Random House New Releases - History

A Child of Christian Blood by Edmund Levin

2014-02-25T00:30:00-05:00

A Child of Christian Blood Murder and Conspiracy in Tsarist Russia: The Beilis Blood Libel
Written by Edmund Levin

eBook, 448 pages | Schocken | History - Russia (pre- & post-Soviet Union); History - Modern - 20th Century; History - Jewish | $ | 978-0-8052-4324-6 (0-8052-4324-0)

A Child of Christian Blood by Edmund Levin

2014-02-25T00:30:00-05:00

A Child of Christian Blood Murder and Conspiracy in Tsarist Russia: The Beilis Blood Libel
Written by Edmund Levin

Hardcover, 400 pages | Schocken | History - Russia (pre- & post-Soviet Union); History - Modern - 20th Century; History - Jewish | $28.95 | 978-0-8052-4299-7 (0-8052-4299-6)

Little Demon in the City of Light by Steven Levingston

2014-02-25T00:30:00-05:00

Little Demon in the City of Light A True Story of Murder and Mesmerism in Belle Epoque Paris
Written by Steven Levingston

Unabridged Audiobook Download | Random House Audio | True Crime - Murder; History - France; Psychology & Psychiatry - Hypnotism | $20.00 | 978-0-449-01298-7 (0-449-01298-0)

The thrilling—and so wonderfully French—story of a gruesome 1889 murder of a lascivious court official by a ruthless con man and his pliant mistress, an international manhunt, a sensational trial, and an inquiry into the limits of hypnotic power.

In France at the end of the nineteenth century a great debate raged over the question of whether someone could be hypnotically compelled to commit a crime in violation of his or her moral convictions. When Alexandre-Toussaint Gouffé entered a Parisian building at 3 rue Tronson Ducoudray for what he thought would be a delightful assignation with the comely young Gabrielle Bompard, only to be murdered—hanged!—by her and her ruthless companion Michel Eyraud, stuffed in a trunk, and dumped on a riverbank near Lyon, that question became the burning center of an inquiry into the guilt or innocence of a woman the French tabloids dubbed "The Little Demon."

Little Demon in the City of Light by Steven Levingston

2014-02-25T00:30:00-05:00

Little Demon in the City of Light A True Story of Murder and Mesmerism in Belle Epoque Paris
Written by Steven Levingston

eBook, 288 pages | Doubleday | True Crime - Murder; History - France; Psychology & Psychiatry - Hypnotism | $ | 978-0-385-53604-2 (0-385-53604-6)

Little Demon in the City of Light by Steven Levingston

2014-02-25T00:30:00-05:00

Little Demon in the City of Light A True Story of Murder and Mesmerism in Belle Epoque Paris
Written by Steven Levingston

Hardcover, 288 pages | Doubleday | True Crime - Murder; History - France; Psychology & Psychiatry - Hypnotism | $26.95 | 978-0-385-53603-5 (0-385-53603-8)

Browning .30-caliber Machine Guns by Gordon Rottman

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

Browning .30-caliber Machine Guns
Written by Gordon Rottman

Trade Paperback, 80 pages | Osprey Publishing | History - Military - Weapons; History - Military - United States; History - Military - World War II | $18.95 | 978-1-78096-921-3 (1-78096-921-X)

Browning .30-caliber machine guns saw US Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force service in World War I & II, Korea, and Vietnam, and are still occasionally found in use elsewhere even today. Produced in both water-cooled and air-cooled versions, it has been employed in every imaginable role for a machine gun - antipersonnel, antiaircraft, mounted on aircraft as both defensive and offensive armament, defensive armament aboard vehicles (armored and soft-skin), mounted on watercraft, and others.

The .30-caliber story began in World War I, as legendary US weapon-designer John M. Browning strove to develop a belt-fed, water-cooled heavy machine gun to provide infantry support. Significantly lighter than the British Vickers and the German MG 08, the hard-wearing Browning M1917 was among the best in its class; as the M1917A1 it served through World War II and the Korean War, and was only retired in the late 1950s as evolving infantry tactics demanded lighter, more mobile support weapons.

