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Flers & Gueudecourt: Somme
by Trevor PidgeonFlers is of course best remembered for the first use of tanks in modern war. But the battles at Flers and Gueudecourt were also memorable as forming part of the last great advance of the British Army in this slogging match that was the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
Tanks on the Somme: From Morval to Beaumont Hamel
by Trevor PidgeonOn 15 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme, tanks - one of the decisive weapons of twentieth-century warfare - were sent into action for the first time. In his previous books Trevor Pidgeon, one of the leading authorities on the early tanks, has told the story of that memorable day, but only now has his account of later tank operations during the Somme battle become available. In this, his last work which was completed shortly before he died, he reconstructs the tank actions that took place between late September and November when the Somme offensive was closed down. His account gives a vivid insight into the actions and experiences of the tank crews, and it shows the appalling dangers they faced as they maneuvered their crude, vulnerable and unreliable machines towards the enemy. His book will be essential reading for anyone who is familiar with his previous studies of the subject and for anyone who wants to follow in the tracks of the tanks as they lumbered across the battlefield nearly 100 years ago.
The Battle of Camden: A Documentary History
by Jim PiecuchFirst-person accounts and historical analyses of this dramatic Revolutionary War battle in South Carolina. On the foggy morning of August 16, 1780, American and British armies clashed in the pine woods north of Camden, South Carolina, in one of the most important and influential battles of the Revolutionary War. An American victory would quash British plans to subjugate the southern colonies and virtually guarantee the independence of the fledgling United States. A victory for the British would pave the way for the conquest of North Carolina and Virginia. After nearly an hour of frenzied, bloody combat, the British army emerged victorious, and American morale plummeted to its lowest point of the war. The rout at Camden was not a total loss, however—as Patriot forces eventually came away with a renewed determination to resist British advances, and the lessons from the defeat were applied to secure future victories that finally allowed the Patriots to triumph in the South. This book presents the Battle of Camden as never before: through the words of American and British participants and contemporary observers. The events leading up to the conflict, the combat itself, and the consequences of Camden are all described in striking detail. The cunning strategies of both American Major General Horatio Gates and British Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis are revealed, as are a number of battlefield reports from soldiers on both sides. In addition to these compelling first-hand accounts, The Battle of Camden includes analysis of the battle and its effects in America and Europe from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Lord George Germain. With this landmark text, historian Jim Piecuch offers a comprehensive consideration of a vital Revolutionary battle and its effects on the war for American independence.
Seven Myths of the American Revolution (Myths of History: A Hackett Series)
by Jim Piecuch&“In fast-paced, crystal-clear prose, these four veteran historians quash not just seven myths about the American Revolution but dozens. If you think that slavery was inevitable, that British commanders were lazy nincompoops, or that Indigenous warriors were nothing more than British pawns, you will savor the challenge of Seven Myths of the American Revolution just as much as I did.&” —Woody Holton, University of South Carolina, author of Liberty Is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution (Simon & Schuster, 2021)
State of Emergency
by Steve PieczenikSteve Pieczenik brings his extensive experience inside the halls of power at the U.S. State Department to create a frighteningly authentic novel of the ultimate crisis--an American civil war. Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Arizona are threatening to secede from the Union and want full military control of their borders. If their demands are not met, they will destroy the Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona. With the president and vice president overseas, immediate responsibility falls to Secretary of State Barbara Reynolds. But Reynolds finds herself negotiating within a web of deceit and betrayal where the line between ally and enemy is never clear--and can change in the space of a second. ...
Mission of Honor (Tom Clancy's Op-Center #9)
by Steve Pieczenik Tom ClancyWhen a priest is kidnapped by African militiamen who demand all Catholic missionaries leave Botswana, the Vatican urges Op-Center to investigate. The real purpose of the crime is revealed to be a plan to destabilize the government and seize the nation's diamond mines. With Striker out of commission, Op-Center must reinvent itself and heads into the crossfire of an African war.
