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Books > History > Asian / Middle Eastern history > From 1900
Possibly there is nothing more conducive to thoughts of the
Eternal, than having one's face slammed into red, wet muck, with
explosions so close your body arcs and bounces off the ground, hot
shards burn in your flesh, and concussions are bright flashes of
dirty fire beating a tattoo on the light receptors in the backs of
your eyes. Your head aches; throbbing from visual shock waves.
Time has come to an end; there is no right, no wrong, only
whatever follows a life that is now over. The dark reaper is here.
What's it going to be like on the other side? Is there an "other
side"?
The old timers use the maxim, "There are no atheists in a
fox-hole." Possibly so; I can only give my own experience, and I
never had the opportunity to be in one. Combat aviators crash and
sometimes burn instead. But close calls almost always give rise to
interminable questions; especially when the survived experience is
seared into the human psyche.
For some, satisfactory answers never seem to come. For myself,
may I pro-offer both scorching experience, and incredible
life-lessons learned? Then, should you ever fall into similar
adventure; you man go into it better prepared than I was.
JWV
In 2003, Major William Edwards and Lt. Colonel Robert P. Walters of
the 165th Military Intelligence Battalion were given the
near-impossible task of improving the U.S. Army's security posture
at Abu Ghraib prison under unfathomable conditions. With input from
officers who served with them, their candid firsthand accounts of
life at the notorious prison reveal unpublished details of the
human devastation that took place there, along with unexpected
glimpses of humanity.
This study uses a comparative analysis of the Malayan Emergency,
the American experience in Vietnam, and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM to
examine the role and effectiveness of artillery units in complex
counterinsurgency environments. Through this analysis, four factors
emerge which impact the employment of artillery units: the
counterinsurgency effort's requirement for indirect fires;
constraints and limitations on indirect fires; the
counterinsurgency effort's force organization; and the conversion
cost of nonstandard roles for artillery units. In conclusion, the
study offers five broadly descriptive fundamentals for employing
artillery units in a counterinsurgency environment: invest in
tactical leadership, exploit lessons learned, support the
operational approach and strategic framework, maintain pragmatic
fire support capability, and minimize collateral damage. Finally,
the study examines the role of education for leaders in a
counterinsurgency, and its influence on these imperative
fundamentals.
The Vietnam War is one of the defining conflicts of the twentieth
century: not only did it divide American society at every level;
the conflict also represented a key shift in Asian anti-colonialism
and shaped the course of the Cold War. Despite its political and
social importance, popular memory of the war is dominated by myths
and stereotypes. In this incisive new text, John Dumbrell debunks
popular assumptions about the war and reassesses the key political,
military and historical controversies associated with one of the
most contentious and divisive wars of recent times. Drawing upon an
extensive range of newly accessible sources, Rethinking the Vietnam
War assesses all aspects of the conflict - ranging across domestic
electoral politics in the USA to the divided communist leadership
in Hanoi and grassroots antiwar movements around the world. The
book charts the full course of the war - from the origins of
American involvement, the growing internationalization of the
conflict and the swing year of 1968 to bitter twists in Sino-Soviet
rivalry and the eventual withdrawal of American forces. Situating
the conflict within an international context, John Dumbrell also
considers competing interpretations of the war and points the way
to the resolution of debates which have divided international
opinion for decades.
This book is an intimate account of an ordinary individual's
extraordinary life journey that transcends both cultural and social
boundaries. Th e author was born and lived in Korea during his
formative years, and has been living in the United States for the
following 47 years. Th is individual's unique story of his
environment is informative and his approach to his life time
challenges highlights every passage of the book. Th e book is
thoughtprovoking as well as enlightening...a rare gem in its
subject, style, and exposition. This book enlightens and entertains
its readers at the same time eff ortlessly.
