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Coming to Our Senses: A Boy Who Learned to See, a Girl Who Learned to Hear, and How We All Discover the World
by Susan R. BarryA neurobiologist reexamines the personal nature of perception in this groundbreaking guide to a new model for our senses.We think of perception as a passive, mechanical process, as if our eyes are cameras and our ears microphones. But as neurobiologist Susan R. Barry argues, perception is a deeply personal act. Our environments, our relationships, and our actions shape and reshape our senses throughout our lives.This idea is no more apparent than in the cases of people who gain senses as adults. Barry tells the stories of Liam McCoy, practically blind from birth, and Zohra Damji, born deaf, in the decade following surgeries that restored their senses. As Liam and Zohra learned entirely new ways of being, Barry discovered an entirely new model of the nature of perception. Coming to Our Senses is a celebration of human resilience and a powerful reminder that, before you can really understand other people, you must first recognize that their worlds are fundamentally different from your own.
Coming Up for Air
by Tom Daley"An illuminating look at what it takes to be an Olympian… In this story, passion reigns supreme." —Cosmopolitan"An emotionally articulate memoir…[and] an intimate insight into the good-hearted and talented young man behind the medals." —AttitudeA deeply personal and inspiring memoir from the celebrated Olympic gold medal diver and LGBTQ+ advocateTom Daley is one of the most beloved athletes of our time, having competed as a diver in four Olympics, garnering medals and finally, in 2021 in Tokyo, winning gold. But few people know the realities of his life beyond the pool—his struggles, his secret triumphs and the mindset he needed to cultivate to become a champion.In this deeply personal book, Tom explores the experiences that have shaped him and the qualities that brought him success and joy—from the resilience he developed competing at a world-class level, to the courage he discovered while reclaiming the narrative around his sexuality, to the perspective that family life has brought him.Inspiring, candid and compulsively readable, Coming Up for Air offers an intimate window into the life and mindset of an athlete and advocate who has left an indelible imprint on sports.
The Commandant: An Account by the First Commanding Officer of Auschwitz
by Rudolf HoessThis chilling memoir presents “a graphic and compelling self-portrait” of the Nazi war criminal who oversaw Auschwitz concentration camp (Jewish Book World).SS officer Rudolph Hoess was the longest-serving commandant of Auschwitz. After the war, he was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death by the Polish Supreme National Tribunal. The amoral sensibility Hoess displayed regarding all that went on in the charnel factory where the industrialization of death was practiced—where probably three million people were literally worked to death, shot or gassed—is still almost beyond belief today. Editor Jurg Amann has taken Hoess's text and produced a work of vital historical importance. The Commandant presents an excruciating insight into Hitler's Final Solution and the nature of evil itself through the prism of the Nazis' totalitarian system, one Hoess and so many others felt no need to question. Ian Buruma's introduction sets this frightening work within a both moral and historical context.
The Commandant of Auschwitz: Rudolf Höss
by Volker KoopThe renowned WWII historian&’s definitive biography of the notorious German SS officer convicted of war crimes for his role in the Holocaust. Described as one of the greatest mass-murderers in history, Rudolf Höss was the longest-serving commandant of the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camps in Nazi-occupied Poland. He was one of the chief architects behind Hitler&’s Final Solution. In The Commandant of Auschwitz, Volker Koop details Höss&’s military career, his conversion to Nazi ideology, and his ruthless commitment to the Nazi cause. At the age of fourteen, Höss joined the 21st Regiment of Dragoons and rose through the ranks to become the youngest non-commissioned officer in the German Army. After joining the Nazi party in 1922, he was convicted of participating in at least one political assassination, for which he spent six years in prison. In 1934, Höss became a Block Leader at Dachau concentration camp. By 1940, he would be given command of his own camp near the town of Auschwitz. Charged with carrying out the Final Solution of the Jewish question, Höss set about his task with relish. By his own estimation, he was responsible for the deaths of at least 3,000,000 individuals. Justice caught up with Höss after the German surrender. He was arrested on March 11th, 1946, after a year of posing as a gardener under a false name. He was found guilty of war crimes and hanged on April 16th, 1947.
