Philip Kaplan

Based on historic events, and frighteningly relevant to today's headlines -- a taut thriller about one American diplomat’s year of living dangerously in Tehran in the days leading up to the Iranian Revolution … In the style of Alan Furst, this suspenseful thriller -- based on real events -- places an idealistic American diplomat in a turbulent, US-hating Tehran in the days leading up to the Iranian Revolution. Backed by the CIA, and trailed by a beautiful and engaging French journalist he suspects is a spy, David Weiseman's mission is to ease the Shah of Iran out of power and find the best alternative between the military, religious extremists, and the political ruling class -- many of whom are simultaneously trying to kill him.

Night in Tehran

Jack Currie

"Vividly describes the conditions experienced by allied airmen who were shot down in WWII and incarcerated behind enemy lines. Details the ways in which prisoners reacted to their predicament and their tales of enterprise, as inmates took it upon themselves to improve their surroundings. Offers a different slant on our understanding of WW2 history." --Publisher description.

Allied Prisoners of War in Hitler's Germany

Behind the Wire

The Battle of the Atlantic was the dominating factor all through the war. Never for one moment could we forget that everything happening elsewhere, on land, at sea, or in the air, depended ultimately on its outcome. - Winston ChurchillFeatured in this new volume from Philip Kaplan are images of some of the most iconic and important merchant ships of the latter years of the Second World War, along with intriguing shots of the men who sailed and worked on them. The indomitable HMS Sackville, the only surviving corvette of the Second World War, is afforded particularly prominent coverage, alongside a host of lesser-known but equally formidable ships. The Corvettes (vessels that escorted convoys throughout the war) were amongst the wettest and most uncomfortable of all warships, and their crews were undoubtedly amongst the most heroic. This volume is, in effect, a photo essay on the corvette. Escorting the convoy system of defensive Allied boats in the Atlantic and tasked with preventing merchant ships from being sunk by German submarines and U-boats, the Corvette's job was invaluable. This history, told in words and images, is sure to appeal to all military and maritime enthusiasts, representing an exciting addition to the established Images of War series.

Beating the U-Boat

Merchant Sailors at War, 1943–1945

Andy Saunders

Spitfire, Mustang, Lightning, Thunderbolt… in the darkest days of World War II, these legendary fighters escorted lumbering heavy bombers over enemy territory, providing protection, drawing cover, and taking on everything Germany’s Luftwaffe could throw at them. Escort Pilot is the lavishly-illustrated celebration of these unique heroes, painstakingly researched and beautifully designed. It conjures up the lost world of these daring US, British, and other Allied pilots. Readers witness gripping, first-hand accounts of deadly dogfights over Germany, accompanied by warm, humorous personal reminiscences of life on the ground, accompanied throughout by hundreds of period photos and reproductions of vintage artifacts and keepsakes - many in full color. Filled with engaging anecdotes, little-known fighter lore, and a wealth of fascinating and colorful details you’d expect – from favorite, long-forgotten local pubs to personalized flight jacket artwork – Escort Pilot is a richly evocative reminiscence of a heroic era and the larger-than-life personalities that inhabited it.

Guarding the American Bombers Over Europe in World War II

Escort Pilot

The big-gun battleship served as a symbol of the ultimate power of the world's greatest navies beginning late in the nineteenth century and continuing into the Second World War. So historically important was this vessel that the arms race between Britain and Germany to build navies with larger, more powerful battleships was among the key sources of tension between those nations in the lead up to the First World War.In this book, veteran battleship crew members describe their unforgettable experiences, including those of a young officer in a British battleship at Jutland; tales of the loss of the German warship Scharnhorst in the arctic off the North Cape; the combat experience inside a sixteen-inch gun turret aboard an Iowa-class battleship bombarding Iraq during the Gulf War, and the adventures of HMS Warspite in World War One, in the Mediterranean and on her way to the breaker's yard in 1947. Included too is the story of the great German battleship Bismarck, which sank the pride of the British fleet, the story of HMS Hood, and that of the USS Missouri on whose deck the final surrender document of the Second World War was signed. The text is combined with a compelling selection of historic images representing the era of the great battleships from the early years through the First and Second World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and the preservation of a handful of these vessels as museum pieces today.

