Fields of Combat

Fields of Combat

Author: Erin P. Finley

Publisher: ILR Press

Published: 2011-04-07

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 0801460700

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"If you consider Iraq—like I do, probably twenty-nine out of thirty days—to be the pinnacle of your life, then where do you go from there? And I'm sure that a lot of veterans feel that way. To them, that was it. That was everything. So now what? They have to find something meaningful and purposeful." "When I got back from Afghanistan, there was not even so much as a briefing that said, 'Let us know if you're having problems.' There wasn't so much as a phone number. There was literally nothing." "I knew it was crazy. I was thinking, the guy on the roof's either a sniper or he's going to radio ahead. And then I thought, this is San Antonio. There's not snipers on the roof, nobody's going to blow me up here." "Whenever I look at people back here at home, I know what they're going to look like dead. I know what they look like with their brains blown out or jaws blown off or eyes pulled out. When I look at somebody I see that, to this day." —Voices of veterans interviewed in Fields of Combat For many of the 1.6 million U.S. service members who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, the trip home is only the beginning of a longer journey. Many undergo an awkward period of readjustment to civilian life after long deployments. Some veterans may find themselves drinking too much, unable to sleep or waking from unspeakable dreams, lashing out at friends and loved ones. Over time, some will struggle so profoundly that they eventually are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD). Both heartbreaking and hopeful, Fields of Combat tells the story of how American veterans and their families navigate the return home. Following a group of veterans and their personal stories of war, trauma, and recovery, Erin P. Finley illustrates the devastating impact PTSD can have on veterans and their families. Finley sensitively explores issues of substance abuse, failed relationships, domestic violence, and even suicide and also challenges popular ideas of PTSD as incurable and permanently debilitating. Drawing on rich, often searing ethnographic material, Finley examines the cultural, political, and historical influences that shape individual experiences of PTSD and how its sufferers are perceived by the military, medical personnel, and society at large. Despite widespread media coverage and public controversy over the military's response to wounded and traumatized service members, debate continues over how best to provide treatment and compensation for service-related disabilities. Meanwhile, new and highly effective treatments are revolutionizing how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides trauma care, redefining the way PTSD itself is understood in the process. Carefully and compassionately untangling each of these conflicts, Fields of Combat reveals the very real implications they have for veterans living with PTSD and offers recommendations to improve how we care for this vulnerable but resilient population.


Book Synopsis Fields of Combat by : Erin P. Finley

Download or read book Fields of Combat written by Erin P. Finley and published by ILR Press. This book was released on 2011-04-07 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "If you consider Iraq—like I do, probably twenty-nine out of thirty days—to be the pinnacle of your life, then where do you go from there? And I'm sure that a lot of veterans feel that way. To them, that was it. That was everything. So now what? They have to find something meaningful and purposeful." "When I got back from Afghanistan, there was not even so much as a briefing that said, 'Let us know if you're having problems.' There wasn't so much as a phone number. There was literally nothing." "I knew it was crazy. I was thinking, the guy on the roof's either a sniper or he's going to radio ahead. And then I thought, this is San Antonio. There's not snipers on the roof, nobody's going to blow me up here." "Whenever I look at people back here at home, I know what they're going to look like dead. I know what they look like with their brains blown out or jaws blown off or eyes pulled out. When I look at somebody I see that, to this day." —Voices of veterans interviewed in Fields of Combat For many of the 1.6 million U.S. service members who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, the trip home is only the beginning of a longer journey. Many undergo an awkward period of readjustment to civilian life after long deployments. Some veterans may find themselves drinking too much, unable to sleep or waking from unspeakable dreams, lashing out at friends and loved ones. Over time, some will struggle so profoundly that they eventually are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD). Both heartbreaking and hopeful, Fields of Combat tells the story of how American veterans and their families navigate the return home. Following a group of veterans and their personal stories of war, trauma, and recovery, Erin P. Finley illustrates the devastating impact PTSD can have on veterans and their families. Finley sensitively explores issues of substance abuse, failed relationships, domestic violence, and even suicide and also challenges popular ideas of PTSD as incurable and permanently debilitating. Drawing on rich, often searing ethnographic material, Finley examines the cultural, political, and historical influences that shape individual experiences of PTSD and how its sufferers are perceived by the military, medical personnel, and society at large. Despite widespread media coverage and public controversy over the military's response to wounded and traumatized service members, debate continues over how best to provide treatment and compensation for service-related disabilities. Meanwhile, new and highly effective treatments are revolutionizing how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides trauma care, redefining the way PTSD itself is understood in the process. Carefully and compassionately untangling each of these conflicts, Fields of Combat reveals the very real implications they have for veterans living with PTSD and offers recommendations to improve how we care for this vulnerable but resilient population.

