Written With The Bayonet

Focusing on a wide range of poetry written between 1941 and 1945, this work explores Soviet poets' response to World War II. It also traces the influence of Stalinist culture, and departures from literary conventions established in the pre-war years. In a chronological survey, the poets' immediate reaction to the events of the war is placed in its historical and literary-political context.

Arroyomolinos and Almaraz showed that Rowland Hill was a general of considerable skill and daring. This is the first detailed study of two small but important actions of the Peninsular War.

Although muskets delivered devastating projectiles at comparatively long ranges, their slow rate of fire left the soldier very vulnerable while reloading, and early muskets were useless for close-quarter fighting. Consequently, European infantry regiments of the 17th century were composed of both musketeers and pikemen, who protected the musketeers while loading but also formed the shock component for close-quarter combat. The development of the flintlock musket produced a much less cumbersome and faster-firing firearm. When a short knife was stuck into its muzzle, every soldier could be armed with a missile weapon as well as one that could be used for close combat. The only disadvantage was that the musket could not be loaded or fired while the plug bayonet was in place. The socket bayonet solved this problem and the musket/bayonet combination became the universal infantry weapon from c.1700 to c.1870. The advent of shorter rifled firearms saw the attachment of short swords to rifle barrels. Their longer blades still gave the infantryman the 'reach' that contemporaries believed he needed to fend off cavalry attacks. The perfection of the small-bore magazine rifle in the 1890s saw the bayonet lose its tactical importance, becoming smaller and more knife-like, a trend that continued in the world wars. When assault rifles predominated from the 1950s onwards, the bayonet became a weapon of last resort. Its potential usefulness continued to be recognized, but its blade was often combined with an item with some additional function, most notably a wire-cutter. Ultimately, for all its fearsome reputation as a visceral, close-quarter fighting weapon, the bayonet's greatest impact was actually as a psychological weapon. Featuring full-colour artwork as well as archive and close-up photographs, this is the absorbing story of the complementary weapon to every soldier's firearm from the army of Louis XIV to modern-day forces in all global theatres of conflict.

Special Forces veteran John F. Mullins delivers heart-pounding action under fire in his third Men of Valor novel. 1975: With the Vietnam War drawing to a close, Captain James Carmichael begins a new life far from the front lines, in Bad Tölz, Germany. Married to a beautiful Russian émigré and awaiting his first child, Carmichael should be content training the 10th Special Forces for a European conflict that will likely never come. But the peacetime army is unmanageable, plagued by drugs and misbehavior, and Carmichael hungers for something more. That appetite gets fed when he is asked to rescue a P.O.W. being held by the North Vietnamese. It's a deadly proposition with dangerous odds, to which his wife bitterly objects. But Carmichael must answer the call of loyalty and risk everything he has -- on one last mission to bring his men back alive.

Although muskets delivered devastating projectiles at comparatively long ranges, their slow rate of fire left the soldier very vulnerable while reloading, and early muskets were useless for close-quarter fighting. Consequently, European infantry regiments of the 17th century were composed of both musketeers and pikemen, who protected the musketeers while loading but also formed the shock component for close-quarter combat. The development of the flintlock musket produced a much less cumbersome and faster-firing firearm. When a short knife was stuck into its muzzle, every soldier could be armed with a missile weapon as well as one that could be used for close combat. The only disadvantage was that the musket could not be loaded or fired while the plug bayonet was in place. The socket bayonet solved this problem and the musket/bayonet combination became the universal infantry weapon from c.1700 to c.1870. The advent of shorter rifled firearms saw the attachment of short swords to rifle barrels. Their longer blades still gave the infantryman the 'reach' that contemporaries believed he needed to fend off cavalry attacks. The perfection of the small-bore magazine rifle in the 1890s saw the bayonet lose its tactical importance, becoming smaller and more knife-like, a trend that continued in the world wars. When assault rifles predominated from the 1950s onwards, the bayonet became a weapon of last resort. Its potential usefulness continued to be recognized, but its blade was often combined with an item with some additional function, most notably a wire-cutter. Ultimately, for all its fearsome reputation as a visceral, close-quarter fighting weapon, the bayonet's greatest impact was actually as a psychological weapon. Featuring full-colour artwork as well as archive and close-up photographs, this is the absorbing story of the complementary weapon to every soldier's firearm from the army of Louis XIV to modern-day forces in all global theatres of conflict.

How far must a man go to outrun the sins of war? The year is 2062. Somewhere between Earth and Mars, the deep-space freighter Odysseus travels toward the asteroid belt on a routine cargo haul. Paul Owens-formerly one of the military's most elite augmented soldiers, and now a convicted prisoner- works off his sentence as a member of the small crew. As they journey deeper into space, the captain begins to doubt the intentions of their ship's powerful integrated artificial intelligence, which monitors and controls every aspect of the Odysseus's operation. When misfortune befalls the isolated crew, Paul must somehow find a way to continue the captain's secret investigation. Paul forms an unlikely bond with a crewmate. As they fight to stay alive on the Odysseus, Paul recounts the terrible events that forced him to leave Earth, where AI has changed everything about warfare. As soldiers, Paul and his comrades had to face enemies determined to kill them, and a military-industrial complex desperate to profit, while they struggled to survive and live up to their code of duty, honor, and loyalty. Will Paul survive the journey to the asteroid belt? And can he ever escape his past?

In the spring of 1895, Bud is excited for his Cadet Corps team to compete in the end-of-the-year drills competition at his school. His company is the favorite to win, but can they pull it off? This historical fiction book is based on a story by the African-American poet and playwright, Paul Laurence Dunbar. Especially appealing to reluctant readers, this 32-page historical fiction book features hi-lo text, full-color illustrations and a short chapter format.

The Admiral’s dedication could not be questioned – but it was a bit much expecting him to give up his ancestral home for the psychological testing of Civil Service candidates. Assisted by his son, he embarks upon a battle of wits against the political hopefuls. The result is a hilarious tale of double-crossing, eavesdropping – and total mayhem.