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Books > History > History of specific subjects > Military history

1941: The Year Germany Lost the War - The Year Germany Lost the War (Paperback): Andrew Nagorski 1941: The Year Germany Lost the War - The Year Germany Lost the War (Paperback)
Andrew Nagorski
R503 R419 Discovery Miles 4 190 Save R84 (17%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days
New England Coast Guard Stories - Remarkable Mariners (Paperback): Dyke Hendrickson New England Coast Guard Stories - Remarkable Mariners (Paperback)
Dyke Hendrickson
R572 R473 Discovery Miles 4 730 Save R99 (17%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days
The Connell Guide To The American Civil War (Paperback): Adam Smith The Connell Guide To The American Civil War (Paperback)
Adam Smith
R260 Discovery Miles 2 600 Ships in 12 - 17 working days
Jews and Gentiles in Central and Eastern Europe during the Holocaust - History and memory (Hardcover): Hana Kubatova, Jan... Jews and Gentiles in Central and Eastern Europe during the Holocaust - History and memory (Hardcover)
Hana Kubatova, Jan Lanicek
R4,212 Discovery Miles 42 120 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Providing diverse insights into Jewish-Gentile relations in East Central Europe from the outbreak of the Second World War until the reestablishment of civic societies after the fall of Communism in the late 1980s, this volume brings together scholars from various disciplines - including history, sociology, political science, cultural studies, film studies and anthropology - to investigate the complexity of these relations, and their transformation, from perspectives beyond the traditional approach that deals purely with politics. This collection thus looks for interactions between the public and private, and what is more, it does so from a still rather rare comparative perspective, both chronological and geographic. It is this interdisciplinary and comparative perspective that enables us to scrutinize the interaction between the individual majority societies and the Jewish minorities in a longer time frame, and hence we are able to revisit complex and manifold encounters between Jews and Gentiles, including but not limited to propaganda, robbery, violence but also help and rescue. In doing so, this collection challenges the representation of these encounters in post-war literature, films, and the historical consciousness. This book was originally published as a special issue of Holocaust Studies.

The Panzers of Prokhorovka - The Myth of Hitler's Greatest Armoured Defeat (Hardcover): Ben Wheatley The Panzers of Prokhorovka - The Myth of Hitler's Greatest Armoured Defeat (Hardcover)
Ben Wheatley
R754 R612 Discovery Miles 6 120 Save R142 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

This ground-breaking new study of the battles of Kursk and Prokhorovka will transform our understanding of one of the most famous battles of the Second World War, widely mythologized as the largest tank battle in history. Today in Russia there are three official sacred battlefields: Kulikovo, where the Mongols were defeated in 1380; Borodino, where Russian troops slowed Napoleon's Grande Armee before Moscow in 1812; the third is Prokhorovka. This is widely described as the most critical tank battle of the Second World War, which saw the annihilation of Hitler's elite Panzer force in the largest armoured clash in history and left Hitler with no alternative but to halt Germany's offensive against the Kursk salient. Victory, on 12 July 1943, at Prokhorovka over Hitler's vaunted SS troops has traditionally been described as a turning point in the Second World War. The Panzers of Prokhorovka challenges this narrative. The battle was indeed an important Soviet victory, but a very different one to that described above. Based on ground-breaking archival research and supported by hitherto unpublished images of the battlefield, Ben Wheatley argues that German armoured losses were in fact negligible and a fresh approach is required to understand Prokhorovka. As we reach the 80th anniversary of the battles of Kursk and Prokhorovka in 2023, The Panzers of Prokhorovka tackles the many myths that have built up over the years, and presents a new analysis of this famous engagement.

Lincoln - How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America: A Companion Book for Young Readers to the Steven Spielberg Film... Lincoln - How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America: A Companion Book for Young Readers to the Steven Spielberg Film (Paperback)
Harold Holzer
R222 R188 Discovery Miles 1 880 Save R34 (15%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

How did President Abraham Lincoln come to believe that slavery was "morally wrong," and that Congress needed to pass a law to abolish it once and for all? What did he do in January 1865--three months before he was assassinated--to ensure passage of the Thirteenth Amendment?

This fast-paced, riveting book answers these questions and more as it tells the story of Lincoln's life and times from his upbringing in Kentucky and Illinois, through his work as a lawyer and congressman, to his candidacies and victory in two Presidential elections. It also describes Lincoln's duties in the Civil War as Commander-in-Chief, his actions as President, and his relationships with his family, his political allies and rivals, and the public who voted for and against him. Harold Holzer makes an important era in American history come alive for readers of all ages.

