- Table View
- List View
Moment of Battle
by Williamson Murray Jim LaceyTwo modern masters of military history make their case for the twenty most pivotal battles of all time, in a riveting trip through the ages to those moments when the fate of the world hung in the balance. In the grand tradition of Edward Creasy's classic Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World, James Lacey and Williamson Murray spotlight only those engagements that changed the course of civilization. In gripping narrative accounts they bring these conflicts and eras to vivid life, detailing the cultural imperatives that led inexorably to the battlefield, the experiences of the common soldiers who fought and died, and the legendary commanders and statesmen who matched wits, will, and nerve for the highest possible stakes. From the great clashes of antiquity to the high-tech wars of the twenty-first century, here are the stories of the twenty most consequential battles ever fought, including * Marathon, where Greece's "greatest generation" repelled Persian forces three times their numbers--and saved Western civilization in its infancy * Adrianople, the death blow to a disintegrating Roman Empire * Trafalgar, the epic naval victory that cemented a century of British supremacy over the globe * Saratoga, the first truly American victory, won by united colonial militias, which ensured the ultimate triumph of the Revolution * Midway, the ferocious World War II sea battle that broke the back of the Japanese navy * Dien Bien Phu, the climactic confrontation between French imperial troops and Viet Minh rebels that led to American intervention in Vietnam and marked the rise of a new era of insurgent warfare * Operation Peach, the perilous 2003 mission to secure a vital bridge over the Euphrates River that would open the way to Baghdad Historians and armchair generals will argue forever about which battles have had the most direct impact on history. But there can be no doubt that these twenty are among those that set mankind on new trajectories. Each of these epochal campaigns is examined in its full historical, strategic, and tactical context--complete with edge-of-your-seat you-are-there battle re-creations. With an eye for the small detail as well as the bigger picture, Lacey and Murray identify the elements that bind these battles together: the key decisions, critical mistakes, and moments of crisis on which the fates of entire civilizations depended. Some battles merely leave a field littered with the bodies of the fallen. Others transform the map of the entire world. Moment of Battle is history written with the immediacy of today's news, a magisterial tour d'horizon that refreshes our understanding of those essential turning points where the future was decided. Advance praise for Moment of Battle "A riveting human story about how a few remarkable individuals changed 2,500 years of history."--Victor Davis Hanson, author of Carnage and Culture and The Savior Generals"Two world-class historians present, eloquently and persuasively, twenty battles that fundamentally changed the course of history. Moment of Battle is a must acquisition for anyone seeking to understand the nature of human development--and its turning points."--Dennis E. Showalter, professor of history, Colorado College, author of Armor and BloodFrom the Hardcover edition.
A Moment of History A Russian Soldier in World War I
by Nahum SabsayA Moment of History, first published in 1960, is Nahum Sabsay's dramatic account of his years as a front-line Russian soldier fighting the Germans and Austrians. Especially memorable is his description of the an informal truce where the Russian and Austrian troops, separated by a No-man's land, sang and danced together, followed the next day by intense artillery barrages on each side. The book also depicts the fall of Czarist Russia and the fight against the Communist Red Army. Choosing to flee this chaos, author Sabsay would travel eastward across Siberia, arriving in the U.S. In 1918, he would go on to study mining engineering at Harvard and moved to California where he worked as a tool and die maker while perfecting his English and writing. Sabsay died in 1965.
The Moment of the Magician (Gateway Essentials #283)
by Alan Dean FosterIn The Moment of the Magician Alan Dean Foster continues the adventures of Jon Thomas Meriweather, the Spellsinger, in a land where magic and constant danger combine against a background of beauty and individual courage. Jon-Tom (as he is known in the land), in his quest to find a way back to his own world, discovers that there exists in the land another human from Earth who may hold the secret he so desperately seeks. This individual, however, is reputedly evil and has strange powers. Jon-Tom's adventures in seeking out this mysterious and dangerous human make this sequel to The Day of Dissonance a suspenseful and exciting saga in the Spellsinger epoch.
