Miscellaneous Books

Written 2500 years ago, The Art of War is the oldest military treatise in the world, a classic study of competition and rivalry that has been utilized by soldiers ever since. Napoleon studied its strategies and tactics. It is required reading for intelligence personnel in the United States Marine Corps. "Warriors" of Wall Street and in corporation cultures rely on it for guidance. It's even been rumored to help players win at the board game Risk. This 1910 translation by the British Museum's Lionel Giles is the most popular one available, a highly readable version of this still startlingly relevant text. Lionel Giles also translated The Book of Mencius and Sayings of Confucius. Sun Tzu lived in China in the 6th century B.C. and was a contemporary of Confucius.

Battle at Sea looks at every aspect of the story of warfare on, above, and under the sea, including classic naval engagements daring raids carried out on ships in harbor, and landing operations such as D-Day, where control of the sea was essential to transport land forces to new battlefronts. Special features within the book include: graphic and dramatic battle catalogs relating the stories of the men, ships, and organizations behind history's greatest naval conflicts; spectacular 3D digital artworks following the crucial stages of key battles, step by step; profiles of naval crew - the captain, officers, gunners, quartermaster, surgeon, cooks, and boatswains - exploring their changing roles throughout history; eyewitness accounts recreating the experience of the opposing forces in key battles, whether preparing for conflict, in the heat of battle, or dealing with the aftermath of an engagement; photographic tours revealing the intricate details of surviving or reconstructed warships-from an Ancient Greek trireme to a nuclear-powered submarine; features on weapons and technology highlighting developments in naval warfare, from boarding equipment to sonar, cannons to missiles, and propulsion through steam to nuclear power.

This explosive, up-close view of Sarah Palin comes from an inner-circle confidant who shares surprising information about how Sarah dealt with staff and perceived “enemies,” and the discrepancy between what she said and what she did.

The author draws upon a variety of literature ranging from biblical stories to political legends and speeches to illustrate the catalog of virtues--self-discipline, compassion, work, responsibility, friendship, courage, perseverance, honesty, loyalty, faith--that he believes are foundational to strong moral character. Most selections are introduced by a short thematic note, e.g., "an honest heart will always find friends." Bennett's elevation of these virtues to moral absolutes renders the book's view of morality rather simplistic. In addition, the collection's lack of attention to women's and non-Western voices encourages the view that the experience of virtue belongs primarily to Western males.

George Foreman shocked the world when he regained the heavyweight boxing championship at the age of 45. Now, Foreman candidly tells the story of his childhood, his family, his triumphs and tragedies in and out of the ring, and gives readers the inside scoop on how he used his desire, drive, and faith to make his return to boxing glory anything but an impossible dream.

A whirlwind journalistic tour through the 20th century, this was selected by the American and Canadian Booksellers Associations as "The 1987 Book of the Year." The news stories are written in a "You Are There" style by a team of 30 of today's news reporters, with many illustrations and cross references to later developments. There is an extensive index, and annual updates are scheduled. Unfortunately, directions for using this are found only on the back flap of the book jacket. This could be a problem, as the cross-reference system is somewhat confusing, leading either to a brief calendar or an article or (in some cases) an entirely inaccurate citation. Contemporary accounts or an encyclopedia will better serve researchers and students.

Harry Potter: Page to Screen opens the doors to Hogwarts castle and the wizarding world of Harry Potter to reveal the complete behind-the-scenes secrets, techniques, and over-the-top artistry that brought J.K. Rowling’s acclaimed novels to cinematic life. Developed in collaboration with the creative team behind the celebrated movie series, this deluxe, 500-plus page compendium features exclusive stories from the cast and crew, hundreds of never-before-seen photographs and concept illustrations sourced from the closed film sets, and rare memorabilia. As the definitive look at the magic that made cinematic history, Page to Screen is the ultimate collectible, perfect for Muggles everywhere.

This is an oversized browsing book filled with magnificent pictures taken from space. As can be guessed from its title, most of the photographs are of portions of the earth's surface. The concise text consists of short quotations from astronauts and cosmonauts describing the emotional impact of being in space. Naturally, the comments are predominantly from Americans and Soviets, but among the 18 nations represented are France, Germany, Syria, and India. Each commentary is given in the speaker's native language with an English translation. A truly beautiful book.

General Powell may have undertaken this book as a form of paid political test marketing, but it turns out to be a success of an altogether different kind. We don't learn from this book if Powell is presidential material, but his recounting of the various steps of his career give us an unrivaled view of the ins and outs of military bureaucracy and shows how the modern American military, with its consistent emphasis on can-do attitudes and actual results, is a much more congenial place for realizing one's talents than our still-alarmingly pigeonholing general society.

This work contains the actual experiences of J. Frank Norfleet, a Texas rancher, and his 30,000 mile transcontinental chase after five confidence men. This true story takes the reader from the Atlantic to the Pacific in Norfleet's four year chase after a gang of international swindlers. Prior to his contact with this gang, Norfleet had been a man of peace, with kindest feeling toward all humanity and malice toward none. This is a wonderful adventure which will keep the reader enthralled.

NRA membership has roughly quadrupled over the last 25 years, boasts NRA: An American Legend, an illustrated history of the organization that celebrates its leaders, political activities and advertising campaigns since the organization was chartered in 1871. Author and columnist Jeffrey L. Rodengen (The Legend of Halliburton) covers such subjects as the evolution of rifle and pistol design; the role of NRA's magazine, American Rifleman, in reporting on WWII; and the birth of gun control legislation under Lyndon Johnson ("NRA's darkest days"). The book is filled with photographs and sidebars that spotlight various eminent riflemen such as sharpshooter Elizabeth Servaty Topperwein, the first female NRA member. Foreword by Tom Clancy.

