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The Elusive Enemy
by Douglas FordIn this exploration of U.S. naval operations and intelligence-gathering efforts, Douglas Ford introduces a new perspective on the clash between the United States and Japan in the Pacific. At the outset of the war, the U.S. Navy could not accurately determine the fighting efficiency of Japan's Imperial Navy and land-based fighting forces. As the capabilities designed to improve intelligence gathering evolved, technology, ingenuity, and sheer luck often combined to produce useful, but incomplete, information. Only through combat over an extended period of time, Ford demonstrates, did the U.S. Navy actually identify the capabilities of its adversary. The intense combat produced a trove of information obtained from prisoners, captured weapons, and documents, and firsthand accounts of American naval personnel often provided some the most actionable intelligence of the war.In recent years, a large number of documents related to intelligence activities during World War II has been declassified and made available in U.S. and British archives. As a result, a steady flow of work on the subject has emerged. However, much of the work on intelligence has focused on signals decrypts and clandestine operations. The subject of qualitative intelligence about the performance and fighting capabilities of the Imperial Japanese Navy has remained largely unexplored. The Elusive Enemy fills that void. As a historical case study, it demonstrates how intelligence plays a critical role in influencing the conduct of warfare and the manner in which threat perceptions influence international relations. It also serves as an explanation of cultural factors and their subsequent influence on U.S. and Japanese military practices. Finally, it is an innovative explanation of American perceptions regarding the Japanese during a critical period of history. Such a comprehensive examination of the impact of intelligence on the conduct of various campaigns is without parallel.
The Embarkation
by Murray GitlinWhat makes a Jew a Jew? This question is often heard among young American Jews who have not been brought up to understand the spiritual values which the Jews gave to the world. “The Embarkation,” Murray Gitlin’s emotional novel, first published in 1950, gives to a certain extent a psychological answer to this question.The central figure in the novel, Martin Tester, is an American soldier who is forced to become a deserter due to the anti-Semitism of his commander. He wanders around for two years in Italy, knowing that a court martial awaits him if he ever returns to the United States. An American who works for British Intelligence in Italy discovers him and guarantees that everything will be forgiven and forgotten, provided he spies on ships carrying “illegal” Jewish immigrants from Italy to Palestine. Having no choice, he accepts the offer. However, coming face to face with the first transport of Jewish refugees, he decides to help rather than denounce them to the British agents. He is helped in this by an Italian girl who falls in love with him and by other Italians of good will, who ask no questions…“The book is very well-written and makes absorbing reading.”—The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle
The Embassy House: The Explosive Eyewitness Account of the Libyan Embassy Siege by the Soldier Who Was There
by Morgan JonesAn explosive eyewitness account of the 2012 attack on the American Embassy in Benghazi--told by the army veteran who risked his life to help American citizens and who found and identified the body of Ambassador Christopher Stevens. After the tragic siege on the US Embassy mission in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, Americans were left angry and confused, wondering: How could this have happened? So many questions were left unanswered by the Obama administration about that night in Benghazi...until now. Sergeant Morgan Jones, writing under a pseudonym for security purposes, is a twelve-year veteran of the British army who was the Project Manager for the security of the US Embassy in Benghazi. In The Embassy House, he delivers a riveting first-hand narrative of how the first American ambassador to die in a hostile act for over thirty years was killed and of the men who fought and died in an effort to save him. Reminiscent of the harrowing stories in military accounts like No Easy Day and American Sniper, The Embassy House is the gripping tale of a bloody, dark and desperate night. *Sergeant Jones's name and the names of others mentioned in The Embassy House have been changed for their security.
The Embattled General: Sir Richard Turner and the First World War
by William F. StewartLieutenant-General Sir Richard Turner (1871-1961) was a capable but controversial Canadian general who played a critical role in the development of the Canadian Corps up to 1917 and contributed significantly to its success thereafter. Despite his many accomplishments (including being awarded the Victoria Cross), Turner is often portrayed as a political appointee and repeated failure - representations that ignore, minimize, or misconstrue his successes as a combat commander and head of Canadian forces in England. In The Embattled General, William Stewart reveals Turner's tactical, operational, and administrative contributions to the Canadian war effort. Uniquely, Turner held senior commands in both combat arms and administration. Stewart narrates and analyzes Turner's successes and failures in the Boer War and the First World War's battles of Ypres, Festubert, St Eloi, and the Somme. He also studies Turner's career after his transfer to command Canadian forces in England in December 1916, where Turner reformed an administration in chaos. After the war, Turner post-war played a key role in the formation of the Royal Canadian Legion. Based on exhaustive research from over 1,200 volumes of material, including many previously untouched sources, The Embattled General provides a balanced and just re-evaluation of Turner, identifying his merits as well as his flaws.
