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The Pessimist's Guide to History 3e: An Irresistible Compendium of Catastrophes, Barbarities, Massacres, and Mayhem—from 14 Billion Years Ago to 2007
by Doris Flexner Stuart Berg FlexnerThe classic irreverent look at the past—now updated with even more appalling facts!Fourteen billion or so years ago, the Big Bang exploded—and it's been downhill from there. For every spectacular discovery throughout history, there have been hundreds of devastating epidemics; for every benevolent despot, a thousand like Vlad the Impaler; for every cup half-full, a larger cup half-empty. This enthralling, enlightening, and devilishly entertaining chronicle of disasters and dastardly deeds brings to light the darkest events in history and the most abysmal calamities to strike the planet . . . so far.88 BC: Mithridates VI Eupator provides an early example of genocide by massacring 100,000 Romans.1347: Saint Vitus' Dance Epidemic shimmies across Europe like a deadly disco fever, leaving its victims twitching, uncontrollably leaping, and foaming at the mouth.1888: Jack the Ripper stalks through the dark alleys of Whitechapel, England, turning the world's oldest profession into the world's most dangerous one.1939: A Swiss chemist wins a Nobel Prize for developing DDT—and the environment gets another nail in the coffin.2005: Hurricane Katrina devastates the Gulf Coast. In a classic double whammy, the government response also devastates the Gulf Coast.And much, much more!
The Peter Savage Novels Boxed Set: (Books 1-4) (Peter Savage)
by Dave EdlundThe Peter Savage Series Books 1-4 by bestselling, award-winning author Dave Edlund have taken readers around the world on a deadly race to energy independence, dropped them in a battle to end a genocide, made them stare down a threat of bioterrorism, and unearthed an unthinkable act of treason threatening to redraw the map of the Middle East.The Peter Savage novels have been lauded for their "crackling action" (Kirkus Reviews), and come "highly recommended to fans of thrillers" (Foreword Reviews). The New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Steve Berry praises Peter Savage as "a hero full of grit and determination" and calls the series "required reading for any thriller aficionado.”Now, you can purchase the first four books of the Peter Savage Series for over 60% off!CROSSING SAVAGEIn this edge-of-your-seat thriller, author Dave Edlund brings readers face to face with the promise of energy independence... and its true cost. As one by one the world’s leading alternative energy researchers are assassinated, Peter Savage and his friend Jim Nicolaou race against the clock to preserve the secret that promises to change the landscape of the world... or start a global war. In the timely, heart-thumping thriller Crossing Savage, author Dave Edlund presents the theory of abiogenic oil production and the terrifying array of unintended consequences that accompany the belief that energy independence can be realized.RELENTLESS SAVAGEIn this fast-paced, action-driven adventure Peter Savage confronts a hidden genocide, genetic manipulation, and a tipping point in the balance of world power.When Peter Savage's son Ethan is kidnapped by rebel forces in Sudan while on a service trip, Peter will stop at nothing to get his son home. Recruiting old friends and tapping into the expertise of Commander James Nicolau, Peter puts together an unlikely rescue mission that will pit him against deadly forces. What Peter and his team find in the Sudan is a force far more sinister and dangerous than they could ever imagine. They are drawn into a much larger top-secret government mission, one that leads them to a hidden research site with an army of genetically-perfect soldiers.DEADLY SAVAGEFrom the award-winning Peter Savage novels comes a tale of political intrigue, biological warfare, and the fragile balance of world power.When militants invade the Belarusian State University in Minsk, Peter and his father are caught in the crossfire. Held hostage by gunmen who look suspiciously like Russian soldiers, Peter Savage uncovers a deadly plot to kill thousands of innocent civilians—and lay the blame at the feet of the United States government. In a desperate attempt to avoid a global war, Commander James Nicolaou and Peter are called to the front lines of the sinister campaign, and the stakes have never been higher.HUNTING SAVAGEWhen an unthinkable act of treason and a clandestine pact threaten to redraw the map of the Middle East, Peter Savage becomes both hunter and prey.A free-lance hacker uncovers top-secret files about a government cover-up surrounding the 1967 Six-Day War and triggers a murderous rampage at a resort town in Central Oregon. When the files inadvertently land in the possession of Peter Savage, he is targeted by assassins from both sides of the Atlantic and implicated in murders he didn’t commit. As the body count rises and with nowhere to turn, Savage makes a desperate decision: he draws his pursuers to the Cascade Mountains, where he plans to leverage the harsh terrain to his advantage. Doggedly trailed by both law enforcement and a small army of battle-hardened assassins, Savage becomes both hunter and prey. With his own fate uncertain, Peter Savage fights overwhelming odds to reveal the truth before full-scale war engulfs the Middle East.
