Featured battle : Seige/Battle of Belgrade

Part of Austro-Turkish War 1716-1718

Date : 29 June 1717 - 21 August 1717

After a series of successful encounters with the Turks the Austrians under Prince Eugene laid seige to the largest Ottoman fortress in the Balkans. The garrison put up a spirited defence which gave the Turks time to bring up a large relief army. Although with his army seriously depleted by disease Eugene gambled on attack. The tactic was successful and, with the relieving army destroyed, a few days later the city surrendered.

A Spy in the Sky

Kenneth B Johnson
Subtitled "A Photographic Reconnaissance Spitfire Pilot in WWII", this is as it seems, a memoir of a PR pilot. But it's more than just that. Johnson was a young airman volunteer, who knew only that he didn't want to be drafted into the army to face terror and death on the battlefield. So as soon as he was old enough he volunteered for the RAF thinking he'd spend the war sweeping out hangars. Somehow he ended up being chosen for NCO aircrew, showed an aptitude and volunteered for Spitfires, albeit unarmed ones! This led to him being in almost suicidal situations flying from North African airfields over the Med in unarmed, barely serviceable aircraft deep into enemy territory. It is a touching book, written in his own words, about how poorly he was treated as an 'other rank' in an officer's world. Even after he received his commission, he felt no acceptance and his health suffered as a result. This book fills in a valuable gap, exploring a very different viewpoint of Spitfire flying and is to be recommended.
Pen & Sword Air World, Yorkshire, 2019