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Alexander: The Ambiguity of Greatness
by Guy Maclean RogersFor nearly two and a half millennia, Alexander the Great has loomed over history as a legend–and an enigma. Wounded repeatedly but always triumphant in battle, he conquered most of the known world, only to die mysteriously at the age of thirty-two. In his day he was revered as a god; in our day he has been reviled as a mass murderer, a tyrant as brutal as Stalin or Hitler. Who was the man behind the mask of power? Why did Alexander embark on an unprecedented program of global domination? What accounted for his astonishing success on the battlefield? In this luminous new biography, the esteemed classical scholar and historian Guy MacLean Rogers sifts through thousands of years of history and myth to uncover the truth about this complex, ambiguous genius.Ascending to the throne of Macedonia after the assassination of his father, King Philip II, Alexander discovered while barely out of his teens that he had an extraordinary talent and a boundless appetite for military conquest. A virtuoso of violence, he was gifted with an uncanny ability to visualize how a battle would unfold, coupled with devastating decisiveness in the field. Granicus, Issos, Gaugamela, Hydaspes–as the victories mounted, Alexander’s passion for conquest expanded from cities to countries to continents. When Persia, the greatest empire of his day, fell before him, he marched at once on India, intending to add it to his holdings.As Rogers shows, Alexander’s military prowess only heightened his exuberant sexuality. Though his taste for multiple partners, both male and female, was tolerated, Alexander’s relatively enlightened treatment of women was nothing short of revolutionary. He outlawed rape, he placed intelligent women in positions of authority, and he chose his wives from among the peoples he conquered. Indeed, as Rogers argues, Alexander’s fascination with Persian culture, customs, and sexual practices may have led to his downfall, perhaps even to his death.Alexander emerges as a charismatic and surprisingly modern figure–neither a messiah nor a genocidal butcher but one of the most imaginative and daring military tacticians of all time. Balanced and authoritative, this brilliant portrait brings Alexander to life as a man, without diminishing the power of the legend.
Alexios I Komnenos in the Balkans, 1081–1095 (New Approaches to Byzantine History and Culture)
by Marek MeškoThis book provides a new military history of Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos's campaigns in the Balkans, during the first fourteen years of his rule. While the tactics and manoeuvres Alexios used against Robert Guiscard's Normans are relatively well-known, his strategy in dealing with Pecheneg and Cuman adversaries in the region has received less attention in historical scholarship. This book provides a much-need synthesis of these three closely linked campaigns – often treated as discrete events – revealing a surprising coherence in Alexios' response, and explores the position of Byzantium's army and navy on the eve of the First Crusade.
Alfie's War: A Fleet Air Arm Pilot's Exciting Exploits on HMH Illustrious, and Greece and Crete
by Richard PikeThe bestselling author of Seven Seas, Nine Lives continues the remarkable experiences of Captain A.W.F. &“Alfie&” Sutton during the Second World War. Written in three parts, this book follows the harrowing adventures of Captain A.W.F. &“Alfie&” Sutton, CBE, DSC and bar, RN. During events which come as close to fiction as is imaginable, the first part describes how Alfie, badly injured and close to death during the bombing of HMS Illustrious by the Luftwaffe in January 1941, wakes to find himself laid out among the dead, but miraculously still able to help the ship on to Malta. After full recovery, part two starts with his involvement in the Allied campaign in Greece in the spring of 1941, leading to him eventually evacuating the Greek royal family in a flying boat. After numerous escapades he fights with the defenders during the German invasion of Crete in 1941. Admiral Cunningham was later to describe Sutton&’s efforts as &“an example of grand personal courage under the worst possible conditions which stands out brightly in the gloom.&” It was a struggle doomed to failure, but Alfie survived to continue his war and tell his story to author Richard Pike who relates it here with passion, pace and drama.
Alfred Von Schlieffen's Military Writings (Military History and Policy)
by Robert T. FoleyA collection of some of the writings of Generalfeldmarschall Alfred Graf von Schlieffen, one of the more intriguing of Imperial Germany's military figures. Schlieffens 15 years as Chief of the General staff left a stamp upon both military and political institutions of Wilhelmine Germany.
