Military History Matters 154
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An unequal contest?
In the second part of our series, Graham Goodlad reviews the organisation, tactics, and weaponry of the two armies.
The Jacobite Wars
In the first part of our new series, Graham Goodlad explores the Jacobite movement’s early attempts to overthrow Britain’s ruling Protestant monarchy.
The First World War in Postcards
Calum Henderson explores fascinating examples of postcards from the First World War which feature in John Wilton’s latest book.
The Lighthouse of Stalingrad: the hidden truth at the centre of WWII’s greatest battle
A besieged city, a hostile army enveloping on all sides, and a ruthless commander refusing to surrender – this was not 1942, but 1919, when the city in southern Russia then known
Military History Matters Letters – September 2022
As both of my grandfathers perished onboard Invincible at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, I read your discussion of Admiral David Beatty (‘The worst commanders in history?’ MHM August/September 2022)
David Stirling: the Phoney Major: the life, times and truth about the founder of the SAS
REVIEW BY SIMON BAKER Anyone with more than a passing interest in the history of the SAS may well be familiar with the regiment’s genesis myth: in 1941, a tall Commando called
Military history events and exhibitions Autumn 2022 – Winter 2023
A round-up of some of the best military history events, lectures, and exhibitions.
Why the Armada failed
It was one of the greatest disasters in Spain’s history, yet it came within hours of success. Here, Geoffrey Parker, co-author of a major new history, draws on unseen archives and vital new evidence from Armada shipwrecks to explain what really happened in 1588.
Rare bones of men and horses found at Waterloo
The latest discoveries – including parts of at least three horses, one of which looks nearly complete, and the skull and arm of a soldier – are incredibly rare finds.
Cuban Missile Crisis: how one man saved the world from nuclear war
John Lock resumes his occasional series on the ‘Butterfly Effect’ by examining another event that might have had unforeseen consequences. This time, he turns his attention to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the dramatic Cold War stand-off that led the world to the brink of disaster.
The Story of Russia
REVIEW BY ANDRÉ VAN LOON. The Story of Russia is a thorough work of historical writing that unfortunately leaves aside its most interesting ideas after the book’s introduction. Figes starts with a
Museum review: Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
Reviewing the best military history exhibitions with Christopher Warner.
War Classic: The Campaigns of Napoleon
Chandler sees Napoleon as a gifted improviser whose operations were nonetheless underpinned by certain consistent principles. Amongst his key skills as a commander were a personal charisma that inspired and moulded others to his will
The end of everything: the Battle of Mohács, 29 August 1526
Hungary’s devastating defeat by the armies of Suleiman the Magnificent signalled the country’s demise as a unified independent kingdom. Andrew Southam describes the action.
Convoys: the British struggle against Napoleonic Europe and America
REVIEW BY PATRICK BONIFACE. Military success throughout time has been dependent on the orderly and safe supply of goods, food, fuel, ammunition, and personnel. Ancient mariners devised the convoy system to protect
New evidence sheds fresh light on Culloden battlefield landscape
‘This clear evidence for the survival of Culloden Parks shows us that the story of the Battle of Culloden is still unfolding’
Nagasaki: the forgotten prisoners
REVIEW BY TOBY CLARK. Sailing into Hong Kong in late August 1945, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Anson symbolised the Japanese defeat. Within a week of her arrival, the Anson hosted 500
War of words – ‘Privateer’
As far back as the Middle Ages, private ship captains were authorised by governments to harry enemy merchant shipping. Their ships, and their operators, came to be called ‘privateers’. The letters of
New German-language adaptation of classic war novel coming to Netflix
Production of All Quiet on the Western Front took place in the spring of 2021, with filming in Belgium, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
Abandoned WWI fortress in Humber Estuary sold at auction
After the war, the fort briefly served as a peacetime garrison until the mid-1950s.