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The Emperor's Sword: Japan vs. Russia in the Battle of Tsushima
by Noel F. Busch"On this one battle rests the fate of our nation. Let every man do his utmost." From the bridge of his flagship, Mikasa, Admiral Togo signaled the beginning of the battle, standing near the forward rail, his body thrust forward in the determined stance of some classic Japanese war god. A tiny, Napoleonic figure-barely five feet, three inches tall, and weighing less than 130 pounds -Togo carried his Zeiss binoculars(one of three pairs in Japan) and wore his magnificent ceremonial sword, its gold-encrusted scabbard nearly touching the deck. The sword was a gift from Togo's deified Emperor, and symbolized Japan's new drive to world power by domination of the Eastern seas. The Japanese Fleet was drawn up in the Strait of Tsushima between Japan and Korea. A long smudge of smoke on the southern horizon signaled the approach of the Imperial Russian Ships. On the outcome of the Battle of Tsushima depended the fate of Japan and-ultimately-the fate of the U.S. Fleet at Pearl Harbor. One hundred years after Trafalgar, on May 27, 1905, Togo met Rozhdestvensky, Imperial Russia against Imperial Japan, with most of the long- range firepower and weight on the Russian side. This battle would decide world policy in the Pacific for decades to come. The Emperor's Sword is a violent chronicle of war and death at sea, of diplomatic intrigue, heroism, cowardice, stupidity, international politics, and individual tragedy. The backbone of the Russian Second Pacific Squadron were four new battleships, top-heavy and slow. The armada totaled forty-two vessels. Many if not most of the seamen were bitterly hostile to their officers; the crews were untrained conscripts. When Rozhdestvensky lined up his squadron to face Togo, he had already survived an eighteen-thousand-mile journey, mutiny, lack of fuel, a shortage of ammunition, and a series of mishaps that had won his armada the name of "the mad dog fleet." Noel Busch weaves the complex strands of history into a gripping, absorbing narrative of The Emperor's Sword. As history, as adventure tale, and as sobering analysis of the part played by hazard in deciding defeat or victory, The Emperor's Sword is a fascinating chronicle by a master historian- storyteller.
The Second World War Volume II
by Henri Michel“The best available history of the subject” is how the Times Literary Supplement (London) described the original French edition of this book. And Professor Michel, as President of the International Historical Committee for the Second World War and for the past twenty years Secretary-General of the French Historical Committee for the Second World War, was certainly uniquely qualified to produce the authoritative work on the second “war to end all wars.” The Second World War was an unprecedented event. Starting as a European conflict on the established pattern, it eventually became the first war to involve every continent and, in the case of the Pacific, war between continents. The use of air and sea power and the advance of technology made it the first conflict in which civilians were in the front line, and in which the distinction between combatants and noncombatants was almost erased. To a hitherto unknown degree it was also an economic struggle, decided in the end not by individual or collective skill or valor but by the balance of resources available to the participants. The last factor is most clearly evident in the long-term consequences of the war. As Professor Michel demonstrates, it is now clear that the Second World War was the swan song of the European hegemony. Europe, for centuries the begetter of nations and the master of empires, entered the conflict with the trappings, if not the substance, of world leadership. In 1945, however, it was clear that the victory had been won by the resources and manpower of the United States and the Soviet Union, and that the age of the superpowers had dawned. The nations of Europe were physically battered and economically crippled. They had lost their place in the front rank; their empires were doomed; their political and economic power destroyed. Moreover, the two superpowers were now directly involved in European affairs and would henceforth hold the whip hand in deciding the outcome of European conflicts. Professor Michel’s handling of his vast subject and its themes is masterly. The narrative is fluent and lucid, the analysis clear and brilliantly argued. He does full justice to the subject and leaves the reader with an understanding of an immensely complex period that is in itself a tribute to the author’s skill. The Second World War is amply supplemented with maps, a comprehensive bibliography, and an index, and the translation by Douglas Parmee of Queens’ College, Cambridge University, renders with admirable clarity the original’s mastery of style and subject.
Slow Dance On the Killing Ground
by Lenox CramerThis is a story about Special Forces, the trials and tribulations of its members. Excellent action adventure.
Marshal Zhukov's Greatest Battles
by Georgi K. Zhukov Theodore Shabad Harrison E. SalisburyHistory of 4 of Zhukov's battles during WWII: The Battle of Moscow, the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Kursk, and the Battle of Berlin
The Green Glass Sea
by Ellen Klages(back of book) It is 1943, and almost eleven-year-old Dewey Kerrigan is on a train to New Mexico, where she will live with her father. She doesn't know where in New Mexico, exactly; the corporal who took her to the station can't tell her. It's wartime, and so many things are secret. Soon she arrives at a town that- officially- doesn't exist. It is called Los Alamos, and it is abuzz with activity, as famous scientists and mathematicians from all over America and Europe- Dewey's father among them- work on the biggest secret of all, something everyone calls only "the gadget." Over the next few years, Dewey gets to know those scientists, starts working on her own mechanical projects, and locks horns with Suze Gordon, a budding artist who is as much of a misfit as she is. None of them- not J. Robert Oppenheimer, the director of the Manhattan Project; not the mathematicians and scientists; and least of all, Dewey and Suze- know how much "the gadget" is about to change their lives, and the world. Ellen Klages's voice is remarkable, fresh, and without pretense. You will be swept away by The Green Glass Sea.
