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Heat Wave (Paradise Cafe #1)
by Maureen JenningsJuly 1936 and Toronto is under a record-breaking heat wave. Charlotte Frayne is the junior associate in a two-person private investigation firm, owned by T. Gilmore. Two events set the book’s plot in motion: an anti-Semitic hate letter is delivered to Gilmore, who up to now has not acknowledged his religion, and Hilliard Taylor, a veteran of the First World War requests the firm’s assistance in uncovering what he believes is systematic embezzlement of the Paradise Café, which he owns and operates with three other men, all of whom were prisoners of war. The two events, although seemingly completely unrelated, come together in this wonderful novel that brings to life characters who are as real to the reader as those of the Murdoch series.
Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago
by Eric KlinenbergOn Thursday, July 13, 1995, Chicagoans awoke to a blistering day in which the temperature would reach 106 degrees. The heat index, which measures how the temperature actually feels on the body, would hit 126 degrees by the time the day was over. Meteorologists had been warning residents about a two-day heat wave, but these temperatures did not end that soon. When the heat wave broke a week later, city streets had buckled; the records for electrical use were shattered; and power grids had failed, leaving residents without electricity for up to two days. And by July 20, over seven hundred people had perished-more than twice the number that died in the Chicago Fire of 1871, twenty times the number of those struck by Hurricane Andrew in 1992--in the great Chicago heat wave, one of the deadliest in American history. Heat waves in the United States kill more people during a typical year than all other natural disasters combined. Until now, no one could explain either the overwhelming number or the heartbreaking manner of the deaths resulting from the 1995 Chicago heat wave. Meteorologists and medical scientists have been unable to account for the scale of the trauma, and political officials have puzzled over the sources of the city's vulnerability. In Heat Wave, Eric Klinenberg takes us inside the anatomy of the metropolis to conduct what he calls a "social autopsy," examining the social, political, and institutional organs of the city that made this urban disaster so much worse than it ought to have been. Starting with the question of why so many people died at home alone, Klinenberg investigates why some neighborhoods experienced greater mortality than others, how the city government responded to the crisis, and how journalists, scientists, and public officials reported on and explained these events. Through a combination of years of fieldwork, extensive interviews, and archival research, Klinenberg uncovers how a number of surprising and unsettling forms of social breakdown--including the literal and social isolation of seniors, the institutional abandonment of poor neighborhoods, and the retrenchment of public assistance programs--contributed to the high fatality rates. The human catastrophe, he argues, cannot simply be blamed on the failures of any particular individuals or organizations. For when hundreds of people die behind locked doors and sealed windows, out of contact with friends, family, community groups, and public agencies, everyone is implicated in their demise. As Klinenberg demonstrates in this incisive and gripping account of the contemporary urban condition, the widening cracks in the social foundations of American cities that the 1995 Chicago heat wave made visible have by no means subsided as the temperatures returned to normal. The forces that affected Chicago so disastrously remain in play in America's cities, and we ignore them at our peril. For the Second Edition Klinenberg has added a new Preface showing how climate change has made extreme weather events in urban centers a major challenge for cities and nations across our planet, one that will require commitment to climate-proofing changes to infrastructure rather than just relief responses.
