If necessity is the mother of invention, the AC-130 gunship was definitely her offspring. Ghostriders: Mors De Caelis is a comprehensive history of AC-130 gunship combat operations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The story begins with the first AC-130 in 1968, and ends in 1975 at the end of the war in Vietnam. It tells the life and death stories of Spectre crews, who faced extreme danger while hunting trucks on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and providing fire support for US and allied ground forces. Though the AC-130 was credited with 10,000 trucks destroyed, this phenomenal achievement came with a hefty price. Fifty-two Spectre crewmen and six AC-130s were lost during combat operations in Laos and Vietnam. Written in third-person omniscient point of view by an experienced combat veteran and Spectre Historian, all aspects of the story are derived from official declassified records and personal interviews. The level of detail and context figuratively puts the reader in the aircraft as an observer, flying alongside a Spectre crew in combat. Above all, this is the story of Spectre—accurate, detailed, compelling, and unique.

Resistance is futile. You can run, but you’ll only die tired. The AC-130 Gunship was quickly developed in 1968 to provide fire support for ground forces in Vietnam. Twenty-eight C-130 cargo aircraft were converted into AC-130s for night attack operations. The AC-130 was crude, ugly, ad hoc, and detested by many within the USAF…but it worked, and it worked well. Likewise, AC-130 crews were deemed unruly “biker gangs,” but performed magnificently in every major US military operation from 1976 to 1995. Most of these combat operations were cloaked in secrecy, but records once classified for up to twenty years have now been opened. Based on this newly declassified information and hundreds of interviews with SOF veterans, Ghostriders 1976-1995 is the first authoritative historical account of the AC-130 operations, written by an AC-130 Aerial Gunner who participated in every AC-130 combat operation from 1980 through 1994.

Collects Marvel Spotlight (1971) #5-12, Ghost Rider (1973) #1-5. Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider, makes his Marvel Masterworks debut! In 1972, one of the most iconic characters in comics history - the flame-skulled Ghost Rider - burned his demonic presence into readers' minds! A legion of fans found themselves addicted to the Rider's combination of hell-on-wheels drama and action-horror adventure. And it all begins here, when Johnny Blaze makes a deal with the devil to save his friend's life. The payment? Transformation into the Ghost Rider! The stories that follow take the horror hero to Hell to battle Satan, pit him against the tempting Witch-Woman and team him with Daimon Hellstrom, Son of Satan. Written by Gary Friedrich and gloriously illustrated by Mike Ploog, Tom Sutton and Jim Mooney, this iconic series is beautifully restored for this Marvel Masterworks edition!

John Romita Sr is as synonymous with Marvel as is Stan Lee. Stan was the definitive writer and visionary of the Marvel Universe, but Jazzy John was the ultimate catcher to all of Stan's pitches. Arguably the most important contributor to Marvel canon with Jack Kirby, and arguably the definitive Spider-Man artist, John Romita has left his mark creating, defining and/or designing some of Marvel's most, well, marvelous characters. From being (in our humble opinion) the definitive Spider-Man artist to helping design many of Marvel's major characters from Wolverine and the Punisher to Spider-Woman, The Kingpin and so many more. And, though it was Stan Lee and Steve Ditko who co-created Spider-Man and Peter Parker, and helped us love the boy with the problems we all grew up with, it was Jazzy John who allowed Peter to grow up and have the same problems many had growing up, and glamorized Peter Parker and rounded out his stable of characters from Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborne, and who also gave us the unbelievable entrance by Mary Jane Watson, showing us just how Peter had hit the jackpot! And John Romita Jr. has also created a rich body of work that few can follow in his footsteps. Having outgrown the shadow of his father early in his career, John Romita Jr. has shown the world why he is "Mr. Marvel". From his early days working with Bob Layton on the Iron Man issues featuring the controversial issues of Tony Stark's alcoholism, to his jump to stardom in the early '90's on the Uncanny X-Men (almost a decade after his first stint on the Uncanny X-Men with Chris Claremont), to his unbelievable work on Daredevil: Man Without Fear with Frank Miller and Al Williamson, John proved that he was one of only a few artists who can shine working with a master such as Frank Miller. Moving in to the new millennium, John's work on Thor was nothing short of amazing, as well as working on Daredevil with Ann Nocenti and Al Williamson. But nothing has been more tailor made for John Jr's art than Marvel's flagship title - Spider-Man! His return on Peter Parker, Spider-Man proved that he was Marvel's best choice for a Spider-Man artist, and when Joe Michael Straczynski took hold of Marvel's flagship title, it was John Jr's art that made the great stories shine as well as they did! One thing that's kept John's art fresh is his ability to move from character to character. It definitely is bitter sweet to see John leave Spider-Man and run around the Marvel Universe on characters such as The Eternals (with Neil Gaiman), proving that once again, John Jr. is the artists artist who can tackle such great projects, and even on his run on the World War Hulk (yes, Hulk does indeed Smash!), one is mesmerized by his incredible artwork. What's amazing is, that as of this writing, John Romita Jr. will be returning to Amazing Spider-Man #568, and this fan, Nick Barrucci, President of Dynamic Forces, feels the excitement and energy to his return. These are the things that we live for in comics. it's rare to know when a series is going to be great because a great artist is working on it. We are fortunate to be on the ground floor, again, but the anticipation is something that will only be quenched with the first read of a series that will be great. The Romit's are one of the few royal families in comics. If you haven't had a chance to fully appreciate their work, here's your chance. it's a fun ride. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have in putting this book together! With an introduction by Alex Ross and an afterword by Stan "The Man" Lee, this hard cover book is perfect for every Spider-Man fan young and old!

