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Black Lion One: TOPGUN Trailblazer Capt. John Monroe "Hawk" Smith in Command of VF-213
by Donald E. AutenAn exciting look at what it takes to command a US Navy Fighter Squadron. This historical biography of John Monroe “Hawk” Smith, Navy fighter pilot, is a gripping account of valor, sacrifice, and adventure during one of the most tumultuous periods in carrier aviation. Hawk, having completed a stunning tour as commanding officer of TOPGUN, received orders to a frontline F-14 Tomcat squadron—VF-213, the “Black Lions.” Hawk joined the Black Lions prior to their March 1979 deployment. Several critical factors portended to a most arduous workup period and deployment—there were issues lurking. But Hawk was a man who did not shy away from a challenge. Soon, the Lions would have opportunities to show their colors. These included the first-ever Fighter Derby at NAS Miramar, California—the “World Cup” for naval fighter squadrons, and Constant Peg, a highly classified “Black Program” that exposed aircrews to the capabilities of Soviet fighters. Aviation enthusiasts and historians will be captivated by the historical fidelity and descriptive air combat engagements, amused by the perpetual mirth of TACAIR aviators, and inspired by lessons of leadership that apply to all walks of life.
Black List: A Thriller (The Scot Harvath Series #11)
by Brad Thor#1 New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brad Thor returns with his most explosive thriller ever. Somewhere deep inside the United States government is a closely guarded list. Members of Congress never get to see it—only the President and a secret team of advisors. Once your name is on the list, it doesn&’t come off…until you&’re dead. Someone has just added counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath&’s name. Somehow Harvath must evade the teams dispatched to kill him long enough to untangle who has targeted him and why they want him out of the way. Somehow, somewhere, someone can put all the pieces together. The only question is, will Harvath get to that person before the United States suffers the most withering terrorist attack ever conceived?
Black Man in the White House (Black Man In The White House Ser.)
by E. Frederic MorrowBlack Man in the White House, first published in 1963, is the White House account of E. Frederic Morrow (1906-1994), the first African-American to serve on a Presidential staff in an executive position. During the 1950s, Morrow was a member of President Eisenhower’s inner circle of policy-makers, and the book, extracted from Morrow’s diaries, is a fascinating look at the Eisenhower administration and also of a country coming-to-grips with the about-to-explode problems of segregation and racial inequality.E. Frederic Morrow is the first African-American in history to have served on a Presidential staff in an executive capacity. During the Eisenhower years he was in the White House as a member of President Eisenhower’s inner circle of policy makers. Because of the historical element in this unprecedented situation, Mr. Morrow kept a number of diaries. The book that emerges from them is fascinating, poignant, and sometimes shocking. You get to meet everyone from Richard Nixon to Sherman Adams to Nkrumah Kwame from a unique perspective. His concern for the direction of the Republican party is prescient and palpable. I could not put it down.
Black May: The Epic Story of the Allies' Defeat of the German U-Boats in May 1943
by Michael Gannon“A compelling, comprehensive account of the turning point of the Battle of the Atlantic in May 1943” (Publishers Weekly).For two years the German U-boats—the most powerful underwater force ever assembled—turned the seas of the Atlantic into a killing field. Now it was May 1943. The year the Allies struck back. The year the tide of war turned forever.In one extraordinary month, using new tactics, new weapons, and the coordinated forces of a new generation of submarine hunters, the Allies destroyed 41 U-boats and damaged 37 others in the North Atlantic—sending the Nazi U-boat wolf pack running. Here, distinguished naval historian Michael Gannon captures this epic battle and those who shaped it, from the men who made key command decisions to the sailors trapped inside the steel-hulled U-boats as they were pounded by Allied depth charges. Drawing on never-before-released transcripts of secretly recorded conversations of U-boat POWs, this is the epic story of two powerful enemies going head-to-head in a desperate naval battle, and why one side emerged the victor and the other the vanquished.“A gripping tale of the undersea (or U-Boat) war by one of our finest naval historians. Highly recommended.” —Carlo D’Este, author of Patton: A Genius for War
Black Night for Bomber Command: The Tragedy of 16 December 1943
by Richard Knott"I am not pressing you to fight the weather as well as the Germans, never forget that." So wrote Winston Churchill to Arthur Harris, the Commander-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command, after the terrible events of 16 December 1943. In the murky dusk almost five hundred heavy bombers, almost entirely Lancasters, set out for Berlin from their bases in eastern England, from north Yorkshire to southern Cambridgeshire. They lifted off at around 4 pm to bomb the target four hours later and were expected to return at midnight. 328 aircrew lost their lives that night they were the victims of the weather, not the Germans. This book relates the tragic circumstances of individual crews as they struggled to find their home bases in low cloud and fog. It also includes stories from the local people who remember hearing a low-flying aircraft and all too often the frightful explosion as it struck unexpected high ground or even trees. Some rescue attempts were successful, but for most aircrew it was death in a blazing wreck. Many of the crash sites have been explored by the author as he tried to imagine exactly how each aircraft came to grief. It contains many photos of aircraft as they were and the remaining impact areas that remain to this day.
