Bøger af Brian D Ratty

Welcome to the second edition of my award-winning and best-selling book, Tillamook Rock Lighthouse - History & Tales of Terrible Tilly. This edition includes a few revisions, news events, and new information about the life and times of the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. This is a story worth reading and a memory worth keeping, because someday, sometime this bastion-like structure will succumb to the tempests of the Pacific. But today... Tilly is still tall, proud, and strong. So, here's part of her famous story...Lighthouses and their Keepers have gone the way of the blacksmith and the milkman. Nevertheless, the weathered relic one mile off shore of Oregon's Tillamook Head reminds us of the once-powerful sentinel Tillamook Rock Lighthouse and her seventy-seven years of service, keeping the sea lanes open and seafarers safe. The brave men who stood duty on the light station learned quickly what isolation was all about, and many of them considered it the loneliest job in the world. The lighthouse earned the nickname "Terrible Tilly," due to the shattering experiences of the people on the monolith during horrific, pounding storms. With no way off the Rock, and no way to call for help, all the Keepers could do was "ride it out." This is the story of those who built it, those who manned it, and those who paid the ultimate price to keep the beacon burning. This is the fascinating history and tales of the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, tall, proud, and strong.

How do we know where we are going, if we don't stop and reflect on where we have been? Over the Next Horizon is such a moment in time. This uniquely different book is an assortment of photos, essays, articles, tidbits and short stories from award winning author Brian Ratty. He offers this gratifying volume as an introduction to his storytelling and as a handshake of appreciation to his readers. This retrospect, in many ways, is the authors coming of age story. It reflects the history of his time and the long ago events he has written about. These tales include the discovery and culture of the Tillamook Indians, the tragic demise of sea Captain Robert Gray, and how the Mountain Men led the way for America's manifest destiny. The book also includes personal essays about his conversation with a former president of the United States, his grandfather's escape from the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, and how the little fishing village of Astoria Oregon helped win World War II. His articles include narratives on fly fishing in New Zealand, wild horse round-ups and the dark secrets the government won't tell us. And sprinkled throughout the pages are four fascinating new short stories with many hilarious tidbits of the author's life growing up in a blue collar family. There are no shortcuts through the wilderness of life. Over the Next Horizon is a commentary of our common history and a retrospect of our life and times. It's a compelling montage of memoirs that reminds us of where we have been, and what might be over the next horizon.

Hebo, Oregon and the Tillamook Forest, 1942Firewatcher is the rarely told, and often war censored, story of the Imperial Japanese Navy's many strategies and secrets to burn down the forests of the Pacific Northwest during WWII.This story follows the journey of headstrong and curious Ruth Nelson. Despite her families objections and upon her early graduation from high school, she is determined to do her part for the war effort and schemes her way into the fire towers of the Tillamook County Forest. Here, Ruth and fellow Firewatchers, learn patience, courage and a willingness to endure lonely summer months in the woods, with only wild animals and solitude as their companions. These were a special breed of brave men and women, who manned the tall lookout towers with binoculars, ingenuity and a healthy fear of smoke and lightning.Ruth quickly learns that conditions could turn dangerous in a heartbeat. A burning forest was no place for the faint of heart without an escape plan. Could she endure this time of uncertainty? With war jitters rampant, the beach was blacked-out at night, with whispers of invading Japanese soldiers during the day and with only paper thin American defenses. What could this small band of Firewatchers do to help protect the Tillamook forests from the unexpected Japanese pineapples that floated down from the skies?These were terrifying times for Firewatchers and the forests they pledged to defend. It became even more terrifying and complicated, when Ruth discovers a Japanese dead body.

Where did the Pacific North Coast Indians come from and where did they go? This is the question that many people ask when they hear the fascinating stories of the north coast's history. Broken Arrow, the book, is both a historical narrative and a vivid glance back to the heroic times of long ago when many Indian tribes called the shores of the lower Columbia River their home.>Author Brian Ratty crafts a rewarding tale of dueling conflicts: the value of the profitable pelts versus the society and culture of the coastal Indians. This is a story worth telling, in the many voices of the different people who lived during those turbulent times. Broken Arrow is not a textbook about the Indians. Instead, it offers up nuggets of their history, providing fascinating glimpses of how they lived and survived in the wilderness, long before the coming of the white man.The book is a look back at the roots of the people from Beringia who were the first to escape the confines of the last Ice Age. It's the story of their long and painful journey south to new lands that became their new world. Broken Arrow recounts their dreams, mythology, lifestyles, and survival in a land of plenty, with pride, determination, and hope for a new life. This is the Pacific North Coast Indians' history, tales, and legends... two worlds, one destiny.

We all make choices: good ones and bad ones, right ones and wrong ones. And once done we must atone for our mistakes. But what is the price of atonement? In turbulent 1963, two war buddies turn their sailboat from the Columbia River to the vast Pacific Ocean and start an assignment of photographing WWII war relics for an NBC documentary. Both men are survivors of Japanese prison camps and suffer from many long-forgotten scars of their captivity. Rich in history and fascinating characters, Voyage of Atonement sails the Pacific passage with the fury of a typhoon. On a remote Marquesas Island, these sea scavengers stumble across a mysterious entombed submarine with a cargo that will echo around the world. When this treasure is finally exposed, it triggers vicious reactions from a secret group of former Nazi SS members (ODESSA) and the newly formed country of Israel. These clashing interests quickly turn the discovery into an international tug-of-war with deadly consequences. 'Voyage of Atonement' is inspired by actual events and international headlines about this tainted treasure. Will these scavengers do the right thing, or pay a fatal price for their lost treasure? 'Voyage of Atonement' is truly a captivating piece of historical fiction...brilliantly written and an impressive read. Five Stars, Readers' Favorite The story-telling has a rhythm to it, soft and persuasive, humbling and invigorating. The story makes you read more. Amazon Editorial ReviewThrough powerful writing, a captivating plot, and vibrant characters set against a two-decade background, Ratty has delivered a great blend of love, adventure, and history. Five Stars: Readers' Favorite