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Penalty Strike: The Memoirs of a Red Army Penal Company Commander, 1943–45 (Stackpole Military History Series)
by Alexander V Pyl'cyn• Extremely rare (possibly the only) book-length account of a Soviet penal unit in World War II • Gritty, intense style conveys the brutality of war on the Eastern Front Composed of convicts--soldiers who conducted "unauthorized retreats," former Soviet POWs deemed untrustworthy, and Gulag prisoners--the Red Army's penal units received the most difficult, dangerous assignments, such as breaking through the enemy's defenses. So punishing was life in these units that officers in regular formations threatened to send recalcitrant troops to penal battalions. Alexander Pyl'cyn led his penal unit through the Soviets' massive offensive in the summer of 1944, the Vistula-Oder operation into eastern Germany, and the bitter assault on Berlin in 1945. He survived the war, but 80 percent of his men did not.
Penalty Strike: The Memoirs of a Red Army Penal Company Commander 1943–45 (Stackpole Military History Series #1)
by Alexander V. Pyl'cynThe focus of this book are the author's vivid memories of service as a company commander in a Red Army officers' penal battalion on the Eastern Front 1944-45. During this time, he and his unit participated in the 1944 Soviet summer offensive Operation 'Bagration', the Vistula-Oder operation into eastern Germany, and the final assault on Berlin. The stories of penal companies and battalions in the Red Army gave birth to legends about men who rushed to the attack across threat during the war, "I will send you to a penal battalion!" meant nothing to him. He was there. He was a platoon commander and later a commander of an officers' penal company. He was a senior lieutenant having a degraded regiment commander as a second-in-command. He and his company had to carry out the most difficult and dangerous operations in order to break through the enemy defenses. With more than 80% of the men lost his company succeeded in completing their missions. The horrors of war, the hand-to-hand fights with a desperately struggling enemy are described in this book along with a story of a strong feeling between the young officer and a hospital nurse Rita. Thanks to Alexander Rita was appointed a nurse in the penal battalion. She saved dozens of soldiers, carrying them from the battlefield under enemy fire. It was Rita who saved Alexander Pyl'cyn from death, when he was badly wounded near Berlin. She became his wife in the last months of the war. The author is brilliant at detailing the way of life and personal relations in the war. In this horrible slaughter cowardice and treason went side by side with friendship and heroism. In these inhuman conditions people remained as they were: they lived, they laughed, they loved. Key sales points: High-quality memoirs from Soviet soldiers who served on the Eastern Front are rare - rarer still are firsthand accounts of the Red Army's penal battalions / The author's intense and exciting style produces a fluid and highly-readable account of the brutal reality of war in the East during its most bitter final phase / Includes the author's experiences during the storming of Berlin 1945, and his battlefield romance with Rita, the battalion's nurse, and his future wife.minefields against German machine-guns with one rifle per three men. The author of this book knows from his own experience what a penal battalion is. A common
Pendant Numbers of the Royal Navy: A Complete History of the Allocation of Pendant Numbers to Royal Navy Warships and Auxiliaries
by Ben Warlow Steve BushPendant (or pennant) numbers have been used by individual ships of the Royal Navy for purposes of identification for more than 100 years. They were also used in all the navies of the British Empire so that ships could be easily transferred from one navy to another without changing her number. They offer the simplest and clearest way to identify a ship, but until now there has been little in the way of consistent and accurate information, and certainly no single location where you can look up or research complete pendant numbers. The book is designed as an easy-to-use reference work and as such is, in the main, composed of alpha-numeric listings to enable the user to find and identify warships by reference to ship name and to identify specific pendant numbers assigned to that name; or by pendant number to identify specific vessels assigned that number at various times. It begins with an introduction and a brief history of visual signalling used by the Royal Navy before industrialisation, and explains how the large numbers of identical ships being built brought about the need to identify specific ships within fleets to aid signalling and tactical deployment. There follow chapters covering the pendant numbers of the surface fleet and submarines (which stopped using them once boats began to spend so little time on the surface), and then pedant numbers by ship name. A significant chapter lists the pendant numbers assigned to the British Pacific Fleet during the Pacific campaign of WWII together with an explanation of why numbers were assigned, and an examination of missing ‘A’ series pendants known to have been carried by some vessels during the conflict. The BPF numbers have only recently come to light and there is still much that is not known but this section provides the most comprehensive study of available data at this time. There is also an appendix covering deck letters assigned to aviation capable ships. This is a genuinely new and significant reference book and is destined to become a major new aid for Royal Navy warship and auxiliary identification.
