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A Man and His Ship: America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build the S.S. United States
by Steven UjifusaTHE STORY OF A GREAT AMERICAN BUILDER At the peak of his power, in the 1940s and 1950s, William Francis Gibbs was considered America's best naval architect. His quest to build the finest, fastest, most beautiful ocean liner of his time, the S.S. United States, was a topic of national fascination. When completed in 1952, the ship was hailed as a technological masterpiece at a time when "made in America" meant the best. Gibbs was an American original, on par with John Roebling of the Brooklyn Bridge and Frank Lloyd Wright of Fallingwater. Forced to drop out of Harvard following his family's sudden financial ruin, he overcame debilitating shyness and lack of formal training to become the visionary creator of some of the finest ships in history. He spent forty years dreaming of the ship that became the S.S. United States. William Francis Gibbs was driven, relentless, and committed to excellence. He loved his ship, the idea of it, and the realization of it, and he devoted himself to making it the epitome of luxury travel during the triumphant post-World War II era. Biographer Steven Ujifusa brilliantly describes the way Gibbs worked and how his vision transformed an industry. A Man and His Ship is a tale of ingenuity and enterprise, a truly remarkable journey on land and sea.
A Man at Arms: A Novel
by Steven PressfieldFrom the acclaimed master of historical fiction comes an epic saga about a reluctant hero, the Roman Empire, and the rise of a new faith.Jerusalem and the Sinai desert, first century AD. In the turbulent aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus, officers of the Roman Empire acquire intelligence of a pilgrim bearing an incendiary letter from a religious fanatic to insurrectionists in Corinth. The content of this letter could bring down the empire.The Romans hire a former legionary, the solitary man-at-arms, Telamon of Arcadia, to intercept the letter and capture its courier. Telamon operates by a dark code all his own, with no room for noble causes or lofty beliefs. But once he overtakes the courier, something happens that neither he nor the empire could have predicted.In his first novel of the ancient world in thirteen years, the best-selling author of Gates of Fire and Tides of War returns with a gripping saga of conquest and rebellion, bloodshed and faith.
A Man of His Own
by Susan Wilson“[A] War Horse for dog lovers,” a novel of two soldiers bonded by a military dog and who love for the same woman—from a New York Times–bestselling author (Booklist).Rick Stanton was a promising professional baseball player with dreams of playing in the major leagues and starting a family with his young wife, Francesca, when World War II changed everything. Rick returns from the war with his body broken and his dreams shattered. But it was not just body and spirit he sacrificed for the war. He and Francesca volunteered their beloved dog, Pax, for the Army’s K-9 Corp, not knowing if they’d ever see him again.Keller Nicholson is the soldier who fought the war with Pax by his side, and the two have the kind of profound bond that can only be forged in war. Pax is the closest Keller has to a sense of family, and he can’t bear the thought of returning him to the Stantons. But Rick and Francesca refuse to give him up. Instead, an arrangement is made: Keller will work as Rick’s live-in aide. And thus an unlikely family is formed, with steadfast Pax at the center. As they try to build a new life out of the ashes, Keller and Francesca struggle to ignore their growing attraction to each other, and Rick, believing that he can no longer give Francesca what she needs and wants, quietly plans a way out.All three of them need healing. All three of them are lost. And in Susan Wilson’s A Man of His Own, Pax, with his unconditional love and unwavering loyalty, may be the only one who can guide them home.
A Man of His Word (Round-the-Clock Brides #4)
by Sandra SteffenTo repay his debt to his best friend—the soldier who saved his life—a veteran helps a widowed single mom renovate her home, and falls in love with her.Soldier Cole Cavanaugh is on a mission: build a dream addition for the widow of his best friend, who sacrificed his life to save Cole. Right away, with April Avery and her twin girls, it’s like coming home—familiar, warm and then, with April’s impromptu kiss, too intimate. Suddenly, it feels like betrayal—but is this the second chance they need to heal?
A Man to Marry
by Carole MortimerCat wasn't interested in a brief fling! She'd been hurt in the past by a two-timing fiancé who'd been using her to find out a lucrative secret. She felt she would never trust a man again -- until she met her new neighbor, the dark, enigmatic Caleb Reynolds....The gorgeous bachelor was intriguing, his little son was adorable. Yet Cat couldn't help being suspicious of Caleb's motives. She longed to surrender to his passion, but that would also mean trusting him with her well-guarded secret....
