Charles River

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the fighting written by generals and soldiers on both sides *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "They've got us surrounded - the poor bastards." - American army medic in Bastogne, December 20th, 1944 After the successful amphibious invasion on D-Day in June 1944, the Allies began racing east toward Germany and liberating France along the way. The Allies had landed along a 50 mile stretch of French coast, and despite suffering 8,000 casualties on D-Day, over 100,000 still began the march across the western portion of the continent. By the end of August 1944, the German Army in France was shattered, with 200,000 killed or wounded and a further 200,000 captured. However, Adolf Hitler reacted to the news of invasion with glee, figuring it would give the Germans a chance to destroy the Allied armies that had water to their backs. As he put it, "The news couldn't be better. We have them where we can destroy them." While that sounds delusional in retrospect, it was Hitler's belief that by splitting the Allied march across Europe in their drive toward Germany, he could cause the collapse of the enemy armies and cut off their supply lines. Part of Hitler's confidence came as a result of underestimating American resolve, but with the Soviets racing toward Berlin from the east, this final offensive would truly be the last gasp of the German war machine, and the month long campaign was fought over a large area of the Ardennes Forest, through France, Belgium and parts of Luxembourg. From an Allied point of view, the operations were commonly referred to as the Ardennes Offensive, while the German code phrase for the operation was Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein ("Operation Watch on the Rhine"), with the initial breakout going under the name of "Operation Mist." Today, Americans know it best as the Battle of the Bulge. Bastogne would become a legendary linchpin in the defense against the Ardennes Offensive, in part for its strategic importance but also because of the almost superhuman effort made to protect it. Seven important roads converged with the town of Bastogne, and the Germans, on their way to Antwerp, recognized its importance as a hub, but with the weather obscuring the military map and intelligence at an unusually low rate of abundance or reliability, no Americans on the ground, from private to general, knew precisely what was about to happen, or in what way it would manifest itself. Three officers, Colonel S. L. A. Marshall, Captain John G. Westover and Lieutenant A. Joseph Webber, collaborated to put it quite succinctly in the Washington Infantry Journal when they described Bastogne as "a series of small, dramatic military actions related more by circumstances beyond the control of the defensive forces involved than by the design of a single commander..." In an astonishing feat of planning, logistics and discipline, Patton's army redirected 133,000 vehicles, 62,000 tons of supplies, and the vehicles and men covered a combined distance of 1.5 million miles. To his superiors' amazement, Patton was poised to reach Bastogne and attack the Germans on December 22, and on December 21, he told Bradley, "Brad, this time the Kraut's stuck his head in the meat grinder, and I've got hold of the handle." Of course, for Patton's Third Army to relieve the siege, the men had to hold out a few days, which they were able to do because supplies were parachuted in and the Germans eschewed frontal assaults. In the end, Patton's army reached Bastogne in 4 days and lifted the siege, even he used superlatives to describe the action at Bastogne, calling it "the most brilliant operation we have thus far performed, and it is in my opinion the outstanding achievement of the war. This is my biggest battle."