The Pendleton Disaster Off Cape Cod: The Greatest Small Boat Rescue in Coast Guard History, A True Story (Disaster)
by Theresa Mitchell Barbo Captain W. Russell WebsterA first-hand account and fascinating new details of the 1952 rescue of the SS Pendleton, the true story behind the film The Finest Hours.On February 18, 1952, off the coast of Cape Cod, a fierce nor’easter snapped in half two 503-foot oil tankers, the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer. Human grace and grit, leadership and endurance prevail as Theresa Mitchell Barbo and Captain W. Russell Webster (Ret.) recount the historic, heroic rescue of thirty-two merchant mariners from the sinking Pendleton by four young Coast Guardsmen aboard the 36-foot motor lifeboat CG 36500. A foreword by former Commandant Admiral Thad Allen (Ret.) and an essay by Master Chief John “Jack” Downey (Ret.), a veteran of thousands of modern-day small boat rescues, round out the special third edition of this classic work on Coast Guard history.
The Pendleton Disaster off Cape Cod: The Greatest Small Boat Rescue in Coast Guard History
by John Galluzzo W. Russell Webster Theresa Mitchell BarboOn February 18, 1952, four Coast Guardsmen set out from Station Chatham in a 36-foot motor lifeboat to locate the mortally wounded T2 tanker Pendleton and rescue its crew during a storm. All four men knew the odds of surviving the storm were slim. Barbo, founder and president of the Cape Cod Maritime Research Association, tells the story of the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard history. There is no subject index.
The Pendulum of Battle: Operation Goodwood, July 1944
by Christopher DunphieAn account of the World War II clash between British and German forces, &“the largest tank battle involving British armor ever fought&” (MQ Magazine). Operation Goodwood, the largest tank battle involving British troops ever to have taken place, has been a perpetual subject of controversy. Was it intended as a breakout from the Normandy Bridgehead, or not? Was it a success or failure? Did it lead to a severe crisis in confidence over Field Marshal Montgomery&’s leadership? This book seeks to unearth the true background, reasons, aims and achievement of Goodwood, set in the context of the overall campaign, while bringing the battle to life through personal accounts of some of those involved, both British and German.&“This well-informed account provides an excellent balance between the strategy and tactics . . . Even in a year which is seeing an unprecedented number of books on the Second World War, Pendulum of Battle deserves to be read. It is a serious, yet highly readable study of warfare and can be warmly recommended.&” —MQ Magazine
The Pendulum of War: The Fight for Upper Canada, January—June1813
by Richard FeltoeThe second book in a series that is the definitive retelling of the War of 1812. In his second of six books in the series Upper Canada Preserved — War of 1812, author Richard Feltoe continues a battlefield chronicle that combines the best of modern historical research with extensive quotes from original official documents and personal letters, bringing to life the crucial first six months of the 1813 American campaign to invade and conquer Upper Canada. The Pendulum of War documents the course of more than seven major battles and over a dozen minor engagements that were fought on the St. Lawrence, Niagara, and Detroit frontiers to control Upper Canada during this period. It also reveals some of the behind-the-scenes personal stories and conflicts of the personalities involved.Throughout the work, historical images are counterpointed with modern pictures taken from the same perspective to give a true then-and-now effect. Strategic maps trace the course of the campaign, while never-before-published battlefield maps reveal the shifting formations of troops across a geographically accurate terrain.
