MLRS Books are offering free postage on orders from now to the end of August.

From their announcement:

There will be no postage charges on orders received from now to 31 August.

Please note that on 9 September we move into new premises, and will not be printing that day or on 10 September only. However you can still order and telephone - the telephone number and email addresses will not change.

by Bob Barnetson

In May 2008, Osprey Publishing released Alexander the Great at War. Written by Ruth Sheppard, this 256-page, hard-backed book is an edited collection, drawing material from 19 earlier Osprey titles to present a full picture of Alexander, his origins, campaigns and death.

Initial Impressions
This is a weighty and rather pretty book, deviating from the starker approach Osprey has taken to hardback compilations of previously released material on WW2. The book is full colour throughout, with many pictures, maps, and illustrations drawn from earlier Ospreys. In comparison to the rather Spartan-looking extant sources (e.g., Loeb library) and the academic books I’ve read on Alexander in the past, this is a marked improvement.
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Black Library have posted details of their upcoming Tales of the Heresy short story compilation.

From their website:

When Horus the Warmaster rebelled against the Emperor, the ensuing civil war nearly destroyed the Imperium. War raged across galaxy, pitting Astartes against their battle-brothers in a struggle where death was the only victor.

This collection features stories of heroism and tragedy set during this turbulent time, by star Horus Heresy authors Dan Abnett, Graham McNeill, James Swallow and more.

Black Library have posted details of their latest 40K novel, Assault on Black Reach.

From their website:

The companion novel to the Warhammer 40,000 boxed game Assault on Black Reach tells the story of how the 2nd Company of the Ultramarines, commanded by Captain Sicarius, prosecuted war against the greenskin invaders and their warlord Zanzag.

When the planet of Black Reach is invaded by a mighty ork horde, the Ultramarines must act fast. If the orks gain a foothold in the system, they could spread, and threaten the entire sector. As the Ultramarines attack in their righteous fury, the scene is set for a classic battle – one hundred Space Marines versus fifty thousand orks.

Black Library has announced the upcoming release of a new 40K Blood Angels book titled Red Fury.

From their website:

Following the tragic events that led the Blood Angels to the brink of civil war, the Chapter’s strength has been badly depleted. The Blood Angels must act, and act quickly, before their enemies learn of their weakness and attack. With tempers flaring, and mutants running wild on their homeworld, can the Blood Angels and their successor Chapters put aside their rivalries and rebuild the Chapter before it is too late?

Red Fury is the next instalment in the popular Blood Angels series from The Flight of the Eisenstein author James Swallow.

MLRS Books have announced the reprint of four of their Battlefield Tour books.

From their announcement:

We are very pleased to announce that we are about to reprint four of the BAOR Battlefield Tours - Directing Staff Editions. These are as follows:

• Operation BLUECOAT (Guide price £35.00)
• Operation PLUNDER (Guide price £45.00)
• Operation TOTALIZE (Guide price £45.00)
• Operation VERITABLE (Guide price £45.00)

They will be complete reprints including the extra material contained in the DS editions, of which very few were published.
Prices are not fixed yet, but anyone ordering them between now and publication date (an email to reserve copy/copies is enough) will get delivery postage free.

We will be announcing the other three DS editions when they are ready.

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Osprey Publishing have announced several new releases for July 2008.

• Modelling Scale Figures (Osprey Modelling 42)
• The Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592-98 (Campaign 198)
• Imperial Japanese Navy Battleships 1941-45 (New Vanguard 146)
• Infantry Tactics of the Second World War (General Military)
• Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan (Elite 163)

Casemate Publishing has announced the availability of a new book: Defeat of Rome in the East. This book provides information on Crassus, the Parthians, and the Disastrous Battle of Carrhae, 53 BC.

The Fall catalogue for Casemate publishing is now available in both flash player and PDF formats (direct links).

by Bob Barnetson

In March 2008, Casemate Publishing began distributing Gunboat Command: The Biography of Lieutenant Commander Robert Hitchens. Written by Hitchens’ son, Antony Hitchens, Gunboat Command provides a thorough account of the development of motor gunboat (MGB) combat in the English Channel from 1939 to Hitchens’ death in 1943. Gunboat Command retails for $50 US.
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One lucky online shopper at Pen and Sword Books may get their order for free.

From their announcement:

Since our launch in October, we have sold nearly £100,000 of books. To celebrate this and to thank you all for your support, we would like to run a competition.

Whoever places the order that makes the £100,000 will receive their order for free. It doesn’t matter how much you spend or where you live, we will provide your order for nothing.

