Historical dictionary of US diplomacy since Cold War by Tom Lansford

"The book includes a chronology of events from 1991 to 2007, an introduction that highlights important themes of the era, cross-referenced entries on significant topics, a detailed bibliography, and appendixes of major documents. The work is ideal for both public and academic libraries, the general public, or the specialist looking for a reference tool in this area." - Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group

By order of the President : the use and abuse of executive direct action by Phillip J Cooper

"As Cooper demonstrates in his balanced treatment of these and subsequent presidencies, each successive administration seems to find new ways of using these tools to achieve policy goals--especially those goals they know they are unlikely to accomplish with the help of Congress. Reviewing all recent administrations up to George W. Bush's "faith-based initiatives," Cooper assesses the costs and benefits of these executive actions and offers a crucial new perspective on the ongoing debate regarding the expanding scope of presidential power. " - Editorial Reviews

Instant recommendation letter kit : how to write winning letters of recommendation by Shaun Fawcett

"It covers ALL types of recommendation letters: personal, business, character, employment, and college admission. The first 60 pages is a unique style guide containing tips, tricks, pointers, advice and information about how to write EVERY kind of recommendation and/or reference letter. The remainder of the book is a collection of 79 real-life fully-formatted sample letter templates that cover every recommendation letter situation imaginable. " - Editorial Reviews

Terrorism Informatics : Knowledge Management and Data Mining for Homeland Security by Hsinchun Chen

"TERROR INFORMATICS will provide an interdisciplinary and comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art of terrorism informatics domain along three basic dimensions: methodological issues in terrorism research; information infusion techniques to support terrorism prevention, detection, and response; and legal, social, privacy, and data confidentiality challenges and approaches. The book will bring "knowledge" that can be used by scientists, security professionals, counterterrorism experts, and policy makers." - Editorial Reviews

Jeb Stuart and the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg by Warren C Robinson

"Mr. Robinson has examined a considerable amount of data and presents well-argued and at times provocative conclusions about one of the Civil War's most controversial events."-Thomas J. Ryan

Iwo Jima : World War II veterans remember the greatest battle of the Pacific by Larry Smith

"On February 19, 1945, nearly 70,000 American soldiers invaded a tiny volcanic island in the Pacific. Over the next thirty-five days, approximately 28,000 soldiers died, including nearly 22,000 Japanese and 6,821 Americans, making Iwo Jima one of the costliest battles of World War II. Best-selling oral historian Larry Smith dug deep for exclusive stories from Iwo Jima veterans, including the last surviving flag raiser on Mount Suribachi, a Navajo "Code Talker," a retired general, two Medal of Honor recipients, B-29 flyers, and other die-hard Marines who secured the island." - Editorial Reviews

Escape from the deep : the epic story of a legendary submarine and her courageous crew by Alex Kershaw

"By October, 1944, the U.S. Navy submarine Tang was legendary-she had sunk more enemy ships, rescued more downed airmen, and pulled off more daring surface attacks than any other Allied submarine in the Pacific. And then, on her fifth patrol, tragedy struck-the Tang was hit by one of her own faulty torpedoes. The survivors of the explosion struggled to stay alive in their submerged “iron coffin” one hundred-eighty feet beneath the surface. While the Japanese dropped deadly depth charges, just nine of the original eighty-man crew survived a harrowing ascent through the escape hatch. " - Editorial Reviews

Castles, battles, and bombs : how economics explains military history by Jurgen Brauer

"In Castles, Battles, and Bombs, Jurgen Brauer and Hubert van Tuyll reconsider key episodes of military history from the point of view of economics—with dramatically insightful results. For example, when looked at as a question of sheer cost, the building of castles in the Middle Ages seems almost inevitable: though stunningly expensive, a strong castle was far cheaper to maintain than a standing army. " - Editorial Reviews

Carrier battles : command decision in harm's way by Douglas Vaughn Smith

"In this book, Smith evaluates his premise by focusing on the five carrier battles of the second world war to determine the extent to which the inter-war education of the major operational commanders translated into their decision processes, and the extent to which their interaction during their educational experiences transformed them from risk-adverse to risk-accepting in their operational concepts. " - Editorial Reviews

Atomic tragedy : Henry L. Stimson and the decision to use the bomb against Japan by Sean L Malloy

