Books
Warriors
Vietnam Veteran Stories
Warriors is a collection of nine first-person accounts from veterans of the Vietnam War, including an artilleryman, several infantrymen, a surgeon, a chaplain, a pilot, a radio operator, and a mortar man. The author interviewed each man separately and then transcribed the tape created. He cleaned up the grammar but not the language—these are soldiers, sailors, and marines, after all—but the bad language is not gratuitous, excessive, nor especially profane. Each chapter is devoted to a particular veteran. Anyone who knows one of these vets will recognize that person because the author has taken pains to ensure that his story is related in the vet’s own words. Some phrases, sentences, and paragraphs have been moved to facilitate a better flow of narrative, but without altering the context.
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Softball 101
Playing to Win
The goal of this book is to serve as a refresher for those who know the fundamentals, and to serve as a primer for those who don’t. While intended to show slow-pitch softball players how to improve their game, this book will be helpful to fast-pitch softball and baseball players as well. After all, most of the principles in this book apply to any game played on a diamond, from Little League to high school and adult softball leagues to the Major Leagues. Most of us will encounter opposing players who can run faster, hit harder, and throw further than we can. But that doesn’t mean we have to concede victory. Maybe we can run fast longer, hit more consistently, and throw more accurately. If you’re willing to learn and invest in some off-field training, you can often overcome superior athletic skills possessed by the opposition. This book is intended to give you the tools needed to amplify your natural skills.
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The Canadian Rockies
Board the Train!
When it comes to beautiful scenery in North America, it would be very hard to top the Canadian Rockies. This book, The Canadian Rockies, has over 115 pages of gorgeous pictures and just enough verbiage to tell you what you're looking at. The book has over 170 spectacular pictures, many of them full page. You'll marvel at the stunning photos of wildlife, plant life, and scenery. If you've been to the city of Vancouver, Vancouver Island, taken the train ride east through the mountains, or visited Lake Louise or Banff National Park, this book will augment the pictures and memories you already have. If you haven't been to those places or done any of those things, The Canadian Rockies will give you a good idea what that would be like. The book is almost as good as being there.
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Classical Classics
The Best in Classical Music
Classical Classics is a compilation of classical CD reviews and fascinating facts relating to the composers and musicians on those CDs. This book does not spend any time on lesser recordings, but you don’t really need that information anyway. What you want to know is, “What’s the best music available and who made the best recording of that music?” Those are the questions Classical Classics answers, and it does it for 126 albums.
This book also contains 10 illuminating essays on such things as: where did classical music come from and how did it evolve, the musical miracle that is Handel’s Messiah, and thumbnail biographies on several major composers. Most of these essays are irreverent, but all are accurate. Even if you’re not in the market for a new CD, these essays may be worth the cost of the volume all by themselves.
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Assault on Avignon
Eleven Days Running
Gene Carman and Ed Nielsen recently released a book they co-wrote about Carman’s experiences during WWII. Carman served as a navigator/bombardier aboard a B-25 stationed on the island of Corsica. From there he and his crew flew 29 missions over Italy and southern France. Actually, they flew 29½ missions, having been shot down after releasing their bombs and captured by the Germans.
Assault on Avignon follows Gene through his early training when he volunteered for service in 1942, his deployment and combat in Europe, and his eventual return to the states in 1944. The book is written in first person, based on Gene’s recollections.
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Cruising Norway
The Frozen North in June
Norway is one of the most picturesque countries in the world and "Cruising Norway" provides nearly 200 photographs as proof. From all the fjords to the seaports to the gorgeous villages and cities, Norway is an ocular banquet. If you've been there or plan to go, or if you'd just like to see what you're missing "Cruising Norway" shows and tells you just about everything you need to know.
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An Ode to Iowans
An Ode to Everybody
This book contains a collection of essays written over a period of years by Ed Nielsen. Many are about Iowans or at least involve an Iowan, the author. The rest are written by an Iowan. They all should have broad appeal no matter where the reader is from.
