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Potsdam: The End of World War II and the Remaking of Europe
by Michael NeibergAfter Germany’s defeat in World War II, Europe lay in tatters. Millions of refugees were dispersed across the continent. Food and fuel were scarce. Britain was bankrupt, while Germany had been reduced to rubble. In July of 1945, Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin gathered in a quiet suburb of Berlin to negotiate a lasting peace: a peace that would finally put an end to the conflagration that had started in 1914, a peace under which Europe could be rebuilt. The award-winning historian Michael Neiberg brings the turbulent Potsdam conference to life, vividly capturing the delegates’ personalities: Truman, trying to escape from the shadow of Franklin Roosevelt, who had died only months before; Churchill, bombastic and seemingly out of touch; Stalin, cunning and meticulous. For the first week, negotiations progressed relatively smoothly. But when the delegates took a recess for the British elections, Churchill was replaced--both as prime minster and as Britain’s representative at the conference--in an unforeseen upset by Clement Attlee, a man Churchill disparagingly described as "a sheep in sheep’s clothing. ” When the conference reconvened, the power dynamic had shifted dramatically, and the delegates struggled to find a new balance. Stalin took advantage of his strong position to demand control of Eastern Europe as recompense for the suffering experienced by the Soviet people and armies. The final resolutions of the Potsdam Conference, notably the division of Germany and the Soviet annexation of Poland, reflected the uneasy geopolitical equilibrium between East and West that would come to dominate the twentieth century. As Neiberg expertly shows, the delegates arrived at Potsdam determined to learn from the mistakes their predecessors made in the Treaty of Versailles. But, riven by tensions and dramatic debates over how to end the most recent war, they only dimly understood that their discussions of peace were giving birth to a new global conflict.
Potter's Raid through South Carolina: The Final Days of the Confederacy (Civil War Series)
by Tom ElmoreIn April 1865, Richmond had fallen, and the Confederacy was dying. Robert E. Lee had surrendered his army to Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia. Joseph Johnston was in North Carolina negotiating the surrender of his army to William T. Sherman. But in South Carolina, General Edward Potter was leading 2,500 Union soldiers, including the famed African American regiment the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, through the state's interior, intent on destroying the railroads and equipment. This is the story of Potter's Raid. Using rare and nearly forgotten accounts, historian Tom Elmore has compiled the story of this often-overlooked campaign that featured the last shots of the Civil War in the state that started it.
Pounding Skin (Skin Deep Inc. #2)
by L. A. WittA Skin Deep, Inc. NovelFighter pilot Jon Russell never sleeps with the same man twice. Known for his lack of shame when it comes to hooking up, Jon has no interest in commitment—even friends with benefits sounds like too much work. Matt Huffman has slept with lots of women. He’s had loads of girlfriends. So why does the hot as hell pilot getting a tattoo as the result of a lost bet stop his breath? And how come he can’t stop thinking about him, even after he’s gone?When Jon returns to Skin Deep the second time, he doesn’t want another tattoo. He wants to hook up with the gorgeous artist he spent hours agonizingly close to, and Matt wants to explore some curiosity about men. Fulfill the desire he can’t stop fantasizing over. And he wants to do it with Jon.As their casual hook up becomes more than just skin deep, both Matt and Jon are faced with questions they don’t want to answer. Matt understands he’s bi—but are these feelings he has typical of hooking up with a man? Or is it only Jon that can make his heart pound? If Jon wanted nothing more than a fling, why does he find himself needing not just Matt’s body, but all of him? And can their relationship withstand the hardships that makes Jon avoid them in the first place?Pounding Skin is part of the Skin Deep, Inc series. The Skin Deep, Inc books can be read in any order—come enter a world where gorgeous tattoo artists and hot Navy men find passion, pleasure, and a happily ever after together.L.A. Witt also writes under the name Lauren Gallagher.
Powder Burn
by Don PendletonA ruthless Colombian drug lord has launched a deadly campaign targeting DEA agents and U. S. diplomats. With the body count growing and the American government powerless, Mack Bolan is called in as a last resort to infiltrate the criminal syndicate and destroy the chain of command before more innocent blood is shed. As the number of attacks grows, Bolan knows he must shut down the operation quickly. But the cartel's ruthless expansion plan is well under way, and surrendering is not an option. Backed up by a group of right-wing terrorists, the cartel's leader has declared war on any organization-or man-that stands in his way. There's just one flaw in the plan. . . no one expected the Executioner.
