Francis Duncan – författare

As the father of the nuclear powered Navy, Adm. Hyman G. Rickover was a pivotal figure in twentieth-century American history. While many books have been written about various aspects of his career, this is the first biography to have access to private papers, family and close friends. It not only deals with the admiral's controversial naval career but with phases of his personal life that made him what he was, including his youth as a Jewish immigrant who embraced America and the opportunities it offered. The author, Francis Duncan, worked with Rickover from 1969, when he was assigned to write a history of the nuclear propulsion program, until the admiral's death in 1986. Shortly before he died, Rickover turned over his files to Duncan, including letters to his first wife that give a vivid picture of the Navy from 1929 to 1945. Rickover's second wife allowed Duncan access to letters covering important events later in his career. The author was also granted interviews with the admiral's son and sister and with individuals from the Naval Reactors, an organization headed by Rickover whose members mostly had refused to talk to other biographers. A witness to the admiral's daily activities and the programs he directed, Duncan also drew on his own considerable knowledge to present a portrait of the man that gives new insights into Rickover's genius and short-comings.The book does not go into technical detail but focuses on the admiral's fights to build and extend the nuclear fleet and the often-difficult relationships that developed in the pursuit of the goal. He shows that Rickover's efforts had a profound effect on the post-war world, that the excellence and responsibility he demanded are qualities that reach beyond the Navy, and that his influence continues to be felt today.

No book will ever come closer than this to providing an inside overview of Admiral Hyman G. Rickover’s nuclear propulsion program. The author, an Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) historian assigned to the admiral’s office, spent years observing the project and its controversial leader in action, and the insights he provides here reflect both his familiarity with the subject and his ability to remain an objective observer.From 1974 to the day Rickover retired in 1982, Francis Duncan had free access to files, documents, and personnel at every level of involvement—a rare, never-to-be-repeated opportunity that most historians dream of but few get. And, as this book clearly shows, he took full advantage of the situation to gain a unique understanding of exactly how the program operated. The result is a thorough, balanced record of what may well be the U.S. Navy’s and the nation’s most important and far-reaching project of the twentieth century.Knowing that facts and figures alone don’t tell the entire story, Duncan talked to scores of people who dealt with day-to-day operations, watched men in prototype training and then accompanied them to sea, visited civilian and naval installations, and had close contact with Rickover himself. He also interviewed former U.S. presidents, secretaries of the navy, chiefs of naval operations, AEC chairmen, and legislative leaders who kept tabs on the projects but were removed from daily activities. Never once, the author says, did the admiral attempt to interfere with his research, nor did Rickover read the manuscript.While the focus here is on the nuclear program, not the man, this book does provide fascinating insights into Rickover’s personality and his efforts to maintain standards of excellence that would assure the program’s safety and its ultimate success. Using one of the admiral’s favorite terms, “the discipline of technology,” to demonstrate the method of technological application advocated by Rickover, Duncan effectively balances technical detail with astute analysis and even drama. Filled with information not found elsewhere, his study is a valuable chronicle of the development of submarine propulsion reactors, the loss of the Thresher, the struggle over the application of nuclear propulsion to surface fleet, and the use of the Shippingport Atomic Power Plant to illustrate the feasibility of a light-water breeder reactor.

Mulled wine, mince pies...and murder.Mordecai Tremaine, former tobacconist and perennial lover of romance novels, has been invited to spend Christmas in the sleepy village of Sherbroome at the country retreat of one Benedict Grame.Arriving on Christmas Eve, he finds that the revelries are in full flow - but so too are tensions amongst the assortment of guests.Midnight strikes and the party-goers discover that it's not just presents nestling under the tree...there's a dead body too. A dead body that bears a striking resemblance to Father Christmas.With the snow falling and the suspicions flying, it's up to Mordecai to sniff out the culprit - and prevent someone else from getting murder for Christmas.'The book nods towards Agatha Christie but retains a crackling atmosphere of dread and horror that will chill the heart however warm your fireside' Metro

Amateur sleuth Mordecai Tremaine is back in another classic mystery from the author of Murder for ChristmasWhen Mordecai Tremaine emerges from the train station, murder is the last thing on his mind. But then again, he has never been able to resist anything in the nature of a mystery – and a mystery is precisely what awaits him in the village of Dalmering. Rehearsals for the local amateur dramatic production are in full swing – but as Mordecai discovers all too soon, the real tragedy is unfolding offstage. The star of the show has been found dead, and the spotlight is soon on Mordecai, whose reputation in the field of crime-solving precedes him. With a murderer waiting in the wings, it’s up to Mordecai to derail the killer’s performance…before it’s curtains for another victim.