Koncocoo

Best Algeria History

A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 (New York Review Books Classics)
A Savage War of Peace is the definitive history of the Algerian War, a book that brings that terrible and complicated struggle to life with intelligence, assurance, and unflagging momentum. "First the Pentagon plugged the movie, now President Bush is reading the book... A Savage War of Peace , British historian Alistair Horne's celebrated 1977 account of the [Algerian] war...Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who recommended A Savage War of Peace to Bush, said recently on PBS' Charlie Rose Show that he did not believe 'that the French experience could be applied precisely to the United States. "[T]he read of choice for many U.S. military officers serving in Iraq...[this] universally acclaimed history...should have been mandatory reading for the civilian and military leaders who opted to invade Iraq" — The Washington Times. “There is enough to make this the most complete history of the Algerian war yet written, one which will be indispensable for future historians. A “highly readable, toughly edited history that blends the pace and sweep of a work of fiction with a relentless pursuit of every main actor still alive and willing to talk about the war.”– The Washington Post Book World. “An accomplished historian of earlier French wars has written an admirably impartial, lucid and readable book…as full and objective a history of the Algerian war as we are likely to see for some years.” – The New York Times Book Review.
Reviews
"Prior to reading Horne's work, I had never truly appreciated the dynamic between French settlers in Algeria and the political system it helped radically transform. The tragic turns of events that are the results of ghosts conspiring their revenge is something almost melodramatic, if not for the solemn human toll the story recounts."
"Must read to fully understand the French reaction to the Muslim immigration issues."
"The key difference of course (as pointed out by the author) was that the British never claimed India, for example, as an integral part of the homeland, nor did it plant hundreds of thousands of colonists there."
"First it's World War 2 and all the German depredations, then directly after they lose in Vietnam, and onto Algeria for a long and bloody struggle they ultimately lost."
"A Savage War of Peace is Horne's third volume in his history of French Army in the 20th century."
"Good description of French military leadership supplanting civilian government, as well as a less than sympathetic treatment of the the million plus pied-noir population,who eventually lost all due to their intransigence. This account also details the destruction of any liberal agents,both within the Muslim community and the white community This destruction of all of those who might seek to compromise and seek a rational accommodation with their opponents permitted the development of extremism on both the FLN and French side.The brutality of both sides and the internecine struggle and assassinations within the various Arab/non Arab groups within the emerging leadership of the FLN,is well told in non-lurid prose. ISIS's beheading videos,individual acts of Palestinian terrorism on Israeli buses-inept politicians worsening the brew with short sighted and narcissistic posturing."
"An exhaustingly researched and detailed history of a dreadful period in the history of France, Algeria, civilization, Islamic radicalism, and virtually every other controversy now even more pressing."
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The Wretched of the Earth
Bearing singular insight into the rage and frustration of colonized peoples, and the role of violence in effecting historical change, the book incisively attacks the twin perils of postindependence colonial politics: the disenfranchisement of the masses by the elites on the one hand, and intertribal and interfaith animosities on the other. “The writing of Malcolm X or Eldridge Cleaver or Amiri Baraka or the Black Panther leaders reveals how profoundly they have been moved by the thoughts of Frantz Fanon. It is the Communist Manifesto or the Mein Kampf of the anticolonial revolution, and as such it is highly important for any Western reader who wants to understand the emotional force behind that revolution.”— Time.
Reviews
"Excellent purchase, just as expected."
"My introduction to Frantz Fanon as a young man in my middle teens."
"This book was received well before the expected due date and in the best of shape."
"Especially the fact that delivery is instant because its a kindle edition."
"I disagreed with the authors bias, but for a left leaving development student, you'll find this has what you're looking for."
"A must read for Black Americans and others in the diaspora."
"I am indebted to Fanon for taking us inside a real colonial experience."
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Adolfo Kaminsky: A Forger's Life
Recruited as a young Jewish teenager for his knowledge of dyes, Kaminsky became the primary forger for the French Resistance during the Nazi occupation of Paris. Then, as a professional photographer, Kaminsky spent the next twenty-five years clandestinely producing thousands of counterfeit documents for immigrants, exiles, underground political operatives, and pacifists across the globe. Kaminsky kept his past cloaked in secrecy well into his eighties, until his daughter convinced him to share the details of the life-threatening work he did on behalf of people fighting for justice and peace throughout the world. Sarah Kaminsky’s affectionate rendering of her father’s life, with all the intricacies of his trade, is a book not just about a remarkable craftsman, but a man who strove to save every life that was in danger.” (Times Literary Supplement). A detailed and touching story traversing a century in clandestine shadow crossings, where Adolfo's skill meant life... or death. A suspenseful, captivating, and thrilling account of an exceptionally brave and daring man. Penned in unassuming, unembellished language, perhaps as discreet as Adolfo’s self-effacing personality, and rendered in a smooth translation by Mike Mitchell, […] Sarah Kaminsky dons her father’s persona seamlessly by transcribing Adolfo’s account to her in his own voice, so the book reads like a memoir. It is a powerful homage, written with a casual, if poignant, simplicity, often masking heartfelt conundrums.
Reviews
"This book was like no other."
"this a great book but not for everyone as it shows the atrocity that the jews went through I have always read about the Nazi regime and am at a lose as to why they would do this is to innocent people marc."
"Very interesting biography of a Jewish forger who help many Jews escape Germany and captured countries and then helped Jews get to Israel after WWII was over."
"A fascinating true story - well worth reading!"
"the first 25% was good reading."
"Loved this book, loved this reader!"
"Excellent war story, well written and a real page turner."
"didn't finish it."
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Best Nigeria History

