A brutal and honest account of being a woman among men in the United States Army."A woman soldier has to toughen herself up" writes Kayla Williams in this fiercely honest account of what it's like to be part of the female 15% of today's Army. "Not just for the enemy, for battle, for death. I mean to toughen herself to spend months awash in a sea of nervy, hyped-up guys…."By turns irreverent, vulnerable, angry, and humane, Williams describes what it's like for a young woman to be surrounded by an ocean of testosterone, respected for her skills and qualifications, but treated variously as a soldier, a sister, a mother, a bitch, and a slut.During her five years of service—including a year of deployment to Iraq during and after the invasion—Williams and her female peers navigate both extreme physical danger and emotional minefields. As a specialist in Military Intelligence, fluent in Arabic language skills, Williams finds herself at the forefront of the troops' interaction with local people. Brave and patriotic, with a strong sense of duty to her country and her fellow soldiers, she is unafraid to level complaints and criticism against the inefficiencies and errors of the military—sketching a blunt portrait, inspired by Ayn Rand, of the U.S. Army as "a vast communist institution."Taking us from Baghdad to Mosul to a remote mountainous outpost on the Syrian border, Williams demonstrates a keen eye for the complexity of the U.S. military's evolving and ultimately deteriorating relations with the Iraqis. Before she leaves the country, she witnesses death up close and sees soldiers cross the line in the handling of prisoners.Through it all—the violence, boredom, and fear as well as the light-hearted moments of humor, comraderie, and flirtation—Kayla Williams brings home with vivid intensity and empathy what it is like for a woman soldier to serve her country today. 8 pages of photographs.

The Army version "Map Reading and Land Navigation" is the simplest and most straightforward explanation of how to get around with just a compass and a map. This guide is perfect for any outdoorsman or for teaching Boy Scouts how to use a compass.

As social turmoil increased in England, audiences grew more in tune with Shakespeare's cynical undercutting of the Homeric tale of Greeks and Trojans, and less dismissive of his dark comedic treatment of the Medieval tale of Troilus and Cressida. This edition of his problematic play traces its theatrical history. It draws upon critical responses, photographic archives, promptbooks, and video tapes of more recent productions to reveal changes in production styles and emphasis, against a broader background of social change.

For the armchair linguist or the military historian, this is a comprehensive compilation of military lingo from Hannibal to Hanoi. William Priest traces the evolution of each term or phrase as it moves from its point of origin to other branches of service and into foreign countries. For instance, in the 19th century a "swab" was a mop made from condemned rope; however, it was also the sailor's slang for naval officer, from the shoulder epaulets (a mop-like braid) that marked an officer's rank. At that time, to call a sailor a swab was one of the highest forms of insult; it was not until the 1880s that sailors were called swabs or swabbies (men who swab the decks) in general lingo. Examples such as these can be found throughout SWEAR LIKE A TROOPER.

The Vietnam War tells the story of one of the most divisive episodes in modern American history through primary sources, ranging from government documents, news reports, speeches, popular songs to memoirs, writings by Vietnam veterans (including coauthor John Fitzgerald), and poetry by Vietnamese and Americans on matching themes. The book begins in the 19th century when Vietnam became a French colony, and traces the insidious route by which the United States became involved in a war on the other side of the world.

Many bibliographers focus on women who write. Lawyer Barnett looks at women who detect, at women as sleuths and at the evolving roles of women in professions and in society. Excellent for all women's studies programs as well as for the mystery hound.

This book presents the fascinating history behind the most famous military religious Order of the Crusades--the Knights Templar. Written by leading Templar authority and medieval historian Dr. Karen Ralls, this sourcebook of hundreds of entries features a wealth of information on the key Templar people, places, events, symbols, organization, daily life, beliefs, economic empire, and trial. The Knights Templar Encyclopedia provides a comprehensive view of the facts about this powerful medieval Order,  A to Z.  Meticulously gleaned from scholarly sources over a period of sixteen years, the encyclopedia covers key areas about the medieval Order itself, and also, other major medieval topics of increasing interest today and how they specifically relate to the Knights Templar -- i.e.,  the Grail,  the Black Madonnas,  King Arthur, Templar sites, Rosslyn Chapel,  key Templar symbolism, seals, and relics, Gothic cathedrals,  Mary Magdalene,  the Jolly Roger flag, alchemy,  Freemasonry,  the Guilds, chivalry, stained glass, Bernard of Clairvaux,  the origins of the Order,  Templar archives,  Assets, Treasuries, Loans, Maritime trade and ports, Farms,  Feast days, to name but a few entries.  Several key Appendices are included:  a Templar Chronology of Events;  a list of Grand Masters; a list of Popes during the time of the medieval Order;  a list of the charges against the Templars;  key Templar Sites;  and  Illustrations.  In addition, a special 'Recommended Reading' section, from scholarly sources,  under specific subject headings to further aid the reader, is also included.