Here are a few examples of books and ebooks from our collection on the subject of Military and Veterans. Books contain general background or historical information on your topic. You can find more books by searching our OneSearch library catalog. Enter your search term(s) and from your results list, set the Show Only filter on the left to Available in Library. To find more eBooks go to the library's A-Z Databases list and select eBook Collection (Complete). Log in if prompted and enter your keyword(s) into the fields. See our guide for additional help on searching for eBooks. If you have questions or need help, please ask a librarian. We're happy to assist you!
ASVAB Prep Plus 2022-2023 by
Kaplan's ASVAB Prep Plus 2022-2023 features proven strategies and realistic practice for all sections of the ASVAB and AFQT. Comprehensive subject review, expert tips, detailed explanations, and flashcards will help you face the test with confidence. Kaplan is so certain that ASVAB Prep Plus offers all the knowledge you need to excel at the ASVAB that we guarantee it: After studying with the online resources and book, you'll score higher on the test--or you'll get your money back. Essential Practice More than 1,000 realistic practice questions with explanations Six full-length ASVAB practice tests with detailed explanations: 3 online and 3 in the book Flashcards in the book and also in an app to review on the go Qbank for more online practice with every question type Detailed subject review, including targeted strategies for vocabulary questions and math problem solving An extensive word list to help you build your vocabulary NEW: Math video instruction to provide refreshers on the tested concepts Expert Guidance Comprehensive content review and specific methods for tackling all technical topics: science, electronics, auto/shop, mechanical information, and object assembly Specific strategies for mastering the Computer Adaptive Test format We invented test prep--Kaplan (kaptest.com) has been helping students for 80 years. Our proven strategies have helped legions of students achieve their dreams.
Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass by
"A prime resource for any leader's library." -James Mattis, General, US Marines (ret), and 26th Secretary of Defense Today, our nation is like a ship being tossed in tumultuous seas. The winds and waves of change have divided and distanced our society, threatening to wash away the very principles our nation was founded upon. Now more than ever, our nation needs leaders with the moral courage to stand strong and steady-leaders capable of uniting people in support of a shared purpose by building the trust and respect necessary for organizations and their people to thrive. In Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass, Admiral Sandy Stosz draws upon her forty years of extensive experience and wisdom to provide tools that will help leaders reach their goals and succeed at every level. Character-centered, proven leadership principles emerge from these engaging, personal stories that teach leaders how to find, and then become, an inspiring mentor; implement successful diversity, inclusion, and equity programs; successfully lead in a complex environment; and much more. Leaders eager to make a difference by helping people and organizations be their best will find Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass: Leading in Uncharted Waters their go-to resource.
Chicken Soup for the Veteran's Soul by
Chicken Soup for the Veteran's Soul will inspire and touch any veterans and their families, and allow others to appreciate the freedom for which they fought.
Coming Back Together by
When a partner or spouse returns from war, it is a time of joy; but it is also a time of transition, challenges, and uncertainty. The truth is that the process of reintegration can last for years, and it can be a particularly difficult time for both returning heroes and their families. If your partner has recently returned from war, or if they will be returning soon, you should be prepared for the unique challenges that lay ahead. Your loved one may suffer from psychological and physical wounds, experience "battlemind," a condition that leaves them constantly anxious and on-edge, and they may even have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If they are uncommunicative, you may feel like you are living with a stranger, and struggle to recreate the bond of intimacy you once shared. In Coming Back Together, clinical psychologist Steven L. Sayers offers real tools to help you reestablish family routines and build a stronger sense of intimacy with your partner after a military deployment, even if they are resistant to help. The challenges of reintegration can come as a surprise, but you can arm yourself with the skills needed to face this difficult time and help your partner build the resilience needed to heal. This book will be your guide.
Extreme Ownership by
From Jocko Wilnick, the New York Times best selling author of Discipline Equals Freedom and Leadership Strategy and Tactics, an updated edition of the blockbuster bestselling leadership book that took America and the world by storm, two U.S. Navy SEAL officers who led the most highly decorated special forces unit of the Iraq War demonstrate how to apply powerful leadership principles from the battlefield to business and life. Now with an excerpt from the authors' new book, THE DICHOTOMY OF LEADERSHIP. Combat, the most intense and dynamic environment imaginable, teaches the toughest leadership lessons, with absolutely everything at stake. Jocko Willink and Leif Babin learned this reality first-hand on the most violent and dangerous battlefield in Iraq. As leaders of SEAL Team Three's Task Unit Bruiser, their mission was one many thought impossible: help U.S. forces secure Ramadi, a violent, insurgent-held city deemed "all but lost." In gripping, firsthand accounts of heroism, tragic loss, and hard-won victories, they learned that leadership--at every level--is the most important factor in whether a team succeeds or fails. Willink and Babin returned home from deployment and instituted SEAL leadership training to pass on their harsh lessons of self-discipline, mental toughness and self-defense learned in combat to help forge the next generation of SEAL leaders. After leaving the SEAL Teams, they launched a company, Echelon Front, to teach those same leadership principles to leaders in businesses, companies, and organizations across the civilian sector. Since that time, they have trained countless leaders and worked with hundreds of companies in virtually every industry across the U.S. and internationally, teaching them how to develop their own high-performance teams and most effectively lead those teams to dominate their battlefields. Since it's release in October 2015, Extreme Ownership has revolutionized leadership development and set a new standard for literature on the subject. Required reading for many of the most successful organizations, it has become an integral part of the official leadership training programs for scores of business teams, military units, and first responders. Detailing the resilient mindset and total focus principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish the most difficult combat missions, Extreme Ownership demonstrates how to apply them to any team or organization, in any leadership environment. A compelling narrative with powerful instruction and direct application, Extreme Ownership challenges leaders everywhere to fulfill their ultimate purpose: lead and win.
