{"title":"Books by Patrick Bishop","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780241991541","title":"Paris '44","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e** THE INSTANT \u003ci\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER **\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Extraordinary' DOMINIC SANDBROOK, \u003ci\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘An epic thriller . . . droll, moving, with a cinematic eye and not a boring line in it' \u003ci\u003eOBSERVER \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Fascinating . . . gripping' \u003ci\u003eSUNDAY TELEGRAPH \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Excellent . . . a fresh, unexpected take on the liberation of Paris' JULIAN JACKSON, author of \u003ci\u003eFrance on Trial\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e-bestselling Patrick Bishop comes a heart-stopping countdown narrative recreating the liberation of Paris in 1944, one of the great and most dramatic hinge moments of WW2.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen the Germans marched in and the lamps went out in the City of Light the millions who loved Paris mourned. Liberation, four years later, triggered an explosion of joy and relief. It was the party of the century and everybody who was anybody was there. General Charles de Gaulle seized the moment to create an instant legend that would take its place alongside the great moments in French history. After years of oppression and humiliation Parisians had risen to reclaim their city and drive out the forces of darkness – or so the story went.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis fresh new account of the liberation, packed with revelation, tells the story of those heady days of suspense, danger, exhilaration – and vengeance – through the eyes of a range of participants, reflecting all sides of the conflict: Americans, French and Germans; resisters and collaborators. Among them are famous names like Ernest Hemingway, J.D. Salinger and Pablo Picasso, but also some fascinating unknowns including a medic turned Resistance gunwoman, an androgynous Hungarian sculptor and a French bluestocking who quietly set about saving the nation’s art treasures from the Nazi looters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eParis ’44\u003c\/i\u003e looks behind the mythology to tell the real story of the liberation and expose the conflicts and contradictions of France under the occupation – the shame as well as the glory. This gripping war-time narrative will enthral anyone who has a place for Paris in their hearts.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55897274351989,"sku":"9780241991541","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241991541_22d6e5df-4d8b-4419-b9ac-75c20df2122c.jpg?v=1786012264"},{"product_id":"9780007257805","title":"3 Para","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfghanistan in the summer of 2006. In blazing heat in remote outposts the 3 Para battlegroup is pitted against a stubborn enemy who keep on coming. Until now, the full story of what happened there has not been told. This is it.\u003c\/p\u003e          \u003cp\u003eIn April 2006, the elite 3 Para battlegroup was despatched to Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. They were tasked with providing security to reconstruction efforts, a deployment it was hoped would pass off without a shot being fired. In fact, over the six months they were there, the 3 Para battle group saw near continuous combat – one gruelling battle after another – in what would become one of the most extraordinary campaigns ever fought by British troops.\u003c\/p\u003e          \u003cp\u003eAround parched, dusty outposts reliant on a limited number of helicopters for food and ammunition resupply, troops were subjected to relentless Taliban attacks, as well as energy-sapping 50 degree heat and spartan conditions. At the end of the tour, the Taliban offensive aimed at driving the British and Afghan Government troops out of Helmand had been tactically defeated. But 3 Para paid a high price: fourteen soldiers and one interpreter were killed, and 46 wounded.\u003c\/p\u003e          \u003cp\u003e‘3 Para’ will tell the stories of the men and women who took part in this extraordinary and largely unreported saga. Best-selling author Patrick Bishop has been given exclusive access to the soldiers whose tales of courage and endurance provide an unforgettable portrait of one of the world's finest and most fascinating fighting regiments, and a remarkable band of warriors. Their bravery was reflected in the array of gallantry medals that were bestowed on their return, including the Victoria Cross awarded to Corporal Bryan Budd and the George Cross won by Corporal Mark Wright, both of whom were killed winning their awards.\u003c\/p\u003e          \u003cp\u003e3 Para’s saga of comradeship, courage and fortitude is set to become a classic.