Black Ops
by W.E.B. GriffinW.E.B. Griffin always hits the target-right at the top of the bestseller lists... W.E.B. Griffin's explosive Presidential Agent novels have gained worldwide acclaim for "leaving satisfied thriller readers hankering for more." Now, in Griffin's latest #1 New York Times bestseller, the Russian bear is stirring after many years of hibernation-and it is hungry.From the Paperback edition.
Black Ops (Presidential Agent #5)
by W.E.B. GriffinDelta Force Lieutenant Colonel Charley Castillo receives a series of back-channel messages concerning covert US intelligence assets gone missing and then, suddenly, inexplicably, found dead. One in Budapest; one in Kiev; one in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan - mere klicks from the Iran border. And then one in Virginia, along the Potomac River, practically in the shadow of CIA headquarters. Castillo suspects it's only a matter of time before the commander in chief assigns him and his group of troubleshooters to look into the deaths while the intel agencies fight among themselves trying to put the pieces together. Meanwhile, Castillo has problems of his own - fallout from recent missions involving a clandestine rescue of a DEA agent from South American drug runners, and the confiscation of some fifty million dollars from thieves in the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal. He's made more than a few enemies, he knows. And then comes another back-channel message. All that has happened so far, it says, is just a warm-up for what's about to come out of the Kremlin.
Black Ops - Tactical Espionage Wargaming
by Johan Egerkrans Guy BowersBlack Ops is a skirmish wargame of tactical espionage combat for two or more players. It recreates on the tabletop the tension and excitement of modern action-thrillers such as the Bond and Bourne films, The Unit or Burn Notice TV shows, and the Splinter Cell and Modern Warfare series of video games.The fast-play rules use regular 6-sided dice and a card-driven activation system to keep all players in the thick of the action, while the mission generator provides a wide range of options for scenarios, from stealthy extraction or surveillance missions to more overt raids or assassinations. Stealth, combat and technical expertise all have a role to play, and players may select from a number of different character types - spies, mercenaries, criminals, hackers, special forces and many more - to recruit the best possible team for the job. Players may also choose to join a faction - powerful organizations, intelligence agencies, criminal syndicates, militaries or rebel groups, each with a stake in international affairs. By doing so, their team may receive certain benefits, but may also find itself limited at a crucial time. With the variety offered by the characters, factions and scenarios, no two games of Black Ops should ever be the same!Although the standard Black Ops setting is an ultra-modern world just a hair removed from our own, the rules are versatile and adaptable enough to suit OSS operations behind Nazi lines, Cold War-era infiltration missions in Moscow or Berlin, or sabotage runs against a rival corporation's interests in a cyberpunk dystopia, and the rulebook will include a guide to running games in such settings.
