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The Age of Scorpio
by Gavin G. SmithPraised by Stephen Baxter and Adam Roberts, reviewed ecstatically by SFX magazine, Gavin Smith's first novel VETERAN announced an exciting new voice on the SF scene. WAR IN HEAVEN, set in the same universe, followed. Now comes a new standalone SF thriller.Of all the captains based out of Arclight only Eldon Sloper was desperate enough to agree to a salvage job in Red Space. And now he and his crew are living to regret his desperation.In Red Space the rules are different. Some things work, others don't. Best to stick close to the Church beacons. Don't get lost.Because there's something wrong about Red Space. Something beyond rational. Something vampyric...Long after The Loss, mankind is different. We touch the world via neunonics. We are machines, we are animals, we are hybrids. But some things never change. A Killer is paid to kill, a Thief will steal countless lives. A Clone will find insanity, an Innocent a new horror. The Church knows we have kept our sins.Gavin Smith's new SF novel is an epic slam-bang ride through a terrifyingly different future.
The Age of Steam, Part One (Vol. 3 of War at Sea, 1783-1936)
by John Van Duyn SouthworthThe Age of Steam, Part One, deals with engine-driven warships from the time of their first appearance until the collapse of the movement for naval disarmament in 1936. The book takes up the steam- driven naval activities of the Crimean. American Civil, Austro-Prussian, Sino Japanese, Spanish-American, Russo-Japanese, and First World Wars, interspersed with a variety of lesser conflicts involving significant naval activity. Concurrent with the account of naval actions is a treatment of the development of steam-driven warships from the appearance of U.S.S. Demologos in 1815 through the age of the ironclads to the time of the superdreadnoughts during and after World War I. Meaning is added to the accounts of the naval actions by a brief, running historical background to place each war, each action, and each development in its proper setting in history. The Age of Steam, Part One, is the third volume of the four-book series WAR AT SEA. The first book, The Ancient Fleets, dealt with naval warfare "under oars" from 2600 B.C. to 1597 A.D. Book Two, The Age of Sails, presented the story of conflict under sail from 1213 to 1853 A.D. The fourth book, The Age of Steam, Part Two, will carry the story from 1936 A.D. through World War II to the present day.
The Age of Total War
by Thomas DyerTHE peace of Vervins was not very well observed on the part of France. The ruling idea which guided the foreign policy of Henry IV was to curb the power of the House of Austria: a plan incompatible with the letter of the treaty. In pursuance of this policy Henry became the supporter of Protestantism; not, perhaps, from any lingering affection for his ancient faith—his indifference in such matters has been already seen—but because the Protestants were the natural enemies of the Austrian House. Hence he was determined to support the independence of Holland. He annually paid the Dutch large sums of money; he connived at the recruiting for them in France; and in spite of a royal prohibition, granted at the instance of the Spanish ambassador in 1599, whole regiments passed into the service of the United Provinces.
The Age of Treason: The Carefully and Deliberately Planned Methods Developed by the Vicious Element of Humanity
by R. Swinburne Clymer“‘The books that help you most are those that make you think.’—Theodore Parker [American Transcendentalist and reforming minister of the Unitarian church]“We heartily agree with this, but enlarge upon it: THE MISSION OF A BOOK IS TO MAKE PEOPLE THINK, REASON, ANALYZE, AND ACT ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS.“The present text has all this in mind and in addition, to offer information, which if followed, will be of infinite benefit, especially to Americans, and to humanity as a whole, as well as to expose HORRORS ALMOST BEYOND DESCRIPTION, AND WHOLLY INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO THE AVERAGE SANE MIND. These diabolical methods have already been successfully practiced in many countries. By the frank admission of their advocates, they are general in America, and are to become universal.“The direct impetuses for the present volume are several: First, the frank statements contained in Bertrand Russell’s book THE IMPACT OF SCIENCE ON SOCIETY, 1953 edition, describing what Fichte foresaw would be the common lot of humanity.“Russell is an author accepted by the Intelligentsia everywhere, because the Nobel prize has been conferred upon him, and he has held positions in some of the most popular universities.“The second reason is the ever-increasing number of requests we have received from every section of the country to continue our efforts, and render an unbiased opinion, based on the research of the past several years.”—R. Swinburne Clymer
The Age of the Ship of the Line: The British & French Navies, 1650–1815 (Studies In War, Society, And The Military Ser.)
