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An Ace of the Eighth
by Norman J. FortierFOR A FIGHTER PILOT IN THE MIGHTY EIGHTH, DEATH WAS ALWAYS A HEARTBEAT AWAY. When the skies of Europe blazed with the fiercest air battles in history, fighter pilots like Norman “Bud” Fortier were in the thick of it, flying four hundred miles an hour at thirty thousand feet, dodging flak and dueling with Nazi aces. In their role as “escorts” to Flying Fortresses and Liberators, the fighter squadrons’ ability to blast enemy aircraft from the sky was key to the success of pinpoint bombing raids on German oil refineries, communication and supply lines, and other crucial targets. Flying in formation with the bomber stream, Fortier and the rest of his squadron helped develop dive-bombing and strafing tactics for the Thunderbolts and Mustangs. As the war progressed, fighter squadrons began to carry out their own bombing missions. From blasting V-1 missile sites along France’s “rocket coast” and the hell-torn action of D day to the critical attacks on the Ruhr Valley and massive daylight raids on German industrial targets, Fortier was part of the Allies’ bitter struggle to bring the Nazi war machine to a halt. In describing his own hundred-plus missions and by including the accounts of fellow fighter pilots, Fortier recaptures the excitement and fiery terror of the world’s most dangerous cat-and-mouse game. From the Paperback edition.
An Act Of Courage: (The Matthew Hervey Adventures: 7): A compelling and unputdownable military adventure from bestselling author Allan Mallinson (Matthew Hervey #7)
by Allan MallinsonTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR Allan Mallinson brings us another compelling and deeply atmospheric adventure featuring Matthew Hervey. If you like Patrick O'Brian, Bernard Cornwell and CS Forester, you will love this! "Most impressive...Mallinson reinforces his position as a master of narrative military history" -- THE TIMES"As good on the details of the workings of a cavalry regiment in 1820 as ever Patrick O'Brian was on the workings of an 1820 warship" -- SPECTATOR"What a pleasure...concentrating on the battle of Talavera and the investment of Badajoz, both sparklingly described, he plays to his undoubted strengths" - OBSERVER"The atmosphere and authenticity continues to work its spell all the way through." -- ***** Reader review"Highly enjoyable novel. Great story. Thoroughly recommend for lovers of adventure novels." -- ***** Reader review"A truly outstanding read" -- ***** Reader review *********************************************************Badajoz: Christmas 1826Matthew Hervey of the 6th Light Dragoons is a prisoner of the Spanish, incarcerated in the infamous fortress of Badajoz.As he plans his escape, his thoughts return to the year 1812 when he was a cornet in Wellington's Peninsular Army. He and the Sixth had survived Corunna to endure three more years of brutal fighting that would culminate in one of the most vital and vicious confrontations of the campaign - the siege of Badajoz.While Hervey paces his prison cell, and re-lives the bloodshed of battles past, friends from unexpected quarters rush to his aid...An Act of Courage is the seventh book in Allan Mallinson's Matthew Hervey series. His adventures continue in Company of Spears. Have you read his previous adventures A Close Run Thing, The Nizam's Daughters, A Regimental Affair, A Call to Arms, The Sabre's Edge and Rumours of War?
