Title search results
Showing 161 - 180 of 25808 items
13 Soldiers: A Personal History of Americans at War
By John McCain, Mark Salter. 2014
A personal history of war from bestselling authors John McCain and Mark Salter, told through the stories of thirteen remarkable…
American soldiers who fought in the nation’s major military conflicts, from the Revolution of 1776 through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.As a veteran himself, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and a long-time student of history, John McCain brings a distinctive perspective to the experience of war. With Mark Salter, Thirteen Soldiers tells the stories of real soldiers who personify valor, obedience, enterprise, and love. You’ll meet Joseph Plumb Martin, who at the tender age of fifteen fought in the Revolutionary War; Charles Black, a freeborn African American sailor in the War of 1812; and Sam Chamberlain, of the Mexican American War, whose life inspired novelist Cormac McCarthy. Then there’s Oliver Wendell Holmes, an aristocratic idealist disillusioned by the Civil War, and Littleton “Tony” Waller, court-martialed for refusing to massacre Filipino civilians.Each story illustrates a particular aspect of war, such as Mary Rhoads, an Army reservist forever changed by an Iraqi scud missile attack during the Persian Gulf War; Monica Lin Brown, a frontline medic in rural Afghanistan who saved several lives in a convoy ambush; and Michael Monsoor, a Navy SEAL, who smothered a grenade before it could detonate on his men in Iraq. From their acts of self-sacrifice to their astonishing valor in the face of unimaginable danger, these “inspirational accounts of thirteen Americans who fought in various wars…aptly reveal humanizing moments in such theaters of cruelty” (Publishers Weekly).This book explores Britain’s involvement in the Dhofar War of 1963-1976, focusing on the military aspects of this conflict in…
Southern Oman. It reveals how both the Conservative and Labour governments in office during this time provided military and security assistance to Oman’s rulers without parliamentary or press scrutiny. Based on archival material and witness accounts, as well as existing secondary source literature and memoirs, this study provides new insights into Britain’s clandestine embroilment in the Dhofar War, an often overlooked but historically significant intervention in the Middle East. This book will be a valuable resource for scholars and students interested in the complex and often controversial history of Britain’s involvement in Middle Eastern politics in the post-colonial period.On browsing
By Jason Guriel. 2023
A defense of the dying art of losing an afternoon—and gaining new appreciation—amidst the bins and shelves of bricks-and-mortar shops.…
Written during the pandemic, when the world was marooned at home and consigned to scrolling screens, On Browsing 's essays chronicle what we've lost through online shopping, streaming, and the relentless digitization of culture. The latest in the Field Notes series, On Browsing is an elegy for physical media, a polemic in defense of perusing the world in person, and a love letter to the dying practice of scanning bookshelves, combing CD bins, and losing yourself in the stacksWar in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals
By David Halberstam. 2015
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam chronicles Washington politics and foreign policy in post Cold War America.Evoking the internal conflicts, unchecked…
egos, and power struggles within the White House, the State Department, and the military, Halberstam shows how the decisions of men who served in the Vietnam War, and those who did not, have shaped America's role in global events. He provides fascinating portraits of those in power—Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Kissinger, James Baker, Dick Cheney, Madeleine Albright, and others—to reveal a stunning view of modern political America.The mission: Become the most skilled, highly-trained, and deadliest fighter pilots in the world. The place: TOP GUN In the…
darkest days of the Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy's kill ratio had fallen to 2:1 -- a deadly decline in pilot combat effectiveness. To improve the odds, a corps of hardened fighter pilots founded the Fighter Weapons School, a.k.a. TOP GUN. Utilizing actual enemy fighter planes in brutally realistic dogfights, the Top Gun instructors dueled their students and each other to achieve a lethal new level of fighting expertise. The training paid off. Combining the latest weaponry and technology, mental endurance, and razor-sharp instincts, the Top Gunners drove the Navy's kill ratio up to an astounding 12:1, dominating the skies over Vietnam. This gripping account takes you inside the cockpit for an adventure more explosive than any fiction -- in a dramatic true story of the legendary military school that has created the most dangerous fighter pilots the world has ever seen.The Sacred Band: Three Hundred Theban Lovers and the Last Days of Greek Freedom
By James Romm. 2021
From classicist James Romm comes a &“striking…fascinating&” (Booklist) deep dive into the last decades of ancient Greek freedom leading up…
