Marshal Blucher, the fearless Prussian commander who saved the day at Waterloo in 1815 told the Duke of Wellington that he was pregnant with an elephant that had been sired by a French soldier. Strange But True Military Facts is a remarkable compendium of such little-known anecdotes from military history. Divided into themed chapters that cover commanders, actions on the battlefield, military blunders, the logistics of warfare, and the history of weaponry, the book tells the stories that are often overlooked. It also contains information boxes throughout that provide the reader with intriguing, thought-provoking and unfamiliar, but true, facts from the annals of warfare, such as the eighteenth-century machine gun that could fire square and round bullets. Quirky yet stimulating, Strange But True Military Facts is a must for all those who want to know more about the real stories behind military history and a great present for any military buff. AUTHOR: Steve Crawford is a former intelligence office with the Ministry of Defence. He studied for a BA in history and international relations and was awarded an MPhil in military history from the University of York (subject: Royalist cavalry in the English Civil War). Since 1990 he has been a writer on defence issues and military history. He has written nine books on military history subjects. SELLING POINTS: ? Fascinating compilation of off-beat military facts and figures ? Revealing study of battlefield myths throughout history, how they came about and grew ? Curious facts about generals and admirals, from the insane to the very short ? Combines essential information with fascinating trivia ILLUSTRATIONS Colour b/w illustrations
