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One Velvet Glove (Tales of the King's Blades)
by Dave DuncanSwashbuckling adventure awaits four unemployed knights searching for treasure in this fantasy tale by the award-winning author of The Jaguar Knights. Sir Rhys, Sir Sharp, and Sir Trusty may be three of the world&’s greatest swordsmen, but that hasn&’t saved them from being let go from their positions as Royal Guards. All three are still young , and without a job or pension, they need to find some way of making money. Rhys&’s father, Sir Spender, is a great Blade hero listed in the Litany. He is also without a job and may have a solution for their predicament. A great treasure was lost more than thirty years ago, and Spender thinks he knows its location and suggests they find it. Of course, Spender is not the only one to remember the lost treasure. King Ambrose claims it as his own—and is ready to use all the manpower at his disposal to get his hands on it first . . . Praise for Dave Duncan &“Dave Duncan is one of the best writers in the fantasy world today. His writing is clear, vibrant, and full of energy. His action scenes are breathtaking, and his skill at characterization is excellent.&” —Writers Write&“Duncan is an exceedingly finished stylist and a master of world building and characterizations.&” —Booklist
One Who Almost Made It Back: The Remarkable Story of One of World War Two's Unsung Heroes, Sqn Ldr Edward 'Teddy' Blenkinsop, DFC, CDEG (Belge), RCAF
by Peter CelisThe little-known, real-life account of a Canadian hero&’s courage and loyalty in the face of Nazi Germany&’s greatest horrors during World War II. On the night of 27/28 April 1944, Teddy Blenkinsop and his crew were acting as deputy master bombers during a Pathfinder raid on Montzen in Belgium. After a successful attack, their Lancaster was shot down. Miraculously he survived to be protected by Belgian citizens before ending his days in Bergen Belsen concentration camp. Little was known of his exploits in between until Peter Celis, a Belgian air-force officer, began to research the story. What he uncovered is far more amazing than any fictional film could be. He found that Blenkinsop was not only an exceptional and gallant operational pilot, but that his loyalty, dedication and devotion were second to none and that his bravery and fearlessness led him to make the supreme sacrifice in the face of Nazi Germany. Written with pace and insight, this is an uplifting account of an outstanding young man who very nearly made it back home.
One Who Survived: The Life Story of a Russian under the Soviets
by Max Eastman Alexander BarmineAn astounding personal document and unique autobiography—the life story of a Russian now living in America who was once soldier, industrialist, and diplomat under the Red Star.
One Winter in Eden
by Michael BishopOne Winter in Eden contains the following tales:"One Winter in Eden""Seasons of Belief""Cold War Orphans""The Yukio Mishima Cultural Association of Kudzu Valley, Georgia""Out of the Mouths of Olympus""Patriots""Collaborating""Within the Walls of Tyre""The Monkey's Bride""Vernalfest Morning""Saving Face""The Quickening"
One Woman At War: Letters of Olive King 1915–1920
by Hazel King (Ed)Olive King was born in Sydney in 1885. She offered her services as an ambulance driver soon after war broke out in 1914. She joined a small private organization early in 1915 and went to Belgium. In May 1915 she joined the Scottish Women's Hospitals and her letters, until now unpublished, date from that time. She joined the Serbian Army in 1916 and subsequently rose to the rank of sergeant. Driving on hazardous roads to the Front and to the Adriatic coast, she was often in danger. She was awarded a Serbian silver medal for bravery, and later a gold medal. Her letters not only give a picture of daily life under wartime conditions and in the immediate post-war years. They also show how a woman of the time regarded herself and her place in society.
One Woman Show: A Novel
by Christine CoulsonA sly and stylish novel—remarkably told through museum wall labels—about a 20th-century woman who transforms herself from a precious object into an unforgettable protagonist.Author Christine Coulson spent twenty-five years writing for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her final project was to write wall labels for the museum&’s new British Galleries. During that time, she dreamt of using The Met&’s strict label format to describe people as intricate works of art. The result is this bullet of a novel that imagines a privileged twentieth-century woman as an artifact—an object prized, collected, and critiqued. One Woman Show revolves around the life of Kitty Whitaker as she is defined by her potential for display and moved from collection to collection through multiple marriages. Coulson precisely distills each stage of this sprawling life, every brief snapshot in time a wry reflection on womanhood, ownership, value, and power. Described with poignancy and humor over the course of a century, Kitty emerges as an eccentric heroine who disrupts her porcelain life with both major force and minor transgressions. As human foibles propel each delicately crafted text, Coulson&’s playful reversal on our interaction with art ultimately questions who really gets to tell our stories.
