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People’s War: Variants and Responses
by Thomas A. Marks and Paul B. RichFar from being an anachronism, much less a kit-bag of techniques, people’s war raises what has always been present in military history, irregular warfare, and fuses it symbiotically with what has likewise always been present politically, rebellion and the effort to seize power. The result is a strategic approach for waging revolutionary warfare, the effort “to make a revolution.” Voluntarism is wedded to the exploitation of structural contradiction through the building of a new world to challenge the existing world, through formation of a counterstate within the state in order ultimately to destroy and supplant the latter. This is a process of far greater moment than implied by the label “guerrilla warfare” so often applied to what Mao and others were about. This volume deals with the continuing importance of Maoist and post-Maoist concepts of people’s war. Drawing on a range of examples that include Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, the Caucasus, and Afghanistan, the collection shows that the study of people’s war is not just an historical curiosity but vital to the understanding of contemporary insurgent and terrorist movements.The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Small Wars & Insurgencies.
Peppino: A Nineteenth Century Medici
by Seth ColemanSeth Coleman&’s Peppino introduces readers to a young Italian boy who is destined for greatness but first must overcome grave obstacles in order to fulfill his potential. Born in nineteenth-century southern Italy, Peppino is the son of the baroness of Bologna. A member of the famous Medici family, one of the most prominent families in European history, the baroness expects her son to claim his role of baron and accept his rightful place among the aristocracy. However, the precocious Peppino rebels against his upper-class position, setting off on his own to fight for the common people.Joining Peppino in the struggle are Nicola, a devout Christian peasant, and Abramo, a Hassidic Jew. Together all three risk their lives in order to lead a rebellion against the injustices of the Church and--more specifically--the local monsignor, who has evil ambitions of his own.Pope Leo XIII is another warrior in the fight for the people&’s rights. He had successfully fought off the mafia&’s stranglehold on the country and as Pope worked tirelessly against class injustices. With his niece set to marry Peppino, the novel offers a unique glimpse into the personal life of an often-solitary figure, whom millions adore but only a handful really know.Ultimately a story of good versus evil, religion versus God, and hypocrisy versus righteousness, Peppino examines history through the lens of the personal. Through his novel, Coleman offers readers a human story with breathtaking scope.
Pepys's Navy: Ships, Men & Warfare, 1649–1689
by J. D. DaviesAn extensively illustrated reference covering four tumultuous decades that gave birth to the modern Royal Navy. Winner of the Samuel Pepys Prize and Latham Medal This reference book describes every aspect of the English navy in the second half of the seventeenth century, from the time when the Fleet Royal was taken into Parliamentary control after the defeat of Charles I, until the accession of William and Mary in 1689 when the long period of war with the Dutch came to an end. This is a crucial era that witnessed the creation of a permanent naval service, in essence the birth of today&’s Royal Navy. Samuel Pepys, whose thirty years of service did so much to replace the ad hoc processes of the past with systems for construction and administration, is one of the most significant players, and the navy that was, by 1690, ready for a century of global struggle with the French owed much to his tireless work. This major reference for historians, naval enthusiasts, and, anyone with an interest in this colorful era of the seventeenth century covers: naval administration ship types and shipbuilding naval recruitment and crews seamanship and gunnery shipboard life dockyards and bases the foreign navies of the period the three major wars fought against the Dutch in the Channel and the North Sea &“Davies writes clearly, knows his subject extremely well, organizes the material effectively, and covers each topic thoroughly . . . there&’s some new piece of revelatory detail on pretty much every page. If you&’re at all interested in seventeenth century sailing ships—especially English ships—this is a truly fascinating and rewarding book.&” —Corsairs and Captives
Per cinque minuti in più (Enhanced World (Italiano) #1)
by Victoria Sue Natascia GandiniSerie Enhanced World, Libro 1Fin dal momento della sua trasformazione in un umano potenziato, Talon Valdez sapeva che avrebbe dovuto dire addio alla sua vita e ai suoi sogni. Trattati con diffidenza, insultati, spesso rinchiusi, i potenziati sono visti come mostri, disprezzati dalla società e considerati inadatti a prestare servizio nell’esercito o nelle forze dell’ordine. Anni più tardi, ha la possibilità di creare una task force di potenziati all’interno dell’FBI, ma a una condizione: ogni potenziato deve fare coppia con un essere umano normale. Finn Mayer sogna di entrare nell’FBI da quando aveva quattordici anni e ha fatto qualsiasi sacrificio perché ciò avvenisse: ha sopportato di vivere con una madre egoista, con un fratello omofobo e bullo e di non avere un compagno. Soffre però di dislessia non diagnosticata e basta questo a frustrare le sue aspirazioni sul nascere. La sua ultima occasione è fare coppia con Talon, un potenziato con abilità letali, che però non vuole affidare i suoi segreti ai normali e che pertanto vuole vederlo fallire. Quattro sono le settimane a disposizione di Finn per provare alla squadra quanto vale. Quattro le settimane perché la squadra dimostri al resto del mondo che può funzionare. E quando un altro gruppo minaccia il loro successo – mettendo a rischio le loro vite – sarà per quattro settimane che dovranno sopravvivere.
