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An American Hero: One Man's Legacy of Fatherhood and Faith
by Tom Davis Jr.An American Hero: One Man's Legacy of Fatherhood and Faith is a poignant and inspiring journey through four generations, revealing how one World War II survivor's resilience, integrity, and unwavering faith forged a life-giving legacy that transformed not only his family but also countless lives around him.With his highly successful business career winding down, Tom Davis Jr. knew the time had come to give voice to the insights and inspiration that have propelled him along a path of excellence in commerce and beyond. To do so, he quickly realized he needed to tell the harrowing story of his father: a servant-hearted World War II survivor, a leader and mentor, a man who emerged from the darkest depths of abandonment and loss to build a life-giving legacy that has blessed not only his son but countless others. An American Hero shines a spotlight not only on the author&’s dad but also on a colorful cast of real-life heroes and villains who played pivotal roles in shaping their descendants—sometimes for better, too often for worse. As this no-holds-barred, four-generation saga unfolds, you will be captivated by: the secrets to living a life of unmatched integrity and unshakable purpose how the author&’s father survived (and thrived) amid the pain of betrayal what it means to establish new patterns that can transform a family&’s destiny how our deepest wounds can become the seeds of healing and growth . . . and much more. In a sweeping, intricately woven tale spanning more than a century, the author invites you to draw inspiration from his father&’s hard-won legacy—his character and charisma, his toughness and tenacity—and to apply the wealth of wisdom you glean to your own life, work, and relationships.
An American Heroine in the French Resistance: The Diary and Memoir of Virginia D'Albert-Lake (World War Ii: The Global, Human, And Ethical Dimension Ser. #Vol. 9)
by Virginia D'Albert-LakeThis account by a woman who fought the Nazis alongside her husband is &“an indelible portrait of extraordinary strength of character&” (The New Yorker). Virginia Roush fell in love with Philippe d&’Albert-Lake during a visit to France in 1936; they married soon after. In 1943, they both joined the Resistance, where Virginia put her life in jeopardy as she sheltered downed airmen and later survived a Nazi prison camp. After the war, she stayed in France with Philippe, and was awarded the Légion d&’Honneur and the Medal of Honor. This book includes two rare documents—Virginia&’s diary of wartime France until her capture in 1944, and her prison memoir written immediately after the war. Together they offer &“an invaluable record of the workings of the French Resistance by one of the very few American women who participated in it&” (Providence Journal). &“A sharply etched and moving story of love, companionship, commitment, and sacrifice . . . This beautifully edited diary and memoir throw an original light on the French Resistance.&” —Robert Gildea, author of Marianne in Chains: In Search of the German Occupation, 1940–1945 &“At once a stunning self-portrait and dramatic narrative of a valorous young American woman . . . an exciting and gripping story.&” —Walter Cronkite
An American Iliad: The Story of the Civil War
by Charles P. RolandThis comprehensive history of the Civil War interweaves the story of battles and campaigns with accounts of the major political, diplomatic, social, and cultural events of the epoch and insightful sketches of the leading actors. The story of the Civil War is the epic of the American people.
An American Requiem: God, My Father, and the War that Came Between Us
by James CarrollNational Book Award winner: This story of a family torn apart by the Vietnam era is &“a magnificent portrayal of two noble men who broke each other&’s hearts&” (Booklist). James Carroll grew up in a Catholic family that seemed blessed. His father, who had once dreamed of becoming a priest, instead began a career in J. Edgar Hoover&’s FBI, rising through the ranks and eventually becoming one of the most powerful men in the Pentagon, the founder of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Young Jim lived a privileged life, dating the daughter of a vice president and meeting the pope—all in the shadow of nuclear war, waiting for the red telephone to ring in his parents&’ house. James fulfilled the goal his father had abandoned, becoming a priest himself. His feelings toward his father leaned toward worship as well—until the tumult of the 1960s came between them. Their disagreements, over Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement; turmoil in the Church; and finally, Vietnam—where the elder Carroll chose targets for US bombs—began to outweigh the bond between them. While one of James&’s brothers fled to Canada, another was in law enforcement ferreting out draft dodgers. James, meanwhile, served as a chaplain at Boston University, protesting the war in the streets but ducking news cameras to avoid discovery. Their relationship would never be the same again. Only after Carroll left the priesthood to become a writer, and a husband with children of his own, did he begin to understand fully the struggles his father had faced. In An American Requiem, the New York Times bestselling author of Constantine&’s Sword and Christ Actually offers a benediction, in &“a moving memoir of the effect of the Vietnam War on his family that is at once personal and the story of a generation . . . at once heartbreaking and heroic, this is autobiography at its best&” (Publishers Weekly).
