Military history: post-WW2 conflicts Books

Book SynopsisThe Thunderbolts of VMFA-251 were reactivated as a Marine Air Reserve squadron in 1946. Their Cold War only included a few weeks of traditional combat operations face=Calibri>– in Korea – but they would undertake constant training exercises and deployments from 1946 to 1991 as they prepared for a potential war against the USSR or China, the two giants of Communism. From South Korea to Norway to Turkey and points in between, the Thunderbolts found themselves defending the free world and living up to their motto, Custos Caelorum.Following the end of the Korean War, the squadron remained in the Far East until 1956. Back in the States it began flying the FJ-3 Fury, a jet fighter, before converting to its first supersonic fighter, the F-8U “Crusader”. In early 1962, it was the first Marine F-8 squadron to deploy aboard an aircraft carrier, as part of CVW-10 (Carrier Air Wing) aboard the USS Shangri-La. During deployment in the Mediterranean Sea, the squadron set a record for the most flight time in one month for a Sixth Fleet-based F-8 squadron by flying over 500 hours. In 1964, the Thunderbolts were the first Marine squadron in 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing to transition to the F-4B “Phantom II,” which they would fly for 21 years and 80,000 flight hours, until transitioning to the F/A-18 “Hornet” in 1987.These deployments and exercises, while not “at war,” were not without dangers. The Thunderbolts lost many personnel and aircraft, but they persevered as the armed forces of freedom-loving nations faced the ongoing threat of communism for over four decades. Compiled from archive records and interviews by a veteran of VMFA-251, this account narrates how the Thunderbolts worked hard to maintain the peace. They were indeed Custodians of the Sky.Table of ContentsChapter One: A Recap of World War II Chapter Two: Reactivation Chapter Three: The Korean War Chapter Four: Keeping the Peace Chapter Five: The Jet Age Begins Chapter Six: The Phantom Years Chapter Seven: The Fall of the Iron Curtain Appendices

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Book SynopsisIn late 1971, the People's Army of Vietnam launched Campaign 'Z' into northern Laos, escalating the war in Laos with the aim of defeating the last Royal Lao Army troops. The NVA troops numbered 27,000 and brought with them 130mm field guns and T-34 tanks, while the North Vietnamese air force launched MiG-21s into Lao air space. General Giap's specific orders to this task force were to kill the CIA army under command of the Hmong war lord Vang Pao and occupy its field headquarters in the Long Tieng valley of northeast Laos.They faced the rag-tag army of Vang Pao, fewer than 6,000 strong and mostly Thai irregulars, recruited by the Thai army to fight for the CIA in Laos. By the time the NVA launched their first attack, 4,000 Tahan Sua Pran had been recruited, armed, trained and rushed in position in Laos to defend against the impending NVA invasion. They reinforced Vang Pao's indigenous army of 1,800 Lao hillstribe guerrillas.Despite the odds being overwhelmingly in the NVA's favour, the battle did not go to plan. It raged for more than 100 days, the longest in the Vietnam War, and it all came down to Skyline Ridge. As at Dien Bien Phu, whoever won Skyline, won Laos. Against all odds, against all WDC expectations, the NVA lost, their 27,000-man invasion force decimated.James Parker served in Laos. Over many years he pieced together his own knowledge with CIA files and North Vietnamese after-action reports in order to tell the full story of the battle of Skyline Ridge.

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Book SynopsisMichael Crescenz grew up in one of Philadelphia’s booming post-war Catholic neighbourhoods, distinguishing himself early on as a leader, brother and friend who fearlessly rose to the defense of others in need. The second of six sons born to a World War II veteran, Michael was known for his big smile, athletic abilities, toughness and fierce competitive spirit. Growing up, Michael’s world revolved around his family, parish, local playgrounds, and the bustling Catholic schools he attended from first grade through high school graduation. All these influences shaped the man he would become – the one who felt a sense of duty to serve his country and enlisted in the U.S. Army to do his part during the Vietnam War.He was in Vietnam barely two months when his unit, the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry, was sent into battle against deeply entrenched enemy forces on Nui Chom Mountain, the fortress in the clouds tucked away in the far northwest corner of South Vietnam near the borders with North Vietnam and Laos. Commanders knew they were in for a fight, but didn’t know the enemy had more than 250 machine gun bunkers deployed along the mountain’s slopes. On November 20, 1968, Alpha Company was ambushed on the wet jungle mountainside, the NVA taking down the two men up front and pinning down the rest with relentless fire.Thinking first of the danger to those around him, Private First Class Michael J. Crescenz picked up an M60 machine gun and charged the enemy bunkers. He did not survive but his actions saved the lives of his fellow soldiers and allowed them to advance and ultimately prevail. For his valour and sacrifice, Michael was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.No Greater Love tells this story from the perspective of those who loved Michael Crescenz most, close friends, family, Michael’s commanding officer in Vietnam, retired Lieutenant General Sam Wetzel, and medic William 'Doc' Stafford, the soldier closest to Michael when he was cut down by enemy fire, and who believes to this day that he survived Nui Chom only because of the selfless actions of Private First Class Crescenz.Trade ReviewA true biography … No Greater Love will stay with you after the last page. * Broad Street Review *The book’s array of excellent color photographs adds additional distinction to Michael’s short life. * The VVA Veteran 26/10/2022 *We highly recommend you read this tremendous story of service, sacrifice, and valour. * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 02/11/2022 *Michael’s valour, loyalty and tenacity on the November, 20, 1968, saved the rest of his entire company by silencing the well-entrenched enemy without hesitation or regard for his own life. He will never be forgotten. * Tom Roberts, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam veteran *Nothing about Michael’s heroism surprised those who knew him. His strength of character was built at home, and on the streets and playing fields of Philadelphia. Michael hated bullies and he never backed down. It was this part of him that I imagine spurred him to say “enough of this” and charge those bunkers. * Tom Gosse, Captain, U.S. Army infantry, neighbourhood friend of Michael Crescenz *This timely book illustrates how our heroes come from many backgrounds and social strata. Michael Crescenz was one of many Americans whose family also served our nation in several conflicts with honor, dignity and heroism. * Colin D. Heaton, author and historian *I like the flow of the book. I can close my eyes and see the battle all over again. Thanks for doing such an amazing job. * William “Doc” Stafford, combat medic, 4/31 Infantry, whose life was saved by Michael Crescenz *Through the words of family and friends, the authors have painted a vivid and moving picture of an early life in 1950s and 1960s Philadelphia that created the foundation for Michael Crescenz’s selfless act of extraordinary heroism. Add the sacred bond that existed among the soldiers of 4-31 Infantry, and one can understand why, amid the fiery hell of close ground combat, Michael Crescenz rose to confront and silence the entrenched enemy gunners who were killing and wounding his buddies. * John F. Dolan, Former Commander, Alpha Company, 4/31 Infantry *Table of ContentsChapter I: Fortress in the Clouds Chapter II: Family Chapter III: Community Chapter IV: Call to Service Chapter V: Battle of Nui Chom Mountain Chapter VI: Medal of Honor Chapter VII: White House Chapter VIII: Arlington Chapter IX: VA Hospital Chapter X: Legacy

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Book Synopsis"If you want to know about war, Keith Nightingale is your man." Tom Ricks, Pulitzer-Prize winning military correspondent.Keith Nightingale’s accomplishments in both military and civilian life contribute the unusual depth as well as breadth of this Vietnam memoir. He was American advisor to elite Vietnamese troops, a vital perspective regrettably underrepresented in the literature of Vietnam. He brings to this book his well-informed considerations of enemy psychology, and insight into the dedication and often misunderstood role of the elite Vietnamese Ranger forces. The intelligence acquired from debriefing captured Rangers was significant – their captors had told them that the entire battle had been a carefully staged attack planned by COSVN as part of a larger ‘Total War’ strategy developed by the leadership of the North Vietnamese Army. Also included is his own eye-witness account of one of the most vicious – and heretofore forgotten – battles of the war.Throughout Nightingale adopts a third-person perspective in order to give the reader a wider view on events, and from all sides of the conflict. Examples of these multi-layered perspectives – based on real-life characters he met – include: Hu, a VC ‘informant’ whose false information led the Rangers straight into the jaws of a ferocious ambush; General Tanh, the COSVN commander; Major Nguyen Hiep, the 52d Ranger Commander; and Ranger Prisoners of War, later returned by the North.The result is an intense and thought-provoking memoir, reflecting close combat on the ground in Vietnam – one which targets our senses with the sights, sounds, textures, and even the tastes of war – but also leaves us with an enduring appreciation of the conflict from all sides.

