- Table View
- List View
Up the Micks!: An Illustrated History of the Irish Guards
by James WilsonThe unique history of The Micks – the Irish Guards – is chronicled in over 1000 images, starting with their formation in 1900 and taking the reader through to the recent war in Afghanistan. It is the story of a remarkable family regiment that continues to enhance the values, standards and reputation of the British infantry in an ever-changing world. The two world wars are covered in detail with dramatic pictures. The First World War – the brick stacks at Cuinchy under fire, where O&’Leary won his VC – and the Second World War – the inferno of the transport ship Chobry off the coast of Norway and the first ever German King Tiger tank seen in action brought to a halt by the Irish Guards without firing a shot. More recently, the Micks were involved in internal security duties in Palestine, Cyprus, Malaya, Aden, Northern Ireland and the Balkans. They led the way into Iraq in the Second Gulf War and shed blood in Afghanistan. The book shows the development of regimental soldiering from the rigidity of the Victorian era, through the horrors of the trenches to armoured warfare in Europe and light infantry soldiering worldwide – all the time upholding the finest traditions of the Foot Guards. In an army that prides itself on the strength of the regimental system, the Irish Guards have created a distinctive and enduring ethos of their own. This is not just a cold regimental history but has been compiled to show the Micks&’ ability to find humour even in the most adverse conditions while demonstrating excellence at both operational and ceremonial soldiering. It also contains, in an extensive set of appendices, a remarkable record of facts about the regiment – the people, places and events in the history of the Irish Guards – which will serve as an invaluable source of information for future generations.
Up to Mametz and Beyond
by Llewelyn Wyn GriffithLlewelyn Wyn Griffiths Up to Mametz, published in 1931, is now firmly established as one of the finest accounts of soldiering on the Western Front. It tells the story of the creation of a famous Welsh wartime battalion (The Royal Welch Fusiliers), its training, its apprenticeship in the trenches, through to its ordeal of Mametz Wood on the Somme as part of 38 Division. But there it stopped.General Jonathon Riley has discovered Wyn Griffiths unpublished diaries and letters which pick up where Up to Mametz left off through to the end of the War. With careful editing and annotation, the events of these missing years are now available alongside the original work. They tell of an officers life on the derided staff and provide fascinating glimpses of senior officers, some who attract high praise and others who the author obviously despised. The result is an enthralling complete read and a major addition to the bibliography of the period.Llewelyn Wyn Griffiths was born into a Welsh speaking family in Llandrillo yn Rhos, North Wales. He joined the Civil Service as a Tax Surveyor. Aged 24 on the outbreak of War, he was accepted for a commission in the 15th (1st London Welsh) Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers and served in the Battalion or on the staff for the rest of the War. Returning to the Inland Revenue he was responsible for the pay-As-You-Earn tax system, retiring in 1952. He filled many distinguished appointments, such as the Arts Council, and was a regular broadcaster. Awarded an Honorary DLitt by the University of Wales, he was holder of the CBE, OBE, Croix de Guerre and an MID. He died in 1977.
Upcountry South Carolina Goes to War: Letters of the Anderson, Brockman, and Moore Families, 1853–1865
by Tom Moore CraigThis collection of Civil War correspondence chronicles the lives and concerns of three Confederate families in Piedmont, South Carolina.The letters in Upcountry South Carolina Goes to War provide valuable firsthand accounts of both battlefronts and the home front, sharing rich details about daily life as well as evolving attitudes toward the war. As the men of service age from each family join the Confederate ranks, they begin writing from military camps in Virginia and the Carolinas, describing combat in some of the war’s more significant battles. Though they remain staunch patriots to the Southern cause until the bitter end, the surviving combatants write candidly of their waning enthusiasm in the face of the realities of combat. The corresponding letters from the home front offer a more pragmatic assessment of the period and its hardships. Emblematic of the fates of many Southern families, the experiences of these representative South Carolinians are dramatically illustrated in their letters from the eve of the Civil War through its conclusion.
