Tom Cooper – författare

A masterfully written, darkly hilarious novel that shows how one small decision can have big consequences in the swamplands of Florida.Florida, circa 1980. Reed Crowe, the eponymous Florida Man, is a middle-aged beach bum, beleaguered and disenfranchised, living on ill-gotten gains deep in the jungly heart of Florida. When sinkholes start opening on Emerald Island, not only are Reed Crowe''s seedy businesses--a moribund motel and a shabby amusement park--endangered, but so are his secrets. Crowe, amateur spelunker, begins uncovering artifacts that change his understanding of the island''s history, as well as his understanding of his family''s birthright as pioneering homesteaders. Meanwhile, there are other Florida men with whom Crowe must contend. Hector "Catface" Morales, a Cuban refugee, trained assassin, and crack-addicted Marielito, is seeking revenge on Reed for stealing his stash of drugs and leaving him for dead (unbeknownst to Reed) in the wreckage of a plane crash in the Everglades decades ago. Loner and misanthrope Henry Yahchilane, a Seminole Native, has something to hide on the island. So does irascible and pervy Wayne Wade, Reed Crowe''s childhood friend turned bad penny. Then there are the Florida women, including Heidi Karavas, Reed Crowe''s ex-wife, now a globe-trekking art curator, and Nina Arango, a Cuban refugee and fiercely protective woman with whom Reed Crowe falls in love. There are curses. There are sea monsters. There are biblical storms. There''s something called the Jupiter Effect. Ultimately, Florida Man is a generation-spanning story about how a man decides to live his life, and how despite staying landlocked and stubbornly in one place, the world nevertheless comes to him.

When the BP oil spill devastates the Gulf coast, those who made a living by shrimping find themselves in dire straits. For the oddballs and lowlifes who inhabit the sleepy, working class bayou town of Jeannette,  these desperate circumstances serve as the catalyst that pushes them to enact whatever risky schemes they can dream up to reverse their fortunes. At the center of it all is Gus Lindquist, a pill-addicted, one armed treasure hunter obsessed with finding the lost treasure of pirate Jean Lafitte. His quest brings him into contact with a wide array of memorable characters, ranging from a couple of small time criminal potheads prone to hysterical banter, to the smooth-talking Oil company middleman out to bamboozle his own mother, to some drug smuggling psychopath twins, to a young man estranged from his father since his mother died in Hurricane Katrina. As the story progresses, these characters find themselves on a collision course with each other, and as the tension and action ramp up, it becomes clear that not all of them will survive these events.

“The king of poisons and the poison of kings.It’s useful for so many things”A new musical inspired by a sensational murder trial in 19th century Glasgow. Madeleine Smith, a Glasgow socialite living in Blythswood Square, was accused of a secret affair and poisoning her lover to death.The trial ended with a rare ‘Not Proven’ verdict, but now Plume, an aspiring pamphleteer, is working out which version of the story to tell. Was Madeleine innocent or guilty?Inspired by the scandalous real-life story, The Glasgow Poisoner is a new musical by Tom Cooper and Jen McGregor that explores our obsession with true crime and female killers, then and now.CAST: 3 ActorsDURATION: 60 minutes

Following the relatively poor performance of America's multi-role fighters during the Vietnam War, the F-15 Eagle was designed as a dedicated air superiority fighter. But, instead of Soviet pilots, it came up against pilots of Saddam Hussein's Iraqi airforce. This book analyses the combat between the American and Soviet 'Cold War fighters' in a balanced manner, examining how the technical abilities of the aircraft combined with the different levels of training available to opposing pilots and groundcrews allowed the F-15s to destroy the Iraqi offensive abilities within weeks of the First Gulf War starting.Packed with artwork, illustrations and photographs, this book places the reader in the cockpit during one of the last major dogfighting air wars in modern history.

Following the relatively poor performance of America''s multi-role fighters during the Vietnam War, the F-15 Eagle was designed as a dedicated air superiority fighter. But, instead of Soviet pilots, it came up against pilots of Saddam Hussein''s Iraqi airforce. This book analyses the combat between the American and Soviet ''Cold War fighters'' in a balanced manner, examining how the technical abilities of the aircraft combined with the different levels of training available to opposing pilots and groundcrews allowed the F-15s to destroy the Iraqi offensive abilities within weeks of the First Gulf War starting.Packed with artwork, illustrations and photographs, this book places the reader in the cockpit during one of the last major dogfighting air wars in modern history.

Following the relatively poor performance of America''s multi-role fighters during the Vietnam War, the F-15 Eagle was designed as a dedicated air superiority fighter. But, instead of Soviet pilots, it came up against pilots of Saddam Hussein''s Iraqi airforce. This book analyses the combat between the American and Soviet ''Cold War fighters'' in a balanced manner, examining how the technical abilities of the aircraft combined with the different levels of training available to opposing pilots and groundcrews allowed the F-15s to destroy the Iraqi offensive abilities within weeks of the First Gulf War starting.Packed with artwork, illustrations and photographs, this book places the reader in the cockpit during one of the last major dogfighting air wars in modern history.

This is a tale of a poorly thought of, not too attractive species of slug known as a shell-less terrestrial gastropodic mollusc.

An illustrated combat history of the jet, different versions of which have provided the backbone of the frontline strength of the Iranian air force since the 1970s.Whole generations of Iranian pilots and ground personnel have been trained to fly and maintain the versions of this aircraft. Indeed, the type bore the brunt of active combat operations during the long war with Iraq. Iranian F-4 Phantom IIs were also some of best equipped examples ever exported by the USA. Some Iranian Phantom II pilots gathered immense experience on the type, flying it in combat for more than ten years.This book removes the veil of secrecy surrounding Iranian Phantom II operations since the war with Iraq.

