Eight o'clock ferry to the windward side : seeking justice in Guantánamo Bay by Clive Stafford Smith

"Every time human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith lands in Cuba, he takes the eight o’clock ferry to the windward side; his journey ends at Guantánamo Bay. One of the few people in the world who has ongoing independent access to the prison, Smith reveals the grotesque injustices that are perpetrated there in the name of national security—including the justifications created to legitimate the use of torture and the bureaucratic structures that have been put in place to shield prison authorities from legal accountability. " - Editorial Reviews

A thoroughly Canadian general : a biography of General H. D. G. Crerar by Paul Douglas Dickson

"In this biography, Paul Douglas Dickson argues that the long and controversial career of General H.D.G. Crerar can best be understood in terms of the general's great personal ambition and his sense that military service was the supreme form of civic duty. The primary research from both Canadian and British archives is formidable and carefully managed by the author. A Thoroughly Canadian General is a significant contribution to the field of Canadian military history, and also to international studies of the Second World War, particularly operational command of the western Allied forces." - Editorial Reviews

The Americano : fighting with Castro for Cuba's freedom by Aran Shetterly

"Starred Review. William Morgan, an American who made his way to the front line of Castro's revolution in Cuba, gets thorough and entertaining treatment in this biography. Largely unknown in the U.S., his story is filled with the suspense of a blockbuster war movie, offering new and insightful perspective into the political climate of 1950s Cuba. From Morgan's Ohio beginnings, Shetterly quickly moves to his life in rebel camps in Cuba's mountains, which Shettterly describes exquisitely, and quite viscerally. " - Editorial Reviews

Maps and legends : reading and writing along the borderlands by Michael Chabon

"Maps and Legends is his first book of nonfiction. Turning his novelist’s eye to analyze the things he loves best and the stories he has created, he opens the reader up to his unique vision of the world, sometimes even venturing into lies (as he calls them) to do it. Several of the essays do demand a certain familiarity with either his books or with the graphic novels/comic books that he writes about, but many look beyond to critique or reminisce or express a sense of wonder at the power of writing." - Readers' advisory

Victory girls, khaki-wackies, and patriotutes : the regulation of female sexuality during World War II by Marilyn E Hegarty

"Marilyn E. Hegarty explores the dual discourse on female sexual mobilization that emerged during the war, in which agencies of the state both required and feared women’s support for, and participation in, wartime services. The equation of female desire with deviance simultaneously over-sexualized and desexualized many women, who nonetheless made choices that not only challenged gender ideology but defended their right to remain in public spaces." - Editorial Reviews

Algeria & France, 1800-2000 : identity, memory, nostalgia by Patricia M E Lorcin

"Addressing the nature of Franco-Algerian relations through such topics as migration, displacement, settler colonialism, racism, and sexuality, these essays provide an important contribution to postcolonial studies, cultural studies, and North African history. With renewed public debate surrounding the two countries’ shared past and their interwoven communities today, this volume will be indispensable for anyone with an interest in the relations between Algeria and France and the literature on memory and nostalgia. " - Editorial Reviews

A web of prevention : biological weapons, life sciences and the governance of research by Brian Rappert

"This state-of-the-art volume examines the full extent of the issues and debates, analysing what we have and haven't learned from the past. It includes an overview of recent scientific achievements in virology, microbiology, immunology and genetic engineering in the context of how they might facilitate the production of weapons of mass destruction. Ultimately the authors examine what is required to form a comprehensive and workable 'web of prevention' that provides safe governance of vital but potentially dangerous research. " - Editorial Reviews

China in Africa by Chris Alden

"Nowhere in the world is China’s rapid rise to power more evident than in Africa. From multi-billion dollar investments in oil and minerals to the influx of thousands of merchants, laborers and cheap consumer goods, China’s economic and political reach is redefining Africa’s traditional ties with the international community. This book investigates the emerging relationship between China and Africa to determine whether this engagement will be that of a development partner, economic competitor or new hegemony. Alden argues that in order to understand Chinese involvement on the continent, we need to recognize the range of economic, diplomatic and security rationales behind Beijing’s Africa policy as well as the response of African elites to China’s entreaties. Only then can the new challenges and opportunities for Africa and the West be accurately assessed." - International African Institute