Upper Canada Preserved — War of 1812 6-Book Bundle: The Ashes of War / A Crucible of Fire / and four more...
by Richard FeltoePresenting all six installments of Richard Feltoe’s series on the War of 1812, gathered together in an ebook bundle. Each book in this battlefield-based chronicle combines the best of modern historical research with extensive quotations from original official documents and personal letters to bring to life this crucial period of Canada’s early history. Throughout the authoritative series, historical images are counterpointed with modern pictures from the same perspective to give a true then-and-now effect. Strategic maps trace the course of campaigns, while never-before-published battlefield maps reveal the shifting formations of troops across geographically accurate terrain. "If you’re looking for only one book or set to read, Feltoe is so far an excellent choice." — Niagara Life Includes: The Call to Arms The Pendulum of War The Flames of War The Tide of War A Crucible of Fire The Ashes of War
Uprising
by Jennifer A. NielsenAuthor Jennifer A. Nielsen inspires readers with a brand-new thriller based on the remarkable true story of a young Polish girl who bravely fought, participating in the Warsaw city uprising, and took a stand in the name of freedom. <p><p> Twelve-year-old Lidia is outside her grandfather's house when planes fly overhead, bearing the Nazi cross on each wing. Before the bombs hit the ground, Lidia realizes her life is about to change forever. Poland has fallen under German occupation, and her father makes the brave decision to join the Polish army to fight against the Nazis. Lidia wants to follow him into war, but she's far too young, and she's needed by her mother and brother. <p><p> After her family returns to Warsaw, where life has changed irrevocably, Lidia continues to play the piano, finding comfort in Chopin, Bach, and Beethoven. But she also wants to aid the Jewish people held captive in the Warsaw Ghetto. With the help of a friend, Lidia begins to smuggle wheat and food into the ghetto. Still, she feels like she could be doing so much more. She wants to fight. After her brother joins the resistance, Lidia wants only to follow in his footsteps. Soon, she begins to work as a courier, smuggling weapons and messages for the resistance throughout the city. <p><p> When the Warsaw city uprising begins—one year after the more well-known Warsaw Ghetto uprising by Polish Jews—with gunfire and bombs echoing throughout the streets, Lidia joins the Polish nationalists’ fight, too, and she and her peers fight with everything they’ve got. Life will continue to surprise Lidia, as she and the resistance fighters do their best to defeat the German soldiers. No matter the consequences, they’re willing to defend their freedom and their homes from the Nazi invaders—even with their lives. <p><p> Drawing on the extraordinary real-life story of Polish teenager Lidia Zakrzewski, bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen presents an inspiring and dramatic account of the Polish resistance fighters who struggled to force out their Nazi occupiers and reclaim their nation's freedom from tyranny. <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
Uprising: A Novel
by Douglas L. BlandA surprise attack on the nation’s military bases and power stations sends the Armed Forces scrambling. When impoverished, disheartened, poorly educated, but well-armed aboriginal young people find a modern revolutionary leader, they rally with a battle cry of "Take Back the Land!" Theirs is a fight to right the wrongs inflicted on them by "the white settlers."They know they are too small to take on the entire country, but they don’t need to. Over a few tension-filled days as the battles rages over abundant energy resources, the frantic prime minister can only watch as the insurrection paralyzes the country. But when energy-dependent Americans discover the southward flow of Canadian hydroelectricity, oil, and natural gas is halted, they do not remain passive.Although none of the country’s leaders see it coming, the shattering consequences unfold with the same plausible harmony by which quiet aboriginal protests decades ago became the eerie premonitions of today’s stand-offs and "days of action."
Upsetting the Balance (Worldwar #3)
by Harry TurtledoveCommunist China, Japan, Nazi Germany, the United States: they began World War II as mortal enemies. But suddenly their only hope for survival--never mind victory--was to unite to stop a mighty foe--one whose frightening technology appeared invincible. Far worse beings than the Nazis were loose. From Warsaw to Moscow to China's enemy-occupied Forbidden City, the nations of the world had been forced into an uneasy alliance since humanity began its struggle against overwhelming odds. In Britain and Germany, where the banshee wail of hostile jets screamed across the land, caches of once-forbidden weapons were unearthed, and unthinkable tactics were employed against the enemy. Brilliantly innovative military strategists confronted challenges unprecedented in the history of warfare. Even as lack of fuel forced people back to horse and carriage, physicists worked feverishly to create the first atomic bombs--with horrifying results. City after city joined the radioactive pyre as the planet erupted in fiery ruins. Yet the crisis continued--on land, sea, and in the air--as humanity writhed in global combat. The tactics of daredevil guerrillas everywhere became increasingly ingenious against a superior foe whose desperate retaliation would grow ever more fearsome. No one had ever put the United States, or the world, in such deadly danger. But if the carnage and annihilation ever stopped, would there be any pieces to pick up?