Fields of Combat

Fields of Combat

Author: Erin P. Finley

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2011-04-07

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 9780801461187

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"If you consider Iraq—like I do, probably twenty-nine out of thirty days—to be the pinnacle of your life, then where do you go from there? And I'm sure that a lot of veterans feel that way. To them, that was it. That was everything. So now what? They have to find something meaningful and purposeful." "When I got back from Afghanistan, there was not even so much as a briefing that said, 'Let us know if you're having problems.' There wasn't so much as a phone number. There was literally nothing." "I knew it was crazy. I was thinking, the guy on the roof's either a sniper or he's going to radio ahead. And then I thought, this is San Antonio. There's not snipers on the roof, nobody's going to blow me up here." "Whenever I look at people back here at home, I know what they're going to look like dead. I know what they look like with their brains blown out or jaws blown off or eyes pulled out. When I look at somebody I see that, to this day." —Voices of veterans interviewed in Fields of Combat For many of the 1.6 million U.S. service members who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, the trip home is only the beginning of a longer journey. Many undergo an awkward period of readjustment to civilian life after long deployments. Some veterans may find themselves drinking too much, unable to sleep or waking from unspeakable dreams, lashing out at friends and loved ones. Over time, some will struggle so profoundly that they eventually are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD). Both heartbreaking and hopeful, Fields of Combat tells the story of how American veterans and their families navigate the return home. Following a group of veterans and their personal stories of war, trauma, and recovery, Erin P. Finley illustrates the devastating impact PTSD can have on veterans and their families. Finley sensitively explores issues of substance abuse, failed relationships, domestic violence, and even suicide and also challenges popular ideas of PTSD as incurable and permanently debilitating. Drawing on rich, often searing ethnographic material, Finley examines the cultural, political, and historical influences that shape individual experiences of PTSD and how its sufferers are perceived by the military, medical personnel, and society at large. Despite widespread media coverage and public controversy over the military's response to wounded and traumatized service members, debate continues over how best to provide treatment and compensation for service-related disabilities. Meanwhile, new and highly effective treatments are revolutionizing how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides trauma care, redefining the way PTSD itself is understood in the process. Carefully and compassionately untangling each of these conflicts, Fields of Combat reveals the very real implications they have for veterans living with PTSD and offers recommendations to improve how we care for this vulnerable but resilient population.