Some of these stories are irreverent, such as Streaking and Grand Theft Auto. Some are commemorative, such as Dear Old Dad and The Iowa Wave. The rest are about whatever popped into the author’s head, such as Captive Cat and several unusual Christmas letters.
The author goes out of his way to put Iowans on a pedestal, but many other folks will see themselves in these essays, too.
Enjoy!
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Yellowstone Park &
Points West
Our Beautiful Parks!
A travelogue of Yellowstone, Glacier, Jackson Hole, and other nearby areas. The book includes descriptive narrative and over 60 stunning pictures. If you've been to any of these places, this book will augment any such records you may already have. If you haven't been there, this book will show and tell you what you're missing.
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Little Things Win Big Games
Coaches Color Textbook Edition
This book contains everything in the books Little Things Win Big Games and Practicing for Perfection, plus it’s a hardcover and the pictures are in color! This edition is being used as a teaching text at several universities, Clemson and Northern Iowa among them. Here are a few notable reviews:
“I learned a lot and wish that I had had this book when I was playing and coaching. Your illustrations and descriptions are excellent and understandable. I have owned several books on baseball, but none came close to your book. Larry, you did an excellent job, I think that there should be a good demand for the book. I can see why it took so many hours to accomplish all that you have in this masterpiece. I am very elated and honored to have Little Things Win Big Games dedicated to me.”—Jerry Eimers, Coach Emeritus, Greene HS, Member Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame
“The book covers most situations that occur in baseball from the perspective of every position player. The outstanding thing to me is that many technical situations are covered in easy to read and understand everyday language. If anyone is looking for a book on fundamentals with lots of illustrations, this is your book!”—Jerry Newton, National Coaches Hall of Fame, National Coach of The Year
“Anyone who desires to learn about baseball fundamentals and improve their game as a result should read this book and absorb everything from cover to cover.”—Steve Miller, semi-pro manager
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Little Things Win Big Games
Second Edition
A Lifetime of Baseball Knowledge Larry Gabe has been a baseball player and fan since early grade school, learning from some of the best coaches and baseball minds in the country. He excelled at summer baseball and at the high school, college, and semi-pro levels, but abandoned his professional aspirations for a more predictable career. In Little Things Win Big Games Gabe shares all the knowledge he’s accumulated in over 60+ years of playing and watching the game. In this copiously illustrated book, you’ll learn all the basics and advanced techniques that will help you improve your game, no matter what your position on defense or spot in the batting order. Even the most advanced player will pick up things he isn’t doing properly, while the young player will learn the right way to play the game, how to be mentally prepared and have a competitive edge over his opponents.
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Little Things Win Big Games
Expanded Players, Parents & Coaches Edition
A Lifetime of Baseball Knowledge Larry Gabe has been a baseball player and fan since early grade school, learning from some of the best coaches and baseball minds in the country. He excelled at summer baseball and at the high school, college, and semi-pro levels, but abandoned his professional aspirations for a more predictable career. In Little Things Win Big Games Gabe shares all the knowledge he’s accumulated in over 60+ years of playing and watching the game. In this copiously illustrated book, you’ll learn all the basics and advanced techniques that will help you improve your game, no matter what your position on defense or spot in the batting order. Even the most advanced player will pick up things he isn’t doing properly, while the young player will learn the right way to play the game, how to be mentally prepared and have a competitive edge over his opponents.
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Practicing for Perfection
Including Little Things Analytics
Practicing for Perfection provides specific drills for each position and skill set in baseball and softball. Just playing the game will improve a player's performance, but it will take a long time to reach any level of proficiency. Meanwhile, the player's team probably will not be too successful. This book will shorten the learning curve dramatically, from years to just weeks. Players who practice these drills diligently will maximize their natural athletic abilities and have an advantage over nearly every opponent they face. The narrative is written clearly and concisely, and is amplified with over 60 photographs that demonstrate exactly what the narrative says. A player, coach, or parent can read AND see exactly what needs to be done. You might need to buy quite a few books to get all the information contained in just this volume. Practicing for Perfection is "one-stop shopping" at its best.
