Bøger af David Rooney

Newfoundland, 1919. Buffeted by winds, an unwieldy aircraft - made mainly from wood and stiff linen - struggled to take off from the North American island's rocky slopes. Cramped side by side in its open cockpit were two men, freezing cold and barely able to move but resolute. They had a dream: to be the first in human history to fly, non-stop, across the Atlantic Ocean. But there were three other teams competing against them, and as the waves raged a few miles below, memories of wartime crashes resurfaced . . .It was just over six months since the 'War to End all Wars' had come to its close. Between them, the seven young aviators who would get off the ground for the transatlantic race had already defied death many times. Mining letters, diaries and evocative unpublished photographs, David Rooney's deeply researched account of the audacious contest shows how it was the airmen's thrilling wartime experiences that ultimately led them to the 'Big Hop', and brought old friends together for one more daring adventure.These Atlantic pioneers weren't scientists or stoical upper-class officers. They were ordinary, working men, risking their lives in the name of progress. Unjustly forgotten by history, they nonetheless paved the way for the Earharts and Lindberghs who came after - and ushered in the age of global connection in which we live now. A non-stop flight across the Atlantic might seem routine today; almost a chore. But it is only possible because of those who went first.

What lies beneath?The Great Irish Famine is a story that has been told for several generations and is the single most pivotal experience in modern Irish history.Now, acclaimed Irish illustrator David Rooney, through the evocative medium of scraperboard, scratches away at the detail of our shared history line by line, uncovering the collective memory that lies beneath us all.

"I thought I had read all the good books on the war in Burma, but this is the best yet." Brigadier Michael CalvertThis is the story of the Fourteenth Army in Burma and the two great battles of Imphal and Kohima, in which the Japanese suffered the greatest defeat in their history.In 1942, following their lightning strikes on Pearl Harbor and Hong Kong, the Japanese invaded Burma.British forces were rapidly driven out, following a swift and total defeat. The British and Indian forces retaliated with limited offences and with mixed results. The Japanese advance continued, driving victoriously for the domination of Asia. Then came the Japanese attack of Imphal and Kohima, starting one of the most ferocious campaign of the war.Burma Victory portrays the "forgotten war" and the Allied fight to push the Japanese out of Burma.David Rooney - who saw war service in India and West Africa - tells the story of the campaigns of the new Fourteenth Army, under the command of the remarkable General Slim.Rooney captures the ebb and flow of battle and the roles of Wingate, Stilwell and the Chindits. In doing so, he offers a new analysis of the role of airpower and highlights the influence of British, American, Japanese and Chinese thinking at the highest level.Burma Victory is essential reading for anyone interested in General Slim, the Second World War and how defeat can be turned into victory.Recommended reading for fans of Max Hastings, Antony Beevor and Andrew Roberts.

"David Rooney has done Wingate's memory a signal service." The Spectator.Major General Orde Wingate, DSO and two bars, who had created and personally led the Chindits, was killed in an air accident in 1944, at the height of the second Chindit campaign. General Slim joined the world-wide tributes paid to Wingate: but by 1956, to the distress of the Chindits, in his book Defeat Into Victory, Slim was dismissive of Wingate. What had happened to change Slim's mind so completely? David Rooney examines the life and achievements of a maverick soldier who inspired loyalty in some, hostility in others. Rooney's thoughtful and diligent research throws new light on Wingate's intriguing character, discovers why Slim changed his mind, and discloses details of the vendetta by which the military establishment, in the years after his death and following the viciously critical attack in the Official History, attempted to destroy Wingate's reputation.Rooney draws a balanced portrait of a military mind of daring originality, deserving of a better letter.This seminal work of military history is not only an insightful portrait of a unique British commander, but it is essential reading for anyone interested in the Second World War, special forces and the history of the British Army.Praise for Wingate and the Chindits.'His current book is, therefore, an exercise in setting the record straight... Rooney is presenting an unabashed case for the defense, and he does so with skill. Every student of the Burma campaign will want to examine this book carefully.' (Raymond Callahan, author of Churchill and His Generals and Burma 1942-45)'David Rooney's Wingate and the Chindits: Redressing the Balance ... attempts to redress the balance in favour of Wingate and to counter the unfair reputation he has acquired, in Rooney's view, among the military establishment.' (History Today)

"The true military maverick combines a fixated dedication to his cause with an heroic ability to lead troops into battle." Kirkus ReviewPraise for David Rooney: "I thought I had read all the good books on the war in Burma, but this is the best yet." Brigadier Michael CalvertWhat makes a maverick? Is it simply an unorthodox mind? Or is it more than that - a flagrant disregard for convention? Is there a place for the maverick in a disciplined military hierarchy? If so, is the military maverick more likely to win, or lose, a battle?In an absorbing study of military figures who broke the rules, David Rooney shows how it is so often the maverick who turns challenges into opportunities - and snatches victory from the jaws of defeat.Here are the stories of twelve mavericks, from Alexander the Great and Stonewall Jackson, through Garibaldi and Lawrence of Arabia - and to Second World War commanders such as Heinz Guderian, Orde Wingate and George S. Patton.Each had flaws that would have brought down a lesser man, but each proved their bravery and leadership in battle. Full of insight into the nature of the military mind, this book reveals by how much, and how often, success in battle depends on the irreplaceable presence of just one man.

Anyone with the slightest knowledge of the Burma campaign of 1942-45 will have heard not only of General Orde Wingate and the Chindits, but also of Mad Mike Calvert, Wingate's most intrepid column commander.

"e;The yearlong celebration of Ghana's Golden Jubilee provides a fitting context for the republication of the book Kwame Nkrumah: Vision and Tragedy. In the lead-up to the celebration and over the course of the year, the life and times of Kwame Nkrumah will receive unprecedented public attention, official and unofficial. Kwame Nkrumah's very wide name-recognition is, paradoxically, accompanied by sketchy, often oversimplified knowledge about the events and processes of his life and times. For most of those born after independence in 1957, such knowledge does not extend much beyond who Kwame Nkrumah was and vague notions about he won us Independence"e;"e;. This book presents new material and new analysis, which helps to clarify aspects of the record, while advancing new perspectives. What comes across clearly throughout the book is the significant contribution of Nkrumah's vision and personality at a critical moment in the history of Africa and the Third World. He, perhaps more than any other, was able to identify, focus and catalyse the major factors and players driving the struggle for political independence in Ghana and liberation in other parts of Africa. In the process, he committed his life and work totally to a wide variety of activities and processes in Ghana, the continent and in the global Non-Aligned Movement."e;"e; - Akilagpa Sawyerr Association of African Universities Accra, Ghana 10 March 2007 "e;"e;This is an objective study which should be read by all concerned with the history of post-colonial Africa."e;"e; - Conor Cruise O'Brien Former Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana, Legon. David Rooney is a specialist on Ghana from Cambridge. His research for this book unearthed unpublished material in Ghana, UK, and the United States, where he had access to CIA papers. He has written extensively on the Commonwealth and modern Africa, and is the author of a biography of Sir Charles Noble Arden Clarke."e;