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Henry V's Brother - Joanna Arman - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Henry V's Brother - Joanna Arman - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Named after his famous grandfather, John of Gaunt, John of Lancaster Duke of Bedford, has been largely forgotten and sidelined in history. As the third of four sons, he was not his father’s heir, but he nonetheless distinguished himself in his youth in his service on the Scottish borders. As an adult, he was overshadowed by his charismatic older brother, the warrior king and victor of Agincourt, Henry V. Yet Henry trusted John the most of all his brothers and twice left him to rule England during his expeditions in France. John Duke of Bedford was the man who really governed England for almost half of his brother’s nine-year reign. John reached the pinnacle of his career when he was appointed Regent of France. As Regent, he governed a polity that had not existed for three centuries: a truly Anglo-Norman realm. It was not just ruled by England but populated by English settlers who lived & fought alongside the French. For thirteen years, John held the English kingdom of France together on the negotiating table and often on the battlefield. He struggled against renegade soldiers and his adversary, Charles VII of France, but sometimes against the political machinations of his relatives to keep his late brother’s dream alive. John became a man noted for equitable rule and an unshakeable commitment to justice. In England, people looked to him to heal the divisions which poisoned Henry VI’s government, and in France, they viewed him as the only statesman fully committed to the good governance of Normandy and Paris. Today, John is only remembered as the man who condemned Joan of Arc, even though he was not involved. This biography provides a much-needed reassessment of John’s life and political career.

DKK 241.00
1

A Family’s Tragic Battle with Napoleon - Gareth Glover - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

A Family’s Tragic Battle with Napoleon - Gareth Glover - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Captain John Grant Fraser of the Royal Artillery had succeeded to the titles of Ballindoun and Kinneries via the unexpected death of his elder brother James Fraser on 1 May 1791. John Grant died in 1798 and the title passed to his eldest son Baillie Fraser, their uncle Hugh acting as guardian until his coming of age. James Baillie Fraser joined the Army and rose to the rank of lieutenant in the 7th Fusiliers, serving in the Peninsular war. His younger brother Alexander John Fraser also joined the Army serving in the peninsula, becoming a lieutenant in the 52nd Foot. Both wrote home regularly to their sister Ann and gave fascinating details of life at war, but tragically James was killed at the Battle of Sorauren on 28 July 1813 and his brother Alexander was severely wounded and died at Bera on 20 October the same year. Within six months the war had ripped the heart out of the family. The estates passed to Ann, who tragically died on 16 December 1816, the whole then passing to their uncle Hugh. He sold the estates and the family ties to Ballindoun and Kinneries were broken for ever – effectively destroyed by the Napoleonic wars. Beyond the letters from Ann’s two tragic brothers, her collection also includes much material from her uncles on her mother’s side who were also heavily involved in the wars. George Wilkes Unett, Royal Artillery, served in the West indies, Martinique, Copenhagen and Waterloo, whilst his other brother Richard Wilkes Unett served in the West Indies. Their letters show clearly how the war was indeed a World War and how families were sucked into this ever hungry meatgrinder. Finally we have the fascinating journal of their brother John Wilkes Unett, a solicitor by trade but who happened to travel to Paris to visit his brother and experience the city shortly after the allies had taken possession in 1815. These letters and journals provide a fascinating insight into the lives of an ordinary family in extraordinary times and how two sudden tragedies destroyed it.

DKK 239.00
1

The Lord Protector and His Wives - Rebecca Batley - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The Lord Protector and His Wives - Rebecca Batley - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Sometime before 1518 Edward Seymour, the brother of Queen Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII, married Catherine Filliol. Catherine gained connections in the highest echelons of Tudor society and Edward the prospect of a large inheritance. It should have been a match made in heaven, but instead, within a decade, they were engulfed in uncertainty and scandal. Catherine was repudiated, and the two sons she had borne her husband eventually disinherited. The nature of this scandal is unclear but later historians accused Catherine of an affair with her father-in-law. Her exact fate remains uncertain, but by 1535, Edward was free to marry again, and he turned his attention to another heiress, Anne Stanhope, who would, in her own way, prove to be just as scandalous. Katherine Parr would call Anne “that hell”, but she was strong, opinionated and fiercely intelligent. A friend of Anne Askew, a connection that almost cost her her life, Anne lived to see her brother-in-law, her half-brother, and her husband go to the block. Imprisoned in the Tower herself she managed to keep her head and ultimately emerged wealthy and powerful, dying peacefully on the 16th April 1587 at Hanworth Palace. Anne was the ultimate Tudor survivor.

