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On the Natural History of Destruction
by W. G. SebaldW.G. Sebald completed this extraordinary and important -- and already controversial -- book before his untimely death in December 2001. On the Natural History of Destruction is W.G. Sebald's harrowing and precise investigation of one of the least examined "silences" of our time. In it, the acclaimed novelist examines the devastation of German cities by Allied bombardment, and the reasons for the astonishing absence of this unprecedented trauma from German history and culture. This void in history is in part a repression of things -- such as the death by fire of the city of Hamburg at the hands of the RAF -- too terrible to bear. But rather than record the crises about them, writers sought to retrospectively justify their actions under the Nazis. For Sebald, this is an example of deliberate cultural amnesia; his analysis of its effects in and outside Germany has already provoked angry and painful debate. Sebald's incomparable novels are rooted in meticulous observation; his essays are novelistic. They include his childhood recollections of the war that spurred his horror at the collective amnesia around him. There are moments of black humour and, throughout, the unmatched sensitivity of Sebald's intelligence. This book is a vital study of suffering and forgetting, of the morality hidden in artistic decisions, and of both compromised and genuine heroics.
On the Origins of War
by Donald KaganBy lucidly revealing the common threads that connect the ancient confrontations between Athens and Sparta and between Rome and Carthage with the two calamitous world wars of the 20th century and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kagan reveals new insights into the nature of war and peace that are vitally important and often surprising.
On the Other Shore: The Atlantic Worlds of Italians in South America during the Great War
by John Starosta GalanteOn the Other Shore explores the social history of Italian communities in South America and the transnational networks in which they were situated during and after World War I. From 1915 to 1921 Italy&’s conflict against Austria-Hungary and its aftermath shook Italian immigrants and their children in the metropolitan areas of Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and São Paulo. The war led portions of these communities to mobilize resources—patriotic support, young men who could enlist in the Italian army, goods like wool from Argentina and limes from Brazil, and lots of money—to support Italy in the face of &“total war.&” Yet other portions of these communities simultaneously organized a strident movement against the war, inspired especially by anarchism and revolutionary socialism. Both of these factions sought to extend their influence and ambitions into the immediate postwar period.On the Other Shore demonstrates patterns of social cohesion and division within the Italian communities of South America; reconstructs varying transatlantic and inter-American networks of interaction, exchange, and mobility in an &“Italian Atlantic&”; interrogates how authorities in Italy viewed their South American &“colonies&”; and uncovers ways that Italians in Latin America balanced and blended relationships and loyalties to their countries of residence and origin. On the Other Shore&’s position at the intersection of Latin American history, Atlantic history, and the histories of World War I and Italian immigration thereby engages with and informs each of these subject areas in distinctive ways.
On the Other Side -- To My Children: From Germany 1940-1945
by Mathilde Wolff-Mönckeberg Ruth EvansIn October 1940 Mathilde Wolff-Mönckeberg wrote the first of a series of letters to her children. It was never sent. She was in Hamburg and they were far away, 'on the other side', in Wales, the USA and Denmark. Nevertheless she continued to write throughout the war, and these 'diary-letters' grew into a remarkable journal describing daily life under almost constant bombing, the author's hopes and fears, the progress of the war she hated. Not expecting to survive, this journal was her testament to her children and grandchildren. She did survive, however, and the manuscript was put aside; it was discovered nearly thirty years later by her daughter, Ruth Evans. On the Other Side is a human document of great historical interest: an account by a cultured, liberal, anti-Nazi woman of the day-to-day destruction of a city and its people. Firmly rooted in Hamburg--her father had been Lord Mayor, her husband, Emil Wolff, was a distinguished professor at the University--and yet cosmopolitan in outlook, with strong cultural and family ties with 'the enemy', Mathilde Wolff-Mönckeberg offers a unique perspective. Her letters give a harrowing description of civilian life under the incessant bombardment of total war. We also experience the propagandist reporting of the war from the German press and public announcements, and the civilian reaction to the ebb and flow of the tide leading up to the final invasion of Germany's frontiers. We share her anxieties for her children, her sorrow as those close to her die, and most poignantly, her bewilderment as the city she loves is annihilated by a people--the English--she has always respected and admired. However, what remains in the reader's mind are the inspired human qualities of the author--her courage as she is forced continually to re-examine her ideals and convictions. her unshakeable belief in justice and man's humanity, and her wisdom and compassion which illuminate every page of these letters to her 'beloved, far-away children'.
