Military history: post-WW2 conflicts Books

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Book Synopsis'Uplifting and utterly defiant' Matt Nixson, Daily Express 'Immediate and important ... This is an insider's account of how an ordinary life became extraordinary' Helen Davies, The TimesThis journal of the invasion, a collection of Andrey Kurkov's writings and broadcasts from Kyiv, is a remarkable record of a brilliant writer at the forefront of a 21st-century war. Andrey Kurkov has been a consistent satirical commentator on his adopted country of Ukraine. His most recent work, Grey Bees, is a dark foreshadowing of the devastation in the eastern part of Ukraine in which only two villagers remain in a village bombed to smithereens. The author has lived in Kyiv and in the remote countryside of Ukraine throughout the Russian invasion. He has also been able to fly to European capitals where he has been working to raise money for charities and to address crowded halls. Kurkov has been asked to write for every English newspaper, as also to be interviewed all over Europe. He has become an important voice for his people.Kurkov sees every video and every posted message, and he spends the sleepless nights of continuous bombardment of his city delivering the truth about this invasion to the world.Trade Review'Ukraine's greatest living novelist' -- Charlie Connelly, New European Books of the Year'No one with the slightest interest in this war, or the nation on which it is being waged, should fail to read Andrey Kurkov' -- Dominic Lawson, Daily Mail'A vivid, moving and sometimes funny account of the reality of life during Russia's invasion' -- Marc Bennetts, The Times'The author's on-the-ground account is packed with surprising details about the human effects of the Russian assault ... His voice is genial but also impassioned, never more so than when deploring Putin's efforts to erase Ukrainian culture and history. Ukraine, he says, "will either be free, independent and European, or it will not exist at all". That's why the war has to be fought, with no concession of territory. And he remains quietly hopeful that it will be won' -- Blake Morrison, Guardian'It is little wonder [...] Kurkov, known for his keen eye for the absurdities of life, would pack his diary of the war with fascinating and eccentric details ... yet what makes Kurkov's diary memorable is its departures into the more quotidian gossip-filled trips to the sauna, Ukraine's morale-boosting victory in the Eurovision Song Contest, ruminations on the status of Ukrainian literature amid paper shortages, and ploys to protect animals in the country's shuttered zoos' -- Megan Gibson, New Statesman'Uplifting and utterly defiant' -- Matt Nixson, Daily Express'Immediate and important ... This is an insider's account of how an ordinary life became extraordinary' -- Helen Davies, Times

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisTalks about the lesser known facts and accounts of the intrusions and the war from various commanders and officers, some of whom have also served during the conflict. The book has been divided into five parts. The first part titled, ‘Blood, Guts and Glory,’ briefly discusses the actual battles fought in Dras, Mushkoh, Batalik, Kaksar and Turtuk sub-sectors, to evict the Pakistani intruders from the dominating heights in the Kargil region. The aim was to restore the LoC to its originally held positions. The second part analyses the supporting forces which synergised the effort to victory, in the true spirit of ‘Op Vijay’. In the third part, individual officers, associated with Kargil, have shared their perceptions and opinions about the Kargil conflict and the scenario after 20 years. The fourth part focuses on ‘Motivation;’ and reflects the saga of courage and valour of the Indian Armed Forces, and the junior leadership, during the summer of 1999. The fifth part, ‘Emerging Challenges and the Way Ahead’ looks at the emerging global-cum-regional scenario, the envisaged threats, our preparedness, and makes substantial recommendations to face the conflicts of the future.The forecasts provided by some of the most senior military officers of the country give a sneak peek into the emerging challenges of the future and India’s preparatory responses to them. Given the emerging world order and the revolutionary changes in technology and character of conflicts, the book restates the fundamental focus of the Indian Armed forces: to be prepared to face the envisaged threats and challenges of the future.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Destined to become a classic primer about modern Yemen and the flaws of global capitalism, Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us About The World provides a wealth of knowledge about the plight of modern Yemen and the contemporary world." * Arab Studies Quarterly *“A masterful new study. . . . Blumi’s work provides an invaluable service to those seeking to understand the current war on Yemen in its historical context." * Arab Calgary News *"This is a compelling analysis of a tragic but unfolding story. It is a deeply humane, passionate, conviction-led, historically rich analysis. It is rigorously researched, detailed, complex." * Asian Review of World History *"This is a compelling analysis of a tragic but unfolding story. It is a deeply humane, passionate, conviction-led, historically rich analysis. It is rigorously researched, detailed, complex. It collapses so many 'divides' in scholarly considerations of 'weak' states and polities on the so-called periphery versus so-called core states. It gives agency to the peoples and groups of what are often seen to be marginal states and societies, rarely discussed in relation to world politics or global political development. . . . A must-read for anyone claiming to know and understand the world we live in today, regardless of their field of scholarly research." * Asian Review of World Histories *"Blumi’s respect and compassion for the people of Yemen are palpable, and because of this, Destroying Yemen has moral immediacy rarely found in scholarship. The work is accessibly written, and thus can inform a more general audience, in addition to the cadre of regional specialists, on whose analysis it will hopefully have an impact. Moreover, anyone with media credentials that wishes to ‘report’ on the brutality Yemenis now face day after day should read it very carefully before filing his or her story." * Global Intellectual History *"This is a compelling analysis of a tragic but unfolding story. It is a deeply humane, passionate, conviction-led, historically rich analysis. It is rigorously researched, detailed, complex. It collapses so many 'divides' in scholarly considerations of 'weak' states and polities on the so-called periphery versus so-called core states. It gives agency to the peoples and groups of what are often seen to be marginal states and societies, rarely discussed in relation to world politics or global political development. . . . A must-read for anyone claiming to know and understand the world we live in today, regardless of their field of scholarly research." * Asian Review of World Histories *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Note on Dates, Abbreviations, and Transliteration Introduction 1 • The Quest for Global Hegemony Starts There 2 • The Region That Pumps the Heart of the Cold War, 1941–1960 3 • Birthing Revolution: A Genealogy of the 1962 Coup 4 • Wrong from the Start: Modernization and Development and the Violence They Spun 5 • Making Yemen Dance: The Regime and the Politics of Chaos 6 • Plundering Yemen and Its Post-Spring Hiatus Coda: Yemen’s Relevance to the Larger World Notes Bibliography Index

