Greatest – serie

"I don't regard nature as a spectator sport." -Ed Zern, 1985 Hunting is a serious business-but it's also about camaraderie, achievements and failures, seeing new places, and revisiting cherished ones. The true stories here feature a variety of game, in locations that range from high Yukon Territory mountain peaks to lowland swamps off of Mobile Bay, Alabama. This is an indispensable volume for all lovers and students of the natural world. If your definition of home includes fields and marshes, creeks and river bottoms, plains and mountains, consider this required reading.

In The Greatest Sniper Stories Ever Told, editor Tom McCarthy has pulled together some of the finest writings about snipers that capture readers imaginations, meticulously culled from books, magazines, movies, and elsewhere. It is an unforgettable collection, and includes stories by Chris Kyle (author of American Sniper), Joe LeBleu, Gina Cavallaro and Matt Larsen, and many others. It includes tales of legendary snipers from the Revolutionary War up through present-day Afghanistan and Iraq.

In The Greatest Special Ops Stories Ever Told, editor Tom McCarthy has pulled together some of the finest writings about Special Operations that capture readers imaginations, meticulously culled from books, magazines, movies, and elsewhere. It is an unforgettable collection, and includes stories by Marcus Luttrell (author of Lone Survivor), Mark Owen (author of No Easy Day; the Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden), William Morgan, Christian McBurney, James Otis, H. Beam Piper, Duane Schultz, Hampton Sides, Michael Haas, Ben S. Malcolm, and many others. It includes legendary tales from the French and Indian Wars up through present-day Afghanistan and Iraq. We’ve all read about the killing of Bin Laden and the heroics of Chris Kyle and the SEALs and other special forces teams. Who hasn’t seen or heard about the extraordinary success of the book and movie American Sniper? But what many people don’t know is that they follow in a direct line from the earlier and equally lethal efforts of Special Forces in wars throughout our history. Special Operations have been going on since man first started fighting--from the Trojan War (think Trojan horse) to the American Revolution and the Civil War, and from World War II to Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In one place, The Greatest Special Ops Stories Ever Told pulls together all of the greatest tales.

At 10:35 in the morning of Thursday, December 17, 1903, man got his wings. On the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville Wright flew the motorized aircraft he and his brother Wilbur had constructed to a distance less than the length of the wingspan of today's 747 jet. They made three other flights the same day, the final lasting 59 seconds for a distance over the ground of 852 feet. The world would never be the same after that day. Mankind was finally off the ground in powered flight. And man's experiences in the air would forevermore join the literature of human endeavors, to be shared by kindred spirits as well as the curious sorts who have wanted to know, "What was it like up there?"In THE GREATEST FLYING STORIES EVER TOLD, editor Lamar Underwood has collected some of the finest writings, both fact and realistic fiction, to lay bare the drama of human beings coping with the skills needed to direct their machines through the vastness of the skies. With contributions from: Charles Lindbergh, Ernest K. Gann, General Chuck Yeager, Leo Janos, Tom Wolfe, Mary Lovell, Richard Bach, Rinker Buck, Diane Ackerman, Derek Robinson, and more.