One Woman's War: A Novel of the Real Miss Moneypenny
by Christine WellsONE OF BOOKBUB'S BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS OF THE FALLFrom the author of Sisters of the Resistance comes the story of WWII British Naval Intelligence officer Victoire Bennett, the real-life inspiration for the James Bond character Miss Moneypenny, whose international covert operation is put in jeopardy when a volatile socialite and Austrian double agent threatens to expose the mission to German High Command.World War II London: When Victoire “Paddy” Bennett first walks into the Admiralty’s Room 39, home to the Intelligence Division, all the bright and lively young woman expects is a secretarial position to the charismatic Commander Ian Fleming. But soon her job is so much more, and when Fleming proposes a daring plot to deceive the Germans about Allied invasion plans he requests the newlywed Paddy's help. She jumps at the chance to work as an agent in the field, even after the operation begins to affect her marriage. But could doing her duty for King and country come at too great a cost?Socialite Friedl Stöttinger is a beautiful Austrian double agent determined to survive in wartime England, which means working for MI-5, investigating fifth column activity among the British elite at parties and nightclubs. But Friedl has a secret—some years before, she agreed to work for German Intelligence and spy on the British.When her handler at MI-5 proposes that she work with Serbian agent, Duško Popov, Friedl falls hopelessly in love with the dashing spy. And when her intelligence work becomes fraught with danger, she must choose whether to remain loyal to the British and risk torture and execution by the Nazis, or betray thousands of men to their deaths.Soon, the lives of these two extraordinarily brave women will collide, as each travels down a road of deception and danger leading to one of the greatest battles of World War II.
One World
by Wendell L. WillkieAROUND THE WORLD IN 49 DAYSIn One World Wendell Willkie gives a highly personal account of his meetings with Stalin, Chiang Kai-shek, General Montgomery, General Chennault and other United Nations leaders. He tells of his talks with prime ministers and kings, and with teachers, soldiers, librarians, factory workers, and farmers around the world. He reports a great awakening that is going on among the peoples of the world and his deep conviction that the United Nations must learn to work together now, while they fight, if they hope to live together after the war is over.The publishers believe that One World is a great contribution to the cause of true victory. It is certainly one of the most courageous and outspoken books ever written by a great public figure.“I want to urge every American to read One World. It’s not a book, it’s a searchlight.”—CLIFTON FADIMAN“...he has a seeing eye and an understanding heart....He is a genuine believer in the American way of life....Mr. Willkie’s book becomes a plea that Americans should learn to understand the shrunken world in which they live...”—WALTER LIPPMANN“It is one of the most absorbing books I have read in years, full of humour, shrewd observation, a thousand and one facts you and I never heard but should have. I read it in one gulp.”—WILLIAM L. SHIRER
One World, Big Screen
by M. Todd BennettWorld War II coincided with cinema's golden age. Movies now considered classics were created at a time when all sides in the war were coming to realize the great power of popular films to motivate the masses. Through multinational research, One World, Big Screen reveals how the Grand Alliance--Britain, China, the Soviet Union, and the United States--tapped Hollywood's impressive power to shrink the distance and bridge the differences that separated them. The Allies, M. Todd Bennett shows, strategically manipulated cinema in an effort to promote the idea that the United Nations was a family of nations joined by blood and affection. Bennett revisits Casablanca, Mrs. Miniver, Flying Tigers, and other familiar movies that, he argues, helped win the war and the peace by improving Allied solidarity and transforming the American worldview. Closely analyzing film, diplomatic correspondence, propagandists' logs, and movie studio records found in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the former Soviet Union, Bennett rethinks traditional scholarship on World War II diplomacy by examining the ways that Hollywood and the Allies worked together to prepare for and enact the war effort.
