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Our Latest Longest War: Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan
by Aaron B. O'ConnellThe first rule of warfare is to know one’s enemy. The second is to know thyself. More than fifteen years and three quarters of a trillion dollars after the US invasion of Afghanistan, it’s clear that the United States followed neither rule well. America’s goals in Afghanistan were lofty to begin with: dismantle al Qaeda, remove the Taliban from power, remake the country into a democracy. But not only did the mission come completely unmoored from reality, the United States wasted billions of dollars, and thousands of lives were lost. Our Latest Longest War is a chronicle of how, why, and in what ways the war in Afghanistan failed. Edited by historian and Marine lieutenant colonel Aaron B. O’Connell, the essays collected here represent nine different perspectives on the war—all from veterans of the conflict, both American and Afghan. Together, they paint a picture of a war in which problems of culture and an unbridgeable rural-urban divide derailed nearly every field of endeavor. The authors also draw troubling parallels to the Vietnam War, arguing that deep-running ideological currents in American life explain why the US government has repeatedly used armed nation-building to try to transform failing states into modern, liberal democracies. In Afghanistan, as in Vietnam, this created a dramatic mismatch of means and ends that neither money, technology, nor the force of arms could overcome. The war in Afghanistan has been the longest in US history, and in many ways, the most confounding. Few who fought in it think it has been worthwhile. These are difficult topics for any American or Afghan to consider, especially those who lost friends or family in it. This sobering history—written by the very people who have been fighting the war—is impossible to ignore.
Our Man In Tokyo: An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl Harbor
by Steve KemperWinner of the American Academy of Diplomacy’s Dillon Book Award"Gripping history, offering both drama and suspense." —Wall Street JournalA riveting, behind-the-scenes account of the personalities and contending forces in Tokyo during the volatile decade that led to World War II, as seen through the eyes of the American ambassador who attempted to stop the slide to war.In 1932, Japan was in crisis. Naval officers had assassinated the prime minister and conspiracies flourished. The military had a stranglehold on the government. War with Russia loomed, and propaganda campaigns swept the country, urging schoolchildren to give money to procure planes and tanks. Into this maelstrom stepped Joseph C. Grew, America’s most experienced and talented diplomat. When Grew was appointed ambassador to Japan, not only was the country in turmoil, its relationship with America was rapidly deteriorating. For the next decade, Grew attempted to warn American leaders about the risks of Japan’s raging nationalism and rising militarism, while also trying to stabilize Tokyo’s increasingly erratic and volatile foreign policy. From domestic terrorism by Japanese extremists to the global rise of Hitler and the fateful attack on Pearl Harbor, the events that unfolded during Grew’s tenure proved to be pivotal for Japan, and for the world. His dispatches from the darkening heart of the Japanese empire would prove prescient—for his time, and for our own. Drawing on Grew’s diary of his time in Tokyo as well as U.S. embassy correspondence, diplomatic dispatches, and firsthand Japanese accounts, Our Man in Tokyo brings to life a man who risked everything to avert another world war, the country where he staked it all—and the abyss that swallowed it.
Our Man in Camelot
by Anthony PriceWhen a US Air Force plane mysteriously disappears on a flight from British base, taking its ace pilot with it, the CIA hasten to investigate. But they make some odd findings.
Our Man in Charleston: Britain's Secret Agent in the Civil War South
by Christopher DickeyBetween the Confederacy and recognition by Great Britain stood one unlikely Englishman who hated the slave trade. His actions helped determine the fate of a nation. When Robert Bunch arrived in Charleston to take up the post of British consul in 1853, he was young and full of ambition, but even he couldn't have imagined the incredible role he would play in the history-making events to unfold. In an age when diplomats often were spies, Bunch's job included sending intelligence back to the British government in London. Yet as the United States threatened to erupt into Civil War, Bunch found himself plunged into a double life, settling into an amiable routine with his slavery-loving neighbors on the one hand, while working furiously to thwart their plans to achieve a new Confederacy. As secession and war approached, the Southern states found themselves in an impossible position. They knew that recognition from Great Britain would be essential to the survival of the Confederacy, and also that such recognition was likely to be withheld if the South reopened the Atlantic slave trade. But as Bunch meticulously noted from his perch in Charleston, secession's red-hot epicenter, that trade was growing. And as Southern leaders continued to dissemble publicly about their intentions, Bunch sent dispatch after secret dispatch back to the Foreign Office warning of the truth--that economic survival would force the South to import slaves from Africa in massive numbers. When the gears of war finally began to turn, and Bunch was pressed into service on an actual spy mission to make contact with the Confederate government, he found himself in the middle of a fight between the Union and Britain that threatened, in the boast of Secretary of State William Seward, to "wrap the world in flames." In this masterfully told story, Christopher Dickey introduces Consul Bunch as a key figure in the pitched battle between those who wished to reopen the floodgates of bondage and misery, and those who wished to dam the tide forever. Featuring a remarkable cast of diplomats, journalists, senators, and spies, Our Man in Charleston captures the intricate, intense relationship between great powers on the brink of war.From the Hardcover edition.
