Customer Reviews:
College type text book.......2006-08-15
I recommend this book because it covers all the material for the Private Pilot license in an easy to understand manner. It is full of colored pictures and important concepts in bold print. This is a great book for studying to become a private pilot.
I used it, now my students do........2006-01-21
Yes, I know it's pricey. Think of it as an investment. Buy it. End of story.
Excellent book, execpt 1 thing!.......2005-05-17
Overall the book was great, it gave me my pilots license but the 1 thing the book didn't do so well on was the weather section. I had trouble understanding the weather theory section so I had to refrence another book so I could learn about the weather. That's it, just the theory, the weather reports and forcast section was good.
Excellent Book.......2004-07-27
This was an excellent book. Both the material and presentation was very professional and would be great for both a classroom or independent study for the written exam.
The only drawback and it was minor was that the coverage of the required FAR's was minimal, but since everyone buying this book should have a copy of the latest FAR/AIM, this should not be too bad.
Excellent Preparation For Private Pilots and Students.......2004-06-05
I am a professional airline pilot, and log virtually all of my time in large, turbojet aircraft. I am also a current CFI, although I don't frequently exercise my Instructor privileges in single engine aircraft. Not long ago I was approached to assist in teaching a Private Pilot ground school and to do some tutoring on the side. I accepted more for the challenge than any other reason.
The selected text for the course was the "Private Pilot Manual" by Jeppesen Sanderson, and I must say that I was very impressed with the book. It is very complete and provides easy to comprehend explanations (normally with useful diagrams, charts, or photographs) that make learning relatively painless. It was an excellent refresher for me as well, as single engine VFR flying is not what I do on a daily basis anymore. I highly recommend this book to CFI's for their students, to any Private Pilot or Private Pilot candidate, or to any advanced pilot as a refresher of the basics.
The only complaints I have heard from students are in regard to the relatively high price of the book. My response is that this one book contains the best explanations of the most important concepts needed to pass your written, oral, and practical exams before becoming a Private Pilot, and is an excellent reference to be referred to in the days to come. Flying isn't cheap. Economy is a good thing, but you need to know when to skimp and when to spend. This book is an excellent investment.
Book Description
Masters of the Air is the deeply personal story of the American bomber boys in World War II who brought the war to Hitler's doorstep. With the narrative power of fiction, Donald Miller takes readers on a harrowing ride through the fire-filled skies over Berlin, Hanover, and Dresden and describes the terrible cost of bombing for the German people.
Fighting at 25,000 feet in thin, freezing air that no warriors had ever encountered before, bomber crews battled new kinds of assaults on body and mind. Air combat was deadly but intermittent: periods of inactivity and anxiety were followed by short bursts of fire and fear. Unlike infantrymen, bomber boys slept on clean sheets, drank beer in local pubs, and danced to the swing music of Glenn Miller's Air Force band, which toured U.S. air bases in England. But they had a much greater chance of dying than ground soldiers. In 1943, an American bomber crewman stood only a one-in-five chance of surviving his tour of duty, twenty-five missions. The Eighth Air Force lost more men in the war than the U.S. Marine Corps.
The bomber crews were an elite group of warriors who were a microcosm of America -- white America, anyway. (African-Americans could not serve in the Eighth Air Force except in a support capacity.) The actor Jimmy Stewart was a bomber boy, and so was the "King of Hollywood," Clark Gable. And the air war was filmed by Oscar-winning director William Wyler and covered by reporters like Andy Rooney and Walter Cronkite, all of whom flew combat missions with the men.
The Anglo-American bombing campaign against Nazi Germany was the longest military campaign of World War II, a war within a war. Until Allied soldiers crossed into Germany in the final months of the war, it was the only battle fought inside the German homeland.
Strategic bombing did not win the war, but the war could not have been won without it. American
airpower destroyed the rail facilities and oil refineries that supplied the German war machine. The bombing campaign was a shared enterprise: the British flew under the cover of night while American bombers attacked by day, a technique that British commanders thought was suicidal.
Masters of the Air is a story, as well, of life in wartime England and in the German prison camps, where tens of thousands of airmen spent part of the war. It ends with a vivid description of the grisly hunger marches captured airmen were forced to make near the end of the war through the country their bombs destroyed.
Drawn from recent interviews, oral histories, and American, British, German, and other archives, Masters of the Air is an authoritative, deeply moving account of the world's first and only bomber war.
