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America's Rasputin: Walt Rostow and the Vietnam War
by David MilneWalt Rostow's meteoric rise to power -- from Flatbush, Brooklyn, to the West Wing of the White House -- seemed to capture the promise of the American dream. Hailing from humble origins, Rostow became an intellectual powerhouse: a professor of economic history at MIT and an influential foreign policy adviser to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Too influential, according to some. While Rostow inspired respect and affection, he also made some powerful enemies. Averell Harriman, one of America's most celebrated diplomats, described Rostow as "America's Rasputin" for the unsavory influence he exerted on presidential decision-making. Rostow was the first to advise Kennedy to send U.S. combat troops to South Vietnam and the first to recommend the bombing of North Vietnam. He framed a policy of military escalation, championed recklessly optimistic reporting, and then advised LBJ against pursuing a compromise peace with North Vietnam. David Milne examines one man's impact on the United States' worst-ever military defeat. It is a portrait of good intentions and fatal misjudgments. A true ideologue, Rostow believed that it is beholden upon the United States to democratize other nations and do "good," no matter what the cost. America's Rasputin explores the consequences of this idealistic but unyielding dogma.
America’s Retreat From Victory: The Story Of George Catlett Marshall
by Senator Joseph R. McCarthyBy 1950 General George C. Marshall was seen by the American public an outstanding hero of their time; his masterful direction as chief of the US Army Staff during World War Two has set him up as an almost unassailable public figure. However hardline senator Joseph McCarthy took no prisoners, and in this well researched account, he takes a furious swipe at the General. Although future generations were only to know McCarthy for his ill-advised witchhunts later in his career, this book still stands as a damning indictment of the conduct of the American War Policy during the Second World War and particularly General Marshall.
America's Secret MiG Squadron
by Gaillard R. PeckThis book is the story of a group of military pioneers who were intent on using their experience and knowledge to develop a new training paradigm for fighter pilots. As a Vietnam veteran and Phantom F-4 pilot, Col. Gail Peck (call-sign "EVIL") had been disappointed with the level of training offered to US fighter pilots. He was determined to ensure that US fighter pilots were unbeatable in the air particularly against their Cold War adversaries flying the already legendary MiG fighter jets. Working with the support of General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Jr., and under conditions of the upmost secrecy the CONSTANT PEG program was launched with Peck as the original "Red Eagle."This fascinating unknown history was first revealed in Steve Davies' acclaimed Red Eagles: America's Secret MiGs but this book is the insider's perspective complete with never-before published anecdotes and photographs, revealing how Peck battled bureaucracy and skepticism to ultimately establish the premier fighter pilot training center. Along the way Peck explores many of the central questions surrounding the project: why did the combat Air Forces of the USA find themselves in need of a major revision in their approach to air-to-air combat training? How did they secretly build an airfield to clandestinely conduct air-to-air combat training using actual MiGs as the adversary training platforms? What was it like to be a Red Eagle pilot or maintainer and what were the major challenges they faced on a daily basis? What did the USA get out of the program in terms of a return on investment? Was it worth it and where do we go now?Despite operating for a decade no single pilot ever revealed the secret nature of the training until the program was eventually declassified in 2006. Now for the first time we can read about what it felt like to build the airfields, source the MiG aircraft and finally take them to the skies above America itself all in the quest to establish the USAF as the premier fighter jet force the world over.
America's Secret War: Inside the Hidden Worldwide Struggle Between America and Its Enemies
by George FriedmanDubbed by Barron's as "The Shadow CIA," Stratfor, George Friedman's global intelligence company, has provided analysis to Fortune 500 companies, news outlets, and even the U. S. government. Now Friedman delivers the geopolitical story that the mainstream media has been unable to uncover - the startling truth behind America's foreign policy and war effort in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond.
