Ghost Fleet
D.A. Boulter - 2011
Experts say they are scanner echoes tossed out of the past by the Phenomenon. The rumors and a cryptic entry in an ancestor's diary propel Lieutenant-Commander Mart Britlot of the Confederation navy into the dangerous Sivon sector of space. There, Britlot hopes to find help for the Confederation, now facing a two-front war. As the last living Confederation descendant of the Adian nation, Britlot is obsessed with finding the ghost ships, believed destroyed during a mass emigration 300 years in the past. He dreams of riding to the rescue at the head of the never defeated Adian fleet; he dreams of finding family after the death of all his near relatives at the hands of the Combine. He'll drive his ship and crew beyond endurance to achieve this. The felid Tlartox Empire, eager to avenge their humiliating defeat at the hands of the Confederation, has voted to annul the long-standing peace treaty. The glory of The Hunt beckons. Admiral Tood Tlomega has focused on the human planet Lormar, with its great naval base, as a fitting target for retribution. She will return dignity to the people of Tlar. She will return them to the path that Tlar illuminated so many centuries ago.But a small band of Tlartox subversives intend to rake a claw across the plans of the war-mongers, and give both the Empire and the Confederation something they hadn't counted on.
You'll Never Walk
Andy Grant - 2018
He had a broken sternum, two broken legs, a broken elbow and shrapnel lodged in both forearms. He had a severed femoral artery, while sustaining nerve damage to his hands and feet as well as facial injuries. He had been blown up during a routine foot patrol in Afghanistan. Within days of coming to his senses, a doctor told Andy that because of the blast he would no longer be able to have children. You’ll Never Walk is his story. This is the tale of a Scouser who had to cope with losing his mum at the tender age of 12. The story of how a dream career in the Royal Marines descended into nightmare at the hands of the Taliban. The painstaking account of how he grew back six centimetres of shattered bone in his leg and learned to walk again. However, Andy wanted to run and push himself to the very edge of his limits and so he made a colossal decision. Against doctor’s advice and pleas from his father, he chose to have his leg amputated. The operation was a success, although there was a minor twist. Where once Andy’s treasured Liverpool FC tattoo had carried the message ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, surgery to create a stump removed a key word from the slogan. The scars of his amputation had been decorated with an ominous new motto, which read ‘You’ll Never Walk...’ Andy would walk again – he would do much more than that. Armed with a running blade he learned to run and play football, scaled mountains in South America and Italy and claimed two gold medals at Prince Harry’s Invictus Games. Through public speaking he brought hope to people right across the country. In 2016, he set his sights on a 10k below- the-knee-amputee world-record and completed the run in an unprecedented 37 minutes 17 seconds. And, most preciously of all, after every obstacle placed in his path, Andy became a father to a little girl.
Peter Charlie: The Cruise of the PC 477
Art Bell - 2017
Navy, assigned to duty aboard the PC 477. The PCs were 173-foot, steel-hulled submarine fighters. Uncle Sam had thousands of seamen on hundreds of PCs convoying and patrolling in WWII. They were introduced in the desperate, early days of World War II, when the waters off America’s Atlantic coast were a graveyard of torpedoed ships. They performed essential, hazardous, and sometimes spectacular missions, yet the PCs were scarcely known at all outside the service. Here is the story of the wartime service of one of those ships. From Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal, from Australia to the Solomon Islands, the PC 477 saw action throughout the South Pacific. Collecting numerous first-hand accounts from his shipmates, Art Bell, who eventually took command of the 477, gives us a detailed, compelling and often humorous memoir of life aboard a Navy ship during the war. It is a feast for World War II buffs and an essential reference for historians studying that period. The Navy didn’t even dignify PCs with names. But the crew of the PC 477 did. They called her “Peter Charlie.” Art Bell (1919 - 1988) was a respected Los Angeles attorney. He played baseball at UCLA with Jackie Robinson, saw action in World War II, and graduated from the USC Law School in 1951. His son, James Scott Bell, aided in the writing and editing of the book.
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.
