This report provides a summary of social marketing for the prevention and control of communicable disease, with particular reference to the European context. It concludes that the international evidence base shows that social marketing can be an effective approach to behaviour change, and although the European evidence is limited, there have been some promising efforts in the area of hand hygiene and sexual health interventions.
Tom Taylor-the real-life counterpart of his father's famous fictional boy-wizard creation, a living bridge between our reality and the realities of every tale ever told-knows the power of stories only too well. Now he's the star of his most important story yet. It's a quest straight out of King Arthur, filled with black knights, ensorcelled swords, and maidens who are fair to a fault. If his heart is pure and his courage true, he can enter the Chapel Perilous, find the Grail, complete his quest, and save existence as we know it. If not, we are verily screwed. Hark! Storytellers Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Chris Chuckry approach, singing tales of valor and treachery in THE UNWRITTEN: APOCALYPSE! This final volume in THE UNWRITTEN saga collects issues #6-12.
Do you love a conspiracy? Detective Chandler Travis does. Travis’s great-grandfather was a cub reporter when Jack the Ripper terrorized London. His family have been obsessed with the case ever since. And then one day Travis gets a call that makes him question everything. Could his ancestors be behind one of the greatest conspiracies of our time? When the remains of Jack the Ripper’s first five victims are discovered in present-day Louisiana, an English detective and a local sheriff form an unlikely alliance to unravel the mystery... and find themselves caught up in a modern-day conspiracy.
This new third edition of Bradt's Angola remains the only dedicated English-language guide to this increasingly popular southern African nation. Thoroughly updated, it includes full practical and background information, everything you need to know about the capital city, Luanda, plus coverage of the rest of the country in 16 chapters. Also featured are 38 maps, including detailed city maps for all 18 provincial capitals, plus a specific section devoted to the sometimes-tricky process of applying for a visa. Bradt's Angola is written by expert author Oscar Scafidi who lived and worked in Angola for five years, has travelled to all the country's provinces, and who has successfully completed a record-breaking kayak trip along the length of Angola's Kwanza River. Thanks to his knowledge, Bradt's Angola is ideal for everyone from independent surfers and bird-watchers on organised tours to fishing enthusiasts, conservationists, surfers, NGO workers and overlanders, not to mention adventurous travellers simply wanting to discover this intriguing country. Angola continues to change at a rapid pace and offers everything from colonial Portuguese ruins to $100-a-plate sushi bars, landscaped waterfronts to grand public buildings, Portuguese and Brazilian heritage to frontier diamond towns, tropical rainforests to desert, and relaxed coastal resorts on 1,000km of unspoiled beaches. It's also the site of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Mbanza Kongo, once the centre of power for the Kilukeni dynasty, who founded the city almost 100 years before the arrival of the Portuguese. Whether wildlife watcher or surfer, business traveller or pioneering adventurer, Bradt's Angola provides all the information you will need to get the most out of this vast country.