To take advantage of this, please visit the site and place your order in the usual way. Whoever ‘wins’ will have the total amount of their order credited back on to their credit/debit card. We are very close to the £100,000 mark, so order now to be in with a chance of getting your order for free.

Black Library have announced two new upcoming novels set in GW’s 40K and Warhammer universes.

Battle for the Abyss Ben Counter : £6.99 : Aug 08 UK, Sept 08 USA
The eighth exciting instalment the bestselling Horus Heresy series. Now that news of Horus’s treachery is in the open, a time of testing has come. Some Legions have already declared their allegiance to the Warmaster, while the loyalty of others lies firmly with the Emperor.

As Horus deploys his forces, loyalist Astartes learn that a massive Wordbearers fleet is heading to Ultramar, home of the Ultramarines.

The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade : Vol 1 Dan Abnett, Mike Lee : £9.99 : Aug 08 UK, Sept 08 USA
Omnibus edition containing three highly popular Warhammer novels. Even amongst the dark elves Malus Darkblade stands out for his treachery and cunning. Having been possessed by the ancient daemon Tz’arkan, Malus is faced with a stark choice – recover five items of unimaginable power within one year or forfeit his soul for ever.

Catalyst Game Labs have announced a plan to bring back the classic BattleTech books to stores.

From their website:

Catalyst Game Labs announces the return of novels for Classic BattleTech, MechWarrior, and Shadowrun. The re-launch of these perennial lines will include an amazing selection of authors—including New York Times’ Bestselling Author Michael A. Stackpole.

“The triumphant return of three of the most seminal adventure gaming book lines heralds a great next step for all the brands,” David M. Stansel-Garner, Operations Manager for Catalyst Game Labs said. “We’re really excited to bring these novels back to thousands of eager fans who have been waiting patiently for their return.”

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Leaping Horseman Books have announced the release of their latest WWII Eastern Front title, Turning Point.

From their announcement:

Rarely do Westerners gain an understanding of the Russian perspective of the battle. While a flurry of translated memoirs by senior commanders like Zhukov and Chuikov in the 1960s and 1970s provided a higher level point-of-view, very little has been reported in English about how the fighting affected ordinary Russian soldiers and civilians. Retired Colonel Anatoli Venediktovich Kozlov, a participant in the battle and section chairman of Volgograd city’s veterans’ council, realised it was imperative to record the accounts of the few remaining veterans before time inevitably claimed them all. Glasnost has enabled these veterans to provide a more candid account of their experiences than if they had been interviewed during the Communist era. Kozlov’s wish was for this book to be available to Westerners… and now it is.

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Black Library have announced that extracts of their first audiobook are now available for free download. They also note that the audiobooks are selling out fast.

From their announcement:

We have already sold over half our allocation for the webstore and stock in Games Workshop stores is also selling quickly. Make sure you don’t miss out on your copy by ordering now.

Black Library have announced that they are taking pre-orders for their first audio book.

From their announcement:

Now available to preorder is the first ever Black Library audiobook. The 75 minute CD is of the two Horus Heresy short stories that appeared in our Games Day 2007 mini-book, The Lightning Tower and The Dark King – by Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill respectively.

The stories are read by Danny Webb, well known as the prisoner Morse in Alien 3, he’s appeared in the popular BBC series Dr Who and most recently as Mack Carter in ITV’s Honest.

The audiobook will only be available through Games Workshop UK and Northern European stores and directly from the Black Library website. It goes on sale this Saturday, the 14th June. Supplies are limited, so if you want one, don’t leave it too late.

MLRS Books have added two new original titles to their library of historical books.

From their announcement:

We occasionally have the chance to publish what is essentially new material, and this is one of those occasions. Two books (one is strictly a reprint, but of a limited edition, privately published title) which are detailed below:

A Canloan Officer by Rex Fendick
The story of a Canadian Officer on loan to the British Army in the Second World War who served with the Middlesex Regiment as a machine gun officer. The book is a personal account of the war operations of Rex Fendick, the Canadian of the title, and who fought non-stop from D-Day through to the German surrender. On his way to Germany his Vickers guns supported many operations and the story is told in detail in his book. We are particularly proud at MLRS for having been given permission to reprint this very interesting story, and we are sure that our readers will enjoy what is a very good read. Includes a detailed appendix on the Vickers Medium Machinegun.

344 pages, photographs and maps. £35.00

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Black Library have announced three upcoming new books.