Guide to the presidency by Michael Nelson

"Guide to the Presidency is the leading reference source on the persons who have occupied the White House and on the institution of the presidency itself. Readers turn to this guide for its vast array of factual information about the institution and the presidents, as well as for its analytical chapters that explain the structure and operations of the office and the president’s relationship to co-equal branches of government, Congress and the Supreme Court." - CQ Press

Political corruption in America : an encyclopedia of scandals, power, and greed by Mark Grossman

"Illustrated with black-and-white cartoons that mocked political corruption in newspapers throughout the years, Political Corruption In America is an excellent reference resource and a highly recommended acquisition for school and community library American History and Political Science collections. " - Midwest Book Review

Windows Vista step by step by Joan Preppernau

"You ll discover the smartest ways to stay organized with Windows® Mail, Windows Contact, Windows LiveTM Messenger, Windows Meeting Space, Windows Calendar, and Windows SidebarTM. You ll also learn how to work with graphics and documents by using Windows Paint, NotePad, and WordPad. Even more, learn how to have fun with Windows Vista and your digital media creating home videos and more! Plus, you still get coverage of the fundamentals of working with Windows Vista, including how to navigate the new user interface and how to use Instant Search to find anything on your desktop!" - Editorial Reviews

Windows Vista plain & simple by Jerry Joyce

"This no-nonsense guide helps you learn the easy way to navigate this new operating system with numbered steps and concise, straightforward language that show the most expedient ways to learn a new skill or solve a problem. You'll discover how to perform everyday tasks and answer your own questions quickly--learning the essentials for customizing your desktop, setting up a home network, managing digital media, publishing files to the Web, and more. With PLAIN & SIMPLE, you don't have to wade through superfluous details." - Editorial Reviews

The web application hacker's handbook : discovering and exploiting security flaws by Dafydd Stuttard

"This book is a practical guide to discovering and exploiting security flaws in web applications. The authors explain each category of vulnerability using real-world examples, screen shots and code extracts. The book is extremely practical in focus, and describes in detail the steps involved in detecting and exploiting each kind of security weakness found within a variety of applications such as online banking, e-commerce and other web applications. " - Editorial Reviews

Security engineering : a guide to building dependable distributed systems by Ross J Anderson

"Gigantically comprehensive and carefully researched, Security Engineering makes it clear just how difficult it is to protect information systems from corruption, eavesdropping, unauthorized use, and general malice. Better, Ross Anderson offers a lot of thoughts on how information can be made more secure (though probably not absolutely secure, at least not forever) with the help of both technologies and management strategies. His work makes fascinating reading and will no doubt inspire considerable doubt--fear is probably a better choice of words--in anyone with information to gather, protect, or make decisions about." - Editorial Reviews

Windows Vista resource kit by Mitch Tulloch

"Get the definitive reference for deploying, configuring, and supporting Microsoft® Windows Vista(tm)--with expert insights from Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) and the Windows Vista Team. This official Microsoft RESOURCE KIT provides more than 1,500 pages of in-depth technical guidance on automating deployment; implementing security enhancements; administering group policy, files and folders, and programs; and troubleshooting for Windows Vista." - Editorial Reviews

Security first : for a muscular, moral foreign policy by Amitai Etzioni

"What should American policies be toward recently liberated countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan, or rogue states like North Korea and Iran? When should the United States undertake humanitarian intervention abroad? What must be done to protect America from nuclear terrorism? The author asserts that providing basic security must be the first priority in all foreign policy considerations, even ahead of efforts to democratize. He sets out essential guidelines for a foreign policy that makes sense in the real world, builds on moral principles, and creates the possibility of establishing positive relationships with Muslim nations and all others."- Editorial Reviews

