The Plight of the Torpedo People is a collection of bodysurfing photographs, frame grabs and personal essays documenting the making of Keith Malloy's first film, Come Hell or High Water--the first feature-length film to be made about the sport of bodysurfing--between May 2009 and August 2011. A winner of Best Film and Best Cinematography awards on the festival circuit, Come Hell or High Water explores the history and development of bodysurfing alongside the purity of experience that is riding a wave, taking a unique look at the culture and beauty of the sport, while capturing the stories and locations of those who belong to its community. The film's unanticipated popularity may well reflect the less-is-more, environmentally aware consciousness of our times; as the simplest of all ocean sports, bodysurfing requires little more than swim fins and some waves. The Plight of the Torpedo People is a collaborative work by the best bodysurfers of today, captured doing what they do best by some of the world's best surf cinematographers and photographers. With 69 photographs in color, the book includes an introduction by Keith Malloy.

From the American entry into World War II until September 1943, U.S. submarines experienced an abnormally high number of torpedo failures. These failures resulted from three defects present in the primary torpedo of the day, the Mark XIV. These defects were a tendency to run deeper than the set depth, the frequent premature detonation of the Mark 6 magnetic influence exploder, and the failure of the contact exploder when hitting a target at the textbook ninety-degree angle. Ironically, despite using a completely independent design, the Germans experienced the same three defects. The Germans, however, fixed their defects in six months, while it took the Americans twenty-two months. Much of the delay on the American side resulted from the denial of senior leaders in the operational forces and in the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) that the torpedo itself was defective. Instead, they blamed crews for poor marksmanship or lack of training. In the end, however, the submarine force itself overcame the bureaucratic inertia and correctly identified and fixed the three problems on their own, proving once again the industry of the average American soldier or sailor. From the American entry into World War II until September 1943, U.S. submarines experienced an abnormally high number of torpedo failures. These failures resulted from three defects present in the primary torpedo of the day, the Mark XIV. These defects were a tendency to run deeper than the set depth, the frequent premature detonation of the magnetic influence exploder, and the failure of the contact exploder when hitting a target at the textbook 90-degree angle. Ironically, despite using a completely independent design, the Germans experienced the same three defects. The Germans, however, fixed their defects in six months, while it took the Americans 22 months. Much of the delay on the American side resulted from the denial of senior leaders in the operational forces and in the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) that the torpedo itself was defective. Instead, they blamed crews for poor marksmanship or lack of training. In the end, however, the submarine force itself overcame the bureaucratic inertia and correctly identified and fixed the three problems on their own, proving once again the industry of the average American soldier or sailor. Contrary to the interpretations of most submarine historians, this book concludes that BuOrd did not sit idly by while torpedoes failed on patrol after patrol. BuOrd acknowledged problems from early in the war, but their processes and their tunnel vision prevented them from realizing that the weapon sent to the fleet was grossly defective. One of World War II's forgotten heroes, Admiral Lockwood drove the process for finding and fixing the three major defects. This is first book that deals exclusively with the torpedo problem, building its case out of original research from the archives of the Bureau of Ordnance, the Chief of Naval Operations, Vice Admiral Lockwood's personal correspondence, and records from the British Admiralty at the National Archives of the United Kingdom. These sources are complemented by correspondence and interviews with men who actually participated in the events.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Christine Feehan has enthralled a legion of fans with the seductive world and unforgettable characters—both human and not—of her dark Carpathian series. Now, as Christmas draws near, she reunites all of them for a Dark Celebration… After centuries as the Prince of the Carpathians, Mikhail Dubrinsky fears he can’t protect them for long from their greatest threat: the extinction of their species by their immortal enemies—who are devising a scheme to slaughter Carpathian females. But even with his own lifemate Raven and their daughter Savannah vulnerable to the encroaching evil, Mikhail’s hope is not lost. Carpathians from around the world are gathering to join their souls and their powers to bring light to the darkness. But so too are their adversaries uniting—hunters, vampires, demons, and betrayers—bringing untold dangers into the fold of the Carpathian people. INCLUDES BONUS CONTENT!

Breathtaking photographs and deeply personal stories from a leading surfing and nature photographer, conservation advocate, and social media force Wayward is a collection of striking photographs and the revealing personal stories behind them by one of the leading surf, nature, and adventure photographers of our time. At remote beaches and locales in places like Russia, Norway, Iceland, and the Aleutian Islands, Chris Burkard suffered from hypothermia, destroyed thousands of dollars' worth of camera gear, and spent a few nights in jail. But in the process, he captured amazing and iconic images that have defined his life’s work. And while millions have seen his photographs in magazines, marketing campaigns for Patagonia, Sony, and others, and via his social media, Burkard has never given a full account of these journeys--until now. With never-before-seen images and the stories behind them, Burkard crafts an original narrative that combines the page-turning drama of a great explorer’s adventure story and the immediacy and power of unforgettable photographs. Chronicling both the failures and the successes he has experienced in building a career, Burkard shares an infectious passion for photography, surfing, and chasing dreams in some of the world’s most awe-inspiring places.

