The incredible true story of Louis Zamperini, now a major motion picture directed by Angelina Jolie. THE INTERNATIONAL NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER In 1943 a bomber crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Against all odds, one young lieutenant survives. Louise Zamperini had already transformed himself from child delinquent to prodigious athlete, running in the Berlin Olympics. Now he must embark on one of the Second World War's most extraordinary odysseys. Zamperini faces thousands of miles of open ocean on a failing raft. Beyond like only greater trials, in Japan's prisoner-of-war camps. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini's destiny, whether triumph or tragedy, depends on the strength of his will ... Now a major motion picture, directed by Angelina Jolie and starring Jack O' Connell.

Brig.genl. Willem (Kaas) van der Waals kyk terugskouend na sy loopbaan wat gekenmerk is deur veelsydigheid — valskermsoldaat en instrukteur, operasionele diens in SWA, Angola en Rhodesië, militêre diplomaat en SAW se hoof van buitelandse betrekkinge.

Hy was ook dosent in strategiese studies, hoof van sielkundige oorlogvoering, inligtingsoffisier en strategiese beplanner by die sekretariaat van die Staatsveiligheidsraad. Daarna is hy die eerste veiligheidshoof van die stad Pretoria.

Dis juis díé veelsydigheid wat hom enersyds met gesagsfigure in die weermag laat bots het en andersyds wyd aanwendbaar gemaak het.

Steve Joubert had always wanted to be a pilot and the only way he could afford to do so, was to join the South African Air Force in the late 1970s.

As an adventurous young man with a wicked sense of humour, he tells of the many amusing escapades he had as a trainee pilot. But soon he is sent to fight in the Border War in northern Namibia (then South West Africa) where he is exposed to the carnage of war. The pilots of the Alouette helicopters were witness to some of the worst scenes of the Border War. Often, they were the first to arrive after a deadly landmine accident.

In the fiercest battles their gunships regularly supplied life-saving air cover to troops on the ground.

The Spitfire a " there have been many hundreds, maybe even thousands, of books written about this beautiful R.J Mitchell designed, elliptically winged areoplane. But there has yet to be a book published, which has focused solely on the lesser-known two-seat variant of graceful Spitfirea |Until now! In two-seater spitfires, Greg Davis, John Sanderson and Peter Arnold trace the history of this iconic aircraft a " from its initial design through to those still taking to the skies today.

THE SUNDAY TIMES NON FICTION BESTSELLER WHSmith NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018 'The best book you will ever read about Britain's greatest warplane' Patrick Bishop, bestselling author of Fighter Boys 'A rich and heartfelt tribute to this most iconic British machine' Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 607 'As the RAF marks its centenary, Nichol has created a thrilling and often moving tribute to some of its greatest heroes' Mail on Sunday magazine The iconic Spitfire found fame during the darkest early days of World War II. But what happened to the redoubtable fighter and its crews beyond the Battle of Britain, and why is it still so loved today? In late spring 1940, Nazi Germany's domination of Europe had looked unstoppable. With the British Isles in easy reach since the fall of France, Adolf Hitler was convinced that Great Britain would be defeated in the skies over her southern coast, confident his Messerschmitts and Heinkels would outclass anything the Royal Air Force threw at them. What Hitler hadn't planned for was the agility and resilience of a marvel of British engineering that would quickly pass into legend - the Spitfire. Bestselling author John Nichol's passionate portrait of this magnificent fighter aircraft, its many innovations and updates, and the people who flew and loved them, carries the reader beyond the dogfights over Kent and Sussex. Spanning the full global reach of the Spitfire's deployment during WWII, from Malta to North Africa and the Far East, then over the D-Day beaches, it is always accessible, effortlessly entertaining and full of extraordinary spirit. Here are edge-of-the-seat stories and heart-stopping first-hand accounts of battling pilots forced to bail out over occupied territory; of sacrifice and wartime love; of aristocratic female flyers, and of the mechanics who braved the Nazi onslaught to keep the aircraft in battle-ready condition. Nichol takes the reader on a hair-raising, nail-biting and moving wartime history of the iconic Spitfire populated by a cast of redoubtable, heroic characters that make you want to stand up and cheer.

