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Back Bearings: A Navigator's Tale
by Eric CropperEric Croppers RAF career started in 1943 and ended in 1968. It covered a period when the navigation of aircraft changed from astro, dead reckoning and drift bearings all plotted by pencil on charts, to press-button radio and satellite information that can instantly pinpoint a position anywhere on the planet to within 5 meters. The then vital skills of a good navigator are now mostly redundant. Ships, aircraft, trucks and cars seldom use maps let alone carry a navigator. This autobiography by one of the RAFs top exponents of both the ancient and modern forms of the art explains in considerable detail how this rapid and revolutionary improvement occurred in the air.After his initial training, Eric started his operational career as navigator in a No 103 Squadron Avro Lancaster. During his tour, on 7 July 1944, the squadron took part in a raid on Caen. Immediately after releasing their bombs, the aircraft was struck from astern, losing the tail gunner and turret and a large part of the tailplane. Having regained control from a 3,000 feet dive they nursed the stricken aircraft back to England where it crash landed at Tangmere. They later discovered that they had been hit by another Lancaster. Having completed his tour of operations, Eric was posted as an instructor, completing the Staff Navigator Course. From 1946 to 1948 he moved to HQ Bomber Command on the Air Staff and then moved to the Empire Air Navigation School as a specialist Navigator.His later career included research and development at RAE Farnborough, an exchange posting with the USAF in Alaska, a staff position at RAF Cranwell, Station Commander at RAF Gan in the Maldive Islands, the command of a transport squadron and a Staff position at the RAF College of Air Warfare. This is a fascinating memoir of one of the RAFs senior navigational experts that explains both service life and the revolution in navigational techniques that took place during his service career.
Back From The Living Dead: An Original Story Describing The Infamous March Of Death; 33 Months In A Japanese Prison And Liberation By The Rangers
by Major Bert BankThe world famous story of Major Bertram Bert Bank who survived 33 months of prison, torture and starvation at the hands of the Japanese in the Philippines during the Second World War."He left us to go into service in 1941 and he was called up from inactive status on his reserve commission."From the time he left us until he came back this year, Bert went through a lot that many other men did not survive. He was taken prisoner of the Japs on Bataan, survived the Bataan March of Death and 33 months internment in a Jap prison camp. Now he's a patient at Valley Forge General Hospital where Army doctors are attempting to restore his sight to normal. The long, gruelling months on a meager diet took its toll."But Bert doesn't complain. "There are a lot of other fellows less fortunate than I," he will tell you."Many friends have asked him to tell of his experiences. During the course of bond tours and other public appearances in the Army's behalf, Bert has recounted these experiences. And so he thought he would write them down for these friends. That's the reason for this booklet."The story of his capture and internment are here in Bert's own words. He is the man identified as the Captain Bert of Alabama in the late Lieutenant Colonel Edward Dyess' story "The March of Death." Bert was scheduled to make a break from the Jap prison camp with Colonel Dyess but was sick at the time and could not make it."So this is the story of Major Bert Bank, a native Tuscaloosan and graduate of the University of Alabama. He's one of the men who came back from the "living dead.""
Back In Action: An American Soldier's Story of Courage, Faith and Fortitude
by David RozelleAutobiography of a man who lost a leg in Iraq. Describes his recovery and return to active duty. They put a price on his head. They did everything they could to disrupt his mission. Finally, when an anti-tank mine tore off his right foot, the warriors of jihad in Iraq thought they had neutralized one of their most resourceful, determined foes. They were wrong.
