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Vanguard Of Valor: Small Unit Actions In Afghanistan Vol. I [Illustrated Edition] (Vanguard Of Valor #1)
by Donald P. Wright General David PetraeusIncludes 35 illustrations.Since 2001, the US Army in Afghanistan has been conducting complex operations in a difficult, often dangerous environment. Living in isolated outposts and working under austere conditions, US Soldiers have carried out missions that require in equal parts a warrior's courage and a diplomat's restraint. In the larger discussions of the Afghanistan campaign, the experiences of these Soldiers-especially the young sergeants and lieutenants that lead small units-often go undocumented. But, as we all know, success in Afghanistan ultimately depends on these small units and their leaders, making their stories all the more important.In 2010, as the scale and tempo of Coalition operations in Afghanistan increased, so did the need for historical accounts of small-unit actions. As commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), I commissioned the Combat Studies Institute to research and write the cases collected in this volume and in those that will follow. By capturing key insights from both lethal and non-lethal operations, I hoped these accounts would be of immediate utility to sergeants and lieutenants at the center of future operations.The eight actions described in these pages take the reader through a wide range of platoon-level operations, from an intense firefight near Kandahar to an intricate civic action project in Kunar Province. Drawing from dozens of Soldier interviews, these accounts vividly depict the actions themselves and offer critical insights of greatest benefit to the small-unit leaders of today and tomorrow.The US Army always has prided itself as an institution of constant learning, strongly committed to drawing lessons from its past. This volume from the CSI is an excellent example of that long and honorable tradition. I hope that you will find the actions related in Vanguard of Valor to be both instructive and compelling. I am sure that you will find them to be inspirational. Gen. Petraeus
Vanguard Of Valor: Small Unit Actions In Afghanistan Vol. II [Illustrated Edition] (Vanguard Of Valor #2)
by Donald P. Wright Lt.-Gen Karl W. EikenberryIllustrated with 22 photos, maps and plans.Beginning in 2009, the U.S. and many of its NATO-ISAF partners dramatically raised their levels of effort in Afghanistan. The "Afghan Surge," as it came to be known, was most evident in the number of additional US and allied troops that arrived in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010. Their mission was clear: To reverse the Taliban's momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow the government, and to strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan's security forces and government so that they could assume lead responsibility for their nation's future.For US Army units, the ways of creating stability and furthering the reach of the Afghan Government took several forms. First and foremost, US Soldiers executed complex and difficult offensive operations to seize territory that had often been held by insurgents for years. Additionally, US Soldiers formed close partnerships with Afghan Army and Police units to accelerate the growth of the Afghan security forces' capabilities.At the heart of all of these efforts were the men and women who served in front line units during what has become longest war in our Nation's history. In my time as the senior US commander in Afghanistan and as US Ambassador to that country, I recognized that the success of the campaign depended greatly on the skill, valor, and grit of our Army Soldiers. The present volume, Vanguard of Valor II, offers six accounts of US Soldiers at the tip of the spear during the Afghan campaign. The Combat Studies Institute's Vanguard of Valor series is intended to document small unit actions in Afghanistan. These books play an equally important role by offering insights to Soldiers who may find themselves in the years ahead under similar conditions, whether in Afghanistan or in some other troubled land where they have been deployed to conduct the dangerous business of defending the national interest in a theater of war.-Karl W. Eikenberry
Vanguard: Precipice (Star Trek: The Original Series)
by David MackOperation Vanguard is in chaos in this novel from the acclaimed Vanguard saga, based on Star Trek: The Original Series!On a post-apocalyptic world in the Taurus Reach, undercover Starfleet Intelligence agent Cervantes Quinn finds an ancient Shedai conduit. Unfortunately, the Klingons have found it first and sent an army to claim it. Light-years away on Vulcan, reporter Tim Pennington answers a cryptic call for help and ends up stalking interstellar criminals with an unlikely partner: T'Prynn, the woman who sabotaged his career and is now a fugitive from justice. Meanwhile, Diego Reyes, former commander of Starbase 47, lives as a prisoner aboard a Klingon starship. But his former enemies aren't seeking revenge. In fact, the only man who knows why Reyes is still alive is the one who arranged his kidnapping and faked his death—the enigmatic Councilor Gorkon. All their fates, as well as the futures of three great powers, are linked by one thing: the mysterious Mirdonyae Artifact. And unless Doctor Carol Marcus and Ming Xiong can unlock its secrets in time, it might destroy them all.