Initially developed as a tank machine gun in World War I, the M1919 air-cooled version saw lengthy service with the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force - as well as the armed forces of other nations - in an enormous variety of roles and environments. World War I had demonstrated that infantry-support machine guns had to be light enough to be hand-carried over rough terrain; the M1919's air-cooled operation made this possible. The commonest version, the M1919A4, was widely employed throughout World War II, Korea, and beyond, while M1919 variants were used as the secondary armament for all US tanks in World War II and on some types of US aircraft and watercraft well into the 1960s. The 'thirty' set such a high standard in reliability that it became the benchmark against which all subsequent weapons have been judged.

Employing gripping first-hand testimony and featuring specially commissioned illustrations and detailed photographs, many in color, this lively study of the Browning .30-caliber machine gun reveals the origins, combat history and legacy of this versatile and dependable weapon.

1950s Childhood by Janet Shepherd

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

1950s Childhood Growing up in post-war Britain
Written by Janet Shepherd

Trade Paperback, 64 pages | Shire | History - Great Britain; History - Social History | $12.95 | 978-0-7478-1235-7 (0-7478-1235-7)

The generation who grew up in Britain immediately after the Second World War are popularly called ‘The Baby Boomers’. As children, they experienced life in Britain from wartime austerity to the relative affluence of the late 1950s. Uniquely healthier and wealthier than previous generations, this first welfare state generation received free orange juice, milk and cod liver oil to safeguard their health. However, their overall diet was restricted until rationing fully ended in 1954 – and the permissive society had yet to arrive. Janet and John Shepherd explore how the Baby Boomers grew up through the change from post-war restrictions to a new consumer society, enjoying increased choice in the shops, while at home, pirate Radio Luxembourg and flickering black and white television opened up new vistas.

A Fistful of Kung Fu - Hong Kong Movie Wargame Rules by Andrea Sfiligoi

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

A Fistful of Kung Fu - Hong Kong Movie Wargame Rules
Written by Andrea Sfiligoi

Trade Paperback, 64 pages | Osprey Publishing | Games - Role Playing & Fantasy; History - Asia; History - Military | $17.95 | 978-1-78200-638-1 (1-78200-638-9)

Recreate scenes from Hong Kong action cinema like Enter the Dragon, Kill Bill, Big Trouble in Little China, Crouching Tiger - Hidden Dragon, and Hard Boiled.

A Fistful of Kung Fu is set in a modern world walking a precarious line between the technological advances of next-generation technology and the tradition and mysticism of ancient cultures. Kung Fu schools face off in no-holds barred martial arts tournaments. Evil corporations hire hitmen and infiltrators to steal each other's secrets. Overworked SWAT teams respond to street-level gunfights between feuding Triad and Yakuza clans. Ancient artefacts are sought by hopping vampires and cyborgs alike, each seeking to harness the power of the Four Dragon Kings and control the world. Bullets, punches, kicks and throwing stars fly in slow motion as martial arts heroes and gun-wielding cops defeat enemy after enemy in the pursuit of evil masterminds.

Possible factions range from Chinese Triads and the Japanese Yakuza to Ninja clans, martial arts schools, the men and women of the Hong Kong Police Department, demons, secret societies and almost anything else you can imagine! All struggle for supremacy - destroying the city in the process.

A Fistful of Kung Fu uses a colored dice system to keep track of wounds and fatigue of the main characters. Mooks and supporting cast are swatted like flies, but can still be dangerous when given the advantage of numbers or automatic weaponry. Based on the popular Ganesha Games rules system, A Fistful of Kung Fu introduces martial arts combat with manoeuvres that have different outcomes depending on the degree of success, and which allow for counter-attacks when they fail, giving a flowing, appropriate combat system. The game also includes rules for challenges and "gun-fu" stunts. Each gang in the game comprises 1-3 principal characters and 5-15 mooks that move as small groups of up to 5 models each.

