El Dorado Canyon

El Dorado Canyon

Author: Joseph T Stanik

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Published: 2015-12-15

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 1612515800

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Long before the overt war in Afghanistan and the covert war against al-Qaida, U.S. forces struck at one of the world’s hotbeds of terrorism. On 15 April 1986, in the dead of night, American strike aircraft roared into the heart of Muammar Qaddafi's Libya, attacking carefully selected targets and nearly killing the “brother leader” himself. Codenamed Operation El Dorado Canyon, the raid was in direct response to Qaddafi's support of a terrorist act against U.S. service personnel stationed in Europe and was a result of President Ronald Reagan's pledge to respond to terrorism with “swift and effective retribution.” Stanik, a retired naval officer and Middle East scholar, provides a detailed account of the raid as well as an in-depth analysis of its causes and effects. He also describes three other hostile encounters between U.S. and Libyan forces during Reagan's presidency and details U.S. covert operations. From a bombing in West Berlin, to terrorism in the skies over Lockerbie, Scotland, and from the halls of power in Washington to airbases in England and on the decks of American warships in the Mediterranean, Stanik weaves an international thriller that is relevant to current events.


Dreams of El Dorado

Dreams of El Dorado

Author: H. W. Brands

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2019-10-22

Total Pages: 496

ISBN-13: 1541672534

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"Epic in its scale, fearless in its scope" (Hampton Sides), this masterfully told account of the American West from a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist sets a new standard as it sweeps from the California Gold Rush and beyond. In Dreams of El Dorado, H. W. Brands tells the thrilling, panoramic story of the settling of the American West. He takes us from John Jacob Astor's fur trading outpost in Oregon to the Texas Revolution, from the California gold rush to the Oklahoma land rush. He shows how the migrants' dreams drove them to feats of courage and perseverance that put their stay-at-home cousins to shame-and how those same dreams also drove them to outrageous acts of violence against indigenous peoples and one another. The West was where riches would reward the miner's persistence, the cattleman's courage, the railroad man's enterprise; but El Dorado was at least as elusive in the West as it ever was in the East. Balanced, authoritative, and masterfully told, Dreams of El Dorado sets a new standard for histories of the American West.


Libyan Air Wars: 1985-1986

Libyan Air Wars: 1985-1986

Author: Tom Cooper

Publisher: Africa@War

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781910294536

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"Between 1973 and 1989, various Western powers and Libya were entangled in a seemingly never-ending exchanged of blows. Supposedly launched in retaliation for one action or the other, this confrontation resulted in a number of high-profile, even though low-scale, clashes between the Libyan Arab Air Force (LAAF), the US Navy and even the French. Meanwhile, almost as a slideshow, the LAAF - quantitatively one of the most potent air forces in North Africa and the Middle East - also saw intensive deployment in Chad. Initially, with sporadic fighting between different parties for control of N'Djamena, the Chadian capital, this conflict eventually turned into a major war when Libya invaded the country outright. The LAAF deployed not only French-made Mirage but also Soviet-made fighter-bombers of MiG and Sukhoi design, Mil-designed helicopters and even bombers of Tupolev design, to establish her dominance over the extensive battle field of the Sahara Desert. Because of the Cold War but also due to confrontation with Libya over a number of other issues, France - a one-time major arms supplier to Libya - and the USA gradually got dragged into the war. Deployments of their troops and intelligence services in Chad, Egypt and the Sudan never resulted in a full-scale aerial operations that proved crucial to developments on the ground , several of which are still a matter of extensive debate. Detailing not only the aerial operations but the ground war and the geo-political background of these conflicts, and illustrated with over 100 contemporary photographs, maps and all-new colour profiles, this volume provides a unique insight into a otherwise completely forgotten conflict that raged from the skies over the southern Mediterranean to southern Chad and northern Sudan, yet one that not only represented a formative period of the LAAF, but which also prompted a number of crucial modifications and developments in France and the USA." -- from back cover.


Major Impossible (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #9)

Major Impossible (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #9)

Author: Nathan Hale

Publisher: Abrams

Published: 2019-12-03

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 1683356322

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The ninth book in the bestselling series tells the story of John Wesley Powell, the one-armed geologist who explored the Grand Canyon John Wesley Powell (1834–1902) always had the spirit of adventure in him. As a young man, he traveled all over the United States exploring. When the Civil War began, Powell went to fight for the Union, and even after he lost most of his right arm, he continued to fight until the war was over. In 1869 he embarked with the Colorado River Exploring Expedition, ten men in four boats, to float through Grand Canyon. Over the course of three months, the explorers lost their boats and supplies, nearly drowned, and were in peril on multiple occasions. Ten explorers went in, only six came out. Powell would come to be known as one of the most epic explorers in history! Equal parts gruesome and hilarious, this latest installment in the bestselling series takes readers on an action-packed adventure through American history.


