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German Battleships 1914-18
by Paul Wright Gary StaffSupported by official documents, personal accounts, official drawings and specially commissioned artwork, this volume is an enlightening history of the key classes of Kaiser, K¿nig and Bayern that formed the backbone of the German Imperial Navy throughout World War I. It details the technological revolution that had taken place to ensure the building of these largest dreadnought classes, in particular the developments in size and armament as well as the steps taken to prevent battle damage as Germany readied herself for war. This account of design and technology is supplemented by individual ship histories detailing combat experience complete with first-hand accounts. The specially commissioned artwork also brings this history to life with a cutaway recreation of the fleet's flagship and the Battle of Moon Sound in the Baltic in 1917 where the battleship Konig caused the destruction of the Russian battleship Slava.
British Battlecruiser vs German Battlecruiser
by Paul Wright Mark StilleBattles at Dogger Bank and Jutland revealed critical firepower, armor, and speed differences in Royal Navy and Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) Battlecruiser designs.Fast-moving and formidably armed, the battlecruisers of the British and German navies first encountered one another in 1915 at Dogger Bank and in the following year clashed near Jutland in the biggest battleship action of all time. In the decade before World War I Britain and Germany were locked in a naval arms race that saw the advent of first the revolutionary dreadnought, the powerful, fast-moving battleship that rendered earlier designs obsolete, and then an entirely new kind of vessel - the battlecruiser. The brainchild of the visionary British admiral John 'Jacky' Fisher, the battlecruiser was designed to operate at long range in 'flying squadrons', using its superior speed and powerful armament to hunt, outmanoeuvre and destroy any opponent. The penalty paid to reach higher speeds was a relative lack of armour, but Fisher believed that 'speed equals protection'. By 1914 the British had ten battlecruisers in service and they proved their worth when two battlecruisers, Invincible and Inflexible, sank the German armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau off the Falklands in December 1914.Based on a divergent design philosophy that emphasised protection over firepower, the Germans' battlecruisers numbered six by January 1915, when the rival battlecruisers first clashed at Dogger Bank in the North Sea. By this time the British battlecruisers had been given a new role - to locate the enemy fleet. Five British battlecruisers accompanied by other vessels intercepted and pursued a German force including three battlecruisers; although the battle was a British tactical victory with neither side losing any of its battlecruisers, the differences in the designs of the British and German ships were already apparent. The two sides responded very differently to this first clash; while the Germans improved their ammunition-handling procedures to lessen the risk of disabling explosions, the British drew the opposite lesson and stockpiled ammunition in an effort to improve their rate of fire, rendering their battlecruisers more vulnerable. The British also failed to improve the quality of their ammunition, which had often failed to penetrate the German ships' armour.These differences were highlighted more starkly during the battle of Jutland in May 1916. Of the nine British battlecruisers committed, three were destroyed, all by their German counterparts. Five German battlecruisers were present, and of these, only one was sunk and the remainder damaged. The limitations of some of the British battlecruisers' fire-control systems, range-finders and ammunition quality were made clear; the Germans not only found the range more quickly, but spread their fire more effectively, and the German battlecruisers' superior protection meant that despite being severely mauled, all but one were able to evade the British fleet at the close of the battle. British communication was poor, with British crews relying on ship-to-ship flag and lamp signals even though wireless communication was available. Even so, both sides claimed victory and the controversy continues to this day.
Imperial Japanese Navy Heavy Cruisers 1941-45
by Paul Wright Mark StilleDesigned with little more than a passing nod to the international naval treaties of the inter-war period, the Imperial Japanese Navy's heavy cruisers were fast and heavily armed. Like the other vessels of the Japanese Navy, the heavy cruisers were technologically superior to and far more innovative than their Allied rivals, whom they met in many of the major Pacific Theatre battles, including Midway and Leyte Gulf. Mark Stille continues his study of the IJN of WWII with this fascinating topic, addressing the design and development of all 18 ships in the six heavy cruiser classes, from pre-war construction and mid-war alterations, to their operational histories and eventual fates.
Italian Battleships of World War II
by Paul Wright Mark StilleOften overlooked as a naval power of WWII, Italy's Regia Marina was, upon the declaration of war against France, the fourth largest navy in the world. Despite its numbers, the Italian fleet was made up of largely obsolete vessels, none being equipped with radar, and had a reputation for having inadequately-trained crews. Added to these drawbacks, the Italian commanders did not enjoy the discretion of command at sea that their counterparts in the service of other nations did, being directed closely by the Supermarina (Italian Naval Headquarters). Despite these obstacles, and the heavy losses inflicted upon the fleet by the Royal Navy while in harbour at Taranto, the battleships of the Italian Navy enjoyed a good reputation for being well-designed, and served with courage and determination at Punto Stilo/Calabria, Sirte, Cape Spartivento, and Cape Matapan. Mark Stille details, with the aid of many stunning photographs, including several from the Italian Navy's own archives, the battleships of one of the forgotten navies of WWII.From the Trade Paperback edition.
