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Kesselring: The Making of the Luftwaffe (Greenhill Military Paperbacks Ser.)
by Kenneth MackseyIllustrated with maps and a center section of black and white photographs. Kesselring-commander, leader, administrator; the only senior German officer to start and finish the Second World War holding a high command appointment. There was scarcely a major campaign in which he was not at some time deeply involved: he flew in the forefront of the battle over Poland, Holland, Britain, Russia and the Western Desert and was shot down five times; as a field commander he defended Tunisia, Italy and, ultimately, Germany. But it is as much for his role in the formation and development of the Luftwaffe that Kesselring is remembered-his were many of the ideas, plans and insights about the part played by aircraft in the land battle. They were central to the careful, systematic reorganization and building up of the German military machine in the 1920s and 30s. This first complete biography presents the complex, fascinating personality of a man whose qualities of utter determination, charm and good humor, harnessed to outstanding training and experience, enabled him to cope with both victory and defeat and, finally, when placed on trial for his life, to face his judges with dignity, equanimity and a staunch defense.
Keswick in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
by Ruth ManserghKeswick in the Great War is an expert account of this Lake District market town's fascinating, yet largely forgotten, contribution to the Great War effort from the outbreak of war in 1914, to the long-awaited Allied victory in 1918.It charts the remarkable, and sometimes moving, stories of several heroic local figures, including Lord and Lady Rochdale, who converted their home into a VAD hospital; Caleb Barnes, a former headteacher of Braithwaite Primary School who was taken prisoner in Belgium; Catherine Elizabeth Marshall, supporter of The No-Conscription Fellowship, whose husband, the chairman of the NCF, was imprisoned in 1916; and Reverend Bettison, Curate of Crosthwaite, who was mobilised on 4 August 1914 and sent to Burma in October 1914. The book also acts as an accessible reference guide to local war memorials, such as The Fretwork War Shrine, as integrated throughout are rare wartime illustrations of these memorials and rolls of honour, like the recently discovered roll of honour found inside Underskiddaw Church Rooms.Overall, this is a poignant testimony to the momentous efforts, bravery, self-sacrifice and determination of the people of Keswick during the Great War, who sought to find normality in a reality so far removed from anything they had ever known.
Kevin Rudd: Twice Prime Minister
by Patrick WellerIt was a very different Kevin Rudd who returned to office in 2013. Kevin 07 was a fresh face and a new image: the convivial, Mandarin-speaking nerd who seemed so different from past leaders and who held so much potential. By 2013 Rudd retained some of his popularity but none of his novelty. The Opposition could say nothing derogatory about him that his colleagues had not already said. A series of policy grenades had to be defused. His second term was to be short, brutal and nasty. Yet, despite his defeat, Kevin Rudd was an unusual Labor leader and prime minister. Political scientist and biographer Patrick Weller spent several years observing and talking to Rudd and the people around him to explain how one person came to the job and sought to meet its demands. Weller takes us back to Rudd's boyhood in Nambour, son of a poor Queensland dairy farmer; to a member without a faction who led a bitterly factionalised party; to the only federal Labor leader to win a majority since Paul Keating in 1993; and to only the second prime minister since 1914 to be sworn in for a second time. This book has the advantage of interviews in 2008 and 2009 with ministers who were then supporters but who became diehard enemies. Weller also had the benefit of unique access to the Prime Minister's Office. His biography is a revealing account of the man who became prime minister - twice.
