When author David J. Bates left the active duty military at age twenty-two in 1998, he had no idea what he was going to do with the rest of his life. A fortuitous meeting on the interstate led him to Dallas, Texas, where he was tasked to establish a Leadership Cadet Corps at the middle-school level to boost student performance. In Narrow It Down, Bates details the insight he gained during the establishment and facilitating of that program using his experience gained during his military service. Through the eyes of an educator, this combination of educational guide and memoir discusses the lessons he learned in this educational setting and touches on specific priorities that enable educators to focus on what’s important in the classroom and in life. Bates shares ideas that could create a better educational system—one that encourages pro-active thinking to solve problems. Praise for Narrow It Down “Narrow It Down is a book about making a difference in the things you can control and focuses on raising the bar when it comes to the educational system. … Programs like Coach Bates’ can significantly help in keeping young North Texans—the future of our great state and nation—in school, and I applaud him on his efforts to build this program.” —Congressman Pete Sessions

Tense, complex and fast-moving, Manifest Destiny: Fire on the Water is the story of a desperate battle to save a nation. When a cataclysmic Middle East nuclear war deprives the world of a third of its easily-accessible oil, prices pass $400 a barrel as a record-cold winter bears down on the Northern Hemisphere. US President Franklin Zimmer, desperate to avoid civilian panic and economic collapse, orders the invasion of Canada to secure the rich Northern Alberta oil sands for America’s exclusive use. Expecting a quick and easy victory over its northern neighbor’s thinly-stretched military, the United States and much of the rest of the world are surprised as tenacious and overmatched Canadian air and naval forces—led by an aging submarine with a troubled past—take a toll on the invading US military. In Asia and Europe, countries choose sides, with the US flexing its economic muscle and Canada calling in debts from a century of international peacekeeping and foreign aid. The fate of two nations hangs in the balance as the world holds its breath.

The reality of war is bittersweet. With war come both the bitter memories of the pain that conflict causes and the sweet rewards that having courage and respect for your country can bestow. Without courage and faith, no rewards are forthcoming. In Bitter Sweet, author Barbara A. Tyler recounts the war experiences of two black veterans who served during World War II and the Korean War.

Part memoir, part military history, Bitter Sweet details the military careers of John J. Pickney and Woodrow Duhon who both joined the military in 1944—Pickney the United States Navy and Duhon the Marine Corps. Though the two men never served together, they became friends and bonded through their experiences as black men serving in the military. This story details their careers, including Duhon’s brush with death and receipt of two Purple Hearts.

Featuring many photos, these stories illustrate the realities of war and show the fight, bravery, and endurance it takes to survive service during times of conflict.

Thirteen-year-old Rodolfo Balao was in church listening to a solemn Mass when Japanese planes flew over his town in the Philippines and bombed the airfield. Just days after Rodolfo and his family evacuated to a farm high above Tuguegarao, the Japanese took over their town, razing and killing until nothing remained except memories. Rodolfo’s family would not return home for six months.

In his fascinating memoir, Rodolfo tells the striking, true story of his experiences in the Philippines during World War II. Through compelling vignettes, Rodolfo details how his family managed to survive despite their loss of freedom, the brutality of the Japanese officers, and the constant fear of execution. In the face of the chaos of war that enveloped their town, Rodolfo also shares joy-filled moments as he learned to dance and fell in love. After his family escapes once again, Rodolfo finds happiness in caring for his new horse, Pandy. But it is not long before a guerrilla officer demands the horse, forcing Rodolfo to bargain with his life, join the guerrilla group, and change his future forever.

The deeply personal journey through war and its subsequent effects shared in My World War II Story is a worthy tribute and memorial for Rodolfo and all of those whose lives unwittingly became intertwined with the onset of an unforgettable war.