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Guerrilla Warfare: Kings of Revolution (Casemate Short History)
by Peter PolackThis concise history of guerilla warfare presents profiles in combat courage from George Washington to Simón Bolívar, Mao Zedong, and beyond. The concept of guerrilla warfare is centuries old, with Sun Tzu&’s writing on the subject dating back to the sixth century BC. One of the earliest recorded examples of guerrilla tactics deployed by a military leader was the campaign of Roman general Fabius Maximus, who took a course of evasion and harassment against Hannibal&’s columns. Guerilla Warfare is a compendium of prominent guerrilla leaders across the globe, from thirteenth-century Scotland&’s William Wallace to modern-day Sri Lanka&’s Velupillai Prabhakaran. It profiles each leader to analyze their personal history, military tactics, and political strategy. All are home-grown leaders of extended guerrilla campaigns. Many became the first leaders of their liberated countries. Both victories and defeats are included here in an analysis of effective guerrilla tactics as well as counterinsurgency strategies. Today, the labels of insurgent, freedom fighter, and jihadi are fast replacing guerrilla. The old notion of the guerrilla, associated with fights for independence and the end of colonialization, has dimmed with modern and far-reaching religious insurgencies taking their place. This concise history gives a fascinating overview of a once history-altering form of warfare.
Eva Sleeps
by Francesca MelandriNamed Book of the Year by Elle magazine, this “Italian love story [is] destined to become a classic” (The Gazette).Eva, a forty-year-old public relations professional living in Northern Italy, receives an unexpected message from Southern Italy. Vito, a man she briefly knew as a child as a friend of her mother’s, is very ill and would like to see her one last time. He is a retired police officer who was stationed in the north during the late sixties, a period rife with tension, protest, and violence surrounding disputed land near the border with Austria. These troubles, however, did not stop a hapless young policeman from falling in love with the “wrong” woman, a girl named Gerda from Austrian Tyrol, an inventive and accomplished cook, a northerner, the sister of a terrorist—and Eva’s mother.Vito’s affair with Gerda was a passionate one, but what was the nature of their love? And if he loved her so passionately, why did he return to Calabria? What scars did those years leave on Vito, and on Gerda? It’s time for Eva to find out, in this sweeping literary page-turner about family, forgiveness, and conflict, a bestseller in Italy now translated in English.
Gunship Ace: The Wars of Neall Ellis, Gunship Pilot and Mercenary
by Al J. Venter“Spotlights the career of a fascinating modern warrior, while also shedding light on some of the conflicts that have raged throughout the world” (Tucson Citizen).A former South African Air Force pilot who saw action throughout the region from the 1970s on, Neall Ellis is the best-known mercenary combat aviator alive. Apart from flying Alouette helicopter gunships in Angola, he fought in the Balkan war for the Islamic forces, tried to resuscitate Mobutu’s ailing air force during his final days ruling the Congo, flew Mi-8s for Executive Outcomes, and piloted an Mi-8 fondly dubbed “Bokkie” for Colonel Tim Spicer in Sierra Leone. Finally, with a pair of aging Mi-24 Hinds, Ellis ran the Air Wing out of Aberdeen Barracks in the war against Sankoh’s vicious RUF rebels. As a “civilian contractor,” Ellis has also flown helicopter support missions in Afghanistan, where, he reckons, he had more close shaves than in his entire previous four decades.From single-handedly turning the enemy back from the gates of Freetown to helping rescue eleven British soldiers who’d been taken hostage, Ellis’s many missions earned him a price on his head, with reports of a million-dollar dead-or-alive reward. This book describes the full career of this storied aerial warrior, from the bush and jungles of Africa to the forests of the Balkans and the merciless mountains of Afghanistan. Along the way the reader encounters a multiethnic array of enemies ranging from ideological to cold-blooded to pure evil, as well as examples of incredible heroism for hire.