Heat Wave: The Life and Career of Ethel Waters
by Donald BogleFrom the author of the bestselling Dorothy Dandridge comes a dazzling look at one of America's brightest and most troubled theatrical stars.Almost no other star of the twentieth century reimagined herself with such audacity and durable talent as did Ethel Waters. In this enlightening and engaging biography, Donald Bogle resurrects this astonishing woman from the annals of history, shedding new light on the tumultuous twists and turns of her seven-decade career, which began in Black vaudeville and reached new heights in the steamy nightclubs of 1920s Harlem. Bogle traces Waters' life from her poverty-stricken childhood to her rise in show business; her career as one of the early blues and pop singers, with such hits as "Am I Blue?," "Stormy Weather," and "Heat Wave"; her success as an actress, appearing in such films and plays as The Member of the Wedding and Mamba's Daughters; and through her lonely, painful final years. He illuminates Waters' turbulent private life, including her complicated feelings toward her mother and various lovers; her heated and sometimes well-known feuds with such entertainers as Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, and Lena Horne; and her tangled relationships with such legends as Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Harold Clurman, Elia Kazan, Count Basie, Darryl F. Zanuck, Vincente Minnelli, Fred Zinnemann, Moss Hart, and John Ford.In addition, Bogle explores the ongoing racial battles, growing paranoia, and midlife religious conversion of this bold, brash, wildly talented woman while examining the significance of her highly publicized life to audiences unaccustomed to the travails of a larger-than-life African American woman.Wonderfully atmospheric, richly detailed, and drawn from an array of candid interviews, Heat Wave vividly brings to life a major cultural figure of the twentieth century—a charismatic, complex, and compelling woman, both tragic and triumphant.
Heat of a Savage Moon (The Moon Trilogy #2)
by Jane BonanderNew to the western frontier, a young widow goes searching for her husband's killers—and finds an unquenchable passion—in this historical romance. Dakota Territory, 1868. Recently married to a man she barely knows, Rachel Weber has just arrived in Pine Valley—only to discover that her husband has been murdered. Blindsided by the shock, Rachel is nonetheless compelled to seek retribution from her husband&’s killers. And nothing is going to stop her—even after Jason Gaspard, the most powerful man in town, warns her to stay away. An educated man proud of his half-Karok Indian heritage, Jason is infuriated by Rachel's reckless vendetta against his people. Unlike her, Jason knows a thing or two about the man she&’s out to avenge—a government agent who many had good reason to despise. But as the opposition grows between the fierce woman and the strong leader, so does a passion too seductive to resist
Heat, Pneuma, and Soul in Ancient Philosophy and Science
by Hynek Bartoš Colin Guthrie KingThe conceptualization of the vital force of living beings as a kind of breath and heat is at least as old as Homer. The assumptions that life and living things were somehow causally related to 'heat' and 'breath' (pneuma) would go on to inform much of ancient medicine and philosophy. This is the first volume to consider the relationship of the notions of heat, breath (pneuma), and soul in ancient Greek philosophy and science from the Presocratics to Aristotle. Bringing together specialists both on early Greek philosophy and on Aristotle, it brings an approach drawn from the history of science to the study of both fields. The chapters give fresh and detailed interpretations of the theory of soul in Heraclitus, Empedocles, Parmenides, Diogenes of Appolonia, and Democritus, as well as in the Hippocratic Corpus, Plato's Timaeus, and various works of Aristotle.
Heat, a History: Lessons from the Middle East for a Warming Planet
by On BarakShifts the conversation from abstract "global warming" to the deeply human impacts of heat—and how our efforts to keep cool have made the problem worse. Despite the flames of record-breaking temperatures licking at our feet, most people fail to fully grasp the gravity of environmental overheating. What acquired habits and conveniences allow us to turn a blind eye with an air of detachment? Using examples from the hottest places on earth, Heat, a History shows how scientific methods of accounting for heat and modern forms of acclimatization have desensitized us to climate change. Ubiquitous air conditioning, shifts in urban planning, and changes in mobility have served as temporary remedies for escaping the heat in hotspots such as the twentieth-century Middle East. However, all of these measures have ultimately fueled not only greenhouse gas emissions but also a collective myopia regarding the impact of rising temperatures. Identifying the scientific, economic, and cultural forces that have numbed our responses, this book charts a way out of short-term thinking and towards meaningful action.