Ali Pasha, Lion of Ioannina: The Remarkable Life of the Balkan Napoleon
by Eugenia Russell Quentin RussellAt the beginning of the nineteenth century, the life of a petty tyrant in an obscure corner of the Ottoman Empire became the stuff of legend. What propelled this cold-blooded archetype of Oriental despotism, grandly known as the Lion of Yanina and the Balkan Napoleon, into the consciousness of Western rulers and the general public? This book charts the rise of Ali Pasha from brigand leader to a player in world affairs and, ultimately, to a gruesome end.Ali exploited the internal weakness of the Ottoman Empire to carve out his own de facto empire in Albania and Western Greece. Although a ruthless tyrant guilty of cruel atrocities, his lavish court became an attraction to Western travelers, most famously Lord Byron, and his military prowess led Britain, Russia and France to seek his alliance during the Napoleonic Wars. His activities undermined the Sultans authority and ultimately led to the Greek War of Independence.Quentin and Eugenia Russell describe his remarkable life and military career as well as the legacy he bequeathed in his homeland as a nationalist hero and further afield as inspiration for writers and artists of the Romantic movement.
Alibi: A Novel
by Joseph KanonFrom the acclaimed author of Los Alamos and The Good German comes a riveting tale of love, revenge and murder set in post-WWII Venice.It is 1946, and Adam Miller has come to Venice to visit his socialite mother and try to forget the horrors he has witnessed as a US Army war crimes investigator in Germany. But when he falls in love with Claudia, a Jewish woman scarred by her devastating experiences during World War II, he must confront the dark secrets lurking just beneath the city’s charms.Adam begins to see another Venice, one still at war with itself and haunted by atrocities it would rather forget. Everyone, including his mother’s suave new Venetian suitor, has been compromised by the occupation, and Adam finds himself at the center of a web of deception, intrigue, and unexpected moral dilemmas.When is murder acceptable? What are the limits of guilt? How much is someone willing to pay for a perfect alibi? Winner of the Hammett Prize
Alice Bliss
by Laura Harrington'This story of friendship, love, grief and growing up will yank on the heartstrings. And then some' Look Alice Bliss is fifteen. She's smart, funny, and clever. Not afraid to stand up for the things she believes in. She also idolizes her father, and when he leaves home to fight a war she doesn't believe in, Alice is distraught. She and her mother negotiate his absence as best they can - waiting impatiently for his letters, throwing themselves into school and work respectively, bickering intermittently and, in Alice's case, falling for the boy next door - but then they're told that he's missing in action and have to face up to the fact that he may never return. 'A powerful coming-of-age story of love, family and grief' Big Issue 'I put down this book and thought, there is no one like this girl, so fully has Harrington brought a new Alice to life' Sarah Blake, bestselling author of The Postmistress 'Compassionate and intelligent . . . strong storytelling and a rich emotional core' Jenny Downham, author of Before I Die
Alice of Old Vincennes
by Maurice ThompsonSet against the backdrop of the American Revolution Alice of Old Vincennes is the story of the orphan girl Alice Roussillon. In 1778 the French outpost of Vincennes, Indiana revolts against the British and swears allegiance to the American cause. <P> <P> Hoisting her hand-made American flag over the fort Alice provides the rallying symbol of the cause of liberty. The handsome Virginian Lt. Fitzhugh Beverly proves to be both a noble companion in arms as well as of the heart. When the British retake Vincennes the rallying cry Viva la banniere d'Alice Roussillon is heard throughout the land. The true battle for liberty and love has begun.
Alice on the Island: A Pearl Harbor Survival Story (Girls Survive)
by Mayumi Shimose PoeIn 1941, thirteen-year-old Alice's days are filled with swimming in the Hawaiian sea, going to school, and helping watch her younger siblings. But on December 7, everything changes when she experiences an act of war, the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As the United States enters World War II, Alice's father is sent to a Japanese internment camp, leaving Alice and the rest of her family struggling to adjust to life without him. Featuring nonfiction support material, a glossary, and reader response questions, this Girls Survive story takes readers to one of history's most important moments.
