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Where the Ashes Are: The Odyssey of a Vietnamese Family
by Nguyen Qui Du’cIn 1968 Nguyen Qui Duc was nine years old, his father was a high-ranking civil servant in the South Vietnamese government, and his mother was a school principal. Then the Viet Cong launched their Tet offensive, and the Nguyen family’s comfortable life was destroyed. The author’s father was taken prisoner and marched up the Ho Chi Minh Trail. North Vietnam's highest-ranking civilian prisoner, he eventually spent twelve years in captivity, composing poems in his head to maintain his sanity. Nguyen himself escaped from Saigon as North Vietnamese tanks approached in 1975. He came of age as an American teenager, going to school dances and working at a Roy Rogers restaurant, yet yearning for the homeland and parents he had to leave behind. The author’s mother stayed in Vietnam to look after her mentally ill daughter. She endured poverty and “reeducation” until her husband was freed and the Nguyens could reunite. Intertwining these three stories, Where the Ashes Are shows us the Vietnam War through a child’s eyes, privation after a Communist takeover, and the struggle of new immigrants. The author, who returned to Vietnam as an American reporter, provides a detailed portrait of the nation as it opened to the West in the early 1990s. Where the Ashes Are closes with Nguyen’s thoughts on being pulled between his adopted country and his homeland.
Where the Birds Never Sing: The True Story of the 92nd Signal Battalion and the Liberation of Dachau
by Jack SaccoThe inspiring story of Joe Sacco and his part in the greatest battles of World War II, from Omaha Beach to the liberation of the concentration camp at Dachau, Germany.In his riveting debut, Where the Birds Never Sing, Jack Sacco recounts the realistic, harrowing, at times horrifying, and ultimately triumphant tale of an American GI in World War II. Told through the eyes of his father, Joe Sacco—a farm boy from Alabama who was flung into the chaos of Normandy and survived the terrors of the Bulge—this is no ordinary war story. As part of the 92nd Signal Battalion and Patton’s famed 3rd Army, Joe and his buddies found themselves at the forefront—often in front of the infantry or behind enemy lines—of the Allied push through France and Germany. After more than a year of fighting, but still only twenty years old, Joe was a hardened veteran, but nothing could have prepared him for the horrors behind the walls of Germany’s infamous Dachau concentration camp. Joe and his buddies were among the first 250 American troops into the camp, and it was there that they finally grasped the significance of the Allied mission. Surrounded and pursued by death and destruction, they not only found the courage and the will to fight, they discovered the meaning of friendship and came to understand the value and fragility of life. Told from the perspective of an ordinary soldier, Where the Birds Never Sing contains first-hand accounts and never-before published photos documenting one man’s transformation from farm boy to soldier to liberator.
Where the Hell Are the Guns?
by George BlackburnInWhere the Hell Are the Guns?, author George Blackburn returns to the early years of the Second World War. This volume – which completes Blackburn’s award-winning trilogy, extending its coverage to the entire war – brings wartime Canada and England to life in captivating, often comic, detail. With the skill of a novelist and the instincts of a seasoned reporter, this gifted storyteller traces the evolution of Canada’s 4th Field Regiment from a motley assortment of ill-equipped recruits to the cream of the Allied artillery, more than ready to distinguish itself in the maelstrom of the battle for Normandy. The Second World War comes to a generation of Canadians one sunny September weekend in 1939. It is a Canada woefully unprepared for conflict, and 4th Field Regiment is rapidly assembled from a grab-bag of volunteers from all walks of life – many of them mavericks and misfits from a depression-ravaged land. The regiment passes its first year in Canada in makeshift accommodation, including hastily converted stables and pigsties in the exhibition grounds of Ottawa and Toronto. For the first few months the soldiers must wear incomplete and moth-eaten uniforms from the Great War, and their early training is conducted using obsolete equipment or no equipment at all. One year into the war, the regiment arrives in England without weapons or vehicles, and a month later, with Britain moving toward the greatest crisis in her history, the regiment is finally equipped with guns – French ones with wooden wheels, dating from 1898. From these inauspicious beginnings, the regiment slowly evolves – with mishap and occasionally mayhem along the way – into a proud and polished regiment, which in 1942 is declared “the best field regiment in Britain. ” By the time the Allied troops land on the beaches in Normandy, the boys of 4th Field are more than ready to go to war.
