The family of Howard Wasdin, the author of SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper has reached out to share their side of the story.

According to the several members of the Wasdin family the book published by Howard should be classified as fiction instead of non-fiction, because so many of the facts in the book appear to be made up.

The family recently has launched a campaign to clear the reputation of the authors deceased father Leon Wasdin.

“We are extremely dissapointed in Howard’s book” said Ron Wasdin, the brother of Leon Wasdin and the authors uncle. “Howard has lost respect with many people especially from his Mother, sisters and all relatives.”

His Stepfather, Leon, was not abusive. Howard did not weigh 3lbs at birth and he did not come home in a shoebox. He weighed over 5 lbs. He actually wanted Leon to adopt him and he was never forced to take the Wasdin name. He could have changed his name to Wilbanks which is his biological father’s name at any time. Leon provided for his family and treated all his children equally.

If you were to ask any active Seal, their opinion would be that you do not go against the oath and never disclose information about Special Operations. However, we can give credit to him being a Navy Seal, but he should have written about his personal Seal history and left the family alone.

According to family members of Wasdin, many of the other facts in the book were made up and they are willing to stand together as a family to prove it. However the most important thing to the Wasdin family is setting the record straight and clearing the name Leon Wasdin, who was a loving father, husband, and brother.

Description
When the Navy sends their elite, they send the SEALs. When the SEALs send their elite, they send SEAL Team Six

SEAL Team Six is a secret unit tasked with counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and counterinsurgency. In this dramatic, behind-the-scenes chronicle, Howard Wasdin takes readers deep inside the world of Navy SEALS and Special Forces snipers, beginning with the grueling selection process of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S)—the toughest and longest military training in the world.

After graduating, Wasdin faced new challenges. First there was combat in Operation Desert Storm as a member of SEAL Team Two. Then the Green Course: the selection process to join the legendary SEAL Team Six, with a curriculum that included practiced land warfare to unarmed combat. More than learning how to pick a lock, they learned how to blow the door off its hinges. Finally as a member of SEAL Team Six he graduated from the most storied and challenging sniper program in the country: The Marine’s Scout Sniper School. Eventually, of the 18 snipers in SEAL Team Six, Wasdin became the best—which meant one of the best snipers on the planet.

Less than half a year after sniper school, he was fighting for his life. The mission: capture or kill Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. From rooftops, helicopters and alleys, Wasdin hunted Aidid and killed his men whenever possible. But everything went quickly to hell when his small band of soldiers found themselves fighting for their lives, cut off from help, and desperately trying to rescue downed comrades during a routine mission. The Battle of Mogadishu, as it become known, left 18 American soldiers dead and 73 wounded. Howard Wasdin had both of his legs nearly blown off while engaging the enemy. His dramatic combat tales combined with inside details of becoming one of the world’s deadliest snipers make this one of the most explosive military memoirs in years.

BUY SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper

Reviews:

“SEAL Team Six is a masterful blend of one man’s—Waz-Man’s—journey from hard knocks to hard corps. Even better, Waz-Man and Templin can actually write as good as they can shoot. They capture your attention at every turn—not knowing if you’re about to take a bullet to the head from a SEAL sniper or get hit in the gut with a punch line.”

—Dalton Fury, former Delta Force Commander and New York Times bestselling author of Kill Bin Laden

“Great insights into the training and operations of one of America’s premier counterterrorism units. Grabs you on page one and is hard to put down.”

—General Henry H. Shelton, USA(R), former Commander-In-Chief, U.S. Special Operations Command and 14th Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

“Wasdin is a true warrior and real hero. SEAL Team Six is a must read.”

—Gunnery Sgt. Jack Coughlin, USMC, and bestselling author of Shooter

An Excerpt from SEAL Team Six

Chapter One

Reach Out and Touch Someone

When the U.S. Navy sends their elite, they send the SEALs. When the SEALs send their elite, they send SEAL Team Six, the navy’s equivalent to the army’s Delta Force—tasked with counterterrorism and counterinsurgency, occasionally working with the CIA. This is the first time a SEAL Team Six sniper’s story has been exposed. My story.

Snipers avoid exposure. Although we prefer to act rather than be acted upon, some forces are beyond our control. We rely on our strengths to exploit the enemy’s vulnerabilities; however, during the war in the Persian Gulf I became vulnerable as the lone person on the fantail of an enemy ship filled with a crew working for Saddam Hussein. On yet another occasion, despite being a master of cover and concealment, I lay naked on an aircraft runway in a Third World country with bullet holes in both legs, the right leg nearly blown off by an AK-47 bullet. Sometimes we must face what we try to avoid.

* * *

In the morning darkness of September 18, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia, Casanova and I crept over the ledge of a retaining wall and climbed to the top of a six-story tower. Even at this early hour there were already people moving around. Men, women, and children relieved themselves in the streets. I smelled the morning fires being lit, fueled by dried animal dung and whatever else people could find to burn. The fires heated any food the Somalis had managed to obtain. Warlord Aidid knew fully the power of controlling the food supply. Every time I saw a starving child, I blamed Aidid for his evil power play that facilitated this devastation of life.

The tower we were on was located in the middle of the Pakistani compound. The Pakistanis were professional and treated us with great respect. When it was teatime, the boy in charge of serving always brought us a cup. I had even developed a taste for the fresh goat milk they used in the tea. The sounds and scents of the goatherd in the compound reached my senses as Casanova and I crawled onto the outer lip at the top of the tower. There we lay prone, watching a large garage, a vehicle body shop that had no roof. Surrounding the garage was a city of despair. Somalis trudged along with their heads and shoulders lowered. Helplessness dimmed their faces, and starvation pulled the skin tight across their bones. Because this was a “better” part of town, multilevel buildings stood in fairly good repair. There were concrete block houses instead of the tin and wooden lean-to sheds that dominated most of the city and countryside. Nevertheless, the smell of human waste and death—mixed with hopelessness—filled the air. Yes, hopelessness has a smell. People use the term “developing countries,” but that is bullcrap. What developed in Somalia was things such as hunger and fighting. I think “developing countries” is just a term used to make the people who coined it feel better. No matter what you call them, starvation and war are two of the worst events imaginable.

I calculated the exact distances to certain buildings. There are two primary considerations when making a sniper shot, windage and elevation. Because there was no significant wind that could throw my shot left or right, I didn’t have to compensate for it. Elevation is the variable considered for range/distance to the target. Since most of my potential targets were between 200 yards (garage) and 650 yards (intersection beyond the target garage), I dialed my scope in at 500 yards. This way I could just hold my rifle higher or lower depending on range. When the shooting began, there would be no time to dial in range corrections on my scope between shots.

We started our surveillance at 0600. While we waited for our agent to give us the signal, I played different scenarios over in my mind: one enemy popping out at one location, then another popping up at another location, and so on. I would acquire, aim, and even do a simulated trigger pull, going through my rehearsed breathing and follow-through routine while picturing the actual engagement. Then I simulated reloading and getting back into my Leupold 10-power scope, continuing to scan for more booger-eaters. I had done this dry firing and actual firing thousands of times—wet, dry, muddy, snowbound, from a dug-in hole in the ground, from an urban sniper hide through a partially open window, and nearly every which way imaginable. The words they had drilled into our heads since we began SEAL training were true, “The more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in war.” This particular day, I was charged with making sure none of my Delta Force buddies sprang a leak as I covered their insertion into the garage. My buddies’ not bleeding in war was every bit as important as my not bleeding.

Our target for this mission was Osman Ali Atto—Warlord Aidid’s main financier. Although Casanova and I would’ve been able to recognize the target from our previous surveillance, we were required to have confirmation of his identity from the CIA asset before we gave the launch command.

The irony wasn’t lost on me that we were capturing Atto instead of killing him—despite the fact that he and his boss had killed hundreds of thousands of Somalis. I felt that if we could kill Atto and Aidid, we could stop the fighting, get the food to the people quickly, and go home in one piece.

It wasn’t until around 0815 that our asset finally gave the predetermined signal. He was doing this because the CIA paid him well. I had learned firsthand while working with the CIA how payoffs could sway loyalty.

When we saw the signal, Casanova and I launched the “full package.” Little Bird and Black Hawk helicopters filled the sky. During this time, the Delta operators literally had their butts hanging out—the urban environment provided too much cover, too much concealment, and too many escape routes for the enemy. All a hostile had to do was shoot a few rounds at a helo or Humvee, jump back inside a building, and put his weapon down. Even if he reappeared, he was not considered hostile without a weapon. Things happened fast, and the environment was unforgiving.

Delta Force operators fast-roped down inside the garage, Rangers fast-roped around the garage, and Birds flew overhead with Delta snipers giving the assault force protection. Atto’s people scattered like rats. Soon, enemy militia appeared in the neighborhood shooting up at the helicopters.

Normally, snipers operate in a spotter-sniper relationship. The spotter identifies, ranges the targets, and relays them to the sniper for execution. There would be no time for that on this op—we were engaged in urban warfare. In this environment, an enemy could appear from anywhere. Even worse, the enemy dressed the same as a civilian. We had to wait and see his intention. Even if he appeared with a gun, there was a chance he was part of a clan on our side. We had to wait until the person pointed the weapon in the direction of our guys. Then we would ensure the enemy ceased to exist.

There would be no time for makeup or second shots. Both Casanova and I wielded .300 Win Mag sniper rifles.

Through my Leupold 10-power scope, I saw a militiaman 500 yards away firing through an open window at the helos. I made a mental note to keep my heart rate down and centered the crosshairs on him as my muscle memory took over—stock firmly into the shoulder, cheek positioned behind the scope, eye focused on the center of the crosshairs rather than the enemy, and steady trigger squeezing (even though it was only a light, 2-pound pull). I felt the gratifying recoil of my rifle. The round hit him in the side of the chest, entering his left and exiting his right. He convulsed and buckled, falling backward into the building—permanently. I quickly got back into my scope and scanned. Game on now. All other thoughts departed my mind. I was at one with my Win Mag, scanning my sector. Casanova scanned his sector, too.

Another militiaman carrying an AK-47 came out a fire escape door on the side of a building 300 yards away from me and aimed his rifle at the Delta operators assaulting the garage. From his position, I’m sure he thought he was safe from the assaulters, and he probably was. He was not safe from me—300 yards wasn’t even a challenge. I shot him through his left side, and the round exited his right. He slumped down onto the fire escape landing, never knowing what hit him. His AK-47 lay silent next to him. Someone tried to reach out and retrieve the weapon—one round from my Win Mag put a stop to that. Each time I made a shot, I immediately forgot about that target and scanned for another.

Chaos erupted inside and outside of the garage. People ran everywhere. Little Birds and Black Hawks filled the skies with deafening rotor blasts. I was in my own little world, though. Nothing existed outside my scope and my mission. Let the Unit guys handle their business in the garage. My business was reaching out and touching the enemy.

This wasn’t the first time I’d killed for my country. It wouldn’t be the last.

A few minutes passed as I continued scanning. More than 800 yards away, a guy popped up with an RPG launcher on his shoulder, preparing to fire at the helicopters. If I took him out, it would be the longest killing shot of my career. If I failed…

Copyright © 2011 by Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin

The books on this list take you down the darkest paths in uncivilized worlds, from cannibalistic gangs to vampire infected corpses. If this list doesn’t get you thinking on the quickest way stock your basement full
of water, canned goods and rifles. I don’t know what will.

World War Z

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is a post-apocalyptic horror novel by Max Brooks. WWZ is a collection of individual accounts in the form of interviews with characters conducted by the author. Brooks plays the role of an agent of the United Nations Postwar Commission who published the novel a decade after the Zombie War.

The United Nations left out much of his work from the official report, choosing to focus on facts and figures from the war rather than individual stories; these form the bulk of the novel. The interviews chart a decade-long war against zombies from the view point of many different people of various nationalities. The personal accounts also describe the changing religious, geo-political, and environmental aftermath of the Zombie War.

The outbreak, which started somewhere in China, spread throught the world, causing distruction and chaos. While the zombies are never completely irradicated, some symblance of life does appear to go on, after an eventual move of the US Capital and millions of lives lost.

Brooks used World War Z to comment on social issues like government ineptitude and American isolationism, while also examining themes of survivalism and uncertainty.

Blindness

Forget world wide pandemics of flesh eating bacteria or a zombie illness! Portugese author Jose Saramago took one of the most common afflictions, loss of sight, and turned it into my worst nightmare! in “Blindness”, a mass epidemic of sight-loss sweeps an unidentified city, causing a break down in society, civilization, and everyday function. The books main characters band together, forming a family unit, comprised of a doctor and his wife and his patients. The wife has somehow been spared from the epidemic and helps the unit function. They are placed in an asylum where the infected are being contained, which eventually detiriorates to filth, due to everyone’s lack of sight.

The family unit escapes and attempts to build a new life in the outside world, just as sight is returned, just as quickly as it was taken away.

I don’t know who I felt worse for reading this book. The people who lost their sight, who began living in their own filth and scrounging for food, or the doctor’s wife who had to take care of them all and see everything that was happening around her.

The Road

If you are a parent, or a person who doesn’t wish harm upon children, you might find this book slightly disturbing. ‘The Road’ focuses on the journey of a father and son, after an unnamed apocalyptic event wipes out a majority of the earth’s population, as well as the ability to grow plants. The father and son, only identified as the “Man” and the “Boy”, are attempting to make it to the coast, to an undetermined hope. The pair encounter several disturbing sights along the way, including a cannibalistic “army”, a baby roasting on a split, and humans who are being kept locked away and used for limb-harvesting (for food obviously).

There are some high points in the book, but overall, it paints a pretty grim picture. Towards the end of the novel, the father gets ill and dies, leaving the boy to be taken in by a couple who has been observing the pair for some time. It isn’t a happy ending, but it does keep you from wanting to kill yourself!

The Postman

This post-apocalyptic novel is about a drifter who finds himself taking shelter in an abandoned postal van. Gordan Krantz, the protagonist, takes the uniform of a postman only to keep him warm, but when he begins carrying mail on his journey, he begins to restore hope to survivors. Eventually, Krantz encounters a small community led by Cyclops, an artificial intelligence created at Oregon State University that managed to survive. Krantz learns however that the machine was destroyed and that it’s appearance is being maintained by a group of scientists who are trying to “keep hope, order, and knowledge alive”. Krantz eventually pairs up with the Cyclops scientists in their war against the hyper-survivalists, who have begun and extreme version of life.

By the end of the novel, the impression is given that the three groups rally together to help revive civilization.

This novel begins after yet another collapse of civilization, with the protagonist, Snowman, living as a hermit. He lives near by a community of what he calls “Crakers”, which appear to be strange human like creatures. It is revealed in the story that the crakers, as well as beasts like wolvogs, piggons, and rakunks, are the products of genetic engineering.

Through flashbacks, the reader learns that Snowman grew up as Jimmy in the mid-21st century. His parents were both scientists who lived in privileged compounds that separated them from commoners, or pleeblands. When Jimmy’s family moves to a compound, he meets Glenn, or Crake as he is referred to through out the story. The boys play games, smoke weed, as well as other slightly disturbing activities such as watching live executions and child pornography.

Jimmy and Crake eventually become obsessed with a young asian girl they see in a child porn video. Jimmy seeks the girl out and eventually meets Oryx, who could be the same girl, but it is never clarified. Orxy becomes highly involved in the lives of both young men. As time goes on, Crake becomes a bio engineer while Jimmy focuses on the arts and literature.

Crake soon embarks on an endeavor to create peaceful human-like creatures which he calls Crakers. Crakers are leaf-eating herbivores who only have sex during a mating period, therefore eliminating several “human” disputes. Eventually, Crake releases a world wide virus, which wipes out a huge percentage of the population, except Jimmy, who was unknowingly vaccinated. Crake is soon painted as a “Mad Scientist”, and eventually kills Oryx.

The reader is transported through out an incredible series of events and begins to feel sympathy towards all characters, including the “villain”, Crake. The book ends leaving the reader wondering whether Snowman will return to life with humans, or continue to look after the Crakers, as he promised Oryx before she died.

A Canticle for Leibowitz

“A Canticle for Leibowitz” spans thousands of years set in a Roman Catholic monastery. After a devastating nuclear war, the novel follows along while civilization makes attempts at rebuilding itself. The monks of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz take on the mission of preserving and protecting the pieces of human’s scientific knowledge until the world is ready for that kind of information again.

The apocalyptic event in this story is a backlash against advanced technology and knowledge. During a time that is referred to in the book as “simplification”, any one who had any learning, and eventually anyone who could even read, was killed by angry mobs, with books being destroyed and illiteracy taking over the world.

Isaac Leibowitz had been a Jewish engineer working for the US Military, but converts to Catholicism and begins the Albertian Order. Their mission becomes to protect,memorize, and preserve any books, from before the Simplification. The novel is separated into three different parts, “Fiat Homo (Let There Be Man)”, “Fiat Lux (Let There Be Light)”, and “Fiat Voluntas Tua (Let Thy Will Be Done)”.

The novel is an interesting look into what our world would become if communication, science, technological advances, and knowledge were suddenly cut off from every day people.

Alas, Babylon

Published in 1959, “Alas, Babylon” was one of the first post-apocalyptic novels of the nuclear age. The story focuses on the small town of Fort Repose, Florida and the effects that a nuclear war had on it. The protagonist, Randy Bragg, is a former Korean War vet who becomes a hero after the Soviet Union starts a nuclear war with the US. Several towns in Florida, including Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami are reported as being destroyed, leaving the citizens of Fort Repose to their own measures. Communication is limited, and the city is quickly emptied of money and supplies. People in the town quickly learn how to survive, with Bragg leading the way. In the end, the Air Force offers to move the remaining families of Fort Repose out of their survivalist world, however, non accept.

Alas, Babylon shows how quickly the world could deteriorate if a Nuclear war started. Don’t be alarmed if after you read it, you feel the need to go to Costco for bottled water and dry goods!

Lucifer’s Hammer

If you’re one to quickly oppose scientists, then Lucifer’s Hammer might be just the post-apocalyptic book for you! Even after several reassurances by astronomer Tim Hamner that a new comet won’t be crashing into the earth, people still begin hoarding and collecting food. Scientists realize that they have mis-tracked the trajectory of the comet, which eventually breaks into several smaller pieces and devastates the earth with its collision. The strike causes volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and endless weeks of rain, which cause food and other survival necessities to be lost.

After the “Hammerfall”, Hamner steps up from a quiet astronomer to a “determined survivor”. He fights to keep he and his new wife, Eileen safe, in such a tumultuous world.

This book particularly got me thinking, just because we rely so much on what scientists tell us. What if they really did get it wrong?

Swan Song

Swan Song doesn’t start out on a particularly happy note. The world is in turmoil, with the U.S. and USSR fighting all around the world. When all of the bombs are launched, the world is covered in mushroom shaped clouds. The novel follows several main characters, including a NYC bag lady called Sister Creep, Josh, aka Black Frankestein, a 7 foot tall wrestler with a heart the size of Texas, and Roland Croninger, an incredibly smart kid. Of course good vs. evil is prominent through out the novel. The bad lies within “The Man With the Scarlet Eye”, who is a shape shifter, always up to no good. The very refreshing good however is a blonde girl named Swan, who possesses the ability to replenish the earth.

The book is pretty big (950 pages!), and if you can get through it, its probably the most terrifying post apocalyptic novel out there!

On the Beach

“On the Beach” doesn’t only qualify as one of the best Post-Apocalyptic novels, it qualifies as one of the most depressing. If you’re looking for sunshine and rainbows, this isn’t one you’ll want to check out! The novel starts in the mid-sixties, after the air in the Northern Hemisphere has been polluted with nuclear fallout, killing all animal life, including humans. Air currents are slowly carrying the fallout to the southern hemisphere, where the only humans live, slowly succumbing to radiation poisoning. The Australian government makes arrangements for its citizens, providing free suicide pills and injections, allowing the people to avoid the slow and painful death of radiation poisoning. A submarine crew is dispatched to Seattle to respond to a signal, only to discover that the wind was blowing a coke bottle onto a telegraph machine.

The crew then realizes that the results of the nuclear war aren’t dissipating, and that the people living in the south will die shortly. The characters in the novel then try to happily live out their final days, some returning to their hometowns, others taking classes and staying busy. In the end, the characters don’t continue to run, but accept their death once the radiation reaches them. Probably the most depressing point in the book is when one Australian officer must explain to his wife how to euthanize their baby daughter and then kill herself, should the radiation reach them.

Like I said, not all sunshine and rainbows.

Z for Zachariah

“Z for Zachariah” starts by introducing the reader to Ann Burden, the protagonist, who has been living alone in a valley for over a year after a nuclear war, which has rendered all other places inhabitable. One day, Ann sees a stranger in a protective suit entering the valley, which changes her life forever. When he determines that the valley is safe, he takes off his suit and swims, but unfortunately, the water is contaminated by water being brought in from the outside. Once he is sick, Ann decides to try to help him.

Once he is better, he introduces himself as John R. Loomis, a scientist who was helping to design the protective suits underground when the war began. The sickness soon takes over his body completely, sending him into a coma, during which Ann continues to look after him.

He begins to recover and becomes highly possessive of Ann. One night, he attempts to rape her, and Ann decides she must leave the comfort of her home. She attempts to coexist in the valley with Loomis, but he makes it difficult, cutting her off from food and supplies, and even shooting her in the leg.

Eventually, Ann tells him she is taking the suit and the cart and leaving. She tells him that if he kills her, then he’ll truly be alone. Ann sets of in the direction of birds, hoping to continue her life.

This novel is popular among young adults, because the main character is a strong willed young person. There are obviously sad portions, but there are also light, almost comical moments that keep you turning the page.

I Am Legend

If the only opinions you have of ‘I am Legend’ come from the horrible movie adaptation starring Will Smith, erase them all. Probably one of the greatest pieces of fiction ever written, much less in the “post-apocalyptic” category, “I am Legend” deals with the idea of becoming obsolete, which plagues so many people.

After a bacterial pandemic wipes out the entire human race, Robert Neville, the novel’s main character, is the only human left in a world of vampires. Neville attempts to study and cure the disease, to which he became immune after a bite from a bat that was infected. Neville eventually discovers that the strain of bacteria is able to infect both the deceased and the living, leaving the living slightly human, although exhibiting signs of vampirism.

Robert comes across a woman who appears to be uninfected and captures her. He becomes suspicious of her after her reluctance to kill the vampires. She finally agrees to a blod test and just when Neville realizes she is infected, she knocks him out. She leaves him a note, sharying the adaptations that the infected have made towards sunlight and how they have even developed pills that keep their desires at bay. She tells him that they are attempting to rebuild society. Eventually the vampires come for him, and he is wounded and captured. When he knows death is near, Ruth comes to visit and gives him some pills that will make his death easier. He asks Ruth not to let society get heartless and after a kiss, she leaves. Neville finally realizes that he is the only survivor and is therefore feared by this new race. As he realizes that life with infection could be normal again one day, he chuckles before he dies, thinking “[I am] a new superstition entering the unassailable fortress of forever. I am legend.”

One year ago, Sarah Palin burst onto the national political stage like a comet. Yet even now, few Americans know who this remarkable woman really is.

On September 3, 2008 Alaska Governor and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention that electrified the nation and instantly made her one of the most recognizable women in the world.

As chief executive of America’s largest state, she had built a record as a reformer who cast aside politics-as-usual and pushed through changes other politicians only talked about: Energy independence. Ethics reform. And the biggest private sector infrastructure project in U.S. history. And while revitalizing public school funding and ensuring the state met its responsibilities to seniors and Alaska Native populations, Palin also beat the political “good ol’ boys club” at their own game and brought Big Oil to heel.

Like her GOP running mate, John McCain, Palin wasn’t a packaged and over-produced candidate. She was a Main Street American woman: a working mom, wife of a blue collar union man, and mother of five children, the eldest of whom was serving his country in a yearlong deployment in Iraq and the youngest, an infant with special needs. Palin’s hometown story touched a populist nerve, rallying hundreds of thousands of ordinary Americans to the GOP ticket.

But as the campaign unfolded, Palin became a lightning rod for both praise and criticism. Supporters called her “refreshing” and “honest,” a kitchen-table public servant they felt would fight for their interests. Opponents derided her as a wide-eyed Pollyanna unprepared for national leadership. But none of them knew the real Sarah Palin.

In this eagerly anticipated memoir, Palin paints an intimate portrait of growing up in the wilds of Alaska; meeting her lifelong love; her decision to enter politics; the importance of faith and family; and the unique joys and trials of life as a high-profile working mother. She also opens up for the first time about the 2008 presidential race, providing a rare, mom’s-eye view of high-stakes national politics—from patriots dedicated to “Country First” to slick politicos bent on winning at any cost.

Going Rogue traces one ordinary citizen’s extraordinary journey and imparts Palin’s vision of a way forward for America and her unfailing hope in the greatest nation on earth.

Going Rogue: An American Life

Sarah Palin Biography

Sarah Palin grew up in Alaska towns, from Skagway to Wasilla to Anchorage, while her dad taught science and coached high school sports. She and her future husband, Todd Palin, graduated from Wasilla High School in 1982, and she went on to earn her college degree from the School of Journalism at the University of Idaho. Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council, then two terms as the city’s mayor and manager, and was elected by her peers as president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors. She then chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. Palin was elected Alaska’s youngest, and first female, governor, serving from 2006 to 2009. While serving her state she was tapped as Senator John McCain’s running mate in 2008, becoming the first female Republican vice presidential candidate in our nation’s history.

The Palins reside in Wasilla with their five children, including a son in the U.S. Army, and one grandson. They enjoy an extended family throughout Alaska and the Lower 48.

‘End the Fed’ by Ron Paul appeals to every citizens despite his or her own political inclinations. Republicans and Democrats can both agree that one single institution has created more corruption, war, and poverty than any other in the course of American History, the Federal Reserve.

The interests of a private banking cartel take precedence over the needs and desires of the tax paying American people. The Federal Reserve makes it possible for the government to fund a welfare state, run massive budget deficits and wars in two foreign countries at the same time.

The FED makes it possible through debt, loans, and a tax called inflation. No Taxation without Representation! Without the Federal Reserve the government powers would be forced to look closely at every dollar spent. Instead they are given carte blanc, no questions asked or even basic oversight and accountability.