There Was a Country: A Memoir
A marriage of history and memoir, vivid firsthand observation and decades of research and reflection, There Was a Country is a work whose wisdom and compassion remind us of Chinua Achebe’s place as one of the great literary and moral voices of our age. The event of a new work by Chinua Achebe is always extraordinary; this one exceeds all expectation.”—Nadine Gordimer, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. In a world where sectarian hatreds augmented by political mediocrity have fractured Syria and threaten to bring Israel and Iran to blows, There Was a Country is a valuable account of how the suffering caused by war is both unnecessary and formative.”— Newsweek.
Reviews
"In addition, I rediscovered some of the books I read as a child in Nigeria and discovered new ones."
"In his concluding passages, Achebe thoughtfully pointed out that the survial of Nigeria depends on a most effective fight against tribalism and corruption, as well as the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference to take another look at the current Nigerian structre. If Nigeria ignores his suggestions on tribalism, corruption and the review of the current Nigerian structure, a doom may befall the nation and it migth cease to exist; then the deep meaning of this book, "There was a Country" would become evident."
"I also love that it pairs his poetry, inspired by and written during the situations he witnessed, with his later commentary on those situations."
"So, rather than dwell on Achebes' account of the genocide perpetrated by Gowon and given economic strength and dimension by Awolowo, which has been universal knowledge just reinforced by Achebe for posterity, I want to focus on something that is happening and what could happen to Anambra State if these "Politicians with plenty of money and very low IQ" are allowed to have their way. It was primarily because of these politicians who Achebe called renegades trying to turn Anambra state into "a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom," that made him (Achebe) reject being among six recipients of Nigeria's second-highest award, the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic in 2004. Anambrarians should not allow themselves to be subdued to the level of keeping mute and allowing these politicians with low IQ but plenty of money to buy the heart of our dear state."
"There was a country, vividly exposed, the atrocities the illegitimate governments in the developing world, in alliance with their colonial master are committing on thier people."
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Best Kenya History

The Man-Eaters of Tsavo (Peter Capstick Library Series)
St. Martin's is proud to present a new series of the greatest classics in the literature of hunting and adventure, chosen from the personal library of writer and big game hunter Peter Hathaway Capstick. As if the lions weren't enough, Patterson had to guard his back against his own increasingly hostile and mutinous workers as he set out to track and kill the man-eaters.
Reviews
"Patterson has given us a great 'window through time' in his book."
"This book has all the charm and grace that it should."
"After watching the movie "Ghost and the Darkness" I wanted to read the original story that was the basis for the movie."
"This Man-Eater of Tsavo (Peter Capstick edition) is a great copy of the original book."
"My daughter heard some of the story on Mystery at the Museum on the Travel channel."
"A well-written, easy read, without the usual stuffy, pretentious overstated prose characteristic of the period in which it was written."
"Colonel Patterson's first hand account of dealing with the Maneating Lions of Tsavo is riveting reading indeed!"
"Decent read."
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Best Ethiopia History

