Bøker av Michael Hickey

A comprehensive survey of the history of airborne warfare from its modest beginnings in 1794 with the use of a tethered balloon, showing how each significant technical development substantially altered the ways in which wars were fought. Perfect for fans of Will Iredale, Patrick Bishop and Mark Urban. During the Second World War some of the most daring airborne operations were conducted in Crete, Sicily, Normandy, the Philippines and across the Rhine. Yet where did the idea of airborne mobility arise from and how did such strategies develop in the years after the defeat of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan? Michael Hickey's book utilises thorough research, including interviews with many veterans of the campaigns described, to provide a history of airborne warfare in its widest sense: parachute, glider, helicopter and reconnaissance. Covering from its infancy through to the years after the Vietnam War, Hickey provides insight into one of modern warfare's most powerful asset: air-mobility. 'This is an excellent book ... about total battlefield air-mobility - encompassing both the parachute and the helicopter. As such, it fills the void left in many military histories' Military Review 'The book is especially useful in discussing the development of paradrop operations and takes the story beyond World War II to include Korea, Suez, Israel and Vietnam.' Air University Review Out of the Sky should be essential reading for all interested in the development of air assault tactics.

'Excellent' John Terraine, Daily Telegraph The full story of Allied heroism and incompetence in the Dardanelles, from the brink of victory to resounding defeat. Perfect for readers who enjoy the works of Barbara W. Tuchman, Christopher Clark and John Keegan. In 1911 Winston Churchill had astutely stated that, 'It is no longer possible to force the Dardanelles, and nobody would expose a modern fleet to such peril.' Yet, four years later, as First Lord of the Admiralty, he would override the opposition of his First Sea Lord, Jackie Fisher, and support a daring assault on the Gallipoli peninsula. With Imperial Russia appealing to her allies for assistance against the might of the Central Powers, Churchill and those who agreed with him, thought that they could knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war by forcing their way through the Dardanelles to Constantinople. What started out promisingly ended in utter, dismal disaster for the Entente powers. Michael Hickey traces the complex roots of catastrophe to the remoteness of war leaders in London, the chaotic operations of under-equipped and incompetent admirals and generals on the spot, and the extraordinary diversity of the Allied troops. Drawing both on his experience as a soldier and on a wide range of historical archives, including official papers, diaries and letters, many never used before, Hickey makes real for us the luckless fighting men who did their best but were, in the words of one of them, 'beaten in the end by our own leaders'. 'Gripping' Robert McLaughlin, Glasgow Herald 'Lucid, vivid and highly readable' Arthur Hockaday, RUSI Journal Gallipoli: A Study in Failure should be essential reading for all interested in one of the most fascinating but grimmest campaigns in modern history.

A gripping chronicle of the monumental fight against the Japanese in Burma during World War Two. The ideal book for people enthralled by the works of James Holland, Anthony Beevor and Max Hastings. In mid-December 1941 the Japanese invaded Burma. Within just a few months British forces were driven from their defences and forced to retreat hundreds of miles to the Indian border. How did the Allies under the leadership of William Slim, Orde Wingate and Louis Mountbatten overcome one of the gravest defeats the British Army ever suffered and drive back the Japanese? Michael Hickey's meticulously researched and brilliantly written book charts the course of the Burma campaign, exploring how the British, Asian and African troops fighting under Slim were able to engage and resist the enemy onslaught while simultaneously keeping lines of communication open with China and divert attention from the American attacks in the Pacific. Despite the fact that it was often referred to as 'The Forgotten Army', because its operations were overlooked by the contemporary press and even subsequent historians, Michael Hickey demonstrates just how brilliant and extraordinary this united multi-racial British Fourteenth Army was with soldiers, sailors and airmen from Britain, India, Nepal, Africa, Burma, America, China and many other countries. 'Michael Hickey, a soldier and a historian in his own right, has been to war and knows what it means. With his sure touch he describes the essential overall picture, while at the same time he deftly targets the significant battles and incidents, bringing the reader close to events as they happened from day to day. His informative book is welcome for the way it highlights the feel and tensions of battle in jungle and scrub plain, together with the personalities of the people involved.' Field Marshal William Slim 'captivating tactical-level war stories - useful descriptions of the Japanese soldier and his army, a detailed account of "The 'Sacking' of Slim," and a wonderful "Postlude" describing the post-war fates of key campaign leaders. The Unforgettable Army belongs in the library of anyone interested in miliary leadership and World War II campaigns.' Col. William Mendel, U.S. Army, Military Review

