Max Arthur

The definitive oral history of the raid featuring contributions from Mission Commander Guy Gibson and Bouncing Bomb creator Barnes Wallis.The Dambusters raid was one of the most iconic missions of the Second World War.Three dams along Germany’s Ruhr Valley, which powered the nation’s industrial war effort, were the target. To overcome the torpedo nets and other defences, Barnes Wallis invented the ‘bouncing’ bomb to skim along the surface of the reservoirs before breaching the dam walls.617 Squadron was chosen to deliver them. On the night of 16–17 May 1943, nineteen specially modified Lancaster bombers left Britain. Weeks of training under absolute secrecy were put to the test.Here, acclaimed oral historian Max Arthur has gathered together the voices of the Lancaster crews as well as the German civilians who endured the attack, compiling a unique picture of how the mission unfolded, and the devastation it caused.‘A masterpiece of concise storytelling’ Sunday Express

‘Remarkable and unique’ Daily Express‘I never dreamed we’d go to war with Argentina.’ Rear-Admiral John WoodwardOn 2 April 1982, Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands. Britain was quick to mobilise a task force to recover its territory, but the ensuing conflict, lasting over two months, would cost the British military 255 lives, seven ships and many aircraft.From the initial Argentine landing on South Georgia, to dynamic combat on land, sea and air, Britain faced extreme adversity. However, despite the harsh realities of battle, the British task force maintained morale through humour, camaraderie and the close bonds they formed in the crucible of war.Lost Voices of the Falklands War is the definitive oral history of the conflict, compiled by historian Max Arthur. Through a series of interviews, Arthur delivers a raw, unfiltered account of the violence and the emotional toll it took on the soldiers, sailors and airmen that fought.This is the true story of the heroes of the Falklands war, in their own words.‘Nowhere will you read a record of more concentrated courage, and of the will to win’ Manchester Evening News

‘Never has so much been owed by so many, to so few.’ This is the story of those few, in their own words.In the summer of 1940, the British frontlines were the skies above southern England. Spitfires and Hurricanes took on the might of the Luftwaffe, and its feared Messerschmitt fighters, dogfighting high above civilians watching on in awe.Hitler was determined to invade Britain and close down the Western Front for good. But his plan – Operation Sea Lion – could not begin while the RAF could still harry an invasion fleet. It had to be broken.Up to five times a day, the pilots of RAF Fighter Command scrambled to meet the inbound Luftwaffe. At one point, every available British fighter plane was airborne – Britain threw literally everything into the fight, and was tested to the very limits. Against all odds 'The Few', as they came to be known, bought Britain's freedom – many with their lives.These are the personal accounts of the pilots who fought and survived that battle. We will not see their like again.

Tough, highly adaptable and efficient, the Parachute Regiment has established itself as one of the finest fighting forces in the world. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of its founding, renowned historian Max Arthur has compiled this enthralling oral history of the modern Parachute Regiment.This unique chronicle is told through the voices of more than a hundred of the soldiers themselves, and of those involved closely with them. Whether in the Falklands, Kosovo, Iraq, Sierra Leone or Afghanistan, the Paras have maintained their reputation for being where the fighting is fiercest and where the odds of survival are often stacked heavily against them.The gripping, visceral first-person narrative makes The Paras stand apart from conventional regimental histories as one of the most remarkable accounts of conflict ever published.

The soldiers of one of the world's most famous fighting forces, the Paras, tell the gripping story of the regiment in their own words.

On 6 June 1944 Britain woke up to a profound silence. Overnight, 160,000 Allied troops had vanished and an eerie emptiness settled over the country. The majority of those men would never return. This is the story of that extraordinary 24 hours.Using a wealth of first person testimonies, renowned historian Max Arthur recounts a remarkable new oral history of D-Day, beginning with the two years leading up to the silent day which saw the UK transformed by the arrival of thousands of American and Canadian troops. We also hear the views of the American troops, who quickly formed strong views of both the British military and civilian populations. Then, on that June morning, many Britain people woke up to discover that vast areas of the country, which had throbbed with life only the day before, were now empty and silent. Civilian workers found coffee pots still warm on the stove but not a soul to greet them. Many women - and children - felt bewildered and betrayed.Then, throughout that day and the days that followed, the whole population gathered around wireless sets, waiting for news. There are powerful testimonies from families of who lost loved ones on the beaches of Normandy, and dramatic personal accounts from young widows who had never had the chance to say goodbye.THE SILENT DAY is an original and evocative portrait of a key event in world history, and a poignant reminder of the human cost of D-Day.

Lest We Forget brings together first-hand recollections from the Great War to the Second World War, to vividly illustrate the impact of war.

Britain's very freedom depended on the outcome of that summer's battle. Britain's air defences were badly battered and nearly broken, but against all odds 'The Few', as they came to be known, bought Britain's freedom - many with their lives.

How the men and women of Britain found 'the road home' after the Great War. From the SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of THE LOST POST.11am, 11.11.1918: the war is finally over. After four long years Britain welcomed her heroes home. Wives and mothers were reunited with loved ones they'd feared they'd never see again. Fathers met sons and daughters born during the war years for the very first time. It was a time of great joy - but it was also a time of enormous change. The soldiers and nurses who survived life at the Front faced the reality of rebuilding their lives in a society that had changed beyond recognition. How did the veterans readjust to civilian life? How did they cope with their war wounds, work and memories of lost comrades? And what of the people they returned to - the independent young women who were asked to give up the work they had been enjoying, the wives who had to readjust to life with men who seemed like strangers?

