The emperors and soldiers were frequently the same and the post of emperor could also be a poisoned chalice to be avoided by generals. The replacement of the Republic with the Empire did not remove the Senate, but the Legions were used as a power base by emperors – Very Highly Recommended
The author provides the face and humanity of the Soviet people at war. The Red Army was a critical component of Allied victory in Europe. There have been many attempts by historians to present a convincing review of human cost, but this book achieves the objective – Very Highly Recommended
This is an absorbing account of how the Warrior Kings, who emerged after the Fall of Rome, created a new world order. The Roman Empire fell suddenly in the West even though the Eastern Roman Empire was to continue until the Crusades. – Very Highly Recommended
Marxists may recently have been attempting to use more recent slavery for political advantage, but slavery is as ancient as humans and even though Britain did so much at such great national cost in the early 19th Century to abolish slavery, it is still a curse of the world and an essential part of Islam. The Romans depended very heavily on the use of slaves. They were a commodity, and engine of expansion and, although some were treated very well and freed, a great many were not. – Very Highly Recommended
The author has been building a formidable and acclaimed portfolio of WWII aviation history and this volume addresses the human cost. The Battle of Britain halted the German expansion, but it did so much more, it defeated Germany because the German plan for World Domination depended on a very fast victory before British and American industry could out produce that of Germany. – Most Highly Recommended
The author is a prolific and highly respected writer on the subject of ancient history and in particular of the final years of the Roman Empire. This book provides many fresh insights and shows how the Western and Eastern Empires cooperated to the benefit of the European future. – Most Highly Recommended
This is a very important book, aiding the understanding of how U-Boats evolved into submarines, most WWII U-Boats really being submersible torpedo boats. The term ‘submarine’ has been misused since the first primitive submersible vessels. The snorkel offered the opportunity for a submarine to remain underwater from the start of the voyage to the return to home port. Purists will say that snorkel equipped U-Boats were still not real submarines but, in tactical terms, the snorkel made the submarine. – Most Highly Recommended
Fighter Aces of the Great War were the ‘pin-up boys’ of their time, featuring in magazines and newspapers, also in the early movie films. The idea of declaring ‘aces’ was one way of picking out heroes for the media. – Highly Recommended
This book should be widely read because it explains exactly why the quality of RN officers made the Royal Navy dominant in two World Wars. One of the mysteries of military history is why so few can name senior naval officers, who made significant contributions to the war effort, but know the names of land forces commanders who often made rather less effective contributions. – Most Highly Recommended
The first look at all of the innovations in AAA makes a great read. The use of AAA goes back to 1870 with the first purpose designed cannon but the revolution came in the Cold War years. – Very Highly Recommended