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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 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 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 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 SynopsisThe Horse Soldiers is the true, dramatic account of a small band of Special Forces soldiers who entered Afghanistan immediately following September 11, 2001 and, riding to war on horses, defeated the Taliban. Heavily outnumbered, they nonetheless succeed in capturing the strategic Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif, where they are welcomed as liberators as they ride on horseback into the city, the streets thronged with Afghans overjoyed that the Taliban have been kicked out. The soldiers rest easy, as they feel they have accomplished their mission. Then the action takes a wholly unexpected turn. During a surrender of Taliban troops, the Horse Soldiers are ambushed by the would-be P.O.W.s and, still dangerously outnumbered, they must fight for their lives in the city's ancient fortress known as Qala-I Janghi, or the House of War…

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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 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 SynopsisAnand Gopal traces the lives of three Afghans caught in America's war on terror. He follows a Taliban commander, who rises from scrawny teenager to leading insurgent; a US-backed warlord, who uses the American military to gain personal wealth and power; and a village housewife trapped between the two sides.

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Book SynopsisIn Vietnam''s jungle war, only one group of men was feared more than death itself—the Marine Scout Snipers. . . .The U.S. Marine Scout Snipers were among the most highly trained soldiers in Vietnam. With their unparalleled skill, freedom of movement, and deadly accurate long-range Remington 700 bolt rifles, the Scout Snipers were sought after by every Marine unit—and so feared by the enemy that the VC bounty on the Scout Snipers was higher than on any other elite American unit.Joseph Ward''s letters home reveal a side of war seldom seen. Whether under nightly mortar attack in An Hoa, with a Marine company in the bullet-scarred jungle, on secret missions to Laos, or on dangerous two-man hunter-kills, Ward lived the war in a way few men did. And he fought the enemy as few men did—up close and personal.

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Book SynopsisAn exciting account of the aerial battles fought by the USAAF''s P38 Lightnings and the Jagdflieger''s Bf 109Gs for dominance over North Africa and the Mediterranean.USAAF fighter pilots experienced a baptism of fire when flying the technically advanced but fragile P-38 Lightning over North Africa in the wake of 1942''s Operation Torch. Their opponents were battle-hardened jagdflieger of the Jadgwaffe, flying the tried and tested Bf 109 in its very lastest Gustav iteration. Responsible primarily for escorting USAAF bombers attacking Afrika Korps installations in Tunisia, the P-38 units in North Africa had to develop effective tactics to defend the bombers against Luftwaffe fighter attacks. For several months the Lightning squadrons had to also cope with shortages of aircraft and spare parts, steady losses and a lack of replacement pilots. To survive, American aviators had to learn quickly. While it is difficult to definitively attribute victorTable of Contents(Subject to Confirmation) Introduction Chronology Design and Development Doctrine, Tactics, Leadership, Deployment of Forces The Strategic Situation The Combatants Combat Statistics and Analysis Aftermath Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisDuring the founding of North Korea, competing visions of an ideal modern state proliferated. Independence and democracy were touted by all, but plans for the future of North Korea differed in their ideas about how everyday life should be organized. Daily life came under scrutiny as the primary arena for social change in public and private life. In Everyday Life in the North Korean Revolution, 19451950, Kim examines the revolutionary events that shaped people''s lives in the development of the Democratic People''s Republic of Korea. By shifting the historical focus from the state and the Great Leader to how villagers experienced social revolution, Kim offers new insights into why North Korea insists on setting its own course.Kim's innovative use of documents seized by U.S. military forces during the Korean War and now stored in the National Archivespersonnel files, autobiographies, minutes of organizational meetings, educational materials, women's magazines, and court documentstogether with oral histories allows her to present the first social history of North Korea during its formative years. In an account that makes clear the leading role of women in these efforts, Kim examines how villagers experienced, understood, and later remembered such events as the first land reform and modern elections in Korea's history, as well as practices in literacy schools, communal halls, mass organizations, and study sessions that transformed daily routine.Trade Review[On] the whole Kim's argument that the revolution was largely home-grown remains convincing. Especially fascinating are her chapters on the role of women in the revolution, and her exploration of the autobiographies that all adult North Koreans had to draft to show how their individual life stories fitted within the larger framework of Korea’s recent history and the revolution. -- Michael Rochlitz * Europe-Asia Studies *Kim's work stays focused on various 'everyday' people as examples of how the North Korean revolution enabled regular peasants to build a new socialist modernity uniquely theirs. The author relies on oral histories and archival sources to bring these marginalized histories to light. Kim is well read across Korean, Russian, and Chinese sources as well as scholarship on North Korea. Her innovative approach is... a step forward from the typical Cold War approach.... Summing Up: Highly recommended. * Choice *Kim's book is a pioneering contribution to the articulation of a new paradigm. Putting it even more directly, she provides fresh, and often compelling, answers to a most fundamental question: How should the history of North Korea be written, especially in the aftermath of the Cold War? Suzy Kim has written an important book that deserves to be read widely by historians of North Korea, as well as by those of comparative communism and revolutionary processes. * Journal of Korean Studies *Concisely establishing the various lacunae and epistemological ossifications that hamstring studies of North Korea, this book makes a persuasive case for the significance of its subject. Kim argues that the everyday, especially in the formative years of the nation-state (1945–1950), posited a space for contestation, contingency, and construction by both state and society, which led to the formation of what she calls 'socialist modernity.'... Kim deftly mobilizes a range of materials, including statistics, photos, interviews, and official reports.... This is in many ways a pioneering work, the first analysis of North Korean social history in its formative years. Argued with finesse and supported by rich empirical research, it is undoubtedly an invaluable resource for all who are interested in the history of North Korea, everyday forms of socialism, and social history. -- Hyung-Gu Lynn * American Historical Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Revolutions in the Everyday2. Legacies: Fomenting the Revolution3. Three Reforms: Initiating the Revolution4. The Collective: Enacting the Revolution5. Autobiographies: Narrating the Revolution6. Revolutionary Motherhood: Gendering the Revolution7. "Liberated Space": Remembering the RevolutionConclusionAppendix: Sample CurriculaNotes Index

