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Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > Military life & institutions > General
In the years between 31 BC and AD 500 the Romans carved out a
mighty empire stretching from Britain to the deserts of North
Africa. The men who spearheaded this expansion were the centurions,
the tough, professional warriors who led from the front, exerted
savage discipline and provided a role model for the legionaries
under their command. This book, the second volume of a two-part
study, reveals the appearance, weaponry, role and impact of these
legendary soldiers during the five centuries that saw the Roman
Empire reach its greatest geographical extent under Trajan and
Hadrian, only to experience a long decline in the West in the face
of sustained pressure from its 'barbarian' neighbours. Featuring
spectacular full-colour artwork, written by an authority on the
army of the Caesars and informed by a wide range of sculptural,
written and pictorial evidence from right across the Roman world,
this book overturns established wisdom and sheds new light on
Rome's most famous soldiers during the best-known era in its
history.
When Martha Summerhayes (1844–1926) came as a bride to Fort
Russell in Wyoming Territory in 1874, she “saw not much in those
first few days besides bright buttons, blue uniforms, and shining
swords,†but soon enough the hard facts of army life began to
intrude. Remonstrating with her husband, Jack Wyder Summerhayes,
that she had only three rooms and a kitchen instead of “a whole
house,†she was informed that “women are not reckoned in at all
in the War Department.â€Â  Although Martha
Summerhayes’s recollections span a quarter of a century and
recount life at a dozen army posts, the heart of this book concerns
her experiences during the 1870s in Arizona, where the harsh
climate, rattlesnakes, cactus thorns, white desperadoes, and other
inconveniences all made for a less-than-desirable posting for the
Summerhayeses. Â First printed in 1908, Vanished Arizona is
Summerhayes’s memoir of her years as a military wife as her
husband’s Eighth Regiment conducted Gen. George Crook’s
expedition against the Apaches. It was so well received that she
became an instant celebrity and the book a timeless classic. The
book retains its place securely among the essential primary records
of the frontier-military West because of the narrative skill of the
author and her delight in life. Â Â
This is the first book ever to present the authentic ninja
techniques in a highly accessible, illustrated 'how to' format. The
shadowy figure of the ninja – expert commando, secret agent,
maverick who operates outside social norms – continues to exert
fascination in the West, yet much of what is presented as ninja
fact today is distorted or wrong. Drawing on the scrolls created by
historical Japanese ninjas (or shinobi, as they were then known),
this book offers the real ninja teachings in 150 easy-to-follow,
illustrated lessons designed to draw contemporary students of ninja
straight into the world of these skilled spy-commandos. The truth
about the ninja is so much more complex and intriguing than the
Hollywood clichés we know today. We may think, for example, of a
ninja as being always garbed in black and fighting with 'throwing
stars' but in fact, a ninja had clothes in different colours to
serve as disguises for different times of day, and their arsenal of
weaponry could include anything from poison, poison gas, pepper
spray and fire-creating tools to swords, spears and knives (but no
throwing stars). The 150 lessons in this book cover all the basics
of ninja warcraft, including clever ideas for infiltrating an enemy
compound (from wearing 'silent sandals' to faking passes and
passwords), tactics for hiding and retreat (in the racoon dog
retreat, a ninja will crouch low and halt, allowing the pursuer to
collide with him at speed, whereupon the agent kills his enemy),
and ways of crossing marshes and water (for example, with special
shoes made of boards, or using a foldaway floating seat). The
description is made all the more vivid by step-by-step photographs
of the fighting techniques, diagrams outlining military tactics and
beautiful samples of Japanese calligraphy.
More than a century has passed past since German archeologist
Heinrich Schliemann discovered the treasures of Bronze Age Mycenae.
The richly decorated artifacts of the entombed warriors, whose
bodies still lay in their graves, confirmed that Homer's epic "The
Iliad" was based upon true events, and that the Achaeans described
in his poems probably did exist.