An American Soldier: The Life of John Laurens
by Henry Laurens Sara Bertha Townsend John LaurensOriginally published in 1958, this is the biography of John Laurens (1754-1782), an American soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War, best known for his criticism of slavery and his efforts to help recruit slaves to fight for their freedom as U.S. soldiers.In the author’s own words, Laurens hailed from an era that “knew nothing of flamethrowers and submarines, of atomic bombs and guided missiles. To the young republic this man gave his utmost devotion, acting within five momentous years the roles of soldier, legislator, aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief, and Special Minister to France.”
An American Story: Everyone’s Invited
by Wilmer ValderramaThe remarkable true story of a young immigrant from Venezuela who had a dream to change the world, a talent for entertaining, and a determined spirit to build a new life, taking as many as possible with him on the journey.An American Story is the stirring memoir by actor, producer, and activist Wilmer Valderrama, delving into his upbringing in Venezuela where he was raised by two hard working parents as they navigated their family through a rapidly changing country and the rise of Hugo Chavez. With the economy crashing around them and their livelihood disappearing, the family decides to flee the country. Suddenly, the young boy who had loved riding his horse and dreaming of being Zorro from his favorite black and white tv show had to grow up quickly, journeying as a teenager from a tiny little pueblo in Venezuela to the big city of Los Angeles.After being cast in a school theatre production, Valderrama knew he had found his calling, and began thinking of ways to help support his struggling family. He would attempt the impossible: find work in Hollywood as an unproven Latino actor. Following countless auditions and frequent criticisms of his accent, he created the personality that would eventually land him the role as Fez on the hit series That 70s Show, which catapulted him to stardom.Over the coming years, he would create the smash show, Yo Mamma, voice the lead character in Disney&’s Encanto, and so much more, culminating in his joining the cast of the hit show NCIS in 2016.It was through service to others and his first USO trip, however, where Valderrama found his expanded calling, entertaining and encouraging U.S. troops around the world. He has since traveled with the USO a multitude of times, having participated in almost 50 tours domestically and internationally and was recently named USO Global Ambassador.Through his work, Valderrama hopes to demonstrate his love and gratitude for the country that changed his life. An American Story weaves Valderrama&’s personal stories with those of the remarkable people he&’s met along his philanthropic journey. This isn&’t just Valderrama&’s story, though. It&’s a view of America through an immigrant&’s eyes, in both its stunning unmatched wonders and all its native challenges. It is the profound and gripping story of someone who found the way and is now inviting as many as possible to join him on the adventure.
An American Uprising in Second World War England: Mutiny in the Duchy
by Kate WerranThe shocking story of a WWII shootout between black and white GIs in a quiet Cornish town that put the British-US “special relationship” on trial.On September 26, 1943, racial tensions between American soldiers stationed in Cornwall erupted in gunfire. Labelled a ‘wild west’ mutiny by the tabloids, it became front page news in Great Britain and the USA. For Americans, it bolstered a fast-accelerating civil rights movement, while in the UK, it exposed unsettling truths about Anglo-American relations. With new archival research, journalist Kate Werran pieces together the shocking drama that authorities tried to hush up. Her narrative examines everything from the controversy of American segregation on British soil to the shocking event itself and the resulting court martial.Extracted from wartime cabinet documents, secret government surveys, opinion polls, diaries, letters and newspapers as well as testimony from those who remember it, this story offers a rare window into a little-known dark side of the ‘American Invasion.’
