Download or read book Blood Year written by David Kilcullen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2014, a resurgent and bellicose Russia took over Crimea and fueled a civil war in Eastern Ukraine; post-Saddam Iraq lost a third of its territory to an army of hyper-violent millennialists; and the peace process in Israel seemed to completely collapse. In short, the post-Cold War security order that the US had constructed after 1991 seemed to be coming apart at the seams. David Kilcullen was one of the architects of America's strategy in the late phases of the second Gulf War, and he has also spent time in Afghanistan and other hotspots. In Blood Year, he provides a wide-angle view of the current situation in the Middle East and analyzes how America and the West ended up in such dire circumstances. Kilcullen lays much of the blame on Bush's initial decision to invade Iraq (which had negative secondary effects in Afghanistan), but also takes Obama to task for simply withdrawing and adopting a "leading from behind" strategy. As events have proven, Kilcullen contends, withdrawal was a fundamentally misguided plan. The U.S. had uncorked the genie, and it had a responsibility to at least attempt to keep it under control. Instead, the U.S. is at a point where administration officials state that the losses of Ramadi and Palmyra are manageable setbacks. Kilcullen argues that the U.S. needs to re-engage in the region, whether it wants to or not, because it is largely responsible for the situation that is now unfolding. Blood Year is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding not only why the region that the U.S. invaded a dozen years ago has collapsed into utter chaos, but also what the U.S. can do to alleviate the grim situation.

Download or read book Blood for Blood written by Terry Milewski and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2021-07-13 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fifty years ago, the campaign for a sovereign Sikh state - Khalistan - went global, proclaiming the birth of the new nation with an advertisement in The New York Times on 12 October 1971. The ensuing decades saw a bloodbath in which thousands, mainly Sikhs, lost their lives. Today, the campaign has all but fizzled out in its homeland but overseas, a politically plugged-in band of hardcore separatists keeps the cause alive. In Blood for Blood, veteran Canadian journalist Terry Milewski takes a close look at the global Khalistan project, its hunger for revenge and the feeble response of India's Western allies. He traces the rise and fall of diaspora militants like Talwinder Singh Parmar - the Vancouver-based founder of the Babbar Khalsa terrorist group and the man behind the 1985 'Kanishka' bomb plot which killed 329 aboard Air India Flight 182. The book provides startling new information about the Khalistan movement in Canada, the United Kingdom and India, which has been sustained for decades by Pakistan and now threatens to draw in China. Brilliantly researched, Blood for Blood brings new insights to a topic that continues to hold global interest decades after it first came to light.

Download or read book Bloody Brilliant written by Steven R. Pierce and published by A A B B Press. This book was released on 2016-09 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Field of Blood written by Joanne B. Freeman and published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. This book was released on 2018-09-11 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The previously untold story of the violence in Congress that helped spark the Civil War In The Field of Blood, Joanne B. Freeman recovers the long-lost story of physical violence on the floor of the U.S. Congress. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, she shows that the Capitol was rife with conflict in the decades before the Civil War. Legislative sessions were often punctuated by mortal threats, canings, flipped desks, and all-out slugfests. When debate broke down, congressmen drew pistols and waved Bowie knives. One representative even killed another in a duel. Many were beaten and bullied in an attempt to intimidate them into compliance, particularly on the issue of slavery. These fights didn’t happen in a vacuum. Freeman’s dramatic accounts of brawls and thrashings tell a larger story of how fisticuffs and journalism, and the powerful emotions they elicited, raised tensions between North and South and led toward war. In the process, she brings the antebellum Congress to life, revealing its rough realities—the feel, sense, and sound of it—as well as its nation-shaping import. Funny, tragic, and rivetingly told, The Field of Blood offers a front-row view of congressional mayhem and sheds new light on the careers of John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and other luminaries, as well as introducing a host of lesser-known but no less fascinating men. The result is a fresh understanding of the workings of American democracy and the bonds of Union on the eve of their greatest peril.

