Military History Books

Book SynopsisTerezín, as it was known in Czech, or Theresienstadt as it was known in German, was operated by the Nazis between November 1941 and May 1945 as a transit ghetto for Central and Western European Jews before their deportation for murder in the East. Terezín was the last ghetto to be liberated, one day after the end of World War II.The Last Ghetto is the first in-depth analytical history of a prison society during the Holocaust. Rather than depict the prison society which existed within the ghetto as an exceptional one, unique in kind and not understandable by normal analytical methods, Anna Hájková argues that such prison societies that developed during the Holocaust are best understood as simply other instances of the societies human beings create under normal circumstances. Challenging conventional claims of Holocaust exceptionalism, Hájková insists instead that we ought to view the Holocaust with the same analytical tools as other historical events. The prison society of Terezín produced its own social hierarchies under which seemingly small differences among prisoners (of age, ethnicity, or previous occupation) could determine whether one ultimately lived or died. During the three and a half years of the camp''s existence, prisoners created their own culture and habits, bonded, fell in love, and forged new families. Based on extensive archival research in nine languages and on empathetic reading of victim testimonies, The Last Ghetto is a transnational, cultural, social, gender, and organizational history of Terezín, revealing how human society works in extremis and highlighting the key issues of responsibility, agency and its boundaries, and belonging.Trade ReviewThis is a powerful contribution to our understanding of the ghetto and of how societies are constructed in general, revealing in complex detail the lived experiences of those who inhabited Theresienstadt. * Barnabas Balint, The Journal of the Social History Society *In this overwhelming book, Anna Hájková has assembled - in extraordinary gutwrenching detail - these stories of Terez ... It is the loss of life in all its mucky beauty, and the loss of living-breathing-evolving community on such a mass scale, after all, that contributes to the breathtaking horror of genocide. * JORDANA SILVERSTEIN, University of Melbourne, Gender & History *This is a powerful contribution to our understanding of the ghetto and of how societies are constructed in general, revealing in complex detail the lived experiences of those who inhabited Theresienstadt. * Barnabas Balint, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, Journal of the Social History Society *Hájková has not simply written a book depicting the "transnational, cultural, social, gender, and organizational history" of the "well known, poorly understood ghetto", but she shows with great sensitivity, concisely and immense knowledge the everyday history of this limbo, the "last ghetto." * Thomas Krzenck, Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaft *Anna Hájková's The Last Ghetto: An Everyday History of Theresienstadt is an essential addition to the literature about the camp, rivaled in scholarly insight only by H.G Adler... And since it is unlikely that many American readers will have the stamina to persevere through the more than 800 pages that examine the features of Adler's "coerced community," readers should feel no hesitation in turning to Hájková's thoughtful and thorough analysis. * Lawrence Langer, University of Wisconsin-Madison, George L. Mosse Program in History *Hájková's book The Last Ghetto is a well-researched, captivatingly written, and engaging scholarly work about the life of prisoners in Theresienstadt. Hájková's book is crucial reading and paradigm-shifting work for anyone who wants to understand a prisoners' society in extremis * Denisa Nešťáková, Herder Institute in Marburg, Marburg, GermanyComenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia, East Central Europe *This excellent study provides a critical investigation of the social, political, and even sexual relationships in the ghetto, their complex nature in a coerced setting and the developing power structures dominated by the young Czech elite. * Wolf Gruner, University of Southern California, AJS Review *Hájková brings solid research and a much-appreciated enrichment to readers' understanding of the Theresienstadt ghetto. The author worked for a decade with public and private archives in nine languages and offers readers a deeper understanding of what she calls "a forced community." * J. Kleiman, CHOICE *Hajkova's history of Terezin is a tour de force. Thanks to Hajkova's astonishing research and courageous reappraisal of victim society, aspects of this history that have been overlooked or marginalized are now before our eyes. A major contribution to the history of the Holocaust, The Last Ghetto also opens up new perspectives on class, nationalism, ethnicity, gender and sexuality in twentieth-century Europe. A deeply, wrenchingly human story that everyone ought to read. * Alexandra Garbarini, author of Numbered Days: Diaries and the Holocaust *This splendid and devastating, gorgeously written, paradigm-shifting book offers one transformative revelation after another. Exemplifying radical empathy without sentimentality, it represents the very best the new Holocaust history has to offer. * Dagmar Herzog, Graduate Center, City University of New York, author of Unlearning Eugenics: Sexuality, Reproduction, and Disability in Post-Nazi Europe *Theresienstadt has been shrouded in myths since Nazis first presented it as a 'model ghetto' to trick the world that Jewish prisoners were being treated humanely. Hájková's The Last Ghetto reveals the interior life of the ghetto and persuasively demonstrates that like the society that produced it, this society in extremis was riven by ethnic, gender, political, linguistic, and economic divisions that prevented a common sense of Jewishness from forming among the prisoners. * Barry Trachtenberg, Michael H. and Deborah K. Rubin Presidential Chair of Jewish History,Wake Forest University *The Last Ghetto is the most important book on Theresienstadt to appear in many years. With unparalleled knowledge of the sources and deep sensitivity, Anna Hájková has made a major contribution to the history of the Holocaust. With her focus on the everyday life of the ghetto's inhabitants, she also provides us with a model of social, cultural, and gender history. * Dan Stone, Professor of Modern History, Royal Holloway, University of London *This book provides the most thoroughly researched and conceptualised cultural and social history of everyday life in Terezín. As such, it should be essential reading for anyone interested in Theresienstadt and social relations in extremis. In addition, it provides so many interesting details amidst the larger historical points that readers will find it both fascinating and thought provoking. * Amy Simon, Michigan State University, USA, Journal of Contemporary History *An excellently written book that will help shape future historiography on the ghettos under Nazi rule for years to come. * Marc Buggeln, University of Flensburg, Modern European History *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Well-Known, Poorly Understood Ghetto 1. "The Overorganized Ghetto" Administering Terezín 2. A Society Based on Inequality 3. The Age of Pearl Barley: Food and Hunger 4. Medicine and Illness 5. Cultural Life: Leisure Time Activities 6. Transports to the East Conclusion Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe definitive history of American war reporting in the Pacific theater of World War II, from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.After almost two years slogging with infantrymen through North Africa, Italy, and France, Ernie Pyle immediately realized he was ill prepared for covering the Pacific War. As Pyle and other war correspondents discovered, the climate, the logistics, and the sheer scope of the Pacific theater had no parallel in the war America was fighting in Europe. From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, The War Beat, Pacific provides the first comprehensive account of how a group of highly courageous correspondents covered America''s war against Japan, what they witnessed, what they were allowed to publish, and how their reports shaped the home front''s perception of some of the most pivotal battles in American military history. In a dramatic and fast-paced narrative based on a wealth of previously untapped primary sources, Casey takes us from MacArthur''s doomed defense on the Philippines and the navy''s overly strict censorship policy at the time of Midway, through the bloody battles on Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Tarawa, Saipan, Leyte and Luzon, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, detailing the cooperation, as well as conflict, between the media and the military, as they grappled with the enduring problem of limiting a free press during a period of extreme crisis.The War Beat, Pacific shows how foreign correspondents ran up against practical challenges and risked their lives to get stories in a theater that was far more challenging than the war against Nazi Germany, while the US government blocked news of the war against Japan and tried to focus the home front on Hitler and his atrocities.Trade ReviewA nuanced and engaging narrative of the Pacific war in World War II....Steven Casey...untangles the complex challenges that reporters experienced from the moment they arrived on the vast front....The reporters were not sideline observers or members of a pool simply repurposing what they were told from official sources. They often put themselves at great risk and, along with the soldiers they accompanied, endured malnourishment, blistering heat and humidity, disease, endless insects, and enemy bullets and shells....With everything seemingly against them—a public distracted by the European war; military officials who viewed them with suspicion; or publishers who wanted something other than graphic or demoralizing coverage—the Pacific reporters did their jobs nonetheless....A timely reminder of what a democracy needs from an independent press in times of crisis. * Tracy Campbell, Journal of American History *[A] brilliant book on American reporters covering World War II in the Pacific....Casey's powerful and readable account offers an important addition to the historiography of the Pacific theater.... Casey concludes that despite the difficulties that reporters faced in the Pacific, they played an invaluable role in bridging the gap between what was occurring on the battlefield and what was understood on the home front. Reporters developed working relationships with different military commanders and public relations officers while overcoming harsh environmental conditions, dangerous and sometimes deadly combat situations, and unreliable transportation. * David L. Snead, Journal of Military History *Casey has produced a highly useful companion volume to his earlier book The War Beat, Europe (2017), deserving of a place in any collection focusing on WWII or journalism. * J.P. Sanson, CHOICE Connect, Vol. 59 No. 8 *Shrewd and comprehensive.... The War Beat, Pacific is an impressive achievement. Media-military relations in the Pacific were, it shows us, a world of paradoxes and conundrums reflecting the competing agendas and institutional frictions within the military and between it and the media. Casey composes a lucid narrative out of disparate archival materials and secondary sources. While he captures the terror, misery, and frustration reporters felt in the Pacific, his eyes are on the bigger picture, the forces in both media and military that determined what the American public knew of the war and what it did not. Now the definitive account of US war reporting in the Pacific, The War Beat, Pacific promises to have a long shelf life. * Richard Fine, Michigan War Studies Review *Reporters assigned to cover the Pacific theater of WW II faced obstacles that were difficult to overcome. The Pacific War covered thousands of square miles, and much of it was fought by the navy. Reporters might be on a ship dozens or even a hundred miles from major battles trying to make sense of the progress by listening to comments and reports from pilots without seeing one moment of action. Moreover, they struggled with wording dispatches to their home offices in order to make it past military censors....Pacific theater reporters also had to contend with the unique personalities of those who were in charge of operations....Casey...has produced a highly useful companion volume to his earlier book The War Beat, Europe (2017), deserving of a place in any collection focusing on WW II or journalism....Recommended. General readers, advanced undergraduates through faculty, and professionals. * Choice *Brimming with anecdotes, it sheds light on just what it takes to be a war correspondent. For those seeking new perspectives on America's war with Japan this is a thoroughly illuminating book. * History of War *In this masterful and often gripping work, Steven Casey narrates the history of World War II in the Pacific from the perspective of the reporters who covered it. News coverage of American fighting in the Pacific was hampered by censorship and by the difficulty of simply getting to the front, leading to a largely 'shrouded war,' undermining public engagement and understanding. Through exhaustive research, Casey reveals the way journalists risked their lives to keep Americans informed. * Mary L. Dudziak, author of War Time: An Idea, Its History, Its Consequences *Students of military-news media relations have long decried the lack of a wide-ranging history of the role of the press in World War II's Pacific theater. Steven Casey's thoroughly researched War Beat, Pacific, fills that gap. Balanced, concise, superbly written, it will be a must-read along with Casey's War Beat, Europe, for anyone hoping to comprehend World War II in all its breadth and complexity. * William M. Hammond, author of Reporting Vietnam: Media and Military at War *Steven Casey has made an important, original contribution to our knowledge of American war reporting, an eternally relevant topic, especially for a society that values both free speech and operational security. In Casey's exploration of war reporting in the Pacific theater, we see the struggles of reporters against military censorship, appalling conditions, an almost nonexistent communications infrastructure, and often their fellow correspondents in the endless competition for breaking stories. Casey weaves naturally from relating the experiences of individual reporters to larger context on the customs and practices of war reporting as a whole. * John C. McManus, author of Fire and Fortitude: The U.S. Army in the Pacific War, 1941-1943 *Steven Casey has produced another superbly researched and beautifully written study of US media coverage of World War II, this time in the Pacific theater. It will serve as a worthy companion to his previous study of media coverage in the European theater. As with that previous volume, this one should lead to reconsideration of many standard beliefs regarding the relationship within and between the media, the armed forces, and the government during the conflict, as well as the numerous individuals whose reporting and photographs helped shape the public image of the war. * Mark A. Stoler, editor of the George C. Marshall Papers *Steven Casey offers a fresh and absorbing account of the Pacific War told through the harrowing experiences of battle-hardened reporters. Correspondents on 'the war beat' risked everything to tell its story, but the fog of that war was thick. Americans knew shockingly little about what actually transpired in such places as Bataan and Okinawa, Tokyo and Hiroshima. Casey's brilliant and fast-paced narrative opens up that world, providing a behind-the-scenes picture of the war unlike any other. * Kenneth Osgood, author of Total Cold War: Eisenhower's Secret Propaganda Battle at Home and Abroad *Steven Casey has written an exceptional book. * Stephen C. Murray, Journal of Pacific History *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part One: The Shrouded War Chapter 1. The Paradox of Pearl Harbor Chapter 2. Fiasco in the Philippines Chapter 3. Censorship at Sea Chapter 4. The New Guinea Gang Chapter 5. The Shroud Slips: Guadalcanal Part Two: Lifting the Veil Chapter 6. Atrocities Chapter 7. Dress Rehearsal in New Guinea Chapter 8. Bloody Battles in the Central Pacific Chapter 9. The Burma Backwater Part Three: Vengeance Chapter 10. The Return Chapter 11. Death in the Pacific Chapter 12. Endgame Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Hopkins Touch offers the first portrait in over two decades of the most powerful man in Roosevelt''s administration. In this impressive biography, David Roll shows how Harry Hopkins, an Iowa-born social worker who had been an integral part of the New Deal''s implementation, became the linchpin in FDR''s--and America''s--relationships with Churchill and Stalin, and spoke with an authority second only to the president''s. Hopkins could take the political risks his boss could not, and proved crucial to maintaining personal relations among the Big Three. Beloved by some--such as Churchill, who believed that Hopkins always went to the root of the matter--and trusted by most--including the paranoid Stalin--there were nevertheless those who resented the influence of the White House Rasputin. Based on newly available sources, The Hopkins Touch is an absorbing, substantial work that offers a fresh perspective on the World War II era and the Allied leaders, through the life of the man who keTrade ReviewThe Hopkins Touch is the best biography of a crucial figure at pivotal moment in American history since Robert E. Sherwood's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1948 classic, Roosevelt and Hopkins. * Steven Casey, author of Cautious Crusade: Franklin D. Roosevelt, American Public Opinion and the War against Nazi Germany, 1941-1945 *Harry Hopkins was FDR's left-hand man. He helped the maestro direct the American-British-Russian alliance that won World War II. David Roll shows just how he did it, this quiet deal-maker Churchill called 'Lord Root of the Matter.' The Hopkins Touch deserves its place aside Robert Sherwood's Roosevelt and Hopkins and Jon Meacham's Franklin and Winston." * Chris Matthews, host of "Hardball with Chris Matthews" on MSNBC *It is refreshing to read an account of a time when commitment to the national interest, personal depth in history, vision, loyalty and discretion were the watchwords. Such is the portrait of Harry Hopkins, Franklin Roosevelt's closest confidante and trusted surrogate, drawn by David Roll in this absorbing update of Robert Sherwood's defining work. Drawing on material never before available, Roll revisits Hopkins roots, his intimate relationship with the president, how deeply he was revered by Prime Minister Churchill, and trusted by Joseph Stalin * all in one of the best researched, and well-written biographical works I've ever read. The Hopkins Touch deserves a place in the American political history stacks of every library in Americaand also on your night stand.Robert (Bud) McFarlane, National Security Adviser to Ronald Reagan *Mr. Roll's use of previously unavailable materials enables him to present a far more comprehensive story. It's a must-read for anyone interested in the period. A truly magisterial biography. * The Washington Times *Displaying a strong grasp of the intervening half-century of historical scholarship, delivering a strong and clear-eyed appraisal of Hopkins's personal life, and demonstrating considerable narrative talents. * Wall Street Journal *David Roll has captured the essence of one of the most important non-governmental figures in American history. Crisply written, meticulously researched, The Hopkins Touch is a pleasure to read. * Jean Edward Smith, author of FDR, and Eisenhower in War and Peace *A masterful portrait of one of the most fascinating political figures this country has ever produced. David Roll has vividly captured the infinite complexities and extraordinary influence of FDR aide Harry Hopkins ... part playboy, part reformer ... whose peerless diplomatic efforts in World War II helped cement the Anglo-American alliance and pave the way for the Allies' victory. * Lynne Olson, author of Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in its Finest, Darkest Hour *That FDR created the world in which we live is a commonplace; as David Roll demonstrates in this highly readable book it was a world created by FDR and Harry Hopkins. The material on Hopkins' maneuvering the U.S. to the North African invasion in the fall of 1942 is by itself imaginative and persuasive. I wish that I'd had Roll's book at my elbow when I was writing about those years. * Warren Kimball, editor of Churchill and Roosevelt, the Complete Correspondence *If Franklin D. Roosevelt had an alter ego, it was the brilliant and cunning Harry Hopkins. David Roll does a marvelous job of documenting the heroic importance of Hopkins during the Second World War. Hopkins emerges as one of America's indispensable patriots. This is a surefooted and brilliantly researched biography that deserves a wide readership. * Douglas Brinkley, author of Cronkite and The Wilderness Warrior *Sharply observed, gracefully written, David Roll's portrait of FDR's closest adviser offers us an intimate look at the wise, brave, and humane exercise of power. If only other presidents were blessed with advisers like Harry Hopkins! * Evan Thomas, author of Ike's Bluff: President Eisenhower's Secret Struggle to Save the World *In 1940, Britain stood alone; it's survival in doubt. As the US edged closer to war, Harry Hopkins became FDR's confidant on geopolitical issues. In creating the 'grand alliance' his role was crucial. In this splendid, well-researched biography, David Roll has portrayed the decisive actions taken by this 'grey eminence.' * James Schlesinger, former Secretary of Defense to Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford *In this important new book, David Roll brings Hopkins out of the shadows and casts a bright and unblinking light on the central -- even essential -- role that Harry Hopkins played in forging and maintaining the alliance that won the Second World War. * Craig L. Symonds, author of The Battle of Midway *This delightful book - a genuine page turner - portrays the relationship between FDR and Hopkins in a balanced manner while maintaining the reader's interest with insights into the important players of World War II. Scholars and general readers interested in the era will thoroughly enjoy it. An essential purchase. * Library Journal *A compelling portrait of a World War II hero whose victories took place far from the battlefield. * Kirkus *illuminating new biography ... impressive * J. Garry Clifford, Journal of American Studies *Roll's book is fresh, extremely well researched and well written. It is difficult to see how anyone who is seriously interested in understanding the wartime alliance and the development of wartime strategy could fail to benefit from it. * Richard M. Wevill, History *Table of ContentsC O N T E N T S ; Prologue: Moving In ; 1 Ambitious Reformer ; 2 Asks for Nothing Except to Serve ; 3 He Suddenly Came Out with It - The Whole Program ; 4 The Right Man ; 5 First Glimpse of Dawn? ; 6 Vodka Has Authority ; 7 At Last We Have Gotten Together ; 8 We Are All in the Same Boat Now ; 9 Some Sort of a Front This Summer ; 10 The Hopkins Touch ; 11 Lighting the Torch ; 12 The View from Marrakech ; 13 Fault Lines ; 14 Th e Alliance Shifts ; 15 Tilting toward the Russians ; 16 A Soldier's Debt ; 17 The Best They Could Do ; 18 A Leave of Absence from Death ; 19 Th e Root of the Matter