On the Overland Trails with William Clark: A Teamster's Utah War, 1857–1858
by William P. MacKinnon Kenneth L. AlfordThe Utah War remains an understudied but important moment in western history as the United States wrestled with its political future. There are few primary accounts from this war, but one of the best comes from William Clark, a young teamster hired by Russell, Majors and Waddell, the West&’s greatest freighters. Clark&’s narrative, &“A Trip Across the Plains in 1857,&” was not published until 1922 and only then in an obscure journal with little annotation, so for the last hundred years, this work has been a valuable but obscure document. In On the Overland Trails with William Clark William P. MacKinnon and Kenneth L. Alford have remedied this historiographical oversight by providing material entirely missing from the original printing, including an explanation of the Utah War&’s origins and prosecution; maps by which to chart Clark&’s travels; illustrations to enliven major players; and annotations to clarify the sometimes arcane people, places, incidents, and issues mentioned. Also included for the first time is an account of the manuscript&’s colorful provenance.
On the Plains with Custer: Tales from Before the West Was Won
by Edwin L. Sabin Charles H. StephensThis historical western was written before Custer was known as General, a time when those who knew and marched with Custer were still alive. Edwin L. Sabin tells the story of a man who was “as great in peace as in war” from the perspective of Ned Fletcher, a bugler who served under the general. From the westward expansion of Northern Pacific Railway, to Custer’s encounters with Sitting Bull and the famous Battle of the Little Bighorn, this account of Custer’s adventures is told in an engaging manner and is based upon extensive research. Sabin muses on what really happened at the Battle of Little Bighorn and weaves us a tale that seamlessly combines entertaining storytelling with factual accuracy.While there were no survivors from Custer’s Last Stand (or Battle of the Greasy Grass, as it is referred to by Native Americans), the author was able to piece out this quintessential American story from records, Mrs. Custer’s writings, and news articles from that time. With the help of the dutiful young soldier, Ned Fletcher, this story embodies what Sabin is best known for—western tales that imbue lessons in good and evil.
On the Precipice: Stalin, the Red Army Leadership and the Road to Stalingrad, 1931–1942
by Peter MezhiritskyNominated for the 2013 PushkinHouse/Waterstone's Russian Book Prize. Like some astronomers, who discover cosmic objects not by direct observation, but by watching the deviations of known heavenly bodies from their calculated trajectories, Peter Mezhiritsky makes his findings in history through thoughtful reading and the comparison of historical sources. This book, a unique blend of prosaic literature and shrewd historic analysis, is dedicated to events in Soviet history in light of Marshal Zhukov's memoirs. Exhaustive knowledge of Soviet life, politics and censorship, including the phraseology in which Communist statesmen were allowed to narrate their biographical events, gave Peter Mezhiritsky sharp tools for the analysis of the Marshal's memoirs. The reader will learn about the abundance of awkward events that strangely and fortuitously occurred in good time for Stalin's rise to power, about the hidden connection between the purges, the Munich appeasement and the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, and about the real reason why it took so long to liquidate Paulus' Sixth Army at Stalingrad. The author presents a clear picture of the purges which promoted incompetent and poorly educated commanders (whose most prominent feature was their personal dedication to Stalin) to higher levels of command, leaving the Soviet Union poorly prepared for a war against the Wehrmacht military machine. The author offers alternative explanations for many prewar and wartime events. He was the first in Russia to acknowledge a German component to Zhukov's military education. The second part of the book is dedicated to the course of the Great Patriotic War, much of which is still little known to the vast majority of Western readers. While not fully justifying Zhukov's actions, the author also reveals the main reason for the bloody strategy chosen by Zhukov and the General Staff in the defensive period of the War. In general, the author shares and argues Marshal Vasilevsky's conviction - if there had been no purges, the war would not have occurred. The book became widely known to the Russian-reading public on both sides of the Atlantic, and in the last ten years its quotations have been used as an essential argument in almost all the debates about the WWII. The book is equally intended for scholars and regular readers, who are interested in Twentieth Century history.
