- Table View
- List View
Black April
by George J VeithThe defeat of South Vietnam was arguably America's worst foreign policy disaster of the 20th Century. Yet a complete understanding of the endgame-from the 27 January 1973 signing of the Paris Peace Accords to South Vietnam's surrender on 30 April 1975-has eluded us.Black April addresses that deficit. A culmination of exhaustive research in three distinct areas: primary source documents from American archives, North Vietnamese publications containing primary and secondary source material, and dozens of articles and numerous interviews with key South Vietnamese participants, this book represents one of the largest Vietnamese translation projects ever accomplished, including almost one hundred rarely or never seen before North Vietnamese unit histories, battle studies, and memoirs. Most important, to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of South Vietnam's conquest, the leaders in Hanoi released several compendiums of formerly highly classified cables and memorandum between the Politburo and its military commanders in the south. This treasure trove of primary source materials provides the most complete insight into North Vietnamese decision-making ever complied. While South Vietnamese deliberations remain less clear, enough material exists to provide a decent overview.Ultimately, whatever errors occurred on the American and South Vietnamese side, the simple fact remains that the country was conquered by a North Vietnamese military invasion despite written pledges by Hanoi's leadership against such action. Hanoi's momentous choice to destroy the Paris Peace Accords and militarily end the war sent a generation of South Vietnamese into exile, and exacerbated a societal trauma in America over our long Vietnam involvement that reverberates to this day. How that transpired deserves deeper scrutiny.
Black Arrow Blue Diamond: Leading the Legendary RAF Flying Display Teams
by Brian MercerA memoir of flying Hawker Hunters for the famed aerobatic display teams, and other adventures in aviation. Brian Mercer is one of the most outstanding postwar RAF fighter pilots and in this eminently readable autobiography he recaptures life as it was in the days of transition from flying piston-powered aircraft to jet power. His flying and leadership skills resulted in a long association with what was then considered the finest aerobatic display team in the world—Treble One Squadron&’s Black Arrows. Flying the elegant black Hawker Hunters in large formation displays was no easy task, and Mercer explains in great detail how their legendary precision was achieved, revealing many exciting incidents en route. When Treble One&’s Hunters were replaced with the supersonic Lightning fighter, it soon became clear that these superfast aircraft were not suited to close-up display flying. Brian was then asked to form a new RAF display team and continue with Hunters. This was to become the No. 92 Squadron&’s Blue Diamonds, who inherited the star role. Faced with the fact that future promotion within the RAF would move him from cockpit to desk, Brian elected to join the then-fledgling airline Cathay Pacific, and his story also includes many lively accounts of incidents that occurred while he was flying from the company&’s home base at Kai Tak in Hong Kong.
Black Cat 2-1: The True Story of a Vietnam Helicopter Pilot and His Crew
by Bob Ford&“This moving memoir about the gritty life of a military helicopter pilot fills a gap in the genre of Vietnam literature.&”—Foreword Reviews In the Vietnam War, 2,197 helicopter pilots and 2,717 crew members were killed. Black Cat 2-1 is the story of one pilot who made it home and the valiant men he served with who risked their lives for the troops on the ground. Bob Ford invites readers into the Huey helicopters he flew on more than 1,000 missions when he and his men dared to protect and rescue. For those whose voices were silenced in that faraway place or who have never told their stories, he creates a tribute that reads like a thriller, captures the humor of men at war, and resounds with respect for those who served with honor.An Oklahoma Book Award Finalist &“Bob Ford&’s account of his year in the command seat of his ship of salvation is a priceless contribution to the literary canon of that war.&”—David A. Maurer, Special Forces veteran, author of The Dying Place &“[Ford] brings to life his story so the reader can experience what it may have been like—and how the troops felt at the time. With moments that feel like they were written for a movie, Black Cat 2-1 will take you in the air over Vietnam and through some of the hardest missions you could expect.&”—Week99er &“This memoir is hard to beat.&”—Air & Space/Smithsonian &“Capably written.&”—Publishers Weekly &“Refreshing . . . evocative descriptions of combat flying.&”—The VVA Veteran
Black Cat Raiders of WW II
by Richard C. KnottThanks to the PBY's daring pilots and their effective tactics, the slow outdated Catalina patrol bombers became the scourge of Japanese shipping in the South Pacific during World War II. Painted black and hunting at night, the Black Cats, as they were called, are credited with sinking or disabling hundreds of thousands of tons of cargo vessels, troop transports, and warships. Curiously their exploits were known to few outside the naval aviation community until the publication of this book in 1981. This testimonial to their magnificent performance is told by an experienced flying boat pilot, who has pieced together the fascinating story from reminiscences of the men who flew the long, arduous missions and from official navy records. It is an inspiring tale of fearless men in machines ill-designed for combat who wreaked havoc on a dangerous and merciless adversary. Illustrated with more than sixty photographs and detailed line drawings, it is a book to be savored by those who like their adventure stories to ring true.
