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Posts in Violence & Oppression
My Enemy, My Brother: Men & Days Of Gettysburg

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By Joseph E. Persico

FROM THE INTRODUCTION: “ThIs sook was writen in quest of an answer. What was it chat led Americans-dairy farmers from Wisconsin and dirt farmers from Georgia, New York urchins and Richmond patricians, shop- keepers and shoemakers--to gather at a small town in Pennsylvania in the summer of 1863 and slaughter each other in fearful numbers? Do the historic roots of the Civil War provide a satisfying answer as to what motivated the ordinary soldier at Gettysburg, or on the other battlefields of that conflict? Was it slavery? Abolition? States' rights? The Union? These reasons may have sufficed for politicians and the power classes, both North and South. Perhaps for the profes- sional soldier, once he determined his loyalty to state or nation, no further motive was necessary. Battle was his craft. But what of more than three million citizen-soldiers, the over- whelming number of whom voluntarily answered the call to arms? What would induce young men today, from, say, New Jersey and California, to battle each other to such bloody effect? There is a lingering unbelievability about this American fratricide…”

NY. Da Capo Press. 1988. 284p.

The History Of The Five Indian Nations Depending On The Province Of New-Fork In America.

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By Cadwallader Colden

From the author to His Excellency William Burnet Esq. Captain General and Governor in Chief of the Provinces of New-York, New-Jersey, and Territories thereon depending, in America, and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c. “Sir: the Indian Affairs of this Province have appear'd to your Excellency of such Importance to the Wellfare of the People here, that you have carefully apply'd your Thoughts to them, in which I hope your Excellency will have such Success, that not only the present Generation shall enjoy the Benefit of your Care, but our latest Posterity likewise may bless your Memory under their Happiness, the Foundation of which may be laid under your Excellency's Administration, if the People here, who's Interest is chiefly concern'd, do on their parts second your Endeavours, as their Duty requires, towards securing the Peace and advancing the Prosperity of their Country. The following Account of the Five Nations will show what Dangerous Neighbours the Indians have been, what Pains a Neighbouring Colony (who's Interest is Opposit to ours) has taken to withdraw their Affections from Us, and how dread- ful the Consequences may be, if that Colony should succeed in their Designs: and therefore how much we ought to be on our Guard. If we only consider the Riches which a People…”

Ithaca. Cornell Paperbacks. 1958 (1866). 198p.

Bloody Mohawk: The French And Indian War & American Revolution On New York's Frontier

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By Richard Berleth

FROM THE PREFACE: “This book is a narrative history of the Mohawk Valley and region over eight Indian Wars and battles ofthe American Revolution were critical to the foundation of New York State and the creation of a new nation. People of the Mohawk River--Native Americans, colonial settlers, officials of the Crown Colony of New York, great landowners, and patriot leaders struggled mightily during this period to impose their visions for the future on a wilderness that would some day become the cradle of the new nation's industry and ingenuity. Between the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) and the signing of the Treaty of Canandaigua (1794), the boundaries of the Mohawk region took shape. French intrusions were turned back with great loss of blood and treasure, but British triumph proved temporary. In the War of Independence, patriots wrenched the valley from British interests and the Iroquois nations at fearsomecost. At the end, victors inhab- ited a valley of ashes, while the defeated lost friends, homes, and tribal lands forever…”

NY. Black Dome. 2009. 383p.

American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson

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By Joseph .J . Ellis

FROM THE PREFACE: “Any aspiring biographer of Jefferson, recognizing the ink already spilled and the libraries already filled, might do well to recall the young Virginian's famous words of 1776. Which is to say that no one should undertake yet another book on Thomas Jefferson for "light and transient causes." In fact "prudence dictates" and "a decent respect of the opinions of mankind requires" that the publication of all new books about that man from Monticello be accompanied by a formal declaration of the causes that have impelled the author to undertake the effort.”

NY. Vintage. 1998. 482p.

Dr. Spock on Vietnam

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By Dr. Benjamin Spock and Michael Zimmerman

FROM THE COVER: “The Untold Story of Vietnam- WHAT IS THE TRUTH? What would happen if the U.S. stopped the bombing? Or pulled out her troops? Or else went after total military victory? Are we in Vietnam because of a request from the Vietnamese people? Or because of treaty obligations? Or because of past pledges? Do the Viet Cong hold the people in check through terror? Is the war in the South an invasion from the North? What was the significance of the recent South Vietnamese elections? How valid is the "domino theory? What is the danger from China? Is the United States being threatened? Can we believe what our own government tells us? You may think you have the answers to these ques tions. You may not be quite as sure when you finish this book by a famous American who could no longer remain silent.

