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On Intelligence: The History of Espionage and the Secret World
by John Hughes-WilsonThis book is a professional military-intelligence officer's and a controversial insider's view of some of the greatest intelligence blunders of recent history. It includes the serious developments in government misuse of intelligence in the recent war with Iraq. Colonel John Hughes-Wilson analyses not just the events that conspire to cause disaster, but why crucial intelligence is so often ignored, misunderstood or spun by politicians and seasoned generals alike. This book analyses: how Hitler's intelligence staff misled him in a bid to outfox their Nazi Party rivals; the bureaucratic bungling behind Pearl Harbor; how in-fighting within American intelligence ensured they were taken off guard by the Viet Cong's 1968 Tet Offensive; how over confidence, political interference and deception facilitated Egypt and Syria's 1973 surprise attack on Israel; why a handful of marines and a London taxicab were all Britain had to defend the Falklands; the mistaken intelligence that allowed Saddam Hussein to remain in power until the second Iraq War of 2003; the truth behind the US failure to run a terrorist warning system before the 9/11 WTC bombing; and how governments are increasingly pressurising intelligence agencies to 'spin' the party-political line.
On Justice, Power, and Human Nature: Selections from The History of the Peloponnesian War
by ThucydidesThis book makes the best known parts of Thucydides' History available to readers who are not scholars and do not want to get lost in the intricacies of Greek history or geography. Here is the basic narrative of the Peloponnesian War down to the Athenian disaster in Sicily. Here too are the famous speeches and debates, along with the vivid set-piece descriptions of the plague and the civil war and the gripping stories of the fall of Plataea and the loss of the Sicilian Expedition. Translated and edited by Paul Woodruff
On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society
by Dave GrossmanThe twentieth century, with its bloody world wars, revolutions, and genocides accounting for hundreds of millions dead, would seem to prove that human beings are incredibly vicious predators and that killing is as natural as eating. But Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman, a psychologist and U. S. Army Ranger, demonstrates this is not the case. The good news, according to Grossman - drawing on dozens of interviews, first-person reports, and historic studies of combat, ranging from Frederick the Great's battles in the eighteenth century through Vietnam - is that the vast majority of soldiers are loath to kill. In World War II, for instance, only 15 to 25 percent of combat infantry were willing to fire their rifles. The provocative news is that modern armies, using Pavlovian and operant conditioning, have learned how to overcome this reluctance. In Korea about 50 percent of combat infantry were willing to shoot, and in Vietnam the figure rose to over 90 percent. The bad news is that by conditioning soldiers to overcome their instinctive loathing of killing, we have drastically increased post-combat stress - witness the devastated psychological state of our Vietnam vets as compared with those from earlier wars. And the truly terrible news is that contemporary civilian society, particularly the media, replicates the army's conditioning techniques and - according to Grossman's controversial thesis - is responsible for our rising rates of murder and violence, particularly among the young. In the explosive last section of the book, he argues that high-body-count movies, television violence (both news and entertainment), and interactive point-and-shoot video games are dangerously similar to thetraining programs that dehumanize the enemy, desensitize soldiers to the psychological ramifications of killing, and make pulling the trigger an automatic response.
On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society
by Lt. Col. Dave GrossmanA controversial psychological examination of how soldiers&’ willingness to kill has been encouraged and exploited to the detriment of contemporary civilian society. Psychologist and US Army Ranger Dave Grossman writes that the vast majority of soldiers are loath to pull the trigger in battle. Unfortunately, modern armies, using Pavlovian and operant conditioning, have developed sophisticated ways of overcoming this instinctive aversion. The mental cost for members of the military, as witnessed by the increase in post-traumatic stress, is devastating. The sociological cost for the rest of us is even worse: Contemporary civilian society, particularly the media, replicates the army&’s conditioning techniques and, Grossman argues, is responsible for the rising rate of murder and violence, especially among the young. Drawing from interviews, personal accounts, and academic studies, On Killing is an important look at the techniques the military uses to overcome the powerful reluctance to kill, of how killing affects the soldier, and of the societal implications of escalating violence.
