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WWII: A Chronicle of Soldiering
by James JonesThis &“unique and fascinating&” WWII memoir by the acclaimed author of From Here to Eternity and The Thin Red Line &“stands out as one of the most vivid&” (The Wall Street Journal). In 1975, James Jones was chosen to write the text for an oversized coffee table book featuring visual art from World War II. The book was a best seller, praised for both its images and for Jones&’s text. In subsequent decades, when it became impossible to reproduce the book with its original artwork, it fell out of print and was forgotten. But now, this edition of WWII makes Jones&’s stunning text—his only extended nonfiction writing on the war—available once again. Moving chronologically and thematically through the complex history of World War II, Jones interweaves his own vivid memories of soldiering in the Pacific—from the look on a Japanese fighter pilot&’s face as he bombed Pearl Harbor, so close that Jones could see him smile and wave, to hitting the beach under fire in Guadalcanal—while always returning to resounding larger themes. While much of WWII is a tribute to the commitment of American soldiers, Jones also pulls no punches when recounting questionable strategic choices, wartime suffering, disorganization, the needless loss of life, and the brutal realization that a soldier is merely a cog in a heartless machine
WWII Biographies: Hitler and the Third Reich
by Catherine BradleyThe life of the German chancellor, focusing on his rise to power, the buildup of the German Wehrmacht, and his death in 1945 in a Berlin bunker.
Wyatt Earp: A Vigilante Life
by Andrew C. IsenbergFinalist for the 2014 Weber-Clements Book Prize for the Best Non-fiction Book on Southwestern AmericaIn popular culture, Wyatt Earp is the hero of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, and a beacon of rough cowboy justice in the tumultuous American West. The subject of dozens of films, he has been invoked in battles against organized crime (in the 1930s), communism (in the 1950s), and al-Qaeda (after 2001).Yet as the historian Andrew C. Isenberg reveals in Wyatt Earp: A Vigilante Life, the Hollywood Earp is largely a fiction—one created by none other than Earp himself. The lawman played on-screen by Henry Fonda and Burt Lancaster is stubbornly duty-bound; in actuality, Earp led a life of impulsive lawbreaking and shifting identities. When he wasn't wearing a badge, he was variously a thief, a brothel bouncer, a gambler, and a confidence man. As Isenberg writes, "He donned and shucked off roles readily, whipsawing between lawman and lawbreaker, and pursued his changing ambitions recklessly, with little thought to the cost to himself, and still less thought to the cost, even the deadly cost, to others."By 1900, Earp's misdeeds had caught up with him: his involvement as a referee in a fixed heavyweight prizefight brought him national notoriety as a scoundrel. Stung by the press, Earp set out to rebuild his reputation. He spent his last decades in Los Angeles, where he befriended Western silent film actors and directors. Having tried and failed over the course of his life to invent a better future for himself, in the end he invented a better past. Isenberg argues that even though Earp, who died in 1929, did not live to see it, Hollywood's embrace of him as a paragon of law and order was his greatest confidence game of all.A searching account of the man and his enduring legend, and a book about our national fascination with extrajudicial violence, Wyatt Earp: AVigilante Life is a resounding biography of a singular American figure.
Wyatt Earp (Outlaws and Lawmen of the Wild West)
by Carl R. Green William R. SanfordChronicles the life of the Western lawman Wyatt Earp.
Wylie: The Brave Street Dog Who Never Gave Up
by Pen Farthing'When people gave up on Wylie, Wylie refused to give up on people.'For a street dog born in the city of Kandahar, Afghanistan, to be crowned top dog at Scruffts, a competition for crossbreeds held during Crufts, the largest dog show on earth, is nothing short of a miracle. But for Wylie, the gentle, cropped eared ball of fur, miracles seemed to happen quite regularly. Beaten and abused while being used as a bait dog, Wylie suffered terrible injuries that needed urgent treatment. Rescued close to death, with hacked off ears and a severed tail, he was attended to by soldiers who feared he would not last the night. Astonishingly he did, only to return days later with new injuries. However a lifeline came when he was handed over to animal welfare Charity Nowzad and flown to Britain in the hope of finding a new life. But would anyone take a chance on a seemingly nervous and undomesticated stray? Luckily for Wylie his biggest adventure yet was about to begin...This is the incredible and heart-warming story, full of tragedy and triumph, of a dog who never gave up hope.
