A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska: The Story of Hannah Breece
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • The Real Wild West, warts and all
  • She'll Walk You Through the Snow
  • A glimpse of old Alaska
  • Great!
  • Educational, inspirational, and refreshing
A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska: The Story of Hannah Breece
Hannah Breece
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0679441344
Release Date: 1996-01-13

Book Description

Over fifty years ago Hannah Breece bestowed upon her great niece, Jane Jacobs, her manuscript, roughly culled together from diaries and letters from when she was a school teacher in Alaska and the Yukon.  In the summer of 1994, Ms. Jacobs traveled to Alaska to do the research necessary to complete her great aunt's book.

In 1904, Hannah Breece set off for Alaska, where she was sent by the American government to teach Aleuts, Dina'ina, Athabascans, and people of mixed-European and Native blood.  She remained in Alaska until 1918 and in this book tells her story.  Diary-like in is mingling of domestic matters, work, public events and chance encounters, Hannah Breece's narrative is spiced with litany of adventures, for she was a women who went anywhere and stood up to anybody.

What Hannah Breece could never have guessed was just how relevant her story is today, both in its study of an independent woman and in its early clues to white North America's treatment of the Native populations.  In her introduction and comprehensive notes on the book, Jane Jacobs examines her great aunt's story and reveals and illuminates the mysteries behind this most unusual life.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The Real Wild West, warts and all.......2007-07-21

This book is a great read. I was swept along by this story of a single woman working in the Alaskan back country. She takes a matter-of-fact approach to all sorts of alarming situations (e.g. being buried in a snowdrift and having a bear and her cub wandering about outside her tent).

A great adventure story. Fascinating snapshots of turn of the century Alaska. Many of the most interesting parts of this book are those which talk about Alaska's relationship with Russia, particularly the power of the Czar and the Russian Orthodox church. Reading about this, Alaska seems more like a colony than a part of Russia. Maybe the Alaska America purchased wasn't Russia's to sell.

The book presents attitudes as they were without varnishing or apology. Some are decidedly racist. Hannah definitely saw her job as 'civilizing' the natives (nobody seems to have asked them if they wanted to be civilized). She talks about communities who lived underground - this was dying out as the US government didn't approve - the story of colonization the world over...

5 out of 5 stars She'll Walk You Through the Snow.......2004-06-01

I fell in love with Alaska as described by Hannah Breece. She told an amazing story of a time that is long gone. She also showed great restraint in not "telling tales" on those who were her contemporaries. Her niece, Jane Jacobs, who compiled and edited her memoirs, fills in the "gaps," after Miss Breece's personal story is complete. I recommend this book to lovers of history, Alaskan history, early American history, education history and those with a romantic notion of how the "good old days," really were.

4 out of 5 stars A glimpse of old Alaska.......2001-10-05

An excellent story with plenty of meat. Hannah Breece is a woman both of her time and ahead of her time. This book, although covering the early 1900's, really tells of a time when the balance and control of Alaska was switching from Russian influenced culture to American influenced culture. It is interesting to see that what was "correct" then is now "incorrect" and reminds the reader that values and judgements are culturally bound.

The action of the book takes place over most of the major regions of the state including the gulf coast, the interior and the southeast.

Jane Jacobs the editor did an excellent job of organizing and illuminating Hannah Breece's story. Without her careful introductions the story would have not had quite the same postive impact.

This book is largely alone in covering the topic of teaching in the early 1900's. For those of you interested in the early history of teaching in English in Alaska then this is your book.

5 out of 5 stars Great!.......2001-08-21

In 1904, Hannah Breece (1859-1940), was recruited by the Department of the Interior to teach in Alaska. Alaska at that time was quite different than today. Preferring to work in poorer, more backward areas, she saw a side of Alaska that does not normally appear in the history books. This is Hannah stories, as told by her, and edited by Jane Jacobs.

This is a really great story. I found its depiction of life in 1904+ Alaska to be quite enthralling; Hannah certainly found her way into many fascinating adventures. The book shows life in 1904+ Alaska, as lived by the common people, including dealing with wild animals, sled dogs, fish famines, earthquakes, racism at many levels, and so much more.

All I can say is that Hannah Breece must have been a formidable woman. I have never said this before of a book, but I actually felt honored to be able to look in at Hannah's life. I highly recommend this book!

