Stefan Czarniecki 1599 -1665 Adama Kerstena to już dziś klasyka historiografii polskiej XX stulecia. Ta opublikowana po raz pierwszy w 1963 roku w Wydawnictwie Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej monografia w ciągu minionego czterdziestolecia była swoistym punktem odniesienia i jedną z prac najczęściej przywoływanych przez kolejne pokolenia siedemnastowieczników - historyków tej epoki. Publikując swą książkę, Kersten dokonał podwójnego wyłomu: zerwał z obowiązującym zapisem na biografię wybitnego dowódcy wojskowego, a jednocześnie zaproponował zupełnie nowy model uprawiania pisarstwa historiograficznego.

Classic biography of the best Polish general of the 17th century (in Polish)

Jan Amor Tarnowski herbu Leliwa (ur. 1488 w Tarnowie, zm. 16 maja 1561 w Wiewiórce) – jeden z najwybitniejszych hetmanów Polski, hetman wielki koronny w latach 1527 – 1561, kasztelan krakowski od 1536, wojewoda krakowski od 1535, wojewoda ruski od 1527, kasztelan wojnicki od 1522. Swój chrzest bojowy przeszedł w wieku dwudziestu dwóch lat pod okiem hetmana Konstantego Ostrogskiego. Brał także udział w wyprawie do Mołdawii w 1512 gdzie dowodził chorągwią jazdy. W latach 1517-1521 by dopełnić swe wykształcenie podjął zwyczajową podróż po świecie. Odwiedził Bliski Wschód w tym Syrię, Palestynę, Egipt, Grecję, Turcję i oczywiście Ziemię Świętą. Zwiedził także Zachodnią Europę.

A biography of one of the best Polish generals of the 16th century (in Polish)

Monografia polskiej XVII-wiecznej najemnej konnej formacji wojskowej. Lisowczycy dotarli aż do Morza Arktycznego, wsławili się m.in. walkami w Czechach, na Węgrzech, nad Renem, w Rosji. Znaczyli swój szlak krwią. Pozostawiali wielkie spustoszenie. A study of a Polish mersenary cavalry formation of the 17th century that took part in the Troubles in Russia and in the 30-years war in Hungary, Czech Lands, Rheinland and Italy leaving a trail of blood and devastation behind

In the early decades of the 8th century AD, Islamic forces were flooding into Europe through the Iberian peninsula, threatening Frankish and Burgundian territory and raiding it with ever-increasing ferocity. At the battle of Poitiers, also known as Tours, Christian forces under the Frankish leader Charles Martel 'The Hammer' (grandfather of Charlemagne) confronted a massive invading Islamic army. The Franks were victorious, effectively halting the northward advance of Islam and preserving Christianity as the dominant faith in Europe. Expert medievalist David Nicolle draws on contemporary sources to reconstruct this turning-point battle, placing it in its historical context and reviewing its background and the subsequent historical consequences.

In late July 1941, Hitler ordered Army Group South to seize the Crimea as part of its operations to secure the Ukraine and the Donets Basin, in order to protect the vital Romanian oil refineries at Ploesti from Soviet air attack. After weeks of heavy fighting, the Germans breached the Soviet defences and overran most of the Crimea. By November 1941 the only remaining Soviet foothold in the area was the heavily fortified naval base at Sevastopol. Operation Sturgeon Haul, the final assault on Sevastopol, was one of the very few joint service German operations of World War II, with two German corps and a Romanian corps supported by a huge artillery siege train, the Luftwaffe's crack VIII Flieger Korps and a flotilla of S-Boats provided by the Kriegsmarine. This volume closely examines the impact of logistics, weather and joint operational planning upon the last major German victory of World War II.

Second volume of the fundamental study of the early modern fortification and siege warfare. Christopher Duffy describes in detail Vauban's masterpieces (and how some of these were overcome), as well as fortifications and sieges from as far away as Sweden, Mediterranean, Hungary, India and America.

In the summer of 1940, Mussolini aimed to conquer North Africa, only to be routed by far smaller British and Commonwealth forces who drove out the invaders and captured the entire Italian Tenth Army. This defeat led Hitler to send the Deutsches Afrika Korps, commanded by Rommel, to bolster the Axis forces in Africa. From April 1941, the "Desert Fox" and his Allied opponents fought many bitter battles across the inhospitable deserts of North Africa. The battle of Alam Halfa in July 1942 saw Rommel thwarted just outside Cairo and the Suez Canal. The battle of El Alamein in October that year was the turning point in North Africa, with Rommel being forced into a long and stubborn withdrawal towards Tunisia. The Germans were forced to fight on two fronts after the Allied "Torch" landings in French North Africa, and were finally defeated in May 1943. In this title, military writer George Forty tells the story of these turbulent campaigns through the camera lens, in a series of photographs illustrating every aspect of the Desert War, supported by clear, concise text.