Running Out: In Search of Water on the High Plains
by Lucas BessireFinalist for the National Book AwardAn intimate reckoning with aquifer depletion in America's heartlandThe Ogallala aquifer has nourished life on the American Great Plains for millennia. But less than a century of unsustainable irrigation farming has taxed much of the aquifer beyond repair. The imminent depletion of the Ogallala and other aquifers around the world is a defining planetary crisis of our times. Running Out offers a uniquely personal account of aquifer depletion and the deeper layers through which it gains meaning and force.Anthropologist Lucas Bessire journeyed back to western Kansas, where five generations of his family lived as irrigation farmers and ranchers, to try to make sense of this vital resource and its loss. His search for water across the drying High Plains brings the reader face to face with the stark realities of industrial agriculture, eroding democratic norms, and surreal interpretations of a looming disaster. Yet the destination is far from predictable, as the book seeks to move beyond the words and genres through which destruction is often known. Instead, this journey into the morass of eradication offers a series of unexpected discoveries about what it means to inherit the troubled legacies of the past and how we can take responsibility for a more inclusive, sustainable future.An urgent and unsettling meditation on environmental change, Running Out is a revelatory account of family, complicity, loss, and what it means to find your way back home.
Spinoza's Ethics
by Benedictus de SpinozaAn authoritative edition of George Eliot's elegant translation of Spinoza's greatest philosophical workIn 1856, Marian Evans completed her translation of Benedict de Spinoza's Ethics while living in Berlin with the philosopher and critic George Henry Lewes. This would have become the first edition of Spinoza's controversial masterpiece in English, but the translation remained unpublished because of a disagreement between Lewes and the publisher. Later that year, Evans turned to fiction writing, and by 1859 she had published her first novel under the pseudonym George Eliot. This splendid edition makes Eliot's translation of the Ethics available to today's readers while also tracing Eliot's deep engagement with Spinoza both before and after she wrote the novels that established her as one of English literature's greatest writers.Clare Carlisle's introduction places the Ethics in its seventeenth-century context and explains its key philosophical claims. She discusses George Eliot's intellectual formation, her interest in Spinoza, the circumstances of her translation of the Ethics, and the influence of Spinoza's ideas on her literary work. Carlisle shows how Eliot drew on Spinoza's radical insights on religion, ethics, and human emotions, and brings to light surprising affinities between Spinoza's austere philosophy and the rich fictional worlds of Eliot's novels.This authoritative edition demonstrates why George Eliot's translation remains one of the most compelling and philosophically astute renderings of Spinoza's Latin text. It includes notes that indicate Eliot's amendments to her manuscript and that discuss her translation decisions alongside more recent English editions.
Billionaire Wilderness: The Ultra-Wealthy and the Remaking of the American West (Princeton Studies in Cultural Sociology #83)
by Justin FarrellA revealing look at the intersection of wealth, philanthropy, and conservationBillionaire Wilderness takes you inside the exclusive world of the ultra-wealthy, showing how today's richest people are using the natural environment to solve the existential dilemmas they face. Justin Farrell spent five years in Teton County, Wyoming, the richest county in the United States, and a community where income inequality is the worst in the nation. He conducted hundreds of in-depth interviews, gaining unprecedented access to tech CEOs, Wall Street financiers, oil magnates, and other prominent figures in business and politics. He also talked with the rural poor who live among the ultra-wealthy and often work for them. The result is a penetrating account of the far-reaching consequences of the massive accrual of wealth, and an eye-opening and sometimes troubling portrait of a changing American West where romanticizing rural poverty and conserving nature can be lucrative—socially as well as financially.Weaving unforgettable storytelling with thought-provoking analysis, Billionaire Wilderness reveals how the ultra-wealthy are buying up the land and leveraging one of the most pristine ecosystems in the world to climb even higher on the socioeconomic ladder. The affluent of Teton County are people burdened by stigmas, guilt, and status anxiety—and they appropriate nature and rural people to create more virtuous and deserving versions of themselves. Incisive and compelling, Billionaire Wilderness reveals the hidden connections between wealth concentration and the environment, two of the most pressing and contentious issues of our time.
Restarting the Future: How to Fix the Intangible Economy
by Jonathan Haskel Stian WestlakeFrom the acclaimed authors of Capitalism without Capital, radical ideas for restoring prosperity in today’s intangible economyThe past two decades have witnessed sluggish economic growth, mounting inequality, dysfunctional competition, and a host of other ills that have left people wondering what has happened to the future they were promised. Restarting the Future reveals how these problems arise from a failure to develop the institutions demanded by an economy now reliant on intangible capital such as ideas, relationships, brands, and knowledge.In this groundbreaking and provocative book, Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake argue that the great economic disappointment of the century is the result of an incomplete transition from an economy based on physical capital, and show how the vital institutions that underpin our economy remain geared to an outmoded way of doing business. The growth of intangible investment has slowed significantly in recent years, making the world poorer, less fair, and more vulnerable to existential threats. Haskel and Westlake present exciting new ideas to help us catch up with the intangible revolution, offering a road map for how to finance businesses, improve our cities, fund more science and research, reform monetary policy, and reshape intellectual property rules for the better.Drawing on Haskel and Westlake’s experience at the forefront of finance and economic policymaking, Restarting the Future sets out a host of radical but practical solutions that can lead us into the future.