5 out of 5 stars Educational, inspirational, and refreshing.......2001-03-17

A factual memoir that relays much interesting Alaskan history through description of a school teacher's experience in small,remote villages at the turn of the last century(1904). Hannah Breece's motivation is inspirational;the day to day survival and travel challenges are thrillingly refreshing (try to imagine complaining about the hardships of your suburban day after the tales of adversities thanks to very humbling terrain, wildlife and US bureaucracy);the maps, photos, and profiles of the different types of Alaskan people are historic and truly educational.This book was great ...don't miss the forward, the puzzles, and the epilogue!
A SCHOOLTEACHER IN OLD ALASKA: THE STORY OF HANNAH BREECE
Average customer rating: Not rated
    A SCHOOLTEACHER IN OLD ALASKA: THE STORY OF HANNAH BREECE
    Jane Jacobs
    Manufacturer: Random House
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover
    ASIN: B000GQV0ZC
    A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska The Story of Hannah Breece
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska The Story of Hannah Breece
      Jane Jacobs
      Manufacturer: Random House
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover
      ASIN: B000W4FTL4
      The Story of Hannah Breece. A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska.
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        The Story of Hannah Breece. A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska.

        Manufacturer: Random House.
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover
        ASIN: B000FLF8WE

        The Final Crucible: Us Marines in Korea, 1953 (U.S. Marines in Korea)
        Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
        • Ballenger's Crucible
        • Ballenger does it again
        The Final Crucible: Us Marines in Korea, 1953 (U.S. Marines in Korea)
        Lee Ballenger
        Manufacturer: Potomac Books
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

        1945 - Present1945 - Present | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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        1. The Outpost War : The US Marine Corps in Korea, 1952 The Outpost War : The US Marine Corps in Korea, 1952
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        3. Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea
        4. Miracle at Belleau Wood: The Birth of the Modern U.S. Marine Corps Miracle at Belleau Wood: The Birth of the Modern U.S. Marine Corps

        ASIN: 157488333X

        Book Description

         Chronicles the activities of the U.S. Marine Corps during the little-known last six months of combat in Korea

         Provides the perspective of the fighting men who came face to face with the enemy every day

        In 1953, during the last six months of the Korean War and ongoing peace negotiations, combat was anything but quiet for the Marines. While standing by to ensure the safety of peace negotiations, they conducted daily patrols, raids, and ambushes. They also fought the terrible five day "Battle of the Nevada Cities." On July 27th, 1953, the last day of the shooting war, the Marines prevented a major enemy breakthrough at a last stand on the main Line of resistance. An unsuccessful defense might have prolonged the war indefinitely. As with volume one, the book contains previously unpublished original material. The combination of oral accounts with data extracted from Marine Corps archives makes for a vivid account of activity during the so-called stalemate.

        Customer Reviews:

        4 out of 5 stars Ballenger's Crucible.......2004-04-14

        In The Final Crucible by Lee Ballenger, Ballenger centers the attention of the book around the soldiers and their heroic battles throughout the final stages of the Korean War. These battles include numerous small interactions with the enemy in the form of ambushes and raids and also in larger battles. Larger battles consisted of those for Carson, Vegas, and Reno, which were outposts named for Nevada cities, and also Ungok, Gray Rock and of course Boulder City. Boulder City, which is "a place unheard of by most Americans" ended up being the last engagement of U.S. Marines in Korea and also a major turning point in the War. Ballenger describes all of these events through soldier's letters and Command Diaries which offers a first hand view of the action that took place in Korea. The book is a great read and is recommended for all those who want to learn about the hard life of a soldier in Korea during the Korean War!

        4 out of 5 stars Ballenger does it again.......2001-12-20

        This second volume of Lee Ballenger's 2-book series on Marines in Korea during the last 2 years of the war can be read as a standalone work, but it is recommended if possible to first read his Volume One -- "The Outpost War". Either way, this book can be enjoyed for the major contribution it makes to the shadowy history of individual combat units (Marines in this case) in the "stalemate" Korean war of 1952-53. Ballenger thoroughly documents with gripping individual stories the often brutal fighting in mid-Korea between UN forces and the Chinese and North Korean armies. Historically accurate, Ballenger's book highlights "unknown" major skirmishes that more than once came down to desperate hand-to-hand combat over a few meters of rocky Korean hills. The author was there himself, and it shows. The 2-volume series produced by this neophyte author is worthy of considerable editorial and public attention. Excellent US military history.
        The Final Crucible: U.S. Marines in Korea, Vol. 2: 1953 (Potomac's History of War Series)
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          The Final Crucible: U.S. Marines in Korea, Vol. 2: 1953 (Potomac's History of War Series)
          Lee Ballenger
          Manufacturer: Potomac Books Inc.
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