The Commandant of Auschwitz: Rudolf Höss
by Volker KoopThe renowned WWII historian&’s definitive biography of the notorious German SS officer convicted of war crimes for his role in the Holocaust. Described as one of the greatest mass-murderers in history, Rudolf Höss was the longest-serving commandant of the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camps in Nazi-occupied Poland. He was one of the chief architects behind Hitler&’s Final Solution. In The Commandant of Auschwitz, Volker Koop details Höss&’s military career, his conversion to Nazi ideology, and his ruthless commitment to the Nazi cause. At the age of fourteen, Höss joined the 21st Regiment of Dragoons and rose through the ranks to become the youngest non-commissioned officer in the German Army. After joining the Nazi party in 1922, he was convicted of participating in at least one political assassination, for which he spent six years in prison. In 1934, Höss became a Block Leader at Dachau concentration camp. By 1940, he would be given command of his own camp near the town of Auschwitz. Charged with carrying out the Final Solution of the Jewish question, Höss set about his task with relish. By his own estimation, he was responsible for the deaths of at least 3,000,000 individuals. Justice caught up with Höss after the German surrender. He was arrested on March 11th, 1946, after a year of posing as a gardener under a false name. He was found guilty of war crimes and hanged on April 16th, 1947.
The Commander: The Life And Times of Harry Steele
by Fred LanganOne of Canada’s great entrepreneurial success stories Harry Steele was born in Musgrave Harbour, an isolated outport on the eastern coast of Newfoundland. He went to university, joined the naval reserve, and became a lieutenant-commander in the Royal Canadian Navy. Harry quit in 1974 — he didn’t like the new green uniforms — and went into business. Using money he made in the stock market and his wife Catherine’s real estate investments, Harry bought control of struggling Eastern Provincial Airways. He made it a success and sold it to CP Air several years later. Harry was also highly successful with his other investments, which included the trucking and ferry service company Clarke Transport and the radio broadcasting company Newfoundland Capital Corporation. With a long list of successes, Harry Steele stays true to his roots, living in Gander, Newfoundland.
The Commander: Fawzi al-Qawuqji and the Fight for Arab Independence 1914–1948
by Laila ParsonsRevered by some as the Arab Garibaldi, maligned by others as an intriguer and opportunist, Fawzi al-Qawuqji manned the ramparts of Arab history for four decades. As a young officer in the Ottoman Army, he fought the British in the First World War, and won an Iron Cross. In the 1920s, he mastered the arts of insurgency and helped lead a massive uprising against the French authorities in Syria. A decade later, he re-appeared in Palestine, where he helped direct the Arab revolt of 1936. When an effort to overthrow the British rulers of Iraq failed, he moved to Germany, where he spent much of the Second World War battling his fellow exile, the Mufti of Jerusalem, who had accused him of being a British spy. In 1947, Qawuqji made a daring escape from Allied-occupied Berlin, and sought once again to shape his region's history. In his most famous role, he would command the Arab Liberation Army in the Arab-Israeli war of 1948.In this well-crafted, definitive biography, Laila Parsons tells Qawuqji's dramatic story and sets it in the full context of his turbulent times. Following Israel's decisive victory, Qawuqji was widely faulted as a poor commander with possibly dubious motives. Parsons shows us that the truth was more complex: Although he doubtless made some strategic mistakes, he never gave up fighting for Arab independence and unity, even as those ideals were undermined by powers inside and outside the Arab world.
