Modern warfare Books

Book SynopsisRevisit the definitive book on Pearl Harbor in advance of the 78th anniversary (December 7, 2019) of the date which will live in infamyAt 7:53 a.m., December 7, 1941, America's national consciousness and confidence were rocked as the first wave of Japanese warplanes took aim at the U.S. Naval fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor. As intense and absorbing as a suspense novel, At Dawn We Slept is the unparalleled and exhaustive account of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. It is widely regarded as the definitive assessment of the events surrounding one of the most daring and brilliant naval operations of all time. Through extensive research and interviews with American and Japanese leaders, Gordon W. Prange has written a remarkable historical account of the assault that-sixty years later-America cannot forget.The reader is bound to feel its power....It is impossible to forget such an account. —The New York Times Book ReviewTrade ReviewPrange's exhaustive interviews of people on both sides enable him to tell the story in such personal terms that the reader is bound to feel its power....It is impossible to forget such an account. —The New York Times Book ReviewDiligent, thorough, and evenhanded...At Dawn We Slept is the definitive account of Pearl Harbor. —Chicago Sun-Times “Fast-paced and engrossing . . . if any book can be called ‘definitive,’ At Dawn We Slept deserves the accolade.”—Los Angeles Herald Examiner“It will be the single, essential work on the subject from now on.”—Houston Chronicle“An unparalleled historical achievement . . . the account reads with the intensity of a suspense novel.”—Milwaukee Journal“From first to last—responsible, intelligent, absorbing . . . the book is most outstanding.” —Kirkus ReviewsTable of ContentsAt Dawn We Slept - Gordon W. Prange with Donald M. Goldstein and Katherine V. Dillon IntroductionPrefacePart I: Prelude1. "Cancer of the Pacific"2. "On a Moonlight Night or at Dawn"3. "Difficult But Not Impossible"4. "No Credence in These Rumors"5. "You Hurt the President's Feelings"6. "That Must Henceforth Bear Responsibility"7. "Our First Concern Is to Protect the Fleet"8. "The Hotbed of Espionage"9. "In Rather a Spot"10. "The Most Likely and Dangerous Form of Attack"11. "How Can Air Power Be Used Most Effectively?"12. "The Real Power and Potentialities"13. "With Guarded Approval"14. "The Strongest Fortress in the World"15. "Critical in the Atlantic"16. "The Kiss of Death"17. "Japan's Foreign Policy Will Not Be Changed"18. "As If He Were Beyond Penalty"19. "We Want Hustlers!"20. "Plenty of Potential Dynamite"21. "A Cunning Dragon Seemingly Asleep"22. "Prophetic in Its Accuracy"23. "Present Attitude and Plans"24. "A Very Strong Fighting Spirit"25. "Resolved to Go to War"26. "Waves and Winds So Unsettled"27. "A Serious Study"28. "The War Games"29. "Time Was Running Out"30. "But What About the Pacific?"31. "A Significant and Ominous Change"32. "No Matter What the Cost"33. "Now the Clouds Were Raised"34. "The Power, the Purpose and the Plan"35. "Pearl Harbor Will Be Attacked"36. "We Should Be on Guard"37. "As One with the Combined Fleet"Part II: Action38. "Other Kind of People"39. "Based on Deception"40. "In the Hands of God"41. "Complete War Preparations"42. "Ringing Bells and Banging Drums"43. "I Swear to Be Successful"44. "A Situation Full of Dynamite"45. "Things Are Automatically Going to Happen"46. "Wherever It Might Be Found"47. "Cleave the Enemy in Two!"48. "A Match for Anything Afloat"49. "That Was the Monkey Wrench"50. "To Be Considered a War Warning"51. "Our Diplomats Will Have to Be Sacrificed"52. "The Vacant Sea"53. "Glory or Oblivion"54. "Great Unease in All of Our Minds"55. "Sure Indication of War"56. "Another Straw in the Wind"57. "On a Keg of Dynamite"58. "This Means War"59. "The Japs Are Planning Some Deviltry"60. "An Awful Urgency"61. "Tora! Tora! Tora!"62. "Sound General Quarters"63. "They Caught Them Asleep, by God!"64. "Oh, How Powerful Is the Imperial Navy!"65. "The Chance of a Lifetime"Part III: Aftermath66. "An Excitement Indeed"67. "Our Flag Was Still There"68. "Clouds Over Mountains"69. "Not on the Alert"70. "Dereliction of Duty"71. "The Ashes of a Bitter Past"72. "Something Ought to Be Done"73. "Full and Fair Disclosure"74. "We Have a Job to Do"75. "Errors of Judgment"76. "We Want the Truth"77. "A Partisan Matter"78. "The Evidence Piles Up"79. "A Fighting Chance"80. "Fixing the Blame"81. "The Verdict of History"AfterwordAppendixNotesAbbreviations Used in TextSource MaterialList of Major PersonnelThe Pearl Harbor InvestigationsSelected BibliographyRevisionists RevisitedIndex

