The Defeat of The West

In this penetrating analysis of the role of political leadership in the Cold War's ending, Archie Brown shows why the popular view that Western economic and military strength left the Soviet Union with no alternative but to admit defeat is wrong.

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it, and the story of the wars fought in Vietnam from the 1940s to the 1970s is one from which many lessons can be learned. Initially a conflict involving a wounded post-war France attempting to re-take and hold its former colony, the fighting in Vietnam would become less a battle over territory and independence, and more an ideological battleground where the contrasting philosophies of east and west would meet head-on in an explosion of politics, culture and napalm.

The Second World War was Britain's last conflict as a world power. For a year it saw Britain standing alone against the fascist dictatorships; winning it demanded the sacrifice of the entire national wealth. This first book of three describes the uniforms developed for European service. It traces the appearance of the 'Tommy' from pre-war mobilization, through the years of defeat and endurance, to D-Day and the long fighting advance to Northern Germany. The book also includes a campaign summary, infantry organization tables, lists of arms and services and basic specifications of a number of heavy weapons.