Commander: The Life and Exploits of Britain's Greatest Frigate Captain
by Stephen Taylor"Nobody describes a naval battle better than Taylor...a flawless demonstration of the biographer's craft." --Jan Morris, The Guardian Edward Pellew, captain of the legendary Indefatigable, was quite simply the greatest British frigate captain in the age of sail. Left fatherless at age eight, with a penniless mother and five siblings, Pellew fought his way from the very bottom of the navy to fleet command. Victories and eye-catching feats won him a public following. Yet he had a gift for antagonizing his better-born peers, and he made powerful enemies. Redemption came with his last command, when he set off to do battle with the Barbary States and free thousands of European slaves. Opinion held this to be an impossible mission, and Pellew himself, leading from the front in the style of his contemporary Nelson, did not expect to survive. Pellew's humanity, fondness for subordinates, and blind love for his family, and the warmth and intimacy of his letters, make him a hugely engaging figure. Stephen Taylor gives him at last the biography he deserves.
Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump
by Rick ReillyAn outrageous indictment of Donald Trump's appalling behavior when it comes to golf -- on and off the green -- and what it reveals about his character. <P><P> Donald Trump loves golf. He loves to play it, buy it, build it, and operate it. He owns 14 courses around the world and runs another five, all of which he insists are the best on the planet. He also claims he's a 3 handicap, almost never loses, and has won an astonishing 18 club championships. How much of all that is true? Almost none of it, acclaimed sportswriter Rick Reilly reveals in this unsparing look at Trump in the world of golf. <P><P>Base on Reilly's own experiences with Trump as well as interviews with over 100 golf pros, amateurs, developers, and caddies, Commander in Cheat is a startling and at times hilarious indictment of Trump and his golf game. <P><P>You'll learn how Trump cheats (sometimes with the help of his caddies and Secret Service agents), lies about his scores (the "Trump Bump"), tells whoppers about the rank of his courses and their worth (declaring that every one of them is worth $50 million), and tramples the etiquette of the game (driving on greens doesn't help). Trump doesn't brag so much, though, about the golf contractors he stiffs, the course neighbors he intimidates, or the way his golf decisions wind up infecting his political ones. <P><P>For Trump, it's always about winning. To do it, he uses the tricks he picked up from the hustlers at the public course where he learned the game as a college kid, and then polished as one of the most bombastic businessmen of our time. As Reilly writes, "Golf is like bicycle shorts. It reveals a lot about a man." Commander in Cheat "paints a side-splitting portrait of a congenital cheater" (Esquire), revealing all kinds of unsightly truths Trump has been hiding. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Commander in Cheat: The brilliant New York Times bestseller
by Rick ReillySHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR. FROM THE JUDGES:'Rick Reilly lets Donald's Trump relationship with his favourite sport speak for itself. Commander in Cheat is full of astonishing 'you could not make it up' detail delivered in full knowledge that nothing revealed would embarrass the President one jot. You will be howling with laughter and gasping in disbelief in equal measure so be careful when reading this fascinating book in public.'SHORTLISTED FOR THE GENERAL OUTSTANDING SPORTS WRITING AWARD AT THE 2020 TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS.THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER.'An eye-watering account of the president's abuse of the rules of golf' The Sunday Times'Reilly pokes more holes in Trump's claims than there are sand traps on all his courses combined. It is by turns amusing and alarming' The New Yorker'This book is dedicated to the truth. It's still a thing.'Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump is a fascinating on-the-ground and behind-the-scenes survey of Donald Trump's ethics deficit on and off the golf course.Renowned sports writer Rick Reilly transports readers onto the greens with President Trump, revealing the absurd ways in which he lies about his feats, and what they can tell us about the way he leads off the course in the most important job in the world.'Golf is like bicycle shorts. It reveals a lot about a man.'Reilly has been with Trump on the fairways, the greens and in the rough, he has seen how the President plays - and it's not pretty. Based on his personal experiences, and interviews with dozens of golf pros, amateurs, developers, partners, opponents, and even caddies who have first-hand involvement with Trump out on the course, Reilly takes a deep and often hilarious look at how Trump shamelessly cheats at golf, lies about it, sues over it, bullies with it, and profits from it.'Somebody should point out that the way Trump does golf is sort of the way he does a presidency, which is to operate as though the rules are for other people.'From Trump's ridiculous claim to have won eighteen club championships, to his devious cheating tricks, to his tainted reputation as a golf course tycoon, Commander in Cheat tells you everything you need to know about the man.'You could write a book about what Trump's golf reveals about him. Here it is.'