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Book SynopsisCourage Under Fire is the first book published about Operation Lamar Plain. After 50 years, the story of the renowned 101st Airborne's major offensive near Tam Ky, South Vietnam remains largely unknown. Fighting at Tam Ky by the 1st Brigade began 15 May 1969 while the 101st's 3rd Brigade battled on Hamburger Hill. The political consequences of Hamburger Hill's high casualties caused Lamar Plain and its high casualties to remain classified and undisclosed. Decades later, the fighting at Tam Ky is mostly forgotten except by those who fought there.Sherwood's superb research of now declassified records uncovers how such a large battle could remain hidden and undisclosed. But that is not the heart of his story. His focus is on the courage and commitment of the young infantry soldiers who fought. Many were sons of WWII and Korean War veterans. They had a legacy to uphold - to honour their families, the 101st Airborne, and their nation. Most of all in the crux of battle, they would not let their fellow soldiers down.Courage Under Fire uses actual battle records and eyewitness accounts to follow "Never Quit" Delta Company and its sister companies through 28 days of continuous combat at Tam Ky. Delta Company's young infantry soldiers live up to their motto despite increasing casualties, a tough enemy, harsh battlefield conditions, and loss of leaders. For all who fought at Tam Ky, their bravery and devotion to duty in an increasingly unpopular war is worthy to be remembered. With veterans of Tam Ky now growing older and fewer in number, it is past time to tell their story.Trade ReviewThis is a fantastic book and certainly one that is well researched and presented. It is clear that that author was passionate in getting the details right at all levels and it is a fitting tribute to the soldiers who fought and died in this battle. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about Operation Lamar Plain or what it was like in an American infantry company fighting in the Vietnam War. * Aviation Enthusiast Book Club *Table of ContentsForeword The Infantryman’s Creed Preface Acknowledgements Prologue Introduction: Into the Fray Part 1 Combat Operations Before Tam Ky, 1 March–15 May 1969 Chapter 1 Hue and Beyond, 1 March–11 April Chapter 2 The A Shau Valley, 12 April–15 May Part 2 Initial Combat Operations at Tam Ky, 15 May–2 June 1969 Chapter 3 Arrival and First Combat Assault, 15–16 May Chapter 4 Finding the Enemy, 17–20 May Chapter 5 A Brutal Day-Long Engagement, 21 May Chapter 6 Recovery and Review, 21–22 May Chapter 7 Follow-on Operations, 23–30 May Chapter 8 A Broken Cease Fire, 31 May Chapter 9 Change of Command, 1–2 June Part 3 The Decisive Battle at Tam Ky, 3–12 June 1969 Chapter 10 Hill 376: The Final Challenge Chapter 11 Combat Assault and First Contact, 3–4 June Chapter 12 Trouble on the Hill, 5 June Chapter 13 The Move to the Top, 6 June Chapter 14 Nearing the Top, 7 June Chapter 15 Unexpected Setbacks, 8 June Chapter 16 Turning Point, 9 June Chapter 17 Aftermath, 10 June Chapter 18 Coming Off the Hill, 11 June Chapter 19 Extraction, 12 June Chapter 20 Final Thoughts on Hill 376 and Tam Ky Epilogue Looking Back Over 50 Years Later Appendix 1 Operation Lamar Plain: A Hidden and Almost Forgotten Battle Appendix 2 The Enemy at Tam Ky Appendix 3 Organization for Combat at Tam Ky Appendix 4 Delta Company Soldiers Appendix 5 Delta Soldiers Killed in Action, 1 March–15 August 1969 Appendix 6 1-501st Medics Killed in Action, 1 March–15 August 1969 Appendix 7 PTSD and Agent Orange Appendix 8 Life After Vietnam Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations Bibliography Endnotes Index

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Book SynopsisFinalist, 2020 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing AwardsSelected in 2005 by the Army to be the first airborne reconnaissance squadron, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, better known as 5-73 CAV, was formed from 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The members of the squadron were hand-selected by the squadron command team, Lieutenant Colonel Poppas and Command Sergeant Major Edgar. With just more than 400 paratroopers, they were half the size of a full-strength battalion and the smallest unit in the Panther Brigade.The squadron deployed to eastern Diyala in August, 2006. Despite their size, they were tasked with an enormous mission and were given the largest area of operations within the brigade. Appropriately for a unit known by the call sign of its CO – Headhunter – 5-73 would go on to pursue various terrorist factions including Al Qaeda in Iraq. They got results, and 5-73 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for launching the Turki Bowl campaign from November 2006 to January 2007 against insurgent groups in Diyala Province. However the toll would be heavy – the squadron lost twenty-two paratroopers during the deployment.Headhunter is a unique account of the War on Terror. It’s a soldier’s story, told by those very paratroopers who gallantly fought to tame Diyala. Based on dozens of interviews conducted by the author, the narrative describes the danger of combat, the loss of comrades and the struggles of returning from a deployment. The voice of the families left behind are also included, describing the challenges they faced, including the ultimate challenge – grappling with the death of a loved one. This book explores the human dimensions of loss and struggle and illustrates the sacrifices our service members and their loved ones make.Table of ContentsDedication Foreword Preface Introduction Chapter 1 Push Forward Chapter 2 Alpha Troop and Patrol Base Otis Chapter 3 AO Headhunter Chapter 4 Turki Bowl I Chapter 5 November 15, 2006 Chapter 6 November 16, 2006 Chapter 7 Stairway to Heaven Chapter 8 The Lost Boys of Alpha Mortars Chapter 9 Turki Shaping Operations Chapter 10 Turki Bowl II Chapter 11 Tightening the Noose Chapter 12 Hot Chow Chapter 13 Clear, Hold, Build Chapter 14 Operation 300 Chapter 15 Marathon Chapter 16 Troy Chapter 17 As Sadah—March 17, 2007 Chapter 18 Minotaur Chapter 19 Qubbah Chapter 20 Hardship of Loss Chapter 21 Long Shots & Landslide Chapter 22 April 7, 2007 Chapter 23 As Sadah—April 23, 2007 Chapter 24 We Regret to Inform You Chapter 25 Tim Cole Chapter 26 Olympus, Hoplite and Pericles Chapter 27 Church, Duran and Home Epilogue Endnotes Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisTank commander cadet Amir Bega is about to leave training for the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur when a surprise attack on Israel by Egyptian and Syrian forces upends this peaceful reprieve, throwing the teenager into an unexpected war. A war in which the confidence and complacency of the Israeli army led to disaster.Believing himself well-trained and the Israeli army unstoppable, Bega struggles to accept the horrifying events surrounding him. His battalion was annihilated in one of the first combats by new anti-tank weaponry. He survived and joined a reserve unit, with which he fought to stop the Egyptian army from advancing beyond the first line of defense, all through the war’s end.In this realm of death and destruction, Bega comes face to face with the conflicts between the reality of war, his core beliefs, and his basic ideology. As the war progresses, he deals with the horrific losses of both those around him and his own innocence. Tank after tank that he joins is destroyed or damaged, and he is seen as a bad omen by those still alive. Gnawed by survivor guilt, the young soldier agrees to go on a sole perilous mission to rescue an army technical unit surrounded by Egyptian commandos.This captivating first-hand account, as viewed through the eyes of the young soldier, conveys the heavy toll of the Yom Kippur War and its impact on the people of Israel. Ultimately, Undercurrent is a story about survival, friendship, humanity, duty, and honour.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Toronto - Summer 2019 Chapter 2: Shivta, Israel - Oct. 5, 1973 Chapter 3: First day of Yom Kippur War - Oct. 6, 1973 Chapter 4: Facing reality - Oct. 7, 1973 Chapter 5: Break - Oct. 8, 1973 Chapter 6: New crew - Oct. 9, 1973 Chapter 7: Can it be - Oct. 10, 1973 Chapter 8: POW - Oct. 11, 1973 Chapter 9: Repair and Maintenance return to full operation – Oct. 12-13, 1973 Chapter 10: Battle to keep our defense lines – Oct. 14, 1973 Chapter 11: Preparation for crossing the Suez Canal – Oct. 15, 1973 Chapter 12: Rest and recovery – Oct. 16, 1973 Chapter 13: Ambushed – Oct. 17, 1973 Chapter 14: The crossing – Oct. 18, 1973 Chapter 15: New tank crew – Oct. 19, 1973 Chapter 16: Anti-tank stronghold – Oct. 20, 1973 Chapter 17: Rescue – hero? I am not a hero – Oct. 22, 1973 Chapter 18: Ceasefire – Oct. 24, 1973 Chapter 20: The war is over – Oct. 26, 1973

