Lead Wars

In this incisive examination of lead poisoning during the past half century, Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner focus on one of the most contentious and bitter battles in the history of public health. Lead Wars details how the nature of the epidemic has changed and highlights the dilemmas public health agencies face today in terms of prevention strategies and chronic illness linked to low levels of toxic exposure. The authors use the opinion by Maryland’s Court of Appeals—which considered whether researchers at Johns Hopkins University’s prestigious Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI) engaged in unethical research on 108 African-American children—as a springboard to ask fundamental questions about the practice and future of public health. Lead Wars chronicles the obstacles faced by public health workers in the conservative, pro-business, anti-regulatory climate that took off in the Reagan years and that stymied efforts to eliminate lead from the environments and the bodies of American children.

Israel's Wars is a fascinating and essential insight into the turbulent history of this troubled country which, since its foundation, has endured almost constant violence. Bringing its coverage up to date with recent conflicts, this fourth edition includes a new chapter on the Gaza wars from 2007-2014, a new preface and an updated concluding chapter. From the 1947-8 Jewish-Palestinian struggle for mastery of the land of Palestine to the Al-Aqsa intifada, the second Lebanon war and the Gaza wars, Bregman exposes hitherto unknown facts, including details of secret Soviet involvement in inciting the 1967 Six Day War, Israeli bombing of the American warship the USS Liberty, and Israeli assassinations of leading Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Illustrated throughout with maps and photographs, this new edition is valuable reading for students of Arab-Israeli conflicts over the last seventy years.

This is an attempt to catalogue the reasons why some wars are so difficult to stop - even when both sides want the fighting to end. Through detailed case studies, the book assesses the obstacles and points toward solutions for ending wars more quickly. Each chapter is devoted to a specific obstacle which the author analyzes and then illustrates with case studies, drawing on such conflicts as the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War and the Yugoslav wars. He assesses the role of third parties in trying to persuade people to stop fighting and examines what happens when obstacles to a cease-fire cannot be overcome.

This sobering look at the future of warfare predicts that conflicts will now be fought over diminishing supplies of our most precious natural resources. From the barren oilfields of Central Asia to the lush Nile delta, from the busy shipping lanes of the South China Sea to the uranium mines and diamond fields of sub-Saharan Africa, Resource Wars looks at the growing impact of resource scarcity on the military policies of nations. International security expert Michael T. Klare argues that in the early decades of the new millennium wars will be fought not over ideology but over resources, as states battle to control dwindling supplies of precious natural commodities. The political divisions of the Cold War, Klare asserts, are giving way to an immense global scramble for essential materials, such as oil, timber, minerals, and water. And as armies throughout the world define resource security as their primary mission, widespread instability is bound to follow, especially in those places where resource competition overlaps with long-standing disputes over territorial rights. A much-needed assessment of a changed world, Resource Wars is a compelling look at the future of warfare in an era of heightened environmental stress and accelerated economic competition.

Most wars between countries end quickly and at relatively low cost. The few in which high-intensity fighting continues for years bring about a disproportionate amount of death and suffering. What separates these few unusually long and intense wars from the many conflicts that are far less destructive? In Logics of War, Alex Weisiger tests three explanations for a nation's decision to go to war and continue fighting regardless of the costs. He combines sharp statistical analysis of interstate wars over the past two centuries with nine narrative case studies. He examines both well-known conflicts like World War II and the Persian Gulf War, as well as unfamiliar ones such as the 1864-1870 Paraguayan War (or the War of the Triple Alliance), which proportionally caused more deaths than any other war in modern history. When leaders go to war expecting easy victory, events usually correct their misperceptions quickly and with fairly low casualties, thereby setting the stage for a negotiated agreement. A second explanation involves motives born of domestic politics; as war becomes more intense, however, leaders are increasingly constrained in their ability to continue the fighting. Particularly destructive wars instead arise from mistrust of an opponent's intentions. Countries that launch preventive wars to forestall expected decline tend to have particularly ambitious war aims that they hold to even when fighting goes poorly. Moreover, in some cases, their opponents interpret the preventive attack as evidence of a dispositional commitment to aggression, resulting in the rejection of any form of negotiation and a demand for unconditional surrender. Weisiger's treatment of a topic of central concern to scholars of major wars will also be read with great interest by military historians, political psychologists, and sociologists.

