The Military History of the Bicycle

JOHN NORRIS

When thinking of the German Blitzkrieg you imagine tanks and planes, but the reality was that horses and bicycles also played a large part. This, then, is the history of the military use of the two-wheeled transport, from evacuating wounded in WWI, to the defence of Berlin in 1945 and the Swiss Alpine units post-WWII. Most of the content is actually pre-WWII though, showing bikes being used in all kinds of conditions. There are some incredible photos, one with soldiers repairing their bikes while under artillery barrage sticks out. Not a big book, but certainly a fascinating one.

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• Pen and Sword

• ISBN 978-1-5267-6351-8

• 188 pages • Hardback • £19.99