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Wired for War
by P. W. SingerIn Wired for War, P. W. Singer explores the greatest revolution in military affairs since the atom bomb: the dawn of robotic warfare. We are on the cusp of a massive shift in military technology that threatens to make real the stuff of I, Robot and The Terminator. Blending historical evidence with interviews of an amazing cast of characters, Singer shows how technology is changing not just how wars are fought, but also the politics, economics, laws, and the ethics that surround war itself. Travelling from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan to modern-day "skunk works" in the midst of suburbia, Wired for War will tantalise a wide readership, from military buffs to policy wonks to gearheads.
Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution And Conflict In The Twenty-First Century
by P. W. SingerA military expert reveals how science fiction is fast becoming reality on the battlefield, changing not just how wars are fought, but also the politics, economics, laws, and ethics that surround war itself P. W. Singer's previous two books foretold the rise of private military contractors and the advent of child soldiers- predictions that proved all too accurate. Now, he explores the greatest revolution in military affairs since the atom bomb-the advent of robotic warfare.We are just beginning to see a massive shift in military technology that threatens to make the stuff of I,Robot and the Terminator all too real. More than 7,000 robotic systems are now in Iraq. Pilots in Nevada are remotely killing terrorists in Afghanistan. Scientists are debating just how smart-and how lethal-to make their current robotic prototypes. And many of the most renowned science fiction authors are secretly consulting for the Pentagon on the next generation.Blending historic evidence with interviews from the field, Singer vividly shows that as these technologies multiply, they will have profound effects on the front lines as well as on the politics back home. Moving humans off the battlefield makes wars easier to start, but more complex to fight. Replacing men with machines may save some lives, but will lower the morale and psychological barriers to killing. The 'warrior ethos,' which has long defined soldiers' identity, will erode, as will the laws of war that have governed military conflict for generations.Paradoxically, these new technologies will also bring war to our doorstep. As other nations and even terrorist organizations start to build or buy their own robotic weapons, the robot revolution could undermine America's military preeminence.
Wired for War
by P. W. Singer"riveting and comprehensive, encompassing every aspect of the rise of military robotics." --Financial Times In Wired for War, P. W. Singer explores the greatest revolution in military affairs since the atom bomb: the dawn of robotic warfare. We are on the cusp of a massive shift in military technology that threatens to make real the stuff of I, Robot and The Terminator. Blending historical evidence with interviews of an amazing cast of characters, Singer shows how technology is changing not just how wars are fought, but also the politics, economics, laws, and the ethics that surround war itself. Traveling from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan to modern-day "skunk works" in the midst of suburbia, Wired for War will tantalize a wide readership, from military buffs to policy wonks to gearheads.
Wirral in the Great War (Your Towns & Cities in the Great War)
by Stephen McGrealOn 4 August 1914 Britain declared war on Germany. Originally perceived as a short campaign to curtail Germanic imperialism, it developed into a four-year long war of attrition. The Great War is justifiably associated with the horrors of trench warfare and the death of a generation but history has overlooked the home fronts' colossal contribution to victory.On the outbreak of war thousands of troops arrived in Wirral to defend the coast from invasion and guard the docks and shipyards under the watchful eyes of the gunners of the Bidston Hill artillery batteries. The transition to a military garrison also led to the conversion of schools to military hospitals, predominately financed by the community. Thousands of wounded service men arriving at Woodside station were dispersed and administered to by a plethora of military or auxiliary hospitals. Voluntary organizations also procured funds for ambulances and comforts for those at the front. At the beginning of hostilities, the Government swiftly introduced draconian regulations to restrict liberty, particularly for those of foreign extraction. Following the 1915 sinking of the Lusitania, the xenophobia vented itself in Wallasey and Birkenhead where riots resulted in the destruction of German owned business premises. The resentment was further fueled by the German submarines attempt to destroy the British merchant fleet and starve Britain into submission they almost succeeded. As vital cargoes plunged to the sea bed, food became the latest rationed commodity; consequently unused tracts of Wirral land were turned over to food production and German prisoners of war helped clear the river Birkett. The local shipyards and factories came under the control of the Ministry of Munitions and unlikely companies were involved in the national preoccupation of producing artillery shells. Following the 1916 introduction of compulsory military service, female workers increasingly replaced the men thereby making undreamed of advances in female emancipation. Also involved in the war effort were school children who collected food for wounded soldiers, boy scouts patrolled the coastline, 'sister Susie famously sewed shirts for soldiers' and a Dad's Army was established to repel invaders. Their activities and others are generally overlooked by twentieth century chroniclers.This is the fascinating, but forgotten story of how Wirral provided the sinews for war, and made a significant contribution to the comprehensive defeat of Germany.