Black Ops, Vietnam
by Robert M. GillespieDuring the Vietnam War, the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACVSOG) was a highly-classified, U.S. joint-service organization that consisted of personnel from Army Special Forces, the Air Force, Navy SEALs, Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance units, and the CIA. This secret organization was committed to action in Southeast Asia even before the major build-up of U.S. forces in 1965 and also fielded a division-sized element of South Vietnamese military personnel, indigenous Montagnards, ethnic Chinese Nungs, and Taiwanese pilots in its varied reconnaissance, naval, air, and agent operations. MACVSOG was without doubt the most unique U.S. unit to participate in the Vietnam War, since its operational mandate authorized its missions to take place "over the fence" in North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, where most other American units were forbidden to go. During its nine-year existence it managed to participate in most of the significant operations and incidents of the conflict. MACVSOG was there during the Gulf of Tonkin incidents, during air operations over North Vietnam, the Tet Offensive, the secret bombing of and ground incursion into Cambodia, Operation Lam Son 719, the Green Beret murder case, the Easter Invasion, the Phoenix Program, and the Son Tay POW Raid. The story of this extraordinary unit has never before been told in full and comes as a timely blueprint for combined-arms, multi-national unconventional warfare in the post-9/11 age.Unlike previous works on the subject, Black Ops, Vietnam is a complete chronological history of the unit drawn from declassified documents, memoirs, and previous works on the subject, which tended to focus only on particular aspects of the unit's operations.
Black Ops: Danny Black Thriller 7 (Danny Black #7)
by Chris RyanThe seventh book in the bestselling Danny Black series.A series of gruesome killings take place in Dubai, Ghana and America. The victims are all connected with the SAS. In Hereford Danny Black realises they have something more specific in common - they were all involved in training a young Muslim soldier, Ibrahim Khan.Khan has been working under cover in Islamic State in a mission organised by MI6. Danny Black sets out to track him down with the help of Khan's MI6 handler on a trail that leads him to a library of ancient manuscripts in Damascus, the Syrian desert and finally back in the Brecon Beacons. There Danny discovers that he has finally met his match, his deadliest enemy - and it is the last person he ever expected.(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Black Ops: Danny Black Thriller 7 (Danny Black #7)
by Chris RyanThe seventh book in the bestselling Danny Black series.A series of gruesome killings take place in Dubai, Ghana and America. The victims are all connected with the SAS. In Hereford Danny Black realises they have something more specific in common - they were all involved in training a young Muslim soldier, Ibrahim Khan.Khan has been working under cover in Islamic State in a mission organised by MI6. Danny Black sets out to track him down with the help of Khan's MI6 handler on a trail that leads him to a library of ancient manuscripts in Damascus, the Syrian desert and finally back in the Brecon Beacons. There Danny discovers that he has finally met his match, his deadliest enemy - and it is the last person he ever expected.(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Black Ops: Danny Black Thriller 7 (Danny Black #7)
by Chris RyanThe seventh book in the bestselling Danny Black series.A series of gruesome killings take place in Dubai, Ghana and America. The victims are all connected with the SAS. In Hereford Danny Black realises they have something more specific in common - they were all involved in training a young Muslim soldier, Ibrahim Khan.Khan has been working under cover in Islamic State in a mission organised by MI6. Danny Black sets out to track him down with the help of Khan's MI6 handler on a trail that leads him to a library of ancient manuscripts in Damascus, the Syrian desert and finally back in the Brecon Beacons. There Danny discovers that he has finally met his match, his deadliest enemy - and it is the last person he ever expected.(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior
by Ric PradoA memoir by the highest-ranking covert warrior to lift the veil of secrecy and offer a glimpse into the shadow wars that America has fought since the Vietnam Era. <p><p> Enrique Prado found himself in his first firefight at age seven. The son of a middle-class Cuban family caught in the midst of the Castro Revolution, his family fled their war-torn home for the hope of a better life in America. Fifty years later, the Cuban refugee retired from the Central Intelligence Agency as the CIA equivalent of a two-star general. <p><p> Black Ops is the story of Ric’s legendary career that spanned two eras, the Cold War and the Age of Terrorism. Operating in the shadows, Ric and his fellow CIA officers fought a little-seen and virtually unknown war to keep USA safe from those who would do it harm. After duty stations in Central, South