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The Great War of Our Time: The CIA's Fight Against Terrorism--From al Qa'ida to ISIS
by Bill Harlow Michael MorellNew York Times Bestseller Like See No Evil and At the Center of the Storm, this is a vivid and gripping account of the Central Intelligence Agency, a life of secrets, and a war in the shadows. Called the "Bob Gates of his generation" by Politico, Michael Morell was a top CIA officer who played a critical role in the most important counterterrorism events of the past two decades. Morell was by President Bush's side on 9/11/01 when terrorists struck America and in the White House Situation Room advising President Obama on 5/1/11 when America struck back-killing Usama bin Ladin. From the subway bombings in London to the terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Morell always seemed to find himself on the cusp of history. A superb intelligence analyst and briefer, Morell now presents THE GREAT WAR OF OUR TIME, where he uses his talents to offer an unblinking and insightful assessment of CIA's counterterrorism successes and failures of the past twenty years and, perhaps most important, shows readers that the threat of terrorism did not die with Bin Ladin in Abbottabad. Morell illuminates new, growing threats from terrorist groups that, if unaddressed, could leave the country vulnerable to attacks that would dwarf 9/11 in magnitude. He writes of secret, back-channel negotiations he conducted with foreign spymasters and regime leaders in a desperate attempt to secure a peaceful outcome to unrest launched during the "Arab Spring." Morell describes how efforts to throw off the shackles of oppression have too often resulted in broken nation states unable or unwilling to join the fight against terrorism. Along the way Morell provides intimate portraits of the leadership styles of figures ranging from Presidents Bush and Obama, CIA directors Tenet, Goss, Hayden, Petraeus, Panetta, and Brennan, and a host of others.
The Great Wave: The Era of Radical Disruption and the Rise of the Outsider
by Michiko KakutaniAn urgent examination of how disruptive politics, technology, and art are capsizing old assumptions in a great wave of change breaking over today&’s world, creating both opportunity and peril—from the Pulitzer Prize–winning critic and author of the New York Times bestseller The Death of Truth. &“In this dazzling and brilliant book, Michiko Kakutani explains the cascading chaos of our era and points to ways that we can regain some stability.&”—Walter Isaacson, author of Elon MuskThe twenty-first century is experiencing a watershed moment defined by chaos and uncertainty, as one emergency cascades into another, underscoring the larger dynamics of change that are fueling instability across the world. Since the global financial crisis of 2008, people have increasingly lost trust in institutions and elites, while seizing upon new digital tools to sidestep traditional gatekeepers. As a result, powerful new voices—once regarded as radical, unorthodox, or marginal—are disrupting the status quo in politics, business, and culture. Meanwhile, social and economic inequalities are stoking populist rage across the world, toxic partisanship is undermining democratic ideals, and the internet and AI have become high-speed vectors for the spread of misinformation. Writing with a critic&’s understanding of cultural trends and a journalist&’s eye for historical detail, Michiko Kakutani looks at the consequences of these new asymmetries of power. She maps the migration of ideas from the margins to the mainstream and explores the growing influence of outsiders—those who have sown chaos and fear (like Donald Trump), and those who have provided inspirational leadership (like Ukraine&’s president Volodymyr Zelensky). At the same time, she situates today&’s multiplying crises in context with those that defined earlier hinge moments in history, from the waning of the Middle Ages to the transition between the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era at the end of the nineteenth century. Kakutani argues that today&’s crises are not only signs of an interconnected globe&’s profound vulnerabilities, but also stress tests pointing to the essential changes needed to survive this tumultuous era and build a more sustainable future.
