With the proclamation of the Armistice, the whole territory that included Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the Provinces of Ljubljana and Istria, considered of vital importance for the communication lines and for the supply of the German Army in Italy, was absorbed by the Reich, under the jurisdictional form of the so-called Zone of Operations of the Adriatic Coast (O.Z.A.K.). The government of the R.S.I. attempted to restore its authority in the O.Z.A.K. even in the military field, but German interference was always fierce. The reconstituted Legions of the M.V.S.N. were prevented to join the G.N.R. and the Germans imposed on these units the denomination of Territorial Defense Militia (Milizia Difesa Territoriale M.D.T.), formally part of the G.N.R., but autonomous in the reality. The M.D.T. was configured as a "Landschutz", that is a defense unit of the territory. In parallel, the Prefect Coceani and the Podestà Pagnini promoted the establishment of a self-defense unit, the Civic Guard, in Trieste, an example followed in other cities in the region.

After the Armistice and the consequent German occupation of the Julian regions, which were in fact annexed to the German Reich with the creation of the Zone of Operations of the Adriatic Coast, the German military authorities decreed the establishment of territorial self-defense units, formed by Italian, Slovenian and Croatian citizens, to flank the German units in the fight against the partisan phenomenon. The Landschutz was thus organized, an ethnically based corps, which had to “contribute to the maintenance of order and security”, and was formally established by Supreme Commissioner Rainer on October 1, 1943. In the varied panorama of units created during the war with non-German personnel, not enough importance has ever been given to these small units of Territorial Defense, and this volume attempts to provide as in-depth an analysis as possible of the life of the Landschutz.

The popular image of the Japanese tanks which faced the markedly superior tanks fielded by the Allies during the Second World War is one of poorly armed and armoured Lilliputian tin cans which failed to make any impression upon the battlefield. In this absorbing new history, David McCormack looks beyond widely held and unchallenged misconceptions to create a new narrative in which Japan's rightful place as a leading innovator in tank design and doctrine is restored. Why did Japan produce tanks in such limited numbers? What contribution did Japanese tanks make to the war effort? Why did it take Japan so long to develop heavier tanks capable of meeting the Allies on more equal terms? Drawing from primary and secondary sources, the author's meticulous research provides the reader with an objective appraisal of both the successes and failures of the Empire of the Sun's tank forces.

The twelfth-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes is a major figure in European literature. His courtly romances fathered the Arthurian tradition and influenced countless other poets in England as well as on the continent. Yet because of the difficulty of capturing his swift-moving style in translation, English-speaking audiences are largely unfamiliar with the pleasures of reading his poems. Now, for the first time, an experienced translator of medieval verse who is himself a poet provides a translation of Chrétien’s major poem, Yvain, in verse that fully and satisfyingly captures the movement, the sense, and the spirit of the Old French original. Yvain is a courtly romance with a moral tenor; it is ironic and sometimes bawdy; the poetry is crisp and vivid. In addition, the psychological and the socio-historical perceptions of the poem are of profound literary and historical importance, for it evokes the emotions and the values of a flourishing, vibrant medieval past.

‘KUMBA AFRICA’, is a compilation of African Short Stories written as fiction by Sampson Ejike Odum, nostalgically taking our memory back several thousands of years ago in Africa, reminding us about our past heritage. It digs deep into the traditional life style of the Africans of old, their beliefs, their leadership, their courage, their culture, their wars, their defeat and their victories long before the emergence of the white man on the soil of Africa. As a talented writer of rich resource and superior creativity, armed with in-depth knowledge of different cultures and traditions in Africa, the Author throws light on the rich cultural heritage of the people of Africa when civilization was yet unknown to the people. The book reminds the readers that the Africans of old kept their pride and still enjoyed their own lives. They celebrated victories when wars were won, enjoyed their New yam festivals and villages engaged themselves in seasonal wrestling contest etc; Early morning during harmattan season, they gathered firewood and made fire inside their small huts to hit up their bodies from the chilling cold of the harmattan. That was the Africa of old we will always remember. In Africa today, the story have changed. The people now enjoy civilized cultures made possible by the influence of the white man through his scientific and technological process. Yet there are some uncivilized places in Africa whose people haven’t tested or felt the impact of civilization. These people still maintain their ancient traditions and culture. In everything, we believe that days when people paraded barefooted in Africa to the swarmp to tap palm wine and fetch firewood from there farms are almost fading away. The huts are now gradually been replaced with houses built of blocks and beautiful roofs. Thanks to modern civilization. Donkeys and camels are no longer used for carrying heavy loads for merchants. They are now been replaced by heavy trucks and lorries. African traditional methods of healing are now been substituted by hospitals. In all these, I will always love and remember Africa, the home of my birth and must respect her cultures and traditions as an AFRICAN AUTHOR.