Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Us V. Causby Essays - Aviation Law, United States V. Causby

Us V. Causby United States V. Causby, 328 U.S. 256 (1946) In 1934 Lee Causby and his wife Tinie moved to a 2.8 acre plot of land just outside of Greensboro, North Carolina. Knowingly, they purchased the land, which was located only one-third of a mile from a municipal airport and began to raise chickens as a means of income. All was well until the spring of 1942 when the United States Army began to fly four-engine bombers over the property during all hours of the day and night. Due to the constant clamor numerous problems arose on the farmstead and as a result Lee and Tinie filed suit against the United States Army for the ?taking? of property defined under the Fifth Amendment. The Greensboro-Highpoint Municipal Airport was first established in 1928 eight miles from Greensboro, North Carolina. The airport was first commissioned to allow the take off and landing of small commercial flights and crop spraying planes. For approximately a decade and a half the Causby family, their chicken farm and the airport lived in harmony. This harmony was broken in April of 1942 when a lease was negotiated between the airport and the United State Army over the employment of the airport from May until June 1st of 1942. The lease also included provisions for renewal that would have lasted until 1967. It was with this contract in which the Causby's problems first began. According to the original complaint that was filed by the Causbys in the Court of Claims, the planes flown by the Army directly over their land caused the family to lose sleep, become constantly nervous and afraid. On top of this the noise and light created by the large aircraft frightened the chickens so much that they would fly into the sides of the buildings and barns, which would kill them instantly. Approximately six to ten chickens died in one day and a total of 150 chickens died altogether. Eventually production at the chicken farm fell off and the property became devaluated. After the courts examined the situation, the Court of Claims granted an easement of $2,000 for property damage. According to the findings of the Court of Claims, the Causby's home was 2,275 feet from the runway and the barn was only 2,220 feet away. Also due to the fact that the angle in which the planes took off, they flew directly over both the house and the barn. On April 1, 1946 the Supreme Court granted the petition of writ of certiorari to the Court of Claims even though Mr. Justice Jackson took no part in the decision. Only a month later, on May 1st, the case was brought before the Supreme Court of the United States of America by Mr. Walter J. Cummings of Washington D.C. representing the petitioner. For the respondents, the Causbys, Mr. William E. Comer of Greensboro, NC was in attendance. Once again Mr. Justice Jackson did not take part in the trial. Mr. Justice Douglas wrote the opinion of the court and upheld that decision should be reversed and remanded so that the findings of the Court of Claims are in conformity to the decision of the Supreme Court. This was due to the fact that the Army bombers and planes were flying so low, approximately sixty-seven feet above the house and sixty-three feet above the barn, and that the lease that was contracted between the United States and the Greensboro airport could not properly be determined whether it was a temporary or permanent in nature. Also the court was not satisfied with the findings of the Court of Claims so they ordered them to recheck all items dealing with the complaint and to specify more details in their findings. He also found that the due to the extreme amount of disruption caused by the United States' planes that there was hindrance to the ?enjoyment of property? which the Causbys were granted through the United States constitution. According to laws set up by the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA), at eighty-three feet above ground level it was declared that this altitude would be free airspace. The CAA declared all space that was above the reserved eighty-three feet to be public airspace. Therefore noise and other