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Book Synopsis“A comprehensively researched historic document on one year’s activities for the 9th Cav and the 1st Cavalry Division, worthy of gracing their unit libraries. That the book simultaneously succeeds on the individual soldier level makes it a standout for any reader with an interest in the airmobile aspect of the Vietnam War.” - Vietnam MagazineThe Gunner and the Grunt is written in the voices of two soldiers who fought in the same battles as members of the same recon unit but from different angles. Michael Kelley, the “Gunner,” was flying in an armed helicopter above the jungle providing suppressive fire support, while Peter Burbank, the “Grunt,” was down in the jungle on foot patrol involved in fire fights with Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army troops.The book follows these two Boston boys from army training through deployment to the war zone and the shock of first combat missions, to helicopter air assault “Search and Destroy” operations from the Cambodian border to the sands of the South China Sea.Table of ContentsPrologue: The Lost Gunship Chapter One: High School Warriors Chapter Two: Basic Combat Training, Mike Chapter Three: Helicopter School, Mike Chapter Four: Flying Shawnee Bananas, Mike Chapter Five: Guns and Rabbits, Pete Chapter Six: airborne Infantry, Pete Chapter Seven: Going to War, Mike Chapter Eight: Aero Rifle Blues Platoon,Pete Chapter Nine: Aero Weapons Red Platoon, Mike Chapter Ten: The Bong son Campaign, Mike Chapter Eleven: The Crow's Foot Battle, Mike Chapter Twelve: Aero Scout White Platoon, Mike Chapter Thirteen: Charlie Alpha Combat assault, Pete Chapter Fourteen: Hot Rod pilot, Mike Chapter Fifteen: In Memory of our Commander Epilogue: Mike Epilogue: Pete List of Major Campaigns List of Weapons of War 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Commanders 1965-1966 Air Cavalry units in Vietnam Photo Credits Selected Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe most eye-opening, and terrifying, story in Chip Reid's career as a journalist was the six weeks he spent with 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, as a correspondent for NBC News. Traveling shoulder-to-shoulder with the young Marines, he had unparalleled access, witnessing them in combat, and interviewing as many as he could persuade his bosses to put on air, allowing them to tell their war stories in their own words.It took only 22 days for the Marines of 3/5 to fight their way to Baghdad, but the effects on those who fought have lasted a lifetime. They lost a number of their own in battle, and others suffered life-threatening injuries. Of those who returned - even if they avoided physical scars - many have had to find their own way through survivor's guilt and the nightmare of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, with all its attendant miseries.Twenty years on, Chip sat down with the Marines of 3/5 once more. They told Chip inspiring stories of heroism in battle, of camaraderie and comrades lost, of patriotism and belief in mission, of recovery and success in both military and civilian life, and of the new appreciation for life that results from Post-Traumatic Growth. Visceral and searingly honest, this book is a tribute to the Marines for their service, and for the many sacrifices they made then, and that many still make today.Trade Review“Chip Reid’s Battle Scars is one Hell’va book! Reid, a CBS News National correspondent and embedded journalist with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, authored a riveting account of the 'March up' to Baghdad, Iraq in 2003. Battle Scars is Reid’s compelling personal account that captures the essence of young Marines in combat and the aftermath of their experiences twenty years later. Reid draws upon dozens of veteran interviews to tell their story in a comprehensive and exciting ground-level—in the mud—eye witness account.” —Colonel Richard D. Camp, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)“In Battle Scars, readers are treated to a vivid account of one Marine battalion’s experiences during the opening phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the style that made him a successful broadcast journalist—and endeared him to hundreds of wives, parents and children watching his daily reports during the early days of the war—Chip Reid artfully narrates the individual stories of several Marines and corpsmen who were then part of the 3d Battalion, 5th Marines. Their accounts are gripping and at times painfully sobering; their stories, like their scars, are real. Ultimately, I hope this book offers other veterans some comfort in the realization of a shared experience, and a renewed desire to live for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.” —Lieutenant General Sam MundyTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: Mr. Magoo Goes To War Part One: From Kuwait to Baghdad at the Tip of the Spear Chapter 1: The Ground War Begins Chapter 2: First Combat Chapter 3: Two Days from Hell Chapter 4: The Battle at Devil’s Ditch Chapter 5: Winning The Hearts of the Iraqi People Chapter 7: Arrival in Baghdad Part Two: Twenty Years Later Chapter 8: Consequences of Being Trained to Kill Chapter 9: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Growth Chapter 10: Marines Tell Their Stories Of PTSD and PTG Chapter 11: Marine Families Tell Their Stories of PTSD and PTG Chapter 12: Lives Transformed by the Marines Chapter 13: Marines Who Loved It So Much They Made It a Career Chapter 14: Opinions About the Iraq War Today Chapter 15: In Memory Epilogue: An Emotional Mountaintop Reunion

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Book Synopsis“DAMN THE VALLEY” was a phrase regularly uttered by the men that spent any amount of time in the Arghandab River Valley during the deployment of 2 Fury to Afghanistan in 2009–2010. The valley has claimed bodies from the troops of Alexander the Great, the British Empire, and more recently, the Russian Army. Operating in the valley was like nothing the men could have envisaged, they called it the “meat grinder.”It was a deployment that the media didn’t talk about, and the government doesn’t acknowledge. Three of the company were KIA, more than a dozen suffered life-changing injuries, and half the company had Purple Hearts – not many modern-day deployments have a 52% casualty rate. At one point, the entire prosthetics ward at Walter Reed was full of the men who patrolled that deadly area of the world. Since their return, many of the survivors have struggled to move on with their lives, and the unit has been declared at "extraordinary risk" by the Department of Veteran Affairs.This book shares the perspective of the men that were on the ground for that deployment during the fighting season of 2010face=Calibri>.