An Act of Love: A Novel
by Carol DrinkwaterHiding from Nazis in the French Alps, a teenage girl is torn between love and safety in this &“exciting, evocative&” novel by the international bestselling author (Daily Mail). Jews fleeing Poland in 1943, Sara and her family are hiding from the horrors of World War II in a house in the mountains in France. Sara is enjoying the beauty of her surroundings, the temporary respite from danger—and her blossoming romance with the villager Alain. But the Germans remain a looming and ever-present menace. When that threat becomes too close for comfort, Sara&’s parents decide it is time to move on again, hoping to reach Italy and, finally, Palestine. However, Sara wants only to remain with Alain—a harrowing choice that will mean not only parting from her mother and father but joining the fight waged by the French Resistance and risking her life for love and freedom. &“A moving story of love and friendship with a wonderful sense of place.&” —Kate Mosse, bestselling author of Labyrinth &“Carol Drinkwater&’s writing is like taking an amazing holiday in book form.&” —Jenny Colgan, New York Times–bestselling author of The House at the Edge of the Cliff
An Act of Treason (Sniper Series #4)
by Jack Coughlin Donald A. DavisIn this new novel from the New York Times bestselling authors, Marine sniper Kyle Swanson finds himself in the sights of a man he once idolized--his former mentor and a true American hero turned traitor. Gunnery Sergeant Kyle Swanson and his beautiful girlfriend, CIA agent Lauren Carson, are on a mission in Pakistan when their world is turned inside out. During a dangerous urban assault on two Taliban fighters in Islamabad, Kyle finds himself captured and imprisoned, suddenly alone in the hands of the enemy. Lauren, meanwhile, is accused by the CIA of being a double agent. The only person they can trust to protect them is the man who sent them on the black operation to begin with-- Jim Hall, a legendary CIA agent, Kyle's sniper mentor, and Lauren's boss and former lover. But Hall has gone rogue. He has agreed to sell America's innermost secrets to a ruthless Pakistani warlord, who is planning to mold al-Qaeda into a legitimate political party and secure a nuclear arsenal. Jim Hall, with decades as an insider in American defense and intelligence, is the linchpin in the warlord's plans. Now Hall's former protege Swanson is the final obstacle. The U.S. government's success or failure to stop al-Qaeda pivots on whether Swanson can stop his old friend, the man who trained him to be a shooter. From the streets of Washington to the Bavarian Alps, the two snipers must stalk each other in a deadly hunt that has only one possible outcome.
An Affair of Spies: A Novel
by Ronald H. BalsonFrom the winner of the National Jewish Book Award—Ronald H. Balson's An Affair of Spies tells of a spy mission to rescue a defector from Germany and prevent the Nazis from creating an atomic bomb.Nathan Silverman grew up in Berlin in the 1920s, the son of a homemaker and a theoretical physicist. His idyllic childhood was soon marred by increasing levels of bigotry against his family and the rest of the Jewish community, and after his uncle is arrested on Kristallnacht, he leaves Germany for New York City with only his mother’s wedding ring to sell for survival.While attending an evening course at Columbia in 1942, Nathan notices a recruitment poster on a university wall and decides to enlist in the military and help fight the Nazi regime. To his surprise, he is quickly selected for a special assignment; he is trained as a spy, and ordered to report to the Manhattan Project. There he learns that the Allies are racing to develop a nuclear weapon before the Nazis, and a German theoretical physicist is hoping to defect. The physicist was a friend of his father's, and Nathan's mission is to return to Berlin via France and smuggle him out of Europe.Nathan will be accompanied by Dr. Allison Fisher, a brilliant young scientist who can speak French; he travels to her lab at the University of Chicago for a crash course in nuclear physics, then they embark on their adventure. Nathan and Allison soon develop feelings for one another, but as their relationship deepens they move ever closer to their dangerous goal. Will they be able to escape Europe with the defector and start a new life together, or will they fail their mission and become two more casualties of war?An Affair of Spies is an action-packed tale of heroism and love in the face of unspeakable evil. Author Ronald H. Balson has applied his unmatched talent for evocative and painstakingly authentic storytelling to the high-stakes world of espionage and created his most thrilling novel yet.
An Afghanistan Picture Show
by William T. VollmannNever before available in paperback and all but invisible for twenty years, a personal account of the origins of America's longest war.In 1982, the young William Vollmann worked odd jobs, including as a secretary at an insurance company, until he'd saved up enough money to go to Afghanistan, where he wanted to join the mujahedeen to fight the Soviets. The resulting book wasn't published until 1992, and Library Journal wrote: "The wrong book written at the wrong time. . . . With the situation in Afghanistan rapidly heading toward resolution . . . libraries may safely skip this."Thirty years later--and with the United States still mired in the longest war of its history--it's time for a reassessment of Vollmann's heartfelt tale of idealism and its terrifying betrayals.An alloy of documentary and autobiographical elements characteristic of Vollmann's later nonfiction, An Afghanistan Picture Show is not a work of conventional reportage; instead, it's an account of a subtle and stubborn consciousness grappling with the limits of will and idealism imposed by violence and chaos.
