History / History by country / United States

Seizing Destiny

by Richard Kluger

Less than 100 years after its creation as a fragile republic, the United States more than quadrupled its size, making it the world's third largest nation. No other country or sovereign power had ever grown so...

The Columbia Companion to American History on Film: How the Movies Have Portrayed the American Past

by Peter C. Rollins

American history has always been an irresistible source of inspiration for filmmakers, and today, for good or ill, most Americans'sense of the past likely comes more from Hollywood than from the works of historians....

Napoleon in Egypt

by Paul Strathern

“Europe is a molehill….”

Everything here is worn out…tiny Europe has not enough to offer.

We must set off for the Orient; that is where all the greatest glory is to be achieved.” —Napoleon

Napoleon’s...

The Blood of Heroes: The 13-Day Struggle for the Alamo--and the Sacrifice That Forged a Nation

by James Donovan

On February 23, 1836, a large Mexican army led by dictator Santa Anna reached San Antonio and laid siege to about 175 Texas rebels holed up in the Alamo. The Texans refused to surrender for nearly two weeks...

The Orphan Brigade: The Kentucky Confederates Who Couldn't Go Home

by William C. Davis

On September 18, 1861, ominous sounds of battle thundering in the distance, the Kentucky legislature voted to align itself with the Union. It was a decision which tore at the heart of the state, splitting apart...

Children Of The City: At Work and at Play

by David Nasaw

This classic title, which was the inspiration for the story behind the new musical Newsies, paints a surprising and indelible portrait of the bitter hardships, amazing resourcefulness, and unadulterated joys...

The End of the American Era: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Geopolitics of the Twenty-first Century

by Charles Kupchan

Refuting the conventional wisdom that the end of the Cold War cleared the way for an era of peace and prosperity led solely by the United States, Charles A. Kupchan contends that the next challenge to America’s...

German Mountain & Ski Troops 1939-45

by Gordon Williamson & Stephen Andrew

Osprey's study of Germany's mountain and ski troops of World War II (1939-1945). Fighting in every theatre from the burning sands of North Africa to the icy wastes above the arctic circle the German Army's Gebirgstruppen...

Warrior Peoples of East Africa 1840-1900

by C.J. Peers & Raffaele Ruggeri

Less well known than the Zulu of South Africa, the warriors of East Africa had just as fearsome a reputation. This fascinating study, illustrated with rare early drawings and meticulous colour plates, covers...

The US Army 1890-1920

by Philip Katcher & Jeffrey Burn

This book examines the uniforms, equipment, history and organisation of the US Army from 1890 to 1920. The Spanish-American War, China, Mexico and World War I are all covered, and uniforms are shown in full...

The US Army 1941-45

by Philip Katcher & Chris Collingwood

At the time of the Second World War, the United States Army took an unusual approach, for the period, towards the design of its uniforms. Rather than attempt to find an all-purpose outfit, such as the British...

The Boer War

by Christopher Latham & Michael Roffe

This book examines the uniforms, equipment, history and organisation of the armies that fought in the Boer War. Both sides are covered, and the campaigns summarised. Uniforms are shown in full illustrated detail....

Imperial Japanese Navy Heavy Cruisers 1941-45

by Mark Stille & Paul Wright

Designed with little more than a passing nod to the international naval treaties of the inter-war period, the Imperial Japanese Navy’s heavy cruisers were fast and heavily armed. Like the other vessels of...

Imperial Japanese Navy Battleships 1941-45

by Mark Stille & Tony Bryan

The Imperial Japanese Navy of World War 2 surpassed the Allied and Axis fleets in innovation and technology. This title covers the 12 Japanese battleships that saw service between 1941-45. Each class is considered...

Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Carriers 1921-45

by Mark Stille & Tony Bryan

The Imperial Japanese Navy was a pioneer in naval aviation, having commissioned the world's first built-from-the-keel-up carrier, the Hosho. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, it experimented with its carriers,...

Marine Recon 1940-90

by Charles Melson & Paul Hannon

In 1976 Maj. James Capers Jr. welcomed new men and their families into a force reconnaissance company. 'Only the most capable Marines are selected for this duty due to rigid mental and physical demands. A very...

Vietnam Marines 1965-73

by Charles Melson & Paul Hannon

Osprey's survey of Marines during the second half of the Vietnam War (1955-1975). The period following World War II (1939-1945) saw a number of associated Marine Corps, three of whom fought together during...

The US Army in World War II (1): The Pacific

by Mark Henry & Mike Chappell

When World War II broke out in September 1939 the US Army – starved of resources since 1919 – numbered just 174,000 men. By VJ-Day, 2 September 1945, a total of 8.3 million had served in an army which had...

The Scythians 700-300 BC

by E.V. Cernenko & Angus Mcbride

Though the 'Scythian period' in the history of Eastern Europe lasted little more than 400 years, the impression these horsemen made upon the history of their times was such that a thousand years after they had...

The US Cavalry

by John Selby & Michael Roffe

The US cavalry has distinguished itself in battle since the American Revolution of the 1770s. Since then, the cavalry has seen action in the American Civil War (1861-1865) and in frequent battles with Native...