America's Secret Weapon: The Navajo Code Talkers of World War II
by Howard GutnerPhilip Johnston, who lived in California, was a veteran of World War I. He had an idea. Why not invent a code using the Navajo language? He gave a demonstration, and brought four Navajos to Camp Elliot and sent them into different offices. They talked by radio, translating messages from English to Navajo and back. A general named Clayton Vogel saw the demonstration and was convinced. In 20 seconds, the Navajos could code, send, and decode a message that took 30 minutes to send over a machine. General Vogel said that 200 Navajos should take part in the secret code project.
America's Siberian Adventure 1918-1920 (Russia Observed Ser.)
by William GravesAmerica’s Siberian Adventure 1918-1920, first published in 1931, recounts the campaign by American troops to ostensibly help stabilize and bring peace to a region beleaguered by several long-standing conflicts. Author William Graves, the General in charge of the expeditionary force, had to contend with Russian warlords, the Red Army, a roving brigade of Czechoslovakian troops, the need to protect the Trans-Siberian Railway, extreme weather conditions, and the regular armies of the Japanese and British. These conflicting factions, plus the ill-defined nature of the mission were a recipe for potential disaster. However, credit must be given to the level-headedness displayed by General Graves as he worked desperately to keep a low-profile for American troops and avoid ‘adding fuel to the fire.’ After struggling for two years, American troops were withdrawn, with little to show for their efforts apart from the unfortunate loss of 189 soldiers. Included are 9 pages of illustrations. A related effort known as the North Russia Expeditionary Force experienced 235 deaths from all causes during their 9 months of fighting near Arkhangelsk.
America's Splendid Little Wars: A Short History Of U. S. Engagements From The Fall Of Saigon to Baghdad
by Peter HuchthausenFrom the evacuation of Saigon in 1975 to the end of the twentieth century, the United States committed its forces to more than a dozen military operations. Offering a fresh analysis of the Iranian hostage rescue attempt, the invasions of Granada and Panama, the first Gulf War, the missions in Somalia and Bosnia, and more, author and distinguished U.S. naval captain Peter Huchthausen presents a detailed history of each military engagement through eyewitness accounts, exhaustive research, and his unique insider perspective as an intelligence expert. This timely and riveting military history is “a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the nature of war today” (Stephen Trent Smith).
America's Strategic Choices (Revised Edition)
by Michael E. Brown Owen R. Coté Sean M. Lynn-Jones Steven E. MillerMore than a decade has passed since the end of the Cold War, but the United States has yet to reach a consensus on a coherent approach to the international use of American power. The essays in this volume present contending perspectives on the future of US grand strategy. US policy options include primacy, cooperative security, selective engagement, and retrenchment. This revised edition includes additional and more recent analysis and advocacy of these options. The volume includes the Clinton administration's National Security Strategy for a New Century, the most recent official statement of American grand strategy, so readers can compare proposed strategies with the official US government position.
America's U-Boats: Terror Trophies of World War I (Studies in War, Society, and the Military)
by Chris DubbsThe submarine was one of the most revolutionary weapons of World War I, inciting both terror and fascination for militaries and civilians alike. During the war, after U-boats sank the Lusitania and began daring attacks on shipping vessels off the East Coast, the American press dubbed these weapons “Hun Devil Boats,” “Sea Thugs,” and “Baby Killers.” But at the conflict’s conclusion, the U.S. Navy acquired six U-boats to study and to serve as war souvenirs. Until their destruction under armistice terms in 1921, these six U-boats served as U.S. Navy ships, manned by American crews. The ships visited eighty American cities to promote the sale of victory bonds and to recruit sailors, allowing hundreds of thousands of Americans to see up close the weapon that had so captured the public’s imagination.In America’s U-Boats Chris Dubbs examines the legacy of submarine warfare in the American imagination. Combining nautical adventure, military history, and underwater archaeology, Dubbs shares the previously untold story of German submarines and their impact on American culture and reveals their legacy and Americans’ attitudes toward this new wonder weapon.
