{"title":"Alastair Massie","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the gripping historical fiction of Alastair Massie, where political intrigue and personal drama intertwine. Perfect for readers who enjoy Bernard Cornwell and Patrick O'Brian, explore tales of power and conflict.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"national-army-museum-book-of-the-crimean-war-book-alastair-massie-9780283073557","title":"The National Army Museum Book of the Crimean War","description":"The Crimean War is famous for four key engagements - Inkerman, Alma, Balaclava and the siege of Sebastopol. All typified the incompetence of the British High Command redeemed by the indomitable courage of the British soldier. 'C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre', remarked the French general Bosquet as the Light Brigade suicidally charged the Russian guns at Balaclava.   Unlike recent histories, which have drawn largely on well-worn published accounts, this book is based on unpublished material, from single letters by barely literate private soldiers to the voluminous correspondence of commander-in-chief Lord Raglan. The whole experience of fighting in the Crimea is captured here: the thrill of combat, the men's impressions of their allies - French, Turkish and Sardinian, the horrors of their first winter in the Crimea, the scandalously inadequate medical arrangements and the impact made by Florence Nightingale. Written by a leading authority in this field, The National Army Museum Book of the Real Crimean War is a colourful, fresh account of one of nineteenth century's most famous conflicts.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49533106487569,"sku":"GOR003147168","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0283073551.jpg?v=1751291171"},{"product_id":"national-army-museum-book-of-the-crimean-war-book-alastair-massie-9780330491747","title":"The National Army Museum Book of the Crimean War","description":"The Charge of the Light Brigade, the Thin Red Line and the Lady of the Lamp have all passed into legend. From the Soldiers' Battle at Inkerman to the siege of Sebastopol, the Crimean War showed the incompetence of the British High Command being redeemed time and again by the outstanding courage and determination of the British soldier. Failure of supplies, exposure and disease led to the deaths of thousands during the cruel Crimean winter. Here for the first time are the previously unpublished first hand accounts of fighting, woven together to recreate one of the most famous and gruelling conflicts in history.   From the commander-in-chief Lord Raglan to the lowliest private, the fascinating material from the archives of the National Army Museum bring to life tragic friendships, shattered nerves, accusations, rivalries, the harrowing experiences of Victoria Cross winners, decapitation and amputation - all finally revealing the untold stories of the Crimean War.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49539119743249,"sku":"GOR003084104","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50125923483921,"sku":"GOR002855255","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50810734674193,"sku":"GOR003541275","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51681499971857,"sku":"GOR014347929","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0330491741.jpg?v=1750739411"},{"product_id":"great-britain-and-the-defence-of-the-low-countries-1744-1748-book-alastair-massie-9781804513385","title":"Great Britain and the Defence of the Low Countries, 1744-1748","description":"By revealing how the progress of the fighting in the Low Countries influenced politics back in London, and how political decisions reached, as a consequence, affected the course of military operations, this book fuses together both an analysis of the military campaigns and an examination of their political management. Amongst much else, it will show how the weakness of Lord Carteret's position within government during 1744 - and a consequent lack of guidance from him - reinforced Marshal Wade's natural caution in the field, a caution that so exacerbated inter-allied tensions as to lead to a nugatory campaign, fueling dissension within the ministry at home. Carteret's resulting removal from power by his rivals presaged an attempt to reach a new political settlement, but the policy-change required - regarding Britain's employment of its Hanoverian troops - had a disastrous bearing on the conduct of the war in the Low Countries. Indeed, were one mischievous, it could be argued that it was William Pitt who lost the Battle of Fontenoy. Military failure now changed the government's preoccupations. With the threat of French invasion and the prospect of a Jacobite uprising, the question was whether home defense or the war in Flanders were to take priority. The fate of a besieged Ostend became the initial focus of this concern, as politicians and military commanders engaged in a tug of war over its reinforcement. Later, the disagreements over whether troops were needed more in Brabant or Scotland reached their climax in a tussle over the destination of Britain's Hessian auxiliaries, indirectly leading, on the one hand, to the resignation of a government in London and, on the other, to the fall of Brussels. In 1746, the pattern of defeat in the Low Countries continued. London's decision to deny overall command of the British-paid contingent, and full general's rank, to Sir John Ligonier helped contribute to a fracturing of the allied army before the Battle of Rocoux, an outcome instrumental in securing French victory. The following year, another reverse at the Battle of Laffeldt and the subsequent fall of Bergen-op-Zoom did not, surprisingly enough - and for diplomatic reasons that are explained - lead to a British re-evaluation of the viability of continuing the war (despite an important element within the ministry hoping it might). Nevertheless, the pertinacity of the leading proponent of war measures, the Duke of Newcastle, was shaken early in 1748 as the reality of a dire military situation made itself apparent. The progress of peace talks at Aix-la-Chapelle thereafter mirrored exactly the path of impending military catastrophe, with the mighty fortress of Maestricht firmly in French sights. This is an important study of Britain and the War of the Austrian Succession that does away with the tendency of a past historiography to compartmentalize the subject into distinct military, political and diplomatic silos.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49543739015441,"sku":"GOR013762489","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49744754934033,"sku":"NGR9781804513385","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50308197122321,"sku":"GOR013920767","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1804513385.jpg?v=1750962772"},{"product_id":"great-britain-and-the-defence-of-the-low-countries-1744-1748-book-alastair-massie-9781804513378","title":"Great Britain and the Defence of the Low Countries, 1744-1748","description":"By revealing how the progress of the fighting in the Low Countries influenced politics back in London, and how political decisions reached, as a consequence, affected the course of military operations, this book fuses together both an analysis of the military campaigns and an examination of their political management. 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The fate of a besieged Ostend became the initial focus of this concern, as politicians and military commanders engaged in a tug of war over its reinforcement. Later, the disagreements over whether troops were needed more in Brabant or Scotland reached their climax in a tussle over the destination of Britain's Hessian auxiliaries, indirectly leading, on the one hand, to the resignation of a government in London and, on the other, to the fall of Brussels.In 1746, the pattern of defeat in the Low Countries continued. London's decision to deny overall command of the British-paid contingent, and full general's rank, to Sir John Ligonier helped contribute to a fracturing of the allied army before the Battle of Rocoux, an outcome instrumental in securing French victory. 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