Through a combined study of the mythical tradition, archeological
findings, and written sources, this fascinating addition to the
Warrior series explores the evolution of warfare in the Bronze Age
Greek world. Covering weaponry, clothing, helmets, and body armor,
it provides a richly illustrated guide to the warriors who have
shone from the pages of Homer's poem for almost three millennia.
From the New York Times bestselling author of In The Heart of the
Sea and Mayflower comes a surprising account of the middle years of
the American Revolution, and the tragic relationship between George
Washington and Benedict Arnold. "May be one of the greatest what-if
books of the age--a volume that turns one of America's best-known
narratives on its head."--Boston Globe "Clear and insightful, it
consolidates his reputation as one of America's foremost
practitioners of narrative nonfiction."--Wall Street Journal In
September 1776, the vulnerable Continental Army under an unsure
George Washington (who had never commanded a large force in battle)
evacuates New York after a devastating defeat by the British Army.
Three weeks later, near the Canadian border, one of his favorite
generals, Benedict Arnold, miraculously succeeds in postponing the
British naval advance down Lake Champlain that might have ended the
war. Four years later, as the book ends, Washington has vanquished
his demons and Arnold has fled to the enemy after a foiled attempt
to surrender the American fortress at West Point to the British.
After four years of war, America is forced to realize that the real
threat to its liberties might not come from without but from
within. Valiant Ambition is a complex, controversial, and dramatic
portrait of a people in crisis and the war that gave birth to a
nation. The focus is on loyalty and personal integrity, evoking a
Shakespearean tragedy that unfolds in the key relationship of
Washington and Arnold, who is an impulsive but sympathetic hero
whose misfortunes at the hands of self-serving politicians fatally
destroy his faith in the legitimacy of the rebellion. As a country
wary of tyrants suddenly must figure out how it should be led,
Washington's unmatched ability to rise above the petty politics of
his time enables him to win the war that really matters.
At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 Captain J. L. Jack
was serving with the First Cameronians, one of the earliest British
regiments to arrive in France. Almost every day while serving in
France and Flanders, Jack kept a secret diary. This diary is
unique. It presents the detail of a regular officer's life at war
during virtually the whole of the First World War on the Western
Front. Jack was witness not only to the horror and wretchedness of
much that happened in the trenches but also to the bravery and
spirit that kept the British soldiers in the line going through to
the momentous battles of 1918 and final victory. Poignant and
moving, as well as describing the reality of war on the Western
Front, these diaries have been edited and linked with commentaries
by the distinguished military historian John Terraine.
In this highly entertaining and informative book, Christopher Joll
and Anthony Weldon have captured the careers, accomplishments,
follies and the occasional crimes of over three hundred of the
officers and men who have served in the seven Regiments (two
Household Cavalry and five Foot Guards) of the sovereign's personal
troops. The pages of The DRUM HORSE IN THE FOUNTAIN will reveal a
whole parade of remarkable and unusual characters... In the world
of the arts - theatre, film, music, and writing - and sport there
are many notable, and some surprising, Guardsmen including * two
Oscar winning film stars - one of whom was drunkenly responsible
for dispatching a Drum Horse into "The Fountain" in front of
Buckingham Palace. And some of the most eccentric men ever to have
been let loose on the public including * The irresponsible officer
in charge of the Tower of London guard who had to break back into
the Tower by climbing the mast of a barge on the Thames and then
onto Traitor's Gate; * The VC who rallied his troops with a hunting
horn; * The officer who dressed as a nun to entertain the Duke of
Wellington; * The unfortunate officer who Queen Victoria thought
was addressing her when he was actually trying to admonish his
unruly horse - she was not amused; * Traitors, conmen, bigamists, a
purveyor of `honours for cash' and three accused of murder - as
well as at least five murder victims, one of whom died in a Chicago
bootleggers' shoot-out. On military service the officers and men of
the Household Division have * earned forty-four Victoria Crosses; *
been founding members of SOE, SAS, Commandos, operated behind enemy
lines and pioneered military parachuting; * acted as spies, double
agents and spy masters; * been supported through the fiercest
fighting of WW2 by a remarkably loayl tea-lady in her NAAFI wagon.