Vanguard: What Judgments Come (Star Trek: The Original Series)
by Dayton Ward Kevin DilmoreAn adventure in the Taurus Reach with Starfleet crews, undercover agents, civilian colonists, and alien power players of the Vanguard saga—based on Star Trek: The Original Series.Operation Vanguard has risked countless lives and sacrificed entire worlds to unlock the secrets of the Shedai, an extinct alien civilization whose technology can shape the future of the galaxy. Now, Starfleet&’s efforts have roused the vengeful Shedai from their aeons of slumber. As the Taurus Reach erupts with violence, hundreds of light-years away, Ambassador Jetanien and his counterparts from the Klingon and Romulan empires struggle to avert war by any means necessary. But Jetanien discovers their mission may have been designed to fail all along. Meanwhile, living in exile on an Orion ship is the one man who can help Starfleet find an ancient weapon that can stop the Shedai: Vanguard&’s former commanding officer, Diego Reyes.
Vanished
by Wil S. HyltonIn the fall of 1944, a massive American bomber carrying eleven men vanished over the Pacific islands of Palau, leaving a trail of mysteries. According to mission reports from the Army Air Forces, the plane crashed in shallow water-but when investigators went to find it, the wreckage wasn't there. Witnesses saw the crew parachute to safety, yet the airmen were never seen again. Some of their relatives whispered that they had returned to the United States in secret and lived in hiding. But they never explained why. For sixty years, the U. S. government, the children of the missing airmen, and a maverick team of scientists and scuba divers searched the islands for clues. They trolled the water with side-scan sonar, conducted grid searches on the seafloor, crawled through thickets of mangrove and poison trees, and flew over the islands in small planes to shoot infrared photography. With every clue they found, the mystery only deepened. Now, in a spellbinding narrative, Wil S. Hylton weaves together the true story of the missing men, their final mission, the families they left behind, and the real reason their disappearance remained shrouded in secrecy for so long. This is a story of love, loss, sacrifice, and faith- of the undying hope among the families of the missing, and the relentless determination of scientists, explorers, archaeologists, and deep-sea divers to solve one of the enduring mysteries of World War II. .
Vanished
by Wil S. HyltonPraised by Robert Kurson, Philipp Meyer, Hampton Sides, Michael Paterniti, and many others "A powerful story, masterfully told."--GQ "[A] deeply textured, propulsive new book...a phenomenal writer."--TIME.com "Marries an almost cinematically well-paced narrative with a deep sensitivity to the people whose lives it tells."--The Boston Globe "Superb... Part Pacific Theater history, part Indiana Jones thriller."--Newsday As featured on NPR's Weekend Edition and The Diane Rehm Show In the fall of 1944, a massive American bomber carrying eleven men vanished over the Pacific islands of Palau, leaving a trail of mysteries. According to mission reports from the Army Air Forces, the plane crashed in shallow water--but when investigators went to find it, the wreckage wasn't there. Witnesses saw the crew parachute to safety, yet the airmen were never seen again. Some of their relatives whispered that they had returned to the United States in secret and lived in hiding. But they never explained why. For sixty years, the U.S. government, the children of the missing airmen, and a maverick team of scientists and scuba divers searched the islands for clues. They trolled the water with side-scan sonar, conducted grid searches on the seafloor, crawled through thickets of mangrove and poison trees, and flew over the islands in small planes to shoot infrared photography. With every clue they found, the mystery only deepened. Now, in a spellbinding narrative, Wil S. Hylton weaves together the true story of the missing men, their final mission, the families they left behind, and the real reason their disappearance remained shrouded in secrecy for so long. This is a story of love, loss, sacrifice, and faith-- of the undying hope among the families of the missing, and the relentless determination of scientists, explorers, archaeologists, and deep-sea divers to solve one of the enduring mysteries of World War II.
