Eric 'Winkle' Brown, the former Chief Naval Test Pilot and Commanding Officer of the renowned Aerodynamics Flight at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having flown more types of aircraft than any other pilot in the world. The ground rules for this assessment were that only pilot-in-command flights should count, and that marks or variants of a basic type of aircraft were not included. This remarkable record is reflected in the fact that Captain Brown is both the most decorated Fleet Air Arm and British test pilot. The variety of aircraft he has flown is incredible, and though his test and naval flying writings are already internationally known, he now has opened up pages of his flying log books to reveal some of the more unusual types in his unique experience, and to relate their virtues or vices. From the infamous Mitsubishi Zero-Sen and U.S. Navy's piston-engine Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat to the post-war swept-wing de Havilland Swallow. From the North American Savage designed to take off from an aircraft carrier with a nuclear bomb to the Supermarine Attacker, Eric 'Winkle' Brown has tested their qualities and takes the reader into the cockpits of those exciting aircraft to thrill to the joys and hazards of flying both weird and wonderful aircraft with one of the greatest of all pilots.

"During the first chaotic months after the fall of the Third Reich, the RAE sent test pilots throughout the British Zone of Occupation to collect examples of the Luftwaffe's standard aircraft and then ferry them to Farnborough. Captain Eric Brown was a pilot in this ferrying operation. Here Brown delivers a detailed assessment of the characteristics of these principal German aircraft: Fw200C; Heinkel He162; Junkers Ju87; Dornier Do217; Messerschmitt Me262, Bf109G, Bf110, Me163, and several others."--Publisher's description.

At the end of World War II, Eric Brown had the extraordinary experience of testing no fewer than 55 captured individual German aircraft types. These ranged from such exotic creations as the prone-pilot Berlin B9 and Horten IV, the push-and-pull Dornier DO335 and the remarkable little Heinkel He 162 Volksjager, to the highly innovative combat types that were entering the inventory of the Luftwaffe shortly before the demise of Germany's Third Reich. Brown also interrogated many of the leading German wartime aviation personalities, such as Willy Messerschmitt, Ernst Heinkel, Kurt Tank and Hanna Reitsch. From this background knowledge of German aviation he has selected those he considers the most important, and presents detailed descriptions of their background and characteristics.

In this Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book, Children's Literature Legacy Award-winner Nikki Grimes explores though her celebrated poetry how a supportive teacher can be the key to unlocking a dreamer's imaginative power through creative writing. Gabby's world is filled with daydreams. However, what began as an escape from her parents' arguments has now taken over her life. But with the help of a new teacher, 'Gabby the dreamer' might just become 'Gabby the writer' and the words that once carried her away might allow her to soar. Written in vivid, accessible poems, this remarkable verse novel is a celebration of imagination, of friendship, of one girl's indomitable spirit, and of a teacher's ability to reach out and change a life. Coretta Scott King Author Honor book NCTE Notable Children's Books in the English Language Arts Kirkus Reviews Best Book

Andrew Zimmern loves food. In fact, there's practically nothing he won't try--at least once. As host of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods America on the Travel Channel, Andrew's passion is exploring how different foods are important to different cultures. Now, Andrew is sharing his most hilarious culinary experiences--as well as fun facts about culture, geography, art, and history, to name a few--with readers of all ages. Don't like broccoli? Well, what if you were served up a plate of brains, instead? From alligator meat to wildebeest, this digest of Andrew's most memorable weird, wild, and wonderful foods will fascinate and delight eaters of all ages, intrepid and...not so much.

A visually stunning book about all kinds of wings - not just those on aeroplanes!

In Africa again, Kane comes across an entire village wiped out, and all of the roofs have been ripped off, as if by something attempting to get inside from above.