Best of
Military

2003

Empire From the Ashes


David Weber - 2003
    Originally published as three separate novels, Mutineer's Moon, The Armageddon and Heirs of Empire, this volume recounts the adventures for Duhak, an AI-controlled Imperial starship, when it encounter's Colin Macintyre's routine flight over the moon.

Across The Fence: The Secret War In Vietnam


John Stryker Meyer - 2003
    Witness a Green Beret, shot in the back four times and left for dead, who survives to fight savagely against incredible odds to complete his missions. Shudder as an enemy soldier touches a Green Beret’s boot in the dark of night. Cringe as a Sergeant on SOG Spike Team Louisiana calls in an air strike on his team to break an enemy’s wave attack. A team member dies instantly, and a Green Beret has an out-of-body experience as he watches his leg get blown off. “As the commander of SOG, I can say that “Across the Fence” accurately reflects why the secret war was hazardous for our troops and so deadly for the enemy. – Major General John K. Singlaub (U. S. Army Ret.)Black Ops told with the terrifying clarity that only one who was there can tell it.– W.E.B. Griffin & William E. Butterworth IV

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour


James D. Hornfischer - 2003
    We will do what damage we can.”With these words, Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland addressed the crew of the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts on the morning of October 25, 1944, off the Philippine Island of Samar. On the horizon loomed the mightiest ships of the Japanese navy, a massive fleet that represented the last hope of a staggering empire. All that stood between it and Douglas MacArthur’s vulnerable invasion force were the Roberts and the other small ships of a tiny American flotilla poised to charge into history.In the tradition of the #1 New York Times bestseller Flags of Our Fathers, James D. Hornfischer paints an unprecedented portrait of the Battle of Samar, a naval engagement unlike any other in U.S. history—and captures with unforgettable intensity the men, the strategies, and the sacrifices that turned certain defeat into a legendary victory.From the Hardcover edition.

Devil at My Heels


Louis Zamperini - 2003
    On May 27, 1943, his B–24 crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Louis and two other survivors found a raft amid the flaming wreckage and waited for rescue. Instead, they drifted two thousand miles for forty–seven days. Their only food: two shark livers and three raw albatross. Their only water: sporadic rainfall. Their only companions: hope and faith–and the ever–present sharks. On the forty–seventh day, mere skeletons close to death, Zamperini and pilot Russell Phillips spotted land–and were captured by the Japanese. Thus began more than two years of torture and humiliation as a prisoner of war.Zamperini was threatened with beheading, subject to medical experiments, routinely beaten, hidden in a secret interrogation facility, starved and forced into slave labour, and was the constant victim of a brutal prison guard nicknamed the Bird–a man so vicious that the other guards feared him and called him a psychopath. Meanwhile, the Army Air Corps declared Zamperini dead and President Roosevelt sends official condolences to his family, who never gave up hope that he was alive.Somehow, Zamperini survived and he returned home a hero. The celebration was short–lived. He plunged into drinking and brawling and the depths of rage and despair. Nightly, the Bird's face leered at him in his dreams. It would take years, but with the love of his wife and the power of faith, he was able to stop the nightmares and the drinking.A stirring memoir from one of the greatest of the "Greatest Generation," DEVIL AT MY HEELS is a living document about the brutality of war, the tenacity of the human spirit, and the power of forgiveness.

A Question of Honor: The Kosciuszko Squadron: Forgotten Heroes of World War II


Lynne Olson - 2003
    Drawing on the Kosciuszko Squadron’s unofficial diary–filled with the fliers’ personal experiences in combat–and on letters, interviews, memoirs, histories, and photographs, the authors bring the men and battles of the squadron vividly to life. We follow the principal characters from their training before the war, through their hair-raising escape from Poland to France and then, after the fall of France, to Britain. We see how, first treated with disdain by the RAF, the Polish pilots played a crucial role during the Battle of Britain, where their daredevil skill in engaging German Messerschmitts in close and deadly combat while protecting the planes in their own groups soon made them legendary. And we learn what happened to them after the war, when their country was abandoned and handed over to the Soviet Union. A Question of Honor also gives us a revelatory history of Poland during World War II and of the many thousands in the Polish armed forces who fought with the Allies. It tells of the country’s unending struggle against both Hitler and Stalin, its long battle for independence, and the tragic collapse of that dream in the “peace” that followed. Powerful, moving, deeply involving, A Question of Honor is an important addition to the literature of World War II.

Final Bearing


George Wallace - 2003
    A US Navy SEAL team is inserted into South America. Their orders are to destroy the secret laboratories of the world’s most notorious drug cartel, and the Spadefish has been sent to provide assistance.But Juan de Santiago, the violent billionaire drug lord, has an entire private army and a futuristic new mini-submarine of his own. He will do anything to protect his empire.And he knows the Americans are coming...

Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides


Christian G. Appy - 2003
    If you buy only one book on the Vietnam War, this is the one you want. -Chicago TribuneChristian G. Appy's monumental oral history of the Vietnam War is the first work to probe the war's path through both the United States and Vietnam. These vivid testimonies of 135 men and women span the entire history of the Vietnam conflict, from its murky origins in the 1940s to the chaotic fall of Saigon in 1975. Sometimes detached and reflective, often raw and emotional, they allow us to see and feel what this war meant to people literally on all sides: Americans and Vietnamese, generals and grunts, policymakers and protesters, guerrillas and CIA operatives, pilots and doctors, artists and journalists, and a variety of ordinary citizens whose lives were swept up in a cataclysm that killed three million people. By turns harrowing, inspiring, and revelatory, Patriots is not a chronicle of facts and figures but a vivid human history of the war.A gem of a book, as informative and compulsively readable as it is timely. -The Washington Post Book World

In the Company of Heroes: The Personal Story Behind Black Hawk Down


Michael J. Durant - 2003
    Army Special Operations Blackhawk over Somalia, Michael Durant was shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade on October 3, 1993. With devastating injuries, he was taken prisoner by a Somali warlord. With revealing insight and emotion, he tells the story of what he saw, how he survived, and the courage and heroism that only soldiers under fire could ever know.

Hill 488


Ray Hildreth - 2003
    For the eighteen men of Charlie Company, it was a last stand. This is the stirring combat memoir written by Ray Hildreth, one of the unit's survivors.On June 13, 1966, men of the 1st Recon Battalion, 1st Marine Division were stationed on Hill 488. Before the week was over, they would fight the battle that would make them the most highly decorated small unit in the entire history of the U.S. military, winning a Congressional Medal of Honor, four Navy Crosses, thirteen Silver Stars, and eighteen Purple Hearts—some of them posthumously.During the early evening of June 15, a battalion of hardened North Vietnamese regulars and Viet Cong—outnumbering the Americans 25-to-1—threw everything they had at the sixteen Marines and two Navy corpsmen for the rest of that terror-filled night. Every man who held the hill was either killed or wounded defending the ground with unbelievable courage and unflagging determination—even as reinforcements were on the way.All they had to do was make it until dawn....

Given Up for Dead: America's Heroic Stand at Wake Island


Bill Sloan - 2003
    Based on firsthand accounts from long-lost survivors who have emerged to tell about it, this stirring tale of the “Alamo of the Pacific” will reverberate for generations to come.On December 8, 1941, just five hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japanese planes attacked a remote U.S. outpost in the westernmost reaches of the Pacific. It was the beginning of an incredible sixteen-day fight for Wake Island, a tiny but strategically valuable dot in the ocean. Unprepared for the stunning assault, the small battalion was dangerously outnumbered and outgunned. But they compensated with a surplus of bravery and perseverance, waging an extraordinary battle against all odds.When it was over, a few hundred American Marines, sailors, and soldiers, along with a small army of heroic civilian laborers, had repulsed enemy forces several thousand strong––but it was still not enough. Among the Marines was twenty-year-old PFC Wiley Sloman. By Christmas Day, he lay semiconscious in the sand, struck by enemy fire. Another day would pass before he was found—stripped of his rifle and his uniform. Shocked to realize he hadn’t awakened to victory, Sloman wondered: Had he been given up for dead—and had the Marines simply given up?In this riveting account, veteran journalist Bill Sloan re-creates this history-making battle, the crushing surrender, and the stories of the uncommonly gutsy men who fought it. From the civilians who served as gunmen, medics, and even preachers, to the daily grind of life on an isolated island—literally at the ends of the earth—to the agony of POW camps, here we meet our heroes and confront the enemy face-to-face, bayonet to bayonet.

