Congress declared in 1864 that it could never accept a foreign monarchy in Mexico. Upon the signing of the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse by 1865, General Ulysses S. Grant freed up over 50,000 men to send to the Texas-Mexico border under the command of Philip Sheridan. In addition, many local organizations called Monroe Doctrine Societies had organized to raise volunteers, weapons, and supplies to support the Mexican Army. One group, the American Legion of Honor, was commissioned by the Mexican president, and played an active role in support of the Mexican forces fighting the French invaders. Members of the US Colored Troops also accepted discharges at the end of the Civil War and aided Mexico in the conflict. Finally, Matías Romero, Mexico's tireless ambassador to the United States, raised money from US investors through Mexican bonds. Those funds financed the purchase of advanced artillery and repeating rifles. The addition of veteran ex-Union officers to the Mexican forces helped turn the ragtag guerrilla bands of the Mexican resistance into an organized military. They handily defeated the French imperial army at Querétaro, captured the Emperor, retook Mexico City, and restored the Republic.
The New York Times bestseller from the conservative commentator and 2016 presidential candidate. In God, Guns, Grits and Gravy, Mike Huckabee explores today’s fractious American culture, where divisions of class, race, politics, religion, gender, age, and other fault lines make polite conversation dicey, if not downright dangerous. As Huckabee notes, the differences between the “Bubble-villes” of the big power centers and the “Bubba-villes” where most people live are profound, provocative, and sometimes pretty funny. Here, Huckabee takes on government bailouts, politician pig-outs, and popular culture provocations from Jay-Z and Beyoncé to Honey Boo-Boo and Duck Dynasty. The former Arkansas Governor also discusses gun rights, gay marriage, the decline of patriotism, and the mainstream media’s contempt for those who cherish a faith-based life. The trouble with Democrats, the even bigger trouble with Republicans, our national security complex, and how our Constitution is eroding under our noses.
1965: Stories from the Second Indo-Pakistan War On 1 September 1965, Pakistan invaded the Chamb district in Jammu and Kashmir, triggering a series of tank battles, operations and counter-operations. It was only the bravery and well-executed strategic decisions of the soldiers of the Indian Army that countered the very real threat of losing Kashmir to Pakistan. Recounting the battles fought by five different regiments, the narrative reconstructs the events of the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war, outlining details never revealed before, and remembers its unsung heroes. Shoot, Dive, Fly: Stories of Grit and Adventure from the Indian Army SHOOT, DIVE, FLY aims to introduce teenagers to the armed forces and tell them about the perils-the rigours and the challenges-and perks-the thrill and the adventure-of a career in uniform. Ballroom dancing, flying fighter planes, detonating bombs, skinning and eating snakes in times of dire need, and everything else in between-there's nothing our officers can't do!. Read twenty-one nail-biting stories of daring. Hear from some amazing men and women about what the forces have taught them-and decide if the olivegreen uniform is what you want to wear too. The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories Twenty-one riveting stories about how India's highest military honor was won. Talking to parents, siblings, children and comrades-in-arms to paint the most vivid character-portraits of these men and their conduct in battle and getting unprecedented access to the Indian Army, Rachna Bisht Rawat takes us to the heart of war, chronicling the tales of twenty-one of India's bravest soldiers.
David Carr was an addict for more than twenty years -- first dope, then coke, then finally crack -- before the prospect of losing his newborn twins made him sober up in a bid to win custody from their crack-dealer mother. Once recovered, he found that his recollection of his 'lost' years differed -- sometimes radically -- from that of his family and friends. The night, for example, his best friend pulled a gun on him. 'No,' said the friend (to David's horror, as a lifelong pacifist), 'It was you that had the gun.' Using all his skills as an investigative reporter, he set out to research his own life, interviewing everyone from his parents and his ex-partners to the policemen who arrested him, the doctors who treated him and the lawyers who fought to prove he was fit to have custody of his kids. Unflinchingly honest and beautifully written, the result is both a shocking account of the depths of addiction and a fascinating examination of how -- and why -- our memories deceive us. As David says, we remember the stories we can live with, not the ones that happened.
Stephen Elkins-Williams had the extraordinary good fortune to preach in the same pulpit for 30 years, and it was equally fortuitous for generations of parishioners at the Chapel of the Cross in the vibrant university community of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Guiding his listeners through a thorough grasp of scripture, as well as personal insight and lively storytelling, his preaching also reflects a keen understanding of his place in the leadership lineage of a 170-year-old parish. Stephen made the Chapel of the Cross a trusted leader among churches in a caring, giving and activist community, and a source of inspiration, comfort and teaching to young minds and hearts on a college campus. In the words of a long-time associate, When Steve preaches I always learn something that changes my understanding of God and/or the practice of faith. Stephen joined the Society of Jesus while completing his studies toward degrees in philosophy and divinity, and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1975. He soon realized that Gods purposes for his life were changing; he left the Jesuits and was received as an Episcopal priest in 1982. He arrived in Chapel Hill that year as associate for parish ministry, and was chosen rector three years later. Here are more than 80 of his sermons that bring ancient liturgy thoroughly alive to a modern faith community.