Hope Emerges by
There is a building in Richmond, Virginia, full of unsung heroes. Day after day, patients and their loved ones face some of the most traumatic events of their lives, while caregivers and staff work around the clock to provide the best healing experience they can. This is the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center at McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Never before has the VA allowed a journalist and author such access to this beacon of hope for injured service members and veterans. The results are inspiring, with many uplifting success stories as well as painful times that can be heartbreaking. From young MPs facing multiple traumatic injuries, to families making difficult decisions, to the bright and energetic physicians of this model VA hospital, readers can expect a sensitive look at many of the individuals of the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center in this candid and revealing piece. In the first book of its kind, author Joseph Macenka puts a human face on the many heroes behind the walls of this successful VA hospital, one of only five in the country to contain its own Polytrauma Center-a center that is considered a world-class model of rehabilitation and healing for service members facing the gravest of injuries.
Into the Fire by
"The story of what Dakota did . . . will be told for generations."--President Barack Obama, from remarks given at Meyer's Medal of Honor ceremony. In the fall of 2009, Taliban insurgents ambushed a patrol of Afghan soldiers and Marine advisors in a mountain village called Ganjigal. Firing from entrenched positions, the enemy was positioned to wipe out one hundred men who were pinned down and were repeatedly refused artillery support. Ordered to remain behind with the vehicles, twenty-one year-old Marine corporal Dakota Meyer disobeyed orders and attacked to rescue his comrades. With a brave driver at the wheel, Meyer stood in the gun turret exposed to withering fire, rallying Afghan troops to follow. Over the course of the five hours, he charged into the valley time and again. Employing a variety of machine guns, rifles, grenade launchers, and even a rock, Meyer repeatedly repulsed enemy attackers, carried wounded Afghan soldiers to safety, and provided cover for dozens of others to escape--supreme acts of valor and determination. In the end, Meyer and four stalwart comrades--an Army captain, an Afghan sergeant major, and two Marines--cleared the battlefield and came to grips with a tragedy they knew could have been avoided. For his actions on that day, Meyer became the first living Marine in three decades to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Into the Fire tells the full story of the chaotic battle of Ganjigal for the first time, in a compelling, human way that reveals it as a microcosm of our recent wars. Meyer takes us from his upbringing on a farm in Kentucky, through his Marine and sniper training, onto the battlefield, and into the vexed aftermath of his harrowing exploits in a battle that has become the stuff of legend. Investigations ensued, even as he was pitched back into battle alongside U.S. Army soldiers who embraced him as a fellow grunt. When it was over, he returned to the States to confront living with the loss of his closest friends. This is a tale of American values and upbringing, of stunning heroism, and of adjusting to loss and to civilian life. We see it all through Meyer's eyes, bullet by bullet, with raw honesty in telling of both the errors that resulted in tragedy and the resolve of American soldiers, U.S. Marines, and Afghan soldiers who'd been abandoned and faced certain death.
Life after the Military by
Hundreds of thousands of military members are making the transition to civilian life each year. This transition is a move into unfamiliar territory and can be an extremely uncomfortable process. However, there are resources in place that can relieve much of the stress of the challenging situations that may arise. In Life After the Military: A Handbook for Transitioning Veterans, authors Janelle Hill, Don Philpott, and Cheryl Lawhorne-Scott collect all the information needed to settle into life after the military in one volume.The book discusses the many issues that transitioning veterans are faced with such as finding employment, going back to school, managing finances, special benefits available to veterans, and a host of other issues the transitioning veteran is likely to face when making the move to civilian life. It also discusses the emotional and psychological challenges that come with leaving the military and settling into life as a civilian. This book is essential for all who are transitioning out of the military, as well as their loved ones.
The Military Advantage, 2017 Edition by
Revised and updated every year, The Military Advantage, 2017 Edition is the most reliable benefits guide for Americans who have answered the call to serve in the military. These benefits amount to billions in scholarships, educational benefits, home loan guarantees, and military discounts. The 2017 edition includes new TRICARE regions and policy updates, new military retirement and matching 401k options, changes to military education benefits, new resources for transitioning service members and their families.
Psychological Assessment of Veterans by
Psychological assessment is practiced in wide-ranging settings to address the varied clinical and administrative needs of veteran populations. Such assessment blends record review, clinical interviews of the veteran and collateral sources of information, behavioral observations, andpsychological testing.This book promotes the care and well-being of veterans by bringing together knowledgeable and experienced psychologists to discuss a range of psychological assessment methods and procedures. It aims to help patients and their families, healthcare providers, and concerned citizens gain an improvedunderstanding of veterans' cognitive functioning, emotional states, personality traits, behavioral patterns, and daily functioning.The book begins with a history of the psychological assessment of veterans and investigates its efficacy in different settings, including outpatient mental health, long-term care, primary care, home-based primary care, and telemental health. Later chapters address assessment of a variety ofdisorders or presenting problems, including substance use disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders and suicidal thoughts and behavior, PTSD and other anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dementia, pain and pain-related disorders, and polytrauma. The book concludes withimportant special considerations, including assessment of symptom and performance validity, assessment of homeless veterans and health-related quality of life, and ethical, legal, and professional issues.Psychological Assessment of Veterans provides an essential reference and guide for clinical psychologists, including those working in the subspecialties, and psychology trainees who work with veterans.
Soldier Girls by
"A raw, intimate look at the impact of combat and the healing power of friendship" (People): the lives of three women deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, and the effect of their military service on their personal lives and families--named a best book of the year by Publishers Weekly. "In the tradition of Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, Richard Rhodes, and other masters of literary journalism, Soldier Girls is utterly absorbing, gorgeously written, and unforgettable" (The Boston Globe). Helen Thorpe follows the lives of three women over twelve years on their paths to the military, overseas to combat, and back home...and then overseas again for two of them. These women, who are quite different in every way, become friends, and we watch their interaction and also what happens when they are separated. We see their families, their lovers, their spouses, their children. We see them work extremely hard, deal with the attentions of men on base and in war zones, and struggle to stay connected to their families back home. We see some of them drink too much, have affairs, and react to the deaths of fellow soldiers. And we see what happens to one of them when the truck she is driving hits an explosive in the road, blowing it up. She survives, but her life may never be the same again. Deeply reported, beautifully written, and powerfully moving, Soldier Girls is "a breakthrough work...What Thorpe accomplishes in Soldier Girls is something far greater than describing the experience of women in the military. The book is a solid chunk of American history...Thorpe triumphs" (The New York Times Book Review).
