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War in Social Thought: Hobbes to the Present
by Hans Joas Wolfgang KnöblA sweeping history of social theories about war and peace, from Hobbes to the twenty-first centuryThis book, the first of its kind, provides a sweeping critical history of social theories about war and peace from Hobbes to the present. Distinguished social theorists Hans Joas and Wolfgang Knöbl present both a broad intellectual history and an original argument as they trace the development of thinking about war over more than 350 years—from the premodern era to the period of German idealism and the Scottish and French enlightenments, and then from the birth of sociology in the nineteenth century through the twentieth century. While focusing on social thought, the book draws on many disciplines, including philosophy, anthropology, and political science.Joas and Knöbl demonstrate the profound difficulties most social thinkers—including liberals, socialists, and those intellectuals who could be regarded as the first sociologists—had in coming to terms with the phenomenon of war, the most obvious form of large-scale social violence. With only a few exceptions, these thinkers, who believed deeply in social progress, were unable to account for war because they regarded it as marginal or archaic, and on the verge of disappearing. This overly optimistic picture of the modern world persisted in social theory even in the twentieth century, as most sociologists and social theorists either ignored war and violence in their theoretical work or tried to explain it away. The failure of the social sciences and especially sociology to understand war, Joas and Knöbl argue, must be seen as one of the greatest weaknesses of disciplines that claim to give a convincing diagnosis of our times.
War in the Age of Technology: Myriad Faces of Modern Armed Conflict
by Andrew Wiest Robert Geoffrey JensenTechnology of one kind or another has always been a central ingredient in war. The Spartan king Archidamus, for instance, reacted with alarm when first witnessing a weapon that could shoot darts through the air. And yet during the past two centuries technology has played an unprecedented role in military affairs and thinking, and in the overall conduct of war. In addition, the impact of new technology on warfare has brought major social and cultural changes. This volume explores the relationship between war, technology, and modern society over the course of the last several centuries. The two world wars, total conflicts in which industrial technology took a terrible human toll, brought great changes to the practice of organized violence among nations; even so many aspect of military life and values remained largely unaffected. In the latter half of the twentieth century, technology in the form of nuclear deterrence appears to have prevented the global conflagration of world war while complicating and fueling ferocious regional contests. A stimulating fusion of military and social history, extending back to the eighteenth century, and with contributions from such leading historians as Brian Bond, Paddy Griffith, and Neil McMillen, War in the Age of Technology will interest lay readers and specialists alike.
The War in the Air: Revised Edition Of Original Version (The\world At War Ser.)
by H. G. WellsModern warfare takes to the skies in this novel by a master of science fiction and fantasy. In 1907, young Bert Smallways, a brilliant mechanist and accidental aeronaut, finds himself a reluctant stowaway upon the very same airship that will begin the Great War. Soon, Smallways is swept away aboard the Vaterland, the flagship piloted by a belligerent German prince, whose mastery of technology heralds a new age of war that takes to the sky. Filled with petrol-powered war machines, ironclads, bombardments, and espionage, The War in the Air prophesied methods of warfare that would only develop later in the twentieth century. A cornerstone of early science fiction, this exciting tale is H. G. Wells at his best. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The War in the Air
by H. G. WellsFollowing the development of massive airships, naïve Londoner Bert Smallways becomes accidentally involved in a German plot to invade America by air and reduce New York to rubble. But although bombers devastate the city, they cannot overwhelm the country, and their attack leads not to victory but to the beginning of a new and horrific age for humanity. And so dawns the era of Total War, in which brutal aerial bombardments reduce the great cultures of the twentieth century to nothing. As civilization collapses around the Englishman, now stranded in a ruined America, he clings to only one hope - that he might return to London, and marry the woman he loves.
