Allyn C. Ryan's Books

Salt Mines

By: Allyn C. Ryan

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The success of the Apollo program in the 1960s was the first step in our manned attempts at conquering space. Salt Mines revisits aerospace history-that-never-was and explores the plausibility of interplanetary space travel, the confrontations between management and the union, and the effects of downsizing on the sudden emergence of violence in the workplace. Colorful characters who work in the "salt mines" add threads of complexity, laughter, and pathos to the story. There is Chuck Gibson, an avowed union man who likes nothing better than to hear Minerva Aerospace Corporation (MAC) ́s top executives get a roasting. And yes, the prima donna of Mahogany Row, Dr. Rick Davis, although rather eccentric, is someone to be reckoned with. Then there is Jiggs Tanaka, the Hermes coordinator, who never gets the respect he deserves from his subordinates despite his prudence and sensitivity to people issues. On the other hand, Andy Stahl, the demoted Orion coordinator, who drives around naked in a van, is uproariously funny mouthing cryptic utterances from Tennyson ́s "Morte d ́Arthur" and Shakespeare ́s The Merchant of Venice. Not to be forgotten is Will Hardy, the super-dipper, whose speech "Uncle Sam ́s Cabin" has made him the darling of Wall Street. And of course, Nina Hill, the only woman technical writer. Her penchant for enticing top corporate executives precipitates a murder. Finally, there is Derek Lambert, the protagonist. Most of the story unfolds from Derek ́s point-of-view in an episodic narrative of events that reflect the intriguing and dynamic world of the aerospace industry at its height in the 1980s. Intertwined with the events is Derek Lambert ́s recurring nightmare of a past he wants desperately to forget. Although he dearly loves his wife, Jenny DuBois, he can ́t bring himself to forgive her for walking out on him during their honeymoon. In the pressure-laden environment at MAC, Derek manages to remain neutral in the day-to-day conflicts between management and the employees, although his life is inextricably committed to the Hermes program. The Hermes is to be the first manned space capsule to go on a grand tour of the solar system in 1982. This tour coincides with the alignment of the planets, a heavenly phenomenon occurring only once in 179 years. Working at the salt mines might have been a perfect haven for Derek had it not been for the visit of his mother. Since his emotional and psychological problems stem from a strong attachment to his mother, her arrival rekindles the old guilt feelings that have dogged him for years. As if by coincidence, everything takes a downturn at the salt mines. In a period of five months, MAC totters on the brink of financial collapse. Lawsuits. Intrigues. Tension-related deaths. Strikes. Layoffs. Murder. The effect is devastating. To escape being drawn into the morass of the salt mines syndrome, Derek turns to Cindy Li, a beautiful Chinese stewardess. Derek resists the idea of a relationship at first, but Cindy will do anything to achieve her goal. As these societal, corporate, and personal problems compound, the episodic pace accelerates into a suspenseful thriller that is resolved in the novel ́s final shocking developments.

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527

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Xlibris Corporation

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ISBN 10

1462811698

ISBN 13

9781462811694

Rm: a Biographical Novel of Ramon Magsaysay

By: Allyn C. Ryan

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Rm: a Biographical Novel of Ramon Magsaysay

By: Allyn C. Ryan

World War II had left the Philippines reeling from poverty, unrest, and lawlessness. Rampant graft and corruption characterized the government of President Elpidio Quirino. The farmers in Central Luzon, resentful and angry over agrarian problems, swelled the ranks of the Hukbalahap (a contraction of the name in the vernacular, Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon, literally translated to National Army Fighting the Japanese). They were a rag-tag guerrilla force that fought the Japanese occupation in 1941-1945. At the height of the Huk power, the Philippine militaryweak and undisciplinedwas unable to counter the Huk attacks throughout the country. The Huks relentless drive to bring down the government in the early 1950s threatened the Philippines with a communist takeover. RM is the story of an extraordinary man who faced these problems against all odds. His integrity and perseverance in trying to ameliorate the plight of the downtrodden and the helpless in Philippine society cast him in the limelight. As a result, he was elected on November 10, 1953, as the third president of the Philippines, after the United States had granted independence on July 4, 1946. RM was the seventh elected leader since June 12, 1898, when Emilio Aguinaldo became the first leader after the Filipino revolution against Spain in 1898 and the United States in 1899-1902. RM takes the reader back to his unpretentious beginnings in Zambales, where all towns face the China Sea. The province was generally poor and the people predominantly Ilocanos, except for the northern and southern areas. In the north lived a smattering of natives that spoke Zambal, and to the south, Tagalog, because of the proximity to Bataan, a Tagalog province. RMs great-grandparents were not Ilocanos, however. On his fathers side, his great-grandmother, Paulina Toleido (she was blonde with blue eyes) was a peninsular Castilian who lived in Makati, Rizal. Her husband, Gregorio Magsaysay, an educated man, worked as a clerk in an early American firm, Smith, Bell, & Co. One of their sons became the father of Exequiel, Ramons father. On his mothers side, the del Fierro families were mestizos, an admixture of Spanish and native, from Catbalogan, Samar. The Moro pirate attacks, during the early part of the nineteenth century, drove the del Fierro family northward where they settled in Zambales. The Spanish mestizo, Juan del Fierro and Maria Quimzon of Cavite became the parents of Perfecta, the mother of Ramon. RM was a target of several assassination attempts. After Bataan and Corregidor fell (April 9 and May 6, 1942), the Japanese Kempei Tai (secret police) wanted him dead because of his guerrilla activities. He worked closely with the USAFFE (U.S. Armed Forces in the Far East), and was subsequently appointed by General Charles P.Hall as the military governor of Zambales. Because of his sincerity in dealing with his guerrilla followers and what he did for the people during the war years, everyone recognized his leadership abilities. This paved the way for his entry into politics. Monching, as people came to call him, saw and felt what poverty can do to peoples lives, compounded by what politicians promised and never lived up to. The shenanigans of RM and his political friends leading up to his nomination as the Nacionalista Party standard bearer could be construed by his foes as machiavellian. In many ways, he was an uncommon politician who drew the ire of friend and foe alike--the infighting of senators and congressmen in the Philippine Congress, and the paradoxical support of people who wanted the status quo to continue during his adminstration. As Secretary of Defense under President Elpidio Quirino, he fought the Huk menace on all fronts, resulting in blood and tears for the people of Zambales. During the Huk insurrection, their assassins stalked his every move. Lack of security p

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279

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Xlibris Corporation

Published Date

ISBN 10

1462811701

ISBN 13

9781462811700

Shadows of Our Night

By: Allyn C. Ryan

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Shadows of Our Night

By: Allyn C. Ryan

Danilo Cruz, a hardworking farm boy and the protagonist in Shadows of Our Night, starts off as a perceptive and sensitive young man who reflects on the countrys past in his valedictory address at high school graduation. He truly believes in the innate goodness of the people in his barrio. After he goes to Manila to study engineering, his altruistic nature begins to erode when he is exposed to the sordid conditions in the city. Through grit and tenacity of will, Danilo finds hope and love amidst the damning excesses of wealth and the battered ruins of human dignity.

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188

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Xlibris Corporation

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ISBN 10

1462814395

ISBN 13

9781462814398

Book's by Allyn C. Ryan

Salt Mines

Salt Mines

Rm: a Biographical Novel of Ramon Magsaysay

Rm: a Biographical Novel of Ramon Magsaysay

Shadows of Our Night

Shadows of Our Night

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