Upward & Onward: The Life of Air Vice-Marshal John Howe CB CBE AFC
by Bob CosseyJohn Howe started his flying career in the postwar South African Air Force, learning to fly on Tiger Moths, Harvards and Spitfires. He was posted to No 2 Squadron SAAF and sent to Korea to fly with South Africas contribution to the war in support of the UN forces. There he flew the Mustang F-51D fighter-bombers in front-line action during his first tour. A second tour saw him with the US Infantry as a Forward Air Controller operating on the ground. As the political situation in South Africa became more extreme he resigned from the SAAF and came to England where he was asked by the RAF to fly their first jet fighters and later instruct on Vampires, converting later to the Hunter and joined 222 Squadron at Leuchars. During the Suez crisis he again operated as a Forward Ground Controller and landed on the beaches with 40 Commando. He was appointed CO of 74 Tiger Squadron to introduce the supersonic Lightning into service with the RAF. Traveling extensively, demonstrating the remarkable capabilities of the new fighter. His late career took him to Fighter Commands HQ, RAF Staff College and the Joint Warfare School. After a posting to the USA on an exchange tour flying most of the Century Series Fighters and the Phantom he returned to the UK to head up 228 OCU to introduce the Phantom FGR2 into operational service. Towards the end of his 44 year service career he commanded the RAF base at Gutersloh on the front line of the Iron Curtain flying and his final posting was Commandant of the RAF Regiment
Urban Battle Command in the 21st Century
by Russell W. Glenn Gina KingstonIn every operation, the functions of command, control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and communications are all fundamental to success. But in cities, the dense population, many manmade structures, and other challenges act to severely impede these functions in several ways. This monograph contemplates the nature of those challenges and proposes several recommendations to surmount them in both the short and longer terms.
Urban Battle Fields of South Asia: Lessons Learned from Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan
by C. Christine FairMilitary operations in urban areas are among the most complex challenges confronting the U.S. Army. Compared to a number of other nations, the Army has relatively less experience operating in this environment. To that end, this monograph analyzes sustained campaigns of urban terrorism in Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan, identifying key innovations of the militant organizations. It also details the three states' responses to the threats, noting successful as well as unsuccessful efforts.
Urban Operations, Untrained On Terrain
by Major Paul S. BurtonThis thesis traces the development of urban operations from World War II to the present to examine the evolution of doctrine, training, organization, and equipment. Four specific operations/battles are examined, including Stalingrad in World War II on the eastern front, Belfast in Northern Ireland from 1968 to the present, Beirut in Lebanon in 1982, and an illustrative future model in Seoul in Korea in 2012.The historical examples are compared to the U.S. scenario in Seoul, Korea, in 2012 to determine similarities and differences. Future lessons learned are extrapolated from these similarities and differences.The study concludes that the U.S. Army has weaknesses in doctrine, training, organization, and equipment in war and military operations other than war at the tactical and operational levels. This study recommends an updated, integrated doctrine, a training facility and training plans at the unit level, a more flexible organization, and procurement of new equipment.
Urban Safety and Peacebuilding: New Perspectives on Sustaining Peace in the City (Studies in Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding)
by Oliver Jütersonke Achim WennmannThis volume draws together original research related to conceptual and practical advances at the interface of urban safety and peacebuilding. The book reflects the advances in urban safety and peacebuilding to help address the rapidly increasing risk of conflict and insecurity in cities. Specifically, it draws on contributions to the Technical Working Group on the Confluence of Urban Safety and Peacebuilding Practice, an informal expert network co-facilitated by the United Nations Office at Geneva, UN-Habitat’s Safer Cities Programme, and the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform. A focus on ‘sustaining peace’ serves as a framework for situating new policy responses against conflict, violence, and exclusion in the city, and for promoting a conversation across disciplinary and specialist silos. The volume thereby broadens the optic of peacebuilding practice beyond interstate and intrastate armed conflicts – and especially their aftermath – and reconnects it to the community-level origins of building peace. The analysis and practice presented here will remind those willing to work towards peaceful and inclusive cities that there are tried and tested approaches available, and a host of experts and practitioners ready to accompany those prepared to lead in their respective contexts. This book will be of interest to students and researchers in the fields of peacebuilding, urban studies, security studies, and international relations.
