Books with author David H. Clark

“I heard the bullets whistle, and, believe me, there is something charming in the sound.” So said the young George Washington, something no veteran soldier would say. He had not been the target of enemy fire. Instead, he was papering over the fact that his men and Indian allies had just massacred a diplomatic party, setting off the French and Indian War of 1754–63. He had violated international law, something else he would not admit. Washington could, after all, tell a lie. That is but one revelation that acclaimed military historian and Washington expert David A. Clary offers in George Washington’s First War. Washington spent his adolescence in military service, starting as a colonel in command at the age of twenty-two. He came from a society without a military tradition, and had no training or battle-wise sergeants to keep him out of trouble. He was a young glory hound thrust into circumstances he was not prepared to handle by elders who should have known better. Leading reluctant amateur soldiers against French professionals, when he took command he was on his own. Accordingly, Washington survived a five-year ordeal unlike that endured by any other Founding Father. He emerged from it not yet the steady supreme commander of the Revolution, but he had started on the road that led him to become the great soldier and statesman of his age. How he began his life’s journey is what George Washington’s First War is about. It is a dramatic story of frontier warfare played out against the anxieties and resentments of an ambitious adolescent. Here are accounts of harrowing ordeals in the wilderness, the decisive part played by the Indian nations whose continent this was, and the epic clash of empires. Others have looked at Washington’s activities during the French and Indian War without recognizing that he played his part in that history during his painful transition from boy to man. His repeated blunders and defeats arose from his youthful impetuosity and inexperience and weak support from his government. Clary has a sound understanding of eighteenth-century wilderness warfare, and his descriptions of battles are vivid, exciting, and laced with horrifying details. Brought to dramatic life are Washington’s harrowing wintertime journey into the wilderness to order the French to leave the territory, the Jumonville Massacre, his bloody defeat at Fort Necessity, his heroism at the Battle of the Monongahela (Braddock’s Defeat), his years of frustration commanding the Virginia Regiment, the Forbes Expedition of 1758, his insubordination to civil and military superiors, and his resignation from the army. A revealing portrait of Washington during a crucial, formative period of his life, this is the indispensable backstory to the making of a great man.

“I heard the bullets whistle, and, believe me, there is something charming in the sound.” So said the young George Washington, something no veteran soldier would say. He had not been the target of enemy fire. Instead, he was papering over the fact that his men and Indian allies had just massacred a diplomatic party, setting off the French and Indian War of 1754–63. He had violated international law, something else he would not admit. Washington could, after all, tell a lie. That is but one revelation that acclaimed military historian and Washington expert David A. Clary offers in George Washington’s First War. Washington spent his adolescence in military service, starting as a colonel in command at the age of twenty-two. He came from a society without a military tradition, and had no training or battle-wise sergeants to keep him out of trouble. He was a young glory hound thrust into circumstances he was not prepared to handle by elders who should have known better. Leading reluctant amateur soldiers against French professionals, when he took command he was on his own. Accordingly, Washington survived a five-year ordeal unlike that endured by any other Founding Father. He emerged from it not yet the steady supreme commander of the Revolution, but he had started on the road that led him to become the great soldier and statesman of his age. How he began his life’s journey is what George Washington’s First War is about. It is a dramatic story of frontier warfare played out against the anxieties and resentments of an ambitious adolescent. Here are accounts of harrowing ordeals in the wilderness, the decisive part played by the Indian nations whose continent this was, and the epic clash of empires. Others have looked at Washington’s activities during the French and Indian War without recognizing that he played his part in that history during his painful transition from boy to man. His repeated blunders and defeats arose from his youthful impetuosity and inexperience and weak support from his government. Clary has a sound understanding of eighteenth-century wilderness warfare, and his descriptions of battles are vivid, exciting, and laced with horrifying details. Brought to dramatic life are Washington’s harrowing wintertime journey into the wilderness to order the French to leave the territory, the Jumonville Massacre, his bloody defeat at Fort Necessity, his heroism at the Battle of the Monongahela (Braddock’s Defeat), his years of frustration commanding the Virginia Regiment, the Forbes Expedition of 1758, his insubordination to civil and military superiors, and his resignation from the army. A revealing portrait of Washington during a crucial, formative period of his life, this is the indispensable backstory to the making of a great man.

Thirteen-year-old Mike isn't looking forward to the beginning of the school year. Middle school is tough anyway, and being the new kid at Llewellyn Junior High only makes it worse. Mike just wants to keep his head down and get through it, maybe make a few friends along the way, and hope that the school bullies leave him alone. It's not long before Jack, the self-proclaimed leader of the Snakes gang, recruits Mike for his crew of troublemakers. Normally Mike wouldn't be caught with a bunch of losers like the Snakes, but the only friend he really has is Robyn, and well, she's a girl. From the beginning, though, the Snakes, and Jack in particular, put Mike through the ringer. His initiation involves stealing the school mascot from a cheerleader's house-Robyn's house, no less-and it's not long before Mike starts to get deeper and deeper in the Snakes. Because of what he's done, Robyn isn't exactly happy with him, and Mike soon has some hard choices to make. Will Mike do what he knows to be right, or will the influence of his new friends lead him astray? Mike is about to find out that the need to belong may not be worth the price ...

When Timothy Collier finds a mark etched in his bedroom window that resembles a wizard with a pointy hat, his family concludes it's just one more thing to replace in their big old house. But when a book with blank pages begins to display magical items, one by one they appear in the house. Soon chaos erupts and the Collier family is face to face with an ancient wizard's greatest powers and deadliest enemies.

"I don't love you anymore. These simple words have the power to send the listener into shock, denial, and desperation. The obvious response is to ask oneself, What can I do to win my partner back? In I Don't Love You Anymore, Dr. David Clarke provides just the battle plan needed. Contrary to what many relationship experts recommend--weak, passive plans that involve begging or romancing a spouse back--Clarke offers an approach that he calls guerilla love, which essentially turns the tables on the wandering spouse. He outlines the biblical view of marriage and instructs readers on: Drawing healthy boundaries. Five things he really means when he says, I don't love you anymore. The most popular exit lies and how to see through them. Classic symptoms of a person who is having an affair. Most important, Clarke empowers and equips readers to make the best, most God-honoring, attempt at saving a marriage.

Thirteen-year-old Mike isn't looking forward to the beginning of the school year. Middle school is tough anyway, and being the new kid at Llewellyn Junior High only makes it worse. Mike just wants to keep his head down and get through it, maybe make a few friends along the way, and hope that the school bullies leave him alone. It's not long before Jack, the self-proclaimed leader of the Snakes gang, recruits Mike for his crew of troublemakers. Normally Mike wouldn't be caught with a bunch of losers like the Snakes, but the only friend he really has is Robyn, and well, she's a girl. From the beginning, though, the Snakes, and Jack in particular, put Mike through the ringer. His initiation involves stealing the school mascot from a cheerleader's house-Robyn's house, no less-and it's not long before Mike starts to get deeper and deeper in the Snakes. Because of what he's done, Robyn isn't exactly happy with him, and Mike soon has some hard choices to make. Will Mike do what he knows to be right, or will the influence of his new friends lead him astray? Mike is about to find out that the need to belong may not be worth the price ...