This biography of Admiral Thomas C. Hart is important not only because it is the story of a man whose central guiding force in life was the U.S. Navy, but also because it is a study of some fifty-five significant years of American history. This book, based in part on the twenty-one volume Hart diary, investigates the forces and circumstances that shaped Hart’s actions during a memorable and influential career that spanned three wars and was followed by brief service in the U.S. Senate. From his earliest days on the faculty of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was dedicated to academic reform, to his ‘second” career in elected office, Hart could always be found amid controversy. His appointment as commander of the Asiatic fleet, a billet he wanted and was led to believe he would get, was partly the result of uneasy relationship with FDR. Here, enlivened with Hart’s naval and diplomatic experiences in the Philippines and the Netherlands East Indies, vantage points that provided him with an excellent perspective on the opening stages of the Pacific War. James Leutze provides us with Hart’s firsthand account of the Lanikai-Isabel incident, the hazardous foray ordered by Roosevelt in 1941. Although, ostensibly, the purpose of the maneuver was to garner information on the movements of the Japanese fleet, Hart clearly considered that Roosevelt’s intention was to provoke the Japanese. In descriptive detail, James Leutze relates Hart’s war experiences, both professional and private, and examines his controversial relationships with other, equally strong-minded naval leaders. Particularly burdensome at times were Hart’s difficulties with the brilliant, but egotistical and quixotic, Douglas MacArthur. Hart’s role as commander of the naval forces of the American, British, Dutch, and Australian military command is carefully analyzed by Leutze. The ABDA never became effective, and, because of Allied jealousies and internal political pressures, Hart was eventually removed from his command. Leutze shows us, with compassion, a man given heavy responsibility, and then virtually ignored by his own government. Blunt, outspoken, aloof, and occasionally referred to as “Terrible Tommy,” Admiral Thomas C. Hart was nevertheless respected and admired, an inspiration to his fellow officers. Here is the fascinating story of a man who had an enduring influence on U.S. naval and diplomatic history.

How aggressive military strategies win wars, from ancient times to today The goal of war is to defeat the enemy's will to fight. But how this can be accomplished is a thorny issue. Nothing Less than Victory provocatively shows that aggressive, strategic military offenses can win wars and establish lasting peace, while defensive maneuvers have often led to prolonged carnage, indecision, and stalemate. Taking an ambitious and sweeping look at six major wars, from antiquity to World War II, John David Lewis shows how victorious military commanders have achieved long-term peace by identifying the core of the enemy's ideological, political, and social support for a war, fiercely striking at this objective, and demanding that the enemy acknowledges its defeat. Lewis examines the Greco-Persian and Theban wars, the Second Punic War, Aurelian's wars to reunify Rome, the American Civil War, and the Second World War. He considers successful examples of overwhelming force, such as the Greek mutilation of Xerxes' army and navy, the Theban-led invasion of the Spartan homeland, and Hannibal's attack against Italy—as well as failed tactics of defense, including Fabius's policy of delay, McClellan's retreat from Richmond, and Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler. Lewis shows that a war's endurance rests in each side's reasoning, moral purpose, and commitment to fight, and why an effectively aimed, well-planned, and quickly executed offense can end a conflict and create the conditions needed for long-term peace. Recognizing the human motivations behind military conflicts, Nothing Less than Victory makes a powerful case for offensive actions in pursuit of peace.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “[Furst] glides gracefully into an urbane pre–World War II Europe and describes that milieu with superb precision.” —Janet Maslin, The New York Times In the autumn of 1940, Russian émigré journalist I. A. Serebin is recruited in Istanbul by an agent of the British secret services for a clandestine operation to stop German importation of Romanian oil—a last desperate attempt to block Hitler’s conquest of Europe. Serebin’s race against time begins in Bucharest and leads him to Paris, the Black Sea, Beirut, and, finally, Belgrade; his task is to attack the oil barges that fuel German tanks and airplanes. Blood of Victory is a novel with the heart-pounding suspense, extraordinary historical accuracy, and narrative immediacy we have come to expect from Alan Furst. Praise for Blood of Victory “Densely atmospheric and genuinely romantic, the novel is most reminiscent of the Hollywood films of the forties, when moral choices were rendered not in black-and-white but in smoky shades of gray.”—The New Yorker “Furst’s achievement is a moral one, producing a powerful testament to fiction’s ability to re-create the experience of others, and why it is so deeply important to do so.” —Neil Gordon, The New York Times Book Review “Richly atmospheric and satisfying.” —Deirdre Donahue, USA Today