A Manual for American Servicemen in the Arab Middle East: Using Cultural Understanding to Defeat Adversaries and Win the Peace
by William D. WunderleThe Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) has sent U.S. diplomats and troops around the world. In the current security environment, understanding foreign cultures is crucial to defeating adversaries and working with allies. Lt. Col. William D. Wunderle explains how U.S. soldiers and commanders can look at military interventions-from preparation to execution-through the lens of cultural awareness, while always minding post-conflict stability operations. He also suggests much-needed changes to the traditional intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB) and the military decision-making process (MDMP). Fascinating, concise, and timely, this is a must-read for military personnel, the intelligence community, and anyone seeking to grasp the motivations and decision-making styles of people all over the globe.
A Marine Division in Nightmare Alley
by Anthony J. CampignoFirst published in 1958, A Marine Division in Nightmare Alley is a brief but gripping narrative of the author’s experiences as a young U.S. Marine during the Korean conflict. Beginning with his enlistment at age 17, his training at Camps LeJeune and Pendleton, to his landing at Pusan and subsequent combat (including action at Hagaru-ri and the Chosin Reservoir), the book provides a firsthand account of the fierce fighting and bitter cold faced by the author and his fellow Marines.
A Marine at Gallipoli on the Western Front: First In, Last Out: The Diary of Harry Askin
by Harry AskinHarry Askin was 22 when he enlisted at Nottingham in September 1914 and was sent to train with the Royal Marines at Portsmouth.He set sail with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in late February 1915. On 25 April he was towed ashore to Gallipoli. So began a nine month ordeal of constant fighting and shelling on that bare and desperate Peninsula.In this diary he captures the atmosphere of danger and death, blazing heat in summer and rain and cold at other times. The smell of dead bodies was everywhere and while the fortitude of the troops was astonishing, at times confusion and panic prevailed. Harry was wounded twice in one day but the surgeon removed the bullet and he returned to the firing line.Harry was among the last to withdraw and his reward was to be sent to the Western Front. Again he was wounded. This is a stirring memoir which paints a vivid picture of the horrors of war.
A Mariner of England: From Cabin Boy in the Merchant Service to Warrant Officer in the Royal Navy (1780 to 1819) As Told by Himself
by William RichardsonFrom merchantman to man-of-war…William Richardson was always certain he would be a seaman. His father and all his brothers were mariners so it was not unusual that he should go to sea in his turn. By the last part of the eighteenth century Richardson was an accomplished and experienced young mariner who had made steady progress in promotion and who had travelled sea-routes across the globe, including time served in the notorious slave trade. These were the days of the press gangs and many a merchant seamen was forcefully taken into the ranks of the Royal Navy. Richardson was no exception and, perhaps peculiarly, he accepted his fate with good humour. While under the ensign he joined Sir Ralph Abercromby's expedition to St. Lucia and served throughout the West Indies aboard HMS Prompte and HMS Tromp. War with Napoleonic France saw Richardson, now a master gunner, aboard HMS Caesar. Those interested in the wars of the 'Age of Sail' will find much to interest them in this book, as the author richly describes his experiences among the crew of a British man-of-war in action in the Channel, the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. An excellent and rare account of Nelson's navy from the pen of an ordinary seaman. Recommended.-Print ed.
A Maritime History of the American Revolutionary War: An Atlantic-Wide Conflict over Independence and Empire
by Theodore CorbettA detailed look at the American Revolutionary War as an Atlantic-wide conflict.While many books have been written on the naval history of the Revolution, this is one of the first to treat it in its entirety as an Atlantic-wide conflict. While its geographical scope is vast, it features overlooked aspects of the war in which sloops and barges fought, actions which proved to be as decisive as the familiar ship of the line confrontations. It is also history from the bottom up, emphasizing the role of the crew as much the not always heroic officers. From naval perspective the rebellious colonies did not gain a military victory, though Benjamin Franklin was able to secure their independence at the peace table in Europe. The final chapter on the Royal Navy’s evacuation of white and black loyalists, will be examined in more detail in the author’s forthcoming Pen & Sword book.