Heath (Images of America)
by Austin WellsWhen John O. Heath first settled in the area now known as Heath in 1848, wild turkey and deer were as plentiful as the area's timber and rich, black soil. The fertile land and convenient location along the east fork of the Trinity River prompted several settlers to follow the Heath family's lead, and Heath experienced steady growth in the early 1900s, with several businesses and schools in operation. Life was hard in those days, with food and money hard to come by, but locals found sanctuary in social gatherings, endless games of 42, mink hunting in the winter, and baseball. Heath's economy was given a big lift when the lake adjacent to the community, known as Lake Ray Hubbard, was filled in 1969 after a seemingly endless rain. With the attraction of the lake and developments that stemmed from it, such as the Rush Creek Yacht Club, Heath now faces the challenge of maintaining steady growth while continuing to stick to its roots as a charming, tight-knit community with an open countryside atmosphere.
Heath Ledger: The Heath Is On!
by Nancy KrulikHEATH WAVE! Heath Ledger may come from the land Down Under, but he's taking Hollywood by storm! After starting out in local musical theater, this talented hottie left his hometown, Perth, and headed to Sydney to forge a career in television and film. Success came easily in Australia, with Heath landing roles in the TV drama Sweat, as well as some Aussie films. Then, at 17 and with less than a dollar in his pocket, the precocious actor decided to try his luck in Los Angeles. He gained instant recognition starring opposite Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You, but the critical acclaim poured in after he nearly stole the show from Mel Gibson in The Patriot. And the rest has been Hollywood history. With lead roles in the eagerly anticipated films A Knight's Tale and The Four Feathers, Heath's career is on fire! Now, read all about Heath: his family life, his hobbies, his attitude toward show business, and more. In The Heath Is On, you'll get all the info on this up-and-coming young star: gossip, anecdotes, horoscope, vital stats -- it's all in here! The Heath is definitely on!
Heath and Thatcher in Opposition
by Eric CainesThis book traces how Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher, during their respective years as Conservative Opposition Leaders (1965-70 and 1975-79), managed their Party's attempts to ensure a return to government, each after two electoral defeats. They did so in the context of an emergent New Conservatism, championed by the likes of Enoch Powell, Keith Joseph and Nigel Lawson, which betokened a long-term change from the post-war Butskellite settlement. Against a national background of declining economic status, high inflation, debilitating public sector strikes and internal Conservative Party debates, particularly over industrial relations policy and monetarism, they adopted strikingly different approaches to policy-making in Opposition. The book illustrates how, paradoxically, Heath's technocratic over-prescription failed to save his eventual premiership, while Thatcher's under-committed policy design failed to impede her leading a purposeful and transformative government in the 1980s.
Heathcliff
by Sue BarnardThis &“exciting, unpredictable and impeccably told&” novel delves into the secret life of the mysterious Wuthering Heights antihero (Susan Roebuck, author of Joseph Barnaby).It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now. Cathy&’s immortal words had far-reaching repercussions. At just seventeen years of age, heartbroken and penniless, Heathcliff left behind all he knew and headed into an unknown future. Three years later, he returned—much improved in manners, appearance, and wealth. But what happened during those years? How did he make his fortune from nothing? And what fate turned him into literature&’s most famous antihero? For almost two centuries, these questions have remained unanswered. Until now . . .
Heathen Days: 1890-1936 (H.L. Mencken's Autobiography)
by H. L. MenckenWith a style that combined biting sarcasm with the "language of the free lunch counter," Henry Louis Mencken shook politics and politicians for nearly half a century. Now, fifty years after Mencken's death, the Johns Hopkins University Press announces The Buncombe Collection, newly packaged editions of nine Mencken classics: Happy Days, Heathen Days, Newspaper Days, Prejudices, Treatise on the Gods, On Politics, Thirty-Five Years of Newspaper Work, Minority Report, and A Second Mencken Chrestomathy. In the third volume of his autobiography, H. L. Mencken covers a range of subjects, from Hoggie Unglebower, the best dog trainer in Christendom, to his visit to the Holy Land, where he looked for the ruins of Gomorrah.