Penelope's Web
by Christopher Rush&“A book about war that, like The Naked and the Dead or Catch-22, manages to be about very much more&” (Brian Morton, author of Starting Out in the Evening). Odysseus is returning to Ithaca after nearly twenty years—half of it spent as a soldier and the other half as a soldier of fortune. During his absence, his wife, Penelope, has remained faithful, despite Odysseus being missing and presumed dead. But when her husband suddenly reappears, he confronts those who have been trying to seduce his wife and kills them all. Based on Homer&’s ancient epics, this is a novel about war and peace—and about how returning soldiers can find peace more horrible than war and home more hellish than the battlefield. &“The narrative of the novel drives along fast, and Odysseus&’s adventures on his long journey home are vividly presented. Readers already familiar with them are unlikely to be disappointed; many who come to them fresh will be enthralled.&” —The Scotsman &“Startlingly original.&” —The Times
The Penguin Book of First World War Stories
by Anne-Marie EinhausAn anthology of Great War short stories by British writers, both famous and lesser-known authors, men and women, during the war and after its end. These stories are able to illustrate the impact of the Great War on British society and culture and the many modes in which short fiction contributed to the war's literature. The selection covers different periods: the war years themselves, the famous boom years of the late 1920s to the more recent past in which the First World War has received new cultural interest.
The Peninsula Campaign and the Necessity of Emancipation
by Glenn David BrasherIn the Peninsula Campaign of spring 1862, Union general George B. McClellan failed in his plan to capture the Confederate capital and bring a quick end to the conflict. But the campaign saw something new in the war--the participation of African Americans in ways that were critical to the Union offensive. Ultimately, that participation influenced Lincoln's decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation at the end of that year. Glenn David Brasher's unique narrative history delves into African American involvement in this pivotal military event, demonstrating that blacks contributed essential manpower and provided intelligence that shaped the campaign's military tactics and strategy and that their activities helped to convince many Northerners that emancipation was a military necessity.Drawing on the voices of Northern soldiers, civilians, politicians, and abolitionists as well as Southern soldiers, slaveholders, and the enslaved, Brasher focuses on the slaves themselves, whose actions showed that they understood from the outset that the war was about their freedom. As Brasher convincingly shows, the Peninsula Campaign was more important in affecting the decision for emancipation than the Battle of Antietam.
Peninsular and Waterloo General: Sir Denis Pack and the War against Napoleon
by Marcus de la Poer BeresfordDenis Pack was one of a phalanx of senior Anglo-Irish officers who served with great distinction in the British army in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, earning a reputation as one of the Duke of Wellington’s most able brigade commanders. Despite his remarkable and varied military career, he hasn’t received the individual attention he deserves, but this omission has now been remedied by Marcus de la Poer Beresford’s full biography. Pack, who was born in 1774, served extensively in Europe as well as in Africa and South America. He was one of the few brigade commanders to serve first with the Portuguese army, and then with Wellington, in the Peninsula, at Quatre Bras, Waterloo and afterwards in the occupation of France. His life was cut short by an early death in 1823, which may have been the result of the many wounds he received in his thirty years as a soldier. This perceptive and meticulously researched study draws on previously unpublished material from archives in the United Kingdom, Portugal and Ireland. It complements other works on notable officers of the period, as Pack served with Cornwallis, Baird, Beresford, Whitelocke, Chatham, Picton, Henry Clinton, and others as well as Wellington. In addition it offers an absorbing portrait of Pack himself and gives the reader a fascinating insight into the many campaigns he took part in and the military life of his day.
Peninsular Eyewitnesses: The Experience of War in Spain and Portugal 1808–1813
by Charles EsdaileMany books have been written about the British struggle against Napoleon in the Peninsula. A few recent studies have given a broader view of the ebb and flow of a long war that had a shattering impact on Spain and Portugal and marked the history of all the nations involved. But none of these books has concentrated on how these momentous events were perceived and understood by the people who experienced them. Charles Esdaile has brought together a vivid selection of contemporary accounts of every aspect of the war to create a panoramic yet minutely detailed picture of those years of turmoil. The story is told through memoirs, letters and eyewitness testimony from all sides. Instead of generals and statesmen, we mostly hear from less-well-known figures - junior officers and ordinary soldiers and civilians who recorded their immediate experience of the conflict.
