In April 1916, a group of early aviators gathered in the fields beneath the crags and ramparts of Stirling Castle to form what was to become one of the Royal Air Force’s most distinguished fighter squadrons. Few squadrons can match the history of 43 Squadron which has included being the first to undertake ground attack operations during the First World War, shooting down the first enemy aircraft over England in the Second World War, and achieving the remarkable double of shooting down 6 enemy aircraft in one day in both World Wars. Its distinctive emblem of the Fighting Cock embodies the spirit and resilience of a fighter squadron that has been in the vanguard of RAF operations for almost a century. Perhaps the Fighting Cocks’ finest period occurred during the Battle of Britain when its Hurricanes destroyed 60 enemy aircraft with a further thirteen ”probables” and twenty-five more damaged. With the advent of the jet age, 43 Squadron became the first unit to fly the Hunter, seeing operational duties in Aden, before re-equipping with the Phantom until the end of the Cold War. This new edition of the Fighting Cocks’ history brings the story up to date and covers its 20 years of service with the Tornado F3, including the Gulf War, NATO operations over Bosnia, and the Iraq War. * This new edition of the Fighting Cocks’ history brings the story up to date * Few squadrons can match the history of 43 Squadron * Fighting Cock embodies the spirit and resilience of a fighter squadron that has been in the vanguard of RAF operations for almost a century

Like two roosters in a fighting arena, Haiti and the Dominican Republic are encircled by barriers of geography and poverty. They co-inhabit the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, but their histories are as deeply divided as their cultures: one French-speaking and black, one Spanish-speaking and mulatto. Yet, despite their antagonism, the two countries share a national symbol in the rooster--and a fundamental activity and favorite sport in the cockfight. In this book, Michele Wucker asks: "If the symbols that dominate a culture accurately express a nation's character, what kind of a country draws so heavily on images of cockfighting and roosters, birds bred to be aggressive? What does it mean when not one but two countries that are neighbors choose these symbols? Why do the cocks fight, and why do humans watch and glorify them?" Wucker studies the cockfight ritual in considerable detail, focusing as much on the customs and histories of these two nations as on their contemporary lifestyles and politics. Her well-cited and comprehensive volume also explores the relations of each nation toward the United States, which twice invaded both Haiti (in 1915 and 1994) and the Dominican Republic (in 1916 and 1965) during the twentieth century. Just as the owners of gamecocks contrive battles between their birds as a way of playing out human conflicts, Wucker argues, Haitian and Dominican leaders often stir up nationalist disputes and exaggerate their cultural and racial differences as a way of deflecting other kinds of turmoil. Thus Why the Cocks Fight highlights the factors in Caribbean history that still affect Hispaniola today, including the often contradictory policies of the U.S.

The literature of the Peninsular War is rich with vivid source material - letters, diaries, memoirs, and dispatches - but most of it was written by British soldiers or by the French and their allies. As a result the history and experience of the Portuguese forces - which by 1812 composed close to half of Wellington's Army - have been seriously under-represented. That is why this pioneering book, which publishes for the first time in English the after-action reports written by the commanders of Portuguese battalions, regiments and brigades, is so important. For these detailed, graphic firsthand accounts give us a fascinating insight into the vital contribution the Portuguese made to the allied army and shed new light on the struggle against the French in the Iberian Peninsula.The authors provide an introduction tracing the history of the Portuguese Army prior to the Salamanca campaign of 1812, while tracking its organizational changes and assignment of commanders from 1808 to 1814. They include detailed notes on the after-action reports which set them in the context of each stage of the conflict.

Each cocker will have a different approach and style when conditioning their gamefowls for competitions, but the goal is the same: to win. A good breeder or cocker knows what is best for his feathered warriors, and is able to acquire this learning through combined experience and science. When asked if all fighting cocks, regardless of their lineage, must undergo one and the same winning formula, he will simply smile and say: “Each lineage has its own conditioning requirements, and each bird has its own unique winning formula.” Each and every game bird has its own time of being in a pointed condition or at its peak during a certain period. So you can always take seriously this valuable advice from experts: “Fight your chickens when they're ready, and not when you're ready.” This book, therefore, aims to give you a complete understanding of how to detect the signs reflected in your roosters indicative of being in their peak fighting form, as well as give you a quick review on lineages of game birds with their corresponding fighting styles, conditioning, and pointing requirements.

This special re-print edition of the famous work "The Royal Past Time of Cock Fighting" is a facsimile of one of the earliest English language books ever written on Game Fowl and cock fighting. Written in 1709 by an individual identified only as "R.H., A Lover of the Sport," this very rare book was later reprinted in a numbered limited edition of only one hundred copies in May of 1899. This special reprint was created utilizing one of the very few surviving copies of that special 1899 facsimile edition. Subtitled "the Art of Breeding, Feeding, Fighting and Curing cocks of the Game. Published purely for the good, and benefit of all such as take delight in that Royal, and War-like Sport," this interesting historic title offers a very rare look at Game Fowl breeding and the sport of cock fighting as it was practiced in England over three hundred years ago. Note: This edition is a perfect facsimile of the original edition and is not set in a modern typeface. As a result, some type characters and images might suffer from slight imperfections or minor shadows in the page background. This book is presented as part of large series of educational material on the history and raising of numerous chicken breeds. The material presented herein contains information on the sport of cock fighting and is intended to be strictly for educational purposes with the purpose of enlightening Game Fowl breeders about the history of their breed. Publication of the material is neither an endorsement, nor a criticism of its contents.