US Heavy Cruisers 1943-75
by Paul Wright Mark StilleUS Heavy Cruisers provides a detailed, illustrated look at the wartime and post-war-built heavy cruiser classes of the US Navy of World War II.Fast and heavily armed, the Baltimore class was an evolution of the heavy cruiser designs from before World War II, but without the limitations imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty. Versatile vessels, the heavy cruisers of the Baltimore class, and their successors in the Oregon City and Des Moines classes, commonly acted as carrier escorts throughout World War II, but also performed bombardment duties in support of amphibious landings. Post-World War II, the heavy cruisers continued to see service, chiefly in Korea and Vietnam. Even after the heyday of the heavy cruiser had passed, the ships continued to serve - several were converted into the earliest examples of guided missile cruisers, and established an enduring legacy in the US Navy.
US Standard-type Battleships 1941-45
by Paul Wright Mark StilleThis book completes an authoritative two-part study on the Standard-type US battleships of World War II - ships that were designed to fight a different type of war than the one that unfolded. It gives precise technical details of the design history and features of the Tennessee, Colorado and the unfinished South Dakota and Lexington classes, whilst providing an operational history of the former two. Much like the earlier classes, these ships' design adhered to consistent levels of performance to simplify battle-line operations, but they still incorporated evolutions of technology to match the latest Japanese types for the predicted decisive fleet engagements. In the end it was clear that war at sea would no longer see dreadnoughts slugging it out in open water, and these battleships were mostly utilized for fire support in US amphibious landings in the Pacific. Written by a leading expert on the US Navy in World War II and augmented by contemporary photographs and specially commissioned illustrations, this is the other half of the story of the US Standard-type battleships - from the terrible damage they sustained at Pearl Harbor, to their support of the war-winning landings of the US Marine Corps and US Army.
USN Cruiser vs IJN Cruiser
by Paul Wright Mark StilleAlthough the war in the Pacific is usually considered a carrier war, it was the cruisers that dominated the early fighting. This thrilling duel presents the cruiser clashes during the crucial battles for Guadacanal in 1942, highlighting the Battle of Savo Island on the August 9 and the Battle of Cape Esperance October 11-12th , 1942. The first was an overwhelming Japanese victory that resulted in the loss of four Allied cruisers. However, in the latter, the Americans managed to successfully turn the tables despite the fact that the was fought through the night under dangerous conditions. This book presents a side-by-side view of the design and development of the opposing weapons systems, illustrated with newly commissioned digital artwork. It uses first-hand accounts to bring the desperate battles to life and explain why the American forces suffered early on, but eventually had their revenge.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Our Man in Tehran: The Truth Behind the Secret Mission to Save Six Americans During the Iran Hostage Crisis and the Ambassador Who Worked with the CIA to Bring Them Home
by Robert WrightThe world watched with fear in November 1979, when Iranian students infiltrated and occupied the American embassy in Tehran. The Americans were caught entirely by surprise, and what began as a swift and seemingly short-lived takeover evolved into a crisis that would see fifty four embassy personnel held hostage, most for 444 days. As Tehran exploded in a fury of revolution, six American diplomats secretly escaped. For three months, Ken Taylor, the Canadian ambassador to Iran-along with his wife and embassy staffers-concealed the Americans in their homes, always with the prospect that the revolutionary government of Ayatollah Khomeini would exact deadly consequences. The United States found itself handcuffed by a fractured, fundamentalist government it could not understand and had completely underestimated. With limited intelligence resources available on the ground and anti-American sentiment growing, President Carter turned to Taylor to work with the CIA in developing their exfiltration plans. Until now, the true story behind Taylor's involvement in the escape of the six diplomats and the Eagle Claw commando raid has remained classified. InOur Man in Tehran,Robert Wright takes us back to a major historical flashpoint and unfolds a story of cloak-and-dagger intrigue that brings a new understanding of the strained relationship between the Unites States and Iran. With the world once again focused on these two countries, this book is the stuff of John le Carreacute; and Daniel Silva made real.
