Book Description
A shy and lonely seventeen-year-old, Horatio Hornblower embarks on a memorable career in Nelson's navy as a midshipman on board H.M.S. Justinian. In action adventure and battle he is forged into one of the most formidable junior officers in the service.
Customer Reviews:
A Wonderful Friendship .......2006-09-09
This is the next Hornblower chronologically, it was not the next one written. Now that the series is completed it makes sense to read it as Hornblower's career progresses in the Royal Navy.
The whole series is a pleasure to read full of action and adventure; with enough time for a little romance.
Get acquainted with one of the most popular characters in modern literature.
After reading this you will be back for more. And that is a wonderful thing.
Hornblower is beached........2005-12-05
The Hornblower books are a great Napoleonic War era British Navy series. I definitely recommend the series if you like this genre.
This Hornblower is so far the one I've liked the least. It's not too eventful until the end. I think it was meant to show Hornblower in new situations (not just another battle, he spends most of the book hiding in France) to highlight additional facets of his personality. Kudos for trying to develop the character better but I can't say I learned much new about him. Still, worth reading if you like the series.
I have given this book a 4 but it was close to a 3. For me, a 5 is a book that 1) I would recommend to others regardless of whether they read the genre and 2) will most likely reread again in the near future. A 4 is one that 1) I'd recommend if they like the genre and 2) may read again. A 3 I liked but probably would never reread, a 2 was just ok, and a 1 was a waste of time.
Heartwrenching and warming.......2004-12-07
This is generally high up on most HH fans' favorites list. And there's no wonder why. For the first time, our heroic Hornblower has failed and lost his ship---which back then, was worse than death for the captain---it's a personal book with Hornblower worrying about his actions and the consequences to them. In addition, the care and attention he shows to Bush is heartwarming, his concern for his future and promise, "I'll make you a captain if it's the last thing I do." This book really put into perspective the fact that while Hornblower may not view Bush as the smartest of men, he IS his best friend. The affair with Marie also can pull a few internal strings, the devotion Marie has for this man and her haunting, "You're a man women can fall in love with." (attempting to get the quote right.)
A must-read. The pivot of the series.
dull episode in series.......2004-09-01
The premise of the book leaves Hornblower without a ship and defeat in the hands of French forces. He is to be sent to French for trial and execution. This book wasn't as entertaining as previous books in the series. The misery is still a recurring theme in Forester's books and the author also toys with Hornblower's torn feelings between two women in England as well as another he runs into in France. Hornblower worries about Bush, his court martial, his wife, Lady Barbara, his unborn child which served as the tension in the story. This really didn't serve the book in making it exciting yet in series like this you'll get a book that serves as a transition from one book to the other. The story felt like this kind of book. This book was trying to get Hornblower from the battle in the previous book back to London for the next book. This book had no plot really of the ongoing battle between France and Britain where one side was trying to outwit the other nor tension between characters the way "Midshipman" or "Lieutenant" did. Considering how Forester wrote the books out of sequence it's probably understandable to have a book like this in order to complete the picture of Hornblower's career. So Forester shouldn't be blamed for the lack of plot. The book on its own isn't that great yet necessary in order to maintain continuity of the series.
Escape, daring do, and knigthood........2004-02-27
Flying colors begins where Ship of the Line left off. Hornblower is in a Spanish prison in Rosas after sacrificing his ship Sutherland by attacking and destroying an enemy fleet. Along with his loyal lieutenant Bush and his servant Brown, Hornblower is soon loaded on a carriage for the trip to Paris where he is to be hanged as a public display by Napoleon. But of course it's hard to hang a man when the author is on his side. The carriage breaks down in a snowstorm and as luck would have it there is a river and a boat nearby. Always a man of action Hornblower makes his escape and stumbles into the home of a left over royal sympathizer who helps his party to hide until spring when they can make their way down river and escape. In the French port, Hornblower assumes the identity of a Dutch officer, commandeers a captured English cutter, Witch of Endor, and a crew of slave laborers to sail out of the harbor under French noses. Despite his constant self doubt he returns triumphantly to England where he finds out that during his absence his wife died, his beloved Barbara's husband died, and instead of losing his rank for losing his ship he is knighted to the order of the bath for heroism (and politics). The detail of ships and sailing in the early 19th century make the Hornblower series must reading for any man who loves the sea.
Book Description
On December 26, 1985, at a secluded cabin in upstate New York, Whitley Strieber went siding with his wife and son, ate Christmas dinner leftovers, and went to bed early.
Six hours later, he found himself suddenly awake...and forever changed.
Thus begins the most astonishing true-life odyssey ever recorded -- one man's riveting account of his extraordinary experiences with visitors from"elsewhere"... how they found him, where they took him, what they did to him and why...
Believe it. Or don't believe it. But read it -- for this gripping story will move you like no other... will fascinate you, terrify you, and alter the way you experience your world.