Download or read book Blood and Guts A Short History of Medicine written by Roy Porter and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2004-06-17 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Ideas tumble out of Porter like wonders from some scholarly horn of plenty." —Sherwin B. Nuland, The New Republic An eminently readable, entertaining romp through the history of our vain and valiant efforts to heal ourselves. Mankind's battle to stay alive and healthy for as long as possible is our oldest, most universal struggle. With his characteristic wit and vastly informed historical scope, Roy Porter examines the war fought between disease and doctors on the battleground of the flesh from ancient times to the present. He explores the many ingenious ways in which we have attempted to overcome disease through the ages: the changing role of doctors, from ancient healers, apothecaries, and blood-letters to today's professionals; the array of drugs, from Ayurvedic remedies to the launch of Viagra; the advances in surgery, from amputations performed by barbers without anesthetic to today's sophisticated transplants; and the transformation of hospitals from Christian places of convalescence to modern medical powerhouses. Cleverly illustrated with historic line drawings, the chronic ailments of humanity provide vivid anecdotes for Porter's enlightening story of medicine's efforts to prevail over a formidable and ever-changing adversary.

Download or read book Years of Blood written by Mămmăd Săid Ordubadi and published by Apollo Books. This book was released on 2011 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presented for the first time in English, Mammad Said Ordubadi's Years of Blood: A History of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Clashes in the Caucasus, 1905-1906, provides detailed reports of the tragic events of those dramatic years.

Download or read book Blood in the Hills written by Bruce Stewart and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To many antebellum Americans, Appalachia was a frightening wilderness of lawlessness, peril, robbers, and hidden dangers. The extensive media coverage of horse stealing and scalping raids profiled the regionÕs residents as intrinsically violent. After the Civil War, this characterization continued to permeate perceptions of the area and news of the conflict between the Hatfields and the McCoys, as well as the bloodshed associated with the coal labor strikes, cemented AppalachiaÕs violent reputation. Blood in the Hills: A History of Violence in Appalachia provides an in-depth historical analysis of hostility in the region from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century. Editor Bruce E. Stewart discusses aspects of the Appalachian violence culture, examining skirmishes with the native population, conflicts resulting from the regionÕs rapid modernization, and violence as a function of social control. The contributors also address geographical isolation and ethnicity, kinship, gender, class, and race with the purpose of shedding light on an often-stereotyped regional past. Blood in the Hills does not attempt to apologize for the region but uses detailed research and analysis to explain it, delving into the social and political factors that have defined Appalachia throughout its violent history.

Download or read book Fields of Blood written by Karen Armstrong and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2014-10-28 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sweeping exploration of religion and the history of human violence—from the New York Times bestselling author of The History of God • “Elegant and powerful.... Both erudite and accurate, dazzling in its breadth of knowledge and historical detail.” —The Washington Post In these times of rising geopolitical chaos, the need for mutual understanding between cultures has never been more urgent. Religious differences are seen as fuel for violence and warfare. In these pages, one of our greatest writers on religion, Karen Armstrong, amasses a sweeping history of humankind to explore the perceived connection between war and the world’s great creeds—and to issue a passionate defense of the peaceful nature of faith. With unprecedented scope, Armstrong looks at the whole history of each tradition—not only Christianity and Islam, but also Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Judaism. Religions, in their earliest days, endowed every aspect of life with meaning, and warfare became bound up with observances of the sacred. Modernity has ushered in an epoch of spectacular violence, although, as Armstrong shows, little of it can be ascribed directly to religion. Nevertheless, she shows us how and in what measure religions came to absorb modern belligerence—and what hope there might be for peace among believers of different faiths in our time.