From the #1 bestselling author of Heat, Travel Team and Fantasy League comes a story of heroes, family, the thrills of skateboarding, and football. When the Brighton Bears suit up on game day, 12-year-old Tommy Gallagher is the toughest kid on the football field. And the bravest. After all, his father Patrick is a Boston firefighter--one of Boston's bravest. Tommy's dad taught him everything he knows about football--and life. Yet even Tommy isn't strong enough for what happens when the sirens ring and, for the first time, they're racing away from the fire. "First man in; last man out" had always been his dad's motto . . . yet he never said anything about leaving in an ambulance. Now Tommy's biggest battle has nothing to do with football. And the kid who always had such respect for risk on the gridiron finds himself drawn to it off the field. Set in New England, home of the Patriots' football dynasty, Mike Lupica shows off his trademark knack for spinning a tale that's equal parts sports action and heart. Last Man Out is a thoughtful tribute to the bravery of firefighters and the need we all have to live up to the level of our heroes. "As is characteristic of Lupica’s books, the sports segments, most particularly the football portions, are exceptionally well written." —VOYA "In the best traditions of sports writing, this will leave readers both breathless and thoughtful." —Booklist
Push: Software Design and the Cultural Politics of Music Production shows how changes in the design of music software in the first decades of the twenty-first century shaped the production techniques and performance practices of artists working across media, from hip-hop and electronic dance music to video games and mobile apps. Emerging alongside developments in digital music distribution such as peer-to-peer file sharing and the MP3 format, digital audio workstations like FL Studio and Ableton Live introduced design affordances that encouraged rapid music creation workflows through flashy, user-friendly interfaces. Meanwhile, software such as Avid's Pro Tools attempted to protect its status as the industry standard, professional DAW of choice by incorporating design elements from pre-digital music technologies. Other software, like Cycling 74's Max, asserted its alterity to commercial DAWs by presenting users with nothing but a blank screen. These are more than just aesthetic design choices. Push examines the social, cultural, and political values designed into music software, and how those values become embodied by musical communities through production and performance. It reveals ties between the maximalist design of FL Studio, skeuomorphic design in Pro Tools, and gender inequity in the music products industry. It connects the computational thinking required by Max, as well as iZotope's innovations in artificial intelligence, with the cultural politics of Silicon Valley's design thinking. Finally, it thinks through what happens when software becomes hardware, and users externalize their screens through the use of MIDI controllers, mobile media, and video game controllers. Amidst the perpetual upgrade culture of music technology, Push provides a model for understanding software as a microcosm for the increasing convergence of globalization, neoliberal capitalism, and techno-utopianism that has come to define our digital lives.
A collection of humorous Q&As about everything you've always wanted to ask about birds and birding Mike O’Connor knows bird watchers as well as he knows birds. He knows that if you’re even slightly interested in identifying birds or attracting them to your backyard with a feeder, then you’ve also had your share of strange and silly questions about birds and their sometimes inexplicable behavior. In Why Do Bluebirds Hate Me?, O’Connor applies his deep knowledge of all things avian to answer the questions that keep birders up at night. Questions like · Should you clean your birdhouses? · Do swallows have a feather fetish? · How much does it cost to run a heated birdbath? · Is drinking coffee bad for birds? Other questions O’Connor covers range from the practical (Should I rotate the seed in my feeder?) to the quirky (Why are vultures eating my vinyl screen door?) to the just plain adorable (Are those birds kissing or feeding each other?). And he also explains why bluebirds just don’t seem to like some people.
Mike Leonard is a lucky man. It’s not everyone who gets parents like Jack and Marge. At eighty-seven, Jack is a pathological optimist with an inexhaustible gift of gab. Marge, Jack’s bride of sixty years, though cut from the same rough bolt of Irish immigrant cloth, is his polar opposite–pessimistic and proud of it. What was their son, Mike, thinking when he took a sabbatical from his job with NBC News so he could pile these two world-class originals along with three of his grown kids and a daughter-in-law into a pair of rented RVs and hit the road for a month? Mike was thinking that he wanted to give his parents the ultimate family reunion. And so, one February morning, three generations of Leonards set out on their journey under the dazzling Arizona sky. Thirty minutes later, one of the humongous recreational vehicles has an unplanned meeting with a concrete island at a convenience store. Thus begins the adventure of a lifetime–and an absolute gem of a book. In the course of their humorous, often poignant cross-country tour, from the desert Southwest to the New England coastline, the Leonards reminisce about their loves, their losses, and their rich and heartwarming (and sometimes heartbreaking) lives, while encountering a veritable Greek chorus of roadside characters along the way. The home stretch finds the clan racing back to Chicago, hoping to catch the arrival of the next generation, Jack and Marge’s first great-grandchild. Through it all, Mike pieces together acentury of family lore and lunacy–and discovers surprising sides to his parents that allow him to see them in a whole new light. Mike Leonard has captivated millions of television viewers with his wry and witty feature stories for NBC’s Today. Now he brings that same engaging charm and keen insight to the foibles and passions of his own blessedly unique family. By turns uproariously funny and deeply moving, The Ride of Our Lives delivers a lifetime of laughs, lessons, and priceless memories. This edition’s exclusive DVD features never-before-seen footage from the trip as well as candid family video and photographs.