On the Psychology of Military Incompetence
by Norman F. DixonThe Crimea, the Boer War, the Somme, Tobruk, Pearl Harbor, the Bay of Pigs: these are just some of the milestones in a century and a half of military incompetence, of costly mishaps and tragic blunders. Are these simple accidents-as the "bloody fool” theory has it-or are they inevitable?The psychologist Norman Dixon argues that there is a pattern to inept generalship, a pattern he locates within the very act of creating armies in the first place, which in his view produces a levelling down of human capability that encourages the mediocre and limits the gifted. A classic study of military leadership, On the Psychology of Military Incompetence is both an original exploration of infamous modern battles and an essential guide for the next generation of military leaders.
On the Road to Mandalay
by Randle Manwaring"The fascinating book features the life story of Dr Randle Manwaring,focusing particularly on his Regiment's fight to capture Burma towards the end of WW2As one of the founding Officers of the RAF Regiment, the author helped train and set up the Regiment from its inception in 1942.He saw active service with the Regiment in Burma, where the Regiment particularly distinguished itself but suffered heavy losses. Randle was present at the Japanese surrender in Rangoon and took the Swords from the Japanese Generals as they surrendered.The end of the War saw a return to a very different life requiring different skills. Guided by his strong Christian beliefs, Randle established a successful career in the City in Insurance Broking."
On the Road to Victory: The Rise of Motor Transport with the BEF on the Western Front
by Michael HarrisonThe story of a revolution in moving troops and supplies: “A rare gem that will fill a gap in your World War I library. Highly recommended.” —Indy Squadron Dispatch The Great War produced many innovations, in particular the spectacular development by the British and French armies of motor transport.The age-old problem of moving soldiers and their supplies was no different in 1914 than it had been some 2,400 years ago, when the great Chinese military thinker Sun Tzu informed his readers that the further an army marched into enemy territory, the more the cost of transport increased, even to the point that more supplies were consumed by the transportation of men and their horses than was delivered to the troops.Using many previously unpublished illustrations, including artists’ impressions, this book tells the story of the men and women who made motor transport work for the victorious British Army on the Western Front, so that in 1918, the humble lorry did indeed help propel the British Army forward on the road to victory.
On the Roads of War: A Soviet Cavalryman on the Eastern Front
by Ivan YakushinA World War II survivor describes his combat experiences as a member of the Red Army&’s 5th Guards Cavalry Division in the fight against the Nazi Germany. Ivan Yakushin survived the Siege of Leningrad, fought at the Battle of Kursk and pursued the retreating German army through Russia, Belorussia, Poland and into Germany itself. This is the story of his war. He tells the tale in his own words, with remarkable clarity of recall, and gives an authentic insight into what combat on the Eastern Front was like for the ordinary soldier. He also provides a detailed, firsthand record of cavalry operations during a highly mechanized war, and this gives his book its special value. The war for Yakushin began in Leningrad where he endured the terrifying first winter of the German siege. He describes the perils and privations that beset the city during a period in which over half a million civilians lost their lives. Yet it is his vivid recollections of his experiences as an artillery man, then a cavalry officer on the Eastern Front that are at the heart of this rare memoir. In the Kursk salient Yakushin was severely wounded in the legs, during the Nevel offensive and Operation Bagration he took part in daring cavalry raids behind the German lines and, as the Soviet army penetrated into East Prussia and Germany itself, he was confronted by increasingly desperate German units struggling to defend their homeland. His descriptions of the merciless fighting during these last months of the war, in particular against the fanatical German Volkssturm, make fascinating reading.
On the Seven Seas
by Steve Noon Chris PeersOn the Seven Seas is a set of wargames rules covering the high adventure and low morals of the world of the pirate. From Drake and his sea-rovers to Blackbeard, the Barbary Corsairs and the Wo-k'ou of the Far East, pirates have haunted seas across the globe, preying on port and vessel alike. Now you too can recreate the exploits of pirate captains or the naval commanders that hunted them. Whether you want skirmishes between crews on uncharted islands and in the alleyways of Caribbean ports or ship-to-ship duels that culminate in bloodthirsty boarding actions, the rules offer a quick-to-learn basic game. These small forces of buccaneers, commanded by captains and kept in line by trusted lieutenants, can also be scaled up with ease for larger engagements. Gameplay centers on two driving motivations that epitomize the pirate life - Fear and Greed. Cunning captains will have to balance these two elements, instilling fear in their opponents with bloodthirsty reputations, while keeping their own crews in line with the promise of loot and wealth.