Great Western Indian Fights
by Members of the Potomac Corral of the WesternersFrom 1832 to 1891 the states from the Great Lakes west to Oregon and south to Mexico saw scenes of massacre, bloody rout, ambush, fire, and pillage as the great Indian tribes-Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Sioux, Arapaho, Modoc, and Apache-fought desperately to turn back the invading white men.Recreated in this volume, original published in 1960, are twenty-odd battles crucial in the opening of the American West to white settlement. Among the battles included here are the Pierre’s Hole fight, the battle of Bandera Pass, the battle of Pyramid Lake, the battle of Wood Lake, the Canyon de Chelly rout, the battles of Adobe Walls, the Fetterman, Hayfield, and Wagon Box fights, the fight at Beecher Island, the battle of the Washita, the battles of Massacre Canyon and Palo Duro Canyon, the battle of the Rosebud, the battle of the Little Bighorn, the Dull Knife massacre, and the final, tragic battle at Wounded Knee.“A fine guide to the conflict that transpired across the wide Missouri.”—San Francisco Sunday Chronicle“An excellent account of most of the major fights between the white man and the Indian in…the western part of the United States.”—Library Journal“Two dozen of the most celebrated and hair-raising Indian fights on record. Good, solid reading, and a whole peck of it.”—New York Times Book Review
Great Women Of The American Revolution (The Story Of The American Revolution)
by Brianna HallMen may have fought the battles of the American Revolution, but women played an important part too. Some women fought the battle at home, speaking their minds about the British occupation or gathering supplies for their soldiers. Others fought openly for their cause, secretly joining the military or becoming spies. Get to know these heroic women and their importance to the colonists' victory during the Revolutionary War.
Great Women Teachers
by Alice FlemingWhat these ten ladies have in common is that they significantly influenced education in the United States. These ten, short biographies commence with the implementation of education for girls (Willard) in the 1800s and end with a sketch of the twentieth-century teacher (Gildersleeve) who promoted International studies.
Greater Boston Community Theater
by Judson Lee PierceThe roots of community theater can be traced back to before the Revolutionary War. In the years that followed, many towns throughout America were fortunate to have both professional and amateur acting companies. The evolution of the moving picture forced many of these professional theaters to close their doors, but theater lovers in small communities still wanted the real thing, live theater. Today there are numerous community theater groups around the Boston area, including the oldest continuing community theater group in the country, the Footlight Club, which was founded in 1877. In the spirit of community, many theater companies donate to charities and sponsor playwriting contests and scholarship programs. They all share a common goal: bring live theater to suburban communities. Greater Boston Community Theater presents rare photographs from more than a dozen community theaters to document and celebrate the rich tapestry of theater life.
Greater Than Gold: From Olympic Heartbreak to Ultimate Redemption
by David Boudia Tim EllsworthOne of America's most heralded young divers, David Boudia twice went for Olympic gold, training obsessively and whole-heartedly for success. In his first Olympics, he failed miserably, not winning a single medal. Four years later saw a different story: he mounted the podium twice, winning both gold and bronze. The difference? In the intervening years, he'd changed the focus of his quest from seeking glory for himself to giving glory to God. In Greater Than Gold, Boudia provides a behind-the-scenes access to the rarefied world of world-class athletics while also showing readers that when they place their hope in God, they receive what they've been seeking all along.
Greater Things: Triumph Over Adversity
by Kristin BealeKristin was thrown into a disability at the age of 14, and every day since then has been a struggle to overcome it. She has fought through the unavoidable physical stresses of her condition for over a decade and, even more, the heavy psychological burdens that follow closely behind. Greater Things is a raw perspective on everything from how people react differently to her situation, to learning how to navigate in and through an inaccessible world, to just trying to make the best of a crummy situation.