Sea of Fire: Op-Center 10
by Steve Pieczenik Jeff Rovin Tom ClancyA half-dead Singapore pirate is plucked from the Celebes Sea in the Western Pacific, setting off alarms halfway around the world in Washington, D.C. Traces of radiation are found on the man, causing Australian officials to call in Op-Center for a top-secret investigation of nuclear disposal sites. When an empty drum from a recent drop-off is discovered near where the pirate's ship was destroyed, the Op-Center team comes to a terrifying conclusion: A multinational corporation hired to dispose of nuclear waste is selling it instead-to a most unlikely terrorist...
Encyclopedia of Military Science
by G. Kurt PiehlerThe Encyclopedia of Military Science provides a comprehensive, ready-reference on the organization, traditions, training, purpose, and functions of today’s military. Entries in this four-volume work include coverage of the duties, responsibilities, and authority of military personnel and an understanding of strategies and tactics of the modern military and how they interface with political, social, legal, economic, and technological factors. A large component is devoted to issues of leadership, group dynamics, motivation, problem-solving, and decision making in the military context. Finally, this work also covers recent American military history since the end of the Cold War with a special emphasis on peacekeeping and peacemaking operations, the First Persian Gulf War, the events surrounding 9/11, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and how the military has been changing in relation to these events. Click here to read an article on The Daily Beast by Encyclopedia editor G. Kurt Piehler, "Why Don't We Build Statues For Our War Heroes Anymore?"
Encyclopedia of Military Science
by G. Kurt PiehlerThe Encyclopedia of Military Science provides a comprehensive, ready-reference on the organization, traditions, training, purpose, and functions of today’s military. Entries in this four-volume work include coverage of the duties, responsibilities, and authority of military personnel and an understanding of strategies and tactics of the modern military and how they interface with political, social, legal, economic, and technological factors. A large component is devoted to issues of leadership, group dynamics, motivation, problem-solving, and decision making in the military context. Finally, this work also covers recent American military history since the end of the Cold War with a special emphasis on peacekeeping and peacemaking operations, the First Persian Gulf War, the events surrounding 9/11, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and how the military has been changing in relation to these events. Click here to read an article on The Daily Beast by Encyclopedia editor G. Kurt Piehler, "Why Don't We Build Statues For Our War Heroes Anymore?"
A Religious History of the American GI in World War II (Studies in War, Society, and the Military)
by G. Kurt PiehlerA Religious History of the American GI in World War II breaks new ground by recounting the armed forces&’ unprecedented efforts to meet the spiritual needs of the fifteen million men and women who served in World War II. For President Franklin D. Roosevelt and many GIs, religion remained a core American value that fortified their resolve in the fight against Axis tyranny. While combatants turned to fellow comrades for support, even more were sustained by prayer. GIs flocked to services, and when they mourned comrades lost in battle, chaplains offered solace and underscored the righteousness of their cause. This study is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the social history of the American GI during World War II. Drawing on an extensive range of letters, diaries, oral histories, and memoirs, G. Kurt Piehler challenges the conventional wisdom that portrays the American GI as a nonideological warrior. American GIs echoed the views of FDR, who saw a Nazi victory as a threat to religious freedom and recognized the antisemitic character of the regime. Official policies promoted a civil religion that stressed equality between Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and Judaism. Many chaplains embraced this tri-faith vision and strived to meet the spiritual needs of all servicepeople regardless of their own denomination. While examples of bigotry, sectarianism, and intolerance remained, the armed forces fostered the free exercise of religion that promoted a respect for the plurality of American religious life among GIs.
Remembering War the American Way
by G. Kurt PiehlerWars do not fully end when the shooting stops. As G. Kurt Piehler reveals in this book, after every conflict from the Revolution to the Persian Gulf War, Americans have argued about how and for what deeds and heroes wars should be remembered.Drawing on sources ranging from government documents to Embalmer's Monthly, Piehler recounts efforts to commemorate wars by erecting monuments, designating holidays, forming veterans' organizations, and establishing national cemetaries. The federal government, he contends, initially sidestepped funding for memorials, thereby leaving the determination of how and whom to honor in the hands of those with ready money--and those who responded to them. In one instance, monuments to "Yankee heroes" erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution were countered by immigrant groups, who added such figures as Casimir Pulaski and Thaddeus Kosciusko to the record of the war. Piehler argues that the conflict between these groups is emblematic of the ongoing reinterpretation of wars by majority and minority groups, and by successive generations.Demonstrating that the battles over the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are not unique in American history, Remembering War the American Way reveals that the memory of war is intrinsically bound to the pluralistic definition of national identity.
