W4964 was the seventieth Lanc to arrive on squadron, in mid April 1943. She flew her first op on the 20th, by which time No 9 had lost forty one of their Lancs to enemy action and another five had been transferred to other squadrons and lost by them. A further thirteen of the seventy would soon be lost by No 9. All of the remaining eleven would be damaged, repaired, transferred to other squadrons or training units, and lost to enemy action or crashes except for three which, in some kind of retirement, would last long enough to be scrapped after the war. Only one of the seventy achieved a century of ops or anything like it: W4964 WS-J. Across all squadrons and all the war, the average life of a Lancaster was 22.75 sorties, but rather less for the front-line squadrons going to Germany three and four times a week in 1943 and '44, which was when W4964 was flying her 107 sorties, all with No 9 Squadron and all from RAF Bardney. The first was Stettin (Szczecin in modern Poland), and thereafter she went wherever 9 Squadron went, to Berlin, the Ruhr, and most of the big ops of the time such as Peenemunde and Hamburg. She was given a special character as J-Johnny Walker, 'still going strong' and on September 15 1944, skippered by Flight Lieutenant James Douglas Melrose, her Tallboy special bomb was the only one to hit the battleship Tirpitz. During her career, well over two hundred airmen flew in J. None were killed while doing so, but ninety-six of them died in other aircraft. This is their story, and the story of one lucky Lancaster.

    

    His wife is dying and leaving behind twin newborn sons. He returns from the war a changed man. Guilt stains his soul, and anger is growing in his heart.    Anika Coltrane needs a miracle of her own. After burying her husband and newborn daughter on the same day, she is in a desperate situation. How will she care for her six year old daughter>   An answered prayer brings two families together. Anika agrees to become a wet-nurse for the family. Delaney needs a safe place to grow up, away from sorrow and fear. Will they find shelter with the Ward family? Two broken-hearted families must find a way to move past the pain and choose forgiveness. Will they feed the shadows growing in their hearts or allow God to heal their wounds.

    He breathes fresh life into familiar characters while introducing a host of new actors, both dear and detested.1752 A.D. What makes a pacifist from Pennsylvania suddenly take up the war hatchet? Runaway and Quaker, Ephraim, finds out quickly on a peaceful summer morning. Thereafter, he meets two very different men who may be able to help him on his sudden quest for revenge. One, an Iroquois Half King, has a similar ax to grind against a certain French officer. The other, a callow Virginian, is motivated not for revenge, but by his own inferiority to his deceased brother. The results of that bloody morn and Ephraim's single-minded pursuit set in motion a chain of events that ensnares evermore of the world's population in a dreadful war. Many will suffer. A few will benefit.Each of these lives collide with one another and history, proving that individuals can affect the fate of nations. Quaker's War begins with a bang. It ends in a torrent. It is a magnificent yarn that instantly transports the reader into the hearts and minds of those souls who battled their way through the birth pangs of a nation.

    

    The trail met its end in 1869 with the completion of the transcontinental railway. Western Passage is a detailed account of the Oregon Migration of 1843 in a "historical fiction" setting. In this context, the reader can enjoy the adventure as a participant, rather than as a student or scholar. During its twenty-five year history, the Oregon Trail essentially changed every year. From its rough beginnings grew an organized route. By 1846 ferries serviced most of the major river crossings, and fully-stocked supply depots awaited hungry travelers. Due to all the livestock driven west, the trail became a mile-wide swath of trampled ground, providing an easy road with no need for a guide. During the summers of 1849 and 1850, over 100,000 miners also followed the Oregon Trail, enroute to the California gold fields. By the 1850s, Mormons were using the trail as a source of income, supplying emigrants with food and equipment. As the railroad extended further west, many people took the train as far as they could before switching to the trail. Only the 1843 migration held the true adventure of entering an unknown land. Guides were needed to show the way; dangerous river crossings taxed the courage of everyone; the existing fur trading posts were unable to supply necessary food and other equipment; and the first emigrants had to build their own road because the Oregon Trail did not yet exist. Wagons had never been taken all the way to Oregon, and it was entirely possible that this great experiment might end in tragedy. It is this migration, 1843, to which we often attribute the adventure and romanticism of the Oregon Trail. While researching this book, I found information to be both scarce and scattered, requiring many months to form an outline of the complexity of this event. The popular myth of western migration, championed by film and television, depicts a wagon train of smiling emigrants, traveling down a well-worn road and fighting Indians at every turn. The truth is considerably different. Research sources included the Oregon Historical Society, several Oregon historical libraries, the Oregon State Archives, numerous probate records, military discharge papers, newspaper clippings, trail diaries, and cemetery headstones. I suspect that other sources of information are hidden away in the attics of various descendents, information that is essentially not available to the public. Appendix A provides a listing of the known emigrants that were part of the 1843 Oregon Emigrating Company, along with some brief biographical data. This appendix is nonfiction, providing new knowledge to the scholarly community and, it is hoped, inspiring other researchers to help fill in the gaps. The Oregon Migration of 1843 was a watershed moment in American history. It marked the end of the trapping era and the beginnings of civilization on the Western frontier. You are about to become part of that experience. Enjoy the journey! T. J. Hanson July, 2001