Black Company
by Eric PurdonThe remarkable World War II story of PC 1264's crew of fifty African-American enlisted men as recounted by the ship's captain
Black Country to Red China: One girl's story from war-torn England to Revolutionary China
by Esther Cheo YingBorn in pre-Revolutionary China and brought up in the Midlands, Esther Cheo Ying returned to China in 1949 after a traumatic childhood, convinced that there she would find the happiness and sense of belonging she longed for. Caught up in the turmoil of civil war and sympathetic to the Communist Revolution, she joined the Red Army and then stayed on to work in the new People's Republic. But despite her determination to make a new life in China could she truly be happy in a country which encouraged constant self-criticism and viewed her as a 'false foreign devil'? Black Country to Red China is an extraordinary account of life before the Cultural Revolution, but it is also a fascinating insight into one woman's struggle to come to terms with your own identity.
Black Cross
by Greg Iles"A truly fine novel...Totally absorbing and ingenious."-Nelson DeMille"On fire with suspense."-Stephen KingIt is January 1944--and as Allied troops prepare for D-Day, Nazi scientists develop a toxic nerve gas that would repel and wipe out any invasion force. To salvage the planned assault, two vastly different but equally determined men are sent to infiltrate the secret concentration camp where the poison gas is being perfected on human subjects. Their only objective: destroy all traces of the gas and the men who created it--no matter how many lives may be lost. Including their own..."Stunning...From the very first page, Greg Iles takes his readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride, juxtaposing tension-filled action scenes, horrifying depictions of savage cruelty, and heart-stopping descriptions of sacrifice and bravery. A remarkable story from a remarkable writer"-Booklist
Black Death Reprise
by Don PendletonThe search for a missing virologist leads Mack Bolan to a cult with a horrific agenda. An order of monks has emerged as a new force of unprecedented terror. Legend has it that the centuries-old brotherhood was the mastermind of the Black Death. Reborn as a fully modern paramilitary organization with cells across the globe, the order is ready to unleash a new plague upon the world. With ritualistic precision, forty couriers of death will be deployed to major cities. Bolan's race to stop the unthinkable takes him from the U. S. to Australia. The Executioner must find the source before a designer disease with its roots in history's darkest nightmare causes untold human suffering.
Black Dragon: The Experience of A Marine Rifle Company in the Central Pacific (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series)
by Steven D. McCloudBlack Dragon recounts the experience of a single Marine rifle company—2-F-23, or “Fox” Company—and its drive through the central Pacific in World War II. Author Steven D. McCloud, through painstaking research of battlefield reports and extensive interviews with surviving members of Fox Company, has reanimated the grueling, day-by-day slog through the Pacific theater through the eyes of the US Marines who endured it. <P><P> This is the story of American teenagers who left home, many for the first time, trained together, and formed a team that held strong until, at last, those who survived tried to leave it all behind as they dispersed, returned home, and sought to build their lives. Decades later, Fox Company re-formed through correspondence and reunions and also welcomed McCloud into their midst by telling him their stories. McCloud took notes, chased down company reports and other documents to fill in the gaps, and carefully reconstructed their journey.
Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning
by Timothy SnyderA brilliant, haunting, and profoundly original portrait of the defining tragedy of our time. In this epic history of extermination and survival, Timothy Snyder presents a new explanation of the great atrocity of the twentieth century, and reveals the risks that we face in the twenty-first. Based on new sources from eastern Europe and forgotten testimonies from Jewish survivors, Black Earth recounts the mass murder of the Jews as an event that is still close to us, more comprehensible than we would like to think, and thus all the more terrifying. The Holocaust began in a dark but accessible place, in Hitler's mind, with the thought that the elimination of Jews would restore balance to the planet and allow Germans to win the resources they desperately needed. Such a worldview could be realized only if Germany destroyed other states, so Hitler's aim was a colonial war in Europe itself. In the zones of statelessness, almost all Jews died. A few people, the righteous few, aided them, without support from institutions. Much of the new research in this book is devoted to understanding these extraordinary individuals. The almost insurmountable difficulties they faced only confirm the dangers of state destruction and ecological panic. These men and women should be emulated, but in similar circumstances few of us would do so. By overlooking the lessons of the Holocaust, Snyder concludes, we have misunderstood modernity and endangered the future. The early twenty-first century is coming to resemble the early twentieth, as growing preoccupations with food and water accompany ideological challenges to global order. Our world is closer to Hitler's than we like to admit, and saving it requires us to see the Holocaust as it was -- and ourselves as we are. Groundbreaking, authoritative, and utterly absorbing, Black Earth reveals a Holocaust that is not only history but warning.— Finalist, Mark Lynton History Prize— Winner, Gustav Ranis International Book Prize
Black Faces of War: A Legacy of Honor from the American Revolution to Today
by Robert V. MorrisThis commemoration of African-Americans in the U.S. military includes contributions from W. Stephen Morris and Luther H. Smith, one of the most-celebrated Tuskegee Airmen. Other black military heroes featured in the book include Crispus Attucks, the first man to die in the Revolutionary War; Lt. James Reese Europe, who brought jazz music to Europe in 1918; Lt. Charity Adams, commander of the only all-black Women's Army Corps unit during World War II; and Gen. Colin Powell, who served with distinction in Vietnam, became the first African-American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War, and retired a four-star general before becoming the first African-American Secretary of State.
Black Flag
by Brad TaylorIn retired Delta Force officer Brad Taylor's latest adrenaline-fueled short story, Pike Logan and his fellow Taskforce operators face a team of ruthless modern-day pirates with a devious plan that leaves them fighting for their very survival. Includes an exclusive preview of Brad Taylor's hotly anticipated fifth Pike Logan novel, The Polaris Protocol, coming January 14, 2014. On leave after a particularly critical and dangerous mission with the Taskforce--a top secret counterterrorist unit that operates outside the bounds of US law--operators Knuckles and Brett have joined Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill in Charleston, South Carolina. Their goal is to learn more about Grolier Recovery Services, the archaeological research agency that the Taskforce team uses as sophisticated cover for their work. But when Knuckles accepts a job to find missing treasure from the notorious pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, the whole team is put to the test, because their new employers have a very different agenda, one that leaves members of the Taskforce at the mercy of real pirates determined to get their hands on a shipment of precious contraband at any cost.
Black Flag
by Brad TaylorIn retired Delta Force officer Brad Taylor's latest adrenaline-fueled short story, Pike Logan and his fellow Taskforce operators face a team of ruthless modern-day pirates with a devious plan that leaves them fighting for their very survival. Includes an exclusive preview of Brad Taylor's hotly anticipated fifth Pike Logan novel, The Polaris Protocol, coming January 14, 2014.On leave after a particularly critical and dangerous mission with the Taskforce--a top secret counterterrorist unit that operates outside the bounds of US law--operators Knuckles and Brett have joined Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill in Charleston, South Carolina. Their goal is to learn more about Grolier Recovery Services, the archaeological research agency that the Taskforce team uses as sophisticated cover for their work. But when Knuckles accepts a job to find missing treasure from the notorious pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, the whole team is put to the test, because their new employers have a very different agenda, one that leaves members of the Taskforce at the mercy of real pirates determined to get their hands on a shipment of precious contraband at any cost.