Commander in Cheat: The brilliant New York Times bestseller 2019
by Rick Reilly'This book is dedicated to the truth. It's still a thing.'Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump is a fascinating on-the-ground and behind-the-scenes survey of Donald Trump's ethics deficit on and off the golf course.Renowned sports writer Rick Reilly transports readers onto the greens with President Trump, revealing the absurd ways in which he lies about his feats, and what they can tell us about the way he leads off the course in the most important job in the world.'Golf is like bicycle shorts. It reveals a lot about a man.'Reilly has been with Trump on the fairways, the greens and in the rough, he has seen how the President plays - and it's not pretty. Based on his personal experiences, and interviews with dozens of golf pros, amateurs, developers, partners, opponents, and even caddies who have first-hand involvement with Trump out on the course, Reilly takes a deep and often hilarious look at how Trump shamelessly cheats at golf, lies about it, sues over it, bullies with it, and profits from it.'Somebody should point out that the way Trump does golf is sort of the way he does a presidency, which is to operate as though the rules are for other people.'From Trump's ridiculous claim to have won eighteen club championships, to his devious cheating tricks, to his tainted reputation as a golf course tycoon, Commander in Cheat tells you everything you need to know about the man.'You could write a book about what Trump's golf reveals about him. Here it is.'(P)2019 Hachette Audio
Commander In Chief: FDR's Battle with Churchill, 1943 (FDR at War #2)
by Nigel HamiltonThe astonishing story of FDR’s yearlong, defining battle with Churchill in 1943, as the war raged in Africa and Italy: “Superb.” —Fareed Zakaria, The Washington Post1943 was the year of Allied military counteroffensives, beating back the forces of the Axis powers in North Africa and the Pacific—the “Hinge of Fate,” as Winston Churchill called it. In Commander in Chief, Nigel Hamilton reveals Franklin D. Roosevelt’s true role in this saga: overruling his own Joint Chiefs of Staff, ordering American airmen on an ambush of the Japanese navy’s Admiral Yamamoto, facing down Churchill when he attempted to abandon Allied D-Day strategy (twice). This FDR is profoundly different from the one Churchill later painted. President Roosevelt’s patience was tested to the limit quelling the prime minister’s “revolt,” as Churchill pressured Congress and senior American leaders to focus Allied energy on disastrous fighting in Italy and the Aegean instead of landings in Normandy. Finally, in a dramatic showdown at Hyde Park, FDR had to stop Churchill from losing the war by making the ultimate threat, setting the Allies on their course to final victory. Hamilton masterfully chronicles the clash of nations—and of two titanic personalities—at a crucial moment in modern history.“The author offers plenty of colorful period detail . . . a solid inside view of the strategic thinking that went into the campaign against Hitler as America laid the groundwork for the D-Day invasion the following year.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Hamilton combines polished writing, a command of various sources, and broad insight in this account of Franklin Roosevelt’s pivotal WWII year.” —Publishers WeeklyIncludes maps
Commander in Chief: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War
by Albert MarrinBrings Lincoln to life by placing him in the context of his own personal background and the larger circumstances of the country's greatest conflict.