Friday, March 20, 2020

Center-2279300 Essays - Human Resource Management, Business, Economy

Center-2279300 Essays - Human Resource Management, Business, Economy center-2279300 Location: Astana Course Code: HRM601 Course Name: Human Resource Management Professor: John W. Rogers Student(s) Name(s) : Akylbek Kalymzhan Cable Wireless case (2012) 1/ In your opinion, what should be the weaknesses of such a Group on the human side of business? Use disclosed facts as well as psycho-sociological and strategic elements to formulate your assessment. I would like to describe three main weaknesses of such a Group, which directly and indirectly influence the human side. In the part "The Strength of the Group" was written the actions of the company for the last several years, during this period company had aggressive strategy, because they were in process of acquiring the companies. In fact, it was a period of growth or MA period. As a result of MA, organization usually is enormously affected from the human side. First, company reduces its staff to be more efficient and effective, so layoff of superfluous employees is unavoidable. So, I think that CW fired people not only to meet financial results, but also to achieve managerial and strategic goals. Thousands of people lost their job, but this is not the worst if we consider this action from the point of management. The highest risk is a loss of key talented employees. Another one is diminished trust and uncertainty among workers. Second are different corporate cultures and management styles. Moreover, we do not know is there corporate culture or values in CW. Probably they do not have because company is young. Also, we do not know the mission and vision of the company, is there something what really drives people or motivate them to do something valuable. Third, new rules and procedures should be created, it can be rules of acquiring or acquired company or mix, but anyway employees will be affected by new policies. 2/ What is, in your point of view, the possible impact of their strategic alliances and partnership policy on the staff members? What are the inherent risks for any organization in this high-tech context? The strategic alliances and partnership policy has both advantages and disadvantages. First, knowledge exchange - employees from different partner companies can learn from each other. Second, exchange of technology - in highly competitive environment is good to have partners to implement new technologies or mastering them. On the other hand, there are some risks. Exchange of knowledge and technologies sometimes means information leak, the market is very competitive and new ideas can be stolen. Also, there is a risk of a loss of talented employees, because they can move to the partner's company. 3/ C W are recruiting and selecting a vast majority of young employees. What are the basics of a promotion/retention policy to manage and keep them? What do you do with left-over senior members? The management of the compa ny does a lot to keep employees; they do not eliminate costs on salaries or development . Their reward policy is good, because competitive with market standards and they offer different packages depending on the perform ance. Based on the performance, employees can be promoted. The promotion in the company is thoughtful and management always internally promotes employees. The retention policy for seniors and directors is good also, because benefit from shares or stock options. 4/ Describe in detail and analyze the impact of free access to Unions and possible quality of relationships within this UK organization. Justify your answers referring to the course and communication/information rules. Free access to Unions has pros and cons for company. Employees, who joined Unions, can have higher salary and legally allowed doing actions such as strikes . C ompany can decrease HR control, because promotion in the company based on the performance, but unions can make rules for such cases and instead of the most talented employee, company will be pushed to promote based on the other parameters rather than productivity or effectiveness. On the other hand, it is simpler to negotiate, because management should not communicate with everyone, and it is faster and more efficient. The level of employees' satisfaction is higher, because they have package of benefits: higher salary, protectiveness, better insurance etc. 5/ How do you imagine training and development needs in such an environment?