A Marketplace Without Jews: Aryanization and the Final Solution in Southeastern Europe (Routledge Studies in Second World War History)
by Rory YeomansThis book examines the economics of everyday life and the Final Solution in Southeastern Europe, specifically the role that the mass confiscation of Jewish property and exclusion of Jews as well as other undesired population groups from the national marketplace in Southeastern Europe played in transforming economic life and social relations.It aims to understand how ordinary people in the region responded as beneficiaries, bystanders, perpetrators, rescuers, and, above all, victims to Aryanization, and how regimes and governments adapted its basic principles to their specific national contexts and ideological and ethnic agendas. Aryanization appeared in some of its most radical, accelerated, and yet idiosyncratic forms in Southeastern Europe, representing a staging post or parallel process on the journey to the Final Solution. At the same time, it represented a modernizing project through which states on the periphery of Hitler’s new Europe could not only catch up with the rest of the continent but also seek to gain legitimacy among their own citizens by using systems of mass robbery to satisfy consumer demand and aspirations of social mobility in economies of want and scarcity.This volume is aimed at scholars and students of the Second World War and European fascism, genocide and occupation politics, Jewish studies, and Southeastern Europe.
A Marriage of Fortune: The captivating new historical novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author
by Anne O'Brien'A compelling tale of a family caught up in the turmoil of the Wars of the Roses... Be warned: it's dangerously addictive' TRACY BORMANEngland. 1469.A fortunate marriage will change history.A scandal could destroy everything...Margaret Paston, matriarch of the Paston family, knows that a favourable match for one of her unruly daughters is the only way to survive the loss of their recently acquired Caister Castle. But as the War of the Roses rages on, dangerous enemies will threaten even her best laid plans.Margery Paston, her eldest daughter, has always strived to uphold the Paston name and do her mother proud. But when she loses her heart to a man below her station, she must make a terrible choice: will she betray her family and risk everything for a chance at true love?Anne Haute, first cousin to the Queen, is embroiled in a longstanding betrothal to Sir John Paston, the eldest son and heir to the Paston seat. But despite his promises, Anne can't help but doubt that he will ever keep his word and make her his wife...In the midst of civil war, each of these women must decide: Head or heart? Love or duty? Reputation- or scandal?Praise for A Marriage of Fortune:'Anne O'Brien gets right inside the heads of her medieval characters!' JOANNA HICKSON'Magnificently researched... an enthralling story of strong women and advantageous marriages. I was completely hooked!' CLARE MARCHANTA beautifully researched novel told with understanding, subtlety and a deft touch. Time travel at its best' JOANNA COURTNEY
A Marriage of Fortune: The captivating new historical novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author
by Anne O'Brien'A compelling tale of a family caught up in the turmoil of the Wars of the Roses... Be warned: it's dangerously addictive' TRACY BORMANEngland. 1469.A fortunate marriage will change history.A scandal could destroy everything...Margaret Paston, matriarch of the Paston family, knows that a favourable match for one of her unruly daughters is the only way to survive the loss of their recently acquired Caister Castle. But as the War of the Roses rages on, dangerous enemies will threaten even her best laid plans.Margery Paston, her eldest daughter, has always strived to uphold the Paston name and do her mother proud. But when she loses her heart to a man below her station, she must make a terrible choice: will she betray her family and risk everything for a chance at true love?Anne Haute, first cousin to the Queen, is embroiled in a longstanding betrothal to Sir John Paston, the eldest son and heir to the Paston seat. But despite his promises, Anne can't help but doubt that he will ever keep his word and make her his wife...In the midst of civil war, each of these women must decide: Head or heart? Love or duty? Reputation- or scandal?Praise for A Marriage of Fortune:'Anne O'Brien gets right inside the heads of her medieval characters!' JOANNA HICKSON'Magnificently researched... an enthralling story of strong women and advantageous marriages. I was completely hooked!' CLARE MARCHANTA beautifully researched novel told with understanding, subtlety and a deft touch. Time travel at its best' JOANNA COURTNEY
A Materiality of Internment (ISSN)
by Gilly CarrMore than two thousand people from the British Channel Islands were deported to and interned in Germany during the Second World War, making up as many as 60% of all interned British citizens in occupied territory during this period.This book carries out an in-depth analysis of artwork, objects, oral testimonies, archives, poetry, letters, diaries and memoirs gathered from the internees and drawing from around one hundred collections. The work is based on over 15 years of research and interviews with more than 65 former internees, and explores analytical themes and narratives of placemaking, resistance, communities, food and cooking. It also proposes new concepts and categories to help us understand objects that distinguish the experience of internment.This book will be of great value for scholars and museum professionals, as well as postgraduate students in the field of Conflict Archaeology and scholars of the Second World War. Cumulatively, this materiality comprises one of the major surviving assemblages of internees to emerge from the war, comparable in size, quality and importance with that from other theatres of war.
