Find out about the fantastic range of hardbacks we're publishing in our Generals list between January and June next year.

 

The Man Who Stopped the Sultan: Gabriele Tadino and the Defence of Europe  

Edoardo Albert 

15/01/2026 

An extraordinary account of how one man defied the most powerful rulers of his age and in doing so helped change the course of European history. 
 
Throughout the 16th century, wars raged across Europe as kings and republics jostled for wealth and power. Yet one man exceeded all others: Suleiman the Magnificent. As ruler of the Ottoman Empire, he governed 25 million people from Constantinople, his realm stretching from Persia to the Atlantic Ocean. With the princes of Christendom opposing each other, Suleiman set his sights on Europe. First to face his wrath are the Knights Hospitaller, the last order of Crusading knights, on their fortress island of Rhodes. But in their hour of need, one man comes to their aid. Gabriele Tadino, an Italian military engineer and master of the new arts of war, defies the orders of his masters and sails to Rhodes to lead the defence against Suleiman. 
 
This is a fascinating history of crusading knights and gunpowder, of spies and tunnels, and of a crossroads in history when the medieval age gave way to the Renaissance. Delving deep into Italian source material, Edoardo Albert weaves together the story of an ordinary man alive in an extraordinary time and performing extraordinary feats of military genius. Through the lens of his life we discover how military tactics and fortifications rapidly changed thanks to the discovery of gunpowder, and how Europe, divided by power-hungry rulers and religion, almost fell to one of the greatest rulers the world has ever seen, but was prevented by a humble engineer. 

 

American MiG Pilot: Inside America’s Top Secret MiG Squadron  

Rob “Z-Man” Zettel, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.) 

12/02/2026 

Get inside the head of one of America's most experienced MiG pilots as he tells the thrilling tale of the top-secret US operation that wouldn't feel out of place in 'Top Gun'. 
 
 After finding themselves outflown over Vietnam, the American military launched top-secret Operation Constant Peg, using illicitly obtained Russian Fighters pitted against star US fighter pilots in simulated combat exercises. With controls labelled in Russian and the only spare parts being the ones they could salvage, the pilots who climbed into the MiGs – the Red Eagles – accepted all of the risks associated with operating these aircraft. 
 
This book describes what it was like to be there day in and day out at one of the most access-restricted airfields in the entire USAF, flying MiGs alongside some of the very best fighter pilots hand-picked from the ranks of the USAF, US Navy and US Marine Corps. Rob “Z-Man” Zettel tells the Red Eagles story for the first time through the experiences of a pilot who flew these aircraft to their maximum performance in simulated combat engagements, often several times a day, against frontline fighter pilots of the three US sister services. 
 
Vivid accounts of training engagements put the reader right in the cockpit, while historical photographs help paint the picture of an operation that took the US Air Force from its disappointing performance in the Vietnam War to unprecedented success in Operation Desert Storm. 

 

Secret Warriors: British Submarines in the Cold War  

Paul Brown 

12/02/2026 

A highly illustrated history of the Cold War operations of the submarines of the Royal Navy from 1948 to 1990. 
 
The Cold War was a period of intense activity for submarines of the Royal Navy, with many hair-raising incidents involving Soviet vessels. They were engaged in frequent hazardous surveillance patrols investigating Soviet submarines and surface warships and their operational tactics, and trailing Soviet strategic submarines (SSBNs), as well as conducting British deterrent SSBN patrols and protecting those patrols using attack submarines (SSNs). There were also dangerous patrols which trialled submarine operation under the Arctic ice-cap. In addition to these activities there were operations in other conflicts and war theatres including the Falklands War, the Suez campaign, the Northern Ireland Troubles, and the Indonesian confrontation. 
 
Naval history expert Dr Paul Brown presents the full history of this pivotal era in a fully illustrated volume, containing stunning black-and-white and colour images, technical drawings and maps. He has interviewed Cold War-era submarine commanders and engineers, submitted Freedom of Information requests, and trawled the National Archives, the archives of the Royal Navy Submarine Museum and Imperial War Museums, as well as been though personal accounts of the senior officers and many secondary sources, to bring to light new information that is published here for the first time. 

