Bomb disposal was the most technically demanding and dangerous job outside of combat during World War II. Fewer than five thousand men did it in the American armed forces. During the war their activities were shrouded in secrecy, so that the Axis would not know what techniques the Allies were using. When they came home the citizen soldiers and officers who had done the work preferred anonymity to publicity. Furthermore, the units they had served in, often squads of six enlisted men and one officer, had been too small and independent to attract much notice by American chroniclers, official or unofficial, of the biggest armed conflict in history. Captains of Bomb Disposal, 1942-1946 attempts to bring some long-overdue public attention to this small group of neglected heroes. It chronicles two of their two most significant achievements during the World War II era: the contributions of the thirty-three bomb disposal squads of the Ninth Air Force, and the top-secret intelligence mission code named Operation 'Hidden Documents."In 1944 the Ninth Air Force was the most powerful tactical air force the world had ever seen. In the European Theater of Operations (ETO) it controlled more bomb disposal personnel than any other high command. Part I of Captains of Bomb Disposal, 1942-1946 mainly describes training at the Bomb Disposal School at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and the support thirty-three bomb disposal squads gave the Ninth Air Force. Interwoven in the narrative covering events after D-Day is the wider context in which those squads, and all of the Ninth Air Force, operated, namely, air and ground forces pioneering a large-scale, close partnership which defeated the Germans in northwest Europe. Also discussed is how Ninth Air Force bomb disposal squads helped handle the problem after V-E Day of up to two million tons of surplus explosive ordnance in the theater.Most of the sources for Part I on bomb disposal operations are unpublished unit histories, Ninth and Eighth Air Force ordnance reports, theater-level reports, and related documents at either the National Archives at College Park, Maryland (NACP), or the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA), at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Part I is organized around, but definitely not limited to, the World War II experiences of Capt. Thomas R. Reece. Now deceased and the author's father, he was one of the four highest-ranking bomb disposal officers in the Ninth Air Force. Some of his official and personal papers are utilized. Background material on the course of the war in the ETO is taken mainly from published official histories, and for the Ninth Air Force, also from unpublished documents at AFHRA.One of the passages in Part I describes how two men in the 80th Bomb Disposal Squad, Sgt. Russell F. McCarthy and T/5 Walter V. Smith, in 1945 won the Soldier's Medal, America's highest military award for bravery in action not against the enemy. They were not the only bomb disposal personnel to win that award during the World War II era. Part II revolves around Capt. Stephen A. Richards, who was commanding officer of the 123rd Bomb Disposal Squad, attached during the war to General Patton's Third Army. Captain Richards and two combat engineers won the award for disarming a cache of booby-trapped documents outside Stechovice, Czechoslovakia in February 1946, as part of Operation 'Hidden Documents." The trio was apprehended by Czechoslovak authorities while the other mission members took the documents to Germany, and was only released after the documents were returned. Meanwhile, a diplomatic crisis was ignited as Czechoslovakia officially protested the American infringement of its sovereignty. Moreover, the Czechoslovak Communist Party used the controversy for propaganda purposes shortly before the national elections of May 1946.Shortly before the trio was released, the operation received fairly extensive publicity, including an article on page two of Th

The Gospel of Mark paints an important portrait of Jesus as Israel's promised Messiah. Mark's account also makes clear how Jesus' kingship confounds public expectations by emphasizing his humility, suffering, and sacrifice.

This accessible guide is filled with wise reflections on the biblical text and helps us understand what vibrant faith and authentic discipleship look like as we follow a rejected king.

For more information, please visit knowingthebibleseries.org.

This 12-week study leads readers through the book of Daniel, highlighting God's reign over all the earth as the sovereign Lord of history.

Written for those who want to understand the book of Revelation, this 12-week study helps Christians see that Jesus has already defeated his enemies and freed Christians from their bondage to Satan, sin, and death.

The Gospel of John reveals an unmatched portrait of Jesus and is arguably the most theologically and philosophically profound account of his life, death, and resurrection in the New Testament.

From revealing Jesus' cosmic identity as being with the Father "in the beginning," to recounting the many miraculous signs attesting to his mission and divinity, this guide encourages us to worship Christ as Lord and to follow him on mission in the world.

For more information, please visit knowingthebibleseries.org.

This study through Deuteronomy recounts as Moses calls Israel to faithful obedience while remembering the past faithfulness of God-pointing to the grace of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

The book of Isaiah, which alternates between promises of judgment and restoration, reminds God's people of the magnitude of humanity's sin, the judgment that we all deserve, and how God displays his glory by saving sinners.

This guide shows us how the prophetic promise of cosmic renewal ultimately anticipates the work of Jesus Christ, the servant-king whose death results in new life for all who trust in him.

For more information, please visit knowingthebibleseries.org.