Customer Reviews:
A "must read" for all those interested in WW II........2007-10-10
This monumental work covers the bomber war in Europe in a more complete way than any other book I have read including anything the great Martin Caidin has written. Mr. Miller tells the story from the perspectives of the tail gunners, waist gunners, radiomen, bombadiers, navigators, co-pilots and pilots as well as the generals who devised the strategys. All aspects of the war are covered from the original construction of the air bases to airplane maintenance to training to missions to time-off at local village pubs. Unlike other books, this one covers the POWs and their horrendous plight especially as the war is winding down and the Nazis more them from location to location ahead of the advancing Allies. Miller also includes stories about Capt. Tibbets of Hiroshima fame and a fascinating story of Chuck Yeager's escape from occupied Europe through Spain and his subsequent return to combat, something almost never allowed because re-patriated flyers knew too much about the french underground that would jeapordize lives if they were shot down a second time. Also of interest was information about what happened to crewmen who elected to land in "neutral" Switzerland in wounded ships. I recommend this book highly.
Masters of the Air.......2007-09-11
A marvelous story about the WW II air war over Europe. Full of interesting details and descriptions. I have shared it with friends that did their 35 missions, and they concur.
The Story of the "Mighty Eighth".......2007-09-08
This well-written and exhaustively researched book chronicles the rise of the American Eighth Air Force from its early days in England to VE Day in 1945.
At the outset of the war, the British believed that night bombing was the best way to attack German cities and industry. However, once America entered the war, they chose a philosophy different from that of the British. The Americans believed that daylight precision strategic bombing was the only way to defeat the Germans. The British, on the other hand, still favored nighttime area bombing. This difference of opinion between the Americans and British was never really settled, but by combining the "round the clock" attacks of American planes during the day and British planes at night, the Germans faced an unending stream of planes and bombs.
When the Eighth flew their first mission in the fall of 1942, they could barely muster thirty planes, but at the end of the war, they were putting up well over one thousand, with several hundred fighter escorts as well. The German Luftwaffe could not match these incredible numbers of planes, and, despite such tactics as underground production and introducing the world's first jet fighter, there was little they could do to stop the Allied bombing.
Differences also existed between the British and Americans regarding target selection. The British favored carpet bombing Germany's cities with little or no regard for civilian casualties. The Americans favored targeting German industry (synthetic oil production, ball bearings, and transportation hubs). The Americans believed that the systematic destruction of the German economy would bring about surrender quicker than the British belief of "terror attacks" designed to break the will of the German people.
An interesting point made by the author is whether or not strategic bombing was effective against the Germans. A preponderance of the evidence would suggest that the answer to this question is "yes", but there are some compelling counter-points made in the book.
This is a fine work of aviation history. The book is well-researched and is easy to read and understand. Every aspect of the Allied bomber offensive in Europe is covered in great detail. The author also includes many personal testimonials from the men who flew the B-17s and B-24s against the Germans. An interesting chapter is also devoted to the Swiss government and how they treated "captured" Allied fliers. The terrifying incendiary raid on Dresden as well as the horrific destruction of Berlin is also told in vivid detail.
I give this fine book my highest recommendation. If you're looking for information on the Eighth Air Force and the air war over Europe, this is the book to read.
Does anyone at Simon & Schuster proofread?.......2007-09-04
Mr. Miller's book includes not only substantial research into prior publications but very interesting research based on letters and interviews he's found on his own. It's a good book. But if you're a member of the word police you'll be annoyed by the many proofreading errors. Here's a sample: "In the heavily defended Ruhr, with its permanent cloud of industrial smoke, the number was only in ten." (p.54) Should have been "within ten miles." Some errors are so simple a spell checker would have caught them: (p.199) "spining" for spinning. And there are some factual errors as well. Miller attributes contrails to wingtips. They're created by engines. It's much easier to criticize than to write. Still, S&S should have, with the several editors listed in the acknowledgments, caught the errors. I have no idea whether they have been corrected in the paperback.
The Unsung Heroes of The Eighth Air Force.......2007-08-26
This is an overdue tribute to those young men who gave their lives, in great numbers, fighting the air war over Germany in WWII.To those who think WWII was fought without major tatical errors, this book will be a revelation. In tribute to the kids who lost their lives in this bloody effort, everyone should be required to read this story. If you thought that service in the Air Force was a cake walk read this book.
Book Description
Your business can take a lesson from the American military's fighter pilots. At Mach 2, the instrument panel of an F-15 is screaming out information, the horizon is a blur, the wingman is occupied, the jet is hanging on the edge -- and yet fighter pilots routinely handle the stress. It's not much different in today's unforgiving business world. One slipup and your company is bankrupt before your employees know what hit them.
