Christopher Westhorp Libri

The Commandos were created by Winston Churchill in 1940 as a 'butcher and bolt' raiding unit to destroy vital targets in German occupied Europe. Recruits for this 'special service' were all volunteers, drawn from the British Army, and later from the Royal Marines and other Allied armies. Commando training was extremely demanding – men had to be physically fit and show initiative, mental toughness and adaptability. The training courses were designed to cultivate these qualities and to simulate real battle experiences, which included the use of live ammunition. Commandos learned a diverse range of skills at dedicated training centres in the remote Scottish Highlands. This pocket-book draws on authentic training manuals, lecture notes, course literature and other material from the commando schools to give a real insight into this highly specialised fighting unit – demonstrating how commandos were taught to live, fight and move on offensive operations, initially as raiding parties, and later as skilled assault infantry. Sections of the book cover survival and fieldcraft skills; night operations; assaulting obstacles; use of equipment – such as the COPPS canoe for beach reconnaissance and sabotage; and weapons training, including the Thompson submachine gun, the Bren gun, and the famous emblem of the commandos – the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife.

The Special Air Service was the brainchild of Scots Guards' officer Lieutenant David Stirling, serving with No 8 Commando. He advocated a specially organised, specially equipped and specially trained unit dedicated to the 'unrelenting pursuit of excellence' that could act covertly and operate behind enemy lines to gain intelligence, destroy enemy aircraft and attack their supply and reinforcement routes. The 1st SAS Regiment was officially designated after successful raids against enemy airfields in the Middle East in 1941-1942. In May 1943 a 2nd SAS Regiment was raised in Algeria and would also serve in Sicily and Italy. SAS troopers were at the forefront of the action on D-Day, serving behind the enemy lines, assisting the French Resistance in diversionary attacks and in support of Allied armies. The SAS served with great distinction through 42 significant actions in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany until the end of the war in Europe.

An incredible insight into the origins, training, and earliest operations of the special service volunteer soldiers who formed the original units of the world's most famous military force.

Tesoros de la civilización nos enseña en 100 fotografías espectaculares e increíbles los grandes edificios y los monumentos emblemáticos de nuestra civilización.

Seit Jahrtausenden haben Menschen überall auf der Welt herausragende monumentale Bauwerke geschaffen. Oft gelang dies mit einem nahezu unvorstellbaren Aufwand und vielen Opfern, aber auch durch die Entwicklung technischer Neuerungen, die uns heute noch Bewunderung abverlangen. Die Motive für diese Anstrengungen waren unterschiedlich: Einige der Bauwerke entstanden aus Ehrfurcht der Menschen vor den Mysterien des Universums, andere wurden zu Ehren mächtiger Männer oder zur Huldigung von Gottheiten erschaffen. Manche Bauwerke dienten ganz praktischen Zwecken: Sie sollten Schutz vor Feinden bieten, Handel ermöglichen oder einen feierlichen Rahmen für Zusammenkünfte schaffen. Der Bildband Weltwunder vermittelt in 100 fantastischen Fotografien einen faszinierenden und zugleich informativen Überblick über die bedeutendsten Bauwerke und die spektakulärsten Monumente - von der Ruinenstadt Teotihuacán in Mexiko bis zum Opernhaus im australischen Sydney. Die 88 #Wunderwerke", von denen viele zum Welterbe der UNESCO gehören, dokumentieren die schöpferischen Fähigkeiten der Menschen über alle Zeiten und Kulturen hinweg.