On the Shadow Tracks: A Journey through Occupied Myanmar
by Clare Hammond'On the Shadow Tracks harnesses the railway lines of Myanmar’s complicated past to its turbulent present, and the result is part travelogue, part history and completely absorbing. An astonishing achievement’Joanna LumleyIn 2016, while working as a journalist in Yangon, Clare Hammond discovered an obscure map that showed a web of new railways spanning the length and breadth of the country - railways not shown on any other publicly available maps. She was determined to uncover the railways' origins, purpose, and most of all, the silence that surrounded them. She would spend three months travelling on these mysterious railways, and the next five years piecing their story together.Her journey would take her from Myanmar's tropical south to the embattled mountain towns that border India and China. In dilapidated carriages, along tracks in disrepair, through contested ethnic states and former sites of forced labour, visiting temples, tea shops and festivals, Clare encountered a colourful and contradictory Myanmar through the stories of its people. Simultaneously a lush and evocative travelogue, an unsparing account of Myanmar's recent history, and an astonishing, conversation-shifting engagement with Britain's colonial legacy, On the Shadow Tracks is that rare and necessary thing: a book that finds and tells the truth.
On the Treadmill to Pearl Harbor: The Memoirs of Admiral James O. Richardson
by George C. DyerEndless debates have raged over the reasons the Japanese were able to execute their surprise attack on the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor so successfully. Military neglect, political and diplomatic ineptitude, and even what could only be described as accusations of malfeasance against the President of the United States all have been argued and reargued for more than 60 years. One key source of information for this ongoing and sometime passionate discussion is "On the Treadmill to Pearl Harbor: the Memoirs of Admiral James O. Richardson." As commander of the U.S. Fleet in 1940 and 1941, Admiral Richardson was in a unique position to observe and reach conclusions about the readiness or lack of readiness of the fleet, as well as the political atmosphere in which crucial strategic and tactical decisions were reached. Because many crucial naval records perished at Pearl Harbor, Admiral Richardson's recollections, as told to Rear Admiral George C. Dyer, constitute an important primary source for war plans, including War Plan Orange for operations in case of a war with Japan. He also addresses his deep concern about the lack of preparedness of the Navy, particularly its low prewar staffing levels, and the folly of sending a poorly prepared naval force to Pearl Harbor as a deterrent to aggression by a better prepared Japanese fleet. He forthrightly places much of the blamed for this situation on President Roosevelt and his advisers. Interestingly, in light of the many conspiracy theories surrounding December 7, 1941, he criticizes these men for consistently underestimating the Japanese threat rather than courting an attack as a way of embroiling the U.S. in the war. On the Treadmill to Pearl Harbor is an important source for naval historians and students of World War II, as well as an intriguing first-person account of the crucial months preceding "the day of infamy."
On the Warpath in the Pacific
by Clark ReynoldsWhen J.J. Clark graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at the end of World War I he was ready to be a pioneer in one of the great transformations of the U.S. Navy in the twentieth century - the change from a surface-only force to one in which aviation played a key if not determinant role. Under the leadership of the key aviation admirals, William Moffett and John Towers, "Jocko" Clark with other aviation-minded officers battled low budgets and unsympathetic policy makers to champion the development of naval aviation during the 1920s and 30s. Pearl Harbor proved them right. As captain of the new Yorktown (the original was sunk at Midway), Clark provided aggressive leadership in the capture of the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. As a carrier task group commander, Clark was instrumental in the brilliant victory at the Battle of the Philippine Sea, which included the Marianas Turkey Shoot. He withstood numerous kamikaze attacks at Iwo Jima and Okinawa while seeing that Japan's airpower was destroyed. After the war he was instrumental in salvaging naval aviation from the attacks of other services and policy makers. During the Korean War he served as Commander Seventh Fleet in the all-important naval air support of that conflict. Naval historian Clark Reynolds is particularly well placed to write this book because he had access to family papers and was co-author of the Admiral Clark's autobiography.
