Military Power

Napoleon Bonaparte once stated, “Read over and over again the campaigns of Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, Gustavus, Turenne, and Frederick the Great. This is the only way to become a great general.” Napoleon’s successes on the battlefield point to the validity of his assertion. His study of the past informed his understanding of the present, and influenced his actions. In the same way, history provides valuable insight into other areas. For example, an analysis of military history, from the 16th through the 19th centuries, reveals several characteristics of effective militaries. During ...

He’s home to claim the girl he never forgot…but more than war memories have changed him. Hal’s best-friend status with Casey’s brother always meant that the one woman he wants is strictly off limits. But now that he’s back from a harrowing mission in the ancient Iraqi city of Babylon, all bets are off. The strangely mystical experience left him and his Special Forces team with a new appreciation for life—and strange new abilities they are only beginning to understand. Casey never thought she’d have a shot with the strong, silent Green Beret. Something about him has changed, ...

Agar has been crushed, and the high plains have been secured, but will Snowden’s new wealth draw the unwanted attention of others? James and Ciara have grown closer and are hoping for a peaceful moment to marry and finally find time for themselves in Solace. However, issues arise within their cherished Highveld that shocks them both. Meanwhile, events across the United Lands are gaining momentum, and long-held beliefs are being challenged as truths emerge. They will discover that the past holds more significance than they ever imagined. Will time itself bend to the power of the ...

There are times when life feels like it has you cornered: financial difficulties, relationship issues, work problems, all of the above. Every one of us, at one time or another, will have to face up to the challenges that come our way. And there are two ways of meeting them: negatively, where blame is the answer, where other people are at fault, where you haven’t been treated fairly. Or positively, where you own the situation, learn and grow from it and become a better person at the end of it.

The ability of the US Navy to fight and win a protracted war in the Pacific was not solely the result of technology, tactics, or leadership. Naval aviation maintenance played a major role in the US victory over Japan in WWII. The naval war against Japan did not achieve sustained success until enough aircraft technicians were available to support the high tempo of aviation operations that fast carrier task force doctrine demanded.

Out in the Pacific Ocean, there is a war taking place. It is a "warm war", a shoving match between the United States, since World War II the uncontested ruler of the seas, and China, which now possesses the world's largest navy. The Chinese regard the Pacific, and especially the South China Sea, as their ocean, and they're ready to defend it. Each day the heat between the two countries increases as the Chinese try to claim the South China Sea for their own, and the United States insists on asserting freedom of navigation.

In Maritime Power and the Struggle for Freedom, Peter Padfield presents a superb description and analysis of naval campaigns conducted between 1788 and 1851 that shaped the modern world. Winner of the Mountbatten Maritime Prize, this is the second of Padfield's masterful trilogy that traces the impact of naval power on modern history, and the means by which it has been enacted.

To Terran Commonwealth pilot Rex Vahl the mission seemed simple: Find out why the tyrannical Europan Empire was interested in the backwater world of Anglesey. But in the lawless space of the Chaos Quarter, things never really go smoothly. When Rex discovers a colony of people that are not supposed to exist, he and his crew suddenly find themselves trapped between desperate people who deserve freedom, and an autocratic superpower hell-bent on destroying it. Making things worse is the fact that his gunner, a former Europan himself, is on the colony’s hit list. And a bounty huntress with ...

Many see China's rise as a threat to US leadership in Asia and beyond. Thomas J. Christensen argues instead that the real challenge lies in dissuading China from regional aggression while eliciting its global cooperation. Drawing on decades of scholarship and experience as a senior diplomat, Christensen offers a deep perspective on China's military and economic capacity. Assessing China's political outlook and strategic goals, Christensen shows how nationalism and the threat of domestic instability influence the party's decisions about regional and global affairs.