Commander of the Exodus
by Yoram Kaniuk&“The first biography of Yossi Harel . . . offers valuable insights into the Jewish struggle to create a homeland.&” —Booklist Hailed by the New York Times as &“one of the most inventive, brilliant novelists in the Western world,&” internationally renowned Israeli writer Yoram Kaniuk turns his hand to nonfiction to bring us his most important work yet. Commander of the Exodus animates the story of Yossi Harel, a modern-day Moses who defied the blockade of the British Mandate to deliver more than twenty-four thousand displaced Holocaust survivors to Palestine while the rest of the world closed its doors. Of the four expeditions commanded by Harel between 1946 and 1948, the voyage of the Exodus left the deepest impression on public consciousness, quickly becoming a beacon for Zionism and a symbol to all that neither guns, cannons, nor warships could stand in the way of the human need for a home. With grace and sensitivity, Kaniuk shows the human face of history. He pays homage to the young Israeli who was motivated not by politics or personal glory, but by the pleading eyes of the orphaned children languishing on the shores of Europe. Commander of the Exodus is both an unforgettable tribute to the heroism of the dispossessed and a rich evocation of the vision and daring of a man who took it upon himself to reverse the course of history. &“[Yossi Harel&’s] remarkable achievements have been engraved in history by the talent of Yoram Kaniuk.&” —Ehud Barak, former prime minister of Israel
Commander of the Faithful
by John W. Kiser"... One of those dazzling biographies that informs our modern life."--Susan Eisenhower, Chairman of the Eisenhower Group, author of Mrs. Ike "Today more than ever, Muslims and non-Muslims alike need to be reminded of the courage, compassion and intellect of Emir Abd el-Kader... Abd el-Kader's jihad provides Muslims with a much- needed antidote to the toxic false jihads of today, dominated by anger, violence and politics." -- His Royal Highness, Prince Hassan bin Talal (Prince of Jordan) "Abd el-Kader teaches the French and the world that to achieve success, moral authority is necessary, not simply military might...This fascinating revival of a 19th century world hero's story holds valuable lessons for today's Middle East Warrior. It would be a worthwhile addition to any reading list."--Col. Jon Smythe, USMC ( ret.)"Abd el-Kader lived by a chivalric code steeped in the Arab concept of honor. When, in our own day al-Qaeda terrorists claim the title of 'knight,' it's worth recalling a time when Arab warriors embodied the noblest attributes of knighthood: courage compassion and restraint."--Steve Simon, research fellow, Council on Foreign Relations"John Kiser has not just given us an absorbing and beautifully written story of a great hero, he has written an important book. The reader is bound to be moved by the life of this remarkable man who was the very opposite of a fanatical jihadist."--Jane Geniesse, former New York Times reporter and author of Passionate Nomad: The Life of Freya Stark"Kiser weaves the intricate tale of Abd el-Kader's heroic life and spirit as deftly as the emir maneuvered his armies on the battlefield . . . the perfect elixir for the contemporary West's chronic difficulties understanding the East."--Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, author of What's Right with IslamWhen Abd el-Kader died in 1883, The New York Times hailed him as "one of the few great men of the century." The warrior/saint had won the heart of the French nation, his sworn enemy and the invader of his Algerian homeland. He reached the summit of his fame after he saved the lives of thousands of Christians during a Turkish rampage in Damascus. Elkader, Iowa, is named after the emir.www.truejihad.comJohn W. Kiser is the author of The Monks of Tibhirine (St. Martin's Press, 2003), which won the French Siloe Prize. His articles have appeared in Foreign Policy Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. New York Times Review:Reviving a Novel-Worthy Tale of War and Religion PETER STEINFELS Published: November 21, 2008For more than 40 years he was a world figure, his renown stretching from the American Midwest to Moscow to the Middle East. As he neared death in 1883, The New York Times wrote that he "deserves to be ranked among the foremost of the few great men of the century."Earlier, he had received accolades and awards from France, Britain, Russia, the Ottoman sultan, the papacy and President Abraham Lincoln, who sent him not a medal but, in quintessentially American fashion, a matched pair of fancy Colt pistols.The man being honored was Abd el-Kader, a learned and fervent Muslim, who for 15 years had organized and led a jihad against a Western power.After he ceased hostilities, his four-year detention, in violation of a promise of safe passage into exile, became an international cause célèbre. Released and feted, even by his captors, he came to live in Damascus.There, in July 1860, el-Kader braved mobs and saved thousands of Christians from a murderous rampage through the city's Christian quarter.In this, the bicentennial of his birth, el-Kader's name is known to only a tiny fraction of Americans. That fraction includes those knowledgeable about modern Algeria, where his resistance to French colonization places him among the founding figures of an independent nation.And then there are the 1,500 residents of Elkader, a town in northeastern Iowa, founded and named in 1846 by a frontier lawyer who admired the freedom-fighting exploits of this "daring Arab chieftain."Anyone interested in learning more should turn to "Commander of th...
