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The epic story of what happened after the beaches had been stormed during D-Day.An essential history of the Normandy Campaign, perfect for readers of Max Hastings, Cornelius Ryan, and Stephen E. Ambrose.D-Day was the greatest successful amphibious assault in history, but what happened after the Allied troops had landed in France? How did Hitler and his Nazi forces respond in the days following this devastating attack?Major-General H. Essame, who commanded an infantry brigade during the battle of Normandy, provides the preeminent account of Operation Overlord after the beachhead had been secured.Essame demonstrates how Montgomery, as Commander in Chief of Ground Forces, was able to overcome numerous obstacles and outsmart Hitler, Rundstedt, Rommel, and Kluge, whose armies were left reeling from the Allied onslaught.The actions of Bradley and his American armies pouring through the breach after D-Day, as well as the British and Canadian forces who had to fight viciously through the bocage, are covered in vivid detail.Normandy Bridgehead is a unique historical work, coming not only from a man who led troops into the battle but also a renowned military historian who draws information from a wide array of sources to give a thorough overview of the campaign. Discover the strategic brilliance along with personal heroism and sacrifice that was required to ensure that what had been gained on the beaches of Normandy would not be lost by the Allies.‘the comments and opinions about people and events which [Essame] disperses through his text carry the authority of a fighting soldier of unparalleled experience among military commentators.’ David Mason Read more

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Canada is in many ways a country of limits, a paradox for a place that enjoys virtually unlimited space. Most of that space is uninhabited, and much of it is uninhabitable. It is a country with a huge north but with most of its population in the south, hugging the U.S. border. An uneasy and difficult country, Canada has nevertheless defied the odds: it remains, in the 21st century, a haven of peace and a beacon of prosperity. Erudite yet accessible and marked by narrative flair, The Penguin History of Canada paints an expansive portrait of a dynamic and complex country. Read more

The definitive history of the campaigns in Canada between the British and French Empires during the Seven Years War. On September 13, 1759, British and French forces fought one of the most decisive battles of history, on the Plains of Abraham outside the Canadian capital of Quebec. The British force decisively routed the French, seized the city and ultimately all of Canada. Both the French and British commanders fell in the battle, and ever since the pathos and heroism of the encounter have engrossed historians. The struggle for Quebec was far more than one climactic battle. The campaign involved an immense military and naval operation, an 18th-century D-Day, which had begun the year before. Matthew Ward has researched extensively in archives in Britain and Canada to look at the entire campaign for Quebec, from its inception in Whitehall to its ultimate culmination in Montreal in 1760. He has probed beyond the actions of commanders and generals, to examine the experiences of the campaign for the ordinary soldier and civilian. What emerges is not just a picture of bravery and heroism, but also of a campaign which became increasingly brutal and cruel, both sides resorting to practices such as the routine scalping of enemy dead. It is also a surprising picture of the day-to-day, often mundane, lives of civilians and troops many thousands of miles from home. Read more

“Following his two-volume work, Bloody Verrieres, Arthur W Gullachsen has again written a fantastic book, this time covering the opening days of the Normandy battles involving the Allied Forces and the Hitlerjugend Division. His attention to detail regarding the units fighting between the 6.6.44 to the 11.6.44 is immense." — Russell A. Hart, Ph.D., Professor of History, Hawai'i Pacific University and author of Clash of Arms How the Allies Won in NormandyFollowing the Normandy invasion of 6 June, 1944, Heersgruppe B under German Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel rushed reserves to the newly created bridgehead in order to crush it and drive the Allied forces into the sea. One of these armored reserves was the newly created 12. SS-Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend. Extremely well equipped and at near full strength by mid-1944 standards, it was seen as an extremely capable formation that could defeat any Allied invasion.During this period studied in this volume, 7-11 June 1944, the 12. SS-Panzer-Division attempted to capture and hold the battlefield initiative, and in conjunction with other Panzer-Divisionen, throw what would become the Second British Army into the sea. The main thesis presented will be that despite this division's best efforts, it was defeated by a firm Allied defence that repulsed their offensive operations, eventually robbing the Germans of the initiative in a grinding series of bridgehead battles.This first volume will study combat in the period 7-11 June 1944 in the eastern sector of the Normandy Bridgehead. Chapters will analyze the Anglo-Canadian D-Day assault and the deployment of the division, then analyze in detail the fighting of the Hitlerjugend in the following areas: northern Caen, Putot, Bretteville l'Orgueilleuse, Norrey-en-Bessin, Hill 103, Le-Mesnil-Patry, and finally Rots. Also studied will be contrasting German and Anglo-Canadian tactical doctrine, the influence of tactical airpower, and the war crimes committed by the Hitlerjugend immediately after the invasion.The conclusion will reinforce the thesis presented above and a detailed set of appendices will analyze German personnel, equipment, and armored losses during the battles, and losses inflicted on the Allies. This will be Volume 1 of a planned multi-volume commitment. Read more

