Have you ever wanted to pull up the curtain and look at what the US Army was really like during the Vietnam War?

From enlistment through Basic, Officer, and Flight training, veteran pilot Richard Guay will take you on a journey many have never witnessed...

Sit with Richard in the cockpit of the venerable UH-1 Huey helicopter as he maneuvers the sky to accomplish missions, protect his troops, and put to the test his years of training to stop the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia.

Through a journey from steamy jungles to war-torn skies over battlefields, Richard's raw and informative recollection is a story not only of war, but of brotherhood and the will to survive. Through countless helicopter flights, readers will experience both the fear and the excitement of war firsthand.

Vietnam Warhorse is a thrilling memoir detailing years of US Army training, helicopter warfare tactics, and piloting techniques employed during actual enemy engagement. With a touch of humor, this is an intense and fresh perspective on the Vietnam War for anyone interested in history or aviation!

Shortly before embarking on her attempt to circumnavigate the globe, Amelia Earhart confided to a friend, I have a feeling there is just about one more good flight left in my system and I hope this trip around the world is it.

This book is the product of The Earhart Project, a thirty-four-year investigation of the Earhart tragedy by The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery. TIGHAR investigators had no agenda. They were not out to advocate, excuse, honor, or impugn. They saw the Earhart disappearance as an aviation accident and reasoned the answer to its cause and outcome should be discoverable if they could find, assemble, and analyze the relevant data. To understand why she died it was necessary to strip away the myths and sentimentality that have grown up over the years and examine the hard truths behind how Earhart's trip around the world came about and why it went so terribly wrong.

The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard were major players in the 1937 flight, disappearance, and search for Amelia Earhart, and in the aftermath. The story of the pressures and frustrations the services faced and the mistakes they made contain valuable lessons for today's commanders. Gillespie's first book, Finding Amelia - The True Story of the Earhart Disappearance (Naval Institute Press, 2006) chronicled what was known at that time. This new book updates the story with important new information from historical documents discovered since then and also provides extensive prequel and sequel narratives that complete the saga and give new perspective to the life and death of an American icon.

An immersive account of a tragedy at sea whose repercussions haunt its survivors to this day, lauded by New York Times bestselling author Ron Suskind as an honest and touching book, and a hell of a story.

In March of 1984, the commercial fishing boat Wind Blown left Montauk Harbor on what should have been a routine offshore voyage. Its captain, a married father of three young boys, was the boat's owner and leader of the four-man crew, which included two locals and the blue-blooded son of a well-to-do summer family. After a week at sea, the weather suddenly turned, and the foursome collided with a nor'easter. They soon found themselves in the fight of their lives. Tragically, it was a fight they lost. Neither the boat nor the bodies of the men were ever recovered. The downing of the Wind Blown has since become interwoven with the local folklore of the East End's year-round population. Its tragic fate will never be forgotten.

In this riveting man-vs.-nature story and compelling tribute to those who perished (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), journalist Amanda M. Fairbanks seeks out the reasons why an event more than three decades old remains so startlingly vivid in people's minds. She explores the ways in which deep, lasting grief can alter people's memories. And she shines a light on the powerful and sometimes painful dynamics between fathers and sons, as well as the secrets that can haunt families from beyond the grave.

From the Prairie to the Pacific is the story of one man's journey from rural North Dakota to the cockpits of U.S. Navy jet fighters and ultimately Captain of a flagship aircraft carrier. Gil Rud flew combat missions over Vietnam in A-7 Corsair II aircraft before taking command of his own squadron. His success as a Naval aviator led to the ultimate reward - Boss of the world-famous Blue Angels aerobatic display team, overseeing their successful transition to the F/A-18 Hornet. Gil Rud reflects on his experiences and emotions as a husband and father as well as a pilot and an officer and a gentleman. His stories of triumph and tragedy, from nights on the flight deck to nights on the town and the loss of close friends, reveal deep feelings, great insight and a wonderful sense of humor, as well as meticulous attention to detail.

Don Sheldon has been called 'Alaska's bush pilot among bush pilots', but he was also just one man in a fragile airplane who, in the end, was solely responsible for each mission he flew, be it a high-risk landing to the rescue of others from certain death in the mountains of Alaska or the routine delivery of supplies to a lonely homesteader. Read James Greiner's Wager with the Wind to learn how a hero was born, and also how he made his courageous journey to the unknown skies of dealing with cancer.