I, Columbus

I, Columbus

Author: Peter Roop

Publisher: Open Road Media

Published: 2015-05-05

Total Pages: 49

ISBN-13: 1504010132

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People: A firsthand account of Christopher Columbus’s famous voyage to the East, taken directly from his journal entries Christopher Columbus had a dream—to reach the fabled lands of the East, rich with spices, jewels, silver, and especially gold. Having studied the travels of other explorers, Columbus was convinced he could reach his destination by traveling west across the seas. After convincing Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand to fund his expedition, he set sail in August of 1492. In this account, the voyage Columbus undertook is told in his own voice through his journal entries of that year. He tells of excitement, drama, and terror on the high seas, as well as the doubts he faces from his own crew, as together, they weather the path to victory.


A Journey with Christopher Columbus

A Journey with Christopher Columbus

Author: Stuart A. Kallen

Publisher: Lerner Publications ™

Published: 2017-08-01

Total Pages: 43

ISBN-13: 1512472530

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed west from Europe and landed on a Caribbean island in what he thought was India. Over the next twelve years, Columbus made several voyages to the New World, seeking gold and power and bringing other Europeans to start colonies. How can we know what the journey was like for Columbus, his shipmates, and the Taino people he met in the Caribbean? We can study maps and tools Columbus used, excerpts from his journal, and carvings and jewelry created by the Taino. Explore primary sources from his time to learn more about his famous journey.


Northwest Passage

Northwest Passage

Author: Stan Rogers

Publisher: Groundwood Books Ltd

Published: 2013-08-26

Total Pages: 58

ISBN-13: 1554984033

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Illustration Award-winning artist Matt James takes the iconic song "Northwest Passage" by legendary Canadian songwriter and singer Stan Rogers and tells the dramatic story of the search for the elusive route through the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific, which for hundreds of years and once again today, nations, explorers and commercial interests have dreamt of conquering, often with tragic consequences. For hundreds of years explorers attempted to find the Northwest Passage - a route through Canada's northern waters to the Pacific Ocean and Asia. Others attempted to find a land route. Many hundreds of men perished in the attempt, until finally, in 1906, Roald Amundsen completed the voyage by ship. Today global warming has brought interest in the passage back to a fever pitch as nations contend with each other over its control and future uses. The historic search inspired Canadian folk musician Stan Rogers to write "Northwest Passage", a song that has become a widely known favorite since its 1981 release. It describes Stan's own journey overland as he contemplates the arduous journeys of some of the explorers, including Kelsey, Mackenzie, Thompson and especially Franklin. The song is moving and haunting, a paean to the adventurous spirit of the explorers and to the beauty of the vast land and icy seas. The lyrics are accompanied by the striking paintings of multiple award-winning artist Matt James. Matt brings a unique vision to the song and the history behind it, providing commentary on the Franklin expedition and its failure to heed the wisdom of Inuit living in the North. The book also contains the music for the song (as well as a final verse that was never recorded), maps, a timeline of Arctic exploration, mini-biographies and portraits of the principal explorers, and suggestions for further reading. Following on the success of Canadian Railroad Trilogy, this is another beautiful book in which a memorable song illuminates a fascinating history that has taken on new resonance today.


ENERGY

ENERGY

Author: Kathleen M Reilly

Publisher: Nomad Press

Published: 2009-04-01

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1936749319

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Energy is a vital part of our lives. It powers our computer, lights our home, and moves our car. It also costs a lot of money and pollutes our environment. In Energy: 25 Projects Investigate Why We Need Power and How We Get It, kids ages 9–12 learn about the history and science of the world’s energy sources, from nonrenewable fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas to renewable sources such as solar and wind power. Sidebars and fun trivia break up the text, making it easily accessible and engaging, while hands-on projects encourage active learning. Requiring little adult supervision and using supplies commonly found in most households, activities range from constructing a battery to recreating an oil spill to see how difficult cleanup can be. By exploring the advantages and disadvantages of each energy source, kids will gain insight into the future of energy and its impact on our planet.