The Embattled General: Sir Richard Turner and the First World War
by William F. StewartLieutenant-General Sir Richard Turner (1871-1961) was a capable but controversial Canadian general who played a critical role in the development of the Canadian Corps up to 1917 and contributed significantly to its success thereafter. Despite his many accomplishments (including being awarded the Victoria Cross), Turner is often portrayed as a political appointee and repeated failure - representations that ignore, minimize, or misconstrue his successes as a combat commander and head of Canadian forces in England. In The Embattled General, William Stewart reveals Turner's tactical, operational, and administrative contributions to the Canadian war effort. Uniquely, Turner held senior commands in both combat arms and administration. Stewart narrates and analyzes Turner's successes and failures in the Boer War and the First World War's battles of Ypres, Festubert, St Eloi, and the Somme. He also studies Turner's career after his transfer to command Canadian forces in England in December 1916, where Turner reformed an administration in chaos. After the war, Turner post-war played a key role in the formation of the Royal Canadian Legion. Based on exhaustive research from over 1,200 volumes of material, including many previously untouched sources, The Embattled General provides a balanced and just re-evaluation of Turner, identifying his merits as well as his flaws.
The Embattled Past: Reflections on Military History
by Edward M. CoffmanInternationally recognized for having reinvigorated and redefined his field, distinguished military historian Edward M. Coffman is a dedicated and much-admired teacher and mentor. In The Embattled Past, several of his most important essays have been assem
The Embattled Self: French Soldiers' Testimony of the Great War
by Leonard V. SmithHow did the soldiers in the trenches of the Great War understand and explain battlefield experience, and themselves through that experience? Situated at the intersection of military history and cultural history, The Embattled Self draws on the testimony of French combatants to explore how combatants came to terms with the war. In order to do so, they used a variety of narrative tools at hand--rites of passage, mastery, a character of the soldier as a consenting citizen of the Republic. None of the resulting versions of the story provided a completely consistent narrative, and all raised more questions about the "truth" of experience than they answered. Eventually, a story revolving around tragedy and the soldier as victim came to dominate--even to silence--other types of accounts. In thematic chapters, Leonard V. Smith explains why the novel structured by a specific notion of trauma prevailed by the 1930s. Smith canvasses the vast literature of nonfictional and fictional testimony from French soldiers to understand how and why the "embattled self" changed over time. In the process, he undermines the conventional understanding of the war as tragedy and its soldiers as victims, a view that has dominated both scholarly and popular opinion since the interwar period. The book is important reading not only for traditional historians of warfare but also for scholars in a variety of fields who think critically about trauma and the use of personal testimony in literary and historical studies.
The Emergence of Détente in Europe: Brandt, Kennedy and the Formation of Ostpolitik (Cold War History)
by Arne HofmannThis book examines the key relationship between Willy Brandt (the former Mayor of West Berlin and future West German Chancellor) and the administration of President John F. Kennedy. Arne Hofmann focuses on the administration’s influence on the development of Brandt’s ‘policy of small steps’ and the formation of his later Ostpolitik, the centrepiece of European détente. Brandt’s interaction with the Kennedy administration is traced through the Berlin Wall crisis of 1961, together with Kennedy’s search for a modus vivendi based on the status quo, the 1962 crisis in German-American relations, Brandt’s disillusionment campaign, the development of his programmatic statements, Brandt’s three meetings with the President including Kennedy’s famous visit to Berlin, the limited nuclear test ban treaty and Brandt’s Berlin pass agreement of Christmas 1963. While the narrative focuses on the gradual change in Brandt’s position, systematic parts concentrate on Brandt’s and Kennedy’s détente concepts, the triangular relationship between West Berlin, Washington and Bonn with its implication for domestic politics, and the role of images, campaigning and public opinion. The Emergence of Détente in Europe will appeal to students of Cold War history, foreign policy, international relations and international history in general.
