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The Glass Mountain: escape and discovery in wartime Italy
Malcolm Gaskill knew little about his great uncle Ralph’s wartime experiences, other than that he’d been a prisoner in Italy and cut his way out of a train with a knife and fork. In The Glass Mountain, he uncovers the full extent of Ralph’s adventures for the first time, revealing a life transformed by conflict, while lifting the lid on a long-forgotten episode of World War II.
The Glass Mountain: escape and discovery in wartime Italy
Malcolm Gaskill
Allen Lane, hbk, 416pp (£25)
ISBN 978-0241622599
Spitfires: the American women who flew in the face of danger during World War II
Crop dusters and debutantes, college girls and flying circus performers – all of them were trained pilots. Denied the right to fly for their country on the grounds of their gender, 25 daring young aviators bolted for England in 1942, becoming the first American women to command military aircraft. Becky Aikman tells their story.
Spitfires: the American women who flew in the face of danger during World War II
Becky Aikman
Bloomsbury, hbk, 368pp (£23.68)
ISBN 978-1635576566
Those Who Are About to Die: gladiators and the Roman mind
Dressed in armour and clutching a bloody sword, the Roman gladiator is an icon of the ancient world. But what did he really mean to the Romans? And what does he reveal about their society? Told through 24 hours of a gladiator’s life, Those Who Are About to Die offers a compelling insight into one of history’s least forgiving arenas.
Those Who Are About to Die: gladiators and the Roman mind
Harry Sidebottom
Hutchinson Heinemann, hbk, 416pp (£25)
ISBN 978-1529154009
The Two Hundred Years War: the bloody crowns of England and France, 1292-1492
For much of the ‘Hundred Years War’, France struggled to define itself as a nation, fighting the English, of course, but also other rivals – such as Burgundy, Brittany, Flanders, and Navarre. So Michael Livingston contends in this radical new history, which views France – and not her rival across the sea – as the primary engine driving the war.
The Two Hundred Years War: the bloody crowns of England and France, 1292-1492
Michael Livingston
Apollo, hbk, 528pp (£30)
ISBN 978-1035906345
Tank: the 10 war machines that changed the world and the remarkable men behind them
The tools of modern warfare – drones, guided missiles, even A.I. – have led many to argue that the humble tank has become obsolete. But, as Mark Urban demonstrates in this new book, which charts the history of the tank from WWI to the war in Ukraine, these terrifying beasts continue to influence how conflicts are fought.
Tank: the 10 war machines that changed the world and the remarkable men behind them
Mark Urban
Viking Books, hbk, 352pp (£25)
ISBN 978-0241741504
Scorched Earth: a global history of World War II
In the popular memory, at least, World War II is a ‘good’ war – an unalloyed victory for freedom over the forces of evil. But in this radical new history, Paul Thomas Chamberlain presents a very different narrative: one of rival empires slugging it out for global dominance, leaving behind a trail of racial atrocities, firebombed cities, and other acts of barbarism.
Scorched Earth: a global history of World War II
Paul Thomas Chamberlin
Basic Books, hbk, 656pp (£30)
ISBN 978-1529333848
PODCASTS
Pete & Gary’s Military History: Egypt and the Sudan series
For more than 40 years, the bestselling historian Peter Hart – a former winner of the MHM Book of the Year award – has interviewed thousands of veterans about their war experiences. On this lively, long-running podcast, Hart and his ‘chum’ Gary Bain discuss all aspects of military history, from the ancient world to the Second World War. A new series began earlier this year, looking at how the British campaigns in Egypt and the Sudan from 1882 to 1898 shaped the characters of major figures of the Great War, including Winston Churchill, Herbert Kitchener, and Ian Hamilton.
Pete & Gary’s Military History: Egypt and the Sudan series
Peter Hart and Gary Bain
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/pete-garys-military-history/id1497949409
New Books in Military History: The Spy and the State
This podcast from the American New Books Network features interviews with military historians and authors in which they discuss themes relating to warfare, strategy, and the impact of conflict on civilians. In a fascinating recent episode, Jeffrey P Rogg of the National Security Institute at the University of South Florida discusses the development of American intelligence from the Revolutionary War to the present day. Rogg explains the many controversies in which the intelligence community was mired and how it played an often overlooked role in key events in the country’s history.
New Books in Military History: The Spy and the State
Jeffrey P Rogg and Caleb Zakarin
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/jeffrey-p-rogg-the-spy-and-the-state/id424061529?i=1000712061024
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