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Book Synopsis“Brilliant...an enormous work based on the most meticulous research.”—LA Times Book Review The battle at Guadalcanal—which began eight months to the day after Pearl Harbor—marked the first American offensive of World War II. It was a brutal six-month campaign that cost the lives of some 7,000 Americans and over 30,000 Japanese. This volume, ten years in the writing, recounts the full story of the critical campaign for Guadalcanal and is based on first-time translations of official Japanese Defense Agency accounts and recently declassified U.S. radio intelligence, Guadalcanal recreates the battle—on land, at sea, and in the air—as never before: it examines the feelings of both American and Japanese soldiers, the strategies and conflicts of their commanders, and the strengths and weaknesses of various fighting units.

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Book SynopsisCO-WINNER OF THE C.P. STACEY AWARDThe definitive account of Canadians fighting in the Second World War written by Canada's premier military historian.Tim Cook, Canada's leading war historian, ventures deep into the Second World War in this epic two-volume story of heroism and horror, loss and longing, and sacrifice and endurance.Written in Cook's compelling narrative style, this book shows in impressive detail how soldiers, airmen, and sailors fought—the evolving tactics, weapons of war, logistics, and technology. He also examines the war as an engine of transformation for Canada. With a population of fewer than twelve million, Canada embraced its role as an arsenal of democracy, exporting war supplies, feeding its allies, and raising a million-strong armed forces that served and fought in nearly every theatre of war. The six-year-long exertion caused disruption, provoked nationwide industrialization, ushered in changes to gender roles, exace

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsWhat is a Document? How to Read a Document Introduction Note on Sources and Interpretation 1. To War, Again Aggressor Nations From Appeasement to War Dark Days for the Allies 2. Fighting Men and Women Men and Women in War Combat Misery Killing and Death Atrocity, War Crimes, Limitlessness 3. Mobilizing for Total War War Production Mobilizing Workers Allied Success 4. Home Front Sacrifice and Morale Forward Together Food and Rationing Bombing of Civilians Civil Liberties Fun on the Home Fronts 5. Picture Essay: Wartime Posters Send the Message 6. Turning Points toward Allied Victory Eastern Front The Second Front Pacific Theater 7. Peace Victory The Guilty Occupation From Hunger to a Better World? 8. War Memories The "Good War" and Other Memories Atrocities and Apologies Museums and Memorials Time Line Further Reading Websites Text Credits Picture Credits Acknowledgments Index About the Author