On Killing Remotely: The Psychology of Killing with Drones
by Lieutenant Colon Wayne PhelpsA &“can&’t-miss for anyone interested in current military affairs,&” On Killing Remotely reveals and explores the costs—to individual soldiers and to society—of the way we wage war today (Kirkus Reviews, starred). Throughout history society has determined specific rules of engagement between adversaries in armed conflict. With advances in technology, from armor to in the Middle Ages to nerve gas in World War I to weapons of mass destruction in our own time, the rules have constantly evolved. Today, when killing the enemy can seem palpably risk-free and tantamount to playing a violent video game, what constitutes warfare? What is the effect of remote combat on individual soldiers? And what are the unforeseen repercussions that could affect us all? Lt Col Wayne Phelps, former commander of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft unit, addresses these questions and many others as he tells the story of the men and women of today&’s &“chair force.&” Exploring the ethics of remote military engagement, the misconceptions about PTSD among RPA operators, and the specter of military weaponry controlled by robots, his book is an urgent and compelling reminder that it should always be difficult to kill another human being lest we risk losing what makes us human.
On Laughter-Silvered Wings: The Story of Lt. Col. E.T (Ted) Strever D.F.C
by Gail Strever-MorkelThis well written and thoroughly researched biographical account of the life and times of a South African WW2 pilot (the author's father) is sure to appeal widely. The story is by necessity highly personal, drawing on family history and changing lifestyles as the central figure fights his way through a series of challenging experiences, flying coastal strike missions in the Mediterranean and North Africa, then in the Far East against the Japanese. The story is full of personal perspectives and gets off to a thorough and engrossing operational start, before retracing the personal family story to place everything in context. Images of a lost world haunt the pages, evocative of an era where a decisive individual could challenge the system and get results, despite massive inflexibility within the Services. This work is sure to make a welcome addition to any discerning readers collection; the story of Coastal Command is often overlooked, with histories focusing largely on the Fighter boys and Bomber Boys of World War Two and their associated experiences. The exploits recorded in this book therefore serve as an overdue reminder of the Unit, and the part they played in the Allied effort.Ted's wartime exploits include the first midair skyjacking in history, a daring solitary attack on the Italian fleet after losing the rest of his strike team, narrowly surviving being burnt in the subsequent inferno of a horrific air crash in the Ceylon jungle, many emergency crash landings and finally as Commander of 27 Squadron carrying out dangerous rescue operations behind enemy lines for members of the Indian Resistance Movement who were operating in the jungle of Burma. Written largely in the first person, and illustrated extensively, these exploits come vividly to life.
On Limited Nuclear War in the 21st Century (Stanford Security Studies)
by Kerry M. Kartchner Jeffrey A. LarsenThe last two decades have seen a slow but steady increase in nuclear armed states, and in the seemingly less constrained policy goals of some of the newer "rogue" states in the international system. The authors of On Limited Nuclear War in the 21st Century argue that a time may come when one of these states makes the conscious decision that using a nuclear weapon against the United States, its allies, or forward deployed forces in the context of a crisis or a regional conventional conflict may be in its interests. They assert that we are unprepared for these types of limited nuclear wars and that it is urgent we rethink the theory, policy, and implementation of force related to our approaches to this type of engagement. Together they critique Cold War doctrine on limited nuclear war and consider a number of the key concepts that should govern our approach to limited nuclear conflict in the future. These include identifying the factors likely to lead to limited nuclear war, examining the geopolitics of future conflict scenarios that might lead to small-scale nuclear use, and assessing strategies for crisis management and escalation control. Finally, they consider a range of strategies and operational concepts for countering, controlling, or containing limited nuclear war.