Flying above the clouds provided a new and larger perspective of life for Diane Ballweg, but it also opened an inner door of personal possibilities. Becoming a pilot taught her about the limitless beauty of life from the skies and the extraordinary wonder deep within herself. Diane is known as the Pink Pilot, and the life lessons learned from flying ascend readers into her world, exploring the different layers of life, just like the diverse layers of earth's atmosphere. As planes take off into the wind creating lift, Diane took off into winds of criticism, doubt, skepticism, and inequality. However, her optimism and perseverance allowed her to transform the pessimism around her and traverse through life with love, compassion, confidence, and a good sense of humor. Along with sharing glimpses into her own life, Diane expands upon the importance of taking care of our Mother Earth as one human family, cherishing diversity and letting all voices be heard, regardless of race, age or gender. Her personal experience fuels her inspiring and fascinating reflections that aim to understand and accept who we are. Readers will feel empowered and realize they can defy all odds, just like Diane, reaching their goals and taking hold of every opportunity that comes their way. Diane's radar scans how special each individual is and wants to celebrate the beauty of our unique existence. She opens her heart to new experiences, learning something new each day and admiring the beautiful scenery along the way. As an owner of her 100-year-old family business, Endres Manufacturing Company, a lifelong teacher of Spanish, special education, music, and an aviation program at Edgewood High School, and a leader on over twenty non-profit boards that strive to make a positive change, Diane Endres Ballweg is a woman of resilience, intellect, and creative innovation.

Amongst the family albums her mother had kept, Margot Dixon found something very curious-Captain Samuel F. Scott's old scrapbook. Who was this man? And why did her family have his scrapbook? As she read through the book, full of one-of-a-kind documents, she soon realized this intriguing scrapbook was much more than a family curiosity.

From the items within the scrapbook and Margot's own research, a fascinating story emerged, one of a life on the high seas in the late nineteenth century, sailing across some of the most dangerous waters, facing storms, shipwrecks, illness, war, mutiny, and tragedy.

Born in New Brunswick, Captain Scott, along with his family, sailed across the world for various shipping companies. While sailing from England to India, his wife and two of his children tragically died. Returning to Canada, he remarried and, with his family in tow, sailed three times across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. But, after years at sea and another tragedy, Captain Scott turned to gold mining in British Columbia, then explored business opportunities along the west coast of Canada and the United States before his untimely death.

Based on the documents in Captain Scott's original scrapbook, collected during his lifetime, 1847-1905, and then transcribed by Margot, Captain Scott's Scrapbook provides an intimate account of one of Canada's most remarkable post-confederate shipmasters.

Two aviators making history. Two Americans serving their country. One incredible story spanning fifty years and two generations.

Ben Smotherman, a B-17 pilot in World War II, valiantly fought in the European Theater of Operations before being shot down over Holland in July 1943. After enduring twenty-one months as a prisoner of war, he was finally reunited with his loved ones and was able to start a family. Years later, after perusing his Wartime Log, his daughter Jan made discoveries about her father's experiences that shed light on her own life path. As a Space Shuttle astronaut, Jan Davis went through intensive training, flew NASA jets, and completed three spaceflights, spending over 673 hours on orbit. Her experiences and emotions during her launches and space travel echoed those of her father during his combat missions, highlighting the unshakable bond between father and daughter.

With Air Born, you can join in on a flight through history as Jan Davis relates her father's heroic service and draws connections between his combat missions and her own spaceflights. Discover the ins and outs of pilot training in the 1940s alongside Ben Smotherman and bear witness to his harrowing capture, interrogation, and imprisonment at Stalag Luft III. Rejoice with the POWs as World War II finally ends and the prisoners are returned home to continue pursuing their life's goals. Shadow Jan Davis as she expertly navigates a career characterized by space exploration, scientific experimentation, and phenomenal feats of engineering. And draw inspiration from the intersection of two completely different yet uniquely connected worlds brought together by a common link of family and flying.

Book Description

A Grueling Survival Story About a WWII Hero's Fight for Freedom

On January 11, 1945, Major Donald J. Humphrey had his B-29 Superfortress directed at Singapore Island. After navigating the 1900-mile trip from India through dangerous weather, they had just successfully bombed their target. And that's when Japanese Zeroes shot off the wing and sent the mighty aircraft death-spiraling into the Malayan jungle.

Jumping to safety, Humphrey and a few of his remaining crewmates found themselves lost in the middle of Japanese occupied territory. Enduring vicious crocodiles, deadly snakes, and crippling malaria, the Americans battled just to stay alive. And though they made contact with Malayan resistance fighters, they could never be sure their benefactors weren't pulling them even deeper into danger...

