Patrick Gallagher – författare

War breeds myths, especially those made up by the vanquished to explain or soften their loss. Occasionally the myths of the defeated center on prisoners of war (POWs) and those missing in action (MIAs) to justify the lost struggle, mute national guilt, and sometimes even reject the reality of defeat itself. Traumatic Defeat takes a close, comparative look at two cases of this kind of mythmaking—in West Germany in the wake of World War II and in the United States after the Vietnam War. The book examines a specific case of mythmaking that revolves around the ambiguity of missing men and the trauma resulting from their unresolved fates.The “secret camp myth,” so called for the covert facilities where the missing supposedly survive, shared certain features in postwar Germany and America. Both nations suffered extreme trauma and struggled to find redemptive elements in their wartime experiences; both focused on POWs and MIAs to minimize their guilt and recast themselves as victims of wars they had started. Author Patrick Gallagher examines the similarities between West Germany’s myth aimed at men lost in the Soviet Union and America’s myth directed at those missing in Southeast Asia. The differences, however, are instructive, particularly the longevity of the American myth involving a few thousand soldiers compared with the relative short life of the more plausible German version involving millions. In search of the nature and meaning of these myths, Gallagher takes us into the wars themselves, the circumstances in which soldiers went missing, and the manner in which each nation framed its losses according to its own political, ideological, and historical needs.Traumatic Defeat, the first in-depth comparative study of this phenomenon, reveals how myths conjured in the trauma of military defeat can distort and dominate national conversations on the history of warfare, aftermath, and loss.

"Fans of the Alex Rider series will love this" - Book Trust'A fun, action-packed thriller with a brother-sister duo that I really loved.' - David Owen, author of the Alex Neptune series'Races along at break-neck speed, diving through one plot twist after another.' - Books for Topics**School Reading List Picks of the Best Children's Books Coming Out in Summer**Twin geniuses, Jacob and Kira, have their lives in Uganda turned upside down when they discover someone has been watching their every move in the hopes to enlist them in a top-secret agency called Transcendent.The twins are sent to London, and must take part in three trials, each more difficult than the last, to be accepted into Transcendent.If they are successful, they will be launched into space to complete a high-stakes mission to fight the greatest threat the world has ever seen.Only, the twins soon realise they have more to contend with than they bargained for ... is there a more sinister reason they have been chosen?Two kids, one top-secret agency and an epic mission to save the world."High octane, high emotion, occasionally terrifying and utterly riveting... Crammed with action and cool technological gadgets and, to pack it all in, the pace is fast." - Reading Zone"Fans of the Alex Rider series will love this adventure story" - Book Trust'A cracking debut novel from Patrick Gallagher...the story races along at break-neck speed, diving through one plot twist after another. I turned the last page with a disappointed 'no!' as I longed for more and I'll be eagerly awaiting the sequel' - Books for Topics'Sci-fi and adventure...the book was very enjoyable' - Books North reader aged 11 years**School Reading List Picks of the Best Children's Books Coming Out in Summer**

JOIN THE TEAM. SAVE THE WORLD. Join twin geniuses Jacob and Kira on an out-of-this-world mission to protect the planet in the second book in the Transcendent series.'A fun, action-packed thriller with a brother-sister duo that I really loved' David Owen, author of the Alex Neptune seriesJacob and Kira have been launched into space by a top-secret agency called Transcendent. Their mission? Finish work on an invention with the power to clean up the Earth and stop climate change for good. But they soon lose all communication with mission control and discover that a mysterious creature is closing in on them. Meanwhile, an evil billionaire is determined to get rid of Transcendent so he can unleash a terrifying, mind-bending technology on the planet. With two disasters looming, how will Jacob and Kira save the day when everything is at stake? Two kids, one top-secret agency and an epic mission to save the world.Praise for Book 1:"High octane, high emotion, occasionally terrifying and utterly riveting... Crammed with action and cool technological gadgets and, to pack it all in, the pace is fast." - Reading Zone"Fans of the Alex Rider series will love this adventure story" - Book Trust'A cracking debut novel from Patrick Gallagher...the story races along at break-neck speed, diving through one plot twist after another. I turned the last page with a disappointed 'no!' as I longed for more and I'll be eagerly awaiting the sequel' - Books for Topics'Sci-fi and adventure...the book was very enjoyable' - Books North reader aged 11 years**School Reading List Picks of the Best Children's Books Coming Out in Summer**

Two kids, one top-secret agency, and an epic mission to save the world. 'A fun, action-packed thriller with a brother-sister duo that I really loved' David Owen, author of the Alex Neptune seriesIn this eco-tech thriller series, set in a world on the brink of catastrophe, twin agents Jacob and Kira must foil an evil billionaire who has ensnared the population in a virtual reality metaverse. Unforgettable and unputdownable.Transcendent agents and twin geniuses Jacob and Kira have been defeated... the world has plunged into climate change oblivion. Their last hope? To confront the villainous billionaire Nosfer within the Oracle virtual reality universe ensnaring the population. But inside, they will have to play by his rules. As the twins confront tragedy within their own lives, their deepest and darkest thoughts will be projected within the intoxicating world of the Oracle. But buried deep inside is also hope. As a mysterious trail emerges, only Jacob and Kira can track it down and find the truth - a secret that may prove the only way to free the world and stop climate change catastrophe descending for ever.Full of tech, action and twists - a series that teens will race through! Perfect for 8-13+ and reluctant boy readers.