A Matter of Honor: Pearl Harbor: Betrayal, Blame, and a Family's Quest for Justice
by Anthony Summers Robbyn SwanNew York Times-Bestselling Authors: An &“outstanding&” accountof the admiral scapegoated for the Pearl Harbor disaster—and the long effort to clear his name (Christian Science Monitor). In this book, the authors of The Eleventh Day, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, unravel the mysteries of Pearl Harbor to expose the scapegoating of the admiral in command the day 2,000 Americans died, report on the fight to restore his lost honor—and clear President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the charge that he knew the attack was coming. In the aftermath of the devastating 1941 bombing, Admiral Husband Kimmel, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, was relieved of command, accused of negligence and dereliction of duty—publicly disgraced. But the admiral defended his actions through eight investigations and for the rest of his long life. The evidence against him was less than solid. High military and political officials had failed to provide Kimmel and his Army counterpart with vital intelligence. Later, to hide the biggest U.S. intelligence secret of the day, they covered it up. Following the admiral&’s death, his sons—both Navy veterans—fought on to clear his name, and now his grandsons continue the struggle. With unprecedented access to documents, diaries, and letters and the family&’s cooperation, Summers and Swan&’s search for the truth has taken them far beyond the Kimmel story—to explore claims of duplicity and betrayal in high places in Washington—in a provocative story of politics and war, of a man willing to sacrifice himself for his country only to be sacrificed himself. &“The most comprehensive, accurate, and thoroughly researched book of events leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor ever written.&” —Admiral James Lyons, former Commander-in-Chief, US Pacific Fleet &“Reads like a thriller.&” —Publishers Weekly &“Meticulous, eloquent, and compelling—and hugely readable.&” —Simon Winchester, New York Times-bestselling author of Knowing What We Know &“The amount of fresh research is deeply impressive.&” —Douglas Brinkley, New York Times-bestselling author of Rightful Heritage Includes forty black-and-white photos
A Matter of Honour: Britain in the First World War
by Zachary TwamleyZachary Twamley, the host of the popular, When Diplomacy Fails podcast explores the role “Honour” played in Britain’s entry into World War I. The decision to enter the war in conjunction with France and Russia in 1914 was no a foregone conclusion. There were pro’s and con’s within the government to enter the war – and the German invasion of Belgium was not the final push to get Britain to declare war on Germany. Zach examines “Honor”, as was passed down from Victorian to Edwardian England as its role in the government’s final decision. Based on his award winning paper and his podcast, Zack explores the one of the factors that led to Britain’s road to war.
A Matter of Honour: The Life, Campaigns and Generalship of Isaac Brock
by Jonathon RileyThe monument to Isaac Brock (17691812) on Queenston Heights in Canada, as high as Nelsons column in London, pays tribute to the military commander of all troops opposing the American invasion of Canada during the War of 1812. Brocks service during the War of 1812 includes leading the capture of Detroit. He was killed on the morning of 13 October 1812, leading a company of the 49th Foot in a counter-attack on the American lodgement atop Queenston Heights. Although Brock died and his uphill charge against the American muskets failed, the invasion was repulsed soon afterwards.A Matter of Honour focuses on Brocks career as a military commander and also as a civil administrator for the government of Upper Canada. Early chapters deal with his life and military service up to 1791. The book also records his command of the 49th Regiment in the Low Countries and at Copenhagen up to his arrival in Canada in 1802. Brock spent more time in Canada than any other British general who fought in the War of 1812. He faced a difficult situation in Canada, defending a long frontier with meagre resources. However, he was renowned for his resourcefulness, inspiring leadership and ability to keep opponents off-balance
A Matter of Honour: The Story of England's Last Fatal Duel
by Martyn BeardselyNew details on this story of honour - was Isabella Seton blameless or did she draw the rich Seton into a fatal romance?