Civil War by Gary W. Gallagher

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

Civil War Fort Sumter to Appomattox
Written by Gary Gallagher

Hardcover, 352 pages | Osprey Publishing | History - Military - United States; History - United States - Civil War Period (1850-1877); History - Military | $30.00 | 978-1-78200-643-5 (1-78200-643-5)

This book explores the political, historical, and cultural significance of the Civil War, AKA the War Between the States, examining its impact on the civilians and military personnel caught up in it.

From the Civil War's outbreak at Fort Sumter, South Carolina in April 1861 until its conclusion at the Appomattox Court House, more than 10,000 battles, engagements and skirmishes were recorded across the length and breadth of America. Undoubtedly the most cataclysmic military struggle of the late nineteenth century, this war spanned four bloody years of fighting in which over 620,000 American soldiers and sailors lost their lives.

Challenge of Battle: The Real Story of the British Army in 1914 by Adrian Gilbert

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

Challenge of Battle: The Real Story of the British Army in 1914
Written by Adrian Gilbert

Hardcover, 376 pages | Osprey Publishing | History - Military - World War I; History - Military; History - Great Britain | $25.95 | 978-1-84908-859-6 (1-84908-859-4)

The British Expeditionary Force heroically stopped Kaiser Wilhelm's Imperial Germany in the battle of the Meuse at the start of World War I, but the true story of their battles is clouded by the propaganda of the time.

Winston Churchill described the opening campaign of the First World War as 'a drama never surpassed'. The titanic clash of Europe's armies in 1914 is one the great stories of 20th-century history, and one in which the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) played a hugely significant role.

The pride in the British Army's achievements was reflected in the Official History, but its account of the fighting was understandably reticent about its shortcomings. What was more surprising, however, was the way in which the Official History set the template for succeeding accounts of the campaign, which tamely accepted its conclusions with little or no attempt at critical engagement.

This work will clear away the layers of sentiment that have obscured a true historical appreciation of the British Army's opening campaign in the West. For the first time, the reader will be given a complete picture of the BEF at war, illustrating both failings and successes. It will describe how British commanders were forced to come to terms with the fearsome nature of modern warfare, as its soldiers returned to Europe to fight a first-rate opponent for the first time in nearly 100 years. The book will feature first-hand accounts that illustrate important elements of the battles, whether a heroic defensive action or a unit breaking under pressure, alongside an examination of the BEF's leadership, organization, tactics, and weapons, and an assessment of how the regular soldiers of 1914 differed from the volunteers and conscripts that follwed, and how their first allegiance was not to crown and country but to comrades and regiment.

F9F Panther Units of the Korean War by Mark Styling

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

F9F Panther Units of the Korean War
Written by Warren Thompson
Illustrated by Mark Styling

Trade Paperback, 96 pages | Osprey Publishing | History - Military - Aviation; History - Military - Korean War; History - Modern - 20th Century | $22.95 | 978-1-78200-350-2 (1-78200-350-9)

In 1948 the USAF, Marine Corps and US Navy were concentrating on converting over to an all-jet force. When the Korean War started in June 1950, the USAF had built up a sizable jet force in the Far East, while the US Navy was in the early stages of getting F9F Panthers operational as replacements for its piston-engined F8F Bearcats. At about this time, the Marine Corps had also begun using the Panthers in limited numbers. Operating from aircraft carriers off the Korean coast, F9Fs helped stop the North Korean invasion within two weeks of the communists crossing the 38th Parallel. The Panthers, escorting carrier-based AD Skyraiders and F4U Corsairs, penetrated as far north as Pyongyang, where they bombed and strafed targets that the North Koreans thought were out of range. The Panthers also took the battle all the way to the Yalu River, long before the MiG-15s became a threat. The F9F's basic tasking was aerial supremacy and combat air patrols, but they also excelled in bombing and strafing attacks. The Marine Corps, with its two Panther squadrons, was also involved in close air support and interdiction near the frontlines. There were a total of 32 Panther squadron deployments during the war, along with several special detachments that operated the F9F-2/5P unarmed photo-reconnaissance versions.