Vanished Arizona, Recollections of the Army Life by a New England Woman
by Martha SummerhayesI have written this story of my army life at the urgent and ceaseless request of my children.
Vanished Arizona: Recollections of the Army Life by a New England Woman
by Martha SummerhayesWhen Martha Summerhayes left her cozy New England home and married a cavalry officer in the late 19th century, she had no idea what she signed up for. Vanished Arizona, is a collection of Martha’s memories living in various army forts. Along the way, readers meet a variety of fascinating characters, such as a nearly-naked Indian cook and a "dentist" who extracts the wrong tooth by accident. Today, joining the army is something that is not limited by gender. While Martha’s story tells of her adventures following her husband from army fort to army fort, her experience is not unlike that of the modern female marine. Her experience living in Indian Country and raising children under trying conditions is a tale that all women and men in the army alike can relate to. This beautiful account of army life is a story of adventure, love, and intrigue that will leave readers at the edge of their seats. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Vanished Armies
by Ae MillerIn the years immediately before the First World War Archibald Haswell Miller, a young artist, traveled Europe to study painting. While he was there he indulged his other great interest - military matters. On his travels he observed first-hand the soldiers of the European Armies in the last days of the colourful and elaborate uniforms that were giving way to grey and khaki across the continent. Realizing that this was a great military heritage that was slipping away, he set out to record these splendid uniforms.In the uncertain days before the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo, Haswell Miller sketched and painted hundreds of figures, each wearing a different uniform from the armies of Britain, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Sweden. Just before the First World War the paintings were exhibited in Leipzig, and it seemed they might be published. But when war broke out they returned home and lay forgotten for nearly one hundred years.Now, published together at last, they represent a unique record of the uniforms of the last great age of military dress. Accompanied by, in Haswell Miller's own words, 'notes and memories of the days before "the lights went out in Europe" in the year 1914', this is a book of great historical importance.
Vanished Hero: The Life, War and Mysterious Disappearance of America's WWII Strafing King
by Jay A. Stout“A superb, edge-of-the-seat account of [Elwyn] Righetti’s stellar combat career during the final months of the air war against Germany” (Eric Hammel, author of Two Flags over Iwo Jima).A hell-bent-for-leather fighter pilot, Elwyn G. Righetti remains one of the most unknown, yet most compelling, colorful and controversial commanders of World War II.Arriving late to the war, he led the England-based 55th Fighter Group against the Nazis during the closing months of the fight with a no-holds-barred aggressiveness that transformed the group from a middling organization of no reputation into a headline-grabbing team that made excuses to no one. Indeed, Righetti’s boldness paid off, as he quickly achieved ace status and scored more strafing victories—twenty-seven—than any other Eighth Air Force pilot.Ultimately, Righetti’s calculated recklessness ran full speed into the odds. His aircraft was hit while strafing an enemy airfield only four days before the 55th flew its last mission. Almost farcically aggressive to the end, he coaxed his crippled fighter through one more firing pass before making a successful crash landing. Immediately, he radioed his men that he was fine and asked that they reassure his family. Righetti was never heard from again.Vanished Hero tells a story “worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster . . . It is a fitting tribute to both Righetti and the man who collected his life’s journey” (Military Heritage).“An excellent biography of a true American hero . . . a worthy contribution to an understanding of the application of air power in the Second World War.” —History News Network
Vanishing Act: The Enduring Mystery Behind the Legendary Doolittle Raid over Tokyo
by Dan HamptonFrom New York Times bestselling author Dan Hampton comes the gripping, untold story of a vital secret mission set during the darkest days of the Second World War.In the dark days after the devastating Pearl Harbor attacks during the spring of 1942, the United States was determined to show the world that the Axis was not invincible. Their bold plan? Bomb Tokyo. On April 18, 1942, sixteen B-25s, known as the Doolittle Raiders, hit targets across Japan before escaping to China.The eighth plane, however, did not follow the other raiders. Instead, Plane 8’s pilots, Captain Edward “Ski” York and Lieutenant Bob Emmens, never attacked Tokyo, but headed across Japan to the Soviet Union, supposedly due to low fuel. Yet, this bomber was the only plane on the mission with maps of the Soviet Union aboard. And why did Plane 8’s route, recently discovered in the Japanese Imperial Archives, show them nowhere near their target? Uncovered facts reveal that bombing Tokyo was merely a cover for Plane 8’s real mission, but what was their secret objective? No one, aside from the two pilots and whomever sent them on this mission, truly knew why they were there, nor has the reason ever been revealed.Until now.In Vanishing Act, for the first time, New York Times bestselling author and former fighter pilot Dan Hampton definitively solves the final mystery of the Doolittle Raid with never-before-published documents and photographs in exclusive collaboration with Japanese researchers and the Raiders’ descendants.
