Battle - Understanding Conflict from Hastings to Helmand

Battle - Understanding Conflict from Hastings to Helmand written by Graeme

Callister & Rachael Whitbread published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 -

Hardback - Pages 288

What are the critical factors that determine the outcome of battles? Which is more decisive in a

clash of arms: armies or the societies they represent? How important is the leadership of the

commanders, the terrain over which the armies fight, the weapons they use and the supplies

they depend on? And what about the rules of war and the strategic thinking and tactics of the

time? These are among the questions Graeme Callister and Rachael Whitbread seek to answer

as they demonstrate the breadth of factors that need to be taken into account to truly understand

battle.

Their book traces the evolution of warfare over time, exploring the changing influence of the social, political, technological and physical landscape on the field of battle itself. They examine how the motivation of the combatants and their methods of fighting have changed, and they illustrate their conclusions with vivid, carefully chosen examples from across a range of Western European military history, including the Norman Conquest, the Hundred Years War, the Wars of Religion, the Napoleonic Wars and the world wars, and beyond.

By exploring the wide range of interconnected factors that influence the results of battles, the authors broaden the study of this aspect of military history from a narrow focus on isolated episodes of conflict. Their original and thought-provoking writing will be fascinating reading for all students of warfare.

This is a very fascinating book indeed that looks at warfare and the reasons why we have

warfare from 1066 right up to modern-day warfare. Each chapter in this book looks are

various battles and explains one of the most prominent reasons for that battle or why it

was fought. For example, just from the first three chapters, cover Society, Grand Strategy

and Leadership and how these all played a major part in particular battles. We also have

chapters on Landscapes, Tactics and Logistics to name a few more. Some of the reasons

are explained and open up new aspects to various battles that some might not have

thought about before, but they also explain a good number of other factors. I must admit

that I really enjoyed this book and it made for a really fascinating read. It reminded me of

books on military history at university where the answers aren’t always clear to see on the

surface, certainly a book for those that like to think more deeply into the subject of military

history. I would like to see another similar book like this, looking at a wider number of

battles or maybe battles involving fighting in the air or on sea. An excellent book. 

Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare

Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare written by Michael E. Glynn and published by 

Frontline Books - £25.00 - Hardback - Pages 258

Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare unlocks the history and theory behind the shadowy art of how aircraft hunt for submarines. Written by a veteran US Navy submarine hunting pilot, this book will take aviators, naval enthusiasts, and military scholars behind the scenes to understand how technical breakthroughs, the evolution of weapons, and advances in sensors have shaped this high-risk game of cat and mouse.

On 15 September 1916, the French submarine Foucault was spotted and attacked by a pair of Austro-Hungarian flying boats in the Adriatic. During the bombing that followed, Foucault was so badly damaged that she was eventually abandoned by her crew – all of whom survived. This was the first time in history that a submarine had been sunk by an aircraft. It was an engagement which set in motion a constantly evolving aspect of underwater warfare.

In this book, Michael Glynn explores a journey through the history of more than 100 years of aerial sub hunting. From the Great War, through the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War and on to the secret confrontations of the Cold War, the reader will witness the parallel evolution of both aircraft and submarine as each side tries to gain supremacy over the other. In so doing, he distils complicated oceanography, operations analysis, and technical theory into easily digested concepts, helping the reader understand how complex weapons and sensors function. By reviewing the steps of a submarine hunting flight, the reader can quickly understand how theory and practice fit together and how aviators set out to achieve their goal of detecting their submarine targets.

Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare is a thrilling read for those seeking a glimpse into an arcane and high-stakes world.

This book takes the reader from World War One through to the present day looking at airborne anti submarine warfare, technology, tactics, sound and oceanology to name but a few. It's all very much a race between the two competitors countering submarines and intercepting and stopping submarines. The book takes us through fixed wing and rotary aircraft and looks at how radar hunting and technology have advanced for both sides.

What was good about this book is that it was written by a former pilot who has obviously experienced this type of warfare or fighting. It adds to the authenticity and expertise of the writing and very well done it is too. I should say that whilst I found the book of great interest and very informative, I would say others may not read the book due to its subject matter and technicalities.