An Aide De Camp Of Lee - Being The Papers Of Colonel Charles Marshall,: Assistant Adjutant General On The Staff Of Robert E. Lee [Illustrated Edition]
by Colonel Charles Marshall Major-General Sir Frederick MauriceIncludes 19 Portraits and 6 maps."Charles Marshall was appointed aide-de-camp to Robert E. Lee on 21 March 1862, and from then until the surrender, he stood at the general's side. A military secretary, he compiled a remarkable, intimate account of the day-to-day wartime experience of the Confederacy's most celebrated--and enigmatic--military figure.Marshall's papers are of three sorts: those intended for a projected life of Lee, those intended for an account of the campaign at Gettysburg, and notes on events of the war. Collected here, these papers provide a unique firsthand look at Lee's generalship-from the most complete account ever given of the fateful orders issued to Jeb Stuart at Gettysburg, to the only testimony from a Southern witness of the scene in McLean's house at Appomattox.Marshall's commentary addresses some of the war's more intriguing questions: Whose idea was it to fight the second Manassas? What caused Jackson's delays in the Battles of the Seven Days? Who devised the flank march around Hooker at Chancellorsville? This book's insights into Robert E. Lee and his military strategy and its close-up report on the Confederacy's war qualify it as an indispensable part of America's historical record."-Print Ed.
An Air Fighter's Scrapbook (Vintage Aviation Library)
by Ira JonesA classic memoir of the early days of aviation by a longtime Royal Air Force pilot, including his harrowing, exhilarating adventures in the Great War. Ira &“Taffy&” Jones was a well-known air fighter during the First World War, having scored about forty victories flying SE5 scouts in France with 74 Squadron. Familiar in flying circles, Jones recorded stories drawn from his own experiences during the war and wrote of the many personalities he had met or known by association, both during the war and in the postwar flying years. An Air Fighter&’s Scrapbook recreates the atmosphere of the days of the biplane, of wartime flying, of early peacetime adventures in the air, the development of civil aviation, and breathtaking record-beating flights—all evoking the sheer delight in flying that characterized those early years.
An Air That Kills: The Lydmouth Crime Series Book 1
by Andrew Taylor'Andrew Taylor is a master story-teller' Daily TelegraphFrom the No.1 bestselling author of The Ashes of London and Fire of Court, this is the first instalment in the acclaimed Lydmouth seriesWorkmen in the small market town of Lydmouth are demolishing an old cottage. A sledgehammer smashes into what looks like a solid wall. Instead, layers of wallpaper conceal the door of a locked cupboard which holds a box - and in the box is the skeleton of a young baby. Items within the box suggest that the baby was entombed early in the nineteenth century, but when another man is also found dead, the evidence suggests that the baby's death is more recent and that a killer is on the loose. For Journalist Jill Francis, newly arrived from London, this looks like her first story to chase ... 'The most under-rated crime writer in Britain today' Val McDermid'Captures perfectly the drab atmosphere and cloying morality of the 1950s . . . Taylor is an excellent writer. He plots with care and intelligence and the solution to the mystery is satisfyingly chilling' The Times 'There is no denying Taylor's talent, his prose exudes a quality uncommon among his contemporaries' Time Out 'Andrew Taylor is a master story-teller' Daily Telegraph
An Air That Kills: The Lydmouth Crime Series Book 1
by Andrew Taylor'Andrew Taylor is a master story-teller' Daily TelegraphFrom the No.1 bestselling author of The Ashes of London and Fire of Court, this is the first instalment in the acclaimed Lydmouth seriesWorkmen in the small market town of Lydmouth are demolishing an old cottage. A sledgehammer smashes into what looks like a solid wall. Instead, layers of wallpaper conceal the door of a locked cupboard which holds a box - and in the box is the skeleton of a young baby. Items within the box suggest that the baby was entombed early in the nineteenth century, but when another man is also found dead, the evidence suggests that the baby's death is more recent and that a killer is on the loose. For Journalist Jill Francis, newly arrived from London, this looks like her first story to chase ... 'The most under-rated crime writer in Britain today' Val McDermid'Captures perfectly the drab atmosphere and cloying morality of the 1950s . . . Taylor is an excellent writer. He plots with care and intelligence and the solution to the mystery is satisfyingly chilling'The Times 'There is no denying Taylor's talent, his prose exudes a quality uncommon among his contemporaries' Time Out 'Andrew Taylor is a master story-teller' Daily Telegraph
An Album of Memories: Personal Histories from the Greatest Generation
by Tom BrokawA seventeen-year-old who enlisted in the army in 1941 writes to describe the Bataan Death March. Other members of the greatest generation describe their war — in such historic episodes as Guadalcanal, the D-Day invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, and Midway — as well as their life on the home front. In this beautiful American family album of stories, reflections, memorabilia, and photographs, history comes alive and is preserved, in people’s own words and through photographs and time lines that commemorate important dates and events. Starting with the Depression and Pearl Harbor, on through the war in Europe and the Pacific, this unusual book preserves a people’s rich historical heritage and the legacy of the heroism of a nation.
