Kirjahaku

For most prisoners of war in the Second World War, life behind bars was nothing like the films. The tales of brave escape attempts told in accounts such as the iconic film The Great Escape are exciting enough, but how much of the detail is true? In Great Escapes ex-RAF officer and researcher for the RAF Escaping Society Terry Treadwell tells the incredible tales of some of the lesser known attempts to escape POW camps. All the amazing details are from real-life escape attempts, but as this book reveals, fact is often more extraordinary than fiction. Using personal accounts, authentic reports from German guards and debrief documents in the National Archives, Terry Treadwell traces the astounding stories of these heroic escapees. Some were successful, others not, but in each case the inspired methods devised and executed by the prisoners show bravery and ingenuity on a greater scale than any film. With incredible stories such as the Wooden Horse, the French Tunnel and the Colditz Ghost, this ground-breaking new book tells the stories of some of the bravest, and most reckless, men in history.

Of the 57 nations involved in the First World War, only 14 had a naval air arm or a limited naval aviation capacity. Yet in only 5 years, aviation became a major weapon in the armoury of naval warfare, with the first aircraft carriers making their appearance.

It seems surprising that anyone could dream of having aircraft-carrying submarines, but from the early days of the First World War, the two have been intrinsically linked. From those first attempts to the Japanese-bombing of the Oregon forests during the Second World War, the history of the many submarines and their aircraft is covered in this comprehensive, illustrated volume. Many different submarine types were either converted or designed to carry aircraft in countries as diverse as the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, Russia and Poland. They ranged from the early attempts with floatplanes strapped onto the deck through to the huge Japanese I-Class submarines, which could carry four aircraft in specially designed hangers. Illustrated with over 230 photographs and drawings of the submarines, their aircraft and crews, this is the definitive history of the unique and experimental and production craft that have culminated in the nuclear-powered, ICBM-carrying submarines of today.

The First World War was to introduce many innovative and novel ways of killing the enemy. It was the first truly modern war fought with modern equipment, and for the first time the new-fangled aircraft were to play their part. Of the 57 nations involved in the First World War, only 14 had a naval air force of any description. The first aircraft were flimsy and fragile, but by late 1914 they had progressed from limited reconnaissance duties to an offensive role. By the end of the war, aviation was an important element of the modern navy. The first aircraft carriers appeared and it was obvious that the days of the capital ship were coming to an end. The First Naval Air War is the story of the development of naval aviation from those fledgling squadrons of 1914 to the major weapon in the armoury of naval warfare in only five years.

This is not the definitive work on the Russian space program, but it will give the reader an insight into a political and complex world of space science. Although the success of the high-profile American space program had grabbed all the headlines, Russia slowly, but consistently, has continued to expand their contribution to the exploration of space. Since the phasing out of the Space Shuttle, it is the Russians that now have the main responsibility to replace the crewmembers and take supplies to the space station, although now the American SpaceX program has eased that burden. The book covers the early triumphs and disasters of the Russian space program and the animals that helped pave the way, although the casualties never came to light until many years later, when the understanding and tensions between the East and West eased. Despite the number of setbacks that dogged the early years, Russia slowly developed spacecraft that, although considered by some to be very basic, were reliable. The development of the Salyut and Mir space stations created a closer understanding between the nations, the work and experiments carried out by the cosmonauts in these early space stations, were almost all military and were either secret or restricted, so little is known about them. However, with the arrival of the International Space Station came a degree of openness and great strides were made in the understanding of the physiological and psychological effects of the men and women involved in working in space and a weightless environment. Unfortunately, since the war in the Ukraine, Russia’s relationship with the West has deteriorated considerably and co-operation within the space program is very limited, although the two main powers have reached an agreement regarding the transportation of crews and supplies to the ISS. It is thought however that the International Space Station days are numbered and will close in 2031. The book also makes reference to only a small number of Kosmos missions, those mentioned are the only ones with any connection to space exploration. The remainder, and there have been over 2,500 Kosmos missions, were either military or scientific satellites.

This book is about how the dreams of exploring other worlds became a reality with the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. The problems encountered in the development of the spacecraft, including the disastrous fire aboard Apollo 1 which resulted in the deaths of the three American astronauts, Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chafee are covered. When Neil Armstrong stepped out onto the surface of the Moon on 20 July 1969, many people thought that this was the first time man had visited its nearest neighbour. Although this was the first manned landing, there had been forty-one missions prior to this by both the Americans and the Russians. This book is about all those missions and the sixty-five missions that followed. Also included, although in much lesser detail, is the part the Russians played in the formative years of the ‘space race’ and the problems they encountered, culminating in the successful Apollo/Soyuz program which proved that the two super-powers could work together. The laboratory in the sky, Skylab, the forerunner of the ISS station is also covered. The book contains over 200 photographs, all of which are either credited to NASA or from the author's own collection. The sources include correspondence and the author's personal conversations with some of the astronauts involved in the early part of the space program.

