Searching for Charlie: In Pursuit of the Real Charles Upham VC and Bar by Tom Scott

$39.99 NZD

$49.99 (20% off)

Category: Military History

Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham is the only combat soldier ever to win the Victoria Cross twice. His acts of bravery in World War II meant he probably deserved six more.   The mystery of how a reserved, modest, slightly built farm valuer from New Zealand, could be so ferocious and fearless in battle has i ntrigued and fascinated Tom Scott ever since he read about Charles Upham as a schoolboy. ‘Searching for Charlie’ is his epic quest to unravel the “real” Charles Upham. ...Show more

Battle of Britain - The Pilots and Planes That Made History by Simon Pearson; Ed Gorman

$37.99 NZD

Category: Military History

In Battle of Britain: The Pilots and the Planes That Made History, Ed Gorman and Simon Pearson paint a vivid picture of the men and their machines as the battle for air superiority over Britain is played out across the skies of Europe, from western Ireland to the German capital. They tell remarkable st ories involving hitherto unknown airmen from across the world who flew aircraft, including some that will be new to many readers: the New Zealander who "borrowed" a seaplane from the Royal Navy to set up a freelance air-sea rescue service that saved the lives of dozens of British and German pilots; the Swiss baron who destroyed nine British fighters in a day; the vainglorious Dane whose RAF squadron was wiped out trying to disrupt Nazi invasion plans; and the German bomber pilot who fought the last battle involving foreign troops on British soil since Culloden - before repairing to a pub in Kent for a pint with soldiers from the Irish Rifle, who had taken him prisoner. Illustrated with contemporary photographs of the pilots and their aircraft, these are enthralling stories from both sides of a conflict that shaped the modern world, full of courage, endeavour and above all, humanity. ...Show more

Battle of Berlin 1943-44 - Bomber Harris' Gamble to End the War by Richard Worrall; Graham Turner (Illustrator)

$34.99 NZD

Category: Military History | Series: Air Campaign Ser.

This illustrated study explores, in detail, the controversial Battle of Berlin -- RAF Bomber Command's costly, brutal attempt to prove that strategic bombing alone could bring an end to World War II.Throughout late-1943 into early-1944, an epic struggle raged over the skies of Germany between RAF Bomber Command and the Luftwaffe. This campaign had been undertaken by the Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, and was baptized "The Battle of Berlin." The Berlin campaign was a hard, desperate slog. Struggling against dreadful and bitter winter weather, Bomber Command "went" to Berlin a total of sixteen times, suffering increasingly severe losses throughout the winter of 1943/44 in the face of a revitalized German air-defense. The campaign remains controversial and the jury, even today, is ultimately undecided as to what it realistically achieved. Illustrated throughout with full-color artwork depicting the enormous scale of the campaign, this is the story of the RAF's much debated attempt to win the war through bombing alone. ...Show more

Jungle Green Shadows by Tony Howell

$75.00 NZD

Category: Military History

The New Zealand Government ordered the deployment of combat forces to Vietnam in 1965 to join Australia and other Allies engaged in that War. Victor 2 Rifle Company arrived in Vietnam on 12 November 1967 and left on 13 May 1968. Major Brian Worsnop was the commander, and the author, Lieutenant Tony Howe ll, was one of the Platoon Commanders. Jungle Green Shadows is a very important historical record of Victor 2 Company's participation in New Zealand's most unpopular war. What is fascinating is how Tony has managed to weave the thoughts and experiences of so many surviving Company soldiers into this factual account. As a result it reads more like an educational novel than a history book. There is one chapter that deals with a typical day in the life of a Lead Scout, a tense and thought-provoking look at how these young men cared for themselves and each other. The reader may find the Scout's contact with two Viet Cong too graphically described - but it is indicative of what these young men were asked to do. The Company was deployed to Vietnam during the most violent period of the Vietnam War - the Tet Offensive. If you had any questions about how this Rifle Company became a legend, this book will provide the answers. The defining hours for Victor 2 Company were when they were attacked and surrounded by a Battalion of Viet Cong on 7 February 1968. For several hours the Company fought off the attackers, initially without artillery or air support. The book is not all combat action, however, although there is enough of that there. Tony deals thoroughly with the battlefield stress and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) issues that arose from being constantly in the front line. He is very sympathetic in the way he covers these stress issues and their effects on families and, in turn, their children. Tony brings to light the brutality of the Hanoi regime and the huge toll they inflicted on their own people, both during the War and after the Allies withdrew from Vietnam in 1972. It is not pleasant reading of assassination squads and 're-education camps' but that was the reality behind the bamboo curtain. He even follows the re-education fate of three key Phuoc Tuy Province officials who were in office during the time Victor 2 Company was in Vietnam. The real value of this book is that, while it may have been written for the families of the Victor 2 Company soldiers, the author's easy flowing style will appeal to all New Zealanders. This book is well-researched and the sources are all identified. Jungle Green Shadows is a must for Vietnam Veterans, families, schools, stress counsellors, amateur or professional military historians and researchers on the Vietnam War. ...Show more