In thirty-five chapters, The Greatest Air Aces Stories Ever Told covers many of the leading American and British Commonwealth fighter aces of WW I and II, together with a few bomber crews whose gallantry made a substantial contribution to the end of WW II. Other nations had their aces, but this book concentrates on American and Commonwealth pilots. These aviators were chosen not only because of their “scores” and their great courage, but also for other qualities which set them apart, like the WWII Royal Air Force Wing Commander who shot down more than 20 Germans while flying with two artificial legs. Here are a few of the aces. Note that the air forces of Europe and the United States did not always have today’s names, used here for simplicity’s sake:Albert Ball, RAF, son of the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, winner of the Victoria Cross. He had 44 victories in WWI when he was killed at the age of 20, well known to his German foes, whomuch admired him. Gabby Gabreski, USAF. Son of hard-working Polish immigrants. An ace in WWII with 28 kills and later in Korea, with another six. He was an accomplished commander, finished a long career as a colonel. Mick Mannock, RAF. Tough and aggressive in spite of his fear of fire, he won not only the Victoria Cross, but five other high awards for gallantry. Highest British scorer of WWI with 73 victories, he detested Germans, and rejoiced with every kill. He was shot down by ground fire in the last year of the war. David McCampbell, USN. Scored 34 WWII kills to become the U.S. Navy’s all-time ace. In 1944, set an all-time record with nine victories on a single mission. Winner of the Congressional Medal.Pick Pickard, RAF. Led the RAF rooftop bomber raid on Amiens Prison In WWII, freeing many underground members, some of whom were facing death, and who were promptly spirited away by French partisans. Frank Luke, USAF. Deadly American famous for his busting of German observation balloons in WWI. Shot up over German territory, he managed to land safely, but, being Luke, tried to fight it out with enemy infantrymen with only his pistol. The book will also touch on the equipment these aces flew, from the famous Fokkers and Sopwith Camels to the ungainly two-seater FE2b, which was driven by a pusher engine and looked like a bathtub with wings and a miniature oil derrick glued on the back. Also included are our own Grumman carrier fighters, the P-40s, the P-38s, as well as the P-51 Mustang, probably the finest fighter of the war, a happy marriage of an American airframe and a British engine. The deadly, graceful Spitfire has its place, as do the Hurricane, the biplane Gladiator, and even the four-engine Lancaster.

Heroism and valor in the sky! * A new title in the relaunch of our successful Greatest Stories Ever Told franchise.* Air combat has captured the imaginations of people since the fighter plane was first introduced during WWI. * Stories of aces such as Eddy Rickenbacker and Captain Baron Manfred Von Richthofen have become staples of books and movies as well as the stuff of legend.In The Greatest Air Combat Stories Ever Told, the editor has pulled together some of the finest tales of heroism and valor in the skies over the battlefield! It is an unforgettable collection, and includes stories by Baron Manfred Von Richthofen, Len Deighton, Jay A. Stout, and many others. It includes tales of legendary aces from the Great War up through the present day, and is the newest title in the series that includes:*The Greatest Special Ops Stories Ever Told*The Greatest Sniper Stories Ever Told*The Greatest Air Aces Stories Ever Told*The Greatest Coast Guard Rescue Stories Ever Told

Exciting rescue stories on the high seas! The Coast Guard’s rescue personnel are second to none, and Coast Guard air and sea rescue missions have been the subjects of celebrated newspaper accounts, books, and movies, including The Perfect Storm. The Coast Guard is one of the nation's five military services, which exist to defend and preserve the United States. In The Greatest Coast Guard Rescue Stories Ever Told, the editor has pulled together some of the finest writings about air and sea rescues that capture readers imaginations, culled from books, magazines, and elsewhere. It is an unforgettable collection, and includes stories by Kathryn Miles, Eric Hartlep, Gerald Hoover, Martha Laguardia-Kotite, Geoffrey D. Reynolds, Kalee Thompson, H. Paul Jeffers, and many others.

The Greatest Navy SEAL Stories Ever Told is the first book to place side by side extraordinary stories of SEALs who put their lives on the line, and then go out and do it again the next day. They illustrate the SEAL maxim, “The person who will not be defeated cannot be defeated.”SEALs in action - men of courage and ingenuity, from the rice paddies and hills of Vietnam to the plains and mountains of Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan - appear in these pages. These stories cover the most significant overt and covert operations conducted since the U.S. Navy established Sea Land and Air Teams (SEALs) established in January 1962. The one common denominator in these chapters is the courage and ingenuity of those who proudly call themselves Navy SEALs. Sometimes SEALs and other participants in these stories recall differing versions of the same events, as recounted here for the reader to make his own judgments. So far as I know, no previously classified or sensitive information is revealed in these pages.