A battlefield guide that follows the Canadian attack from the first tank assault to the fighting for Regina Trench to the final push on Desire Trench.Courcelette is one of the many Somme villages that became a German stronghold in their tenacious fight to keep the British armies at bay. Well behind the lines on 1 July, it came into prominence on 15 September when it fell to an attack by the Canadians.Courcelette is a most important place in the development of Canada’s military history. It was here that the fourth Canadian division finally came into the same sector as its three fellows, although not for long; the final joining was to come in the winter of 1916 as the Corps took its position on the slopes of Vimy Ridge. Just as war often speeds social and technological change, so also it increased the speed of the political development of Canada as an independent nation, able to take its place in the councils of war and to follow a policy, if necessary, of its own. Read more

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The men from across Canada who served and fought in the Korean War were forever changed by what they saw and experienced in a faraway land. Army, navy, and air force all receive their share of long-overdue praise in this important book, which was originally published in 1983 and is now fully revised. Read more

Welcome to a top-level clearance world that doesn't exist...Now with updated material for the paperback edition. This is the adventurous, insightful, and often chilling story of a road trip through a shadow nation of state secrets, clandestine military bases, black sites, hidden laboratories, and top-secret agencies that make up what insiders call the "black world." Here, geographer and provocateur Trevor Paglen knocks on the doors of CIA prisons, stakes out a covert air base in Nevada from a mountaintop 30 miles away, dissects the Defense Department's multibillion dollar "black" budget, and interviews those who live on the edges of these blank spots. Whether Paglen reports from a hotel room in Vegas, a secret prison in Kabul, or a trailer in Shoshone Indian territory, he is impassioned, rigorous, relentless-and delivers eye-opening details. Read more

Do you want to learn how the Great War began, was fought and ultimately won by the Allied ForcesRead about the 50 most important events of World War I, from the very beginning to the fall of the Central Powers.This book is perfect for history lovers.Author James Weber did the research and compiled this huge list of events and battles that changed the course of history forever.Some of them include: - The Defeat of the Russian 2nd Army in the Battle of Tannenberg (August 26, 1914)- The First Battle of Ypres (October 18, 1914)- The Sinking of the RMS Lusitania (May 7, 1915)- The Introduction of the First British Military Conscription (January 27, 1916)- The Failure of the Nivelle Offensive (April 20, 1917)- The Kiel Mutiny (October 4, 1918)- The Paris Peace Conference (January 18, 1919)- The Scuttling of the German naval fleet at Scapa Flow (June 21, 1919)and many many moreThe book takes you through the most important events of WWI from before the beginning of the war in 1914 until its end in 1918.It contains all the major battles and fights. You will find pictures and explanations to every event, making this the perfect resource for students and anyone wanting to broaden their knowledge in history.Download your copy now! Read more