What works on the squadron level for F-15 pilots will also work for your marketing team, sales force, or research and development group. By analyzing the work environment and attacking its centers of gravity in parallel, you'll begin to utilize the Plan-Brief-Execute-Debrief-Win cycle that will rapidly impact your business's future success. U.S. fighter squadrons have been using this program for nearly fifty years to reduce their mistake rate, cut casualties and equipment losses, and rack up an envious victory record. Now, with Flawless Execution, your business can too.
Customer Reviews:
Worth the read to learn about execution cultures.......2006-01-03
Not a great book but a good one for sure. Former pilots now consulting in business and trying to take their culture and help businesses do the same. Some hype but not bad and the author gives you some solid lessons that can be applied. Gives you an outline of what it takes in their world and how it might apply in the outside world. Certainly not 100% transference but worth the read if you want to know how to get things done
Inappropriate Generalizations.......2005-12-24
This is the latest in a never-ending series of books trying to generalize non-business world (eg. sports, armed forces, girl scouts, religion, NASA, etc.) management techniques to the business world.
Most, possibly all, are of little value because of major differences.
1)Members constituting the varying organizations are motivated differently, and face greatly significantly different situations. What does eg. a fighter pilot or football coach have in common with a pharmicist, nurse, professor, financial analyst, etc.? I have no idea.
2)Key success factors vary from one business to another. For Merck, it may be speed of developing new drugs, getting through FDA approval, and motivating physicians to use them. For Nucor Steel, it undoubtedly rests much more on low-cost production. Again, what does either have to do with fighter pilots - little, if anything.
One is better off reading books from similar situations - eg. about Wal-Mart (if you are in retailing), about Allied-Signal or G.E. (if you are managing a conglomerate), and about New York Community School District #4, as managed by Sy Fliegel, if you are in public schools
This is the official Afterburner handbook........2005-06-06
If you haven't had the opportunity to experience an Afterburner seminar yet, this book links you into their entire process top-down, from strategy to the flawless execution model to the people who carry out the mission. As head of Training for my organization, I was particularly interested in the section Murph dedicated to training. In the business world we don't place enough emphasis on the importance of training our people - in the military they never place someone in an environment they are not prepared to be in. Training seems to always get sacrificed because we're too busy carrying out tasks to get pulled away. Murph speaks on training to achieve a (specific) Desired Learning Objective, seeing how its done and then doing it - learning from experience. In the corporate world there is much we can learn from military processes. Flawless Execution is a process that can be applied to every business objective - its asks the questions: Did we plan right? Communicate to our people clearly? Give our people the tools they need to execute their job? And, did we capture lessons learned so we can sharpen the saw next time? It's a powerful tool we're applying in my organization with much success. I just hope our competitors don't read this book!
Pray this guy is never your competitor.......2005-05-13
Frank, practical advice with a no nonsense approach...just like you'd expect from guys that operate in a space where coming in second isn't an option.
This is a no BS look at how to improve any organization's ability to kick the competition's butt. You won't find "theoretical" discussions from a group of "academics." No charts and graphs. No fancy formulas. Just dozens of ideas that anyone with a desire to improve can implement. The "debrief" section and advice Murph provides has literally changed the way we operate in our company.
Read it...and you'll understand why the USAF is the best in the world. More importantly, you'll see how their training methods can make you better. I couldn't recommend it more highly.
Best Business Book I've Read!!!!.......2005-05-12
Just finished Business School and I think Flawless Execution should have been required reading! It gave me a clear path to connect my big picture strategy (both professional and personal) to things I can work on everyday. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and will make sure it is a part of every organization I work with in the future.
Book Description
A mysterious plane crash . . . a dangerous trek through the Idaho wilderness . . . a smoldering attraction . . . and a deadly game of cat and mouse. In her latest tour de force of romantic suspense, New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard blends these elements into a gripping story that will keep readers breathless–and leave them begging for more. For in Linda Howard’s world, trust can be a weapon, a kiss can be a threat, and intimacy can be deadly.
Bailey Wingate’s scheming adult stepchildren are surprised when their father’s will leaves Bailey in control of their fortune, and war ensues. A year later, while flying from Seattle to Denver in a small plane, Bailey nearly dies herself when the engine sputters–and then fails.