The Last Battleships

World War Two at Sea

There were two kinds of pilots involved in the action during the Second World War: those who took the lead, and the others who went along for the ride. The elite group of fighter and bomber pilots led the way in combat missions, racking up kills and destroying the enemy's ability to fight. Experience was a big factor; the fliers who had been around the longest (and survived) learned all the tricks and made the most of that knowledge. They created expressions to help them stay alive and succeed in the unique arena of air combat and ways to win and succeed in situations when many of their colleagues did not. Reminders such as "Beware of the Hun in the Sun" and "Check Six" were meaningful warnings in air fighting and still are. "Situational awareness" about the flying and fighting environment was ingrained in the great air fighters. One of the greatest of the high-achieving fighter pilots of WWII was Adolph "Sailor" Malan, the legendary ace who set the standard for Allied pilots. He developed what he called Ten of My Rules for Air Fighting, which included points like "Always turn and face the attack," "Never fly straight and level for more than thirty seconds in the combat area," and "Go in quickly, punch hard, Get out!" High Fliers recounts the wartime careers of the pilots who used determination, intelligence, guts, and skill to find victory in the air.

Airmen of Achievement in Wartime

High Fliers

In the early years of the Second World War, the elite force of German submariners known as the Ubootwaffe came perilously close to perfecting the underwater tactics of the First World War and successfully cutting Britain's transatlantic lifeline. To the Allies, these enemy sailors were embarking on a mission that was unequivocally evil.??It was popularly believed that the U-boat men were all volunteers; this was not the case. However, once committed to the Ubootwaffe, each man soon understood that he must take pride in being part of a unique brotherhood. He had to do so because he was setting out, in claustrophobic, unsanitary, stench-filled and ultimately hellish conditions, on a journey that would test his mental and physical endurance to the very limits, and one that he had little chance of surviving. Those that did return soon ceased to take comfort in friends or family, dwelling only on the knowledge that another patrol awaited them. The men of the Ubootwaffe were bound together by an intense camaraderie forged in an environment of ever-present danger, and a unity of purpose more powerful than any known to other sailors.??As the U-boat memorial near Kiel records, by the end of the war, of the 39,000 men who went to sea in the U-boats, 27,491 died in action and a further 5,000 were made prisoners of war. Of the 863 U-boats that sailed on operational patrols, 754 were lost.??Grey Wolves captures life on board a U-boat, in text, letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, prose and poetry, relaying tales of the mundane and the routine, dramatic and heroic; the fear and resilience of every crew member, from Kapitainleutnant to Mechaniker. It is a vivid, brutally realistic portrait of the men who fought and died beneath the surface of the Atlantic in what was, perhaps, the most critical battle of the war.

The U-Boat War 1939-1945

Grey Wolves

The tank is such a characteristic feature of modern warfare that its difficult to imagine a time when its presence wasn't felt on the battlefield in some form or another. Rolling Thunder, from eminent historian and author Philip Kaplan, traces the history of the vehicle from its developmental early days on the battlefields of the Great War, to modern-day uses and innovations in response to the growing demands of twenty-first century warfare.??Featured in this volume are images of some of the most highly regarded and imposing types, such as the Chrysler-built Grant, the Skoda-built Hungarian Turan and the M-26 Pershing tank, employed so extensively during the Korean War. Tanks employed during the battles of Barbarossa, El Alamein, Kursk and Ardennes all feature, their histories depicted in words and images.??From the battlefields of the Great War to modern-day theaters such as Iraq and Afghanistan, the history of this impressive war machine is tracked in detail.

A Century of tank Warfare

Rolling Thunder

Designed for visual impact, this volume provides a brutally realistic portrait of U-boat life during a critical phase of World War II in the Atlantic.

U-Boats at War, 1939-1945

Wolfpack

Rex Alan Smith

"This beautifully illustrated and sensitively designed volume returns to now-long-abandoned U.S. Army Air Force bases in England, melding photographs from World War II with recent views of overgrown runways, rusting Nissen huts, and crumbling, ghostly control towers".--American History Illustrated. 250 illustrations, 100 in color.

