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Faces of Union Soldiers at Culp's Hill: Gettysburg's Critical Defense (Civil War Series)
by Joseph Stahl Matthew BordersThe most pivotal deffensive line in the most pivotal battle in the history of America. The fighting at Culp's Hill during the Battle of Gettysburg was some of the fiercest during the bloody battle, and holding the hill, for the Union, was essential not only for victory in battle, but protecting the country as a whole. Authors Matthew Borders and Joseph Stahl present intimate portraits of twenty-eight soldiers who defended Culp's Hill, including in-depth analysis of never before published images and harrowing accounts of heroism in the fight to save the Union.
Faces of Union Soldiers at Fredericksburg (Civil War Series)
by Matthew BordersLook into the eyes of these soldiers and see the faces of those who dared to stare into the face of Death.The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought December 11-15, 1862, is often remembered for the seemingly futile attacks by the Army of the Potomac against dug in Confederates on Marye's Heights. Less well understood is the fighting south of the heights on what has become known as Slaughter Pen Farm. In this work the images of thirty Union soldiers are published for the first time. They give a face and history to those men who struggled across that bloody landscape, as well as to those that charged up the slope of Marye's Heights into Confederate fire. Authors Matthew Borders and Joseph Stahl introduce you to these men, their stories and their sacrifice on the bullet swept battlefield of Fredericksburg.
Faces of the Civil War Navies: An Album of Human and Confederate Sailors
by Ronald S. CoddingtonExplore the human side of the Civil War through archival images and biographical sketches of Confederate and Union sailors.During the American Civil War, more than one hundred thousand men fought on ships at sea or on one of America’s great inland rivers. There were no large-scale fleet engagements, yet the navies, particularly the Union Navy, did much to define the character of the war and affect its length. The first hostile shots roared from rebel artillery at Charleston Harbor. Along the Mississippi River and other inland waterways across the South, Union gunboats were often the first to arrive in deadly enemy territory. In the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic seaboard, blockaders in blue floated within earshot of gray garrisons that guarded vital ports. And on the open seas, rebel raiders wreaked havoc on civilian shipping.In Faces of the Civil War Navies, Civil War photograph collector Ronald S. Coddington focuses his skills on the Union and Confederate navies. Using identifiable cartes de visite of common sailors on both sides of the war, many of them never before published, Coddington uncovers the personal histories of each individual. These unique narratives are drawn from military and pension records, letters, diaries, period newspapers, and other primary sources. In addition to presenting the personal stories of seventy-seven intrepid volunteers, Coddington also focuses on the momentous naval events that ushered in an era of ironclad ships and other technical innovations.Taken collectively, these “snapshots” show that the history of war is not merely a chronicle of campaigns won and lost, it is the collective personal odysseys of thousands of individual men.
Faces of the Civil War Navies: An Album of Union and Confederate Sailors
by Ronald S. CoddingtonArchival images and biographical sketches of common sailors on both sides of the conflict reveal the human side of the Civil War.During the American Civil War, more than one hundred thousand men fought on ships at sea or on one of America’s great inland rivers. There were no large-scale fleet engagements, yet the navies, particularly the Union Navy, did much to define the character of the war and affect its length. The first hostile shots roared from rebel artillery at Charleston Harbor. Along the Mississippi River and other inland waterways across the South, Union gunboats were often the first to arrive in deadly enemy territory. In the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic seaboard, blockaders in blue floated within earshot of gray garrisons that guarded vital ports. And on the open seas, rebel raiders wreaked havoc on civilian shipping. In Faces of the Civil War Navies, renowned researcher and Civil War photograph collector Ronald S. Coddington focuses his considerable skills on the Union and Confederate navies. Using identifiable cartes de visite of common sailors on both sides of the war, many of them never before published, Coddington uncovers the personal histories of each individual who looked into the eye of the primitive camera. These unique narratives are drawn from military and pension records, letters, diaries, period newspapers, and other primary sources. In addition to presenting the personal stories of seventy-seven intrepid volunteers, Coddington also focuses on the momentous naval events that ushered in an era of ironclad ships and other technical innovations. The fourth volume in Coddington’s series on Civil War soldiers, this microhistory will appeal to anyone with an interest in the Civil War, social history, or photography. The narratives and photographs in Faces of the Civil War Navies shed new light on a lesser-known part of our American story. Taken collectively, these "snapshots" remind us that the history of war is not merely a chronicle of campaigns won and lost, it is the collective personal odysseys of thousands of individual life stories.