Cam Justice, her sexy Texan pilot, manages to crash-land the aircraft. Stranded in the wilderness, and struggling to douse her feelings for the ruggedly handsome man by her side, Bailey begins to wonder whether this was a mere accident. Who tampered with their plane? Who’s trying to reunite Bailey and her husband in the afterlife? Cut off from the world, and with little hope of rescue, Bailey must trust her life–and heart–to Cam, as they battle the harsh elements to find a way out of the unforgiving wilds and back to civilization . . . where a killer may be waiting to finish the job.
Sexy, suspenseful, and lightning fast, Up Close and Dangerous showcases a beloved author at her dazzling best.
Customer Reviews:
She's Baaaaaaccckkkk!.......2007-10-15
Well, thank goodness, Linda Howard has finally reappeared. I really liked this book and even found the survival lessons interesting. As far as the resolution of the mystery, believe me, you will not see it coming. Quite a good read.
Well, at least it's not as bad as the last few..........2007-10-14
so I rated it a 2. But I still want the old Linda Howard back.
At least when Andre Norton stopped writing her sci-fantasy novels, she put the real author's name on the cover, and by and large, they stayed faithful to the style. Whoever is writing for Linda apparently never read any of her early works.
Up close and Dangerous.......2007-10-12
This sequel to her last book was not as interesting as the first. But still a great suspense novel.
Actually, it's better than she's been lately.......2007-10-09
I have been SEVERELY disappointed in Linda Howard's books lately, but I actually enjoyed this book....for the most part. The ending came rather quickly and was a total surprise....and it was disappointing that some characters didn't get what was coming to them....the story just ended abruptly.
Will Seth grow up and get his own novel with his own strong woman???
not one of my favorites.......2007-09-27
this was not one of my favorite Linda Howard books and I have read them all.
The Plot was unbelievable and the characters were weak...
Hoping for a better story next time around..
Book Description
In the seventy years since the disappearance of Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan during a flight over the Central Pacific, their fate has remained one of history's most debated mysteries. Dozens of books have offered a variety of solutions to the puzzle, but they all draw on the same handful of documents and conflicting eyewitness accounts.
Now a wealth of new information uncovered by the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) allows this book to offer the first fully documented history of what happened. Scrupulously accurate and thrilling to read, it tells the story from the letters, logs, and telegrams that recorded events as they unfolded. Many long-accepted facts are revealed as myths.
Author Ric Gillespie, TIGHAR's executive director, draws on the work of his organization's historians, archæologists, and scientists, who compiled and analyzed more than five thousand documents relating to the Earhart case. Their research led to the hypothesis that Earhart and Noonan died as castaways on a remote Pacific atoll. But this book is not a polemic that argues for a particular theory. Rather, it presents all of the authenticated historical dots and leaves it to the reader to make the connections. In addition to details about the Earhart's career and final flight, the book examines her relationship with the U.S. government and the massive search undertaken by the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy.
For serious students of Earhart's disappearance, an accompanying DVD reproduces the documents, reports, and technical studies cited in the text, allowing instant review and verification of the sources.
Customer Reviews:
non-scientists beware.......2007-09-11
This highly technical read is not for the mere curious reader or fan of this great American woman. This book contains a vivid picture of the search for America's sweetheart of 1937,Amelia Earhart and her navigator ,Fred Noonan. An intricate compilation of radio transmissions provides a picture of an overwhelmed search party, miscommunicated information and an under skilled pilot. This is not the whole picture and if one seeks a glimpse into the woman behind the incident this is not the book for you
Captivating read on Amelia's Misadventures.......2007-08-17
"Finding Amelia: the True Story of the Earhart Disappearance," Ric Gillespie, Naval Institute Press, Maryland, 2006, ISBN 1-59114-319-2, HC 242 pges., Notes 44 pgs., Index 8 pgs., Content & Forward 10 pgs., plus 40 B/W photos, map & DVD (for computer) to access photos, maps, logs of the Earhart misadventure.
A captivating narrative & chronicle of the flying life and times of pilot Amelia Earhart, both researched 18 years and written by Exec. Dir. of TIGHAR, an Internat. Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery. We are provided detailed accounts of Earhart's two world flight attempts, neither successful, with the aviatrix's last contact being July 2, 1937 while enroute to Howland Isle from Lae, New Guinea and thence to California.