The Peninsular Journal Of Major-General Sir Benjamin D’Urban: 1808-1817
by Lieutenant-General Sir Benjamin D’Urban GCB KCH KCTS FRS Izac Jozua Rousseau"Whether among the first three to charge the French guns at Medellin, leading his troopers into the enemy ranks at Salamanca, or evolving order out of the chaos that bedevilled the Portuguese Army in 1809, Sir Benjamin D'Urban was not only a brave and resolute soldier but also a painstaking and highly efficient Chief of Staff to Marshal Beresford.Finding, on arrival at Corunna in October 1808, that he had been appointed to that part of the Army left behind in Portugal, D'Urban set out to meet Sir John Moore in the hope of receiving fresh orders. This was the beginning of six years unbroken service which included taking part in ten battles and sieges. After a short period as Staff Officer to Sir Robert Wilson, he was appointed Colonel and QMG to the Portuguese Army by Marshal Beresford in April 1809.The Journals give a day to day summary of the Peninsular Campaign, which was found invaluable by Sir Charles Oman, and provides a counter to what D'Urban considered unfair criticism of Beresford by Sir Charles Napier. Long out of print, this unique record of events fills a need for everyone interested in the campaigns of 1809-1815, particularly in regard to the operations of the Right Wing of the Allied Army and of the part played by the Portuguese Army, which has not always received the credit due for some of its major exploits.The post-war Journals, 1815-1817, bring a telling insight to the problems faced by Beresford and his British officers as the Regents in Portugal aim at the destruction of the proud Army, so lovingly and laboriously created by the Marshal and his staff."-Print ed.
Peninsular Sketches; by Actors on the Scene. Vol. I. (Peninsular Sketches; by Actors on the Scene #1)
by William Hamilton MaxwellThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Despite the rather prosaic title, these two volumes contain some of the best eye-witness accounts of the Peninsular War. Maxwell wrote a number of books on the Napoleonic Wars himself, the research for which put him in contact with numerous ex-soldiers. In these two volumes, he assembled their accounts and published them as a collection. The accounts are not published in chronological order, but this does not detract from their value: the recollections are taken not just from the officers involved, but also the rank and file soldiers. In this first volume you will find the following narratives:-- Leaves From The Journal Of A Veteran. The British Cavalry On The Peninsula. The British Campaign Of 1809; Under Sir A. Wellesley. Recollections In Quarters. Affair Of El Bodon. The Capture Of Ciudad Rodrigo. The Storming Of Badajoz. From The Journal Of Lieut. P. K., 88th Regt. The Storming Of Badajoz. The Battle Of Salamanca. Events Subsequent To The Battle And Advance From Salamanca. Advance From Salamanca. William Hamilton Maxwell was an Irish author of prodigious output: his output was varied from historical novels and biographies to local legends of the Cheviots and Irish travelogues. The author's history is slightly shrouded, although he seems to have had some military background in British service. His most enduring works, however, are those he wrote on the military history of the Napoleonic Wars: his biography of the Duke of Wellington is still frequently referred to and quoted from. Author/Editor -- William Hamilton Maxwell (1792-1850) Title - Peninsular Sketches; by Actors on the Scene. Vol. I Series Name - Peninsular Sketches; by Actors on the Scene Series Number -- 1
Peninsular Sketches; by Actors on the Scene. Vol. II. (Peninsular Sketches; by Actors on the Scene #2)
by William Hamilton MaxwellThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Despite the rather prosaic title, these two volumes contain some of the best eye-witness accounts of the Peninsular War. Maxwell wrote a number of books on the Napoleonic Wars himself, the research for which put him in contact with numerous ex-soldiers. In these two volumes, he assembled their accounts and published them as a collection. The accounts are not published in chronological order, but this does not detract from their value: the recollections are taken not just from the officers involved, but also the rank and file soldiers. In this first volume you will find the following narratives:-- March To Madrid, And Retreat From Burgos. The Battle Of Vittoria. Advance From Vittoria. The Battles Of The Pyrenees. The British Cavalry On The Peninsula. The Action In Front Of Bayonne. "Take The Hill Before Dark!" Reminiscences Of Bayonne. A Night In The Peninsular War Recollections Of The Late War In Spain And Portugal. Recollections Of The Peninsula Dolores -- An Incident In The Peninsular War. Journey To Head-Quarters Near Burgos. Seven Weeks' Captivity In St. Sebastian, In 1813 Arroyo De Molino The Twenty-Ninth At Albuera. Out-Post Anecdotes, Etc. William Hamilton Maxwell was an Irish author of prodigious output: his output was varied from historical novels and biographies to local legends of the Cheviots and Irish travelogues. The author's history is slightly shrouded, although he seems to have had some military background in British service. His most enduring works, however, are those he wrote on the military history of the Napoleonic Wars: his biography of the Duke of Wellington is still frequently referred to and quoted from. Author/Editor -- William Hamilton Maxwell (1792-1850) Title - Peninsular Sketches; by Actors on the Scene. Vol. II Series Name - Peninsular Sketches; by Actors on the Scene Series Number -- 2 Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in 1845, London, by Longmans and Green. Original - iv and 388 pages. Illustrations - one illustration.