Monarchies and the Great War (Palgrave Studies in Modern Monarchy)
by Matthew Glencross Judith RowbothamThis volume challenges the traditional view that the First World War represents a pivotal turning point in the long history of monarchy, suggesting the picture is significantly more complex. Using a comparative approach, it explores the diverse roles played by monarchs during the Great War, and how these met the expectations of the monarchic institution in different states at a time of such crisis. Its contributors not only explore less familiar narratives, including the experiences of monarchs in Belgium and Italy, as well as the Austro-Hungarian, Japanese and Ottoman Empires, but also cast fresh light on more familiar accounts. In doing so, this book moves away from the conventional view that monarchy showed itself irrelevant in the Great War, by drawing on new approaches to diplomatic and international history - ones informed by cultural contextualization for instance - while grounding the research behind each chapter in a wide range of contemporary sources The chapters provide an innovative revisiting of the actual role of monarchy at this crucial period in European (indeed, global) history, and are framed by a substantial introductory chapter where the key factors explaining the survival or collapse of dynasties, and of the individuals occupying these thrones, are considered in a wide-ranging set of reflections that highlight the extent of common experiences as well as the differences.
Monarchism in the Weimar Republic
by Dr Walter Kaufmann“The present essay is a pragmatic study of monarchism as a political factor in Germany during the period of the Weimar Republic. It seeks to illuminate the history of that period by concentrating on the most powerful opposing force with which the democratic republic in Germany was confronted during the major part of its existence. It also aims at an answer to the question why the fall of the Weimar Republic did not bring about a restoration of the monarchy but, on the contrary, destroyed monarchism together with democracy.“In tracing monarchism during the Weimar Republic, we shall distinguish two main periods. During the first, until 1923, monarchism was the core of a violent rightist opposition to the republican form of government. During the second, from 1923 to 1933, monarchism adopted a more moderate policy. It became an oppositional movement in the republican state in whose government it participated at various times, while it gradually became outflanked by a non-monarchistic rightist movement—National Socialism.”
Monash: As Military Commander
by Dr. Peter PedersenDr Peter Pedersen&’s scholarly study of Sir John Monash remains the finest analysis of Australia&’s best known military leader. In 1918 the Australian Corps under Monash&’s command played a leading role in the Allied advance to victory on the Western Front. Its successes in the battles of Hamel and Amiens, the taking of Mont St Quentin and Péronne and the breaching of the Hindenburg Line are among the most prominent landmarks in Australia&’s military history. Monash was central to these pivotal achievements. This book traces Monash&’s development as a commander from his pre-war militia service to his wartime experience at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. It examines in detail how each stage of his military career influenced his approach to command and the tactical problems he faced as the wartime commander of an infantry brigade and division and, ultimately, the Australian Corps. The influence of his education and civilian training are also examined in this meticulous study. What emerges from this nuanced and sophisticated assessment of Monash as a soldier is a superb portrayal of how a commander works and what he could achieve under conditions so inimical to the exercise of command as those that prevailed on the Western Front. Along the way, Dr Pedersen establishes Monash&’s place among his contemporaries, British and Australian, and provides the definitive answer to the question &‘Just how good was Monash?&’ Published for the centenary of the great victories of 1918, this new and updated edition of Dr Pedersen&’s classic work is a timely study of Australia&’s finest general.
Monash's Masterpiece: The battle of Le Hamel and the 93 minutes that changed the world
by Peter FitzSimonsThe Battle of Le Hamel on 4 July 1918 was an Allied triumph, and strategically very important in the closing stages of WWI. A largely Australian force, commanded by the brilliant Sir John Monash, fought what has been described as the first modern battle - where infantry, tanks, artillery and planes operated together as a coordinated force.Monash planned every detail meticulously, with nothing left to chance. Integrated use of tanks, planes, infantry, wireless (and even carrier pigeons!) was the basis, and it went on from there, down to the details: everyone used the same maps, with updated versions delivered by motorbike despatch riders to senior commanders, including Monash. Each infantry battalion was allocated to a tank group, and they advanced together. Supplies and ammunition were dropped as needed from planes. The losses were relatively few. In the words of Monash: 'A perfected modern battle plan is like nothing so much as a score for an orchestral composition, where the various arms and units are the instruments, and the tasks they perform are their respective musical phrases.'Monash planned for the battle to last for 90 minutes - in the end it went for 93. What happened in those minutes changed for the rest of the war the way the British fought battles, and the tactics and strategies used by the Allies.Peter FitzSimons brings this Allied triumph to life, and tells this magnificent story as it should be told.
Monash's Masterpiece: The battle of Le Hamel and the 93 minutes that changed the world
by Peter FitzSimonsThe Battle of Le Hamel on 4 July 1918 was an Allied triumph, and strategically very important in the closing stages of WW1. A largely Australian force commanded by the brilliant John Monash, fought what has described as the first modern battle - where infantry, tanks, artillery and planes operated together, as a coordinated force.Monash planned every detail meticulously - with nothing left to chance: integrated use of planes, wireless (and even carrier pigeons!)was the basis, and it went on from there, down to the details.Infantry, artillery, tanks and planes worked together of the battlefront, with relatively few losses. In the words of Monash: 'A perfect modern battle plan is like nothing so much as a score for an orchestral composition, where the various arms and units are the instruments, and the tasks they perform are their respective musical phrases.'
