Book Description
Second lieutenant Dick Curtis arrived in Italy in May 1944–twenty years old and part of a shipment of P-51 Mustang fighter pilots so desperately needed that they were rushed into combat with less than thirty hours of flight time in their new high-performance aircraft.
Six of the twelve pilots assigned to the 52nd Fighter Group were shot down in the first two weeks. By his ninth mission, Curtis was the only one still flying. A maverick, he barely escaped court-martial with his high-flying antics. Escorting bombers sent to pound heavily defended oil fields was risky enough, but strafing the enemy supply lines, ports, and airfields was even more dangerous. Curtis may chalk up his success to dumb luck, but these missions took exceptional skill and courage. This hair-raising account captures the air war in all its split-second terror and adrenaline-pumping action.
Customer Reviews:
Honest and informative.......2007-09-16
This is a wonderful account of the truth of a mustang. The plane was a danger as much as a wonderful fighter. The story is also great of a life and time most people have forgotten.
Dumb Book, Lucky he got published.......2007-05-07
My Grandma taught me that if I can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. God Bless Richard Curtis; he was smart enough to survive, and still lucky enough to get this book published. At the very least he contributed to the strength of our numbers at a time of World War, but he reveals precious little more about the times except to say that he was there, and lived to tell the tale. Perhaps that is all there was to tell; personally, I made a point of reading the book through to the very last page so I can be sure that I never buy the book again under the impression that it is substantive history of the time, and the war he went off to fight.
Dumb but Lucky!.......2007-02-08
Well written but ultimately lacking any big set piece action. The author had a major upheaval in his life caused by the war and his wartime service, and he explains the nuts and bolts of learning to fly, then training on, and flying a cutting edge fighter - the Mustang - very well. But his wartime service in Italy appears to be mainly long spells of grinding boredom interspersed with brief spells of action. For anyone interested in the day to day routine of learning to fly, then operational life as a normal everyday pilot in a fighter squadron, this is a well written and good book. However for anyone interested in the "edited highlights" of the cut and thrust of combat only, this book will be a disappointment. There are also no particularly shocking or even exciting "confessions"
Lucky I Read It ! .......2006-08-16
Well I have read in excess of 20 world war 2 pilots books and I very much enjoyed this one!
I was completely drawn in and read it straight through...I enjoyed reading about all Richards exploits and his ability to put you there with him during his time in the sky.
If you are a fan of the Army Air Force during WW2 then I highly recommend ready "Dumb But Lucky" and see how a regular guy managed to be very clever and yes a bit lucky as well!
Not so great.......2005-12-07
I have read several books from WWII fighter pilots. I found this one lacking in any description of what combat was like except for a few episodes. Lt. Curtis flew 50 missions but most of them are glossed over and are very short in what actually happened. This book is mostly about living in Italy and what happens in his off time. Interesting enough though that is, there are better books out there. I would recommend, "Gabby" by Francis Gabreski, "Thunderbolt" by Robert S. Johnson, "Fly for Your Life", I think by Robert Stanford Tuck, and Douglas Bader's biography.
I enjoy reading WWII veterans stories about the war but this book just didn't grab me. In the preface the author gives away the whole premise of the book and what happens to him during the war.
I would pass this one by and look for a better story.
Book Description
When a millionaire businessman hires Nero Wolfe to uncover the background of his daughter's boyfriend, Wolfe isn't sure he wants to be involved. Then a mob boss "counsels" him to drop the matter, machine-gun fire rips apart his orchid room, and the boyfriend turns up dead. Wolfe must solve the murder to prevent his own.
Download Description
In The Second Confession,a millionaire businessman hires Nero Wolfe to uncover the background of his daughter's boyfriend but Wolfe isn't sure he wants to be involved.
Customer Reviews:
Good book, key 2nd part of the Zeck trilogy.......2007-07-24
The Second Confession is another in the long line of Nero Wolfe novels. The story begins with a man coming to Wolfe and asking him to prove that the man his daughter is dating is a communist so he can force the two to break up. Wolfe wisely amends the terms of the deal by opening it up to include any facts that would make him unacceptable to the daughter rather than limiting it to communism. When he begins digging into the man's past, it raises the ire of a man named Arnold Zeck (who previously appeared in And Be a Villain (Crime Line) (Crime Line)). Zeck is a powerful crime lord reminiscent of Professor Moriarty and when Wolfe fails to stop investigating he has the orchid room destroyed by machine gun fire to make his point. From here, there are many twists and turns until the mystery is solved and justice is served.