Key To The Sinai: The Battles For Abu Agelia In The 1956 And 1967 Arab Israeli Wars [Illustrated Edition]
by George W. Gawrych[Includes 5 figures and 21 maps]Situated between the Suez Canal and Israel and marked by the harsh environment of the central Sinai lies Abu Ageila, an unprepossessing area of low ridges and hills through which passes the best-surfaced road in the peninsula. Owing to its location on the central route, close to the Israeli-Egyptian border, Abu Ageila became the key to the Sinai in the Arab-Israeli wars of 1956 and 1967. The struggle for this barren land in two wars provides an epic story of battle and reveals the influence of experience on the preparation for and conduct of war.In both the 1956 and 1967 wars, Abu Ageila was the main gateway to the Sinai for the Israel Defense Forces. Yet, as Dr. George W. Gawrych demonstrates, there were marked differences between Egyptian and Israeli war plans, preparations, operations, and results in the two battles for the area. In 1956, Israel carried the burden of a constricting alliance with Britain and France and faced other extensive military problems. The result was that Israel fought a difficult and costly battle for Abu Ageila. In contrast, in 1967, the Israel Defense Forces developed a brilliant operational plan and achieved effective unit command and control and attained a decisive victory.Based on extensive research, including personal interviews with Israeli commanders and briefings by Egyptian military historians, Key to the Sinai is a crisp battle narrative of desert warfare and a systematic historical analysis of two armies confronting the changing terms of battle. Students of AirLand Battle doctrine will find reading this Research Survey a stimulus to meeting the challenges of modern warfare.
Keystone of 22 SAS: The Life and Times of Lieutenant Colonel J. M. (Jock) Woodhouse MBE MC
by Alan HoeThis British military biography tells the full story of the Lieutenant Colonel who helped turn the 22nd SAS into the world&’s leading special forces unit. Despite its successes during World War II, the future of the British Army&’s Special Air Service was uncertain for years afterward. In the 1950s, it was resurrected as the 22nd SAS Regiment to take part in the Malayan Emergency, and over time evolved into one of the British military&’s most important units. This renaissance was brought about by a small group of highly motivated officers. Of these, Lieutenant Colonel John Woodhouse stood out for his energy, expertise, and courage. Written by an SAS insider, this biography demonstrates how Woodhouse played a pivotal role in transforming the 22nd SAS into an elite fighting force. Woodhouse led the regiment through campaigns in Oman, Borneo, Radfan and South Arabia, as it built its unrivaled reputation. After leaving the Army, Woodhouse became a sought-after counter-terrorist consultant taking an advisory and active role in operations worldwide. While Colonel Sir David Stirling publicly acknowledged Woodhouse as a cofounder of the 22nd SAS, the full story of his role has not been widely recognized. As this fascinating book reveals, without his efforts there would probably be no 22nd SAS today.
Khaki and Gown: An Autobiography
by Field Marshal Lord BirdwoodField Marshal William Riddell Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood, was a British Army officer. He saw active service in the Second Boer War on the staff of Lord Kitchener and action again in the First World War as Commander of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915, leading the landings on the peninsula and then the evacuation later in the year, before becoming commander-in-chief of the Fifth Army on the Western Front during the closing stages of the war. An autobiography by an old soldier with tales of adventure from all over the world. The “gown” refers to his later years as Master of Peterhouse at Cambridge. Winston Churchill served with Lord Birdwood in the Boer War, and writes a glowing two-page foreword.
Kharkov 1942
by Howard Gerrard Robert ForczykAfter failing to finish off the German Army in the 1941/42 Winter Counteroffensive and aware that Hitler was planning a new summer offensive in mid-1942, Stalin directed the Red Army to conduct a powerful blow in one sector of the Eastern Front in order to disrupt German plans. The sector chosen was Kharkov, where the Soviet Southwestern Front had seized bridgeheads over the Donets River and Heeresgruppe Süd appeared vulnerable. Under Stalin's trusted military advisor, Marshal Semyon Timoshenko, the Stavka's remaining reserves were assembled and prepared to conduct a breakthrough attack intended to encircle the German Sixth Army near Kharkov.However, Stalin was unaware that the Germans were planning their own riposte at Kharkov, known as Operation Fredericus. When Timoshenko began his offensive in May 1942, he did not realize the limitations of his own forces or the agility of the Germans to recover from setbacks, all of which contributed to one of the Red Army greatest defeats of World War II. The German victory at Kharkov also contributed to the Wehrmacht's ability to push to the Volga River, once the Red Army was seriously weakened along the Donets. This volume will pay particular attention to intelligence and logistics issues, as well as how this campaign served as a prelude to the battle of Stalingrad. It will also focus on the nascent development of the Red Army's tank corps and 'deep battle' tactics, as well as the revival of the German Panzertruppen after Barbarossa.