DKK 241.00
1

The People's Story of the Great Fire of London - Phil Carradice - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The People's Story of the Great Fire of London - Phil Carradice - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The Great Fire of London which destroyed much of England's capital city in the autumn of 1666 was one of those seminal events that stand out in history, enthralling, fascinating and yet repulsive in the damage and destruction it caused. The story of the fire, which began in the early hours of Sunday 4th September, has been told many times. Phil Carradice's new re-telling of the disaster is different in focusing mainly on the people involved. From Thomas Bloodworth, the inept Lord Mayor, to diarists Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, from the supposed arsonist Robert Hubert to Puritan foretellers of disaster like Humphrey Smith, these people witnessed the Great Fire first-hand. Their views and descriptions make compelling reading. The book does not necessarily give reasons and causes for the fire. Rather it explores how people responded to what was, in reality, the greatest challenge they had faced in their lives. Heroes, cowards and villains are presented in illuminating fashion. King Charles and his brother James, the Duke of York, emerge with nothing but credit, leaving you to wonder how and why James switched from hero of the hour to a position of villain once he became king on the death of his brother. The upsurge of anti-Dutch and French emotion, the panic which seized the population as they tried to flee the stricken city, the breadth and width of the disaster, along with the gradual re-building of London, are all dealt with in Phil Carradice's easy and elegant style. Historical facts and individual characterisation make this book a compelling and accurate read.

DKK 211.00
1

Stephen and Matilda's Civil War - Matthew Lewis - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Stephen and Matilda's Civil War - Matthew Lewis - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The Anarchy was the first civil war in post-Conquest England, enduring throughout the reign of King Stephen between 1135 and 1154\. It ultimately brought about the end of the Norman dynasty and the birth of the mighty Plantagenet kings. When Henry I died having lost his only legitimate son in a shipwreck, he had caused all of his barons to swear to recognize his daughter Matilda, widow of the Holy Roman Emperor, as his heir and remarried her to Geoffrey, Count of Anjou. When she was slow to move to England on her father’s death, Henry’s favourite nephew Stephen of Blois rushed to have himself crowned, much as Henry himself had done on the death of his brother William Rufus. Supported by his brother Henry, Bishop of Winchester, Stephen made a promising start, but Matilda would not give up her birthright and tried to hold the English barons to their oaths. The result was more than a decade of civil war that saw England split apart. Empress Matilda is often remembered as aloof and high-handed, Stephen as ineffective and indecisive. By following both sides of the dispute and seeking to understand their actions and motivations, Matthew Lewis aims to reach a more rounded understanding of this crucial period of English history and asks to what extent there really was anarchy. 'A thoroughly researched yet accessible account of the civil war of the twelfth century; Matthew Lewis takes an even-handed approach to his two protagonists while rightly questioning how ‘anarchic’ the Anarchy really was. The result is an informative, pacy and compelling read about an exciting period of English history' - Catherine Hanley, author of Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior (Yale University Press, 2019).

DKK 152.00
1

Daughters of Edward I - Kathryn Warner - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Daughters of Edward I - Kathryn Warner - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

In 1254 the teenage heir to the English throne married a Spanish bride, the sister of the king of Castile, in Burgos, and their marriage of thirty-six years proved to be one of the great royal romances of the Middle Ages. Edward I of England and Leonor of Castile had at least fourteen children together, though only six survived into adulthood, five of them daughters. Daughters of Edward I traces the lives of these five capable, independent women, including Joan of Acre, born in the Holy Land, who defied her father by marrying a second husband of her own choice, and Mary, who did not let her forced veiling as a nun stand in the way of the life she really wanted to live. The women's stories span the decades from the 1260s to the 1330s, through the long reign of their father, the turbulent reign of their brother Edward II, and into the reign of their nephew, the child-king Edward III.

