Tom Cooper Livres

Commander Edward John Smith's career had been a remarkable example of how a man from a humble background could get far in the world. Born to a working-class family in the landlocked Staffordshire Potteries, he went to sea at the age of 17 and rose rapidly through the ranks of the merchant navy, serving first in sailing vessels and later in the new steamships of the White Star Line. By 1912, he as White Star's senior commander and regarded by many in the shipping world as the 'millionaire's captain'. In 1912, Smith was given command of the new RMS Titanic for her maiden voyage, but what should have been among the crowning moments of his long career at sea turned rapidly into a nightmare following Titanic's collision with an iceberg. In a matter of hours the supposedly unsinkable ship sank, taking over 1,500 people with her, including Captain Smith.

Equipped with well-balanced air wings, aircraft carriers have been central to the United States Navy's strategy since World War II, aimed at controlling vast airspace. From the mid-1970s to the mid-2000s, the USN's air wings were led by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, renowned as one of the best air superiority systems. Designed as a fast, maneuverable, and heavily armed fighter, the Tomcat became the ultimate long-range fleet defender, known for its complex systems and legendary status by the mid-1980s. The F-14s achieved their first aerial victories during freedom of navigation exercises off Libya in 1981, but their most significant combat occurred during Operations Earnest Will and Desert Storm from 1987 to 1991. Contrary to popular belief, USN F-14s engaged in numerous air combats against Iran, often at the limits of their AWG-9 radars and AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, and sometimes at close range, resorting to guns. Despite challenges like weather and communication issues, as well as the discipline of their crews, they may have achieved at least one previously unrecognized aerial victory, while also suffering losses to enemy fighters.

Egypt and Czechoslovakia's signing of the 'Czechoslovak Arms Deal' marked the beginning of a significant era of collaboration among major Arab military powers and the USSR. In the first decade, Egypt's air force, followed by Syria, Iraq, Morocco, and Algeria, received numerous Soviet-made fighters from the Mikoyan I Gurevich Design Bureau, which had previously surprised Western powers during the Korean War. The initial MiG-15 had a short service life in Egypt, but its successor, the MiG-17F, entered service in larger numbers and became the backbone of several Middle Eastern air forces. The MiG-17PF was notable as the first radar-equipped combat aircraft, while the MiG-19 represented the first supersonic fighter for Egypt and Iraq between 1958 and 1963. In Morocco and Algeria, the MiG-17 was the only jet fighter in use during the early 1960s. Consequently, MiG-15s, MiG-17s, and MiG-19s were operated by various units, particularly in Egypt and Algeria, showcasing a diverse array of colorful unit insignia and markings. Many pilots of these aircraft later played vital roles in shaping their nations' futures.

A detailed account, based heavily on Vietnamese sources, of the continuing efforts of North Vietnam to invade the South.

"What did instrument a major change was the air force's involvement in the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War, and then the showdown with the Iranian-supported Kurdish insurgency in northern Iraq in 1974-1975. These two affairs taught the Iraqis that numbers alone did not make an air force. Correspondingly, during the second half of the 1970s, Baghdad embarked on a project based on full technology transfer from France, which was intended to result in preparing the IrAF for the 21st century. This process hardly began when the new ruler in Baghdad, Saddam Hussein at-Tikriti, led his country into an invasion of neighbouring Iran, embroiling it in a ruinous, eight-year-long war. Amazingly enough, for the first few years of that conflict, the IrAF still continued planning and growing as if there was no conflict to fight, although frequently suffering heavy losses while - due to the micromanagement from the government - de-facto fighting with one hand tied to its backs."

Background to the long running confrontation between Arab and Jew in the Middle East, a detailed overview of the rival air forces that would become embroiled in the conflict, and an account of the opening Israeli air strikes against Egyptian targets.

Between 1973 and 1989, Western powers and Libya were entangled in an exchange of blows. Supposedly launched in retaliation for one action or the other, this confrontation resulted in a number of high-profile clashes between the Libyan Arab Air Force (LAAF), the US Navy and the French. Meanwhile, the LAAF also saw deployment in Chad. Initially, with

As of 1975, the decades long insurgency in Angola appeared to be short of its conclusion. However, with no less than three major insurgent movements fighting for supremacy, the war went on and then South Africa, USA, the Soviet Union, Zaire and Cuba became involved.

Just three months after Indian forces withdrew from Sri Lanka, the war between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government resumed. Illustrated with over 100 photographs, maps and colour profiles, Paradise Afire Volume 3 continues the story of the internal strife that plagued Sri Lanka in the late 20th Century.

Virtually born in battle, collecting precious combat experience and playing involved in so many conflicts, the Iraqi Air Force remains one of the most misinterpreted military services in the Middle East. Wings over Iraq provides a uniquely compact yet comprehensive guide to its operational history, officers, aircraft, and major operations.

Volume 1 of the Red Star versus Rising Sun mini-series examines the origins of the rapidly modernizing Imperial Japanese Army and its expansion, largely unfettered by civilian political constraints, into mainland Asia from the late 19th century up until 1938.

