Pen Sword Military imprint: 1157 books

Continuing his exploration of the pathways of British history, Timothy Venning examines the turning points of the Tudor period, though he also strays over into the early Stuart period. As always, he discusses the crucial junctions at which History could easily have taken a different turn and analyses...

With hindsight, the victory of Parliamentarian forces over the Royalists in the English Civil War may seem inevitable but this outcome was not a foregone conclusion. Timothy Venning explores many of the turning points and discusses how they might so easily have played out differently. 
What if,...

The story of the inventors, engineers, soldiers, and politicians behind the emergence of the armored fighting vehicle.   The birth and infancy of the tank had an enormous number of technical problems to be solved—but the issues with its construction paled in comparison to the endless squabbles...

The battles and sieges of the Classical world have been a rich source of inspiration to film makers since the beginning of cinema and the 60s and 70s saw the golden age of the 'swords and sandals' epic, with films such as Spartacus. Ridley Scott's Gladiator led a modern revival that has continued...

Heroes to some, traitors to others, spies and intelligence officers continue to fascinate and enthrall us with their abilities to operate secretly in the shadows. With these mini-biographies of twenty agents of various nationalities (including members of the DGSE, KGB, CIA, MI6 and Mossad), Patrick...

Written by the leading Danish authority on the period, this splendid work brings to life Nelson's historic victory immortalised by his so famously turning a blind eye to his superior's order to halt operations. As well as describing the brilliance of the British tactics, the work fascinatingly reveals...

The causes of the three ‘English’ Civil Wars (1642 to 1645, 1648, and 1651) are complex and controversial – clashes of conviction, belief, and personality, and a struggle between opposing social groups and economic interests. But, whatever the focus of scholarship, many answers can be sought...

Linking with a six part television programme (to be shown on ITV in November) covering the history of Gallipoli, The Somme and Ypres this book combines contemporary imagery with atmospheric photographs, revealing the very essence of these places. Quality photography is matched by powerful commentary encompassing the grand sweep of the Great War sustained by an intimate local knowledge.

The letters home to his family by Gerald Goodlake, a young officer in the Coldstream Guards, make remarkable reading. They vividly describe the ill-preparedness of the British Army and the dire conditions experienced by all ranks in the Crimea. Goodlake's views on senior officers were frank to say...

Henry Tyndall was a typical product of the Victorian age - an intensely patriotic army officer who served in India, on the North-West Frontier, on the Western Front and in East Africa at the height of the British empire. For 20 years, from 1895 to 1915, he kept a detailed diary that gives a vivid...

This is the first comprehensive guide to the 57 nations that have submarines as part of their fighting force.

When the First World War froze into a static line of trenches stretching from the North Sea to the Swiss border, the most obvious means of protection against the murderous machine-gun fire which both sides inflicted upon each other was some form of shell-proof shelter which from which fire could be...

When Monty was given Allied command of the D Day landings he wasted no time gathering around him individuals and formations he could trust. Foremost among the latter were two armoured brigades: 4th (Black Desert Rats) and 8th (Red Fox's Mask). Both these brigades had unrivalled fighting records whether...

The British Army Pocket Guide 2008-2009 is a comprehensive guide to the organization, equipment and tactics of today's British Army. This latest edition incorporates details of all army reorganization and regimental amalgamations plus details of major systems and equipment introduced.