The Greatest: Muhammad Ali (The\greatest Ser.)
by Walter Dean Myers“Captures the excitement that Ali created in a generation of young African Americans, who found in the brash, young boxer a new kind of hero.” —BooklistIncludes photosFrom his childhood in the segregated South to his final fight with Parkinson’s disease, Muhammad Ali never backed down. He was banned from boxing during his prime because he refused to fight in Vietnam. He became a symbol of the antiwar movement—and a defender of civil rights. As “The Greatest,” he was a boxer of undeniable talent and courage. He took the world by storm—only Ali could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” From a New York Times–bestselling author and winner of numerous awards—including the Michael L. Printz Award, Newbery Honors, a Caldecott Honor and five Coretta Scott King awards—this is an inspiring biography of Ali, Olympic gold medalist, former heavyweight champion, and one of the most influential people of all time.“Myers interweaves fight sequences with the boxer’s life story and the political events and issues of the day. He doesn’t shy away from reporting on the brutality of the sport and documents the toll it has taken on its many stars . . . Myers’s writing flows while describing the boxing action and the legend’s larger-than-life story.” —School Library Journal
The Greatest Athlete (You've Never Heard Of): Canada's First Olympic Gold Medallist
by Mark Hebscher Ron MacLeanCanada's first Olympic gold medallist couldn't walk until he was ten, and became the greatest runner of his generation. Who was the first Canadian to Win an Olympic Gold Medal? When Mark Hebscher was asked this simple trivia question, he had no idea that it would lead him on a two year odyssey, researching a man he had never heard of. Paralyzed as a child and told he would never walk again, George Washington Orton persevered, eventually becoming the greatest distance runner of his generation, a world-class hockey player, and a brilliant scholar. A sports pioneer, Orton came up with the idea of numbered football jerseys and introduced ice hockey to Philadelphia. Orton's 1900 Paris Olympic medals were credited to the United States for seven decades before the mistake was uncovered and rectified. Yet he is virtually unknown in Canada. Finally, his story is being told.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War
by John "Chick" Donohue J. T. Molloy“Chickie takes us thousands of miles on a hilarious quest laced with sorrow, but never dull. You will laugh and cry, but you will not be sorry that you read this rollicking story.”—Malachy McCourtSoon to be a major motion picture written and directed by Peter Farrelly, who won two Academy Awards for Green Book—a wildly entertaining, feel-good memoir of an Irish-American New Yorker and former U.S. marine who embarked on a courageous, hare-brained scheme to deliver beer to his pals serving Vietnam in the late 1960s.One night in 1967, twenty-six-year-old John Donohue—known as Chick—was out with friends, drinking in a New York City bar. The friends gathered there had lost loved ones in Vietnam. Now, they watched as anti-war protesters turned on the troops themselves. One neighborhood patriot came up with an inspired—some would call it insane—idea. Someone should sneak into Vietnam, track down their buddies there, give them messages of support from back home, and share a few laughs over a can of beer. It would be the Greatest Beer Run Ever. But who’d be crazy enough to do it? One man was up for the challenge—a U. S. Marine Corps veteran turned merchant mariner who wasn’t about to desert his buddies on the front lines when they needed him. Chick volunteered. A day later, he was on a cargo ship headed to Vietnam, armed with Irish luck and a backpack full of alcohol. Landing in Qui Nho’n, Chick set off on an adventure that would change his life forever—an odyssey that took him through a series of hilarious escapades and harrowing close calls, including the Tet Offensive. But none of that mattered if he could bring some cheer to his pals and show them how much the folks back home appreciated them.This is the story of that epic beer run, told in Chick’s own words and those of the men he visited in Vietnam.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Crazy Adventure in a Crazy War *NOW A MAJOR MOVIE*