Meditations in Green (Vintage Contemporaries Ser.)
by Stephen WrightOne of the greatest Vietnam War novels ever written, by an award-winning writer who experienced it firsthand.Deployed to Vietnam with the U.S. Army's 1069 Intelligence Group, Spec. 4 James Griffin starts out clear-eyed and hardworking, believing he can glide through the war unharmed. But the kaleidoscope of horrors he experiences gets inside him relentlessly. He gradually collapses and ends up unstrung, in step with the exploding hell around him and waiting for the cataclysm that will bring him home, dead or not.Griffin survives, but back in the U.S. his battles intensify. Beset by addiction, he takes up meditating on household plants and attempts to adjust to civilian life and beat back the insanity that threatens to overwhelm him. Meditations in Green is a haunting exploration of the harrowing costs of war and yet-unhealed wounds, "the impact of an experience so devastating that words can hardly contain it" (Walter Kendrick, the New York Times Book Review). Through passages gorgeous, agonizing, and surreal, Stephen Wright paints a searing portrait of a nation driven to the brink by violence and deceit.
The Badlands (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
by Susan WrightLocated dangerously near the Cardassian border, the unstable region of space known as the Badlands has long been a hazard to interstellar navigation, characterized by violent plasma storms and other even stranger phenomena. Many starships have faced destruction there, including at least two incarnations of the Starship Enterprise .... James T. Kirk braves the perils of the Badlands to confront a Romulan Bird of Prey that has entered Federation space in pursuit of a fleeing smuggler. But trespassing Romulans may be the least of Kirk's problems when the mysterious forces at work in the Badlands threaten both his ship and his crew! A generation later, Jean-Luc Picard faces the same phantom menace when he commands his Enterprise into the Badlands on a mission vital to Federation-Cardassian relations. With Will Riker's life on the line, and the entire ship in jeopardy, it's up to Lieutenant Commander Data to determine the true nature of the Badlands' hidden danger!
The Badlands (Star Trek)
by Susan WrightLocated perilously near the Cardassian border, the turbulent region of space known as the Badlands has been an interstellar hazard to navigation for at least two generations. Many starships have been lost amidst its violent plasma storms, but the true danger may only be beginning! Before she began her historic sojourn in the Delta Quadrant, Captain Kathryn Janeway led the U.S.S. Voyager into the Badlands in pursuit of a renegade Maquis vessel. There she encountered the same threatening and inexplicable phenomena that had previously endangered both Kirk and Picard. Now, detoured from her mission by an urgent Cardassian distress call, Janeway finally uncovers the origin of the hidden menace! Armed with Janeway's hard-won knowledge, Captain Benjamin Sisko must deal with the exposed threat once and for all. But first the U.S.S. Defiant must battle both the Dominion and the Romulan Empire for control of an unleashed power source that could devastate the entire Alpha Quadrant!
The Best and the Brightest
by Susan WrightEvery year, Starfleet Academy in San Francisco attracts many of the most talented and ambitious young people in the Federation. They come from all over the Alpha Quadrant, from hundreds of worlds and species, to prepare themselves for the challenges of the final frontier. Meet a new generation of cadets: a newly joined Trill just beginning the first of many lives; a Bajoran Vedek who finds himself torn between his vows and an unspoken love; a reckless young man fond of pushing the limits; a feline alien raised among humans; a brilliant but immature young woman with a lot to learn; and a native-born Earth woman with a talent for engineering. Together they will learn about courage, life, teamwork, and themselves. Their future is just beginning -- but one of them will not survive!
Dark Passions: Star Trek (all Series) (Star Trek #2)
by Susan WrightIntendant Kira, now Overseer for the entire Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, has entered into a dangerous liaison with Annika Hansen, unaware that Hansen is actually an agent of the Obsidian Order who has orders to kill Kira when the time is right. But her treacherous alliance is not the only danger the Intendant faces. Both Deanna Troi, the power-hungry consort of Regent Worf, and B'Elanna Torres, the half-human Intendant of the Sol System, are threatened by Kira's unquenchable ambition, and would be glad to see her deposed -- or worse. As four powerful women scheme for control of the Alliance, who will survive? And who will claim the ultimate prize?
Dark Passions Book One: Star Trek (all Series) (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
by Susan WrightKlingons and Cardassians rule the Alpha Quadrant in an uneasy alliance that hides a viper's nest of backstabbing plots and counterplots. Annika Hansen has become a trained operative for the Obsidian Order. Her latest target: Kira Nerys, the duplicitous Intendant of Bajor, whose ruthless ambition has brought her to a position of power second only to the Regent himself, the fierce Klingon warrior known as Worf. To get close to her prey, Annika must worm her way into the Intendant's notoriously fickle affections. Easy enough to accomplish, perhaps, but it remains to be seen who is truly manipulating whom....