    She soon finds out, however, that the excellent pay is no recompense for the dark secret that lurks in the paint that magically made her glow in the dark. This is the story of brave Catherine Donohoe who takes on the might of a big corporation and became an early pioneer of social justice in the era between two world wars. Emotive and inspiring - this book will touch you like no other. It’s too late for me, but maybe it will help some of the others.~ Catherine Wolfe Donohue

    Dan Callahan doesn’t know why he landed this coveted assignment or what to expect from 112-year-old Owen Trimbel, currently living with his daughter on a rural Minnesota farm even now beyond the reach of pervasive tech. But he sensed that it might be one of those rare opportunities to capture something singular: living memories from the last of a resilient, resourceful, and determined generation, a veteran from a war and a time encased in sepia tones in the minds of a distracted public. He finds his subject waning but still humored by life and surprisingly keen of mind. Dan spends the next three days riveted to Owen’s adventures as a young gunner with a night-flying crew, transported with him from New Guinea to the Mariana Islands on harrowing rescue missions to remote river outposts, and long flights over endless black seas broken only by sightings of enemy ships far below. And finally, the sweet homecoming, complicated by the challenges Owen faces while navigating a new life of unfamiliar circumstances and some very old secrets. Although fictionalized, The Last Word is an amalgam of stories and characters shaped and informed by filmed interviews with ten, real-life squadron members who served in the Pacific during World War II and who graced the author with their time, narratives, and importantly, their wisdom and good friendship.

     The navigator's role was a critical one and involved making complex directional calculations during the chaos of combat. Author Earl Snyder was a whiz at steering pilots through sorties and skirmishes and had a knack for thinking on the fly in the middle of the storm. His renowned navigational skills earned him a place in Lemay's Circus and the critical series of bombings of Japan that ended World War 2.

    So why does Lafitte refuse their generous offer? In the approaching War of 1812 General Andrew Jackson hasn’t any weapons, ammunition or money to fight the British with and no one to turn to for help but the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte. Jackson hates pirates, but he agrees to meet with Lafitte, and he forms an unlikely alliance with the dashing pirate. What changed Jackson’s mind about attending the meeting? Before the war begins, Lafitte buries an unusual treasure, one that is sought in the 21st century by two men and a beautiful woman. Julianna Montaigne a direct descendent of Pierre Lafitte has found his diary in her grandfathers old sea man’s trunk. The diary has a clue to the treasure. Eddie Calto a New York City firefighter has a second clue left to him by his great great grandfather, The two join forces in an attempt to find Lafitte's Treasure. But there are dangerous men who want the treasure for themselves and for 200 years they have waited patiently for anyone seeking Lafitte’s Treasure. Borrow this book for free with your prime subscription or subscribe to kindle lending library!

    The Normandy coastal village of Caillons is under German occupation, its villagers struggling to survive. With her husband forced into compulsory service for the German Reich, Jeanne Dupré, mother of two adolescent daughters, risks everything to lead the local Resistance cell.Life becomes even more dangerous with the arrival of British agent Daniel Benedict. He needs Jeanne's help to complete his mission, vital to Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings. But Jeanne is suspicious that they are not fighting for the same outcome. Their joint foe is Jürgen Graf, a Nazi oberleutnant set on wiping out the local Resistance. Aware that a spy is at large, Graf is on a ruthless mission to hunt Benedict down. With the help of a network of Catholic priests, Benedict penetrates the heart of the Nazis’ defences against Allied invasion, the Atlantic Wall. As the lives of Jeanne and Benedict become increasingly intertwined can they stay true to themselves? Will they have to sacrifice all in their fight for freedom..? ‘Villa Normandie’ is a moving historical novel, presenting an accurate picture of life under Nazi occupation. It is thoroughly detailed, meticulously researched and vividly authentic - depicting the turbulent world of the French resistance and the struggle of the French people for freedom.

    But when her birthday finally comes around, instead of the idyllic life she was hoping for with her true love, she finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half-Acre, a jail where slaves are broken, tortured, and sold every day. Forced to become the mistress of the brutal man who owns the jail, Pheby faces the ultimate sacrifice to protect her heart in this powerful, thrilling story of one slave’s fight for freedom.

    

    When many years later the truth of the past is finally revealed, Glen Butler feels deceived. His reaction to events betrays the one he loves most, his daughter. Returning to the city to try and find her, Glen discovers she has a secret of her own, presenting him with a terrible dilemma. Set in Italy and England from the 1940s to the 1970s, a novel about the cost of keeping secrets.