Alien Agendas: Solar Warden Book 3 (Solar Warden #3)
by Ian DouglasReptilian aliens, Nazis in space, time-traveling humans, kidnapped girlfriends, government psychics—it all comes down to this: New York Times bestselling author Ian Douglas delivers the jaw-dropping finale to his action-packed military sci-fi Solar Warden adventure series.The Saurians, a highly evolved reptilian species which escaped extinction 65 million years ago, have an agenda: to achieve behind-the-scenes dominance over Earth. Operating from hidden bases, they use psychosocial techniques to plant conspiracy theories and instill fear within the human population. Too weak in numbers to militarily conquer a world they believe to be their own, they seek to renew Nazi strongman ideologies and surrogates to gain absolute control.Their first attempt is thwarted by the Talis, time-traveling humans from the far future. Yet, their assistance is limited as they face an all-out time war that could sweep modern humanity and their futuristic society into oblivion.With the human species in danger, Commander Mark Hunter and his Joint Space Strike Team must work alongside Talis agents, the U.S. Space Force, and a young and talented government psychic to stop the Saurians from world dominance.As if saving earth wasn’t challenging enough, Hunter’s girlfriend, Jerry, was kidnapped by the infamous Men in Black to control him. Now Hunter has just one chance to find and rescue his love and the rest of the captives before the Saurians bring the entire base crashing down around him and his people.Commander Mark Hunter and his crew require a miracle, and perhaps even that might not be enough…
Alien Bounty (Sam McCade #3)
by William C. DietzFrom the New York Times–bestselling author of Legion of the Damned: &“When it comes to military science fiction . . . Dietz can run with the best&” (Steve Perry). A fragile peace between the Il Ronnian Empire and humankind is about to crumble--because space pirates have made off with one of the aliens' holiest relics. Only one man can hunt down the sacred object. A man with a score to settle with the pirates: bounty hunter supreme Sam McCade.
Alien Hostiles: Solar Warden Book Two (Solar Warden #2)
by Ian DouglasNew York Times bestselling author Ian Douglas delivers the action-packed second military sci-fi adventure in his Solar Warden series set in a wildly imaginative alternate present where conspiracy theories are terrifying realities and reptilian aliens team up with Nazis in space.By exposing the sinister Saurians, Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander Mark Hunter and his team have more than proven themselves. Yet the war between humanity and the intergalactic aliens has only begun—now they must save themselves and all of civilization. The JSST—the Joint Space Strike Team Hunter has put together from all branches of the U.S. military—is again deployed on board the Earth starcraft carrier Hillenkoetter on a mission to probe a possible historical connection between the Saurians and the Nazi Third Reich. At a planet called Paradies orbiting the red giant star Aldebaran, they discover a long-rumored colony of expatriate Nazis... and the beginnings of a plan to enslave Earth under Nazi—and Saurian—rule. With Earth at stake, governments deeply compromised, and evil at the door, Solar Warden must fight together to end it all…even if it means sacrificing everything.
Alien Secrets (Solar Warden #1)
by Ian DouglasIn the first novel in New York Times bestselling author Ian Douglas’ Solar Warden series, government conspiracy theories, UFO history, and thrilling space combat come together in an unforgettable interstellar military science fiction adventure.THE TRUTH HAS ALWAYS BEEN HEREIn the final days of World War II, the Allies ransacked Berlin. Third Reich scientists were highly sought- out prizes for Americans and Russians desperate to possess the Nazi knowledge of nuclear firepower. But they failed to capture one of the most vital members of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle: SS Obergruppenfuhrer Hans Kammler. One of the engineers of Auschwitz, Kammler was also a liaison with the Nazis’ silent partners whose technological wonders nearly helped the Axis win the war—the alien species the Germans called the Eidechse. More than seven decades later, U. S. Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander Mark Hunter has witnessed the impossible. On a mission in North Korea, an unidentified flying object destroyed a compound developing weapons of mass destruction. Now, he has been recruited to join a government agency that has been harboring a secret alliance with extraterrestrials since 1947. Selected to lead an elite force of soldiers, Hunter will travel across the stars to help humanity stake its claim among greater intelligent life in the universe.But the aliens who have infiltrated Earth and guided war mongering nations since the twentieth century have their own agendas…
Alistair MacLean's War: How the Royal Navy Shaped his Bestsellers
by Mark SimmonsIt is no coincidence that many of Alistair MacLean's most successful novels were sea stories. In 1941, he was called up after volunteering for the Royal Navy and served as Ordinary Seaman, Able Seaman, and Leading Torpedo Operator. For the majority of his service, he was on HMS Royalist, a modified Dido-class light cruiser, seeing action in the Arctic, and operations against the German battleship Tirpitz . The ship then deployed to the Mediterranean taking part in Operation Dragoon the invasion of the South of France and later in operations against German occupied Greek Islands in the Aegean. After which MacLean and Royalist were deployed to the Indian Ocean and operations against the Japanese in Malaya, Burma, and Sumatra. His wartime experiences coupled with exceptional literary skill resulted in the runaway success of his first novel HMS Ulysses (1955) followed by The Guns of Navarone (1957) and South by Java Head (1958). These three blockbusters cemented his position as one of the most successful and highly paid authors of the era. While not a whole life biography, Mark Simmon’s book provides a fascinating insight into Maclean’s war service and subsequent works, which deserve enduring popularity.
