The War I Always Wanted

The memoir of a young infantry officer coming of age in a changing world of war, fighting on the shifting front lines of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Growing up in the shadows of the giant B-52 Stratofortresses that thundered away from the nearby Barksdale Air Force Base, Brandon Friedman dreamed of becoming a warrior and defending his country. But dreams of heroism and the realities of war can look very different, and when Brandon joined the army as a second lieutenant in peacetime, he had no way of knowing how his world was about to change. This is Brandon Friedmans story of coming of age in a world awakening to the horrors made plain on 9/11. With the U. S. Army moving into full-fledged combat operations half a world away against Al Qaeda and their Taliban hosts, Brandon found himself facing an elusive enemy on unfamiliar ground. He tells how, as an infantry platoon leader in the elite 101st Airborne Division, the famed "Screaming Eagles," he and his unit struggled to find their footing in the high valleys of the Hindu Kush while battling radical Islam in operation Anaconda. A brief respite at their home base in Kentucky, and Friedman and the Screaming Eagles were off to war again, this time in Iraq. In this gripping memoir of a young soldier learning the hardest lessons of combat, we see the terrors and disillusion of war as the insurgency in Iraq spirals out of control. And we see the true valor of character emerging under fire.

Until now, no book has covered all of Cold War air combat in the words of the men who waged it. In I Always Wanted to Fly, retired United States Air Force Colonel Wolfgang W. E. Samuel has gathered first-person memories from heroes of the cockpits and airstrips. Battling in dogfights when jets were novelties, saving lives in grueling airlifts, or flying dangerous reconnaissance missions deep into Soviet and Chinese airspace, these flyers waged America's longest and most secretively conducted air war. Many of the pilots Samuel interviewed invoke the same sentiment when asked why they risked their lives in the air—“I always wanted to fly.” While young, they were inspired by barnstormers, by World War I fighter legends, by the legendary Charles Lindbergh, and often just by seeing airplanes flying overhead. With the advent of World War II, many of these dreamers found themselves in cockpits soon after high school. Of those who survived World War II, many chose to continue following their dream, flying the Berlin Airlift, stopping the North Korean army during the “forgotten war” in Korea, and fighting in the Vietnam War. Told in personal narratives and reminiscences, I Always Wanted to Fly renders views from pilots' seats and flight decks during every air combat flashpoint from 1945–1968. Drawn from long exposure to the immense stress of warfare, the stories these warriors share are both heroic and historic. The author, a veteran of many secret reconnaissance missions, evokes individuals and scenes with authority and grace. He provides clear, concise historical context for each airman's memories. In I Always Wanted to Fly he has produced both a thrilling and inspirational acknowledgment of personal heroism and a valuable addition to our documentation of the Cold War.

Who doesn’t have questions about God? But where in the world can you go to get answers? Eric Metaxas has been there, so he gets it. Which is why he’s written this shockingly down-to-earth book on the big questions everyone asks (but not always out loud). Totally conversational and sometimes flat-out hilarious, this book asks: * How can a good God create a world that has evil and suffering? * Is God anti-sex? * Doesn’t science make God obsolete? * What’s the real story on miracles? * If God is everywhere, why go to church? * Don’t we already have God within us? * Isn’t God too busy running the universe to care about the details of my day? These questions (and many more) get no-nonsense answers that don’t hide behind dull theological language. So get the lowdown (and more than a few laughs) on what are probably the most important questions anyone has.

A half-starved young Russian is smuggled into Hamburg at dead of night. He has an improbable amount of cash secreted in a purse around his neck. He is a devout Muslim. Or is he?

Newbery Medalist Avi delivers a stark, unflinching account of the boys of a tiny Polish village during the Great War who are determined to prove themselves with a simple dare that spins disastrously out of control.

John F. Willey, a native of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was born in 1930. The oldest of four children, tough times awaited him and his family as the Great Depression got under way. With the economy worsening, bankers start jumping out of windows and the whole country is scared. The Willey family somehow gets by while refusing welfare. During these troubled times, John experiences the twangs of romantic love and enjoys many other boyhood firsts. But as he gets older, John becomes addicted to alcohol. He twists up his life, but he eventually overcomes his demons and begins helping others who face similar problems put their lives in order. Despite some bumps along the way, John has lived an amazing life surrounded by adventure, loving relationships, and friends. He did not sit and watch life go by but participated in it every step of the way. Learn from his experiences and find inspiration in Living the Life I Always Wanted.