Military history: post-WW2 conflicts Books

Book SynopsisTHE USA TODAY BESTSELLER'As fast paced as a thriller' Fred Burton, Stratfor Talks' Pen and Sword Podcast'Jacobsen here presents a tour de force exploring the CIA's paramilitary activities...this excellent work feels like uncovering the tip of the iceberg ...Highly recommended for those seeking a better understanding of American foreign policy in action' Jacob Sherman, Library Journal 'A behind-the-scenes look at the most shadowy corners of the American intelligence community...Well-sourced and well-paced, this book is full of surprises' Kirkus'Annie Jacobsen takes us inside the darkest and most morally ambiguous corner of our government, where politicians ask brave men and women to kill-up close and personal-on America's behalf' Garrett M. Graff, author of Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself - While the Rest of us Die'This is a first rate book on the CIA, its paramilitary armies, operators, and assassins' New York Journal of Books'Having already demonstrated her remarkable aptitude for unearthing government secrets in books like Area 51 (2011) and The Pentagon's Brain (2015), Jacobsen pulls back the curtain on the history of covert warfare and state sanctioned assassinations from WWII to the present...Jacobsen's work revealing a poorly understood but essential slice of warfare history belongs in every library collection' BooklistThe definitive, character-driven history of CIA covert operations and U.S. government-sponsored assassinations, from the author of the Pulizter Prize finalist The Pentagon's BrainSince 1947, domestic and foreign assassinations have been executed under the C IA-led covert action operations team. Before that time, responsibility for taking out America's enemies abroad was even more shrouded in mystery. Despite Hollywood notions of last-minute rogue-operations and external secret hires, covert action is actually a cog in a colossal foreign policy machine, moving through, among others, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, the House and Senate Select Committees. At the end of the day, it is the President, not the C IA, who is singularly in charge.For the first time, Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author Annie Jacobsen takes us deep inside this top-secret history. With unparalleled access to former operatives, ambassadors, and even past directors of the Secret Service and CIA operations, Jacobsen reveals the inner workings of these teams, and just how far a U.S. president may go, covertly but lawfully, to pursue the nation's interests.Trade ReviewPraise for Annie Jacobsen:Cauldron-stirring . . . revelatory . . . compellingly hard-hitting * New York Times *A fascinating and sometimes uneasy exploration * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisA detailed account of the war-winning role that a handful of Harrier squadrons played in the Falklands War.On 5 April 1982, the British aircraft carriers Hermes and Invincible sailed for the South Atlantic at the heart of the task force that would retake the Falkland Islands, known to Argentina as the Islas Malvinas. Air power was essential to the operation, and some analysts considered the contest unwinnable. The British had just 42 fighter jets available (28 Sea Harriers and 14 RAF Harrier GR.3s), and were outnumbered three-to-one by the Argentinian Air Force. Naval expert Angus Konstam offers a focused history of naval aviation in the Falklands War. The superbly manoeuvrable Harriers provided air cover during the ferociously contested landings, and later a Harrier Forward Operating Base on the islands was also made available. He explains how the British forces achieved their impressive Falklands air-to-air record, shooting down 21 Argentinian jets for no losses, while suffering more to anti-aircraft fire. He also looks into the Harriers' ground-attack campaign, and explains the roles played by weapons technology, radar, electronic warfare, aerial reconnaissance, and support helicopters.Illustrated throughout with spectacular new artwork, 3D diagrams and maps, this book explains how the brutal test of the Falklands War showed the way forward for naval aviation and fleet air defence for decades to come.

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Book SynopsisRory Stewart served in the UK Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development, and before that as Prisons Minister, Minister for Africa, Minister for Development, Environment Minister and Chair of the Defence Committee. He ran against Boris Johnson for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2019. Earlier in his career he was briefly in the British Army, before serving as a diplomat in Indonesia, the Balkans and Iraq, establishing and running a charity in Afghanistan, and holding a chair at Harvard University. His other books include Occupational Hazards, The Marches and Politics on the Edge, which was an instant Sunday Times bestseller.Stewart is now the president of the non-profit organization GiveDirectly, a visiting fellow at Yale's Jackson School and the co-host, with Alastair Campbell, of the UK's leading podcast The Rest is Politics. He tweets at @RoryStewartUK.

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Book Synopsis'A riveting, unvarnished and wholly unforgettable portrait of America’s most storied commandos at war.' - Joby Warrick, author of Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction   A stirringly evocative, thought-provoking, and often jaw-dropping account of SEAL Team Operator Robert O’Neill’s awe-inspiring 400-mission career. O’Neill describes his idyllic childhood in Butte, Montana; his impulsive decision to join the SEALs; the arduous evaluation and training process; and the even tougher gauntlet he had to run to join the SEALs’ most elite unit.The Operatordescribes the nonstop action of O’Neill’s deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, evoking the black humor of years-long combat, and reveals firsthand details of the most discussed anti-terrorist operation in military history.

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Book SynopsisAn expert account of the development, role, and capabilities of the S-300 and S-400 air defence missile systems, key strategic weapons in Putin's Russia. Few modern missile systems have had such significance as the S-300 family. Highly regarded technically, Russia's most powerful air-defense systems have been a major strategic asset to the country, exported to major powers around the world, and are a key weapon in many international hotspots and in recent wars. In this book, professional missile systems analyst Steve Zaloga uses his specialist knowledge to assess and analyse them in detail. He explains that the S-300 is, in fact, three systems: the S-300P, designed as a replacement for older Soviet strategic SAM systems, the S-300V, developed to defend against Pershing ballistic missiles, and the S-300F, designed for ship defense. He also considers the supplementary S-350 system and the new-generation S-400 system, deployed in Syria and sold to both China and Turkey. An assessmentTrade ReviewThe book is packed with illustrations and photos and technical information. -- Susan Wilson * Army Rumour Service *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION ORIGINS S-300P Biryuza (SA-10A Grumble) S-300PS Volkhov M6 S-50 Moscow Defense Ring The second generation: S-300PM Volkhov M-6M (SA-20A Gargoyle) S-300PMU Export System Catering to the export market: S-300PMU-2 Favorit (SA-20B Gargoyle) S-350 Vityaz The third generation: S-400 Triumf (SA-21A Growler) The Naval S-300F Fort/Rif (SA-N-6 Grumble) S-300V (SA-12 Giant/Gladiator) S-300VM (SA-23) S-500 Prometey ATBM ASSESSMENT FURTHER READING

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Book SynopsisFeaturing full-color artwork, this book describes and illustrates the Chinese and North Korean troops who fought US and UN forces in Korea during 195053.In June 1950, North Korean forces armed and equipped by the Soviet Union invaded South Korea, forcing back the US and South Korean troops facing them and threatening them with complete defeat. After the US and UN forces mounted a series of counter-offensives, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army crossed into the Korean Peninsula and entered the fray; the conflict would continue for three years until the armistice of July 1953, and tensions remain high today.The exploits of the North Korean and Chinese forces in the Korean War are renowned, but many misconceptions have grown up about these armies. In this study, carefully chosen photographs and specially commissioned artwork combine with authoritative text to reveal the evolving organization, tactics, uniforms, insignia and equipment of these formidable Communist troops during three years of warfare in the Korean Peninsula. Benjamin Lai and Zhao Guoxing reveal the real story of the North Korean and Chinese troops engaged in the Korean War, setting the record straight and deepening our understanding of the conflict.