Khartoum 1885
by Donald FeatherstoneOsprey's Campaign title for the Siege of Kartoum (1884-1885). Early in 1881 unrest in the Sudan began to crystallise around Mohammed Ibn Ahmed el-Sayyid Abdullah. Proclaiming himself the long-expected Madhi, the Guided One of the Prophet, he preached that the Sudan was to be purged of its Egyptian oppressors. Drawn in by the Egyptian failure to deal with the situation, the British sent General Gordon to organise an evacuation. On reaching Khartoum however, General Gordon believed, incorrectly, that the Madhi could be reasoned with. Instead of negotiating, the Madhi besieged the town for 317 days. This title looks in particular, although not exclusively, at the battles fought by the British columns sent to relieve Khartoum.
Khe Sanh 1967-68
by Peter Dennis Gordon RottmanKhe Sanh was a small village in northwest South Vietnam that sat astride key North Vietnamese infiltration routes. In September 1966 of the Vietnam War (1955-1975), a Marine battalion deployed into the area. Action gradually increased as the NVA attempted to destroy Free World Forces bases, and the siege of Khe Sanh proper began in October 1967. The bitter fight lasted into July 1968 when, with the changing strategic and tactical situation, the base was finally closed. This book details the siege and explains how, although the NVA successfully overran a Special Forces camp nearby, it was unable to drive US forces from Khe Sanh.
Khedive Ismail's Army (Cass Military Studies)
by John P. DunnKhedive Ismail's Army examines military failure in the age of imperialism. On paper, the mid-nineteenth century Egyptian army seems a formidable regional power. It had a tradition of success, modern weapons, and mercenary officers with experience in major wars. Egypt's ruler, Khedive Ismail, hoped to combine the imported technology and brains with native manpower, and establish an Egyptian dominated Horn of Africa. His soldiers did conquer parts of the Sudan, but they suffered disastrous defeats during the Egyptian Abyssinian War of 1875 to 1876.Presenting the first detailed examination of the Egyptian Abyssinian War in English, this new book also looks at the root problems that made Ismail's soldiers ineffective. These include issues of class, racism, internal, and external politics, finance, and the rapidly changing world of mid-Nineteenth Century military technology. This book is aimed at military historians, and will be of interest to those studying the Middle East or North East Africa.
Khirbet Khizeh: A Novel
by Nicholas De Lange David Shulman S. YizharIt's 1948 and the Arab villagers of Khirbet Khizeh are about to be violently expelled from their homes. A young Israeli soldier who is on duty that day finds himself battling on two fronts: with the villagers and, ultimately, with his own conscience. Published just months after the founding of the state of Israel and the end of the 1948 war, the novella Khirbet Khizeh was an immediate sensation when it first appeared. Since then, the book has continued to challenge and disturb, even finding its way onto the school curriculum in Israel. The various debates it has prompted would themselves make Khirbet Khizeh worth reading, but the novella is much more than a vital historical document: it is also a great work of art. Yizhar's haunting, lyrical style and charged view of the landscape are in many ways as startling as his wrenchingly honest view of modern Israel's primal scene. Considered a modern Hebrew masterpiece, Khirbet Khizeh is an extraordinary and heartbreaking book that is destined to be a classic of world literature.