Vanishing Point
by John NicholAn RAF pilot takes on powerful forces to uncover the truth about forbidden weapons of war in &“a thriller with a serious message&” (The Times). One of the RAF&’s ace pilots, Flight Lieutenant Mark Hunter was shot down and held prisoner in Iraq. Six years later, the nightmare continues, as Mark watches his fellow servicemen being tortured by the devastating effects of the Gulf War. Determined to find out why information about lethal cocktails of drugs is classified, and why the establishment has built a wall of silence around Iraqi chemical weapons, Mark resolves to discover the shameful secrets buried in Desert Storm. Up against the combined might of the military and the government, Mark finds every avenue leads to a dead end. His only hope lies in enlisting the help of Dr. Natalie Kennedy, one of the UN&’s crack scientists. But he has only ten days before his squadron returns to Kuwait . . . &“Bristles with topicality and anger.&” —The Daily Telegraph &“Nichol&’s writing skills are first rate.&” —Daily Express
Vanishing Point: The Search for a B-24 Bomber Crew Lost on the World War II Home Front
by Tom WilberIn Vanishing Point, award winning journalist and author Tom Wilber pieces together the largely forgotten story of the bomber, Getaway Gertie, and an eclectic group of enthusiasts who have spent years searching for it. At the height of World War II, a B-24 Liberator bomber vanished with its crew while on a training mission over upstate New York. The final hours and ultimate resting place of pilot Keith Ponder and seven other US aviators aboard the plane remain mysteries to this day. The tale is at once a compelling instance of loss on the World War II American home front and a more extensive, largely unreported history. Ponder–a 21-year-old from rural Mississippi–and his crew were tragically unexceptional casualties in the monumental effort to recruit and train an air force en masse to counter the global conquest of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. More than fifteen thousand American airmen and, in some cases, women burned, crashed, or fell to their deaths in stateside training accidents during the war–their lives and stories shuffled away in piles of Air Force bureaucracy.The forgotten story of Getaway Gertie was originally inspired by summer evenings around the campfire on the shores of Lake Ontario, where parts of the plane have washed up. Building on those campfire tales, Wilber deftly connects myth with fact and memory with historicity. The result is a vivid portrait of the forgotten soldier of the home front and a new take on the meaning of wartime sacrifice as the last survivors of the Greatest Generation pass away.
Vanquished and Victorious: World War One Veterans in Austria and Czechoslovakia, 1918-1938 (Austrian and Habsburg Studies #35)
by Laurence Cole Rudolf Kučera Hannes Leidinger Václav ŠmidrkalRecent research has revised earlier views about the role of veterans of World War One in paramilitary formations, radical nationalism and political extremism in inter-war Europe, yet there remain considerable gaps in our understanding of the role they played in the ‘successor states’ of the Habsburg Empire. Vanquished and Victorious provides an innovative comparative investigation of veterans in Austria and Czechoslovakia, two states whose wider political development was of crucial importance to the question of stability in Central Europe after 1918. While differing in terms of how successfully veterans reintegrated into post-war society, this volume shows that both countries incorporated elements of ‘cultures of victory and defeat’.
