Black gold, paper barrels and the oil price bubble of 2008. The spike in the oil price to almost $150 per barrel in summer 2008 was the last great excess of the crazed noughties bull markets, staged even as stock markets crumbled worldwide. Contrary to entrenched establishment opinion still embraced by many, Petromania proves this oil price blowout was a classic 'speculative bubble', but driven primarily by new modes of financial speculation.

Demolishing widespread, oft-repeated but incorrect arguments that such trade in 'paper barrels' cannot move oil prices, Petromania details how this 'financialisation' of the oil markets meshed with other trends to create a moment just a year ago that saw investment banks and hedge funds collectively wield more power over the price of 'black gold' than OPEC or any multinational oil company. It also shows how regulatory blindness to the 'dark matter' of modern finance caused so many to confuse fantasy with reality for so long.

Petromania matters not just because fortunes were won and lost in oil's dizzying ascent and crash, but because this bubble spelled misery for ordinary people worldwide, destabilised developing world governments and delayed interest rate cuts desperately needed to address the ongoing global recession. Petromania matters because while all eyes are on the crippled banking system, we risk ignoring valuable lessons about twenty-first century markets from this other great boom-and-bust - even as the forces that blew the bubble are once again at work.

And Petromania, this tale of black gold, dark matter and paper barrels, is written by one of the few commentators who correctly and repeatedly called the bubble before it burst.

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Daniel O'Sullivan - Petromania, Black gold, paper barrels and oil price bubbles (2009).pdf

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John C. Pinheiro - Manifest Ambition, James K. Pol k and Civil-Military Relations during the Mexican War (2007).jpg

USA Books1 - John C. Pinheiro - Manifest Ambition, James K. Polk an... Civil-Military Relations during the Mexican War 2007.jpg

The Mexican War is known for the invaluable experience it provided to future Civil War officers and as an example of America's drive to fulfill her "Manifest Destiny." Yet it was more than a training ground, more than a display of imperialism. Significantly, the Mexican War tested civilian control of the military and challenged traditional assumptions about the role of the army in American society. In so doing, it revealed the degree to which, by 1846, the harsh partisanships of the Jacksonian Era had impacted the American approach to war. This is not another chronological retelling of the Mexican War. Instead, it examines civil-military clashes during the war in light of Jacksonian politics and the American citizen-soldier tradition, looking both at events that shed light on civilian authority over the military and at the far reaching impact of political ambition during this period (specifically, presidential power and the quest for the presidency). In addition to politics, a host of others factors marred civil-military relations during the war, threatening U.S. victory. These included atrocities committed by Americans against Mexicans, disobedient officers, and inefficient U.S. military governors. In the end, as Manifest Ambition shows, Polk's ability to overcome his partisan leanings, his micro-management of the war effort, and his overall strategic vision, helped avoid both a prolonged occupation and the annexation of "All Mexico." By 1848, Americans had come to realize that in their burgeoning democracy, generals and politicians could scarcely resist the temptation to use war for partisan gain. It was a lesson well learned and one that still resonates today.

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John C. Pinheiro - Manifest Ambition, James K. Pol k and Civil-Military Relations during the Mexican War (2007).pdf

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Ivo Daalder, Nicole Gnesotto, Philip Gordon - Cres cent of Crisis, U.S.-European Strategy for the Gre ater Middle East (2006).jpg

USA Books1 - Ivo Daalder, Nicole Gnesotto, Philip Gordon - Crescen...S.-European Strategy for the Greater Middle East 2006.jpg

The greater Middle East is beset by a crescent of crisis-a region of urgent danger stretching from Pakistan to Afghanistan, through Iran and Iraq, all the way to the Syria/Lebanon question and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The specific problems range from terrorism and nuclear proliferation to the rise of fundamentalism and a lack of democracy. These crises pose perhaps the most pressing security challenges to Europe and the United States today. Unfortunately, the U.S. and its allies across the Atlantic generally have approached them in separate ways, often resulting in tense transatlantic relations as well as missed opportunities to make the world safer. Clearly time has come for greater coordination of strategy and action. Crescent of Crisis brings together several leading American and European experts to develop a common approach to the pressing worries of the region. The contributors include some of the foremost analysts of the region from both sides of the Atlantic. They provide succinct synopses of the crises, compare U.S. and European perspectives, and suggest ways to increase cooperation. The editors synthesize this into a road map for U.S.-European cooperation in meeting the present and future challenges of this volatile part of the world. Contributors: Stephen Cohen (Brookings Institution), James Dobbins (RAND), Toby Dodge (University of London), Eva Goes (consultant), Martin Indyk (Saban Center at Brookings), Reinoud Leenders (University of Amsterdam), Flynt Leverett (Saban Center at Brookings), Ken Pollack (Saban Center at Brookings), Jean-Luc Racine (Centre for the Study of India and South Asia, CNRS/EHESS), Barnett Rubin (New York University), Yezid Sayigh (King's College London), Michael Schmunk (Harvard University), Bruno Tertraris (Fondation pour la Recherche Strategique).

