When 100 elite US soldiers were sent to capture a Somali military leader, their mission was supposed to take no more than an hour. Instead they were pinned down in the heart of Mogadishu, battling an enemy that numbered in their thousands. Mark Bowden’s acclaimed account captures the brutal reality of a contemporary combat engagement, and vividly describes the events that led to a downed Black Hawk helicopter and a devastating loss of life. Off-mint.

From Ancient Egypt to the war in Afghanistan, and from the horse and chariot to nuclear weapons, this well-illustrated reference work charts the significant conflicts in world history and the major advances in military technology. It is arranged chronologically within each of seven sections: Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Central and Southern Asia, Northern and Eastern Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and the Americas. Slightly off-mint.