The Royal North-west Mounted Police : a corps history Read more

The year 1755 saw the rivalry between Britain and France in North America escalate into open warfare as both sides sought to overcome the other's forts and trading posts. Lord Loudoun and the Marquis de Montcalm were sent out to lead their forces and Montcalm was soon tasked with capturing the formidable Anglo-American post at Oswego. Montcalm's 3,000-strong force surrounded the forts at Oswego and soon forced the defenders to surrender – an outstanding French success. Featuring specially commissioned full colour artwork, expert analysis, and lively narrative, this engaging study casts light on a daring feat of arms at the height of the French and Indian War. Read more

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"I was present at the Frog Lake Massacre and escaped by the slim margin of one hundred paces the fate that overtook my hapless fellows. For months afterward the unexpected report of a gun put my heart in my mouth, painted savages plunged in my dreams at early dawn through belts of dark firs upon my flying footsteps, bullets sang in my ears or found their mark in my flesh, and I awoke gasping and unable in the first few seconds of consciousness to convince myself that it was not all a horrible reality. Looking back on that now distant date and thinking over the flow of perilous turns in events piling swiftly one on another, the more clearly than ever before I see how close was my brush with death and wonder that I came through it and lived." W.M. Bleasdell CameronThat wide and splendid land, dominated only yesterday by the elements, but now in thrall to the use of man, the pioneer West, has been the stage for many a grim and stirring drama. This is the story of one of them, the record of an event known today as the Frog Lake Massacre.Frog Lake, a shimmering expanse of blue water, lies ten miles north of the North Saskatchewan river, with which it is connected by a creek bearing the same name, in what is now the province of Alberta. The settlement—to dignify it by the name—lies at the foot of the lake.This is the home of the Cree Indians. The home of Chief Big Bear, his son Imasees, and the war chief Wandering Spirit, who took upon themselves to take revenge on this small trading post for not holding up their end of the treaty and wiped the settlement off the map for many years to come.Through a twist of fate W.M. Bleasdell was the only one to survive the massacre. Then subsequently held captive by the tribe for two months before being rescued by a troop of the North-West Mounted Police.The year of 1885 was a time of great unrest in this section of the North, known as the Northwest Rebellions, when numerous uprisings against the Hudsons Bay Company and Canadian government took place.Originally published as "The War Trail of Big Bear" — Blood Red the Sun is a first-hand account of a survivor.What's Been Said:“No more interesting story regarding the pioneer days of the Canadian North-West ever has been written.”—The Legionary.“Much more fascinating than any fiction ever written with its scene in Western Canada is the story that William Bleasdell Cameron has told of his experiences in the rebellion of 1885.”—Edmonton Journal.“Mr. Cameron tells the tale of the massacre tersely and dramatically, with a realization, even after forty years, of the terrors of that April day.” —Saturday Night."For two months his life hung on a hair, but he retained all his faculties of observation and has preserved a most interesting record of the mode of life of his captors at a time when they were free to act according to their natural habits and impulses.”—The Times, London, Eng.“The book is much more than an historical record. It is a story of adventure, admirably told.”—Prof. J. M. Lothian.“The point about this thrilling story is that it is truth well told. . . . Suspense lasts up to the trial and the final moments of Wandering Spirit. . . . Many will find Mr. Cameron’s account of this deadly uprising an absorbing footnote to history.”—Owen Wister. Read more

Blood and Daring will change our views not just of Canada's relationship with the United States, but of the Civil War, Confederation and Canada itself. In Blood and Daring, lauded historian John Boyko makes a compelling argument that Confederation occurred when and as it did largely because of the pressures of the Civil War. Many readers will be shocked by Canada's deep connection to the war--Canadians fought in every major battle, supplied arms to the South, and many key Confederate meetings took place on Canadian soil. Boyko gives Americans a new understanding of the North American context of the war, and also shows how the political climate of the time created a more unified Canada, one that was able to successfully oppose American expansion. Filled with engaging stories and astonishing facts from previously unaccessed primary sources, Boyko's fascinating new interpretation of the war will appeal to all readers of history. Blood and Daring will change our views not just of Canada's relationship with the United States, but of Confederation itself. Read more

