{"title":"Illustrated by Stephen Walsh","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781472850454","title":"The Red Army 1922–41","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis study explores the organization, history and uniforms of the Soviet Red Army during the 20 years between its victory in the Civil War and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The two decades following the Bolshevik victory over the 'Whites' in the Russian Civil War saw widespread and fundamental developments for the Red Army. Nevertheless, these still left it largely unready to face Germany’s Operation \u003ci\u003eBarbarossa\u003c\/i\u003e in June 1941, having been reduced in size and planning for modernization.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Despite Stalin's murderous purges of the officer class in the 1930s, the Red Army was victorious in clashes against Imperial Japan in 1938–39 and fighting for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War (1936–39). Yet, shortly after taking over half of Poland in 1939, Stalin's 'Winter War' against Finland demonstrated serious inadequacies in the Red Army's readiness for modern warfare. This would be shockingly confirmed in the first days of Operation \u003ci\u003eBarbarossa\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUsing rare photos and detailed colour artwork, this study explores the interwar history of the Red Army, describing its campaigns, organization and uniforms, and focusing on the 20 years between its victory in the Civil War and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56301025755509,"sku":"9781472850454","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472850454_279fa92c-1c2f-41c8-8b30-912498706953.jpg?v=1786020935"},{"product_id":"9781472845573","title":"Armies of the Iran–Iraq War 1980–88","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDriven by the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the insecurities it provoked in Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi dictatorship, the Iran–Iraq War would become the largest conventional conflict of the period.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCuriously little-known considering its scale and longevity, the struggle between Iran and Iraq was primarily fought along the 1,458km border in a series of battles which, despite both sides being armed with modern small arms, armour and aircraft, often degenerated into attritional struggles reminiscent of World War I. Such a comparison was underlined by frequent periods of deadlock, the extensive use of trenches by both sides, and the deployment of chemical weapons by Iraq. Fully illustrated with specially commissioned artwork, this study investigates the organization, appearance and equipment of the ground forces of both sides in the Iran–Iraq War, including Iraq’s Republican Guards and Iran’s Pasdaran or Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The war resulted in stalemate with some half a million dead and at least as many wounded.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe financial costs incurred in waging such a long and debilitating war were one of the spurs that led Saddam Hussein to invade Kuwait barely two years later, setting in motion one of the defining currents of recent Middle-Eastern history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56301122617717,"sku":"9781472845573","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472845573_c98e443d-14c7-4058-834d-8c8d4ba42121.jpg?v=1786020835"},{"product_id":"9781472846921","title":"US Navy Special Warfare Units in Korea and Vietnam","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDuring the Korean War and the Vietnam War, US Navy Special Warfare units played a variety of vital combat roles amid two of the deadliest conflicts of the Cold War.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn Korea, underwater demolition teams (UDTs) surveyed beaches for amphibious operations, cleared sea mines from harbors, conducted seaborne raids against inshore targets, and served as scouts for the infiltration of Korean guerrillas and British Royal Marine Commando raids along the North Korean coast. In South Vietnam, UDTs surveyed beaches and demolished Viet Cong bunkers, supply caches, and river obstacles in the Mekong Delta. The SEALs (Sea Air Land teams) deployed entire platoons into the Mekong Delta and the Rung Sat Special Zone to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Viet Cong that included ambushes, reconnaissance, and capturing leaders and supply caches. In addition, the SEALs also played important roles in the Phoenix Program and in rescuing prisoners of war.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFully illustrated throughout, this study explores how the US Navy’s specially trained naval commandos accomplished their missions in Korea and Vietnam.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56301126648181,"sku":"9781472846921","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472846921_9134b047-cae5-44b9-ba14-bac8d520d192.jpg?v=1786020864"},{"product_id":"9781782007821","title":"The Spanish Civil War 1936–39 (1)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Spanish Civil War, 1936–39, was the curtain-raiser to World War II, and the major international event of the 1930s.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was the first great clash of 20th-century ideologies, between the rebel Nationalist army led by General Franco (right-wing, and aided by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy), and the Republican army of the government (left-wing, and aided by the Communist Soviet Union and many volunteers from liberal democracies). Three years of widespread campaigns involved the most modern weapons available. The war was fought ruthlessly by both sides, and when the Nationalists secured victory they installed a dictatorship that lasted until November 1975 – the last such regime in Western Europe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeaturing specially commissioned full-color artwork, this first part of a two-part study depicts the fighting men of the Nationalist forces that strove to take control of Spain alongside their German and Italian allies.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56304172138869,"sku":"9781782007821","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781782007821_7ed4d129-e534-4e6c-b103-beb643940dfe.jpg?v=1786026309"},{"product_id":"9781472826282","title":"Latin American Wars 1900–1941","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the Mexican Revolution to the Zarumilla War, in the first 40 years of the 20th century the nations of Central and South America were frequently disturbed by border clashes, civil wars and revolution.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMany of these conflicts became known as 'Banana Wars'. Some involved only lightly armed guerrillas, but others saw armies operating artillery and armoured vehicles, supported by aircraft and river navies. The conflicts in Honduras and Nicaragua saw the intervention of US Marines, and later wars involved armour and aircraft from the militaries of Europe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUsing detailed colour plates and a wealth of contemporary photographs, this book shows the uniforms, equipment and strategies of the armies involved in these conflicts little known in the West. Covering wars crossing the length and breadth of the continent, this is the fascinating account of the wars that helped shape modern Latin America.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312438948213,"sku":"9781472826282","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472826282_1a74fef9-fc06-4ff5-8009-a02bb8726af8.jpg?v=1786020563"},{"product_id":"armies-of-the-greek-turkish-war-1919-22","title":"Armies of the Greek-Turkish War 1919–22","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA comprehensive guide to the armies that fought a devastating and decisive conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean between the two World Wars of the 20th century.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the initial Greek invasion, designed to \"liberate\" the 100,000 ethnic Greeks that lived in Western Turkey and had done for centuries, to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's incredibly efficient formation of a national government and a regular army, this was a war that shaped the geopolitical landscape of the Mediterranean to this day. It gave birth to the modern Turkish state, displacing millions and creating bitter memories of atrocities committed by both sides.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAugmented with very rare photographs and beautiful illustrations, this ground-breaking title explores the history, organization, and appearance of the armies, both guerrilla and conventional, that fought in this bloody war.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57484282429813,"sku":"9781472806840","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472806840.jpg?v=1786266337"},{"product_id":"armies-of-the-balkan-wars-1912-13","title":"Armies of the Balkan Wars 1912–13","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn 1912, the Balkan states formed an alliance in an effort to break free from the crumbling Ottoman Empire.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eForming an army of some 645,000 troops from Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, they took on a force of 400,000 Turkish soldiers. Both sides were equipped with the latest weapons technology.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book looks at the diverse and sometimes colourful uniforms worn by both sides, paying special attention to insignia, weapons and equipment. It also gives an overview of the campaigns that became a 'priming pan' of World War I.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57490342084981,"sku":"9781849084185","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781849084185.jpg?v=1786442231"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/illustrator-stephen-walsh.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}