As well as Prime Ministers and politicians, churchmen also feature
prominently with * a Cardinal who, had he lived, might have been
Pope; an Archbishop of Canterbury, known as `Killer', with an MC
(as well as four padres awarded MCs), a bishop, two monks, three
Lord Priors of the Order of St John, and two Grand Masters of the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta (who rank as Cardinals). Were
this not enough, amongst actual, as well as aspiring, royalty and
their progeny - legitimate and otherwise, there was * the
aristocratic candidate for the throne of Albania (who, although
almost blind, fought as a regimental officer in WW1 without
actually enlisting). ...and, not to be forgotten, are * one
regimental wolfhound in the 1930s which dispatched the Italian
Ambassador's greyhound, three bears (one stuffed), two WW1 milking
cows who took part in the 1919 Victory Parade, one monkey with the
rank of Corporal of Horse and a very alert goose called Jacob.
War and its legacy are traumatic to individuals, communities, and
landscapes. The impacts last long beyond the events themselves and
shape lives and generations. Archaeology has a part to play in the
recording of, and recovery from, such trauma. The Falklands War
Mapping Project delivers the first intensive archaeological survey
of the battlefields of the Falklands War. The project is pioneering
in its inclusion of military veterans as part of the core team and
unique in being the first to take veterans back to the battlefields
on which they fought. Forty years after the events of 1982, the
project provides a detailed assessment of the character, location,
and condition of structural features and artefacts. The project
also develops understandings of the role played by conflict
heritage - and of landscapes, finds, and past events - in the
recall of personal and collective memories. This sumptuously
illustrated book brings together the perspectives of team members,
institutional partners and others. It showcases the varied and
important contributions archaeology can make beyond understandings
of distant events linked to therapeutic progress, coming to terms
with traumatic experiences, living with the past in the present,
and forging new memories, relations, and futures.
Military Recruiting is a war. It's just a different kind of war
than what you were prepared and trained to fight for. Recruiting is
a war for talent. Smart, competent, and capable people are rare and
in high demand. Every organization, from commercial enterprises,
healthcare, non-profit, sports, and education, to the military is
in an outright battle to recruit and retain these bright and
talented people. Rather than bullets and bombs, the war for talent
is won through high-impact prospecting activity, time discipline,
intellectual agility, emotional intelligence, and human to human
relationships. On this highly competitive, ever changing,
asymmetrical battlefield, to win, you must operate at a level of
excellence beyond anything asked of military recruiters before.
Yet, in this new paradigm, many recruiters are struggling, and most
recruiting units are staring down the barrel at 50 percent or more
of their recruiters consistently missing Mission. It is imperative
that we arm military recruiters with the skills they need to win in
this challenging environment. The failure to make Mission is an
existential threat to the strength and readiness of America's
fighting forces and our democracy. Fanatical Military Recruiting
begins where the Recruiting and Retention colleges of the various
branches of the military leave off. It is an advanced, master's
level training resource designed specifically for the unique
demands of Military Recruiting. In FMR, you'll learn: The Single
Most Important Discipline in Military Recruiting How to Get Out of
a Recruiting Slump The 30-Day Rule and Law of Replacement Powerful
Time and Territory Management Strategies that Put You in Control of
Your Day The 7 Step Telephone Prospecting Framework The 4 Step
Email and Direct Messaging Framework The 5 C's of Social Recruiting
The 7 Step Text Message Prospecting Framework How to Leverage a
Balanced Prospecting Methodology to Keep the Funnel Full of
Qualified Applicants Powerful Human Influence Frameworks that
Reduce Resistance and Objections The 3 Step Prospecting Objection
Turn-Around Framework Mission Drive and the 5 Disciplines of
Ultra-High Performing Military Recruiters In his signature
right-to-the-point style that has made him the go-to trainer to a
who's who of the world's most prestigious organizations, Jeb Blount
pulls no punches. He slaps you in the face with the cold, hard
truth about what's really holding you back. Then, he pulls you in
with stories, examples, and lessons that teach you exactly what you
need to do right now to become an ultra-high performing recruiter.