Timothy W. Crawford's The Power to Divide examines the use of wedge strategies, a form of divisive statecraft designed to isolate adversaries from allies and potential supporters to gain key advantages. With a multidimensional argument about the power of accommodation in competition, and a survey of alliance diplomacy around both World Wars, The Power to Divide artfully analyzes the past and future performance of wedge strategy in great power politics.

Weaving together findings from a wide range of disciplines, Power traces how four key elements developed to give humans extraordinary power: Tool making ability, language, social complexity, and the ability to harness energy sources - most significantly, fossil fuels. It asks whether we have, at this point, overpowered natural and social systems, and if we have, what we can do about it. Has Homo sapiens - one species among millions - become powerful enough to threaten a mass extinction and disrupt the Earth's climate?

FDR Goes to War expands on the premise that FDR's legacy has damaged America and helped lay the groundwork for the current economic crisis.

The Folsoms continue to expose the idyllic legend of Franklin D. Roosevelt as a myth of epic proportions. Many government programs that are widely used today have their seeds in the New Deal.

War and power are some of the most-widely discussed issues in all of human history and yet they are, time and again, misunderstood— often disastrously so. Whilst we might think the outcome of war is determined by so-called ‘Great Powers’ who dominate their opponents with their impressive size and military prowess, the reality of modern conflict, as Professor Phillips Payson O’Brien demonstrates, is very different.

Askia became heir to the Frozen Crown of Seravesh because of her devotion to her people. But her realm is facing a threat she cannot defeat by sheer will alone. The mad emperor of the Roven Empire has unleashed a horde of invading soldiers to enslave her lands. For months, her warriors have waged a valiant, stealth battle, yet they cannot stop the enemy’s advancement. Running out of time, she sets sail for sun-drenched Vishir, the neighboring land to the south, to seek help from its ruler, Emperor Armaan.

Ever since 9/11 America has fought an endless war on terror, seeking enemies everywhere and never promising peace. In Pay Any Price, James Risen reveals an extraordinary litany of the hidden costs of that war: from squandered and stolen dollars, to outrageous abuses of power, to wars on normalcy, decency, and truth. In the name of fighting terrorism, our government has done things every bit as shameful as its historic wartime abuses - and until this audiobook, it has worked very hard to cover them up.

After the gasp-inducing cliff-hanger ending of The Frozen Crown, the exciting conclusion to the epic story of Askia - a warrior, witch, and queen-to-be - as she confronts the monster that stole her throne...and is holding her prisoner to steal her magic.

Winston Churchill had a longer and closer relationship with the Royal Navy than any British statesman in modern times, but his record as a naval strategist and custodian of the nation's sea power has been mired in controversy since the ill-fated Dardanelles campaign in 1915. Today, Churchill is regarded by many as an inept strategist who interfered in naval operations and often overrode his professional advisers - with inevitably disastrous results.

Matt was Ariel's second son. He was the responsible one that was always ready to help. Now he had choices to make about his future. Would he pursue the she-wolf he was drawn to or would he let her go? If he didn;t decide soon, the choice would be out of his hands.

Valeyn - daughter of the last two gods in the world - has abandoned all she loves in hope of starting a new life. Yet enemies relentlessly hunt her, determined to force the new god to choose a side in the escalating war between her mad parents. The Iron Union has crushed the weakened defences of the Outland Alliance and Valeyn’s friends now face death at the hands of an old ally. Pursued to the very edge of creation, Valeyn must confront the burden of her destiny and discover the unforgiving truth of the gods themselves.

Can he lead his pack despite the terror done to him, and acknowledge his mate? Or will she disappear forever? Callan is a broken wolf. Subjected to experiments and kept in captivity he never thought he’d be free. Now he has a pack to lead and a sassy, sexy female who distracts him day and night. Their chemistry powerful enough he's tempted to demand her submission. But he could never claim her. However, he needs to keep her in their secluded mansion with the rest of the pack. By leaving, she puts them all at risk. And possibly into a life of captivity - which he could never survive. The ...