On Mother Brown's Doorstep: (The Adams Family: 4): A wonderfully heart-warming and funny Cockney saga you won’t want to end (The Adams Family #4)
by Mary Jane StaplesBy Sunday Times bestseller Mary Jane Staples, this is the gritty and uplifting next instalment in the Adams Family saga. Perfect for fans of Maggie Ford and Kitty Neale and Donna Douglas.PRAISE FOR THE ADAMS FAMILY SERIES! "Mary Jane Staples makes you care about her characters, which explains why her books have enjoyed so much popularity" -- Take a Break"Forget Eastenders, this it the London of old, when people knew each other's names and communities really pulled together." -- Woman's Realm"Mary Jane Staples completely capture the feel of the period and the essence of the people...has warmth, humour and charm. An ideal book for you holiday reading." Finesse "I get so engrossed in the stories I feel like one of the family." - ***** Reader review. "These books about the Adam's family are fantastic! These books are the kind you can read, leave a while and read again & again!" - ***** Reader review*********************************AS WEDDING BELLS RING, WALWORTH IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN BY TRAGIC EVENTS ...Susie Brown is overjoyed when her brother, Will, turns up unexpectedly on leave from service in time for her wedding to Sammy Adams.But Will's leave is an extended one due to bad health and he's unsure whether the army will keep him or whether he'll be able to find a job in the slump of the Twenties. To make matters worse, he's at risk of falling in love with the young and personable Annie Ford ...Amidst the joyous wedding preparations, a cloud hangs over Walworth - the mystery of three young girls missing from their homes. A mystery that will culminate - along with Will's personal problems - on the night of the wedding.On Mother Brown's Doorstep is the fourth in Mary Jane Staples's Adams Family series. Their story continues in A Family Affair. Have you read Down Lambeth Way, Our Emily and King of Camberwell - the first three Adams Family novels ?
On Nixon's Madness: An Emotional History
by Zachary JacobsonWas Richard Nixon actually a madman, or did he just play one?When Richard Nixon battled for the presidency in 1968, he did so with the knowledge that, should he win, he would face the looming question of how to extract the United States from its disastrous war in Vietnam. It was on a beach that summer that Nixon disclosed to his chief aide, H. R. Haldeman, one of his most notorious, risky gambits: the madman theory. In On Nixon's Madness, Zachary Jonathan Jacobson examines the enigmatic president through this theory of Nixon's own invention. With strategic force and nuclear bluffing, Nixon attempted to coerce his foreign adversaries through sheer unpredictability. As his national security advisor Henry Kissinger noted, Nixon's strategy resembled a poker game in which he "push[ed] so many chips into the pot" that the United States' foes would think the president had gone "crazy." From Vietnam, Pakistan, and India to the greater Middle East, Nixon applied this madman theory. Foreign relations were not a steady march toward peaceful coexistence but rather an ongoing test of mettle. Nixon saw the Cold War as he saw his life, as a series of ordeals that demanded great risk and grand gestures. For decades, journalists, critics, and scholars have searched for the real Nixon behind these acts. Was he a Red-baiter, a worldly statesman, a war criminal or, in the end, a punchline? Jacobson combines biography and intellectual and cultural history to understand the emotional life of Richard Nixon, exploring how the former president struggled between great effusions of feeling and great inhibition, how he winced at the notion of his reputation for rage, and how he used that ill repute to his advantage.