Archie sparkles as always while investigating first the background and then the murder of the possible communist with gangster ties. When he tries to slip a mickey into the drink of one suspect so he can search the guy's room, he gets a nasty surprise that is so entertaining that it alone is worth buying the book for.
Some reviewers suggest that the mere investigation of someone's possible status as a communist makes this book dated. I really don't see that. By this definition, any old detective story is dated because they don't have cell phones, hair and fiber analysis, etc. All stories set during WWII would be dated by mere mention of Nazis. That's just silly. It is one thing for a story to be clearly set in a past time, which this one is. As long as the story itself still works and is entertaining than I personally do not consider it dated.
While I would not rate this as one of the very best Nero Wolfe novels, it is far from the worst. The story moves along nicely and there is a good deal of the trademark humor that makes the series so enjoyable. It is also the second of three Arnold Zeck books and this one is referred to quite often in the third part, In the Best Families (Crime Line). If you are interested in reading that book, you would do well to read this one first.
Weak but still good.......2007-07-10
James Sperling's younger daughter has expressed an interest in a young man named Louis Rony and Sperling doesn't like him. He is convinced that Rony is a communist and to a dedicated wealthy capitalist like Sperling, being a communist is about the worst sin a man is capable of committing. He wants Wolfe to find sufficient proof so that he can get his daughter to drop Rony. Wolfe is reluctant to take the case but in the end he does
An acquaintance of Wolfe objects to his taking the case and uses machine guns to send a message to Wolfe through his orchard room. Although the damage is extensive, Wolfe never runs away from a case but he is in luck. Mr. Rony, the target of his investigation manages to get himself killed at Mr. Sperling's house while Archie is visiting. The case suddenly changes as Wolfe's friend no longer objects to the investigation and in fact supports it. But who killed Mr. Rony? Sperling wants to know because it happened in his home and his family members are suspected by the police.
The fun in this one is Archie's flirting with Madeline, the older daughter of Sperling. Madeline and Archie have a mutual attraction that is fun to follow as it develops and causes problems for Archie before Rony's death because one fall-back plan was to get the younger daughter, Gwen, to dump Rony in favor of Archie. All of this becomes moot, of course, when Romy is killed with Nero Wolfe's car.
The problems in this story have to do with the mystery although you can ignore the mystery and the story is fine. But what is Sperling's wife and son searching for in Rony's room? And what does it have to do with the mystery? There a few other red herrings that are never explained but I'll skip them so as not to reveal too many clues. Overall, I would say that this is one of the weaker stories I have read so far. But it is still a quick and fun read. Stout at his worst is still better than a lot of other writers at their best.
Wow! I didn't see this one coming.......2006-10-29
When the identity of the killer was revealed, I actually gasped aloud. I had two suspects in mind, and it was neither of them. But then, when you go over the plot and events, it makes perfect sense.
In addition to careful plotting, this book has all the other elements that make us love this series. Archie is by turns wry, pouty, clever, conceited and always very funny. Wolfe is as self-involved as ever -- though this time he reveals a bit of self-revelation, too.
The book is true to its time (the late 1940s, the dawn of the 1950s). There's a lot of "red menace" talk, but that didn't detract from the story for me. In fact, I thought it was important. As we look at how hysterical a previous generation was when confronted with a threat to our way of life, we may wish to consider the way we are responding today, in a new millenium, to a similar situation.
A gangland boss threatens Nero Wolfe.......2006-04-19
Rex Stout's THE SECOND CONFESSION receives a fine uninterrupted continuation by pairing Los Angeles actor Michael Prichard with another fine Nero Wolfe mystery: this revolving around a warning shot to Wolfe from a gangland boss. His investigation of a lawyer boyfriend of a millionaire's daughter may be placing his own life in jeopardy.
Cut Rex Some Slack..........2005-09-07
Some of the reviews here disparage Rex Stout's "pandering" to the Red Menace thinking of 1949. Let's put this into perspective...
Long before it was fashionable or even easy to represent for civil rights, Rex had Nero Wolfe honoring people of all races. Nero never generalized about (we'd now use the term "stereotyped") people with one key exception: Rex, a devoted husband and father of women, had Nero suspecting and disparaging women as flighty, treacherous and dangerous.
So here Nero accepts a commission to prove that Louis Rony is a Communist. In all truth, the way this is treated in the story Nero might as well have been asked to prove Rony was a philatelist. It's a matter for factual establishment or disestablishment...