Security and defence policy in the European Union by Jolyon Howorth

"This major new text by a leading authority on European security provides a full assessment of the historical, political and systemic reasons behind the rise of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The author argues that the key issues involved - the challenges of defining a more balanced partnership between the two sides of the Atlantic and of transforming the EU from a civilian power into a new type of crisis management actor - are the most significant since the creation of NATO and the EU at the end of World War 2." - Editorial Reviews

Security metrics : replacing fear, uncertainty, and doubt by Andrew Jaquith

"Security Metrics is the first comprehensive best-practice guide to defining, creating, and utilizing security metrics in the enterprise. Using sample charts, graphics, case studies, and war stories, Yankee Group Security Expert Andrew Jaquith demonstrates exactly how to establish effective metrics based on your organization’s unique requirements. You’ll discover how to quantify hard-to-measure security activities, compile and analyze all relevant data, identify strengths and weaknesses, set cost-effective priorities for improvement, and craft compelling messages for senior management." - Editorial Reviews

Technology and security : governing threats in the new millennium by Brian Rappert

"Technology and Security takes forward the existing state of academic understanding where security and technology intersect. It assesses the challenges posed by emerging scientific and technological developments for security while understanding how perceptions of security threats are themselves formed in relation to conceptions of science and technology." - Palgrave Macmillan Ltd

Barack Obama and the future of American politics by Paul Louis Street

"This book offers the broadest and best-informed understanding on the meaning of the Obama phenomenon to date. Paul Street was on the ground throughout the Iowa campaign, and his stories of the rising Obama phenomenon are poignant. Yet the author s background in American political history allows him to explore the deeper meanings of Obama's remarkable political career. He looks at Obama in relation to contemporary issues of class, race, war, and empire. He considers Obama in the context of our nation s political history, with comparisons to FDR, JFK, Bill Clinton, and other leaders. Street finds that the Obama persona, crafted by campaign consultants and filtered through dominant media trends, masks the change candidate's adherence to long-prevailing power structures and party doctrines." - Editorial Reviews

Absolute beginner's guide to computer basics by Michael Miller

"Absolute Beginner's Guide to Computer Basics is written to be an all-in-one solution to help users get up and running on their computer and learn all the software applications that come pre-loaded on their systems. This book is a cost-effective alternative for the user who does not want to purchase several books, because it covers hardware, software, peripherals, the Internet, and troubleshooting all in one resource. It's completely updated for 2003, and includes coverage of Windows XP. The book assumes no prior knowledge, and is perfect for those who've just taken their first computer out of the box." - Editorial Reviews

U.S. diplomacy since 1900 by Robert D Schulzinger

"Interest in U.S. foreign relations has soared to great heights in the early twenty-first century. Long admired as the most comprehensive and accessible American diplomacy survey available, U.S. Diplomacy Since 1900 has never been more relevant. Now in its sixth edition, the book chronicles the major events in the history of U.S. foreign relations, from the Spanish-American-Philippine War to the present. In this engaging narrative, Robert D. Schulzinger discusses public ideas about foreign relations and explains how U.S. foreign policy is made; he places U.S. foreign relations in the context of the growing interdependence and globalization of international affairs." - Oxford University Press

The galloping ghost : the extraordinary life of submarine legend Eugene Fluckey by Carl LaVO

"LaVO describes meeting the 90-yr-old retired admiral: "With a full shock of hair, trim build, natty clothes, and buoyant demeanor, Fluckey looked much younger and still displayed his characteristic dry wit, despite the fact that Alzheimer's disease had robbed him of many memories. When asked about a long-forgotten episode of his life, the admiral replied with a twinkle in his eyes and hearty laugh,..." - bBNET

Submarine stories : recollections from the diesel boats by Paul Stillwell

"Robert McNitt recalls his experiences as executive officer to Medal of Honor skipper Gene Fluckey. Among the other submariners who present their personal memories are Jerry Beckley, contemplating the possibility of firing nuclear missiles during the 1962 Cuban crisis; Hosey Mays, describing what it was like to be a black man in a boat with a nearly all-white crew; Paul Foster, discussing the sinking a German U-boat in World War I; and Wayne Miller, explaining the enormous satisfaction he felt when he earned his silver dolphins." - Editorial Reviews