On the Waters of the World: The Story of the Meloon Family
by Robert G. FloodIn the closing months of World War II, a Florida-based boat-building firm built hundreds of assault boats under an "impossible" deadline and helped General Dwight Eisenhower defeat Hitler's armies along the Rhine. The feat drew the praise of the U.S. Government and the attention of National Geographic. Today that same firm, Correct Craft of Orlando, Florida, builds the Ski Nautique, considered by many the world's foremost water ski towboat. Behind the genius of Correct Craft, America's oldest family-owned boat building firm, lies the inspiring story of the Meloon family and their commitment to honor God in their business decisions. They kept that commitment, even in times of hardship, and it led them to risk bankruptcy rather than compromise the firm's Christian-based business ethic. Roaming from Cypress Gardens to Sea World, from professional water ski tournaments to nations abroad, these pages tell the story of one family's remarkable impact "on the waters of the world."
On the Western Front: Eyewitness Accounts from Australians in the Great War
by Michael EnrightHow Australian civilians came to the Western Front and why, in their own words
On the Wings of War and Peace: The RCAF during the Early Cold War
by William March Randall Wakelam Peter RaylsBringing together leading researchers on Canadian air power, On the Wings of War and Peace captures the history of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during the first decades of the Cold War – a period which marked the zenith of air force accomplishments in peacetime Canada. The volume covers topics that go beyond straightforward flying operations, examining policies that drove operational needs and capabilities and the personnel, technical, and logistical functions that made those operations possible. With contributions written by former RCAF members who have both expert and personal knowledge of their topics, On the Wings of War and Peace brings new perspectives to the RCAF’s role in shaping the modern Canadian nation.
On to Rome: Anzio and Victory at Cassino, 1944 (Images of War)
by Jon Diamond Dr.Early in 1944 the Allied advance was halted by the German defence of the Gustav Line. Even with the deployment of Eighth Army reinforcements from the Adriatic, every effort to capture Monte Cassino failed.Fifth Armys VI Corps amphibious landing at Anzio in January, while initially successful stalled in the face of formidable German counter-attacks and the beach-head was effectively besieged.The stalemate at Anzio and along the Gustav Line was finally broken in mid May by the Allied Spring offensive. After bitter fighting and the total destruction of the famous Benedictine Abbey, the Germans began their withdrawal towards Rome. Days later the reinforced VI Corps broke out of the Anzio bridgehead and linked up with Fifth Army units on 25 May. But by evading the Allied attempt to trap them south of Rome and despite Rome being occupied by the Allies in early June the bulk of the German 14th Army lived to fight another day. The Italian campaign had another nine costly months to run.This superbly researched account traces the course of the bitterly fought battles between January and June 1944 in words and images.
On to Stalingrad: Operation Winter Thunderstorm and the Attempt to Relieve Sixth Army, December 1942 (Die Wehrmacht im Kampf)
by Horst ScheibertThe first English translation of a German account of the attempt to relieve the Nazis&’ Sixth Army at Stalingrad during World War II. In late November 1942, Soviet forces surrounded General Friedrich Paulus&’ Sixth Army in a pocket at the Russian city of Stalingrad. In response the Germans planned a relief operation, Operation Winter Thunderstorm, intended to break through the Soviet forces and open the pocket, releasing the encircled units. The 6th Panzer Division was the spearhead of the German relief force. The attack started on 12 December 1942 and was aborted on 23 December after heavy Soviet counterattacks. This failure sealed the fate of the German Sixth Army in Stalingrad. This account of the operation was first published in German in 1956, written by the well-respected military historian and retired German officer, Horst Scheibert, who was a tank commander in 6th Panzer Division during the attempt. Utilizing many excerpts from war diaries, and telegrams sent during operations, it is a unique account of the entire operation from the situation in mid-November through the two German offensives, the Soviet counteroffensive, and ongoing fighting until early January. This book includes 16 maps from the original edition and is the first English translation of this important German account.Praise for On to Stalingrad &“Rich and detailed like very few of its kind are, with a crisp writing style and critical eye for the events of the battlefield that almost makes you feel as if you were there with Sixth Panzer. On to Stalingrad is a book so compelling that it simply should not be overlooked for your personal and professional enjoyment.&” —ARMOR Magazine &“Offers a unique viewpoint from an actual veteran who is able to provide an immediate military analysis of this mostly forgotten operation of the Stalingrad campaign.&” —New York Journal of Books
On to Victory
by Mark ZuehlkeThe eighth Canadian Battle Series volume is the little-told story of the tense final days of World War II, remembered in the Netherlands as "the sweetest of springs," which saw the country's liberation from German occupation.The Liberation Campaign, a series of fierce, desperate battles during the last three months of the war, was bittersweet. A nation's freedom was won and the war concluded, but these final hostilities cost Canada 6,298 casualties, including 1,482 dead.With his trademark "you are there" style that draws upon official records, veteran memories, and a keen understanding of the combat experience, Mark Zuehlke brings to life this concluding chapter in the story of Canada in World War II.May 4, 2010, will mark the 65th anniversary of the Netherlands' liberation.
