In "Call Signs," former naval aviator Rich Dinkel shares memories and personal stories of several of the brave men and women who shared the profession. These flyers must be able to execute their orders in any circumstance, time, or climate. They are sharply skilled professionals who train and retrain constantly. Each naval aviator has their own call sign-their personal pseudonym, to be used during their service and most likely for many years after their service has ended. Dinkel uses the call signs of his former colleagues as he tells their stories.

Tactical aviation is often described as a very risky business in the eyes of everyday people. Today's fighter and attack aircraft can take-off and land on a runway and shoot off the bow (front) of an aircraft carrier, and be recovered in the cross-deck pendants at the stern (rear) of the ship. In order to perform this sort of flying, a pilot must have steely eyes with perfect vision; quick, cat-like refl exes; and exceptional common sense-something that can occasionally be problematic. He or she must also have a deep and wide knowledge of every system in the aircraft, an equally in depth knowledge of the enemy, and the proper way to use his or her deadly weapons in combat.

"Call Signs" offers personal stories and a unique insider's view of tactical aviation and the challenges that each pilot must meet to succeed.

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.

Every time Mark W. Merritt puts on the uniform of a US Naval Officer, he is reminded of how thankful he is to be an American. He began compiling his memories in 2008 while serving in Iraq, just after celebrating his fiftieth birthday in a combat zone. In his memoir, he offers a collection of lessons learned from his years in intelligence-through twenty-nine countries, frost bite, two hip replacements, cancer, three wars, five combat zones, eight marathons, multiple parachute jumps, three college degrees, and two black belts. He has been an author, high school hall-of-famer and collegiate NCAA athlete, mountain climber and kayaker, husband, son, brother, warrior, scholar, and gentleman. As a special operations intelligence officer, Merritt has always pushed to do more, but now he can step back and take in what he has accomplished. He has failed many times, but he has succeeded often, as well. Happiness no longer seems like an unobtainable goal. They Rest Not at Night offers both Merritt's personal life history with all its variety and an exploration of his intelligence experience, sharing his own commentary on the wisdom he has gained the hard way.

"Shoot" hollered Willie B. "Where" I screamed. "Shoot, Shoot." Screamed Willie B. Again. I clicked my rifle from safe to full auto and let it rip in the direction of the tracers from the other two guys. I fired one complete magazine. I had no idea what was happening. I changed magazines. I buried my face in the dirt attempting to make myself invisible. I was terrified. I lie there cowering by hiding my face in the dirt. I had no idea what to do. "Shoot" screamed Willie B. again . My rifle had a bi-pod attached to the front of it as it was a select fire. (Semi or full auto). I extended the bi-pod and again ripped off full auto rounds. My hands and fingers were moving too slow. It was as if I was moving in slow motion. I couldn't make my hands move any faster. I kept shooting like the other two . At what, I had no idea. My heart was pumping ninety miles an hour. I heard firing erupt from the NDP then stop. A piece of hot brass hit me in the neck and went down my fatigue shirt burning the hell out of me. I kept firing and trying to shake the hot brass out of my shirt at the same time. I had fired six magazines before I noticed the other two had stopped firing. I errently touched the barrel of my rifle and got a burn that bubbled up the skin. We all lie still. My mouth was so dry, I couldn't swallow. I was shaking badly and couldn't catch my breath. Again, I buried my face in the dirt in a futile attempt to escape. I didn't like any of this. This wasn't at all like playing soldier in the back yard as a kid.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

Intelligence comes from ignorance as wisdom comes from naivete and there is nothing like gathering both from people who represent a diverse swath of nations throughout the world. As cultures require contact with each other in order to grow and remain viable, and not succumb to atrophy, man too requires contact with men of different beliefs and practices. No one nation or culture or religion has a hold on logic or is immune to extremism. I feel blessed that I've had the opportunity to absorb and learn about aspects of life that I'm sure I wouldn't have learned otherwise. In fact, my whole belief system was changed over the past forty-five years through this contact. I began to do some research on my family and what I learned, coupled with what I had experienced in my life, literally brought me to tears in gratitude and admiration, and hopefully in wisdom. If you like to sit down and listen to stories told by, say, an old friend, an uncle, or a person with wrinkles on his face, grey in his hair, and a sparkle of wisdom in his eyes, coupled with a smile on his face, then you should so bother. If you don't, then stop right here and go pick up and read a book on vampires or love's lost or whatever turns your fancy. My life has been tragic and wondrous and I have what I call life lessons that I believe you will find helpful in your life. I'll even go so far as to say that, given even a fraction of introspection in you, your life will be significantly altered after you've read this book. I know that doesn't sound humble but I also know this to be true. I have learned, forgot, and made up many a good story. Keep this in mind when you read these chapters (stories) compiled within this book. Are they all true? Mostly, with only the most embarrassing events removed. An old retired Air Force fighter pilot once told me "I have secrets only God and I know - and that's the way it will remain."