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          ASIN: 1574887483

          Book Description

          The Final Crucible details the 1st Marine Division's harrowing close-quarters battles during the final seven months of the Korean War, January to July 1953. The terrible five-day Battle of the Nevada Cities in March and the Marines' bloody stand at Boulder City on the last day of the shooting war are just two of the engagements detailed here. This volume follows The Outpost War: U.S. Marines in Korea, Vol. 1: 1952.
          The Final Crucible: U.S. Marines in Korea Vol. 2: 1953
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            The Final Crucible: U.S. Marines in Korea Vol. 2: 1953
            Lee Ballenger
            Manufacturer: Brassseys
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: B000MASXOS

            Fassbinder's Germany: History, Identity, Subject (Amsterdam University Press - Film Culture in Transition)
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              Fassbinder's Germany: History, Identity, Subject (Amsterdam University Press - Film Culture in Transition)
              Thomas Elsaesser
              Manufacturer: Amsterdam University Press
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover

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              ASIN: 9053561846

              Book Description

              Rainer Werner Fassbinder is one of the most prominent and important authors of post-war European cinema. Thomas Elsaesser is the first to write a thoroughly analytical study of his work. He stresses the importance of a closer understanding of Fassbinder's career through a re-reading of his films as textual entities. Approaching the work from different thematic and analytical perspectives, Elsaesser offers both an overview and a number of detailed readings of crucial films, while also providing a European context for Fassbinder's own coming to terms with fascism.





              Wing Ding: Memories of a Tail Gunner
              Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
              • I wish I had talked to him about it while he was still living.- Author
              • Excellent
              • How To Answer The Call At 30,000 Feet When It's 50 Below....
              • Wing Ding
              • A totally Unique Book!
              Wing Ding: Memories of a Tail Gunner
              Gene T. Carson , John W. Carson , and Lt. Col Gene T. Carson USA
              Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback

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              5. Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II

              ASIN: 0738856894

              Book Description

              This is no run-of-the-mill WWII book. It is the exciting story of a cook in the Army Air Corps. It tells of his unauthorized move from the kitchen to life as an aerial gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress in the unfriendly skies of Europe in 1943 to 1945. You will laugh cry and share in his life as he fights for his country while snatching moments of relief and love between missions. For those who were there it will bring back memories. For others, it will tell what it was like for grandfathers, fathers and uncles.

              Customer Reviews:

              5 out of 5 stars I wish I had talked to him about it while he was still living.- Author.......2006-12-23

              With a deep respect for my late dad's generation of WWII veterans, I recently listened as one recalled a bit of his WWII exploits as a B17 tail gunner. Time flew, the graduation party that brought us together was over, and I left to return home.
              I looked forward to hearing more in future meetings. Sad to say, that'll never happen. Louis Holmer has taken his tales with him in passing away on December 6, 2006. WING DING Memories of a Tailgunner enabled me to appreciate him even in his absence. My thanks go out to Lt. Col. Gene T. Carson RET for writing of his experiences and allowing future generations a glimpse into WWII history on a very personal level.

              4 out of 5 stars Excellent.......2006-08-27

              World War II is a long-ago event. In most of our minds, it's something we hear about but give little thought to. For many, all they know about this highly significant event in our past comes from literature. WING DING towers above the rest of that literature by putting a human face on the events that shaped a generation.

              Compelling reading and gripping drama from the first page to the last. Gene Carson is a gifted storyteller, writing in a simple style which is free of hyperbole, moralizing or melodrama. The story is the main thing, and it is a story indeed.

              Tragedy, humor and acts of courage are presented in a way that make for irresistible reading. We should be grateful that Carson has chosen to share his story with us, because what happened so long ago should not be forgotten.

