A new version of a very rare text of the Coldstream Guards at War
The Campaign in the Low Countries is rarely covered in books concerning the experiences of the British Army. It was fought against the armies of Revolutionary France at a time when Napoleon was still a junior officer. It has been overshadowed by the war in Spain and the Waterloo Campaign-probably because it was a military disaster for the allied armies-and popular history is inclined to dwell on the victories of Wellington that followed. Many a soldier would look back upon this campaign as 'the one that taught us what NOT to do'. Nevertheless, it remains a fascinating episode in British military history and this book-written by a very active participant-brings it vibrantly to life. Robert Brown was a highly literate other rank in the Coldstream Guards. He recorded his experiences in riveting detail and left us with a view of warfare in the late eighteenth century which is both entertaining and essential as a prelude to the experiences of soldiers in the Napoleonic Wars which would shortly follow. Brown's text, originally presented in the archaic style of 1795, has been substantially reworked by Frederick Llewellyn making it easily accessible for the contemporary reader for the first time. A short summary of the campaign is also included to give Brown's narrative context.

It all seemed so picture-perfect. It was a typical fall evening in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, in 1965 when John Gouin, a twelve-year-old boy with big dreams came home from football practice and sat down at the dinner table with his mother. But when the front door slammed loudly shut, John and his mother anticipated the worst. His father was a man lost within his own anger.

In his compelling memoir "An Unforgettable Salute," Gouin chronicles his lifelong battle to please his alcoholic father, his attempts to stop the physical abuse, and his journey to psychological healing that eventually culminated in a heartwarming final exchange with his gravely ill father. After describing a childhood during which he was physically beaten and emotionally scarred, Gouin details his dream of playing in the NFL, which lasted until a devastating injury ended his football career. After struggling to find his calling, Gouin eventually joined the army, where he learned self-discipline and the leadership skills that later guided him to achieve professional success as a podiatric surgeon.

"An Unforgettable Salute" is the true story of one man who rose from the silent side of abuse to achieve healing, happiness, success, and most of all, peace.

In this narrative overview, Embser-Herbert explores the history of the policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," (DADT) the federal law restricting the military service of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. She traces the policy from its origins in the early 1990s through its evolution and implementation into law in the United States military and evaluates the impact of post-9/11 events on the military, the policy, and the ongoing debate surrounding the existence of the policy itself as lawmakers consider its repeal. Her three-part history of DADT begins with a brief look at earlier policies that preceded it, a discussion of events in 1992-1993 that resulted in the passage and implementation of the new law, and an examination of the law's impact on the military. She also compares the policy to that of other nations, such as Canada, Australia, and Great Britain, that eliminated similar restrictions as they sought ways to avoid a potential manpower shortage in their armed forces. The War on Terror has returned DADT to the public spotlight. Embser-Herbert examines U.S. experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan and what they can teach about gays and lesbians in the military. She concludes Part I with an analysis of whether the law might be repealed or overturned. Part II of the handbook provides summaries of key legal decisions, and Part III contains key documents, such as the language of the law itself and excerpts from current military regulations and training manuals. The book also includes a chronology of events, glossary of terms, and an annotated bibliography.

Noted Middle East military expert Anthony H. Cordesman details the complex trends that come into play in determining the military balance in a region that has become so critical to world peace. This ready resource provides a wealth of information on military expenditures and major arms systems, as well as qualitative trends, by country and by zone. However, as Cordesman stresses, because the "greater Middle East" is more a matter of rhetoric than military reality, mere data summarizing trends in 23 different countries is no substitute for a substantive explanation. Using tables, graphs, and charts, this study explores every aspect of the regional military balance with attention to sub-regional balances, internal civil conflicts, and low level border tensions. The Middle East is certainly one of the most militarized areas in the world, and changes in technology, access to weapons of mass destruction, and political instability contribute to a situation that has long been in constant flux. Some of the regional flashpoints covered in this study include the Maghreb (North Africa); the Arab-Israeli conflict (dominated by Israel versus Syria); and the Gulf (divided into those states that view Iran as the primary threat and those who lived in fear of Iraq). Internal conflicts, such as those in Mauritania, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Yemen, increasingly dominate regional tensions. In addition, border conflicts within the region and with neighboring countries could further aggravate the delicate balance.

At about 11:30 on a Sunday morning in 1815, a few shots rang out as the curtain-raiser to one of Europe's most titanic military clashes. By late afternoon, at the close of the Battle of Waterloo, nearly 40,000 men lay dead or wounded. Until that day, the army of Napoleon Bonaparte seemed almost invincible. Indeed, by mid-afternoon, victory for the French seemed a distinct possibility. But the Allied army, led by the Duke of Wellington and ably assisted by Marshal Blucher, finally delivered a fatal blow that not only defeated the French forces but destroyed for ever Napoleon's dreams of conquest and glory, in which he would stand astride Europe like a colossus. Events that day confirmed the Duke of Wellington as a military genius and Blucher as an eccentric but loyal ally. For the British, the Battle of Waterloo was one of our greatest ever victories and the story of that extraordinary day,.