This is the story of a special breed of warrior, the fighter-bomber pilot; the story of valiant men who flew the F-105 Thunderchief ‘Thud’ Fighter-Bomber over the hostile skies of North Vietnam. The book is based on Broughton’s tour of duty between September 1966 and June 1967 as Vice Commander of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. The narrative is anecdotal in nature, a commentary of his observations of persons, aircraft, and events during his tour, more or less chronologically, but without dated references. Few individuals are identified by other than first or nicknames, but Broughton develops most as characters through descriptions of their career backgrounds. Broughton’s accounts of missions “up north” were enhanced in both accuracy and verisimilitude by verbatim transcriptions of radio transmissions he recorded using a small tape recorder mounted in the cockpit of his aircraft. In Thud Ridge Broughton is highly critical of the U.S. command structure directing air operations against North Vietnam. He blames micromanagement by the highest levels in Washington down to the Thirteenth Air Force, a command echelon based in the Philippines, for losses of men and aircraft that he characterizes as “astronomical” and “worthless”. He is particularly critical, however, of the “bomber mentality” management by generals who came up through the Strategic Air Command and then occupied key command slots in the war, which was being fought by pilots of the Tactical Air Command. The book came about when, at the completion of his tour of duty, Broughton and two of his pilots were court martialed by the USAF for allegedly conspiring to violate the rules of engagement regarding U.S. air operations. Although acquitted of the most serious charges, Broughton, who had been personally relieved of duty by Pacific Air Forcescommander Gen. John D. Ryan, was subsequently transferred to an obscure post in the Pentagon, allegedly as a vendetta because his punishment was so slight. Required by office protocol to work only two or three days a month, he used both his extra time and his bitterness at the Air Force to compose Thud Ridge while he awaited approval of an application to appeal of his conviction to the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records. After his conviction was overturned and expunged from his record because of “undue command influence”, Broughton retired from the Air Force in August 1968 and had the memoir published by J.B. Lippincott. The book appeared soon after as a Bantam paperback, with reprint editions in 1985, 2002, and 2006.

Katherine Sellers came to Owisden in the winter, to be the secretary-companion to Lydia Boland, one of the wealthiest women in the country. The job was an exciting challenge for Katherine, and a needed change from the events she'd sooner forget. And her new employer was a charming and gracious lady. If only all of the people of Owisden and the little mountain village that huddled against the estate for protection were so nice, Katherine's happiness would be assured. However, beneath the charm stirred other emotions, other forces. There was evil in that mountain valley, a brooding evil that worshipped at a dark altar... an altar that had been built for unspeakable sacrifice! And Katherine was marked from the moment she arrived - marked to die!

Carson Drew portends his teen-age detective daughter's future adventure when he says half-jokingly, "Nancy don't let any of the party thieves ruin your evening". The masquerade party at the Hendrick's mansion quickly turns into a mystery when Nancy and her favorite date, Ned Nickerson, spy a stranger about to climb the rose trellis to the second story. Who is this enigmatic man in the black cloak and the exotic woman in the Javenese costume? Are they members of the gang of wily thieves who sneak into parties given by wealthy people and steal jewels and art treasures? And why is the owner of the black velvet hooded mask that Ned finds in the Hendricks' garden so desperate to get it back?To find the answers Nancy and her friend George Fayne devise a daring plan. The two girls switch identities! George soon discovers that while it is exciting to play amateur detective it can be dangerous to masquerade as Nancy Drew.When a gang that uses parties as a cover for robberies victimizes a masquerade party Nancy is attending, the teenage detective switches identity with a friend to solve the case.

Danny is an orphan. He lives in Maimonides Home for Jewish Boys. Danny' 12 years old decides to run away to find a former orphan. He wants to save the home from being closed

Vicky and Stephen . . . find they have an inexplicable ability to see momentary flashes of the near future, most of which foretell all too clearly the developments of a very unpleasant plot. In the face of daunting scepticism, they persist in using their extra-sensory insight to track down the villains. This is an exciting and complex novel.

COULDN'T HE PRETEND...JUST A LITTLE?Laura had always been used to taking second place to her pretty younger sister, Joyce. If Joyce wanted something, she got it! It was, therefore, no surprise to Laura that when she fell in love with the attractive Dutch doctor Reilof van Meerum, he chose Joyce instead. But when Joyce walked out on him to marry another, richer man, Reilof asked her to marry him. He needed a wife, and Laura, it seemed, would do as well as anyone. So she accepted--but could she really expect to be happy with a man who did not love her?

