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Books > Biography > Historical, political & military
Louis Botha was ’n briljante Boeregeneraal wie se taktiese vernuf en intuïtiewe aanslag vir etlike oorwinnings oor die Britse magte in die Anglo-Boereoorlog gesorg het. Maar dit was sy enigmatiese karakter en vaste oortuiging om te hou by wat hy geglo het reg was, wat hom as ’n leier van die Boerevolk bevestig het.
Richard Steyn gee op meesterlike wyse insae in die lewe van hierdie grootse Suid-Afrikaanse krygsman en staatsman. Hy beskryf verhelderend hoe Botha saam met sy hegte vriend, Jan Smuts, die vier Suid-Afrikaanse kolonies na Uniewording in 1910 gelei het waarna Botha as die eerste eerste minister van die Unie aangewys is.
Gedurende die Eerste Wêreldoorlog was Botha aan die voorpunt van die Suid-Afrikaanse magte se suksesvolle inval van Duits-Suidwes-Afrika. Tog is hy deur talle Afrikaners verkwalik vir sy steun aan Brittanje, en die Afrikaner-rebellie van 1914, waartydens hy teen voormalige makkers moes optree, het sy hart gebreek.
Botha se groothartig en vrygewige omgang met mense – van Vereeniging tot Versailles – het hom bo sy tydgenote laat uitstaan.
Revered in his lifetime, Robert E. Lee achieved legendary status
after his death. This memoir by Lee's son gathers a wealth of
material written by the General, offering rare glimpses of the man
behind the uniform, with scenes from family life and touching
letters from a loving husband and father.
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.
Harry Rosenberg grew up near the hottest place on Earth-Death
Valley-in a very unusual dwelling: a red caboose. His father
repaired bridges for the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad, which
hauled ore from remote mines. During the Depression, the Rosenbergs
traveled from washout to washout across a fiery land prone,
paradoxically, to devastating floods of the Amargosa and Mojave
Rivers. No other place on Earth was better suited to forge a
curious boy into a metallurgist who would spend his life unlocking
the vast potential of a difficult, new metal-titanium. In Fire and
Forge, author Kathleen L. Housley tells Rosenberg's life
story-working as a miner, having a chance meeting with a geologist
studying Death Valley, earning a PhD from Stanford, gaining patents
for aerospace alloys, and founding a company that manufactures the
purest titanium in the world. This biography captures the essence
of a man whose work as a metallurgist left an impact on the world,
but it also communicates Rosenberg's love for his roots. No matter
how far he traveled, no matter the number of his successes, he
never really left the Mojave Desert and the Amargosa River-it still
flows through his veins.
In 1940 a first-year student at Oxford gave up his legal studies to
serve his country in its time of need. He served with valour and
distinction, receiving the Distinguished Service Cross for
developing and then delivering battlewinning tactics that protected
the flanks of the D-Day landings. But Guy Hudson also saw things
that cannot be unseen, and experienced the horrors of war that
become tattooed on one's soul. This is the story of a brave and
patriotic sailor who helped sink the German battleship Bismarck,
drove his Motor Torpedo Boat into enemy harbours right under the
muzzles of Axis guns, and then pioneered radar control procedures
for the small torpedo and gun boats that careered across pitch-dark
maritime battlefields to guard the Allied landings in northern
France. It is also the story of a man who turned to alcohol to
control the darker memories created by war, and whose life and
business collapsed due to the demon of drink, before he was rescued
by his second wife. His legacy now lives on at the University of
Oxford through the Guy Hudson Memorial Trust - this biography is
his tribute.
Vicente Lombardo Toledano was the founder of numerous labour union
organisations in Mexico and Latin America between the 1920s to the
1960s. He was not only an organiser but also a broker between the
unions, the government, and business leaders, able to disentangle
difficult conflicts. He cooperated closely with the governments of
Mexico and other Latin American nations and worked with the
representatives of the Soviet Union when he considered it useful.
