Sweet Pea at War

Sweet Pea at War
Author: William Thomas GenerousJr.
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 314
Release: 2010-09-12
Genre: History
ISBN: 0813128234

Few ships in American history have had as illustrious a history as the heavy cruiser USS Portland (CA-33), affectionately known by her crew as 'Sweet Pea.' With the destructionof most of the U.S. battleship fleet at Pearl Harbor, cruisers such as Sweet Pea carried the biggest guns the Navy possessed for nearly a year after the start of World War II. Sweet Pea at War describes in harrowing detail how Portland and her sisters protected the precious carriers and held the line against overwhelming Japanese naval strength. Portland was instrumental in the dramatic American victories at the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, and the naval battle of Guadalcanal—conflicts that historians regard as turning points in the Pacific war. She rescued nearly three thousand sailors from sunken ships, some of them while she herself was badly damaged. Only a colossal hurricane ended her career, but she sailed home from that, too. Based on extensive research in official documents and interviews with members of the ship's crew, Sweet Pea at War recounts from launching to scrapping the history of USS Portland, demonstrating that she deserves to be remembered as one of the most important ships in U.S. naval history.

The SheepOver

The SheepOver
Author: Jennifer Churchman
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 45
Release: 2016-01-26
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0316273546

Meet the adorable orphan lamb Sweet Pea and discover why her true story has become a picture book phenomenon and enchanted readers of all ages! One cold winter night, Sweet Pea the orphan lamb becomes very sick. Everyone in the farmyard is worried about her! Under the watchful care of Farmer John, Laddie the sheepdog, and Dr. Alison the mobile veterinarian, she slowly recovers. Dr. Alison tells Sweet Pea she can have a sleepover to celebrate as soon as she is well again. When the day finally comes, her closest friends Sunny, Prem, and Violet join her in the greenhouse for a fun and imaginative "SheepOver" celebration. This charming story of caring and friendship by farm owners John and Jennifer Churchman, brought to life with John's entrancing photo-illustrations, will enchant readers young and old. In the words of one of her many fans, "Sweet Pea brings a calming, authentic joy to my life that makes me laugh, cry and gives me hope that all is well in the world. . . . Everyone needs a little Sweet Pea in their lives!"

Hangman's Song

Hangman's Song
Author: Charles G. West
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2005-07-05
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1101662824

Preacher Nathaniel Rix and his sons bring the Word of the Lord to the lost souls settled on the Western frontier—and deliver salvation from the end of a pistol barrel. Homesteaders and heathens alike are sinners in Rix’s eyes . . . and removing them from temptation provides him with such Earthly rewards as gold and weapons for his gospel spreading crusade. Jordan Gray still mourns the loss of his wife and son, their murders gnawing away at his soul. A long winter of self-imposed exile in the Big Horn Mountains has given him an enlightened perspective on the nature of good and evil. And when he finds himself wanted for a murder committed by the Rix family, Jordan takes it upon himself to deliver vengeance. “Rarely has an author painted the great American West in strokes so bold, vivid, and true.” —Ralph Compton

Blazing Star, Setting Sun

Blazing Star, Setting Sun
Author: Jeffrey Cox
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 529
Release: 2020-06-25
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472840453

From popular Pacific Theatre expert Jeffrey R. Cox comes this insightful new history of the critical Guadalcanal and Solomons campaign at the height of World War II. Cox's previous book, Morning Star, Rising Sun, had found the US Navy at its absolute nadir and the fate of the Enterprise, the last operational US aircraft carrier at this point in the war, unknown. This second volume completes the history of this crucial campaign, combining detailed research with a novelist's flair for the dramatic to reveal exactly how, despite missteps and misfortunes, the tide of war finally turned. By the end of February 1944, thanks to hard-fought and costly American victories in the first and second naval battles of Guadalcanal, the battle of Empress Augusta Bay, and the battle of Cape St George, the Japanese would no longer hold the materiel or skilled manpower advantage. From this point on, although the war was still a long way from being won, the American star was unquestionably on the ascendant, slowly, but surely, edging Japanese imperialism towards its sunset. Jeffrey Cox's analysis and attention to detail of even the smallest events are second to none. But what truly sets this book apart is how he combines this microscopic attention to detail, often unearthing new facts along the way, with an engaging style that transports the reader to the heart of the story, bringing the events on the deep blue of the Pacific vividly to life.