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Understanding the War in Kosovo

by Zidas Daskalovski Florian Bieber

The war in Kosovo has been a defining moment in post-Cold War Europe. Kosovo has great importance beyond the Balkans as the most ambitious attempt of the international community to prevent internal conflicts and rebuild a society destroyed by war and ethnic cleansing. As the danger of ethnic conflict prevails in the region and elsewhere around the world, the experience of Kosovo offers important lessons. This is a comprehensive survey of developments in Kosovo leading up to, during and after the war in 1999, providing additionally the international and regional framework to the conflict. It examines the underlying causes of the war, the attempts by the international community to intervene, and the war itself in spring 1999. It critically examines the international administration in Kosovo since June 1999 and contextualizes it within the relations of Kosovo to its neighbours and as part of the larger European strategy in Southeastern Europe with the stability pact. It does not seek to promote one interpretation of the conflict and its aftermath, but brings together a range of intellectual arguments from some sixteen researchers from the Balkans, the rest of Europe and North America.

Understanding Victory and Defeat in Contemporary War (Contemporary Security Studies)

by Isabelle Duyvesteyn Jan Angstrom

Bringing together leading contributors in the field, this new volume analyzes how victory and defeat in modern war can be understood and explained. It does so by confronting two inter-related research problems: the nature of victory and defeat in modern war and the explanations of victory and defeat. By first questioning the extent to which the concepts of victory and defeat are meaningful to describe the outcomes of modern wars, and whether the contents of these concepts are changing, it then evaluates different theories purporting to explain the outcomes of war and the impact of variables, ranging from technology to culture. The book tackles several key questions: What is the definition of victory in the ‘War on Terror’? What is the meaning of victory and defeat in contemporary insurgencies, such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan? Are the counterstrategies that were developed in the mid-twentieth century valid in order to deal with present and future conflicts? With case studies ranging from the Malayan Emergency to the current conflict in Iraq, Understanding Victory and Defeat in Contemporary War will be of great interest to students of war and conflict studies, security studies, military history and international relations.

Understanding The Victory Disease: From The Little Bighorn To Mogadishu And Beyond

by Major Timothy M. Karcher

As a result of America's national strength and its demonstrated military prowess, US forces are quite susceptible to falling prey to the effects of the "victory disease." The disease, by definition, brings defeat to a previously victorious nation or military due to three basic symptoms: arrogance, complacency, and the habit of using established patterns to solve military problems.The growth of the victory disease can best be analyzed through the study of historical examples where the symptoms become quite clear. This work uses the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn and the 1993 actions of Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia to highlight the disease's effects.Studying the victory disease can help one avoid succumbing to its effects and ultimately find an effective vaccination. As this work will argue, the only real vaccine for the disease is found in increased study of military history in the Officer Education System, particularly through focusing on campaigns and battles where defeat may be attributed to the sickness. Simple awareness of the problem prevents one from falling prey to the disease, thereby creating immunity.

Understanding Violent Radicalisation: Terrorist and Jihadist Movements in Europe (Political Violence)

by Magnus Ranstorp

This is the first book to address in depth the interplay between radicalisation and political violence in Europe, as well as the effectiveness of counter-measures. As evidenced from the multitude of intercepted plots across several European cities since 2001, the threat level and the intensity of the desire to perpetrate mass-casualty attacks within Europe is not diminishing. While violent radicalization has gradually moved to the top of the EU counterterrorism agenda, it has been accompanied by a relatively embryonic understanding about the processes and interplay of factors that contribute to radicalization, which are played out differently in cities like Paris, Rome, London and Copenhagen. Undoubtedly, there are common factors at the global and regional levels that facilitate radicalization, but it is also clear that radicalization is very context dependent. This book provides crucial insights into different ways to understand violent radicalization within national contexts and the challenges addressing the many pathways into terrorism inspired by al-Qaeda and other forms of Islamic extremism. This book will be of great interest to students of terrorism studies and political violence, counter-terrorism, EU politics, security studies and IR in general. Magnus Ranstorp is Research Director of the Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies at the Swedish National Defence College and a Member of EU Expert Groups on (Violent) Radicalisation. He has twenty years of experience in research on counterterrorism issues and testified at the 9/11 Commission Hearing.

