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  Grande Armée and Wellington’s...

  Editors Charles River

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  Nearly 50 years after Napoleon met his Waterloo, generals across the West continued to study his tactics and engage their armies the same way armies fought during the Napoleonic Era. Despite advances in military technology and the advent of railroads for transportation, all of which made defensive warfare more effective, acclaimed military geniuses like Robert E. Lee used flank attacks and infantry charges against superior numbers in an effort to win decisive victories, and it would not be until World War I that concepts of modern warfare made the Napoleonic Era of the early 19th century outdated. 
  Napoleon’s enemies would famously say he was worth 50,000 men in the field, but the simple truth is he wasn’t able to dominate Europe on his own. In fact, the subordinates and soldiers underneath him participated in several of history’s most famous battles and charted the course of Napoleon’s rise and fall. No single factor can account for these victories, which could be attributed to a combination of high morale, a truly egalitarian approach to promotion from the ranks, a radical army organization, and the inspired leadership of Napoleon, all of which combined to make the Grande Armée virtually unbeatable for the first few years of its existence. 
  The 18th century was a tumultuous period for the British army, one often overlooked in popular accounts of British history. It began with the formal unification of Britain, a period of great success for the nation's armies, which were led by one of Britain's greatest generals, the Duke of Marlborough. This was followed by a period of global activity and military reform as the British Empire expanded. Though naval power played a greater part in this success, it led to new obligations and challenges for the army. Even as the empire soared to new heights, the 18th century was one that was initially marked by triumph but ended in failure and decline. 

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  The Political Thought of Xi Jinping

  Steve Tsang, Olivia Cheung

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  Over the course of the last half dozen years, China's supreme leader Xi Jinping has made extraordinary changes which have profound implications not only for the Chinese people but nations throughout the world. Given how swiftly and fundamentally China's relations with the rest of the world are changing under Xi's rule, it is imperative that we know what Xi Jinping Thought is, how it evolved, and why it is so important. 
   
   
   
  In The Political Thought of Xi Jinping, Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung provide an authoritative overview of what "Xi Jinping Thought" is and is not and what it means for both China and the world. Xi, now effectively leader for life, has worked to ensure that "Xi Jinping Thought" becomes cemented as the new state ideology. Clearly inspired by the doctrine of "Mao Zedong Thought," which shaped the parameters of acceptable thinking for a quarter century, Xi wants his doctrine to define what he calls the "China Dream of national rejuvenation" and serve the pathway to its fulfillment by 2050. Drawing from original research of Xi's speeches, writings, and policies, Tsang and Cheung conceptualize Xi's vision independently from interpretations provided by the Chinese Communist Party or other sources. They further examine and explain how Xi seeks to transform this vision into reality.

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  White Thinking - Behind the Mask...

  Lilian Thuram

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  What does it mean to be white? Beyond just a skin colour, is it also a way of thinking? If so, how did it come about, and why? 
   
  In this book, drawing on history, personal experience and activist literature, the former footballer and World Champion Lilian Thuram looks at the origins and workings of white thinking, how it divides us and how it has become ubiquitous and accepted without challenge. He demonstrates how centuries of white bias and denial justified slavery and colonialism, and have reinforced norms and structures of oppression, limiting the roles and horizons of both non-whites and whites alike. 
  Crucially, while White Thinking is a critique of ingrained structural inequities, it calls for an inclusive approach to solving the problem, and aims to raise awareness and imagine a new world in which all of humanity is given equal weight. 
  “White Thinking patiently demonstrates… how European societies, through their creation of Black people, also invented White people.” LE MONDE 
  “Strikes another blow in his battle against racial stereotypes.” LA VIE 
  “This book is not interested in repentance or white guilt but in the ability to face up to historical reality and to the fact that others might have a very different understanding of that history.” REVUE DES DEUX MONDES 
  “He is almost unique amongst retired sportspeople, having left his old life behind him in the dressing room. Today, the activist has replaced the footballer.” LIBÉRATION

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  Epicurus - Pleasure Atoms and...