In this harrowing true account, Major Humphrey's son shares the extraordinary story of his father's grueling ordeal. Told in the first person, this highly personal narrative puts you inside the mind of a man fighting for his country while struggling to survive.

Eight Miraculous Months in the Malayan Jungle is a gripping memoir about overcoming unexpected peril. If you like World War II heroes, incredible stories of courage, and inspirational reads, then you'll love Donald DJ Humphrey II's captivating biography of his father.

Order your copy of Eight Miraculous Months in the Malayan Jungle and join his fight for freedom today

In Maverick Marketer, Johnstone considers the course of his life, from taking the helm of a sailboat in a race at age 2, through college days at Princeton, to creating the leading performance brand in sailing, then doing same with powerboats. Regaling readers with sailing stories and how award-winning boats were created, Johnstone seeks to ignite a creative spark in others, urging them to follow their passion and chart their own course to victory. Part memoir, part love story, part marketing case study, Maverick Marketer is an entrepreneurial success story brimming with lessons on innovation, business development, and problem-solving. Rebecca White, award-winning Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Tampa, said, I'd recommend Bob Johnstone's book for every college student today.

Maverick Marketer is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

The story of downed WWII Soviet fighter pilot (and Hero of the Soviet Union) Alexiei Maresyev, who with both feet amputated because of frostbite returns to combat flying. The author was practically everywhere during the war. Boris Polevoi parachuted several times into the enemy's rear, served in Stalingrad, was present at the capture of Paulus, wrote from Banska Bystrica during the Slovak uprising, landed in the first liaison plane in war-struck Prague, and witnessed the meeting of Allied troops at the capture of the Reichstag in Berlin. At the Nuremberg Trial, Polevoi headed the group of Soviet journalists as a special correspondent.

Matthew Turner was an accomplished American sea captain, shipbuilder, and ship designer who is credited with constructing a total of 285 vessels. Out of these, 184 were built in his shipyard located in Benicia, California. His remarkable contributions to the shipbuilding industry on the Pacific Coast have earned him the reputation of being the grandfather of big-time wooden shipbuilding in the region. He holds the distinction of being the most prolific builder of sailing vessels in the United States. Turner was known for building unique sailing vessels along the Pacific Coast.

From rural Michigan through Georgia Tech, Aviation Officer Candidate School, flight training, two Western Pacific cruises, and as an instructor pilot, Lt. McKenna met and overcame multiple obstacles in pursuing his dream of serving his country as a Navy carrier pilot. His story is told with humor, and a heartfelt belief in the importance of American leadership, morally and militarily. As an aerospace engineer, pilot, and landing signals officer, Lt. McKenna uses his extensive knowledge of aircraft and flight deck operations to take readers aboard an aircraft carrier as it launches and recovers aircraft off a pitching flight deck in what has been described as one of the most dangerous work environments on the planet.

A compelling, illustrated narrative history of the children who sailed aboard the doomed RMS Titanic-both those who survived and those who perished-from the celebrated author of Halifax and Titanic.

More than half the children aboard Titanic died in the sinking, calling into question the notion of women and children first.

In The Lucky and the Lost: The Lives of Titanic's Children, historian John Boileau tells the stories of the children who fortunately escaped in lifeboats and those who tragically did not. It also examines the heart-breaking circumstances of the victims' deaths as well as the fascinating stories of survivors' lives.

Uniquely, The Lucky and the Lost tells the stories of ten yet-unborn children whose mothers survived to give birth. This includes the children of Madeleine Astor, wife of John Jacob Astor-the richest man to perish in the disaste-and Juliette Laroche, wife of Joseph Laroche, the only Black man onboard, as well as the stories of twenty-three Lebanese children onboard, another largely unknown feature of the disaster.

The Lucky and the Lost includes compelling stories of survivors in later life (an aspect not included in most Titanic books) and the lasting effect the sinking had on them. With forty black-and-white images as well as numerous maps and illustrations, The Lucky and the Lost offers the most complete accounting to date of the fates of the children aboard the doomed ocean liner.

Deny, Degrade, Deceive, and Destroy - These are the objectives of the crews that flew the EA-6B Prowler.

Cease Buzzer! is the author's description of the world of tactical Naval Aviation from the perspective of a career EA-6B pilot. Embark on a three-decade long journey with the author as he navigates through flight training and his first several fleet squadrons, takes command of an EA-6B squadron, and ultimately steers the Electronic Attack Wing of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Discover life aboard a carrier, amusing port visits, engaging training detachments, and an array of high-intensity liberty experiences. Beyond the personal anecdotes, this book also sheds light on combat actions in Serbia, Kosovo, and Iraq, and provides a distinctive viewpoint on land-based EA-6B combat support in Afghanistan.

