personal narratives, american

Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta was the first living person to receive the Medal of Honor--the highest honor presented by the U.S. military--since the conclusion of the Vietnam War. For his bravery in Afghanistan, he also received the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Purple Heart.

Colby Buzzell traded a dead-end future for the army and went to Iraq. To make sense of the absurd and frightening events surrounding him (which differed from the government's official version) he started writing a blog. As the blog's popularity grew, Colby found himself becoming the "embedded reporter" the army couldn't control, despite its often hilarious efforts to do so.

In November 1943 five American airmen flying the dangerous Himalayan supply route were caught in a violent storm and blown far off their intended course. Bailing out just seconds before their plane ran out of fuel, they found themselves in the heart of Tibet. They were among the first Americans to enter the Forbidden City of Lhasa and the last to see it before the Chinese invasion.

This is the first book written by a female Marine about the war in Iraq and one of the only books written by a woman who has experienced combat firsthand.

Brandon Webb's experiences in the world's most elite sniper corps are chronicled from his grueling years of training in Naval Special Operations, to his combat tours in the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan. This book provides a look at the inner workings of the US military through the eyes of a covert operations specialist. Following the events of 9/11, Brandon went on to manage the SEAL sniper course, designing new curricula and training a generation of SEAL graduates who became some of the most accomplished snipers of the 21st century.

The author served three tours of duty in the Middle East. His team relied on an army of remote-controlled cameras and robots but if needed, a technician would have to don the eighty-pound Kevlar suit and disarm the bomb by hand.

Afghanistan is not just a place of war. It's also a land of great beauty, hospitable villagers, stunning landscapes, and great cultural diversity.

Although public and media attention is often focused on the Marines, conventional Army units, and Special Operations forces, a significant share of the fighting and support of local police as been done by military police units in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. These units work to keep villages Taliban-free, monitor balloting sites, and intersect drug shipments. In detention centers they also guard dangerous terrorists.

An American heiress turned resistance hero, Muriel Gardiner impressed everyone she met with her beauty, intelligence, and powerful personality. Her adventurous life led her from Chicago's high society to a Viennese medical school, from Sigmund Freud's inner circle to the Austrian underground. Over the years she saved anti-fascists and countless Jews from the Holocaust, providing shelter and documents ensuring their escape.

Stephen E. Atkins was drafted just before he had completed his Ph.D. in French history. After Officer Candidacy School he became a non-commissioned officer and arrived in South Vietnam in 1968. He became both a pointman and a sniper and experienced six weeks of frontline duty. He spent the remainder of his tour as part of the 19th military history detachment traveling the Mekong Delta, Plain of Reeds, and areas near Saigon. His memoir is the result of careful documentation and an illicit diary.