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis fascinating study of the US covers 1945 to the present. It will appeal to thoughtful readers; those who most need this information will likely dismiss it as "fake news". * D. R. Jamieson, Ashland University, CHOICE *Mark H. Lytle's All-Consuming Nation is not a traditional textbook. He frames the past through issues of consumption, capitalism, and the multiple physical environments in which Americans live. Lytle enlivens chronological history with telling anecdotes and revealing data, and his writing is so good that scholars as well as students will be happy. Finally, he provides an outstanding explanation of contemporary American social and economic stratification. * Raymond Haberski Jr, Professor of History and Director of American Studies and the Institute for American Thought, IUPUI *As Lytle makes abundantly clear in this imaginative new survey of U.S. history, understanding postwar America requires careful attention to the ways the ethos of consumption became a kind of secular religion over the past 75 years. Lytle has synthesized political, social, cultural, and, above all, environmental history into a provocative and deeply needed framework for both exploring the story of postwar history and understanding the consumerist roots of the climate crisis. * Michael B. Smith, Professor of History and Environmental Studies, Ithaca College *This fascinating study of the US covers 1945 to the present. It will appeal to thoughtful readers; those who most need this information will likely dismiss it as "fake news." * Choice *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Cold War, Warm Kitchen, and the Trump Dilemma Part I The Creation of a Consumer Democracy 1. Post War Choices 2. The Birth of a Consumer Democracy 3. Chapter Three: The Dark Side of Consumption 4. The Era of Populuxe Part II The Era of Identity Consumerism 5. Segmented America and the New Identity Politics 6. The American Way of Life Polluted 7. The Golden Age of Consumption 8. Vietnam: Consumers Go to War 9. The Consumer Movement 10. Identity Consumerism Part III The Age of Limits, The Age of Fractures 11. America Goes Green 12. The Age of Limits 13. The Environmental Battleground 14. In Debt We Trust 15. Fractured Science: The Battles Over Sustainability and Climate Change Part IV E-Commerce in the Age of Global Warming 16. High Tech Consumers 17. The All-Consuming Nation Imperiled Epilogue: Omens Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWhat was it like to fall in love in Hitler''s Germany? As the war tore them apart, how did young couples keep love vibrant, care for their children, and relate to the war? The earthy letters of Ernst and Lilo Sommer depict in unforgettable poignancy the collision of their personal dreams with the political and military realities of the Third Reich. They provide a vivid window into the lives of ordinary people in the midst of horrific conflict.Seventy years later their daughter, Heinke, reflects on this tragedy, while Peter Matheson provides a historical perspective. The encounter between past and present generations provides glimpses of a bygone age, and raises urgent questions for the future.Trade ReviewThis is a quite remarkable book. Intimate letters demonstrate how an idealistic young couple fell under the spell of Hitler's vision for Germany. Letters never intended for the public eye, lovingly presented by the couple's daughter, and set in context by their historian son-in-law, narrate the terrible reality of the Nazi era. The German tragedy comes unbearably into focus. John Miller, Moderator of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly in 2001-2002 Love and Terror in the Third Reich confronts us with a world at once utterly familiar - the 'golden' little toddler, clapping her hands - yet at the same time, brutally alien - the Jews rounded up and shot. We read it and we fall in love with a young couple, living out their courtship, their marriage, the birth of children and their separation against the unfolding horror of the rise and fall of the Third Reich. As an Australian Minister whose own work is lived out on stolen land while refugee children are locked up in camps for years, I know only too well how easy it is to let the great banality of evil sooth me into submission. This book is a timely reminder to pay attention to the powers that be. Alexandra SangsterTable of ContentsForeword by William F. Storrar | ix Acknowledgments | xiii Abbreviations | xv Chronology | xvii Prologue | xix Maps | xxvii 1. Childhood, Youth, Marriage | 1 2. The False Sense of Peace | 24 3. Why Hitler? Why National Socialism? | 41 The Photos | 60 4. Russia | 69 5. The Last Days | 103 6. The Special Signficance of Letters | 114 Conclusion | 129 A fterword: A Personal Pilgrimage | 135 Appendix: Family Tree | 141 Bibliography | 143

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Book SynopsisIn this classic portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower the soldier, bestselling historian Stephen E. Ambrose examines the Allied commander’s leadership during World War II. Ambrose brings Eisenhower’s experience of the Second World War to life, showing in vivid detail how the general’s skill as a diplomat and a military strategist contributed to Allied successes in North Africa and in Europe, and established him as one of the greatest military leaders in the world. Ambrose, then the Associate Editor of the General’s official papers, analyzes Eisenhower’s difficult military decisions and his often complicated relationships with powerful personalities like Churchill, de Gaulle, Roosevelt, and Patton. This is the definitive account of Eisenhower’s evolution as a military leader—from its dramatic beginnings through his time at the top post of Allied command.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book PrizeA New York Times Notable Book of the YearWinner of the Whiting Writers'' AwardA Seattle Post-Intelligencer Best Book of the YearCatfish and Mandala is the story of an American odysseya solo bicycle voyage around the Pacific Rim to Vietnammade by a young Vietnamese-American man in pursuit of both his adopted homeland and his forsaken fatherland. Intertwined with an often humorous travelogue spanning a year of discovery is a memoir of war, escape, and ultimately, family secrets. Andrew X. Pham was born in Vietnam and raised in California. His father had been a POW of the Vietcong; his family came to America as boat people. Following the suicide of his sister, Pham quit his job, sold all of his possessions, and embarked on a year-long bicycle journey that took him through the Mexican desert; on a thousand-mile loop from Narita in South Korea to Kyoto in Japan; and,