Glimpses are given of Amelia Earhart's quest for notoriety during her earlier years which found her intrigued by flying machines, seeking adventure, finding celebrity status & desiring increased role for American women. But, it is not a bibliography or even a book about Amelia. It is a book of Amelia's monomaniacal attachment to flying, her aeronautical skill confines, that emphasizes her attempts to encircle the globe, imprima her 2nd attempt going Eastward, departing Oakland, California on May 19, 1937 accompanied by navigator Fred Noonan in her Lockheed Electra 10E twin engine aircraft. There is detailed & documented accountings of the massive search by US Coast Guard and Naval ships & planes and detailed reference to ships' logs of communications, etc., and interviews with Ham Radio operators who credibly appear to have identified her signals. The many B/W photographs, maps and the DVD are commendatory to this scholarly study. A few readers may find the detailed readings, etc., of the ships' logs and radiocommunication transmission times and references to frequencies and harmonics confusing & tedious, but the author's intentions to present the factual data is preserved.
Amelia Earhart on Fantasy Island?.......2007-06-29
I have followed Mr. Gillespie's search for years, and it is, sadly, largely based on wishful thinking instead of facts, such as the fuel capacity of Amelia's Lockheed 10E Electra. Simply put, there is NO WAY it could have reached where he claims it is. The book is an interesting read, and reasonably well done, and there are some opposing viewpoints presented. Factually, though, it is an illusion (one that has paid Mr. Gillespie quite well for a long time). An entertaining read, but not historical research-just a flight of fancy--
Finding Amelia.......2007-03-19
The book is a good chronicle of the last flight, and what is (and isn't known). While there isn't anything really new that hasn't been covered before, the book is a good compliment to others previously published on the Earhart story. The focus on (mis)communications highlights the thread of errors that lead to the tragedy. The inclusion of the disc (a nice touch!) containing the source data allows the reader to draw their own conclusions.
Clarification on Amelia.......2007-01-10
Excellently written. Very informative. I think this book clears up why Amelia dissappeared. It is no mystery any more.
Book Description
Can modern science tell us what happened to Amelia Earhart? The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) has spent fifteen years searching for the famous lost pilot using everything from archival research and archaeological survey to side-scan sonar and the analysis of radio wave propagation. In this spellbinding book, four of TIGHAR's scholars offer tantalizing evidence that the First Lady of the Air and her navigator Fred Noonan landed on an uninhabited tropical island but perished before they could be rescued. Do they have Amelia's shoe? Parts of her airplane? Are her bones tucked away in a hospital in Fiji? Come join their fascinating expedition and examine the evidence for yourself! The new paperback edition brings the search up to the present, including tantalizing evidence of campfires and charred bones found on remote Nikumaroro.
Customer Reviews:
"The Forensic Search for Amelia Earhart".......2007-09-04
"Amelia Earhart's Shoes: Is the Mystery Solved?", Udated 2004 Ed., Thomas F. King, et al., AltaMira Press, NY 2001, ISBN: 0-7591-0131-0, PB 374 pgs., plus 23 pg. Notes, 9 pg. Biblio., 20 pg. Index, & 104 B & W photos, illus. or maps., 6" x 9".
This is an academic work by a contingent of skilled scientific experts whose writings & basic investigative work was coordinated, in part & on behalf of TIGHAR (Int. Group of Historical Aircraft Recovery) & updated 2004. The 27 chapters describe a forensic approach to solve the mystery of aviatrix AE's disappearance enroute 2,223 miles to Howland Isle from Lae, New Guinea, July 2, 1937.
The book's format & length makes for difficult reading: -- it is based on best available scientific evidences & hypotheses of multiple disciplines of archeology, geophysics, aeronautics, anthropology, and review of both private & governmental archival information in addition to tabulating their search findings on tiny remote South Pacific Phoenix Isle "Gardner", but renamed Nikumaroro, or "Niku". Author was a principle TIGHAR investigator taking part in expeditions to Niku, & he writes with authority, -- having "been there, done that!"
Inclusion of more than 100 photos, illustrations, maps, etc., makes the reading more easily understood & tolerable: -- for it is not a book one picks up and being enchanted 'reads from cover to cover' without pause. For readers who want an up-to-date analysis of AE's disappearance this book is best read after the reader is thoroughly familiar with AE's character, avocations, skills, life experiences's and accolades by the press, politicians & the powerful, -- for Amelia was a complex person living in exciting, changing times on the cutting edge of new technologies.
Many of the chapters begin with stanzas of word parodies to be sung to certain melodies, attributable to TIGHAR but not author King. The parodies I found to be highly irregular, unsettling & not in best taste, so downgraded book from 5* to 4*.
