After his four-year hitch in the marines was up in 1957, Richard Sanderlin met another Norfolk, Virginia native, Frank Sturgis, Marine Corps veteran, Army Intelligence Officer, and future Watergate burglar. Richard, and Frank relocated to Miami, Florida where they ran an arms and munition smuggling operation into Cuba, bound for the rebels of Fidel Castro. During the summer of 1958, Richard Sanderlin traveled to the Sierra Maestra Mountains in Oriente Province Cuba, where he trained the rebels of Fidel, and Raul Castro, in military strategy, tactics, weapon handling, and hand to hand fighting. After completing the training of Raul Castros Second Front, Richard led a guerrilla band into ten combat operations against the Batista army. This is the story an idealistic young warrior who fought against the tyranny of dictatorship only to be betrayed by a communist conspiracy led by Fidel Castro.
In 1970, the American muscle car was as fast and outrageous as it would ever get. But the end was nigh, and 1970 Maximum Muscle dives head-first into the storm before the calm. Wherever you mark the beginning of the muscle car era—Oldsmobile’s 1949 Rocket 88, Chrysler’s 1951 FirePower engines, the 1964 Pontiac GTO—one thing is certain: in 1970, the era that had witnessed a parade of gloriously powerful, stylish, and brawny cars apt to make the hearts of even the most dispassionate squares go pitter-patter was sucking fumes. Gasoline shortages, skyrocketing fuel prices, insurance-industry bean counters, rising ecological concerns, and new, more fuel-efficient imports all conspired to consign the American muscle car to an ugly and unseemly denouement. Yet 1970 saw the actual zenith of the cars themselves, the year manufacturers pulled out all the stops and produced the most powerful and stunning machines the automotive world had ever seen. 1970 Maximum Muscle not only explores the factors that led to the decline of the most exciting era in the American automotive industry, it details some of the new models and model options that arguably made 1970 the climax of the muscle car era from engineering, styling, and cultural standpoints. As the war among GM, Ford, Chrysler, and AMC played out at dealerships, dragstrips, and drive-ins, ready-and-willing gearheads drove off dealer lots in potent behemoths like the Buick GSX, Oldsmobile 4-4-2, and Ford Torino Cobra. Muscle car stalwarts like the SS Chevelle, Pontiac GTO, and Plymouth ’Cuda became available with optional LS-6, Stage 1, and Hemi engines, respectively. Manufacturers ratcheted up the advertising hyperbole at the same time, offering performance packages with names like “Six-Pack,” “Ram Air,” and “Cobra Jet,” while spoilers, scoops, hood tachometers, and decal packages were de rigueur. Meanwhile, on the popular SCCA Trans Am circuit, top drivers campaigned more nimble muscle off-the-rack cars like the Camaro Z/28 and Boss 302 Mustang. 1970 Maximum Muscle is an entertaining and rollicking look at the muscle car's peak year!
“Get one before one gets you!” Motion Performance’s catchy sales pitch for builder Joel Rosen’s Phase III Specialty Muscle Cars sums up the escalating performance scene in the late 1960s. Special edition muscle cars were essential to keep pace. Joel and other independent car builders (such as Carroll Shelby, George Hurst, Dick Harrell, Mr. Norm, and Jim Wangers) did what the factories couldn’t do: take the muscle car and turn it into a tire-burning monster. Although the Pontiac GTO established the muscle car category in 1964, a host of corporate safety restrictions restrained factories from offering turn-key race cars off the showroom floor. Independent car builders enhanced appearance and amplified performance in an attempt to do what the manufacturers wouldn’t. Motion Performance issued a written guarantee: Phase III cars would run 11.5 at 120 mph down the quarter-mile! Some of the most iconic nameplates in automotive history were applied in this era with names that included Cheetah, Black Panther, Royal Bobcat, Super Hugger, Manta Ray, Super Snake, Deuce, Fast Track, and The Machine. How did manufacturers stealthily promote these special edition muscle cars as “halo cars” while pretending not to endorse them? What happened to these innovators when factories assimilated their ideas? It’s all covered inside. Muscle car historian Duncan Brown takes us through these special edition muscle cars, their creators, and the behind-the-scenes forces that shaped these wild beasts into legends that left a lasting legacy.