Faces of the Civil War: An Album of Union Soldiers and Their Stories
by Ronald S CoddingtonArchival images and biographical sketches of Union soldiers tell the stories of their lives during and after the Civil War.Before leaving to fight in the Civil War, many Union and Confederate soldiers posed for a carte de visite, or visiting card, to give to their families, friends, or sweethearts. Invented in 1854 by a French photographer, the carte de visite was a small photographic print roughly the size of a modern trading card. The format arrived in America on the eve of the Civil War, fueling intense demand for the keepsakes. Many cards of Civil War soldiers survive today, but the experiences?and often the names?of the individuals portrayed have been lost to time. A passionate collector of Civil War–era photography, Ron Coddington researched the history behind these anonymous faces in military records, pension files, and other public and personal documents.In Faces of the Civil War, Coddington presents 77 cartes de visite of Union soldiers from his collection and tells the stories of their lives during and after the war. These soldiers came from all walks of life. All were volunteers. Their personal stories reveal a tremendous diversity in their experience of war: many served with distinction, some were captured, some never saw combat while others saw little else. The lives of survivors were even more disparate. While some made successful transitions back to civilian life, others suffered permanent physical and mental disabilities, which too often wrecked their families and careers. In compelling words and haunting pictures, Faces of the Civil War offers a unique perspective on the most dramatic and wrenching period in American history.
Faces of the Confederacy: An Album of Southern Soldiers and Their Stories
by Ronald S. Coddington“Extensive research, fascinating characters . . . The author has done an admirable job of literally placing a face on the ordinary Confederate soldier.” —The Journal of Southern History“The history of the Civil War is the stories of its soldiers,” writes Ronald S. Coddington in the preface to Faces of the Confederacy. This book tells the stories of seventy-seven Southern soldiers—young farm boys, wealthy plantation owners, intellectual elites, uneducated poor—who posed for photographic portraits, cartes de visite, to leave with family, friends, and sweethearts before going off to war. Coddington, a passionate collector of Civil War-era photography, conducted a monumental search for these previously unpublished portrait cards, then unearthed the personal stories of their subjects, putting a human face on a war rife with inhuman atrocities.The Civil War took the lives of twenty-two of every hundred men who served. Coddington follows the exhausted survivors as they return home to occupied cities and towns, ravaged farmlands, a destabilized economy, and a social order in the midst of upheaval. This book is a haunting and moving tribute to those brave men.Like its companion volume, Faces of the Civil War: An Album of Union Soldiers and Their Stories, this book offers readers a unique perspective on the war and contributes to a better understanding of the role of the common soldier.“With his meticulous research and a journalist’s eye for good stories, Ron Coddington has brought new life to Civil War photographic portraits of obscure and long-forgotten Confederates whose wartime experiences might otherwise have been lost to history.” —Bob Zeller, cofounder and president of the nonprofit Center for Civil War Photography
Facing Armageddon: With the RAF on Christmas Island 1961–1962
by Chas Hall"...a worthy addition to a little-known aspect of British military history." — Flypast After being called up for National Service in July 1960, twenty-year-old Chas Hall joined the RAF and signed on to extend his time for an extra three years becoming a regular serviceman. Following initial training, he became a wireless operator and served at RAF Mildenhall. It was shortly after this that he got his first foreign posting in late 1961 to Christmas Island. It was on this island, that Chas encountered the horrors of nuclear testing. In an operation codenamed ‘Brigadoon’ by the British government and ‘Dominic’ by the Americans, Chas experienced 25 atmospheric nuclear tests. This he describes as his ‘12-month sentence’ alongside over 300 British and 10,000 American servicemen who were posted to one corner of a remote coral island. Facing Armageddon reveals the true extent of the controversial nuclear testing and how it affected servicemen; with 25 men dying during Chas’s time on Christmas Island and many more suffering mentally as they continued serving on the island. With the British government announcing medals for nuclear test veterans in November 2022 to recognize their contribution in the tests after a four-year campaign by participants and The Mirror newspaper, Chas’s story gives insight to why these servicemen deserve the recognition for their part in these tests. This book will contain a number of unpublished photos from the author’s personal collection and is an essential piece of work in understanding the tough conditions servicemen faced during their time on Christmas Island.
