Memorial & Veterans Day: Library Books

Examine the history and celebration of these two often misunderstood Federal holidays

Books at Dr. Donald E. Simon Memorial Library (BX)

A New Birth of Freedom : Abraham Lincoln and the coming of the Civil War by Harry V. Jaffa This book represents the culmination of over a half a century of study and reflection by Jaffa, and continues his piercing examination of the political thought of Abraham Lincoln.
Call Number: E 459 .J34 2000
ISBN: 0847699528
Gettysburg's Unknown Soldier by Mark H. Dunkelman He was found dead on the battlefield at Gettysburg, an unknown soldier with nothing to identify him but an ambrotype of his three children, clutched in his fingers. With the photograph as the single, sad clue to his identity, a publicity campaign to locate his family swept the North. Within a month, the bereaved widow and children were located in Portville, New York, and the devoted father was revealed to be Sergeant Amos Humiston of the 154th New York Volunteers. Using many previously untapped sources, this book tells the tale of 19th-century war, sentiment, and popular culture in greater detail than ever before. The Humiston story touched deep emotions in Civil War America, and inspired a flood of heartfelt prose, poetry, and song. Amid a vast outpouring of public sympathy, a charitable drive evolved to assist the bereft family. At the end of the war, the crusade was expanded to establish a home at Gettysburg for orphans of deceased soldiers. The first residents of the institution were Amos Humiston's widow Philinda and her three children: Franklin, Alice, and Frederick. In this extensive account, a full portrait emerges of Amos Humiston, the loving husband and father destined to be remembered for his death tableau, and his family, the widow and orphans who struggled for the rest of their lives with celebrity born of tragedy.
Call Number: E 475.53 .D86 1999
ISBN: 9780275962944
World War II by Thomas Streissguth (Editor) In the fall of 1939, the nations of the world were embroiled in the deadliest conflict in history. Each side believed it was fighting a just and necessary war, and each side was determined to fight to the finish. In this collection of great speeches from World War II, political and military leaders persuade and exhort their listeners to the great fight.
Call Number: D 741 .W66 2003
ISBN: 0737708786
Red Tails : An oral history of the Tuskegee Airmen by John B. Holway Official source for the major motion picture from Executive Producer George Lucas! The first group of African-American pilots in the history of the U.S. military, the Tuskegee Airmen had to battle discrimination at home before they could join the fight abroad. Trained at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute, they overcame racial bias during World War II as the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the Army Air Corps. The pilots of the 332nd made their reputation escorting B-17s and B-24s on long bombing runs over Central Europe. Nicknamed "Red Tails" for the crimson tips of their P-51 Mustang fighters, the airmen were also known as the "Red-Tailed Angels" by their admiring bomber crews. Based on extensive interviews with members of the Tuskegee Airmen, this inspiring book offers insights into the prejudices the Red Tails had to overcome and recaptures the drama of wartime service. As veteran Charles McGee noted, "The story of the Tuskegee Airmen isn't a black story, it's an American history story, and the youth of America need to know about it." The primary source for the George Lucas film, Red Tails, this volume includes sixteen pages of historic black-and-white photographs and was praised by Library Journal as "an important addition to any African-American history and/or military studies collection."
Call Number: D 790 .H655 2012
ISBN: 9780486485003
The Golden Thirteen : recollections of the first Black naval officers by Paul Stilwell; Colin Powell (Editor) In 1944, 13 men--known as the Golden Thirteen--made history when they became the U.S. Navy's first African-American officers on active duty. Now this courageous group recalls how each fought prejudice to become pioneers in military history--and role models for all African Americans. Photographs. A New York Times Notable Book of 1993.