Wylie: The Brave Street Dog Who Never Gave Up
by Pen Farthing'When people gave up on Wylie, Wylie refused to give up on people.'For a street dog born in the city of Kandahar, Afghanistan, to be crowned top dog at Scruffts, a competition for crossbreeds held during Crufts, the largest dog show on earth, is nothing short of a miracle. But for Wylie, the gentle, cropped eared ball of fur, miracles seemed to happen quite regularly. Beaten and abused while being used as a bait dog, Wylie suffered terrible injuries that needed urgent treatment. Rescued close to death, with hacked off ears and a severed tail, he was attended to by soldiers who feared he would not last the night. Astonishingly he did, only to return days later with new injuries. However a lifeline came when he was handed over to animal welfare Charity Nowzad and flown to Britain in the hope of finding a new life. But would anyone take a chance on a seemingly nervous and undomesticated stray? Luckily for Wylie his biggest adventure yet was about to begin...This is the incredible and heart-warming story, full of tragedy and triumph, of a dog who never gave up hope.
Wyndham Lewis: An Anthology of His Prose (Routledge Library Editions: Wyndham Lewis #3)
by E. W. F. TomlinOriginally published in 1969, this project had Wyndham Lewis’ personal approval and is a comprehensive anthology of his prose writings, especially those which are difficult to access. There are extracts from some of Wyndham Lewis’ remarkable books such as Paleface, The Art of Being Ruled and Men Without Art. Lesser known works such as Filibusters in Barbary, The Diabolical Principle and The Dithyrambic Spectator, Blasting and Bombardiering, and Rude Assignment, are freely drawn upon and there is a section devoted to writings on the USA, a country which Lewis knew well.
Wynton Marsalis (African-American Heroes)
by Stephen FeinsteinWynton Marsalis grew up in a musical family in New Orleans. As a boy, he hated to practice the trumpet; now he is one of the best-known trumpet players in the world, and he travels all over the world to share his love of music with children. This easy biography has colorful illustrations, lively layout, and accessible vocabulary. Ideal for early independent readers and useful for beginning reports.
Wyoming (Zane Grey Ser.)
by Zane GrayA certified classic by the master of Western fiction Zane Grey.With cattle rustling on the rise in the cattle town of Randall, Wyoming, newcomers Martha Ann Dixon and Andrew Bonning join the ranchers in their fight to protect their livestock."Take this hombre's gun, Tenderfoot," the foreman snapped while keeping the rustler covered. Young Andy yanked the weapon out from under the man's belt. "Now tie his hands behind his back." The excitement made Andy clumsy, but he finally got the job done."Now take yore saddle rope and toss it over that there branch." Andy was about to obey when he stopped, staring in disbelief."You're not going to hang this poor devil?""Shore am," the foreman drawled. "I'm gonna stop this rustlin' once and fer all!"
Wyoming Peace Officer: An Autobiography
by Joe LeForsJoseph “Joe” S. LeFors was a U.S. Deputy Marshal who pursued several train robbers and other outlaws in the northwest.Born in Paris, Texas, in 1865, LeFors grew up to be a cowboy, and after driving a herd to Wyoming in 1885, he stayed there. Later he would become an inspector-detective responsible for tracking stolen cattle in Wyoming and Montana. In the process, he was involved in several gunfights. In 1899, he rode with a posse sent to capture those responsible for the Willcox Train Robbery and was appointed as a U.S. Deputy Marshal the same year. In this capacity, he pursued several train robbers and other outlaws in the northwest.In 1901, he became famous for arresting and documenting a confession from the former lawman turned hired killer, Tom Horn. Horn was later tried and sentenced to death. and hanged. In 1902, Lefors allegedly worked for the Iron Mountain Ranch Company in Helena, Montana, to infiltrate a gang of cattle rustlers. However, he was unsuccessful in aiding the gang and was fired in 1904.Afterward, little is known about his life other than he died on October 1, 1940, and is buried in the Willow Grove Cemetery in Buffalo, Wyoming.-Kathy Alexander.