America's Unpatriot Acts: The Federal Government's Violation of Constitutional and Civil Rights
by Walter M. BraschWithin six weeks of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Congress approved the USA Patriot Act, drafted in secret by the Department of Justice. Brasch, an award-winning syndicated columnist and university professor, looks at the effects of the Patriot Act on the nation and at the many civil rights violations conducted in the US, and by the US in foreign countries, during the three years after 9/11. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
America's Victories: Why America Wins Wars and Why They Will Win the War on Terror
by Larry SchweikartIn America's Victories, Professor Larry Schweikart restores the truth about our amazing military heritage. Just as he did in his acclaimed previous book, A Patriot's History of the United States, Professor Schweikart cuts through the distortions passed along by academia and the media
America's Vietnam War and Its French Connection (Routledge Advances in American History #5)
by Frank CainThat America was drawn into the Vietnam War by the French has been recognized, but rarely explored. This book analyzes the years from 1945 with the French military reconquest of Vietnam until 1963 with the execution of the French-endorsed dictator, Ngo Dinh Diem, demonstrating how the US should not have followed the French into Vietnam. It shows how the Korean War triggered the flow of American military hardware and finances to underpin France’s war against the Marxist-oriented Vietnam Republic led by Ho Chi Minh.
America's War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History
by Andrew J. BacevichRetired army colonel and New York Times bestselling author Andrew J. Bacevich provides a searing reassessment of U.S. military policy in the Middle East over the past four decades. From the end of World War II until 1980, virtually no American soldiers were killed in action while serving in the Greater Middle East. Since 1990, virtually no American soldiers have been killed in action anywhere else. What caused this shift? Andrew J. Bacevich, one of the country's most respected voices on foreign affairs, offers an incisive critical history of this ongoing military enterprise--now more than thirty years old and with no end in sight. During the 1980s, Bacevich argues, a great transition occurred. As the Cold War wound down, the United States initiated a new conflict--a War for the Greater Middle East--that continues to the present day. The long twilight struggle with the Soviet Union had involved only occasional and sporadic fighting. But as this new war unfolded, hostilities became persistent. From the Balkans and East Africa to the Persian Gulf and Central Asia, U.S. forces embarked upon a seemingly endless series of campaigns across the Islamic world. Few achieved anything remotely like conclusive success. Instead, actions undertaken with expectations of promoting peace and stability produced just the opposite. As a consequence, phrases like "permanent war" and "open-ended war" have become part of everyday discourse. Connecting the dots in a way no other historian has done before, Bacevich weaves a compelling narrative out of episodes as varied as the Beirut bombing of 1983, the Mogadishu firefight of 1993, the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the rise of ISIS in the present decade. Understanding what America's costly military exertions have wrought requires seeing these seemingly discrete events as parts of a single war. It also requires identifying the errors of judgment made by political leaders in both parties and by senior military officers who share responsibility for what has become a monumental march to folly. This Bacevich unflinchingly does. A twenty-year army veteran who served in Vietnam, Andrew J. Bacevich brings the full weight of his expertise to this vitally important subject. America's War for the Greater Middle East is a bracing after-action report from the front lines of history. It will fundamentally change the way we view America's engagement in the world's most volatile region. Praise for America's War for the Greater Middle East"Bacevich is thought-provoking, profane and fearless. . . . [His] call for Americans to rethink their nation's militarized approach to the Middle East is incisive, urgent and essential."--The New York Times Book Review "Bacevich's magnum opus . . . a deft and rhythmic polemic aimed at America's failures in the Middle East from the end of Jimmy Carter's presidency to the present."--Robert D. Kaplan, The Wall Street Journal "[A] monumental new work . . . One of the grim and eerie wonders of his book is the way in which just about every wrongheaded thing Washington did in that region in the fourteen-plus years since 9/11 had its surprising precursor in the two decades of American war there before the World Trade Center towers came down."--The Huffington Post "An unparalleled historical tour de force certain to affect the formation of future U.S. foreign policy."--Lieutenant General Paul K. Van Riper, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.)From the Hardcover edition.