Curse of the Necrarch Steven Savile : £6.99 : Jul 08 UK, Aug 08 USA
Gruesome horror from the author of the von Carstein trilogy.
Feared and reviled, the reclusive Necrarch vampires lurk in their lairs, engrossed in mad experiments and dreams of depraved glory.

When one of these foul creatures invades an Empire town and slaughters its inhabitants, its knight protector, the ageing hero Reinhardt Metzger swears vengeance. Gathering an army, he leads his men to the vampire’s castle for an epic confrontation against the forces of evil.

Planetkill Nick Kyme, Lindsey Priestley : £6.99 : Jul 08 UK, Aug 08 USA
Short stories on the theme of planetary destruction.
These tales of total war are scribed by fan favourites such as a new Ultramarines story by Graham McNeill along with up and coming new talent to really get the adrenaline pumping.

Angels of Darkness Gav Thorpe : £6.99 : Jul 08 UK, Aug 08 USA
New edition of the classic novel by Gav Thorpe.
The Dark Angels are devout servants of the Imperium, but a secretive nature has led some to question their motives. They harbour a dark secret that stretches back over ten thousand years.

Casemate publishing has announced the release of One Continuous Fight - the retreat from Gettysburg and the pursuit of Lee’s army in northern Virginia. They also note that the Maps of Gettysburg is back in stock.

Osprey Publishing have announced several new book releases today.

From their announcement:

• Syracuse 415-413 BC: Destruction of the Athenian Imperial Fleet (Campaign 195)
• Gazala 1942: Rommel’s greatest victory (Campaign 196)
• Swords and Scimitars: The Crusades (Field of Glory 4)
• The Confederate Army 1861-65 (6): Missouri, Kentucky & Maryland (Men-at-Arms 446)
• The Forts of Judaea 168 BC-AD 73: From the Maccabees to the Fall of Masada (Fortress 65)
• The Forts of New France in Northeast America 1600-1763 (Fortress 75)
• Victory vs Redoutable : Ships of the line at Trafalgar 1805 (Duel 9)
• M3 Medium Tank vs Panzer III: Kasserine Pass 1943 (Duel 10)
• Soviet MiG-15 Aces of the Korean War (Aircraft of the Aces 82)
• Jagdverband 44: Squadron of Experten (Aviation Elite Units 27)
• Hell in the Pacific: The Battle for Iwo Jima
• The Enemy Within: A History of Spies, Spymasters and Espionage

By Bob Barnetson

In 2006, Histoire & Collections published an English translation of Jean-Philippe Dallies-Labourdette’s German-language book S-Boote: German E-boats in action, 1939-1945. This book is being distributed through Casemate Publishing in North America. It retails for $37.95 USD.

This 176-page hard-back book provides a comprehensive illustrated history of German schnellboote (“fast boats”), called E-boats (“enemy boats”) by the British. The book includes combat in the Atlantic, Baltic and Mediterranean during WW2. Accessing a history of torpedo boats based on German sources is a nice addition to the literature, which has typically been based on British and American memoirs and documents.
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Casemate publishing has announced the following new book releases:

• The Battle of Essling - Austria, May 1809
• Life’s too short to cry - The compelling story of a Battle of Britain ace
• Kriegsberichter Franz Roth

MLRS Books have announced the release of ten new titles today.

From their announcement:

Ten new titles today (more to come).

• From the US Command and General Staff College:
• Defeat at Kasserine
• The destruction of the Abbey at Monte Cassino
• German special operations in the Ardennes 1944
• Eben Emael
• 50 Div in Normandy

plus

• German fuses (World War I) - published 1918 so comprehensive
• M4A1 tank manual 1941

and an exceptionally good and comprehensive two volume history of the war between Germany and Russia from the US Centre of Military History - with lots of maps and plenty of detail. Plus Assault Division - the British Third Division in training and action on and after D-Day.

Casemate publishing has announced the release of a new reference title: Day of the Panzer, by Jeff Danby.

From the announcement:

This is a rarely detailed “you are there” account of World War II combat, describing a brief but bloody tank/infantry action in August 1944. Based on six years of research-drawing from interviews, primary documents, and visits to the battlefield-”The Day of the Panzer” transports the reader into the ranks of L Company, 15th Regiment, Third Infantry Division, and its supporting M4s of the 756th Tank Battalion as they grapple head-on with the Wehrmacht.

Rapid Fire! have updated their German Tank Units on the Russian Front 1941 to 1942 booklet.

From their website:

Richard has updated and added to his original ‘Real Units’ booklet. Now with full colour graphic orbats by Colin (and lots of photos to illustrate the units). 38 pages and only available in pdf format. The Download is available to buy via our bookshop’ page. Check out a sample page (PDF link).