America, and the Philippines, Black Ops follows Ric into the highest echelons of the CIA’s headquarters at Langley, Virginia. In late 1995, he became Deputy Chief of Station and co-founding member of the Bin Laden Task Force. Three years later, after serving as head of Korean Operations, Ric took on one of the most dangerous missions of his career: to re-establish a once-abandoned CIA station inside a hostile nation long since considered a front line of the fight against Islamic terrorism. <p><p> He and his team carried out covert operations and developed assets that proved pivotal in the coming War on Terror. A harrowing memoir of life in the shadowy world of assassins, terrorists, spies and revolutionaries, Black Ops is a testament to the courage, creativity and dedication of the Agency’s Special Activities Group and its elite shadow warriors. <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
Black Poppies: Britain's Black Community and the Great War
by Stephen Bourne'A powerful, revelatory counterbalance to the whitewashing of British history' - Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, OtherIn this updated edition of his acclaimed study of the black presence in Britain during the First World War, Stephen Bourne illuminates fascinating stories of black servicemen of African heritage. These accounts of the fights for their 'Mother Country' are charted from the outbreak of war in 1914 to the conflict's aftermath in 1919, when black communities up and down Great Britain were faced with anti-black 'race riots' despite their dedicated services to their country at home and abroad.With unprecedented access to the wartime personal correspondence of the Jamaican siblings Vera, Norman and Douglas Manley, Bourne helps bring to light the day-to-day trials, tribulations and tragedies of life on the battlefield. The stories of servicemen like Arthur Roberts - Scotland's Black Tommy - and Trinidadian soldier and campaigner George A. Roberts sit alongside the experiences of people of African descent at home during the First World War.These include a black police officer, munitions factory workers and even stars of the stage like Cassie Walmer. Informative and accessible, with first-hand accounts and original photographs, Black Poppies is the essential guide to the military and civilian wartime experiences of black men and women, from the trenches to the music halls.
Black Poppies: The Story of Britain's Black Community in the First World War
by Stephen BourneDid you know that Black people from around the world helped Britain fight in the First World War?How heroic were the people who fought?Why did Black people have to keep fighting for equality even after the war?In this young readers’ edition of Black Poppies, Stephen Bourne takes us on a hero-filled journey. Explore the many and extraordinary ways in which Black people helped Britain fight the First World War, on the battlefield and at home. After meeting Stephen’s Aunty Esther, we hear the story of Walter Tull, who led soldiers in some of history’s bloodiest battles and died in the fighting just weeks before the conflict would end. Then there is Alhaji Grunshi, an African who fired the first shot of the whole war. Back at home, Black men and women helped by entertaining the people, making materials like bullets and uniforms, and beginning the long fight for equality and the freedom to celebrate being Black and British with pride.
Black Propaganda in the Second World War
by Stanley Newcourt-NowodworskiBy 1939, Josef Goebbels had won the struggle for control of the propaganda process in Nazi Germany. In contrast, it took the arrival of Sefton Delmer in 1941 for anyone in Britain to understand how to use propaganda to subvert the German war effort. Through the shadowy Political Warfare Executive, the ‘black’ radio stations Delmer created lured German listeners with jazz and pornography (both banned), mixed with subversive rumours. Millions of ‘black’ leaflets – perfect forgeries of German documents, with subtly altered texts – were produced, their aim to encourage malingering, desertion and sabotage. Black Propaganda looks at the variety of propaganda used in the Second World War and explains how British and Polish intelligence worked together on a number of key security issues, including the ‘Enigma’ machine and the German V-weapons programme.
Black Rain
by John Bester Masuji IbuseBlack Rain is centered around the story of a young woman who was caught in the radioactive "black rain" that fell after the bombing of Hiroshima. lbuse bases his tale on real-life diaries and interviews with victims of the holocaust; the result is a book that is free from sentimentality yet manages to reveal the magnitude of the human suffering caused by the atom bomb. The life of Yasuko, on whom the black rain fell, is changed forever by periodic bouts of radiation sickness and the suspicion that her future children, too, may be affected.lbuse tempers the horror of his subject with the gentle humor for which he is famous. His sensitivity to the complex web of emotions in a traditional community torn asunder by this historical event has made Black Rain one of the most acclaimed treatments of the Hiroshima story.