Book Synopsis Fields of Combat by : Erin P. Finley

Download or read book Fields of Combat written by Erin P. Finley and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2011-04-07 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "If you consider Iraq—like I do, probably twenty-nine out of thirty days—to be the pinnacle of your life, then where do you go from there? And I'm sure that a lot of veterans feel that way. To them, that was it. That was everything. So now what? They have to find something meaningful and purposeful." "When I got back from Afghanistan, there was not even so much as a briefing that said, 'Let us know if you're having problems.' There wasn't so much as a phone number. There was literally nothing." "I knew it was crazy. I was thinking, the guy on the roof's either a sniper or he's going to radio ahead. And then I thought, this is San Antonio. There's not snipers on the roof, nobody's going to blow me up here." "Whenever I look at people back here at home, I know what they're going to look like dead. I know what they look like with their brains blown out or jaws blown off or eyes pulled out. When I look at somebody I see that, to this day." —Voices of veterans interviewed in Fields of Combat For many of the 1.6 million U.S. service members who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, the trip home is only the beginning of a longer journey. Many undergo an awkward period of readjustment to civilian life after long deployments. Some veterans may find themselves drinking too much, unable to sleep or waking from unspeakable dreams, lashing out at friends and loved ones. Over time, some will struggle so profoundly that they eventually are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD). Both heartbreaking and hopeful, Fields of Combat tells the story of how American veterans and their families navigate the return home. Following a group of veterans and their personal stories of war, trauma, and recovery, Erin P. Finley illustrates the devastating impact PTSD can have on veterans and their families. Finley sensitively explores issues of substance abuse, failed relationships, domestic violence, and even suicide and also challenges popular ideas of PTSD as incurable and permanently debilitating. Drawing on rich, often searing ethnographic material, Finley examines the cultural, political, and historical influences that shape individual experiences of PTSD and how its sufferers are perceived by the military, medical personnel, and society at large. Despite widespread media coverage and public controversy over the military's response to wounded and traumatized service members, debate continues over how best to provide treatment and compensation for service-related disabilities. Meanwhile, new and highly effective treatments are revolutionizing how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides trauma care, redefining the way PTSD itself is understood in the process. Carefully and compassionately untangling each of these conflicts, Fields of Combat reveals the very real implications they have for veterans living with PTSD and offers recommendations to improve how we care for this vulnerable but resilient population.

Scarlet Fields

Scarlet Fields

Author: John Lewis Barkley

Publisher: University Press of Kansas

Published: 2014-08-15

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0700620192

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The train was packed with men. Men lying as still as if they were already dead. Men shaking with pain. One man raving, jabbering, yelling, in delirium. Everywhere bandages . . . bandages . . . bandages . . . and blood. Those words describe the moment when Private John Lewis Barkley first grasped the grim reality of the war he had entered. The rest of Barkley's memoir, first published in 1930 as No Hard Feelings and long out of print, provides a vivid ground-level look at World War I through the eyes of a soldier whose exploits rivaled those of Sergeant York. A reconnaissance man and sniper, Barkley served in Company K of the 4th Infantry Regiment, a unit that participated in almost every major American battle. The York-like episode that earned Barkley his Congressional Medal of Honor occurred on October 7, 1918, when he climbed into an abandoned French tank and singlehandedly held off an advancing German force, killing hundreds of enemy soldiers. But Barkley's memoir abounds with other memorable moments and vignettes, all in the words of a soldier who witnessed war's dangers and degradations but was not at all fazed by them. Unlike other writers identified with the "Lost Generation," he relished combat and made no apology for having dispatched scores of enemy soldiers; yet he was as much an innocent abroad as a killing machine, as witnessed by second thoughts over his sniper's role, or by his determination to protect a youthful German prisoner from American soldiers eager for retribution. This Missouri backwoodsman and sharpshooter was also a bit of a troublemaker who smuggled liquor into camp, avoided promotions like the plague, and had a soft heart for mademoiselles and fruleins alike. In his valuable introduction to this stirring memoir, Steven Trout helps readers to better grasp the historical context and significance of this singular hero's tale from one of our most courageous doughboys. Both haunting and heartfelt, inspiring and entertaining, Scarlet Fields is a long overlooked gem that opens a new window on our nation's experience in World War I and brings back to life a bygone era.