Heathen: Religion and Race in American History
by Kathryn Gin LumAn innovative history that shows how the religious idea of the heathen in need of salvation undergirds American conceptions of race. If an eighteenth-century parson told you that the difference between “civilization and heathenism is sky-high and star-far,” the words would hardly come as a shock. But that statement was written by an American missionary in 1971. In a sweeping historical narrative, Kathryn Gin Lum shows how the idea of the heathen has been maintained from the colonial era to the present in religious and secular discourses—discourses, specifically, of race. Americans long viewed the world as a realm of suffering heathens whose lands and lives needed their intervention to flourish. The term “heathen” fell out of common use by the early 1900s, leading some to imagine that racial categories had replaced religious differences. But the ideas underlying the figure of the heathen did not disappear. Americans still treat large swaths of the world as “other” due to their assumed need for conversion to American ways. Purported heathens have also contributed to the ongoing significance of the concept, promoting solidarity through their opposition to white American Christianity. Gin Lum looks to figures like Chinese American activist Wong Chin Foo and Ihanktonwan Dakota writer Zitkála-Šá, who proudly claimed the label of “heathen” for themselves. Race continues to operate as a heathen inheritance in the United States, animating Americans’ sense of being a world apart from an undifferentiated mass of needy, suffering peoples. Heathen thus reveals a key source of American exceptionalism and a prism through which Americans have defined themselves as a progressive and humanitarian nation even as supposed heathens have drawn on the same to counter this national myth.
Heather and Velvet
by Teresa MedeirosWounded in a foiled robbery attempt, the dreaded Scottish highwayman seemed harmless enough--until he stole Prudence's breath away with his impassioned kisses. But even as he drew the beauty into his strong embrace, Sebastian knew he must leave her. For the double life he was leading left no room for love.
Heathersleigh Homecoming
by Michael PhillipsWhile war escalates on every side, twenty-one-year-old Amanda wages her own internal battles. Betrayed by those who masqueraded behind claims of love, she faces flight From the sinister world that had held her in its grip. None but her pursuers apprehend the value of the secrets she possesses. The success of England's war effort lies in the balance. As the European powers descend into open warfare, unprecedented peril lurks at every hand. For the Rutherfords of Devonshire, the call to arms is an inescapable duty. But to commit a son to the conflict as well as a father represents a test of faith unlike anything they have faced. Insulated by the surrounding Alps from the political and military storms raging across Europe, the residents of the Chalet of Hope offer refuge and respite to the weary and faint of spirit. But despite the tranquility of their alpine paradise, some troubling yet unspoken emotion stirs in the heart of their young guest.
Heathrow Airport: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
by Alan Gallop&“A very nicely presented history of one of the greatest airports in the world, its challenges and its prospects . . . Highly Recommended.&” —Firetrench Love it or loathe it, Heathrow is the United Kingdom&’s largest and most important airport by a distance. It currently serves over 190 routes to more than 80 countries. Over £100 billion of imports and exports are handled every year, making it the UK&’s primary port by value. This fascinating book traces the often controversial development of the airport over the last 70 years from the most humble of beginnings. Thanks to the author&’s in-depth knowledge the arguments for and against the building of a third runway are thoroughly and objectively described. There have been, and indeed still are, those who advocate building a brand-new hub airport for London, but it is a fact that Heathrow has long been the cornerstone of the local economy, providing jobs for over 70,000 staff. This entertaining, controversial and superbly illustrated book is about much more than the bitter third runway battle. It contains many amusing anecdotes and a wealth of statistics that serve to make Heathrow such a key part of the country&’s infrastructure. &“The history of Heathrow Airport from the iron age to the present day . . . includes interviews with people who worked at Heathrow on its first day.&” —Forwarder Magazine &“A really interesting book. It is mostly text, but there are a good selection of historic photographs which haven&’t been seen anywhere else, including many of the aircraft once seen at Heathrow.&” —Airport Spotting
Heatwave: The Summer of 1976 – Britain at Boiling Point