Black Rebellion
by Thomas Wentworth HigginsonBlack Rebellion, a fascinating account of five slave insurrections, among them the story of the Maroons, escaped slaves in the West Indies and South America who successfully resisted larger British armies while living an independent existence for generations in the mountains and jungles of Jamaica and Surinam; of Gabriel Prosser, who recruited about 1,000 fellow slaves in 1800 to launch a rebellion throughout Virginia; of Denmark Vesey, an ex-slave, seaman, and artisan, fluent in several languages, who conspired in 1822 to kill the white citizens of Charleston, South Carolina, and take over the city; and of the revolutionary mystic Nat Turner, who in 1831 organized and led the most successful and dramatic slave revolt in North America. The author also describes how whites responded with panic, sweeping arrests, mass executions, and more repressive laws in a futile effort to crush the slaves' insatiable desire to be free.
Black Rock Mining: Folklore of the Pennsylvania Dutch
by George KorsonDiscover the rich cultural heritage and vibrant folklore of the Pennsylvania Dutch miners with George Korson's Black Rock: Mining Folklore of the Pennsylvania Dutch. This captivating book offers an in-depth look into the lives, traditions, and stories of the Pennsylvania Dutch communities that thrived in the coal mining regions of Pennsylvania.Korson, a renowned folklorist and historian, delves into the unique blend of cultural influences that shaped the folklore of these hardworking communities. Through a collection of tales, songs, and personal anecdotes, Black Rock paints a vivid picture of the miners' daily lives, their beliefs, and their enduring spirit in the face of danger and hardship.The book explores a variety of themes, from supernatural legends and ghost stories to humorous anecdotes and practical jokes. Korson's meticulous research and engaging storytelling bring to life the rich oral traditions that were passed down through generations, offering readers a window into the communal values and resilience of the Pennsylvania Dutch miners.Black Rock is more than just a collection of folklore; it is a celebration of the human spirit and the cultural tapestry that defined the mining communities. Korson's work provides valuable insights into the social and economic conditions of the time, highlighting the role of folklore in providing solace, entertainment, and a sense of identity.This book is an essential read for anyone interested in folklore, cultural history, or the mining heritage of Pennsylvania. Whether you are a scholar, a history enthusiast, or simply curious about the traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch, Black Rock: Mining Folklore of the Pennsylvania Dutch offers a fascinating and enriching experience.Join George Korson on a journey through the coal mines of Pennsylvania and immerse yourself in the captivating folklore of a resilient and storied community.
Black Sailor, White Navy: Racial Unrest in the Fleet during the Vietnam War Era
by John Darrell SherwoodIt is hard to determine what dominated more newspaper headlines in America during the 1960s and early ‘70s: the Vietnam War or America’s turbulent racial climate. Oddly, however, these two pivotal moments are rarely examined in tandem.John Darrell Sherwood has mined the archives of the U.S. Navy and conducted scores of interviews with Vietnam veterans — both black and white — and other military personnel to reveal the full extent of racial unrest in the Navy during the Vietnam War era, as well as the Navy’s attempts to control it. During the second half of the Vietnam War, the Navy witnessed some of the worst incidents of racial strife ever experienced by the American military. Sherwood introduces us to fierce encounters on American warships and bases, ranging from sit-down strikes to major race riots.The Navy’s journey from a state of racial polarization to one of relative harmony was not an easy one, and Black Sailor, White Navy focuses on the most turbulent point in this road: the Vietnam War era.
Black September 1918: WWI’s Darkest Month in the Air
by Frank Bailey Norman Franks Russell GuestThe authors of Bloody April 1917 present a new volume of facts, photos, and analysis covering aerial combat in the last days of the Great War.Fifteen months after the events of April 1917, more battles had been fought, won and lost on both sides, but now the American strength was feeding in to France with both men and material. With the mighty push on the French/American Front at St. Mihiel on September 12 and then along the Meuse-Argonne Front from the 26th, once more masses of men and aircraft were put into the air. They were opposed by no less a formidable German fighter force than had the squadrons in April 1917, although the numbers were not in their favor. Nevertheless, the German fighter pilots were able to inflict an even larger toll of British, French, and American aircraft shot down, making this the worst month for the Allied flyers during the whole of World War I—and this just a mere six weeks from the war’s bloody finale. This book analyzes the daily events throughout September with the use of lists of casualties and claims from both sides. It also contains seven detailed appendices examining the victory claims of all the air forces that fought during September 1918. Although it is difficult to pinpoint exactly who was fighting who high above the trenches, by poring over maps and carefully studying almost all the surviving records, the picture slowly begins to emerge with deadly accuracy. Black September 1918 is a profusely illustrated and essential reference piece to understanding one of the crucial months of war in the skies.