Year of Desperate Struggle: Jeb Stuart and His Cavalry, from Gettysburg to Yellow Tavern, 1863–1864
by Monte AkersThis chronicle of the legendary Confederate Army of Northern Virginia brings vivid detail and insight to the campaigns of Maj. Gen. Jeb Stuart. By the summer of 1863, following the Southern victory at Chancellorsville, it was clear to everyone on both sides of the Civil War that the Army of Northern Virginia was the most formidable force Americans had ever put in the field. Much of that army&’s success was attributable to its cavalry arm, led by Maj. Gen. J.E.B. &“Jeb&” Stuart. But while Stuart could literally run rings around the enemy, Union arithmetic and expertise were gradually catching up. In Year of Desperate Struggle, author Monte Akers tracks Stuart and his cavalry from Gettysburg to the Overland Campaign, concluded only when Jeb himself succumbed to a gunshot wound at the gates of Richmond. It was a year of grim casualties and ferocious fighting—in short, a year of desperate struggle with the gloves off on both sides. In this sequel to Year of Glory, historian Monte Akers provides a minute examination of Stuart&’s cavalry during the controversial Gettysburg campaign, followed by nine months of sparring, during which the Union Army of the Potomac declined to undertake further thrusts against Virginia. After Stuart&’s death, the Army of Northern Virginia would eventually be cornered, but while he was alive, it was often the Northerners who most needed to look to their security.
Growing Remembrance: The Story of the National Memorial Arboretum
by David ChildsThe story of the inspiration for, establishment and evolution of the National Memorial Arboretum is a fascinating one. Sited at Alrewas, Staffordshire, the Arboretum has become the Nations all year round focus for remembering and paying tribute to all who have served their country in both peace and war not only in the armed forces and merchant navy but in the emergency services as well.Planting began in 1997 and was supported by hundreds of organizations both serving and retired. Among the early memorials was a life-size wooded polar bear, for 49th Division, a grove of Irish trees for the Royal Irish Regiment, an Avenue of Chestnuts for the Police and a Chapel of Peace and Forgiveness to mark the coming of the Millennium. Britains war-widows had a rose-garden planted for them while the Far East Prisoners of War managed to fund a small museum to stand alongside a length of railway track brought back from the notorious Burma Railway. In October 2007 H.M. the Queen confirmed the importance of the site when she opened the Armed Forces Memorial to commemorate all service personnel lost on active service since the end of the Second World War; this is especially poignant given the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The importance of the National Memorial Arboretum is well demonstrated by the growing number of stands and the steady increase in visitor numbers.
Shadow of the Alchemist: A Medieval Noir (The Crispin Guest Medieval Mysteries #6)
by Jeri WestersonThe Tracker takes the case of a French alchemist who is targeted for his secrets in this mystery set in the gritty streets of fourteenth century London.After losing his knighthood, Crispin Guest has found a new calling as the Tracker, a private investigator who can locate anything—or anyone. Now famed French alchemist Nicholas Flamel needs Crispin to locate his wife, Perenelle, and his apprentice, Thomas Cornhill. But the case takes a sinister turn when Flamel’s apprentice is found murdered. The kidnapper promises that Flamel’s wife will be next . . . unless he hands over his precious Philosopher’s Stone, a magical object that can turn lead into gold.Soon, strange, antiquated symbols begin appearing throughout the city. Crispin must decipher their meaning to unearth the kidnappers true motive. Plunged into an underground world where alchemy combines with treacherous politics, Crispin will have to unravel the mystery in order to find his wife and unmask a dangerous mastermind determined to wreak havoc throughout the city.Shadow of the Alchemist was featured as a “Best of 2013 Selection” by Suspense Magazine and was a finalist for Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award in the Mystery Suspense & Thriller category.
