New Small Garden

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Lucas Phillips, C. E.

Gardening & Landscape Design

Harpercollins Publisher

‘A deed of glory intimately involved in high strategy’ Winston Churchill\nA vivid account of the famous St Nazaire Raid that demonstrates the sheer bravery of the British Commandos and the Royal Navy. An essential read for fans of James Holland, Ant Middleton and Cornelius Ryan.\nSt Nazaire, 1.22 a.m. 28 March 1942.\nHMS Cambeltown, supported by seventeen wooden motor launches, approached the German-held port intending to smash into the lock gates of the largest dock in the world, the Normandie Dock — Operation Chariot was in full swing.\nAgainst vicious Nazi gunfire the commandos stormed the docks and within half an hour succeeded in their chief demolition objectives but in the heat of battle the Royal Navy had lost nearly all of its small vessels intended to carry them back to England. With their route home closed off the men were forced to fight through the town in a bid to escape German forces.\nC. E. Lucas Phillips’ The Greatest Raid of All draws upon numerous British, French and German eyewitness reports to uncover the astounding true story of one of the most daring attacks of World War Two in which no fewer than five Victoria Crosses were awarded.\n‘Exciting and moving account of a great epic’ Observer\n‘Having been associated with practically all combined operations, from two-man raids to the planning for Normandy, I have no hesitation in saying that the finest and most profitable of the lot was your raid on St Nazaire.’ Lord Mountbatten to Lieutenant Charles Newman\n‘told with clarity, precision, and its share of the famous British understatement.’ Kirkus Reviews

The Greatest Raid of All: Operation Chariot and the Mission to Destroy the Normandie Dock at St Nazaire (Daring Military Operations of World War Two)

History

Military

Sapere Books

‘Quite the best detailed story of that great battle I have ever read … a superb book’ Field Marshal Montgomery\nThe perfect book for those who enjoy the work of James Holland, Ian W. Toll and Anthony Beevor.\nThe Second Battle of El Alamein was a crucial turning point in the Second World War.\nIn the words of Winston Churchill: ‘It may almost be said: “Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein, we never had a defeat”.’\nHow had Bernard Montgomery and the Eighth Army been able to turn back the might of Rommel’s Axis forces?\nAlamein uncovers the actions of Allied and Axis forces before and during the ferocious battle in vivid detail. It explains who the commanders were, what forces they had, how they were arranged and what strategies were used by both sides to try to defeat their enemies.\nC. E. Lucas Phillips fought in the battle as a commander of one of Montgomery’s regiments. Yet, his account is not simply that of an eyewitness, instead, using a variety of personal and official sources, he provides a thorough overview of the conflict.\n‘Absorbing and inspiring’ Daily Telegraph\n‘He has drawn upon a considerable body of personal diaries, letters, narratives and interviews from which come significant details.’ Army Magazine\n‘A crisply written account of the action that turned the tide of war in North Africa in 1942.’ Military Review\n‘this is an excellent and possibly definitive work.’ Kirkus Reviews

Alamein (Major Battles of World War Two)

Africa

A magnificent study of four key figures who shaped the history of Britain through the years of the Civil War and the Commonwealth,Oliver Cromwell is one of the most important figures of British history, yet without the influence and support of John Hampden, Phillip Skippon, Robert Blake, and John Lambert, his mark upon history would have been greatly reduced.The book begins with Cromwell’s cousin, John Hampden, setting the scene of the Civil War and exploring how this high-souled political patriot became an instrumental figure in opposing King Charles. C. E. Lucas Phillips then focuses on Skippon, the archetypal Puritan soldier who led the centre of the New Model Army at the Battle of Naseby, followed by Blake, the naval genius who was second only to Nelson and finally Lambert, the chief architect of one of the most important constitutional documents of this country.Lucas Phillips’ authoritative book provides an original perspective on the Cromwellian epoch, uncovering the lives of these four men who have been overshadowed by Cromwell and their Cavalier opponents, but who were remarkable leaders that deserve to be restored to their rightful positions in the pantheon of great Englishmen.“good reading and good history” The American Historical Review

