Now, the bestselling author of the acclaimed BROTHERHOOD OF WAR saga brings to life the men of the U.S. Marine Corps -- their loves and their loyalties -- as they steeled themselves for battle, and prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice...

    He lies in one position for days, barely twitching a muscle, able to control his heartbeat and breathing. His record has never been matched: 93 confirmed kills. This is the story of Sergeant Carlos Hathcock, Marine sniper, legend of military lore.

    So begins The Dying Place, David Maurer’s unflinching look at MACV-SOG, Vietnam, and a young man’s entry into war. Fresh from the folds of the Catholic Church, Sgt. Sam Walden is quickly embraced by another religion, jungle warfare. After four years there may be no resolution between the two; God knows Sam has tried. But how many Hail Mary’s will absolve him of what he has done in Laos? Walden is a war-weary Green Beret, regularly tested beyond normal limits by the ever-changing priorities of the puzzle palace in Saigon. And yet he overcomes, staying alive to go on mission after mission with his one-one and his little people. To them he is everything – strength, compassion, courage. He will not let them down. David Maurer’s own experiences at MACV-SOG’s Command and Control North come to life in this tense action-packed story. The U.S. was not supposed to be in Laos during the Vietnam War and by all accounts, we weren’t. Some know better, and fortunately, Maurer is one of those. With a fine ear for dialogue Maurer takes you back and sets you down squarely on the LZ, where inner turmoil is quelled and external conflict takes over, if only for awhile. If you’re lucky, you just might make it out alive.

    "Allah!"With that shrill cry, three Muslim terrorists blow up a key Soviet oil complex, creating a critical oil shortage that threatens the stability of the USSR.To offer the effects of this disaster, members of the Politburo and the KGB devise a brilliant plan of diplomatic trickery - a sequence of events designed to pit the NATO allies against each other - a distraction calculated to enable the Soviets to seize all the oil in the Persian Gulf.But as this spellbinding story of international intrigue and global politics nears its climax, the Soviets are faced with another prospect, one they hadn't planned on: a full-scale conflict in which nobody can win.

    After each raid Comer gathered the crew together and pieced together the air battle from a 360-degree perspective. His book is handwritten history, recorded within hours after the battles occured.

    

    On May Day 1960, Soviet forces downed a CIA spy plane flown deep into Soviet territory by Francis Gary Powers two weeks before a crucial summit. This forced President Dwight Eisenhower to decide whether, in an effort to save the meeting, to admit to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev—and the world—that he had secretly ordered Powers’s flight, or to claim that the CIA could take such a significant step without his approval.   In rich and fascinating detail, Mayday explores the years of U-2 flights, which Eisenhower deemed “an act of war,” the US government’s misconceived attempt to cover up the true purpose of the flight, Khrushchev’s dramatic revelation that Powers was alive and in Soviet custody, and the show trial that sentenced the pilot to prison and hard labor. From a U-2’s cramped cockpit to tense meetings in the Oval Office, the Kremlin, Camp David, CIA headquarters, the Élysée Palace, and Number Ten Downing Street, historian Michael Beschloss draws on previously unavailable CIA documents, diaries, and letters, as well as the recollections of Eisenhower’s aides, to reveal the full high-stakes drama and bring to life its key figures, which also include Richard Nixon, Allen Dulles, and Charles de Gaulle.   An impressive work of scholarship with the dramatic pacing a spy thriller, Mayday “may be one of the best stories yet written about just how those grand men of diplomacy and intrigue conducted our business” (Time).

    She and 25 others recount the time they spent "in country" as part of 15,000 American women who volunteered or served as nurses and in the military.

     Volume 1 of The Crucible of War trilogy covers General Wavell’s command, a period that began triumphantly with the rout of the Italian Army and ended in catastrophe with the devastating entry of Rommel into the conflict. On 11th June 1940, Mussolini declared war on Britain and France. From their colony in Libya, the Italians began invading Egypt in an attempt to expand their African Empire. Thus began the Desert War – a battle to secure critical Middle East oil supplies which would last for three years. Commander-in-Chief of the Middle East was General Sir Archibald Wavell. By 1940, and with limited resources, he was responsible for all British land forces in Egypt, the Sudan, Palestine, Transjordan and Cyprus, as well as the Army formations in British Somaliland, Aden, Iraq and along the shores of the Persian Gulf. The area for which he had accepted military command thus included nine different countries in two continents. In December 1940 in Libya, Wavell’s Western Desert Force of 36,000 men attacked the Italians across desolate and inhospitable terrain in order to keep Egypt from falling to the Axis and shield access to the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and possibly even India from Hitler. Attack was the only form of defense and under field commander General Richard O’Connor, an immensely successful and exhilarating campaign was carried out against Marshal Graziani’s forces. The Italians were pushed back hundreds of miles and 130,000 prisoners were taken. By February 1941 nearly all Axis forces had been expelled from North Africa. It was a remarkable triumph in one of the most dramatic theatres of the Second World War which paved the way for later victories, but not immediately – as Rommel’s Afrika Korps meant Wavell, with a now weakened Western Desert Force, was ordered to send men to Greece, despite his conviction that victory was close. The tide of war was about to turn once more. PRAISE FOR THE CRUCIBLE OF WAR TRILOGY: ‘A magnificent book, Barrie Pitt has almost a novelist’s skill and perception of character.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Totally readable, Mr Pitt’s study depicts equally well the broad outlines of strategy, the confusions and hazards of the battlefield and the personalities of the generals or private soldiers fighting there.’ Oxford Times Barrie Pitt (1918-2006) was well known as a military historian and editor of Purnell’s History of the Second World War and History of the First World War. His publications include Coronel and Falkland, Churchill and the Generals and The Crucible of War, a trilogy covering the North African campaign of the Second World War. He was born in Galway and later lived near Ilminster in Somerset.