Wisconsin Army National Guard (Images of America)
by Eric J. KillenImages of America: Wisconsin Army National Guard is a photographic history containing more than 200 images paired with a descriptive narrative that follows the illustrious story of more than 150 years of wartime service. The book highlights little-known facts about the leaders, soldiers, and units that shaped Wisconsin's military history. It begins with the Civil War legends of Old Abe and the Iron Brigade and continues through the transformational years of the National Guard during the Spanish-American War and Mexican border crisis of the 1910s. It chronicles the unbelievable sacrifices of the 32nd Red Arrow Division during both world wars and recounts the role played by Wisconsin units in the more recent War on Terror. Both historians and general readers of history will value this guide as an enjoyable and enlightening resource.
Wisconsin at Antietam: The Badger State’s Sacrifice on America’s Bloodiest Day (Civil War Series)
by Cal SchoonoverThe Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest day in American history, and Wisconsin played a vital role. The Second, Sixth and Seventh Wisconsin Regiments served in the Iron Brigade, one of the most respected infantries in the Federal army, and fighting by their side in Maryland was the Third Wisconsin. The mettle of the Badger State was sorely tested and proven on South Mountain and on the bloody Miller's Cornfield. The Third alone lost more than half its men to death or injury, and the Iron Brigade, too, suffered extraordinary losses. Yet Wisconsin's sacrifices at Antietam rebuffed the Confederate incursion into Northern territory and enabled the Emancipation Proclamation. Civil War historian Cal Schoonover sheds new light on the exploits of Wisconsin soldiers in this turning point to secure the Union.
Wisconsin's Flying Trees in World War II: A Victory for American Forest Products and Allied Aviation
by Sara Witter ConnorA look at how the Wisconsin lumber industry and the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory contributed to Allied efforts in World War II.Wisconsin’s trees heard “Timber” during World War II, as the forest products industry of the Badger State played a key role in the Allied aerial campaign. It was Wisconsin that provided the material for the De Havilland Mosquito, known as the “Timber Terror,” while the CG-4A battle-ready gliders, cloaked in stealthy silence, carried the 82nd and 101st Airborne into fierce fighting throughout Europe and the Pacific. Author Sara Witter Connor follows a forgotten thread of the American war effort, celebrating the factory workers, lumberjacks, pilots, and innovative thinkers of the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory who helped win a world war with paper, wood, and glue.