Customer Reviews:
READER BEWARE!.......2007-06-10
Mr. Strieber's experiences, are just one more proof that satanic and alien encounters are undoubtedly connected. My former background in occultic dabblings resulted in pretty much similar experiences. If you think this book is evidence of beings from other worlds, evidence of "Grays" and other alien races, I warn; don't be deceived! There is only one source and it's definitely demonic.
From my many years of research, having read the UFO literature for decades, along with occult material. And having personally experienced numerous supernatural attacks from the evil side of the spirit realm, I know from whence I speak. It's all a part of Satan's plan to lead this world into great deception before its doom. Think I'm a fanatical Christian? Remember I've studied and lived all of this. Have you? Funny how so many consider Satan a character of myth and fantasy, but are perfectly willing to blindly accept a belief in beings visiting us from other worlds, and the supernatural events that accompany them. Though I do believe God created other inhabited worlds in His vast universe, the Bible only mentions one as ever having fallen under the spell of sin. None but our very own planet earth. Unfallen worlds would not be capable of the cruel and frightening experiments, so prominent in the world of "alien close encounters".
You've been lovingly warned dear ones.
This book is overrated!.......2007-03-28
I bought this book because it's popular and widely known and it's NEW YORK's bestseller...BUT after reading it, i have to say it is highly overrated. It's cool reading about his hypnosis on the abduction but then he went on and on talking about his life and some other craps that have nothing to do w/ the case. Stick w/ the main story and stop going off the wrong way!! I am not interested in your life...i bought the book to read about the ufo abduction not your life or your nonsense lengthy opinion. This guy don't have enough interesting thing to say about the case, so he fill it in w/ his thought about his life...which is hella boring. If you're interested in a UFO's abduction case, read Raymond Fowler's 5 books of the Betty Andreasson. Compare Fowler's books to Communion is like night and day, not even close. In a scale of 1 to 10, Communion is at a low 2 while Raymond Fowler's books are at at high 9 or 10.
bad cover, worse content.......2007-02-01
I mistakenly bought this book due to the comments and what I had heard about Whitley in an UFO documentary. There may be some kind of extraterrestrial life(a small particle or cell, not Whitley's alien friends) but, what this book tells are nonsense. What kind of sane people may believe all of this rubbish? We almost can't assure the existence of water outside the Earth after many years of investigation and this man tells a story about ET relatives appearing and disappearing almost daily in Earth.
Despite its lack of usefulness I have learned something from this book: there is a worrying amount of people who seem to belong to the same group of "blind believers". People who need some evidence in order to believe seem to be a nearly to extinction race.
I enjoy with somo UFO documentaries but this book is the worst UFO-related story I have ever seen.
cool cover; stinky book.......2006-08-31
I'm sure the author of this book is a really nice guy and I have nothing personal against anyone who believes in UFOs.
With that being said now, this book is sloppy, VERY poorly written and the author paints a valid case that he is seriously looney in the noodle.
I really like the painting on the cover though so I deleted my last scorching review in which I wrote that this book is a waste of time. Technically it's not a waste of time... one can look at the awesome jacket cover and imagine a story better than anything that rots in the yellowing pulp behind it.
Yes and no.......2006-02-08
The book in itself was very pleasant to read. I enjoyed every minute of it, however i think that Strieber sometimes exagerates deeply which undermines the truthfulness of his story. As soon as you start believing him, a deeply exagerated fact comes up (such as when he describes himself flying across the bedroom) and then you kinda loose interest.
However, even though it might all be in his head, it is a good book to read!
I give it four stars!
Book Description
Originally published in 1973, the ground-breaking, uninhibited story of Isadora Wing and her desire to fly free caused a national sensation-and sold more than twelve million copies. Now, after thirty years, the iconic novel still stands as a timeless tale of self-discovery, liberation, and womanhood.
Originally published in 1973, this uninhibited story of Isadora Wing was a national sensation: fueling fantasies, igniting debates, and even introducing a notorious new phrase to the English language. In The New York Times, Henry Miller compared it to his own classic Tropic of Cancer, predicting, "This book will make literary history, that because of it women are going to find their own voice and give us great sagas of sex, life, joy, and adventure." It went on to sell more than twelve million copies. Today, Fear of Flying is a classic--a timeless tale of self-discovery, liberation, and womanhood.
Customer Reviews:
fear of flying.......2007-10-11
Great book I love it. I want to thank the seller for the timely and prompt delivery of this product.