An official companion to Steven Spielberg's Oscar(R) award-winning film Lincoln, the book also includes thirty historical photographs, a chronology, a cast of characters, texts of selected Lincoln writings and speeches, a bibliography, and a foreword by the author about his experience working as a consultant on the movie.

Crucible of a Generation - How the Attack on Pearl Harbor Transformed America (Hardcover): J.Kenneth Brody Crucible of a Generation - How the Attack on Pearl Harbor Transformed America (Hardcover)
J.Kenneth Brody
R3,920 Discovery Miles 39 200 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Crucible of a Generation tells the story of the fifteen days surrounding the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor through the pages of eight leading American newspapers. Focusing on publications such as The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, J. Kenneth Brody paints a vivid picture of U.S. political culture and society at a pivotal moment in the nation's history. Brody considers the papers in full, from headlines to "help wanted" ads, in a text richly illustrated with archival images, wartime posters, and editorial cartoons. The book provides a compelling snapshot of the United States and the role of the media at a time of dramatic tension and global change.

Crucible of a Generation - How the Attack on Pearl Harbor Transformed America (Paperback): J.Kenneth Brody Crucible of a Generation - How the Attack on Pearl Harbor Transformed America (Paperback)
J.Kenneth Brody
R1,160 Discovery Miles 11 600 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Crucible of a Generation tells the story of the fifteen days surrounding the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor through the pages of eight leading American newspapers. Focusing on publications such as The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, J. Kenneth Brody paints a vivid picture of U.S. political culture and society at a pivotal moment in the nation's history. Brody considers the papers in full, from headlines to "help wanted" ads, in a text richly illustrated with archival images, wartime posters, and editorial cartoons. The book provides a compelling snapshot of the United States and the role of the media at a time of dramatic tension and global change.

The Sunken Gold - First World War Espionage and the Greatest Treasure Salvage in History (Hardcover): Joseph, A. Williams The Sunken Gold - First World War Espionage and the Greatest Treasure Salvage in History (Hardcover)
Joseph, A. Williams
R627 R571 Discovery Miles 5 710 Save R56 (9%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

When HMS Laurentic sank in 1917, few knew what cargo she was carrying, and the Admiralty wanted to keep it that way. After all, broadcasting that there were 44 tons of gold off the coast of Ireland in the middle of a vicious and bloody war was not the best strategic move. But Britain desperately needed that gold. Lieutenant Commander Guybon Damant was an expert diver and helped discover how to prevent decompression sickness ('the bends'). With a then world record dive of 210ft under his belt and a proven history of military determination, Damant was the perfect man for a job that required the utmost secrecy and skill. What followed next was a tale of incredible feats, set against a backdrop of war and treacherous storms. Based on thousands of Admiralty pages, interviews with Damant's family and the unpublished memoirs of the man himself, The Sunken Gold is a story of war, treasure - and one man's obsession to find it.

Escaping the Blitz - The Myths & Mayhem of Evacuation in the Second World War (Paperback): Penny Starns, Penny Legg Escaping the Blitz - The Myths & Mayhem of Evacuation in the Second World War (Paperback)
Penny Starns, Penny Legg
R367 Discovery Miles 3 670 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Escaping the Blitz is the story of the biggest social upheaval in British history. Portrayed by the government as a positive by-product of the Second World War, civilian evacuation represented the cornerstone of Britain's civil defence strategy. In a single stroke, children were uprooted from their close-knit families and replanted in unfamiliar and sometimes hostile surroundings. Over the course of three days beginning on 31st August 1939, three and a half million vulnerable adults and children were evacuated from cities to rural areas. This totally haphazard mingling of social classes had profound and long-lasting effects on British society. From a government standpoint evacuation was an exercise in military logistics, but for those who took part it was a life changing experience. Furthermore, there was no typical evacuee experience, only a shared sense of alienation in the face of extreme adversity. The general trend for domestic evacuation was for central government to offload responsibility for evacuees onto rural local authorities. When it became clear that the latter had neither the basic resources nor administrative machinery to cope with large influxes of evacuees, central government was forced back into the policy driving seat. Yet a completely different approach was adopted towards overseas evacuation. Known as Sea-Vacs, children sent abroad were expected to act as ambassadors for Britain, tug at the heart strings of host nations, and elicit international financial support for the war effort. Aside from this role Sea-Vacs were essential for the survival of the British race, and government ministers fully expected them to eventually fight from the colonies in the event of a German invasion of Britain. Public perceptions of children however, shifted throughout the war. In 1939 children were either viewed as innocents in need of protection, or as useless mouths who were draining the nation of vital food supplies. Yet by 1941 they had become active participants in the war effort, and children as young as five could be found working on the land. By 1943 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries considered children to be a vital component in Britain's food production industry. They remained so long after the war had ended. Moreover, although some evacuees were lucky enough to have positive and uplifting encounters with their host families, others less fortunate suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse. This book reveals the myths and mayhem which accompanied the three waves of wartime evacuation and document the experiences of evacuees in their own words. Throughout the book QR codes link readers (using a suitable phone or tablet) to unique video content of evacuees telling their story in their own words.