When Thunder Rolled: An F-105 Pilot over North Vietnam


Ed Rasimus - 2003
    You attack the world’s fiercest defenses at 500 knots and share the ultimate thrill of hurling yourself against almost impossible odds–and winning.–JACK BROUGHTON, author of Thud RidgeEd Rasimus straps the reader into the cockpit of an F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber in his engaging account of the Rolling Thunder campaign in the skies over North Vietnam. Between 1965 and 1968, more than 330 F-105s were lost–the highest loss rate in Southeast Asia–and many pilots were killed, captured, and wounded because of the Air Force’s disastrous tactics. The descriptions of Rasimus’s one hundred missions, some of the most dangerous of the conflict, will satisfy anyone addicted to vivid, heart-stopping aerial combat, as will the details of his transformation from a young man paralyzed with self-doubt into a battle-hardened veteran. His unique perspective, candid analysis, and the sheer power of his narrative rank his memoir with the finest, most entertaining of the war. “A story that reflects the bravery of the men who flew over enemy territory in a perilous time.”–The Baltimore Chronicle“[A] MODERN-DAY RED BADGE OF COURAGE .”–JOHN DARRELL SHERWOOD, author of Fast Movers: Jet Pilots and the Vietnam ExperienceLook for these remarkable stories of American courage in the Vietnam warDOWN SOUTHOne Tour in Vietnamby William H. HardwickLOST IN TRANSLATIONVietnam: A Combat Advisor’s Storyby Martin J. Dockery MEDIC!The Story of a Conscientious Objector in the Vietnam Warby Ben Sherman WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE . . . AND YOUNGIa Drang: The Battle that Changed the War in Vietnamby Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway

Flyboys: A True Story of Courage


James D. Bradley - 2003
    Flyboys, a story of war and horror but also of friendship and honor, tells the story of those men. Over the remote Pacific island of Chichi Jima, nine American flyers-Navy and Marine pilots sent to bomb Japanese communications towers there-were shot down. One of those nine was miraculously rescued by a U.S. Navy submarine. The others were captured by Japanese soldiers on Chichi Jima and held prisoner. Then they disappeared. When the war was over, the American government, along with the Japanese, covered up everything that had happened on Chichi Jima. The records of a top-secret military tribunal were sealed, the lives of the eight Flyboys were erased, and the parents, brothers, sisters, and sweethearts they left behind were left to wonder. Flyboys reveals for the first time ever the extraordinary story of those men. Bradley's quest for the truth took him from dusty attics in American small towns, to untapped government archives containing classified documents, to the heart of Japan, and finally to Chichi Jima itself. What he discovered was a mystery that dated back far before World War II-back 150 years, to America's westward expansion and Japan's first confrontation with the western world. Bradley brings into vivid focus these brave young men who went to war for their country, and through their lives he also tells the larger story of two nations in a hellish war. With no easy moralizing, Bradley presents history in all its savage complexity, including the Japanese warrior mentality that fostered inhuman brutality and the U.S. military strategy that justified attacks on millions of civilians. And, after almost sixty years of mystery, Bradley finally reveals the fate of the eight American Flyboys, all of whom would ultimately face a moment and a decision that few of us can even imagine. Flyboys is a story of war and horror but also of friendship and honor. It is about how we die, and how we live-including the tale of the Flyboy who escaped capture, a young Navy pilot named George H. W. Bush who would one day become president of the United States. A masterpiece of historical narrative, Flyboys will change forever our understanding of the Pacific war and the very things we fight for.

Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege 1940-43


James Holland - 2003
    Italian aircraft pummel the idyllic Mediterranean island of Malta. It is the first of more than three thousand raids that the island will suffer as it becomes the most bombed place on earth.The day before, Mussolini had declared war on Britain, and in that moment, the tiny island of Malta'slightly larger than Cape Codbecame one of the most important strategic pieces of land in the world.Today, this valiant story is largely forgotten, but James Holland offers a riveting portrait of the siege that helped determine victory or defeat in World War II. For nearly three years, Malta held the key to dominance in the Mediterranean and North Africa. Lying between Italy and Libya, Malta was the ideal place from which to attack shipping lines supplying Italian and German forces in North Africa. To save Egypt, the Suez Canal, and the Middle East oil fields from Nazi control, it was essential that the island be held at all costs.The Axis powers were equally determined to annihilate Malta. In two months aloneMarch and April 1942more bombs fell on Malta than on London during the entire Blitz. A small band of fighter pilots facing the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica; a garrison of British and American troops; and a stubborn local population refused to surrender to vastly superior forces. Despite starvation and disease, the Maltese bravely held out. Not only did they hang on, their torpedo bombers and submariners continued to sink critical amounts of Rommel's supplies. In honor of this tenacity and bravery, George VI bestowed the George Cross, the highest civilian award for valor, upon the entire island.Fortress Malta follows the story through the eyes of individuals who were there: the pilots, submariners, soldiers, and civilians who provide the tales of heroism, resilience, love, and loss. Using interviews with survivors, letters, and diaries never-before-published, James Holland brings to life this extraordinary real-life David-and-Goliath battle in a moving, astonishing narrative.

The Complete Roman Army


Adrian Goldsworthy - 2003
    Its organization and tactics were highly advanced and were unequaled until the modern era. Spectacular monuments to its perseverance and engineering skill are still visible today, most notably Hadrian’s Wall and the siegeworks around the fortress of Masada.This book is the first to examine in detail not just the early imperial army but also the citizens’ militia of the Republic and the army of the later Empire. The unprecedented scope and longevity of Roman military success is placed in the context of ordinary soldiers’ daily lives, whether spent in the quiet routine of a peaceful garrison or in arduous campaign and violent combat. Key battles and tactics are described, and there are brief biographies of the great commanders.Drawing on archaeology, ancient art, and original documentary sources, this book presents the most convincing history ever published of the Roman army.

The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice


Alex Kershaw - 2003
    They were part of Company A of the 116th Regiment of the 29th Division, and the first wave of American soldiers to hit the beaches in Normandy. Later in the campaign, three more boys from this small Virginia town died of gunshot wounds. Twenty-two sons of Bedford lost--it is a story one cannot easily forget and one that the families of Bedford will never forget. The Bedford Boys is the true and intimate story of these men and the friends and families they left behind.Based on extensive interviews with survivors and relatives, as well as diaries and letters, Kershaw's book focuses on several remarkable individuals and families to tell one of the most poignant stories of World War II--the story of one small American town that went to war and died on Omaha Beach.

Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty


Peter Collier - 2003
    The book includes 144 contemporary portraits of recipients by award-winning photographer Nick Del Calzo and profiles by National Book Award nominee Peter Collier. First published on Veterans Day 2003, this New York Times bestseller has now been updated and augmented to include new essays plus:• Letters from all living presidents • A foreword by Brian Williams • Profiles of Sergeant Giunta and Sergeant PetryThere are also essays by Tom Brokaw, Senator John McCain, and Victor Davis Hanson, and a multimedia DVD with historic footage and recipients’ first-person reflections. The Medal of Honor recipients in the book fought in conflicts from World War II to Afghanistan, serving in every branch of the armed services.

Pucker Factor 10: Memoir of a U.S. Army Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam


James Joyce - 2003
    He flew both Huey "slicks" and Huey "gunships": the former on defense as he flew troops into battle, and the latter on offense as he took the battle to the enemy. Through this book, the author relives his experiences flying and fighting, with special attention given to the pilots' day-to-day lives - such as the prankish smoke bombing of Disneyland, the nickname for a United States Army-sponsored compound for prostitution. Some of the pilots Joyce served with survived the war and went on to have careers with commercial airlines, and many were killed.

The Grunt Padre: Father Vincent Robert Capodanno Vietnam 1966-1967


Daniel L. Mode - 2003
    Do you know of a Vietnam veteran struggling with his Faith after witnessing the horrors of war? Do you have a son or nephew serving in the military and facing an uncertain future in a troubled world? Here is a book to help them see how a Christian man lives and dies in service to God and country.

The Franco-Prussian War: The German Conquest of France in 1870-1871


Geoffrey Wawro - 2003
    Alarmed by Bismarck's territorial ambitions and the Prussian army's crushing defeats of Denmark in 1864 and Austria in 1866, French Emperor Napoleon III vowed to bring Prussia to heel. Digging into many European and American archives for the first time, Geoffrey Wawro's Franco-Prussian War describes the war that followed in thrilling detail. While the armies mobilized in July 1870, the conflict appeared "too close to call." Prussia and its German allies had twice as many troops as the French. But Marshal Achille Bazaine's grognards ("old grumblers") were the stuff of legend, the most resourceful, battle-hardened, sharp-shooting troops in Europe, and they carried the best rifle in the world. From the political intrigues that began and ended the war to the bloody battles at Gravelotte and Sedan and the last murderous fights on the Loire and in Paris, this is the definitive history of the Franco-Prussian War.

Jutland 1916: Death in the Grey Wastes


Peter Hart - 2003
    It was a climactic encounter, the culmination of a fantastically expensive naval race between the two countries, and expectations on both sides were high. For the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet, there was the chance to win another Trafalgar. For the German High Seas Fleet, there was the opportunity to break the British blockade and so change the course of the war. But Jutland was a confused and controversial encounter. Tactically, it was a draw; strategically, it was a British victory.Naval historians have pored over the minutiae of Jutland ever since. Yet they have largely ignored what the battle was actually like for its thousands of participants. Full of drama and pathos, of chaos and courage, JUTLAND, 1916 describes the sea battle in the dreadnought era from the point of view of those who were there.

Visions from a Foxhole: A Rifleman in Patton's Ghost Corps


William A. Foley Jr. - 2003
    By the time Foley finally managed to grab a few hours sleep three nights later, he'd already fought in a bloody attack that left sixty percent of his battalion dead or wounded. That was just the beginning of one of the toughest, bloodiest challenges the 94th would ever face: breaking through the Siegfried Line. Now, in Visions from a Foxhole, Foley recaptures that desperate, nerve-shattering struggle in all its horror and heroism. Features the author's artwork of his fellow soldiers and battle scenes, literally sketched from the foxhole Look for these remarkable stories of American courage at war BEHIND HITLER'S LINESThe True Story of the Only Soldier to Fight for BothAmerica and the Soviet Union in World War IIThomas H. TaylorTHE HILL FIGHTSThe First Battle of Khe Sanhby Edward F. Murphy NO BENDED KNEEThe Battle for Guadalcanalby Gen. Merrill B. Twining, USMC (Ret.) THE ROAD TO BAGHDADBehind Enemy Lines: The Adventures of an American Soldier in the Gulf Warby Martin Stanton

None Braver: U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen in the War on Terrorism


Michael Hirsh - 2003
    The first journalist to be embedded with an Air Force combat unit in the War on Terrorism, Hirsh flew from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, with the 71st Rescue Squadron to their expeditionary headquarters at a secret location in Central Asia. Unparalleled access to the PJs, as well as to the courageous men and women who fly them where they have to go, often under enemy fire, allowed Hirsh to uncover incredible stories of courage.