Fanatical Military Recruiting is filled with the high-powered
strategies, techniques, and tools you need to keep your funnel
packed with qualified applicants. As you dive into these powerful
insights, and with each new chapter, you'll gain greater and
greater confidence. And, with this new-found confidence, your
performance as a military recruiter will soar and you will Make
Mission, Fast.
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was principally the highest
award given to German fighters to recognise extreme battlefield
bravery or successful military leadership during World War II. The
Gold Close Combat Clasp, awarded for at least 50 days of
hand-to-hand fighting and often regarded in higher esteem than the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by the German infantry, was only
awarded to 631 German soldiers. Out of the millions who fought for
Germany in World War II, only 98 received both the Knight's Cross
and the Close-Combat Clasp in Gold; providing definitive reference
with action-packed narrative and exhaustive footnotes, this volume
includes profiles of those servicemen from the Army, the Luftwaffe,
and the Waffen SS. Packed with hundreds of photos, many of them not
available elsewhere, this is a fascinating profile of some of the
bravest soldiers of World War II.
On rare occasions in American history, Congress enacts a measure so
astute, so far-reaching, so revolutionary, it enters the language
as a metaphor. The Marshall Plan comes to mind, as does the Civil
Rights Act. But perhaps none resonates in the American imagination
like the G.I. Bill.
In a brilliant addition to Oxford's acclaimed Pivotal Moments in
American History series, historians Glenn C. Altschuler and Stuart
M. Blumin offer a compelling and often surprising account of the
G.I. Bill and its sweeping and decisive impact on American life.
Formally known as the Serviceman's Readjustment Act of 1944, it was
far from an obvious, straightforward piece of legislation, but
resulted from tense political maneuvering and complex negotiations.
As Altschuler and Blumin show, an unlikely coalition emerged to
shape and pass the bill, bringing together both New Deal Democrats
and conservatives who had vehemently opposed Roosevelt's
social-welfare agenda. For the first time in American history
returning soldiers were not only supported, but enabled to pursue
success--a revolution in America's policy towards its veterans.
Once enacted, the G.I. Bill had far-reaching consequences. By
providing job training, unemployment compensation, housing loans,
and tuition assistance, it allowed millions of Americans to fulfill
long-held dreams of social mobility, reshaping the national
landscape. The huge influx of veterans and federal money
transformed the modern university and the surge in single home
ownership vastly expanded America's suburbs. Perhaps most
important, as Peter Drucker noted, the G.I. Bill "signaled the
shift to the knowledge society." The authors highlight unusual or
unexpected features of the law--its color blindness, the frankly
sexist thinking behind it, and its consequent influence on race and
gender relations. Not least important, Altschuler and Blumin
illuminate its role in individual lives whose stories they weave
into this thoughtful account.
Written with insight and narrative verve by two leading historians,
The G.I. Bill makes a major contribution to the scholarship of
postwar America.
"Academic Writing for Military Personnel" is written for members of
the military who are either new to or re-entering the academic
community and who need to familiarize themselves with academic
writing. The authors, an experienced writing instructor and a
retired military officer, show how persuasive academic writing
enhances officers' effectiveness in their regular duties,
especially as they reach more senior levels of service. They
explain the differences between staff writing and academic writing,
and outline some of the common errors military personnel make when
transitioning from one to the other. The book's chapters outline
the value of strong written communication skills, the research
process, the writing process, academic referencing, and frequent
grammatical and syntactical errors. Specific examples chosen with a
military audience in mind are integrated throughout the book to
provide the reader with relevant and practical guidance. The book
concludes with a discussion on how officers can use the knowledge
they have acquired through their professional experiences in their
academic work. As the only comprehensive guide to effective
academic writing designed specifically for military personnel, this
book will be a crucial addition to the libraries of junior and
senior officers in militaries worldwide.