by Jonathan R. DullThe &“acclaimed naval historian . . . takes the reader through the intricacies of warship design and construction in both French and British navies.&” —Historical Novel Society In the series of wars that raged between France and Britain from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, seapower was of absolute vital importance. Not only was each nation&’s navy a key to victory, but was a prerequisite for imperial dominance. These ongoing struggles for overseas colonies and commercial dominance required efficient navies which in turn insured the economic strength for the existence of these fleets as instruments of state power. This book, by the distinguished historian Jonathan Dull, looks inside the workings of both the Royal and the French navies of this tumultuous era, and compares the key elements of the rival fleets. Through this balanced comparison, Dull argues that Great Britain&’s final triumph in a series of wars with France was primarily the result of superior financial and economic power. This accessible and highly readable account navigates the intricacies of the British and French wars in a way which will both enlighten the scholar and fascinate the general reader. Naval warfare is brought to life but also explained within the framework of diplomatic and international history.&“A welcome and concise source of information . . . Military historians will find data about the numbers of ships in each navy for each period covered. Diplomatic historians will find brief descriptions of the various heads of state and the ministers whose decisions led to wars, victories, defeats, and economic disasters.&” —International Journal of Naval History
The Agency (A Jed Walker Series Novel #5)
by James PhelanIt's 2005, and Jed Walker has just entered the CIA. After a distinguished ten years within Air Force special ops, he's re-upped to avoid a desk job. But his first job will move the front line far closer to home--his first mission is stateside. New Orleans, pre-Katrina. Walker is sent on a mission by Harold Richter, CIA field operations legend and trainer of agents provocateur. The task he sends Walker on is a one-way ticket--survive and succeed at all costs. Walker is an off-the-grid, solo, deniable asset. But Walker soon finds out he's not alone. There's a British Agent in place, a savvy MI6 operator named Steph Mensch, and she's been tracking a super-yacht of Russians from Miami to the Big Easy. They're there to buy--and the asking price is huge. Soon, our spies learn that they must work together, and their missions become one and the same. When Steph is taken hostage, the case blows up: no one is who they seem, and soon Walker must take steps that will betray The Agency in order to do what's right for the nation. In a high-stakes game where the winner takes all, he must succeed. But at what cost?Then Walker learns the Russians are there to buy something that was stolen from them during the Russian war in Afghanistan. Walker knows if he doesn't succeed, it's not only Steph and him that will suffer--failure will result in an epic act of global terrorism.As Katrina comes to town to forever change a city and a country, it's clear to Walker that his life as a spy has the potential to shape global events. From Langley to Louisiana, Washington to Moscow, The Agency moves like a hurricane through a treacherous landscape of double crosses, false identities, and enemies old and new.
The Agent's Secret Past: Stolen Memories The Agent's Secret Past Dark Tide Deadly Safari (Military Investigations #6)
by Debby GiustiA military investigator is targeted by the killer who murdered her Amish family in this romantic suspense novel of faith in the face of danger.Eight years ago, a drifter destroyed Becca Miller’s ties to her Amish community—and murdered her family. Now she’s a special agent with Fort Rickman’s criminal investigation department, helping other victims seek justice. Becca thought for a time that she had left her traumatic past behind her. But now she’s convinced that the killer, who supposedly died years ago, is very much alive—and coming after her.Special agent Colby Voss agrees to help Becca investigate. Yet the closer they get to the truth, the closer the killer gets to silencing her permanently.