A Sentimental Journey to the Eighth Air Force Heavy Bomber Bases of World War II in England

One Last Look

Beginning with a pictorial essay on battleship construction in the 1930s and 1940s, this new book looks at the various design facets of the last great capital ships of the world's navies. Kaplan offers us a glimpse into those massive American and German navy yards and construction facilities that were put to use during this time, acquainting us with the arenas in which these final examples of battleship technology were laid down, built up, launched, fitted out, commissioned and taken out to sea.The book roots itself in a period of monumental change within the history of contemporary warfare. With the baton being passed from the battleship community to that of the aircraft carrier, the iconic battleship was gradually superseded by a new and even more threatening weapons system. It was destined to be consigned to the history books, whilst newer, slicker and more efficient fighting machines took precedence. This publication serves as a tribute to a lost legend of naval warfare.There is a look at some of modern history's most significant battleships, relaying their thrilling stories, defining characteristics and eventual fates. Ships featured include Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Warspite, Tirpitz and Yamato.The book is completed with 'Fast and Last', a visit on board the four final examples of battleship technology and design, the last serving battleships USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Wisconsin, and USS Missouri. Their Second World War careers are recounted, as are the qualities that made them special.

Battleships: WWII Evolution of the Big Guns

The legendary Douglas DC-3 airliner was a technological breakthrough that changed the course of both civilian and military aviation. In the 1930s, passenger air travel was expensive, uncomfortable, and frequently unreliable. That began to change with the appearance of the handsome, thoroughly modern DC-3, the twenty-one-passenger twin-engine propeller-driven creation of Donald Douglas and his young California company. The first production models were sold to airlines for $90,000. The price climbed to $115,000 just before the United States entered the Second World War in December 1941. The new plane quickly became a favorite of passengers the world over, and it became the first truly profitable plane for the industry. The threat posed by the coming war made the US Army realize that a military version could handle the vital troop and cargo transport capability soon to be needed. The C-47 Skytrain was born and evolved into specialized versions with many nicknames: Gooney Bird, Dakota, and Puff the Magic Dragon. In WWII, General Dwight Eisenhower was so impressed he referenced it in his famous comment: ?The four pieces of equipment the most vital to Allied success in Africa and Europe were the bulldozer, the jeep, the two-and-a-half-ton truck, and the Douglas C-47.? Skytrain celebrates the long and distinguished career of this great plane.

A Transport Revolution

Skytrain

Discover the wartime experiences of the bomber boys in World War II. Flying bombers during World War II was a harrowing ordeal. Unlike the fighter jocks, who pit their skill and wits against each other in agile aerial combat, the bomber boys had to endure the fear and savagery of the air war with grim acceptance—their only option to sit and take it. Manning lumbering machines that could not maneuver or defend themselves effectively, the aircrews had to rely on tight aircraft formations and their own bravery to survive the onslaught of enemy fighters and anti-aircraft artillery. Within these great planes, they developed bonds like no other; young men thrust together in a shared fate, risking their lives in slow-moving yet beautiful and powerful aircraft over the skies of numerous war zones, thousands of feet above the battlegrounds but no further away from the horrors. Fully illustrated with hundreds of color and black-and-white photographs, as well as dozens of interviews, Philip Kaplan’s The Bomber Aircrew Experience offers an intimate glimpse into the life and times of these wartime airmen. The bomber boys recount their harrowing missions over Germany’s industrial heartland, paving the way for Allied victory in the Second World War’s European Theatre. Discover what it was like to man such planes as the great Flying Fortress and the Liberator, and what it was like for the British and Commonwealth boys flying night missions in the Lancasters, Halifaxes, and Stirlings. And then finally, learn about the development of the modern stealth bombers: the F-117 Nighthawk and the B-2 Spirit. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Dealing Out Punishment from the Air