Understanding War: Essays on Clausewitz and the History of Military Power

by Peter Paret

These essays provide an authoritative introduction to Carl von Clausewitz and enlarge the history of war by joining it to the history of ideas and institutions and linking it with intellectual biography.

Understanding War in Afghanistan

by Joseph J. Collins

This monograph aims to provide military leaders, civil servants, diplomats, and students with the intellectual basis they need to prepare for further study or for assignments in Afghanistan, a nation that has been at war for 33 years ... By analyzing the land and its people, recapping Afghan history, and assessing the current situation, this work hopes to set a foundation upon which leaders and scholars can begin their preparation for more specific tasks. It also will examine the range of choice for future U.S. policy toward Afghanistan and give suggestions for future study.

Undertones of War

by Edmund Blunden

This military memoir from the six-time Nobel Prize nominated poet and British WWI soldier is &“one of the permanent works engendered by the memories of war&” (Paul Fussell, National Book Award-winning author of The Great War and Modern Memory). &“I took my road with no little pride of fear; one morning I feared very sharply, as I saw what looked like a rising shroud over a wooden cross in the clustering mist. Horror! But on a closer study I realized that the apparition was only a flannel gas helmet. . . . What an age since 1914!&” In Undertones of War, one of the finest autobiographies to come out of World War I, the acclaimed poet Edmund Blunden records his devastating experiences in combat. After enlisting at the age of twenty, he took part in the disastrous battles at the Somme, Ypres, and Passchendaele, describing them as &“murder, not only to the troops but to their singing faiths and hopes.&” All the horrors of trench warfare, all the absurdity and feeble attempts to make sense of the fighting, all the strangeness of observing war as a writer—of being simultaneously soldier and poet—pervade Blunden&’s memoir. In steely-eyed prose as richly allusive as any poetry, he tells of the endurance and despair found among the men of his battalion, including the harrowing acts of bravery that won him the Military Cross. Now back in print for American readers, the volume includes a selection of Blunden&’s war poems that unflinchingly juxtapose death in the trenches with the beauty of Flanders&’s fields. Undertones of War deserves a place on the bookshelves of military buffs and poetry lovers.

The Undertow: A novel

by Jo Baker

The American debut of an enthralling new voice: a vivid, indelibly told work of fiction that follows four generations of a family against the backdrop of a tumultuous century--a novel about inheritance, about fate and passion, and about what it means to truly break free of the past.This is the story of the Hastings family--their secrets, their loves and losses, dreams and heartbreaks--captured in a seamless series of individual moments that span the years between the First World War and the present. The novel opens in 1914 as William, a young factory worker, spends one last evening at home before his departure for the navy . . . His son, Billy, grows into a champion cyclist and will ride into the D-Day landings on a military bicycle . . . His son in turn, Will, struggles with a debilitating handicap to become an Oxford professor in the 1960s . . . And finally, young Billie Hastings makes a life for herself as an artist in contemporary London. Just as the names echo down through the family, so too does the legacy of choices made, chances lost, and truths long buried.From the Hardcover edition.

Underwater Domain Awareness: Case for India

by Prakash Panneerselvam Rajaram Nagappa R N Ganesh

This book presents a comprehensive analysis of the emerging underwater challenges facing India in the Indian Ocean region. With major economic powers like China, the United States, and Russia modernising their submarine fleets and building advanced unmanned underwater vessels to enhance surveillance capabilities, the competition in the Indo-Pacific underwater domain has intensified. The book · Focuses on the issues of detecting, tracking, and classifying submarines/underwater drones in the Indian Ocean. · Examines the Indian Navy’s present anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities in combating underwater threats and discusses the scope for inter-agency, inter-departmental cooperation framework to monitor the undersea activity in the region. · Studies the naval composition and strengths of India and other countries in the neighbourhood and reviews maritime domain awareness practices employed by leading navies including NATO for submarine detection. · Assesses the technology development efforts to deal with these challenges and brings out recommendations. An expert study of undersea surveillance, this book will be indispensable to students and researchers of military and strategic studies, defence studies, critical security, conflict resolution, intelligence studies, and security studies. It will also be of interest to governments, naval establishments, think tanks, and public policy institutes.