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Book SynopsisIn October 1996, a motley crew of ageing Marxists and unemployed youth coalesced to revolt against Mobutu Seso Seko, president of Zaire/Congo since 1965. The rebels of the AFDL marched over 1500km in seven months to crush the dictatorship, heralding liberation as a second independence for Central Africa as a whole. US President Bill Clinton toasted AFDL leader Laurent-Desire Kabila and his regional allies - having developed a unique camaraderie and personal trust on the region's battlefronts -- as a 'new generation of African leaders' ushering in an 'African Renaissance.' Within months, however, the Pan-Africanist alliance fell apart. The AFDL's collapse triggered a cataclysmic fratricide between the heroes of liberationthat became the deadliest conflict since the Second World War, drawing in eight African countries. This book draws on hundreds of interviews with protagonists from Africa and the international community to offer a novel theoretical and empirical account of Africa's Great War. Bridging the gap between comparative politics and international relations, it argues that the renewed outbreak of calamitous violence in August 1998 was a function of the kind of regime the AFDL was and how its leaders saw Congo, theregion and themselves. As a Pan-Africanist liberation movement, the collapse of the AFDL government internally and the unravelling of regional order externally were inextricably linked.Trade Review'[Roessler and Verhoeven’s] purpose is to answer the question: “Why did comrades go to war?” and to view the conflict through the prism of “liberation politics”. The merit of their book is that it includes interviews with many of the protagonists, clarifying critical details about their involvement … The depth of the authors’ research is impressive.' * Times Literary Supplement *'A novel lens through which to understand the First Congo War . . . sure to provoke renewed discussion.''Vivid and compelling . . . a precious contribution to our understanding of the most complex and deadliest African conflict of the late 20th century.'One of the most intelligent books on conflict in Africa that I have read in a long time. Based on an astoundingly comprehensive array of interviews with the key actors in this war.' * Professor William Reno, Northwestern University *'This is a rare combination: a book that combines exceptional academic rigor with deep, personal knowledge of a place and its main actors. As important for political scientists as it is for historians and congophiles.' * Jason Stearns, Director, Congo Research Group, New York University and author of Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa *'An exceptionally well researched and argued book. Based on a wealth of hitherto unknown information, including many interviews with crucial stakeholders, it offers new and refreshing insights into very complex and dramatic events that continue to impact Central Africa up to the present day.' * Filip Reyntjens, Professor of Law and Politics at the University of Antwerp, and author of Political Governance in Post-Genocide Rwanda and The Great African War: Congo and Regional Geopolitics, 1996-2006 *'Why Comrades Go To War is a detailed and compelling account of the bitter grapes of post-colonialism in Africa. The authors range widely over Central Africa but provide a detailed account of the often sordid and always tragic events that ruined the lives of millions of people. I find an almost Greek tragedy -- an inevitability -- in the events they relate, but the authors wisely temper this impression by showing how the leaders' choices, fears, ambitions, greed, and mistakes made the tragedy modern. An important book.' * William Polk, author of Violent Politics and Neighbors and Strangers, among many other books *'Why Comrades Go to War is a welcome addition to the literature on the Congo Wars, first to overthrow Mobutu and then to overthrow his successor, Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Roessler and Verhoeven demonstrate that a focus on elite actors (above all, Kabila and his Rwandan Tutsi backers, Generals Kagame and Kabarebe) is essential to understanding why the first war led inexorably to the second.' * Tom Turner, author of The Congo Wars: Conflict, Myth and Reality *'Africa's most deadly war was rooted not only in geopolitics, but in an ideological state conspiracy as well. This puzzling story is told in Why Comrades Go to War, a cross between a political people's magazine and a late twentieth-century overview of eastern and central Africa. A must for those wanting to track the labyrinths underpinning visible African events.' * Gérard Prunier, author of The Rwanda Crisis: History of a Genocide and From Genocide to Continental War *