Monchy le Preux: Arras (Battleground Europe)
by Colin FoxAs the motorist speeds past Arras on the motorway south to Paris, a look to the east should bring into view the hilltop village of Monchy le Preux. This farming community dominates the ground to the North (as it falls away to the River Scarpe) and to the South ( to the River Coejeul). In the early days of the Battle of Arras in the spring of 1917 the Village fell to British attacks after a stubborn resistance by the German defenders.Therefore the struggle continued to wage just to its east as all attempts to move the line significantly further into the German defences failed. In 1918 the German spring offensive rapidly regained lost ground, but stumbled and faltered on the outskirts of Arras. When it came to the British turn to launch what was to turn put to be the final offensive of the war in this sector; it was the Canadian forces that led the way here. Monchy and the countryside round about has returned, for the most part, to a tranquil, rural spot. Few of the topographical features that loomed so important in 1917 and 1918 have disappeared, so that this is a battlefield where it is easy to follow the action, whilst walking along its tracks shows how significant a vantage point this was to the combatants of 1917 and 1918.There are a few remnants of the war, and mementoes continue to give stark reminders of the bitter struggles of eighty years and more ago. In the spring of 1998 over twenty British soldiers whose bodies had been unexpectedly unearthed in the course of land development were buried in Monchy British cemetery
Monetarism, Economic Crisis and the Third World
by Karel JansenFirst Published in 1983. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Money Mountain: The Story of Cripple Creek Gold
by Marshall SpragueCripple Creek was the last of the open gold camps before mining fell to giant corporations. Its life was short and violent, but towns, cities, schools, railroads, institutions and financial dynasties grew upon its yield. Today a million tourists each year pour through the region, enjoying what Teddy Roosevelt called "the ride that bankrupts the English language" through Cripple's upper reaches, and imagining the gaudy, brawling days when the quiet, patched and peeling facades of the town were new.Those are the days that Marshall Sprague, New York Times correspondent, calls back to life in this fascinating book.He says of his book: "When I moved to Colorado Springs, and began hearing about Cripple, I wanted some information. None existed in one place, so I dug up the story. I spent a year at it. I combed the libraries, news files, directories, court records and cemeteries. Most important, I interviewed dozens of Cripple Creek pioneers. I hope this adds freshness to a story which should have been written a long time ago."
The Mongol Art of War: Chinggis Khan And The Mongol Military System
by Timothy MayThe renowned historian &“combines exhaustive research and accessible prose for this . . . definitive study&” of the Mongol empire&’s military practices (Publishers Weekly). The armies of the Mongol empire are one of the most successful, yet least understood, military forces in history. Often viewed as screaming throngs of horsemen who conquered by sheer force of numbers, they were in fact highly organized regiments who blindsided their opponents with innovative tactics and combat skills. Through the leadership of brilliant military strategists, they achieved the largest land empire ever established, stretching across Asia and into eastern Europe. In this pioneering study, historian Timothy May demonstrates how the Mongol military developed from a tribal levy into a disciplined and complex military organization. He describes the make-up of the Mongol army from its inception to the demise of the empire. With profiles of Mongol military leaders such as Chinggis Khan—also known as Genghis Khan—May shows how their strength, quality and versatility made them the pre-eminent warriors of their time.