The Sharpe Companion: The Early Years


Mark Adkin - 2003
    Named "the direct heir to Patrick O'Brian" by The Economist, Bernard Cornwell is the undisputed master of historical battle fi ction, and for more than twenty years, his Richard Sharpe series has thrilled millions of readers worldwide on both the page and on television.Now author Mark Adkin, a major in the British army, has created this indispensable guide covering Sharpe's early career, from his beginnings as an illiterate private fighting on the battlefields of India to his legendary command of the Light Company.A treasure not only for fans of the series but also for anyone interested innineteenth-century warfare, The Sharpe Companion includes:A chapter devoted to each Sharpe bookGlossary of characters, both real and fictionalIllustrations and photographsMaps of every battle and skirmishFull of fascinating historical details, thrilling contemporary accounts of actual battles, and impeccable research, The Sharpe Companion is a must for every student of military history and an essential addition to every Sharpe fan's library.

Death Of The Leaping Horseman: 24th Panzer Division In Stalingrad


Jason D. Mark - 2003
    In "Death of the Leaping Horseman: 24th Panzer-Division in Stalingrad," the untold story of 24th Panzer-Division's savage fighting on Stalingrad's outskirts - and in the devastated ruins of the city itself - is revealed in a detailed day-by-day account. Beginning in the heady days of the victorious march toward Stalingrad in August 1942, the book follows the Division into Stalingrad's suburbs as it is slowly and inexorably suked into the fiery crucible that was Stalingrad. Panzer losses and casualties increased daily until finally, after three months of draining combat, the Division was reduced to a battlegroup consisting of a couple of panzers and a few hundred men. Woven through official combat reports and entries from the Division's war diaries are gripping accounts from the few remaining veterans - including an Oakleaves winner and several Knight's Cross winners. Contains over 200 photos and 85 maps and aerial photos.

A Soldier's Best Friend: Scout Dogs and Their Handlers in the Vietnam War


John C. Burnam - 2003
    Burnam’s account of his tenure as a scout dog handler patrolling the jungles of Vietnam with his German shepherd, Clipper, at his side.There were 10,000 soldiers in Vietnam like Burnam, accompanied by these intelligent, adaptable scout dogs.  Between hazardous missions, the dogs were loving, playful friends who shared the lives of their human squadmates, while in the combat zone they were all business.  Routinely braving danger, the canines searched for injured GIs, probed for potentially lethal booby traps, located underground weapons caches, and warned of approaching enemy attacks and ambushes.  So valuable was the dogs’  service that the Viet Cong offered a hefty bounty for their lives. Despite their heroism, many of these dogs were abandoned at the conflict’s end, left to fend for themselves.  Since the 1990s, this book has had two runs as a self-published book, and one as a trade title, with all three of these print runs selling out.

The Mercenary Option


Dick Couch - 2003
    Officially, the group is a rogue operation with no government affiliation. But when the impossible becomes absolutely necessary, IFOR is...THE MERCENARY OPTIONShortly after the terror attacks on America, the American president announces the construction of an oil pipeline across Afghanistan. To stop this, and deter further Western encroachment in Central Asia, a vindictive Saudi prince retains ex-KGB terror broker Pavel Zelinkow -- a prime mover behind al Qaeda's 9/11 attack. Zelinkow plans to steal two nuclear weapons, detonating one of them among the pipeline construction crews and their military guardians, while the target of the second bomb is a mystery. U.S. special operations forces cannot be used against the terrorists hiding in Iran, so IFOR is called into action for the first time on a mission that will test them to their limits: take out the terrorists, recover the nukes, and get Zelinkow -- dead or alive.

The First Heroes


Craig W. Nelson - 2003
    Sixteen planes take off from a US Navy carrier in the mid-Pacific. A squadron of young, barely trained flyers under a famous daredevil, Jimmy Doolittle, they are America's first retaliation towards Japan since Pearl Harbor. Their mission: to bomb Japan's 's five main cities including Tokyo. Critically compromised by the discovery of the US fleet by Japanese spies, they are not expected to come back.Having successfully delivered their bombs, most of the squadron run out of fuel and are forced to crash land in Japan, China and the Soviet Union. The stories of their journeys home are as heroic as that of the raid itself. Incredibly of the 80 flyers who left the USS ... 90% eventually returned alive to the US. The First Heroes tells the extraordinary story of the daring raid and shows for the first time the real story of what was to be the turning point in the war against Japan.

Prussia's Glory: Rossbach & Leuthen 1757


Christopher Duffy - 2003
    Prussian military prowess became legendary.But the Franco-German army swept away at Rossbach, and the Austrian army routed at Leuthen, were not only larger and had a fair share of professional soldiers, but the Austrians had beaten the Prussians not long before. So how were they so humiliated? What made Frederick Great?For more than a century people believed it was because the Prussians were just naturally suited for war. Until 1945 many Germans, and their foes, remembered how Frederick miraculously saved Prussia against overwhelming odds, by marching through the snow towards Leuthen church.As always it was not so simple. The expert on 18th century armies, Christopher Duffy, shows why French, Austrian and Reichsarmee soldiers, though often enough brave and skilful, marched to defeat, and how Frederick, often unaware of the legend he was creating, won these famous battles. But it is no longer left to myth, but to reliable accounts of hard fighting, quick decisions, and the fate of the soldiers and civilians swept up by the fighting.

Black Star


Robert Gandt - 2003
    But with a beautiful defector of dubious loyalties guiding him, Maxwell's mission could take a wrong turn at any moment...

Vietnam: A Complete Photographic History


Michael Maclear - 2003
    

A Day in the Life of the United States Armed Forces


Lewis J. Korman - 2003
    Their instructions were simple: look beyond the daily news headlines, dig beneath the breaking stories, and capture what life is like on an ordinary day for the men and women of the United States Armed Forces around the world.For 24 consecutive hours, this prize-winning team of civilian and military photographers -- working with the cooperation and support of the Department of Defense -- chronicled daily life in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.The resulting book of photographs documents the lives of elite units and freshly minted recruits; of cadets, generals, fire-fighters, medics, and MPs; of soldiers at desolate outposts and on strategic bases. It illustrates life in the cockpit of a fighter, on a Trident submarine, in an underground missile silo, and at computer terminals in a war room. It shows personnel patrolling borders, jungles, mountains, and harbors; training for special operations; and fighting terrorism.It is a timeless portrait -- in indelible images and eloquent words -- of the men and women who wear the uniforms of the American military. They are your sons, daughters, spouses, neighbors, and friends.Together these photographs provide an inspiring visual reminder of the routine and heroic operations, the sacrifices and dedication, that are necessary to defend America's freedoms 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Rifles: Six Years with Wellington's Legendary Sharpshooters


Mark Urban - 2003
    Fighting and thieving their way across Europe, they are clearly no ordinary troops. The 95th are in fact the first British soldiers to take aim at their targets, to take cover when being shot at, to move tactically by fire and manoeuvre. And by the end of the six-year campaign they have not only proved themselves the toughest fighters in the army, they have also - at huge personal cost - created the modern notion of the infantryman.In an exhilarating work of narrative military history, Mark Urban traces the story of the 95th Rifles, the toughest and deadliest sharpshooters of Wellington's Army.'If you like Sharpe, then this book is a must, your Christmas present solved.' Bernard Cornwell, Daily Mail'Urban writes history the way it should be written, alive and exciting.' Andy McNab

Blood for Dignity: The Story of the First Integrated Combat Unit in the U.S. Army


David P. Colley - 2003
    The experiences of these soldiers were truly radical and a harbinger of things to come. Clearly, these black infantrymen planted the seeds of integration in the army--and the nation.Blood for Dignity tells the story of these soldiers through the eyes of 5th platoon, K Company, 394th Regiment, 99th Division--the first integrated combat unit since the Revolutionary War. These men were involved in heavy combat at the Remagen Bridgehead and several other critical junctures as they drove back the German army. The performance of these men laid to rest the accepted white attitude of a century and a half that blacks were cowardly and inferior fighters. In fact, they proved to be just the opposite. Author David Colley interviewed many of the members of the 99th. Their accounts along with years of reseach paint a gripping, combat-heavy portrait of young men fighting together for their nation. For as they will tell you, in combat situations, prejudice and the color line disappears.

