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The Mathews Men: Seven Brothers and the War Against Hitler's U-boats
by William Geroux“Vividly drawn and emotionally gripping."—Daniel James Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boys in the BoatOne of the last unheralded heroic stories of World War II: the U-boat assault off the American coast against the men of the U.S. Merchant Marine who were supplying the European war, and one community’s monumental contribution to that effortMathews County, Virginia, is a remote outpost on the Chesapeake Bay with little to offer except unspoiled scenery—but it sent an unusually large concentration of sea captains to fight in World War II. The Mathews Men tells that heroic story through the experiences of one extraordinary family whose seven sons (and their neighbors), U.S. merchant mariners all, suddenly found themselves squarely in the cross-hairs of the U-boats bearing down on the coastal United States in 1942. From the late 1930s to 1945, virtually all the fuel, food and munitions that sustained the Allies in Europe traveled not via the Navy but in merchant ships. After Pearl Harbor, those unprotected ships instantly became the U-boats’ prime targets. And they were easy targets—the Navy lacked the inclination or resources to defend them until the beginning of 1943. Hitler was determined that his U-boats should sink every American ship they could find, sometimes within sight of tourist beaches, and to kill as many mariners as possible, in order to frighten their shipmates into staying ashore. As the war progressed, men from Mathews sailed the North and South Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean, and even the icy Barents Sea in the Arctic Circle, where they braved the dreaded Murmansk Run. Through their experiences we have eyewitnesses to every danger zone, in every kind of ship. Some died horrific deaths. Others fought to survive torpedo explosions, flaming oil slicks, storms, shark attacks, mine blasts, and harrowing lifeboat odysseys—only to ship out again on the next boat as soon as they'd returned to safety. The Mathews Men shows us the war far beyond traditional battlefields—often the U.S. merchant mariners’ life-and-death struggles took place just off the U.S. coast—but also takes us to the landing beaches at D-Day and to the Pacific. “When final victory is ours,” General Dwight D. Eisenhower had predicted, “there is no organization that will share its credit more deservedly than the Merchant Marine.” Here, finally, is the heroic story of those merchant seamen, recast as the human story of the men from Mathews.From the Hardcover edition.
Matilda Infantry Tank 1938-45
by David Fletcher Peter SarsonThe Matilda was the principal British infantry tank in the early years of World War II. It served with the BEF in France and later in North Africa, where it earned the title 'Queen of the Desert'. Outclassed by increasingly powerful German anti-tank weapons, it still remained a power in the South-East Pacific, and was kept in service until the end of the war by Australian forces. In this title, David Fletcher deals with Marks I to V. Development and operational history are discussed, along with service in other countries, including Germany and Russia. Numerous variants are also covered, including the prototype 'Hedgehog' bunker-busting weapon.
Matilda's Stepchildren (John Grimes)
by A. Bertram ChandlerJohn Grimes, owner of the deep space pinnace Little Sister, could not be too fussy about who he carried. Fenalla Pruin, the muckraking reporter, was always going to be trouble. They need the boomerang throwing abilities of two sexy dancers from New Alice to get them out of trouble.
Mating Needs
by Milly TaidenA cougar shifter meets his mate and match in this latest sexy paranormal adventure in the A.L.F.A. series as another Alpha League Federal Agent finds love and passion in the midst of danger by the New York Times bestselling author of Elemental Mating.
Matisse's War
by Peter EverettAt seventy, Henri Matisse is a trim, clean old gentleman with a passion for naked women. He is UN MONSTRE SACRE who depicts with passion and conviction only what he takes pleasure in, only what he chooses to see. He is art personified. If there were no Matisse there would be no art as such. . . . He has purged everything from his painting except anxieties concerning structure and colour; his struggle is with these alone! MATISSE'S WAR is a minutely researched yet fictional account of Matisse's life during the years 1939-1945. It is also a superb portrait of the lives of the major French artists and writers under the German occupation. Louis Aragon, Malraux, Picasso and Bonnard all appear prominently in the narrative.