Eastern Inferno: The Journals of a German Panzerjäger on the Eastern Front, 1941–43
by Hans Roth&“Remarkable personal journals . . revealing the combat experience of the German-Russian War as seldom seen before . . . a harrowing yet poignant story&” (Military Times). Hans Roth was a member of the anti-tank panzerjager battalion, 299th Infantry Division, attached to the Sixth Army, as the invasion of Russia began. As events transpired, he recorded the tension as the Germans deployed on the Soviet frontier in June 1941. Then, a firestorm broke loose as the Wehrmacht tore across the front, forging into the primitive vastness of the East. During the Kiev encirclement, Roth&’s unit was under constant attack as the Soviets desperately tried to break through the German ring. At one point, after the enemy had finally been beaten, a friend serving with the SS led him to a site—possibly Babi Yar—where he witnessed civilians being massacred. After suffering through a brutal winter against apparently endless Russian reserves, his division went on the offensive again when the Germans drove toward Stalingrad. In these journals, attacks and counterattacks are described in you-are-there detail. Roth wrote privately, as if to keep himself sane, knowing his honest accounts of the horrors in the East could never pass Wehrmacht censors. When the Soviet counteroffensive of winter 1942 begins, his unit is stationed alongside the Italian 8th Army, and his observations of its collapse, as opposed to the reaction of the German troops sent to stiffen its front, are of special fascination. Roth&’s three journals were discovered many years after his disappearance, tucked away in the home of his brother. After his brother&’s death, his family discovered them and sent them to Rosel, Roth&’s wife. In time, Rosel handed down the journals to Erika, Roth&’s only daughter, who had emigrated to America. Roth was likely working on a fourth journal before he was reported missing in action in July 1944. Although his ultimate fate remains unknown, what he did leave behind, now finally revealed, is an incredible firsthand account of the horrific war the Germans waged in Russia.
Battlefield Yorkshire: From the Romans to the English Civil Wars (Battlefield Britain Ser.)
by David CookeYorkshire's past is replete with bloody battles and sieges. From the earliest times armies have marched across the Yorkshire countryside and have fought for control of the land, the towns and the cities. Roman, Viking, Norman and the Scottish invaders have all contributed ruthless episodes to the story. Christian fought pagan, Englishman fought foreign invader, and loyalist fought rebel, in some of the most destructive battles of British history. And bitter internal conflicts, which set neighbour against neighbour, created an equally violent heritage as rival lords and landowners contended for power and influence in the north. David Cooke gives a vivid description of the outbreaks of warfare that have punctuated the county's history. Using graphic contemporary accounts and numerous illustrations and maps, he creates a vivid narrative of a county that was a battleground until modern times.
Song from the Sea
by Katherine KingsleyA man haunted by the past meets a woman who can&’t remember her own in a romance spanning from Regency England to the Greek isle of Corfu . . . Having grown up wild and carefree on the rugged Greek island of Corfu, Callista Melbourne reluctantly sails to England to honor her father&’s dying wish. But before she reaches her destination, a fierce storm knocks her from the ship to face certain death in the icy grip of the ocean. When she finally awakens, in Stanton Abbey, she doesn&’t know who she is any more than she knows the handsome stranger caring for her. When Adam Carlyle pulled the unconscious woman from the sea, she was the most beautiful thing he&’d ever seen. Concerned by her amnesia, he figures out Callista&’s true identity, and becomes determined to save her from her looming marriage to a scheming fortune hunter. But Adam&’s own heart carries a heavy burden, and he&’s not sure he can protect his new love from the dangers of his past . . . &“Katherine Kingsley is a miracle worker, a writer who understands the map of the human heart.&” —RT Book Reviews
Vanished Hero: The Life, War and Mysterious Disappearance of America's WWII Strafing King
by Jay A. Stout“A superb, edge-of-the-seat account of [Elwyn] Righetti’s stellar combat career during the final months of the air war against Germany” (Eric Hammel, author of Two Flags over Iwo Jima).A hell-bent-for-leather fighter pilot, Elwyn G. Righetti remains one of the most unknown, yet most compelling, colorful and controversial commanders of World War II.Arriving late to the war, he led the England-based 55th Fighter Group against the Nazis during the closing months of the fight with a no-holds-barred aggressiveness that transformed the group from a middling organization of no reputation into a headline-grabbing team that made excuses to no one. Indeed, Righetti’s boldness paid off, as he quickly achieved ace status and scored more strafing victories—twenty-seven—than any other Eighth Air Force pilot.Ultimately, Righetti’s calculated recklessness ran full speed into the odds. His aircraft was hit while strafing an enemy airfield only four days before the 55th flew its last mission. Almost farcically aggressive to the end, he coaxed his crippled fighter through one more firing pass before making a successful crash landing. Immediately, he radioed his men that he was fine and asked that they reassure his family. Righetti was never heard from again.Vanished Hero tells a story “worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster . . . It is a fitting tribute to both Righetti and the man who collected his life’s journey” (Military Heritage).“An excellent biography of a true American hero . . . a worthy contribution to an understanding of the application of air power in the Second World War.” —History News Network