Fegelein's Horsemen and Genocidal Warfare
by Henning PieperThe SS Cavalry Brigade was a unit of the Waffen-SS that differed from other German military formations as it developed a 'dual role': SS cavalrymen both helped to initiate the Holocaust in the Soviet Union and experienced combat at the front.
The Ultimate Officer Candidate School Guidebook: What You Need to Know to Succeed at Federal and State OCS
by Ryan N. PierceA comprehensive guide to the process of applying and earning your commission. Are you a former soldier, sailor, or airman who left the service without making the most of your potential? Are you a leader in the civilian sector who knows you have more to give back to the country you love? If so, you should consider entering the Army, Army Reserves, or Army National Guard, earn your commission as a Second Lieutenant, and begin or restart an exciting career as a leader in the world's best military. The Ultimate Officer Candidate School Guidebook explains everything you need to know to achieve these goals. Earning the right to become a US Army officer is an honor and a privilege, and the deck is stacked against those over twenty-five because of the rigorous, time-consuming training. However, you can attend OCS to earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant if you: are between eighteen and fortyhave an undergraduate degree from an accredited collegehave or can attain a minimum GT score of 110can pass an Army Physical Fitness Test Getting accepted to OCS is not automatic, and your choice of when and where to enter is limited. Federal OCS, held at Fort Benning, Georgia, and the many state traditional and fast-track programs offer potential officer candidates a choice about how and when to earn their commission. In this book, an OCS graduate and former TAC Officer offers nineteen chapters of information to guide potential candidates down the path of earning a commission in the Army. It covers everything from the application process, to stressers from TAC officers while attending OCS, to deciding what branch to choose upon earning your commission. It even includes pages with pre-made terrain model kits to assist you while attending OCS, for those who are serious about leadership and finishing strong. Are you up to the challenge?
Warfighting and Disruptive Technologies: Disguising Innovation (Strategy and History)
by Terry PierceOccasionally, during times of peace, military forces achieve major warfighting innovations. Terry Pierce terms these developments 'disruptive innovations' and shows how senior leaders have often disguised them in order to ensure their innovations survived.He shows how more common innovations however, have been those of integrating new technologies to help perform existing missions better and not change them radically. The author calls these 'sustaining innovations'. The recent innovation history suggests two interesting questions. First, how can senior military leaders achieve a disruptive innovation when they are heavily engaged around the world and they are managing sustaining innovations? Second, what have been the external sources of disruptive (and sustaining) innovations?This book is essential reading for professionals and students interested in national security, military history and strategic issues.
Without Warning: The Saga of Gettysburg, a Reluctant Union Hero, and the Men He Inspired
by Terry C. PierceBetween plans and their execution rage the winds of war. The winds of chance. The winds of choice. The winds of political ambition and human error—and human schemes. <p><p> The winds of war grow dark around General George Meade, appointed to command the Army of the Potomac just three days before a brewing battle against Robert E. Lee, charismatic leader of the Confederate forces. No one—not even the outgoing commander—seems to know where Lee’s army is, except that they are somewhere on Northern soil, possibly pushing toward a decisive battle deep in the heart of the Union. <p><p> Bound by duty to take a position he did not seek and does not want, Meade reluctantly accepts Lincoln’s appointment, and overnight, the fate of nearly 100,000 Union soldiers is in his hands. <p><p> Meade is a planner—a quiet, capable engineer whose commitment to modesty and restraint is second only to his commitment to honor, duty, and country. While the winds of war swirl around him, he struggles to concoct a battle plan without even the most basic information, in order to defeat an enemy he cannot find, on ground he has not yet seen. Thwarted by insufficient military intelligence, and betrayed by the machinations of an unscrupulous general with dreams of glory, Meade knows it will take all his skill and the heroism of his troops to best the formidable and hitherto undefeated Lee. The fate of the Republic itself hangs in the balance. <p><p> Without Warning is the gripping saga of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Union patriots who fought it, and the man who led them. It scrutinizes the role character plays in leadership and the challenge of the unexpected. Built firmly upon the annals of history, this epic historical novel brings to vivid life seven unforgettable days in the lives and trials of a Union general and his men as they brave the winds of war to save the United States of America.
