- Table View
- List View
Iron Man: Rudolf Berthold: Germany's Indomitable Fighter Ace of World War I
by Peter KilduffThis biography of a tenacious fighter pilot is &“a powerful story about a fascinating man who seemed to know no fear&” (Aerodrome). As one of the most successful German fighter pilots of World War I, Rudolf Berthold was victorious in forty-four aerial combats. He was also shot down or forced to land after six fights and survived crash landings in every case. Early in WWI, when only fighter pilots were awarded the Kingdom of Prussia&’s (and de facto, Imperial Germany&’s) highest bravery decoration, the Pour le Mérite, Berthold became the tenth recipient of the honor. Of that early cohort of air heroes, only Berthold and one other pilot survived the war. This book tells his remarkable story. Six weeks into the war, Berthold became the first airman in the 2nd Army area to be awarded an Iron Cross in recognition of his bravery and tenacity in combat. The symbolism of the award was appropriate. Described by one of his pilot protégés as &“an Iron Man—with an absolutely unbendable iron will,&” he was a dedicated patriot. And, after he became a fighter pilot, he demonstrated a fierce fighting spirit in many encounters with British and French adversaries. All of his aerial combats with other Pour le Mérite–awarded flyers are detailed in this book. Indeed, Berthold was so relentless in his approach to aerial combat that when badly wounded, on at least six occasions, he cut short his convalescent leave to return to flying with his comrades. The injuries included a hit to his right arm, which shattered the bone, rendering it useless—yet an undaunted Berthold taught himself to fly using his left. Peter Kilduff has produced a landmark volume based on extensive research into Berthold&’s life and military career to form the most complete account of Germany&’s sixth highest scoring fighter ace of WWI. Illustrated with over eighty photographs and other artworks, many never published before, Iron Man tells the tale of this ruthless, fearless fighter whose perseverance and bravery made him one of the most famous airmen of the Great War.
Iron Millionaire: Life of Charlemagne Tower
by Hal BridgesCharlemagne Tower (1809-1889) was an American lawyer and businessman active in acquiring land in the Schuylkill Valley in Pennsylvania and serving as an officer for coal and railroad companies. He organized and led a company of Union soldiers from Pottsville in a 3-month enlistment during the American Civil War, when he was commissioned as captain. After the war, with sell-off of lands by the Northern Pacific Railroad, he acquired large tracts in the upper Midwest and Northwest.Charlemagne Tower was a giant of his time, leaving an indelible footprint on the history of the United States. He is credited with creating the mining industry in Minnesota, as well as attracting settlers to the area. He was deeply involved in the mining industry in Pennsylvania, and was part of the ascension of the Reading Railroad. Towns in three states are named after him. He served on the board of overseers for Harvard University, and was involved in many business ventures, many of them successful.“PROFESSOR BRIDGES has written a book which is of compelling interest from three points of view: as a story of business adventure, as a study in the character of an eminent entrepreneur, and as a chapter in the economic history of the Northwest. Founded on a large body of previously unused manuscript materials, it supplies elements of vital importance to our knowledge of the development of the iron and steel industry in the United States. The story which Dr. Bridges tells with such scholarly care and narrative verve is one which should interest all students of our past.”—Allan Nevins
Iron Soldier: Volume 1 (Volume 1 #1)
by Yao YaoLingThe world was seething with ambiguous waves, high buildings filled with intoxicated people, asphalt roads filled with cars and cars, and the streets filled with dazzling display windows. But in the city Xu Qing saw, there was an unstoppable number of kidnappings, assassinations, espionage, and even a day of military service, he had to protect his family and protect his country. He stood out and used his own two hands to create a hidden wave of steel in the city.
Iron Soldier: Volume 2 (Volume 2 #2)
by Yao YaoLingThe world was seething with ambiguous waves, high buildings filled with intoxicated people, asphalt roads filled with cars and cars, and the streets filled with dazzling display windows. But in the city Xu Qing saw, there was an unstoppable number of kidnappings, assassinations, espionage, and even a day of military service, he had to protect his family and protect his country. He stood out and used his own two hands to create a hidden wave of steel in the city.
Iron Soldier: Volume 3 (Volume 3 #3)
by Yao YaoLingThe world was seething with ambiguous waves, high buildings filled with intoxicated people, asphalt roads filled with cars and cars, and the streets filled with dazzling display windows. But in the city Xu Qing saw, there was an unstoppable number of kidnappings, assassinations, espionage, and even a day of military service, he had to protect his family and protect his country. He stood out and used his own two hands to create a hidden wave of steel in the city.