One Year After (John Matherson Series #2)
by William R. ForstchenThe story begins one year after One Second After ends, two years since nuclear weapons were detonated above the United States and brought America to its knees. After months of suffering starvation, war, and countless deaths, the survivors of Black Mountain, North Carolina, are beginning to recover technology and supplies they had once taken for granted, like electricity, radio communications, and medications. When a “federal administrator” arrives in a nearby city, they dare to hope that a new national government is finally emerging. That hope quickly diminishes when town administrator John Matherson learns that most of the young men and women in the community are to be drafted into the “Army of National Recovery” and sent to trouble spots hundreds of miles away. He and the people of Black Mountain protest vehemently. But “the New Regime” is already tyrannizing one nearby community. Will Matherson’s friends and neighbors be next? One Year After is the New York Times bestselling follow-up to William R. Forstchen’s smash hit One Second After, the novel cited on the floor of Congress as a book all Americans should read.
One in a Thousand: The Life And Death Of Captain Eddie Mckay, Royal Flying Corps (Thinking Historically Ser.)
by Graham BroadThis short microhistory details the life and death of Eddie McKay, a varsity athlete at Western University, who flew with the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War. Graham Broad switches creatively from telling McKay's fascinating story to teaching valuable lessons on how to do history: why the past matters, why historians take different approaches, how to pose historical questions, how to identify relevant source materials, and the importance of thoughtful, intelligent, and respectful treatment of historical subjects. The book includes a timeline of the subject's life, a map of relevant combat areas in the Battle of the Somme, and nine illustrations. It concludes with four unsolved events in McKay's life: a mysterious woman, a strange advertisement for batteries, an empty envelope, and an unknown grave—demonstrating that even a detailed history about one person's life is never really complete.
One of Churchill's Own: The Memoirs of Battle of Britain Ace John Greenwood
by John GreenwoodA World War II British Royal Air Force flying ace shares his story of fighting in the Battle of Britain. John Greenwood was born in East London on 3 April 1921. At the age of eighteen, in February 1939, he forged his father&’s signature and joined the RAF on a short service commission. Seven months later, Britain declared war on Germany, and 253 Squadron was formed. In May 1940, John and his fellow pilots were sent to France with twenty-four hours&’ notice where he shot down a Dornier 17 and a Messerschmitt 109 the next day, before returning to England with only four pilots and three aircraft left. 253 Squadron was then sent to Kirton in Lindsay to reform, having lost half the squadron in France including the CO and both flight commanders. At the end of August 1940, the Squadron flew down to Kenley to join the Battle of Britain. The next day he shot down a Heinkel III and was subsequently credited with half a Junkers 88 and a Messerschmitt 109. Despite being credited with five and a half victories in France and the Battle of Britain, he was, controversially, one of the few aces never to be awarded a DFC. Although he emigrated to Australia in the 1950s, he returned to London for the twenty-fifth, fiftieth, and sixtieth Battle of Britain Anniversaries, then again in 2005 for the unveiling of the Battle of Britain monument, before passing away in 2014. He was the last surviving member of 253 Squadron. One of Churchill&’s last surviving Few, this is his story.
One of Lee's Best Men
by William W. HasslerOn the day that Lincoln was inaugurated in 1861, twenty-seven-year-old William Dorsey Pender, en route to the provisional Confederate capital in Montgomery, Alabama, hurriedly scribbled a note to his wife, Fanny. So began a prolific correspondence between a rising Confederate officer and his cherished wife that would last until Pender was mortally wounded at Gettysburg.First published by UNC Press in 1965, Pender's letters are filled with personal details, colorful descriptions, and candid opinions of such important figures as Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, J. E. B. Stuart, and A. P. Hill. His comments on his military activities and aspirations and the challenges of command, combined with his husbandly advice and affection, sketch an intimate and unvarnished portrait of the man who was perhaps the most distinguished North Carolina commander.
One of Morgan's Men: Memoirs of Lieutenant John M. Porter of the Ninth Kentucky Cavalry
by John M. PorterThis annotated Civil War memoir provides a detailed account of General Morgan’s famous battles and raids from a Confederate soldier’s perspective.John Marion Porter grew up working at his family's farm and dry goods store in Butler County, Kentucky. He was studying to become a lawyer when the Civil War began. As the son of a family of slave owners, Porter identified with the Southern cause and quickly enlisted in the Confederate army. He and his lifelong friend Thomas Henry Hines served in the Ninth Kentucky Calvary under John Hunt Morgan, the “Thunderbolt of the Confederacy.”When the war ended, Porter began writing detailed memoirs of his experiences during the war years, including tales of scouting behind enemy lines, sabotaging a Union train, being captured and held as a prisoner of war, and searching for an army to join after his release.Editor Kent Masterson Brown spent several years preparing Porter's memoir for publication, clarifying details and adding annotations to provide historical context. One of Morgan's Men is a fascinating firsthand account of the life of a Confederate soldier.