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThe most complete portrait ever drawn of the complex emotional connection between two of history’s towering leaders Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill were the greatest leaders of “the Greatest Generation.” In Franklin and Winston, Jon Meacham explores the fascinating relationship between the two men who piloted the free world to victory in World War II. It was a crucial friendship, and a unique one—a president and a prime minister spending enormous amounts of time together (113 days during the war) and exchanging nearly two thousand messages. Amid cocktails, cigarettes, and cigars, they met, often secretly, in places as far-flung as Washington, Hyde Park, Casablanca, and Teheran, talking to each other of war, politics, the burden of command, their health, their wives, and their children. Born in the nineteenth century and molders of the twentieth and twenty-first, Roosevelt and Churc

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Book SynopsisA seventeen-year-old who enlisted in the army in 1941 writes to describe the Bataan Death March. Other members of the greatest generation describe their war — in such historic episodes as Guadalcanal, the D-Day invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, and Midway — as well as their life on the home front. In this beautiful American family album of stories, reflections, memorabilia, and photographs, history comes alive and is preserved, in people’s own words and through photographs and time lines that commemorate important dates and events. Starting with the Depression and Pearl Harbor, on through the war in Europe and the Pacific, this unusual book preserves a people’s rich historical heritage and the legacy of the heroism of a nation.

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Book SynopsisIn Absolute War, acclaimed historian and journalist Chris Bellamy crafts the first full account since the fall of the Soviet Union of World War II's battle on the Eastern Front, one of the deadliest conflicts in history.The conflict on the Eastern Front, fought between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945, was the greatest, most costly, and most brutal conflict on land in human history. It was arguably the single most decisive factor of the war, and shaped the postwar world as we know it. In this magisterial work, Bellamy outlines the lead-up to the war, in which the fragile alliance between the two dictators was unceremoniously broken, and examines its far-reaching consequences, arguing that the cost of victory was ultimately too much for the Soviet Union to bear. With breadth of scope and a surfeit of new information, this is the definitive history of a conflict whose reverberations are still felt today.

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Book SynopsisWhen World War II broke out in Europe, the American army had no specialized division of mountain soldiers. But in the winter of 1939-40, after a tiny band of Finnish mountain troops brought the invading Soviet army to its knees, an amateur skier named Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole convinced the United States Army to let him recruit an extraordinary assortment of European expatriates, wealthy ski bums, mountaineers, and thrill-seekers and form them into a unique band of Alpine soldiers. These men endured nearly three years of grueling training in the Colorado Rockies and in the process set new standards for both soldiering and mountaineering. The newly forged 10th Mountain Division finally faced combat in the winter of 1945, in Italy’s Apennine Mountains, against the seemingly unbreakable German fortifications north of the Gothic Line. There, they planned and executed what is still regarded as the most daring series of nighttime mountain attacks in U.S. military history,

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Book Synopsis“I cannot go anywhere in America without people wanting to share their wartime experiences....The stories and the lessons have emerged from long-forgotten letters home, from reunions of old buddies and outfits, from unpublished diaries and home-published memoirs....As the stories in this album of memories remind us, it truly was an American experience, from the centers of power to the most humble corners of the land.”—Tom BrokawIn this beautiful American family album of stories from the Greatest Generation, the history of life as it was lived during the Depression and World War II comes alive and is preserved in people’s own words. Photographs and time lines also commemorate important dates and events. An Army Air Corps veteran who enlisted in 1941 at age seventeen writes to describe the Bataan Death March. A black nurse tells of her encounter with wartime segregation. Other members of the Greatest Generation describe their war—in such historic

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Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of the greatest cartoonist of the Greatest Generation.

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Book SynopsisThe dramatic story of an iconic love song, its three creators, and their lives under the Nazis.Trade Review"A fascinating story. Lively and well-informed, this book tells it all, with lots of attention to the travails of those involved." -- Atlantic Monthly"Not even the most iconic of songs necessarily deserves its very own biography, but in the case of that Second World War classic, "Lili Marlene," dear to soldiers and civilians on both sides, there really is a fascinating story to tell. Forged in the crucible of 20th-century German history, a First World War favorite composers, recorded by an ambitious, anti-Nazi singer. Lively and well-informed, this book tells it all, with lots of attention to the travails of those involved. Nazi music had some rousing tunes, but generally the lyrics were rebarbative. Here the sentiments are unobjectionable and universal, just made for a time when the shadow of the barracks gate was bound to heighten romance under lamplight for a world at war." -- The Atlantic

