Books with author Charles Stewart James Dugan

On August 1, 1943, an enormous armada of America B-24 Liberator bombers roared at nearly treetop level over the peaceful farms and villages of Romania. This mission was Operation Tidal Wave. Its target―“the taproot of German might,” Hitler’s giant oil refineries at Ploesti. Hundreds of U.S. airmen had volunteered for the mission despite warnings that half might not return. In thirty minutes, more firepower was exchanged than in two Gettysburgs, and five men earned the Medal of Honor. Ploesti presents a vivid reconstruction of a dramatic and controversial mission.

On August 1, 1943, an enormous armada of America B-24 Liberator bombers roared at nearly treetop level over the peaceful farms and villages of Romania. This mission was Operation Tidal Wave. Its target—“the taproot of German might,” Hitler’s giant oil refineries at Ploesti. Hundreds of U.S. airmen had volunteered for the mission despite warnings that half might not return. In thirty minutes, more firepower was exchanged than in two Gettysburgs, and five men earned the Medal of Honor. Ploesti presents a vivid reconstruction of a dramatic and controversial mission.

The history of humanity can be written in terms of discovery and invention. They are very different cognitive processes—search for order and problem solving. This book is a search for explanation of the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions. It surveys seven civilizations in terms of both their achievements and their failures. What were the characteristics they shared that promoted progress? What prevented or discouraged progress in discovery and or in invention? Sumer was creative, the mother of civilizations. Egypt was not. In Sumer, authority was divided, and it was a trading economy. Egypt was authoritarian and closed. Rome and Islam inherited the Greek legacy. Rome was not interested; it had a different agenda. Islam progressed, but civilization conflicted with religion and then regressed. China led in inventions but then stagnated and always lagged in discovery. Its ultimate failure has multiple explanations that include the scope of authority, structure of society and economy, and of language and script. But so was its preference for intuition over logic or evidence as the method of seeking the truth. It is Greek capacity for abstraction origin a mystery that was essential for its achievements: discoveries of the structure of the universe and the cognitive approach to truth seeking. Much invention was a byproduct of discovery. It is Greek achievements in discovery and abstract reasoning that Europe adopted and advanced, leading to the scientific and subsequent industrial revolutions. Ours is a new phase in human history. What were some of its consequences, and what are its prospects?

Leopold is delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. This means that we have checked every single page in every title, making it highly unlikely that any material imperfections – such as poor picture quality, blurred or missing text - remain. When our staff observed such imperfections in the original work, these have either been repaired, or the title has been excluded from the Leopold Classic Library catalogue. As part of our on-going commitment to delivering value to the reader, within the book we have also provided you with a link to a website, where you may download a digital version of this work for free. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience. If you would like to learn more about the Leopold Classic Library collection please visit our website at www.leopoldclassiclibrary.com

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