Power Down
by Ben CoesIntroducing a major new thriller writer--in the vein of Vince Flynn and Brad Thor--and an electrifying character, Dewey Andreas A major North American hydroelectric dam is blown up and the largest off-shore oil field in this hemisphere is destroyed in a brutal, coordinated terrorist attack. But there was one factor that the terrorists didn't take into account when they struck the Capitana platform off the coast of Colombia--slaughtering much of the crew and blowing up the platform--and that was the Capitana crew chief Dewey Andreas. Dewey, former Army Ranger and Delta, survives the attack, rescuing as many of his men as possible. But the battle has just begun. While the intelligence and law enforcement agencies scramble to untangle these events and find the people responsible, the mysterious figure of Alexander Fortuna--an agent embedded into the highest levels of American society and business--sets into play the second stage of these long-planned attacks. The only fly in the ointment is Dewey Andreas--who is using all his long-dormant skills to fight his way off the platform, then out of Colombia and back to the U.S., following the trail of terrorists and operatives sent to stop him. Power Down is a gripping, compelling debut thriller from a powerful new author, an amazing talent certain to join the ranks of the genre's finest writers.
Power Play
by Patrick RobinsonIt is the year 2018—a highly volatile nuclear world. Israel has obliterated the deep underground nuclear weapons facility built by Iran. The United States has destroyed the nuclear facility of a defiant North Korea. Against this background, the Russians have upped the stakes in the latest world power-play—cyber warfare—to reduce the United States to helplessness: a three-strike missile attack on the National Security Agency at Fort Mead, Maryland, while simultaneously jamming the top-secret electronic access key to America’s nuclear launch system—the nuclear football. If successful, Russia would blow the United States off the nuclear map. Meanwhile the British Royal Navy, formerly the most powerful in the world, is rapidly crumbling, leaving the United States without its main deep sea ally at a time when they’re needed most. As this geo-political battle comes to light behind close doors dealings and dark secrets, it is up to Mossad spymaster, codenamed the ‘Golan,’ to avert the Russian scheme, and there is only one man he in turn can trust to get the job done: US Navy Seal Mack Bedford. It is now up to Mack Bedford, the hero previously encountered in The Delta Solution , Intercept , and Diamondhead , to devise a plan to stop the Russians before they and their cyber weaponry reach the Chinese border—the launch site of their master plan. And with the entire country’s fate in his hands, Mack and his hard-trained, one of a kind SEAL Team 10 must not, cannot fail.
Power Play
by Patrick RobinsonIt is the year 2018--a highly volatile nuclear world. Israel has obliterated the deep underground nuclear weapons facility built by Iran. The United States has destroyed the nuclear facility of a defiant North Korea.Against this background, the Russians have upped the stakes in the latest world power-play--cyber warfare--to reduce the United States to helplessness: a three-strike missile attack on the National Security Agency at Fort Mead, Maryland, while simultaneously jamming the top-secret electronic access key to America's nuclear launch system--the nuclear football. If successful, Russia would blow the United States off the nuclear map.Meanwhile the British Royal Navy, formerly the most powerful in the world, is rapidly crumbling, leaving the United States without its main deep sea ally at a time when they're needed most.As this geo-political battle comes to light behind close doors dealings and dark secrets, it is up to Mossad spymaster, codenamed the 'Golan,' to avert the Russian scheme, and there is only one man he in turn can trust to get the job done: US Navy Seal Mack Bedford.It is now up to Mack Bedford, the hero previously encountered in The Delta Solution, Intercept, and Diamondhead, to devise a plan to stop the Russians before they and their cyber weaponry reach the Chinese border--the launch site of their master plan. And with the entire country's fate in his hands, Mack and his hard-trained, one of a kind SEAL Team 10 must not, cannot fail.
Power Play
by Rick CampbellA thrilling new Trident Deception short story by Rick Campbell. The Russians have their newest class of nuclear attack submarine and is taking it, K-561 Kazan, on a shakedown cruise. Unbeknownst to them, however, this new submarine is being followed by an American submarine, the USS Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh is to gather any intelligence they can on this new Russian submarine while avoiding detection by the Russians. But what first appears to be the rollout of a new type of submarine, might well be something completely different. Instead the Pittsburgh witness a torpedo firing exercise—and the radical new technology might well not be the submarine, but the torpedo.