Classic.......2007-07-16
I've read most of Erica Jong's work, poetry included, and simply adore it all. This one in particular is my first-read, and personal favorite. I've read Fear of Flying atleast three times in the last ten years, and continue to recommend it to female friends with a bent toward the literary. Critics sometimes compare Erica Jong to Anais Nin, which I find unfair; the two authors do not belong in the same genre. I find Jong's writing much more sophisticated, entertaining, imaginative, and interesting. She speaks to the heart and soul of modern, literate women, as Fear of Flying proves resoundingly. It truly is a contemporary classic.
much better than Sex in the City in describing real relationships and the complexity of being a woman in the wake of Feminism.......2006-06-21
Erica Jong really accurately describes the complexity of relationships, desire, love, dependence and freedom. Even though this book is seen as a symbol of the women's liberation movement in the 70s (which is before I was born), it's not at all out of date.
I read Fear of Flying straight though, looking for the answers to the most difficult questions: how do I remain independent without just being lonely? how can we control love, others, and ourselves? what makes a relationship work? where does sex come into the equation? what's love got to do with it? and what do you do when a relationship is pretty darn good but not perfect?
The book doesn't have an answer key, and doesn't try to simplify what is inherently complex. Instead it is vividly real, and sticks with you long after you're done reading it.
Just one woman's experience.......2006-06-16
"Fear of Flying" by Erica Jong has been praised for its air of liberation and liberating it may be--for some women. I find it hard to relate to a woman who today would most likely be on the highest dosage of Prozac. At the same time however, the book does explore themes such as fear, guilt, freedom and love in a way that I believe all women can relate to. As for liberating, if you need to hear a tale about some crazed writer, her fears, her angst and her mis-judgments to feel liberated, then this is a great book for you.
Erica's use of symbolism and stream of consciousness is masterful. The book is entertaining and well written but in the end it is just one woman's crazy experience. And if that crazy experience provides the inspiration that some women need to "break free" from their socialized behaviors, so be it.
Fear of Flying: Fear of Life.......2006-04-29
This book was being gestated before I was, yet its messages still ring true. Women are still struggling with the search for the love, what it means to be a "good" woman, what it means to be a woman at all. Writers (aka: me) still struggle with the urge to write, the fear to write, the fear of failure, the search for self. Part rant, part story, part stream of consciousness, the sentiments/fears/etc. in this book hit very close to home, yet do give a hint of hope - we can find our way through the wilderness of life, and it's worth the living.
Book Description
“HEAVEN HELP THE SAILOR ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS.”
–old folk prayer
In late December 1951, laden with passengers and nearly forty metric tons of cargo, the freighter S.S. Flying Enterprise steamed westward from Europe toward America. A few days into the voyage, she hit the eye of a ferocious storm. Force 12 winds tossed men about like playthings and turned drops of freezing Atlantic foam into icy missiles. When, in the space of twenty-eight hours, the ship was slammed by two rogue waves–solid walls of water more than sixty feet high–the impacts cracked the decks and hull almost down to the waterline, threw the vessel over on her side, and thrust all on board into terror.
Flying Enterprise’s captain, Kurt Carlsen, a seaman of rare ability and valor, mustered all hands to patch the cracks and then try to right the ship. When these efforts came to naught, he helped transfer, across waves forty feet high, the passengers and the entire crew to lifeboats sent from nearby ships. Then, for reasons both professional and intensely personal, and to the amazement of the world, Carlsen defied all requests and entreaties to abandon ship. Instead, for the next two weeks, he fought to bring Flying Enterprise and her cargo to port. His heroic endeavor became the world’s biggest news.
In a narrative as dramatic as the ocean’s fury, acclaimed bestselling author Frank Delaney tells, for the first time, the full story of this unmatched bravery and endurance at sea. We meet the devoted family whose well-being and safety impelled Carlsen to stay with his ship. And we read of Flying Enterprise’s buccaneering owner, the fearless and unorthodox Hans Isbrandtsen, who played a crucial role in Kurt Carlsen’s fate.
Drawing on historical documents and contemporary accounts and on exclusive interviews with Carlsen’s family, Delaney opens a window into the world of the merchant marine. With deep affection–and respect–for the weather and all that goes with it, he places us in the heart of the storm, a “biblical tempest” of unimaginable power. He illuminates the bravery and ingenuity of Carlsen and the extraordinary courage that the thirty-seven-year-old captain inspired in his stalwart crew. This is a gripping, absorbing narrative that highlights one man’s outstanding fortitude and heroic sense of duty.
“One of the great sea stories of the twentieth century… [a] surefire nautical crowd-pleaser.”
--Booklist é (starred review)
“Frank Delaney has written a completely absorbing, thrilling and inspirational account of a disaster at sea that occasioned heroism of the first order. In the hands of a gifted storyteller,
the ‘simple courage’ of the ship’s captain and the young radio man who risked their lives to bring a mortally wounded ship to port reveals the essence and power of all true courage–
a stubborn devotion to the things we love.”