Understanding and Treating Military Sexual Trauma by
This authoritative update presents current findings on -- and clinically and ethically sound responses to -- the epidemic of sexual assault in the military. It examines in powerful detail how military culture enables a pervasive subculture of sexual violence, from consistently devaluing survivors to blaming victims and denying them justice. The author's dual attachment/trauma theory lens attends to a wide range of outcomes such as unit members closing ranks against survivors and the continuing impact of assault trauma on veterans' lives. And the book's second half critiques standard forms of treating military sexual trauma in favor of individualized therapy addressing the physical, psychological, and neurological aspects of trauma and recovery
Valor by
Valor features the thrilling stories that are the fruit of Mark Lee Greenblatt's interviews with brave American servicemen from twenty-first-century wars. These soldiers, sailors, and Marines have risked their lives several times over for their country as well as for their fellow troops and civilians. Still, until now, their stories have largely gone unnoticed by the public, perhaps lost in the frenzied and often nasty debate surrounding those conflicts. As the author writes, "This generation does not have an Audie Murphy. I set out to change that with this book." Detailing incredible and evocative feats--including an Army pilot who rescued two fellow pilots from a deadly crash in hostile territory and strapped himself to the helicopter's exterior for the flight to the hospital--Greenblatt provides glimpses into the minds of these men as they face gut-wrenching decisions and overcome enormous odds. However, this book is much more than tales of riveting action. Each chapter goes beyond linear combat stories to explore each hero's motivations, dreams, and the genuine emotions that were evoked in the face of extreme danger. Readers will be transported to a variety of settings--from close-quarters urban fighting in Iraq to mountainside ambushes in rural Afghanistan to a midnight rescue in the middle of the Atlantic--as they accompany the men who do not see themselves as heroes but as patriots in the line of duty.
The Wounded Warrior Handbook by
The typical wounded soldier must complete and file twenty-two forms after an active-duty injury. To soldiers and their families coping with the shock and reality of the injuries, figuring out what to do next--even completing tasks that seem easy like submitting paperwork--can be overwhelming and confusing. The second edition of this popular resource guide has been thoroughly revised to reflect new policies, additional benefits, updated procedures, and changes to insurance, including traumatic injury insurance and social security disability insurance. New chapters cover veterans' benefits in depth--which have seen significant changes in the last two years--and returning to active duty after an injury. As in the previous edition, this guide directs you to answers and resources for the most pressing and difficult questions that wounded veterans face, such as: -Where can I find information on symptoms and treatments of injuries? -How do I get through all this paperwork? -Where can I get legal assistance? -What can I do for employment? -How do I get back into everyday life? -How can I return to active duty? -How do I deal with insurance? -What benefits are available to me, and how do I claim them? -What about my family? How can they help me? This trusted resource is both comprehensive and easy to use, and now the most up-to-date guide for wounded veterans and their families dealing with active-duty injuries.
The Wounds Within by
As America's longest wars end, hundreds of thousands of veterans and their families struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Wounds Within follows the iconic case of Marine Lance Corporal Jeff Lucey, who deployed early in the Iraq War, battled PTSD after returning home, and set his family on a decade-long campaign to reform the Veterans Affairs system and end the stigma around military-related mental health issues. Their story is told uniquely from the perspective of Jeff's psychotherapist, Mark Nickerson, an internationally recognized expert on trauma treatment. Driven by the family narrative, and by later case histories of Nickerson's veteran clients, the book explains PTSD and the methods by which it can be treated. With coauthor Joshua Goldstein, an award-winning author, Nickerson engages the big issues of America's attempts to cope with the millions of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan--from belated reforms to overwhelmed military families to clueless civilians who can't get beyond "Thank you for your service." The Wounds Within combines a moving and compelling human drama with national policy and a clinical explanation of how to heal veterans' traumas. It will stand as the definitive account of PTSD in those who fought America's latest wars, and a much-needed source of information for their loved ones.
All Quiet on the Western Front by
The testament of Paul Baumer, who enlists with his classmates in the German army of World War I, illuminates the savagery and futility of war.
All the Light We Cannot See by
*Winner of the Pulitzer Prize* A New York Times Book Review Top Ten Book* A National Book Award Finalist* From Anthony Doerr, the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning author of Cloud Cuckoo Land, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. *Soon to be a Netflix limited series from the producers of Stranger Things* Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure's reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum's most valuable and dangerous jewel. In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Doerr's "stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors" (San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Ten years in the writing, a National Book Award finalist, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer "whose sentences never fail to thrill" (Los Angeles Times).
And Then We Heard the Thunder by
Killens' novel is a fictional account of African American soldiers in World War II. Fighting in segregated units, the hero is Solly Saunders, an educated man who enters the war with illusions shattered by his actual experience.
Black Cloud Rising by
Already excerpted in the New Yorker, Black Cloud Rising is a compelling and important historical novel that takes us back to an extraordinary moment when enslaved men and women were shedding their bonds and embracing freedom. By fall of 1863, Union forces had taken control of Tidewater Virginia, and established a toehold in eastern North Carolina, including along the Outer Banks. Thousands of freed slaves and runaways flooded the Union lines, but Confederate irregulars still roamed the region. In December, the newly formed African Brigade, a unit of these former slaves led by General Edward Augustus Wild--a one-armed, impassioned Abolitionist--set out from Portsmouth to hunt down the rebel guerillas and extinguish the threat. From this little-known historical episode comes Black Cloud Rising, a dramatic, moving account of these soldiers--men who only weeks earlier had been enslaved, but were now Union infantrymen setting out to fight their former owners. At the heart of the narrative is Sergeant Richard Etheridge, the son of a slave and her master, raised with some privileges but constantly reminded of his place. Deeply conflicted about his past, Richard is eager to show himself to be a credit to his race. As the African Brigade conducts raids through the areas occupied by the Confederate Partisan Rangers, he and his comrades recognize that they are fighting for more than territory. Wild's mission is to prove that his troops can be trusted as soldiers in combat. And because many of the men have fled from the very plantations in their path, each raid is also an opportunity to free loved ones left behind. For Richard, this means the possibility of reuniting with Fanny, the woman he hopes to marry one day. With powerful depictions of the bonds formed between fighting men and heartrending scenes of sacrifice and courage, Black Cloud Rising offers a compelling and nuanced portrait of enslaved men and women crossing the threshold to freedom.