DKK 155.00
1

Catherine of Aragon - Carol Ann Johnston - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Catherine of Aragon - Carol Ann Johnston - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Catherine of Aragon was the first wife and queen of England''s most married King, Henry VIII. She did not know it, but she would be immortalised as the first in a line of six queens still hotly debated and discussed today. Catherine and Henry were married for over twenty years, longer than his other five marriages combined, but she knew him even longer. Arriving in England in 1501 to marry Henry''s elder brother, Arthur, she was widowed shortly after and was forced to endure seven years of uncertainty and hardship before marrying her second husband. Henry and Catherine were happy and indeed in love on their wedding day in 1509, and they had a lot of shared interests and ambitions.Setbacks and losses would tear apart this once-happy couple. As one of three parties involved in the King''s Great Matter, which changed the face of England forever, Catherine refused to back down and fought for what she believed to be right until the very end. This book gives us a glimpse of Catherine''s world: her family, her friends, her enemies, and her legacy, which still inspires us with her loyalty and courage to this day.

DKK 241.00
1

Tangier - John Hawkins - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Tangier - John Hawkins - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

In 1661 Portugal ceded Tangier to Charles II as part of Catherine of Braganza’s dowry settlement. Thus started the adventure known as ‘English Tangier’ whereby the Stuart monarch spent a king’s ransom defending a city perched precariously on the North African coast surrounded by hostile powers.Woven into the historical fabric of C17th, this is a compelling narrative history bringing to life the characters that comprised English Tangier, and the greed, ambition and religious fervour which drove the political manoeuvrings, ignited the emotions and produced acts of extreme heroism in the struggle to impose British rule on an alien culture.The book describes the surreal reality of life in Tangier, the Tangier Regiment, the developing army tradition of dashing gallantry and unselfish bravery, and other regiments holding the earliest battle honour – ‘Tangier’.It also highlights the actions of those who determined the development of the town and its eventual fate. We see the results of decisions made by Charles II and his brother the Duke of York (soon to be James II), the qaids and sultans of Morocco, the Spanish Duke of Medina, Samuel Pepys and the successive governors of Tangier.

DKK 239.00
1

Edward II's Nieces: The Clare Sisters - Kathryn Warner - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Edward II's Nieces: The Clare Sisters - Kathryn Warner - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The de Clare sisters Eleanor, Margaret and Elizabeth were born in the 1290s as the eldest granddaughters of King Edward I of England and his Spanish queen Eleanor of Castile, and were the daughters of the greatest nobleman in England, Gilbert ‘the Red’ de Clare, earl of Gloucester. They grew to adulthood during the turbulent reign of their uncle Edward II, and all three of them were married to men involved in intense, probably romantic or sexual, relationships with their uncle.When their elder brother Gilbert de Clare, earl of Gloucester, was killed during their uncle’s catastrophic defeat at the battle of Bannockburn in June 1314, the three sisters inherited and shared his vast wealth and lands in three countries, but their inheritance proved a poisoned chalice. Eleanor and Elizabeth, and Margaret’s daughter and heir, were all abducted and forcibly married by men desperate for a share of their riches, and all three sisters were imprisoned at some point either by their uncle Edward II or his queen Isabella of France during the tumultuous decade of the 1320s. Elizabeth was widowed for the third time at twenty-six, lived as a widow for just under forty years, and founded Clare College at the University of Cambridge.

DKK 155.00
1

The Decline and Fall of the Ptolemies - John D Grainger - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The Decline and Fall of the Ptolemies - John D Grainger - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The death of Ptolemy VI brought his younger brother Ptolemy VIII to the kingship. This was the start of a prolonged, if intermittent, turbulent period of family strife, punctuated by rebellions, plots and wars. One king, Ptolemy VII, was murdered, Ptolemy VIII’s two simultaneous wives plotted and rebelled, and when he died one of these, Kleopatra III, was his effective successor. Ptolemy VIII was in fact not a bad king in some ways, and encouraged the exploitation of the discovery of the monsoon climate of the Indian Ocean to develop trade with India, as well as using his (much reduced) navy to maintain contact with the lands of the Mediterranean. Kleopatra III made a renewed effort to reconquer Palestine, but failed (Eighth Syrian War). From the death of Ptolemy IX in 80 BC there were two overriding problems. Ptolemy IX was the last legitimate Ptolemy, and the succession was constantly in dispute from then on. And looming over all was the rising power of Rome. This had been largely absent from the eastern Mediterranean until the Mithradatic wars brought its power repeatedly into the East. Egypt gradually became drawn into the republic’s orbit, mainly as a source of cash to fund its wars and the greed of the Roman aristocracy until, choosing the side of Mark Antony, the final Ptolemy, Kleopatra VII, went down to defeat before Octavian’s forces.

