army

The Irish-American story, with all its twists and triumphs, is told through the improbable life of one man. A dashing young orator during the Great Famine of the 1840s, in which a million of his Irish countrymen died, Thomas Francis Meagher led a failed uprising against British rule, for which he was banished to a Tasmanian prison colony. He escaped and six months later was heralded in the streets of New York -- the revolutionary hero, back from the dead, at the dawn of the great Irish immigration to America. Meagher's rebirth in America included his leading the newly formed Irish Brigade from New York in many of the fiercest battles of the Civil War -- Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg. Twice shot from his horse while leading charges, left for dead in the Virginia mud, Meagher's dream was that Irish-American troops, seasoned by war, would return to Ireland and liberate their homeland from British rule. The hero's last chapter, as territorial governor of Montana, was a romantic quest for a true home in the far frontier. His death has long been a mystery to which Egan brings haunting, colorful new evidence.

Explores the life and accomplishments of Ulysses S. Grant and examines how he led the country during his time as president. Features full-color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations, a glossary, and a chronology.

The author provides insights into the life of a Delta Force operator, and shares lessons he has learned from missions around the world about how to succeed in any endeavor.

"Explores the Delta Forces's history, declassified missions, role in the US military, major accomplishments, required training, weapons, gear, technology, and [more.]"--Provided by publisher.

Covers the early years, education, and war experiences of 104 African American physicians who volunteered their services during World War I. These 104 men joined the U.S. Army to care for the 40,000 men of the 92nd and 93rd Divisions, the Army's only Black combat units. The 93rd arrived in Europe to help the French fill the gaps in their decimated lines. The 92nd division came later and fought alongside the white American units. Some of these doctors rose to prominence, others died young or later succumbed to the economic and social challenges of the times.

In November 1942, Paul Andrew Kennedy (1912-1993) boarded the St. Elena in New York Harbor and sailed for Casablanca as part of Operation Torch, the massive Allied invasion of North Africa. As a member of the US Army's 2nd Auxiliary Surgical Group, he spent the next thirty-four months working in North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany, in close proximity to the front lines and often under air or artillery bombardment. Kennedy participated in some of the fiercest action of the war, including Operation Avalanche, the attack on Anzio, and Operation Dragoon. He also arrived in Rome the day after the Allied troops, and entered the Dachau concentration camp two days after it was liberated.

There were many valleys in the mountains of Afghanistan, and most were hard places where people died hard deaths. But there was only one Valley. Black didn't even know its proper name. But he knew about the Valley. It was the farthest, and the hardest, and the worst. It lay deeper and higher in the mountains than any other place Americans had ventured. You had to travel through a network of interlinked valleys, past all the other remote American outposts, just to get to its mouth. Everything about the Valley was myth and rumor. The strung-out platoon Black finds after traveling deep into the heart of the Valley, and the illumination of the dark secrets accumulated during month after month fighting and dying in defense of an indefensible piece of land, provide a shattering portrait of men at war. Written by a former army officer who served in Iraq.

Craig Harrison holds the world record for a long-distance kill. In November, 2009, in Afghanistan, under intense pressure, he saved the lives of his comrades with the longest confirmed sniper kill: 2,475 meters. He has seen active service in the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. When he was blown up by an IED in Afghanistan, he was left battling severe PTSD. When his identity was revealed in the press, he also had to cope with threats from Al Qaeda against him and his family. For Craig, the price of heroism has been high.

The never-before-told true story of an army aviation task force during combat in the Afghan war, told by the commanding officer who was there. From pilots of lethal Apache attack helicopters to the medevac soldiers who risk their lives on a daily basis, this is a story of selflessness and brotherhood.

Personal histories of war, told through the lives of thirteen ordinary soldiers who fought in the nation's major conflicts, from the American Revolution through Iraq.