The Agitator: William Bailey and the First American Uprising against Nazism
by Peter DuffyThis story of an anti-fascist's dramatic and remarkable victory against Nazism in 1935 is an inspiration to anyone compelled to resist when signs of oppression are on the horizonBy 1935, Hitler had suppressed all internal opposition and established himself as Germany's unchallenged dictator. Yet many Americans remained largely indifferent as he turned his dangerous ambitions abroad. Not William Bailey.Just days after violent anti-Semitic riots had broken out in Berlin, the SS Bremen, the flagship of Hitler's commercial armada, was welcomed into New York Harbor. Bailey led a small group that slipped past security and cut down the Nazi flag from the boat in the middle of a lavish party. A brawl ensued, followed by a media circus and a trial, in which Bailey and his team were stunningly acquitted. The political victory ultimately exposed Hitler's narcissism and violent aggression for all of America to see.The Agitator is the captivating story of Bailey's courage and vision in the Bremen incident, the pinnacle of a life spent battling against fascism. Bailey's story is full of drama and heart--and it's an inspiration to anyone who seeks to resist tyranny.
The Agrarian Question in Socialist Transitions
by Ashwani SaithFirst published in 1986. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
The Agrarian Question in South Africa
by Henry BernsteinThis is the first collection of its kind. It presents a critical political economy of the agrarian question in post-apartheid South Africa, informed by the results of research undertaken since the transition from apartheid started in 1990. The articles, by well-known South African, British and American scholars, cover a variety of topical theoretical, empirical and policy issues, firmly rooted in an historical perspective.
The Air Battle for Malta: The Diaries of a Spitfire Pilot
by James Douglas-Hamilton P.B. "Laddie" LucasThis book provides an intriguing and realistic account of the struggle for the possession of Malta during World War II. The air battle raged for two and a half years during which time 14,000 tons of bombs were dropped on a defiant population.The history is based on the diaries of Lord David Douglas-Hamilton, the author's uncle, who was the leader of a Spitfire squadron that defended the island during the worst of the crisis.
The Air Campaign: Planning For Combat (Afa - Future Warfare Ser.)
by John A. Warden IIIIn the short history of air warfare, no nation with superior air forces has ever lost a war to the force of enemy arms. Air superiority by itself, however, no longer guarantees victory. This book, one of the first analyses of the pure art of planning the aerial dimension of war, explores the complicated connection between air superiority and victory in war.In The Air Campaign, Colonel John A. Warden III focuses on the use of air forces at the operational level in a theater of war. The most compelling task for the theater commander, he argues, is translating national war objectives into tactical plans at operational levels. He presents his case by drawing on fascinating historical examples, stressing that the mastery of operational-level strategy can be the key to winning future wars. Colonel Warden shows us how to use air power more effectively-through rough mass, concentration, and economy of forces-because, he warns, the United States no longer holds an edge in manpower, production capacity, and technology.Simply put, an air force inferior in numbers must fight better and smarter to win. This book offers planners greater understanding of how to use air power for future air campaigns against a wide variety of enemy capabilities in a wide variety of air operations. As the reader will see, the classic principles of war also apply to air combat. One of the author's important contributions is to demonstrate that perception to those whose grave responsibility one day may be to plan and carry through a victorious air campaign.
The Air Force Integrates 1945-1964 (Smithsonian History Of Aviation Ser.)
by Alan L. GropmanFROM THE FOREWORD: This book describes the struggle to desegregate the post-World War II U.S. Army Air Forces and its successor, the U.S. Air Force, and the remarkable advances made during the next two decades to end racial segregation and move towards equality of treatment of African-American airmen. The author, Lt. Col. Alan L. Gropman, a former Instructor of History at the U.S. Air Force Academy, received his doctorate degree from Tufts University. His dissertation served as the basis for this volume. In it, the author describes the fight to end segregation with the Air Force following President Harry S. Truman’s issuance of an executive order directing the integration of the armed forces. Despite resistance to the order, fueled by heated segregationist opposition, integration moved ahead somewhat slowly under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Progress increased during the administration of President John F. Kennedy, which saw major advances toward achieving equality for African-American servicemen. Colonel Gropman’s study is a detailed, comprehensive, and in many respects, a documentary account. The crucial events it describes more than justify the unusually extended treatment they receive. The volume thus provides a permanent record of this turbulent period in race relations and constitutes a significant contribution to the history of the Air Force.