On The Old Plantation Reminiscences of his Childhood
by J. G. ClinkscalesA white Southerner's sympathetic memoir of plantation life. John George Clinkscales (1855-1942) was the 11th of 12 children of the owner of "Broadway," a 1,200 acre plantation in the Abbeville District of South Carolina, home to 110 slaves. Originally published in 1916 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.“John George Clinkscales was born in 1855 in Abbeville, South Carolina, and grew up on his father's plantation. He graduated from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1876 and taught in county schools for several years before accepting a position at Williamston Female College in Anderson County, South Carolina in 1881. Clinkscales was elected superintendent of education in Anderson and served in that capacity for four years before returning to teaching. In 1914, Clinkscales campaigned for governor, running on a platform advocating compulsory education. Although he did not win, his strong showing led the legislature to pass the first compulsory education law in South Carolina. Clinkscales wrote two books: a novel, How Zach Came to College (1907), and his memoir, On the Old Plantation (1916). Both were widely read in the South.In his book, On the Old Plantation, Clinkscales records his memories of life on his father's plantation. He hoped that his book would serve as a counterargument to Harriet Beecher Stowe's negative depiction of slavery in Uncle Tom's Cabin. To that end, he began his memoir with a story of his father's foreman, "Unc' Essick" that portrays his father's benevolence towards his slaves. He also included stories about the character of particular slaves, written in dialect. Clinkscales recounts his childhood pranks, adventures, and school experiences, which combine to present his happy memories of antebellum South Carolina.”-Harris Henderson
On Operations with C Squadron SAS: Terrorist Pursuit & Rebel Attacks in Cold War Africa
by Michael GrahamThe author of the bestselling Secret SAS Missions in Africa and its sequel, SAS Action in Africa,continues the fight againstcommunist terrorist groups. Drawing on first-hand experiences, Michael Graham describes operations against communist-backed terrorists in Angola and Mozambique, aiding the Portuguese and Renamo against the MPLA and Frelimo respectively. Back in Southern Rhodesia SAS General Peter Walls, realizing the danger that Mugabe and ZANU represented, appealed directly to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. This correspondence, published here for the first time, changed nothing and years of corruption and genocide followed. Although C Squadron was disbanded in 1980 many members joined the South African special forces. Operations undertaken included unsuccessful and costly destabilization attempts against Mugabe and missions into Mozambique including the assassination of Samora Machel. By 1986 deteriorating relationships with the South African authorities resulted in the break-up of the SAS teams who dispersed worldwide. Had Mike Graham not written his three action-packed books, C Squadron SAS&’s superb fighting record might never have been revealed. For those who are fascinated by special forces soldiering his accounts are &“must reads.&”&“Takes us into the African bush to fight communist terrorists during the late 1960s and 1970s. His stories are sometimes hair-raising, sometimes amusing, but always interesting and worth reading.&” —Beating Tsundoku&“This account of SAS actions in Africa as part of the Cold War is lively interesting, nicely written and feels authentic. The photographs are particularly interesting in support of the text. A fascinating read.&” —Firetrench
On Patriotism
by Paul DaleyHow has militarisation come to define Australian valour? Why has the long shadow of World War I dominated our sense of patriotism?ON PATRIOTISM explores what it really means to love and serve your country. Paul Daley contemplates ways to escape the cultural binds that tie us to Anzac, British settlement and flag-waving.'Straight from the heart and deeply informed. With Indigenous culture at its centre, Paul Daley has given us a patriotism for the twenty-first century.' PROFESSOR MARK McKENNA
On Point (Out Of Uniform Ser. #3)
by Annabeth AlbertNever fall for your best friend... Pushing thirty, with his reenlistment looming, decorated navy sniper Maddox Horvat is taking a long look at what he really wants in life. And what he wants is Ben Tovey. It isn't smart, falling for his best friend and fellow SEAL, but ten years with Ben has forged a bond so intimate Maddox can't ignore it. He needs Ben by his side forever-heart and soul. Ben admits he likes what he's seen-his friend's full lower lip and the perfect muscles of his ass have proved distracting more than once. But Ben's still reeling from a relationship gone to hell, and he's not about to screw up his friendship with Maddox, too. Until their next mission throws Ben and Maddox closer together than ever before, with only each other to depend on. Now, in the lonely, desperate hours awaiting rescue, the real challenge-confronting themselves, their future and their desires-begins. Man to man, friend to friend, lover to lover. This is book three in the Out of Uniform series. Don't miss the first two books: Book 1: Off Base Book 2: At Attention This book is approximately 78,000 words One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you're looking for with an HEA/HFN. It's a promise!
