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The First & Second Italian Wars, 1494–1504: Fearless Knights, Ruthless Princes & the Coming of Gunpowder Armies
by Julian RomaneA historical analysis of the course of military operations and political machinations in Italy at the turn of the sixteenth century.The First and Second Italian Wars begins with the French conquest of much of Italy. But the French hold collapsed. The second French invasion gained Northern Italy. This time, the French allied with the Pope’s son, Cesare Borgia. Cesare managed to double deal too many people; his efforts ended in disaster. The French agreement with the Spanish allowed them to retake Naples only to be defeated at the Garigliano by the famous general, Gonzalo de Cordoba.These wars were not just another series of medieval fights. These battles were different from what had gone before: the French utilized a new method of artillery transport; the Spanish commander formulated a new system of military unit organization, and Cesare Borgia sought different systems of raising troops and forming states. And all the powers managed to spend vast amounts of money the likes of which no one had imagined before. This was the emergence of the so-called Military Revolution.Praise for The First and Second Italian Wars 1494–1504“An amazing account of medieval warfare between two of Europe’s principle nations.” —Books Monthly (UK)“This is a fascinating, detailed look at these crucial wars, placing the military campaigns in their political context—the world that inspired the writings of Machiavelli, and you can see where he got his inspiration from!” —History of War
The First Seven Divisions, Being A Detailed Account Of The Fighting From Mons To Ypres. [Illustrated Edition]
by Captain Lord Ernest William HamiltonThe opening of the First World War pitted the huge continental armies against each other; massed conscription filled their ranks, Britain's soldiers, however, were to a man volunteer, long-service professionals. Disciplined, few in number but thoroughly trained to shoot 15 aimed shoots in a "mad-minute", they were but few in number. The German forces they faced on the Western Front were counted by the number of their armies, the British forces could only put seven divisions in the field initially.In the face of overwhelming numbers the British soldiers gave a good account of themselves and held up the German advance during the crucial opening phases of the campaign alongside their French allies. The German High command had not counted on such stubborn resistance such a spanner in the works were they and their fighting prowess that the Kaiser himself paid the brave few the ultimate compliment-- "It is my Royal and Imperial command that you concentrate your energies, for the immediate present, upon one single purpose, and that is that you address all your skill and all the valour of my soldiers to exterminate first the treacherous English and walk over General French's contemptible little army."--Kaiser Wilhelm 19th August 1914.Written by Lord Hamilton, at the time a Captain in the 11th Hussars, this is an excellent and highly detailed account of the early months of the First World War on the British Front.Author -- Captain Lord Ernest William Hamilton (1858-1939)Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in New York, E.P. Dutton and company 1916Original Page Count - 338 pages.Maps -- 8 detailed maps.
The First Soldier: Hitler as Military Leader
by Stephen G. Fritz&“An expert account of Nazi war strategy that concludes that Hitler was not without military talent.&”(Kirkus Reviews) After Germany&’s humiliating World War II defeat, numerous German generals published memoirs claiming that their country&’s brilliant military leadership had been undermined by the Führer&’s erratic decision making. The author of three highly acclaimed books on the era, Stephen Fritz upends this characterization of Hitler as an ill-informed fantasist and demonstrates the ways in which his strategy was coherent and even competent. That Hitler saw World War II as the only way to retrieve Germany&’s fortunes and build an expansionist Thousand-Year Reich is uncontroversial. But while his generals did sometimes object to Hitler&’s tactics and operational direction, they often made the same errors in judgment and were in agreement regarding larger strategic and political goals. A necessary volume for understanding the influence of World War I on Hitler&’s thinking, this work is also an eye-opening reappraisal of major events like the invasion of Russia and the battle for Normandy. &“Perhaps the best account we have to date of Hitler&’s military leadership. It shows a scrupulous and imaginative historian at work and will cement Fritz&’s reputation as one of the leading historians of the military conflicts generated by Hitler&’s Germany.&” —Richard Overy, author of The Bombing War &“Original, insightful and authoritative.&” —David Stahel, author of The Battle for Moscow
First Soldiers Down: Canada's Friendly Fire Deaths in Afghanistan
by Ron Corbett Colonel Pat StogranOn April 18, 2002, "friendly fire" killed four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, Canada’s first combat deaths since the Korean War. On April 18, 2002, Alpha Company, Third Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, was on a training exercise at Tarnak Farms, a former Taliban artillery range in southern Afghanistan. The exercise had been underway for nearly seven hours when two American fighter pilots flew overhead. One, Major Harry Schmidt, saw the artillery fire below, and thinking he was under attack, dropped a laser-guided bomb.Four Canadian soldiers died that night, the first Canadian combat fatalities since the Korean War. For many in Canada the tragedy signalled the true beginning of Canada’s lengthy combat mission in Afghanistan.First Soldiers Down recounts what happened that evening through archival material and the recollections of troops. It also tells the personal stories of the fallen Sergeant Marc Lger, Corporal Ainsworth Dyer, Private Richard Green, and Private Nathan Smith as well as what happened to the loved ones of each of the four in the decade since the incident.
