"Autumn 1944. World War II is nearly over in Europe but is escalating in the Pacific, where American soldiers face an opponent who will go to any length to avoid defeat. The Japanese army follows the samurai code of Bushido, stipulating that surrender is a form of dishonor. This book takes readers to the bloody tropical-island battlefields of Peleliu and Iwo Jima and to the embattled Philippines, where General Douglas MacArthur has made a triumphant...

The author of the best-selling Don't Know Much About℗ʼ series provides a gripping exploration into the hidden history of America at war from the Revolution to the conflict in Iraq through six emblematic battles and reveals untold tales that span our nation's history.

"From a preeminent presidential historian comes a groundbreaking and often surprising saga of America's wartime chief executives. Ten years in the research and writing, Presidents of Waris a fresh, magisterial, intimate look at a procession of American leaders as they took the nation into conflict and mobilized their country for victory. It brings us into the room as they make the most difficult decisions that face any President, at times sending...

From clothesline codes to surveillance satellites and cyber espionage, Janeczko uncovers two centuries' worth of true spy stories in U.S. history.

The toughest, most elite warriors in the U.S. military are the soldiers who serve in the Special Operations Forces. This fact-filled volume presents a treasure trove of information about the weapons and gear that they rely on to complete their frequently dangerous and sensitive missions. The most-commonly used weapons are profiled, as are the land, air, and water vehicles that Special Forces soldiers use most often. Uniforms, MREs, and cutting-edge...

Traces the history of the Medal of Honor from its inception during the Civil War through the Iraq War. Focuses on the stories of a valiant few: Sgt. Paul Smith who died protecting his company at the Baghdad Airport; a Holocaust survivor who single-handedly defends a hill during the Korean War; a Navy SEAL, a veteran of the Vietnam War, who swam for two hours in the ocean, carrying his wounded comrades to safety; a Marine at Iwo Jima who used a flamethrower...

"When you enlist in the United States Military, you don't just sign yourself up for years of duty, you also commit your loved ones to a life of service all their own. No one knows this better than Elaine Brye, an army-brat turned military wife turned military mom of four officers, each serving in a different branch of the military: Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. Brye's father and mother met while both serving in the U.S. Army and her childhood...

"Part of the Weapons of War series, this book features more than 150 color and black & white illustrations and photographs of tanks and armored vehicles, as well as detailed specifications Tanks and Armored Vehicles, 1900?45 brings together the most important AFVs of the first half of the twentieth century in a single, handy volume arranged in alphabetical order. The book includes classics such as the Sherman and Tiger tanks, as well as lesser known...

Describes the helicopters used in the military, including what they are built to do, what each member of the crew does, and how they have been used in past wars.