A history and analysis of the rising that covers the principal players, the strategy and execution of the plan. This new history shows the Uprising from initiation to its aftermath. The uprising came during the tough times of World War I and was viewed by some as heroic and by others as treachery.
A Rebel's Vision Splendid by James H. G. Chapple is a captivating historical novel that chronicles the life of a young rebel during a time of political upheaval. Chapple's vivid prose and meticulous research bring to life the sights, sounds, and struggles of the era, immersing readers in a rich tapestry of revolution, love, and personal growth. Through the eyes of the protagonist, we witness the clash of ideologies, the power of conviction, and the enduring human desire for freedom. A Rebel's Vision Splendid is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of identity, loyalty, and the pursuit of a better world.
Author Steve Magnante is well known for his encyclopedia-like knowledge of automotive facts. The details he regularly puts forth, both on the pages of national magazines and as a contributing host and tech expert at the popular Barrett-Jackson Auctions on television, are the kinds of things muscle car fanatics love to hear. There are 1001 well-researched muscle car facts in this book that even some of the most esteemed experts would be surprised to learn. Covered are all the popular GM makes including Chevy, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac, Ford and Mercury cars, Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge cars, and even facts about AMC and Studebaker as well. Fans of these collectible cars will appreciate the technical and entertaining information shared on every page about all of the great American muscle cars. Whether you're an avid collector of multiple American muscle cars, the owner of one shining example, a trivia buff who wants to stump your friends, or just a fan of the big and powerful rear-wheel-drive rides of the 1960s and 1970s, this book is an informative and entertaining collection of facts from one of the industry's most beloved and respected sources.
Between Mars and Jupiter lies the Asteroid Belt, a sector of space containing countless myriads of asteroids and dwarf planets, many with vast untapped mineral wealth beneath their surfaces. In the near future, as the human race expands throughout the Solar System, this lawless region becomes a battleground as frontiersmen, space pirates, prospectors and mining combines struggle for supremacy. Ill-equipped to police such an area, the Space Patrol is powerless to intervene in all but a few of the struggles, and the Belt is ravaged by warfare between rival factions. All are determined to gain control, but when the wars are over, who will be acknowledged Warlord of the Asteroid Belt? Including stories by Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, Gary Budgen, ES Wynn, Andrew MacRae and many more! Plus cover art courtesy of Stephen Cooney and interior art by Gregory KH Bryant.
Astro-miner Taven Smith has a secret. It’s in his DNA, an unsolicited gift from a woman with green eyes. Meyer Corp wants it. Murderous machines want it. Taven doesn’t. But it’s his only chance to find answers, set things right, and survive. Unwittingly tossed into yet another mind-bending odyssey, Taven must race to find Cat before his relentless assailants find him. Follow him further down the rabbit hole in Book 2 of the Sim-Verse saga. The truth can only be known by the willing.
The years 1899 through 1941 are remarkable even by Latin America's uniquely turbulent standards. During this time, border disputes and domestic insurrections forcefully shaped the history of this area, as many countries made the rocky transition from agrarian to industrial societies. This volume provides a concise survey of Latin American wars between 1899 and 1941. It compares and contrasts the wars and considers them in light of military theory. It also demonstrates how instrumental wars have been in directing the history of Latin America, and how the United States has often influenced these wars in a decisive manner. Wars examined include border disputes in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama, and Costa Rica, and domestic insurrections in Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Numerous photographs and maps illustrate the text and make it easy to follow every military campaign. The vivid narrative captures the human drama of the wars and brings to life the violent clashes of powerful personalities in unusually hostile terrain. Jungles, mountains, and deserts ravaged armies no less dramatically than combat, and the emotions the wars released make many episodes unforgettable. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.
In the past forty years, the devastating effects of international terror have forced their way into the forefront of world affairs. To counter this new threat to civilisation - and to the safety of ordinary people - a new breed of soldier was created to fight the terrorists on their own terms. They are the world's Special Forces, and Death Before Dishonour tells the inside stories behind these fearsome fighting units. It captures the drama, action, pain and glory of the most striking operations ever undertaken by the world's various Special Forces and for the first time ever reveals the truth behind their bloodiest battles, and gives top secret information about the terrifying techniques and gadgetry they employ.