The First South Pacific Campaign
by John B. LundstromOn May 7 and 8, 1942, fast carrier task forces from the United States and Imperial Japanese navies met in combat for the first time in the Battle of the Coral Sea. A strategic victory for the U.S. in spite of the loss of the carrier Lexington, the destroyer Sims and the fleet oiler Neosho, the battle blunted the Japanese drive on Port Moresby, a valuable Allied air and naval base controlling the western Coral Sea and northern Australia.John B. Lundstrom offers a detailed analysis of the fundamental strategies employed by Japan and the U.S. in the South Pacific from January to June 1942, including Japanese equivocation regarding advances in the South Pacific and the vigorous actions of Admiral Ernest J. King to reinforce the area in spite of the presidential decision to concentrate American efforts on Europe and the problem of Germany.Writing in a clear, concise, and readable style, Lundstrom combines strategic insight and careful scholarship with previously untapped source materials to present a book that provides a superb overview of the first six months of the naval war in the South Pacific. First published in 1976, The First South Pacific Campaign is essential reading for a full understanding of the Pacific Fleet's strategy before the Battle of Midway.
First Special Service Force 1942-44
by Bret Werner Michael WelplyThis is a concise history of the unique integrated commando-style brigade of US and Canadian volunteers formed in 1942. Hand picked, and trained in airborne, amphibious, mountain and winter warfare, demolitions and close-quarter tactics, they left a combat legacy still recognized amongst today's Special Forces. This book explores the remarkable results the FSSF achieved in Italy - in the harsh mountain fighting on the Winter Line, in the trenches of Anzio, and in the breakthrough to Rome. Accompanied by unique combat photography and illustrations of their distinctive uniforms, this is an insight into a famous, but little explored unit.
First Strike (Carrier #19)
by Keith DouglassRussian radicals refuse to end the Cold War without a bang-a nuclear one. But Tombstone MacGruder and the Carrier Battle Group will see the U.S. attacked...when hell freezes over.
First Strike: Preemptive War in Modern History
by Matthew J. FlynnPreemptive warfare is the practice of attempting to avoid an enemy’s seemingly imminent attack by taking military action against them first. It is undertaken in self-defense. Preemptive war is often confused with preventive war, which is an attack launched to defeat a potential opponent and is an act of aggression. Preemptive war is thought to be justified and honorable, while preventive war violates international law. In the real world, the distinction between the two is highly contested. In First Strike, Matthew J. Flynn examines case studies of preemptive war throughout history, from Napoleonic France to the American Civil War, and from Hitler’s Germany to the recent U.S. invasion of Iraq. Flynn takes an analytical look at the international use of military and political preemption throughout the last two hundred years of western history, to show how George W. Bush’s recent use of this dubiously "honorable" way of making war is really just the latest of a long line of previously failed attempts. Balanced and historically grounded, First Strike provides a comprehensive history of one of the most controversial military strategies in the history of international foreign policy.
First Strike: America, Terrorism, and Moral Tradition
by Mark TottenCan the use of force first against a less-than-imminent threat be both morally acceptable and consistent with American values? In this timely book Mark Totten offers the first in-depth, historical examination of the use of preemptive and preventive force through the lens of the just war tradition. Although critical of the American incursion into Iraq as a so-called "preemptive war," Totten argues that the new terrorist threat nonetheless demands careful consideration of when the first use of force is legitimate. The moral tradition, he concludes, provides a principled way forward that reconciles American values and the demands of security.
First Team (First Team #1)
by Larry Bond Jim DefeliceSpecial team composed of the CIA and military special forces track missing nuclear waste being used by terrorists to convert a 747 into a dirty headed for Hawaii.
