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The Uskoks of Senj: Piracy, Banditry, and Holy War in the Sixteenth-Century Adriatic
by Catherine Wendy BracewellIn this highly original and influential book, Catherine Wendy Bracewell reconstructs and analyzes the tumultuous history of the uskoks of Senj, the martial bands nominally under the control of the Habsburg Military Frontier in Croatia, who between the 1530s and the 1620s developed a community based on raiding the Ottoman hinterland, Venetian possessions in Dalmatia, and shipping on the Adriatic. Drawing on a broad range of sources, including the archives of the Dalmatian communes under Venetian rule and military frontier records, Bracewell provides the first comprehensive analysis of the uskoks as a social phenomenon, examining their origins, their military and social organization, their plunder economy, their mental world, and their relations with other groups in this borderland between three empires. The uskoks lived on the Christian-Muslim frontier, and they invoked Europe's struggle against Islam to justify their often bloody deeds. As Bracewell demonstrates, however, their actions were also shaped by the maze of local political and economic rivalries, social conflicts, and confessional antagonisms. In a book that tests the concept of the social bandit, the author analyzes the motives that guided the uskoks and distinguishes these from the factors that impelled various elements of the local population to support them.
USMC: A Novel of the Marine Corps
by David Stuart AlexanderU.S. Marine Colonel David Saxon has finished five months of bureaucratic hell at the Pentagon. The confines of his office had turned Saxon into a pent-up, caged beast, until he got what he wanted--a mission back to the danger zone...<P><P> Marine Colonel David Saxon's "Big Mean One" Special Ops team is being airlifted to extract hostages seized onboard an ocean liner by the infamous terrorist, Carlos Evangelista. It's a daring mid-sea rescue, one certain to cause heavy casualties. But the "Evangelist" has more in mind than slaughtering innocent civilians. A neo-Soviet plot plans to kill Libya's Kaddafi--so that a new Libyan strongman will welcome placement of Soviet missiles for a nuclear strike against the U.S. Sixth Fleet, on maneuvers in the Gulf of Sidara. To the neo-Soviet leadership and the "Evangelist," it's just the first round in a world-dominating game of nuclear brinkmanship. But to Saxon's team, it's the last round of a game with only once acceptable outcome--the obliteration of America's enemies...
USMC Tracked Amphibious Vehicles: T46E1/M76 Otter, M116 Husky, LVTP5, and LVTP7/AAV7A1
by David DoyleThe specific mission of the Marine Corps has led to the development of many unusual and innovative vehicles, amphibious landing craft in particular.
USN Carriers vs IJN Carriers
by Mark Stille Ian PalmerThe Imperial Japanese Navy was a pioneer in naval aviation, having commissioned the world's first carrier, which was used against the US fleet at Pearl Harbor. The Americans followed suit, initiating huge aircraft carrier development programs. As the Pacific war escalated into the largest naval conflict in history, the role of the carrier became the linchpin of American and Japanese naval strategy as these rival vessels found themselves locked in a struggle for dominance of this critical theater of war. This book provides an analysis of the variety of weaponry available to the rival carriers, including the powerful shipborne guns and embarked aircraft. Study the design and development of these revolutionary ships, discover the pioneering tactics that were used to ensure victory and "live" the experiences of the rival airmen and gun crews as they battled for victory in a duel of skill, tenacity and guts.
USN Cruiser vs IJN Cruiser
by Paul Wright Mark StilleAlthough the war in the Pacific is usually considered a carrier war, it was the cruisers that dominated the early fighting. This thrilling duel presents the cruiser clashes during the crucial battles for Guadacanal in 1942, highlighting the Battle of Savo Island on the August 9 and the Battle of Cape Esperance October 11-12th , 1942. The first was an overwhelming Japanese victory that resulted in the loss of four Allied cruisers. However, in the latter, the Americans managed to successfully turn the tables despite the fact that the was fought through the night under dangerous conditions. This book presents a side-by-side view of the design and development of the opposing weapons systems, illustrated with newly commissioned digital artwork. It uses first-hand accounts to bring the desperate battles to life and explain why the American forces suffered early on, but eventually had their revenge.From the Trade Paperback edition.
