Pen Sword: 3374 books

The English Electric Lightning was the only single-seat supersonic interceptor fighter designed and manufactured in the UK. It saw service with the RAF in the sixties and seventies and gained a worthy reputation for its speed ( in excess of Mach 2 ) and phenomenal rate of climb. It was, however, a...

Brian Allen first went to sea as a naval aviation officer cadet aboard HMS Indefatigable in 1952 , bound for Gibraltar. In 1954 he was appointed to Lossiemouth for fighter training and flew the Vampire T22. In December 1955 Brian joined 737 Squadron where he was attached to the Anti-Submarine Training...

The Second World War battleship HMS Rodney achieved lasting fame for her role in destroying the pride of Hitlers navy, the mighty Bismarck in a thrilling duel. The Rodney carrying the largest guns ever mounted in a British warship finally succeeded in turning her adversary into twisted metal and so...

“A thrilling, challenging and educational book . . . examines the roles of spies such a Edith Cavell, Mata Hari, Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan” (Pennant Magazine).   Women spies have rarely received the recognition they deserve. They have often been trivialized and, in cinema and popular...

Deborah is a British First World War tank that rose from the grave after taking part in one of the most momentous battles in history. In November 1917 she played a leading role in the first successful massed tank attack at Cambrai. Eighty years later, in a remarkable feat of archaeology, the tank’s...

This fascinating historical revelation goes to the very heart of British and Allied Intelligence during World War II, specifically in the context of planning, control and implementation of the combined bomber offensive against Germany. There are sound arguments based on official archives that the...

No warship name in British naval history has more battle honours than Warspite. While this book looks at the lives of all eight vessels to bear the name (between 1596 and the 1990s), it concentrates on the truly epic story of the seventh vessel, a super-dreadnought battleship, conceived as the ultimate...

Jack Northrop’s flying wings - or to give them their more correct title, all wing aircraft - were some of the most spectacular, graceful and elegant flying machines ever to grace the skies. A design as aeronautically pure as a flying wing had huge advantages over conventional aircraft design. This...

They could arrest and imprison anyone at any time. They murdered civilians. They wore a strange mixture of dark green tunics, khaki rousers, black belts and odd headgear, including civilian felt hats. The Irish named them after a famous pack of wild dogs on County Limerick – The Black and Tans. Although...

The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 has a character that inspires and fascinates readers and increasing numbers of visitors to South Africa. The two volume biographical dictionary of the participants is a unique venture and this second volume reveals much about the formidable Zulu nation which so nearly humbled...

Few outside the security services have heard of 14 Company. As deadly as the SAS yet more secret, the Operators of 14 Company are Britain’s most effective weapon against international terrorism. For every bomb that goes off 14 Company prevent twelve. The selection process is the most physically,...

Flight testing experimental and new aircraft is one of the world’s most hazardous occupations. A test pilot requires the skills of a flying ace whilst maintaining the self-control and mental discipline of a scientist. They are a rare breed, carefully selected for their experience and intelligence...

Train Doctor is the story of Roger Senior's career in the railway industry, from 1968 when the author joined British Railways, until his retirement from Great North Eastern Railway. The book takes you from the 1970’s period, with its first generation Diesels, through to privatisation in 1994...

Once a common sight on Britain's roads, few people today seem to have heard of the Bond Minicar not a diminutive, gadget laden conveyance for the fictional 007 character, but a popular, practical, motorcycle-engined, three-wheeler that in the post-war austerity period, gave tens of thousands of people...