Flying Against Fate

During World War II, Allied casualty rates in the air were high. Of the roughly 125,000 who served as aircrew with Bomber Command, 59,423 were killed or missing and presumed killed—a fatality rate of 45.5%. With odds like that, it would be no surprise if there were as few atheists in cockpits as there were in foxholes; and indeed, many airmen faced their dangerous missions with beliefs and rituals ranging from the traditional to the outlandish. Military historian S. P. MacKenzie considers this phenomenon in Flying against Fate, a pioneering study of the important role that superstition played in combat flier morale among the Allies in World War II. Mining a wealth of documents as well as a trove of published and unpublished memoirs and diaries, MacKenzie examines the myriad forms combat fliers' superstitions assumed, from jinxes to premonitions. Most commonly, airmen carried amulets or talismans—lucky boots or a stuffed toy; a coin whose year numbers added up to thirteen; counterintuitively, a boomerang. Some performed rituals or avoided other acts, e.g., having a photo taken before a flight. Whatever seemed to work was worth sticking with, and a heightened risk often meant an upsurge in superstitious thought and behavior. MacKenzie delves into behavior analysis studies to help explain the psychology behind much of the behavior he documents—not slighting the large cohort of crew members and commanders who demurred. He also looks into the ways in which superstitious behavior was tolerated or even encouraged by those in command who saw it as a means of buttressing morale. The first in-depth exploration of just how varied and deeply felt superstitious beliefs were to tens of thousands of combat fliers, Flying against Fate expands our understanding of a major aspect of the psychology of war in the air and of World War II.

Dear Pilgrims of the Flying Temple,We need your help...So begins the latest letter your troupe of pilgrims has received. There's only one problem--the Flying Temple has disappeared, leaving only a single dragon's egg in its place! It's up to you and the other teenaged pilgrims to carry on with the temple's work, helping the residents of the Many Worlds with their problems. But it won't be easy. Evildoers plot to take advantage of the temple's absence; there are no monks to give advice on how to deal with them, and your young dragon gets you into trouble as much as it helps you. But you cannot ignore the people of the Many Worlds when they turn to you for help...Do: Fate of the Flying Temple is a family-friendly standalone roleplaying game. This book contains everything you need to set off for adventure in the windpunk setting of the Many Worlds. In this game, you can fly with dragons, solve problems and puzzles, and defeat the bad guys just like the heroes of Avatar: The Last Airbender and How to Train Your Dragon.Join the Flying Temple and set off for adventure!

An episodic log of some of the author's more memorable hours aloft in peace and as a member of the Air Transport Command in war.

World War II on Film examines the war through the lens of 12 films. The movies selected include productions made during World War II and in each succeeding decade, providing a sense of how different generations perceive the war. World War II on Film provides a succinct yet well-grounded appraisal of that war as seen through 12 representative films. The book separates fact from fiction, showing where the movies were accurate and where they departed from reality, and places them in the larger context of historical and social events. Each movie chosen represents a particular aspect of the conflict, including the air war over Europe, the condition of prisoners of war, Nazi atrocities, and the British evacuation at Dunkirk. Unlike most histories of Hollywood during World War II or the genre of war movies, World War II on Film examines in depth the relation between the depictions of events, beliefs, attitudes, and ways of life as seen on film with reality as documented by historians or recorded by journalists or eye-witnesses to the war. The volume will appeal to high school and college readers, as well as general interest readers and film buffs.

An Army Veteran's True Story of Faith, a Sport Parachute Crash and a Glimpse into God's Realm. Matt Carpenter was almost killed when his parachute hit the ground at over 40 miles an hour. His body was destroyed by the impact. Matt's life was forever changed by God's blessings, and this story will change yours.