Toward the national security state : civil-military relations during World War II by Brian Waddell

"This book places these dramatic shifts in the context of the changing civil-military relations of World War II. It examines these relations in terms of the three central areas of modern warfare-production, strategy, and manpower. Chapters focus on the military-corporate relations involved in mobilizing the "arsenal of democracy"; top-level command relations between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his military commanders; and the civil-military tensions and relations involved in mobilizing a mass citizen army. A final chapter analyzes what came of these changes as the U.S. institutionalized a striking new civil-military unity in and through the postwar national security state. " - Editorial Reviews

Base politics : democratic change and the U.S. military overseas by Alexander Cooley

"In Base Politics, Alexander Cooley examines how domestic politics in different host countries, especially in periods of democratic transition, affect the status of U.S. bases and the degree to which the U.S. military has become a part of their local and national landscapes. Drawing on exhaustive field research in different host nations across East Asia and Southern Europe, as well as the new postcommunist base hosts in the Black Sea and Central Asia, Cooley offers an original and provocative account of how and why politicians in host countries contest or accept the presence of the U.S. military on their territory." - Editorial Reviews

Aircraft carriers at war : a personal retrospective of Korea, Vietnam, and the Soviet confrontation by James L Holloway

"Adm. James Holloway describes this book as a contemporary perspective of the events, decisions, and outcomes in the history of the Cold War Korea, Vietnam, and the Soviet confrontation that shaped today s U.S. Navy and its principal ships-of-the-line, the large-deck, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Without question, the admiral is exceptionally well qualified to write such an expansive history. As a carrier pilot in Korea, commander of the Seventh Fleet in Vietnam, Chief of Naval Operations in the mid-1970s, and then as a civilian presidential appointee to various investigative groups, Holloway was a prominent player in Cold War events." - Editorial Reviews

Hitler, Dönitz, and the Baltic Sea : the Third Reich's last hope : 1944 - 1945 by Howard D Grier

A study of Hitler's relationship with D†nitz and the importance of naval interests in his grand strategy, focusing on the conflict in the Baltic countries and why Hitler made some seemingly irrational decisions about strategy and troop deployment.

1812 : war with America by Jon Latimer

"This insightful and comprehensive study of the War of 1812 is particularly valuable because it presents that conflict from the perspective of America’s enemy. Latimer’s British point of view—in which he sees the war as a subset of the war wit Napoleon, rather tha as the separate conflict we often view it as—may not be wholly appreciated by U.S. readers. But this impressively researched and well-written account is a fascinating revelation that serves as an excellent mirror in which to study ourselves."--Thomas J. Cutler

With honor : Melvin Laird in war, peace, and politics by Dale Van Atta

"Van Atta illuminates the inner workings of high politics: Laird’s behind-the-scenes sparring with Kissinger over policy, his decisions to ignore Nixon’s wilder directives, his formative impact on arms control and health care, his key role in the selection of Ford for vice president, his frustration with the country’s abandonment of Vietnamization, and, in later years, his unheeded warning to Donald Rumsfeld that 'it’s a helluva lot easier to get into a war than to get out of one.'”- Editorial Reviews

Chief of staff : the principal officers behind history's great commanders. Vol. 2, World War II to Korea and Vietnam by David T Zabecki

"...Napoleon's chief of staff Berthier and Eisenhower's chief of staff Bedell Smith are two examples that are profiled in this work. Zabecki and his collaborators examine the history, development, and role of the chief of staff primarily through profiles of the most important practitioners of the art. These books are published in cooperation with the Association of the United States Army." - Editorial Reviews

Chief of staff : the principal officers behind history's great commanders. Vol. 1, Napoleonic wars to World War I by David T Zabecki

"The two-volume Chief of Staff examines the history, development, and role of the military duty position of the chief of staff. Many books have studied history's great commanders and the art of command. None have focused exclusively on the chief of staff -- that key staff officer responsible for translating the ideas of the commander into practical plans that common soldiers can execute successfully on the battlefield. In some cases, it is almost impossible to think of certain great commanders without also thinking of their chief of staff. .." - Editorial Reviews