Peterborough in the Great War (Your Towns And Cities In The Great War Ser.)
by Abigail Hamilton-ThompsonWhen news of the war first broke out in 1914, the citizens of Peterborough could not have been prepared for the changes that would occur over the next four years. This book takes a detailed looks at Peterborough's involvement in the Great war from when it commenced in July 1914, to the Armistice in November 1918, covering in great detail its affect on the city and the every day lives of its people. For example, the factory Werner Pfeiderer & Perkins at Westwood Works was forced to change its name to Perkins Engineers due to the anti-German feeling at the outbreak of the war.One in six of Peterborough's working age men did not return from the front line, and in one single day forty-six men from the city lost their lives. Many of these men came from Peterborough's factories. As a result, these factories looked to women to produce armaments and tanks, as well as repairing guns used in the trenches.Edith Cavell, the famous British nurse, grew up in Peterborough and was shot dead in 1915 for assisting the escape of Allied soldiers from Belgium. Peterborough in the Great War is a poignant testimony not only to her bravery, but that of the city's people and their momentous efforts.
Peter's Wars: A Memoir
by Peter GeddesThis fiercely funny memoir is set in Melbourne during the 1940s. The entrenched Protestant–Catholic divide of those times informs the narrative. Juxtaposed is the gulf between Melburnians and the thousands of Yanks stationed in their city following Pearl Harbor; the dizzying effect on the women had far-reaching consequences. Growing resentment and the increasing fear of a Japanese invasion add to the tension. Born in 1938, Peter relates that he was conceived twice. The conception resulting in his parents&’ marriage occurs in the back of a &’36 Chevy. Five months after the wedding, his mother (who wasn&’t above telling a little fib) experiences the first signs of pregnancy: it is then she knows that she doesn&’t want to be a mother. As the war escalates Peter&’s father joins the RAAF, leaving Peter with a mother who resents having a small child to care for. Neglected, cold and hungry, shame engulfs him when his mother entertains a stream of GIs. Blending the matter-of-fact voice of a child with the accomplished voice of a journalist, Peter&’s Wars captures the precise detail of the period: a kitchen without heating or running water, black market grog, rationing … the combination of satire and realism highlighting human truths with stark acuity. When Peter turns ten, his rich Catholic grandmother decides his religious education should not be neglected any longer and enrols him at Xavier College. There, Peter learns about eternal damnation and hellfire. Terrified, he responds by trying to make up for ten years of religious ignorance by attending daily mass and amassing enough &‘good&’ points to save his soul. Peter&’s Wars is a memoir that begins and ends with the defining factors of every human life: time and place. PRAISE FOR THE BOOK'Peter's vivid writing has a fly-on-the-wall immediacy which, when filtered through a child's all-seeing eyes, captures the very essence of Melbourne society and Australia as a whole during World War II.' - Sean Doyle, author of Australia's Trail-Blazing First Novelist: John Lang 'This sparkling memoir is as uniquely Australian as Summer of the Seventeenth Doll and The Castle.&’ - Carrolline Rhodes, author and editor
Petersburg 1864-65
by Peter Dennis Ron FieldIn 1864, Petersburg, Virginia became the setting for one of the last great campaigns of the American Civil War (1861-1865) and the longest siege in American History. After his failure to capture Richmond in the Spring, General Ulysses S. Grant decided to strangle the life out of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia by surrounding the city of Petersburg and cutting off General Robert E. Lee's supply lines. The ensuing siege would carry on for nearly ten months, involve 160,000 soldiers, and see a number of pitched battles including the Battle of the Crater, Reams Station, Hatcher's Run, and White Oak Road. But around these battles were long days of living in trenches, enduring poor diet and winter weather, and suffering constant artillery bombardment. In April of 1865, Grant ordered a sweeping offensive against the beleaguered Confederates, which broke Lee's right flank and forced him to retreat to Appomattox Court House, where he surrendered a week later.Written by an expert on the American Civil War, this book examines the last clash between the armies of U.S. Grant and Robert E. Lee.