USN Destroyer vs IJN Destroyer
by Mark StilleThis book will cover the fierce night naval battles fought after Guadalcanal between the US Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during late 1943 as the Allies advanced slowly up the Solomons Islands toward the major Japanese naval base at Rabaul. During this period, several vicious actions were fought around the American beachheads on the islands of New Georgia, Kolombangara and Vella Lavella in the central Solomons. These battles featured the most modern destroyers of both navies. Throughout most of 1942, the Imperial Navy had held a marked edge in night-fighting during the six-month long struggle for Guadalcanal. A key ingredient of these Japanese successes was their destroyer force which combined superior training and tactics with the most capable torpedo in the world, known to the Allies as the "Long Lance". Even into 1943, at the battles of Kula Gulf and Kolombangara, mixed Allied light cruiser/destroyer forces were roughly handled by Japanese destroyers. After these battles, the Americans decided to stop chasing Japanese destroyers with cruisers so the remainder of the battles in 1943 (with one exception) were classic destroyer duels. The Americans still enjoyed the technical edge provided to them by radar, and now added new, more aggressive tactics. After four more destroyer duels during the second half of 1943, the final result was the defeat of the Imperial Navy's finely trained destroyer force and the demonstration that the Japanese were unable to stop the Allies' advance.From the Trade Paperback edition.
USN F-4 Phantom II vs VPAF MiG-17/19
by Peter Davies Jim LaurierThe Vietnam War placed unexpected demands upon American military forces and equipment.The principal US naval fighter, the McDonnell F-4 Phantom, had originally been designed to defend the Fleet from air attack at long range. However, its tremendous power and bomb-carrying capacity made it an obvious candidate for the attack mission in Vietnam from 1965 onwards. Its opponent was the MiG-17, a direct descendant of the MiG-15, which had given USAF Sabre jets a hard fight in the Korean War. This book brings to life their dangerous duels and includes detailed cockpit views and other specially commissioned artwork to highlight the benefits and shortcomings of each plane type. It was in the skies over Vietnam that many of the techniques of air combat evolved as pilots learned how to use and to defeat supersonic fighters for the first time.
USS Alabama (Images of America)
by Kent Whitaker USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park Bill TunnellPowerful: this single word aptly describes a naval vessel known as a battleship. The USS Alabama (BB-60) was the last of four South Dakota-class battleships built for World War II. She is well armored and designed to survive an attack while continuing to fight. Her main battery, known as "Big Guns," consisted of nine 16-inch guns; each could launch a projectile weighing as much as a small car that could hit a target 21 miles away. Her crew numbered 2,332 men, none of whom were lost to enemy fire, earning her the nickname "Lucky A." She served as more than just a battleship: she carried troops, supplies, and seaplanes and served in the Pacific and Atlantic; her doctors treated patients from other ships; she was the wartime home for a major-league ballplayer; the movie setting for Hollywood films; and she traveled home to the state of Alabama with the help of schoolchildren.
USS Bacalao
by J. T. McDaniel Franco G. RovedoJ.T. McDaniel assume o comando com a mão firme de um mestre em sua arte, criando uma representação precisa e fascinante da vida diária a bordo de um submarino de ataque na década de 1940. Do estaleiro do construtor em Connecticut, aos combates velozes no teatro do Pacífico, ao coração trovejante de profundidades explosivas, cada detalhe soa com autenticidade. McDaniel escreve com a precisão técnica de Tom Clancy, o ritmo de Michael DiMercurio e a compreensão humana de Edward L. Beach. Um leitor simplesmente não pode querer mais. O USS Bacalao é a história de um submarino da frota americana da classe Gato desde o pátio da Electric Boat Company na cidade de Groton de pré-guerra, em Connecticut, passando pelos primeiros treinamentos, presenciando o ataque japonês a Pearl Harbor, e atingindo o coração do Império Japonês. De Pearl Harbor a Fremantle, o pequeno barco e sua corajosa tripulação atacam um inimigo determinado e enfrentam a sua própria burocracia para levar a guerra ao inimigo. E, apesar de tudo, Lawrence Miller está lá, subindo lentamente a partir do quarto na lista de oficiais do barco, partindo para uma excursão no comando de um antigo submarino no Alasca e finalmente retornando a Bacalao como seu último oficial comandante. Uma aventura emocionante e verdadeira que encanta aqueles que admiram o mar e seus personagens.
USS Cairo: History And Artifacts Of A Civil War Gunboat (Images of Modern America)
by Elizabeth Hoxie JoynerArmed with a simple pocket compass, a small boat, and an intense desire to find the USS Cairo, three men--Edwin C. Bearss, Warren Grabau, and Max Don Jacks--set out on the Yazoo River on a cool autumn afternoon in 1956 to locate the Civil War gunboat. What they found was the discovery of a lifetime. Images of Modern America: USS Cairo features a photographic account of the discovery, raising, restoration, and preservation efforts surrounding the Cairo. One can sense the excitement and awe felt by people who witnessed the raising. Today, people from all over the world are drawn to visit this Civil War time capsule now in permanent dry dock at Vicksburg National Military Park, where commemorative events have occurred since 1980; this collection highlights a variety of these events.