Empires of the sea : the siege of Malta, the battle of Lepanto, and the contest for the center of the world by Roger Crowley

"In Empires of the Sea, acclaimed historian Roger Crowley has written his most mesmerizing work to date–a thrilling account of this brutal decades-long battle between Christendom and Islam for the soul of Europe, a fast-paced tale of spiraling intensity that ranges from Istanbul to the Gates of Gibraltar and features a cast of extraordinary characters: Barbarossa, “The King of Evil,” the pirate who terrified Europe; the risk-taking Emperor Charles V; the Knights of St. John, the last crusading order after the passing of the Templars; the messianic Pope Pius V; and the brilliant Christian admiral Don Juan of Austria. " - Editorial Reviews

Counselor : a life at the edge of history by Theodore C Sorensen

"The book is full of arresting observations, not all complimentary. Sorensen opines, for example, that Robert Kennedy should not have been attorney general because of the impossible predicament he would have faced in bringing any charges against his brother. Sorensen expresses regret that he and JFK were slow to censure Sen. Joseph McCarthy, and reflects candidly on the president's problems with fidelity. Sorensen is also hard on himself at moments. He admits to charges others have leveled at him -- that he was abrasive, arrogant and obsessive about his relationship with Kennedy. He clearly has not shed all of those qualities and defends his president like a Rottweiler refusing to let go of a pant leg." - The Washington Post

Conquest : how societies overwhelm others by David Day

"Historian Day (Claiming a Continent) surveys the justifications that nations have offered for conquering other peoples, and lays out the process of claiming a territory by a symbolic act like planting a flag, then by mapping the land and naming it. Many of his examples are familiar—the Spanish in Central and South America, the Germans in Eastern Europe. But he includes less familiar instances, such as Japan's 18th-century takeover of the Ainu culture on the island of Hokkaido and the contest between the Dutch, French and English to claim Australia. As interesting as Day's stories are, he comes up short on interpretation and analysis. " - Editorial Reviews

China's great train : Beijing's drive west and the campaign to remake Tibet by Abrahm Lustgarten

"Lustgarten’s book is a timely, provocative, and absorbing first-hand account of the Chinese boom and the promise and costs of rapid development on the country’s people." - Editorial Reviews

Empres of trust : how Rome built, and America is building a new world by Thomas F Madden

"Talking readers on a dramatic tour of the proud Roman world before the Caesars, a golden age in comparison to the turmoil and depravities of later years, Madden uncovers a peaceful, retiring people who above all wanted to be left alone to enjoy their families and communities. " - DUTTON

D-day deception Operation Fortitude and the Normandy invasion by Mary Barbier

“Barbier provides a comprehensive account of Operation Fortitude from planning to conclusion that pays more attention to Fortitude North than many previous accounts and, in addition to presenting the Allied perspective, discusses German responses. In her final assessment, she judges the impact of Fortitude to be minimal.”–SciTech Book News

Act of justice : Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and the law of war by Burrus M Carnahan

"In Act of Justice, Burrus M. Carnahan contends Lincoln was no reluctant emancipator; he wrote a truly radical document that treated Confederate slaves as an oppressed people rather than merely as enemy property. In this respect, Lincoln's proclamation anticipated the intellectual warfare tactics of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. " - University Press of Kentucky

From mercenaries to market : the rise and regulation of private military companies by Simon Chesterman

"This volume examines the interaction between regulation and market forces and analyzes the current legal framework and the needs and possibilities for regulation in the years ahead. " - Editorial Reviews

Black sailor, white Navy : racial unrest in the fleet during the Vietnam War era by John Darrell Sherwood

“This riveting account of racial turmoil in the U.S. Navy will be of immense interest to any student of the Navy, the Vietnam War, the All-Volunteer Force, or race relations in the United States.” —Eugenia C. Kiesling, United States Military Academy