Call Number: VB 324 .A47 G65 1993
ISBN: 0425143732
The African-American Soldier by Michael L. Lanning - During the Revolutionary War, five thousand African Americans fought for America's freedom - During the Civil War, more than 200,000 black men rallied to preserve the Union and earn their place as free men - In the Indian Wars, four regiments of "Buffalo Soldiers" made the frontier safe for settlers - When called upon in the Spanish-American War, black soldiers battled side by side with white soldiers as they took back Cuba's San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill Chronicling the role African Americans played in the military history of the United States, The African-American Soldier portrays, war by war, the struggles of the courageous men and women who secured the right of black Americans to fight in the army, navy, marines, and air force for their country -- a country that provided them with nearly two centuries of discrimination and racism, barely acknowledging their human rights as citizens. While they had resoundingly defeated foreign enemies before World War I erupted, African Americans had yet to conquer racism at home, which kept them in segregated units and the lowest ranks. More than 400,000 blacks volunteered to serve; yet only about ten percent of those saw combat -- because they were not welcome on the field as equals. Throughout World War II and the Korean conflict, blacks had to protest at home before they were allowed to defend their country abroad. It was not until after the Vietnam War that they finally tasted the fruits of racial victory when the armed forces implemented and enforced its "equal opportunity plans", providing fair and equal training for all service members. By the time of Desert Storm, black soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines served in everyposition and every rank, including chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This account
Call Number: UB 418 .A47 A35 1997
ISBN: 1559724048
Soldiers of Freedom : an illustrated history of African Americans in the Armed Forces by Kai Wright Spanning from the American Revolution to the war in Afghanistan, this long-overdue, comprehensive history covers the full scope of African Americans' involvement in the armed forces during war and peacetime. Accompanying the informative text are 300 photographs and illustrations, most of them rare, some never before published. Highlights include accounts of: - The Rhode Island 1st Regiment, the first all-black regiment in the U.S. Army. - The New Orleans Battalion of Free Men of Color. - The Battle for Richmond, which resulted in the largest loss of black life in the Civil War. - The 1863 New York City Draft Riot. - The 1919 lynchings of black war vets. - The Navy's reluctant integration during World War II. - The dramatic story of the Tuskegee Airmen. - The war against terrorism in Afghanistan, and much more. The book also features portraits of famous and lesser-known soldiers, including Crispus Attucks, Salem Poor, John Brown, Sergeant William Carney, Dorie Miller and Colin Powell. This dramatic visual history is a moving tribute to the essential and often unsung contributions of African-American soldiers through every generation. AUTHORBIO: KAI WRIGHT is a freelance journalist based in Washington, D.C. His work on social and political issues relevant to communities of color around the world has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, The Village Voice and The Progressive, among other publications. He is the author of The African-American Archive: The History of the Black Experience Through documents.
Call Number: UB 418 .A47 W75 2002
ISBN: 1579122531
Life after the Military : a handbook for transitioning veterans by Janelle B. Moore; Don Philpott; Cheryl Lawhorne-Scott Hundreds of thousands of military members are making the transition to civilian life each year. This transition is a move into unfamiliar territory and can be an extremely uncomfortable process. However, there are resources in place that can relieve much of the stress of the challenging situations that may arise. In Life After the Military: A Handbook for Transitioning Veterans, authors Janelle Hill, Don Philpott, and Cheryl Lawhorne-Scott collect all the information needed to settle into life after the military in one volume. The book discusses the many issues that transitioning veterans are faced with such as finding employment, going back to school, managing finances, special benefits available to veterans, and a host of other issues the transitioning veteran is likely to face when making the move to civilian life. It also discusses the emotional and psychological challenges that come with leaving the military and settling into life as a civilian. This book is essential for all who are transitioning out of the military, as well as their loved ones.
Call Number: UB 357 .H55 2011
ISBN: 9781605907406
Soldier Girls : the battles of three women at home and at war by Helen Thorpe From an award-winning, "meticulously observant" (The New Yorker), and "masterful" (Booklist) writer comes a groundbreaking account of three women deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, and how their military service affected their friendship, their personal lives, and their families. America has been continuously at war since the fall of 2001. This has been a matter of bitter political debate, of course, but what is uncontestable is that a sizeable percentage of American soldiers sent overseas in this era have been women. The experience in the American military is, it's safe to say, quite different from that of men. Surrounded and far outnumbered by men, imbedded in a male culture, looked upon as both alien and desirable, women have experiences of special interest. In Soldier Girls, Helen Thorpe follows the lives of three women over twelve years on their paths to the military, overseas to combat, and back home...and then overseas again for two of them. These women, who are quite different in every way, become friends, and we watch their interaction and also what happens when they are separated. We see their families, their lovers, their spouses, their children. We see them work extremely hard, deal with the attentions of men on base and in war zones, and struggle to stay connected to their families back home. We see some of them drink too much, have illicit affairs, and react to the deaths of fellow soldiers. And we see what happens to one of them when the truck she is driving hits an explosive in the road, blowing it up. She survives, but her life may never be the same again. Deeply reported, beautifully written, and powerfully moving, Soldier Girls is truly groundbreaking.
Call Number: UB 418.W65 T56 2014
ISBN: 9781451668100
Tough As They Come by Travis Mills; Marcus Brotherton; Gary Sinise (Foreword by) Thousands have been wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Five have survived quadruple amputee injuries. This is one soldier's story. Thousands of soldiers die every year to defend their country. United States Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills was sure that he would become another statistic when, during his third tour of duty in Afghanistan, he was caught in an IED blast four days before his twenty-fifth birthday. Against the odds, he lived, but at a severe cost--Travis became one of only five soldiers from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to survive a quadruple amputation. Suddenly forced to reconcile with the fact that he no longer had arms or legs, Travis was faced with a future drastically different from the one he had imagined for himself. He would never again be able to lead his squad, stroke his fingers against his wife's cheek, or pick up his infant daughter. Travis struggled through the painful and anxious days of rehabilitation so that he could regain the strength to live his life to the fullest. With enormous willpower and endurance, the unconditional love of his family, and a generous amount of faith, Travis shocked everyone with his remarkable recovery. Even without limbs, he still swims, dances with his wife, rides mountain bikes, and drives his daughter to school. Travis inspires thousands every day with his remarkable journey. He doesn't want to be thought of as wounded. "I'm just a man with scars," he says, "living life to the fullest and best I know how."
Call Number: DS 371.413 .M55 2015
ISBN: 9781101904787

Books at New Rochelle Campus Library

The Untold Civil War by James Robertson National Geographic presents provocative stories shedding new light on the Civil War, American history's watershed, from Union and Confederate soldiers to Abraham Lincoln and Gettysburg. Was Gettysburg a tactical success, or was the outcome determined by a far more mundane factor- access to fresh water? How did the need to spread information about the dead and wounded give rise to the U.S. Postal Service? Did President Lincoln really age so dramatically during the course of the war, or was a rare disease to blame for the shocking difference in images of him from before and during the war? From overlooked elements, such as the role of weather, health, and high emotions, to the world-changing effect of the rise of female workers, to the many "firsts" including the introduction of standard time, pre-sized clothing, canned goods, toilets, and Santa Claus, The Untold Civil War reveals new facets of a seemingly well-known slice of American history, just in time to commemorate its 150th anniversary. Dramatically illustrated with archival images and objects and compelling contemporary photography, this book delivers a surprise on every page- from precious personal mementos to forgotten battle sites; from newly recovered glass-plate negatives that reveal long-obscured photographic details to long-lost documents; this book adds a new dimension to our understanding of the Civil War and is a must-have for anyone with an interest in American history. Six thematic chapters-such as "Characters," "Connections," and "A War of Firsts"-present a short introductory essay followed by approximately 30 self-contained stories that detail surprising, little-known, and fresh aspects of the war. Themes both large and small will be explored and contextualized, painting a fascinating portrait of our national character and showcasing the enduring impact of the Civil War.
Call Number: E468 .R63 2011
ISBN: 9781426208126
World War 1 : a history by Hew Strachan (Editor) The First World War has shaped the history of the twentieth century. It was the first conflict in which aeroplanes, submarines, and tanks played a significant role, the first in which casualties on the battlefield outnumbered those from disease. It precipitated the collapse of the empires of Austria-Hungary and Turkey, and it promoted revolution in that of Russia. The USA's entry into the war and the part it played in the peace settlement signalled the arrival on the world stage of a new great power. The victors at Versailles took nationalism as one of their guiding principles; they also aimed at instituting their vision of liberalism and even democracy; the political consequences are still being played out. In this extensively illustrated book, an international team of experts explores the war in all its different aspects. From its causes to its consequences, from the Western Front to the Eastern, from the strategy of the politicians to the tactics of the generals, the course of the war is charted and its political and human consequences assessed. Chapters on economic mobilization, the impact on women, the role of propaganda, and the rise of socialism establish the wider social context of fighting which took place at sea and in the air and which ranged on land from the Flanders trenches to the Balkan mountains and the deserts of the Middle East. While the war was fought on many fronts and in many different ways, the unifying experience of participants was that of the trenches. The legacy of `the war to end wars' -- in poetry and prose, in collective memory and political culture -- is with us still, eighty years after that first Armistice Day.
