Dead Reckoning: Experiences of a World War II Fighter Pilot

Customer Reviews:

A short but thoughtful read.......2005-07-07

Although not a long read, Mr Abner shares with us his inner most feelings and emotions. If you are into the technical aspects of the machines that are mentioned, you will not find them here, unless you regard the brain as a machine. Raised on a farm, you get the impression that the author never ceased to be amazed at the fact that he had "made it". That is, he was able to pilot, with considerable skill, a P-51D Mustang at 28,000 feet off the wing of his leader whilst maintaining a high level of alertness....and this was done for hours on end. He was in awe of his colleagues as great men and leaders, perhaps not realising that he too was in the same league.

While not heavy on combat action (never a compulsory ingredient for a pilot's memoir), we are treated to the very inner workings of this young pilot. The book can seem to lack a little flow as the text is more a series of roughly chronological memories but, as Mr Abner says himself on several occasions, certain events have stayed with him purely because of the extreme emotion felt at the time, for example, his near collision with an enemy Me-109 on the Group's most successful and record breaking mission. It is these memories that are shared with us in this book, all of which can be read as small stories themselves.

You'll enjoy this book!.......2005-03-22

"Dead Reckoning" is the autobiography of an Oregon farm boy who became a fighter pilot ace. Our chapter appears to have few members who were fighter pilots. Our concentration seems to be of bomber people and the heavier the better. Yet where would the bombers be without the protection of our "little friends"?

Remember the horrific casualty rates when the fighters did not have the range to provide protection deep inside enemy territory? Many members do.

Author Alan K Abner who flew with the 357th Fighter Group of the 8th was credited with 50 missions . He tells of blazing action over the Bulge, the Battle for Berlin and countless other engagements. He even saw the advent of the jet age when the dread ME262 made its appearance.

Abner say the fighter planes of WW2 had much more in common with the pilots of Spads and Fokkers than they would with the jet pilots of today. Jet jockeys rarely have to fly by the seat of their pants Rickenbacker and Von Richtofen could sit down and have a fine gab fest over foaming bier with Bong, Gentile and Yeager.They would be all but lost talking to the fighter pilots of today in their elaborate flight suits who speak of flitting at speeds rarely dreamed of in earlier times except in science fiction.

Isn't it amazing that some who never sat in a jet cockpit call others who have flown jet fighters "dumb"! Family wealth and powerful relatives don't help when you are up there alone.

You'll enjoy "Dead Reckoning". The title comes from the practice of finding one's way by visual landmarks. This is not a new book but my Massachusetts library had no trouble getting it for me and yours shouldn't either.

This review is another indication that the doors of the AFHS are always to new members. Come on! Tighten your chin straps and get cleared for take-off! Adventure and God knows what else awaits you over the Rhine. Crewmen on the 17's and 24's are anxious to see you if not quite as anxious as they were in the old days when having you in company might well mean the difference between living and dying.

Not all heroes are good writers........2003-11-01

If one wants an good reading experience on the fighter jocks in World War II, this is not the book. Abner who must be pushing eighty now, writes about his experiences as a fighter pilot in the good war. However the writing is all over the place. First we hear about his childhood, then his romance and training, and then finally about his air experiences over occupied Europe.
Abner had fifty plus combat missions. We hear about the loss of fighter pilots, and his revenge on one hapless German pilot.
What I don't like in this book are the letters written to his family after the fact. Abner must have read about the war after his experiences, and then included his experiences in these letters. This is disturbing since it is so much filler in a book which is already short (150 pages). There are other books out there which are more informative on the fighter jocks experiences. This is not one of the good books.
I admire Abner as a hero for his experiences in World War II. However this is not a good book to read.

Book Description

This ninth volume of a projected twelve continues the series of William James's correspondence with family, friends, and colleagues that was begun in volume 4. Consisting of some 470 letters, with as many more calendared, it offers a complete accounting of James's known correspondence from July 1899 through 1901.

Volume 9 covers the period of James's great collapse, of his years of exile in Europe in search of health, and of the beginning of his withdrawal from full-time teaching at Harvard. In spite of his heart troubles, nervous prostration, and often-proclaimed inability to work, James wrote and successfully delivered his Gifford Lectures, which in 1902 were published as The Varieties of Religious Experience, probably his most widely read work.

In Europe, James develops a profound ambivalence toward America. He comes to realize how strong his attachment is to his home but at the same time he becomes more and more dismayed by the emergence of the United States as an imperial power with the consequent loss of what he perceives to be his country's moral purity.