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Philosophies & Profundities
Common Sense for Uncommon Times
Ed Nielsen is a keen observer of the modern scene and has chosen 25 timely subjects for analysis. But timely does not mean here today and gone tomorrow. He has taken pains to choose subjects that will be of interest for many years. In this book he analyzes matters such as race relations, religion, the death penalty, illegal immigration, and taxes. On each subject he establishes a factual basis, describes what is going on currently, and suggests future remedies. He develops opinions based on facts, not on racial, political, or any other kind of bias.
His views as stated in "Philosophies & Profundities" are as close to irrefutable as possible. Some readers will learn much on subjects they hadn't considered previously. Others will have their existing opinions reinforced. And finally, some readers will be even more resolute in their differing opinions. In all cases, Nielsen strives for civil discourse on many controversial subjects. Nielsen avoids tags, such as Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative. Instead, he considers himself a pragmatic, someone who bases his thoughts and opinions on provable facts.
Nielsen has written many other books on such subjects as the Vietnam War, WWII, classical music, softball, and baseball. In addition, he has authored hundreds of newspaper and magazines articles on such subjects as dining, sports, and books. He is a retired civilian employee of the Department of Defense. He and his wife live in western North Carolina.
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Our Danube River Cruise
Words & Pictures by Ed Nielsen
The Beautiful Danube River. Maybe you’re considering a cruise on the Danube. Maybe you’ve been there and would like a keepsake of the trip. Or maybe circumstances prevent you from going but you’d still like to see what you’re missing.In any event, this book brings you great pictures of all the beautiful places, accompanied with eloquent descriptions. The pictures and descriptions include events and scenery aboard the cruise ship and on some of the tours available to passengers at each port. The book also includes fascinating information that’s hard to find elsewhere. It’s almost as good as being there!
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Cong Catchers
A Soldier's Memories of Vietnam
Lee Halverson spent January 1969 to December 1970 in the US Army. Cong Catchers is a compilation of events that occurred while he served. The stories in this book run the gamut from harrowing to hilarious, often in the same story or even the same page. He and his teammates, with the help of their dogs, guarded ammo dumps that were subject to enemy infiltration on a near-nightly basis. The bad guys either tried to steal ammo or blow up the place. That’s where the harrowing part comes in, being on watch for six hours a night with the closest comrade 100 yards away.
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Alaska or Bust
Our 50th State in all it's Glory
Alaska or Bust is a travelogue covering many of the more beautiful places in Alaska, and that's saying a lot. There are pictures and descriptions of such things as Denali, Prince William Sound, and Happy Trails Kennel, the latter home to four-time Iditarod champion Martin Buser. The narrative in this book is sure to provide new information to any reader and the beautiful photos visually supplement the words. If you have any interest in Alaska, its history, and culture, Alaska or Bust is sure to intrigue.
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From Prison to Eternity
Rich Southworth has led a remarkable life. He has been in the Army (twice) and jail more than once.
So, what’s a guy like that doing writing a book?
Despite his life’s ups and downs, Rich found his way and devoted his life to the Lord’s work.
He wrote this book, not as an ego trip, but in hopes that readers could learn from his mistakes—he made quite a few.
But he found the Straight and Narrow, and tells us how we can find it, too.
If you’re a bit lost on the Road of Life, or even if you already know where you’re going, From Prison to Eternity is an inspirational read.