Where the Iron Crosses Grow
by Robert ForczykNazi and Soviet armies fought over the Crimean Peninsula for three long years using sieges, dozens of amphibious landings, and large scale maneuvers. This definitive English-language work on the savage battle for the Crimea, Where the Iron Crosses Grow sheds new light on this vital aspect of the Eastern Front.The Crimea was one of the crucibles of the war on the Eastern Front, where first a Soviet and then a German army were surrounded, fought desperate battles and were eventually destroyed. The fighting in the region was unusual for the Eastern Front in many ways, in that naval supply, amphibious landings and naval evacuation played major roles, while both sides were also conducting ethnic cleansing as part of their strategy - the Germans eliminating the Jews and the Soviets to purging the region of Tartars.From 1941, when the first Soviets first created the Sevastopol fortified region, the Crimea was a focal point of the war in the East. German forces under the noted commander Manstein conquered the area in 1941-42, which was followed by two years of brutal colonization and occupation before the Soviet counteroffensive in 1944 destroyed the German 17th Army.
Where the Line Breaks
by Michael BurrowsThe Unknown Digger is Australia's answer to famous First World War poets, Brooke, Sassoon. But for decades, his identity has remained a mystery.Matthew Denton – Australian PhD student at University College, London – believes the unknown poet is one of Australia's greatest war heroes: Lieutenant Alan Lewis VC of the 10th Light Horse. Matt is starry-eyed and in love with Emily, a fellow student and assistant to Matt's supervisor, the nattily dressed Professor Alistair Fitzwilliam-Harding. But, as the footnotes to Matt's thesis reveal, not all is fair in love and war.Meanwhile, Alan Lewis, recently engaged to Rose Porter – fights his way across the Middle East as part of the 10th Light Horse, the vision of the life he left behind disappearing, and the question of what makes a poet, a lover and a hero growing more ill-defined with every battle fought.
Where the South Lost the War: An Analysis of the Fort Henry-Fort Donelson Campaign, February 1862
by Kendall D GottThis in-depth Civil War study examines two early Union victories that were instrumental in deciding the conflict&’s ultimate outcome. Some historians argue that the Civil War was decided in February 1862 with the collapse of the Confederate defenses of Forts Henry and Donelson on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. This ambitious offensive opened the whole Tennessee Valley to Union invasion and control, effectively cutting the Confederacy in two. In domino fashion, the Confederates lost Nashville and central and western Tennessee. Memphis eventually fell, and the upper stretch of the Mississippi itself was brought under Union control. During this period, General Ulysses S. Grant came to prominence, putting him in place to lead the Union to victory. Where the South Lost the War is a major contribution to Civil war literature. Shedding light on an overlooked campaign and revising conventional judgments on key players and events, author Kendall D. Gott provides a detailed, incisive, and even controversial study of the operation&’s events.