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

An Overview of The Treaty of Versailles

An Overview of The Treaty of Versailles Signed on June 28, 1919, as an end to the First World War, The Treaty of Versailles was supposed to ensure a lasting peace by punishing Germany and setting up a League of Nations to solve diplomatic problems. Instead, it left a legacy of political and geographical difficulties that have often been blamed, sometimes solely, for starting the Second World War. Background World War I had been fought for four years when, on November 11, 1918, Germany and the Allies signed an armistice. The Allies soon gathered to discuss the peace treaty they would sign, but Germany and Austria-Hungary werent invited; instead, they were allowed only to present a response to the treaty, a response that was largely ignored. Instead, terms were drawn up mainly by the so-called Big Three: British Prime Minister Lloyd George, French Prime Minister Frances Clemenceau, and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. The Big Three Each government represented by the men in the the Big Three had different desires: Woodrow Wilson wanted a fair and lasting peace and had written a plan- the Fourteen Points- to achieve this. He wanted the armed forces of all nations reduced, not just the losers, and a League of Nations created to ensure peace.Frances Clemenceau wanted Germany to pay dearly for the war, including being stripped of land, industry, and its armed forces. He also wanted heavy reparations.Lloyd George was affected by public opinion in Britain, which agreed with Clemenceau, though he personally agreed with Wilson. The result was a treaty that tried to compromise, and many of the details were passed down to uncoordinated subcommittees to work out, who thought they were drafting a starting point rather than the final wording. It was an almost impossible task. They were asking for the ability to pay off loans and debts with German cash and goods but also to restore the pan-European economy. The treaty needed to state territorial demands- many of which were included in secret treaties- but also to allow self-determination and deal with growing nationalism. It also needed to remove the German threat but not humiliate the nation and breed a generation intent on revenge- all while mollifying voters.   Selected Terms of the Treaty of Versailles Here are some of the terms of the Versailles Treaty, in several main categories. Territory Alsace-Lorraine, captured by Germany in 1870 and the war aim of the attacking French forces in 1914, was returned to France.The Saar, an important German coalfield, was to be given to France for 15 years, after which a plebiscite would decide ownership.Poland became an independent country with a route to the sea, a corridor of land cutting Germany in two.Danzig, a major port in East Prussia (Germany) was to be under international rule.All German and Turkish colonies were taken away and put under Allied control.Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Czechoslovakia were made independent.Austria-Hungary was split up, and Yugoslavia was created. Arms The left bank of the Rhine was to be occupied by Allied forces and the right bank demilitarized.The German army was cut to 100,000 men.Wartime weapons were to be scrapped.The German Navy was cut to 36 ships and no submarines.Germany was banned from having an Air Force.An Anschluss (union) between Germany and Austria was banned. Reparations and Guilt In the war guilt clause, Germany has to accept total blame for the war.Germany had to pay  £6,600 million in compensation. The League of Nations A League of Nations was to be created to prevent further world conflict. Results Germany lost 13 percent of its land, 12 percent of its people, 48 percent of its iron resources, 15 percent of its agricultural production, and 10 percent of its coal. Perhaps understandably, German public opinion soon swung against this diktat (dictated peace), while the Germans who signed it were called the November Criminals. Britain and France felt the treaty was fair- they actually wanted harsher terms imposed on the Germans- but the United States refused to ratify it because it didnt want to be part of the League of Nations. Other results include: The map of Europe was redrawn with consequences which, especially in the Balkans, remain to the modern day.Numerous countries were left with large minority groups: There were three and a half million Germans in Czechoslovakia alone.The League of Nations was fatally weakened without the United States and its army to enforce decisions.Many Germans felt unfairly treated. After