Varina
by Charles FrazierHer marriage prospects limited, teenage Varina Howell agrees to wed the much-older widower Jefferson Davis, with whom she expects the secure life of a Mississippi landowner. Davis instead pursues a career in politics and is eventually appointed president of the Confederacy, placing Varina at the white-hot center of one of the darkest moments in American history—culpable regardless of her intentions. <p><p> The Confederacy falling, her marriage in tatters, and the country divided, Varina and her children escape Richmond and travel south on their own, now fugitives with “bounties on their heads, an entire nation in pursuit.” <p> Intimate in its detailed observations of one woman’s tragic life and epic in its scope and power, Varina is a novel of an American war and its aftermath. Ultimately, the book is a portrait of a woman who comes to realize that complicity carries consequences. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Varina
by Charles FrazierThe new novel from the number one bestselling author of Cold Mountain - a stunning portrait of the devastation left by the American Civil War, as seen through the eyes of a woman who played a part at the heart of it.Sooner or later, history asks: which side were you on?'Moving' Sunday Times'Here's a woman of the Civil War to outshine Scarlett O'Hara' The Times'Beneath the chilling, photogenic story, the writing remains beautiful' - IndependentWith her marriage prospects ruined in the wake of her father's financial decline, teenage Varina Howell decides her best option is to wed the much-older widower Jefferson Davis, with whom she expects a life of security as a Mississippi landowner. When he instead pursues a career in politics and is appointed President of the Confederacy, it puts Varina at the white-hot centre of one of the darkest moments in American history - culpable regardless of her intentions.As the Confederacy prepares to surrender and she finds herself friendless and alone, Varina and her children escape Richmond. With her marriage in tatters and the country divided, they travel south, now fugitives with 'bounties on their heads, an entire nation in pursuit'.
Varina
by Charles FrazierThe new novel from the number one bestselling author of Cold Mountain - a stunning portrait of the devastation left by the American Civil War, as seen through the eyes of a woman who played a part at the heart of it.With her marriage prospects ruined in the wake of her father's financial decline, teenage Varina Howell decides her best option is to wed the much-older widower Jefferson Davis, with whom she expects a life of security as a Mississippi landowner. When he instead pursues a career in politics and is appointed President of the Confederacy, it puts Varina at the white-hot centre of one of the darkest moments in American history - culpable regardless of her intentions.As the Confederacy prepares to surrender and she finds herself friendless and alone, Varina and her children escape Richmond. With her marriage in tatters and the country divided, they travel south, now fugitives with 'bounties on their heads, an entire nation in pursuit'.(P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Varsity's Soldiers: The University of Toronto Contingent of the Canadian Officers’ Training Corps, 1914−1968 (The Canadian Experience of War)
by Eric McGeerThe role of Canadian universities in selecting and training officers for the armed forces is an important yet overlooked chapter in the history of higher education in Canada. For more than fifty years, the University of Toronto supported the largest and most active contingent of the Canadian Officers Training Corps (COTC), which sent thousands of officer candidates into the regular and reserve forces. Based on the rich fund of documents housed in the university archives, Varsity’s Soldiers offers the first full-length history of military training in Toronto. Beginning with the formation of a student rifle company in 1861, and focussing on the story of the COTC from 1914 to 1968, author Eric McGeer seeks to enlarge appreciation of the university’s remarkable contribution to the defence of Canada, the place of military education in an academic setting, and the experience of the students who embodied the ideal of service to alma mater and to country.
Vassili Zaitsev, Hero Of The Soviet Union
by MST William A. RostMaster Sergeant Vassili Zaitsev emerged from the battle of Stalingrad as an unlikely Soviet war hero with his actions conducted out of love for his country and a severe patriotic belief. MSG Zaitsev played a key role in the destruction and surrender of the German 6th Army.Note this is a short biography hence the price.
Vault of the Ages
by Poul AndersonArchaeologists, studying the past, are handicapped by the fact that relics are usually few and in poor condition. Often, one is not even sure where to look for them. Out of such finds, from tombs, ruined cities, swamps, deserts, and any other place where men of the past have left some trace of themselves, the archaeologist tries to build up a picture of these men's lives and civilizations. but there are great gaps in our knowledge and probably always will be. For Instance, we cannot yet read the inscriptions left by the ancient Cretans, and so are in the dark about many features of their high civilization...