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Book SynopsisCritically acclaimed writer and award-winning foreign correspondent, Anthony Loyd is also an ex-heroin addict. Another Bloody Love Letter exposes the thrilling and brutal reality of life as a war journalist - from the climax of war in Kosovo and the reignited battles between Ethiopia and Eritrea, to tracking ambush commanders in Sierra Leone, confronting the danger and confusion of northern Afghanistan at the start of the ''war on terror'', and the harsh realities of life in Iraq during the Second Gulf War. But it is also the very human story of a man fighting to beat a heroin addiction and coming to terms with the death of a father-figure, friend and colleague murdered by the RUF in Sierra Leone, and the death of his mother from a terminal illness at home. Another Bloody Love Letter takes the reader into the mind of a man who has chased war and death for more than half his life, and shows the price he has paid for it. It is a moving and powerful memoir of lovTrade Review'Devastating honesty... Loyd's frankness shows a different kind of courage from that he demonstrates on the battlefield, but it's courage none the less... Loyd shows himself to be the best guide through today's wars working in the English language. He can also be very moving. This is a book about love as much as war.' * The Daily Telegraph *'Two things set Anthony Loyd apart from your average, war-weary combat-zone junkie: a luminous prose style that sometimes borders on the visionary, and a fiercely principled integrity.' * Daily Mail *'Anthony Loyd's style is low-key - philosophical, reflective, melancholic, stoical and beset by internal demons (heroin addiction, the loss of a beloved mentor, the terminal illness of his mother) that gives a still, sad edge to his observation of the tragedies and inanities of conflict. He writes from grit and grief.' * The Times *'This memoir is a great big bloody bong of horror, chaos, gallows humour, loss, boredom and self-loathing, followed by slack-jawed self-medication... All the horror and madness and desperate, thoughtless, random injustice and, even worse, random justice, of war is present and incorrect... For once, the promise of the publisher's blurb - 'Anthony Loyd spares us nothing in this moving and painfully honest memoir' - is more than fulfilled... It isn't perfect. Sometimes, like war, it's messy. But it is moving. And if this is just another vicarious hit of a war correspondent's memories, well, it's seriously good shit, man.' * Independent on Sunday *'Britain's boldest, louchest, war reporter... [A] vivid, hugely compelling memoir... Loyd writes glorious, evocative, laceratingly honest prose rich in gory detail and telling metaphor.' * The Mail on Sunday *'Superb memoir... Scouring honesty... Loyd's own painful honesty... makes this memoir all the more compelling.' * Evening Standard *'Loyd has little time for those without guts... Pitiless on conflict itself - what drives men to it, and the seemingly infinite degree of savagery of which man is capable.' * Metro *'Not content with getting shot at in the world's trouble spots, reporter Anthony Loyd was either using heroin or trying to get off it. His second volume of memoirs isn't as sharp as the first, but it will still have you hooked' * Night & Day *'The most exciting book I have read this year.' * Sunday Herald *'Loyd can... write exceptionally well at times, and with lacerating honesty... There's real substance here, too, and a candour that is shockingly memorable.' * Sunday Times *'[A] powerful and touching memorial... This is not another 'love letter' to conflict; this time it is to his dead friend. It is a recognition that war kills those we love, and that those of us who choose to follow conflict like groupies on its trail cannot escape it in the long run. The writing is as brilliant as ever as Loyd navigates with a sure hand through shocking moments of sudden violence from the Balkans to Iraq and Africa. But it is the search for Schork's killers that is most powerful, a gripping whodunit that ends with another pointless death.' * Observer *'There is much to treasure... Beyond the "gun battle override" and the "Humvee cupolas gunners" we find a brave, lovely man and a talented if over-wrought writer, bursting to be free.' * The Times *'Devastating honesty... Loyd's frankness shows a different kind of courage from that he demonstrates on the battlefield, but it's courage none the less... Loyd shows himself to be the best guide through today's wars working in the English language. He can be very funny. He can also be very moving.' * Sun Herald, Sydney *'It is a harrowing story. Loyd's writing can be spectacularly florid and the savagery remorseless.' * Courier Mail, Brisbane *'Superb memoir... Loyd and his fellow correspondents survive through a mixture of gallows humour and a drive for the next journalistic high... Loyd's honesty in confronting those truths makes this memoir all the more compelling.' * The Scotsman *'War reporting meets heroin in an engrossing read.' * Age *'Raw, brutally honest commentary that clings on to hope' * Qantas The Australian Way *

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Book SynopsisIn May 1965, the entire 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment--lock, stock, and barrel--embarked for Vietnam. Captain Alex Lee was there. . . .Now combat-veteran Marine captain Alex Lee brings to gritty life the full tour of 2/7. From the search-and-destroy missions to the sudden violent ambushes in the hills and valleys west of Qui Nhon, Lee describes how Marines battled monsoons, malaria, and the enemy as they crept through terrain infested with Viet Cong caves and hideouts.After paving the way in Qui Nhon for the arrival of more American military, 2/7 was assigned to Chu Lai, where the battalion fought its most bitter, deadly battles. With the scalding ring of truth, Lee captures the conditions of the bone-weary 2/7 Marines as they slogged through jungles and spent night after night in dreary, rain-filled foxholes.Although they faced a life of constant danger and occasional mindless confusion, in their seemingly endless marathon of effort, agony, and sacrifi

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Book SynopsisExplaining and illustrating the immediate background to the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, this book investigates the Ukrainian and Russian regular and irregular forces which have been fighting in the Donbas region since 2014. In February 2014, street protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities led to the ousting of the Russian-backed President Yanukovych. Simultaneously, Russia carried out an almost-bloodless seizure of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. Ukraine's Euromaidan Revolution' would see many changes to the country's constitution, and a turn towards the West for civic assistance and military training. Meanwhile, a violent reaction in the mainly Russian-speaking south-eastern industrial Donbas region led to a local armed counter-revolution, backed by Russia from April 2014. This conflict became an essential example of Russia's policy of so-called hybrid warfare', which pursues its strategic aims by a blend of propaganda and misinformation with the clandestine deployment ofTable of ContentsIntroduction: brief overview of the complex relationship between Russia and Ukraine, and the ejection of President Yanukovych in the 'Maidan Revolution' of February 2014. Taking Crimea: summary of Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine, the forces involved, and the military lessons learned. 'Hybrid War' in the Donbas: overview of the war's progress up to 2018, and such incidents as the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17. Russian Proxy Forces: local militias, volunteers, Cossacks and mercenaries; career of 'Igor Strelkov', 'defence minister' of the self-styled Donetsk People's Republic; the Vostock Battalion, Chechen veterans organized by the GRU; Russia's difficulty in controlling its proxies. Russian Regular Forces: the battalion tactical groups – order of battle; the battle of Debaltseve – a month-long conflict which obliged Russian regulars to intervene; the battle of Zelenopillya – destruction of Ukrainian mechanized units by Russian artillery. Ukrainian Auxiliary Forces: volunteer militias bankrolled by oligarchs – orders of battle of volunteer battalions. The battle for Donetsk Airport – the vicious four-month 'battle of the Cyborgs'. Ukrainian Regular Forces: structure, equipment, tactics, and developing capabilities; Ukrainian Army order of battle; Ukrainian Navy and Naval Infantry. The Future? Identifiable trends, e.g. drone-controlled artillery; blending of militias; intelligence; deniable regular forces; and Russia's use of mercenaries as part of 'hybrid warfare', in Ukraine and later Syria.