Commander Will Cushing: Daredevil Hero of the Civil War
by Jamie MalanowskiThe lead writer of the New York Times's award-winning "Disunion" series introduces William Barker Cushing, the Civil War's most celebrated naval hero. October 1864. The confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle had sunk two federal warships and damaged seven others, taking control of the Roanoke River and threatening the Union blockade. Twenty-one-year-old navy lieutenant William Barker Cushing hatched a daring plan: to attack the fearsome warship with a few dozen men in two small wooden boats. What followed, the close-range torpedoing of the Albemarle and Cushing's harrowing two-day escape downriver from vengeful Rebel posses, is one of the most dramatic individual exploits in American military history. Theodore Roosevelt said that Cushing "comes next to Farragut on the hero roll of American naval history," but most have never heard of him today. Tossed out of the Naval Academy for "buffoonery," Cushing proved himself a prodigy in behind-the-lines warfare. Given command of a small union ship, he performed daring, near-suicidal raids, "cutting out" confederate ships and thwarting blockade runners. With higher commands and larger ships, Cushing's exploits grow bolder, culminating in the sinking of the Albemarle. A thrilling narrative biography, steeped in the tactics, weaponry, and battle techniques of the Union Navy, Commander Will Cushing brings to life a compelling yet flawed figure. Along with his three brothers, including one who fell at Gettysburg, Cushing served with bravery and heroism. But he was irascible and complicated--a loveable rogue, prideful and impulsive, who nonetheless possessed a genius for combat. In telling Cushing's story, Malanowski paints a vivid, memorable portrait of the army officials, engineers, and politicians scrambling to win the war. But he also goes deeper into the psychology of the daredevil soldier--and what this heroic and tragic figure, who died before his time, can tell us about the ways we remember the glories of war.
The Commanders
by Bob WoodwardIt is impossible to examine any part of the war on terrorism in the twenty-first century without seeing the hand of Dick Cheney, Colin Powell or one of their loyalists. The Commanders, an account of the use of the military in the first Bush administration, is in many respects their story -- the intimate account of the tensions, disagreements and debates on the road to war.
The Commanders of Chancellorsville: The Gentleman versus the Rogue
by Edward G. LongacreThe award-winning Civil War historian explores the battle between two strikingly different generals: “Fighting Joe” Hooker and Robert E. Lee.As equally matched in skill as they were opposite in personality, the brash Union Gen. Joseph Hooker boasted of a sure defeat of the reserved Gen. Robert E. Lee. “I’ve got Robert E. Lee right where I want him, and even God Himself cannot stop me from destroying him,” boasted Hooker. Yet the battle of Chancellorsville stands as Lee’s greatest triumph.The story of the two generals has never been explored as it is here. “Fighting Joe” Hooker was brilliant, but also profane and bombastic, and his army so undisciplined that their pursuit of camp “followers” spawned the modern euphemism for prostitute. Robert E. Lee, equally gifted, was known as the definitive devout, self-controlled Southern gentleman, leading an army that was exhausted, underfed, and outmanned. Chancellorsville stands not just as a pivotal battle of the Civil War but as the personal war between two warriors—stalking, striking, and counter-striking their way to ultimate victory or defeat.Praise for the work of Edward G. Longacre, a winner of the Fletcher Pratt and Douglas Southall Freeman awards“Breezy and informative . . . Longacre remains even handed throughout and maintains a lively pace.” —Publishers Weekly“Well-researched, fast paced.” —Pennsylvania History
The Commando: The life and death of Cameron Baird, VC, MG
by Ben MckelveyOn 22 June 2013, Corporal Cameron Baird was a 2nd Commando Regiment Special Forces soldier when he led his platoon into a known Taliban stronghold to back-up another Australian unit under heavy fire. In the pronged firefight, Cameron was mortally wounded. In 2014, Cameron's bravery and courage under fire saw him posthumously awarded the 100th Victoria Cross, our highest award possible for bravery in the presence of the enemy. Cameron Baird died how he lived - at the front, giving it his all, without any indecision. He will forever be remembered by his mates and the soldiers he served with in the 2nd Commando Regiment. THE COMMANDO reveals Cameron's life, from young boy and aspiring AFL player, who only missed out on being drafted because of injury, to exemplary soldier and leader. Cameron's story and that of 4RAR and 2nd Commando personifies the courage and character of the men and women who go to war and will show us the good man we have lost.
Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone
by Johnny RamoneA photo-packed memoir by the Ramones guitarist and “true iconoclast” (Publishers Weekly).Raised in Queens, New York, Johnny Ramone founded one of the most influential rock bands of all time, but he never strayed from his blue-collar roots and attitude. He was truly imbued with the angry-young-man spirit that would characterize his persona both on and off stage. Through it all, Johnny kept the band focused and moving forward, ultimately securing their place in music history by inventing punk rock. The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002—and two years later, Johnny died of cancer, having outlived two other founding members. Revealing, inspiring, and told on his own terms, this memoir also features Johnny’s assessment of the Ramones’ albums; a number of eccentric Top Ten lists; rare historical artifacts; and scores of personal and professional photos, many of which have never before been published.“Feels like a conversation with Johnny.” —The Boston Globe
Commando
by Chris TerrillChris Terrill is a man in search of his limit. He's 55 years old. He is not a soldier. He is being trained by the Royal Marines and he is going to Afghanistan. The only difference is that instead of a gun, Chris will be holding a camera and filming the whole ordeal for a major TV series.The Royal Marines Commando training base in Lympstone Devon, has a famous motto: '99.9% need not apply'. Of those who start training, after a very tough selection process, nearly 50% fail to make it through the most gruelling physical tests of any armed forces in the world in an eight month training regime. The elite who do eventually pass out are generally eighteen years old and at the peak of physical condition. But Chris Terrill is the exception: this book will tell of his heroic struggle to become the oldest man to win the coveted Royal Marines Commando Green Beret and enter the record books.And after six months of hell, what next? Chris will follow the raw recruits on a tour to Southern Afghanistan. He will tell the story in book and film of the fears and hopes of the youngsters as they are plunged into one of the planet's most dangerous wars in the outlaw mountain terrain of Helmand Province. He will tell of ferocious battles against the Taliban, of firefights, of jaw-dropping heroism, British sang froid and humour and tragedy as causalities are suffered -- all from the unique perspective of a civilian who has achieved the ultimate accolade: to be accepted as an honorary Royal Marines Commando. Commando is a brilliant account of modern war on the front line.