James's views on religion are expressed in various fragments and asides. While creeds and churches continue to make no claims upon him, he believes that religious experience places us in touch with a deeper stratum of reality. Because of his intimate association during these months with the dying Frederic Myers, problems of psychical research are also prominent.

He corresponds with leading women in the emerging field of social work, including Frances Morse, Elizabeth Evans, and the Goldmark sisters, Pauline and Susan, and prominent intellectuals such as Théodore Flournoy, Wincenty Lutoslawski, Carl Stumpf, Ferdinand Schiller, Henry Sidgwick, Hugo Münsterberg, Josiah Royce, George Herbert Palmer, Charles William Eliot, James Mark Baldwin, and Edwin Godkin. His daughter, Margaret Mary, and his youngest son, Alexander Robertson, receive fatherly advice and encouragement from a distance during the crucial years of their young lives.

Average customer rating:

Intense

It read my mind

Healing the Trauma of Abuse: A Woman's Workbook
Mary Ellen Copeland , and Maxine Harris
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Domestic Violence | Abuse & Self Defense | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Sexual Abuse | Abuse & Self Defense | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Healing the Trauma of Domestic Violence: A Workbook for Women (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)

Trauma Recovery and Empowerment: A Clinician's Guide for Working with Women in Groups

The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms

Life After Trauma: A Workbook for Healing

A Therapist's Guide to Growing Free: A Manual for Survivors of Domestic Violence

ASIN: 1572241993

Book Description

This workbook offers women who have suffered sexual, physical, or emotional abuse crucial skills for coping, self-understanding, and self-care. The book is designed to be worked through from beginning to end, with self-evaluation questionnaires, writing exercises, and a variety of activities and relaxation techniques throughout. Also included are questions to ask a doctor, a personal crisis plan, and a comprehensive list of resources.

Customer Reviews:

Intense.......2002-07-09

This workbook is very intense.It is an excellent source of healing. I suggest having a counselor or a friend to work with also, as you go through this book.

It read my mind.......2000-05-23

This book has great exercises and helps comes to terms with sexual abuse in a gentle way. I really found it helpful in my recovery.

Book Description

Doing for fat what he did for cholesterol in the bestsellers Don-Yt Eat Your Heart Out and Choices for a Healthy Heart, lay expert Joe C. Piscatella presents a wealth of medically sound information on the dangerous American high-fat diet and what can be done to avoid it.

He shows how our fast-paced modern lifestyle has created a pro-fat culture that relies on frozen meals, fast foods, and snacks for nutrition. He reveals how advertising regularly misleads consumers about the fat content of foods (2% milk, for example, is really 38% fat). He makes known information about the biological basis for the -_fat tooth-"-Xwhy so many of us crave chocolate, cheesecake, and ice cream. And he provides specific, practical, usable advice on striping fat from our diets by employing a special fat tooth budget.

With menus, tips, and 200 delicious, low-fat recipes from Bernie Piscatella-Xeach with a nutritional breakdown-XCONTROLLING YOUR FAT TOOTH is every American-Ys antidote to a national epidemic. Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, Better Homes & Gardens Family Book Service, and Rodale Book Club. 450,000 copies in print.

Customer Reviews:

Very detailed, excellent advice........2004-06-13

I bought this book for a bargain (under 5 dollars) and wondered if I was wasting my money. Why was this book selling for so cheap when I couldn't even find a copy of the South Beach Diet on my local store bookshelves?

I was pleasantly surprised at how much sense this book made. And how much detailed information and explanations were given. I really think anyone could benefit (even people who are not overweight) and everyone should read it. It's like a primer for your health.

The only complaint I have is that so many statistics are thrown at you, and I'm not convinced they are all soundly presented. For example: Cancer deaths are increasing... Well maybe that is true, but are the rates increasing? I mean the population is growing exponentially, so even if the number of deaths are increasing, the rate could be decreasing.

But overall I rate this a must for all persons interested in their health and fitness.

Information for those who already know everything about fat........1998-01-18

I thought I knew just about all I needed to know about dietary fat and its effect on American health. This book was a thoroughly enjoyable read because it gave me information that I had not previously encountered. It lacks a lot in helping you make healthful choices for non-labeled foods, however, because there is another book written by the same man with that sort of information in it. I have tried many of the recipes included and they are usually quite delicious. They aren't NO FAT usually, but they are certainly LOW FAT and absolutely delightful to eat. Most entres require some serious preparation time, but if you have the time these healthful recipes are worth the effort.

