Alexander Stilwell

The Comet Escape Line tells the story of the most successful escape line of the Second World War. Inspired by the English nurse Edith Cavell, who helped Allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium in the First World War, Andrée de Jongh and a group of young Belgian friends conceived an audacious plan to smuggle downed Allied airmen and other evaders from Belgium, through France and over to neutral Spain. Many incredible escapes followed from safe houses in Brussels, making hazardous train journeys through France, or navigating goat paths through the Pyrenees, evading German and Spanish border patrols. By 1945, the line had aided hundreds of evaders and was a vital part of the escape and evasion picture of the Second World War. In The Comet Escape Line, Alexander Stilwell reveals the personalities and motives of the Comet line founders and the British intelligence organisation that supported it, investigates the Gestapo campaign to destroy it and explores the actions of the Nazi collaborators who infiltrated it. Above all, this is the story of the incredibly brave civilians who risked everything to help the Allied cause.

Over the last 20 years, the role of unmanned aircraft systems in modern warfare has grown at an unprecedented rate. No longer simply used for intelligence, data collection or reconnaissance, drones are routinely used for target acquisition and to strike enemy targets with missiles and bombs. Organized by nationality, Military Drones offers a compact guide to the main unmanned aerial vehicles being flown in combat zones today. These include classics, such as the MQ-1 Predator, primarily used for intelligence gathering; the Black Hornet Nano, a micro UAV that is so small it can fit in the palm of your hand and is used by ground troops for local situational awareness; the Chinese tri-copter Scorpion, which is ideal for the stationary observation and strike role in a built-up area; and the French EADS Talarion, a twinjet long-endurance UAV designed for high-altitude surveillance. Illustrated with more than 100 photographs and artworks, Military Drones provides a detailed insight into the specialist military unmanned aerial vehicles that play a key role in the modern battle space.

Over the last 30 years, Special Forces have become a key component of the world’s armed forces, often employing unconventional tactics as part of airborne operations, counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, hostage rescue, covert ops and intelligence gathering. To carry out their role effectively, specific vehicles have been developed for these elite units. Organized by type, the book explores a wide range of vehicles, from the light utility vehicles through mine-resistant protected vehicles (MRAP) to mini bikes and quad bikes. Discover the Pinzgauer High-Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle, a high clearance, all-wheel drive transporter used by Delta Force and the New Zealand SAS; the fast, light Arquus Scarab, a protected vehicle that can turn both the front and rear wheels simultaneously, allowing it to move sideways like a crab; the MRZR, used by the U. S. Marines for fast forward deployment and off-road reconnaissance; the Toyota Hilux pick-up, which due to its simplicity and rugged durability, has proved its worth in conflicts from South America to Central Asia; and the Christini AWD motorcycle, used by U. S. Navy SEALs in Afghanistan. Illustrated with more than 100 photographs and artworks, Special Forces Land Vehicles provides a detailed guide to the specialist vehicles used by elite soldiers in the modern era.

Since the earliest recorded military history, scouting and reconnaissance have been key tools employed by military commanders to obtain a picture of the tactical situation and make informed decisions. Scouts known as sciritae were deployed by the Spartans and had a privileged position in their order of battle. The Spartans were so aware of the advantage their scouting operations gave them that they went to great lengths to keep them secret. As military tactics, weapons and equipment developed over the centuries, methods of scouting and reconnaissance evolved and adapted but always remained true to the spirit of the scout – light on their feet, taking only what they need and returning with the information that could turn potential defeat into victory. Military Reconnaissance provides a concise but revealing picture of the art of military scouting and reconnaissance from the highly toned Spartan warriors, the scouts employed by Julius Caesar, through the middle ages to the Napoleonic Wars to the role of the scout in modern warfare.

A practical and illustrated guide to getting through all types of life-threatening situations. Are you ready for the big one, whether it's an earthquake, a hurricane, or a monster snowstorm? Disaster Survival Handbook will help you prepare for the unexpected--from stocking up on provisions to hunkering down in a safe area to administering basic first aid. The power of nature means that disasters are inevitable and that surviving them is all about preparation. With this useful illustrated guide, you'll be able to take the steps necessary to keep your family and loved ones safe in the face of danger. Each chapter includes true stories of people who found themselves in the middle of a precarious situation . . . and how they managed to survive.

Secret Operations of World War II is a fascinating account of the major special ops organisations and underground cells of both sides, examining recruitment, training, equipment and deployment of operatives and illustrated with 120 photographs, artworks and maps.

