A Gracious Enemy & After the War Volume Two
In 1975, the last American soldier was withdrawn from Vietnam after the shameful bungling at the American embassy in Saigon as Vietnamese tanks came crashing through the gates on their way to liberate Indochina from American capitalist exploitation! The new national governments took over in all Indochina countries (Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam). Many of the heroes who sacrificed all to ensure victory now came out of the forests and some of them took for themselves property, houses, flats and cars belonging to many of the former ruling classes. Unlike the the scenes in Europe after WW2, there was not wholesale revenge and killings of former ruling classes, the new government choosing instead to send the former rulers to re-education camps. There were some cases where people denounced others in order to obtain their wealth or power. Such is the mean-spirit of jealous people! They caused many to flee from their homelands in Indochina. Many of these people became 'Boat People' and successfully settled in Australia, becoming Australian citizens and successful business people. This is the story of a cross section of these brave people.
A Gracious Enemy & After the War Volume One
The Allied war effort in Indochina (the French colonies of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) was a war of aggression which allowed many millions of US dollars of arms sales. All allied service men that I cam into contact with did their duties to the best of their abilities. As an Australian serving with the First Battalion Royal Australian Regiment in Vietnam during 1968 - 1969, I feel that it is my duty to inform readers of how the Australian infantry soldiers saw the war and how they felt about fighting the Vietnamese. Because of the fact that this story is so vast, I am splitting the full story into two volumes. "A Gracious Enemy & After the War Volume One cover events in Indochina from 1770 to 1975, when the Americans withdrew from Vietnam after loosing more than 50,000 war dead. It must be remembered that the US army has a rate of 10 soldiers in support for every "Grunt" at the "Sharp End". When viewed in this way, the American KIA figure for the the Twelve years of US involvement is extremely high. After the American withdrawal in 1975, the Vietnamese Army invaded Kampuchea and removed the Pol Pot Regime from power. The yet to be completed "A Gracious Enemy & After the War Volume Two", deals with events in and outside of Vietnam after 1975 and includes the arrival and successful integration into Australian society of the Vietnamese Boat People
Arminius and Thusnelda Versus Rome
In September of 9 A.D., The three legions and their supporting units under the command of Varus thought that they could complete the Roman conquest of Germania. Due to the efforts of Thusnelda and her husband, Armin or, if you like, his Latin name, Arminius, the Romans lost! When he was informed about the loss of his legions and their supporting units, Augustus began wailing, "Varus, Varus, give me back my legions!" For months afterwards, he left his hair to grow and also his beard and he appeared to be totally unkept! What made it all much harder for the Romans to bear was a few warriors only supported Arminius and Thusnelda. However, they did manage to increase their number for the final battle at Kalkriese Hill in the Teutoburg Forest. That battle set the current boundaries of Europe, between those who drink wine and speak the Latin based language, as opposed to those who like to drink beer and speak the Germanic languages!
A Castle of Doomsday
A journey through English history, starting with Edward the Confessor and going on to William the Conqueror, his family and their fighting among themselves for dominance. Because William built a series of castles to help impose his will upon Saxon England, the story of the two (2) castles he built within the city walls of York is included in this book. One of these was originally called York Castle. Both it and the other castle in York called Bailey Hill were burned down during the rebellions of 1068-1069. Both castles were of the Motte and Bailey types of castles in which the Castle Keep had a raised elevation. The castle called York Castle was designed to dominate the former Danish Viking city of Jorvik. The Rebels of York were aided in their rebellion by a force of Danes who were led by Hereward the Wake. He was a Saxon and his mother was reputed to be Lady Godiva, while his father was Earl Leofric. Hereward was a thorn in the side of the incoming Normans and, in the end, William the conqueror had to come to special arrangements with him in order to rule effectively. Centuries after the exploits of Hereward the Wake, the legend of Robin Hood was formed. This in fact was the stories based upon Hereward the Wake who did exist, while Robin Hood did not.
The Heart and the Fist
THE HEART AND THE FIST shares one man’s story of extraordinary leadership and service as both a humanitarian and a warrior. In a life lived at the raw edges of the human experience, Greitens has seen what can be accomplished when compassion and courage come together in meaningful service. As a Rhodes Scholar and Navy SEAL, Greitens worked alongside volunteers who taught art to street children in Bolivia and led US Marines who hunted terrorists in Iraq. He’s learned from nuns who fed the destitute in one of Mother Teresa’s homes for the dying in India, from aid workers who healed orphaned children in Rwanda, and from Navy SEALs who fought in Afghanistan. He excelled at the hardest military training in the world, and today he works with severely wounded and disabled veterans who are rebuilding their lives as community leaders at home. Greitens offers each of us a new way of thinking about living a meaningful life. We learn that to win any war, even those we wage against ourselves; to create and obtain lasting peace; to save a life; and even, simply to live with purpose requires us—every one of us—to be both good and strong.