French Tanks of World War II (1) by Steven Zaloga

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

French Tanks of World War II (1) Infantry and Battle Tanks
Written by Steven Zaloga

Trade Paperback, 48 pages | Osprey Publishing | History - Military - World War II; History - Military - Weapons; History - France | $17.95 | 978-1-78200-389-2 (1-78200-389-4)

All the French medium and heavy tanks of 1940 are in this title: Renault FT, Renault R-35, FCM-36, Hotchkiss H.38, Char B1bis, Renault D-1, and Renault D-2.

The first volume of this two part series will cover the infantry tanks and battle tanks that served in 1940. Starting with the Renault FT of World War I fame, it will cover the modernization of the FT in the inter-war years. The focus of the infantry tank section will be on the attempts to replace the FT with designs such as the Renault R-35, FCM-36, and the Hotchkiss H.38. Derivatives of these types will also be covered such as the R-40. France also had a separate family of battle tanks starting with the Renault D-1, Renault D-2, and finally the best known tank of the campaign, the Char B1 bis. This book will provide a brief development account these tanks types, covering the tactical rationales for their design and their basic technical features. It will also briefly address their performance in the 1940 campaign, pointing out the salient features of the combat record.

Hitler's Blitzkrieg Enemies 1940 by Nigel Thomas

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

Hitler's Blitzkrieg Enemies 1940 Denmark, Norway, Netherlands & Belgium
Written by Nigel Thomas

Trade Paperback, 48 pages | Osprey Publishing | History - Military - World War II; History - Military; History - Military - Pictorial | $17.95 | 978-1-78200-596-4 (1-78200-596-X)

The armies of Scandinavia and the Low Countries bore the first crushing impact of Hitler's mighty Blitzkrieg war machine in Western Europe, in campaigns that astonished and terrified the world.

The German Wehrmacht was millions strong, equipped with the latest guns, tanks and aircraft, and had the priceless advantage of having learned the realities of modern warfare in Poland the previous September. The defenders of Scandinavia and the Low Countries were raised from small populations, and were inadequately funded, trained, equipped and armed. Their modest numbers, inexperience, and largely indefensible borders condemned them to rapid defeat - in a few hours (Denmark), a few days (Holland), a couple of weeks (Belgium), and at most two months (Norway). For this reason they have tended to be neglected by history - in many cases, unjustly. Vastly outnumbered - and, in the case of the neutral Low Countries, with their potential French and British allies reeling under simultaneous attacks - thousands of soldiers fought heroically in the hopeless defence of their homelands against the Nazi juggernaut.

Tiny Denmark had only 6,600 troops when it was invaded on 9 April 1940 by six times as many Germans with air and tank support; resistance lasted only four hours. On the same day, mountainous Norway, with 25,000 men mainly scattered in small numbers along its cliff-bound coastline, was invaded by the first elements of seven German seaborne and airborne divisions totalling 100,000 men. A British, French and Free Polish force landed to support the Norwegians, but despite the serious casualties inflicted on the German forces the country was finally forced to surrender two months later on 9 June 1940.

In the mean time the massive German Operation Yellow, undertaken by 2.75 million troops backed by strong air forces, had fallen on the neutral Netherlands and Belgium (10 May), and on France (16 May). The 250,000 Netherlands troops put up unexpectedly stubborn resistance, but were ordered to surrender on 15 May after the German bombing of Rotterdam. Belgium had mobilised some 900,000 troops, and received some help from Britain and France, but the resistance faltered as Panzergruppe Von Kleist outflanked them through the supposedly impassable Ardennes; Belgium requested an armistice on 26 May, and surrendered on the 28th. Between 26 May and 4 June the survivors of the British Expeditionary Force were evacuated from Dunkirk. On 10 June the Germans crossed the Seine; the French government fled Paris on the 12th; on the 17th Marshal Pétain requested an armistice, and France finally capitulated on 22 June.

Informed by the latest research and drawing upon archival records and period photography, this absorbing study explains the organization and combat performance and depicts the appearance of the armies of Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium as they sought to counter overwhelming German forces in the fateful spring of 1940.