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56219982954869,"sku":"9780007257805","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780007257805_0f526eb3-fbeb-4bf9-ad33-8dde179d65c2.jpg?v=1785658603"},{"product_id":"9780007192151","title":"Bomber Boys","description":"Patrick Bishop looks at the lives and the extraordinary risks that the painfully young pilots of Bomber Command took during the air-offensive against Germany from 1940-1945. As featured on the BBC 1 documentary BOMBER BOYS, presented by Ewan McGregor.They came from every corner of Britain and its Empire. They were the best of their generation…heading for one of the worst tasks of WWII.Like RAF pilots, the thousands of brave young men who joined Bomber Command took to the air to help Britain triumph in World War Two. But in the glow of victory, the fighter pilots were lauded for their efforts while the Bomber Boys faded in national memory. Crucial in the heat of combat, they were politically awkward afterwards.Yet with an average life expectancy shorter than that of soldiers on the Western front in WWI, these men faced death, injury and capture time and again to send bombs through the shrieking flak onto enemy territory. ‘Bomber Boys’ is a tribute to their strength, courage and heroism – filling in the historical blanks and immortalising their memory.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56220151284085,"sku":"9780007192151","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780007192151_7dc579f4-1a9a-43e2-ac11-144be4c6e1df.jpg?v=1785658684"},{"product_id":"9780007319244","title":"Target Tirpitz","description":"\u003cp\u003eA gripping account of the epic hunt for Hitler’s most terrifying battleship – the legendary Tirpitz – and the brave men who risked their lives to attack and destroy this most potent symbol of the Nazi’s fearsome war machine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTirpitz was the pride of Hitler’s navy. To Churchill, she was ‘the Beast’, a menace to Britain’s supply lines and a threat to the convoys sustaining Stalin’s armies. Tirpitz was said to be unsinkable, impregnable –no other target attracted so much attention. In total 36 major Allied operations were launched against her, including desperately risky missions by human torpedoes and midget submarines and near-suicidal bombing raids. Yet Tirpitz stayed afloat. It was not until November 1944 that she was finally destroyed by RAF Lancaster Bombers flown by 617 Squadron – the Dambusters – in a gruelling mission that tested the very limits of human endurance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe man who led the raid – Willie Tait – was one of the most remarkable figures of the war, flying missions almost continuously right from the start. Until now his deeds have been virtually unknown. With exclusive co-operation from Tait’s family, Patrick Bishop reveals the extraordinary achievement of a man who shunned the spotlight but whose name will be renowned for generations to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book is a magnificent, accessibly written wartime adventure, perfect for fans of Ben Macintyre’s ‘Agent Zigzag’ or ‘Operation Mincemeat’.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56220291596661,"sku":"9780007319244","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780007319244_2b0e5d8a-6712-416c-b052-0a307c53d9a5.jpg?v=1785658843"},{"product_id":"9780007433155","title":"Air Force Blue","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn 2018 the RAF is one hundred years old. In his new book, destined to be a classic, Patrick Bishop examines the high point of its existence – the Second World War, when the Air Force saved the nation from defeat then led the advance to victory.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAir warfare was a terrible novelty of the modern age, requiring a new military outlook. From the beginning, the RAF’s identity set it apart from the traditional services. It was innovative, flexible and comparatively meritocratic, advancing the quasi-revolutionary idea that competence was more important than background. The Air Force went into the war with inadequate machines, training and tactics, and the early phase was littered with setbacks and debacles. Then, in the summer of 1940, in full view of the population, Fighter Command won one of the decisive battles of the struggle. Thereafter the RAF was gilded with an aura of success that never tarnished, going on to make a vital contribution to Allied victory in all theatres.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing from diaries, letters, memoirs, and interviews, Air Force Blue captures the nature of combat in the skies over the corrugated wastes of the Atlantic, the sands of the Western Desert and the jungles of Burma. It also brings to life the intensely lived dramas, romances, friendships and fun that were as important a part of the experience as the fighting.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAir Force Blue portrays the spirit of the RAF – its heart and soul – during its finest hours. It is essential reading for the millions in Britain and the Commonwealth whose loved ones served, and for anyone who wants to understand the Second World War.