First Team: Fires Of War (Larry Bond's First Team Ser. #3)
by Larry Bond Jim DeFeliceLarry Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Dangerous Ground, and Jim DeFelice have earned widespread acclaim for the gritty authenticity and spellbinding suspense of their military-political adventures involving the First Team. "The Team" lead by top CIA officer Bob Ferguson, and supported by Special Forces commando Stephen Rankin and Marine Jack Young, is authorized to take immediate action, beyond the bureaucratic restraints of US intelligence or the military establishment, in the ever-surprising War on Terror. After years of exhaustive negotiations, North Korea's Kim Jong Il abruptly agrees to surrender all of his nuclear weapons. This sudden change in policy has the US suspicious, and the Team is dispatched to uncover the truth. Newest Team operative, the young and beautiful Thera Majed, goes undercover during the preliminary inspections of the entire Korean peninsula, on a mission so sensitive that she will be disavowed if discovered. But when she discovers hidden weapons in South Korea, a firestorm of debate is set off in Washington. A public announcement of their suspicions could derail the North Korean agreement, and the South Korean government may not even be aware of the weapons' existence. Ferg and the rest of the Team jump in to investigate, and the closer they get to the truth, the harder mysterious forces work to keep them away. Someone is planning for a full-scale nuclear attack that would throw the civilized world into political and economic upheaval, and Ferg and the Team are the only ones in the position to stop them.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The First Team
by John B. LundstromHailed as one of the finest examples of aviation research, this comprehensive 1984 study presents a detailed and scrupulously accurate operational history of carrier-based air warfare. From the earliest operations in the Pacific through the decisive Battle of Midway, it offers a narrative account of how ace fighter pilots like Jimmy Thach and Butch O'Hare and their skilled VF squadron mates - called the "first team" - amassed a remarkable combat record in the face of desperate odds. Tapping both American and Japanese sources, historian John B. Lundstrom reconstructs every significant action and places these extraordinary fighters within the context of overall carrier operations. He writes from the viewpoint of the pilots themselves, after interviewing some fifty airmen from each side, to give readers intimate details of some of the most exciting aerial engagements of the war. At the same time he assesses the role the fighter squadrons played in key actions and shows how innovations in fighter tactics and gunnery techniques were a primary reason for the reversal of American fortunes. After more than twenty years in print, the book remains the definitive account and is being published in paperback for the first time to reach an even larger audience.
First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign
by John B. LundstromFrom huddled command conferences to cramped cockpits, John Lundstrom guides readers though the maelstrom of air combat at Guadalcanal in this impressively researched sequel to his earlier study. Picking up the story after Midway, the author presents a scrupulously accurate account of what happened, describing in rich detail the actual planes and pilots pitted in the ferocious battles that helped turn the tide of war. Based on correspondence with 150 American and Japanese veterans, or their families, he reveals the thoughts, pressures, and fears of the airmen and their crews as he reconstructs the battles. These are the stories of the Wildcat and Zero fighters, and the Dauntless, Avenger, Betty, Kate, and Val bombers. Lavishly illustrated with drawings, maps, and photographs, this fresh look at the campaign set a standard for aviation histories when first published in 1994.
First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers
by Loung UngUntil the age of five, Lounge Ung lived in Phnom Penh, one of seven children of a high-ranking government official. She was a precocious child who loved the open city markets, fried crickets, chicken fights, and sassing her parents. While her beautiful mother worried that Loung was a troublemaker -- that she stomped around like a thirsty cow -- her beloved father knew Loung was a clever girl. When Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge army stormed into Phnom Penh in April 1975, Ung's family fled their home and moved from village to village to hide their identity, their education, their former life of privilege. Eventually, the family dispersed in order to survive. Because Loung was resilient and determined, she was trained as a child soldier in a work camp for orphans, while other siblings were sent to labor camps.