The Imperial Japanese Navy developed the submarine faster than any other country in the world. But as a result of rivalries between the two military hierarchies, the Army and the Navy, they never utilised the submarine to its full extent. Nevertheless, during the Second World War, Japan deployed a number of unique submarines. These included the Type B1 which carried a Yokosuka E14Y1 reconnaissance seaplane in a watertight capsule attached to the deck of the submarine. One of these aircraft carried out two bomb attacks on a forest in Oregon by dropping six incendiary bombs, taking the war to the American mainland. The use of aircraft from submarines as scout planes proved not to be as successful as hoped, mainly because of the difficulty after launching the aircraft of it finding the submarine again in the vast Pacific and Indian Oceans. The Japanese also developed the giant I-400 class submarines that carried three Sieran bombers. There were other notable actions involving IJN submarines. This included I-17 that attempted to shell, unsuccessfully, an oil refinery off the coast of Santa Barbara, causing a major panic along the West Coast of America. Also memorable are the midget submarines that attempted to attack Pearl Harbor, and the submarines that carried the one-man submarines (Kaitens) and the human torpedoes. The submarine losses suffered by the Japanese Navy as the war progressed, when Allied, and in particular US, destroyers and aircraft hunted them down are all recorded in this comprehensive account of a fascinating element of the war at sea.

If one aircraft was to represent the First World War, it could be the distinctive red Fokker Triplane of Manfred von Richthofen. With an astonishing eighty aerial victories, the Red Baron became a legend in his own, short, lifetime. Regarded as one of the most widely known fighter pilots of all time, von Richthofen is also considered to be the First World War's 'ace-of-aces'. While much is known about this German aristocrat, what this book accomplishes is a pictorial portrait of von Richthofen as has never been seen before. Through a unique collection of photographs, the life of this famous airman is laid bare. From early family photographs through to the First World War, and his initial service as a cavalry reconnaissance officer on both the Eastern and Western fronts, his flying career, and the aircraft he flew, this extensive collection provides an unrivalled window into the life of history's most celebrated fighter pilot. By 1918, von Richthofen was regarded as a national hero in Germany and respected by his enemies. However, his remarkable career came to an abrupt conclusion on 21 April 1918\. Just as the German Spring Offensive was faltering, von Richthofen's aerial armada took to the sky to engage the Sopwith Camels of 209 Squadron which had taken off to undertake an offensive patrol over the Somme. In the ensuing dogfight, von Richtofen pursued one of the Camels along the valley of the River Somme. As he crossed the Allied line he came under fire - both from the ground and from the air. Von Richtofen was fatally wounded by a single bullet which damaged his heart and lungs. Just which Allied pilot, or indeed soldier, fired the fatal shot remains in contention. Images of the stripped wreckage of his famous Fokker Triplane add a solemn, and all too graphic, coda to the life of the Red Baron.

Without doubt it was one of the toughest jobs. Faced with ruthless criminal, trigger-happy gunslingers and assorted desperados, the lawmen of the Old West tried, and sometimes died, in their efforts to bring some semblance of order to their towns and communities. There were Marshals, City Marshals and Constables who were employed by the local townspeople and whose authority was restricted to within the town or city limits. Then there were the County Sheriffs, who were elected by the citizens of the county, to keep the peace within the county, or the Texas Rangers and Arizona Rangers, who operated under the jurisdiction of their respective state governors and later US Marshals.The United States Marshals were appointed by the President of the United States and had the authority to operate anywhere in the USA and deal with federal crime. Each of these law enforcement officers employed their own deputies, all of whom had the same powers of enforcement. Some believed that former criminals would make the most effective lawmen. Consequently, in some cases notorious gunfighters were employed as town marshals to help bring law and order to some of the most lawless of towns. These lawmen had to deal with the likes of the Dalton Gang, the James Brothers and the Rufus Buck Gang who thought nothing of raping and murdering innocent people just for the hell of it. These outlaws would frequently hide in the Indian Territory where there was no law to extradite them. The only law outside of the Indian Territory was that of Judge Isaac Parker, who administered the rules with an iron fist; the gallows at Fort Smith laid testament to his work. The requirements needed to be a peace officer in the Wild West were often determined only by the individual's skill with a gun, and their courage. At times judgement was needed with only seconds to determine it, and that also meant that there was the odd occasion where justice and law never quite meant the same thing. The expression 'justice without law' was never truer than in the formative years of the West.