They called it Satan’s Circus—a square mile of Midtown Manhattan where vice ruled, sin flourished, and depravity danced in every doorway. At the turn of the twentieth century, it was a place where everyone from the chorus girls to the beat cops was on the take and where bad boys became wicked men; a place where an upstanding young policeman such as Charley Becker could become the crookedest cop who ever stood behind a shield. Murder was so common in the vice district that few people were surprised when the loudmouthed owner of a shabby casino was gunned down on the steps of its best hotel. But when, two weeks later, an ambitious district attorney charged Becker with ordering the murder, even the denizens of Satan’s Circus were surprised. The handsome lieutenant was a decorated hero, the renowned leader of New York’s vice-busting Special Squad. Was he a bad cop leading a double life, or a pawn felled by the sinister rogues who ran Manhattan’s underworld? With appearances by the legendary and the notorious—including Big Tim Sullivan, the election-rigging vice lord of Tammany Hall; future president Theodore Roosevelt; beloved gangster Jack Zelig; and the newly famous author Stephen Crane—Satan’s Circus brings to life an almost-forgotten Gotham. Chronicling Charley Becker’s rise and fall, the book tells of the raucous, gaudy, and utterly corrupt city that made him, and recounts not one but two sensational murder trials that landed him in the electric chair.
The acclaimed creator of "Hellboy" is back with this fantasy novel set in Lower Manhattan 50 years after a flood left the city submerged under more than 30 feet of water. A young girl finds herself on the run, leading her to Simon Hodge, a Victorian detective who's kept himself alive with magic and steampunk mechanics, and the stalwart sidekick, Joe Golem.
When Sam Travis discovers the journal of a Civil War soldier that is written in Sam's own handwriting, his investigation reveals disturbing parallels between himself and the soldier as he travels ever deeper into darkness.
The calculus of variations is used to find functions that optimize quantities expressed in terms of integrals. Optimal control theory seeks to find functions that minimize cost integrals for systems described by differential equations. This book is an introduction to both the classical theory of the calculus of variations and the more modern developments of optimal control theory from the perspective of an applied mathematician. It focuses on understanding concepts and how to apply them. The range of potential applications is broad: the calculus of variations and optimal control theory have been widely used in numerous ways in biology, criminology, economics, engineering, finance, management science, and physics. Applications described in this book include cancer chemotherapy, navigational control, and renewable resource harvesting. The prerequisites for the book are modest: the standard calculus sequence, a first course on ordinary differential equations, and some facility with the use of mathematical software. It is suitable for an undergraduate or beginning graduate course, or for self study. It provides excellent preparation for more advanced books and courses on the calculus of variations and optimal control theory.
In this utterly immersive volume, Mike Wallace captures the swings of prosperity and downturn, from the 1898 skyscraper-driven boom to the Bankers' Panic of 1907, the labor upheaval, and violent repression during and after the First World War. Here is New York on a whole new scale, moving from national to global prominence -- an urban dynamo driven by restless ambition, boundless energy, immigrant dreams, and Wall Street greed. Within the first two decades of the twentieth century, a newly consolidated New York grew exponentially. The city exploded into the air, with skyscrapers jostling for prominence, and dove deep into the bedrock where massive underground networks of subways, water pipes, and electrical conduits sprawled beneath the city to serve a surging population of New Yorkers from all walks of life. New York was transformed in these two decades as the world's second-largest city and now its financial capital, thriving and sustained by the city's seemingly unlimited potential. Wallace's new book matches its predecessor in pure page-turning appeal and takes America's greatest city to new heights.