In 1991, Coalition special forces were active deep inside Iraq, hunting down SCUD missile launchers before they could be fired. In 2011, US Navy SEALs were responsible for the assassination of the world’s most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden. In 2014, the US Delta Force captured Libyan terrorist Ahmed Abu Khattala, wanted for the attack on the US embassy in Benghazi in 2012. Over the last 25 years elite military formations have played an increasingly important role in the policing of the world’s trouble spots, including rescuing hostages in Afghanistan and fighting Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. Special Forces in Action is a detailed account of the operations of the world’s special forces from 1991 to the present day. From the Gulf War to the invasion of Iraq, via the war in Afghanistan, the search for war criminals in the Balkans, drug gang hunting in South America, hostage rescues in Africa, and the counter-terrorist initiatives since 9/11, the book brings the reader full details of the often clandestine and varied roles of the world’s elite soldiers. Authoritatively written and illustrated with more than 180 photographs and artworks, Special Forces in Action is an expert account of how the world’s special forces have become a vital arm of the modern military machine.

Thrilled readers will explore a career with the U. S. Navy's elite sea, air, and land team, the SEALs. Photographs support the detailed narrative and a robust further information section helps readers continue their investigation into this thrilling career.

From searching for high-value enemy targets such as Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein to finding soldiers caught behind enemy lines, from escaped prisoners and serial killers to a missing child, Manhunt explores just how the military and police forces track people down. Including many case studies of high-value targets, suspected criminals and fugitives from justice, and with extensive background on the different techniques in tracking used, from traditional Native American trackers' skills to the latest high-tech methods, Manhunt brings together the history and science of tracking. Illustrated with 350 maps, photographs and drawings, The SAS and Elite Forces Guide to Manhunts: Tracking High Value Enemy Targets is an authoritative examination of tracking from footprints to forensics and a must for anyone interested in the latest military practices and survival skills..

SAS & Elite Forces Guide to Using Ropes and Knots draws on the skills of the world’sbest soldiers to teach you how to use these essential tools in the wilderness. Tried andtested techniques used by the world’s special forces give you field-tested advice onissues such as: how to take care of ropes, the most useful knots to use in a survivalsituation, how to make your own ropes out of animal tendons or plants, how to useyour rope effectively when climbing, how to lash together a log raft. A simple rope can be a lifesaver in a survival situation. Knowing how to use a ropeand make effective knots will help you in an amazing variety of ways – fromconstructing shelters and creating weapons, to fishing and hunting. Most important,ropes and knots act as literal lifelines in dangerous environments, such as whencrossing a fast-flowing river or scaling a mountainside.

This state-of-the-art manual has already sold more than 45,000 paperback copies and is now completely updated and revised with new sections on transportation (such as carjacking or road-rage incidents), defending against terrorists (how to react to a suspicious package or behavior, for example), and information about numerous self-defense techniques. This survival guide now covers the world-any terrain, all climates-with hundreds of line drawings showing details on making tools and rafts, preserving food, applying first aid, and emerging alive from natural disasters, fires, deserts, shipwrecks, icy mountains, and much more. This is the complete answer book for frightening situations, and no one should leave home without it.

In 1991, the United States and coalition forces liberated Kuwait after its brief occupation by Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army. One of the abiding memories of that conflict was the activities of the coalition's special forces soldiers deep in Iraq, hunting down SCUD missile launchers before Israel could be attacked. Since then, elite military units have played an increasingly important role in the world's armed forces. Special Forces Today recounts their operations over the last fifteen years. From the Gulf War to the 2003 invasion of Iraq—via the war in Afghanistan, the search for war criminals in the Balkans, the hunt for drug barons in South America, hostage rescues in Africa, and the counterterrorism initiatives since 9/11—the book discloses in detail the often clandestine activities of the world's elite soldiers. Illustrated with action photographs, Special Forces Today shows how these forces have become a vital part of any government's military machine and the roles they have played in recent world events. With an authoritative text and rare black-and-white and color photographs, the book is a highly illustrated guide to the recent operations of these most secretive—and successful—soldiers.

Encyclopedia of the World's Special Forces.

This heavily illustrated informative book is the most comprehensive guide available to anyone interested in the special forces and it includes detailed listings and information on special force units and their tactics. - Special forces are trained small, elite teams of soldiers who perform operations deemed too risky or demanding for regular troops. - Special forces missions include counter-insurgency, hostage rescue, political assassination, sabotage, spying, covert surveillance and force ambush. - Most of these operations are performed deep behind hostile lines or within enemy strongholds. - With a battlefield effect out of all proportion to their numbers, special forces today are usually the first into combat and the last out.