to Alexander the Great&’s destruction of Thebes—and the saga of the greatest military corps of the time, the Theban Sacred Band, a unit composed of 150 pairs of male lovers.The story of the Sacred Band, an elite 300-man corps recruited from pairs of lovers, highlights a chaotic era of ancient Greek history, four decades marked by battles, ideological disputes, and the rise of vicious strongmen. At stake was freedom, democracy, and the fate of Thebes, at this time the leading power of the Greek world.The tale begins in 379 BC, with a group of Theban patriots sneaking into occupied Thebes. Disguised in women&’s clothing, they cut down the agents of Sparta, the state that had cowed much of Greece with its military might. To counter the Spartans, this group of patriots would form the Sacred Band, a corps whose history plays out against a backdrop of Theban democracy, of desperate power struggles between leading city-states, and the new prominence of eros, sexual love, in Greek public life.After four decades without a defeat, the Sacred Band was annihilated by the forces of Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander in the Battle of Chaeronea—extinguishing Greek liberty for two thousand years. Buried on the battlefield where they fell, they were rediscovered in 1880—some skeletons still in pairs, with arms linked together.From violent combat in city streets to massive clashes on open ground, from ruthless tyrants to bold women who held their era in thrall, The Sacred Band recounts &“in fluent, accessible prose&” (The Wall Street Journal) the twists and turns of a crucial historical moment: the end of the treasured freedom of ancient Greece.We Got Him!: A Memoir of the Hunt and Capture of Saddam Hussein
By Steve Russell. 2011
From retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steve Russell comes a compelling firsthand account of the blow-by-blow plays of the actual…
raids that led to the capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003.When U.S. forces exterminated Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on May 1, 2011, the world witnessed a brilliantly fruitful example of history repeating itself; less than a decade earlier, the capture of Saddam Hussein, a triumph of military strategy in and of itself, opened the door for the more recent and essential victory in the War on Terror. At the center of the six-month manhunt were Lt. Col. Steve Russell and his men of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. With his extensive journal notes, combat reports, and painstaking research, Russell has preserved the story as only someone who lived the experience can do. His narrative chronicles the daily successes and dead ends, and describes, blow-by-blow, the actual raids that netted Saddam, culminating in the electrifying quote heard around the globe, &“We Got Him!&”Quiet Hero: The Ira Hayes Story
By S. D. Nelson. 2006
A biography of Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian who was one of the six soldiers to raise the United States…
flag on Iwo Jima during World War II, an event immortalized by Joe Rosenthal's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph.Growing up on the Gila River Indian Reservation in Arizona, Ira Hayes was a quiet, shy boy. He never wanted to be the center of attention, and at school, he felt lonely and out of place. By the time Ira was in his late teens, World War II was raging. When the United States called its men to arms, Ira answered by joining the Marine Corps. He believed it was his duty to fight honorably for his country, and with his Marine buddies by his side, Ira finally felt as if he belonged. Eventually they were sent to the tiny Japanese island of Iwo Jima, where a chance event and an extraordinary photograph catapulted Ira to national awareness and transformed his life forever. Filled with all the patriotism and tragedy of wartime and its afteraffects, Quiet Hero is the story of one person's courage in the face of both military and personal battles. It is a poignant tribute to Ira Hayes.India has a long-standing cultural and societal affinity with gold and gold jewellery. Gold metaphorically represents the sacredness, purity and…
immortality that bind religious beliefs and culture together. Accumulation of gold is associated with material and non-material cultures where the perceptions, attitudes and experiences of the members engaged in production and consumption are bound into a complex relationship. The idea of the book initially originated from the course of research work. It was found that India has the largest unorganised jewellery industry, in terms of manufacturing and consumption unit. Jewellery fabrication in India is not just a profession for the jewellers, but it has been a family tradition extending across generations. Gold jewellery makers (sunnar, swarnakars) are the spine of the jewellery industry. They acquired the skill of making jewellery from the experienced and learned gold smithery (karigars), either from their ancestors who were engaged in this business or from the craftsmen-cum-petty traders. The co-relations of castes, religion, culture, economy and class are intertwined with each other in such a way that made the gold jewellery industry sustainable. Surprisingly, there is an absence of literature on understanding the structural and functional aspects of the gold jewellery industry in India.This book explores the roles of sunars/swarnakars (goldsmith or jewellery makers), consumers, trade and the policies that bring a change in the gold jewellery industry in India and India’s position in the global market scenario. By focusing on their way of life, the book brings unique insights into the social and economic experience of the unorganised gold jewellery sector and the role of consumers in production.The previously classified story of the eccentric researchers who invented cutting-edge underwater science to lead the Allies to D-Day victoryIn…