To place this book's purported view of Communism as outweighing Stout's lifelong commitment to freedom of speech and expression is illogical.
And, please, don't forget how this book ends. That, too, puts things into an important perspective.
Book Description
From the 1950s to the 1970s, from Bar Harbor to Boca Raton, the ragtag crew known as the K&A Gang robbed wealthy suburban neighborhoods with assembly line skills. It was hard to imagine a more unlikely crew of successful thieves, writes Allen Hornblum. [They were] two-fisted, beer-guzzling, ear- and nose-biting hoodlums from a blue collar section of Philadelphia called Kensington. The gang infuriated homeowners up and down the East Coast, while baffling police. Confessions of a Second Story Man follows the gang as they move in and out of homes, courtrooms, and prisons, and even go on the run. Hornblum describes the transformation of the K&A Gang from a group of blue collar thieves to their work in conjunction with numerous organized crime families and their role in making Philadelphia the meth capitol of the nation. It is a compelling read about a fascinating bunch of hoodlums.
Customer Reviews:
Confessions of a Second Story Man.......2006-11-03
I grew up in Kensington and know several of the people referenced in the book. Therefore; the book probably had more impact on me than it would on others, but it is an interesting book much in the same vain as the movie Good Fellows. If you like stories about wise guys and crooks it is a great read
a historical goldmine.......2006-09-25
I am a philadelphian interested in the city's history. I have found that this book has provided insight into a section of philadelphia that i have traveled through but had no in depth knowledge of. The characters described in the narrative were colorful and resourceful,yet in the end met the end that was inevitable. A few of the main characters found some redemption,others did not. There is no fantasy in this book,it is hard realism. Mr. Hornblum is a competent chronicler
Good read...brought back a lot of memories for my father........2006-04-26
Even though his name wasn't printed (thankfully), the book brought back many good memories and stories for my dad (an former K&A guy himself.) His days of running with Dolan, "Raybo", and the Stockers are long behind him and distant memories, but if he says the book is pretty accurate, then I believe him. He should know since he had "ringside" seats for most of it.
Great stuff!
This book contains alot of fiction.......2006-03-30
FYI...I'm the niece of one of these "gang members". One story mentions the fact that he died, then states that there was no money to bury him. He WAS buried and also had a viewing. He WASN'T put in the back of a meat truck for days, then buried by his friends in a freshly dug cemetary lot (this is against the law...duh!!!) The writer never bothered to consult with family members before using the names of these people and no one in my family EVER heard of this Junior guy...what a joke! Who did the author do his "homework" with????? It's a good "story" but that's just it...a story.
Great but scary!.......2006-03-18
A great book-but since I'm from Philly,it was scary-how much damage they did.I've passed by the JR Club many times and never knew...
Book Description
C. H. Spurgeon said of this great Confession - "Here the youngest members of our church will have a body of Truth in small compass, and by means of the scriptural proofs, will be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them." This brilliant summary of doctrine (in the same family as the Westminster Confession), with its invaluable proof texts, is here gently modernised in punctuation, with archaic words replaced. Explanations of difficult phrases have been added in italic brackets. A brief history of the Confession, with an index, is included.
Customer Reviews:
A good primer.......2007-05-17
The book is a great handout for those wanting an easy-to-read form of the confession. It is a must have for anyone seeking to find the roots of early church doctrine.
Spurgeon's London Confession of Faith.......2004-06-23
The 1689 London Confession of Faith (or Baptist Confession of Faith) was the doctrinal position held by Charles Spurgeon and his Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, England. The confession is not very long and Peter Master's has edited this edition with Scriptural proofs of the various doctrinal positions taken by the Confession.
Anyone who enjoys reading and studying the works of Charles Spurgeon will enjoy reading this confession. I would also urge the reader to look up the various Scriptures that Master's provides for the confession.
Average customer rating:
|
CCEL Classics CD: works by Saint Augustine, John Calvin, John Donne, Julian of Norwich, Brother Lawrence, Martin Luther, Saint Teresa of Avila, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a Kempis, John Wesley, and more!