Our Man in Iraq
by Robert Perisic Will Firth"Robert Perisic depicts, with acerbic wit, a class of urban elites who are trying to reconcile their nineties rebellion with the reality of present-day Croatia. . . . The characters' snide remarks could easily sound cynical but the novel has a levity informed by the sense of social fluidity that comes with democracy."-The New Yorker"Robert Perisic is a light bright with intelligence and twinkling with irony, flashing us the news that postwar Croatia not only endures but matters."-Jonathan Franzen"This jivey-and I should say x-rated-story stays with us."-Alan Cheuse, "All Things Considered" NPR"Despite the serious themes, the novel is largely comic and in many ways falls into the same genre of satirical anti-war novels that includes The Good Soldier by Jaroslav Hasek and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. Perisic constructs a series of long and entertaining scenes full of quirky dialogue and rhythmic interior monologue."-The Times Literary Supplement"In this raucous and funny novel about an entire country's post-traumatic stress syndrome, Toni discovers that you can't entirely escape your past no matter how must you try to live your life in fast forward."-Huffington Post"In addition to being a delightfully acerbic primer on a literarily underrepresented part of Europe, Our Man in Iraq may well prove to be one of those rare cases where something is actually gained in translation."-Toronto Star"Given the uncountable billions of words they have dedicated to the war in Iraq, it might be easy for Americans to think of it as belonging solely to them. Even its possession by the Iraqis can feel tenuous at times. So it is a refreshing reminder of the new global village to read a novel like Robert Perisic's Our Man in Iraq, which studies the fighting in Baghdad from the distant shores of Croatia."-Boston Globe"A must-read... brilliantly captures modern-day Zagreb." -The GuardianOne of The Millions most anticipated books of 2013"How deeply satisfying it is to hear Perisic's wry voice take a different angle, and tell a different story."-ZYZZYVA"This smart, cutting book powerfully illustrates the horrible hangover of war."-Publishers WeeklySaddam is a young villager from the outskirts of Basra, named after the president. What can he do? He spreads his hands wide like a scarecrow, and I spread mine too, and we chat like two scarecrows in the field, except there are no crops, no grass, and no birds for us to scare away, only sand and scrap iron, and his village, said Saddam, is in a bad place. So he stuck all his goats in a pickup truck and took to the road like Kerouac, except there's no literature here, and no shade.2003: As Croatia lurches from socialism into globalized capitalism, Toni, a cocky journalist in Zagreb, struggles to balance his fragile career, pushy family, and hotheaded girlfriend. But in a moment of vulnerability he makes a mistake: volunteering his unhinged Arabic-speaking cousin Boris to report on the Iraq War. Boris begins filing Gonzo missives from the conflict zone and Toni decides it is better to secretly rewrite his cousin's increasingly incoherent ramblings than face up to the truth. But when Boris goes missing, Toni's own sense of reality-and reliability-begins to unravel.Our Man In Iraq, the first of Robert Perisic's novels to be translated into English, serves as an unforgettable introduction to a vibrant voice from Croatia. With his characteristic humor and insight, Perisic gets to the heart of life made and remade by war.