The Wisdom of Crowds (The Age of Madness #3)
by Joe AbercrombieFrom the New York Times bestselling author of A Little Hatred comes the stunning conclusion to the Age of Madness trilogy where the world finds itself in an unstoppable revolution, and the heroes have nothing left to lose as darkness and destruction overtake everything . . . <P><P>Chaos. Fury. Destruction.The Great Change is upon us . . .Some say that to change the world you must first burn it down. Now that belief will be tested in the crucible of revolution: the Breakers and Burners have seized the levers of power, the smoke of riots has replaced the smog of industry, and all must submit to the wisdom of crowds. <P><P>With nothing left to lose, Citizen Brock is determined to become a new hero for the new age, while Citizeness Savine must turn her talents from profit to survival before she can claw her way to redemption. Orso will find that when the world is turned upside down, no one is lower than a monarch. And in the bloody North, Rikke and her fragile Protectorate are running out of allies . . . while Black Calder gathers his forces and plots his vengeance. <P><P>The banks have fallen, the sun of the Union has been torn down, and in the darkness behind the scenes, the threads of the Weaver's ruthless plan are slowly being drawn together . . ."No one writes with the seismic scope or primal intensity of Joe Abercrombie." —Pierce Brown <P><P><b>A New York Times Best Seller</b>
The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy)
by Admiral William H. McRavenTHE INSTANT #1 New York Times BESTSELLER From the acclaimed, bestselling author of Make Your Bed—a short, inspirational book of advice and leadership lessons that Admiral McRaven collected over his four decades as a Navy SEAL. The title &“Bullfrog&” is given to the Navy SEAL who has served the longest on active duty. Admiral McRaven was honored to receive this honor in 2011 when he took charge of the United States Special Operations Command. When McRaven retired in 2014, he had 37 years as a Navy SEAL under his belt, leading men and women at every level of the special operations community. In the ensuing four years, he served as Chancellor to the entire University of Texas System, with its 230,000 students and 100,000 faculty and health care workers. During those four decades, Admiral McRaven dealt with every conceivable leadership challenge, from commanding combat operations—including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Phillips, and the raid for Osama bin Laden. THE WISDOM OF THE BULLFROG draws on these and countless other experiences from Admiral McRaven&’s incredible life, including crisis situations, management debates, organizational transitions, and ethical dilemmas, to provide readers with the most important leadership lessons he has learned over the course of his forty years of service. Each chapter provides a Make Your Bed-like parable, rich with insights like those featured in his bestselling memoir, Sea Stories, about the specific leadership traits required to be at the top of your game, including: Who Dares, Wins Run to the Sound of the Guns No Plan Survives First Contact with the Enemy THE WISDOM OF THE BULLFROG is Admiral McRaven&’s clear-eyed treatise on the leadership qualities that separate the good from the truly great.
The Wise Bamboo
by Lt. J. Malcolm MorrisWhen Lieutenant Morris arrived in Japan in 1945 he was not seeking the position of manager of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. He came simply to run it as a billet for senior officers of the Allied Occupation Forces. But hotels, it seemed, were already in his blood, and when he was demobilized in 1946 he decided "to stay around just to see what could possibly happen next."The Wise Bamboo is his account of what did happen.
The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made
by Walter Isaacson Evan ThomasWith a new introduction by the authors, this is the classic account of the American statesmen who rebuilt the world after the catastrophe of World War II.A captivating blend of personal biography and public drama, The Wise Men introduces six close friends who shaped the role their country would play in the dangerous years following World War II.They were the original best and brightest, whose towering intellects, outsize personalities, and dramatic actions would bring order to the postwar chaos and leave a legacy that dominates American policy to this day.The Wise Men shares the stories of Averell Harriman, the freewheeling diplomat and Roosevelt&’s special envoy to Churchill and Stalin; Dean Acheson, the secretary of state who was more responsible for the Truman Doctrine than Truman and for the Marshall Plan than General Marshall; George Kennan, self-cast outsider and intellectual darling of the Washington elite; Robert Lovett, assistant secretary of war, undersecretary of state, and secretary of defense throughout the formative years of the Cold War; John McCloy, one of the nation&’s most influential private citizens; and Charles Bohlen, adroit diplomat and ambassador to the Soviet Union.
Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story
by Ricardo S. Sanchez Donald T. PhillipsAmidst all of the criticisms of America's war in Iraq, one essential voice has remained silent . . . until now. In his groundbreaking new memoir, Wiser in Battle, LTG (Ret) Ricardo S. Sanchez, former Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq, reports back from the front lines of the global War on Terror to provide a comprehensive and chilling exploration of America's historic military and foreign policy blunder.
The Wit and Wisdom of Winston Churchill
by Max Morris'The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.'This inspiring collection gathers together Winston Churchill’s wisest and wittiest quotations.The Wit and Wisdom of Winston Churchill showcases his finest hour and is sure to delight all admirers of this great British statesman’s rousing and compelling way with words.