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History of Powersville, Iowa
And Surrounding Area
Powersville, Iowa, has always been a very small town, never over 100 residents. For such a small burg they have a wealth of fascinating history. The town derives its name from early residents, the Powers family. The Powers family founded Powers Manufacturing in the 1800s and continues to this day, creating sports uniforms that are favored by many professional teams. Powersville itself had a very good softball team, though not professional. The team more than held its own against all comers. The town citizens built a fine softball stadium that was used often to host tournaments that qualified the winners to play in the state finals. When the people of Powersville weren't playing softball, they were busy helping each other. "Citizens" includes the farmers surrounding the town--they were all a team. Most residents were not wealthy, but they lived a good life and had their feet on the ground. Even children who grew up there and left can be thankful they grew up in such a great environment. Powersville hardly exists at all today, almost no town residents, but the spirit remains and may never die.
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George Engebretson
IHSBCA Hall of Fame Nomination Package
David Slays Goliath!
In any athletic competition, victory doesn’t always go to the biggest, the fastest, or the strongest. George Engebretson proved that nearly every time one of his baseball teams took the field.
George coached as many as eight teams every summer in the small town of Rembrandt, Iowa, population about 200. Thus, many of the opponents his teams faced were from bigger towns, often much bigger towns, with more good athletes. Yet George’s teams usually won!
How did he do that?
George had his players so well-grounded in baseball fundamentals that they usually overcame opponents with more natural ability. His teams just didn’t beat themselves with misplays.
Rembrandt High School had great success in large part because of the superbly trained athletes George provided. He’s now in the Iowa High School Baseball Coach’s Hall of Fame, an honor he richly deserves.
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My Wonderful Week in
New York City
WHAT A WEEK!
The year was 1942 and the US had recently entered WWII. Things were tough overseas, with battles being waged in Europe, Africa, and the Far East.
Things were relatively normal in the US, except for rationing. Dorothy Medaus decided she needed to see more of the world than just Cleveland, Ohio, so she saved and economized, accumulating enough money to travel to New York City. She enlisted a friend, Hildegarde Dobay, to go along.
The girls took a train, several trains actually, to the Big Apple for a week to end all weeks. They stayed in a nice hotel, saw several Broadway shows, ate at some fine restaurants, and managed to work in some sightseeing, too—don’t know when they slept.
Fortunately, Dorothy saved ticket stubs, menus, playbills, and just about anything else she laid her hands on. She also took copious notes, which enabled her to record her thoughts and actions. When she got back to Cleveland, she typed up those notes, using them as a basis for a scrapbook containing all the memories and souvenirs she had accumulated. The result is the book you are now holding.
For those of us who weren’t around in those days and even for those who were, this book is a nostalgic account of an intrepid young lady’s venture to the big city during a time of world turmoil.
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Loggers Rule
SOFTBALL FOR FUN!
Nobody had more fun on a softball field than the Army Forces Command Loggers. They all worked in the Logistics Directorate, hence the team’s name.
The Loggers had some good athletes but even more certifiable characters. At every game, and even just in practice, something very unusual always happened. Ed Nielsen, their self-appointed press attaché, documented those events, along with hilarious responses from team members and their fans. He passes them to you in this volume.
When the Loggers weren’t performing astounding feats in the field or at bat, they were teasing each other mercilessly. The team did very well, winning many games and championships, but their main goal was to have a good time and they were spectacularly successful in the latter.
This book chronicles the hilarious exploits of what may be the most eclectic group of players ever assembled. You’ll have a share in all the fun from your ringside seat as you read this book. Sit back and enjoy.
GO LOGGERS!
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Country Roads of Scotland
Scotland has some beautiful scenery, fascinating history, and very intriguing vernacular. Country Roads of Scotland investigates all these facets in detail.
Some of the sites described and pictured in this book are Edinburgh Castle, Holyroodhouse, St Andrews, Blair Castle, Loch Ness, the Orkney Islands, Eilean Donan Castle, the Isle of Skye, and Loch Lomond.
The book contains 200 excellent photos, many of them full-page. The book also includes just enough verbiage so you will know exactly what the pictures are showing and some of the history behind them.
If you’ve always wanted to visit Scotland, Country Roads of Scotland will tell and show you what you have in store. If you have been there already, this book will augment your memories and picture collection wonderfully.
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