–Senator John McCain
Customer Reviews:
A hero in everybody else's mind.......2007-06-19
I was a child of 7 at the end of 1951, and vividly recall going to the Saturday flicks and watching the MovieTone newsreel footage (voiceovers by Ed Herlihy)of the Flying Enterprise in her ongoing struggle to remain afloat. It was the most gripping drama of that era, and the Captain was rightly lionized for his perverse determination to stay with the ship and bring her to port.
At the time, his devotion was seen largely as a blind commitment to duty and obligation, and few commentators ever seriously made the case that abandoning ship would make the Enterprise fair game for marine salvage companies.
So, the tale is well-told, with solid pacing and few digressions into irrelevancies. The things that really were missing from the book, given the saturation photographic and media coverage of the event when it happened, are (1) a cross-sectional diagram of the ship showing how it was loaded, hold by hold, (2) drawings of how the split-hull repair was made and (3) a good collection of photos of the wreck in distress. The omission of these photos is sad, considering that the struggle was filmed for days and the author has only seen fit to include some gray-tone renderings as cover sheets for each section.
excellent reading. The cruel sea........2007-01-16
As a sailor and someone who has great respect for the sea I have recommended this book to my Friends and also given away copies to family, whom I would like to read this book and get the experience though the book.
The sea can be Cruel and wonderful at different times, I love the Ocean but at the same time Respect it for what it can do. The book leaves you wondering how things could have been done differently and perhaps there was other reasons for what took place, the book leaves you thinking, which is good, I can highly recommend this book.
Hans Andersen.
Don't Read This Great Sea Story - LISTEN INSTEAD.......2006-10-19
I listened to the CD version of Simple Courage. Other reviewers have deducted marks for the book's length and author's personal narrative. None of that mars the audio version. LISTEN to the CD. It's been expertly abridged by Kristin Lesko into a tight, taut, compelling story. Frank Delaney is an absolutely OUTSTANDING reader/narrator (a long prior career at the BBC probably helped). I begrudged every moment it took to eject the finished CDs and spin up the new ones.
Uses historical documents and modern accounts to spice true adventure........2006-10-15
Frank Delaney's SIMPLE COURAGE: A TRUE STORY OF PERIL ON THE SEA tells of a 1951 ship laden with passengers and tons of cargo heading from Europe to America which faced huge waves which about destroyed her. Her captain fought to bring her cargo and passengers safely to port: his courageous story is told on audio for the first time, and uses historical documents and modern accounts to spice true adventure.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Captain Courageous.......2006-08-31
The world has not long remembered Captain Henrik Kurt Carlsen, but in 1952 he was deservedly one of the most famous men in the world, "The Man of the Year" according to Life magazine and plenty of other listmakers. Frank Delaney, an Irish writer, was nine years old at the time, and one of the connections he had with his difficult father while growing up in Ireland was sharing the world's fascination with Carlsen's peril at sea. Delaney remembers his father uncharacteristically summoning the family to the radio: "There is an incident happening at sea." An incident, indeed, and one that stuck with Delaney for years, finally flowering into the grand account _Simple Courage: A True Story of Peril on the Sea_ (Random House). Delaney's personal interest in the story, as part of his own family's lore, is told in episodes through the book, illustrating how all the world over people were waiting to hear of the fate of Carlsen as he clung to his sinking vessel, so it helps us understand what a sensation the story was at the time. Delaney's book brings the sensation back for our own time.
For the voyage of _Flying Enterprise_ at the end of 1951, she had picked up passengers and cargo in various European docks, and was headed to the United States. The master of the ship was Captain Carlsen, a 37-year-old Danish-born American who had two decades of seagoing experience, including 43 Atlantic crossings. He was an impeccable sailor and captain. He had no pretense; everyone who knew him said that he was exactly the sort of straight-arrow he seemed to be. The ship had the ill fortune to be hit not by one but two rogue waves, the first cracking the hull and the second giving it a sixty degree list which shifted the cargo so that she could not right herself. Eventually there were ships that came to the rescue, and although one passenger died in the transfer, all the rest of the crew and passengers jumped, often heroically, into the raging and frigid waters to be dragged to safety. Carlsen ordered everyone off, including those that volunteered to continue to try to save the ship, and then began a solitary stay on the vessel, attempting to find food or a dry place in which to wedge mattresses so he could catch some sleep. A seagoing hero in peril was a great story, and the press ran with it, ensuring that even Delaney's isolated family knew of "Stay-Put Carlsen" or "Captain Courageous." There were those who thought there must be some hidden motive to keep Carlsen aboard in such atrocious conditions, but the truth is, as the title of the book implies, simple: Carlsen knew his duty, he loved his ship, and until there was no hope, he was not leaving.