Black Library have announced three new upcoming Games Workshop novels.

From their announcement:

The Killing Ground by Graham McNeill : £16.99 : Jun 08 UK, Jul 08 USA
The Ultramarines are back in this storming new novel from Graham McNeill, author of the Ultramarines Omnibus.
In the nightmare universe of Warhammer 40,000, no servants of the Imperium are more dedicated than the Ultramarines, who follow the teachings of the legendary Codex Astartes to the letter.

Having escaped from the Eye of Terror, Uriel Ventris and Pasanius now face an epic journey through a hostile universe in their quest to get home to Ultramar to safety and redemption.

Runefang by C.L. Werner : £6.99 : Jun 08 UK, Jul 08 USA
A mighty undead horde lays waste to the state of Wissenland. As the Imperial troops are pushed remorselessly back, the count and his advisors come up with a desperate plan – to find the missing Solland runefang.

Blood Angels: The Omnibus by James Swallow : £9.99 : Jun 08 UK, Jul 08 USA
In this two-book sequence, author James Swallow brings the Blood Angels Chapter to life.
In an epic story of heroism, corruption and betrayal, battle-brothers Rafen and Arkio find themselves pitted against each other in a battle for the very soul of the chapter.

Osprey Publish has announced the following new book releases.

• Immortal Fire: Greek, Persian and Macedonian (Field of Glory 3)
• Liberation of Paris 1944:Patton’s race for the Seine (Campaign 194)
• Tudor Warships (1): Henry VIII’s Navy (New Vanguard 142)
• Griffon Spitfire Aces (Aircraft of the Aces 81)
• Native American Code Talker in World War II (Warrior 127)
• World War II Desert Tactics (Elite 162)
• The US Army in the Vietnam War 1965-73 (Battle Orders 33)
• Brushes and Bayonets: Cartoons, sketches and paintings of World War I
• Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare
• Tools of Violence: Guns, Tanks and Dirty Bombs

by Bob Barnetson

In April 2008, Osprey Publishing released New York 1776: The Continentals’ first battle. Written by David Smith and illustrated by Graham Turner, this addition to Osprey’s Campaign series provides a useful examination of the British campaign to seize New York in the late summer and autumn of 1776. This was an important campaign in the American War of Independence (AWI), with battles such as Long Island, Harlem Heights and White Plains making for good games. This book is priced at $19.95 USD or $22.95 CDN.

Osprey’s Campaign books are often used by wargamers to develop scenarios or campaigns. This title has significant appeal to gamers because it contains a useful narrative of the campaign highlighting the strategic mistakes made by both George Washington and William Howe. It also offers five maps (three 3-D and two 2-D) of battles suitable for scenario development.
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Black Library have posted a downlodable preview of the Ben Counter’s Battle for the Abyss novel that continues the Horus Heresy line of 40K novels.

From their website:

Now that news of Horus’s treachery is in the open, a time of testing has come. Some Legions have already declared their allegiance to the Warmaster, while the loyalty of others lies firmly with the Emperor. As Horus deploys his forces, loyalist Astartes learn that a massive Wordbearers fleet is heading to Ultramar, home of the Ultramarines. Unless they can intercept the fleet, and destroy the mighty battleship that has been sent to reinforce it, the Ultramarines may suffer a blow from which they will never recover.

Black Library have announced several new 40K and Warhammer fiction titles that are now available for pre-order.

From their announcement:

Brothers of the Snake by Dan Abnett : £6.99 : May 08 UK, Jun 08 USA
New from BL All-out war starring the Iron Snakes Space Marines.
In the grim darkness of the 41st Millennium, the Space Marines are the supreme defenders of humanity, the Emperor’s ultimate shock troops. The Iron Snakes Chapter has sworn a pledge to protect the Reef Stars from ruin. Brothers of the Snake follows Sergeant Priad and the Damocles Squad as they battle to preserve humanity against myriad foes.

Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill : £6.99 : May 08 UK, Jun 08 USA
The must-read Chaos novel from Ultramarines author. Hell has come to Hydra Cordatus, for a massive force of terrifying Iron Warriors have invaded the planet and lain siege to its mighty imperial citadel. What prize could possibly be worth so much savage bloodshed and destruction?

Knight Errant by Anthony Reynolds : £6.99 : May 08 UK, Jun 08 USA
For Bretonnia! For Honour! The noble knights of Bretonnia are bound by duty and honour to fight for their king, and defend their lands from invaders.