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Men of Fire: Grant, Forrest, and the Campaign That Decided the Civil War
by Jack HurstDeep in the winter of 1862, on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee, two extraordinary military leaders faced each other in an epic clash that would transform them both and change the course of American history forever. Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant had no significant military successes to his credit at the outset of the campaign. He was barely clinging to his position within the Union Army--he had been officially charged with chronic drunkenness only days earlier, and his own troops despised him. His opponent was as untested as he was: an obscure lieutenant colonel named Nathan Bedford Forrest. The two men held one thing in common: an unrelenting desire for victory at any cost. A riveting account of the making of two great military leaders, and two battles that transformed America forever, Men of Fire is destined to become a classic work of military history.
Men of Power: The Lives of Rolls-Royce Chief Test Pilots Harvey & Jim Heyworth
by Robert JacksonThe story begins in 1940 when Harvey Heyworth was leading No. 79 Squadron RAF defending north-eastern England from Luftwaffe raids made by bombers based in Norway and Denmark and then later in the Battle of Britain when the unit moved south. During late 1940 and up to June 1941 Heyworth led his squadron in defense of Bristol and Swansea operating by night and day. By 1942 he had amassed 4,000 flying hours. Harvey then joined Rolls-Royce test flying early British jet aircraft including the famous Gloster-Whittle and test-bed Wellington bombers powered by the new jet engines.In 1944 Harvey's brother Jim also joined Rolls, having flown with No. 12 Squadron in Bomber Command. The story then unfolds into the development of the Trent turboprop and the Avon jet engines. Development work on a variety of test-bed aircraft was ongoing and included some weird combinations of airframe and engine.Jim succeeded his brother as chief test pilot in 1958 and flew 82 different aircraft types. He recounts his experiences of piloting the Vulcan bomber, Lightning and the 'Flying Bedstead' VTOL test rig.
Men of The Battle of Britain: A Biographical Dictionary of the Few
by Kenneth G. WynnSince it was first published in 1989, Men of the Battle of Britain has become a standard reference book for academics and researchers interested in the Battle of Britain. Copies are also owned by many with purely an armchair interest in the events of 1940.The book records the service details of the airmen who took part in the Battle of Britain in considerable detail. Where known, postings and their dates are included, as well as promotions, decorations and successes claimed flying against the enemy. There is also much personal detail, often including dates and places of birth, civilian occupations, dates of death and place of burial or, for those with no known grave, place of commemoration. There are many wartime head-and-shoulders photographs. Inevitably the high achievers who survived tend to have the longest entries, but those who were killed very quickly, sometimes even on their first sortie, are given equal status.The 2015 third edition will include new names and corrected spellings, as well as many new photographs. Plenty of the entries have been extended with freshly acquired information. The stated nationalities of some of the airmen have been re-examined and, for example, one man always considered to be Australian is now known to have been Irish.
Men of Valour: New Zealand And The Battle For Crete
by Ron PalenskiIn May of 1941 New Zealand?s citizen soldiers, not long removed from their day jobs, were thrust into a type of fighting the world had not seen before: a land force against an airborne invasion. It was man against machines. In many ways, Crete became in the Second World War what Gallipoli had been in the First: another Dunkirk ? a scrambling effort to survive after defeat. This book breathes new life into the baptism of fire for New Zealand?s men of valour. It puts a human face on a military disaster, a failure that paradoxically was as large for the victors, the Germans, as it was for the losers, the Allies, among whom New Zealanders dominated. Crete tempered the New Zealand Division, and it went on to become one of the most respected and admired fighting forces of the Second World War.