The Air Force Way of War: U.S. Tactics and Training after Vietnam (Aviation And Air Power Ser.)
by Brian D. Laslie&“Laslie chronicles how the Air Force worked its way from the catastrophe of Vietnam through the triumph of the Gulf War, and beyond.&” —Robert M. Farley, author of Grounded The U.S. Air Force&’s poor performance in Operation Linebacker II and other missions during Vietnam was partly due to the fact that they had trained their pilots according to methods devised during World War II and the Korean War, when strategic bombers attacking targets were expected to take heavy losses. Warfare had changed by the 1960s, but the USAF had not adapted. Between 1972 and 1991, however, the Air Force dramatically changed its doctrines and began to overhaul the way it trained pilots through the introduction of a groundbreaking new training program called &“Red Flag.&” In The Air Force Way of War, Brian D. Laslie examines the revolution in pilot instruction that Red Flag brought about after Vietnam. The program&’s new instruction methods were dubbed &“realistic&” because they prepared pilots for real-life situations better than the simple cockpit simulations of the past, and students gained proficiency on primary and secondary missions instead of superficially training for numerous possible scenarios. In addition to discussing the program&’s methods, Laslie analyzes the way its graduates actually functioned in combat during the 1980s and &’90s in places such as Grenada, Panama, Libya, and Iraq. Military historians have traditionally emphasized the primacy of technological developments during this period and have overlooked the vital importance of advances in training, but Laslie&’s unprecedented study of Red Flag addresses this oversight through its examination of the seminal program. &“A refreshing look at the people and operational practices whose import far exceeds technological advances.&” —The Strategy Bridgei
The Air Force and the Great Engine War
by Robert W. DrewesHighly publicized accounts of abuse in military weapons procurement have raised both citizen awareness of and citizen concern with the properly monitored spending of US defense dollars. Not long ago, media reports of spare parts overpricing and related problems ignited harsh public criticism of the handling of the multibillion dollar defense contracts for the F100 jet engine. According to Colonel Robert Drewes, US Air Force, though, the outcome of the subsequent “Great Engine War” calls not for criticism, but for praise for the Department of Defense. Long before the public became aware of the controversy, the Air Force was grappling with the problems of the F100 high performance engine and the contract for its procurement and maintenance. As difficulties mounted in negotiations with the sole-source supplier, the Air Force, Navy, and Congress held their ground and eventually prevailed. The account of their combined efforts is an encouraging story about the Department of Defense and the US Government “setting things right,” a story that has not been fully told before. The case is not closed on jet engine contracting, or any other kind of defense contracting, but the Great Engine War is welcome reassurance that US defense dollars —closely monitored— will be spent wisely. Bradley C. Hosmer Lieutenant General, US Air Force President, National Defense University
The Air Ministry Survival Guide (Air Ministry Survival Guide)
by AnonTHE ULTIMATE SURVIVAL GUIDE for anyone who thinks they'd survive the world's most hostile environments - or at least imagine they could do.-----------------------------First issued to British airmen in the 1950s the beautifully illustrated Air Ministry Survival Guide provides invaluable practical tips and instruction on how to keep calm and carry on in any hostile environment.Whether you're lost in the desert, arctic, jungle, or adrift on the open ocean, you'll be better off armed with sensible advice on how to:- Build a structurally sound igloo- Pull faces to prevent frostbite (and when to expect bits to fall off should you fail)- Fashion a mask to prevent snowblindness- Make a hat out of seat cushions- Behave in the event of meeting hostile locals- Stay safe from poisonous reptiles and insects- Use a 'fire thong'- Punch man-eating sharks (which are cowards)
The Air Raid Book Club: A Novel