The Battle of Lake Erie on 10 September 1813 is considered by many to be the most important naval confrontation of the War of 1812. Made famous by the American fleet commander Oliver Hazard Perry's comment, "We have met the enemy and they are ours," the battle marked the U.S. Navy's first successful fleet action and was one of the rare occasions when the Royal Navy surrendered an entire squadron. This book draws on British, Canadian, and American documents to offer a totally impartial analysis of all sides of the struggle to control the lake. New diagrams of the battle are included that reflect the authors' modification of traditional positions of various vessels. The book also evaluates the strategic background and tactical conduct of the British and the Americans and the command leadership exercised by Perry and his British opponent, Commander Robert H. Barclay. Not since James Fenimore Cooper's 1843 book on the subject has the battle been examined in such detail, and not since Alfred Thayer Mahan's 1905 study of the war has there been such a significant reinterpretation of the engagement. First published in hardcover in 1997, the book is the winner of the North American Society for Oceanic History's John Lyman Book Award.

In the vein of Taylor Branch’s classic Parting of the Waters, Supreme Court lawyer and political pundit Linda Hirshman delivers the enthralling, groundbreaking story of the gay rights movement, revealing how a dedicated and resourceful minority changed America forever. When the modern struggle for gay rights erupted in the summer of 1969, forty-nine states outlawed sex between people of the same gender. Four decades later, in 2011, New York legalized gay marriage and the armed services stopped enforcing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Successful social movements are always extraordinary, but these advances seem like something of a miracle. Linda Hirshman recounts the long roads that led to these victories, detailing the remarkable and revolutionary story of the movement that has blurred rigid gender lines, altered the shared culture, and broadened our definitions of family. Written in vivid prose, at once emotional and erudite, Victory is an utterly vibrant work of reportage and eyewitness accounts and demonstrates how, in a matter of decades, a focused group of activists forged a classic campaign for cultural change that will serve as a model for all future political movements. “Remarkable for its emotional punch as for its historical insight.”—New York Times Book Review

The Victory Dogs is the incredible story of two puppies who become heroes of the blitz. A heartwarming story for 9+ readers who are fans of Michael Morpurgo's War Horse and Lauren St John. BARK and HOWL are two puppies, born on the London underground SHEBA is an elderly one-eared cat When the Blitz begins, how will they survive? It's the start of the Second World War and Bark and Howl are lost in the dark maze of tunnels under London. With Sheba's help, they learn how to survive. But when the bombs begin to fall, the puppies become separated. As the attacks continue, Bark and Howl are frightened, but they know the tunnels so well - they're the only ones who can lead hundreds of trapped people out of danger. Will Bark and Howl find each other - and be victorious in leading Londoners to safety? 'If you love Michael Morpurgo, you will enjoy this' Express 'A moving tale told with warmth, kindliness and lashings of good sense that lovers of Dick King-Smith will especially appreciate' The Times 'Every now and then a writer comes along with a unique way of storytelling . . . Meet Megan Rix . . . her novels are deeply moving and will strike a chord with animal lovers.' LoveReading About the author: Megan Rix lives in England with her husband, and their adorable dogs, Traffy and Bella. Also available by Megan Rix: The Great Escape

Donna J. Hopkins was the picture of health. As a competitive athlete, with a growing broadcasting career, life truly felt good. After a monthly self-Breast exam revealed a lump, her hopes and dreams were covered with the thick fog of pending survival, as the loneliness of "why me" began to take its toll. As if the road to survival was not enough the first time, Donna was not only diagnosed with breast cancer a second time, but years later finds herself literally in a fight for her life. Getting to the Other Side of Victory is not only a tale of battles, but a story of triumph. Come along as Donna walks you through the miraculous journey towards becoming a two-time breast cancer survivor and thriving amputee, who teaches us how to not only win for ourselves but also for others.