"A wonderful, absorbing read, with characters to capture the heart of the imagination...it's a romance not to be missed."—Heather Graham on Outlaw Hearts "Stop! Or I'll shoot your hat off." Maggie Tucker has just gone through hell. Outlaws murdered her husband, looted their camp, and terrorized Maggie before leaving her lost and alone in the wilds of Wyoming. She isn't about to let another strange man get close enough to harm her. Sage Lightfoot, owner of Paradise Valley ranch, his hunting for the men who killed his best ranch hand. But what he finds is a beautiful, bedraggled woman digging a grave. And pointing a pistol at his heart. From that moment on, Sage will do anything to protect the strong-yet-vulnerable Maggie. Together, they'll embark on a life-changing journey along the dangerous Outlaw Trail, risking their lives...and their love.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER In this definitive account of the conflict, acclaimed war correspondent and bestselling author Bing West provides a practical way out of Afghanistan. Drawing on his expertise as both a combat-hardened Marine and a former assistant secretary of defense, West has written a tour de force narrative, rich with vivid characters and gritty combat, which shows the consequences when strategic theory meets tactical reality. Having embedded with dozens of frontline units over the past three years, he takes the reader on a battlefield journey from the mountains in the north to the opium fields in the south. A fighter who understands strategy, West builds the case for changing course. His conclusion is sure to provoke debate: remove most of the troops from Afghanistan, stop spending billions on the dream of a modern democracy, and insist the Afghans fight their own battles. Bing West’s book is a page-turner about brave men and cunning enemies that examines our realistic choices as a nation.
21 riveting stories from the battlefield about how India’s highest military honour was won The Brave takes you to the hearts and minds of India’s bravest soldiers, all of whom won the Param Vir Chakra, India’s greatest military honour. With access to the Army, families and comrades-in-arms of the soldiers, Rachna Bisht Rawat paints the most vivid portrait of these men and their extraordinary deeds. How hard is it to fight at 20,000 feet in sub-zero temperatures? Why did Captain Vikram Batra say ‘Yeh dil maange more’? How do wives and girlfriends of soldiers who don’t return cope? What happens when the enemy is someone that you have trained? How did the Charlie Company push back the marauding Chinese? How did a villager from Uttar Pradesh become a specialist in destroying tanks? Both gripping and inspiring, The Brave is the ultimate book on the Param Vir Chakra.
“I have read pretty much every rock 'n' roll biography there is worth reading, and you never know what to expect when you pick up a new book. Well, let me tell you Mark Weiss has raised the bar for rock 'n' roll books with The Decade That Rocked. Mark has always been at the top of his field, and the level of detail and quality put into this book is the ultimate testament to his rock n' roll photographic legacy.” – Sebastian Bach “Mark is the real deal. He may not play the guitar, but that camera is his guitar. He’s a rockstar.” – Gene Simmons "Mark’s energy, his creativity, his drive, his positive attitude and his enthusiasm that make him one of the legends of rock photography. It’s why his work—both old and new—is still so in demand today. Mark Weiss inspires greatness in all he turns his camera lens on. But don’t take my word for it. Just look at the pictures in this book." – Dee Snider “His pictures say as much as the music” – Rob Halford “He was one of the guys. He wasn’t one of the 18 photographers you’d work with that day.” – Alice Cooper “He had that instinct, to recognize our energy and use his technical talent to capture it.” – Joe Perry “The Decade That Rocked breaches a level of intimacy that so many music photographers are lacking today. Each and every photo exemplifies the trust and the synergy between photographer and subject. You can feel the essence of the music in the live shots, just as vibrantly as you can feel the spirit and the essence of the musicians behind the scenes.” – Screamer Magazine Mark “Weissguy” Weiss set an unmatched standard for rock photography. Starting out as a teenager by sneaking into concerts with a neighbor’s 35mm camera, he embarked on a legendary career that took him around the globe and onto some of the most memorable album and magazine covers in rock history– featuring the likes of Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, and Mötley Crüe to Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, and KISS, and so many more. With 700+ photos, brand new interviews, and stories from Mark himself, Decade that Rocked is a monument to the photography, friendships, and legacy of an artist that helped define one of rock’s most iconic eras. This career-spanning collection features: A unique lens on the golden age of rock: Never-before or rarely seen photos of legends like Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, and Mötley Crüe to Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, and KISS, as well as countless others whose sound and image defined the era. Exclusive interviews: Ozzy Osbourne, Dee Snider, Nikki Sixx, Joe Perry, Rob Halford, and many more recall their memories of this era-defining decade. Untold Stories: Relive Mark’s unbelievable journey through rock history, from getting arrested for selling photos outside of Kiss concert to touring with legends like Van Halen, to photographing Bon Jovi’s infamous “Slippery When Wet” shoot, shooting backstage at Live Aid with Black Sabbath, and so many more. Definitive Lens: Creem magazine readers ranked Mark Weiss as rock’s top photographer of the 80s. His work has appeared on some of the most iconic album and magazine covers of all time. Captured from the unique vantage point of a photographer who lived and breathed the ’80s in all its grit and glory, The Decade That Rocked brings to life the no-holds-barred sounds and sights that changed the world of hard rock and metal forever.
Beginning with the argument that the Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free African American slaves, this dissenting view of Lincoln's greatness surveys the president's policies, speeches, and private utterances and concludes that he had little real interest in abolition. Pointing to Lincoln's support for the fugitive slave laws, his friendship with slave-owning senator Henry Clay, and conversations in which he entertained the idea of deporting slaves in order to create an all-white nation, the book, concludes that the president was a racist at heart--and that the tragedies of Reconstruction and the Jim Crow era were the legacy of his shallow moral vision.