Matron at Last
by Evelyn Prentis'When do you have a bath?' I asked Mrs Turgoose. 'I hope you're not suggesting that I don't look after meself properly,' she said crossly. 'There was a woman who used to use it, but that was because she was a bit stuck up. She soon went off the idea when it started to get cold.'After working as a nurse for thirty years, Evelyn left the hospital to become a full-time Matron at The Lodge - a home for elderly ladies of reduced circumstances. Evelyn was nothing like the matrons she had known and feared in the past. In spite of broken nights and hot dinners left to get cold, Mrs Peters with her temper and Mrs Harrison with her 24-hour piano playing, her new role offered a chance to make a difference to her ladies' lives. Even though it did mean she was on call twenty-four hours a day, this is Evelyn's funny and affectionate memoir of her years - at last! - as a Matron.
A Matter of Honor: Pearl Harbor: Betrayal, Blame, and a Family's Quest for Justice
by Anthony Summers Robbyn SwanOn the seventy-fifth anniversary, the authors of Pulitzer Prize finalist The Eleventh Day unravel the mysteries of Pearl Harbor to expose the scapegoating of the admiral who was in command the day 2,000 Americans died, report on the continuing struggle to restore his lost honor—and clear President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the charge that he knew the attack was coming.The Japanese onslaught on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 devastated Americans and precipitated entry into World War II. In the aftermath, Admiral Husband Kimmel, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, was relieved of command, accused of negligence and dereliction of duty—publicly disgraced.But the Admiral defended his actions through eight investigations and for the rest of his long life. The evidence against him was less than solid. High military and political officials had failed to provide Kimmel and his Army counterpart with vital intelligence. Later, to hide the biggest U.S. intelligence secret of the day, they covered it up.Following the Admiral’s death, his sons—both Navy veterans—fought on to clear his name. Now that they in turn are dead, Kimmel’s grandsons continue the struggle. For them, 2016 is a pivotal year.With unprecedented access to documents, diaries and letters, and the family’s cooperation, Summers’ and Swan’s search for the truth has taken them far beyond the Kimmel story—to explore claims of duplicity and betrayal in high places in Washington.A Matter of Honor is a provocative story of politics and war, of a man willing to sacrifice himself for his country only to be sacrificed himself. Revelatory and definitive, it is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of this pivotal event.The book includes forty black-and-white photos throughout the text.
A Matter of Honour: The Story of England's Last Fatal Duel
by Martyn BeardselyNew details on this story of honour - was Isabella Seton blameless or did she draw the rich Seton into a fatal romance?
A Matter of Honour: The Life, Campaigns and Generalship of Isaac Brock
by Jonathon RileyThe monument to Isaac Brock (17691812) on Queenston Heights in Canada, as high as Nelsons column in London, pays tribute to the military commander of all troops opposing the American invasion of Canada during the War of 1812. Brocks service during the War of 1812 includes leading the capture of Detroit. He was killed on the morning of 13 October 1812, leading a company of the 49th Foot in a counter-attack on the American lodgement atop Queenston Heights. Although Brock died and his uphill charge against the American muskets failed, the invasion was repulsed soon afterwards.A Matter of Honour focuses on Brocks career as a military commander and also as a civil administrator for the government of Upper Canada. Early chapters deal with his life and military service up to 1791. The book also records his command of the 49th Regiment in the Low Countries and at Copenhagen up to his arrival in Canada in 1802. Brock spent more time in Canada than any other British general who fought in the War of 1812. He faced a difficult situation in Canada, defending a long frontier with meagre resources. However, he was renowned for his resourcefulness, inspiring leadership and ability to keep opponents off-balance
A Matter of Honour: Britain in the First World War
by Zachary TwamleyZachary Twamley, the host of the popular, When Diplomacy Fails podcast explores the role “Honour” played in Britain’s entry into World War I. The decision to enter the war in conjunction with France and Russia in 1914 was no a foregone conclusion. There were pro’s and con’s within the government to enter the war – and the German invasion of Belgium was not the final push to get Britain to declare war on Germany. Zach examines “Honor”, as was passed down from Victorian to Edwardian England as its role in the government’s final decision. Based on his award winning paper and his podcast, Zack explores the one of the factors that led to Britain’s road to war.
Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War
by Karl MarlantesIntense, powerful, and compelling, Matterhorn is an epic Vietnam war novel in the tradition of Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead and James Jones' The Thin Red Line. It is the timeless story of a young Marine lieutenant, Waino Mellas, and his comrades in Bravo Company, who are dropped into the mountain jungle of Vietnam as teenagers and forced to fight their way into manhood. Standing in their way are not merely the North Vietnamese but also monsoon rain and mud, leeches and tigers, disease and malnutrition. Almost as daunting, it turns out, are the obstacles they discover between each other: racial tension, competing ambitions, and duplicitous superior officers. But when the company finds itself surrounded and outnumbered by a massive enemy regiment, the Marines are thrust into the raw and all-consuming terror of combat. The experience will change them forever. Written by a highly decorated Marine veteran over the course of thirty years, Matterhorn is a spellbinding and unforgettable novel that brings to life an entire world--both its horrors and its thrills--and seems destined to become a classic of combat literature. The end of the book includes two glossaries of terms used.
Matters of Chance: A Novel
by Jeannette HaienMatters of Chance is a glorious, aptivating novel about Morgan and Maude Shurtliff, who fall in love and marry in the years before World WarII. Unable to have children of their own, Morgan and Maude adopt twin girls. The four go home to their beautiful house in the country outside ofNew York City and begin to settle into what they hope will be a long and happy life. When the twins are still young, Morgan is called to serve inWorld War II, leaving Maude to raise her daughters alone. Jeannette Haien has rendered Morgan's war experiences with astonishing detail, just as she has captured the American post-war era with a precision that is unrivaled in recent fiction.
A Mattress Maker's Daughter: The Renaissance Romance of Don Giovanni De' Medici and Livia Vernazza
by Brendan Dooley"A Mattress Maker's Daughter "richly illuminates the narrative of two people whose mutual affection shaped their own lives and in some ways their times. According to the Renaissance legend told and retold across the centuries, a woman of questionable reputation bamboozles a middle-aged warrior-prince into marrying her, and the family takes revenge. He is Don Giovanni de' Medici, son of the Florentine grand duke; she is Livia Vernazza, daughter of a Genoese artisan. They live in luxury for a while, far from Florence, and have a child. Then, Giovanni dies, the family pounces upon the inheritance, and Livia is forced to return from riches to rags. Documents, including long-lost love letters, reveal another story behind the legend, suppressed by the family and forgotten. Brendan Dooley investigates this largely untold story among the various settings where episodes occurred, including Florence, Genoa, and Venice. In the course of explaining their improbable liaison and its consequences, "A Mattress Maker's Daughter "explores early modern emotions, material culture, heredity, absolutism, and religious tensions at the crux of one of the great transformations in European culture, society, and statecraft. Giovanni and Livia exemplify changing concepts of love and romance, new standards of public and private conduct, and emerging attitudes toward property and legitimacy just as the age of Renaissance humanism gave way to the culture of Counter-Reformation and early modern Europe.
Mau-Mau Warrior
by Christa Hook Abiodun AlaoThe Mau-Mau uprising (1952-60) remains a controversial conflict, waged by warriors about whom many myths have been formed, but little truth has been written. Condemned by history as a brutal rag-tag force engaged in oath-taking, cannibalism and witchcraft, the military activities of the Mau-Mau have long been overlooked. Although their skill, organization and unique motivation forced the British government to undertake the longest airlift in military history, and to deploy extensive force at a cost of almost £60 million, before it could claim victory. This book reveals the real men and women behind the Mau-Mau; the truth behind the oaths that bound them together; and how they became a powerful force, paving the way for Kenya's independence.
Maurai and Kith
by Poul AndersonAfter Armageddon the People of the Sea created a new kind of civilisation, on based on the integrity of Life and the moral as well as pragmatic necessity of conservation. But the Sky People live by a different vision, and they have come to enforce it...