This was the biggest one-man heroism story since Lindbergh. He was honored on his return to England, and when he got to New York, he was given a ticker tape parade. He refused to cash in on his fame; even while he was awaiting rescue, a beer tycoon had arranged for a packet to be dropped to him offering him $30,000 to endorse a particular brew. He declined an appearance on _The Ed Sullivan Show_. He was quickly put back at work for his shipping line, and was a hero to all, except for himself. For one thing, he never understood why people would get so worked up over a man who was simply carrying out his duty; for another, he felt a deep personal shame that he had become a captain who had lost a ship. It is a true touch of tragedy within a spellbinding tale of a hero pitted against the vicious sea.
Book Description
Felix is back in a brand new adventure! If Sophie hadn't bought the old book of fairy tales with the story of the flying suitcase, this never would have ahppended! Because that story gave Felix the idea of flying off in his suitcase in the middle of the night on another amazing adventure. Felix's flying suitcase adventure takes him from Dracula's castle in deepest Romania to the Taj Mahal in India, to the Great Wall of China and even to the pyramids of Mexico! Like all the books in the bestselling innovative series, Felix's stories are told in letters, tucked into real envelopes, that tell funny, informative stories and teach children all sorts of interesting things about the world they live in.
Customer Reviews:
Felix and The Flying Suitcase - Great Book.......2004-03-14
My 6 yr old daughter recieved this book as a Christmas present. This has to be one of the most wonderful children's books I have read. The book is about a little girl who's rabbit(Felix)travels all over the world and then returns home on her birthday. My daughter and I have had great fun reading about the many places Felix has visited. She has also written her own letters back to Felix and is now keeping track of when the letters should arrive(by the date on the envelope). It has taught her many new things. She mostly enjoys opening the letters that Felix sent home.I would reccomend this book to anyone. We can't wait to find the other Felix books.
Average customer rating:
- Spellbinding
- Not a great read
- Almost unbelievably bad
- Whimsy and Magic
- Save Your Money
|
Propeller One-Way Night Coach: A Story
John Travolta
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
| Baby-3
| Ages 4-8
| Ages 9-12
| Audiobooks
| Animals
| Arts & Music
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Computers
| Educational
| History & Historical Fiction
| Issues
| Literature
| Obsessions
| People & Places
| Popular Characters
| Reference & Nonfiction
| Religions
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Series
| Sports & Activities
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Children's Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
John Travolta: King of Cool
ASIN: 0446522570 |
Customer Reviews:
Spellbinding.......2006-03-17
I am a big fan of this book. After all since 1983, John's appeared in Be Cool, Ladder 49, The Punisher, Basic, Domestic Disturbance, Swordfish, Lucky Numbers, Battlefield Earth, The General's Daughter, A Civil Action, Mad City, Face/Off, Michael, White Man's Burden, Broken Arrow, Shout, the Look Who's Talking franchise, The Experts, Perfect, Staying Alive and Two of a Kind-- so it's about time he did ANYTHING that his adoring public could find even the tiniest shred of his talent in -- Get Shorty and Pulp Fiction notwithstanding. I would urge Mr. Travolta to get a new agent.
Not a great read.......2003-05-06
I know it wasn't initally meant to be published as a mass-market novel, but that doesn't really excuse the fact that it isn't very good when it does reach the bookstore shelves. Short and poorly written, this story follows an 8 year old boy on his first plane trip. He is excited as this is his life-long dream - to fly in a plane. We also see a disturbing view of his mother who doesn't seem to be a model parent.
Overall, it was boring but blessedly short. A good actor Mr. Travolta may be, but an author he is not!
Almost unbelievably bad.......2002-10-02
Oh, my.
I knew I was in trouble when the author opened this book with a preening, excited section about how he wrote the book: How the idea came to him, how he spent many nights in the glorious process of writing, how all his friends just loved the editions he had printed up just for them.
Well... I'm sure when total strangers come up to you on the street and tell you how wonderful you are, when you have a large staff whose only purpose is to serve and please you, and when you are, sadly, a good ways down the hill on the left side of the bell curve, you might just think you can actually write.
Travolta can't. I feel sorry for the guy, he obviously put a lot of time and thought into this book. But it's just awful -- saccharine, cliched, repetitive, and worst of all, boring. There's just no story. A little kid rides a planes and likes it. The attempts at making it seem magical and enchanting are forced and poorly done.
And finally, horribly, worst of all: Travolta reads it himself, the entire thing, in what he imagines is the eager voice of a young boy. I still shudder thinking about it.
Whimsy and Magic.......2002-01-07
A refreshing and delightful tale of a young boy mesmerized at the prospect of airplanes and the wonder and possibilities within. In 1962, at the age of 8, he finally gets the opportunity to live this dream and board one of these silver creatures of the skies. His rather amazing mother chooses to go from Newark to Los Angeles, via the Propeller One-Way Night Coach, which leaves at 9 p.m. with stops in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Des Moines, Denver and Las Vegas, arriving in Los Angeles at 3 p.m. Due to an unexpected snowstorm and other twists and turns, the flight actually takes them much longer - with everything sparkling with magic and newness and wonder - and some truly amazing people along the way. Written as a children's story, I know of several little boys who will probably wear this book out.
