London, 15 September 1940. The air battle over Britain on that day saw two of the most advanced fighter planes, the British Supermarine Spitfire and the German Messerschmitt Bf 109, battle for supremacy of the skies.

The Decisive Duel: Spitfire vs 109

History

Isby, David

Military

ABACUS +

Armies of the Warsaw Pact

Janes Information Group

Text by David Isby. Colour plates by Ron Volstad. This book examines Soviet forces in Afghanistan. The origins and conduct of the war and the operational organisation of Soviet forces are discussed. Afghan resistance and weaponry is also examined. A comprehensive study of both sides in the Afghan war.

Russia’s War in Afghanistan (Men-at-Arms, 178)

Asia

Osprey_Publishing

Little,Brown

An illuminating history of modern Afghanistan: the story of a country caught in a vortex of terror. Veteran defense analyst and Afghanistan expert David Isby provides an insightful and meticulously researched look at the current situation in Afghanistan, her history, and what he believes must be done so that the US and NATO coalition can succeed in what has historically been known as “the graveyard of empires.” Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world with one of the lowest literacy rates. It is rife with divisions between ethnic groups that dwarf current schisms in Iraq, and all the groups are lead by warlords who fight over control of the drug trade as much as they do over religion. The region is still racked with these confrontations along with conflicts between rouge factions from Pakistan, with whom relations are increasingly strained. After seven years and billions of dollars in aid, efforts at nation-building in Afghanistan has produced only a puppet regime that is dependent on foreign aid for survival and has no control over a corrupt police force nor the increasingly militant criminal organizations and the deepening social and economic crisis. The task of implementing an effective US policy and cementing Afghani rule is hampered by what Isby sees as separate but overlapping conflicts between terrorism, narcotics, and regional rivalries, each requiring different strategies to resolve. Pulling these various threads together will be the challenge for the Obama administration, yet it is a challenge that can be met by continuing to foster local involvement and Afghani investment in the region. 20 black-and-white illustrations

Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires: A New History of the Borderland

Pegasus Books

A startling history of modern Afghanistan: the story of a country caught in a vortex of terror. Veteran defense analyst and Afghanistan expert David Isby provides an insightful and meticulously researched look at the current situation in Afghanistan, her history, and what he believes must be done so that the US and NATO coalition can succeed in what has historically been known as “the graveyard of empires.” Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world with one of the lowest literacy rates. It is rife with divisions between ethnic groups that dwarf current schisms in Iraq, and all the groups are lead by warlords who fight over control of the drug trade as much as they do over religion. The region is still racked with these confrontations along with conflicts between rouge factions from Pakistan, with whom relations are increasingly strained. After seven years and billions of dollars in aid, efforts at nation-building in Afghanistan has produced only a puppet regime that is dependent on foreign aid for survival and has no control over a corrupt police force nor the increasingly militant criminal organizations and the deepening social and economic crisis. The task of implementing an effective US policy and cementing Afghani rule is hampered by what Isby sees as separate but overlapping conflicts between terrorism, narcotics, and regional rivalries, each requiring different strategies to resolve. Pulling these various threads together will be the challenge for the Obama administration, yet it is a challenge that can be met by continuing to foster local involvement and Afghani investment in the region. This paperback edition includes a new 2011 afterword by the author.

The Luftwaffe and the War at Sea: As Seen by Officers of the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe

Europe

Greenhill Books/Pen & Sword Books Ltd.

The C-47 units of the USAAF were an integral part of some of the most dramatic episodes of World War II (1939-1945): the airborne assaults in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, southern France, Operation Market Garden and the crossing of the Rhine. The mass fratricide off Sicily, the night drop for D-Day and the Bastogne supply missions are also covered, along with more typical accounts of training, formation flying, airdrops and casualty evacuation missions. This book details an aircraft that remains a popular favourite and an acknowledged design classic, carrying out missions every bit as strategically important and as dramatic for the aircrew as those of the fighters and bombers.

C-47/R4D Units of the ETO and MTO (Combat Aircraft, 54)

C-47 is an aircraft that remains a popular favourite and an acknowledged classic design, carrying out missions every bit as strategically important and as dramatic for the aircrew as those of the fighters and bombers. The C-47's wartime operations paved the way for post-war military air transport. It also demonstrated how the USAAF was able to invest in and carry out a mission that it had not devoted much time to preparing for in terms of pre-war doctrine (in contrast to strategic bombing). In addition to linking theatres (by flying across 'the Hump'), it showed how vital it was to operations within a theatre like New Guinea. Even if massed airborne invasions were not carried out in the PTO/CBI, all air arms need transports like the C-47.

C-47/R4D Skytrain Units of the Pacific and CBI (Combat Aircraft, 66)

Step onto the battlefield and immerse yourself in the experience of real historic combat. Designed for the battlefields of Europe at the height of the Cold War, the M60 and T-62 were the premier combat tanks of their day. However, it was in the deserts of the Middle East that they finally met in battle. This new Duel title examines the design and development of these main battle tanks, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and describing and analyzing their performance on the battlefield during the Yom Kippur War, the Iran-Iraq War, and the first Gulf War. Included are color photographs, cutaway artwork, and original illustrations by Richard Chasemore. It's a must-read for fans of the evolution of armored warfare.

M60 vs T-62: Cold War Combatants 1956–92 (Duel, 30)

Nordeen, Lon

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Isby, David. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Isby, David

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Isby, David. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Decisive Duel: Spitfire vs 109

Armies of the Warsaw Pact

Russia’s War in Afghanistan (Men-at-Arms, 178)

The Decisive Duel: Spitfire vs 109

Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires: A New History of the Borderland

Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires: A New History of the Borderland

The Luftwaffe and the War at Sea: As Seen by Officers of the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe

C-47/R4D Units of the ETO and MTO (Combat Aircraft, 54)

C-47/R4D Skytrain Units of the Pacific and CBI (Combat Aircraft, 66)

M60 vs T-62: Cold War Combatants 1956–92 (Duel, 30)