Maura's Angel
by Lynne Reid BanksIt all started with a shattering bang. Maura found herself flat on her face on the pavement. For moments there was nothing, just blackness and silence. But she knew. Once again, a bomb had exploded in the streets of Belfast. Maura lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her life is hard. Her poor mother, thin and tired, depends on her to care for the baby, get her six-year-old brother off to school, and dress and feed her big sister Colleen, who is as helpless as an infant. Maura's big brother Kieran is in prison for sabotage against the Brits; her father is risking the same, or worse, as a member of the Irish Republican Army. And the war goes on and on. It seems so hopeless. Then, in the wake of the bomb blast, an amazing thing happens. Maura looks up from the pavement and sees a girl lying next to her who looks just like her--except that she's perfect...Also, she's naked! Maura quickly wraps the girl in her own coat and takes her home. Who is this strange creature? Where has she come from? She seems to know nothing of the world--not even simple things like how to eat or fall asleep or talk. She doesn't understand pain. Yet she has a magical way with people. The baby stops crying; quarrels dissolve. Even poor, simple minded Colleen responds to her. Maura's mother smiles again, and their home becomes peaceful and full of exciting moments of magic. When Maura discovers Angela's secret, she trusts her for the miracle that could bring her father and brother home. But Angela doesn't understand Maura's world--a world that spoils miracles, making them go tragically wrong.
Maurice's Strategikon: Handbook of Byzantine Military Strategy
by George T. DennisAs a veteran campaigner, the Byzantine emperor Maurice (582-602) compiled a unique and influential handbook intended for the field commander. In this first complete English translation, the Strategikon is an invaluable source not only for early Byzantine history but for the general history of the art of war. Describing in detail weaponry and armor, daily life on the march or in camp, clothing, food, medical care, military law, and titles of the Byzantine army of the seventh century, the Strategikon offers insights into the Byzantine military ethos. In language contemporary, down-to-earth, and practical, the text also provides important data for the historian, and even the ethnologist, including eyewitness accounts of the Persians, Slavs, Lombards, and Avars at the frontier of the Empire.
Mauser Military Rifles
by Neil Grant Peter DennisThe history of the iconic Mauser family of German bolt-action rifles is told here in extensive detail. Drawing on first-hand accounts of the weapons in combat and fascinating primary sources regarding their mechanical performance, this fully illustrated study charts the Mauser's origins, combat record and lasting influence. It explores the full range of Mauser rifles, beginning with the hugely successful Gew 98, which entered service in the time of the Kaiser, provided the basis for the US Springfield M1093 and equipped combatants as diverse as the South African Boers. It also investigates the Kar 98k, which was still in front-line use with Wehrmacht troops in 1945, saw use with Mexican and Yugoslavian forces, and even played a role in the 1990s Balkan conflicts in the hands of snipers. Featuring expert analysis, specially commissioned artwork and gripping first-hand accounts, this volume ideal for anyone seeking an understanding of these sturdy and accurate rifles' unique place in the history of small-unit tactics in the 20th century.
The Mauthausen Trial: American Military Justice in Germany
by Tomaz JardimShortly after 9:00 a.m. on May 27, 1947, the first of forty-nine men condemned to death for war crimes at Mauthausen concentration camp mounted the gallows at Landsberg prison near Munich. The mass execution that followed resulted from an American military trial conducted at Dachau in the spring of 1946—a trial that lasted only thirty-six days and yet produced more death sentences than any other in American history. The Mauthausen trial was part of a massive series of proceedings designed to judge and punish Nazi war criminals in the most expedient manner the law would allow. There was no doubt that the crimes had been monstrous. Yet despite meting out punishment to a group of incontestably guilty men, the Mauthausen trial reveals a troubling and seldom-recognized face of American postwar justice—one characterized by rapid proceedings, lax rules of evidence, and questionable interrogations. Although the better-known Nuremberg trials are often regarded as epitomizing American judicial ideals, these trials were in fact the exception to the rule. Instead, as Tomaz Jardim convincingly demonstrates, the rough justice of the Mauthausen trial remains indicative of the most common—and yet least understood—American approach to war crimes prosecution. The Mauthausen Trial forces reflection on the implications of compromising legal standards in order to guarantee that guilty people do not walk free.