"Atomic Tragedy offers a unique perspective on one of the most important events of the twentieth century. As secretary of war during World War II, Henry L. Stimson (1867-1950) oversaw the American nuclear weapons program. In a book about how an experienced, principled man faltered when confronted by the tremendous challenge posed by the intersection of war, diplomacy, and technology, Sean L. Malloy examines Stimson's struggle to reconcile his responsibility for "the most terrible weapon ever known in human history" with his long-standing convictions about war and morality. " - Editorial Reviews

Al Qaeda in its own words by Gilles Kepel

"By viewing Al Qaeda from within, this indispensable volume reveals the terrorist network’s insidious role in the global web culture of today and the full dimensions of its frightening threat to world stability and security." - Editorial Reviews

AK47 : the story of a gun by Michael Hodges

“This is a book about a contemporary phenomenon that is crucially important, utterly terrifying, and largely ignored…[it] charts the spread of the titular weapon—especially in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia—and the ways in which the gun virtually guarantees the continued implosion of failed states and the intensification of terrorist violence.”— BookForum

The 7th Infantry Regiment : combat in an age of terror : the Korean War through the present by John C McManus

"McManus's overview of recent wars from the 7th's point of view draws on exhaustive research and interviews with veterans. The result is a book devoted largely to battlefield human interest stories, miniautobiographies of soldiers and exciting but disconnected accounts of individual unit actions that may engage military buffs more than the general reader." - Editorial Reviews

The purpose of the past : reflections on the uses of history by Gordon S Wood

"In The Purpose of the Past, historian Gordon S. Wood examines the sea change in the field through considerations of some of its most important historians and their works. His book serves as both a history of American history-neither wholly a celebration nor a critique-and an argument for its ongoing necessity. " - Editorial Reviews

The eighteen-year-old replacement : facing combat in Patton's Third Army by R Richard Kingsbury

"Kingsbury was drafted six weeks after D-Day and rushed to the Siegfried Line to bolster Patton's 94th Infantry Division. He recounts his experiences as a rifleman during the final bloody battles in Germany, giving readers a real feel for what combat was like for a raw recruit. More poignantly, he shares his anxieties over killing--as well as the distinct possibility of being killed. Interspersed with the accounts of battle are letters that capture Kingsbury's blossoming romance with a girl back home. " - Editorial Reviews

Women and politics in Iran : veiling, unveiling, and reveiling by Hamideh Sedghi

"Using primary and secondary sources, Sedghi offers new knowledge on women's agency in relation to state power. In this rigorous analysis she places contention over women at the centre of the political struggle between secular and religious forces and demonstrates that control over women's identities, sexuality, and labor has been central to the consolidation of state power. Sedghi links politics and culture with economics to present an integrated analysis of the private and public lives of different classes of women and their modes of resistance to state power." - Editorial Reviews

Rational extremism : the political economy of radicalism by Ronald Wintrobe

"The starting point of this book is that the best way to understand extremists is to assume they are rational. The treatment explains why extremist leaders often advocate violence, and how they motivate their followers to die for the cause. The arguments are illustrated with important episodes of extremism. " - Editorial Reviews

Heroes and martyrs of Palestine : the politics of national commemoration by Laleh Khalili

"Laleh Khalili's book is based on her experiences in the Lebanese refugee camps, where commemorations of key moments in the history of the struggle have helped forge a sense of nationhood. She also observes how, as discourses of liberation have evolved in recent years within the international community, there has been a shift in the representation of Palestinian nationalism from the heroic to the tragic mode. " - Editorial Reviews

Contesting the Saudi state : Islamic voices from a new generation by Madawi Al-Rasheed

"The book is richly documented and tis understanding of the power shifts underlying idiological change is subtle. The material presented is crucial to understand political opposition in Saudi Arabia, and almost none of it has been documented before." - Steffen Hertog, Princeton University and Durham University

Gods of tin : the flying years by James Salter

"Gods of Tin is a book divided into three parts roughly equating to the authors various service assignments within the Air Force. The first section covers his time from enlistment to his flight training and onto the time where he was ready to ship out to Korea. The second part is a partial journal of his time (100 missions) spent flying F-86 fighters over North Korea and China during the Korean War and the third part details life as a pilot in the European theater during the cold war. " - Frederick S. Goethel

The president shall nominate : how Congress trumps executive power by Mitchel A Sollenberger