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Book SynopsisA highly illustrated, authoritative exploration of Operation Apache Snow, including the infamous Battle of Hamburger Hill (Ap Bia Mountain), one of the most significant and well-known actions in the Vietnam War.Operation Apache Snow was the result of a renewed Allied effort in early 1969 to neutralize the North Vietnamese forces in the A Shau, a 45km-long valley located in the southwestern Thua Thien Province. This area had long provided an infiltration corridor for Communist forces from the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos to the coastal cities of northern I Corps Tactical Zone.The ensuing battle to take Ap Bia Mountain, which became known as Hamburger Hill, lasted for ten days. Although US and South Vietnamese forces were ultimately successful in taking the hill, the heavy casualties incurred in the bitter fighting caused a furor in Congress, with many congressmen denouncing the action.In this work, respected Vietnam War historian James H. Wil

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Book SynopsisThe Korean War is journalist and military historian Sir Max Hastings’ compelling account of the forgotten war.'The best narrative history of the Korean conflict' – GuardianOn 25 June 1950 the invasion of South Korea by the Communist North launched one of the bloodiest conflicts of the last century. The seemingly limitless power of the Chinese-backed North was thrown against the ferocious firepower of the UN-backed South in a war that can be seen today as the stark prelude to Vietnam.Max Hastings draws on first-hand accounts of those who fought on both sides to produce this vivid and incisive reassessment of the Korean War, bringing the military and human dimensions into sharp focus. Critically acclaimed on publication, republished with an introduction from the author, The Korean War remains the best narrative history of this conflict.'A brilliant tour-de-force' – Times Literary Supplement'Excellent, readable history by a master of the genre' – Daily Mail'This book establishes him as one of the leading British military historians.' – New York TimesTrade ReviewThe best narrative history of the Korean conflict * Guardian *Excellent, readable history by a master of the genre * Daily Mail *A brilliant tour-de-force * Times Literary Supplement *A brilliant and compelling book which must rank, even by the standards Max Hastings has set, as a masterpiece. -- Professor Michael Howard * London Review of Books *This book establishes him as one of the leading British military historians. * New York Times *A balanced, perceptive reckoning of what was won and lost in an important clash of arms that excited precious little interest or passion on home fronts. * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisA powerful and intensely moving memoir by an NHS surgeon who volunteered in war zones, operating under the most extreme circumstances.‘Brave, compassionate and inspiring – it left me in floods of tears’ – Adam Kay, author of This Is Going to HurtFor more than twenty-five years, David Nott has taken unpaid leave from his job as a general and vascular surgeon with the NHS to volunteer in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones. From Sarajevo under siege in 1993, to clandestine hospitals in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, he has carried out life-saving operations and field surgery in the most challenging conditions, and with none of the resources of a major London teaching hospital. The conflicts he has worked in form a chronology of twenty-first-century combat: Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Darfur, Congo, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Gaza and Syria. But he has also volunteered in areas blighted by natural disasters, such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Nepal. Driven both by compassion and passion, the desire to help others and the thrill of extreme personal danger, he is now widely acknowledged to be the most experienced trauma surgeon in the world. But as time went on, David Nott began to realize that flying into a catastrophe – whether war or natural disaster – was not enough. Doctors on the ground needed to learn how to treat the appalling injuries that war inflicts upon its victims. Since 2015, the foundation he set up with his wife, Elly, has disseminated the knowledge he has gained, training other doctors in the art of saving lives threatened by bombs and bullets.War Doctor is his extraordinary story.'One of the most brutally vivid evocations of modern warfare that you will read . . . superb, unforgettable, simply written and painfully clear' – Sunday TimesTrade ReviewDavid Nott is brave, compassionate and inspiring - War Doctor is all of those things and more: a wonderful book that has left me in floods of tears. He needs a knighthood and his book needs to be in every house. -- Adam Kay, author of This Is Going to HurtIncredible non-fiction filled with so much humanity. You will never forget these stories. -- Joanna Cannon, bestselling author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep and Three Things About ElsieSo powerful and honest. Extraordinary. -- Elizabeth Buchan, author of The New Mrs Clifton and I Can't Begin to Tell YouOne of the most brutally vivid evocations of modern warfare that you will read . . . superb, unforgettable, simply written and painfully clear . . . You are constantly amazed that men such as Nott can witness the extraordinary cruelties of the human race, so many and so foul, yet keep going. Be warned: this is a powerful but often traumatic read. * Sunday Times *A triumph: a love letter to surgery, and to helping others in extremis. Reading it is much like being taken apart and put together again in a fascinating way. It reveals a fascinating man whose life is a lesson in what good you can do with privilege . . . I spent the entire time wishing that David Nott would become our prime minister . . . This book is neither tidy, nor easy, yet it is so important. War Doctor is a reminder that we are all in this together, and that ordinary people can do extraordinary things -- Christie Watson * Daily Telegraph *Riveting . . . Nott is no ordinary doctor, as this dramatic telling of his extraordinary life makes clear -- Ian Birrell * The Times *As a surgeon myself, I can only look on what he has achieved with complete awe, overwhelmed by his heroism and compassion as much as by the world’s cruelty -- Henry Marsh, author of Do No Harm * New Statesman *His stories of courage and compassion in the face of seemingly certain death are breathtaking . . . If a film about his life isn't already in development, someone's missing a trick -- Fiona Sturges * The Guardian *A devastating account of two decades volunteering his services to some of the world's most dangerous places -- Helen Brown * Daily Mail *A stand out memoir by a vascular surgeon in the NHS who volunteered for more than twenty years in war zones. * Daily Record *Extraordinary * Independent *Not only a vivid, stirring and shocking account of the two months each year that the London-based consultant NHS surgeon has spent saving lives in warzones and disasters . . . It's also a love story. It's the tale of a man driven to seek out extreme situations and trying to repair the horrible damage that men inflict on other men, women and children. -- Nick Curtis * Radio Times *An unflinching, powerful and deeply compassionate story about pockets of humanity found in the midst of terrible atrocities. -- Hannah Beckerman * Sunday Express *This is a book of extraordinary honesty . . . enlightening, sobering, compelling. It is a marvellous read, and education in itself -- Pat Ashworth * Church Times *Nott remains an important witness to the haunting human price of that modern triad: geopolitical instability, poor governance and ever more powerful weaponry * Nature *An unflinching, unrelenting memoir . . . [David] has saved thousands of people across the world, but he is not one to make a big deal of it. There was no ego to find with a man who has been dubbed in the press as “surgery’s Indiana Jones”. -- Chris Pyke * South Wales Evening Post *Table of ContentsSection - i: Preface Chapter - 1: The Bomb Factory Chapter - 2: Two Epiphanies Chapter - 3: Welcome to Sarajevo Chapter - 4: Damage Control Chapter - 5: Under African Skies Chapter - 6: Flying In Chapter - 7: Trauma School Chapter - 8: Return to Syria Chapter - 9: Sniper City Chapter - 10: Lifeline Chapter - 11: The Razor's Edge Chapter - 12: Physician, Heal Thyself Chapter - 13: Escape from Aleppo Section - ii: Afterword by Eleanor Nott Acknowledgements - iii: Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative analysis of how Putin''s Russia conquered the Crimea in 2014 using ''grey zone'' warfare techniques, blending operations by anonymous special forces with cyber, sabotage, and propaganda. Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 was almost bloodless fought as much through propaganda, cyberattacks and subversion as by force of arms but it is crucial for our understanding of both modern warfare and recent Russian history. Ironically, this slick triumph eventually led to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the largest and costliest conventional war in Europe since 1945. This is a fascinating account of the Crimea conquest from a supremely qualified expert on modern Russian forces. Illustrated throughout, it explores how Russia developed its new model of hybrid' or grey zone' warfare, and planned and deployed it against Crimea, from the choreographed appearance of spontaneous' protesters through to the deployment of unbadged Russian elite forceTable of ContentsIntroduction Origins The Plan Consolidation Analysis Conclusion Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisA Washington Post Best Book of 2021 ​The #1 New York Times bestselling investigative story of how three successive presidents and their military commanders deceived the public year after year about America’s longest war, foreshadowing the Taliban’s recapture of Afghanistan, by Washington Post reporter and three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Craig Whitlock.Unlike the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 had near-unanimous public support. At first, the goals were straightforward and clear: defeat al-Qaeda and prevent a repeat of 9/11. Yet soon after the United States and its allies removed the Taliban from power, the mission veered off course and US officials lost sight of their original objectives. Distracted by the war in Iraq, the US military become mired in an unwinnable guerrilla conflict in a country it did not understand. But no president wanted to admit failure, especially in a war that began as a just cause. Instead, the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations sent more and more troops to Afghanistan and repeatedly said they were making progress, even though they knew there was no realistic prospect for an outright victory. Just as the Pentagon Papers changed the public’s understanding of Vietnam, The Afghanistan Papers contains “fast-paced and vivid” (The New York Times Book Review) revelation after revelation from people who played a direct role in the war from leaders in the White House and the Pentagon to soldiers and aid workers on the front lines. In unvarnished language, they admit that the US government’s strategies were a mess, that the nation-building project was a colossal failure, and that drugs and corruption gained a stranglehold over their allies in the Afghan government. All told, the account is based on interviews with more than 1,000 people who knew that the US government was presenting a distorted, and sometimes entirely fabricated, version of the facts on the ground. Documents unearthed by The Washington Post reveal that President Bush didn’t know the name of his Afghanistan war commander—and didn’t want to meet with him. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld admitted that he had “no visibility into who the bad guys are.” His successor, Robert Gates, said: “We didn’t know jack shit about al-Qaeda.” The Afghanistan Papers is a “searing indictment of the deceit, blunders, and hubris of senior military and civilian officials” (Tom Bowman, NRP Pentagon Correspondent) that will supercharge a long-overdue reckoning over what went wrong and forever change the way the conflict is remembered.Trade Review"Fast-paced and vivid... chock-full of telling quotes" — The New York Times Book Review “Craig Whitlock has forged a searing indictment of the deceit, blunders and hubris of senior military and civilian officials, with the same tragic echoes of the Vietnam conflict. The American dead, wounded and their families deserved wiser and more honorable leaders.” — Tom Bowman, NPR Pentagon correspondent "The excellent new book... Bombshell revelations... [and] damning evidence of things we already intuited.” — The Washington Post“At once page-turning and rigorous, The Afghanistan Papers makes a lasting and revelatory contribution to the record of America's tragic management of our longest war. In transparent and nuanced detail, Whitlock chronicles how American leaders and commanders undermined their country's promises to the Afghans who counted on them and to the U.S. troops who made the ultimate sacrifice after 9/11.” — Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Ghost Wars and Directorate S“The Afghanistan Papers is a gripping account of why the war in Afghanistan lasted so long. The missed opportunities, the outright mistakes and more than anything the first-hand accounts from senior commanders who only years later acknowledged they simply did not tell the American people what they knew about how the war was going.” — Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon correspondent "Whitlock is unsparing in his assessment of presidents Bush, Obama and Trump, as well as U.S. military leaders, saying all failed to level with the American public....Whitlock's book is based on hundreds of ‘lessons learned’ interviews conducted privately by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. ...The candid interviews are revealing.” —NPR "A hallmark achievement of primary source reporting....The Afghanistan Papers reminds readers of the power of reportage built on documented evidence with names attached." — The Daily Beast“A damning account of America’s longest war that reveals what top generals and government officials really knew about the cost and futility of the mission. Whitlock puts the pieces together in a way nobody has before, bringing us the most comprehensive, inside story of this conflict ever told.” — Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan“The Afghanistan Papers is an autopsy of America’s folly into central Asia. It chronicles years of recklessness and bad decision-making that the nation is still grappling with today. This book is one part indictment of mission creep and American hubris, and one part warning to future leaders.” — Kevin Maurer, co-author of The New York Times bestsellers No Easy Day and American Radical“Like the Pentagon Papers of the Vietnam War, The Afghanistan Papers expose decades of deceit and the persistence of an American brand of imperialism. Examined by the sharp eye of Craig Whitlock, this history provides ample evidence that citizens should finally reject the baseless claim that U.S. military power is a unique force for good in the world.” — Christian G. Appy, author of American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity "An unputdownable account of imperial hubris, blundering and deception." — The Spectator