The U.S. military is one of the largest and most complex
organizations in the world. How it spends its money, chooses
tactics, and allocates its resources have enormous implications for
national defense and the economy. "The Science of War" is the only
comprehensive textbook on how to analyze and understand these and
other essential problems in modern defense policy.
Michael O'Hanlon provides undergraduate and graduate students
with an accessible yet rigorous introduction to the subject.
Drawing on a broad range of sources and his own considerable
expertise as a defense analyst and teacher, he describes the
analytic techniques the military uses in every crucial area of
military science. O'Hanlon explains how the military budget works,
how the military assesses and deploys new technology, develops
strategy and fights wars, handles the logistics of stationing and
moving troops and equipment around the world, and models and
evaluates battlefield outcomes. His modeling techniques have been
tested in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the methods he used to
predict higher-than-anticipated troop fatalities in
Iraq--controversial predictions that have since been
vindicated.
"The Science of War" is the definitive resource on warfare in
the twenty-first century.Gives the best introduction to defense
analysis available Covers defense budgeting Shows how to model and
predict outcomes in war Explains military logistics, including
overseas basing Examines key issues in military technology,
including missile defense, space warfare, and nuclear-weapons
testing Based on the author's graduate-level courses at Princeton,
Columbia, and Georgetown universities
In Living and Surviving in Harm's Way, experts investigate the
psychological impact of how warriors live and survive in combat
duty. They address the combat preparation of servicemen and women,
their support systems, and their interpersonal and intrapersonal
experiences. The text maintains a focus on cognitive-behavioral
interventions for treating various combat-related disorders, and
addresses psychological health and adjustment after leaving the
battlefield. The text is logically organized for easy reading and
reference, and covers often overlooked topics such as preparation
and training of service personnel, women in combat, and the
indirect effects of combat stress on family. This book is written
by clinicians who have in some ways experienced what they write
about, and resonates with mental health professionals, servicemen
and women, and their families. Any clinician hoping to treat a
serviceman or woman effectively cannot afford to overlook this
book.
"Managing Stress After War: Veteran's Workbook and Guide to
Wellness" outlines clear strategies for tackling problems such as
learning healthy coping skills, sleep problems, and managing
stress, anger, and depression. Written in an easy-to-understand
style, this essential workbook and its companion clinician's manual
were developed and refined by the authors to help veterans
returning from conflicts and provide education and intervention for
those who are experiencing war-related stress.
Making War at Fort Hood offers an illuminating look at war through
the daily lives of the people whose job it is to produce it.
Kenneth MacLeish conducted a year of intensive fieldwork among
soldiers and their families at and around the US Army's Fort Hood
in central Texas. He shows how war's reach extends far beyond the
battlefield into military communities where violence is as routine,
boring, and normal as it is shocking and traumatic. Fort Hood is
one of the largest military installations in the world, and many of
the 55,000 personnel based there have served multiple tours in Iraq
and Afghanistan. MacLeish provides intimate portraits of Fort
Hood's soldiers and those closest to them, drawing on numerous
in-depth interviews and diverse ethnographic material. He explores
the exceptional position that soldiers occupy in relation to
violence--not only trained to fight and kill, but placed
deliberately in harm's way and offered up to die. The death and
destruction of war happen to soldiers on purpose. MacLeish
interweaves gripping narrative with critical theory and
anthropological analysis to vividly describe this unique condition
of vulnerability. Along the way, he sheds new light on the dynamics
of military family life, stereotypes of veterans, what it means for
civilians to say "thank you" to soldiers, and other questions about
the sometimes ordinary, sometimes agonizing labor of making war.
Making War at Fort Hood is the first ethnography to examine the
everyday lives of the soldiers, families, and communities who
personally bear the burden of America's most recent wars.