One of Our Own: The Remarkable Story of Battle of Britain Pilot Squadron Leader Victor Ekins MBE DFC
by David DukerThis is the enthralling story of a young man who found himself at the epicenter of one of the biggest turning points in recent history – The Battle of Britain. Guided by the diaries that he meticulously kept throughout his wartime experience and that lay unread for over eighty years, Victor Howard Ekins’ story is one of duty, loss, friendship and love. He would meet his wife Kim, a ‘plotter’ serving at RAF Kenley, during the intensity of the Battle of Britain and their relationship would go on to flourish against all odds. He also rose through the ranks to become a Squadron Leader who was admired and respected by those who served with him. As an inexperienced Sergeant pilot, Victor was posted to 111 Squadron three weeks into the Battle of Britain. The baptism of fire that he went on to experience would stay with him for a lifetime as his squadron was decimated after relentlessly pursuing the tactic of the head-on attack. He was caught on the ground during the bombing of RAF Croydon on 15 August 1940, and would fight in the skies above RAF Kenley during ‘The Hardest Day’. He would also be one of the airmen tasked with defending London against the first of the huge daylight bombing raids that took place on 7 September 1940. After 111 Squadron was withdrawn from the front line due to its extreme losses, Victor was posted to 501 Squadron. On 27 September 1940, he was shot down and seriously injured as a bullet passed through his stomach and smashed into the controls of his Hurricane. Miraculously, he would go on to land by parachute in a Canadian field hospital, the staff of which were able to save his life and would return to the action within just 8 weeks. Victor became part of the brotherhood of 501 Squadron and served on the front line for a grueling twenty-one months before eventually being given a rest. A promotion to Squadron Leader followed where he was given command of 19 Squadron and placed at the heart of offensive operations over occupied Europe. After a year of intense action, Victor would form an unforgettable bond with his ‘boys’ who would forever hold a special place in his heart. One of Our Own is a unique insight into the mind and experiences of one of Churchill’s ‘Few’, a natural leader and a good man.
One of Our Submarines (Pen & Sword Military Classics)
by Edward Young&“[Young] immortalized his distinguished war service as a submariner in the bestselling autobiography, One of Our Submarines . . . [a] gripping memoir.&”—The Guardian &“In the very highest rank of books about the last war. Submarines are thrilling beasts, and Edward Young tells of four years&’ adventures in them in a good stout book with excitement on every page. He writes beautifully, economically and with humor, and in the actions he commands he manages to put the reader at the voice-pipe and the periscope so that sometimes the tension is so great that one has to put the book down.&”—The Sunday Times &“No disrespect to the big screen, but you can&’t beat a book for digging out the details. And the details feel even better if the author is someone who&’s been there. So, at least take the time to read Das Boot, the autobiographical novel by Lothar-Günther Buchheim. And, for the British perspective, read One of Our Submarines by Edward Young.&”—The Mouldy Books &“He tells his story in a modest, clear, and amusing way that is a delight to read.&”—not too much
One of Ours
by Willa CatherThe son of a prosperous farmer, Claude Wheeler's future is laid out for him as clear and monotonous as the Nebraska sky--a few semesters at the local Christian college followed by marriage and a lifetime spent worrying about the price of wheat. Many young men would be happy to find themselves in Claude's shoes, but his focus is on the horizon, and on the nagging sense that out there, past the farthest reaches of the Great Plains and beyond the boundaries of convention, his true destiny awaits. When the United States finally enters the war raging in Europe, Claude makes the first, and greatest, decision of his life: He answers the call.<P><P> Pulitzer Prize Winner
One of Ours
by Willa CatherWilla Cather&’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel of World War IThe son of a prosperous farmer, Claude Wheeler&’s future is laid out for him as clear and monotonous as the Nebraska sky—a few semesters at the local Christian college followed by marriage and a lifetime spent worrying about the price of wheat. Many young men would be happy to find themselves in Claude&’s shoes, but his focus is on the horizon, and on the nagging sense that out there, past the farthest reaches of the Great Plains and beyond the boundaries of convention, his true destiny awaits. When the United States finally enters the war raging in Europe, Claude makes the first, and greatest, decision of his life: He answers the call. Based on the experiences of Willa Cather&’s cousin—G. P. Cather received the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star for bravery in World War I—and interviews she conducted with wounded veterans, One of Ours is the indelible portrait of a man—and a nation—on the cusp of profound and irreversible change. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
One of Ours (The Collected Works Of Willa Cather)
by Willa CatherIn Willa Cather's Pulitzer Prize–winning novel, we meet Claude Wheeler, a young Nebraskan yearning to escape the life that has been preordained for him. Claude is dissatisfied with farming, alienated from his parents, distant from his wife, and searching for something to believe in. When the country enters the First World War, he finally discovers what he's been looking for. Away from home for the first time, Claude finds the course of his life irrevocably altered by newfound friendships and experiences on distant battlefields.One of Ours continues to be a celebratory tribute — and a grief-stricken remembrance — of World War I. It is at once a courageous and poignant story of American ideals, an extraordinary character sketch, and a disquieting look at the making of an American soldier.