Once
by Morris GleitzmanOnce I escaped from an orphanage to find my Mum and Dad. Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house. Once I made a Nazi with toothache laugh. My name is Felix. This is my story.
Once There Were Titans: Napoleon's Generals and Their Battles, 1800–1815
by Kevin F. KileyThe first serious investigation of Napoleon's generals Covers the well known to the relatively obscure Provides a fresh insight into the periodThis is a masterly study of generalship in Napoleon's Grande Arme. Napoleon arguably had the greatest collection of military talent to ever serve one man working for him during the period 1800-15. The role of the Marshals of the Empire has been covered many times, and due credit is also given to them here; however, for the first time Kevin Kiley also examines in depth the contribution of the generals who never made that rank. Fifty-two general officers are examined using the battles they fought to illustrate just how valuable they were. From Marengo in 1800 to Ligny in 1815, both French victories and defeats are studied in meticulous detail, each chapter covering a battle fought and the generals who commanded them. Diverse source material has been consulted in the preparation of this volume, including after-action reports, memoirs and correspondence from officers including Senarmont, Eble, Drouot, Teste, Marmont, and Davout, as well as from lesser-known characters such as the artillerymen Boulart and Nol, and the Polish cavalryman Niegelewski, who led the final dash up the pass of Somosierra. Furthermore, those closest to Napoleon such as Fain and Marchand give their piece and provide invaluable information. Taken individually, this material paints a vivid picture of the Grande Arme and those who led it into fire. Taken as a whole, it provides an invaluable source and tells the story of the officers without whom Napoleon could never have achieved as much.
Once Upon a Distant War: David Halberstam, Neil Sheehan, Peter Arnett--Young War Correspondents and Their Early Vientnam Battles
by William ProchnauOnce Upon a Distance War tells the stories of such young Vietnam war correspondents as Neil Sheehan, Peter Arnett, and David Halberstam, providing a riveting chronicle of high adventure and brutal slapstick, gallantry and cynicism, as well as a vital addition to the history they shaped. "Prochnau . . . tells a Vietnam story we haven't heard before. . . . Complex, witty, and humane."--Tobias Wolff. of photos.
Once Upon a SEAL (Lucky Thirteen #5)
by S. M. ButlerMaddie Benson has spent her entire life in Sugar Falls and has never ventured--nor wanted to venture--beyond her small town's safe borders. But when her delivery job takes her to the doorstep of one very reclusive, former Navy SEAL, Sebastian McIntyre, her small town perceptions are challenged with every conversation they have. It's not long before she's losing herself--and her heart--to the mysterious man behind the door.Bastian's scars are deeper than the surface. They're embedded into his soul, and he's content to keep them buried. But the second Maddie ends up on his doorstep with her sparkling smile and her sunshine hair, his quiet new life shatters and she just might be able to excise the demons he's tried hard to keep tucked away--if he lets her in.When Bastian's old life comes haunting them, he knows he should let her go. But the light she shines on his soul keeps the darkness within him at bay. Letting her go may take more strength than he has, and keeping her close could get her killed. Reading order of this series: * Killing Honor, #1* Wounded Courage, #2* Dying Commitment, #3* SEALed until Christmas, #4* Once Upon a SEAL, #5