Perception and Reality in the Modern Yugoslav Conflict: Myth, Falsehood and Deceit 1991-1995 (Contemporary Security Studies)
by Brendan O'SheaIn this book, the author has tried bridge the gap between the common perception of the Yugoslav conflict as portrayed in the media and the actual grim reality with which he was dealing as an EU monitor on the ground. Drawing on original material from both UN and ECMM sources, he has identified the true origin of Former Yugoslavia's wars of dissolution, and critically examines the programme of violence which erupted in 1991 and eventually culminated in 1995 in the vicious dismemberment of a sovereign federal republic with seat at the United Nations. In doing so, he highlights the duplicitous behaviour of all parties to the conflict; the double standards employed throughout by the United States in its foreign policy; the lengths to which the Sarajevo government manipulated the international media to promote a 'victim' status; the contempt in which UN peace-keepers were ultimately held by all sides; and the manner in which Radovan Karadzic was sacrificed at the altar of political expediency, when the real culprits were Slobodan Milosevic and his acolyte, General Ratko Mladic. This book, the first by an EU Monitor with actual experience of the conflict, tells the real story of the modern Yugoslav conflict, 1991-1995.
Perchance to Dream (Cold Equations #19)
by Howard WeinsteinOn a routine mission to survey Domarus IV -- a class M world with no intelligent life -- a U.S.S. Enterprise shuttle crewed by Data, Troi and Wesley Crusher is captured by a race called the Tenirans who claim the world for themselves. As Captain Picard tries to negotiate with the captain of the Teniran ship, the shuttle suddenly disappears in a blaze of color and light. Picard demands to know what's happened to the shuttle and its crew, but the Tenarins deny any part in their disappearance. Suddenly, Captain Picard vanishes from the bridge and finds himself alone on the planet's surface with the Tenarin captain. As the two captains begin to work together, they realize that they are not alone on Domarus IV as they confront an incredible alien force with the power to transform a world -- or to destroy it.
Perdre le contrôle (Un roman de Black Dragons Inc. #1)
by Cindy DeesUn Navy SEAL craquant et un irrésistible espion de la CIA forment un duo torride. Vont-ils réussir à travailler ensemble pour retrouver un terroriste notoire sans d’abord s’entretuer ? Quand le Navy SEAL Spencer Newman accepte la dangereuse mission de rapatrier manu militari l’agent de la CIA Drago Thorpe – l’homme qu’il aime depuis toujours –, il prévoit que la situation devienne rapidement FUBAR. En revanche, il ne s’attend pas du tout à ce que Dray le convainque de se rebeller contre les ordres reçus. Drago regrette d’avoir provoqué leur rupture, dix ans plus tôt, en insistant pour que Spence reconnaisse publiquement leur liaison. Il veut une seconde chance. Le SEAL étant rigide, le pousser à enfreindre les règles est un vrai défi, mais les deux hommes doivent dépasser les bornes pour éliminer un terroriste présumé mort. La tension monte alors qu’ensemble ils traquent leur cible. Mèneront-ils leur mission à terme avant que leur attraction mutuelle devienne incontrôlable ? MICRO BLURB Spencer, le strict Navy SEAL, et Drago, l’agent rebelle de la CIA, s’associent pour traquer et éliminer un terroriste notoire. Réussiront-ils leur mission sans s’étrangler… ou céder à leur attraction mutuelle ?