The Peninsular War: A New History
by Charles EsdaileA stunning look at Napoleon's campaign across the Iberian peninsula from historian Charles Esdaile.At the end of the 18th century Spain remained one of the world's most powerful empires. Portugal, too, was prosperous at the time. By 1808, everything had changed. Portugal was under occupation and ravaged by famine, disease, economic problems and political instability. Spain had imploded and worse was to come. For the next six years, the peninsula was the helpless victim of others, suffering perhaps over a million deaths while troops from all over Europe tore it to pieces. Charles Esdaile's brilliant new history of the conflict makes plain the scope of the tragedy and its far-reaching effects, especially the poisonous legacy that produced the Spanish civil war of 1936-39.
The Peninsular War: A Battlefield Guide
by Andrew RawsonA new battlefield guide to the Peninsular War is long overdue. Modern development in Spain and Portugal has encroached on many of the battlefields, new research has questioned established interpretations of events, and there is a broader appreciation of the parts played by all the armies involved - the French on one side and the Spanish, Portuguese and British on the other. Andrew Rawson, in this highly illustrated and practical guide, offers a wide-ranging, up-to-date and balanced account of this prolonged conflict, and he guides the reader and the visitor across the terrain over which the armies marched and fought. He reconstructs the major battles in graphic detail, and provides practical tours of the major battlefields and campaigns. Also included are sections examining the armies, the military organization and tactics of the time and the role of the Spanish guerrillas. This guide to the Peninsular War will be essential reading for anyone who wants a concise and accessible introduction to the conflict, and it will serve as an invaluable reference guide for visitors who want to explore the sites of the fighting two centuries ago.
The Pentagon: The Untold Story of the Wartime Race to Build the Pentagon--and to Restore It Sixty Years Later
by Steve VogelThe creation of the Pentagon in seventeen whirlwind months during World War II is one of the great construction feats in American history, involving a tremendous mobilization of manpower, resources, and minds. In astonishingly short order, Brigadier General Brehon B. Somervell conceived and built an institution that ranks with the White House, the Vatican, and a handful of other structures as symbols recognized around the world. Now veteran military reporter Steve Vogel reveals for the first time the remarkable story of the Pentagon's construction, from it's dramatic birth to its rebuilding after the September 11 attack. At the center of the story is the tempestuous but courtly Somervell-"dynamite in a Tiffany box," as he was once described. In July 1941, the Army construction chief sprang the idea of building a single, huge headquarters that could house the entire War Department, then scattered in seventeen buildings around Washington. Somervell ordered drawings produced in one weekend and, despite a firestorm of opposition, broke ground two months later, vowing that the building would be finished in little more than a year. Thousands of workers descended on the site, a raffish Virginia neighborhood known as Hell's Bottom, while an army of draftsmen churned out designs barely one step ahead of their execution. Seven months later the first Pentagon employees skirted seas of mud to move into the building and went to work even as construction roared around them. The colossal Army headquarters helped recast Washington from a sleepy southern town into the bustling center of a reluctant empire. Vivid portraits are drawn of other key figures in the drama, among them Franklin D. Roosevelt, the president who fancied himself an architect; Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson and Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall, both desperate for a home for the War Department as the country prepared for battle; Colonel Leslie R. Groves, the ruthless force of nature who oversaw the Pentagon's construction (as well as the Manhattan Project to create an atomic bomb); and John McShain, the charming and dapper builder who used his relationship with FDR to help land himself the contract for the biggest office building in the world. The Pentagon's post-World War II history is told through its