Men of War
by Alexander RoseIn the grand tradition of John Keegan's enduring classic The Face of Battle comes a searing, unforgettable chronicle of war through the eyes of the American soldiers who fought in three of our most iconic battles: Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, and Iwo Jima. This is not a book about how great generals won their battles, nor is it a study in grand strategy. Men of War is instead a riveting, visceral, and astonishingly original look at ordinary soldiers under fire. Drawing on an immense range of firsthand sources from the battlefield, Rose begins by re-creating the lost and alien world of eighteenth-century warfare at Bunker Hill, the bloodiest clash of the War of Independence--and reveals why the American militiamen were so lethally effective against the oncoming waves of British troops. Then, focusing on Gettysburg, Rose describes a typical Civil War infantry action, vividly explaining what Union and Confederate soldiers experienced before, during, and after combat. Finally, he shows how in 1945 the Marine Corps hurled itself with the greatest possible violence at the island of Iwo Jima, where nearly a third of all Marines killed in World War II would die. As Rose demonstrates, the most important factor in any battle is the human one: At Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, and Iwo Jima, the American soldier, as much as any general, proved decisive. To an unprecedented degree, Men of War brings home the reality of combat and, just as important, its aftermath in the form of the psychological and medical effects on veterans. As such, the book makes a critical contribution to military history by narrowing the colossal gulf between the popular understanding of wars and the experiences of the soldiers who fight them.Advance praise for Men of War "A brilliant, riveting, unique book, Men of War does for the American soldier what John Keegan's The Face of Battle did for the British soldier. Using three epochal battles--Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, and Iwo Jima--Alexander Rose takes us into the ranks and helps us understand the experiences of those fighting on the ground. He captures vividly the emotions and conditions of combat--the terror and the boredom, the barbarity and the magnanimity--helping readers understand the realities known to those who have earned membership in that most treasured of fraternities, the brotherhood of the close fight. Men of War will be a classic."--General David H. Petraeus, U.S. Army (Retired) "On the model of The Face of Battle, Alexander Rose has applied the same technique of description and analysis to three landmark battles in American history. The overwhelming experience of combat for front-line soldiers who lived to write about it, and through their eyes those who did not, comes through with stark realism. If you want to know the meaning of war at the sharp end, this is the book to read."--James McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The War That Forged a Nation "Alexander Rose tells us about war from the perspective of those who fought it, capturing myriad combat details to weave a gripping tapestry of three of the most iconic battles in U.S. history--Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, and Iwo Jima."--Robert L. O'Connell, author of Fierce Patriot "A highly recommended addition to the literature of military history . . . Rose builds up a detailed picture of each of these battles, sparing few gritty details and romanticizing almost nothing. He writes vividly and memorably, with a good eye for the telling detail or anecdote as well as big-picture perspectives."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)From the Hardcover edition.
Men of the Battle of Britain: A Supplementary Volume
by Kenneth G. Wynn“Tells about various details of data, squadrons, training, life path, passport photos and more. This supplement contains addition for about 350(!) airmen.” —Aviation Book ReviewsSince it was first published in 1989, Men of the Battle of Britain, the complete third edition of which was published in 2015, has become a standard reference book for academics and researchers interested in the Battle of Britain. This remarkable publication records the service details of every airman who took part in the Battle of Britain, and who earned the Battle of Britain Clasp, in considerable detail. Where known, an individual’s various postings and their dates are included, as are promotions, decorations, and successes claimed while flying against the enemy. There is also much personal detail, often including dates and places of birth, civilian occupations, dates of death and place of burial or, for those with no known grave, place of commemoration. There are many wartime head-and-shoulders photographs.Inevitably, the passage of time ensures that there is a constant reevaluation of the wealth of information contained within Men of the Battle of Britain. At the same time, since the 2015 edition it has been possible to expand many individual entries, some 330 in total, to give some idea of the wider social context around the aircrew who earned the Battle of Britain Clasp. This has been achieved by reference to existing sources, including information supplied by The Few themselves and their relatives over many years, as well as new research.This invaluable supplement to the 2015 edition ensures that these additions and revisions are available to all researchers, historians, enthusiasts and general readers.
Men of the Bombers: Crews Who Fought & Won the Campaign (Reminiscence Ser.)
by Ralph BarkerThis is a selection of ten remarkable true accounts of unusual incidents and happenings to Bomber Command aircrew during World War Two. It covers operations of varying natures, such as one of the first leaflet dropping raids during the 'Phoney War' when the elderly Whitley bomber proved to be a nightmare on long flights and when the crews suffered more from lack of oxygen and heating than from enemy action. The fascinating story of a famous MP who used his influence to become a tail gunner at the age of 55 and who lost his life trying to stop German Panzers before Dunkirk proves remarkable reading and a famous name in cricket, Bill Edrich, recounts his days flying low-level daylight raids in Bristol Blenheims during 1941. Then there is a young New Zealander, Jimmy Ward, who climbed out onto a Wellington bomber's wing at considerable altitude to extinguish an engine fire and how despite his own modesty he was awarded a VC. Other stories tell of amazing escapes from burning aircraft, the heroism of aircrew who sacrificed their own lives so that others may survive and how a mid-upper gunner took the controls of a Mitchell B-25 to pilot her safely home.