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Book SynopsisThe planning, the strategy, the sacrifices and heroics—on both sides—illuminating the greatest naval war in history.Trade Review"An entertaining, impressively researched chronicle of the tense period between the bombing of Pearl Harbor and American victory at the battle of Midway." -- Kirkus"The research is thorough, the writing clear, and the narrative flow exemplary...it is difficult to think of a recent book on this subject that is of such consistently outstanding value." -- Booklist"Well documented—albeit from previously published materials—and well written. Experienced World War II history buffs may bypass if they feel no need to read another retelling of this phase of the Pacific War, but nonspecialists and general readers will want to consider it." -- LibraryJournal.com

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Book SynopsisNew York Times Bestseller The devastation of Pearl Harbor and the American victory at Midway were prelude to a greater challenge: rolling back the vast Japanese Pacific empire, island by island.Trade Review"A beautiful blend of history and prose and proves again Mr. Toll’s mastery of the naval-war narrative, carrying the reader smoothly from the marble halls of Washington to the Pacific’s gritty, red-stained beaches." -- Jonathan W. Jordan - Wall Street Journal"A gripping narrative of the central Pacific campaign…. Toll is strong on the operational details of battle, but he is no less skilled at presenting something that is frequently missing from military histories, a well-rounded depiction of the home front on both sides." -- Walter R. Borneman - New York Times Book Review"Heavily researched…. Toll’s absorbing text flows smoothly and quickly, helped along by anecdotes and stories involving combatants and political leaders on both sides." -- S. I. Dunn - Dallas Morning News"In The Conquering Tide, Ian Toll takes his place as one of the great storytellers of war. He is equally vivid and commanding describing landing on a carrier at night, making grand strategy in Washington, and brawling in a bar in Australia. Toll is a master; he is writing for the ages." -- Evan Thomas, author of Sea of Thunder and Ike's Bluff"A lucid and learned exposition of the grand chess match between high commanders in the middle years of the Pacific War, vividly evoking the grit and gristle of its many horrors and triumphs. Ian W. Toll is a superb historian whose writing appeals to both the head and the heart." -- James D. Hornfischer, author of Neptune’s Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal

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Book SynopsisA monumental work of history that captures the last days of the Third Reich as never before.Trade Review"An emotionally immediate and multi-faceted perspective of the last days of the Third Reich… No mere anthology but an artful collage… Difficult to put down." -- Gerald Steinacher - Wall Street Journal"A disturbing but compulsively readable slice of history." -- Christian Science Monitor"From the absurd to the sublime, and everywhere heartbreaking: a collage of voices from the tail end of the world's conflagration.… Raw [and] tremendously moving… Riveting." -- Kirkus (starred review)"This is a book that can be read comfortably only page by page. Otherwise it will break your heart." -- Bill Marvel - Dallas Morning News"Riveting… Kempowski's careful selection and sequencing convey the horror, misery, irony, and intensity of living through the last month of war in Germany. The work is noteworthy not just for its unique first-person perspective, but also for its breadth and depth… Essential." -- Publishers Weekly"A treasure… [Swansong 1945] offer[s] powerful glimpses into otherwise lost history… The collection is a kaleidoscope of voices, revealing struggle of all kinds." -- Sarah Grant - Booklist (starred review)"The power of [Swansong 1945] comes from the great variety and volume of the personal accounts, many of them eloquent and moving… This important book takes us beyond geography, statistics and battles and reveals the cost of war in very human terms." -- Roger Bishop - BookPage"A unique and haunting insight into what it was like to live through the violent twilight of the Third Reich. Indispensable and, above all, unforgettable." -- Frederick Taylor, author of Dresden"A remarkable collage of experiences and impressions of the catastrophic last days of the Second World War, which provides a unique panorama of the war and a very powerful impression of its impact on and the responses of those involved." -- Jeremy Noakes, author of Nazism 1919-1945"A bewitching, dramatic, utterly extraordinary range of voices and eyewitness testimony as Europe entered its year-zero moment." -- David Kynaston, author of Austerity Britain"A rare combination of aesthetic and historic truths… What gives Kempowski’s work its reach and humanity is his keen eye for both the sensory experience of war at its most destructive and individuals’ compulsion to go on making sense of it as it engulfed them." -- Nicholas Stargardt, author of Witnesses of War"Amidst the fascinating multitude of voices assembled here the one that speaks most powerfully is that of Kempowski himself. This is a remarkable document of one person’s lifelong struggle to make sense of national collapse." -- Neil Gregor, author of Haunted City"Kempowski is a master of form and proportion… The end of the war has never before been depicted like this." -- Volker Hage, author of Hamburg 1943

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Book Synopsis"A tense, thrilling, fabulous tale." —Philadelphia InquirerTrade Review"One of the great true stories of the war, and one of the greatest escape narratives of all time." -- San Francisco Chronicle"Absorbing... spine-tingling... puts the average war book so far in the shadow it's not even funny." -- Dallas Times Herald"For sheer suspense, puts the fictioneers to shame." -- Boston Globe

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Book SynopsisThe definitive work on the Spanish Civil War, a classic of modern historical scholarship and a masterful narrative.