Leadership in the Crucible: The Korean War Battles of Twin Tunnels and Chipyong-ni


Kenneth Earl Hamburger - 2003
    forces met and contained large-scale attacks by Chinese forces. Colonel Paul Freeman and the larger-than-life Colonel Ralph Monclar led the American 23rd Infantry Regiment and the French Bataillon de Corée, respectively, in the fierce and dangerous battles that followed the precipitous U.N. retreat down the Korean Peninsula.In Leadership in the Crucible, Kenneth Hamburger details the actions of the units in the United Nations counteroffensive following the Chinese intervention, including routine patrols, the harrowing battle of Twin Tunnels, and the pivotal siege of Chipyong-ni. The regiment was cut off from artillery fire support and was resupplied only by parachute drops. Repeatedly attacked by superior Chinese forces during the two nights and final day of fighting, the U.N. units finally welcomed relief by the armored Tank Force Crombez of the 1st Cavalry Division.From extensive personal interviews and a careful reconstruction of the written record, Hamburger brilliantly analyzes the roles that training, cohesion, morale, logistics, and leadership play in success or failure on the front lines of limited war. He also addresses the vexing problem of when, and at what level, commanders have the right and even the responsibility to question lawful orders they believe are flawed.In this careful consideration of combat leadership at all levels, Hamburger offers his readers stories of men sustaining themselves and one another to the limits of human endurance. By thoroughly sorting out the chaos, carnage, and courage of the battles, he provides a uniquely detailed description of these two crucial battles and a well-organized discussion of unit cohesion and command that is sure to become a classic in the field of leadership studies.

E-Mail To The Front: One Wife's Correspondence With Her Husband Overseas


Alesia Holliday - 2003
    The smoke went away fairly quickly, though. Connor even got to go for a ride in the fire truck."Alesia Holliday has survived scenes like this and more while her husband, a naval flight officer, has been away on military duty. They have forged a different kind of marriage-one that the 1.5 million current active-duty service members and their families will identify with. E-mail to the Front has a large built-in audience that boasts a camaraderie strengthened by shared difficulties and discoveries. E-mail to the Front consists of short commentaries by Alesia and an e-mail dialogue between her and her husband while he was on deployment. In text filled with empathy, gut-level honesty, humor, and unflinching support, chapters cover everything from "Departure: Only 183 Days to Go" to "Rebellion of the Appliances" to "It's Like Being a Single Mother, But I Can't Date."As military maneuvers remain at the forefront of our national news, interest in all things military is running high. E-mail to the Front will appeal to everyone who appreciates the courage of those who choose to serve their country, the families who are meeting the challenge of military duty, and those who love and support them. Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry has written a cover quote for the book, and best-selling author Suzanne Brockmann said, "This book should be required reading for all Americans."

Adak: The Rescue of Alfa Foxtrot 586


Andrew C.A. Jampoler - 2003
    It is a powerful blend of human drama and real-life naval operations, but unlike most books in the genre, its heroes are airmen not seamen, and most survived their ordeal. Published on the twenty-fifth anniversary of Alfa Foxtrot 586's fatal mission as a tribute to those lost, the account was written by a naval aviator who has flown the same aircraft on the same mission from the same air base. The aircraft is a P-3 Orion on station during a sensitive mission off the Kamchatka Peninsula in the north Pacific. The time is mid-day on 26 October 1978. Andy Jampoler takes readers into the cockpit of the turboprop as a propeller malfunction turns into an engine fire, eventually forcing Jerry Grigsby to ditch his patrol plane into the empty, mountainous seas west of the Aleutian Islands. His fourteen crewmembers, strapped in their seats, expect the worst-and get it. The aircraft goes down in just ninety seconds, taking one of the three rafts with it. A second raft, terribly overcrowded, soon begins to leak.The flight crew's desperate battle to survive is told with the authority, drama, and sensitivity that only someone with the author's background could provide. He draws on interviews with survivors, searchers, and even the master of the Soviet fishing trawler that saved the living and recovered the bodies of the dead. He also draws on recordings of radio communications, messages in the files of the state and defense departments, and the patrol squadron's own investigation of the ditching. Everyone who likes survival epics and enjoys reading sea and air adventures will be entertained by this engrossing true story.About the AuthorAndrew C. A. Jampoler is a retired naval aviator and former commanding officer of Patrol Squadron 19 and of Naval Air Station Moffett Field. Since retirement he has worked for the aerospace industry. His articles and essays have appeared in Proceedings magazine and elsewhere. He lives in Leesburg, Virginia.

Betrayed


Brendan DuBois - 2003
    He considered his brother dead, but thirty years later a knock on the door heralded the arrival of his long-lost brother and the beginning of a terrifying journey of revenge.

Dark Waters: An Insider's Account of the NR-1, The Cold War's Undercover Nuclear Sub


Lee Vyborny - 2003
    Navy's top-secret, four-hundred-ton submarine, an expensive, dangerous vessel with a custom-built miniature nuclear reactor designed as a secret weapon during the Cold War. Reprint. 25,000 first printing.

War Pilot: True Tales of Combat and Adventure


Richard Kirkland - 2003
    It was a move he never regretted, and the riveting experiences he chronicles in War Pilot provide ample reason why. From the first primitive Sikorsky and the sophisticated choppers of Vietnam to flying medevac choppers and saving countless soldiers from certain death in Korea, Kirkland’s firsthand accounts of pilots under fire provide a gripping portrait of not just one American hero, but the many courageous others with whom he flew. . . .

World War II: The People's Story


Nigel Fountain - 2003
    Arranged chronologically, first-hand accounts from both soldiers and civilians are told, following a time-line of key events through the years of the second world war. An accompanying 70-minute audio CD introduces the voices of people featured in the book, as they recall their vivid memories of unforgettable times.

Rommel and His Art of War


Erwin Rommel - 2003
    Illustrated with 120 photographs Carries the reader from the Alps in WWI to North Africa in WWII With many photographs taken by Rommel himself

Gettysburg Battlefield: The Definitive Illustrated History


David J. Eicher - 2003
    It was fought 140 years ago this July, in the farmlands of Pennsylvania. Years in the making, it draws together the most complete collection of Gettysburg imagery ever published in a single volume along with a robust narrative. The author takes the reader on a day-by-day journey through the battle, illustrated throughout with more than 480 photographs, many of them rare, including shots of Robert E. Lee and George Meade. Two visual features of this book are particularly compelling: Period photographs of key battlefield sites - taken just as the guns stilled - are juxtaposed with images of those same sites today. Three-dimensional maps were created especially for this book and offer a distinctive perspective on military strategy. Essays by civil war experts and a foreword by historian James M. McPherson complete this handsome and authoritative history. An essential addition to the Civil War library, Gettysburg Battlefield is a compelling chronicle of a legendary conflict and the ultimate pictorial record.

September Evening: The Life and Final Combat of the 48-Victory Ace Werner Voss


Barry Diggens - 2003
    At the time of his death he was considered by many, friend and foe alike, to be Germany's greatest ace and, had he lived, he would almost certainly have overtaken Manfred von Richthofen's victory total by early spring 1918. Voss is perhaps best remembered for his outstanding courage, his audacity in the air and the prodigious number of victories he achieved before being killed in one of the most swash-buckling and famous dogfights of the Great War; a fight involving James McCudden and 56 Squadron RFC, the most successful Allied scout squadron.Yet the life of Voss and the events of that fateful day in September are surrounded by mystery and uncertainty and even now aviation enthusiasts continue to ask questions about him almost on a daily basis.Barry Diggens was determined to find out the truth and his book unearths and analyses every scrap of information concerning this extraordinary young man. His conclusions are sometimes controversial but his evidence persuasive and this study will be welcomed by, and be of great interest to, the aviation fraternity worldwide.Includes an excellent photographic section.

Stealth Patrol: The Making Of A Vietnam Ranger


Bill Shanahan - 2003
    His unit didn't have a chance against an enemy that quietly emerged from the jungle like ghosts-and just as quickly disappeared. Shanahan wanted a better way to fight . . and to stay alive. And so, just four months after he arrived in Vietnam in 1968, he joined the LRPs (Long Range Patrol).The mission of the Lurps, as they were called, was dangerous: Five- or six-man teams were dropped into the dense forest behind enemy lines. They were to observe enemy troop movements and stage ambushes that sometimes ended in fierce firefights. When their mission was over, they called for quick helicopter rescue. Back on base, they debriefed and tried to sleep off the adrenaline. Two days later they were back in the brush. The missions changed, but one goal was always the same-stay alive.In hard-hitting prose, Bill Shanahan, with co-author John Brackin, tells his story of survival behind enemy lines.

The Eye of War: Words and Photographs from the Front Line


John Keegan - 2003
    An exceptional photographic history of the changing face of war and combat photo journalism through the last 150 years fully illustrated with over 200 photographs

The Other War of 1812: The Patriot War and the American Invasion of Spanish East Florida


James G. Cusick - 2003
    Cusick tells how, just before the United States went to war against Great Britain in 1812, an ill-advised invasion of a Spanish colony became a stage on which the young republic clumsily acted out its imperial ambitions and racial fears. With the halfhearted backing of President James Madison and Secretary of State James Monroe, a party of Georgians invaded East Florida, confident that partisans there would help them swiftly wrest the colony away from Spain. The raid was a strategic and political disaster. Few sympathizers materialized, official U.S. support dissolved, and an extended guerrilla war ensued.This was the "other war of 1812," or the Patriot War. Cusick, a lively storyteller as well as a meticulous scholar, conveys the savagery of the borderlands conflict that pitted American adventurers and anti-Spanish partisans against Spanish loyalists and their allies, who included Seminole Indians and escaped slaves. At the same time, Cusick looks at the American motivations behind the invasion, including apprehensions about Florida's growing population of unregulated blacks and geopolitical intrigues involving Spain, Britain, and France.