Power Play (The Mack Bedford Military Thrillers)
by Patrick RobinsonAn ex–Navy SEAL must thwart a nuclear attack on US soil in this military thriller by a #1 New York Times–bestselling author. A highly volatile nuclear world looms. Israel has obliterated the deep underground nuclear weapons facility built by Iran, and the United States is nerve-wracked about the stance of a defiant North Korea. Against this backdrop, the Russians plan a cyber warfare offensive on the US. In addition to a ballistic strike on the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, they plan to jam the top-secret electronic access key to America&’s missile launch system—the nuclear football. If successful, Russia would establish a temporary dominance over the United States. As this geopolitical battle rages in the shadows, behind locked doors, it is up to a Mossad spymaster based in Moscow to avert the Russian scheme. He calls upon the one man he believes can succeed, US Navy SEAL Commander Mack Bedford. It is now up to Mack to prevent the Russians&’ cyber weaponry from reaching the American mainland, at which point it would be impossible to stop . . . Perfect for fans of James Swallow, Tom Clancy, and Stephen Leather.Praise for the writing of Patrick Robinson&“One of the crown princes of the beach-read thriller.&” —Stephen Coonts, New York Times–bestselling author of The Disciple &“Patrick Robinson has tapped into our fear.&” —Torquay Herald Express&“Robinson [crafts] a fast-paced, chilling, yet believable tale.&” —San Francisco Examiner
Power Shifts, Strategy and War: Declining States and International Conflict (Routledge Global Security Studies)
by Dong Sun LeeMarked changes in the balance of power between states in the international system are generally seen by IR scholars as among the most common causes of war. This book explains why such power shifts lead to war breaking out in some cases, but not in others. In contrast to existing approaches, this book argues that the military strategy of declining states is the key determinant of whether power shifts result in war or pass peacefully. More specifically, Dong Sun Lee argues that the probability of war is primarily a function of whether a declining state possesses a ‘manoeuvre strategy’ or an ‘attrition strategy’. The argument is developed through the investigation of fourteen power shifts among great powers over the past two centuries. Shifts in the balance of power and the attendant risks of war remain an enduring feature of international politics. This book argues that policymakers need to understand the factors influencing the risk of war as a result of these changes, in particular the contemporary shifts in power resulting from the rise of China and from the growth of nuclear proliferation.
Power Struggle Over Afghanistan: An Inside Look at What Went Wrong--and What We Can Do to Repair the Damage
by Kai EideBased on the author's own conversations with President Karzai and other Afghan politicians, as well as prominent international representatives, Power Struggle Over Afghanistan is a Norwegian diplomat's account of his two years at the United Nations. Eide was President Karzai's closest international interlocutor from March 2008-2010 and he interacted with him regularly during the most hectic periods. It was a time marred by widespread fraud, including the controversial presidential elections, and gross international interference, much of which is still unknown to the general public.Working closely with Karzai, Eide was inevitably caught up in the rivalries between the Afghani authorities and the international community, as well as in the tensions generated by the security situation. Eide speaks freely and honestly about the political gambles, the military reality, and the people he met. His story is a unique account of contemporary Afghanistan, and its critique of military and civilian operations in Afghanistan will without doubt prove controversial.
Power and Democracy in America
by Peter F. Drucker Delbert C. Miller Miller Robert A.This book is a stimulating contribution to the new literature. It is not intended as a comprehensive review of the full range of topics nor is it solely a summary of research findings. It consists, in essence, of an open-ended debate on a limited series of related issues in which the reader is invited to participate. Who might profit by an examination of these topics? What can a reader expect to learn through perusing this particular account and even vicariously joining in the discussion of the social structure of power, the role of bureaucracy in American life today, and what is meant by a democratic society?In addition, the book offers the perceptive reader an illuminating example of a much neglected topic in that segment of the new literature which stems from the social sciences, namely, the role of the observer in relationship to what is observed.The editors should be commended for bringing together not a bland series of polite statements but a stimulating discussion which raises more questions than it answers. More important, it raises questions that have to be posed in any significant appraisal of America today.—John Useem, Head Sociology and Anthropology, Michigan State University
Power and Obsession: Invasion, betrayal and a desperate search for justice
by Catherine McCullaghShe eyed him nervously, this man who could end her life without a second thought. She had been complacent, lulled into forgetting the immense power he wielded over her ...London, 1941, and in the battered capital of occupied Britain, Emilia Shaw works as a translator for ruthless SS General Oskar Voigt. But Emilia is also a resistance spy, desperate to avoid the scrutiny of Voigt&’s security chief, Irish policeman Brendan O&’Connor, and his brutal offsider, SS Colonel Hans Morser. Promised the crown, the Duke of Windsor returns to London, unleashing a wave of violence from the resistance. The Duke pressures the puppet government for his coronation, but finds himself at the mercy of Hitler, the supreme kingmaker. As the violence escalates, Emilia is hunted by both the SS and the resistance, caught in the crossfire as the country threatens to implode. Ultimately, its fate lies in the hands of one man — the most unlikely of them all.Power and Obsession is the vividly imagined tale of an occupied London, a dark labyrinth peopled by the sinister, the smug and the sadistic. Yet it is also a gripping tale of reckless audacity and the obsessive search for justice.