Alistair MacLean: Six Complete Novels
by Alistair MacLeanAn omnibus volume that contains six complete Alistair MacLean novels, including: The Guns of Navarone, Force 10 from Navarone, Puppet on a Chain, Caravan to Vaccares, Seawitch and Goodbye California.
Alive Day: A Memoir
by Karie FugettA searing, unflinchingly intimate memoir about one young couple caught up in the machinery of America&’s military system, learning to live and love through war and all that comes after&“Astonishing . . . both a love story and a gripping account of the cost of war.&”—Stephanie Land, bestselling author of Maid and ClassKarie Fugett is living out of her car in a Kmart parking lot when her boyfriend, Cleve, suggests, &“Maybe we could get married or somethin&’.&” Karie says yes out of love but also out of convenience. As a twenty-year-old high school dropout who ran away from her family and recently lost her job, Karie has nowhere else to turn. Just months after they elope, Cleve&’s Marine unit is deployed to Iraq. It isn&’t long before Karie gets the call: Cleve&’s Humvee has been hit by an IED, and he&’s suffered severe injuries.Karie rushes to Walter Reed, where she&’s told it&’s a miracle that her husband has survived. &“Happy Alive Day, man,&” a fellow vet says to Cleve, explaining that this will always be the day when he was given a second chance at life. Newlyweds barely out of their teens, Karie and Cleve are thrust into utterly foreign roles. Karie tries to adapt to her job as a caregiver, navigating the labyrinthine system of veterans affairs, hospital bureaucracies, and doctors who do little more than shrug when she raises concerns about Cleve&’s dependency on painkillers. It is clear to Karie that Cleve is using opiates to dull a pain that is more than physical. She catches his first overdose, but what if she can&’t save him a second time? Will she still be able to save herself?Fugett&’s story depicts an oft-overlooked reality of war: the experience of the many thousands of caregivers and spouses—mostly women, mostly young, mostly poor—whose lives have been shattered by battles fought against enemies abroad and against addiction at home. Tender, vivid, and laced with dark humor, Alive Day is at once an epic and engrossing love story, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and a powerful indictment of the sins of a nation.
Alive and Kicking: Alive and Kicking (World War II #3)
by Chris LynchThe author of the acclaimed Vietnam series sets his sights on World War II."All the sizzle, chaos, noise and scariness of war is clay in the hands of ace storyteller Lynch." -- Kirkus ReviewsTheo has always looked up to his older brother, Hank, but never more so than the day Hank enlisted in the US Navy. Not to be outdone, Theo followed his older brother's lead in joining the war effort -- but preferring the wide open sky to the untamed ocean, Theo chose to serve with the Army Air Force.As a gunner on a B-24 Liberator, Theo is enthusiastic about his crew's mission to save all of Europe from the Nazis. Fearlessness is a requirement for dog fights at 50,000 feet. But when Theo's brother goes missing in the Pacific, fear start creeping in. Can Theo keep his head in the game while he awaits word of his brother's fate?