Vector
by James AbelJoe Rush takes on a new terror, spawned in the Amazon rain forest, that threatens to bring the world to its knees in James Abel's latest bio-thriller, now in paperback.While studying new forms of malaria at an Amazon gold rush, Joe Rush's best friend and partner, Eddie Nakamura, disappears. Learning that many of the sick miners have also vanished, Rush begins a search for Eddie that takes him into the heart of darkness--where while battling for his life, he discovers a secret that may change the world. Thousands of miles away, sick people are starting to flood into U.S. hospitals. When the White House admits that it has received terrorist threats, cities across the Northeast begin to shut down. Rush and his team must journey from one of the most remote spots on Earth to one of the busiest, as the clock ticks toward a kind of annihilation not thought possible. They have even less time than they think to solve the mystery, for the danger--as bad as it is--is about to get even worse.
Vector de amenaza
by Tom Clancy Mark GreaneyPara Jack Ryan, Jr. y sus compañeros de la organización secreta conocida como el Campus, la lucha contra los enemigos de los Estados Unidos no tiene fin. Pero el peligro acaba de llegar a casa de una manera que nunca esperaron...<P><P> VECTOR DE AMENAZA El Campus ha sido descubierto. Y quienquiera que sepa de su existencia, sabe también que puede ser destruido. Mientras tanto, el presidente Jack Ryan ha llegado de nuevo a la Oficina Oval, y su sabiduría y valor se necesitan con más urgencia que nunca.<P> Los conflictos políticos y económicos internos han llevado al liderazgo de China al borde del desastre. Y aquellos que desean consolidar su poder están aprovechando la anhelada oportunidad de atacar Taiwán y a los estadounidenses, que han protegido a esta pequeña nación.<P> Ahora, mientras dos de las superpotencias mundiales se acercan cada vez más a una confrontación final, el presidente Ryan debe utilizar el único comodín que le queda: el Campus. Pero con su existencia a punto de ser revelada, tal vez no tengan siquiera la oportunidad de pelear una batalla antes de que el mundo sea devastado por la guerra.
Vectors: Double Helix #2 (Star Trek: The Next Generation #52)
by Kristine Kathryn Rusch Dean Wesley SmithAn electrifying thriller set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation universe from bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith.Like a strand of mutating DNA, a deadly conspiracy winds its way through the entire Alpha Quadrant, just as it stretches across several years of Starfleet history—even to the Cardassian space station that will someday be known as Deep Space Nine™. A virulent plague has stricken Terok Nor, striking down both the enslaved Bajorans and Cardassian oppressors, who blame each other for the growing epidemic. Dr. Katherine Pulaski, late of the Starship Enterprise™, must work with the tyrannical Gul Dukat, as well as a rebel spy named Kira Nerys, to discover the true source of an infection that threatens them all!
Vehicle Art of World War Two
by John NorrisThe nose art that decorated WW2 aircraft has received considerable attention but the images and slogans that decorated land vehicles has been less widely appreciated. This visually stunning book displays many fine examples (original or faithfully recreated) of the art that adorned the military vehicles of both Allied and Axis forces. Both official unit markings, such as divisional badges and unit emblems, as well as decidedly less official renderings of pin-up girls and cartoon characters are included. John Norriss concise but well researched text and extended captions set the artwork in context and explain the development of vehicle art through the course of the war and in the various armies. The result is a visual treat for the casual reader and a valuable reference for reenactors, vehicle restorers, wargamers and modellers.
Vehicles & Heavy Weapons of the Vietnam War
by David DoyleThis photo-packed reference &“will be of interest to modelers and military historians alike&” (AMPS Indianapolis). The ground war in Vietnam pitted a myriad of American tanks, artillery, APC, and trucks against not only the weapons of Communist North Vietnam, but also the terrain. Through archival images, the arsenal of the US Army and USMC are revisited in this informative volume. From the iconic M113 APC to the M48A3 tank, M551 Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle, M151 and M54 trucks, M50 Ontos, M107 and M109 artillery, and M42 Duster, the complete array of vehicles fielded is shown. This book, the first in a series on the US military&’s weapons, vehicles, aircraft, and naval vessels of the Vietnam War, offers a highly illustrated reference for those wishing to delve deeper into this conflict.