Wyoming's Outlaw Trail
by Mac BlewerA historic and folkloric path that meandered from Canada to Mexico, the Outlaw Trail was used by outlaws such as Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and the James brothers. Following existing Western routes such as the Oregon Trail, the highway connected towns and natural hideouts essential for bandits escaping the law. Some in Western communities were sympathetic toward the outlaws. Many, like Cassidy, were seen as Robin Hoods, fighting for common people who were under siege by economic forces, corporate encroachment, and other changes occurring in the Old West. Images of America: Wyoming's Outlaw Trail details the history, folklore, and geography behind some of Wyoming's outlaw towns and hideouts--chief among them the Hole in the Wall and Red Desert. Also highlighted are the deeds of the robbers, lawmen, and ordinary folk who rode those dusty trails during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
X: a Novel
by Ilyasah Shabazz Kekla MagoonCowritten by Malcolm X’s daughter, this riveting and revealing novel follows the formative years of the man whose words and actions shook the world.<P><P> Malcolm Little’s parents have always told him that he can achieve anything, but from what he can tell, that’s a pack of lies—after all, his father’s been murdered, his mother’s been taken away, and his dreams of becoming a lawyer have gotten him laughed out of school. There’s no point in trying, he figures, and lured by the nightlife of Boston and New York, he escapes into a world of fancy suits, jazz, girls, and reefer. But Malcolm’s efforts to leave the past behind lead him into increasingly dangerous territory. Deep down, he knows that the freedom he’s found is only an illusion—and that he can’t run forever.<P> X follows Malcolm from his childhood to his imprisonment for theft at age twenty, when he found the faith that would lead him to forge a new path and command a voice that still resonates today.<P> Winner of the 2016 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Youth/Teens<P> A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
X-15 Diary: The Story of America's First Space Ship
by Richard TregaskisThe riveting true story of the world&’s fastest plane and the first manned flights into outer space. First tested in 1959, the X-15 rocket plane was at the forefront of the space race. Developed by the US Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in collaboration with North American Aviation, the X-15 was sleek, black, and powerful—a missile with stubby wings and a cockpit on the nose. By 1961 it could reach speeds over three thousand miles per hour and fly at an altitude of thirty-one miles above the earth&’s surface—the lower reaches of outer space. Acclaimed journalist and bestselling author Richard Tregaskis tells the story of the X-15&’s development through the eyes of the brave pilots and brilliant engineers who made it possible. From technological breakthroughs to disastrous onboard explosions to the bone-crushing effects of intense g-force levels, Tregaskis captures all the drama and excitement of this crucial proving ground for the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. X-15 Diary recounts a thrilling chapter in the history of the American space program and serves as a fitting tribute to the courageous scientists and adventurers who dared to go where no man had gone before. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Richard Tregaskis including rare images from the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming.
The X Club: Power and Authority in Victorian Science
by Ruth BartonIn 1864, amid headline-grabbing heresy trials, members of the British Association for the Advancement of Science were asked to sign a declaration affirming that science and scripture were in agreement. Many criticized the new test of orthodoxy; nine decided that collaborative action was required. The X Club tells their story. These six ambitious professionals and three wealthy amateurs—J. D. Hooker, T. H. Huxley, John Tyndall, John Lubbock, William Spottiswoode, Edward Frankland, George Busk, T. A. Hirst, and Herbert Spencer—wanted to guide the development of science and public opinion on issues where science impinged on daily life, religious belief, and politics. They formed a private dining club, which they named the X Club, to discuss and further their plans. As Ruth Barton shows, they had a clear objective: they wanted to promote “scientific habits of mind,” which they sought to do through lectures, journalism, and science education. They devoted enormous effort to the expansion of science education, with real, but mixed, success. For twenty years, the X Club was the most powerful network in Victorian science—the men succeeded each other in the presidency of the Royal Society for a dozen years. Barton’s group biography traces the roots of their success and the lasting effects of their championing of science against those who attempted to limit or control it, along the way shedding light on the social organization of science, the interactions of science and the state, and the places of science and scientific men in elite culture in the Victorian era.
X Platoon
by Steve Heaney, MC Damien LewisFor three decades one of the most secretive units in the British military has been a mystery force known as X Platoon.Officially there was no X Platoon. The forty men in its elite number were specially selected from across the Armed Forces, at which point they simply ceased to exist. X Platoon had no budget, no weaponry, no vehicles and no kit - apart from what its men could beg, borrow or steal from other military units.For the first time a highly decorated veteran of this specialised force - otherwise known as the Pathfinders - reveals its unique story. Steve Heaney became one of the youngest ever to pass Selection, the gruelling trial of elite forces, and was at the cutting edge of X Platoon operations - serving on anti-narcotics operations in the Central American jungles, on missions hunting war criminals in the Balkans, and being sent to spy on and wage war against the Russians.The first non-officer in the unit's history to be award the Military Cross, Steve Heaney reveals the extraordinary work undertaken by this secret band of brothers.
