The epic story of America's most elite warriors: the Special Operations Forces. Born as small appendages to the conventional armies of World War II, the Special Operations Forces have grown into a behemoth of 70,000 troops, including Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, Special Operations Marines, Rangers, and Delta Force. Weaving together their triumphs and tribulations, acclaimed historian Mark Moyar introduces a colorful cast of military men, brimming with exceptional talent, courage and selflessness. In a nation where the military is the most popular institution, America's Special Operations Forces have become the most popular members of the military. Through nighttime raids on enemy compounds and combat advising of resistance movements, special operators have etched their names into the nation's registry of heroes. Yet the public knows little of the journey that they took to reach these heights, a journey that was neither easy nor glamorous. Fighting an uphill battle for most of their seventy-five year history, the Special Operations Forces slipped on many an occasion, and fell far on several. Presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama have enthusiastically championed Special Operations Forces, but their enthusiasm has often surpassed their understanding, resulting in misuse or overuse of the troops. Lacking clearly defined missions, Special Operations Forces have had to reinvent themselves time and again to prove their value in the face of fierce critics-many of them from the conventional military, which from the start opposed the segregation of talent in special units. Highlighting both the heroism of America's most elite soldiers and the controversies surrounding their meteoric growth, Oppose Any Foe presents the first comprehensive history of these special warriors and their daring missions. It is essential reading for anyone interested in America's military history-and the future of warfare.

Collected in one illuminating volume, the writings and speeches of John F. Kennedy reveal the man and president who inspired a generation. Here are the words that propelled a nation and moved the world, offering an important portrayal of the 35th president's entire career. Photographs throughout.

Armies are invariably accused of preparing to fight the last war. Nagl examines how armies learn during the course of conflicts for which they are initially unprepared in organization, training, and mindset. He compares the development of counterinsurgency doctrine and practice in the Malayan Emergency from 1948-1960 with that developed in the Vietnam Conflict from 1950-1975, through use of archival sources and interviews with participants in both conflicts. In examining these two events, he argues that organizational culture is the key variable in determining the success or failure of attempts to adapt to changing circumstances. Differences in organizational culture is the primary reason why the British Army learned to conduct counterinsurgency in Malaya while the American Army failed to learn in Vietnam. The American Army resisted any true attempt to learn how to fight an insurgency during the course of the Vietnam Conflict, preferring to treat the war as a conventional conflict in the tradition of the Korean War or World War II. The British Army, because of its traditional role as a colonial police force and the organizational characteristics that its history and the national culture created, was better able to quickly learn and apply the lessons of counterinsurgency during the course of the Malayan Emergency. This is the first study to apply organizational learning theory to cases in which armies were engaged in actual combat.

“One of the best thrillers I have read this year. The plot is intelligent and will keep you hooked from the beginning. The author did a superb job creating a set of characters who are fully developed and very much enjoyable. I can hardly wait for the sequel.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Any Means Necessary) OPPOSE ANY FOE is book #4 in the bestselling Luke Stone thriller series, which begins with ANY MEANS NECESSARY (book #1), a free download with over 250 five star reviews. A small arsenal of U.S. nuclear weapons are stolen from a NATO base in Europe. The world scrambles to figure out who the culprits are and what their target is—and to stop them before they unleash hell on humanity. With only hours left before it is too late, the President has no choice but to call in Luke Stone, the former head of an elite FBI para-military team. Finally getting his life back in order, and with devastating news on his own family front, Luke does not want the job. But with the newly elected female President desperate for his help, he realizes he cannot turn his back on her. In the action-packed, international cat-and-mouse chase that follows, Luke, Ed and his former team will have to be more daring, and break more rules, than ever before. With the fate of the world at stake, Luke heads into the murky fog of war and espionage, and discovers the culprit is not who he thinks it is after all. A political thriller with non-stop action, dramatic international settings and heart-pounding suspense, OPPOSE ANY FOE is book #4 in the bestselling and critically-acclaimed Luke Stone series, an explosive new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #5 in the Luke Stone series is also now available!