The Mongol Conquests: The Military Operations of Genghis Khan and Sübe'etei
by Carl Fredrik Sverdrup“A scholarly, detailed history of how the Mongols created the greatest landlocked empire in history” (Midwest Book Review).The Mongols created the greatest landlocked empire known to history. It was an empire created and sustained by means of conquest. Initially an insignificant tribal leader, Genghis Khan gradually increased his power, overcoming one rival after another. After he had subjugated all tribes of Inner Asia, he struck southward into China and later attacked distant Khwarizm in the Near East. Sübe’etei continued to make significant conquests after Genghis Khan died, conquering central China and leading a large force into the heart of Europe. Between them, Genghis Khan and Sube’etei directed more than 40 campaigns, fought more than 60 battles, and conquered all lands from Korea in the east to Hungary and Poland in the west.This book offers a detailed narrative of the military operations of these two leaders, based on early Mongolian, Chinese, Near Eastern, and European sources. Making full use of Chinese sourced not translated properly into any European language, the account offer details never before given in English works. Detailed maps showing the operations support the text. Many conventional wisdom views of the Mongols, such as their use of terror as a deliberate strategy, or their excellence at siege warfare, are shown to be incorrect. This is a major contribution to our knowledge of the Mongols and their way of warfare.“History is littered with great leaders leading great armies and conquering large swathes of the world—Attila the Hun, Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire . . . but none perhaps as staggering as that of Genghis Khan. I have never heard of Sube’etei, I’m ashamed to say, until now, in this excellent book by Carl Fredrik Sverdrup. Asian history has never particularly appealed to me, but this is big history, and the author’s style makes it compelling and readable.” —Books Monthly“This is a very valuable addition to the literature on the Mongol conquests, giving us a much clearer idea of the detailed course of their campaigns, the world in which they took place, and the methods used to win them.” —History of War
The Mongol Empire: Genghis Khan, his heirs and the founding of modern China
by John ManGenghis Khan is one of history's immortals: a leader of genius, driven by an inspiring vision for peaceful world rule. Believing he was divinely protected, Genghis united warring clans to create a nation and then an empire that ran across much of Asia.Under his grandson, Kublai Khan, the vision evolved into a more complex religious ideology, justifying further expansion. Kublai doubled the empire's size until, in the late 13th century, he and the rest of Genghis’s ‘Golden Family’ controlled one fifth of the inhabited world. Along the way, he conquered all China, gave the nation the borders it has today, and then, finally, discovered the limits to growth.Genghis's dream of world rule turned out to be a fantasy. And yet, in terms of the sheer scale of the conquests, never has a vision and the character of one man had such an effect on the world.Charting the evolution of this vision, John Man provides a unique account of the Mongol Empire, from young Genghis to old Kublai, from a rejected teenager to the world’s most powerful emperor.
The Mongol Invasions of Japan 1274 and 1281
by Stephen Turnbull Richard HookThe two attempts by Khubilai Khan, the Mongol Emperor of China, to invade Japan in 1274 and 1281 represent unique events in the history of both countries. It pitted the samurai of Japan against the fierce warriors of the steppes who had conquered half the known world.The Mongol conquest of Korea left them with a considerable quantity of maritime resources, which enabled them to thin seriously for the first time about crossing the Tsushima strait between Korea and Japan with an army of invasion. The first invasion, which began with savage raiding on the islands of Tsushima and Iki, made a landfall at Hakata Bay and forced the samurai defenders back inland. Luckily for the Japanese defenders, a storm scattered the Mongol invasion fleet, leading them to abandon this attempt. In the intervening years the Japanese made defensive preparation, and the Mongol increased their fleet and army, so that the second invasion involved one of the largest seaborne expeditions in world history up to that time. This attempt was aimed at the same landing site, Hakata Bay, and met stiffer opposition form the new defences and the aggressive Japanese defenders. Forced buy a series of major Japanese raids to stay in their ships at anchor, the Mongol fleet was obliterated by a typhoon - the kami kaze (divine wind) - for the loss of as many as 90 per cent of the invaders. Although further preparations were made for an assault by the Mongols at the end of the 13ht and beginning of the 14th centuries, this proved to be the last realistic threat of an invasion of the home islands till 1945.
The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East
by Nicholas MortonHow the Mongol invasions of the Near East reshaped the balance of world power in the Middle Ages. For centuries, the Crusades have been central to the story of the medieval Near East, but these religious wars are only part of the region's complex history. As The Mongol Storm reveals, during the same era the Near East was utterly remade by another series of wars: the Mongol invasions. In a single generation, the Mongols conquered vast swaths of the Near East and upended the region's geopolitics. Amid the chaos of the Mongol onslaught, long-standing powers such as the Byzantines, the Seljuk Turks, and the crusaders struggled to survive, while new players such as the Ottomans arose to fight back. The Mongol conquests forever transformed the region, while forging closer ties among societies spread across Eurasia. This is the definitive history of the Mongol assault on the Near East and its enduring global consequences.(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East
by Nicholas Morton'Deeply researched and elegantly written - essential reading' Dan JonesHow the Mongol invasions of the Near East reshaped the balance of world power in the Middle Ages. For centuries, the Crusades have been central to the story of the medieval Near East, but these religious wars are only part of the region's complex history. As The Mongol Storm reveals, during the same era the Near East was utterly remade by another series of wars: the Mongol invasions. In a single generation, the Mongols conquered vast swaths of the Near East and upended the region's geopolitics. Amid the chaos of the Mongol onslaught, long-standing powers such as the Byzantines, the Seljuk Turks, and the crusaders struggled to survive, while new players such as the Ottomans arose to fight back. The Mongol conquests forever transformed the region, while forging closer ties among societies spread across Eurasia. This is the definitive history of the Mongol assault on the Near East and its enduring global consequences.