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Book SynopsisA new study of how the first purpose-built anti-tank helicopter gunship the Bell AH-1 Cobra engaged communist armor and well-armed irregular fighters in the war for control of Vietnam.The Vietnam War was often dubbed the helicopter war' because it was the first conflict in which helicopters took a dominant role. As the only dedicated gunship to be fielded by US forces during the conflict, the AH-1 Cobra saw combat against North Vietnamese Army (NVA) tanks, armored personnel carriers (APCs), and heavy anti-aircraft weaponry while joining OH-6A "Loach" scout helicopters on "Pink Team" hunter-killer flights. There were more than 700 Cobras operational in Vietnam by 1972, and it proved such an effective weapon that the NVA often avoided shooting at it, fearing massive and instant retribution. In this action-packed new study, Vietnam War expert Peter E. Davies examines the development and deployment of the Cobra, its engagements with Soviet- and Chinese-supplied tanks and heavy machine guns, and how it was adapted to counter devastating surface-to-air missile attacks in 1972. Numerous key clashes including the Tet Offensive and actions at Loc Ninh and An Loc are explored in detail, with first-hand accounts, newly commissioned artwork, and more than 50 photographs bringing the operations of this iconic helicopter to life.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive and detailed illustrated examination of the development and combat performance of US battle tanks from the end of World War II through to the present day.In this, the second of two highly illustrated volumes telling the full history of the design, development and operational use of US Army and US Marine Corps battle tanks, Steven J. Zaloga draws and expands on material published in Osprey's New Vanguard and Duel series to explain how the US Army attempted to come to grips with the challenges of the nuclear battlefield, as well as the introduction of new tank designs such as the famous Patton tank series. He also covers the short-lived attempts to develop more radical tanks such as the T95 as well as the overly ambitious and failed MBT-70 tank program and the more austere M1 Abrams that followed a tank that proved to be the best US tank design of the post-World War II period and is still in service today.Packed with dozens of intricate color pr

