THE INTERWAR YEARS · Published 5 July 2022 at 9:31am EDT · COMMENT AND CONVERSATION

"1 June 1918: Belleau Wood: A Turning Point in World War One"

ABOVE: Georges Scott (1873-1943) illustration "American Marines in Belleau Wood (1918)" - originally published in the French Magazine "Illustrations." Source: Wikimedia. In the Public Domain. Click to enlarge.

Amid the unyielding battlegrounds of World War One, one particular engagement stands out as a testament to valor and strength, etching an indelible mark in the annals of warfare. The Battle of Belleau Wood, fought between the U.S. Marine Corps and the German Army from June 1st to June 26th, 1918, near the Marne River in France, remains not just a military triumph but an emblem of human resilience against overwhelming odds. With the German spring offensive looming large on the Western Front, the Allies faced a critical juncture. Their backs against the wall, the U.S. 2nd and 3rd Divisions, bolstered by relentless infantry and strategic maneuvering, stood firm against the German tide. This article delves into the Battle of Belleau Wood, dissecting its critical moments and unraveling the profound significance that reverberated across the landscape of World War One.   ☞ Read the full article

UPCOMING EVENTS

LEYDEKKERS PHOTOGRAPHY

ABOVE: Museum Overloon, Overloon, Netherlands.

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

Benjamin J. Swenson posted a discussion in EARLY MODERN AND NAPOLEONIC WARFARE: 1500-1815
Collaborators, Traitors, and Propaganda: Implementing Napoleon’s Occupation of Spain (1808–9)
Historians of the Napoleonic War in Spain (1808–14) – also known as the Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence – have highlighted its conventional and nonconventional nature – employing the term ‘hybrid warfare’ to describe the convergence of…
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Monday
Jim Gallen posted a discussion in The Reader's Corner: Talking About Books and Book Reviews
We Band of Angels by Elizabeth M. Norman
 War History Network members are familiar many War II tales but one that is frequently overlooked is told in We Band Of Angels.  It contains the story of 99 American nurses trapped on Bataan and Corregidor during the Japanese conquest of…
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Sunday
Douglas Skinner’s discussion was featured
Total war a defining example of an escalatory system
The conflicts which contributed to the rise of the concept of total war can be understood as helping to shape both the conditions under which warfare between states happened, and restructuring the organisational basis of national militaries. These…
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Sunday
Scott Lyons liked Douglas Skinner's discussion Total war a defining example of an escalatory system
Sunday
Douglas Skinner posted a discussion
Total war a defining example of an escalatory system
The conflicts which contributed to the rise of the concept of total war can be understood as helping to shape both the conditions under which warfare between states happened, and restructuring the organisational basis of national militaries. These…
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Sunday
Joel Johnson is now a member of War History Network
Welcome Them!
Saturday
Jim Gallen posted a discussion in The Reader's Corner: Talking About Books and Book Reviews
Crisis At The Chesapeake: The Royal Navy and the Struggle for America 1775-1783 by Quintin Barry
 To War History Network members familiar with George Washington and a few Revolutionary War battles, the introductory, theme setting statement: “There was in the end no way in which the Americans could have ultimately been denied their independence;…
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Feb 5
Jim Gallen’s discussion was featured in The Reader's Corner: Talking About Books and Book Reviews
Unlike Anything That Ever Floated: The Monitor and Virginia and the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8-9, 1862 by Dwight Sturtevant Hughes
Unlike Anything That Ever Floated approaches the classic Battle of Hampton Roads between the Monitor and Virginia from two perspectives. It goes into extensive detail about the engineering and mechanical features of each vessel as well as the…
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Feb 4
Scott Lyons liked Jim Gallen's discussion Unlike Anything That Ever Floated: The Monitor and Virginia and the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8-9, 1862 by Dwight Sturtevant Hughes in The Reader's Corner: Talking About Books and Book Reviews
Feb 4
Jim Gallen posted a discussion in The Reader's Corner: Talking About Books and Book Reviews
Unlike Anything That Ever Floated: The Monitor and Virginia and the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8-9, 1862 by Dwight Sturtevant Hughes
Unlike Anything That Ever Floated approaches the classic Battle of Hampton Roads between the Monitor and Virginia from two perspectives. It goes into extensive detail about the engineering and mechanical features of each vessel as well as the…
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Feb 2
Jim Gallen’s discussion was featured
Bay of Pigs Invasion lecture by Author J. J. Valdes Military History Club- Missouri Athletic Club, Noon, Central time, Tuesday, February 25, in person or by Zoom
On Tuesday, February 25, the Military History Club of the Missouri Athletic Club turns its attention to the Caribbean as it welcomes a Zoom appearance by J J. Valdes, author of the recently released Besieged Beachhead: The Cold War Battle for Cuba…
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Feb 1
Scott Lyons liked Jim Gallen's discussion Bay of Pigs Invasion lecture by Author J. J. Valdes Military History Club- Missouri Athletic Club, Noon, Central time, Tuesday, February 25, in person or by Zoom
Feb 1
Scott Lyons liked Erwin Leydekkers's photo
Feb 1
Scott Lyons posted an event
Bay of Pigs Invasion Lecture by Author J. J. Valdes | Military History Club - Missouri Athletic Club | 12 Noon (Central) in-person or Zoom