*Includes pictures *Includes medieval accounts of the siege and the First Crusade *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ's heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade] all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it is meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it." - Pope Urban II, 1095 Of the many campaigns during the Middle Ages, few are as remarkable or seemingly impossible to win at the start as the First Crusade (1095-99), and the true crowning achievement of that crusade, which resulted in two centuries of Western European Christian states in the Middle East and the permanent firing of the European imagination, was the conquest of Jerusalem on July 15, 1099 after three weeks of siege. That victorious siege came four years after the call for a crusade first went out, and had the Crusaders not taken Jerusalem, the First Crusade would not likely have been followed by any more and the campaign might have been no more than an historical footnote of what could have been. As it turned out, the siege of Jerusalem and the crusade as a whole says much about the first major clash of Western and Eastern military tactics after the fall of the Roman Empire, as well as the power of faith and even fanaticism to motivate people beyond ordinary human endurance. For better and worse, the siege and fall of Jerusalem to the Crusaders has become a fundamental piece in the current view of the West in that part of the world. Indeed, to this day, the First Crusade remains a polarizing event, even among modern historians. For some, the Crusaders were heroes and saints, and for others they were devils who disrupted the peaceful local sects of Muslims, Jews, and Christians, establishing an alien colony that heralded modern European imperialism. In fact, the First Crusade is a good example of why it is unwise to choose sides in history, because neither side was correct and the situation was highly complex. Though it went largely unremarked in the Islamic world at the time, the First Crusade has since become a contentious symbol of European imperialism in the Middle East. Debate over whether the Crusades can truly be perceived as an early example of European colonialism continues in medieval historiography, though the evidence for this is thin. The territory taken by the Franks from the Turks had previously belonged to Eastern Christians and had only recently been seized by the Turks themselves. The Crusader States were relatively small and weak, and they were reconquered centuries before modern European colonialism began. The Crusaders themselves saw it as a holy war of reclamation of previously lost (albeit almost-mythical) territory. To them, the Muslims were the first aggressors, and they were somewhat bolstered in this view by the support that they largely held from local Christians. The Siege of Jerusalem in 1099 traces the history and legacy of the decisive campaign of the First Crusade. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the siege of Jerusalem like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes passengers' and crew members' accounts of the attack and sinking *Discusses the debates over whether the Lusitania was smuggling weapons *Includes a bibliography for further reading In 1906, the RMS Lusitania was at the forefront of transatlantic shipping. Briefly the largest ship in the world, the designers and engineers who built the Lusitania aimed for her to represent the height of luxury for passengers while also being the harbinger of a new technological age, replete with revolutionary engines that would allow the gigantic ship to move at speeds that would have been considered impossible just years earlier. Indeed, the highly competitive industry would spur the development of bigger and better ocean liners in the coming years, the most famous being the Titanic. The Lusitania and the Titanic would become the two most famous ships of the early 20th century for tragic reasons, but the circumstances could not have been more different. While the Titanic is still notorious for being the world's best ocean liner at the time of its collision with an iceberg in 1912, the Lusitania's role as a popular ocean liner has been almost completely obscured by the nature of its sinking by a German U-boat in 1915. The Germans aimed to disrupt trade by the Allied forces, but they did not have the naval forces capable of seizing merchant ships and detaining them. Furthermore, the Germans rightly suspected that the British and Americans were using passenger liners and merchant ships to smuggle weaponry across the Atlantic, but since their sole edge in the Atlantic was their fleet of submarines, the Germans had no way of confirming their suspicions, short of sinking a ship and seeing if a detonation on board suggested the presence of munitions and gunpowder. The Germans targeted many British merchant ships, but on May 7, 1915, a German U-boat controversially torpedoed the Lusitania, which sank less than 20 minutes after being struck. The attack killed over 1,000 people, including over 100 American civilians, infuriating the United States. After sinking the ship, the Germans immediately claimed that the boat was carrying "contraband of war" and was in a war zone, charges vehemently denied by the United States and the British. For awhile, the Germans tightened restrictions on their use of U-boats to placate the Americans and seek to keep them out of the war (though the restrictions would not last). The sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 was the first major event that shifted public opinion in the United States, and support for joining the war began to rise across the country. Many Americans joined the "Preparedness Movement," which advocated at least preparing for war if not entering the war outright, and though the country would not declare war against Germany for two more years, the sinking of the Lusitania is still cited as a key event that set America on the path toward joining the war. Given the importance of its sinking, debate over whether the Lusitania was carrying explosive munitions has raged on ever since. When the U-boat's torpedo hit the Lusitania and exploded, a second explosion followed the first explosion shortly after, and the Germans cited the second explosion as evidence that the torpedo had hit weapons munitions that ignited the second explosion, a charge that was strongly denied by the British. It would take multiple investigations, declassified documents, and even dives to the wreckage to determine whether the Lusitania was smuggling arms, and whether such munitions triggered the second explosion. The Sinking of the Lusitania chronicles the construction and destruction of one of the most notorious ships of the 20th century. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the sinking of the Lusitania like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes passengers' accounts of the ship's last day and its sinking *Includes a bibliography for further reading "Barrels and chairs were being thrown overboard. Then suddenly, when we still seemed very near, we saw the ship was sinking rapidly. I was in the bow of the boat with my daughter and turned to see the great ship take a plunge toward the bow, the two forward funnels seemed to lean and then she seemed to break in half as if cut with a knife, and as the bow went under the lights went out; the stern stood up for several minutes, black against the stars, and then that, too, plunged down, and there was no sound for what seemed like hours, and then began the cries for help of people drowning all around us, which seemed to go on forever." - Emily Ryerson Just before midnight on April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic, the largest ship in the world, hit an iceberg, starting a chain of events that would ultimately make it history's most famous, and notorious, ship. In the over 100 years since it sank on its maiden voyage, the Titanic has been the subject of endless fascination, as evidenced by the efforts to find its final resting spot, the museums full of its objects, and the countless books, documentaries, and movies made about the doomed ocean liner. The Titanic was neither the first nor last big ship to sink, so it's clear that much of its appeal stems from the nature of ship itself. Indeed, the Titanic stands out not just for its end but for its beginning, specifically the fact that it was the most luxurious passenger ship ever built at the time. In addition to the time it took to come up with the design, the giant ship took a full three years to build, and no effort or cost was spared to outfit the Titanic in the most lavish ways. Given that the Titanic was over 100 feet tall, nearly 900 feet long, and over 90 feet wide, it's obvious that those who built her and provided all of its famous amenities had plenty of work to do. The massive ship was carrying thousands of passengers and crew members, each with their own experiences on board, and the various amenities offered among the different classes of passengers ensured that life on some decks of the ship was quite different than life on others. Thanks to the dramatization of the Titanic's sinking and the undying interest in the story, millions of people are familiar with various aspects of the ship's demise, and the nearly 1,500 people who died in the North Atlantic in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912. The sinking of the ship is still nearly as controversial now as it was over 100 years ago, and the drama is just as compelling. The Sinking of the RMS Titanic chronicles the ship's final hours and the tragedy that ensued, explaining what happened. It also documents different passengers' accounts of that fateful night. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the sinking of the Titanic like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the fighting written by generals, soldiers, and journalists *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "We have been too often disappointed by the optimism of the American leaders, both in Vietnam and Washington, to have faith any longer in the silver linings they find in the darkest clouds...we are mired in a stalemate that could only be ended by negotiation, not victory." - Walter Cronkite, February 27, 1968 Before the Vietnam War, most Americans would have been hard pressed to locate Vietnam on a map. South Vietnamese President Diem's regime was extremely unpopular, and war broke out between Communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam around the end of the 1950s. Kennedy's administration tried to prop up the South Vietnamese with training and assistance, but the South Vietnamese military was feeble. A month before his death, Kennedy signed a presidential directive withdrawing 1,000 American personnel, and shortly after Kennedy's assassination, new President Lyndon B. Johnson reversed course, instead opting to expand American assistance to South Vietnam. Over the next few years, the American military commitment to South Vietnam grew dramatically, and the war effort became both deeper and more complex. The strategy included parallel efforts to strengthen the economic and political foundations of the South Vietnamese regime, to root out the Viet Cong guerrilla insurgency in the south, combat the more conventional North Vietnamese Army (NVA) near the Demilitarized Zone between north and south, and bomb military and industrial targets in North Vietnam itself. In public, American military officials and members of the Johnson administration stressed their tactical successes and offered rosy predictions; speaking before the National Press Club in November 1967, General Westmoreland claimed, "I have never been more encouraged in the four years that I have been in Vietnam. We are making real progress... I am absolutely certain that whereas in 1965 the enemy was winning, today he is certainly losing." (New York Times, November 22, 1967). Early in 1968, a massive coordinated Viet Cong operation - the Tet Offensive - briefly paralyzed American and South Vietnamese forces across the country, threatening even the American embassy compound in Saigon. With this, the smiling mask slipped even further, inflaming the burgeoning antiwar movement. Although American soldiers didn't lose a battle strategically during the campaign, the Tet Offensive made President Johnson non-credible and historically unpopular, to the extent that he did not run for reelection in 1968. Nearly 50 years after the campaign, the Tet Offensive continues to inspire impassioned and occasionally bitter debate among historians, military officers, government officials, veterans, journalists, and the public at large. Was the large-scale Communist assault a strategic masterstroke that demolished American popular support for the war effort? Was it a catastrophic misstep that effectively broke the back of the Viet Cong guerrilla forces in South Vietnam? Did Tet expose the Johnson administration's optimistic pronouncements as a deliberate pattern of lies and obfuscations designed to mislead the American public about the true nature of the war? Or did anti-war elements in the news media betray their public trust by mischaracterizing a substantial American victory as a shocking and catastrophic defeat? In the words of the historian Richard Falk, the Tet Offensive "remains a mirror for restating opposed preconceptions and validating contending ideological biases." (Falk, 11). Perhaps the only proposition to win universal agreement is that the Tet Offensive represented a significant turning point. The conflict in Vietnam would continue for years after Tet, but it would never be the same.

