The Bomber Dog is a heartwarming story for 9+ readers about a brave puppy who joins the paratroopers during the Second World War and becomes a heroic war dog. Perfect for fans of Michael Morpurgo's War Horse and Lauren St John. GREY is just a puppy when he arrives at the War Dog Training school. NATHAN, his trainer, is a brave young soldier. WOLF is a war dog who's seen it all. Grey and Nathan soon become inseparable. Until the day a parachute jump goes tragically wrong . . . As the Second World War rages, Grey faces his most important mission yet: to find his best friend. With Wolf at his side, he must journey across France and behind enemy lines. His path is fraught with danger. Can he reach Nathan before it's too late? Praise for Megan Rix: 'If you love Michael Morpurgo, you will enjoy this' Express 'A moving tale told with warmth, kindliness and lashings of good sense that lovers of Dick King-Smith will especially appreciate' The Times 'Every now and then a writer comes along with a unique way of storytelling . . . Meet Megan Rix . . . her novels are deeply moving and will strike a chord with animal lovers.' LoveReading About the author: Megan Rix lives in England with her husband, and their adorable dogs, Traffy and Bella. Also available by Megan Rix: The Great Escape, The Victory Dogs. www.meganrix.com
A “truly compelling” (Good Morning America) New York Times bestseller that explores how technology and best intentions collide in the heat of war—from the creator and host of the podcast Revisionist History. In The Bomber Mafia, Malcolm Gladwell weaves together the stories of a Dutch genius and his homemade computer, a band of brothers in central Alabama, a British psychopath, and pyromaniacal chemists at Harvard to examine one of the greatest moral challenges in modern American history. Most military thinkers in the years leading up to World War II saw the airplane as an afterthought. But a small band of idealistic strategists, the “Bomber Mafia,” asked: What if precision bombing could cripple the enemy and make war far less lethal? In contrast, the bombing of Tokyo on the deadliest night of the war was the brainchild of General Curtis LeMay, whose brutal pragmatism and scorched-earth tactics in Japan cost thousands of civilian lives, but may have spared even more by averting a planned US invasion. In The Bomber Mafia, Gladwell asks, “Was it worth it?” Things might have gone differently had LeMay’s predecessor, General Haywood Hansell, remained in charge. Hansell believed in precision bombing, but when he and Curtis LeMay squared off for a leadership handover in the jungles of Guam, LeMay emerged victorious, leading to the darkest night of World War II. The Bomber Mafia is a riveting tale of persistence, innovation, and the incalculable wages of war.
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'A parable written for the age of technological disruption . . . brilliantly told' Sunday Times The international bestselling author returns with an exploration of one of the grandest obsessions of the twentieth century 'The Bomber Mafia is a case study in how dreams go awry. When some shiny new idea drops from the heavens, it does not land softly in our laps. It lands hard, on the ground, and shatters.' In the years before the Second World War, in a sleepy air force base in central Alabama, a small group of renegade pilots put forth a radical idea. What if we made bombing so accurate that wars could be fought entirely from the air? What if we could make the brutal clashes between armies on the ground a thing of the past? This book tells the story of what happened when that dream was put to the test. The Bomber Mafia follows the stories of a reclusive Dutch genius and his homemade computer, Winston Churchill's forbidding best friend, a team of pyromaniacal chemists at Harvard, a brilliant pilot who sang vaudeville tunes to his crew, and the bomber commander, Curtis Emerson LeMay, who would order the bloodiest attack of the Second World War. In this tale of innovation and obsession, Gladwell asks: what happens when technology and best intentions collide in the heat of war? And what is the price of progress?