Book Synopsis Scarlet Fields by : John Lewis Barkley

Download or read book Scarlet Fields written by John Lewis Barkley and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2014-08-15 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The train was packed with men. Men lying as still as if they were already dead. Men shaking with pain. One man raving, jabbering, yelling, in delirium. Everywhere bandages . . . bandages . . . bandages . . . and blood. Those words describe the moment when Private John Lewis Barkley first grasped the grim reality of the war he had entered. The rest of Barkley's memoir, first published in 1930 as No Hard Feelings and long out of print, provides a vivid ground-level look at World War I through the eyes of a soldier whose exploits rivaled those of Sergeant York. A reconnaissance man and sniper, Barkley served in Company K of the 4th Infantry Regiment, a unit that participated in almost every major American battle. The York-like episode that earned Barkley his Congressional Medal of Honor occurred on October 7, 1918, when he climbed into an abandoned French tank and singlehandedly held off an advancing German force, killing hundreds of enemy soldiers. But Barkley's memoir abounds with other memorable moments and vignettes, all in the words of a soldier who witnessed war's dangers and degradations but was not at all fazed by them. Unlike other writers identified with the "Lost Generation," he relished combat and made no apology for having dispatched scores of enemy soldiers; yet he was as much an innocent abroad as a killing machine, as witnessed by second thoughts over his sniper's role, or by his determination to protect a youthful German prisoner from American soldiers eager for retribution. This Missouri backwoodsman and sharpshooter was also a bit of a troublemaker who smuggled liquor into camp, avoided promotions like the plague, and had a soft heart for mademoiselles and fruleins alike. In his valuable introduction to this stirring memoir, Steven Trout helps readers to better grasp the historical context and significance of this singular hero's tale from one of our most courageous doughboys. Both haunting and heartfelt, inspiring and entertaining, Scarlet Fields is a long overlooked gem that opens a new window on our nation's experience in World War I and brings back to life a bygone era.

On Combat

On Combat

Author: Dave Grossman

Publisher: Ppct Research Publications

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 436

ISBN-13:

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Looks at the effect of deadly battle on the body and mind and offers new research findings to help prevent lasting adverse effects.


Book Synopsis On Combat by : Dave Grossman

Download or read book On Combat written by Dave Grossman and published by Ppct Research Publications. This book was released on 2007 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Looks at the effect of deadly battle on the body and mind and offers new research findings to help prevent lasting adverse effects.

Combat Leader's Field Guide

Combat Leader's Field Guide

Author: Sgt. Maj. Brett Stoneberger USA (Ret.)

Publisher: Stackpole Books

Published: 2005-01-01

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 0811731952

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• A guide to small unit dismounted combat operations, extensively updated to include both the latest doctrine and lessons learned from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq • Covers the equipment, operations, and individual combat skills essential for soldiers and others who must act as infantry • Essential for Army infantry leaders at the platoon and company level, Special Forces troops, Air Force security and patrol services, Marines, and other Army branches who operate as infantry when needed The basic skills all soldiers must know to prevail on the battlefield, including battle drills for offense and defense operations, patrols, construction and emplacement of fighting positions, use of weapons and artillery, mines and explosives, land navigation and map reading, communications, individual security and camouflage, and combat medicine (first aid).


Book Synopsis Combat Leader's Field Guide by : Sgt. Maj. Brett Stoneberger USA (Ret.)

Download or read book Combat Leader's Field Guide written by Sgt. Maj. Brett Stoneberger USA (Ret.) and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • A guide to small unit dismounted combat operations, extensively updated to include both the latest doctrine and lessons learned from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq • Covers the equipment, operations, and individual combat skills essential for soldiers and others who must act as infantry • Essential for Army infantry leaders at the platoon and company level, Special Forces troops, Air Force security and patrol services, Marines, and other Army branches who operate as infantry when needed The basic skills all soldiers must know to prevail on the battlefield, including battle drills for offense and defense operations, patrols, construction and emplacement of fighting positions, use of weapons and artillery, mines and explosives, land navigation and map reading, communications, individual security and camouflage, and combat medicine (first aid).

I Always Sit with My Back to the Wall: Managing Traumatic Stress and Combat Ptsd Through the R-E-C-O-V-E-R Approach for Veterans and Families

I Always Sit with My Back to the Wall: Managing Traumatic Stress and Combat Ptsd Through the R-E-C-O-V-E-R Approach for Veterans and Families

Author: Chrys L. Parker Jd

Publisher: Back To The Wall LLC

Published: 2011-03

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 1890498432

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A book to benefit military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and how they may manage it and make a possible recovery.


Book Synopsis I Always Sit with My Back to the Wall: Managing Traumatic Stress and Combat Ptsd Through the R-E-C-O-V-E-R Approach for Veterans and Families by : Chrys L. Parker Jd

Download or read book I Always Sit with My Back to the Wall: Managing Traumatic Stress and Combat Ptsd Through the R-E-C-O-V-E-R Approach for Veterans and Families written by Chrys L. Parker Jd and published by Back To The Wall LLC. This book was released on 2011-03 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A book to benefit military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and how they may manage it and make a possible recovery.