Great American Fighter Pilots of World War II
by Robert D. Loomis General Robert Lee Scott Jr.During World War II American fighter pilots ranged fiercely and bravely over most of the seas and continents of the world. They escorted our bombers, protected carriers and land bases and --whether alone or skillfully teamed together they fought to win and hold control of the air , without which no final victory was possible . In Great American Fighter Pilot of World War II, Robert Loomis presents a vivid, sweeping picture of the war fought by our ace fighter pilots from Pearl Harbor to China, from Casablanca to Berlin. as he moves form theater to theater, from service to service, he recounts the thrilling air battles of such famous pilots as Dick Bong, Don Gentile, David McCampbell, "pappy" Boyington and Bob Scott. Here is an exciting book which pays tribute to the skill and courage of the American fighter pilot, and dramatizes the important part he played in the overall strategy of the world's greatest war.
The Don Flows Home to the Sea
by Mikhail Sholokhov Stephen GarryThis rousing novel follows the brave, lusty, reckless Cossacks through four years of catastrophic upheaval-from bloody revolution to bitter civil strife.
Love and Glory
by Jeane Eddy WestinTHROUGH THE FIRE AND FURY OF WORLD WAR II, THEY RISKED THEIR HEARTS AND THEIR LIVES ... On a hot July day in 1942, at a military base in Iowa, their friendship began: wisecracking, softhearted Bunny; Page, the ambitious Army brat; naive, tormented Jill: elegant, sensual Elisabeth. Trading silk for khakis, they joined the U.S. Army as the first women officers-the WACs. From bomb-blasted England to Nazi France, from Italy to the Pacific, they plunged into the terror and splendor of war ... discovering the pride of command," the tragedy of sudden death, the passionate, deep loves that held a tender hope for tomorrow. Filled with all the ardor and gallantry of World War II. LOVE AND GLORY is the once-in-a-lifetime story of four American women who chose to serve their country-and change their destinies forever.
Time of the Singing of Birds (Grace Livingston Hill Series #23)
by Grace Livingston HillYoung Lieutenant Vance returned home to find his old gang tainted with worldliness. Then one untarnished jewel of a girl sparkled his future with honesty and innocence, bringing him the priceless gift of love with [Christian] faith." In addition, Barney Vance is concerned about his war buddy, Stormy Applegate. Find out whether Stormy survives the war and finds happiness like Barney.
The Minutemen and Their World
by Robert A. GrossHistory book about the American revolution 1775-1783, in Concord Mass.
I Served on Bataan
by Juanita RedmondThe true story of an Army nurse trapped in the Philippines during the beginning of America's entrance in WWII.
The Light in the Cellar: A Molly Mystery
by Sarah Masters BuckeyMolly and Emily are disapointed with their volunteer asignment at first. But then, they see a strange light and begin the investigation that will turn their volunteer experience from drab to dangerous!
Panzer Commander the Memoirs of Colonel Hans Von Luck
by Hans Von LuckVivid descriptions of the soldiers he fought against and their national characteristics-Poles, Frenchmen, the British, the Red Army, Americans-along with equally vivid descriptions of the terrain he fought in ... Marvelous vignettes about the people he encountered.
The Second World War Volume I
by Henri Michel“The best available history of the subject” is how the Times Literary Supplement (London) described the original French edition of this book. And Professor Michel, as President of the International Historical Committee for the Second World War and for the past twenty years Secretary-General of the French Historical Committee for the Second World War, was certainly uniquely qualified to produce the authoritative work on the second “war to end all wars.” The Second World War was an unprecedented event. Starting as a European conflict on the established pattern, it eventually became the first war to involve every continent and, in the case of the Pacific, war between continents. The use of air and sea power and the advance of technology made it the first conflict in which civilians were in the front line, and in which the distinction between combatants and noncombatants was almost erased. To a hitherto unknown degree it was also an economic struggle, decided in the end not by individual or collective skill or valor but by the balance of resources available to the participants. The last factor is most clearly evident in the long-term consequences of the war. As Professor Michel demonstrates, it is now clear that the Second World War was the swan song of the European hegemony. Europe, for centuries the begetter of nations and the master of empires, entered the conflict with the trappings, if not the substance, of world leadership. In 1945, however, it was clear that the victory had been won by the resources and manpower of the United States and the Soviet Union, and that the age of the superpowers had dawned. The nations of Europe were physically battered and economically crippled. They had lost their place in the front rank; their empires were doomed; their political and economic power destroyed. Moreover, the two superpowers were now directly involved in European affairs and would henceforth hold the whip hand in deciding the outcome of European conflicts. Professor Michel’s handling of his vast subject and its themes is masterly. The narrative is fluent and lucid, the analysis clear and brilliantly argued. He does full justice to the subject and leaves the reader with an understanding of an immensely comple perio that is in itself a tribute to the author’s skill. The Second World War is amply supplemented with maps, a comprehensive bibliography, and an index, and the translation by Douglas Parmee of Queens’ College, Cambridge University, renders with admirable clarity the original’s mastery of style and subject.
Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican
by J. P. GallagherA different World War II story, about the Vatican's Msgr. Hugh O'Flaherty's real-life efforts to hide and help thousands of Allied escaped prisoners of war throughout the war. Undercover, he formed an organization to rescue and help escaped prisoners of war maintain their freedom from the Nazis. With the help of many Italians, religious, and diplomats stationed in Rome, he secretly worked throughout the entire war. His unstinting charity endears him to all, and saved the lives of thousands.
Single-Handed
by C. S. ForesterThis is the story of a man alone on a remote Pacific island with a rifle and a deadly decision - a decision which brings to a powerful climax the threads of three lives.
Whom the Gods Would Destroy
by Richard PowellFrom the book jacket: Thirty-two hundred years ago, the people of a shining civilization apparently set out to prove the truth of the saying that whom the Gods would destroy, they first make mad The civilization was the long-forgotten one that is now called Mycenaean. The madness that destroyed it was the Trojan War. Richard Powell has gone back to this fabled period to write a big and colorful and lovingly-researched novel of its people and events. His central character is Helios, a kitchen boy in the palace at Troy, who may or may not be a bastard son of Priam, the High King. The story begins two years before the Trojan War, when Helios is eight, and carries him through boyhood and adolescence until he reaches manhood on the terrible night when Troy falls. His search for an identity, for knowledge, and for friendship and love, weaves in and out of the great events sung by the Homeric bards, giving a new perspective and depth to them. One of the author's aims in writing this book was to introduce modern readers to the golden people of the Iliad and Odyssey and Aeneid. Nearly all of them are here--Achilles and Odysseus, Agamemnon and Menelaus, Hector, Paris, Helen, Great Ajax and Little Ajax, Cassandra, Aeneas--and they are depicted from a fresh viewpoint. Is Achilles, for example, simply the overpowering hero of legend, or is he a more complicated person touched with manic-depressive insanity? Does the saying "Wise as Nestor" properly describe that ruler, or did the Homeric bards mean to show him as a talkative and comic fool? Is Agamemnon a great and tragic king, or one of history's worst blunderers? What motivated Helen of Troy and accounted for her strange power over men? The answers to these and other questions are part of the rich fabric of the story. As recently as a few decades ago a book such as this could not have been written, because there were huge gaps in our knowledge of Mycenaean civilization. For example, no one even knew whether or not the people of Mycenaean times had a system of writing. In the past twenty-five years, however, a mass of information has come to light, and Powell has studied it thoroughly. As part of his research he visited every major museum in the Aegean area, and went to all the digs-Troy, Mycenae, Pylos, Tiryns, Knossos-where Schliemann and Dorpfeld and Sir Arthur Evans and Blegen and other great archeologists uncovered the secrets of the past.
The Age of Reason
by Jean-Paul Sartre Eric SuttonParis in the agonizing years before World War II provides the background and sets the tone of this famed novel. A guilt-ridden intellectual; his pregnant mistress; the impulsive university girl he loves; an aging nightclub singer and her young lover; a cruel and self-tormented homosexual; and a coldly implacable Communist logician - these characters play their parts in a taut drama that is both a dissection of a society in moral crisis and a piercing examination of the basic questions of human existence.
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
by Alexander Solzhenitsyn Max Hayward Ronald HingleyStory of one day in a Soviet work camp, and one man's heroic struggle to survive in the face of the most determined efforts to destroy him, by the Nobel Prize winning author. Includes Solzhenitsyn's now-classic letter of protest against censorship.
Iraq, Lies, Cover-ups, & Consequences
by Rodney Stichauthor alleges corruption and lies by all three branches of US government support Iraq war after September 11.
Flying Colours (The Hornblower Saga, Book #3)
by C. S. ForesterIn Flying Colors, Captain Horatio Hornblower finds himself captured by the French and ordered executed by Napoleon Bonaparte himself. The unflappable Hornblower however plans a daring escape with the help of Lieutenant Bush and French Royalists.