City of Darkness, City of Light: A Novel
by Marge PiercyBestselling author Marge Piercy celebrates the lives of the brave and dedicated women who changed the destiny of a nation in this novel set during the French Revolution For Claire Lacombe and Pauline Leon, two poor women of eighteenth-century France, the lofty ideals of the coming revolution could not seem more abstract. But when Claire sees the gaping disparity between the poverty she has known and the lavish lives of aristocrats as her theater group performs in their homes, and Pauline witnesses the execution of local bread riot leaders, both are driven to join the uprising. They, along with upper-class women like Madame Manon Roland, who ghostwrites speeches for her politician husband and runs a Parisian salon where revolutionaries gather, will play critical roles in the French people's bloody battle for liberty and equality. Author Marge Piercy's thrilling and scrupulously researched fictionalized account of these real women's lives shines with emotional depth and strikingly animated action. By interweaving their tales with the exploits of men whose names have become synonymous with the revolution, like Robespierre and Danton, Piercy reveals how the contributions of these courageous women may be lesser known, but no less important. Rich in detail and broad in scope, City of Darkness, City of Light is a riveting portrayal of an extraordinary era and the women who helped shape an important chapter in history.
Gone to Soldiers: A Novel
by Marge PiercyTen characters, from occupied France to the Pacific Theater and from the frontlines to the home front, are profoundly changed by the events of World War II in this New York Times bestseller Epic in scope, Marge Piercy's sweeping novel encompasses the wide range of people and places marked by the Second World War. Each of her ten narrators has a unique and compelling story that powerfully depicts his or her personality, desires, and fears. Special attention is given to the women of the war effort, like Bernice, who rebels against her domineering father to become a fighter pilot, and Naomi, a Parisian Jew sent to live with relatives in Detroit, whose twin sister, Jacqueline--still in France--joins the resistance against Nazi rule. The horrors of the concentration camps; the heroism of soldiers on the beaches of Okinawa, the skies above London, and the seas of the Mediterranean; the brilliance of code breakers; and the resilience of families waiting for the return of sons, brothers, and fathers are all conveyed through powerful, poignant prose that resonates beyond the page. Gone to Soldiers is a testament to the ordinary people, with their flaws and inner strife, who rose to defend liberty during the most extraordinary times.
The Architecture of Confinement: Incarceration Camps of the Pacific War (Studies in the Social and Cultural History of Modern Warfare)
by Anoma Pieris Lynne HoriuchiIn this global and comparative study of Pacific War incarceration environments we explore the arc of the Pacific Basin as an archipelagic network of militarized penal sites. Grounded in spatial, physical and material analyses focused on experiences of civilian internees, minority citizens, and enemy prisoners of war, the book offers an architectural and urban understanding of the unfolding history and aftermath of World War II in the Pacific. Examples are drawn from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, and North America. The Architecture of Confinement highlights the contrasting physical facilities, urban formations and material character of various camps and the ways in which these uncover different interpretations of wartime sovereignty. The exclusion and material deprivation of selective populations within these camp environments extends the practices by which land, labor and capital are expropriated in settler-colonial societies; practices critical to identity formation and endemic to their legacies of liberal democracy.
