by Ed Longacre (2005)
Did two more perfectly matched enemies ever confront one another on the field of battle? The reserved and gentlemanly Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and the brash, arrogant, and brilliant Union Gen. Joseph Hooker squared off in the pivotal battle at Chancellorsville, the only time they were in combat. Although Lee and Hooker were equals in ability, these two were opposites in personality. The magic and mystery of the story of these two generals is even greater than the battle they fought. Colorful and controversial, "Fighting Joe" Hooker had a fondness for cards, booze, and loose women. His army was so undisciplined that the dalliance of his troops with camp "followers" is frequently said to have spawned the modern word hooker. In the strategies of war he had a gambler's mentality -- a unique combination of nerve, braggadocio, and bluff that made him a formidable foe. Robert E. Lee, born and bred a gentleman, was in many ways Hooker's opposite. With his impeccable social and military pedigree, Lee exuded rectitude, respectability, and erudition. He carried the mantle of authority with the ease and grace of a genuine aristocrat. Chancellorsville was a pivotal battle of the Civil War. The disaster that befell the U.S. Army of the Potomac there was the latest in a series of catastrophes for the North and eventually led Lincoln to remove Hooker from command. For the South, Chancellorsville was a monumental victory -- and an equal disaster, for it was at Chancellorsville that Stonewall Jackson suffered a mortal would. At Chancellorsville, "Fighting Joe" Hooker came close to matching Robert E. Lee's masterful maneuvering. Although he retreated, Hooker's brilliant strategy could just as easily have destroyed Lee's plans and ended the war in May of 1863. - Jacket flap.
Brian C. Melton
"Biography of Union major general Henry W. Slocum. Author explores Slocum's attitudes and tactics while serving under various Civil War generals such as George McClellan, Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker, and William Tecumseh Sherman"--Provided by publisher.
Joseph Wambaugh
A true murder story, this book is based on the Main Line Murder Case in which a high school teacher was found dead in an automobile in Upper Merion, Pennsylvania, and her two children had disappeared.
Leanne Currie-McGhee
Profiles the life and career of General David Petraeus, commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) serving in Afghanistan.
his son Gilad Sharon
By the son and intimate confidant of former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon comes an unparalleled look at the life and work of one of the world's most powerful leaders. "A multifaceted picture of an Israeli patriot, military leader, and family man" (Kirkus Reviews). From his youth as a soldier to his service in government, Ariel Sharon has personified Israel's unyielding drive for security. He revolutionized the Israel Defense Forces and established the anti-terror commando Unit 101. His leadership during the Six-Day and Yom Kippur wars made him a national hero and propelled him into the political arena. As terror grew throughout the Middle East at the end of the twentieth century, Sharon's commitment to protect and bring peace to his people underscored his election to prime minister in 2001. But within months of taking office, the 9/11 attacks shook the Western world, thrusting the controversial statesman into the center of international affairs. Sharon has walked a fine line between waging war on Israel's enemies and accommodating demanding allies, a balancing act that is often subject to public misperception. As prime minister, he built a fence to separate Israel from the West Bank's suicide bombers; he isolated Yasser Arafat in his Ramallah headquarters; and in a stunning and unprecedented move, he withdrew Israel's settlements from Gaza. Throughout his life but especially as prime minister, Sharon kept a meticulous personal record of events and of the discussionshe had with world leaders, including George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Vladimir Putin, King Abdullah, Kofi Annan, Gerhard Schroeder, Jacques Chirac, Hosni Mubarak, Mahmoud Abbas, and others. But what the public knew of these interactions often differed dramatically from what went on in private. Gilad Sharon, the prime minister's youngest son and close confidant, has combed through his father's vast archive -- conversations, personal notes, diaries, daybooks, military directives, correspondence, and thousands of other documents -- to offer a rare, intimate, and compelling look at one man's evolution into one of the world's most powerful and influential figures. Filled with news-making revelations, Sharon provides a rare view of global politics in action as well as a window onto the day-to-day life of a prime minister. A dazzling portrait of a legendary elder statesman and the nation he helped to build, here is a masterful biography and an illuminating analysis of modern Middle Eastern politics and the forces that have shaped this volatile region. - Jacket flap.