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Ivo Daalder, Nicole Gnesotto, Philip Gordon - Cres cent of Crisis, U.S.-European Strategy for the Gre ater Middle East (2006).pdf

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Chris Elphick - The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Be havior (2001).jpg

Not to be confused with standard field guides to birds, this far-reaching companion to last year's The Sibley Guide to Birds complements the best of those avian catalogues that birders take along on their quests for more species to add to their "life lists." Here, the editors have compiled essays from leading ornithologists on bird anatomy, ethology and behavior to round out bird-watchers' knowledge. This National Audubon Society publication details the 80 families of birds found in North America, with hundreds of Sibley's acclaimed full-color paintings, maps, charts and illustrations. Topics range from the familiar migration, feeding, mating, nesting to the esoteric, including feather structure, eye configuration, DNA classification, evolution, hybridization and much more. Readers will learn about bird respiration, metabolism, excretion, vocalizations, senses and intelligence, among other subjects. Although the information is as detailed as a textbook, the writing is jargon-free, light and accessible. Well conceived in structure and conducive to easy reference, the volume ends with a detailed glossary, professional biographies of its dozens of scholarly contributors and a convenient species checklist, based upon the American Ornithologists' Union guidelines. Whether one is a serious expeditionary birder or a casual backyard observer of avian life, this book is a must-have reference. 796 full-color paintings.

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Chris Elphick - The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Be havior (2001).pdf

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David R. McLaren - Mustangs Over Korea, The North American F-51 at War 1950-1953 (1999).jpg

Mustangs Over Korea is a documentary history of one of the most famous fighters ever built during a historically almost unrecognized war. Flown by four air forces in support of the United Nations, the F-51 Mustang dropped more napalm and fired more rockets than any other aircraft during that conflict and in the process suffered the highest number of losses. Told is the story of the bravery of the fighter-bomber pilots in the serious air-to-mud war against horrendous anti-aircraft fire, and also the first swirling air battles against the vaunted MiG-15.

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David R. McLaren - Mustangs Over Korea, The North American F-51 at War 1950-1953 (1999).pdf

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Roger Tory Peterson - Peterson Field Guide to Bird s of North America (2008).jpg

As new or revised field guides are published, they are getting too big to carry in a pocket. This one is no exception. It is larger and heavier than earlier Peterson Field Guides and combines the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds (1992) and the Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds (1992) in a single volume. The new features include a more conversational text, online access to video podcasts, and small range maps with the plates as well as the usual range-maps section at the end. The text covers both Canada and the U.S., so it is more inclusive than many guides. When his first edition was published some 75 years ago, Peterson’s system for identifying field marks became the gold standard for birders worldwide. This updated edition has corrections to the taxonomy (name changes and specie identifications). Every effort has been made to present the most current information. Peterson’s paintings have been digitized, and 40 new paintings in his style are included where needed. The contributors who worked on this guide are well-known and respected birders, illustrators, and writers and have maintained the high standards that Peterson set. Birding field-trip leaders will want to make room in their backpacks for this guide because the large illustrations will be very useful in teaching while birding. Libraries of all types will also want this volume marking the 100th anniversary of Peterson’s birth because of its concise, accurate information and large illustrations.

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Roger Tory Peterson - Peterson Field Guide to Bird s of North America (2008).pdf

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D K Eyewitness - Marilyn Wood - New Orleans (2008).jpg

Whether you are planning to visit a city, a region or a country, DK's foolproof 'Eyewitness' approach makes learning about a place a pleasure in itself. All the traditional guidebook subject matter is covered-descriptions of sights, opening times, hotels, restaurants, shopping, entertainment, phrase books etc- but, with the help of specially commissioned illustrations and maps, DK makes essential information easy to access and quick to absorb. No other guides explain the history of a place as clearly in words and pictures. DK Eyewitness Travel Guides-the best guides ever created.