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Book SynopsisFrom the best-selling author of The Commando and Born to Fight comes a fascinating investigation of modern warfare that combines methodical research and the fast-paced action of battle with the personal stories of the combatants on both sides of the line. Taking us from the suburbs of western Sydney and Australia''s military army bases, to the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, this is a remarkable book that reveals the as-yet untold story of the battle for Mosul and the secret involvement of Australians on both sides of the war - both our Commandos and Australian ISIS fighters. Mosul details the rise of ISIS influence in Australia, the Iran and Australia allegiance to fight Daesh and shows what led up to the battle and the ramifications that are still being felt at home - by our soldiers and the victims of that war. Ben Mckelvey has extraordinary access to SOOCOMD/2COMMANDO units - the most decorated modern Australian

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Book SynopsisThe Western-led efforts to establish a new post-Taliban order in Afghanistan are in serious trouble, and in this book Suhrke sets out to explain why. She begins with the dynamic of the intervention and its related peace-building mission. What were the forces shaping this grand international project? What explains the apparent systemic bias towards a deeper and broader international involvement? Many reasons have been cited for its limited achievements and ever-growing difficulties, the most common explanation being that the national, regional, and international contexts were unfavourable. But many policies were misguided while the multinational operation itself was extraordinarily and unnecessarily complex. Astri Suhrke's main thesis is that the international project itself contains serious tensions and contradictions that significantly contributed to the lack of progress. As a result, the deepening involvement proved dysfunctional: massive international support has created an extreme version of a rentier state that is predictably weak, corrupt and unaccountable; US-led military operations undercut the peacebuilding agenda, and more international aid and monitoring to correct the problems generate Afghan resentment and evasion. Continuing these policies will only reinforce the dynamic. The alternative is a less intrusive international presence, a longer time-frame for reconstruction and change, and negotiations with the militants that can end the war and permit a more Afghan-directed order to emerge.Trade Review'Astri Suhrke has produced a brilliant expose of the failure of international efforts to construct a stable post-Taliban order in Afghanistan. Her analysis is to the point and very balanced, and her conclusions very instructive. She tells us very convincingly why and where the international involvement has gone wrong, and what would be an appropriate strategy for the international community to adopt. Her book deserves to be read as widely as possible.' * Amin Saikal, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australian National University *'When More is Less is a timely, lively, and dispassionate investigation into the causes and consequences of the disappointing modern history of peacebuilding in Afghanistan. As someone who has been involved with Afghanistan for over two decades, and has studied various UN interventions in places like Kosovo and Rwanda, Astri Suhrke is well positioned to use her tremendous knowledge to sort through these critical issues - and suggest not only how things might have been different in Afghanistan, but also how things can be different the next time the international community undertakes a peacebuilding project.' * Michael Barnett, University Professor of International Affairs and Political Science, George Washington University *'The failure of the international coalition in Afghanistan is a major event that we still have to cope with. Astri Suhrke's book is a first solid step towards understanding the internal contradiction between the liberal project of the "international community" and the rational of the U.S. military on the ground.' * Gilles Dorronsoro, visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace *'In this exhaustively researched book, Astri Suhrke provides a trenchant and persuasive account of the evolution of Western peace-building and state-building in Afghanistan since 2001, and of the dynamic of deepening engagement in the face of disappointing results. It is essential reading for scholars, foreign and defence policy practitioners, and the informed public.' * S. N. MacFarlane, Lester B. Pearson Professor of International Relations Oxford University *'Astri Suhrke's book contains the pithiest description I know of where Afghanistan will be in 2014 - - if the self-deceiving spin of progress underway continues - - "a large number of men with arms, but weak institutions". She dissects, with an unblinking eye, how we got there, thanks to the stifling "military embrace" of Operation Afghanistan.' * Thomas Ruttig, Co-Director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, an independent Kabul-based think-tank *

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Book SynopsisThe Taliban are synonymous with the war in Afghanistan. Doughty, uncompromising fighters, they plant IEDs, deploy suicide bombers and wage guerrilla warfare. While much has been written about their military tactics, media strategy and harsh treatment of women, the cultural and sometimes less overtly political representation of their identity, the Taliban's other face, is often overlooked. Most Taliban fighters are Pashtuns, a people who cherish their vibrant poetic tradition, closely associated with that of song. The poems in this collection are meant to be recited and sung; and this is the manner in which they are enjoyed by the wider Pashtun public today. From audiotapes traded in secret in the bazaars of Kandahar, to mp3s exchanged via bluetooth in Kabul, to video files downloaded in Dubai and London, Taliban poetry has an appeal that transcends the insurgency. For the Taliban today, these poems, or ghazals, have a resonance back to the 1980s war against the Soviets, when similar rhetorical styles, poetic formulae and tricks with metre inspired mujahideen combatants and non-combatants alike. The poetry presented here includes 'classics' of the genre from the 1980s and 1990s as well as a selection from the odes and ghazals of today's conflict . Veering from nationalist paeans to dirges replete with religious symbolism, the poems are organised under four headings - - War, Pastoral, Religious and Love - - and cover many themes and styles. The political is intertwined with the aesthetic, the celebratory cry is never far from the funeral dirge and praise of martyrs lost. Two prefatory essays introduce the cultural and historical context of the poetry. The editors discuss its importance to the Pashtuns and highlight how poetic themes correspond to the past thirty years of war in Afghanistan. Faisal Devji comments on what the poetry reveals of the Taliban's emotional and ethical hinterland.Trade Review'A book that shouldn't be missed!' - Washington Post 'Much of the poetry here appeals to the heart rather than the head, engendering sympathy for the speakers' plight. That these poems put us in this uncomfortable place is the most impressive achievement of the anthology.' * The Guardian *'The verse assembled in Poetry of the Taliban is by turns bombastic and introspective, dark and mirthful, ugly and lyrical - and perhaps above all, surprising in its unabashedly emotional tone.' * Los Angeles Times *

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From master storyteller Andy McNab, this is the opening book in an adventure-filled and action-packed new series telling, for the first time ever, the true stories of Special Forces missions. 'McNab's first major non-autobiographical work of non-fiction ... The operation is told like a novel [...] and it is as refreshingly informal and compellingly immediate as his other books' Daily Express'Part history lesson, part military manual, part fixed-bayonets thriller. A must for Special Forces fans' The SunIt is the early 2000s and 9/11 is fresh in the world's memory. The Taliban have taken over Afghanistan, and armed militants and explosive devices are terrorising the people. And now a new threat is emerging in the country: suicide bombings, ordered by military commander of the Taliban, Mullah Dadullah.Special Forces are sent in to stop him.The Hunt is the thrilling story of the secret mission to catch Dadullah, one of the most dangerous men alive. Using classified sources and his unique insight into the way the SAS works, Andy McNab gives a page-turning account of what it took the Special Forces to find their target and what they would have to do to take him down.An explosive story of hostage negotiations, undercovers missions and a final, epic assault on Dadullah's compound that could leave only one side alive, The Hunt is a powerful retelling of a real-life Special Forces mission.