An American on the Western Front: The First World War Letters of Arthur Clifford Kimber, 1917-18
by Patrick Gregory Elizabeth NurserThis is the remarkable story of the American First World War serviceman Arthur Clifford Kimber. When his country entered the Great War in 1917, Kimber left Stanford University to carry the first official American flag to the Western Front. Fired by idealism for the French cause, the young student initially acted as a volunteer ambulance driver, before training as a pilot and taking part in dogfights against ‘the Boche’. His letters home give a vivid picture of what Kimber witnessed on his journey from Palo Alto, California to the front in France: keen-eyed descriptions of New York as it prepared for the forthcoming conflict, the privations of wartime Britain and France, and encounters with former president Theodore Roosevelt and Hollywood actress Lillian Gish. Kimber details his exhilaration, his everyday concerns and his horror as he adapts to an active wartime role. Arthur Clifford Kimber was one of the first Americans on the front line after the entry of the US into the war and, tragically, also one of the last to be buried there – killed in action just a few weeks before the end of the war. Here, his frank letters to his mother and brothers, compiled, edited and put in context by Patrick Gregory and Elizabeth Nurser, are published for the first time.
An Analysis In Coalition Warfare: Napoleon’s Defeat At The Battle Of Nations-Leipzig, 1813
by Colonel Clyde M. LeavelleRecent history indicates that, in most, if not all, future military conflicts, the United States will participate as part of a coalition. Examination of successful coalitions from the past may reveal precepts which can be applied in order to successfully approach participation in future coalitions. The Battle of Leipzig in 1813 is a superb example of successful coalition operations from early 19th Century. Its detailed study and analysis has led the author to the conclusion that, different principles apply to successful prosecution of coalition operations at each level of war. Understanding and orchestrating the precepts that apply at each level will give the United States the best chance for successful prosecution of its future strategic objectives during war.
An Analysis Of The Norwegian Resistance During The Second World War
by Major Kim M. JohnsonThe Norwegian Resistance during the Second World War (April 1940-June 1945) was basically a peaceful set of events conducted by the civilian population as well as underground military organizations. While sabotage and other hostile resistance acts did occur, they were not great in number. It should not be overlooked the Norwegian Armed Forces did fight for 63 days before admitting defeat to Germany.This paper will answer the question "Was the Norwegian Resistance successful against the German Nazis once their country was taken over by them during the Second World War?" The Warden theory of the organization of a system is used to categorize the Resistance movement, dissecting it and placing it in categories. Centers of gravity are noted and discussed. While the Norwegians did not have the military strength to beat the Germans, they did win many battles via their Resistance to the German Rule. These victories along with German acknowledgment prove the Norwegian Resistance was successful against the German Army and its rule over Norway.
An Analysis Of Unit Cohesion In The 42nd Alabama Infantry
by Samuel L. Askew IIIOn 16 May 1862, 904 soldiers formed ranks for the first time and unfurled the virgin colors of the 42nd Alabama Infantry Regiment. These 904 soldiers were a mixture of veterans, volunteers, conscripts, and substitutes. The regiment participated in nine western theater battles and their associated campaigns. These campaigns included Corinth, Vicksburg, Lookout Mountain, Atlanta, and Bentonville. Not one battle was a victory but the heat of battle forged a band of brothers tempered with time. The regiment cased its colors for the last time on 9 April 1865 in a desolate North Carolina field; only ninety-eight soldiers remained at the end of this bloody national struggle. This thesis will identify the timeless factors of cohesion within the 42nd Alabama. This thesis will further determine the most prominent of these factors, specifically within the remaining ninety eight soldiers. Finally, this thesis will explore the value of cohesion to the current military force. This thesis incorporated sources from the The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Confederate Veteran, The Southern Historical Papers, personal diaries and letters, census records, compiled service records, sources from the Alabama State Archives and the National Park Service. After the examination of numerous factors, to include discipline, leadership, and morale, the common factor that held the core members of the unit together until the end was the "original volunteer" soldiers of 1861. These soldiers formed the cohesive bond of the unit by instilling a common conviction and devotion to duty within the 42nd Alabama. The final analysis reinforces the value of the volunteer soldier and the worth of an "all-volunteer" force.
