After the collapse of Afghanistan’s Soviet-backed government, a mullah finds himself doing anything to protect his students.Chaos reigns in the wake of the collapse of Afghanistan's Soviet-backed government. In the rural, warlord-ruled south, a student is badly beaten at a checkpoint run by bandits. His teacher, who leads a madrassa for orphans left behind by Afghanistan’s civil war, leads his students back to the checkpoint and forces the bandits out. His...

A clear-eyed view of the conflict in Afghanistan and its century-deep roots.The war in Afghanistan has consumed vast amounts of blood and treasure, causing the Western powers to seek an exit without achieving victory. Seemingly never-ending, the conflict has become synonymous with a number of issues — global jihad, rampant tribalism, and the narcotics trade — but even though they are cited as the causes of the conflict, they are in fact symptoms.Rather than...

The truth is that armies rarely teach tactics.They drill procedures, rehearse checklists, and memorize doctrine - but the art of thinking and fighting, the essence of command, is left to chance. The result is predictable: leaders who can pass an exam but falter when lives depend on their judgment.Dangerous Lessons is a guide to breaking that cycle. It strips away the false comfort of rote answers and gives leaders the means to actually teach tactic...

In 1978, the tension on the streets of Managua was electric.The whole city teetered on the edge of becoming a warzone. The Somoza family held the people of Nicaragua in a stranglehold, stripping the country of everything of value and making beggars out of honest citizens. The only thing that kept them in power was the feared Guardia Nacional. In order to survive, Paco eked out a living as a street musician, busking and playing university parties. His politics were those of...

A clear-eyed view of the conflict in Afghanistan and its century-deep roots.The war in Afghanistan has consumed vast amounts of blood and treasure, causing the Western powers to seek an exit without achieving victory. Seemingly never-ending, the conflict has become synonymous with a number of issues—global jihad, rampant tribalism, and the narcotics trade—but even though they are cited as the causes of the conflict, they are in fact symptoms.Rather than beg...

Malalai Joya has been called "the bravest woman in Afghanistan." At a constitutional assembly in Kabul in 2003, she stood up and denounced her country's powerful NATO-backed warlords. She was twenty-five years old. Two years later, she became the youngest person elected to Afghanistan's new Parliament. In 2007, she was suspended from Parliament for her persistent criticism of the warlords and drug barons and their cronies. She has survived four assassination attempts to da...

A brief biography and photos of General Patton helps readers visualize one of the great military leaders of all time. The inspirational content will make this book an indispensable compaion for busy executives everywhere.This collection of George S. Patton’s pithy one-liners shows how business managers can succeed by applying the combat-tested principles of one of America's most famous battlefield leaders. General Patton was a professional soldier who spent his lif...

**AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER!Vampires, vaqueros, and star-crossed lovers face off on the Texas-Mexico border in this supernatural western from the author of The Hacienda.**As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves the...

With Leadership Lessons from West Point as a guide, leaders in the business, nonprofit, and government sectors can learn leadership techniques and practices from contributors who are teaching or have taught at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and have served in positions of leadership that span the globe. These military experts cover a broad range of topics that are relevant to any leadership development program in any sector. The articles in this important resource offer i...

From a Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The House of Broken Angels and Good Night, Irene, discover the epic historical novel following the journey of a young saint fighting for her survival.This historical novel is based on Urrea's real great-aunt Teresita, who had healing powers and was acclaimed as a saint. Urrea has researched historical accounts and family records for years to get an accurate story.

"A digestible history of this tortured land is something Americans sorely need. . . . Polk carefully constructs one." ― USA TodayWilliam R. Polk provides an informative, readable history of a country which is moving quickly toward becoming the dominant power and culture of the Middle East. A former member of the State Department's Policy Planning Council, Polk describes a country and a history misunderstood by many in the West. While Irani...

The United States Army is one of the most complex, best run organizations in the world, and central to the Army's success are strong leadership and exceptional leadership development. Army leaders must be able to act decisively and effectively in challenging situations. But the Army, despite its organizational structure, does not train leaders in a hierarchical manner. Dispersed leadership is the key to the success of the Army leadership model.Now, for the first time, you can have ...