As a result he was alternately seen as a government stooge or a
communist, even though he was never a member of the party or of the
Mexican government administration. Daniela Spenser's is the first
biography of Lombardo Toledano based on his extensive private
papers, on primary sources from European, Mexican and American
archives, and on personal interviews. Her even-keeled portrayal of
the man counters previous hagiographies and/or vilifications.
With Colonial troops in South Africa
Many of the small wars of the Victorian era were fought in places
where British colonists were attempting to build new lives in
proximity to indigenous peoples. This led to hostilities and
although regular troops were usually engaged they were often
supplemented by locally raised forces. These could be native troops
officered by Europeans or bodies of European 'irregular' soldiers.
These forces were mixed blessings. They often included local
settlers, farmers, traders or hunters who knew their enemy and his
language and the terrain over which the campaign would be fought;
they were usually expert marksmen and horsemen who were able to
live off the country. These units also attracted soldiers of
fortune and the sweepings of society who-whilst indisputably tough
'customers'-were notoriously difficult to command. The colony at
the tip of southern Africa had been a place of confrontation and
conflict since it was established. There had been numerous wars
against the so called Kaffir tribes and in 1879 the British Empire
determined to neutralise the most significant martial tribe of the
region-the Zulus. All those interested in the period are aware of
the consequences of that decision. The author of this book has left
us a vital account of his time fighting in South Africa with one of
these colourful colonial units and his book is, of course,
absolutely essential.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each
title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our
hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their
spines and fabric head and tail bands.
The loss of the father and the son resulted in war and
cannibalism in Fiji. Learn of the original worship of the father
and the son in Fiji. How the son took away his protection and the
land fell into the period of the "Rooster Wars." With the advent of
the Christian missionaries in Fiji, the country entered a period of
the "Return of the Father and Son." Christian Missionaries then
advised cession to Queen Victoria as Defender of the Faith, and
arms were laid down on 10 October 1874, to take up the rule of law.
The country then entered a period of "taking up arms" from the coup
of 1987, the attempted coup of 2000, the coup of 2006, and the
Declaration of a new legal order in 2010.
With the Constitution Commission of 2012, Fiji now enters a
period of "The Search for Answers" as it tries to go back to
constitutional rule. The author was called by the Lord to help the
Fijian people. This he did from 1986 to 2012 and for the first time
he reveals some of the hard facts behind it.
"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.
Meet the First Ladies of the United States-sometimes inspiring,
sometimes tragic, always fascinating-women who, though often
unsung, helped hold the nation together in its infancy and advance
it as a world power. More than simply serving as America's
"hostesses," many of the nation's First Ladies played vital roles
in shaping their husband's presidency and serving as political
activists in their own right. From Martha Washington to Michelle
Obama, their inspiring stories come alive in this handsomely
illustrated encyclopedia. Within its pages, the First Ladies are
revealed as human beings who, one day, awoke to find the eyes of
the world upon them. The book differs from others by showcasing
America's First Ladies in their own words, as flesh-and-blood
individuals. Readers will discover which First Lady held off
Napoleon's army with a toy sword, why women had to be "pale, frail,
and ailing," and which First Lady was called "Sunshine" and which
was "Hellcat." Each entry includes a biographical essay that
details the life of the woman and places her within the political,
social, and cultural context of her time. Each also offers a
related primary document that helps define the First Lady's legacy
as well as a short bibliography for further information. Written in
a lively, compelling style, this highly readable volume is perfect
for junior high, high school, and college students as well as the
general public. Overviews the social, political, and cultural
significance of America's First Ladies in a convenient,
chronological, reference format Includes letters, notes, and
speeches that allow the First Ladies to speak for themselves
Features engaging and informative sidebars that place the First
Ladies in the cultural context of their times Shares the 2014 First
Ladies Ranking from the Siena Research Institute Facilitates
student research through an extensive reading guide and a list of
online resources that will foster critical reading, thinking, and
writing skills
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