critical moments, including the troubled birth of the Department of Defense during the Cold War, the tense days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the tumultuous 1967 protest against the Vietnam War. The pivotal attack on September 11 is related with chilling new detail, as is the race to rebuild the damaged Pentagon, a restoration that echoed the spirit of its creation. This study of a single enigmatic building tells a broader story of modern American history, from the eve of World War II to the new wars of the twenty-first century. Steve Vogel has crafted a dazzling work of military social history that merits comparison with the best works of David Halberstam or David McCullough. Like its namesake, The Pentagon is a true landmark. "Among books dealing with seemingly impossible engineering feats, this easily ranks with David McCullough's The Great Bridge and The Path Between the Seas, as well as Ross King's Brunelleschi's Dome. " -Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) "Vogel artfully weaves architectural and cultural history, thus creating a brilliant and illuminating study of this singular (and, in many ways, sacred) American space. " -Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) "An amazing story, expertly researched and beautifully told. Part history, part adventure yarn, The Pentagon is above all else the biography of an American icon. "
The Pentagon Papers: The Secret History of the Vietnam War
by Neil Sheehan Fox Butterfield Hedrick Smith E. W. Kenworthy James L. Greenfield“The WikiLeaks of its day” (Time) is as relevant as ever to present-day American politics.“The most significant leaks of classified material in American history.” –The Washington PostNot Fake News! The basis for the 2018 film The Post by Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg, The Pentagon Papers are a series of articles, documents, and studies examining the Johnson Administration’s lies to the public about the extent of US involvement in the Vietnam War, bringing to light shocking conclusions about America’s true role in the conflict.Published by The New York Times in 1971, The Pentagon Papers riveted an already deeply divided nation with startling and disturbing revelations about the United States' involvement in Vietnam. The Washington Post called them “the most significant leaks of classified material in American history” and they remain relevant today as a reminder of the importance of a free press and First Amendment rights. The Pentagon Papers demonstrated that the government had systematically lied to both the public and to Congress.This incomparable, 848-page volume includes:The Truman and Eisenhower Years: 1945-1960 by Fox ButterfieldOrigins of the Insurgency in South Vietnam by Fox ButterfieldThe Kennedy Years: 1961-1963 by Hedrick SmithThe Overthrow of Ngo Dinh Diem: May-November, 1963 by Hedrick SmithThe Covert War and Tonkin Gulf: February-August, 1964 by Neil SheehanThe Consensus to Bomb North Vietnam: August, 1964-February, 1965 by Neil SheehanThe Launching of the Ground War: March-July, 1965 by Neil SheehanThe Buildup: July, 1965-September, 1966 by Fox ButterfieldSecretary McNamara’s Disenchantment: October, 1966-May, 1967 by Hedrick SmithThe Tet Offensive and the Turnaround by E. W. Kenworthy Analysis and CommentCourt RecordsBiographies of Key FiguresWith a brand-new foreword by James L. Greenfield, this edition of the Pulitzer Prize–winning story is sure to provoke discussion about free press and government deception, and shed some light on issues in the past and the present so that we can better understand and improve the future.
The Pentagon's Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top-Secret Military Research Agency
by Annie JacobsenThe definitive history of DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, from the author of the New York Times bestseller Area 51 No one has ever written the history of the Defense Department's most secret, most powerful, and most controversial military science R&D agency. In the first-ever history about the organization, New York Times bestselling author Annie Jacobsen draws on inside sources, exclusive interviews, private documents, and declassified memos to paint a picture of DARPA, or "the Pentagon's brain," from its Cold War inception in 1958 to the present.This is the book on DARPA--a compelling narrative about this clandestine intersection of science and the American military and the often frightening results.