America's War Machine: Vested Interests, Endless Conflicts
by James McCartney Molly Sinclair McCartneyA veteran Washington reporter reveals how years of military-slanted domestic and foreign policy have turned the U.S. into a perpetual war machine.When President Dwight D. Eisenhower prepared to leave the White House in 1961, he did so with an ominous message for the American people about the "disastrous rise" of the military-industrial complex. Fifty years later, the complex has morphed into a virtually unstoppable war machine, one that dictates U.S. economic and foreign policy in a direct and substantial way.Based on his experiences as an award-winning Washington-based reporter covering national security, James McCartney presents a compelling history, from the Cold War to present day that shows that the problem is far worse and far more wide-reaching than anything Eisenhower could have imagined. Big Military has become "too big to fail" and has grown to envelope the nation's political, cultural and intellectual institutions. These centers of power and influence, including the now-complicit White House and Congress, have a vested interest in preparing and waging unnecessary wars. The authors persuasively argue that not one foreign intervention in the past 50 years has made us or the world safer.With additions by Molly Sinclair McCartney, a fellow journalist with 30 years of experience, America's War Machine provides the context for today's national security state and explains what can be done about it.
America's Wars: Interventions, Regime Change, and Insurgencies after the Cold War (Cambridge Military Histories)
by Thomas H. HenriksenThe collapse of the Soviet Union ushered in American global hegemony in world affairs. In the post-Cold War period, both Democrat and Republican governments intervened, fought insurgencies, and changed regimes. In America's Wars, Thomas Henriksen explores how America tried to remake the world by militarily invading a host of nations beset with civil wars, ethnic cleansing, brutal dictators, and devastating humanitarian conditions. The immediate post-Cold War years saw the United States carrying out interventions in the name of Western-style democracy, humanitarianism, and liberal internationalism in Panama, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo. Later, the 9/11 terrorist attacks led America into larger-scale military incursions to defend itself from further assaults by al Qaeda in Afghanistan and from perceived nuclear arms in Iraq, while fighting small-footprint conflicts in Africa, Asia, and Arabia. This era is coming to an end with the resurgence of great power rivalry and rising threats from China and Russia.
America's Youngest Soldier
by Ernest L. WrentmoreAmerica's Youngest Soldier, originally published in 1958 as In Spite of Hell, is the gripping account of Ernest L. Wrentmore, the youngest soldier in the American Expeditionary Force during World War One. Wrentmore served with honor despite his age (two months shy of his thirteenth birthday at the time of his enlistment in September 1917), and despite the horrors he witnessed in the trenches in France. Wrentmore saw front-line service on three battle fronts, and was cited for bravery for delivering a message, under fire, that made it possible for his unit to advance. Wrentmore was wounded twice and severely gassed; and on the night of October 17, 1918, he was evacuated from the field of battle during the first phase of the Meuse-Argonne offensive.
Amicicide: The Problem Of Friendly Fire In Modern War [Illustrated Edition]
by Lt.-Col C. R. ShraderIncludes 10 detailed tables'War is often depicted in the textbooks as a well-orchestrated, albeit violent, exercise in which opposing units strive to achieve tactical and strategic objectives. That each side will suffer casualties in the process is taken for granted; they are the inevitable, if regretable, consequence of such a deadly undertaking. That each side is almost certain to suffer casualties inflicted by its own forces is not generally taken for granted. Yet, in each of America's wars, especially those of the twentieth century, a significant number of soldiers have been killed or wounded as the result of friendly fire. The fact that the percentage of casualties resulting from friendly fire from World War I through Vietnam has been extremely low does not make the accidental killing or wounding of one's own troops any less tragic or unpalatable. Nor does it offer much consolation to the commander responsible for the lives of his troops or to the soldier who runs the risk of falling victim to the fire of his own forces.To be sure, each branch of the Army and each of the Armed Services employ measures calculated to prevent incidents of friendly fire...Before one can undertake a serious and comprehensive analysis of friendly fire, these data must be found and brought together in one place.In Amicicide: The Problem of Friendly Fire in Modern War, LTC Charles R. Shrader has taken a major step toward the compilation of these data. In his well-informed narrative, he draws tentative conclusions about the causes and effects of friendly fire and offers recommendations for those who expect to study the subject further. He has, in short, produced a superb reference book and a springboard for a deeper and more comprehensive analysis of this grim and complex problem.'-Foreword
Amiens: Dawn of Victory
by James McwilliamsIt was the decisive battle of World War I. German commander Erich Ludendorff called it "the black day of the German army." Many authors have stated that it was the beginning of the end of the great conflict. And yet, until now, no book has been published on the climactic battle at Amiens.Amiens was one of the first "modern" battles, and certainly the first attempted by the Allies. Employing the troops of five nations (including Canada) and utilizing secrecy, deception, and combined operations, the Allies won the first of a string of victories culminating in the Armistice one hundred days later.Amiens: Dawn of Victory is the first book to study the historic battle in minute detail. Using eyewitness accounts from dozens of survivors, plus many accounts, both published and unpublished, by the participants, the authors take us into the trenches, the tanks, and the cockpits.