Khmer Nationalist: Sơn Ngọc Thành, the CIA, and the Transformation of Cambodia (NIU Southeast Asian Series)
by Matthew JagelKhmer Nationalist is a political history of Cambodia from World War II until 1975, examining the central role of Sõn Ngọc Thành. It is a story of nationalistic independence movements, political intrigue, coup attempts, war, and American intelligence. The rise of Cambodian nationalism, the brief period of Japanese dominance, the fight for independence from France, and the establishment of ties with the United States that kept Sihanouk on edge until his downfall—in all of these, as Matthew Jagel shows, Thành was fundamental.Khmer Nationalist reveals how Cambodian nationalism grew during the twilight of French colonialism and faced new geopolitical challenges during the Cold War. Thành's story brings greater understanding to the end of French colonialism in Cambodia, nationalism in post-colonial societies, Cold War realities for countries caught between competing powers, and how the United States responded while the Vietnam War intensified.
Ki-43 'Oscar'Aces of World War 2
by Hiroshi IchimuraDubbed the 'Oscar' by the Allies, the Ki-43 Hayabusa was the most prolific Japanese fighter of World War II. Produced in great numbers, it initially proved superior to most US and British fighter types, due to its excellent maneuverability. The light weight and large wing area gave it a small turning radius and a high rate-of-climb which was ideal for pilots in close combat fighting. However, the Ki-43's swiftness and agility came at a price, with the low-wing design meaning that firepower and safety had to be sacrificed. With only two machine guns, a Ki-43 pilot would have to perform a dangerous balancing act between achieving a high rate of kills and their own survival. Surprisingly, more Japanese pilots achieved Ace status flying the Hayabusa than any other plane and despite being steadily outclassed by new fighters, the Ki-43 remained in frontline JAAF service until the war's end. This book expertly charts the experiences of the pilots and discusses the early stages of the war in South-East Asia, China, Burma and New Guinea. Accompanied by detailed appendices and specially commissioned artwork, this is the first volume in English to focus exclusively on the exploits of the Ki-43.
Ki-61 and Ki-100 Aces
by Nicholas MillmanThis is the story of the elite Japanese Army Air force (JAAF) aces that flew the Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Swallow), and the Ki-100 Goshikisen in the Pacific Theatre of World War 2. The former, codenamed 'Tony' by the allies, was a technically excellent aircraft, possessing power, stability and a good rate of climb - differing radically from the usual Japanese philosophy of building light, ultra-manoeuvrable fighters. Its pilots soon realised, however, that the type was plagued by a number of dangerous mechanical issues. Then as the war moved relentlessly closer to Japan's doorstep, a desperate, expedient innovation to the Ki-61 airframe by fitting it with a radial instead of inline engine resulted in one of the finest fighters of World War 2 - the Ki-100. This book uses the latest findings to provide a gripping account of some of the most remarkable and hard-pressed fighter pilots of the war. It reveals how these men, unlike so many of their unfortunate late-war colleagues, could surprise Allied aircraft in high-performance fighters and claim successes in the face of enormous odds.
Kicking Bombs in the Land of Sand
by Barry StevensAfter 22 years in the Army, there was nothing Craig Jackson (CJ) didn&’t know about the deadly craft of bomb detection and disposal. He was the go-to guy for clearing an area of explosives. So when he left the military, there was really no choice: his expertise was rare, sought after, and potentially very lucrative. He&’d long ago learnt to put the danger to one side; now he loved the adrenaline rush – the exhilaration – of the job, staying cool in the face of death, outsmarting the murderous and wily bomb-makers. Craig establishes his own landmine-clearance company, and is soon catapulted into the thick of the war in Iraq, tasked with disposing of Saddam Hussein&’s massive array of bombs, ammunition and weapons. This is Craig&’s dream job: getting to play with hundreds of thousands of tons of explosive ordnance, while also doing a bit of good on the side. Everything is going smoothly until a typical convoy sortie in the Iraqi desert turns Craig&’s world into a nightmare. Ambushed by a large, well-armed and organised enemy force, Craig and his colleagues are taken prisoner by Saddam&’s henchmen. Thrust into a nether world of pain and brutality, all of his thoughts and efforts become focussed on one thing: staying alive. Disarming a bomb would soon come to seem like child&’s play, as Craig has to draw on every shred of his mental and physical strength to endure the horrific daily torture at the hands of his captors. He constantly dreams of escape, but will they break him first?