Kill Rommel! - Operation Flipper 1941 by Gavin Mortimer

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

Kill Rommel! - Operation Flipper 1941
Written by Gavin Mortimer

Trade Paperback, 80 pages | Osprey Publishing | History - Military - World War II; History - Military - Special Forces; History - Military | $18.95 | 978-1-4728-0109-8 (1-4728-0109-1)

British Commandos attempted to assassinate Rommel, the Desert Fox, in a daring special forces raid in North Africa during World War II.

On the night of 13 November 1941 two British submarines surfaced off the Libyan coast 250 miles behind German lines. It was dark and stormy, and the 28 commandos on board Torbay had great difficulty climbing into their rubber dinghies and paddling towards the shore. Disaster struck the second submarine, Talisman, when a giant wave swept eleven commandos waiting on deck overboard. At dawn on the morning of 13 November the depleted raiding party was finally ashore, cold, wet and exhausted, but determined nonetheless to press on with their audacious mission - the assassination of General Erwin Rommel, commander of the German forces in North Africa.

The raid made headlines round the free world. It was a shining example of British pluck and daring, proclaimed the papers, and to prove the point, Keyes was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. Yet in truth the raid had been a glorious failure, a mission bedevilled by bad planning and poor intelligence. Yet crucial lessons were learned by subsequent special forces' operations, particularly by the SAS who carried out their first mission on the same night as the raid on Rommel's HQ. By the end of World War II the British special forces were the best in the world.

Modern African Wars (4) by Peter Abbott

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

Modern African Wars (4) The Congo Wars 1960-2002
Written by Peter Abbott

Trade Paperback, 48 pages | Osprey Publishing | History - Modern - 20th Century; History - Africa; History - Military - Other | $17.95 | 978-1-78200-076-1 (1-78200-076-3)

From Belgian and French paratroops to Che Guevara and CIA funded Cuban B-26 pilots, the Congo has been a hotbed of African conflict in the late 20th century.
When the colonial powers began retreating from Africa in the 1950s and 1960s, the Belgian Congo/Zaire became the bloodiest, most chaotic example of 'how not to do it', and has remained so ever since. A vast region with huge mineral wealth, abandoned in 1960 with virtually no infrastructure or functioning government, it was immediately torn by civil wars.

Many whites remained in-country, both as missionaries and to exploit the mines, and Belgian military advisors were caught up in the chaotic conflict that threatened them. White mercenary troops were hired, and in the 1960s these became famous world-wide for some dramatic rescue missions. Manipulated by mining interests, the rich province of Katanga/Shaba seceded from the Republic; Swedish, Irish and 14 other UN contingents had to intervene, and the UN Secretary General was killed there under suspicious circumstances. In the late 1960s even Che Guevara tried to stick his nose in, so the CIA got involved, providing T-28s and B-26s with mercenary Cuban exile pilots.

In the 1970s, during the ruinous 30-year dictatorship of General Mobutu, periodic rebellions required the hasty insertion once again of Belgian and French paratroops to save European lives. From the mid-1990s the country split again, becoming the battleground for the largest African war in history, as armies and rebel groups from Rwanda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Namibia and other countries crossed into the Congo to support one side or the other, or simply to loot the rich resources. Major operations ended - or paused - in 2002, but the old hatreds and constant lure of the Congo's natural resources continue to boil over into periodic outbreaks.

Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork and rare photographs, this is the harrowing story of the wars that ravaged Congo for four decades.

A History of Museums in Britain by Christine Garwood

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

A History of Museums in Britain
Written by Christine Garwood

Trade Paperback, 70 pages | Shire | History; Art - Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions; Antiques & Collectibles | $12.95 | 978-0-7478-1196-1 (0-7478-1196-2)

Museums are at the heart of the nation's cultural life, bastions of Britishness in almost every major city and town. Together they detail myriad aspects of our heritage: from lawnmowers to cuckoo clocks, pencils to chairs, there seems to be no end to the subject matter deemed worthy of collection and public display. This overview of museums in Britain traces their development from 'cabinets of curiosity' to large scale visitor attractions, taking in broad social shifts and trends as well as the collectors, eccentrics and visionaries and the legacies they have left.