Petersburg to Appomattox: The End of the War in Virginia (Military Campaigns of the Civil War)
by Caroline E. JanneyThe last days of fighting in the Civil War's eastern theater have been wrapped in mythology since the moment of Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House. War veterans and generations of historians alike have focused on the seemingly inevitable defeat of the Confederacy after Lee's flight from Petersburg and recalled the generous surrender terms set forth by Grant, thought to facilitate peace and to establish the groundwork for sectional reconciliation. But this volume of essays by leading scholars of the Civil War era offers a fresh and nuanced view of the eastern war's closing chapter. Assessing events from the siege of Petersburg to the immediate aftermath of Lee's surrender, Petersburg to Appomattox blends military, social, cultural, and political history to reassess the ways in which the war ended and examines anew the meanings attached to one of the Civil War's most significant sites, Appomattox. Contributors are Peter S. Carmichael, William W. Bergen, Susannah J. Ural, Wayne Wei-Siang Hsieh, William C. Davis, Keith Bohannon, Caroline E. Janney, Stephen Cushman, and Elizabeth R. Varon.
The Petlyakov Pe-2: Stalin's Successful Red Air Force Light Bomber
by Peter C. SmithThe definitive book on the development and deployment of the Soviet Union’s supreme dive-bomber—with rare archival and private photos.During the Second World War, the Petlyakov Pe-2 Peshka was the Soviet Union’s main dive- and light-bomber in operations across the Eastern Front. It became a mainstay of the Soviet counteroffensive that led to the fall of Berlin. They also led the way in the brief but annihilating Manchurian campaign against Japan in the closing days of the war in 1945.Conceived by a team of top aircraft designers whom Stalin had incarcerated on political charges, the Peshka had originally been designed as a high-altitude twin-engine fighter plane. But due to the outstanding success of the German Stukas in the Blitzkrieg, it was quickly transformed into the fastest dive-bomber in the skies.Only a handful had reached front lines by the start of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. But by 1945, more than 11,000 of the type were built, including many variants. Many of these remained in service with the air forces of Yugoslavia and the Warsaw Pact countries into the 1950s. Using official sources, including the official Pe-2 handbook, as well as rare color and black-and-white photographs from both official and private collections, this is the definitive record of the Pe-2.
The Petlyakov Pe-2: Stalin's Successful Red Air Force Light Bomber
by Peter C. SmithThe definitive book on the development and deployment of the Soviet Union’s supreme dive-bomber—with rare archival and private photos.During the Second World War, the Petlyakov Pe-2 Peshka was the Soviet Union’s main dive- and light-bomber in operations across the Eastern Front. It became a mainstay of the Soviet counteroffensive that led to the fall of Berlin. They also led the way in the brief but annihilating Manchurian campaign against Japan in the closing days of the war in 1945.Conceived by a team of top aircraft designers whom Stalin had incarcerated on political charges, the Peshka had originally been designed as a high-altitude twin-engine fighter plane. But due to the outstanding success of the German Stukas in the Blitzkrieg, it was quickly transformed into the fastest dive-bomber in the skies.Only a handful had reached front lines by the start of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. But by 1945, more than 11,000 of the type were built, including many variants. Many of these remained in service with the air forces of Yugoslavia and the Warsaw Pact countries into the 1950s. Using official sources, including the official Pe-2 handbook, as well as rare color and black-and-white photographs from both official and private collections, this is the definitive record of the Pe-2.
Petticoat Surgeon
by Bertha Van HoosenPetticoat Surgeon by Bertha Van Hoosen is a remarkable memoir that chronicles the life and career of one of the pioneering women in American medicine. Dr. Van Hoosen’s autobiography provides an inspiring and intimate look at her journey to becoming a renowned surgeon during a time when the medical field was dominated by men.Born in 1863, Bertha Van Hoosen overcame numerous societal and professional obstacles to pursue her passion for medicine. "Petticoat Surgeon" captures her relentless determination, her struggles, and her triumphs as she navigates the challenges of medical school, internship, and eventually, her surgical practice. The book offers a vivid portrayal of her experiences and the broader historical context of women's evolving role in medicine.Van Hoosen’s narrative is filled with personal anecdotes, from her early fascination with anatomy to her battles against gender discrimination and skepticism from her male counterparts. Her story is not just one of personal achievement, but also of advocacy, as she tirelessly worked to improve conditions for women in the medical profession and to advance medical education.The memoir highlights her significant contributions to medicine, including her innovations in obstetrics and gynecology, and her leadership roles in various medical organizations. Van Hoosen’s pioneering spirit and dedication to her patients and profession shine through in every chapter, making "Petticoat Surgeon" a powerful testament to her legacy.Dr. Van Hoosen’s writing is both engaging and insightful, offering readers a unique perspective on the medical field during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her story is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of medicine, women’s studies, or the inspiring journeys of trailblazers who broke barriers and paved the way for future generations."Petticoat Surgeon" stands as a tribute to Bertha Van Hoosen’s extraordinary life and enduring impact on the world of medicine, celebrating her achievements and the progress she championed for women in the profession.