Known in health care circles for his ability to fix ailing
hospitals, David Shulkin was originally brought into government by
President Obama, in an attempt to save the broken Department of
Veterans Affairs. When President Trump made him the first VA
secretary without military experience-a fact Dr. Shulkin first
learned from his television-he was as shocked as anyone. Yet this
surprise was trivial compared to what Shulkin encountered as the VA
secretary: a team of political appointees devoted to stopping
anyone -- including the secretary himself -- who stood in the way
of privatising the organisation. In this uninhibited memoir,
Shulkin opens up about why the government has long struggled to get
good medical care to military veterans and how the current
government has stopped even trying. This is a book about the
commitment we make to the people who risk their lives for our
country, how and why we've failed to honour it and why the new
administration is making things worse than they've ever been.
Are contemporary soldiers exploited by the state and society that
they defend? More specifically, have America's professional service
members disproportionately carried the moral weight of America's
war-fighting decisions since the inception of an all-volunteer
force? In this volume, Michael J. Robillard and Bradley J.
Strawser, who have both served in the military, examine the
question of whether and how American soldiers have been exploited
in this way. Robillard and Strawser offer an original normative
theory of 'moral exploitation'-the notion that persons or groups
can be wrongfully exploited by being made to shoulder an excessive
amount of moral weight. They make the case that this exploitation
accurately describes the relationship between the United States and
the members of its military, and offer a thorough and in-depth
analysis of some of the exploitative and misleading elements of
present-day military recruitment, the moral burdens soldiers often
bear, and the stifling effect that a 'Thank You for Your Service'
and 'I support the troops' culture has had on serious public
engagement about America's ongoing wars. Robillard and Strawser
offer a piercing critique of the pernicious divide between military
members and the civilians who direct them. They conclude by arguing
for several normative and prudential prescriptions to help close
this ever-widening fissure between the U.S. and its military, and
within the U.S. itself. In so doing, their work gives a much needed
and urgent voice to America's soldiers, the other 1%.
Over the years, much has been written about individuals and the
forces and their operations in what became commonly known as South
Africa's Border War, or Grens Oorlog, but never before has the
human spirit of this 23-year-old conflict been so graphically and
unashamedly captured and chronicled as in this book. Equally
unique, was the exclusive use of social media to invite and
encourage individuals to tell their personal stories, without
apology or recrimination, and so provide an indelible oral history
of the war. Over a period of three years, 21,000 of them spoke:
national service troopies, permanent force officers, aviators,
aircrew, medics, submariners and padres. Erstwhile antagonists also
stepped up to the plate, placing their own personal first-hand
experiences amongst those of their enemies of yesterday: Russians,
Cubans, Angolans and SWAPO. The story is further enriched by the
inclusion of a rich plethora of hitherto unseen `unofficial'
photographs of stolen memories, in a war situation where the taking
of any such photographs was strictly prohibited. Veterans
unabashedly wear their hearts on their sleeves, speaking of the
psychological impact of untold tragedy and grief; of bravery and
unmitigated fear; of shenanigans and mischievous escapades to
relieve the pressures of war; of miracles and fate; and of
camaraderie.
'Soul Repair' will help veterans, their families, members of their
communities, and chaplains to understand the impact of war on the
consciences of healthy people, to support the recovery of moral
conscience in society, and to restore veterans to civilian life.
When a society sends people off to war, it must accept
responsibility for returning them home to peace.
Civil-Military Relations in Southeast Asia reviews the historical
origins, contemporary patterns, and emerging changes in
civil-military relations in Southeast Asia from colonial times
until today. It analyzes what types of military organizations
emerged in the late colonial period and the impact of colonial
legacies and the Japanese occupation in World War II on the
formation of national armies and their role in processes of
achieving independence. It analyzes the long term trajectories and
recent changes of professional, revolutionary, praetorian and
neo-patrimonial civil-military relations in the region. Finally, it
analyzes military roles in state- and nation-building; political
domination; revolutions and regime transitions; and military
entrepreneurship.
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