              5 out of 5 stars How To Answer The Call At 30,000 Feet When It's 50 Below...........2002-12-06

              ..And The Fighters Are Making Their Run. Gene Carson does an excellent job relating the fear of not knowing where the next flak round is going to burst, or on which mission his luck will run out. After their 10th. mission, the aircrews were living "on borrowed time". Death in a B-17 came either from the determined cannon of German fighter pilots, or the random blast of German Flak. It came from flying or bombing accidents or it came from walking across Poland and Germany for 75 days during the worst European Winter in a hundred years. You could bleed to death in your flying suit, pass out and die when you accidentally disconnected your oxygen supply, or ride a doomed bomber all the way down because the centrifugal force kept you pinned to the airplane a few feet away from an escape route. Some died on their first mission, and some on their 25th. Not many fought the Army bureaucracy to get BACK into combat flying after they honorably completed their first tour. Gene Carson did. He also stayed in the Army and went from "glamorflyboy" to "groundpounder" with the 82nd. Airborne Division. "Wing Ding" (and it's not the name of his airplane) gives us a look at the Carson brothers' lives from the time they were "half orphans" in a Pennsylvania trade school, to the point where Gene goes back for another tour after learning John has been shot down. After his brother was shot down, Gene Carson's war was no longer about surviving the requisite number of missions and going home. It was now about staying in the deadly game until he knew his brother was safe. Gene goes back without the slightest objective reason to believe John is alive, because they're brothers. The book has it's humerous moments, such as the manner in which Gene dealt with two different species of predator in the Florida Everglades.

              At a time when our nation is hungry for heroes, we often don't have to look any farther than the older guy living right next door. The "heroes" of my generation are too often a gratuitous, polished, packaged largely manufactured product. The heroes of Gene Carson's generaton were just glad they survived. They were indeed ordinary men who did extraordinary things. Carson's "Wing Ding" will go on my bookshelf next to my favorite first-person accounts of men in battle.

              5 out of 5 stars Wing Ding.......2001-08-20

              Col. Carlson told his story without a lot of hype. He makes one feel like they are there. It is a pleasure that I had the chance to serve in the Air Force with such men who gave so much. We of that War are leaving at a fast rate. Such great stories are all that will be left too soon.

              5 out of 5 stars A totally Unique Book!.......2001-06-21

              This is a TOTALLY unique book. I have never found another book on World War 2, much less concerning any other war, that has ever taken this approach to writing : that is, telling a true, and WONDERFULLY interesting account by an author, who happens to be a twin, and where the author's twin brother almost ends up being a co-author of this same work. What we have is a true account of 2 brothers who were separated by War, and then came back together during that War, and once again were separated, only to be BARELY re-united at the War's end, in May of 1945. The perspective of this book by LTC Gene Carson IS very unique, and lends itself not only to World War 2 studies, but to Twin studies, as well. I ought to know, for I am a twin like Gene and his brother, John.

              This book UNDOUBTEDLY deserves the 5 star rating for 3 reasons : a) It is well written and VERY lively & interesting! I hate needless parentheses. b) It is brisk, without a lot of the dull, turgid style found in some military narratives. Lots of nice, brief chapters that contain short but often VERY humorous vignettes. c) It's "twin-brother" perspective is unique and creates a storyline fit to be made into a motion picture. May I add that Gene has given the BEST account, among the many that I have read, about what LIFE (as well as Death) was like for those who flew in the heavy bombers, during the Darkest conflagration of War that the 20th century, or any century has ever seen.
              Red Tails Black Wings: The Men of America's Black Air Force
              Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
              • Red Tails Black Wings
              • Great History of the Red Tails
              • Red Tails Black Wings
              Red Tails Black Wings: The Men of America's Black Air Force
              John Holway
              Manufacturer: Yucca Tree Pr
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover

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              5. Nightfighters: The story of the 332nd Fighter Group, Tuskegee Airmen Nightfighters: The story of the 332nd Fighter Group, Tuskegee Airmen

              ASIN: 1881325210

              Amazon.com

              Baseball aficionados know John B. Holway as author of books about the Negro Leagues that rescued from obscurity many of the great black players who could not play in the segregated ranks of major league baseball. Here, Holway sets his sights on another group of heroes: the men of the "Tuskegee experiment"--the effort to train black pilots during World War II. Many white officers believed the experiment would be a failure because blacks did not have the skills necessary to become pilots. But the Tuskegee Airmen proved them wrong, and black pilots--in particular those of the 332nd Squadron (the Red Tails of the title)--established stellar records in combat. Holway quotes copiously from his interviews with black airmen, and the result is a stunning record of the heroism of black men in all but impossible circumstances.