Men, Masculinities and Male Culture in the Second World War
by Juliette Pattinson Linsey RobbThis edited collection brings together cutting-edge research on British masculinities and male culture, considering the myriad ways British men experienced, understood and remembered their exploits during the Second World War, as active combatants, prisoners and as civilian workers. It examines male identities, roles and representations in the armed forces, with particular focus on the RAF, army, volunteers for dangerous duties and prisoners of war, and on the home front, with case studies of reserved occupations and Bletchley Park, and examines the ways such roles have been remembered in post-war years in memoirs, film and memorials. As such this analysis of previously underexplored male experiences makes a major contribution to the historiography of Britain in the Second World War, as well as to socio-cultural history, cultural studies and gender studies.
Men-of-War: Life in Nelson's Navy
by Patrick O'BrianA concise overview, richly illustrated, of the historical background to the acclaimed Aubrey/Maturin novels. This book is a companion to Patrick O'Brian's sea novels, a straightforward exploration of what daily life in Nelson's navy was really like, for everyone from the captain down to the rawest recruit. What did they eat? What songs did they sing? What was the schedule of watches? How were the officers and crew paid, and what was the division of prize-money? These questions and many more are answered in Patrick O'Brian's elegant narrative, which includes wonderful anecdotal material on the battles and commanders that established Britain's naval supremacy. Line drawings and charts help us to understand the construction and rigging of the great ships, the types and disposition of the guns, and how they were operated in battle. A number of contemporary drawings and cartoons illustrate aspects of naval life from the press gang to the scullery. Finally, a generous selection of full-color paintings render the majesty and the excitement of fleet actions in the age of fighting sail.
Menace to Empire: Anticolonial Solidarities and the Transpacific Origins of the US Security State (American Crossroads #63)
by Moon-Ho JungThis history reveals how radical threats to the United States empire became seditious threats to national security and exposes the antiradical and colonial origins of anti-Asian racism. Menace to Empire transforms familiar themes in American history. This profoundly ambitious history of race and empire traces both the colonial violence and the anticolonial rage that the United States spread across the Pacific between the Philippine-American War and World War II. Moon-Ho Jung argues that the US national security state as we know it was born out of attempts to repress and silence anticolonial subjects, from the Philippines and Hawaiʻi to California and beyond. Jung examines how various revolutionary movements spanning the Pacific confronted the US empire. In response, the US state closely monitored and brutally suppressed those movements, exaggerating fears of pan-Asian solidarities and sowing anti-Asian racism. Radicalized by their opposition to the US empire and racialized as threats to US security, peoples in and from Asia pursued a revolutionary politics that engendered and haunted the national security state—the heart and soul of the US empire ever since.
Mengele: Unmasking The Angel Of Death
by David G. MarwellA gripping biography of the infamous Nazi doctor, from a former Justice Department official tasked with uncovering his fate. Perhaps the most notorious war criminal of all time, Josef Mengele was the embodiment of bloodless efficiency and passionate devotion to a grotesque worldview. Aided by the role he has assumed in works of popular culture, Mengele has come to symbolize the Holocaust itself as well as the failure of justice that allowed countless Nazi murderers and their accomplices to escape justice. Whether as the demonic doctor who directed mass killings or the elusive fugitive who escaped capture, Mengele has loomed so large that even with conclusive proof, many refused to believe that he had died. As chief of investigative research at the Justice Department’s Office of Special Investigations in the 1980s, David G. Marwell worked on the Mengele case, interviewing his victims, visiting the scenes of his crimes, and ultimately holding his bones in his hands. Drawing on his own experience as well as new scholarship and sources, Marwell examines in scrupulous detail Mengele’s life and career. He chronicles Mengele’s university studies, which led to two PhDs and a promising career as a scientist; his wartime service both in frontline combat and at Auschwitz, where his “selections” sent innumerable innocents to their deaths and his “scientific” pursuits—including his studies of twins and eye color—traumatized or killed countless more; and his postwar flight from Europe and refuge in South America. Mengele describes the international search for the Nazi doctor in 1985 that ended in a cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the dogged forensic investigation that produced overwhelming evidence that Mengele had died—but failed to convince those who, arguably, most wanted him dead. This is the riveting story of science without limits, escape without freedom, and resolution without justice.
