Press Release

February, 2012

Mig 3 Aces: The MiG-1/3 family of fighters was built to satisfy a Soviet Air Force requirement for an advanced, fast, high-altitude fighter. Entering service in the spring of 1941, the problematic MiG-1 had its handling issues rectified with the hasty production of the MiG-3. Many of these were destroyed on the ground when the Germans launched Operation Barbarossa. Nevertheless, enough examples survived to allow pilots such as Stepan Suprun and Aleksandr Pokryshkin to claim a number of victories in the type. This book tells the complete story of the men who made ace in the first examples of the famous MiG fighter. Aircraft of the Aces 102; Khazanov; 96 pages.

US Marine Corps Tanks: During World War II, the US Marine Corps formed six tank battalions that battled through the harsh conditions of the Pacific Theater. Using the same basic tanks as the US Army, notably the M3 and M5A1 light tanks and the M4 Sherman medium tank, the marines made both technical and tactical innovations to make them more effective in the fight against the Japanese. Deep wading equipment, flamethrower tanks, and even wooden armor all became part of the Marine arsenal. This book examines the tactics and technology that made the US Marine Corps tank service unique in the annals of warfare. New Vanguard 186; Zaloga; 48 pages.

Tomahawks & Muskets: In 1758, at the height of the French and Indian War, British Brigadier General John Forbes led his army on a methodical advance against Fort Duquesne, French headquarters in the Ohio valley. As his army closed in, he sent the 77th Highlanders on a reconnaissance in force against the fort. The French, alerted to this move, launched their own counter-raid. 500 French and Canadians, backed by 500 Indian allies, ambushed the highlanders and sent them fleeing back to the main army. With the success of that operation, the French planed their own raid against the English encampment at Fort Ligonier, less than fifty miles away. This book tells the complete story of these ambitious raids and counter-raids, giving in-depth detail on the forces, terrain, and tactics. Raid 27; Chartrand; 80 pages

Lee-Enfield Rifle: The Lee-Enfield is one of the 20th century's most recognizable and longest-serving military rifles. It was adopted by the British Army in 1895 and was only replaced by the L1A1 SLR in 1957. It saw combat from the Boer War onwards, and thousands are still in use today; it is estimated that 17 million have been produced. Soldier's recollections of the rifle are overwhelmingly affectionate (it was known as the Smellie); today it remains a very popular target rifle for competitive shooting, and modern copies are being manufactured to meet demand. Features first-hand accounts, brand-new full-color artwork and close-up detail photographs, this is the story of the Lee-Enfield, the innovative, reliable and long-lived rifle that equipped British and other forces through the world wars and beyond. Weapon 17; Pegler; 80 pages.

Plataea: Plataea was one of the largest and most important land battles of pre-20th century history. Close to 100,000 hoplite and light-armed Greeks took on an even larger barbarian army that included elite Asian cavalry and infantry, foreign troops from as far away as India, and even thousands of Greeks fighting on the Persian side. At points in the several days of combat, the Persians with their greater mobility and missile tactics came close to breaking the Greek defensive line and succeeded in cutting off their supplies. But, in a fatal gamble when he nearly had the battle won, their general Mardonius committed the cream of his infantry to close-quarters combat with the Spartans and their Peloponnesian allies. A detailed reconstruction of this complex battle drawing on recent studies of hoplite warfare and a fresh reading of the ancient texts, predominantly Herodotus, and close inspection of the battlefield. Campaign 239; Shepherd; 96 pages