Author: Theodore Nadelson
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421400561
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 220
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Book Description
In two decades of clinical work with Vietnam veterans, psychiatrist Theodore Nadelson sought to understand a seeming paradox about his patients: even veterans being treated for post traumatic stress disorder often still felt attracted to the danger and violence of combat and killing. How this could be possible became a central focus of Nadelson's work and thought, as he looked to veterans' stories and within himself for pieces of the human puzzle. This compelling book is the result of that exploration. In it, Nadelson confronts a dark side of human psychology with sensitivity and depth, revealing startling truths about the allure of violence. Among the topics he addresses are the ways in which the concept of war shapes boys' lives from an early age, what happens when killing becomes a job, and how memories of the thrill of combat affect a soldier after the war is over. He probes the aftermath of September 11, including the historic implications of women's experience in the military. A veteran himself, the author weaves together insights from his own clinical and military experience and from the moving narratives of former soldiers with his thoughtful analysis of readings from world literature to answer tough questions: What does our attraction to killing mean for the future of war and civilization? What implications does it have for the way we understand peacetime violence in our society?
Author: Dave Grossman
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1497629209
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 312
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Book Description
A controversial psychological examination of how soldiers’ willingness to kill has been encouraged and exploited to the detriment of contemporary civilian society. Psychologist and US Army Ranger Dave Grossman writes that the vast majority of soldiers are loath to pull the trigger in battle. Unfortunately, modern armies, using Pavlovian and operant conditioning, have developed sophisticated ways of overcoming this instinctive aversion. The mental cost for members of the military, as witnessed by the increase in post-traumatic stress, is devastating. The sociological cost for the rest of us is even worse: Contemporary civilian society, particularly the media, replicates the army’s conditioning techniques and, Grossman argues, is responsible for the rising rate of murder and violence, especially among the young. Drawing from interviews, personal accounts, and academic studies, On Killing is an important look at the techniques the military uses to overcome the powerful reluctance to kill, of how killing affects the soldier, and of the societal implications of escalating violence.
Author: Antonio Veciana
Publisher: Skyhorse
ISBN: 1510713573
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 253
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Book Description
Antonio Veciana fought on the front lines of the CIA’s decades-long secret war to destroy Fidel Castro, the bearded bogeyman who haunted America’s Cold War dreams. It was a time of swirling intrigue, involving US spies with license to kill, Mafia hit men, ruthless Cuban exiles—and the leaders in the crosshairs of all this dark plotting, Fidel Castro and John F. Kennedy. Veciana transformed himself from an asthmatic banker to a bomb-making mastermind who headed terrorist attacks in Havana and assassination attempts against Castro, while building one of the era’s most feared paramilitary groups—all under the direction of the CIA. In the end, Veciana became a threat—not just to Castro, but also to his CIA handler. Veciana was the man who knew too much. Suddenly he found himself a target—framed and sent to prison, and later shot in the head and left to die on a Miami street. When he was called before a Congressional committee investigating the Kennedy assassination, Veciana held back, fearful of the consequences. He didn’t reveal the identity of the CIA officer who directed him—the same agent Veciana observed meeting with Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas before the killing of JFK. Now, for the first time, Veciana tells all, detailing his role in the intricate game of thrones that aimed to topple world leaders and change the course of history. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Author: Theodore Nadelson
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 9780801881664
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 220
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Book Description
"A triumph. Nadelson's legacy is a brilliant book that concisely lays out the unrelenting madness of war by examining the psychological carnage it inflicts on the men who survive." -- San Diego Union-Tribune
Author: Cynthia Townley
Publisher: Cynthia Townley
ISBN: 1458037525
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 157
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Book Description
When detectives have exhausted every lead in their arsenal of tools, they turn to the only people who can help solve the crime. This novel has a flair for the “why done it” with lots of twists and turns, southern exposure, police procedures where the good guys are not always good, and an ending that forces you to sit up a little bit straighter. The characters come to life with suspense, drama, and explosive action. Seasoned Detectives Oliver Rousseau and Jack Deveraux of the New Orleans PD are stumped when a sophisticated killer who targets his victims on rainy nights during hurricane season evades suspicion as the police quickly run out of leads on the murder of a prominent doctor’s wife. When Jennifer Dolan, an employee at the Criminal Courthouse fails to show up for work police are dispatched to her residence, just houses from the murdered doctor’s wife, to discover she has been killed with the same M.O. – a single gunshot to the head on a rainy night. With the clock ticking on the second murder, Oliver resorts to unorthodox methods and enlists the aid of his beautiful wife Marin, and her twin sister Megan - who hold the clues and a carefully guarded secret of the affluent Carrington women – their psychic ability that allows them to see the calculated murder of Jennifer Dolan and identify the killer. Oliver knows only hard evidence will lead to an arrest so it’s up to him to convince Jack, and a small task force to focus the investigation on an unlikely killer without telling them where he gets his information, in order to protect his wife’s secret. But, when the suspect terrorizes Oliver’s family and one of them is shot, the case explodes as Oliver and Jack go on the hunt for a sniper - Trained To Kill.