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Book SynopsisThe National Book Awardwinning classic on the Vietnam War, reissued for the war's fiftieth anniversary.Trade Review"Sensitive, moral, compelling . . . a book of genuine greatness and largeness of spirit." -- Chicago Tribune"Magnificent. . . . [Emerson’s] interviews are superb." -- Newsweek"A great book . . . alternately shrewd, angry, funny, knowing." -- David Halberstam

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Book SynopsisFormer Prime Minister of Great Britain and Nobel Prizewinner Winston Churchill''s quintessential account of the Second World War.As not only the most powerful player in World War II, but also the most eloquent voice of defiance in the face of Nazi tyranny, Churchill recounts this epic time in world history. Remarkable for his grand sweep and incisive firsthand observations, Memoirs of the Second World War is a vital and illuminating work that retains the drama, eyewitness details, and magisterial prose of his classic six-volume history. Churchill''s accounts offers an invaluable view of pivotal events of the twentieth century.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of the New York Times Book Review's 100 Notable Books of 2015 Winner of the PEN Hessell Tiltman Prize Editor's Choice, New York Times Book Review "A dramatic look at the lives of ordinary German men and women during World War II." New York Times Book Review "[A] gripping new book... To write like this requires a rare sensitivity and psychological sophistication coupled with a degree of fearlessness... Stargardt impresses not only as a cultural historian. He also has an impressively strong grasp on the military narrative of the war. And this is indispensable... Stargardt has given us a truly profound piece of history." The Guardian "This vivid history of everyday life captures the complex feelings of ordinary Germans under the Nazi regime... A superb study." Wall Street Journal "Nicholas Stargardt's...gracefully written The German War offers by far the most comprehensive and readable guide to these issues...This is splendid scholarship... Anyone interested in National Socialist Germany, World War II and the many murderous regimes that still disfigure the earth should relish The German War." Economist "[Stargardt's] method of using letters and diaries of ordinary Germans yields unexpected insights, both into the Germans' humanity and their turn to barbarism." New York Review of Books "[Stargardt] draws on diaries, letters, and contemporary documents to paint a huge social canvas of Germans at war, soldiers and civilians, men and women of all ages... [he] tells his bleak story fluently and well, and illustrates it with a host of telling and often unfamiliar anecdotes." Washington Post, Richard Cohen "In his new and excellent book, 'The German War,' Oxford University historian Nicholas Stargardt exhumes the letters and diaries of German soldiers and others. He details how a cultured nation went insane, how ordinary soldiers became mass killers and how the churches of Germany looked the other way as the innocent were murdered." Foreign Affairs "Enthralling... Stargardt puts together a complex portrait of a nation gripped by patriotism and resentment, thrilled by early military victories, and proud of the fighting skills of the Wehrmacht." Forbes.com, Steve Forbes "The German War brilliantly and with impressive nuance and texture deals with the astounding questions of how the most educated and cultured nation on earth could unloose such a murderous, barbarous and genocidal war... Stargardt smoothly and vividly weaves together the stories of more than a score of individual Germans from all walks of life and the unfolding events of the war." Independent (UK) Trying to make sense of the mood and thoughts of 80 million-odd people is an immense task but Nicholas Stargardt has made a terrifically good stab at it. Spectator, (UK) "Superbly researched and clearly written, The German War is an important and significant book." The Observer "[T]his is a beautifully written and, yes, sensitive and subtle portrayal of war. The author deftly weaves individual tales with surprising observation." Times Higher Education "Ambitious... Stargardt's book is a prodigious accomplishment, as he manages to keep us in touch with the grand sweep of the war, as well as its ebb and flow, without losing sight of specific soldiers' behaviour. Its treasure trove of interesting information, clever observations and fresh insights make The German War essential reading for anyone interested in the Second World War in Europe." Washington Times "Exhaustive... A first-rate historical read." Washington Book Review "An important addition to the growing number of books on the history of WWII... a very insightful study." Roanoake Times "Exhaustively researched, well-written... well and unblinkingly told." Kirkus Reviews "[A] massive but thorough meditation... A well-researched, unsettling social history of war that will prove deeply thought-provoking--even worrying--for readers who wonder what they might have done under the same circumstances."