The Good Germans by Catrine Clay

$34.99 NZD

Category: Military History

After 1933, as the brutal terror regime took hold, most of the two-thirds of Germans who had never voted for the Nazis - some 40 million people - tried to keep their heads down and protect their families. They moved to the country, or pretended to support the regime to avoid being denounced by neighbour s, and tried to work out what was really happening in the Reich, surrounded as they were by Nazi propaganda and fake news. They lived in fear. Might they lose their jobs? Their homes? Their freedom? What would we have done in their place? Many ordinary Germans found the courage to resist, in the full knowledge that they could be sentenced to indefinite incarceration, torture or outright execution. Catrine Clay argues that it was a much greater number than was ever formally recorded: teachers, lawyers, factory and dock workers, housewives, shopkeepers, church members, trade unionists, army officers, aristocrats, Social Democrats, Socialists and Communists. Catrine Clay's ground-breaking book focuses on six very different characters: Irma, the young daughter of Ernst Thalmann, leader of the German Communists; Fritzi von der Schulenburg, a Prussian aristocrat; Rudolf Ditzen, the already famous author Hans Fallada, best known for his novel Alone in Berlin; Bernt Engelmann, a schoolboy living in the suburbs of Dusseldorf; Julius Leber, a charismatic leader of the Social Democrats in the Reichstag; and Fabian von Schlabrendorff, a law student in Berlin. The six are not seen in isolation but as part of their families: a brother and sister; a wife; a father with three children; an only son; the parents of a Communist pioneer daughter. Each experiences the momentous events of Nazi history as they unfold in their own small lives - Good Germans all.   ...Show more

From Taranto to Trieste by Jennifer Mallinson

$49.50 NZD

Category: Military History

Taranto to Trieste is an account of the author’s fascinating journey to retrace the actual path of the 2nd New Zealand Division in Italy from its arrival in October 1943 until the end of the European war. Although a personal journey with personal reflections, the real story is about the largely off-the- beaten track places which the troops passed through, what they saw and experienced along the way and, in some cases what they missed. To complement the Division’s story, the historical context and military actions are explained with many maps as well as war-time photographs and colourful quotations from official military histories. As the author says, “There are many people of the post-war generation, and their children, with direct connections to the Italian campaign, who would like to know more about the small, mysterious places the Division passed through which appear in diaries, letters and on the back of photographs, but many of which do not appear on maps.” The author’s own photographs, descriptions of the places visited, the landscapes travelled and the roads followed will delight those wanting to follow in the footsteps of the 2nd Division in Italy. ...Show more

Bravo Kiwi by Craig Wilson

$39.99 NZD

Category: Military History

Major Craig Wilson is a decorated former SAS member, and has been in more combat zones than any other Kiwi soldier. He was the commanding officer of Bravo Company, which lost 2 soldiers when they went to the aid Afghan police at Baghek in August 2012. Craig was left injured, shot in the shoulder, and wa s Medevac'd to a German hospital. There he heard 3 more of his team had died in an explosion. This is the story of Craig Wilson and the men and women of Bravo Company. It starts in 2010 at Burnham army base and includes infantry preparations for; Christchurch earthquake; planning for Afghanistan; life in Bamiyan; the battle at Baghek and its aftermath. ...Show more

B-29 Superfortress, Vol. 1 - Boeing's XB-29 Through B-29B in World War II by David Doyle

$45.00 NZD

Category: Military History | Series: Legends of Warfare: Aviation Ser.