From Babylon to Timbuktu: A History of the Ancient Black Races Including the Black Hebrews
This carefully reserched book is a significant addition to this vital foeld of knowledge.
Reviews
"We are taught that we were in Africa, brought over on ships, worked as slaves singing negro spirituals in the fields, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Rosa Parks wouldn't give up her seat, Martin Luther King Jr marched, and we were free. I think that if we taught our children that they are Kings and Queens, and conducted ourselves as such, we could make positive change."
"I love this book!"
"great book i really learned a lot of great information."
"Good Reading of Where the people come from and the things they went through in life."
"Wonderful reads and incrediblly insightful and informative."
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Best East Africa History

Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War
Already a classic of war reporting and now reissued as a Grove Press paperback, Black Hawk Down is Mark Bowden’s brilliant account of the longest sustained firefight involving American troops since the Vietnam War. Bowden (Bringing the Heat) has used his journalistic skills to find and interview key participants on both sides of the October 1993 raid into the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia, a raid that quickly became the most intensive close combat Americans have engaged in since the Vietnam War. That's one of the key questions Bowden raises in a gripping account of combat that merits thoughtful reading by anyone concerned with the future course of the country's military strategy and its relationship to foreign policy.
Reviews
"On page 363 of the "Notes" Bowden writes: "To me, the communications mix-up that left five soldiers dead and dozens badly injured was the single biggest snafu of the battle," ( re: from the section "Black Hawk Down," Chapter 17, pp. And remember the incredible bravery of Delta snipers Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart, who both received posthumous Medals of Honor; and every member of "Task Force Ranger," and that Specialist John Stebbins "would receive a Silver Star for his part in the fight ..." (p.324), as would Navy SEAL Howard E. Wasdin (see his book below). effort in Somalia and is a classic exercise in summing up policy mistakes in retrospect, rife with 'flagrant misreadings' and 'precisely wrong' approaches, which is the easiest of all academic sports. He tells a story of clan warfare in Somalia where teenagers have grown up in the midst of gunfire; how 18 and 25 year olds are battle hardened soldiers. The failure of the U.S. to understand these elements of Somali society culture led to many mistakes during the tenure of Operation Restore Hope. Stevenson writes that one of the realities of the Post Cold War era is that "terrorists become statesmen" and the U.S. only strengthened Aidid by casting him as the villain and blaming for all of Somalia's problems. U.S. helicopters flew the same routes and used the same formulas for their "snatch and grab" missions everyday-fly in and have Delta Force sweep the target areas while ringed by Rangers for protection. American planners also did a poor job with translations on leaflet drops, provided little historical or cultural knowledge for the soldier on the ground, and did not comprehend the role khat played in lives of the gun-toting young men. Other fractured communications structures meant delays in reinforcements and wrong turns made by the convoy during the October 3 firefight. He prescribes using small, mobile, technological units engaging in aggressive actions that stress agility, diversion, and the element of surprise. Gradually phasing out U.S. soldiers and replacing them with a multilateral U.N. peacekeeping force would "allow the beneficiary population to be weaned of its dependence.""
"Exactly as advertised: Historical, but reads like a novel."
"With so much action going on and so many perspectives to tell the story from, "Black Hawk Down" give a truly in-depth look at what happened over the course of less than a day, but just like the fog of war confuses those within it, the mashing of multiple story lines challenges the reader to do lots of work on keeping up with who is where and doing what."
"If you want the inside scoop on the Battle of Mogadishu, look no further than this book."
"I am so sad that the soldiers who fought feel as though it is not remembered, and that this fight that was important enough for their friends to die for was called off so soon after the battle."
"Having a keen interest in Army Special Forces, I expected a great deal from this book, and it was a letdown."
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Best Egyptian History

Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East
Every crisis that has ripped through this region in the ensuing decades, from the Yom Kippur War of 1973 to the ongoing intifada , is a direct consequence of those six days of fighting. Writing with a novelist’s command of narrative and a historian’s grasp of fact and motive, Michael B. Oren reconstructs both the lightning-fast action on the battlefields and the political shocks that electrified the world. Extraordinary personalities—Moshe Dayan and Gamal Abdul Nasser, Lyndon Johnson and Alexei Kosygin—rose and toppled from power as a result of this war; borders were redrawn; daring strategies brilliantly succeeded or disastrously failed in a matter of hours. A towering work of history and an enthralling human narrative, Six Days of War is the most important book on the Middle East conflict to appear in a generation. [Oren] has woven a seamless narrative out of a staggering variety of diplomatic and military strands.” —The New York Times. “With a remarkably assured style, Oren elucidates nearly every aspect of the conflict. “[In] Michael Oren’s richly detailed and lucid account, the familiar story is thrilling once again. [Oren’s] narrative is precise but written with great literary flair. This is the most complete history to date of the Six Day War of 1967, in which Israel entered and began its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. While no account can be definitive until Arab archives open, Oren, a Princeton-trained senior fellow at Jerusalem's Shalem Center who has served as director of Israel's department of inter-religious affairs and as an adviser to Israel's U.N. delegation, utilizes newly available archival sources and a spectrum of interviews with participants, including many Arabs, to fill gaps and correct misconceptions. Further, Six Days of War is an attack on "post-Zionism": the school of politics and history that casts Israel as the author of policies that intentionally promote the destuction of Palestine as a separate entity and of Palestinians as a people, not least through the occupation that began with the 1967 War. About the nature of Israeli policy since the war, the book says little, but finds that "for all its military conquests, Israel was still incapable of imposing the peace it craved." Many books, e.g., Ahron Bregman's Israel's War: 1947-1993, Tibi Bassam's Conflict and War in the Middle East, 1967-91, and Eric Hammel's Six Days in June, cover a broader period, rely heavily on analysis, or fall short of objectivity.
Reviews
"I lived for two years in Jordan in 1984-5, and could still feel the after effects of the war, and, at any rate, have always been fascinated by the fact that tiny Israel could win over the combined Arab states."
"I was a teenager when this war was fought and I was closely following the news in the build-up of tensions, the reporting of the days of war, the astounding result (compared to the statements in the newspapers prior to the war), and the commentary afterward."
"What a book!!!"
"So much of today's Middle Eastern challenges can be tied directly to the results of the Six Day War, so its essential for any attempt to understand what is going on."
"Great reading of the 1967 six day war in which the Israeli Armed Forces were bewildered by their success and the Arab armies distraught by their rout."
"The opening chapters lacked the engrossing thrill, but they gave necessary background and enabled the reader to enter into the nearly unbearable tension that the men involved experienced. I recognized some names, but struggled with a number of details and quotes from people that I didn't recognize and that lacked an explanatory tag--I couldn't always place which country the speaker came from, nor remember his position."
"The major players are brought to the fore with precision and insight that is rarely given in an age of 5 minute historians with Google and the dawn of the Internet age."
"I am always concerned that whenever an author writes a historical account, his or her bias bleed through the text in such a way as to skew the contents in one direction."
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Best Sudan History

Running for My Life: One Lost Boy's Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games
Though most of us fall somewhere between the catastrophic lows and dizzying highs of Lomong's incredible life, every reader will find in his story the human spark to pursue dreams that might seem unthinkable, even from circumstances that might appear hopeless. "This true story of a Sudanese child refugee who became an Olympic star is powerful proof that God gives hope to the hopeless and shines a light in the darkest places. Lopez Lomong was born in Kimotong, a small village in southern Sudan, in 1985.
Reviews
"However, I haven't even read the whole book yet. Read this book!"
"All of us should read this book, and take from it a major lesson in how to adjust our own lives, how to dream, how to work, how to set a goal and build our own determination to reach it, regardless of obstacles or hardships."
"This inspiring story of a young refugee from Sudan who is miraculously given an opportunity to pursue his Olympic dream in the USA presents some great life lessons, especially for those of us privileged to grow up in the USA."
"Such an inspiration book on so many levels, from what it means to love our country and to be an American, the opportunities we have that we take for granted; what true faith in God looks like when you submit to him; down to the basic survival of life and how to overcome obstacles we can't even imagine!"
"If this book doesn't move you emotionally, nothing will."
"It's been a long time since I've read a memoir that choked me up like "Running for My Life" by Lopez Lomong. Lomong's favorite past-time while in the camp was soccer, but there were so many boys wanting to play, they decided that they had to run one lap around the camp first. After reading "Running for My Life", I can no longer complain about the unfairness of life or use any excuse for not realizing my own dreams."
"I enjoyed reading this story, one of challenge, triumph, and immense faith."
"This is such an amazing, uplifting and inspiring book. I finished my 5k with God & Lopez' help!!"
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Best West African History