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Book SynopsisDrawing on a wealth of new sources, Bombers North presents for the first time the full story of a little-known bomber offensive waged from remote northern Australia during 1942-1945.Trade ReviewA lot in here that I had previously been unaware of so I for one found this a particularly interesting book to read. * Military Model Scene *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements About the Author Glossary & Abbreviations Maps Introduction Chapter 1 Overview Chapter 2 The Bombers Chapter 3 The Opponents: Fighters and AA Guns Chapter 4 The Allies Strike Back Chapter 5 The End of the Beginning Chapter 6 A Turning of the Tide, and the Dutch arrive Chapter 7 Bigger, Better and Faster Chapter 8 The Catalinas arrive; the Allies Apply Pressure Chapter 9 A New Wing and New Aircraft Chapter 10 Trading Hudsons for Beauforts – and the Black Cats fly Chapter 11 The Americans and the Dutch depart; Lucky 13 returns Chapter 12 No. 2 Squadron operations and the RAAF‘s heavies take over Chapter 13 The RAAF heavies move forward Chapter 14 The Cats fly to China, and the war’s end Conclusion Appendix 1 No.18 NEI Squadron and its Australian roots by Elmer Mesman Appendix 2 Flying in RAAF Bombers – Brian Winspear’s Story Main Sources Index of Names

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Book SynopsisThis volume conveys detailed stories of aerial warfare in the South Pacific, chosen because both Japanese and Allied records can be matched for an accurate accounting. This first volume describes confrontations between the Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) and the Allies in New Guinea and the Solomons.Table of ContentsIntroduction Glossary Japanese Aircraft Types Chapter 1 The Lucky Shot Chapter 2 Collision Over Lae Chapter 3 The Battle Which Never Was Chapter 4 Takehashi Meets Deblanc Chapter 5 Kamikaze or Miscalculation? Chapter 6 A Long Legacy Chapter 7 The Nama-Namba Man Chapter 8 Sole Survivor – Bombura’s Tale Chapter 9 Medal of Honor Chapter 10 Fire-Breathing Dragon-Slayer Chapter 11 Sally in the Mountains Chapter 12 The Rare Sonia Chapter 13 Mitchell Destroyed Chapter 14 Two Boomers Down Chapter 15 Ten Knights in a Bar Room Chapter 16 The Last Dragon Sources

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Book SynopsisPacific Adversaries conveys detailed stories of aerial warfare in the South Pacific, chosen because both Japanese and Allied records can be matched for an accurate accounting. This third volume describes confrontations between the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and the Allies in New Guinea and the Solomons.Trade ReviewAs with all Claringbould books, the prose and details offers compelling reading. * Historical Miniatures Gaming Society *Once again, Michael John Claringbould has presented a wide-ranging selection of events from the Pacific War, some well-known and some virtually unknown. Each is well researched and documented, and accompanied with numerous illustrations based on extensive research, giving the modeler the reference to create a specific replica with its own unique story to tell. * IMPS/USA 22/03/2021 *Table of ContentsIntroduction Big Splash Luckiest Men in the Pacific Confused Identity Emily versus Bessie Higai’s Demise Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre Disappearing Betty Nighthawk Night Fighters Ace in a Day? Dual Medal of Honor Fortress Moresby’s Final Raid Novel Night Fighter The White Mug Beaufighter Surprise Kiwi Wingco Down The Last Rabaul Fighter Commander Sources

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Book SynopsisIn 1942 the air defence of the northern Australian frontier town of Darwin was operated by airmen from the United States. Flying P-40E Warhawks, the pilots of the 49th Fighter Group fought a brave and innovative campaign against a stronger enemy that did much to safeguard Australia in its darkest hour.Trade Review…the level or research, the quality of graphics, and the readability are exceptional. […] It is a subject area not covered often and it is a worthy addition to the bookshelves of readers with an interest in early Southwest Pacific air campaigns of World War Two. * Aviation Enthusiast Book Club *

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Book SynopsisThe illustrated diary of Japanese Navy floatplane pilot Warrant Officer Nemoto Kumesako, dating from the early months of the Pacific War, presented in a style consistent with the Japanese manga format.Trade ReviewGreat book if you want to read about a year in the life of a Japanese Navy AF floatplane pilot and even better if you want to relive the exciting times from days gone by when you looked forward to reading the latest comic mag from the drugstore or newspaper seller. * J-AIRCRAFT 05/07/2021 *This is a unique story told in an unconventional format that certainly opened this reviewer’s eyes to the Manga or graphic novel format for telling military history. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the South Pacific air campaigns, Japanese aircrew personal accounts. * Aviation Enthusiast Book Club 31/08/2021 *