The book explores the rich historical tapestry of Webster Groves, a suburb adjacent to St. Louis, showcasing its preservation of century-old homes, churches, and gardens. It highlights significant milestones, including the establishment of the first Red Cross chapter and Boy Scout Troop west of the Mississippi, as well as the region's role in African American education with its accredited high school. The narrative captures the evolution of Webster Groves from a rural retreat to a thriving community, emphasizing its commitment to maintaining its historical legacy.

War of Intervention in Angola, Volume 4 continues the coverage of the operational history of the Angolan Air Force and Air Defence Force (FAPA/DAA) as told by Angolan and Cuban sources, in the period 1985-1988.Many accounts of this conflict – better known in the West as the ‘Border War’ or the ‘Bush War’, as named by its South African participants – consider the operations of the FAPA/DAA barely worth commentary. At most, they mention a few air combats involving Mirage F.1 interceptors of the South African Air Force (SAAF) in 1987 and 1988, and perhaps a little about the activity of the FAPA/DAA’s MiG-23s. However, a closer study of Angolan and Cuban sources reveals an entirely different image of the air war over Angola in the 1980s: indeed, it reveals the extent to which the flow of the entire war was dictated by the availability – or the lack – of air power. These issues strongly influenced the planning and conduct of operations by the commanders of the Angolan and Cuban forces.Based on extensive research with the help of Angolan and Cuban sources, War of Intervention in Angola, Volume 4, traces the Angolan and Cuban application of air power between 1985-1988 – during which it came of age – and the capabilities, intentions, and the combat operations of the air forces.The volume is illustrated with 100 rarely seen photographs, half a dozen maps and 15 color profiles, and provides a unique source of reference on this subject.

Largely based on new research and containing previously unpublished material, the highly successful Lebanese Civil War mini-series provides an in-depth insight into a complex, multi-facetted conflict, and an inclusive and balanced, blow-by-blow account of all the known actions in the air, on the ground, and at sea.

This volume describes the circumstances of the creation of the Civil Air Transport company, a paramilitary airline owned by the CIA, its participation in the Chinese Civil War, and the story of its founder, General Claire Lee Chennault of the famed Flying Tigers.

"WOW! This book had so many good twists and turns I couldn't put it down . . . Loved it!" --Goodreads reviewer, five stars The author of Ripple Effect returns with a taut and terrifying new novel full of suspicion and revenge. When Alice starts a conversation with an attractive stranger, the last thing she expects is to be kidnapped. The handsome stranger pulls a knife on her and drives Alice away in his car. Then she hears a sound coming from the boot . . . Her abductor has a connection to her past--and soon Alice finds herself face-to-face with her former fiancé, imprisoned in an isolated warehouse. The truth about their breakup is about to be revealed--and it's not going to be what anyone expected . . .

"A little Elmore Leonard, a little Charles Portis, and very much its own uniquely American self. . .Tom Cooper has written one hell of a novel." –Stephen King When the BP oil spill devastates the Louisiana Gulf Coast, the citizens of the bayou town of Jeanette scramble to replace their lost livelihoods. Among them is one-armed, pill-popping shrimper Gus Lindquist, who has nothing left but the dying glimmer of a boyhood dream: finding the lost treasure of pirate Jean Lafitte. With his metal detector and Pez dispenser full of Oxycontin, Lindquist steers his rickety shrimp boat into the savage Louisiana swamps. Along his journey, Gus meets a motley crew of characters: Wes Trench, a young Cajun man estranged from his father since his mother died in Katrina; Reginald and Victor Toup, sociopathic twin brothers and drug lords; Cosgrove and Hanson, petty criminals searching for a secret that could make them rich, or kill them; and Brady Grimes, a BP middleman out to make his career by swindling the townsfolk of Jeanette, among them his own mother. Funny, dark, and compelling, The Marauders throws these characters on a rollicking collision course that all of them might not survive.

"Florida, circa 1980. Reed Crowe, the eponymous Florida Man, is a middle-aged beach bum, beleaguered and disenfranchised, living on ill-gotten gains deep in the jungly heart of Florida. When sinkholes start opening on Emerald Island, not only are Reed Crowe's seedy businesses--a moribund motel and shabby amusement park--endangered but so are his secrets. Crowe, amateur spelunker, begins uncovering artifacts that change his understanding of the island's history, as well as his understanding of his family's birthright as pioneering homesteaders. As this unfolds, Crowe has to contend with Hector 'Catface' Morales, a Cuban refugee, trained assassin, and crack-addicted Marielito, seeking revenge on Reed for stealing his stash of drugs and leaving him for dead (unbeknownst to Reed) in the wreckage of a plane crash in the Everglades decades ago. Meanwhile, there are other Florida men with whom Crowe must contend ... There are curses. There are sea monsters. There are biblical storms. There's something called the Jupiter Effect. Ultimately, Florida Man is a generation-spanning story about how a man decides to live his life, and how despite staying landlocked and stubbornly in one place, the world nevertheless comes to him"-- Provided by publisher

Shocking, dark and addictive - Lie to Me is a compulsive psychological thriller about obsession, revenge and how far a woman will go to make someone pay. Perfect for fans of Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce and You by Caroline Kepnes.