The Victory Dogs is the incredible story of two puppies who become heroes of the blitz. A heartwarming story for 9+ readers who are fans of Michael Morpurgo's War Horse and Lauren St John. BARK and HOWL are two puppies, born on the London underground SHEBA is an elderly one-eared cat When the Blitz begins, how will they survive? It's the start of the Second World War and Bark and Howl are lost in the dark maze of tunnels under London. With Sheba's help, they learn how to survive. But when the bombs begin to fall, the puppies become separated. As the attacks continue, Bark and Howl are frightened, but they know the tunnels so well - they're the only ones who can lead hundreds of trapped people out of danger. Will Bark and Howl find each other - and be victorious in leading Londoners to safety? 'If you love Michael Morpurgo, you will enjoy this' Express 'A moving tale told with warmth, kindliness and lashings of good sense that lovers of Dick King-Smith will especially appreciate' The Times 'Every now and then a writer comes along with a unique way of storytelling . . . Meet Megan Rix . . . her novels are deeply moving and will strike a chord with animal lovers.' LoveReading About the author: Megan Rix lives in England with her husband, and their adorable dogs, Traffy and Bella. Also available by Megan Rix: The Great Escape
The brave, difficult and ultimately hopeful journey across wartime Germany of two best friends and the dog who brought them together. Tilly and Gretchen have been best friends all their lives, and Gretchen adores Tilly's beloved pet dachshund Wuffly like he's her own. But tensions are high in Germany in 1938. Tilly's Jewish family are in danger - and Gretchen's father is a train driver in the employ of the Nazis. Before long, Tilly is sent to England as part of the Kindertransport rescue mission. Heartbroken, she has to leave Wuffly and Gretchen behind. So begins an epic adventure as Gretchen makes the decision to follow her best friend and reunite her with her beloved dog - but when they touch down in England, Wuffly is immediately taken away. How will each of them fare, as German evacuees in England? And will the three friends ever be reunited in safety...?
The Hero Pup is a heartwarming and uplifting story from Megan Rix, bestselling author of The Great Escape, The Victory Dogs, The Bomber Dog and A Soldier's Friend. 'For now Patch is just a Helper Pup,' Joe said. 'But one day . . .' Eleven-year-old Joe is dreading his first Christmas without Dad. But then Mum suggests they volunteer for Helper Dogs and train puppies to help people in need. Joe has always wanted a dog and when he meets golden Labrador Patch he knows he's found him. With Joe's love and training, can Patch go from playful pupy to heroic helper - and mend Joe's broken heart along the way? A classic-in-the-making, Megan Rix takes little-known true stories of animal heroes and turns them into must-have heartwarming stories for 8+ readers, perfect for fans of Michael Morpurgo and Sarah Lean. 'If you love Michael Morpurgo, you will enjoy this' Sunday Express 'A moving tale told with warmth, kindliness and lashings of good sense that lovers of Dick King-Smith will especially appreciate' The Times 'Every now and then a writer comes along with a unique way of storytelling . . . Meet Megan Rix . . . her novels are deeply moving and will strike a chord with animal lovers.' LoveReading 'A perfect story for animal lovers and lovers of adventure stories' Travelling Book Company About the author: Megan Rix is the recent winner of the Stockton and Shrewsbury Children's Book Awards, and has been shortlisted for numerous other children's book awards. She lives with her husband by a river in England. When she's not writing she can be found walking her two golden retrievers, Traffy and Bella, who are often in the river. Also available by Megan Rix: The Great Escape, The Victory Dogs, The Bomber Dog and A Soldier's Friend
Flight of the Old Dog is one of the original and classic military techno-thrillers in the entire world. It is the basis of the PC flight simulator "Megafortress" published by Three-Sixty Pacific. It has been translated into twelve languages, and sales have exceeded a million copies. The United States and the Soviet Union are on the brink of nuclear war. At a top-secret research facility at Kavaznya, Sibera, the Soviets have developed a ground-based laser weapon capable of shooting down American satellites, and they are betting that the American president doesn't have the guts to risk starting a nuclear exchange. But at a top-secret flight test site in the Nevada desert called "Dreamland," a team of test pilots and engineers have created the Megafortress: a venerable B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers modified with stealth technology, computers, digital avionics, state-of-the-art weaponry, and performance-enhancing features that makes it unlike any B-52 bomber--or any other warplane--ever flown. Now it's time to flight-test the Megafortress, and the Air Force assembles the best pilots, bombardiers, and navigators to see what this creation can do. One of them is Captain Patrick McLanahan, considered the best B-52 bombardier in the Air Force. The others on the crew are hard-charging pilots and world-class engineers, and McLanahan is nothing like them. But the team leader and aircraft commander, Lt. General Brad Elliott, can see that McLanahan is a quiet professional and a natural-born leader. Soviet spies soon discover the Megafortress, and they recognize that a fleet of these advanced planes can practically neutralize all of the Soviet Union's air defenses. Back-channel negotiations begin, and the U.S. is willing to mothball the Megafortress if the Soviets mothball the Kavaznya laser. That is completely unacceptable to the Soviet leader, and he hatches a daring plan to deal with the Megafortress while keeping his devastating laser weapon. Just prior to a live fire flight test, a team of Russian commandos invade Dreamland with the goal of stealing the Megafortress…or destroying it. The crew just barely manages to escape. The American president orders the top-secret aircraft back to Dreamland, but Brad Elliott and the vice president hatch a daring plan of their own: use the Megafortress to penetrate the Soviet Union's stiff air defenses and destroy the Kavaznya laser. Thus begins the aerial cat-and-mouse game across ten thousand miles and wave after wave of the Soviet Union's most advanced air defenses and fighter-interceptors, which are all on full alert. Most of the Megafortress's crew have no military training. They have supplies for only a few hours, and are outfitted for the deserts of southern Nevada, not the frigid steppes of Siberia. They have flown the Megafortress only a few times, and only in carefully scripted test flights. With Brad Elliott at the controls, Patrick McLanahan realizes that it's up to him to organize and get the rest of the crew ready for the fight of their lives.