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Book SynopsisRobert Gildea s penetrating history of France during World War II sweeps aside the French Resistance of a thousand cliches. Gaining a true understanding of the Resistance means recognizing how its image has been carefully curated through a combination of French politics and pride, ever since jubilant crowds celebrated Paris s liberation in 1944.Trade ReviewWith its deep concern for human failings, and for the suffering that came from bravery that was badly channeled or poorly rewarded, Gildea’s book might have been dark and pessimistic. In fact it is vivid with real life and ordinary heroism. In this, what is an apparently straightforward aim—that Gildea felt it was high time to give resistance fighters their voice in the story—is in fact deeply important… The relentless, persistent way in which Gildea gives voice to a kaleidoscope of men and women of different nationalities and races does more than any author before him to provide a convincingly complex and moving account of the ways in which people in France took up arms against the Vichy state and the Nazi occupation. This book cuts against the grain of classic narratives, not by setting out counter-narratives but by asking for our attention, for a page or two at a time, to listen to detail: the real-life detail of the frustrations, the suffering and heroism of people who exist at several removes from the grand shapers of history. -- Julian Wright * Times Literary Supplement *An important new book…[Gildea] blends top-down history with the bottom-up stories of those who schemed, improvised, grabbed chances and risked their lives. * The Economist *[An] ambitious overview of the Vichy years…There have been many excellent recent books, both in French and in English…on France during the resistance years. What Gildea has done is to step back and look at the wider picture, thereby providing a context for the individual acts of courage, which he celebrates in moving detail. He gives recognition to the widest range of participants, many of them little known, and to the categories who did not fit well into the postwar myth of heroism, and that is perhaps his most important contribution to the field. -- Caroline Moorhead * The Guardian *Deeply researched [and] sophisticated…The picture of the Resistance movement to emerge in Gildea’s account is far, far more complicated and morally ambiguous than the myth would suggest…Gildea is at his best in conveying a richly textured picture of the Resistance as diverse in makeup, motivation, and strategy…Gildea’s masterly account of the liberation of Paris, and of de Gaulle’s crafty work in outmaneuvering the Communist effort to spark a people’s uprising, is one of the highlights of this fine contribution to our understanding of World War II’s most important resistance movement. -- James A. Warren * Daily Beast *Scrupulous, evenhanded reconsideration of the fighters of the French Resistance and how the patriotic myth became central to the identity of postwar France. Employing a refreshing approach to the history of this traumatic epoch by sticking with firsthand testimony, both written and oral, Gildea restores some of the marginalized voices so crucial to the story: women, communists, and foreigners…Gildea proceeds step by step in the buildup to resistance, which required both an internal and external network, especially from de Gaulle’s Allied base in London. Moreover, the liberation by the Americans of North Africa in November 1942 proved to be the ‘hinge’ in galvanizing resistance and clarifying the Vichy versus Free French struggle. A masterly, painstakingly researched study incorporating the urgent stories of the resisters themselves. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *This book is a must-read. It paints on a broad canvas the story of the men and the women, French and foreign, who fought and fell in the ranks of the French Resistance, following the interior resistance and the Free French, political movements, Allied intelligence networks and the maquis. Gildea confronts the dissensions that divided the Resistance and evokes the many and complex emotions experienced by its fighters. He has accomplished a tour de force. -- Guillaume Piketty, Professor of History, Sciences Po, ParisGildea is among the best historians writing today about French identity, and specifically about how France’s national myths have been re-formed over the past 75 years…His compellingly detailed—and lengthy—book brings forth the testimonies of many résistants and résistantes that have been gathering dust in archives, in museums, in forgotten memoirs and in the memories of still living actors in the drama. He has done a daunting amount of research, ranging from an almost archaeological fascination with the layers of myth surrounding the meaning of ‘resistance’ to compassionate interviews with survivors and their descendants. Fighters in the Shadows gives us a cacophony of voices, subtly orchestrated by a historian who loves France, yet one who respects historical objectivity…Gildea is meticulous in his analysis of how the French have remembered this fateful half-decade in their history. In the final chapters, he deftly leads us through the minefield of postwar collective memory. -- Ronald C. Rosbottom * Wall Street Journal *

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