Where the Wandering Ends: A Novel of Corfu
by Yvette Manessis CorporonThey wondered if they would ever find their way back—back to the village, back to a life of meaning, back to each other.Corfu, 1946—In a poor Greek community, ten-year-old Marco is perhaps the poorest of them all. But it wasn&’t always that way. His grandmother once worked for the royal family where Marco&’s mother played alongside young Prince Phillip himself. Now Greece is on the brink of civil war, and Marco&’s mother still clings to the desperate hope that somehow the royal family will save her own.As the war turns deadlier, Greece&’s Queen Frederica takes a defiant stand against the communists, announcing that she will save her country&’s most innocent by opening children&’s villages. When the communist partisans erect camps of their own, children are ripped from their mothers&’ arms; entire villages are emptied.Young Katerina has been best friends with Marco for as long as she can remember, cementing their bond by stealing scraps from her family&’s table to sneak to him. But when the communists reach their village, loyalties are tested as devastating secrets threaten to emerge. Katerina and Marco are separated just before her family flees on foot. At their final goodbye, Katerina and Marco promise to find their way back to the village, and to each other. This haunting childhood vow launches events that will take decades to unravel.Set among Corfu&’s picturesque lanes, hamlets, and villas where kings, villagers, and saints all walk the same cobblestone paths, Where the Wandering Ends reminds us of the tenacity of those who have lost everything and the enduring power of home.&“[A] magically crafted story combining history and mythology.&” —Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling authorA heart-wrenching yet hopeful story that spans decades: from post-World War II to early 2000sStand-alone novelBook length: approximately 112,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions for book clubs
Where the Wild Cherries Grow: A Novel Of The South Of France
by Laura MadeleineHow far must you run to leave the past behind in order to find love?In Where the Wild Cherries Grow by Laura Madeleine, it is 1919, and the end of the war has not brought peace for Emeline Vane. Lost in grief, she is suddenly alone at the heart of a depleted family. And just as everything seems to be slipping beyond her control, in a moment of desperation, she boards a train and runs away.Her journey leads her to a tiny seaside village in the South of France. Taken in by café owner Maman and her twenty-year-old son, Emeline discovers a world completely new to her: of oranges, olives and wild herbs, the raw, rich tastes of the land. But soon secrets from home begin blowing in on the sea waves.Fifty years later, Bill Perch, a young solicitor on his first case, finds Emeline’s diary, and begins to trace an anguished story of betrayal and love that will send him on a journey to discover the truth.What really happened to Emeline all those years ago?
Where They Lay: A Forensic Expedition in the Jungles of Laos
by Earl SwiftPEN/Martha Albrand Award Finalist: The suspenseful, &“poignant&” true story of the search for an American military pilot&’s remains in Southeast Asia (James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers). Where They Lay is both an account of an elite military team&’s high-tech, high-risk search for a Vietnam War pilot&’s remains, and a moving retelling of his intense final hours. In far-flung rain forests and its futuristic lab near Pearl Harbor, the Central Identification Laboratory (CILHI) strives to recover and identify the bodies of fighting men who never came home from America&’s wars. Its mission combines old-fashioned bushwhacking and detective work with the latest in forensic technology. Earl Swift accompanies a CILHI team into the Laotian jungle on a search for the remains of Maj. Jack Barker and his three-man crew, whose chopper went down in a fireball more than thirty years ago. He interweaves the story of the recovery team&’s work with a tense account of Barker&’s fatal attempt to rescue trapped soldiers during the largest helicopter assault in history. The first reporter ever allowed to follow a recovery mission—as these archaeological digs are called—in its entirety, Swift got his hands dirty, combing the jungle floor for clues amid vipers, monsoons, and unexploded bombs. In this &“hands-on, thought-provoking&” account, he reveals the dedication not only of the fallen servicemen but of the scientists who search for them, and explores questions about the cost of these missions and the corruption among native officials that may compromise them (Minneapolis Star-Tribune). &“Informative . . . He interweaves accounts of a generation&’s worth of site sifting, involving everything from the most basic shovel work to satellite relaying of computer data, with the whole history of the remains-recovery project . . . He also paints a vivid portrait of deeply impoverished Laos, the sometimes helpful Laotians and the military professionals and technical specialists who make up the search teams.&” —Publishers Weekly &“An unusual tale of war and remembrance.&” —Kirkus Reviews
Where War Ends: A Combat Veteran’s 2,700-Mile Journey to Heal — Recovering from PTSD and Moral Injury through Meditation
by Tom Voss Rebecca Anne NguyenAn Iraq War veteran’s riveting journey from suicidal despair to hope After serving in a scout-sniper platoon in Mosul, Tom Voss came home carrying invisible wounds of war — the memory of doing or witnessing things that went against his fundamental beliefs. This was not a physical injury that could heal with medication and time but a “moral injury” — a wound to the soul that eventually urged him toward suicide. Desperate for relief from the pain and guilt that haunted him, Voss embarked on a 2,700-mile journey across America, walking from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the Pacific Ocean with a fellow veteran. Readers walk with these men as they meet other veterans, Native American healers, and spiritual teachers who appear in the most unexpected forms. At the end of their trek, Voss realizes he is really just beginning his healing. He pursues meditation training and discovers sacred breathing techniques that shatter his understanding of war and himself, and move him from despair to hope. Voss’s story will give inspiration to veterans, their friends and family, and survivors of all kinds.
