In the first half of the 20th Century, there were several revolutions in Paraguay, starting in 1904, then 1908, 1911-12, 1922-23, 1936 and finally 1947. In 1922, a huge internal crisis in the Liberal Party led to a bloody revolution and for the first time in the history of the country, both sides decided to use air power. There were no aircraft available in Paraguay at that time, and just three pilots, so both the government led by President Eusebio Ayala and the revolutionaries led by army colonels Chirife and Mendoza searched for foreign pilots and aircraft in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Many First World War veterans emigrated to Latin America in search of a better life, either opening flight schools or offering their services in local conflicts. Some of them came to Paraguay with their own aircraft, and these were bought by either the government or the revolutionaries. The three available Paraguayan pilots offered their services to the government, which soon established the first air base near the capital in a wide open field called ‘Ñu-Guazú’. Meanwhile, the rebels organized their own air base, first near the city of Villarrica, and later in Cangó. The Revolution of 1947 lasted just a few months but it was as bloody as the previous one, if not more so. The government, supported by the Colorado Party, fought against the revolutionaries, composed of almost 70% of the Army, Navy and Air Arm, supported by the Liberal, Febrerista and Communist parties. This is the first in-depth account of these operations and includes data, pictures, maps and profiles, some of which have never been published before.

There are many books available in English, describing siege of Vienna and relief action in 1683, unfortunately they tend to be full of errors and misconceptions regarding Polish army - its organisation, strength and activities during the battle. In this volume author, using many primary and secondary Polish sources, presents detailed study of the a

The eleven years of conflict that engulfed Ireland (1641-53) can be seen as a drama in three acts, each of which drew Ireland into progressively closer alignment with the Civil Wars (1642-52) in the other two Stuart kingdoms, Scotland and England. The first act in the Wars of Religion in Ireland (1641-53) began in October 1641 with a rising in Ulster and shuddered to a halt in September 1643 when the insurgents, now embodied as the Confederate Catholics, agreed a ceasefire with Charles I’s representative in Ireland. This study is confined to Act One to manage its sheer scope and scale. Not a single county in Ireland was unscathed by war and in summer 1642 there were more men under arms than there ever had been or would be again. Moreover, Act One was singularly nasty. Insurgent slaughter of Protestant settlers in the winter of 1641-42 quickly gained canonical status. English and Scots armies routinely massacred natives in the spring and summer that followed. After their uprising failed, the Irish in 1642 were attacked by English and Scottish armies that were bigger, in aggregate, than any before or since. And that includes the armies of Elizabeth I, Oliver Cromwell and William of Orange. Lacking munitions, forced to disperse their strength, and usually outfought in open battle, the Confederate Catholics pushed back in war-as-process and food-fights in which castles dominating a chequerboard of hinterlands jostled with hostile neighbors. The Catholics were winning this small war when the music stopped in 1643. This is a study of the Catholic armies in Act One through a succinct narrative which reveals underlying pattern and purpose in what would otherwise be one apparently random battle, siege, skirmish, massacre, and cattle raid after another, devoid of form or meaning. The narrative focuses in and out, from the strategic through the operational down to the tactical and what happened in a particular place on a given day. The narrative also shifts from the southern or Leinster/Munster theater to the northern or Connacht/Ulster theater. Meaning is disclosed through narrative in which the strengths and shortcomings of the Irish armies become clearer. The quotation in the title sets up two such shortcomings, of leaders and led. One reason why the Catholics lost so many battles may be that their generals fought battles when they needn’t have, showed a fatal preference for the all-out attack, and did not always deploy in a manner that let their army’s components, pike, shot and horse act in mutual support. Another reason may be that the rankers were less invested in the Catholic cause than their officers. But the establishing quotation is followed by a question mark. Perhaps the real question to be asked is how the Catholic armies achieved so much rather than why they failed.

After twenty-five years of leading pilgrim groups to Catholic shrines across Europe, tour guide K. Troy has seen it all—long lines, strikes, broken-down buses, rebellious tourists, and countless experiences of God's immense providence. Crafted with wit and charm, In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes gives a first-hand account of Christ's hand at work in all the beautiful messiness of pilgrimage. The stories unfold in some of the most evocative Catholic settings: Vatican City, the Holy House of Nazareth in Loreto, the shrine of Saint Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo, the Carmel of Saint Thérèse in Lisieux, the Cathedral of Wawel in Krakow, the magnificent Abbey of Montecassino, and many other sacred places. Traveling alongside these Irish pilgrims—and helped by Troy's rich historical knowledge—the reader will see these famous shrines with new eyes. With humour and a sense of wonder, the book also gives fascinating details from the lives of such great saints as Mother Teresa, John Paul II, Thérèse of Lisieux, Padre Pio, Catherine of Siena, and many others. Troy shows that through pilgrimage, it is still possible to have a personal encounter, even a friendship, with these heroes of the Church.

At the outset of the Second World War on September 1, 1939, young Aussie diggers are rushed to assist Britain in its hour of need to the nearest European war zone in the Middle East and North Africa. My Uncle Arthur, young Arty is one of these a sapper with 6 years militia training as an army engineer. The ANZAC forces sweep through Libya, from Egypt to Benghazi, defeating superior numbers of heavily armed Italians the first Allied land victory of the war. Ill-equipped and lacking promised supplies, the ANZACs are then inappropriately redirected from North Africa to Greece to help the Greeks face the overwhelming German advance. Retreating to Crete, Arty is captured in the Battle of Crete and becomes a POW. I am motivated to visit the conflict zones of Gallipoli and to follow my uncles wartime exploits from the time of his capture in June 1941 until his third and final escape from a German work camp in Czechoslovakia in 1945. Modern day travel makes it possible to visit not only the more recent wartime scenes of Central Europe, but also to visit the sites of classical civilizations to discover the history, art and cultures of the Mediterranean. Accompanying me on my journey is Avril who was born in England and has vivid wartime memories of the conflict from her childhood.

This edited volume examines how metaphors and related phenomena (metonymies, symbols, cultural models, stereotypes) lead to the discursive construal of a common element that brings the nation together. The central idea is that metaphor use must be questioned to lay bare the processes and the discursive power behind them. The chapters examine a range of contemporary and historical, monomodal and multimodal discourses, including politicians’ discourse, presidential speeches, newspapers, TV series, Catholic homilies, colonialist discourse, and various online sources. The approaches taken include political science, international relations, cultural studies, and linguistics. All contributions feature discursive constructivist views of metaphor, with clear sociocultural grounding, and the notion of metaphor as a framing device in constructing various aspects of nations and national identity. The volume will appeal to scholars in discourse analysis, metaphor studies, media studies, nationalism studies, and political science.