Save Your Money.......2000-04-04
This book is so poorly written it should never have left the editors desk without being covered with red ink. John Travolta is a wonderful actor, but would benefit greatly from lessons if he should want to continue his "writing" career.
Amazon.com
When John Halliday arrived at Thailand's Nakhon Phanom Air Base in 1970, he thought the next year would bore him out of his skull. He believed his mission in the Vietnam War would be to fly cargo around Thailand. What could be easier? A couple of nights later, Halliday found himself dodging dozens of anti-aircraft shells in an aging cargo plane over the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Flying Through Midnight is his riveting account of his top-secret black-ops assignment--one of the most dangerous of the war.
Halliday flew slow propeller-driven relics at night deep into guerrilla territory in the "unofficial" war in Laos. His task with the 606th Special Operations Squadron was to help pinpoint guerrilla truck convoys for U.S. planes to bomb. Meanwhile, President Richard Nixon denied U.S. forces were fighting in Laos. Halliday wasn't even supposed to tell his wife what he was doing. His mail and phone calls were monitored, and soon he went from being a jittery FNG ("f---ing new guy") to a decorated war hero who logged 800 combat flight hours in Vietnam and the Gulf War. He was awarded the Air Force's Distinguished Flying Cross for one particularly amazing feat of bravery--a nighttime crash-landing on an unlit airstrip amid soaring mountains, which saved his crew. Flying Through Midnight does a remarkable job bringing to life Halliday's dramatic combat experiences, the foibles of his superiors, the brutalities of war, and the colorful quirks of his fellow flyboys, including his roommate whose favorite hobby was reading canned-food labels. There's not much here about the deeper rationale of the Vietnam War, but it's a gripping read. --Alex Roslin
Book Description
Riveting, novelistic, and startlingly candid, John T. Halliday's combat memoir begins in 1970, when Halliday has just landed in the middle of the Vietnam War, primed to begin his assignment with the 606th Special Operations Squadron. But there's a catch: He's stationed in a kind of no-man's-land. No one on his base flies with ID, patches, or rank. Even as Richard Nixon firmly denies reporters' charges that the United States has forces in Laos, Halliday realizes that from his base in Thailand, he will be flying top-secret, black-ops night missions over the Laotian Ho Chi Minh Trail.
A naive yet thoughtful twenty-four-year-old, Halliday was utterly unprepared for the horrors of war. On his first mission, Halliday's C-123 aircraft dodges more than a thousand antiaircraft shells, and that is just the beginning. Nothing is as he expected -- not the operations, not the way his shell-shocked fellow pilots look and act, and certainly not the squadron's daredevil, seat-of-one's-pants approach to piloting. But before long, Halliday has become one of those seasoned and shell-shocked pilots, and finds himself in a desperate search for a way to elude certain death.
Using frank, true-to-life dialogue, potent imagery, and classic 1970s song lyrics, Halliday deftly describes the fraught Laotian skies and re-creates his struggle to navigate the frustrating Air Force bureaucracy, the deprivations of a remote base far from home and his young wife, and his fight to preserve his sanity. The resulting nonfiction narrative vividly captures not only the intricate, distorted culture of war but also the essence of the Vietnam veteran's experience of this troubled era.
A powerhouse fusion of pathos and humor, brutal realism and intimate reflection, Flying Through Midnight is a landmark contribution to war literature, revealing previously top-secret intelligence on the 606th's night missions. Fast-paced, thrilling, and bitingly intelligent, Halliday illuminates it all: the heart-pounding air battles, the close friendships, the crippling fear, and the astonishing final escape that made the telling of it possible.
Download Description
A powerhouse fusion of pathos and humor, brutal realism and intimate reflection, Flying Through Midnight is a landmark contribution to war literature, revealing previously top-secret intelligence on the 606th's night missions. Fast-paced, thrilling, and bitingly intelligent, Halliday illuminates it all: the heart-pounding air battles, the close friendships, the crippling fear, and the astonishing final escape that made the telling of it possible.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best books I have ever read.......2007-08-29
I have been reading aviation books since I was 10 years old. The first one was "God is My Copilot". This book rates at the very top. I read it for 5 hours straight. It is an amazing story, almost not believable. If you like aviation books, books about war, books about human failings and overcoming impossible situations, this is a book for you.
A Gripping Read.......2007-07-15
I read this book because a friend of mine wrote to me about it and picqued my interest in it. I'm glad he did.