Our Man in New York: The British Plot to Bring America into the Second World War
by Henry Hemming'A revelatory and wholly fascinating work of history. Superbly researched and written with gripping fluency, this lost secret of World War II espionage finally has its expert chronicler.' - WILLIAM BOYD'Gripping and intoxicating, it unfolds like the best screenplay.'- NICHOLAS SHAKESPEARE'This is excellent, surprising and timely. Henry is a proper talent.' - DAN SNOW'This is a fascinating and gripping book, and deserves to be a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic.' - JOHN O'FARRELL'In Hemming's sure hands, America's uncertain progress towards direct engagement in the second world war becomes riveting history.' - SPECTATOR'A galloping story that Henry Hemming tells with clarity and aplomb.' - NEW STATESMANThe gripping story of a propaganda campaign like no other: the covert British operation to manipulate American public opinion and bring the US into the Second World War.When William Stephenson - "our man in New York" - arrived in the United States towards the end of June 1940 with instructions from the head of MI6 to 'organise' American public opinion, Britain was on the verge of defeat. Surveys showed that just 14% of the US population wanted to go to war against Nazi Germany. But soon that began to change...Those campaigning against America's entry into the war, such as legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh, talked of a British-led plot to drag the US into the conflict. They feared that the British were somehow flooding the American media with 'fake news', infiltrating pressure groups, rigging opinion polls and meddling in US politics.These claims were shocking and wild: they were also true. That truth is revealed here for the first time by bestselling author Henry Hemming, using hitherto private and classified documents, including the diaries of his own grandparents, who were briefly part of Stephenson's extraordinary influence campaign that was later described in the Washington Post as 'arguably the most effective in history'. Stephenson - who saved the life of Hemming's father - was a flawed maverick, full of contradictions, but one whose work changed the course of the war, and whose story can now be told in full.
Our Man in New York: The British Plot to Bring America into the Second World War
by Henry HemmingThe gripping story of a propaganda campaign like no other: the covert British operation to manipulate American public opinion and bring the US into the Second World War.When William Stephenson - "our man in New York" - arrived in the United States towards the end of June 1940 with instructions from the head of MI6 to 'organise' American public opinion, Britain was on the verge of defeat. Surveys showed that just 14% of the US population wanted to go to war against Nazi Germany. But soon that began to change...Those campaigning against America's entry into the war, such as legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh, talked of a British-led plot to drag the US into the conflict. They feared that the British were somehow flooding the American media with 'fake news', infiltrating pressure groups, rigging opinion polls and meddling in US politics.These claims were shocking and wild: they were also true. That truth is revealed here for the first time by bestselling author Henry Hemming, using hitherto private and classified documents, including the diaries of his own grandparents, who were briefly part of Stephenson's extraordinary influence campaign that was later described in the Washington Post as 'arguably the most effective in history'. Stephenson - who saved the life of Hemming's father - was a flawed maverick, full of contradictions, but one whose work changed the course of the war, and whose story can now be told in full.(P)2019 Quercus Editions Limited
Our Man in Tehran: The Truth Behind the Secret Mission to Save Six Americans During the Iran Hostage Crisis and the Ambassador Who Worked with the CIA to Bring Them Home
by Robert WrightThe world watched with fear in November 1979, when Iranian students infiltrated and occupied the American embassy in Tehran. The Americans were caught entirely by surprise, and what began as a swift and seemingly short-lived takeover evolved into a crisis that would see fifty four embassy personnel held hostage, most for 444 days. As Tehran exploded in a fury of revolution, six American diplomats secretly escaped. For three months, Ken Taylor, the Canadian ambassador to Iran-along with his wife and embassy staffers-concealed the Americans in their homes, always with the prospect that the revolutionary government of Ayatollah Khomeini would exact deadly consequences. The United States found itself handcuffed by a fractured, fundamentalist government it could not understand and had completely underestimated. With limited intelligence resources available on the ground and anti-American sentiment growing, President Carter turned to Taylor to work with the CIA in developing their exfiltration plans. Until now, the true story behind Taylor's involvement in the escape of the six diplomats and the Eagle Claw commando raid has remained classified. InOur Man in Tehran,Robert Wright takes us back to a major historical flashpoint and unfolds a story of cloak-and-dagger intrigue that brings a new understanding of the strained relationship between the Unites States and Iran. With the world once again focused on these two countries, this book is the stuff of John le Carreacute; and Daniel Silva made real.