The Bomber Aircrew Experience

In the history of aviation there have been many attempts to produce aircraft of extraordinary proportions to expand the limits of technology and create new performance standards. With few exceptions, the early attempts did not become the successes envisaged until post-World War II when such aircraft as the Boeing B-52 long-range heavy bomber and the Boeing 747 'Jumbo Jet' airliner changed the face of aviation in both the military and civil roles. Big Wings is a well-researched, highly informative and sometimes nostalgic look at the sixteen most significant giants of the air. Each chosen aircraft is introduced and its raison d'?tre explained, then follows an in-depth review of the successful and failed technical aspects of the design, its operational history, first-hand accounts from those that had flown the aircraft and finally some startling facts and statistics. The aircraft selected are as follows: Military—Douglas B–19, Boeing B-29, Consolidated B-36, Northrop B-49 and Boeing B-52, Airliners—Bristol Brabazon, Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, Heavy Lifters—Messerschmitt Me323, Consolidated XC-99, Lockheed C5 and Antonov AN-225, Flying Boats—Dornier Do-X, Martin JRM Mars, Hughes HK-1 and Saunders Roe Princess.

The Largest Aeroplanes Ever Built

Big Wings

In this title, 'Legend', the wartime and post-war history of a significant surviving veteran of that war, the C-47A N1844A is traced, along with the pre-war, wartime and post-war story of the fabulous DC-3/C-47 Dakota type.

Legend

Richard Collier

More than sixty years ago, in a decisive moment, those whom Churchill so famously addressed as the "few" thwarted Hitler's planned invasion of England. Over 160 graphic images and riveting testimony by Allied and Luftwaffe pilots, ground crew, and civilians paint a panoramic portrait of this confrontation. "The best sort of popular military history"--Times Literary Supplement. "Worthwhile and refreshing...a fantastic job...I recommend both to anyone moderately interested in this key period of history and to the scholar more familiar with the battle. Attractive and informative...certainly...a welcome addition to any library on the Battle of Britain."--Aerospace Power Journal.

Summer 1940, the Battle of Britain

The Few

Story of U.S., British, and other Allied fighter pilots escorting heavy bombers over Europe during World War II.

The Fighter Pilot Experience in World War II England

Little Friends

This book examines the reality behind the myths of the legendary German fighter aces of World War II. It explains why only a small minority of pilots - those in whom the desire for combat overrode everything - accounted for so large a proportion of the victories. It surveys the skills that a successful fighter pilot must have - a natural aptitude for flying, marksmanship, keen eyesight - and the way in which fighter tactics have developed. The book examines the history of the classic fighter aircraft that were flown, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the Focke Wulf Fw 190, and examines each type's characteristics, advantages and disadvantages in combat. The accounts of the experiences of fighter pilots are based on archival research, diaries, letters, published and unpublished memoirs and personal interviews with veterans. The pilots included are Werner Molders, Gunther Rall, Adolf Galland, Erich Hartmann and Johannes Steinhoff.

Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe in World War II

The Battle of Britain Remembered

Their Finest Hour

In the early years of the Second World War, the elite force of German submariners known as the Ubootwaffe came perilously close to perfecting the underwater battle tactics and successfully cutting Britain's transatlantic lifeline. To the Allies, these enemy sailors were embarking on a mission of unequivocal evil. Each member of the Ubootwaffe understood that he must take pride in being part of a unique brotherhood. He had to do so because he was setting out—in claustrophobic, unsanitary, stench-filled, and ultimately hellish conditions—on a journey that would test his mental and physical endurance to the very limits, and which he had little chance of surviving. Those that did return soon ceased to take comfort in friends or family, dwelling only on the knowledge that another patrol awaited them. By the end of the war, of the 39,000 men who went to sea in the U-boats, 27,491 died in action and a further 5,000 were made prisoners of war. Of the 863 U-boats that sailed on operational patrols, 754 were lost. Grey Wolves captures life on board a U-boat, in text, letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, prose, and poetry, relaying tales of the mundane and the routine, dramatic and heroic; the fear and resilience of every crew member, from Kapitainleutnant to Mechaniker. It is a vivid, brutally realistic portrait of the men who fought and died beneath the surface of the Atlantic in what was, perhaps, the most critical battle of the war. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Philip Kaplan

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