Martin Windrow Books

A concise dictionary of the most important military leaders in history, featuring detailed capsule biographies of 200 individuals from antiquity to the modern age. Included are military leaders known for their sheer genius (Genghis Khan, Frederick the Great, Napoleon); strategic ability (Wellington, Lee, Rommel, Eisenhower); incompetence or villainy (Custer, Budenny, Benedict Arnold); and administrative or theoretical mastery (Clausewitz, Liddel-Hart). Still others are included for their innovativeness (T. E. Lawrence), notoriety (Jeanne d'Arc, El Cid) or because, as with certain medieval figures, their careers are a particularly apt reflection of their times. Written by two respected authorities in the field, it is both an ideal reference for military historians and a uniquely entertaining and browsable text for general readers.

Stalingrad in the jungle: the battle that doomed the French Empire and led America into Vietnam In winter 1953-54 the French army in Vietnam challenged its elusive enemy, General Giap's Viet Minh, to pitched battle. Ten thousand French paras and légionnaires, with artillery and tanks, were flown to the remote valley of Dien Bien Phu to build a fortress upon which Giap could smash his inexperienced regiments. The siege which followed became a Stalingrad in the jungle, and its outcome shocked the world.

It is arguable that no group of fighting men in the history of European arms has been so misrepresented by ill-informed publicity as the French Foreign Legion. Though initially conceived in 1831 as a means of drafting recently discharged foreign soldiers to Algeria, the Legion has developed into a sophisticated force of motorized infantry, airborne troops and light armor. In this book, acclaimed French Army expert Martin Windrow examines the history and uniforms of the French Foreign Legion, from its service in the Carlist War of 1835-36 to World War II and beyond, debunking many of the prevalent myths surrounding this formidable force.

It is hard to convey the public impact of France's war to maintain her colonial grip on Algeria; yet in the late 1950s this ugly conflict dominated Europe's media to almost the same extent as would Vietnam ten years later. It brought France to the very verge of military coup d'etat; it destroyed thousands of careers; bitterly divided the French military and political classes for a generation; and sent hundreds of thousands of European settler families into often ruinous exile. This title details the history, organisation, equipment and uniforms of the forces involved in the Algerian War (1954-1962).

Details the French attempts to regain control of Indochina, following Japan's defeat in World War II. From the disatrous Battle of RC.4 to the final French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, this book includes a variety of French troops, their uniforms and equipment.

Covers the classic 'Beau Geste' period, of the French Foreign Legion when the corps was expanded during the most dynamic years of French imperial expansion. This title examines and illustrates their varied uniforms and equipments for each period and theatre. It is written by a leading expert on the French Foreign Legion.

In the MEN AT ARMS series. Covers the involvement of the Legion in World War I, the colonial campaigns from 1914 until the outbreak of World War II and the campaigns of the Legion in World War II. Includes illustrations of combat and dress uniforms for the period. A companion to FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION SINCE 1945.

Exploring the uniforms and equipment of the Legion, and featuring full color artwork, this is an invaluable resource for modelers and wargamers, as well as students of this famous corps.

"In late 1953, during the seventh year of France's war against the Viet Minh insurgency in its colony of Vietnam, the commander-in-chief, General Navarre, decided to plant an 'air-ground base' at Dien Bien Phu in the Thai Highlands, to distract General Giap's Vietnamese People's Army from the French heartland of the Red River Delta, and to protect the Laotian border. Elite French paratroopers captured Dien Bien Phu, which was then reinforced between December 1953 and February 1954 with infantry and artillery, a squadron of tanks and one of fighter-bombers, to a strength of 10,000 men. Giap and the VPA General Staff accepted the challenge of a major positional battle; through a total mobilization of national resources, and aided by Chinese logistical help, they assembled a siege army of 58,000 regular troops, equipped for the first time with 105mm artillery and 37mm AA guns. This volume documents the dramatic, 56-day 'Stalingrad in the jungle' siege that drew the attention of the world."--Adapted from back cover