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Book SynopsisSigned on June 28, 1919 between Germany and the principal Allied powers, the Treaty of Versailles formally ended World War I. Problematic from the very beginning, even its contemporaries saw the treaty as a mediocre compromise, creating a precarious order in Europe and abroad and destined to fall short of ensuring lasting peace. At the time, observers read the treaty through competing lenses: a desire for peace after five years of disastrous war, demands for vengeance against Germany, the uncertain future of colonialism, and, most alarmingly, the emerging threat of Bolshevism. A century after its signing, we can look back at how those developments evolved through the twentieth century, evaluating the treaty and its consequences with unprecedented depth of perspective.The author of several award-winning books, Michael S. Neiberg provides a lucid and authoritative account of the Treaty of Versailles, explaining the enormous challenges facing those who tried to put the world back together after the global destruction of the World War I. Rather than assessing winners and losers, this compelling book analyzes the many subtle factors that influenced the treaty and the dominant, at times ambiguous role of the Big Four leaders: Woodrow Wilson of the United States, David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando of Italy, and Georges Clémenceau of France.The Treaty of Versailles was not solely responsible for the catastrophic war that crippled Europe and the world just two decades later, but it played a critical role. As Neiberg reminds us, to understand decolonization, World War II, the Cold War, and even the complex world we inhabit today, there is no better place to begin than with World War I and the treaty that tried, and perhaps failed, to end it.Table of ContentsPreface 1. From war to armistice to peace conference 2. The big three (or maybe four) 3. Ideals versus interests 4. Drafting the treaty 5. To bed, sick of life 6. War to end war? References Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe unforgettable saga of one enslaved woman''s fight for justice--and reparations Born into slavery, Henrietta Wood was taken to Cincinnati and legally freed in 1848. In 1853, a Kentucky deputy sheriff named Zebulon Ward colluded with Wood''s employer, abducted her, and sold her back into bondage. She remained enslaved throughout the Civil War, giving birth to a son in Mississippi and never forgetting who had put her in this position. By 1869, Wood had obtained her freedom for a second time and returned to Cincinnati, where she sued Ward for damages in 1870. Astonishingly, after eight years of litigation, Wood won her case: in 1878, a Federal jury awarded her $2,500. The decision stuck on appeal. More important than the amount, though the largest ever awarded by an American court in restitution for slavery, was the fact that any money was awarded at all. By the time the case was decided, Ward had become a wealthy businessman and a pioneer of convict leasing in the South. Wood''s son later became a prominent Chicago lawyer, and she went on to live until 1912. McDaniel''s book is an epic tale of a black woman who survived slavery twice and who achieved more than merely a moral victory over one of her oppressors. Above all,Sweet Taste of Libertyis a portrait of an extraordinary individual as well as a searing reminder of the lessons of her story, which establish beyond question the connections between slavery and the prison system that rose in its place.Trade ReviewDeeply researched and show[s] commendable detective work... Demonstrate[s] the riches awaiting us in narrating the hitherto untold and complex stories of slavery and emancipation in the United States. * Times Literary Supplement *The reader not only follows the fascinating narrative of a woman who lost her freedom, but also learns of the intricacies of slavery in a border state like Kentucky, the pain of separation from loved ones, and the ordeals of being sold "down the river," surviving on a large cotton plantation, and being an enslaved refugee in Texas during the Civil War... It is an enlightening account from the point of view of an enslaved woman about the arduous trip — and the subsequent years — that many enslaved people were forced to endure by their masters to avoid their being liberated by Union armies... [McDaniel] has turned these into a captivating account of this period, revealing how the legal and economic aspects of the institution of slavery interacted in very personal and human ways with those who were kept enslaved. * Angela Boswell, Professor of History at Henderson State University, Southwestern Historical Quarterly *As a whole, Sweet Taste of Liberty is the fruit of excellent scholarship and a timely and significant addition to the field of U.S. racial history. * Ken Chujo, J.F. Oberlin University, Tokyo, The Journal of Southern History *Table of ContentsPrologue Part I - The Worst Slave of Them All Chapter 1: The Crossing Chapter 2: Touseytown Chapter 3: Down River Chapter 4: Ward's Return Chapter 5: Cincinnati Chapter 6: The Plan Chapter 7: The Flight Part II - Forks of the Road Chapter 8: Raising a Muss Chapter 9: Wood versus Ward Chapter 10: The Keeper Chapter 11: Natchez Chapter 12: Brandon Hall Chapter 13: Versailles Chapter 14: Revolution Chapter 15: The March Part III - The Return of Henrietta Wood Chapter 16: Arthur Chapter 17: Robertson County Chapter 18: Dawn and Doom Chapter 19: Nashville Chapter 20: A Rather Interesting Case Chapter 21: Story of a Slave Chapter 22: The Verdict Epilogue Acknowledgements Appendix: An Essay on Sources Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe Year of Our Lord 1943 tells the story of how five Christian intellectuals - Jacques Maritain, T. S. Eliot, C. S. Lewis, W. H. Auden, and Simone Weil - sought to provide a plan for the moral and spiritual renewal of the Western democracies in the post-World War II world.Trade ReviewThis book is a valuable contribution to the intellectual history of the mid--twentieth century. Jacobs deals adeptly with Christian humanism in the context of the crises of the 1930s and World War II. As such, the monograph will appeal to, among others, intellectual historians, political theorists, as well as scholars of human rights and religion. * Andrew L. Williams, Indiana University-Pursue University Indianapolis, Religious Studies Review *...the book offers an accessible introduction to the thought of five major twentieth--century intellectuals, each of whom has been the subject of a daunting amount of writing. It also succeeds in conveying some of the anxieties, preoccupations and experiences of British and French Christian intellectuals in wartime. * Matthew Grimley, University of Oxford, MODERN BELIEVING *Jacobs's fascinating and important book ... offers a rich resource for anyone who wishes to think seriously about the way in which Christians can engage their societies in the face of the current crises they encounter. * Maikki Aakko, Journal of the Oxford Graduate Theological Society *an excellent work revealing great erudition yet doing so with a writing style that could do credit to a New Yorker piece. * Justus D. Doenecke, Anglican and Episcopal History *Reading Alan Jacob's super little book is like prizing open the back of a watch to study the mechanism within: tiny cogs working in clever order, designed by a master craftsman. The cogs are several Christian thinkers whose lives and thoughts connected in 1943. * Tim Stanley, History Today *This elegant book examines his efforts along with those of W.H. Auden, T.S. Eliot, Jacques Maritain and Simone Weil... There were substantial differences in how each responded to the challenges of their times. Jacob traces these while keeping what united them in view; a difficult task that he accomplishes with aplomb. * Frank Litton, Irish Catholic *This is an interesting book about Christian humanism in an age of crisis, specifically during the Second World War. * David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer *The Year of Our Lord 1943 is a fascinating and insightful reflection on intellectuals' reaction to perceived crisis. In their literary, philosophical, journalistic and private writings, Eliot, Weil, Maritain, Auden, and Lewis expressed their fear that humanity was approaching a destructive crisis of its own making. The book's elegant style and gripping prose linger with the reader, along with a persistent reflection on the desirable and possible intellectual reactions to contemporary man-made crises, and on the human moral values worth preserving as a guidance for the future. * Or Rosenboim, H-Diplo *Jacobs's biographical method is, in many ways, the star of the show. Letting his characters' voices weave themselves together, Jacobs aptly pulls them into common points of reflection. * Peter Boumgarden, The Christian Century *We end our reading of the book vastly better informed about the culture and thought of the 1940s, and amply equipped to see how those ideas would resonate over the next three or four decades. Alan Jacobs has written a fine and provocative book. * Phillip Jenkins, The Englewood Review of Books *a stunning account * Stuart Kelly, Books of the Year 2018, Scotland on Sunday *stimulating and well-written book * Paul Richardson, Church of England Newspaper *Alan Jacobs weaves a remarkable tale of five major Christian thinkers striving to make sense of a world in chaos and to speak wisdom to that world. This is a major achievement, wonderfully readable, the crowning work of our own era's most resourceful Christian intellectual. * Charles Marsh, Commonwealth Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Project on Lived Theology, University of Virginia *Alan Jacob's prose wears immense learning lightly, with great grace and to great effect. To think alongside these writers, under Jacobs's stage direction, to hear them across a gap of three-quarters of a century think with gravity and sincerity, pondering the nature of the human soul, palpably straining toward the ideal of the common good, feeling the pull of their religion's perennial pitfalls, in a situation and language different from and yet not wholly unlike our own, is riveting, challenging, and life-giving. * Lori Branch, author of Rituals of Spontaneity *Alan Jacobs has written an elegant and deeply learned book on Christian humanism in the critical years of the Second World War. He opens a window into some of the most luminous and profound thinking about the nature and possibilities of civilization during those troubled years. By doing so, has opened a window for thinking about our own troubled times. * James D. Hunter, author of To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World *Table of ContentsPreface A Note on Narrative Method Dramatis Personae: 1 September 1939 Chapter 1: "Prosper, O Lord, Our Righteous Cause" Chapter 2: The Humanist Inheritance Chapter 3: Learning in War-Time Chapter 4: Demons Chapter 5: Force Chapter 6: The Year of Our Lord 1943 Chapter 7: Approaching the End Afterword: Stunde Null Bibliography

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Book SynopsisAllen C. Guelzo's Reconstruction: A Concise History is a gracefully-written interpretation of Reconstruction as a spirited struggle to re-integrate the defeated Southern Confederacy into the American Union after the Civil War, to bring African Americans into the political mainstream of American life, and to recreate the Southern economy after a Northern, free-labor model.Trade ReviewAllen C. Guelzo's Reconstruction: A Concise History is a streamlined overview of the era by one of the major historians of the Civil War period. In this succinct but informative work, Mr. Guelzo traces the course of Reconstruction over time - its troublesome political and legal path - and helps us grasp both what it accomplished and why it failed. * Wall Street Journal *A well-balanced assessment of the achievements and lost opportunities of an era, Allen Guelzo's Reconstruction: A Concise History is a solid introduction to the topic. It's also a fitting gateway for those curious enough to want to investigate the more in-depth treatments of all kinds that populate the modern Reconstruction bookshelf. * Civil War Books and Authors *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Chapter One: Vengeance, April-December 1865 Chapter Two: Alienation, December 1865-1867 Chapter Three: Arrogance, March 1867-May 1868 Chapter Four: Resistance, May 1868-March 1869 Chapter Five: Distraction, March 1869-May 1872 Chapter Six: Law, 1866-1876 Chapter Seven: Dissension, September 1872-April 1877 Epilogue Timeline Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA provocative and propulsive look at American history, and the myth that the Civil War's "new birth of freedom" ended oligarchy. It just moved westward.Trade ReviewIt should be required reading for this particular moment in American politics. * Thomas Zimmer, The Guardian *Richardson's clear prose makes this book incredibly lively and accessible. * Joseph Angelillo, ALPATA: A Journal of History *Heather Cox Richardson, a professor of history at Boston College, explains Goldwater's crusade and the trajectory of modern conservatism in her masterful How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America. A timely book, it sheds light on what was perhaps the most important political coalition of the 20th century. * The Washington Post *Good revisionist history jars you, forces you to look at the past in a new way, and thereby transforms your view of the present. Heather Cox Richardson is a master of the genre, to the benefit of us all. Even those who take issue with her will be forced by this powerful book to come to terms with aspects of our past that we often just sweep under the rug of memory. * E.J. Dionne, Jr., author of Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country *In a tour de force, Richardson exposes the philosophical connective tissue that runs from John C. Calhoun, to Barry Goldwater, to Donald Trump. It's not party, it's a complex ideology that has swaddled white supremacy and its political, legal, economic, and physical violence in the language of freedom and rugged individualism, and, in doing so, repeatedly slashed a series of self-inflicted wounds on American democracy. * Carol Anderson, Emory University, author of One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying our Democracy *The themes are broad and the implications mighty, but this isn't history from on high. Richardson uses a human lens to tell her tale, revealing the passions and power-plays that have sustained this battle for dominance. The end result is something rare and invaluable: a skilled work of history, deeply grounded in the past, that speaks loudly, clearly, and crucially to the present. * Joanne Freeman, Yale University, author of The Field Of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War *What the great books do is retell history in a way that creates a deepened and clarified connection between what was an what is. I love this book. For anyone seeking to understand how we got here, and where we're likely bound, this is a must-read. * Ron Suskind, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Price of Loyalty and A Hope in the Unseen *If you want to understand this moment in American politics, here's a suggestion for you: It's the must-read book of the year. * Bill Moyers, Moyers on Democracy *Heather Cox Richardson's skill with connecting events into a cohesive narrative is on full display in this brilliant study...This book speaks to the heart of life in the United States and should be in every private, public, and school library. * Deborah M. Liles, Southwestern Historical Quarterly *... Richardson suggested that her most recent book, How the South Won the Civil War, was her "smartest". There is no doubt that it is, at the very least, her most ambitious. * Catherine McNicol Stock, Connecticut College, The Annals of Iowa *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: The Triumph of Equality Chapter Two: The Significance of the West in American History Chapter Three: Reconstructing America Chapter Four: The Search for Electoral Votes Chapter Five: The West and the South Join Forces Chapter Six: The Post World War II West 1951-1980 Chapter Seven: The Rise of Movement Conservatism Conclusion: The Nature of America