Kidderminster in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
by Julie PhilipsWars affect everyone. Whether it is fought on the battlefields or on the Home Front, by the armed forces or civilians, sacrifices have to be made and everyone suffers one way or another. This book gives a flavour of what it was like living in Kidderminster through the Great War years. Kidderminster was proud to send many of its brothers, husbands, uncles and fathers to fight for King and Country, many of whom had never ventured far from home before, some who came from decorated service backgrounds, for whom the armed services was in their blood. Rich or poor, farm worker, office manager or son of a carpet manufacturer, they all united to defend against the enemy and protect British values and way of life. Life continued as usual for many of those on the Home Front, despite, amongst other things, the introduction of DORA, rationing and the loss of the labour force from the many carpet factories. Kidderminster was already generous in its giving to the poor, but this was taken to a whole new level with the introduction of many national and local war charities. They knitted, sewed, auctioned and sung their way through the war.This show of remarkable patriotism and stoicism was made against the backdrop of a bloody and heinous war that went on far longer than was anticipated. The constant threat of receiving the dreaded telegram, indicating their loved ones fate, was never far from their minds, yet the people of Kidderminster kept the home fires burning brightly.
Kidnapped by the Taliban: A Story of Terror, Hope, and Rescue by SEAL Team Six
by James Lund Dilip JosephBeing abducted and held captive by the Taliban isn't a tale many survive to tell. An American doctor shares the harrowing story about the four days he spent with his captors after being abducted on a humanitarian mission and his incredible rescue by SEAL Team Six.On December 5, 2012, American medical doctor Dilip Joseph and two colleagues are driving back to Kabul, Afghanistan, after serving villagers that morning at a rural clinic. Suddenly a man waving an AK-47 blocks their path. More armed men jump out of hiding. For Dilip, it is the beginning of a nightmare—he&’s being kidnapped by the Taliban.Dilip recounts his story with chilling detail, transporting the reader to rural Afghanistan. &“As we walk, I fear the worst—that when we reach the top, they will shoot us. God, however this is going to end, please don&’t let them torture me to death. Let it be one shot and done.&”Dilip and his friends endure a nine-hour march into the mountains, gruesome images of torture and death, and repeated threats of execution. After four days of uncertainty, gunfire announces the arrival of Navy SEAL Team Six, the elite group of soldiers that took down al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden. SEAL team member Nicolas D. Checque loses his life in the rescue, as do the Taliban kidnappers.Yet this is more than a story of desperation, survival, and loss. It is also a tale of surprising connection, compassion, and inspiration. As Dilip begins to view the Taliban not as monsters but as men, both he and his captors are challenged to re-examine everything that matters: courage, sacrifice, hope, and faith. The book includes:First-hand account of a Taliban kidnapping survivorInsights into the Taliban's daily existenceInsights into the sacrifices made by the American armed forcesIncludes a glossary and map of AfghanistanKidnapped by the Taliban is a story of both terror and triumph. After reading this dramatic and inspiring account, you will never view Afghanistan or the Taliban in the same way again.
Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress
by Nicola CornickA rake escorts an orphaned young Scottish woman into a thrilling adventure in this historical romance inspired by Stevenson’s classic Kidnapped.If I accept his offer to be his mistress, I could have the finest silks, the best carriage and be transformed from ugly duckling to a pampered, pretty swan! And although I would feel a virtuous pride in turning down the wicked rake, I also have an unmaidenly interest in exactly what the role would entail. . . .Catriona is doing her best to resist the skillful seduction of the scandalous heir to the Earl of Strathconan. But kidnapped and shipwrecked with only this rake as company, her adventure has just begun. . . .Praise for Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress“Cornick crams a lot into this story without making it feel stuffed or frantic. . . . I just adored this story from start to finish. . . . And darn if I don’t want to drop everything and reread it right this minute.” —The Good, the Bad and the Unread
Kids Book About War, A (A Kids Book)
by Sarah JonesThis book helps explain war in straightforward terms for kids and their grownups.This is a kids book about war. Really! It helps explain what war is, why wars start, and what happens after a war. The reality is, wars will continue to happen, so this book gives kids a space to ask questions and empowers them to learn from the past to create a better future.
Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely through a Never-ending War
by Deborah EllisSince its publication in 2000, hundreds of thousands of children all over the world have read and loved The Breadwinner, the fictional story of eleven-year-old Parvana living in Kabul under the terror of the Taliban. But what has happened to Afghanistan’s children since the fall of the Taliban in 2001? In 2011, Deborah Ellis went to Kabul to find out. The twenty-six boys and girls featured in this book range in age from ten to seventeen, and they speak candidly about their lives now. They are still living in a country at war. Violence and oppression exist all around them. The situation for girls has improved, but it is still difficult and dangerous. And many children — boys and girls — are still supporting their families by selling items like pencils and matches on the street.Yet these kids are weathering their lives with remarkable courage and hope, getting as much education and life experience and fun as they can.All royalties from the sale of Kids of Kabul will go to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (www.cw4wafghan.ca), which administers Parvana’s Fund, supporting schools, libraries and literacy programs for Afghan women and children.Key Text Featuresphotographsmapsglossaryintroductionhistorical contextadditional informationCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.6Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.9Compare and contrast one author's presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).
Kiev 1941: Hitler's Battle for Supremacy in the East
by David StahelIn just four weeks in the summer of 1941 the German Wehrmacht wrought unprecedented destruction on four Soviet armies, conquering central Ukraine and killing or capturing three quarters of a million men. This was the Battle of Kiev - one of the largest and most decisive battles of World War II and, for Hitler and Stalin, a battle of crucial importance. For the first time, David Stahel charts the battle's dramatic course and aftermath, uncovering the irreplaceable losses suffered by Germany's 'panzer groups' despite their battlefield gains, and the implications of these losses for the German war effort. He illuminates the inner workings of the German army as well as the experiences of ordinary soldiers, showing that with the Russian winter looming and Soviet resistance still unbroken, victory came at huge cost and confirmed the turning point in Germany's war in the East.
Kill Bin Laden: A Delta Force Commander's Account of the Hunt for the World's Most Wanted Man
by Dalton FuryThis synopsis is taken from the front side cover of the book: "The mission was to kill the most wanted man in the world - an operation of such magnitude that it couldn't be handled by just any military or intelligence force. The best America had to offer was needed. As such, the task was handed to roughly forty members of America's super secret counterterrorist forces Operational Detachment Delta; more popularly, the elite and mysterious unit Delta Force. The American generals were flexible. A swath of hair, a drop of blood, or simply a severed finger wrapped in plastic would be sufficient. Delta's orders were to go into harm's way and prove to the world bin Laden had been terminated. These Delta warriors had help; a dozen of the British Queen's elite commandos, another dozen or so Army Green Berets, and six intelligence operators from the CIA laid the groundwork by providing cash, guns, bullets, intelligence, and interrogation skills to this clandestine military force. Together, this team waged a modern siege of epic proportions against bin Laden and his seemingly impenetrable cave sanctuary burrowed deep in the Spin Ghar mountain range in eastern Afghanistan. Over the years, since the battle ended, scores of news stories have surfaced offering tidbits about what actually happened in Tora Bora. Most of it is conjecture and speculation. This is the real story of the operation, the first eyewitness account of the Battle of Tora Bora, and the first book to detail just how close Delta force came to capturing bin Laden, how close U.S. bombers and fighter aircraft came to killing him, and exactly why he slipped through our fingers. Lastly, this is an extremely rare inside look at the shadowy world of Delta Force and a detailed account of those warriors in battle."