Beautifully illustrated with more than 700 images, The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands tells the colourful stories behind the marvellous Hawaiian shirts: as cultural icons, evocative of the mystery and the allure of the Islands; as collectibles, valued by professional collectors and by the millions of tourists who still cherish the shirts hanging in their wardrobes; and as a lifestyle - casual, relaxed and fun. Drawing from hundreds of interviews, newspaper and magazine archives, and personal memorabilia, the author evokes the world of the designers, seamstresses, manufacturers and retailers of the Golden Age of the Aloha shirt (from the 1930s to the end of the 1950s), who created the industry and nurtured it from its single-sewing-machine shop beginnings to an enterprise of international scope and importance. Here are the fun-loving 1960s; interviews with collectors who preserve these shirts as fine works of art; and insights into the roles of coconut buttons, matched pockets, woven labels and exotic fabrics in the evolution of the Aloha shirt.

In this “suspenseful...captivating” (Publishers Weekly) novel in GhostWalker series, #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan tracks the desperate steps of a wanted woman—betrayed, avenging, and dangerously irresistible… Gator Fontenot of the Special Forces paranormal squad can’t refuse an urgent request to save the elusive Iris “Flame” Johnson, a victim of the same horrific experiments that warped Gator. Now unleashed, she’s a red-haired weapon of unimaginable destructive powers, a walking time bomb bent on revenge in the sultry bayous of New Orleans, and hunted by a shadowy assassin. It’s Gator’s job to reel Flame in. But can two people haunted by violent betrayals trust the passion that soon ignites between them? Or is one of them just playing another seductive and deadly night game?

First published in 1933, "The Shape of Things to Come" is science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells. Within it, world events between 1933 and 2106 are speculated with a single superstate representing the solution to all humanity's problems. A classic example of Wellsian prophesy, this volume is highly recommended for fans of his work and of the science fiction genre. Herbert George Wells (1866 - 1946) was a prolific English writer who wrote in a variety of genres, including the novel, politics, history, and social commentary. Today, he is perhaps best remembered for his contributions to the science fiction genre thanks to such novels as "The Time Machine" (1895), "The Invisible Man" (1897), and "The War of the Worlds" (1898). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this book now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more. In boyhood, Louis Zamperini was an incorrigible delinquent. As a teenager, he channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics. But when World War II began, the athlete became an airman, embarking on a journey that led to a doomed flight on a May afternoon in 1943. When his Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean, against all odds, Zamperini survived, adrift on a foundering life raft. Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will. Appearing in paperback for the first time—with twenty arresting new photos and an extensive Q&A with the author—Unbroken is an unforgettable testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit, brought vividly to life by Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand. Hailed as the top nonfiction book of the year by Time magazine • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for biography and the Indies Choice Adult Nonfiction Book of the Year award “Extraordinarily moving . . . a powerfully drawn survival epic.”—The Wall Street Journal “[A] one-in-a-billion story . . . designed to wrench from self-respecting critics all the blurby adjectives we normally try to avoid: It is amazing, unforgettable, gripping, harrowing, chilling, and inspiring.”—New York “Staggering . . . mesmerizing . . . Hillenbrand’s writing is so ferociously cinematic, the events she describes so incredible, you don’t dare take your eyes off the page.”—People “A meticulous, soaring and beautifully written account of an extraordinary life.”—The Washington Post “Ambitious and powerful . . . a startling narrative and an inspirational book.”—The New York Times Book Review “Magnificent . . . incredible . . . [Hillenbrand] has crafted another masterful blend of sports, history and overcoming terrific odds; this is biography taken to the nth degree, a chronicle of a remarkable life lived through extraordinary times.”—The Dallas Morning News “An astonishing testament to the superhuman power of tenacity.”—Entertainment Weekly “A tale of triumph and redemption . . . astonishingly detailed.”—O: The Oprah Magazine “[A] masterfully told true story . . . nothing less than a marvel.”—Washingtonian “[Hillenbrand tells this] story with cool elegance but at a thrilling sprinter’s pace.”—Time “Hillenbrand [is] one of our best writers of narrative history. You don’t have to be a sports fan or a war-history buff to devour this book—you just have to love great storytelling.”—Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

On September 17, 1940, the SS City of Benares was sailing in the North Atlantic with more than four hundred people on board, including ninety children on their way to Canada to escape the blitz. They were considered lucky - leaving WWII behind and heading for peace, quiet and security...At a little after ten o'clock that night, a German submarine torpedoed the Benares. The ship sank in half an hour, in a gale that sent several of her lifeboats pitching to the cold sea. The passengers were more than six hundred miles from land, three hundred miles from the nearest rescue vessel; none of them had a reasonable hope of survival. But in the wake of tragedy and horror, the City of Benares would also prove herself a mother of miracles. Exceptional feats of courage and endurance took shape in the hours and days that followed the attack, the children in particular exhibiting what one naval officer later called 'courage beyond praise'. Based on firsthand accounts from the child survivors and other passengers, including the author's great-uncle, "Miracles on the Water" is a vivid retelling of one of the greatest hidden wartime dramas.

Featuring entirely original writings written exclusively for this work, this anthology is filled with 28 essays from foreigners who live or have lived in China for a significant period of time. The book contains beautiful and enlightening stories about China from such noteworthy writers as Simon Winchester, Peter Hessler, Susan Conley, and Alan Paul, among others. Through their personal stories, they illustrate the many sides of Chinese life--the weird, the fascinating, and the appalling--and share what it's like to live, learn, and love as an outsider in a land unlike any other in the world.