Facing Death in Cambodia
by Peter MaguireThis book is the story of Peter Maguire's effort to learn how Cambodia's "culture of impunity" developed, why it persists, and the failures of the "international community" to confront the Cambodian genocide. Written from a personal and historical perspective, Facing Death in Cambodia recounts Maguire's growing anguish over the gap between theories of universal justice and political realities. Maguire documents the atrocities and the aftermath through personal interviews with victims and perpetrators, discussions with international officials, journalistic accounts, and government sources.
Facing Death in Cambodia
by Peter MaguireThe Khmer Rouge regime took control of Cambodia by force of arms, then committed the most brazen crimes since the Third Reich: at least 1.5 million people murdered between 1975 and 1979. Yet no individuals were ever tried or punished. This book is the story of Peter Maguire's effort to learn how Cambodia's "culture of impunity" developed, why it persists, and the failures of the "international community" to confront the Cambodian genocide. Written from a personal and historical perspective, Facing Death in Cambodia recounts Maguire's growing anguish over the gap between theories of universal justice and political realities.Maguire documents the atrocities and the aftermath through personal interviews with victims and perpetrators, discussions with international and NGO officials, journalistic accounts, and government sources gathered during a ten-year odyssey in search of answers. The book includes a selection of haunting pictures from among the thousands taken at the now infamous Tuol Sleng prison (also referred to as S-21), through which at least 14,000 men, women, and children passed—and from which fewer than a dozen emerged alive.What he discovered raises troubling questions: Was the Cambodian genocide a preview of the genocidal civil wars that would follow in the wake of the Cold War? Is international justice an attainable idea or a fiction superimposed over an unbearably dark reality? Did issues of political expediency allow Cambodian leaders to escape prosecution?The Khmer Rouge violated the Nuremberg Principles, the United Nations Charter, the laws of war, and the UN Genocide Convention. Yet in the decade after the regime's collapse, the perpetrators were rescued and rehabilitated-even rewarded-by China, Thailand, the United States, and the UN. According to Peter Maguire, Cambodia holds the key to understanding why recent UN interventions throughout the world have failed to prevent atrocities and to enforce treaties.
Facing Down The Soviet Union: Britain, The Usa, Nato And Nuclear Weapons, 1976-1983
by Kristan Stoddart
Facing Fearful Odds: My Father's Story of Captivity, Escape & Resistance 1940–1945
by John JayOn 22 May 1940 Alec Jay arrived in Calais with his Battalion, the Queen Victoria Rifles. After four days of intense fighting, he was taken prisoner of war along with those of his colleagues who were not killed. The Calais Garrison was not evacuated.His situation as a POW was exceptionally perilous as he was a Jew. Made to wear distinctive clothing, he was all too aware of the Nazis' determination to eradicate his race. Undeterred he made five escape attempts as well as leading a successful protest strike, one of the few during the War.When he finally escaped, he teamed up with Czech partisans and fought alongside them during the closing stages of the War.John Jay, a distinguished journalist and Investment manager, has reconstructed his Father's war using the archive material from four countries and numerous other sources and POW accounts. The result is a fascinating and inspiring story.
