Most Popular Books by Michael Lee

A single day in the heat of armed conflict can shape the future of the world. Throughout history, individual battles have inspired the birth of nations, the devastation of cultures and the triumph of revolutions. Yet while some battles rise up as the cornerstones of history, others fade in our cultural memory, forgotten as minor skirmishes. Why is this so? What makes a battle "important"? Celebrated veteran and military expert Michael Lee Lanning offers a provocative response with The Battle 100: The Stories Behind History''s Most Influential Battles. Lanning ranks history''s 100 greatest battles according to their influence, both immediate and long-term. Thought-provoking and controversial, Lanning''s rankings take us to the heart of the battles and reveal their true greatness.

The American Revolution 100 brings you to the charred battlefields and inside the maneuverings of the greatest leaders of the war that gave birth to America.

Here is real story of North Vietnam''s armed forces. Lanning served as a platoon leader and company commander in Vietnam, and as public affairs officer for General Schwartzkopf. Now he and Cragg, a sergeant-major who served five years in Vietnam, tell how the communists won that conflict by using the individual soldier.

Discover the untold stories that precede "The Lucy Walker Chronicles Series." Explore the intertwined lives of two families and the secrets behind Lee''s family''s mysterious flight into hiding, followed by Lucy and her brother''s desperate search for help.

Go inside the long-forgotten 19th century period when Alexandria left Virginia and incorporated itself into the fledging Distric of Columbia. This groundbreaking history uncovers the time in the 19th century when Alexandria left the commonwealth of Virginia and became incorporated into the emerging District of Columbia. It was an experiment that failed after half a century of neglect and a growing animosity between North and South. However, it was a fascinating time when cannon were dragged onto city streets for political rallies, candidates plied their voters with liquor and devastating fires ravaged the city.

Experience the defining moments of the war that gave birth to America The American Revolution 100 brings to life the monumental moments, bloody battles, and influential leaders who gave birth to a great nation. In comprehensive fashion, decorated veteran and military expert Michael Lee Lanning ranks and analyzes the war''s most significant events, showing how each affected the outcome. Relive the memorable battles, when a country of citizen-farmers prepared themselves to take on the mightiest army in the world. Learn about the remarkable figures and forces of the time, and decide for yourself: Who influenced the revolution more—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, or John Paul Jones? Was the Battle of Yorktown more pivotal than the Battle of Trenton? Was The Declaration of Independence more important to the revolution than Thomas Paine''s Common Sense? Read the stories of Henry Knox, Thomas Sumter, American militias, and December 26, 1776, and let your own debates begin... Praise for Michael Lee Lanning''s history books: "Easily accessible...Recommended reference for the aficionado and the uninitiated alike." ForeWord magazine "Unusual and even witty insights also abound." Publishers Weekly

In war, the difference between life and death often hinges on the accuracy of gathered information. Pearl Harbor and Vietnam are notorious examples of what has been the rule rather than the exception: from Bunker Hill to Mogadishu, U.S. military intelligence has placed troops in peril with faulty prognoses and erroneous data. In Senseless Secrets, Michael Lee Lanning, a decorated U.S. Army veteran, holds military intelligence accountable for errors in every major conflict from the Revolutnioary War to Operation Desert Storm.

During World War II, some 10,000 American bombers and fighters were shot down over Europe. Of the crews aboard, 26,000 men were killed, while 30,000 survived being shot down only to be captured and made prisoners of war. Against the longest of odds, nearly 3,000 airmen made it to the ground alive, evaded capture, and escaped to safety. These men proudly called themselves the Blister Club. Drawing on tens of thousands of pages of mostly untapped documents in the National Archives, Michael Lee Lanning tells the story of these courageous airmen. They had received escape-and-evasion (E & E) training, and some were lucky enough to land with their E-&-E kits—but all bets were off once they hit the ground. They landed after an air catastrophe. The geography was usually unfamiliar. Civilians might or might not be trustworthy. German soldiers and Gestapo agents hunted down airmen as well as civilians who dared help them. If an airman abandoned his uniform for civilian garb, he forfeited Geneva Convention protections. Most faced the daunting task of escaping on foot across hundreds of miles. The fortunate connected with one of the established escape routes to Spain or Switzerland or across the English Channel, or they hooked up with the underground resistance or friendly civilians. Upon return to friendly lines, these men were often able to provide valuable intelligence about enemy troop dispositions and civilian morale. Many volunteered to fly again even though regulations prohibited it. The Blister Club is history with a punch. With a historian’s eye, Lanning covers the hows and whys of escape-and-evasion and aerial combat in the European theater, but the book also vividly captures the stories of the airmen who did the escaping and evading, including that of a young pilot named Chuck Yeager, who, during his own escape, aided the French Resistance and helped another downed airman to safety—and then begged to fly again, eventually securing Eisenhower’s approval to return to the air, where he achieved ace status. Stories of escape are popular, especially those set during World War II, as are stories of the war in the air. Combining both of these, The Blister Club should find an enthusiastic audience.

