A classic Australian war novel, inspired by the author's experiences as an airgunner in the Second World War. This new, revised and annotated edition includes chapters never before published, a fascinating biography of John Bede Cusack by his daughter, Kerry McCouat, and an informative introduction by editor Robert Brokenmouth.

There are no records of war more valuable than the first-hand accounts of the individuals who were actually there. The vivid honesty of the stories on display here brings into sharp focus the personal fears as well as the sheer exhilaration of flying sorties by day, often through heavy flak, sometimes at hedge-hopping or wave- skimming heights, as the squadrons of Blenheims, Mosquitoes, Mitchells and Venturas swept across the Continent towards their targets.??From the outbreak of the Second World War to the eve of VE Day, the medium bomber crews of 2 Group RAF and 2nd Tactical Air Force flew vital operations over Europe. Here their story is told, month by perilous month, often in the words of the airmen themselves, their accounts supported by meticulous research. Their exploits include the first sorties of the war, the famous Operation Oyster to bomb the Philips works at Eindhoven and other low-level pinpoint attacks against key targets in occupied Europe and Scandinavia. ??While sharing in the triumph of their bombing successes, we are not spared details of the appalling sacrifices and the failed and aborted raids. These details are relayed in a series of poignant personal snapshots, highlighting the extraordinary valour of these ordinary men. Remarkable photographs include aerial views of targets under attack, as well as dramatic portraits of the aircraft involved. This book serves as a moving tribute to the efforts of the pilots involved in some of the most perilous daylight bombing operations of the Second World War.

A catch phrase is a well-known, frequently-used phrase or saying that has `caught on' or become popular over along period of time. It is often witty or philosophical and this Dictionary gathers together over 7,000 such phrases.

This book starts at the funeral of her father, Eddie Gravitt. She is talking with his spirit and recalling the days of her youth. You can feel her grief and sadness as she recalls the days of her childhood and that of her siblings growing up in rural Missouri in the forties and fifties. You will feel the trauma of a poor family trying to survive the depression. She describes all the hardships and the love for her family and her parents. She shows immense pride in her father. He never gave up trying to support his family, though his job skills were limited by not being able to read or write. She tells how he became one of the most respected antique dealers in Missouri. This book is the actual story of a family's hardships. It is not fiction.

Robert E. Adams Jr. has always had an interest in history. Determined to catch the eye of his audience, he will take you time traveling back into a period of time that will not only teach you some methods on how to survive, but also how to communicate with some of the natives of that time period. What caused us to time travel? What are the similarities we have from the present time and traveling back in time approximately two thousand years? Let's read the story and see. Robert is a person who dedicated his life to the building trades, the outdoors, hunting, and fishing. He knew how to protect and support his family. If anything in our present time ever happened, he would have known what needed to be done.

Are there signs of intelligent life on this planet? Those words certainly crossed the mind of ultra-intelligent nine-year-old James “Jimmy Rocket” Rockhurst, long before he and his family (including Bart, his beloved Labrador retriever) and 5,000 Earthlings launched into space on the Hephaestus. In Jimmy Rocket, a sci-fi/fantasy novel, everyone is cryogenically frozen before landing on a mineral-rich planet they dub “Ferrous,” where they form a fledgling society and begin to colonize its resources. When Jimmy discovers another sentient species, his curiosity and open-mindedness take him deep within the culture of aliens. Wise beyond his years, the youngster teaches the furry species English and takes part in a deadly skirmish with a rival alien troop. The ever-astute Jimmy soon realizes there’s a bigger foe lurking among the metal-laden forests: his fellow humans who seem intent on destroying the planet’s naturals resources and possibly its Indigenous inhabitants. Packed with adventure, Jimmy Rocket will ignite the imagination of youth audiences with its fast-paced scenes and lively hero who quickly comes of age when faced with the need to make difficult decisions and sacrifices. But there are deeper messages in this story—about environmentalism and embracing culture and difference—that are sure to resonate with adults, too.

Politics has become a synonym for all that is dirty, corrupt, dishonest, compromising, and wrong. For many people, politics seems not only remote from their daily lives but abhorrent to their personal values. Outside of the rare inspirational politician or social movement, politics is a wasteland of apathy and disinterest. It wasn't always this way. For Americans who came of age shortly after World War II, politics was a field of dreams. Democracy promised to cure the world's ills. But starting in the late seventies, conservative economists promoted self-interest as the source of all good, and their view became public policy. Government's main role was no longer to help people, but to get out of the way of personal ambition. Politics turned mean and citizens turned away. In this moving and powerful blend of political essay and reportage, award-winning political scientist Deborah Stone argues that democracy depends on altruism, not self-interest. The merchants of self-interest have divorced us from what we know in our pores: we care about other people and go out of our way to help them. Altruism is such a robust motive that we commonly lie, cheat, steal, and break laws to do right by others. "After 3:30, you're a private citizen," one home health aide told Stone, explaining why she was willing to risk her job to care for a man the government wanted to cut off from Medicare. The Samaritan's Dilemma calls on us to restore the public sphere as a place where citizens can fulfill their moral aspirations. If government helps the neighbors, citizens will once again want to help govern. With unforgettable stories of how real people think and feel when they practice kindness, Stone shows that everyday altruism is the premier school for citizenship. Helping others shows people their common humanity and their power to make a difference. At a time when millions of citizens ache to put the Bush and Reagan era behind us and feel proud of their government, Deborah Stone offers an enormously hopeful vision of politics.