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Book SynopsisStrategy of Empire dispels the myth that Romans were incapable of longterm strategic thinking or maintaining any enunciated strategy for more than a brief period, acting as a welcome counternarrative to Edward Luttwak's The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire: From the First Century A.D. to the Third.Trade ReviewAs an argument about the Roman Empire's ability to conceptualize and maintain an ongoing imperial strategy, the book succeeds and is highly recommended. It reinvigorates and reshapes the debate. * Law & Liberty *A military history of the Roman Empire with a twist. Using his expertise in strategic operations, [Lacey] makes a compelling argument that the Romans did think and plan strategically in governing.... Highly recommended. * CHOICE *This well-argued and exhaustively researched book will no doubt reopen the debate as to whether the Romans really were capable of strategic thought. * Military History Matters *...he[Lacey] writes honest, straightforward English, tells a good story, makes his disagreements with other scholars fairly and clearly and, even if one disagrees with some of his conclusions, the weight of his experience brings a sense of authority to what he writes. His reflections on the modern military world are especially valuable. * Peter Jones, Classics for All *Engagingly written and logically structured, this is an invaluable contribution to knowledge which moves the discussion far beyond the Luttwak/Isaac debate. The author's practical experience of military planning is brilliantly deployed throughout, and the fact that staff officers effectively use the modern equivalent of Roman itineraries to plan campaign moves is worth a whole book in itself. * Peter Heather, King's College London *Jim Lacey has already established himself as a major historian of politics and strategy in the twenty-first century. He has now brought his focus to Roman strategy and done so with the critical mind of a first rate strategist. This brilliant work replaces all other examinations of Roman strategy. * Williamson Murray, The Ohio State University *Drawing on a wealth of ancient and modern material, Lacey succeeds in bringing a fresh perspective to the question of grand strategy in the Roman empire. This book should become mandatory reading for anyone interested in the development of strategic military thought in any age. * David Potter, University of Michigan *Lacey... concludes that the western empire managed to survive for five centuries despite numerous enemies and environmental challenges because it remained committed to three strategic elements: securing the economic foundations of the empire, maintaining a military force second to none, and having a seemingly inexhaustible supply of soldiers. * New Testament Abstracts *Lacey also emphasizes the importance of economics to the Roman military machine. * Jesse Russell, The European Conservative *The facts presented are faultlessly accurate, and the story is told with a warm, almost conversational (albeit completely academic) tone that is insightful, often witty, and completely free of jargon, which allows the story it conveys to be easily understood by the widest possible audience. It contains enough food for thought to satisfy the most strait-laced academic while providing an easily absorbed and engrossing narrative that will be more than palatable to an amateur history enthusiast. It could as easily serve as summer beach reading as for a textbook for a college survey class. It is thus a worthy addition to any library devoted to ancient military history, or to history in general. * Journal of Military History *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants 1. Could the Romans Do Strategy? 2. How Dangerous Were the Barbarians? 3. Paying for a Strategy 4. The True Sinews of Strategy 5. The Core of Roman Strategy 6. Strategy at the Strate of Empire 7. Strategy after Augustus 8. The Year of the Four Emperors 9. The Infrastructure of Empire 10. An Army for Empire 11. Rome's Fleets 12. The Empire at High Tide 13. The Severan Interlude 14. New Threats 15. The Third Century Crisis 16. Diocletain, Constantine, and a New Empire 17. The Late Imperial Army and Strategy 18. Four Battles and a Divorce 19. The Gothic Challenge 20. The Aftermath of Adrianople 21. Denouement

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Book SynopsisWhile armies have seized enemy records and rare texts as booty throughout history, it was only during World War II that an unlikely band of librarians, archivists, and scholars traveled abroad to collect books and documents to aid the military cause. Galvanized by the events of war into acquiring and preserving the written word, as well as providing critical information for intelligence purposes, these American civilians set off on missions to gather foreign publications and information across Europe. They journeyed to neutral cities in search of enemy texts, followed a step behind advancing armies to capture records, and seized Nazi works from bookstores and schools. When the war ended, they found looted collections hidden in cellars and caves. Their mission was to document, exploit, preserve, and restitute these works, and even, in the case of Nazi literature, to destroy them. In this fascinating account, cultural historian Kathy Peiss reveals how book and document collecting became part of the new apparatus of intelligence and national security, military planning, and postwar reconstruction. Focusing on the ordinary Americans who carried out these missions, she shows how they made decisions on the ground to acquire sources that would be useful in the war zone as well as on the home front. These collecting missions also boosted the postwar ambitions of American research libraries, offering a chance for them to become great international repositories of scientific reports, literature, and historical sources. Not only did their wartime work have lasting implications for academic institutions, foreign-policy making, and national security, it also led to the development of today''s essential information science tools. Illuminating the growing global power of the United States in the realms of intelligence and cultural heritage, Peiss tells the story of the men and women who went to Europe to collect and protect books and information and in doing so enriches the debates over the use of data in times of both war and peace.Trade ReviewIn Information Hunters Kathy Peiss documents how information gathering was central to the U.S. victory in Europe—and how 'collecting' also came to mean, after the conflict ended, keeping information away from certain populations....Information hunting changed the course of the war, Peiss convincingly argues, and 'made an imprint on the postwar world of books and information.'...In a time when we suffer from an overload of dematerialized information, Peiss's book is a valuable reminder of how different the world was when that information was scarce and existed only in vulnerable, physical form. * Greg Barnhisel, Journal of American History *In her fascinating new book on information gathering and intelligence during WW II, Peiss spotlights the contributions of the American scholarly community. Her study—impressively researched and engagingly written—explores the ways in which librarians, archivists, and academics traveled throughout Europe to collect information relevant to the war effort....Peiss's narrative traces the work of these scholars from the procurement of open source materials at the beginning of the war through the collection of enemy documents in its closing stages to the thorny questions surrounding mass acquisitions in postwar Germany....In illuminating the link between information science and intelligence gathering, as well as the importance of foreign holdings in libraries as a symbol of American power, Peiss demonstrates that the academic community and military enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. * CHOICE *The book is carefully researched, written with care and skill, and provides an additional warning about the horrors of wartime. * Bob Lane, Metapsychology *Excellent and engaging....[Peiss's] analysis is smart, insightful, and compelling....Thanks to Peiss's informative and original book, we now know...why and how so many war-era German books and documents ended up in American research libraries....The information hunters...contributed to the development of information science,...helped tighten the relations between government, the military, and research university and libraries...and shaped the postwar intelligence activities and tactics of the National Security Agency and the CIA. * Matthew Avery Sutton, Reviews in American History *In astonishing detail, Peiss's study chronicles the multi-pronged efforts of American librarians, archivists, scholars, and military and intelligence personnel who activated a mass acquisitions programme that resulted in some two million foreign books and periodicals, thousands of microfilm reels, and 160,000 volumes looted from European Jewry by the Nazis and their collaborators, which found their way to repositories in the United States. * Christine Schmidt, Library & Information History *A marvelous new book about spy craft and the book world....I beg the creatives out there to read...and write a dramatic miniseries about bookish spies during the Second World War. * Elyse Graham, Public Books *Illuminating the growing global power of the United States in the realms of intelligence and cultural heritage, Peiss tells the story of the men and women who went to Europe to collect and protect books and information and in doing so enriches the debates over the use of data in times of both war and peace. * Tom Gilson, Against the Grain *This well-written and astutely researched book makes the wartime work of librarians engaging and engrossing. Those fascinated by intelligence missions or keen on the history of library science will appreciate this excellent read. * Library Journal (starred review) *Information Hunters is Kathy Peiss's wonderfully surprising history of a little-known, World War II intelligence effort to gather newspapers, magazines, books, and every other kind of printed information about business, science, and ordinary life in Germany and occupied Europe. Working mainly through cities in neutral countries — Lisbon, Stockholm, Bern, and the like — agents quietly arranged to gather bundles, then truckloads, finally ship- and train-loads of books and paper for analysts to study. It's a beautiful piece of scholarship that reveals the war in a new light - as a struggle for knowledge and truth. * Thomas Powers, author of Heisenberg's War: The Secret History of the German Bomb *This fascinating book tells the story of the American librarians who set out on vast collecting missions amidst the destruction of World War II Europe. Cultural historian Kathy Peiss deftly reconstructs their work here, showing how librarians shaped the war and, in turn, how the war re-shaped libraries and librarianship. Beautifully told, this surprising story provides a valuable new perspective on the historical connection between war and the production of knowledge. * Lisa Moses Leff, American University *Kathy Peiss uncovers fascinating episodes in the history of information: the World War II entanglement of bibliography and spycraft as well as the postwar dilemmas of denazifying German culture while also dealing with cultural heritage collections that the Nazis left orphaned in their double project of confiscation and genocide. With its lucid attention to 'open source' intelligence gathering, incipient 'archive-consciousness,' and the anxieties of American influence on the world, this is history that is at once powerful and timely. * Lisa Gitelman, New York University *Kathy Peiss's Information Hunters tells the fascinating and important story of the American archivists and librarians who, during World War II, helped rescue, preserve, and repatriate huge numbers of books, newspapers, and manuscripts looted by the Nazis or otherwise hidden from sight. Their principal objectives were to confiscate and, in many cases, destroy Nazi materials and to locate and return or redistribute looted Jewish books. Many books wound up in American libraries and archives, greatly boosting their size and prestige, and helping to develop the field of information science. * John B. Hench, author of Books as Weapons: Propaganda, Publishing, and the Battle for Global Markets in the Era of World War II *Through savvy research Kathy Peiss has uncovered the enormous historical, ethical, and personal stakes of Americans' overseas efforts to collect-or destroy-the printed word during World War II. Her vivid account follows teams of scholars who scoured Europe's bookstores, battered cities, castles, and caves in search of material that bore witness to the continent's cultural heritage as well as its lies, secrets, and crimes. Pulling a book off the shelf of an American research library will never be the same after reading Information Hunters. * Brooke L. Blower, author of Becoming Americans in Paris: Transatlantic Politics and Culture between the World Wars *Table of ContentsPrologue Introduction Ch. 1 The Country of the Mind Must Also Attack Ch. 2 Librarians and Collectors Go to War Ch. 3 The Wild Scramble for Documents Ch. 4 Acquisitions Grand Scale Ch. 5 Fugitive Records of War Ch. 6 Book Burning-American Style Ch. 7 Not a Library, but a Large Depot of Loot Conclusion Epilogue Notes Index

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Book SynopsisFew twentieth-century political leaders enjoyed greated popularity among their own people than Hitler in the 1930s and 1940s. This remarkable study of the myth that sustained one of the most notorious dictators, and delves into Hitler''s extraordinarily powerful hold over the German people. In this ''major contribution to the study of the Third Reich'' (Times Literary Supplement), Ian Kershaw argues that it lay not so much in Hitler''s personality or his bizarre Nazi ideology, as in the social and political values of the people themselves. In charting the creation, rise, and fall of the `Hitler Myth'', he demonstrates the importance of the manufactured ''Führer cult'' to the attainment of Nazi political ends, and how the Nazis used the new techniques of propaganda to exploit and build on the beliefs, phobias, and prejudices of the day.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition a book which should be read by everyone interested in the history of 20th-century Europe ... perhaps the most revealing study available of popular opinion in Nazi Germany * Times Higher Education Supplement *Table of Contents1. 'FUHRER OF THE COMING GERMANY': THE HITLER IMAGE IN THE WEIMAR ERA; 6. BLITZKRIEG TRIUMPH: HIGH PEAK OF POPULARITY, 1940-1941; 9. HITLER'S POPULAR IMAGE AND THE 'JEWISH QUESTION'

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Book SynopsisThis is a compact but comprehensive and absorbing history of the Second World War. It examines the causes of the war, how it was won and lost, and its far-reaching consequences for humanity.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Based on a matchless knowledge of the documents, he provides an authoritative treatment of military, diplomatic, and economic aspects, written with great force and insight. As a one-volume survey, it is unlikely to be surpassed... a magnificent achievement, a tour de force. * Kenneth O. Morgan, New Statesman and Society *a miracle of compression compared with the rest of the horde of general histories. * Guardian *Parker alights unerringly on the salient campaigns and issues, and considers them with consistent style and insight. * Times Educational Supplement *The most balanced view of the causes and courses of the Second World War. * Field Marshal Lord Carver, Times Literary Supplement *written in clear and elegant English ... a masterful account of the Second World War in all its different spheres. It is scrupulously fair, illuminated by an engaging sense of humour ... and gives an entirely balanced view of the varying contributions of the different powers engaged. * Richard Cobb, The Spectator *Faced with volume after volume of books about the Second World War, R.A.C. Parker's Short History comes as a breath of fresh air ... it is refreshing to read such a modest-sized yet absorbing history of the years between 1939 and 1945 and what happened before and afer. A Short History is both concise and absorbing - an "introduction" to anyone wanting to know more about the war and an example of how a taut history book can be captivating. * Madeleine Burton, Herts Adverstiser (St Albans Edition) *Table of ContentsPreface ; Contents ; List of Plates ; List of Maps ; 1. Hitler, Germany, and the origins of the European war ; 2. German conquest of Poland, Norway, the Low Countries, and France ; 3. Britain alone ; 4. Operation BARBAROSSA: the German attack on the Soviet Union ; 5. The United States enters the war: the origins of the Japanese attack ; 6. Japanese victories and disappointments: December 1941 to August 1942 ; 7. The end of German expansion: the Atlantic, North Africa, and Russia, 1942-1943 ; 8. Anglo-American strategies for victory ; 9. Economies at war ; 10. Strategic bombing ; 11. Morale ; 12. Driving back the Germans: North Africa, Italy, and Russia ; 13. D-Day and victory in Europe ; 14. The defeat of Japan and the atom bomb ; 15. From war to peace: Anglo-American relations ; 16. From alliance to Cold War: the Soviet Union and the West ; 17. The impact of war: the murder of the European Jews ; 18. The impact of war: casualties, crisis, and change ; Note on quotations ; Book list ; Index