War in the Air, 1936
by Major Helders Claud W. SykesIn War in the Air, 1936, which was first published in English in 1932, author Robert Knauss fantasizes about a confrontation between England and France. Writing under the pseudonym “Major Helders,” and using detailed descriptions of battles, strategies, and weaponry, Knauss’ aim is for the reader to realize that air power (in general) and ‘flying fortress’ bombers (in particular) would decide the outcome of the next war.In this novel, the hero is the English air force commander Brackley, a carbon copy of the imaginary German leaders in other right-wing prophecies: firm, mysterious, infallible. In times of crisis, he surveys the situation “with lightning speed.” His war is one of movement, of risk-taking, of annihilation. Modern airplane technology allows him to carry out a style of warfare that fits his chivalric, warrior spirit. Only for an instant does he pity the population of Paris as his planes pour bombs over the city in a surprise attack. Pity, though, is not a virtue in the nationalist mind, though Vernichtungswille [the will to annihilate] is…
War in the Balkans: The Battle for Greece and Crete, 1940–1941 (Images of War)
by Jeffrey PlowmanThis WWII pictorial history presents a vivid look at the Balkan campaign from Italy&’s invasion of Greece to the Nazi airborne assault on Crete. Through rare wartime photographs, War in the Balkans traces the course of the entire Balkan campaign. Beginning with Mussolini&’s first act of aggression, the narrative continues through Albania, the invasions of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria by German forces, and on to the battle for Greece and the final airborne assault on Crete. Historian Jeffrey Plowman gives equal weight to every stage of the campaign and covers all the forces involved: the Italians, Germans, Greeks, and British Commonwealth troops. By shifting the focus to the mainland—rather than the culminating Battle of Crete—Plowman views the campaign as a whole, offering a balanced portrayal of a conflict that is often overlooked in histories of the Second World War. Most of the photographs included here have never been published before, and many come from private sources. They are a unique visual record of the military vehicles, tanks, aircraft, artillery and other equipment used by the opposing armies. They also show the conditions the soldiers faced, and the landscape of the Balkans over which they fought.
War in the Chesapeake
by Charles Patrick NeimeyerIn the early nineteenth century, the United States of America was far from united. The United States faced internal strife over the extent of governance and the rights of individual states. The United States’ relationship with their former colonial power was also uncertain. Britain impressed American sailors and supported Native Americans’ actions in the northwest and on the Canadian border. In the summer of 1812, President James Madison chose to go to war against Britain. War in the Chesapeake illustrates the causes for the War of 1812, the political impacts of the war on America, and the war effort in the Chesapeake Bay. The book examines the early war efforts, when both countries focused efforts on Canada and the Northwest front. Some historians claim Madison chose to go to war in an attempt to annex the neighboring British territories. The book goes on to discuss the war in the Chesapeake Bay. The British began their Chesapeake campaign in an effort to relieve pressure on their defenses in Canada. Rear Admiral George Cockburn led the resulting efforts, and began to terrorize the towns of the Chesapeake. From Norfolk to Annapolis, the British forces raided coastal towns, plundering villages for supplies and encouraging slaves to join the British forces. The British also actively campaigned against the large American frigates- seeing them as the only threat to their own naval superiority. War in the Chesapeake traces these British efforts on land and sea. It also traces the Americans’ attempts to arm and protect the region while the majority of the American regular forces fought on the Northwest front. In the summer campaign of 1814, the British trounced the Americans at Bladensburg, and burned Washington, D. C. Afterwards, the Baltimoreans shocked the British with a stalwart defense at Fort McHenry. The British leaders, Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane and Major General Robert Ross, did not expect strong resistance after their quick victories at Bladensburg. War in the Chesapeake tells the story of some of the earliest national heroes, including the defenders of Baltimore and naval leaders like John Rodgers and Stephen Decatur. The following December 1814, the United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent, ending hostilities and returning North America to a peaceful status quo. The United States and neighboring Canada would not go to war on opposing sides again. The United States left the war slightly more unified and independent of the British.
War in the Congo and Other Stories
by William Jacobs<p>William "Bill" Jacobs never backed down from adventure anywhere he found it. This book contains his personal record of some of the highlights of his life. It starts with his time in the British Parachute Regiment, then the bulk of the story tells of his two contracts, in 1966 and 1967, as a "mercenary" in the Congo where he was commissioned as a Lieutenant on his second contract. The book also includes a few anecdotes of such as his short-lived career as a crocodile hunter and some other vignettes. <p>No sensibilities are spared in his telling of the story. The style is clearly one of recollection as he consulted his diary lf the events, so much of the content has a sense of rawness and immediacy with reinforces the reality of this being a real story and not a made-for-Hollywood story.</p>
The War In The Crimea [Illustrated Edition]
by Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Bruce Hamley KCB KCMGThe finest eye-witness history of the Crimean War. Lauded at the time as the best history of the bloody and badly-led campaign, this edition has been richly illustrated with over two hundred and sixty maps, photos and portraits, of the battles, individuals and places involved in the Crimean War]General Sir Edward Hamley, K.C.B., initially served as an aide de camp to Sir Richard Dacres during the Russian War, but as his substantive rank was in the Royal Artillery he saw most of his service with the guns during the Crimean War. The Author was cited many times for his gallant conduct and bravery whilst working alongside the siege cannon in both the French and British Lines. He survived the Crimean War to become one of the figureheads of the Victorian military establishment, attaining the rank of Lieutenant General and holding the important post of the commandant of the Staff College.