In The Greatest Medal of Honor Stories Ever Told, editor Tom McCarthy has pulled together some of the finest writings about heroes awarded the highest military honor that capture readers imaginations. The one thing the heroes in this collection have in common—from the bloody battlefields of the Civil War through the lonely mountains of Afghanistan—is uncommon valor. Each of the men in these stories had the courage to calmly stare death in the face and move on—to do what they had to because that was their duty and the lives of others meant more to them than their own.Chosen from hundreds of accounts of singular devotion to duty, the stories in Medal of Honor stand out for their jaw-dropping tales of bravery. They are the best. No small feat.

Long the dominant icon embodying the spirit of America's frontier past, the image of the cowboy no longer stands alone as the ultimate symbol of independence and self-reliance. The great canvas of the western landscape-in art, books, film-is today shared by the figures called "Mountain Men." They were the trappers of the Rocky Mountain fur trade in the years following Lewis and Clark's Expedition of 1804-1806. With their bold journeys peaking, during the period of 1830-1840, they were the first white men to enter the vast wilderness reaches of the Rockies in search of beaver skins. They feasted on the abundant buffalo, elk and other game, while living the ultimate free-spirited wilderness life. Often they paid the ultimate price for their ventures under the arrows, tomahawks, and knives of those Native Americans whose lands they had entered.The Greatest Mountain Men Stories Ever Told, presents in one book many of the most engaging and revealing portraits of mountain men ever written. This collection is destined to be well appreciated by the huge and dedicated audience fascinated by mountain man lore and legend. These readers include many who today participate in reenactments of the mountain man "Rendezvous," with colorful costumes and competitions of traditional skills with authentic guns, knives, and tools.

The cowboy, one of the greatest fictional characters in American literary history, is more than a man or a myth; he is an identity, the soul of a country that started out as the wild and unruly and has risen to the civilized and respected. The Greatest Cowboy Stories Ever Told includes twenty-three exciting stories from a variety of contributors, such as Mark Twain, Karl May, Tom McGuane, Larry McMurtry, Edgar Beecher Bronson, Frederic Remington, Max Brand, and John Graves. The Golden Age of the Cowboy, or what has been called the Kingdom of Cattle, lasted from the close of the Civil War to the turn of the 20th century. Barbed wire and the iron horse put paid to the free range and the long trail drive just as the coming of the law obviated the need for the rough chivalry of the code of the West. Though the days of dueling—every individual was for himself and men were expected to settle their own scores—are over, it is memories of these drastic times and extreme measures and the people who lived them that remain our defining characteristics. This book is filled with some of the most action-filled and exciting stories ever to come out of the American landscape.

Before multimillion-dollar salaries, luxury boxes, and player strikes became synonymous with professional sports, there existed the belief in playing simply "for the love of the game." Nothing captures that spirit better than these twenty classic pieces about America's favorite pastime. Collected here are the writings of Ring Lardner, Zane Grey, the Giants' immortal Christy Mathewson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Finley Peter Dunne (who for a time was America's most popular humorist after Mark Twain), Burt Standish (creator of that all-American hero, Frank Merriwell), and many more. Baseball's golden era may have long since passed, but in the pages of Great American Baseball Stories, you can still sit in the bleachers for a nickel.Relive the golden era of baseball with timeless classics from:Albert G. SpaldingHenry ChadwickErnest Lawrence ThayerGrantland RiceSol WhiteBrig. Gen. Fredrick FunstonZane GreyCandy CummingsAlfred H. SpinkBurt L. StandishLester ChadwickFinley Peter DunneChristy MathewsonDamon RunyonGrover Cleveland AlexanderGerald BeaumontRing LardnerHugh FullertonRalph D. BlanpiedCharles E. Van LoanP.G. Wodehouse

In The Greatest Spy Stories Ever Told, our editor has pulled together some of the finest writings about spies that capture readers imaginations. The one thing the heroes in this collection have in common is the ability to seamlessly shift identities. Each of the men and women in these stories had the courage to meet and study their enemies, gather critical intelligence, and then relay those secrets at risk of being exposed—to do what they had to because that was their duty and the lives of others meant more to them than their own.Chosen from hundreds of accounts of singular devotion to duty, the stories in Greatest Spy Stories stand out for their jaw-dropping tales of bravery. They are the best. No small feat.