The Silent Service in World War II: The Story of the U.S. Navy Submarine Force in the Words of the Men Who Lived It
by Michael Green Ed And Edward Monroe-JonesFrom the naval battle of Guadalcanal to rescuing George Bush Sr. in the Pacific, here are the stories of US submariners in WWII. The Silent Service in World War II tells the story of America&’s intrepid submarine warriors in the words of the men who served and fought in the Pacific against Japan. When Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, the enemy had already deployed naval forces, but the United States was soon able to match them. By 1943, new Gato-class submarines were making a difference, carrying the war not just to the Japanese Imperial Navy, but to the vital merchant fleet that transported essential resources to the island country. Starting with the American victory at Guadalcanal, US submarine forces began to constrict the Japanese sea lanes. Operating independently and in wolfpacks, they attacked convoys operating beyond the range of American airpower, making daring forays even into Japanese home waters. Taking on Japanese warships, as well as rescuing downed airmen—including the grateful first President Bush—US submarines made an enormous contribution to our war against Japan. Aside from enemy action, the sea itself could be an extremely hostile environment—as many of these stories attest. From early war patrols in obsolescent, unreliable S-boats to modern fleet submarines roving the Pacific, the forty-six stories in this anthology offer a full understanding of life as a US Navy submariner in combat.
Blocking Kampfgruppe Peiper: The 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the Battle of the Bulge
by Frank van LunterenThe account of these elite paratroopers&’ encounter with the Germans is &“a story of raw courage in the face of seemingly impossible odds . . . a great read&” (World War II). In December 1944, an enormous German army group crashed through the thin American line in the Ardennes forest. Caught by surprise, the Allies were initially only able to throw two divisions of paratroopers to buttress the collapse—the 82nd Airborne, which was rushed to the area of St. Vith, and the 101st, which was trucked to Bastogne. After their successful campaign in Holland, Col. Reuben Tucker&’s elite 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment was resting and refitting in France when news came of the German breakthrough. Most dangerous to the Allies was the German spearhead of the 1st SS Panzer Division led by Jochen Peiper, which aimed to sever the Allied front. The 504th was committed to block the SS advance, and within forty-eight hours of their arrival, Col. Tucker&’s paratroopers were attacking the SS-Panzergrenadiers of Peiper&’s battlegroup, eventually forcing them to withdraw. More ferocious fighting ensued as follow-up German units forced a US retreat from St. Vith. In adverse weather conditions against the German 9th SS Panzer and 3rd Fallschirmjäger Divisions, the 504th lived up to its regimental motto: Strike and Hold. Although some rifle companies were whittled down to less than fifty paratroopers, the Americans doggedly fought on until victory was achieved. This work provides a fascinating, up-close view of the 504th PIR during the Battle of the Bulge, as well as its gallant sacrifice. Using never-before-published diaries, letters, battle reports, and interviews with over a hundred veterans, a comprehensive account is painted of a triumphant US regiment in one of the fiercest-fought campaigns in the history of the US Army.
Days of Valor: An Inside Account of the Bloodiest Six Months of the Vietnam War
by Robert L. TonseticA Vietnam War battalion commander with the 199th LIB recounts the intense combat he saw during the Tet Offensive and NVA attacks in this candid memoir. This visceral combat memoir chronicles the height of the Vietnam War from the nervous period just before the Tet Offensive through the defeat of that campaign and into the lesser-known yet equally bloody NVA offensive of May 1968. On January 30, 1968, Saigon and nearly every provincial capital in South Vietnam came under assault by the Viet Cong. Author Robert L. Tonsetic writes not only from his personal experience as a company commander, but also from extensive research, including countless interviews with other soldiers of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade. The book ends with a brief note about the 199th LIB being deactivated in Spring 1970, furling its colors after suffering 753 dead and some 5,000 wounded. This fascinating book will help to remind us of the sacrifices made by all Vietnam veterans.