I found the first part of the book somewhat disquieting as to what it was like to be twenty-four years old, an air force pilot and sent to the war in SE Asia and end up flying in the secret war in Laos, where the President of the United States said we were not fighting. (but that's another story)
Halliday is introduced to that aspect of warfare by a guy named Wiley, who over time indoctrinates him into what he has to know to both fly and survive. The plane they are flying is the C-123-J Provider. The airframe was initially intended to be a cargo glider, but over time it morphed into a twin engined troop transport and cargo hauler. The J model had jet engines added under the wings to give it extra boost when needed. Their mission, dubbed "Candlestick" is to provide illumination at night dropping flares over enemy troop convoys so that the "fast movers", F-4's and F-105's can come in and bomb the crap out of them.
There are numerous stories that Halliday tells wbout his coming of age as a pilot on these missions, however the one that starts at Chapter 31 and essentially carries through to the end of the book, is as gripping a recounting of flying and surviving as I have ever read.
I am aware that one of the reviews of this book by a reader claims it is fiction. However the other reviews, both by readers and writers do not make that claim and many of them have also been there. I believe Halliday and I thank him for taking the time to share this most remarkable story with us.
Been There...Done That.......2007-06-21
This book is virtually complete fiction. The author gives a hyper inflated description of his "heroic" deeds which is sickening to those of us who served in the same squadron at the same time he did. It's especially disturbing to see that some of his reader's actually buy his apocryphal meanderings. Very, very little of his descriptions of the hazards involved in the Candle Stick mission are true. What makes a person write a make believe tale of their own false heroism?
ONE OF THE BEST WAR BOOKS EVER.......2007-04-17
I have been reading non-fiction war books since I was about 10 years old and this is one of the best I have ever read. As a flyer in my younger days the author made me relive the feelings of being free. This book also tells it like it was in the secret war in Laos and Cambodia when they were asked to do so much with so little and under the type of leaders above them who cared only about their next step up the ladder. J.T makes you laugh, cry, and shake your head in disgust throughout the book. The self thoughts as he is trying to get down with zero fuel is better than any suspense drama ever written. If you have any interest in flying and the war in South East Asia, read this book, You will not be sorry. Thanks J.T for one of the greatest reads of my life. BY the way, I am 76 years old,with a collection of over 300 non-fiction mmpb war books. I have read about 2 times that many more. Happy reading. PS. I hope Mr. Halliday writes another one as I love his style.It keeps you on the edge of your seat.
authentic.......2007-04-06
Very much enjoyed this title, myself, but the acid test was when I handed it to a friend to read who had ACTUALLY BEEN to some of the places cited (at very close to the same time). His mouth locked into perpetual smile mode and every minute or so (at least during the first couple of chapters) he laughed out loud, saying, "Yeah, it was exactly like that. We had a guy in our unit who..."
Average customer rating:
- A story, a little history and a treat to the readers eyes!
- Simple, colorful, and like a kite.. surprising in direction
- High-flying fun
|
Kite Flying
Grace Lin
Manufacturer: Dragonfly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Family Life
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Asian & Asian American
| Multicultural Stories
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Personal Hygiene
| Health
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sports
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Miscellaneous
| Sports
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Picture Books
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Children's Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Picture Books
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Family Life
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Asian & Asian American
| Multicultural Stories
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Personal Hygiene
| Health
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Sports
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Fiction
| Miscellaneous
| Sports
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Dim Sum for Everyone!
-
Fortune Cookie Fortunes
-
The Ugly Vegetables
-
Red is a Dragon
-
Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes
ASIN: 0553112546
Release Date: 2004-05-11 |
Book Description
The family from Dim Sum for Everyone! is back for a new outing– building and flying their own kite!
The wind is blowing. It is a good day for kites! The whole family makes a trip to the local craft store for paper, glue, and paint. Everyone has a job: Ma-Ma joins sticks together. Ba-Ba glues paper. Mei-Mei cuts whiskers while Jie-Jie paints a laughing mouth. Dragon eyes are added and then everyone attaches the final touch . . . a noisemaker! Now their dragon kite is ready to fly.
Kite Flying celebrates the Chinese tradition of kite making and kite flying and lovingly depicts a family bonded by this ancient and modern pleasure.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
A story, a little history and a treat to the readers eyes!.......2004-11-08
I like that this book starts as soon as you open the book.. not 3 pages later! On the inside cover with items one might use to make a kite. The next page shows the narrator and her family at the store picking out these items on a beautiful windy day made for kite flying!
I like that Grace Lin uses the Chinese names for each of family members Baba- dad, Mei Mei - little sister, Jie-Jie older sister and everyone know who Ma-Ma is! Each page is a visual treat for the readers eyes.
Once the story ends, the book doesn't end there Grace tells the readers a brief history of kites and how the Chinese thought that kites could carry away their bad luck & talk to the spirits in the sky. Kites where also in the shapes that the person flying it wished to possess. The author shares that a dragon kite symbolizes power, widom and wealth. She also talks China's annual kite-flying day the double 9 festival and how kite flying spread through out the world. Turn the page, this book continues on showing the reader different types of kites in all sorta of animals and what they stand for!