TOC: 1. Stories of the Past / 2. Repositories of Curiosities / 3. Museums for the Masses / 4. Modern Times / 5. Looking Forward / Places to Visit

Operation Neptune 1944 by Ken Ford

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

Operation Neptune 1944 D Day's Seaborne Armada
Written by Ken Ford

Trade Paperback, 96 pages | Osprey Publishing | History - Military - World War II; History - Military - Naval; History - Military - Strategy | $21.95 | 978-1-4728-0271-2 (1-4728-0271-3)

June 6th, 1944: the largest fleet in history landed Eisenhower's Allied army on the beaches of Normandy against Erwin Rommel's Nazi German defenses. Almost seventy years on from D Day, the story of the greatest armada seen in world history is still not widely known. It has been celebrated in only two major books, both titled Operation Neptune; the first was published just after the war in 1946, the second in 1974, although reprinted in a new edition in 2008. Both were full of details, but lacked visual appeal. With the forthcoming anniversary of D Day in 2014, the time is right for the story to be told again in the style of the Campaign series.
Operation Neptune was the greatest naval operation ever undertaken, especially if looked at from the number of ships employed in the venture - over 7,000. This incredible enterprise is now completely overshadowed by the lan combat aspects of the invasion. When people think of D Day, they think primarily of troops storming the beaches and fighting their way inland. How these troops got to the beaches; how the seaward flanks of German defences were bombarded by accurate gunfire; how the fighting men were reinforced; how their casualties were evacuated back to England and how the later divisions were organised, transported and disembarked seems not to have been part of the public narrative of the invasion. It is now time that the work of planners, shipbuilders, logistic experts, and the men of the Royal and US Navies, and their allies, was shown to a modern audience.
The planners of Operation Neptune were charged with returning Allied forces in strength to mainland Europe. Whilst the land aspects of the operation were left to the generals, the admirals had to ponder how the troops and their equipment could be transferred safely from quiet harbours in Britain on to a very hostile shore. The task required of them was immense. They had to find enough suitable mutually supporting beaches and assemble sufficient shipping to transport troops across the Channel. They also had to organise protection for the ships on passage and the bombardment of enemy defences covering the landing places. Landing craft had to prepared and crews trained to deliver the troops on time, in place and in correct order, then to introduce follow-up troops to a tight timetable and evacuate the wounded. Even more ships had to be found to re-supply those troops ashore. Then, when the assault phase was over, the US and Royal navies had to continue to support the enlargement of the lodgement with large calibre guns whilst their engineers built new artificial harbours and performed a host of other unspecified objects too numerous to mention. Operation Neptune was absolutely immense in its scope.

In addition to the naval aspects of the operation other great feats of engineering were also undertaken. Artificial harbours, a 60 mile fuel pipe line under the ocean, artificial breakwaters and other engineering marvels made D-Day a supportable reality.
The story of Operation Neptune was, of course, more than just a tale of planning, building and logistics. It had action a-plenty and the emotive tales of bravery, ingenuity and determination by the crews of the ships involved brought credit to the naval traditions of the Allied nations. Battleships, cruisers and destroyers bombarded enemy positions; midget submarines pointed the way to the beaches; minesweepers worked secretly by night to clear lanes; landing craft of all sizes braved enemy fire and mines to deposit their loads on the beaches and naval beach parties endured shellfire and machine guns to bring order to the beaches. Royal Navy commandos and US naval engineers dealt with beach obstacles against rising tides in the face of withering enemy fire.

Q-Ship vs U-Boat by David Greentree

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

Q-Ship vs U-Boat 1914-18
Written by David Greentree

Trade Paperback, 80 pages | Osprey Publishing | History - Modern - 20th Century; History - Military - World War I; History - Military - Naval | $18.95 | 978-1-78200-284-0 (1-78200-284-7)

At the start of World War I a new and potent threat to Britain's naval supremacy took shape in the form of the Kaiser's Imperial German submarines, thanks to their recently acquired ability to submerge and stalk their adversaries. A submarine's crew could not board and capture a merchant ship, however, and at first the German leadership was reluctant to order their U-boat captains to use gunfire or torpedoes to sink merchantmen - crewed by civilian seamen - because of the expected hostile reaction of neutral countries such as the United States. Instead, U-boat captains were ordered to surface, then check the manifest of merchantmen and allow their crews to take to lifeboats before sinking the cargo vessels, rendering the U-boat highly vulnerable to attack. This enabled the Royal Navy to counter the submarine threat with vessels whose outward appearance was that of a merchantman, but which kept hidden an arsenal of weapons that would spring to life if a U-boat surfaced - the Q-ships.

