Irregular or guerrilla forces & warfare – The Bell Bookshop

Dad’s Army

Emma — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The remarkable story of the real 'Dad's Army', from the bestselling historian of The Secret Life of Bletchley Park

'Impeccably researched and deliciously entertaining, Dad's Army shines a bright searchlight on to an organization dismissed for far too long as humorously incompetent' – Giles Milton, author of the The Stalin Affair

With the threat of invasion from Hitler's forces looming large in 1940, British men of all ages and backgrounds assembled under the banner of the Home Guard. At its height, this voluntary force, much later nicknamed ‘Dad’s Army’, was made up of almost two million volunteers prepared to defend every corner of the kingdom. Numerous notable figures were involved including George Orwell, A. A. Milne, and C. S. Lewis; many women took part too, including in the Women's Home Defence Force, which was formed in 1941.

In Dad’s Army, Sunday Times bestselling author Sinclair McKay tells the remarkable story of these courageous, highly trained and often pioneering men and women through original archival research, vivid storytelling and insights into the beloved television comedy that has shaped the national memory of the Home Guard.

Far from the stereotype of charming incompetence, McKay shows that the Home Guard were in fact entirely serious in their approach. Many volunteers had fought in the First World War, and radical veterans from the Spanish Civil War taught new techniques in lethal guerilla fighting.

Chocolate-box village greens throughout the country were reimagined as bloody battlefields, with duties including rifle and mortar training, night-time patrols and manning anti-aircraft guns – all on top of volunteers’ everyday jobs. Yet all of this was underpinned by an essential good humour, with moments of levity and camaraderie vital in keeping up a much-needed spirit of defiance.

With its vibrant personalities and touch of nostalgia, Dad's Army tells this extraordinary story in full colour.

'One of my favourite historians' Dan Snow

The Mad and the Brave

Emma — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A Telegraph Best Book 2025

'Elegant and terrifying, the story of those who gave up life in the West for Ukraine's frontlines – some to save democracy, some to save themselves. A modern-day Homage to Catalonia – and Fight Club on steroids.' – Oliver Poole, London Standard

‘A great read’ – Mark Galeotti

'Brilliant' – The Daily Express

With real-life echoes of SAS Rogue Heroes – this is an astonishing account of Europe’s biggest major conflict, told through the eyes of a ragbag collection of foreign fighters

Three days after Russian tanks roll into Ukraine, President Volodymr Zelensky issues a desperate appeal for foreign military volunteers to help defend his country. Thousands answer the call from all over the world: some of them experienced soldiers, others novices who’ve never held a gun before.

Among their ranks are high-minded idealists, adventure-seekers bored with civilian life, and ex-criminals seeking redemption – all risking their lives against the world's most vicious superpower. Some flee at the first sign of trouble, others become heroes; many are killed, and a few turn their guns on each other.

This is their story – often terrifying, often tragic, sometimes comic, and sometimes glorious…

The Mad and the Brave

Emma — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

‘Elegant and terrifying, the story of those who gave up life in the West for Ukraine’s frontlines – some to save democracy, some to save themselves. A modern-day Homage to Catalonia – and Fight Club on steroids.’ – Oliver Poole, London Standard

With real-life echoes of SAS Rogue Heroes – this is an astonishing account of Europe’s biggest major conflict, told through the eyes of a ragbag collection of foreign fighters

Among their ranks are high-minded idealists, adventure-seekers bored with civilian life, and ex-criminals seeking redemption – all risking their lives against the world’s most vicious superpower. Some flee at the first sign of trouble, others become heroes; many are killed, and a few turn their guns on each other.

This is their story – often terrifying, often tragic, sometimes comic, and sometimes glorious?

Pride and fall

Emma — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A detailed new account of the British military campaign in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014, based on the experiences of those who served.

Following the 9/11 attacks, the British Government supported the initial US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, and also committed troops to Kabul from 2002 onwards. However, following the expansion of ISAF southwards, Britain was drawn into a lengthy military campaign against a fierce insurgency.

The British commitment to what became known as Operation Herrick saw a battlegroup from the Parachute Regiment deploy to Helmand Province in January 2006 with the hope they could “leave in three years and without firing one shot”. The reality was very different. From 2006 through to 2014, a succession of British brigade-sized task forces rotated through Helmand on six-month tours. When they finally withdrew in 2014, British forces had lost 456 killed and over 2,000 wounded, and the Taliban were resurgent.

