This edited collection examines the role of the Fulda Gap—located at the border between East and West Germany—in Cold War politics and military strategy. The contributors analyze the strategic deliberations of the Warsaw Pact and NATO, the balance of forces, the role of the local peace movement, and various other topics, while weaving together the history of the Cold War at local, European, and global levels.
On Freedom's Frontier offers a personal look at what it was like to live along Germany's East-West border during the Cold War. Over forty men and women who lived and worked along the Fulda Gap contributed their memories to paint a vivid picture of every day life during this interesting time in history. This is one of several anthologies compiled by the Museum of the American Military Family as part of its mission to show history from many perspectives. Proceeds from Freedom's Frontier will help the museum further its work and its writer-in-residence program. Freedom's Frontier was funded, in part, by a generous grant from Bernalillo County, New Mexico.
Book 1: Embark on the musical journey of a renowned composer with “My Life — Volume 1 by Richard Wagner.” Richard Wagner, one of the most influential figures in the world of opera, provides readers with insights into his life, creative process, and the cultural milieu of 19th-century Europe. This autobiography offers a firsthand account of Wagner's experiences and reflections, shedding light on the man behind the music. Book 2: Witness the harrowing narrative of a courageous abolitionist with “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass.” Frederick Douglass recounts his journey from enslavement to freedom, offering a searing indictment of the institution of slavery. This powerful narrative serves as a testament to Douglass's resilience and his commitment to justice and equality. Book 3: Experience the remarkable life story of an African man who transcended enslavement with “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African by Equiano.” Olaudah Equiano shares his extraordinary journey from captivity to freedom, traversing continents and cultures. His narrative not only exposes the brutality of the slave trade but also reflects on the importance of education and the quest for personal liberation.
In the pantheon of air power spokesmen, Giulio Douhet holds center stage. His writings, more often cited than perhaps actually read, appear as excerpts and aphorisms in the writings of numerous other air power spokesmen, advocates-and critics. Though a highly controversial figure, the very controversy that surrounds him offers to us a testimonial of the value and depth of his work, and the need for airmen today to become familiar with his thought. The progressive development of air power to the point where, today, it is more correct to refer to aerospace power has not outdated the notions of Douhet in the slightest In fact, in many ways, the kinds of technological capabilities that we enjoy as a global air power provider attest to the breadth of his vision. Douhet, together with Hugh “Boom” Trenchard of Great Britain and William “Billy” Mitchell of the United States, is justly recognized as one of the three great spokesmen of the early air power era. This reprint is offered in the spirit of continuing the dialogue that Douhet himself so perceptively began with the first edition of this book, published in 1921. Readers may well find much that they disagree with in this book, but also much that is of enduring value. The vital necessity of Douhet’s central vision-that command of the air is all important in modern warfare-has been proven throughout the history of wars in this century, from the fighting over the Somme to the air war over Kuwait and Iraq.
A Source Book for Mediæval History is a scholarly piece by Oliver J. Thatcher. It covers all major historical events and leaders from the Germania of Tacitus in the 1st century to the decrees of the Hanseatic League in the 13th century.
This second volume of The Churches and the Third Reich, the last which the author lived to write, covers the year 1934. This year, which saw the birth of the Confessing Church and the great Synods of Barmen and Dahlem, was the year of disillusionment, in which all the hopes of 1933 were shattered one by one. The gripping narrative of the first volume is continued as in addition to the rise of a legitimate church opposition we see how the German Christians overreached themselves by seeking, without Hitler’s approval and against the law, to set up a Reich Church fully coordinated with the state. Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Church was running into increasing difficulties as it tried to cope with the problems left unresolved on the conclusion of the Concordat. Like the first, this volume has many illustrations.
This military history chronicles the combat operations of the Blackhorse Regiment, which paved the way for armored cavalry tactics in the Vietnam War. South Vietnam, September 1966. When the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment came ashore at Vung Tau, it faced a number of challenges. In addition to the threat of the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, the terrain and weather posed their own dangers, adversely affecting the use of bulletproof vehicles and helicopters. The dearth of doctrine and tactics for the employment of armored cavalry in a counterinsurgency was equally challenging—especially during pre-deployment training and initial combat operations. But despite all this, the leaders of Blackhorse Regiment found a way to accomplish their mission. Within a year of their arrival in Vietnam, Blackhorse troopers overcame ambushes that featured anti-tank weapons, numerous landmines, and coordinated assaults. They not only defeated an enemy division twice their size, but also demonstrated how to succeed while operating on and off the roads, in the jungle, and during both the wet and dry seasons. By the spring of 1967, army leaders were beginning to realize the value of troops stationed in Vietnam. And with the Blackhorse Regiment leading the way, armor came to be considered an essential part of the combat team. Written by a Blackhorse veteran, this regiment history features firsthand accounts from soldiers who served in Vietnam and Cambodia.