The period that this book covers could easily be identified as the Top Gun Era of Naval Aviation, and it was exceptionally busy for the real pilots of the U.S. Navy. The public is generally aware that Navy strike and fighter pilots flew hundreds of thousands of combat sorties, and employed millions of pounds of ordnance on enemy targets. What most will not be familiar with are the extensive operations of the EA-6B community during this period and the fact that no Navy striker or fighter went into harm's way without their dedicated Electronic Warfare support.

The job of EA-6B crews was not intended to make it into the headlines. The aircraft was designed to Deny, Degrade, Deceive, or Destroy our adversary's air defense systems so that the fighter guys could get their job done and safely return to the carrier. As the Global War on Terror transformed from conventional combat into an extended period of counter-insurgency operations, the EA-6B community discovered a new role; providing direct Electronic Warfare coverage for the troops on the ground.

While all of the carrier-based Prowler squadrons supported the troops from the sea, some of us left the carrier and began to operate our squadrons from air bases across Iraq and Afghanistan. Although this new obligation meant that the small EA-6B community was stretched to its limit, it was done without complaint. We were saving lives and ensuring that more of the young Americans who had volunteered to serve their nation could return home when their job was done.

Cease Buzzer! is the author's attempt to capture some of his best Naval Aviation sea stories before they all fade away.

Just when you thought everything about the 82nd Airborne Division in World War II had been published, author Ben Powers delivers Never a Dull Moment, The 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion in World War II. Excellently researched and written, this powerful book fills a critical void about a lesser known, but so very important unit in the 82nd. -- Colonel Mark C. Plug Vlahos, USAF-Retired, USAAF Troop Carrier and Glider Operations Historian and Author

Most modern books and films glamorize World War II airborne soldiers as troopers leaping into the night to descend by parachute into combat. Much less often considered is the role of glider forces. Glider troops lacked the panache and special distinctions of paratroopers, despite their critical role in airborne warfare. Likewise, World War II ground combat is characterized as a combined arms fight of infantry and armor, backed up with field artillery; by comparison the role played by specialized, supporting arms has received scant attention.

The 80th AAA Battalion was a glider outfit, providing antiaircraft defense and antitank capability to the division's three infantry regiments as battlefield conditions dictated. Elements of the battalion fought in Italy, Normandy, Holland and the Battle of the Bulge, making combat glider assaults during both Operation Neptune and Operation Market Garden. The exploits of the men of the 80th tend to be obscured as commanders maneuvered the batteries wherever their special skills were needed on the battlefield, with no regiment to call a permanent home.

The 80th AAA battalion was a hybrid unit. While its members were considered Coast Artillery (the branch responsible for defending ground formations from air attack during WWII), they fought alongside parachute and glider infantry, most often providing direct fire, anti-armor support with 57mm/6 pounder cannons. While field artillery, both parachute and glider, established their gunlines some distance behind infantry units to provide indirect fire support, the men of the 80th fought face to face with the enemy, alongside their infantry brothers.

Blamed for the 9/11 attacks, one woman has to find the courage to be her own hero.

As the nation came together to mourn, to support, and to rebuild in the aftermath of 9/11, Virginia Buckingham was singled out for blame. As the head of Boston's Logan International Airport, the launching pad for the hijacked planes that destroyed the Twin Towers, she was scapegoated by the media and political leaders for supposed airport security lapses and forced to resign. She was also sued for wrongful death by the family of a 9/11 victim, holding her personally responsible for the terrorist attack.

A rising star at thirty-five--she had served as chief of staff to two consecutive Massachusetts governors before becoming the first woman to head the state's Port Authority--Buckingham's life and career was suddenly derailed. Grappling with issues of trauma, faith, leadership, and resilience, this unique memoir shares her struggle to rebuild her life and come to terms with being blamed for the unimaginable tragedy that occurred on her watch.

During World War II, Major Richard Dick Ira Bong's legendary exploits at the helm of his P-38 Lightning made him a household name. Bong received the Medal of Honor for his exploits of downing 40 enemy Japanese planes in the Southwestern Pacific. His tally of 40 victories made him the highest-scoring American ace of all time, a record that is unlikely to ever be broken. Bong died at the tender age of 24 on the 6th of August 1945 in a flight accident during testing of the P-80 Shooting Star Fighter. His fame was such that news of his death vied with the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima in the US press.