Welcome back, TIGHARs.......2006-10-27
Those persistent TIGHARs are back with more suggestive but inconclusive research about what happened to Amelia Earhart, who disappeared in 1937 -- somewhere.
Every so often, somebody shows up in Hawaii with a kooky theory about Earhart, ranging from shot by the Japanese as a spy to still alive and keeping house in New Jersey.
The International Group for Historical Aircraft Recovery is far from kooky.
For one thing, they appear to have managed the trick of being zealous without becoming zealots. As lead author Thomas King puts it, "Most people have more pressing things to do" than hunt for a lost airplane that, given the odds, would more likely than not be under three miles of water.
The TIGHARs work, for free, in their spare time, on the assumption that, despite the geographical odds, Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan didn't just run out of gas and sink under the ocean. They think Earhart missed her target but may have crash landed on an intermittently inhabited (but in 1937 empty) island named Nikumaroro, where Earhart and Noonan might have either survived for a while or been eaten by crabs.
It's "a mystery that can't be put down," King says.
But hard to pin down.
Since the publication of "Amelia Earhart's Shoes" in 2001, the TIGHARs have run down more physical evidence, including things that look a lot like panels from a Lockheed Electra, but nothing definitive yet. The revised, 2005 edition is preferred over the first edition.
The story of the hunt also reveals a great deal of fascinating information about the South Pacific, which is big, mostly empty and weird.
HOW you solve the mystery is just as important.......2006-09-26
Who says historical research and science have to be boring? In Amelia Earhart's Shoes, Dr. Tom King and others take us on a winding (sometimes loopy, even!) journey that tries to answer the question: What happened to famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart and renowned navigator Fred Noonan in 1937 after they vanished during her around-the-world flight attempt?
Amelia Earhart's Shoes does not pretend to solve the mystery - it does show that by applying the scientific method to a popular event, you can strip away all the myths and fables and assumptions and come up with relatively simple explanations that can be tested to see if they are true or false. That the scientific method may upset a few of those legendary apple carts along the way is proof that it works - something is either true or not true, provable or not provable. In Earhart's case, the truth may turn out to be much more mundane than some of the more colorful "solutions" to her disappearance would have us believe.
There is a lot of information in Shoes, but it is presented in an easy to read, almost chatty style (think ghost stories around the campfire while making s'mores) that keeps you turning the pages to see what the heck is going to happen next. The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) has now been to the South Pacific eight times to try and prove or disprove their hypothesis that Earhart and Noonan missed their destination, tiny Howland Island, and landed on another deserted island, only to die (or perhaps be completely missed) before the frantic searchers could get to them.
Amelia Earhart's Shoes is a great read that should be on the bookshelf of everyone interested in what really did happen out there in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean almost 70 years ago.
Fantastic, not at all dry!.......2006-05-02
I saw one of the people involved in this project speak at EAA's big national air show in Oshkosh, WI last summer. It was the most popular lecture session I attended while I was there. Interested, I picked up this book expecting a thorough but dry, academic read.
Was I ever wrong! This book is not only fascinating, it's funny! It's written with some dry humor that made me want to keep reading more. And the authors lay out a strong argument, to boot. It does make one wonder...
I Couldn't Put This Book Down!.......2002-05-03
I picked up this book at my library on a lark. I've always been interested in what really happened to Amelia Earhart, but always just assumed that her plane crashed into the ocean. This book, however, completely opened my eyes to a new hypothosis: that Amelia and her navigator managed to land on an island and send out radio signals for help. The information presented in this book isn't just wild guesses and conspiracy theories - the authors make a point of backing up their thoughts with cold, hard evidence. I was hooked from the first page and got so engrossed that I ended up not doing my work at my job just so that I could finish a few more chapters. The book also has a wicked sense of humor and debunks the myth that scientists are just stodgy old guys. I'd reccomend this book to anyone with even an ounce of curosity. I'm holding my breath until Dr. Tom King and the other authors put out another book on Amelia. I can't wait to see what they find!
Average customer rating:
- Must read for anyone who considers themselves a writer
- A Classic...
- VERY INSPIRING!