August 1942, more than 7,000 Allied troops rushed the beaches of Normandy, France, in an all but-forgotten landing. Only a small fraction survived unscathed. It was two summers before D-Day, and the Allies realized that they were in dire need of underwater intelligence if they wanted to stand a chance of launching another beach invasion and of winning the war.Led by the controversial biologists J. B. S. Haldane and Dr. Helen Spurway, an ingenious team of ragtag scientists worked out of homemade labs during the London Blitz. Beneath a rain of bombs, they pioneered thrilling advances in underwater reconnaissance through tests done on themselves in painful and potentially fatal experiments. Their discoveries led to the safe use of miniature submarines and breathing apparatuses, which ultimately let the Allies take the beaches of Normandy.Blast injury specialist Dr. Rachel Lance unpacks the harrowing narratives of these experiments while bringing to life the men and women whose brilliance and self-sacrifice shaped the outcome of the war, including their personal relationships with one another and the ways they faced skepticism and danger in their quest to enable Allied troops to breathe underwater.The riveting science leading up to D-Day has been classified for generations, but Chamber Divers finally brings these scientists&’ stories—and their heroism—to light.Bundeswehr und Gesellschaft - Wahrnehmungen im Wandel (Militär und Sozialwissenschaften/The Military and Social Research #57)
By Martin Elbe, Angelika Dörfler-Dierken. 2024
Das Buch erscheint als Band 57 der Reihe Militär und Sozialwissenschaften/The Military and Social Research, herausgegeben von Martin Elbe und…
Angelika Dörfler-Dierken im Auftrag des Arbeitskreises Militär und Sozialwissenschaften (AMS). Anlässlich des 50. Jahrestages des AMS fand eine Tagung in Kiel zum Thema „Bundeswehr und Gesellschaft – Wahrnehmungen im Wandel" statt. Das vorliegende Buch fasst die dort vorgestellten Beiträge zum Thema zusammen und ergänzt diese um ausgewählte Beiträge. Das Thema wird von zahlreichen Professorinnen und Professoren, Praktikern aus dem BMVg und von Forschenden aus unterschiedlichen Forschungseinrichtungen beleuchtet sowie von der Wehrbeauftragten des Deutschen Bundestages kommentiert. Wandlungspotenziale und -bedarfe werden ebenso deutlich wie Kontinuitätsmuster.Mightier Than the Sword: Civilian Control of the Military and the Revitalization of Democracy
By Alice Hunt Friend. 2024
The civilian role in managing the military has never been more important. Today, civilian leadership of defense policy is challenged…
by the blurring line between war and competition and the speed of machine decision-making on the battlefield. Moreover, the legitimacy of political leaders and civil servants has been undermined by a succession of foreign policy failures and by imbalances of public faith in the military on the one hand and disapproval of civilian institutions on the other. A central question emerges: What does appropriate and effective civilian control of the military look like? Combining scholarly expertise and firsthand civilian experience in the Department of Defense, Friend argues that civilians combine authoritative status, institutional functions, and political expertise to ensure that democratic preferences over the use of force prevail. Friend focuses on the ways political context shapes whether and how civilian controllers—the civilians in professional and institutional positions with the responsibility for defense matters—exercise control over the military and each other. Mightier Than the Sword provides insights that enrich civil-military relations scholarship, as well as lessons aimed at revitalizing American democracy.Tuft the World: An Illustrated Manual to Tufting Gorgeous Rugs, Decor, and More
By Tiernan Alexander, Tim Eads. 2024
A visual how-to guide on the craft of tufting rugs, home decor, and more from the duo behind Tuft the…
World, the tufting company that has helped launch and educate a new generation of tufters.Tuft the World is an easy-to-follow and beautifully illustrated guide to tufting, whether you’re creating your first project or are a seasoned tufter. Brought to you by the preeminent experts in the machine-tufting field, this detailed crafting guide shows you, through step-by-step instructions and 175 full-color photographs, how to create contemporary, stylish, and enjoyable machine-tufted rugs, clothes, and objects. Within these pages, you'll learn about:Tufting machines, materials, and techniquesWorkspace setupHow to create projects from start to finish, including everything from a bathmat, bedside rug, shawl collar, or chair slipcover to a picture frame, sculptural work of art, or stunning tufted cat tree!Contemporary rug artists and their designsThe history of tufting and some of the women and men whose inventions brought the craft to lifeAnd moreUnlike online videos about tufting, this book is a long-lasting reference showcasing the versatility and creativity of the craft by the experts—a highly accessible, thorough, and enriching guide. Included throughout are sidebars on the historical context for amateur and professional rug-making in America and spotlights on current tufting makers.This much-needed companion introduces and expands knowledge for the many new and experienced tufters interested in the booming craft of machine-tufted rugs and decor. Inspiring and simple to follow, this book is sure to make a tufter out of anyone.The Hunt: The True Story of the Secret Mission to Catch a Taliban Warlord