  Hector Davidson

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  Epicurus, a Greek philosopher born in 341 BCE on the island of Samos, founded the school of philosophy known as Epicureanism, which emphasized the pursuit of happiness through the cultivation of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. His teachings were revolutionary for their focus on the individual’s inner peace and well-being, rather than devotion to the gods or the pursuit of wealth and power. Epicurus advocated for a life of simple pleasures, good friendships, and intellectual contemplation, arguing that these were the true sources of happiness. 
    
  His philosophy was grounded in atomism, the belief that everything in the universe is made up of small, indivisible particles, or atoms, moving through the void. For Epicurus, the natural world was not governed by divine intervention, but by laws that could be understood through reason and observation. He believed that by understanding the workings of nature, individuals could free themselves from irrational fears, especially the fear of death and the gods. 
    
  Epicurus placed great importance on pleasure, defining it not as indulgence in material excess, but as the absence of pain (ataraxia) and the pursuit of a serene and balanced life. He argued that physical and mental pleasures, when experienced in moderation, contributed to a life of tranquility. Furthermore, he saw pain not as an inherent part of life, but as something to be minimized or avoided through thoughtful living and wise choices.

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  Biggest Battles of the Eastern...

  Charles River Editors

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  World War II was fought on a scale unlike anything before or since in human history, and the unfathomable casualty counts are attributable in large measure to the carnage inflicted between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during Hitler’s invasion of Russia and Stalin’s desperate defense. The invasion came in 1941 following a nonaggression pact signed between the two in 1939, which allowed Hitler to focus his attention on the west without having to worry about an attack from the eastern front. While Germany was focusing on the west, the Soviet Union sent large contingents of troops to the border region between the two countries, and Stalin’s plan to take territory in Poland and the Baltic States angered Hitler. By 1940, Hitler viewed Stalin as a major threat and had made the decision to invade Russia: “In the course of this contest, Russia must be disposed of...Spring 1941. The quicker we smash Russia the better.”  
  Stalin knew that if he could delay an invasion through the summer of 1941, he would be safe for another year, but Hitler began to plan to invade Russia by May of 1941. Since military secrets are typically the hardest to keep, Stalin soon began to hear rumors of the invasion, but even when Winston Churchill contacted him in April of 1941 warning him that German troops seemed to be massing on Russia’s border, Stalin remained dubious. Stalin felt even more secure in his position when the Germans failed to invade the following May.   
  The Soviets were so caught by surprise at the start of the attack that the Germans were able to push several hundred miles into Russia across a front that stretched dozens of miles long, reaching the major cities of Leningrad and Sevastopol in just three months. In order to make clear his determination to win at all costs, Stalin had the three men in charge of the troops defending Minsk executed for their failure to hold their position.  

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  I Once Was Lost - My Search for...

  Don Lemon

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  In a deeply personal follow-up to his #1 bestseller This is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends about Racism, a modern media iconoclast faces a test of faith—and reveals how such tribulations can make us stronger, as individuals and as a nation. Renowned journalist Don Lemon always had a complicated relationship with God. He cherished the Southern Black church he was raised in, but struggled with the fundamentalist rejection of his right to exist as a gay man—one who wanted to marry his longtime love in a church wedding with all the traditional trimmings. In his work as a reporter, moreover, he saw his fellow Americans losing faith in a higher power, in institutions, and in each other.   Setting out to understand the place that religion has in our lives today, Don turned a journalistic eye on ancient stories and found connections that sparked memories, conversations, and chance encounters. Then, suddenly, his world unraveled: In a blaze of inglorious headlines, Don was ousted from his high-profile network news job and tasked with redefining his role in the shifting media landscape. But through a year of personal changes and professional whiplash, he kept his “eyes on the prize” and ultimately found what he was seeking: grace, within himself and in this nation we call home. Rich with humor and Louisiana realness, I Once Was Lost is a prayer for a country that reflects the multifaceted image of God and a clarion call to those who believe in our common humanity enough to fight for it.

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