Call Number: D 521 .W64 1998
ISBN: 0198206143
Men of War : the American soldier in combat at Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, and Iwo Jima by Alexander Rose In the grand tradition of John Keegan's enduring classic The Face of Battle comes a searing, unforgettable chronicle of war through the eyes of the American soldiers who fought in three of our most iconic battles: Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, and Iwo Jima. This is not a book about how great generals won their battles, nor is it a study in grand strategy. Men of War is instead a riveting, visceral, and astonishingly original look at ordinary soldiers under fire. Drawing on an immense range of firsthand sources from the battlefield, Alexander Rose begins by re-creating the lost and alien world of eighteenth-century warfare at Bunker Hill, the bloodiest clash of the War of Independence--and reveals why the American militiamen were so lethally effective against the oncoming waves of British troops. Then, focusing on Gettysburg, Rose describes a typical Civil War infantry action, vividly explaining what Union and Confederate soldiers experienced before, during, and after combat. Finally, he shows how in 1945 the Marine Corps hurled itself with the greatest possible violence at the island of Iwo Jima, where nearly a third of all Marines killed in World War II would die. As Rose demonstrates, the most important factor in any battle is the human one: At Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, and Iwo Jima, the American soldier, as much as any general, proved decisive. To an unprecedented degree, Men of War brings home the reality of combat and, just as important, its aftermath in the form of the psychological and medical effects on veterans. As such, the book makes a critical contribution to military history by narrowing the colossal gulf between the popular understanding of wars and the experiences of the soldiers who fight them. Praise for Men of War "A tour de force . . . strikingly vivid, well-observed, and compulsively readable."--The Daily Beast "Military history at its best . . . This is indeed war up-close, as those who fought it lived it--and survived it if they could. Men of War is deeply researched, beautifully written."--The Wall Street Journal "A brilliant, riveting, unique book . . . Men of War will be a classic."--General David H. Petraeus, U.S. Army (Retired) "The fact is that Men of War moves and educates, with the reader finding something interesting and intriguing on virtually every page."--National Review "This is a book that has broad value to a wide audience. Whether the reader aims to learn what actually happens in battle, draw on the military lessons within, or wrestle with what actually defines combat, Men of War is a valuable addition to our understanding of this all-too-human experience."--The New Criterion "A highly recommended addition to the literature of military history . . . [Rose] writes vividly and memorably, with a good eye for the telling detail or anecdote."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Using the firsthand accounts of brave soldiers who fought for freedom, Rose sheds new light on viewpoints we haven't heard as widely before. It's a welcome perspective in an era where most people have no military experience to speak of."--The Washington Times "Rose poignantly captures the terror and confusion of hand-to-hand combat during the battle."--The Dallas Morning News "If you want to know the meaning of war at the sharp end, this is the book to read."--James McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The War That Forged a Nation
Call Number: E181 .R77 2015
ISBN: 9780553805185
The First Wave : the D-Day warriors who led the way to victory in World War II by Alex Kershaw Beginning in the pre-dawn darkness of June 6, 1944, The First Wave follows ten men attempting to carry out D-Day's most critical missions. Their actions would determine the fate of the invasion of Hitler's Fortress Europe. The ten make a charismatic, unforgettable cast. They include the first American paratrooper to touch down on Normandy soil; the only British soldier that day to earn a Victoria's Cross; the Canadian brothers who led their decimated troops onto Juno Beach under withering fire; the colonel who faced the powerful 150mm guns of the Merville Battery; as well as a French commando who helped destroy German strongholds on Sword Beach.
Call Number: D 756.5 .N6 2019
ISBN: 9780451490056
Medal of Honor : portraits of valor beyond the call of duty by Peter Collier (Text by); Nick Del Calzo (Photographer); Tom Brokaw (Contribution by); John McCain (Contribution by); George H. W. Bush (Foreword by) On October 25, 2010, Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta became the first living person since the Vietnam War to receive the United States' highest military decoration, and both he and Sergeant Leroy Petry (the second inductee) rightly take their place in the pages of this third edition of Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty. The book includes 144 contemporary portraits of recipients by award-winning photographer Nick Del Calzo and profiles by National Book Award nominee Peter Collier. First published on Veterans Day 2003, this New York Times bestseller has now been updated and augmented to include new essays plus: * Letters from all living presidents * A foreword by Brian Williams * Profiles of Sergeant Giunta and Sergeant Petry There are also essays by Tom Brokaw, Senator John McCain, and Victor Davis Hanson, and a multimedia DVD with historic footage and recipients' first-person reflections. The Medal of Honor recipients in the book fought in conflicts from World War II to Afghanistan, serving in every branch of the armed services.