USS Constellation: Pride of the American Navy
by Walter Dean MyersHistory of the USS Constellation, a medium-sized frigate used during the Revolutionary War.
USS Constellation on the Dismal Coast: Willie Leonard's Journal, 1859–1861 (Studies in Maritime History)
by C. Herbert GillilandThis seaman’s journal recounts a twenty-month voyage from Boston to the African coast to intercept slave-trading vessels as America approach the Civil War.Today the twenty-gun sloop USS Constellation is a floating museum in Baltimore Harbor; in 1859 it was an emblem of the global power of the American sailing navy. William E. Leonard served aboard the Constellation during a crucial and eventful period, chronicling it all in this remarkable journal.Sailing from Boston, the Constellation, flagship of the US African Squadron, was charged with the interception and capture of slave-trading vessels illegally en route from Africa to the Americas. During the Constellation’s deployment, the squadron captured a record number of these ships, liberating their human cargo and holding the captains and crews for criminal prosecution. At the same time, tensions at home and in the squadron increased as the American Civil War approached and erupted in April 1861.Leonard recorded not only historic events but also fascinating details about his daily life as one of the nearly four-hundred-member crew. He saw himself as not just a diarist, but a reporter, making special efforts to seek out and record information about individual crewmen, shipboard practices, recreation and daily routine—from deck swabbing and standing watch to courts martial and dramatic performances by the Constellation Dramatic Society.
The USS Flier: Death and Survival on a World War II Submarine
by Michael SturmaThe realities of WWII underwater warfare come to life in this chronicle of a submarine sunk in the Philippines—and the remarkable sailors who survived.The fate of the USS Flier is one of the most astonishing stories of the Second World War. On August 13, 1944, the submarine struck a mine and sank to the bottom of the Sulu Sea in less than one minute, leaving only fourteen of its crew of eighty-six hands alive. After enduring eighteen hours in the water, eight remaining survivors swam to a remote island controlled by the Japanese. Deep behind enemy lines and without food or drinking water, the crewmen realized that their struggle for survival had just begun.Those eight sailors became the first Americans of the Pacific war to escape from a sunken submarine and return safely to the United States. Their story of persistence and survival has all the elements of a classic World War II tale: sudden disaster, physical deprivation, a ruthless enemy, and a dramatic escape from behind enemy lines. In The USS Flier, noted historian Michael Sturma vividly recounts a harrowing story of brave men who lived to return to the service of their country.
USS Lincoln: A novel of the Civil War
by Scott PerryCaught behind rebel lines in New Orleans at the opening of the American Civil War, John Rawley and his crew “liberate” a ship they rechristen, the USS Lincoln and fight back towards their homes. Dubbed “river pirates” by the local authorities, Rawley and his crew pick up a small armada to disrupt river commerce and aid the Union cause. Scott Perry has crafted an accurate and detailed tale of war on the river during the American Civil War.
USS Missouri at War (The At War Series)
by Kit Bonner Carolyn BonnerAn illustrated history of the wartime career of the USS Missouri from World War II to the Gulf War.On September 2, 1945, surrender ceremonies officially ending World War II were broadcast worldwide from the deck of the USS Missouri. The ceremony also marked the end of one of the most eventful years for any vessel in the history of warfare. USS Missouri at War chronicles the career of this mighty warship, the last battleship built by the United States.Veteran naval historian Kit Bonner describes “Mighty Mo’s” powerful strikes against Japan, its support of the Iwo Jima landings and bombardment of Okinawa, and its decisive role in the destruction of key Japanese industrial targets. That war was over, but the Missouri was not done yet; and Bonner follows her service in the Korean War, her modernization and reactivation for the 1991 Gulf War, and her final decommissioning in 1992, with eleven battle stars to her credit.For its authoritative and close-up look at the life and work of a world-class battleship, and for its insight into the history of twentieth-century naval warfare, this strikingly illustrated book is one that no naval enthusiast or military history buff will want to be without.