The Emergence of Globalism: Visions of World Order in Britain and The United States, 1939–1950
by Or RosenboimHow competing visions of world order in the 1940s gave rise to the modern concept of globalismDuring and after the Second World War, public intellectuals in Britain and the United States grappled with concerns about the future of democracy, the prospects of liberty, and the decline of the imperial system. Without using the term "globalization," they identified a shift toward technological, economic, cultural, and political interconnectedness and developed a "globalist" ideology to reflect this new postwar reality. The Emergence of Globalism examines the competing visions of world order that shaped these debates and led to the development of globalism as a modern political concept.Shedding critical light on this neglected chapter in the history of political thought, Or Rosenboim describes how a transnational network of globalist thinkers emerged from the traumas of war and expatriation in the 1940s and how their ideas drew widely from political philosophy, geopolitics, economics, imperial thought, constitutional law, theology, and philosophy of science. She presents compelling portraits of Raymond Aron, Owen Lattimore, Lionel Robbins, Barbara Wootton, Friedrich Hayek, Lionel Curtis, Richard McKeon, Michael Polanyi, Lewis Mumford, Jacques Maritain, Reinhold Niebuhr, H. G. Wells, and others. Rosenboim shows how the globalist debate they embarked on sought to balance the tensions between a growing recognition of pluralism on the one hand and an appreciation of the unity of humankind on the other.An engaging look at the ideas that have shaped today's world, The Emergence of Globalism is a major work of intellectual history that is certain to fundamentally transform our understanding of the globalist ideal and its origins.
The Emergence of Modern Retailing 1750-1950
by Nicholas Alexander Gary AkehurstThe history of retail business development is an under-researched area. This book considers the emergence and development of modern retailing from an historical and management perspective in the period 1750-1950, addressing the need for further research and providing examples of current research activity. It considers the early emergence of retail forms in the late eighteenth century, the evolution of retail forms in the nineteenth century, and the late adaptation of retail management in the early twentieth century.
The Emergence of Noopolitik
by David Ronfeldt John Arquilla Dionne Barnes-Proby Elizabeth Williams John ChristianStrategy, at its best, knits together ends and means, no matter how various and disparate, into a cohesive pattern. In the case of a U.S. information strategy, this requires balancing the need to guard and secure access to many informational capabilities and resources, with the opportunity to achieve national aims by fostering as much openness as practicable. The authors' term to represent such strategic balancing is guarded openness. They go on to describe noopolitik (nu-oh-poh-li-teek)--an emerging form of statecraft that emphasizes the importance of sharing ideas and values globally, principally through the exercise of persuasive soft power rather than traditional military hard power. This study discusses the opportunities that may be raised by the emergence of noopolitik--ranging from construction of a noosphere (a globe-spanning realm of the mind) to recommendations that, for example, the U.S. military should begin to develop its own noosphere (among and between the services, as well as with U.S. allies). In the area of international cooperation, the authors offer strategic approaches for improving the capacity of state and nonstate actors to work together to address transnational problems. In addition, the authors recommend specific doctrinal developments, implied by the emergence of information strategy--including the pressing need to deal with such ethical concerns as the first use of information weapons, concepts of proportional response, and the need to maintain the immunity of noncombatants. Ultimately, the authors call for an innovative turn of mind as policymakers and strategists rethink how best to adapt to the epochal transformations being wrought by the information revolution.
The Emerging American Garrison State
by Milton J. EsmanThis book describes and analyzes the emergence of the American global empire and the role of the garrison state in protecting the threatened homeland and defending the declining imperium.
The Emma Gees [Illustrated Edition]
by Captain Herbert W. McBrideIncludes the First World War Illustrations Pack - 73 battle plans and diagrams and 198 photosThe classic account of sniping on the Western Front."Herbert Wesley McBride was a Captain in the Twenty-first Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, during the First World War. He was a sniper and commander of a machine gun unit known as the "Emma Gees." He was also the author of two books on the war: "A Rifleman Went To War" (1933) and "The Emma Gees" (1918)...When the war started, he volunteered in a Canadian rifle company in Ottawa because he wanted to see action as quickly as possible. He was commissioned as an officer, but was reduced to a private due to several drunken incidents. He shipped to England for training and then to the Western Front, where he participated in battles around Ypres and the Somme throughout 1916. In his book, "A Rifleman Went To War," he recounts killing more than 100 German soldiers as a sniper. This book is highly regarded by students of riflery, it's mandatory reading in the U.S. Marine Corps Sniping School. It is also considered one of the best first-person accounts of World War I, often being compared favorably to "Storm of Steel" by Ernst Junger. However McBride notes in his book that by the end of 1916 he felt in his heart "the game was over," and a series of alcoholic binges resulted in his court martial and dismissal from the Canadian Expeditionary Force in February 1917. He then joined the United States Army's 38th Division, serving out the war as a marksmanship and sniping instructor at Camp Perry. He resigned in October 1918. After the war, he worked in the lumber industry in Oregon for most of his later years. He died in Indianapolis of a sudden heart failure on March 17, 1933, shortly after finishing "A Rifleman Went To War." He was 60."-Canadaatwar.com