Facing The Hindenburg Line; Personal Observations At The Fronts: and in the camps of the British, French, Americans, and Italians, during the campaigns of 1917
by Burris JenkinsBurris A. Jenkins served in the double capacity of a war correspondent and a lecturer in the Y.M.C.A, he was sent to the European War in 1916/17. He travelled through many of the camps and rear-zones of the First World War, noting down anecdotes and sketches of the soldiers that he met; from the dashing French Chasseurs, to the stolid but humorous Tommies. He wrote of his experiences among the soldiers and the sights of the warzones on his return to the United States, part of the campaign to publicize the Allies sacrifices and gain support for the American entry into the War. Author -- Jenkins, Burris A., 1869-1945.Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in New York, F.H. Revell Co., 1917Original Page Count - 256 pages
Facing The Lion: Memoirs of a Young Girl in Nazi Europe
by Simone Arnold LiebsterFacing the Lion is the autobiographical account of a young girl's faith and courage. In the years immediately preceding World War II, Simone Arnold is a young girl who delights in life--her doting parents, her loving aunts and uncles, and her grandparents at their mountain farm in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. As Simone grows into her preteen years, her parents turn from the Catholic Church and become devout Jehovah's Witnesses. Simone, too, embraces the faith. The Nazi party (the "Lion") takes over Alsace-Lorraine, and Simone's schools become Nazi propaganda machines. Simone refuses to accept the Nazi party as being above God. Her simple acts of defiance lead her to be persecuted by the school staff and local officials, and ignored by friends. With her father already taken away to a German concentration camp, Simone is wrested away from her mother and sent to a reform school to be "reeducated." There, Simone learns that her mother has also been put in a camp. Simone remains in the harsh reform school until the end of the war. She emerges feeling detached from life, but the faith that sustains her through her ordeals helps her rebuild her world. Facing the Lion provides an interesting and detailed view of ordinary country and town life in the pre-war years and during Hitler's regime. This inspiring story of a young girl standing up for her beliefs in the face of society's overwhelming pressure to conform is a potent reminder of the power of remaining true to one's beliefs. "...a shining example for the power of the spirit to triumph over evil....an eloquent firsthand account of a little girl's struggle to keep her faith in a world which had gone mad." --Ernst Rodin, author, War & Mayhem: Reflections of a Viennese Physician
Facing the Bear: Scotland and the Cold War
by Trevor RoyleThe author of Culloden explores Scotland&’s history during the Cold War. Between the end of the Second World War and the collapse of Communism, confrontation with the Soviet Union was an everyday reality. As part of NATO&’s response, Scotland played a key role in the alliance&’s forward maritime defense strategy, aimed at containing the Soviet threat from naval and air forces. During this period, 10 percent of the UK&’s naval and air forces were based in Scotland, and there was a substantial U.S. presence, as well as top secret satellite and command stations. In Facing the Bear, Trevor Royle paints a fascinating portrait of this extraordinary period, examining not just the wider military and political contexts, but also showing how the defense industry brought huge economic benefits, how CND maintained a high-profile presence, and how anti-nuclear sentiments underpinned much of the left&’s thinking in Scotland and contributed to the hegemony enjoyed by the Labour Party in Scotland during the Cold War.Praise for Facing the Bear&“Engrossing . . . . Like a military commander at the top of his game, Royle marshals his material to maximum effect to show how Scotland has been shaped by, and also helped shape, the Cold War . . . . He ranges far and wide and has that rare talent to marry the local with the geopolitical . . . . But this is not simply a story of military hardware and confrontation. Royle is very interesting on how the Cold War influenced our cultural life from the novel to poetry and the protest song.&” —Barclay McBain, The Herald (UK)
Facing the Mountain (Adapted for Young Readers): A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II
by Daniel James BrownAdapted for young readers from the New York Times bestseller by Daniel James Brown, Facing the Mountain is the remarkable true story of three brave Japanese American soldiers who fought for the United States during World War II while facing discrimination at home. Perfect for readers of The Boys in the Boat.After the Japanese military bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, Japanese Americans became the subject of racism and discrimination within the United States. Many were rounded up and put in concentration camps. But even while this was happening, there were many Japanese American soldiers who fought to ensure that all Americans were safe during the biggest conflict in world history.Facing the Mountain is the story of three Japanese American soldiers: Rudy Tokiwa, Fred Shiosaki, and Kats Miho, who volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team to fight for their country in World War II. The book covers the three soldiers' deployment to Europe and the struggles of their families back home. Woven throughout is the chronicle of Gordon Hirabayashi, one of a cadre of patriotic resisters who stood up against the government in defense of their own rights.Equal parts riveting war story, resisitance history, and courtroom drama, Facing the Mountain is a fascinating and impeccably researched book that will captivate young readers. Includes black and white photos and backmatter.
