This action packed military memoir tells of the exploits of a young Sapper officer during both the Second World War and in Korea. Tony Younger was in the thick of the action during the German Blitzkrieg of 1940 seeing desperate fighting as the beleaguered British Expeditionary Force struggled to escape at Dunkirk. He then became closely involved in anthrax experiments which still today render the Scottish island of Guinard uninhabitable before playing a full role in the Normandy Campaign and the conquest of Germany. After a period in Burma; he was sent to Korea; where in bitter fighting against hordes of Chinese and North Korean troops he was extremely lucky to escape with his life: many of his comrades tragically did not.
#583969 in Books New Vanguard - Ships - Ancients to Ironclads 2003-07 2003-07-23Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.87 x .21 x 6.88l; .36 #File Name: 184176630548 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. War of 1812 Naval BackgroundBy R. PhilipkoskiThe American 44-gun frigate was a game-changing weapon that was not appreciated when it was first built. The new American navy was not able to build a fleet of "first-rate" multi-decked warships in the manner of the French and Great Britain. In fact; there were those who tried to make the case for the new nation not even having a navy. Forward-thinkers prevailed; however; and the political will was summoned to finance a small fleet of frigates. They would be more heavily armed than anyone else's frigates; and would be built of stout materials that could withstand severe beatings in ship-to-ship battles. These vessels served their country well in against Barbary pirates; eventually enabling the United States to conduct trade in the Mediterranean without paying tribute. Much more importantly; these frigates comprised the main naval striking force against the Royal Navy during the War of 1812. This book describes the construction of these ships and offers excellent illustrations showing their physical layouts and their operations. The book would be an excellent guide to modelers of sailing ships; and would serve as an informative guide to anyone planning on visiting the "USS Constitution" in Boston Harbor or the "USS Constellation" in Baltimore Harbor.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. OK as Far as It Goes -- Wish There Were More Cutaway Diagrams!By William D ThompsonAs the other reviews have stated; this 48-page could have been much better if it included more detailed cutaway diagrams (there is only one!); technical drawings; more pictures (from USS Constitution); etc. As it is; it provides a brief history of American frigates from the Age of Sail; technical specification on certain ships; and some interesting photos.15 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Concise but comprehensive history of a great ship typeBy Bruce Trinque"American Heavy Frigates; 1794-1826" by Mark Lardas is one of the innumerable Osprey paperbacks; packed with illustrations and aimed at presenting a study of one particular slice of military history. In this case; it is part of the New Vanguard series about "The design; development; operation and history in the machinery of warfare through the ages;" and the weapons system presented in Lardas's book is epitomized by arguably the most famous American warship of all time: the USS Constitution; Old Ironsides. But "American Heavy Frigates" goes well beyond that single vessel or even the War of 1812. Instead; we are treated to concise although comprehensive survey history of the design and development of the ship type; including a discussion of foreign influences; from Joshua Humphreys' proposal in 1793 that "as our navy for a considerable time will be inferior in numbers we must consider what size ships will be an overmatch for those of an enemy ..." until the last American sailing heavy frigates (USS Santee and Sabine) were launched in 1855. Too often we forget that this ship type in the US Navy was not limited to the Constitution and her two sister ships (President and United States) but included over a dozen other vessels of similar design; the backbone of the American navy through the Mexican War and beyond. Lardas discusses the origin; operational history; and eventual fate of each heavy frigate. Most of the illustrations are black-and-white reproductions of contemporary paintings or engravings of the ships; although the color section includes an excellent detailed three-dimensional cutaway drawing of Old Ironsides. "American Heavy Frigates" is a slender volume (only 48 pages) but a worthy addition to any library of books about the Age of Fighting Sail.