The truth only fiction can tell. This is a novel about aspiration and delusion, set during the presidential election of 2012 and written by an anonymous author who has spent years observing politics and the fraught relationship between public image and self-regard. The novel includes revealing and insightful portraits of many prominent figures in the political world—some invented and some real.

"The Prehistory of the Far Side: A Tenth Anniversary Exhibit," by Gary Larson, is a slightly different volume in the "Far Side" book series. This book collects Larson's cartoons, but there's more: according to the foreword, the purpose of the book is "to reveal some of the background, anecdotes, foibles, and 'behind-the-scenes' experiences related to this cartoon panel." Part of the book's fun is figuring out what parts of this "behind-the-scenes" material are for real and what parts are just further jokes on Larson's part.

Here are the original Sherlock Holmes detective stories as they first appeared in the famed British magazine “The Strand.” This edition contains 37 short stories plus the complete novel "The Hound of the Baskervilles."

Limbaugh's send-up of American liberalism was a 13-week PW bestseller.

This book combines the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution with the revolutionary pamphlet Common Sense written by Thomas Paine.

The book to end all books about the war to end all wars! The definitive guide to U.S. infantry weapons of World War I. Best-selling author and arms expert Bruce N. Canfield gives you the inside scoop on everything that was carried into combat by the Army and Marines, including rifles, pistols, shotguns, automatic rifles, machine guns, bayonets, knives, grenades, mortars, flame throwers and accessories. It's all in here! Filled with the kind of practical, "hands-on" advice and information that you will turn to again and again, with unique "collector's notes" that tell you what you need to know about markings, rarity, rebuilds and fakes. Nowhere else will you find this amount of useful information under one cover - and it's complete with exciting combat reports describing how this equipment performed at the front! The First World War is rapidly becoming the hottest topic in military history. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to learn all about the weapons of the Doughboys, fully illustrated with more than 500 large, clear photographs plus numerous tables and historical illustrations.

Building on the official Navy chronologies, this handsome book presents a year-by-year summary of significant naval activities from 1775 to the present. Key historical entries, along with significant operations, technological advances, and narratives of the women and men instrumental in shaping the organization, are written by leading experts in each subject. With a distinctive battleship cover and 1000 photographs, this authoritative and encyclopedic account of the U.S. Navy is an important addition to any military history collection.

From the humorous to the poignant, this incredible collection of wartime images reveals ordinary GIs on the frontline. From the deserts of North Africa to Normandy and from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima, every theater of war is covered and each image details the small arms that the average GI carried with him to wage war and win an historic victory. All the key small arms, from the commonplace ³Grease Gun² to the rare Johnson rifle, and including pistols, rifles, carbines, combat shotguns, automatic rifles and machine guns are included. Tom Laemlein has created a unique photo study that draws together a rare collection of classic images (many never before seen). These images together with a short introduction to each weapon tells the combat story of the US Army at war.

From their eponymous 1978 debut through their colossal 1984 album (they've sold over 75 million albums worldwide), Van Halen rewrote all the rules. Nobody rocked—or partied—harder. Photographer Neil Zlozower first met the band in 1978, worked with them again on Van Halen II, and soon became their friend, hanging out in L.A. and hitting the road on tour with them. Van Halen collects more than 250 backstage, candid, and full rock-out photos of the all-powerful, spandexed, high-kicking, guitar blazing, stadium-shaking, original Van Halen lineup. Accompanying Zlozower's amazing photos are an introduction about his wild ride with VH, a foreword by David Lee Roth, and testimony from the rock pantheon paying homage to the band, including members of Led Zeppelin, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Judas Priest, KISS, Motley Crüe, and more. Turn it up!

Paul Dickson, one of the country's leading authorities on American slang, offers the first comprehensive collection of fighting words and war time phrases Americans have used from the Civil War to the Iraq War. This definitive dictionary, updated and expanded to include the events of September 11 and the war on terrorism, is arranged war by war and reveals military slang at its most colorful, innovative, brutal, and ironic. Dickson also shows how language mirrors the unique experience of each conflict. For example, World War II brought unprecedented linguistic experimentation, innovation, and abbreviation, including "dogface, quisling, blitz, and the immortal GI as well as the rich stew of pidgin English used to communicate with the native peoples of the South Pacific. Raw frustration and cynicism surface in the slang of the Vietnam War, with a record number of synonyms for the verb to kill, including blow away, dust, get some grease, waste, and zap.

Beginning with a brief overview of the Revolutionary War, War Slang reveals the thoughts, attitudes, and environments of America’s fighting men and women from the last 230 years. An incomparable reference work, War Slang serves the language lover and military historian alike by adding a brilliant and provocative new dimension to the understanding of war.

The marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton is one of the most significant royal events of recent times. As second in line to the throne, the elder son of the much mourned Diana, Princess of Wales—whose famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring he bestowed on his future bride—William embodies the hopes and expectations of millions of people around the world. And as a “commoner” who will become a princess, Catherine brings romance and freshness to a very traditional union. Acclaimed biographer Andrew Morton, who was trusted by Diana herself to recount her true story to the outside world, has been covering Prince William since birth. Now he brings his unique insights to this portrait of the histories and characters of the bride and groom—from their family backgrounds, their childhoods, and the early days of their relationship at university, through their ups and downs as a couple in the public eye, their private engagement in Kenya, and all the glamour and drama of the wedding itself. Lavishly illustrated with color photographs, both a chronicle and a lasting memento of a day to remember, William & Catherine brings us both the public spectacle and the private moments as only the author of Diana: Her True Story can reveal them.

The World s Worst Weapons is an entertaining and informative guide to the small arms, artillery, tanks, ships, missiles, and aircraft that proved to be utter failures.