Black Flag: A Taskforce Story, Featuring an Excerpt from The Forgotten Soldier
by Brad TaylorIn retired Delta Force officer Brad Taylor's latest adrenaline-fueled short story, Pike Logan and his fellow Taskforce operators face a team of ruthless modern-day pirates with a devious plan that leaves them fighting for their very survival. Includes an excerpt of Brad Taylor's latest Pike Logan novel, The Forgotten Soldier, on sale 12/29/2015. On leave after a particularly critical and dangerous mission with the Taskforce--a top secret counterterrorist unit that operates outside the bounds of US law--operators Knuckles and Brett have joined Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill in Charleston, South Carolina. Their goal is to learn more about Grolier Recovery Services, the archaeological research agency that the Taskforce team uses as sophisticated cover for their work. But when Knuckles accepts a job to find missing treasure from the notorious pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, the whole team is put to the test, because their new employers have a very different agenda, one that leaves members of the Taskforce at the mercy of real pirates determined to get their hands on a shipment of precious contraband at any cost.
Black Flag: The Surrender of Germany's U-Boat Forces on Land and at Sea
by Lawrence PatersonOn the eve of Germany's surrender in May 1945, Grossadmiral Karl Dnitz commanded thousands of loyal and active men of the U-boat service. Still fully armed and unbroken in morale, enclaves of these men occupied bases stretching from Norway to France, where cadres of U-boat men fought on in ports that defied besieging Allied troops to the last. At sea U-boats still operated on a war footing around Britain, the coasts of the United States and as far as Malaya. Following the agreement to surrender, these large formations needed to be disarmed—often by markedly inferior forces—and the boats at sea located and escorted into the harbours of their erstwhile enemies. Neither side knew entirely what to expect, and many of the encounters were tense; in some cases there were unsavoury incidents, and stories of worse. For many Allied personnel it was their first glimpse of the dreaded U-boat menace and both sides were forced to exercise considerable restraint to avoid compromising the terms of Germany's surrender. One of the last but most dramatic acts of the naval war, the story of how the surrender was handled has never been treated at length before. This book uncovers much new material about the process itself and the ruthless aftermath for both the crews and their boats.
Black Fokker Leader: Carl Degelow—The First World War's Last Airfighter Knight
by Peter KilduffThis biography of the WWI fighter pilot offers &“an intimate portrait of the last recipient of the &‘Blue Max&’&” (Barrett Tillman). One of the most noteworthy German fighter pilots of World War I was Leutnant der Reserve Carl Degelow, whose squadron of mostly black Fokker D.VII fighters posed a formidable threat to some of Britain&’s most celebrated air units on the Western Front. Black Fokker Leader, filled with new information and original photos, is based on the author&’s research of significant German archival material and documentation, as well as British, French, and Belgian sources, shedding new light on this legendary ace. The biography offers previously unpublished material about Degelow and his comrades: how he was almost court-martialed; how his career was saved by Josef Jacobs; how Degelow helped Willy Rosenstein escape from Nazi Germany; and much more. Also included are new insights into men like Field Marshal Erhard Milch, Degelow&’s wing commander in WWI; and V-2 rocket chief Gen. Hans Jeschonnek, a Degelow protégé in 1918.
Black Friday
by William W. Johnstone J.A. JohnstoneFrom the New York Times–bestselling authors: the explosive story of a terrorist attack on American soil—on the biggest shopping day of the year.On Black Friday, the American Way Mall is packed with holiday shoppers and bargain hunters. Suddenly, machine-gun fire rings out, and within minutes hundreds are dead or dying. Others are taken hostage by an army of fanatical Middle Eastern terrorists ready to blast the American Way Mall into a pile of rubble. But one man—Iraq War vet Tobey Lanning—refuses to go down without a fight.Separated from his soon-to-be fiancée, Lanning finds himself on the frontlines of a new war against terror. With thousands of innocent lives at stake, Lanning assembles a makeshift platoon of Black Friday shoppers: a teenage security guard; a retired Chicago cop; a teacher who&’s never fired a gun; a young ex-con who has; a soccer mom; a priest; and a wheelchair-bound WWII vet . . . These brave Americans will stand up and meet the enemy face to face. They will defend their land—and if necessary pay the ultimate price for freedom.