One of Ours, with some Selected Letters
by Willa CatherWilla Cather's Pulitzer Prize-winning narrative of the making of a young American soldier<P><P> Claude Wheeler, the sensitive, aspiring protagonist of this beautifully modulated novel, resembles the youngest son of a peculiarly American fairy tale. His fortune is ready-made for him, but he refuses to settle for it. Alienated from his crass father and pious mother, all but rejected by a wife who reserves her ardor for missionary work, and dissatisfied with farming, Claude is an idealist without an ideal to cling to. It is only when his country enters the First World War that Claude finds what he has been searching for all his life.<P> In One of Ours Willa Cather explores the destiny of a grandchild of the pioneers, a young Nebraskan whose yearnings impel him toward a frontier bloodier and more distant than the one that vanished before his birth. In doing so, she creates a canny and extraordinarily vital portrait of an American psyche at once skeptical and romantic, restless and heroic.<P> BONUS: The edition includes an excerpt from The Selected Letters of Willa Cather.
One of the Boys, Second Edition: Homosexuality in the Military during World War II
by Paul JacksonUsing a wide array of sources - including long-closed court martial records, psychiatric and personnel files, unit war diaries, films, and oral histories - Paul Jackson relates the struggle of queer servicemen of all ranks and branches of the Canadian military to fit in to avoid losing their careers and reputations. He argues that even though homosexual men were often accepted and popular within their units, if they were accused of homosexual behaviour, they were subjected to psychiatric assessments, courts-martial proceedings, prison terms, and dishonourable discharges. An influential and eye-opening study, the author has updated this critically acclaimed work with a new preface that considers depictions of soldiers serving in the war in Afghanistan and the continued silence about homosexual servicemen and women.
One of the Few: A Story of Personal Challenge through the Battle of Britain and Beyond
by Johnny Kent Alexandra KentNew and updated edition: the original autobiography is enhanced by the addition of family photos and extracts from unpublished letters and writings by the author, and a moving and informative new introduction and epilogue by Alexandra Kent, Johnny Kent’s daughter, who presents the father she knew, not only a distinguished and brave war hero but a man who suffered with the scars of war.‘I turned into the attack … The German formation split up and a general mêlée ensued, grey shapes with black crosses on them flashed past only feet away, next the brown and green of a Hurricane flashed across the sights … so confused was the fight that one had little or no chance to see if one’s fire had taken effect before having to take wild evasive action to avoid either the enemy’s fire or a collision.’Group Captain Johnny Kent joined the RAF in the 1930s and went on to become a flight commander of one of the most successful fighter squadrons of the Second World War. In this role, he helped the famous 303 Polish Squadron play a decisive part in the Battle of Britain, and this earned him the highest Polish military award, the Virtuti Militari, as well as the affectionate nickname ‘Kentowski’.Group Captain Kent’s fascinating memoirs, originally published in 1971, tell the story of his life in the RAF, from his struggles as a boy on the Canadian Prairies to get into the air, detailing his experiences as a test pilot in Farnborough and his constant efforts to excel at what he did. In this new edition, alongside the classic tale of derring-do, Kent’s daughter provides supplementary material that places his extraordinary story into the broader context of his life as a son, husband and father. Poignant questions are raised about what it meant to be ‘One of the Few’ – for both the men themselves and those to whom they were closest.
