Writing at the time of Napoleon's greatest campaigns, Prussiansoldier and writer Carl von Clausewitz created this landmarktreatise on the art of warfare, which presented war as part of acoherent system of political thought. In line with Napoleon's ownmilitary actions, he illustrated the need to annihilate the enemyand make a strong display of one's power in an 'absolute war'without compromise. But he was also careful to distinguish betweenwar and politics, arguing that war could only be justified whendebate was no longer adequate, and that if undertaken, its aimshould ultimately be to improve the wellbeing of the nation.

Now in paperback—the “amazing”( James Bradley, New York Timesbestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers) never-before-told storyof the greatest escape of the Second World War. In 1944 the OSS set out to recover more than 500 downed airmentrapped behind enemy lines in Yugoslavia. Classified for over halfa century for political reasons, the full account of thisunforgettable story of loyalty, self-sacrifice, and bravery is nowbeing told for the first time.

In this well-written and well-researched social history F.R.Cowell succeeds in making Life in Ancient Rome alive and dynamic.The combination of acute historical detail and supplementaryillustrations makes this book perfectly suited for the studentpreparing to explore the classics, as well as the tourist preparingto explore twentieth-century Rome. Lucid and engaging, Life InAncient Rome is for anyone seeking familiarity with the greatnessthat was Rome.

For nineteenth-century Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt, theItalian Renaissance was nothing less than the beginning of themodern world - a world in which flourishing individualism and thecompetition for fame radically transformed science, the arts, andpolitics. In this landmark work he depicts the Italian city-statesof Florence, Venice and Rome as providing the seeds of a new formof society, and traces the rise of the creative individual, fromDante to Michelangelo. A fascinating de*ion of an era ofcultural transition, this nineteenth-century masterpiece was tobecome the most influential interpretation of the ItalianRenaissance, and anticipated ideas such as Nietzsche's concept ofthe 'Ubermensch' in its portrayal of an age of genius.

The Chronicles of Froissart (1337-1410) are one of thegreatest contemporary records of fourteenth-century England andFrance. Depicting the great age of Anglo-French rivalry from thedeposition of Edward II to the downfall of Richard II, Froissartpowerfully portrays the deeds of knights in battle at Sluys, Crecy,Calais and Poitiers during the Hundred Years War. Yet they are onlypart of this vigorous portrait of medieval life, which also vividlydescribes the Peasants' Revolt, trading activities and diplomacyagainst a backdrop of degenerate nobility. Written with the samesense of curiosity about character and customs that underlies theworks of Froissart's contemporary, Chaucer, the Chronicles are amagnificent evocation of the age of chivalry.

The Greek statesman Polybius (c.200 - 118 BC) wrote his accountof the relentless growth of the Roman Empire in order to help hisfellow countrymen understand how their world came to be dominatedby Rome. Opening with the Punic War in 264 BC, he vividly recordsthe critical stages of Roman expansion: its campaigns throughoutthe Mediterranean, the temporary setbacks inflicted by Hannibal andthe final destruction of Carthage. An active participant of thepolitics of his time as well as a friend of many prominent Romancitizens, Polybius drew on many eyewitness accounts in writing thiscornerstone work of history.

Ammianus Marcellinus was the last great Roman historian, andhis writings rank alongside those of Livy and Tacitus. The LaterRoman Empire chronicles a period of twenty-five years duringMarcellinus' own lifetime, covering the reigns of Constantius,Julian, Jovian, Valentinian I, and Valens, and providing eyewitnessaccounts of significant military events including the Battle ofStrasbourg and the Goth's Revolt. Portraying a time of rapid anddramatic change, Marcellinus describes an Empire exhausted byexcessive taxation, corruption, the financial ruin of the middleclasses and the progressive decline in the morale of the army. Inthis magisterial depiction of the closing decades of the RomanEmpire, we can see the seeds of events that were to lead to thefall of the city, just twenty years after Marcellinus' death.