Author: Nick Turse
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 0805086919
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 401
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Book Description
Based on classified documents and first-person interviews, a controversial history of the Vietnam War argues that American acts of violence against millions of Vietnamese civilians were a pervasive and systematic part of the war and that soldiers were deliberately trained and ordered to conduct hate-based slaughter campaigns.
Author: Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 0804139350
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 258
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Book Description
Completely revised and updated, a much-needed call to action for every parent, teacher, and citizen to help our children and stop the wave of killing and violence gripping America's youth Newtown, Aurora, Virginia Tech, Columbine. Thereis no bigger or more important issue in America than youth violence. Kids, some as young as ten years old, take up arms with the intention to murder. Why is this happening? Lt. Col. Dave Grossman and Gloria DeGaetano believe the root cause is the steady diet of violent entertainment kids see on TV, in movies, and in the video games they play—witnessing hundreds of violent images a day. Offering incontrovertible evidence based on recent scientific studies and research, they posit that this media is not just conditioning children to be violent and see killing as acceptable but teaching them the mechanics of killing as well. Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill supplies the statistics, interprets the copious research that exists on the subject, and suggests the many ways to make a difference in your home, at school, in your community, in the courts, and in the larger world. In using this book, parents, educators, social-service workers, youth advocates, and anyone interested in the welfare of our children will have a solid foundation for effective action and prevention of future Columbines, Jonesboros, and Newtowns.
Author: Paul R. Howe
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1628730005
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 464
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Book Description
Ideal for fans of Dave Grossman, Paul Howe, George Thompson, and other authors of police books A brilliant military intelligence book that shares leadership and training for the fight Includes riveting stories of military operations In Leadership and Training for the Fight, MSG Paul R. Howe, U.S. Army Retired, shares his thoughts on leadership that he has developed through extensive combat experience. Howe analyzes leadership concepts. He also provides advice on how to understand students and to change your teaching methods. This military and leadership training book is based on Howe’s unique insight as a Special Operations soldier. Leadership and Training for the Fight is the perfect guide for anyone interested in improving their leadership skills, whether in military or civilian situations.
Author: Radley Balko
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1541700287
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 497
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Book Description
This groundbreaking history of how American police forces have been militarized is now revised and updated. Newly added material brings the story through 2020, including analysis of the Ferguson protests, the Obama and Trump administrations, and the George Floyd protests. The last days of colonialism taught America’s revolutionaries that soldiers in the streets bring conflict and tyranny. As a result, our country has generally worked to keep the military out of law enforcement. But over the last two centuries, America’s cops have increasingly come to resemble ground troops. The consequences have been dire: the home is no longer a place of sanctuary, the Fourth Amendment has been gutted, and police today have been conditioned to see the citizens they serve as enemies. In Rise of the Warrior Cop, Balko shows how politicians’ ill-considered policies and relentless declarations of war against vague enemies like crime, drugs, and terror have blurred the distinction between cop and soldier. His fascinating, frightening narrative that spans from America’s earliest days through today shows how a creeping battlefield mentality has isolated and alienated American police officers and put them on a collision course with the values of a free society.
Author: Robert Young Pelton
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 1400097827
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 367
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Book Description
Robert Young Pelton first became aware of the phenomenon of hired guns in the War on Terror when he met a covert team of contractors on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border in the fall of 2003. Pelton soon embarked on a globe-spanning odyssey to penetrate and understand this shadowy world, ultimately delivering stunning insights into the way private soldiers are used. Enter a blood-soaked world of South African mercenaries and tribal fighters backed by ruthless financiers. Drop into Baghdad’s Green Zone, strap on body armor, and take a daily high-speed ride with a doomed crew of security contractors who dodge car bombs and snipers just to get their charges to the airport. Share a drink in a chic hotel bar with wealthy owners of private armies who debate the best way to stay alive in war zones. Licensed to Kill spans four continents and three years, taking us inside the CIA’s dirty wars; the brutal contractor murders in Fallujah and the Alamo-like sieges in Najaf and Al Kut; the Deep South contractor training camps where ex–Special Operations soldiers and even small town cops learn the ropes; the contractor conventions where macho attendees swap bullet-punctuated tales and discuss upcoming gigs; and the grim Central African prison where contractors turned failed mercenaries pay a steep price. The United States has encouraged the use of the private sector in all facets of the War on Terror, placing contractors outside the bounds of functional legal constraints. With the shocking clarity that can come only from firsthand observation, Licensed to Kill painstakingly deconstructs the most controversial events and introduces the pivotal players. Most disturbingly, it shows that there are indeed thousands of contractors—with hundreds more being produced every month—who’ve been given a license to kill, their services available to the highest bidder.