DKK 241.00
1

The Private Life of James II - Justine Ruth Brown - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The Private Life of James II - Justine Ruth Brown - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The personal side of James II and VII has long been obscured by the propaganda storm emanating from the “Glorious Revolution” of 1688, one of the great founding myths of modern Britain. Justine Brown unveils James the man, teasing out a fresh dimension. The Private Life of James II details the romantic adventures of a true Cavalier—handsome, courageous, loyal, pleasure-seeking, lusty, determined and soulful. The Stuart “spare” briefly experienced a golden childhood before, aged nine, he was flung headlong into the English Civil Wars of 1642-1649\. After escaping England in disguise, he endured the execution of his adored father, Charles I, and years of exile on the Continent. In 1660 the Duke of York returned to his native land in triumph. He rode into the capital at the right hand of his brother, Charles II. James fully embraced the role of Restoration rake, headed up the Royal Navy, fought the Fire of London with gusto, and was a great patron of theatre, painting, and music. “The darling of the people” until his dramatic conversion to Roman Catholicism transformed him into England’s scapegoat, the heir to the Crown had a turbulent road ahead. Come to understand what truly drove James, and learn about his complex relationships with his children, his two remarkable wives, Anne Hyde and Mary of Modena; his many mistresses, as well as the extraordinary friends and rivals who helped shape the fate of this consequential Stuart monarch of England, Scotland and Ireland.

DKK 241.00
1

Charles II?s Portuguese Queen - Susan Abernethy - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Charles II?s Portuguese Queen - Susan Abernethy - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Catherine of Braganza has regularly been referred to as ?the forgotten queen? and there is much truth in?this statement. Following her death in 1705, a fully detailed biography in English remained unwritten?until 1915. The last major bio published about her was in Portuguese in 1941 and it has never been?translated into English. Despite her sheltered and religious upbringing, she made a spectacular marriage?that was plagued by the infidelities of her husbands. Readers can readily find published biographies of?Charles II?s many glamourous mistresses, but curiously, little on his wife. This new work presents more?comprehensive information on Catherine?s life in Portugal than previous biographies and integrates new?scholarship regarding Catherine?s practice of queenship and patronage of Catholic Baroque culture in an?effort to carve out a prominent role at the Stuart court and to compete with her rivals. Readers familiar?with Catherine?s story may learn some delightful new details about her life. Catherine has never been forgotten in Portugal. She considered herself Portuguese at heart and during?her reign as Queen of England, she persistently looked out for Portuguese interests. In her own words,?she considered her marriage a personal sacrifice to what was best for her home country. She is one of?the few dowager queens in history to return to her homeland where she acted as regent for her brother. This biography places Catherine within the context of the history of Portugal and their seaborne empire,?and the strong political and commercial ties between England and Portugal dating to the mid-fourteenth?century which played a key role in the culmination of the Marriage Treaty of 1661. Her legacy lives on in?her dowry, specifically the port of Bombay which allowed England to become a global empire,?introducing many everyday items into European culture.

