A Bomber Command book with a difference. Rear Gunner Pathfinders is the story of the air war over Germany as seen from the small Perspex bubble of a 'Tail-End Charlie' rear gunner in a Lancaster. Flying firstly with 626 squadron, and later 156 Pathfinder squadron, Ron Smith flew 65 operations and recorded them with the intensity brought on by the isolation of being cocooned in his lonely gun turret.

"Your book is riveting. I haven't been able to put it down all day. I'm on page 95."-Chad, LaGrande, ORSomething or someone was visiting Ron in his high school hallway, three times. What was this presence, and why did he suddenly, overwhelmingly, want to go to the Philippines? Join Ron as he discovers his purpose and receives a God-given assignment that takes him on a wild eight-year ride overseas. Read about Ron's experience of singing with an angel choir ...

"Frikka Frog's Rainy Day Parade" is a delightful children's story about making the most out of unexpected rainy days. When a surprise storm arrives, Frikka Frog and her friends don't let the rain dampen their spirits. Instead, they turn puddles into playgrounds and embark on an imaginative adventure filled with laughter and joy.With themes of resilience, friendship, and creativity, this story highlights how the best days can come from the most unexpected m...

Many people are surprised to learn that the city of Amarillo was actually founded twice. Originally settled by J. T. Berry in April 1887 and known as Oneida, the site of the town was located on such low ground that many residents feared it was susceptible to flooding. In 1888, one concerned resident named Henry B. Sanborn began buying land a mile east of the site as a potential place to relocate the town. In 1889, the town's fears came to fruition when heavy rains flooded the original town...

“What is a stroke?” This is the question that plagues Ron Smith as he emerges from the carpet bombing of his brain. The Defiant Mind: Living Inside a Stroke is a first-person account of a massive ischemic stroke to the brain stem. Smith takes the reader inside the experience and shows how recuperation happens ― the challenges of communication, the barriers to treatment, the frustrations of being misunderstood and written off, the role of memory in recovering identity, the power of continui...

An autobiography of my love of the ocean and how my first contact in moving to a beach town was at 13 years old. From the beginning I was in love with the sand feeling, the smell of the ocean water and smell of the sand, the waves and boats. I always had boats through my lifetime (15 boats). I explored close islands and rivers first and then expanded to fishing 100 miles offshore and rivers/islands just as far away. Sleeping on my boat to explore the new land and people.Eventually ...

The acquisition and procurement of major weapons systems is fraught with difficulties. They tend to be delivered late, over budget and unable to meet requirements. This Element provides an economic analysis of why this happens. Market structure, demand by the military and supply by the arms firms, shapes the conduct of the agents and generates the poor performance observed. The military are trying to counter an evolving threat, subject to a budget constraint, high R&D costs and new technol...

The Cessna 172 is unquestionably the world's most successful light aircraft. More than 43,000 have been built since 1956, and the type is in service all over the world. For many, it defines the experience of cross-country flying with family and friends. This small volume traces the origins of the Cessna 172 and highlights the features that have made it so successful. Comprehensively illustrated, with many previously unpublished photographs, the book includes a close-up look at an individua...

This book describes the heritage and development of the entire Piper Cherokee family; its safety and ownership characteristics; internal and external details; and a range of special variants from STOL modifications and new engines to seaplanes and tailwheel conversions. The hugely successful Piper PA-28 was produced and sold as a direct competitor to the Cessna 172. Initially produced with a rectangular wing planform and fixed undercarriage, it was available with installed powers ranging f...

"Frikka Frog's Rainy Day Parade" is a delightful children's story about making the most out of unexpected rainy days. When a surprise storm arrives, Frikka Frog and her friends don’t let the rain dampen their spirits. Instead, they turn puddles into playgrounds and embark on an imaginative adventure filled with laughter and joy.With themes of resilience, friendship, and creativity, this story highlights how the best days can come from the most unexpected moments. Perfect for young ...

Moving effortlessly from Virginia to Italy and beyond, Ron Smith’s new volume responds with a range of emotions from humor to horror and with a variety of forms from the sonnet to visually expressive organic shapes. The book’s forty-three pieces gather themselves into three flights that hover above and touch down among the politics of memory and the psychology of beauty. With inspiration drawn from memoir, myth, history, fiction, and the visual arts, That Beauty in the Trees prese...

Chosen by WWII History magazine as one of the Best Books of the Year.In the dark days after Pearl Harbor, the small, illequipped arm of the Navy known as Submarine Force would stand between the shattered U.S. Pacific Fleet and the might of the Japanese Navy. Unfortunately, the spirit and courage of the Submarine Force is being forgotten as the veterans of that force pass into history.To preserve their heroic tales of war beneath the sea, critically...