A history of wars through the ages and across the world, and the irrational calculations that so often lie behind them Benjamin Franklin once said, “There never was a good war or a bad peace.” But what determines whether war or peace is chosen? Award-winning sociologist Michael Mann concludes that it is a handful of political leaders—people with emotions and ideologies, and constrained by inherited culture and institutions—who undertake such decisions, usually irrationally choosing war and seldom achieving their desired results. Mann examines the history of war through the ages and across the globe—from ancient Rome to Ukraine, from imperial China to the Middle East, from Japan and Europe to Latin and North America. He explores the reasons groups go to war, the different forms of wars, how warfare has changed and how it has stayed the same, and the surprising ways in which seemingly powerful countries lose wars. In masterfully combining ideological, economic, political, and military analysis, Mann offers new insight into the many consequences of choosing war.

This survey is a product of the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) 2001 Working Group, a project of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University. Sponsored by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the working group is an independent, honest-broker effort intended to build intellectual capital for the upcoming QDR. More specifically, it aims to frame issues, develop options, and provide insights for the Chairman, the services, and the next administration in three areas: defense strategy, criteria for sizing conventional forces, and force structure for 2005-2010. One of the group's initial tasks was to assess the future security environment to the year 2025. This was pursued by surveying the available literature to identify areas of consensus and debate. The goal was to conduct an assessment that would be far more comprehensive than any single research project or group effort could possibly produce. This survey documents major areas of agreement and disagreement across a range of studies completed since the last QDR in 1997. Because it distills a variety of sources and organizes and compares divergent views, this volume makes a unique contribution to the literature. It also provides a particularly strong set of insights and assumptions on which both strategists and force planners can draw in the next Quadrennial Defense Review. This survey does not claim to predict or illustrate all possible wars that Anmrica might face between now and the year 2025. Rather, it attempts, through analysis of representative and reputable sources, to incorporate the most likely characteristics of the future security environment into a single scenario, while heightening our awareness of dissenting viewpoints and plausible wild cards.

Slingers were an element in the Roman army over many centuries, their activities frequently reported in literary accounts of the Late Republic. Despite an ever-expanding body of ancient evidence, some books on the Roman army scarcely mention slingers. This monograph seeks to redress the balance and draws attention to their role and effectiveness.

In 'Indian Wars under the Lead of Sitting Bull,' James P. Boyd delves into the history of the infamous Chief Sitting Bull and his pivotal role in various conflicts between Native American tribes and the United States government. Boyd skillfully weaves a narrative that not only chronicles the major battles and events of the Indian Wars but also provides insight into the cultural and social dynamics at play during this tumultuous period in American history. Through his detailed research and vivid storytelling, Boyd brings to life the complexities and struggles faced by both Native Americans and the military forces they clashed with, offering a nuanced perspective on a often oversimplified chapter in American history. Written in a clear and engaging style, this book is a must-read for those interested in Native American history and the broader context of the Indian Wars. James P. Boyd, a renowned historian with expertise in Native American studies, brings his passion for uncovering the untold stories of the past to 'Indian Wars under the Lead of Sitting Bull.' With a deep understanding of the cultural nuances and historical significance of the events he explores, Boyd presents a comprehensive and insightful account that sheds new light on this pivotal period in American history. His meticulous research and thoughtful analysis make this book a valuable contribution to the field of Native American studies and a compelling read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of this complex chapter in our nation's past. I highly recommend 'Indian Wars under the Lead of Sitting Bull' to readers who are interested in delving into the intricacies of Native American history and gaining a more nuanced perspective on the conflicts that shaped the American West. Boyd's expert handling of the subject matter, combined with his engaging narrative style, make this book both informative and thought-provoking, offering readers a fresh look at a significant period in American history.