{"title":"Paul L Dawson","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the thrilling worlds crafted by Paul L. Dawson, where high-stakes action meets cutting-edge technology. Perfect for fans of Tom Clancy and Vince Flynn, discover gripping tales of espionage and military prowess.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"napoleon-s-peninsular-war-book-paul-l-dawson-9781526754097","title":"Napoleon's Peninsular War","description":"Memoirs of British soldiers who fought in the Peninsular War are commonplace and histories of the momentous campaigns and battles of Sir John Moore and Sir Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, can be numbered by the score. Yet surprisingly little has been published in English on their opponents, the French.  Using previously unseen material from the French army archives in Paris, which includes numerous memoires that have not even been published in France, renowned historian Paul Dawson tells the story of the early years of the Peninsular War as never before.  Eyewitness accounts of the horrific Siege of Zaragoza, in which more than 50,000 soldiers and civilians were killed defending the city, and of the cataclysmic Spanish defeats at Medellin and Ocana are interspersed with details of campaign life in the Iberian Peninsula and of struggling through the Galician mountains in pursuit of the British army marching to Corunna.  As well as the drama of the great battles and the ever-present fear of Spanish guerrillas - the knife in the back, the flash of steel in the dark - Paul Dawson draws on the writings of the French soldiers to examine the ordinary conscript's belief in the war they were fighting for their Emperor, Napoleon.  In this much-needed study of the Peninsular War from the French perspective, Paul Dawson has produced an unprecedented, yet vital addition to our understanding of the war in Iberia. _Napoleon's Peninsular War_ is destined to become one of the classic accounts of this turbulent, yet endlessly fascinating era.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49520546906385,"sku":"GOR011289097","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49738619224337,"sku":"NGR9781526754097","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51232758989073,"sku":"GOR014204760","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1526754096.jpg?v=1751244482"},{"product_id":"battle-against-the-luddites-book-paul-l-dawson-9781399052405","title":"The Battle Against the Luddites","description":"As the columns of French infantry marched up the slopes of the Mont St Jean at Waterloo, the British heavy cavalry, the Royal Scots Greys to the fore, crashed into the packed ranks of the enemy. This was not the first time the Greys had drawn their swords during the Napoleonic Wars - but it was their first against Napoleon's troops. Three years earlier they had attacked workers in Halifax protesting at the introduction of machinery in the wool trade.  Taking their name from Ned Ludd, who had smashed up knitting frames in Nottingham, the Luddites saw the emergence of mechanisation as a threat to their livelihood, with men replacing machines. In response they took matters into their own hands by wrecking the new equipment.  Industrial unrest had gathered pace throughout the 18th century and exploded in an unpresented wave of violence in 1799\\. Outbreaks of machine-breaking developed rapidly into strikes in a battle of capital against labour. A court battle ensued, culminating in new legislation in 1806 that backed the capitalists. This act, coupled with the impact of the Continental system introduced by Napoleon, which closed European and American ports to British merchants, heralded the largest economic depression of the era. Famine, pestilence and rising employment all fuelled the fires of Luddism.  Months of violence swept across the West Midlands, Lancashire and Yorkshire which saw one factory boss murdered; other factory owners began shooting protesting workers. The disturbances resulted in the mobilising of thousands of regular soldiers - at one time there were as many British soldiers fighting the Luddites than there were fighting Napoleon on the Iberian Peninsula.  As well as exploring these events, Paul L. Dawson also uncovers the origins of Luddism and their allies in the middle classes. The Napoleonic Wars marked the end of centuries old way of life in agriculture, textile production and the wider economy.  The dramatic changes in Britain between 1790 and 1815 created a unique set of social grievances by those left behind by the unprecedented changes that were surging through the Britain which exploded into bitter fighting across large swathes of the country. 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Wakefield had long been regarded as the capital of the West Riding of Yorkshire since the Middle Ages, being one of the largest population centres till the late eighteenth century. The town had been a Parliamentary Borough, returning its own MP to London from 1832 and became a Municipal Borough with a mayor from 1848.   By 2014 all the coalmines and all but one of the mills have closed in recent decades, being replaced by light industrial areas and service centres for international companies. 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Used by Napoleon as his principle tactical reserve, the Guard was engaged only sparingly, being deployed at the crucial moment of battle to turn the tide of victory in favour of the Emperor of the French.  