Kill Bin Laden: A Delta Force Commander's Account of the Hunt for the World's Most Wanted Man
by Dalton FuryThe New York Times–bestselling first-hand account of a Delta Force commando’s hunt for the Al-Qaida leader in the months after 9/11.The mission was to kill the most wanted man in the world—an operation of such magnitude that it couldn’t be handled by just any military or intelligence force. The best America had to offer was needed. As such, the task was handed to roughly forty members of America’s supersecret counterterrorist unit formally known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta; more popularly, the elite and mysterious unit Delta Force.Told by senior ranking military officer Dalton Fury, this is the real story of the operation, the first eyewitness account of the Battle of Tora Bora, and the first book to detail just how close Delta Force came to capturing bin Laden in late 2001, mere months after the September 11th attacks on the United States were carried out on his orders.In this rare look inside the shadowy world of Delta Force, Fury details just how close US bombers and fighter aircraft came to killing bin Laden, and exactly why he slipped through their fingers.
Kill Caesar!: Assassination in the Early Roman Empire
by Rose Mary Sheldon&“Why were Rome&’s first emperors—the good, the bad, and the ugly—so vulnerable to conspiracies and assassination? . . . an expert analysis . . . compelling.&” —Adrienne Mayor, author of The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates and Rome&’s Deadliest Enemy Exploring the history of internal security under the first Roman dynasty, this groundbreaking book answers the enduring question: If there were 9,000 men guarding the emperor, how were three-quarters of Rome&’s leaders assassinated? Rose Mary Sheldon traces the evolution of internal security mechanisms under the Julio-Claudians, evaluating the system that Augustus first developed to protect the imperial family and the stability of his dynasty. Yet in spite of the intensive precautions taken, there were multiple attempts on his life. Like all emperors, Augustus had a number of competing constituencies—the senate, the army, his extended family, the provincials, and the populace of Rome—but were they all equally threatening? Indeed, the biggest threat would come from those closest to the emperor—his family and the aristocracy. Even Roman imperial women were deeply involved in instigating regime change. By the fourth emperor, Caligula, the Praetorian Guards were already participating in assassinations, and the army too was becoming more politicized. Sheldon weighs the accuracy of ancient sources: Does the image of the emperor presented to us represent reality or what the people who killed him wanted us to think? Were Caligula and Nero really crazy, or did senatorial historians portray them that way to justify their murder? Was Claudius really the fool found drooling behind a curtain and made emperor, or was he in on the plot from the beginning? These and other fascinating questions are answered as Sheldon concludes that the repeated problem of &“killing Caesar&” reflected the empire&’s larger dynamics and turmoil.
Kill Chain: The Rise of the High-Tech Assassins
by Andrew CockburnAn essential and page-turning narrative on the history of drone warfare from journalist Andrew Cockburn, exploring how this practice emerged, who made it happen, and the real consequences of targeted killing.Assassination by drone is a subject of deep and enduring fascination. Yet few understand how and why this has become our principal way of waging war. Kill Chain uncovers the real and extraordinary story; its origins in long-buried secret programs, the breakthroughs that made UAV operations possible, the ways in which the technology works and, despite official claims, does not work. Taking the reader inside the well-guarded world of national security, the book reveals the powerful interests - military, CIA and corporate - that have led the drive to kill individuals by remote control. Most importantly of all, the book describes what has really happened when the theories underpinning the strategy -- and the multi-billion dollar contracts they spawn -- have been put to the test. Drawing on sources deep in the military and intelligence establishments, Andrew Cockburn's Kill Chain unveils the true effects, as demonstrated by bloody experience, of assassination warfare, a revelation that readers will find surprising as well as shocking.