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On War Of The Future, In Light Of The Lessons Of The World War
by General Friedrich Adolf Julius von Bernhardi Frederic A. HoltFriedrich Adolf Julius von Bernhardi (November 22, 1849 - December 11, 1930) was a Prussian general and military historian. He was a best-selling author prior to World War I. A militarist, he is perhaps best known for his bellicose book Deutschland und der Nächste Krieg (Germany and the Next War), printed in 1911. He advocated a policy of ruthless aggression and complete disregard of treaties and regarded war as a "divine business".In this volume, published just after the collapse of the German war effort in the First World War, von Bernhardi draws together the tactical and strategic lessons from the brutal battlefields of France and Belgium. There is also a subtext in the book as the author predicts and advocates the re-emergence of German militarism and German domination of Europe.
On War and Leadership: The Words of Combat Commanders from Frederick the Great to Norman Schwarzkopf
by Michael Owen ConnellyWhat can we learn about leadership and the experience of war from the best combat leaders the world has ever known? This book takes us behind the scenes and to the front lines of the major wars of the past 250 years through the words of twenty combat commanders. What they have to say--which is remarkably similar across generational, national, and ideological divides--is a fascinating take on military history by those who lived it. It is also worthwhile reading for anyone, from any walk of life, who makes executive decisions. The leaders showcased here range from Frederick the Great to Norman Schwarzkopf. They include such diverse figures as Napoleon Bonaparte, commanders on both sides of the Civil War (William Tecumseh Sherman and Stonewall Jackson), German and American World War II generals (Rommel and Patton), a veteran of the Arab-Israeli wars (Moshe Dayan), and leaders from both sides of the Vietnam War (Vo Nguyen Giap and Harold Moore). What they have had in common is an unrivaled understanding of the art of command and a willingness to lead from the front. All earned the respect and loyalty of those they led--and moved them to risk death. The practices of these commanders apply to any leadership situation, whether military, business, political, athletic, or other. Their words reveal techniques for anticipating the competition, leading through example, taking care of the "troops," staying informed, turning bad luck to advantage, improvising, and making bold decisions. Leader after leader emphasizes the importance of up-front "muddy boots" leadership and reveals what it takes to persevere and win. Identifying a pattern of proven leadership, this book will benefit anyone who aspires to lead a country, a squadron, a company, or a basketball team. It is a unique distillation of two and a half centuries of military wisdom.
On War and Leadership: The Words of Combat Commanders from Frederick the Great to Norman Schwarzkopf
by Owen ConnellyWhat can we learn about leadership and the experience of war from the best combat leaders the world has ever known? This book takes us behind the scenes and to the front lines of the major wars of the past 250 years through the words of twenty combat commanders. What they have to say--which is remarkably similar across generational, national, and ideological divides--is a fascinating take on military history by those who lived it. It is also worthwhile reading for anyone, from any walk of life, who makes executive decisions. The leaders showcased here range from Frederick the Great to Norman Schwarzkopf. They include such diverse figures as Napoleon Bonaparte, commanders on both sides of the Civil War (William Tecumseh Sherman and Stonewall Jackson), German and American World War II generals (Rommel and Patton), a veteran of the Arab-Israeli wars (Moshe Dayan), and leaders from both sides of the Vietnam War (Vo Nguyen Giap and Harold Moore). What they have had in common is an unrivaled understanding of the art of command and a willingness to lead from the front. All earned the respect and loyalty of those they led--and moved them to risk death. The practices of these commanders apply to any leadership situation, whether military, business, political, athletic, or other. Their words reveal techniques for anticipating the competition, leading through example, taking care of the "troops," staying informed, turning bad luck to advantage, improvising, and making bold decisions. Leader after leader emphasizes the importance of up-front "muddy boots" leadership and reveals what it takes to persevere and win. Identifying a pattern of proven leadership, this book will benefit anyone who aspires to lead a country, a squadron, a company, or a basketball team. It is a unique distillation of two and a half centuries of military wisdom.