USS New Jersey: From World War II, Korea, and Vietnam to Museum Ship (BB-62 #5)
by David DoylePhotographic history of the design, construction, and deployment of the famed US Iowa-class battleshipChronicles New Jersey's 70+ year history with combat in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and LebanonProfusely illustrated with scarce archival photographs from diverse collections, including previously unpublished images
USS Tennessee: From Pearl Harbor to Okinawa in World War II (BB-43 #7)
by David DoyleHistory of the design, development, and deployment of USS Tennessee, survivor of the Pearl Harbor attackChronicles the construction, launch, commissioning, and combat history of the Tennessee's 40+ year historyProfusely illustrated with scarce archival photographs from diverse collections, including previously unpublished images
The USSR and the Western Alliance (Routledge Library Editions: Cold War Security Studies #60)
by Robbin F. Laird; Susan L. ClarkThis book, first published in 1990, examines the relationship between the Soviet Union and the Western Alliance at a time of great changes. Experts on a range of topics analyse the relationship from both the Soviet perspective (the impact of Gorbachev, and the role of Eastern Europe), and from the standpoint of the nations of the West including France, Great Britain and West Germany). Also included is a discussion of the role of the northern flank in Soviet nuclear-free proposals. The book concludes with an assessment of the challenges posed by the changing Soviet perspective, and the opportunities that these present for the Western Alliance.
Utah Beach: The Amphibious Landing and Airborne Operations on D-Day, June 6, 1944
by Joseph Balkoski&“A first-class history, impeccably researched and skillfully written . . . by the foremost historian of the American D-Day experience.&” —Naval History Added to the invasion plan largely at the insistence of British General Bernard Montgomery, the attack at Utah Beach aimed to secure the Cotentin Peninsula and ultimately seize the port of Cherbourg. Although the assault on Utah Beach became one of the most successful American military operations of World War II, it was fraught with risk from the beginning: Not only was Utah the most isolated of the five D-Day beaches, but the airborne operation was of unprecedented size and scope. Despite the perils, American troops cascaded into that corner of Normandy from the sea and the sky, gaining a military triumph that contributed decisively to Allied success on D-Day. With many never-before-published firsthand accounts from the men who were there; detailed maps providing minute-by-minute insight into the combat; photos; and comprehensive lists of all of Medal of Honor and Distinguished Service Cross recipients at Utah Beach, this book, a companion to the author&’s Omaha Beach, is both an engaging narrative and a tribute to the men who stormed the beaches and dropped from the sky. &“Even the most seasoned historian will find something new in these pages.&” —Army magazine &“[A] groundbreaking analysis of the other half of America&’s D-Day.&” —Dennis Showalter, author of Patton and Rommel
UTAH BEACH TO CHERBOURG - 6-27 JUNE 1944 [Illustrated Edition]
by AnonIllustrated with over 40 photos and 15 maps of the engagement.The momentous events of the 6th of June 1944, D-Day, still resonate around the world, almost 200,000 Allied Soldiers were thrown against the Nazi dominated coast of France in a bid to free Western Europe from the Fascist grip that had held it since 1939. Although massive air and naval bombardments proceeded the landings the mission would succeed or fail based on the ground troops being able to force their way in land and allow a secure bridgehead to be formed out of enemy artillery range. However, the buildup of supplies and troops for the millions strong armies necessary to liberate Europe could not be brought through the improvised Mulberry harbour on the unprotected beaches of Normandy, a port must be taken. The troops on the far left of the line attacking the beach code-named "Utah" would be tasked not only with the initial assault of the coastline but to eventually capture Cherbourg and the Cotentin Peninsula. The fighting on D-Day on the beach was tough but successful, very since the early morning the paratroops fought in many groups some numbering a few men up to battalion size to secure the vital targets inland.The Germans were aware of the importance of the landing only gradually, but launched fierce counterattacks against the Americans coming across the flooded land inland from the beaches. The port of Cherbourg and town were heavily defended and had many difficult fortifications to be overcome, but the Americans were equal to the task and eventually captured it ensuring the supply lines for the armies that would engage and fight Hitler's legions across France, Belgium , Holland and into Germany.An excellent study of the second American Beach landing and along with its companion volume, OMAHA BEACHHEAD, provide an unparalleled record of the fighting of the American forces on D-Day and in the Bocage fighting in Normandy.
Utilitarianism and the Ethics of War (War, Conflict and Ethics)
by William H. ShawThis book offers a detailed utilitarian analysis of the ethical issues involved in war. Utilitarianism and the Ethics of War addresses the two basic ethical questions posed by war: when, if ever, are we morally justified in waging war, and if recourse to arms is warranted, how are we permitted to fight the wars we wage? In addition, it deals with the challenge that realism and relativism raise for the ethical discussion of war, and with the duties of military personnel and the moral challenges they can face. In tackling these matters, the book covers a wide range of topics—from pacifism to armed humanitarian intervention, from the right of national defense to pre-emptive or preventive war, from civilian immunity to the tenets of just war theory and the moral underpinnings of the rules of war. But, what is distinctive about this book is that it provides a consistent and thorough-going utilitarian or consequentialist treatment of the fundamental normative issues that war occasions. Although it goes against the tide of recent work in the field, a utilitarian approach to the ethics of war illuminates old questions in new ways by showing how a concern for well-being and the consequences of our actions and policies shape the moral constraints to which states and other actors must adhere. This book will be of much interest to students of the ethics of war, just war theory, moral philosophy, war and conflict studies and IR.
