It's almost something out of a Clancy novel, yet it's true. The best thing I can say about it is I didn't want it to end."--Col. David Hackworth, New York Times bestselling author of About FaceBy the spring of 1970, American troops were ordered to pull out of Vietnam. The Marines of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel "Wild Bill" Drumright, were assigned to cover the withdrawal of 1st Marine Division. The Marines of 1st RECON Bn operated in teams of six or seven men. Heavily armed, the teams fought a multitude of  bitter engagements with a numerically superior and increasingly aggressive enemy.Michael C. Hodgins served in Company C, 1st RECON Bn (Rein), as a platoon leader. In powerful, graphic prose, he chronicles his experience as a patrol leader in myriad combat situations--from hasty ambush to emergency extraction to prisoner snatch to combined-arms ambush. . . ."THIS MEMOIR IS GRIPPING."--American WayFrom the Paperback edition.

    But it's also the year that China's leader, Mao Ze-dong, launches the Cultural Revolution—and Ji-li's world begins to fall apart. Over the next few years, people who were once her friends and neighbors turn on her and her family, forcing them to live in constant terror of arrest. And when Ji-li's father is finally imprisoned, she faces the most difficult dilemma of her life.

    Zahi Hawass shares some of the many intriguing tales about the legendary "curse of the pharaohs"-including several of his own experiences with it. Also known as the "curse of the mummies," this spine-tingling legend-still believed by many people-claims that anyone who disturbs the rest of the ancient Egyptian dead will be haunted or harmed by their spirits. Often blamed when things go wrong, these ancient spirits are given credit for accidents, illnesses, and even deaths.Many strange things have happened to Dr. Hawass during his years as an archaeologist in the field, and he delights in telling about them. For example: o?= - He tells of the exciting discovery of beautiful statues found in the tomb of a man called Inty-shedu and of the bizarre circumstances-including an earthquake and then his own heart attack-that prevented him from publicly announcing the discovery.o?= - After he excavated the mummies of two small children in the Valley of the Golden Mummies and arranged to have them transferred to a museum, the children began haunting his dreams every night, following him in his travels around the world. After several months of sleepless nights, he realized that the children didn't want to be separated from another mummy-a grown man, perhaps their father-that had been buried with them. So he had that mummy moved to the museum, too, and the nightmares stopped!o?= - During exploration of another tomb, he was knocked unconscious by an electric shock from the frayed wire of the lamp he held. The fact that he survived these incidents seems proof to him that if there is a curse, itprobably helped him. He says, "The greatest desire of the ancient Egyptians was that their names would live forever. We as archaeologists dedicate our lives to bringing the names of the ancients back to life.o?= So you see, though I do excavate tombs, the spirits of the dead should be pleased with me." Dr. Hawass also delves into the fascinating background of the curse, telling readers how it became famous all over the world after the discovery of the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, also known as King Tut, in 1922. Shortly after the discovery of the tomb, seemingly inexplicable misfortunes began to occur, ranging from a pet canary being devoured by a cobra to the illnesses and deaths of several people involved with the excavation of the fabulous tomb. Rumors quickly spread that an ancient curse had been awakened. In a later chapter, Dr. Hawass makes clear that there are simple, natural explanations for most of the disasters linked to the curse of the pharaohs-such as ancient, infection-causing germs, for example. In another chapter, he explains that ancient Egyptians did believe in curses and magic, and he tells how they carved curse inscriptions on their tombs to warn off robbers. (It didn't work. Neither did trying to hide the tombs.) Overflowing with beautiful 4-color photographs, Curse of the Pharaohs not only explores the legendary curse but also introduces readers to the thrills and dangers of archaeology and to the fascinating world of ancient Egypt. A valuable reference tool for school reports, the book's extensive back matter includes a timeline, glossary, index, bibliography, and further reading list, as well as fun and informative sections on how mummies were made, thearchaeologist's tools, and Dr. Hawass's tips for budding archaeologists.

    In this charming volume, a narrative history written explicitly for a young audience, expert linguist David Crystal proves why the story of language deserves retelling.From the first words of an infant to the peculiar modern dialect of text messaging, A Little Book of Language ranges widely, revealing language’s myriad intricacies and quirks. In animated fashion, Crystal sheds light on the development of unique linguistic styles, the origins of obscure accents, and the search for the first written word. He discusses the plight of endangered languages, as well as successful cases of linguistic revitalization. Much more than a history, Crystal’s work looks forward to the future of language, exploring the effect of technology on our day-to-day reading, writing, and speech. Through enlightening tables, diagrams, and quizzes, as well as Crystal’s avuncular and entertaining style, A Little Book of Language will reveal the story of language to be a captivating tale for all ages.