Power and Stability: British Foreign Policy, 1865-1965 (Diplomacy And Statecraft Ser.)
by Erik Goldstein B.J.C.McKercherThe pursuit of stability drove British foreign policy even before 1865. These papers assess the implications of such a policy during the following 100 years when Britain slid from being the only global power to a regional European state.
Power and Terror: Conflict, Hegemony, and the Rule of Force (Chomsky from Routledge)
by Noam ChomskyIn this pertinent book, Noam Chomsky examines the imbalanced dynamics of international power relations and the use of state terror by the United States and other Western powers in the Middle East in the post-9/11 era. This edition features new forewords by Fred Branfman and Chris Hedges reasserting the enduring importance of Chomsky’s work and extending Chomsky’s analysis to recent developments in the Middle East.Chomsky explores international relations since World War II to demonstrate that contemporary acts of terrorism cannot be understood outside the context of Western power and state terror throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East. In doing so, Chomsky demonstrates that state terror is intrinsic to U.S. foreign policy and fundamental in the maintenance of Western hegemony throughout the so-called War on Terror, including throughout the Obama administration.This new edition offers a vital critique of U.S. foreign policy and its reliance on acts of terror to maintain its hegemony in the Middle East. It will therefore be vital reading for those who wish to understand the grim realities of Western foreign policy.
Power and the Maritime Domain: A Global Dialogue (Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies Series)
by Greg Kennedy William S. MoreiraThis book offers a multi-disciplinary and multi-national approach to defining key elements required to define power within the maritime domain. The volume engages with the concept that the maritime domain is a multi-dimensional space embracing oceans, seas, waterways, including all elements of maritime power, related activities, infrastructure, resources and assets. It illustrates the complexity and interconnectivity of the factors that contribute to the appreciation, creation, and application of maritime power. In practical terms, the book highlights that the maritime domain is a continuum that interconnects countries, cultures, politics, economics, trade, environment, knowledge, and technological power globally. Perhaps most importantly, the maritime domain generates power of its own volition, as well as acting as a critical enabler for the creation of other types of nations power: economic, political, military, technological, intelligence and fiscal power, in particular. The book not only brings those various factors to the reader’s attention but, in the synthesis, also clarifies the connections between the various elements in creating a greater maritime whole. This book will be of great interest to students of maritime security, strategic studies and International Relations.
Power and the Purse: Economic Statecraft, Interdependence and National Security
by Edward D. Mansfield Norrin M. Ripsman Jean-Marc F. BlanchardThe essays here address the relationship between economic interdependence and international conflict, the political economy of economic sanctions, and the role of economic incentives in international statecraft.
Power in Uncertain Times: Strategy in the Fog of Peace
by Emily O. GoldmanThis book examines America's evolving strategy on the international security environment, and comprehensively analyzes how different strategies position states to compete in the present and future, manage risk, and prevail despite uncertainty.
Power over Peoples
by Daniel R. HeadrickFor six hundred years, the nations of Europe and North America have periodically attempted to coerce, invade, or conquer other societies. They have relied on their superior technology to do so, yet these technologies have not always guaranteed success. Power over Peoples examines Western imperialism's complex relationship with technology, from the first Portuguese ships that ventured down the coast of Africa in the 1430s to America's conflicts in the Middle East today. Why did the sailing vessels that gave the Portuguese a century-long advantage in the Indian Ocean fail to overcome Muslim galleys in the Red Sea? Why were the same weapons and methods that the Spanish used to conquer Mexico and Peru ineffective in Chile and Africa? Why didn't America's overwhelming air power assure success in Iraq and Afghanistan? In Power over Peoples, Daniel Headrick traces the evolution of Western technologies--from muskets and galleons to jet planes and smart bombs--and sheds light on the environmental and social factors that have brought victory in some cases and unforeseen defeat in others. He shows how superior technology translates into greater power over nature and sometimes even other peoples, yet how technological superiority is no guarantee of success in imperialist ventures--because the technology only delivers results in a specific environment, or because the society being attacked responds in unexpected ways. Breathtaking in scope, Power over Peoples is a revealing history of technological innovation, its promise and limitations, and its central role in the rise and fall of empire.