War in the Deep: Pacific Submarine Action in World War II
by Edwin P. HoytNo one ever lived more dangerously than those who took to the depths of the Pacific Ocean in submarines during World War II. In this book the well-known author Edwin P. Hoyt tells the exciting story of those perilous days when submariners of the U. S. navy, at first outnumbered by their Japanese enemies, put to sea in outmoded boats armed with faulty torpedoes. War in the Deep recounts hazardous adventure after adventure experienced by both Americans and Japanese. It follows the comeback of American submarines and their daring forays that led to their vital role in the economic strangulation of Japan.
War in the Iberian Peninsula, 700–1600 (Themes in Medieval and Early Modern History)
by Francisco García Fitz João Gouveia MonteiroWar in the Iberian Peninsula, 700–1600 is a panoramic synthesis of the Iberian Peninsula including the kingdoms of Leon and Castile, Aragon, Portugal, Navarra, al-Andalus and Granada. It offers an extensive chronology, covering the entire medieval period and extending through to the sixteenth century, allowing for a very broad perspective of Iberian history which displays the fixed and variable aspects of war over time. The book is divided kingdom by kingdom to provide students and academics with a better understanding of the military interconnections across medieval and early modern Iberia. The continuities and transformations within Iberian military history are showcased in the majority of chapters through markers to different periods and phases, particularly between the Early and High Middle Ages, and the Late Middle Ages. With a global outlook, coverage of all the most representative military campaigns, sieges and battles between 700 and 1600, and a wide selection of maps and images, War in the Iberian Peninsula is ideal for students and academics of military and Iberian history.
The War in the Mediterranean
by Bernard IrelandMuch has been written about the conduct of the land battles and the commanders who faced each other yet, as the main protagonists realised at the time, success or failure rested on the effectiveness of their seaborne supply chain. Control of the Mediterranean was therefore absolutely crucial. In the final analysis it was the Allies' ability to dominate the Mediterranean that bought them victory but there is no denying that it was a 'damned close run thing'. In this authoritative study, Bernard Ireland brings a fresh clarity to the complexities and factors at play during this critical period.
War in the Modern World, 1990-2014 (Warfare and History)
by Jeremy BlackIn War in the Modern World, 1990-2014, Jeremy Black looks at the most modern of conflicts from the perspective that war is a central feature of the modern world. Arguing that understanding non-Western developments is crucial if the potential of Western war-making is to be assessed accurately, the book also asserts that knowing the history of conflict can only help future generations. Black argues for the need to emphasise the variety of military circumstances, as well as the extent to which the understanding of force and the definitions of victory and defeat are guided by cultural assumptions. War has a multi-faceted impact in the modern world, and this book shows its significance. As the latest volume in the Warfare and History series, this title takes a global and historical perspective on modern warfare, enabling the reader to approach familiar conflicts through a new analytical framework. This book is an invaluable resource for all students of the history of modern warfare.
War in the Modern World since 1815 (Warfare and History)
by Jeremy BlackConflict is central to human history. It is often the cause, course and consequence of social, cultural and political change. Military history therefore has to be more than a technical analysis of armed conflict. War in the Modern World since 1815 addresses war as a cultural phenomenon, discusses its meaning in different socities and explores the various contexts of military action.
War in the Pacific: From Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay
by Harry GaileyGailey (history, San Jose State U. ) details the performance of Japanese and Allied naval, air, and land forces in every major military operation in the Pacific theater in WWII. He examines the events leading up to the war; compares the Japanese and American economies and societies, war plans, and equipment; and chronicles actions from the early Allied defeats in the Philippines to the final agonies of the Japanese people. Contains b&w photos and maps. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc. , Portland, Or.