- An adventurous life
- MY FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME
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West with the Night
Beryl Markham
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ASIN: 0865471185 |
Amazon.com
One of the most beautifully crafted books I have ever read, with some of the most poetic prose passages I could imagine, such as the following, resonating with a stately and timeless quality so absent in our modern life:
There are all kinds of silences and each of them means a different thing. There is the silence that comes with morning in a forest, and this is different from the silence of a sleeping city. There is silence after a rainstorm, and before a rainstorm, and these are not the same. There is the silence of emptiness, the silence of fear, the silence of doubt. There is a certain silence that can emanate from a lifeless object as from a chair lately used, or from a piano with old dust upon its keys, or from anything that has answered to the need of a man, for pleasure or for work. This kind of silence can speak. Its voice may be melancholy, but it is not always so; for the chair may have been left by a laughing child or the last notes of the piano may have been raucous and gay. Whatever the mood or the circumstance, the essence of its quality may linger in the silence that follows. It is a soundless echo.
Born in England in 1902, Markham was taken by her father to East Africa in 1906. She spent her childhood playing with native Maruni children and apprenticing with her father as a trainer and breeder of racehorses. In the 1930s, she became an African bush pilot, and in September 1936, became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west.
Book Description
West with the Night is the story of Beryl Markham--aviator, racehorse trainer, beauty--and her life in the Kenya of the 1920s and '30s.
Customer Reviews:
Must read for anyone who considers themselves a writer.......2007-10-11
This book is a hidden treasure. Markham offers a rich history of her life and the western influence upon east Africa, the land where she grew into a woman. Her writing style takes descriptive to a new level. This is an excellent book for readers of thirteen to ninety years of age. Enjoy!
A Classic..........2007-07-27
Quite simply one of the best books I've ever read. West with the Night transports readers to a real life era of adventure (the 1930's in particular) in an Eastern Africa that scarcely resembles the region today. Markham's beautifully described tales of her adventures as a bush pilot make this one of those books that is hard to put down at the end of the day. As for her writing style, Ernest Hemingway's comment that she "Can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves writers" sums it up. I highly recommend this novel.
VERY INSPIRING!.......2007-07-05
This is one of the best books I have ever read! The writing is superb and colorful. The author takes you on a journey through Africa. Also, I found this book to be very spiritual. Beryl Markham was an accomplished pilot and very courageous and ahead of her times. I savored every word!
An adventurous life.......2007-07-02
Wonderfully written story of Beryl Markham's life growing up in Kenya East Africa and her career as an aviator. You can almost picture Markham sitting on the veranda at the Muthaiga Country Club telling tales of high adventure. It has been questioned whether she actually wrote the book or whether it was written by her third husband Raoul Schumacher. Either way it is a great story of a fascinating woman. Well worth the read.
MY FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME.......2007-06-30
AFTER READING THIS BOOK THE FIRST TIME, IT WAS SO GOOD I READ IT AGAIN 5 WEEKS LATER. THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME. I READ MORE THAN A BOOK A WEEK PLUS SEVERAL EVERY WEEK ON CD. I HAVE NEVER FOUND ONE TO COMPARE TO THIS.
GREAT
Book Description
* A comprehensive study guide providing pilots the answers they need to excel on their technical interview
* Features nearly 1000 potential questions (and answers) that may be asked during the technical interview for pilot positions
* Wide scope--ranges from light aircraft through heavy jet operations
* Culled from interviewing practices of leading airlines worldwide
* Includes interviewing tips and techniques
Download Description
A dynamic tool for acing the technical pilot interview with one thousand exam-style questions and answers.
Customer Reviews:
OK for tech exams - but there are some errors in it .......2007-09-30
Good book I bought to catch up on some of the questions you always get, when you have oral exams, and want to explain something difficult in a simple way - this book does the trick.
But, lookout for the errors - not all of the information is totally correct - when you simplify things, often the knowledge gets so compressed, that errors are bound to occur.
Really GOOD.......2007-08-16
I BELIEVE THAT THIS BOOK WILL GIVE SOME AID ABOUT MY INTTENTIONS, ITS REALLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. QUICKLY LOOKING A HAVE FOUND ANY ANSWERS THAT WILL HELP ME ON A MOCK INTERVIEW. THANK YOU [...] ABOUT THE SHIPPING??? JUST ON TIME, MY PRODUCT WAS THERE ON MY HOUSE, WITH NO ROWS FOR PAYMENT, NO BUSY PARKING, ON THE CONFORT OF MY HOME. NEXT TIME I WILL LOOK FIRST ON [...]
Very helpful.......2007-01-17
If you want to pass your interview in one of those big major airlines, this book is for you.
As a reference book to mantain you in shape it's Ok too.
