Cover Story
Napoleon: Rise of a military colossus In our special two-part feature in this issue, Graham Goodlad explores, first, the part played by Napoleon’s generalship in his progress from unknown artillery officer to ruler of France. Then he analyses in depth two battles Napoleon fought in his… Features
Lodi and Arcola: making the myth Graham Goodlad analyses the clashes that made Napoleon’s name as a soldier of genius. 
Hidden figures The use of ‘native levies’ has long been a feature of foreign wars – but their employment and their sacrifice reached a peak during the British colonial era. Stephen Roberts… 
Thunder in the East: Armoured warfare in South-East Asia and the Pacific, 1937-1945 From Burma to Iwo Jima, armoured fighting vehicles played a key role in some of World War II’s most challenging environments. Our military technology expert David Porter takes notes. 
The last of the Romans Flavius Aetius is little known today, unlike his nemesis Attila the Hun. But, says Tim Newark, it was the Roman general who triumphed over his notorious adversary in a battle… 
Churchill and the scientists: Thinking outside the box In the last part of our series marking the 150th birthday of Winston Churchill, Taylor Downing examines his relationships with some of the brilliant mavericks who contributed to final victory… News
‘Realistic’ new model of Scotland’s warrior king goes on display at Dunfermline Abbey A new model of Robert the Bruce, produced from a cast of his skull, has gone on display for the first time to mark the 750th anniversary of his birth.… 
Sunken First World War troopship that carried Titanic passenger identified off Greek coast A British troopship sunk during the First World War has been located off the coast of Greece. Nearly 300 men were lost after SS Arcadian was torpedoed by a U-boat… 
Wartime bunker used by Churchill was disguised as garden, dig reveals A secret bunker used by Winston Churchill during the Second World War was disguised as a decorative garden, new research has revealed. Archaeological work at the site in Uxbridge, west… 
Rare samurai sword uncovered amid wartime artefacts in Berlin A rare Japanese sword dating from the 17th century – thought to have been a diplomatic gift – has been uncovered during excavations in Berlin. The wakizashi, a short sword… Views
MHM 142 Competition Competitions Put your military history knowledge to the test with our competition. 
War Classics – Flashman Comment Any novelist approaching a publisher with an idea for a series of stories centred around a cowardly, bullying racist, who is also a serial philanderer, would nowadays be very quickly… 
Back to the drawing board: HMS Audacious Ideas David Porter on Military History's doomed inventions. 
Cold War Scotland Museum, What's on Reviewing the best military history exhibitions with Calum Henderson. 
German prisoners, France, August 1918 The Picture Desk This image shows a huge crowd of German soldiers captured by British forces during the Battle of Amiens on 27 August 1918, less than three months before Armistice Day. Taken… 
Reviews
Under cover of darkness: Murders in blackout London REVIEW BY CALUM HENDERSON Lionel Watson was already married with four children when he murdered Phyllis Crocker, a woman he had met the previous year at the Hoover Factory in… 
The Strategists: Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt, Mussolini and Hitler REVIEW BY ANDREW MULHOLLAND History is usually about people, while military strategy tends not to be, and can sometimes seem rather dry. This book by Phillips O’Brien reminds us that… 
Nelson’s Pathfinders: A forgotten story in the triumph of British sea power REVIEW BY NICK HEWITT No matter how long you study a subject, there is always something new to learn, and this reviewer learned a great deal from Michael Barritt’s excellent… 
Henry V: The astonishing rise of England’s greatest warrior king REVIEW BY STEPHEN ROBERTS One of the shoutouts on the cover of Dan Jones’ new biography of Henry V is courtesy of Dan Snow, which tickled me as I know… 
From the editor
The event that brought France’s most successful and charismatic general to a position of supreme power took place 225 years ago this November.
Often described as the ‘end of the French Revolution’, the military coup known as 18 Brumaire also marked the beginning of Napoleon’s despotic reign, which at its height saw him ruling directly or indirectly over 40% of the population of Europe.
In our special feature to introduce a new series tracing Napoleon’s rise and fall, Graham Goodlad reveals first how the son of an impoverished Corsican nobleman transformed himself to become his country’s undisputed leader, and then looks in more detail at Lodi and Arcola – two early clashes that cemented his reputation as a commander of genius.
Elsewhere, Tim Newark travels further back in time to examine how the victory of the Roman general Flavius Aetius over the notorious Attila the Hun decided the fate of the 5th-century Roman Empire.
Also in this issue, Stephen Roberts uncovers the forgotten story of the ‘native levies’ who served alongside British forces during the British colonial era, while David Porter analyses the part played by armoured vehicles in some the most critical engagements of WWII in Asia and the Pacific.
Finally, in the last part of our series marking another anniversary of significance, the 150th birthday of Winston Churchill, Taylor Downing examines the wartime PM’s relationship with some of the maverick scientists who helped the Allies achieve ultimate victory in the Second World War.
We hope you enjoy the issue!
LAURENCE EARLE
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