The Yompers

Author : Ian R. Gardiner
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1781599181
Total Pages : 365 pages
Book Rating : 4.81/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Yompers written by Ian R. Gardiner and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2012-04-19 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A British company commander details his experience serving in the Falklands War and reflects on the 1982 conflict. “Yomping” was the word Commandos used for carrying heavy loads on long marches. It caught the public’s imagination during this short but bitter campaign and epitomized the grim determination and professionalism of our troops… Called to action on April 2, 1982, the men of 45 Commando Royal Marines assembled from around the world to sail 8,000 miles to recover the Falkland Islands from Argentine invasion. Lacking helicopters and short of food, they “yomped” in appalling weather carrying overloaded rucksacks, across the roughest terrain. Yet for a month in mid-winter, they remained a cohesive fighting-fit body of men. They then fought and won the highly successful and fierce night battle for Two Sisters, a 1,000-foot-high mountain which was the key to the defensive positions around Stanley. More than just a first-hand story of that epic feat, this book is the first to be written by a company commander in the Falklands War. It offers a vivid description of the “yomp” and infantry fighting, and it also offers penetrating insights into the realities of war at higher levels. It is a unique combination of descriptive writing about frontline fighting and wider reflections on the Falklands War, and conflict in general. “This is the real thing, from someone who gave the orders and led from the front, from beginning to bitter end. His account is articulate, poignant and precise, even though thirty years have elapsed . . . highly recommended.” —Military History Monthly

Author : Ian Gardiner
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1848849907
Total Pages : 303 pages
Book Rating : 4.07/5 ( download)

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Download or read book In the Service of the Sultan written by Ian Gardiner and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2007-01-19 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A memoir of how a small number of British officers led Muslim soldiers in the hard-fought anti-insurgency war that has shaped today’s Gulf. While the Americans were fighting in Vietnam, a struggle of even greater strategic significance was taking place in the Middle East: The Sultanate of Oman stood guard at the entrance to the Arabian Gulf, and thus controlled the movement of oil from that region. In the 1960s and 70s, the Communists tried to seize this artery and, had they succeeded, the consequences for the West and for the Middle East would have been disastrous—and yet, few people have ever heard of this geo-political drama at the height of the Cold War. In the Service of the Sultan “is an enthralling book. In a mere 180 pages, Ian Gardiner, an army officer who fought with the Sultan of Oman’s forces, succeeds in three major objectives. He describes what it is like to be a young officer leading men of different nationalities into combat against wily and courageous guerrillas. He captures the landscape and the spirit of Oman, ‘that entrancing, fascinating, hauntingly beautiful country.’ Finally, he puts the battles he fought in their geopolitical context . . . It should be read with enduring pleasure by anyone who wishes to reaffirm his pride in his country and in its fighting forces” (The Telegraph). “For anyone interested in understanding the ingredients behind a successful counterinsurgency campaign, In the Service of the Sultan is a must read.”—Imperial Armour Blogspot “Politics, history, irregular warfare, religion, and international affairs: all are ingredients in this absorbing, informative read.”—Oxford & Cambridge Club Military History Group

Author : Tony Shaw
Publisher : Pen and Sword Military
ISBN 13 : 1399087770
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.73/5 ( download)

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Download or read book SAS South Georgia Boating Club written by Tony Shaw and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-04-21 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many aspire to serve with the Special Air Service, arguably the world’s most prestigious regiment, but few achieve their aim. In this inspiring memoir the author describes how he left school without any qualifications and embarked on a 30 year career much of it spent in Hereford, including four years in ‘The Regiment’. Against the odds he rose through the ranks before being commissioned and eventually retiring as a Major. Initially attached to 22 SAS as a signaller, he volunteered for and passed ‘Selection’, the most gruelling and demanding of tests. He was posted to D Squadron Boat Troop with whom he saw active service in the Falklands War, Northern Ireland and the UK counter-terrorist team. Thanks to the diary he kept during the Falklands War, the reader is treated to a gripping first-hand account of the intense action that he and his colleagues experienced, including recces, diversionary attacks, raids and ambushes both on South Georgia and the Falklands Islands. Later he commanded the Royal Signals troop supporting D Squadron, 22 SAS before commissioning and later on pursuing a second career as a security consultant in various Middle Eastern hotspots. It is a privilege to read this commendably modest account of one man’s unique career which provides a fascinating insight into elite special forces soldiering.

