Army Pathfinders. The vanguard of the Allied forces in World War II Europe. Countless times they preceded invasions and battles vital to bringing the enemy to its knees.Because before the front lines could move forward, the Pathfinders had to move behind enemy lines . . .The first into combat, and the last out, their advance jumps into enemy territory were considered suicide missions by those who sent them into action. World War Two’s special operations commandos, they relied on their stealth, expert prowess, and matchless courage and audacity to set the stage for airborne drops and glider landings throughout Europe.They were born of hard necessity. After the invasion of Sicily almost ended in disaster, General Jim Gavin was determined to form an all-new unit of specialized soldiers who would jump ahead of the airborne forces—including the now legendary Easy Company—without any additional support, stealing across enemy terrain to scout and mark out drop zones with a unique array of homing equipment.Sporting Mohawk haircuts, war paint, and an attitude of brash confidence, they were the best of the best. Their heroic feats behind the lines were critical to nearly all of the Allies’ major victories from Normandy to snowy Bastogne—where they saved the day for thousands of besieged American troops in an operation almost forgotten by history—to the attack on the Ruhr River in Germany.This is the story of the U.S. Army Pathfinders—their training, bonding, and battlefield exploits—told from the perspectives of the daring men who jumped and the equally bold transport crews who risked everything to fly them into action.INCLUDES PHOTOS

    This memoir describes his bitter childhood years in the 'House of Desolation', his beloved parents and his pride in his own work.

    

    Replacing the slim volume which introduced Stevie Smith to American readers, New Selected Poems is chronologically arranged and contains 165 poems along with many of the author's doodles.

    Theirs was a war that saw them travel to Africa as part of the Desert Rats, before returning to the continent for the Normandy landings. Wherever they went, the notoriety of the 'Filthy Fifth' grew - revelling in their unkempt reputation and fighting by their own rules, whatever their superiors' orders. In fascinating detail, The Tank War explains how Britain had lost its advantage in tank warfare by the start of the Second War, but that shifts in tactics and leadership methods more than regained the lost ground. Overturning the received wisdom of much Second World War history, Mark Urban shows how the regiment's great advances were every bit the equal of the more recognised feats of the German Panzer divisions. Drawing on a wealth of research, from interviews with surviving members to a treasure trove of rarely used archive material, Mark Urban has produced a unflinchingly honest, unsentimental account of the 5th RTR's wartime experiences. Capturing both characters in their crew and exploring the strategy behind their success, The Tank War is not the story of an elite unit, but something more amazing: a regular unit of average men, thrust into war, who pulled together to achieve extraordinary things.

    

    Le Guin. In these essays, the author argues passionately that the homogenization of our world makes the work of fantasy essential for helping us break through what she calls the reality trap. Le Guin writes not only of the pleasures of her own childhood reading, but also about what fantasy means for all of us living in the global twenty-first century.

    That’s my guilty secret.”

    Through the introduction of MTV and the alternative rock revolution, it's been many things. Rude. Brilliant. Soulful. Snotty. Angry. Delirious. In the past two decades, genres have spawned like mad, from goth, indie rock, and gangsta rap to emo and the garage rock revival. This twentieth-anniversary tribute celebrates the passion and fury of the music, with original essays, quotes, and photographs by contributors who are as hopelessly obsessed with it as you are. SPIN: 20 Years of Alternative Music features: Alan Light on Beastie Boys, Ann Powers on U2, Charles Aaron on R.E.M., Dave Eggers on The Smiths + Morrissey, Marc Spitz on Goth, Simon Reynolds on Depeche Mode + Synth-pop, Dave Itzkoff on ’80s Teen Movies, Chuck Klosterman on Weezer, Will Hermes on Radiohead, Neil Strauss on Nine Inch Nails + Industrial, Sacha Jenkins on Public Enemy, Andy Greenwald on Emo, RJ Smith on Gangsta Rap, Jon Dolan on The White Stripes, Chris Norris on Nirvana, Doug Brod on Oasis + Britpop, Jim DeRogatis on Smashing Pumpkins, Laura Sinagra on Courtney Love, Ta-Nehisi Coates on Tupac