Ender's Game by
From New York Times bestselling author Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game--adapted to film in 2013 starring Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford--is the classic Hugo and Nebula award-winning science fiction novel of a young boy's recruitment into the midst of an interstellar war. In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut--young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training. Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister. Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives. Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel. THE ENDER UNIVERSE Ender series Ender's Game / Ender in Exile / Speaker for the Dead / Xenocide / Children of the Mind Ender's Shadow series Ender's Shadow / Shadow of the Hegemon / Shadow Puppets / Shadow of the Giant / Shadows in Flight Children of the Fleet The First Formic War (with Aaron Johnston) Earth Unaware / Earth Afire / Earth Awakens The Second Formic War (with Aaron Johnston) The Swarm /The Hive Ender novellas A War of Gifts /First Meetings
The Frozen Hours by
June 1950. The North Korean army invades South Korea, intent on uniting the country under Communist rule. In response, the United States mobilizes a force to defend the overmatched South Korean troops, and together they drive the North Koreans back to their border with China. But several hundred thousand Chinese troops have entered Korea, laying massive traps for the Allies. In November 1950, the Chinese spring those traps. Allied forces, already battling stunningly cold weather, find themselves caught completely off guard as the Chinese advance around the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. A force that once stood on the precipice of victory now finds itself on the brink of annihilation. Assured by General Douglas MacArthur that they would be home by Christmas, the soldiers and Marines fight for their lives against the most brutal weather conditions imaginable-and an enemy that outnumbers them more than six to one. The Frozen Hours tells the story of Frozen Chosin from multiple points of view- Oliver P. Smith, the commanding general of the American 1st Marine Division, who famously redefined defeat as "advancing in a different direction"; Lieutenant Colonel Don Faith, the ill-fated frontline Army officer whose men are sacrificed in a hopeless attempt to slow the Chinese advance; Marine Private Harry Thomas, a World War II veteran who now faces the greatest fight of his life; and the Chinese commander, Song Shi-Lun, charged with destroying the Americans he has so completely surrounded, ever aware that above him, Chairman Mao Tse-Tung watches his every move. Written with the propulsive force Shaara brings to all his novels of combat and courage, The Frozen Hours transports us to the critical moment in the history of America's "Forgotten War," when the fate of the Korean peninsula lay in the hands of a brave band of brothers battling both the elements and a determined, implacable foe. PRAISE FOR JEFF SHAARA'S RECENT CIVIL WAR SERIES A Blaze of Glory " An exciting read . . . This novel is meticulously researched and brings a vivid reality to the historical events depicted."-Library Journal "Dynamic portrayals of Johnston, Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman."-The Wall Street Journal A Chain of Thunder "Shaara continues to draw powerful novels from the bloody history of the Civil War."-Kirkus Reviews "The voices of these people come across to the reader as poignantly clear as they did 150 years ago."-Historical Novels Review The Smoke at Dawn "Beautifully written . . . Shaara once again elevates history from mere rote fact to explosive and engaging drama."-Bookreporter "Shaara's mastery of military tactics, his intimate grasp of history, and his ability to interweave several supporting narratives into a cohesive and digestible whole . . . will appeal to a broad range of historical and military fiction fans."-Booklist The Fateful Lightning "Powerful and emotional . . . highly recommended."-Historical Novels Review "Readers . . . looking for an absorbing novel will be well rewarded."-The Clarion-Ledger
A Gathering of Men by
Candor, North Carolina. The town barber brandishes a copy of the May 1927 Charlotte Observer-on the front page, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis on its cross-country flight. At the outskirts of town, best friends Lake, Roger, and Jim take turns hurling their wingless crate down a hill. Eyes closed, they imagine their future alongside Lindy.Pearl Harbor changes everything. The boys will have their chance to fly-not over North Carolina farm fields, but across Germany on bombing runs, facing a determined Luftwaffe. The odds of completing their tours of duty are slim.A Gathering of Men is the account of the boys who board their aircraft for the first time and the men they become in the blink of an eye. The terrors they witness and the pressure to go up again and again and again brings them to the breaking point. It is a moving tale, based on a true story, about shattered dreams and enduring friendship, duty, and honor.
Missionaries by
One of President Obama's Favorite Books of the Year | A New York Times Notable Book | One of the Wall Street Journal Ten Best Books of the Year "Missionaries is a courageous book: It doesn't shy away, as so much fiction does, from the real world." --Juan Gabriel Vásquez, The New York Times Book Review "A sweeping, interconnected novel of ideas in the tradition of Joseph Conrad and Norman Mailer . . . By taking a long view of the 'rational insanity' of global warfare, Missionaries brilliantly fills one of the largest gaps in contemporary literature." --The Wall Street Journal The debut novel from the National Book Award-winning author of Redeployment A group of Colombian soldiers prepares to raid a drug lord's safe house on the Venezuelan border. They're watching him with an American-made drone, about to strike using military tactics taught to them by U.S. soldiers who honed their skills to lethal perfection in Iraq. In Missionaries, Phil Klay examines the globalization of violence through the interlocking stories of four characters and the conflicts that define their lives. For Mason, a U.S. Army Special Forces medic, and Lisette, a foreign correspondent, America's long post-9/11 wars in the Middle East exerted a terrible draw that neither is able to shake. Where can such a person go next? All roads lead to Colombia, where the US has partnered with local government to keep predatory narco gangs at bay. Mason, now a liaison to the Colombian military, is ready for the good war, and Lisette is more than ready to cover it. Juan Pablo, a Colombian officer, must juggle managing the Americans' presence and navigating a viper's nest of factions bidding for power. Meanwhile, Abel, a lieutenant in a local militia, has lost almost everything in the seemingly endless carnage of his home province, where the lines between drug cartels, militias, and the state are semi-permeable. Drawing on six years of research in America and Colombia into the effects of the modern way of war on regular people, Klay has written a novel of extraordinary suspense infused with geopolitical sophistication and storytelling instincts that are second to none. Missionaries is a window not only into modern war, but into the individual lives that go on long after the drones have left the skies.