A bundle of books #3 (SITUATION ROOM) and #4 (OPPOSE ANY FOE) in Jack Mars’s Luke Stone Thriller series—a #1 bestseller with over 400 five star reviews! This bundle offers books three and four in one convenient file, with over 150,000 words of reading. In SITUATION ROOM (Book #3) a cyberattack on an obscure U.S. dam leaves thousands dead and the government wondering who attacked it, and why. When they realize it is just the tip of the iceberg—and that the safety of all of America is at stake—the President has no choice but to call in Luke Stone. Head of an elite, disbanded FBI team, Luke does not want the job. But with new enemies—foreign and domestic—closing in on her from all sides, the President can only trust him. What follows is an action-packed international roller-coaster, as Luke learns that the terrorists are more sophisticated than anyone realizes, that the target is more extensive than anyone could image—and that there is very little time left to save America. In OPPOSE ANY FOE (Book #4) a small arsenal of U.S. nuclear weapons are stolen from a NATO base in Europe. The world scrambles to figure out who the culprits are and what their target is—and to stop them before they unleash hell on humanity. With only hours left before it is too late, the President has no choice but to call in Luke Stone, the former head of an elite FBI para-military team. Finally getting his life back in order, and with devastating news on his own family front, Luke does not want the job. But with the newly elected female President desperate for his help, he realizes he cannot turn his back on her. Political thrillers with non-stop action, dramatic international settings, unexpected twists and heart-pounding suspense, the Luke Stone series is an explosive new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #5 in the series will be available soon.

A bundle of books #4 (OPPOSE ANY FOE), #5 (PRESIDENT ELECT), and #6 (OUR SACRED HONOR) in Jack Mars’s Luke Stone Thriller series—a #1 bestseller with over 500 five star reviews! This bundle offers books four, five, and six in one convenient file, with over 250,000 words of reading. In OPPOSE ANY FOE (Book #4), a small arsenal of U.S. nuclear weapons are stolen from a NATO base in Europe. The world scrambles to figure out who the culprits are and what their target is—and to stop them before they unleash hell on humanity. With only hours left before it is too late, the President has no choice but to call in Luke Stone, the former head of an elite FBI para-military team. Finally getting his life back in order, and with devastating news on his own family front, Luke does not want the job. But with the newly elected female President desperate for his help, he realizes he cannot turn his back on her. In PRESIDENT ELECT (Book #5), when China threatens to bankrupt the U.S. by calling in its debt, Americans are desperate for radical change. President Susan Hopkins, running for re-election, is floored as she watches the returns come in. Her rival—a madman senator from West Virginia who ran on the promise to nuke China’s islands out of the South China Sea—has, inconceivably, won. President Hopkins, though, knows she cannot yield power. To do so would be to spark World War III. She needs to prove the election was stolen, and to stop the looming war with China. With no one left to turn to, she summons Luke Stone. The stakes could not be higher as she commands him to save America from its greatest threat: its own President Elect. In OUR SACRED HONOR (Book #6), after being struck by an Iran-backed terrorist attack, Israel gives Iran a 72 hour ultimatum: clear out your military bases before we destroy them by air. Iran responds: enter our airspace, and we will launch nuclear attacks on Israel and on all U.S. bases in the Mid-East. With 72 hours to stop a nuclear Armageddon, there is only one man to turn to: Luke Stone. The President sends Luke on his boldest mission yet: to airdrop into Iran and find the secret location of the underground nukes, so that the U.S. can take them out before it’s too late. In a mad race against time, Luke takes us on a roller-coaster through the chaotic and confusing terrain of Iran, as he scrambles to find their most-guarded secrets and prevent a war from destroying all mankind. Yet as one shocking twist follows another, it may, even for Luke, be too late. Political thrillers with non-stop action, dramatic international settings, unexpected twists and heart-pounding suspense, the Luke Stone series is an explosive new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #7 in the series will be available soon.

A bundle of books #4 (OPPOSE ANY FOE) and #5 (PRESIDENT ELECT) in Jack Mars’s Luke Stone Thriller series—a #1 bestseller with over 500 five star reviews! This bundle offers books four and five in one convenient file, with over 150,000 words of reading. In OPPOSE ANY FOE (Book #4), a small arsenal of U.S. nuclear weapons are stolen from a NATO base in Europe. The world scrambles to figure out who the culprits are and what their target is—and to stop them before they unleash hell on humanity. With only hours left before it is too late, the President has no choice but to call in Luke Stone, the former head of an elite FBI para-military team. Finally getting his life back in order, and with devastating news on his own family front, Luke does not want the job. But with the newly elected female President desperate for his help, he realizes he cannot turn his back on her. In PRESIDENT ELECT (Book #5), when China threatens to bankrupt the U.S. by calling in its debt, Americans are desperate for radical change. President Susan Hopkins, running for re-election, is floored as she watches the returns come in. Her rival—a madman senator from West Virginia who ran on the promise to nuke China’s islands out of the South China Sea—has, inconceivably, won. President Hopkins, though, knows she cannot yield power. To do so would be to spark World War III. She needs to prove the election was stolen, and to stop the looming war with China. With no one left to turn to, she summons Luke Stone. The stakes could not be higher as she commands him to save America from its greatest threat: its own President Elect. Political thrillers with non-stop action, dramatic international settings, unexpected twists and heart-pounding suspense, the Luke Stone series is an explosive new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #6 in the series will be available soon.