Back Over There: One American Time-Traveler, 100 Years Since the Great War, 500 Miles of Battle-Scarred French Countryside, and Too Many Trenches, Shells, Legends and Ghosts to Count
by Richard RubinIn The Last of the Doughboys, Richard Rubin introduced readers to a forgotten generation of Americans: the men and women who fought and won the First World War. Interviewing the war’s last survivors face-to-face, he knew well the importance of being present if you want to get the real story. But he soon came to realize that to get the whole story, he had to go Over There, too. So he did, and discovered that while most Americans regard that war as dead and gone, to the French, who still live among its ruins and memories, it remains very much alive.Years later, with the centennial of the war only magnifying this paradox, Rubin decided to go back Over There to see if he could, at last, resolve it. For months he followed the trail of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front, finding trenches, tunnels, bunkers, century-old graffiti and ubiquitous artifacts. But he also found an abiding fondness for America and Americans, and a colorful corps of local after-hours historians and archeologists who tirelessly explore these sites and preserve the memories they embody while patiently waiting for Americans to return and reclaim their own history and heritage. None of whom seemed to mind that his French needed work.Based on his wildly popular New York Times series, Back Over There is a timely journey, in turns reverent and iconoclastic but always fascinating, through a place where the past and present are never really separated.
Back Piece (Skin Deep Inc. #1)
by L. A. WittColin Spencer is a tattoo artist with a past he’d prefer to keep a secret. Actually, he has a few secrets that he’d rather people didn’t know about, which is why Colin doesn’t do commitment. But when a shy sailor approaches him at the gym, Colin finds this guy pushing all his buttons. Growing up in a conservative family, then escaping with the Navy, Daniel Moore is an unsure virgin who feels like he can’t share his true self with anyone. Seeing Colin—and his tattoos—at the gym are the sign Daniel needs to finally get those tattoos he’s always wanted, and maybe try his hand at flirting. As Colin and Daniel spend more time together, their awkward hesitations turn into a deep passion neither expected. But with both men harboring secrets, will their relationship be able to survive their insecurities and become something beautiful? Back Piece by L.A. Witt is a sexy, emotional journey of two people learning to love and finding acceptance for who they really are.L.A. Witt also writes under the name Lauren Gallagher.
Back Then: Two Literary Lives in 1950s New York
by Anne Bernays Justin KaplanNovelist Anne Bernays and biographer Justin Kaplan -- both native New Yorkers -- came of age in the 1950s, when the pent-up energies of the Depression years and World War II were at flood tide. Written in two separate voices, Back Then is thecandid, anecdotal account of these two children of privilege -- one from New York's East Side, the other from the West Side -- pursuing careers in publishing and eventually leaving to write their own books.Infused with intelligence and charm, Back Then is an elegant reflection on the transformative years in the lives of two young people and New York City. Marked by their youthful passions, this double memoir marries the authors' distinct literary styles with a riveting narrative that captures the density and texture of private, social, and working life in the 1950s.
Back To Mandalay
by Lowell ThomasAcclaimed author Lowell Thomas recounts the gripping story of the Second Chindit expedition in the Japanese-held Burmese jungle. It provides a fascinating account of British General Orde Wingate and American Army Air Force pilot Philip Cochran, (the famous 'Flip Corkin' from the Terry and the Pirates comic strip), and the story of their brilliant operations behind enemy lines during World War II. "The incredible tale of the conquest of the Burma jungle with gliders is one of the great adventure classics of modern times. Mr. Thomas has combined historical research with his fast paced adventure style to give his tremendous audience a book which is certain to rank with his famous 'Lawrence in Arabia'."
Back from War: Finding Hope and Understanding in Life After Combat
by Lee Alley Wade Stevenson<p><i>Back From War: Finding Hope and Understanding in Life After Combat</i> is the harrowing narrative of 1st Lt. Lee Alley and his year in the horrors of combat in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam from 1967-1968 and his reflections on the years since. <p>Additionally, it is the true accounts of twelve other contributors, their time at war and stories of their return home. All of them discuss feelings of maladjustment, loneliness, depression, bouts of PTSD and negative family repercussions that are similarly felt by many of our nation's veterans of foreign wars. <p>Lee Alley made a life for himself, but never spoke of his war experiences. Thirty-two years later, he and his "brothers-in-arms" began to reconnect and have recently begun to heal some of their suffering by gathering at veteran reunions. Lee Alley's message is clear: America's soldiers are forever changed, but they are never alone. <p><i>Back From War</i> is dedicated to all veterans and their families as a guide for the readjustment to civilian life.</p>
Back from the Dead: A Novel
by Peter LeonardPeter Leonard's jaw-dropping VOICES OF THE DEAD introduced us to two mortal enemies: Holocaust survivor Harry Levin and Nazi death angel Ernst Hess. Now, their struggle reaches its dramatic conclusion in BACK FROM THE DEAD.Bahamas, 1971. Ernst Hess, missing and presumed dead, regains consciousness to find himself stuck in a hospital bed on a strange ward in a foreign country. He must do what he needs to do to get his life back and to finish the job he has been doing for decades.Harry believes he has already stopped Hess. When he finds out that the war criminal has somehow survived, Harry must do the only thing he can do – kill Hess again – even if it means crossing continents and putting his life and the lives of those that matter to him on the line.Action-packed and darkly humorous, BACK FROM THE DEAD is the unforgettable conclusion to a story that launches Peter Leonard into the pantheon of great suspense novelists.