"In this groundbreaking book, Mitchel Sollenberger takes readers behind the scenes to explain what happens before presidents publicly announce their nominees. A comprehensive history of this process, his book shows how political practice has shaped the use of a power that the Constitution declared must be shared by the executive and legislative branches." - Editorial Reviews

Rumsfeld's wars : the arrogance of power by Dale R Herspring

"Rumsfeld's Wars revisits and reignites the concept of "arrogance of power," once associated with our dogged failure to understand the true nature of a tragic war in Southeast Asia. It provides further evidence that success in military affairs is hard to achieve without mutual respect between civilian authorities and military leaders--and offers a definitive case study in how not to run the office of secretary of defense." - Editorial Reviews

Marching toward hell : America and Islam after Iraq by Michael Scheuer

"Marching Toward Hell is not just another attack on the Bush administration. Rather, it sounds a critical alarm that must be heard in order to preserve the nation's security. Scheuer outlines the ways that America's foreign policy since the end of the Cold War has undermined the very goals for which we are fighting and played right into bin Laden's hands. ..." - Editorial Reviews

Iran and its place among nations by Alidad Mafinezam

“This study of Iran's foreign relations elucidates both their domestic context and the country's genuine national interests, as the authors view them....From authors who are scholars active in the foreign policy community, this work will be useful to researchers.”–Booklist

Dreams and shadows : the future of the Middle East by Robin B Wright

“Dreams and Shadows offers a panoramic perspective on the prospects of change in the Middle East. Wright brings to life an array of forces, voices, and ideas—both inspiring and troubling—in an engaging political travelogue. Readers will come away with a better understanding of the region’s rich past, a sense of its current stirrings, and a view into what may lie ahead.”—Former National Security Adviser Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft

The coming of the Third Reich by Richard J Evans

" With The Coming of the Third Reich, Richard Evans, one of the world’s most distinguished historians, has written the definitive account for our time. A masterful synthesis of a vast body of scholarly work integrated with important new research and interpretations, Evans’s history restores drama and contingency to the rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis, even as it shows how ready Germany was by the early 1930s for such a takeover to occur." - Editorial Reviews

Human smoke : the beginnings of World War II, the end of civilization by Nicholson Baker

"Human Smoke delivers a closely textured, deeply moving indictment of the treasured myths that have romanticized much of the 1930s and '40s. Incorporating meticulous research and well-documented sources -- including newspaper and magazine articles, radio speeches, memoirs, and diaries -- the book juxtaposes hundreds of interrelated moments of decision, brutality, suffering, and mercy. " - Editorial Reviews

Airborne forces at war : from parachute test platoon to the 21st century by Robert K Wright

" This handsome, large-format book takes the reader on an illustrated tour of the U.S. Army's hard-hitting airborne forces, from the original Parachute Test Platoon of 1940 to the multiple global commitment of the twenty-first century. Featuring more than 150 photographs, some rare or seldom seen and many in color, the work highlights the extraordinary history of the airborne units as they added new dimensions to national power and military operations, arriving from the sky by parachute and aircraft and compressing time by their swift deployment and flight to objectives thousands of miles distant." - Editorial Reviews

War surgery in Afghanistan and Iraq : a series of cases, 2003-2007 by Shawn Christian Nessen

"War Surgery in Afghanistan and Iraq, with a foreword by Bob Woodruff, describes the management of nearly 100 cases of acute comat trauma, conducted in the forward austere operative environment of war in the 21st century. Presented with vivid surgical photos, the cases encompass the spectrum of trauma that characterizes war today, as well as the medical interventions constantly evolving to treat these wounds. " - Editorial Reviews

Patton's fighting bridge builders : Company B, 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment by Joseph C Fitzharris

"Careful editing and annotation by military historian Joseph C. Fitzharris corrects occasional lapses in the diary, clarifies references, and provides important context for following the movements and understanding the importance of Company B, the 1303rd, and its sister regiments. Patton's Fighting Bridge Builders rewards its readers with a new understanding of both the messiness and the bravery of the Second World War." - Texas A&M University Press

Afghanistan : a military history from Alexander the Great to the fall of the Taliban by Stephen Tanner

"This work is filled with remarkable scholarship, covering nearly 2,500 years and drawing from a vast number of sources. Raymond Todd handles the names of the many nationalities, locations, and individuals well. Generally, his strong tenor voice is pleasant, but at times his reading is stilted, a quality that may actually have more to do with the prose. " - AudioFile Magazine

Cultural anthropology : a guide to reference and information sources by JoAnn Jacoby

