Volume 8

A writer, Wouk had a varied career: he wrote gags for radio star Fred Allen, wrote ads for war bonds for the U.S. government during World War II while serving in the Navy, and co-wrote a musical with pop singer Jimmy Buffett. But he’s best known for his historical fiction, coming to prominence with The … Read more

In 1943, Begaye dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Marine Corps for World War II, and was put to work on an interesting assignment: Navajo-born servicemen got together in classes to develop a code to help the military communicate without their messages being intercepted. The Navajo language didn’t have military terms in … Read more

Born in London, Spooner’s father was the picture editor of the Daily Herald newspaper. He sometimes took her to work, where she met his staff photographers. Ned Spooner bought his daughter a camera from Woolworth’s for 5 shillings when she was 8 years old, and that directed her entire life: she became an avid photographer, and … Read more

Growing up poor, Henson took whatever jobs he could get: hairdresser, dishwasher, nightclub bouncer, trench digger, and a paratrooper in the British Army. In 1967 he finally found his calling when he was hired as a stunt man for the James Bond film Casino Royale. At least 100 movie stunt jobs followed, from five more James … Read more

Adler foresaw the decline of traditional book publishing.

Cole was the last of the surviving Doolittle Raiders.