Menin Gate North: In Memory and In Mourning (In Memory and in Mourning)
by Paul ChapmanThis is a comprehensive and highly emotive volume, borne of years of intensive research and many trips to the battlefields of the Great War. It seeks to humanize the Menin Gate Memorial (North), to offer the reader a chance to engage with the personal stories of the soldiers whose names have been chiseled there in stone. Poignant stories of camaraderie, tragic twists of fate and noble sacrifice have been collated in an attempt to bring home the reality of war and the true extent of its tragic cost. It is hoped that visitors to the battlefields, whether their relatives are listed within or not, will find their experience enriched by having access to this treasure trove of stories.
Menin Gate South: In Memory and In Mourning (In Memory and in Mourning)
by Paul ChapmanThis is a comprehensive and highly emotive volume, borne of years of intensive research and many trips to the battlefields of the Great War. It seeks to humanise the Menin Gate Memorial (South), to offer the reader a chance to engage with the personal stories of the soldiers whose names have been chiseled there in stone. Poignant stories of camaraderie, tragic twists of fate and noble sacrifice have been collated in an attempt to bring home the reality of war and the true extent of its tragic cost. It is hoped that visitors to the battlefields, whether their relatives are listed within or not, will find their experience enriched by having access to this treasure trove of stories.
Mensaje de Nam (Jet/debolsillo Ser. #Vol. 245)
by Danielle SteelUn inolvidable poema de amor y fidelidad. El asesinato del presidente Kennedy y los acontecimientos subsiguientes irrumpen con violencia en la vida de Paxton Andrews, una joven de Georgia marcada por la trágica pérdida de sus seres más queridos: su padre, cuando apenas era una niña, y su novio Peter. La insoportable angustia que ha de sufrir tras la muerte de este, a los pocos días de llegar a su destino en Vietnam, la reafirma en su idea de viajar a aquel país para desarrollar su carrera como periodista y trata de comprender la desaparición de Peter. A partir de aquí su vida toma un nuevo rumbo; todas las cosas adquieren un nuevo sentido que transforma a aquella joven en una mujer adulta capaz de resistir los estragos más terribles de una guerra.
Mentor Graham: The Man Who Taught Lincoln
by Kunigunde Duncan D F NickolsDiscover the remarkable story of Mentor Graham, the influential educator who played a crucial role in shaping the mind of one of America's greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln. In Mentor Graham: The Man Who Taught Lincoln, authors Kunigunde Duncan and John W. Nickols (writing under the pseudonym William Edward Barton) provide an in-depth look at the life and legacy of the man behind the legend.This meticulously researched biography delves into the early years of Abraham Lincoln's life, focusing on his formative education under the guidance of Mentor Graham. Graham, a dedicated and innovative teacher in the small frontier town of New Salem, Illinois, recognized Lincoln's potential and nurtured his intellectual growth. Through engaging narrative and historical context, Duncan and Nickols highlight how Graham's teaching methods and mentorship helped Lincoln develop the critical thinking skills, eloquence, and knowledge that would later define his leadership.This book is an essential read for history enthusiasts, educators, and anyone interested in the untold stories behind Abraham Lincoln's rise to greatness. Duncan and Nickols' compelling narrative brings to life the enduring influence of Mentor Graham, emphasizing the profound and lasting impact that a dedicated teacher can have on the course of history.Join Kunigunde Duncan and John W. Nickols in uncovering the story of Mentor Graham and gain a deeper understanding of the man who helped forge the character and intellect of one of America's most revered leaders. Mentor Graham: The Man Who Taught Lincoln is a testament to the power of education and mentorship in shaping the future.