Download or read book A History of Glitter and Blood written by Hannah Moskowitz and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2015-08-25 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A teenage fairy contends with the consequences of war in this coming-of-age fantasy by the award-winning author of Teeth and Not Otherwise Specified. Sixteen-year-old Beckan and her friends are the only fairies brave enough to stay in Ferrum when war breaks out. Now there is tension between the immortal fairies, the subterranean gnomes, and the mysterious tightropers who arrived to liberate the fairies. But when Beckan’s clan is forced to venture into the gnome underworld to survive, they find themselves tentatively forming unlikely friendships and making sacrifices they couldn’t have imagined. As danger mounts, Beckan finds herself caught between her loyalty to her friends, her desire for peace, and a love she never expected. This stunning, lyrical fantasy is a powerful exploration of what makes a family, what justifies a war, and what it means to truly love. Praise for A History of Glitter and Blood “With Ferrum, Moskowitz has built a vividly gritty fairy realm and populated it with a richly diverse cast of characters. . . . This novel of friendship, love, and fighting for one’s beliefs should find a place among fans of the modern fairy story.” —Kirkus Reviews “Reminiscent of Holly Black and Laini Taylor, this gritty fantasy/war story is also an exploration of love in many forms . . . and creating a family of choice.” —The Horn Book Magazine “The author’s talent is evident as she ambitiously tackles complex themes of violence, sexual awakening, politics, and even infertility.” —School Library Journal “Thick, sultry, lyrical language builds a strong sense of atmosphere . . . [in] this rich, off-kilter snarl of a story.” —Booklist “Gritty, intense, sensational, and moving.” —Fresh Fiction

Download or read book Stage Blood written by Michael Blakemore and published by Faber & Faber. This book was released on 2013-11-07 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1971, Michael Blakemore joined the National Theatre as Associate Director under Laurence Olivier. The National, still based at the Old Vic, was at a moment of transition awaiting the move to its vast new home on the South Bank. Relying on generous subsidy, it would need an extensive network of supporters in high places. Olivier, a scrupulous and brilliant autocrat from a previous generation, was not the man to deal with these political ramifications. His tenure began to unravel and, behind his back, Peter Hall was appointed to replace him in 1973. As in other aspects of British life, the ethos of public service, which Olivier espoused, was in retreat. Having staged eight productions for the National, Blakemore found himself increasingly uncomfortable under Hall's regime. Stage Blood is the candid and at times painfully funny story of the events that led to his dramatic exit in 1976. He recalls the theatrical triumphs and flops, his volatile relationship with Olivier including directing him in Long Day's Journey into Night, the extravagant dinners in Hall's Barbican flat with Harold Pinter, Jonathan Miller and the other associates, the opening of the new building, and Blakemore's brave and misrepresented decision to speak out. He would not return to the National for fifteen years.

Download or read book Blood Rush written by Jan Verplaetse and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2020-03-16 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a young man, Jan Verplaetse saw a hare suspended from a meat hook, skinned and gutted. What struck him so forcefully at the time was not the animal itself, but the blood gently dripping from its mouth. His reaction prompted the start of a quest he undertakes in this book: to investigate our fascination with blood, the most vital of fluids. Blood Rush shows how, throughout history, blood has had the capacity to intoxicate us, to the point that we lose ourselves, whether in violence, through hunting, fighting, or killing, or in the vicarious thrill of watching sporting events, horror films, or video games. Are these feelings physical, or in our imagination? Where does the magic of blood come from? In his deeply researched and provocative narrative, Verplaetse moves from antiquity to the present, from magic to experimental psychology, from philosophy to religion and scientific discoveries, to demonstrate why blood at once attracts and repels us.

Download or read book Five Quarts written by Bill B. Hayes and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2006-02-14 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “This beguiling brew of fascinating scientific facts and illuminating, poignant anecdotes makes Five Quarts something like blood itself: vital and pulsing with energy.” –Entertainment Weekly From ancient Rome, where gladiators drank the blood of vanquished foes to gain strength and courage, to modern-day laboratories, where machines test blood for diseases and scientists search for elusive cures, Bill Hayes takes us on a whirlwind journey through history, literature, mythology, and science by way of the great red river that runs five quarts strong through our bodies. Hayes also recounts the impact of the vital fluid in his daily life, from growing up in a household of five sisters and their monthly cycles to his enduring partnership with an HIV-positive man. As much a biography of blood as it is a memoir of how this rich substance has shaped one man’s life, Five Quarts is by turns whimsical and provocative, informative and moving.