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Book SynopsisOperation Masher/White Wing targeted the regiments of the North Vietnamese Army Sao Vang Division operating in the Bong Son area in northeast Binh Dinh Province in central South Vietnam. The operation started on January 24, 1966, immediately after the Vietnamese New Year (Tet) and ended six weeks later. It was led by newly promoted Colonel Harold G. Moore, who as a lieutenant colonel commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry in the battle of Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley two months earlier.In 41 days of sustained fighting, the 1st Cav battled each of the three regiments of the Sao Vang Division, resulting in enemy losses of more than 3,000 KIA. This came at the cost of 199 Americans killed on the battlefield and 46 more who died in the crash of a U.S. Air Force C-123 aircraft en route to the battlefield, making it one of the deadliest battles of the entire Vietnam War.Operation Masher/White Wing was a success. The 1st Cav demonstrated that it had the firepower, mobility, and leadership to find the enemy and deliver a severe blow to it in terms of personnel and equipment losses and in forced evacuation from formerly “secure” base areas, seemingly proving the value of the search-and-destroy strategy.However within a few weeks, intelligence reports indicated that North Vietnamese soldiers were returning to the Bong Son area in small groups. By late April, the Sao Vang Division was back in the area in force. Operation Masher/White Wing proved to be the start of a very long and deadly struggle between the 1st Cav and North Vietnamese for control of Binh Dinh Province—multiple search & destroy operations eventually resulted in more than 9,000 enemy KIA and 2,358 enemy detained, with friendly losses of more than 1,200 KIA, 5,775 WIA, and 27 MIA. While Masher/White Wing demonstrated that search & destroy operations were very effective at the tactical level but without a high-level strategy to stop the unabated flow of fresh Communist troops and supplies into South Vietnam, it wasn’t clear just how they contributed to overall victory. At the start of 1968, General Westmoreland ordered the 1st Cav to terminate its operations in the Bong Son area, bringing the battle to a close.Table of ContentsPrologue 1. Preparing for Battle 2. Tragedy Strikes 3. Attack 4. Breakout from the Cemetery 5. A Pincer Action 6. Closing-out Phase I 7. Into the An Lao Valley 8. The Eagle’s Claw 9. Yelling Like Madmen 10. Death in a Narrow Place 11. The Iron Triangle 12. No Rest for the Weary 13. The Go Chai Mountains 14. Black Horse 15. Conclusion Appendix I: Book of Honor Appendix II: Memorandum Requesting Name Change Appendix III: Citations and Award Bibliography Historical Documents Glossary

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Book SynopsisWith a new century and a new enemy came a new kind of war: low intensity and civilian-dominated, blending austere rural and dense urban environments alike. Into this new kind of war, the American military launched two invasions against terrorist networks and military rivals, relying on airpower—close air support (CAS)—at a scale never before seen in combat.The Global War on Terror was the “CAS war.” Forward Air Controllers were on the front lines from the very first moments of the war, directing airstrikes against enemies in their safe havens, safeguarding friendly forces and civilians alike to their utmost, and achieving unprecedented success with limited resources. This volume captures the heroic accounts of the first Tactical Air Control Party (TACPs) in Afghanistan and Iraq, and how Close Air Support fundamentally reshaped the American war machine in the first five years of the War on Terror.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction PART I: Retribution Afghanistan: 2001–2003 1 Into the graveyard of empires 2 Ancient roads to a New War 3 Rearranging God’s furniture 4 Know thine enemy PART II: A New World War Iraq: 2003 5 The Pivot 6 Shock and Awe 7 Chasing Saddam 8 Dragging a nation out of a war Part III: Evolving the Machine Two distinct Wars: 2004-2006 9 Building a global architecture. 10 In Iraq's shadow 11 Rebuilding in ashes 12 Digitally aided Close Air Support Afterword: Scratching the surface

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Book SynopsisAt a time when the United States debates how deeply to involve itself in Iraq and Syria, Lt. Col. Michael Zacchea, USMC (ret.), holds a unique vantage point on our still-ongoing war. Deployed to Iraq in March 2004, his team’s mission was to build, train, and lead in combat the first Iraqi army battalion trained by the US military. Zacchea tells a deeply personal and powerful story while shedding light on the dangerous pitfalls of training foreign troops to fight murderous insurgents. The Ragged Edge is the first American military memoir out of Iraq or Syria that features complex Arab and Kurdish characters and that intimately explores their culture and politics in a dispassionate way. Zacchea’s invaluable lessons about Americans working with Arabs and Kurds to fight insurgency and terrorism come precisely when such wartime collaboration is happening more than at any time in US history.Trade Review"Michael Zacchea and Ted Kemp have written a superb account of the efforts to build an Iraqi Army from scratch. This is a book rich in lessons and emotions. Every commander-in-chief contemplating intervention should read this." General Anthony C. Zinni USMC (Retired), former commander of U.S. Central Command, author of The Battle for Peace and Before the First Shots Are Fired

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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 Synopsis"I looked around my cell and saw the sheet of paper taped to the door at chest height. It listed everything in the room, chair, bed, soldier box . For a moment I thought it meant the cell itself; a box to put soldiers in."When the War on Terror began, Briton Joe Glenton felt compelled to serve his nation. He passed through basic training and deployed to Afghanistan in 2006. What he saw overseas left him disillusioned, and he returned home increasingly political and manifesting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.When he refused to return for a second tour, he was denied his right to object and called "a coward and a malingerer." He went absent without leave and left the country, returning later to the UK voluntarily to campaign against the wars. The military accused him of desertion and threatened years in prison. Soldier Box tells the story of Glenton's extraordinary journey from a promising soldier to a rebel against what he came to see as unjustified military action.Trade ReviewIt takes as much courage to stand up against the Army as it does to go to war. History is made by people prepared to make that kind of sacrifice. -- Tony Benn, former British Member of ParliamentJoe Glenton is the really brave soldier: the one who refused to fight in an unjust war and suffered imprisonment as a result. Above the sound of gunfire it is his story that deserves to be heard. -- John Rees, cofounder of the Stop the War Coalition

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Book SynopsisWhen the French government passed a ban on the veil in 2011, surprisingly few French feminists spoke out against the racist measure. Christine Delphy--the sociologist who Simone de Beauvoir once described as "France's most exciting feminist writer"--was one of the notable few. Castigating humanitarian liberals for demanding cultural assimilation of the women they were purporting to "save," Delphy showed how criminalizing Islam in the name of feminism was fundamentally paradoxical. Dominating Others is Delphy's manifesto against this tendency, and for a fluid understanding of political identity that does not place different political struggles in a false opposition. Dismantling the absurd claim that Afghanistan was invaded to save women, alongside the notion that homosexuals and immigrants alike should reserve their self-expression for private settings, Dominating Others is a call for a true universalism that sacrifices no one at the expense of others.Trade ReviewFrance's most exciting feminist writer. -- Simone de Beauvoir

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Book SynopsisWhy do politicians send troops to foreign soil, to fight battles they rarely win? Is it old-fashioned imperialism tainted with a crusader complex? Or is the West a partisan for the helpless? The fall of the Soviet Union left the West aimless. With no conflicting dogma to reinforce its sense of justice the West assumed the role of global policeman - aid graduated from charitable to economic and, finally, military. Ideological struggle was replaced by a vague and confused concept of international justice, shrouded in real-politik. Yet scepticism now pervades the interventionist debate. Simon Jenkins traces the rise of 'liberal interventionism' from Kosovo and the 'war on terror' to present day conflicts in Libya, Syria and Ukraine, asking: what can we learn from the miscalculations, mistakes, and mendacity of 'the age of intervention'? As ISIS sweeps through Middle-East, calls for a military solution are increasing. By exposing interventionist rhetoric and highlighting past mistakes, Jenkins gives us an invaluable contribution to the active and essential debate on the West's role in global conflicts.Trade Review'A rare and intriguing voyage. Most of us would not dare to do what Simon Jenkins has done, revisit what he wrote of still current issues. Too often journalists turn out to be right in their reporting, and the decision makers prove to be wrong. Here's a book that proves it' - Jon Snow; 'stimulating' - Richard Norton-Taylor, The Guardian; 'both intelligent and informative' - Douglas Alexander, New Statesman; 'one can never have enough of Sir Simon Jenkins...many of Jenkins's criticisms of Western intervention are...compelling.' - Michael Burleigh, Literary Review; 'This is no doubt a book well worth reading regardless of agreement or disagreement with Jenkins' views. At times his writing is deeply prophetic and is a shocking gut punch of a read and a reminder of the many, many mistakes made in our recent past that have brought us to the current quagmire we face.' - Chris Murray, The Defence ReportTable of ContentsPreface Introduction1 Into Yugoslavia 2 Marking Time: Interlude in Sierra Leone 3 Eruption: Nine Eleven 4 Into Afghanistan 5 Back to Iraq6 Iraq: The Big One 7 Iraq: Aftermath Part One 8 Iraq: Aftermath Goes Steady State 9 Return to Afghanistan 10 Endgame Eludes Iraq, Again 11 Intervention Goes Viral: Tehran, Kabul, Baghdad,Rangoon, Harare 12 The Age of Endgames 13 Springtime in Libya 14 Aftermath: Syria, Yemen, Mali, Ukraine Epilogue Index