    He went out on to his balcony above the flat landscape of southern Holland to watch the air armada of Dakotas and gliders carrying the British 1st Airborne and the American 101st and 82nd Airborne divisions. He gazed up in envy at this massive demonstration of paratroop power.Operation Market Garden, the plan to end the war by capturing the bridges leading to the Lower Rhine and beyond, was a bold concept: the Americans thought it unusually bold for Field Marshal Montgomery. But could it ever have worked? The cost of failure was horrendous, above all for the Dutch, who risked everything to help. German reprisals were pitiless and cruel, and lasted until the end of the war.The British fascination with heroic failure has clouded the story of Arnhem in myths. Antony Beevor, using often overlooked sources from Dutch, British, American, Polish and German archives, has reconstructed the terrible reality of the fighting, which General Student himself called 'The Last German Victory'. Yet this book, written in Beevor's inimitable and gripping narrative style, is about much more than a single, dramatic battle. It looks into the very heart of war.

    This volume encapsulates the finest work from Seeing Things (1991) with its lines of loss and revelation; The Spirit Level (1996) where we experience "the poem as ploughshare that turns time / Up and over."; the landmark translation of Beowulf (1999); Electric Light (2001), a book of origins and oracles; and his final collections, District and Circle (2006) and Human Chain (2010), which limn the interconnectedness of being, our lifelines to our inherited past.

    It was originally published in the July, 1943issue of Weird Tales . It was first collected in Bradbury'santhology Dark Carnival and later collected in TheOctober Country and The Stories of Ray Bradbury .

    Stephen Cox, professor of literatureat the University of California at San Diego, spoke on "The LiteraryAchievement of The Fountainhead" and David Kelley, executive director of TheObjectivist Center, discussed "The Code of the Creator." This commemorativemonograph contains the text of both lectures and other material about AynRand's classic novel.

    An account of Lawrence's service in the Royal Air Force

    Even more than a century on, Poe dwells in the dark corner of our literary consciousness. Reading Edgar Allan Poe’s works still feels like walking a razor’s edge between grim amusement and irrevocable madness. Introducing “Edgar Allan Poe: 10 Creepiest Stories” Our aim was to prepare a perfectly-formatted collection of Edgar Allan Poe's books that was designed specifically for your e-reader device at a fantastic price. We are pleased to offer you the result of our work! This tremendous "Edgar Allan Poe: 10 Creepiest Stories" series comes with the following great features: • The complete original text of over 10 short stories by Edgar Allan Poe; • Free audiobook access to full-length recordings of Edgar Allan Poe's works; • A beautifully illustrated version of Poe's most famous work - "The Raven"; • Clean formatting designed to fit any screen size; • An easy-to-use active table of contents; • BONUS - Poe's Influence - Film and Television Adaptations, Poe in Music, Literature and Comics! • BONUS - Most Famous Quotes from Edgar Allan Poe! The following stories are included in this wonderful collection: • The Raven • The Pit and the Pendulum • The Tell-Tale Heart • The Fall of the House of Usher • The Masque of the Red Death • The Cask of the Amontillado • The Murders in the Rue Morgue • The Black Cat • The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar • Hop-Frog The readers are raving about Edgar Allan Poe’s works: “Finding this incredible compendium, leaves me in total disbelief. I am thrilled. Yes, this is indeed Edgar Allan Poe: Ultimate Collection, incredibly well presented, well formatted and incredibly easy to use. What a gift to Edgar Allan Poe devotees. Highly Recommended!” “The book covers everything from his influence: film and tv adaptations, to his music, comics, and more. Beautifully written. Whether you are a Poe fan, or simply looking for a comprehensive resource - you will find everything you are looking for here - and maybe even a few surprises.” “From the beautiful and classical looking cover to the well-woven story of his life into the book, the quality of this work is top notch and SO easy to navigate. For anyone who has an affinity for literature, I highly recommend this book.” “The tales are full of Poe’s specialty - suspense - in a way that often leaves you breathless. Their length is perfect for their content - any longer and you'd be going out of your mind.” “Poe is, to my taste, the MASTER of the eerie setting and creepy story. Yes, he gets graphic on the gore, sometimes overtly to the point of overkill, but he manages to raise the hair on the back of your neck when you read his work and sometimes you need that frisson of terror to tickle across your senses.