On General Douglas MacArthur's orders, a force of 12,000 U.S.Marines were marching north to the Yalu river in late November1950. These three regiments of the 1st Marine Division--strung outalong eighty miles of a narrow mountain road--soon found themselvescompletely surrounded by 60,000 Chinese soldiers. Despite beinggiven up for lost by the military brass, the 1st Marine Divisionfought its way out of the frozen mountains, miraculously takingthier dead and wounded with them as they ran the gauntlet ofunceasing Chinese attacks. This is the gripping story that Martin Russ tells in hisextraordinary book. Breakout is an unforgettable portrayal of theterror and courage of men as they face sudden death, making thebloody battles of the Korean hills and valleys come alive as theynever have before. "Magnificent . . . [Russ] seamlessly weaves the stories of manymen, units and battles, day and night, into a coherentpicture."--Chicago Tribune "Engrossing . . . Vivid, at times

Pausanias's (c. 143-176) account of every Greek city andsanctuary includes historical introductions and a record of localcustoms and beliefs. This volume describes southern Greece,including Olympia, Sparta, Arcadia, and Bassae

A brilliantly sunny day, and then the explosion; on what hadbeen an ordinary weekday, there is suddenly fire, smoke, confusion,bodies, panic... On May 7, 1915, the ocean liner Lusitania was struck by aterrifying new weapon-and became a casualty of a terrible new kindof war. This is a vivid account of the event that shocked theworld; of the heyday of the luxury liner and the first days of themodern submarine; a critical chapter in the progress of World WarI; and a remarkable human drama. With first-person survivoraccounts and a cast of characters ranging from Winston Churchilland Alfred Vanderbilt to the crew of the German U-boat thattorpedoed a ship full of civilians, this is a true tale of terrorand tragedy, of heroism and miraculous survival.

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the beginning of theAmerican Civil War. This well-rounded selection of Abraham Lincoln's finest speechescombines the classic and obscure, the lyrical and historical, andthe inspirational and intellectual to present a historical arcmarking periods of the Civil War-crisis, outbreak, escalation,victory, and Reconstruction. Addressing the conflict's multipleaspects-the issue of slavery, state versus federal power, themeaning of the Constitution, civic duty, death, and freedom-thiselegant keepsake collection will make a wonderful inspirationalgift for professed Lincoln fans, Civil War buffs, and lovers ofrhetorical genius.

The rivalry that presaged the world’s most tenaciousconflict As the Arab -Israeli conflict continues to plaguethe Middle East, historian Ronald Florence offers extraordinary newinsights on its origins. This is the story of T. E. Lawrence, theyoung British officer who became famous around the world asLawrence of Arabia, Aaron Aaronsohn, an agronomist from Palestine,and the antagonism that divided them over the fate of the dyingOttoman Empire during World War I—a clash of visions that set Arabnationalism and Zionism on a direct collision course thatreverberates to this day.

In 1542, after years of witnessing Indian suffering andslavery, Bartolome de Las Casas wrote this indictment againstEuropean exploitation and mistreatment of the native peoples of theNew World. The document was dedicated to Prince Philip of Spain andappeared in published form in 1552. It carries all the urgency of amoment in history when it still seemed possible to reverse thetide.

This fascinating and powerful collection of first-handaccounts—prepared with the assistance of the Pearl Harbor SurvivorsAssociation—brings to vivid life one of the most fateful days inAmerican history. Here, in their own words, survivors of the attack—from all branchesof the service—recall what it was like to witness this momentousevent as it happened. Dramatic and compelling, these livingmemories offer a rare look inside the hearts and minds of Americanheroes—and an invaluable record of American history.

Covering the dramatic rise of German science in the nineteenthcentury, its preeminence in the early twentieth, and thefrightening developments that led to its collapse in 1945, this isthe compelling story of German scientists under Hitler’s regime.Weaving the history of science and technology with the fortunes ofwar and the stories of men and women whose discoveries brought bothbenefits and destruction to the world, Hitler’s Scientists raises questions that are still urgent today. As science becomesembroiled in new generations of weapons of mass destruction and thewar against terrorism, as advances in biotechnology outstriptraditional ethics, this powerful account of Nazi science forms acrucial commentary on the ethical role of science.