Our Man in Yugoslavia: The Story of a Secret Service Operative (Studies in Intelligence)
by Sebastian RitchieAs a fully documented study of a Second World War Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) operative, Our Man in Yugoslavia is absolutely unique. Its subject is Owen Reed, an army officer recruited into SIS in the summer of 1943 and then parachuted in to German-occupied Croatia to work with Tito's Partisans and other Allied secret organisations. After reporting back to London in July 1944, Reed returned to Yugoslavia to find relations with the Partisans deteriorating. His erstwhile comrades began working against him and the intelligence he passed to the SIS came increasingly to focus on the communist takeover. Reed found himself at the centre of the first great confrontation of the Cold War. Blending biography and operational history, Our Man in Yugoslavia is a remarkable case study, illustrating how SIS operatives were recruited and trained, and describing their work in detail.
Our Mothers’ War
by Emily YellinRosie the Riveter wasn't the only American woman contributing to the World War II effort; others were spies, nurses, prostitutes, entertainers, pilots, baseball players, politicians, and prisoners of war. After her mother died, author Yellin found a diary and hundreds of letters she'd written while she was a Red Cross nurse in the Pacific. Yellin, a journalist, uses her mother's story as an anchor for a larger narrative which shows that many of the conflicts American society wrestles with today--such a...
Our Narrow Hiding Places: A Novel
by Kristopher JansmaAn elderly woman recounts her Dutch family’s survival during the final years of Nazi occupation, shedding new light on old secrets that rippled through subsequent generations. Eighty-year-old Mieke Geborn’s life is one of quiet routine. Widowed for many years, she enjoys the view from her home on the New Jersey shore, visits with friends, and tai chi at the local retirement community. But when her beloved grandson, Will, and his wife, Teru, show up for a visit, things are soon upended. Their marriage is threatening to unravel, and Will has questions for his grandmother—questions about family secrets that have been lost for decades and are now finally rising to the surface.But telling Will the truth involves returning to the past, and to Mieke’s childhood in coastal Holland. There, in the last years of World War II, she survived the Hunger Winter, a brutal season when food and heat were cut off and thousands of Dutch citizens starved. Her memories weave together childhood magic and the madness of history, and carry readers from the windy beaches of the Hague to the dark cells of a concentration camp, through the bends of eel-filled rivers, and, finally, to the story of Will’s father, absent since Will’s childhood.Our Narrow Hiding Places is a sweeping story of survival and of the terrible cost of war—and a reminder that sometimes the traumas we inherit come along with a resilience we never imagined.
Our Only Shield
by Michael J. GoodspeedSet in the desperate days at the outset of the Second World War, Our Only Shield brings back Rory Ferrall, the resourceful Canadian spy from Michael J. Goodspeed’s debut novel, Three to a Loaf. Hastily recalled from a successful career in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Rory arrives in Britain only to find a war that is being prosecuted with political indecision and wishful thinking. The skills he displayed as a spy in the Great War are once again sorely needed by a small group of far-sighted but frustrated military planners. Our Only Shield is a fascinating journey that takes us from an early wartime Britain still reeling from a string of catastrophic defeats into the once-peaceful Netherlands. In 1940, Holland was a prosperous country where an industrious and innocent population simply yearned for peace and the chance to lead tranquil lives. Believing they could escape the havoc and violence of a world gone berserk, they awoke to find themselves governed by a new, terrifyingly brutal regime. Inserted into this shocked and traumatized community, Rory Ferrall soon finds himself caught up with two unforgettable characters: Annika Hammerstein, a gifted musician who refuses to watch passively as atrocities are inflicted on her family and her country, and Reinhold Neumann, a dangerously anxious but clever and ambitious Nazi policeman whose aspirations are unrestrained by conscience. Our Only Shield is a meticulously researched story of how ordinary people marshal their talents to fight against ruthlessly efficient evil. Rich in historical detail, peopled with enduring characters, this powerful narrative gains steadily in momentum and tension and moves to a gripping conclusion. It’s an enthralling and satisfying story as well as a meditation on the timeless nature of organized violence.