Escaping Hell: The story of a Polish underground officer in Auschwitz and Buchenwald
by Kon PierkarskiEscaping Hell is the compelling and true story of a heroic young Polish officer who survived the terror of five years in the prisons of Auschwitz and Buchenwald – where violence was meaningless because human life had lost all value. During World War II, Kon Piekarski was a member of the Polish Underground Army, a clandestine resistance movement which operated even inside Auschwitz – organizing spectacular escapes, operating a secret radio network and matching wits with the Gestapo. After Auschwitz, Piekarski became a prisoner of war at Buchenwald and spent time working in a factory where Russian prisoners of war were used for labour. In the face of constant danger, he and his comrades took every possible opportunity to sabotage the German war industry. He was finally transferred to a small camp near the French border, and escaped three months before the end of the war.
Gathering Of Human Intelligence In Counter-Insurgency Warfare: The French Experience During The Battle Of Algiers (January-October 1957) (January-October #1957)
by Major Hervé PierreIf in a short-term perspective the battle of Algiers was an operational success since the terrorist attacks ended by the of fall 1957, the different methods used to gather intelligence proved to be strategically counterproductive and left an open wound on the French Society.In 1956, both internal and international political situations favored the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN). In August, during a clandestine meeting in the Soummam valley (Kabylie), the FLN decided to direct the fighting against the European population in urban areas. Such an intensification of the conflict was aimed at winning a decisive battle: bringing the terror to Algiers was perceived as the last step before the independence.Facing a paralysis of regular courses of action, the French reacted to the terrorist wave by giving the military extraordinary police powers. Jacques Massu's 10th Para Division implemented radical methods. From 20 January to 31 March 1957, it succeeded in disorganizing the whole insurgency (first battle). However, the tactical victory against terrorism was as blatant as it proved to be short-lived. Facing a resuming tactical threat, General Massu entrusted Colonel Yves Godard with the AOR of Algiers (second battle). If the first battle was fought using bloody swords, the second one, based on infiltration and disinformation operations, proved to be a surgical operation using scalpels. On 8 October 1957, the battle of Algiers ended.In a blurred conflict that belonged neither to police operations nor to conventional war, the legal black hole ineluctably led to the temptation of committing illegal acts. Paul Aussarresses and Yves Godard embodied the two opposite approaches that are distinguishable during the battle. Pushing the justification of illegal violence to the limit, Aussarresses represents the dark face of COIN operations while Godard repeatedly stated that there was no need to use torture.
What Happened At Little Bighorn?
by Stephanie St. PierreThere were many more battles between the Army and the Native Americans, especially the Lakota. The last battle of the Indian wars took place at Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890. By 1900 the life on the open plains that the Lakota, Cheyenne, and other Indians had known and loved was over.
French Head Quarters 1915-1918
by Jean De PierrefeuA Journalist in charge of the daily military communiques at French headquarters gives his view of the events as he saw them under the changing French war leadership.Although information on the early years of Jean de Pierrefeu is sketchy, even in his native France, however it is known that he started his journalistic career in 1905 and by 1908 was working for the political weekly L'Opinion. He career continued, leaning toward nationalist sympathies, until he was mobilized as part of the French Army reserves. Swiftly wounded and invalided out of the line, he began working for the Grand Quartier-Général in 1915 as part of the staff dealing with the evening new bulletins. He would have to use all of his journalistic skill to be as economical with the brutal truth of the losses and reverses at the front suffered by the French during 1915-1918. During this period he met with all of the senior officers of the French High Command of whom he had varied opinions of their skill; it was during this time that he began to become disillusioned with the French leadership. After the First World War ended Pierrefeu sharpened his criticisms and published his damning criticism of the French Army as "French Headquarters, 1915-1918". He is frequently critical of his superiors and the elegant lifestyle at headquarters and holds back nothing in his vivid depiction of army life."The writer of this amusing book had the task of drawing up each evening the communiqué of French General Headquarters. What he writes is military gossip rather than military history, but he gives an interesting insight into the life of the headquarters under Joffre, Nivelle, and Pétain."-- p. 67 Cyril Falls. War Books, London, 1930.