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was not only the largest and most advanced US aircraft to see combat in World War II, it was also the most expensive weapons system of the war, even exceeding the cost of developing the atomic bombthe weapon that ultimately would be delivered to Hiroshima and Nagasaki by a pair of B-29s in August 1945. Through a broad range of photos gathered from around the world, this book, the first of a two-volume series, chronicles the design, development, and World War II combat of the iconic Superfortress. The story of this historic aircraft is told through carefully researched photos, which are reproduced in remarkable clarity. Large, clear photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, unlock the secrets of this aircraft. ...Show more

Undercover Agent - How a Young SOE Agent Thwarted the Nazis in Occupied France by Mark Seaman

$24.99 NZD

Category: Military History

The secret war of SOE's youngest agent at the heart of the French Resistance, Tony Brooks, who built a vast resistance organisation in Occupied France that defied the Nazis for two years until the liberation.

The Outpost: (FTI) by Jake Tapper

$27.99 NZD

Category: Military History

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE The heartbreaking and inspiring story of one of the deadliest battles of the Afghanistan war, acclaimed by critics as a classic. 'A mind-boggling, all-too-true story of heroism, hubris, failed strategy, and heartbreaking sacrifice' Jon Krakauer, author of Into the Wild At 5:58 AM on October 3rd, 2009, Combat Outpost Keating, located in frighteningly vulnerable terrain in Afghanistan just 14 miles from the Pakistani border, was viciously attacked. Though the 53 soldiers stationed there prevailed against nearly 400 Taliban fighters, their casualties made it the deadliest fight of the war that year. Four months after the battle, a review revealed that there was no reason for the troops at Keating to have been there in the first place. In The Outpost, Jake Tapper gives us the powerful saga of COP Keating, from its establishment to eventual destruction, introducing us to an unforgettable cast of soldiers and their families. This modern classic of military history is an indictment of the management of the war in Afghanistan, and a thrilling tale of true courage in the face of impossible odds. ...Show more

The Guinea Pig Club by E. R. Mayhew

$39.99 NZD

Category: Military History

• Authoritative account of New Zealand plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe and his pioneering work in the Second World War • Celebrates the legendary Guinea Pig Club he formed • Inspiring, moving story with new foreword by Prince Harry  “Mayhew is to be commended on an outstanding addition to expanding o ur knowledge …” Airforce Magazine Plastic surgery was in its infancy before the Second World War. The Allies were tremendously fortunate in having the New Zealand surgeon Archibald McIndoe operating at a small hospital in East Grinstead in the south of England. McIndoe set up a revolutionary treatment regime for survivors of plane crashes. He secured his group of patients — dubbed the Guinea Pig Club — an honoured place in society as heroes of the air war. For the first time official records have been used to explore this remarkable relationship between the Guinea Pig Club, the RAF and the Home Front. This New Zealand/UK/Canada co-edition includes new material on McIndoe’s origins and a foreword by HRH Prince Harry, and links to a major new film Dr Emily Mayhew is a military medical historian specialising in the study of severe casualty. She is the historian in residence in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London and a research fellow in the Division of Surgery. She is the author of several other books. ...Show more

The Silent Division & Concerning One Man's War 1914-1919

$59.99 NZD

$75.00 (20% off)

Category: Military History

The book is in three parts. Part One: a re-issue, unaltered, of the acclaimed The Silent Division - New Zealanders at the Front 1914 - 1919, first published in 1935, but now including maps and illustrations. Part Two: issued for the first time; that part of Ormond Burton's hitherto unpublished autobiogr aphy which deals with his heroic, front-line service in The Great War, entitled Concerning One Man's War, 1914-1918. This is a vibrant account at an individual level; arguably the finest writing by a New Zealander about that war. Edited by John H Gray, an acknowledge historian and published author, specialising on the The New Zealand Division in the Western Front. Part Three: a brief biography of the author by, David Grant, author, historian and lecturer Victoria University. ...Show more