This book looks at the F-14''s Iranian combat history and includes first hand accounts from the pilots themselves.So formidable an opponent did the Iraqi airforce consider the F-14 that during the Iran-Iraq war, they ordered their pilots not to engage F-14s and the presence of one in an area was usually enough to empty it of Iraqi aircraft. Officially losses were tiny; only one F-14 was lost in aerial combat (to a MiG-21), one to a control problem and one downed by a ground-to-air missile.Alongside stunning illustration, the authors consider key engagements and the central figures involved, illustrating the realities, successes and failures of the Iranian air campaign.

An illustrated combat history of the jet, different versions of which have provided the backbone of the frontline strength of the Iranian air force since the 1970s.Whole generations of Iranian pilots and ground personnel have been trained to fly and maintain the versions of this aircraft. Indeed, the type bore the brunt of active combat operations during the long war with Iraq. Iranian F-4 Phantom IIs were also some of best equipped examples ever exported by the USA. Some Iranian Phantom II pilots gathered immense experience on the type, flying it in combat for more than ten years.This book removes the veil of secrecy surrounding Iranian Phantom II operations since the war with Iraq.

This book looks at the F-14''s Iranian combat history and includes first hand accounts from the pilots themselves.So formidable an opponent did the Iraqi airforce consider the F-14 that during the Iran-Iraq war, they ordered their pilots not to engage F-14s and the presence of one in an area was usually enough to empty it of Iraqi aircraft. Officially losses were tiny; only one F-14 was lost in aerial combat (to a MiG-21), one to a control problem and one downed by a ground-to-air missile.Alongside stunning illustration, the authors consider key engagements and the central figures involved, illustrating the realities, successes and failures of the Iranian air campaign.

Boasting deserted beaches, towering sea-cliffs and tiny harbours - not to mention rich cultural and historical interest - the west of Ireland has much to entice the visitor, and with many miles of quiet roads, it''s a cyclist''s paradise. The Wild Atlantic Way is a driving route along Ireland''s Atlantic seaboard, covering over 2,350km of coastline and showcasing the region''s breathtaking landscapes. This guide adapts the route for cyclists - and throws in a couple of other highlights (such as the Aran Islands and Killarney) for good measure.Since relatively few people are likely to have seven weeks to spare for a full Wild Atlantic Way tour, the book presents six self-contained cycle tours, each offering 7-10 days of riding. For the full Wild Atlantic Way experience, these distinct routes can be linked together into a 44-stage trip from Derry/Londonderry to Cork. Each route includes detailed advice on accommodation and facilities, plus optional detours and shortcuts and points of interest. The routes themselves are presented as ''route cards'': ideal for use with a cycle computer, these pages provide ''at a glance'' information for when you''re on the road, covering navigation, facilities and local highlights.The guide covers all the practicalities - including transport, equipment and general tips on cycling in Ireland - and also offers background information on geology, plants and wildlife, history and culture to enhance your journey. The result is an ideal companion to discovering western Ireland, where magnificent scenery, a vibrant music scene and a warm Irish welcome await the turn of your pedals.

A guidebook to 6 cycle-touring routes along Ireland’s west coast. Based on the Wild Atlantic Way, the world’s longest signed coastal route, each tour can be completed in 7-10 days by any reasonably fit cyclist.

Presented in 6 tours between 291 and 504km (181-313 miles) in length, with optional variants given Average daily stages of 55km (34 miles) that take 4-5 hours of riding Tours can be linked together to form a 44 stage, 2450km (1522 mile) trip between Derry/Londonderry and Cork Key centres include Donegal, Sligo, Achill Island, Galway, Westport, the Aran Islands, Limerick, Tralee, Bantry, Kinsale Maps and route cards provided for each stage GPX files available to download Detailed information on accommodation, facilities and transport along the route

In June 1967 Israel, which seemed on the verge of being annihilated by its Arab neighbors, took six days to redraw the Middle Eastern strategic map in one of the most dramatic reversals of fortune in modern times.The success was almost a decade in the making following the Suez Crisis of 1956 with the Israeli forces being radically changed under the direction of the Magi. These changes created an army and air force upon which the country would rely when it became obvious the international community would take no action to implement guarantees made after the Suez Crisis.The Israeli forces were honed in low-level clashes during the 1960s, notably the Water Wars which the Israelis did so much to provoke. By contrast the Arab forces became complacent, usually due to supplies of arms from the Warsaw Pact, but – with proper training – this complacency could have been turned into military effectiveness. The Arab forces were, however, plagued by the fact that command too often depended upon political reliability rather than military effectiveness.In the case of the Egyptian forces their effectiveness was further undermined by their commitment to the debilitating Yemen Civil War which meant they were in no condition to confront Israel. Syria and Jordan, whose forces alone could not fight the Israelis, complained loudly about President Nasser’s lack of action against Israel. In the spring of 1967 Nasser decided to regain the prestige he had lost since the heady days of the Suez Crisis with a demonstration in the Sinai Peninsula. This was interpreted by the Israelis as preparations for an invasion and Nasser did nothing to persuade them otherwise. When it was clear the international community would do nothing, the Israelis decided to strike.Initially Israel aimed to attack only Egypt, but Syria and Jordan then provoked attacks upon their territory. The Israeli campaign was heralded by a massive surprise air attack first on the Egyptians and then on the other neighboring states. Ground offensives then followed in succession as the war, like Topsy in Uncle Tom’s Cabin ‘just growed.’ These campaigns were not always examples of military perfection, as will be scene, and the general post-war back-slapping drowned out serious questions about the future of Israel’s army.