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1995, the Bosnian town of Gorazde, found itself under attack from Serbian forces despite being designated a Safe Area by the United Nations. Members of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, sent to the area as UN Peacekeepers, began to be taken hostage. Richard Westley, then a thirty-three year old Major, knew he had to act quickly and decisively to have any chance of saving the lives of Gorazde’s 45,000 inhabitants. That he did, and was awarded a Military Cross for his gallantry and leadership.Richard’s reflections on a horrendous period of modern history are harrowing and unforgettable. However, they are also human, from the gallows humour of the SAS troop to his recollections of the friendship with Selma, a female Muslim interpreter, which sustained him. Two decades on, his story is as relevant as ever, and serves as a true warning about what can happen when the world fails to react with sufficient collective strength.

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Book SynopsisNone of Us Were Like This Before recounts the dark journey of a tank battalion as its focus switched from conventional military duties to guerilla warfare and prisoner detention. Author Joshua E. S. Phillips tells a story of ordinary soldiers, ill trained for the responsibilities foisted upon them, who descended into a cycle of degradation that led to the abuse of detainees. The book illustrates that the damaging legacy of torture is borne not only by the detainees, but also by American soldiers and the country to which they have returned.Trade ReviewThe stories contained in this book reveal how brave American service members tried to stop torture and abuse-often at the expense of their careers and their lives. Their sacrifice and the losses that they incurred are absorbed by all of us as a nation. -- Daniel EllsbergThis is an important book showing the damage abuse does to the torturers as well as to their victims ... Phillips's message is that we most need the rules banning torture when we most want to break them. -- Oliver Bullough * Independent *A serious, comprehensive effort to examine how torture and abuse, once embarked upon, damage the torturer and abuser as well as the tortured and abused. -- Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin PowellA deeply personal story of a generation of American soldiers plunged into conflict after September 11. Joshua Phillips tells these brave Americans' stories with compassion and vivid detail. -- Senator John F. KerryJoshua Phillips brings much needed close reporting to the question of American torture. He reveals much about the interaction of 'lower down' and 'higher up' behavior, always including permission or encouragement from above. The book also suggests the psychological toll on those who torture, and is an important contribution to American reckoning with a dark moment in our history. -- Robert Jay Lifton * Witness to an Extreme Century: A Memoir *Joshua Phillips's incredible work in documenting the experience of soldiers who detained and interrogated detainees reflects the huge dilemma and consequences of their actions. His book is about accountability where senior leaders in the military and in the highest level of government failed to account for their actions, failed to protect soldiers who expected clear instructions, and failed the nation in preventing torture and abuse of the enemy. This led to Abu Ghraib-an epic tragedy in American history. -- Major General Antonio Taguba, author of the Taguba ReportA shocking read about a hidden chapter of the US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. -- Deborah Amos * NPR *Basing his work on extensive interviews, [Phillips] details how ordinary American troops participated in the torture of enemy soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. * San Francisco Chronicle *A masterwork of narrative nonfiction. -- Chris Lombardi * Guernica *Phillips shows that the recourse to blaming a 'few bad apples' should be recognised as a disgraceful, face-saving fiction. -- David Simpson * London Review of Books *A tour de force of investigative journalism. -- Eamonn McCann * Belfast Telegraph *This shattering book is a journey into the heart of American darkness. What Joshua Phillips makes shockingly clear is that the misbehavior of some of our best soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan came about because of a failure of military leadership and because political leaders lacked the courage to admit the word 'torture.' -- Richard Rodriguez, author of Brown: The Last Discovery of AmericaThose who authorized torture and defend it don't want to talk about this. They took honorable, patriotic young soldiers and convinced them to sacrifice the very principles that they had signed up to defend. That paradox is what Phillips investigates and brings to light. And he does it with the utmost respect for the soldiers. * Huffington Post *Phillips' book remains the first and best heartbreaking tale not only of the abuses taking place within our military prisons, but also the negative, long term and in many cases fatal psychological affects it is having on both interrogating soldiers and interrogated enemy prisoners of war ... [An] outstanding book [and] a necessary read for all. -- Kristina Brown and Paul Sullivan * Veterans for Common Sense *None of Us Were Like This Before is a model of conscientious reporting on a volatile subject-the torture of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers. His ethical and compassionate approach is an act of citizenship. -- Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams and Crossing Open GroundThere are many things in this book that are fascinating and generally unknown. One is that these soldiers were afraid to report what they had seen and done ... but without reporting it they couldn't receive any medical help for their trauma. -- Darius Rejali, author of Torture and DemocracyThe causes and consequences of systematic abuse and torture are all explored by Joshua Phillips through a careful but searing narrative. -- Dominic Alexander * Counterfire *A fascinating yet distressing account of how the use of torture and abusive techniques on prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan affected the lives of American soldiers who found themselves caught up in it. Far from neglecting the suffering of the victims, Phillips, through meticulous research, also brings home the full horror of the war crimes inflicted upon the citizens of the occupied nations. -- Craig Hawes * Gulf News *Joshua Phillips' book shows that America's leaders were wrong. * National *None of Us Were Like This Before ... is an important [book]. * Foreign Policy *

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Book SynopsisThe Vietnam War placed unexpected demands upon American military forces and equipment. The principal US naval fighter, the McDonnell F-4 Phantom, had originally been designed to defend the Fleet from air attack at long range. However, its tremendous power and bomb-carrying capacity made it an obvious candidate for the attack mission in Vietnam from 1965 onwards. Its opponent was the MiG-17, a direct descendant of the MiG-15, which had given USAF Sabre jets a hard fight in the Korean War. This book brings to life their dangerous duels and includes detailed cockpit views and other specially commissioned artwork to highlight the benefits and shortcomings of each plane type. It was in the skies over Vietnam that many of the techniques of air combat evolved as pilots learned how to use and to defeat supersonic fighters for the first time.Table of ContentsIntroduction · Chronology · Strategic situation· Design & Development · Technical Specifications · Combatants · Combat:· Analysis: · Conclusion · Bibliography and further reading list

