War Like The Thunderbolt

Draws on diaries, unpublished letters, and other archival sources to trace the events of the Civil War campaign that sealed the fate of the Confederacy and was instrumental in securing Abraham Lincoln's reelection.

Thunderbolt to War gives a remarkable personal insight into the structure and operations of a leading USAAF Fighter Squadron in Britain during the Second World War. This theme is explored through the recorded thoughts and feelings of Clint Sperry, a skilled fighter pilot who was seconded to England with the 353rd Fighter Group—the rarely celebrated workhorse of Eighth Fighter Command. Despite the relative anonymity of the Group, the names of its charismatic leaders still resonate today, including the eighteen-victory ace Walter Beckham and the aggressive Glenn E. Duncan. Clint and his colleagues suffered many frustrating and perilous experiences during the war; they encountered enemy fighters, flak, treacherous weather, and mechanical problems throughout the bloody battles over Europe. To survive was a lottery, but Clint’s experience and aptitude served him well. This account follows the soaring successes and devastating traumas that Clint experienced, culminating in a vivid picture of a fighter pilot’s war. He flew 106 missions in his favoured P47 Thunderbolt, and was credited with destroying or probably destroying five enemy aircraft—in addition to destroying many targets on the ground by strafing and bombing. Clint was awarded three DFCs for his courage, and gained the enduring respect of his son, Steve, and his friend, John Anderson. Their richly illustrated account of his life pays tribute to a true American hero. Illustrations: 118 black-and-white illustrations

Thunderbolt! is the incredible true life story of Robert S. Johnson, one of America's leading fighter pilot aces in World War II. His memoir is an action-packed account of how a young man from Lawton, Oklahoma went on to amass 28 enemy kills, the first U. S. Army Air Force pilot in the European theater to surpass Eddie Rickenbacker's World War I tally of 26 enemy planes destroyed. Johnson's detailed, vivid descriptions of close-scrapes with Goering's elite fighters and his numerous other skirmishes makes Thunderbolt! essential reading for World War 2 buffs.

Graphic depiction of the true story of militant abolitionist John Brown and his rise to infamy in pre-Civil War America.

Noted Ranger historian Robert W. Black turns his attention to a trio of the Confederacy's--and America's--most infamous raiders and cavalrymen: John Singleton Mosby, John Hunt Morgan, and Nathan Bedford Forrest. Combining speed, mobility, and boldness, these three soldiers struck critical blows against the Union during the Civil War, including Morgan's notorious 1863 raid that penetrated farther north than any other uniformed Confederate force. While not overlooking their flaws, Black believes these men revolutionized warfare and sees them as forerunners of the Rangers and Special Forces of the modern era.

A Royal Air Force pilot shares a riveting account of flying into combat against the Japanese in this WWII memoir supported by additional research. Though ill health initially kept Angus Findon from joining the Royal Air Force, he never gave up his dream. In 1945 he joined 34 Squadron and was soon flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts in the last battles of the Second World War. He and his fellow Thunderbolt pilots often operating alongside RAF Spitfires, played a vital part in the Battle of the Sittang Bend. Allied intelligence knew of a planned Japanese break-out at Pegu. When the attack came, the Allies forces were ready. The RAF response was swift, destructive, and devastating for the Japanese. The Battle of Sittang Bend effectively brought the war in Burma to an end. In his remarkable memoir, Angus Findon details his journey from initial training to Allied victory. Supported by additional research by aviation historian Mark Hillier, Thunderbolts Over Burma graphically recounts what it was like to fly the Thunderbolt and operate in the harsh conditions of the Burmese airfields during the final months of the Second World War.

• Hundreds of photos, including many never published before with riveting accounts of armored warfare in World War II • Compares the Sherman to other tanks, including the Panther and Tiger • Author is a world-renowned expert on the Sherman tank and American armor Some tank crews referred to the American M4 Sherman tank as a "death trap." Others, like Gen. George Patton, believed that the Sherman helped win World War II. So which was it: death trap or war winner? Armor expert Steven Zaloga answers that question by recounting the Sherman's combat history. Focusing on Northwest Europe (but also including a chapter on the Pacific), Zaloga follows the Sherman into action on D-Day, among the Normandy hedgerows, during Patton's race across France, in the great tank battle at Arracourt in September 1944, at the Battle of the Bulge, across the Rhine, and in the Ruhr pocket in 1945.