The Phalanx Code: A Garrett Sinclair Novel (Garrett Sinclair #3)
by A. J. TataGarrett Sinclair escapes from prison to rescue his team from the manipulations of two tech moguls and learns of a devastating family secret in the process.Influential tech magnate Mitch Drewson calls on Sinclair and the Dagger team to protect his Project Optimus. An ambitious endeavor that empowers citizens to protect their financial and personal data in the face of increasingly authoritarian federal governments, Project Optimus is a threat to Aurelius Blanc’s Phalanx Corporation. Blanc’s data collection and media application are enabling a global security threat, creating a technofascism that monitors the activity of everyone with a smartphone, tablet, computer, or any web-connected device.When Phalanx assassin squads overrun an Optimus server farm in California and attack an Optimus coder named Blair Campbell, who happens to be the president’s daughter, Sinclair must deploy a group of warriors to save Blair and protect the remainder of the Optimus team so they can finish their important work—a project that includes deciphering the mysterious Phalanx Code, suspected to be Phalanx’s kill list of Optimus employees.With Phalanx squads hunting him and those he loves, Sinclair must determine who he can trust while a part of his past comes back to haunt him and threaten everything he holds dear. Nonstop action and authentic detail make this the most compelling, high-stakes entry in the Sinclair series yet.
Phantom: Uncovering The Secrets Of The Ww2 Special Forces Unit
by Philip WarnerThe story of the shadowy special reconnaissance unit whose intelligence helped the Allies win World War II. It operated in Italy, Sicily, Austria, France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany. It was at Dieppe with the Commandos, in France with the SAS, at Arnhem with Airborne, and in Germany until the surrender. Phantom—aka GHQ Liaison Regiment—was one of the most secret and most effective of the wartime special regiments. It was formed in 1939 with the mission of finding out exactly where all the Allied forward positions were—a task which required linguistic ability, unlimited tact, and radio expertise. After Dunkirk, its squadrons at first kept an eye on all invasion points, before deploying to Greece and to the Middle East. An indispensable direct communication link between the forward patrols and command headquarters, its members were as varied and colorful as its tasks. Among them were a Cambridge college postgraduate, three professors, a famous actor-playwright, a film star, a famous sculptor, a steward of the Jockey Club, a commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, and numerous authors and journalists. This fascinating history goes beyond Phantom&’s aura of mystery and shows how it was so successful in its role of tracking both allied and enemy movements and relaying vital information direct to commanders.
Phantom Boys: True Tales from UK Operators of the McDonnell Douglas F-4
by Richard Pike&“A cracking read&” on the twin-engined supersonic long-range fighter bomber from the bestselling author of the Hunter Boys and Lightning Boys volumes (Britain at War). Originally developed for the US Navy, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 fighter-bomber first flew in the spring of 1958. It then entered service for the US Navy in 1961, and in 1969 with the Fleet Air Arm and RAF in the UK. Regarded as one of the most versatile fighters ever built, the Phantom F-4 was the US Navy&’s fastest and highest-flying aircraft. It was flown by both US military demonstration teams (Navy Blue Angels and the Air Force Thundercats) from 1969 to 1973. It ended its service in 1991 with the RAF. But it continues to serve a variety of air forces across the world, with some still in service fifty years after its first flight. Throughout the twenty chapters of this book, thirteen contributors will take readers across the world with adventures in the Falkland Islands, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Far East and Germany. There are anecdotes of reconnaissance missions, encounters with the Russian Tupolevs, record-breaking flights and life on HMS Ark Royal. The scope, flair and pace of the writing in this book will appeal to the general reader as well as to the enthusiast.