The Witch's Kind: A Novel
by Louisa MorganAn absorbing tale of love, sacrifice, family ties, and magic, set in the Pacific Northwest in the aftermath of World War II, by the author of A Secret History of Witches Barrie Anne Blythe and her aunt Charlotte have always known that the other residents of their small coastal community find them peculiar -- two women living alone on the outskirts of town. It is the price of concealing their strange and dangerous family secret. But two events threaten to upend their lives forever. The first is the arrival of a mysterious abandoned baby with a hint of power like their own. The second is the sudden reappearance of Barrie Anne's long-lost husband -- who is not quite the man she thought she married. Together, Barrie Anne and Charlotte must decide how far they are willing to go to protect themselves -- and the child they think of as their own -- from suspicious neighbors, the government, and even their own family...For more from Louisa Morgan, check out A Secret History of Witches.
With 6th Airborne Division in Palestine, 1945–1948
by Major General Dare WilsonThe 6th Airborne Division was a major element of the British Security Force in Palestine between September, 1945 and May 1948. Faced with the unenviable task of upholding the law in a lawless country, the individual British soldier had to face continual opposition from a hostile Jewish community. This story is described by General Wilson, then a Major, who served with the division during this period. The mission of British forces was simply "to keep the peace". To achieve this goal, the 6th Airborne Division conducted a variety of counter-insurgency operations in both urban and rural environments. These operations were designed to locate illegal arms caches, limit Jewish-Arab violence and capture dissidents who had attacked British positions. The destruction of the King David Hotel, the most famous terrorist attack of the Mandate period, is treated in great detail. With 6th Airborne Division in Palestine 1945 - 48 is a tribute to the British soldier. It is also an excellent case study in unconventional warfare. It will be of great interest to any student of the intricate problem that Palestine presents.
With a Royal Engineers Field Company in France & Italy: April 1915 to the Armistice
by V.F. EberleA memoir of the First World War from the rare perspective of an engineer.VF Eberle MC joined up upon the outbreak of the war in No 2 Field Company Royal Engineers, 48th (South Midland) Division, the same company as his brother, who was a captain. He was commissioned before sailing for France at the end of March 1915 and remained with it for the rest of the war. In that time he saw action on the Somme and in the Advance to the Hindenburg Line before his Division took part for most of the Battle of Third Ypres (Passchendaele). Transferred to Italy at the end of 1917, he took part in the final stages of the war, including the Battle of Asiago. Besides his eloquent description of the work of a field company RE, he spends some time in outlining his role in the development of the Bangalore Torpedo.Based on his wartime letters, diaries, and records—which can now be consulted in the Imperial War Museum—this book gives a detailed picture of the employment of a field company in war, during both periods of both relative tranquility and major offensives. There are relatively few memoirs of Royal Engineers’ officers, especially of those in his position, so close to the line. The memoirs benefit from his key eye for observation and his skillful use of the material available to him, making this a fine addition to the literature of the Great War.
With a Royal Engineers Field Company in France & Italy: April 1915 to the Armistice
by V.F. EberleA memoir of the First World War from the rare perspective of an engineer.VF Eberle MC joined up upon the outbreak of the war in No 2 Field Company Royal Engineers, 48th (South Midland) Division, the same company as his brother, who was a captain. He was commissioned before sailing for France at the end of March 1915 and remained with it for the rest of the war. In that time he saw action on the Somme and in the Advance to the Hindenburg Line before his Division took part for most of the Battle of Third Ypres (Passchendaele). Transferred to Italy at the end of 1917, he took part in the final stages of the war, including the Battle of Asiago. Besides his eloquent description of the work of a field company RE, he spends some time in outlining his role in the development of the Bangalore Torpedo.Based on his wartime letters, diaries, and records—which can now be consulted in the Imperial War Museum—this book gives a detailed picture of the employment of a field company in war, during both periods of both relative tranquility and major offensives. There are relatively few memoirs of Royal Engineers’ officers, especially of those in his position, so close to the line. The memoirs benefit from his key eye for observation and his skillful use of the material available to him, making this a fine addition to the literature of the Great War.