Power, Institutions, and Leadership in War and Peace: Lessons from Peru and Ecuador, 1995-1998
by David R. Mares David Scott PalmerIn January 1995, fighting broke out between Ecuadorian and Peruvian military forces in a remote section of the Amazon. It took more than three years and the interplay of multiple actors and factors to achieve a definitive peace agreement, thus ending what had been the region's oldest unresolved border dispute. This conflict and its resolution provide insights about other unresolved and/or disputed land and sea boundaries which involve almost every country in the Western Hemisphere. Drawing on extensive field research at the time of the dispute and during its aftermath, including interviews with high-ranking diplomats and military officials, Power, Institutions, and Leadership in War and Peace is the first book-length study to relate this complex border dispute and its resolution to broader theories of conflict. The findings emphasize an emerging leadership approach in which individuals are not mere captives of power and institutions. In addition, the authors illuminate an overlap in national and international arenas in shaping effective articulation, perception, and selection of policy. In the "new" democratic Latin America that emerged in the late 1970s through the early 1990s, historical memory remains influential in shaping the context of disputes, in spite of presumed U. S. post-Cold War influence. This study offers important, broader perspectives on a hemisphere still rife with boundary disputes as a rising number of people and products (including arms) pass through these borderlands.
Power, Terror, Peace, and War
by Walter Russell MeadInternational affairs expert and award-winning author of Special Providence Walter Russell Mead here offers a remarkably clear-eyed account of American foreign policy and the challenges it faces post--September 11.Starting with what America represents to the world community, Mead argues that throughout its history it has been guided by a coherent set of foreign policy objectives. He places the record of the Bush administration in the context of America's historical relations with its allies and foes. And he takes a hard look at the international scene-from despair and decay in the Arab world to tumult in Africa and Asia-and lays out a brilliant framework for tailoring America's grand strategy to our current and future threats. Balanced, persuasive, and eminently sensible, Power, Terror, Peace, and War is a work of extraordinary significance on the role of the United States in the world today.From the Trade Paperback edition. Central Asia--threatens to create lawless, violent zones where terrorism can thrive, and weapons of mass destruction and biological and chemical weapons can proliferate.We learn why key American alliances have frayed and why the Bush administration's pronouncements and actions have ignited the most acrimonious U.S. political battles over foreign policy since the Vietnam War. Mead closes with a rigorous assessment of both Bush and his critics, and describes the urgent steps the United States must take lest casualties in the war on terror mount and the war itself spin out of control. He proposes a new approach to the war that can rebuild domestic and international support for a tough antiterror policy, outlines a new initiative for the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, and recommends sweeping changes for reforming international institutions, including the United Nations Security Council.Power, Terror, Peace, and War is a clear, concise guide to some of the most pressing issues before us, today and for the foreseeable future.From the Hardcover edition.