Phantom Boys Volume 2: More Thrilling Tales From UK and US Operators of the McDonnell Douglas F-4
by Richard PikeThe highly anticipated follow-up has &“more scintillating stories from both the front and rear cockpits of one of the world&’s most legendary jet fighters&” (Air Classics). Once again Richard Pike has brought together brilliant, hitherto unpublished accounts across eighteen chapters. And now there is coverage of the Americans. So, with both British and American perspectives, Phantom Boys 2 is packed with exhilarating action. From combat in the Vietnam War to life after the Falklands War, readers will experience a variety of wartime and peacetime tales. An array of narratives from air and ground crew cover adventures across the world; from the UK, US and Germany to the Far East. It also includes the fascinating story of one female fighter controller&’s chance to fly in a Phantom during the 1970s. Throughout the book Richard Pike captures the drama and emotion of life in the cockpit. With such detailed stories, readers will be gripped by this captivating book.&“Pike has done an excellent job of drawing the reader into the cockpit and then into the skies. The shared tales are engaging and quickly read. While each tale is relatively short—typically less than fifteen pages—all are packed with the detalis, sights, and sounds of flying one of the modern age&’s most iconic jet fighters.&” —Air Power History
Phantom from the Cockpit: Flying the Legend
by Peter CaygillThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom was the outstanding aircraft in many of the Western World's air forces during the 1960s and 70s. It played a key role in the 'Cold War' and saw action in Vietnam. It first flew in 1958 and went into operation with the US Navy in 1960. During its long front-line life it flew in the roles of an interceptor, fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.Apart from giving a comprehensive overview of the Phantom's history, this book looks particularly at the experiences of the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm when they received a new model designed with a British Rolls-Royce turbofan instead of the original American power-plant. All was not sweetness and light when the first trials commenced and this book traces its development and progression from being a carrier-based attack aircraft flown by the Fleet Air Arm to the many successful roles it played as a land-based aircraft with the RAF.
Phantom Fury
by Tom YoungIn Tom Young's new novel Sand and Fire, a six-foot-eight black Marine gunnery sergeant named A.E. Blount teams up with Young's series heroes Michael Parson and Sophia Gold to fight an extraordinary terrorist in northern Africa. But it was a decade earlier, during Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah, that Staff Sergeant Blount really learned what war was. In this remarkable novella, riveting in its action, shocking in its candor, we see through his eyes as Blount and his comrades discover that the limits of what men will do, both for good and evil, go beyond anything they ever imagined; that the line between friend and enemy is much more complicated than they thought -- and that courage and mercy come in the most surprising of forms. At the time of his retirement as a senior master sergeant in 2013, Tom Young had logged nearly five thousand hours as a flight engineer for the Air National Guard in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Bosnia, and elsewhere. He is also the author of The Mullah's Storm, Silent Enemy, The Renegade, and The Warriors.
Phantom Game (A GhostWalker Novel #18)
by Christine FeehanTwo predators collide with unbridled passion in this intoxicating GhostWalker novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan. Jonas &“Smoke&” Harper has watched his brothers find their perfect mates, never imagining he&’d actually meet someone who complements every part of him—even the monster that lurks within. But his instant connection with Camellia goes far beyond wanting the intelligent, beautiful, and lethal woman in his bed. They are two parts of a whole, linked to each other and to a larger network that exists everywhere around them. Camellia has lived on her own for a long time, relying on her unique psychic abilities to keep her safe. She knows that Jonas was literally made for her, and that makes their addictive connection more dangerous than a thousand enhanced super soldiers. Once the larger threat looming over them is dealt with she&’s going to get far away as fast as she can. Life has taught her that the only one she can truly trust is herself. Jonas can sense Camellia is going to run—and the hunter inside doesn&’t want to let go. Not when he knows how good they&’ll be together. So he&’ll just have to use all of his considerable skills to convince her to stay....
The Phantom Glare of Day: Three Novellas
by M. LaszloIn this trio of novellas, three game young ladies enter into dangerous liaisons that test each one&’s limits and force them to confront the most heartrending issues facing society in the early twentieth century. The Phantom Glare of Day tells of Sophie, a young lady who has lived a sheltered life and consequently has no idea how cruel public school bullying can be. When she meets Jarvis, a young man obsessed with avenging all those students who delight in his daily debasement, she resolves to intervene before tragedy unfolds. Mouvements Perpétuels tells of Cäcilia, a young lady shunned by her birth father. She longs for the approval of an older man, so when her ice-skating instructor attempts to take advantage of her, she cannot resist. Not a month later, she realizes that she is pregnant and must decide whether or not to get an abortion. Passion Bearer tells of Manon, a young lady who falls in love with a beautiful actress after taking a post as a script girl for a film company—and is subsequently confronted with the pettiest kinds of homophobia. Specific to their time yet unquestionably relevant for women today, The Phantom Glare of Day is a compelling interrogation of who gets to decide what is right and what is wrong.