DKK 241.00
1

Royal Favourites of Medieval England - April Taylor - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Royal Favourites of Medieval England - April Taylor - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

All monarchs have need of those to whom they give their trust. Never was this more essential than for the kings of Medieval England. From the Norman victory of 1066 to the bloody demise of Richard III in 1485, the stings and arrows of royal life bred relentless vigilance, distrust, and paranoia. This volume covers a period of 419 years. It starts with a bloody battle and ends with a bloody battle. To understand the lives and actions of court favourites, one must also know about the monarchs they served. In this book, you will read short biographies of each monarch, followed by a few of those courtiers to whom they gave their trust, not always deserved. You will read about the vicious actions of William the Conqueror, who, despite his victory on Senlac Hill, took five years to subdue the English, but who could not have achieved his victories without trusted lieutenants like William Fitz Osbern. How Stephen’s innate indolence almost lost him England, had it not been for William of Ypres, and how Matilda’s half-brother, Robert of Gloucester, kept her hopes of finally sitting on the throne bequeathed to her by her father Henry I alive. The Plantagenet kings changed the face of England, often bringing riches to those who hitched their wagons to the monarchy. Men still revered today, like William Marshal, known as The Greatest Knight, who faithfully served five kings. Various younger brothers held high church offices. Not all served to enrich themselves. John Beauchamp became a favourite of Edward III but was not overtly mercenary. The Wars of the Roses left England virtually bankrupt. The favourites on either side, the Lancastrian Somersets and the Yorkist Nevilles, gained enormous wealth and power, determined to fight to the death. The death that ended it was Richard III’s on 22nd August 1485, when Henry Tudor grabbed the throne, and the Tudor Age began.

DKK 211.00
1

Memoirs of a Child Holocaust Survivor - A. M. Fox - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Memoirs of a Child Holocaust Survivor - A. M. Fox - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

These are the memories of a man who had been a young Jewish boy in Central Poland. His 9th birthday came in mid July 1939. Less than two months later they are his memories of the Nazi era, from the very beginning of WW11 until he was liberated by the Russians on the 8th May 1945. This age of death when Nazis attempted the absolute annihilation of all Jews in Europe regardless of age, character or gender, is now referred to as the Holocaust. These memories include those of his vibrant family life in Poland before the war. They are his homage and his memorial to his parents, his little sister and numerous uncles, aunts and cousins who were wiped out by the Nazis along with centuries of their culture. Arriving in the UK on 14th August 1945 he was in the first group of Concentration Camp child survivors brought into England at the invitation of King George V1. The story of these children?s arrival and initial rehabilitation in the Lake District is told in the 2020 BBC film ?The Windermere Children?. His memories conclude with some glimpses of his life immediately after liberation, and later when he was settled in the UK. From dozens of known relatives, he and his elder brother thought for a long time that they were the only family members to have survived from their town. Later they discovered there was a third survivor, an even younger cousin. The author married the Holocaust survivor of this memoir. He wanted the tale of how they met to be told and the book begins with this. All the material concerning life in Poland, life during the war and vignettes of post war life have simply been written down by the author. Everything was read and re-read by the survivor who felt that these recollections were true to what he remembered.

DKK 211.00
1

At the Emperor's Pleasure - Richard Graham - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

At the Emperor's Pleasure - Richard Graham - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

At the Emperors Pleasure follows the young couple Christopher and Topsy Man through the savage battle for Hong Kong and the years of enforced separation, she interned in Stanley Camp, Hong Kong, he as a prisoner of war and forced labourer in Kobe, Japan. The book is not about Christopher and Topsy Man alone but also of friends and colleagues close to them forced to endure the cruel torture and execution by the Kempeitai. Amongst those close to them some of Topsy’s friends and colleagues were raped and murdered, one was imprisoned within shouting distance of her husband being tortured then executed by the Kempeitai, while another died when their camp was mistakenly bombed by the Allies. Topsy was herself the reluctant witness to ritual executions. Christopher lost brother officers and many of the Cockney soldiers under his command in the battle for Hong Kong. Others drowned in the East China Sea, victims of a barbaric but little-known mass war crime, the sinking of the Lisbon Maru. Still others survived the sinking only to succumb to the harsh regime of the POW camp in Japan. Perhaps most tragic of all, four of Christopher’s men came through the battle, the Lisbon Maru sinking and cruel imprisonment only to die when the aircraft carrying them to freedom crashed into the sea during a typhoon. Like many of their generation who suffered at the hands of the Japanese during the second world war, Christopher and Topsy Man rarely spoke of their experience, and when they did, they were guarded in what they chose to share of it, even with those closest to them in their post-war lives. With privileged access to personal letters, diaries and records from the wartime years, from memories exchanged with Christopher’s and Topsy’s contemporaries and from knowledge shared by other historians, the author has written a compelling and moving account of the young couple’s lives being torn apart by world events in late 1941.