The 'Wild West', or American Frontier as it is also known, developed in the years following the American Civil War. However, this period of myth-making cowboys, infamous gunslingers, not always law-abiding lawmen, and saloon madams, is as much the product of fiction writers and film makers as reality. The outlaw came into his, or indeed her, own in the mid to late 19th century. Some of these individuals, men such as Billy the Kid, William Clarke Quantrill, Butch Cassidy or Harry Longabaugh, better known as the Sundance Kid, became household names. Many of those who roamed America's West in the period between 1850 and 1900 often appear as colourful, romanticised, legendary characters. This includes the likes of Frank and Jesse James, who had stepped outside the law due to the harshness of life after the Civil War or under circumstances beyond their control. The majority of outlaws, though, were anonymous common criminals. In 1877, for example, the State Adjutant General of Texas, published 'wanted posters' for some 5,000 outlaws and bandits in the Rio Grande district alone, almost all of whom have since vanished into the mists of time. When it comes to the Wild West, it is important to separate fact from fiction. Of the known recorded killings by the various outlaws and gunfighters, Billy the Kid killed four men, not the twenty that some writers attributed to him. A notorious gunslinger, John Wesley Hardin was said to have killed twenty-seven men, but was only charged with one murder. Wild Bill Hickok killed three men, two of them in Abilene whilst he was City Marshal, and one in Springfield, Missouri, for which he was tried and found not guilty. Clay Allison, however, was thought to have killed at least fifteen men in his time as a gunfighter, whilst some of the outlaw gangs, such as the Rufus Buck Gang and the Evans Gang, were particularly violent and ruthless. The days of the outlaws of the Wild West gradually came to an end at the turn of the nineteenth into the twentieth century. The legends, however, live on.

Much has been written about the Unites States air forces during the Second World War, but little has been written about the early days of American military aviation either before or during the First World War or in the immediate inter-war years. In Strike From the Air, the author shows the early development of the aviation section of the U.S. Army with balloons and the part they played in the Civil War. This is followed by an account of the first use of military aircraft when General Pershing tracked down the revolutionary Pancho Villa after he had crossed the Mexican border into the United States and attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico, killing a number of American citizens. The development of naval aircraft during the invasion of Veracruz is also examined, which resulted in the first American aircraft to be hit by gunfire. Following the outbreak of the First World War, the United States was gradually drawn into the conflict. Before this had happened, a number of American travelled to Europe to volunteer for the Lafayette Escadrille in France, as well as the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. Many of these men eventually joined the newly created United States Army Air Service, taking their valuable experience and knowledge with them. Among the notable early US aviators were individuals such as Eugene Bullard, the first African-American military pilot, and eccentric loners like Frank Luke. The part played by the US Navy and USMC is not neglected. At the end of the First World War a group of American pilots joined together to form the Kosciuszko Squadron that fought against the Russians in the Polish/Russian War. The final part of the book contains a number of escape reports by USAS pilots and observers, which gives a real insight into the conditions they, and other Allied soldiers and airmen, were subjected to in German prison camps during the First World War. To complete this fascinating look at those exciting and challenging early days, Strike From the Air includes approximately 250 photographs, many of which have ever been seen before.

The ‘Wild West’, or American Frontier as it is also known, developed in the years following the American Civil War. However, this period of myth-making cowboys, infamous gunslingers, not always law-abiding lawmen, and saloon madams, is as much the product of fiction writers and film makers as reality. The outlaw came into his, or indeed her, own in the mid to late 19th century. Some of these individuals, men such as Billy the Kid, William Clarke Quantrill, Butch Cassidy or Harry Longabaugh, better known as the Sundance Kid, became household names. Many of those who roamed America’s West in the period between 1850 and 1900 often appear as colourful, romanticised, legendary characters. This includes the likes of Frank and Jesse James, who had stepped outside the law due to the harshness of life after the Civil War or under circumstances beyond their control. The majority of outlaws, though, were anonymous common criminals. In 1877, for example, the State Adjutant General of Texas, published ‘wanted posters’ for some 5,000 outlaws and bandits in the Rio Grande district alone, almost all of whom have since vanished into the mists of time. When it comes to the Wild West, it is important to separate fact from fiction. Of the known recorded killings by the various outlaws and gunfighters, Billy the Kid killed four men, not the twenty that some writers attributed to him. A notorious gunslinger, John Wesley Hardin was said to have killed twenty-seven men, but was only charged with one murder. Wild Bill Hickok killed three men, two of them in Abilene whilst he was City Marshal, and one in Springfield, Missouri, for which he was tried and found not guilty. Clay Allison, however, was thought to have killed at least fifteen men in his time as a gunfighter, whilst some of the outlaw gangs, such as the Rufus Buck Gang and the Evans Gang, were particularly violent and ruthless. The days of the outlaws of the Wild West gradually came to an end at the turn of the nineteenth into the twentieth century. The legends, however, live on.

The development of rocket and jet aircraft by the Germans before and during the Second World War is something that intrigues all those interested in the history of aviation. The first trials of the V1 (Doodlebug) were carried out with a pilot at the controls, on occasion the world-famous aviatrix Hannah Reitsch. The first encounter with a jet aircraft by Allied airmen is documented here, including the first shooting down of a jet aircraft by an Allied pilot.Rocket and Jet Aircraft of the Third Reich documents the huge problems faced by the German scientists, designers and engineers, and the pressures put upon them by the German High Command. At the end of the war the Americans and Russians struggled to get their hands on these experts and their data whilst the SS were trying to prevent them falling into Allied hands. Heinkel, Henschel, Junkers – and of course Messerschmitt — all feature, amongst other pioneering designers, alongside legendary pilots such as Adolf Galland and Walter Nowotny.