The Life and Times of Thomas Stukeley (c.1525-78) (Hardcover): Juan E. Tazon The Life and Times of Thomas Stukeley (c.1525-78) (Hardcover)
Juan E. Tazon
R2,301 Discovery Miles 23 010 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Thomas Stukeley was one of the most colourful characters of the Elizabethan age, whose exploits brought him fame and notoriety throughout Europe. Described variously as picturesque, quixotic, cloudy minded, remarkable, and (by Evelyn Waugh) as a "preposterous and richly comic figure", Stukeley remains a flamboyant and fascinating character in the imagination of succeeding generations. Yet whilst these portrayals may be accurate, they do not in themselves do full justice to a multifaceted man whose remarkable career included stints as mercenary, pirate, forger, colonial adventurer, political advisor, diplomat and traitor, and who rubbed shoulders with princes, kings and popes. In this new biography, Professor Tazon makes extensive use of previously neglected documents from British, Spanish and Italian archives to produce a much more rounded and complete portrait of Stukeley and the events in which he participated. He brings Stukeley forth as a real figure, urging the reader to view in parallel English, Spanish, Irish and wider European history.

1916 in Global Context - An anti-Imperial moment (Hardcover): Roisin Healy, Gearoid Barry, Enrico Dal Lago 1916 in Global Context - An anti-Imperial moment (Hardcover)
Roisin Healy, Gearoid Barry, Enrico Dal Lago
R3,920 Discovery Miles 39 200 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The year 1916 has recently been identified as "a tipping point for the intensification of protests, riots, uprisings and even revolutions." Many of these constituted a challenge to the international pre-war order of empires, and thus collectively represent a global anti-imperial moment, which was the revolutionary counterpart to the later diplomatic attempt to construct a new world order in the so-called Wilsonian moment. Chief among such events was the Easter Rising in Ireland, an occurrence that took on worldwide significance as a challenge to the established order. This is the first collection of specialist studies that aims at interpreting the global significance of the year 1916 in the decline of empires.

Crucible of Hell - The Heroism and Tragedy of Okinawa, 1945 (Paperback): Saul David Crucible of Hell - The Heroism and Tragedy of Okinawa, 1945 (Paperback)
Saul David
R591 R494 Discovery Miles 4 940 Save R97 (16%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days
The Fall of France 1940 (Paperback): Andrew Shennan The Fall of France 1940 (Paperback)
Andrew Shennan
R1,211 Discovery Miles 12 110 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

First published in 2001. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The Chronicle of a People's War: The Military and Strategic History of the Cambodian Civil War, 1979-1991 - The Military... The Chronicle of a People's War: The Military and Strategic History of the Cambodian Civil War, 1979-1991 - The Military and Strategic History of the Cambodian Civil War, 1979-1991 (Hardcover)
Boraden Nhem
R3,909 Discovery Miles 39 090 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Chronicle of a People's War: The Military and Strategic History of the Cambodian Civil War, 1979-1991 narrates the military and strategic history of the Cambodian Civil War, especially the People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK), from when it deposed the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in 1979 until the political settlement in 1991. The PRK survived in the face of a fierce insurgency due to three factors: an appealing and reasonably well-implemented political program, extensive political indoctrination, and the use of a hybrid army. In this hybrid organization, the PRK relied on both its professional, conventional army, and the militia-like, "territorial army." This latter type was lightly equipped and most soldiers were not professional. Yet the militia made up for these weaknesses with its intimate knowledge of the local terrain and its political affinity with the local people. These two advantages are keys to victory in the context of counterinsurgency warfare. The narrative and critical analysis is driven by extensive interviews and primary source archives that have never been accessed before by any scholar, including interviews with former veterans (battalion commanders, brigade commanders, division commanders, commanders of provincial military commands, commanders of military regions, and deputy chiefs of staff), articles in the People's Army from 1979 to 1991, battlefield footage, battlefield video reports, newsreel, propaganda video, and official publications of the Cambodian Institute of Military History.