Menus, Munitions and Keeping the Peace: The Home Front Diaries of Gabrielle West 1914–1917
by Avalon WestonWhen Gabrielle West wrote diaries about her war to send to her much missed favorite brother in India she had no idea that a hundred years later they would be of interest to anyone.Soon after the outbreak of the First World War, Vicars daughter Gabrielle joined the Red Cross and worked as a volunteer cook in two army convalescent hospitals. She then secured paid positions in the canteens of the Farnborough Royal Aircraft Factory and then the Woolwich Arsenal, where she watched Zeppelin raids over London during her night shifts. Having failed a mental arithmetic test to drive a horse-drawn bread van for J. Lyons, she was among the first women enrolled in the police and spent the rest of the war looking after the girls in various munitions factories.Gabrielle wrote about and drew what she saw. She had no interest in opinion or politics. She took her bicycle and her dog Rip everywhere and they appear in many of her stories. She had a sharp eye and sometimes a sharp pen.At the end of the war she was simply sent home. She spent the rest of her life caring for relatives. She lived to 100 and never married. The First World War was her big adventure.These days, the reader might feel MI5 should worry about those detailed line drawings of the processes in the factories being sent by Royal Mail across the world but a hundred years ago?
Merc: American Soldiers Fortune
by MallinProfiles the character and motivation of the American mercenary soldiers-adventurers, former Green Berets and other Vietnam-era soldiers, and ex-CIA agents--who sell their military experience and expertise
Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot: A True Story of the Berlin Airlift and the Candy that Dropped from the Sky
by Margot Theis RavenA True Story of the Berlin Airlift and the Candy that Dropped from the Sky. Life was grim in 1948 West Berlin, Germany. Josef Stalin blockaded all ground routes coming in and out of Berlin to cut off West Berliners from all food and essential supplies. Without outside help, over 2.2 million people would die. Thus began the Berlin Airlift, a humanitarian rescue mission that utilized British and American airplanes and pilots to fly in needed supplies. As one of the American pilots participating in the Airlift mission, Lt. Gail S. Halvorsen helped to provide not only nourishment to the children but also gave them a reason to hope for a better world. From one thoughtful, generous act came a lifelong relationship between Lt. Gail and the children of Berlin. This is the true story of a seven-year-old girl named Mercedes who lived in West Berlin during the Airlift and of the American who came to be known as the Chocolate Pilot. Artist Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen's evocative paintings illuminate Margot Theis Raven's powerful story of hope, friendship and remembrance. <P><P> About the Author: Margot Theis Raven has been a professional writer working in the fields of radio, television, magazines, newspapers, and children's books for thirty years. She has won five national awards, including an IRA Teacher's Choice award. Ms. Raven earned her degree in English from Rosemont College and attended Villanova University for theater study, and Kent State University for German language. Ms. Raven splits her time living in Concord, MA, Charleston, SC and West Chesterfield, NH. About the Illustrator: Born in the Netherlands, Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in Holland. He immigrated to the United States in 1976, and years later he became a children's book illustrator. Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot is Nick's ninth children's book with Sleeping Bear Press.
Mercenaries and Security Contractors in the 21st Century: The Past and Future of Private Force (Routledge Private Security Studies)
by Eugenio Cusumano, Christopher Kinsey, and Robert ParrThis book examines the debate over private security contractors, using historical and contemporary cases, including several non-Western examples.Since the end of the Cold War, security privatization has grown in its geographical outreach, breadth, and scope. This pervasive expansion of the private military and security market warrants a systematic investigation of commercial actors’ involvement in the variety of tasks associated with the provision of violence, ranging from combat to vessel protection and cybersecurity. Combining theoretical and empirical approaches, the essays in this volume provide a historical investigation into private force that extends beyond Europe and the United States.By focusing on recent developments, such as the extensive involvement of Russian mercenaries in Ukraine, new evidence from the Global South, and the added historical depth given to the study of commercial providers of warfare, this volume questions the endurance of norms like the mercenary taboo and the state monopoly of violence. In doing so, it sheds new light on the past, present, and future of private security.This book will be of much interest to students of private security studies, military studies, security studies, and international relations.
Mercenaries and Their Masters: Warfare in Renaissance Italy
by Michael MallettThe eminent Renaissance historian&’s classic study of warfare between Italian city-states between the 13th and 16th centuries. Michael Mallett&’s lucid account of the age of the condottieri—or mercenary captains of fortune—and of the soldiers who fought under them is set in the wider context of the Italian society of the time and of the warring city-states who employed them. Mallett presents a colorful portrait of the mercenaries themselves, as well as their commanders and their campaigns, while also exploring how war was practiced in the Renaissance world. Mallett puts special focus on the 15th century, a confused period of turbulence and transition when standing armies were formed in Italy and more modern types of military organization took hold across Europe. But it also looks back to the middle ages, and forward to the Italian wars of the sixteenth century when foreign armies disputed the European balance of power on Italian soil. First published I 1974, Mallett&’s pioneering study remains an essential text on the subject of warfare in the late medieval period and the Renaissance.