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Book SynopsisHistories you can trust.World War Two was the most devastating conflict in recorded human history. It was both global in extent and total in character. It has understandably left a long and dark shadow across the decades. Yet it is three generations since hostilities formally ended in 1945 and the conflict is now a lived memory for only a few. And this growing distance in time has allowed historians to think differently about how to describe it, how to explain its course, and what subjects to focus on when considering the wartime experience.For instance, as World War Two recedes ever further into the past, even a question as apparently basic as when it began and ended becomes less certain. Was it 1939, when the war in Europe began? Or the summer of 1941, with the beginning of Hitler''s war against the Soviet Union? Or did it become truly global only when the Japanese brought the USA into the war at the end of 1941? And what of the long conflict in East Asia, beginning with the Japanese aggression in China in the early 1930s and only ending with the triumph of the Chinese Communists in 1949?In The Oxford History of World War Two a team of leading historians re-assesses the conflict for a new generation, exploring the course of the war not just in terms of the Allied response but also from the viewpoint of the Axis aggressor states. Under Richard Overy''s expert editorial guidance, the contributions take us from the genesis of war, through the action in the major theatres of conflict by land, sea, and air, to assessments of fighting power and military and technical innovation, the economics of total war, the culture and propaganda of war, and the experience of war (and genocide) for both combatants and civilians, concluding with an account of the transition from World War to Cold War in the late 1940s. Together, they provide a stimulating and thought-provoking new interpretation of one of the most terrible and fascinating episodes in world history.Trade Review... The Oxford History of World War Two is a thoughtful and thought-provoking volume, which succeeds very well in bringing at least a taste of the wealth of current Second World War scholarship to a wider audience. There is much here to admire; not least the erudition of the contributors ... an excellent, concise and enlightening volume. As such, it is a worth addition to the library of every student and every scholar of the conflict. * Roger Moorhouse, History Today *A stimulating and thought-provoking new interpretation of one of the most terrible episodes in world history. * Military History *The Oxford History of World War II is an exemplary book that... provides an insightful and in-depth analysis of the war from both sides, * Ireland's Eye *Compelling in its narrative, fascinating in its detail, magisterial in its analysis, global in its breadth, Richard Overy, one of our outstanding scholars of mid-20th Century history, here delivers a military, political and economic history of WW2, aided by a galaxy of distinguished scholars, that is essential, accessible reading for general readers as well as students. * Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin: the Court of the Red Tsar *Incisive essays by leading scholars..., make this an ideal introduction to the defining conflict of the twentieth century - from which our contemporary world still struggles to recover. * David Reynolds, University of Cambridge, and author of In Command of History: Churchill Fighting and Writing the Second World War *A welcome and most useful addition to the historical literature ... I recommend this book to anyone interested in the war. * Paul Kennedy, Yale University, and author of Engineers of Victory and The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers *combines a breadth and depth not seen in much military history writing. The skillful analysis of each chapter does not sacrifice narrative ability to address topics ranging from the German, Italian, and Japanese conduct of the land, sea, and air wars to the political intricacies of the Grand Alliance, scientific innovation, and the cultural history of the war ... Astounding. * M. A. Mengerink, CHOICE *Table of Contents1: Patricia Clavin: The Genesis of World War 2: Steven Lee: Japan's War in Asia 3: Nicola Labanca: The Italian Wars 4: Richard Overy: The German Wars 5: Eric Grove: The West and the War at Sea 6: Evan Mawdsley: The Allies from Defeat to Victory 7: David French: Fighting Power: World War and Military Innovation 8: Richard Overy: Economies in Total War 9: Michael Snape: Front Line I: Armed Forces at War 10: Richard Overy: Front Line II: Civilians at War 11: Richard Bessel: Unnatural Deaths 12: David Edgerton: War, Invention, and Experts 13: David Welch: The Culture of War: Propaganda, Arts and Ideas 14: Geoffrey Roberts: From World War to Cold War

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Book SynopsisVivid, succinct, and highly accessible, this first volume (of two) begins with the origins and consequences of the medieval myth of the 'Reich,' which was to experience a fateful renaissance in the twentieth century, and ends with the collapse of the first German democracy.Trade Review...destined to become a must-have for both scholars and students of German history. Combining skilful and fluent narrative with insightful analysis, his history of modern Germany presents the reader with a vivid and detailed picture of the German nation. * Journal of the Historical Association *...this book has much to offer. * Róisín Healy, European History Quarterly *Germany: The Long Road West 1789-1933 is a magnificent examination of a country which, along with Russia, possesses a history that is arguably the most complicated in Europe. This book will be an immense asset to academics, students and, indeed, anyone with a serious interest in German history. * Marcus Papadopoulos, Tribune *[an] excellent book * Contemporary Review *magisterial...Winkler's magnum opus. * TLS *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Legacy of a Millennium 2: Hampered by Progress 1789DS1830 3: Liberalism in Crisis 1830DS1850 4: Unity before Liberty 1850DS1871 5: The Transformation of Nationalism 1871DS1890 6: World Policy and World War 1890DS1918 7: The Impaired Republic 1918DS1933 Looking Ahead

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Book SynopsisHistories you can trust.At age thirty in 1919, Adolf Hitler had no accomplishments. He was a rootless loner, a corporal in a shattered army, without money or prospects. A little more than twenty years later, in autumn 1941, he directed his dynamic forces against the Soviet Union, and in December, the Germans were at the gates of Moscow and Leningrad. At that moment, Hitler appeared however briefly to be the most powerful ruler on the planet. Given this dramatic turn of events, it is little wonder that since 1945 generations of historians keep trying to explain how it all happened.This rich history provides a readable and fresh approach to the complex history of the Third Reich, from the coming to power of the Nazis in 1933 to the final collapse in 1945, distilling our ideas about the period and providing a balanced and accessible account of the whole era.Trade ReviewHaving assembled an impressive group of experts, the volume proceeds thematically to address almost every aspect of the Third Reich. All ten chapters are well informed by contemporary scholarship but accessible to a lay audience. Politics, culture, war, society, and economy all receive their due. * Robert Dassanowsky, Journal of Modern History *While focusing on various aspects of the Nazi years, all the writers effectively highlight the brutality of the regime toward its internal and external enemies. For a reader who wishes to choose one source to learn about the Third Reich this book is a good choice. * Paul Bookbinder, European History Quarterly *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Matthew Stibbe: The Weimar Republic and the Rise of National Socialism 2: Hermann Beck: The Nazi 'Seizure of Power' 3: Hedwig Richter and Ralph Jessen: Elections, Plebiscites, and Festivals 4: Jonathan Petropoulos: Architecture and the Arts 5: David F. Crew: Photography and Cinema 6: Peter Hayes: The Economy 7: Omer Bartov: The Holocaust 8: Dieter Pohl: War and Empire 9: Julia S. Torrie: The Home Front 10: Robert Gellately: Decline and Collapse Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable story of Mohammed Helmy, the Egyptian doctor who risked his life to save Jewish Berliners from the Nazis. One of the people he saved was a Jewish girl called Anna. This book tells their story.Trade ReviewThis meticulous account of the Arab doctor who sheltered a Jewish girl in 1930s Berlin is a remarkable story of subterfuge and courage. [...]Steinkes history sheds a light on what he argues is a deliberately forgotten world, the old Arabic Berlin of the Weimar period, which was open, progressive and far from antisemitic and which welcomed Jewish luminaries, including Albert Einstein and philosopher Martin Buber. * Tim Adams, Book of the Week, The Observer *Anna and Dr Helmy is the thrilling and, at times, heart-stopping account of a remarkable but largely unknown story of bravery and bluffing. * Robert Philpot, Times of Israel *Table of Contents1: Middle Eastern Berlin 2: The Home Visit 3: A Scent of Tea 4: 'Of Related Blood' 5: A Fool's License 6: A Step Too Far 7: Going Underground 8: A Daring Plan 9: Hidden in Plain Sight 10: In the Lion's Den 11: An Overnight Conversion 12: A Paper Marriage 13: The Gestapo Closes In 14: The Final Lie 15: Visit to Cairo Biographies Timeline Index

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Book SynopsisAge of Emergency examines how metropolitan Britons understood colonial violence in the two decades after V-E Day when "small wars" raged on the frontiers of empire in Malaya, Kenya, and Cyprus.Trade ReviewAge of Emergency is a masterwork of a new Imperial history which stares unblinkingly into the violence of colonial rule and exposes how that horror reached deeply into twentieth-century British life. Linstrum's achievement is to show that the end of empire in Britain was no less a domestic trauma than in France: British decolonization did not happen 'in a fit of absence of mind.' * Richard Drayton, King's College London *Well-crafted and meticulously researched, this originally conceived work penetrates deep into the serial ambiguities of empire's end-not least the vexed question of how the British people grappled with imperial retreat. Age of Emergency traces the intricate strategies of evasion-the self-censorship, the silences, the 'circles of knowing'-and how these produced ubiquitous forms of tacit imperial knowledge in their own right. Brought to life with all manner of illuminating portraits-in-miniature, it offers a sophisticated new perspective on British society at the tipping point of decolonization. * Stuart Ward, author of Untied Kingdom: A Global History of the End of Britain *A sweeping, meticulous account of the reckoning with colonial brutality in post-war Britain. What happened in Kenya, Malaya, and Cyprus, Linstrum establishes beyond a doubt, was no secret back home. Age of Emergency masterfully explains how democratic publics come to live with-even to embrace-the violence done in their name. * Deborah Cohen, Northwestern University *Meticulous, innovative, damning...Linstrum is innovative in the breadth of his research, trawling the BBC and ITV archives to explore how popular teleplays tried to make sense of endless colonial war. * Christopher Kissane, The Irish Times *As Britons and other Europeans continue to confront the legacies of empire and especially of colonial violence today, this book is an urgent read for anyone interested in questions of culpability, knowledge, and what comes next for former colonial powers. * Taylor Soja, Europe Now Journal *Intimate knowledge of the small wars of the twentieth century spread in what Erik Linstrum calls 'circles of knowing'. His exploration of how these circuits worked and overlapped is original and subtle. * Dublin Review of Books *Age of Emergency documents a wide range of opposition. * TLS *Compendious and insightful * TLS *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: The Wars Were Like a Mist Part I: Knowing about Violence Chapter 1: Out of Apathy Chapter 2: War Stories Part II: Justifying Violence Chapter 3: Violence without Limits Chapter 4: The Claims of Conscience Part III: Living with Violence Chapter 5: Covering Counterinsurgency Chapter 6: Performing Counterinsurgency Epilogue: The Afterlives of Colonial War Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisCivil wars are nasty, brutish, and long. Monica Duffy Toft introduces this complex and timely topic. Civil wars are the most common form of large-scale political violence. In the past thirty years, the study of civil wars has been one of the largest growing segments of the international relations field. Their causes are complex, ranging from fights over access to housing, jobs, and arable land or other resources, to political contests over offices, rights, and representation. Because civil wars tend to drag on, motives and relevant actors shift. Groups form, collapse, coalesce, align and realign, and then fight amongst themselves. Governments themselves change through elections, coups, military defeats, or revolutions. Understanding the origins of civil wars and their trajectories therefore demands some appreciation of the economic, political, social, cultural, and geographic order of societies. If there is one factor that best predicts why a civil war erupts, it is a prior civil war. That is why knowledge of a country''s history of political violence, and associated narratives about who is to blame and why, are critical to understanding where a civil war might next occur. Do insurgents deserve the title of freedom fighters or are they simply criminals or terrorists? If contested resources can be readily divided, how is it that seemingly rational actors so often treat them as indivisible? What is it about identity, or identities, that seem so irreconcilable that they so often lead to an escalation to violence--including violence against noncombatants--and the collapse of governments? Theories about the causes, the nature, and the termination of civil wars have been adapted from both the international relations and comparative politics disciplines, and there are now many databases, cataloguing hundreds of cases of civil war, that enable sophisticated statistical analysis and formal modeling. As a result, we now have a better understanding of the conditions under which civil wars generally emerge, how the fighting evolves (sometimes involving interventions by external actors), and how civil wars end. However, historical understanding--the human dimensions--remain every bit as critical. This Very Short Introduction explores current debates on civil wars and how the reasons for fighting (and the nature of belligerents themselves) are changing.

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Book SynopsisThe belligerent country that literally started the First World War, the Habsburg Empire suffered grievously during the global conflict. At the end of the war, it was estimated that 1.2 million soldiers, out of 8 million men and 100,000 women mobilized from an empire of 52 million, perished in service. Among those who lived, the wounded, the disabled, and their dependents constituted at least several million people whose survival was endangered both during and after the war. How did the Habsburg Empire confront the scale of the casualties brought about by the First World War? What care and support were offered to disabled soldiers and dead soldiers'' surviving dependents? Victims'' State offers the first integrated account of how the Austrian half of the empire and the successor Austrian Republic responded to the needs of citizen-soldiers and their families from the nineteenth century to the interwar years. Ke-Chin Hsia traces the policies, ideas, and administrative practices developed Trade ReviewAn exciting new interpretation of welfare practices in Habsburg Central Europe that spans the Imperial and Republican periods. Hsia's pioneering arguments demonstrate that innovative welfare practices rarely came solely from the state but developed as much from claims by socially diverse groups of actors and interest groups from below. Readers may be surprised to learn that in the multinational Habsburg empire, when it came to popular demands for welfare programs, nationalist concerns apparently took a back seat to more pressing social, economic, and regional interests. * Pieter M. Judson, European University Institute *An impressive, original study of the neglected history of the emergence of the Austrian welfare state out of World War I and its centrality to the transition from the elite Habsburg Empire to the cohesive, democratic Austrian Republic, permanently transforming its politics and culture, an experience more similar to other European states than is usually recognized. Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, it is a major contribution to the history of Austria and of European welfare states. * Pat Thane, author of The Foundations of the Welfare State *This meticulously researched study offers a new and compelling interpretation of wartime and postwar politics. Centering social welfare as an integral part of total war, Ke-Chin Hsia reconceptualizes links between imperial Austria and the postwar republic. He reveals continuities in late Habsburg and early republican welfare policies without defaulting to the nationalities prism. As such, the book is a pioneering 'next generation' work that extends the recent historiographical re-examination of the significance of 1918 in Austrian history. * Maureen Healy, author of Vienna and the Fall of the Habsburg Empire *Ke-Chin Hsia's excellent book energetically addresses these strands of scholarship, as he explores the ebbs and flows of the making and unmaking of Austria's welfare mechanisms vis-à-vis war victims. [This study] is an ideal example of this tight and mutually informing and reinforcing relationship between state and society, as he pays attention to the war victims' own leverage in welfare reform-making. * Doina Anca Cretu, CEU Review of Books *Without a doubt, Hsia's book pushes for further reflection on the story of welfare,...the book lives up to the promise outlined in the title and in its introduction. * Doina Anca Cretu, CEU Review of Books *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1 Government Poverty and Incentive Pensions in the Nineteenth Century Chapter 2 The Emergence of the War Welfare Field from Peace to War Chapter 3 A Social Offensive on the Home Front Chapter 4 The Last-Ditch Effort to Save the Monarchy Chapter 5 War Victims as a New Power Factor Chapter 6 A Republic with "the Correct National and Social Sensibilities" Chapter 7 "The Public's Interest in Invalids Has Waned" Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis is the untold story of how some of Germany''s top aristocrats contributed to Hitler''s secret diplomacy during the Third Reich, providing a direct line to their influential contacts and relations across Europe -- especially in Britain, where their contacts included the press baron and Daily Mail owner Lord Rothermere and the future King Edward VIII. Using previously unexplored sources from Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and the USA, Karina Urbach unravels the story of top-level go-betweens such as the Duke of Coburg, grandson of Queen Victoria, and the seductive Stephanie von Hohenlohe, who rose from a life of poverty in Vienna to become a princess and an intimate of Adolf Hitler. As Urbach shows, Coburg and other senior aristocrats were tasked with some of Germany''s most secret foreign policy missions from the First World War onwards, culminating in their role as Hitler''s trusted go-betweens, as he readied Germany for conflict during the 1930s -- and latTrade ReviewA fascinating page-turner about Hitler's secret diplomacy in the 1930s, which was intended to secure British amity and then neutrality when he led Germany to war ... Urbach combed her way through archives across Europe to construct this image of a decaying aristocracy using their connections in the cultivation of appeasers in Britain. They were not without influence. * Lawrence Goldman, Books of the Year 2015, History Today *[An] excellent book... Urbach has alighted upon a little studied and rather fascinating phenomenon; that of the aristocratic amateur ambassador, the titled back-stairs diplomatist. * The Times, Roger Moorehouse *Just when one thinks every possible aspect of this war has been covered, along comes a surprise. Such is Karina Urbach's highly original new book, Go-Betweens for Hitler... an unsurpassable work on this intriguing subject. * Daily Telegraph, Simon Heffer *engrossing and well-researched * Richard J Evans, London Review of Books *Urbach has written a book that is as stimulating as it is entertaining, and one which deserves a wide readership. * Christopher Dowe, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *To be sure, Go Betweens For Hitler may essentially be based within the parameters of a scholarly undertaking, but it almost reads like that of a John Le Carre or Robert Littell novel. In and of itself, this speaks volumes. * David Marx, Book Reviews *From peace-feelers in the First World War to appeasers on the eve of the Second World War, this unique book makes fascinating reading * Coryne Hall, European Royal History Journal *Table of ContentsPART I: GO-BETWEENS BEFORE HITLER; PART II: HITLER'S GO-BETWEENS; ABBREVIATIONS; NOTES; ARCHIVES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