The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century
by Thomas P. M. BarnettAnalysis of how the world is changing with respect to power and possibilities.
The Pentagon's New Map
by Thomas P.M. BarnettSince the end of the Cold War, America's national security establishment has been searching for a new operating theory to explain how this seemingly "chaotic" world actually works. Gone is the clash of blocs, but replaced by what? Thomas Barnett has the answers. A senior military analyst with the U.S. Naval War College, he has given a constant stream of briefings over the past few years, and particularly since 9/11, to the highest of high-level civilian and military policymakers-and now he gives it to you. The Pentagon's New Map is a cutting-edge approach to globalization that combines security, economic, political, and cultural factors to do no less than predict and explain the nature of war and peace in the twenty-first century. Building on the works of Friedman, Huntington, and Fukuyama, and then taking a leap beyond, Barnett crystallizes recent American military history and strategy, sets the parameters for where our forces will likely be headed in the future, outlines the unique role that America can and will play in establishing international stability-and provides much-needed hope at a crucial yet uncertain time in world history. For anyone seeking to understand the Iraqs, Afghanistans, and Liberias of the present and future, the intimate new links between foreign policy and national security, and the operational realities of the world as it exists today, The Pentagon's New Map is a template, a Rosetta stone. Agree with it, disagree with it, argue with it-there is no book more essential for 2004 and beyond.
The Pentagon's New Map
by Thomas P.M. BarnettSince the end of the Cold War, America's national security establishment has been searching for a new operating theory to explain how this seemingly "chaotic" world actually works. Gone is the clash of blocs, but replaced by what? Thomas Barnett has the answers. A senior military analyst with the U.S. Naval War College, he has given a constant stream of briefings over the past few years, and particularly since 9/11, to the highest of high-level civilian and military policymakers-and now he gives it to you. The Pentagon's New Map is a cutting-edge approach to globalization that combines security, economic, political, and cultural factors to do no less than predict and explain the nature of war and peace in the twenty-first century. Building on the works of Friedman, Huntington, and Fukuyama, and then taking a leap beyond, Barnett crystallizes recent American military history and strategy, sets the parameters for where our forces will likely be headed in the future, outlines the unique role that America can and will play in establishing international stability-and provides much-needed hope at a crucial yet uncertain time in world history. For anyone seeking to understand the Iraqs, Afghanistans, and Liberias of the present and future, the intimate new links between foreign policy and national security, and the operational realities of the world as it exists today, The Pentagon's New Map is a template, a Rosetta stone. Agree with it, disagree with it, argue with it-there is no book more essential for 2004 and beyond.
The Pentagon's Wars: The Military's Undeclared War Against America's Presidents
by Mark PerryA gripping insider account of the clash between America's civilian and military leadershipThe Pentagon's Wars is a dramatic account of the deep and divisive debates between America's civilian leaders and its military officers. Renowned military expert Mark Perry investigates these internal wars and sheds new light on the US military-the most powerful and influential lobby in Washington. He reveals explosive stories, from the secret history of Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell" policy to how the military plotted to undermine Barack Obama's strategy in Afghanistan, to show how internal strife and deep civilian-military animus shapes America's policy abroad, often to the nation's detriment.Drawing on three decades of high-profile interviews, both on and off the record, Perry yields sobering judgments on the tenures of our nation's most important military leaders. The Pentagon's Wars is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the inner workings of the making of America's foreign policy.
The Pentomic Era: The US Army between Korea and Vietnam
by A. J. BacevichThis essay is a brief history of the U.S. army during the years immediately following the Korean War. For many in our own time that period—corresponding to the two terms of the Eisenhower presidency—has acquired an aura of congenial simplicity. Americans who survived Vietnam, Watergate, and painful economical difficulties wistfully recall the 1950s as a time when the nation possessed a clearly-charted course and had the will and the power to follow it.