With a Smile and a Wave: The Life of Captain Aidan Liddell VC MC
by Peter DaybellDuring the late summer of 1915 Captain Aidan Liddell's gallant exploits filled many newspaper columns and he was feted as a national hero. Already decorated for bravery while serving with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, and it was as a pilot that he attracted national acclaim.Badly wounded over enemy occupied Belgium, Liddell lost consciousness as his two-seater RE5 aircraft was raked by machine gun fire, and plunged out of control towards the ground. Despite terrible injuries and the extensive damage to his machine, he somehow recovered from an inverted dive and flew on for a further half an hour to the safety of the Allied lines, so saving his observer and a valuable aircraft.For this action he was awarded the Victoria Cross, but did not live to receive Britain's highest gallantry award and succumbed to his wounds a month later. With a Smile and a Wave provides a vivid picture of the squalor and danger of war, the backbreaking hardship of trench life and of the challenges of pioneer air fighting. It draws extensively on Captain Liddell's own letters and diaries and exposes the character and courage of the man in his own often compelling and moving words. But it is a story not just of war, but of growing up in a devout and prosperous family, of a Jesuit education at Stonyhurst College, and of Edwardian Oxford before the Great War. It portrays the privileged lifestyle of the English country gentleman, and describes how a very close knit and patriotic family dealt with the adversity of war.
With a Sword in One Hand and Jomini in the Other
by Carol ReardonWhen the Civil War began, Northern soldiers and civilians alike sought a framework to help make sense of the chaos that confronted them. Many turned first to the classic European military texts from the Napoleonic era, especially Antoine Henri Jomini's Summary of the Art of War. As Carol Reardon shows, Jomini's work was only one voice in what ultimately became a lively and contentious national discourse about how the North should conduct war at a time when warfare itself was rapidly changing. She argues that the absence of a strong intellectual foundation for the conduct of war at its start--or, indeed, any consensus on the need for such a foundation--ultimately contributed to the length and cost of the conflict.Reardon examines the great profusion of new or newly translated military texts of the Civil War years, intended to fill that intellectual void, and draws as well on the views of the soldiers and civilians who turned to them in the search for a winning strategy. In examining how debates over principles of military thought entered into the question of qualifications of officers entrusted to command the armies of Northern citizen soldiers, she explores the limitations of nineteenth-century military thought in dealing with the human elements of combat.
With Alex at War: From the Irrawaddy to the Po, 1941–1945
by Rupert ClarkeAs a young Irish Guards Officer in 1940, Sir Rupert Clarke became ADC to Alexander, already a distinguished officer thanks to his intelligence and courage.Alex had been the last senior officer to leave the Dunkirk beaches. For the next 4 years, the author was Alex's constant companion. In this book he shares the excitement and experiences of those years. Alex had Churchill's unwavering confidence, protected Montgomery like no other could, and was respected and loved by those who served him
With An Ambulance During The Franco-German War [Illustrated Edition]: Personal Experiences And Adventures With Both Armies, 1870-1871
by Dr Charles Edward Ryan[Illustrated with portrait of the Author and additional maps]"A classic of 19th century war reportage by an Irish surgeon who led an ambulance unit on both sides of the Franco-Prussian War. Includes eye witness descriptions of the debacle at Sedan and the gruelling siege of Paris.Charles Ryan was an Irish surgeon from Tipperary who served with a horse-drawn Anglo-American ambulance unit in the latter stages of the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War. This vivid account of his experiences is a fascinating glimpse of the war and the siege of Paris which concluded it from a civilian whose work involved him at the sharp end. The book opens by describing the disastrous French debacle at Sedan where an army, commanded by the Emperor Napoleon III in person, was trapped and crushed by the artillery of surrounding Prussian forces, despite heroic charges by the French cavalry. Later in the war, Ryan's unit saw the war at close quarters on both sides of the lines - inside besieged Paris; and at the Prussian HQ at Versailles. Because this account, compiled from Ryan's own recollections and his letters home, was not originally written for publication, it has a freshness and an immediacy that make it a classic of 19th century humane war reportage."-N&M Print Version.