Phantom in the Cold War: RAF Wildenrath, 1977–1992
by David GledhillAn RAF veteran presents an in-depth study of one of the Cold War&’s most effective fighter, defense, and reconnaissance planes. The McDonnell Douglas F4 Phantom was a true multi-role combat aircraft. Introduced into the Royal Air Force in 1968, it was employed in ground attack, air reconnaissance and air defense roles. Even after the arrival of the Jaguar in the early 1970s, it continued to play a significant role in air defense. In its heyday, the Phantom was Britain&’s principal Cold War fighter. There were seven UK-based squadrons, two Germany-based squadrons, and a further Squadron deployed to the Falkland Islands.Phantom in the Cold War focuses on the aircraft&’s role as an air defense fighter, exploring its contribution to the Second Allied Tactical Air Force at RAF Wildenrath during the Cold War. Author David Gledhill, who flew the Phantom operationally, also recounts the thrills, challenges, and consequences of operating this temperamental jet at extreme low-level over the West German countryside, preparing for a war which everyone hoped would never happen.
Phantom Leader
by Mark BerentJanuary, 1968. The full fury of the TET Offensive is about to explode, forever changing the lives of America's bravest warriors: FAC pilot Toby Parker, escaping through the jungle, is trapped in the middle of the tank attack on Lang Tri. Major "Flak" Apple tumbles from the skies and into the hands of the jailers of Hanoi's infamous Hoa Lo Prison. Special Forces Colonel Wolf Lochert is charged with the murder of an enemy agent. U.S.A.F. Major Court Bannister faces a choice that could make him Vietnam's first air ACE - or end his military career altogether.
The Phantom Major: The Story of David Stirling and the SAS Regiment
by Virginia CowlesAn action-packed biography of &“one of the legitimate storybook heroes of World War II&” and the special forces regiment he founded (The New York Times). In the dark and uncertain days of 1941 and 1942, when Rommel&’s Afrika Korps was sweeping toward Egypt and the Suez Canal, a small group of daring raiders made history for the Allies. They operated deep behind German lines, driving hundreds of miles through the deserts of North Africa. They hid by day and struck by night, destroying aircraft, blowing up ammunition dumps, derailing trains, and killing many times their own number. These men were the Special Air Service. The SAS was the brainchild of David Stirling, a deceptively mild-mannered man with a brilliant idea. Under his command, small teams of resourceful, highly trained men penetrated beyond the front lines of the opposing armies and wreaked havoc where the Germans least expected it. From Virginia Cowles, whose biographies have been praised as &“splendidly readable&” (Sunday Times) and &“fascinating&” (Kirkus Reviews), this is a classic account of these raids, an amazing tale of courage, impudence, and daring packed with action and high adventure. Her narrative, based on the eyewitness testimony of the men who took part, gives a compelling insight into the early years of the SAS.
