Night Raid

The loss of British bombers over Occupied Europe began to reach alarming levels in 1941. Could it be that the Germans were using a sophisticated form of radar to direct their night fighters and anti-aircraft guns at the British bombers? British aerial reconnaissance discovered what seemed to be a rotating radar tower on a clifftop at Bruneval, near Le Havre. The truth must be revealed. The decision was taken to launch a daring raid on the Bruneval site to try and capture the technology for further examination. The planned airborne assault would be extremely risky. The parachute regiment had only been formed a year before on Churchill's insistence. This night raid would test the men to the extreme limits of their abilities. Night Raid tells the gripping tale of this mission from the planning stages, to the failed rehearsals when the odds seemed stacked against them, to the night of the raid itself, and the scientific secrets that were discovered thanks to the paras' precious cargo - the German radar. Its capture was of immense importance in the next stages of the war and the mission itself marked the birth of the legend of the 'Red Devils'.

Wartime secrets threaten one woman's life in the latest thrilling drama from the author of The Gunner Girl and The English Agent. World-renowned war artist Dame Laura Knight is commissioned to paint propaganda portraits of factory girls and is sent to the ordnance factories in her hometown of Nottingham. At first she relishes the opportunity for a nostalgia trip, but when she starts work on a portrait of two particular women, Violet Smith, and her co-worker Zelah Fitzlord, memories begin to resurface that she has spent half a lifetime trying to forget. Violet is an industrial conscript, and her wages help support a sprawling family back home in Kent. But working in munitions also meant freedom from a small-town mentality, and the disappointment of a first love turned sour. For Zelah, too, working in the gun factory meant escape: her dreams of the future were dashed in the carnage of the Plymouth Blitz, and she found refuge in the numbing repetition of manual work. But, just like war artist Laura, Violet and Zelah have something hidden, mistakes that they have tried to leave behind with their old selves. Will the night shift keep these women’s secrets, or will the past explode into the present and change all of their lives forever? Praise for Clare Harvey's novels: 'Will delight all those who love a good wartime story' DILLY COURT 'An irresistible tale of friendship, love and heartache during WW2 that had me enthralled' KATE FURNIVALL 'Heart-warming, enjoyable and full of surprises, I loved it' ELIZABETH CHADWICK 'Clare Harvey is an exceptional new talent. The Gunner Girl offers a stunningly realistic vision of the WW2 era, through the intertwined lives and loves of three very different women. The story is brought to life by razor sharp dialogue, an eye for period details and a taut plot which never becomes sentimental' KATE RHODES 'The Night Raid is utterly compelling and thrilling, and full of characters whose stories weave together flawlessly. A sure-fire hit!' ALEX BROWN

On a sunny May afternoon in 1917, the peace of an English seaside town was shattered when a flight of German Gotha bombers appeared without warning. Twenty-three Gothas had set out to attack London in this first bomber raid, but heavy cloud forced them to target Folkestone and the Shorncliffe army camp instead. It was the start of a new phase of the war aimed at destroying the morale of the British people. London's defences were quickly overhauled to face this new threat, providing the basis for Britain's defence during World War II. This book tells the story of the Gotha and the massive Staaken 'Giant' bomber raids against London.

This gripping account of the impact of the Blitz upon an Upminster couple was recently unearthed by the diarist's son. The harrowing events described so poignantly had an immediate effect on the author, who set out to compile this tribute both to his family and the countless people who have experienced or died from air raids. The Blitz diary began less than a year after Mary Hoodless had married, just three days before the Declaration of War in 1939. Such a personal record running through the Blitz period is unique. The entries throw light on the minutiae of trying to continue everyday life with a sense of normality against the backdrop of fear and uncertainty. As well as the diary itself, the place of the Blitz in the wider war is contemplated. Life was hard for most before the war; it became much worse for six years and it then became possible for the survivors to rebuild in a time of relative prosperity. All three phases are described in the family story. The moving narrative of the diary together with the explanation of the bigger picture demonstrate the courage, humour and great determination of ordinary Essex people in the face of war.

A 12-year-old spy with a mission -- and some chores to finish! In this installment, our hero Zac Power, 12-year-old super-spy, must find out how masses of gold ingots are being stolen from the world's most secure bank vault. Intelligence reports suggest the evil spy agency BIG is involved, and there is no telling what crimes they could commit with all that gold... Can Zac get it back?

This book provides a critical analysis of how the “war on terror” affected the civilian population in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This “forgotten war,” which started in 2001 with the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, has seen more than 212,000 people killed in war-related incidents. Whilst most of the news media shifted their attention to other conflict zones, this war rages on. Badalič has amassed a vast amount of data on the civilian victims of war from both sides of the Durand line, the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He conducted interviews in Peshawar, Quetta, Islamabad, Kabul, Jalalabad, and many other cities and villages from 2008 to 2017. His data is mostly drawn from those extensive conversations held with civilian victims of war, Afghan and Pakistani officials, human-rights activists and members of the insurgency. The book is divided into three parts. The first examines the impact the US-led coalition, Afghan security forces and paramilitary groups had on civilians, with methods of combat such as drone strikes and kill-or-capture missions. The second part focuses on civilian victims of abuses of power by Pakistani security forces, including arbitrary detentions and forced disappearances. In the final part, Badalič explores the impact of unlawful practices used by the armed insurgency – the Afghan Taliban. Overall, the book seeks to tell the story of the civilian victims of the “War on Terror".

Examines the willingness and capacity of the Japanese to work and sacrifice to win the war, and how those attitudes changed as a result of the American bombing campaigns, including the atomic bombs, directed at the nation as a whole.

This book tells the story of Germany's strategic air offensive against Britain, and how it came to be neutralized. The first Zeppelin attack on London came in May 1915 – and with it came the birth of a new arena of warfare, the 'home front'. German airships attempted to raid London on 26 separate occasions between May 1915 and October 1917, but only reached the capital and bombed successfully on nine occasions. From May 1917 onwards, this theatre of war entered a new phase as German Gotha bombers set out to attack London in the first bomber raid. London's defences were again overhauled to face this new threat, providing the basis for Britain's defence during World War II. This comprehensive volume tells the story of the first aerial campaign in history, as the famed Zeppelins, and then the Gotha and the massive Staaken 'Giant' bombers waged war against the civilian population of London in the first ever 'Blitz'.