by John L Williams'Grippingly captures the three months that shook Britain's cultural landscape' PAULINE BLACK'Scorching, seething and scintillating, Heatwave conjures a slow-burning collage of a country on the brink. I lived through those cruel months, and Williams recreates them with intense skill' SIMON GARFIELD'An absolute joy' PETE PAPHIDES'Engrossing...powerful...goes way beyond nostalgia' DAVID KYNASTONWith temperatures soaring to 35ºC, severe water shortages and a sunburned population queuing at the standpipes, the summer of 1976 was always remembered as Britain's hottest.But the wave that hit the UK that year was also cultural and political, with upheaval on the streets, in parliament, on the cricket pitch and on the radios and TV sets of a nation at a crossroads.Before this blistering summer, Britain seemed stuck in the post-war era, a country where people were all in it together - as long as you were white, male and straight. In July, Tom Robinson writes a song called Glad to be Gay, and by August bank holiday, Black youth are making the police run for their lives in the almighty riot at the Notting Hill Carnival. But with the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson suddenly quitting, the pound sinking and the economy tanking, a restless immigrant population and increasing dissatisfaction in the old world order, the weather seemed to boil up the country to the point where the lid blows off.Weaving a rich tapestry of the news stories of the year, with social commentary and dozens of first-person interviews with those that were there at the time, Williams's reappraisal of the summer of '76 is an evocative, sometimes nostalgic but always an unflinching read. Heatwave takes us back to relive the events of that summer and asks - have we really moved on as much as we would have liked?
Heatwave: The Summer of 1976 – Britain at Boiling Point
by John L Williams'Grippingly captures the three months that shook Britain's cultural landscape' PAULINE BLACK'Scorching, seething and scintillating, Heatwave conjures a slow-burning collage of a country on the brink. I lived through those cruel months, and Williams recreates them with intense skill' SIMON GARFIELD'An absolute joy' PETE PAPHIDES'Engrossing...powerful...goes way beyond nostalgia' DAVID KYNASTONWith temperatures soaring to 35ºC, severe water shortages and a sunburned population queuing at the standpipes, the summer of 1976 was always remembered as Britain's hottest.But the wave that hit the UK that year was also cultural and political, with upheaval on the streets, in parliament, on the cricket pitch and on the radios and TV sets of a nation at a crossroads.Before this blistering summer, Britain seemed stuck in the post-war era, a country where people were all in it together - as long as you were white, male and straight. In July, Tom Robinson writes a song called Glad to be Gay, and by August bank holiday, Black youth are making the police run for their lives in the almighty riot at the Notting Hill Carnival. But with the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson suddenly quitting, the pound sinking and the economy tanking, a restless immigrant population and increasing dissatisfaction in the old world order, the weather seemed to boil up the country to the point where the lid blows off.Weaving a rich tapestry of the news stories of the year, with social commentary and dozens of first-person interviews with those that were there at the time, Williams's reappraisal of the summer of '76 is an evocative, sometimes nostalgic but always an unflinching read. Heatwave takes us back to relive the events of that summer and asks - have we really moved on as much as we would have liked?
Heatwave: The Summer of 1976 – Britain at Boiling Point
by John L Williams'Grippingly captures the three months that shook Britain's cultural landscape' PAULINE BLACK'Scorching, seething and scintillating, Heatwave conjures a slow-burning collage of a country on the brink. I lived through those cruel months, and Williams recreates them with intense skill' SIMON GARFIELD'An absolute joy' PETE PAPHIDES'Engrossing...powerful...goes way beyond nostalgia' DAVID KYNASTONWith temperatures soaring to 35ºC, severe water shortages and a sunburned population queuing at the standpipes, the summer of 1976 was always remembered as Britain's hottest.But the wave that hit the UK that year was also cultural and political, with upheaval on the streets, in parliament, on the cricket pitch and on the radios and TV sets of a nation at a crossroads.Before this blistering summer, Britain seemed stuck in the post-war era, a country where people were all in it together - as long as you were white, male and straight. In July, Tom Robinson writes a song called Glad to be Gay, and by August bank holiday, Black youth are making the police run for their lives in the almighty riot at the Notting Hill Carnival. But with the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson suddenly quitting, the pound sinking and the economy tanking, a restless immigrant population and increasing dissatisfaction in the old world order, the weather seemed to boil up the country to the point where the lid blows off.Weaving a rich tapestry of the news stories of the year, with social commentary and dozens of first-person interviews with those that were there at the time, Williams's reappraisal of the summer of '76 is an evocative, sometimes nostalgic but always an unflinching read. Heatwave takes us back to relive the events of that summer and asks - have we really moved on as much as we would have liked?
