The Military History of the Bicycle

The Military History of the Bicycle PDF

Author: John Norris

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military

Published: 2021-05-30

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 1526763540

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Almost as soon as a viable metal-framed bike was invented, it was put to military use, offering a much cheaper, less fragile and less logistically demanding alternative to horse transport. Widely used in many armies from the late 19th century, through both world wars and beyond, the bicycle really is the forgotten war machine. John Norris traces traces the development of military cycling from first experiments, including early (often flawed) designs for armed and multi-passenger versions. He explains how any why bikes were used for rapid movement of infantry units as well as carrying messages and other tasks. First used in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, then by both sides in the Boer War, they were widely adopted throughout Europe before the First World War. In the Second World War, the Japanese used over fifty thousand bicycles in the conquest of Malaya and the German army used over three million, relying on them increasingly as petrol shortages immobilized motor transport. The Allies famously made use of folding and air-dropped bikes in Operation Market Garden and in Normandy. After WW2 bikes were used extensively in Vietnam, particularly along the Ho Chi Minh trail and some European armies maintained specialist bicycle units throughout the Cold War and into the 21st century. Specialized military bikes, collapsible for use by parachutists, are still being made for Special Forces units. John Norris examines the whole history of pedal-powered warfare and illustrates it with an array of high-quality photographs.

Bicycle Troops

Bicycle Troops PDF

Author: R.S. Kohn

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2011-10-07

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1105106004

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This report presents a history of the use of bicycles for transportation by combat troops prior to World War I, during World Wars I and II, and more recently the use of bicycles in guerrilla warfare. It was developed in the Vietnam War as a special study for the Pentagon and in this edition it has been enlarged and supplemented with new materials. The armament, mobility, speed, distance, design, and load-carrying capacity of bicycles for transportation in remote areas and guerrilla warfare are discussed, The effect of terrain on the utilization of bicycles, the organization, strength, and tactics of bicycle units, and the training of combat troops using the bicycles are also considered. This volume also contains a rich trove of anecdotes of cyclists in combat and detailed training exercises for bicycle units.

The Bicycle Spy

The Bicycle Spy PDF

Author: Yona Zeldis McDonough

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Published: 2016-09-27

Total Pages: 166

ISBN-13: 0545851823

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Can Marcel make the ride of his life? Marcel loves riding his bicycle, whether he's racing through the streets of his small town in France or making bread deliveries for his parents' bakery. He dreams of someday competing in the Tour de France, the greatest bicycle race. But ever since Germany's occupation of France began two years ago, in 1940, the race has been canceled. Now there are soldiers everywhere, interrupting Marcel's rides with checkpoints and questioning.Then Marcel learns two big secrets, and he realizes there are worse things about the war than a canceled race. When he later discovers that his friend's entire family is in imminent danger, Marcel knows he can help -- but it will involve taking a risky bicycle ride to pass along covert information. And when nothing ends up going according to plan, it's up to him to keep pedaling and think quickly... because his friend, her family, and his own future hang in the balance.

Hero on a Bicycle

Hero on a Bicycle PDF

Author: Shirley Hughes

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: 2013-04-23

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 076366359X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In her first novel, beloved author Shirley Hughes presents a World War II adventure proving that in extraordinary circumstances, people are capable of extraordinary things. Italy, 1944: Florence is occupied by Nazi forces. The Italian resistance movement has not given up hope, though — and neither have thirteen-year- old Paolo and his sister, Costanza. As their mother is pressured into harboring escaping POWs, Paolo and Costanza each find a part to play in opposing the German forces. Both are desperate to fight the occupation, but what can two siblings — with only a bicycle to help them — do against a whole army? Middle-grade fans of history and adventure will be riveted by the action and the vividly evoked tension of World War II.