"The latest edition of a major literature guide provides citations and informative annotations on a wide range of reference sources, including manuals, bibliographies, indexes, databases, literature surveys and reviews, dissertations, book reviews, conference proceedings, awards, and employment and grant sources." - Editorial Reviews

Asia eyes America : regional perspectives on U.S. Asia-Pacific strategy in the twenty-first century by Jonathan D Pollack

"Thirteen contributions by 13 international scholars and analysts are organized into four sections: American interests in a changing region, Asia's major powers and future American strategy, pivot points in regional security, and the road ahead for the U.S. and Asia." - bBNET

Africa and the war on terrorism by John Davis

"He and his co-contributors discuss why Africa has become such a fertile ground for terrorism from both internal and external perspectives by examining its political, ethnic, and religious tensions, as well as the use of African states as sanctuaries by terrorist organizations. Davis and his co-authors also examine the strategies and effectiveness of the Clinton and Bush administrations in combating terrorism in the country, and provide a detailed appraisal of the post-9/11 Combined Joint Task Force." - bBNET

Quick meeting openers for busy managers : more than 50 icebreakers, energizers, and other creative activities that get results by Brian Cole Miller

"Quick Meeting Openers for Busy Managers gives readers the tools, activities, and advice they need to create the kind of open, energetic, and relaxed atmosphere that lead to effective meetings and serious results. Designed to take the anxiety out of meet­ings and encourage creative and practical discussion, the book contains meeting starters that will help managers, team leaders, and facilitators: ease introductions for people who don't know each other * warm up the group before moving them into more difficult territory * generate lively dialogue and sharing of ideas * effectively split attendees up into work groups * expedite brainstorming and promote problem-solving * and more For anyone charged with the task of running meetings, this book is the answer. " - Editorial Reviews

Encyclopedia of business ethics and society by Robert W Kolb

"..the encyclopedia encompasses the following themes and dimensions of business: accounting; applied ethics; corporate management and the environment; corporate powers, organization and governance; corporations in the social sphere; customers and consumers; economics and business; employee issues; environmental thought, theory, regulation, and legislation; ethical thought and theory; finance; gender, age, ethnicity, diversity, and sexual orientation; information systems; international social and ethical issues; justice; legislation and regulation; management; marketing; organizations; political theory, thought, and policy; problematic practices; and rights. .." - bBNET

International encyclopedia of organization studies by Stewart R Clegg

"The International Encyclopedia of Organization Studies is the definitive description of the field, spanning individual, organizational, societal, and cultural perspective in a cross-disciplinary manner. The old model of a North American core exporting its domain assumptions to the rest of the world, while by no means absent, is less marked than it used to be. Thus, editors Stewart R. Clegg and James R. Bailey have sought to capture much of the cutting-edge thinking that characterizes the best scholarship-in the United States and elsewhere. " - Editorial Reviews

Power in colonial Africa : conflict and discourse in Lesotho, 1870-1960 by Elizabeth A Eldredge

"In Power in Colonial Africa: Conflict and Discourse in Lesotho, 1870–1960, Elizabeth A. Eldredge analyzes a panoply of archival and oral resources, visual signs and symbols, and public and private actions to show how power may be exercised not only by rulers but also by the ruled. " - Editorial Reviews

Nation building in South Korea : Koreans, Americans, and the making of a democracy by Gregg Brazinsky

"Brazinsky explains why South Korea was one of the few postcolonial nations that achieved rapid economic development and democratization by the end of the twentieth century. He contends that a distinctive combination of American initiatives and Korean agency enabled South Korea's stunning transformation. Expanding the framework of traditional diplomatic history, Brazinsky examines not only state-to-state relations, but also the social and cultural interactions between Americans and South Koreans. He shows how Koreans adapted, resisted, and transformed American influence and promoted socioeconomic change that suited their own aspirations. " - Editorial Reviews

Pancho Villa and Black Jack Pershing : the Punitive Expedition in Mexico by James W Hurst

"In 1916-17, the US Army dispatched an expedition under the command of "Black Jack" Pershing over the Mexican border in pursuit of the forces of Francisco "Pancho" Villa, in what has often been described as a bumbling fiasco. Hurst (emeritus, Joliet Junior College) presents a far different picture, however, arguing that Pershing's forces were experienced in counter-guerilla warfare and that they succeeded in their goal of breaking up and neutralizing the forces that Villa was using to launch raids into Texas." - bBNET