Cromwell's Captains: Four Great Englishmen (Uncovering the Seventeenth Century)

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

An astounding account of one of the most audacious commando raids of the Second World War.\nPerfect for fans of books by Paddy Ashdown, James Holland and Ben Mcintyre.\nIn December 1942, five two-man canoes were launched from a submarine off the coast of German-occupied France.\nThe aim of these ten commandos was to paddle over ninety miles from the Bay of Biscay up the Gironde estuary to Bordeaux in order to plant limpet mines on merchant ships supplying the Nazi forces.\nAlthough this operation, which had taken months to prepare for, was a strategic success it came at a huge cost: only two commandos survived the raid, six were executed after they were captured and two died from hypothermia.\nC. E. Lucas Phillips’ book, which was written in close collaboration with one of the surviving Cockleshell heroes, Herbert ‘Blondie’ Hasler, provides fascinating insight into this daring assault, from planning right through to the thrilling escape of Hasler and his number two, Bill Sparks, with the help of the French Resistance.\n‘A legendary wartime exploit… the outstanding commando raid of the war. You can’t stop reading’Observer\n‘As a story of human courage, the story of the Cockleshell Heroes will live for generations’ Manchester Evening News\n‘The account of this operation brings out the spirit of adventure always present in peace and war among Royal Marines. It emphasizes the tremendous importance of morale — pride in oneself and one’s unit — and what a big part physical fitness plays in creating this morale. It also stresses the need for careful detailed planning of operations.’ Lord Mountbatten

Cockleshell Heroes: The Most Courageous and Imaginative Commando Raid of World War Two (Daring Military Operations of World War Two)

Leaders & Notable People

A stirring account of one of the bravest and most effective units in the fight against Japan in World War Two.\nIdeal for readers of James Holland, E. B. Sledge and James H. Hallas.\nBy 1942 Guam, Wake Island, Hong Kong, the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, Malaya, Singapore, and Burma had all fallen to Japanese forces.\nOn the Burmese-Indian border the Allies began their fight back, but to do so they needed to know the movements of the Japanese military.\nV Force, under the leadership of Major Denis Holmes, was created as a reconnaissance, intelligence-gathering, and guerrilla organisation to become the eyes and ears of the Allied military.\nWorking with 3rd Commando Brigade, the 81st West African Brigade, and the support of local population, Holmes and his men were able to gather information and strike behind enemy lines. Their daring was remarkable, their information usually of exemplary accuracy and their speed instant.\nC. E. Lucas Phillips uses Holmes’ own diary along with memoirs of various combatants to provide insight into these unconventional heroes, their impressive courage, and how their exhilarating exploits allowed the Allied forces to turn the tide against Japanese aggression.\n‘It is time the story of their heroism was told, so that they may never be forgotten, and Brigadier Lucas Phillips has told it uncommonly well… I welcome this exciting book.’ from the Foreword by The Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG

The Raiders of Arakan: V Force and the Battle for Burma in World War Two (Daring Military Operations of World War Two)