Around the World on a Bicycle

Around the World on a Bicycle PDF

Author: Fred A. Birchmore

Publisher: University of Georgia Press

Published: 2020-05-01

Total Pages: 464

ISBN-13: 0820357294

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This classic, once hard-to-find travelogue recalls one of the very first around-the-world bicycle treks. Filled with rarely matched feats of endurance and determination, Around the World on a Bicycle tells of a young cyclist’s ever-changing and maturing worldview as he ventures through forty countries on the eve of World War II. It is an exuberant, youthful account, harking back to a time when the exploits of Richard Byrd, Amelia Earhart, and other adventurers stirred the popular imagination. In 1935 Fred A. Birchmore left the small American town of Athens, Georgia, to continue his college studies in Europe. In his spare time, Birchmore toured the continent on a one-speed bike he called Bucephalus (after the name of Alexander the Great’s horse). A born wanderer, Birchmore broadened his travels to include the British Isles and even the Mediterranean. After a lengthy, unplanned detour in Egypt, Birchmore put his studies on hold, pointed Bucephalus eastward, and just kept going. From desert valleys to frozen peaks, from palace promenades to muddy jungle trails, Birchmore saw it all on his eighteen-month, twenty-five-thousand-mile odyssey. Some of the people he encountered had never seen a bike—or, for that matter, an Anglo-European. As a good travel experience should, Birchmore’s trip changed his outlook on strangers. Always daring, outgoing, and energetic, he now saw an innate goodness in people. In between bone-breaking spills, wild animal attacks, and privation of all kinds, Birchmore learned that he had little to fear from human encounters. That he traveled through a world on the brink of global war makes this lesson even more remarkable—and timeless.

The War on Wheels

The War on Wheels PDF

Author: Justin McCurry

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2021-06-01

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1643132814

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Experience the thrilling world of Japanese cycling and the keirin, which has evolved from post-war oddity to one of Japan's most popular and lucrative sporting events—and a must-see for the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo. The Keirin, which means "war on wheels," is now a high profile Olympic sport and attracts millions of spectators. But it's origins are humble, even strange. Like the Tour de France was originally conceived to sell newspapers, the keirin was invented in post-war Japan as a way to raise taxes on gambling. Now, over $12 billion a year is wagered on it, and its stars are primed to millions. Unlike a traditional race, a pacemaker leads eight riders up to speeds of 70kph on huge concrete velodromes, then they fight to cross the line first, with riders pushing, shoving, and crashing in the final stretch. Long associated with the working class, even the notorious yakuza crime syndicates, riders today live in blacked-out dorms, with no access to technology, to prevent bet-rigging. Their lives are ruled by ritual and competition, from their rookie days at the Mt. Fuji training camp to elite competitions that are the Japanese equivalent of the Grand National. Foreign riders sometimes compete, but rarely prosper in this intense environment, and the Olympic version is a mere child's play to the fierce environs of the velodromes in Tokyo. and Osaka, where a spectre of danger still looms. The War on Wheels explores a side of Japan we rarely see and it's uniquely fascinating sporting culture.

Bad Teeth No Bar

Bad Teeth No Bar PDF

Author: Colin Kirsch

Publisher: Uniform

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781910500927

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Everybody in the 21st century has a pet subject. Withthe rise of the internet it's easier to share our passion- Vintage collectors have benfited greatly from this.Vintage car and motorcycle enthusiasts experience theessence of 'time travel' when riding in or on a vehiclefrom 30, 50, 70 years ago. However, vintage bicycle enthusiasts can travel backeven further, to a time before cars and motorcycle wereinvented, or to 1914 when the Great War called uponcyclists to flight. Bad Teeth No Bartakes you and your bicycle to themost challenging cycling environment of all - War.100,000 British soldiers used bicycles in the Great war.Even more French and Belgians rode bikes, and theGermans used even more than anyone else. See thebikes, read the stories, and imagine how you wouldhave coped if you were one of the many patriots whoenlisted to fight for King and Country.

White Mouse

White Mouse PDF

Author: Nancy Wake

Publisher: Macmillan Publishers Aus.

Published: 2011-12-01

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 1743346379

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Nancy Wake, nicknamed 'the white mouse' for her ability to evade capture, tells her own story. As the Gestapo's most wanted person, and one of the most highly decorated servicewomen of the war, it's a story worth telling. After living and working in Paris in the 1930's, Nancy married a wealthy Frenchman and settled in Marseilles. Her idyllic new life was ended by World War II and the invasion of France. Her life shattered, Nancy joined the French resistance and, later, began work with an escape-route network for allied soldiers. Eventually Nancy had to escape from France herself to avoid capture by the Gestapo. In London she trained with the Special Operations Executive as a secret agent and saboteur before parachuting back into France. Nancy became a leading figure in the Maquis of the Auvergne district, in charge of finance and obtaining arms, and helped to forge the Maquis into a superb fighting force. During her lifetime, Nancy Wake was hailed as a legend. Her autobiography recounts her extraordinary wartime experiences in her own words.

Bicycle in a Ransacked City

Bicycle in a Ransacked City PDF

Author: Andrés Cerpa

Publisher: Alice James Books

Published: 2019-01-15

Total Pages: 70

ISBN-13: 1948579537

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

These quiet, descriptive poems blaze with an inferno of lamenting and loving muses as a son helplessly watches his father suffer from a debilitating illness. The inquisitive voice of the speaker gently paints an emotional landscape ranging from childhood to the present, while trying to find glimpses of happiness in the imminent sorrow.