Back from the Deep
by Carl P. LavoThis epic World War II saga follows the USS Squalus and Sculpin as they play out their dramatic destinies in the Pacific. The author, a seasoned journalist, re-creates their entire perilous journey. The Squalus sank during a test dive in 1939, but thirty-three trapped crewmen were saved thanks to the revolutionary use of the McCann diving bell. The Sculpin's role in that historic rescue is just the first of many incongruous twists of fate that brought the two subs together after the Squalus was salvaged and rechristened the Sailfish.Carl LaVO skillfully weaves together the tragic loss of the Sculpin to a Japanese destroyer with the frenetic wrath of its sister sub. Their intertwined fates come to an eerie climax as the Sailfish unleashes a ten-hour attack on the Japanese aircraft carrier Chuyo amid a raging typhoon, unwittingly killing twenty-two of the forty-three Americans captured from the sunken Sculpin. The saga comes to a close with a moving description of the surviving Sculpin crewmen as they face incredible hardship, torture, and disease as POWs in Japan. This book is certain to instill a renewed appreciation for the intrepid men and stealthy boats that were the soul of the Pacific campaign's silent service.
Back in Blighty: The British at Home in World War One
by Gerard DeGrootWorld War One had a devastating, cataclysmic impact on the world and the British people. As its reverberations were so long-lasting and significant, it is easy to assume that the social consequences were as profound. In this highly readable and moving survey of life back at home during the First World War, Gerard DeGroot challenges this assumption, finding pre-war social structures were surprisingly resilient. Despite economic and technological changes, the British peoplemanaged to cling onto their usual ways of life as much as possible in this new world. Back in Blighty has been fully revised to take into account new scholarship and historical perspectives, and is full of fascinating glimpses into everyday life during the war. The lives of ordinary people are illuminated and given historical significance in this powerful portrait of the British people and their culture.
Back in Service (Uniformly Hot!)
by Isabel SharpeSubject: Lieutenant Jameson Cartwright Current Status: Out of commission...and totally in lust! It was the cat's fault. Otherwise Jameson Cartwright wouldn't have tripped and ruined not only his knee, but also his newly minted air force career and the Cartwright family pride. Now he's lying low and miserable-until the girl he tormented as a kid comes breezing through his door, looking fresh and sexy. This time, it's his turn to be exquisitely and thoroughly tortured.... Grief counselor Kendra Lonergan isn't sure she wants to help the (mouthwateringly hot) guy who once put worms in her sandwich. Still-he needs her badly. But it's not long before "professional" turns into provocative, and the sexual tension is off the charts. And there is only one way to get this scrumptious airman back in service....