Following Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is back. The city has fought back with a vengeance and in 2007 drew record crowds to many of its festivals. For example, the 2007 French Quarter Festival celebrated its 24th year with a record crowd of over 450,000. The 2007 Mardis Gras drew over 800,000 and hotels reported a 95% occupancy rate. There are now over 140 major hotels open with near pre-Katrina numbers of rooms available. Nearly 100% of French Quarter and main tourist areas have reopened. Most major airlines have added flights to New Orleans over the past year. New Orleans remains one of the most visited US cities and the new DK Eyewitness Guide to New Orleans is timed perfectly to the city's resurgence.

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D K Eyewitness - Marilyn Wood - New Orleans (2008).pdf

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Randy Keith Mills - Troubled Hero, A Medal of Hono r, Vietnam, And the War at Home (2006).jpg

Born in rural Illinois, Ken Kays was a country boy who flunked out of college and wound up serving as a medic in the Vietnam War. On May 7, 1970, after only 17 days in Vietnam and one day after joining a new platoon, the young medic found himself in a ferocious battle. As a conscientious objector, Kays did not carry any weapons, but his actions during that engagement would earn him the Congressional Medal of Honor. Yet Kay valor came during just another unheralded fire fight near the end of a long and seemingly fruitless war. He returned home and, with other vets, struggled to reconcile his anti-war beliefs with what he and others had done in Vietnam. This dramatic and tragic story is a timely reminder of the price of war and the fragile comforts of peace.

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Randy Keith Mills - Troubled Hero, A Medal of Hono r, Vietnam, And the War at Home (2006).pdf

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Bruce Vandervort - Indian Wars of Canada, Mexico a nd the United States, 1812-1900 (2006).jpg

Drawing on anthropology and ethnohisotry as well as the 'new military history' Indian Wars of Mexico, Canada and the United States, 1812-1900 interprets and compares the way Indians and European Americans waged wars in Canada, Mexico, the USA and Yucat ¡n during the nineteenth century. Fully illustrated with sixteen maps, detailing key Indian settlements and crucial battles, Bruce Vandervort rescues the New World Indian Wars from their exclusion from mainstream military history, and reveals how they are an integral part of global history. Providing a thorough examination of the strategies and tactics of resistance employed by Indian peoples of the USA, Vandervort contrasts practices of warfare with the Matis (the French Canadian-Indian peoples), their Canadian Indian allies, and the Yaqui and Mayan Indians of Mexico and Yucatan.

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Bruce Vandervort - Indian Wars of Canada, Mexico a nd the United States, 1812-1900 (2006).pdf

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David L. Stebenne, Arthur Larson - Modern Republic an, Arthur Larson And the Eisenhower Years (2006).jpg

Arthur Larson was the chief architect of moderate conservatism--one of the most influential and least studied political forces in U.S. history. During the Eisenhower administration, Larson held three major posts: Under Secretary of Labor, Director of the United States Information Agency, and chief presidential speechwriter. In each of these roles, Larson's most important achievement was to explain clearly and cogently what the administration stood for on matters foreign and domestic. Larson's views were put forth most forcefully in A Republican Looks at His Party, published in 1956. Larson and his book provided the Eisenhower administration with "the vision thing." His limitations and disappointments also help explain Eisenhower-era conservatism. They illuminate the extent to which there was a gap between what the "Modern Republicans" believed and what they said and were able to accomplish, and why those beliefs, values, and achievements did not always mesh. Larson's ultimately unsuccessful efforts to prevent the rise of the New Right are especially enlightening, for they help to clarify why the party of Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s gradually became the party of the more conservative Ronald Reagan by the 1980s. Modern Republican will enlighten readers who want to understand more fully the historical context of today's divisive political arena.

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David L. Stebenne, Arthur Larson - Modern Republic an, Arthur Larson And the Eisenhower Years (2006).pdf

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Luz Elena Ramirez - Encyclopedia of Hispanic-Ameri can Literature (2008).jpg

Hispanic-American literature has a venerable history and has dramatically increased in importance and popularity in today's literary circles. "Encyclopedia of Hispanic-American Literature" is a comprehensive new encyclopedia covering authors and works that are an integral part of the high school and college literary canon, as well as those that are historically significant and gaining a reputation. This comprehensive one-volume resource contains approximately 250 entries on some of the most popular Hispanic-American authors and their works.Coverage includes: Isabel Allende, Julia Alvarez, Rudolfo Anaya, Bless Me, Ultima, Chicano literature, Junot Diaz, Dominican American literature, El Bronx Remembered, Cristina Garcia, Oscar Hijuelos, Hispanic American journalism, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, Jose Marti, Pat Mora, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Richard Rodriguez, and more.