The Emmerdale Girls: an uplifting and romantic read perfect for winter nights in
by Kerry BellThe perfect Christmas gift full of drama and romance, for fans of ITV's Emmerdale and readers who love hopeful stories set in the past.December 1944, and the residents of Beckindale can't believe they're going through another wartime Christmas. Though the success of the D-Day landings earlier in the year has brought some hope to the village. The women of Emmerdale are navigating their own lives, loves and dream and as the war draws to a close, and they realise things will never be the same again. The Emmerdale girls are going to learn things are never dull where love is involved.Exploring the lives of Emmerdale's much-loved families during World War II, including favourites such as the Sugdens and the Dingles, The Emmerdale Girls is a hopeful and nostalgic novel about community, friendship and love.Readers love the Emmerdale fiction books!'Absolutely loved this novel, combining the nostalgia of classic Emmerdale as currently seen on itv3 with the Sugdens, Tates and even Seth and Betty with the heart of a wartime saga novel.' Reader review 'Beautifully written... the perfect Sunday afternoon read.' Reader review 'True fans will delight in the references to their favourite locations, characters and hints of later storylines.' Reader review 'Heartwarming, sensitive and packed with drama.' Reader review
The Empathetic Soldier (War, Conflict and Ethics)
by Kevin R. CutrightThis book shows the contribution that empathy can and should make to the proper conduct of war. US Army doctrine identifies empathy as an essential trait in soldiers; despite this endorsement of senior leaders, empathy’s role in the military profession remains obscure. The notion of soldiers empathetically considering others, especially enemies, strikes many as counter to the nature of soldiering. Additionally, confusion caused by differing definitions of empathy often leads to its complete dismissal. This work clarifies the concept by considering recent philosophical, psychological, and neuroscientific research, and demonstrates the relevance of empathy to the tactical and strategic demands of war. Empathy amplifies soldiers’ understanding of human actors in an operational environment, enables soldiers’ critical and creative thinking, and improves their overall intentions, planning, and assessments of a war’s progress. While empathy can make soldiers more susceptible to the psychic wound of moral injury, it also helps prevent and overcome this injury. Instead of dismissing it, soldiers should assimilate empathy into their moral frameworks. This book will be of much interest to students of the ethics of war, psychology, and military studies generally.
The Emperor's Blood (e-novella): A gripping short story of battles and bloodshed
by M. K. HumeNothing will stand in the way of the High King of the Britons...A gripping e-novella that brings the dramatic battle between the High King of Briton, Magnus Maximus, and the Roman Emperor, Gratian, vividly to life. The Emperor's Blood is M.K. Hume's untold adventure from The Blood of Kings (Tintagel Book I). Not to be missed by fans of Simon Scarrow and Ian Ross. In the dying days of Roman rule, Magnus Maximus casts his eyes on the throne of the Western Empire and with a band of brave Roman and British warriors he marches to Gaul and challenges the might of Rome itself...What readers are saying about M.K. Hume's novels: 'M.K. Hume is one of my favourite authors - a fantastic series''Well drawn characters with the right balance of plot and action. A great addition to historical fiction''M.K. Hume brings not only her characters to life but also the sights and sounds of battle'
The Emperor's Codes: The Thrilling Story of the Allied Code Breakers Who Turned the Tide of World War II
by Michael SmithIn this gripping, previously untold story from World War II, Michael Smith examines how code breakers cracked Japan's secret codes and won the war in the Pacific. He also takes the reader step by step through the process, explaining exactly how the code breakers went about their daunting task-made even more difficult by the vast linguistic differences between Japanese and English. The Emperor's Codes moves across the world from Bletchley Park to Pearl Harbor, from Singapore to Colombo, and from Mombasa to Melbourne. It tells the stories of John Tiltman, the British soldier turned code breaker who made many of the early breaks in Japanese diplomatic and military codes; Commander Joe Rochedort, the leading expert on Japanese in U.S. naval intelligence; Eric Nave, the Australian sailor who pioneered breakthroughs in deciphering Japanese naval codes; and Oshima Hiroshi, the hard-drinking Japanese ambassador to Berlin whose candid, often verbose reports to Tokyo of his conversations with Hitler and other high-ranking Nazis were a major source of intelligence in the war against Germany. Without the dedication demonstrated by these relatively unsung heroes, the outcome of World War II might have been very different.