Iron Soldier: Volume 4 (Volume 4 #4)
by Yao YaoLingThe world was seething with ambiguous waves, high buildings filled with intoxicated people, asphalt roads filled with cars and cars, and the streets filled with dazzling display windows. But in the city Xu Qing saw, there was an unstoppable number of kidnappings, assassinations, espionage, and even a day of military service, he had to protect his family and protect his country. He stood out and used his own two hands to create a hidden wave of steel in the city.
Iron Soldier: Volume 5 (Volume 5 #5)
by Yao YaoLingThe world was seething with ambiguous waves, high buildings filled with intoxicated people, asphalt roads filled with cars and cars, and the streets filled with dazzling display windows. But in the city Xu Qing saw, there was an unstoppable number of kidnappings, assassinations, espionage, and even a day of military service, he had to protect his family and protect his country. He stood out and used his own two hands to create a hidden wave of steel in the city.
Iron Soldier: Volume 6 (Volume 6 #6)
by Yao YaoLingThe world was seething with ambiguous waves, high buildings filled with intoxicated people, asphalt roads filled with cars and cars, and the streets filled with dazzling display windows. But in the city Xu Qing saw, there was an unstoppable number of kidnappings, assassinations, espionage, and even a day of military service, he had to protect his family and protect his country. He stood out and used his own two hands to create a hidden wave of steel in the city.
Iron Soldier: Volume 7 (Volume 7 #7)
by Yao YaoLingThe world was seething with ambiguous waves, high buildings filled with intoxicated people, asphalt roads filled with cars and cars, and the streets filled with dazzling display windows. But in the city Xu Qing saw, there was an unstoppable number of kidnappings, assassinations, espionage, and even a day of military service, he had to protect his family and protect his country. He stood out and used his own two hands to create a hidden wave of steel in the city.
Iron Soldier: Volume 8 (Volume 8 #8)
by Yao YaoLingThe world was seething with ambiguous waves, high buildings filled with intoxicated people, asphalt roads filled with cars and cars, and the streets filled with dazzling display windows. But in the city Xu Qing saw, there was an unstoppable number of kidnappings, assassinations, espionage, and even a day of military service, he had to protect his family and protect his country. He stood out and used his own two hands to create a hidden wave of steel in the city.
Iron Soldier: Volume 9 (Volume 9 #9)
by Yao YaoLingThe world was seething with ambiguous waves, high buildings filled with intoxicated people, asphalt roads filled with cars and cars, and the streets filled with dazzling display windows. But in the city Xu Qing saw, there was an unstoppable number of kidnappings, assassinations, espionage, and even a day of military service, he had to protect his family and protect his country. He stood out and used his own two hands to create a hidden wave of steel in the city.
Iron Thunder: A Civil War Novel
by AviWhen his father is killed fighting for the Union in the War Between the States, thirteen-year-old Tom Carroll must take a job to help support his family. He manages to find work at a bustling ironworks in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York, where dozens of men are frantically pounding together the strangest ship Tom has ever seen. A ship made of iron. Tom becomes assistant to the ship's inventor, a gruff, boastful man named Captain John Ericsson. He soon learns that the Union army has very important plans for this iron ship called the Monitor. It is supposed to fight the Confederate "sea monster"--another ironclad--the Merrimac. But Ericsson is practically the only person who believes the Monitor will float. Everyone else calls it "Ericsson's Folly" or "the iron coffin." Meanwhile, Tom's position as Ericsson's assistant has made him a target of Confederate spies, who offer him money for information about the ship. Tom finds himself caught between two certain dangers: an encounter with murderous spies and a battle at sea in an iron coffin.