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Book SynopsisHow the International Committee of the Red Cross emerged triumphant from the dark days of World War II, escaping its ambiguous wartime record to re-affirm its leadership in world humanitarian affairs and help rewrite the rules of war in the Geneva Conventions.Trade ReviewHumanitarians at War presents a compelling picture of how the policy of sovereign states and those of a private organization exerted a reciprocal influence on life-and-death decisions about humanitarian aid provision and international law. * Kimberley A. Lowe, H-Net Reviews *Mr. Steinacher... is an excellent historian with a good nose for archives... [He] excels at toppling individuals from undeserved moral pedestals. * Samuel Moyn, Wall Street Journal Europe *Riveting ... An important book that, for the first time, greatly details how the ICRC operated, especially during and after World War II. * Library Journal *The author has produced an important and fascinating work ... Steinacher has laid before us an impressive portrayal of the activities of the Red Cross during the first half of the twentieth century. The discussion is not merely descriptive in nature; it raises serious questions about the organization's modes of operation, espeically those of its leadership. It is a welcome addition to the literature on this topic. I am convinced that students, scholars, and other readers will find it compelling. * Zohar Segev, Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs *Table of ContentsIntrodution 1: The Birth of an Idea 2: The Silence on the Holocaust 3: Intervention and Opportunism 4: The Red Cross in Crisis 5: Between Geneva and Nuremberg 6: The ICRC and Aid Politics in Ruins 7: The Humanitarians and the Nazis 8: A Window of Opportunity 9: Towards the Geneva Conventions Conclusion Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisAny consideration of the 20th century would be incomplete without a discussion of Nazi Germany, an extraordinary regime which dominated European history for 12 years, and left a legacy that still echoes with us today. The incredible force of the destructive vision at the heart of Nazi Germany led to a second world war when the world was still aching from the first one, and an incomprehensible death count, both at home and abroad.In this Very Short Introduction, Jane Caplan''s insightful analysis of Nazi Germany provides a highly relevant reminder of the fragility of democratic institutions, and the ways in which the exploitation of national fears, mass political movements, and frail political opposition can lead to the imposition of dictatorship. Considering the emergence and popular appeal of the Nazi party, she discusses the relationships between belief, consent, and terror in securing the regime, alongside the crucial role played by Hitler himself. Covering the full history of the regime, she includes an unflinching look at the dark stains of war, persecution, and genocide. At the same time, Caplan offers unexpected angles of vision and insights; asking readers to look behind the handful of over-used images of Nazi Germany we are familiar with, and to engage critically with a history that that is so abhorrent it risks seeming beyond interpretation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewIn what seems like an almost insurmountable challenge, Caplan succeeds in describing the details of the "horrifying" main events of this historical catastrophe, and identifying its main criminals, without simplifying. And she writes with an "edge" that is missing in many history narratives. * Graham Forst, Jewish Independent *In this brilliant concise account, Caplan succeeds in outlining the startling rise and devastating impact of National Socialism in Germany under Hitler, conveying both illustrative detail and the broad shape of developments, as well as finely balancing different historical interpretations. A major achievement. * Professor Mary Fulbrook, University College London *Table of Contents1: Hitler myths 2: National socialism 3: From Munich to Berlin (via Weimar) 4: Power 5: Volksgemeinschaft: community and exclusion 6: Volksgemeinschaft: control and belonging 7: Preparing for war 8: War 9: From terror to genocide Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisConcentration camps are a relatively new invention, a recurring feature of twentieth century warfare, and one that is important to the modern global consciousness and identity. Although the most famous concentration camps are those under the Nazis, the use of concentration camps originated several decades before the Third Reich, in the Philippines and in the Boer War, and they have been used again in numerous locations, not least during the genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda. Over the course of the twentieth century they have become defining symbols of humankind''s lowest point and basest acts. In this Very Short Introduction, Dan Stone gives a global history of concentration camps, and shows that it is not only mad dictators who have set up camps, but instead all varieties of states, including liberal democracies, that have made use of them. Setting concentration camps against the longer history of incarceration, he explains how the ability of the modern state to control populations led to the creation of this extreme institution. Looking at their emergence and spread around the world, Stone argues that concentration camps serve the purpose, from the point of view of the state in crisis, of removing a section of the population that is perceived to be threatening, traitorous, or diseased. Drawing on contemporary accounts of camps, as well as the philosophical literature surrounding them, Stone considers the story camps tell us about the nature of the modern world as well as about specific regimes. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewThe best Very Short Introductions will educate general readers, students, and academics alike. Speaking for my fellow academics, I have not been surprised to find how many of us esteem them as handy and reliable introductions to subjects on the more distant horizons of our professional knowledge. Stone's volume is outstanding in this respect, and it is as much a contribution to the field as a summary of it. * Jane Caplan, American Historical Review *Table of ContentsPreface 1: What is a concentration camp? 2: Origins 3: The Third Reich's world of camps 4: The gulag 5: The wide world of camps 6: "An Auschwitz every three months": society as camp? References Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisA vibrant new history of twentieth-century Europe - covering everything from war and politics to social, cultural, and economic developments in a period of convulsive and dramatic change.Trade ReviewThis epic account of Europe in the 20th century grabs the reader with snappy chapters packed with telling detaila nd articulate assessment. * Christopher Hirst, The Independent *Table of Contents1. Europe at 1914 ; 2. Europe at War 1914-1917 ; 3. Revolutionary Europe 1917-1921 ; 4. Recovery of the Bourgeiosie 1921-1929 ; 5. Depression and Terror 1929-1936 ; 6. Europe in the 1930s ; 7. Spiral into War 1936-1939 ; 8. Hitler Triumphant 1939-1942 ; 9. Life and Death in Wartime ; 10. End of Hitler's Europe 1942-1945 ; 11. Europe Partitioned 1945-1949 ; 12. West European Recovery 1949-1958 ; 13. Stalin and His Heirs 1949-1964 ; 14. Consensus and Dissent in Western Europe 1958-1973 ; 15. Europe in the 1960s ; 16. Strife in Communist Europe 1964-1985 ; 17. Stress in Liberal Europe 1973-1989 ; 18. The Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe 1985-1991 ; 19. After the Fall 1991-2007 ; 20. Europe in the New Millennium ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe story of Thermopylae, the battle that helped define the identity of the ancient Greeks: how it was fought, how it has been remembered, and what it means for us today.During the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, a Greek force of approximately 7,000 faced the biggest army ever seen in the Greek peninsula. For three days, the Persiansthe greatest military force in the worldwere stopped in their tracks by a vastly inferior force, before the bulk of the Greek army was forced to retreat with their rear guard wiped out in one of history''s most famous last stands.In strict military terms it was a defeat for the Greeks. But like the British retreat from Dunkirk or the massacre at the Alamo, this David and Goliath story has taken on the aura of success. Thermopylae has acquired a glamour exceeding the other battles of the Persian Wars, passing from history into myth, and lost none of that appeal in the modern era.In Thermopylae, Chris Carey analyses the origins and course of this pivotal batTrade ReviewThe book's best contribution: showing the impact Thermopylae had even in its own time-how its meaning resonated with ancient observers and how it helped both self perpetuate, and shaped the development of ancient culture. Carey then seamlessly connects this with the meaning the battle has to modern people and connects it firmly to the present day, tracing its lineage carefully through modern history. Carey shows Thermopylae's legend came to dominate our understanding of it nearly as soon as Xerxes fixed Leonidas's head to a pole and had it paraded before his cheering troops, a fact that greatly complicates efforts to interpret this critically important battle. Fortunately for readers, it's a complication Carey is well equipped to tackle. * Myke Cole, United States Commission of Military History, International Journal of Military History and Historiography *Carey is one of Britain's foremost students of ancient history. In this meticulous examination of the story he admits that most of the "facts" we have are speculative ... The value of Carey's book lies in its reflections upon a legend that continues to influence our culture and ideals. * Max Hastings, The Sunday Times *Excellent ... a considerable addition to the history and cultural legacy of one of the world's most significant battles. * Paul Cartledge, Literary Review *Highly readable and informative ... Carey's account of [the battle of Thermopylae] provides an absorbing exposition of both the facts and the fictions that underlie and surround it. * Diana Bentley, Minerva *Very readable, well researched and thought-provoking ... an excellent book and thoroughly recommended. * Chris May, Battlefield magazine *Thermopylae is a discerning examination of a still resonant battle and the problems it poses for ancient historians. Its author writes intelligently for non-specialist students of military history, without footnoting controversies. He has walked Xerxes's route. * Donald Lateiner, Michigan War Studies Review *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1: Reading Thermopylae: The Problems 2: The Pass 3: The Persians 4: The Greeks 5: The Battle 6: Thermopylae Refought 7: Thermopylae in the Ancient World 8: The Myth in the Modern Era 9: And Finally... Notes Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe Romans first set military foot on Greek soil in 229 BCE; only sixty or so years later it was all over, and shortly thereafter Greece became one of the first provinces of the emerging Roman Empire. It was an incredible journey - a swift, brutal, and determined conquest of the land to whose art, philosophy, and culture the Romans owed so much. Rome found the eastern Mediterranean divided, in an unstable balance of power, between three great kingdoms - the three Hellenistic kingdoms that had survived and flourished after the wars of Alexander the Great''s Successors: Macedon, Egypt, and Syria. Internal troubles took Egypt more or less out of the picture, but the other two were reduced by Rome. Having established itself, by its defeat of Carthage, as the sole superpower in the western Mediterranean, Rome then systematically went about doing the same in the east, until the entire Mediterranean was under her control. Apart from the thrilling military action, the story of the Roman conqueTrade ReviewThe story Waterfield tells is complex, but he tells it well. * Peter Jones, BBC History *This sorry story is told with great verve and pace by Waterfield. * Literary Review *Table of ContentsPreface Prelude: Clouds in the West 1: Rome Turns East 2: The Illyrian Wars 3: Barbarians, Go Home! 4: King Philip of Macedon 5: The Freedom of the Greeks 6: The Road to Thermopylae 7: The Periphery Expands 8: Remote Control 9: Perseus' Choice 10: The End of Macedon 11: Imperium Romanum 12: The Greek World after Pydna Key Dates Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The myths surrounding Sparta are as old as the city itself. Even in antiquity, Sparta was a unique society, and considered an enigma. The Spartans who fought for freedom against the Persians called themselves ''equals'' or peers, but their equality was reliant on the ruthless exploitation of the indigenous population known as helots. The Spartans'' often bizarre rules and practices have the capacity to horrify as much they do to fascinate us today. Athenian writers were intrigued and appalled in equal measure by a society where weak or disabled babies were said to have been examined carefully by state officials before being dumped off the edge of a cliff. Even today their lurid stories have shaped our image of Sparta; a society in which cowards were forced to shave off half their beards, to dress differently from their peers, and who were ultimately shunned to the extent that suicide seemed preferable. The legend of Sparta was even perpetuated by later Spartans, who ran a thriving tourist industry that exaggerated the famed brutality of their ancestors.This Very Short Introduction separates myth from reality to reveal the best--and the worst--of the Spartans. Andrew Bayliss explores key aspects of Spartan society, including their civic structure, their day-to-day lifestyle, and traditions such as the krypteia, a brutal rite of passage where teenagers were sent into the countryside and ordered to eliminate the biggest and most dangerous helots. Alongside this, Bayliss also sheds light on the many admirable qualities of ancient Sparta, such as their state-run education system, or the fact that this society was almost unparalleled in the pre-modern world for the rights given to Spartan women.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewWith a succinctness worthy of his subjects - whose 'linguistic austerity' inspired the word 'laconic' - Bayliss distils extensive research to offer an engaging, lucid insight into this unique society. * Madeleine Finney, The Mail on Sunday *A new history of these extraordinary and often terrifying people, which is both scholarly and highly entertaining. * Christopher Hart, Mail Online *The Spartans will prove of value not only to the layman interested in learning something about this most famous ancient warrior culture, but also the seasoned student of the subject. * A. A. Nofi, New York Military Affairs *With deceptive ease, [Bayliss] guides his readers not just across well-trodden ground but sometimes to unexpected vantage points from where he can challenge orthodox views... The Spartans punches above its weight, and with 14 black-and-white illustrations (including two maps), references, suggestions for further reading and an index, it's a knockout. Anyone interested in Sparta should read it, and every school library should own it. * David Stuttard, Classics for All *Throughout the book, Bayliss never shouts. Yet, in his quiet, succinct way, he has produced a book that can with some justice claim, 'This is Sparta.' * Alastair Brans, Australian Book Review *Table of Contents1: Introduction: the legend of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae 2: Sparta's civic structure 3: Raising a Spartan 4: The Spartan lifestyle 5: Helots and perioikoi 6: Spartan women 7: The Spartan mirage and normalising Sparta 8: The modern reception of Sparta Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisAzar Gat sets out to resolve one of the age-old questions of human existence: why people fight and can they stop. Spanning warfare from prehistory to the 21st century, the book shows that, neither an irresistible drive nor a cultural invention, deadly violence and warfare have figured prominently in our behavioural toolkit since the dawn of our species. People have always alternated between cooperation, peaceful competition, and violence to attain evolution-shaped human desires. A marked shift in the balance between these options has occurred since the onset of the industrial age. Rather than modern war becoming more costly (it hasn''t), it is peace that has become more rewarding. Scrutinizing existing theories concerning the decline of war - such as the ''democratic peace'' and ''capitalist peace'' - Gat shows that they in fact partake of a broader Modernization Peace that has been growing since 1815. By now, war has disappeared within the world''s most developed areas. Finally, Gat explains why the Modernization Peace has been disrupted in the past, as during the two World Wars, and how challenges to it may still arise. They include claimants to alternative modernity - such as China and Russia - anti-modernists, and failed modernizers that may spawn terrorism, potentially unconventional. While the world has become more peaceful than ever before, there is still much to worry about in terms of security and no place for complacency.Trade ReviewIt would be a welcome addition to any military history or international relations syllabus lacking an accessible and thought-provoking text on the causes of war... Highly recommended * CHOICE *Gat's book is a very well-informed, well-argued and an agreeable to read discussion of the causes of war and the causes of the spread of peace. Though primarily of interest to political theorists working on the subject of war, it may also be of interest to philosopher working on the question of war, especially to philosophers who, rather than engaging in ever more sophisticated thought-experiments, prefer to develop a more general philosophical theory of war. * Norbert Campagna, Ethical Perspectives *Azar Gat is among the most brilliant of historians of war, with a masterful command of history and biology, and a gift for combining them to provide deep and revelatory insight. War has long been considered an enigma of the human condition, but after reading this book you will feel that you understand it. * Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of How the Mind Works and The Better Angels of Our Nature *Exhilarating - it makes clear and brave statements rather than hedging contentious matters... * Sir Paul Collier, Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford *Table of ContentsPREFACE: WHY WAR? THE UNSOLVED MYSTERY; PAST IMPERFECT: PREHISTORY AND HISTORY; FLAWS AND MISCONCEPTIONS IN DISCIPLINARY GRAND THEORIES; THE MODERNIZATION PEACE; CONCLUSION