Our Philosopher
by Gert HofmannThe time is the 1930s. Our philosopher is Herr Veilchenfeld, a renowned thinker and distinguished professor, who, after his sudden dismissal from the university, has retired to live quietly in a country town in the east of Germany. Our narrator is Hans, a clever and inquisitive boy. He relates a mix of things he witnesses himself and things he hears about from his father, the town doctor, who sees all sorts of people as he makes his rounds, even Veilchenfeld, with his troubled heart. Veilchenfeld is in decline, it&’s true—he keeps ever more to himself—but the town is in ever better shape. After the defeat of the Great War and the subsequent years of poverty, things are looking up. The old, worn people are heart-ened to see it. The young are exhilarated. It is up to them to promote and patrol this new uplifting reality—to make it safe from the likes of Veilchenfeld, whose very existence is an affront to it. And so the doctor listens, and young Hans looks on.
Our Vietnam: The War 1954-1975
by A. J. LangguthWinner of the Overseas Press Club's Cornelius J. Ryan Award for Best Nonfiction Book, the Commonwealth Club of California's Gold Medal for Nonfiction, and the PEN Center West Award for Best Research NonfictionTwenty-five years after the end of the Vietnam War, historian and journalist A. J. Langguth delivers an authoritative account of the war based on official documents not available earlier and on new reporting from both the American and Vietnamese perspectives. In Our Vietnam, Langguth takes us inside the waffling and deceitful White Houses of Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon; documents the ineptness and corruption of our South Vietnamese allies; and recounts the bravery of soldiers on both sides of the war. With its broad sweep and keen insights, Our Vietnam brings together the kaleidoscopic events and personalities of the war into one engrossing and unforgettable narrative.
Our War With Spain for Cuba's Freedom
by Trumbull White"A thrilling account of the land and naval operations of American soldiers and sailors in our war with Spain, and the heroic struggles of Cuban patriots against Spanish tyranny."
Our War: A Novel
by Craig DiLouieOn the battlefields of America, even our children will have to fight.In his most powerful novel to date, acclaimed author Craig DiLouie presents a near future in which America is entrenched in civil war.After his impeachment, the president of the United States refuses to leave office, and the country erupts into a fractured and violent war. Orphaned by the fighting and looking for a home, 10-year-old Hannah Miller joins a citizen militia in a besieged Indianapolis.In the Free Women militia, Hannah finds a makeshift family. They'll teach her how to survive. They'll give her hope. And they'll show her how to use a gun."An instant classic that will join the ranks of dystopian futures that at times feel all too real." - Nicholas Sansbury Smith, USA Today Bestselling Author
Our War: Real stories of Commonwealth soldiers during World War II
by Christopher SomervilleNever heard before real stories of soldiers who fought in WW2 'Extraordinary ...If they had not made our war their war also, victory might not have come in 1945' DAILY TELEGRAPHIn this powerful and moving narrative, Christopher Somerville skilfully links personal testimonies to present an epic which embraces comedy and tragedy, pride and degradation, close comradeship and stark racial prejudice, devotion to the benign Mother Country and a burning desire to see the back of her. Many of the veterans had never previously talked of their experiences, even to close loved ones. They cover such topics as attitudes to Britain before and after the war, why Commonwealth citizens offered to fight, and how some volunteers were inspired by their wartime service while others were thoroughly disillusioned. The result is a rare and faithful memoir to the five million Commonwealth citizens who fought for the Allies and the 170,000 who died or went missing.
Our War: Real stories of Commonwealth soldiers during World War II
by Christopher SomervilleNever heard before real stories of soldiers who fought in WW2'Extraordinary ...If they had not made our war their war also, victory might not have come in 1945' DAILY TELEGRAPHIn this powerful and moving narrative, Christopher Somerville skilfully links personal testimonies to present an epic which embraces comedy and tragedy, pride and degradation, close comradeship and stark racial prejudice, devotion to the benign Mother Country and a burning desire to see the back of her. Many of the veterans had never previously talked of their experiences, even to close loved ones. They cover such topics as attitudes to Britain before and after the war, why Commonwealth citizens offered to fight, and how some volunteers were inspired by their wartime service while others were thoroughly disillusioned. The result is a rare and faithful memoir to the five million Commonwealth citizens who fought for the Allies and the 170,000 who died or went missing.