Commando Despatch Rider: From D-Day to Deutschland, 1944–45
by Raymond Mitchell“A year of a man and his motorcycle during WW2 . . . The guy was catapulted from teenager to soldier in a few short bounds.” —War History OnlineIn 1944, Ray Mitchell landed in Normandy with his unit 41 Royal Marine Commando. His role in bringing the Third Reich to its knees was that of despatch rider. Often operating alone in totally unfamiliar and hostile terrain, he and his motorbike delivered vital messages to forward units. This is a fighting soldier’s account of war—warts and all—and describes in vivid terms his and his fellow commandos’ experiences and emotions.Over the next ten months the commandos were in the thick of the action in France, the Low Countries and Germany itself. Of particular note was the amphibious landing on the Walcheren Peninsula where the beleaguered German garrison fought fiercely to deny the Allies the vital port of Antwerp.Raymond Mitchell’s vivid memoirs of life and war on the road will be of interest to both military and motorcycling enthusiasts.“A delightful account of life in battle and between battles. It is by turns gripping, exciting, colourful, authentic and human.” —Firetrench“It is a richly detailed account and would be worthy of mention if it were just that of an ordinary infantryman’s experience, but it is all the more valuable as the lot of the despatch rider has never received much attention.” —The Pegasus Archive
Commando Helicopter Aircrewman: 51 Years in Action with the RN & RAF
by John SheldonA veteran aircrewman recounts his over five decades of service to the British military in this exciting memoir. This is the remarkable story of one man&’s service in the Royal Navy, RAF and the Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch of the Fleet Air Arm. It is a flying career which lasted for an impressive 51 years and in which Warrant Officer Class 1 John Sheldon amassed over 8,000 hours in the air. Having joined the Royal Navy in 1968, as a fifteen-year-old boy entrant not long out of school, John was recruited into the Fleet Air Arm as a junior electrician. He went on to become a Commando Aircrewman and flew in all types of service helicopters and in all of their roles, from Arctic training in Norway to the balmy Mediterranean and the wilds of Canada. Having initially been involved in the evacuation of Cyprus and the Turkish invasion in 1974, in which his helicopter had to recover bodies from the water with a sprawl net, John went on to serve in Northern Ireland, was deployed to the South Atlantic in the Falklands War, where he operated from HMS Fearless and helped lift survivors from the RFA Sir Galahad tragedy, undertook a tour in Lebanon, and then saw action during the First Gulf War, in Bosnia, Sierra Leone and then in Afghanistan. In his extraordinary career, John was tasked with going around the UK undertaking aerial displays to support recruitment campaigns for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, as well as completing several tours as a Search and Rescue Aircrewman, Anti-Submarine Operator and also as an RN/RAF Test Aircrewman at the Rotary Wing Test Squadron at Boscombe Down. This unique memoir covers the military action that John encountered, the many incidents and close shaves he was involved in, and the friends he lost during his long and illustrious career.Praise forCommando Helicopter Aircrewman &“This is an honest, readable, self-effacing record of an interesting career.&” —Aeroplane Magazine &“The amazing military career of John Sheldon – inspirational and above all, true.&” —Books Monthly
Commando to Captain-Generall: The Life of Brigadier Peter Young
by Alison MichelliThis is the story of Brigadier Peter Young (1915–1988), a highly decorated soldier who was one of the founding members of 3 Commando, rising during WWII from 2 Lt to Brigadier in the space of 6 years. His battle honours include Vaagso, Dieppe, Sicily, Italy, Normandy and Burma. A career soldier, he returned to his parent regiment, the Beds and Herts, after the war and subsequently spent time in Palestine where he commanded the 9th Regiment of the Arab Legion under Glubb Pasha. After Suez he returned to England, retiring from the Army in 1959. He founded the War Studies Department at RMA Sandhurst during the 60s, intending to create there a intellectual centre along the lines of a university faculty for the study of military history and to that end gathered around him some of the finest military historians of the day including Richard Holmes, David Chandler and John Adair amongst others. He was instrumental in the forming of The Sealed Knot and is reverred in re-enactment circles. To publicise a book he had written about the English Civil War he organised a publicity stunt which evolved rapidly into the first re-enactment society: The Sealed Knot. An avid war-gamer, his name is legendary in war-gaming circles. 'The Brig' is still a well-known personality even among those too young ever to have met him.
Commandos: The CIA and Nicaragua’s Contra Rebels
by Sam Dillon"Commandos" is a narrative based largely on the personal experiences of Luis Fley who had at the peak of Nicaragua's contra war, led a rebel battalion, commanding hundreds of fighters in combat ranging over three provinces. But by 1988, when Dillon met him, he'd taken a U.S.-financed rearguard post that put him in charge of investigating crimes committed by contra fighters. A contra detective? What a fascinating idea.