The Utility of Force
by Rupert SmithFrom a highly decorated general, a brilliant new way of understanding war and its role in the twenty-first century.Drawing on his vast experience as a commander during the first Gulf War, and in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Northern Ireland, General Rupert Smith gives us a probing analysis of modern war. He demonstrates why today's conflicts must be understood as intertwined political and military events, and makes clear why the current model of total war has failed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other recent campaigns. Smith offers a compelling contemporary vision for how to secure our world and the consequences of ignoring the new, shifting face of war.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Utmost Gallantry
by Kevin D. MccranieFocusing on the oceanic war rather than the war in the Great Lakes, this study charts the War of 1812 from the perspectives of the two opposing navies at sea-one of the largest fleets in the world and a small, upstart navy just three decades old. While American naval leadership searched for a means of contesting Britain's naval dominance, the English sought to destroy the U.S. Navy and protect its oceanic highways. Instead of describing battles between opposing warships, McCranie evaluates entire cruises by American and British men-of-war, noting both successes and failures and how they translated into broader strategies. In the process, his study becomes a history of how the two navies fought the oceanic war, linking high-level governmental decisions about strategy to the operational use of fleets in the Atlantic and Caribbean and from the South Pacific to the Indian Ocean.Unlike other books on the subject, this work offers a balanced appraisal of the oceanic war on the high seas, taking into account the strategic considerations of both combatants and how the leadership from each side assessed, planned, and implemented operational concepts. Drawing on a wealth of British and American archival sources, McCranie guides the reader through the strategic decision making processes on both sides of the Atlantic. He demonstrates vividly the impact of those decisions on the course of the war at sea, where the contest was close and deadly. Indeed, the author's action-packed accounts of battles hold special appeal.This study offers a more balanced appraisal of the war than most studies of the topic. Particularly important is the stress on understanding British strategic imperatives and the correlation between these imperatives and why Britain conducted the oceanic naval war in the manner it did. This study focuses on all cruises of American warships, not just those that terminated in battles so as to provide a more complete history of the naval war.
Utmost Savagery
by Joseph H. AlexanderOn November 20, l943, in the first trial by fire of America's fledgling amphibious assault doctrine, five thousand men stormed the beaches of Tarawa, a seemingly invincible Japanese island fortress barely the size of the Pentagon parking lots (three-hundred acres!). Before the first day ended, one third of the Marines who had crossed Tarawa's deadly reef under murderous fire were killed, wounded, or missing. In three days of fighting, four Americans would win the Medal of Honor. And six-thousand combatants would die.Now, Col. Joseph Alexander, a combat Marine himself, presents the full story of Tarawa in all its horror and glory: the extreme risks, the horrific combat, and the heroic breakthroughs. Based on exhaustive research, never-before-published accounts from Marine survivors, and new evidence from Japanese sources, Colonel Alexander captures the grit, guts, and relentless courage of United States Marines overcoming outrageous odds to deliver victory for their country.
The Uzi Submachine Gun
by Johnny Shumate Chris McnabThe Uzi submachine gun is one of the most recognizable weapons in history. Its familiarity stems in part from the sheer diversity of its users. Uzis have been seen gripped and fired by US secret service agents and SWAT teams, Israeli soldiers, European special forces, as well as criminals and terrorists the world over. The reasons they use the Uzi are simple - it provides devastating close-range firepower in a reliable, highly compact weapon.The Uzi Submachine Gun tells the story of this unique weapon. It not only explores the gun's technical development and specifications, and its history, but also describes the Uzi's combat use in a wide range of contexts, from Israeli soldiers battling on the Golan Heights in 1967, through to modern pirates operating off the coast of Somalia. The Uzi also thrives in various commercial markets, being a high-selling semi-auto design in the United States, for example. With a name given popular currency by the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and The Simpsons, the term 'Uzi' is instantly recognizable. The full extent of its capabilities, however, are not thoroughly understood, and this book presents the facts and challenges the myths of this remarkable weapon.From the Trade Paperback edition.