Facing the Mountain: An Inspiring Story of Japanese American Patriots in World War II
by Daniel James BrownA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLEROne of NPR's "Books We Love" of 2021Longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography Winner of the Christopher Award &“Masterly. An epic story of four Japanese-American families and their sons who volunteered for military service and displayed uncommon heroism… Propulsive and gripping, in part because of Mr. Brown&’s ability to make us care deeply about the fates of these individual soldiers...a page-turner.&” – Wall Street Journal From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat, a gripping World War II saga of patriotism and resistance, focusing on four Japanese American men and their families, and the contributions and sacrifices that they made for the sake of the nation.In the days and months after Pearl Harbor, the lives of Japanese Americans across the continent and Hawaii were changed forever. In this unforgettable chronicle of war-time America and the battlefields of Europe, Daniel James Brown portrays the journey of Rudy Tokiwa, Fred Shiosaki, and Kats Miho, who volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and were deployed to France, Germany, and Italy, where they were asked to do the near impossible. Brown also tells the story of these soldiers' parents, immigrants who were forced to submit to life in concentration camps on U.S. soil. Woven throughout is the chronicle of Gordon Hirabayashi, one of a cadre of patriotic resisters who stood up against their government in defense of their own rights. Whether fighting on battlefields or in courtrooms, these were Americans under unprecedented strain, doing what Americans do best—striving, resisting, pushing back, rising up, standing on principle, laying down their lives, and enduring.
Facing the Red Army in Festung Posen: First-Hand Accounts of German Soldiers on the Eastern Front in 1945
by Hans Klapa Alfred KriehnThe stories of two German soldiers who took part in the battles for Festung Posen (Poznań Fortress) in January and February 1945. Facing the Red Army in Festung Posen features the stories of two German soldiers who took part in the battles for Festung Posen (Poznań Fortress) in January and February 1945. Never before published in English, the accounts of Hans Klapa, written immediately after the war (1946) and Alfred Kriehn, a little later (early 1990s) provide details relating to the course of the battle, as well as the armaments of the German garrison, its morale and even first-hand descriptions of individual actions during bloody street fighting. Although describing the same battle, both memoirs are completely different as they represent different branches of the armed forces and each takes place in different parts of the city. While Hans Klapa fought only in the eastern part, Alfred Kriehn describes the fighting on the western side. However, what separates the two accounts the most is the fate of both heroes immediately after the battle, with Klapa describing his epic, months-long struggle with his comrades not to fall into the hands of the enemy and to avoid being taken prisoner by the Soviets at any cost.
Factories of Death: Japanese Biological Warfare, 1932-45 and the American Cover-Up
by Sheldon H. HarrisFactories of Death details the activities of the Japanese army scientists that conducted numerous horrifying experiments upon live human beings. It investigates who from the upper echelons of the Japanese military and political establishments knew of the experiments, also the question of whether or not Allied POWs were subjected to such tests, and the nature of the deal that was brokered with US authorities after the war. This new edition has been completely updated, and contains an entirely new chapter detailing the numerous revelations that have surfaced since the book's initial publication in 1994.