Asia

A clear and compelling account of the brutal battle of Kohima that swung the balance of the Burma Campaign in World War Two.\nAn ideal book for readers of Max Hastings, Anthony Beevor and Jonathan Dimbleby.\n‘Sieges have been longer but few have been more intense and in none have the defenders deserved greater honour than the garrison of Kohima.’ Field Marshal the Viscount Slim\n‘The valiant defence of Kohima against enormous odds was a fine episode.’ Winston Churchill\nFor a fortnight in April 1944 Lieutenant-General Sato threw nearly the whole force of his division towards the Kohima Ridge. Against them stood a tiny force of one thousand five hundred British and Indian troops.\nHow were these Allied forces able to hold back the attack from over ten thousand Japanese soldiers? And what happened over the course of these long and bloody weeks?\nC. E. Lucas Phillip's book uncovers not only the personal experiences of the men who fought in this battle but also the political, geographical and military position of the Burma campaign, leading up to and following the siege.\n‘A beau geste story of staggering courage and fortitude — of a scratch force facing and defeating a whole Japanese division in a battle for a narrow strip of mountainous ground barely a mile long. When the Siege of Kohima was raised the gaunt and ragged garrison of 1,500 had suffered 600 casualties… a vivid, thrilling account of a battle that was truly a springboard to victory.’ Yorkshire Post\n‘C. E. Lucas Phillips has a thrilling story to tell, and no one could fail to respond to it.’ Punch\n‘A lucid, exciting account, blow-by-blow, agony by agony; illuminated by shining courage.’ Irish Times\nSpringboard to Victory: The Burma Campaign and the Battle for Kohima is a thorough study of one of the most brutal conflicts of the Burma campaign during World War Two. It should be essential reading for anyone interested in history of the war in the Pacific.

Springboard to Victory: The Burma Campaign and the Battle for Kohima (Major Battles of World War Two)

An extraordinary history of the most heroic actions of World War Two. Perfect for readers of Ant Middleton, Damien Lewis and Ben MacIntyre.\nThe Victoria Cross is the British military’s highest and most prestigious award. During the course of World War Two, one hundred and eighty two Victoria Crosses were awarded for valour ‘in the presence of the enemy’ to men who fought on land, at sea and in the air.\nAlthough these medals are usually associated with individual acts of heroism, C. E. Lucas Phillips uncovers the extraordinary battles in which multiple Victoria Crosses were won.\nFrom Crete to Burma, the Atlantic to North Africa, Lucas Phillips explores the daring exploits of Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, Gurkhas and Britons as they performed courageous acts that saw them, often posthumously, awarded with the highest honour.\nVictoria Cross Battles of the Second World War chronicles not just the heroic actions themselves but also provides insight into the wider battles and war, utilising first-hand evidence to graphically depict these extraordinary moments that punctuated the long, brutal conflict.\n‘The author brings a tenseness to his narrative which enables the reader to live through the experiences he describes’ RUSI Journal\n‘A serious and lively contribution to military history’ Times Literary Supplement

Victoria Cross Battles of the Second World War (Daring Military Operations of World War Two)

The astounding true story of the ordeal and escape of the British frigate Amethyst from Chinese Communist batteries in the Yangtze River in April 1949.\nIdeal for readers of Giles Milton, Maurice Buckmaster and Ben Macintyre.\nIn the early morning of 20th April 1949, HMS Amethyst was fulfilling orders to travel to Nanking to stand guard for the British Embassy during the height of the Chinese Civil War when she was fired upon by guns from the riverbank.\nShells pounded into the ship, killing the commanding officer and destroyed the bridge before the ship grounded on the bank.\nHow did the Amethyst escape the battering of Chinese Communist guns?\nC. E. Lucas Phillips’s Escape of the Amethyst was written with the full assistance of Commander J. S. Kerans, DSO RN, who took over control of the Amethyst, and utilises a wealth of Admiralty records, much of which was previously classified as Secret, to provide a vivid account of this extraordinary moment in the history of the Royal Navy.\n‘An easy winner for sheer excitement’ New Statesman\n‘It is a great and unique story, and no one could record it more skilfully than C. E. Lucas Phillips, whose book on the Royal Marines’ war-time raid on Bordeaux harbour, Cockleshell Heroes, has become a bestseller.’ RUSI Journal\nAn ‘epic in the history of the Navy’ Admiral Sir Patrick Brind, Commander-in-Chief Far East Fleet.\nThe escape captured the imagination of the world and the ship received the following message from H.M. King George VI: ‘Please convey to the commanding officer and ship's company of H.M.S. Amethyst my hearty congratulations on their daring exploit to rejoin the Fleet. The courage, skill and determination shown by all on board have my highest commendation. Splice the mainbrace.’

Escape of the Amethyst

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Books by Lucas Phillips, C. E.