all, they had just signed an armistice, not a unilateral surrender, and the Allies hadnt occupied deeply into Germany. Modern Thoughts Modern historians sometimes conclude that the treaty was more lenient than might have been expected and not really unfair. They argue that, although the treaty didnt stop another war, this was more due to massive fault lines in Europe that WWI failed to solve, and they argue that the treaty would have worked had the Allied nations enforced it, instead of falling out and being played off one another. This remains a controversial view. You rarely find a modern historian agreeing that the treaty solely caused World War II, although clearly, it failed in its aim to prevent another major war. What is certain is that Adolf Hitler was able to use the treaty perfectly to rally support behind him: appealing to soldiers who felt conned and wielding the anger at the November Criminals to damn other socialists, promise to overcome Versailles, and make headway in doing so. However, supporters of Versailles like to look at the peace treaty Germany imposed on Soviet Russia, which took vast areas of land, population, and wealth, and point out that country was no less keen to grab things. Whether one wrong justifies another is, of course, down to the perspective of the reader.

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Runology in Scandinavia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Runology in Scandinavia - Essay Example This alphabet uses only sixteen runes, and in many cases one symbol is used to represent many sounds. Even when dealing with the Younger Futhark, there are several related but slightly different alphabets that vary by place and time. These can be roughly divided into two main types: the first is the "long-branch" or normal Younger Futhark, which are sometimes referred to as the "Danish runes". There is also a variant known as the "short-twig runes" in which the forms are simpler, also called the "Norwegian-Swedish runes". "Shorthand" versions of these futharks appeared, as did hybrid variants. What exact form was used depended on exactly what date one is looking at, and what region. By the Middle Ages, as the language changed and so did the runic alphabet. Gradually symbols were changed, and new symbols adopted, resulting in a 16-rune alphabet plus extensions. Most of the surviving Viking Age runic inscriptions come from rune-stones, which were erected as grave markers, memorials, and cenotaphs most often. By the middle ages in Scandinavia, runes came to be used occasionally to record Latin inscriptions (approximately 10% of all medieval runic inscriptions are Latin) and these usually invocations of saints or prayers. Occasionally runes are found on various wooden items such as crosses. In Bergen, Norway, 110 "ownership tags" have been found, shaped in many cases so that they can be easily attached to goods or merchandise. Several runic "business memos" have also been discovered in Bergen, usually on a wooden stick which has been whittled flat on at least one side, with the most usual type having four flat sides for inscription. Since the runes occurred in a fixed order, carpenters and construction workers used them to label wooden roof beams for churches so that they went up in the correct order. The oldest runes discovered in Norway date from 400 AD. They were based upon the 24 - rune Elder Futhark of Germanic origin. Two of the runes in the Elder Futhark, Pertra and Eoh, have never been found in any Norwegian rune text. From 550 AD to 700 AD there was a transition period between the older 24-rune Futhark and the newer 16-rune Futharks. By the end of this period, the 24-rune Futhark went completely out of use and the 16-rune Futharks had prevailed. Then, about 900 AD, the Shorttwiggs-runes were introduced from Sweden. Shortly thereafter, from 1000 AD, Futharks with more than 16 runes became more prevalent, as these were more consistent with the Latin alphabet. These types of runes were used in Norway up to 1800 AD. After the end of the Viking period the runes became more and more in common use by ordinary people. A lot of rune inscriptions from the end of 1100's, 1200's and 1300's, the so-called town runes, show that it was not only the professional scribes who wrote runes. Even the ordinary people had learned the art of reading and writing runes because runes were the most accessible tool for them and were useful in their mercantile trading. "Training sticks" have been found which were used to learn runes, showing that more people could write and read than one had previously believed. It is interesting that knowledge of runes

