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Books > Biography > Historical, political & military
This second of three volumes of Patton’s Warpicks up where the first one left off, examining General George S. Patton’s leadership of the U.S. Third Army. The book follows Patton’s contributions to both the Normandy and Brittainy campaigns; the closing of the Falaise Pocket in Normandy, and racing to the port cities in Brittainy. With the Pocket closed, Patton led his army to Nancy and Metz along the Moselle River, where he quickly captured the former and laid siege to the latter, forcing its surrender after three months of heavy combat. Now Patton planned for a war-winning campaign, interrupted by Hitler’s last, desperate attempt to win the war, the Battle of the Bulge. After some delays, Patton turned two of his corps north and attacked the southern flank of the Bulge, rescuing the besieged town of Bastogne.  As he did in the preceding volume, in Volume 2 Hymel relies not only on Patton’s diaries and letters, but countless veteran interviews, as well as veteran surveys and veteran memoirs to offer the most complete picture to date of Patton in World War II. Volume 2 also provides a unique insight missed by previous Patton authors. Instead of using Patton’s transcribed diaries, which were heavily embellished, Hymel consults Patton’s original, hand-written diaries to get the true story of how Patton felt and what he thought about people and events. Among the history-changing revelations gleaned from the original diaries is that Patton never predicted the Battle of the Bulge (his wife added his prediction of it in November 1944) and even tried to avoid being sucked into the last major campaign of the war.  The book also reveals General George C. Marshall’s influence on the European Theater of Operations; Operation Tink, the bombing campaign intended to break Patton out of the Saar region and help him reach the Rhine River, which had to be shelved due to the Bulge; and a thorough retelling of the Verdun meeting between Eisenhower, Bradley, Patton, and Devers, as they planned how to fight the Battle of the Bulge.  Lastly, the book shows Patton at the height of his generalship, successfully leading his army into combat without the same types of mistakes and caustic behavior that almost got him sent home earlier. This is a Patton who takes risks because he understands his troops and the enemy, who visits PTSD wounded in the hospitals, who is constantly trying to motivate his men, and who is the continual student of war, always yearning to understand more. Unfortunately, this is also the Patton still guided by his racism and antisemitism.
The woman who first brought the issue of spousal abuse to the forefront in Canada presents her memoirs in this interesting, informative, entertaining and often humorous book. Margaret Mitchell is a social activist who pioneered community development in Vancouver, was a courageous feminist MP for Vancouver East, and an international adventuress. Her book is a testament to the struggles and achievements of women MPs, and chronicles her life's adventures and work. As an NDP Member of Parliament, Margaret Mitchell inspired generations of women with her public stand against 'wife beating' with her vocal support for women's equality. She spent 14 years in the House of Commons advocating for affordable housing, multiculturalism, and the rights of poor people. Ms Mitchell worked tirelessly on issues that are alive today, including redress for the Chinese Head Tax, and childcare. The Margaret Mitchell Fund for Women, which Ms Mitchell established after her retirement, continues to support women's self-help projects and scholarships. Proceeds of book sales will also accrue to the fund. Prior to entering political life, Margaret Mitchell pioneered community development in Vancouver, helping people to organise and improve life in the city's poorer neighbourhoods. Many organisations she worked with to achieve greater citizen participation are still active today in one form or another and Ms Mitchell acknowledges the many people who participated with her in these endeavours. "No Laughing Matter" is an engaging story that will have broad public appeal and will be of particular interest to those whose lives Ms Mitchell has touched during her time as a community advocate, politician and friend. It will also interest those involved in political science, women's studies and local history.
Take an exclusive look inside the Oval Office―from an unlikely perspective. As a black conservative, Ron Christie has often taken the road less traveled. And now, he carries readers along with him on his unique, illuminating journey through the hallowed halls of the West Wing and into the sacred chamber of the Oval Office, as he shows the real workings inside one of the most secretive administrations ever: the White House of George W. Bush.
Former special assistant to President Bush, Ron Christie answers these probing questions and many more as he offers the inside scoop― |