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Book SynopsisTyrant, psychopath, and implementer of a ruthless programme of racial extermination, Adolf Hitler was also the charismatic Führer of millions of dedicated followers. In this major new biography, internationally acclaimed German historian Peter Longerich brings Hitler back to centre-stage in the history of Nazism, revealing a far more active and interventionist dictator than we are familiar with from recent accounts, with a flexibility of approach that often surprises. Whether it was foreign policy, war-making, terror, mass murder, cultural and religious affairs, or even mundane everyday matters, Longerich reveals how decisive a force Hitler was in the formulation of policy, sometimes right down to the smallest details, in a way which until now has not been fully appreciated. Consistently and ruthlessly destroying both the people and the power structures that stood in his way, Longerich shows how over time Hitler succeeded in forging his ''Führer dictatorship'' - with terrifying and almTrade ReviewAn essential volume for anyone wanting to build up a picture of this atrocious man... * Simon Heffer, The Daily Telegraph *... a real biography by a genuine specialist... * Richard J Evans, The Guardian *... a comprehensive and impressive work. I am happy to say that Hitler: A Life is a very good book, fluently translated by Jeremy Noakes and Lesley Sharpe. It is comprehensive on the domestic side of the story, and it draws on the newer literature of the past two decades ... Longerich's work is much more than a synthesis... The result is a fine-grained and generally persuasive account of Hitler's rise to power... * Brendan Simms, Irish Times *Here once again [Longerich] mobilises a formidable quantity of archival material and shows us Hitler in his true colours ... [A] detailed biography. * Richard Overy, Literary Review *Longerich's meticulous account touches on many issues... * Christopher Clark, London Review of Books *... demonstrates a mastery of a vast mass of primary and secondary research ... that is remarkable even for a German professor ... Longerich is uniquely equipped to explore the enigma of a Führer who manipulated and ultimately ruined not on his lieutenants but an entire continent... * Daniel Johnson, Standpoint *Thorough, detailed, meticulous, readable, believable, outstanding. Not a lot of cant or opinion; just an incredible amount of detail and precise if not painstaking investigation into events that led to Adolf Hitler becoming the Adolf Hitler of undeniable, tragic nightmare. * David Marx, David Marx Reviews *Essential reading. * Christopher Bray, The Tablet *An important biography of Adolph Hitler. This text ... provides likely the most consequential history of Hitler in our time. * CHOICE^r *Table of ContentsIntroduction Prologue: A Nobody Part One 1: Back in Munich 2: The Way to the Party 3: Hitler Takes the Lead 4: The March to the Hitler Coup 5: Process and Prohibition Part Two 6: A Political New Beginning 7: Hitler the Speaker 8: Reorientation 9: Conquest of the Masses 10: Strategy 11: At the Gates of Power Part Three 12: Seizure of Power 13: First Steps of Foreign Policy 14: Führer and People 15: Outbreak of the International System 16: Construction of the Sole Dictatorship Part Four 17: Domestic Crisis 18: First Foreign Policy Successes 19: The Way to the Nuremberg Laws 20: Foreign Policy Coup 21: Ready to Serve in Four Years 22: Church Struggle and Cultural Policy 23: Hitlers Regime Part Five 24: Foreign Policy Reorientation 25: From the Blomberg-Fritsch Crisis to the "Connection" 26: The Sudeten Crisis 27: To Munich 28: In the War Part Six 29: The War Begins 30: Resistors 31: War in the West 32: Exploring Foreign Policy 33: Extending the War 34: Operation Barbarossa 35: Escalation of Jewish Politics 36: Winter Crisis: 1941-42 37: At the Height of Power 38: Hitler's Empire Part Seven 39: War Change and Radicalization 40: With One's Back to the Wall 41: Before the Sinking 42: 20 July 1944 43: Refuge in Total War 44: The End

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Book SynopsisBefore Winston Churchill made history, he made news. To a great extent, the news made him too. If it was his own efforts that made him a hero, it was the media that made him a celebrity - and it has been considerably responsible for perpetuating his memory and shaping his reputation in the years since his death. Churchill first made his name via writing and journalism in the years before 1900, the money he earned helping to support his political career (at a time when MPs did not get salaries). Journalistic activities were also important to him later, as he struggled in the interwar years to find the wherewithal to run and maintain Chartwell, his country house in Kent. Moreover, not only was journalism an important aspect of Churchill''s political persona, but he himself was a news-obsessive throughout his life. The story of Churchill and the news is, on one level, a tale of tight deadlines, off-the-record briefings and smoke-filled newsrooms, of wartime summits that were turned into stage-managed global media events, and of often tense interactions with journalists and powerful press proprietors, such as Lords Northcliffe, Rothermere, and Beaverbrook. Uncovering the symbiotic relationship between Churchill''s political life and his media life, and the ways in which these were connected to his personal life, Richard Toye asks if there was a ''public Churchill'' whose image was at odds with the behind-the-scenes reality, or whether, in fact, his private and public selves became seamlessly blended as he adjusted to living in the constant glare of the media spotlight.On a wider level, this is also the story of a rapidly evolving media and news culture in the first half of the twentieth century, and of what the contemporary reporting of Churchill''s life (including by himself) can tell us about the development of this culture, over a period spanning from the Victorian era through to the space age.Trade ReviewWinston Churchill - A Life in the News is also the story of a rapidly evolving media and news culture in the first half of the twentieth century, and of what the contemporary reporting of Churchill's life (including by himself) can tell us about the development of this culture, over a period spanning from the Victorian era through to the space age. * Cosmopolis *Winston Churchill: A Life in the News sheds a fresh light on one of the best-studied statesmen, exploring the "symbiotic relationship" between Churchill's political life, journalistic career, and media persona. * Stefan Goebel, Journal of British Studies *[An] original study ... Toye is surely correct in seeing the journalism as central to the career of a man whose life was dominated by the news he did much to create. * A.W. Purdue, Times Higher Education *[Toyes] research underpins a clear-eyed, not uncritical but almost always fairminded account of a man whose heroic stature he recognizes but whose prejudices and blunders he also wants on the record. [His] energetic and dedicated scrutiny of Churchills actions, language and image is important and useful work, of interest far beyond academia. There is much good and even original stuff in [this book]. * Anne Chisholm, Times Literary Supplement *A timely and engaging volume ... With Winston Churchill: A Life in the News, Toye has made another significant contribution to Churchill studies. * W. Mark Hamilton, Finest Hour, the journal of the International Churchill Society *This meticulously researched and engaging book shows how the consummate statesman created his public image and why his fame and accomplishments have endured. * Dean Jobb, Washington Independent Review of Books *In Churchill: A Life in the News we encounter both the bombastic and the deeply insecure sides to Churchill's complex personality. The book stands not only as a testament to the effects of the media on personal leadership styles, but it forces us to reflect on how the changing media environment affects the way we are governed. It is a timely reminder of the excesses and limitations of the press in the modern political age. * Professor Jo Fox, Institute of Historical Research *Richard Toye once again brilliantly illuminates a critical side of Winston Churchill's complex life. This original, important, and highly-readable book is teeming with shrewd judgements and fresh insights. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Churchill's political career or modern news culture. * Christopher M. Bell, author of Churchill and the Dardanelles and Churchill and Sea Power *Fascinating ... The attention to detail in this book is admirable. * Chris Green, Suffolk and Norfolk Life *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: A Pushing Age 2: Stage Thunder 3: Any Home News? 4: Hell with the Lid Off 5: Born to Trouble 6: 'Worse than the Nazis' 7: 'The War is not Fought to Amuse the Newspapers' 8: Whose Finger? Conclusion

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Book SynopsisAerial warfare has dominated war-making for over 100 years, and despite regular announcements of its demise, it shows no sign of becoming obsolete. In this Very Short Introduction Frank Ledwidge offers a sweeping look at the history of aerial warfare, introducing the major battles, crises, and controversies where air power has taken centre stage, and the changes in technology and air power capabilities over time. Highlighting the role played by air power in the First and Second World Wars, he also sheds light on the lesser-known theatres where the roles of air forces have been clearly decisive in conflicts, in Africa, South America, and Asia. Along the way, Ledwidge asks key questions about the roles air power can deliver, and whether it is conceptually different from other forms of combat. Considering whether bombing has ever been truly effective, he discusses whether wars can be won from the air, and concludes by analysing whether there is a future for manned air power, or if it is iTable of ContentsIntroduction 1: Foundations 2: Beginnings: The First World War 1914-1918 3: Theory and Practice: The interwar years 1919-1939 4: The Second World War: air operations in the West 5: The Second World War: the air war in the Pacific 6: Cold war 1945-1982 7: The apotheosis of air power 1983-2001 8: Aerostats to algorithms; 2001-2018 9: Per ardua ad astra? References Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe crusade movement needed women: their money, their prayer support, their active participation, and their inspiration...This book surveys women''s involvement in medieval crusading between the second half of the eleventh century, when Pope Gregory VII first proposed a penitential military expedition to help the Christians of the East, and 1570, when the last crusader state, Cyprus, was captured by the Ottoman Turks. It considers women''s actions not only on crusade battlefields but also in recruiting crusaders, supporting crusades through patronage, propaganda, and prayer, and as both defenders and aggressors. It argues that medieval women were deeply involved in the crusades but the roles that they could play and how their contemporaries recorded their deeds were dictated by social convention and cultural expectations. Although its main focus is the women of Latin Christendom, it also looks at the impact of the crusades and crusaders on the Jews of western Europe and the Muslims of Trade ReviewSelected as a Book of the Year 2023 by Medievalists.netA significant and timely addition to the field. * Natasha Hodgson, BBC History Magazine *4*: Nicolson's careful and detailed retelling of women of all socioeconomic classes during the crusades makes Women and the Crusades one of the most helpful new publications for history enthusiasts and students. * Zhihui Zou, World History Encyclopedia *Nicholson...covers her subject with all the comprehensiveness and breadth readers might expect from a scholar of her caliber. * L. W. Marvin, CHOICE Reviews *The main contribution of Nicholson's book is her mere emphasis on women's involvement in the crusades movement for centuries. Based on an impressive breadth of sources, she convincingly shows that beyond fighting in the front line, women indeed made an important contribution to the Holy War of Christendom. * Professor Sophia Menache, University of Haifa *Widely researched from a wide spectrum of sources and broadly focused, Helen Nicholson's comprehensive study reveals the considerable and varied roles women played in the promotion, conduct, support and memorialisation of crusading and crusaders over more than four centuries. Using telling vignettes of participation, she shows how women of different social status and economic condition were integral to crusading culture and practice, not just marginal or ornamental. * Professor Christopher J. Tyerman, University of Oxford *This book is evidently the product of decades of accumulated research expertise and is panoramic in its scope...Nonetheless, this book undoubtedly succeeds as a detailed and convincing reminder that the history of the crusades is so much more than just a history of men on battlefields. * Beth C. Spacey, University of Queensland, Cerae Journal Vol. 10 *Women and the Crusades is teeming with fascinating insights. * Nicholas Morton, Engelsberg Ideas *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Chronology of the Crusades List of Popes List of Maps and Figures A note on names Maps Figures 1: Locating Women in the Crusades: Definitions and Evidence 2: Initialising crusades 3: Crusade Campaigns 4: The Home Front: Supporting the Crusade 5: After the Crusade: Memory and Imagination Summing Up Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWhile the Big Three and their continental Allies fought against Nazi Germany, another war was under way on the continent: the war to shape the political landscape of post-war Europe. In the Balkans, the war overlapped with political and ethnic conflicts, engulfing the region in bloody civil wars. In Central and Eastern Europe, partisan movements engaged the Germans without losing sight of the danger posed by the arrival of the Red Army. In France and in Italy, the adoption of the slogans of national liberation provided the communist parties with a formidable democratic legitimacy, which established them as key players in the political lives of their countries.The British and the Americans worked to stir up, support, control, and direct these resistance groups. London created the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and Washington the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), both of whom sent agents into occupied Europe to liaise directly with the guerilla groups. Through the Comintern, MoscowTable of ContentsPART 1 1: Resistance and diplomacy in occupied Europe (September 1939-June 1940) 2: The Special Operations Executive at war (July 1940 - June 1941) 3: The communists enter the scene (June 1941 - November 1941) PART 2 4: Uncertain times (December 1941 - December 1942) 5: The militarization of British policy and the beginning Of US challenge in the Mediterranean (January - December 1943) 6: The communist movement on the offensive (January - December 1943) PART 3 7: Civil war and liberation in the Balkans (1944-1945) 8: Central and Eastern Europe between liberation and Soviet occupation (1944-1945) 9: The liberation of Western Europe (1944-1945) 10: Conclusion