Fields of Fire

Fields of Fire

Author: James Webb

Publisher: Canelo

Published: 2019-04-29

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 1788635191

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James Webb’s classic, scorching novel of the Vietnam War. They each had their reasons for becoming a Marine. They each had their illusions. Goodrich came fresh from Harvard. Snake got the tattoo before he even got the uniform. Hodges was haunted by the spirits of family heroes. Three young men, from vastly different worlds, were plunged into a white-hot, murderous melting pot of jungle warfare in the An Hoa Basin, Vietnam, 1969. They had no way of knowing what awaited them. For nothing could have prepared them for the madness of what they found. And in the heat and horror of battle they took on new identities, took on each other, and were reborn in fields of fire... Fields of Fire is a searing story of poetic power, razor-sharp observation, and non-stop combat, perfect for fans of Tim O’Brien, Karl Marlantes and Apocalypse Now. Praise for Fields of Fire ‘Few writers since Stephen Crane have portrayed men at war with such a ring of steely truth’ The Houston Post ‘A novel of such fullness and impact, one is tempted to compare it to Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead’The Oregonian ‘Webb gives us an extraordinary range of acutely observed people, not one a stereotype ... Fields of Fire is a stunner’ Newsweek ‘Webb pulls off the scabs and looks directly, unflinchingly on the open wounds of the Sixties’ Philadelphia Inquirer ‘The unmistakable sound of truth’ Time


Book Synopsis Fields of Fire by : James Webb

Download or read book Fields of Fire written by James Webb and published by Canelo. This book was released on 2019-04-29 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: James Webb’s classic, scorching novel of the Vietnam War. They each had their reasons for becoming a Marine. They each had their illusions. Goodrich came fresh from Harvard. Snake got the tattoo before he even got the uniform. Hodges was haunted by the spirits of family heroes. Three young men, from vastly different worlds, were plunged into a white-hot, murderous melting pot of jungle warfare in the An Hoa Basin, Vietnam, 1969. They had no way of knowing what awaited them. For nothing could have prepared them for the madness of what they found. And in the heat and horror of battle they took on new identities, took on each other, and were reborn in fields of fire... Fields of Fire is a searing story of poetic power, razor-sharp observation, and non-stop combat, perfect for fans of Tim O’Brien, Karl Marlantes and Apocalypse Now. Praise for Fields of Fire ‘Few writers since Stephen Crane have portrayed men at war with such a ring of steely truth’ The Houston Post ‘A novel of such fullness and impact, one is tempted to compare it to Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead’The Oregonian ‘Webb gives us an extraordinary range of acutely observed people, not one a stereotype ... Fields of Fire is a stunner’ Newsweek ‘Webb pulls off the scabs and looks directly, unflinchingly on the open wounds of the Sixties’ Philadelphia Inquirer ‘The unmistakable sound of truth’ Time

War from the Ground Up

War from the Ground Up

Author: Emile Simpson

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 299

ISBN-13: 0199327882

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This is a philosophical treatise on war written by an Oxford grad who served in Afghanistan.


Book Synopsis War from the Ground Up by : Emile Simpson

Download or read book War from the Ground Up written by Emile Simpson and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2012 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a philosophical treatise on war written by an Oxford grad who served in Afghanistan.