Back in the Fight: The Explosive Memoir of a Special Operator Who Never Gave Up
by Charles W. Sasser Joseph KapacziewskiThe inspiring and thrilling combat memoir of the only Army Ranger serving in direct combat operations with a prosthetic limb.On October 3, 2005, Kapacziewski and his soldiers were coming to the end of their tour in Northern Iraq when their convoy was attacked by enemy fighters. A grenade fell through the gunner's hatch and exploded, shattering Kapacziewski's right leg below the knee, damaging his right hip, and severing a nerve and artery in his right arm.He endured more than forty surgeries, but his right leg still wasn't healing as he had hoped, so in March 2007, Kapacziewski chose to have it amputated with one goal in mind: to return to the line and serve alongside his fellow Rangers. One year after his surgery, Kapacziewski accomplished his goal: he was put back on the line, as a squad leader of his Army Ranger Regiment.On April 19, 2010, during his ninth combat deployment (and fifth after losing his leg), Kapacziewski's patrol ran into an ambush outside a village in eastern Afghanistan. After a fellow Ranger fell to withering enemy fire, shot through the belly, Sergeant Kap and another soldier dragged him seventy-five yards to safety and administered first aid that saved his life while heavy machineguns tried to kill them. His actions earned him an Army Commendation Medal with "V" for Valor. He had previously been awarded a Bronze Star for Valor—and a total of three Purple Hearts for combat wounds.Back in the Fight is an inspiring and thrilling tale readers will never forget.
Back on the Road: A Journey to Latin America
by Ernesto Che GuevaraThe fascinating travel diaries that make up this volume are a vital complement to "The Motorcycle Diaries". These journals chronicle Guevara's trip through Latin America as his youthful idealism was developing into the political fervor that made him a revolutionary icon.
Backbone
by Julia DyeNon-commissioned officers stand as the Backbone of the United States Marine Corps. The Corps is among the most lasting institutions in America, though few understand what makes it so strong and how that understanding can be applied effectively in today's world. In her first book, Julia Dye explores the cadre of non-commissioned officers that make up the Marine Corps' system of small unit leadership. To help us better understand what makes these extraordinary men and women such effective leaders, Dye examines the 14 traits embraced by every NCO. These qualities--including judgment, enthusiasm, determination, bearing, and unselfishness--are best exemplified by men like Terry Anderson, the former Marine sergeant who spent nearly seven years as a hostage in Beirut, and John Basilone, the hero of the Pacific. To assemble this extraordinary chronicle, Julia Dye interviewed Anderson and dozens of other Marines and mined the trove of historical and modern NCO heroes that comprise the Marine Corps' astonishing legacy, from its founding in 1775 to the present day.From the Hardcover edition.
Backdrop to Tragedy: The Struggle for Palestine
by Edmund William Roe Polk David M. StamlerBackdrop To Tragedy: The Struggle For Palestine by William Roe Polk is a comprehensive historical account of the conflict between Jews and Arabs over Palestine, from the early 20th century to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The book delves into the complex political, social, and religious factors that shaped the conflict, including the rise of Zionism, Arab nationalism, British colonialism, and the Holocaust. Polk examines the competing claims and aspirations of both Jews and Arabs, and the various attempts at compromise and negotiation that ultimately failed. He also explores the role of external powers, such as the United States and the Soviet Union, in shaping the conflict. The book provides a detailed analysis of key events and figures, including the Balfour Declaration, the Arab Revolt, the Peel Commission, and the United Nations Partition Plan. Polk also offers insights into the personalities and motivations of key players, such as David Ben-Gurion, Haj Amin al-Husseini, and Winston Churchill. Overall, Backdrop To Tragedy is a well-researched and engaging account of one of the most enduring and contentious conflicts of the 20th century. It provides a nuanced understanding of the historical roots of the conflict, and sheds light on the ongoing struggle for peace in the region.
Backroom Boys: Personal Stories of Britain's Air War 1939-45
by Edward SmithiesWhen we remember the Second World War in the air, we think of fighter pilots and bomber crews. But what was it like for the men and women working as ground crew and in the aircraft factories who also played a crucial role in defeating Hitler? What was it like making history? What sense did these individuals have of what they were doing, either at the time or later? Did they feel they were caught up in the tide of great events? Or were they simply doing their demanding and often dangerous duty?