While serving as a crew chief aboard a U.S. Air Force Rescue
helicopter, Airman First Class William A. Robinson was shot down
and captured in Ha Tinh Province, North Vietnam, on September 20,
1965. After a brief stint at the "Hanoi Hilton," Robinson endured
2,703 days in multiple North Vietnamese prison camps, including the
notorious Briarpatch and various compounds at Cu Loc, known by the
inmates as the Zoo. No enlisted man in American military history
has been held as a prisoner of war longer than Robinson. For seven
and a half years, he faced daily privations and endured the full
range of North Vietnam's torture program. In The Longest Rescue:
The Life and Legacy of Vietnam POW William A. Robinson, Glenn
Robins tells Robinson's story using an array of sources, including
declassified U.S. military documents, translated Vietnamese
documents, and interviews from the National Prisoner of War Museum.
Unlike many other POW accounts, this comprehensive biography
explores Robinson's life before and after his capture, particularly
his estranged relationship with his father, enabling a better
understanding of the difficult transition POWs face upon returning
home and the toll exacted on their families. Robins's powerful
narrative not only demonstrates how Robinson and his fellow
prisoners embodied the dedication and sacrifice of America's
enlisted men but also explores their place in history and memory.
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Ski
(Hardcover)
A. L Sutton
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R700
Discovery Miles 7 000
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Ships in 18 - 22 working days
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Waite provides an honest and raw perspective on the Iraq War from
that of a citizen-soldier. He describes the effects war has on the
extraordinary people who fight in it, and the families left behind.
A unique on-the-ground account of a country shattered
Iraqi playwright Issam Jameel returned to Iraq after a 12-year
exile. Giving up the relative safety of Jordan, he made a perilous
journey to Baghdad for a reunion. Unfortunately, the reason for his
trip was to grieve for his nephew, recently killed by American
forces while guarding an Iraq parliament member from insurgents.
Jameel also mourns the loss of a formerly secular civil society
replaced by vehement sectarianism, intolerance, and ignorance.
Basic human needs like food, water, and power have become an
endless daily struggle amidst the shards of infrastructure. Routine
tasks, such as selling a house or getting a job are fraught with
peril as old scores continue to be settled on religious, ethnic,
and political fronts. Everywhere he turns, people are desperate to
leave, but fear for the worst. After escaping this madness, he
recorded his eyewitness report, desperate to provide an honest and
impartial tale of an epic tragedy which has killed more than
100,000 people and displaced many more.
Today, the US government gambles with Iraq's stability by turning
a blind eye to Al-Maliki's internal policy, especially after
Wikileaks revealed his complicity in death squads. We are
jeopardizing the hard-won political gains that the US achieved by
neutralizing the Sunnis of Iraq when it converted them from
fighters and boycotters to voters. The US administration fails to
show much real concern for the future of democracy in Iraq except
perhaps for its anxiety about Obama's promises of military
withdrawal.
Critics Praise "Iraq Through A Bullet Hole"
"Issam Jameel's "Iraq Through A Bullet Hole" is evocative in the
best sense of the word. A native Iraqi, he describes with measured
sadness and authenticity the dismemberment of his country by a
senseless war. His perspective on events there-both personal and
general-will not be found in reporting done by the Western press.
His tale reminds us that the things that matter most-family,
friends, and faith can and will endure even the most severe trials.
I highly recommend this book for its relevance and
timelessness."
--Cristobal Krusen, Author and Filmmaker
"Iraq has been a focus for our attention for years now, since our
armed forces went looking for nonexistent weapons of mass
destruction there. The media have presented a picture-but how real
is it? What is life really like in that unfortunate country? Find
out by reading this book."
--Robert Rich, PhD, Author of "Cancer: A Personal Challenge"
"Going home is such a trivial thing to so many people in the
world. This story is the revealing statement of one man that went
home to find it lost in such a strife-filled region, considered by
historians as the origin of modern civilization. For those who do
know how difficult his journey was, they will relate to Issam's
message which is one of perseverance, shared hope and a common
faith in mankind that in the end, all could eventually be well. If
only men would let it..."
--Bill Evans, civilian contractor in Iraq
More info at www.IraqThruABulletHole.com
Book #5 in the Reflections of History Series from Modern History
Press www.ModernHistoryPress.com
BIO000000 Biography & Autobiography: General
HIS027170 History: Military - Iraq War (2003-)
HIS026000 History: Middle East - General
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