Tom Cooper combines the power of storytelling with analytical insight to help all of us - whether we are students, teachers or just curious readers - think more clearly about what it takes to make the best ethical decisions we can, even under difficult circumstances

Since 1966, the backbone of the fighter-bomber fleet of the air forces of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen was - and sometimes still is - formed by Sukhoi-designed fighter-bombers.

The narrative focuses on the events of June 11-13, 1982, highlighting the challenges faced by Arik Sharon's military strategy during the conflict with Syria. Despite the Israeli Defense Forces' technological and training advantages, the armored units encountered difficulties, moving sluggishly and becoming entangled in various engagements. This illustrates the complexities and unforeseen complications of military operations, questioning the feasibility of Sharon's ambitious plans.

The book explores the unforeseen escalation of conflict triggered by President Nasser's ambitions to restore Arab prestige, ultimately resulting in a significant defeat for the Arab cause. It delves into the historical context and factors that contributed to this situation, illustrating how events unfolded beyond anyone's control, much like the character Topsy from Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Through late 1987, the battlefields of southern Angola moved ever further away from the border to South-West Africa (Namibia), until the show-down between the Soviet-supported government in Luanda and South African-supported insurgency of UNITA culminated in the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. Initially reluctant to become involved, the Cubans reinforced their contingent in Angola, and then decided to force Pretoria into negotiations about mutual withdrawal. Ironically, while Cuba and South Africa eventually agreed to withdraw their troops from the Angolan War, and then did so, in 1988-1989, the government in Lunda - still supported by the Soviet Union - then reinforced its effort to crush the UNITA. The result were additional large-scale operations, the mass of which evaded attention outside Angola, because dramatic developments in Europe not only distracted attention, but also ended the decades-long stand-off between the East and the West. Ultimately, the II Angolan War ended with a cease-fire - hurriedly agreed amid a near-collapse of the government forces, and rapid advances of the UNITA.

This book examines the military aspects of the 'Cyprus Problem', which in 1963-1974 escalated into a major international crisis, a Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and a near-war between Greece and Turkey.

In August 2015, the Russian government initiated a military intervention in Syria, sparking extensive debate about its military capabilities and intentions. The performance of the Russian military, particularly the Air-Space Force (VKS), was seen by some as a showcase of advanced technology, improved training, and formidable firepower. Others argued that the operation revealed significant shortcomings, including the use of aircraft ill-suited for expeditionary warfare and a lack of advanced weaponry. While the military aspect indicated that Russia could not directly challenge NATO's eastern frontiers, it undeniably marked a turning point in the Syrian Civil War and had broader geostrategic implications. The intervention involved collaboration with diverse allies, including the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah, the PKK, and various local militias. Through targeted bombardments of insurgent-held areas and indirect support for Iranian forces, Russia played a crucial role in preserving Bashar al-Assad's regime. This analysis offers a detailed examination of Moscow's political objectives, strategy, military technology, tactics, and daily operations, alongside insights into the actions of the remaining Syrian Arab Air Force.

ABC of Clinical Reasoning Being a good clinician is not only about knowledge ― how doctors and other healthcare professionals think, reason, and make decisions is arguably their most critical skill. The second edition of the ABC of Clinical Reasoning breaks down clinical reasoning into its core components and explores each of these in more detail, including the applications for clinical practice, teaching, and learning. Informed by the latest evidence from cognitive psychology, education, and studies of expertise, this edition has been extensively re-written and updated, and From a team of expert authors, the ABC of Clinical Reasoning is essential reading for all students, clinical teachers, curriculum planners and clinicians involved in diagnosis. About the ABC series The ABC series has been designed to help you access information quickly and deliver the best patient care, and remains an essential reference tool for GPs, junior doctors, medical students and healthcare professionals. Now offering over 80 titles, this extensive series provides you with a quick and dependable reference on a range of topics in all the major specialties. The ABC series is the essential and dependable source of up-to-date information for all practitioners and students in primary healthcare. To receive automatic updates on books and journals in your specialty, join our email list. Sign up today at www.wiley.com/email

After two protracted years of fighting that wearied down the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), the North Vietnamese decided to launch their final campaign in January 1975. The president of South Vietnam, Nguyen Van Thieu, decided upon a wide range of strategic withdrawals to consolidate his forces, that saw the northern half of the country abandoned to the enemy. The scheme turned into a disaster, and by March 1975 the whole North Vietnamese regular battle corps, some 550,000 troops and 700 tanks, were now amassing at the gates of South Vietnam’s capital and the following fighting led to some of the fiercest fighting of the Vietnam War.The final volume of Target Saigon examines the final campaigns of the conflict in Vietnam, in which the Communist forces engaged in a highly mechanized war of maneuver. Despite being heavily outnumbered, many of the ARVN’s units put up a fierce resistance, inflicting heavy casualties upon the advancing Northern forces, in a series of battles that were far from the rout often described.Target Saigon Volume 4 is illustrated with a number of maps, 130 photographs and over 30 original color artworks illustrating the men, vehicles and aircraft of this campaign.

Drawing on extensive research, including first hand accounts it provides a compelling overview of the first three years of the ongoing conflict in Syria.