Heaven
by Bobbi SmithNew York Times bestselling author Bobbi Smith creates unforgettably compelling heroes and women bold enough to claim them. In this sweeping, sensual novel, a man of privilege risks everything for an adventuress--and a passion that promises to be nothing short of heaven. . . For archeologist's daughter Alexandra Parker, the Crown of Desire isn't just a priceless and mysterious artifact--it could mean the difference between life and death. And to find it, she must embark on a dangerous journey in the company of a man she hardly trusts. Wealthy Englishman Winn Bradford is seductive, charismatic, and the last person she should fall in love with. But Alex, too, has a secret--one that puts Winn's safety at risk, and will force her to choose between loyalty and an extraordinary love. . . "Spectacular storytelling, romance and adventure. . . Bobbi Smith at her very best!" –Romantic Times
Heaven
by Bobbi SmithNew York Times bestselling author Bobbi Smith creates unforgettably compelling heroes and women bold enough to claim them. In this sweeping, sensual novel, a man of privilege risks everything for an adventuressand a passion that promises to be nothing short of heaven. . .For archeologist's daughter Alexandra Parker, the Crown of Desire isn't just a priceless and mysterious artifactit could mean the difference between life and death. And to find it, she must embark on a dangerous journey in the company of a man she hardly trusts. Wealthy Englishman Winn Bradford is seductive, charismatic, and the last person she should fall in love with. But Alex, too, has a secretone that puts Winn's safety at risk, and will force her to choose between loyalty and an extraordinary love. . ."Spectacular storytelling, romance and adventure. . .Bobbi Smith at her very best!" -Romantic Times
Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals And American Culture
by Grant WackerIn this lively history of the rise of pentecostalism in the United States, Grant Wacker gives an in-depth account of the religious practices of pentecostal churches as well as an engaging picture of the way these beliefs played out in daily life. The core tenets of pentecostal beliefs personal salvation, Holy Ghost baptism, divine healing, and anticipation of the Lord's imminent return took root in the first quarter of the twentieth century. Wacker examines the various aspects of pentecostal culture, including rituals, speaking in tongues, the authority of the Bible, the central role of Jesus in everyday life, the gifts of prophecy and healing, ideas about personal appearance, women's roles, race relations, attitudes toward politics and the government. Tracking the daily lives of pentecostals, and paying close attention to the voices of individual men and women, Wacker is able to identify the reason for the movement's spectacular success: a demonstrated ability to balance idealistic and pragmatic impulses, to adapt distinct religious convictions in order to meet the expectations of modern life. More than twenty million American adults today consider themselves pentecostal. Given the movement's major place in American religious life, the history of its early years so artfully told here is of central importance.
Heaven Cracks, Earth Shakes: The Tangshan Earthquake and the Death of Mao's China
by James PalmerWhen an earthquake of historic magnitude leveled the industrial city of Tangshan in the summer of 1976, killing more than a half-million people, China was already gripped by widespread social unrest. As Mao lay on his deathbed, the public mourned the death of popular premier Zhou Enlai. Anger toward the powerful Communist Party officials in the Gang of Four, which had tried to suppress grieving for Zhou, was already potent; when the government failed to respond swiftly to the Tangshan disaster, popular resistance to the Cultural Revolution reached a boiling point. In Heaven Cracks, Earth Shakes, acclaimed historian James Palmer tells the startling story of the most tumultuous year in modern Chinese history, when Mao perished, a city crumbled, and a new China was born.
