Böcker av Dennis L. Noble

In 1966, The Sand Pebbles captivated moviegoers across the United States, introducing many Americans to the little-known China Station of the 1920s. Based upon a novel by first-time novelist, Richard McKenna, the importance of The Sand Pebbles in contributing to popular history cannot be understated. Despite the importance of The Sand Pebbles, however, there is no book-length biography of its author.Brought to life by veteran historian Dennis Noble in this new book, McKennas life proved equally as fascinating as his novel. From his humble beginnings in poverty as a youth in Idaho (even living in a tent for a time) to his rise to chief petty officer in the Navy during World War II, McKennas unlikely rise to becoming a novelist was cut short by an untimely heart attack suffered while working on his second novel.In his biography, Noble not only chronicles McKennas life, but shows how it helped to illuminate the service of all those in the Navy between the 1930s and 1950s. With a number of never-before-published photographs of the author of The Sand Pebbles, it sheds new light on both the Navy of the time and one of the early American science fiction writers. This book also contains an exclusive McKenna short story, "e;Hour of Panic,"e; written by McKenna and originally published in The Saturday Evening Post.

Ernest Hemingway spent approximately one third of his life in Cuba and grew to love the country and its people. This travel narrative follows a wandering journey across the island in search of Hemingway's Cuba and how it influenced some of his writings. Along the way there are glimpses of Cuban geography and history, as well as the lives of modern Cubans.

Puts a human face on both undocumented migrants and those who enforce policy"Illustrates the complexities and heartbreak of attempting to enforce U.S. immigration laws." --David Kyle, University of California, Davis"Noble skillfully interweaves tales of bravery, compassion and skill on the part of U.S. Coast Guard servicemen with moving portraits of those willing to risk their lives in dank, overcrowded holds and on rickety rafts for a chance at a new life in the U.S."--Kelly M. Greenhill, author ofWeapons of Mass Migration: Forced Displacement, Coercion and Foreign PolicyOf all the hot-button issues facing the United States in the early twenty-first century, perhaps none is presently generating more passion than illegal immigration. But what the vociferous public debates and sound bites often miss is that the story is far larger than the land border with Mexico.The U.S. Coast Guard has been charged with preventing undocumented migrants from entering the country for its entire existence. Best known, perhaps, for rescuing lives and preventing the smuggling of goods, the USCG is the only branch of the armed forces actually charged with law enforcement.Dennis Noble highlights the policies, strategy, and tactics used by the U.S. Coast Guard in enforcing immigration laws. But throughout, the focus remains on the human stories--both those of the small group of men and women charged with carrying out a difficult mission as well as those of the desperate men and women willing to risk their lives for a chance to escape crushing poverty or persecution.In many cases, the service's interdiction responsibilities go hand in glove with rescue operations. As Rear Admiral Arthur E. Brooks puts it, "You can't do migrant operations without having your heart broken."Dennis L. Noble retired from the U.S. Coast Guard as a Senior Chief Marine Science Technician. He is the author of numerous articles and a dozen books, including The Rescue of the Gale Runner and Captain "Hell Roaring" Mike Healy. A past recipient of the U.S. Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award, he lives in Sequim, Washington.

"Recounts the tragic story of the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Quillayute River Station, who attempted to rescue the sailors of the sailboat Gale Runner in February 1997. . . . Will give you a greater understanding and respect for what the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard are asked to do and accomplish every day somewhere on the nation's waters."--US Naval Institute Proceedings "Noble's on-the-spot experiences, his professional background and his established maturity as an historical writer make The Rescue of the Gale Runner as gripping an account of rescue efforts as the parallel work of Dennis Smith, retired New York firefighter and historical author who released the evocative Report from Ground Zero."--Peninsula Daily News "From the first alarm through the loss of three Coast Guard lives on the first boat, the dispatch of the second boat, and finally the helicopter rescue of the fishermen, Noble was there. . . . It was the worst loss of life suffered by a Coast Guard small boat station since 1961."--Sequim (Washington) Gazette

A multitude of literary and cinematic works were spawned by the Vietnam war, but this is a unique book, combining moving prose with powerful illustrations created by combat artists in the U.S. military.