Legacy of Lies: Over the Fence in Laos
Henry G. Gole - 2019
Operating from camps in places like Kontum and Dak To, Special Forces recon men risked their lives behind enemy lines on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos and Cambodia, conducting missions whose detection often meant death or something worse. Officially, they did not exist. Their government denied that they were operating in “neutral” countries; Hanoi denied the very existence of the Trail. If killed or captured in Laos or Cambodia, the Green Berets would be reported MIA or KIA—in Vietnam. They fought for each other and for their honor as soldiers. It is 1970. The United States Government is seeking a way out of the war “with honor” via a face-saving program called “Vietnamization.” This is the story of the fate of the recon men and the missions they conducted while highly skilled and motivated NVA hunter-killer teams pursued them on the enemy’s home turf. A recon team discovers a choke point on the enemy’s line of communication. For every day the Trail is blocked, enemy support of forces in the south is set back a month, giving South Vietnam a leg up. The special operators in Kontum are given the mission to do just that. There is a rub; the American president and his government must have “plausible deniability.” Therein lies the legacy of lies. “Very few authors have captured the action, intrigue and backstory of the secret missions as well as Colonel Gole does in ‘Legacy of Lies.’ A must read for those seeking the precursor to today’s military support to sensitive activities.” —Michael S. Repass, Major General, US Army (Retired) Special Forces “Gole’s novel is Fantastic! The best part, the top to bottom approach—from the White House, JCS, CINCPAC, MACV, down through SOG, right to the One-Zero firing tracers to mark his position for Covey.” —Colonel, USAF, (Ret) Tom Yarborough, author and decorated Covey pilot for SOG
The Third World War
Ira Tabankin - 2016
Near the end of the current President's term, China and Russia decide the time will never be better to take down America. They know the current administration has run down and demoralized the military. Half of American navy's mighty aircraft carriers are in out of service for repairs, the Army is the smallest it's been eighty years. The average age of the US Air Force fighters is over 25 years old. The AF is down to less than 100 nuclear bombers from a high of 600. Their war plan, Operation Whirlpool was to launch a surprise nuclear attack to knock out America. War usually plans end up in the trashbin when the enemy is engaged. Operation Whirlpool ran into an unexpected situation. The American’s weren’t as surprised as the Chinese and Russians thought. A US Navy attack submarine stumbled upon the Russian and Chinese SSBN’s sneaking up on the American coast. When the first missiles fly, the world explodes in war as old hatreds flare up. The story is told by a Russian historian who was selected by the Russian President to record the shortest war in history, which will leave Russia ruling the surviving world.
Ghosts and Shadows: A Marine in Vietnam, 1968-1969
Phil Ball - 1998
At the time, he would have done anything to escape; only upon reflection years later did he realize that the self-confidence instilled in him by his drill instructors had probably saved his life in Vietnam. A few months after boot camp, Private Ball was shipped out to Vietnam, joining F Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, near Khe Sanh. As a grunt, in the vernacular of the Corps, Ball, like the other youths of F Company, did a difficult and deadly job in such places as the A Shau Valley, Leatherneck Square, the DMZ and other obscure but critical I Corps locales. His--their--fear of death mingled with homesickness. Little did they realize that the horrors of the Vietnam War--horrors that while in-country they often claimed did not even exist--would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
A Rebel in Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg (Annotated)
John H. Lewis - 2016
But it was at Gettysburg that the most searing experience of his wartime career took place. He charged with Pickett's Division behind General Lewis Armistead across that now-fabled field towards the center of the Union line. With great pride and seemingly no lasting bitterness, John Lewis recalls that fateful day and all his other days in a butternut uniform. But it's not all blood and glory. Lewis had a wry sense of humor and used it to twit both the Blue and the Gray in this wonderful small memoir of a Johnnie from Virginia. Every memoir of the American Civil War provides us with another view of the catastrophe that changed the country forever. For the first time, this long out-of-print volume is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers, tablets, and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.
The Sharp End (Raiding Forces Book 10)
Phil Ward - 2017
However, it will take time before America can commit ground troops to the battle. Col. John Randal and the men in the American Volunteer Group who have been serving with Raiding Forces are back in US Army uniform serving under their own flag. Raiding Forces is being expanded into a joint US/UK outfit. As it is, reorganizing events in remote parts of the world require Col. Randal and a team of his Raiders to carry out a pair of long range operations of national strategic importance. Meanwhile, there is a mole in Middle East Command HQ that Rommel calls his “Good Source” and the German 621 Radio Intercept Company is providing the Desert Fox with the Allied Order of Battle that have become serious threats. Lady Jane is under suspicion of being the mole and Raiding Forces has been ordered to track down and kill the 621st’s Nazi commander. The action is nonstop.