Dr. W. Harry Plantinga
Manufacturer: Christian Classics Ethereal Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
 Mariology
| Catholicism
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Luther, Martin
| ( L )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Augustine, Saint
| ( A )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1931848076
Release Date: 2006-12-15 |
Product Description
The most important spiritual writings of Christian history are available on this Classics CD by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at Calvin College. It contains 118 Christian classics, including three versions of the Bible, several commentaries, Bible dictionaries, readings, spiritual guides, sermons, poems and journals -- all in a convenient, searchable form. Books are available in HTML and PDF formats. The easy-to-use CCEL Desktop software powering the CD enables users to browse and print books and install additional books from the Web. The top-of-class search engine can search for words or phrases in books, in authors works or in the whole library. In addition, it can search for dictionary definitions of words and commentary or references to scripture passages. The interface is a Web browser. The CD is compatible with Windows 2000+, Macintosh 10.3+, and most Linux versions.
Customer Reviews:
A crazy mixture of things.......2006-05-30
This is a hectic book, a book like Burgess himself doing so many things at such a fast pace. It is rich with conflicts and problematic experiences, telling a lot about his business dealings as a writer. It also is the work of a person of such great intellect and interest that it in its best passages is a real pleasure to read.
Burgess in a preface he once wrote about 'The Novel' said the aim of writing is to make people kinder, a 'little nicer' in Aldous Huxley's phrase.
But this is not what one particularly feels Burgess is really about. It seems to me that with his quick mind, his great power for satire, his immense energy the underlying story is really of his work, his creative work, his writing of journalism, literature and music.
I have read that the two volumes of the biography show him to be a less 'sure and certain' figure than his novels seem to. This was not my impression. He was the kind of person that even when he was fumbling about was using it as a way of describing in writing how to get back on one's feet.
Not mercy and kindness are the themes, but living life fully in as hungry a way as possible.
Average customer rating:
- Indiana Hero
- A great WWII Iwo Jima narrative from a man who was there.
|
You Only Blow Yourself Up Once: Confessions of a World War Two Bomb Disposaleer
Frank J. Durham ,
J. Frank Durham , and
Doug Hay
Manufacturer: iUniverse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Military & Spies
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Memoirs
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World War II
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Personal Narratives
| World War II
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Captains of Bomb Disposal 1942-1946
-
Don't Call Me A Hero
ASIN: 0595295436 |
Book Description
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy started a crash program, gathering information and educating personnel to deal with enemy bombs, land mines, and other explosive ordnance. Figuring "lawyers make the best cannon fodder," recent law school graduate J. Frank Durham was among early volunteers for this dangerous and highly-classified work. Graduating with a perfect grade from the navyÂ's new Bomb Disposal School, he was retained on staff to help the operation expand, then dispatched to Guadalcanal, where Americans were fighting the pivotal battle of World War Two. While learning how to handle explosive devices, Durham endured bombing, shelling, and an unexpected encounter with the enemy, but tales of suspense and danger are balanced by a humorous perspective on everyday life as an enlisted man. He describes "unofficial" enterprises, manufacturing souvenirs from brass shells in the captured Japanese ammo dump, and making moonshine from anything available, to sell to the troops. Eleanor RooseveltÂ's visit to the field hospital inspired a pithy comment about a painful loss from a wounded marine, and a classic riposte from the First Lady. Excerpts from captured Japanese diaries provide rare insight into the other side of the conflict.
Download Description
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy started a crash program, gathering information and educating personnel to deal with enemy bombs, land mines, and other explosive ordnance. Figuring "lawyers make the best cannon fodder," recent law school graduate J. Frank Durham was among early volunteers for this dangerous and highly-classified work. Graduating with a perfect grade from the navy
Customer Reviews:
Indiana Hero.......2007-02-03
Just a wonderful book by one of Indiana WW2 hero's. Serious content but lightfully written.
Wayne Brewer
A great WWII Iwo Jima narrative from a man who was there........2004-05-19
I started reading this book on Sunday and didn't put it down until two days later when I finished it. It is a great historical perspective of Navy bomb disposal experts and their role in the Pacific during World War II. Lots of personal insights on the battle for Iwo Jima. I strongly recommend it for history bluffs and those who enjoy reading a great biographical tale from a foot soldier (or foot sailor) of one of the greatest battles in our nation's history. Captain David E. Meadows, U.S. Navy and author of Sixth Fleet & Joint Task Force series. http://www.sixthfleet.com
Average customer rating:
- FANTASTIC!
- Boring, poorly written and derivative
- Trim the fat.
- Great Read!!
- Great reading !
|
Confession of the Vampire, Second Edition
Kim Mathis Schwartz
Manufacturer: Apage4You Book Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Vampires
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Suspense
| Thrillers
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0972361685 |
Book Description
Re-released as a 2nd edition and as seen on TV, Confession of the Vampire is a thrilling sci-fi story. Known to few even today, the Vatican has formed a secret organization called The Paranormal Warfare Department. A special priest who has himself performed many successful exorcisms heads up the task force. His challenge as this classic battle between good and evil intensifies and rages until the end of time, "to locate the special recruits required to fight this important war."