Outplay, book 2 of the Human Singularity series. Mike Lees displays his enigmatic and entertaining prose in Outplay, his new full-length novel, sounding the depths of human nature in a diversified galaxy. When Jack Stone, a failing journalist, receives a key containing the Melody, a coded sound arrangement that activates the inertia drive, a ship, and a mission, he finds himself drawn into international and galactic intrigue. Jack must reach deep within his soul to outplay James Carting, a scheming tech executive bent on seizing the Melody for his own gain at the risk of exposing Earth to alien exploitation. Can Jack and his mixed team save humanity from a dark future? Find out in this second instalment of the Human Singularity series: Outplay. Where fiction fast becomes reality. (A read of book one, Outpost, will ease understanding of certain aspects of Outplay.)
First published in 1981, Capitalism in the UK clearly states the Marxist position arguing that capitalism dominates the world economy, and that the world’s trade and multinational enterprises favour the capitalist system. It shows how orthodox economics is not value-free and how orthodox economics implicitly assumes that capitalism is the only possible form of economic organisation for society. Designed for students on Political Economy and Marxists Economics courses, this comprehensive and concise volume provides an important counterweight to traditional first- and second-year introductory textbooks.
A brilliant, groundbreaking slice of military history, this riveting story of white-knuckled action over one of Europe’s most heavily defended targets in the waning days of World War II also tells of the aftermath of the Linz, Austria, bombing—the heart-wrenching tales of survival and recovery, and the toll of warfare on both sides. In April 1945, Linz was one of Nazi Germany’s most vital assets. It was a crucial transportation hub and communications center, with railyards brimming with war materiel destined for the front lines. Linz was also the town Hitler claimed as home and had long intended to remake as the cultural capital of Europe, filling its planned Fuehrermuseum with world-famous art stolen from his conquered territories. Inevitably, Linz was also one of the most heavily defended targets remaining in Europe. The airmen of the Fifteenth Air Force were a mix of seasoned veterans and newcomers. As their mission was unveiled in the predawn hours of April 25th, audible groans and muffled expletives passed many lips. The reality of that mission would prove more brutal than any imagined. In the unheated, unpressurized B‑24 Liberator and B‑17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers, young men battled elements as dangerous as anything the Germans could throw at them. When batteries of German anti‑aircraft guns opened fire, the men flew into a man‑made hell of exploding shrapnel. Aircraft and men fell from the sky as Austrian civilians on the ground also struggled to survive beneath the bombs during the deadly climax of Hitler’s war. Drawing on interviews with dozens of America’s last surviving World War II veterans, as well as previously unpublished sources, Mike Croissant compellingly relates one of the war’s last truly untold stories—a gripping chronicle of warfare, the death of Nazi Germany, and the beginning of the Cold War. It is also a timeless tale of courage and terror, loss and redemption, humanity and savagery.
In many jobs people work their way up through a hierarchy, an experience that prepares them for managing a team. In some professions, such as law, finance, accountancy, academia, engineering, education and healthcare, individuals may find themselves managing a team of equals. This book uses 50 simple lessons to show the reader in concise, pithy prose how to manage a team of equals with intelligence and diplomacy. Each lesson features a short introduction and example from the authors' experience, showing you how skills can be acquired. These are then followed by 6-10 action points to implement immediately. Core leadership skills are reevaluated for the leader of a smart team. The book teaches you core skills such as decision making and delegating, but also soft skills such as delivering good and bad news to team members and how to realise more general aims such as building trust and growing your team. The authors also offer advice on how to look after yourself as a team leader, how to build resilience in tough situations, but also how to develop creativity and extend your skill base so that you are constantly learning.
Geordie Doran ranks as one of the most remarkable fighting soldiers of the twentieth century. Growing up in Jarrow during the Depression years of the 1930s, Geordie signed up as a private soldier in 1946 and embarked on a career spanning 40 years. He saw active service in Germany, Cyprus, the Korean War and Suez; he became an expert in jungle warfare in Malaya and in Borneo, as well as on key special operations in the deserts of Oman and Yemen, and Colonel Gaddafi's Libya. After returning to England in the early 1970s, a serious road accident curtailed his frontline soldiering career; however, he found a new and vital role as a permanent staff instructor with 23 SAS (TA) training the cream of recruits. He left the SAS in 1972, but could not settle into civilian life and found himself a job as a storeman in the SAS Quartermaster's stores – a job which lasted another 12 years, during which time he equipped many famous SAS characters for their famous clandestine missions.