*Includes pictures depicting important people, places, and events in each man's life. Discusses interesting, lesser known facts about each man and answers common myths and misconceptions about them. Was Alexander referenced in the Qur'an? What were Caesar's last words? Was Napoleon really short? Includes bibliographies on Napoleon and Alexander for further reading. Over the last 2,000 years, ambitious men have dreamed of conquering vast empires and attaining eternal glory in battle, but of all the men who took steps toward such dreams, few were as successful as Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, and Napoleon Bonaparte, all of whom have been inextricably tied together by their successes and ambitions. Over the last 200 years, would-be conquerors and generals hoped to rival Napoleon's accomplishments, while Napoleon aimed to emulate the accomplishments of Julius Caesar. But Caesar himself found inspiration in Alexander the Great (356-323 B. C.), the Macedonian King who managed to stretch an empire from Greece to the Himalayas in Asia at just 30 years old. It took less than 15 years for Alexander to conquer much of the known world. Alexander was responsible for establishing 20 cities in his name across the world, most notably Alexandria in Egypt, and he was directly responsible for spreading Ancient Greek culture as far east as modern day India and other parts of Asia. Hannibal has the distinction of being the only man who nearly brought Rome to its knees before its decline almost 700 years later. Rome never suffered a more horrifying defeat in its history than at Cannae, and indeed, Hannibal nearly rewrote the course of Western history during the Second Punic War. Even today there remains great debate on just how he accomplished his masterful invasion of Italy across the Alps. Since his army included war elephants, historians still argue over exactly where and how he crossed over 2,000 years after he managed that incredible feat. Hannibal will always be listed among history's greatest generals, and his military campaign in Italy during the Second Punic War will always be studied, but part of the aura and mystique surrounding the Carthaginian legend is that there is still a lot of mystery. The ultimate conqueror, statesman, dictator, visionary, and opportunist, during his time in power Caesar expanded the borders of Rome to almost twice their previous size, revolutionized the infrastructure of the Roman state, and destroyed the Roman Republic for good, leaving a line of emperors in its place. His legacy is so strong that his name has become, in many languages, synonymous with power: the Emperors of Austria and Germany bore the title Kaiser, and the Czars of Russia also owe the etymology of their title to Caesar. His name also crept further eastward out of Europe, even cropping up in Hindi and Urdu, where the term for "Emperor" is Kaisar. In a world fascinated by men like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan is one of history's greatest and most famous conquerors. No man, before or since, has ever started with so little and gone on to achieve so much. From a noble family but raised in poverty that drove him to the brink of starvation, Genghis Khan rose to control the second-largest empire the world has ever known (the largest being, arguably, the British Empire of the 18th and 19th centuries), and easily the largest empire conquered by a single man. Napoleon Bonaparte was the most successful French leader since Charlemagne and widely acknowledged as one of the greatest generals ever. Indeed, Napoleon was likely the most influential man of the 19th century, leaving an indelible mark on everything from the strategy and tactics of warfare to the Napoleonic Code that drafted laws across the continent. To defeat Napoleon, the Europeans had to form large coalitions multiple times, which helped bring about the entangling alliances that sparked World Wa

*Includes historic illustrations of Anne Bonny and important people in her life. *Includes a profile of Anne Bonny from the famous English pirate history "A General History of the Pyrates". *Discusses common legends about Anne Bonny and what is known and unknown about her. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "The Day that Rackam was executed, by special Favour, he was admitted to see her; but all the Comfort she gave him, was, that she was sorry to see him there, but if he had fought like a Man, he need not have been hang'd like a Dog." - Captain Charles Johnson, A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates The people who have lived outside the boundaries of normal societies and refused to play by the rules have long fascinated the world, and nowhere is this more evident than the continuing interest in the pirates of centuries past. As the subjects of books, movies, and even theme park rides, people continue to let their imaginations go when it comes to pirates, with buried treasure, parrots, and walking the plank all ingrained in pop culture's perception of them. Charles River Editors' Legendary Pirates series covers the lives, piracy, legends, myths, and legacies of history's most famous pirates. One of the most famous pirates of all time, and possibly the most famous woman to ever become one, was Anne Bonny. The Irish-born girl moved with her family to the Bahamas at a young age in the early 18th century, which at that time was a hotbed for piracy by the likes of Blackbeard, but the redhead with a fiery temper would go on to forge her own reputation. After marrying a poor sailor who accepted