The Armed Forces of Aden 1839-1967

Authors	Cliff Lord & David Birtles
Publisher	Helion & Company
ISBN #	1-874622-40-x
On-line Merchant	Helion & Company

* Publication date: April 2000 Cover Notes

In January 1839 Captain S.B. Haines of the Indian Marine, the East India Company's Navy, occupied Aden.

Possessing a magnificent natural harbour at the junction of the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, Britain recognised its strategic importance and thus began a period of British rule which lasted until 29th November 1967.

This book presents a detailed record of the armed forces raised in Aden and the Protectorate during British rule. It features new information relating to Turkish military activity on the Yemen border in 1902, and the confrontation between the Turkish and British forces in WWI.

Special attention has been paid to the multiplicity of Arab units. All units are listed alphabetically, whilst many are also featured in scores of previously unpublished photos showing the men, their uniforms, equipment, insignia and medals.

A number of detailed appendices provide a historical overview, listings of British & Indian units which served in Aden during 1914-18, 1939-45 and 1964-67 and information on the medals and awards of South Arabia. The Armed Forces of Aden fills a long- standing gap in the military history of both Britain and Aden, providing readers with a work of real historical and specialist value.MORE

Reviews

Dave Smart rated this book Average
Unfortunatley, I did not take note of the details of this book before I purchased it for £33 including P&P. After i ordered it, I was reading an article about about 'coffee table' books and thought i hope the book i have just ordered is not one of these. I was not disappointed, this book consists of
just over 100 pages of A5. the details of the various regiments are good, but for pure reading, it is not value for money. It took just over 2 hours to read and for the price, someone is making a killing. i appreciate the research that has gone into the book, but this still does not justify the cost.

Alan Cole rated this book Good
Unlike the previous account above, I ordered this book through the local library. The price on this book is on the high side I would agree, the cover shows the cost at £29.95 nett. If you are looking for the history of Aden from a different perspective then, this is the book for you. A lot of research has been obtained which is why it is in my opinion, worth the read but to buy the book, no.

However, some discussion to justify the comments are made to substantiate and quantify previous comments. This book aims to cover Aden from its first capture in 1839, it details the units which have taken part in the skirmishes and campaigns which have taken part of one sort or another until 1967. Whilst the material has been kept brief, it does at least go someway towards providing some history and understanding of where and how the troubles came about. It is for this reason that I found the book fascinating.

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