The Greatest Fishing Stories Ever Told is sure to ignite recollections of your own angling experiences as well as send your imagination adrift. In this compilation of tales you will read about two kinds of places, the ones you have been to before and love to remember, and the places you have only dreamed of going, and would love to visit.Whether you prefer to fish rivers, estuaries, or beaches, this book will take you to all kinds of water, where you’ll experience catching every kind of fish. Read on as some of the sport’s most talented writers recount their personal memories of catching bass, trout, bluefish marlin, tuna, and more. You’ll read about all kinds of fish, and all kinds of fishermen in these pages.Explore the Pacific with Zane Grey, as he fights a 1,000-pound blue marlin, or listen as A.J. McClane explains just what it really means to be an angler. Take a step back in time when you read Ernie Schwiebert’s tale of fishing a remote lake in Michigan, when he was still only a young boy.Each of these stories, selected because of its intrinsic literary worth, reinforces the unique personal connection that fishing creates between man and nature.

From the early years of Western Expansion to the present day, our history is marked by the heroic exploits of the rescuer and the rescued in some of the most daunting geographic, meteorological, and otherwise life-threatening challenges. "First responders" have variously been members of law enforcement to ordinary good samaritans who couldn't look the other way in the face of their brethren in peril. This book collects the most compelling search-and-rescue accounts of the last two hundred years, from William Lewis Manly bringing relief to '49ers lost in Death Valley, to modern-day SAR teams working with the National Park and Forest Services to locate missing hikers or carry out the injured from a wilderness mishap. Of course, many search-and-rescues turn into a body recovery effort, or even a criminal investigation if foul play is suspected. Regardless of the outcome, this book honors those who put others' lives before their own in the face of peril.

Crime does pay. At least for a while.You’ll see that quickly in these the ten compelling and true stories of brilliant plans, guile, and nerves of steel. The thieves awaiting you seem to have it all. They are clever, cool, and set at their goals with icy resolve. It takes a lot of guts and nerves of steel to do what they did and not fold under the pressure. After all, if those hard-wrought plans fail, they’ll have plenty of time to think about what went wrong in prison.Break into the poshest hotel in New York City and roust guests and security guards for the jewels and cash hidden in front-office deposit boxes under the tightest security? Hijack an airplane, demand a ransom and two parachutes, then disappear? Invent a device that allows you to record the combination of any bank vault, then break into bank vaults twice? Steal from a secret mob depository run by a boss known for his brutality? Why not? The Greatest Heists Stories Ever Told will allow readers to appreciate the efforts that go into a truly magnificent heist. It is a celebration of stunning, well-planned and audacious capers that left police and armies of investigators looking for answers and scratching their heads. Maybe that’s what assures us that there will always be more heists. There is always that golden chance of getting away with it.Among the stories included are:The Lufthansa HeistThe Oddball Crew and the $17 Million HeistThe Last Good HeistThe Pierre Hotel HeistHijack! DB Cooper’s Great Escape

Being aboard a sinking ship is perhaps the most terrifying experience a human being can endure. Imagine those last peaceful moments as the vessel beneath you slides quickly into the dark waters that only moments before you had so confidently glided across.It is as one survivor you will read about in this stunning collection recalled, “a sudden sickening sense of disaster.”Awaiting you are starvation, thirst and unimagined weather--perhaps blistering sun or soul-crushing cold. Outside your leaking and fragile craft are circling sharks waiting to tear you to shreds. Hope will fade quickly.Utterly absorbing and eminently entertaining, here are twelve inspirational stories of life and death and hope—and of resilience and unimagined strength.These stories show more than anything the indomitable spirit of sailors who scoffed at death and moved on—doing what they had to do to live.Among the tales in this terrifying yet absorbing collection are the recollections of sailors from the USS Indianapolis who floated hopelessly as their companions were torn apart by sharks; of the quiet faith of William Bligh and Ernest Shackleton who led their men on long and perilous crossings; of the crew whaleship Essex, who did the unthinkable; of small boat adventurers like Dougal Robertson and Miles Smeeton, who survived for weeks on little but faith.The Greatest Sea Survival Stories Ever Told is a tribute to incredible men and women. It is a testament to the remarkable fortitude that made them quiet heroes.