Amiens 1918: From Disaster to Victory
by Gregory BlaxlandGregory Blaxland has written a superb account of 1918, the final year of the war when the balance of advantage between the combatants changed so dramatically in a matter of weeks that summer.As the realities of the changing nature of warfare by late 1917 made the retention of static lines, no matter how sophisticated, no longer a long term viable option for the defence; and with Russia knocked out of the war, the Germans under Hindenburg and Ludendorff determined on a bold series of major offensives, the first of which was aimed at the British Fifth Army with the objective of seizing Amiens, a crucial rail head and the city that marked the boundary between the BEF and the French. Capture this and the Germans had a good chance of separating the key allied powers. Despite almost destroying Fifth Army and advancing within ten miles of Amiens, the Germans failed in their objective; they turned to a number of other hard thrusts along the line but were foiled on each occasions.Reinforced by substantial numbers of American troops, the allies launched their first, French led, counter attack on 18 July, which many considered the turning point of the 1918 campaign and, indeed the whole war. Shortly afterwards, on 8 August, the BEF (with some French support) attacked with Fourth Army before Amiens and was stunningly successful what Ludendorff described as the Black Day of the German Army. There followed a sequence of blows by all the allies along the Western Front, pushing the Germans back to the borders; with her allies collapsing and with the Imperial Navy in a state of mutiny,The book largely concentrates on the British and Dominion troops of the BEF. The first half is taken up with the attack on Amiens (and, to a lesser extent, on Arras). In the second half of the book the author provides a cohesive account of the British response in retaking the initiative from the Germans, though not failing to give allied nations their due.Besides giving a full narrative account, he also provides a useful critical commentary of the performance of armies and generals.This is a welcome reprint of an accessible account of the crucial year of the war, when on the Western Front the conflict broke free of its entrenched deadlock. Despite the extraordinary achievements of the BEF in 1918, they still remain remarkably little known and even less appreciated.
Amina's Blanket
by Helen DunmoreAs Josie and her class make a beautiful patchwork quilt to send to a war-torn country, Amina, who lives far away, shivers in her darkened apartment surrounded by noisy explosions.
Amirs, Admirals & Desert Sailors
by David F. WinklerHost to the U.S. Navy for nearly six decades, Bahrain has been a steadfast American ally in the turbulent Middle East. Its unique relationship with the United States evolved through a series of friendships between Bahrain s ruling Al Khalifa royal family and top U.S. Navy flag officers assigned to the fleet in the Gulf. Over the years it has become a strategic partnership critical to global security.As naval historian David F. Winkler examines these developing relationships, he offers a fascinating overview of Bahraini history, the entry of American humanitarian and economic interests, the establishment of an American naval presence in the Cold War, the Arab-Israeli conflicts, and the downfall of the Iranian shah, among other subjects. The author tells the story from both Bahraini and American perspectives.Given U.S. commitment to the region and its concurrent objectives of combating the global war on terrorism and establishing democracy, this book provides an important historical context for those interested in a crucial facet of American foreign relations. While many works describe the history of U.S. diplomatic and military involvement in the Gulf, this is the first to cover in depth the history of the U.S. Navy in Bahrain.