 

Bloody Skies: Fifteenth Fighter Command Against all Odds  

Thomas McKelvey Cleaver 

12/02/2026 

This book details the operations of the USAAF’s overlooked Fifteenth Fighter Command that protected the bombers during the campaign against the Romanian oil fields in World War II. 
 
Formed in the fall of 1943, the Fifteenth Air Force was popularly known as the “The Forgotten Fifteenth,” as its achievements were overshadowed by more glamorous exploits of the Eighth Air Force in the air war over Germany. Nevertheless, the Fifteenth’s contribution to Allied victory was crucial, and a vital part of that was the role played by the escorting fighter groups from the Fifteenth Fighter Command who protected the B-17s and B-24s from the Luftwaffe in the skies over Romania. 
 
In this new history of the campaign, renowned aviation historian Tom Cleaver tells the story of the Fifteenth’s air war through first-person accounts of the fighter pilots of the Fifteenth Fighter Command, including such famous units as the Red Tails – the Tuskegee Airmen – the 82nd Fighter Group and the 325th’s “Checkertail Clan,” and with his ability to place wartime events in their greater context. 

 

T-72 Main Battle Tank  

James Kinnear and Stephen L. Sewell 

12/03/2026 

A highly illustrated study of the T-72 main battle tank and variants, detailing its history from the Cold War Soviet Army though to the current War in Ukraine. 
 
The T-72 is one of the most recognisable tanks in the world. Produced in large quantities, it has seen service in numerous Middle Eastern and African conflicts, as well as the War in Yugoslavia and the current conflict in Ukraine. In this new study, respected Russian armour experts James Kinnear and Stephen “Cookie” Sewell tell the full story behind this iconic tank using extensive primary source material from Russian archives, much of which is appearing in English for the first time. 
 
The T-72 was originally developed in the late 1960s as a cheaper alternative to the recently introduced T-64 Main Battle Tank and entered service with the Soviet Army in 1974, becoming the most common tank used by the Warsaw Pact from the 1970s until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, with over 22,000 built for both domestic use and export. 
 
This new study contains over 300 photos detailing the history of the vehicle, as well as tables and data covering the weapons and systems used. It also covers related vehicles and systems such as artillery systems, engineer vehicles, bridge launchers, and recovery vehicles, as well as the unique heavy infantry support vehicles. 
 

Flakpanzer  

Thomas Anderson 

12/03/2026 

Based on first-hand accounts, original documentation and unpublished images, this is a highly illustrated history of the Flakpanzer in World War II. 
 
As the war progressed, Allied and Soviet forces began to deploy ground-attack aircraft armed with cannons, bombs or rockets to halt German armoured columns. Consequently, field commanders began to demand for their units to be issued with effective armoured anti-aircraft weapons. 
Renowned armour expert Thomas Anderson explains how the weapons were first mounted on light trucks and then, more effectively, on the chassis of light, medium or heavy half-tracks before orders were issued for a dedicated armoured Flakpanzer – the 2cm Flakpanzer 38(t) based on the chassis of a Czech-built PzKpfw 38(t). The effectiveness of this type saw the development of four further vehicles on the PzKpfw IV chassis: FlakPz IV Wirbelwind (whirlwind), 3.7cm FlaK 43 L/50 Ostwind (east wind): 3.7cm FlaK 43 L/60 Möbelwagen (furniture van) and the 2cm Vierlingsflak 38 L/55. The final stages of the war also German field engineers mounting Flak weapons on all types of heavy truck or half-track chassis available. 
 
This new study draws on after-action reports, original wartime documents and rare and previously unseen photographs in this comprehensive and fully illustrated study of the German development of Flakpanzers throughout World War II. 

 

Soviet Artillery Tractors of World War II  

James Kinnear 

09/04/2026 

Packed with rare and unpublished photographs, this is a new history of the Red Army’s tracked artillery tractors that were pivotal to its success in World War II. 
 