An Analysis of Manstein’s Winter Campaign on the Russian Front 1942-1943: A Perspective of the Operational Level of War and Its Implications
by Lt.-Col. Lawrence L. IzzoThis study is a historical analysis of the campaign waged by Field Marshal von Manstein on the Russian southern front during the winter 1942-43. The study begins just after the 6th Army's encirclement in Stalingrad and describes the four principal phases of Manstein's campaign: the attempted relief of the 6th Army; the protection of Army Group A as it disengaged from the Caucasus; the prevention of Manstein's lines of communications from being cut; and the counterblow to regain the initiative.The lessons learned from the campaign provide a perspective of battle at the operational level of war. The factors leading to Manstein's success are discussed and include: superior generalship at the operational level; superior tactical maturity of the Germans; and German tactical and operational agility. The study describes the transition from the operational defensive to the operational offensive and how a defender can have the initiative. Manstein's use of depth is explained. The concepts of center of gravity and operational art as they pertain to this campaign are also described.The study concludes with the implications of the lessons learned for a NATO-Soviet conflict in a central European scenario. The study points out that Manstein demonstrated that victory is possible even when forced to react to the enemy's plan. The ability of NATO to replicate, today, the agility of Manstein's forces and the synchronization achieved by his commanders is questioned. The implications of NATO's lack of operational depth, in contrast to Manstein, are described. The impact of changes in force design since World War II are also explained.
An Ancient Peace: A Torin Kerr Novel (Peacekeeper #1)
by Tanya HuffBestselling author Tanya Huff returns to the spacefaring Confederation in a new series, as centuries of battle give way to a fragile calm… but new threats lurk beneath the surface.With the war that’s dominated her life finally over, Torin Kerr is ready to prove wrong anyone who claims there’s no such thing as an ex-gunnery sergeant. She has plenty of opportunity to use her unique skills as a contractor to the Peacekeepers, zipping up petty rebellions and working to rehabilitate those who can’t lay down arms. But when Military Intelligence calls with a covert mission so explosive it could tear apart the Confederation, Torin can’t possibly refuse.Someone has found the hidden tomb planet where the founders of the Confederation buried their weapons when they swore off violence. Now the clock is ticking for Torin and her team to find it, too, and stop the planet-killing technology from resurrecting. But the Elder Races aren’t telling them everything. The citizens at the Core treat warriors like criminals. The grave-robbers know secrets no official record includes. And in the heart of this strange ancient memorial, Torin might learn more about the Confederation’s past than is good for her…
An Ancient Peace: Peacekeeper #1 (Peacekeeper #1)
by Tanya HuffGunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr had been the very model of a Confederation Marine. But when she learned the truth about the war the Confederation was fighting, she left the military for good. But Torin couldn't walk away from preserving and protecting everything the Confederation represented. Instead, she drew together an elite corps of friends and allies to take on covert missions that the Justice Department and the Corps could not--or would not--officially touch. Torin just hoped the one they were about to embark on wouldn't be the death of them. Ancient H'san grave goods are showing up on the black market--grave goods from just before the formation of the Confederation, when the H'san gave up war and buried their planet-destroying weapons...as grave goods for the death of war. Someone is searching for these weapons and they're very close to finding them. As the Elder Races have turned away from war, those searchers can only be members of the Younger Races. Fortunately, only the Corps Intelligence Service has this information. Unfortunately, they can do nothing about it--bound by laws of full disclosure, their every move is monitored. Though Torin Kerr and her team are no longer a part of the military, the six of them tackling the H'san defenses and the lethally armed grave robbers are the only chance the Confederation has. The only chance to avoid millions more dead. But the more Torin learns about the relationship between the Elder Races and the Younger, the more she begins to fear war might be an unavoidable result.From the Hardcover edition.
An Angel for May
by Melvin BurgessTam travels back in time to his small English town at the time of World War II, where his friendship helps a traumatized girl living on a farm just outside the town.
