Martin Windrow Livres

Men of action and elite soldiers with a young and dynamic spirit, the French Foreign Legion are capable of doing their duty anywhere anytime. Martin Windrow's superb text examines the history of this famous force from the end of the Second World War onward. This first class addition to the Men-at-Arms series not only contains the usual wealth of accompanying photographs and illustrations, including eight full page colour plates by Mike Chappell, but is extended by a further 16 pages, allowing the author to display the full range of his expert knowledge, including 11 pages devoted to uniforms.

From ancient times to the present day, this book features a collection of artwork and commentaries illustrates famous combatants from all the ages of military history, bringing them to life in incredible colour and detail. It is a tour of history's most impressive fighting men.

A concise dictionary of the most important military leaders in history, featuring detailed capsule biographies of 200 individuals from antiquity to the modern age. Included are military leaders known for their sheer genius (Genghis Khan, Frederick the Great, Napoleon); strategic ability (Wellington, Lee, Rommel, Eisenhower); incompetence or villainy (Custer, Budenny, Benedict Arnold); and administrative or theoretical mastery (Clausewitz, Liddel-Hart). Still others are included for their innovativeness (T. E. Lawrence), notoriety (Jeanne d'Arc, El Cid) or because, as with certain medieval figures, their careers are a particularly apt reflection of their times. Written by two respected authorities in the field, it is both an ideal reference for military historians and a uniquely entertaining and browsable text for general readers.

A moving and informative memoir of life with a lovable tawny owl. When author Martin Windrow met the tawny owlet that he christened Mumble, it was love at first sight. Raising her from a fledgling, through adolescence and into her prime years, Windrow recorded every detail of their time living together (secretly) in a south London tower block, and later in a Sussex village. This is the touching, intriguing and eccentric story of their 15-year relationship, complete with photographs and illustrations of the beautiful Mumble. Along the way, we are given fascinating insight into the ornithology of owls -- from their evolution and biology to their breeding habits and hunting tactics. The Owl Who Liked Sitting on Caesar is a witty, quirky and utterly charming account of the companionship between one man and his owl.

The French Indochina War (1946-54) was the largest of the first generation of post-World War II wars of decolonization as Vietminh insurgents sought to topple their French colonial masters. It was also unique in that the insurgency evolved from low-level guerrilla activity to mobile operations by a large conventional army which finally defeated a large European-led expeditionary force, supported by artillery, armour and airpower. The war's progress was almost entirely dictated by the extreme terrain, and by the Chinese support enjoyed by the Vietnamese insurgents. The actions explored in this study cover three contrasting phases of the war in Tonkin during 1948-52, setting both sides on the path that would lead to the conflict's climactic encounter at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.--PUBLISHER

Stalingrad in the jungle: the battle that doomed the French Empire and led America into Vietnam In winter 1953-54 the French army in Vietnam challenged its elusive enemy, General Giap's Viet Minh, to pitched battle. Ten thousand French paras and légionnaires, with artillery and tanks, were flown to the remote valley of Dien Bien Phu to build a fortress upon which Giap could smash his inexperienced regiments. The siege which followed became a Stalingrad in the jungle, and its outcome shocked the world.

It is arguable that no group of fighting men in the history of European arms has been so misrepresented by ill-informed publicity as the French Foreign Legion. Though initially conceived in 1831 as a means of drafting recently discharged foreign soldiers to Algeria, the Legion has developed into a sophisticated force of motorized infantry, airborne troops and light armor. In this book, acclaimed French Army expert Martin Windrow examines the history and uniforms of the French Foreign Legion, from its service in the Carlist War of 1835-36 to World War II and beyond, debunking many of the prevalent myths surrounding this formidable force.

The gripping true story of the French Foreign Legion in the Sahara.

It is hard to convey the public impact of France's war to maintain her colonial grip on Algeria; yet in the late 1950s this ugly conflict dominated Europe's media to almost the same extent as would Vietnam ten years later. It brought France to the very verge of military coup d'etat; it destroyed thousands of careers; bitterly divided the French military and political classes for a generation; and sent hundreds of thousands of European settler families into often ruinous exile. This title details the history, organisation, equipment and uniforms of the forces involved in the Algerian War (1954-1962).

Details the French attempts to regain control of Indochina, following Japan's defeat in World War II. From the disatrous Battle of RC.4 to the final French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, this book includes a variety of French troops, their uniforms and equipment.