The Crash Of Ruin

In the ruined Europe of World War II, American soldiers on the frontline had no eye for breathtaking vistas or romantic settings. The brutality of battle profoundly darkened the soldiers' perceptions of the Old World. Drawing on soldiers' diaries, letters, poems and songs, Peter Schrijvers offers a compelling account of the experiences of U.S. combat ground forces: their struggles with the European terrain and seasons, their confrontations with soldiers, and their often startling encounters with civilians. Schrijvers relays how the GIs became so desensitized and dehumanized that the sight of dead animals often evoked more compassion in them than enemy dead. The Crash of Ruin concludes with a dramatic and moving account of the final Allied offensive into German-held territory and the soldiers' bearing witness to the ultimate symbol of Europe's descent into ruin: the death camps of the Holocaust.

In the ruined Europe of World War II, American soldiers on the frontline had no eye for breathtaking vistas or romantic settings. The brutality of battle profoundly darkened the soldiers' perceptions of the Old World. Drawing on soldiers' diaries, letters, poems and songs, Peter Schrijvers offers a compelling account of the experiences of U.S. combat ground forces: their struggles with the European terrain and seasons, their confrontations with soldiers, and their often startling encounters with civilians. Schrijvers relays how the GIs became so desensitized and dehumanized that the sight of dead animals often evoked more compassion in them than enemy dead. The Crash of Ruin concludes with a dramatic and moving account of the final Allied offensive into German-held territory and the soldiers' bearing witness to the ultimate symbol of Europe's descent into ruin: the death camps of the Holocaust.

This ground-breaking work explores the lives of average soldiers from the American Revolution through the 21st-century conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. What was life really like for U.S. soldiers during America's wars? Were they conscripted or did they volunteer? What did they eat, wear, believe, think, and do for fun? Most important, how did they deal with the rigors of combat and coming home? This comprehensive book will answer all of those questions and much more, with separate chapters on the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II in Europe, World War II in the Pacific, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the Afghanistan War and War on Terror, and the Iraq War. Each chapter includes such topical sections as Conscription and Volunteers, Training, Religion, Pop Culture, Weaponry, Combat, Special Forces, Prisoners of War, Homefront, and Veteran Issues. This work also examines the role of minorities and women in each conflict as well as delves into the disciplinary problems in the military, including alcoholism, drugs, crimes, and desertion. Selected primary sources, bibliographies, and timelines complement the topical sections of each chapter.

Ruin - The Ruin Saga #1 Before the End there had been great cities, knowledge, power, bustling billions. All silenced when the vast majority of the world’s population, quite suddenly, vanished. After forty years, an ominous force is laying waste to the survivors, and famine has struck. Norman Creek is struggling to feed the many mouths of New Canterbury, which clings to life while thousands starve or burn out in the wastes. Yet still they collect books, computers, art, saving all they can. They have a mission: to begin again. And Norman has a destiny: to lead them, prophesized at birth to bring about the return of civilization. But all he ever wanted was to disappear into the crowd, and turn his back on the legend. When a barbaric horde sets out to conquer the British Isles, and past misdeeds spell the city’s doom, Norman must overcome self-doubt and mount their final stand, as the last war of mankind begins. A Pendulum Universe Book Something has gone wrong. A pendulum’s swing is dying. If it stops, everything stops. The fabric of all existence is in danger. Shadows are moving, long-sealed doors have fallen ajar, and the balance of an infinitude of worlds has shifted. On one world, something has gone very wrong indeed: the End. Six billions lives have vanished, leaving a barren Earth populated with scattered survivors. While man struggles with mere survival and the eternal plagues of betrayal and retribution lay waste to an already crumbling wasteland, a far greater mission begins. The Ruin Saga opens a universe that stretches far beyond Earth, across deserts and tundra, kingdoms of past and future, and ancient forgotten worlds between the cracks. If there is any hope, it lies in a precious handful, creatures of destiny scattered across the depths of reality. The success or failure of their gathering will decide the fate of countless lives. Bringing them together will cause destruction, pain and death. Some will run, some will fight, and some will turn to darkness. Only one thing is certain: the End was just the beginning.

New York Times bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole continues The New Jedi Order epic with Dark Tide II: Ruin, a thrilling Star Wars adventure in which the Jedi Knights must fight their most treacherous battle—against an unrelenting evil intent on devouring the galaxy. . . . The alien Yuuzhan Vong have launched an attack on the worlds of the Outer Rim. They are merciless, without regard for life—and they stand utterly outside the Force. Their ever-changing tactics stump the New Republic military. Even the Jedi, once the greatest guardians of peace in the galaxy, are rendered helpless by this impervious foe—and their solidarity has begun to unravel. While Luke struggles to keep the Jedi together, Knights Jacen Solo and Corran Horn set off on a reconnaissance mission to the planet Garqi, an occupied world. There, at last, they uncover a secret that might be used to undermine the enemy—if only they can stay alive long enough to use it! Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!

My life is boring. Monotonous. And then tall, dark, and dangerous walks into the bar where I work. Before I know it, I’m in his arms asking him to rescue me. He’s Colt Weston, President of the Tarnished Angels Motorcycle Club. Colt makes me feel alive…and wanted. The club embraces me as one of their own, and when a violent rival threatens to tear us apart, I learn what loyalty truly means. Family. Sacrifice. Revenge. There’s nothing Colt won’t do to protect me.