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Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > General
Drafted when he was 37 years old, this is the story of Dale Hubley
- his life and service during World War II as a member of the
Seventh Armored Division in Patton's Third Army. Being drafted when
he was older change his life in many way but he was never bitter.
He would always say, "I was one of the lucky ones, I got to come
home." This positive attitude is what shaped Dale's life.
For author Virginia Kiernan, February 2003 is a month, though more
than ten years past, that remains vivid in her memory. It was the
month her husband, Verner Kiernan, a father of six, was deployed
with the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, only
one month before the war with Iraq began. In Dear God, Please Keep
Daddy Safe, Virginia narrates the trials and triumphs of a year of
deployment. She discusses the struggles army families face as she
provides insight into the unknown world of army life in one of the
nation's top units-including a deadly grenade attack on her
husband's unit, the emotion of attending heart-wrenching memorial
services, and the family crisis that becomes compounded with
separation. A compelling true story written by a mom raising six
children while her husband was deployed during the early days of
Operation Iraqi Freedom, Dear God, Please Keep Daddy Safe
chronicles the highs and lows of events both overseas and on the
home front, showing that the often overlooked issues at home can
sometimes be as stressful as serving in uniform.
The Outcast Majority invites policymakers, practitioners,
academics, students, and others to think about three commanding
contemporary issues-war, development, and youth-in new ways. The
starting point is the following irony: while Africanyouth are
demographically dominant, many act as if they are members of an
outcast minority. The irony directly informs young people's lives
in war-affected Africa, where differences separating the priorities
of youth and those of international agencies are especially
prominent. Drawing on interviews with development experts and young
people, Marc Sommers shines a light on this gap and offers guidance
on how to close it. He begins with a comprehensive consideration of
forces that shape and propel the lives of African youth today,
particularly those experiencing or emerging from war. They are
contrasted with forces that influence and constrain the
international development aid enterprise. The book concludes with a
framework for making development policies and practices
significantly more relevant and effective for youth in areas
affected by African wars and other places where vast and vibrant
youth populations reside.
The subject of this masterful, panoramic biography is one of the
most mysterious, misunderstood icons of early American history.
Simon Girty was a sharp-witted, rascally, many-tongued frontiersman
whose epic adventures span the French and Indian War, Dunmore's
War, the American War for Independence, the Indian Wars, and
finally, the War of 1812. When he defected from the Patriot cause
to serve the British in March 1778, Girty achieved instant infamy -
becoming one of young America's most notorious characters. To
understand his motivation one must discover, as he did, that the
real, underlying cause of the American Revolution was the
unquenchable thirst for Indian land of many of our so-called
founding fathers - including George Washington - and their
unrelenting dissatisfaction with the restrictions imposed upon
their land speculation ambitions by the King's Proclamation of
1763. Like a detective doggedly combing through old evidence,
author Phillip Hoffman spent 17 years studying every detail of
Girty's life and times, amassing more than 4,000 computer windows
of research. By exploring microfilm, ledgers, military records,
congressional records, newspaper and magazine articles, and dozens
of early American and Canadian fiction and non-fiction works,
Hoffman was able to peel away the mythic legend that has hidden
Girty's real persona for two and a half centuries. Little in Simon
Girty's life was conventional or predictable. One of four sons
raised by an Irish Indian trader settled near Harrisburg in eastern
Pennsylvania, Simon's earliest experiences quickly isolate him from
the majority of the colonists in his region, most of whom were
German immigrants. To these people, the Girtys areIndian lovers,
and the Indians are all savages and spawn of the devil. During the
French and Indian War, when he is fifteen, Simon and his family are
captured by hostile Shawnee and Delaware warriors led by French
officers. Given away to a war party of Senecas, Simon is carried
north and adopted, emerging eight years later at age twenty-three,
a gifted linguist and a trained interpreter fluent in eleven native
languages. Brought by a Seneca chief to Alexander McKee of the
British Indian Department at Fort Pitt, Girty begins his career as
a spy-interpreter-intermediary serving both English and Native
American leaders. Girty's contacts include the great Seneca sachem
Guyasuta, Sir William Johnson, merchant George Morgan, businessman
John Connolly, William Crawford, Matthew Elliott, John Murray (Lord
Dunmore), Simon Kenton, George Rogers Clark, Mingo chief John
Logan, Mohawk chief Joseph Brant, Half King of the Wyandots,
Captain Pipe of the Delawares, Moravian missionaries David
Zeisberger and John Heckewelder, Shawnee chiefs Blue Jacket and
Tecumseh, and Miami war chief Little Turtle, Detroit Governor Henry
Hamilton, U.S. general Anthony Wayne, and even Daniel Boone. Land
speculators George Washington and Ben Franklin are also woven
through Girty's story. Through Girty's eyes we re-live the
ill-fated Squaw Campaign, his rescue of Simon Kenton whom the
Shawnees were about to torture and burn, the deadly ambush of
Rogers' Flotilla, the Battle of Sandusky, William Crawford's trial
and death by fire, the conquest of Martin's and Ruddle's Stations,
the disastrous American defeat at Blue Licks (where Daniel Boone's
son Israel was killed), and the incredible victories over Harmar
and St. Clairby a confederation of Western and Northern Tribes.
Finally, with Girty and his companions Alex McKee and Matthew
Elliott, we witness the climactic defeat of the Indians by "Mad"
Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers. Hoffman's dedication to detail,
combined with his superb talent as a storyteller, brings us an
intimate view of the full sweep of early American frontier
conflicts, as experienced by a devoted adventurer whose heart was
as much Indian as it was white. "Simon Girty Turncoat Hero" is
American history at its best.
