An insider’s account of the complex relations between the United States and post-Soviet Ukraine The Eagle and the Trident provides the first comprehensive account of the development of U.S. diplomatic relations with an independent Ukraine, covering the years 1992 through 2004 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The United States devoted greater attention to Ukraine than any other post-Soviet state (except Russia) after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Steven Pifer, a career Foreign Service officer, worked on U.S.-Ukraine relations at the State Department and the White House during that period and also served as ambassador to Ukraine. With this volume he has written the definitive narrative of the ups and downs in the relationship between Washington and newly independent Ukraine. The relationship between the two countries moved from heady days in the mid- 1990s, when they declared a strategic partnership, to troubled times after 2002. During the period covered by the book, the United States generally succeeded in its major goals in Ukraine, notably the safe transfer of nearly 2,000 strategic nuclear weapons left there after the Soviet collapse. Washington also provided robust support for Ukraine’s effort to develop into a modern, democratic, market-oriented state. But these efforts aimed at reforming the state proved only modestly successful, leaving a nation that was not resilient enough to stand up to Russian aggression in Crimea in 2014. The author reflects on what worked and what did not work in the various U.S. approaches toward Ukraine. He also offers a practitioner’s recommendations for current U.S. policies in the context of ongoing uncertainty about the political stability of Ukraine and Russia’s long-term intentions toward its smaller but important neighbor.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON'T KNOW ROME! THE EAGLE'S CONQUEST is the thrilling second novel in Simon Scarrow's bestselling Eagles of the Empire series. Essential reading for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden. Praise for Simon Scarrow's compelling historical novels: 'Gripping and moving' The Times Britannia, AD 43. Bleak, rainy and full of vicious savages, Britannia is a land that Cato, solider of the Second Legion, wishes Rome didn't want to conquer. And as right-hand man to Centurion Macro, Cato sees the very worst of his native Britons, battling alongside his commander in bloodier combat than he could ever have imagined. But the Britons are fighting back with Roman weapons - which means someone in their own ranks is supplying arms to the enemy. Cato and Macro are about to discover even deadlier adversaries than the British barbarians...

Since their creation in 1983, the US Navy SEALs have been involved in unconventional warfare around the globe, undertaking crucial and clandestine missions. These have included traditional underwater missions such as in Panama in 1989, the taking down of ships and also gas and oil platforms, and more recently, sniping and other missions in land-locked countries like Afghanistan. They have adapted their training, their tactics and their weapons to enable them to remain the best in whatever task they are set. This book covers the organization of the SEALs, their famously demanding recruitment, their equipment, and their missions. The authors have interviewed many past and serving SEALs, who tell their stories in their own words.

An informed modern plan for post-2020 American foreign policy that avoids the opposing dangers of retrenchment and overextension Russia and China are both believed to have “grand strategies”—detailed sets of national security goals backed by means, and plans, to pursue them. In the United States, policy makers have tried to articulate similar concepts but have failed to reach a widespread consensus since the Cold War ended. While the United States has been the world’s prominent superpower for over a generation, much American thinking has oscillated between the extremes of isolationist agendas versus interventionist and overly assertive ones. Drawing on historical precedents and weighing issues such as Russia’s resurgence, China’s great rise, North Korea’s nuclear machinations, and Middle East turmoil, Michael O’Hanlon presents a well-researched, ethically sound, and politically viable vision for American national security policy. He also proposes complementing the Pentagon’s set of “4+1” pre-existing threats with a new “4+1”: biological, nuclear, digital, climatic, and internal dangers.

This is the first appearance of my character, Jim Swenson. This is my first novel and my character’s debut. Because I am a retired U.S. Navy officer, I wanted Jim to be a naval officer, so I made him a U.S. Navy SEAL lieutenant. I wanted him to be tough as nails with an intimidating physique, so I made him 6.5 ft. tall and 250 lbs. of solid muscle. Jim attended Stanford University and starred on their wrestling and football teams. He was a Heisman Trophy winner. Jim studied martial arts as a teenager so that he could be a great fighter and never lose a fight. However, I also made him a kind and loving person who only fights to protect himself and those people unable to protect themselves. I had him grow up in San Francisco, one of my favorite cities in the world. I usually name my characters in my books. I named one of my characters Jim Swenson after one of my best friends from high school. The Marine Corps major Ed Reynolds in the following section is named after one of my business partners who has been a close friend for twenty years. Jim Swenson always wins. I wanted him to be able to do things that all of us want to be able to do. To stand strong and unafraid, never back down, and always ready with an intelligent reply. I made him wealthy so he could do what he wants to do and never need to rely on anyone but himself. I want my readers to be like Jim Swenson. I hope you do!

Russia's surprising return to the world stage since 2000 has aroused the curiosity--if not the fear--of the West. Gradually, the Kremlin went from a policy of deference to foreign powers to acting with independence. The driver of this transformation was President Vladimir Putin, who with skillful caution navigated Russia back into the ranks of global powers. In theaters of conflict such as Georgia, Syria and Ukraine, the Kremlin won significant victories at little cost to consolidate its decisive position. Following a chronological approach from the fall of the Soviet Union to the present, this book draws on new documents to describe how Russia regained its former global prominence. Clear accounts of key decisions and foreign policy events--many presented for the first time--provide important insights into the major confrontations with the West.