Sunday, February 2, 2020

The Prospectus and Dissertation Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Prospectus and Dissertation - Coursework Example This comes in handy in determining the approval of the proposed dissertation. It introduces the problem statement and argues the case with facts on the importance of writing the dissertation to address the question. It is basically an overview detailing to the reader about the problem statement. This holds the key to approval. It is therefore important that it is written well and convincingly. When writing this part, the writer also has a chance of finding more facts about his planned dissertation from previous research. The writer’s opinions should be factual; personal judgments without basis could lead to the proposed dissertation being ruled out (Joyner and Glatthorn) The third element of the prospectus caters for the methodology that the writer plans to use. One should be wise to detail the methods of research and evaluation that are best suit for his or her scope of study (Gonzales, 47). It is important to detail the proposed methodology since the committee could also help with additions. It proves to them that the writer has a grasp of content in the dissertation topic and can therefore carry out meaningful research (Roberts, 97). Lastly, as the department of planning of University of California writes, the prospectus has a conclusion. It concludes the details highlighted therein and tends to beseech the committee to view the proposed dissertation as being worthy of their

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Stakeholders Involved in Decision Making

Stakeholders Involved in Decision Making Mitchelle Malijan In every policy making process, the elements involved, and the most engaged people are those who are on the higher ranks of the organisational chart, such as the board of directors, managers, and supervisors. The reason for this is because another key factor in the approval of any policies is the monetary fund or budget needed to execute such plan of action. In line with this, the budget is usually handled and managed by those who are in the higher division of any organisation, thus giving them the power and influence over the whole system. However, it is always ideal to involve all the participating individuals, such as the staffs and consumers as well in the making of any policy. This is because the employees are the ones who are in direct connection to the problems that are identified which will be the foundation of the policy making procedure. Overall, the staffs doing most of the jobs are the ones greatly affected by any problems recognised that is why it is really important for these group of people to be part of the decision making process in creating any policies. Workplace Any work place may be run by a variety of leaders with different and diverse management styles. It depends on the type of company that they handle. However, the important thing in making decisions in the work place is the welfare of the staffs and employees. It is because these people are the ones who are in direct involvement to any work related issues in the company, even though the decisions are done by those who are in the higher rank in the office, like the directors, CEO’s and the like. Due to this scenario, an applicable decision making model for this particular area may be the Contingency Theory. Contingency theory states that a leader must have a good relationship with his members. It also expresses that no particular or specific style will be perfect and always suitable for every organisation. These factors; Leader-member relationship, his power and authority over the people, will make up for the favourability of any situation.[1] At the end of the day, the decision to be done by the manager or leader will still depend whether his subordinates or staff will agree on it. Government The government is a group of leaders who are having influence or power over a particular assembly of people or community. This entails the idea that a leader must possess a quality of a good commander who is firm, strong, and determined; but still must be able to communicate and listen well to his people who are under his authority. That is why a decision making model which may be applicable for this area is the Political Bargaining Model. The Political Bargaining Model states that every decision making process that is influenced by certain factors, like what the people or participants bargain, want and need in a particular scenario or environment. This model can be used in the government setting as the government, even though run by leaders, is still created by the people since they are the ones being managed and they are the ones who voted for those leaders to be in their position. So in the end, what matters most is the people’s consensus and decision. To make this simple, the leaders must serve these people who put them to the place where they are now. This is relevant though in a democratic government. Since the leaders in the government have the job and responsibility to maintain and safeguard the welfare of their subordinates, they must be able to do what is best for them, and be flexible as much as possible to attend to their necessities and wants. In this system, collaboration and give and take actions between the members and the leaders are evident. Professional Organisations A professional organisation is defined as any group of individuals who are working in the same line of business or occupation.[2] This organisation, commonly not profit generating, aims to promote, enhance, and develop the existing performance or scope of practice of the profession that it is involved with. It also targets to protect and safe guard the welfare, safety, and interest of its members and stakeholders.[3] Examples of these groups are organisations like the Nursing Council of New Zealand, Chartered Professional Engineers Council, and the like. In making decisions for the professional organisational setting, the organisational process model may be applicable. This is because the policy created by these bodies lies on the existing rules that each profession possesses. In addition to this idea, it is mentioned that a professional organisation, as the definition states, aims to improve and develop the scope of practice of the occupation it covers. Hence, the organisational process model of decision making is a suitable pattern and framework for this area of politics and policy that a health care professional may be immersed with. An example for this can be the case of creating a policy to manage the working hours and shifts of nurses in hospitals and health care facilities. This proposal will rely on the existing fact of the working hours and schedules that a nurse have; say for instance 40 hours per week and shifting from night to day duties. To reduce the risk for health hazards, stress, and fatigue for employees, some changes or adjustments will be recommended for this. Like giving allowance of around 9 hours for those nurses who will be shifting duties from night to day, or vice versa. In this recommendation, nurses will still be working on different shifts, as per required in their profession, and also still get the same working hours required. Community A community is a small or large unit in the society that is composed of group of people who are sharing the same interests, pursuits, and goals in life. Any decisions that are to be done with regard to this circle must be beneficial for the majority and their interest. Decisions must also be done in line with the current trends, situations, and circumstances. So, for this area, a suitable decision making pattern may be the Garbage Can Model. The Garbage Can Model is defined as the opposite of the rational decision making model, thus, leading it to the thought that it may be disorganised and confusing as opposed to the other one. But, if looking deep into its meaning and context, the Garbage can model can be a sensible tool to solve issues in the community because it uses the four elements: people or members, issues, the solutions, and the choices. By studying those four factors, decisions are being formulated in a practical way and less time consuming because the only needed things are taken into consideration. This scenario can be compared in an emergency situation in an emergency department in the hospital. The decisions to be done by the health care professionals such as the doctors and nurses will be solely based on the client’s condition and diagnosis (represents people and issues), the possible interventions that can be done to alleviate the pain or cure the ailment (solutions), and the choices (equipment an d medications available). This way, resources are maximised and only the essential factors are considered. This is the reason why this model is suitable for the community setting since in this area, various issues may arise because of the number of people involved in this association, so a decision maker must be able to focus on one problem at a time, and lay down only the needed solution choices for such to avoid confusion and time wastage. References: Shpak, S. (2014). The Contingency Theory of Decision Making. Retrieved from: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/contingency-theory-decision-making-44645.html Reference for Business. (2014). Retrieved from: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Per-Pro/Professional-and-Trade-Organizations.html Wikipedia: Professional Organisation. (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_association [1] [2] [3]