Cheating Death: Combat Air Rescues in Vietnam and Laos


George J. Marrett - 2003
    They were missions no one else wanted, but the ones all other pilots prayed for when shot down. Flying the World War II-vintage Douglas A-1 Skyraider, a single-engine, propeller-driven relic in a war of “fast-movers,” these intrepid US Air Force pilots, call sign Sandy, risked their lives with every mission to rescue thousands of downed Navy and Air Force pilots.With a flashback memory and a style all his own, George J. Marrett depicts some of the most dangerous aerial combat of any war. The thrilling rescue of “Streetcar 304” and William Jones's selfless act of heroism that earned him the Medal of Honor are but two of the compelling tales he recounts. Here too are the courages Jolly Green Giant helicopter crews, parajumpers, and forward air controllers who worked with the Sandys over heavily defended jungles and mountains well behind enemy lines.Passionate, mordantly witty, and filled with heart-pounding adrenaline, Cheating Death reads like the finest combat fiction, but it is the real deal: its heroes, cowards, jokers, and casualties all have names and faces readers will find difficult to forget.From the Trade Paperback edition.

West Point Atlas for the Great War: Strategies & Tactics of the First World War


Thomas E. Griess - 2003
    This is a thorough examination of the campaigns of the "war to end all wars." It analyzes the development of military theory and practice from the prewar period of Bismark's Prussia to the creation of the League of Nations.

Semper Fi: Stories of the United States Marines from Boot Camp to Battle


Clint Willis - 2003
    The history of the Marine Corps is inextricably intertwined with that of the country it defends—from its formation during the American Revolution through the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War, right up to its recent role in Afghanistan. Marines not only played a deciding role in many of the moments which have determined our history, but set a standard for honor, self-sacrifice, and courage which has defined the best of military heroism in this country for generations. Including the most compelling excerpts from classics old and new by authors such as Thomas Ricks (Making the Corps), James Brady (The Coldest War), Studs Terkel (The Good War), Lewis B. Puller, Jr. (Fortunate Son), James W. Johnson (The Long Road of War), Joseph Alexander (Edson's Raiders), John C. Stevens III (Court-Martial At Parris Island), Anthony Swofford (Jarhead), and Frank and John Schaeffer (Keeping Faith), this anthology will bring readers the pain, pride, and glory of being a member of America's most renowned fighting group.

A Human Error Approach to Aviation Accident Analysis: The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System


Douglas A. Wiegmann - 2003
    Appropriate for all levels of expertise, the book provides the knowledge and tools required to conduct a human error analysis of accidents, regardless of operational setting (i.e. military, commercial, or general aviation). The book contains a complete description of the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), which incorporates James Reason's model of latent and active failures as a foundation. Widely disseminated among military and civilian organizations, HFACS encompasses all aspects of human error, including the conditions of operators and elements of supervisory and organizational failure. It attracts a very broad readership. Specifically, the book serves as the main textbook for a course in aviation accident investigation taught by one of the authors at the University of Illinois. This book will also be used in courses designed for military safety officers and flight surgeons in the U.S. Navy, Army and the Canadian Defense Force, who currently utilize the HFACS system during aviation accident investigations. Additionally, the book has been incorporated into the popular workshop on accident analysis and prevention provided by the authors at several professional conferences world-wide. The book is also targeted for students attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University which has satellite campuses throughout the world and offers a course in human factors accident investigation for many of its majors. In addition, the book will be incorporated into courses offered by Transportation Safety International and the Southern California Safety Institute. Finally, this book serves as an excellent reference guide for many safety professionals and investigators already in the field.

Deterrent or Defense: A Fresh Look at the West's Military Position


B.H. Liddell Hart - 2003
    Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone

The Scattered Flock: Part Five of the Marshes of Mount Liang


Shi Nai'an - 2003
    The action in this volume can be divided into three parts: the campaign against Tian Hu, the campaign against Wang Qing and the campaign against Fang La. It is in the last of these that the heroes of Mount Liang begin to die. Their demise is as haphazard and casual as the scattering of the flock of geese when the Prodigy shoots them for mere amusement. The themes of the vanity of human wishes and the emptiness of ambition are prominent throughout.

First to Fly: The Unlikely Triumph of Wilbur and Orville Wright


James Tobin - 2003
    This is the story of how the obscure but brilliant and determined Wilbur Wright, and his brother Orville, beat rich, powerful and sometimes unscrupulous rivals to become the first to fly.

Swift, Silent and Surrounded


Andy A. Bufalo - 2003
    If you liked the "Brown Side Out, Green Side Out" series of books by Major Gene Duncan, or are a fan of the Chicken Soup For the Soul books, you will love this volume of Sea Stories, Marine Corps articles, and politically incorrect commentary. You will swell with pride as you read of the Marines in Iraq, Kuwait and Vietnam, laugh at the antics of some of the Corps' "Nimrods," and perhaps even shed a tear as you learn more about "The Few and the Proud." Contributing authors include Fred Reed, Colonel David Hackworth, James Webb and many others.

Like Sex with Gods: An Unorthodox History of Flying


Bayla Singer - 2003
    At first a monopoly of the gods, flight came to interest humanity as a way to free itself from the physical and intellectual bonds of the earth. The mythology of flight eventually gives way to the pursuit of actual flight. Singer shows in detail the many flying machines that have been created, including balloons, gliders, and kites.

Hypersonic! The Story of the North American X-15


Dennis R. Jenkins - 2003
    At the dawn of the 21st Century there seem to be a great interest in hypersonic flight. For the most part this is related to a new generation of missiles - air-to-air and air-to-surface - that are being proposed as the next logical increment in weapons, although the designers of the forever-in-development replacement for the Space Shuttle also have a vested interest in hypersonic research. This book is a tribute to the program, the airplanes, and the people who designed, maintained and flew the most successful of the X-planes. There had never been anything like the X-15; it had a million-horsepower engine and could fly twice as fast as a rifle bullet. Over the course of ten years and 199 flights, pilots from the Air Force, Navy, and NASA would spend 85 minutes at hypersonic velocities flying to the edge of space.

Air Power: The Men, Machines, and Ideas That Revolutionized War, from Kitty Hawk to Iraq


Stephen Budiansky - 2003
    Even before the Wright Brothers’ first flight, predictions abounded of the devastating and terrible consequences this new invention would have as an engine of war. Soaring over the battlefield, the airplane became an unstoppable force that left no spot on earth safe from attack. Drawing on combat memoirs, letters, diaries, archival records, museum collections, and eyewitness accounts by the men who fought—and the men who developed the breakthrough inventions and concepts—acclaimed author Stephen Budiansky weaves a vivid and dramatic account of the airplane’s revolutionary transformation of modern warfare.On the web: http://www.budiansky.com/

Sweet Pea at War: A History of USS Portland


William Thomas Generous Jr. - 2003
    With the destruction of most of the US battleship fleet at Pearl Harbor, cruisers such as Sweet Pea carried the biggest guns the Navy possessed for nearly a year after the start of World War II. This volume describes in harrowing detail how Portland and her sisters protected the precious carriers and held the line against overwhelming Japanese naval strength. the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, and the naval battle of Guadalcanal - conflicts that historians regard as turning points in the Pacific war. Portland was the only cruiser ever to fight twice in night battles against enemy battleships, winning both times, and her skilled crew kept her from being hit during innumerable attacks by kamikazes. She rescued nearly 3000 sailors from sunken ships, some of them while she herself was badly damaged. Only a colossal hurricane ended her career, but she sailed home from that too. of the ship's crew, Sweet Pea at War recounts the history of US Portland, from launching to scrapping, arguing that she deserves to be remembered as one of the most important ships in US naval history.

Honoring Sergeant Carter: A Family's Journey to Uncover the Truth About an American Hero


Allene G. Carter - 2003
    Yet it was not until the Carter family received a call from the White House that she discovered he was a heroic force in the Rhineland campaign. President Clinton awarded the Medal of Honor to several black soldiers who served in World War II. Sergeant Edward A. Carter Jr. was among the recipients. Shocked to learn the extent of Carter's service, Allene was determined to uncover both the truth about her father-in-law's wartime record and why his official recognition was so long in coming.Here is the story not only of Sergeant Carter but also of his family's fight to restore his honor. Theirs is a journey that takes them from local veterans organizations to the office of the president and front pages of the national media. An important piece of American history, Honoring Sergeant Carter is an enduring story of determination and family love.

G.I. Collectors Guide: Army Service Forces Catalog: US Army European Theater of Operations


Henry Enjames - 2003
    Their technique reaches a new level with this latest book.All the uniforms, insignia, badges, weapons and equipment of the ETO are described in detail and depicted in both photographs and full color graphics.This book is a must for any collector in the field.

Through the Hitler Line: Memoirs of an Infantry Chaplain


Laurence F. Wilmot - 2003
    And it is paradoxes such as this that also make Wilmot's book a unique and compelling document. Wilmot, as an Anglican chaplain, is a priest dressed as a warrior, a man of peace in battle fatigues. He is an incongruous figure in a theatre of war, always vigilant for opportunities to partake of silent meditation and prayer, never failing to lose sight of the larger moral issues of the war. His compassion is boundless, his sensitivity acute, and one senses his mounting emotional and spiritual enervation as the death toll of his fellow serving men steadily mounts. At the centre of the book is Wilmot's witness of the murderous battle at the Arielli.Wilmot's compassion for the fighting men compels him to leave the safety of his ministry and join them at the front, at great personal risk. There, as an unarmed stretcher-bearer, he is kept busy transporting the wounded under enemy fire. In this crucible of battle we see the qualities that attest to Wilmot's character and contribute to his memoir's importance: an indefatigable devotion to his duty to save and comfort the wounded, and a resolve to resist despair in spite of the terrible carnage all around. In short, a singular triumph of the decency of one man in the midst of total war.

First & Second Maryland Infantry, C.S.A.