Call Number: UB 433 .C64 2003
ISBN: 1579652409
What It Is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes One of the most important and highly-praised books of 2011, Karl Marlantes's What It Is Like to Go to War is set to become just as much of a classic as his epic novel Matterhorn. In What It Is Like to Go to War, Marlantes takes a deeply personal and candid look at the experience and ordeal of combat, critically examining how we might better prepare our young soldiers for war. War is as old as humankind, but in the past, warriors were prepared for battle by ritual, religion, and literature--which also helped bring them home. In a compelling narrative, Marlantes weaves riveting accounts of his combat experiences with thoughtful analysis, self-examination, and his readings--from Homer to the Mahabharata to Jung. He makes it clear just how poorly prepared our nineteen-year-old warriors--mainly men but increasingly women--are for the psychological and spiritual aspects of their journey.
Call Number: U 22.3 .M367 2011
ISBN: 9780802145925
Life in the U. S. Armed Forces : (not) just another job by Anni Baker Anni Baker has created a fascinating exploration of life in the armed forces, as it has been experienced by millions of men, women, and children over the past six decades. Her book examines the factors that shape military service and military culture, from grueling training exercises to sexual relations with local women, from overseas duty to the peculiar life of the military brat. The book begins with an examination of the enlistment process, follows the military lifecycle through career decisions, promotions, raising families, and retirement, explores the impact of war on military society, and ends with a discussion of the place of the armed forces in the United States. A wide variety of sources were used in this study, including contemporary scholarship, government and military records, public media, and, most important, interviews and written materials from military personnel, retirees, family members, and civilian employees. Using a lively and readable style, Baker blends clear explanations of elements of military life, information on the development of military society, and the voices of those who serve into an insightful account of this fascinating subculture. It is the author's view that not only is study of the U.S. military a valuable undertaking in itself, but in addition it will enrich our perspective on civilian life and culture in the United States. The military is a distinct society based on a set of common values that are sometimes, though not always, at odds with those of civilian society. The extent to which active duty personnel, family members and civilians internalize these values dictates their comfort with military life and their choice of a military career. Through a discussion of life in the military, Baker examines how the values, traditions and norms of the armed forces are articulated and shared, how they influence the individual and the institution, and what their role is in American society as a whole.
Call Number: U 21.5 .B35 2008
ISBN: 9780275989828
The Journey That Brought Me to Glory by Jeremiah Purdie Growing up -- Becoming a Marine --Fighting in Vietnam -- Transferred to Okinawa -- Transitioning to civilian life --Relocating to Sacramento -- Moving back East -- Family values -- Home sweet home -- End of my journey -- Finding my glory.
Call Number: VE 25 .P873 A3 2005
ISBN: 9780805968606
13 Soldiers : a personal history of Americans at war by John McCain; Mark Salter John McCain's evocative history of Americans at war, told through the personal accounts of thirteen remarkable soldiers who fought in major military conflicts, from the Revolutionary War of 1776 to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a veteran himself, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and a long-time student of history, John McCain brings a distinctive perspective to this subject. Thirteen Soldiers tells the stories of real soldiers who personify valor, obedience, enterprise, and love. You'll meet Joseph Plumb Martin, who at the tender age of fifteen fought in the Revolutionary War; Charles Black, a freeborn African American sailor in the War of 1812; and Sam Chamberlain, of the Mexican American War, whose life inspired novelist Cormac McCarthy. Then there's Oliver Wendell Holmes, an aristocratic idealist disillusioned by the Civil War, and Littleton "Tony" Waller, court-martialed for refusing to massacre Filipino civilians. Each account illustrates a particular aspect of war, such as Mary Rhoads, an Army reservist forever changed by an Iraqi scud missile attack during the Persian Gulf War, and Monica Lin Brown, a frontline medic in rural Afghanistan who saved several lives in an ambushed convoy. From their acts of self-sacrifice to their astonishing bravery, these thirteen soldiers embody the best America has to offer.
Call Number: U 52 .M39 2014
ISBN: 9781476759654
Retire the Colors by Dario DiBattista (Ed.); Brian Castner; Matthew Hefti; Brooke King (Contributors) Behind-the-scenes stories from veterans and civilians offer a more nuanced understanding of the aftereffects of war, specifically Iraq and Afghanistan.
Call Number: DS 79 .D53 2016
ISBN: 9781944079079