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Book SynopsisAn expertly written, illustrated new analysis of the Desert Storm air campaign fought against Saddam Hussein''s Iraq, which shattered the world's fourth-largest army and sixth-largest air force in just 39 days, and revolutionized the world''s ideas about modern air power.Operation Desert Storm took just over six weeks to destroy Saddam Hussein's war machine: a 39-day air campaign followed by a four-day ground assault. It shattered what had been the world's fourth-largest army and sixth-largest air force, and overturned conventional military assumptions about the effectiveness and value of air power.In this book, Richard P. Hallion, one of the world's foremost experts on air warfare, explains why Desert Storm was a revolutionary victory, a war won with no single climatic battle. Instead, victory came thanks largely to a rigorously planned air campaign. It began with an opening night that smashed Iraq's advanced air defense system, and allowed systematiTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION CHRONOLOGY ATTACKER'S CAPABILITIES -The airpower of a global coalition -Ordnance -Training DEFENDER'S CAPABILITIES -Iraq's military machine -The invading armed forces -Saddam's air power -Organization -Air defenses CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES -Resolution and resolve THE CAMPAIGN -42 days to Kuwait City -Final countdown -Opening night: an assessment -Grappling in the Central Blue -Preventing resurgence: the shelter-busting campaign -Per Ardua: Tornado at war -The Iraqi SAM threat: suppressed but not eliminated -Targeting Iraq’s power infrastructure and forces -Weather -The battle against the Scuds -Clash of arms at al-Khafji: Saddam’s calculated lashing-out -Victory at sea: securing the northern Persian Gulf -Phase III: “preparing the battlefield” or “destroying the battlefield?” -The intelligence debate -The al-Firdos bunker bombing -Phase IV: to G-Day and afterwards -Endgame AFTERMATH AND ANALYSIS FURTHER READING INDEX

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Book SynopsisA superbly illustrated account of one of the key milestones in the development of modern US Special Operations Forces, the hugely complex POW rescue at Son Tay. On November 21, 1970, a meticulously prepared force of US Special Forces in HH-53 helicopters, supported by more than a hundred combat aircraft, raided the POW camp at Son Tay, North Vietnam, just 23 miles west of Hanoi, seeking 61 American prisoners. Having trained for months in secret, and utilizing the best troops and air crews possible, the raiders executed the mission flawlessly. No Americans were killed and only two aircraft were downed, with the raiders killing several dozen North Vietnamese. It was the epitome of joint commando operations and regarded as an unheralded success. Except, the prisoners were missing. The raiders had come up empty handed. Illustrated with original artwork and maps, and drawing on both declassified documents and new interviews with participants, in this book diplomat

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Book SynopsisThe first English-language book to examine the crucial part air power played in the Soviet-Afghan War.The Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan was fought as much in the air as on the ground. From the high-level bombing raids that blasted rebel-held mountain valleys, to the Mi-24 helicopter gunships and Su-25 jets that accompanied every substantial army operation, Soviet control of the air was a crucial battlefield asset. Vital to every aspect of its operations, Mi-8 helicopters ferried supplies to remote mountain-top observation points and took the bodies of fallen soldiers on their last journey home in An12 Black Tulips'. But this was not a wholly one-sided conflict. Even before the Afghan rebels began to acquire man-portable surface-to-air missiles such as the controversial US Stinger,' they aggressively and imaginatively adapted. They learnt new techniques of camouflage and deception, set up ambushes against low-level attacks, and even launched daring raids on airbases to dTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION Flying in an Afghan summer CHRONOLOGY ATTACKER'S CAPABILITIES The Soviet Air Force in Afghanistan Close air support Bombing Airlift Supporting the war The DRA Air Force DEFENDER'S CAPABILITIES Countering Soviet air power Deception, evasion and camouflage Anti-aircraft artillery MANPADS Mines and ambushes Raids CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES A decade in Afghanistan 1. Invasion, 1979–80 2. Reluctant escalation, 1980–84 3. Chernenko’s war, 1984–86 4. The ‘bleeding wound’, 1986–88 5. Withdrawal, 1988–89 THE CAMPAIGN Jets and helicopters fight a guerrilla war 1. Invasion, 1979–80 2. Reluctant escalation, 1980–84 Operation Rhombus and the Yak-38 3. Chernenko’s war, 1984–86 Operation Trap: The end of ‘Chernenko’s war’ 4. The ‘bleeding wound’, 1986–88 The Stinger Operation Highway, 1987–88 5.Withdrawal, 1988–89 Operation Air-Bridge, January–February 1989 AFTERMATH AND ANALYSIS FURTHER READING GLOSSARY INDEX

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Book Synopsis**The New York Times Bestseller****The book of the landmark documentary, The Vietnam War, by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick**The definitive work on the Vietnam War, the conflict that came to define a generation, told from all sides by those who were there.More than forty years after the Vietnam War ended, its legacy continues to fascinate, horrify and inform us. As the first war to be fought in front of TV cameras and beamed around the world, it has been immortalised on film and on the page, and forever changed the way we think about war.Drawing on hundreds of brand new interviews, Ken Burns and Geoffrey C. Ward have created the definitive work on Vietnam. It is the first book to show us the war from every perspective: from idealistic US Marines and the families they left behind to the Vietnamese civilians, both North and South, whose homeland was changed for ever; politicians, POWs and anti-war protesters; and the photographers and journalists who risked their lives to tell the truth. The book sends us into the grit and chaos of combat, while also expertly outlining the complex chain of political events that led America to Vietnam.Beautifully written, this essential work tells the full story without taking sides and reminds us that there is no single truth in war. It is set to redefine our understanding of a brutal conflict, to launch provocative new debates and to shed fresh light on the price paid in ‘blood and bone’ by Vietnamese and Americans alike.Trade ReviewStunning ... the best single-volume history of the war -- Mark Bowden, bestselling author of BLACK HAWK DOWNA vivid and often captivating volume … a valuable resource -- David Greenberg * New York Times Book Review *Ward and Burns take a vast topic and personalize it … an outstanding, indispensable survey of the Vietnam War * Kirkus *Vivid, affecting, definitive * Booklist *Exquisitely written * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis“Fulbright was erudite and eloquent in all the books he wrote, but this one is his masterpiece. Within its pages lie his now historic remonstrations against a great nation’s overreach, his powerful argument for dissent, and his thoughtful propositions for a new way forward . . . lessons and cautions that resonate just as strongly today.” — From the foreword by Bill ClintonJ. William Fulbright (1905–1995), a Rhodes scholar and lawyer, began his long career in public service when he was elected to serve Arkansas's Third District in Congress in 1942. He quickly became a prominent member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he introduced the Fulbright Resolution calling for participation in an organization that became the United Nations. Elected to the Senate in 1944, he promoted the passage of legislation establishing the Fulbright exchange program, and he served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1959 to 1974, longer than any senator in American history.Fulbright drew on his extensive experience in international relations to write The Arrogance of Power, a sweeping critique of American foreign policy, in particular the justification for the Vietnam War, Congress's failure to set limits on it, and the impulses that gave rise to it. The book—with its solid underpinning the idea that “the most valuable public servant, like the true patriot, is one who gives a higher loyalty to his country's ideals than to its current policy”—was published in 1966 and sold 400,000 copies. The New York Times called it “an invaluable antidote to the official rhetoric of government.”Enhanced by a new forward by President Bill Clinton, this eloquent treatise will resonate with today's readers pondering, as Francis O. Wilcox wrote in the original preface, the peril of nations whose leaders lack ""the wisdom and the good judgment to use their power wisely and well.

