Whether you are a prisoner of war, a prisoner of nature's fury, or a prisoner of society, one word smashes your thoughts against a blockade of desperation: Escape! The stakes are higher than freedom itself--chains unshackled, steel doors opened, gunfire avoided. At stake is life itself, and the odds against winning the struggle are immense. The stories in this collection are pulse-pounding accounts of escape attempts of soldiers trapped on battlefields, frontier pioneers on Indian warpaths and outdoor adventurers facing nature's darkest hours. The pain of wounds, loneliness, and defeat are captured in prose that makes these stories come alive.

Hunting Tales is a collection of some of the greatest hunting stories ever written. It will entertain, enlighten, and inspire hunters the world over. These are enduring stories that have passed the test of time and have attracted generations of readers. They are custom-made for the imaginative reader who loves to hunt and read about hunting adventures.

Two of mankind's most persistent quests-"get rich quick" and "something for nothing"-provide the power driving these tales of treasure-seekers in action. Renowned storytellers like Louis L'Amour and Jack London join real-life adventurers risking their lives for riches they think are worth the dangers. Buried treasure, creeks glittering with gold nuggets, sunken galleons filled with Spanish doubloons-the mother lodes are as varied as the men pursuing them. Some of the seekers will be rewarded; others face tragedy in remote places, lost among the jungles, mountains, and oceans. In both fiction and non-fiction, these stories make treasure hunting a real-life experience, in gripping prose that makes the reader of these stories part of the hunt itself.

Long the dominant icon embodying the spirit of America's frontier past, the image of the cowboy no longer stands alone as the ultimate symbol of independence and self-reliance. The great canvas of the western landscape-in art, books, film-is today shared by the figures called "Mountain Men." They were the trappers of the Rocky Mountain fur trade in the years following Lewis and Clark's Expedition of 1804-1806. With their bold journeys peaking, during the period of 1830-1840, they were the first white men to enter the vast wilderness reaches of the Rockies in search of beaver "plews," as the skins were called. They feasted on the abundant buffalo, elk and other game, while living the ultimate free-spirited wilderness life. Often they paid the ultimate price for their ventures under the arrows, tomahawks, and knives of those native Americans whose lands they had entered.
Tales of the Mountain Men, presents in one book many of the most engaging and revealing portraits of mountain men ever written. Ranging from nonfiction classics like Bernard DeVoto's Across the Wide Missouri through fiction from such acclaimed novels as A. B. Guthrie Jr.'s The Big Sky, this collection is destined to be well appreciated by the huge and dedicated audience fascinated by mountain man lore and legend. These readers include many who today participate in reenactments of the mountain man "Rendezvous," with colorful costumes and competitions of traditional skills with authentic guns, knives, and tools.
No book exists today with such a diverse and engaging collection of mountain man literature. For an already-large and still-growing audience, Tales of the Mountain Men will be a valued extension of theirinterest in the mountain man as a compelling and uniquely American figure.

Classic writing remains "classic" only insofar as people want to read it. Angling historians may study the evolution of tackle or tying techniques, or perhaps the methods of fishing used hundreds of years ago, but the wonderful stories about fishing are read and reread only because they give pleasure today; because they give us insights into why we fish and the nature of our passion; and because they are well written. This book offers more than twenty of the best classic fishing stories that have stood the inescapable test of time.

All dogs live forever in the hearts of their owners. But hunting dogs take that love to ultimate dimensions of affection. The dogs and their owners have worked together to obtain skills and understanding of the outdoor world where they thrive. Diversity reigns in this world. There are pointing breeds, retrievers, hounds. There are many hunting dog cemeteries, and field trial halls of fame. For many hunters, the work of the dog in the field is the real purpose of the hunt. The simple pursuit of a gamebird or animal is not the purpose of going afield. The dog work-the radar-nosed probing of cover, the searching gait to check out fields, the retrieving of downed birds-moments spent in these elements are the real reason hunters have bonded with their dogs. The stories here are real accounts of hunting dogs in action. The dogs may be gone now, but the affection they provided and their performances in the field are everlasting treasures.

The Civil War Relived in 40 Stories! Between the first shots fired at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865, the nation was irrevocably changed, as were the lives of the soldiers and civilians who lived through the war. This is an extraordinary collection of stories about that epochal conflict, bringing the victories and defeats, the valor and the heartbreak, alive with personal intensity. Includes entries by: Ambrose Bierce Stephan Crane Mark Twain Abraham Lincoln Ulysses S. Grant Walt Whitman Frederick L. Hitchcock Louisa May Alcott Carlton McCarthy Abner Doubleday Theodore Roosevelt and many others.