by Annie Lyons"A wonderful, heartwarming read." — Ruth Hogan, author of Keeper of Lost ThingsFrom the USA Today bestselling author of The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett comes a heartwarming story of found family, love, and making connections through books set against the bombing of London during WWII.London, 1938: The bookstore just doesn’t feel the same to Gertie Bingham ever since the death of her beloved husband Harry. Bingham Books was a dream they shared together, and without Harry, Gertie wonders if it’s time to take her faithful old lab, Hemingway, and retire to the seaside. But fate has other plans for Gertie.In Germany, Hitler is on the rise, and Jewish families are making the heart-wrenching decision to send their children away from the growing turmoil. After a nudge from her dear friend Charles, Gertie decides to take in one of these refugees, a headstrong teenage girl named Hedy. Willful and fearless, Hedy reminds Gertie of herself at the same age, and shows her that she can’t give up just yet. With the terrible threat of war on the horizon, the world needs people like Gertie Bingham and her bookshop.When the Blitz begins and bombs whistle overhead, Gertie and Hedy come up with the idea to start an air raid book club. Together with neighbors and bookstore customers, they hold lively discussions of everything from Winnie the Pooh to Wuthering Heights. After all, a good book can do wonders to bolster people’s spirits, even in the most trying times.But even the best book can only provide a temporary escape, and as the tragic reality of the war hits home, the book club faces unimaginable losses. They will need all the strength of their stories and the bonds they’ve formed to see them through to brighter days.
The Air Raid Book Club: This uplifting World War 2 historical novel is the perfect gift for book lovers
by Annie LyonsAn emotional and uplifting novel set in WW2 London about the remarkable power of books to bring hope and light in dark times, inspired by true events, from the USA Today bestselling author.As the bombs began to fall, the book club kept their hopes alive...London, 1938. Bookseller Gertie Bingham is facing difficult times, having just lost her beloved husband, Harry, and with a lingering sadness at never having been able to have a child of her own. Struggling to face running the bookshop she and Harry opened together, Gertie is preparing to sell up and move away when she is asked if she would be willing to take in a young Jewish refugee from Germany. Gertie is unsure and when sullen teenager Hedy Fischer arrives, Gertie fears she has nothing left to give the troubled girl. But when the German bombers come and the lights go out over London, Gertie and Hedy realise that joining forces will make them stronger, and that books have the power to bring young and old together and unite a community in need in its darkest hour...*Annie Lyons was shortlisted for the RNA Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year Award* Readers adore The Air Raid Book Club:'A warm and tender tale about the power and healing of friendship and community and the magic of books' - Ruth Hogan'A charming, uplifting story of resourceful women and the healing power of books' - Clare Chambers, bestselling author of Small Pleasures'A tender, touching and utterly heart-warming tale' - Sarah Steele, author of The Lost Song of Paris'Annie Lyons has cleverly woven the horror and heartbreak of war with the resilience of human nature, the strength of love, and the importance of friends . . . perfect for fans of Lissa Evans and AJ Pearce' - Kerry Barrett'Warm and nostalgic . . . This story of love, bravery and found family is heart-wrenching and utterly charming. I sobbed my way through the final chapters' - Fiona Lucas(P) 2023 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
The Air Raid Book Club: This uplifting World War 2 historical novel is the perfect gift for book lovers