The Emperor's Exile (Eagles of the Empire 19): The thrilling Sunday Times bestseller
by Simon ScarrowThe Sunday Times bestseller - a thrilling new adventure in Simon Scarrow's acclaimed Eagles of the Empire series. Perfect for readers of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell. READERS CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF SIMON SCARROW'S BOOKS!'I could not put it down' ***** - AMAZON REVIEW'Awesome read . . . ' ***** - AMAZON REVIEW'A storytelling master . . . I loved this novel and can't wait for the next' ***** - AMAZON REVIEW'If you have read the previous books, you already know how good they are . . . If you have not read any of these books, then get started!' ***** - AMAZON REVIEWA.D. 57. Battle-scarred veterans of the Roman army Tribune Cato and Centurion Macro return to Rome. Thanks to the failure of their recent campaign on the eastern frontier they face a hostile reception at the imperial court. Their reputations and future are at stake. When Emperor Nero's infatuation with his mistress is exploited by political enemies, he reluctantly banishes her into exile. Cato, isolated and unwelcome in Rome, is forced to escort her to Sardinia. Arriving on the restless, simmering island with a small cadre of officers, Cato faces peril on three fronts: a fractured command, a deadly plague spreading across the province...and a violent insurgency threatening to tip the province into blood-stained chaos. IF YOU DON'T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON'T KNOW ROME!MORE PRAISE FOR SIMON SCARROW'S NOVELS'Scarrow's [novels] rank with the best'Independent'Blood, gore, political intrigue'Daily Sport'Always a joy' The Times
The Emperor's Exile (Eagles of the Empire 19): The thrilling Sunday Times bestseller
by Simon ScarrowThe gripping and action-packed new Roman army adventure in the Eagles of the Empire series by Sunday Times bestselling author Simon Scarrow. The perfect read for readers of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell. Tribune Cato and Centurion Macro, hardened veterans of the Roman army, have faced the Empire's enemies from Britannia to Parthia, from Hispania to Judea. Now once again they are on a mission that will imperil their lives and those of all who serve with them. Loyal to the last to their comrades in battle, fearless in the face of the most brutal or barbaric opponents, they are the finest men the Emperor can call on in the service of Rome. IF YOU DON'T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON'T KNOW ROME!Praise for Simon's novels:'Scarrow's [novels] rank with the best' Independent'Blood, gore, political intrigue' Daily Sport 'Always a joy' The Times(P)2020 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
The Emperor's Exile: The thrilling Sunday Times bestseller (Eagles Of The Empire Ser.)
by Simon ScarrowThe Sunday Times bestseller - a thrilling new adventure in Simon Scarrow's acclaimed Eagles of the Empire series. Perfect for readers of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell. READERS CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF SIMON SCARROW'S BOOKS!'I could not put it down' ***** - AMAZON REVIEW'Awesome read . . . ' ***** - AMAZON REVIEW'A storytelling master . . . I loved this novel and can't wait for the next' ***** - AMAZON REVIEW'If you have read the previous books, you already know how good they are . . . If you have not read any of these books, then get started!' ***** - AMAZON REVIEWA.D. 57. Battle-scarred veterans of the Roman army Tribune Cato and Centurion Macro return to Rome. Thanks to the failure of their recent campaign on the eastern frontier they face a hostile reception at the imperial court. Their reputations and future are at stake. When Emperor Nero's infatuation with his mistress is exploited by political enemies, he reluctantly banishes her into exile. Cato, isolated and unwelcome in Rome, is forced to escort her to Sardinia. Arriving on the restless, simmering island with a small cadre of officers, Cato faces peril on three fronts: a fractured command, a deadly plague spreading across the province...and a violent insurgency threatening to tip the province into blood-stained chaos. IF YOU DON'T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON'T KNOW ROME!MORE PRAISE FOR SIMON SCARROW'S NOVELS'Scarrow's [novels] rank with the best' Independent'Blood, gore, political intrigue' Daily Sport'Always a joy' The Times
The Emperor's Fist: A Blackhawk Novel (Far Stars #4)
by Jay AllanIn this thrilling new installment in the Far Stars saga, a reluctant hero with a bloody past must reunite with an old love to battle an evil emperor willing to destroy all their worlds if he cannot control them.When the Far Stars came under imperial attack, Astra Lucerne—the daughter and successor of the Far Stars’ greatest conqueror—Marshal Augustin Lucerne—rallied her father’s confederation forces to defend their worlds. They were joined in the fight by former imperial general Arkarin Blackhawk, a warrior whose skills and brutality made him infamous, and who has, for two decades, sought the redemption he knows is unreachable. Now, with the imperial foothold in the sector eliminated, the Far Stars is free and almost united. While Astra’s forces continue to depose local tyrants and warlords, Ark and his crew have slipped back into the shadows. Though his heart belongs to Astra, Ark cannot get too close. His imperial conditioning remains under control, but it is still volatile, and the temptation of power threatens to unleash the dark compulsions that made him the most merciless of the emperor’s servants. He cannot risk allowing Astra to see the darkness inside him.But while the battle has been won, the war may not be over. A petty smuggler makes a discovery that can enable the emperor to strike back and crush the resistance—unless Ark and Astra join forces again to stop him.
