From the First World War's Zeppelins to the Second World War's large bombers, military aircraft were vulnerable to fast, manoeuvrable interceptors. To address this, fighter escorts were used, but their limited range often left bombers exposed. A solution was the use of Composite aircraft, where larger bombers carried smaller, short-range fighters, which could be launched and retrieved as needed.Zeppelins, particularly vulnerable to interceptors, were ideal for this concept. During ...

Every week the TV news highlights the routine use of drones and guided missiles against terrorist enemies and the recreational use of drones has become commonplace. The Nazi WWII development of guided missiles and bombs is often given credit for America's Cold War success in this realm. However, it was during that war that America, and the Air Force, in particular, also began the development of systems and weapons that laid the foundation for today's technology.'Off Target' relates...

Details the development and deployment of Japan’s Ohka and Germany’s Reichenberg manned flying bombs during World War II.On 1 April 1945, US troops launched the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War on the heavily-defended island of Okinawa. Supporting the invasion, the USS West Virginia participated in the bombardment of entrenched Japanese defenders. That evening, a Japanese aircraft launched a Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka, a rocket-powered kamikaze plane. West Vi...

Marcus Aurelius Complete Works – World’s Best World's Best CollectionThis is the world’s best Marcus Aurelius collection, including the most complete set of Aurelius’s works available plus many free bonus materials.Marcus AureliusMarcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor from 161 to 180, known as one of the last of the Five Good Emperors, and is also considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers. His seminary work ‘Meditations’ ...

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is the ultimate look at the B-17’s iconic stablemate from its origins on the drawing board to its emergence as America’s preeminent blue-collar bomber. It chronicles the life of aviation legend Reuben Fleet, founder of Consolidated Aircraft, alongside the design evolution of one of his greatest creations. Some 19,000 Liberators were built between 1940 and 1945, primarily at Ford and Consolidated in the United States, and the aircraft remains the most mass-pr...

"For anyone interested in the B–24 and some of its more unusual applications, details that most books gloss over, and in some interesting tales of little-known aspects of the air war, this is certainly a book to read—and read closely." -The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation Despite being America's most produced bomber, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator has forever flown in the shadow of its more famous and glamorous B-17 rival. The workmanlike B-24 performed multiple unheralded ...

"… for the story of the early development of US military air transport and the Libertors that were its backbone, nobody has provided anything to match this book." -The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation With iconic images depicting it in the skies over Occupied Europe or the Far East, the B-24 Liberator is remembered for its part in the Allies' bombing campaigns during the Second World War. But there was another part to this famous four-engine aircraft – one that is less well k...

It's 1975. Don Vittorio Tucci, head of the Detroit mob, lies on his deathbed as his family and associates secretly jockey for power. Meanwhile, his grandson Bobby Tucci--just an ordinary college student and rock musi-cian, who until now has steered clear of the family business--is drawn into the middle of a power play among the don's hotheaded first lieutenant, his consigliere, and Bobby's own mother, who has designs on being the first woman to lead a major crime family.It seems sim...

William Wolfe Capes (1834-1914) was an Anglican cleric, a classicist, and a historian. This is his short chronicle of the early Roman Empire, from the aftermath of the murder of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.E. to the assassination of the tyrannical Domitian in 96 C.E.. Capes writes about the intervening emperors, including the notorious Caligula and Nero, and then devotes chapters to Roman citizenship, life in the provinces, trade, religion, the frontiers, and the army. (Pamela Nagami)

This short overview of the Roman Empire from AD 96-180 opens as the murderers of Domitian raise to power the wise old senator, Nerva. Ignoring assassination rumors, his successor, the brave soldier Trajan, "went about the streets almost unguarded" and was easy of access to all classes. He was followed by the brilliant, gay emperor, Hadrian, who "revised the imperial budget with the skill of a trained accountant." We meet the immortal Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor who spent his l...

A collection of poignant, romantic and funny tales performed by Academy Award-winning actor William Hurt. This collection includes a bonus track of an exclusive interview with William Hurt. Hurt's readings are thoughtful, tender, romantic, and resonant. A treasure.Stories in this set include:Aleksandar Hemon's "Blind Josef Pronek" - A Bosnian man struggles to make a new life in AmericaRichard Ford's "Communist" - A teenage boy's relationship to his single mo...

Most people had heard the stories going around about her past, but to look at her innocent and shy demeanor, it was easy to dismiss the rumors. The husbands only stole glances when their wives were not looking, just a peek up her shorts as she sat on the couch, or a look at the ample cleavage that she tried to hide.A few young men around town knew the truth about her. But she hid it all so very well behind that beautiful smile and the ocean blue eyes. She was almost angelic with th...