Where War Lives: A Journey into the Heart of War
by Paul WatsonA Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist takes us on a personal and historic journey from Mogadishu through Rwanda to Afghanistan and Iraq.With the click of a shutter the world came to know Staff Sgt. William David Cleveland Jr. as a desecrated corpse. In the split-second that Paul Watson had to choose between pressing the shutter release or turning away, the world went quiet and Watson heard Cleveland whisper: “If you do this, I will own you forever.” And he has.Paul Watson was born a rebel with one hand, who grew up thinking it took two to fire an assault rifle, or play jazz piano. So he became a journalist. At first, he loved war. He fed his lust for the bang-bang, by spending vacations with guerilla fighters in Angola, Eritrea, Sudan, and Somalia, and writing about conflicts on the frontlines of the Cold War. Soon he graduated to assignments covering some of the world’s most important conflicts, including South Africa, Rwanda, Afghanistan, and Iraq.Watson reported on Osama bin Laden’s first battlefield victory in Somalia. Unwittingly, Watson’s Pulitzer Prize–winning photo of Staff Sgt. David Cleveland—whose Black Hawk was shot down over the streets of Mogadishu—helped hand bin Laden one of his earliest propaganda coups, one that proved barbarity is a powerful weapon in a modern media war. Public outrage over the pictures of Cleveland’s corpse forced President Clinton to order the world’s most powerful military into retreat. With each new beheading announced on the news, Watson wonders whether he helped teach the terrorists one of their most valuable lessons. Much more than a journalist’s memoir, Where War Lives connects the dots of the historic continuum from Mogadishu through Rwanda to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Where Wars Go to Die: The Forgotten Literature of World War I
by W. D. WetherellAs the world commemorates the hundredth anniversary of World War I, the literary canon of the war has consolidated around the memoirs written in the years after the Armistice by soldier-writers who served in the trenches. <P><P>Another kind of Great War literature has been almost entirely ignored: the books written and published during the war by the greatest English, American, French, and German writers at work--books that show us how the best, most influential writers responded to an overpowering human and cultural catastrophe. Where Wars Go to Die: The Forgotten Literature of World War I explores this little-known cache of contemporary writings by the greatest novelists, poets, playwrights, and essayists of the war years, examining their interpretations and responses, weaving excerpts and quotations from their books into a narrative that focuses on the various ways civilian writers responded to an overwhelming historical reality. The authors whose war writings are presented include George Bernard Shaw, Henry James, Joseph Conrad, H. G. Wells, Edith Wharton, Maurice Maeterlinck, Henri Bergson, W. E. B. Du Bois, Romain Rolland, Thomas Mann, Thomas Hardy, May Sinclair, W. B. Yeats, Ring Lardner, Reinhold Niebuhr, and dozens more of equal stature. Intended for the general reader as much as the specialist, Where Wars Go to Die breaks important new ground in the history and literature of World War I. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Where Youth and Laughter Go
by LtCol Seth W. B. FolsomWhere Youth and Laughter Go: With "The Cutting Edge” in Afghanistan completes LtCol Seth Folsom’s recounting of his personal experiences in command over a decade of war. It is the culminating chapter of a trilogy that began with The Highway War: A Marine Company Commander in Iraq in 2006 and continued with In the Gray Area: A Marine Advisor Team at War in 2010. The chronicle of Folsom’s command of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, "The Cutting Edge,” and his harrowing deployment to Afghanistan’s volatile Sangin District presents a deeper look into the complexities and perils of modern counterinsurgency operations in America’s longest war. Charged with the daunting task of pacifying a region with a long history of violence and instability, Folsom and his Marines struggled daily to wage a dynamic campaign against the shadowy enemy force that held Sangin’s population firmly in its grip. With peace and stability always teetering on the brink of collapse, the Marines of "The Cutting Edge” confronted their own mortality as they conducted endless patrols through Sangin’s minefields while fighting to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan villagers. No other books have been published from the perspective of a Marine infantry battalion commander in Afghanistan. It was Folsom’s job, as the unit commander, to lead his Marines under impossible circumstances. LtCol Folsom made the unusual decision to patrol with his rifle squads every day through Sangin, where his Marines dodged improvised explosive devices and sniper fire from an invisible enemy. As his tour progressed and casualties mounted, he found his objectivity evaporating and the love for his men growing. Where Youth and Laughter Go is more than a blood-and-guts war story, it is a jarring, "boots on the ground”-level examination of the myriad challenges and personal dilemmas that today’s young service members face as the United States approaches its final endgame in Afghanistan.