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Book SynopsisCalled to action on 2 April 1982, the men of 45 Commando Royal Marines assembled from around the world to sail 8,000 miles to recover the Falkland Islands from Argentine invasion. Lacking helicopters and short of food, they yomped in appalling weather carrying overloaded rucksacks, across the roughest terrain. Yet for a month in mid-winter, they remained a cohesive fighting-fit body of men. They then fought and won the highly successful and fierce night battle for Two Sisters, a 1,000 foot high mountain which was the key to the defensive positions around Stanley. This is a first hand story of that epic feat, but it is much more than that. The first to be written by a company commander in the Falklands War, the book gives a compelling, vivid description of the yomp and infantry fighting, and it also offers penetrating insights into the realities of war at higher levels. It is a unique combination of descriptive writing about frontline fighting and wider reflections on the Falklands War, and conflict in general. Gritty and moving; sophisticated, reflective and funny, this book offers an abundance of timeless truths about war. Postscript: Yomping was the word used by the Commandos for carrying heavy loads on long marches. It caught the publics imagination during this short but bitter campaign and epitomised the grim determination and professionalism of our troops.Trade ReviewThis wise, beautifully written book has many excellent photographs. Highly recommended. - The Naval Review Ian Gardiner provides a vivid insight into the conflict and not just into strategy, tactics and the actual fighting. What are most revealing are the human touches - the small things that made life miserable or bearable. In his book Ian Gardiner paints a fascinating picture of the Royal Marines at a pivitol point in their history. This is an excellently written volume which I strongly recommend. - Warship World A cerebral Scot who retired as a brigadier, the author is as brilliant at explaining the strategic complexities of the campaign as he is at allowing the reader to experience what it really felt like to be invloved in an unending battle with the elements and against an enemy whose will needed to be broken if the war was to be won. He is generous in his praise of other units, where praise is due, but never shirks from criticism where it is needed. This book maintains the extremely high standards of detail, interest and readability that the author achieved in his first two books. - Guards Magazine

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Book SynopsisThe first six months of the war in Afghanistan were incredibly confused. Few journalists or civilians had access to the main events and the result was the creation of many urban myths that persist to this day. This book reveals the truth behind Operation Enduring Freedom, its objectives, successes, failures and consequences. Tim Ripley has discovered what actually happened in the first six months of this US-led intervention. He reveals the clandestine US and UK reconnaissance efforts before hostilities commenced on 7 October 2001, secret US UAV and drone operations, RAF Canberra and U-2 spy flights and details of initial combat between Taliban and Northern Alliance ground forces.This is a definitive account of the first six months of the military campaign in Afghanistan that saw the initial air and special drive to unseat the Taliban regime, the launching of search and destroy operations to hunt down Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda organisation and the setting up of President Humid Karzai's government in Kabul. These events were the catalyst for the subsequent and continuing war in that far-off troubled land.Trade ReviewA well-balanced account of the American campaign to topple the Taliban and disrupt or destroy Al Qaeda. Overall this is a useful, well balanced and well organised history of a recent war that is still having a big impact. WWW.HISTORYOFWAR.ORG

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Book SynopsisFirst published for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the fall of Saigon, this unique two-volume anthology from the Library of America evokes a turbulent and controversial period in American history and journalism. Reporting Vietnam Part Two: American Journalism 1969–1975, along with its companion volume, captures the bravery, fear, cruelty, suffering, anger, and sorrow of a tragic conflict. This second volume traces events from the revelation of the My Lai massacre in 1969 through the fall of Saigon in 1975. Here are Peter Kann on the ambiguities of pacification; Gloria Emerson on the South Vietnamese debacle in Laos; Donald Kirk on declining American morale; Sydney Schanberg on the fall of Phnom Penh and the victory of the Khmer Rouge; Philip Caputo, Keyes Beech, Peter Arnett, and Malcolm Browne on the last days of South Vietnam.Writers who observed the turmoil in the United States are included as well: Francine du Plessis Gray on factions within the protest movement; Michael Kinsley recounting a confrontation between Henry Kissinger and his Harvard colleagues; James Michener meticulously reconstructing the Kent State shootings; Doris Kearns listening to Lyndon Johnson’s anguished recollections; Hunter S. Thompson watching veterans protest Richard Nixon’s renomination.Included in full is Dispatches, journalist Michael Herr’s acclaimed impressionistic memoir of his immersion in the exhilaration, dread, and sorrow of the Vietnam War.This volume contains a detailed chronology of the war, historical maps, biographical profiles of the journalists, explanatory notes, a glossary of military terms, an index, and a 32-page insert of photographs of the correspondents, many from private collections and never before seen.LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.Trade Review“I could quote these pieces forever. They are remarkable, and The Library of America has again produced a tremendous collection.” —American Journalism Review

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Book SynopsisThe scrapping of the Nimrod programme has been one of the most controversial events in the military aviation world for many a year. For most of its operational life, from 1969 to date, its contribution to the defence of the realm and its role in offensive duties was, of necessity, often shrouded in secrecy. It was the ‘eye in the sky’ which was absolutely vital to a host of activities – from anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, to support of land battles throughout the world, to the Falklands campaign, to combating drug-running, the Nimrod’s unsung role was paramount. And now the UK is bereft of such a multi-tasking reconnaissance aircraft. The full story of the Nimrod, and its significance, has now been told. Tony Blackman, who was there at the beginning, test-flew nearly every aircraft and was at Kinloss on the very day the project was cancelled, has written this timely book, covering every facet of its history, its weapons system developments and its tragic accidents. He writes in an approachable way, making technical subjects understandable but his conclusions will, inevitably, not be welcomed by everyone.

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Book SynopsisNimrod Boys is a complementary book to Nimrod Rise and Fall from acclaimed author Tony Blackman. It is a collection of over twenty first-hand accounts of operating the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod – an aircraft which served at the forefront of the Cold War. As the first jet-powered maritime aircraft, it could reach critical points for rescues or for operational requirements in rapid time. Its outstanding navigation and electronics systems also allowed the Nimrod to be a first-class machine in anti-submarine warfare. The book focuses on the Nimrod’s UK-based and worldwide operations. With detailed accounts of the Nimrod’s role during the Falklands Campaign and in later conflicts such as the First Gulf War to modern-day anti-drug smuggling operations in the Caribbean. There are also descriptions of the Nimrod’s achievements in the International Fincastle Competition – where RAF squadrons competed against counterparts from Australia, Canada and New Zealand. With a variety of perspectives on Nimrod crew life, including from a female air electronic operator, readers will find dramatic, engaging and occasionally humorous stories. One flight test observer also reflects on the cancelled Nimrod MR4 project. Nimrod Boys written by Tony Blackman with Joe Kennedy and with a foreword by AVM Andrew Roberts is more than worthy addition to the celebrated Boys series.

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Book SynopsisNam Sense is the memoir of a combat squad leader in the 101st Airborne Division. Arthur Wiknik was drafted by the army in 1969 at the age of nineteen, promoted to sergeant ‘without ever setting foot in a combat zone’, and sent to Vietnam. He was flown north to Camp Evans, a mixed-unit outpost near Phong Dien, only a few miles from Laos. Wiknik was then thrown straight into the action: he was the first man in his unit to reach the top of Hamburger Hill during one of the last offensives launched by US forces, and later discovered a weapons cache that prevented a sneak attack on his advance fire support base. Between the sporadic episodes of combat he mingled with the locals and defrauded an unwitting US supplier to provide his platoon with a year of good food. This book offers a perfect blend of candour and humour – and it spares nothing and no one in its attempt to convey what really happened during this unpopular war. Nam Sense is not about heroism, mental breakdowns and haunting flashbacks: the GIs Wiknik lived and fought with during his year-long tour were there to do their duty, support their comrades and get home alive. ‘The soldiers I knew’, explains the author, ‘demonstrated courage, principle, kindness, and friendship – all the elements found in other wars Americans have proudly fought in.’ About the AuthorARTHUR WIKNIK was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968, selected to be trained as an Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) and went to war in Vietnam.Trade ReviewThis memoir has it all. Its powerful prose sears into the reader the pathos of war-the loneliness, hopelessness, fear, anger, loathing of oneself and ones' enemy-while generating laughs, a better understanding of the Vietnam veteran, and a sense of pride in our armed forces. * AdvanceBookReviews.com *Nam Sense is written in an accessible and ironic style, whether describing whores or horrors, it provides an unflinching look at a year in the life of a Grunt in Vietnam. * Military History of the West *