As a veteran campaigner, the Byzantine emperor Maurice (582-602) compiled a unique and influential handbook intended for the field commander. In this first complete English translation, the "Strategikon" is an invaluable source not only for early Byzantine history but for the general history of the art of war. Describing in detail weaponry and armor, daily life on the march or in camp, clothing, food, medical care, military law, and titles of the Byzantine army of the seventh century, the "Strategikon" offers insights into the Byzantine military ethos. In language contemporary, down-to-earth, and practical, the text also provides important data for the historian, and even the ethnologist, including eyewitness accounts of the Persians, Slavs, Lombards, and Avars at the frontier of the Empire.

The book of Psalms powerfully resonates with the whole spectrum of human emotions and experiences, resounding with heartfelt praise, humble confession, and honest lament.

Plumbing the theological depths, this guide explains the biblical text with clarity and passion--exploring the Bible's ability to transform our emotions and incline our hearts toward worship.

Over the course of 12 weeks, each study in this series explores a book of the Bible and:

Asks thoughtful questions to spur discussion

Shows how each passage unveils the gospel

Ties the text in with the whole story of Scripture

Illuminates the doctrines taught in each passage

Invites you to discover practical implications

Helps you better understand and apply God's Word

The books of Ruth and Esther recount two of the most memorable stories in all of Scripture: Ruth, a displaced widow in search of a new home and loving husband, and Esther, a courageous queen intent on saving her people from imminent destruction.

Plumbing the theological depths, this guide explains the biblical text with clarity and passion--leading us on a journey to discover the God who hears the cries of his people and remains faithful to his promises.

Over the course of 12 weeks, each study in this series explores a book of the Bible and:

Asks thoughtful questions to spur discussion

Shows how each passage unveils the gospel

Ties the text in with the whole story of Scripture

Illuminates the doctrines taught in each passage

Invites you to discover practical implications

Helps you better understand and apply God's Word

The book of Genesis is foundational to the whole Bible, and to every human life. Genesis tells us who God is, who we are, how things went wrong, and the plan that God has put in place to return the earth to the way it was meant to be.

This guide helps us see how the storyline of Genesis foreshadows and connects to the good news about Jesus, and offers penetrating exegetical insights for those of us seeking to better understand God's plan to bring blessing to all nations.

For more information, please visit knowingthebibleseries.org.

The book of Proverbs uncovers the foundation of wisdom, marks out the paths that make us wise, and points us to the ultimate source of all true understanding: Jesus Christ.

Helping make sense of a unique book, this guide explains the biblical text with clarity and passion--uncovering its wise instruction for godly living that glorifies God and leads to blessing for his people.

Over the course of 12 weeks, these studies explore books of the Bible and:

Ask thoughtful questions to spur discussion

Show how each passage unveils the gospel

Tie the text in with the whole story of Scripture

Illuminate the doctrines taught in each passage

Invite you to discover practical implications

Help you better understand and apply God's Word

The book of Romans was Paul's greatest literary achievement, a majestic letter in which the apostle explains crucial doctrines such as original sin, election, substitutionary atonement, the role of the law, and justification by faith alone.

Plumbing the theological depths, this guide explains the biblical text with clarity and passion--helping us to follow along as Paul recounts the history of salvation and illuminates the glories of the death and resurrection of Christ.

For more information, please visit knowingthebibleseries.org.

This study leads readers through three books of prophecy, pointing to God's mercy and sovereign control that will lead to eternal blessing for those who turn to him in faith.

Combines a serious examination of the state of today's church and a powerful solution: reclaiming the gospel of grace found in the confessional truths of the Reformation.

Though the Christian church has achieved a worldly sort of success-big numbers, big budgets, big outreaches-these are not good days for evangelicalism. Attendance is down, and it is increasingly difficult to distinguish so-called "believers" from their non-Christian neighbors-all because the gospel of grace has been neglected.

In this work, now in paperback, the late James Montgomery Boice identifies what's happened within evangelicalism and suggests how the confessional statements of the Reformation-Scripture alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, and glory to God alone-can ignite full-scale revival. "A church without these convictions has ceased to be a true church, whatever else it may be," he wrote, but "if we hold to these doctrines, our churches and those we influence will grow strong."

This 12-week study walks readers through Jeremiah's prophecies, showing how the judgment proclaimed in the book of Jeremiah serves as a backdrop for the beauty of God's promised salvation through Jesus Christ.

This 12-week study guide highlights God's continued care for his people by providing for them a king, part of God's enduring covenant with David leading to the King Jesus Christ.