In 1760, General Jeffery Amherst led the British campaign that captured Montreal and began the end of French colonial rule in North America. All Canada in the Hands of the British is a detailed account of Amherst’s successful military strategy and soldiers’ experiences on both sides.Newly promoted general Jeffery Amherst took command of British forces in North America in 1759 and soon secured victories at Fort Duquesne, Louisbourg, Quebec, Fort Ticonderoga, and Niagara. In 1760 William Pitt, head of the British government, commanded Amherst to eliminate French rule in Canada. During the ensuing campaign, Amherst confronted French resurgence at Quebec and mounted sieges at Isle aux Noix and Fort Lévis, both of which were made difficult by French strategic placements on nearby islands. As historian Douglas R. Cubbison demonstrates, however, Amherst was well before his time in strategy and tactics, and his forces crushed French resistance.In this first book-length study of Amherst’s campaign, Cubbison examines the three principal columns that Amherst’s army comprised, only one of which was under his direct command. Cubbison argues that Amherst’s success against the French relied on his employment of command, control, communications, and intelligence. Cubbison also shows how well Brigadier General James Murray’s use of what is today called population-centric counterinsurgency corresponded with Amherst’s strategic oversight and victory.Using archival materials, archaeological evidence, and the firsthand accounts of junior provincial soldiers, Cubbison takes us from the eighteenth-century antagonisms between the British and French in the New World through the Seven Years’ War, to the final siege and its historic significance for colonial Canada. In one of the most decisive victories of the Seven Years’ War, Amherst was able, after a mere four weeks, to claim all of Canada. All Canada in the Hands of the British will change how military historians and enthusiasts understand the nature of British colonial battle strategy. Read more

As the third-highest-scoring flying ace among British and colonial pilots in the First World War, scoring 60 victories, Raymond Collishaw was only surpassed by Billy Bishop and Edward Mannock. This book traces his life from humble beginnings in Nanaimo, British Columbia, to victories in the skies over France. Read more

This battlefield guide is the companion work to Pegasus Bridge & Horsa Bridge. Together, these two books form the fully revised and updated edition of the previous best selling Battleground Europe Series book Pegasus Bridge & Merville Battery.This book examines, in great detail, the attack by 9 Para Bn of the British 6th Airborne Division on the German gun emplacement known as the Merville Battery on D-Day, 6 June 1944. The actions of 8 Para, 12 Para, Canadian 1 Para, attached engineer and support units, and commando raids in this area of Normandy are also told. In particular, the importance of destroying the five bridges, and a drainage culvert, in the Dives valley are explained along with the importance of taking and holding the high ground to the north-east of Caen. These combined actions resulted in the protection and securing of the left flank of the greatest combined military operation in history; Operation OVERLORD.In addition to explaining how these objectives were achieved, this battlefield guide relates the battles to the area as it is today. The book contains details of the museums, memorials, cemeteries and associated organizations. All of which will unravel the history of the area to the visitor and armchair traveler alike.To further aid the battlefield tourist, GPS data is also provided for either satellite navigation by vehicle or for viewing on Google Earth. Read more

A riveting tour de force by Canada’s leading military historian about the heroic Black Watch’s fight for survival at Verrières RidgeCentred around one of Canada’s most storied regiments, Seven Days in Hell tells the epic tale of the bloody battle for Verrières Ridge, a dramatic saga that unfolded just weeks after one of Canada’s greatest military triumphs of the Second World War. O’Keefe takes us on a heart-pounding journey at the sharp end of combat during the infamous Normandy campaign, when more than 300 Black Watch Highlanders from across Canada, the United States, Great Britain and the Allied world found themselves embroiled in mortal combat against elite Waffen-SS units and grizzled Eastern Front veterans. Only a handful walked away. Pinned down as the result of strategic blunders and the fog of war, the men were thrust into a nightmare where station, rank, race and religion mattered little and only character won the day. Drawing on formerly classified documents and rare first-person testimony from the men who fought on the front lines, O’Keefe follows the footsteps of the ghosts of Normandy, giving a voice yet again to the men who sacrificed everything in the summer of 1944. Read more