clemency to give up piracy, Anne began a legendary affair with Calico Jack Rackam and became pregnant with his child, but that did not stop them from plundering the high seas aboard his pirate ship Revenge, at least until they were captured by British authorities. Anne avoided execution by "pleading her belly", getting a temporary stay of execution due to her pregnancy. It is at that point that Anne Bonny drops off the historical record and becomes the stuff of legends. It's unclear whether she was eventually executed or pardoned or even ransomed, and it's unclear what became of her child. Her relationship with Mary Read aboard the Revenge is also the stuff of legends, and people have been filling in the gaps ever since. Legendary Pirates: The Life and Legacy of Anne Bonny looks at the mysterious life and legends of the famous female pirate, attempting to separate fact from fiction while analyzing her lasting legacy. Along with pictures depicting Anne Bonny and important people in her life, you will learn about the famous pirate like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Includes historic illustrations of Black Bart and other important people, places, and events in his life. *Includes a profile of Black Bart from the famous English pirate history "A General History of the Pyrates". *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Roberts was a tall black Man, near forty Years of Age...of good natural Parts, and personal Bravery, tho' he applied them to such wicked Purposes, as made them of no Commendation, frequently drinking Damn to him who ever lived to wear a Halter... Roberts himself made a gallant Figure, at the Time of the Engagement, being dressed in a rich crimson Damask Wastcoat and Breeches, a red Feather in his Hat, a Gold Chain round his Neck, with a Diamond Cross hanging to it, a Sword in his Hand, and two Pair of Pistols hanging at the End of a Silk Sling, flung over his Shoulders (according to the Fashion of the Pyrates;)..." - Captain Charles Johnson, A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates The people who have lived outside the boundaries of normal societies and refused to play by the rules have long fascinated the world, and nowhere is this more evident than the continuing interest in the pirates of centuries past. As the subjects of books, movies, and even theme park rides, people continue to let their imaginations go when it comes to pirates, with buried treasure, parrots, and walking the plank all ingrained in pop culture's perception of them. Charles River Editors' Legendary Pirates series covers the lives, piracy, legends, myths, and legacies of history's most famous pirates. The Golden Age of Piracy generally refers to the era when history's most famous pirates roamed the seas of the West Indies from 1670-1720, engaging in colorfully daring and oftentimes murderous attacks on any ship they felt emboldened enough to take on. And it is no coincidence that the end of the Golden Age was marked by the deaths of Blackbeard and Bartholomew Roberts, best known as Black Bart. Black Bart may not be as well known today as other pirates of the era, but he was truly the gold standard during the Golden Age of Piracy. Despite the fact he was initially reluctant to become a pirate and had to be talked into it, Roberts and his crew captured nearly 500 ships in just a few years, making him the most successful pirate in history. Although he was the most successful pirate of his time, he suffered a fate typical of the era's legendary pirates. In a battle with a Royal Navy ship in February 1722, Black Bart was killed by artillery on deck and his ships were captured, but not before his crew had tossed his body overboard, never to be seen again. Black Bart's death in battle was so important that pirate historian Marcus Rediker would later write, "The defeat of Roberts and the subsequent eradication of piracy off the coast of Africa represented a turning point in the slave trade and even in the larger history of capitalism." While Black Bart's success and infamous demise were both important parts of his story, the main reason he has endured is that he gave rise to some of the best known pirate stereotypes. In addition to making his crew swear to and uphold a pirate code, Roberts was known as a colorfully courageous commander who looked the part with extravagant costumes. It is thus no surprise that Roberts has been depicted as one of the foremost pirates of the age in literature and film, including in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Legendary Pirates: The Life and Legacy of Bartholomew Roberts (Black Bart) looks at the life and legends of the famous pirate, attempting to separate fact from fiction while analyzing his lasting legacy. Along with pictures depicting Roberts and important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about the famous pirate like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Includes historic illustrations of Howell Davis and other important people, places, and events in his life. *Includes a profile of Howell Davis from the famous English pirate history "A General History of the Pyrates". *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Captain Davis...allowing for the course of life he had been unhappily engaged in, was a most generous, humane person." - Captain William Snelgrave The people who have lived outside the boundaries of normal societies and refused to play by the rules have long fascinated the world, and nowhere is this more evident than the continuing interest in the pirates of centuries