Phantom Menace or Looming Danger?: A New Framework for Assessing Bioweapons Threats
by Kathleen M. VogelA call for a new way to assess bioweapon threats—recognizing the importance of the sociopolitical context of technological threats.The horrifying terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the anthrax strikes that soon followed gave the United States new reason to fear unconventional enemies and atypical weapons. These fears have prompted extensive research, study, and planning within the U.S. military, intelligence, and policy communities regarding potential attacks involving biological weapons. In Phantom Menace or Looming Danger?, Kathleen M. Vogel argues for a major shift in how analysts assess bioweapons threats. She calls for an increased focus on the social and political context in which technological threats are developed.Vogel uses case studies to illustrate her theory: Soviet anthrax weapons development, the Iraqi mobile bioweapons labs, and two synthetic genomic experiments. She concludes with recommendations for analysts and policymakers to integrate sociopolitical analysis with data analysis, thereby making U.S. bioweapon assessments more accurate. Students of security policy will find her innovative framework appealing, her writing style accessible, and the many illustrations helpful. These features also make Phantom Menace or Looming Danger? a must-read for government policymakers and intelligence experts.“This is an engrossing book that exemplifies what STS can bring to broader issues of policymaking in the US and potentially beyond, and it is well worth reading.” —Carla Nappi, New Books in Science, Technology, and Society“Kathleen Vogel has authored one of the most important books written about biological weapons in recent years. . . . Vogel tackles head-on the conventional wisdom regarding the biological weapon (BW) threat, successfully, challenging assumptions that have gone largely unexamined by the broader biodefense community. . . . She also uncovers some deeper organizational and social forces that have shaped US intelligence and threat assessments since the end of international security, not just those with an interest in biodefense or intelligence. This, this book is a must-read for scholars and practitioners in the field of international security, not just those with an interest in biodefense or intelligence.” —Gregory D. Koblentz, Nonproliferation Review“Intriguing, original, and deeply informed. Focusing on potential threats, Vogel shows in engaging historical detail that technical problems are inherently social. She has made an important scholarly contribution to science and technology studies and to studies of intelligence. At the same time, she speaks directly to the policy world. The combination of depth of scholarship and practical implication is remarkable.” —Lynn Eden, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University
Phantom Noise
by Brian TurnerIn the aftermath of best-selling Here, Bullet, Brian Turner deftly illuminates existence as both easily extinguishable and ultimately enduring. These prophetic, osmotic poems wage a daily battle for normalcy, seeking structure in the quotidian while grappling with the absence of forgetting.
Phantom Orbit: A Thriller
by David IgnatiusA subtle and masterful novel from a prescient voice on the cutting edge of spy literature. David Ignatius is known for his uncanny ability, in novel after novel, to predict the next great national security headline. In Phantom Orbit, he presents a story both searing and topical, with stakes as far-reaching as outer space. It follows Ivan Volkov, a Russian student in Beijing, who discovers an unsolved puzzle in the writings of the seventeenth-century astronomer Johannes Kepler. He takes the puzzle to a senior scientist in the Chinese space program and declares his intention to solve it. Volkov returns to Moscow and continues his secret work. The puzzle holds untold consequences for space warfare. The years pass, and they are not kind to Volkov. After the loss of his son, a prosecutor who’d been too tough on corruption, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Volkov makes the fraught decision to contact the CIA. He writes: Satellites are your enemies, especially your own. . . . Hidden codes can make time stop and turn north into south. . . . If you are smart, you will find me. With this timely novel, Ignatius addresses our moment of renewed interest in space exploration amid geopolitical tumult. Phantom Orbit brims with the author’s vital insights and casts Volkov as the man who, at the risk of his life, may be able to stop the Doomsday clock.
The Phantom Patrol (A Billy Boyle WWII Mystery #19)
by James R. BennAn investigation into a gang of Nazi-affiliated art thieves leads Billy Boyle and his comrades directly into the line of fire at the catastrophic Battle of the Bulge.Winter 1944: Months after the Liberation of France, ex-Boston cop Billy Boyle finds himself in a Paris reeling from the carnage it has endured but hopeful that an end to war is in sight. When Billy finds a rare piece of artwork after a tense shoot-out in the Père Lachaise Cemetery, he thinks it could be connected to the Syndicat du Renard, a shadowy network of Nazi sympathizers known to be smuggling stolen artwork out of France.Trailing the Syndicat, Billy discovers that someone with a high level of communications clearance—someone in the Phantom regiment of the British Army—may be using his position to aid the thieves. Billy, determined to stop the abettor, heads up to the frontlines where he experiences a last-ditch battle against overwhelming odds. There, the ruinous Battle of the Bulge unfurls in the Ardennes Forest. Can Billy and his team survive the bracing onslaught and return the stolen artwork to its rightful protectors?
Phantom Patrol, The
by L. Ron HubbardA triumphant tale of heroes, honor and impossible odds. On the trail of dope runners on the high seas, Coast Guard CPO Johnny Trescott receives an SOS from a transport plane that's crashed and sinking. With lives at stake, Johnny must cut off his pursuit and rescue the downed plane.Unfortunately, the dope-smuggling pirate he's chasing hears the same alarm, and greets Johnny and his crew at the crash scene with something far more than they bargained for."This is a rip-roaring, old-fashioned adventure like the kind they don't make any more. A blast for Hubbard fans and pulp fiction lovers."--Library Journal* An International Book Awards Finalists