Heaven Has No Favorites
by Erich Maria Remarque Clara Winston Richard WinstonFrom one of the twentieth century's master novelists, the author of the classic All Quiet on the Western Front, comes Heaven Has No Favorites, a bittersweet story of unconventional love that sweeps across Europe. Lillian is charming, beautiful . . . and slowly dying of consumption. But she doesn't wish to end her days in a hospital in the Alps. She wants to see Paris again, then Venice--to live frivolously for as long as possible. She might die on the road, she might not, but before she goes, she wants a chance at life. Clerfayt, a race-car driver, tempts fate every time he's behind the wheel. A man with no illusions about chance, he is powerfully drawn to a woman who can look death in the eye and laugh. Together, he and Lillian make an unusual pair, living only for the moment, without regard for the future. It's a perfect arrangement--until one of them begins to fall in love. "The world has a great writer in Erich Maria Remarque. He is a craftsman of unquestionably first rank, a man who can bend language to his will. Whether he writes of men or of inanimate nature, his touch is sensitive, firm, and sure."--The New York Times Book ReviewFrom the Trade Paperback edition.
Heaven High Hell Deep 1917 -1918
by Norman ArchibaldHeaven High, Hell Deep, 1917-1918, first published in 1935, is author Norman Archibald's account of his experiences as an aviator in World War One. Archibald (1894-1975) joined the fledgling U.S. Army Air Service in the spring of 1917, underwent flight training in the U.S. and France, and began his hazardous patrol and combat duty in the skies against the Germans. Unfortunately, after several months at the front, Archibald's plane was hit by shrapnel and he was forced to crash-land behind enemy lines. His story continues with his imprisonment and deprivations as a prisoner-of-war until the war's end and his journey to freedom in Switzerland and France.
Heaven High, Ocean Deep: Naval Fighter Wing at War
by Tim Hillier-GravesIn 1944, with the invasion of Europe underway and battles in the Atlantic and Mediterranean all but won, the Royal Navy`s strength could be focussed on the Far East and the Pacific where the Japanese were still a long way from defeat. Since the Battle of Midway, in June 1942, the United States had been slowly forcing the Japanese back, but it was a long, bloody process. The Allies needed to combine their forces more effectively if they were to bring the war to an end quickly. In response the Royal Navy massed its ships to add weight to the US Navy. With an attack force of four fleet carriers, and two more on the way, the RN`s role would be significant, but would take time to work up to the state of preparedness of their American cousins. And so a fleet was born for use in the Indian Ocean and, later, the Pacific. From April 1944 to August 1945 they would successfully fight many long, intensive battles. In this time each carrier would contribute greatly to victory, none more so than HMS Indomitable with her 5th Fighter Wing. They would be in thick of the fighting, achieve success and live perilously for a prolonged period, losing many men along the way. It was a war of attrition, which allowed little room for compassion or benevolence. The story told in this book is about the exceptional group of young men, from Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Holland and South Africa who joined the Fleet Air Arm as pilots. With their American-built Hellcats they were in the thick of the action, providing a hard, professional core to this fighting fleet that few would equal. Although its operational history is second to none, this was only achieved by the sacrifice and endurance of the men who flew many dangerous missions and daily lived with the spectre of a searing death. And so the book is about them, with war providing a back drop that broods and eviscerates in turn. How did these men come to be fighting as pilots with the Fleet Air Arm, how were they trained, how did they live, how did they prepare themselves to kill or be killed, what sustained them and what did they feel about their extremely dangerous experiences? Luckily some survived to record their thoughts and others left poignant memories for the curious to follow and explore. And here the author was lucky to meet or correspond with nearly all the survivors and be privileged to hear their stories. He follows the young pilots lives from selection, through training to operations. The 5th Wing went to sea in 1944 and were in continuous action, in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from then until the last days of the war. They participated in strikes on Sumatra with the aim of destroying its highly important oil refineries, then they joined in the battles for Leyte and Okinawa, before moving with the British Fleet to begin the invasion Japan itself.