When Tony Thorne first turned up for his medical in 1956 he had little idea of the adventures he would face and the people he would encounter over the next two years in service. Brasso, Blanco & Bull is the hilarious account of life in National Service, where 23339788 Thorne faced the horrors of basic training, the boredom of the drill yard as well as the unforgettable camaraderie of the squad. Praise: 'This book took me back more years than I care to remember.' Bernard Cribbins, The Parachute Regiment, 1947-8 'A great reminder for those of us that did it and a great treat for those that didn't.' Windsor Davies, East Surrey Regiment, 1950-2 'More Virgin Soldiers just like the ones I remember. This lot made me laugh a lot.' Leslie Thomas, Royal Army Pay Corps 1949-51 'I thoroughly enjoyed the read.It took me back to my days of national service, most of which I enjoyed!' Freddie Truman, OBE, Royal Air Force 1951-3

Through case studies from Europe and Russia, this volume analyses memorials as a means for the present to make claims on the past in the aftermath of armed conflict. The central contention is that memorials are not backward-looking, inert reminders of past events, but instead active triggers of personal and shared emotion, that are inescapably political, bound up with how societies reconstruct their present and future as they negotiate their way out of (and sometimes back into) conflict. A central aim of the book is to highlight and illustrate the cultural and ethical complexity of memorials, as focal points for a tension between the notion of memory as truth, and the practice of memory as negotiable. By adopting a relatively bounded temporal and spatial scope, the volume seeks to move beyond the established focus on national traditions, to reveal cultural commonalities and shared influences in the memorial forms and practices of individual regions and of particular conflicts.

This newest edition of Command at Sea includes the valuable guidance for prospective and commanding officers that has been the hallmark of this book since it first appeared as well as addressing the evolving nature of command at sea. This seventh edition has been updated to incorporate new strategic guidance, examines recent changes in fleet structure, and reflects the Navy's and our nation's return to Great Power Competition amidst China's rising assertiveness and a resurgent Russia's efforts to undermine NATO unity in Europe. Of vital importance, this newest edition includes lessons learned from the collisions of USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain. These tragedies prompted the Navy to initiate a Comprehensive Review of Recent Surface Force Incidents that recommended significant actions pertaining to the training, operating, and equipping of surface ships and crews throughout the force. The book provides additional guidance on joint and combined operations, including the need for cooperation and coordination among interagency players as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), both international and domestic. The authors discuss changes in the fleet, including the emergence of recent classes of ships (the Freedom- and Independence-class littoral combat ships and the Virginia-class attack submarines) and the addition of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Finally, the authors provide advice from senior leaders, templates for new commanders to follow as they assume command and a recommended reading list tailored to the challenges and rewards of being a commanding officer.

How does the military really work? What issues are constants for military families, and what special stresses do they face? Counseling Military Families provides the best available overview of military life, including demographic information and examples of military family issues. Chapters focus on vital issues such as the unique circumstances of reservists, career service personnel, spouses, and children, and present treatment models and targeted interventions tailored for use with military families. Counseling Military Families provides clinicians with the tools they need to make a difference in the lives of families in transition, including those who may have an ingrained resistance to asking for help and who may be available for counseling for a relatively short period of time.

The predictions of the war 'being over by Christmas' turned out to be far from the truth. By January 1915 the British Expeditionary Force found themselves trapped in the murderous stalemate of trench warfare. British troops had suffered badly in the early campaigns and by January 1915 were holding some 30 miles of trench. The year 1915 was to witness some of the bloodiest and bitter battles of the Great War, including the first blooding at Neuve Chapelle, the Second Battle of Ypres and the appalling failure of Loos. By the end of the summer almost 50,000 men of Kitchener's Army had been killed. This book tells the story of the 67 VC winners from this period on the Western Front. Each of their stories are different and 20 medals were awarded posthumously. However, they all have one thing in common - acts of extraordinary bravery under fire.