War in the Pacific: Storm Approaching 1931 - 1941 (War In The Far East Ser. #1)
by Peter HarmsenWar in the Pacific is a trilogy of books comprising a general history of the war against Japan; unlike other histories it expands the narrative beginning long before Pearl Harbor and encompasses a much wider group of actors to produce the most complete narrative yet written and the first truly international treatment of the epic conflict. The First book in the Series Storm Approaching 1931-1941, demonstrates how Japan and China's ancient enmity grew in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries leading to increased tensions in the 1930s which exploded into conflict in 1937. This book will take the relatively familiar stories – such as Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima – and place inside a much less well-known global narrative. Books 2 and 3 in the series are set for release in 2022.,
War in the Pacific: Formidable Foe – 1942-1943 (War In The Far East Ser. #1)
by Peter HarmsenWar in the Pacific is a trilogy of books comprising a general history of the war against Japan; unlike other histories it expands the narrative beginning long before Pearl Harbor and encompasses a much wider group of actors to produce the most complete narrative yet written and the first truly international treatment of the epic conflict.War in the Pacific: Formidable Foe – 1942-1943 Details the astonishing transformation that took place from 1942 to 1943, setting the Allies on a path to final victory against Japan. The central importance of China is highlighted in a way that no previous general history of the war against Japan has achieved.
War in the Ring: Joe Louis, Max Schmeling, and the Fight between America and Hitler
by John Florio Ouisie ShapiroAmerica’s black boxing champion. Hitler’s favorite athlete. And a world at war. Joe Louis was born on an Alabama cotton patch and raised in a Detroit ghetto. Max Schmeling grew up in poverty in Hamburg, Germany. For both boys, boxing was a way out and a way up. Little did they know someday they would face each other in a pair of battles that would capture the imagination of the world.In America, Joe was a symbol of hope to a nation of blacks yearning to participate in the American dream. In Germany, Max was made to symbolize the superiority of the Aryan race. The two men climbed through the ropes with the weight of their countries on their shoulders—and only one would leave victorious. The battles waged between Joe and Max still resonate today. War in the Ring is the story of these two outsized heroes, their lives, their careers, and the global conflict swirling around them.
War in the Shadows: Resistance, Deception and Betrayal in Occupied France
by Patrick MarnhamIn 1962 the young Patrick Marnham set off by car for a small village in central France. There he was taught French by an imperious countess, who he later discovered had fought in the Resistance until, betrayed, she was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp. On the very same day that his hostess&’s network was broken, Jean Moulin, de Gaulle&’s delegate as head of the combined Resistance forces, was arrested in Lyons, where he was tortured by Klaus Barbie before dying in Gestapo custody. Was this coincidence, or were these events connected? The anonymous letter writer suggested a key to the mystery. Using a knowledge of France gained from 12 years as the Independent&’s Paris correspondent, and subsequent research in archives in England and France, Marnham set out to discover the truth about the betrayal of the old lady who had become his tutor and friend. Following a trail leading from London through Occupied Europe to the rank and file Resistance in lost corners of France, he has unravelled the story of a complex wartime deception, involving British, American and French intelligence services. The War in the Shadows shines a light on the brutality and cynicism of the Secret War and reveals how it was actually fought. The result is a story of ruthless double-dealing worthy of John le Carré, but with this difference: it is not a fiction.
The War in the South Pacific (Images Of War Ser.)
by Jon DiamondThe Japanese invaded the Solomon Islands in May 1942 with the aim of building an airfield at Guadalcanal. After an epic six month struggle they were repulsed and the island became a staging base for US Admiral Halsey and his South PacificForce. Comprising powerful naval, marine and army assets as well as land and carrier-based aircraft, Halseys Forces mission was to neutralise the Japanese presence in the South Pacific before moving on to Japan itself. As explained and depicted in this fascinating book, the campaign was eventually successful but only after some of the bitterest fighting of the Second World War. The fanatical opposition called for extreme measures from US, British and Australian land, seas and air forces. With detailed narrative and captions, the many archival photographs in The War in the South Pacific make for a superb record of this legendary conflict.
War in the West, The Battle of France, May-June, 1940: The Battle Of France May-june 1940
by Daniel VilfroyOriginally published at the height of World War II, this book provides an in-depth analysis of how and why France was beaten by Germany in May and June of 1940.Author Daniel Vilfroy closely examines both the French and German tactics and strategies employed during this period, and also explores the pre-war "Crisis of Art of War in France," the life of French soldiers in 1940, and discusses in detail the nature of modern warfare.
