The T-33 jet trainer was derived from the Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star, the USAF's first operational jet fighter, in 1948. In the fifty years since its introduction the T-33 has trained more jet pilots than any other training type. In addition to this role, it has served, and continues to serve, as an attack fighter – the AT-33 – and as a reconnaissance aircraft – the RT-33 – in several foreign ai
Abandoned villages hold mysteries that only ghosts can reveal. Read accounts forgotten places, such as flooded Flagstaff, Maine, that contains the spirits of former residents still clinging to homes now nothing more than foundations or cellar holes. Visit Dudleytown, Connecticut, where residents fell victim to demons, murder, and insanity. Stroll through Massachusetts's Dogtown Common, a dead vill
A mini "art show" of the celebrated artist's best-known and little-seen paintings, reproduced on stamps from around the world. Exceptionally prolific throughout the course of his long life, Picasso achieved international renown and success for his revolutionary artistic accomplishments, becoming one of the most recognizable figures in 20th-century art. His paintings are located in museums througho
The B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most iconic aircraft in aviation history. Through a broad range of photos gathered from around the world, this book, the first of a two-volume series, chronicles the design, development, and wartime use of the early models of the Flying Fortress, from the ill-fated experimental model 299 through the B-17D, including the famous "Swoose." These early models are
The World War II–era destroyers of the Japanese Fubuki class were the first of a type sometimes referred to as "super destroyers." These destroyers were extremely large and heavily armed with guns and torpedoes. Ironically, the IJN was pushed to create heavier destroyers by the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty, which discouraged the construction of new capital ships. Particular emphasis was pl
Paper dolls and accurate costume details help take you inside the world of Marie Laveau (1794 -1881) New Orleans' powerful "voodoo queen." Laveau was both widely respected as a healer to all who sought her help and feared as a woman capable of putting a powerful hex on any enemy. She bartered information, liaisons, and love potions to black and white alike, and was believed capable of solving ever
Battling flak and enemy fighters over the skies of Europe during World War II, the US Army Air Force Martin B-26 Marauder bomber named “Flak-Bait” completed a remarkable 201 combat missions, a feat that made it the highest mission scorer of any Allied medium or heavy bomber. For many years the author has held a special interest in the B-26, and especially those of the 387th Bomb Group. It was duri
The destroyers of the Akizuki "Autumn Moon" class were very different from the standard fleet type of Imperial Japanese Navy destroyers inaugurated with the Fubuki class. They were designed for the protection of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s carrier task forces, and in order to achieve this they carried a particularly powerful antiaircraft armament and had an extremely long radius of action. Howeve
Major Charles Carpenter made headlines during the Second World War when he affixed six bazookas to his tiny Piper L-4 observation plane and began attacking German tanks. “Bazooka Charlie” and his plane “Rosie the Rocketer” were profiled in a variety of military and civilian publications, including the iconic Stars & Stripes. The major was a high school educator in the civilian world, teaching hist
In this compelling and remarkable account, Bob Harper defies physical limitations to serve his country during a time of escalating demand for soldiers. Standing at a modest 5 feet, 4 inches, and weighing a mere 110 pounds, Harper falls short of the minimum size requirements for US military service. However, as the need for manpower intensifies, rules are flexed and Harper’s deferment is revoked, t
An incredible true story of murder, romance, and a fateful search for utopia in the Galápagos-from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ghosts of Eden Park
A New York Times and Wall Street Journal Nonfiction Bestseller! — What happened that night on Dead Mountain?The mystery of Dead Mountain: In February 1959, a group of nine experienced hikers in the Russian Ural Mountains died mysteriously on an elevation known as Dead Mountain. Eerie aspects of the mountain climbing incident—unexplained violent injuries, signs that they cut open and fled the tent
Shattering the mould of the modern prime ministerial memoir and written in his inimitable style, Boris Johnson's Unleashed is an honest, unrestrained and deeply revealing book by the politician who has dominated our times.
The remarkable true story of America's first women astronauts - six extraordinary women, each making history going to orbit aboard NASA's Space Shuttle.
FROM THE CO-HOST OF THE CHART-TOPPING EMPIRE PODCASTIndia was the forgotten heart of the ancient world For a millennium and a half, from about 250 BC to 1200 AD, India was a confident exporter of its diverse civilisation, creating around it a vast empire of ideas, an 'Indosphere' where its influence was predominant. During this period, the rest of Asia was the willing recipie
For fans of provocative history and "Game of Thrones" alike, this revisionist narrative reveals how the little-known women of the Viking era shaped their world.
Until Scandinavia converted to Christianity and came under the rule of powerful kings, the Vikings were a dominant force in the medieval world. Outfitted with wind-powered sailing ships, they left their mark, spreading te
A masterful history of how war and insecurity, both real and perceived, have driven Russia's destiny for centuries, including the disastrous invasion of Ukraine.
Putin retains his stranglehold on his position in Russia despite an almost ruinous invasion of Ukraine. The answer as to how and why can be found in Russian history. With no naturally defensible borders,