This book is the culmination of Dr. Gorries lifes work and passion after thirty-six years in the ministry. If prayerfully tested, this book will challenge and encourage Christians to walk in holiness and implicit obedience to the Lord and move to a higher place in God.
With the current rise of antisemitism, this important book looks at how one Jewish family —the Rothschilds—became a lightning rod for the conspiracy theories of the last two centuries, and how those theories are still very much alive today. In 2018 Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene took to social media to share her suspicions that the California wildfires were started by ‘space solar generators’ which were funded by powerful, mysterious backers. Instantly, thousands of people rallied around her, blaming the fires on “Jewish space lasers” and, ultimately, the Rothschild family. For more than 200 years, the name "Rothschild" has been synonymous with two things: great wealth, and conspiracy theories about what they're "really doing" with it. Almost from the moment Mayer Amschel Rothschild and his sons emerged from the Jewish ghetto of Frankfurt to revolutionize the banking world, the Rothschild family has been the target of myths, hoaxes, bizarre accusations, and constant, virulent antisemitism. Over the years, they have been blamed for everything from the sinking of the Titanic, to causing the Great Depression, and even creating the COVID-19 pandemic. Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories is a deeply researched dive into the history of the conspiracy industry around the Rothschild family - from the "pamphlet wars" of Paris in the 1840s to the dankest pits of the internet today. Journalist and conspiracy theory expert Mike Rothschild, who isn't related to the family, sorts out myth from reality to find the truth about these conspiracy theories and their spreaders. Who were the Rothschilds? Who are they today? Do they really own $500 trillion and every central bank, in addition to “controlling the British money supply?” Is any of this actually true? And why, even as their wealth and influence have waned, do they continue to drive conspiracies and hoaxes?
The Vatican Assassin Trilogy under one cover - Vatican Assassin - Vatican Ambassador - and Vatican Abdicator - an original science fiction series by Mike Luoma! Follow the career of ""BC"" - Bernard Campion - from hit man for the Pope to the heights of human power - from holy killer to champion of all humanity... Kinda. In Vatican Assassin, it's 2109 and BC poses as a priest - But he's really an assassin for the New catholic Church. His assignment: assassinate Meredith McEntyre, Governor of Lunar Prime, the non-aligned city-state on the Moon. They tell him she's about to help the wrong side in an out of control interplanetary War between the west and Islam. BC's next move will change everything! In Vatican Ambassador, the old pope has died. Seemingly unaware of BC's role, the new one names BC acting Vatican Ambassador to Lunar Prime. Can BC handle it? And in the trilogy's finale, Vatican Abdicator, BC tries to help humankind survive in the face of a massive external threat!
Insights for today's hot stocks, and winning strategies fortomorrow's, from Wall Street's #1 Tech Analyst This is not your grandpa's Wall Street. Stocks are more volatilenow than ever. Even with all their potential for meteoric success,high tech investments are synonymous with high risk. Thisentertaining primer, by one of the leading tech analysts on WallStreet, offers a practical step-by-step guide for identifyingtomorrow's hot stocks today. Why do certain technology companies succeed while others falter anddisappear? Which businesses will rule the post-PC era? Kwatinetzdiscusses what's coming down the pike in the next few years and whothe key players will be. He shows how to filter out the noise, and come up with anindependent assessment of how much a stock is worth, and revealsten rules of thumb that will help investors build a powerfulportfolio.
The twelve-time All-Star catcher describes the inspiration he gleaned from his self-made father, his early career with the Dodgers, his memorable 2000 World Series with the Mets, and the controversies that have marked his career.
Crime and Social Policy discusses the criminal justice system in England and Wales in an accessible and engaging manner. This title guides students through the system's complexities, reviewing its history, highlighting current problems, and offering recommendations as to where and how it can be improved.