Iron Widow: Instant New York Times No.1 Bestseller (Iron Widow Ser. #1)
by Xiran Jay ZhaoInstant New York Times No.1 Bestseller. A YA Pacific Rim meets the Handmaid&’s Tale retelling of the rise of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history. I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me. I choose vengeance. The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises – giant transforming robots that battle aliens beyond the Great Wall. It doesn&’t matter that their female co-pilots are expected to serve as concubines and often die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, her plan is to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister&’s death. But after miraculously surviving her first battle, Zetian sets her sights on a mightier goal. The time has come to stop more girls from being sacrificed. &‘This is the historical-inspired, futuristic sci-fi mash-up of my wildest dreams.&’ Chloe Gong &‘Raging against the patriarchy in spectacular style.&’ Observer, best books of the year &‘Zetian is unstoppable, and I dare you not to cheer her on.&’ Elizabeth Lim, author of Spin the Dawn
Iron Wolf
by Dale BrownIn Iron Wolf, New York Times bestselling author Dale Brown--"the best military writer in the country" (Clive Cussler)--returns with a propulsive military thriller pitting American hero Brad McLanahan against the Russians as conflict rages in UkraineAll hell is breaking loose in Eastern Europe. Russian President Gennadiy Gryzlov has sent Special Forces troops, disguised as pro-Russia activists, into Ukraine and Moldova under the pretext of protecting Russian-speaking citizens. NATO is outraged but does little in response, leading former U.S. President Kevin Martindale to take matters into his own hands. Martindale approaches Polish President Piotr Wilk with a radical solution: strike back at Russia, not with the Polish army, but with a covert force of Cybernetic Infantry Device (CID) manned robots. And there's only one man capable of leading the mission: Brad McLanahan, son of the legendary Patrick McLanahan.With Russia looking increasingly dangerous--and the U.S. doing nothing in response--Operation Iron Wolf is under way. The initial strikes are successful, destroying a Russian base in western Ukraine and drawing the furor of Gryzlov, who strikes a military base in neighboring Poland. Current U.S. President Stacy Anne Barbeau, still completely in the dark as to Martindale's scheme, pledges to aid the Russians in an investigation, and an epic standoff between Russia, NATO, and the Martindale-Wilk coalition ensues. Will Martindale's secret alliance, supported by the best military technology, win the day? Or will the Russian forces emerge victorious in the end? In this newest high-powered installment from New York Times bestselling author Dale Brown, tensions in Eastern Europe inform a political thriller of the highest order.
Iron and Blood: A Military History of the German-Speaking Peoples since 1500
by Peter H. WilsonFrom the author of the acclaimed The Thirty Years War and Heart of Europe, a masterful, landmark reappraisal of German military history, and of the preconceptions about German militarism since before the rise of Prussia and the world wars.German military history is typically viewed as an inexorable march to the rise of Prussia and the two world wars, the road paved by militarism and the result a specifically German way of war. Peter Wilson challenges this narrative. Looking beyond Prussia to German-speaking Europe across the last five centuries, Wilson finds little unique or preordained in German militarism or warfighting.Iron and Blood takes as its starting point the consolidation of the Holy Roman Empire, which created new mechanisms for raising troops but also for resolving disputes diplomatically. Both the empire and the Swiss Confederation were largely defensive in orientation, while German participation in foreign wars was most often in partnership with allies. The primary aggressor in Central Europe was not Prussia but the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, yet Austria’s strength owed much to its ability to secure allies. Prussia, meanwhile, invested in militarization but maintained a part-time army well into the nineteenth century. Alongside Switzerland, which relied on traditional militia, both states exemplify the longstanding civilian element within German military power.Only after Prussia’s unexpected victory over France in 1871 did Germans and outsiders come to believe in a German gift for warfare—a special capacity for high-speed, high-intensity combat that could overcome numerical disadvantage. It took two world wars to expose the fallacy of German military genius. Yet even today, Wilson argues, Germany’s strategic position is misunderstood. The country now seen as a bastion of peace spends heavily on defense in comparison to its peers and is deeply invested in less kinetic contemporary forms of coercive power.
Irona 700
by Dave DuncanFantasy at its most enchanting: An original and absorbing tale from a master storyteller about the profound effects of a single life on the battle against ultimate evil It is Midsummer Day, the beginning of the year 700, in the city of Benign. All the children born in the year 684 celebrate their joint sixteenth birthday by passing in front of the statue of the blind goddess Caprice--but only one will become the Chosen and join the Seventy who govern and guide the city. Much to her surprise, Irona Matrinko, one of the many children of an impoverished fisherman, is chosen. Irona 700 moves into the palace and, with the help of a new mentor, recognizes and cultivates her great talent for guiding wars: strategy and tactics, leadership and inspiration. As Irona gives her life to the city, an ancient enemy, Maleficence, attacks again and again, corrupting Irona's friends, destroying her lover, and continually defeating her grandest plans for peace and harmony. Along the way, Irona becomes a masterful politician, a shrewd judge of character, and, even at great cost to her personal happiness, a true heroine.