By Andy McNab. 2022
From master storyteller Andy McNab, this is the opening book in an adventure-filled and action-packed new series telling, for the…
first time ever, the true stories of Special Forces missions. 'McNab's first major non-autobiographical work of non-fiction ... The operation is told like a novel [...] and it is as refreshingly informal and compellingly immediate as his other books' Daily Express'Part history lesson, part military manual, part fixed-bayonets thriller. A must for Special Forces fans' The SunIt is the early 2000s and 9/11 is fresh in the world's memory. The Taliban have taken over Afghanistan, and armed militants and explosive devices are terrorising the people. And now a new threat is emerging in the country: suicide bombings, ordered by military commander of the Taliban, Mullah Dadullah.Special Forces are sent in to stop him.The Hunt is the thrilling story of the secret mission to catch Dadullah, one of the most dangerous men alive. Using classified sources and his unique insight into the way the SAS works, Andy McNab gives a page-turning account of what it took the Special Forces to find their target and what they would have to do to take him down.An explosive story of hostage negotiations, undercovers missions and a final, epic assault on Dadullah's compound that could leave only one side alive, The Hunt is a powerful retelling of a real-life Special Forces mission.Railway Security: Protecting Against Manmade and Natural Disasters
By Richard R. Young, Gary A. Gordon, Jeremy F. Plant. 2018
This book provides an overview and assessment of the security risks, both manmade and natural, facing the railways and rail…
networks.Railroads face significant threats from disasters, but with situational awareness and coordinated effort these can often be substantially minimized. Transportation assets have always been vulnerable to natural disasters, but in the current environment these assets are also a preferred target of human-caused disruption, especially in the form of terrorism, as the events in many other parts of the world have underscored. Railways are not a homogeneous mode of transportation given their various roles in intercity and commuter passenger movement, as well as being a major portion of the freight ton-miles upon which the U.S. economy is highly dependent. Designed to provide advice for railway owners and first responders, this text discusses how to secure hazardous material transport and how to establish guidelines for rail freight operations and rail passenger operations. The book aims to develop an understanding of the unique operating characteristics of railways, the nature and the range of vulnerabilities, the present means for protecting the infrastructure, and the public policy initiatives that are prerequisite for developing a comprehensive appreciation of the magnitude of this issue. The book utilizes case studies of transport disasters to illustrate lessons learned and to provide critical insight into preventative measures.This book will be of great interest to students and practitioners of transportation, technology and engineering, and security management.My First Knitting Book: Easy-to-Follow Instructions and More Than 15 Projects (Dover Crafts: Knitting)
By Hildegarde Deuzo. 2015
If you want to learn to knit, you only need a ball of yarn, knitting needles, some patience — and…
this book! It's the ideal introduction to knitting, with easy-to-follow, full-color instructions for more than fifteen projects. Clear, step-by-step explanations of basic techniques make this guide great for beginners of all ages, especially those wishing to create handmade gifts. An introduction explains the how-to of knitting, from holding the needles and yarn to casting on, basic stitches, and finishing touches. Patterns start out as simple as can be and gradually become more challenging, although by no means difficult. Readers can advance from bracelets, hair ornaments, and pocketbooks to scarves and hats, in addition to a charming variety of household decorations.The revolution in military recruitment advertising to people of color and women played an essential role in making the US…
military one of the most diverse institutions in the United States. Starting at the dawn of the all-volunteer era, Jeremiah Favara illuminates the challenges at the heart of military inclusion by analyzing recruitment ads published in three commercial magazines: Sports Illustrated, Cosmopolitan, and Ebony. Favara draws on Black feminism, critical race theory, and queer of color critique to reveal how the military and advertisers affected change by deploying a set of strategies and practices called tactical inclusion. As Favara shows, tactical inclusion used representations of servicemembers in the new military to connect with people susceptible to recruiting efforts and rendered these new audiences vulnerable to, valuable to, and subject to state violence. Compelling and eye-opening, Tactical Inclusion combines original analysis with personal experience to chart advertising’s role in building the all-volunteer military.El único libro que necesitarás para aprender y dominar todas las técnicas para coser a mano y a máquina.El gran…