by J. T. Molloy John 'Chick' Donohue***NOW A MAJOR MOVIE STARRING ZAC EFRON, RUSSELL CROWE AND BILL MURRAY THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'An extraordinary story.' - Daily Mail'An unforgettable, wild ride from start to finish.' - John Bruning'The astounding true story - from the streets of Manhattan to the jungles of Vietnam.' - Thomas KellyIT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME.As a result of a rowdy night in his local New York bar, ex-Marine and merchant seaman "Chick" Donohue volunteers for a legendary mission. He will sneak into Vietnam to track down his buddies in combat to bring them a cold beer and supportive messages from home. It'll be the greatest beer run ever!Now, decades on from 1968, this is the remarkable true story of how he actually did it.Armed with Irish luck and a backpack full of alcohol, Chick works his passage to Vietnam, lands in Qui Nhon and begins to carry out his quest, tracking down the disbelieving soldiers one by one.But things quickly go awry, and as he talks his way through checkpoints and unwittingly into dangerous situations, Chick sees a lot more of the war than he ever planned - spending a terrifying time in the Demilitarized Zone, and getting caught up in Saigon during the Tet Offensive.With indomitable spirit, Chick survives on his wits, but what he finds in Vietnam comes as a shock. By the end of his epic adventure, battered and exhausted, Chick finds himself questioning why his friends were ever led into the war in the first place.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Crazy Adventure in a Crazy War *NOW A MAJOR MOVIE*
by J. T. Molloy John 'Chick' Donohue***NOW A MAJOR MOVIE STARRING ZAC EFRON, RUSSELL CROWE AND BILL MURRAY THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'An extraordinary story.' - Daily Mail'An unforgettable, wild ride from start to finish.' - John Bruning'The astounding true story - from the streets of Manhattan to the jungles of Vietnam.' - Thomas KellyIT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME.As a result of a rowdy night in his local New York bar, ex-Marine and merchant seaman "Chick" Donohue volunteers for a legendary mission. He will sneak into Vietnam to track down his buddies in combat to bring them a cold beer and supportive messages from home. It'll be the greatest beer run ever!Now, decades on from 1968, this is the remarkable true story of how he actually did it.Armed with Irish luck and a backpack full of alcohol, Chick works his passage to Vietnam, lands in Qui Nhon and begins to carry out his quest, tracking down the disbelieving soldiers one by one.But things quickly go awry, and as he talks his way through checkpoints and unwittingly into dangerous situations, Chick sees a lot more of the war than he ever planned - spending a terrifying time in the Demilitarized Zone, and getting caught up in Saigon during the Tet Offensive.With indomitable spirit, Chick survives on his wits, but what he finds in Vietnam comes as a shock. By the end of his epic adventure, battered and exhausted, Chick finds himself questioning why his friends were ever led into the war in the first place.
The Greatest Capitalist Who Ever Lived: Tom Watson Jr. and the Epic Story of How IBM Created the Digital Age
by Ralph Watson McElvenny Marc WortmanThe enduring story of Thomas Watson Jr.—a figure more important to the creation of the modern world than Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Morgan Nearly fifty years into IBM&’s existence, Thomas Watson Jr. undertook the biggest gamble in business history when he &“bet the farm&” on the creation of the IBM System/360, the world&’s first fully integrated and compatible mainframe computer. As CEO, Watson drove a revolution no other company—then or now—would dare, laying the foundation for the digital age that has transformed every society, corporation, and government. The story of Watson being &“present at the creation&” of the digital age is intertwined with near-Shakespearean personal drama. While he put IBM and its employees at risk, Watson also carried out a family-shattering battle over the future of the company with his brother Dick. This titanic struggle between brothers led to Dick&’s death and almost killed Watson Jr. himself. Though he was eventually touted by Fortune magazine as &“the greatest capitalist who ever lived,&” Watson&’s directionless, playboy early years made him an unlikely candidate for corporate titan. How he pulled his life together and, despite personal demons, paved the way for what became a global industry is an epic tale full of drama, inspiration, and valuable lessons in leadership, risk-taking, and social responsibility.
