Jon Maguire's book Silver Wings, Pinks & Greens was a tremendous success and set a new standard for American uniform and insignia references. Following its publication there still remained among collectors and historians a desire for more information. There was also an outpouring from many serious collectors who made available a wealth of items-the result, More Silver Wings, Pinks & Greens. This book of all new material greatly expands on the wing qualification bagdes, uniforms, and patches presented in the first book. Additionally, this work covers totally new areas including Civil Air Patrol, W.A.S.P.s, Air Transport Command, Factory Techincal Representatives, and "Yanks" in the RAF an RCAF. Other new areas presented are uniforms and insignia of the First World War era, and the "Golden Age" of the 1920s-1930s. There is also a large section on Aviation Cadets and civilian contract flying schools and instructors. The book is presented in the detailed and thorough style typical of Jon Maguire's work. Original items are shown in over 1000 color photographs, as well as numerous unpublished period photographs showing the items as they were worn. Jon Maguire is also the author of Gear Up! Flight Clothing & Equipment of USAAF Airmen in World War II, American Flight Jackets, Airmen & Aircraft, and Art of the Flight Jacket(all available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).

This new look at the uniforms and insignia of the USAAF during the World War II years covers a broad range of clothing, collar insignia, rank insignia, shoulder/sleeve insignia and squadron patches. Additionally, there is an in-depth examination of wing qualification badges. Actual items are presented in nearly 600 illustrations in full color, and also as they appeared in actual war-era photos. Actual uniform regulations and illustrations from the 1943 and 1944 Officers Guides are also provided. Silver Wings, Pinks & Greens will be a useful addition to the libraries of collectors, historians, modelers and veterns alike. Jon Maguire is also the author of American Flight Jackets, Airmen & Aircraft: A History of U.S. Flyers' Jackets from World War I to Desert Storm(with John Conway). Jon lives in Oklahoma City, Ok.

In this companion volume to his 1995 bibliography of the same title, Daniel Blewett continues his foray into the vast literature of military studies. As did its predecessor, it covers land, air, and naval forces, primarily but not exclusively from a U.S. perspective, with the welcome emergence of small wars from publishing obscurity. In addition to identifying relevant organizations and associations, Blewett has gathered together the very best in chronologies, bibliographies, biographical dictionaries, indexes, journals abstracts, glossaries, and encyclopedias, each accompanied by a brief descriptive annotation. This work remains a pertinent addition to the general reference collections of public and academic libraries as well as special libraries, government documents collections, military and intelligence agency libraries, and historical societies and museums.

This is the poignant and exciting story of a statistical anomaly, a B-24 bomber crew that completed 50 combat missions in World War II. This crew was part of the famous 450th Bomb Group, which was nicknamed the "Cottontails" because of their white rudders. As part of the 15th Army Air Force, they flew strategic bombing missions out of Manduria, Italy (in the heel of the boot) and struck strategic targets which were out of the reach of the 8th Army Air Force bases in England. The group lost 1,505 airmen in only a year and a half--the equivalent of losing their effective flying strength three times over. The book's title comes from the crew's bomber, Shadow, which in turn was named for the pilot's black cocker spaniel that flew with them on training missions. Based on interviews with the surviving crewmembers and their families as well as extant archival source material, the book details the childhood, training and post-war life of each of its 13 principal characters. Chapter One is a discussion of each man's boyhood years and Chapter Two provides details of the training that each received. In Chapter Three, the original crew of ten (Crew #4-N-33) was formed in Clovis, New Mexico. An assignment for training in Clovis and in B-24s meant that the crew had been designated for heavy bombardment. Chapter Four includes a description of the four main objectives for the crew, one of which was to participate in POINTBLANK, the Combined Bomber Offensive, which called for the destruction of German fighter aircraft plants, ball bearing plants, oil refineries, rubber plants, munitions factories, sub pens and bases. Details of the structural components of most missions are provided in Chapter Five. The crew completes its first missions in Chapter Six. In Chapter Seven, "Shadow" completes its last after taking enemy fire, and Chapter Eight introduces a new plane, Sleepy Time Gal. The book's Epilogue contains information about the post-war lives of the crew.

Travel back in time to the exhilarating story of the first WASPS, the Woman Airforce Service Pilots, who risked their lives, their ambitions, and their dreams to help the war effort during World War II. Determined to earn their wings in a man’s world, four young women are united by their fearless passion for flying. From the rigors of military flight to their turbulent romances with fellow officers, to their own private wars for love and respect, Janet Dailey celebrates the courage of women at war in a world where life, time, and love were never more fleeting...and never more precious.

The thrilling true story of the daring female aviators who helped the United States win World War II--only to be forgotten by the country they served. When Japanese planes executed a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air. At twenty-two, Cornelia had escaped Nashville's debutante scene for a fresh start as a flight instructor in Hawaii. She and her student were in the middle of their lesson when the bombs began to fall, and they barely made it back to ground that morning. Still, when the U.S. Army Air Forces put out a call for women pilots to aid the war effort, Cornelia was one of the first to respond. She became one of just over 1,100 women from across the nation to make it through the Army's rigorous selection process and earn her silver wings. In The Women with Silver Wings, historian Katherine Sharp Landdeck introduces us to these young women as they meet even-tempered, methodical Nancy Love and demanding visionary Jacqueline Cochran, the trailblazing pilots who first envisioned sending American women into the air, and whose rivalry would define the Women Airforce Service Pilots. For women like Cornelia, it was a chance to serve their country--and to prove that women aviators were just as skilled and able as men. While not authorized to serve in combat, the WASP helped train male pilots for service abroad and ferried bombers and pursuits across the country. Thirty-eight of them would not survive the war. But even taking into account these tragic losses, Love and Cochran's social experiment seemed to be a resounding success--until, with the tides of war turning and fewer male pilots needed in Europe, Congress clipped the women's wings. The program was disbanded, the women sent home. But the bonds they'd forged never failed, and over the next few decades, they came together to fight for recognition as the military veterans they were--and for their place in history.

Provides an in-depth examination of personal flight clothing and equipment used by United States Army Air Force flyers in World War II.

Celebrate shade! That's author Larry Hodgson's call to gardeners everywhere, no matter if you have a small shady corner or an entire landscape overshadowed by trees. His hands-on "been there, done that" advice will help you tackle planning, planting, and problem-solving, as well as create color, texture, and light-filled areas in the shade. He also shares more than 200 outstanding plants - perennials, annuals, bulbs, ferns, ornamental grasses, and climbing plants - that you can use to create a beautiful garden that will flourish under shady conditions. In fact, after reading Making the Most of Shade, even the gardener with the sunniest yard will want to create a shady nook!--COVER.

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. Look for CROSSED, the sequel to MATCHED, in Fall 2011! Watch a Video