Engineering Principles of Combat Modeling and Distributed Simulation

Engineering Principles of Combat Modeling and Distributed Simulation

Author: Andreas Tolk

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2012-03-20

Total Pages: 932

ISBN-13: 0470874295

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Explore the military and combat applications of modeling and simulation Engineering Principles of Combat Modeling and Distributed Simulation is the first book of its kind to address the three perspectives that simulation engineers must master for successful military and defense related modeling: the operational view (what needs to be modeled); the conceptual view (how to do combat modeling); and the technical view (how to conduct distributed simulation). Through methods from the fields of operations research, computer science, and engineering, readers are guided through the history, current training practices, and modern methodology related to combat modeling and distributed simulation systems. Comprised of contributions from leading international researchers and practitioners, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the engineering principles and state-of-the-art methods needed to address the many facets of combat modeling and distributed simulation and features the following four sections: Foundations introduces relevant topics and recommended practices, providing the needed basis for understanding the challenges associated with combat modeling and distributed simulation. Combat Modeling focuses on the challenges in human, social, cultural, and behavioral modeling such as the core processes of "move, shoot, look, and communicate" within a synthetic environment and also equips readers with the knowledge to fully understand the related concepts and limitations. Distributed Simulation introduces the main challenges of advanced distributed simulation, outlines the basics of validation and verification, and exhibits how these systems can support the operational environment of the warfighter. Advanced Topics highlights new and developing special topic areas, including mathematical applications fo combat modeling; combat modeling with high-level architecture and base object models; and virtual and interactive digital worlds. Featuring practical examples and applications relevant to industrial and government audiences, Engineering Principles of Combat Modeling and Distributed Simulation is an excellent resource for researchers and practitioners in the fields of operations research, military modeling, simulation, and computer science. Extensively classroom tested, the book is also ideal for courses on modeling and simulation; systems engineering; and combat modeling at the graduate level.


Book Synopsis Engineering Principles of Combat Modeling and Distributed Simulation by : Andreas Tolk

Download or read book Engineering Principles of Combat Modeling and Distributed Simulation written by Andreas Tolk and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-03-20 with total page 932 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explore the military and combat applications of modeling and simulation Engineering Principles of Combat Modeling and Distributed Simulation is the first book of its kind to address the three perspectives that simulation engineers must master for successful military and defense related modeling: the operational view (what needs to be modeled); the conceptual view (how to do combat modeling); and the technical view (how to conduct distributed simulation). Through methods from the fields of operations research, computer science, and engineering, readers are guided through the history, current training practices, and modern methodology related to combat modeling and distributed simulation systems. Comprised of contributions from leading international researchers and practitioners, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the engineering principles and state-of-the-art methods needed to address the many facets of combat modeling and distributed simulation and features the following four sections: Foundations introduces relevant topics and recommended practices, providing the needed basis for understanding the challenges associated with combat modeling and distributed simulation. Combat Modeling focuses on the challenges in human, social, cultural, and behavioral modeling such as the core processes of "move, shoot, look, and communicate" within a synthetic environment and also equips readers with the knowledge to fully understand the related concepts and limitations. Distributed Simulation introduces the main challenges of advanced distributed simulation, outlines the basics of validation and verification, and exhibits how these systems can support the operational environment of the warfighter. Advanced Topics highlights new and developing special topic areas, including mathematical applications fo combat modeling; combat modeling with high-level architecture and base object models; and virtual and interactive digital worlds. Featuring practical examples and applications relevant to industrial and government audiences, Engineering Principles of Combat Modeling and Distributed Simulation is an excellent resource for researchers and practitioners in the fields of operations research, military modeling, simulation, and computer science. Extensively classroom tested, the book is also ideal for courses on modeling and simulation; systems engineering; and combat modeling at the graduate level.

