In 1944 U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Leslie J. McNair was accidentally killed by USAAF bombers that dropped their bombs short of the target, thus becoming the highest-ranking American casualty of World War II. Union Gen. Daniel Sickels was the first person to be successfully acquitted of murder by pleading temporary insanity after he shot and killed the son of "Star-Spangled Banner" composer Francis Scott Key in cold blood. Ten years before Custer's infamous last stand, U.S. cavalry Capt. William J. Fetterman disobeyed orders and led his eighty-man detachment in pursuit of a band of Sioux Indians. Neith.
In this companion volume to his 1995 bibliography of the same title, Daniel Blewett continues his foray into the vast literature of military studies. As did its predecessor, it covers land, air, and naval forces, primarily but not exclusively from a U.S. perspective, with the welcome emergence of small wars from publishing obscurity. In addition to identifying relevant organizations and associations, Blewett has gathered together the very best in chronologies, bibliographies, biographical dictionaries, indexes, journals abstracts, glossaries, and encyclopedias, each accompanied by a brief descriptive annotation. This work remains a pertinent addition to the general reference collections of public and academic libraries as well as special libraries, government documents collections, military and intelligence agency libraries, and historical societies and museums.
A young readers adaptation of Sonia Purnell's New York Times bestselling book A Woman of No Importance, the story of Virginia Hall; the unassuming American spy who helped the allies win World War II. Virginia Hall was deemed "the most dangerous of all allied spies" by the Gestapo. Armed with her wits and her prosthetic leg, she was deployed behind enemy lines to inspire resistance in France, providing crucial support to fighting the Nazi occupation. In this largely untold story, Sonia Purnell uncovers the truth behind a Baltimore socialite who was essential to allied victory. Adapted for the elementary to middle school audience, Agent Most Wanted is equal parts an inspiring tale of feminism in a time when women weren't taken seriously, an epic spy story, and, of course, a retelling of winning one of the largest global conflicts in modern history.
Want to know more about American military history? U.S. Military History For Dummies presents concise and revealing accounts of all of the nation's armed conflicts from the French and Indian War to Iraq. It explains how the U.S. military is organized and how its branches operate, both independently and together. This straightforward guide examines the causes for each of America's wars and reveals how these conflicts have shaped the nation's borders, society, politics, culture, and future. You'll meet heroes, cowards, patriots, and traitors; relive great battles; and get a taste of what combat is really like, as you discover: How the French/Indian war sowed the seeds of the Revolutionary War Why America's battle for independence didn't end at Yorktown Early U.S. wars against Indians, tax cheats, and pirates The War of 1812: guaranteeing U.S. sovereignty "Manifest Destiny" wars that stretched America from sea to shining sea Why the American Civil War could not be avoided The Spanish American War and the U.S. as an emerging global power Why World War I failed to "make the world safe for democracy" How World War II changed America's role in the world Korea and Vietnam: hot wars during the Cold War Featuring important insights on technological, political, and social changes that transformed the way America fights its wars U.S. Military History For Dummies is your key to understanding the evolution of the most powerful military force in history.
Business's Most WantedOao chronicles the best and worst of American business, explores the quirks of commerce, and provides an informative and sometimes amusing look at Wall Street. For an industry devoted to the serious matter of money management, this book provides a lighter look at business history, offering readers an entertaining guide to fascinating trivia about such topics as the ten largest family-owned businesses, former presidents with a business background, and unusual sales strategies, both successful and not, employed by eager store managers. Which Wall Street wizards were avid card players? Which great business leaders were adopted? What are the most socially responsible corporate cultures? ItOCOs all here, from the oldest corporation in America, J.E. Rhodes & Sons (est. 1702), to the dot-com corporations that exploded on the scene in the 1990s. History buffs, businessmen and businesswomen, and anyone with an interest in the lighter side of the corporate world will enjoy this irreverent look at the icons and goats of American business history."
"John C. McManus, one of our most highly-acclaimed historians of World War II, takes readers from Pearl Harbor--a rude awakening for a ragtag militia woefully unprepared for war--to Makin, a sliver of coral reef where the Army was tested against the increasingly-desperate Japanese. In between were nearly two years of punishing combat as the Army transformed, at times unsteadily, from an undertrained garrison force into an unstoppable juggernaut, and America evolved from an inward-looking nation into a global superpower."--Provided by publisher.
Ever since the caveman gazed longingly at the winged creatures above him, mankind has been enamored with the idea of flight—of just taking off and soaring away. Steven A. Ruffin celebrates that spirit, that sense of wonder, with Aviation’s Most Wanted™: The Top 10 Book of Winged Wonders, Lucky Landings, and Other Aerial Oddities. With dozens of top-ten lists focusing on notable flights, memorable planes, famous and infamous aviators, aircraft combat, air travel—even space travel—and so much more, Ruffin provides a treasure trove of fun facts and amazing anecdotes celebrating the world’s love affair with flight, plus the hurt that accompanies any deep love. Will Rogers died in a plane crash near Point Barrow, Alaska, with aviation legend Wiley Post at the controls. Rogers was writing an article at the time of the crash; eerily, the last word he typed was “death.” Isoroku Yamamoto, who masterminded the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, met his fate in similarly sneaky fashion. U.S. forces intercepted and decoded information on Yamamoto’s travel plans and “Pearl Harbored” his plane, shooting it down into the island jungle of Bougainville. The safest seat in a crash depends on if you crash on takeoff or on landing—so flip a coin! You’ll read about the first and worst of flight, aces and races, and everything from crimes, sex, and controversy to planes so fast they can outrun the sun. With Aviation’s Most Wanted™ you’ll get the history of flight from the early balloon adventures of the eighteenth century until the present, laid out with trivia and tales to amuse and amaze!
A comprehensive history of America's highest award for military valor.The Medal of Honor chronicles the creation, evolution, and awarding of the Medal, from the battlefields of the Civil War to the jungles of Vietnam, through a wealth of illustrations and hundreds of authoritative, action-filled accounts of heroism in America's conflicts. This wonderfully detailed and beautifully designed history book puts the Medal and its recipients into the context of their times, with brief and accessible introductions explaining each war and conflict for which the Medal was awarded. It also includes photo essays, intriguing stories of the Medal's sometimes quirky personalities, effects on surviving recipients, and the Medal's preeminent place in the American story. Whether you're an avid reader on the history of the Medal of Honor or simply intrigued by its place in our history, you're certain to want to flip through the pages of The Medal of Honor again and again.
