GRAHAM SMITH

A crucial riveting polemic in support of one of the most precious things humanity has built democracy itself OWEN JONES Graham Smith shows what fools our rotten constitution makes of us with a monarch as emblem of a country beset by nepotism backhanders chumocracy and inherited privilege Read and rebel POLLY TOYNBEEWe re constantly told the same things about the monarchy But the monarchy is good for tourism It isn t Evidence points to some royal weddings actually having a negative impact on inbound tourism But the monarchy makes a big difference to charity Of the approx 1 200 charities with a royal patron 74 had no contact with their patron during the preceding year But everyone loves the monarchy A January 2023 poll showed support for the monarchy is down 55 percent It s wrong in principle and it doesn t work in practice It doesn t have to be this way They say Britain should be proud to have the mother of parliaments to be a shining beacon of democracy and an example to other nations But there s an elephant in the room At the heart of power is a single family They weren t elected but they live off the public purse They aren t accountable to anyone and yet between them they are privy to more government secrets than many cabinet ministers

Learn about the evolution of weapons by studying the design of the Civil War weapons cataloged in this attractive, full-color reference book. More than three million Americans fought in the Civil War and over six hundred thousand men, or two percent of the population, died in this dreadful conflict. Its impact is still felt today, for the war shaped our nation, and our national character. Studying the weapons used by both the Union army and Confederate forces tells an intriguing story of its own.The well-equipped Union army had access to the best of the industrial Norths manufacturing output. By contrast, the South had to get by with imported arms and locally made copies of patented weapons. But the pressure of war quickly led to improvements in both sides firearms. A War that began with single-shot horse pistols ended with multi-shot revolvers.Poignant archive photography is used throughout the book, showing the weapons in contemporary action, and placing them in their Civil War context. Evocative paintings by renowned Civil War artist Don Troiani bring the battlefield action to life.

Fighting Men of World War II: Allied Forces is the second part of a two-volume set (Axis Forces is also available) which sets out to examine in detail the weapons and equipment of the average soldier of the United States, Great Britain and its Dominions and Commonwealth, the Soviet Union, and the other nations like France and Poland who fought on despite being overrun in the early stages of the conflict. In these pages we examine a broad range of general equipment that was used every day, including mess tins, water bottles, medical kits, radios, binoculars, goggles, entrenching tools and wire cutters. We give detailed specifications of weapons such as: pistols and revolvers, rifles, bayonets, fighting knives, hand grenades, flamethrowers, mortars and anti-tank weapons. The clothing sections include headgear, from the M1 helmet system to the Tam o Shanter and the Russian pilotka. We examine footwear as diverse as polished officers shoes, cavalry boots, paratroopers jump boots and felt overboots. Uniform tunics, shirts, trousers, and greatcoats all receive attention, as do all-weather gear, gloves, ponchos, camouflage smocks and load-carrying vests. Numerous variations are shown, as are rank badges and other insignia. Personal items too are included. We show cigarettes and lighters, letters and postcards home, magazines, gramophones, identity tags, mending kits and eating utensils. Almost all of the items shown have not been featured in book form before and have been specially chosen from museums and private collections to form a unique reference source for the general reader, budding collector, military enthusiast, re-enactor, and modeller. The fighting man is placed within the context of his unit organization, while carefully researched archive photos show him with his weapons and equipment in action. The text, by seasoned military expert David Miller, is the result of painstaking research, backed up by his own military experience in the British Army, which has given him the necessary credentials to understand what the average fighting mans needs and day-to-day preoccupations actually were. David has been assisted by editor Graham Smith, and the two of them have pulled together all these diverse elements to form one of the most definitive works of its kind.

Fighting Men of World War II: Axis Forces is the first part of a two-volume set (Allied Forces is also available) which sets out to examine in detail the weapons and equipment of the average soldier of Germany, Japan, Italy, and the other nations like Finland, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, comprised the Axis forces. In these pages we examine a broad range of general equipment that was used every day, including binoculars, goggles, radios, water bottles, fuel cans, medical kits, skis, wire cutters and detonators. We give detailed specifications of weapons such as pistols and revolvers, rifles, bayonets, fighting knives, hand grenades, landmines, flamethrowers, mortars and light artillery. The clothing sections include headgear, from the feathered hats of the Italian Bersaglieri sharpshooters to the redoubtable Stahlheim of the German troops. We examine footwear as diverse as polished officers shoes, cavalry boots, paratroopers jump boots and Japanese Tabi canvas shoes. Uniform tunics, shirts, trousers and greatcoats all receive attention, as do all-weather gear, gloves, ponchos and shelter sections, such as the German Zeltbahn. Camouflage variations are shown, as are rank badges together with unit badges and medals. Personal items too are included. We show cigarettes and lighters, letters and postcards home, campstools, fans, identity tags, mending kits and eating utensils. Almost all the items shown have not been featured in book form before and have been specially chosen from museums and private collections to form a unique reference source for the general reader, budding collector, military enthusiast, re-enactor, and modeller. The fighting man is placed within the context of his unit organization, while carefully researched archive photos show him with his weapons and equipment in action. The text, by seasoned military expert David Miller, is the result of painstaking research, backed up by his own military experience in the British Army, which has given him the necessary credentials to understand what the average fighting mans needs and day-to-day preoccupations actually were. David has been assisted by editor Graham Smith, and the two of them have pulled together all these diverse elements to form one of the most definitive works of its kind.

A crucial, riveting polemic in support of one of the most precious things humanity has built - democracy itself OWEN JONESGraham Smith shows what fools our rotten constitution makes of us, with a monarch as emblem of a country beset by nepotism, backhanders, chumocracy and inherited privilege. Read and rebel! POLLY TOYNBEEWere constantly told the same things about the monarchy:But the monarchy is good for tourism..It isnt! Evidence points to some royal weddings actually having a negative impact on inbound tourism.But the monarchy makes a big difference to charity..Of the approx. 1,200 charities with a royal patron, 74% had no contact with their patron during the preceding year.But everyone loves the monarchy..A January 2023 poll showed support for the monarchy is down 55 percent.Its wrong in principle and it doesnt work in practice. It doesnt have to be this way.They say Britain should be proud to have the mother of parliaments, to be a shining beacon of democracy and an example to other nations. But theres an elephant in the room.At the heart of power is a single family. They werent elected but they live off the public purse. They arent accountable to anyone, and yet between them they are privy to more government secrets than many cabinet ministers. Divinely appointed using a special hat, the head of the family is your superior, you his subject. Apparently he is guardian of our constitution - but were also told he wouldnt dream of interfering in politics.If you accept the monarchy, you must accept the moral compromise that comes with it, from its erosion of the principle of equality to the secret interference in our laws. But the good news is that we dont have to accept it. True democracy is within our reach.