SAMMY is a football crazy rescue puppy. MOUSER is a fearless black and white tomcat. Together they make an unlikely pair that won't be parted, not even by the First World War. As the war rages in Europe, Londoners are sending brave animals to help the soldiers - and Mouser and Sammy are soon on their way to the trenches. Boldly criss-crossing no-man's land they make new friends of every nationality - and reunite with old ones. But on the muddy front line, under fire and constantly in danger, will their friendship be enough to save them so they can return home together? 'If you love Michael Morpurgo, you will enjoy this' Express 'A moving tale told with warmth, kindliness and lashings of good sense that lovers of Dick King-Smith will especially appreciate' The Times 'Every now and then a writer comes along with a unique way of storytelling . . . Meet Megan Rix . . . her novels are deeply moving and will strike a chord with animal lovers.' LoveReading About the author: Megan Rix lives in England with her husband, and their adorable dogs, Traffy and Bella. Also available by Megan Rix: The Great Escape, The Victory Dogs and The Bomber Dog www.meganrix.com
"A thoroughly enjoyable story of heroism and true friendship" (Publishers Weekly, starred review), this Sunday Times top ten bestseller is the true account of a German shepherd who was adopted by the Royal Air Force during World War II, flying countless combat missions and surviving everything from crash-landings to parachute bailouts--ultimately saving the life of his owner and dearest friend. In the winter of 1939 in the cold snow of no-man's-land, two loners met and began an extraordinary journey that would turn them into lifelong friends. One was an orphaned puppy, abandoned by his owners as they fled Nazi forces. The other was a different kind of lost soul--a Czech airman bound for the Royal Air Force and the country that he would come to call home. Airman Robert Bozdech stumbled across the tiny German shepherd--whom he named Ant--after being shot down on a daring mission over enemy lines. Unable to desert the puppy, Robert hid Ant inside his jacket as he escaped. In the months that followed, the pair would save each other's lives countless times as they flew together with RAF Bomber Command. Finally grounded after being injured on a flight mission, Ant refused to abandon his duty, waiting patiently beside the runway for his master's return from every sortie, and refusing food and sleep until they were reunited. By the end of the war, Robert and Ant had become true war heroes, and Ant was justly awarded the Dickin Medal, the "Animal VC." With beautiful vintage black-and-white photos of Robert and Ant, The Dog Who Could Fly is a deeply moving story of loyalty in the face of adversity and the unshakable bond between a man and his best friend.
London 1666 - A terrible plague has swept through the city and people live in fear of animals carrying the disease. Woofer is a loveable stray who works in the palace kitchen and Tiger Lily is the pampered pet spaniel of King Charles II. They come from very different worlds but this hasn't stopped them becoming the best of friends and looking out for each other. When Woofer finds himself in trouble he has to escape the palace grounds and Tiger Lily isn't far behind him. It's not long before a new danger emerges - a great fire is sweeping across London destroying everything in its path. Can these two brave dogs survive the blazing fire and make their way to safety?