The Greatest Dog Stories Ever Told is an enthralling compilation of some of the most moving and illuminating stories ever penned on the subject of our canine companions. The stories in this book can stand on their own, but once you read one you'll want to read them all! Here, you'll find selections from renowned writers of the genre such as Jack London, James Thurber, and Willie Morris, as well as a few surprise contributions from writers more famous in other fields, such as Ray Bradbury and Thomas Mann. Also included in this collection are stories from Will Rogers, P. G. Wodehouse, Peter Mayle, and Stephen J. Bodio. Any dog lover is sure to find The Greatest Dog Stories Ever Told impossible to put down. In the thirty-six stories in this fascinating collection you will meet all kinds of dogs-sled dogs, herding dogs, hunting and birding dogs, family pets and movie stars. There's a story of a dog who was a growing boy's best friend, and even a man who was a dog in another life. These dogs will make you laugh, make you cry, but most of all, they will make you realize just why humans adore their dogs so much.

A gripping collection that showcases twelve of the most famous prisoner of war escapes in the history of modern warfare. Although these stories feature escapees of different nationalities, ideologies and allegiances, the reader will be captured by the common traits shared by all of these brave soldiers: loyalty to country and cause, tenacity, resourcefulness, and an abundant amount of courage.

Guilty as charged.If reading true crime is a guilty pleasure, this collection of stunning heists and unspeakable murders from the front pages of history will leave no doubt about the verdict.Three unsuspecting men’s lives cut short at the hands of their lovers in Gangland Chicago, a mysterious and murderous trapper chased across unforgiving Arctic mountains in sub-zero temperatures, a notorious band of outlaws’ ill-fated bank robbery, a little-known but starkly detailed look at Lizzie Borden’s handiwork with her famous ax, a body in a trunk and a suspect halfway across the world thinking he’s pulled it off are among the enticing and unsettling tales in this arresting collection.Here are stories sure to intrigue and shock readers and put them on the edges of their seats. That’s the point after all, and The Greatest Crime Stories Ever Told will not disappoint.From a first-person account of the infamous Lufthansa robbery that netted millions, to the beguiling society bank robber so confident he broke into the same New York City bank twice to pull off the biggest haul in history, to the mysterious and brutal murders of a quiet farm family in a close-knit but suspicious community that offered an unusual number of suspects, The Greatest Crime Stories Ever Told is a fascinating and darkly enticing contribution to the wildly popular true crime genre. Here are not only the suspects, obvious or not, but the detectives who wanted them in prison and were willing to put their own lives at risk to do so. Did the perpetrators get away with their perfidies? Did the rule of law prevail in the end? Were the right people caught and prosecuted?Readers will have to decide for themselves.

All dogs live forever in the hearts of their owners. But hunting dogs take that love to ultimate dimensions of affection. The dogs and their owners have worked together to obtain skills and understanding of the outdoor world where they thrive. Diversity reigns in this world. There are pointing breeds, retrievers, hounds. There are many hunting dog cemeteries, and field trial halls of fame. For many hunters, the work of the dog in the field is the real purpose of the hunt. The simple pursuit of a gamebird or animal is not the purpose of going afield. The dog work—the radar-nosed probing of cover, the searching gait to check out fields, the retrieving of downed birds—moments spent in these elements are the real reason hunters have bonded with their dogs. The stories here are real accounts of hunting dogs in action. The dogs may be gone now, but the affection they provided and their performances in the field are everlasting treasures.

