History of War

From the conquering legions of Ancient Rome to the thunderous tank battles of World War II and beyond, History of War takes you deeper inside the minds of history’s fighting men, further under the bonnets of some of the world’s most devastating war machines, and higher above the battlefield to see the broad sweep of conflict as it happened.

Welcome

CONTRIBUTORS

WAR IN FOCUS

FRONTLINE THIS MONTH IN HISTORY: SEPTEMBER • In this issue’s Frontline: how human intel operations are in peril from AI, the RAF’s new nuclear capability, Russia’s submarine threat, the Cambodia-Thailand conflict, and how Ukrainians use smartphones to win battles

RAF RETURNS TO NUCLEAR • Nearly 30 years after giving them up, the RAF is poised to reacquire air-dropped nuclear weapons

CAMBODIA vs THAILAND ROOTS OF THE BORDER WAR • July 2025’s clashes are the latest in a long frontier conflict that has gone unresolved, from the era of warrior kings to smart bombs

PHONES ON THE FRONTLINE • In modern conflicts, smartphones have become an essential tool for civilians and soldiers

THE END OF THE SPY? • Human intelligence is a dying art, but it is still crucial for security agencies worldwide

PUTIN’S SUBMARINE FLEET • From the Cold War to modern operations, the threat beneath the waves has been steadily building, and could be about to escalate

SUBSCRIBE TODAY & SAVE 50%*

PATH TO HIROSHIMA • At the climax of fighting in the Pacific, the USA revealed its ultimate weapon and ushered in a new era of warfare

FIREBOMBING TOKYO • The devastating attack on Japan’s capital set a terrible new precedent for aerial mass destruction

THE MANHATTAN PROJECT’S SUPPLY CHAIN • Oppenheimer’s Los Alamos Laboratory drew from research and materials gathered in over 30 locations across the USA, Canada and UK

PAUL TIBBETS

SILVERPLATE B-29 SUPERFORTRESS • Enola Gay and Bockscar were far from ordinary B-29s

HERSEY’S HIROSHIMA • One intrepid reporter’s iconic work continues to shape perceptions of nuclear warfare

STALIN’S BLITZKRIEG • In the final month of WWII, the Red Army launched a devastating strike into Manchuria, opening a new front with Japan and threatening invasion of the Home Islands

OPERATION AUGUST STORM TIMELINE

FLYING INTO HISTORY ENOLA GAY • The first atomic bomb was dropped on Japan by an American B-29 bomber, preceding the country’s capitulation in WWII. Here navigator Theodore Van Kirk recalls his experience of the day that changed history

COUNTDOWN TO DESTRUCTION

TASK FORCE GREMLIN • At the end of WWII the Japanese Imperial Army Air Force was conscripted into the Royal Air Force in Southeast Asia

HEROES OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR DREW DIX • As the Tet Offensive raged, this US Special Forces staff sergeant led an intrepid group to rescue personnel trapped in the town of Chau Phu, South Vietnam

APPOMATTOX • Greatly outnumbered and nearly surrounded, Confederate General Robert E Lee nonetheless decided to launch an attack in what would be his final battle

OPERATOR’S HANDBOOK HAWKER TYPHOON • The failed high-altitude fighter that proved crucial to the liberation of Europe as a deadly ground-attack aircraft

SAME QUALITY MAGAZINE… NEW DIGITAL OFFER • Active History of War subscribers can now read our digital archives on IOS or Android devices, with over 80 full issues available at the flick of a switch*

HOME FRONT

BUILDING A FUTURE ARMY • Sir Barney White-Spunner discusses his latest book Nations in Arms, in which he analyses how five armies across centuries have found success on and off the battlefield, and helped shape Europe

MUSEUMS & EVENTS • New and established museums get National Lottery funding, and...