Factors Affecting Joint Cooperation During The Civil War
by LCDR Timothy R. Hanley USNThis study is a historical analysis of selected joint Army Navy operations conducted along the East Coast during the American Civil War. It begins with a description of the ante-bellum conditions of the Army and Navy and the organizational structure of the War and Navy Departments. Three joint operations are analyzed; the Fort Sumter Relief Expedition of 1861, the Port Royal Expedition of 1862, and the Charleston Campaign of 1863.In none of the joint operations covered by this study was there a unified command structure between the Army and Navy. Mutual support between the services was dependent upon voluntary cooperation between the respective service commanders.This study determines what factors influenced the degree of cooperation between the service commanders of joint operations during the Civil War. Many of the factors which either facilitated or hindered joint cooperation during that time could affect contemporary joint operations, particularly in the early stages before a unified command structure is established. An appreciation of those factors is both helpful in understanding the outcome of Civil War joint operations as well as providing some insight into the problems faced by contemporary commanders in a joint environment.
Facts and Falsehoods Concerning the War on the South, 1861-1865
by George EdmondsElizabeth Avery Meriwether was the author of many books, giving accurate and vivid descriptions of historical incidents of importance in the South. Her plots were widely regarded as skillfully conceived and developed, told with remarkable vigor, and true pictures of conditions that were passing away, making her books important additions to the literature of old Southern life.“Facts and Falsehoods Concerning the War of the South of 1861 and 1865,” which she wrote under the pen name George Edmonds and first published in 1904, was considered by Meriwether herself to be the most valuable book that she ever wrote or could write, because in it she told the truth about historical events:“This little work is offered. It does not aspire to the dignity of History. It is mostly a collection of facts under one cover, which I trust will prove of use to the future historians of the South. Perhaps the fittest title to this work would be “A Protest Against Injustice”—the injustice of misrepresentation—of false charges—of lies. The feeling of injustice certainly inspired the idea of this work. The greater number of the facts herein laid before the reader were not drawn from Southern or Democratic sources, but from high Republican authorities. Part first of this work presents Abraham Lincoln to the people of this generation as his contemporaries saw and knew him. The characteristics portrayed will be a revelation to many readers.”
Fade: A Thriller (Fade Ser. #1)
by Kyle MillsNew York Times bestselling author of Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp novels Kyle Mills rewrites the rules for thrillers with Fade -- a novel ripped from today's headlinesWelcome to the new war on terror. A secret wing of Homeland Security is recruiting agents to work undercover in the Middle East, and the director wants his second-in-command, Matt Egan, to bring aboard an old friend, Salam Al Fayed—better known as Fade. He's perfect: An ex-Navy Seal and the son of immigrants, he speaks flawless Arabic. Trouble is, he's "retired"; he was wounded in the line of duty, and the government refused to pay for the risky surgery that could have helped him. Now he's walking around with a bullet lodged near his spine, and he's not too fond of anyone in the government -- least of all, his ex-best friend Matt Egan, whom he blames for his present condition. Against Egan's wishes, the director tries to "persuade" Fade to join the team. But Fade is prepared to fight back at any cost. The chase is on -- will Matt be able to find his friend-turned-fugitive before Fade can take the ultimate revenge? Fade is a remarkable, take-no-prisoners program from an unparalleled writer at the height of his talents.