Gateways #1: One Small Step (Star Trek: Vanguard #Bk. 1)
by Susan WrightScattered throughout the galaxy are Gateways capable of transporting matter and energy across unfathomable distances. Left behind by a long-vanished civilization, these mysterious portals offer a means of exploration -- or conquest -- many times faster than warp travel. The technology responsible for the Gateways has been lost for at least ten millennia, but that doesn't mean it can't be found again.... Having defeated the hostile computer program guarding an abandoned Kalandan outpost, Kirk and his crew are exploring the artificial planetoid in hopes of discovering the secret of an ancient apparatus that has hurled the Starship Enterprise over nearly a thousand light-years. Unfortunately, the reactivated Gateway has attracted the attention -- and avarice -- of various alien explorers, including a mysterious race who claim to be none other than the enigmatic Kalandans themselves!
Star Trek: Sins of Commission
by Susan WrightSINS OF COMMISSION while on a misssion to save the planet Lessenar from environmental collapse, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise is crippled by an emotional onslaught as the surviving aliens respond in anger and pain to the death of their comrade. Worf must overcome this alien influence and find the true killer with the destruction of the Starship Enterprise, the survival of Lessenar, and his Klingon honor hanging in the balance....
The Battles of Antiochus the Great: The Failure of Combined Arms at Magnesia That Handed the World to Rome
by Graham WrightsonA scholar of ancient warfare examines the great Seleucid ruler’s many victories and losses—revealing why his mighty empire was defeated by Rome.Antiochus III, the king of the Seleucid Empire for four decades, fought and won many battles from India to Egypt. And he lost almost as many. In The Battles of Antiochus the Great, Graham Wrightson examines the strategies and tactics employed in three of the Seleucid Empire’s most historically significant conflicts.Under Antiochus, the Seleucids had a greater variety of army units than most other Macedonian-founded kingdoms. This was because he had access to traditional infantry-based Greek cultures in Asia Minor as well as the cavalry-dominant cultures of Mesopotamia and Western Asia. Yet, despite these advantages, Antiochus repeatedly came up short on the battlefield. His tactical failures were laid bare at the Battle of Magnesia-ad-Sipylum in 190 BC. At Magnesia, his huge, combined army was soundly thrashed by the smaller Roman force. Through an analysis of the Seleucid army, the standard tactics of Macedonian-style armies, and a detailed examination of the three main battles of Antiochus III, this book will show how his failure to utilize combined arms at their fullest potential led to such a world-changing defeat at Magnesia.
Iraqigirl: Diary of a Teenage Girl in Iraq
by Elizabeth Wrigley-FieldHadiya began her blog just under a year and a half into the U.S. occupation of Iraq. She writes from Mosul, a diverse city with many Sunni Muslims, like Hadiya's family. Mosul has become one center of resistance to the occupation. Hadiya's name is not really Hadiya. We have used pseudonyms for every Iraqi in this story because each of their lives could be in danger if they were identified. But Hadiya is a real teenager in Mosul, and this is her story.
Heroes de Guerra
by Daniel Wrinn“Una aventura de la Segunda Guerra Mundial llena de acción. . . me sentí como si estuviera viendo una película ". - Opinión de un lector En lo profundo de la Blitzkrieg, un piloto desafortunado debe luchar para sobrevivir. Cuando el aspirante a piloto John Archer se ve atrapado en medio de la devastadora invasión nazi de Francia, rápidamente se da cuenta de que sus vacaciones podrían costarle la vida. Como un estadounidense arrastrado por una ola de refugiados que huyen del caos del avance alemán, en el fondo sabe que está muy por encima de él. Después de que un ataque de un bombardero en picado Stuka lo obliga a huir al bosque, Archer se topa con un conductor de ambulancia llamado Barney James. Juntos, traman un plan para escapar de la Blitzkrieg alemana y llegar a un lugar seguro. Pero no será tan simple. Una captura desafortunada llevará a Archer a descubrir información vital sobre los planes de los nazis, sabe que no tiene más remedio que escabullirse de las narices de su enemigo y contarles a los aliados lo que ha encontrado. Con nada más que su entrenamiento básico de piloto y la determinación de tener éxito, Archer necesitará más que un golpe de suerte para lograr el escape del siglo. Incluso si logra llegar detrás de las líneas aliadas, no estará a salvo: los nazis están avanzando. Combinando acción y aventuras clásicas con un fascinante e histórico escenario de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el primer libro de la serie John Archer es ideal tanto para aficionados a la historia como para lectores ocasionales. Esta aventura llena de acción es perfecta para lectores adolescentes y adultos jóvenes.