This volume assembles a mammoth collection of modern Sherlock Holmes stories -- no less than 25 tales by modern masters, such as Carla Coupe, Gary Lovisi, Richard A. Lupoff, Robert J. Sawyer, Mike Resnick, and many more! (It's also an authorized edition, produced under license from Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd.) THE ADVENTURE OF THE ELUSIVE EMERALDS, by Carla Coupe THE ADVENTURE OF THE SECOND ROUND, by Mark Wardecker THE ADVENTURE OF THE MIDNIGHT SEANCE, by Michael Mallory THE CASE OF THE TARLETON MURDERS, by Jack Grochot THE TATTOOED ARM, by Marc Bilgrey THE INCIDENT OF THE IMPECUNIOUS CHEVALIER, by Richard A. Lupoff SHERLOCK HOLMES—STYMIED! by Gary Lovisi YEARS AGO AND IN A DIFFERENT PLACE, by Michael Kurland A STUDY IN EVIL, by Gary Lovisi THE ADVENTURE OF THE AMATEUR MENDICANT SOCIETY, by John Gregory Betancourt THE ADVENTURE OF THE HAUNTED BAGPIPES, by Carla Coupe SUN CHING FOO'S LAST TRICK, by Adam Beau McFarlane Dr WATSON’S FAIRY TALE, by Thos. Kent Miller THE CASE OF VAMBERRY THE WINE MERCHANT, by Jack Grochot A HOUSE GONE MAD, by Sherlock Holmes as edited by Bruce I. Kilstein BE GOOD OR BEGONE, by Stan Trybulski CUTTING FOR SIGN, by Rhys Bowen THE STAGECOACH DETECTIVE, by Linda Robertson THE DEAD HOUSE, by Bruce Kilstein THE ADVENTURE OF THE VOORISH SIGN, by Richard A. Lupoff THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE PEACOCK STREET PECULIARS, by Michael Mallory SECOND FIDDLE, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch THE CASE OF THE NETHERLAND-SUMATRA COMPANY, by Jack Grochot YOU SEE BUT YOU DO NOT OBSERVE, by Robert J. Sawyer THE ADVENTURE OF THE PEARLY GATES, by Mike Resnick And don't forget to search this ebook store for "Wildside Megapack" to see more entries in this series, covering classic authors and subjects like mysteries, science fiction, westerns, ghost stories -- and much, much more! (Sort by publication date to see the most recent additions.)
Rippermania has driven a 120-year-old investigation to identify the depraved perpetrator of the savage murder of five prostitutes in the East End of London. This book features personalities whose reputations have been tarnished by modern authors clamouring to name celebrities as suspects, accomplices or conspirators.
An insightful investigation of how and why the two major political parties have failed to appeal to the Latino vote—the largest ethnic voting group in the country—and the impact it will have on American democracy and politics for decades to come. In 2020, Latinos became the second largest ethnic voting group in the country. They make up the largest plurality of residents in the most populous states in the union, as well as the fastest segment of the most important swing states in the US Electoral College. Fitting neither the stereotype of the aggrieved minority voter nor the traditional assimilating immigrant group, Latinos are challenging both political parties' notions of race, religious beliefs, economic success, and the American dream. Given their exploding numbers—and their growing ability to determine the fate of local, state, and national elections—you’d think the two major political parties would understand Latino voters. After all, their emergence on the national scene is not a new phenomenon. But they still don’t. Republicans, not because of their best efforts but rather despite them, are just beginning to see a movement of Latinos toward the GOP. Democrats, for the moment, still win a commanding share of the Latino vote, but that share is dwindling fast. Now, in The Latino Century, veteran political consultant Mike Madrid uses thirty years of research and campaign experience at some of the highest levels on both sides of the aisle to address what might be the most critical questions of our time: Will the rise of Latino voters continue to foment the hyper-partisan and explosive tribalism of our age or will they usher in a new pluralism that advances the arc of social progress? How and why are both political parties so uniquely unprepared for the coming wave of Latino votes? And what must each party do to win those votes? By answering these questions, The Latino Century explores the true meaning of America at a time of rapid cultural change, the founding principles of self-government and individual responsibility, and one man’s journey through a political party that has turned itself inside out.