While America Slept: Restoring American Leadership to a World in Crisis
by Robert C. O'BrienRobert C. O'Brien's collection of essays on U.S. national security and foreign policy, with a forward by Hugh Hewitt, is a wake up call to the American people. The world has become steadily more dangerous under President Obama's "lead from behind" foreign policy. The Obama Administration's foreign policy has emboldened our adversaries and disheartened our allies. Indeed, Obama's nuclear deal with Iran is a 1938 moment. At the same time, the U.S. military has been cut and risks returning to the hollow force days of the 1970s. O'Brien lays out the challenges and provides the common sense "peace through strength" solutions that will allow the next president to make America great again.
While Bugles Blow!
by L. Ron HubbardLaunch into the action with this gritty tale. An American lieutenant in the French Foreign is caught in the middle of an ancient feud between the Jeppas of the Atlas Mountains and the bloodthirsty tribe of Perviz al Bahman.Tension mounts as a gorgeous female Jeppa warrior with golden red hair is drawn into the midst of the conflict and captured by Perviz's tribe. When the American lieutenant later finds her being sold on the slave market, he unthinkingly does what any man must: he rescues her. But while his actions may have saved a beauty, they have also just ignited all-out war. "...one of the best pulp writers of the 1940s."--Library Journal
While I Live (The Ellie Chronicles #1)
by John MarsdenWe were halfway up the spur when we heard it. Homer and Gavin and I, just the three of us. I'd say there were fifteen shots in the first volley, evenly spaced, lasting about twenty-five seconds.
While Ireland Holds These Graves: The Story of an Irish Family During the 1916 British Tyranny
by Sean O’HareWhile Ireland Holds These Graves, The Story of an Irish Family During the 1916 British Tyranny, is the fateful story of a Dublin working-class family caught up in the Easter Rising of 1916. It is also the story of some leaders, especially women of that uprising, and of the spirits of past heroes who came to their aid. Finally, it is a story of Irish people who, generation after generation, and even after their martyrdom, rose up against British tyranny in Ireland. While Ireland Holds These Graves will make you proud of your Irish heritage.
While Paris Slept: A Novel
by Ruth DruartOne woman must make the hardest decision of her life in this unforgettably moving story of resistance and faith during one of the darkest times in history.Santa Cruz, 1953. Jean-Luc is a man on the run from his past. The scar on his face is a small price to pay for surviving the horrors of Nazi occupation in France. Now, he has a new life in California, a family. He never expected the past to come knocking on his door.Paris, 1944. A young Jewish woman's past is torn apart in a heartbeat. Herded onto a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left now is hope. On a darkened platform, two destinies become intertwined, and the choices each person makes will change the future in ways neither could have imagined. Told from alternating perspectives, While Paris Slept reflects on the power of love, resilience, and courage when all seems lost. Exploring the strength of family ties, and what it really means to love someone unconditionally, this debut novel will capture your heart.