Robert J. Driver - 2003
    Organized at Harpers Ferry, they fought in the first battle of the war at Bull Run, and distinguished themselves for their valor. The Marylanders fought in the Shenandoah Valley under Jackson, bringing new honors to their fame. During the Seven Day Campaign they made an outstanding charge across open fields to help break the Union lines at Gaines's Mill. Disbanded in 1862, they quickly reorganized and gathered new recruits to become the Second Maryland Infantry. These gallant Marylanders defended the Shenandoah Valley during the winter of 1862-63, and then fought in the battle of Winchester in 1863. Joining Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, they charged up Culp's Hill on July 2-3, losing half their number. In june, 1864, the Marylanders charged without orders and closed a gap in the Confederate lines at Cold Harbor. Defending Petersburg, they were in several counterattacks to recover the Weldon Railroad. During the winter of 1864-65 the Marylanders were constantly called on for picket duty, while others around them deserted. They fought to the last at Petersburg in April, 1865, and the survivors surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. 2003, 6 x 9, index, cloth, 581 pp.

York Notes On "Henry V" (York Notes)


David Langston - 2003
    They are filled with summaries, commentaries, exam advice, margin and textual features to offer a wider context to the text and encourage a critical analysis.

Honor Untarnished: A West Point Graduate's Memoir of World War II


Donald V. Bennett - 2003
    From orientation at Fort Sill, Oklahoma through the fiercest battles of the war right up to the liberation of the death camps and our complicit confrontation with the Soviet Union over Eastern Europe, Don Bennett, not yet thirty, preserved the honor of the corps, and the liberty of the free world.Lindbergh, Patton, Bradley, and Eisenhower are just names in a history book to most-but to Don Bennett they were personal acquaintances.

Past Worlds Atlas of Archaeology


Colin Renfrew - 2003
    Past Worlds is an archaeological reconstructin of the human story, using hundreds of maps, illustrations and meticulous reconstructions of ancient sites.

No Sword to Bury: Japanese Americans in Hawai'i During World War II


Franklin Odo - 2003
    In a few weeks, however, the military government questioned their loyalty and disarmed them. In "No Sword to Bury," Franklin Odo places the largely untold story of the wartime experience of these young men in the context of the community created by their immigrant families and its relationship to the larger, white-dominated society. At the heart of the book are vivid oral histories that recall their service on the home front in the Varsity Victory Volunteers, a non-military group dedicated to public works, as well as in the segregated 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Illuminating a critical moment in ethnic identity formation among this first generation of Americans of Japanese descent (the "nisei"), Odo shows how the war-time service and the post-war success of these men contributed to the simplistic view of Japanese Americans as a model minority in Hawaii.

Nelson's Fleet at Trafalgar


Brian Lavery - 2003
    Unlike other books on the subject, which are told mostly from Nelson's point of view or evaluate the battle's effect on world strategy, this definitive new assessment sees the battle through the eyes of other individuals involved. Using much new and revealing material, Brian Lavery, one of Britain's foremost maritime historians, traces the lives of several officers and men serving in the fleet, from mobilization in 1803 when press gangs were at their most active and brutal, through the next two years as their ships assembled off Cadiz to blockade the combined French and Spanish fleets, to the high drama of the battle itself and its aftermath. The author examines the Nelson Touch when the admiral took command of the fleet late in September 1805 and the roles the various ships played in the battle. While never neglecting Nelson, one of the era's greatest naval leaders, Lavery focuses on the human stories behind history to pay tribute to the men under Nelson's command and the professionalism that made Nelson's career and victory at Trafalgar possible. The book draws its illustrations from the fabulously rich resources of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.

Wreaking Havoc: A Year in an A-20


Joseph W. Rutter - 2003
    Rutter, "was all fun and games with very expensive toys during those bright June days in 1944." Rutter was a pilot in the Army Air Force, and the expensive toys were airplanes--A-20, nicknamed "the Havoc" for the damage they inflicted. He had just completed replacement crew training at Charlotte, North Carolina. Shortly thereafter he was flying with the 312th Bomb Group from Hollanida, New Guinea, over Japanese targets and across "unexplored" areas, and life became more serious. "Wreaking Havoc tells the story of Rutter and his friends at a time when the horrors of war were matched by the energy and enthusiasm of youth. In innocent and understated tones, Rutter relates hijinks and daredevilry, his training stateside, his first mission, large-scale raids on the Philippines and Formosa, routine low-level attacks on Japanese positions, crashes, mishaps, and the deaths of friends. With a wonderful eye for detail, Rutter gives the reader a glimpse into not only the air war in the Pacific but also the culture of the 1940s and the minds of the young men who found themselves far from home on the front lines. In Rutter's story of war, the A-20 is as much a protagonist as the author. If the aircraft emerges as a pilot's plane--a joy to fly--it could also be a temperamental machine whose landing gear might collapse, whose hydraulic system might fail, and whose controls might suddenly malfunction. Rutter and the men who crewed the planes are quiet heroes whose approach to war combines the nonchalance of youth and the seriousness of men who have come close enough to death to take life seriously. From the pages of his memoir, Rutter speaks to those interested in aviation,World War II, and the coming of age of a young man.

Harlem's Hell Fighters: The African-American 369th Infantry in World War I


Stephen L. Harris - 2003
    Many from New York City joined the 15th N.Y. Infantry, a National Guard regiment later designated the 369th U.S. Infantry. Led by mostly inexperienced white and black officers, these men not only received little instruction at their training camp in South Carolina but were frequent victims of racial harassment from both civilians and their white comrades. Once in France, they initially served as laborers, all while chafing to prove their worth as American soldiers.Then they got their chance. The 369th became one of the few U.S. units that American commanding general John J. Pershing agreed to let serve under French command. Donning French uniforms and taking up French rifles, the men of the 369th fought valiantly alongside French Moroccans and held one of the widest sectors on the Western Front. The entire regiment was awarded the Croix de Guerre, the French government’s highest military honor. Stephen L. Harris’s accounts of the valor of a number of individual soldiers make for exciting reading, especially that of Henry Johnson, who defended himself against an entire German squad with a large knife. After reading this book, you will know why the Germans feared the black men of the 369th and why the French called them “hell fighters.”

Storm of Steel: The Development of Armor Doctrine in Germany and the Soviet Union, 1919-1939


Mary R. Habeck - 2003
    Habeck traces the strategies developed between the wars for the use of armored vehicles in battle. Only in Germany and the Soviet Union were truly original armor doctrines (generally known as blitzkreig and deep battle) fully implemented. Storm of Steel relates how the German and Soviet armies formulated and chose to put into practice doctrines that were innovative for the time, yet in many respects identical to one another.As part of her extensive archival research in Russia, Germany, and Britain, Habeck had access to a large number of formerly secret and top-secret documents from several post-Soviet archives. This research informs her comparative approach as she looks at the roles of technology, shared influences, and assumptions about war in the formation of doctrine. She also explores relations between the Germans and the Soviets to determine whether collaboration influenced the convergence of their armor doctrines.

Aden Insurgency: The Savage War in Yemen 1962-67


Jonathan Walker - 2003
    As Cold War tensions escalated, a brutal fight was contested with the rebel tribes of the wild interior as well as terrorist assassins in the back streets of Aden. Revealing the truth behind the 'Mad Mitch' legend and his clash with the high command and the successes and disasters of early SAS operation, this is one of the very few modern studies to examine Britain's clandestine war in neighboring Yemen alongside her conflict in South America.

Sea Raiders of the American Revolution: The Continental Navy in European Waters


E. Gordon Bowen-Hassell - 2003
    The Continental Navy, as it was called then, shaped and was shaped by this difficult struggle for freedom that lasted from 1775 to 1783. During the war, the sailors of the young navy, seamen and officers alike, established the proud traditions of honor, courage, and commitment shared by today's servicemen in the United States Navy. It is important for the American people, especially those who wear the uniform, to understand the significant role that the Continental Navy played in the nation's beginnings. This book is about three captains of the Continental Navy: Lambert Wickes, Gustavus Conyngham, and John Paul Jones. In recounting the stories of their lives and examining the roles they played in the Navy's early years, it highlights the difficult circumstances that each man faced operating in seas dominated by the British Navy and emphasizes that the outcome of the American War for Independence was far from certain. The book also illustrates the humanity of these Revolutionary War heroes, revealing their weaknesses as well as their strengths. They exhibited frustration, pettiness, and egotism as well as courage, initiative, and sound judgment. Like naval leaders today, these Continental Navy officers faced tough choices and were forced to live with the consequences, for good or ill. Their lives and choices had an important influence on the course of the war and on the character of the naval service.

War Pilot: True Tales of Combat and Adventure


Richard C. Kirkland - 2003
    A blazing account of his most top secret, dangerous missions. Richard Kirkland would never have imagined that anything could compare to tangling with Zeros in life-and-death dogfights over the South Pacific—but that was before he traded his fighter-pilot wings for rotors. It was a move he never regretted.

U.S. Navy A Complete History


M. Hill Goodspeed - 2003
    History of the U.S Navy

Submarine Warfare In The Civil War


Mark K. Ragan - 2003
    Less well known, however, is that the Hunley was not alone under the waters of America during the Civil War. Both the Union and Confederacy built a wide and incredible array of vessels that could maneuver underwater, and many were put to use patrolling enemy waters. In Submarine Warfare in the Civil War, Mark Ragan, who spent years mining factory records and log books, brings this little-known history to the surface.The hardcover edition, Union and Confederate Submarine Warfare in the Civil War, was published to wide acclaim in 1999. For this new paperback edition, Ragan has revised and updated the text to include the full story of the Hunley's recovery and restoration.