Our Wartime Street: At home in Britain during the Second World War
by Fiz OsborneWhat was life like for families in wartime Britain? Take a walk down a street in Liverpool to find out. Explore family life during World War Two, from rationing to air raids, bomb shelters to evacuees. This beautifully illustrated book gives insight into the daily experiences of adults and children on the Home Front. Thoughtfully interspersed with spreads on the key moments of the war and information about them, such as what caused the outbreak and what happened on VE Day.
Our Woman in Moscow: A Novel
by Beatriz WilliamsMOST ANTICIPATED NOVEL OF SUMMER 2021 ACCORDING TO BUSTLE, BUZZFEED, AND SHEREADS!The New York Times bestselling author of Her Last Flight returns with a gripping and profoundly human story of Cold War espionage and family devotion.In the autumn of 1948, Iris Digby vanishes from her London home with her American diplomat husband and their two children. The world is shocked by the family’s sensational disappearance. Were they eliminated by the Soviet intelligence service? Or have the Digbys defected to Moscow with a trove of the West’s most vital secrets?Four years later, Ruth Macallister receives a postcard from the twin sister she hasn’t seen since their catastrophic parting in Rome in the summer of 1940, as war engulfed the continent and Iris fell desperately in love with an enigmatic United States Embassy official named Sasha Digby. Within days, Ruth is on her way to Moscow, posing as the wife of counterintelligence agent Sumner Fox in a precarious plot to extract the Digbys from behind the Iron Curtain.But the complex truth behind Iris’s marriage defies Ruth’s understanding, and as the sisters race toward safety, a dogged Soviet KGB officer forces them to make a heartbreaking choice between two irreconcilable loyalties.
Our Yanks: A feel good wartime romance you won't be able to put down...
by Margaret MayhewPerfect for fans of Donna Douglas, Rosie Clarke and Katie Flynn, a heart-warming saga set during World War II from bestselling author Margaret Mayhew.READERS ARE LOVING OUR YANKS!"Omg this book was everything and more than i expected. My ideal book as i love family saga books. Loved that it showed how the Yanks got involved with the girls during wartime . Highs and lows of everyday life. Loved, loved ,loved it" - 5 STARS"The type of book where one found it hard to put down until the end." - 5 STARS"Excellent book, village life with the Yanks very warming story." - 5 STARS"Loved this saga ,drew me right in. I could not put this book down. The small town the characters the Yanks. I loved leaving my world and entering their lives. An author whose books I will be devouring." - 5 STARS"As always with Margaret Mayhew books, this one hasn't failed to please..."- 5 STARS"Brilliant story, held me in its grasp..."- 5 STARS*********************************"I STILL REMEMBER THE YANKS, ALMOST MORE THAN I DO THE WAR..." -- A Suffolk Woman. August 1943. A fighter group of US airmen descends upon the quiet and sleepy village of King's Thorpe in Northamptonshire. The village has never seen the like of them before: they are glamorous, rich, exciting and full of bravado. While some of the older residents are dismayed, many of the younger ones cannot help but be won over by their charms. And for many - including young Sally Barnet from the bakery, Agnes Dawe - the Rector's daughter, and newly-widowed Lady Beauchamp, they will have a long-lasting impact.It will be a summer many will never forget...
Our Year of War: Two Brothers, Vietnam, and a Nation Divided
by Daniel P. BolgerTwo brothers--Chuck and Tom Hagel--who went to war in Vietnam, fought in the same unit, and saved each other's life. They disagreed about the war, but they fought it together.1968. America was divided. Flag-draped caskets came home by the thousands. Riots ravaged our cities. Assassins shot our political leaders. Black fought white, young fought old, fathers fought sons. And it was the year that two brothers from Nebraska went to war.In Vietnam, Chuck and Tom Hagel served side by side in the same rifle platoon. Together they fought in the Mekong Delta, battled snipers in Saigon, chased the enemy through the jungle, and each saved the other's life under fire. But when their one-year tour was over, these two brothers came home side-by-side but no longer in step--one supporting the war, the other hating it.Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and his brother Tom epitomized the best, and withstood the worst, of the most tumultuous, shocking, and consequential year in the last half-century. Following the brothers' paths from the prairie heartland through a war on the far side of the world and back to a divided America, Our Year of War tells the story of two brothers at war--a gritty, poignant, and resonant story of a family and a nation divided yet still united.