On War and Writing
by Samuel Hynes“In our imaginations, war is the name we give to the extremes of violence in our lives, the dark dividing opposite of the connecting myth, which we call love. War enacts the great antagonisms of history, the agonies of nations; but it also offers metaphors for those other antagonisms, the private battles of our private lives, our conflicts with one another and with the world, and with ourselves.” Samuel Hynes knows war personally: he served as a Marine Corps pilot in the Pacific Theater during World War II, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross. He has spent his life balancing two careers: pilot and professor of literature. Hynes has written a number of major works of literary criticism, as well as a war-memoir, Flights of Passage, and several books about the World Wars. His writing is sharp, lucid, and has provided some of the most expert, detailed, and empathetic accounts of a disappearing generation of fighters and writers. On War and Writing offers for the first time a selection of Hynes’s essays and introductions that explore the traditions of war writing from the twentieth century to the present. Hynes takes as a given that war itself—the battlefield uproar of actual combat—is unimaginable for those who weren’t there, yet we have never been able to turn away from it. We want to know what war is really like: for a soldier on the Somme; a submariner in the Pacific; a bomber pilot over Germany; a tank commander in the Libyan desert. To learn, we turn again and again to the memories of those who were there, and to the imaginations of those who weren’t, but are poets, or filmmakers, or painters, who give us a sense of these experiences that we can’t possibly know. The essays in this book range from the personal (Hynes’s experience working with documentary master Ken Burns, his recollections of his own days as a combat pilot) to the critical (explorations of the works of writers and artists such as Thomas Hardy, E. E. Cummings, and Cecil Day-Lewis). What we ultimately see in On War and Writing is not military history, not the plans of generals, but the feelings of war, as young men expressed them in journals and poems, and old men remembered them in later years—men like Samuel Hynes.
On War: A Timeless Analysis Of Political-military Strategy
by Carl Von ClausewitzCarl von Clausewitz’s theories of war have influenced generations of military leaders and policy makers throughout the Western world. On War is widely regarded as Clausewitz’s premier work on the philosophy of war and the first modern book of
On Wars
by Michael MannA history of wars through the ages and across the world, and the irrational calculations that so often lie behind them Benjamin Franklin once said, &“There never was a good war or a bad peace.&” But what determines whether war or peace is chosen? Award-winning sociologist Michael Mann concludes that it is a handful of political leaders—people with emotions and ideologies, and constrained by inherited culture and institutions—who undertake such decisions, usually irrationally choosing war and seldom achieving their desired results. Mann examines the history of war through the ages and across the globe—from ancient Rome to Ukraine, from imperial China to the Middle East, from Japan and Europe to Latin and North America. He explores the reasons groups go to war, the different forms of wars, how warfare has changed and how it has stayed the same, and the surprising ways in which seemingly powerful countries lose wars. In masterfully combining ideological, economic, political, and military analysis, Mann offers new insight into the many consequences of choosing war.
On Wave and Wing: The 100 Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier
by Barrett TillmanWhat defended the U.S. after the attack on Pearl Harbor, defeated the Soviet Union in the Cold War, and is an essential tool in the fight against terror? Aircraft Carriers. For seventy years, these ships remained a little understood cornerstone of American power. In his latest book, On Wave and Wing , Barrett Tillman sheds light on the history of these floating leviathans and offers a nuanced analysis of the largest man-made vessel in the history of the world.