Feb 25, 2025 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Military History Club - Missouri Athletic Club, 12 Noon (Central) in- person or by Zoom

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Feb 1
Brian Todd Carey’s discussion was featured in Prof. Brian Todd Carey's Medieval Military History, c.500-c.1500
Focus on Military Organization: Early Medieval Byzantine Army Structures (c. 500-c.1000 CE)
 
Focus on Military Organization: Early Medieval Byzantine Army Structures (c. 500-c.1000 CE)
The high point of Byzantine power and territorial expansion took place in the sixth century during the reign of Emperor Justinian (r.527-565 CE), often…
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Feb 1
Scott Lyons liked Brian Todd Carey's discussion Focus on Military Organization: Early Medieval Byzantine Army Structures (c. 500-c.1000 CE) in Prof. Brian Todd Carey's Medieval Military History, c.500-c.1500
Feb 1
Douglas Skinner updated their profile photo
Feb 1
Brian Todd Carey posted a discussion in Prof. Brian Todd Carey's Medieval Military History, c.500-c.1500
Focus on Military Organization: Early Medieval Byzantine Army Structures (c. 500-c.1000 CE)
 
Focus on Military Organization: Early Medieval Byzantine Army Structures (c. 500-c.1000 CE)
The high point of Byzantine power and territorial expansion took place in the sixth century during the reign of Emperor Justinian (r.527-565 CE), often…
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Feb 1
Jim Gallen posted a discussion
Bay of Pigs Invasion lecture by Author J. J. Valdes Military History Club- Missouri Athletic Club, Noon, Central time, Tuesday, February 25, in person or by Zoom
On Tuesday, February 25, the Military History Club of the Missouri Athletic Club turns its attention to the Caribbean as it welcomes a Zoom appearance by J J. Valdes, author of the recently released Besieged Beachhead: The Cold War Battle for Cuba…
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Jan 31
Douglas Skinner is now a member of War History Network
Welcome Them!
Jan 31
Liam Cannon and John Sharp joined War History Network
Jan 26
Scott Lyons replied to Brian Todd Carey's discussion Focus on Military Organization: Rome’s “Polybian” Legion in Prof. Brian Todd Carey's Classical Military History, c.1000 BCE-500 CE
"Fascinating insight into the early orders of battle. Having recently watched Ridley Scott's epic Gladiator from 2000 (again), you can't help but notice the lines of attack or the order of battle used by the armies under Marcus Aurelius at the film's…"
Jan 26
Scott Lyons replied to Michael G. Stroud's discussion Napoleon's Taking Leave of the French in Egypt: Abandonment or Justified? in EARLY MODERN AND NAPOLEONIC WARFARE: 1500-1815
"Michael, there are many popular works on this historic figure such as Andrew Roberts' Napoleon - A Life and Napoleon - The Decline and Fall of an Empire: 1811-1821 by Michael Broers. What is your recommendation for the neophyte interested in this…"
Jan 26
Michael G. Stroud’s discussion was featured in EARLY MODERN AND NAPOLEONIC WARFARE: 1500-1815
Napoleon's Taking Leave of the French in Egypt: Abandonment or Justified?
Napoleon was very much an astute opportunist, be it political or military. This, combined with voluminous amounts of self-confidence, led Napoleon in his decision to return to the European mainland and therefore, leave his force in Egypt. This was…
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Jan 26
Scott Lyons liked Michael G. Stroud's discussion Napoleon's Taking Leave of the French in Egypt: Abandonment or Justified? in EARLY MODERN AND NAPOLEONIC WARFARE: 1500-1815
Jan 26
Michael G. Stroud posted a discussion in EARLY MODERN AND NAPOLEONIC WARFARE: 1500-1815
Napoleon's Taking Leave of the French in Egypt: Abandonment or Justified?
Napoleon was very much an astute opportunist, be it political or military. This, combined with voluminous amounts of self-confidence, led Napoleon in his decision to return to the European mainland and therefore, leave his force in Egypt. This was…
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Jan 26
Erwin Leydekkers posted photos
Jan 26
Jim Gallen’s discussion was featured in The Reader's Corner: Talking About Books and Book Reviews
Three Days At The Brink: FDR's Daring Gamble To Win World War II by Bret Baier
War History is not solely made on the battlefields.  The meetings that lay the plans for victory are as much a part of the story as the shot and shell.  Allied plans for World War II and its sequalae were formulated in a series of conferences…
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Jan 25