A Mattress Maker's Daughter: The Renaissance Romance of Don Giovanni De' Medici and Livia Vernazza
by Brendan Dooley"A Mattress Maker's Daughter "richly illuminates the narrative of two people whose mutual affection shaped their own lives and in some ways their times. According to the Renaissance legend told and retold across the centuries, a woman of questionable reputation bamboozles a middle-aged warrior-prince into marrying her, and the family takes revenge. He is Don Giovanni de' Medici, son of the Florentine grand duke; she is Livia Vernazza, daughter of a Genoese artisan. They live in luxury for a while, far from Florence, and have a child. Then, Giovanni dies, the family pounces upon the inheritance, and Livia is forced to return from riches to rags. Documents, including long-lost love letters, reveal another story behind the legend, suppressed by the family and forgotten. Brendan Dooley investigates this largely untold story among the various settings where episodes occurred, including Florence, Genoa, and Venice. In the course of explaining their improbable liaison and its consequences, "A Mattress Maker's Daughter "explores early modern emotions, material culture, heredity, absolutism, and religious tensions at the crux of one of the great transformations in European culture, society, and statecraft. Giovanni and Livia exemplify changing concepts of love and romance, new standards of public and private conduct, and emerging attitudes toward property and legitimacy just as the age of Renaissance humanism gave way to the culture of Counter-Reformation and early modern Europe.
A Meal in Winter: A Novel of World War II
by Hubert MingarelliThis tale of the Holocaust &“will make many think of the stories of Ernest Hemingway . . . a reminder of the power a short, perfect work of fiction can wield&” (The Wall Street Journal). This timeless short novel begins one morning in the dead of winter, during the darkest years of World War II, with three German soldiers heading out into the frozen Polish countryside. They have been charged by their commanders with tracking down and bringing back for execution &“one of them&”—a Jew. Having flushed out a young man hiding in the woods, they decide to rest in an abandoned house before continuing their journey back to the camp. As they prepare food, they are joined by a passing Pole whose virulent anti-Semitism adds tension to an already charged atmosphere. Before long, the group&’s sympathies begin to splinter when each man is forced to confront his own conscience as the moral implications of their murderous mission become clear. Described by Ian McEwan as &“sparse, beautiful and shocking,&” A Meal in Winter is a &“stark and profound&” work by a Booker Prize–nominated author (The New York Times). &“Sustains tension until the very last page.&” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
A Measureless Peril: America in the Fight for the Atlantic, the Longest Battle of World War II
by Richard SnowOf all the threats that faced his country in World War II, Winston Churchill said, just one really scared him--what he called the "measureless peril" of the German U-boat campaign. In that global conflagration, only one battle--the struggle for the Atlantic--lasted from the very first hours of the conflict to its final day. Hitler knew that victory depended on controlling the sea-lanes where American food and fuel and weapons flowed to the Allies. At the start, U-boats patrolled a few miles off the eastern seaboard, savagely attacking scores of defenseless passenger ships and merchant vessels while hastily converted American cabin cruisers and fishing boats vainly tried to stop them. Before long, though, the United States was ramping up what would be the greatest production of naval vessels the world had ever known. Then the battle became a thrilling cat-and-mouse game between the quickly built U.S. warships and the ever-more cunning and lethal U-boats. The historian Richard Snow captures all the drama of the merciless contest at every level, from the doomed sailors on an American freighter defying a German cruiser, to the amazing Allied attempts to break the German naval codes, to Winston Churchill pressing Franklin Roosevelt to join the war months before Pearl Harbor (and FDR's shrewd attempts to fight the battle alongside Britain while still appearing to keep out of it). Inspired by the collection of letters that his father sent his mother from the destroyer escort he served aboard, Snow brings to life the longest continuous battle in modern times. With its vibrant prose and fast-paced action, A Measureless Peril is an immensely satisfying account that belongs on the small shelf of the finest histories ever written about World War II.