An Alien Heat: Lyrics For An Alien Heat (Gateway Essentials #404)
by Michael MoorcockThe universe is dying; at the End of Time the last remnants of Humanity live amoral lives of decadence, constantly seeking new diversions and sensations. So when Mrs Amelia Underwood is mysteriously transported to the End of Time Jharek Carnelian decides to fall in love with her, but when Amelia returns to her own period of history, Jherek follows her and finds himself plunged into the strange world of Victorian London.
An Alien Sky: The Story of One Man's Remarkable Adventure in Bomber Command During the Second World War
by Sean Feast Andy WisemanThe legendary RAF bomber who survived the infamous Stalag 3 POW camp recounts his WWII experiences in this military memoir. Growing up in Berlin just as Adolf Hitler was coming to power, Andrew Wiseman escaped to Poland with is family when he was thirteen. He later made his way to England where he joined the Royal Air Force, training first as a pilot and then as an air bomber in South Africa. Joining No. 466 squadron, he flew Handley Page Halifax heavy bombers in a handful of operations before being shot down in Occupied France. Wiseman spent the next year as a prisoner of war in Nazi prison camp Stalag Luft III, where he used his knowledge of Russian, Polish and German to act as a camp interpreter. Taking part in the prison break known as the Great Escape, Wiseman acted as a scrounger for the X committee who dug the tunnel. Moved from camp to camp, he was one of those forced into the Long March when the Germans attempting to escape the Russian advance. He later played a key role in avoiding bloodshed when the Russians refused to allow British and Norwegian prisoners to return home—a role for which he was later recognized by the King of Norway. Co-written with the acclaimed aviation historian Sean Feast, Andrew Wiseman&’s wartime memoir is a vivid chronicle of courage, service and survival through the Second World War.
An Allegheny Homecoming
by T. R. McclureWhat happens when you do go home again? One mistake cost Josh Hunter almost everything. Burning his bridges was easier than coming home. Yet here he is, eight years-and one family crisis-later, back in his Pennsylvania town playing unlikely rescuer to a blizzard-stranded stranger. Local newscaster Wendy Valentine is looking for the story that will make her name as a serious journalist. The tragic secret Josh is concealing could be her stepping-stone. Funny then that Wendy seems more interested in the sizzling personal dynamics playing out between them!
An American Adventure
by William Lloyd StearmanA memoir of extraordinary scope, William Lloyd Stearman's reminiscences will attract those interested in early aviation, World War II in the Pacific, life as a diplomat behind the Iron Curtain, the Vietnam War, and the ins and outs of national security decision making in the White House. Stearman begins with a description of his childhood as the son of aviation pioneer Lloyd Stearman. He then covers his naval combat experiences in the Pacific War and later struggles as one of the Navy's youngest ship captains. Following graduate school, he moved to the front lines of the Cold War and writes about his life as a diplomat who negotiated with the Soviets, spent nine years in Berlin and Vienna, and was director of psychological operations against North Vietnam. His reflections on seventeen years with the National Security Council at the White House are of special interest.