Jews in Weimar Germany (Paperback): Donald L. Niewyk Jews in Weimar Germany (Paperback)
Donald L. Niewyk
R1,361 Discovery Miles 13 610 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

The first comprehensive history of the German Jews on the eve of Hitler's seizure of power, this book examines both their internal debates and their relations with larger German society. It shows that, far from being united, German Jewry was deeply divided along religious, political, and ideological fault lines. Above all, the liberal majority of patriotic and assimilationist Jews was forced to sharpen its self-definition by the onslaught of Zionist zealots who denied the "Germanness" of the Jews. This struggle for the heart and soul of German Jewry was fought at every level, affecting families, synagogues, and community institutions.

Although the Jewish role in Germany's economy and culture was exaggerated, they were certainly prominent in many fields, giving rise to charges of privilege and domination. This volume probes the texture of German anti-Semitism, distinguishing between traditional and radical Judeophobia and reaching conclusions that will give no comfort to those who assume that Germans were predisposed to become "willing executioners" under Hitler. It also assesses the quality of Jewish responses to racist attacks. The self-defense campaigns of the Central Association of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith included publishing counter-propaganda, supporting sympathetic political parties, and taking anti-Semitic demagogues to court. Although these measures could only slow the rise of Nazism after 1930, they demonstrate that German Jewry was anything but passive in its responses to the fascist challenge.

The German Jews' faith in liberalism is sometimes attributed to self-delusion and wishful thinking. This volume argues that, in fact, German Jewry pursued a clear-sighted perception of Jewish self-interest, apprehended the dangers confronting it, and found allies in socialist and democratic elements that constituted the "other Germany." Sadly, this profound and genuine commitment to liberalism left the German Jews increasingly isolated as the majority of Germans turned to political radicalism in the last years of the Republic. This full-scale history of Weimar Jewry will be of interest to professors, students, and general readers interested in the Holocaust and Jewish History.

Clarendon Reconsidered - Law, Loyalty, Literature, 1640-1674 (Hardcover): Philip Major Clarendon Reconsidered - Law, Loyalty, Literature, 1640-1674 (Hardcover)
Philip Major
R4,493 Discovery Miles 44 930 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Clarendon Reconsidered reassesses a figure of major importance in seventeenth-century British politics, constitutional history and literature. Despite his influence in these and other fields, Edward Hyde, first Earl of Clarendon (1609-1674) remains comparatively neglected. However, the recent surge of interest in royalists and royalism, and the new theoretical strategies it has employed, make this a propitious moment to re-examine his influencecontribution. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Chancellor and author of the History of the Rebellion (1702-1704), then and for long afterwards the most sophisticated history written in English, his long career in the service of the Caroline court spanned the English Revolution and Restoration. The original essays in this interdisciplinary collection shine a torch on key aspects of Clarendon's life and works: his role as a political propagandist, his family and friendship networks, his religious and philosophical inclinations, his history- and essay-writing, his influence on other forms of writing, and the personal, political and literary repercussions of his two long exiles. Pushing the boundaries of the new royalist scholarship, this fresh account of Clarendon reveals a multifaceted man who challenges as often as he justifies traditional characterisations of detached historian and secular statesman.

John Owen and the Civil War Apocalypse - Preaching, Prophecy and Politics (Hardcover): Martyn Calvin Cowan John Owen and the Civil War Apocalypse - Preaching, Prophecy and Politics (Hardcover)
Martyn Calvin Cowan
R3,909 Discovery Miles 39 090 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

John Owen was one of the most significant figures in Reformed Orthodox theology during the Seventeenth Century, exerting considerable religious and political influence in the context of the British Civil War and Interregnum. Using Owen's sermons from this period as a window into the mind of a self-proclaimed prophet, this book studies how his apocalyptic interpretation of contemporary events led to him making public calls for radical political and cultural change. Owen believed he was ministering at a unique moment in history, and so the historical context in which he writes must be equally considered alongside the theological lineage that he draws upon. Combining these elements, this book allows for a more nuanced interpretation of Owen's ministry that encompasses his lofty spiritual thought as well as his passionate concerns with more corporeal events. This book represents part of a new historical turn in Owen Studies and will be of significant interest to scholars of theological history as well as Early Modern historians.