The Sentients of Orion: The Complete Series (Sentients of Orion #3)
by Marianne De PierresThe complete four-volume, Aurealis Award–shortlisted, science fiction epic: “An engaging space opera with plenty of action” (Publishers Weekly).Dark Space: The arid mining planet of Araldis has been invaded. As her people struggle against the onslaught, Baronessa Mira Fedor falls prey to the intrigues of the planet’s elite, forcing her on the run. To survive, Mira must uncover the identity of the single guiding intelligence responsible for both the war and her betrayal. Chaos Space: Mira Fedor has fled war-torn Araldis. Her only hope to save her world lies with the Orion League of Sentient Species, which will not involve itself in an intergalactic conflict. Pursued by her planet’s invaders and her own people, Mira finds herself targeted by the League’s agents. She knows a single entity is responsible for the havoc wreaked on her life, but its motives remain a mystery. Mirror Space: With her home planet of Araldis under hostile occupation, and the Orion League unable—or unwilling—to help, Mira Fedor recruits mercenary captain Rast Randall to save her home. Now, she is free to unearth the hidden strategies of her allies and enemies alike, and continue her quest to solve the mystery of the omniscient Sole Entity with a dark agenda. Transformation Space: Mira Fedor is pregnant, and her rapid gestation indicates her child may be more than human. As secrets are revealed and conspiracies exposed about the attack on Araldis, Mira wonders if this cosmic game where so many people have been used as pawns is truly coming to an end—and if the Sole Entity has a final move to make.
The Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Ezra A. Carman’s Definitive Study of the Union and Confederate Armies at Antietam
by Joseph PierroCompleted in the early 1900s, The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 is still the essential source for anyone seeking understanding of the bloodiest day in all of American history. As the U.S. War Department’s official expert on the Battle of Antietam, Ezra Carman corresponded with and interviewed hundreds of other veterans from both sides of the conflict to produce a comprehensive history of the campaign that dashed the Confederacy’s best hope for independence and ushered in the Emancipation Proclamation. Nearly a century after its completion, Carman's manuscript has finally made its way into print, in an attractively packaged one-volume edition painstakingly edited, annotated, and indexed by Joseph Pierro. This edition, the first to publish the entire Carman manuscript, including the fifteen appendices, is designed for ease of use, with standardized punctuation and spelling, and conveniently footnoted explanations wherever necessary. The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 is a crucial document for anyone interested in delving below the surface of the military campaign that forever altered the course of American history, and is still the only complete edition of Carman's work on the market. **Due to an unfortunate case of mistaken identity, the man currently appearing in the frontispiece of The Maryland Campaign of September, 1862 is not the actual Ezra Carman, but someone who looks remarkably similar to him. The real Mr. Carman can be found at: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/cwp2003001783/PP/. We apologize for the mistake, and will correct this error in further printings.
Mutiny at Fort Jackson
by Michael D. PiersonNew Orleans was the largest city--and one of the richest--in the Confederacy, protected in part by Fort Jackson, which was just sixty-five miles down the Mississippi River. On April 27, 1862, Confederate soldiers at Fort Jackson rose up in mutiny against their commanding officers. New Orleans fell to Union forces soon thereafter. Although the Fort Jackson mutiny marked a critical turning point in the Union's campaign to regain control of this vital Confederate financial and industrial center, it has received surprisingly little attention from historians. Michael Pierson examines newly uncovered archival sources to determine why the soldiers rebelled at such a decisive moment.The mutineers were soldiers primarily recruited from New Orleans's large German and Irish immigrant populations. Pierson shows that the new nation had done nothing to encourage poor white men to feel they had a place of honor in the southern republic. He argues that the mutineers actively sought to help the Union cause. In a major reassessment of the Union administration of New Orleans that followed, Pierson demonstrates that Benjamin "Beast" Butler enjoyed the support of many white Unionists in the city.Pierson adds an urban working-class element to debates over the effects of white Unionists in Confederate states. With the personal stories of soldiers appearing throughout, Mutiny at Fort Jackson presents the Civil War from a new perspective, revealing the complexities of New Orleans society and the Confederate experience.