The Korean War (You Choose: Modern History)


Michael Burgan - 2003
    The United Nations has stepped in to help South Korea by providing weapons and soldiers. Nearly all of these soldiers come from the United States. Will you: Serve as a pilot in Korea with the U.S. Marine Corps? Lie about your age to enlist as a 16 year old member of the U.S. military reserves? Join in the fight for your country as a young South Korean man? Everything in this book happened to real people. And YOU CHOOSE what you do next. The choices you make could lead you to survival or to death.

Peru's MRTA: Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement


Suzie Baer - 2003
    At the heart of this book are two equally compelling dramas: the MRTA's months-long siege of the Japanese Embassy in Lima in 1996 and 1997, and the strange story of American Lori Berenson's alleged involvement with the group and subsequent imprisonment in the country's notorious terrorist prisons.

The Buffalo Soldiers


Jan Breytenbach - 2003
    

Stories from a Soldier's Heart: For the Patriotic Soul


Alice Gray - 2003
    They steadfastly guard the futures of millions of people they will never meet. Now over seventy-five riveting stories bring to life these heroes and the loved ones they have fought for. Organized in six themed sections: patriotism, inspiration, faith on the frontlines, love and family, honor and sacrifice, and dedication and courage. Stories from a Soldier's Heart honors those who carry in their warrior hearts the world's hope for freedom.

U.S. Special Operations Forces


Benjamin F. Schemmer - 2003
    From Roger's Rangers in Revolutionary times to the Underwater Demolition Teams of WWII to contemporary specialized commands in the war against terrorism, "U.S. Special Operations Forces explores both individual and collective achievements. Vintage and recent photographs, map, and historically inspired paintings complement the text, and a unique medallion-inlaid cover make it both a riveting history and a cherished keepsake.

The Penguin Factfinder


David Crystal - 2003
    Organized in thematic sections that cover topics as diverse as science and technology, sports and culture, and religion and mythology, it is a gold mine of facts, figures, and statistics. Backed by maps, diagrams, and a full index and now fully revised and updated, The Penguin Factfinder explores facts and figures on every conceivable topic of current interest, from world climates to musical notation. Whether you are seeking to establish the precise population of Guatemala, the chemical symbol for radium, or a list of Olympic Games medalists, this is the essential source of information.

World War II on the Air: Edward R. Murrow and the Broadcasts That Riveted a Nation


Mark Bernstein - 2003
    And no one told that story with more impact than Edward R. Murrow and the remarkable band of reporters he assembled.World War II on the Air recounts the dramatic stories behind these extraordinary correspondents. And it lets you hear their actual broadcasts, culled from the archives and collected here-many for the first time-on audio CD, narrated by Dan Rather.When war broke out, there was no TV, no satellites, no Internet to spread the news. There was radio. Murrow and his fellow CBS radio correspondents reported directly to listeners as news unfolded. They invented a new kind of reporting while bringing the events of the war into America’s living rooms from capitals and battlefields all over the world. Hear the history of the war through more than 50 broadcasts, including reports from:--a rooftop looking out over London as German bombers buzzed the skies, to…--a clearing in a forest where Hitler was laying down the terms of France’s surrender…--a Normandy beach on D-Day…--soldiers parachuting from a C-47 into Holland…--a street battle in a crumbling German city before the Battle of the Bulge…Experience World War II as it happened-with the reporters who lived it and the broadcasts that defined the war for a nation.

Pistol Marksmanship


U.S. Marine Corps - 2003
    Whenever the situation warrants the application of deadly force, a Marine must be able to deliver well-aimed shots to eliminate the threat. A Marine who is proficient in pistol marksmanship handles this challenge without escalating the level of violence or causing unnecessary collateral damage. It is not enough to simply provide Marines with the best available firearms; we must also ensure that their training prepares them to deliver accurate fire against the enemy under the most adverse conditions without hesitancy, fear, or uncertainty of action. A well-trained Marine is confident that he can protect himself, accomplish the mission, and protect his fellow Marines. To be combat ready, a Marine must be skilled in the tactics, techniques, and procedures of pistol marksmanship and diligent in the proper care and maintenance of the M9, 9-mm service pistol. Pistol Marksmanship is the Marine Corps' source document for pistol marksmanship and provides the doctrinal basis for Marine Corps pistol marksmanship training. This publication provides all Marines armed with a pistol with the tactics, techniques, and procedures for range and field firing the M9, 9-mm service pistol.

The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness World War I: Over 280 First-Hand Accounts of the War to End All Wars


Jon E. Lewis - 2003
    It slaughtered a generation of young men; claimed limbs, wounded souls; drenched battlefields in blood; made sad legends of the Western Front, Gallipoli, and Jutland, and made heroes of poets; farmers, and factory workers. Clerks it made into Tommies, doughboys, or the Hun. And in this new Mammoth volume the voices of such eyewitnesses to history as these are heard again. So are the words of generals, statesmen, and kings. From the trenches in Flanders to the staff rooms of the Imperial German Army, with the Land Girls in England and U-boat crews in the Atlantic, alongside T. E. Lawrence in Arabia's desert and the Red Baron in the air—with a variety of extracts from letters, speeches, memoirs, diaries, and dispatches, this gripping collection covers each year and every facet of World War I. Among its wide range of witnesses are King George V, Robert Graves, Leon Trotsky, Erwin Rommel, Ernst Junger, Ernest Hemingway, American aviator Eddie Rickenbacker; and Winston S. Churchill. The pieces in this volume compose a stirring human drama of the conflict that redrew the map of the modern world and determined the political course of the twentieth century.

The Book of War Letters


Paul Grescoe - 2003
    This anthology includes letters that date as far back as the Boer War (which began in 1899) and extend up to 2002, when Canadian peacekeepers served in Afghanistan. Between are letters from the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and a number of peacekeeping missions. It contains some of the most powerful writing that Canadians – whether reassuring loved ones, recounting the bitter reality of battle, or describing the appalling conditions of combat–have ever committed to the page.The letters Canadians have written during wartime are proud and self-deprecating, stoic and complaining, brave and fearful, tender and violent, funny and poignant. The Book of War Letters tells us something about what it means to be Canadian, and what it means to be alive.

Jet Bombers Since 1949


Tony Buttler - 2003
    Utilizes recently declassified archives to reveal little-known facts about special bomber development projects. Covers the design backgrounds for the V-Bomber program, Canberra, Buccaneer, Avro 730, TSR.2, Harrier, Jaguar and Tornado. Contains many previously unpublished illustrations, plus specially commissioned artworks of prototypes in contemporary markings.

Genda's Blade: Japan's Squadron of Aces: 343 Kokutai


Henry Sakaida - 2003
    He was commander of the 343 Kokutai-an elite unit of handpicked pilots chosen to fly Japan's newest and most advanced fighter, the Shiden-Kai (George), in the bitter defensive air battles over the Japanese homeland during the first half of 1945. The authors have spent years tracing and interviewing former pilots of both the 343 Kokutai and the American carrier and bomber groups that they encountered, to piece together this dramatic story and tell it largely from the personal perspective. The narrative is spiced with 300 remarkable photographs, most of which are published for the first time in an English language book. Accompanied by color artwork and written by acknowledged experts on Japanese military aviation, this book will be an essential requirement for any student of the Pacific air war.

GI: The US Infantryman in World War II


Robert S. Rush - 2003
    Wars are won and lost in the trenches and examining soldiers' lives assists in understanding larger scale unit operations and strategy. Each vignette focuses on one individual, with the experiences of the many woven into an intricate and meticulous narrative that exposes the reader to a soldier's daily life, from initial entry, through training, combat with the soldier fighting day to day just to see the sun come up, being wounded and going home. This is an individual participant's experience had he recorded it. Combining Warrior 45, 53 and 56, this book is a great value special edition.

2003 Complete Guide to the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) plus the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), National ... History, Cold War and Defense Documents