Friday, January 17, 2020

Christian University Essay

This essay is a review of the book Shiloh- In Hell Before Night written by James Lee McDonough. James Lee McDonough was born on June 17, 1934 in Nashville, Tennessee. It is here that he spent his childhood. Regarding his education, the author attended Lipscomb High School. He received his higher education at David Lipscomb College where he attained a BA degree in 1956. He later went to M. A Abilene Christian University where he attained an M. A degree in 1961. The author received his PhD from the Florida State University in 1966. He was to be appointed as a Professor of History, a post he held in Lipscomb, Pepperdine and Auburn universities. Currently, he is a retired professor of history at Auburn University. The author was lauded by the Army for his role in furthering knowledge in military history and has received many accolades for his efforts in military history scholarship . Besides Shiloh- in Hell before Night, the author has written many other books. These include Chattanooga – Death Grip on the Confederacy, Five Tragic Hours; Stones River- Bloody Winter in Tennessee, Nashville; The Western Confederacy’s Final Gamble and War in Kentucky: from Shiloh to Perryville. His other books which are still in print include Sky Riders; History of the 327/401 Glider Infantry, ‘War so terrible’: Sherman and Atlanta and The Battle of Franklin. Moreover, he has written more than 30 articles, and reviewed close to seventy books . Shiloh- in Hell before Night was published by the University of Tennessee Press in 1977. At the time of writing the book, the author was a scholar at the David Lipscomb College in Nashville, Tennessee where he was a history professor. Having attained all the academic qualifications mentioned, he was well qualified to write the book. In this book, the author has used both primary and secondary sources. He makes great use of primary sources when he lets the participants in the war narrate their experiences. Among the primary sources which the author has utilized include recollections, letters and personal diaries of the combatants. For instance, the personal diaries of Thomas Lovemore, Samuel Watkins, Clarence Buell, William Tecumseh Sherman, R. F Learned and Braxton Bragg are utilized. Regarding secondary sources, the author cites writers who have made contributions on related subjects such as D. W. Reed, Shellby Footes, Lloyd Lewis and John Duke. He also cites magazine articles such as the Richmond enquirer, Chicago Times, and New Orleans Daily Picayune. Other secondary sources which the author has made use of include personal diaries, letters and official records. This book is an attempt by the author to provide an overview of the battle of Shiloh. This battle took place in 1862 at Shiloh near the border between Tennessee and Mississippi and was a defining moment in America’s Civil War. The action begun in February 1862 when the Union Army pushed the Confederate Army, which was led by General Albert Johnston at that time, compelling them to surrender most of Tennessee. Major General Ulysses Grant was the commander of the Union Army and come spring, he assembled a 40,000 strong force close to Pittsburg Landing just next to the Tennessee River. The intention of the Union Army was to attack the rail intersection of Corinth, Mississippi, which was an important infrastructural facility. Before they could attack however, they were ambushed by the Confederates who attacked them when they were close to the Shiloh Church. This event occurred on April 6th, 1862. The total number of Confederate troops who made the march were no less than 44, 000 and were led by Johnston and General P. G. T Beauregard. As the author writes, the element of surprise worked well for the Confederates as they were able to repulse the Union Army’s right flank by one and a half kilometer after battling for three hours. However, the Union Army withstood the assault and its left flank remained largely unmoved. The area of action where the Union forces withstood the confederate attack was called the ‘Hornet’s Nest’. By late evening, Johnston lay dead, having been injured on the leg. Beauregard assumed control of the Confederate Army upon the death of Johnston and called off the action later in the day. The Union Army got reinforcements later during the night. The reinforcements were led by Major General Don Carlos Buell and Lew Wallace. Beauregard turned down pleas by General Nathan Bedford Forrest that the Confederates attack when he saw the arrival of the reinforcement. With the reinforcements, the Union Army was able to repulse the Confederates and Beauregard surrendered before evening and retreated to Corinth. The battle of Shiloh was costly as it led to the deaths of more than 23,000 people. This book is important as it was the first scholarly attempt at describing the battle of Shiloh. It redefined the way people viewed the battle, what with its treatment of aspects deemed to be controversial. In a major departure from the prevailing thoughts, the author asserted that the death of Johnston did not in any way influence the outcomes of the battle. Additionally, he avers that there was no respite whatsoever following this death. Another major assertion which the author makes is that Beauregard’s decision to halt the attack was the right one and that, contrary to the dominant thought; the Confederates did not have any real opportunity on the evening of April 6th. What’s more, the author posits that the arrival of the reinforcements led by Buell did not have any noticeable impact on the outcome of battle on the first day. The author also asserts that the main activity of the entire battle was the conflict at Hornet’s Nest. He avers that Grant was able to erect the last line of defense at Pittsburg Landing primarily because the Sunken Road was able to withstand the Confederate offensive. The author does not stop there as he holds Braxton Bragg responsible for the Confederates’ inability to pry open the Hornet’s Nest. This, as he explains, was occasioned by Bragg’s inability to assemble the 18,000 troops required to mount the offensive. The purpose of the author is to provide an accurate, irrefutable and personalized rendition of the battle of Shiloh. Through this book, he hopes to give the reader an overview of the events preceding and occurring during, and immediately after the 48 hour battle. By and large, it can be said that the author achieved this purpose. He wades through the occurrences, giving reasonable explanations which rationalize such controversial questions as what made the Union Army to be ambushed in surprise. The author also provides judgment on whether Beauregard exercised judicial restraint when he halted the battle on the first day. He gives us sneak previews on what went into the preparations of both sides, discuses the personalities and experiences of the generals and shows us what was done wrong. The author also delves into the role of the Confederate and Union generals, assessing the various command decisions and returning judgment on the leadership ability. Through all these, he achieves his purpose as the reader is able to understand what happened, why it happened, when it happened, where it happened and most importantly, how it happened.