On War is perhaps the greatest book ever written about war.Carl von Clausewitz, a Prussian soldier, had witnessed at firsthand the immense destructive power of the French Revolutionaryarmies which swept across Europe between 1792 and 1815. Hisresponse was to write a comprehensive text covering every aspect ofwarfare. On War is both a philosophical and practical work in whichClausewitz defines the essential nature of war, debates thequalities of the great commander, assesses the relative strengthsof defensive and offensive warfare, and - in highly controversialpassages - considers the relationship between war and politics. Hisarguments are illustrated with vivid examples drawn from thecampaigns of Frederick the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte. For thestudent of society as well as the military historian, On Warremains a compelling and indispensable source.
The World Literature series reproduces the greatest books the world over with only the highest production standards. History, philosophy, psychology, political theory, fiction, and ancient texts are now accessible to everyone at an extremely affordable price. This work recounts Marco Polo's journey to the eastern court of Kublai Khan, the chieftan of the Mongol empire which traverses the Asian continent, but which was virtually unknown to Polo's contemporaries. It encompasses a 24-year period starting in 1271, detailing his travels.
Major John L. Plaster, a three-tour veteran of Vietnam tells thestory of the most highly classified United States covert operativesto serve in the war: The Studies and Observations Group, code-namedSOG. Comprised ofvolunteers from such elite military units as theArmy's Green Berets, the USAF Air Commandos, and Navy SEALs, SOGagents answered directly to the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs, with somemissions requiring approval from the White House. Now for the firsttime, the dangerous assignments of this top-secret unit can at lastbe revealed!
In 1986, Charles Henderson first published Marine Sniper-theincredible story of Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock, whose 93confirmed kills in Vietnam have never been matched by any sniperbefore or since. Now, the incredible story of a remarkable Marine continues-withharrowing, never-before-published accounts of courage andperseverance. These are the powerful stories of a man who rose togreatness not for personal gain or glory, but for duty and honor. Arare inside look at the U.S. Marine's most challenging missions-andthe one man who made military history.
From transforming the ways of war to offering godlike views ofinaccessible spots, revolutionizing rescues worldwide, andproviding some of our most-watched TV moments—including the cloudof newscopters that trailed O. J. Simpson’s Bronco—the helicopteris far more capable than early inventors expected. Now James Chilesprofiles the many helicoptrians who contributed to the developmentof this amazing machine, and pays tribute to the selfless heroismof pilots and crews. A virtual flying lesson and scientificadventure tale, The God Machine is more than the history of aninvention; it is a journey into the minds of imaginative thinkersand a fascinating look at the ways they changed our world.
From the deadly shores of North Africa to the invasion ofSicily to the fierce jungle hell of the Pacific, the contributionof the World War II Ranger Battalions far outweighed their numbers.They were ordinary men on an extraordinary mission, experiencingthe full measure of the fear, exhaustion, and heroism of combat innearly every major invasion of the war. Whether spearheading alanding force or scouting deep behind enemy lines, these highlymotivated, highly trained volunteers led the way for other soldiers-- they were Rangers. With first-person interviews, in-depth research, and a completeappendix naming every Ranger known to have served, author RobertBlack, a Ranger himself, has made the battles of WWII come to lifethrough the struggles of the men who fought to win the greatest warthe world has ever seen.
In this raw and moving memoir, Claude Thomas describes hisservice in Vietnam, his subsequent emotional collapse, and hisremarkable journey toward healing. At Hell's Gate is not only agripping coming-of-age story but a spiritual travelogue from thehorrors of combat to the discovery of inner peace—a journey thatinspired Thomas to become a Zen monk and peace activist who travelsto war-scarred regions around the world. "Everyone has theirVietnam," Thomas writes. "Everyone has their own experience ofviolence, calamity, or trauma." With simplicity and power, thisbook offers timeless teachings on how we can all find healing, andit presents practical guidance on how mindfulness and compassioncan transform our lives. This expanded paperback edition features: Discussion questions for reading groups A new afterword by the author reflecting on how the current warsin Iraq and Afghanistan are affecting soldiers—and offering adviceon how to help returning soldiers to cope with their combatexperi
With the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, once againAmerica's men and women who have seen war close-up are suddenlyexpected to return seamlessly to civilian life. In Flashback, PennyColeman tells the cautionary and timely story of posttraumaticstress disorder in the hope that we can sensitively assist thoseveterans who return from combat in need of help, and the familiesstruggling to support them.
What ties Americans to one another? What unifies a nation ofcitizens with different racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds?These were the dilemmas faced by Americans in the eighteenth andnineteenth centuries as they sought ways to bind the newly UnitedStates together. In A is for American, award-winning historian Jill Leporeportrays seven men who turned to language to help shape a newnation’s character and boundaries. From Noah Webster’s attempts tostandardize American spelling, to Alexander Graham Bell’s use of“Visible Speech” to help teach the deaf to talk, to Sequoyah’sdevelopment of a Cherokee syllabary as a means of preserving hispeople’s independence, these stories form a compelling portrait ofa developing nation’s struggles. Lepore brilliantly explores thepersonalities, work, and influence of these figures, seven mendriven by radically different aims and temperaments. Through thesesuperbly told stories, she chronicles the challenges faced by ayoung country trying to unify
In a series of moving and provocative conversations, ninemembers of the Israeli Defense Force tell why they refused to servein the West Bank and Gaza. The "Refuseniks" describe their riskymoral decision against the background of what is perhaps the mostvolatile conflict in the world today: the Israeli-Palestinianstruggle. Their individual choices and their collective activismhave generated intense debate in Israel and the internationalcommunity, from the leading Israeli newspaper Ha'Aretz to a segmenton 60 Minutes. In a sociocultural mosaic of the Refusenik movement and thepolitical context in which it arose, these men describe theirindividual family backgrounds and beliefs. Dedicated to the welfareof their country and its cultural heritage, they outline theirconcerns for the future of Israel. As they tell their stories ofpersonal struggle, they also raise the disturbing and highlycontroversial issue of human rights abuses in the occupiedterritories. These personal accounts offer new perspe
During the second Palestinian intifada, Philip C. Winslowworked in the West Bank with the United Nations Relief and WorksAgency (UNRWA), driving up to 600 miles a week in the occupiedterritory. He returned to the region in 2006. In this book, Winslowcaptures the daily struggles, desperation, and anger ofPalestinians; the hostility of settlers; the complex responses ofIsraeli soldiers, officials, and peace activists; and even thebreathtaking beauty of nature in this embattled place.
In the spring of 2003, acclaimed journalist Anne Nivat set offfrom Tajikistan on a six-month journey through the aftermath of theAmerican invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. Nivatfelt compelled to meet and write about the lives of everydaypeople, whom she allows to speak in their own voices, in their ownwords--words of hope, sadness, anger, and, above all, theuncertainty that fills their everyday lives. Her new Preface forthe paperback edition looks at the situation in Iraq today.