An Anthology of World War One, 1914–1918: Extracts from Selected Titles
by Pen & SwordSelected complete chapter extracts from some ofPen & Swordsmost exciting, brand new,First World War titles, books included are;Slaughter on the Somme, by John Grehan and Martin MaceTeenage Tommy, by Richard Van EmdenLondoners on the Western Front, by David MartinVeteran Volunteer, edited by Jamie Vans and Peter WiddowsonCommand and Morale, by Gary SheffieldInto Touch, by Nigel McCreryConscientious Objectors of the Second World War, by Ann KramerHome Front in the Great War, by David Bilton
An Anti-Communist on the Eastern Front: The Memoirs of a Russian Officer in the Spanish Blue Division 1941-1942
by Vladimir KovalevskiVladimir Kovalevskii’s memoirs record in graphic detail a remarkable military career. As a soldier, a committed anti-communist and Russian patriot he saw from the inside a series of conflicts that ravaged Europe in the first half of the twentieth century. In the First World War he fought the Germans, as a White Russian he opposed the Bolsheviks. He joined the French Foreign Legion and served in Africa before fighting for Franco in the Spanish Civil War and for Hitler in the Spanish Blue Division on the Eastern Front in the Second World War. His memoirs give a vivid insight into the armies he fought with and the causes he fought for – and they show how eventually the mental toll became so great that he was devoured by his own contradictions and the contradictions of his times. His experiences on the Eastern Front during the Second World War were shocking. He hoped the German campaign in the Soviet Union would liberate the Russian people, but after witnessing the grim suffering inflicted on the civilian population by a brutal occupying army he was deeply disillusioned and tormented by a sense of guilt. In the late 1940s, in order to make sense of his life as a soldier and to document the extraordinary sights he’d seen, he wrote these memoirs in Russian. They were buried in an archive for over seventy years, but they have now been edited, annotated and translated for this first English edition.
An Anzac on the Western Front: The Personal Reflections of an Australian Infantryman from 1916 to 1918
by H.R. Williams&“A remarkably candid and graphic account&” of the World War I service of a member of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Britain at War Magazine). Having enlisted in 1915 and serving in the 56th Battalion Australian Imperial Force, Harold Roy Williams arrived in France, from Egypt, on June 30, 1916. He describes the horrors of the Fromelles battlefield in shocking clarity and the conditions the troops had to endure are revealed in disturbing detail. Surviving a later gas attack, Harold Williams&’s subsequent postings read like a tour of the Western Front. Following the Somme, there was the mud and squalor of the line south of Ypres, the German Spring Offensive of 1918, the Battle of Amiens—frequently described as the most decisive battle against the Germans in France and Flanders—the capture of Villers-Bretonneux and, finally, the assault on Péronne. Injured at Péronne and invalided back to the United Kingdom, Williams survived the war to return to Australia in 1919. An Anzac on the Western Front is his vivid description of his service in the First World War—an account that was described as &“the best soldier&’s story . . . yet read in Australia&” when it was first published. &“Williams&’ experience was defined by his rise from private soldier to platoon commander and he confined his writing to it. This is a story of cold, hunger, injury, fear, humour, friendship and death . . . So bloody good.&” —War History Online
An Apartheid Oasis?: Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods in Venda
by Edward LahiffThis is a socio-economic study of agriculture and its contribution to livelihoods in Venda, one of the black "homelands" created in South Africa under apartheid. It is based on a survey of households in the Tshiombo irrigation scheme, a project in central Venda with around 600 plot-holders.
An Apostle of the Western Church: Memoir of the Right Reverend Jackson Kemper
by Greenough WhiteBishop (David) Jackson Kemper (1789-1870) was the first missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He was made a deacon of the Episcopal Church in 1811 and was ordained as a priest in 1814. In 1835, the Episcopal Church undertook to consecrate missionary bishops to preach the Gospel west of the settled areas, and Kemper was the first to be chosen. He promptly headed west. Having found that clergy who had lived all their lives in the settled East were slow to respond to his call to join him on the frontier, he determined to recruit priests from among men who were already in the West, and established a college in St. Louis, Missouri, for that purpose. He went on to found Nashotah House and Racine College in Wisconsin, and founded the mission parish that became the Cathedral Church of All Saints in Milwaukee. He constantly urged a more extensive outreach to the Native American peoples, and translations of the Scriptures and the services of the Church into their languages. From 1859 till his death in 1870, he was bishop of Wisconsin.-Print ed.