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Book SynopsisGrappling with centuries-old feuds, defeating a shrewd insurgency, and navigating the sometimes paralyzing bureaucracy of the U.S. military are issues that prompt sleepless nights for both policymakers in Washington, DC and soldiers at war, albeit for different reasons. Few, however, have dealt with these issues in the White House situation room and on the front line. Michael G. Waltz has done just that, working as a policy advisor to Vice President Richard B. Cheney and also serving in the mountains of Afghanistan as a Green Beret, directly implementing strategy in the field that he helped devise in Washington. In Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret’s Battles from Washington to Afghanistan, Waltz shares his unique firsthand experiences, revealing the sights, sounds, emotions, and complexities involved in the war in Afghanistan. Waltz highlights the policy issues that plagued the war effort, from the drug trade to civilian casualties, to a lack of resources in comparison to Iraq, to the overall coalition strategy. He points out that stabilizing Afghanistan and the region remains crucial to national security and that a long-term commitment to Afghanistan is imperative if the United States is to remain secure.Trade Review"Waltz, a lieutenant colonel in the Army reserves, commanded a Special Forces company in Afghanistan and held high counterterrorism positions at the Pentagon and White House. Combining what he saw on the ground with what he gleaned in Washington, Waltz offers his thoughts on the U.S. military and government’s management of the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan. . . . Waltz succeeds in his goal of explaining how the war in Afghanistan has been executed, making a case that the continuing chaos that nation endures is "directly connected" to the U.S. national interest."—Publishers Weekly"Warrior Diplomat [is] a memoir of unique insight into the hope and tragedy of America’s war in Afghanistan. . . . There is an almost surreal quality in the memoir of a man who briefed and wrote policy proposals for the powerful Vice-President one month, and in the next, shared meals with Afghan farmers or scrambled over walls in the dark of night to grab a Taliban commander, visiting relatives. . . . A must read book to understand how America’s war in Afghanistan was fought so hard, for so long to so few measurable results."—Mark Safranski, Pragati"Few people in Washington must execute the policies they help craft. Warrior Diplomat is a must-read, firsthand examination of the Afghan war through the experiences of a practitioner at both ends of the spear."—Robert M. Gates, former U.S. secretary of defense"Michael Waltz distills the hard-earned wisdom of more than a decade of deep involvement in America’s Afghan campaign. Unlike most other participants, however, Waltz served as a Special Forces officer on the ground and as a senior policy maker in Washington. One can only wish that more of our decision-makers possessed his breadth of vision and experience."—Nathaniel C. Fick, author of One Bullet Away"Using his singular set of experiences as a U.S. Army Special Forces operator and Washington policy insider, Mike Waltz captures the policy ambivalences, implementation challenges, and individual heroics that have made the U.S. effort in Afghanistan such a conundrum for presidents, generals, and the American people. But Waltz never loses sight of the human side of the equation and never gives in to defeatism or fatalism. His wise advice for the future should be heeded by U.S. leaders, now and in the future."—David Sedney, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia"Warrior Diplomat is an important book that provides an unparalleled, firsthand account of America's role in Afghanistan. Michael Waltz brings us into the inner sanctums of the White House and the Pentagon, where the war was being planned and debated, and then leads us onto the battlefields of Afghanistan."—Seth G. Jones, author of In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan"Mike Waltz's important new book deftly charts 'what might have been' over the course of a long, largely indecisive war. NATO's largely unseen failures in Afghanistan are perhaps better charted here than in any other recent account—and it is a story that needs to be told as we think about future coalition operations. Mike stitches together the long thirteen-year arc of this story as few others could, from front line to the conference tables of policy makers in Washington and Europe. This is a book that needs to be read to understand what really happened over the last decade-plus in Afghanistan—and why."—Lieutenant General (Ret.) Dave Barno, former commander, Combined Forces Command in Afghanistan"Sometimes the right book comes along at just the right time—such is the case with Michael G. Waltz's new book, Warrior Diplomat released this week. The title describes Waltz well—he served as a Green Beret in Afghanistan and returned to Washington to work for the National Security Council at the White House."—Dana Perino, former spokeswoman for President George W. Bush and co-host of "The Five" on Fox NewsTable of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Maps Foreword by Peter Bergen Preface Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction: A Little Girl in Ghazni 1. State of the War: Office of the Secretary of Defense 2. Arabs, Afghans, and Americans: The War of Ideas 3. The Tagab Valley: Patrolling to Ambush 4. The Clinic in Achin: Development Dilemmas 5. The Road to Musa Qala: The Taliban Are Back 6. The French in Maruf: A Pawn in a Diplomatic Game 7. Operation Perth: War by Consensus 8. Back to Washington: The Pentagon and the White House 9. The Mangal Tribe: Protecting People We Can’t Access 10. The Elder in Khost: Risk Aversion and the Cost of Inaction 11. Night Raid: The Catch-and-Release Detention System 12. Blackbeard Rising: The Afghan National Army Commandos 13. On the Border with Pakistan: The Rocket’s Red Glare 14. The Tribes of Chamkani: The Community Defense Initiative 15. Washington Again: Wishing the Problem Away Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis highly illustrated title traces the development of mercenary soldiering from individuals and small units in the African wars of the 1960s90s to today''s state-employed corporate military contractors.The phenomenon of mercenary soldiering has constantly recurred in the news since the 1960s and has always attracted lively interest. The concept of mercenaries' began in the former Belgian Congo during the 1960s when men such as Mike Hoare and Bob Denard assembled hundreds of military veterans to ''do the fighting'' for a particular leader or faction. This idea soon evolved into small teams of individuals training and leading local forces with varying success; wars in Rhodesia and on South Africa''s borders attracted foreign volunteers