The Underworld Captain: From Gangland Goodfella To Army Officer

by Alexander Shannon David Leslie

Alexander Shannon escaped a shady past to enjoy a glittering career in the army, only to end up back in the thick of criminal activity.Shannon's time as a soldier saw him posted to the Falklands, Northern Ireland and war-torn Bosnia. The rigours of army life took their toll and he found himself drawn into a series of ruthless gang wars. He used the skills he'd learned in the forces to hide weapons, work for drugs racketeers and plot a massacre, and he was offered a fortune to work as a Mafia-style contract assassin.He was questioned over brutal killings and accused of a triple murder attempt, yet his dedication and determination to succeed in the army brought him accolades and a series of promotions. In The Underworld Captain, Shannon explains how he managed to combine a successful army career with dangerous gangland dealings for so long and how he finally broke free for good.

Undetected

by Dee Henderson

When asked what he does for a living, Commander Mark Bishop is deliberately low-key: "I'm in the navy." But commanding the ballistic missile submarine USS "Nevada," keeping its crew trained and focused during 90-day submerged patrols, and being prepared to launch weapons on valid presidential orders, carries a burden of command like few other jobs in the military. Mark Bishop is a man who accepts that responsibility, and carries it well. And at a time when tensions are escalating in the Pacific Rim, the navy is glad to have him. Mark wants someone to come home to after sea patrols. The woman he has in mind is young, pretty, and "very" smart. She's a civilian, but she understands life in the navy. And he has a strong sense that life with her would never be boring. But she may be too deep in her work to see the potential in a relationship with him. Gina Gray would love to be married. She has always envisioned her life that way. But a breakup she didn't see coming has her focusing all her attention on what she does best--ocean science research. She's on the cusp of a breakthrough, and she needs Mark Bishop's perspective and help. Because what she's told the navy she's figured out is only the beginning. If she's right, submarine warfare is about to enter a new and dangerous chapter. . .

The Undoing of Violet Claybourne: A Novel

by Emily Critchley

"Artful, gothic-tinged...an immersive, chilling treat for suspense fans." —Publishers WeeklyFor fans of Sarah Penner and The Foundling comes a slow-burn gothic mystery following Gillian, a young girl enthralled by the enigmatic Claybourne sisters, their house at Thornleigh Hall, and the tragedy that binds them together for good.To become a Claybourne girl, she'll have to betray one first.1938. Gillian Larking, lonely and away at boarding school, is used to going unnoticed. But then she meets Violet Claybourne, her vibrant roommate who takes Gilly under her wing. Violet is unlike anyone Gilly has ever met, and she regales Gilly with tales of her grand family estate and her two elegant sisters. Gilly is soon entranced by stories of the Claybournes, so when Violet invites Gilly to meet her family at Thornleigh Hall, she can't believe her luck.But Gilly soon finds that behind the grand façade of Thornleigh Hall, darkness lurks.Dazzled by the crumbling manor and Violet's enigmatic sisters, Gilly settles into the estate. But when a horrible accident strikes on the grounds, she is ensnared in a web of the sisters' making, forced to make a choice that will change the course of her life forever. Because the Claybournes girls know how to keep secrets, even at the cost of one of their own.With ensnaring prose and layers of friendship, privilege, mental health, and more, The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is a poignant book club read with characters you won't soon forget.

The Undying Flame: Olympians Who Perished in the Second World War

by Nigel McCrery

Over 60,000,000 people died worldwide during the course of the Second World War and, in contrast to those slaughtered in The Great War, it was civilian populations that bore the brunt. They perished in the Holocaust, in internment camps, in bombed towns and cities and as ‘collateral damage’, in war zones, such as the Eastern Front and in Asia. Among this carnage were hundred of individuals of all nations who had competed in Olympic Games. Imagine the loss of so many of the world’s greatest sportsmen and women of the present era. The author has painstakingly researched the lives, achievements and circumstances of death of almost five hundred athletes of the period. While many were household names at the time, this exceptional work honors these fallen Olympians and reminds us of the futility and wastefulness of war.

