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The defeat of South Vietnam was arguably America's worst foreign policy disaster of the 20th Century. Yet a complete understanding of the endgame-from the 27 January 1973 signing of the Paris Peace Accords to South Vietnam's surrender on 30 April 1975-has eluded us.Black April addresses that deficit. A culmination of exhaustive research in three distinct areas: primary source documents from American archives, North Vietnamese publications containing primary and secondary source material, and dozens of articles and numerous interviews with key South Vietnamese participants, this book represents one of the largest Vietnamese translation projects ever accomplished, including almost one hundred rarely or never seen before North Vietnamese unit histories, battle studies, and memoirs. Most important, to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of South Vietnam's conquest, the leaders in Hanoi released several compendiums of formerly highly classified cables and memorandum between the Politburo and its military commanders in the south. This treasure trove of primary source materials provides the most complete insight into North Vietnamese decision-making ever complied. While South Vietnamese deliberations remain less clear, enough material exists to provide a decent overview.Ultimately, whatever errors occurred on the American and South Vietnamese side, the simple fact remains that the country was conquered by a North Vietnamese military invasion despite written pledges by Hanoi's leadership against such action. Hanoi's momentous choice to destroy the Paris Peace Accords and militarily end the war sent a generation of South Vietnamese into exile, and exacerbated a societal trauma in America over our long Vietnam involvement that reverberates to this day. How that transpired deserves deeper scrutiny.

Over the past thirty years, as Wesley J. Smith details in his latest book, the concept of animal rights has been seeping into the very bone marrow of Western culture. One reason for this development is that the term "animal rights" is so often used very loosely, to mean simply being nicer to animals. But although animal rights groups do sometimes focus their activism on promoting animal welfare, the larger movement they represent is actually advancing a radical belief system. For some activists, the animal rights ideology amounts to a quasi religion, one whose central doctrine declares a moral equivalency between the value of animal lives and the value of human lives. Animal rights ideologues embrace their beliefs with a fervor that is remarkably intense and sustained, to the point that many dedicate their entire lives to "speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves." Some believe their cause to be so righteous that it entitles them to cross the line from legitimate advocacy to vandalism and harassment, or even terrorism against medical researchers, the fur and food industries, and others they accuse of abusing animals. All people who love animals and recognize their intrinsic worth can agree with Wesley J. Smith that human beings owe animals respect, kindness, and humane care. But Smith argues eloquently that our obligation to humanity matters more, and that granting "rights" to animals would inevitably diminish human dignity.In making this case with reason and passion, "A Rat Is a Pig Is a Dog Is a Boy" strikes a major blow against a radically antihuman dogma.

Challenges readers of all beliefs - even those with a belief in disbelief itself - to question the anti-religious bigotry that thrives in our intellectual world and to reevaluate the role of Christianity not only as a source of consolation but of enlightenment and human liberation as well.

On April 19, 1967, Air Force Colonel Leo Thorsness was on a mission over North Vietnam when his wingman was shot down by an enemy MiG, which then lined up for a gunnery pass on the two American pilots who had bailed out. Although his F 105 was not designed for aerial combat, Thorsness engaged the MiG and destroyed it. Spotting four more MiGs, he fought his way through a barrage of North Vietnamese SAMs to engage them too, shooting down one and driving off the others. For this action, Thorsness was awarded the Medal of Honor. But he didn't learn about it until years later--by a "tap code" coming through prison walls--because on April 30, Thorsness was shot down, captured, and transported to the Hanoi Hilton. Surviving Hell recounts a six-year captivity marked by hours of brutal torture and days of agonizing boredom. With a novelist's eye for character and detail, Thorsness describes how he and other American POWs strove to keep their humanity. Thrown into solitary confinement for refusing to bow down to his captors, for instance, he disciplined his mind by memorizing long passages of poetry that other prisoners sent him by tap code. Filled with hope and humor, "Surviving Hell" is an eloquent story of resistance and survival. No other book about American POWs has described so well the strategies these remarkable men used in their daily effort to maintain their dignity. With resilience and resourcefulness, they waged war by other means in the darkest days of a long captivity.

As the West turns on its religious and cultural traditions, it is succumbing to the 'soft totalitarianism' of irrational, relativist ideals. This title explains that the basic cause of this explosion of human irrationality is the slow but steady marginalisation of religion.

"First edition of this book was originally published in French in 2006 under the title L'annaee du coq: Chinois et rebelles"--P. xiv.

Examines the history of the Khomeinist movement in Iran to show how it is genetically programmed for war. This work shows how Khomeinsim can be defeated, enabling Iran to close the chapter of revolution and return to the global mainstream. It is suitable for those concerned about the future of Iran, terrorism, and prospects for middle east peace.

Unveils the operations of the Mexican mafia and describes how it grew from a small clique into a transnational criminal organization.

Focusing on what they call lying about spying, the authors reveal how revisionist scholars have ignored or distorted documents from Russian archives that point to espionage links between Moscow and the CPUSA.

Captures the moral, legal, medical and political complexities surrounding abortion.

The importance of honor is present in the earliest records of civilization. This book traces the history of this ideal, from the Middle Ages through the Enlightenment and to the killing fields of World War I and the despair of Vietnam. It reminds us that the fate of honor and the fate of morality and even manners are deeply interrelated.

The word prejudice has come to seem synonymous with bigotry; therefore the only way a person can establish freedom from bigotry is by claiming to have wiped his mind free from prejudice. This book shows that freeing the mind from prejudice is not only impossible, but entails intellectual, moral and emotional dishonesty.

Chronicles how counterculture succeeded and how its ideas helped provoke culture wars.

Discusses those areas of Greek life - sexuality and sexual roles; slavery and war; and, philosophy and politics - that some modern critics have made into contested sites. This title claims the importance of those core ideas the Greeks invented, ideas about human fate and purpose that have shaped the modern world.

Argues that Darwin's theory of evolution is a ridiculous slander on human beings. This book is suitable for people who want to understand the issues behind the hotly debated scientific controversy.

Dispels social cliches and spotlights biological realities.

Maintains that definitions of deviance that rely upon reason, and not emotion or political advocacy, are indispensable to the process of generating and sustaining cultural values and reaffirming the moral ties that bind us together.

Takes on the hard questions about what the Islamic religion actually teaches. This book sets forth the potentially ominous implications of those teachings for the future of both the Muslim world and the West.

These are the questions we should be asking to prevent runaway scientism with its utopian longings from reshaping humankind in the image of our own choosing. Kass believes that technology has done and will continue to do wonders for our health and longevity and that we have much to be thankful for.