Perdre le contrôle (Un roman de Black Dragons Inc. #2)
by Cindy DeesUn Navy SEAL craquant et un irrésistible espion de la CIA forment un duo torride. Vont-ils réussir à travailler ensemble pour retrouver un terroriste notoire sans d’abord s’entretuer ? Quand le Navy SEAL Spencer Newman accepte la dangereuse mission de rapatrier manu militari l’agent de la CIA Drago Thorpe – l’homme qu’il aime depuis toujours –, il prévoit que la situation devienne rapidement FUBAR. En revanche, il ne s’attend pas du tout à ce que Dray le convainque de se rebeller contre les ordres reçus. Drago regrette d’avoir provoqué leur rupture, dix ans plus tôt, en insistant pour que Spence reconnaisse publiquement leur liaison. Il veut une seconde chance. Le SEAL étant rigide, le pousser à enfreindre les règles est un vrai défi, mais les deux hommes doivent dépasser les bornes pour éliminer un terroriste présumé mort. La tension monte alors qu’ensemble ils traquent leur cible. Mèneront-ils leur mission à terme avant que leur attraction mutuelle devienne incontrôlable ?
Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis
by Elizabeth LettIn the chaotic last days of World War II, a small troop of battle-weary American soldiers discover a sinister Nazi plan: there is a secret farm nearby where the German army has stockpiled the world's finest purebred horses in order to breed an equine 'master race'. With the Russian army closing in, the animals are in danger of being slaughtered for food.Colonel Hank Reed, one of the US Army's last great cavalrymen, makes abold decision (with the unofficial approval of General George Patton) to mount a covert rescue operation. Racing against time, Reed and his men, aided by several Germans devoted to the horses, steal across enemy lines in a last-ditch effort to rescue the animals.The Perfect Horse for the first time tells the full story of these extraordinary events. Elizabeth Letts's exhilarating tale of behind enemy-lines adventure, courage and sacrifice brings to life one of the most inspiring chapters in the annals of human valour.
Perfect Spy: The Incredible Double Life of Pham Xuan An, Time Magazine Reporter and Vietnamese Communist Agent
by Larry Berman“Larry Berman in his book—insightful, overdue, an authentic ‘Shock and Awe’ story—deftly humanizes the contradictions in An’s life” — -Bernard Kalb“Berman has done an excellent job… There’s plenty here for both supporters and critics of the Vietnam War to ponder.” — Dan Southerland, former correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor in Saigon“Berman has unraveled the mystery of his strange double life in an engrossing narrative.” — Stanley Karnow, author of Vietnam: A History and winner of the 1991 Pulitzer Prize in historyPraise for NO PEACE NO HONOR “A marvelous piece of work.” — Daniel EllsbergPraise for NO PEACE NO HONOR “Carefully researched, authoritative, and highly readable.” — Stanley Karnow, author of Vietnam: A HistoryPraise for LYNDON JOHNSON’S WAR “A masterful job.” — Marvin KalbPraise for LYNDON JOHNSON’S WAR “Highly readable, full of telling quoted from newly opened sources.” — Walter LafeberPraise for LYNDON JOHNSON’S WAR “Berman has delivered the coup de grace.” — Townsend Hoopes“A remarkable blend of biography, history, and personal experience... Highly recommended.” ---A.O. Edmonds — Library Journal
Perfectly Wounded: A Memoir About What Happens After a Miracle
by Mike DayThe incredible true story of former Navy SEAL Mike Day, who survived being shot twenty-seven times while deployed in Iraq.On the night of April 6, 2007, in Iraq's Anbar Province, Senior Chief Mike Day, his team of Navy SEALs, and a group of Iraqi scouts were on the hunt for a high-level al Qaeda cell. Day was the first to enter a 12x12 room where four terrorist leaders were waiting in ambush. When the gunfight was over, he took out all four terrorists in the room, but not before being shot twenty-seven times and hit with grenade shrapnel. Miraculously, Day cleared the rest of the house and rescued six women and children before walking out on his own to an awaiting helicopter, which flew him to safety.While in the hospital, the Navy SEAL lost fifty-five pounds in two weeks. It took almost two years for Day to physically recover from his injuries, although he still deals with pain. Like so many veterans, doctors diagnosed Day with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury -- the invisible wounds of war.Perfectly Wounded is the remarkable story of an American hero whose incredible survival defies explanation, and whose blessed life of service continues in the face of unimaginable odds. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 36.0px; font: 12.0px Arial}