past. As the subjects of books, movies, and even theme park rides, people continue to let their imaginations go when it comes to pirates, with buried treasure, parrots, and walking the plank all ingrained in pop culture's perception of them. Charles River Editors' Legendary Pirates series covers the lives, piracy, legends, myths, and legacies of history's most famous pirates. Despite having one of the shortest careers of history's most famous pirates, Captain Howell Davis had one of the most colorful and important years during the Golden Age of Piracy. Though little is known about his life before July 1718, when he joined a pirate crew after they captured the slaver ship he was working on, it's a testament to his abilities that he became the captain of one of the pirates' ships very quickly after they had commandeered his ship. It also didn't take him long to earn a reputation for being devious and cunning, and more than once he was able to lie and bluff his way to taking a ship that probably could have defended itself against him. It was during one of his most daring escapades that one of his ruses was undone on the island of Principe, a Portugese holding at the time. Though Davis didn't know it, one of his deceptions was unmasked, and the island's governor put his own plot in motion, setting Davis up for an ambush that left him and some of his men dead. But even in death, Davis remained influential; he had taken a pirate named Bartholomew Roberts under his wing, and Black Bart would succeed Davis as captain upon his death. Legendary Pirates: The Life and Legacy of Howell Davis looks at the life and legacy of the famous pirate, attempting to separate fact from fiction. Along with pictures depicting Captain Davis and important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about the pirate like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures*Includes online resources and a bibliography for further readingGeorge Washington, the first President of the United States, warned against the formation of political parties, but it did not take long for American politicians to ignore him and draw a line in the sand regarding the power of the federal government and that of the individual states. That said, the line ebbed away among the bloodshed of the War of 1812, and until the election of 1828, American politics experienced the so-called Era of Good Feelings, during which Americans took heed of Washington's words and set aside party lines for a supposed new era of political cooperation. Following the tradition begun by his predecessors, James Monroe refused to run for a third term in office in 1824, leaving the White House wide open in the most regionally divisive election in American history. It began with John Quincy Adams, who was the favored candidate of the New England states. They recognized and respected his lifelong service to his country, as well as his experience and intellect. On the other hand, Southern voters favored Henry Clay, the acclaimed Speaker of the House who helped broker the Missouri Compromise, and they believed "The Great Compromiser" had the skills needed to continue to navigate the increasingly turbulent waters surrounding slavery. Meanwhile, William Crawford had the support of former presidents Jefferson and Madison but was in very poor health. Finally, Andrew Jackson had made quite a name for himself in the famous Battle of New Orleans and was the darling of the rugged people settling the expanding American West. All of the candidates were members of the Democratic-Republican Party, though Adams appealed to the former Federalists in New England thanks to his famous father. Not surprisingly, when Election Day rolled around, no candidate gained a majority in the Electoral College. While Jackson had won a plurality of the popular vote and electoral votes, he did not have the necessary majority of electoral votes needed to secure the presidency. In keeping with the rules laid down by the 12th Amendment, the House of Representatives had to choose between the top three candidates: Jackson, Adams and Crawford. Clay came in fourth and would never be president. However, he remained Speaker of the House and thus had tremendous influence over who would. While Clay disagreed vehemently with Adams over the issue of slavery, the two men agreed on most other matters, including higher tariffs and the need for internal improvements in America's roads and waterways. Thus, he threw his support behind Adams, who was chosen president by the House with the first ballot, cast on February 9, 1825. Having won the most votes, Jackson was already upset that he was not given the presidency, but when John Quincy Adams appointed Henry Clay to be his Secretary of State after Clay had played kingmaker in the House and thrown his support behind Adams, the Jacksonian Democrats were enraged. With accusations that the two had reached a corrupt bargain behind closed doors, Adams was already tainted before he could even start governing the nation. To understand the context of Jackson's accusations, it's necessary to remember that during this era, the office of Secretary of State, not Vice President, was seen as the conduit to the presidency. Adams had been in politics for most of his adult life, but his contemporaries and historians were both puzzled by the fact that he either refused to play politics or did not know how. Some have speculated that he did not like being president, while others have pointed to the Jacksonians also refusing to play ball due to their displeasure with the election results.