Last Mission to Tokyo - The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raiders and Their Final Fight for Justice (Paperback): Michel... Last Mission to Tokyo - The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raiders and Their Final Fight for Justice (Paperback)
Michel Paradis
R493 R415 Discovery Miles 4 150 Save R78 (16%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Michel Paradis's Last Mission to Tokyo, a "superb" (The Wall Street Journal) and "engrossing...richly researched" (The New York Times Book Review) account of a key but underreported moment in World War II: The Doolittle Raids and the international war crimes trial in 1945 that defined the Japanese-American relations and changed legal history. In 1942, freshly humiliated from the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States was in search of a plan. President Roosevelt, determined to show the world that our nation would not be intimidated or defeated by enemy powers, demanded recommendations for a show of strength. Jimmy Doolittle, a stunt pilot with a doctorate from MIT, came forward and led eighty young men, gathered together from the far-flung corners of Depression-era America, on a seemingly impossible mission across the Pacific. Sixteen planes in all, they only had enough fuel for a one-way trip. Together, the Raiders, as they were called, did what no one had successfully done for more than a thousand years. They struck the mainland of Japan and permanently turned the tide of the war in the Pacific. Almost immediately, The Doolittle Raid captured the public imagination, and has remained a seminal moment in World War II history, but the heroism and bravery of the mission is only half the story. In Last Mission to Tokyo, Michel Paradis reveals the dramatic aftermath of the mission, which involved two lost crews captured, tried, and tortured at the hands of the Japanese, a dramatic rescue of the survivors in the last weeks of World War II, and an international manhunt and trial led by two dynamic and opposing young lawyers--in which both the United States and Japan accused the other of war crimes--that would change the face of our legal and military history. Perfect for fans of Lucky 666 and Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial, Last Mission to Tokyo is an unforgettable war story-meets-courtroom-drama that "captures the reader with the first sentence and never lets go" (John Grisham).

Bioterrorism: The History of a Crisis in American Society - Public Health, Law Enforcement, and Minority Issues (Paperback):... Bioterrorism: The History of a Crisis in American Society - Public Health, Law Enforcement, and Minority Issues (Paperback)
David McBride
R979 Discovery Miles 9 790 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

Originally published in 2003 and now reissued with a new introduction, this collection provides an invaluable, academic resource on the challenges bioterrorism posed for American society and institutions. Critically selected essays from a wide range of disciplines document and analyze the problems and implications for political, economic, and legal institutions, as well as the challenges a weapon of disease and fear can impose on public health and public policy. By placing bioterrorism into its historical context, this collection also traces the academic research and historical decisions that have contributed to the formation of American policies attempting to cope with a potentially catastrophic attack on the population in general and urban population in particular.

The Trajectory of Holocaust Memory - The Crisis of Testimony in Theory and Practice (Paperback): Stephen D. Smith The Trajectory of Holocaust Memory - The Crisis of Testimony in Theory and Practice (Paperback)
Stephen D. Smith
R1,131 Discovery Miles 11 310 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

The Trajectory of Holocaust Memory: The Crisis of Testimony in Theory and Practice re-considers survivor testimony, moving from a subject-object reading of the past to a subject-subject encounter in the present. It explores how testimony evolves in relationship to the life of eyewitnesses across time. This book breaks new ground based on three principles. The first draws on Martin Buber's "I-Thou" concept, transforming the object of history into an encounter between subjects. The second employs the Jungian concept of identity, whereby the individual (internal identity) and the persona (external identity) reframe testimony as an extension of the individual. They are a living subject, rather than merely a persona or narrative. The third principle draws on Daniel Kahneman's concept of the experiencing self, which relives events as they occurred, and the remembering self, which reflects on their meaning in sum. Taken together, these principles comprise a new literacy of testimony that enables the surviving victim and the listener to enter a relationship of trust. Designed for readers of Holocaust history and literature, this book defines the modalities of memory, witness, and testimony. It shows how encountering the individual who lived through the past changes how testimony is understood, and therefore what it can come to mean.