On Political War
by Paul A. Smith Jr.Warfare is often defined as the employment of military means to advance political ends. So understood, conventional warfare may be seen as one military means to ensure national survival and pursue national advantage. Another, more subtle, means—political warfare—uses images, ideas, speeches, slogans, propaganda, economic pressures, even advertising techniques to influence the political will of an adversary.Through political warfare, a nation can express its vision of the world as well as its sense of what particular role it intends to play within the international setting. Major political warfare campaigns often target an adversary’s populace as a whole. In an effort to isolate an adversary, they may address that adversary’s allies and neutral or nonaligned nations as well. And, working through client states, a nation may influence a broad range of events without actually involving itself directly in conventional armed conflict.In this study of political warfare in the Western world, Paul A. Smith, Jr, traces the development of political warfare since antiquity. His grasp of history, literature, art, politics, and armed conflict comprehensively informs his contention that political warfare is often as crucial to national survival as the massing of great land, sea, and air power. Now that the Soviets’ 40-year campaign of aggression, intimidation, and hegemony is in apparent retreat and the world is increasingly beset by low-intensity conflict and struggles for economic domination, political warfare will be at the forefront of our national security agenda.
On Remembrance Day
by Eleanor CreaseyAn exploration of Canadian Remembrance Day history, customs, and traditions. Who are the people who offered their lives in war? Why do we remember them? How do we honour their memory? For children learning about remembrance and the human toll of war, there can be hard questions to answer. This book is meant to answer the questions kids ask about Remembrance Day and to explain how and why we honour the men and women who have served our country. Canada has developed unique ways of honouring and demonstrating respect for its war dead and veterans. Through every generation there are Canadian families who have lost loved ones to international conflict and war. On Remembrance Day presents the origins, traditions, and customs of Canada’s Remembrance Day in a fashion that is engaging and easy to read.
On The Road To Kut, A Soldier’s Story Of The Mesopotamian Campaign [Illustrated Edition]
by Anon “black Tab”Includes 56 original illustrations and a map of the area.Our anonymous author was part of the 6th Poona Division, Indian Army, the first of the British Empire's forces to be deployed to Mesopotamia during the First World War. Fighting and marching through sweltering temperatures forced much inactivity on the British and Indian troops as much as their Turkish and Arab opponents. The author in his irreverent style remarked: "From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. it was hot. From 9 a.m. to 12 damned hot. From 12 to 5.30 much too damned hot." The campaigning seasons in this part of the world were hot, difficult and fraught with ambush and disease. Black Tab's struggles and travails as he marches with his comrades to the relief of Kut are punctuated with witty asides, and amusing vignettes, maintaining spirits in the face of adversity.An interesting memoir from an often forgotten campaign.
On The Road With Wellington: The Diary of a War Commissary in the Peninsular Campaigns (The Napoleonic Library #Vol. 34)
by August Ludolf SchaumannAs a classic work and out of print for many years, August Schaumann''s diaries provide a graphic and vivi d account of campaigning life during the Peninsular Wars.
On The Road With Wellington: The Diary of a War Commissary in the Peninsular Campaigns (The Napoleonic Library)
by August Ludolf SchaumannAs a classic work and out of print for many years, August Schaumann''s diaries provide a graphic and vivi d account of campaigning life during the Peninsular Wars.
On Rough Seas
by Nancy HullAt 14, Alec knows what he wants to be: a seaman. Instead of working at his family's inn, he prefers roaming through the busy streets and docks of Dover. When the captain of the Britannia, one of the fishing vessels in the Channel, asks him to be a galley boy, he seizes the opportunity in spite of his father's objections. On his first day at sea, he weathers a severe storm similar to the one that took the life of his cousin and best friend, Georgie, months earlier. Alec still feels guilty for having not been able to save Georgie. England is at war with Germany, and soon Alec is doing more than swabbing the deck and handling the ropes of the fishing vessel. He wonders why shadowy figures are disappearing into the tunnels under the old stone castle and who the special soldiers being billeted at the inn are. Then comes terrible news: hundreds of thousands of British forces are trapped on the beach at Dunkirk. All ships in the Channel, large and small, are ordered to undertake a massive evacuation. Alec's transformation from galley boy to courageous seaman is a riveting journey in this dramatic debut novel.