Mercenaries to Conquerors: Norman Warfare in the Eleventh & Twelfth-Century Mediterranean
by Paul BrownWhen a band of Norman adventurers arrived in southern Italy to fight in the Lombard insurrections against the Byzantine empire in the early 1000s, few would have predicted that within a generation these men would have seized control of Apulia, Calabria and Sicily. How did they make such extraordinary gains and then consolidate their power? Paul Brown, in this thoroughly researched and absorbing study, seeks to answer these questions and throw light onto the Norman conquests across the Mediterranean. Throughout he focuses on the military side of their progress, as they advanced from mercenaries to conquerors, then crusaders. The story of the campaigns they undertook in Italy, Sicily, the Balkans and the Near East reveals their remarkable talent for war. The dominant role played by a succession of Norman leaders is a key theme of the narrative a line of ambitious and ruthless soldiers that ran from Robert Guiscard and Bohemond to Roger II and Tancred.
Mercenaries, Hybrid Armies and National Security: Private Soldiers and the State in the 21st Century (LSE International Studies Series)
by Caroline VarinThis book assesses the use of ‘mercenaries’ by states, and their integration into the national armed forces as part of a new hybridisation trend of contemporary armies. Governments, especially in the West, are undertaking an unprecedented wave of demilitarisation and military budget cuts. Simultaneously, these same governments are increasingly opening their armies up to foreign nationals and outsourcing military operations to private companies. This book explores the impact of this hybridisation on the values, cohesion and effectiveness of the armed forces by comparing and contrasting the experiences of the French Foreign Legion, private military companies in Angola, and the merging of private contractors and American troops in Iraq. Examining the employment of foreign citizens and private security companies as military forces and tools of foreign policy, and their subsequent impact on the national armed forces, the book investigates whether the difficulties of coordinating soldiers of various nationalities and allegiances within public-private joint military operations undermines the legitimacy of the state. Furthermore, the author questions whether this trend for outsourcing security can realistically provide a long term and positive contribution to national security. This book will be of much interest to students of private military companies, strategic studies, international security and IR in general.
Mercenaries: An African Security Dilemma
by Abdel-Fatau Musah J. 'Kayode Fayemi Kayode FayemiThis powerful book critiques mercenary involvement in post-Cold War African conflicts. The contributors investigate the links between the rise in internal conflicts and the proliferation of mercenary activities in the 1990s; the distinction in the methods adopted by Cold War mercenaries and their contemporary counterparts; the convoluted network between private armies; business interests and sustained poverty in Africa’s poorest countries; and the connection between mercenary activities and arms proliferation. Countries discussed include Sierra Leone, Zaire, Angola, Uganda and Congo.
Mercenaries: Soldiers of Fortune, from Ancient Greece to Today's Private Military Companies
by Michael Lee LanningSOLDIERS OF $$. Privateers, contract killers,corporate warriors. Contract soldiers go by many names, but they all have one thing in common: They fight for money and plunder rather than liberty, God, or country. Now acclaimed author and war vet Michael Lee Lanning traces the compelling history of these fighting machines--from the "Sea Peoples" who fought for the pharaohs' greater glory to today's soldiers for hire from private military companies (PMCs) in Iraq and Afghanistan. What emerges is a fascinating account of the men who fight other people's wars--the Greeks who built an empire for Alexander the Great, the Nubians who accompanied Hannibal across the Alps, the Irish who became the first to go global in their search for work. Soldiers of fortune have always had the power to change the course of war, and Lanning examines their pivotal roles in individual battles and in the rise and fall of empires. As the employment of contract soldiers spreads in Iraq and America's War on Terrorism--the U. S. paid $30 billion to PMCs in 2003 alone--Mercenaries offers a valuable inside look at a system that appears embedded in our nation's future.
Mercenary
by Michele MannonSometimes in life, choices just aren't part of the plan. When fate interferes and bulldozes right over you.That's how I felt the first time I saw him. Standing in my kitchen, soaking wet, hotter than a man has the right to be, and holding a knife.Declan's cold, stone-cold. I can't help but want him. His presence stirs up some raw emotion within me. He seems so...alone. But is he here to kill me or save me?He's the one man I should never want...and the one I can never forget.