The development of artillery tractors in the 1930s was integral to the industrial development of the Soviet Union. The tracked tractor plants at Chelyabinsk, Kharkov and Stalingrad were built specifically to industrialize the Soviet Union as well as to mechanize the Red Army, particularly the artillery. 
 
This new study by Russian armour expert James Kinnear tells the story of these artillery tractors. How they suffered horrendous losses in the opening months of the war but continued to be built and their numbers were bolstered by Lend-Lease tractors, primarily of American origin. At the end of the war, the same slow-moving and cumbersome artillery tractors that had served with the Red Army in the dark days of 1941 towed their heavy artillery pieces at a steady pace all the way to the streets of Berlin. 
 
There has been a resurgence of interest in recent years in these military workhorses and wrecks have been exhumed and restored, while Soviet factory and operational records have also become available. This new research is used here for the first time in English, alongside unpublished images, to tell the remarkable story of the artillery tractors that delivered Red Army artillery into combat throughout World War II. 

 

Overshadowed: US Marines in World War II: Europe, the Caribbean, and South America 

Isaac Lamberth 

09/04/2026 

This visual history sheds light on forgotten parts of World War II history through the lens of the US Marine Corps, serving everywhere outside of the Pacific. 
 
When we think of US Marine involvement in World War II, we invariably think of the Pacific – and while a majority of the Corps did serve in there, the Marines actually served in all theaters of the war. Marines fought Axis forces in Operation Torch in North Africa, landed on D-Day, parachuted behind enemy lines in France, made commando raids in Italy, attacked German submarines in the Caribbean and continued to guard the East Coast of the United States. 
 
Compiled from years of research from the National Archives, databases, and private collections, this new book offers a visual history of the Marine Corps and sheds light onto the overlooked aspects of its service in World War II. Marine Corps veteran Isaac Lamberth uses firsthand archival material, period images, and newspaper articles to chart the Corps' contribution to every theater of the war. Through their own words, Marines showcase how they worked, lived, trained, and fought in Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and the Atlantic. 
 
Then, as now, Marines fought in every clime and place. 

 

Berlin: Endgame 1945 

Prit Buttar 

07/05/2026 

Written by one of the world's leading experts on the Eastern Front, this captivating history explores the final battle for Berlin and the heart of Germany. 
 
This sweeping saga takes us from the banks of the River Oder as the Red Army begins it relentless drive towards the still beating heart of the Third Reich: Berlin. Only the Seelow Heights stood between the Soviet forces and the capital. Over the course of three days in May 1945 almost one million Soviet troops would attack these final entrenched positions. Once these defences were breached it was guaranteed that a bitter street-by-street battle would take place in the city itself between a vengeful Red Army and desperate, fanatical Nazis until final capitulation. Using vivid first-hand accounts, Prit Buttar reveals the brutal combat that defined the final death throes of the Third Reich. 
 
Not only was the outcome of the war at stake. As the Red Army rolled into Berlin this was already a foregone conclusion even if it would take its toll in blood. Already battle lines for the forthcoming Cold War were being drawn. Stalin, fearful that the Western Powers would not honour their agreements, was determined to have boots on the ground to ensure his control of what would become the Soviet occupation zone. 
 
Berlin: Endgame 1945 is the brilliant account of the ferocious climax to World War II and a chilling prologue to the Cold War. 

 

Warship 2026 

Editor: John Jordan 

07/05/2026 

The 2026 edition of Warship, the celebrated annual publication featuring original research on the history, development, and service of the world's warships. 
 
For nearly 50 years, Warship has been providing scholars and enthusiasts with new information on the history of the world's combat ships. Featuring a broad range of articles from a select panel of distinguished international contributors, Warship combines original research, new book reviews, warship notes, an image gallery, and much more, maintaining the impressive standards of scholarship and research with which the annual has become synonymous. Detailed and accurate information is the hallmark of all the articles, which are fully supported by plans, data tables, and photographs, many previously unpublished. 
 