2 little controlling your fat tooth & fat to firm

Average customer rating:

2 little controlling your fat tooth & fat to firm
Alisa bauman sari harrar & the editors of prevention , and controlling your fat tooth
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SZ9REC

Product Description

TWO BOOKS * CONTROLLING YOUR FAT TOOTH WHAT EVERY PERSON NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT DIETARY FAT.HOW TO BEAT YOUR FAT CRAVING. HOW TO PUT YOURSELF ON A FAT BUDGET. * FAT TO FIRM AT ANY AGE HOW YOU CAN HAVE A SLIMMER, WELL-TONED BODY AT AGE 30, 40, AND BEYOND.

Average customer rating:

CONTROLLING YOUR FAT TOOTH

Manufacturer: Workman Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: B000HFAPTY

Average customer rating:

Controlling Your Fat Tooth
Joseph C.; Piscatella, Bernie Piscatella
Manufacturer: Workman Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000W0RQJQ

Average customer rating:

Controlling Your Fat Tooth

Manufacturer: Workman Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1563051141

Product Description

How to make smart food choices and lose weight without dieting. Helps you understand the basics.

Average customer rating:

Controlling Your Fat Tooth -
Joseph C. Piscatella -
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing -
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000P0YTP2

Joseph C. Piscatella's Controlling Your Fat Tooth

Average customer rating:

Joseph C. Piscatella's Controlling Your Fat Tooth
Joseph C.; Piscatella, Bernie Piscatella
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: B000HMTH46

Set of 5 Low-Fat Diet ~ Controlling Your Fat Tooth ~ One Meal At A Time ~ Low-Fat Living ~ Balance Your Body, Balance Your Life: Dr. Taub's 28-Day Permanent Weight Loss Plan ~ My Journal (Balance Your Body)

Average customer rating:

Set of 5 Low-Fat Diet ~ Controlling Your Fat Tooth ~ One Meal At A Time ~ Low-Fat Living ~ Balance Your Body, Balance Your Life: Dr. Taub's 28-Day Permanent Weight Loss Plan ~ My Journal (Balance Your Body)
M.D. Edward A. Taub , Ph.D. Robert K. Cooper , Ph.D. Martin Katahn , and Joseph C. Piscatella
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Product Description

Five great & effective books for low-fat & permanent weight loss. Steps to better health and happiness.

Book Description

Here is a slew of new and interesting improvised silencer designs featuring innovative couplings plus variations on aluminum cans, oil filters, PVC pipe, plumbing devices, water sprinkler pieces and other unique materials. Warning: It is illegal to possess or make firearm silencers without BATF registration. For academic study only.

Customer Reviews:

You folks are morons.......2006-09-17

I found this "How To" book while researching shop tools to purchase on Amazon. Hey morons, this stuff is ILLEGAL!
I hope the FBI / CIA and every government agency in the USA and elsewhere is keeping tabs on the purchasers and authors of this crap. Keep sending in those cards and letters so those of us with an ounce of sanity can keep track of you.
Something I am sure the author forgot to mention: "Please stare directly into the barrel when testing these products".

Warning! Try at your own peril.......2006-08-16

Making a homemade suppressor for anything larger than a .22 caliber weapon is foolhardy. I doubt the designs in this book would even be up to that task. The pressures exerted by modern guns is extreme and you risk serious injury trying to contain them with a "soda can silencer". Oh, and I forgot to mention that making one of these will land you 10 years in federal prison every time.

Not worth the paper it was written on.......2005-05-23

I just got taken for 10 dollars(plus shipping and handling). Do not be conned by this author. This is the most worthless book i have ever read in my life. The author even says in his "Apology" that he has never made or tested any of these silencers. None of these designs work, and some of them are dangerous. The people who wrote a good review of this book are either the author himself or on his payroll. Don't let them waste your money like they did mine. If you are interested in silencers just look for info online, this book tells you nothing useful at all.

good choice.......2004-10-08

This book is a good choice for anyone who wants basic, easy to follow instructions on building a silencer. The pictures are good quality and the text is easy to follow. I much prefer this to Hayduke's silencer books. My one gripe is that some of the info is very similar, using a small change as a new design. So the book isn't perfect, but it's really close.