With The Battle Cruisers [Illustrated Edition]
by Filson YoungContains 54 illustrations and 3 maps.By the time that Filson Young found himself aboard Admiral Sir David Beatty's flagship in the North Sea just before the First World War he had a varied career as a novelist, journalist and war correspondent. He had been a special reporter during the Boer War and also written about naval subjects such as the voyages of Christopher Columbus and the Titanic. In this novel, also known as "With Beatty in the North Sea" chronicles his time as a Royal Naval Reserve Lieutenant with the Grand Fleet in 1915-1916, and he provides a gripping eye-witness account of the Battle of Dogger Bank. He left the Navy in 1916 before the battle of Jutland. He recorded his experiences a few years later of his life at sea in the Grand Fleet in this book which captures but the action of the battle and the personalities of the crews he served with.
With Bayonets Fixed: The 12th & 13th Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry in the Great War
by John SheenIn August and September 1914 the Regimental Depot of the Durham Light Infantry at Fenham Barracks in Newcastle was overwhelmed by the number of men enlisting. Accommodation was tight so the men were formed into batches and sent off to training grounds in the south of England. Over 2,000 men were sent to Bulllswater near Woking in Surrey where they became the 12th and 13th Battalions of the DLI serving in 68 Brigade of the 23rd Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Sir James Babington KCB KCMG. The Division never failed to take an objective between 1915 and 1918.After initial training around Aldershot and Ashford, in May they embarked for France on 25 August 1915. In November Private Thomas Kenny, of the 13th DLI, a miner from Wingate, County Durham, won the Victoria Cross rescuing his wounded officer. In the summer of 1916 they joined the fighting on the Somme and took part in the capture of Contalmaison on 10 July. In October the two battalions took part in the capture of Le Sars before being sent north to the Ypres Salient. In Flanders they took part in the Battle of Messines and the 3rd Battle of Ypres. In November 1917 the 23rd Division was ordered to the Italian Front. The 12th and 13th Battalions were initially deployed on the Montello before moving into the mountainous region of the Asiago Plateau. They were attacked by the Austrians on 15 June 1918, however, the only enemy soldiers that entered the Durhams' trenches did so as prisoners, brought in by men of the two battalions. The 13th DLI was ordered back to France in September 1918 where it took part in the advance to victory; the battalion suffered many casualties in the last six weeks of the war. The 12th DLI remained in Italy and took part in the crossing of the River Piave in October 1918 and the Battle of Vittorio Veneto that led to the end of the war in Italy.The book uses unpublished memoirs and diaries along with letters from officers and men of both battalions. Using the soldiers personal documents this book reveals many of the tragic stories that led to unnecessary loss of life. Lists of gallantry awards and nominal rolls of officers of both battalions are included.
With Blood and Iron
by Douglas ReemanIt's January 1944. On the vast grey waters of the Atlantic the balance of power has shifted. For Rudolf Steiger, ace U-boat commander, there is a new sense of urgency. Dedicated, ruthless, fanatical, he has become a legend in his own time, a symbol of Germany's greatness. But now, he faces a new and deadly enemy.
With British Snipers to the Reich
by Capt. C. ShoreFirst published in 1948, this book is a practical guide to the sniper’s art in World War II. Captain Shore’s enthusiasm for firearms and especially for rifles led him to take every possible opportunity to try out different weapons, ammunition and methods of shooting. His interest was combined with sound common sense, and he would never countenance a rumour about a particular weapon or incident unless he was able to confirm it for himself.As a result everything in this book is based on his personal experience. In World War II Captain Shore took part in the British landings at D-Day, and fought in Normandy and northern Europe. He came across many different weapons in varying condition, some of the worst being those used by the Dutch and Belgian resistance fighters. He was keen to learn from experienced snipers and then to train others, and he became an officer sniping instructor at the British Army of the Rhine Training Centre.He shares a wealth of first-hand knowledge of different rifles, pistols, machine guns, ammunition, telescopes, binoculars and all the equipment a sniper should carry. This is not only an account of sniping in World War II but also a guide to all aspects of sniping based on personal knowledge and experience in training and battle. Illustrated heavily with photos, pictures and other illustrations of snipers, their weapons and their tactics.