History Press: 2525 books

When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, it came as no surprise to the children of Germany: the Nazis had been preparing them for a war ever since they had come to power in 1933. To British children it was an altogether different matter. Children all over Britain were deeply affected...

As the last days of peace ebbed away in 1939 and the outbreak of the Second World War appeared inevitable, a massive exodus took place in Britain: nearly two million civilians, most of them children, were taken from the cities, industrial towns and ports to the relative safety of the British countryside....

How decisions during World War II were made at the highest level, and how these decision affected every facet of the warTo understand the end result of World War II is to understand the leaders organizing the action from behind the scenes; from the main figureheads to the silent chiefs of staff, this...

Though not so famous as the battles of Tannenberg or the Marne, the fight between the French and German armies at Alsace and Lorraine marks the first battle of World War IOn August 7, 1914, a week before the Battle of Tannenburg and two weeks before the Battle of the Marne, the French army attacked...

This book makes it possible to comprehend, via the trench naming, the daily life in the trenches, the vast range of weaponry and the lethal nature of the titanic battles. Names such as Lovers Lane, Doleful Post, Cyanide Trench and Gangrene Alley are as revealing as any history. While based upon the...

Everything there is to know about this battle, legendary for its experimental use of artillery, infantry, and tanksThe Battle of Cambrai has become synonymous with one of the Allies' first large-scale use of tanks on the Western Front. Cambrai certainly saw over 450 Mark IV tanks lumber across No...

The Remembrance Poppy is a haunting reminder of the ultimate cost of war. Worn by millions around the world every year, the Poppy compels us to remember war’s dead, wounded and bereaved, regardless of nationality or conflict. As we reflect on the centenary of the First World War, this book charts...

In Antony Cummins’ new work, the hidden life of Old Japan is brought to the fore using newly translated original documents from the times of the Samurai. Find out what fate befell a convicted criminal (spoiler: it wasn’t pretty); why tipping even today is very rare in Japan; what a bunch of worms...

"Gentleman, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography," so said General Plumer the day before 600 tons of explosives were detonated under the German position on Messines Ridge. The explosion was heard by Lloyd George in Downing Street and as far away as...

Originally published in 1964, this is a critically acclaimed classic history of the military engagements of the Somme, which raged from July to November, 1916. It tells of bloody battles interspersed with trench actions of dreadful intensity. In addition to the key confrontations, Farrar-Hockley provides...

Stalin’s Red Army entered World War II as a relatively untried fighting force. In 1941, with the launch of Operation Barbarossa, it joined battle with Hitler’s army, the most powerful in history. After a desperate war of attrition over four years, the Red Army beat the Nazis into defeat on the...

An A-Z of eccentric characters, strange events, and curious happenings, this book reveals the amazing and curious history of the city of LondonSpooky, gruesome, and weird, but true, things about one of the world's greatest cities come alive here. Discover London's tiniest house, a 4,000-year-old mouse...

In December 1941 a Japanese battalion of 143rd Regiment of 55th Division crossed the Burma-Siam border and seized Victoria Point, heralding the invasion of Burma. The first air raids on Rangoon were opposed by only two fighter squadrons—16 P40s of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) and 16 Buffaloes...

The British Beach Groups were a combined force of men stationed on the Normandy Beaches from the initial landing until the last unit was disbanded a few weeks later. They performed many vital roles during the assault, including: arranging and controlling the movement of all personnel and vehicles...