"Every once in a while, a book publisher comes up with a great concept for a series of books that deserve more than superficial recognition. Such a series is The Greatest (fill in the blank) Stories Ever Told, anthologies that should win places on many bedside tables. On the long winter nights that lie ahead, such stories make great reading." -The Lexington County Chronicle "THE GREATEST BOXING STORIES EVER TOLD assembles some of the best writing available on the sweet science and illuminates boxing in all its literal and symbolic glory. Each piece in this varied collection connects with the sort of powerful punch one can only expect from the world's greatest writers." -Boxing Digest In THE GREATEST BOXING STORIES EVER TOLD, editor Jeff Silverman delivers a knockout collection of not only the best writing ever penned on the subject of "the sweet science," but also stories that relate to the larger human issues the brutal sport has come to embody. Whether the story be about the triumph of a heroic champion, a tragic death in the ring, the shady tactics of fight promoters, or victories against seemingly impossible odds, each story in this varied collection connects powerfully with the reader. THE GREATEST BOXING STORIES EVER TOLD is the perfect gift for fight fans and non-fight fans alike, and with its allstar lineup of "contenders" throwing "haymakers" and "uppercuts" in every round, it stands as the definitive volume of short stories on this enduring pugilistic pastime.

For thousands of years, man has sailed into battle, sailed for rumored wealth, and sailed for pure adventure. And for nearly as long, stories about the sea have entertained, intrigued, and inspired readers. The Greatest Sailing Stories Ever Told brings together some of the most compelling writing of the millennium. Here is Peter Goss's wrenching narrative of incredible courage in the world's most desolate ocean; Ernest Shackleton's understated and awesome account of one of the most daring small-boat journeys ever taken, where failure meant certain death for his long-suffering crew. But sailing is much more than headlong dashes into roaring seas. You'll also find William F. Buckley Jr. on idyllic cruising; James Thurber on the arcane and often impenetrable language of sailors; the legendary Joshua Slocum on sailing alone around the world.The Greatest Sailing Stories Ever Told is a treasure trove: tears, adrenaline, laughter, and adventure abound. With contributions from:- James Thurber -William F. Buckley Jr. - Ann Davison - Sterling Hayden - Ernest Shackleton - Tristan Jones - Samuel Eliot Morrison - Joshua Slocum - E. B. White - C. S. Forester - Cleveland Amory - Weston Martyr - Peter Goss - David Kasanof

"There is something about a treasure," says Joseph Conrad in Nostromo, "that fastens on a man's mind." And, yes, there is something about the subject of treasure hunting that continues to fascinate us. One only needs to browse the Web to discover a whole netherworld of treasure-hunting magazines, metal-detector clubs, and lost-mine information exchanges that apparently engage the funds and spare time of thousands of hopefuls. But digging up tin cans and discarded horseshoes or crashing through the Superstitions in a "recreational vehicle" somehow goes against the romantic grain. Charles Elliott recaptures the essential romance of the search in this collection of classic stories. Many are true - or purport to be. They encompass all the great themes - obsession, tragedy, danger, crime, frustration, terrible physical challenge, success and disappointment. They take place under the sea, in jungles, on desert islands, even in the attics of old houses. The treasure itself is not always gold, silver, and diamonds - it may be lost documents, the solution to a historical puzzle, or an unexpected archaeological discovery. What is common to them all is the excitement of the chase and the possibility - irrational, perhaps, but unavoidable -that treasure really is there for the finding.

Throughout recorded history, the horse has played many roles in human life. He has been man's partner in war, his servant in work, his teammate in sports, his inspiration in art. So it is only natural that literature includes many masterpieces about horses and horsemanship.The Greatest Horse Stories Ever Told gathers together the best of the equestrian genre. It includes stories and articles by Pulitzer Prize-winners Red Smith, Maxine Kumin, and Jane Smiley, and tales by jockey-turned-mystery novelist Dick Francis and veterinarian-turned-writer James Herriot. Here also are reflections on fox hunting by Steven Budiansky and Anthony Trollope; a profile of Buck Brannaman, the inspiration for The Horse Whisperer; an inspirational piece from Ellie Phayer, and a story about the Spanish Riding School's dancing white horses by Felix Salten (author of Bambi), as well as writing from Tom McGuane, Bill Barich, humorist Cooky McClung, and classic western authors Will James and Zane Grey. Heartwarming, adventurous, profound, and funny, this anthology is a treasure trove that includes favorite writers and little-known or long-forgotten gems, illuminating our fascination-and captivation-with horses.