    "Heater" Heatley III took his camera into the cockpit of an F-14 and onto the deck of a carrier, he wanted to convey the unique sights and sensations that pilots experiene: Russian bombers investigating the battle group, a crippled plane making an emergency landing, shock waves circling a supersonic aircraft, an F-14 TV camera targeting an airplane. These are common sights to naval aviators, but only Heater has been able to photograph them with all their intensity and emotion.Heater's keen photographic eye, his passion for aviation, and his access to the subject make THE CUTTING EDGE a truly unique collection of naval aviation images.A foreward by Senator Jake Garn, naval aviator and recent passanger on the Space Shuttle Discovery, sets the stage for the dramatic photographic narrative of THE CUTTING EDGE. Heatley's introduction provides a more intimate view of the highly professional and dedicated Navy pilot.Along with the photographs in THE CUTTING EDGE are interviews with attack, fighter, antisubmarine, electronic countermeasure, and helicopter pilots. A TOPGUN instructor flying against his students in a mock dogfight, an SH-3 pilot matching his wits against a submarine CO, an air boss directing 400 men and 40 airplanes on the deck of a carrier - their candid accounts dramatize the clockwork precision and split second decisions demanded of naval aviators.The reference section of THE CUTTING EDGE contains three-view line drawings of the aircraft pictured, as well as their mission, flight specifications, and performance capabilities. Facts about the aircraft include nicknames, dimensions, weight, speed, range, ceiling, crew, power plant, and armament. The section also provides page numbers for convenient identification of the aircraft photographed. This book, through words and pictures, allows even those who have never flown an aircraft to experience the drama, excitement, and sophistication of modern naval aviation.

    Lopez chronicles every aspect of fighter combat in that theater: harrowing aerial battles, interludes of boredom and inactivity, instances of courage and cowardice. Describing different pilots’ roles in each type of mission, the operation of the P-40, and the use of various weapons, he tells how he and his fellow pilots faced not only constant danger but also the munitions shortages, poor food, and rat-infested barracks of a remote sector of the war. The author also offers keen observations of wartime China, from the brutalities of the Japanese occupation to the conflict between Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists and the Communist movement.This edition of Lopez's acclaimed account features new photographs, most of which have never before been published. Relating how the 23rd Fighter Group continued to win battles even as the Japanese gained ground, Into the Teeth of the Tiger is the humorous and insightful memoir of an ace pilot caught in the paradox of victory in retreat.

    Gibson shows how American government and military officials developed a disturbingly limited concept of war -- what he calls "technowar" -- in which all efforts were focused on maximizing the enemy's body count, regardless of the means. Consumed by a blind faith in the technology of destruction, American leaders failed to take into account their enemy's highly effective guerrilla tactics. Indeed, technowar proved woefully inapplicable to the actual political and military strategies used by the Vietnamese, and Gibson reveals how U.S. officials consistently falsified military records to preserve the illusion that their approach would prevail. Gibson was one of the first historians to question the fundamental assumptions behind American policy, and The Perfect War is a brilliant reassessment of the war -- now republished with a new introduction by the author.

     The book’s core is its account of such famous and dramatic episodes as the landing in North Africa, Kasserine Pass, Salerno and Anzio, D-Day, the liberation of Paris, the Battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine, and the race across Germany. It also tells the story of the conflicts between American and other Allied leaders over how to pursue the war, and of convoys, U-boat wolf-packs, the aerial war over Germany, the bombing of Dresden, and the final surrender of the Nazis. MacDonald takes the reader back to the build-up to war, looking at the circumstances of the American decision during the early ’thirties to concentrate, if war should come, on victory in Europe first; and he describes in detail the ways in which America forged a disciplined fighting force when war broke out. His portrayal of major military figures — George S. Patton, Jr., Mark W. Clark, J. Lawton Collins, among others — is both fair and penetrating, and he pays particular attention to other leaders whose accomplishments are not so well known. His sources include official U.S. Army records and direct interviews with non-commissioned officers and privates and top-level participants such as Generals Eisenhower and Bradley. His account also reflects intensive work with original documents and with many newly available sources, as well as his own experiences in the war as the commander of an infantry rifle company. ‘The Might Endeavor’ is a well-researched history of the American forces in World War Two. ‘No other military historian of World War II has Charles MacDonald’s insight into the inner workings of the American military establishment. No other book covers the entire European theater so well. The Mighty Endeavor is an objective account, impeccably accurate, eminently fair and, just as important, always readable.’ – John Toland. ‘Mr. MacDonald’s knowledge, perception, and insight, together, with his narrative power and grace, are impressive. The best and most readable account to date, The Mighty Endeavor will be unsurpassed for many years to come.’ – Martin Blumenson Charles B. MacDonald rose to the rank of Captain of the 23rd Infantry of the 2nd Division. After the war, in which he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star, he became an official Army Historian, retiring as Deputy Chief Historian in 1979. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.

