Books published by Craven Street Books

"An inspiring true story of teamwork, camaraderie, and Americans at war. On January 23, 1943, a B-24 Liberator bomber and its crew of ten men disappeared without a trace in New Guinea. Their families never knew what happened to them. Now, 80 years later, their long-forgotten letters and dusty photographs finally tell their story in The All-American Crew. Stanley Low did not want to be a hero and would not have welcomed the description. A Chinese American kid from Salem, Oregon, who wasn't yet old enough to vote or drink beer, Stan joined the army because there was a war on and it was his duty. As Stan trains to become a bomber nose gunner and heads into combat, he experiences loneliness, racism, his first beer, his first romance, and the horrors of war. Stan also forms a tight bond with his crewmates, who come from every American ethnicity and walk of life, including Irish American pilot Scott Regan and Jewish American bombardier Jerome Lesser. The ten men of Stan's bomber crew-rich and poor, from old American families and recent immigrants-form an all-American crew whose dedication to the country and their team elevates them above their individual differences. As the war heats up, Stan, his crewmates, and many other hastily trained bomber crews fly off dirt runways in the South Pacific tropics, thousands of miles from the nearest allied base, fighting the relentless forces of the Japanese Empire. The loss of life mounts at an alarming rate as many crews fail to return from missions. Those who survive quickly learn to fight. Now battle-hardened veterans, Stan and his crew fly toward their final rendezvous with destiny, willing to sacrifice everything for their country and each other. Celebrating American diversity and ideals of honor, bravery, and freedom, The All-American Crew is a magnificent true story of men at war"--

"Intrigue, terrorism, history, art, and the secrets of the Church collide in a relentless page-turning thriller "An elegant, twisty thriller in which a gay couple investigates a mysterious suicide in a scenic Italian hill town. It's not hard to imagine that this book could do for Orvieto what "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" did for Savannah."-Armistead Maupin, author of the internationally acclaimed "Tales of the City" An American couple in Italy investigate the suicide of a cleric in the picturesque Italian city of Orvieto-and find themselves plunged into a conspiracy that may destroy the Catholic Church. In the stunning thriller "Upon This Rock," San Francisco business executive Lee Maury and his husband Adriano come to Orvieto to soak in the city's beauty and rich history, but Lee becomes fascinated with a local tragedy, the suicide one year earlier of Deacon Andrea, a much-loved candidate for the priesthood. Growing obsessed with learning the truth behind Andrea's death, Lee and Adriano stumble upon a conspiracy of terrorism, human trafficking, and a plot to destroy one of the Church's most sacred shrines-all somehow linked across 500 years to Renaissance Pope Clement VII, who escaped to Orvieto after the sack of Rome in 1527. Before they know it, Lee and Adriano's dream vacation becomes a race to save innocent lives-and not get killed in the process"--

Step-by-step photos and instructions for projects involving lamination--the bonding together of two or more pieces of wood--are provided in this guide to using wood lamination as an art form. Depending on the intricacy of the design, lamination can be either very simple or astoundingly complex. The 10 projects presented here are of all differing skill levels and abilities, often presenting fascinating challenges that help woodworkers develop their laminating skills. Several designs for clocks and puzzles are included, as are unique pieces such as a piggy bank, a basket weave box, and a cutting board.

This true adventure begins in the late 1800s in the rough-and-tumble towns of northern California and ends on the Lower East Side of New York City in the 1920s. After running away from home, Douglas McHardie found himself in Arizona, where things took a horrible turn for the worse as he found himself wanted for murder, thus beginning his life on the run as an outlaw. From Arizona he escaped to the Canadian gold mines of the Yukon where he found gold. With his newfound riches he moved to San Francisco and opened a saloon, only to have it destroyed by the great earthquake of 1906. McHardie's sense of adventure, however, was not destroyed, and his journey continued to Australia, Bombay, and Afghanistan, where he ran guns between the Gulf States and Kabul and was later tortured. This is a compelling memoir of a survivor, a man whose wits, instincts, and good luck kept him one step in front of the law and alive to tell his story.

This comprehensive history of the San Joaquin Valley begins with a study of the indigenous Native American tribes of the area and their interactions with one another. It then explores the occupation by the Spanish, the trapping industry, the arrival of settlers from the eastern United States, and the formation of expansive cattle ranches. The development of agriculture and irrigation and the subsequent battles over land and water rights are addressed. Also discussed is the grand era of the railroad, which would forever change the valley, bringing light industry and modern agricultural practices.