On Wings of Death
by David J. OldmanA military aviator investigates a suspicious death in a novel of mystery, action, and intrigue set against the backdrop of the First World War. They found the officer hanging in his hut—another man who couldn&’t take the relentless pressure of flying operations, it seemed. His fellow officers hadn&’t liked him much anyway. Besides, what was one more death among the thousands dying on the Western Front? Except that this man&’s family had connections to Field Marshal Kitchener, and no one wanted him distracted on the eve of the big push on the Somme. So Investigator Miller is sent to the squadron to tie up the loose ends, to tidy the incident away. For some reason they think he is well-equipped for that sort of thing. But it&’s all Miller can do to keep himself alive, flying daily over enemy lines. And then he finds the suicide isn&’t quite as straightforward as it&’s supposed to be. Particularly when a second man turns up dead, purportedly shot with his own pistol . . . Set against the backdrop of the Great War and infused with a sense of intrigue and high drama, this is a novel of unsettling force. With a keen eye for detail, David J. Oldman evokes the brutality of mud-spattered battlefields and aerial combat, bringing the reader right up close to the action. As events spiral and the war continues to impact upon the investigation, On Wings of Death creates a real sense of unease and urgency as it barrels toward an unexpected, fascinating conclusion.
On Yankee Station
by Barrett Tillman John B. NicholsCombining vivid personal narrative with historical and operational analyses, this book takes a candid look at U.S. naval airpower in the Vietnam War. Coauthors John Nichols, a fighter pilot in the war, and Barrett Tillman, an award-winning aviation historian, make full use of their extensive knowledge of the subject to detail the ways in which airpower was employed in the years prior to the fall of Saigon. Confronting the conventional belief that airpower failed in Vietnam, they show that when applied correctly, airpower was effective, but because it was often misunderstood and misapplied, the end results were catastrophic. Their book offers a compelling view of what it was like to fly from Yankee Station between 1964 and 1973 and important lessons for future conflicts. At the same time, it adds important facts to the permanent war record.Following an analysis of the state of carrier aviation in 1964 and a definition of the rules of engagement, it describes the tactics used in strike warfare, the airborne and surface threats, electronic countermeasures, and search and rescue. It also examines the influence of political decisions on the conduct of the war and the changing nature of the Communist opposition. Appendixes provide useful statistical data on carrier deployments, combat sorties, and aircraft losses.
On a Knife Edge: How Germany Lost the First World War
by Holger AfflerbachWas the outcome of the First World War on a knife edge? In this major new account of German wartime politics and strategy Holger Afflerbach argues that the outcome of the war was actually in the balance until relatively late in the war. Using new evidence from diaries, letters and memoirs, he fundamentally revises our understanding of German strategy from the decision to go to war and the failure of the western offensive to the radicalisation of Germany's war effort under Hindenburg and Ludendorff and the ultimate collapse of the Central Powers. He uncovers the struggles in wartime Germany between supporters of peace and hardliners who wanted to fight to the finish. He suggests that Germany was not nearly as committed to all-out conquest as previous accounts argue. Numerous German peace advances could have offered the opportunity to end the war before it dragged Europe into the abyss.
On a Snowy Christmas Night (Made in Montana)
by Debbi RawlinsThis cowboy will keep her very warm...After serving in the air force, cowboy Jesse McAllister has returned to the Montana countryside where he grew up. But the Sundance Dude Ranch just doesn't feel like home anymore. That is, until Shea Monroe arrives for the holidays...and sends him for a tailspin.Desperate to escape her family-and the human race-the ranch is sweet relief for a loner like Shea. But hot cowboys... What was she thinking? Worse yet, she's having delicious thoughts about one who seems just as alone as she is!All it takes is one night-and one very blustery blizzard-for their attraction to ignite big-time.One night where the only thing to do is give in....
On and Off the Flight Deck: Reflections of a Naval Fighter Pilot in World War II
by Henry "Hank" AdlamHank Adlam began his naval flying career in 1941, his first operational posting was to the newly formed No. 890 Squadron. When 890 was disbanded he joined 1839 Squadron flying the new Grumman Hellcat.