Ironbridge in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
by Christopher W. OwenFamed as the birthplace of modern industry and the first cast iron metal single span bridge, Ironbridge is venerated the world over yet its social history is at times unfamiliar.One hundred years ago this sleepy town, set by the river Severn, willingly volunteered its lifeblood to a war that everyone confidently believed would be a short-lived, adventurous romp. Misled by government propaganda, they soon discovered through fighting relative's letters and various official news reports, many of which are unearthed for the first time throughout this book, that it had rapidly degenerated into an endless morass of bloody violence with the probability of their men meeting a painful death on a daily basis thrown in for good measure.The town's wartime heritage is one of enterprise and hard work as the majority of the Great War gun-fodder comprised working-class men drawn from prestigious local companies. Maw & Co, the world-famous ceramic tile maker, raised its own company of enlisted fighting men, in common with other businesses nationwide, that were known as Pals Battalions. As in most instances across the land, it subsequently paid a heavy price for this mass act of patriotism. Ironbridge also became a cradle of the fledgling women's wartime workforce, who helped produce vital heavy munitions components at another famous local company's works.Ironbridge in the Great War is the story of the town's great sacrifice, as evidenced by the numerous and diverse war monuments that populate the town and its surrounding hamlets. This is detailed work that includes fascinating facts about the town, which, despite being constantly under the world spotlight, remained, until now, a part of its hidden wartime social history.
Ironfire: An Epic Novel of Love and War
by David BallFrom the acclaimed author of Empires of Sand comes a mesmerizing new adventure that Jean Auel cites as “crowded with events that both forecast and mirror the conflicts of today. ” Sweeping from the drawing rooms of Paris to the palace of Suleiman the Magnificent to the dark hold of a slave ship racing across the sea, here is a dazzling story of love and valor, innocence and identity, an epic novel of the clash of civilizations on a barren island where the future was forged. The Mediterranean, the sixteenth century: Lying squarely in the midst of the vital sea lanes between the Christian West and the Ottoman Empire in the East, and ruled by the ancient Order of the Knights of St. John, Malta will become the stage upon which the fate of the world turns. For one of its sons, the hand of violence strikes swiftly, when young Nicolo Borg is seized by Barbary slavers and launched on a remarkable journey to the court of the supreme ruler of the Muslim world. Renamed Asha, plotting his escape even as he swears allegiance to the god of his masters and is schooled in the arts of culture and war, the innocent boy will be transformed into one of the Sultan’s deadliest commanders. For Nico’s beloved sister, Maria, his loss fires her hatred for the knights who did nothing to save him and her dreams of escape from her stifling home. As the headstrong girl grows into a fierce beauty, she will capture the attention of one man in particular, Christien de Vries, a surgeon-knight torn between duty and desire, caught up in Malta’s frantic preparations against the coming Ottoman storm. Around Nico and Maria are men and women who will share their destinies: Dragut Raïs, a brilliant corsair, arch-rival of the knights…Giulio Salvago, a priest in full flight from his carnal nature…Alisa, a young beauty hidden away in a harem…Jean de La Valette, the master knight who is Malta’s only hope for survival. As the mighty Ottoman fleet bears down on the tiny island, as Nico Borg makes his way back to his homeland at the helm of a warship, Ironfire moves inexorably to a shattering climax where all will face ultimate justice in the murderous cauldron of siege warfare. Brilliantly capturing the crosscurrents of a storied age, Ironfire is historical fiction in the grand tradition, a stirring realization of a pivotal moment in time that irrevocably shaped the world we inhabit today. From the Hardcover edition.
Ironside: The Authorised Biography of Field Marshal Lord Ironside
by Richards Edmund Ironside General Lord RichardsThe Field Marshal was a born commander and, besides being a gifted linguist, was mobilised as a Subaltern for the Boer War to act as a secret agent and to streamline the peace process. With an appetite for battle, in WW1 he became the Allied C-in-C of the Expeditionary Force in North Russia and, being ranked as a knighted Major General at the age of 39, he then modernised the Staff training to deal with armoured and aerial warfare. His Generalship was tested out in the Raj and, in 1939, on the day war was declared, the British Army leadership as CIGS was placed in his hands, so that he was able to defend Calais and free-up the BEF escape route to Dunkirk. Back in business as C-in-C Home Forces he was given his baton. Ironside surely had one of the most varied and long military careers of any military leader in the 20th century.
Ironsides
by Graham Turner John TinceyThe Ironside is symbolic of the one occasion when the army took an active role in British politics. He represents a unique period when ordinary people displaced the established order to take political control into their own hands. In the nineteenth century a rash of historical publications, paintings and statues with a civil war theme reflected the political divisions of Victorian society and Royalist and Parliamentarian causes were argued over again, reflecting the sub text of contemporary political struggles. This book attempts to take a wider view of the Ironside as a warrior who evolved from the experiments of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries to combine firepower with the armoured cavalryman.