X Platoon
by Steve Heaney, MC Damien LewisFor three decades one of the most secretive units in the British military has been a mystery force known as X Platoon.Officially there was no X Platoon. The forty men in its elite number were specially selected from across the Armed Forces, at which point they simply ceased to exist. X Platoon had no budget, no weaponry, no vehicles and no kit - apart from what its men could beg, borrow or steal from other military units.For the first time a highly decorated veteran of this specialised force - otherwise known as the Pathfinders - reveals its unique story. Steve Heaney became one of the youngest ever to pass Selection, the gruelling trial of elite forces, and was at the cutting edge of X Platoon operations - serving on anti-narcotics operations in the Central American jungles, on missions hunting war criminals in the Balkans, and being sent to spy on and wage war against the Russians.The first non-officer in the unit's history to be award the Military Cross, Steve Heaney reveals the extraordinary work undertaken by this secret band of brothers.
X Platoon
by Damien Lewis Mc Steve HeaneyFor three decades one of the most secretive units in the British military has been a mystery force known as X Platoon.Officially there was no X Platoon. The forty men in its elite number were specially selected from across the Armed Forces, at which point they simply ceased to exist. X Platoon had no budget, no weaponry, no vehicles and no kit - apart from what its men could beg, borrow or steal from other military units.For the first time a highly decorated veteran of this specialised force - otherwise known as the Pathfinders - reveals its unique story. Steve Heaney became one of the youngest ever to pass Selection, the gruelling trial of elite forces, and was at the cutting edge of X Platoon operations - serving on anti-narcotics operations in the Central American jungles, on missions hunting war criminals in the Balkans, and being sent to spy on and wage war against the Russians.The first non-officer in the unit's history to be award the Military Cross, Steve Heaney reveals the extraordinary work undertaken by this secret band of brothers.
X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography
by Ray Davies“Like his songs, Davies’s book is alternately poignant, funny, and bawdy . . . indispensable for Kinks fans and recommended for anyone interested in 1960s pop music.” —Library JournalThis subversively brilliant, one-of-a-kind rock autobiography is ingeniously styled as a biography, written by a nameless, faceless writer hired by an Orwellian entity called “the Corporation” to capture the essence of Ray Davies, lead singer and songwriter of the Kinks and one of the greatest rock and rollers of all time. The Kinks frontman reveals his life and times to the young writer, often seemingly passing his stories directly into the writer’s consciousness. Carnaby Street, Top of the Pops, the Cavern Club, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who and other fixtures of the times fade in and out of this compelling narrative. Part autobiography, part social history, part psychological thriller, this elusive and daring book exposes rock stardom as the heaven, hell, and purgatory it is.“In an age when everybody’s in show business and writes a lousy book about it, Ray Davies is to be honored for not doing the usual thing. We would expect no less of him.” —Rolling Stone“A major addition to pop-culture literature.” —Booklist
X, Y and Z: The Real Story of How Enigma Was Broken
by Dermot Turing Arkady RzegockiDecember, 1932 In the bathroom of a Belgian hotel, a French spymaster photographs secret documents – operating instructions of the cipher machine, Enigma. A few weeks later a mathematician in Warsaw begins to decipher the coded communications of the Third Reich and lay the foundations for the code-breaking operation at Bletchley Park. The co-operation between France, Britain and Poland is given the cover name ‘X, Y & Z’. December, 1942 It is the middle of World War II. The Polish code-breakers are in France on the run from the Gestapo. People who know the Enigma secret are not supposed to be in the combat zone for fear of capture so MI6 devises a plan to exfiltrate them. If it goes wrong, if they are caught, they could give away the greatest secret of the war. X, Y & Z describes how French, British and Polish secret services came together to unravel the Enigma machine. It tells of how, under the very noses of the Germans, Enigma code-breaking continued in Vichy France. And how code-breakers from Poland continued their work for Her Majesty’s Secret Service, watching the USSR’s first steps of the Cold War. The people of X, Y and Z were eccentric, colourful and caught up in world events that they could watch not control. This is their story…
The Xanue: Befriending the Bigfoot Forrest People