At 10:35 in the morning of Thursday, December 17, 1903, man got his wings. On the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville Wright flew the motorized aircraft he and his brother Wilbur had constructed to a distance less than the length of the wingspan of today's 747 jet. They made three other flights the same day, the final lasting 59 seconds for a distance over the ground of 852 feet. The world would never be the same after that day. Mankind was finally off the ground in powered flight. And man's experiences in the air would forevermore join the literature of human endeavors, to be shared by kindred spirits as well as the curious sorts who have wanted to know, "What was it like up there?" In THE GREATEST FLYING STORIES EVER TOLD, editor Lamar Underwood has collected some of the finest writings, both fact and realistic fiction, to lay bare the drama of human beings coping with the skills needed to direct their machines through the vastness of the skies. With contributions from: Charles Lindbergh, Ernest K. Gann, General Chuck Yeager, Leo Janos, Tom Wolfe, Mary Lovell, Richard Bach, Rinker Buck, Diane Ackerman, Derek Robinson, and more.

Fifteen gripping tales of determination, strength of mind, perseverance, and fortitude. Although survival is often taken for granted - something every human strives to achieve on a daily basis - it is just this everyday imperative that makes for the most exciting stories. When something goes wrong, when survival is threatened, often by something as simple and sudden as a boat overturning or a traveler losing his way, this is when the necessity of survival is no longer just another daily chore. This is when something as intrinsic as breathing or swallowing becomes the most essential need and the most sought-after desire. Great American Survival Stories includes contributions from Jack London, Theodore Roosevelt, John Wesley Powell, Owen Chase, John Muir, Osborne Russell, Stephen Crane, Francis Parkman, Henry David Thoreau, Richard Henry Dana Jr., and others.

The Quotable Warrior is quite simply the best collection of quotes from military leaders ever put together, and includes quotations from Thucydides, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, John Pershing, Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Norman H. Schwarzkopf from the Peloponnesian War to Afghanistan and Iraq, and all wars in-between. This is the most compelling, challenging, and comprehensive collection of quotes about leadership and war ever assembled. It is a rich and balanced collection of the best quotations about war and those who go to war. Here are the reasons that men fight wars, the challenges they face, the tactics and strategies of great battles and campaigns, the horrors of war, the challenge of human courage, and much more.

"This is a simple, plain-talking, commonsense, and no-nonsense book on hunting the Whitetail," begins How to Bag the Biggest Buck of Your Life. It's the legendary classic that started instructional hunting literature as we know it, and it's in print again. Larry Benoit had spent decades tracking and taking deer in the mountains of northern Vermont before he set down the first word about hunting, and the result was an instant classic. He was a tracker in the old sense of the word, a smart hunter who worked hard for his trophies. He didn't sit on stumps, waiting for a deer to wander by, and he didn't cruise back roads in a car: He hunted. In How to Bag the Biggest Buck of Your Life, he shows how. Chapters include getting fit for the chase, learning to read tracks, advice on clothing and equipment, how to handle a rifle, and how to field dress and butcher your buck. Interspersed are anecdotes from his long career, including the saga of a 13-day pursuit of a savvy, 230-pound buck with 25-inch antlers. It's a book for the hunter just learning to love the woods, and it's a book for the old hand who wants to spend some time with one of the most experienced hunters ever to walk the northern forests. It's one of the gems of hunting literature.

At 10: 35 on the morning of Thursday, December 17, 1903, man got his wings. On the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville Wright flew the motorized aircraft he and his brother Wilbur had constructed to a distance shorter than the length of the wingspan of today's 747 jet. They made three other flights the same day, the final lasting 59 seconds for a distance of 852 feet over the ground. The world would never be the same after that day. Mankind was finally off the ground in powered flight. And our experiences in the air would forevermore join the literature of human endeavors, to be shared by kindred spirits as well as the curious sorts who have wanted to know, "What was it like up there?"
In The Greatest Flying Stories Ever Told, editor Lamar Underwood has collected some of the finest writings, both fact and realistic fiction, to lay bare the drama of human beings coping with the skills needed to direct their machines through the vastness of the skies.
With contributions from: Charles Lindbergh, Ernest K. Gann, General Chuck Yeager, Leo Janos, Tom Wolfe, Mary Lovell, Richard Bach, Rinker Buck, Diane Ackerman, Derek Robinson, and more.