Naturally, the Imperial Guard has been the subject of numerous books over many decades, yet there has never been a publication that has investigated the uniforms and equipment of the infantry of the Imperial Guard in such detail and with such precision. The author has collected copies of almost all the surviving documents relating to the Guard, which includes a vast amount of material regarding the issuing of dress items, even in some instances down to company level.  This information is supported by an unrivalled collection of illustrations, many of which have never been published before, as well as images of original items of equipment held in museums and private collections across the globe. In addition, the renowned military artist, Keith Rocco, has produced a series of unique paintings commissioned exclusively for this book.  This glorious book is, and will remain, unsurpassed as the standard work on the clothing and equipment of the Imperial Guard, and will not only be invaluable to historians, but also reenactors, wargamers and modellers. 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This glorious book is, and will remain, unsurpassed as the standard work on the clothing and equipment of the Imperial Guard, and will be eagerly sought by reenactors, wargamers and modellers, and will sit on the book shelves of historians and enthusiasts as one of the most important publications ever produced on this most famous of military formations.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49733953388817,"sku":"NGR9781526708960","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1526708965.jpg?v=1750718355"},{"product_id":"marshal-ney-at-quatre-bras-book-paul-l-dawson-9781526700711","title":"Marshal Ney at Quatre Bras","description":"Fought on 16 June 1815, two days before the Battle of Waterloo, the Battle of Quatre Bras has been described as a tactical Anglo-allied victory, but a French strategic victory. The French Marshal Ney was given command of the left wing of Napoleon s army and ordered to seize the vital crossroads at Quatre Bras, as the prelude to an advance on Brussels. The crossroads was of strategic importance because the side which controlled it could move south-eastward along the Nivelles-Namur road.  Yet the normally bold and dynamic Ney was uncharacteristically cautious. As a result, by the time he mounted a full-scale attack upon the Allied troops holding Quatre Bras, the Duke of Wellington had been able to concentrate enough strength to hold the crossroads.  Ney s failure at Quatre Bras had disastrous consequences for Napoleon, whose divided army was not able to reunite in time to face Wellington at Waterloo. 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Why did he do so? Traditional stories of 1815 end with Waterloo, that fateful day of 18 June, when Napoleon Bonaparte fought and lost his last battle, abdicating his throne on 22 June.  So why was Exelmans still fighting for Paris? Surely the fighting had ended on 18 June? Not so. Waterloo was not the end, but the beginning of a new and untold story.  Seldom studied in French histories and virtually ignored by English writers, the French Army fought on after Waterloo. At Versailles, Sevres, Rocquencourt and elsewhere, the French fought off the Prussian army. In the Alps and along the Rhine other French armies fought the Allied armies, and General Rapp defeated the Austrians at La Souffel - the last great battle and the last French victory of the Napoleonic Wars.  Many other French commanders sought to reverse the defeat of Waterloo. Bonapartist and irascible, General Vandamme, at the head of 3rd and 4th Corps, was, for example, champing at the bit to exact revenge on the Prussians. General Exelmans, ardent Bonapartist and firebrand, likewise wanted one final, defining battle to turn the war in favour of the French.  Marshal Grouchy, much maligned, fought his army back to Paris by 29 June, with the Prussians hard on his heels. On 1 July, Vandamme, Exelmans and Marshal Davout began the defence of Paris. Davout took to the field in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris along with regiments of the Imperial Guard and battalions of National Guards.  For the first time ever, using the wealth of archive material held in the French Army archives in Paris, along with eyewitness testimonies from those who were there, Paul Dawson brings alive the bitter and desperate fighting in defence of the French capital. The 100 Days Campaign did not end at Waterloo, it ended under the walls of Paris fifteen days later.