The Minuteman

Former Senator Hart, "propoes a return to the oldest principles of the republic, making an impassioned case for replacing the present Cold War military with a smaller standing armu and a musch larger, well-trained citizen reserve."

In Minuteman: A Technical History of the Missile That Defined American Nuclear Warfare, David K. Stumpf demystifies the intercontinental ballistic missile program that was conceived at the end of the Eisenhower administration as a key component of the US nuclear strategy of massive retaliation. Although its nuclear warhead may have lacked power relative to that of the Titan II, the Minuteman more than made up for this in terms of numbers and readiness to launch—making it the ultimate ICBM. Minuteman offers a fascinating look at the technological breakthroughs necessary to field this weapon system that has served as a powerful component of the strategic nuclear triad for more than half a century. With exacting detail, Stumpf examines the construction of launch and launch control facilities; innovations in solid propellant, lightweight inertial guidance systems, and lightweight reentry vehicle development; and key flight tests and operational flight programs—all while situating the Minuteman program in the context of world events. In doing so, the author reveals how the historic missile has adapted to changing defense strategies—from counterforce to mutually assured destruction to sufficiency.

Winner of the Bancroft Prize The Minutemen and Their World, first published in 1976, is reissued now in a revised and expanded edition with a new preface and afterword by the author. On April 19, 1775, the American Revolution began at the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. The “shot heard round the world” catapulted this sleepy New England town into the midst of revolutionary fervor, and Concord went on to become the intellectual capital of the new republic. The town?future home to Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne?soon came to symbolize devotion to liberty, intellectual freedom, and the stubborn integrity of rural life. In The Minutemen and Their World, Robert A. Gross has written a remarkably subtle and detailed reconstruction of the lives and community of this special place, and a compelling interpretation of the American Revolution as a social movement.

In this exciting classic early reader, Nathaniel Benchly re-creates what it must have been like for a young boy to fight in the Battle of Lexington. Arnold Lobel's vivid pictures give a poignant reality to the famous battle that marked the beginning of the American Revolution. This is historical fiction that pulls in young readers in first and second grade, even reluctant readers. Great for home or classroom units on and discussions about colonial America and the start of the American Revolution. "Benchley's expressive words and Lobel's vivid drawings portray a realistic story," Publishers Weekly wrote. Father and son rushed to the village green. Other Minutemen were already there. Through the long night they waited and waited. Then, at dawn, the soldiers came!

Describes the role the Minutemen played in the American Revolution.

Good afternoon, Monsieur Le Bon. A good day to you, too, Monsieur Joly. How long has the patient been in a persistent vegetative state? I think since the mid eighties. And the patient is still alive? Yes, Maurice, the brain is still wholly intact, as are the organs... But Gustave, why does not the patient wake up? It seems that the patient is aware of everything that happens around him, but for some reason prefers to flee from reality. I understand, Gustave; this is tragic, very tragic but also not bad, because then we can openly talk while we play. All right, Maurice, lets get the patient to the table and let him watch our game...

In the 1960s the Air Force buried 1,000 ICBMs in pastures across the Great Plains to keep U.S. nuclear strategy out of view. As rural civilians of all political stripes found themselves living in the Soviet crosshairs, a proud Plains individualism gave way to an economic dependence on the military-industrial complex that still persists today.