This book will view the subject of silence through a religious lens while focusing primarily on what I call "holy silence." Holy Silence is both the language of God and the sacred space where we meet God. Here we meet God not so much in conversation as much as in communion. We live in a world filled with noise and chaos. In order to hear God's voice speaking in silence, we must physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually come apart from the world to listen to God, hear and discern what God is saying in silence, and then obey.

This book evaluates the Gospel of John and attempts to comprehend it more fully through its themes and sub-themes. The goal is to give the reader a better grasp of the underlying message contained in John's Gospel as opposed to simply reading the Gospel from its beginning to end.

Michael Hickey's schoolboy letters paint a previously unseen picture of Oxford during and immediately after the Second World War.

This book is explores the many themes of Catholic social teaching found in papal social letters and emphasizes distributive justice as found in every modern Papal Social Letter. The book also discusses Catholic Social Teaching in reference to the economic theory of Distributism.

A Catholic layman who views himself as uniquely "in the world," but not "of the world" provides a broader perspective on the "end times." This book is the first of its kind, a Catholic perspective that is not heavily weighed down in doctrine and dogma.

The final volume in a four part set covering World War I, this title includes the Allied attempts to capture Constantinople, the bloody campaigning in Northern Italy, the defence of the Suez Canal and the defeat of the Turkish army in Palestine. The war in North Africa is also covered.

Get Real will give the reader a fresh understanding of both reality and mystery as seen from a theological and philosophical viewpoint. Ultimately, Hickey intends the reader to move beyond the perceived duality in order to establish that mystery is truly the home of all reality.

This book is designed to enable students of botany to gain some knowledge of the relationships between families of plants. The text of each of the 100 plant families described is in two parts. The first part gives the general characteristics of the family, mentions some of the principal economic and ornamental plants and includes a section on classification. The second part describes in detail a typical representative of the family, as far as possible a plant which is common in the wild or in cultivation and therefore easily obtainable. In this new edition there is a larger page-size, and also a different layout of the text. In addition, a considerable number of illustrations have been redrawn and many more added, including drawings of whole plants. Alterations to the text include extensive revision of the introduction, an increase in the number of comparative tables, and the addition of a table of family characters.

This beautifully illustrated glossary comprises over 2400 terms commonly used to describe vascular plants. The majority are structural terms referring to parts of plants visible with the naked eye or with a x10 hand lens, but some elementary microscopical and physiological terms are also included, as appropriate. Each term is defined accurately and concisely, and whenever possible, cross referenced to clearly labelled line drawings made mainly from living material. The illustrations are presented together in a section comprising 127 large format pages, within which they are grouped according to specific features, such as leaf shape or flower structure, so allowing comparison of different forms at a glance. The illustrations therefore provide a unique compilation of information that can be referred to independently of the definitions. This makes the glossary a particularly versatile reference work for all those needing a guide to botanical terminology and plant structure.

Provides a basic introduction to twenty five commonly occurring families of flowering plants, chosen for their economic, ornamental and ecological importance. It is designed to enable students of botany and related disciplines to gain some knowledge of the general characteristics of each family and also the relationships between them. An introductory section provides basic botanical information which is often assumed to be known and which is essential for a proper consideration of the families themselves. These are described in the second section of the book. For each family, information on its distribution, classification, general features and economic importance precedes a detailed description of a typical representative species. For the larger or more varied families several representative species are included. The text is illustrated throughout with clear and accurate line diagrams and accompanied by an exhaustive glossary.