The Quiet Americans by
"Enthralling. . . . Lying and stealing and invading, it should be said, make for captivating reading, especially in the hands of a storyteller as skilled as Anderson." --The New York Times Book Review A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR At the end of World War II, the United States was considered the victor over tyranny and a champion of freedom. But it was clear--to some--that the Soviet Union was already seeking to expand and foment revolution around the world, and the American government's strategy in response relied on the secret efforts of a newly formed CIA. Chronicling the fascinating lives of the agents who sought to uphold American ideals abroad, Scott Anderson follows the exploits of four spies: Michael Burke, who organized parachute commandos from an Italian villa; Frank Wisner, an ingenious spymaster who directed actions around the world; Peter Sichel, a German Jew who outwitted the ruthless KGB in Berlin; and Edward Lansdale, a mastermind of psychological warfare in the Far East. But despite their lofty ambitions, time and again their efforts went awry, thwarted by a combination of ham-fisted politicking and ideological rigidity at the highest levels of the government. Told with narrative brio, deep research, and a skeptical eye, The Quiet Americans is the gripping story of how the United States, at the very pinnacle of its power, managed to permanently damage its moral standing in the world.
River of Bones by
Commander Matt Reddy and his crew are afraid it may finally be the end of the USS Walker. Ever since their ship was transported to another world, and they became embroiled in a deadly conflict between the Lemurians and the vicious Grik, the Walker has been taking a pounding. With Walker out of commission for repairs, Reddy takes command of a different ship and joins a desperate battle to block the Grik swarm. Meanwhile, the humans and their allies face a deadly second front in the Republic to the south. All of Reddy's forces are committed, and there's no turning back. Either they'll win - or lose - everything...
Shadow of the Dragon by
A missing Chinese scientist, unexplained noises emanating from under the Arctic ice, and a possible mole in American intelligence are just some of the problems that plague President Jack Ryan in the latest entry in Tom Clancy's #1 New York Times bestselling series. Aboard an icebreaker in the Arctic Ocean a sonar operator hears an unusual noise coming from the ocean floor. She can't isolate it and chalks the event up to an anomaly in a newly installed system. Meanwhile, operatives with the Chinese Ministry of State Security are dealing with their own mystery--the disappearance of brilliant but eccentric scientist, Liu Wangshu. They're desperate to keep his crucial knowledge of aerospace and naval technology out of their rivals' hands. Finding Liu is too great an opportunity for any intelligence service to pass up, but there's one more problem. A high-level Chinese mole, codenamed Surveyor, has managed to infiltrate American Intelligence. President Jack Ryan has only one choice: send John Clark and his Campus team deep into China to find an old graduate student of the professor's who may hold the key to his whereabouts. It's a dangerous gamble, but with John Clark holding the cards, Jack Ryan is all in.
Wolf Season by
National Reading Group Month "Great Group Reads" selection "[Helen Benedict] has emerged as one of our most thoughtful and provocative writers of war literature." --David Abrams, author of Fobbit and Brave Deeds, at the Quivering Pen "No one writes with more authority or cool-eyed compassion about the experience of women in war both on and off the battlefield than Helen Benedict. . . . Wolf Season is more than a novel for our times; it should be required reading." --Elissa Schappell, author of Use Me and Blueprints for Building Better Girls "Fierce and vivid and full of hope, this story of trauma and resilience, of love and family, of mutual aid and solidarity in the aftermath of a brutal war is nothing short of magic. . . . To read these pages is to be transported to a world beyond hype and propaganda to see the human cost of war up close. This is not a novel that allows you to walk away unchanged." --Cara Hoffman, author of Be Safe I Love You and Running "A novel of love, loss, and survival, Wolf Season delves into the complexities and murk of the after-war with blazing clarity. You will come to treasure these characters for their strengths and foibles alike. Helen Benedict has delivered yet again, and contemporary war literature is much the better for it." --Matt Gallagher, author of Kaboom: Embracing the Suck in a Savage Little War and Youngblood After a hurricane devastates a small town in upstate New York, the lives of three women and their young children are irrevocably changed. Rin, an Iraq War veteran, tries to protect her blind daughter and the three wolves under her care. Naema, a widowed doctor who fled Iraq with her wounded son, faces life-threatening injuries and confusion about her feelings for Louis, a veteran and widower harboring his own secrets and guilt. Beth, who is raising a troubled son, waits out her marine husband's deployment in Afghanistan, equally afraid of him coming home and of him never returning at all. As they struggle to maintain their humanity and find hope, their war-torn lives collide in a way that will affect their entire community. Helen Benedict is the author of seven novels, including Sand Queen, a Publishers Weekly "Best Contemporary War Novel"; five works of nonfiction, including The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq; and the play The Lonely Soldier Monologues. She lives in New York.
The Yellow Birds by
Finalist for the National Book Award, The Yellow Birds is the harrowing story of two young soldiers trying to stay alive in Iraq. "The war tried to kill us in the spring." So begins this powerful account of friendship and loss. In Al Tafar, Iraq, twenty-one-year old Private Bartle and eighteen-year-old Private Murphy cling to life as their platoon launches a bloody battle for the city. Bound together since basic training when Bartle makes a promise to bring Murphy safely home, the two have been dropped into a war neither is prepared for. In the endless days that follow, the two young soldiers do everything to protect each other from the forces that press in on every side: the insurgents, physical fatigue, and the mental stress that comes from constant danger. As reality begins to blur into a hazy nightmare, Murphy becomes increasingly unmoored from the world around him and Bartle takes actions he could never have imagined. With profound emotional insight, especially into the effects of a hidden war on mothers and families at home, The Yellow Birds is a groundbreaking novel that is destined to become a classic.