Backroom Boys: Personal Stories of Britain's Air War 1939-45
by Edward SmithiesWhen we remember the Second World War in the air, we think of fighter pilots and bomber crews. But what was it like for the men and women working as ground crew and in the aircraft factories who also played a crucial role in defeating Hitler? What was it like making history? What sense did these individuals have of what they were doing, either at the time or later? Did they feel they were caught up in the tide of great events? Or were they simply doing their demanding and often dangerous duty?
Bacteria and Bayonets: The Impact of Disease in American Military History
by David Petriello<p>A fascinating look at how microbes have affected war outcomes from colonial times to the present.<p> <p>Various powerful enemies from the British to the Nazis, and legendary individuals including Tecumseh and Robert E. Lee, have all fallen before the arms of the American soldier. Yet the deadliest enemy faced by the nation, one that has killed more warriors than all its foes combined, is disease.<p> <p>But illness has been more than just a historical cause of casualties for the American military. In numerous wars, it has helped to decide battles, drive campaigns, and determine strategy. In fact, the Patriots owed pestilence as much for their victory in the Revolution as they did their own force of arms. Likewise, disease helped to prevent the conquest of Canada in 1812, drove strategy in the Mexican War, handicapped Lee’s 1862 advance, and helped lead to World War II. Disease also provided an edge in the wars against Native Americans, yet just as soon turned on the United States when unacclimated US troops were dispatched to the southern Pacific.<p> <p>This book not only traces the path of disease in American military history but also recounts numerous episodes and anecdotes related to the history of illness. It is a compelling story, one that has been overlooked and underappreciated. Yellow fever, malaria, tuberculosis, glanders, bubonic plague, smallpox, and numerous other bacteria and viruses all conspired to defeat America—and remain enemies that need to be recognized.<p>
Bad Girl Bill
by Diane SaxonWith a man's name and a bad-ass attitude, will Bill prove to be far more than Special Forces Operative Michael Marsden was looking for? Sparks fly and romance ignites in Bad Girl Bill, Book 2 of the Atlantic Divide series from Diane Saxon.From the moment British Special Forces Operative Michael Marsden meets Deputy Sherriff Bill Swann, sparks fly and lust flows. When a man meets a woman who rides a Harley Davidson and wears a gun strapped to her hip, he's bound to be in for a few surprises. Because long-legged tomboy, Bill, is definitely not what she seems. Having made it clear he's looking for a no-strings-attached fling, Michael realizes he has to use all of his tactical knowledge to negotiate his way around Bill's five older brothers to get her alone. Then he needs to get past her defenses. And his own heart.Content Notes: Spicy
Bad Influence: A heartwarming and heartfelt mystery about a searching for treasure and finding redemption
by CJ WrayDon't miss the next heartwarming and hilarious book from CJ Wray -- available to pre-order now!There are three things Jennifer 'Jinx' Sullivan promised herself she would never do:1. Eat fast food.2. Go on a coach trip.3. Die without exacting revenge on the people who ruined her life.She's about to let herself down on the first two, but she can still keep her word on the third. On a coach trip to Florence,89-year-old Jinx is going to face her painful wartime history, unearth long-buried skeletons (quite literally) and plan long overdue vengeance on the worst best friend a woman ever had. That's the best friend who trained her in etiquette, cocktail-mixing and silent killing.It's going to be a tough journey - not least because she's sharing it with twenty senior citizens and a recalcitrant teen. But Jinx knows that some promises are worth keeping, no matter how hard it may be.Praise for CJ Wray: 'Not all heroes wear capes, some wear M&S cardigans! A triumph!' Mike Gayle'A sublime mix of comedy, drama and adventure' Jill Mansell'Just pure joy from start to finish' Alexandra Potter'Funny, thrilling and brilliantly researched' SJ Bennett'It's utterly wonderful' Annie Lyons
Bad Influence: A heartwarming and heartfelt mystery about a searching for treasure and finding redemption