DKK 272.00
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Edward IV’s Fatal Legacy - Hazel Pierce - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

Edward IV’s Fatal Legacy - Hazel Pierce - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

One of the most overlooked families of the early modern period, the Courtenays played a critical role, and their story of love and loss, loyalty and betrayal, survival and ruin is played out at the courts of four Tudor monarchs. Katharine, Countess of Devon, was Edward IV's daughter. Her first proposed marriage would have made her Queen of Spain, but she was declared a bastard on the accession of her uncle Richard III. Legitimated under Henry VII, she eventually married Sir William Courtenay, heir to the earldom of Devon. Her closeness to her sister, Queen Elizabeth of York, did not prevent the sudden arrest of her husband in 1502. Whilst earning the regard of her royal brother-in-law, Henry VII, she walked a knife edge until the accession of her nephew, Henry VIII. As a widow, he granted her the lands of the earldom of Devon for life, making her one of the wealthiest female magnates in England. Her death in 1527 spared her the tragedies which befell her family in the 1530s. Her son Henry, Marquis of Exeter, was first cousin to Henry VIII, with whom he enjoyed a close relationship until the king’s decision to repudiate his queen changed everything. Henry’s marriage to Gertrude Blount, one of the most neglected women of the Tudor period, was one of affection and respect. During the 1530s, she was at the centre of a group opposed to Henry VIII’s repudiation of Catherine of Aragon, passing on information provided by her husband and a small circle of trusted friends to the imperial ambassador, Chapuys. When her husband was arrested in 1538, he, along with others, was executed; only she survived. Imprisoned in the Tower with her twelve-year-old son, Edward, she was later released while Edward remained incarcerated until the accession of Mary I. Upon his release, many believed he would marry the queen, but instead, he died in exile from suspected poisoning after surviving several assassination attempts by imperial agents. This study of the Courtenay family follows their lives and fortunes from 1479-1558.

DKK 211.00
1

The Red Fox of Colditz - Vere Hayes - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The Red Fox of Colditz - Vere Hayes - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The Red Fox of Colditz recounts the tale of Lt AM Sinclair KRRC, from his capture post-Calais'' fall in May 1940 to his demise in September 1943 while attempting an escape from Colditz Castle, the notorious prison camp for tenacious escape artists. He was WWII''s most prolific British escapee, enjoying more freedom in occupied Europe than any other, yet never completing a successful ''home run'' to his dismay. His most famous escape attempt involved impersonating a red-haired German guard commander, complete with a notable moustache, resembling Emperor Franz Joseph—a feat inaccurately credited to the Senior British Officer in the film ''The Colditz Story''. After extensive preparation, Sinclair, in disguise alongside two prisoners in German uniforms, rappelled from a window, replacing the sentries. However, their plan was foiled when a soldier at the moat gate sounded the alarm. Amidst the chaos, Sinclair was shot but recovered. Despite six escape attempts from Colditz, reaching the borders of Switzerland and Holland, he never achieved his objective of returning to England for active service. Tragically, in September 1944, he discovered the deaths of his younger brother at Anzio and his friend and escape partner, Ronnie Littledale, in Normandy.In a final, desperate attempt to rejoin his Regiment and contribute to Germany''s defeat, Sinclair chose to mimic Maurice LeBrun''s successful park escape. On September 25, 1944, cloaked in an overcoat to hide his civilian attire and declining his close friend Gris Davies-Scourfield''s offer of companionship, Sinclair merged with the prisoners heading to the park. Once settled, he discarded his overcoat, dashed to the perimeter wire fence, and started climbing. Disregarding the German sentries'' ''Halt'' commands, he clambered over the fence and fled amid gunfire, one bullet striking his elbow and ricocheting into his heart, killing him instantly. Days later, he received a burial with full military honors in the local cemetery, attended by officers from Colditz on parole and several German guards.As Sinclair''s possessions were gathered for his family, a hidden note was discovered: "I take full responsibility. Safe home to you, all you good chaps." For his numerous valiant escape attempts and determination to return to active service, Sinclair was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