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49734114148625,"sku":"NGR9781526749277","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50490287128849,"sku":"GOR010499775","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1526749270.jpg?v=1750894229"},{"product_id":"wakefield-at-work-book-paul-l-dawson-9781445698304","title":"Wakefield at Work","description":"Wakefield was a prosperous market town in the Middle Ages, but it was transformed by coal mining during the Industrial Revolution. Mining dominated the local economy until the last pits closed in the 1970s and 1980s.Trade in cloth and cloth finishing were also cornerstones of Wakefield's economy, drawing in merchants from across the north. Local families - the Milnes's and the Naylors - dominated the trade until the economic depression of the 1820s and increasing mechanisation. Cloth production started on a small scale and many houses in the area had a weaving shed until the arrival of the first steam-powered mill in 1781 and the rapid expansion of fulling and scribbling mills in Wakefield.Yarn spinning was more successful, and the huge Plumpton Park complex on Westgate became the largest employer in the town. Heavy industry also came to Wakefield. Steam engines were constructed at Fall Ing Foundry from 1791 and the railways became a major employer. Greens Economiser Works were a major concern until the 1960s.The city has been transformed once more, with the major employers today being warehouse distribution bases, retail parks and shopping outlets. Wakefield at Work explores the working life of this Yorkshire city and its people, and the industries that have characterised it. 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Yet if we scratch the surface, we find a nation not just at war with France but with itself.  The great successes of Wellington and Nelson, and the glamour of Regency London, cover over the cracks of a divided society, of riots across the industrial north and widespread political opposition. Huge swathes of the country hated the war, booed and hissed at soldiers and  lobbed turds' at the Scots Greys in Halifax. There were repeated  Peace Petitions' which sought to stop the war - and even to prevent the British Army fighting at Waterloo.  Armed Associations of gentlemen volunteers and Local Militias led the call to close down the debate on social and democratic reform, while on the other hand thousands of English reformers heeded the call from France and hundreds actually headed to France, with many thousands more believing that the time had come, when its young men were needed to fight for King and Country, for reform.  The burgeoning middle class had no vote in parliament; rapidly expanding industrial towns and cities had no MPs, yet small villages - pocket boroughs - often had two. The burden of taxation fell on those least able to afford it; enclosure of common land; corn laws; restrictions on the freedom of expression; the endless killing, all fed into an undercurrent of political dissent that was ideologically opposed to the loyalist cause. It was a battle for the very sole of Britain.  For the first time, the shocking reality of life in Britain, during what is often portrayed as being its greatest era, is told through diaries, letters, and newspaper comments. Fighting Napoleon at Home is a startling portrayal of the society from which the soldiers and sailors were drawn and exactly what it was they were fighting to defend. 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Some of the material he examined had never been accessed by researchers or historians before, the files involved having been sealed in 1816\\. These seals remained unbroken until Paul was given permission to break them to read the contents.  Forget what you have read about the battle on the Mont St Jean on 18 June 1815; it did not happen that way. The start of the battle was delayed because of the state of the ground - not so. Marshal Ney destroyed the French cavalry in his reckless charges against the Allied infantry squares - wrong. The stubborn defence of Hougoumont, the key to Wellington's victory, where a plucky little garrison of British Guards held the farmhouse against the overwhelming force of Jerome Bonaparte's division and the rest of II Corps - not true. Did the Union Brigade really destroy d'Erlon's Corps, did the Scots Greys actually attack a massed French battery, did La Haie Sainte hold out until late in the afternoon?  All these and many more of the accepted stories concerning the battle are analysed through accounts (some 200 in all) previously unpublished, mainly derived through French sources, with startling conclusions. Most significantly of all is the revelation of exactly how, and why, Napoleon was defeated.  Waterloo, The Truth at Last demonstrates, through details never made available to the general public before, how so much of what we think we know about the battle simply did not occur in the manner or to the degree previously believed. This book has been described as  a game changer', and is certain to generate enormous interest, and will alter our previously-held perceptions - forever.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49747740655889,"sku":"NGR9781399077415","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1399077414.jpg?v=1751114212"},{"product_id":"waterloo-casualties-book-paul-l-dawson-9781781559024","title":"Waterloo Casualties","description":"Waterloo is perhaps the most famous battle of the 19th century, and surely in the top ten of all military engagements in the last 500 years. Many have sought reasons why Napoleon lost the great battle. This book presents the litany of failures by one of Napoleon's key subordinates, General Drouet d'Erlon, which led ultimately to defeat. Using newly uncovered source material in archives in Paris, the author presents the campaign from the view point of d'Erlon to explore his failings over four days that changed the course of European history. The book explores for the first time what really happened at Hougoumont, La Haie Sainte, and on the French right wing as the Prussians closed in. The actions between Papelotte and Frischermont were critical in the story of the battle, but have so far been seldom studied. As no red coated soldiers fought here, and the Waterloo mythos says the red coats won the battle, the study of half of the battle has to a large extent been ignored.