This American classic has been corrected from the original manuscripts and indexed, featuring historic photographs and an extensive biographical afterword.

Japan in the 10th century stood physically and culturally isolated from the rest of the world. Inside this bubble, a subtle and beautiful world was in operation, and its inhabitants were tied to the moment, having no interest in the future and disdain for the past. In a small diary, a young courtesan of the Heian period gives her account of the Japanese courts of the day, providing perspective on a unique time in Japanese history. A contemporary of Murasaki Shikibu, the author of The Tale of Genji, Sei Sho-nagon's commentary brings an added dimension to that timeless and seminal work. In a place and time where poetry was as important as knowledge and beauty was highly revered, Sei Shonagon's private writings give the reader a charming and intimate glimpse into a time of isolated innocence and pale beauty.**

Amazon.com ReviewThis novel reveals more about the Battle of Gettysburg than any piece of learned nonfiction on the same subject. Michael Shaara's account of the three most important days of the Civil War features deft characterizations of all of the main actors, including Lee, Longstreet, Pickett, Buford, and Hancock. The most inspiring figure in the book, however, is Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, whose 20th Maine regiment of volunteers held the Union's left flank on the second day of the battle. This unit's bravery at Little Round Top helped turned the tide of the war against the rebels. There are also plenty of maps, which convey a complete sense of what happened July 1-3, 1863. Reading about the past is rarely so much fun as on these pages. From Library JournalThe late Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (1974) concerns the battle of Gettysburg and was the basis for the 1993 film Gettysburg. The events immediately before and during the battle are seen through the eyes of Confederate Generals Lee, Longstreet, and Armistead and Federal General Buford, Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain, and a host of others. The author's ability to convey the thoughts of men in war as well as their confusion-the so-called "fog of battle"-is outstanding. This unabridged version is read clearly by award-winning actor George Hearn, who gives each character a different voice and effectively conveys their personalities; chapters and beginnings and ends of sides are announced. Music from the movie version adds to the drama. All this comes in a beautiful package with a battle map. Recommended for public libraries not owning previous editions from Recorded Books and Blackstone Audio (Audio Reviews, LJ 2/1/92 and LJ 2/1/93, respectively).Michael T. Fein, Catawba Valley Community Coll., Hickory, N.C.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Tarl Cabot was a warrior of Gor-the world that earth could never see. Normally, he was a proud and mighty warrior. But now he was bound for Port Kar. The only city with no home stone to give it a heart. It was a city of reavers, and looters...of out casts with out allegiance. Merchants and Pirates stalked it's quays beside the beautiful sea of Thassa. Tarl Cabot was head for the sink hole of the planet, a teaming den of Iniquity. And that was no place for a honest warrior from far Ko-Ro-Ba. But he was no longer Tarl Cabot, the warrior. Now he was only bosk...a miserable slave.

This, unlike most of Margaret Irwin's books, is not an historical novel. It is a peep-show at recent times, so fantastically gay that this, our London, appears as the iridescent scene of a pantomime or holiday charade. What happened behind the door at which one had to knock four times? Many wildly incongruous happenings, but chiefly an attack on other doors, the 'everlasting doors' of Prince's Gate, Queen's Gate, Emperor's Gate, to make them open wide to the rash young adventurer Dicky who had once gatecrashed them, but was resolved to 'spurn Kensington, march on Mayfair,' and conquer both the New World and the Old. How Dicky fought his way to fortune, and how Celia fought hers to freedom from behind the Gates of Kensington, by knocking four times on Dicky's door, is told in this story, which dances along as irresponsibly as a soap bubble against its brilliantly realized background, shading from the raffish to the respectable. For all its laughter and absurd situations, it is...

Wine of the Dreamers, a classic science fiction novel from John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.They are the Watchers: pale laboratory creatures living in a remote, sealed-off world. Their game, their religion, their release is to dream, and their dreams carry across the galaxy to lodge in the minds of the inhabitants of another world: the planet Earth. But as the human race approaches a dream of their own—traveling beyond their own planet to other worlds—the Watchers step in. For escape from Earth is an impossible dream, one that the Watchers will go to any length to destroy. Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald“The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller.”—Stephen King“My favorite novelist of all time.”—Dean Koontz“To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen.”—Kurt Vonnegut“A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about the best.”—Mary Higgins Clark