One day. Fourteen hours. Twelve thousand Union cavalrymen against 9,000 of their Confederate counterparts—with three thousand Union infantry thrown in for good measure. Amidst the thunder of hooves and the clashing of sabers, they slugged it out across the hills and dales of Culpepper County, Virginia. And it escalated into the largest cavalry battle ever fought on the North American continent. Fleetwood Hill at Brandy Station was the site of four major cavalry battles during the course of the Civil War, but none was more important than the one fought on June 9, 1863. That clash turned out to be the opening engagement of the Gettysburg Campaign—and the one-day delay it engendered may very well have impacted the outcome of the entire campaign. The tale includes a veritable who’s-who of cavalry all-stars in the East: Jeb Stuart, Wade Hampton, John Buford, and George Armstrong Custer. Robert E. Lee, the great Confederate commander, saw his son, William H. F. Lee, being carried off the battlefield, severely wounded. Both sides suffered heavy losses. But for the Federal cavalry, the battle was also a watershed event. After Brandy Station, never again would they hear the mocking cry, “Whoever saw a dead cavalryman?” In Out Flew the Sabers: The Battle of Brandy Station, June 9, 1863—The Opening Engagement of the Gettysburg Campaign, Civil War historians Eric J. Wittenberg and Daniel T. Davis have written the latest entry in Savas Beatie’s critically acclaimed Emerging Civil War Series.

This is the story of the first jet versus jet war, the largest in number of victories and losses, and one of the few military bright spots in the Korean War. It tells how an outnumbered force of F-86 Sabres limited by range and restricted by the rules of engagement, decisively defeated its foe. Based on the latest scholarship, author Kenneth Werrell uses previously untapped sources and interviews with sixty former F-86 pilots to explore new aspects of the subject and shed light on controversies previously neglected. For example, he found much greater violation of the Yalu River than thus far has appeared in the published materials. The F-86 became a legend in "The Forgotten War" because of its performance and beauty, but most of all, because of its record in combat.

Pathway to the Stars takes readers on a remarkable journey spanning one hundred years of the Royal Canadian Air Force. This beautifully illustrated book shares the rich history of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on its 100th anniversary. Produced in partnership with the RCAF Foundation, Pathway to the Stars tells the story of the people, the technologies, and the events that shaped the RCAF from 1924 to 2024. Presenting 100 stories to align with 100 years of the RCAF, the book explores the many ways in which the RCAF contributed to advances in aviation over the past century, from the invention of the G-suit to the development of the first helicopter landing system on a naval ship to the design of the first flight-safety organization for investigating crashes. As we look forward to the next generation of the RCAF, Pathway to the Stars brings to light an inspirational story about Canada and its place in the world over the past century. Proceeds from this book support the ongoing programs of the RCAF Foundation, a Canadian charity that works to celebrate Canada's rich aviation history and future.

The 51st Fighter Wing initially flew the F-80C in the Korean War, but in 1951, the 51st brought in high-scoring World War 2 ace Colonel Francis Gabreski to assume command when it converted from the F-80 over to the newly arrived F-86E. His recruits included his elite 4th Wing pilots, and by the end of the war, the 51st had two pilots who achieved the status of “Double Ace” as well as the highest scoring ace of the war, Joe McConnell. This book describes the 51st Wing's tenure with the Sabre that led to their high scoring sprees of 1953.

Read what military pilots have to say about flying some of the most incredible fighting aircraft ever built. "It's like a $20 million strap on carnival ride," - AH-64 Apache Pilot "I had high expectations, and it's beat eery one of those. The whole jet is awesome." - F/A-18F Super Hornet pilot. The role of the pilot has changed hugely in the last sixty years of military aviation. Jet pilots in the 1960s, flying types such as the Harrier and F-102, would have spent a huge portion of their concentration just keeping the aircraft under control. That left little spare mental capacity to locate and engage the enemy. Today, the opposite is true. Computers have made flying so simple that it is now considered very easy to fly the SAAB Gripen or Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, allowing the pilot to focus fully on his or her mission. G-Force Flying the World's Greatest Aircraft is a celebration of the experience of flying some of aviation's most spectacular, powerful, and dangerous machines, from early jet fighters such as the F-86 Sabre and MiG-15 to today's F-22 Raptor and Eurofighter Typhoon. Packed with first-hand interviews with test and combat pilots from the world's air forces, and illustrated with extensively researched and striking imagery, G-Force Flying the World's Greatest Aircraft is thrilling ride alongside the pilots who fly the aircraft every day. Featuring first-hand accounts of combat over Korea in the MiG-15, endurance missions in the B-2, and bombing Iraqi targets in the Tornado, this book puts the reader directly in the pilot's seat, and will appeal to aviation enthusiasts of all ages.

Project FICON (Fighter conveyer): In the early 1950s, the Air Force conducted a series of experiments to establish the feasibility of carrying, launching, and retrieving jet reconnaissance airplanes from giant Convair RB-36 bombers. It was hoped that the bombers would carry the reconnaissance jets to the perimeter of the Soviet Union and then release them to penetrate the air defenses. Tests of the concept were conducted in 1952 and 1953 with a Republic F-84E Thunderjet and the YF-84F Thunderstreak prototype. Twenty-six Republic RF-84F Thunderflashes and ten Convair GRB-36D carriers were modified for the project. In 1955, a squadron of carriers was established at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. A squadron of parasites was established at nearby Larson Air Force Base. Training operations began in December 1955, but the composite aircraft system faced competition from the Boeing RB-52B, Lockheed U-2, and the development of aerial refueling.

This vividly detailed Civil War history reveals many of the incredible true stories behind the legendary sites of the Gettysburg battlefield. Having unexpectedly been thrust into command of the Army of the Potomac only three days earlier, General George Gordon Meade was caught by a much harsher surprise when the Confederate Army of North Virginia launched a bold invasion northward. Outside the small college town of Gettysburg, the lead elements of Meade’s army were suddenly under attack. By nightfall, they were forced to take a lodgment on high ground south of town. There, they fortified—and waited. “Don’t give an inch, boys!” one Federal commander told his men. The next day, July 2, 1863, would be one of the Civil War’s bloodiest. With names that have become legendary—Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, the Peach Orchard, the Wheatfield, Culp’s Hill—the second day at Gettysburg encompasses some of the best-known engagements of the Civil War. Yet those same stories have also become shrouded in mythology and misunderstanding. In Don’t Give an Inch, Emerging Civil War historians Chris Mackowski and Daniel T. Davis peel back the layers to share the real and often-overlooked stories of that fateful summer day.