    In The Good Soldiers, Finkel shadowed the men of the US 2-16 Infantry Battalion in Baghdad as they carried out the grueling fifteen-month "surge" that changed them all forever. Now Finkel has followed many of the same men as they've returned home and struggled to reintegrate - both into their family lives and into society at large.In the ironically titled Thank You for Your Service, Finkel writes with tremendous compassion not just about the soldiers but about their wives and children. Where do soldiers belong after their homecoming? Is it reasonable, or even possible, to expect them to rejoin their communities as if nothing has happened? And in moments of hardship, who can soldiers turn to if they feel alienated by the world they once lived in? These are the questions Finkel faces as he revisits the brave but shaken men of the 2-16.More than a work of journalism, Thank You for Your Service is an act of understanding -- shocking but always riveting, unflinching but deeply humane, it takes us inside the heads of those who must live the rest of their lives with the realities of war.

    In this Robert F. Silbert Honor Book, narrated in the voice of Holocaust survivor Jack Mandelbaum, readers will glimpse the dark reality of life during the Holocaust, and how one boy made it out alive.When twelve-year-old Jack Mandelbaum is separated from his family and shipped off to the Blechhammer concentration camp, his life becomes a never-ending nightmare. With minimal food to eat and harsh living conditions threatening his health, Jack manages to survive by thinking of his family.Supports the Common Core State Standards

    The Brewster children and other Pilgrim boys and girls are the center of interest. A wonderful book to read aloud in the weeks before Thanksgiving. Suitable for ages 6 and up.

    It begins as the day-today record of the life of a typical eleven-year-old girl, preoccupied by piano lessons and birthday parties. But as war engulfs Sarajevo, Zlata Filipovic becomes a witness to food shortages, the deaths of friends, and learns to wait out bombardments in a neighbor’s cellar. Yet throughout she remains courageous and observant. The result is a book that has the power to move and instruct readers a world away.

    Often it got him into trouble. Once he painted pictures with tar on the side of his family's white house. His family was poor, and the happiest time of his childhood was spent living on a farm in Missouri. His affection for small-town life is reflected in Disneyland Main Streets around the world. With black-and-white illustrations throughout, this biography reveals the man behind the magic.This book is not authorized, licensed or endorsed by the Walt Disney Company or any affiliate.

    In this touching memoir, as told to Alison Leslie Gold, Hannah recalls the funny, bright girl who suddenly disappeared from her life -- until they met again at a concentration camp.

    Setting out from Carthaginian-dominated Spain with a small army of select troops, he fought his way over the Pyrenees and crossed the Alps with elephants and a full baggage train. Theodore Dodge retraced this route from Carthage to Italy, paying particular attention to the famous crossing of the Alps, and wrote what remains unequalled as the most comprehensive and readable study of history's greatest general.

    Marshall in the old west.

    With black-and-white illustrations by Kenard Pak. Lois Lowry looks back at history through a personal lens as she draws from her own memories as a child in Hawaii and Japan, as well as from historical research, in this work in verse for young readers.On the Horizon tells the story of people whose lives were lost or forever altered by the twin tragedies of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima.  Composed of poems about individual sailors who lost their lives on the Arizona and about the citizens of Hiroshima who experienced unfathomable horror.

    In his grey suit and tie, he looked like any other Soviet citizen. The bag alone was mildly conspicuous, printed with the red logo of Safeway, the British supermarket.The man was a spy for MI6. A senior KGB officer, for more than a decade he had supplied his British spymasters with a stream of priceless secrets from deep within the Soviet intelligence machine. No spy had done more to damage the KGB. The Safeway bag was a signal: to activate his escape plan to be smuggled out of Soviet Russia. So began one of the boldest and most extraordinary episodes in the history of spying. Ben Macintyre reveals a tale of espionage, betrayal and raw courage that changed the course of the Cold War forever...

    Children meet Bragi, the god of poetry, and the famous Valkyrie maidens, among other gods, goddesses, heroes, and giants. Illustrations throughout depict the wondrous other world of Norse folklore and its fantastical Northern landscape.