Youngblood by
The Millions "Most Anticipated" Book of 2016 "An urgent and deeply moving novel."--Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times The US military is preparing to withdraw from Iraq, and newly-minted lieutenant Jack Porter struggles to accept how it's happening--through alliances with warlords who have Arab and American blood on their hands. Day after day, Jack tries to assert his leadership in the sweltering, dreary atmosphere of Ashuriyah. But his world is disrupted by the arrival of veteran Sergeant Daniel Chambers, whose aggressive style threatens to undermine the fragile peace that the troops have worked hard to establish. As Iraq plunges back into chaos and bloodshed and Chambers's influence over the men grows stronger, Jack becomes obsessed with a strange, tragic tale of reckless love between a lost American soldier and Rana, a local sheikh's daughter. In search of the truth and buoyed by the knowledge that what he finds may implicate Sergeant Chambers, Jack seeks answers from the enigmatic Rana, and soon their fates become intertwined. Determined to secure a better future for Rana and a legitimate and lasting peace for her country, Jack will defy American command, putting his own future in grave peril. Pulling readers into the captivating immediacy of a conflict that can shift from drudgery to devastation at any moment, Youngblood provides startling new dimension to both the moral complexity of war and its psychological toll.
Afterwar by
2.6 million soldiers are currently returning home from war, the greatest number since Vietnam. With an increase in suicides and post-traumatic stress, the military has embraced measures such as resilience training and positive psychology to heal mind as well as body. But the moral dimensions of psychological injuries - guilt, shame, feeling responsible for doing wrong or being wronged - still elude much treatment. In Afterwar, philosopher Nancy Sherman turns her focus to that challenge. Trained in both ancient ethics and psychoanalysis, and with twenty years of working with the military, Sherman draws on in-depth interviews with servicemen and women to paint a richly textured and compassionate picture of the moral and psychological aftermath of America's decade of war. Sherman explores how veterans can go about reawakening their feelings without becoming re-traumatized; how they can replace resentment with trust; and the changes that need to be made by military courts, VA hospitals, and civilians who have been shielded from the heaviest burdens of war in order for this to happen. Americans, from politicians on downward, solemnly intone our "sacred obligations" to our veterans. Written with empathy, humanity, and deep insight, Afterwar provides no easy answers for how we can fulfill these obligations, but instead makes the case that the work of healing moral injuries is something that all of us, not just soldiers and psychologists, must do.
Encyclopedia of the Veteran in America by
A comprehensive encyclopedia that describes the experiences of American veterans from the Revolutionary War to the present. From the American Revolution to today's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Encyclopedia of the Veteran in America captures the experiences and lives of our nation's veterans in a comprehensive, unprecedented way. It is the first major reference work focused exclusively on an American soldier's view of military life during war and the often difficult return to civilian life and peacetime afterward. Encyclopedia of the Veteran in America comprises over 100 insightful entries that include major examinations of the American Revolution, Civil War, World Wars I and II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Gulf, Afghan, and Iraq Wars, plus brief reviews of other conflicts. In addition, it highlights the specific experiences of POW, MIAs, and their families, as well as African Americans, women, and American Indian soldiers. Additional entries focus on key historic figures like Theodore Roosevelt and General Douglas MacArthur, veterans' organizations like the American Legion and the VFW, legislative initiatives, and the full range of memorials and monuments dedicated to our fighting men and women. Presents essays from 30 contributing scholars from a variety of disciplines, many who are themselves veterans Contains 35 primary documents, including poems by and about and tributes to veterans, recent Congressional testimony by veterans about their problems, and descriptions of their activities Offers a timeline of relevant events, including founding dates of major veterans organizations and dates of major veterans legislation Provides illustrations of veterans engaging in political or ceremonial activity and illustrations of monuments and memorials Includes a bibliography of both general items and those relevant for each war/conflict
The Girls Next Door by
The story of the intrepid young women who volunteered to help and entertain American servicemen fighting overseas, from World War I through the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The emotional toll of war can be as debilitating to soldiers as hunger, disease, and injury. Beginning in World War I, in an effort to boost soldiers' morale and remind them of the stakes of victory, the American military formalized a recreation program that sent respectable young women and famous entertainers overseas. Kara Dixon Vuic builds her narrative around the young women from across the United States, many of whom had never traveled far from home, who volunteered to serve in one of the nation's most brutal work environments. From the "Lassies" in France and mini-skirted coeds in Vietnam to Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe, Vuic provides a fascinating glimpse into wartime gender roles and the tensions that continue to complicate American women's involvement in the military arena. The recreation-program volunteers heightened the passions of troops but also domesticated everyday life on the bases. Their presence mobilized support for the war back home, while exporting American culture abroad. Carefully recruited and selected as symbols of conventional femininity, these adventurous young women saw in the theater of war a bridge between public service and private ambition. This story of the women who talked and listened, danced and sang, adds an intimate chapter to the history of war and its ties to life in peacetime.
The Hello Girls by
In 1918, the U.S. Army Signal Corps sent 223 women to France at General Pershing's explicit request. They were masters of the latest technology: the telephone switchboard. While suffragettes picketed the White House and President Wilson struggled to persuade a segregationist Congress to give women of all races the vote, these courageous young women swore the army oath and settled into their new roles. Elizabeth Cobbs reveals the challenges they faced in a war zone where male soldiers wooed, mocked, and ultimately celebrated them. The army discharged the last Hello Girls in 1920, the year Congress ratified the Nineteenth Amendment. When they sailed home, they were unexpectedly dismissed without veterans' benefits and began a sixty-year battle that a handful of survivors carried to triumph in 1979. "What an eye-opener! Cobbs unearths the original letters and diaries of these forgotten heroines and weaves them into a fascinating narrative with energy and zest." --Cokie Roberts, author of Capital Dames "This engaging history crackles with admiration for the women who served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during the First World War, becoming the country's first female soldiers." --New Yorker "Utterly delightful... Cobbs very adroitly weaves the story of the Signal Corps into that larger story of American women fighting for the right to vote, but it's the warm, fascinating job she does bringing her cast...to life that gives this book its memorable charisma... This terrific book pays them a long-warranted tribute." --Christian Science Monitor "Cobbs is particularly good at spotlighting how closely the service of military women like the Hello Girls was tied to the success of the suffrage movement." --NPR
Helping Soldiers Leverage Army Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities in Civilian Jobs by
This report discusses the results of occupation surveys administered to soldiers in selected Army military occupational specialties (MOSs) to assess the level and importance of the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed in these MOSs and to develop better crosswalks between military and civilian occupations. The report identifies both a broader range of military-civilian occupation matches and higher-quality matches than existing crosswalks.