    

    Just in time for Life magazine's 50th anniversary is this resissue of the classic photographic journey through World War II.

    The first American book on naval tactics to be published in fifty years, this landmark study emphasizes history, tactical analysis, and fleet operations and provides an example of how modern battle fleet operations might be formulated and planned.

    The author covers the use of ether with air as a carrier gas; ketamine, epidural, and subarachnoidanesthesia; various methods of local and regional anesthesia; intubation; and the use of relaxants. There is also a chapter on primary intensive care, and an appendix featuring a detailed list of equipment.

    This definitive history of Arlington National Cemetery is told with the dignity, respect, and pageantry that are due one of America's most honored and deeply revered sites.This all-new fourth edition of In Honored Glory brings the history of Arlington up to date, with expanded coverage of ceremonial units, including the caisson platoon; the dedication of the Women in Military Service Memorial; the identification of the Vietnam Unknown; the impact of September 11; the war on terrorism; the war in Afghanistan; the war in Iraq, the Columbia; and other developments since the publication of the third edition.In Honored Glory brings to life the history, happenings, people, and highlights that have combined to make Arlington National Cemetery a uniquely American institution.Topics covered include: A thorough history of the development of the cemetery over time The origins of Memorial Day The construction of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the subsequent history of interments A chapter on the Kennedy gravesites Current burial requirements

    

    The author examines both good times and bad of those who were forced to oversee the dismantling of an empire and to garrison West Germany at the start of the Cold War. They served at home or abroad in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East, while many saw action in Korea and Malaya.

    

    The authoritative work on the great sea battle of World War I.

    

    

    

    The squadron, self-named the "Black Sheep," went on under the leadership of the swashbuckling "Pappy" Boyington to become the most famous in Marine Corps history. Now comes the true story of the Black Sheep Squadron and the men who wrote its record in the Pacific skies. Once They Were Eagles tells how and why the squadron was formed,

    This particular volume details the gradual withdrawal in 1970-1971 of Marine combat forces from South Vietnam’s northernmost corps area, I Corps, as part of an overall American strategy of turning the ground war against the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong over to the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam.Although written from the perspective of III MAF and the ground war in I Corps, the volume treats the activities of Marine advisors to the South Vietnamese Armed Forces, the Seventh Fleet Special Landing Force, and Marines on the staff of the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, in Saigon. There are separate chapters on Marine air, artillery, and logistics. An attempt has been made to place the Marine role in relation to the overall effort.

    The author argues that the migration was, rather than a "colonial" process, a natural movement from southwest England to a pleasant neighboring region. He concentrates on the Munster plantation: the nature of the land confiscation in the 1580s, the settlers involved, the number of families established, and the ways in which the English both modified the province and were changed by its local conditions.

    The idea of America as a promised land of economic opportunity, social mobility, and political freedom has not always flourished. Historians have both given it reality and shaken its substance as they exposed an undercurrent of greed, class conflict, and corruption.In this book Harold Hyman explores the question of American singularity, using the Northwest Ordinance, the Homestead and Morrill acts, and the G.I Bill to measure individual access to land, education, and law.The Northwest Ordinance, enacted in 1787 to encourage settlement of the nation's untamed territories, mandated the establishment of public schools and stable property rights in newly settled lands--specific terms which enshrined the basic liberties secured by the Revolutionary War. Hyman shows that through the Homestead and Morrill acts of 1862, legislators sought to preserve the values of the Union and to prepare for the entrance of the black man into citizenship. Equal access to public lands in the West and to state land-grant universities, countered the economic and social injustices blacks and poor whites would face after the Civil War. Finally, Hyman asserts that the G.I. Bill preserved beneficial social programs forged during the depression, carrying into post-World War II America a widespread concern for education and housing opportunities.Examining the legislation that emerged from three periods of conflict in American history, Hyman reveals a consistent pattern favoring equal access to land, education, and law--a progression of singular, if sometimes flawed, attempts to embody in our statutes the values and aspirations that sparked our major wars.

    Looks at the life and career of Dwight Eisenhower, from his childhood through his career as an army general and his rise to the presidency of the United States.