by Annie Lyons'Touching and heartwarming . . . get those tissues ready' - Jill Mansell'A warm and tender tale about the power of books' - Ruth HoganAs the bombs began to fall, the book club kept their hopes alive...London, 1938. Bookseller Gertie Bingham is facing difficult times, having just lost her beloved husband, Harry, and with a lingering sadness at never having been able to have a child of her own. Struggling to face running the bookshop she and Harry opened together, Gertie is preparing to sell up and move away when she is asked if she would be willing to take in a young Jewish refugee from Germany. Gertie is unsure and when sullen teenager Hedy Fischer arrives, Gertie fears she has nothing left to give the troubled girl. But when the German bombers come and the lights go out over London, Gertie and Hedy realise that joining forces will make them stronger, and that books have the power to bring young and old together and unite a community in need in its darkest hour...Readers adore The Air Raid Book Club:'I loved this . . . a sweet and nourishing ode to books that historical fiction fans will love' - Kate Thompson 'A charming, uplifting story of resourceful women and the healing power of books' - Clare Chambers'Tender, touching and utterly heart-warming' - Sarah Steele'A wonderful story of strong female friendship and found family . . . I absolutely adored it' - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review'Beautiful and moving in a way that we need right now' - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review'A beautiful depiction of a community striving to survive together' - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review'A gentle, heartwarming read' - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
The Air Raid Girls at Christmas: A wonderfully festive and heart-warming new WWII saga (The Air Raid Girls Book 2) (The Air Raid Girls #2)
by Jenny HolmesThe second book in the Air Raid Girls series - a wonderful new Christmas story of friendship, love and duty in wartime, perfect for fans of Elaine Everest and Rosie Hendry.Don't miss part 3 in the series - The Air Raid Girls: Wartime Brides is available now!---------------------------------------------November, 1941.Christmas is coming... and despite the blackout, shortages and a constant threat of air raids, the inhabitants of Kelthorpe on the Yorkshire coast are determined that war won't stop them celebrating.The run-up to Christmas sees sisters Connie and Lizzie, and their good friend Pamela, busier than ever. Between their jobs, carol-singing rehearsals with the church choir and night shifts doing their bit as Air Raid Wardens and ambulance drivers, it's all go.But when Connie and Lizzie's dear dad falls ill, their sweethearts Tom and Bill are called up by the Royal Navy for dangerous mine-sweeping duties, and Pamela's sweetheart Fred is targeted by vicious locals, the girls have to believe in miracles to keep soldiering on.Can their dearest wishes come true this Christmas?'A festive tonic!' Peterborough Telegraph'An ideal stocking filler for those who enjoy a well-written novel depicting wartime life' Holderness Gazette'An evocative and nostalgic book about love, family, friendship and fortitude' Culturefly, 6 Uplifting Books to Read over the Festive Season---------------------------------------------Readers LOVE the Air Raid Girls series:'There wasn't anything I didn't like about this book' 5 star review'In all the women at war series of book I have read so far, I think this is the best' 5 star review'I couldn't put this book down' 5 star review'Loved the whole story. Hated it coming to an end' 5 star review'Just the kind of book I like' 5 star review
The Air War In Europe
by Ronald H. Bailey Time-Life Books StaffAt the weary close of World War I, air power was just a gleam in the eyes of a few farsighted men, notably British Chief of the Air Staff Hugh Trenchard and the assistant chief of the U.S. Army's Air Service, William "Billy" Mitchell. But as planes were improved by new technology, the idea of air power gained strength and followers.
The Air War at Sea in the Second World War
by Martin W. BowmanMartin Bowman’s considerable experience as a military historian has spanned over forty years, during which time he has spent hundreds of hours interviewing and corresponding with numerous men and women and their relatives, in Britain, America and beyond, resulting in a wealth of material on the war at sea from World War One to the Falklands and the wars on terror. All these narratives have been woven into a highly readable and emotional outpouring of life and death in action in all his titles, as here, in World War Two, where the men of the Fleet Air Arm and the US Navy fighter (operating bomber and torpedo carrying aircraft) describe the compelling, gripping and thought-provoking narrative of the air war in the freezing Atlantic wastes to the waters of the mighty Pacific.