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Book SynopsisA highly illustrated study of the battle at Dien Bien Phu, the 56-day siege that eventually led to the surrender of the remaining French-led forces, this iconic battle provided the climax of the First Indochina War.In late 1953, the seventh year of France''s war against the Viet Minh insurgency in its colony of Vietnam, the C-in-C, General Navarre, was encouraged to plant an ''air-ground base'' in the Thai Highlands at Dien Bien Phu, to distract General Giap''s Vietnamese People''s Army from both Annam and the French northern heartland in the Red River Delta, and to protect the Laotian border. Elite French paratroopers captured Dien Bien Phu, which was reinforced between December 1953 and February 1954 with infantry and artillery, a squadron of tanks and one of fighter-bombers, to a strength of 10,000 men. Giap and the VPA General Staff accepted the challenge of a major positional battle; through a total mobilization of national resources, and with Chinese logistical Trade ReviewA fine analysis, and a tribute to immense bravery on both sides. -- Chris JarvisTable of ContentsOrigins of the Campaign Chronology Opposing Commanders Opposing Forces and Orders of Battle Opposing Plans The Battle Aftermath The Battlefield Today Further Reading Acronyms and Abbreviations Index

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of the classic The Wizards of Armageddon and Pulitzer Prize finalist comes the definitive history of American policy on nuclear war—and Presidents’ actions in nuclear crises—from Truman to Trump.Fred Kaplan, hailed by The New York Times as “a rare combination of defense intellectual and pugnacious reporter,” takes us into the White House Situation Room, the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s “Tank” in the Pentagon, and the vast chambers of Strategic Command to bring us the untold stories—based on exclusive interviews and previously classified documents—of how America’s presidents and generals have thought about, threatened, broached, and just barely avoided nuclear war from the dawn of the atomic age until today. Kaplan’s historical research and deep reporting will stand as the permanent record of politics. Discussing theories that have dominated nightmare scenarios from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Kaplan presents the unthinkable in terms of mass destruction and demonstrates how the nuclear war reality will not go away, regardless of the dire consequences.

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times bestseller, powerful, highly-charged and moving, No Way Out is Adam Jowett’s tribute to the men of Easy Company who paid a heavy price for serving their country in Afghanistan.'Fiercely immersive. Truly heroic.' – Tom Marcus, bestselling author of Soldier Spy.______________In Helmand province in July 2006, Major Adam Jowett was given command of Easy Company, a hastily assembled and under-strength unit of Paras and Royal Irish rangers. Their mission was to hold the District Centre of Musa Qala at any cost. Easy Company found themselves in a ramshackle compound, cut off and heavily outnumbered by the Taliban in the town.In No Way Out, Adam evokes the heat and chaos of battle as the Taliban hit Easy Company with wave after wave of brutal attack. He describes what it was like to have responsibility for the lives of his men as they fought back heroically over twenty-one days and nights of relentless, nerve-shredding combat. Finally, as they came down to their last rounds and death stared Easy Company in the face, the siege took an extraordinary turn . . ._____________'Vivid and brilliantly written: a pulsating account of the battle for Musa Qala, the Rorke's Drift of our times.’ – Martin Bell, OBE, war reporter.'A superb account of the chaos and brutality of conflict' – Levison WoodTrade ReviewFerociously immersive. Truly heroic. The action is relentless and claustrophobic as, surrounded by death, Easy Company fought for each other. I challenge you to read a more brutally honest account of brotherhood, survival and belonging. -- Tom Marcus, bestselling author of Soldier SpyA brilliant first hand account of men and war that crackles with action and brims with humanity -- Patrick Bishop, bestselling author of 3 Para, Fighter Boys, Bomber Boys, Air Force BlueSoldierly, vivid and brilliantly written: a pulsating account of the battle for Musa Qala, the Rorke's Drift of our times. * Martin Bell, OBE, war reporter *A superb account of the chaos and brutality of conflict which conveys the highs and lows of life on the front line with vivid accuracy. It us ultimately a fascinating story of modern soldiering and the bravery of Easy Company fighting a battle far from home. * Levison Wood *A truly extraordinary story of courage and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds . . . Brilliantly written and with a clear pride in the tenacity and grit of the nineteen-year-olds under his command who performed so bravely, Jowett's book belongs on the shelves of anyone interested in modern conflict and the experience of soldiering. -- Barney Campbell, author of RainA gritty, heart-pounding account of combat and courage that brings the siege of Musa Qala to life, from the 'crump' of mortar fire to the exhaustion and dogged determination of Easy Company as they fought on alone. -- Dan Jarvis MP

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Book Synopsis'A great achievement' Timothy Garton Ash Bloodshed. Invasions. Nationalist fervor. In this classic and celebrated history of the Balkans, Misha Glenny shows how the countries on the South-Eastern edge of Europe are seen by the rest of the world, and how the real story of the last 200 years is much more surprising. There are groups we think of as implacable enemies, who have, over the centuries, formed unlikely alliances, disrupting the idea that conflict in the Balkans is the inevitable product of ancient grudges. And there is the often-catastrophic relationship between the Balkans and the rest of Europe, a dark history that raises profound questions about Western intervention. From the region's turbulent nineteenth century to the recent brutal conflicts in Kosovo and Macedonia, the surge of organised crime, the rise of Turkey and the rocky road to EU membership, The Balkans remains the essential and peerless study of Europe's most complex and least understood region. 'An endeavour which deserves extraordinary admiration and as yet has no rival' Guardian 'Glenny is the wisest and most reflective of all the Western journalists who have covered this part of Europe in the past two decades... This was an enormously ambitious book to undertake, but it is the book which Europe and America need' ObserverTrade ReviewAn endeavour which deserves extraordinary admiration and as yet has no rival * Guardian *A great achievement -- Timothy Garton AshMisha Glenny is the wisest and most reflective of all the Western journalists who have covered this part of Europe in the past two decades... This was an enormously ambitious book to undertake, but it is the book which Europe and America need * Observer *Sweeping, fair-minded and authoritative...admirably full of uncomfortable messages for nationalist historians * Economist *His engaging passion never clouds his objective eye...Above all the book is justified by the insights which add up to a convincing picture of the problems * Sunday Times *Compelling reading...Glenny's book should be required reading for all those wishing to know what has gone wrong in the region * Irish Times *Its great strengths are evocation, fascinating detail and narrative sweep...a great achievement * The Mail on Sunday *His achievement is immense, a mix of great intellect, real humanity and intense passion. His mission is to explain, and his book will surely become an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the Balkans rather then just have an opinion about the region * The Scotsman *It is the merit of Misha Glenny's book, and its usefulness for dispelling our ignorance, that patronising distortions of the region's history are swept away * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisThe Reaper is the astonishing memoir of Special Operations Direct Action Sniper Nicholas Irving, the 3rd Ranger Battalion's deadliest sniper. In the bestselling tradition of American Sniper and Shooter, Irving shares the true story of his extraordinary career, including his deployment to Afghanistan in the summer of 2009.

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Book SynopsisIn this lavishly illustrated work, Zeina Maasri tells the tumultuous story of the struggle for Lebanon through the poster wars which raged on its streets. From 1975 to 1990, different factions in Lebanon's civil conflict flooded the streets with posters to mobilize their constituencies, undermine their enemies, and create public sympathy for their cause. Showcased here for the first time, the posters display a dramatic clash of cultures, ideologies and meanings.Maasri shows how the iconography of the posters changed throughout the war, and links this to changing political identities and imagined communities. She explores the factions' different aesthetic influences; from modern Arab visual culture to Latin America and revolutionary Iran. Combining in-depth knowledge of the local context with fascinating insights into the semiotics of visual media, "Off the Wall" is a highly original contribution to our understanding of visual culture, civil conflict, and the politics of the Middle East.