Excellent Improvised Designs.......2002-05-06

This book is full of clear, simple but concise instructions on making working cans that McGuyver would be proud to put his name to.
It's the first time I've seen someone address the issue of securely attaching cans to various calibre firearms without having to cut a thread onto the end of the barrel. Plans cover .22 Ruger, 1911 style .45 (longer barrel required) & an SKS (7.62mm) power plinker , the information given should let anyone who knows their basic ballistics to apply the concepts given to all other calibres. All the parts required are clearly listed with lots of clear photographs of the parts, apart & assembled.
Parts are easily available at hardware stores &/or plumbing suppliers except for the "clog buster" no sign of it here in Oz (mail order a few from the US ,nothing illegal about them, bar applying the knowledge) No machining required in this book ,only simple hand tools & a battery/power drill are needed. Any good electrician ,plumber ,mechanic or similar handyperson should be able to make a lot of the designs from stock they already have.
Short but comprehensive section on why guns are so noisy & how to best shut them up ,an excellent book for beginners who want to visit a government re-education center for 5 years or quality info to fill in the gaps on the practicle side of things for people who have been studying the art of muzzle blast suppression for a while.
This book would let you easily figure out how to silence that 9mm SMG you built from PA Luty's , Expedient Homemade Firearms ;)
This book also stands head & shoulders above the drivel in "Silent but Deadly" by Hayduke.
I liked Workbench Silencers so much I bought the followup book More Workbench Silencers , review to follow......

See section 89/14.4 in the US patent office or try No.s 3776093 , 3367055 for some other designs & theory.

Book Description

Rumphius (1627-1702), founder of Indonesian botanical exploration and one of the greatest naturalists of the seventeenth century, was the first to describe tropical orchids in a Western language. Within the pages of his monumental seven-volume Ambonese Herbal, written in Dutch, he included descriptions of thirty-six species of orchids found on the island of Ambon in eastern Indonesia, plus twelve uncertified ones. His detailed descriptions reflect both the accuracy of a scientist and the sensibility of a poet. This lovely book is the first to gather and translate into English all the sections of Rumphius' The Ambonese Herbal devoted to orchids.

For each entry, Rumphius describes the plant, names it according to a pre-Linnaean system of nomenclature, gives its locality, and details its medicinal and non-medicinal uses. More than twenty beautiful line drawings accompany the entries. The volume includes ample notes to illuminate the text and an informative introduction that tells the life of Rumphius—a remarkable collector/naturalist who overcame fire, shipwreck, and blindness to produce his masterwork.

Average customer rating:
Rumphius' Orchids - Orchid Texts from the Ambonese Herbal
GE Rumphius
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSDX1Q

Average customer rating:

Absolutely the PERFECT baby shower gift!

Wonderful tips!

An extremely valuable supplementary resource

Wow! Great stuff!

A must read for moms

Mothers Know Best: Real Moms Share 1001 Tips on Pregnancy, Birth and the First Year

Manufacturer: Small Potatoes Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Pregnancy & Childbirth | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Motherhood | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Infants | Babies & Toddlers | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Baby 411, 2nd Edition: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year (Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year)

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Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 096612006X

Book Description

Mothers really DO know best. That's why moms-to-be and first timers search out and appreciate the wisdom of experienced mothers. MOTHERS KNOW BEST: REAL MOMS SHARE 1001 TIPS ON PREGNANCY, BIRTH AND THE FIRST YEAR reveals 1001 surprising suggestions and helpful hints — both practical and psychological — that helped over 500 real moms better understand and enjoy their pregnancies, birth experiences, and lives as new moms.

From birthing options to play groups, from morning sickness to sleep deprivation, from doulas to diapers, these seasoned pros tell it like it is, with compassion, understanding and, often, humor. As one mom-contributor writes in MOTHERS KNOW BEST, "Mothering a newborn is not just about sweet puffs of baby powder and happy cooing. It's about poop, snot, and vomit: measuring it, worrying about it, wearing it, and cleaning it up. It's best to expect this so you are not disillusioned when you get your bundle of joy home." Who but a mom who has been there is going to share this kind of information?

MOTHERS KNOWS BEST's content, style, and format are unique. The short tip layout makes it useful and not overwhelming for busy moms and moms-to-be. The book is divided into over 100 subject chapters, beginning with pregnancy advice, followed by the birth section, then baby's first year. And, unlike most pregnancy/baby books, the largest section of MOTHERS KNOW BEST focuses on "mommy care." Everything from judgmental mommies to juggling responsibilities, from traveling with an infant to coping with isolation, moms share tips on all the physical, emotional, psychological, and social struggles that pregnant women and first year moms encounter.

The 1001 tips come from 500 moms from across America and 10 other countries, from CEOs to stay-at-home moms, professors to scientists, authors to rock-and-roll musicians. Also lending their voices are doulas, birth instructors, obstetricians, lactation consultants, and psychologists. Notable contributors include…

• Dr. Ruth Peters: Today Show Contributor, Psychiatrist, Author • Meg Cox: Author of The Book of New Family Traditions • Tammy Pelstring: CEO, Obentec, Inc., creators of LapTop Lunches • Lisa Druxman, CFM Chief Founding Mother of Stroller Strides™ • Sheryl Gurrentz, author of "The Guilt-Free Guide to Your New Life as a Mom"

The president of the March of Dimes, Dr. Jennifer Howse has written the foreword and a portion of the sale of each book is being donated to the March of Dimes, a hugely respected charity that mothers overwhelmingly support and look to for information on pregnancy. Co-author Connie Correia Fisher's own son was born 12 weeks premature so this book and fundraising have a special place in her heart.