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Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, InspiringThe Cold War dominated international life from the end of World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. But how did the conflict begin? Why did it move from its initial origins in Postwar Europe to encompass virtually every corner of the globe? And why, after lasting so long, did the war end so suddenly and unexpectedly? Robert McMahon considers these questions and more, as well as looking at the legacy of the Cold War and its impact on international relations today.The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction is a truly international history, not just of the Soviet-American struggle at its heart, but also of the waves of decolonization, revolutionary nationalism, and state formation that swept the non-Western world in the wake of World War II. McMahon places the ''Hot Wars'' that cost millions of lives in Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere within the larger framework of global superpower competition. He shows how the United States and the Soviet Union both became empires over the course of the Cold War, and argues that perceived security needs and fears shaped U.S. and Soviet decisions from the beginning--far more, in fact, than did their economic and territorial ambitions. He unpacks how these needs and fears were conditioned by the divergent cultures, ideologies, and historical experiences of the two principal contestants and their allies. Covering the years 1945-1990, this second edition uses recent scholarship and newly available documents to offer a fuller analysis of the Vietnam War, the changing global politics of the 1970s, and the end of the Cold War.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition McMahon has produced a commanding short narrative of a vital period in recent world history. Clear, concise, and compelling, The Cold War is a superb primer on the subject. * Fredrik Logevall, University of California, Santa Barbara *A riveting read that brings order to complexity. McMahon is a brilliant guide to the major events of the Cold War and has a gift for clear-headed analysis of the controversies that swirl around it. * Professor Barbara Keys, Durham University *In concise and compelling prose, Robert McMahon offers critical insights about the truly global dimensions and profound legacies of the Cold War. * Dr. Wen-Qing Ngoei, author of Arc of Containment *Robert McMahon's The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction is an extraordinary work of both concision and analysis. It incorporates the most up-to-date scholarship in the field, while giving students and excellent overview of this crucial period in international history. The book is truly unique in its short length and clear and concise summary of the main issues of the Cold War, while written with grace and subtlety. A masterful achievement! * Professor Thomas Schwartz, Vanderbilt University *Small but impressive * Soldier Magazine *Table of ContentsPreface List of illustrations List of maps 1: World War II and the destruction of the old order 2: The origins of the Cold War in Europe, 1945-50 3: Towards 'Hot War' in Asia, 1945-50 4: A global Cold War, 1950-8 5: From confrontation to detente, 1958-68 6: Cold wars at home 7: The rise and fall of superpower detente, 1968-79 8: The final phase, 1980-90 Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe story of how widespread belief in fortune-telling, prophecies, spirits, magic, and protective talismans gripped the battlefields and home fronts of Europe during the First World War.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition This is a rich and thought-provoking study of how the First World War ensured the widespread continuation of a popular belief in magic - even in the 'modernity' of the post-1914 age - and why this is important to our understanding of life during and after the conflict. * Catriona Pennell, BBC History Magazine *A marvellous book ... even readers who know Davies' impressive writing on witchcraft, cunning folk and ghosts will find a new glint of ambition here. * Simon Young, Times Higher Education *A Supernatural War provides a nuanced and learned exposition of its subject ... Such a broad approach suggests that this book will remain the definitive work for a long time to come. * Graham Seal, Literary Review *A fascinating account of how the first modern industrialised global war revitalised traditional superstitions, and infused supernatural power into all kinds of objects. * Nick Saunders, Military History Matters *Davies is one of the undisputed leaders in his field. A Supernatural War is impossible to describe without simply rattling off a list of highlights ... a fascinating deep dive that offers tantalising glimpses of a very different world. * All About History *A fascinating insight into supernatural beliefs and practices prevalent during the First World War. * Paradigm Explorer *Owen Davies will provide you with a comprehensive overview of wartime weirdness. * David Clarke, Fortean Times01/03/2019 *A detailed and fascinating study. * David V Barrett, Catholic Herald *Riotous and engaging. * Tony Jasper, Methodist Recorder *Fascinating. * Leon Burakowski, Shrewsbury Chronicle *Owen Davies's book seems to me to be arranged in a [...] logical and reader-friendly manner, with individual chapters dealing with particular topics such as prophecies of the war, lucky charms and superstitions, and a review of how churches and religious figures regarded the stories that were emerging from the battlefields. * John Rimmer, Magonia Review *It is not often that you run across a piece of writing which is both unusual and packed with detail that even a military historian like myself has never encountered. Owen Davies' A Supernatural War does just that. * Sebastian Phillips, Concatenation *Owen Davies notes that great conflicts invariably generate an upsurge of belief in the mystical, visionary and occult. In A Supernatural War Davies surveys, in remarkable detail, the range of such beliefs, from cheap pamphlets prophesying the coming war to the legend of the medieval archers known as the Angels of Mons to the lucky charms worn by Italian soldiers. * Michael Dirda, Washington Post *This is another wonderful book from the leading expert in the history of magic between 1740 and 1940. Readers will never look at the First World War in the same way again. * Ronald Hutton, author of The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft *Table of Contents1: Introduction: A War Full of Wonder 2: Prophetic Times 3: Visions, Spirits, and Psychics 4: Telling Fortunes, Telling Tales 5: Battlefield Luck 6: Trench Faith and Protection Epilogue Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe story of the British army, from its inception in the late seventeenth century to the present.This new concise history by one of Britain''s leading military historians explores the British army from the creation of a permanent standing army in the seventeenth century to the present. It sets the institutional development of the British army, and its often ambiguous relationship with state and society, as well as the army''s wider political, social, economic, and cultural role within international, imperial, national, regional, and local contexts. An army exists to fight, however, and the British army''s story cannot be separated from those wars and conflicts that have punctuated its evolution. Consequently, attention is also paid to the army''s commanders, operations, and battlefields from the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in the seventeenth century to Iraq and Afghanistan in the twenty-first. Beckett traces the army''s evolution through five chronological phases: the standing army of tTrade ReviewAn impressive account of a key force not only in British but also in world history. * Jeremy Black, Emeritus Professor *Beckett has provided an intellectual treat. * Edward M. Spiers, Emeritus Professor *Table of ContentsAbbreviations Introduction 1: A Standing Army 2: A National Army 3: An Imperial Army 4: A People's Army 5: A Global Army Appendix: Major Wars and Campaigns since 1661

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Book SynopsisHistories you can trust.The First World War, now a century ago, still shapes the world in which we live, and its legacy lives on, in poetry, in prose, in collective memory and political culture. By the time the war ended in 1918, millions lay dead. Three major empires lay shattered by defeat, those of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottomans. A fourth, Russia, was in the throes of a revolution that helped define the rest of the twentieth century.The Oxford History of the First World War brings together in one volume many of the most distinguished historians of the conflict, in an account that matches the scale of the events. From its causes to its consequences, from the Western Front to the Eastern, from the strategy of the politicians to the tactics of the generals, they chart the course of the war and assess its profound political and human consequences. Chapters on economic mobilization, the impact on women, the role of propaganda, and the rise of socialism establish the wider context of the fighting at sea and in the air, and which ranged on land from the trenches of Flanders to the mountains of the Balkans and the deserts of the Middle East.Trade Review[an] elegant, superbly compiled book * History of War *This is as complete a snapshot of the war as you are likely to get. * Northern Echo *Table of ContentsHew Strachan: Introduction 1: Samuel R. Williamson, Jr: The Origins of the War 2: Holger Afflerbach: The Strategy of the Central Powers, 1914-1917 3: D. E. Showalter: Manoeuvre Warfare: The Eastern and Western Fronts, 1914-1915 4: David French: The Strategy of the Entente Powers, 1914-1917 5: R. J. Crampton: The Balkans, 1914-1918 6: Ulrich Trumpener: Turkey's War 7: David Killingray: The War in Africa 8: Paul G. Halpern: The War at Sea 9: B. J. C. McKercher: Economic Warfare 10: Hew Strachan: Economic Mobilization: Money, Munitions, Machines 11: Susan Grayzel: The Role of Women in War 12: J. A. Turner: The Challenge to Liberalism: The Politics of the Home Fronts 13: Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson: Eastern Front and Western Front, 1916-1917 14: Alexander Watson: Mutinies and Military Morale 15: David Stevenson: War Aims and Peace Negotiations 16: J. M. Winter: Propaganda and the Mobilization of Consent 17: John Horne: Socialism, Peace, and Revolution, 1917-1918 18: David Trask: The Entry of the USA into the War and its Effects 19: Holger H. Herwig: The German Victories, 1917-1918 20: John H. Morrow, Jr: The War in the Air 21: Tim Travers: The Allied Victories, 1918 22: Zara Steiner: The Peace Settlement 23: Robert Gerwarth: No End to War 24: Modris Eksteins: Memory and the Great War Further Reading Index

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Book Synopsis''I am doing your Majesty some service here, whilst I am preparing the story of your sufferings; that posterity may know by whose default the nation was even overwhelmed with calamities, and by whose virtue it was redeemed.''Clarendon''s massive History has since its first publication in 1702-4 dominated our images of the English Civil War. Written by a man who for over a quarter of a century was one of the closest advisers to Charles I and Charles II, it contains a remarkably frank account of the inadequacies of royalist policy-making as well as an astute analysis of the principles and practice of government. Clarendon chronicles in absorbing detail the factions and intrigues, the rise of Cromwell and the death of Charles I, the bloody battles and the eventual Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 after the Interregnum. He brings to life the key players in a series of brilliant character portraits, and his account is admired as much for its literary quality as its historical value. This

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Book SynopsisThe history of National Socialism as movement and regime remains one of the most compelling and intensively studied aspects of twentieth-century history, and one whose significance extends far beyond Germany or even Europe alone. This volume presents an up-to-date and authoritative introduction to the history of Nazi Germany, with ten chapters on the most important themes, each by an expert in the field. Following an introduction which sets out the challenges this period of history has posed to historians since 1945, contributors explain how Nazism emerged as ideology and political movement; how Hitler and his party took power and remade the German state; and how the Nazi ''national community'' was organized around a radical and eventually lethal distinction between the ''included'' and the ''excluded''. Further chapters discuss the complex relationship between Nazism and Germany''s religious faiths; the perverse economic rationality of the regime; the path to war laid down by Hitler''Trade ReviewExcellent...work of exceptional quality. It is difficult to think of a better guide to Nazi Germany (even in German). It should gain an immediate place at the top of all reading lists. * Joachim Whaley, Journal of European Studies *In a brief format it provides a broad, state-of-the-art picture of Nazi Germany. The editor and the authors deserve credit for this service to scholars and teachers of the field. * Moritz Follmer, English Historical Review. *Jane Caplan's book encompasses overviews on the most important topics on an up-to-date level by experts who have established reputations from major research publications on their area...in their effort to combine precise information with balanced reflection of historical perspectives, most of those chapters achieve a remarkably high level of density while still being readable. This is no small achievement. * Magnus Brechtken, Times Higher Education Supplement *Caplan and her team of authors have succeeded in producing an extremely useful volume, which will definitely become standard reading for all university courses on National Socialism. * Patrick Bernhard, European History Quarterly. *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Emergence of Nazi Ideology ; 2. The NSDAP, 1919-34: From Fringe Politics to the Seizure of Power ; 3. Hitler and the Nazi State: Leadership, Hierarchy, and Power ; 4. Inclusion: Building the National Community in Propaganda and Practice ; 5. The Policy of Exclusion: Repression in the Nazi State, 1933-9 ; 6. Religion and the Churches ; 7. The Economic History of the Nazi Regime ; 8. Foreign Policy in Peace and War ; 9. Occupation, Imperialism and Genocide, 1939-45 ; 10. The Third Reich in Postwar German Memory ; Further Reading ; Chronology ; Maps

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Book SynopsisA vivid narrative of an ill-fated Pan American flight during World War II that captures the dramatic backstories of its passengers and, through them, the impact of Americans'' global connections. On February 21, 1943, Pan American Airways'' celebrated seaplane, the Yankee Clipper, took off from New York''s Marine Air Terminal and island-hopped its way across the Atlantic Ocean. Arriving at Lisbon the following evening, it crashed in the Tagus River, killing twenty-four of its thirty-nine passengers and crew. Americans in a World at War traces the backstories of seven worldly Americans aboard that plane, their personal histories, their politics, and the paths that led them toward war.Combat soldiers made up only a small fraction of the millions of Americans, both in and out of uniform, who scattered across six continents during the Second World War. This book uncovers a surprising history of American noncombatants abroad in the years leading into the twentieth century''s most consequential conflict. Long before GIs began storming beaches and liberating towns, Americans had forged extensive political, economic, and personal ties to other parts of the world. These deep and sometimes contradictory engagements, which preceded the bombing of Pearl Harbor, would shape and in turn be transformed by the US war effort. The intriguing biographies of the Yankee Clipper''s passengers--among them an Olympic-athlete-turned-export salesman, a Broadway star, a swashbuckling pilot, and two entrepreneurs accused of trading with the enemy--upend conventional American narratives about World War II. As their travels take them from Ukraine, France, Spain, Panama, Cuba, and the Philippines to Java, India, Australia, Britain, Egypt, the Soviet Union, and the Belgian Congo, among other hot spots, their movements defy simple boundaries between home front and war front. Americans in a World at War offers fresh perspectives on a transformative period of US history and global connections during the American Century.Trade ReviewBlower shows us the Second World War from wholly novel and thought-provoking points of view. Recounting the doomed transatlantic flight of Pan Am's Yankee Clipper in 1943, Blower re-creates the strikingly worldly view of American civilians borne aloft and into a global cataclysm. Blower's original research and powerful prose carry us along on the journey, making us feel as if we know these people and allowing us to worry about their fates as if their story were happening right in front of us. * Eric Rauchway, author of Winter War: Hoover, Roosevelt, and the First Clash Over the New Deal *In this brilliant, creative, and compelling work, Brooke Blower brings readers into World War II through the lives of travelers on an ill-fated transatlantic flight, allowing readers to see the world on the edge of war. The author's beautiful writing and astonishing range of sources make this book a model of the integration of biography and global history. * Mary L. Dudziak, author of War Time: An Idea, Its History, Its Consequences *By expertly blending the international and the personal, Brooke Blower gives us a new and fascinating way to understand American reactions to the Second World War. This powerfully written and originally researched book shows the complexities and contradictions of America's rise to global superpower. Americans in a World at War is a prime example of the new and exciting generation of scholarly analyses of World War II. * Michael S. Neiberg, author of When France Fell: The Vichy Crisis and the Fate of the Anglo-American Relationship *It's a satisfyingly fresh perspective on the era. * Publishersweekly.com *Table of ContentsPreface Cast of Characters Maps Note on Names and Language Introduction: Into the Vortex Part I: 1914-1920 1. Balloon Work: George hopes to fight in France 2. Autumn Flies: Tamara survives civil war in Ukraine 3. Blood of the Earth: Harry learns the oil business in Romania 4. Tramp Trade: Manuel watches the Great War tear Spain apart Interlude: New York to Bermuda: Sully greets his passengers Part II: 1920-1939 5. Free Lunches: Frank competes in the Amsterdam Olympics 6. Unfinished People: Tamara struggles in the Bronx 7. The Silk-Stocking Revolt: George runs for Congress against the New Deal 8. Twelve Mile River: Ben falls in love with Roosevelt's Washington 9. Woman and Bird: Tamara finds fame on Broadway 10. Tea-Time: Frank moves to the Philippines 11. Stolen Soil: Manuel's schemes reach Mexico and Cuba Interlude: Bermuda to the Azores: Sully flies past the Point of No Return Part III: 1939-1942 12. Three-Minute Channel: Ben endures the London Blitz 13. Back to Porridge: Frank contends with the fall of the Netherlands 14. Ship's Stores: Manuel is arrested for smuggling 15. Easy Dish: Frank braves the invasion of Java 16. Red Mississippi: Ben reports from Russia 17. Hold Your Hats: George joins the army Interlude: The Azores to Portugal: Sully prepares for arrival Part IV: 1942-1943 18. Patent Denials: Harry manages his company's German ties 19. Dangerous Acts: Tamara volunteers to entertain troops 20. The Charter Offer: Manuel makes a bargain 21. Small Potatoes: Frank broadcasts from Australia 22. Acid Test: Ben witnesses the Quit India campaign 23. Hot Questions: George testifies before Congress Conclusion: A Strange and Frightening World Appendix: The Yankee Clipper's Last Passenger Manifest Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive history of the Nazi persecution and murder of European Jews, paying detailed attention to an unrivalled range sources. Focusing clearly on the perpetrators and exploring closely the process of decision making, Longerich argues that anti-Semitism was not a mere by-product of the Nazis'' political mobilization or an attempt to deflect the attention of the masses, but that anti-Jewish policy was a central tenet of the Nazi movement''s attempts to implement, disseminate, and secure National Socialist rule - and one which crucially shaped Nazi policy decisions, from their earliest days in power through to the invasion of the Soviet Union and the Final Solution. As Longerich shows, the ''disappearance'' of Jews was designed as a first step towards a racially homogeneous society - first within the ''Reich'', later in the whole of a German-dominated Europe.Trade ReviewThe most thorough and reliable account...deserves to be in the library of everyone interested in the history of the greatest genocide in history. * Richard J Evans, Times Literary Supplement. *Table of ContentsPART I: RACIAL PERSECUTION, 1933-1939; PART II: THE PERSECUTION OF THE JEWS, 1939-1941; PART III: MASS EXECUTIONS OF JEWS IN THE OCCUPIED SOVIET ZONES, 1941; PART IV: GENESIS OF THE FINAL SOLUTION ON A EUROPEAN SCALE, 1941; PART V: THE EXTERMINATION OF THE EUROPEAN JEWS, 1942-1945