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Luz Elena Ramirez - Encyclopedia of Hispanic-Ameri can Literature (2008).pdf

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Susan Applegate Krouse - North American Indians in the Great War (2007).jpg

More than twelve thousand American Indians served in the United States military in World War I, even though many were not U.S. citizens and did not enjoy the benefits of enfranchisement. Using the words of the veterans themselves, as collected by Joseph K. Dixon (1856-1926), North American Indians in the Great War presents the experiences of American Indian veterans during World War I and after their return home. Dixon, a photographer, author, and Indian rights advocate, had hoped that documenting American Indian service in the military would aid the Indian struggle to obtain general U.S. citizenship. Dixon managed to document nearly a quarter of the Indians who had served but was unable to complete his work, and his records languished unexamined until now. Unlike other sources of information on Indian military service collected by government officials, Dixon records come primarily from the veterans themselves. Their comments reveal pride in upholding an Indian tradition of military service as well as frustration with the U.S. government. Particularly in its immediacy and individuality, Dixon documentation of American Indian veterans of World War I adds greatly to our understanding of the experiences of American Indians in the U.S. military.

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Susan Applegate Krouse - North American Indians in the Great War (2007).pdf

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Thomas K. Adams - The Army after Next, The First P ostindustrial Army (2006).jpg

Sure to be found controversial by some, compelling by all, this is the only available book-length examination of the way the U.S. Army and Department of Defense have tried to create the capabilities promised by the high-tech Revolution in Military Affairs. Of more immediate concern, it is also the only in-depth account of the effect RMA and transformation concepts had on the American operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many of the problems in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Adams argues, arose from the DoD's implacable desire to implement RMA-driven transformation concepts-whether they were appropriate or not. What we need to do, he maintains, is to fight the war we have, not the war we want. Over the last several decades, military theorists and others began to believe that new technologies were generating a "revolution in military affairs" (RMA), capabilities so revolutionary that they would redefine warfare. Spurred by these beliefs, and led by President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the Department of Defense (DoD) set out to transform the U.S. armed forces by adopting RMA concepts-and spending billions to make the hypothetical capabilities real. The entire structure of the armed forces changed as a result. This vision, however, was totally dependent on a set of unproven suppositions and often nonexistent capabilities, especially a network of information technologies. Moreover, the services, the media, Congress, and industry each had its own agenda, all of which continue to come into play in the development of RMA strategies. The interplay of politics, technology and military reality offers a fascinating narrative.

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Thomas K. Adams - The Army after Next, The First P ostindustrial Army (2006).pdf

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Larry Zbyszko - Adventures in Larryland!, Life in Professional Wrestling (2008).jpg

Wrestling’s self-proclaimed “Living Legend” may never wear a championship belt again, but he’s definitely not down for the count, as this memoir shows in its entertaining, often hilarious story of a remarkable ascent to wrestling notoriety. Voted Rookie of the Year in 1974, Larry Zbyszko enjoyed 30 glorious years as a top draw in the wild and wacky world of professional wrestling. Attendance records were shattered when he wrestled the original “Living Legend,” Bruno Sammartino, in 1980 and won by hitting his former mentor with a chair—a rarity at the time. Chronicling Zbysko's transformation from baby-faced hero to one of the most hated wrestlers of his time, this uninhibited narrative reveals an insider's view of some of the most successful and controversial stories and scandals in pro-wrestling history.

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Bogdan Stech - Wietnam 68.pdf

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Raymond F. Toliver, Trevor L. Constable - Fighter Aces of the U.S.A. (1997).jpg

Fighter Aces of the U.S.A. is the most complete, full-spectrum book ever published on American fighter aces, and includes dozens of aces' combat accounts, plus capsule biographies. Evolution of aircraft, tactics and armament is seen through the eyes of the 1400 elite Americans who earned the coveted title "Ace". Comprehensive revisions and updates to this new edition include the most complete statistics of American aces ever published, and is fully current to date of publication. Authoritative and compelling narrative also presents eyebrow-raising facts on enemy aces who fought Americans in all wars and theatres. Lists include names and scores, plus intriguing data on Soviet Air Force aces who battled USAF aces over Korea. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of photos, this book is a must reference for every historian and "buff's" bookshelf.

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