by Matthew JohnsonIn his first book, Bigfoot: A Fifty-Year Journey Come Full Circle, Dr. Matthew A. Johnson shared how he was able to learn how to interact with the Bigfoot Forest People (AKA, the Xanue). He also shared how he helped them, with the assistance of his wife, Cynthia, and also Mike Kincaid, Steve Bachmann, and Grady Johnson, to bring their remaining family and friends through the portal from their dying home world to the Earth via the EXODUS. In this book, The Xanue: Befriending The Bigfoot Forest People, Dr. Johnson shares about who the Xanue are, where they're from, and why they're here. He discusses their history and how and why the Xanue Council of Twelve selected him as their Ambassador (“The 13”). Then Zorth, the head of the Xanue Council of 12, answers 400 questions submitted to him via 125 people. Finally, all of the above is corroborated by 30 mind-blowing eyewitnes's testimonials from people from all walks of life who live in the USA, Canada, and England. Dr. Matthew and Cynthia Johnson have helped hundreds of people connect with the Xanue via their books, seminars, videos, conferences, and summer camps. In addition to learning more about the Xanue via reading this book, you may also be interested in attending Dr. Matthew and Cynthia Johnson's annual Xanue University Conference which is hosted in Centrailia, Washington. You may also be interested in attending their summer Camp Xanue “Night Sit and Sleep Over” weekend events hosted at their home during the months of June, July, and/or August. Finally, to learn more about the Xanue, simply go to their website: Xanue.Com.
XD Operations: Secret British Missions Denying Oil to the Nazis
by C. C. BrazierX D Operations is the first account of the thrilling operations by the Kent Fortress Royal Engineers, a small Territorial Army Unit given the largest demolition program ever undertaken by the Royal Engineers. These took place in May 1940 with the object of destroying all the oil reserves stored in refineries in the ports along the Continental coastline from Holland to the Bay of Biscay, thus denying the Nazis vital stocks.The operations were mounted at very short notice and in extreme secrecy. Such was the importance attached to them that no plans existed for the unit's evacuation.The destruction of some two million tons of oil was a serious blow to the German war machine. Churchill was delighted with their success especially at a time of military setbacks. Although for security reasons there was no publicity at the time, they earned a generous allocation of decorations.The book describes the trip over in destroyers, frequently under air attack, the chaotic conditions ahead of the advancing Germans, the difficulties faced in carrying out the tasks and the drama of getting back to England.The unit went on to undertake further unusual expeditions from Spitzbergen to the Middle East over the next two and a half years of the Second World War.
Xenakis: His Life in Music
by James HarleyXenakis: His Life in Music is a full-length study of the influential contemporary composer Iannis Xenakis. Following the trajectory of Xenakis’s compositional development, James Harley, who studied with Xenakis, presents the works together with clear explanations of the technical and conceptual innovations that shaped them. Harley examines the relationship between the composer and two early influences: Messiaen and Le Corbusier. Particular attention is paid to analyzing works which were vital to the composer’s creative development, from early, unpublished works to the breakthrough pieces Metastasis and Pithoprakta, through the oft-discussed decade of formalization and the evolving styles of the succeeding three decades.
Xerxes
by Richard StonemanXerxes, Great King of the Persian Empire from 486-465 B. C. , has gone down in history as an angry tyrant full of insane ambition. The stand of Leonidas and the 300 against his army at Thermopylae is a byword for courage, while the failure of Xerxes' expedition has overshadowed all the other achievements of his twenty-two-year reign. In this lively and comprehensive new biography, Richard Stoneman shows how Xerxes, despite sympathetic treatment by the contemporary Greek writers Aeschylus and Herodotus, had his reputation destroyed by later Greek writers and by the propaganda of Alexander the Great. Stoneman draws on the latest research in Achaemenid studies and archaeology to present the ruler from the Persian perspective. This illuminating volume does not whitewash Xerxes' failings but sets against them such triumphs as the architectural splendor of Persepolis and a consideration of Xerxes' religious commitments. What emerges is a nuanced portrait of a man who ruled a vast and multicultural empire which the Greek communities of the West saw as the antithesis of their own values. "
Xin Loi, Viet Nam: Thirty-one Months of War: A Soldier's Memoir
by Al SeverAll the hell, horror, and heroism of helicopter gunship combat above the jungles of Vietnam is captured in this gritty, gut-wrenching, firsthand account by a veteran of nearly all the war's major campaigns.