Cowboys of Crested Butte Boxed Set Volume 1
Heather Slade - 2018
Olivia Fairchild gave up her dream of being a competitive barrel racer at nineteen, to follow her first love wherever his life as an F15 pilot took them. When his plane was shot down months later, right before the birth of their daughter, Liv’s world shattered. She returned to her parents’ isolated ranch in Colorado to raise her daughter alone. Ben Rice recognized her as soon as he saw her sitting at the bar. Liv, that was her name, and fate kept bringing them together. Book Two: Dance with Me Wherever he was, Billy owned the air. It belonged to him, and he took it. Renie Fairchild has been in love with her best friend since they were kids, but now that they’re adults, he still has no idea. Telling him would only destroy their friendship, so she keeps her feelings to herself—until he shows up at her apartment begging for a chance to prove his love. Just when she starts to believe that he’ll never break her heart, his rowdy past bucks them off course. As much as Renie loves him, she’s not so sure she can open her heart to a child who isn’t hers. Book Three: Kiss Me Cowboy Blythe Cochran is a woman who’s never been treated the cowboy way—and Jace Rice knows he is just the man to teach her what that means. Unless his twin brother, Tucker, gets in the way. Book Four: Stay with Me Professional saddle bronc rider Jace Rice has a habit of falling in love with women who turn around and fall in love with someone else. It had happened three times, and as much as he vowed to never let it happen again, it does. Although this time, the woman is in love with a guy Jace can't possibly compete with—a dead man. Book Five: Win Me Over Bullet Simmons never rides shotgun, but there is no question, Tristan McCullough has taken control of the wheel. Bad boy, bull rider Bullet Simmons has a good heart, he just has trouble in the decision-making department. When he meets Tristan McCullough, he vows to win her over, and convince her that he is worthy of a Lost Cowboy sponsorship. But can he become the kind of man her family’s brand represents? Tristan says she doesn’t believe he can, but there’s something about the cowboy that makes her hope she’s wrong.
Silent Heroes: A Story Forty Years in the Making
Rick Greenberg - 2016
At 18 Greeny enlisted in the Marine Corps. Basic training misses the mark for the reality of combat. After his first kill, the significance of taking a life confuses Greeny at a raw level of guts and glory. Killing soon becomes the norm. Greeny evolves from a naive young man to an aggressive combat veteran. Then, his two best friends die in front of him. Suddenly his fight for his own survival rests on returning to a wife and new baby back in the World.
Doc: Platoon Medic
Daniel Evans Jr. - 2002
TO SURVIVEDan Evans arrived in Vietnam on October 7, 1968, a 21- year-old Army medic who couldn't stand the sight of blood. Thrust into the cauldron of combat, he soon became a seasoned veteran of emergency medicine and the brutal realties of war. Before his time was up, he would master the skills of a surgeon, acquire the patience of a saint, and demonstrate the courage of a lion... Here, in his own words, is the gripping true story of Dan Evans, the highly decorated soldier whom the men of First Platoon, Bravo Company, called the "fighting medic." Experience the rage, the sorrow and the remarkable spirit of Dan Evans - the PLATOON MEDIC who became a true American hero.
EndEx
Clive Ward - 2017
Your clearance chit is all signed off. You’ve received your last train warrant, they’ve taken your ID card off you at the guard room, and you walk out through the gate for the last time, it’s Endex. It doesn’t matter how many years you served in the military, it will always have a lasting effect on the way you live the rest of your life. Marine, soldier, sailor or airman, whichever you may be, there are some qualities and experiences that most, if not all veterans, share. There are 3 types of people, Civilian, Military and Veteran. Once you join the military, you can never go back to being a civilian again. When you’ve left the military, you might think you are doing a great job trying to blend in to your civilian surroundings, but the signs are there, that you once served your country, sometimes without you even realising it. What you will realise is you’ll never be normal again.
The Aviators: Stories of U.S. Army Helicopter Combat in the Vietnam War, 1971-72
Rex Gooch - 2019
Told through remarkable first-hand descriptions, with dramatic images and attention to detail, The Aviators is an action-packed narrative of the helicopter pilots, crew chiefs, and door gunners as they fight an elusive, ruthless enemy, put their lives at risk to rescue fellow soldiers, and come to grips with the realization that their lives are changing forever. After each riveting story—from a horrific Scout helicopter crash, to a valiant attempt to rescue POWs held in a jungle prison camp, to a covert flight into remote areas of Cambodia, and many more—the book addresses the question not often asked: What happened to those heroic men after Vietnam?
Warriors of Blood and Shadow: Boxed Set 2
Andy Peloquin - 2020
His mentor and surrogate father lies murdered. In the upper echelons of his realm’s capital city, a traitor sells secrets to the enemy—secrets that could turn the tide of war against the Legionnaires.Aravon and his Grim Reavers must survive not only betrayal in their own ranks, but a foe more savage and cunning than any they’ve defeated. Can the Silent Champions withstand the full might of the rampaging barbarians to save their kingdom one last time...even if they have to sacrifice their lives to succeed?