As US-Russian relations scrape the depths of cold-war antagonism, the promise of partnership that beguiled American administrations during the first post-Soviet decades increasingly appears to be have been false from the start.  Why did American leaders persist in pursuing it?  Was there another path that would have produced more constructive relations or better prepared Washington to face the challenge Russia poses today?    With a practitioner's eye honed during decades of work on Russian affairs, Thomas Graham deftly traces the evolution of opposing ideas of national purpose that created an inherent tension in relations. Getting Russia Right identifies the blind spots that prevented Washington from seeing Russia as it really is and crafting a policy to advance American interests without provoking an aggressive Russian response. Distilling the Putin factor to reveal the contours of the Russia challenge facing the United States whenever he departs the scene, Graham lays out a compelling way to deal with it so that the United States can continue to advance its interests in a rapidly changing world.

This engaging book details the wide variety of model kits produced by Revell, Inc. of Venice, California, from the 1950s through the 1970s. Over 545 color photographs display many of the much sought after kits, ranging from automobiles and ships to aircraft and spaceships. Also included are a fascinating history of the company and the men and women who drove its success, a detailed recounting of the wide ranging, exquisitely detailed models produced, discussions of the artists who brought the box art to life, a bibliography, and a model kit index providing listings of the models produced, their variations, and their value in the secondary market. Newly updated values are found in both captions and the index. Anyone collecting or building models will be fascinated with this book.

Showcasing some of the most recognized and dynamic examples of aviation art ever produced, the paintings here appeared on model airplane kit boxes. Generations of hobbyists have enjoyed these colorful and inspiring paintings that graced model packaging in hobby shops. More than 170 of the most memorable examples are displayed in full color. They chronicle aviation history from the Wright Brothers' Kitty Hawk Flier to the Apollo Lunar Module, including many of the best-known aircraft in aviation history. Among the many artists whose works are portrayed are Tom Morgan, John Steel, Jack Leynnwood, Lorenzo Ghiglieri, Jim Cox, John Amendola, Ray Gaedke, Jo Kotula, and Dick Locher. In the well-researched text, these artists tell personal stories behind their art in their own words. This book will be treasured by aviation enthusiasts, model builders, and everyone who has fond memories of their model building days.

Aurora slot cars are legendary. These tiny racing cars captured and held the imagination of American kids for over a decade and their unparalleled popularity made them coveted Christmas presents between 1960 and 1977. Aurora slot car races were staged everywhere, from home basements to the Johnny Carson show! Relive those competitive days with this exciting book filled with hundreds of photos of slot cars plus engaging text and background information. Here are Thunderjets, AFX Flamethrowers, Dragsters, Super Speedsters, and more, reproduced in 1/24, 1/25, 1/32, and 1/48 scale. The informative text provides readers with the Aurora company history, and detailed information on colors, model variations, and prices. An extensive price list and photo cross-reference index is included. Learn to recognize them, then collect them all!

Since its beginning in Chicago in the 1940s, Monogram's plastic model kits for cars, ships, aircraft, and spacecraft have captured the imaginations of hobbyists everywhere. The thousands of models Monogram made from 1945 to 1986 are described in detail, shown in over 300 beautiful color photos, with several new images, and are complete with their updated collector's value. The popular cars range from classic hot rods and flashy custom cars to NASCAR racers. Interviews were conducted for this book with company executives, designers, and model sculptors including Darryl Starbird and Tom Daniel, artists who painted the box art, and salesmen who put the kits on store shelves. Today the kits and finished models are themselves collectibles for beginning and advanced modelers alike.

"Preventing Catastrophe" is written by two authors who are experienced "Washington hands" and who understand the interplay between intelligence and policymaking. Both have been personally involved, in the United States and overseas, in pursuing national and international measures to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Their extensive experience is evident in this book, which puts the Iraqi WMD issue in proper perspective, explains the challenge of monitoring small clandestine programs, and explains how the effort to prevent terrorist acquisition and use of WMD differs from preventing their acquisition and use by nation states. At the same time, the authors are able to make a complex subject understandable to non-technical experts, making this book a useful teaching tool, especially for those who have little or no knowledge or experience in US national security decision making.
"National intelligence and international inspections are necessary to create confidence that violations of non-proliferation commitments are detected in time to permit appropriate action. Both must be pursued with professionalism and critical minds avoiding poor intelligence or cosmetic inspections. The issues studied thoroughly and with good judgment in this welcome volume by Graham and Hansen were intensely controversial in the case of Iraq but remain central to international counter-proliferation efforts."--Hans Blix, Executive Chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission

Near the end of the nineteenth century Standard Oil millionaire Henry Morrison Flagler ventured to St. Augustine, Florida, America's Oldest City, and transformed it into an exotic travel destination for the social elite. He raised magnificent, fanciful Spanish Renaissance hotel palaces on what had been orange grove and salt marsh. Then he connected his creation with the outside world by building a modern railroad system. Flagler's hotels stand as monuments to innovation in architecture and engineering. They were the first large buildings in the United States constructed of poured concrete, and they pioneered use of novel amenities like electric lights, steam heat, and elevators. They are still a vital part of modern St. Augustine. The Ponce de Leon, Flagler's preeminent hotel, now houses Flagler College; the Alcazar now holds the City Hall and the Lightner Museum. Only the Casa Monica (previously called the Cordova) is presently a hotel.

Edward Teach Blackbeard-is one of the legends of the so-called golden age of piracy. There have been so many accounts of his short, bloody career that it is hard to see him and his times in a clear historical light. This new study looks for the man behind the legend, and it gives a vivid insight into the nature of piracy and the naval operations that were launched against it. The narrative focuses on the roles played by the Governor of Virginia Alexander Spotswood who masterminded the pursuit of Blackbeard, and Lieutenant Robert Maynard of HMS Pearl who led the pursuit and finally cornered Teach and his crew and, after a vicious fight, saw him killed. In vivid detail it reveals how the hunt for Blackbeard was orchestrated, how he was tracked down, and the parts played in the drama by the larger-than-life leading characters in this extraordinary story. This freshly researched study of the pursuit of the notorious pirate and his crew - and of the final fight in which Blackbeard lost his life - makes compelling reading.