Bowhunting is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world of hunting. Bowhunting Tactics of the Pros will not only introduce you to the wonderful world of bowhunting, it will take you through all the levels - from beginner to expert.Did you get a deer last season with your bow? Did you even see a buck - or bull elk, bear, moose, mulie, or pronghorn? If you answered No to any of these questions, Bowhunting Tactics of the Pros is just the book for you. In fact, it's for you even if you answered Yes. Why? Because this is the most detailed, up-to-date, fact-filled book on bowhunting you can find. With chapters written by major experts in the field - this book has invaluable information. (6 x 9, 336 pages)Lamar Underwood is former editor-in-chief of both Sports Afield and Outdoor Life magazines, and is presently editorial director of the Outdoor Magazine Group of Harris Publications in New York, as well as the editor of several other Lyons Press anthologies.

Long the dominant icon embodying the spirit of America's frontier past, the image of the cowboy no longer stands alone as the ultimate symbol of independence and self-reliance. The great canvas of the western landscape-in art, books, film-is today shared by the figures called "Mountain Men." They were the trappers of the Rocky Mountain fur trade in the years following Lewis and Clark's Expedition of 1804-1806. With their bold journeys peaking, during the period of 1830-1840, they were the first white men to enter the vast wilderness reaches of the Rockies in search of beaver skins. They feasted on the abundant buffalo, elk and other game, while living the ultimate free-spirited wilderness life. Often they paid the ultimate price for their ventures under the arrows, tomahawks, and knives of those Native Americans whose lands they had entered. The Greatest Mountain Men Stories Ever Told, presents in one book many of the most engaging and revealing portraits of mountain men ever written. This collection is destined to be well appreciated by the huge and dedicated audience fascinated by mountain man lore and legend. These readers include many who today participate in reenactments of the mountain man "Rendezvous," with colorful costumes and competitions of traditional skills with authentic guns, knives, and tools.

The Civil War Re-Lived in 40 Stories! Between the first shots fired at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865, the nation was irrevocably changed, as were the lives of the soldiers and civilians who lived through the war. This is an extraordinary collection of stories about that epochal conflict, bringing the victories and defeats, the valor and the heartbreak, alive with personal intensity. Includes entries by: Ambrose Bierce Stephan Crane Mark Twain Abraham Lincoln Ulysses S. Grant Walt Whitman Frederick L. Hitchcock Louisa May Alcott Carlton McCarthy Abner Doubleday Theodore Roosevelt and many others.

A collection of great war stories! Here is a jumbo book of tales of courage and valor: 37 stories in all. * Our Classics and Greatest Stories series have a proven track record * Readers love tales of honor, courage, and valor * We have successfully re-launched the Greatest Stories series with Special Ops and Snipers * Unlike other books that focus on one war or conflict, this includes tales from more than 250 years of warfare in North America In War Stories, editor Lamar Underwood has pulled together some of the finest writings about war-fighting that capture readers imaginations. It includes legendary tales from the French and Indian Wars, the Civil War, the Great War, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq - more than 250 years of warfare from colonial times up through the present day. This unforgettable collection includes stories by: *Baron Manfred Von Richthofen *Christina Olds *Randy Zahn *Eddie Rickenbacker *William "Buffalo Bill" Cody *Stephen Crane *Michael Lee Lanning *Blake Stillwell *General Custer, and many others.

Dogs serve us, adore us, entertain us, work for and with us, but most of all they warm our hearts. An homage to our canine companions, Great American Dog Stories presents a collection of enduring tales penned by an impressive array of authors. These are stories to laugh, weep, and shake your head over, knowing that the nature of dogs (and their human friends) has not altered in all the years since these stories were first written. Exemplars of unconditional love, dogs offer companionship without complaint and loyalty without a price. Whether these stories make you laugh or cry, they will also make you appreciate our most loyal friends. Great American Dog Stories is a rich treasury, filled with tales of unforgettable dogs, that will make a perfect gift for any dog lover. With contributions from: Marshall Saunders * Georgiana M. Craik * O. Henry * R. E. Raspe * Jack London * Bret Harte * Ernest Thompson Seton * Stephen Crane * Saki * Arthur Quiller-Couch * Lucia Chamberlain Rush C. Hawkins * Albert Payson Terhune * Jerome K. Jerome E. Somerville and Martin Ross * Alfred Ollivant