The Undying Glory: The Story of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment

by Clinton Cox

Describes the formation of the all-black 54th Massachusetts Regiment and its valiant battle history from 1863 to 1865.

Une Guerre Difficile: Points de vue sur l'insurrection et les Forces d’opérations spéciales

by Emily Spencer

L’ouvrage intitulne guerre difficile : Points de vue sur l’insurrection et les FOS aborde les concepts thiques liaux insurrections et a pratique de la guerre irrli. Le prnt volume s’intsse dans une large mesure aux forces d’options spales, car elles constituent un ment intal des mesures de contre insurrection. Ce recueil aidera les membres de la profession des armes omprendre ce qu’est l’insurrection, ou plus prsnt peut-e, la contre-insurrection et ses ments connexes caractstiques. De plus, Une guerre difficile jette un airage particulier sur ce type de guerre complexe qui peut revr diverses formes. C’est un ouvrage utile et accessible qui saura intsser tant le lecteur profane que l’expert militaire, ou toutes les personnes li ou intss a profession des armes. Ce manuel qui vient enrichir le corpus de connaissances actuelles sur les mesures de contre insurrection et les forces d’options spales prnte le sujet de fa thique et historique et fait le lien entre le passt les options en Afghanistan. Plus prsnt, des chapitres sont consacrau renseignement, au terrorisme, a privatisation de la sritans les conflits ’anger, a guerre non conventionnelle comme ce fut le cas en Afghanistan durant l’occupation sovique, et aux options en cours des forces de la coalition, en Afghanistan.

Unearthing Churchill's Secret Army: The Official List of SOE Casualties and Their Stories

by Martin Mace

The Special Operations Executive was one of the most secretive organizations of the Second World War, its activities cloaked in mystery and intrigue. The fate, therefore, of many of its agents was not revealed to the general public other than the bare details carved with pride upon the headstones and memorials of those courageous individuals.Then in 2003, the first batch of SOE personal files was released by the National Archive. Over the course of the following years more and more files were made available. Now, at last, it is possible to tell the stories of all those agents that died in action.These are stories of bravery and betrayal, incompetence and misfortune, of brutal torture and ultimately death. Some died when their parachutes failed to open, others swallowed their cyanide capsules rather than fall into the hands of the Gestapo, many died in combat with the enemy, most though were executed, by hanging, by shooting and even by lethal injection.The bodies of many of the lost agents were never found, destroyed in the crematoria of such places as Buckenwald, Mauthausen and Natzweiler, others were buried where they fell. All of them should be remembered as having undertaken missions behind enemy lines in the knowledge that they might never return.

Uneasy Alliances (Thieves' World®)

by C.J. Cherryh John DeCles Chris Morris Robin Wayne Bailey C. S. Williams Diana L. Paxson

The struggle to rebuild Sanctuary continues in the eleventh entry in this shared-world fantasy series. The storms of war have passed Sanctuary by, and ordinary folk are confident the worst is behind them. Citizens work to restore their lives as the reconstruction brings new life to the city in more ways than one. However, it&’s not sunny skies for everyone. Some residents are opting to settle old debts by the sword, and others are still vanishing off the streets. Meanwhile, Shupansea, ruler of the Beysib, is troubled by bloody nightmares, wondering what they could mean . . . Dive into the action-packed shared world of sword and sorcery, featuring stories by some of fantasy&’s best authors, including Lynn Abbey, Robert Lynn Asprin, C. J. Cherryh, Jon DeCles, Chris Morris, C. S. Williams, Robin W. Bailey, and Diana L. Paxson. &“It&’s a collection to be raced through, to see what will happen. And it&’s a collection to drag one&’s feet through, lest the end come too soon.&” —Fantasy-Faction

Uneasy Warriors: Gender, Memory, and Popular Culture in the Japanese Army

by Sabine Frühstück

Following World War II, Japan's postwar constitution forbade the country to wage war or create an army. However, with the emergence of the cold war in the 1950s, Japan was urged to establish the Self-Defense Forces as a way to bolster Western defenses against the tide of Asian communism. Although the SDF's role is supposedly limited to self-defense, Japan's armed forces are equipped with advanced weapons technology and the world's third-largest military budget. Sabine Frühstück draws on interviews, historical research, and analysis to describe the unusual case of a non-war-making military. As the first scholar permitted to participate in basic SDF training, she offers a firsthand look at an army trained for combat that nevertheless serves nontraditional military needs.