*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading They say that one is subjected to a sobering sample of what can only be described as an existential crisis when traversing the golden and seemingly infinite terrain of the Sahara Desert. If one climbed any of the countless sand dunes and twirled around in a place, particularly under the starlit sky, they would scarcely be able to tell east from west without a compass, for there would be nothing but dizzying carpets of indistinguishable sand hills unfurling into the distant horizon. Daunting thoughts of purpose and self-worth aside, people fortunate enough to visit this sandy wonderland via a heavy-duty SUV, or more traditionally a hired camel caravan, are treated to a truly breathtaking sight. The wave-like ripples caressing the beautiful collection of irregularly shaped sand dunes, some barely half a story and others close to 600 feet in height, are as unique as the etchings on one's fingertips. To some, they are Mother Nature's stretch marks. To others, the wind-prompted patterns might conjure up an image of a god with a rake in hand, whistling carelessly and combing through the gritty grains of sand, as one would with a miniature zen garden to melt away their stresses. It is easy to see why people might feel helplessly small and insignificant, especially when thrust into and lost in such a hauntingly beautiful, but perilous and apparently fathomless landscape. The smattering of flora and fauna stingily peppered throughout the immense slab of barren land would do little to pacify a fluttering stomach. Moreover, a somewhat menacing, monotonous drone pierces the silence, emitted by the vibrations of the sand grains cascading down the dunes. The musicians behind these dreary tunes are none other than the pockets of wind massaging these mountains of sand, and the peculiar phenomenon, evocative of a chorus of crying conch shells or a buzzing colony of incandescent bees, sends a tickle down one's spine. Of course, these curious sounds are anything but curious to those who inhabit or trek through these parts frequently. Some have become habituated to the humming of the dunes, so much so that they feel disquieted without it. The soundtrack it provides for their otherwise taxing journeys allows for self-reflective rumination and meditative musings, many of whom achieve a sense of inner peace through the soothing melody of the crooning dunes. But to a few, the songs of the dune are far more than merely white noise. Listen closely, they say, and one can almost hear the sand singing about the compelling historical events and fascinatingly complex life that shape this mystical desert. The Sahara: The History and Legacy of the World's Greatest Desert examines the history of Earth's largest hot desert. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Sahara like never before.