All pilots must have !.......2007-01-12
All pilots must have such a book like this one. Although it's main purpose is to help in Job's interviews it's also a very good tool to review many topics we don't use to view since our private and comercial pilot's classes. I just would like to see more illustrations and it needs a few corrections too.
Exactly what I expected !!!.......2006-11-07
Marvellous edition with tons of technical questions nicely ordered by topic. A must have for every (commercial or private) pilot even for people not looking to go on interview straight-away, but just want to brush up their knowledge.
3 remarks:
- I have to agree with the previous reviews on the fact that there are plenty of errors, the least the author/publisher could do, is build a list with errata.
- some more illustrations would have been nice - but it is no reason for not buying this book
- pitty there's no CD with a quiz of the covered questions, but then again: it's a book (not software).
Book Description
PC-based simulations, though touted by many in the aviation community as excellent flight training aids, are not being used to their full potential. This guide and the accompanying CD illustrate how to get the most out of Microsoft® Flight Simulator with general suggestions, specific advice, and practical tools. Student pilots can use the comprehensive information to review specific concepts and prepare themselves for formal flight instruction, while certified pilots can upgrade their navigation skills, learn about advanced aircraft and procedures, and complement their real-world flying with additional hours in the virtual skies. The materials are equally suitable for flight instructors looking for new tools to use in ground school classes and pre- and post-flight briefings and virtual aviation hobbyists will welcome the in-depth information on flying in the real world.
Customer Reviews:
Somewhat helpful.......2007-09-05
The first few chapters offer more background then actual gaming tips. I would have liked to see more material on flying commercial airliners on flight simulator. This book concentrates on small planes.
Written for flight instructors.......2007-08-23
The book is good about telling you what you can learn from using flight simulator. It does seem to focus on the flight instructor side. I haven't flown the practice missions yet, so I can't comment on those.
Great book for flight instructors...........2007-07-04
...and student pilots using MS Flight Simulator for help in their flight training. As a private pilot I still find FS an amazing program and found the book useful as a guide to use it for training purposes. As another reviewer noted, the CD included is worth the price by itself.
Brian
Long Island, NY
Helped me with my training!.......2007-05-29
This is such a great resource for my training, in fact i used it together with the flight simulator and another book, The In-Flight Diversion Handbook by john nghiwete, to help me with my pilot training which i did in Florida. i recommend it to all my friends.
A good place to start.......2007-05-12
Lots of good solid information, well written and thought out; I would recommend it highly.
Book Description
Required reading for pilots for more than 25 years, this handbook is used extensively as a reference source for the FAA Knowledge Exams and provides information for training and guiding student pilots. Including basic knowledge that is essential for all pilots, from beginning students to those pursuing more advanced pilot certificates, it introduces pilots to the broad spectrum of knowledge that will be needed as they progress through their pilot training. Principles of flight, aircraft and engine structures and systems, weight/balance and performance calculations, charts and navigation, weather theory, reports, forecasts, and flight manuals are among the subjects covered. Formerly published as an Advisory Circular (AC 61-23C), this new edition is now listed as an official FAA Handbook (#FAA-H-8083-25).
Customer Reviews:
Everything I was looking for.......2007-09-23
I needed the PHAK for my aviation class @ SIU and the bookstores here were out. How they were out of PHAKS when there's only 70 students I don't know. I ordered it off of amazon and it was exactly what I was looking for.
A great digest of aviation basics.......2007-08-24
This book is definitely the best introductory book to the main aviation concepts I ever read.
Each issue - from flight static and dynamics to FCS, propulsion, avionics and navigation, weather theory and influence, flight and ground operations - is considered in this book with a technical, but easily understandable, approach. The book is, as a matter of fact, an introduction and, therefore, is not suggested to experienced readers. It's, in any case, a five-star introduction.
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge: FAA-H-8083-25, December 2003 (FAA Handbooks series).......2007-07-16
FAA issued book. I used this book to prepare for the Private Pilot's License Written Test (ie. Ground School test). I haven't taken the test yet, but so far so good. This book was required by the ground school.
Must Have for Pilot or Pilot-to-Be.......2007-01-29
This is a reference that every pilot, CFI or pilot wannabe should have. It covers the basics of flight in simple to understand language. Keep a copy on your book shelf to loan out to anyone who is interested in learning to fly.
Used it to review for Navy Officer's Exam.......2007-01-13
I have no previous aviation experience other than my father was a navigator. I needed a resource to prep for the ASTB and most military test prep books were junk when it came to the ASTB. This book really helped prepare me and I think it will continue to be a resource to me while in flight school.
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