Faded Coat of Blue (A Novel of the Civil War)
by Ralph PetersThe first Major Abel Jones Civil War mystery. &“Immensely rewarding . . . irresistibly readable . . . finely wrought . . . a genuine novel of ideas.&” —The Washington PostWinner of the Herodotus Award In this winning blend of history and mystery, Owen Parry brings to life the story of Abel Jones, a Welsh immigrant and Union army officer. Jones finds himself mysteriously chosen as a confidential agent to General George McClellan. No stranger to the cruel paradoxes of war, he is asked to investigate the death of Anthony Fowler, a young volunteer captain shot through the heart. Set against the backdrop of battles and bordellos, of the intrigues of war-time Washington and the elegant mansions of old Philadelphia, Faded Coat of Blue paints a deeply moving portrait of the United States in the midst of our harshest trial. Fowler&’s murder is blamed on the Confederates, but whispers haunt the death of the fallen martyr, leading Abel Jones from the blood of the battlefield into a web of secrets and sinister relationships where evil and good intertwine . . . and where heroes fall prey to those who cherished them the most. &“A marvelous historical fiction work for Civil War buffs and for mystery lovers who simply appreciate a novel rich in language.&” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch&“Impeccably researched and energetically written . . . thoroughly believable . . . exciting, heartbreaking.&” —Chicago Tribune &“Jones&’s narrative voice is a feast of fine language . . . ingeniously authentic.&” —Publishers Weekly
Fahim Speaks
by Fahim Fazli Michael MoffettFahim Fazli is a man of two worlds: Afghanistan, the country of his birth, and America, the nation he adopted and learned to love. He's also a man who escaped oppression, found his dream profession, and then paid it forward by returning to Afghanistan as an interpreter with the US. Marines. When Fahim speaks, the story he tells is harrowing, fascinating, and inspiring. Born and raised in Kabul, Fahim saw his country and family torn apart by revolution and civil war. Dodging Afghan authorities and informers with his father and brother, Fahim made his way across the border to Pakistan and then to America. After reuniting with his mother, sisters, and one brother, he moved to California with dreams of an acting career. After fifteen turbulent years that included two unsuccessful arranged marriages to Afghan brides, he finally qualified for membership in the Screen Actors Guild--and found true American love. Though Fahim's California life was happy and rewarding, he kept thinking about the battlefields of Afghanistan. Haunted by a desire to serve his adopted country, he became a combat linguist. While other interpreters opted for safe assignments, Fahim chose one of the most dangerous: working with the Leathernecks in embattled Helmand Province, where his outgoing personality and deep cultural understanding made him a favorite of both marines and local Afghans--and a pariah to the Taliban, who put a price on his head. Fahim Speaks is an inspiring story of perseverance and patriotism--and of the special love that one man developed for his adopted country.
Failed Hope: The Story of the Lost Peace
by John Wilson2013 Information Book Awards — Long-listed Peace after the First World War inspires hope for a better life that’s crushed by the advent of the Second World War. Beginning with the Treaty of Versailles and the hope for the birth of a better world, Failed Hope follows the postwar rise of fascism, social unrest, Prohibition, the Great Depression, Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, and the wars in Abyssinia, Spain, and China. The general strike in Winnipeg provides a Canadian perspective to the global labour turmoil of the period. The book ends with the failure of appeasement and the outbreak of the Second World War. The information is presented in easily digestible segments, accompanied by photographs. Informative sidebars provide background information or connect world events to activities in Canada. Failed Hope links with John Wilson’s two previous books, Desperate Glory and Bitter Ashes, covering the history of the 20th century from 1914 to 1945 and the effects of its world wars.
Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy
by Noam ChomskyTHE WORLD'S FOREMOST CRITIC OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY EXPOSES THE HOLLOW PROMISES OF DEMOCRACY IN U-S. ACTIONS ABRoAD -AND AT HOME THE UNITED STATES HAS REPEATEDLY asserted its right to intervene militarily against "failed states" around the globe. In this muchanticipated follow-up to his international bestseller Hegemony or Survival, Noam Chomsky turns the tables, showing how the United States itself shares features with other failed states and therefore is increasingly a danger to its own people and the world. Failed states, Chomsky writes, are those that are unable or unwilling "to protect their citizens from violence and perhaps even destruction" and "regard themselves as beyond the reach of domestic or international law." Though they may have democratic forms, Chomsky notes, failed states suffer from a serious "democratic deficit" that deprives their democratic institutions of real substance. Exploring the latest developments in U.S. foreign and domestic policy, Chomsky reveals Washington's plans to further militarize the planet greatly increasing the risks of nuclear war; assesses the dangerous consequences of the occupation of Iraq, which has fueled global outrage at the United States; documents Washington's self-exemption from international norms, including the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions, the foundations of contemporary international law, and the Kyoto Protocol; and examines how the U.S. electoral system is designed to eliminate genuine political alternatives, impeding any meaningful democracy.