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49749713617169,"sku":"NGR9781781559024","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51217521639697,"sku":"GOR014201430","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ LIKE_NEW \/ SBYB","offer_id":52880244441361,"sku":"CIN1781559023LN","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1781559023.jpg?v=1751428700"},{"product_id":"french-invasions-of-britain-and-ireland-1797-1798-book-paul-l-dawson-9781399068086","title":"French Invasions of Britain and Ireland, 1797 1798","description":"Not since 1066 - at least in popular myth - has an enemy force set foot on British soil. The Declaration of War with Revolutionary France in 1793 changed all that. In Ireland, the desire for home rule led Irish republicans to seek support from France and like-minded radicals in England. The scene was set for the most dangerous period in British history since William the Conqueror.  Irish dreams of independence, and of Revolutionary France's goal of securing her borders against the monarchies of Europe, coalesced. What better way of keeping Britain out of a war if her troops were tied down in Ireland? If the French could support an Irish Revolution, this would ensure the British Crown would be more focused on internal security than fighting overseas. The French, with a network of secret agents in Ireland and England, made their preparations for invasion  The invasion plan had been prepared by the English-born American political activist, philosopher, theorist and revolutionary Thomas Paine, whose writings had helped inspire the Americans to fight for independence from Britain. Paine sought to seize on discontent in England against the government of William Pitt and the increasing radicalism fostered by Wolfe Tone in Ireland for home rule, to topple the government, and bring about an Irish and English Republic.  A network of spies spread out across the England, Scotland and Ireland gathering information for the French and arming radical groups. Everything was set for an invasion. Mad King George's throne was set to be toppled, Charles James Fox installed as leader of the embryonic English Republic, while Ireland, under Wolfe Tone, would have home rule - so too Scotland.  But it took six years for the French to finally mount their attacks upon Britain. And when the invasions were eventually launched, they crumbled into chaos. This book seeks to charts the events that led up to the French invasion of Ireland in 1798, and how the invasion was foiled by William Pitt's own web of secret agents. William Huskisson, best known for being killed at the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, led a dangerous life as a spy master, whose agents foiled the French at every step.  Drawing on documents in the French Army Archives, as well as the records of the French Foreign Ministry and The National Archives in London, the largely forgotten story of the last invasion of Britain in 1797, as well as the final act of 1798, is revealed. Key documents are the campaign diary of the French commander from 1798, General Humbert, which has never been published in French or English. 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More uniquely, the text is supported by an unrivalled collection of full colour illustrations, many of which have never been published before, including images of original items of equipment that are held in both museums and private collections to which the author has been granted special access.  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The early Republic’s military comprised former Royal Army members and revolutionary volunteers, reflecting diversity in their uniforms. Despite the chaos, records were meticulously maintained, and Paul L. Dawson examined thousands of documents from the Service Historique Armée du Terre in Paris to detail the uniforms worn before Napoleon’s rise.  Soldiers’ clothing followed strict regulations, with each item assigned a specific lifespan. Regular inspections assessed uniform conditions, and unserviceable items were returned and replaced. Repairs were logged, and soldiers bore the costs of replacements. A regiment’s clothing officer managed equipment purchases for enlisted men, while officers supplied their own uniforms. The regimental council ensured purchases met quality standards, recorded in a Register of Uniforms.  Inspection returns and registers provide unprecedented insights into Revolutionary army uniforms, much of which was previously unpublished. 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A return of all the clothing to be disposed of was made, and the appropriate number of new items ordered. Items of clothing and equipment needing repair was also recorded, as was how many items had been repaired since the last inspection. Upon joining a regiment, the recruit was given his first full set of clothing and equipment, which came from stoppages in his pay. Each item of clothing had a specified life. If the items needed repair or replacement inside the prescribed period due to misuse the cost was borne by the soldier. All of this was recorded.  