Fred Kaplan Knihy

The inside story of the small group of soldier-scholars who changed the way the Pentagon does business and the American military fights wars, against fierce resistance from within their own ranks.

Focusing on the life of a literary giant, this biography presents a vivid portrayal of Mark Twain, highlighting his role as a storyteller and satirist. Fred Kaplan explores Twain's impact on American culture, from coining "the Gilded Age" to his outspoken views on racism and imperialism. The narrative delves into Twain's diverse roles as a writer, businessman, and inventor, illustrating his unique personality and enduring influence in literature. Kaplan asserts that Twain remains an unparalleled figure in American literary history.

A biography of the much misunderstood sixth president of the United States reveals the many sides of this forward-thinking man whose progressive vision helped shape the course of America

This is the untold story of the small group of men who have devised the plans and shaped the policies on how to use the Bomb. The book (first published in 1983) explores the secret world of these strategists of the nuclear age and brings to light a chapter in American political and military history never before revealed.

“A consistently eye-opening history...not just a page-turner but consistently surprising.” —The New York Times “A book that grips, informs, and alarms, finely researched and lucidly related.” —John le Carré As cyber-attacks dominate front-page news, as hackers join terrorists on the list of global threats, and as top generals warn of a coming cyber war, few books are more timely and enlightening than Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War, by Slate columnist and Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Fred Kaplan. Kaplan probes the inner corridors of the National Security Agency, the beyond-top-secret cyber units in the Pentagon, the "information warfare" squads of the military services, and the national security debates in the White House, to tell this never-before-told story of the officers, policymakers, scientists, and spies who devised this new form of warfare and who have been planning—and (more often than people know) fighting—these wars for decades. From the 1991 Gulf War to conflicts in Haiti, Serbia, Syria, the former Soviet republics, Iraq, and Iran, where cyber warfare played a significant role, Dark Territory chronicles, in fascinating detail, a little-known past that shines an unsettling light on our future.

The biography vividly chronicles Charles Dickens' journey from a challenging, impoverished childhood to becoming a celebrated writer in Victorian England. Fred Kaplan masterfully captures the complexities of Dickens' life, paralleling the tumultuous experiences found in his novels. Enhanced by 107 illustrations, this work offers a colorful and persuasive exploration of Dickens' profound impact on literature and society.

From the author of The Wizards of Armageddoncomes the definitive history of American policy on nuclear war-and Presidents' actions in nuclear crises-from Truman to Trump.

For Abraham Lincoln, whether he was composing love letters, speeches, or legal arguments, words mattered. In Lincoln, acclaimed biographer Fred Kaplan explores the life of America's sixteenth president through his use of language as a vehicle both to express complex ideas and feelings and as an instrument of persuasion and empowerment. Like the other great canonical writers of American literature—a status he is gradually attaining—Lincoln had a literary career that is inseparable from his life story. An admirer and avid reader of Burns, Byron, Shakespeare, and the Old Testament, Lincoln was the most literary of our presidents. His views on love, liberty, and human nature were shaped by his reading and knowledge of literature.Since Lincoln, no president has written his own words and addressed his audience with equal and enduring effectiveness. Kaplan focuses on the elements that shaped Lincoln's mental and imaginative world; how his writings molded his identity, relationships, and career; and how they simultaneously generated both the distinctive political figure he became and the public discourse of the nation. This unique account of Lincoln's life and career highlights the shortcomings of the modern presidency, reminding us, through Lincoln's legacy and appreciation for language, that the careful and honest use of words is a necessity for successful democracy.Illuminating and engrossing, Lincoln brilliantly chronicles Abraham Lincoln's genius with language.

Kaplan's account delves into a critical period in American history, shedding light on the origins and enduring impacts of racial divisions in the United States. Through thorough research, the book explores how these historical injustices continue to resonate in contemporary society, influencing urban environments, legislation, education, and places of worship. It serves as a significant resource for anyone seeking to comprehend the complexities of race relations in America today.