The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East
by Nicholas MortonHow the Mongol invasions of the Near East reshaped the balance of world power in the Middle Ages For centuries, the Crusades have been central to the story of the medieval Near East, but these religious wars are only part of the region&’s complex history. As The Mongol Storm reveals, during the same era the Near East was utterly remade by another series of wars: the Mongol invasions. In a single generation, the Mongols conquered vast swaths of the Near East and upended the region&’s geopolitics. Amid the chaos of the Mongol onslaught, long-standing powers such as the Byzantines, the Seljuk Turks, and the crusaders struggled to survive, while new players such as the Ottomans arose to fight back. The Mongol conquests forever transformed the region, while forging closer ties among societies spread across Eurasia. This is the definitive history of the Mongol assault on the Near East and its enduring global consequences.
The Mongrel Mage (Saga of Recluce #19)
by L. E. Modesitt Jr.The Saga of Recluce chronicles the history of this world with world-building detail and an ingenious and disciplined magic system. L. E. Modesitt, Jr. returns to his longest and bestselling fantasy series with volume nineteen, The Mongrel Mage, which marks the beginning of a new story arc. In the world of Recluce, powerful mages can wield two kinds of magic—the white of Chaos or the black of Order. Beltur, however, has talents no one dreamed of, talents not seen in hundreds of years that blend both magics. On the run from a power hungry white mage, Beltur is taken in by Order mages who set him on the path to discover and hone his own unique gifts and in the process find a home.However, when the white mage he fled attempts to invade his new home, Beltur must hope his new found power will be enough to save them all. Saga of Recluce #1 The Magic of Recluce / #2 The Towers of the Sunset / #3 The Order War / #4 The Magic Engineer / #5 The Death of Chaos / #6 Fall of Angels / #7 The Chaos Balance / #8 The White Order / #9 Colors of Chaos / #10 Magi’i of Cyador / #11 Scion of Cyador / #12 Wellspring of Chaos / #13 Ordermaster / #14 Natural Order Mage / #15 Mage-Guard of Hamor / #16 Arms-Commander / #17 Cyador’s Heirs / #18 Heritage of Cyador / #19 The Mongrel Mage Story Collection: Recluce Tales Other Series by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. The Imager Portfolio, The Corean Chronicles, The Spellsong Cycle, The Ghost Books, The Ecolitan Matter At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The Monitor Boys: The Crew of the Union's First Ironclad (Civil War Series)
by John V QuarsteinThe stories of the officers and crew who served aboard the ironclad warship up until that fateful stormy New Year&’s Eve in 1862. The United States Navy&’s first ironclad warship rose to glory during the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, but there's much more to know about the USS Monitor. Historian John Quarstein has painstakingly compiled bits of historical data gathered through years of research to present the first comprehensive picture of the lives of the officers and crew who served faithfully in an iron ship unlike any vessel previously known. &“The Monitor Boys,&” a moniker the men gave themselves, is a reflection of how these hundred-odd souls were bound together through storms, battles, boredom, and disaster. Just living aboard the ironclad took uncommon effort and fortitude. Their perseverance through the heat, stress, and unseaworthiness that defined life on the ship makes the study of those who dared it a worthy endeavor. Many recognized that they were part of history. Moreover, the Monitor Boys were agents in the change of naval warfare. Following Quarstein&’s compelling narrative is a detailed chronology as well as appendices including crew member biographies, casualties, and statistics and dimensions of the ship. Readers can dive into the world of the Monitor and meet William Flye, George Geer, and the rest of the men who risked everything by going to sea in the celebrated &“cheesebox on a raft&” and became the hope of a nation wracked by war. Includes illustrations
Monitoring Metabolic Status: Predicting Decrements in Physiological and Cognitive Performance
by Institute of Medicine of the National AcademiesThe U.S. military's concerns about the individual combat service member's ability to avoid performance degradation, in conjunction with the need to maintain both mental and physical capabilities in highly stressful situations, have led to and interest in developing methods by which commanders can monitor the status of the combat service members in the field. This report examines appropriate biological markers, monitoring technologies currently available and in need of development, and appropriate algorithms to interpret the data obtained in order to provide information for command decisions relative to the physiological readiness of each combat service member. More specifically, this report also provides responses to questions posed by the military relative to monitoring the metabolic regulation during prolonged, exhaustive efforts, where nutrition/hydration and repair mechanisms may be mismatched to intakes and rest, or where specific metabolic derangements are present.