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. In A Long Way Gone , Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he'd been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty. “ A breathtaking and unselfpitying account of how a gentle spirit survives a childhood from which all innocence has suddenly been sucked out. “ Deeply moving, even uplifting …Beah's story, with its clear-eyed reporting and literate particularity--whether he's dancing to rap, eating a coconut or running toward the burning village where his family is trapped-- demands to be read .” ― People (Critic's Choice, Four stars). “Beah's memoir, A Long Way Gone (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), is unforgettable testimony that Africa's children--millions of them dying and orphaned by preventable diseases, hundreds of thousands of them forced into battle--have eyes to see and voices to tell what has happened. How is it possible that 26-year-old Beah, a nonnative English speaker, separated from his family at age 12, taught to maim and to kill at 13, can sound such notes of ­family happiness, of friendship under duress, of quiet horror? “In place of a text that has every right to be a diatribe against Sierra Leone, globalization or even himself, Beah has produced a book of such self-effacing humanity that refugees, political fronts and even death squads resolve themselves back into the faces of mothers, fathers and siblings. We ignore his message at our peril .” ― Sebastian Junger, author of A Death in Belmont and A Perfect Storm. Ishmael Beah describes the unthinkable in calm, unforgettable language ; his memoir is an important testament to the children elsewhere who continue to be conscripted into armies and militias.” ― Steve Coll, author of Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for general Nonfiction. Beah's amazing saga provides a haunting lesson about how gentle folks can be capable of great brutalities as well goodness and courage. “ A Long Way Gone hits you hard in the gut with Sierra Leone's unimaginable brutality and then it touches your soul with unexpected acts of kindness.
Reviews
"This kid was born in a shack on a muddy floor, with no bathroom, with a roof leaking under his moms head. The country was underdeveloped, bullets flying and bombs falling over their heads."
"To give a brief overview, the novel is about a young boy who is on the run from war his whole life and he deals with the death of many people in his family and many of his friends."
"This book was a great read and an eye opener to what others are facing in the world around us. Many can read these kinds of books that share such a powerful and personal story but without learning from them or taking away something they truly do not share their messages."
"Amazing story about very difficult experience of a young boy."
"I think history would stick with us better if we read more personal, individual-driven books like this one and less flavorless, distant history books."
"Captivating, sad, frightening reality should interest all who breathe common air and are warmed but the same sun."
"A very well written, engaging book but the subject and the author's life was truly horrific!"
"Young girls being forced into sexual situations which aside from be completely involuntary are also concepts way beyond their capacity of understanding at their young ages. Though Ishmael survived the struggle there are plenty of other people just as young that are going through this painful lifestyle and that inevitably results in addiction, emotional trauma and death. The infection is a struggle that will take more than one organization of to cure. It is a change in structure that these countries need; and deconstruction of the corruption may be successful if fought consistently...but we know that doing such a thing is a difficult task that to this date, there have been limited numbers of people/movements that have been successful. Aside from the desensitization, we must also battle the mentalities that certain peoples have established in their minds depending on their culture."
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Best Zimbabwe History

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood
“This is not a book you read just once, but a tale of terrible beauty to get lost in over and over.”— Newsweek “By turns mischievous and openhearted, earthy and soaring . Though it is a diary of an unruly life in an often inhospitable place, it is suffused with Fuller’s endearing ability to find laughter, even when there is little to celebrate. Her father joined up on the side of the white government in the Rhodesian civil war, and was often away fighting against the powerful black guerilla factions. A worthy heir to Isak Dinesen and Beryl Markham, Alexandra Fuller writes poignantly about a girl becoming a woman and a writer against a backdrop of unrest, not just in her country but in her home. Despite, or maybe even because of, the snakes, the leopards, the malaria and the sheer craziness of its human inhabitants, often violent but pulsing with life, it seems like a fine place to grow up, at least if you are as strong, passionate, sharp and gifted as Alexandra Fuller.” — Chicago Tribune “Owning a great story doesn’t guarantee being able to tell it well. and pinpoint observational acuity.” — Entertainment Weekly “This is a joyously telling memoir that evokes Mary Karr’s The Liars’ Club as much as it does Isak Dinesen’s Out of Africa .” —New York Daily News “Riveting . Living a crude, rural life, the author and her older sister contended with "itchy bums and worms and bites up their arms from fleas" and losing three siblings. Sheila Shoup, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reviews
"So glad it was a pick for my book club as I may not have thought of reading it otherwise."
"for the most part Alexandra Fuller writes a delightful account of her life growing up in Africa with a few years off in the UK."
"The narrator takes us from her early childhood moving from England to Africa with her pioneer-minded parents, through life in a series of farms, a series of wars, a series of failures and her voice is clear and true and sometimes confused as the voice of a child witnessing grown ups acting in inexplicable ways would be."
"A more authentic description of life in the early days of British colonization of Kenya would be hard to find."
"An excellent portrait of life in Africa, both ex-pats & natives."
"Don't Let's Go To The Dogs Tonight is an engrossing memoir of a girl's view of the Rhodesian conflict that played out through the 1970s to ultimately disastrous consequences."
"I enjoyed reading this book because it was an honest account of a young life in Rhodesia at the time of its civil war for control of the country after declaration of independence from UK. The father went away to fight with the Rhodesian militia and mother was a part time member of the police force. Mostly it was a memoir of the author as a little girl dealing with the wanderings of the family and the goings on of mother father and siblings."
"They live a life of constant hardships, attempting to fit in while Africa is filled with conflict and facing discrimination due to their European heritage. She uses amazing details, and the whole thing feels so real, such as one of the tumultuous scenes when Alexandra says that her everything is "a terrifying, unhinged blur and I cannot determine whether it is me, or the world that is of its axis.""
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Best North Africa History

