A Damn Close-Run Thing - A Brief History of the Falklands Conflict

`Shimmering in the morning sun, wave upon wave of bombers, driving for London. Stepped above and behind, the serried ranks of Messerschmitts. Covering mile upon mile of sky, as far as the eye could see. It was at once magnificent and terrible. I broke hard into attack, pulling the Spitfire into a climbing, spiralling turn as I did so…`

Read about the development of the Spitfire in Taking to the Skies; heroic anecdotes of the pilots in The Battle of Britain; and amazing aerial combat in Fighting Far from Home in this 3 in 1 True Combat Compendium. Three accounts filled with the courage of war, and interwoven with first hand narrative that takes you into the heart of battle.

Short, sharp, and true to life, Chronicles of War describe the campaigns, battles and close-up combat experiences of World War II in an exciting, quick to read format. Each title in the series provides gripping, intimate insights into the violent confrontations, extreme heroism and terrible brutality of the greatest conflict the world has ever known.



INCLUDED: Taking to the Skies. The Battle of Britain. Fighting Far from Home

Certified Brave presents the story of 10 disparate personalities. The bonding of these seemingly ill assorted men into a dedicated, effective combat crew, is our subject.

In reportorial, conversational style we get to know each crew member and his duties. We see how the B-24 ''Liberator'' operates. We follow the crew from over confident early missions to the suspicion that none of them can live through the required 25 to 35 missions.

You'll see the triumph of the human spirit. The crew keeps on flying - they could quit at any time. Yet each man has a personal break point. If necessary each man hopes to die well protecting the plane and the crew. He hopes to hang onto his mind in the process. The biological animal says run away, protect life. The intelligent animal says get out here now, forget duty. I'll help you.

There is time seized for love in the infrequent 40 hour passes to wicked London and ancient England. For a short time you would allow yourself to believe you might live.

Ones airplane became to each of the crew a magic and near living thing. As they boarded she was just a pile of metal devoid of life. With cough of one starting engine the fuselage would plane shudder awake and the plane would become a powerful machine making the crew feel vital and brave. Hurt the plane with flak and cannon shell and the crew felt a sense of outrage. Their child was abused.

The book is all action: You'll be there for D-Day. You'll see the 5000 ship invasion fleet and the 8000 plus assorted allied aircraft.

You'll hear H.M.S. Rodney's nine 16 inch guns from 4 miles up an dover plane's engines firing on shore targets.

Later, you'll be attacked by Me 163's. The rocket powered fighter with only enough fuel for 7 minutes of powered flight.

Another time you'd be attacked by aerial rockets fired from first line fighters.

Surface to air missiles such as ''Wasserfall'' will try to end your life.

You will suffer from the dangerous cold, as low as minus 70 deg. F. You'll feel the effects of the oxygen thin air.

4 miles up the sun is twice as bright as it is on the earth. Your corneas will fry if unprotected. You have to continually search for the little black specks that are enemy fighters.

You'll have a grandstand seat for the bombing of massed German troops at the time of the breaking of the 6 weeks stalemate in the St. Lo area. For the first time perhaps you'll know now a distinguished General was killed by our bombs.

The book has lots of little known technical facts. For instance see how the dreaded Me 262 was robbed of it's power by the use of short barrel ''Rhinemetal'' canon.

There is humor and joy and love between the battles. It should be there. That's the way it was.

As to technical material not covered in other books:

In the ruined houses, streets and sewers of Stalingrad there raged a ferocious hand-to-hand battle. The advancing Panzers proved vulnerable in the close quarter combat.  Resistance was to the death as Stalin ordered that the city that bore his name must be held at all costs. For the Germans, the grim reality of another frozen winter in Russia was fast approaching ...

Read about Hitler’s plan to crush Russia in Operation Barbarossa, the gruelling, unflinching Soviet defence of Stalingrad and Leningrad, and the Red Army's ultimate break out in the Battle of Kursk in this 3 in 1 True Combat Compendium. Three accounts filled with the courage of war, and interwoven with first hand experiences that take you into the heart of battle.

Short, sharp, and true to life, Chronicles of War describe the battles and relate the close-up combat experiences of World War II in an exciting, quick to read format. Each title in the series provides gripping, unforgettable insights into the minute by minute confrontations, extreme heroism and terrible brutality of the greatest conflict the world has ever known.


INCLUDED: Operation Barbarossa.  Stalingrad and the Siege of Leningrad.  The Battle of the Tanks at Kursk.