Stalin, Japan, and the Struggle for Supremacy over China, 1894-1945 (Paperback): Hiroaki Kuromiya Stalin, Japan, and the Struggle for Supremacy over China, 1894-1945 (Paperback)
Hiroaki Kuromiya
R1,173 Discovery Miles 11 730 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

- Iosif Stalin was a past master of deception, disinformation, and camouflage, through which he gained supremacy in China and defeated imperialism on Chinese soil. -The editor is a leading scholar of the subject with a long track record of publications. - The volume is based on extensive archival research.

Warfare and Society in British India, 1757-1947 (Paperback): Ashutosh Kumar, Kaushik Roy Warfare and Society in British India, 1757-1947 (Paperback)
Ashutosh Kumar, Kaushik Roy
R1,135 Discovery Miles 11 350 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

This book explores the intricate and intimate relationship between military organization, imperial policy, and society in colonial South Asia. The chapters in the volume focus on technology, logistics, and state building. The present volume highlights the salient features of expansion and consolidation of imperial control over the subcontinent, and ultimate demise of the Raj. Further, it turns the spotlight on to subaltern challenges to imperialism as well as the role of non-combatants in warfare. The volume: * Deals with both conventional and guerrilla conflicts and focuses on the frontiers (both North-West and North-East, including Burma); * Looks at the army as an institution rather than present a chronological account of military operations, which highlights the complex and tortuous relationship between combat institution, colonial state, and Indian society; * Integrates top-down approaches in military and strategic studies with the bottom-up perspectives and discusses on how the conduct of war (organisation and technology) is related to the economic, societal, and cultural impact of war. A rich account of the British 'Army in India', this book will be essential reading for scholars and researchers of South Asian history, military history, political history, colonialism, and the British Empire.

Afghan Napoleon - The Life of Ahmad Shah Massoud (Paperback): Sandy Gall Afghan Napoleon - The Life of Ahmad Shah Massoud (Paperback)
Sandy Gall; Introduction by Rory Stewart
R312 Discovery Miles 3 120 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the forces of resistance were disparate and divided mujahideen groups, as interested in fighting each other and competing for Western arms as opposing the Russians. The exception was Ahmed Shah Massoud, the military strategist and political operator who solidified the resistance and undermined the Russian occupation by leading its members to a series of defensive victories. Sandy Gall was embedded with Massoud during Soviet offences and reported on the war in Afghanistan for a number of years. He has now written an illuminating biography of this charismatic guerrilla commander, which contains excerpts from the surviving volumes of Massoud's diaries. Massoud's prolific diary-keeping was little known during his lifetime, and his entries detail crucial moments in his life and throw fascinating light on his struggles, both in the resistance and in his personal life. Born into an ostensibly liberalising Afghanistan in the 1960s, Massoud ardently opposed communism and Mohammed Daoud, Afghanistan's puppet leader. He quickly rose to prominence and distinguished himself by coordinating the defence of the Panjshir Valley against repeated Soviet offensives. As the occupation wore on, Massoud became the resistance's unifying force. Massoud's assassination in 2001 presaged the attack on the Twin Towers just two days later and it is widely believed to have been ordered by Osama bin Laden. Forever the underdog in a life dominated by conflict, Massoud's attempts to build political consensus in Afghanistan were ultimately frustrated. Despite that, he is recognised today as a national hero.

Warfare, Loyalty, and Rebellion - The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Great Northern War, 1709-1717 (Hardcover): Mindaugas... Warfare, Loyalty, and Rebellion - The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Great Northern War, 1709-1717 (Hardcover)
Mindaugas Sapoka
R3,907 Discovery Miles 39 070 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This book examines the politics of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the crucial period between the Russian tsar Peter the Great's victory over Sweden at the battle of Poltava and the 1717 Silent Sejm, the Polish-Lithuanian parliament's session which is traditionally seen as responsible for opening the way to Russian domination of Polish-Lithuanian politics. It not only challenges the accepted view of the passivity of the Lithuanian gentry and their subservience to the Russians, but also presents a clear view of how the Lithuanian economy and political system were functioning in 1710-1717, factors which have never been studied in depth in any language. Sapoka argues that much more blame for the Confederations of Vilnius and Tarnogrod that had led to the Silent Sejm can be attributed to the Polish king Augustus II than is argued by the conventional scholarship. By so completely and deliberately ignoring the Commonwealth's institutions and refusing to work within them, the Polish king provoked justified suspicion that by destroying the basis of the consensual political system, he wanted to introduce absolute monarchy.

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