Unending War: The Australian Army's struggle against malaria 1885-2015

by Ian Howie-Willis

Malaria is not only the greatest killer of humankind, the disease has been the relentless scourge of armies throughout history. Malaria thwarted the efforts of Alexander the Great to conquer India in the fourth century BC. Malaria frustrated the ambitions of Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan to rule all Europe in the fourth and thirteenth centuries AD; and malaria stymied Napoleon Bonaparte&’s plan to conquer Syria at the end of the eighteenth century. Malaria has also been the Australian Army&’s continuing implacable foe in almost all its overseas deployments formation of the Australian Army in 1901. On at least three occasions malaria has halted Australian Army operations, bringing it to a standstill and threatening its defeat. The first time was in Syria in 1918, when a malaria epidemic cut a swathe through the Australian-led Desert Mounted Corps. The second time was in Papua New Guinea in 1942–43, when the Army was fighting malaria as well as the Japanese. The third time was in Vietnam in 1968, when malaria caused more casualties than did enemy action. Indeed the Australian Army has been fighting &‘an unending war&’ against malaria ever since the Boer War at the end of the nineteenth century. The struggle against the disease continues 115 years later because virtually all Army&’s overseas deployments are to malarious regions. Fortunately for Australian troops serving in nations where malaria is endemic, the Australian Army Malaria Institute undertakes the scientific research necessary to protect our service personnel against the disease. Ian Howie-Willis, in this very readable book, tells the dramatic story of the Army&’s long and continuing struggle against malaria. It breaks new ground by showing how just one disease, malaria, is as much the serving soldier&’s foe as any enemy force.

Unequally Divided: Impossible decisions during the Vietnam era overshadowed difficult choices between love and life's destiny

by Jane Harper

Unequally Divided takes place during the late 1960s when the nation is split over the Vietnam War, civil rights issues, and political turmoil. Jorden Marshall, a young school teacher, from Columbus, Georgia is fighting to define her own beliefs. She and Lt. Alex Whelan, her future husband, present a united front not to be broken by the terrible war he is fighting in. Certainly, not by the friendship of Lt. Matt Ulster. Jorden and Matt are slated for different directions: Matt to Vietnam and Jorden to marry Alex. They have a mutual understanding there will be no commitments between them. He calls himself her escort, not a date; therefore, no problem. But neither, Jorden or Matt, is prepared for their final hours together before they go separate ways. Jorden has lingering doubts. Still, she is determined to remain loyal to Alex; or is she?

Unexpected: The Backstory of Finding Elizabeth Smart and Growing Up in the Culture of an American Religion

by Chris Thomas

The backstory of finding Elizabeth Smart and how growing up in the Mormon culture pushed the author to develop the exact kind of intuition that was needed to help manage Elizabeth&’s kidnapping and rescue while the world watched.Chris Thomas is not yet thirty years old when he finds himself managing the immense pressure, eccentric personalities, and extenuating circumstances of an international story, where one small misstep could adversely impact the search for a missing teenager and the reputation of her family. Now, twenty years later, Thomas takes readers behind the scenes, providing new details, perspectives, and commentary on finding Elizabeth Smart. In the process of reflecting on Elizabeth&’s search and rescue, Thomas discovers how growing up in the culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as Mormon) helped push him to develop the exact kind of intuition needed to manage Elizabeth&’s kidnapping and rescue, and to do so while the world watched. Unexpected juxtaposes crucial events from the Smart case with Thomas&’s experience growing up in the Latter-day Saint culture, including coming to understand the secret of a broken war hero before it was too late.