The Greatest Fishing Stories Ever Told is sure to ignite recollections of your own angling experiences as well as send your imagination adrift. In this compilation of tales you will read about two kinds of places, the ones you have been to before and love to remember, and the places you have only dreamed of going, and would love to visit. Whether you prefer to fish rivers, estuaries, or beaches, this book will take you to all kinds of water, where you'll experience catching every kind of fish. Read on as some of the sport's most talented writers recount their personal memories of catching bass, trout, bluefish marlin, tuna, and more. You'll read about all kinds of fish, and all kinds of fishermen in these pages. Explore the Pacific with Zane Grey, as he fights a 1,000-pound blue marlin, or listen as A.J. McClane explains just what it really means to be an angler. Take a step back in time when you read Ernie Schwiebert's tale of fishing a remote lake in Michigan, when he was still only a young boy. Each of these stories, selected because of its intrinsic literary worth, reinforces the unique personal connection that fishing creates between man and nature.

Facing overwhelming dangers, with death looming, the heroes in these pages never gave up; nor did they flee or hide. Instead, in the firestorms of furious battles, their actions earned the nation's highest military decorations for courage. The medals are familiar-the Medal of Honor, Silver and Bronze Stars, Navy Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, and others. In true stories that reveal the actions that earned these decorations, ONLY THE VALIANT takes its readers into the very heart of battles in land, sea and air when heroes stepped forward. Join a group of daring Union soldiers in the Civil War as they capture a Confederate locomotive and railway; fly with hero ace Eddie Rickenbacker over the battlefields of WW I; hit the beaches with Marines at Tarawa and Iwo Jima; peer through the scopes of U.S. sniper sharpshooters in the mountains of Afghanistan. From the annals of America's earliest battles to those creating headlines today, Editor Lamar Underwood has pulled together the irresistible writings about decorated heroes whose actions deserve eternal attention of a grateful nation.

In The Greatest Spy Stories Ever Told, our editor has pulled together some of the finest writings about spies that capture readers imaginations. The one thing the heroes in this collection have in common is the ability to seamlessly shift identities. Each of the men and women in these stories had the courage to meet and study their enemies, gather critical intelligence, and then relay those secrets at risk of being exposed-to do what they had to because that was their duty and the lives of others meant more to them than their own. Chosen from hundreds of accounts of singular devotion to duty, the stories in Greatest Spy Stories stand out for their jaw-dropping tales of bravery. They are the best. No small feat.

A superb collection of stories that captures the very soul of hunting. For hunters, listening to the accounts of kindred spirits recalling the drama and action that go with good days afield ranks among life's most pleasurable activities. Here, then, are some of the best hunting tales ever written, stories that sweep from charging lions in the African bush to mountain goats in the mountain crags of the Rockies; from the gallant bird dogs of the Southern pinelands to the great Western hunts of Theodore Roosevelt. Great American Hunting Stories captures the very soul of hunting. With contributions from: Theodore Roosevelt, Nash Buckingham, Archibald Rutledge, Zane Grey, Lieutenant Townsend Whelen, Harold McCracken, Irvin S. Cobb, Edwin Main Post, Horace Kephart, Francis Parkman ,William T. Hornaday, Sc.D, Rex Beach, and more.

Fish Tales is a collection of some of the greatest fishing stories ever written. It will entertain, enlighten, and inspire fishers the world over. These are enduring stories that have passed the test of time and have attracted generations of readers. They are custom-made for the imaginative reader who loves to fish and read about fishing adventures. Included are stories by: Washington Irving Jerome K. Jerome John Buchan Lewis Carroll Rudyard Kipling Roland Pertwee Andrew Lang Henry Van Dyke R. D. Blackmore Anton Chekhov John Taintor Foote G. E. M. Skues and all the others in this fine collection who have given pleasure for generations . . . and will give great pleasure to modern anglers, too.

Rich in history and drama, Dog Tales entertains, enlightens, and inspires dog owners and dog lovers. These are enduring stories that have passed the test of time and have attracted generations of readers. Emerging from the prose in these pages are gallant dogs, facing incredible dangers and tasks. Loyal and affectionate dogs, unforgettable in the memories of the owners who shared their lives. These stories have been carefully selected for the imaginative reader who loves dogs--the people who agree with Will Rogers that, "If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."