'The epic story of an iconic aircraft and the breathtaking courage of those who flew her' Andy McNab, bestselling author of Bravo Two Zero 'Compelling, thrilling and rooted in quite extraordinary human drama' James Holland, author of Normandy 44 From John Nichol, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Spitfire, comes a passionate and profoundly moving tribute to the Lancaster bomber, its heroic crews and the men and women who kept her airborne during the country's greatest hour of need. 'The Avro Lancaster is an aviation icon; revered, romanticised, loved. Without her, and the bravery of those who flew her, the freedom we enjoy today would not exist.' Sir Arthur Harris, the controversial chief of Royal Air Force Bomber Command, described the Lancaster as his 'shining sword' and the 'greatest single factor in winning the war'. RAF bomber squadrons carried out offensive operations from the first day of the Second World War until the very last, more than five and a half years later. They flew nearly 300,000 sorties and dropped around a million tons of explosives, as well as life-saving supplies. Over 10,000 of their aircraft never returned. Of the 7,377 Lancasters built during the conflict, more than half were lost to enemy action or training accidents. The human cost was staggering. Of the 125,000 men who served in Bomber Command, over 55,000 were killed and another 8,400 were wounded. Some 10,000 survived being shot down, only to become prisoners of war. In simple, brutal terms, Harris's aircrew had only a 40 per cent chance of surviving the war unscathed. Former RAF Tornado Navigator, Gulf War veteran and bestselling author John Nichol now tells the inspiring and moving story of this legendary aircraft that took the fight deep into the heart of Nazi Germany.

Wonderful account of one of the top Battle of Britain fighter pilots. Written by one of the foremost military aviation authors who was an RAF Officer himself and personally knew Lacey.

Howard Hughes, the movie mogul, aviation pioneer and political hound dog, has always fascinated the public with his mixture of secrecy, dashing lifestyle and reclusiveness. Companies responsible for major technological leaps often become household names. An exception is Howard Hughes s pioneering helicopter company, Hughes Helicopters, a name that has fallen into oblivion. Yet most schoolboys in the world have heard of the company s prize-winning product: the Apache helicopter. Hughes popularized the light helicopter trainer, mass-produced the first turbine powered light observation helicopter, led the way in hot cycle rotor craft propulsion research and, finally, developed the world s most advanced attack helicopter that was purchased and saw service with the UK. Here s how some of the world s most innovative helicopters were developed. Covering the period from the Second World War until the mid-1980s, you will learn why Hughes military aircraft contracts came under close scrutiny by the US government. The story is rich with tales of technological breakthrough and test-flying bravado made possible by a small crew of engineers and daring pilots. Written by a technical expert and insider to the industry, Howard s Whirlybirds: Howard Hughes Amazing Pioneering Helicopter Exploits is a fascinating and alternative view on the phenomenal pioneer with unpublished photographs and material that will fascinate the aviation and military historian as well as the casual reader and cinema buff."

Fading Eagle - Politics and Decline of Britain's Post-War Air Force looks at the rise and fall of British air power from a more critical than usual angle, in particular the impact of political ineptitude. The Royal Air Force, following a troubled start as a result of resentful contention by the other services, rose to prominence during the Second World War countering imminent invasion and striking at Hitler's army and industrial complex before the Normandy landings. Air power also proved a vital factor in support of both land and sea operations. Post-war, the RAF continued its newfound prominence among the armed forces, again as the principal defender of the United Kingdom from likely Soviet air attack and as the principal means of delivering the nuclear deterrent, countering the submarine threat and providing rapid comprehensive air support across the globe. Despite this, the change in political aspirations and priorities led to decisions and policies which resulted in unintended and unnecessary weakening of the RAF and other services. When the Cold War ended in 1991, many western nations, Britain not least among them, were determined that modern warfare as understood was at an end, air power quickly became sidelined despite being relied upon extensively since. In an era of high demand on the armed forces in tandem with less and incompetently managed funding, there have been calls for the RAF to be disbanded, as had been so during the early years of its existence.

Unshackled Spirit was a unique 'Spitfire' fighter aircraft purchased by allied prisoners of war whilst imprisoned in Germany; the book explains how this remarkable achievement was possible using previously restricted and secret material. In addition, accounts are compiled from a collection of original YMCA personal wartime logs as issued to RAF prisoners of war in 1944. 'Unshackled Spirit' draws out the story of each aviator, how they became a prisoner of war and life in the various camps across occupied Europe. Extensive and amazingly detailed pieces of artwork are taken from the logs and illustrated in the book. The balance of fact and inspired drawings makes for an impressive collection from a number of incarcerated aviators. The hardship of POW's and the extraordinary means adopted to escape are touched upon, but more importantly the aspect of how agencies helped by supplying all manner of equipment to the thousands of men behind barbed wire. The role of MI9 is revealed and how it participated in those agencies exploring the efforts taken to smuggle escape material into the prisoner of war camps without breeching the Geneva Convention and finally the extraordinary measures taken to secure intelligence during the process of prisoner repatriation.

