Nikolai Bogdanovic Libri

This compact gift book takes thirty of World War II's most significant clashes, both the famous and the lesser known, and presents their stories in a concise, easy-to-digest format, accompanied by beautiful Osprey artwork plates in full color that illustrate a key moment in each battle. World War II was the single greatest conflict the world has ever known, fought in theaters all around the globe, and many of its battles--Stalingrad, Monte Cassino, the Battle of Britain--are household names. While the Western Front in Europe is often what first comes to mind, bitter and bloody battles were also fought in Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, on land, at sea, and in the air, and their many stories help illuminate both the scale and the varying character of the conflict.

Formed in 1860 as the Army Gymnastic Staff, the Royal Army Physical Training Corps (RAPTC) has been keeping the British Army in shape for just over 150 years. Drawn from every regiment in the army, prospective candidates undergo 30 weeks of intensive training before qualifying as a Royal Army Physical Training Corps Instructor. Based at the Army School of Physical Training in Aldershot, over the course of its history the RAPTC has trained countless instructors, including Olympic medallists Dame Kelly Holmes and Kriss Akabussi. This is a complete history of the RAPTC from its formation to the present day, illustrated with stunning images from the regimental collection, including historical photographs, commissioned pictures of objects and fine art, and facsimile reproductions of documents.