Churchill's words, 'never was so much owed by so many to so few', came to encapsulate how, in a few critical months, the entire fate of the British Empire, if not the war, hung in the balance, to be determined by a handful of pilots fighting tirelessly in the skies over Britain. Tony Holmes describes the Battle of Britain, the clash between the Spitfire I/II and the Bf 109E - detailing not only the key elements of both aircraft types - the airframe, engine, armament and flying characteristics, but also the pilots' training and tactics accompanied by diagrams of actual flight formations. The growing influence of radar and the efforts of British air defences are also examined, as are real-life engagements - from both German and British perspectives. With a wealth of first-hand accounts from the veterans who strapped themselves into these legendary machines as well as illustrations and cockpit-view artwork, this book puts the reader in the midst of a dogfight, providing a unique insight into one of the greatest duels of history in the world's first major aerial battle.

The Military Order of Teutonic Knights was one of the three most famous Crusading Orders, on a par with the Templars and the Hospitallers. Originally focusing on the preservation of the Crusader States in the Middle East, after the loss of their Middle Eastern enclaves in the 13th century, the Knights turned their attention to the Baltic. Over the next two centuries Northern Crusades were conducted against pagan Prussians and Lithuanians and, to a lesser extent, against Orthodox Russia. This title uses detailed illustrations and photographs to bring to life the appearance, beliefs and battle experience of the Teutonic Knights.

Matching clear graphics with informative text, Christopher Scarre's atlas gives a fine overview of Roman history from the emergence of the first city-state in the eighth century B.C. to the rise of Christian theocracy a millennium later. The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome is especially helpful in showing the growth of the Roman empire through successive centuries of military campaigning from Scotland to Arabia and in delineating the networks of trade, transit, and communication that bound the far-flung outposts to the imperial capital. Scarre notes that many of those networks still survive in one form or another.

Based on the UK TV-series “Time Commanders” this book provides background on the major military engagements of the ancient world from Kadesh where two ancient empires of Egypt and Hittites clashed to Chalons, where later day Romans repulsed the Huns under Attila. Describes armies and fighting techniques that took part in these epic battles.

The Soviet rifleman, or Frontovik, initially suffered defeats and retreat during the early desperate days of the war, then resolved a stubborn defence during the brutal winter of 1941-42, eventually turning the tables at the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, before victoriously marching into Germany. This title provides a view of the Soviet rifleman in defeat and victory, on the defensive and in the attack both in the heat of the summer, and the frozen brutality of the Russian winter. Their political beliefs, motivation, training, everyday life, weaponry and equipment are examined here, accompanied by rare photographs and full-color artwork.

The German Tiger heavy tank was a monster of a machine that dominated the battlefields of Europe. One of the most feared weapons of World War II, the Tiger gained an aura of invincibility that was only shattered by the introduction of the Sherman Firefly during the summer of 1944. Designed by the British to combat the Tiger, the Sherman Firefly was based on the American M4A4 Sherman, but was fitted with a powerful 17-pounder gun which made it a deadly opponent. This book describes the design and development of these two opponents, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, assessing their tactics, weaponry and training. Gunsight artwork puts the reader 'inside' the tanks during famous battle scenarios, in a victory of superior Allied numbers, tactics and engineering.

Robert A Forczyk provides a riveting and intense description of the design and development of these two deadly opponents, the Panther and the T-34, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses and describing their tactics, weaponry and training. Moreover he gives an insight into the lives of the tank crews themselves, who were caught up in the largest land conflict of World War II, in some of the most important engagements in the history of warfare. Innovative digital artwork and first-person perspectives place the reader in the midst of a duel between the titans of the Soviet and German armed forced in a ruthless and relentless death match that would determine the war on the Eastern Front and, indeed, the fate of Nazi Germany.

This book offers a excellent basic view of Ancient Greek History in rougly chonological order, from the earliest farms of 7000 BC to the defeat of Mithridates in 63BC. Each chapter combines concise explinations supported by a variety of colourful maps, photographs and diagrams to keep the reader interested. Its a must for anyone new to the subject or those who have a general interest.