An American Airman in Paris: Stories of Love and the Great War
by Beatriz WilliamsNew York Times bestselling author Beatriz Williams introduces Octavian Rofrano, from her forthcoming new novel, A Certain Age, in this short story about a lonely American pilot in 1920s Paris and those he's never forgotten.Octavian Rofrano has never met the girl whose photograph was his constant companion through the long days and nights of the Great War. The promises he made to himself and that far-away image in the silence of his cockpit have never left him, but the anguish and loneliness of post-Armistice Paris has crept into his bones. One night, Octavian finally decides to lose himself in the sad beauty the City of Lights offers, but as reminders of that 11th day of November fill his mind, can he let go of past hopes or does the promise of salvation still have a hold on him?Originally published in the moving collection Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and The Great War, this e-book also includes an excerpt from Williams' new novel, A Certain Age, coming in June 2016.
An American Dreamer: Life in a Divided Country
by David FinkelA man navigates the deep divisions in America today and discovers that sometimes change can start by finding common ground with your neighbors in this immersive account by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Thank You for Your Service and The Good Soldiers.&“Finkel&’s account is poetic, profound, and irresistibly page-turning.&”—Geraldine Brooks, author of HorseAs this powerful book begins, Brent Cummings finds himself coping with the feeling that the country he loves is fracturing in front of his eyes. An Iraq war veteran, raised to believe in a vision of America that values fairness, honesty, and respect for others, Cummings is increasingly surprised by the behavior and beliefs of others, and engulfed by the fear, anger, and confusion that is sweeping through his beloved country as he tries to hold on to his values and his hope for America&’s future.David Finkel, known for his unique, in-depth reporting, spent fourteen years deep inside Brent Cummings&’s world to create this intimate and vivid portrait of a man&’s life, his work, family, community, his thoughts, and his quest for connection, as America becomes ever more divided. Cummings was one of the unforgettable figures in Finkel&’s The Good Soldiers, a book about which The New York Times stated, &“Finkel has made art out of a defining moment in history. You will be able to take this book down from the shelf years from now, and say: This is what happened. This is what it felt like.&”An American Dreamer illuminates, with the deepest empathy, the feelings and lives of many people in America today, and it is a brilliant chronicle of one person&’s everyday experiences of frustration, confusion, and hope.
An American Family: A Memoir Of Hope And Sacrifice
by Khizr Khan'Khan's aspirational memoir reminds us all why Americans should welcome newcomers from all lands' Kirkus ReviewsIn fewer than three hundred words, Khizr Khan electrified viewers around the world when he took the stage at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. And when he offered to lend Donald Trump his own much-read and dog-eared pocket Constitution, his gesture perfectly encapsulated the feelings of millions. But who was that man, standing beside his wife, extolling the promises and virtues of the U.S. Constitution?In this urgent and timeless immigrant story, we learn that Khizr Khan has been many things. He was the oldest of ten children born to farmers in Pakistan, and a curious and thoughtful boy who listened rapt as his grandfather recited Rumi beneath the moonlight. He was a university student who read the Declaration of Independence and was awestruck by what might be possible in life. He was a hopeful suitor, trying to win the heart of a woman far out of his league. He was a brilliant and diligent young family man who worked two jobs to save enough money to put himself through Harvard Law School. He was a loving father who tragically lost his son, an Army captain killed while protecting his base camp in Iraq. He was and is a patriot, and a fierce advocate for the rights, dignities and values enshrined in the American system.An American Family shows us who Khizr Khan and millions of other American immigrants are, and why-especially in these tumultuous times-we must not be afraid to step forward for what we believe in when it matters most.