libro de la costura expone paso a paso y con gran riqueza de detalles y fotografías todas las técnicas: pinzas, lorzas, pliegues, dobladillos, bolsillos, ojales, cremalleras y muchas más.Las fotografías de las herramientas muestran el mejor equipo para cada labor y garantizan que sabrás exactamente cómo usarlas.25 proyectos acompañados de patrones te permitirán aplicar tus conocimientos de costura para elaborar prendas de vestir y ropa para el hogar.Un libro de referencia ideal para personas que desean comenzar, personas que desean expandir su repertorio de técnicas y profesores.The acclaimed combat historian and author of The Unknowns details the history of the Marbleheaders and their critical role in…
the Revolutionary War. On the stormy night of August 29, 1776, the Continental Army faced annihilation after losing the Battle of Brooklyn. The British had trapped George Washington&’s army against the East River, and the fate of the Revolution rested upon the soldier-mariners from Marblehead, Massachusetts. One of the country&’s first diverse units, they pulled off an &“American Dunkirk&” and saved the army by navigating the treacherous river to Manhattan. At the right time in the right place, the Marbleheaders, a group of white, black, Hispanic, and Native American soldiers, repeatedly altered the course of events, and their story shines new light on our understanding of the American Revolution. As historian Patrick K. O&’Donnell recounts, beginning nearly a decade before the war started, Marbleheaders such as Elbridge Gerry and Azor Orne spearheaded the break with Britain and helped shape the United States through governing, building alliances, seizing British ships, forging critical supply lines, and establishing the origins of the US Navy. The Marblehead Regiment, led by John Glover, became truly indispensable. Marbleheaders battled at Lexington and on Bunker Hill and formed the elite Guard that protected George Washington, foreshadowing today&’s Secret Service. Then the special operations–like regiment, against all odds, conveyed 2,400 of Washington&’s men across the ice-filled Delaware River on Christmas night of 1776, delivering the surprise attack on Trenton that changed the course of history . . . The Marbleheaders&’ story, never fully told before now, makes The Indispensables a vital addition to the literature of the American Revolution.Praise for The Indispensables&“Perfectly paced and powerfully wrought, this is the story of common men who gave everything for an ideal—America. The product of meticulous research, The Indispensables is the perfect reminder of who we are, when we need it most.&” —Adam Makos, author of the New York Times bestseller A Higher Call&“O&’Donnell&’s gift for storytelling brings the once famous regiment back to life, as he takes readers from the highest war councils to the grime and grit of battle.&” —Dr. James Lacey, author of The Washington War&“Comprehensive . . . Revolutionary War buffs will delight in the copious details and vivid battle scenes.&” —Publishers Weekly&“A vivid account of an impressive Revolutionary War unit and a can&’t-miss choice for fans of O&’Donnell&’s previous books.&” —Kirkus ReviewThe Barque of Saviors: Eagle's Passage from the Nazi Navy to the U.S. Coast Guard
By Russell Drumm. 2001
The &“remarkable story&” of a tall ship&’s history in WWII and beyond—and the sailors who have inhabited it, both German…
and American (Booklist). Hamburg, 1936: A splendid three-masted sailing ship is christened Horst Wessel in the presence of Adolf Hitler and thousands of cheering Nazis. It would become a training vessel for naval officers during World War II—but after Germany&’s defeat, the US Coast Guard found its young crew terrified and half starved. The Coast Guardsmen brought the Germans, so recently their mortal enemies, back to life; the Germans, in return, taught them the ways of the beautiful square-rigged ship, rechristened Eagle. In time, Eagle would become the Coast Guard&’s elite school ship—the barque of saviors. Uncannily linking Eagle&’s malign past and its American present is a coast guardsman named Karl Dillmann, who believes the spirit of a young German sailor drowned in a U-boat explosion inhabits his soul. The voices of Dillmann and other crew members are heard throughout the book, as are the voices of young sailors on the Horst Wessel. Russell Drumm has obtained never-before-published logbooks from its war years, affording fascinating new insights into both the ship&’s everyday life and its moments of high drama. This unique piece of maritime history captures the feeling of life at sea, and shows how the courage and sacrifice of the &“greatest generation&” are alive and well today in the dedicated members of the US Coast Guard. &“Tall ships cast spells, and Drumm catches the witchery of the Eagle&’s overpowering presence.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“The reader becomes familiar with the cadets of various eras . . . The book also offers a rare look at postwar military cooperation and at the integration of female cadets beginning in the 1970s.&” —Publishers Weekly