The Battle of Mogadishu or Cape Wind

The Battle of Mogadishu: First-Hand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger

Author: Matthew Eversmann

It started as a mission to capture a Somali warlord. It turned into a disastrous urban firefight and death-defying rescue operation that shocked the world and rattled a great nation. Now the 1993 battle for Mogadishu, Somalia-the incident that was the basis of the book and film Black Hawk Down-is remembered by the men who fought and survived it. Six of the best in our military recall their brutal experiences and brave contributions in these never-before-published, firstperson accounts.

"Operation Gothic Serpent," by Matt Eversmann: As a "chalk" leader, Eversmann was part of the first group of Rangers to "fast rope" from the Black Hawk helicopters. It was his chalk that suffered the first casualty of the battle.

"Sua Sponte: Of Their Own Accord," by Raleigh Cash: Responsible for controlling and directing fire support for the platoon, Cash entered the raging battle in the ground convoy sent to rescue his besieged brothers in arms.

"Through My Eyes," by Mike Kurth: One of only two African Americans in the battle, Kurth confronted his buddies' deaths, realizing that "the only people whom I had let get anywhere near me since I was a child were gone."

"What Was Left Behind," by John Belman: He roped into the biggest firefight of the battle and considers some of the mistakes that were made, such as using Black Hawk helicopters to provide sniper cover.

"Be Careful What You Wish For," by Tim Wilkinson: He was one of the Air Force pararescuemen or PJs-the highly trained specialists for whom "That Others May Live" is no catchphrase but a credo-and sums up his incomprehensible courage as "just holding up my end of the deal on a bad day."

"OnFriendship and Firefights," by Dan Schilling: As a combat controller, he was one of the original planners for the deployment of SOF forces to Mogadishu in the spring of 1993. During the battle, he survived the initial assault and carnage of the vehicle convoys only to return to the city to rescue his two closest friends, becoming, literally, "Last Out."

With America's withdrawal from Somalia an oft-cited incitement to Osama bin Laden, it is imperative to revisit this seminal military mission and learn its lessons from the men who were there and, amazingly, are still here.

Go to: Starfish and the Spider or The Richest Man Who Ever Lived

Cape Wind: Money, Celebrity, Class, Politics, and the Battle for Our Energy Future on Nantucket Sound

Author: Wendy Williams

When Jim Gordon set out to build a wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod, he knew some people might object. But there was a lot of merit in creating a privately funded, clean energy source for energy-starved New England, and he felt sure most people would recognize it eventually. Instead, all Hell broke loose. Gordon had unwittingly challenged the privileges of some of America's richest and most politically connected people, and they would fight him tooth and nail, no matter what it cost, and even when it made no sense.

Cape Wind is a rollicking tale of democracy in action and plutocracy in the raw as played out among colorful and glamorous characters on one of our country's most historic and renowned pieces of coastline. As steeped in American history and local color as The Prince of Providence; as biting, revealing and fun as Philistines at the Hedgerow, it is also a cautionary tale about how money can hijack democracy while America lags behind the rest of the developed world in adopting clean energy.

The New York Times - Robert Sullivan

If HBO is looking to develop a series based on environmental politics, then Cape Wind: Money, Celebrity, Class, Politics, and the Battle for Our Energy Future on Nantucket Sound is a natural for the option, with the Kennedys sitting in for the Sopranos, Nantucket Sound for the Meadowlands and phrases like "environmental impact statement" replacing "swimming with the fishes."

Boston Globe

Colorful storytelling about the tribulations of siting a renewable energy project . . . Yes, this book is lots of fun.

Hartford Courant

The authors took a potentially dull subject and have turned it into an entertaining read . . . A crisply written, well-told story.

EnergyBiz

The book is a captivating read‹and perfect if you find yourself headed to the beach in coming weeks. If you get to Cape Cod, send us a digital picture of yourself holding up the book with the playgrounds of Jack Welch, William Koch, the Mellons, DuPonts and Kennedys in the background.

