Bøker av Mike Lepine

The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft that played a crucial role in the Royal Air Force during World War II. It was one of the main British fighter aircraft during the early stages of World War II and saw extensive service during the Battle of Britain in 1940, where it played a vital role in the defence against German air raids. Designed by Sydney Camm, the Hawker Hurricane had a more traditional design compared to the sleeker Supermarine Spitfire. It featured a fabric-covered frame and a metal wing, and it was powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. Armed with eight .303 inch Browning machine guns, with later versions of the aircraft equipped with twelve machine guns or a combination of machine guns and cannons. The Hurricane went through various modifications and upgrades during its production. It served not only as a fighter but also in other roles such as ground-attack and naval operations. The Hurricane, largely replaced by more advanced aircraft later in the war, continued to serve in various roles, including in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Eastern Front. Some were also used for reconnaissance and training.

July 28th, 2024 is the 110th Anniversary of the beginning of the First World War The Great War as it came to be known was the first truly global conflict, and changed the course of world history. When World War I began in 1914, both sides had anticipated a swift and decisive victory, but the war quickly bogged down into a stalemate. The Western Front extended from the English Channel in the north to the Swiss border in the south, covering approximately 700 kilometers (about 440 miles). Some of the major battles fought on the Western Front include the Battle of the Marne, the Battle of Ypres, the Battle of the Somme, and the Battle of Passchendaele. There were massive casualties and little territorial gain. This illustrated book examines this brutal conflict in detail. It looks at why war broke out, and how technology and tactics developed throughout the conflict determined which battles were won and lost, including trench warfare, gas, tanks, aircraft, submarines and the development of a new fire power.

The 80th Anniversary of D-Day falls on June 6, 2024 In the early hours of that morning, three divisions of paratrooper and glider forces descended on Normandy. Already assembling offshore was the largest seaborne invasion fleet in the history of the world, ready to unleash over 130,000 troops against Hitler's Atlantic Wall. More than 7,000 aircraft filled the skies. D-Day - and the liberation of Europe - had begun. Facing them were massive concrete strongpoints bristling with Nazi artillery, machine gun nests and pill boxes, untold miles of barbed wire, vast minefields and underwater obstructions designed to rip fragile landing craft apart. For the troops heading into the beaches and the paratroopers fighting to survive just a few miles inland, it would truly be 'The Longest Day.' Featuring an exceptional selection of historic photographs as well as detailed battle maps, D-DAY provides a gripping account of the airborne actions and the beach assaults as well as revealing the top secret war fought by the Allies in the build-up to the invasion.

From childhood dreams of joining the British Royal Navy to a dotage spent riding on a seesaw to improve his health, the true story of Napoleon Bonaparte is every bit as bizarre and fascinating as it is controversial. Napoleon rose up out of the chaos and horror of the French Revolution to offer a shattered nation dreams of future glory, honor and a place once more at the forefront of Europe. After he seized power through a mixture of propaganda and rigged elections, Napoleon's armies waged a seemingly never-ending war throughout Europe, from Portugal to Imperial Russia. Many hundreds of thousands died in battle, or of disease and starvation. France itself would lose 50,000 soldiers on average during every year under Napoleon's control. Napoleon claimed to be furthering the libertarian values of the Revolution to free the continent, but then he had himself crowned Emperor, began moves to reinstate a hereditary monarchy and had slavery reintroduced throughout the French Empire. Extensively illustrated, this new biography by bestselling author Mike Lepine offers a fresh and unforgettable portrait of a true military legend.

Mosquito History of a Legend is a fascinating telling of the development of the de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito, a British twin- engined, light bomber introduced during WWII. This lavishly illustrated book is the ultimate guide to the development of the airplane and the many variants of the Mosquito and the various missions it flew during WWII including in the Battle for Normandy and D Day. The Mosquito was as fast as the German Luftwaffe fighters that opposed it. Unusual in that its frame was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder"or "Mossie". The Mosquito was often flown in special raids, such as Operation Jericho (an attack on Amiens Prison in early 1944), and precision attacks against military intelligence, security, and facilities such as Gestapo headquarters. On January 30, 1943, the 10th anniversary of Hitler being made chancellor and the Nazis gaining power, a morning Mosquito attack knocked out the main Berlin broadcasting station while Hermann Göring was speaking, taking his speech off the air.

The Avro Lancaster was one of the most important weapons of WW II. This legendary bomber first saw action in 1942. Powered by 4 Merlin engines, it could deliver a huge payload and was the only aircraft to carry the Tallboy and Grand Slam earthquake bombs as well as the Upkeep 'bouncing' bomb on Operation Chastise-the famous Dam Busters raid. At the height of production, over 1.1 million men and women were employed making 'Lancs'; more service personnel were involved flying and maintaining them than any other British aircraft, ever. Mainly operational as a Night Bomber over Nazi Germany, the Lancaster was supremely adaptable and they were used on anti-submarine patrols, photo-reconnaissance missions, as aerial refuelling tankers and post-war, transatlantic passenger airliners. Lancaster's completed an average of 21 bombing missions before being lost and the average age of their 7 man crews was 22 years.

THE HISTORY OF THE RAF AND THE LANCASTER BOMBER celebrates and commemorates over 100 years of the Royal Air Force.

the 80th Anniversary Edtion. In the early hours of 7th December 1941 The Empire of Japan launched a surprise air attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, without explicit warning, which crippled the US Fleet. In all 8, US Battleships were lost and 188 US Aircraft were destroyed. 2,403 American citizens were killed by the Japanese. The attack on Pearl Harbor was the immediate cause of Americas entry into World War II and the Pacific theatre which led to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and which ended with the surrender of The Empire of Japan aboard the USS Missouri on 2nd September 1945. This illustrated book takes you through

It was during the Battle of Britain in 1940 that the Spitfire became an enduring legend and a symbol of the British fighting spirit, partnering with the Hawker Hurricane to defeat the might of Hitler's Luftwaffe and prevent invasion. Highly illustrated with the pick of historic photographs, Spitfire The History of a Legend covers all the significant Marks developed during the Spitfire's operational service, explaining how the aircraft evolved to meet the challenges presented by the war's changing requirements and by the threat of new generations of Luftwaffe fighters.