Book picks similar to
Out of the Blue by Victor Fehrenbach
free
contemporary
1-ebook
non-fiction
Born Under a Lucky Star: A Red Army Soldier's Recollections of the Eastern Front of World War II
Ivan Philippovich Makarov - 2020
That was on his first day at the front.Thrown into an open field to face German tanks and artillery fire, with only rifles and machine guns to defend themselves with, almost 2,000 men of his regiment were wiped out in only six days at the Eastern Front. At this rate, Ivan struggled to comprehend how he would survive the hundreds of battles that lay before him, with death seeming to be the only certainty.In his raw and trenchant memoir, Ivan recounts the terror and despair faced by a Red Army soldier on the Eastern Front.He has no sympathy for Stalin and his incompetent commanders, who sought awards and recognition at the expense of their soldiers’ lives. He simply wanted to serve his country.It is rare to find first-hand accounts of the Great Patriotic War from Red Army soldiers, as many did not survive to tell the tale. For the first time, Ivan reveals his gripping recollections of battles, times, places, and people encountered throughout World War II, from when he was drafted in 1941 until their victory in 1945.These recollections he dared not put on paper until 1992.
Tunnel Rats
Jimmy Thomson - 2011
It doesn't matter how small the tunnel is you never know what's around the bend ... You don't know if it's abandoned, you don't know if it's booby trapped and you don't know why the tunnel is there in the first place."They were young, they were Australian, they were Army engineers and they were the first allied soldiers to risk their lives in the darkness of the Vietcong tunnels of South Vietnam. Staring death squarely in the face every day, not only did they follow their enemy down into these unknown underground labyrinths, but matched the Vietcong's jungle warfare skills and defused thousands of their clever booby traps.Off duty, it was a different story. The bad boys of 3 Field Troop were a boozing, brawling, bonking bunch of larrikins, who cut a swathe through the bars and brothels of Saigon, fought American Military Police to a standstill, built a secret casino and booby-trapped their own HQ to teach their officers a lesson.Thrilling, inspiring and action packed, this is the true story of the unsung heroes of Australia's war in Vietnam. Living up to their motto of 'We Make and We Break', they created the legend of the Tunnel Rats.
Ours to Hold It High: The History of the 77th Infantry Division in World War II
Max Myers - 2002
The soldiers of the 77th Infantry Division saw some of the bloodiest action of the Second World War. Ours to Hold It High is brilliant history of the division’s actions through the course of World War Two as it island-hopped its way towards victory in the face of ferocious Japanese resistance. The story begins in America in 1942 when the division was re-activated and the units were formed and given training before they sailed west to fight. Part one of the book covers these initial two years and the various forms of rigorous training that the men went through to prepare them for the amphibious warfare that they would meet in the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Parts two, three, four, and five of the book provides brilliant insight into the combat history of the unit from Guam to Okinawa. The actions of each unit of the division are uncovered to give a thorough overview of the tumultuous and chaotic action that the men saw. This is account is not written by a historian sitting at a desk in the United States, instead it was written by the soldiers who were there on the frontlines. Max Myers, the unit historian, has compiled their accounts to form this fascinating book. The actions of the 77th have become famous throughout the globe, particularly with the assistance of films such as Hacksaw Ridge that have immortalized the division. Almost every member of the 77th contributed in one way or another to this history. The Commanding General and members of his staff, the commanders and staff members from the organizations, and many other individuals devoted some of their time to revision and correction of preliminary manuscripts. Ours to Hold It High was initially published in 1947 and Max Myers, the main editor, passed away in 2011.
Bette Davis
Grace May Carter - 2017
But, as her epitaph says, "She did it the hard way." She was in constant battles with co-stars, directors, and studios and struggled with addictions to alcohol and cigarettes. She had four stormy marriages and even her three children brought pain and controversy - one wrote a scathing tell-all book, another had a severe mental disability, and a third was the subject of a prolonged custody battle. But in her iconic film roles - including All About Eve and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane - Davis transcended her troubles to leave an indelible mark on American cinema. Possessing none of the glamorous beauty of Greta Garbo, she had something more powerful and lasting: a restless, incandescent energy that made her mesmerizing to watch on the big screen. Here is Davis's story - her famous feud with Joan Crawford, skirmishes with Errol Flynn, affairs with Howard Hughes and William Wyler - and enough drama, confrontation, and heartache to fill several lifetimes. But she never regretted a single moment. "Being hysterical is like having an orgasm," Davis once cracked. "It's good for you."
Danny: The Virtues Within
Jer Dunlap - 2013
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they
Confessions of a Community Nurse
Lucy Spencer - 2019
From travel sickness in the back of an ambulance to chasing 87-year-old patients down the corridors of care homes, from borderline assault to ulcers big enough to fit your fist into, Confessions of a Community Nurse follows the experiences of Lucy and her transition from timid student to a healthcare professional in the NHS. After a shaky start to her career, Lucy has now encountered every bodily fluid going, smelled things no-one should ever have to smell, and resisted the urge to bang her head against a wall more times than she can count. Between fond attachments to patients and wanting to hand them the nails for their own coffins, Lucy has flourished in the healthcare profession, not being afraid to speak up for her patients but also not being afraid to speak up for herself. Offering a completely truthful insight into being a 'baby nurse', it is funny and honest, but also emotional and humbling. Written as a memoir, it may just change the way you think about district nursing and open the mind to understanding the frustrations, and passions, of healthcare staff and patients alike.