THEY WERE CONQUERERS. LIBERATORS. HEROES. MADMEN.ALL CHANGED THE WORLD FOREVER ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE This compelling study by Lt. Col. Michael Lee Lanning (U.S. Army, Ret.) lists the hundred most influential military leaders not by their victories, their combat prowess, or even their legacies, but by the lasting impact that their lives had upon the world, the lives they affected, and the historical significance of their actions in war. Warriors from every corner of the globe and every era are profiled, both glorious and notorious, modern and ancient, good and evil, including: George Washington Attila the Hun Adolf Hitler Napoleon Hannibal Alexander the Great H. Norman Schwarzkopf Ghengis Khan George S. Patton Sun Tzu Oliver CromwellILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOS AND PORTRAITS Lt. Col. Michael Lee Lanning (U.S. Army, Ret.) served as public affairs officer for General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. He has spent more than twenty years on active duty in the U.S. Army. He is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, in which he served as an infantry platoon leader and a company commander. The author of twelve books, Lanning lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Had Lieutenant George S. Patton not served on the southern border during the Mexican Expedition of 1916, there might never have been a General George S. Patton who took the world by storm as a bold and daring commander during World War II. Relying on Patton’s detailed personal journals of his eight months in Mexico, Michael Lee Lanning describes the young officer’s exploits during the hunt for Pancho Villa. As an aide to General John Pershing, Patton learned leadership and logistics from the man who would soon command American forces in World War I. Begging for a field command, he received it—and led the first motorized attack in U.S. military history and may or may not have killed two of Villa’s lieutenants. The press ate it up, and Patton learned not only how much he loved attention, but how to promote himself. In Mexico are the roots of Patton the World War II general, and Lanning tells the story deftly, focusing on Patton the man as well Patton the commander, and always casting an eye forward to Patton’s future career. This is how Patton became Patton.

A close-up look at the role of soldiers of fortune throughout military history, ranges from ancient times to the present day, and examines the use of contract mercenaries in the war in Iraq and in America''s War on Terrorism. Original.

These are the stories Vietnam vets tell over beers at Legion halls and VFW posts—stories of young men tangled up in the chaos of landing zones and nameless jungle hills, in the boredom of base camps, in the confusion of a controversial war. Raw, often gut-wrenching, sometimes funny, these war stories describe slices of individual tours of duty, from the firefights to the friendships, and capture the kaleidoscope of the American experience in Vietnam.

The Tenth Edition helps you develop a deeper understanding of biology by making connections visually across chapters and building the scientific skills needed for success in upper-level courses. New Make Connections Figures pull together content from different chapters visually, helping you see "big picture" relationships. New Scientific Skills Exercises in every chapter use real data to build key skills needed for biology, including data analysis, graphing, experimental design, and math skills. New Scientific Skills Exercises in every chapter use real data to build key skills needed for biology, including data analysis, graphing, experimental design, and math skills.

"Built unit-by-unit, Campbell Biology in Focus achieves a balance between breadth and depth of concepts to move you away from memorization. Streamlined content prioritizes essential biology concepts and scientific skills that you need to build a solid foundation for future courses. The 4th Edition presents relevant, current content updates and engaging resources. New Visual Overviews present fundamental biological questions, and Study Tips share effective learning strategies to encourage you to learn actively through proven strategies. The new downloadable Active Reading Guide further supports you with self-assessment activities to complete as you read."--