The Greatest Comeback
by Patrick J. BuchananPatrick J. Buchanan, bestselling author and senior advisor to Richard Nixon, tells the definitive story of Nixon's resurrection from the political graveyard and his rise to the presidency. After suffering stinging defeats in the 1960 presidential election against John F. Kennedy, and in the 1962 California gubernatorial election, Nixon's career was declared dead by Washington press and politicians alike. Yet on January 20, 1969, just six years after he had said his political life was over, Nixon would stand taking the oath of office as 37th President of the United States. How did Richard Nixon resurrect a ruined career and reunite a shattered and fractured Republican Party to capture the White House? In The Greatest Comeback, Patrick J. Buchanan--who, beginning in January 1966, served as one of two staff members to Nixon, and would become a senior advisor in the White House after 1968--gives a firsthand account of those crucial years in which Nixon reversed his political fortunes during a decade marked by civil rights protests, social revolution, The Vietnam War, the assassinations of JFK, RFK, and Martin Luther King, urban riots, campus anarchy, and the rise of the New Left. Using over 1,000 of his own personal memos to Nixon, with Nixon's scribbled replies back, Buchanan gives readers an insider's view as Nixon gathers the warring factions of the Republican party--from the conservative base of Barry Goldwater to the liberal wing of Nelson Rockefeller and George Romney, to the New Right legions of an ascendant Ronald Reagan--into the victorious coalition that won him the White House. How Richard Nixon united the party behind him may offer insights into how the Republican Party today can bring together its warring factions. The Greatest Comeback is an intimate portrayal of the 37th President and a fascinating fly on-the-wall account of one of the most remarkable American political stories of the 20th century.
The Greatest Faith Ever Known
by Fulton Oursler April Oursler ArmstrongThis sequel to The Greatest Story Ever Told follows the turbulent adventures of the apostles Paul, Peter, and James after the crucifixion of Christ in their struggle to spread the Good News to the world. Faithfully based on the scriptures of the Acts and the Epistles, this saga of kings and jailers, of far voyages and shipwreck, of strange miracles and escapes and ultimate martyrdom, has inspired and touched generations of readers. It is a story that is timeless.
The Greatest Feeling in the World: An Amazing Story About How Love Conquers All
by Tim and Rod Sattler-JonesAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the publisher.
The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw: The Robin Friday Story
by Paolo Hewitt Paul McGuiganRobin Friday was an exceptional footballer who should have played for England. He never did. Robin Friday was a brilliant player who could have played in the top flight. He never did. Why? Because Robin Friday was a man who would not bow down to anyone, who refused to take life seriously and who lived every moment as if it were his last. For anyone lucky enough to have seen him play, Robin Friday was up there with the greats. Take it from one who knows: 'There is no doubt in my mind that if someone had taken a chance on him he would have set the top division alight,' says the legendary Stan Bowles. 'He could have gone right to the top, but he just went off the rails a bit.' Loved and admired by everyone who saw him, Friday also had a dark side: troubled, strong-minded, reckless, he would end up destroying himself. Tragically, after years of alcohol and drug abuse, he died at the age of 38 without ever having fulfilled his potential. The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw provides the first full appreciation of a man too long forgotten by the world of football, and, along with a forthcoming film based on Friday's life, with a screenplay by co-author Paolo Hewitt, this book will surely give him the cult status he deserves.
The Greatest Games: The ultimate book for football fans inspired by the #1 podcast
by Jamie Carragher'Essential reading for players, fans and coaches' - Steven Gerrard 'A cracking read' - Chris Evans'I couldn't put it down' - Joey BartonWhat are the greatest games ever played? From Jurgen Klopp to Gary Neville, Xavi to David Beckham, Jamie Carragher speaks with teammates, rivals, managers and legends of the sport to identify and analyse football's greatest encounters.As Carra and his contributors take you into the dressing rooms and out onto the pitches of the world's most celebrated stadiums, they relive some of the defining moments of their playing careers as well as many more from the greatest football matches ever played - from title deciders and cup finals to against-all-odds comebacks, tactical masterclasses and old school classics. Packed full of hilarious stories, exclusive anecdotes and refreshing appraisals, in The Greatest Games Jamie Carragher takes you into the heart of these matches, revealing new insights into the teams, players and coaches that have shaped football.