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Book SynopsisA son's quest to avenge his mother's murder.In 1948, in a Greek mountain village, Eleni Gatzoyiannis was arrested, tortured and shot. She was one of the 158,000 victims of the Greek Civil War. Her crime had been to help her children escape from the Communist guerrillas who occupied their village. Her son, Nicholas Gage, was then eight years old. Eleni is the story of his obsessive and harrowing reconstruction of his mother's life and death and his pursuit of his mother's killer.Trade ReviewA devoted and brilliant achievement. One of the rare books in which the power of art recreates the historical truth * New York Review of Books *Exciting and harrowing... An amazing achievement -- Patrick Leigh FermorI cannot think of another book that so compellingly demonstrates the gradual deterioration of human values in the name of lofty goals. Minutely observed and eloquently rendered * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisOne Hundred Years of Solitude meets The Kite Runner in Saddam Hussein''s Iraq. A contemporary tragedy of epic proportions. No author is better placed than Muhsin Al-Ramli, already a star in the Arabic literary scene, to tell this story. I read it in one sitting. Hassan Blasim, winner of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize for The Iraqi Christ. On the third day of Ramadan, the village wakes to find the severed heads of nine of its sons stacked in banana crates by the bus stop.One of them belonged to one of the most wanted men in Iraq, known to his friends as Ibrahim the Fated.How did this good and humble man earn the enmity of so many? What did he do to deserve such a death?The answer lies in his lifelong friendship with Abdullah Kafka and Tariq the Befuddled, who each have their own remarkable stories to tell.It lies on the scarred, irradiated battlefields of the Gulf War and in thTrade ReviewThough firmly rooted in its context, The President's Gardens' concerns are universal. It is a profoundly moving investigation of love, death and injustice, and an affirmation of the importance of dignity, friendship and meaning amid oppression. The novel is undoubtedly a tragedy, but its light touch and persistent humour make it an enormous pleasure to read. -- Robin Yassin-Kassab * Guardian. *A story buffeted by the wider tides of history: the bloody churn of dictatorship, invasion and occupation . . . The President's Gardens evokes the fantastical, small town feel of One Hundred Years of Solitude . . . Shocks and enchants. -- Tom Gordon * Financial Times. *A beautiful novel . . . Consistently compelling . . . In writing about ordinary Iraqis who pay the cost of wars waged by autocratic leaders, Al-Ramli touches on deep and timeless themes. -- Alastair Mabbott * Glasgow Herald. *Deeply painful and satirical, The President's Gardens is a contemporary tragedy of epic proportions. No author is better placed than Muhsin Al-Ramli, already a star in the Arabic literary scene, to tell this story. I read it in one sitting. -- Hassan Blasim, winner of the Independent Foreign Fiction PrizeLike Gabriel García Márquez, with whom he is often compared, Al-Ramli has created a specific village that manages to be universal and a story that is rooted in history while reaching forward into the present day. -- Kathy Watson * Tablet. *I took so much pleasure reading a book called The President's Gardens by Muhsin Al-Ramli. It's got that kind of magical feel that something like One Hundred Years of Solitude has, but it's about Iraq . . . And it is epic, it's absolutely epic . . . It's beautifully written . . . It's one of those novels that achieves something which is quite rare. It's absolutely specific in its context - Iraq, the Iraq conflict, the causes and consequences of it - but it's themes are universal: love, death, injustice, the importance of dignity; how do you find friendship and meaning amid oppression? It's a wonderful book. -- John Maytham * The John Maytham Show (South Africa) *A tour de force. -- Rachel Halliburton * Prospect. *A stunning read . . . So atmospheric, superb storytelling . . . I absolutely was taken into another world. -- Susan Cahill * Newstalk (Ireland). *A stunning achievement. -- Ben East * The National. *One of the most important contemporary Iraqi novelists and writers. * El Mundo. *A novel filled with details . . . with passion, homeland, revolution, and grief. It represents a landmark in the progression of Iraqi literature. -- Miral Al-Tahawi.How do you preserve dignity amidst the relentless carnage and mutilation of modern Iraq? Told with a fresh transparency and tender insight, The President's Gardens draws on the unfathomable resilience of the Iraqi people, leaving me speechless and humbled. -- Paul MacAlindin, author of Upbeat: The Story of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq.Masterful. -- Malu Halasa, co-author and editor of Syria Speaks.

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTUREThe heartbreaking and inspiring story of one of the deadliest battles of the Afghanistan war, acclaimed by critics as a classic.A mind-boggling, all-too-true story of heroism, hubris, failed strategy, and heartbreaking sacrifice' Jon Krakauer, author of Into the WildAt 5:58 AM on October 3rd, 2009, Combat Outpost Keating, located in frighteningly vulnerable terrain in Afghanistan just 14 miles from the Pakistani border, was viciously attacked. Though the 53 soldiers stationed there prevailed against nearly 400 Taliban fighters, their casualties made it the deadliest fight of the war that year. Four months after the battle, a review revealed that there was no reason for the troops at Keating to have been there in the first place.In The Outpost, Jake Tapper gives us the powerful saga of COP Keating, from its establishment to eventual destruction, introducing us to an unforgettable cast of soldiers and their families. This modern classic of military history is anTrade Review‘Brilliant, dedicated reporting by a journalist who goes to ground to get the truth. A sad, real tale about this war, America and the brave warriors who live-and die-at the point of the spear’ Bob Woodward, author of Fear ‘For those wishing to understand the middle years of the war, they could do no better than to read The Outpost’ Time ‘There have been many books written on the subject of America's seemingly endless engagement in Afghanistan, but none better than The Outpost’ Atlantic ‘The Outpost is a mind-boggling, all-too-true story of heroism, hubris, failed strategy, and heartbreaking sacrifice. If you want to understand how the war in Afghanistan went off the rails, you need to read this book’ Jon Krakauer, author of Into the Wild "The power of The Outpost lies in Tapper's development of the main characters … He juxtaposes dramatic battles, complete with limbs blown off and eyes dangling from sockets, with poignant scenes of wives and parents first learning of the deaths of their loved ones’ Washington Post ‘Tapper lays bare the poor decision-making that shattered dozens of American lives in the pursuit of an ill-conceived goal’ Wall Street Journal ‘A heartbreaking chronicle of the rotation of soldiers asked to oversee an underfunded, often thankless mission’ Huffington Post ‘The seminal work of documentary journalism to emerge out of the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan’ Business Standard