              Book Description

              They simultaneously fought two wars--and won both. In 1942, as the United States entered World War II, Hitler ruled the skies in Europe and Jim Crow ruled the skies in the United States.

              The cream of black youth poured into Tuskegee, Alabama in the early 1940s when the Army Air Force reluctantly opened pilot training to blacks. They became the "Tuskegee Experiment;" an experiment that was supposed to fail.

              It didn't. Because of their desire to fly and the determination of a few white officers who believed in them, they disproved the myths about blacks' ability to fly. Overcoming the obstacles raised by white officers vehemently opposed to the experiment, they succeeded.

              The first squadron, the 99th, under the leadership of LTC B.O. Davis, Jr. arrived in North Africa after months of languishing in the United States awaiting assignment. In spite of the menial tasks they were given, they proved themselves in combat.

              As more pilots arrived, they formed their own group, the 332nd, and became a part of the newly created 15th AAF. Fate now favored them. With the decision to begin daylight bombing over Central Europe, the men of the 332nd--the 'Red Tails'--were assigned escort duty for the B-17s and B-24s undertaking those bomb runs. Shepherding their 'babies' on those long, perilous journeys from Italy to Central Europe and back, they earned the reputation of never losing to enemy aircraft a bomber they escorted.

              Thus began the 'Red Tail' legend.

              Customer Reviews:

              5 out of 5 stars Red Tails Black Wings.......2003-03-27

              In "Red Tails Black Wings," John B Holway details the development and service of the first group of black aviators who eventually made up the 332nd fighter group. This distinguished group of flyers fought with the 15th Air Force in North Africa and Italy during World War II. During their service they destroyed 409 aircraft and earned a Presidential Unit Citation. The 332nd took most pride in the fact that they never lost a bomber they escorted to enemy fighters. What makes the history of the 332nd so interesting is that throughout their development and deployment they were opposed by those who felt that blacks were incapable of the high skill level, courage and discipline required to be fighter pilots. Red Tails Black Wings is an excellent book about two battles, the battle against racism and the battle against Fascism.
              This book is a history of the first black aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps. There have been several books written on the Tuskegee airmen prior to this one, as well as autobiographies of the aviators that cover this era. John Holway draws on these secondary sources and personal interviews to bring a unique perspective to these pioneers of black aviation. His extensive use of oral history really brings to life all aspects of this exciting time. The secondary sources provide the background and facts of this time, while the personal stories of the men who lived it bring it to life. These personal stories told by the men who were involved, shed light on all aspects of the development, training and combat of the Tuskegee Airmen. In addition they give the reader insight into segregation, prejudice and other difficulties the flyers had to be overcome.
              These oral histories provide a colorful first person account into the every day lives of these fine pilots. A reader may know that segregation was in place at this time, but it becomes real when a personal experience of racism is told by one who encountered it. The book contains gripping combat narrative and is loaded with drama. Dogfights, emergencies, and accidents all come alive when told by those who were there. It also contains personal stories, humor and portraits of the pilots. The book ultimately transcends all issues of race and shows hard work, bravery, fairness and patriotism that speaks to everyone regardless of race or color. Besides its hard to go wrong when writing about P-51s and their pilots.

              5 out of 5 stars Great History of the Red Tails.......2001-02-17

              This book really got to me. Full of first person quotes, you can really hear the pilots talking to you. I enjoyed their humor, felt pain when they lost fellow pilots and anger on how they were treated by fellow Americans. Yet it is full of hope, with 'white' officers who treated them with fairness and Europeans who also treated them as heros. They helped us take one more step towards what the ideal America should be and one day may be.