Monitors of the Royal Navy: How the Fleet Brought the Big Guns to Bear
by Jim CrossleyMonitor warships mounted the biggest guns ever deployed by the Royal Navy, and played an undeniably important part in Allied efforts during World War One and Two. They were built as cheap "disposable" ships made out of redundant bits and pieces which the Admiralty happened to have available which could bring heavy artillery to bear on enemy coasts with pin point accuracy and on at least one occasion a force of only three monitors had a profound effect on the strategic situation in WW I. Being classed as disposable they were often exposed to risks far more recklessly than more expensive battle ships or heavy cruisers. So impressive was their performance in WW I that two were retained in service into WW II and did such good work during the North African campaign that two new ones were built and they fought in the Mediterranean, in the Normandy landings and in the advance of the Allied armies into occupied Europe. They astonished allies and enemies alike with the devastating effect of their accurate fire reaching targets 10 miles or more inland.The book deals with the origins of Monitors and how they evolved from the bomb ketches of the 18th century. It looks at how the various classes of monitor were designed and built and explores their careers in both World Wars, including the particular impact they had on the various campaigns in which they fought. It attempts to assess their effectiveness as compared to some other classes of ship, and is sure to appeal to a wide range of related enthusiasts.
Monkey Fun! (Xist Children's Books)
by Julia DweckMonkey Fun! proves that you’re never too young to begin your learning adventure. It’s a barrel of fun and chock full of interesting monkey facts written in easy to understand rhyming verse for toddlers ages 0-4. “That’s not a monkey who’s peeling a grape. Bigger and tailless, he must be an ape.” “Monkeys who live in a family group, travel together and share with their troop.” Bold, colorful illustrations by Aida Barba Flores will capture the attention of young readers and aid in story comprehension. This is an edutaining rhyming adventure that offers fun learning resources in the back of the book including, Mrs. Dweck’s monkey facts and a monkey counting game.
Monkey Wars
by Richard Kurti"Strikingly original" is how Anthony Horowitz, author of the Alex Rider series, describes Monkey Wars. "Kurti draws from history to deliver a powerful allegory . . . [and] keeps this effective, memorable tale rooted in reality." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review Sustain the weak. Destroy the strong. A dark fable in the vein of Animal Farm, Watership Down, and The Wave, this action-packed page-turner is told entirely from the monkeys' points of view and shines a light on the politics of power, the rise of tyrants, and the personal dilemmas that must be faced when your life is on the line. When rhesus monkeys are brutally massacred on the dusty streets of Kolkata by a troop of power-hungry langur monkeys, Mico, a privileged langur, becomes entangled in the secrets at the heart of his troop's leadership and is shocked at what he discovers. He feels compelled to help the few surviving rhesus, especially Papina, a young female he befriends, even though doing so goes against everything he's been taught. As more blood is spilled, Mico realizes that choosing between right and wrong won't be easy. Includes a note from the author, as well as interesting monkey species facts. Additional praise for MONKEY WARS "The allure of power--even for the most conscientious--is portrayed with frightening effectiveness. Powerful."--Kirkus Reviews "An imaginative fable about the nature of power and the responsibility of the individual. With plenty of action . . . a fascinating epilogue . . . [and] striking cover art." --Booklist "Following in the tradition of George Orwell's Animal Farm and William Golding's Lord of the Flies, war and politics shape the lives of several monkey troops. An interesting premise that will provide readers with an introduction to fascism and political corruption." --School Library JournalFrom the Hardcover edition.
Monongahela 1754#55
by Stephen Walsh Rene ChartrandOn 9 July 1755 amid the wilderness of North America, Britain suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in her history. General Braddock's army, a mixture of British regulars and American militia, was shattered, losing over 900 men from a force of 1,300. Braddock was killed and the remnants of his army rescued by his aide, Colonel George Washington. The origins of this defeat can be traced back to the death of a junior French officer little more than a year before in a relatively minor skirmish with a party of Virginian militia commanded by the same George Washington. René Chartrand examines the subsequent chain of events that ultimately sparked a world war.