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Book SynopsisMeet Blackwater USA, the private army that the US government has quietly hired to operate in international war zones and on American soil. Its contacts run from military and intelligence agencies to the upper echelons of the White House; it has a military base, a fleet of aircraft and 20,000 troops, but since September 2007 the firm has been hit by a series of scandals that, far from damaging the company, have led to an unprecedented period of expansion. This revised and updated edition includes Scahill's continued investigative work into one of the outrages of our time: the privatisation of war.Trade ReviewMeticulously researched and fascinating ... Scahill does a fine job * Sunday Times *Scahill deserves commendation. * New Statesman *Blackwater is the utterly gripping and explosive story of how the Bush Administration has spent hundreds of millions of public dollars building a parallel corporate army, an army so loyal to far right causes it constitutes nothing less than a Republican Guard. The most important and chilling book about the death throes of U.S. democracy you will read in years and a triumph of investigative reporting. -- Naomi Klein, author No LogoAn explosive piece of investigative journalism -- Ben Myers * Shortlist *Of all the insane Bush privatization efforts, none is more frightening than the corporatizing of military combat forces. Jeremy Scahill admirably exposes a devastating example of this sinister scheme. -- Michael Moore, Academy Award Winning DirectorA powerful argument against the privatisation of war... exemplary... If the job of writing about "the rise of the world's most powerful mercenary army" seems mightily ambitious, it has been undertaken by just the right person... he's the sort of writer who sets out the evidence and lets us make up our own minds * Big Issue *Revelatory -- Aimee Shalan * Guardian *An exhaustively well-researched expose -- Alastair Mabbott * Herald *[A] revealing study -- Tom Widger * Sunday Tribune *

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Book SynopsisThe story of the hardest-fought air war of the jet era, where highly trained Israeli air forces almost met their match against Egypt and Syria''s high-tech MiGs and missiles.The Yom Kippur War, or October War of 1973 was perhaps the most intensive and savage air war in history. It pitted more than 300 Israeli combat aircraft including modern US-built Phantoms and Skyhawks against nearly 1,000 advanced Soviet-built jets from Egypt, Iraq, Libya, and Syria. During a war lasting just 19 days, each side flew an average of more than 1,000 sorties per day, and both sides lost around one-third of their aircraft.Veteran Middle East aviation historian Shlomo Aloni explains how, in contrast to the striking success of the Six-Day War, Israel's prewar plans failed in 1973. Since the Six-Day War, Israel had modernized its air force and planned in detail for this air war. But the IDF underestimated the effectiveness of the latest Soviet air defense technology and doctrine,

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Book SynopsisIn 1964 Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, activated a joint unconventional task force known as the Studies and Observation Group—MACV-SOG. As a cover its mission was to conduct analysis of lessons learned in combat by all branches of service. SOG's real mission was to conduct covert strategic reconnaissance missions into Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam as well as sabotage and 'Black' psychological operations. Ground, air and naval assets were employed to insert, collect, extract, and otherwise support these operations. This book tells the complete story of these covert agents, from their recruitment and training, through to their deadly black-ops in the jungles of Vietnam.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Recruitment/ Enlistment Training Appearance /Equipment /Conditions of Service /On Campaign /Belief and Belonging /Experience of Battle /After the Battle /Collecting/Museums/Re-enactment /Bibliography /Glossary /Index

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Book SynopsisWhen British troops first deployed to Northern Ireland in 1969 to keep apart rioting factions of loyalists and nationalists, they could not have known that they were being drawn into the longest campaign in the British Army's history, a battle against the threat of a new rising force - the Provisional Irish Republican Army. While patrols, vehicle bombs and incendiary speeches are the defining memories of the Troubles, the real war was fought out of sight and out of mind. For thirty years, Britain's Special Forces waged a ferocious, secretive struggle against a ruthless and implacable enemy. Harry McCallion's deep experience across the theatre of Northern Ireland offers a unique insight into nearly every major military action and operation in the Province. Having served seven tours with the Parachute Regiment, undergone selection for 14 Intelligence Company, completed six years with the SAS - including two tours with their anti-terrorism team - and received two commendations for bravery during service with the Royal Ulster Constabulary, there are few more qualified to tell this astonishing story. This book is his blistering account of the history of Britain's war against the IRA between 1970 and 1998. From new insights into high-profile killings and riveting accounts of enemy contact, to revelations about clandestine missions and the strategies used in combating a merciless enemy, Undercover War is the definitive inside story of the battle against the IRA, one of the most dangerous and effective terrorist organisations in recent history.

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Book SynopsisWanted: Volunteers for Project Delta. Will guarantee you a medal. A body bag. Or both. When the author issued this call to arms in Vietnam in 1965, he revolutionized American armed combat. This title tells the story of what would eventually come to be known as Delta Force.Trade Review"Delta Force, considered the equivalent of SEAL Team 6, are far more tight-lipped than the SEALs." -- New York Times "Delta Force is arguably the most effective fighting unit in the world." -- Washington Post "Absolutely compelling...nations without men like this simply don't survive." -- The Wall Street Journal "The Army's most elite commando unit." -- Los Angeles Times "A page turner. ... Hard to put down. ... One of those rare books that military people will annotate and underline and hesitate ever to lend out. ... Beckwith's candor is extraordinary." -- Armed Forces Journal

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Book SynopsisWhat is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)? What role is played by its members and partners? Does the largest military alliance ever to exist serve the cause of peace or the causes of weapons sales and war mongering? Published to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the alliance, this sharp, concise account examines NATO''s origins, structure, and its goals at a time of mounting global tension.NATO has remade itself repeatedly, as its past purposes have disappeared. In the last 35 years it has been part of wars in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. It has played a major role in Ukraine, and supported warmaking by Israel. NATO is now expanding rapidly, both in geography and in scope, adding partners from Colombia to Mongolia to Australia, and claiming a role in policing, immigration, economics, public budgeting, scientific research, and environmental protection.With pointed investigations of how NATO''s decisions are made, the widely mi

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Book SynopsisA detailed, fully illustrated study of the most recognizable assault rifle ever produced. The Kalashnikov AK-47 is the most ubiquitous assault rifle in the world, with more AK-47s and its variants in use than any other individual small arm. Created by Senior Sergeant Mikhail Kalashnikov, and first adopted by the USSR soon after World War II, its production continues to this day, with an estimated 75 million produced worldwide. Supported by photographs and original artwork, this book takes a look at the complete history of the weapon, discussing its design, development, and usage, taking its story from the great armies of the Soviet Union to the insurgents and criminal gangs that often employ the weapon today.Table of ContentsIntroduction Development Use Impact Conclusion Further Reading