On Seas Contested
by Vincent P. OharaAn international team of naval historians and scholars has pooled their expertise for this definitive reference on how the great navies of World War II were organized and how they trained, operated, and fought. They provide a point-by-point evaluation on the inner workings of the navies of the United States, the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, Japan, Germany, Italy, France, and the Soviet Union. Each navy has its own chapter, which covers such key features as weaponry, training, logistics, and doctrine. In bringing together data buried in specialized works in various languages, the authors deliver a fresh, multinational view of the naval war.
On Secret Service
by John JakesIt is America 1861 and North and South have never seemed further apart: the threat of civil war hangs heavy in the air. . . For Lon Price, the issue is simple. He has inherited from his Methodist father both a burning sense of right and wrong, and a desire to see an end to slavery. So much so that he is prepared to resign from the Pinkerton police agency to fight for the North. But his departure is not necessary, for the federal government is well aware of the agency's work, and in Lon they see a primie candidate for secret service. . . Margaret Miller is part of a family that prides itself on supporting the South: her father Calhoun is owner of the secession supporting Baltimore Independent; her brother Cicero has similar views, though the circles he moves in are considerably less law-abiding. When Calhoun is killed by a Yankee bullet, Margaret becomes as determined as Lon to uphold the ideals of her father. . . www. johnjakes. com
On Spartan Wings: The Royal Hellenic Air Force in World War Two
by John CarrThis WWII history chronicles the courageous but ill-prepared Greek air force from the Battle of Greece to the Battle of El Alamein and beyond. On October 28th, 1940, when Greece was invaded by Mussolini&’s Italy, the Royal Hellenic Air Force was severely outgunned. Without warning, the RHAF&’s paltry fleet was pitted against the much larger and more advanced Regia Aeronautica, whose pilots had recently honed their skills in the Spanish Civil War. Though the British Royal Air Force gave whatever assistance it could, the aerial war was unequal from the beginning. Greek flying aces such as Marinos Mitralexis managed to keep morale high. But even as individual pilots and crewmembers fought valiantly, the RHAF was seriously depleted by the end of 1940. The end came in April 1941 when Hitler sped to the rescue of Italy&’s faltering forces. The Luftwaffe overwhelmed what was left of the RHAF, leaving a single mira, or squadron, to escape intact to Egypt. Out of this small squadron grew three full mirai, whose pilots, now equipped with modern aircraft, played a decisive part in the Allied victory at El Alamein. Until Greece was liberated in October 1944, the RHAF units ranged over targets in the Aegean Sea, Italy and Yugoslavia. In this comprehensive history, John Carr draws on meticulous research and firsthand accounts to shed light on the skill and heroism of the Greek airmen and their contributions to WWII air warfare.
On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War
by Harry G. SummersSummer's inspired analysis of America's war in Vietnam answers the most pressing questions remaining from that terrible conflict more than a decade before Robert McNamara's painful admissions.
On Strategy: The Vietnam War in Context
by Harry G. Summers Jr."This important book is one man's critical analysis of American strategy in the Vietnam war. That man, Harry Summers, is an active Army officer who began professional life as an enlisted soldier, knows personally the bayonet-point reality of war, and has thought widely about strategic issues. His commitment to the nation and Army he serves is unstinting." "... Colonel Summers has focused his attention at that point in the strategic continuum where military strategy and national policy come together. His main thesis is that a lack of understanding of the relationship between military strategy and national policy caused us to exhaust our will and endurance against a secondary enemy, the guerrilla movement in South Vietnam, instead of focusing our military efforts to check North Vietnamese expansion in support of our national policy of containment. ..." DeWitt C. Smith, Jr. Lieutenant General, United States Army (Retired)