While Paris Slept: A Novel
by Ruth DruartOn a platform in occupied Paris, a mother whispers goodbye.It is the end. But also the beginning...'What a book... Emotional and heartrending...absolutely phenomenal. I was on tenterhooks throughout. A wonderful achievement' JILL MANSELL*** THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER ***'I absolutely loved it. An ingenious plot, wonderful believable characters and it moved me to tears. A fabulous read' LESLEY PEARSE'An amazing story of love, resilience and the human spirit' TRACY REES'You'll have your heart in your mouth and tears on your cheeks as it reaches its rich, life-affirming conclusion... Had me completely and utterly enraptured' LOUISE CANDLISH'Brace yourself for a brilliant read. This will tug at your heartstrings' BEST'Made me think and cry and rage and smile at mankind's capacity for both terrible, heartbreaking cruelty and beautiful, selfless love' NATASHA LESTER'A heartbreaking debut' JANET SKESLIEN CHARLES, AUTHOR OF THE PARIS LIBRARY Paris 1944 A young woman's future is torn away in a heartbeat. Herded on to a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left now is hope. Santa Cruz 1953 Jean-Luc thought he had left it all behind. The scar on his face a small price to pay for surviving the horrors of Nazi Occupation. Now, he has a new life in California, a family. He never expected the past to come knocking on his door. On a darkened platform, two destinies become entangled. Their choice will change the future in ways neither could have imagined...Beautiful. Powerful. Unforgettable. A stunning portrait of the brutality of war and the tenacity of love. In the tradition of Virginia Baily's Early One Morning, M. L. Stedman's The Light Between Oceans and Heather Morris's The Tattooist of Auschwitz. 'Historical fiction fans, rejoice! A new voice has entered the arena and she's one to watch. Perfectly paced and plotted, and evocatively written' Woman & Home'A powerful and poignant debut from a brilliant and bold new novelist' Imogen Kealey, author of Liberation JUST SOME OF THE FIVE-STAR REAL READER REVIEWS FOR WHILE PARIS SLEPT... 'I loved this novel, I'm still crying. A truly beautiful book that captures the meaning of parental love in all its forms. I highly recommend this book to all my book groups. *****' 'A heartbreaking and emotional read based around WW2. Absolutely fantastic. I have no hesitation in giving this 5 stars *****' 'This book was beautiful - a book on love and courage demonstrated in different ways, showing that there is no one way to love or be brave. I was unable to stop reading *****' 'I loved While Paris Slept. I finished the novel with tears in my eyes. An uplifting novel and will be great for book clubs' *****' 'Wow, what an emotional rollercoaster of a read. The characters so believable. Highly recommend'
While Paris Slept: A mother faces a heartbreaking choice in this bestselling story of love and courage in World War 2
by Ruth DruartOn a platform in Paris before dawn, a woman whispers goodbye.It is the end.But also the beginning.In the tradition of Virginia Bailey's Early One Morning by Virginia Bailey and M. L. Stedman's The Light Between Oceans, a beautiful, powerful and unforgettable portrait of the brutality of war and the tenacity of love. 1953. Jean-Luc is a man on the run from his past. The scar on his face a small price to pay for surviving the horrors of Nazi occupation. Now, he has a new life in California, a family. He never expected the past to come knocking on his door.Paris 1944. A young Jewish woman's past is torn away in a heartbeat. Herded on to a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left now is hope.On a darkened platform two destinies become entangled. Their choice will change the future in ways neither could have imagined.Beginning on an ordinary day and ending on an extraordinary one, WHILE PARIS SLEPT will move you and remind you of the remarkable wire of resilience threaded through the human soul.
While the Gods Were Sleeping
by Paul Vincent Erwin MortierWhile the Gods Were Sleeping is a novel about the magnitude and impact of the First World War, the recollections of which are recorded in the notebooks of the elderly Helena. The young Helena is sent to her uncle's country house before the war, and from here she witnesses scenes of indescribable horror. But it is also where she meets Matthew again, a British Army photographer who she goes on to marry. This is a story not about spectacular events; rather, Mortier is concerned with writing about war, history and the past with great empathy and engagement, and with a mixture of melancholy, qualification and resignation.
While the Pope Kept Silent: Assisi and the Nazi Occupation as told by Padre Rufino Niccacci (Routledge Library Editions: WW2 #44)
by Alexander RamatiThis book, first published in 1978, tells one of the great stories of World War 2. Alexander Ramati, one of the first war correspondents to enter Assisi after the Germans had been driven out, details Father Rufino’s story of conducting ‘Christian pilgrims’ from Assisi to the port of Genoa, and helping them find documentation and accommodation in the city under the noses of the Germans. These people were, of course, Jewish refugees from Nazi persecution, saved from death by a priest and his colleagues.