The shaper is a stationary woodworking machine used to produce decorative mouldings, edges, and joinery. Every production shop has always had a shaper, but now advanced home woodworkers are increasingly likely to own one of these versatile machines because they are affordable and because they greatly expand the capability of a shop. A shaper, however, is one of the trickiest woodworking machines to operate properly and safely. This handbook explains hundreds of shaper techniques and illustrates each with drawings and photos. Advice is offered about what to look for when buying a shaper, and maintenance, troubleshooting, and tune-up are also covered.

The dovetail joint, which woodworkers rely on for making boxes and drawers, is the hallmark of fine craftsmanship. This unique and comprehensive handbook unlocks the intricacies of the classic joint. Woodworkers will learn exactly how to design and lay out all forms of the dovetail, and how to saw and chisel the mating parts for a perfect fit. With detailed explanations at every step and a refreshingly contemporary approach, master craftsman Ian Kirby shows how to achieve superb results with traditional hand tools as well as modern router jigs. Variations include the through, single-lap and double-lap dovetail; the secret miter dovetail; dovetail housings; and rail-to-leg dovetails. Every serious woodworker will need to own this essential reference.

This firsthand account of a 1948 journey to a treacherous valley in northern India in search of a mysterious creature is both a classic travel adventure and a graphic record of an amazing expedition. The book chronicles the group's movement into a remote valley in Assam, where the inhabitants had only recently given up headhunting, on a quest for the Buru--an elusive, monstrous reptile well documented by those native to the area. The Buru, like the Yeti, Bigfoot, and the Loch Ness monster, has captured the imagination of adventurers around the world, and remains a popular subject of cryptozoology--the study of animals yet to be discovered by science. Recalled in vivid detail are treks through hazardous swamplands filled with cobras and leeches, and campaigns through perilous jungles where thumbnail-sized ticks and wild boar are indigenous, all in the hunt for the legendary saurian.

Containing over 30,000 wood names with their corresponding commercial, common, and vernacular names, this book was originally published in Germany in 1936 and has long been unavailable. It includes the species, family, and area or country of origin for each wood. But its greatest value lies in the quantity of common or local names for various timbers, a topic of growing concern as the export of native woods increases. Containing Spanish, French, German, and English vernacular names, this book is useful for commercial buyers as well as the hobbyist or wood collector.

Woodcarvers are always looking for new ideas, and this guide provides a wide variety of great gift ideas--from traditional objects like walking sticks, bowls, and pencil holders to earrings, bracelets, and brooches. A section devoted to jewelry provides literature on an often-neglected niche of woodcarving. Ideas for specific holidays or special events like birthdays, graduations, and holidays are also included. All the projects are photographed and are accompanied by detailed, step-by-step instructions, allowing novice carvers as well as more experienced woodworkers to complete the pieces.

Considered among the highest achievements of the American arts and crafts movement, Greene & Greene furniture was custom-built for specific interior spaces, and many of the pieces still remain in their original locations. This manual, written by a nationally recognized furniture maker, provides intermediate and advanced woodworkers with well illustrated, step-by-step instructions for classic Greene & Greene details, including ebony plugs, cloud lifts, leg indents, brackets, and pulls. A discussion of the design philosophy of the period accompanies how-to chapters, and photographs of contemporary Greene-inspired furniture provide ideas for projects. Biographical sketches are included for Charles and Henry Greene, Peter and John Hall (who built most of the furniture), and competing furniture maker Gustav Stickley.

This memoir of an Englishman in the French Foreign Legion during the Syrian campaign of the late 1920s relates the brutal story of life in the Legion and war in the deserts of Syria. John Harvey joined the Foreign Legion with the assumption that he would receive a substantial bonus and a glorious adventure. He was wrong on both points. Described is the siege of Rachaya Fort against the Druse faction in Syria, a famous and bloody battle.

Historical explanations of the decorative ironwork of South Carolina.

Originally published in England in 1910, this story of a shepherd, Caleb Bawcombe, describes life in the south-central English county of Wiltshire before the turn of the 20th century. It is a charming picture of pastoral life that often seems idyllic and simple when viewed from the present. Caleb Bawcombe is a fictitious name thought to represent one James Lawes, and the town in the tale, Winterbourne Bishop, has been identified as the town of Martin. Friends, family, and acquaintances are interwoven in Caleb's story, and the interaction between humanity and nature is highlighted, capturing life at that specific time and place.