Black Sheep
by John K WukovitzThe turbulent life of Gregory Pappy Boyington, the top U.S. Marine ace of the Pacific, is captured in memorable detail by the acclaimed author of One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle of Tarawa. Wukovits pulls no punches in describing the controversial World War II fighter pilot, who was a hero to some, and a villain to others in the Corps. Boyington was a little of each as this biography of the legendary but complex figure shows. The book details the Marine s early life with abusive parents and frequent moves and his early military career and service with the Flying Tigers in Burma and China. His feats as a Corsair pilot in the South Pacific and his time in Japanese prison camps are also given full coverage. Wukovits contends that Boyington performed miserably when shunted to the sidelines and amassed a spotty record with the Flying Tigers because they treated him as an outsider. He excelled, however, when others looked to him for advice. When put in command of the Black Sheep Squadron, where the men considered him a teacher and leader, he triumphed, making his squadron the most effective in the Pacific. Called one of the preeminent historians of the Pacific War, Wukovits paints a complete portrait of Boyington that allows readers to understand the colorful World War II ace as never before.
Black Sheep One
by Bruce GambleBlack Sheep One is the first biography of legendary warrior and World War II hero Gregory Boyington. In 1936, Boyington became an aviation cadet and earned the "wings of gold" of a naval aviator. After only a short period on active duty, however, he was "encouraged" to resign from the Marine Corps due to his unconventional behavior. Remarkably, this inauspicious beginning was just the prologue to a heroic career as an American fighter pilot and innovative combat leader. With the onset of World War II, when skilled pilots were in demand, he became the commander of an ad hoc squadron of flying leathernecks. Led by Medal of Honor winner Boyington, the legendary Black Sheep set a blistering pace of aerial victories against the enemy.Though many have observed that when the shooting stops, combat heroes typically just fade away, nothing could be further from the truth for Boyington. Blessed with inveterate luck, the stubbornly independent Boyington lived a life that went beyond what even the most imaginative might expect. Exhaustively researched and richly detailed, here is the complete story of this American original.From the Paperback edition.
Black Ships: A Novel
by Jo GrahamThe story follows a young girl into womanhood, constrained by the traditions and belief systems of the time, as her life proceeds through the convulsions of the Mediterranean world.
Black Shoe Carrier Admiral
by John B. LundstromAn abundance of new evidence demanded this reevaluation of Frank Jack Fletcher, the ?black shoe? admiral who won his battles at sea but lost the war of public opinion. A surface warrior?in contrast to a ?brown shoe? naval aviator--Fletcher led the carrier forces that won against all odds at Coral Sea, Midway, and the Eastern Solomons. These and other early carrier victories decided the Pacific War not only because they inflicted crippling losses but also because they denied Japan key strategic positions in the region. Despite these successes, by 1950 Fletcher had become one of the most controversial figures in U.S. naval history and portrayed as a timid bungler who failed to relieve Wake Island in December 1941 and who deliberately abandoned the Marines at Guadalcanal.In this book, author John Lundstrom recalls that Fletcher once remarked,"after an action is over, people talk a lot about how the decisions were deliberately reached, but actually there's always a hell of a lot of groping around," and notes that the goal of his study is to probe and explain the "groping around." Drawing on new material, Lundstrom offers a fresh look at Fletcher's decisions and actions. The first major reassessment in more than fifty years of the once-maligned naval officer, it provides a careful analysis of the effect of radio intelligence on decision-making in the carrier battles during the first nine months of the war in the Pacific. This new assessment is based on thousands of documents and massive dispatch files and personal papers that no historian has previously used.