Our Young Soldier: Lieutenant Francis Simcoe 6 June 1791-6 April 1812
by Mary Beacock FryerFrancis Simcoe was the eldest son of John Graves Simcoe and Elizabeth Gwillim. his father is celebrated as the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada; his mother for her Canadian diary and watercolour sketches. Francis was one year old when his family arrived at Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) in 1792, and almost six when they returned to England.Letters written by his mother, sisters, and himself reveal his childhood at Eton. At sixteen, he was an ensign in the 27th Inniskilling Regiment. From the beginning of his military career, he kept journals and wrote many letters preserved by the family. His service began in ireland and ended under Wellington - he died leading a storming party in the Trinidad breach at Badajoz, Spain, a thoroughly bloody, costly battle in the Peninsular war.The army had lost a talented young officer. As a warrior, Francis possessed the qualities that had carried his father from ensign to lieutenant general. Letters and journals disclose a soldier who was also an intelligent, loving human being. Of special interest are Francis’ associates who spent time in Canada - the Duek of Richmond, Edward Littlehales, James Kempt, and Julia Somerville (more than a friend?) who became Mrs. Francis Bond Head four years after young Simcoe’s death.
Out Of My Life, By Marshal Von Hindenburg. Vol. I (Out Of My Life #1)
by F. A. Holt Field-Marshal Paul von HindenburgField-Marshal Paul von Hindenburg is a well-known figure to world history; the supreme war-lord of Germany for many years of the First World War and conservative figure-head of the post-war Germany. Although not of noble birth he rose through the ranks of the pre-war Prussian army, seeing much service in the Prussian-Austrian war of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. He believed his career over and retired in 1913 before being reactivated for the conflict that would become the First World War. He was assigned to the Eastern Front to combat the Russian armies. Forging a successful partnership with his staff officers, such as Max Hoffmann and Erich Ludendorff who dealt with much of the operational planning, he won the epic victories over the Russians at the battles of Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes. Feted as a national hero after these victories and further successes in 1915, he was summoned to take charge on the Western front in 1916. He would mastermind the defensive strategy of the German army in 1916 and 1917 before committing the Germany army to the last throw of the dice in the 1918 German offensive.His memoirs are essential reading for anyone interested in the motivations of the German High command during the First World War. This first volume begins with his early military career up to his assumption of the post of the Chief of the General Staff in 1918.Author -- Field-Marshal von Hindenburg, Paul, 1847-1934.Translator -- F. A. Holt.Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in New York, Harper & brothers 1921Original Page Count - 267 pages.Illustrations -- 1 Portrait
Out Of My Life, By Marshal Von Hindenburg. Vol. II (Out Of My Life #2)
by F. A. Holt Field-Marshal Paul von HindenburgField-Marshal Paul von Hindenburg is a well-known figure to world history; the supreme war-lord of Germany for many years of the First World War and conservative figure-head of the post-war Germany. Although not of noble birth he rose through the ranks of the pre-war Prussian army, seeing much service in the Prussian-Austrian war of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. He believed his career over and retired in 1913 before being reactivated for the conflict that would become the First World War. He was assigned to the Eastern Front to combat the Russian armies. Forging a successful partnership with his staff officers, such as Max Hoffmann and Erich Ludendorff who dealt with much of the operational planning, he won the epic victories over the Russians at the battles of Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes. Feted as a national hero after these victories and further successes in 1915, he was summoned to take charge on the Western front in 1916. He would mastermind the defensive strategy of the German army in 1916 and 1917 before committing the Germany army to the last throw of the dice in the 1918 German offensive.His memoirs are essential reading for anyone interested in the motivations of the German High command during the First World War. This second volume carries on his narrative from assumption of the quasi-dictatorship up to the end of the war.Author -- Field-Marshal von Hindenburg, Paul, 1847-1934.Translator -- F. A. Holt.Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in New York, Harper & brothers 1921Original Page Count - 296 pages.Illustrations -- 1 Portrait