True tales of life and death as told by those who fought inthe briny depths. From the undersea warfare of World War II through the Cold Warstand-offs in the deep to the cutting-edge technology of the modernU.S. Navy, submarines have evolved into the front line of ournation's defense at sea. And the men who sail them have becomeheroes above and below the waves. These are their stories. Compiled from interviews and recollections from submarineveterans and accompanied by detailed photos and illustrations ofboth man and machine at work, Sub is a gripping chronicle ofundersea warfare as told by those who know firsthand what it meansto drop through the hull of a boat, to sink into the dark, freezingwaters of the deep-and to have death never more than one torpedoaway.

Offering a dazzling overview of a turbulent century, ThePenguin History of the Twentieth Century explores the dramaticevents and underlying trends that made the twentieth century themost transformative in human history. Despite two devastating WorldWars and the traumatic rise and fall of communism, wealth hasincreased significantly alongside a four-fold leap in population,women’s lives have been transformed, America has assumed undisputedpolitical and cultural leadership, and China is now clearlyawaiting its moment—J. M. Robert’s masterly overview, now updatedto the present day, brings all of this and more into focus.

The Red Army's invasion of Berlin in January 1945 was one of themost terrifying examples of fire and sword in history. Frenzied byterrible memories of Wehrmacht and SS brutality, the Russianswreaked havoc, leaving hundreds of thousands of civilians dead andmillions more fleeing westward. Drawing upon newly availablematerial from former Soviet files, as well as from German,American, British, French, and Swedish archives, bestselling authorAntony Beevor vividly recounts the experiences of the millions ofcivilians and soldiers caught up in the nightmare of the ThirdReich's final collapse. The Fall of Berlin 1945 is aheartrending story of pride, stupidity, fanaticism, revenge, andsavagery, yet it is also one of astonishing human endurance,self-sacrifice, and survival against all odds.

The horrors of this century's war in the South Pacific extendedfar beyond the detonation of atomic bombs. In this revelatoryportrayal of the lives of the regular infantrymen who struggled tocontain the Japanese advance, Bergerud presents a chilling andcompelling record of the incredible hardships endured by thesesoldiers and the heroic efforts that resulted in the reversal ofthe course of the war. of photos. 8 maps.

The Complete Idiots Guide(r) to World War II, SecondEdition , will feature updated and expanded coverage of thefateful D-Day invasion, a critical timeline of major WW II events,and a WW II timeline highlighting the crucial and most importantevents of the war. It will include details about major battles onland, in the air, and on the sea-starting with Hitler's rise topower and his goal of European conquest; to Japan's bombing ofPearl Harbor; to the decisive battles such as D-Day and the Battleof the Midway, which turned they tides of the war toward theAllies.

A masterly and beautifully written account of theimpact of Alexander von Humboldt on nineteenth-century Americanhistory and culture The naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859)achieved unparalleled fame in his own time. Today, however, he andhis enormous legacy to American thought are virtually unknown. In The Humboldt Current , Aaron Sachs traces Humboldt’spervasive influence on American history through examining the workof four explorers—J. N. Reynolds, Clarence King, George Wallace,and John Muir—who embraced Humboldt’s idea of a "chain ofconnection" uniting all peoples and all environments. A skillfulblend of narrative and interpretation that also discussesHumboldt’s influence on Emerson, Whitman, Thoreau, Melville, andPoe, The Humboldt Current offers a colorful, passionate, andsuperbly written reinterpretation of nineteenth-century Americanhistory.

A glorious?and conclusive?chronicle of the wars waged byone of the most polarizing figures in military history Acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic as a new standard on thesubject, this sweeping, boldly written history of the Napoleonicera reveals its central protagonist as a man driven by aninsatiable desire for fame, and determined ?to push matters toextremes.? More than a myth-busting portrait of Napoleon, however,it offers a panoramic view of the armed conflicts that spread soquickly out of revolutionary France to countries as remote asSweden and Egypt. As it expertly moves through conflicts fromRussia to Spain, Napoleon?s Wars proves to be historywriting equal to its subject?grand and ambitious?that will reframethe way this tumultuous era is understood.

An enormously entertaining account of contemporary France fromthe former Paris bureau chief of The New York Times. Bernsteincombines personal memoir, informed observation, and news-houndcuriosity to offer a stirring and unforgettable panaorama ofFrance--at times exalted, troubling, and occasionally absurd.