DKK 211.00
1

The World War One Diary and Art of Doughboy Cpl Harold W Pierce - William J Welch - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The World War One Diary and Art of Doughboy Cpl Harold W Pierce - William J Welch - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

April 1917. Eighteen-year-old Harold W. Pierce leaves school to join the U.S. Army, specifically the National Guard infantry company from heavily forested Warren County in northwestern Pennsylvania. He’s big for his age and he’s determined to serve his country. Thirteen months later, having trained at the steaming hot tent city of Camp Hancock in Georgia, Pierce and the rest of the 28th Division’s 112th Infantry Regiment is on its way to England and then to France. He’s one of the First Battalion’s scouts so he’ll see the war from a different perspective than the rest of the infantrymen, which includes his older brother Hugh. What Pierce sees, hears and feels will fill the small diary he keeps in his pocket. His descriptions become a diary of 79,000 words. His descriptions, his insights, his fears and his hopes bring the war to life as a young man experiences it. This young man, though, has a keen ability to express and describe that goes beyond his years: The abject terror of being in the middle of a sustained artillery barrage, his fear as he desperately tries to dig in as machine gun bullets fly inches over his head, and the relief he feels when an artillery round splits the air where he would have been if he had not – inexplicably – stopped walking. Pierce has moments when he does not want to answer the runner’s call of his name, when all he wants to do is sleep in a safe shelter. But he does answer and he goes on the patrol that all are convinced will be a one-way mission. Pierce survives it all, becoming a state police trooper in Pennsylvania after the war and later the chief law enforcement instructor for that state’s Public Service Institute until his retirement in 1966. In 1979, the diary was printed in serialized form in a small Pennsylvania newspaper. Throughout his life Pierce took to canvas to depict a variety of scenes from the World War. Included in this book are six of those paintings. Pierce died in 1983.

DKK 241.00
1

The Eight King Henrys of England - Philip J Potter - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The Eight King Henrys of England - Philip J Potter - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

During the 1,000-year history of the English monarchy there have been eight kings with the name of Henry. The Eight King Henrys of England is the history of the reigns of these sovereign lords. In 1100 King William II of England was killed by a wayward arrow while hunting and his younger brother, Henry I, succeeded to the crown of England. As king, Henry I secured and strengthened his governing powers over the English kingdom. The second king of England named Henry crossed the English Channel in 1153 with his army to overthrow his cousin, King Stephen of Blois. Henry III reigned over England for fifty-six years, where he was occupied with the revolts of his recalcitrant nobles. In 1398 the future King Henry IV was exiled from England and spent the next year in France orchestrating the downfall of King Richard II. He returned to England in 1399 with a small band of advocates and was joined by numerous English lords, who supported him in the overthrow of the king, recognizing Henry IV as their sovereign lord. In 1413 Henry V followed his father to the English throne unchallenged. After governing his realm for two peaceful years, he assembled his army and crossed the English Channel to regain the lost French lands of his predecessors. Marching his army from the coast, the king’s troops clashed with the French at Agincourt on 25th October 1415. When the French charged, their ranks were decimated by the English archers and infantrymen, giving Henry V his greatest victory. The son of Henry V assumed the crown in 1422 ruling as the sixth Henry of England. During his long, tragic reign, English lands in France were lost and the kingdom beset with civil wars. In 1471 he was overthrown and murdered in the Tower of London. The king’s successor, Henry, was now forced to flee to France by the party in opposition. Following fourteen years in exile, he returned to England and soon confronted the ruling king defeating him at Bosworth Field, claiming the English crown as Henry VII. When the king died in 1509, his throne was taken by his eldest son, who ruled as King Henry VIII. After numerous wars with the French, in 1520 he negotiated a non-aggression treaty with his enemy and to celebrate the peace, they agreed to meet at Balinghem, France. During the seventeen days of festivities, the former enemies dined together in grand feasts and participated in numerous martial competitions. The grand event became known as the Field of the Cloth of Gold for the massive utilization of gold threads in a display of wealth.