Author : Rodney Boswell
Publisher : Pen and Sword Military
ISBN 13 : 1526791633
Total Pages : 364 pages
Book Rating : 4.34/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Mountain Commandos at War in the Falklands written by Rodney Boswell and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2021-05-12 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A former Royal Marine provides a vividly detailed, firsthand account of Mountain Commando operations in the Falklands War. On June 8th, 1982, eight Royal Marines infiltrated Goat Ridge in East Falkland, a rocky hilltop surrounded by Argentine infantry. From their hiding place just meters away from the enemy, they gathered essential intelligence for a British assault that overwhelmed the Argentine defenses days later. This is just one example of the missions undertaken by the Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre during the Falklands War, all of which are described in graphic detail in Rod Boswell’s eyewitness account. Using his own recollections and those of his comrades, he describes their operations in the Falklands: the observation posts set up in the no man’s land between San Carlos and Port Stanley; the raid at Top Malo House; and the reconnaissance patrols they carried out close to the Argentine lines during the conflict. His first-hand account gives a fascinating insight into the operational skills of a small, specially trained unit and shows the important contribution it made to the success of the British advance. This chronicle also records the entire experience of the Falklands War from their point of view, from the long voyage south through the Atlantic to the landings, the advance, and the liberation of Stanley.

Author : Ewen Southby-Tailyour
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1473835135
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.39/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Exocet Falklands written by Ewen Southby-Tailyour and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-04-02 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A fascinating account of three SAS missions to counter the Exocet missile . . . from ill-thought out ideas to near suicidal one-way trips onto enemy soil.”—Soldier Magazine This is a revelatory account of three un-tabulated special forces operations, PLUM DUFF, MIKADO and KETTLEDRUM, that were tasked to destroy Argentina’s Exocet missiles during the 1982 Falkland’s campaign. Interviews with the SAS officer commanding Operation PLUM DUFF, members of the reconnaissance patrol for Operation MIKADO, plus the navigator of the helicopter that flew eight troopers into Tierra del Fuego, has allowed the author to describe the tortuous events that led, instead, to a significant survival story. The RAF pilots ordered to conduct an “assault-landing” of two Hercules onto Rio Grande air base during Operation MIKADO have spoken of the extraordinary procedures they developed: so have the commander of the SBS and the captain of the British submarine involved in Operation KETTLEDRUM. The Super Étendard pilots who sank HMS Sheffield and MV Atlantic Conveyor and then “attacked” HMS Invincible, plus a key member of the Argentine special forces and the brigadier defending Rio Grande, add credence, depth and gravitas to the saga: as does an equally revealing interview with the SIS (MI6) officer who led the world-wide search for Exocets on the black market. Disturbing over-confidence by commanders at home was finely counter-balanced by stirring accounts of inspiring physical and moral courage across the South Atlantic. Exocet Falklands is a ground-breaking work of investigative military history from which many salutary lessons can be learned. “Between politics, diplomacy and barbouzeries, this well-documented work will lead you in the arcane of what should have changed the course of this war.”—Air Fan

Author : Nick Vaux
Publisher : Pen & Sword
ISBN 13 : 9781844156276
Total Pages : 261 pages
Book Rating : 4.73/5 ( download)

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Download or read book March to the South Atlantic written by Nick Vaux and published by Pen & Sword. This book was released on 2007 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes what going to war with 42 Commando was like and includes authentic details of danger, frustration, fatigue, courage and endurance that are just some of the emotions experienced during those fateful weeks and months of 1982.