Eva Lautemann - Library Journal

Williams and Whitcomb, both journalists and Cape Cod residents, have written a caustic firsthand report of the political maneuvers involving Cape Wind, a proposed wind energy project. In 2001, Boston energy entrepreneur Jim Gordon proposed building America's first offshore wind farm in Nantucket Sound using 130 wind turbines to produce 420 megawatts of renewable energy for the Cape Cod region. Because the Northeast lacks indigenous fossil fuels and has an aging electrical grid, Gordon thought his wind farm would be welcomed. Instead, using the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) argument, some of America's most wealthy residents living on the cape's south shore and others with Nantucket connections, including Sen. Edward Kennedy and former Gov. Mitt Romney, launched a well-funded opposition. A grassroots backlash by those who perceived this interference as a hijacking of the democratic process responded, and the Cape Wind battle was under way. This well-written and well-researched work shows the challenges of evolving past our reliance on fossil fuels and is recommended for all New England libraries and all alternate energy collections.

Notes on the State of Virginia or Barack Obama

Notes on the State of Virginia

Author: Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson published one book, Notes on the State of Virginia, and ever since, it has been the touchstone for understanding Jefferson's ideas about republican government, the environment, education, race and slavery, and Native-white relations. This edition is the first to present these issues as fundamentally inseparable matters. A collection of lively documents accompanies the core text of the Notes, and charts the evolution of the book in the revolutionary crucible and during the heady early days of the new nation. An introduction by David Waldstreicher places the work in the contexts of the Revolution and the social and cultural history of Jefferson's Virginia, with particular attention to developing ideas about race and nature. A chronology of the life and career of Thomas Jefferson and selected bibliography also add to the pedagogical benefits of this volume.

Table of Contents:

Part One Introduction: Nature, Race, and Revolution in Jefferson’s America Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia
* Virginia’s Jefferson
* Virginia’s Revolution Law and War
* Notes on the State of Virginia and the State of America Nature
* Native Genius
* Captive Nations
* From Weather to Race
* The Strange History of a Book
* Part II Documents
* Thomas Jefferson, Resolutions of the Freeholders of Albemarle County, July 26, 1774
* Lord Dunmore, Proclamation of Freedom to Slaves and Servants, November, 1775
* The Declaration of Independence: Thomas Jefferson’s Draft with Congress’s Changes, July 4, 1776
* Francois Marbois, Queries Concerning Virginia, November, 1780
* Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Jean Baptiste DuCoigne, Kaskaskia Chief, June, 1781
* Thomas Jefferson, An Anonymous Letter for European Newspapers, November, 1784
* Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Marquis de Chastellux, June 7, 1785
* Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Richard Price, August 7, 1785
* Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Marquis de Chastellux, September 2, 1785
* Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Archibald Stuart, January 25, 1786
* Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, 1787 London Edition
* Benjamin Banneker, Letter to Thomas Jefferson, August 19, 1791
* Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Benjamin Banneker, August 30, 1791

Look this: Take Care of Yourself Guide to Treating Your Familys Most Common Symptoms or Heart Healthy for Life

Barack Obama: The New Face of American Politics (Women and Minorities in Politics Series)

Author: Martin Dupuis

Barack Obama's election to the U.S. Senate in 2004 is one of the most interesting and colorful political campaigns in recent history. His rousing keynote address at the Democratic National Convention that same year made his name a household word. The "Obama for Illinois" crusade offers important insights into American politics. The authors explore the role of money, political party, ethnicity, religion, and the issues facing our society today. Obama's straightforward policy recommendations, message of hope and inclusion, and charismatic style propelled him to the national spotlight. Obama has the potential to shape America and to reshape U.S. politics as he campaigns for the White House.

Obama's state senate career and his decision to enter the U.S. Senate race are examined in this book. Despite a primary field of six competitors, Obama received more than half of the Democratic vote, defeating a multimillionaire and the state comptroller, a well-known figure in the Democratic Party. The general election imploded for the Republicans in the first few weeks of the campaign when it was revealed that their candidate was embroiled in a sex scandal. Alan Keyes, the ultraconservative, outspoken African American who had run for president twice and for the U.S. Senate from Maryland, was recruited to challenge Obama. But Obama, whose skill with the media and whose ability to raise funds was evident even in those early days of his career, easily won the race with 70 percent of the vote. The authors analyze Obama's ability to speak to the concerns of multiple constituencies by appealing to a coalition of voters that transcends race, class, and gender. At the start of his presidential run, Obama gives new meaning to the American dream.

Ann Burns - Library Journal

Presidential candidate Obama is the only African American in the U.S. Senate. Here, Dupuis (political science, Univ. of Central Florida) and Boeckelman (politics, Western Illinois Univ.) show how his stirring speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, his policy recommendations, and his charismatic style have put him in the national spotlight.