Not for nothing did Napoleon say, "Give me enough medals and crimson ribbon and I will conquer the world." Soldiers fight for a variety of reasons: a sense of patriotic duty, the lure of financial gain, or the desire for honor and glory. Some want a bit more than what life has to offer. Others feel that war is their destiny; they can see the writing on the wall and know they must be part of it. It has been said that wars are fought for God (and country), gold (power and wealth), and glory (honor and heroism). Beneath these identifiers are several subcategories that explain the reasons why...

You are an unpublished writer with a long and impressive background in your field of expertise, and you've got an idea for a great book. You write a proposal, and send it off to a publisher who has stated a need for this type of book. It seems like a perfect match. Three weeks later you receive a rejection letter: "Thanks for your interest in us. Unfortunately, your idea doesn't meet our current needs." You are puzzled. Or, you look through the advertisements in Writer's Digest magazine, and find several publishing houses "now seeking new and established authors." Having waited for an...

Self-publishing used to be the last resort when an author had exhausted all other channels. Self-publishing meant that your book wasn't good enough for a traditional publisher. Even if you knew your sales would be virtually nil, you self-published because your vanity required it; you self-published so that you could say that you had published a book, even if it never sold a single copy. Since the e-book explosion, self-publishing no longer carries the stigma it did a few years ago; it is no longer considered equivalent to vanity publishing. If you choose to go independent, your luck is that...

Edged weapons became a mainstay in early Chinese history and through the Ming (1368-1644 CE) and Qing (1644-1912 CE) dynasties. The Chinese used swords to settle personal disputes, win military battles, and indicate one's social and martial status through the end of the Imperial Period. China, a country of vast resources, developed its metal and iron industry earlier than its western counterparts and achieved great advances in metallurgic science. There were two classes of Chinese swords: the straight double edged jian and the slightly curved single edged dao. The jian proved effective mainly...

The Knife Training Methods and Techniques for Martial Artists series gives the martial arts interested person a solid background on the importance of the knife as a combat weapon, inspires the reader about the benefits of knife training, and provides detailed instruction in how to manipulate and defend against a knife with speed, proficiency, and confidence. Almost any martial art, traditional or modern, can be adapted to knife offense and defense without changing the basic principles of the art. Since the knife is a relatively small and lightweight weapon, many of the moves and movement...

How profound is Sun Tzu in relation to the full expanse of Chinese and European military history? While historical accounts can act as pillars of strength and as guideposts for building military theories, statesmen or generals can rarely rely on Sun Tzu's advice as a prescription for success by randomly picking statements from his book. This book offers a new perspective on the Art of War by comparing and contrasting Asian and Western military thought. It explores how Chinese history and culture influenced Sun Tzu's writings, and how his writings later influenced future military leaders. It...

Patriotism is a powerful force that compels men and women to give full support to their government in time of war. But patriotism and loyalty are largely based on the belief that one has a personal stake in the outcome. This brief study, which examines men and women who made war their prime call of duty for real or perceived patriotic reasons, contains the introduction and first chapter of the full analysis of war volunteering titled, For God, Gold, and Glory: A History of Military Service and Man's Search for Power, Wealth and Adventure (also by Martina Sprague), which sheds light on those...