by CJ WrayDon't miss the next heartwarming and hilarious book from CJ Wray -- available to pre-order now!There are three things Jennifer 'Jinx' Sullivan promised herself she would never do:1. Eat fast food.2. Go on a coach trip.3. Die without exacting revenge on the people who ruined her life.She's about to let herself down on the first two, but she can still keep her word on the third. On a coach trip to Florence,89-year-old Jinx is going to face her painful wartime history, unearth long-buried skeletons (quite literally) and plan long overdue vengeance on the worst best friend a woman ever had. That's the best friend who trained her in etiquette, cocktail-mixing and silent killing.It's going to be a tough journey - not least because she's sharing it with twenty senior citizens and a recalcitrant teen. But Jinx knows that some promises are worth keeping, no matter how hard it may be.Praise for CJ Wray: 'Not all heroes wear capes, some wear M&S cardigans! A triumph!' Mike Gayle'A sublime mix of comedy, drama and adventure' Jill Mansell'Just pure joy from start to finish' Alexandra Potter'Funny, thrilling and brilliantly researched' SJ Bennett'It's utterly wonderful' Annie Lyons
Bad Lads: RAF National Service Remembered
by Alf TownsendBetween 1945 and 1963, more than 2.5 million 18-year-olds were called up for National Service. Alf Townsend was one of them, and here he tells his story - the highs and lows of life as a lowly Aircraftman Second Class in the early 1950s.Before national service intervened, Alf was 'heading down the criminal road at top speed', having grown up in a north London slum, where money was short and local villains were revered. Bad Lads is a warts-and-all account of Alf's time in the RAF, when he was transplanted into a completely new world of misfits and officer types, rogues and entertainers, all amusingly described in his own inimitable style.
Bad Luck and Trouble: A Jack Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher #11)
by Lee ChildTHE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING JACK REACHER SERIES • The inspiration for season two of the hit streaming series Reacher!&“Electrifying . . . this series [is] utterly addictive.&”—Janet Maslin, The New York TimesFrom a helicopter high above the California desert, a man is sent free-falling into the night. On the streets of Portland, Jack Reacher is pulled out of his wandering life and plunged into the heart of a conspiracy that is killing old friends . . . and the people he once trusted with his life. Reacher is the ultimate loner—no phone, no ties, no address. But a woman from his old military unit has found him using a signal only the eight members of their elite team would know. Then she tells him a terrifying story about the brutal death of a man they both served with. Soon Reacher is reuniting with the survivors of his team, scrambling to unravel the sudden disappearance of two other comrades. But Reacher won&’t give up—because in a world of bad luck and trouble, when someone targets Jack Reacher and his team, they&’d better be ready for what comes right back at them.
Bad Romance
by Jen MclaughlinIn this explosive novel from bestselling author Jen McLaughlin, a good girl falls for the ultimate bad boy: her stepbrother. Perfect for fans of Sabrina Paige, Caitlin Daire, and Krista Lakes, Bad Romance proves that passion can be so wrong it's right.Seven years in the army will change a guy. But after a shoulder wound ends his career as a sniper, Jackson Worthington finds himself back home, fighting a battle that's all too familiar: keeping his hands off Lily Hastings. She's still her rich daddy's little angel, innocent, impossibly lovely, as squeaky-clean as Jackson is dirty. And she's still his stepsister--forbidden but not forgotten, not after the soul-melting kiss that got him kicked out of the house at eighteen. He couldn't resist her then. How the hell can he resist her now? Lily is about to marry a man she doesn't love, and commit to a high-stress job she hates, all to please the father who controls every waking moment of her life. On top of everything, her teenage crush is back, with a sleek, chiseled body and a trace of the rebellious boy whose lips sealed her fate. Jackson's timing couldn't be worse . . . or better. Because Lily's all grown up, too. She's aching for another taste. And for the first time, she's ready to be a bad girl.Praise for the novels of Jen McLaughlin "With hot, sexy chemistry and heroes to die for, Jen McLaughlin's books always deliver!"--New York Times bestselling author Laura Kaye "A sexy forbidden romance--my favorite kind of read!"--New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy "Jen McLaughlin's books are sexy and satisfying reads!"--New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst"Addicting from start to finish! A sexy, emotional, steamy read . . . Bad Romance has it all."--New York Times bestselling author Addison Moore Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.