Irregular Army
by Matt KennardSince the launch of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars--now the longest wars in American history--the US military has struggled to recruit troops. It has responded, as Matt Kennard's explosive investigative report makes clear, by opening its doors to neo-Nazis, white supremacists, gang members, criminals of all stripes, the overweight, and the mentally ill. Based on several years of reporting, Irregular Army includes extensive interviews with extremist veterans and leaders of far-right hate groups--who spoke openly of their eagerness to have their followers acquire military training for a coming domestic race war. As a report commissioned by the Department of Defense itself put it, "Effectively, the military has a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy pertaining to extremism."Irregular Army connects some of the War on Terror's worst crimes to this opening-up of the US military. With millions of veterans now back in the US and domestic extremism on the rise, Kennard's book is a stark warning about potential dangers facing Americans--from their own soldiers.
Irregulars, Partisans, Guerrillas: Great Stories from Rogers’ Rangers to the Haganah
by Irwin R. BlackerOriginally published in 1954, this is a collection of 32 stories from a variety of historic eras filled with missions against all odds."The stories in this collection are generally firsthand accounts by irregulars. The principles of selection were simple: Were they good stories--interesting, exciting and honest? And did they show fresh and different phases of guerrilla warfare? The weightier writings on irregular strategy and the politics of modern partisan warfare were omitted except for T. E. Lawrence's classic chapter on the former and Julian Amery's brilliant and brief analysis of the latter."I have tried briefly to set these stories in time and circumstance. As editor I have tried not to draw the fine lines between resistance which takes place in urban communities and guerrilla warfare which requires space for movement. I have tried not to belabor the differences between regulars as irregulars and the native guerrilla in the field. I have avoided the fine lines drawn between a guerrilla who attempts sabotage and the saboteur, the guerrilla who collects intelligence and the spy. In short, if too rigid a definition is observed, a fascinating and vital subject could be reduced to a dull and academic one. The irregular's objective is simply to destroy the enemy. This book attempts to tell of the many ways in which he has tried, and is still trying, to do so."--Irwin R. Blacker, Introduction
Is It Night or Day?
by Fern Schumer ChapmanIn 1938, Edith Westerfeld, a young German Jew, is sent by her parents to Chicago, Illinois, where she lives with an aunt and uncle and tries to assimilate into American culture, while worrying about her parents and mourning the loss of everything she has ever known. Based on the author's mother's experience, includes an afterword about a little-known program that brought twelve hundred Jewish children to safety during World War II.
Is New York Burning?
by Larry Collins Dominique LapierreFour years after 9/11, terrorists have hidden an atomic bomb in the heart of New York. If the President of the United States does not force his Israeli allies to abandon all the land they have occupied in the aftermath of the 1967 War, Manhattan will be wiped off the face of the earth. Will George W. Bush give in to this blackmail? Could a terrorist group have really gotten access to an atomic bomb and smuggled it into the United States? Can the forces of the most powerful nation on the planet find the hidden bomb and defuse it before it can explode? Could they, if necessary, evacuate New York? Researched for two years, the authors studied thousands of documents and interviewed scores of people from the most secret centers in the war on terrorism. Is New York Burning? is a diabolical thriller set at the very heart of today's world and its madness. The final collaboration from the authors of the world famous Is Paris Burning? and 0 Jerusalem.
Is Remote Warfare Moral?: Weighing Issues of Life and Death from 7,000 Miles
by Joseph O ChapaAmerica is at an important turning point. Remote warfare is not just a mainstay of post–9/11 wars, it is a harbinger of what lies ahead—a future of high-tech, artificial intelligence–enabled, and autonomous weapons systems that raise a host of new ethical questions. Most fundamentally, is remote warfare moral? And if so, why? Joseph O. Chapa, with unique credentials as Air Force officer, Predator pilot, and doctorate in moral philosophy, serves as our guide to understanding this future, able to engage in both the language of military operations and the language of moral philosophy. Through gripping accounts of remote pilots making life-and-death decisions and analysis of high-profile cases such as the killing of Iranian high government official General Qasem Soleimani, Chapa examines remote warfare within the context of the just war tradition, virtue, moral psychology, and moral responsibility. He develops the principles we should use to evaluate its morality, especially as pilots apply human judgment in morally complex combat situations. Moving on to the bigger picture, he examines how the morality of human decisions in remote war is situated within the broader moral context of US foreign policy and the future of warfare.