While They're At War: The True Story of American Families on the Homefront
by Kristin HendersonMany Americans will never experience the gut-wrenching act of sending a loved one off to war, or the joy and stress of welcoming him or her home. Still less known to most of us are the anxiety-ridden moments between these two scenes, the day-to-day reality of life in a military family when a loved one is deployed in a combat zone. While They're at War takes us inside hearts and homes to illuminate the unseen aspects of this critical American story. We meet two very different women, Marissa Bootes and Beth Pratt, both newlyweds experiencing life alone at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, while their husbands are fighting in Iraq. Through the extraordinary stories of these and other military spouses, Kristin Henderson reveals the overwhelming effects of separation -- from fears of death to worries about financial stability and marital fidelity. She also explores the official and unofficial support systems that strain to help homefront families endure some of their greatest challenges.
Whiplash: Whiplash (Dreamland Thrillers #11)
by Dale Brown Jim DeFeliceA high-tech covert strike force takes aim at a nuclear armed extremist in the New York Times–bestselling co-author’s military techno-thriller.The world is watching as the U.S. and Iran agree to lay down their swords. But one man hiding in Africa holds the power to obliterate the peace. Shrouded by the bloody madness of tribal warfare, Iranian functionary-turned-fanatic Bani Aberhadji has created a vast network dedicated to unleashing a nuclear nightmare. Only by chance are American agents now learning of its existence . . . and it may already be too late.The covert strike force Whiplash is armed and ready to spring into action. Born from the ashes of Dreamland, it possesses the most cutting-edge military technology on Earth. But Aberhadji’s web of death is wide and well concealed . . . and the doomsday clock is ticking.
Whips to Walls
by Rodney K. WattersonDuring World War I, the United States Navy conducted at the Portsmouth, NH Naval Prison what many penal scholars consider the most ambitious experiment in the history of progressive prison reform. Cell doors remained opened, prisoners governed themselves and thousands of rehabilitated prisoners were returned to the fleet. This humanitarian experiment at Portsmouth prison stood in stark contrast to the inhumane flogging of prisoners that had dominated naval discipline until 1850. The Navy's journey between these two extremes in naval discipline included the development of a much needed naval prison system.When congress abolished flogging in 1850, the Navy was left with few punishment options. Flogging had been a harsh, but very effective and efficient discipline tool. Various conditions of confinement appeared to be the most logical substitute for flogging, but the Navy had few cells ashore and confinement onboard a nineteenth century man-of-war sailing vessel was impractical. Onboard space was limited and all hands were needed to sail and fight the ship. Subsequent naval directives that merely suggested punishments for various offenses led to inconsistent interpretation and application of punishments throughout the fleet. At the same time, courts-martial prisoners were sporadically confined in various marine barracks, navy yard jails, naval station guard houses, prison ships and state prisons. The Navy's discipline system was in disarray. A naval prison system was needed to consolidate and provide for consistent treatment of prisoners. The Navy's efforts to gain congressional approval for a prison in the 1870s were unsuccessful. In the late 1880s, the Navy took matters into its own hands and established a prison system centered on makeshift prisons at the Boston and Mare Island Navy Yards. An ever-increasing need for cells, primarily driven by high desertion rates, eventually resulted in the construction of the Navy's first real prison at Portsmouth, which opened in 1908. A consolidation of naval prisons in 1914 left Portsmouth as the dominant centerpiece of the naval prison system.At this point Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Delano Roosevelt chose the most celebrated prison reformer of his era, Thomas Mott Osborne, to assume command of the Portsmouth prison. His reforms at Portsmouth went well until Vice Adm. William S. Sims and others became convinced that too many trouble makers were being returned to the fleet. Under mounting pressure from senior naval officers, FDR personally led an on-site investigation of conditions at Portsmouth prison, which included charges of gross mismanagement and rampant homosexual activity. Although exonerated by FDR's team, Osborne resigned from the Navy shortly after the investigation. Osborne's reform initiatives were quickly reversed as the Navy returned to a harsher punishment system more inclined toward deterrence than humanitarian considerations and prisoner comforts.