This year's annual includes feature articles on the French 450-tonne destroyers of the early 20th century, the Soviet Novik-class destroyers, and the Italian carrier Falco/Sparviero; a chronological account and assessment of Royal Navy carrier battle damage during World War II; a comparison of the US, British and Canadian escort naval construction programmes in the summer of 1942; and the next part of Warship's ground-breaking coverage of early German destroyers. 

 

Moonlight Crusaders: Special Duties Pilots over Occupied Europe 

Paul Smiddy 

07/05/2026 

This engrossing history explores the creation, development and actions of the Special Duties squadrons, which carried spies, political figures and documents in and out of Occupied Europe. 

In 1940, Winston Churchill famously set in motion the Special Operations Executive. However, the creation of secret agent networks required a clandestine transport infrastructure to support nascent resistance movements in Occupied Europe. With only the moon to guide their way, the daring pilots of 161 Squadron constantly faced danger: their locations could be discovered, German night-fighters and flak had to be contended with and, of course, they dealt with the worst of European weather. Despite these extra risks, these Special Duties pilots were remarkably successful.  

Full of first-hand accounts and expert research, this book dives into the history of the men who flew these dangerous missions and the main aircraft they used – unarmed Lysanders. Author Paul Smiddy, an RAF-trained pilot, explores the origins of the Lysander, the dangers it posed to its pilots and how operational techniques were developed. Facing political interference and limited resources from the RAF, these brave and under-recognised pilots provided a critical role in the war – bringing back agents with important information to help Britain and the Allies defeat the Germans. 

 

Hammer of the Gods: King Olaf's Viking Conquest  

Don Hollway 

07/05/2026 

Weaving together Norse sagas and Anglo-Saxon chronicles to vividly depict the violence and spectacle of the Viking age, Don Hollway brings the legendary Olaf Tryggvasson to life. 
 
Hammer of the Gods tells the extraordinary saga of Olaf Tryggvason – warlord, wanderer, king, and crusader – whose life rivals the most legendary figures of Viking lore. Born in exile and hunted from birth, Olaf survived slavery, betrayal, and shipwreck to become a fearsome warrior across the Viking world from the icy fjords of Norway to the courts of Kyiv, the slave markets of the Baltics, and the battlefields of England and Ireland. His rise would shake the foundations of Norse society, forge new kingdoms, and ignite a holy war against the old gods themselves. 
 
In an age of axe and flame, when the Viking world stood at the crossroads of pagan traditions and the spread of Christianity, Olaf emerged as the fiercest adherent to the new faith – a sword in one hand and a cross in the other. Drawing on a vast array of early medieval sources from Icelandic sagas and skaldic verse to Byzantine and Anglo-Saxon chronicles, Don Hollway brings the world of Olay Tryggvason vividly to life cutting through the legend to reveal the man behind the myth. 
 
For readers of Bernard Cornwell and lovers of Viking history, Hammer of the Gods is the epic history of a great Norse king whose story shaped the fate of a civilization. 

 

Generalship on the Eastern Front, 1941–45: A Study in Command  

Robert Forczyk 

04/06/2026 

A new study of command on the Eastern Front in World War II. 
 
The War on the Eastern Front from 1941 to 1945 was the largest sustained air-ground conflict in military history. It lasted a total of 46½ months, involved over 10 million combatants at its peak and resulted in roughly 15 million military deaths, as well as about 20 million civilians. The Eastern Front also played the decisive role in the defeat of the Third Reich. More than 50 percent of all German military fatalities in 1941–45 occurred there, and by the time that the Western Allies invaded France in June 1944, the Wehrmacht was already decimated and lacked the resources to fight a protracted multi-front war. 
 
Who were the generals who led these campaigns on the Eastern Front? The standard historiography of World War II tends to focus on a few prominent leaders while ignoring the mass of commanders and operational-level military staffs who actually fought most of the war. This new study seeks to redress the balance and offer an objective analytic framework for assessing the senior German and Soviet commanders on the Eastern Front through the lens of generalship and battle command. It examines a total of 54 German officers who commanded at the Army Group or Army level on the Eastern Front, as well as 140 Soviet officers who commanded at the Front or Army level, to offer a comprehensive evaluation of generalship on the most important front in World War II. 

