Power can corrupt a nation as surely as it corrupts an individual. To borrow from Lord Acton's dictum power corrupts & superpower corrupts absolutely. When the Second World War ended the military & economic supremacy of the USA was without parallel in history. American incomprehension of the outside world has been the chief problem in international affairs since the end of World War II. In America & the Imperialism of Ignorance veteran political journalist Andrew Alexander constructs a meticulous case including evidence gleaned from the steady opening up of Soviet archives demonstrating why this is so. From starting the Cold War to revisiting unlearned lessons upon Cuba & Vietnam the Middle East has latterly become the arena in which the American foreign policy approach proved wretchedly consistent. This has created six decades in which war was not the last resort of diplomacy but an early option & where peace & order breaking out was thought to be the natural conclusion of military intervention. Alexander traces this 'shoot-first' tendency from 1945 arguing that on a grand scale the Cold War was a red herring in which the US & her proxies set out to counter a Soviet expansionism that never truly existed & that by the time of the George W Bush era the ' Industrial-Military- Complex' was in office offering little hope of a change in approach. ...

In America the Edible" Travel Channel host Adam Richman tackles the ins & outs of American cuisine demonstrating his own unique brand of culinary anthropology. Believing that regional cuisine reveals far more than just our taste for chicken fried steak or 3-way chilli Richman explores the ethnic economic & cultural factors that shape the way we eat
- & how food in turn reflects who we are as a nation. Richman uses his signature wit & casual charm to take you on a tour around the country explaining such curiosities as why bagels are shaped like circles why fried chicken is so popular in the South & how some of the most iconic American food
- hot dogs fries & soda
- are not really American at all. Writing with passion curiosity & a desire to share his knowledge he

Includes:: recipes secret addresses for fun & tasty finds & tips on how to eat like a local from coast to coast."




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The plan was simple. Go to America. Buy a second-hand car. Drive coast-to-coast without giving any money to The Man'. What could possibly go wrong? Dismayed by the relentless onslaught of faceless American chains muscling in where local businesses had once thrived Dave Gorman set off on the ultimate American road trip
- in search of the true independent heart of the U S of A. He would eat cherry pie from local diners re-fuel at dusty gas stations & stock up on supplies from Mom & Pop's grocery store. At least that was the idea. But when did you last see an independent gas station? Gamely Dave beds down in a Colorado trailer park sleeps in an Oregon forest treehouse & even spends Thanksgiving with a Mexican family in Kansas. But when his road trip mutates into an odyssey of near-epic proportions & he finds himself being threatened at gun point in Mississippi Dave starts to worry about what's going to break down next. The car...or him?
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The locals in the Italian village where he lives call him Signor Farfalla
- Mr Butterfly. He is a discreet gentleman who spends
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The Japanese High Command realised that the loss of Okinawa would give the Americans a base for the invasion of Japan. Its desperate response was to unleash the full force of the Special Attack Units known in the west as the Kamikaze (Divine Wind"). In a series of mass attacks in between April & June 1945 more than 900 Kamikaze aeroplanes were shot down. Conventional fighters & bombers accompanied the Special Attack Units as escorts & to add their own weight to the attacks on the US fleet. In the air battles leading up to the invasion of Okinawa as well as those that raged over the island in the three months that followed the Japanese lost more than 7000 aircraft both in the air & on the ground. In the course of the fighting 67 Navy 21 Marine & three USAAF pilots became aces. In many ways it was an uneven combat & on numerous occasions following these uneven contests American fighter pilots would return from combat having shot down up to six Japanese aeroplanes during a single mission." ...

Welcome to Orange County Choppers where Paul Teutel & his boys bend hammer weld paint & polish some of the baddest steel thats ever rested on top of two wheels & roared down an American highway. Teutel & his company forge their metallic masterpieces in a cauldron of love anger fear respect & admiration
- a passion-filled wrench-tossing gasket-blowing raw drama thats captured each week on the Discovery Channel smash hit American Chopper. Heres the ultimate insiders pass to the world of American Chopper an in-depth portrait of some truly eye-popping custom bikes & of their high-octane creators.
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The American Civil War was one of the longest & bloodiest of modern wars. It is also one of the most mysterious. It has captured the imagination of writers artists & film-makers for decades but the reality of it confuses & divides historians even today. In this magisterial history of the first modern war the distinguished military historian John Keegan unpicks the geography leadership & strategic logic of the war & takes us to the heart of the conflict. His captivating work promises to be the definitive history of the American Civil War. ...

This title offers a visual history of the Civil War. Visually arresting & comprehensive The American Civil War" covers the history causes & consequences of the conflict providing first-person accounts by soldiers & civilians key profiles of military leaders & clear timelines that give an instant overview of the developments during the tumultuous war. Packed with galleries of weaponry & equipment the treatment of wounded soldiers & information on slavery this is a rich detailed account of one of the most controversial conflicts of our time. This is an invaluable resource for schools & libraries as well as a perfect companion for anyone interested in military & social history." ...

At the start of the American Civil War (1861) some of the most powerful torts in the country were located in the secessionist states & many of these fell into Confederate hands. Although a handful of key sites remained in the Union the remainder had to be won back through bombardment or assault. Forts such as Fort Sumter Fort Morgan & Fort Pulaski formed the centerpiece in the struggle for control of the Confederate coastline. This book examines the stone forts that played a crucial part in the course of the Civil War covering their design construction & the way they were armed & manned. ...

This hugely successful text provides students of American studies with the perfect background & introductory information on contemporary American life. Thoroughly revised this fifth edition covers all the central

Dimensions of American society from geography & the environment government & politics to religion education media & the arts. American Civilization" covers all core American studies topics at introductory level contains essential historical background for American studies students at the start of the twenty-first century analyzes gender class & race & Americas cosmopolitan population contains photos case studies questions & terms for discussion & suggests websites for further research. With new illustrations & case studies this edition of " American Civilization" also examines the 2008 election US foreign policy activities the impact of climate change & the shifting economic situation. An invaluable online resource the " American Civilization" companion website features a wealth of material including biographies of major historical & contemporary figures links to key primary sources worked answers to essay questions & suggestions for classroom activities & discussions."

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