Perfidia
by James EllroyNATIONAL BESTSELLER It is December 6, 1941. America stands at the brink of World War II. Last hopes for peace are shattered when Japanese squadrons bomb Pearl Harbor. Los Angeles has been a haven for loyal Japanese-Americans--but now, war fever and race hate grip the city and the Japanese internment begins. The hellish murder of a Japanese family summons three men and one woman. William H. Parker is a captain on the Los Angeles Police Department. He's superbly gifted, corrosively ambitious, liquored-up, and consumed by dubious ideology. He is bitterly at odds with Sergeant Dudley Smith--Irish émigré, ex-IRA killer, fledgling war profiteer. Hideo Ashida is a police chemist and the only Japanese on the L. A. cop payroll. Kay Lake is a twenty-one-year-old dilettante looking for adventure. The investigation throws them together and rips them apart. The crime becomes a political storm center that brilliantly illuminates these four driven souls--comrades, rivals, lovers, history's pawns. Perfidia is a novel of astonishments. It is World War II as you have never seen it, and Los Angeles as James Ellroy has never written it before. Here, he gives us the party at the edge of the abyss and the precipice of America's ascendance. Perfidia is that moment, spellbindingly captured. It beckons us to solve a great crime that, in its turn, explicates the crime of war itself. It is a great American novel.
Perfidy [Illustrated Edition]
by Ben HechtAn exploration of the Kastner affair: a conspiracy, a violation of conscience, criminal betrayal.Picture those early days when the new nation of Israel was being formed in the region of Palestine European Jews had just endured history's ultimate holocaust. Allied governments such as Great Britain had refused to take action to block the trains from carrying thousands of them to certain death. In those final days before the end of the war, the epicenter of the Nazi extermination effort was Hungary. Jews had fled there from Germany and Poland, but they could not outrun the shadow of death. That is the obvious truth, but was there more? Was there collaboration with the enemy that resulted in these murderous acts?Can you really trust governments and leaders to do what is right and best for those they represent?As Edmund Burke declared, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." But what happens when those who are trusted as good join forces with evil?Underlying this story is a bizarre tapestry of deception at the highest levels of government with the lives of many innocents in the balance. The libel trial of Rudolf Kastner, a prominent journalist representing the new government and supported by its Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, establishes the outline of that hidden past, protected by the political interests of some of Israel's early leaders.A true classic...History that reads like a mystery novel when villains parade themselves as heroes and the real heroes are targets of evil.-Print ed.Includes 204 photos, plans and maps illustrating The Holocaust
Pericles of Athens
by Vincent AzoulayThe definitive biography of the legendary "first citizen of Athens"Pericles has the rare distinction of giving his name to an entire period of history, embodying what has often been taken as the golden age of the ancient Greek world. "Periclean" Athens witnessed tumultuous political and military events, and achievements of the highest order in philosophy, drama, poetry, oratory, and architecture. Pericles of Athens is the first book in decades to reassess the life and legacy of one of the greatest generals, orators, and statesmen of the classical world. In this compelling critical biography, Vincent Azoulay takes a fresh look at both the classical and modern reception of Pericles, recognizing his achievements as well as his failings. From Thucydides and Plutarch to Voltaire and Hegel, ancient and modern authors have questioned Pericles’s relationship with democracy and Athenian society. This is the enigma that Azoulay investigates in this groundbreaking book. Pericles of Athens offers a balanced look at the complex life and afterlife of the legendary "first citizen of Athens."