There was an annual quota of money available to a colonel to pay for clothing renewals and repairs for his regiment. In addition, the regimental Council of Administration drew funds to buy raw materials, equipment and headdresses. These funds also covered sundry items such as the epaulettes of the adjutant-sous-officiers, lace for rank stripes, service chevrons, musicians and drummers lace, plumes and pompoms, such is the remarkable level of detail these records contain.  These invaluable sources provide bias free empirical data from which we can reconstruct the life story of a regiment, its officers and above all its clothing. In addition to the official records, the author has constructed how the regiments were dressed from diaries, letters, and even cases of fraud.  As well as providing the recorded details, this book shows in scores of beautiful illustrations exactly how each regiment appeared. These images include period paintings as well as works specifically commissioned for this book, plus unique photographs of existing items of uniform. Now, for the first time since the days of Napoleon, we can say exactly what was worn by Napoleon’s cavalry.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51627704779025,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":51627704975633,"sku":"NGR9781399078559","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51744528531729,"sku":"NIN9781399078559","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1399078550.jpg?v=1751209134"},{"product_id":"napoleons-line-infantry-from-the-battle-of-jena-to-the-invasion-of-iberia-book-paul-l-dawson-9781526783998","title":"Napoleon’s Line Infantry – From the Battle of Jena to the Invasion of Iberia","description":"This book examines the uniforms and equipment of the backbone of the French army, the Line Infantry, at the height of its glory. The crushing defeat of the Prussian army at the twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt in 1806 was arguably the most impressive of all Napoleon’s many victories. This was followed in 1807 with the defeat of the Russians at Friedland, leaving Napoleon as the unrivalled master of Europe.  Just weeks after the Battle of Friedland, Napoleon became embroiled in Spanish politics. Seeking to rid the continent of Europe of British influence, the Emperor sought to conquer Portugal and subjugate the British ally to the Empire. The Peninsular War had begun. As the Grande Armée trudged from Germany to Spain, what were the troops wearing? A huge stock take took place across the armed forces of France in winter 1807 to spring 1808. Using tens of thousands of archive sources, housed in over 1,000 archive boxes, we are able to reconstruct in meticulous detail how the army appeared at the beginning of the Peninsular War.   This book looks at the dress of the Line Infantry following the reforms of 1806 which did most to change the way the army appeared until the proto-Bardin regulation of 1811. The book seeks to explore the famous or infamous white habits as well as the dress of the army on campaign, notably in the Peninsular War.  The author demonstrates that the perception of ‘anything goes’ was largely myth, regarding the dress of the line infantry during the rigours of the gruelling peninsular war. 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After basic training, he became an Observer in December 1941, and by June 1942, he was accepted for pilot training under the Empire Air Training Scheme. He trained in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), then moved to Cairo before joining the Italian campaign. Dennis participated in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France, in 1944.  As the Allied forces struggled in Normandy, Dennis flew sorties to support the landings, providing air cover and ground attacks. Promoted to Flight Sergeant, he continued flying over Italy, Crete, and the Balkans until he was shot down by a Messerschmitt Bf 109. Wounded and captured, Dennis escaped captivity and returned to his unit, later being posted home to train future pilots.  This book recounts the story of Dennis and his comrades in 260 Squadron, whose multi-national crew supported key battles across North Africa and Europe. 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For the first time in two centuries, it accurately examines how these troops were clothed and equipped.  Paul Dawson’s research draws from over 1,000 archive boxes in the Service Historique de l’Armée de Terre and the Archives Nationales in Paris. These documents reveal how the 1806 uniform regulations and Bardin regulations were implemented in practice, offering insights previously unavailable to the public.  The archives focus on the annual inspections of regiments, where the condition of uniforms and equipment was assessed. Soldiers' uniforms were provided through stoppages in their pay, with a prescribed lifespan for each item. The regimental Council of Administration also drew funds for clothing renewals, repairs, and equipment.  Dawson’s study demonstrates that the Bardin regulations, often seen as the standard, were largely a myth until the Waterloo Campaign. Through contemporary illustrations and photographs of existing uniforms, this book provides an authoritative understanding of the actual dress worn by Napoleon’s troops, making previous descriptions of the Grande Armée’s appearance obsolete.