A Memoir of a Portion of the Bolling Family in England and Virginia
by Robert BollingA Memoir of a Portion of the Bolling Family in England and Virginia by Robert Bolling offers a fascinating glimpse into the genealogical history and legacy of the Bolling family, a prominent lineage that spans both sides of the Atlantic. Written in the 19th century, this memoir serves as both a family record and a historical reflection, tracing the roots of the Bolling family from its English origins to its influential presence in colonial Virginia.Bolling meticulously documents the lives, marriages, and achievements of various family members, beginning with the family’s early history in England. The narrative then shifts to Virginia, where the Bolling family became deeply intertwined with the social, political, and economic fabric of the colony. Notably, the book discusses the family’s connection to Pocahontas through the marriage of Robert Bolling (1646-1709) to Jane Rolfe, the granddaughter of Pocahontas and John Rolfe, establishing the Bollings as part of an American historical legacy.In addition to genealogical details, Bolling offers insights into the challenges and triumphs of the family in Virginia, set against the backdrop of colonial expansion, the American Revolution, and the early years of the Republic. Personal anecdotes and reflections enrich the narrative, creating a vivid portrait of life in both England and the New World during key periods of history.This memoir is not just a genealogical resource but a valuable historical document, shedding light on family dynamics, colonial society, and transatlantic connections. For readers interested in genealogy, early American history, or Virginia’s colonial heritage, A Memoir of a Portion of the Bolling Family in England and Virginia offers a richly detailed and engaging account of one family’s enduring legacy across generations.
A Memoir of the Missile Age: One Man's Journey
by Vitaly Leonidovich KatayevVitaly Leonidovich Katayev was an eyewitness to history as he saw the arms race accelerating at an absurd and inexplicable pace, and he understood why. His perspective was from inside the Soviet system, in an office that was devoted to analysis of arms control and defense matters in the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party and later in an interdepartmental working group. Vitaly Katayev was a skilled designer and an acute observer. His recollections in this book, along with documents he deposited at the Hoover Institution Library and Archives, offer an extraordinary window into Soviet decisions and calculations. This monograph shows how Soviet leaders were often hobbled by a poor understanding of what was happening in the United States, but it also demonstrates that Americans, too, had a weak grasp of what was happening in Moscow, before and after Mikhail Gorbachev came to power. The misunderstandings on both sides were a symptom of the deepest chasm of the Cold War and A Memoir of the Missile Age provides a valuable key with which to open the Soviet black box.
A Memoir of the Warsaw Uprising
by Madeline G. Levine Miron BialoszewskiOn August 1, 1944, Miron Białoszewski, later to gain renown as one of Poland's most innovative poets, went out to run an errand for his mother and ran into history. With Soviet forces on the outskirts of Warsaw, the Polish capital revolted against five years of Nazi occupation, an uprising that began in a spirit of heroic optimism. Sixty-three days later it came to a tragic end. The Nazis suppressed the insurgents ruthlessly, reducing Warsaw to rubble while slaughtering some 200,000 people, mostly through mass executions. The Red Army simply looked on.Białoszewski's blow-by-blow account of the uprising brings it alive in all its desperate urgency. Here we are in the shoes of a young man slipping back and forth under German fire, dodging sniper bullets, collapsing with exhaustion, rescuing the wounded, burying the dead. An indispensable and unforgettable act of witness, A Memoir of the Warsaw Uprising is also a major work of literature. Białoszewski writes in short, stabbing, splintered, breathless sentences attuned to "the glaring identity of 'now.'" His pages are full of a white-knuckled poetry that resists the very destruction it records.Madeline G. Levine has extensively revised her 1977 translation, and passages that were unpublishable in Communist Poland have been restored.the force of the inhuman Nazi machine could not--and cannot--obliterate.
A Memory of Solferino
by Henry DunantThe horrors witnessed by Dunant after the battle of Solferino on June 24 1859 and his humanitarian appeal are the origins of the Red Cross movement.