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates reads like an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning thriller. No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.” —Brad Thor This is the little-known story of how a newly indepen­dent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when America’s third president decided to stand up to intimidation. Few today remember these men and other heroes who inspired the Marine Corps hymn: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, we fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates recaptures this forgot­ten war that changed American history with a real-life drama of intrigue, bravery, and battle on the high seas. I thoroughly enjoyed this must read that brings to life a critical period in our nation’s history and shows the importance of a navy in our nation’s security.” —KIRK S. LIPPOLD, former commander of the USS Cole; author of Front Burner: Al Qaeda’s Attack on the USS Cole “No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.” —BRAD THOR, bestselling author of Code of Conduct “A colorful, exciting, and historic account of an overlooked portion of American military history, and a wonderful tribute to the brave sailors and Marines who set a high standard for U.S. maritime operations.” —GENERAL JACK KEANE (Ret. Count on Kilmeade and Yaeger to remind us of it with this swashbuckling adventure.” —MARCUS LUTTRELL, former Navy SEAL; author of Lone Survivor and Service “If you want to understand the deep historic roots of the 9/11 attacks and what it will take to win the war against today’s jihadists, you must read this book.” —DR.
Reviews
"As an earlier reviewer noted this is kind of dry read."
"FYI Have my degrees in US military history."
"I am a WWII frontline combat veteran it is our tragedy that we have teachers teaching our children to hate the land of their birth."
"Took a break and read this nonfiction book."
"Brian Kilmeade and his co-author did a great job of verified history, told in an exciting, manner."
"It may just be that the subject matter isn't as awe inspiring as so many other events in U.S. History, but this book, while good and well researched was missing something."
"As always, I found it for much cheaper on Amazon than at other competitors, so I was super excited about not only getting him a gift he wanted, but finding it at a great price!"
"He also without realizing it counters our previous presidents contention that Islam was as American as christianity in the early colonial years, rather it was as anti American and freedom as it could be and in many cases still is."
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Best Central Africa History

Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War
Already a classic of war reporting and now reissued as a Grove Press paperback, Black Hawk Down is Mark Bowden’s brilliant account of the longest sustained firefight involving American troops since the Vietnam War.
Reviews
"On page 363 of the "Notes" Bowden writes: "To me, the communications mix-up that left five soldiers dead and dozens badly injured was the single biggest snafu of the battle," ( re: from the section "Black Hawk Down," Chapter 17, pp. And remember the incredible bravery of Delta snipers Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart, who both received posthumous Medals of Honor; and every member of "Task Force Ranger," and that Specialist John Stebbins "would receive a Silver Star for his part in the fight ..." (p.324), as would Navy SEAL Howard E. Wasdin (see his book below). effort in Somalia and is a classic exercise in summing up policy mistakes in retrospect, rife with 'flagrant misreadings' and 'precisely wrong' approaches, which is the easiest of all academic sports. He tells a story of clan warfare in Somalia where teenagers have grown up in the midst of gunfire; how 18 and 25 year olds are battle hardened soldiers. The failure of the U.S. to understand these elements of Somali society culture led to many mistakes during the tenure of Operation Restore Hope. Stevenson writes that one of the realities of the Post Cold War era is that "terrorists become statesmen" and the U.S. only strengthened Aidid by casting him as the villain and blaming for all of Somalia's problems. U.S. helicopters flew the same routes and used the same formulas for their "snatch and grab" missions everyday-fly in and have Delta Force sweep the target areas while ringed by Rangers for protection. American planners also did a poor job with translations on leaflet drops, provided little historical or cultural knowledge for the soldier on the ground, and did not comprehend the role khat played in lives of the gun-toting young men. Other fractured communications structures meant delays in reinforcements and wrong turns made by the convoy during the October 3 firefight. He prescribes using small, mobile, technological units engaging in aggressive actions that stress agility, diversion, and the element of surprise. Gradually phasing out U.S. soldiers and replacing them with a multilateral U.N. peacekeeping force would "allow the beneficiary population to be weaned of its dependence.""
"Exactly as advertised: Historical, but reads like a novel."
"With so much action going on and so many perspectives to tell the story from, "Black Hawk Down" give a truly in-depth look at what happened over the course of less than a day, but just like the fog of war confuses those within it, the mashing of multiple story lines challenges the reader to do lots of work on keeping up with who is where and doing what."
"If you want the inside scoop on the Battle of Mogadishu, look no further than this book."
"I am so sad that the soldiers who fought feel as though it is not remembered, and that this fight that was important enough for their friends to die for was called off so soon after the battle."
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Best Southern Africa History

Long Walk to Freedom: With Connections (HRW Library)
As recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, president of the African National Congress, and head of the antiapartheid movement, Nelson Mandela has been one of the world s great moral and political leaders. The famously taciturn South African president reveals much of himself in Long Walk to Freedom.
Reviews
"The book was probably the fastest/easiest read I have had because it was so easy to just keep on reading."
"This is an excellent read."
"Most of the time I picked that up through the name or context, but occasionally I read for several chapters before discovering that a trusted person was white. This book should be read slowly, over several months, in order to absorb a multitude of facts, and the growth of the man who wrote it."
"AThis is a stunning book."
"I think this a must read for those you need insight the importance of undertaking the struggle to gain freedom and independence for a deprived and discriminated majority."
"I am planning to visit south Africa it has been my dream for years , what a great man he was chosen by God I will always have respect for him."
"His personal freedom and rights were curtailed and he saw it happening to all his people."
"I knew the basics of Mandela's life--his exceptional intelligence, his fight against apartheid, his long incarceration, his Nobel Prize for Peace. He studied the philosophical underpinnings of all sorts of governments, particularly those of the National Party that ruled South Africa during his years of prison."
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Best South African History

Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill
From New York Times bestselling author of Destiny of the Republic and The River of Doubt , a thrilling narrative of Winston Churchill's extraordinary and little-known exploits during the Boer War At age twenty-four, Winston Churchill was utterly convinced it was his destiny to become prime minister of England one day, despite the fact he had just lost his first election campaign for Parliament. Churchill arrived in South Africa in 1899, valet and crates of vintage wine in tow, there to cover the brutal colonial war the British were fighting with Boer rebels. "A thrilling account...This book is an awesome nail-biter and top-notch character study rolled into one...Could someone be persuaded to make a movie about this episode of his life? “Millard’s tome is a slam-bang study of Churchill’s wit and wile as he navigates the Boer War like [a] proto-James Bond.” —. USA Today.
Reviews
"When I worked in Pretoria in the 1980s, my route into town always stopped at the intersection of Skinner and van der Walt streets and the Staatsmodel School where Churchill was held stared back at me like a historical ghost amid the modern buildings and traffic of apartheid South Africa."
"My husband and I loved her other two books, The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey and Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, so it was with anticipation that I opened this one."
"Using diaries and biographies from the era, Millard creates a setting and paces the plot just fast enough to make this story engaging. Credit should also go to Winston Churchill himself, who was also a gifted writer sometimes prone to embellishment, who left all his journals, diaries and letters behind for public use. The English Empire had grossly miscalculated the perseverance of the Boers and figured a war with the natives would be a quick and decisive victory. Millard introduces the reader first to some background on South Africa and the Boers, the Zulus, and England's demands of the region's natural resources (re: diamonds!). Millard divides the story into five parts that summarize the history of South Africa, England's movement of troops into the country and the start of combat, then the unfortunate ride Winston took on the armored train that the Boers attacked, his imprisonment and finally his post-prison freedom."
"As an individual who reads and reviews many books, there are a few writers who never disappoint me."
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