Amish Traditions
by Joseph Warren Yoder“Joseph Yoder (September 22, 1872 – November 13, 1956) was an educator, musicologist, and writer, the first successful Mennonite literary figure in the United States, especially known for his semi-fictional account of his mother's life, Rosanna of the Amish (1940), and for his investigation of the sources of the Amish tunes of the Ausbund, along with his efforts to record and preserve traditional Amish music.”-Wiki“I felt that someone who knows the Amish should write a truthful book about them and show the world their good qualities, instead of magnifying; their peculiarities. So, after thinking about it for about twenty years, and after reading a book called “Straw in, the Wind,” which I thought was very unfair, I determined to write my book, “Rosanna of the Amish.” But may I say that writing a book is no small job. First, it takes a lot of work; second it takes a lot of money to have it printed, but those are not the worst things to think about. What are you going to do if the people do not like your book, do not buy it, and you lose everything you put into it? Even though these discouraging things stared me in the face, I wrote it anyway, and may I say without boasting, that since seven printings have already been made and the book is still selling well, and every now and then I receive a letter from some far off country saying how much they liked Rosanna of the Amish, I am not sorry that I wrote it.”-From the Author’s introduction.
Among Elms, in Ambush
by Bruce WeiglThis powerful new work by Bruce Weigl follows the celebrated poet and Vietnam War veteran as he explores combat, survival, and PTSD in brief prose vignettes. In compact, transcendent, and poetic prose, Bruce Weigl chronicles somber observations on the present day alongside painful memories of the war. Reflections on school shootings and the lightning-fast spread of news in the 21st century are set alongside elegies for forgotten soldiers and the lifelong struggle of waiting for the trauma of war to fade. Haunting and nuanced, Among Elms, in Ambush carries readers through meditations and medications, past the shapes of figures in the dark rice fields of Viet Nam and the milkweed pods in the frost-covered fields of Ohio, toward a hard-won determination to survive.
Among Friends: The Scots Guards, 1956–1993
by Murray NaylorThis book provides a complete insight into the history of the Scots guards from 1956-1993.
Among Heroes
by John David Mann Brandon WebbNow from Brandon Webb, Navy SEAL sniper and New York Times bestselling author, comes his personal account of the eight friends and fellow SEALs who made the ultimate sacrifice. "Knowing these great men--who they were, how they lived, and what they stood for--has changed my life. We can't let them be forgotten. So read about these amazing men, share their stories, and learn from them as I have. We've mourned their deaths. Let's celebrate their lives."--Brandon WebbAs a Navy SEAL, Brandon Webb rose to the top of the world's most elite sniper corps, experiencing years of punishing training and combat missions from the Persian Gulf to Afghanistan. Among the best of the best, he led the SEALs' clandestine sniper training program as course manager, instructing a new generation of the world's top snipers. Along the way, Webb served beside, trained, and supported men he came to know not just as fellow warriors, but as friends and, eventually, as heroes. Among Heroes gives his personal account of these eight extraordinary SEALs, who gave all for their comrades--and their country.Here are the true stories behind the remarkable valor and abiding humanity of those "sheepdogs" (as they call themselves) who protect us from the wolves of the world. Of Matt "Axe" Axelson, who perished on the Lone Survivor mission in Afghanistan. Of Chris Campbell, Heath Robinson, and JT Tumilson, who were among the thirty-eight casualties of Extortion 17, the Chinook helicopter shot down in August 2011. Of Glen Doherty, Webb's best friend for more than a decade, killed while helping secure the successful rescue and extraction of American CIA and State Department diplomats in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012; and other close friends, classmates, and fellow warriors.In Among Heroes, Webb offers eight intensely personal profiles of uncommon courage--who these men were, what they stood for, and how they came to make the ultimate sacrifice. These are men who left behind powerfully instructive examples of what it means to be alive--and what it truly means to be a hero.INCLUDES PHOTOS