All Against All: The Long Winter of 1933 and the Origins of the Second World War
by Paul Jankowski“This crisply written, well-documented account . . . examines diplomatic, military, political and economic developments in a crucial period leading up to WWII” (Publishers Weekly)All Against All is the story of how a single winter, between November 1932 and April 1933, put the postwar world back on the path to global conflict. Historian Paul Jankowski reveals how domestic passions within various nations colluded to drive their governments towards a war few of them wanted and none of them could control.Over these six months, collective delusions took hold in both liberal and authoritarian regimes. Hitler came to power; Japan invaded Jehol and left the League of Nations; Mussolini looked towards Africa; Roosevelt was elected; France changed governments three times; and the victors of the Great War fell out acrimoniously over war debts, arms, currency, tariffs, and Germany. A world economic conference offered hope, only to collapse when the US went its own way.All Against All reconstructs a series of seemingly disparate happenings whose connections can only be appraised in retrospect. As he weaves these stories together, Jankowski offers a cautionary tale for our times. While we do not know for certain where today’s crises will take us, we do know that those of the 1930s culminated in the Second World War.
All Along the Watchtower: Murder at Fort Devens
by William J. CraigThe controversy around the case of a former Green Beret&’s murder of his wife shows the lengths the government will go to to keep its secrets hidden. It was a dreary winter afternoon in Ayer, Massachusetts, a quintessential New England town, the type which is romanticized in Robert Frost&’s poems. But on January 30, 1979, a woman&’s scream was heard piercing the northeast tempest wind. In an unassuming apartment building on Washington Street, Elaine Tyree, a mother, wife, and US Army soldier, had her life brutally ripped from her. Her husband, William Tyree, a Special Forces soldier, was convicted of this heinous murder, which he has always vehemently denied. Some elements of this case seem to be chilling echoes of the Jeffrey MacDonald case, made famous in the book and film Fatal Vision. A military doctor and US Army Captain, MacDonald was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters but always maintained his innocence. As in the MacDonald case, the case against William Tyree raises questions as to whether the government and military suppressed evidence that could prove his innocence. The Tyree case sent a shockwave through the idyllic community of Ayer, the United States Army, and the judicial system of Massachusetts. This case provoked suspicions of judicial misconduct, government cover-up, clandestine Black Ops by the military, and various conspiracy theories ultimately implicating &“Deep State&” involvement. The events that took place that fateful day, the subsequent courtroom showdown, and the ongoing legal battles raise provocative questions that continue to revolve around this case to this day.
All American
by Steve EubanksIn December 2001, as fires still burned beneath the ruins of the World Trade Center, West Point cadet Chad Jenkins and Naval Academy midshipman Brian Stann faced off at Veterans Stadium in Philadel-phia in what would become the most-watched college football game of the decade: the matchup between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen. At opposing stadiums throughout the season, the Army and Navy teams, used to jeers from their oppo-nents' fans, had instead been greeted with standing ovations from respectful crowds who knew that these young players, military officers in training, were soon going to fight a war in the Middle East. On this day, before this momentous game, President George W. Bush--along with others such as General Norman Schwarzkopf and Senator John McCain--visited both locker rooms before watching the game from the sidelines. When Stann, a Navy linebacker, first came into contact with Jenkins, the Army quarterback, his team was behind by thirteen points. Yet he managed to land the perfect tackle against Jenkins. Though these two players would not meet again for a decade, Stann and Jenkins shared the same path: both went to war. As first-class officers serving several tours of duty, they led soldiers and marines and participated in events they never imagined possible. A moving and fascinating dual profile of honor, duty, courage, and competition, All American is a thoughtful exploration of American character and values, embodied in the lives of two remarkable young men.
All American History, Volume II: The Civil War to the 21st Century Student Reader
by Celeste W. RakesThe book contains a full year’s curriculum in 32 weekly lessons. Each lesson contains three sections examining: the atmosphere in which the event occurred, the event itself, and the impact this event had on the future of America.