On the Anzac trail; being extracts from the diary of a New Zealand sapper, by "Anzac"
by Anon Anzac"The job of a sapper in war-time is never a sinecure, much less in the conditions of the First World War. This anonymous New Zealand author gives a full and frank account of the fighting with the "Anzac" forces in Gallipoli. The sapper enlisted during the early months of the war and by December 1914 was off to the Middle East. After much training and many adventures in and around Cairo, the sapper was posted to the Anzac forces at Gallipoli, where his sojourn in the crucible of fire, suffering and death would last for two months before being invalided home. Written from his diary notes of the time, the action is recounted with immediacy, verve and wit.An essential addition to anyone wanting to read about the Gallipoli campaign.Author - Anon.Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in London, W. Heinemann, 1916.Original Page Count - 210 pages.
On the Back of the Tiger: A Novel
by Zülfü LivaneliA literary tour-de-force, this vivid account of an infamous Ottoman sultan&’s life in exile is also a powerful indictment of the hypocrisies of the West, from the internationally bestselling author of Disquiet.Abdülhamid II ruled the Ottoman Empire for thirty-three years, from 1876 to 1909, when he was deposed following the Young Turk Revolution and sent into exile in Thessaloniki. Now, more than a century after that fateful night of April 27, Zülfü Livaneli brings to life the fascinating later days of the overthrown sultan, who precipitated the empire&’s collapse.Based on the memoirs of Atıf Hüseyin Bey, personal physician to Abdülhamid and his entourage in exile, this vibrant historical novel explores the nature of power while painting a nuanced psychological portrait of the man who oversaw progressive reforms yet became known as the &“Red Sultan&” for the Armenian massacres during his reign.
On the Banks of the Ya Crong Poco River: from The Sorrow of War
by Bao NinhFrom the daring and controversial autobiographical novel that took the world by storm—the harrowing opening section of The Sorrow of War. Bao Ninh, a former North Vietnamese soldier, provides a strikingly honest look at how the Vietnam War forever changed his life, his country, and the people who live there in the book that was originally published against government wishes in Vietnam because of its nonheroic, non-ideological tone and since won worldwide acclaim and become an international bestseller. One of the few survivors of his brigade, Kien at forty longs for solace from the parade of horrific memories and nightmares that plague him. By night, uneasy, he writes the manuscript that he believes is his duty and hopes will finally rid him of his devils. A Vintage Shorts Vietnam Selection. An ebook short.
On the Battlefields of France 1918
by Emil GansserOn the Battlefields of France, 1918, first published in 1958, is the account of Captain Emil Gansser's front-line experiences during World War One. Gansser, a member of the 126th Infantry, 32nd Division, arrived in France in March 1918, and entered the front-line trenches in late May. In July, the troops transferred to Chateau-Thierry and took part in the second battle of the Marne. Several weeks later, they fought in the Aisne-Marne offensive, followed by weeks of near-continuous combat in the Meuse-Argonne sector until the signing of the armistice in October. Following the war's end, the Division was stationed at a Rhine River bridge in Germany, returning to the U.S. in May 1919.
On the Border with Crook: General George Crook, the American Indian Wars, and Life on the American Frontier
by John Gregory BourkeThe definitive look at one of the most famous American generals of the American Indian Wars.After serving over fifteen years with General George Crook, John Gregory Bourke, his right-hand man, sat down to write of his time with the legendary US Army officer in the post-Civil War West. On the Border with Crook is a firsthand account of Crook's campaigns during the American Indian Wars. Observant and inquisitive, Bourke brings to life the entire American frontier. In sharp descriptions and detailed anecdotes, he sketched vivid pictures not only of Crook and his fellow cavalrymen but also of legendary Native American leaders such as Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Geronimo. Combining strength and compassion, Bourke argues, Crook carved out an important legacy for himself in American history.On the Border with Crook has long been regarded as one of the best firsthand accounts of frontier army life. More than simply an account of General Crook, Bourke writes with unparalleled detail of the landscape of the Southwest, impressions on the forts and communities in Arizona Territory, and the hardships of frontier service, in addition to the exciting and honest accounts of combat. What is most impressive about Bourke's work is the equal time he gives to both soldier and Native American alike, making On the Border with Crook the essential book for those interested in the history of the American frontier.