Urban Warfare (Special Forces: Protecting, Building, Te)
by Jack MontanaAll elite soldiers know that at times our towns and cities can be as dangerous as any wilderness. That's why they train hard to defend themselves from attack, looking at ways of staying out of trouble or handling it if it happens. Explore the essential techniques of self-defense needed for an urban setting. Under elite forces tuition, you can learn how to protect yourself against physical assault by either one person or several, or even cope with a riot. Blocking, punching, grappling, and kicking are all covered, but you will also learn how to avoid trouble before it even begins. The skills covered in the book include: * How to handle an attack from someone with a knife. * How you can tell when a person will attack. * Ways of restraining someone without damaging them. * How to generate maximum power from your body. * Ways of training for self-defense situations. * The most vulnerable areas of the human body.
Urchin and the Raven War (The Mistmantle Chronicles, #4)
by M. I. McAllisterUrchin has taken his place as a member of the Circle in King Crispin's court. Life on the island is back to normal-- until Lord Arcneck and other inhabitants of Swan Isle come to Mistmantle for help after bloodthirsty ravens take over their home.
Urgent Fury: The Operational Leadership Of Vice Admiral Joseph P. Metcalf, III
by Samuel D. WardVice Admiral Joseph P. Metcalf, III commanded the largest American joint military operation since the Vietnam War on the small Caribbean island of Grenada in 1983. This paper focuses on Metcalf's operational leadership during Operation URGENT FURY. It begins by providing the readers an introduction to Metcalf's life, his education and career, and the circumstances that led to Metcalf being named as the operational commander of Combined Joint Task Force 120. Examples follow from the planning and execution stages of the Grenada invasion illustrating Metcalf's possession of the three theoretical requirements of successful operational leadership: certain personality traits (including wisdom, good judgment, and emotional balance), a present yet unobtrusive command style, and significant professional knowledge allowing for critical decision making. Discussion topics include Metcalf's thirty-nine hours to prepare for the invasion, the decisions to bomb Fort Frederick and conduct a Marine amphibious assault at Grand Mal, Metcalf's relationship with General Schwarzkopf, and the now-infamous media policy. The paper concludes with lessons learned drawn from Metcalf's operational leadership performance for current and future leaders including the Vice Admiral's favorite: "When you are in command, COMMAND!"
Uriah's War
by Andrea LevyWritten to mark the centenary of the outbreak of WWI, this short story by multi-award-winning, million copy bestselling author Andrea Levy tells the tale of two Jamaican service men in that conflict.
Use Of Dietary Supplements By Military Personnel
by Institute of Medicine of the National AcademiesDietary supplements are widely available through a rapidly expanding market of products commonly advertised as beneficial for health, performance enhancement, and disease prevention. Given the importance and frequent evaluation of physical performance and health as a criteria to join and remain in the military, the use of these products by military personnel has raised concern regarding over-all and long-term efficacy and safety. This evaluation is especially difficult, as many of these supplements contain multiple ingredients, have a changing composition over time, or are used intermittently at doses difficult to measure. This book analyzes the patterns of dietary supplement use among military personnel, examines published reviews of the scientific evidence, and identifies those dietary supplements that are beneficial and/or warrant concern due to risks to health or performance. The book also recommends a system to monitor adverse health effects and a framework to identify the need for active management of dietary supplements by military personnel. Military policy makers, personnel, and recruits will find this book useful, as will nutritionists, athletes, and others working in strenuous environments.
