A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival and Adventure The occupation of Western Europe and Scandinavia in the spring of 1940 crippled Britain's ability to gather intelligence information. After the Germans invaded Norway, many Norwegians knew that small boats were constantly sailing from the Shetland Islands to land weapons, supplies, and agents and to rescue refugees. In The Shetland Bus, David Howarth, who was second in command of the Shetland base, recounts the hundreds of trips made by fishing boats in the dark of Arctic winter to resist the Nazi onslaught. For the Norwegians who remained in Norway, The Shetland Bus fortified them both physically and spiritually. Nothing but war would have made seamen attempt such dangerous journeys. Some stretched two thousand miles in length and lasted as long as three weeks in boats only fifty to seventy-five feet long. Fishing boats crossing the North Sea were sometimes attacked and sunk in minutes, hundreds of miles from a friendly ship or shore. Their crews had no hope of being saved. But to "take the Shetland Bus" meant escape when capture became the only other option. The Shetland Bus is the amazing true-life account of storms, attacks, danger, and the heroic efforts of brave men.
David Armine Howarth Books
David Armine Howarth was a British historian and author whose works are informed by his extensive practical knowledge of ships and the sea. Following wartime service that included involvement in operations like the Shetland Bus, he channeled his experiences into crafting compelling historical narratives. His writing is characterized by a deep understanding of maritime themes and a spirit of adventurous storytelling. Through his books, he brings not only history but also the human stories within it to life for readers.







Dawn of D-Day
- 272 pages
- 10 hours of reading
The power and the glory of the D-Day landings as recounted by the men who fought their way ashore. A tale told by a master of prose this account is among the best you'll ever read of the greatest amphibious invasion ever. číst celé
Waterloo - A Near Run Thing
- 192 pages
- 7 hours of reading
'Vivid, violent, almost impossible to put down unfinished, this is a particularly welcome reprint of a masterpiece' The Good Book Guide
In 1943, a group of brave Danish and Norwegian hunters carried out one of the most dramatic operations of World War II. Using dogsleds to patrol a stark 500-mile stretch of the Greenland coast, their wartime mission was to guard against Nazi interlopers--an unlikely scenario given the cruel climate. But one day, a footprint was spotted on desolate Sabine Island, along with other obvious signs of the enemy. Not expecting to find the trouble they did, the three Sledge Patrol members escaped to the nearest hunting hut only to have the Germans pursue them on foot. In the dead of the Arctic night, the men escaped capture at the last instant and, without their coats or sled dogs, walked fifty-six miles to get back to base. While the Sledge Patrol had only hunting rifles, resilience, and their knowledge of outdoor survival, the Germans were armed with machine guns and grenades and greatly outnumbered them. David Howarth skillfully relates the tensely exciting true tale of how the men of the Sledge Patrol fought capture or death in desolation by outwitting and outlasting the enemy. This is a saga of human skill, faith, and endurance--and one of the most remarkable Allied victories ever recorded.
We die alone
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
In 1943 a team of expatriate Norwegian commandos sailed to Norway to support the Norwegian resistance. Betrayed, only one man survived a Nazi ambush. Crippled with frostbite, snow-blind and hunted by the Nazis, he found an Arctic village where the people risked their lives to save him.
Waterloo
- 32 pages
- 2 hours of reading
See below for more languages available in this title The Battle of Waterloo was one of the great British victories. This guide to the battlefield was written by one of the greatest experts on the Battle. This fascinating guide takes you around the battlefield, with descriptions of the piont of the battle fought there; it describes the situation before and after the battle; it looks at the weaponry - all supported by a detailed battle plan. Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British and European history, heritage and travel. French German Flemish Spanish Italian
A Brief History of British Sea Power
- 384 pages
- 14 hours of reading
The British did not take to water like ducks, for centuries doing little but cling to coastal waters. The Romans and Vikings knocked spots of us as seamen, and the English upper classes saw seafaring as mercantile and beneath them. Britain's success at sea began with Elizabeth I and the defeat of the Armada, thanks to superior gunnery and seamanship. Elizabeth employed practical seamen like Hawkins and Drake - and they repaid her trust. Howarth reconstructs the expansion of trade routes and the great 18th - century days of the line of battle ships. With Napoleon's fall, the British were free to expand, and their prestige rose so high that sea warfare almost ceased as British ships patrolled the oceans. In the 20th century, the British navy was twice as big as any other. Full of anecdote, erudition and humour, this is a classic account.
The unlikely beginnings of the East India Company—from Tudor origins and rivalry with the superior Dutch—to laying the groundwork for future British expansion
The Shadow Of The Dam
- 206 pages
- 8 hours of reading
Set against the backdrop of a harsh Saskatchewan winter, the narrative unfolds in a village beset by relentless winds and halted farming activities. Amidst this turmoil, threshermen gather in a smoky pool room, where tensions rise and challenges are issued. The protagonist, Ned Pullar, remains stoic and composed, contrasting with the boisterous atmosphere around him. The story captures the grit of rural life and the dynamics of male camaraderie and rivalry in a time of hardship.