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Book SynopsisVietnam is an ancient and beautiful land, with a deep history of occupational conflict that remains an enigma in Americans’ collective memory. It is still easy to forget that Vietnam is a country and not a war, even as America’s role in Vietnam inflamed and divided the American citizenry in ways that are still evident today. It is as if Vietnam’s civil war resurrected our own. And if you are a Vietnam War veteran or a family member of a vet, it’s worse, because, even after a half-century, many of the wounds won’t heal. What do you do when you have given up on forgetting? Chuck Forsman is one of a sizable number of aging Vietnam vets who have found deep satisfaction in revisiting Vietnam, supporting charities, orphanages, and clinics, doing volunteer work and more—anything to redeem what the U.S. military did there. He is also a renowned painter and photographer who depicts places and environments in ways that become unforgettable visual experiences for the contemporary viewer. Lost in Vietnam chronicles a journey, not a country. They were taken on visits averaging two months each and two-year intervals over a decade. Forsman traveled largely by motorbike throughout the country—south, central, and north—sharing his experiences through amazing photographs of Vietnam’s lands and people. His visual journey of one such veteran’s twofold quest: the one for redemption and understanding, and the other to make art. The renowned Le Ly Hayslip introduces the book and sets the table for Forsman’s incredible sojourn.

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Book SynopsisA Story of the Ongoing Struggle for Peace in Our Violent World This is the story of one man's unique journey around the world, in the name of human connection, peace, and active nonviolence. Father Harry J. Bury is a Catholic priest unlike any you have ever met. His travels through Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Costa Rica, Philippines, Africa, Palestine and Israel, span over 60 years. His life-long dedication: to interact lovingly with citizens of the world in pursuit of peace and nonviolence. His determination to help his fellow human beings put him in sometimes compromising and often dangerous situations with American law enforcement, foreign governments, and the church alike. He was: Kidnapped at gunpoint in Gaza, Arrested at the Pentagon, Chained to the gates of the American Embassy in Saigon, Participated in the release of American POWs in Vietnam, Served at the side of Mother Theresa in Calcutta,Arrested by Swiss Guards for saying Mass on the steps of theBasilica of St. Peter in Rome, and Awarded the Key to Ho Chi Minh City in gratitude for his efforts to end the war in Vietnam. Father Bury's life reads like an adventure novel. But this is not fiction. It is the testament of a life lived to make a difference. Against all odds, with unwavering faith, he carries his message of love, peace, and non-violence as a priest, political activist, and warrior for peace. Nearing his 90th year, Father Bury puts his story on paper, hoping it will inspire and encourage all who care about humankind living in peace and without violence, to carry the message, do the work, continue the struggle, and never give up.