An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice
by Khizr KhanIn fewer than three hundred words, Khizr Khan electrified viewers around the world when he took the stage at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. And when he offered to lend Donald Trump his own much-read and dog-eared pocket Constitution, his gesture perfectly encapsulated the feelings of millions. But who was that man, standing beside his wife, extolling the promises and virtues of the U.S. Constitution? <p><p> In this urgent and timeless immigrant story, we learn that Khizr Khan has been many things. He was the oldest of ten children born to farmers in Pakistan, and a curious and thoughtful boy who listened rapt as his grandfather recited Rumi beneath the moonlight. He was a university student who read the Declaration of Independence and was awestruck by what might be possible in life. He was a hopeful suitor, awkwardly but earnestly trying to win the heart of a woman far out of his league. He was a brilliant and diligent young family man who worked two jobs to save enough money to put himself through Harvard Law School. He was a loving father who, having instilled in his children the ideals that brought him and his wife to America—the sense of shared dignity and mutual responsibility—tragically lost his son, an Army captain killed while protecting his base camp in Iraq. He was and is a patriot, and a fierce advocate for the rights, dignities, and values enshrined in the American system. <p> An American Family shows us who Khizr Khan and millions of other American immigrants are, and why—especially in these tumultuous times—we must not be afraid to step forward for what we believe in when it matters most.
An American Hero: One Man's Legacy of Fatherhood and Faith
by Tom Davis Jr.An American Hero: One Man's Legacy of Fatherhood and Faith is a poignant and inspiring journey through four generations, revealing how one World War II survivor's resilience, integrity, and unwavering faith forged a life-giving legacy that transformed not only his family but also countless lives around him.With his highly successful business career winding down, Tom Davis Jr. knew the time had come to give voice to the insights and inspiration that have propelled him along a path of excellence in commerce and beyond. To do so, he quickly realized he needed to tell the harrowing story of his father: a servant-hearted World War II survivor, a leader and mentor, a man who emerged from the darkest depths of abandonment and loss to build a life-giving legacy that has blessed not only his son but countless others. An American Hero shines a spotlight not only on the author&’s dad but also on a colorful cast of real-life heroes and villains who played pivotal roles in shaping their descendants—sometimes for better, too often for worse. As this no-holds-barred, four-generation saga unfolds, you will be captivated by: the secrets to living a life of unmatched integrity and unshakable purpose how the author&’s father survived (and thrived) amid the pain of betrayal what it means to establish new patterns that can transform a family&’s destiny how our deepest wounds can become the seeds of healing and growth . . . and much more. In a sweeping, intricately woven tale spanning more than a century, the author invites you to draw inspiration from his father&’s hard-won legacy—his character and charisma, his toughness and tenacity—and to apply the wealth of wisdom you glean to your own life, work, and relationships.
An American Heroine in the French Resistance: The Diary and Memoir of Virginia D'Albert-Lake (World War Ii: The Global, Human, And Ethical Dimension Ser. #Vol. 9)
by Virginia D'Albert-LakeThis account by a woman who fought the Nazis alongside her husband is &“an indelible portrait of extraordinary strength of character&” (The New Yorker). Virginia Roush fell in love with Philippe d&’Albert-Lake during a visit to France in 1936; they married soon after. In 1943, they both joined the Resistance, where Virginia put her life in jeopardy as she sheltered downed airmen and later survived a Nazi prison camp. After the war, she stayed in France with Philippe, and was awarded the Légion d&’Honneur and the Medal of Honor. This book includes two rare documents—Virginia&’s diary of wartime France until her capture in 1944, and her prison memoir written immediately after the war. Together they offer &“an invaluable record of the workings of the French Resistance by one of the very few American women who participated in it&” (Providence Journal). &“A sharply etched and moving story of love, companionship, commitment, and sacrifice . . . This beautifully edited diary and memoir throw an original light on the French Resistance.&” —Robert Gildea, author of Marianne in Chains: In Search of the German Occupation, 1940–1945 &“At once a stunning self-portrait and dramatic narrative of a valorous young American woman . . . an exciting and gripping story.&” —Walter Cronkite
An American Iliad: The Story of the Civil War
by Charles P. RolandThis comprehensive history of the Civil War interweaves the story of battles and campaigns with accounts of the major political, diplomatic, social, and cultural events of the epoch and insightful sketches of the leading actors. The story of the Civil War is the epic of the American people.