My grandfather, Frank Carollo, was a prisoner of war in the infamous POW camp Stalag 17 B during World War II. During these dark days, he managed to keep a diary of his experiences, depicting everyday life within, through beautiful short stories, poetry, and drawings. Now years later, I've taken his accounts, adding background details from friends and family, to create a memoir of hope, love, and survival; a story of one man's life before, during, and after being confined within one of the most notorious of Nazi camps. 20% of the profits from each book sold will be donated to the national Alzheimer's Association, in memory of Frank Carollo.

'Irresistible . . . My aviation title of the year' Rowland White 'Stupendously brilliant . . . Completely addictive' James Holland 'The most explosive book about aircraft ever' Jim Moir, aka Vic Reeves From the terror and exhilaration of First World War dogfighting to the dark arts of modern air combat, here is an enthralling ode to that most brutally exciting of machines: the warplane. The Hush-Kit Book of Warplanes is a beautifully designed, highly illustrated collection of the very best articles from Hush-Kit - the world's leading alternative aviation online magazine - combined with a heavy punch of new and exclusive pieces. It contains a wealth of brilliant material, from Top 10 lists and historical deep-dives to interviews with legendary fighter pilots and expert analysis of weapons, tactics and technology. This knowledge and impeccable research is balanced throughout with the irreverent attitude, wicked satire and sharp eye for the absurdities of the aeronautical world that have made the magazine so popular with its readers. The book itself is also a stunning object, featuring first-rate photography alongside original, specially commissioned artwork. Inside it you will find: Interviews with pilots of the F-14 Tomcat, the Mirage, the MiG-25, the English Electric Lightning, the Rafale and the B-52 among others. Comprehensive surveys including 'The Ultimate Biplane Fighters', '10 Incredible Cancelled Military Aircraft' and 'Aviation Myths You Shouldn't Believe'. Fascinating insights into obscure and overlooked warplanes. Unbelievable accounts of the most bizarre moments in aviation history. And much, much more.

Based on a true story, this moving account describes the four year period that Jan Plesman, a Dutch fighter pilot, was stationed in England during the Second World War. Here he meets an Australian WAAF with whom he becomes deeply involved, but tragic and dramatic events are to intervene.More than eighty percent of this story is taken from Jan's diary and serves as a lasting tribute to a true hero...

On October 6, 1948, a U.S. Air Force B-29 Superfortress crashed soon after takeoff, killing three civilian engineers and six crew members. In June 1949, the engineers' widows filed suit against the government, determined to find out what exactly had happened to their husbands and why the three civilians had been on board the airplane in the first place. But it was the dawn of the Cold War and the Air Force refused to hand over any documents, claiming they contained classified information. The legal battle ultimately reached the Supreme Court, which in 1953 handed down a landmark decision that would, in later years, enable the government to conceal gross negligence and misconduct, block troublesome litigation, and detain criminal suspects without due-process protections.

"Claim of Privilege" is a mesmerizing true account of a shameful incident and its lasting impact on our nation--the gripping story of a courageous fight to right a past wrong and a powerful indictment of governmental abuse in the name of national security.

From Battle of Britain fighter station to commercial airport, this is the inspiring story of Biggin Hill.   Biggin Hill, world-famous as a Battle of Britain fighter station, has had many lives. First used as an airfield in 1917, Biggin Hill saw brutal action in both World Wars, never losing a day’s operations despite devastating enemy attacks. Since 1959 two dynamic figures have kept this historic airfield open against the odds: fighter ace Jock Maitland, creator of the renowned Biggin Hill International Air Fair, and army pilot Andrew Walters, who has turned it into London’s No 1 business airport, with a thriving aviation community that includes air charter companies, engineering firms, flying schools, storage and restoration, and major Formula 1 and Bombardier operations. Meanwhile a new Museum and St George’s Memorial Chapel keep memories of its days as a Royal Force Station alive.   The first full history of this great airfield, Nine Lives looks behind the scenes of a busy modern airport, digs deep into its dramatic past, and tells an inspiring tale of enterprise, innovation, teamwork and determination.