Ukraine : an illustrated history by Paul R Magocsi

"Ukraine is Europe's second-largest state. Roughly the size of Germany and Great Britain or the states of Arizona and New Mexico combined, it shares borders with seven countries and in 2001 had a population of more than 48 million. This lavishly illustrated volume provides a concise and easy-to-read historical survey of the country from earliest times to the present. Each of the book's forty-six chapters is framed by a historical map, which graphically depicts the key elements of the chronological period or theme addressed within. In addition, over 300 historic photographs, line drawings, portraits, and reproductions of books and works of art bring the rich past of Ukraine to life." - Editorial Reviews

Göring's Grenadiers : the Luftwaffe Field Divisions, 1942-1945 by Antonio J Muñoz

"The complete history of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) field divisions- units formed from excess personnel and created to enlarge Hermann Goering's prestige. These unique units fought on the ground but belonged to Hermann Goering's Luftwaffe. They fought on all fronts and suffered accordingly. Their complete military history has never before been covered in such a large and thorough work with over 100 battle maps, 26 tables, 80 rare photos, and six full color uniform plates by renowned military artist, Darko Pavlovic. " - Editorial Reviews

United States Special Operations Forces by David Tucker

"David Tucker and Christopher J. Lamb throw useful gasoline on the heretofore smoldering debate over the future of warfare and how best to use America's special operations forces. The flare-up will enlighten." -- Robert Andrews, former Green Beret and CIA officer and the current deputy under secretary of defense for counterintelligence and security

The temptations of tyranny in Central Asia by David Lewis

"David Lewis's provocative book investigates why the U.S. alliance with Uzbekistan failed to produce reform and instead ended with the massacre of hundreds of civilians in Andijan. It provides the first detailed account of the 2005 revolution in Kyrgyzstan, explores political transition in Turkmenistan following the death of its eccentric former leader, Saparmurat Niyazov, and examines the Islamic militant groups that are believed to be threatening stability in the Ferghana Basin." - Editorial Reviews

Space as a strategic asset by Joan Johnson-Freese

"Space as a Strategic Asset is a fine work of policy analysis that explores many current national security space issues and offers both appropriate background and reasonable solutions to vexing problems. The United States is the most dependent of all the nations on its satellites for national security, commercial, and other purposes, and the potential of losing them through some aggressive act would be potentially catastrophic..." - Editorial Reviews

America's Army : a model for interagency effectiveness by Zeb B Bradford

“In this comprehensive, insightful, and readable book, Rick Brown and Zeb Bradford lay out a realistic plan for transforming the Army and the entire U.S. government to deal with the current and future threats to our national security. It is a must read for our political military leaders.”–Lawrence Korb, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense

The politics of anti-Westernism in Asia : visions of world order in pan-Islamic and pan-Asian thought by Cemil Aydin

"The Politics of Anti-Westernism in Asia offers a rare, global perspective on how religious tradition and the experience of European colonialism interacted with Muslim and non-Muslim discontent with globalization, the international order, and modernization. Aydin's approach reveals the epistemological limitations of Orientalist knowledge categories, especially the idea of Eastern and Western civilizations, and the way in which these limitations have shaped not only the contradictions and political complicities of anti-Western discourses but also contemporary interpretations of anti-Western trends." - Editorial Reviews

Yeltsin : a life by Timothy J Colton

"When President Boris Yeltsin (1931–2007) left office in 1999, he was unpopular in Russia and viewed as a buffoon by some internationally, but it would be a mistake to underestimate his influence on contemporary Russia, Colton, director of Harvard's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, argues in this balanced yet sympathetic portrayal. Unpretentious, patriotic and with a strong work ethic, says Colton, the provincial young man, whose father had spent time in the gulag, rose up the Soviet bureaucratic ladder...." -Publishers Weekly

Truman & MacArthur : policy, politics, and the hunger for honor and renown by Michael D Pearlman

"Truman and MacArthur offers an objective and comprehensive account of the very public confrontation between a sitting president and a well-known general over the military's role in the conduct of foreign policy. In November 1950, with the army of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea mostly destroyed, Chinese military forces crossed the Yalu River. " - Editorial Reviews