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56220451045749,"sku":"9780007433155","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780007433155_d066f05a-e729-4f72-8226-9114e2cb8430.jpg?v=1785658858"},{"product_id":"9780241985991","title":"Operation Jubilee","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn the warm night of 18 August 1942, a flotilla pushed out into the flat water of the Channel. They were to seize the German-held port of Dieppe, destroy key installations, seize intelligence material and then sail for home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis was the greatest amphibious operation since Gallipoli, with the biggest accumulation of fighter power ever assembled. But by the morning of the attack, one of its architects already feared that the operation would \"go down as one of the great failures in history\". Its key players claimed it was essential to D-Day, with the media telling listeners that it was a success -- but the tragedy was all too predictable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUsing first-hand testimony from combatants and civilians, and colourful analysis of the roles of Mountbatten and Montgomery, bestselling author Patrick Bishop's gripping account brings Operation Jubilee powerfully and vividly to life, in an epic demonstration of how ambition, folly and courage came together in one of the most tragic episodes of the war.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56230699663733,"sku":"9780241985991","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241985991_33b8394c-fe9b-4d4b-96c1-c9fda2a7f4c3.jpg?v=1786012141"},{"product_id":"9780006532040","title":"Fighter Boys","description":"In the summer of 1940, the future of Britain and the free world depended on the morale and skill of the young men of Fighter Command. This is their story.The Battle of Britain is one of the most crucial battles ever fought, and the victory of Fighter Command over the Luftwaffe has always been celebrated as a classic feat of arms. But, as Patrick Bishop shows in this superb history, it was also a triumph of the spirit in which the attitudes of the pilots themselves played a crucial part. Reaching beyond the myths to convey the fear and exhilaration of life on this most perilous of frontlines, Patrick Bishop offers an intimate and compelling account that is a soaring tribute to the exceptional young men of Fighter Command.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295512408437,"sku":"9780006532040","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780006532040_f787dcf8-cae6-4f2f-9818-14ae74057d7b.jpg?v=1785658670"},{"product_id":"9781529409512","title":"Battle of Britain","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the bestselling author of Fighter Boys and Bomber Boys, this is a magisterial chronicle of a defining episode in British history: the epic struggle of the Royal Air Force with the Luftwaffe. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePatrick Bishop's Battle of Britain is a compelling account of Britain's fight for national survival, from the shock defeat and evacuation from Dunkirk in May\/June 1940 to fighter Command's assertion of superiority over the Luftwaffe in mid-September. Battle of Britain takes the reader through that summer day by day, revealing the ongoing battle's impact on flyers and civilians alike. By enhancing his narrative with eye-witness accounts, diary extracts and pilot profiles, Bishop brings the often horrific reality of air combat vividly to life. In Battle of Britain Patrick Bishop has written the definitive account of one of the pivotal moments in twentieth-century British history, and a nation's 'finest hour'.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56303728001397,"sku":"9781529409512","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781529409512_e0f96b1e-a2c8-4c6e-bba0-b2dd8730f842.jpg?v=1786023321"},{"product_id":"9781800589964","title":"Glow in the Dark Space Activity Book","description":"\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56307223363957,"sku":"9781800589964","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781800589964_74caf4d4-8b3a-40b5-9599-84843b18a04d.jpg?v=1786027338"},{"product_id":"9781803370118","title":"Big Stickers for Little Hands Football","description":"\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56307237650805,"sku":"9781803370118","price":4.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781803370118_5056b9fe-cb8e-41fa-8812-6f820e59c365.jpg?v=1786026865"},{"product_id":"9781803378657","title":"Amazing Planets","description":"\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Hardback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56307237749109,"sku":"9781803378657","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781803378657_4674c6ab-a245-4dd4-82c1-415888923af7.jpg?v=1786026895"},{"product_id":"9781803370705","title":"ANIMAL KINGDOM","description":"\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312959533429,"sku":"9781803370705","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781803370705_3c8e41d9-cf7c-42ca-ae59-b3f55a30c786.jpg?v=1786026867"},{"product_id":"dino-land","title":"Dino Land","description":null,"brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57487968862581,"sku":"9781803373102","price":4.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781803373102.jpg?v=1786355206"},{"product_id":"magical-world","title":"Magical World","description":null,"brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57487969190261,"sku":"9781803373119","price":4.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781803373119.jpg?v=1786355207"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-patrick-bishop.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}