The Emperor's General
by James WebbCaptain Jay Marsh had never questioned where his ultimate loyalty lay. He had witnessed the bloody horror left behind by the retreating Japanese army during World War II's final days. And he had abandoned his beautiful Filipina fiancée to see his duty through.But not even Marsh could guess the terrible personal price he would have to pay for his loyalty. He would follow General Douglas MacArthur to Tokyo itself. There he would become the brilliant, egocentric general's confidant, translator, surrogate son--and spy.Marsh would play a dangerous game of deliberate deceit and brutal injustice in the shadow world of postwar Japan's royal palaces and geisha houses, and recognize that the defeated emperor and his wily aides were exploiting MacArthur's ruthless ambition to become the American Caesar. The Emperor's General is a dramatic human story of the loss of innocence and the seduction of power, about the conflict between honor, duty, and love, all set against an extraordinary historical backdrop.From the Paperback edition.
The Emperor's General
by James WebbCaptain Jay Marsh had never questioned where his ultimate loyalty lay. He had witnessed the bloody horror left behind by the retreating Japanese army during World War II's final days. And he had abandoned his beautiful Filipina fiancée to see his duty through.But not even Marsh could guess the terrible personal price he would have to pay for his loyalty. He would follow General Douglas MacArthur to Tokyo itself. There he would become the brilliant, egocentric general's confidant, translator, surrogate son--and spy.Marsh would play a dangerous game of deliberate deceit and brutal injustice in the shadow world of postwar Japan's royal palaces and geisha houses, and recognize that the defeated emperor and his wily aides were exploiting MacArthur's ruthless ambition to become the American Caesar. The Emperor's General is a dramatic human story of the loss of innocence and the seduction of power, about the conflict between honor, duty, and love, all set against an extraordinary historical backdrop.From the Paperback edition.
The Emperor's Guest
by John Fletcher-CookeSeen through the eyes of John Fletcher-Cooke, the horrifying, but by now often-told story of the treatment meted out by the Japanese to their prisoners of war takes on an entirely new light. His is a book written without bitterness but at the same time a book which does not look back on suffering shared in the self-congratulatory spirit of an old comrades reunion. For Sir John has two remarkable advantages, one possible unique and the other certainly very rare. Firstly, throughout his captivity he kept a diary on which this book is based, and which, as the reader will discover, he was almost unbelievably lucky to preserve. Secondly, as the reader will discover by reading between the lines, he never for one moment gave way to despair.During his years as a prisoner of war he witnessed and was subjected to a wider spectrum of mans inhumanity to man then he could have expected to experience had Torquemada himself been his tutor. To say the he emerged from his descent into hell a wiser and better man is not to condone is suffering. It only emphasizes the fact that indomitable courage and great strength of character are often revealed only in adversity.Sir John subsequently revisited Japan and the places where he was imprisoned. He also met some of the men who had once been his persecutors. The final chapters of this very remarkable book reveal once again the humanity, compassion and understanding which enabled him to survive when so many others died.
The Emperor's Last Victory: Napoleon And The Battle Of Wagram
by Gunther E RothenbergA leading expert examines one of Napoleon's most decisive but least analysed victoriesIn early July 1809 Napoleon crossed the Danube with 187,000 men to confront the Austrian Archduke Charles and an army of 145,000 men. The fighting that followed dwarfed in intensity and scale any previous Napoleonic battlefield, perhaps any in history: casualties on each side were over 30,000. The Austrians fought with great determination, but eventually the Emperor won a narrow victory. Wagram was decisive in that it compelled Austria to make peace. It also heralded a new, altogether greater order of warfare, anticipating the massed manpower and weight of fire deployed much later in the battles of the American Civil War and then at Verdun and on the Somme.