Author : Mark Adkin
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1526707187
Total Pages : 510 pages
Book Rating : 4.85/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Battle for Goose Green written by Mark Adkin and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2017-04-30 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Probably the best and most detailed description of a key battle in the 1982 Falklands War . . . an excellent and fast paced narrative.” —Michael McCarthy, historical battlefield guide This book tells the story of the battle for Goose Green—the first crucial clash of the Falklands War—through the eyes of the commanders, both British and Argentine, from brigadier to corporal. It follows in detail, with the aid of maps, the fourteen hours of vicious infantry as both sides struggled for the tiny settlement of Goose Green. The book explains how 2 Para came close to failure as the battalion fought over open ground, in daylight, without adequate fire support against prepared positions. Controversial questions—such as: Was it an unnecessary battle? Why did London overrule the brigadier commander’s reluctance to attack? Did Col. Jones’s solo charge, which won him the Victoria Cross, decide the issue?—are discussed frankly. The author, himself a former infantry officer, has had the full support of the Parachute Regiment, and has assembled the views and comments of over forty-five veterans of all ranks who fought there. “The Falklands War showed British military personnel at their best and most innovative under the most testing of conditions, and the Battle of Goose Green was one of the classic actions . . . The author has made an impressive job of reviewing the important factors, the events and decisions that led to the battle.” —Firetrench “This brought home to me how the infantry fight and how the British Paratrooper has gained a worldwide reputation for being one of the best fighting men around. A superb read.” —Army Rumour Service

Author : Janet M. Hartley
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300245645
Total Pages : 413 pages
Book Rating : 4.46/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Volga written by Janet M. Hartley and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2021-01-12 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A rich and fascinating exploration of the Volga--the first to fully reveal its vital place in Russian history The longest river in Europe, the Volga stretches over three and a half thousand km from the heart of Russia to the Caspian Sea, separating west from east. The river has played a crucial role in the history of the peoples who are now a part of the Russian Federation--and has united and divided the land through which it flows. Janet Hartley explores the history of Russia through the Volga from the seventh century to the present day. She looks at it as an artery for trade and as a testing ground for the Russian Empire's control of the borderlands, at how it featured in Russian literature and art, and how it was crucial for the outcome of the Second World War at Stalingrad. This vibrant account unearths what life on the river was really like, telling the story of its diverse people and its vital place in Russian history.

Author : Alan Pinkett
Publisher : Lulu.com
ISBN 13 : 0244102074
Total Pages : 248 pages
Book Rating : 4.74/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Utta Drivel written by Alan Pinkett and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2018 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Utta Drivel is a comic novel that follows the lives of laid-back entrepreneur Wilfric and his two friends. Wilfric is 1600-odd years-old, which gives him a unique view of history. His get-togethers with walking disaster Boothroyd and eccentric patriot Utta Drivel always involve much laughter. Their lives cover a wide spectrum. From an Israeli landscape painter by the name of Mori Arty to the use of bonsai whales in garden ponds. From a naïve Catholic priest called Father Thousands to EU regulations requiring French windows to be made in France. From a Middle-aged Folk's Home to a conman called Big One O'Really. And whether funfairs are just a chance for 13-year-old girls to meet gypsies. As life goes by, Wilfric increasingly feels he is being watched. He eventually discovers who by, but not why. That is only resolved when they try to intercept him, resulting in an exciting canal barge chase. An audaciously satirical work in which the author's wit will make you laugh out loud.

Author : Rachel Woodward
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1137570105
Total Pages : 285 pages
Book Rating : 4.09/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Bringing War to Book written by Rachel Woodward and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-05-04 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores how military memoirs come to be written and published. Looking at the journeys through which soldiers and other military personnel become writers, the authors draw on over 250 military memoirs published since 1980 about service with the British armed forces, and on interviews with published military memoirists who talk in detail about the writing and production of their books. A range of themes are explored including: the nature of the military memoir; motivations for writing; authors’ reflections on their readerships; inclusions and exclusions within the text; the memories and materials that authors draw on; the collaborations that make the production and publication of military memoirs possible; and the issues around the design of military memoirs' distinctive covers. Written by two leading commentators on the sociology of the military, Bringing War to Book offers a new and original argument about the representations of war and the military experience as a process of social production. The book will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines including sociology, history, and cultural studies.