Accepted as a RAF navigator in 1940, he was posted to 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds in the winter of 1942. There he crewed up with a pilot from Western Australia and a British crew to fly a Lancaster bomber. In No Moon Tonight he gives a profound insight into the inner lives of the men of Bomber Command and their hopes and fears in the face of mounting losses. He depicts the appalling human cost of the air war in an account which has been favorably compared to other enduring memoirs of the 1st World War, namely Sassoon's Memoirs of an Infantry Officer and Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front. A memorable first hand account of the air war over Germany.

    When young Richard Langley salvages, against all odds, the doomed Landing Craft that becomes known as Bloody Norah, little does he realise that in just a year’s time both of them will be involved in the greatest combined sea and air assault in history.Back in Britain, the preparations for Operation Overlord are being finalised. Crucial to the effort will be the dawn landing on Normandy beach, codenamed Sword, and the capture of a fortified chateau under the command of the ruthless Captain Franz Engel.Success hinges on the contribution of Patrick Ward’s gilder units, Langley and Bloody Norah, and the reconnaissance gathered by nurse turned SOE agent Suzi Jones.The countdown has begun to their appointment with destiny on the 6th June 1944. D-Day. A stunning, action-packed novel of the end of the Second World War, for fans of Jack Higgins, Philip McCutchan and Douglas Reeman.

    Philip D. Webster’s just-published WW2 memoirs, “Thirty-Five Missions Over Japan.” Read first-hand accounts of training and piloting B-17s and B-29s, Webster’s thrilling missions between Saipan and Japan, and the P-51s and P-47s out of Iwo Jima that flew alongside. Written from notes made in 1944/1945, stored undisturbed in an Army-issue briefcase for over 60 years. Drawn from vivid memory and written during the seven and a half hour flights back home after missions--notes about the fighters they had to contend with, planes shot down, flak encountered and damage done. This book puts you in the pilot's seat during one thrilling mission after another.

    From near fatal accidents during training in Canada, to dodging flak and fighters over Germany, not to mention trying to land with a ten ton 'Grand Slam' on board, his motto in life has been 'Just Do It'. Born in the East End of London, he left school as the Battle of Britain raged overhead. Determined to 'do his bit', he signed up for service in the RAF. Volunteering for special duties after completing his first tour, he became a member of the famous 617 'Dambusters' Squadron, flying to attack precision targets such as viaducts, submarine bases, and even Hitler's hideout at Berchtesgaden. When the War ended he tried to forget about his experiences, and told no-one of what he had been through; until fifty years later, when an unexpected phone call led to him taking the controls of a Lancaster bomber once more. He is one of the last of an extraordinary generation, one who flew through the unfriendly darkness of German skies, was hunted by fighters and shot up by flak, but pressed ahead with his duty knowing that his chances of survival dwindled every time he took off. His modesty and unfailing sense of humour are an inspiration. Just Do It. Ken is very kindly donating all of his royalties from the sale of this book to The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund & Holidays for Heroes Jersey.

    While Tom McGurn was only one young pilot, thousands shared his experiences in the Army. In Check Ride, he recounts previously undisclosed details of flight missions, giving the reader a taste of the everyday flavor of life during those times. From ranger insertions/extractions to shipborne operations, combat assaults, SEALS, and the usual WTF! missions, this era created a new generation of mobile warfare warriors who were fine-tuned by the needs of the United States Army. Some had it better. Some had it worse.

    Many times I thought I would not make it, flying overloaded airplanes with the doors removed, external loads strapped to the floats, no navigational aids and totally alone in a vast wilderness with only my skills and determination to get me home. After logging 4,000 flight hours, and flying sometimes 16 hours a day, I actually became as one with the airplane. Controlling the airplane was like scratching an itch, totally unconscious control inputs... I was the airplane. It took many hours, more than a few mishaps, and a lot of luck to reach this skill level. The stories in this book are recalled from reviewing the pages of my pilot's log book. Some of the stories were sad, some were funny, and some were really scary. Some flights were truly beautiful, as can only be experienced in the pristine Alaskan outback. I lived the adventure most people only dream about, and survived it to tell my tales...

    Amongst his few possessions is a dagger which bears an unknown heraldic symbol. He joins a band of mercenaries heading for Venice where the Christians are assembling for the Crusade. On his journey from boy to manhood, discovering a surprisingly natural aptitude for combat, he encounters a secret Brotherhood and their avowed enemy The Order of the Blooded Cross. “The Crusader’s Blade” is the first of three novels that draw heavily on historical detail, intermingling real and fictitious characters and events to give an enthralling portrait of the religious battles of the age.

    Setting the record straight that soldiers were not drug addicts, murderers, and baby killers, Launer documents that American media bias led to the public misunderstanding of the war. The action within is violent, bloody, and never ending, leading many veterans to devastating physical and psychological trauma upon their return home to the USA.

    The young men face the enemy with courage and tenacity knowing the odds of death will be high. The reader climbs into the ball turret with William “Ox” Abraham for every terrorizing mission leaving with a new appreciation for the determination, resolve and fighting spirit of these B-17 crewmen. The story is graphic, tragic and heartfelt. Hopefully their story of courage and gallantry will live on through all generations.

