Bøger af Mike Downs

Bobo's Raid1928 EnglandCount Reginald Bobrowski, dazed and bloody, sits down heavily. The speed record beast he was driving steams and groans, broken on the beach after the drive chain snapped nearly decapitating him.Bobrowski, son of a wealthy Polish Count and an American heiress, lives in England with his wife Alexandra. Her pet name for the Count is Bobo, much to his dismay. Bobo dabbles in racing cars and managing his mother's business interests.On a lark he and his friend Clive Parry-Jones take their wives on a journey to the sands of the Sahara. After returning from the nearly disastrous trip Reggie meets a sinister Mr. S, head of a secret government department in London. S orders Reggie to go back to the Sahara to spy on a German expedition London thinks is seeking oil for their future war effort.Reggie and Clive modify a Citroën Kégresse half-track ambulance into a lightly armored desert traveler to cross the treacherous Sahara sands. They load the Citroën aboard a cargo ship and endure a harrowing sea voyage to Algeria. At their base in Ouargla, they find more intrigue. S has sent a cunning, brutally deceptive female agent to control Reggie's every move.Reggie and Clive try to puzzle who is after what. The Germans roam the desert leaving death and angry Berbers in their wake. S's agent has an agenda of her own, and Bobrowski is caught in the crosshairs of both factions.Is Reggie just a rich lay-a-about fop or can he and his friend Clive get the job done? Join them on a gritty tale of murder and deceit across the desert as the Count dodges death to seek the truth.

Jack Novac, Indy 500 winner, plans a new assault for the 1934 Championship with his two fabulous Miller front drive race cars. Then the rules change and his Millers are not eligible. When a retired army general offers to sponsor Jack on a barnstorming tour of Europe, Jack is unwillingly drawn into the intrigues brewing in pre-war Europe. The General sees Jack's show as a perfect cover for gaining access to manufacturing plants in Italy and Germany.Jack breaks Europe's speed records, drawing record crowds. But murder and espionage seem to follow him around and everyone but Jack seems to think he's a spy. When a high-ranking Nazi official's wife disappears, Jack becomes his target for revenge. Jack thrills the crowds while racing to stay one step ahead of dying.

A skeletal arm protruding from the rubble of a seventy-year old building jump starts a case for LAPD detective Van Taylor. A bullet hole in the skull of the remains puts Van's retirement plans on hold. Under the skeleton is a weathered wooden box. A brass plaque on the box bears the name Artimus Design. Van and his wife, Kathy, both avid vintage auto-racing fans, recognize the Artimus name as a famous racecar manufacturer. Van eagerly delves into the investigation unaware of the dangerous path he and Kathy will face.As Van explores the fascinating world of early American racing he finds that Artimus, the genius behind the fastest racing cars of the 1920s and 30s, was duped into designing a radical racing car and creating a box with a secret that could help the German war effort. When he is brutally attacked by a drug-crazed gang, he realizes there is more to the mystery than he thought.The investigation leads Van to present day murder, greed, and betrayal. When his wife is kidnapped and held hostage in exchange for the box, Van is pushed to the limit.Buckle your seat belt as Van races to save his wife and solve the seventy-year old mystery.

The French Grand Prix, a Gestapo torture chamber, and an almost impossible escape: Jack Novac is in it again.A fanatical Nazi will kill anyone who gets in his way to track down Novac. Test driving the fabulous W25 Grand Prix car on the mind-numbing twists and turns of the Nurburgring, Jack meets sports writer, Maddy Rosen, Unwittingly, he puts himself and Maddy squarely in the gunsights of the Gestapo. Jack and Maddy flee across Europe trying to keep ahead of the Nazi madmen. Only a last-man-standing duel will determine their fate.

"This playful picture book introduces young readers to different units of measurement, then invites them to think of the many creative ways to quantify the meaningful moments in their lives. How do you measure the time it takes to read a good book? Sure, you can use units of time, like minutes or hours... but you can also use your very own measurements: how many times you laugh or cry, how many pages you turn, or how many times you ask to read it again. And measuring a rainfall could mean using decibels of soun... or how many people you see opening umbrellas. The possibilities are as limitless as your imagination!"--

Jack Novac is a man who needs the rush of adrenalin shooting through his veins to satisfy his lust for adventure. Belted in his new racing airplane he revels in the sensations of the sleek, powerful racer. The roar of the engine. the acceleration of taking off. The blades of the huge propeller blur, chewing into the air to bolt him into the sky. Hard back on the stick, kicking the rudder, he snap rolls the plane. Visuals flash by, earth, sky, earth, sky. Blood rushes to his head, the safety belts bite into his shoulders. The force of gravity loads on his body are far greater than anything he felt in a race car. After surviving a Nazi torture chamber, he is devastated by the injuries he received. His auto racing career is over. Picking himself up with the love and aid of his wife, he starts a business and builds it to profitability. But the yearning to race grows, gnawing at him. His left hand can no longer steer a racing car, but his strong right hand can control an airplane stick, his feet the rudder. His determination and natural abilities impress his flying instructor and other pilots. He and Carl Sanders, his race car mechanic, decide to build a racing plane to go after airspeed records. Not everyone sings Novac's praises. It could all end on a moonless night when a dark figure scuttles crab-like across the tarmac in front of a row of hangers, angry flashes of light spit from a gun barrel. Carl working on the plane from ladder falls to the ground. Blood pools under him.

San Francisco 1944Barry Keys successfully concludes his espionage case at Mare Island only to find the FBI has branded him a loose cannon. He storms out of his boss's office leaving his badge and gun behind. It's time for a new life and back to chasing down bad guys his way.He and his wife, Mary, open their own detective agency. Business is slow until the commandant of Mare Island Shipyard sends Keys an urgent order to find black marketers who are stealing vital war goods. The commandant wants them rooted out fast.When Keys discovers the black market gang has stolen a Mark 18 torpedo, the case heats up. Keys realizes a Nazi provocateur heads the gang and has a diabolical plan to destroy the shipyard.As Keys gets closer, the Nazi grows desperate; bodies pile up and Keys and Mary are next on the Nazi's death list. It begins to look like nothing can stop his mad plan before he destroys the shipyard.

1943 San Francisco CAThe city is still edgy. Rumors of a Japanese invasion continue to circulate. America's offensive strategy begins to win battles, raising morale. A lonely sailor on liberty walks down Sutter Street looking for booze and women. What Navy Submariner Nick Devin finds is a Nazi spy ring and big trouble.Torn between his service to America and the demands of the Nazi spies, Nick seeks the FBI's help to bust up the spy ring. Agent Barry Keys, a tough FBI veteran, uses Devin to get to the bad guys.Keys is also determined to rip the heart out of the Nazi threat, to end its quest for America's latest tech secrets. Together Nick and Keys plan to take the spy ring down. What they get is far more than they bargained for.

"Here is the little-known history of Otto Lilienthal, a daring man whose more than 2,000 successful flights inspired the Wright Brothers and other aviation pioneers."--Provided by publisher.

"Describes forms of entertainment before the invention of video games, including outdoor games, board games, and other toys. Includes fun facts and a "Blast from the Past" special feature"--

This title introduces fans to the STEM concepts in the Super Bowl, exploring how science, technology, engineering, and math are all at play in this exciting event. The title features informative sidebars and infographics, exciting photos, a glossary, and an index. SportsZone is an imprint of Abdo Publishing Company.

Your Body on Gluten uncovers the nutritional benefits of foods containing gluten, how gluten interacts with the body, and how to include it as part of a balanced diet.