First Through The Clouds: The Autobiography of a Box-Kite Pioneer
by Frederick Warren MerriamThe early years of aviation were marked by flimsy, unreliable machines and daring adventurous young men. One of the pioneer aviators leading the way in Britain was F. Warren Merriam who, following Louis Blriots first flight across the Channel in 1809, joined the Bristol and Colonial Aeroplane Company through which he obtained a Royal Aero Clubs aviators certificate.Much of the flying training in those early days was a case of the blind leading the blind and, as Merriam wrote, Flying was a dangerous business then. Airplanes were constantly breaking up in the air let alone on takeoff and landing; there were no parachutes and the pilots were ever expectant of mishaps. This was hardly the career for a decent young man and for a long time he had to keep his flying a secret from his parents.Aviation did indeed develop into a career, with Merriam becoming a certified instructor at Brooklands aerodrome. There he taught many of the men who became pioneers in aviation and others who joined the Royal Flying Corps that crossed to France in the early months of the First World War.The term pioneer could also be ascribed to Merriam for he was the first person in Britain to fly through the clouds. Until that day in 1912, it had been assumed that pilots would always stay within sight of the ground. Why would anyone want to go so high?This entertaining autobiography takes the reader on a journey through Merriams early flying career, from how it started through his first shaky solo, through a series of crashes into his First World War service. His account is the story of the early history of aviation, the development of aircraft and the personalities that led the way in those exciting, if risk-strewn days of yore.
First to Fight
by Victor H. KrulakMarine general Victor "Brute" Krulak offers here a riveting insiders's chronicle of U.S. Marines - their fights on the battlefield and off, and their extraordinary esprit de corps. He not only takes a close look at the Marine experience during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam - wars in which Krulak was himself a participant - but also examines the foundation on which the Corps is built. In doing so, he helps answer the question of what it means to be a Marine and how the Corps has maintained such a consistently outstanding reputation.
First to Fight: Starfist Book One
by David Sherman Dan CraggStranded in a hellish alien desert, stripped of their strategic systems, quick reaction force, and supporting arms, and carrying only a day's water ration, Marine Staff Sargeant Charlie Bass and his seven-man team faced a grim future seventy-five light-years from home. The only thing between his Marines and safety was eighty-five miles of uncharted, waterless terrain and two thousand bloodthirsty savages with state-of-the-art weapons in their hands and murder on their minds. But the enemy didn't reckon on the warrior cunning of Marines' Marine Charlie Bass and the courage of the few good men who would follow him anywhere- even to death...
First to Fly: The Story of the Lafayette Escadrille, the American Heroes Who Flew for France in World War I
by Charles Bracelen FloodIf the Wright brothers’ 1903 flights in Kitty Hawk marked the birth of aviation, World War I can be called its violent adolescence-a brief but bloody era that completely changed the way planes were designed, fabricated, and flown. The war forged an industry that would redefine transportation and warfare for future generations. In First to Fly, lauded historian Charles Bracelen Flood tells the story of the men who were at the forefront of that revolution: the daredevil Americans of the Lafayette Escadrille, who flew in French planes, wore French uniforms, and showed the world an American brand of heroism before the United States entered the Great War.As citizens of a neutral nation from 1914 to early 1917, Americans were prohibited from serving in a foreign army, but many brave young souls soon made their way into European battle zones: as ambulance drivers, nurses, and more dangerously, as soldiers in the French Foreign Legion. It was partly from the ranks of the latter group, and with the sponsorship of an expat American surgeon and a Vanderbilt, that the Lafayette Escadrille was formed in 1916 as the first and only all-American squadron in the French Air Service. Flying rudimentary planes, against one-in-three odds of being killed, these fearless young men gathered reconnaissance and shot down enemy aircraft, participated in the Battle of Verdun and faced off with the Red Baron, dueling across the war-torn skies like modern knights on horseback.Drawing on rarely seen primary sources, Flood chronicles the startling success of that intrepid band, and gives a compelling look at the rise of aviation and a new era of warfare.
First to Jump
by Jerome PreislerThe U.S. 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
First to Kill
by Andrew PetersonWhen a deep-cover FBI agent disappears along with a ton of Semtex explosive, the government turns to Nathan McBride, former Marine sniper and covert CIA operative, to recover them.
First to the Front: The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent
by Lorissa RinehartThe first authoritative biography of pioneering photojournalist Dickey Chapelle, who from World War II through the early days of Vietnam got her story by any means necessary as one of the first female war correspondents."I side with prisoners against guards, enlisted men against officers, weakness against power."From the beginning of World War II through the early days of Vietnam, groundbreaking female photojournalist and war correspondent Dickey Chapelle chased dangerous assignments her male colleagues wouldn’t touch, pioneering a radical style of reporting that focused on the humanity of the oppressed. She documented conditions across Eastern Europe in the wake of the Second World War. She marched down the Ho Chi Minh Trail with the South Vietnamese Army and across the Sierra Maestra Mountains with Castro. She was the first reporter accredited with the Algerian National Liberation Front, and survived torture in a communist Hungarian prison. She dove out of planes, faked her own kidnapping, and endured the mockery of male associates, before ultimately dying on assignment in Vietnam with the Marines in 1965, the first American female journalist killed while covering combat.Chapelle overcame discrimination both on the battlefield and at home, with much of her work ultimately buried from the public eye—until now. In First to the Front, Lorissa Rinehart uncovers the incredible life and unparalleled achievements of this true pioneer, and the mark she would make on history.