A failed empire : the Soviet Union in the Cold War from Stalin to Gorbachev by V M Zubok

"An excellent overview of Soviet foreign policy and a forceful explanation of why Communism collapsed, centering on Gorbachev's mistakes and misjudgments. "
—O. A. Westad, author of The Global Cold War

Civil War weather in Virginia by Robert K Krick

"This is not a "sit down n read" book. It is a much-needed book and the information will help complete our picture of the war. Only an author with the status of Robert Krick could have brought this book to the public. I thank the University of Alabama Press for publishing so valuable book and adding to the understanding of the war in Virginia. This type of technical reference is invaluable in gaining a fuller understanding of the conditions that the armies faced. " - James Durney

Replacing France : the origins of American intervention in Vietnam by Kathryn C. Statler

"This detailed, thoroughly researched book is a pleasure to read. The prose is so lively that the reader progresses easily through this complicated story. Professor Statler offers her judgments after carefully laying out the available evidence and citing the work of scholars with conflicting interpretations. In its depth of scholarship, careful analysis and clear prose, Replacing France is an important complement to previous scholarship on the origins of the United States commitment in Vietnam."-Marianna P. Sullivan

A Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today by David A Andelman

"The peace conference in Paris at the end of World War I was the first and last moment of pure hope for peace in the history of world affairs. Our president Woodrow Wilson was the sorcerer for this hope, and he kindled great expectations in people everywhere. David Andelman, a classic reporter and storyteller, tells this fascinating tale of hope falling finally and forever on the shoals of naivete and hard-headed cynicism." - Leslie H. Gelb, former columnist for the New York Times and President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations

George Thomas : Virginian for the Union by Christopher J Einolf

"Offering vivid accounts of combat, Einolf depicts the fighting from Thomas's perspective to allow a unique look at the real experience of decision making on the battlefield. He examines the general's recurring confrontations with the Union high command to make a strong case for Thomas's integrity and competence, even as he exposes Thomas's shortcomings and poor decisions." - Editorial Reviews

Monstering : inside America's policy of secret interrogations and torture in the terror war by Tara McKelvey

"Drawing upon critical sources, she discloses a series of explosive revelations: An exclusive jailhouse interview with Lynndie England connects the Abu Ghraib pictures to lewd vacation photos taken by England's boyfriend Charles Graner; formerly undisclosed videotapes show soldiers "Robotripping" on cocktails of over-the-counter drugs while pretending to stab detainees; new material sheds light on accusations against an American suspected of raping an Iraqi child; and first-hand accounts suggest the use of high-voltage devises, sexual humiliation and pharmaceutical drugs on Iraqi prisoners." - Powells

Strategic staffing : a comprehensive system for effective workforce planning by Thomas P Bechet

"Featuring full case studies and dozens of examples, the book is both enlight­ening and practical. And to help readers create their own staffing plans, the online forms offer a trove of invaluable tools, including: customizable Excel spread sheets assessment and evaluation forms * calcula­tions and analyses * sample staffing plans, Powerpoint slide presentations, and much more. This book is a detailed, process-oriented guide that offers all the tools staffing professionals need. " - Editorial Reviews

The spirit divided : memoirs of Civil War chaplains : the Confederacy by John Wesley Brinsfield

"Dr. Brinsfield begins the book by thanking his wife for allowing him time to spend time in the company of heroes (through reading their firsthand materials he used to write this book). What he neglects to say is that he, too, is a hero as a (retired) Army chaplain. (I know because I have the honor of serving such heroes, chaplains and chaplain assistants, every day.) And as a Southerner himself as well, no one could be better suited to write this book. " - Ariellion

Project management that works by Rick A Morris

"Filled with real-world examples, Project Management That Works gives readers the tools they need to: •communicate with their team as well as stakeholders • get their teams to function well • run fewer and more productive meetings • turn around failing projects • utilize data properly to make emotional conversations unemotional • know when a project is really done" - Editorial Reviews

Declassified : 50 top-secret documents that changed history by Thomas B Allen

"Moving through time from Elizabethan England to the Cold War and beyond, noted author Tom Allen places each document in its historical and cultural context, sharing the quirky and little-known truths behind state secrets and clandestine operations. Each of seven chapters centers on one particular theme: secrets of war, the art of the double cross, spy vs. spy, espionage accidents, and more." - Editorial Reviews