British naval officer Jack Aubrey and surgeon Stephen Maturin, with his great love, Diana Villiers, speed home to England with news of their latest victory over the Americans. But Maturin is a marked man for the havoc he has wrought in the French intelligence network in the New World, and the trio run into trouble when they attract the menacing attention of two American privateers. The chase that follows through the fogs and shallows of the Grand Banks-and the highs and lows of the love affair between Maturin and Villiers-is as tense, stirring, and unexpected in its culmination as anything Patrick O'Brian has written in his epic series.

Why do authoritarian regimes survive? How do dictators fail? What role do political institutions play in these two processes? Many of the answers to these questions can be traced to the same source: the interaction between institutions and preferences. Using Egypt as a case study, Professor Mahmoud Hamad describes how the synergy between judges and generals created the environment for the present government and a delicate balance for its survival. The history of modern Egypt is one of the struggle between authoritarian governments, and forces that advocate for more democratic rights. While the military has provided dictatorial leaders, the judiciary provides judges who have the power to either support or stymie authoritarian power. Judges and Generals in the Making of Modern Egypt provides a historically grounded explanation for the rise and demise of authoritarianism, and is one of the first studies of Egypt's judicial institutions within a single analytical framework.

Base Encounters explores the social friction that US bases have caused in South Korea, where the entertainment districts next to American military installations have come under much scrutiny. The Korean peninsula is one of the most heavily militarised regions in the world and the conflict between the North and South is continually exacerbated by the presence of nearly 30,000 US soldiers in the area. Crimes committed in GI entertainment areas have been amplified by an outraged public as both a symbol for, and a symptom of, the uneven relationship between the United States and the small East Asian nation. Elisabeth Schober's ethnographic history scrutinises these controversial zones in and near Seoul. Sharing the lives of soldiers, female entertainers and anti-base activists, she gives a comprehensive introduction to the social, economic and political factors that have contributed to the tensions over US bases in South Korea.

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%.

"Fighting for Democracy" shows how the experiences of African American soldiers during World War II and the Korean War influenced many of them to challenge white supremacy in the South when they returned home. Focusing on the motivations of individual black veterans, this groundbreaking book explores the relationship between military service and political activism. Christopher Parker draws on unique sources of evidence, including interviews and survey data, to illustrate how and why black servicemen who fought for their country in wartime returned to America prepared to fight for their own equality.

Parker discusses the history of African American military service and how the wartime experiences of black veterans inspired them to contest Jim Crow. Black veterans gained courage and confidence by fighting their nation's enemies on the battlefield and racism in the ranks. Viewing their military service as patriotic sacrifice in the defense of democracy, these veterans returned home with the determination and commitment to pursue equality and social reform in the South. Just as they had risked their lives to protect democratic rights while abroad, they risked their lives to demand those same rights on the domestic front.

Providing a sophisticated understanding of how war abroad impacts efforts for social change at home, "Fighting for Democracy" recovers a vital story about black veterans and demonstrates their distinct contributions to the American political landscape.

In the first scholarly examination of education in current affairs and citizenship within the British Army in the twentieth century, S.P. MacKenzie charts the development of army education from its beginnings in the First World War, to its heyday in the Second World War, and analyses its final demise in the early 1950s. Based on extensive research, the book analyses the thinking which lay behind the establishment of army education schemes, their function and their effects. In particular, it explores the controversial question of the part played in Labour's 1945 election victory by the rank and file of the British Army, often asserted to have absorbed the left-wing attitudes of the Army Bureau of Current Affairs and the Army Educational Corps. This is a comprehensive and rigorous study, which makes an important contribution to the history of the modern British Army.

This is the first in-depth and comparative study of the experience of colonial encounters for troops from the British Empire during the First World War. Drawing on a rich variety of textual and visual material, Anna Maguire explores new contact zones that materialised beyond the battlefield, on troopships, in ports, in military camps and hospitals, in cafes and city streets. She reveals how the colonial mobilisation of troops during the conflict prompted the emergence of spaces for interactions, fleeting moments or ongoing relationships. Through their personal experiences, she uncovers how men from New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies viewed themselves and their identities during a time of global conflict, simultaneously asserting the strength of the existing colonial order and challenging its enactment, through contact, conflict and collaboration. In spaces away from the frontlines, Maguire uses these cultural encounters of colonial troops to offer a more intricate understanding of imperial power relations.