On the Bottom: The Raising of the Submarine S-51
by Rear Admiral Edward EllsbergThe man who led the salvage efforts to raise a sunken US Navy submarine recounts the mission in a tale &“that will surely rank among the epics of the sea&” (The Philadelphia Inquirer). The sinking of the submarine S-51 was one of the greatest tragedies in American naval history. Due to a miscommunication and subsequent collision between the sub and a passing steamship on a September night, the S-51, including thirty-three of its crew of thirty-six, sank to the ocean depths. The tragedy of the S-51 captivated the nation, and was a fixture in the pages of American newspapers. The story took on a whole new dimension when the navy decided to take over the salvage of the thousand-ton behemoth from a civilian company. Heading the crew tasked with this impossible feat was Edward Ellsberg, at the time a lieutenant commander. On the Bottom is Ellsberg&’s account of the successes and failures he and his men experienced as they attempted an astonishing feat of engineering and bravery: the first salvage of a submarine from the open ocean.
On the Canal: The Marines of L-3-5 on Guadalcanal, 1942 (Stackpole Military History Series)
by Ore J Marion Thomas Cuddihy Edward CuddihyA gripping true story of the WWII Guadalcanal Campaign—told with no-holds-barred honesty and humor by a Marine who was there. In August of 1942, Allied forces led by U.S. Marines came ashore on Guadalcanal, launching the first major land offensive against Imperial Japan. M. Sgt. Ore J. Marion of L Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment was among them. Here, Marion and other men of L-3-5 share a personal account of their experiences over the course of this grueling and protracted campaign. The stories contained in these pages are harrowing, profane, heartbreaking, irreverent, and deeply human. As with many personal accounts, some memories recorded here are at odds with the official accounts in Washington&’s archives. Rather than presenting a clean and consistent narrative, On the Canal reflects the messy business of warfare and human memory.
On the Deck or in the Drink: A Naval Aviators Story
by Brian AllenBrian Allen first went to sea as a naval aviation officer cadet aboard HMS Indefatigable in 1952, bound for Gibraltar. In 1954 he was appointed to Lossiemouth for fighter training and flew the Vampire T22. In December 1955 Brian joined 737 Squadron where he was attached to the Anti-Submarine Training Course flying the Fairey Barracuda. On completion he was destined to fly the then new Fairey Gannet twin turbo prop anti-submarine aircraft. July 1955, and now with 825 Squadron, saw his introduction of the new aircraft, a very different machine to the Barracuda. The Squadron joined HMS Albion on 10 January 1956, as she preceded down Channel in the company of her sister ship HMS Centaur, outwards bound for the Far East. After this tour was completed 825 Squadron was disbanded and Brian was transferred to 751 Squadron aboard HMS Warrior, an old WWII carrier with none of the latest facilities of his previous ship and on its final commission. However, his greatest shock was to discover that he would not be flying a Gannet, but the rather elderly Grumman Avenger, a very different airplane with a tail wheel and a piston engine. This would require a great change in take-off and landing technique.In February 1957 Warrior sailed west for the Panama Canal and thence into the Pacific where she and her aircraft would assist in Operation Grapple, the tests of Britain's first atomic bombs. During this operation Brian's adventures included dislodging the padre's kidney stone upon a catapult launch, denting the flight deck by a heavy landing and ditching close to the beach after an engine failure. Having converted to helicopters Brian was posted to 815 Squadron aboard HMS Albion in 1960 flying the Whirlwind Mk 7. During this posting he survived another ditching when his helicopter lost power and sunk. Having returned from a long Far Eastern voyage, Brian was now posted into The Helicopter Trials and Development Unit and it was whilst experimenting in a prototype Wasp that an accident, in which his crewman perished, was to injure him so severely that he was unable to fly again. He completed his commission as an Air Traffic Control Officer
On the Devil's Tail: In Combat with the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front 1945, and with the French in Indochina 1951–54