U.S. Department of Defense - 2003
    In addition to current public information on programs and activities, this material is filled with historical information and documents. With the ongoing war on terrorism, the role of these agencies is considered to be critical to victory. Topics covered include: * Director of Central Intelligence * Intelligence Community * National Intelligence Council * CIA and the War on Terrorism * CIA Directorate of Science and Technology * Center for the Study of Intelligence * Reports on Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions * CIA Who We Are and What We Do, CIA for Kids * George Bush Center for Intelligence * CIA Activities in Chile * CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis * CIA Releases, Statements, and Testimony * Heroin Movement Worldwide * Allegations of Connections Between CIA and Contras in Cocaine Trafficking to the United States- Report of Investigation Volume I: The California Story; Volume II: The Contra Story * Employment in the Directorate of Intelligence * Employment in the Directorate of Science & Technology * Foreign Missile Developments and the Ballistic Missile Threat through 2015 * Factbook on Intelligence * Assessing the Soviet Threat: The Early Cold War Years 1946-1950 * At Cold War's End: US Intelligence on the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, 1989-1991 * Black Dispatches: Black American Contributions to Union Intelligence During the Civil War * Chemical/Biological/Radiological Incident Handbook (October 1998) * CIA and the U-2 Program, 1954-1974 * CIA and the Vietnam Policymakers: Three Episodes 1962-1968 * CIA Assessments of the Soviet Union: The Record Versus the Charges (monograph) * CIA Briefings of Presidential Candidates * CIA's Analysis of the Soviet Union, 1947-1991 * Corona Between the Sun and the Earth: The First NRO Reconnaissance Eye in Space (article) * Declassified National Intelligence Estimates on the Soviet Union and International Communism, 1946- * The Final Months of the War With Japan: Signals Intelligence, U.S. Invasion Planning, and the A-Bomb Decision (monograph) * The Global Infectious Disease Threat and Its Implications for the United States * NCIX Counterintelligence Awareness Publication "BE ALERT" - You Are the Target; Methods of Operation; How to Protect Yourself; Maintaining a Low Profile; Pre-Travel Threat Information * NCIX Reports on Foreign Economic Collection and Industrial Espionage * Security Classifications * North Korea Country Handbook by the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity * Defense and Intelligence Abbreviations and Acronyms (Joint Military Intelligence College) * Much more Over 18,000 pages are reproduced using Adobe Acrobat PDF software - allowing direct viewing on Windows and Apple Macintosh systems. Reader software is included. In addition, there are twelve video clips in MPG format from the NRO which explain the Corona spy satellite program. This newly revised, updated, and expanded book-on-a-disc makes a great reference work and educational tool. There is no other reference that is as fast, convenient, comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and portable - everything you need to know, from the federal sources you trust. Please note that this material is also published under another title (ISBN 159248123X). Our CD-ROMs are privately-compiled collections of official public domain U.S. government files and documents - they are not produced by the federal government. They are designed to provide a convenient user-friendly reference work utilizing the benefits of the Adobe Acrobat format to uniformly present thousands of pages that can be rapidly reviewed, searched by finding specific words, or printed without untold hours of tedious research and downloading. Vast archives of important public domain government information that might otherwise remain inaccessible are available for instant review no matter where you are.

The Long Patrol: The British in Germany Since 1945


Roy Bainton - 2003
    Few of them could have imagined just how long this occupation was going to last - right up to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and well into its aftermath. Today some 17,000 British troops remain in Germany. But over the past four and a half decades, tens of thousands of British men and women have alived and worked in British Zone as members of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) some for relatively short periods, many for much longer. Long enough, though, for the experience to have a profound effect on their lives and on their attitudes.THE LONG PATROL reveals what life has been like in the British Zone for those men and women and their families. As the post war worlds of Britain and Germany had little in common, they had to find their own identity, often suspended between the two. And what did the Germans make of the British? How did they react when whole streets, sometimes whole districts, were requisitioned and occupied? What were the psychological effects of a foreign army taking over the barracks of what had been, until so recently, the homes of the warriors of the 1,000 Year Reich? Eventually the British became more and more insulated against the culture around them, building their own camps, their own cinemas. In major centres like Berlin they lived a seperate life whilst all around them Germany got on with the massive task of reconstruction. In the background there lurked the ever-present spectre of a possible Third World War. Based largely on interviews and information culled from personal diaries and letters. THE LONG PATROL is primarily an oral history of the British in Germany. It also analyses and interprets experiences in an attempt to begin to make sense of an unusual, and still significant, part of British history in the twentieth century. Funny, tragic, bizarre and poignant in equal parts, THE LONG PATROL is an important contribution to the social history of post-war Britain and Germ

Willing Obedience: Citizens, Soldiers, and the Progress of Consent in America, 1776-1898


Elizabeth D. Samet - 2003
    Willing Obedience tells the story of Americans who worked out the simultaneous demands of liberty and obedience in fiction, military memoir, and political writing from the Revolution through the nineteenth century. In contrast to the European model of a subject's blind obedience to a monarch, Americans imagined an allegiance that preserved autonomy even as they consented to the constraints of a new republic. In particular, the book considers the case of the soldier, whose surprisingly complex relationship to authority is in fact representative of the situation of all citizens in a republic.

Panzer Operations: The Eastern Front Memoir of General Raus, 1941-1945


Erhard Raus - 2003
    Army intelligence, World War II historian Steven H. Newton has translated, compiled, and edited the battle accounts of one of Germany's finest panzer commanders and a skilled tactician of tank warfare. Throughout most of the war, Erhard Raus was a highly respected field commander in the German-Soviet war on the eastern front, and after the war he wrote an insightful analysis of German strategy in that campaign.The Raus memoir covers the Russian campaign from the first day of the war to his relief from command at Hitler's order in the spring of 1945. It includes a detailed examination of the 6th Panzer Division's drive to Leningrad, Raus's own experiences in the Soviet winter counteroffensive around Moscow, the unsuccessful attempt to relieve Stalingrad, and the final desperate battles inside Germany at the end of the war. His battlefield experience and keen tactical eye make his memoir especially valuable for scholars, and his narrative is as readable as Heinz Guderian's celebrated Panzer Leader.

21 Days to Baghdad: Photos and Dispatches from the Battlefield


Time-Life Books - 2003
    TIME correspondents describe first hand Frontline encounters and battles as well as providing a compelling chronicle from the many TIME news stories.pFollow TIME Magazine's awardwinning editors, writers, and photographers as they follow the coalition troops on their journey towards Baghdad, encountering Iraqis both civilian and military witnessing the war upclose and personal...and documenting it all in historic words and photographs.p TIME brings you first hand reports on the Road to War...the troops warming up in Kuwait, America's unruly allies, our powerful partnership with Tony Blair and Britain, Anxious Americans, Doubts of War, and the Opening Assault on Iraq. You'll also read profiles of the men in charge Donald Rumsfeld and Tommy Franks, the General in charge of the war's strategy. Revisit the "Shock and Awe" attack, the counterattack by the Fedayeen, the rolling into Baghdad, the short but fierce overtaking of the country, and the poignant stories of the seven rescued POW's, including the dramatic rescue of Pvt. Jessica Lynch. TIME takes you to present day Iraq the rebuilding efforts, and finally, the coming home of the returning troops. 21 Days to Baghdad in words and photos that will enthrall you, shock you, and captivate you.

Winning The Retention Wars: The Air Force, Women Officers, And The Need For Transformation


Laura DiSilverio - 2003
    

Aircraft Nose Art: From World War I to Today


Jeffrey L. Ethell - 2003
    Ethell and Simonsen combine their knowledge to reveal stories behind the greatest nose art of all time. Packed with over 400 photographs of the best nose art from WWI, the Spanish Civil War and WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam and today.This is a paperback reprint of the original

The Sound of History: El Alamein 1942


Richard Doherty - 2003
    The North African campaign had captured the public imagination in Britain and the victors of Alamein joined those of Agincourt and Waterloo in the ranks of British heroes. This book looks at the background to the battle, the preparations, and the battle itself. Doherty uses personal accounts, war diaries, official regimental and divisional histories, and material from numerous archives to tell the story of this timely British victory.

The Psychology of the Peacekeeper: Lessons from the Field


Thomas W. Britt - 2003
    Theory and direct research with peacekeepers is incorporated. Missions covered include, but are not limited to, peacekeeping operations in Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Lebanon. The terminology of peacekeeping and military operations is listed. The stressors, threats, dangers, frustrations, and benefits of the peacekeeper role are described in dramatic detail, with additional attention to the Peacekeeper Stress Syndrome.With the goal of increasing peacekeeper health and well-being, which in turn increases the likelihood of establishing a stable peace, this volume also addresses interventions and preventative measures. The extent of psychological distress and disorders following peacekeeping operations is documented. Interventions are recommended for various phases of deployment, in order to minimize the likelihood of post-deployment psychological problems. Experts in social, industrial/organizational, health, clinical, and cross-cultural psychology contribute to a multi-dimensional perspective. Each chapter author reports psychological research with military personnel in peacekeeping operations.

Fields of Fire: The Canadians in Normandy


Terry Copp - 2003
    Terry Copp challenges and refutes the conventional view that the Canadian contribution to the Battle of Normandy was a 'failure': that the allies won only through the use of 'brute force, ' and that the Canadian soldiers and commanding officers were essentially incompetent. His detailed and impeccably researched analysis of what actually happened on the battlefield portrays a flexible, innovative army that made a major, and successful, contribution to the defeat of the German forces in just seventy-six days.Challenging both existing interpretations of the campaign and current approaches to military history, Copp examines the Battle of Normandy, tracking the soldiers over the battlefield terrain and providing an account of each operation carried out by the Canadian army to illustrate the valour, skill, and commitment of the Allied citizen-soldier in the face of a well-entrenched and well-equipped enemy army. Using signal message logs, war diaries, operational research reports, and interviews, Copp re-examines often overlooked battles such as the advance inland on D-Day and the defence of the bridgehead, as well as the frequently analyzed struggle for Verri?res ridge and the operations to reach Falaise, placing each operation within the context of overall Allied strategy. He demonstrates that previous accounts exaggerated the prowess of the German army and that while Allied air power and numerical strength were important, the Canadian and other Allied citizen armies won the war on the battlefield by employing an effective doctrine. The Canadian contribution to the Battle of Normandy, Copp argues, was an extraordinary achievement, well out of proportion to the number of troops engaged in battle, and the army was far more successful than previous historians have claimed. Passionately written and compellingly argued, "Fields of Fire" will make an irrefutable and controversial mark on Canadian military history.

Eight Stars To Victory: A History Of The Veteran Ninth U.S. Infantry Division (Divisional Series, Volume 61)


Joseph B. Mittelman - 2003
    This unit served in North Africa and North West Europe.

Red Shines The Sun: A Pictorial History Of The Fallschirm Infanterie


Eric Queen - 2003
    Reference guide on the history of the Army Paratroopers of the Fallschirm-Infanterie.