Wednesday 19 February 2014

In the Mind's Eye: The Blinded Veteran's of St Dunstan's - David Castelton

Title: In the Mind's Eye: The Blinded Veteran's of St Dunstan's

Author: David Castelton
ISBN: 978-1-78159-347-9
Hardcover
Pages: 175
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Photo's: 30 b/w
 
The tragedy of war manifests itself in many ways but one of the most devastating and isolating for the soldier has to be the loss of sight; for many the primary interaction with the world around them. David Castelton has written a gripping account of how the right man in the right place resulted in a profound paradigm shift for both the victim soldiers and the society around them regarding the very nature of blindness and its limitations. The story of Arthur Pearson (himself blind) and his success at creating a rehabilitation program for victims of war blindness is a testament to the quality and vision of the man; and his legacy continues today as the Blind Veteran's UK charity. Well written and researched and worthy of a read.
 
The information presented was written by Chris Buckham; however, it was published in Soldier Magazine. Therefore, the material is reproduced here by the author with the permission of the magazine. If you would like to republish this information or refer to excerpts please contact the Assistant Editor Soldier Magazine (rclark@soldiermagazine.co.uk). Website for the Magazine is: http://www.army.mod.uk/soldier-magazine/soldier-magazine.aspx

The War of the Three Gods - Peter Crawford



Title: The War of the Three Gods 
Author: Peter Crawford
ISBN: 978-1-84884-618-0
Hardcover
Pages: 256
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Photos: 25 // 44 maps
 
Peter Crawford has produced an outstanding work looking at a subject that has not been investigated in a great deal of depth, namely the impact of the ongoing conflict between the empires of Eastern Rome and Persia. Specifically, how the fighting weakened both to the point where the forces of Islam were able to take full advantage of the power vacuum and rise to dominance. Tracing the intricacies of Eastern warfare and politics from the sixth century to the mid-seventh century, Crawford traces the decline of the traditional powers and the rise of a religiously based successor. Drawing upon a plethora of primary and secondary source material he has crafted an eminently readable and enjoyable book. 
 
The information presented was written by Chris Buckham; however, it was published in Soldier Magazine. Therefore, the material is reproduced here by the author with the permission of the magazine. If you would like to republish this information or refer to excerpts please contact the Assistant Editor Soldier Magazine (rclark@soldiermagazine.co.uk). Website for the Magazine is: http://www.army.mod.uk/soldier-magazine/soldier-magazine.aspx