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Book SynopsisThe war on the Eastern Front during 1941-45 was an immense struggle, running from the Barents Sea to the Caucasus Mountains. The vast distances involved forced the Soviet political-military leadership to resort to new organizational expedients in order to control operations along the extended front. These were the high commands of the directions, which were responsible for two or more fronts (army groups) and, along maritime axes, one or more fleets.In all, five high commands were created along the northwestern, western, southwestern, and North Caucasus strategic directions during 1941-42. However, the highly unfavourable strategic situation during the first year of the war, as well as interference in day-to-day operations by Stalin, severely limited the high commands' effectiveness. As a consequence, the high commands were abolished in mid-1942 and replaced by the more flexible system of supreme command representatives at the front. A High Command of Soviet Forces in the Far East was established in 1945 and oversaw the Red Army's highly effective campaign against Japanese forces in Manchuria.The Far Eastern High Command was briefly resurrected in 1947 as a response to the tense situation along the Korean peninsula and the ongoing civil war in China, but was abolished in 1953, soon after Stalin's death. Growing tensions with China brought about the recreation of the Far Eastern High Command in 1979, followed a few years later by the appearance of new high commands in Europe and South Asia. However, these new high commands did not long survive the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and were abolished a year later.The book relies almost exclusively on Soviet and post-communist archival and other sources and is the first unclassified treatment of this subject in any country, East or West.Trade Review[P]rovides valuable and original research that reveals a great deal about the Soviet Union’s military command structure during World War II, with a few important insights into the almost fifty years that followed. * Journal of Military History 11/01/2023 *The book’s lively and colorful but precise style suits its highly technical and theoretical subject matter...an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the Soviet military. * Parameters 07/12/2022 *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Imperial Antecedents 2. Soviet Antecedents 3. Organizing for War 4. The Northwestern High Command 5. The Western High Command 6. The Southwestern High Command 7. The North Caucasus High Command 8. The Stavka Representatives 9. The Far Eastern High Command 10. The Postwar High Commands Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIntervention Narratives examines the contradictory cultural representations of the US intervention in Afghanistan that help to justify an imperial foreign policy. These narratives involve projecting Afghans as brave anti-communist warriors who suffered the consequences of American disengagement with the region following the end of the Cold War, as victimized women who can be empowered through enterprise, as innocent dogs who need to be saved by US soldiers, and as terrorists who deserve punishment for 9/11. Given that much of public political life now involves affect rather than knowledge, feelings rather than facts, familiar recurring tropes of heroism, terrorism, entrepreneurship, and canine love make the war easier to comprehend and elicit sympathy for US military forces. An indictment of US policy, Bose demonstrates that contemporary imperialism operates on an ideologically diverse cultural terrain to enlist support for the war across the political spectrum. Trade Review"At a time when US hegemony is being challenged and redefined, narratives about Afghanistan - combining the threats of terrorism with the attractions of the region's economic resources - are being used to underscore American exceptionalism and perceptions of national identity. Bose's astute book reveals the underbelly of these 'mock narratives' for what they are: stories that the US tells about itself, both internally and externally, to substitute affective relations for political analysis in the narrative that has become 'Afghanistan.'" -- Susan Jeffords * author of Hard Bodies *"Intervention Narratives is like a bright light switched on suddenly in the mind of those uneasy about temporizing in a world of perpetual war. Instead of probing stories about empire, Bose dismantles empire’s own – the narrative “soft weapons” concocted by strategists of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan. In this beautifully factual, honest, and theoretically astute book – roving from canine rescue tales to premature withdrawal fantasies – she upends the usual meaning of posthumanism, affect, and post-truth by inserting them into the dark arenas of contemporary geopolitics." -- Timothy Brennan * author of Borrowed Light *"Campaign for the American Reader: Pg. 99: Purnima Bose's "Intervention Narratives" https://americareads.blogspot.com/2020/01/pg-99-purnima-boses-intervention.html * Campaign for the American Reader *"The Page 99 Test: Purnima Bose's "Intervention Narratives" https://page99test.blogspot.com/2020/01/purnima-boses-intervention-narratives.html * The Page 99 Test *"Intervention Narratives provides theoretical underpinning to explicate the narratives Bose analyzes, and Bose also offers a comprehensive thesis about what makes them persuasive, compulsively repeated, and ultimately harmful." * Time Now *"Bose’s book marks one of the first that actually breaks down the assumptions of the abundance of war literature that has been written about Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11. In effect, Bose takes on the knowledge–industrial complex that exists around Afghanistan, showing us, sometimes line by line, where the discursive violence lies, and how it sets the stage for actual violence." -- Helena Zeweri * Interentions: International Journal of Postcolonial Studies *Table of ContentsContentsAcronyms ixIntroduction:Intervention Narratives and Geopolitical Fetishism1 The Premature-Withdrawal NarrativeHegemonic Masculinities and the Liberal Humanist Subject2 The Capitalist-Rescue NarrativeAfghan Women and Micro-Entrepreneurship3 The Canine-Rescue Narrativeand Post-Humanist Humanitarianism4 The Retributive-Justice NarrativeOsama bin Laden as SimulacraPostscript: Three Presidents, One PolicyAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe United States is accustomed to accepting waves of migrants who are fleeing oppressive conditions and political persecution in their home countries. But in the 1960s and 1970s, the flow of migration reversed as over fifty thousand Americans fled across the border to Canada to resist military service during the Vietnam War or to escape their homeland’s hawkish society. Unguarded Border tells their stories and, in the process, describes a migrant experience that does not fit the usual paradigms. Rather than treating these American refugees as unwelcome foreigners, Canada embraced them, refusing to extradite draft resisters or military deserters and not even requiring passports for the border crossing. And instead of forming close-knit migrant communities, most of these émigrés sought to integrate themselves within Canadian society. Historian Donald W. Maxwell explores how these Americans in exile forged cosmopolitan identities, coming to regard themselves as global citizens, a status complicated by the Canadian government’s attempts to claim them and the U.S. government’s eventual efforts to reclaim them. Unguarded Border offers a new perspective on a movement that permanently changed perceptions of compulsory military service, migration, and national identity. Trade Review“Why did more than fifty thousand American men and women leave their country during the Vietnam War era? How did they adapt to Canada? Donald W. Maxwell explores the arrival of thousands of Americans to Canada and the support that they received in their adopted country. More than an immigration study, Maxwell offers a new perspective on the Vietnam War and its political and social consequences on both societies. This fascinating study is a great read for anyone who wants to learn about this large wave of migrants that happened during the 1960s.”— Marcel Martel, professor, Department of History, York University “Unguarded Border: American Émigrés in Canada during the Vietnam War is an intelligent and engaging volume that carefully examines the forces that propelled and impacted American migration to Canada during the course of the Vietnam war. Skillfully steeped in a rich array of primary documentation and secondary source materials, Unguarded Border is an outstanding work of scholarship.”— Christopher Kirkey, director, Center for the Study of Canada and Institute on Quebec Studies, SUNY PlattsburghTable of ContentsContents Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Escaping over the Border: The Americans Who Went to Canada Chapter 2: The Welcome Mat Is Spread All along the Border: How Americans Found Their Way to Canada Chapter 3: Religion and Politics at the Border: Canadian Church Support for American Vietnam War Resisters Chapter 4: “Knowledge has no national character”: Americans in Canadian Universities and the Movement of Ideas over the U.S.-Canadian Border Chapter 5: “These are the things you gain if you make our country your country”: Defining Citizenship along the U.S.-Canadian Border in the 1970s Chapter 6: American Vietnam War–Era Émigrés and the Blurring of Borders Appendix Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe United States is accustomed to accepting waves of migrants who are fleeing oppressive conditions and political persecution in their home countries. But in the 1960s and 1970s, the flow of migration reversed as over fifty thousand Americans fled across the border to Canada to resist military service during the Vietnam War or to escape their homeland’s hawkish society. Unguarded Border tells their stories and, in the process, describes a migrant experience that does not fit the usual paradigms. Rather than treating these American refugees as unwelcome foreigners, Canada embraced them, refusing to extradite draft resisters or military deserters and not even requiring passports for the border crossing. And instead of forming close-knit migrant communities, most of these émigrés sought to integrate themselves within Canadian society. Historian Donald W. Maxwell explores how these Americans in exile forged cosmopolitan identities, coming to regard themselves as global citizens, a status complicated by the Canadian government’s attempts to claim them and the U.S. government’s eventual efforts to reclaim them. Unguarded Border offers a new perspective on a movement that permanently changed perceptions of compulsory military service, migration, and national identity. Trade Review“Unguarded Border: American Émigrés in Canada during the Vietnam War is an intelligent and engaging volume that carefully examines the forces that propelled and impacted American migration to Canada during the course of the Vietnam war. Skillfully steeped in a rich array of primary documentation and secondary source materials, Unguarded Border is an outstanding work of scholarship.” -- Christopher Kirkey * director, Center for the Study of Canada and Institute on Quebec Studies, SUNY Plattsburgh *“Why did more than fifty thousand American men and women leave their country during the Vietnam War era? How did they adapt to Canada? Donald W. Maxwell explores the arrival of thousands of Americans to Canada and the support that they received in their adopted country. More than an immigration study, Maxwell offers a new perspective on the Vietnam War and its political and social consequences on both societies. This fascinating study is a great read for anyone who wants to learn about this large wave of migrants that happened during the 1960s.” -- Marcel Martel * professor, Department of History, York University *Table of Contents​Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Escaping over the Border: The Americans Who Went to Canada Chapter 2: The Welcome Mat Is Spread All along the Border: How Americans Found Their Way to Canada Chapter 3: Religion and Politics at the Border: Canadian Church Support for American Vietnam War Resisters Chapter 4: “Knowledge has no national character”: Americans in Canadian Universities and the Movement of Ideas over the U.S.-Canadian Border Chapter 5: “These are the things you gain if you make our country your country”: Defining Citizenship along the U.S.-Canadian Border in the 1970s Chapter 6: American Vietnam War–Era Émigrés and the Blurring of Borders Appendix Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe withdrawal of Soviet troops is a so far largely unresearched process of international political and military reorganization after 1989/90, which was accompanied by political, economic, social and geopolitical factors that had different effects in different nations. The anthology contains national studies that examine the withdrawal from a scientific perspective. But it also analyses the international conditions that led to the geopolitical reorganization and reduction of weapons. In addition to the country studies, the reforms and the collapse of the Soviet empire are examined from a military-political perspective in order to make the conditions for returning home understandable. Finally, the legacy of the retreat is also considered in the light of current policies and the current threats to the countries of East Central Europe from the increasing aggression in this geopolitical space.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first book to scrutinize the root causes of problems today with Afghan reconstruction. It begins in 1880 with the coming to power of Emir Abdur Rahman and departure of an occupying British army. On the northern border, Russian forces were also poised. Determined to preserve Afghan independence, Abdur Rahman devised a nation-building project grounded on centralized, autocratic rule and based on security, modernization and economic reform. Though continued by his successors, this project ultimately failed. A key reason for this was that, even as Abdur Rahman implemented policies that might be understood as `Western’ and `rational’, the great powers of the day took their cue from traditional institutional relationships in Afghanistan; local patronage relations were extended to the international level. In the process, Afghanistan became a rentier state, Abdur Rahman’s model abandoned in favor of foreign subsidies increasingly diverted from security and economic development. Successive foreign powers, especially the Soviet Union and United States, have upheld this centralized, rentier model of governance and development despite it consistently failing over the years. This work explores dynamics seldom covered in other studies of Afghanistan, including conflict between state-imposed pashtunization and multiple local/ethnic identities, likewise contradictions between the clericalism and secularism deployed in the nation-building process. It explores the largely overlooked ebb and flow of institutional development in Afghanistan, at all levels, in the context of international interest in the country, with special attention to Soviet and US/Coalition strategies and their effects. It also focuses on the power of patronage relations in establishing and retaining control in Afghanistan, and how the extension of such relations to the international level transformed Afghanistan into a rentier state that struggles to unite its people. Described by one Afghanistan expert as an excellent piece of work, very well documented with close attention to detail, this study offers sober analysis and critical insights. It will interest scholars and students of Afghan affairs plus policy-makers, diplomats, soldiers, international organizations and NGOs, businesses, journalists and many others engaged with Afghanistan and issues of political, military and economic power, democratization and civil–military relations in the region.

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Book SynopsisDuring the presidency of Lyndon Johnson, the British government sought to avoid escalation of the war in Vietnam and to help bring about peace, but the British were only able to exert little, if any, influence on the United States. In this in-depth analysis of Britain’s involvement in the Vietnam War, Nicholas Tarling draws on many overlooked papers in the British archives in order to describe the making of Britain’s policy toward the war and its careful negotiations of its connection to America. The result is a revealing account of the Anglo-American relationship that shows that the illusion of Britain’s ability to influence the United States in the conduct of war has had a long history.

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