Download or read book A Way of Life written by Reginald Kray and published by Pan Macmillan. This book was released on 2016-02-25 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When we think of the Kray Legend, we think of Sixties London, an underground culture that has all but vanished. Reg Kray was the torchbearer of that era in British history. But despite ongoing press interest in the world of the Krays, few have an understanding of Reg the man - a man who spent half of his life in prison and who died of cancer in October 2000. Sidgwick & Jackson published Reg and Ron's joint memoir, Our Story, in 1988, and Ron Kray's autobiography, My Story, in 1993. This is Reggie's story, a diary of the life he lived, with reflections on the past and the new role he found for himself 'on the inside'. It is a story of courage and remorse, revelation and friendship. For the first time he speaks of his marriage to Roberta, of his relationship with his brothers Ron, who died five years ago, and Charlie, who died April 2000, putting certain misconceptions straight. Updated with a new chapter by Roberta Kray, this is a valuable document for future generations and a fascinating insight into prison life.

Download or read book Blood Year written by David Kilcullen and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Quarterly Essay 58 Blood Year written by David Kilcullen and published by . This book was released on 2015-06-04 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Last year was a 'blood year' in the Middle East - massacres and beheadings, fallen cities, collapsed and collapsing states, the unravelling of a decade of Western strategy. We saw the rise of ISIS, the splintering of government in Iraq, and foreign fighters - many from Europe, Australia and Africa - flowing into Syria at a rate ten times that during the height of the Iraq War. What went wrong? In Blood Year, David Kilcullen calls on twenty - five years' experience to answer that question. This is a vivid, urgent account of the War on Terror by someone who helped shape its strategy, as well as witnessing its evolution on the ground. Kilcullen looks to strategy and history to make sense of the crisis. What are the roots and causes of the global jihad movement? What is ISIS? What threats does it pose to Australia? What does its rise say about the effectiveness of the War on Terror since 9/11, and what does a coherent strategy look like after a disastrous year? 'As things stand in mid - 2015, Western countries ... face a larger, more unified, capable, experienced and savage enemy, in a less stable, more fragmented region. It isn't just ISIS - al - Qaeda has emerged from its eclipse and is back in the game in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Syria and Yemen. We're dealing with not one, but two global terrorist organisations, each with its own regional branches, plus a vastly larger radicalised population at home and a massive flow of foreign fighters.' - David Kilcullen, Blood Year.

Download or read book Blood Work A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution written by Holly Tucker and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2011-03-21 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Excellent…Tucker’s chronicle of the world of 17th-century science in London and Paris is fascinating." —The Economist In December 1667, maverick physician Jean Denis transfused calf’s blood into one of Paris’s most notorious madmen. Days later, the madman was dead and Denis was framed for murder. A riveting exposé of the fierce debates, deadly politics, and cutthroat rivalries behind the first transfusion experiments, Blood Work takes us from dissection rooms in palaces to the streets of Paris, providing an unforgettable portrait of an era that wrestled with the same questions about morality and experimentation that haunt medical science today.

Download or read book The Law of Blood written by Johann Chapoutot and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2018-04-02 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The scale and the depth of Nazi brutality seem to defy understanding. What could drive people to fight, kill, and destroy with such ruthless ambition? Observers and historians have offered countless explanations since the 1930s. According to Johann Chapoutot, we need to understand better how the Nazis explained it themselves. We need a clearer view, in particular, of how they were steeped in and spread the idea that history gave them no choice: it was either kill or die. Chapoutot, one of France’s leading historians, spent years immersing himself in the texts and images that reflected and shaped the mental world of Nazi ideologues, and that the Nazis disseminated to the German public. The party had no official ur-text of ideology, values, and history. But a clear narrative emerges from the myriad works of intellectuals, apparatchiks, journalists, and movie-makers that Chapoutot explores. The story went like this: In the ancient world, the Nordic-German race lived in harmony with the laws of nature. But since Late Antiquity, corrupt foreign norms and values—Jewish values in particular—had alienated Germany from itself and from all that was natural. The time had come, under the Nazis, to return to the fundamental law of blood. Germany must fight, conquer, and procreate, or perish. History did not concern itself with right and wrong, only brute necessity. A remarkable work of scholarship and insight, The Law of Blood recreates the chilling ideas and outlook that would cost millions their lives.