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Book Synopsis'Gripping ... A terrific action narrative' Max Hastings 'Reads like a Tom Clancy thriller, yet every word is true ... This is modern warfare close-up and raw' Andrew Roberts Bestselling and Orwell Prize-winning author Toby Harnden tells the gripping and incredible story of the six-day battle that began the War in Afghanistan and how it set the scene for twenty years of conflict. The West is in shock. Al-Qaeda has struck the US on 9/11 and thousands are dead.Within weeks, UK Special Forces enter the fray in Afghanistan alongside the CIA's Team Alpha and US troops.Victory is swift, but fragile. Hundreds of jihadists surrender and two operatives from Team Alpha enter Qala-i Jangi – the 'Fort of War' – to interrogate them. The prisoners revolt, one CIA man falls, and the other is trapped inside the fort. Seven members of the SBS – elite British Special Forces – volunteer for the rescue force and race into danger and the unknown.The six-day battle that follows proves to be one of the bloodiest of the Afghanistan war as the SBS and their American comrades face an enemy determined to die in the mud citadel.Superbly researched, First Casualty is based on unprecedented access to the CIA, SBS, and US Special Forces. Orwell Prize-winning author Toby Harnden recounts the gripping story of that first battle in Afghanistan and how the haunting foretelling it contained – unreliable allies, ethnic rivalries, suicide attacks, and errant bombs – was ignored, fueling the twenty-year conflict to come.Trade Review'Gripping ... A terrific action narrative' -- Max Hastings'Reads like a Tom Clancy thriller, yet every word is true ... This is modern warfare close-up and raw' -- Andrew Roberts'Meticulously researched and told with page-turning pace and power' * Waterstones, Politics Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisOffering a fresh perspective on the American war in Southeast Asia and superpower diplomacy during the Nixon-Kissinger years, this gripping work drawing on thousands of declassified documents and tapes to provide a startling account of the mpact of high-level decisions in Washington on people in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and the United States.Trade ReviewWith over 30,000 books published on the Vietnam War, does it make sense to write another book about the conflict waged by the United States in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam between 1957 and 1973? Reading Fire and Rain, the answer is affirmative for several reasons. * Mariano Aguirre , International Affairs *Eisenberg's account reads as easily as a novel....In detailing Nixon and Kissinger's (often secret) overtures to and negotiations with the Communist superpowers of China and the Soviet Union...Eisenberg stresses that the pair often circumvented their own State Department....This is...a recurring theme: the increasing number of concessions made, in secret, to Communist powers while ostensibly fighting Communism in South Vietnam. * Sarah Cords, The Progressive *A gripping narrative of America's war in Vietnam during its fateful, concluding years, replete with intrigue, manipulation, self-deception, and mindless brutality. Fire and Rain is a vividly written, even harrowing book. Carolyn Eisenberg has produced a masterpiece. * Andrew Bacevich, author of On Shedding an Obsolete Past: Bidding Farewell to the American Century *Even experts on Vietnam will be surprised at the revelations in Carolyn Eisenberg's Fire and Rain. Deploying a wealth of declassified documents, archival finds, and eyewitness accounts, Fire and Rain paints a sweeping, panoramic, and devastating portrait of the war that Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger waged, a fatal fraud on America and Southeast Asia. * Ken Hughes, author of Fatal Politics: The Nixon Tapes, the Vietnam War, and the Casualties of Reelection *An impressive work of diplomatic history, Carolyn Eisenberg's Fire and Rain convincingly reveals how Richard Nixon's and Henry Kissinger's catastrophic war in Southeast Asia set the course of subsequent US diplomacy with Russia and China. This book should be widely read. * Greg Grandin, Yale University *A formidable achievement. Carolyn Eisenberg's Fire and Rain is a brilliant and deeply shocking biography of Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon. Relying on Kissinger's own telephone transcripts and newly declassified presidential papers, Eisenberg's measured narrative strips away all the lies and myths to document how these deeply flawed men single-handedly prolonged the Vietnam war. It is an all too human tale of deception and incompetence. Kissinger's vaunted reputation will never recover from a book destined to become a classic history of the Vietnam tragedy. * Kai Bird, Leon Levy Center for Biography *Accessibly written and meticulously researched, Fire and Rain is a thought-provoking and important book on the American war in Vietnam. * Daniel R. Hart, VVA Veteran *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: "This is Not Frivolous, Mr. Chairman!" Part I: The War Chapter 1:"Mired in Stalemate" Chapter 2:"We Will Hit Them without Warning" Chapter 3:"I See Death Coming Up the Hill" Chapter 4:"It Makes Our Position Murder" Chapter 5:"Blow Their Candles Out" Chapter 6:"You Shouldn't Kill That Many" Chapter 7:"The Idealists Are the Builders" Chapter 8:"Hit 'Em in the Gut" Chapter 9:"The Great Mystery of Life" Chapter 10:"The Greatest Success" Chapter 11:"Enjoy the Breeze" Chapter 12:"We Might Have Burned Your House" Chapter 13:"Something Like a Moron" Chapter 14:"Take A Stinking Hill" Chapter 15:"Everyone Was Crying" Chapter 16:"Bring Our Brothers Home" Part II: War and Diplomacy Chapter 17:"You've Only Got One Card" Chapter 18:"Man of Peace" Chapter 19:"Knock the Shit Out of Them" Chapter 20:"Seize the Hour! Seize the Day" Chapter 21:"The Whole Ground Shakes" Chapter 22:"Let Us Think of Tanya" Chapter 23:"Four More Years" Chapter 24:"You're Three for Three, Mr. President" Chapter 25:"Miserable, Filthy People" Chapter 26:"A Terrific Let-down" Chapter 27:"Let the Americans See Me" Epilogue:"We Were Serious People!" Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTriumph Regained: The Vietnam War, 1965–1968 is the long-awaited sequel to the immensely influential Triumph Forsaken: The Vietnam War, 1954–1965. Like its predecessor, this book overturns the conventional wisdom using a treasure trove of new sources, many of them from the North Vietnamese side. Rejecting the standard depiction of U.S. military intervention as a hopeless folly, it shows America’s war to have been a strategic necessity that could have ended victoriously had President Lyndon Johnson heeded the advice of his generals. In light of Johnson’s refusal to use American ground forces beyond South Vietnam, General William Westmoreland employed the best military strategy available. Once the White House loosened the restraints on Operation Rolling Thunder, American bombing inflicted far greater damage on the North Vietnamese supply system than has been previously understood, and it nearly compelled North Vietnam to capitulate. The book demonstrates that American military operations enabled the South Vietnamese government to recover from the massive instability that followed the assassination of President Ngo Dinh Diem. American culture sustained public support for the war through the end of 1968, giving South Vietnam realistic hopes for long-term survival. America’s defense of South Vietnam averted the imminent fall of key Asian nations to Communism and sowed strife inside the Communist camp, to the long-term detriment of America’s great-power rivals, China and the Soviet Union.Trade ReviewTHE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL TO TRIUMPH FORSAKEN: THE VIETNAM WAR, 1954–1965 “This second book in what will be a seminal trilogy is impeccably researched and elegantly written. Mark Moyar availed himself of newly available materials to shed fresh light and understanding on a crucial period of the Vietnam War. Triumph Regained poses a compelling reinterpretation that is bound to make uncomfortable those who contributed to or accepted the conventional wisdom on the war that emerged across the past half century.”—H. R. McMaster, author of Dereliction of Duty and Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World “Triumph Regained expertly chronicles the grit, courage, and sacrifice of the American fighting man during the Vietnam War and provides clear-eyed analysis of the strategic and political imperatives that motivated both sides of the conflict. Mark Moyar is reclaiming the honorable legacy of a generation of American warriors and proving the truth of Ronald Reagan’s belief that Vietnam was a ‘noble cause.’ We should be proud of the patriotic Americans who served in Vietnam and never forget that politicians in Washington squandered their sacrifices.”—Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) “No serious scholar has done more in recent years to challenge the entrenched consensus on the Vietnam War than historian Mark Moyar. In Triumph Regained, he presents bold new insights that compel us to question the conventional wisdom on the war from the onset of its Americanization in 1965 to the Tet Offensive of 1968. Captivating from start to finish, the book is as audacious as it is thought-provoking—and necessary.”—Pierre Asselin, professor of history and Dwight E. Stanford Chair in American Foreign Relations, San Diego State University “Using newly available documents and re-interpreting old, Moyar invites us to revisit the 1970s clichéd narratives of strategy and policy in the early years of America's war in Vietnam.”—Jeffrey Race, author of War Comes to Long An: Revolutionary Conflict in a Vietnamese Province

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