Potomac: 565 books

The Romans' destruction of Carthage after the Third Punic War erased any Carthaginian historical record of Hannibal's life. What we know of him comes exclusively from Roman historians who had every interest in minimizing his success, exaggerating his failures, and disparaging his character. The charges...

Helicopter pilots in Vietnam kidded one another about being nothing but glorified bus drivers. But these “rotor heads” saved thousands of American lives while performing what the Army classified as the most dangerous job it had to offer. One in eighteen did not return home. Tom A. Johnson flew the...

Never one to mince words, Effa Manley once wrote a letter to sportswriter Art Carter, saying that she hoped they could meet soon because “I would like to tell you a lot of things you should know about baseball.” From 1936 to 1948, Manley ran the Negro league Newark Eagles that her husband, Abe, owned...

“Guns don't kill people; people kill people.”“When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.”“An armed society is a polite society.”Who hasn't heard these engaging assertions, time and time again? Burned into the national consciousness by years of targeted, disciplined messaging by...

Mixed martial arts hasn't been dubbed the world's fastest growing sport for nothing. It's noticeably rocked the sporting world since the creation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship nearly two decades ago—and has even shaken up the pop culture scene. Who would have expected popular MMA fighter Chuck...

On November 4, 2008, the election of Barack Hussein Obama as the forty-fourth president of the United States showed that the country had finally overcome its most hurtful, shameful, and enduring legacy—slavery. Though Obama's election showed progress, the John McCain–Sarah Palin campaign and the...

Does America's “pro-Israel lobby,” including the legendary American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), have as much power as is commonly believed? Does it have an unbreakable stranglehold on America's Middle East policies? The answer is no, according to Dan Fleshler, an American Jewish activist...

Big names have always dominated baseball, and one of the biggest in recent history is Roger Clemensùthe Rocket. As a baseball great, he has shown what it means to succeed, both on the field and off, in his near quarter century of major-league service.The Rocket: Baseball Legend Roger Clemens journeys...

Even as we celebrate the return of our military from wars in the Middle East, we are becoming increasingly aware of the struggles that await veterans on the home front. Red, White, and True offers readers a collection of voices that reflect the experiences of those touched by warùfrom the children...

Bruce F. Pauley draws on his family and personal history to tell a story that examines the lives of Volga Germans during the eighteenth century, the pioneering experiences of his family in late-nineteenth-century Nebraska, and the dramatic transformations influencing the history profession during...

Several years ago, Eric Friedman decided to donate a substantial percentage of his income to charity. As many people do when making a big decision, he researched the best path he should take to accomplish his goal. After speaking with foundations, consultants, and nonprofit staff members, he found...

European Air Power examines the current state of eight separate European air forces and their prospective air power capabilities in a manner that will appeal to a wide audience of air force enthusiasts. Included are perspectives from independent air power experts reviewing the air forces of France,...

During the Second World War, a B-17 tailgunner had a one-in-four chance of survival during his standard twenty-five-mission tour. Valor, Guts, and Luck is the story of Staff Sergeant Lowell ôSlatsö Slayton (1923û2013), who beat those odds.An underprivileged kid from Fargo, North Dakota,...

In 1961 at the Bay of Pigs, CIA-trained and -organized Cuban exiles aiming to overthrow Fidel Castro were soundly defeated. Most were taken prisoner by Cuban armed forces. Fearing another U.S. invasion of its new ally, the Soviet Union sneaked into Cuba strategic missiles tipped with nuclear warheads...