Bannockburn: Scotland's Greatest Victory
by Peter Reese&“An admirably vivid account of the Scots&’ greatest victory over the English&”: the 14th century Battle of Bannockburn (The Scotsman, UK).Scotland, 1314. On a marsh-fringed plain south of Stirling Castle, King Robert the Bruce led the Scottish army in a singularly devastating victory over the English. Bannockburn was Scotland&’s greatest battlefield triumph in the First War of Scottish Independence, achieved against great odds by a combination of brilliant tactical leadership and the fatal overconfidence of the English King, Edward II.Peter Reese&’s definitive history shines a spotlight on this pivotal moment in Scottish History and considers the wider implications of this momentous victory. It is &“a cracker of a book, which reads like a novel yet has the authority of many a weightier tome&” (Sunday Herald, UK).&“The measured, precise build-up makes the final eruption of violence all the more compelling and impresses upon the reader just how much was at stake on the battlefield of Bannockburn in the summer of 1314.&”—The Scotsman, UK
Auschwitz Death Camp: Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)
by Ian BaxterA World War II pictorial history detailing Nazi Germany&’s Auschwitz concentration camp, its monstrous creators, and what went on inside. The concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau was the site of the single largest mass murder in history. Over one million mainly Jewish men, women, and children were murdered in its gas chambers. Countless more died as a result of disease and starvation. Auschwitz Death Camp is a chilling pictorial record of this infamous establishment. Using some 250 photographs together with detailed captions and accompanying text, it describes how Auschwitz evolved from a brutal labor camp at the beginning of the war into what was literally a factory of death. The images show how people lived, worked, and died at Auschwitz. The book covers the men who conceived and constructed this killing machine, and how the camp provided a vast labor pool for various industrial complexes erected in the vicinity. Auschwitz Death Camp is shocking proof of the magnitude of horror inflicted by the Nazis on innocent men, women, and children. Such evil should not be forgotten lest it reappear.
Jungvolk: The Story of a Boy Defending Hitler's Third Reich
by Wilhelm Gehlen Don Gregory&“An extraordinary account of a young boy caught up in the middle of a war . . . frank and even funny at times . . . utterly absorbing&” (Books Monthly). This is the wartime memoir of a boy named Will, who happened to be the nephew of the head of Nazi Germany&’s intelligence agency. The author, only ten years old when the war began, became a helper at the local Luftwaffe flak battery, fetching ammunition. It was exciting work for Will, a member of the &“Jungvolk,&” and by the end of the war, he had become expert at judging attacks. As fighter raids increased in frequency, he noted that the pilots became less skilled. Gehlen&’s town was repeatedly bombed, and he often had to help with the wreckage or to pull survivors from basements. He witnessed more death than a child ever should; nevertheless, his flak battery continued firing until US tanks were almost on top of the position. In this book, Gehlen provides an intimate glimpse of the chaos, horror, and black humor of life just behind the front lines. As seen through the eyes of a child who was expert in aircraft identification and bomb weights, food-rationing and tank types, one encounters a view of life inside Hitler&’s wartime Reich that is both fascinating and rare. &“Although the memories Gehlen shares are narrow, and offer little insight into the Reich itself, they&’re remarkable for the child&’s perspective they bring to bear on a warring country&’s ferocious struggle.&” —Publishers Weekly &“A real gem, a quiet tour de force . . . Despite its serious subject matter the book reads as an adventure story from start to finish.&” —Military Modelling
Darke
by Rick GekoskiThis critically acclaimed debut novel offers &“an original and bleakly funny portrait of grief&” in the singular mind and solitary life of its protagonist (The Economist). Shortlisted for The McKitterick Prize and The Author&’s Club Best First Novel Award Cranky and reclusive, ageing and widowed, Dr. James Darke has expelled himself from the world. He writes compulsively in his &‘coming of old age&’ journal; he eats little, drinks and smokes a lot; he tries to console himself with the wisdom of the great thinkers and poets, yet finds nothing but disappointment. And yet, cracks of light start to appear in his carefully managed darkness: the tender, bruised filaments of love for his daughter and grandson. With scalding prose, ruthless intelligence and an unforgettably vivid protagonist, Darke confronts some of humanity&’s greatest and most uncomfortable questions about how we choose to live, and to die.&“A supreme example of a natural and skilled storyteller.&”—Colm Toibin&“Surprising…with a warmth that is genuinely and unexpectedly moving.&”—The Guardian, UK