Sergio Miller served throughout the campaign in Defence Intelligence in Whitehall, and this book is his attempt to answer the many questions surrounding the conflict. Based on the abundant open-source material generated by the war, it is not an analysis of counter-insurgency theories or geopolitical rumination, but the story of the men and women who served.

Uncommon courage

Emma — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

‘An extraordinary account of heroism and sacrifice. An unexpected and important story, rivetingly told. Rip roaring stuff. Get this into the paws of the sea dog in your life.’ – Griff Rhys Jones‘A book that had to be written’ – Let’s Talk‘People ashore don’t realise what a grim war we are waging at sea with the Germans. A cold-blooded war, in a way I think requiring the maximum of bravery from the men of both sides in the long run, as it is so ceaseless and intangible. You just don’t know whether the next moment will be your last.’ Robert Hichens, RNVSR Several years ago, Julia Jones was searching through long-forgotten items stored at her house and discovered some suitcases of old written material, which turned out to be accounts by her father of his experiences in the RNVSR (Royal Naval Volunteer Supplementary Reserve). She realised that as a child she’d met some of the people mentioned, and although she was too young to truly know them, these youthful impressions spurred her on to rediscovery and understanding. In this absorbing book Julia tells the compelling stories of the yachtsmen. Some were famous (such as Sir Peter Scott), others were wealthy (such as August Courtauld, who returned his pay to help with the war effort) but the majority were just ‘ordinary’ professionals such as publishers, lawyers and advertising agents, who signed up because they loved sailing. Few could ever have dreamed that they would end up acting in areas that were so far beyond their normal lives, as they found themselves commanding destroyers and submarines, and undertaking covert missions of sabotage. Some undertook the dangerous daily drudgery of minesweeping; others tackled unexploded bombs, engaged the enemy in high-speed attacks or played key roles in Ian Fleming’s famous intelligence commandos. This varied crew of men were given tasks vital to the war effort, requiring endurance, extraordinary bravery, resourcefulness and quick thinking. Some died in the process, but for the ones who survived, Julia asks how their experiences changed them. Could their love of sailing and the sea survive the harsh realities of war?

Uncommon Courage

Emma — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

‘An extraordinary account of heroism and sacrifice. An unexpected and important story, rivetingly told. Rip roaring stuff. Get this into the paws of the sea dog in your life.’ Griff Rhys Jones‘People ashore don’t realise what a grim war we are waging at sea with the Germans. A cold-blooded war, in a way I think requiring the maximum of bravery from the men of both sides in the long run, as it is so ceaseless and intangible. You just don’t know whether the next moment will be your last.’ Robert Hichens, RNVSR Several years ago, Julia Jones was searching through long-forgotten items stored at her house and discovered some suitcases of old written material, which turned out to be accounts by her father of his experiences in the RNVSR (Royal Naval Volunteer Supplementary Reserve). She realised that as a child she’d met some of the people mentioned, and although she was too young to truly know them, these youthful impressions spurred her on to rediscovery and understanding. In this absorbing book Julia tells the compelling stories of the yachtsmen. Some were famous (such as Sir Peter Scott), others were wealthy (such as August Courtauld, who returned his pay to help with the war effort) but the majority were just ‘ordinary’ professionals such as publishers, lawyers and advertising agents, who signed up because they loved sailing. Few could ever have dreamed that they would end up acting in areas that were so far beyond their normal lives, as they found themselves commanding destroyers and submarines, and undertaking covert missions of sabotage. Some undertook the dangerous daily drudgery of minesweeping; others tackled unexploded bombs, engaged the enemy in high-speed attacks or played key roles in Ian Fleming’s famous intelligence commandos. This varied crew of men were given tasks vital to the war effort, requiring endurance, extraordinary bravery, resourcefulness and quick thinking. Some died in the process, but for the ones who survived, Julia asks how their experiences changed them. Could their love of sailing and the sea survive the harsh realities of war?

SOE

Emma — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was one of the most innovative British creations of the Second World War. Its mission was to export resistance, subversion and sabotage to occupied Europe and beyond, disrupting the German war effort and building a Secret Army which would work in the shadows to help defeat the Nazis. Potential agents were put through intensive paramilitary and parachute training, then taught how to live clandestinely behind enemy lines, to operate radios and write in secret codes. They lived in constant fear of arrest, and of betrayal by treacherous collaborators. This book uses rare images from the collections of The National Archives and the Imperial War Museum to illustrate the lives of the men and women who made up the SOE, their rigorous training, the clever gadgets they used and their lives behind enemy lines.