In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo
by Michela WrongKnown as "the Leopard," the president of Zaire for thirty-two years, Mobutu Sese Seko, showed all the cunning of his namesake -- seducing Western powers, buying up the opposition, and dominating his people with a devastating combination of brutality and charm. While the population was pauperized, he plundered the country's copper and diamond resources, downing pink champagne in his jungle palace like some modern-day reincarnation of Joseph Conrad's crazed station manager.Michela Wrong, a correspondent who witnessed Mobutu's last days, traces the rise and fall of the idealistic young journalist who became the stereotype of an African despot. Engrossing, highly readable, and as funny as it is tragic, In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz assesses the acts of the villains and the heroes in this fascinating story of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Making of a World Order: Global Historical Perspectives on the Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles (Routledge Studies in Modern History)
by Albert Wu Stephen W. SawyerWhy does 1919 deserve further study and debate a hundred years later? What lessons for global history may we learn from the world order created at the end of the Great War? Drawing insight from the global turn of the past several decades that has forced us to reconsider the most important world events and processes since the French Revolution and especially the growing interest in World War I as a global conflict that extended far beyond the borders of Europe, this volume explores the global political ramifications of the treaties prepared at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 by focusing on key topics: how the Paris Peace Conference re-shaped the geo-political configurations of the Middle East, the importance of transformations in Asia and particularly China in the immediate postwar period, the shifts in Southeastern Europe, new feminist movements in Central Europe, and the pre-history of neoliberalism. Read together, the papers demonstrate how the peace treaties signed in 1919 and 1920 marked a profound transformation on local, national, continental, and global scales.
Intelligent Warfare: Prospects of Military Development in the Age of AI
by Mingxi WuThis book examines the future trend toward "intelligent" warfare considering the global environment, the history of warfare, and scientific and technological advancement. It develops a comprehensive set of theoretical frameworks, application concepts, and evaluation criteria for military intelligence.The volume is packed with theoretical highlights and vivid examples, including the tracking of Osama bin Laden, the decapitation strike against Qasem Soleimani, the remote assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists, the drone war in the Nagorno–Karabakh conflict, modern equipment deployed in the Palestinian–Israeli conflict, and the war between social media groups. In addition, the author envisions a possible future for "intelligent" wars in which adversarial parties engage in combat through virtual and unmanned systems. This nature may help avoid the brutality and high death toll associated with traditional warfare.The book explores the possibility of future civilized warfare. It will be of interest to researchers, academics, and students in the fields of politics, military intelligence, and military technology, and to those who are interested in intelligent warfare in general.
Military Modernisation in Southeast Asia after the Cold War: Acquisition, Retention, and Geostrategic Impacts (Routledge Contemporary Southeast Asia Series)
by Shang-Su WuSoutheast Asian countries represent a wide range of approaches to military modernisation due to their great diversity in politics, economies, geography and other factors. Bounded by the Pacific and Indian Oceans and located between China and India is the setting for the geostrategic impacts of military modernisation in Southeast Asian countries.Differing from previous research focused on military acquisition, this book additionally covers retention of assets and carefully examines the ageing issues that affect readiness and capabilities. In doing so, it provides a comprehensive view of military modernisation. This book also compares each country’s situation in the region in terms of military strength and security challenges to elaborate on the geostrategic impacts of military modernisation. The ten cases of military modernisation in the post-Cold War context provide rich content for readers to explore the evolution of military modernisation in developing countries after 1991.This book sheds light on security studies of Southeast Asia and is a useful resource for academic researchers, policy-makers and defence practitioners.
International Business and National War Interests: Unilever between Reich and empire, 1939-45 (Routledge International Studies In Business History Ser.)
by Ben WubsThis book deals with the activities of the Anglo-Dutch multinational during the war. Given the various threats faced by Unilever during the Nazi period, Ben Wubs argues that it was not self evident that the company would survive the war. Based on research into company sources which were hitherto unavailable, he shows the effect of the war on Unilev
Hell From the Heavens: The Epic Story of the USS Laffey and World War II's Greatest Kamikaze Attack
by WukovitsOn the morning of April 16, 1945, the crewmen of the USS Laffey saw what seemed to be the entire Japanese air force assembled directly above. They were about to become the targets of the largest single-ship kamikaze attack of World War II. By the time the unprecedented assault was finished, thirty-two sailors were dead and more than seventy wounded. Although she lay shrouded in smoke and fire for hours, the Laffey somehow survived. The gutted American warship limped from Okinawa’s shore for home, where the ship and crew would be feted as heroes. Using personal interviews with survivors, the memoirs of crew members, and their wartime correspondence, John Wukovits breathes life into the story of this forgotten historic event.