An American Requiem: God, My Father, and the War that Came Between Us
by James CarrollNational Book Award winner: This story of a family torn apart by the Vietnam era is &“a magnificent portrayal of two noble men who broke each other&’s hearts&” (Booklist). James Carroll grew up in a Catholic family that seemed blessed. His father, who had once dreamed of becoming a priest, instead began a career in J. Edgar Hoover&’s FBI, rising through the ranks and eventually becoming one of the most powerful men in the Pentagon, the founder of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Young Jim lived a privileged life, dating the daughter of a vice president and meeting the pope—all in the shadow of nuclear war, waiting for the red telephone to ring in his parents&’ house. James fulfilled the goal his father had abandoned, becoming a priest himself. His feelings toward his father leaned toward worship as well—until the tumult of the 1960s came between them. Their disagreements, over Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement; turmoil in the Church; and finally, Vietnam—where the elder Carroll chose targets for US bombs—began to outweigh the bond between them. While one of James&’s brothers fled to Canada, another was in law enforcement ferreting out draft dodgers. James, meanwhile, served as a chaplain at Boston University, protesting the war in the streets but ducking news cameras to avoid discovery. Their relationship would never be the same again. Only after Carroll left the priesthood to become a writer, and a husband with children of his own, did he begin to understand fully the struggles his father had faced. In An American Requiem, the New York Times bestselling author of Constantine&’s Sword and Christ Actually offers a benediction, in &“a moving memoir of the effect of the Vietnam War on his family that is at once personal and the story of a generation . . . at once heartbreaking and heroic, this is autobiography at its best&” (Publishers Weekly).
An American Soldier: The Life of John Laurens
by Henry Laurens Sara Bertha Townsend John LaurensOriginally published in 1958, this is the biography of John Laurens (1754-1782), an American soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War, best known for his criticism of slavery and his efforts to help recruit slaves to fight for their freedom as U.S. soldiers.In the author’s own words, Laurens hailed from an era that “knew nothing of flamethrowers and submarines, of atomic bombs and guided missiles. To the young republic this man gave his utmost devotion, acting within five momentous years the roles of soldier, legislator, aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief, and Special Minister to France.”
An American Story: Everyone’s Invited
by Wilmer ValderramaThe remarkable true story of a young immigrant from Venezuela who had a dream to change the world, a talent for entertaining, and a determined spirit to build a new life, taking as many as possible with him on the journey.An American Story is the stirring memoir by actor, producer, and activist Wilmer Valderrama, delving into his upbringing in Venezuela where he was raised by two hard working parents as they navigated their family through a rapidly changing country and the rise of Hugo Chavez. With the economy crashing around them and their livelihood disappearing, the family decides to flee the country. Suddenly, the young boy who had loved riding his horse and dreaming of being Zorro from his favorite black and white tv show had to grow up quickly, journeying as a teenager from a tiny little pueblo in Venezuela to the big city of Los Angeles.After being cast in a school theatre production, Valderrama knew he had found his calling, and began thinking of ways to help support his struggling family. He would attempt the impossible: find work in Hollywood as an unproven Latino actor. Following countless auditions and frequent criticisms of his accent, he created the personality that would eventually land him the role as Fez on the hit series That 70s Show, which catapulted him to stardom.Over the coming years, he would create the smash show, Yo Mamma, voice the lead character in Disney&’s Encanto, and so much more, culminating in his joining the cast of the hit show NCIS in 2016.It was through service to others and his first USO trip, however, where Valderrama found his expanded calling, entertaining and encouraging U.S. troops around the world. He has since traveled with the USO a multitude of times, having participated in almost 50 tours domestically and internationally and was recently named USO Global Ambassador.Through his work, Valderrama hopes to demonstrate his love and gratitude for the country that changed his life. An American Story weaves Valderrama&’s personal stories with those of the remarkable people he&’s met along his philanthropic journey. This isn&’t just Valderrama&’s story, though. It&’s a view of America through an immigrant&’s eyes, in both its stunning unmatched wonders and all its native challenges. It is the profound and gripping story of someone who found the way and is now inviting as many as possible to join him on the adventure.