The Air War in Ukraine: The First Year of Conflict (Cass Military Studies)
by Dag Henriksen Justin BronkThis book provides a comprehensive account of the use of airpower in the first year of the Ukraine conflict.Airpower has been central to political, military, and public debates from the outset of the Russo‑Ukrainian war. After having started with whether the US and NATO should attempt to establish a No‑Fly Zone over Ukraine to protect the civilian population, the international discussion soon focused on the underperformance of Russian airpower. The fact that the initial contest for air superiority over Ukraine ended in an uneasy state of mutual denial came as a surprise to Western analysts, who suspected Kyiv would fall within a relatively short period of time. The surprise and relief that it did not only fueled urgent and ongoing discussions on how NATO nations could support the Ukrainian war effort. Regardless of nationality, age, level of education, or ethnicity, the near‑daily footage of Russian missiles, bombs and drones hitting residential areas and bombarding infrastructure to deprive an entire population of electricity and water has been emotionally imprinted on generations who have only known peace. Why the Russians have used airpower with such brutality, and how Ukraine and its allies have defended against this threat, is an important topic to understand even outside a specialist military audience. The aim of this book, therefore, is to provide an analysis on why the air war over Ukraine unfolded as it did during the first year of the war.This book will be of much interest to students of air power, military and strategic studies, Russian and eastern European politics, and International Relations.
The Air We Breathe: A Novel
by Andrea Barrett"Turbulent and dramatic, full of longing and death and lust, the yearning to cover one’s own life and way in the world." —David Mehegan, Boston Globe An elegant and astute tale of desire and betrayal, science and medicine, from the "genius enchantress" (Karen Russell) author of Ship Fever, winner of the National Book Award.In the fall of 1916, America prepares for war—but in the town of Tamarack Lake, the focus is on the sick. Wealthy tubercular patients live in private cure cottages; charity patients, mainly immigrants, fill the large public sanatorium. From within their isolated community, they grapple with some of the most thrilling scientific discoveries of their time—X-ray technology, chemical and biological weapons, changing theories of atomic structure—and their limitations. Prisoners of routine, they take solace in gossip, rumor, and, sometimes, secret attachments. When the well-meaning efforts of one enterprising patient lead instead to a tragic accident and a terrible betrayal, the war comes home, bringing with it a surge of anti-immigrant prejudice. With The Air We Breathe, Andrea Barrett has crafted a "majestic, breathtaking, [and] thrilling" (San Diego Union-Tribune) novel that brilliantly illuminates the inescapable heartbreak of war.
The Airborne Mafia: The Paratroopers Who Shaped America's Cold War Army (Battlegrounds: Cornell Studies in Military History)
by Robert F. WilliamsThe Airborne Mafia explores how a small group of World War II airborne officers took control of the US Army after World War II. This powerful cadre cemented a unique airborne culture that had an unprecedented impact on the Cold War US Army and beyond.Robert F. Williams reveals the trials and tribulations this group of officers faced in order to bring about their vision. He spotlights the relationship between organizational culture, operational behavior, and institutional change in the United States Army during the Cold War, showing that as airborne officers ascended to the highest ranks of the army they transmitted their culture throughout their service in four major ways—civil-military relations, preparation for potential atomic combat, helicopter airmobility, and strategic response forces. Experiences of training and commanding airborne divisions in World War II led these men to hold sway in army doctrine by the mid-1950s. Dominating institutional thought and imparting their values, beliefs, and norms throughout the service they enjoyed a special privilege within the group culture. Williams demonstrates this impact, privilege, and power by focusing on the paratrooper triumvirate of Matthew Ridgway, Maxwell Taylor, and James Gavin and the lasting impression they made on how the US Army fought.The Airborne Mafia illuminates the power subcultures can have in changing their parent cultures over time, particularly one as set in its ways and as large as the US Army. With a deft touch, deep research, and an unwavering eye for the human stories behind organizational change, Williams helps explain the existence and importance of the paratrooper mystique that remains within the military still today.