War in the Wilderness: The Chindits in Burma 1943-1944
by Tony ReddingWar in the Wilderness is the most comprehensive account ever published of the human aspects of the Chindit war in Burma. The word ‘Chindit’ will always have a special resonance in military circles. Every Chindit endured what is widely regarded as the toughest sustained Allied combat experience of the Second World War. The Chindit expeditions behind Japanese lines in occupied Burma 1943–1944 transformed the morale of British forces after the crushing defeats of 1942. The Chindits provided the springboard for the Allies’ later offensives. The two expeditions extended the boundaries of human endurance. The Chindits suffered slow starvation and exposure to dysentery, malaria, typhus and a catalogue of other diseases. They endured the intense mental strain of living and fighting under the jungle canopy, with the ever-present threat of ambush or simply ‘bumping’ the enemy. Every Chindit carried his kit and weapons (equivalent to two heavy suitcases) in the tropical heat and humidity. A disabling wound or sickness frequently meant a lonely death. Those who could no longer march were often left behind with virtually no hope of survival. Some severely wounded were shot or given a lethal dose of morphia to ensure they would not be captured alive by the Japanese. Fifty veterans of the Chindit expeditions kindly gave interviews for this book. Many remarked on the self-reliance that sprang from living and fighting as a Chindit. Whatever happened to them after their experiences in Burma, they knew that nothing else would ever be as bad. There are first-hand accounts of the bitter and costly battles and the final, wasteful weeks, when men were forced to continue fighting long after their health and strength had collapsed. War in the Wilderness continues the story as the survivors returned to civilian life. They remained Chindits for the rest of their days, members of a brotherhood forged in extreme adversity.
The War in Their Minds: German Soldiers and Their Violent Pasts in West Germany
by Philip Schmitz Svenja GoltermannHistorians are increasingly looking at the sacrifices Germans had to make during World War II. In this context, Svenja Goltermann has taken up a particularly delicate topic, German soldiers' experience of violence during the war, and repercussions of this experience after their return home. Part I of her book explores the ways in which veterans' experiences of wartime violence reshaped everyday family life, involving family members in complex ways. Part II offers an extensive analysis of the psychiatric response to this new category of patient, and in particular the reluctance of psychiatrists to recognize the psychic afflictions of former POWs as constituting the grounds for long-term disability. Part III analyzes the cultural representations of veterans' psychic suffering, encompassing the daily press, popular films, novels, and theater. Originally published in German as Die Gesellschaft der Uberlebenden, The War in Their Minds examines hitherto unused source material--psychiatric medical files of soldiers--to make clear how difficult it was for the soldiers and their families to readjust to normal, everyday life. Goltermann allows these testimonies of violence, guilt, justification, and helplessness speak for themselves and sensitively explores how the pension claims of returning soldiers were to compete with the claims of the Holocaust victims to compensation.
War in Val D'Orcia: An Italian War Diary, 1943-1944
by Iris Origo<p>A classic of World War II, here in its first American edition. War in Val d'Orcia is Iris Origo's elegantly simple chronicle of daily life at La Foce, a manor in a Tuscan no-man's land bracketed by foreign invasion and civil war. <p>With the immediacy only a diary can have, the book tells how the Marchesa Origo, an Anglo-American married to an Italian landowner, kept La Foce and its farms functioning while war threatened to overrun it and its people. She and her husband managed to protect their peasants, succor refugee children from Genoa and Turrin, hide escaped Allied prisoners of war-and somehow stand up to the Germans, who in dread due course occupied La Foce in 1944 and forced the Marchesa to retreat under a hot June sun. <p>Fleeing eight impossible miles on foot, along a mined road under shell fire, with sixty children in tow, she sheltered her flock in the dubious safety of a nearby village. A few days later, official Fascism disappeared, and La Foce was ransacked by the retreating Wehrmacht. Here, as the restoration of La Foce begins, her book ends. <p>Beyond praise and above mere documentary value, War in Val d'Orcia belongs to the literature of humanity.</p>
War in Val d'Orcia: An Italian War Diary, 1943-1944
by Iris Origo Virginia NicholsonIn the Second World War, Italy was torn apart by German armies, civil war, and the Allied invasion. In a corner of Tuscany, one woman—born in England, married to an Italian—kept a record of daily life in a country at war. Iris Origo’s powerful diary, War in Val d’Orcia, is the spare and vivid account of what happened when a peaceful farming valley became a battleground.At great personal risk, the Origos gave food and shelter to partisans, deserters, and refugees. They took in evacuees, and as the front drew closer they faced the knowledge that the lives of thirty-two small children depended on them. Origo writes with sensitivity and generosity, and a story emerges of human acts of heroism and compassion, and the devastation that war can bring.