"Top Secret" mystery missions, many without other ships in support, were becoming uncomfortably familiar for the crew of the USS Nashville CL43. It started like a Hollywood thriller, secretly transporting from England $25 million in British gold bullion, delivered to the ship in unguarded bread trucks, a pre-war "Neutrality Patrol" that was really an unofficial hostile search for the far bigger and more powerful German battleship Prinz Eugen, and sneaking through the Panama Canal at night with the ship's name and hull number covered for secrecy. Now, with the ship bulging with an unusual load of fuel and supplies, in the company of a large fleet quietly passing under San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, the crew was about to learn of their latest (but not last) and most improbable adventure yet as the captain made an announcement that would change the war and their lives forever, "We are going to Tokyo!". Over three years, scores of battles and hundreds of thousands of ocean miles later, the Nashville and her crew had earned 10 Battle Stars, served from the North Atlantic to the South Pacific, from the Aleutians to the Yangtze River, as McArthur's flagship and suffered heavy casualties from a devastating kamikaze attack. Tokyo Rose reported her sunk, repeatedly. Earlier, with goodwill trips that included France, England, Scandinavia, Bermuda and Rio de Janeiro, the new, sleek Nashville built a pre-war reputation as a "glamour ship". But with war came the secret missions, capturing the second and third Japanese POWs of the war, having a torpedo pass just under the stern, being strafed and bombed by Japanese planes, losing a third of the crew in a single Kamikaze attack, swimming in shark infested waters protected by marines with machine guns, enjoying the beauty of Sydney and her people, planning a suicide mission to destroy the Japanese fishing fleet, and bombarding Japanese troops and airfields across the Pacific. The Nashville crew served their ship and country well. They came from Baltimore rowhouses, New York walk-ups, San Francisco flats, Kansas wheat farms, Colorado cattle ranches, Louisiana bayous and Maine fishing towns. Many had never traveled more than 25 miles from home and had never seen the ocean until they joined the service. They were part Irish, part Italian, part Polish and All-American. Battered, burnt and bombed, they made the USS Nashville their home and lived and died as eternal shipmates. This is the story of their beloved Nashville and their personal experiences. A hardcover version is available on Booksurg.com (866-308-6235), an Amazon company.

This book synthesizes both research and theory relevant to humility and heroism, articulating a vision of heroic humility---humility of such great depth that it inspires others.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! From the acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Your Bed—a short, inspirational book about the qualities of true, everyday heroes. THE HERO CODE is Admiral McRaven's ringing tribute to the real, everyday heroes he's met over the years, from battlefields to hospitals to college campuses, who are doing their part to save the world. When Bill McRaven was a young boy growing up in Texas, he dreamed of being a superhero. He longed to put on a cape and use his superpowers to save the earth from destruction. But as he grew older and traveled the world, he found real heroes everywhere he went -- and none of them had superpowers. None of them wore capes or cowls. But they all possessed qualities that gave them the power to help others, to make a difference, to save the world: courage, both physical and moral; humility; a willingness to sacrifice; and a deep sense of integrity. THE HERO CODE is not a cypher, a puzzle, or a secret message. It is a code of conduct; lessons in virtues that can become the foundations of our character as we build a life worthy of honor and respect.

This book is about Linsen, who was born in a typical farmer’s family in the southern Yangtze River area in 1900. When he was 5 years old, his father passed away. He had to quit school when he was only 11 to support his family. He inherited a huge amount of debt. Despite drastic regime changes, Japanese invasion, civil war, land reforms, widespread starvation, the upheavals of the Communist and Cultural Revolutions and their dreadful political and economic consequences, he held on to Chinese traditions all his life. He believed that one should live on and get wealth only from his own hard work. By his own efforts, he became a very skilled, knowledgeable, and successful farmer, well respected person by rich and poor people in his town. He was a legendary figure of a grassroots Chinese farmer. He tried his best to resist the destruction of Chinese traditions and culture. Cynically, the final and fatal blow to him was from one of his beloved family members. Some of the dramatic historical and cultural events and information in this book were never before recorded.

Meet Arnold, an unconventional superhero. Though Arnold works in the family superhero business, he isn’t a superhero. He doesn’t even have a superpower, unless you count taking down messages. But one day, a call from a girl in distress comes in to superhero headquarters, and Arnold’s the only one around. He has to go. Determined to succeed, Arnold helps all kinds of people along the way. And that’s before he even finds the caller! He does so many good deeds, in fact, that he’s identified as a masked man “helping the good guys.” Wait, could being nice be a superpower? Just when the world can use some compassion, here’s Super Nice Guy to the rescue!

Confidently, humbly, faithfully. A father often serves behind the scenes. But younger generations are watching, and his example sets the course for a bright future. His role is irreplaceable, his leadership commendable. He's a commonplace hero deserving nothing short of noble recognition.

Losing your love is like losing yourself. It happened to Bebe Warner fifty years ago, and it's happening to her granddaughter PJ today. Nobody ever suspected that Bebe perfect wife, perfect grandmother, and quilter extraordinaire led a secret life. Not even PJ, though she's desperately guarding a secret of her own. Author Ed Ditto's novel takes inspiration from his cousin Laura D. Patrick's homey quilt to cover deep themes of loss and regret, acceptance and recovery. Historical accuracy concerning the Korean War and a searing look at post-partum depression interwoven with the healing powers of quilting make this novel appealing to numerous audiences. Author Ed Ditto and quiltmaker Laura D. Patrick are cousins who live not very far apart in southern Tennessee and northern Alabama, respectively. This is their first collaborative project.

In Hero Maker, you will learn how to bring real change to your church and community by developing the practical skills to help others reach their leadership potential. Drawing on five powerful practices found in the ministry of Jesus, Hero Maker presents the key steps of apprenticeship that will build up other leaders and provide strategies for how you can: activate the gifts of those around you help others take ownership of their mission develop a simple scorecard for measuring your kingdom-building progress With rich insights from the Gospels, Hero Maker is packed with real-life ministry stories ranging from paid staff to volunteer leaders--from established churches to new church plants. Whether you lead ten people or ten thousand, Hero Maker will not only help you maximize your leadership impact; but, in doing so, you will also help shift today's church culture to a model of reproduction and multiplication. Chicago pastor and church planter Dave Ferguson and award-winning writer Warren Bird make a compelling case that God's power and purpose are best revealed when we train and release others to further advance the Kingdom of God. By becoming a hero maker and investing in others, you can join a movement of influencers that are impacting thousands of people around the world. Everybody wants to be a hero, but few understand the power of being a hero maker.

The Second World War is famed for being the conflict that changed the face of warfare, and it is the last that changed the face of the world. In addition to remembering those who passed away in those dark days of war, a sincere debt of gratitude is owed to all those now in their twilight years who gave all that they had for King and Country. In this new and revised third edition, with additional material to celebrate the lives of D-Day and Arnhem veterans, Gary Bridson-Daley presents 46 of over 150 interviews he conducted with veterans over recent years, adding to the history books the words and the original poetry of those who fought and supported the war effort to ensure freedom, peace and prosperity for generations to come. From each corner of the British Isles and every armed service, from Dam Buster George 'Johnny' Johnson through to riveter Susan Jones: heroes, all.