This is the true story of Master Sergeant David M. Burns, an aerial gunner assigned to the deadliest squadron in air force history. Aboard the AC-130 Spectre gunship, he flew a total of 287 combat missions over Laos, South Vietnam, and Cambodia, in pursuit of the truck traffic coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. His squadron destroyed more than fifteen thousand trucks loaded with war munitions destined for South Vietnam and Cambodia. Despite heavy and constant anti-aircraft and missile fire, the loss of six aircraft and the lives of fifty-two men, the crew never wavered in its dedication to the mission. Master Sergeant Burns has a distinguished military career that began in 1951 at the age of fifteen. He served one tour of duty in Phan Rang, South Vietnam, in 1967, and four tours of duty in the 16th Special Operations Squadron in Southeast Asia as an aerial gunner, lead gunner, and instructor gunner. He served in both the United States Navy and Air Force, earning three Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism, twenty-seven Air Medals, as well as a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Vietnam Service Medal with nine battle stars, and other decorations from the Korean War. He was wounded twice and is credited with saving the lives of fourteen crewmembers. This is his story.

The third volume in this classic series contains critical entries, each complete with a plot synopsis, on nearly 2,000 horror films, from early chillers such as Nosferatu, to modern chillers like Single White Female.

The Battle of Jutland: At the end of May 1916, a chance encounter with Admiral Hipper's battlecruisers has enabled Beatty to lead the German Battle Fleet into the jaws of Jellicoe's greatly superior force, but darkness had allowed Admiral Scheer to extricate his ships from a potentially disastrous situation. Though inconclusive, at the Battle of Jutland the German Fleet suffered so much damage that it made no further attempt to challenge the Grand Fleet, and the British blockade remained unbroken. Captain Bennett has used sources previously unavailable to historians in his reconstruction of this controversial battle, including the papers of Vice-Admiral Harper explaining why his official record of the battle was not published until 1927, and the secret "Naval Staff Appreciation" of 1922 whose criticism were so scathing that it was never issued to the Fleet. Also included are numerous battle plans, photographs and an introduction by Bennett's son. 2006 is the 90th anniversary of the battle.

Since the initial publication of the first three groundbreaking volumes -- Horror, Science Fiction, and The Western -- The Overlook Film Encyclopedia series has been deemed the most authoritative, stylish, and compulsively readable film reference series ever. In The Gangster Film, series editor Phil Hardy has created yet again a landmark in film reference. Included in this lavish volume are critical entries on more than 1,500 gangster films, complete with plot synapses and credits, and 650 black and white photographs to capture the look of this exciting genre. Arranged chronologically, The Gangster Film offers deliciously opinionated and detailed descriptions, statistical information, credits and trivia from early classics such as Public Enemy, Key Largo, Dragnet, and On the Waterfront to contemporary blockbusters such as The Grifters, Chinatown, The Godfather, and Pulp Fiction. Essential, authoritative, and entertaining, The Gangster Film is the guide for serious students of film, film buffs, and home viewers.