Andrew Marshall is a Pentagon legend. For more than four decades he has served as Director of the Office of Net Assessment, the Pentagon's internal think tank, under twelve defense secretaries and eight administrations. Yet Marshall has been on the cutting edge of strategic thinking even longer than that. At the RAND Corporation during its golden age in the 1950s and early 1960s, Marshall helped formulate bedrock concepts of US nuclear strategy that endure to this day; later, at the Pentagon, he pioneered the development of "net assessment" -- a new analytic framework for understanding the long-term military competition between the United States and the Soviet Union. Following the Cold War, Marshall successfully used net assessment to anticipate emerging disruptive shifts in military affairs, including the revolution in precision warfare and the rise of China as a major strategic rival of the United States. In The Last Warrior, Andrew Krepinevich and Barry Watts -- both former members of Marshall's staff -- trace Marshall's intellectual development from his upbringing in Detroit during the Great Depression to his decades in Washington as an influential behind-the-scenes advisor on American defense strategy. The result is a unique insider's perspective on the changes in US strategy from the dawn of the Cold War to the present day. Covering some of the most pivotal episodes of the last half-century and peopled with some of the era's most influential figures, The Last Warrior tells Marshall's story for the first time, in the process providing an unparalleled history of the evolution of the American defense establishment.

The definitive history of the Samurai, by acclaimed author of Ninja: 1,000 Years of the Shadow Warrior “One could ask for no better storyteller or analyst than John Man.” —Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem: The Biography The inspiration for the Jedi knights of Star Wars and the films of Akira Kurosawa, the legendary Japanese samurai have captured modern imaginations. Yet with these elite warriors who were bound by a code of honor called Bushido—the Way of the Warrior—the reality behind the myth proves more fascinating than any fiction. In Samurai, celebrated author John Man provides a unique and captivating look at their true history, told through the life of one man: Saigo Takamori, known to many as "the last samurai." In 1877 Takamori led a rebel army of samurai in a heroic "last stand" against the Imperial Japanese Army, who sought to end the "way of the sword" in favor of firearms and modern warfare. Man's thrilling narrative brings to life the hidden world of the samurai as never before.

The story begins with a group of people hiding in the forest. They are escaping from someone as they search for their savior. Something that no one had ever imagined even in their worst nightmares had happened in this world. What is the secret that all these people are running away from? A woman named Monica is taking these people towards an unknown destination. Shivay had instructed her to go to this destination as soon all this would begin. What exactly has begun? What kind of dark secret has appeared before the world? What is it that everyone is running away to escape from? Who is this Shivay, and how did he know this secret in advance? Where is Shivay right now? Where is this destination that Shivay had told Monica about, and towards which she is taking all these people? Trusting in Shivay, Monica is looking for someone called 'K'. Who is this 'K'? Does 'K' really exist or is he just a figment of Shivay’s imagination? Will Monica ever be able to find ‘K’? Is 'K' their protector? As the story progresses, some dark secrets of this world and the universe are revealed. These secrets were kept hidden from the common man until the present. Get ready to witness the biggest story of this era. Get ready to find out all the hidden secrets. Get ready to enjoy the journey of ‘K’ filled with romance, action and mysteries.

Like Jean Auel and Marion Zimmer Bradley, Mary Mackey takes us to a place where myth and reality meet. The year is 3643 B.C.E. The great matriarchal cities which have dominated the earth are about to disappear as hordes of nomads overrun the fertile valleys of Mesopotamia. Born into one of these tribes is Inanna, a woman who speaks the language of plants and whose touch can heal. Led by her powers to the City of the Dove, where love is sacred and sex is an act of worship, Inanna fulfills her destiny by becoming a great warrior queen.

Percy Jackson meets Thor in a laugh-out-loud, action-packed adventure inspired by Norse mythology. Twelve-year-old Abby Beckett is proud to come from a long line of elite Viking warriors known as the Aesir. She's spent her entire life training to hunt the horrific creatures known as Grendels-the ancient foe of the Aesir-just like her mother did before she died. But there's just one, small problem: No one has seen a Grendel in centuries, and the Viking Council wants to disband the Aesir . . . forever. When her father is injured in an attack that leaves him in a coma, Abby is forced to take refuge at Vale Hall, a mysterious school in Minnesota where nothing is quite as it seems. She soon discovers the tables have turned and a Grendel is hunting her, but when she tries to alert the Viking Council, they accuse her of making up stories for attention . . . just like her mother did. Desperate to protect her father and clear her mother's name, Abby goes on a dangerous quest to discover the truth--a journey that brings her face-to-face with some unlikely foes, including a Ping-Pong-playing sea monster with a wicked backhand, and a dark Valkyrie with a fondness for bingo. Abby quickly realizes that someone at the school is trying to stop her progress and destroy the Aesir for good. And only she can unravel the sinister plot before it's too late.

The authors would love you to join them on this enchanting journey of discovery; journeying through ancient African Kingdoms, a mythical forest, treacherous mountains, an arid desert and mysterious seas. Allow yourself to enjoy this immersive and enthralling tale set in medieval West Africa where Kings and Queens duel for power while mysterious creatures sent by the gods prepare to wage war upon them all. A generation has passed, and the devastation of war is slowly fading away but the scars remain, lingering in the hearts and minds of many. In an era of peace, King Ewuare remains conflicted, torn between opening closed wounds or allowing his reign of peace and prosperity to continue. As the King tries to resolve his moral conflict, the gods have a different agenda. Sinister and supernatural forces amass on the summit of the Agbon mountains, deep into the clouds, where no man dare stray, where the wind bites cold and the forest stays forever frozen. Within, lies a tale of Kings and Queens, warriors and commoners, slaves and sorcerers, and the consequences of their hurried actions. African tribes head to battle with swords forged of bronze and steel, wild beasts bending to the will of man and fighting side by side. A boy travels across the known world, through treacherous lands, in search of a hidden treasure. All amid betrayal of love, friendship and family. As a result, the survival of a people, culture and history hangs perilously in the balance. Book Background: A Cry to War is an African Fantasy set in 13th century West Africa and it’s loosely based on historical events, although it has been dramatised for the enjoyment of the reader. Through a fictional lens, you will feel part of the political alliances, conflicts and triumphs of several real-life ancient West African Kingdoms, such as the Benin Kingdom, the Ghanaian empire, the Malian Kingdom and the Fulani people. The story stretches across countries, continents and seas, showing a great variation in language, customs and traditions of several tribes but also the unity displayed by different characters to overcome adversity.

As a decorated soldier, young General Tao knows only one kind of honour –– to his people. But when his own king betrays him, he discovers that his sacrifices and successes may not have been for the good of the country at all. Fate –– and his enemies –– throw him together with Elsabeth, a red–haired beauty who has served as the royal tutor. However, Elsabeth's loyalties remain with her father's people –– the rebellious Kurel –– who worship the old ways, even harbouring the forbidden arks that brought the Kurel to this planet decades ago. When a threat greater than their peoples' war looms –– intent on destroying the world they both know –– the fierce warrior and the sensitive scholar must unite. Together, they must fight for their planet and for their forbidden love.