Maverick: the Personal War of a Vietnam Cobra Pilot
by Dennis J. Marvicsin Jerold A. GreenfieldMemoir of a Vietnam combatant.
The Maverick Cowboy (Morgan Ranch #2)
by Kate PearceThe heartbreak of their childhood drove the Morgan brothers far from their family’s California ranch—and one another. But as they face the wounds of the past, each feels the land calling him home . . . Blue Morgan never thought he’d crave long days on horseback, working the cattle ranch where he grew up. But after a decade of getting shouted and shot at in the Marines, fresh air and hard work are just what he needs to settle his restless energy. Except no matter how hard he tries to focus, his mind wanders to the pretty, prickly new veterinarian instead. There’s no denying the spark between Jenna McDonald and Blue. But with her job at risk and her own family’s expectations to wrangle, Jenna isn’t looking for another sparring partner. Blue needs her expertise on horses. And if she can help solve his mother’s disappearance, she’s willing to pitch in. But she’ll leave his ideas about how love should be scheduled to him. Jenna is tired of being told what she can’t have—and ready to reach for what she wants . . . “If you love cowboys—and who doesn’t—you’ll love the Morgans!” —Cora Seton, New York Times bestselling author on The Reluctant Cowboy
Maverick Marine: General Smedley D. Butler and the Contradictions of American Military History
by Hans SchmidtSmedley Butler's life and career epitomize the contradictory nature of American military policy through the first part of this century. Butler won renown as a Marine battlefield hero, campaigning in most of America's foreign military expeditions from 1898 to the late 1920s. He became the leading national advocate for paramilitary police reform. Upon his retirement, however, he renounced war and imperialism and devoted his energy and prestige to various dissident and leftist political causes.
Maverick One: The True Story of a Para, Pathfinder, Renegade
by David BlakeleyThe explosive sequel to the bestselling PATHFINDER.For the first time ever an elite British operator tells the gruelling story of his selection into the Pathfinders - Britain's secret soldiers. Pathfinder selection is a brutal physical and psychological trial lasting many weeks. It rivals that of the SAS and takes place over the same spine-crushing terrain, in the rain-and-snow-lashed wastes of the Welsh Mountains. For two decades no one has been able to relate the extraordinary trials of British elite forces selection - until now.Captain David Blakeley goes on from completing selection to serve with the Pathfinders in Afghanistan post 9/11, where he had a gun held to his head by Al Qaeda fighters. From there he deploys to Iraq, on a series of dramatic behind- enemy-lines missions - wherein he and his tiny elite patrol are outnumbered, outgunned and trapped. Maverick One is unique and extraordinary, chronicling the making of a warrior. It culminates in Blakeley fighting back to full recovery from horrific injuries suffered whilst on operations in Iraq, to go on to face SAS selection.
Maverick One: The True Story of a Para, Pathfinder, Renegade
by David BlakeleyThe explosive sequel to the bestselling PATHFINDER.For the first time ever an elite British operator tells the gruelling story of his selection into the Pathfinders - Britain's secret soldiers. Pathfinder selection is a brutal physical and psychological trial lasting many weeks. It rivals that of the SAS and takes place over the same spine-crushing terrain, in the rain-and-snow-lashed wastes of the Welsh Mountains. For two decades no one has been able to relate the extraordinary trials of British elite forces selection - until now.Captain David Blakeley goes on from completing selection to serve with the Pathfinders in Afghanistan post 9/11, where he had a gun held to his head by Al Qaeda fighters. From there he deploys to Iraq, on a series of dramatic behind- enemy-lines missions - wherein he and his tiny elite patrol are outnumbered, outgunned and trapped. Maverick One is unique and extraordinary, chronicling the making of a warrior. It culminates in Blakeley fighting back to full recovery from horrific injuries suffered whilst on operations in Iraq, to go on to face SAS selection.
Mavericks of the Sky: the First Daring Pilots of the U.S. Air Mail
by Barry Rosenberg Catherine MacaulayHistory of the introduction of the air mail service, and biographies of the first pilots.