Shell-Shock and Medical Culture in First World War Britain is a thought-provoking reassessment of medical responses to war-related psychological breakdown in the early twentieth century. Dr Loughran places shell-shock within the historical context of British psychological medicine to examine the intellectual resources doctors drew on as they struggled to make sense of nervous collapse. She reveals how medical approaches to shell-shock were formulated within an evolutionary framework which viewed mental breakdown as regression to a level characteristic of earlier stages of individual or racial development, but also ultimately resulted in greater understanding and acceptance of psychoanalytic approaches to human mind and behaviour. Through its demonstration of the crucial importance of concepts of mind-body relations, gender, willpower and instinct to the diagnosis of shell-shock, this book locates the disorder within a series of debates on human identity dating back to the Darwinian revolution and extending far beyond the medical sphere.

This volume is designed to be an in-depth and nuanced philosophical treatment of the virtue of obedience in the context of the professional military and the broader civilian political community, including the general citizenry. The nature and components of obedience are critical factors leading to further discussions of the moral obligations related to obedience, as well as the related practical issues and implications. Pauline Shanks Kaurin seeks to address the following questions: What is obedience? Is it a virtue, and if it is, why? What are the moral grounds of obedience? Why ought military members and citizens be obedient? Are there times that one ought not be obedient? Why? How should we think about obedience in contemporary political communities? In answering these questions, the book draws on arguments and materials from a variety of disciplines including classical studies, philosophy, history, international relations, literature and military studies, with a particular focus on cases and examples to illustrate the conceptual points. While a major focus of the book is the question of obedience in the contemporary military context, many similar (although not exactly the same) issues and considerations apply to other political communities and in, particular, citizens in a nation-state.

For over twenty years the battlecruiser HMS 'Hood' toured the world as the most iconic warship in the Royal Navy. Unmatched in her beauty and charisma, 'Hood' is one of history's greatest warships. During the twilight years of the British Empire the 'Hood 'toured the world showing the flag as a symbol of British power. As the Royal Navy's show-ship, 'Hood' came to command a special place in the hearts and minds of the British public. Such was the regard for HMS 'Hood' that her destruction in the Denmark Strait on the morning of 24 May 1941 by the German battleship 'Bismarck' created dismay across the world. Within minutes of entering battle 'the Mighty Hood' as she was affectionately known, was destroyed by a catastrophic explosion which had echoes of Jutland a quarter of a century earlier. Out of a crew of a crew of 1,418, only 3 survived. The sinking of HMS 'Hood' was the single largest disaster ever sustained by the Royal Navy. This book charts the life and death of this legendary battlecruiser in both peace and war from her early origins, through the interwar years, to her destruction.

Written by experts in the field, this book addresses the serious and increasingly public concern over the mental health of veterans after military deployment. It examines the intersection of criminal and civil legal issues with mental problems in the veteran population and describes various effective programs that have been developed to address these issues. It includes a wide range of useful topics examining the particular criminal justice problems faced by vets, such as sexual abuse and violence as well as the legal institutions that have been established to handle these problems, such as veterans courts, family courts, and the Veterans Justice Outreach program. The book also provides coverage of special groups such as women and homeless veterans. It is a concise but comprehensive view of this salient topic that is useful for students, practitioners, and policy makers.

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Make Your Bed: ten lessons on overcoming barriers, building confidence and finding new inspiration and motivation. In the course of his distinguished career Admiral William H. McRaven has met some truly exceptional people, from the men and women he served alongside in the Navy SEALS, to inspiring doctors, scientists, politicians and philanthropists. Drawing on stories of their incredible strength, humility and courage, Admiral McRaven has distilled the Hero Code - the ten habits that make ordinary people capable of extraordinary things. This book will show how we can all persevere to rise above our failures, use humour as a source of strength and inspire trust through integrity, as well as offering practical advice on rising to the occasion, coping with setbacks and becoming our best selves. Above all, this book offers simple and practical wisdom that we can all use to find encouragement, inspiration and optimism for the new year.