Black Glasses Like Clark Kent: A GI's Secret from Postwar Japan
by Terese SvobodaAfter her Uncle's suicide, Terese Svoboda investigates his stunning claim that MPs may have executed their own men during the occupation of Japan after World War II[Our captain] commended us for being good soldiers and doing our job well and having a minimum of problems. Then he dropped a bomb. He said the prison was getting overcrowded, terribly overcrowded.As a child Terese Svoboda thought of her uncle as Superman, with "Black Clark Kent glasses, grapefruit-sized biceps." At eighty, he could still boast a washboard stomach, but in March 2004, he became seriously depressed. Svoboda investigates his terrifying story of what happened during his time as an MP, interviewing dozens of elderly ex-GIs and visiting Japan to try to discover the truth.In Black Glasses Like Clark Kent, winner of the Graywolf Nonfiction Prize, Svoboda offers a striking and carefully wrought personal account of an often painful search for information. She intersperses excerpts of her uncle's recordings and letters to his wife with her own research, and shows how the vagaries of military justice can allow the worst to happen and then be buried by time and protocol
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War
by Mark BowdenThe riveting, close-up account of a 1993 firefight in Mogadishu, Somalia, "Black Hawk Down" is one of the most vivid and thorough reports of modern combat ever written.
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War (Shooting Script Ser.)
by Mark Bowden#1 New York Times Bestseller: The &“riveting&” account of the 1993 operation in Mogadishu—the longest sustained firefight involving US troops since Vietnam (The Wall Street Journal). On October 3, 1993, about a hundred elite US soldiers were dropped by helicopter into the teeming market in the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia. Their mission was to abduct two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord and return to base. It was supposed to take an hour. Instead, they found themselves pinned down through a long and terrible night fighting against thousands of heavily armed Somalis. The following morning, eighteen Americans were dead and more than seventy had been badly wounded. Drawing on interviews from both sides, army records, audiotapes, and videos (some of the material is still classified), Bowden&’s minute-by-minute narrative is one of the most exciting accounts of modern combat ever written—a true story that captures the heroism, courage, and brutality of battle. &“One of the most gripping and authoritative accounts of combat ever written.&” —USA Today &“Journalistic writing at its best.&” —The Boston Globe &“Vivid, immediate, and unsparing.&” —The Washington PostIncludes a new afterword
Black Hawks over the Danube
by Richard A. BriggsBlack Hawks Across the Danube, first published in 1954, is an account, based on the author's service in the Division and official Army records, of the formation and deployment of the 86th Infantry Division during World War II. The 86th Division, known as the Black Hawks, was notable for a number of reasons: 1. The 86th Division was the first allied division to cross the Danube River; 2. The 86th Division captured some 53,354 German soldiers; 3. The Black Hawks conquered over 220 miles of enemy territory in the Ruhr Pocket and in Bavaria and Austria; 4. The division liberated over 200,000 allied prisoners of war, including over 110,000 in one camp near Moosburg; 5. The Black Hawks made several important river crossings, with amphibious assaults of the Danube, Bigge, Altmühl, Isar, Mittel-Isar, Inn, and Salzach; 6. The Division Served in actual combat with four different American armies (the only Division to set this record on the western front); 7. Later the Black Hawks became the first division to serve in both the European and Pacific theaters of operation (only one other division actually served in the Pacific after European duty). Author Richard Briggs was an infantryman in the 86th Division for over two years, including its service in the Philippines following the European campaign. Included are 15 pages of maps and photographs.
Black Knights Inc. Boxed Set: Volumes 1-3 (Black Knights Inc.)