DKK 241.00
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The Pilgrim - Colin Maclachlan - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The Pilgrim - Colin Maclachlan - Bog - Pen & Sword Books Ltd - Plusbog.dk

The best things are worth waiting for. SAS veteran Colin Maclachlan's much anticipated book is arresting, revelatory, inspirational and explosive. An elite operator's gripping true story. It blows the door off!' - **Damien Lewis**'Colin has made a fascinating start to his life already, but the adventure is just beginning!’ - **Andy McNab**“An incredible story of courage and commitment under fire” **- Bear Grylls**"A rollercoaster of an account of a young boy through to SAS Commander on some of the biggest missions in modern times" **- Chris Ryan**The Pilgrim is the book the MOD tried to ban. It is a rollercoaster of an autobiography of Colin Maclachlan, known for his appearances on shows like Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s Secrets of the SAS. His autobiography starts with his troubled childhood and escape to the military where, as a fifteen-year-old boy, he grows up and matures into the SAS soldier we now recognise. Early chapters describe physical, mental and sexual abuse and Colin could easily have ended up in a home but despite the odds and with the help of both the Children’s Panels, NSPCC and some diligent schoolteachers, Colin escaped to the army. Colin had to get special permission to join the army at only fifteen years of age and goes from being a young vulnerable and damaged boy to a capable soldier through preparation for the first Gulf War and joining the oldest and most senior infantry regiment in the British Army, The Royal Scots. From operations in Northern Ireland to being the Queen’s Butcher to Colin’s first TV cameos on Soldier Soldier and Gladiators, Colin’s stories and anecdotes are both exhilarating and hilarious. Colin then describes the arduous SAS selection process, the hardest and most gruelling military selection process in the world. Colin describes in some detail what most have never even heard in this secretive world where Colin goes from a course of 196 down to just 12 in six months! The reader is then taken on a never seen before description of life as an SAS operator. Daily life in an operational squadron and the operations, missions and training involved all described in detail. Colin was part of Mountain Troop, D Squadron who were to be involved in some of the most high-profile and dangerous missions in SAS history. Missions like Operation Barras, described as Operation Certain Death in the best seller of the same name by Damien Lewis, rescuing hostages at Stansted Airport in the longest running hijacking in UK history make for incredible reading. Task Force Black/Knight was the name given to UK/US special forces operations in Iraq and Colin was part of the teams hunting down the famous ‘playing cards’, a set of cards with the top 52 high ranking Iraqi officials including Saddam Hussein. Colin then joins Delta Force and later Seal Team 6 and is one of probably only a handful of people on the planet whom have worked with the SAS, SBS, Seal Team 6, Delta Force and the CIA. Colin is head of a station protecting MI6 and breaking down terrorist cells in Iraq when he is captured and just before he is beheaded is rescued by his own guys. Colin becomes probably the only person in the world to have been a hostage negotiator, hostage rescuer and been a hostage himself. Colin leaves the military shortly afterwards and that isn’t the end of his story. Colin first heads up a bodyguard team looking after CNN and NBC news and is in the centre of the biggest triple car bombing in the Middle East. He meets his first wife who it is his job to protect and does several other high profile security jobs ranging from A list celebrities to the Saudi Royal Family. Colin is part of a security team for the Big Brother TV series when Fathers for Justice assault the house and it’s left to Colin and his friend from the SAS to defend the house during live television! Surveillance jobs follow on and Colin does anti-surveillance and counter surveillance in some quite high-profile court cases. This leads on to training jobs where Colin is in charge of security, bodyguard and surveillance courses throughout the UK. Penetration testing is another field which Colin gets involved in and this involves trying to overtly break into businesses, airports, headquarters and government buildings which test all of Colin’s training. Colin has been involved in Motion Capture for the Video games industry since 2008 and has played characters from Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series as well as games like Red Dead Redemption and LA Noire. Colin also plays characters in Sumo’s Hood: Outlaw and Thieves. An insight into how the video game industry has evolved since 2008 is both fascinating and mind-blowing and Colin has been involved in stunts as a stunt performer for both video games, television and film. The next few chapters describe a world in television and film where Colin has been involved. Before being involved in Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins as the only SAS presenter, Colin was already invo

DKK 241.00
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