 

 
The Lost Ships of Charles II's Navy: Understanding the Seventeenth-Century Warship  

Richard Endsor 

04/06/2026

A comprehensively researched and beautifully illustrated history of the design of the ships of Charles II's Navy, using reconstructed architectural plans based on contemporary records. 
 
The Royal Navy of the late seventeenth century was the greatest enterprise in the country, and in 1677, with Samuel Pepys as Secretary of the Navy, the House of Commons voted to fund the building of 30 new ships, the largest single shipbuilding project up to this point. This new history by award-winning naval historian Richard Endsor describes the history of this great endeavour, and seeks to recreate architectural plans of these ships based on detailed measurements and calculations left behind by Edmund Dummer, an assistant to master shipwright Sir Anthony Deane and later Surveyor of the Navy from 1692 to 1699. 
 
Using Dummer’s surviving notebook, supported by the official specification dimension list for the ships, large-scale, artistic drawings and several surviving models, The Lost Ships of Charles II's Navy contains dimensioned and accurate architectural plans for several named ships alongside numerous other illustrations, including contemporary Van de Velde drawings of the ships. 

 

Sitting Ducks: The C-47 pilots and aircrew of World War II  

Scott McGaugh 

04/06/2026 

From the hellish skies over Europe to the unforgiving terrain of the Himalayas and Sahara, this is the deeply human account of the C-47 aircrew who helped turn the tide of war. 
 
One of the most perilous combat roles of World War II was that of the Allied aircrews who flew unarmed transport planes into enemy territory, often just hundreds of feet above the battlefield. Tasked with delivering paratroopers and towing combat gliders packed with troops and equipment, the crews braved anti-aircraft fire and enemy fighters without the means to shoot back. 
 
Drawing on after-action reports, letters, and personal diaries, Sitting Ducks brings readers into the cockpit of the C-47, revealing the extraordinary courage of these crews who flew into the flak-filled skies. Aircrews of the C-47 were ordered to fly straight, low, take no evasive action, and arrive “on time and on target.” On every mission they were sitting ducks. Among them were college students, farmhands, and store clerks many of whom would never return yet their contribution to the war effort was vital. Without crucial resupplies from C-47 crews, Patton would have lost the Battle of the Bulge and arguably the war. Without the willingness of C-47 aircrews to fly directly over the Himalayas, Japan’s war in the east may well have prevailed.  

Award-winning author Scott McGaugh restores these unsung heroes to their rightful place in the legacy of the Greatest Generation. 

 

Lords of the Salt Road: The Norse Earls of Orkney and the Viking World 

Angus Konstam 

04/06/2025 

The story of the Norse Earls of Orkney, whose lands once covered much of Scotland, and whose reach extended as far as Scandinavia, continental Europe and even the Mediterranean. 
 
Lords of the Salt Road reveals the dramatic history of the Norse earls of Orkney, who owed their allegiance to the Kings of Norway and ruled their own semi-autonomous empire with lands in mainland Scotland and the Western Isles. At their military height in the 11th century, they held a 400-mile swathe of territory, stretching from Shetland down to the Clyde Estuary. 
 
??Drawing on contemporary sagas as historical sources, and capturing some of their spellbinding narrative drive, renowned historian and Orkney native Angus Konstam describes how these Norse earls and their followers led Viking raids around the British Isles and even further afield. For over four centuries their warriors and longships battled alongside Scandinavian kings and Norse rebels, and as Norse kingmakers these warlike earls sometimes paid the ultimate price for dabbling in international affairs. They were the key players in Viking Britain.? 
 
Using a wide range of historical sources such as Celtic-Scottish, Irish, Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon chronicles, this is a spellbinding tale of love, war, triumph, tragedy, treachery, murder, rebellion and greed.