Imagined Corners (Canongate Classics)
by Willa MuirIn this stirring debut novel by the acclaimed Scottish author, a young woman struggles against the confines of early twentieth century British propriety. Novelist Willa Muir was an acute and acerbic observer with an intimate knowledge of the Scottish middle-class conventions she describes in her debut novel, Imagined Corners. In it, young Elizabeth Shand, newly married to the unstable but handsome Hector, finds herself in the social, intellectual and spiritual strait-jacket of small-town life in the early 20th century. The growing complexity of these entangled relationships is further heightened when her sister-in-law and namesake returns from Italy, sophisticated and freshly widowed. Through her, Elizabeth rediscovers her desire to face life honestly and intelligently. Reassessing her enforced life of petty vanities and delusion, she begins to consider new possibilities of personal and sexual freedom.
5th Infantry Brigade in the Falklands
by Nicholas van der Bijl David AldeaFor many people it was 3 Commando Brigade, commanded by Major General Julian Thompson, and made up of Royal Marines and Para's that recaptured the Falklands. Yet 5th Infantry Brigade played a key and until now little acknowledged role in this extraordinary saga. Cobbled together in haste (having been stripped of its assets to bring 3 Commando Brigade up to strength), it comprised principally of two Guards battalions (2nd Scots and 1st Welsh) and the Gurkhas. Many felt it was inadequately trained when it sailed from Southampton on the QE 2 and this view was given substance by early disasters such as the tragedy at Bluff Cove. Yet by the end, its contribution, of which Tumbledown is the best known, could not be denied. Why then was its commander (Brigadier Tony Wilson) so conspicuously ignored when the medals and decorations were handed out?
Terra Nova: The New World After Oil, Cars, and Suburbs
by Eric W. SandersonA look at what the American lifestyle has done to the environment—and how to move toward a better future. In the last century, three powerful forces—oil, cars, and suburbs—buoyed the American dream. Yet now, the quality of life in the United States is declining due to these same three forces. Our dependence on oil is a root cause of wars, recessions, and natural disasters. Cars consume an outsize share of our incomes and force us to squander time in traffic. Meanwhile, expensive, spread-out suburbs devour farmland—and in a vicious cycle, further entrench our reliance on cars and oil. In Terra Nova, conservation ecologist Eric W. Sanderson—the national bestselling author of Mannahatta—offers concrete steps toward a solution. He delves into natural history, architecture, chemistry, and politics, to show how the American relationship to nature has shaped our past, and how it can affect our future. Illustrated throughout with maps, charts, and infographics, Terra Nova demonstrates that it is indeed possible to achieve a better world. &“Sanderson commendably outlines &‘a new way of life . . . designed to sustain American prosperity, health, and freedom for generations to come.&’&” —Publishers Weekly
Hitler's Mountain Troops, 1939–1945: The Gebirgsjager (Images of War)
by Ian BaxterA pictorial history of the Nazi special forces group, their training, and the action they saw during World War II. Hitler&’s mountain troops or Gebirgsjager were a group of elite soldiers ready for battle, whatever the conditions. These mountain men were trained to ski, climb and endure long marches, survive appalling conditions and were given a role as crack shock troops. Yet many of the campaigns in which the Gebirgsjager fought were on level ground where they had little opportunity to demonstrate their unique skills. Instead, they were invariably employed as assault infantry in conventional battle, a role in which every individual trooper excelled, but not one for which they had been trained. They fought in virtually all theaters of World War II, notably on the Eastern Front, where operations took them into the Caucasus. The Gebirgsjager were proud to wear the Edelweiss, the famous badge that set them apart and distinguished them as Hitler&’s mountain men. This superb book shows the Gebirgsjager in training and action from Poland, Norway, and France, through Yugoslavia, the Eastern Front, and in the closing stages of the War.