Scott Lyons liked Jim Gallen's discussion Three Days At The Brink: FDR's Daring Gamble To Win World War II by Bret Baier in The Reader's Corner: Talking About Books and Book Reviews
Jan 25
Jim Gallen posted a discussion in The Reader's Corner: Talking About Books and Book Reviews
Three Days At The Brink: FDR's Daring Gamble To Win World War II by Bret Baier
War History is not solely made on the battlefields.  The meetings that lay the plans for victory are as much a part of the story as the shot and shell.  Allied plans for World War II and its sequalae were formulated in a series of conferences…
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Jan 24
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BOOK REVIEWS

Unlike Anything That Ever Floated: The Monitor and Virginia and the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8-9, 1862 by by Dwight Sturtevant Hughes, author

Posted by Jim Gallen on 2 February 2025 at 9:38pm

Unlike Anything That Ever Floated approaches the classic Battle of Hampton Roads between the Monitor and Virginia from two perspectives. It goes into extensive detail about the engineering and mechanical features of each vessel as well as the occurrences during the battle itself. ☞ The full review · All book reviews

YOUR BOOK FIX: NEW TITLES

No Average Day: The 24 Hours of October 24, 1944

by Rona Simmons (Author)

Publisher: University of Missouri. Publication date: 24 October 2024. Hardcover, 362 pages. ISBN-13 978-0826223173

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From the publisher, "On Tuesday, October 24, 1944, nearly three years after the United States entered World War II, over 2,600 Americans perished—more than on any other single day of the conflict—yet the day remains overshadowed by more widely remembered dates in WWII history. Drawing from the accounts of men from diverse backgrounds who served in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Corps, Rona Simmons offers a gripping retelling of the fateful day, hour by hour and incident by incident."

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

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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."

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

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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."

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

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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." 

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

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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." 

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

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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."

Annapolis Goes to War

by Craig L. Symonds (Author)

Publisher: Oxford University Press. Publication date: June 2, 2025. Hardcover, 512 pages. ISBN 9780197752678

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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."

The Skeptic Isle

by Steven Casey (Author)

Publisher: Oxford University Press. Publication date: May 1, 2025. Hardcover, 384 pages. ISBN 9780197781876

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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."

Gettysburg

by Adam I. P. Smith (Author)

Publisher: Oxford University Press. Publication date: August 7, 2025. Hardcover, 332 pages. ISBN 9780199671274

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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

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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."

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

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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."

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

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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."

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

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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

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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

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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

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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."

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Preorder on Amazon

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."