One to Count Cadence
by James CrumleyThe time: late summer, 1962. The place: Clark Air Force Base, the Philippines. Sergeant Jacob "Slag" Krummel, a scholar by intent but a warrior by breeding, assumes command of the 721st Communication Security Deteachment, an unsoldierly crew of bored, rebellious, whoring, foul-mouthed, drunken enlistees. Surviving military absurdities reminiscent of those in Catch-22 only to be shipped clandestinely to Vietnam, Krummel's band confront their worst fears while finally losing faith in America and its myths.Powerful, scathingly funny, and eloquent, One to Count Cadence is a triumphant novel about manhood, anger, war, and lies.
One-Man Airforce [Illustrated Edition]
by Ira Wolfert Major Don Salvatore GentileIllustrated with 14 photos of the Author and the Aircraft he flew.Gentile was born in Piqua, Ohio. After a fascination with flying as a child, his father provided him with his own plane, an Aerosport Biplane. He managed to log over 300 hours flying time by July 1941, when he attempted to join the Army Air Force.The U.S. military required two years of college for its pilots, which Gentile did not have, so he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was posted to the UK in 1941. Gentile flew the Supermarine Spitfire Mark V with No. 133 Squadron, one of the famed "Eagle Squadron" during 1942. His first kills (a Ju 88 and Fw 190) were on August 1, 1942, during Operation Jubilee.In September 1942, the Eagle squadrons transferred to the USAAF, becoming the 4th Fighter Group. Gentile became a flight commander in September 1943, now flying the P-47 Thunderbolt. Having been Spitfire pilots, Gentile and the other pilots of the 4th were displeased when they transitioned to the heavy P-47. By late 1943, Group Commander Col. Don Blakeslee pushed for re-equipment with the lighter, more maneuverable P-51 Mustang. Conversion to the P-51B at the end of February 1944 allowed Gentile to build a tally of 15.5 additional aircraft destroyed between March 3 and April 8, 1944. After downing 3 planes on April 8, he was the top scoring 8th Air Force ace when he crashed his personal P-51, named "Shangri La", on April 13, 1944 while stunting over the 4th FG's airfield at Debden for a group of assembled press reporters and movie cameras. Blakeslee immediately grounded Gentile as a result, and he was sent back to the US for a tour selling war bonds. In 1944, Gentile co-wrote with well-known war correspondent Ira Wolfert One Man Air Force, an autobiography and account of his combat missions.
Onionhead: A Novel of the Coast Guard
by Weldon HillAs an insolvent, lonely student at the University of Oklahoma in the days before America's entry into World War II, Al Woods was obsessed with two things: food and sex. He never seemed to have enough of the first, and never seemed to have any of the second. He had known nothing but hard times. He felt himself a member of the Doomed Generation, whose best hope was the least of several evils. Since he thought he was getting nowhere in college, Al joined the Coast Guard; it was better than being drafted, and it offered three square meals a day. Al's story is a novel of the Coast Guard--America's first seagoing outfit, with a tradition that has been neglected in fiction. It is the immensely readable, strongly compelling story of how he became a man through his life in the ships and of how he learned the difference between lust and love through his experiences with the women on shore. There were no heroics in the Coast Guard--at first. There was, for Al, a disillusioning fiasco in the New Orleans' Baronne Street, which made him wonder about all women, and with a special kind of torment, about Josephine Hill, the popular coed at the University to whom he had felt closer than to any other girl. There was routine duty on the buoy tender Skedeelia around the Great Lakes, and the pleasurable discovery that he had the makings of a first-class cook, and the lamentable discovery that in the eyes of his shipmates he had become an "onionhead." There was the growing comradeship with Red Wildoe, his superior in the galley, and with other members of the crew. And there was Stella, whom Al met in a Milwaukee water-front bar. Stella was all woman and all passion. Yet his relationship with her brought a troubling sense that he had betrayed a shipmate's friendship; and for all its sensual satisfactions, something was lacking. He thought that with Jo Hill things would have been different, but her letters told him he had lost her. Before the book is over America has entered the war, Al has seen action in the Atlantic, and learned a lot more about women. Above all he has gained maturity and character, as he proves when he meets the real test of his loyalty. Weldon Hill, a new novelist, has told his story with humor, understanding, and unblinking realism. He has a superb ear for the way people talk, and an innate grasp of how they think and feel.