**** EXPORT AND IRELAND ONLY **** The Spanish Civil War, which raged from 1936-9, was a brutal and intense war which claimed well over 500,000 lives. Rightly predicting that the rise of Fascism in Spain could develop into a more global conflict, almost 2500 British volunteers travelled to Spain under the banner of the International Brigade to fight for the Spanish Republic in an attempt to stem the tide. Acclaimed oral historian Max Arthur has tracked down the eight survivors of this conflict, and interviewed them for their unique perspective, their memories of their time fighting and the motives which compelled them to fight. Theirs is a unique story, of men and women volunteering to lay down their lives for a cause, believing passionately that the Spanish Republic's fight was their fight too. From Union leader to nurse, Egyptologist to IRA activist, these survivors have incredible, compelling and sometimes harrowing tales to tell of their experiences, revealing their ideologies, pride, regrets, and feelings about the legacy of the actions they took. "For most young people there was a feeling of frustration, but some were determined to do anything that seemed possible, even if it meant death, to try to stop the spread of Fascism. It was real, and it had to be stopped."Jack Jones – Volunteer, 94

The haunting songs of the First World War still have a powerful emotional impact. These are the funny, bitter, sad and romantic words the soldiers actually sang on the march, in the dug-outs and trenches. Amidst the appalling carnage of the battlefield, the stoic courage and endurance of the ordinary soldiers shines through in songs like No More Soldiering for Me and It's a long, long way to Tipperary. This attractive and evocative book cannot fail to delight and move anyone with an interest in the First World War.

This book is dedicated to those players - Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor, the mighty Duncan Edwards and the others whose lives were cut off in their prime - and their indomitable manager, Sir Matt Busby. Max Arthur has sought out all the players who survived the crash and spoken to the relatives and friends of those who died.

Max Arthur, bestselling author of the hugely popular Forgotten Voices series, recaptures the day-to-day lives of working people in the Edwardian era. The Edwardian era is often eclipsed in the popular imagination by the Victorian age that preceded it and World War I that followed. In this wonderful work, Max Arthur redresses this imbalance, combining oral history and images from the rediscovered Edwardian Mitchell and Kenyon film footage to give voice to the forgotten figures who peopled the cities, factories and seasides of Britain. This extraordinary period was fuelled by a relentless sense of progress and witnessed the invention of many of the technologies we now take for granted. The extremes of this upstairs-downstairs world prompted a huge upsurge in political activity, and the Edwardian age saw the rise of socialism and the emergence of the suffragette movement. These years are made all the more poignant by our knowledge that World War I was imminent and this time of optimistic development would be brutally cut short. This exciting work draws together the experiences of people from all walks of life, capturing the first generation that were able to record their lives on film and imbuing them with an emotional immediacy.

Bestselling author Max Arthur presents this moving collection of first-hand accounts of life in the Royal Air Force, from 1918 to the present day.Lost Voices of the Royal Air Force records the role of the RAF in the events of World War II, and, particularly, the Battle of Britain and the desert battles of North Africa and the events leading up to VE day. It also reveals the crucial role of the RAF in the Falklands and in the Gulf War. Through original interviews with air and ground crew, the spirit and comradeship, the stress, courage, isolation, vulnerability and the wonder of the wartime flying experience is vividly explored.

The Imperial War Museum holds a vast archive of interviews with soldiers, sailors, airmen and civilians of most nationalities who saw action during WW2.

Acclaimed historian Max Arthur pays tribute to the Royal Navy from 1914 to 1945 and VE Day, drawing on the personal stories of those who have served during this period, creating a unique narrative history. Lost Voices of the Royal Navy is a memorable and moving testament to the courage, spirit, skill and irrepressible humour of those who served in the Royal Navy during these crucial years.

First published in 1950, 'Operation Heartbreak' is a story of why men go to war, it is also a heart-wrenching love story. The afterword to this Persephone edition is by the military historian Max Arthur.

This unique landmark oral history uses first-hand accounts from ordinary men and women who were there. Gripping, poignant, surprising and even humorous, the personal experiences of these soldiers, civilians, marines and medics from both sides tell us what it was really like to live through what was supposed to be the war to end all wars. Skilfully assembled by acclaimed author and historian Max Arthur using the IWM’s remarkable sound archive, Forgotten Voices of the Great War became an instant classic on first publication with close to half a million copies sold.In 1972, the Imperial War Museum began a momentous and important task. A team of academics, archivists and volunteers set about tracing First World War veterans and interviewing them in order to record the experiences of ordinary individuals in war. Since then the Sound Archive has grown to become the largest and most important oral history collections in the world. It now contains over 34,000 recordings, including interviews with veterans of both world wars – both service personnel and non-combatants – recordings relating to Britain and the Empire in the inter-war period 1919–1939, conflicts since 1945 and the Holocaust.In 2002, Ebury Press published the first edition of Forgotten Voices of the Great War. It was both the first time many of these recordings had been transcribed and published, and the only comprehensive oral history of the First World War. Twelve further books covering aspects of the Second World War, the Falklands and the Victoria Cross followed, selling well over a million copies to date.