              5 out of 5 stars Red Tails Black Wings.......2000-04-19

              I found this book an experience to read. As an aviation enthusiast living in the Uk I found what the airmen had to put up with disgusting. Their record speaks for itself especially no bombers lost. In war everyone starts on a level playing field but sadly in these cases its different. The author lets the achievements speak for themselves and they do, sadly the individual awards are lacking. An excellent read on a topic that should enspire rather than shame. The Black Airmen rise above the predjudice and print their own chapter in aviation history.
              Wings & Tails (Birds/Jack B. Kochan)
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Wings & Tails (Birds/Jack B. Kochan)
                Jack B. Kochan
                Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

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                ASIN: 0811725030
                Airplane design
                Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
                • A+ in content, F in readability
                Airplane design
                Jan Roskam
                Manufacturer: Roskam Aviation and Engineering Corp
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Unknown Binding

                AerodynamicsAerodynamics | Aerospace | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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                ASIN: B00071ZSOA

                Customer Reviews:

                3 out of 5 stars A+ in content, F in readability.......2001-01-12

                An invaluable encyclopedia of historical aircraft data, design equations and techniques. Useful reference for anyone involved in aircraft design however the lack of a comprehensive index and readability makes this a poor series for those unfamiliar with design techniques. A great compliment to Dan Roskam's design text which is much easier to read but lacks some of the hard data contained in this series.
                Consolidation and Realignment of Base-Level Support Equipment Maintenance
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Consolidation and Realignment of Base-Level Support Equipment Maintenance

                  Manufacturer: Storming Media
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Spiral-bound
                  ASIN: 1423582101

                  Product Description

                  This is a AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH report procured by the Pentagon and made available for public release. It has been reproduced in the best form available to the Pentagon. It is not spiral-bound, but rather assembled with Velobinding in a soft, white linen cover. The Storming Media report number is A637713. The abstract provided by the Pentagon follows: The adoption of the 'Objective Wing' organization in the U.S. Air Force has realigned many base-level maintenance functions. Support equipment is currently maintained and accounted for by several units under the Logistics Group Commander. This research determined the feasibility and consequences of consolidating or realigning maintenance of powered and non-powered AGE, MMHE, engine trailers, and vehicles into one consolidated maintenance shop or unit per base. This study consulted many sources, ranging from occupational survey reports and career field education and training plans to actual field observations of maintenance processes and unstructured interviews of personnel and supervisors. This study determined that maintenance tasks, processes, and required competencies for Support equipment maintenance activities within aircraft maintenance are similar. Enough differences in training, maintenance information management systems, and maintenance philosophies exist between vehicle maintenance and AGE to dismiss the consolidation of these areas.
                  Daydreams, Moonbeams and Wings Over the Common: (From the Tail of A Magpie!)
                  Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                  • A Magical Magpie
                  Daydreams, Moonbeams and Wings Over the Common: (From the Tail of A Magpie!)
                  Louisa Middleton-Blake
                  Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Paperback

                  TeensTeens | Subjects | Books | Audiobooks | Authors, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Health, Mind & Body | History & Historical Fiction | Horror | Literature & Fiction | Manga | Mysteries | Reference | Religion & Spirituality | School & Sports | Science & Technology | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Series | Social Issues
                  GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
                  NonfictionNonfiction | Birds | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                  ASIN: 1413749828

                  Book Description

                  They say that there are always two sides to every story; this one is no exception. The events you are about to read are based on a true story relating to one particular magpie who almost turned into a couple of crowsÂ' takeaway meal. His luck changed when Louisa arrived on the scene in the nick of time and rescued him from the vicious beaks of the crows. She took him home, not expecting him to live, and nursed him back to health. Having survived his ordeal, the magpie was given the name of Maggie. Whilst Louisa basks in flashbacks of childhood memories during the 1950s and Â'60s, her co-author cavorts in and out of fantasies, fairy stories and legends like thereÂ's no tomorrow. After moving from the South of England to West Wales, the magpieÂ's tale was hatched, and by mutual agreement between Louisa and Maggie, the two versions were written.

                  Customer Reviews:

                  5 out of 5 stars A Magical Magpie.......2007-07-25

                  We meet Maggie in Sussex, in the South of England, and follow him to Wales where he takes us on adventures to the farthest reaches of the Otherworld. Maggie is a Magpie and the tale told by his `Pinky' is extraordinary. "Pinkies is wot I calls you humans," he answered crossly.

                  Maggie's `Pinky' found him on the ground as a baby, about to become fodder for two food seeking crows. She rescued the little Magpie and nursed him back to health, unaware of what a large amount of mischief one tiny bird would wreak.

                  `Daydreams' is not simply a book about a mischievous bird. It contains some rich history, both personal and of the area. It describes the sights, sounds, and smells of places I have never had an opportunity to see, but now feel I know a little at least. It contains mythological stories related by some of Maggie's various feathered acquaintances and by Maggie himself. (Although, he often seemed to make things up as he went along).