into national armed forces, and veterans of these conflicts later sought employment elsewhere as mercenaries. The wars in the former Yugoslavia also attracted foreign fighters inspired as much by political and religious motives as by pay. TTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION AFRICA -Katanga and the Congo: 1960–68 -Rhodesia: 1964–79 -Angola: 1975–76 -South Africa’s border war: 1966–89 INDIAN OCEAN -Comoros and Chad: 1978–95 -Operation Anvil, Seychelles: 1981 SOUTH AMERICA -Suriname: 1986–91 -Operation Phoenix, Colombia: 1988–91 THE BREAK-UP OF YUGOSLAVIA -1991–95 WAR IN THE 21ST CENTURY -Private military companies -Iraq and Afghanistan DEALING WITH THE FALL–OUT SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisUsing case studies from recent American military interventions, examines propaganda as an intertextual process, one in which discourse is recontextualized faithfully by multiple parties over time. Explores how messages are constructed, performed, and recontextualized in new and diverse situations.Trade Review“John Oddo provides a much-needed theoretical update to the concept of propaganda. Central to his theory is recognition that propaganda involves an intertextual process that allows it to propagate—both vertically and horizontally—throughout society. His book provides valuable insights into the mechanisms of this propagation, showing how even unwitting actors contribute to its circulation. The discussion holds important implications for how we might immunize democratic discourse from the harms of manipulative rhetoric.”—Adam Hodges,author of The “War on Terror” Narrative“Oddo's analysis of propaganda supporting recent US military actions reveals that the effect of propaganda lies in the intertextual uptake within social systems by which messages spread and transform, taking on their own viral life. By implication, the art of propaganda depends on understanding intertextually linked social systems, having the authority and power to activate those systems for replicating messages, locating diverse motives that will increase the spread, and designing messages that will reverberate in multiple systems. The appearance of social media now increases the visibility, rapidity, and intensity of these processes, making Oddo's analysis especially timely.”—Charles Bazerman,author of A Rhetoric of Literate Action“John Oddo's book takes great strides in political discourse studies, bringing together a wealth of rhetorical, sociopsychological, and critical linguistic approaches and applying them to decisive texts in the contemporary world. Exploring American discourses of the Gulf War and the War on Terror, he develops a new theory of propaganda, which provides a viable handle on several hitherto underresearched yet crucial aspects of propagandistic discourse, such as intertextuality and (forced) recontextualization.”—Piotr Cap,University of Lodz“In a period of fake news, troll factories, and WikiLeaks, John Oddo shows how propaganda circulates covertly, manipulates publics, and threatens democracy. Taking a novel approach in The Discourse of Propaganda, Oddo reveals the intertextuality of propaganda by studying some of the U.S. military’s most consequential campaigns in the Middle East.”—Shawn J. Parry-Giles,coauthor of Memories of Lincoln and the Splintering of American Political Thought“John Oddo’s The Discourse of Propaganda is a timely and provocative follow-up to his elegant Intertextuality and the 24-Hour News Cycle (2014). Grounded in discourse analysis, the book is not only a powerful argument for reconsidering the concept of “propaganda” and a persuasive analysis of the role of propaganda in the Iraq invasion public discourse, but also a useful model for methodologically robust rhetorical analysis.”—Patricia Roberts-Miller,author of Demagoguery and Democracy“A timely and thoughtful challenge to our terrifying political misinformation culture that relies on numerous sophisticated modes of deception. John Oddo makes an important distinction between democratic civic rhetoric that fights for human rights and undemocratic propaganda that reinforces power. His detailed and convincing intertextual critical analyses demonstrate the dangers of war propaganda and reveal propaganda’s tragic consequences in human suffering.”—Gae Lyn Henderson,co-editor, Propaganda and Rhetoric in Democracy: History, Theory, AnalysisTable of ContentsContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Approaching Propaganda with a Critical EyePart 1: Defining Propaganda and Historicizing America’s Wars in the Middle East1. Theorizing Propaganda: Intertextuality, Manipulation, and Power2. The Persian Gulf War and the War on Terror: A Brief HistoryPart 2: Manufacturing an Atrocity3. How the Incubator Story Became news: The Power of Performative Semiotics4. Keeping War Fever Alive: The Circulation of the Incubator StoryPart 3: Infiltrating Network News5. Message Force Multipliers: Rewarding Recontextualization6. Enacting and Entextualizing the Voice of the Expert7. The Evolution of a Talking PointPart 4: The Art of the Slogan8. “Support Our Troops” as Portable Text and Cultural Tradition9. “Support Our Troops” as Vertical and Horizontal PropagandaConclusion: War Propaganda and the Prospects for ResistanceAppendixesA Studying Discourse in ContextB Factors Facilitating Detachability and RecontextualizationC Data and Methods for Intertextual Analysis of the Incubator StoryD Transcript of Nayirah’s Performance at the HRCE Generic Components of George H. W. Bush’s Incubator AllegationsF Featured News Analysts and News BroadcastsG Incentives for Recontextualizing Pro-war and Pro-government ClaimsH Analysis of Speech Act VerbsI Recurring Themes in News Analyst DiscourseJ Themes Repeated by Analysts and Administration OfficialsK Reports About Aluminum Tubes in Classified Documents and Public DiscourseNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisIn 2013, President Obama began the drawdown of troops in Afghanistan. But only a year into the withdrawal, Obama began allowing the U.S. military to resume combat operations, relying almost entirely on U.S. Special Operations forces. It was the beginning of a new, covert war.Reporter Jessica Donati shows how policy shifted, and argues that the war is undermining American interests both at home and abroad. It is eroding morale among America's most elite and most important forces and widening the disconnect between the military and the general public. This covert war fought by U.S. Special Forces is not fought as a nation, but as a secretive tool of policy.With big picture insight and on-the-ground grit, Donati argues that U.S. foreign policy and reliance upon covert warfare is allowing Afghanistan to continue as a safe-haven for extremist groups, and become more susceptible to foreign powers like China and Russia. As Afghanistan becomes more unstable, America will continue to fight a full-blown war with no end in sight.