by Paul Martelli Vittorino dal CengioA collaborationist who fought for Germany during WWII and later for the French in Vietnam tells his eventful life story in this military memoir. This is the riveting true story of Paul Martelli who fought on the Eastern Front in 1945 as a fifteen-year-old member of the 33rd Waffen-Grenadier-Division of the SS Charlemagne, and later, as a soldier with French forces in the Tonkin area of Vietnam. Paul recounts his time at the Sennheim military training base; his experience of the German invasion of France when he was still a boy in Lorraine; and his motivations for enlisting with the Waffen SS a few years later. He reveals his escapades at Greifenberg, his first love with a German girl helping refugees, and his experiences of combat. After the German defeat, Martelli ends up delivering a group of female camp prisoners to a Russian officer, then living in disguise among enemy soldiers until he escapes and surrenders to the Americans. After a prison sentence and military service in Morocco, Paul is sent to fight in defense of French bases north of Hanoi, Vietnam. Though he survives three years of fierce combat, he compares his service in the Waffen SS with the inefficiency of the French Expeditionary Force and comes out deeply frustrated. At almost twenty-six, Martelli has fought and lost in two wars, both against the communists. Unemployed, and with the ideals of a &‘Nouvelle Europe&’ in pieces, he briefly joins the French Foreign Legion before choosing another path
On the Edge of Flight: A Lifetime in the Development and Engineering of Aircraft
by Eric William AbsolonThis is the story of Eric William Absolon, a relentlessly enthusiastic Aviation champion, whose lifelong love of aircraft has never wavered throughout his long and varied career. From boyhood fascination to the adult realization of his ambitions, this first-hand account takes in some of the key events of the dynamic period of twentieth century history which the author lived and worked through. Working his way up the ranks of the Gloster Aircraft Company, Absolon was able to see all the component processes of Aircraft production. The insight he provides into the inner workings of this busting center of Twentieth Century Aircraft production is unparalleled in modern accounts. Anyone with a fascination for the secret life of Aircraft is in for a treat here as the author relays his working experiences at the creative hub of the industry. His experiences including involvement with the post-war Drop testing of Meteor aircraft, working closely with these infamous vehicles of war in his role as Chief of Engineering Research, as well as an involvement with the more commercial side of Aviation production, a division within Gloster for which he served as Manager. This narrative charts his career with Gloster as well as a series of other companies who invited Absolon to offer his services. It also relays the story of the implementation and development of his own Aviation production business, Aljac Engineering Ltd. His expertise was highly prized then, and is now applied in the translation of experience into engaging prose, set to appeal to all genre enthusiasts.
On the Edges of Whiteness: Polish Refugees in British Colonial Africa during and after the Second World War
by Jochen LingelbachFrom 1942 to 1950, nearly twenty thousand Poles found refuge from the horrors of war-torn Europe in camps within Britain’s African colonies, including Uganda, Tanganyika, Kenya and Northern and Southern Rhodesia. On the Edges of Whiteness tells their improbable story, tracing the manifold, complex relationships that developed among refugees, their British administrators, and their African neighbors. While intervening in key historical debates across academic disciplines, this book also gives an accessible and memorable account of survival and dramatic cultural dislocation against the backdrop of global conflict.
On the Front Line: True World War I Stories
by Jon E. LewisIn 1930, the editor of Everyman Magazine requested entries for a new anthology of Great War accounts. The result was a revolutionary book unlike any other of the period; for as Malcolm Brown notes in his introduction 'I believe it might fairly be described as a rediscovered classic'. It was the very first collection to reveal the many dimensions of the war through the eyes of the ordinary soldier and offers heart-stopping renditions of the very first gas attack; aerial dogfights above the trenches; the moment of going over the top. Told chronologically, from the first scrambles of 1914, the drudgery of the war of attrition once the trenches had been dug, to the final joy of Armistice.