I also love that when read the little blurp about the author she talks of flying kites with her family and that her favorite kite was a store bought kite called King Kong and how that one day while flying broke free and that Grace still wonders if it's still up there in the sky somewhere flying! I hope she's right!
Simple, colorful, and like a kite.. surprising in direction.......2002-12-18
Grace Lin's pages are filled with spirograph-like swirls, bright patterns, bold colors, and even more colors. The inside cover is filled with drawings of the tools needed to make a kite (paper, scissors, paint, glue, etc), while the back inside cover is filled with the meanings attributed to the types of kites you fly (dragons for wisdom, dragonflies for Summer, butterflies for love, fish for abundance, taods for long life, etc). The whole family is involved in making the feng zheng kite, and then they ascend a hill to fly it with other families. She closes the book by asking the reader to imagine what people's kites are saying about their wishes and desires.
High-flying fun.......2002-09-13
In "Kite Flying," by Grace Lin, a family makes a dragon kite together and then takes it out for a flight. It's a simple story that effectively combines brightly colored illustrations with an easy-to-read text. Sample text: "It is a good day for kites." It's an enjoyable story that is also a positive portrayal of a family at work on a project together.
At the end of the book is a short supplemental article which describes the history of kite flying and discusses some Chinese traditions related to this activity. There is also an illustrated gallery of various animal kites: butterfly, crab, fish, etc.
Book Description
There were no spaceships or airplanes when Zoro was a boy. He lived in Italy during the era we now call the Renaissance, a time when the sky belonged to the birds. But one unusual man dreamed of incredible flying machines. "One day, Zoro," he told his pupil, "people will sail through the clouds and look down at the world below." Zoro was curious. He knew that his teacher did more than merely dream about the future, but was an important artist and inventor. Then Zoro made an astonishing discovery. His teacher was building a mysterious machine. A machine intended to fly! Here begins a fascinating story based on a true event, for Zoro's master was the famous artist and inventor, Leonardo da Vinci. Full-color illustrations throughout this beautiful book include reproductions of some of Leonardo's famous artworks.
Customer Reviews:
L..Anholt continues to charm and inspire with Leonardo's Flying Boy.......2006-08-12
Laurence Anholt's series of famous artists always delights my art students with its wonderful drawings, lovely stories, and on target knowledge of art history. Great job.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect!.......2007-10-01
This is a book that my Grandpa used to read to me as a child every time I went to visit him. It brings back great memories and I couldn't wait to share it with my kids. I also bought one for him as a Christmas present, as I have found that his copy has gone missing. LOVE THIS BOOK! - Also, came very fast in perfect condition!
Favorite childrens' book.......2006-04-21
This was my favorite childrens book growing up. Years later, when I had my first child, we searched high and low for a copy. This book must come back into print.
Inventive Fun.......2003-02-18
This delightful story consistently brings instant smiles to the faces of young children. Jolly Rodger Bradfield's masterful storytelling ability captures the undivided attention of listeners/readers. Over my past 33 years as an educator, I have shared this book with literally thousands of children. The response is always the same, joy!
The Flying Hockey Stick my all time favorite childrens story.......2000-09-07
If you ever wanted to read a remarkable book that will entise your imagination. This is the book. I remember reading this book every evening as a child. Barnaby Jones and his adventure always made my mind wonder and made me think of what I could invent. If your looking to make your child's creativity shine through then this is the book for you.
The best book!.......2000-03-04
I read this book along with Benjamin Dilley's Thirsty Camel and Pickel Chiffon Pie when I was little. These are the best kids books and promote imagination and fun. I would recommend these to any parent for their child. You can't go wrong with these books!
Books:
- Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
- Give Me Your Hand: Traditional and Practical Guidance on Visiting the Sick
- Going Home: Unfinished Business/ Island of Flowers/ Mind Over Matter
- Harry Houdini (DK Biography)
- Hell's Angels: Into the Abyss
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- Houses, Villas, and Palaces in the Roman World
- How to Win Friends & Influence People
- Human Biology: Concepts and Current Issues with InterActive Physiology for Human Biology CD-ROM (3rd Edition) (The Human Biology Place Series)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Short-Term Missions: From Mision Tourists to Global Citizens
- Encyclopedia of Matchbox Toys
- The United States and Canada: The Quest for Free Trade an Examination of Selected Issues
- War and Change in World Politics
- Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace: Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom
- History: Fiction or Science
- City River of Voices
- The Complete and Easy Guide to Social Security, Healthcare Rights, and Government Benefits
- Wiley Gaap 2002 for Windows: Interpretation and Application of Generally Accepted Accounting Princip
- A Tidewater Morning
Ship of the Line (Hornblower Saga)
Commodore Hornblower (Hornblower, 9)
Hornblower : Beat to Quarters
Lord Hornblower (Hornblower Saga)
Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies (Hornblower Saga)