There are many books about pregnancy and parenting, but MOTHERS KNOW BEST captures the unique spirit of sorority that all moms share, the age-old passing of wisdom from matriarchs to new moms. These are the real experts.

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely the PERFECT baby shower gift!.......2006-02-22

What a fanstastic, encyclopedic tome of real-life, mom-tested tips this book is! Every wise mom seeks a breadth of perspectives and ideas for her new (or even experienced) role as a Mama, and this comprehensive book fills that need beautifully. I've already given this book as a gift to numerous "in a family way" friends, and each has come back with grateful rave reviews.

With chapters addressing areas of pivotal importance and challenge in child-raising, "Mothers Know Best" isn't a "fluffy" parenting book destined to sit on the shelf...this one WILL be referenced over and over again.

Wonderful tips!.......2005-09-08

What a wonderful collection of information for new moms. The information is diverse and really addresses what new moms need and want to know. I'm sure that any new mom will find valuable information in this helpful resource. I highly recommend it!

Sheryl Gurrentz, author
"The Guilt-Free Guide to Your New Life as a Mom: Practical Ways to Take Care of Yourself, Your Life, and Your Baby--All at the same time"
"If Your Child is Bipolar: A Parent-to-Parent Guide to Living With and Loving a Bipolar Child"

An extremely valuable supplementary resource .......2005-05-07

Mothers Know Best is an anthology of 1,001 tips, trips, techniques, and advice tidbits concerning pregnancy, childbirth and the first year of raising a baby, all from mothers, to mothers around the world. Written in the spirit of sisterhood, Mothers Know Best offers wisdom on everything from raging emotions during pregnancy (depression is a serious concern and should not be taken lightly; meanwhile, volatile expectant mothers can help themselves feel better protect family and friends from devastating outbursts by recording rants and tirades in a journal) to the value of prenatal classes (all the reading in the world does not prepare the first-time mother or her loved one for actual childbirth) to dining out with a baby (feed the child beforehand so he/she does not become unduly hungry smelling the restaurant food) and much, much more. An extremely valuable supplementary resource for new and experienced parents alike.

Wow! Great stuff!.......2005-05-03

This book is chock full o' tips and advice. It's like attending a gazillion "Mom groups" without the hassle. Every point of view is expressed and so much practical and valuable info is readily available! The book is such an easy and fun read. It's perfect if you have a busy lifestyle (as most parents do)and also perfect for those of us with short attention spans. There is nothing complicated...just straight-forward info from other people who have "been there." I will include this book in every baby shower gift from here-on-out...Mother's Day too!

A must read for moms.......2005-04-30

As the mother of three I am always interested in books providing me with advice. This book provides the reader with opinions from people all over which for me made it unique from other books that i have read. The author does a Fabulous job grouping together information from pregnancy to post partum to infancy. I highly recommend this book not just for new moms but for those of us who are "seasoned" as well. I can't believe all the new "tricks of the trade" that I walked away with.

Book Description

This is the concluding volume of a three-volume, widely acclaimed biography of William Pitt the Younger, who was Prime Minister of England from 1783 to 1801 and from 1804 to his death in 1806. The present volume covers the years from 1797 to his death, a period filled with momentous events.

Customer Reviews:

Weighty and thorough........2004-02-07

The eagerly awaited final volume to the colossal trilogy on the youngest and arguably most charismatic of Prime ministers of Britain. Ehrman has created a volume of detail and immense interest. He has weaved together the knowledge of the period and created a mini world where Pitt inhabits. Relationships with all the major characters of the period are dealt with and brought together in this impressive refernce work. Pitt, as in the second volume does seem to flit in and out of the text too much and no real new information is brought to light. Why did he resign? What did he do during the Peace of 1801? Why did he respond as he did to the Addington administration in 1804? What was his real relationship to that government? What sort of admin did he attempt to establish in 1804 and 1805? All these questions are answered in the traditional manner- no new insights are provided. This is rather disappointing considering the huge number of manuscript sources examined. A bibliography given the size of the project would have itself have taken up a small book! However, if you would like a detailed and thorough work on the early 19th century then this is your book.

Thorough, weighty a summary of the period........1999-09-24

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