These recruits are carefully chosen by the head of the department due to their special powers of perception, healing powers, psychic abilities, and their devotion to God.
And one recruit the church values above all others. She is a true heroine who fights the darkness and serves the church with great honor. Her name is Ashley Ravenstone.
Confession of the Vampire is the first in a series of stories involving this incredibly beautiful yet completely devoted servant of the church.
Customer Reviews:
FANTASTIC!.......2005-03-18
BEST VAMPIRE BOOK I HAVE READ IN A WHILE. IT WAS A REAL PAGE TURNER. ENJOYED THE CHARACTERS IMMENSELY. ESPECIALLY ASHLEY RAVENSTONE WHO IS A NEW REFRESHING FEMALE HEROINE. THE AUTHOR HAS A REAL KNACK FOR KEEPING THE READER INTERESTED IN THE STORY LINE. THE BOOK FLOWS WELL. HOPE THAT BOOK 2 IS OUT SOON. CAN'T WAIT TO READ MORE FROM THIS EXCITING NEW AUTHOR.
JON FROM NEW YORK.
Boring, poorly written and derivative.......2004-06-07
I had better expectations for this book. I am a fan of the vampire genre, and this book seemed to have some interesting concepts. However, it is boring, poorly written and edited, and, worse of all, pretentious. Part of what makes it such a derivative read is that it doesn't seem too well researched; I get the impression the author "forced" many situations and locations into the storyline to make it more exciting, but the result is that it doesn't flow naturally. It seems the author purposely writes in an artificial, overly stylized prose to cover up a lack of ideas and to make up for the thin plot and characters.
I don't like being so critical of a first effort, but I was expecting more. A good editor could maybe convert this into an entertaining small story.
If you are looking for a good vampire story, there are many better examples of the genre than this. Look up Lumley, Romkey, or for a more romantic vampire novel, Chelsea Quinn Yarboro, who does write with the historical detail and quality of prose that Confession of the Vampire is lacking.
A personal note: it is very dissapointing to read some of the reviews below since it's obvious that they were written by the same person, someone obviously involved with the production of this book.
Trim the fat........2004-05-17
I enjoy the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genre and the premise of this book sounded interesting enough for me to give it a try. Unfortunately I have to play the bad guy for this review. Staying with this book up through chapter four has been a struggle and to be honest I won't be reading it all the way through, though I have skimmed over the remaining chapters. Most of paragraphs are overwritten, and longwinded prose makes for a boring read. I would have liked to have seen more character development. As it stands even the main character, Ashley Ravenstone, is uninteresting. This story would benefit from a thorough revision (or two). Until then, I have to suggest that people take a pass on this one.
Great Read!!.......2003-10-08
I couldnt but the book down!! The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat! A great read!
Great reading !.......2003-10-07
I loved this book - I've read a few of Rice's vampire books and this one is on the same suspense level. Couldn't put it down. Can't wait for Kim's next one to come out!!
Books:
- Five Minutes to Orgasm Every Time You Make Love: Female Orgasm Made Simple
- For a Few Demons More (Rachel Morgan, Book 5)
- Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
- Free Fall
- GOAT: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali
- Good News, Bad News: Evangelization, Conversion and the Crisis of Faith
- Harmonies of Heaven and Earth: Mysticism in Music from Antiquity to the Avant-Garde
- Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy With God in the Busyness of Life (Revised Edition with New Bible Study)
- Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (Baby Board Books)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- When the News Went Live: Dallas 1963
- Schmucks!: Our Favorite Fakes, Frauds, Lowlifes, Liars, the Armed and Dangerous, and Good Guys Gone
- Everyday America: Cultural Landscape Studies after J. B. Jackson
- Hopf Algebras
- History: Fiction or Science
- Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement
- Scotch: A Journal of Single-Malt Whiskies
- Ideas That Shaped Buildings
- Entourage: A Tracing File for Architects and Interior Design
- Flowers of the parks: Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park
Mustang Ace: Memoirs of a P-51 Fighter Pilot
Woodbine Red Leader: A P-51 Mustang Ace in the Mediterranean Theater
An Ace of the Eighth: An American Fighter Pilot's Air War in Europe
The Wrong Stuff : The Adventures and Misadventures of an 8th Air Force Aviator
Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer
