Best Selling Books by Michael Lee

Here is real story of North Vietnam''s armed forces. Lanning served as a platoon leader and company commander in Vietnam, and as public affairs officer for General Schwartzkopf. Now he and Cragg, a sergeant-major who served five years in Vietnam, tell how the communists won that conflict by using the individual soldier.

"For more than two hundred years African Americans have fought for their own personal freedom as well as that of their fellow Americans. Blacks contributed to the success of the revolution that gained the country, but not its slaves, their independence. Blacks played a significant role in preserving the union in the Civil War and securing their own freedom. From the expanse of the American West to the heights of San Juan Hill, from the trenches of France to the heartlands of Germany and Japan, from the icy mountain ridges of Korea to the thick jungles of Vietnam and the sands of the Persian Gulf, African Americans have performed loyally and bravely." —From The African-American Soldier In this moving and revealing account, Michael Lee Lanning brings to life the battles in which African Americans fought so courageously to become full citizens by risking their lives for their country. This updated edition includes analyses of African-American soldiers'' involvement in recent U.S. conflicts, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Michael Lee Lanning serves as public affairs officer for General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. He has spent more than twenty years on active duty in the United States Army. He has written nine books of military history, including The Military 100 and Senseless Secrets. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

TIME TO CRIME is the author Michael Lees 1st book. It is an account of his time spent inside his citys county jail.While there he would listen to stories of how various inmates became incarcerated. In telling his story, he also tells of the injustice some suffer,some who are innocent,like himself, but are being held as guilty before their trails.This is part one, look for the sequel soon.

The Civil War was the defining event in American history. The Civil War 100 uses a truly novel approach to analyze the respective importance of the events, leaders and battles of America''s most important war. "Across this easily accessible reference, readers meet not only such icons as Lincoln and Lee, but also chronic fumblers whose tarnished reputations have most often sunk beneath the notice of the endless waves of Civil War histories...A recommended reference for the aficionado and the uninitiated alike. Those well-versed in Civil War lore will enjoy the intellectual challenge of supporting or debunking Lanning''s rankings, while the merely curious will be exposed to an insightful world of detail that they may have otherwise missed." --ForeWord Magazine

A close-up look at the role of soldiers of fortune throughout military history, ranges from ancient times to the present day, and examines the use of contract mercenaries in the war in Iraq and in America''s War on Terrorism. Original.

During World War II, some 10,000 American bombers and fighters were shot down over Europe. Of the crews aboard, 26,000 men were killed, while 30,000 survived being shot down only to be captured and made prisoners of war. Against the longest of odds, nearly 3,000 airmen made it to the ground alive, evaded capture, and escaped to safety. These men proudly called themselves the Blister Club. Drawing on tens of thousands of pages of mostly untapped documents in the National Archives, Michael Lee Lanning tells the story of these courageous airmen. They had received escape-and-evasion (E & E) training, and some were lucky enough to land with their E-&-E kits—but all bets were off once they hit the ground. They landed after an air catastrophe. The geography was usually unfamiliar. Civilians might or might not be trustworthy. German soldiers and Gestapo agents hunted down airmen as well as civilians who dared help them. If an airman abandoned his uniform for civilian garb, he forfeited Geneva Convention protections. Most faced the daunting task of escaping on foot across hundreds of miles. The fortunate connected with one of the established escape routes to Spain or Switzerland or across the English Channel, or they hooked up with the underground resistance or friendly civilians. Upon return to friendly lines, these men were often able to provide valuable intelligence about enemy troop dispositions and civilian morale. Many volunteered to fly again even though regulations prohibited it. The Blister Club is history with a punch. With a historian’s eye, Lanning covers the hows and whys of escape-and-evasion and aerial combat in the European theater, but the book also vividly captures the stories of the airmen who did the escaping and evading, including that of a young pilot named Chuck Yeager, who, during his own escape, aided the French Resistance and helped another downed airman to safety—and then begged to fly again, eventually securing Eisenhower’s approval to return to the air, where he achieved ace status. Stories of escape are popular, especially those set during World War II, as are stories of the war in the air. Combining both of these, The Blister Club should find an enthusiastic audience.

Originally published: [New York]: Ballantine Books, 1987.

Consuming Passions is Michael Lee West''s delightfully quirky memoir of an adventurous life centered around food and family—the story of how she went from non-cook to gourmet of words and victuals by watching a multitude of relatives squabble, prepare sumptuous repasts, and carry on honored traditions. Laced with delicious secret recipes passed from generation to generation, West''s irresistible chronicle recalls good times and wild times—mothers swinging from chandeliers, elderly aunts brewing up love potions, a South American nymphomaniac stirring up trouble at a Louisiana barbeque joint, and the spooky hauntings of a cabbage-eating ghost—all in the pursuit of good dining. Thoroughly entertaining, alive with West''s distinctive humor and sharp, irrepressible insight, here are incomparable American kitchen tales as warm and tasty as freshly baked bread.

The two main occupations in Limoges, Louisiana (population: 905), seem to be spreading juicy gossip and consoling the unfortunate with casseroles. And in this early spring of 1952, there is ample opportunity for both—with sixteen-year-old and pregnant (by the Baptist minister) Olive Nepper, currently languishing in a coma after drinking pop laced with rose poison. But the plight of Olive and her family is hardly the only story spicing up the rumor mill in this small Southern community of unpredictable eccentrics, wandering husbands, and unsatisfied wives—and few local sins will be put right by home cooking. From Michael Lee West comes a beautifully rendered portrait of small-town Southern life, filled with humanity that brilliantly weaves comedy with dark calamity.

Experience the defining moments of the war that gave birth to America The American Revolution 100 brings to life the monumental moments, bloody battles, and influential leaders who gave birth to a great nation. In comprehensive fashion, decorated veteran and military expert Michael Lee Lanning ranks and analyzes the war''s most significant events, showing how each affected the outcome. Relive the memorable battles, when a country of citizen-farmers prepared themselves to take on the mightiest army in the world. Learn about the remarkable figures and forces of the time, and decide for yourself: Who influenced the revolution more—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, or John Paul Jones? Was the Battle of Yorktown more pivotal than the Battle of Trenton? Was The Declaration of Independence more important to the revolution than Thomas Paine''s Common Sense? Read the stories of Henry Knox, Thomas Sumter, American militias, and December 26, 1776, and let your own debates begin... Praise for Michael Lee Lanning''s history books: "Easily accessible...Recommended reference for the aficionado and the uninitiated alike." ForeWord magazine "Unusual and even witty insights also abound." Publishers Weekly

Providing integrated coverage of microeconomics, sector performance, macroeconomics, and international trade, "Introduction to Agricultural Economics," third edition is still the best book on the market today. Written by experts, this text build''s the reader''s understanding of decisions made by consumers and producers of food and fiber products. "Features of the new edition include: " Covers the FAIR Act now governing farm commodity policy. Discusses the changing nature of legislation governing international trade and issues related to agriculture as we approach the next round of WTO legislation. Comprehensive coverage of consumer demand, including an entire chapter on key elasticity concepts. Develops the market supply curve through coverage of the theory of the firm and its reactions to input prices and product prices.