"Don't Thank Me, Thank Your Recruiter" is a story of a US Army
Soldier who served for over 9 years as a Human Resources
Specialist. During this time he traveled to a total of 14 countries
to include Iraq, Kuwait, Korea, and Afghanistan. Through the years
he met various people from all walks of life. During his journey he
learned a lot about himself and the world as a whole. This is a
story of true perseverance and courage. "Don't Thank Me, Thank Your
Recruiter" teaches the lesson that it is never too late, nor is it
ever wrong to stand up for yourself despite impeccable odds. A true
depiction of the Human Spirit, this book is sure to show the world
that despite your chosen profession you could still face challenges
in life, and work to overcome them. It's not about the size of the
dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog that
matters.
To borrow a hackneyed phrase, Nigeria has had a chequered political
history before and since independence from British colonial rule on
October 1, 1960. Two sets of actors - the civilian politicians and
the military politicians - have been on the national political
stage since January 15, 1966. General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida
was one of them. In his eight years in power as president, or
perhaps more correctly as military president, he affected the
course of Nigeria's events, for better or for worse, in a way that
few, if any, before him did. It is not possible to tell Nigeria's
story without Babangida's part in it. The book is the story of IBB,
the little orphan from Minna, Niger State and his meticulous rise
to the top of his profession and the leadership of his country.
Perhaps, more importantly, it is the story of Nigeria, its
post-independence politics and power, told from the perspective of
the actions and decisions of one of the main actors on the
country's political stage. The events that shaped the Babangida era
did not begin on August 27, 1985, the day he staged a palace coup
against General Muhammadu Buhari. They began long before that. This
book is the definitive story of the military, politics and power in
Nigeria. ______________________________ Dan Agbese holds degrees in
mass communications and journalism from the University of Lagos and
Columbia University, New York, respectively. He is a former editor
of The Nigeria Standard, the New Nigerian as well as former general
manager of Radio Benue. Agbese was one of the founders of the
trail-blazing weekly newsmagazine in Nigeria, Newswatch. He was
until April 2010 the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine. He is the
author of several acclaimed books, including Nigeria their Nigeria,
Fellow Nigerians, The Reporter's Companion, Style: A Guide to Good
Writing and The Columnist's Companion: The Art and Craft of Column
Writing. Agbese is also a highly-regarded newspaper columnist.
This is the story of how one man was protected by God through the
war in Vietnam and the lawless living and imprisonment back home
until God brought him in.
This book explores the evolution of the current U.S. research and
development enterprise, asks whether this organization remains
appropriate to the challenges we face today, and proposes
strategies for better preparing for the global technology race
shaping our future. Across the globe, nation states and societies,
as well as corporations, technology developers, and even
individuals, find themselves on the front lines of a global
technology race. As we approach the third decade of this century,
the outlines of the contest have become clear. Spending on research
and development, such new methods as innovation centers, and
inclusion of powerful technologies into governments and society are
occurring at a rapid pace. Technology winners and losers are
emerging. How did we arrive at this global technology fight? How
and where will it be waged? What can we do to prepare for the
future? In 10 chapters, Tech Wars addresses these questions and
more, examining the conditions that have led us to this point and
introducing new strategies, organizational changes, and resource
allocations that will help the United States respond to the
challenges that are on the horizon. Focuses on how technology
affects society and individuals, recognizing that a discussion of
technology must also include such topics as economics, trade,
military activities, and other human endeavors Demonstrates through
historical precedents and examination of potential alternative
futures that changes in the global research and development
ecosystem are needed Highlights the importance of technology to the
economic and national security of the United States Explains how
and why our science and technology, research and development, and
innovation capabilities should be adapted
The First World War was a turning point for modern globalised
warfare. It involved the inclusion of women in 'war efforts', the
homefront becoming the warzone, and produced millions of wounded
and disabled men. At the same time, it incited an extraordinary
arsenal of gendered discourses, practices and beliefs in the
service of militarism, power structures and personal agency. This
insightful collection of interdisciplinary essays, by a
wide-ranging team of experts, draws out critical themes emanating
from 1914. Spanning the First and Second World Wars, through to the
Vietnam War, the 'War on Terror' and the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the volume asks what has changed and what has
continued? Ana Carden-Coyne demonstrates adeptly how understanding
gender during periods of conflict has ongoing relevance across the
twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
After the end of the Cold War, it seemed as if Southeast Asia would
remain a geopolitically stable region within the American imperious
for the foreseeable future. In the last two decades, however, the
re-emergence of China as a major great power has called into
question the geopolitical future of the region and raised the
specter of renewed of great power competition. As the eminent China
scholar David Shambaugh explains in Where Great Powers Meet, the
United States and China are engaged in a broad-gauged and global
competition for power. While this competition ranges across the
entire world, it is centered in Asia, and in this book, Shambaugh
focuses the ten countries that comprise Southeast Asia. The United
States and China constantly vie for position and influence in this
enormously significant region-and the outcome of this contest will
do much to determine whether Asia leaves the American orbit after
seven decades and falls into a new Chinese sphere of influence.
Just as importantly, to the extent that there is a global "power
transition" occurring from the US to China, the fate of Southeast
Asia will be a good indicator. Presently, both powers bring
important assets to bear. The US continues to possess a depth and
breadth of security ties, soft power, and direct investment across
the region that empirically outweigh China's. For its part, China
has more diplomatic influence, much greater trade, and geographic
proximity. In assessing the likelihood of a regional power
transition, Shambaugh at how ASEAN (the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations) and the countries within it maneuver between the
United States and China and the degree to which they align with one
or the other power. Not simply an analysis of the region's place
within an evolving international system, Where Great Powers Meet
provides us with a comprehensive strategy that advances the
American position while exploiting Chinese weaknesses.
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