An Application Of The Principles Of War To The Schweinfurt Raids On 17 August 1943 And 14 October 1943
by Major Thomas J. GriffithThis monograph provides a historical look at the use of daylight precision bombing by American bombers against the ball-bearing factories at Schweinfurt, Germany, on 17 August 1943 and 14 October 1943. The principles of war from AFM 1-1, Basic Aerospace Doctrine of the United States Air Force, are used to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the American and German efforts during these operations.
An Aria for Nick: Song of Suspense #2
by Hallee BridgemanThe Only Man Who Can Save Her Life Has Been Dead for a Decade. Raised in a loving home, Aria Suarez dreamed of becoming a professional pianist happily married to her high school crush. After the only boy who ever caught her eye dies a hero's death and her wrist is shattered along with her future plans, she turns her brilliant musical mind to nuclear engineering and solving mysteries of science. Abandoned to an abusive father at five, Nick Williams grew up dreaming of escape; of enlisting in the Army and leaving his wretched life behind; of proving himself worthy of the girl he loves. But the crucible of combat offers only the escape of death. A decade later, Aria uncovers a nuclear plot that threatens the heart of our very nation. Sinister forces surround and threaten her when, out of nowhere, the man who reportedly died so many years before returns as if from the grave - intent on protecting her. Has God finally joined them together? Or is Aria doomed to mourn Nick twice?
An Army Doctor on the Western Frontier: Journals and Letters of John Vance Lauderdale, 1864-1890
by Robert M. UtleyAssigned to the District of Utah during the Civil War, physician John Vance Lauderdale spent the next twenty-five years on army posts in the American West, serving in California, Arizona, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Texas. Throughout his career he kept a detailed journal and sent long letters home to his sister in upstate New York. This selection of Lauderdale&’s writings, edited and annotated by a premier historian of the American West, offers an insightful account of army life that will teach readers much about the settlement and growth of the West in a time of rapid change.Lauderdale&’s observations are keen and critical. He writes about fellow officers, his army superiors, the civilians and American Indians he encountered, life on officers&’ row, and the day-to-day functioning of the army medical service. Particularly valuable are his insights into military interactions with local communities of Mormons, American Indians, and Hispanos.
An Army Doctor's American Revolution Journal, 1775–1783 (Dover Military History, Weapons, Armor)
by James ThacherAt the age of 21, James Thacher (1754–1844) joined the newly formed American army as a surgeon's mate, eventually advancing to the role of surgeon for the Massachusetts 16th Regiment. In 1823, he published his Journal, reporting both wartime events he witnessed and those he heard about during his service. One of the most valuable and entertaining accounts to have survived the Revolution, Thacher's diary vividly conveys the tumultuous spirit of the era.Thacher's eyewitness reports include the siege of Boston, the hanging of British major John André, and the momentous defeats of the British Army at Saratoga and Yorktown. His direct and vivid observations range from parties where he and his fellow officers were handsomely entertained by supporters of the new nation's army to hardscrabble days when there was little to eat and nowhere to keep warm. With its cogent overview of the war's major campaigns and battles, its insights into the character of Revolutionary leaders, and its firsthand views of the daily life of a Continental Army officer, the Journal provides a heightened sense of the drama and excitement of the Revolution.
An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 (Liberation Trilogy #1)
by Rick AtkinsonThe liberation of Europe and the destruction of the Third Reich is a story of courage and enduring triumph, of calamity and miscalculation. In this first volume of the Liberation Trilogy, Rick Atkinson shows why no modern reader can understand the ultimate victory of the Allied powers without a grasp of the great drama that unfolded in North Africa in 1942 and 1943. That first year of the Allied war was a pivotal point in American history, the moment when the United States began to act like a great power.<P><P> Beginning with the daring amphibious invasion in November 1942, An Army at Dawn follows the American and British armies as they fight the French in Morocco and Algeria, and then take on the Germans and Italians in Tunisia. Battle by battle, an inexperienced and sometimes poorly led army gradually becomes a superb fighting force. Central to the tale are the extraordinary but fallible commanders who come to dominate the battlefield: Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, Montgomery, and Rommel.<P> Brilliantly researched, rich with new material and vivid insights, Atkinson's narrative provides the definitive history of the war in North Africa.<P> Pulitzer Prize Winner