NY. Dell. 1968. 96p.

1776

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By David McCullough

FROM THE COVER: “In this stirring book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which al hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted tolittle more than words on paper. Based on extensive researchi n both American and British archives, 1776 si apowerful drama written with extraordinary narrative vitality. It is the story of Americans in the ranks, men of every shape, size, and color, farmers, schoolteachers, shoemakers, no- accounts, and mere boys turned soldiers. And it is the story of the King's men, the British commander, William Howe, and his highly disciplined redcoats who looked on their rebel foes with contempt and fought with a valor too little known. Here also is the Revolution as experienced by American Loyalists, Hessian mercenaries, politicians, preachers, traitors, spies, men and women of all kinds caught in the paths of war. At the center of the drama, with Washington, are two young American patriots, who, at first, knew no more of war than whaat they had read in books—Nathaniel Greene, a Quaker who was made general at thirty-three, and Henry Knox, a twenty-five-year-old bookseller who had the preposterous idea of hauling the guns of Fort Ticonderoga overland to Boston in the dead of winter.”

NY. Simon and Schuster. 2005. 423p.

Champlain's Dream

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By David Hackett Fischer.

From the jacket: “In this sweeping, enthralling biography, acclaimed historian David Hackett Fischer brings to life the remarkable Samuel de Champlain-soldier, spy, master mariner, explorer, cartographer, artist, and Father ofNew France. Born on France's Atlantic coast, Champlain grew to manhood in a country riven by religious warfare. The historical record is unclear on whether Champlain was baptized Protestant or Catholic, but he fought in France's religious wars for the man who would become Henri IV, one of France's greatest kings, and like Henri, he was religiously tolerant in an age of murderous sectarianism. Champlain was also a brilliant navigator. He went to sea as a boy and over time acquired the skills that allowed him to make twenty-seven Atlantic crossings without losing a ship. But we remember Champlain mainly as a great explorer. On foot and by ship and canoe, he traveled through what are now six Canadian provinces and five American states. …”

NY. Simon and Schuster. 2008. 857p.

Making Moral Judgments: Psychological Perspectives on Morality, Ethics, and Decision-Making

By Donelson R. Forsyth

This fascinating new book examines diversity in moral judgements, drawing on recent work in social, personality, and evolutionary psychology, reviewing the factors that influence the moral judgments people make. Why do reasonable people so often disagree when drawing distinctions between what is morally right and wrong? Even when individuals agree in their moral pronouncements, they may employ different standards, different comparative processes, or entirely disparate criteria in their judgments. Examining the sources of this variety, the author expertly explores morality using ethics position theory, alongside other theoretical perspectives in moral psychology, and shows how it can relate to contemporary social issues from abortion to premarital sex to human rights. Also featuring a chapter on applied contexts, using the theory of ethics positions to gain insights into the moral choices and actions of individuals, groups, and organizations in educational, research, political, medical, and business settings, the book offers answers that apply across individuals, communities, and cultures. Investigating the relationship between people’s personal moral philosophies and their ethical thoughts, emotions, and actions, this is fascinating reading for students and academics from psychology and philosophy and anyone interested in morality and ethics.

New York: Routledge, 2010. 211p.

The Cowboy Legend; Owen Wister's Virginian and the Canadian-American Ranching Frontier

Edited by John Jennings: 

The cowboy, as perhaps no other figure, has captured the imagination of North Americans for over a century. Before Owen Wister's publication of The Virginian in 1902, the image of the cowboy was essentially that of the dime novel - a rough, violent, one-dimensional drifter, or the stage cowboy variety found in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West show. Wister's novel was to transform, almost overnight, this image of the cowboy. Soon after its publication, Wister sent a copy, inscribed "To the hero from the author," to Everett Johnson, a cowboy from Virginia who had been a friend of Wister's in Wyoming in the 1880s. Johnson had migrated to Alberta by the 1890s, eventually settling in the Calgary area. Before his death in 1946, his daughter-in-law, Jean Johnson, transcribed Everett's stories of the old west and collected them into a manuscript, now on deposit in the Glenbow Archives. In The Cowboy Legend, John Jennings, building on Jean Johnson's work, details the evidence that Everett Johnson was the initial and prime inspiration for Wister's cowboy, and in the process shows that Johnson led a fascinating life in his own right. His memories of both the Wyoming and Alberta cattle frontiers provide insight into ranch life on both sides of the border, and the compelling parallel biographies of Johnson and Wister feature vignettes of legendary period figures such as Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild Bill Hickok, Wyatt Earp, and Butch Cassidy, not to mention the best man at Johnson's wedding, Henry Longabaugh, a.k.a. the Sundance Kid. With an impressive range of scholarship and archival research, Jennings melds this realistic study of the cowboy frontier with an intriguing account of Wister's subsequent creation of the cowboy mystique, aided by two close friends and perhaps somewhat unexpected collaborators, Frederic Remington and Theodore Roosevelt. As compulsively readable as it is informative, this unique contribution to western history and literature will be welcomed by fans and scholars alike.

Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 2015. 448p.

Tudor England

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By S. T. Bindoff

FROM THE PROLOGUE: “The battle was over. On a stretch of high ground in the midland heart of the kingdom twenty thousand men had met in fierce, clumsy combat, and the day had ended in the decisive defeat of the stronger army. Its leader, the King, had been killed fighting heroically, and men had seen his naked corpse slung across his horse's back and borne away to an obscure grave. His captains were dead, captured, or in flight, his troops broken and demoralized. But in the victor's army all was rejoicing. In following the claimant to the throne his supporters had chosen the winning side, and when they saw the golden circlet which had fallen from the King's head placed upon their leader's, their lingering doubts fed before the conviction that God had blessed his cause, and they hailed him joyously as their sovereign.”

London. Penguin. 1969. 323p.

The Church and the Age of Reason 1648-1789

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By Gerald R. Cragg

FROM THE PREFACE: “This span in the history of the Christian church stretches from the age of religious and civil strife which existed before the middle of the seventeenth century to the age of industrialism and republicanism which followed the French Revolution and the beginning of the Napoleonic wars. The church in general, reacting strongly against the turbulences of the Civil War and the Thirty Years' War, placed a premium on order, moderation, and stability. Movements suspected of enthusiasm, such as Puritanism, Quietism, and Jansenism, fell into disrepute, and the authority exercised by the state in religious affairs became more pronounced. It was an age dominated by Reason, which, until it provoked a reaction in such movements as Pietism and Evangelicism, posed a formidable challenge to Christianity.”

London. Penguin. 1960. 297p.

Oliver Cromwell And The Rule Of The Puritans In England

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By Sir Charles Firth

FROM THE INTRODUCTION BY G. M. YOUNG: “…If Cromwell had been allowed by the army to take the crown, it is well within conjecture that the nobility and gentry would have accepted the accomplished fact, seeing in it the return after those years of travail to stability and security. But the army would not allow it. A Head of the Commonwealth, a Protector---yes. But the step from Highness to Majesty -no…”

London. Oxford University Press. 1956. 516p

Violence brokers and super-spreaders: how organised crime transformed the structure of Chicago violence during Prohibition

By  Chris M. Smith  & Andrew V. Papachristos

The rise of organised crime changed Chicago violence structurally by creating networks of rivalries and conflicts wherein violence ricocheted. This study examines the organised crime violence network during Prohibition by analysing ‘violence brokers’ – individuals who committed multiple violence acts that linked separate violent events into a connected violence network. We analyse the two-mode violence network from the Capone Database, a relational database on early 1900s Chicago organised crime. Across 276 violent incidents attributed to organised crime were 334 suspected perpetrators of violence. We find that 20% of suspects were violence brokers, and nine brokers were violence super-spreaders linking the majority of suspects. We also find that violence brokers were in the thick of violence not just as suspects, but also as victims – violence brokers in this network experienced more victimisation than non-brokers. Unknowingly or knowingly, these violence brokers wove together a network, attack-by-attack, that transformed violence in Chicago.

GLOBAL CRIME                                               2022, VOL. 23, NO. 1, 23–43 

Decolonizing the Criminal Question Colonial Legacies, Contemporary Problems

Edited by Ana Aliverti, Henrique Carvalho, Anastasia Chamberlen and Máximo Sozzo  

This collection engages with debates within ‘criminology’ about matters of colonial power, which have come to be conceptualized through the language of ‘decolonization’. It explores the uneasy relationship between the ‘criminal question’ and colonialism, and foregrounds the relevance of the legacies of this relationship to criminological enquiries. It invites and seeks to pursue a better understanding of the links between imperialism and colonialism on the one hand, and nationalism and globalization on the other, by exposing the imprints of these links on processes of marginalization, racialization, and exclusion that are central to contemporary criminal justice practices within and beyond nation-states. It advances this objective by examining the reverberations of colonial history and logics in the operation of crime control. The volume also aims to explore the critical potential of criminological scholarship, as a field that sits at the margins of several disciplines and perspectives, through a direct engagement with Southern epistemologies and perspectives. To do so, it brings together established and emerging scholars from the humanities and social sciences, who work at the intersections of criminal justice and postcolonial studies.

London: Oxford University Press, 2023. 419p.