Volume 16 of Research in Occupational Stress and Well Being is focused on how stress and well-being shape the experiences of military personnel both in and out of the combat zone. The book examines the connections between life in or after the military and employee stress, health, and well being. Chapters in this volume include veterans' transitions into the workplace, work-family issues for military couples as well as children of parents in the military, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychopathy and emotion, the role of stress and well-being on performance in the military, resilience and stress interventions in military organizations and the use of drugs by soldiers and veterans as a coping mechanism for chronic pain. The book showcases the work of the best researchers and theorists contributing to this field to provide a multidisciplinary and international collection that gives a thorough and critical assessment of knowledge, and major gaps in knowledge, on occupational stress and well being with a view to shaping future research both in military and civilian research literatures.

This edited book presents a synthesis of current international knowledge on the topic of military veteran transition to civilian life. Understanding the transition of individuals from military institutions to civilian life is of great importance. The essential elements of transition support are currently widely debated in order to assess current practice and potential shortcomings in the intention to improve health, welfare and social outcomes for military veterans. This text links original research and critical commentary to public policy and practice in the area of veteran transition. Doing so through a collection of international perspectives assists in locating continuity and difference between strategies, agendas and the realities of what is actually known of the veteran's experience. Chapters in this text examine the subject of transition along lines of enquiry that focus in on themes such as social justice, veteran identity and developments in transition agendas. Globally, many veterans face complex social issues such as low income, barriers to employment, and problems of health and welfare. Chapters take stock of the real-world issues affecting veterans and at the same time casts a critical eye over the limitations in accessing, or denial of access to opportunities, support and remedy. The veteran identity is an important dimension of enquiry here. This book looks at the relational factors between the veteran and the public, the creation of a master status and the challenges faced by veterans in transitioning into a cultural context that is saturated with imagery of what a veteran 'is'. Chapters also seek to pose recommendations as to how the policy and practice agenda that surrounds veterans and the bridging of the gap between military and civilian life may be developed. Here authors point towards the value of knowledge, research and analysis that is underpinned by participatory strategies with veterans themselves. For example, seeking to establish lines of enquiry that value the voice of veterans as an ongoing and iterative dimension of developing understanding.

"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.

Soldier Magazine's Book of the Month Fascinating... Incredibly dangerous. The Times Gripping. Adrenalin fuelled true-life account with all the makings of a military thriller. The action unfolds like a Le Carre novel. Soldier Magazine 'If there are young women with children trapped in that hell and we can get them out, don't we have a duty to do so?' Hearing terrifying stories first-hand from naive young girls who'd been tricked, abused and enslaved by ISIS, ex-British Army soldier John Carney set up a high-risk operation to rescue as many as he could. This is the breath-taking true story of how he repeatedly led his men behind enemy lines into the Syrian lead storm to liberate women and children, delivering them to de-radicalization programmes and fair trials. Believing that 'every person we can bring back is living proof that ISIS is a failure', Carney tackles the complex issue of Jihadi Brides head on, as he and his men endanger their lives, not always returning safely home.

From 1947 to 1963 some 2.3 million men were conscripted to do national service. For some it was to prove the most exciting and terrifying time of their lives, as many were sent to the Korean War or to countries such as Palestine and Kenya where the terrorist threat was ever-present. They faced death and learned about sex. For others, it was a frustrating interference in their lives, made all the more ridiculous by endless hours of square-bashing or painting coal white. Tom Hickman shows just how varied were the experiences of the recruits. By talking to over 80 veterans, he recalls the hilarious and moving stories from those times, and seeks to explain why the subject still causes debate more than 40 years on. Above all, The Call-Up is a portrait of a vanished era that many still feel has something to teach us today.