Q-ships came in all shapes and sizes - coastal steamer, trawler, barque, yacht or schooner - but all had to look harmless in order to lure opponents to the surface and encourage them to attack. Armaments differed according to ship size; steamers commonly had 4in guns mounted amidships and in the bow, trawlers 3-pdrs and sailing ships 12-pdrs. Those who served on Q-ships had to accept that their U-boat opponents would be able to strike first. Q-ship captains kept ready a 'panic crew', which was trained to act out an elaborate evacuation to convince the U-boat commander that the ship was being abandoned by its crew. The Q-ship captain would remain behind with a handful of other crewmen manning the guns, which remained hidden until the most opportune time to unmask and engage the U-boat.

These deceptions did not go unnoticed, however; German captains learnt to be cautious, and frequently would engage with their guns at longer range and later in the war with torpedoes. U-boat boatswain's mate Christof Lassen view of Q-ships as the 'most unpleasant object we could hope to meet' was commonly held. As the Allies condemned the sinking of merchantmen, the Germans vilified Q-ships as a crude deceit manned by pirates and contrary to the rules of civilized warfare. Encounters were often fought with bitterness and little quarter was given.

The Q-ship suited the Royal Navy's preference for offensive action to counter the submarine. The Q-ship concept had emerged early in the war when no other method seemed likely to counter the U-boat threat, and flourished until new technologies and tactics were developed, tested and implemented. Q ships instilled wariness into a previously bold and seemingly invincible enemy. The usefulness of Q-ships waned as they lost their surprise factor, but they helped mitigate the U-boat menace until more effective and efficient means of defence were adopted. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and drawing upon the latest research, this engaging study brings to life the deadly duel between these two very different vessels at the height of World War I.

Trapped Under the Sea by Neil Swidey

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

Trapped Under the Sea One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the Darkness
Written by Neil Swidey

Hardcover, 352 pages | Crown | History - United States - State & Local - New England (Ct, Ma, Me, Nh, Ri, Vt); Technology & Engineering - Marine & Naval; True Crime - White Collar Crime | $26.00 | 978-0-307-88672-9 (0-307-88672-7)

Trapped Under the Sea by Neil Swidey

2014-02-18T00:30:00-05:00

Trapped Under the Sea One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the Darkness
Written by Neil Swidey

eBook, 352 pages | Crown | History - United States - State & Local - New England (Ct, Ma, Me, Nh, Ri, Vt); Technology & Engineering - Marine & Naval; True Crime - White Collar Crime | $ | 978-0-307-88674-3 (0-307-88674-3)

Random House New Releases - History

A Child of Christian Blood by Edmund Levin

A Child of Christian Blood Murder and Conspiracy in Tsarist Russia: The Beilis Blood LibelWritten by Edmund Levin

A Child of Christian Blood by Edmund Levin

A Child of Christian Blood Murder and Conspiracy in Tsarist Russia: The Beilis Blood LibelWritten by Edmund Levin

Little Demon in the City of Light by Steven Levingston

Little Demon in the City of Light A True Story of Murder and Mesmerism in Belle Epoque ParisWritten by Steven Levingston

Little Demon in the City of Light by Steven Levingston

Little Demon in the City of Light A True Story of Murder and Mesmerism in Belle Epoque ParisWritten by Steven Levingston

Little Demon in the City of Light by Steven Levingston

Little Demon in the City of Light A True Story of Murder and Mesmerism in Belle Epoque ParisWritten by Steven Levingston

