Kirjahaku

‘The greatest selling point you have is to be different – to bring something to the table no one else has’ As a child, John Brennan wasn’t an obvious candidate for success. School was a difficult, upsetting place and he was always at the bottom of the class. His battle with dyslexia meant that he felt stigmatised by a society that didn’t understand him. Yet his determination to not be defined by his dyslexia created an ambition that has been matched by his business acumen. Now in his mid-fifties, John’s optimism is still flowing. It is a measure of his character that, on being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the first thing he did was to buy a very uncared for Dromquinna Manor on a waterfront estate on 46 acres of overgrown grounds. Ten years later, in the midst of a world pandemic that saw hotels closed all over the world, John again bought a new hotel. This is a fascinating account of a man with the vision to create his own life against the odds that will inspire people everywhere to find their own way too.

As a child, John Brennan wasn’t an obvious candidate for success. School was a difficult, upsetting place and he was always at the bottom of the class. His battle with dyslexia meant that he felt stigmatised by a society that didn’t understand him. Yet his determination to not be defined by his dyslexia created an ambition that has been matched by his business acumen. Now in his mid-fifties, John’s optimism is still flowing. It is a measure of his character that, on being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the first thing he did was to buy a very uncared for Dromquinna Manor on a waterfront estate on 46 acres of overgrown grounds. Ten years later, in the midst of a world pandemic that saw hotels closed all over the world, John again bought a new hotel. This is a fascinating account of a man with the vision to create his own life against the odds that will inspire people everywhere to find their own way too. ‘A great book for parents and young people who are coping with dyslexia that shows them there are a lot of other ways in life.’ Sue Nunn, KCLR FM

• Elaborate, colourful, and often comical nose art inspired by Sixties and Seventies pop culture, music, cartoons and comics, psychedelia, and politics, as well as sex and booze •Features Hueys, Chinooks, and more •Artwork captures a slice of the Vietnam experience and will appeal to Vietnam officianados, modellers, and avaition enthusiaists Carrying on from the bomber artwork of the Second World war, Vietnam War Helicopter Art: U.S. Army Rotor Aircraft shows in full colour the huge range of artwork from the traditional unit markings right the way through to scantily clad women. Author John Brennan brings his experience as a Vietnam veteran of the 114th Assault Helicopter Company to add authority to the contents, including anecdotes such as that of a helicopter called the Strawberry Bitch which had to have the name changed to Strawberry Blonde as it was thought inappropriate to use rude words...

Syrepu is the synonym reverse puzzle. It is a word game designed to fit in the brain teaser category. If you like crossword puzzles, word jumble, word search, or word games, you will probably enjoy Syrepu. It is a perfect way to pass the time with a challenging word puzzle. You simply look at the two words in the HINT column. Then you think about a synonym for each word. The puzzle is you have to think of synonyms that when grouped in reverse order, as a pair, create a new two-word phrase. This is a physical book so that you can write the synonyms in reverse order in the ANSWER column to form the two-word phrase. For example, imagine the HINT words are CONTEST and TERM. The ANSWER is WORD (synonym for term) GAME (synonym for contest). This volume includes 15 pairs across 50 pages for 750 individual puzzles As far as word puzzle books go, Syrepu is a new concept in word games. Syrepu is great for anyone who wants to practice logic, a broad vocabulary, using a thesaurus, and trial-and-error attempts to solve a word puzzle. Children, teens, adults, and seniors should enjoy this word puzzle book. The synonym reverse puzzle (Syrepu, si re poo) is a fun way to pass the time, take a break from work, enjoy a quiet vacation, or challenge your siblings/parents during family game night. It also makes a great gift for anyone who wants to unplug from a computer or smart phone and still have something to do. With this word puzzle book, you will also get to dig around in your kitchen drunk drawer to find a pencil and eraser.

Vietnam War Army Helicopter Nose Art brings to light over 250 recently recovered Vietnam War photographs from Army aviation veterans. The vast majority of these photographs have never before been published, with them all capturing that quintessential and unmistakable American war custom of embellishing ones assigned aircraft with personalized markings. Each is accompanied by a caption containing data particular for each featured image: helicopter name, unit, serial number, photo date, photo location, crew names, artist name, photo contributor, and anecdotal information. Against a backdrop of censorship, political correctness, and military directives to the contrary, in-country Army helicopter nose art flourished in Vietnam, and the failure to acknowledge this archetypal convention in any study of Army aviation history demonstrates a lack of respect for the personal cost of conflict. Although Iron Butterfly may not be as well-known as Memphis Belle or Enola Gay from World War II, it nonetheless carried its crews into battle with just as much passion for life and sense of duty as its predecessors. We all know the ugly politics of that war; these pictures show us the human side of it.

Historian John D. Marshall wrote, "History is shaped by the memories of those who witness it, and the intentions of those who record it." Vietnam veteran Hiawatha Oakes wrote, "I can't thank you enough for your efforts in obtaining a photo of my H-21, the 'Blue Angel', and having it in your book. My family calls your book, "lost pieces of treasures found." These two quotations represent all that is relevant to the author in history gathering: the hard work and its rewards. Here in Volume 2 one will find equally astonishing photos on par with Volume 1, together with some self-help and researched info for sure to tease and delight the aficionado or veteran to unknown degrees. Besides the 165 images, there are search aids for locating one's former in-country Army helicopter. A listing is available of American sites where Huey & Cobra rides are available. The Army museum in Alabama offers a listing they have compiled of two-dozen recommended Huey photo-books. A tabulation of 300 AH-1 Cobra war survivors, their former units, and present location. Also offered is a database of 500 newly found in-country Army helicopter names. There's a little something for everyone.

Rural Scotland is a charged landscape, alive with history, soaked in myth and often rather sublime. For those of us living an urban existence, the countryside is a retreat for refuge and decompression, but it is also a place where infrastructures strain to reach and in which livings must be made. The countryside is resistant to easy explanation and is thus vulnerable to stereotyping. The nine building stories told in this book show how rural households and communities define themselves, and the role architecture plays in this. Illustrated with beautiful photography and drawings, the projects, from affordable housing on the islands to exquisite renovations of traditional agricultural stock, and all recognised by the Saltire Society’s Housing Design Awards, are visually rich both in themselves and the contexts in which they sit. The houses are set firmly within historic, economic and social contexts and are much more than bolt holes from the urban. Some of our buildings are active participants in rural regeneration and others reflect, in a profound way, what authenticity really means in the countryside. Like architecture everywhere, they present a mirror to a society’s preoccupations and values. However, this is a book too about architecture’s capacity to inspire and endlessly delight.