The Greatest Gift
by Binka Le BretonIn 1966, Sister Dorothy Stang went to Brazil as a missionary, and in 1982 she moved to a small town in the Amazon to work with an organization to protect poor farmers and their land from loggers and land-developers who stop at nothing—including murder—in pursuit of profits. After testifying at a government panel investigating illegal incursions into protected areas, Sister Dorothy was denounced as a “terrorist” by powerful companies and began receiving death threats. Refusing to be intimidated, she continued her work—until two gunmen shot her six times on a rural Amazon road. THE GREATEST GIFT is the first biography of this extraordinary woman and her mission. Written by a mainstream journalist who has spent many years in Brazil, it exposes the entrenched collusion between government officials and commercial interests and celebrates the profound courage of Sister Dorothy and others fighting to protect the Amazon jungles and the people eking out a life there. Inspired by deep religious conviction, Dorothy Stang gave of herself generously. A book that will resonate with readers of Sister Helen Prejean’sDead Man Walking,THE GREATEST GIFT presents not only the story of Sister Dorothy’s tragic death, but the powerful and beautiful lessons of her life.
Greatest Hits
by Laura BarnettThe creation of a greatest hits album gives a musician the chance to reflect on her storied life as a daughter, mother, singer, and lover.The beloved singer-songwriter Cass Wheeler has abandoned retirement for one last chapter in her musical career. She assembles an album of greatest hits—the songs that mean the most to her, songs that she wrote during the brightest and darkest times in her life.Each chapter springs from one of these songs. Told in tandem with the lyrics, this irresistible novel moves skillfully across episodes of a fascinating and sometimes tragic life—from Cass’s lonely childhood, through her freewheeling rise to fame, to first love and loss.Laura Barnett’s clear-eyed writing vividly depicts the British and US music scene of the ‘70s, with its mistakes and magic, and the lives that pass through it. By the time Cass has selected the final song, she is confronted with one last choice: whether she can find the strength within herself to open her heart once more.Greatest Hits is an enchanting novel that will capture and delight anyone who has discovered the rewards of music, or who has found strength and meaning in art.Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones & the SixPraise for Greatest Hits“This engaging, emotionally charged novel about music, motherhood and mental illness deserves to be a hit.” —The Observer (UK)“There is nothing here that hasn’t been covered in the more candid memoirs and autobiographies of stars from the 1960s and 1970s. But Barnett’s portrait is unusually perceptive, a mixture of evocative detail and sharp reportage that feels fresh to read. To her credit, too, she scrapes away the gloss to draw out a nuanced and honest account of the loneliness that plagues her singer. . . . Barnett pulls off the novel and its collaboration with pizzazz, turning it into a feat, not a gimmick.” —The Times (UK)“Unusually perceptive, a mixture of evocative detail and sharp reportage that feels fresh to read.” —The Sunday Times (UK)
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told: An Oral History
by Nick Offerman Megan MullallyMegan Mullally and Nick Offerman reveal the full story behind their epic romance--presented in a series of intimate conversations between the couple, including photos, anecdotes, and the occasional puzzle. <P><P>The year: 2000. The setting: Los Angeles. A gorgeous virtuoso of an actress agreed to star in a random play, and a basement-dwelling scenic carpenter said he would assay a supporting role in the selfsame pageant. At the first rehearsal she surveyed her fellow cast members, determining if any of the men might qualify to provide her with a satisfying fling. Her gaze fell upon the carpenter, and like a bolt of lightning the thought struck her: no dice. Moving on.Yet, unbeknownst to our protagonists, Cupid had merely set down his bow and picked up a rocket launcher . . . that fired a love rocket (not a euphemism). <P><P>The players were Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman, and the resulting romance, once ignited, was . . . epic. Beyond epic. It resulted in a coupling that has endured to this day; a sizzling, perpetual tryst that has captivated the world with its kindness, athleticism, astonishingly low-brow humor, and true (fire emoji) passion. <P><P>How did they do it? <P><P>They came from completely