Perilous Cargo
by Don PendletonHIDE-AND-SEEK The Himalayas become a deadly hunting zone when a nuclear warhead is stolen from a black-market warehouse in Kathmandu. Knowing the incident could start World War III, the President sends Mack Bolan and a CIA operative to retrieve the weapon in the treacherous border region between Tibet and Nepal. But the U.S. isn't the only country in the search. Bolan and his ally are up against cunning Chinese and Russian assassins, and several local warlords are vying for the valuable nuke, as well. These competing parties are determined to reach the weapon first-no matter how many witnesses they eliminate on the way. With few alternatives and the trail of innocent blood growing longer, Bolan accepts the help of an old spy. But can he be trusted? With the harsh mountain terrain working against them, the Executioner will need to rely on his wits to win this race...because coming in second is not an option.
Perilous Glory
by John FranceThis expansive book surveys the history of warfare from ancient Mesopotamia to the Gulf War in search of a deeper understanding of the origins of Western warfare and the reasons for its eminence today. Historian John France explores the experience of war around the globe, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. His bold conclusions cast doubt on well-entrenched attitudes about the development of military strength, the impact of culture on warfare, the future of Western dominance, and much more. Taking into account wars waged by virtually all civilizations since the beginning of recorded history, France finds that despite enormous cultural differences, war was conducted in distinctly similar ways right up to the Military Revolution and the pursuit of technological warfare in the nineteenth century. Since then, European and American culture has shaped warfare, but only because we have achieved a sense of distance from it, France argues. He warns that the present eminence of U. S. power is much more precarious and accidental than commonly believed. The notion that war is a distant phenomenon is only an illusion, and our cultural attitudes must change accordingly.
Perilous Memories: The Asia-Pacific War(s)
by Lisa Yoneyama T. Fujitani Geoffrey M. WhitePerilous Memories makes a groundbreaking and critical intervention into debates about war memory in the Asia-Pacific region. Arguing that much is lost or erased when the Asia-Pacific War(s) are reduced to the 1941-1945 war between Japan and the United States, this collection challenges mainstream memories of the Second World War in favor of what were actually multiple, widespread conflicts. The contributors recuperate marginalized or silenced memories of wars throughout the region--not only in Japan and the United States but also in China, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, Okinawa, Taiwan, and Korea. Firmly based on the insight that memory is always mediated and that the past is not a stable object, the volume demonstrates that we can intervene positively yet critically in the recovery and reinterpretation of events and experiences that have been pushed to the peripheries of the past. The contributors--an international list of anthropologists, cultural critics, historians, literary scholars, and activists--show how both dominant and subjugated memories have emerged out of entanglements with such forces as nationalism, imperialism, colonialism, racism, and sexism. They consider both how the past is remembered and also what the consequences may be of privileging one set of memories over others. Specific objects of study range from photographs, animation, songs, and films to military occupations and attacks, minorities in wartime, "comfort women," commemorative events, and postwar activism in pursuing redress and reparations. Perilous Memories is a model for war memory intervention and will be of interest to historians and other scholars and activists engaged with collective memory, colonial studies, U. S. and Asian history, and cultural studies. Contributors. Chen Yingzhen, Chungmoo Choi, Vicente M. Diaz, Arif Dirlik, T. Fujitani, Ishihara Masaie, Lamont Lindstrom, George Lipsitz, Marita Sturken, Toyonaga Keisaburo, Utsumi Aiko, Morio Watanabe, Geoffrey M. White, Diana Wong, Daqing Yang, Lisa Yoneyama
Perilous Moon: Occupied France, 1944—The End Game