Bomb disposal was the most technically demanding and dangerous job outside of combat during World War II. Fewer than five thousand men did it in the American armed forces. During the war their activities were shrouded in secrecy, so that the Axis would not know what techniques the Allies were using. When they came home the citizen soldiers and officers who had done the work preferred anonymity to publicity. Furthermore, the units they had served in, often squads of six enlisted men and one officer, had been too small and independent to attract much notice by American chroniclers, official or unofficial, of the biggest armed conflict in history. Captains of Bomb Disposal, 1942-1946 attempts to bring some long-overdue public attention to this small group of neglected heroes. It chronicles two of their two most significant achievements during the World War II era: the contributions of the thirty-three bomb disposal squads of the Ninth Air Force, and the top-secret intelligence mission code named Operation 'Hidden Documents."In 1944 the Ninth Air Force was the most powerful tactical air force the world had ever seen. In the European Theater of Operations (ETO) it controlled more bomb disposal personnel than any other high command. Part I of Captains of Bomb Disposal, 1942-1946 mainly describes training at the Bomb Disposal School at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and the support thirty-three bomb disposal squads gave the Ninth Air Force. Interwoven in the narrative covering events after D-Day is the wider context in which those squads, and all of the Ninth Air Force, operated, namely, air and ground forces pioneering a large-scale, close partnership which defeated the Germans in northwest Europe. Also discussed is how Ninth Air Force bomb disposal squads helped handle the problem after V-E Day of up to two million tons of surplus explosive ordnance in the theater.Most of the sources for Part I on bomb disposal operations are unpublished unit histories, Ninth and Eighth Air Force ordnance reports, theater-level reports, and related documents at either the National Archives at College Park, Maryland (NACP), or the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA), at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Part I is organized around, but definitely not limited to, the World War II experiences of Capt. Thomas R. Reece. Now deceased and the author's father, he was one of the four highest-ranking bomb disposal officers in the Ninth Air Force. Some of his official and personal papers are utilized. Background material on the course of the war in the ETO is taken mainly from published official histories, and for the Ninth Air Force, also from unpublished documents at AFHRA.One of the passages in Part I describes how two men in the 80th Bomb Disposal Squad, Sgt. Russell F. McCarthy and T/5 Walter V. Smith, in 1945 won the Soldier's Medal, America's highest military award for bravery in action not against the enemy. They were not the only bomb disposal personnel to win that award during the World War II era. Part II revolves around Capt. Stephen A. Richards, who was commanding officer of the 123rd Bomb Disposal Squad, attached during the war to General Patton's Third Army. Captain Richards and two combat engineers won the award for disarming a cache of booby-trapped documents outside Stechovice, Czechoslovakia in February 1946, as part of Operation 'Hidden Documents." The trio was apprehended by Czechoslovak authorities while the other mission members took the documents to Germany, and was only released after the documents were returned. Meanwhile, a diplomatic crisis was ignited as Czechoslovakia officially protested the American infringement of its sovereignty. Moreover, the Czechoslovak Communist Party used the controversy for propaganda purposes shortly before the national elections of May 1946.Shortly before the trio was released, the operation received fairly extensive publicity, including an article on page two of Th

This 12-week study leads readers through the book of 1 Corinthians, highlighting how the gospel of Jesus Christ replaces pride with love and unites Christians to God and to each other.

In this 12-week study, Kathleen Nielson shows readers God's mercy and faithfulness demonstrated in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, encouraging Christians toward sincere repentance and persevering hope.

This 12-week study highlights the practical wisdom embedded in the Song of Solomon and celebrates the beauty of marriage as a reflection of God's love for his people. Part of the Knowing the Bible series.

Connecting Paul's letters to the Thessalonians to Christians today, this study encourages readers with reassurance and hope as they pursue lives of holiness and love in anticipation of Christ's return.

The book of James has a well-deserved reputation for providing practical advice, yet it also contains challenging teachings on wealth, anointing with oil, prayer, healing, and the relationship between faith and works.

Through clear exposition of the biblical text and thoughtful application questions, this guide helps us rightly understand James as a stirring exhortation to fruitfulness--ultimately reminding us of the necessary connection between genuine faith and heartfelt obedience.

For more information, please visit knowingthebibleseries.org.

The book of Matthew paints a powerful portrait of Jesus as Israel's long-awaited Messiah, the one who would bring God's kingdom to earth and fulfill his promises to his people.

Leading readers through this hope-filled book, this guide explains the biblical text with clarity and passion--inviting us to encounter God's one and only Son: Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

Over the course of 12 weeks, these studies explore books of the Bible and:

Ask thoughtful questions to spur discussion

Show how each passage unveils the gospel

Tie the text in with the whole story of Scripture

Illuminate the doctrines taught in each passage

Invite you to discover practical implications Help you better understand and apply God's Word

This accessible study guide reveals how the unfaithfulness of Israel under the leadership of judges pointed to the need for a faithful King who would rule the people in righteousness.