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Book SynopsisSean Naylor is a senior writer for the Army Times. He has covered the Afghan mujahideen's war against the Soviets, and American military operations in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Named one of the 22 "unsung" influential print reporters in Washington by American Journalism Review in May 2002, he earned the White House Correspondents' Association's prestigious Edgar A. Poe Award for his coverage of Operation Anaconda.

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Book SynopsisWhile the F105 Thunderchief was the USAF's principal strike weapon during the Rolling Thunder campaign, the US Navy relied on the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk for the majority of its strikes on North Vietnam. The Skyhawk entered service in 1956 and remained in continuous production for 26 years. Throughout Operation Rolling Thunder it was the US Navy's principal daytime light strike bomber, remaining in use after its replacement, the more sophisticated A-7 Corsair II, began to appear in December 1967. During the 196568 Rolling Thunder period, up to five attack carriers regularly launched A-4 strike formations against North Vietnam. These formations faced an ever-expanding and increasingly coordinated Soviet-style network of anti-aircraft artillery missiles and fighters. Skyhawk pilots were often given the hazardous task of attacking anti-aircraft defences and to improve accuracy, they initially dropped ordnance below 3000 ft in a 30-degree dive in order to bomb vTrade ReviewI highly recommend this book to any A-4 enthusiasts, Vietnam War historians, and any readers who want to look at a comparison between two types of weapon systems in more recent military history. -- Todd Shughart * Aviation News Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Design and Development Technical Specifications The Strategic Situation The Combatants Combat Statistics and Analysis Aftermath Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisEagle pilot Rick “Kluso” Tollini’s life has embodied childhood dreams and the reality of what the American experience could produce. In his memoir, Call Sign Kluso, Rick puts the fraught minutes above the Iraqi desert that made him an ace into the context of a full life; exploring how he came to be flying a F-15C in Desert Storm, and how that day became a pivotal moment in his life.Rick’s first experience of flying was in a Piper PA-18 over 1960s’ California as a small boy, and his love of flying through his teenage years was fostered by his pilot father, eventually blossoming into a decision to join the Air Force as a pilot in his late twenties. Having trained to fly jets he was assigned to fly the F-15 Eagle with the “Dirty Dozen,” the 12th Tactical Fighter Squadron, at Kadena AB, Japan before returning Stateside to the 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron “The Gorillas.” Throughout training Reagan’s fighter pilots expected to face was the Soviet Union, but Rick’s first combat deployment was Desert Storm. He recounts the planning, the preparation, and the missions, the life of a fighter pilot in a combat zone and the reality of combat. Rick’s aerial victory was one of 16 accumulated by the Gorillas, the most by any squadron during Desert Storm.Returning from the combat skies of Iraq, Rick continued a successful fulfilling Air Force career until, struggling to make sense of his life, he turned to Buddhism. His practice led him to leave the Air Force, to find a new vocation, and to finally come to terms with shooting down that MiG-25 Foxbat in the desert all those years before. Most importantly, he came to a deeper understanding of the importance of our shared humanity.Trade ReviewI highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what flying the F-15 Eagle was like, what life on a fighter squadron is like, and anyone with an interest in Cold War aviation or Desert Storm air combat. This is a book you will not be able to put down once you are strapped in the cockpit with KLUSO! * Aviation Enthusiast Book Club *…without doubt one of the more honest and approachable modern fighter pilot accounts you are likely to find. * Flight Line Book Review 08/11/2021 *Table of ContentsForeword Chapter 1 The Wonder Years Chapter 2 Middlefield Avenue Chapter 3 SJSU Chapter 4 OTS and Chandler, AZ Chapter 5 The Dirty Dozen Chapter 6 The Gorillas Chapter 7 Tabuk Chapter 8 DESERT STORM Chapter 9 Return to the Dozen Chapter 10 The Long and Winding Road Chapter 11 The Buddha and The Fighter Pilot Prologue Final thoughts on what it means to be a “fighter pilot”

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Book SynopsisA look at North Korea''s secretive military detailing its unique weaponry, doctrines, and modernization efforts.Modernity has lifted the obsessive veil of secrecy in military innovation in all but one country: North Korea. With both its past and present a mystery, there exists little reliable information on one of the most exotic armed forces in the world today. Having essentially run aground its entire economy for the twin purposes of Juche (self-reliance) and Songun (military first), the DPRK today fields a uniquely diverse inventory of indigenous weaponry, and adheres to a military doctrine unlike any other. This highly unconventional situation is simultaneously one of the most precarious in the world, with the possibility of conflict ever looming on the horizon. To many, North Korea has become synonymous with the threat of nuclear war, having seen ballistic missiles soar and the ground tremble under a succession of escalating strategic weapons tests. The international focus on this topic has resulted in an imbalance of information, where its equally significant and numerically vast conventional forces are typically ignored. More than just posing a threat in its immense proportions however, the KPA remains a force to reckoned with due to a continuing drive for modernization, that though struggling under the pressure of a defunct economy appears to be serious in scope and realism. Any assessment of its abilities that omits such developments is invariably inaccurate, and with literature sparse and available sources often disseminating misinformation more than anything else, there is no definitive framework for placing new information about the KPA?s ground forces in its proper context. This book aims to provide precisely such a framework by setting out its history in detail and mapping pretty much all there is to know about the DPRK?s current military endeavors. This comprehensive information is accompanied by well over 150 unique images, most of which have never been seen by the general public. Furthermore, sixteen gorgeous artworks provide a better look at those armaments that have managed to evade getting caught on camera, or that deserve being highlighted in perfect detail. Subsequently published volumes will complete a small series on North Korea?s elusive military, giving both the casual reader as well as those with a professional interest a complete overview of even the most secretive aspects of a military that is unlike any other.

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