The First Victory: The Second World War and the East Africa Campaign
by Andrew Stewart&“Exciting . . . a comprehensive account of an overlooked campaign in which an outnumbered imperial army destroyed Mussolini&’s dream of a new Roman Empire.&” —Ashley Jackson, author of Churchill Surprisingly neglected in accounts of Allied wartime triumphs, this is the story of the British and Commonwealth forces who, against all odds, completed a stunning and important victory in East Africa against an overwhelmingly superior Italian opponent in 1941. A hastily formed British-led force, never larger than 70,000 strong, advanced along two fronts to defeat nearly 300,000 Italian and colonial troops. This compelling book draws on an array of previously unseen documents to provide both a detailed campaign history and a fresh appreciation of the first significant Allied success of the war. Andrew Stewart investigates such topics as Britain&’s African wartime strategy; how the fighting forces were assembled (most from British colonies, none from the U.S.); General Archibald Wavell&’s command abilities and his difficult relationship with Winston Churchill; the resolute Italian defense at Keren, one of the most bitterly fought battles of the entire war; the legacy of the campaign in East Africa; and much more. &“The First Victory is that rarity of military history: groundbreaking research combined with first-rate narrative skills.&” —Open Letters Includes maps and photographs
The First War of Physics: The Secret History of the Atom Bomb, 1939-1949
by Jim BaggottAn epic story of science and technology at the very limits of human understanding: the monumental race to build the first atomic weapons. Rich in personality, action, confrontation, and deception, The First War of Physics is the first fully realized popular account of the race to build humankind's most destructive weapon. The book draws on declassified material, such as MI6's Farm Hall transcripts, coded soviet messages cracked by American cryptographers in the Venona project, and interpretations by Russian scholars of documents from the soviet archives. Jim Baggott weaves these threads into a dramatic narrative that spans ten historic years, from the discovery of nuclear fission in 1939 to the aftermath of 'Joe-1,' August 1949's first Soviet atomic bomb test. Why did physicists persist in developing the atomic bomb, despite the devastation that it could bring? Why, despite having a clear head start, did Hitler's physicists fail? Could the soviets have developed the bomb without spies like Klaus Fuchs or Donald Maclean? Did the allies really plot to assassinate a key member of the German bomb program? Did the physicists knowingly inspire the arms race? The First War of Physics is a grand and frightening story of scientific ambition, intrigue, and genius: a tale barely believable as fiction, which just happens to be historical fact.
The First Wave (Billy Boyle World War II Mystery #2)
by James R. BennPraise for The First Wave : "A triple dose of excitement with a murder mystery within a spy thriller within a World War Two adventure story. . . . A 'rattling good read. '"-Rhys Bowen, author of In Dublin's Fair City "Has all the essential elements: murder, espionage, and romance. "-Karen E. Olson, author of the Anne Seymour mysteries "What a great read, full of action, humor and heart. "-Louise Penny, author of Still Life Praise for the Billy Boyle series: "A meaty, old-fashioned and thoroughly enjoyable tale of WWII-era murder and espionage. "- The Seattle Times "The World War II atmosphere and history are expertly handled. "- Denver Post "Great fun. Benn knows his war history. . . . A batch of intriguing characters who seem destined to make another appearance. "- The Globe and Mail (Toronto) "A memorable debut. "- BookPage "If you enjoy World War II mysteries . . . you'll love this book. . . . One of the best books I've read this year. "- Mystery Scene Lieutenant Billy Boyle reluctantly accompanies Major Samuel Harding, his boss, in the first boat to land on the shores of Algeria during the Allied invasion. Their task is to arrange the surrender of the Vichy French forces. But there is dissension between the regular army, the local militia, and de Gaulle's Free French. American black marketeers in league with the enemy divert medical supplies to the Casbah, leading to multiple murders that Billy must solve while trying to rescue the girl he loves, a captured British spy.