by Stuart Nimmo&“A volume that&’s not quite like anything else: the story of [the author&’s] father and the Nazi air ace who shot him out of the sky over Occupied France&” (Open Letters Monthly). Perilous Moon is a lavishly illustrated book that observes Occupied France during World War II through the eyes of British bomber pilot Neil Nimmo and newly discovered period photographs. Shot down by Luftwaffe night fighter pilot Helmut Bergmann, Nimmo and his crew were the German&’s sixth of seven victims in forty-six minutes. With seven wrecked Lancasters and thirty-eight Allied airmen killed, Bergmann had singlehandedly turned what should have been a relatively simple RAF raid into a life-long nightmare. With barely time to parachute from Q-Queenie, his stricken Lancaster, Neil Nimmo&’s unholy adventure had only just begun. Unusually, Perilous Moon follows both pilots, Nimmo and Bergmann, through the war after that April night, and continues to observe them as the Occupation of France comes to a sticky end. In the late 1980s, Neil Nimmo passed awat, but in Perilous Moon, his son Stuart Nimmo, a Paris-based documentary maker, closely chronicles the period with over two hundred original, previously hidden photographs. This unusual, fascinating book cuts through the fog that shrouded the Occupation and which continued to linger for decades to come. &“A masterwork of rare images and gripping narrative.&” —Mort Rosenbloom, former editor of The International Herald Tribune &“The detail in the book, including scores of photos and maps, is remarkable.&” —The Huffington Post &“A special volume among the many about the war.&” —The Columbus Dispatch
Period Ship Modelmaking: A Illustrated Masterclass
by Philip ReedThis new shipmodeller's manual explains in graphic manner how to build a small 1/16th scale model of the American privateer schooner Prince de Neufchatel. She was one of a new class of large, fast and seaworthy schooners that first made their appearance during the war of 1812. She had a short but notoriously successful career that earned her a permanent place in her nation's history. World-renowned ship modeller Phil Reed describes in this new book how to build two versions of this ship: a waterline model and a full-hull display model. Building on the success of his first book, Modelling Sailing Men-of-War, which described the complex building process of the 74-gun ship, he has here taken a simpler vessel, to encourage the less experienced shipwright to embark upon a scratch-built hull. Taking this schooner as a prototype, the author passes on a wealth of experience which will enable modellers of all skill levels to confidently tackle every aspect of building any small fore-and-aft rigged vessel.
Periscope Patrol: The Saga of the Malta Force Submarines
by John Frayn TurnerThe Malta Force submarines had the vital task of interrupting German and Italian convoys crossing the Mediterranean to resupply Rommel and his Army in North Africa. The outcome of the Desert War depended on this.Operations from the beleaguered island were hazardous both at sea and in port. The Naval Base was under constant air attack. Due to the courage and tenacity of the crews by the time the Malta-based submarines were at full strength a staggering 50% of Axis shipping bound for Africa failed to arrive at its destination. The submarines sank some 75 enemy vessels totalling 400,000 tons.Periscope Patrol picks out the highlights of their actions and sets them against the bombed-out background of Malta, the island awarded the George Cross for its single handed stand. This is a hugely readable and informative account of submarine warfare at its toughest and roughest.
Perpetrators in Holocaust Narratives: Encountering the Nazi Beast
by Joanne PettittThis study provides a comprehensive analysis of representations of Holocaust perpetrators in literature. Such texts, often rather controversially, seek to undo the myth of pure evil that surrounds the Holocaust and to reconstruct the perpetrator in more human (“banal”) terms. Following this line of thought, protagonists frequently place emphasis on the contextual or situational factors that led up to the genocide. A significant consequence of this is the impact that it has on the reader, who is thereby drawn into the narrative as a potential perpetrator who could, in similar circumstances, have acted in similar ways. The tensions that this creates, especially in relation to the construction of empathy, constitutes a major focus of this work. Making use of in excess of sixty primary sources, this work explores fictional accounts of Holocaust perpetration as well as Nazi memoirs. It will be of interest to anyone working in the broad areas of Holocaust literature and/or perpetrator studies.
Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace: How We Got to Be So Hated (Nation Bks.)
