Warlord or The Genius of America

Warlord: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy

Author: Ilario Pantano

This is the powerful true story of the Marine lieutenant who, having fought for his country in the first Gulf War, went on to professional success in finance, only to be compelled to reenlist in the wake of 9/11. Leaving behind an ex-model wife and two children, he served once again in Iraq -- and was charged by the U.S. military with murder.

Ilario Pantano has always been a warrior at heart -- it's the force that drives him, that defines his core being and his life. But on April 15, 2004, just a few moments during the most violent and chaotic month in the Iraq War would change his life forever. On a raid in the Sunni hotbed of the Al Anbar province, Lieutenant Pantano shot and killed two Iraqi insurgents. Months later, while successfully leading Marines during the explosive surge in terrorist activity, including the battles for Fallujah, one of his own men disputed Pantano's self-defense claim in the Al Anbar shootings. Pantano was relieved of his command and charged with premeditated murder, a crime punishable by death.

Now for the first time, in his own words, Pantano recounts his gripping and controversial story in Warlord, the memoir of a patriot who prepared to reenlist as the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001, ten years after his service as an elite Marine sniper and veteran of Desert Storm. Warlord is the story of an unconventional fighter who combined his professional and military experiences to protect the lives of his men and win both on battlefields and in the courtroom. In the face of a widely publicized military hearing, Pantano's family "attacked into the ambush," launching a Defend-the-Defenders campaign that was met with overwhelming supportnationwide. Pantano was cleared of all charges. But most surprising of all, the heart of the patriot has not been embittered as he calls on his fellow Americans to stand strong in the face of our enemies.

A harrowing, redemptive, and singular contribution to the literature of war, Ilario Pantano's inspiring story brings an unrivaled human dimension to the conflict in Iraq, to the unyielding idealism that drives its American fighting men and women, and to the unexpected consequences and uncompromised faith that can emerge from the brutal, chaotic, and irreversible nature of combat.

New interesting book: Will Mix for Sex or Spice Route

The Genius of America: How the Constitution Saved Our Country and Why It Can Again

Author: Eric Lan

An inspiring and revelatory look at the document that has made our country the longest surviving democracy in the history of civilization: The Constitution of the United States.

The history of democracy is a history of failure. The United States holds the record at 230 years, yet the document at the nation’s center is one that we take for granted. Due to a combination of heightened frustration, moves to skirt the constitutional process, and a widespread disconnect between the people and their constitutional “conscience,” Lane and Oreskes warn us our system is at risk.
 
The Genius of America looks at the Constitution’s history relative to this current crisis. Starting with the eleven years between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution’s adoption, they show how our near failure to create a loosely knit nation led the framers to devise a system that takes human nature into account. Next they provide examples of how we have weathered crises in the past, from early attempts at political tyranny to the Civil War. Finally they turn to two periods, one of great consensus (from Roosevelt’s New Deal through Johnson’s Great Society) and another of division (from Reagan through George W. Bush), both of which demonstrate the Constitution’s effectiveness.
 
In the final assessment, Lane and Oreskes challenge us to let this great document work as it was designed—in times of change and stasis. They hold our leaders accountable, calling on them to stop fanning the flames of division. And while evenhanded in its presentation, The Genius of America reminds us the Constitutionis our national glue.

The New York Times - Robert A. Dahl

Mr. Lane and Mr. Oreskes…have provided us with an excellent discussion of how the Constitution, frequently revised by amendment, has managed to survive through numerous challenges and crises.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: An Extraordinary Accomplishment     1
The Invention
The More Fatal Problem Lies Among the People Themselves     21
Approaching So Near to Perfection as It Does     48
That Poor Little Thing-the Expression We the People     80
Thank God, It Worked
To Meet Extraordinary Needs     103
The Right to Alter the Established Constitution     123
The Challenge
A Mandate for Vigorous Action     147
Government Is Not the Solution, Government Is the Problem     174
Conclusion: We     199
The Constitution of the United States of America     223
Acknowledgments     253
Abbreviations and Bibliography     257
Notes     269
Index     283