                  Daydreams, Moonbeams and Wings over the Common (From the Tail of a Magpie), like its title, is a long read, and I loved every page. I found myself nearing the end of my workday and looking forward to the fact that soon I would be comfortable in my chair with my cat in my lap, and Maggie filling my mind with his wit and wisdom. Maggie and his pinky split the chapters so that half of the voice is his own.

                  Louisa Middleton-Blake wrote a delightful book and her imagination is amazing. Visit this refreshing look at life. I suggest you make it a point to meet Maggie, an uncommon Magpie born on the Common.

                  Jean Sheldon
                  Fitting Firepower Score Models to the Battle of Kursk Data
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Fitting Firepower Score Models to the Battle of Kursk Data

                    Manufacturer: Storming Media
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Spiral-bound
                    ASIN: 1423533496

                    Product Description

                    This is a NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA report procured by the Pentagon and made available for public release. It has been reproduced in the best form available to the Pentagon. It is not spiral-bound, but rather assembled with Velobinding in a soft, white linen cover. The Storming Media report number is A795483. The abstract provided by the Pentagon follows: This thesis applies several Firepower Score attrition algorithms to real data. These algorithms are used in highly aggregated combat models to predict attrition and movement rates. The quality of the available historical data for validation of attrition models is poor. Most accessible battle data contain only starting sizes and casualties, sometimes only for one side. A detailed database of the Battle of Kursk of World War II, the largest tank battle in history, has recently been developed by Dupuy Institute (TDI). The data is two-sided, time phased (daily), highly detailed, and covers 15 days of the campaign. According to combat engagement intensity, three different data sets are extracted from the Battle of Kursk data. RAND's Situational Force Scoring, Dupuy's QJM and the ATLAS ground attrition algorithms are applied to these data sets. Fitted versus actual personnel and weapon losses are analyzed for the different approaches and data sets. None of the models fits better in all cases. In all of the models and for both sides, the Fighting Combat Unit Data set gives the best fit. All the models tend to overestimates battle casualties, particularly for the Germans.
                    MORPHOLOGY OF THE WINGS, LEGS AND TAIL OF THREE CONIFEROUS FOREST TITS, THE GOLDCREST, AND THE TREECREEPER IN RELATION TO LOCOMOTOR PATTERN AND FEEDING STATION SELECTION.
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      MORPHOLOGY OF THE WINGS, LEGS AND TAIL OF THREE CONIFEROUS FOREST TITS, THE GOLDCREST, AND THE TREECREEPER IN RELATION TO LOCOMOTOR PATTERN AND FEEDING STATION SELECTION.
                      U. Norberg
                      Manufacturer: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback
                      ASIN: B000WQMP28
                      The Pressure Distribution Over the Wings and Tail Surfaces of a Pw-9 Pursuit Airplane in Flight (Technical Note / National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics)
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        The Pressure Distribution Over the Wings and Tail Surfaces of a Pw-9 Pursuit Airplane in Flight (Technical Note / National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics)

                        Manufacturer: Nat Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Paperback
                        ASIN: B000H75NHG
                        A Quest for Wings: Tail-Gunner to Pilot
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          A Quest for Wings: Tail-Gunner to Pilot
                          G. L. Donelly
                          Manufacturer: Tempus Publishing, Limited
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Hardcover

                          GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
                          AviationAviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | Military | History | Subjects | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | World War II | Military | History | Subjects | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | World | History | Subjects | Books
                          Military ScienceMilitary Science | History | Subjects | Books
                          ASIN: 0752420143

                          Books:

                          1. Albert Einstein: Young Thinker (The Childhood of Famous Americans Series)
                          2. All the Fishes Come Home to Roost: An American Misfit in India
                          3. Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life
                          4. Angelina Jolie: Angel in Disguise (Star Biographies)
                          5. Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary - A Photographic Remembrance
                          6. Awakening the Virgin
                          7. Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts
                          8. Beauty & Submission
                          9. Benjamin Franklin: Autobiography, Poor Richard: Autobiography, Poor Richard, and Later Writings (Library of America)
                          10. Calculated Risk: The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Doolittle-Aviation Pioneer and World War II Hero

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