different families, ignored a significant age difference, and were separated by the gulf of several social strata. Megan loved books and art history; Nick loved hammers. But much more than these seemingly unsurpassable obstacles were the values they held in common: respect, decency, the ability to mention genitalia in almost any context, and an abiding obsession with the songs of Tom Waits. <P><P>Eighteen years later, they're still very much in love and have finally decided to reveal the philosophical mountains they have conquered, the lessons they've learned, and the myriad jigsaw puzzles they've completed. Presented as an oral history in a series of conversations between the couple, the book features anecdotes, hijinks, photos, and a veritable grab bag of tomfoolery. This is not only the intoxicating book that Mullally's and Offerman's fans have been waiting for, it might just hold the solution to the greatest threat facing our modern world: the single life. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
The Greatest Moments in Sports
by Len BermanBroadcaster Len Berman brings the greatest moments in sports to life for fans of all ages! If you had to pick the greatest thing in sports you'd ever seen, what would it be? Was it a miraculous comeback? An amazing catch? A game-winning buzzerbeater? Or something completely different? The best thing about sports is that you never know when a great moment is going to happen. And everyone has a different opinion about what the greatest moments are.
The Greatest of All Leathernecks: John Archer Lejeune and the Making of the Modern Marine Corps
by Joseph Arthur SimonJoseph Arthur Simon’s The Greatest of All Leathernecks is the first comprehensive biography of John Archer Lejeune (1867–1942), a Louisiana native and the most innovative and influential leader of the United States Marine Corps in the twentieth century. As commandant of the Marine Corps from 1920 to 1929, Lejeune reorganized, revitalized, and modernized the force by developing its new and permanent mission of amphibious assault. Before that transformation, the corps was a constabulary infantry force used mainly to protect American business interests in the Caribbean, a mission that did not place it as a significant contributor to the United States defense establishment. The son of a plantation owner from Pointe Coupee Parish, Lejeune enrolled at Louisiana State University in 1881, aged fourteen. Three years later, he entered the U.S. Naval Academy, afterward serving for two years at sea as a midshipman. In 1890, he transferred to the Marines, where he ascended quickly in rank. During the Spanish-American War, Lejeune commanded and landed Marines at San Juan, Puerto Rico, to rescue American sympathizers who had been attacked by Spanish troops. A few years later, he arrived with a battalion of Marines at the Isthmus of Panama—part of Colombia at the time—securing it for Panama and making possible the construction of the Panama Canal by the United States. He went on to lead Marine expeditions to Cuba and Veracruz, Mexico. During World War I, Lejeune was promoted to major general and given command of an entire U.S. Army division. After the war, Lejeune became commandant of the Marine Corps, a role he used to develop its new mission of amphibious assault, transforming the corps from an ancillary component of the U.S. military into a vibrant and essential branch. He also created the Marine Corps Reserve, oversaw the corps’s initial use of aviation, and founded the Marine Corps Schools, the intellectual planning center of the corps that currently exists as the Marine Corps University. As Simon masterfully illustrates, the mission and value of the corps today spring largely from the efforts and vision of Lejeune.
The Greatest of Their Time
by Benedict BermangeFor a great deal of the 1930s, Don Bradman was considered the most famous sportsman in the world. By any measure – stats, acclaim – it appeared to be a straightforward decision. The same could be argued for Mohammad Ali in the 1960s or Lionel Messi in the 2010s. But when, exactly, did they take their titles, from whom, and when did their reigns come to an end? For boxers it might be possible to narrow it down to the actual date, but for other sportsmen – and women – it is more difficult. Athletes have been feted for their sporting prowess since ancient times, and since the advent of professional sport in the early 18th Century there have been champions celebrated throughout the world. This book aims to give a clearer idea of who was – at any point in time – the greatest athlete in the world – even if the world was unaware of it at the time.