Useful Enemies: America's Open-Door Policy for Nazi War Criminals
by Richard RashkeHow the United States protected John Demjanjuk: &“A richly researched, gripping narrative about war, suffering, survival, corruption, injustice and morality&” (Kirkus Reviews, starred). John &“Iwan&” Demjanjuk was at the center of one of history&’s most complex war crimes trials. But why did it take almost sixty years for the United States to bring him to justice as a Nazi collaborator? The answer lies in the annals of the Cold War, when fear and paranoia drove American politicians and the U.S. military to recruit &“useful&” Nazi war criminals to work for the United States in Europe as spies and saboteurs and to slip them into America through loopholes in U.S. immigration policy. During and after the war, that same immigration policy was used to prevent thousands of Jewish refugees from reaching the shores of America. The long and twisted saga of John Demjanjuk, a postwar immigrant and auto mechanic living a quiet life in Cleveland until 1977, is the final piece in the puzzle of American government deceit. The White House, the Departments of War and State, the FBI, and the CIA supported policies that harbored Nazi war criminals and actively worked to hide and shelter them from those who dared to investigate and deport them. The heroes in this story are men and women such as Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman and Justice Department prosecutor Eli Rosenbaum, who worked for decades to hold hearings, find and investigate alleged Nazi war criminals, and successfully prosecute them for visa fraud. But it was not until the conviction of John Demjanjuk in Munich in 2011 as an SS camp guard serving at the Sobibor death camp that this story of deceit can be told for what it is: a shameful chapter in American history. Riveting and deeply researched, Useful Enemies is the account of one man&’s criminal past and its devastating consequences, and the story of how America sacrificed its moral authority in the wake of history&’s darkest moment.
Useful Fools
by C. A. SchmidtAlonso, a dirt-poor teenager living in Peru, helps out at the public health clinic his mother, Magdalena, opened, so that he can see Rosa, the beautiful and wealthy daughter of the clinic's doctor. Alonso and Rosa are both shattered when Magdalena is assassinated by a revolutionary terrorist organization. Left with no hope, Alonso might be seduced into becoming a guerrilla in the same organization that killed his mother. Rosa becomes disgusted with her father's complacency and leaves wealth and safety behind to somehow help what is left of Alonso's family. In this coming-of- age novel, C. A. Schmidt tells the story of how love can find its way through poverty and war.
Ushering In A New Republic: Theologies Of Arrival At Rome In The First Century Bce
by Trevor S. LukeThe ancient Romans are well known for their love of the pageantry of power. No single ceremony better attests to this characteristic than the triumph, which celebrated the victory of a Roman commander through a grand ceremonial entrance into the city that ended in rites performed to Rome's chief tutelary deity, Jupiter Optimus Maximus, on the Capitoline hill. The triumph, however, was only one form of ceremonial arrival at the city, and Jupiter was not the only god to whom vows were made and subsequently fulfilled at the end of a successful assignment. Ushering in a New Republic expands our view beyond a narrow focus on the triumph to look at the creative ways in which the great figures of Rome in the first century BCE (men such as Sulla, Caesar, Augustus, and others) crafted theological performances and narratives both in and around their departures from Rome and then returned to cast themselves in the role of divinely supported saviors of a faltering Republic. Trevor S. Luke tackles some of the major issues of the history of the Late Republic and the transition to the empire in a novel way. Taking the perspective that Roman elites, even at this late date, took their own religion seriously as a way to communicate meaning to their fellow Romans, the volume reinterprets some of the most famous events of that period in order to highlight what Sulla, Caesar, and figures of similar stature did to make a religious argument or defense for their actions. This exploration will be of interest to scholars of religion, political science, sociology, classics, and ancient history and to the general history enthusiast. While many people are aware of the important battles and major thinkers of this period of Roman history, the story of its theological discourse and competition is unfolded here for the first time.
Using the Steel-Vessel Material-Cost Index to Mitigate Shipbuilder Risk
by Robert Murphy John Birkler John F. Schank Edward G. KeatingThe more accurately a cost index captures a shipbuilder's risk, the less the Navy should have to pay its shipbuilders. The Navy uses such indexes to correct for significant cost risks outside its shipbuilders' control. A longtime material-cost index in Navy shipbuilding is the steel-vessel index, but it is outdated and volatile. The authors urge the Navy to develop a modern-vessel index that more appropriately represents the materials used today.
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
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.
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.