"As a teenager in the 1950s, Bob Olson discovered the North Shore and the Gunflint Trail. Driving a 'hand-me-down' Ford Model A truck, he fished, hunted and roamed throughout the lonely North. Eventually he build a cabin on a Gunflint Trail lake, and later an second cabin where he now makes his home. Two Bucks and a Can of Gas chronicles a colorful era in the Northwoods and the resourceful characters who lived there. Hop into the Model A with Bob Olson and take a ride to adventure!"--Page 4 of cover.

Mike Royko: The Chicago Tribune Collection 1984–1997 is an expansive new volume of the longtime Chicago news legend’s work. Encompassing thousands of his columns, all of which originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune, this is the first collection of Royko work to solely cover his time at the Tribune. Covering politics, culture, sports, and more, Royko brings his trademark sarcasm and cantankerous wit to a complete compendium of his last 14 years as a newspaper man. Organized chronologically, these columns display Royko's talent for crafting fictional conversations that reveal the truth of the small-minded in our society. From cagey political points to hysterical take-downs of "meatball" sports fans, Royko's writing was beloved and anticipated anxiously by his fans. In plain language, he "tells it like it is" on subjects relevant to modern society. In addition to his columns, the book features Royko's obituary and articles written about him after his death, telling the tale of his life and success. This ultimate collection is a must-read for Royko fans, longtime Chicago Tribune readers, and Chicagoans who love the city's rich history of dedicated and insightful journalism.

Can you imagine ice fishing at -40oF, being so exhausted and hypothermic, laying down in a pool of slushy water appearing to be the only option, having outboard motor problems, and rowing back six miles? This story highlights some of the thrills, adventures, challenges, and near disasters of the desire to be outdoors every day regardless of the weather. Come along on numerous canoe trips while trying to ferret out historic sites in the BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness).

In August 1948, a daring bank robbery occurs at the First Express Bank in Marion, Indiana. At the same precise time, three inmates are sprung from the local jail by a stranger dubbed the Mayor. As special deputies, Sam and Howie are directed by Sheriff Neverfine to track down the culprits. The trail leads to a secret chemical laboratory located in a deserted coal mine deep inside an obscure mountain in Southern Indiana. Captured and shackled inside the mine, Sam and Howie notice a faded Bible verse on the stone wall. Who scratched the verse on the wall? Why does the verse appear in such an odd location? Does the verse have any special meaning or message for people who entered the room in past years? The deputies then discover that the devious criminals are developing a secret chemical called BrainX. When this substance is absorbed into the brain cells of subjects they become as zombies, responding only to the directives of the scheming experimenters. When Sam and Howie learn that they are destined to be the first human subjects to be infused with BrainX, their future existence as normal persons is in jeopardy. Will they ever be able to escape from the ongoing tortuous nightmare? And how about the Kingbee? Why does he suddenly show up? How does this character fit into the ongoing mysterious saga? Is he a friend or a foe? You will have to read every chapter in this novel, the sixth in the Sam and Howie series, to find the answers to all these intriguing questions.

A tiny fishing village nestles in a cove resting on a narrow strait dividing Hokkaido, Japan and Sakhalin Island, The Soviet Union. The strait serves as the only conduit between the Sea of Japan, to the West, and the Sea of Okhotsk, to the East and is fourteen miles wide at the village which lies at the foot of a steep limestone cliff. The cornice at the top of the cliff offers a spectacular view of both the water and Russia. It is the Northern most point in Japan. It is Summer and the Cold War is as hot as ever. Khrushchev has ousted Bulganin as Russian Premier while remaining Communist Party Boss and immediately promises to bury the United States. Richard Nixon is spat on in South America, Cuba is a mess and the Chinese are preparing to shell Quemoy and Matzu Islands, just off the coast of Taiwan, at the behest of Khrushchev. Every Summer, since God knows when, the Soviet Eastern Fleet pulls up anchor, leaves its moorings, bursts out of the ice usually present in Vladivostock harbor and heads North to the Sea of Okhotsk to conduct war games. In order to reach their destination the ships must pass through this narrow strait. Four years earlier the brain trusts at Langley, Virginia, decided two things. One they didnt know a thing about the size or capability of the Vladivostock Fleet and two they could remedy this ignorance by photographing the Flotilla as it passed through the narrow channel. The job was given to Naval Intelligence, and crack teams of radio intercept and direction finding equipment operators were sent to the site for three consecutive Summers. They were to locate and track the Fleet to the Strait at which time a team of civilian experts would photograph the Soviet ships in all their glory. Our people were aware, they would certainly pass through at night and in a thunderstorm if that could be arranged, so they were equipped with State of the Art infra-red cameras with 1000 MM lenses. In three years these incredibly complex and expensive efforts yielded absolutely nothing! The story opens with our hero, Frank Throckmorton, giving the reader a detailed tour of the village. Throck, as he is called by his mates, takes us through the backbone of the local economy, the Crab Cannery. We witness the entire process, from the boat to the six ounce cans. We are introduced to Jakes Sake house, the only bar in town and visit the general store and laundry. We learn a great deal about the cliff, the obsolete artillery gun placements and the tunnel on the cornice and the bunker, above it all, making not only a great year-round playground for the local children but a wonderful venue for a bunch of intelligence types trying to spy on the Russian Navy. We meet the spy guys early on. They live and work in the large bunker above the tunnel. They are civilian and older than Throcks people. They wear 45 caliber pistols and are nasty and arrogant. They act mysteriously, have their own jeep and dont like Throcks people at all. We flash back several months to the top-secret Intelligence Facility back at Chitose. We learn that our heroes serve two masters. Captain Moffet, Regular Army Infantry, commands the base where they live, sleep, eat and play poker. Moffet has no knowledge of what they do at the heavily guarded operations center a short bus trip away and he doesnt hide his resentment. Colonel Robert Blankenship commands the operations center and although Moffet has described these trick-two people as gambling, womanizing drunks, Blankenship knows they are the best at what they do. Blankenship is very young to be a Bird Colonel and is considered a G-2 wunderkind back at the Pentagon who is destined to become a General very soon. The three consecutive failures of Naval Intelligence to profile the Vladivostock Fleet has not gone un-noticed. It doesnt take long before the problem is turned over to B

On the occasion of Canada’s 150th anniversary this year, With Faith and Goodwill showcases the words and deeds of prime ministers, presidents, and others, from Tommy Douglas to Hillary Clinton. With rare photographs and long-forgotten treasures, this book looks back at a remarkable shared history and those who changed its course.

Thanks For Caring is a war-torn love story that witnesses the hand of fate as two total strangers are brought together under extraordinary conditions. Gary, a twenty-year-old U.S. Marine from Maryland serving in Vietnam, and Patty, a cute little nineteen-year-old southern belle from Florida, both live separate lives, but that is all about to change as her letters pull him through the war.