The Unexpected Family Man: A Clean and Uplifting Romance (Heroes of Dunbar Mountain)

by Alexis Morgan

A substitute family…Or a second chance at forever? Between running his family&’s bar, volunteer firefighting and becoming guardian of his late best friend&’s son, Shay Barnaby barely has time to sleep. Thank goodness for Carli Walsh, the administrator at Luca&’s school. Carli finds herself helping the grieving little boy adjust to his new world—and marveling at how quickly the three of them feel like a family. But after a previous marriage built on lies, Carli needs the real thing. Can Shay prove he's not just looking for a substitute mother to Luca but a love that lasts a lifetime? A Heroes of Dunbar Mountain StoryUSA TODAY Bestselling AuthorFrom Harlequin Heartwarming: Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.Heroes of Dunbar MountainBook 1: The Lawman's PromiseBook 2: To Trust a HeroBook 3: Second Chance DeputyBook 4: The Unexpected Family ManBook 5: The Firefighter Next Door

Unexpected Father and Legally Binding

by Delores Fossen Ann Voss Peterson

Unexpected Father by Delores FossenCop Jason Lawrence hadn't planned on parenthood. But after his brother died, he raised his baby niece as his own. No way was he giving her up-not even to her mother. Jason knows he should keep his distance from Lilly Nelson. Someone wants her dead, though, and something about her arouses Jason's most protective instincts. But what is he willing to risk to keep Lilly safe?Legally Binding by Ann Voss PetersonBad-boy-turned-rancher Bart Rawlins has been charged with murder, and he'll need the best lawyer in Texas to prove his innocence. So when Lindsey Wellington comes along with promises of acquittal, Bart suppresses his libido and focuses on the lovely lawyer's every word. This was not the first case Lindsey had imagined-and not falling for your sexy client was one lesson they'd overlooked in law school! But with Bart's future at stake, Lindsey will have to ignore her heart...or she could lose it all.

An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan

by Jason Elliot

Part historical evocation, part travelogue, and part personal quest, An Unexpected Light is the account of Elliot's journey through Afghanistan, a country considered off-limits to travelers for twenty years. Aware of the risks involved, but determined to explore what he could of the Afghan people and culture, Elliot leaves the relative security of Kabul. He travels by foot and on horseback, and hitches rides on trucks that eventually lead him into the snowbound mountains of the North toward Uzbekistan, the former battlefields of the Soviet army's "hidden war." Here the Afghan landscape kindles a recollection of the author's life ten years earlier, when he fought with the anti-Soviet mujaheddin resistance during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Weaving different Afghan times and visits with revealing insights on matters ranging from antipersonnel mines to Sufism, Elliot has created a narrative mosaic of startling prose that captures perfectly the powerful allure of a seldom-glimpsed world. Jason Elliot's An Unexpected Light is a remarkable, poignant book about Afghanistan and a heartfelt reflection on the experience of travel itself.

The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World's Most Notorious Terrorists

by Tracy Walder Jessica Anya Blau

A highly entertaining account of a young woman who went straight from her college sorority to the CIA, where she hunted terrorists and WMDs"A thrilling tale...Walder’s fast-paced and intense narrative opens a window into life in two of America’s major intelligence agencies" —Publishers Weekly (starred review)When Tracy Walder enrolled at the University of Southern California, she never thought that one day she would offer her pink beanbag chair in the Delta Gamma house to a CIA recruiter, or that she’d fly to the Middle East under an alias identity.The Unexpected Spy is the riveting story of Walder's tenure in the CIA and, later, the FBI. In high-security, steel-walled rooms in Virginia, Walder watched al-Qaeda members with drones as President Bush looked over her shoulder and CIA Director George Tenet brought her donuts. She tracked chemical terrorists and searched the world for Weapons of Mass Destruction. She created a chemical terror chart that someone in the White House altered to convey information she did not have or believe, leading to the Iraq invasion. Driven to stop terrorism, Walder debriefed terrorists—men who swore they’d never speak to a woman—until they gave her leads. She followed trails through North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, shutting down multiple chemical attacks.Then Walder moved to the FBI, where she worked in counterintelligence. In a single year, she helped take down one of the most notorious foreign spies ever caught on American soil. Catching the bad guys wasn’t a problem in the FBI, but rampant sexism was. Walder left the FBI to teach young women, encouraging them to find a place in the FBI, CIA, State Department or the Senate—and thus change the world.

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Showing 34,926 through 34,950 of 38,618 results