Her Cold War by
While Rosie the Riveter had fewer paid employment options after being told to cede her job to returning World War II veterans, her sisters and daughters found new work opportunities in national defense. The 1948 Women's Armed Services Integration Act created permanent military positions for women with the promise of equal pay. Her Cold War follows the experiences of women in the military from the passage of the Act to the early 1980s. In the late 1940s, defense officials structured women's military roles on the basis of perceived gender differences. Classified as noncombatants, servicewomen filled roles that they might hold in civilian life, such as secretarial or medical support positions. Defense officials also prohibited pregnant women and mothers from remaining in the military and encouraged many women to leave upon marriage. Before civilian feminists took up similar issues in the 1970s, many servicewomen called for a broader definition of equality free of gender-based service restrictions. Tanya L. Roth shows us that the battles these servicewomen fought for equality paved the way for women in combat, a prerequisite for promotion to many leadership positions, and opened opportunities for other service people, including those with disabilities, LGBT and gender nonconforming people, noncitizens, and more.
The Lonely Soldier by
The Lonely Soldier--the inspiration for the documentary The Invisible War--vividly tells the stories of five women who fought in Iraq between 2003 and 2006--and of the challenges they faced while fighting a war painfully alone. More American women have fought and died in Iraq than in any war since World War Two, yet as soldiers they are still painfully alone. In Iraq, only one in ten troops is a woman, and she often serves in a unit with few other women or none at all. This isolation, along with the military's deep-seated hostility toward women, causes problems that many female soldiers find as hard to cope with as war itself: degradation, sexual persecution by their comrades, and loneliness, instead of the camaraderie that every soldier depends on for comfort and survival. As one female soldier said, "I ended up waging my own war against an enemy dressed in the same uniform as mine." In The Lonely Soldier, Benedict tells the stories of five women who fought in Iraq between 2003 and 2006. She follows them from their childhoods to their enlistments, then takes them through their training, to war and home again, all the while setting the war's events in context. We meet Jen, white and from a working-class town in the heartland, who still shakes from her wartime traumas; Abbie, who rebelled against a household of liberal Democrats by enlisting in the National Guard; Mickiela, a Mexican American who grew up with a family entangled in L.A. gangs; Terris, an African American mother from D.C. whose childhood was torn by violence; and Eli PaintedCrow, who joined the military to follow Native American tradition and to escape a life of Faulknerian hardship. Between these stories, Benedict weaves those of the forty other Iraq War veterans she interviewed, illuminating the complex issues of war and misogyny, class, race, homophobia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Each of these stories is unique, yet collectively they add up to a heartbreaking picture of the sacrifices women soldiers are making for this country. Benedict ends by showing how these women came to face the truth of war and by offering suggestions for how the military can improve conditions for female soldiers-including distributing women more evenly throughout units and rejecting male recruits with records of violence against women. Humanizing, urgent, and powerful, The Lonely Soldier is a clarion call for change.
Out of Uniform by
After completing military service, veterans can have a difficult time finding employment when returning to civilian life. Out of Uniform, Second Edition is designed to help all transitioning military personnel, regardless of service, branch, rank, rating, time in service, time in grade, or specialty. Although all service members share common denominators, each individual brings something unique to the job market. Not only does this book cover the basics--search techniques, networking, interview preparation, résumés, negotiation, and a new chapter on social media--it also offers guidance on topics that are often overlooked, specifically the central issues of self-knowledge, interviewing empathy, and the power of questions. In addition to the technical guidance, readers will also discover important information in the anecdotes based on the experiences of soldiers, sailors, air force personnel, and marines. Out of Uniform, Second Edition is an invaluable resource for veterans who want to make the most out of their civilian career opportunities.
A People's History of the U. S. Military by
Drawing from three centuries of soldiers' personal accounts with combat, A People's History of the U.S Military is a compelling first person account of the experiences of common soldiers in the U.S military, from the American revolution to the present day. Illustrating the reality of military experience and its aftermath with fascinating excerpts from letters, diaries and memoirs, as well as audio recordings, film and blogs to illustrate attitudes to war through the ages.
Physician Soldier by
Frederick R. Gabriel graduated from medical school in 1940, entered the US Army, and was assigned to the newly-created 39th Station Hospital. His letters from the Pacific theater--especially from Guadalcanal, Angaur, and Saipan--capture the everyday life of a soldier physician. His son, Michael P. Gabriel, a professional historian, has faithfully preserved, edited, and annotated that correspondence to add a new dimension to our understanding of the social history of World War II, which he presents here in Physician Soldier: The South Pacific Letters of Captain Fred Gabriel from the 39th Station Hospital. Like most wartime hospitals, the 39th Station Hospital was positioned in a rear area and saw limited direct action. And like most wartime hospitals, the 39th Station Hospital spent each day confronting the injuries and casualties of frontline combat. Gabriel supervised a ward and oversaw the unit's laboratory, serving a hospital that provided care to four hundred patients at a time. Gabriel's letters home capture this experience and more, providing a revealing look into day-to-day life in the Pacific theater. He discusses the training of medical officers and female nurses, recreational activities such as Bob Hope's USO show, and even his thoughts on the death of FDR, the end of the war in Europe, and ultimately the horrors of the atomic bomb.
The Politics of Veteran Benefits in the Twentieth Century by
What happened to veterans of the nations involved in the world wars? How did they fare when they returned home and needed benefits? How were they recognized--or not--by their governments and fellow citizens? Where and under what circumstances did they obtain an elevated postwar status? In this sophisticated comparative history of government policies regarding veterans, Martin Crotty, Neil J. Diamant, and Mark Edele examine veterans' struggles for entitlements and benefits in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan, the Soviet Union, China, Germany, and Australia after both global conflicts. They illuminate how veterans' success or failure in winning benefits were affected by a range of factors that shaped their ability to exert political influence. Some veterans' groups fought politicians for improvements to their postwar lives; this lobbying, the authors show, could set the foundation for beneficial veteran treatment regimes or weaken the political forces proposing unfavorable policies. The authors highlight cases of veterans who secured (and in some cases failed to secure) benefits and status after wars both won and lost; within both democratic and authoritarian polities; under liberal, conservative, and even Leninist governments; after wars fought by volunteers or conscripts, at home or abroad, and for legitimate or subsequently discredited causes. Veterans who succeeded did so, for the most part, by forcing their agendas through lobbying, protesting, and mobilizing public support. The Politics of Veteran Benefits in the Twentieth Century provides a large-scale map for a research field with a future: comparative veteran studies.