by Julie Ann WalkerBehind the facade of their tricked-out motorcycle shop is a covert team comprised of the most elite ex-military specialists. New York Times bestselling author Julie Ann Walker has thrilled readers with her sexy Black Knights, Inc. romantic suspense series. Now, get the first three books for one low price: Hell on Wheels, In Rides Trouble, and Rev It Up."A first-rate thrill ride."—Publishers Weekly, starred review"Julie Ann Walker is one of those authors to be put on a keeper shelf along with Nora Roberts, Suzanne Brockmann, and Allison Brennan."—Kirkus Reviews"Edgy, alpha and downright HOT, the Black Knights Inc. will steal your breath .... and your heart!"—Catherine Mann, Bestselling AuthorAbout the Books in This Boxed Set1. Hell on WheelsEx–Marine Nate Weller is an expert at keeping his cool, which is how he keeps his feelings for Ali Morgan in check. Sweet, sexy Ali is his best friend's sister...and totally off limits. Ali's never seen anything sexier than Nate straddling his custom Harley—or the flash in his eyes when she tells him she's in trouble. With Nate, her life is in his capable hands--but her heart is another story.2. In Rides TroubleTrouble tends to find Becky Reichert. Like the day ex-SEAL Frank Knight showed up, wanting to use her shop as a cover for his special ops team. Becky prides herself on being able to weld and shoot just as well as the big boys. But while munitions and mayhem are Frank's way of life, the last thing he needs is Becky in the way. Yet it's just his luck when she ends up in a hostage situation. Come hell or high water, he will get her back…3. Rev It UpEx-SEAL Jake "the Snake" Sommers was known for striking quickly, quietly, and lethally. That's also how he broke Michelle Carter's heart. It was the only way to keep her safe—from himself. Four years later, Jake wants another chance, but Michelle has never forgiven him. But when her brother ticks off a mobster, she must do the unimaginable: place her life in Jake's hands. And once she does, he'll never let her go…
Black Knights, Dark Days: The True Story of Sadr City's Black Sunday
by J. Matthew FiskAn Iraq War veteran's firsthand account of surviving a deadly insurgent ambush on America's 1st Cavalry Division--and battling through the aftermath. It was known as Black Sunday--April 4, 2004, the day when units of the United States' 1st Cavalry Division saw their routine deployment turn into a harrowing and costly fight. Enraged, motivated, and well-armed insurgents crammed the alleys, streets, and buildings of Sadr City. In that fight, a surging mob of militants ambushed one small unit of the Black Knight battalion. The heroic rescue attempt proved fatal for many of the determined soldiers who braved the gauntlet. Now, cavalry veteran Matt Fisk--who fought through Black Sunday and survived--gives a gut-level, over-the-rifle-sights view of a short, violent period when one of the safest places in the war zone suddenly turned into a cauldron of death and destruction, leaving eight US troops dead and dozens more wounded--only the beginning of a lengthy siege aimed at defeating the Mahdi Army. Fisk's brutally honest Black Knights, Dark Days covers it all, from his rough deployment with colorful and courageous fellow soldiers to the serious problems he encountered when he returned home. In the ultimate test of his coping skills, Fisk turned to the VA for help--and wound up facing the same frustrations that plague so many of today's returning combat veterans.
Black Lion One: TOPGUN Trailblazer Capt. John Monroe "Hawk" Smith in Command of VF-213
by Donald E. AutenAn exciting look at what it takes to command a US Navy Fighter Squadron. This historical biography of John Monroe “Hawk” Smith, Navy fighter pilot, is a gripping account of valor, sacrifice, and adventure during one of the most tumultuous periods in carrier aviation. Hawk, having completed a stunning tour as commanding officer of TOPGUN, received orders to a frontline F-14 Tomcat squadron—VF-213, the “Black Lions.” Hawk joined the Black Lions prior to their March 1979 deployment. Several critical factors portended to a most arduous workup period and deployment—there were issues lurking. But Hawk was a man who did not shy away from a challenge. Soon, the Lions would have opportunities to show their colors. These included the first-ever Fighter Derby at NAS Miramar, California—the “World Cup” for naval fighter squadrons, and Constant Peg, a highly classified “Black Program” that exposed aircrews to the capabilities of Soviet fighters. Aviation enthusiasts and historians will be captivated by the historical fidelity and descriptive air combat engagements, amused by the perpetual mirth of TACAIR aviators, and inspired by lessons of leadership that apply to all walks of life.
Black List: A Thriller (The Scot Harvath Series #11)
by Brad Thor#1 New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brad Thor returns with his most explosive thriller ever. Somewhere deep inside the United States government is a closely guarded list. Members of Congress never get to see it—only the President and a secret team of advisors. Once your name is on the list, it doesn&’t come off…until you&’re dead. Someone has just added counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath&’s name. Somehow Harvath must evade the teams dispatched to kill him long enough to untangle who has targeted him and why they want him out of the way. Somehow, somewhere, someone can put all the pieces together. The only question is, will Harvath get to that person before the United States suffers the most withering terrorist attack ever conceived?