Mrs. Queen's Chump

Mrs. Queen's Chump
Author: J. J. Hespeler-Boultbee
Publisher: CCB Publishing
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2012-12-16
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1771430303

Mrs. Queen's Chump is the military memoir of a young man who, naively acquiescing to a period of "adventure" after leaving boarding school, soon found himself enmeshed in the agonies of subjugated peoples caught in the turmoil of a collapsing British Empire and demanding restoration of their dignity and rightful human freedoms. Left to deal as best he could with his own transition from boy to man - somewhat before PTSD became a recognizable quantity - he realized as a born Canadian citizen he might easily have avoided service in Britain's army - but he had committed himself, so entered with his eyes open and became a keen observer. In stories that are sometimes funny, sometimes frightening, yet somehow tinged with the sadness that always jolts the loss of innocence, the author tells of experiences as an infantry officer fighting in the jungles of both Kenya and Malaya. They are incident of another time, yet hauntingly contemporary - soldiers sent to far off corners of the world to secure the privileges of tough and ambitious colonizers, themselves champions of Empire (no matter whose) who feel full entitlement over both people and resources. Bring up the troops! Despite clear dangers, thousands of bright-eyed and brainwashed young Brits whose invincible dads had recently thrashed Hitler were now, by the late 1940's and 1950's, keen to do their bit, to head abroad and "have a go" at running the Empire. They sallied forth into what they thought a halcyon sunset in need of some burnishing, but in reality dazzling in its madness. By the end their military weight and wallop proved insufficient to address the anger of millions of very "restless natives" - or to douse the frenzies of the likes of Idi Amin. The initial disease was Empire Myopia. Within a short time, and like Kurtz in Heart of Darkness, those who had come to impose order themselves succumbed to an Idi-like dementia that tumbled the whole wretched Empire to its knees. About the Author Born in Vancouver, Canada, Jeremy Hespeler-Boultbee started school in Australia, continued in the United States and Canada, and graduated from high school in Britain - this last giving rise to the military service described in these pages. A young and insightful officer, whose views often ran counter to those expressed by his superiors, he was in a unique position to observe the collapsing British Empire. Later, as a journalist living in Lisbon, Portugal, he was again witness - this time to the revolutionary shake-up and demise of another of Europe's entrenched old orders. Hespeler-Boultbee has worked on major assignments in Canada, the United States, Portugal and numerous countries in Africa. In addition to writing, he is an architectural historian specializing in Renaissance Portugal. He considers "home" to be Victoria, British Columbia, Barrancos, Portugal and Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Warfare and Tracking in Africa, 1952–1990

Warfare and Tracking in Africa, 1952–1990
Author: Timothy J Stapleton
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 213
Release: 2015-10-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 1317316908

During the decolonization wars in East and Southern Africa, tracking became increasingly valuable as a military tactic. Drawing on archival research and interviews, Stapleton presents a comparative study of the role of tracking in insurgency and counter-insurgency across Kenya, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Idi Amin

Idi Amin
Author: Mark Leopold
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 379
Release: 2020-11-03
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0300154399

The first serious full-length biography of modern Africa's most famous dictator "Sharply written, forensically researched. . . . A meticulous re-examination of Amin's life, producing a narrative packed with original evidence, and one that strives at all times to be scrupulously well balanced. "--Paul Kenyon, The Sunday Times, London Idi Amin began his career in the British army in colonial Uganda, and worked his way up the ranks before seizing power in a British-backed coup in 1971. He built a violent and unstable dictatorship, ruthlessly eliminating perceived enemies and expelling Uganda's Asian population as the country plunged into social and economic chaos. In this powerful and provocative new account, Mark Leopold places Amin's military background and close relationship with the British state at the heart of the story. He traces the interwoven development of Amin's career and his popular image as an almost supernaturally evil monster, demonstrating the impossibility of fully distinguishing the truth from the many myths surrounding the dictator. Using an innovative biographical approach, Leopold reveals how Amin was, from birth, deeply rooted in the history of British colonial rule, how his rise was a legacy of imperialism, and how his monstrous image was created.

Toy Spaniels - A Complete Anthology of the Breeds

Toy Spaniels - A Complete Anthology of the Breeds
Author: Various
Publisher: Read Books Ltd
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2021-01-08
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1528762975

The Toy Spaniel - A Complete Anthology of the Dog gathers together all the best early writing on the breed from our library of scarce, out-of-print antiquarian books and documents and reprints it in a quality, modern edition. This anthology includes chapters taken from a comprehensive range of books, many of them now rare and much sought-after works, all of them written by renowned breed experts of their day. These books are treasure troves of information about the breed - The physical points, temperaments, and special abilities are given; celebrated dogs are discussed and pictured; and the history of the breed and pedigrees of famous champions are also provided. The contents were well illustrated with numerous photographs of leading and famous dogs of that era and these are all reproduced to the highest quality. Books used include: My Dog And I by H. W. Huntington (1897), Up To Date Toy Dogs by Lillian C. Raymond Mallock (1920), The Practical Dog Book by Edward C. Ash (1930) and many others.

The King Charles Spaniel - A Complete Anthology of the Dog

The King Charles Spaniel - A Complete Anthology of the Dog
Author: Various
Publisher: Read Books Ltd
Total Pages: 106
Release: 2021-06-28
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1528762967

The King Charles Spaniel - A Complete Anthology of the Dog gathers together all the best early writing on the breed from our library of scarce, out-of-print antiquarian books and documents and reprints it in a quality, modern edition. This anthology includes chapters taken from a comprehensive range of books, many of them now rare and much sought-after works, all of them written by renowned breed experts of their day. These books are treasure troves of information about the breed - The physical points, temperaments, and special abilities are given; celebrated dogs are discussed and pictured; and the history of the breed and pedigrees of famous champions are also provided. The contents were well illustrated with numerous photographs of leading and famous dogs of that era and these are all reproduced to the highest quality. Books used include: My Dog And I by H. W. Huntington (1897), Dogs Of The World by Arthur Craven (1931), The Book Of Dogs by Stanley West (1935) and many others.

Beneath Breaking Waves

Beneath Breaking Waves
Author: Juliet Vane
Publisher: Juliet Vane
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2020-11-09
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN:

In 1956, “good girls” don’t surf. Annie, apparently, isn’t a good girl. After the death of their parents, sixteen-year-old Annie finds herself thrust into the guardianship of her brother, Ted. He was her only ally during their unhappy childhood, and she followed him everywhere, including into the waves. Now, however, Ted can’t forgive Annie for the role she played in their parents’ deaths. Annie finds herself in a boarding home in California while he goes off to surf in Hawaii. When Annie finally gets an invitation to visit Ted, she has only the span of Christmas break to convince him to let her stay—and surfing the big waves of the North Shore just might be the key to softening his heart. But if Annie fails to win Ted over, she’ll be shipped back to California, losing the only family she has left. Beneath Breaking Waves is perfect for readers who love the ocean, stories of redemption, and atmospheric tales that transport them back in time. Additional keywords: 1950s, surfing, Hawaii, Oahu, Waimea, Makaha, big waves, surfer girls, mid-twentieth century, sports, ocean, history, girls in sports, coming of age, family, 1956, music, piano