CHARLES MESSENGER

For millennia, wars have raged across the world, splintering nations, creating empires, and triggering widespread human suffering. But why are countries propelled into battle? What determines victory or defeat? And how have key wars altered the course of history? In "Wars that Changed the World", these questions are answered through the stories of 25 major world conflicts. Opening with the Great Peloponnesian War almost 2500 years ago, and closing with the ongoing War on Terror, these momentous clashes encompass every historical era, and stretch to all corners of the globe. Military historian Charles Messenger examines the historical background and the diverse reasons for the conflict - whether ideological, religious, or a personal struggle for power - ...

This is a comprehensive account of how the British Army coped with and adapted to the enormous challenges and pressures of the First World War -- the first major continental war that the army had had to fight for almost a hundred years. Following the course of the War, both on the Western Front and in other theatres, Charles Messenger tells how the British Army managed the challenges of command, training, technology and new weapons of war. He examines officer selection, medicine, discipline, the manpower crisis of 1918, the integration of women into the forces and many other topics.Based on years of original research, this will become the standard work of reference on the organization and administration of the biggest army Britain has ever put into the field.

How the British, ANZACs and Canadians finally broke the German army on the most decisive day of the Great War.The British attack at Amiens was the most decisive day of the Great War. In earlier offensives, a gain of a few hundred yards counted as a victory, but this time our troops advanced seven miles in a day and broke clean through the German defences. The long agony on the Western Front was nearly over.Spearheaded by tanks and armoured cars and supported by the RAF, the attack was led by the Australian and Canadian Corps, with British and French troops on the flanks. Elaborate deception measures were employed to ensure surprise.Drawing on both primary and secondary sources, as well as eyewitness accounts, this book describes how the attack was conceived, the preparations, and the actual assault itself, as well as what happened on the subsequent days and how Amiens paved the way for the final victorious Allied advance.

This study of D-Day and the subsequent campaign charts the gradual evolution of the invasion plan, encompassing the intelligence efforts, the Anglo-US strategic debate over where the Allies should attack, and the elaborate deception put in place to fool the Germans about the true D-Day objective.

The definitive and thrilling history of those who wore the famous green beret.COMMANDO is the definitive history of the units raised to answer Winston Churchills call to arms: Enterprises much be prepared with specially trained troops of the hunter class, who can develop a reign of terror. These units and their courageous operations would take many forms, including the spectacular assaults of the Small Scale Raiding Force, No. 30 Commandos shadowy intelligence-gathering, and the highly secret missions of X Troop.Acclaimed military historian Charles Messenger follows these elite forces from the snowy wastes of Norway to the jungles of South-East Asia, from North Africa and Operation Torch to the Normandy beaches and Operation Overlord. The result, based on extensive research as well as interviews and correspondence with former Commandos, is the true and thrilling story of those who wore the famous green beret.