Powerful Peace: A Navy SEAL's Lessons on Peace from a Lifetime at War
by J. Robert DuBoisA Special Forces veteran and security advisor shares what he&’s learned about dealing with conflict: &“A powerful book&” (Peter Bergen). In this honest, hard-hitting look at war and peace, a Navy SEAL and experienced security consultant explains that force is sometimes necessary, that persuasion is more powerful, and that some conflict is unnecessary and preventable. The goal of Powerful Peace is to open the reader&’s mind about other cultures to comprehend that different does not have to mean wrong—and that an individual&’s life can be richer and more enjoyable when conflicts are handled wisely. Never before has a book been written by a SEAL with the intent of reducing conflict and its painful consequences for innocent victims. Powerful Peace addresses the hot topic of American fatigue from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—and, in a political environment that has soured many citizens&’ confidence in the direction of our national leadership, it offers hope that real solutions are available. &“Folks in Washington know Rob DuBois, &‘The Velvet Glove.&’ Now you can know the iron fist inside that glove.&” —Rear Adm. Brian Losey, Commander, Special Operations Command Africa &“Who else but a warrior could write so elegantly about peace?&” —Reza Aslan
Powering the World's Airliners: Engine Developments from the Propeller to the Jet Age
by Reiner DecherFrom propellers to turbofans, this illustrated history of engines will be “of interest to modelers and aviation historians alike” (AMPS Indianapolis).The first efforts of man to fly were limited by his ability to generate sufficient power to lift a heavier-than-air machine off the ground. Propulsion and thrust have therefore been the most fundamental elements in the development of aircraft engines.From the simple propellers of the first airliners of the 1920s and 1930s, to the turboprops and turbojets of the modern era, the engines used in airliners have undergone dramatic development over a century of remarkable change. These advances are examined in detail by aeronautical engineer Reiner Decher, who provides a layman’s guide to the engines that have, and continue to, power the aircraft that carry millions of travelers across millions of miles each year. Decher also looks at the development of aero engines during the Second World War and how that conflict drove innovation and explains the nature of wing design, from the early twentieth century to the present.To enable an easy understanding of this intriguing subject, Powering the World’s Airliners is profusely illustrated, transporting readers back to the time of each major development and introducing them to the key individuals of the aero industry in each era. After reading this comprehensive yet engaging story of the machines that power the aircraft in which we fly, no journey will ever seem quite the same again.
Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages
by Dan Jones&“An audacious, entertaining page-turner. Dan Jones covers a thousand years of history with elegance and panache.&”—Dan Carlin, host of Hardcore History"Simply the best popular history of the Middle Ages there is."—The Sunday Times (UK)The New York Times bestselling author returns with an epic history of the medieval world—a rich and complicated reappraisal of an era whose legacy and lessons we are still living with today.When the once-mighty city of Rome was sacked by barbarians in 410 and lay in ruins, it signaled the end of an era--and the beginning of a thousand years of profound transformation. In a gripping narrative bursting with big names—from Sts Augustine and Attila the Hun to the Prophet Muhammad and Eleanor of Aquitaine—Dan Jones charges through the history of the Middle Ages. Powers and Thrones takes readers on a journey through an emerging Europe, the great capitals of late Antiquity, as well as the influential cities of the Islamic West, and culminates in the first European voyages to the Americas.The medieval world was forged by the big forces that still occupy us today: climate change, pandemic disease, mass migration, and technological revolutions. This was the time when the great European nationalities were formed; when the basic Western systems of law and governance were codified; when the Christian Churches matured as both powerful institutions and the regulators of Western public morality; and when art, architecture, philosophical inquiry and scientific invention went through periods of massive, revolutionary change.The West was rebuilt on the ruins of an empire and emerged from a state of crisis and collapse to dominate the world. Every sphere of human life and activity was transformed in the thousand years covered by Powers and Thrones. As we face a critical turning point in our own millennium, Dan Jones shows that how we got here matters more than ever.
Poxed & Scurvied: The Story of Sickness and Health at Sea
by Kevin Brown&“A fascinating and wide-ranging history of health, hygiene, and the sea. This is a great narrative of an important but often hidden aspect of seafaring.&” —Ausmarine When European sailors began to explore the rest of the world, the problem of keeping healthy on such long voyages became acute. Malnourishment and crowded conditions bred disease, but they also carried epidemics that decimated the indigenous populations they encountered and brought back new diseases like syphilis. As navies developed, the well-being of crews became a dominant factor in the success of naval operations, so it is no surprise that the Royal Navy led the way in shipboard medical provision, and sponsored many of the advances in diet and hygiene which by the Napoleonic Wars gave its fleets a significant advantage over all its enemies. These improvements trickled down to the merchant service, but the book also looks at two particularly harsh maritime environments, the slave trade and emigrant ships, both of which required special medical arrangements. Eventually, the struggle to improve the fitness of seamen became a national concern, manifest in a series of far-reaching and sometimes bizarre public health measures, generally directed against the effects of drunkenness and the pox. In this way, as in many others, an attempt to address the specific needs of the seafarer developed wider implications for society as a whole. It also produced scientific breakthroughs that were a universal benefit, so far from being a narrow study of medicine at sea, this book provides a fascinating picture of social improvement. &“The topics are intriguing, the research is thorough, and the book is a captivating read.&” —Nautical Research Journal