The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III Father of the English Nation

By Ian Mortimer

FROM THE INTRODUCTION: “On 19 October 1330, at dusk, two dozen men gathered in the centre of Nottingham. They were mostly in their twenties, and all on horsback, ready to ride out of the town. But unlike merchants or pilgrims assem- bling to set out together, these men were silent and unsmiling. Beneath their riding cloaks they were all heavily armed. The reason for their gathering lay within the fortress which overlooked the town. Somewhere within those walls, high on the massive outcrop, was Roger Mortimer, the earl of March, who kept the young king, Edward III, within his power and ruled in his place.”

London. Published by Jonathan Cape. 2006. 571p. USED BOOK. MAY CONTAIN MARK-UP

Trafalgar: The Nelson Touch

By David Howarth

From the opening passage: “At ten to six in the morning of the 21st of October 1805, off Cape Trafalgar in the south of Spain, Napoleon's French and Spanish fleet was sighted against the dawn sky, and men in the British fleet who were not on watch swarmed up on deck to look.

It was a beautiful autumn morning, clear under a hazy sky, with a breeze from the west-north-west so light that the sea was scarcely ruffled. The British ships, in line ahead, were sailing slowly north, and rolling in a long Atlantic swell. Some had names that were famous already, and some became famous that day: Victory, Royal Sovereign, Temeraire, Dread- nought, Revenge, Colossus, Ajax, Euryalus, Bellerophon - twenty-seven sail of the line in al, and four frigates. But they were a sight so familiar that nobody spared them a glance, except the officers of the watch on each of the quarterdecks, whose duty was to keep their own ship in station. Everyone else watched the lightening horizon. For more than two years of tedious patrol, summer and winter, blockading Napoleon's ports, the horizon at every dawn had been empty. Now, in eager anticipation, they counted the distant enemy sail: twenty, twenty-five, thirty - thirty-three of them, and frigates among them, a column five miles long, standing south for the Strait of Gibraltar.

There were seventeen thousand men in the British fleet….”

London. Collins. 1969. 165p. USED BOOK. MAY CONTAIN MARK-UP.

The Life And Times Of Winston Churchilll

By Malcolm Thomson

From Winston Churchill's speech made in the House of Commons on June 4th, 1940: “Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen, or may fall, into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail, we shal go on ot the end, we shal fight in France, we shallfight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and strength in the air, we shall defend our island whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island, or a large part of it, were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle until in God's good time the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and liberation of the Old.”

London. Odhams Press. 1945. 324p. USED BOOK. MAY CONTAIN MARK-UP.

Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews

By James Carroll

FROM THE COVER: In this "rare book that combines searing passion ... with a subject that has affected all of our lives" (Chicago Tribune), the novelist and cultural critic James Carroll maps the profoundly troubling two-thousand-year course of the Church's battle against Judaism and faces the crisis of faith it has provoked in his own life as a Catholic. More than a chronicle of religion, this dark history is the central tragedy of Western civilization, its fault lines reaching deep into our culture. A courageous and affecting reckoning with difficult truths that will touch every reader, Constantines Sword is truly a book for our times.

A Mariner Boo.k Houghton Mifelin Company. 2002. 757p. USED BOOK. CONTAINS MARK-UP.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

By Ishmael Beah

The first chapter: There were all kinds of stories told about the war that made it sound as fi it was happening in a faraway and different land. It wasn't until refugees started passing through our town that we began to see that it was actually taking place in our country. Families who had walked hundreds of miles told how relatives had been killed and their houses burned. Some people felt sorry for them and offered them places to stay, but most of the refugees refused, because they said the war would eventually reach our town. The children of these families wouldn't look at us, and they jumped at the sound of chopping wood or as stones landed on the tin roofs flung by children hunting birds with slingshots. The adults among these children from the war zones would be lost in their thoughts during conversations with the elders of my town. Apart from their fatigue and malnourishment, it was evident they had seen something that plagued their minds, something that we would refuse to accept if they told us al of it.

NY. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2007. 256p.. USED BOOK. CONTAINS MARK-UP

China 1945: Mao's Revolution, America's Fateful Choice

By Richard Berstein

From the cover: “At the beginning of 1945, relations between Anerica and the Chinese Communists couldn't have been closer. Chinese lead ers talked of America helping to lift China out of poverty; Mao Zedong himself held friendly meetings with U.S. emissaries. By year's end, Chinese Communist soldiers were setting ambushes for American marines; official cordiality had been replaced bychilly hostility and distrust, a pattern which would continue for a quarter century, with the devastating wars in Korea and Vietnam among the consequences.

NY. Vintage. 2015. 473p. USED BOOK. CONTAINS MARK-UP