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of fighting *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading Submarine warfare began tentatively during the American Civil War (though the Netherlands and England made small prototypes centuries earlier, and the American sergeant Ezra Lee piloted the one-man "Turtle" vainly against HMS Eagle near New York in 1776). Robert Whitehead's invention of the torpedo introduced the weapon later used most frequently by submarines. Steady improvements to Whitehead's design led to the military torpedoes deployed against shipping during both World Wars. During World War I, German U-boats operated solo except on one occasion. Initially, the British and nations supplying England with food and materiel scattered vessels singly across the ocean, making them vulnerable to the lone submarines. However, widespread late war re-adoption of the convoy system tipped the odds in the surface ships' favor, as one U-boat skipper described: "The oceans at once became bare and empty; for long periods at a time the U-boats, operating individually, would see nothing at all; and then suddenly up would loom a huge concourse of ships, thirty or fifty or more of them, surrounded by a strong escort of warships of all types." (Blair, 1996, 55). World War I proved the value of submarines, ensuring their widespread employment in the next conflict, but by using U-boats against the shipping that kept Britain supplied, it might have ultimately cost Germany and Austria-Hungary the war by providing a reason for President Woodrow Wilson to bring the United States into the struggle. One critical innovation in World War II's Atlantic U-boat operations consisted of wolf-pack tactics, in which Admiral Karl D nitz put great faith: "The greater the number of U-boats that could be brought simultaneously into the attack, the more favourable would become the opportunities offered to each individual attacker. ...] it was obvious that, on strategic and general tactical grounds, attacks on convoys must be carried out by a number of U-boats acting in unison." (D nitz, 1990, 4). However, even the wolf-pack proved insufficient to defeat the Atlantic convoys and stop Allied commerce - the precise opposite of the Pacific theater, where America's excellent submarine forces annihilated much of Japan's merchant marine and inflicted severe damage on the Imperial Japanese Navy. Submarines exercised a decisive impact on the outcome of the Pacific Theater in World War II. The U. S. submarine fleet, largely though not exclusively under the overall command of Vice Admiral Charles Lockwood, strangled the supply lines and shipping traffic of the Empire of Japan. Their commerce raiding crippled both Japan's ability to keep its frontline units supplied and to manufacture the weapons, vessels, and vehicles needed to successfully carry on the struggle. Though constituting only 1.6% of the total U. S. Navy's tonnage in the Pacific, the submarine fleet inflicted massive losses on the Imperial Japanese Navy and Japan's crucial merchant marine. Submarines sank 55% of the merchant shipping lost, or approximately 1,300 vessels; overall, the Allies sank 77% of Japan's shipping. The submarines also sank 214 Japanese warships, including 82 of 1,000 tons or more - 4 carriers, 4 escort carriers, one battleship, 4 heavy cruisers, 9 light cruisers, 38 destroyers, and 23 submarines - or approximately 30% of the entire Imperial Japanese Navy. The sleek, predatory craft made in the shipyards of Virginia, Wisconsin, or Washington state devastated the naval and freighter assets of the Empire of the Rising Sun out of all proportion to their numbers, at a cost of 42 submarines on "Eternal Patrol." Submarines and the World Wars: The History of Submarine Warfare in World War I and World War II analyzes the underwater fighting during both great conflicts.

*Includes famous art depicting Antony, Cleopatra, and important people, places, and events in their lives. *Discusses the mysteries still surrounding the suicides of Antony & Cleopatra. He was one of the most unique and best known figures of antiquity, a man whose relationships with some of history's giants ensured his own legacy. She was a legendary figure even to contemporary Romans and the ancient world, a controversial figure who was equally reviled and praised through the years, depicted as a benevolent ruler and an evil seductress, sometimes at the same time. Together they created one of history's most famous and tragic love stories, all while shaping the fate of the ancient world. A prot g of Julius Caesar's, a sworn enemy of Cicero's, and a foil for Octavian, Mark Antony has long been remembered for the role he played in others' lives more than for his own accomplishments. While Antony's relationships with Rome's most famous leaders and history's most famous woman were central components in his lives, the fact that his legacy has been intertwined with them belies the fact that he was a powerful man in his own right. Coming up as a capable and competent military man who Caesar trusted as his right hand, Antony parlayed that into governing Rome itself while Caesar fought Pompey. After Caesar's assassination in 44 B. C., Antony deftly navigated from tenuous footing as a declared enemy of the state to become one of Rome's two most powerful leaders, arguably its most powerful, in just a matter of years, outmaneuvering and getting the best of enemies like Brutus and Cicero. At the same time, Antony was notorious in his own time for his voracious appetite for vice, and the branding of him as a boor has persisted for over 2,000 years. Over 2,000 years after her death, everything about Cleopatra continues to fascinate people around the world, from her lineage as a Ptolemaic pharaoh, her physical features, the manner in which she seduced Caesar, her departure during the Battle of Actium, and her famous suicide. And despite being one of the most famous figures in history, there is still much mystery surrounding her, leading historians and archaeologists scouring Alexandria, Egypt for clues about her life and the whereabouts of her royal palace and tomb. Of course, Antony & Cleopatra has become the stuff of legends and countless plays, movies, and art, with their romance continuing to endure as history's most famous love story. Antony & Cleopatra: History's Most Famous Romance provides an entertaining and informative look at the facts and myths surrounding history's most famous lovers and their tragic story. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Antony & Cleopatra like you never have before, in no time at all.