by Gore VidalThe United States has been engaged in what the great historian Charles A. Beard called "perpetual war for perpetual peace. " The Federation of American Scientists has cataloged nearly 200 military incursions since 1945 in which the United States has been the aggressor. In a series of penetrating and alarming essays, whose centerpiece is a commentary on the events of September 11, 2001 (deemed too controversial to publish in this country until now) Gore Vidal challenges the comforting consensus following September 11th and goes back and draws connections to Timothy McVeigh's bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. He asks were these simply the acts of "evil-doers?" "Gore Vidal is the master essayist of our age. " -- Washington Post "Our greatest living man of letters. "--Boston Globe "Vidal's imagination of American politics is so powerful as to compel awe. "--Harold Bloom, The New York Review of Books
Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle
by Kenneth W. NoeWinner of the Seaborg Civil War Prize: &“Impressively researched . . . will please many readers, especially those who enjoy exciting battle histories.&” ―Journal of Military History On October 8, 1862, Union and Confederate forces clashed near Perryville in what would be the largest battle ever fought on Kentucky soil. The climax of a campaign that began two months before in northern Mississippi, Perryville came to be recognized as the high-water mark of the western Confederacy. Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle is the definitive account of this important conflict. While providing all the parry and thrust one might expect from an excellent battle narrative, the book also reflects the new trends in Civil War history in its concern for ordinary soldiers and civilians caught in the slaughterhouse. The last chapter, unique among Civil War battle narratives, even discusses the battle&’s veterans, their families, efforts to preserve the battlefield, and the many ways Americans have remembered and commemorated Perryville. &“This superb book unravels the complexities of Perryville, but discloses these military details within their social and political contexts. These considerations greatly enrich our understanding of war, history, and human endeavor.&” —Virginia Quarterly Review &“It should remain the definitive work of the Perryville campaign for many years.&” —Bowling Green Daily News
Persecution and Rescue: The Politics of the “Final Solution” in France, 1940-1944
by Wolfgang SeibelIn 1942, two years after invading France, the Germans implemented their policy of exterminating the Jews. In contrast to Jews in many parts of German-occupied Europe, however, the majority of Jews in France survived, thanks to opposition to the Nazi extermination policy from Church dignitaries and the moral indignation of the average Frenchmen. Seeking to maintain popular support, the Vichy Regime bargained with the Germans over the substance and extent of its collaboration, which the Germans needed in order to hold France. Drawing on German and French sources, Wolfgang Seibel traces the twisted process of political decision-making that shaped the fate of the Jews in German-occupied France during World War II. By analyzing the German-French negotiations, he reveals the underlying logic as well as the actual course of the bargaining process as both the Vichy Regime and the Germans sought a stable relationship. Yet that relationship was continually reshaped by the progress of the war, Germany's deteriorating prospects, France's economic and geopolitical position, and the Vichy government's quest for domestic political support. The Jews' suffering intensified when the Germans had the upper hand; but when the French felt empowered, the Vichy Regime stopped collaborating in the completion of the "final solution." Persecution and Rescue: The Politics of the "Final Solution" in France, 1940-1944 demonstrates the ways in which political circumstances can mitigate-or foster-mass crime.
Pershing's Tankers: Personal Accounts of the AEF Tank Corps in World War I (Ausa Bks.)
by Lawrence M. Kaplan&“Compelling . . . highly recommended to students of the Great War or of armored force development.&” —The Journal of America's Military Past After the United States declared war against Germany in April 1917, the US Army established the Tank Corps to help break the deadlock of trench warfare in France. The army envisioned having a large tank force by 1919, but when the war ended in November 1918, only three tank battalions had participated in combat operations. Shortly after, Brigadier Gen. Samuel D. Rockenbach, chief of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) Tank Corps under Gen. John J. Pershing, issued a memorandum to many of his officers to write brief accounts of their experiences that would supplement official records. Their narratives varied in size, scope, and depth, and covered a range of topics, including the organizing, training, and equipping of the tank corps. For the first time since these reports were submitted, Pershing's Tankers: Personal Accounts of the AEF Tank Corps in World War I presents an unprecedented look into the experiences of soldiers in the US Army Tank Corps. The book provides fresh insight into the establishment and combat operations of the tank corps, including six personal letters written by Col. George S. Patton Jr., who commanded a tank brigade in World War I. Congressional testimony, letters, and a variety of journal, magazine, and newspaper articles in this collection provide additional context to the officers&’ revealing accounts. Based on completely new sources that include official US Army personnel reports previously unknown to researchers, this illuminating work offers a vivid picture of life and activities in the US Army Tank Corps in France; a rare glimpse into the thoughts and experiences of a broad cross-section of men from the senior leadership down to the platoon level; and a behind-the-scenes look at how this first generation of &“tankers&” helped develop new war-fighting capabilities for the US Army.