Soldiers and Statesmen by
Which generals were most influential in World War II? Did Winston Churchill really see himself as culturally "half American"? What really caused the break between Harry S. Truman and Dwight Eisenhower? In Soldiers and Statesmen, John S. D. Eisenhower answers these questions and more, offering his personal reflections on great leaders of our time. The son of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, John S. D. Eisenhower possesses an expert perspective on prominent political and military leaders, giving readers a matchless view on relationships between powerful figures and the president. Eisenhower also had a long military career, coincidentally beginning with his graduation from West Point on D-Day. His unique position as a young Army staff officer and close relationship with his father gave him insider's access to leaders such as Winston Churchill, Harry Truman, George Patton, Douglas MacArthur, Omar Bradley, John Foster Dulles, Mark Clark, Terry Allen, and Matthew Ridgway. He combines personal insight with the specialized knowledge of a veteran soldier and accomplished historian to communicate exclusive perspectives on U. S. foreign relations and leadership. Eisenhower's observations of various wartime leaders began in June 1944, just after the Allied landings in Normandy. On orders from General George C. Marshall, Army chief of staff, Eisenhower sailed from New York aboard the British-liner-turned-American-troopship Queen Maryto join his father, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, in London, where he stayed for over two weeks. A year later, at the end of the war, Eisenhower accompanied his father as a temporary aide on trips where Ike's former associates were present. In the mid-1950s, Eisenhower's perspective was broadened by his service in a room next to the White House Oval Office during his father's tenure as president. On the light side, Eisenhower has added a special appendix called "Home Movies," in which he reveals amusing and often irreverent vignettes from his life in military service. Eisenhower gives readers both a taste of history from the inside and a rich and relatable memoir filled with compelling remembrances.
Soldiers to Citizens by
"A hell of a gift, an opportunity." "Magnanimous." "One of the greatest advantages I ever experienced." These are the voices of World War II veterans, lavishing praise on their beloved G.I. Bill. Transcending boundaries of class and race, the Bill enabled a sizable portion of the hallowed"greatest generation" to gain vocational training or to attend college or graduate school at government expense. Its beneficiaries had grown up during the Depression, living in tenements and cold-water flats, on farms and in small towns across the nation, most of them expecting that they would oneday work in the same kinds of jobs as their fathers. Then the G.I. Bill came along, and changed everything. They experienced its provisions as inclusive, fair, and tremendously effective in providing the deeply held American value of social opportunity, the chance to improve one's circumstances.They become chefs and custom builders, teachers and electricians, engineers and college professors.But the G.I. Bill fueled not only the development of the middle class: it also revitalized American democracy. Americans who came of age during World War II joined fraternal groups and neighborhood and community organizations and took part in politics at rates that made the postwar era thetwentieth century's civic "golden age." Drawing on extensive interviews and surveys with hundreds of members of the "greatest generation," Suzanne Mettler finds that by treating veterans as first-class citizens and in granting advanced education, the Bill inspired them to become the activeparticipants thanks to whom memberships in civic organizations soared and levels of political activity peaked.Mettler probes how this landmark law produced such a civic renaissance. Most fundamentally, she discovers, it communicated to veterans that government was for and about people like them, and they responded in turn. In our current age of rising inequality and declining civic engagement, Soldiersto Citizens offers critical lessons about how public programs can make a difference.
Through Veterans' Eyes by
As of early 2010, more than two million U.S. troops have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet the American public is neither much engaged in the issues of these two wars nor particularly knowledgeable about the troops' experiences, which have ranged from positive and energizing to searing and debilitating. Based on scores of interview--some culled from the Library of Congress Veterans History Project and others conducted by the author himself--Through Veterans' Eyes presents a composite narrative of the experiences of U.S. service personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Larry Minear quotes more than 175 veterans by name and includes a dozen of their own photos from the conflict theaters. Thematic chapters cover duty and service, politics, cultural and ethical challenges, relationships to local populations, and reentry into American society. Neither pro-war nor anti-war, Minear's approach encourages veterans to express their views on issues critical to the nation. What has motivated U.S. military personnel to enlist? What specific challenges have they faced in Iraq and Afghanistan? What have been the impacts of deployment on their families and communities? Is their experience changing their views of their country and the world? What lessons may be learned from their stories? Veterans' candid responses to these and other probing questions deserve pondering.
Veteran Friendships Across Lifetimes by
Veteran Friendships across Lifetimes: Brothers and Sisters in Arms seeks to add to the larger conversation about the Band of Brothers phenomenon by focusing on stories of survival after service members return home. Based on five years of research, including in-depth interviews with fifty servicemen and women, this book explores the interrelationship between camaraderie and contentment. Specifically looking at how military friendships translate from the battlefield into civilian life and how they assist soldiers in gaining peace with the past, happiness in the present, and hope for the future. James Ward highlights the service member as an individual, not just a cog in the machine. Their stories help shed light on their paths. This text uses the themes of strength, kinship, and resilience to demonstrate that while many veterans are battling demons that remain from their war time experiences, those demons have not broken them."
War Monuments, Museums and Library Collections of 20th Century Conflicts by
This unique state-by-state directory covers monuments, memorials, museums, markers, statues and library collections that relate to the veterans, weapons, vehicles, airplanes, victims or any other aspect of war in which the United States participated. While a site may have been created before 1900 (such as a fort), there must be some operational or historical tie to a twentieth century conflict to be included here. General collections, such as museums of aviation, are included if they house materials related to a twentieth century conflict. The coverage is so thorough that statues honoring veterans of the Civil War appear if veterans of later wars are on their rosters of honorees. Another example of the comprehensiveness of this compilation is in the inclusion of memorials to victims of war such as the Holocaust Museum in Houston, Texas. For each site, the following information is given: street address, phone number, website and email address (if applicable), days and hours of operation, admission fees, other necessary information, and a brief description of the site.