August Ice
Dev Bentham - 2012
Max Conway, an ex-Navy Seal, loves working at the bottom of the world. Like any other diver, he's tough and hard drinking. Half the year he's stuck in the States traveling the commercial dive circuit and hitting gay bars every night. The other six months he's lead safety diver at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, reveling in the cold blue Antarctic Sea. The only drawback to life way down under is that Max feels like he has to tuck his libido into storage while he's on station, stashing all those free condoms for use back up north. That is until Andre Dubois, a gorgeous French scientist, shakes up his world. Not only is Andre out and proud, he's sober as the day is long. And the days are long during an Antarctic summer. Max must choose between his comfortable inebriated closet and a life in the sun with Andre.
Stone Cold: The extraordinary story of Len Opie, Australia's deadliest soldier
Andrew Faulkner - 2016
A cold-eyed killer who drank nothing stronger than weak tea, he fought with his bare hands, a sharpened shovel and piano wire. He was a larrikin who went by the book, unless the book was wrong. He set his own bar high and expected others to do the same.Stone Cold is the extraordinary story of one of Australia's most fearless fighters. It takes us into the jungles of New Guinea and Borneo and some of the fiercest battles of World War II. It goes to the cold heart of Korea, where Len emerged from the ranks to excel in the epic Battle of Kapyong and play a key role at the Battle of Maryang San. And it drops us into the centre of the American counterinsurgency war in Vietnam with Len's involvement in the CIA's shadowy black ops program, Phoenix.Action-packed and surprising, Stone Cold gives rich life to a warrior soldier and one of Australia's greatest diggers.
Sunset at Catoctin Creek
Natalie Keller Reinert - 2020
It’s home to farmers and shopkeepers, dreamers and schemers. And it’s the perfect place to fall in love.Rosemary Brunner’s life might look small to some, but she has things arranged just the way she likes them. She’s turned her family farm into a sanctuary for troubled horses. She has dinner once a week with her elderly neighbors. And if she needs a little company and gossip, her best friend Nikki can swing by with dinner from the Blue Plate Diner and plenty to say. For a country girl with a heaping helping of social anxiety, she has things figured out just fine.Then Stephen walks into her life, and her careful little world falls apart.Stephen Beckett can’t understand why his father retired to sleepy Catoctin Creek. The days are too quiet, the nights are too dark, and everything moves too slowly for his high-octane lifestyle. The sooner Stephen can get his life back in order and head back home to Manhattan, the better.Then Stephen meets Rosemary, and a bolt of lightning seems to set the dark country night aglow.With opposite intentions, their chances at a happy ending don’t look great. But Stephen and Rosemary might not be able to help falling for each other…if Stephen’s ambitions and Rosemary’s traditions aren’t too much for this budding romance to bear.
Three Wrong Turns in the Desert
Neil S. Plakcy - 2009
At first, though, a dead courier and beefy hired thugs get in the way. But Liam soon convinces him -- with wiles and smiles and solid logic -- to join him on a race across the desert for a rendezvous with a Tuareg tribe at a remote oasis. Then nothing can stop them from getting naked and getting it on. Together they explore the passion Liam hid from as a closeted Navy SEAL, and the love Aidan's missed after his longterm boyfriend kicked him to the curb.From the back of a motorcycle to a Turkish bath to a remote dune in the desert, these two Romeos find ways to bring each other to the heights of pleasure. So what if they’re carrying the password to a million-dollar Swiss bank account and being chased by Libyan intelligence agents determined to stop them at all costs? Love and lust fuel their passion and not even three wrong turns in the desert will keep them from surviving this adventure alive -- and together.Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable. Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices.
Rhys Has a Crush
Melanie Tushmore - 2013
It's not like there's anything else to do in their boring home town.Then Seb's older brother appears; a gorgeous vision in tight, black clothing, and long dark hair. Rhys is instantly attracted, though his attempts to flirt with the mysterious Damien don't go all that well. So Rhys resorts to a fail safe plan: steal Damien's phone number, and send him anonymous love-texts.
True Crime Case Histories - Volume 6: 12 Disturbing True Crime Stories
Jason Neal - 2021
The stories in this book represent humanity at its absolute worst. Pure evil. Television crime shows and news articles often skip the messy parts of true crime stories. The details are just too much for the average viewer or reader.In my books, however, I don’t leave out the details. I go through hours of research for each story. I search through old newspaper articles, court documents, first-hand descriptions, and autopsy reports. In my books I include details not to shock, but to give the reader a deeper look into the twisted mind of the killer. In the end, it’s unlikely any of us will understand the motive of the criminals in these books, but the level of depravity will at least keep you turning pages.That being said, if you are overly squeamish with the details of true crime, this book may not be for you. If you’re okay with it… then let’s proceed.Volume 6 features: longer stories, more photos, a bonus chapter, and an online appendix with additional photos, videos, and documents.Volume 6 of True Crime Case Histories features twelve new stories from the past several decades.