Browning .30-caliber Machine Guns by Gordon Rottman

Browning .30-caliber Machine Guns Written by Gordon Rottman

1950s Childhood by Janet Shepherd

1950s Childhood Growing up in post-war BritainWritten by Janet Shepherd

A Fistful of Kung Fu - Hong Kong Movie Wargame Rules by Andrea Sfiligoi

A Fistful of Kung Fu - Hong Kong Movie Wargame Rules Written by Andrea Sfiligoi

Civil War by Gary W. Gallagher

Civil War Fort Sumter to AppomattoxWritten by Gary Gallagher

Challenge of Battle: The Real Story of the British Army in 1914 by Adrian Gilbert

Challenge of Battle: The Real Story of the British Army in 1914 Written by Adrian Gilbert

F9F Panther Units of the Korean War by Mark Styling

F9F Panther Units of the Korean War Written by Warren Thompson Illustrated by Mark Styling

French Tanks of World War II (1) by Steven Zaloga

French Tanks of World War II (1) Infantry and Battle TanksWritten by Steven Zaloga

Hitler's Blitzkrieg Enemies 1940 by Nigel Thomas

Hitler's Blitzkrieg Enemies 1940 Denmark, Norway, Netherlands & BelgiumWritten by Nigel Thomas

Kill Rommel! - Operation Flipper 1941 by Gavin Mortimer

Kill Rommel! - Operation Flipper 1941 Written by Gavin Mortimer

Modern African Wars (4) by Peter Abbott

Modern African Wars (4) The Congo Wars 1960-2002Written by Peter Abbott

A History of Museums in Britain by Christine Garwood

A History of Museums in Britain Written by Christine Garwood

Operation Neptune 1944 by Ken Ford

Operation Neptune 1944 D Day's Seaborne ArmadaWritten by Ken Ford

Q-Ship vs U-Boat by David Greentree

Q-Ship vs U-Boat 1914-18Written by David Greentree

Trapped Under the Sea by Neil Swidey

Trapped Under the Sea One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the DarknessWritten by Neil Swidey

Trapped Under the Sea by Neil Swidey

Trapped Under the Sea One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the DarknessWritten by Neil Swidey

A Child of Christian Blood Murder and Conspiracy in Tsarist Russia: The Beilis Blood Libel
Written by Edmund Levin

A Child of Christian Blood Murder and Conspiracy in Tsarist Russia: The Beilis Blood Libel
Written by Edmund Levin

Little Demon in the City of Light A True Story of Murder and Mesmerism in Belle Epoque Paris
Written by Steven Levingston

Little Demon in the City of Light A True Story of Murder and Mesmerism in Belle Epoque Paris
Written by Steven Levingston

Little Demon in the City of Light A True Story of Murder and Mesmerism in Belle Epoque Paris
Written by Steven Levingston

Browning .30-caliber Machine Guns
Written by Gordon Rottman

1950s Childhood Growing up in post-war Britain
Written by Janet Shepherd

A Fistful of Kung Fu - Hong Kong Movie Wargame Rules
Written by Andrea Sfiligoi

Civil War Fort Sumter to Appomattox
Written by Gary Gallagher

Challenge of Battle: The Real Story of the British Army in 1914
Written by Adrian Gilbert

F9F Panther Units of the Korean War
Written by Warren Thompson
Illustrated by Mark Styling

French Tanks of World War II (1) Infantry and Battle Tanks
Written by Steven Zaloga

Hitler's Blitzkrieg Enemies 1940 Denmark, Norway, Netherlands & Belgium
Written by Nigel Thomas

Kill Rommel! - Operation Flipper 1941
Written by Gavin Mortimer

Modern African Wars (4) The Congo Wars 1960-2002
Written by Peter Abbott

A History of Museums in Britain
Written by Christine Garwood

Operation Neptune 1944 D Day's Seaborne Armada
Written by Ken Ford

Q-Ship vs U-Boat 1914-18
Written by David Greentree

Trapped Under the Sea One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the Darkness
Written by Neil Swidey

Trapped Under the Sea One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the Darkness
Written by Neil Swidey