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51890042896657,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":51890042962193,"sku":"NGR9781036150570","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52823733338385,"sku":"NIN9781036150570","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781036150570.jpg?v=1754691875"},{"product_id":"dunkirk-evacuation-the-french-perspective-book-paul-l-dawson-9781036133801","title":"The Dunkirk Evacuation: The French Perspective","description":"Hitler unleashed his Blitzkrieg in the West on 10 May 1940. As German troops advanced, the British Expeditionary Force, the French First Army and the Belgian Army found themselves squeezed into a narrow corridor between Lille and Dunkirk. By 24 May, there were 400,000 soldiers trapped there, with only one chance of survival – to be evacuated.  Somehow, the beleaguered Allied troops had to hold off the might of the German forces long enough for the bulk of the British, French and Belgian soldiers to be saved. Day after day the Germans attacked the defensive perimeter, but the defenders hung on. ‘Even in defeat’, wrote a German commander on 29 May, ‘the French fight like lions … the BEF is in complete disintegration. It has simply deserted all its vehicles and equipment and is fleeing to the sea.’  As the troops were lifted from the beaches and Dunkirk harbour, fewer and fewer men were left to defend the thinning and shrinking perimeter, one whole sector of which was manned by French troops. Finally, as the last ship departed from Dunkirk on 4 June, around 40,000 French troops were all that remained holding the line.  Finally, at 08.00 hours on 4 June, German troops reached the French naval headquarters in Dunkirk. It was there that General Barthélemy formally surrendered. ‘No episode in the epic of Dunkirk,’ wrote the French historian of the battle, ‘caused more heartbreak’, as the brave defenders of Dunkirk marched into captivity. Their sacrifice was noted by Churchill, who recognised that, ‘These troops thus made a splendid contribution to the safety of their more favoured comrades and the British Expeditionary Force.’  Using archival sources in France and Belgium, much of which has not been previously published in English, Paul Dawson throws fresh light on a little-known aspect of one of the most famous episodes of the Second World War. Had it not been for the sacrifices of the French troops, Britain’s situation in the summer of 1940, as Hitler’s forces bore down on the Channel coast, might have been far more precarious.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":53342149509393,"sku":"NGR9781036133801","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781036133801.jpg?v=1774480983"},{"product_id":"napoleon-s-officers-book-paul-l-dawson-9781036141844","title":"Napoleon's Officers","description":"Reproduktion des Originals. Der Verlag Antigonos spezialisiert sich auf die Herausgabe von Nachdrucken historischer B cher. Wir achten darauf, dass diese Werke der  ffentlichkeit in einem guten Zustand zug nglich gemacht werden, um ihr kulturelles Erbe zu bewahren.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":53478526484753,"sku":"NGR9781036141844","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781036141844.jpg?v=1778579326"},{"product_id":"napoleon-s-peninsular-war-book-paul-l-dawson-9781526797735","title":"Napoleon's Peninsular War","description":"Memoirs of British soldiers who fought in the Peninsular War are commonplace and histories of the momentous campaigns and battles of Sir John Moore and Sir Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, can be numbered by the score. Yet surprisingly little has been published in English on their opponents, the French.  Using previously unseen material from the French army archives in Paris, which includes numerous memoires that have not even been published in France, renowned historian Paul Dawson tells the story of the early years of the Peninsular War as never before.  Eyewitness accounts of the horrific Siege of Zaragoza, in which more than 50,000 soldiers and civilians were killed defending the city, and of the cataclysmic Spanish defeats at Medellin and Ocaña are interspersed with details of campaign life in the Iberian Peninsula and of struggling through the Galician mountains in pursuit of the British army marching to Corunna.  As well as the drama of the great battles and the ever-present fear of Spanish guerrillas – the knife in the back, the flash of steel in the dark – Paul Dawson draws on the writings of the French soldiers to examine the ordinary conscript’s belief in the war they were fighting for their Emperor, Napoleon.  In this much-needed study of the Peninsular War from the French perspective, Paul Dawson has produced an unprecedented, yet vital addition to our understanding of the war in Iberia. Napoleon’s Peninsular War is destined to become one of the classic accounts of this turbulent, yet endlessly fascinating era.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":53478528647441,"sku":"NGR9781526797735","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781526797735.jpg?v=1777501469"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-paul-l-dawson.oembed?page=2","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}