Before Al Capone and Lucky Luciano, there was the one-fingered, cunning Giuseppe Morello and his murderous coterie of brothers. Had it not been for Morello, the world may never have heard of 'men of honour', the code of omertaor Mafia wars. This explosive book tells the story of the first family of New York, and how this extended close-knit clan of racketeers and murderers left the backwaters of Sicily to successfully establish themselves as the founding godfathers of the New World. First Family will explain in thrilling, characterful detail how the American Mafia established itself so successfully. Combining strong narrative and raw violence - set against the raucous bustle of early twentieth-century New York, and the impoverished rural life of nineteenth-century Sicily - this impeccably researched, groundbreaking study of a crucial period of American history is a compelling portrait of the early years of organised crime.
Scott Ourecky wanted to fly—he never dreamed he'd end up in a secret military space program. The year is 1968: The Cold War is far from over, nuclear annihilation is always only a heartbeat away. America is racing the Soviet Union to land men on the Moon, a war is raging, and a pivotal presidential election looms on the horizon. A child of the early space age, Lieutenant Scott Ourecky joined the Air Force with aspirations of going to flight school. A brilliant engineer, he repeatedly fails the aptitude test to become a pilot but is selected to work on a highly classified military space program—the innocuously named Aerospace Support Project—in which Air Force astronauts are slated to fly missions to intercept and destroy suspect Soviet satellites. When one of the astronauts in training abruptly falls out of the project, Ourecky is asked to fill in for the two-man simulated missions and survival training only, serving with a headstrong and abrasive test pilot, Major Drew Carson, until another astronaut can be assigned. By far the most proficient pilot assigned to the project, Carson has a dangerous propensity to engage in “pick-up” dog fighting sessions while on cross-country training flights. And although Ourecky was only a temporary “place holder,” not destined to fly in space, he soon finds himself much more involved than he ever anticipated—and in deepest peril. Based on a real secret space program, Blue Gemini combines high-altitude action with edge-of-your-seat storytelling to create a modern Cold War thriller. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Determined to 'do his bit' Des Evans absconded from a reserved occupation and joined the newly formed Reconnaissance Corps. He saw action in North Africa and Italy before being evacuated back to England with pneumonia in early 1944. Fully recovered he volunteered as a wireless operator with 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron and after parachute training joined C Troop before the ill-fated but glorious attempt to seize the Rhine Bridge at Arnhem. Des vividly describes the intense action that followed the drop. Ambushed twice and badly wounded he was made a POW and eventually succeeded in escaping. Fresh first-hand accounts of the bitter fighting at Arnhem are rare indeed and this one is brutally honest, at times shockingly so. Des Evans was born in Liverpool in 1923. Despite being in a Reserve Occupation he finally succeeded in joining the Army. This book covers his wartime service in North Africa, Italy and at Arnhem. Post war he served in Italy, Palestine, Germany and the Suez Canal Zone. Cuckolded by his first wife he was convicted of the manslaughter of her lover. On release from prison he met Betty and they enjoyed nearly 40 years together until dementia necessitated residential care. Betty died in March 2010 and Des followed her three months later.
Have you ever wondered what the name of the cantina band in Star Wars was? Or how many fictional singers Elvis played? Or how many fake bands had real Top Ten hits? This hysterical, witty, and irreverent book answers all these questions and more. Based on the popular Web site fakebands.com, The Rocklopedia Fakebandica contains almost 1,000 entries covering such pop-culture staples as Spinal Tap, the Monkees, the Partridge Family, the Blues Brothers, the Rutles, Schroeder, the Chipmunks, the Brady Kids, the California Raisins, the Commitments, the Archies, the Banana Splits, Eddie and the Cruisers, the Wonders, Phoebe Buffay, Miss Piggy, Josie and the Pussycats, Jessica Rabbit, School of Rock, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Perfect for pop-culture addicts, trivia buffs, and music lovers of all stripes, The Rocklopedia Fakebandica is the consummate addition to any bookshelf, coffee table, or bathroom.
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