For Cause and Comrades

For Cause and Comrades

Author: James M. McPherson

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 1997-04-03

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9780199741052

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General John A. Wickham, commander of the famous 101st Airborne Division in the 1970s and subsequently Army Chief of Staff, once visited Antietam battlefield. Gazing at Bloody Lane where, in 1862, several Union assaults were brutally repulsed before they finally broke through, he marveled, "You couldn't get American soldiers today to make an attack like that." Why did those men risk certain death, over and over again, through countless bloody battles and four long, awful years ? Why did the conventional wisdom -- that soldiers become increasingly cynical and disillusioned as war progresses -- not hold true in the Civil War? It is to this question--why did they fight--that James McPherson, America's preeminent Civil War historian, now turns his attention. He shows that, contrary to what many scholars believe, the soldiers of the Civil War remained powerfully convinced of the ideals for which they fought throughout the conflict. Motivated by duty and honor, and often by religious faith, these men wrote frequently of their firm belief in the cause for which they fought: the principles of liberty, freedom, justice, and patriotism. Soldiers on both sides harkened back to the Founding Fathers, and the ideals of the American Revolution. They fought to defend their country, either the Union--"the best Government ever made"--or the Confederate states, where their very homes and families were under siege. And they fought to defend their honor and manhood. "I should not lik to go home with the name of a couhard," one Massachusetts private wrote, and another private from Ohio said, "My wife would sooner hear of my death than my disgrace." Even after three years of bloody battles, more than half of the Union soldiers reenlisted voluntarily. "While duty calls me here and my country demands my services I should be willing to make the sacrifice," one man wrote to his protesting parents. And another soldier said simply, "I still love my country." McPherson draws on more than 25,000 letters and nearly 250 private diaries from men on both sides. Civil War soldiers were among the most literate soldiers in history, and most of them wrote home frequently, as it was the only way for them to keep in touch with homes that many of them had left for the first time in their lives. Significantly, their letters were also uncensored by military authorities, and are uniquely frank in their criticism and detailed in their reports of marches and battles, relations between officers and men, political debates, and morale. For Cause and Comrades lets these soldiers tell their own stories in their own words to create an account that is both deeply moving and far truer than most books on war. Battle Cry of Freedom, McPherson's Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the Civil War, was a national bestseller that Hugh Brogan, in The New York Times, called "history writing of the highest order." For Cause and Comrades deserves similar accolades, as McPherson's masterful prose and the soldiers' own words combine to create both an important book on an often-overlooked aspect of our bloody Civil War, and a powerfully moving account of the men who fought it.


Book Synopsis For Cause and Comrades by : James M. McPherson

Download or read book For Cause and Comrades written by James M. McPherson and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1997-04-03 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: General John A. Wickham, commander of the famous 101st Airborne Division in the 1970s and subsequently Army Chief of Staff, once visited Antietam battlefield. Gazing at Bloody Lane where, in 1862, several Union assaults were brutally repulsed before they finally broke through, he marveled, "You couldn't get American soldiers today to make an attack like that." Why did those men risk certain death, over and over again, through countless bloody battles and four long, awful years ? Why did the conventional wisdom -- that soldiers become increasingly cynical and disillusioned as war progresses -- not hold true in the Civil War? It is to this question--why did they fight--that James McPherson, America's preeminent Civil War historian, now turns his attention. He shows that, contrary to what many scholars believe, the soldiers of the Civil War remained powerfully convinced of the ideals for which they fought throughout the conflict. Motivated by duty and honor, and often by religious faith, these men wrote frequently of their firm belief in the cause for which they fought: the principles of liberty, freedom, justice, and patriotism. Soldiers on both sides harkened back to the Founding Fathers, and the ideals of the American Revolution. They fought to defend their country, either the Union--"the best Government ever made"--or the Confederate states, where their very homes and families were under siege. And they fought to defend their honor and manhood. "I should not lik to go home with the name of a couhard," one Massachusetts private wrote, and another private from Ohio said, "My wife would sooner hear of my death than my disgrace." Even after three years of bloody battles, more than half of the Union soldiers reenlisted voluntarily. "While duty calls me here and my country demands my services I should be willing to make the sacrifice," one man wrote to his protesting parents. And another soldier said simply, "I still love my country." McPherson draws on more than 25,000 letters and nearly 250 private diaries from men on both sides. Civil War soldiers were among the most literate soldiers in history, and most of them wrote home frequently, as it was the only way for them to keep in touch with homes that many of them had left for the first time in their lives. Significantly, their letters were also uncensored by military authorities, and are uniquely frank in their criticism and detailed in their reports of marches and battles, relations between officers and men, political debates, and morale. For Cause and Comrades lets these soldiers tell their own stories in their own words to create an account that is both deeply moving and far truer than most books on war. Battle Cry of Freedom, McPherson's Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the Civil War, was a national bestseller that Hugh Brogan, in The New York Times, called "history writing of the highest order." For Cause and Comrades deserves similar accolades, as McPherson's masterful prose and the soldiers' own words combine to create both an important book on an often-overlooked aspect of our bloody Civil War, and a powerfully moving account of the men who fought it.