    Through the press and in person he lobbied naval brass about America's woefully unprepared defensive air power but his talk of dogfights over the Pacific with superior planes was laughed at and dismissed by all. Mitchell's vision of a US Air Arm would have meant massive, costly upgrades to the nation's dated flying machines owned by private firms holding patents on aircraft machinery. Old guard soldiers, like John J. Pershing, dismissed as delusional ravings Mitchell's belief that a battleship could be destroyed by a bomber. Mitchell's outspoken press conferences about an airplane trust supported by corrupt government officials led to his court-martial for insubordination in 1925. He died in 1936, a man ahead of his times.*Includes annotations and images.

    In January, 1967, at the age of twenty, I left my home in Tennessee, and was on my way to Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. I knew I was destined to join the party in Vietnam. I had been married for five days before I jumped on the bus and became US government property. I was about to embark on a walking tour through the jungles and muck of southern Asia. This book is about those jungles, that muck and the realities of what had been pitched as a brave and glamorous life of a soldier in combat. There is nothing glamorous in humping the brush, a backpack containing your whole life on your back, an M-16 to keep you warm at night. Red ants, trip wires, flooded rice paddies, leeches and being soaked for a year in either sweat or monsoons aren’t what they show on the movies, and the John Waynes were to be avoided; those guys were part of the ten-percent factor. Among the casualties of war are the truth and common sense. A glamorous life? No, not at all. It was a grunt's life... and this grunt had only one goal in mind – to do his tour and get home to his bride. There were times where it seemed even that was an unachievable goal.This is the story of November Platoon, Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry, 1st Division – The Big Red One – in Vietnam. This is my story… completely unvarnished.

     This is the story, brilliantly told, of a desperate and heroic venture - the raid by British warships of the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, 23 April 1918. The objective was to sink blockships in the mouth of the canal, sealing off access to the English Channel from the U-boats and destroyers based in the harbour at Bruges. The British crews were all volunteers, yet highly trained and ready for the fight. Many knew they were unlikely to survive the firestorm from the German batteries. It was the ultimate example of heroism in the face of defeat. The Germans removed the obstructions, and the U-boats continued to operate through the summer. But in that one brief morning, eleven men won the VC, 21 the DSO, 29 the DSC, among many other awards. Barrie Pitt, the bestselling author of The Crucible of War (about the Battle of Alamein) and History of the SBS, captures logistics, action and spirit of the men during the campaign. Zeebrugge is a military classic, a testament to British heroism. Recommended reading for fans of Antony Beevor, Max Hastings and James Holland. Barrie Pitt (1918-2006) was well known as a military historian and editor of Purnell’s History of the Second World War and History of the First World War. His publications include 'Coronel and Falkland', 'Churchill and the Generals' and 'The Crucible of War', a trilogy covering the North African campaign of the Second World War. He was born in Galway and later lived near Ilminster in Somerset. Praise for Barrie Pitt: 'As much a thriller as it is a history book.' Daily Mail 'A breathless and unforgettable narrative.' Sphere 'A magnificent book. Barrie Pitt has almost a novelist's skill and perception of character.' Daily Telegraph Totally readable, Mr Pitt's study depicts equally well the broad outlines of strategy, the confusions and hazards of the battlefield and the personalities of the generals of private soldiers fighting there.' Oxford Times

     The place: TOP GUN In the darkest days of the Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy's kill ratio had fallen to 2:1 -- a deadly decline in pilot combat effectiveness. To improve the odds, a corps of hardened fighter pilots founded the Fighter Weapons School, a.k.a. TOP GUN. Utilizing actual enemy fighter planes in brutally realistic dogfights, the Top Gun instructors dueled their students and each other to achieve a lethal new level of fighting expertise. The training paid off. Combining the latest weaponry and technology, mental endurance, and razor-sharp instincts, the Top Gunners drove the Navy's kill ratio up to an astounding 12:1, dominating the skies over Vietnam. This gripping account takes you inside the cockpit for an adventure more explosive than any fiction -- in a dramatic true story of the legendary military school that has created the most dangerous fighter pilots the world has ever seen.

    Features over 200 incredible photos. Flying to a coffee table near you comes the new paperback edition of this authoritative and illustrated history of the most mind-bending military aircraft ever flown! Developed by the renowned Lockheed Skunk Works, the SR-71 was an awesome aircraft in every respect, setting world records for altitude and speed: an absolute altitude record of 85,069 feet on July 28, 1974, and an absolute speed record of 2,193.2 miles per hour on the same day.Written by a former Blackbird pilot, SR-71 covers every aspect of the aircraft's development, manufacture, and active service, all lavishly illustrated with more than 200 photos. The SR-71 remained in service with the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1998, when it was withdrawn from use, superseded by satellite technology. This authoritative history covers the spylane's entire phenomenal service.

    The king's new coroner, Sir Law Kintour, investigates the death of a mysterious stranger in fifteenth-century Perth, Scotland. The investigation is complicated by the civil war brewing as the king raises his army against a rebellious duke. Sir Law is pitched further into intrigue and betrayal when he discovers a hired assassin is lurking in Perth. No one knows who will be the next victim. Now Law must call on every resource he has to stop the killer.