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Book SynopsisThe Thirty Years'' War (1618-48) was Europe''s most destructive conflict prior to the two world wars. Two of European history''s greatest generals faced each other at Lützen in November 1632, mid-way through this terrible war. Neither achieved his objective. Albrecht von Wallenstein withdrew his battered imperial army at nightfall, unaware that his opponent, King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, had died a few hours earlier. The indecisive military outcome found an immediate echo in image and print, and became the object of political and historical disputes. Swedish propaganda swiftly fostered the lasting image of the king''s sacrifice for the Protestant cause against the spectre of Catholic Habsburg ''universal monarchy''. The standard assumption that the king had ''met his death in the hour of victory'' became integral to how Gustavus Adolphus''s contribution to modern warfare has been remembered, even celebrated, while the study of Lützen''s wider legacy shows how such events are constantly rewritten as elements of propaganda, religious and national identity, and professional military culture. The battle''s religious and political associations also led to its adoption as a symbol by those advocating German unification under Prussian leadership. The battlefield remains a place of pilgrimage to this day and a site for the celebration of Protestant German and Nordic culture. This book is the first to combine analysis of the battle itself with an assessment of its cultural, political and military legacy, and the first to incorporate recent archaeological research within a reappraisal of the events and their significance. It challenges the accepted view that Lützen is a milestone in military development, arguing instead that its impact was more significant on the cultural and political level.Trade ReviewA very readable book. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to understand more about the Thirty Years' War. An excellent addition to OUP's Great Battles series. * Chris May, Battlefield *With this beautiful, well-illustrated book, Wilson has propelled Lutzen from moderate obscurity to its rightful place in history ... OUP have worked in great harmony with a renowned historian to produce a thought-provoking, highly readable piece of scholarship. * Patrick Mercer, Military History Monthly *Table of Contents1: Introduction 2: Context 3: Campaign 4: Battle 5: Military Legacy 6: Political and Cultural Legacy 7: Conclusion Appendix: Orders of battle Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe story of Saladin's recapture of the Holy City of Jerusalem from the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin in 1187. A pivotal battle in the history of the Crusades - and in the subsequent history of the Middle East and the Muslim world.Trade Review[France] reminds us why Hattin, more so than the subsequent Christian victory four year later at Arsuf, became embedded in popular culture. * Victor Davis Hanson, Times Literary Supplement *France's highly accessible book examines the causes and consequences of [the Battle of Hattin], tracing its impact way beyond its immediate aftermath and impact on Euro-Islamic relations. He follows the path of its tremors all the up to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the uneasy relationship between Eastern Islamic culture and Western Christian culture that still exists today. * History of War *The Battle at Hattin, despite its immense significance, is often overlooked or even forgotten by the twenty-first century student of military history. That being the case, it is wonderful to see the excellent 'Great Battles' series from the Oxford University Press redressing this fact and giving it the attention that it warrants ... A hugely interesting, engaging and accessible book which brings the period and the personalities of the battle to life. * Major P D Horne RA, British Army Review *a useful and absorbing examination of the importance of the Battle of Hattin * Battlefield Magazine *[A] tour de force. I was surprised how much information an author can squeeze into only 168 pages of text ... a delightful read ... Hattin is a good book, well-written and full to the brim with information. * Jona Lendering, Medieval Warfare *Table of Contents1. Salvation through Slaughter ; 2. Crusade and Jihad ; 3. The Battle of Hattin ; 4. Hattin: Bloody Consequences ; 5. Hattin Today: A Poisoned Heritage ; Notes ; Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe Romans first set military foot on Greek soil in 229 BCE; only sixty or so years later it was all over, and shortly thereafter Greece became one of the first provinces of the emerging Roman Empire. It was an incredible journey - a swift, brutal, and determined conquest of the land to whose art, philosophy, and culture the Romans owed so much. Rome found the eastern Mediterranean divided, in an unstable balance of power, between three great kingdoms - the three Hellenistic kingdoms that had survived and flourished after the wars of Alexander the Great''s Successors: Macedon, Egypt, and Syria. Internal troubles took Egypt more or less out of the picture, but the other two were reduced by Rome. Having established itself, by its defeat of Carthage, as the sole superpower in the western Mediterranean, Rome then systematically went about doing the same in the east, until the entire Mediterranean was under her control. Apart from the thrilling military action, the story of the Roman conquest of Greece is central to the story of Rome itself and the empire it created. As Robin Waterfield shows, the Romans developed a highly sophisticated method of dominance by remote control over the Greeks of the eastern Mediterranean - the cheap option of using authority and diplomacy to keep order rather than standing armies. And it is a story that raises a number of fascinating questions about Rome, her empire, and her civilization. For instance, to what extent was the Roman conquest a planned and deliberate policy? What was it about Roman culture that gave it such a will for conquest? And what was the effect on Roman intellectual and artistic culture, on their very identity, of their entanglement with an older Greek civilization, which the Romans themselves recognized as supreme?Trade ReviewThe story Waterfield tells is complex, but he tells it well. * Peter Jones, BBC History *This sorry story is told with great verve and pace by Waterfield. * Literary Review *Table of ContentsPreface ; Prelude: Clouds in the West ; 1. Rome Turns East ; 2. The Illyrian Wars ; 3. Barbarians, Go Home! ; 4. King Philip of Macedon ; 5. The Freedom of the Greeks ; 6. The Road to Thermopylae ; 7. The Periphery Expands ; 8. Remote Control ; 9. Perseus' Choice ; 10. The End of Macedon ; 11. Imperium Romanum ; 12. The Greek World after Pydna ; Key Dates ; Glossary ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisBy the end of the eighteenth century, politicians in America and France were invoking the natural rights of man to wrest sovereignty away from kings and lay down universal basic entitlements. Exactly how and when did rights come to justify such measures? InOn the Spirit of Rights, Dan Edelstein answers this question by examining the complex genealogy of the rights that regimes enshrined in the American and French Revolutions. With a lively attention to detail, he surveys a sprawling series of debates among rulers, jurists, philosophers, political reformers, writers, and others who were all engaged in laying the groundwork for our contemporary systems of constitutional governance. Every seemingly new claim about rights turns out to be a variation on a theme, as late medieval notions were subtly repeated and refined to yield the talk of rights we recognize today. From the Wars of Religion to the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen to the 1948 Universal DeclarationTrade Review"A superb, erudite piece of intellectual excavation. . . . Edelstein’s skill as an intellectual historian lies especially in his ability to situate ideas in their broadest cultural and political setting." * New York Review of Books *"Provocative and timely." * Times Higher Education *"Edelstein explores how natural rights translated into human rights in his sweeping survey, which canvasses the archaeology of human rights from the Wars of Religion through the Age of Revolution to 1948. [He] provides a helpful new framework for understanding the evolution of human rights in Western society. Highly recommended." * CHOICE *“Rarely has an existing debate been as authoritatively and breathtakingly taken to a new plane as in Edelstein’s sophisticated new story of how ‘rights’ entered European and transatlantic politics in the age of revolution. Clear, erudite, and urbane, Edelstein has shown once again why he is so highly regarded a historian of the eighteenth century’s place in Western intellectual history.” * Samuel Moyn, Yale University *“The Spirit of Rights is an erudite, wide-ranging, and powerful reevaluation of the history of human rights in the West. Rather than viewing either (or both) the U.S. Declaration of Independence or the French Declaration of the Rights of Man as constituting a foundational moment of political modernity, Edelstein sees them as marking a moment in a lively and contentious conversation over rights that can be traced back to the sixteenth century and then through to our own day. The consequent expansion of the historical canvas on which rights have been inscribed explodes conventional teleologies. Written with verve and conviction, The Spirit of Rights is a tour de force: compelling, brilliant, and excitingly thought-provoking.” * Colin Jones, Queen Mary University of London *"The author shows tremendous erudition both in relation to the sources and to the relevant literature. The argumentation is impressively clear and the presentation is extremely legible." * Historische Zeitschrift (translated from German) *Table of ContentsI How to Think about Rights in Early Modern Europe 1. Introduction 2. Tectonic Shifts and Tectonic Plates: Two Models for the Transformation of Culture 3. A Revolution in Natural Law? From Objective to Subjective Right (and Back Again) 4. Rights and Sovereignty: Beyond the State 5. Inalienability vs. the Alienation of Rights 6. Roman Law, the Lex Regia, and the Genealogy of Rights Regimes 7. Writing Intellectual History in a Digital Age Part I: Early Modern Rights Regimes II When Did Rights Become “Rights”? From the Wars of Religion to the Dawn of Enlightenment 1. Monarchomachs and Tyrannicides: Natural Rights in the French Wars of Religion 2. English Liberties and Natural Rights: Leveller Arguments in the English Civil War 3. Abridging Natural Rights: Hobbes and the High Church Divines 4. Entrust, but Verify? The Transfer Regime from Spinoza to Locke5. Into the Enlightenment: “Cato” and Hutcheson III From Liberalism to Liberty: Natural Rights in the French Enlightenment 1. Sources for Natural Law Theory in France, 1700–1750 2. Physiocracy and the Dangerous Ignorance of Natural Rights 3. Natural Rights Talk in the Late Enlightenment: The Philosophes Carry the Torch 4. The (Meek) Conservative Reaction 5. Resisting Despotism: National Rights and Constitutionalism Part II: Social Naturalism in Early Modern France IV The Laws of Nature in Neo-Stoicism and Science 1. The Many Receptions of Stoicism 2. Laws of the Natural World: The New Science V Roman Law and Order: From Free-Market Ideology to Abolitionism 1. The Jansenist Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism: Jean Domat, the Natural Order, and the Origins of Free-Market Ideology 2. “All Men Are Originally Born Free”: Slavery, Empathy, and the Extension of Human Rights 3. Conclusion Part III: Rights and Revolutions VI Natural Constitutionalism and American Rights 1. Boston, Locke, and Natural Rights (1715–64) 2. Blackstone and English Common Law 3. Natural Rights and Revolution 4. Declaring Rights: From Natural Law Back to English Common Law VII From Nature to Nation: French Revolutionary Rights 1. Whose Rights Are They, Anyway? Rights Talk in the Cahiers de Doléances 2. Debating Rights at the National Assembly 3. The Legal Spirit of the French Declaration of Rights 4. The Revenge of National Rights 5. Conclusion VIII Conclusion: A Stand-in for the Universal Declaration: 1789–1948 1. The Catholic Church, Natural Law, and Human Rights 2. From National Constitutions to an International Declaration 3. The Archaeology of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights Acknowledgments Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review "In the great tradition of Studs Terkel and Is Paris Burning?, Mary Louise Roberts uses the diaries and memoirs of French civilians to narrate a history of the French at D-Day that has for too long been occluded by the mythology of the allied landing. Students approaching WWII history for the first time will now be able to go beyond the beachhead and think deeply about the French-American encounter in all its complexity. For the French, liberation meant American heroes--demigods packing Hershey’s chocolate and chouine gomme--and it also meant the destruction of property and the loss of life, the violent end to years of waiting. The switch of point of view from American to French is an exercise in empathy that renews history at the core. What a great idea and what a gripping and artful book!" -- Alice Kaplan, author of Dreaming in French"A moving examination of how French civilians experienced the fighting." * Telegraph *"Roberts's work is commendable, finally, because her work reminds readers that D-Day was not only a positive event that reestablished freedom, but that its cost was tragically high for all concerned." * New York Journal of Books *"The author shows great skill in allowing these eyewitnesses to 'speak for themselves,' vividly evoking their experiences of the tragedy, the brutality, the destruction, the joy, and the fear that the invasion brought. . . . In its treatment of an often neglected aspect of military history, this will be an attractive acquisition for all libraries." * Choice *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: The Night of All Nights 2: The Paras 3: Devastation 4: The First Glimpse 5: Sharing a Battlefield 6: Making Friends Conclusion Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“‘Intelligence histories are curious things,’ writes Graziano, and his brilliant, highly original book is no exception. In colorful detail and with sharp insight, Graziano shows how the US intelligence community waged the Cold War with innovative but misleading academic theories about world religions. This superb book is a must-read for scholars of American religion and foreign relations alike.” * Andrew Preston, author of Sword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith: Religion in American War and Diplomacy *“US intelligence agents in the Cold War thought they knew what religion was, how it worked, and how to manipulate it for national security goals. But their methods were grounded in an American religious exceptionalism that often left them flat-footed and unprepared. In this engaging and deftly written book, Graziano illuminates the fallibility of expertise, the role of religious studies in the security state, and the changing place of religion in American life.” * Tisa Wenger, author of Religious Freedom: The Contested History of an American Ideal *“Fascinating. . . The story that emerges shows how dangerous religion can be when it is weaponized by powerful people who don’t truly understand it.” * The Christian Century *"Errand into the Wilderness of Mirrors notes how this close-knit relationship between psychology, theology and espionage in the US dates back to 1942: when President Franklin Roosevelt formed the Office of Strategic Services. . . . Its blind spot was an assumption religion could be used to unify one global culture with a single value system. Graziano says this messianic idea fits well with American exceptionalism: a delusional belief the US is an empire of liberty that has a moral responsibility to export democracy and freedom." * The Independent *"[A] sophisticated, fascinating and well-written application of scholarship to practical matters of state." * Survival *“Fascinating. . . The story that emerges shows how dangerous religion can be when it is weaponized by powerful people who don’t truly understand it.” * The Christian Century *"Errand into the Wilderness of Mirrors provides a compelling and important glimpse into the intelligence community and its use of religion during war-time eras... Graziano guides the reader through a brief history of the interactions that the intelligence community had with various religions, notably those that they perceived to be either threatening or useful to their specific war-time agendas." * Reading Religion *"Errand into the Wilderness of Mirrors raises a vital question in both academic and intelligence circles: what exactly is religion? ... By showing the limitations of the religious approach in intelligence, Graziano provides a caution to scholars of religion." * American Religion *"Errand into the Wilderness of Mirrors creatively pairs American intelligence services with the academic study of religion, in order to show how these disparate worlds reinforced one another’s static understandings of religion. Graziano deftly narrates how the twentieth-century imagining of “religion”—by scholars and CIA agents alike—blinded both groups to historical and political realities." * Journal of Church and State *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Charting the Wilderness 1 American Spies and American Catholics 2 Refining the Religious Approach 3 The Great Jihad of Freedom 4 On Caring What It Is 5 Baptizing Vietnam 6 Counterinsurgency and the Study of World Religions 7 Iran and Revolutionary Thinking Conclusion: A New Wilderness Acknowledgments Notes Index

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