All American: Why I Believe in Football, God, and the War in Iraq
by Robert P McGovernCaptain Robert McGovern epitomizes all that is right and good in America. One of nine children growing up in a New Jersey family, he made local headlines as a high school football phenom before becoming a star linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the New England Patriots. When his illustrious NFL career was over, he earned a law degree from Fordham University and went to work for the New York City district attorney's office. From that vantage point he witnessed close-up the fall of the Twin Towers on that world-altering morning in September 2001—an event that inspired him to leave public life and join the U.S. Army to better serve the country he loves.As a military prosecuting attorney, Captain McGovern has advised battlefield commanders on legal rules of engagement in Afghanistan and has prosecuted suspected terrorists in Iraq. A dedicated soldier and a man of faith who has been on the front lines of the War on Terror—both at home and in the Middle East—Captain Robert McGovern is an extraordinary American with a remarkable and important story to tell—one that every American needs to hear.
All Blood Runs Red: The Legendary Life of Eugene Bullard—Boxer, Pilot, Soldier, Spy
by Tom Clavin Phil KeithThe incredible story of the first African American military pilot, who became a spy in the French Resistance and an American civil rights pioneer.Winner of the Gold Medal for Memoir/Biography from the Military Writers Society of AmericaA New York Times Book Review Editors’ ChoiceEugene Bullard lived one of the most fascinating lives of the twentieth century. The son of a former slave and an indigenous Creek woman, Bullard fled home at the age of eleven to escape the racial hostility of his Georgia community. When his journey led him to Europe, he garnered worldwide fame as a boxer, and later as the first African American fighter pilot in history.After the war, Bullard returned to Paris a celebrated hero. But little did he know that the dramatic, globe-spanning arc of his life had just begun.All Blood Runs Red is the inspiring untold story of an American hero, a thought-provoking chronicle of the twentieth century and a portrait of a man who came from nothing and by his own courage, determination, gumption, intelligence and luck forged a legendary life.“A whale of a tale, told clearly and quickly. I read the entire book in almost one sitting.” —Thomas E. Ricks, The New York Times Book Review“All Blood Runs Red should be required reading for anyone who has ever dreamed big. A truly inspiring and uplifting story of courage and triumph, and an opus for an unsung hero.” —Nelson DeMille“Dazzling . . . This may be a biography, but it reads like a novel.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
All Brave Sailors
by J. Revell CarrIn the darkness before moonrise on the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast on August 21, 1940, the night erupted in a fusillade of bullets and shells. The victim was a stalwart English tramp steamer, Anglo-Saxon, part of the lifeline that was keeping besieged England supplied. The attacker was the Widder, a German surface raider, disguised as a neutral merchant ship. When it was near its prey, the raider unmasked its hidden armament and with overwhelming force destroyed the target ship. Only seven of the forty-one man crew of the Anglo-Saxon managed to get into a small boat and escape the raiders. Seventy days later, two of them, half dead, stumbled ashore in the Bahamas. The account of the sailors' ordeal -- how first the badly wounded and then the less strong died and were thrown over the side of a fragile boat that had almost no supplies -- is suspenseful and riveting. On the same day the two survivors reached the Bahamas, the Widder arrived off Brest, in occupied France, her murderous voyage over. Her captain, Hellmuth von Ruckteschell, who sank a staggering twenty-five ships, was eventually tried as a war criminal. All Brave Sailors is a story of endurance, heroism, brutality, and survival under the most terrible circumstances. It fills a gap in the history of World War II, telling the story of the much neglected sailors and the ships of the merchant marine, fighting against great odds in the early days of the war.
All But Me and Thee: Psychiatry at the Foxhole Level
by Brig.-Gen. Elliot D. CookeIn All But Me and Thee; Psychiatry at the Foxhole Level, which was first published in 1946, Brigadier-General Elliott D. Cooke takes a look at psychoneurosis in the armed forces, and presents conclusions in a highly readable fashion.“With a pleasantly informal and light approach, Brigadier-General Cooke presents the report of a non-medical line officer on the results of tracking down the problem of disability discharges. He and his associates followed the threads from commanders and units, to processing centers, hospitals, to overseas procedure in the individual cases; they talked with old psychiatrists and new, heard opinions, and made their final recommendations to General Marshall and presented their findings at a conference.“All But Me and Thee examines the beefs of the men and the officers; of the Medical Corps against bearing the brunt of washing dirty linen for the line; knowledge of the distinction between forms of mental disabilities, from pre-Army predisposition to actual collapse; the change in the military attitude; and the differentiation from riding the sick to real casualties.“An interesting handling of the subject.”—Kirkus Review