When their schemes and tricks come to the light of day we see the results are disastrous for the common people. When the Federal Reserve gave out too much money to the banks with 0% interest, we saw that they went wild with lending and when their carelessness led to the failure of close to every single major bank, who was there to bail them out once again. The American people. Now here we are trillions further into an endless pit of debt and what do we have to show for it?

Ron Paul: End the Fed

End The FED Description

In the post-meltdown world, it is irresponsible, ineffective, and ultimately useless to have a serious economic debate without considering and challenging the role of the Federal Reserve.

Most people think of the Fed as an indispensable institution without which the country’s economy could not properly function. But in END THE FED, Ron Paul draws on American history, economics, and fascinating stories from his own long political life to argue that the Fed is both corrupt and unconstitutional. It is inflating currency today at nearly a Weimar or Zimbabwe level, a practice that threatens to put us into an inflationary depression where $100 bills are worthless.

What most people don’t realize is that the Fed — created by the Morgans and Rockefellers at a private club off the coast of Georgia — is actually working against their own personal interests. Congressman Paul’s urgent appeal to all citizens and officials tells us where we went wrong and what we need to do fix America’s economic policy for future generations.

Reviews of End The FED

“Rarely has a single book not only challenged, but decisively changed my mind. “

by Arlo Guthrie

“Everyone must read this book–Congressmen and college students, Democrats and Republicans–all Americans.”

by Vince Vaughn

The end of the world as we know it or, TEOTWAWKI as Rawles often refers to it as.

The definitive guide on how to prepare for any crisis from global financial collapse to a global pandemic. It would only take one unthinkable event to disrupt our way of life. If there is a terrorist attack, a global pandemic, or sharp currency devaluation–you may be forced to fend for yourself in ways you’ve never imagined. Where would you get water? How would you communicate with relatives who live in other states? What would you use for fuel?

Survivalist expert James Wesley, Rawles, author of Patriots and editor of SurvivalBlog.com, shares the essential tools and skills you will need for you family to survive, including:

How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques for Uncertain Times

Water: Filtration, transport, storage, and treatment options.

Food Storage: Home storage methods, quantities, proper rotation, and keeping out vermin.

Fuel and Home Power: Home heating fuels, fuel storage safety, backup generators.

Gardens, Orchards, and Livestock: Gardening basics, non-hybrid seeds, greenhouses

Medical Supplies and Training: Building a first aid kit, minor surgery, chronic health issues.

Communications: Following international news, staying in touch with loved ones.

Home Security: Your panic room, self-defense training and tools.

When to Get Outta Dodge: Vehicle selection, kit packing lists, routes and planning.

Investing and Barter: Tangibles investing, building your barter stockpile. And much more.

How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It is a must-have for every well-prepared family. Rawles first book “Patriots: How to survive in the coming economic collapse” was a hugely successful book has been printed 6 different times and sold over 100,000 copies. This novel is supposed to be much more informative and detailed than his previous books.

Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse is part novel and part survival handbook. Many of the lessons in Patriots come straight from the military field manuals. The instructions are seamlessly interwoven into the action of the story. The characters in Patriots use advanced survival techniques to endure the collapse of the American civilization. From how to properly secure your survival retreat with reinforced doors to treating fatal gunshot wounds on your kitchen table and everything in between. Reading this novel could one day make the difference between life and death.

The author James Wesley, Rawles is the editor of the “Survival Blog” the Internet’s most popular blog on family preparedness. Rawles was also a former U.S. Army intelligence officer.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is interested in preparedness. The knowledge in this book is truly priceless. A fantastic wealth of detail provided, as in product names, exact numerical measurements, version numbers of equipment, and all relevant reference manuals cited as sources.

Synopsis:

Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse

America faces a full-scale socioeconomic collapse in the near future. The stock market plummets, hyperinflation cripples commerce and the mounting crisis passes the tipping point. Practically overnight the fragile chains of supply and high technology infrastructure fall, ans wholesale rioting and looting grip every major city.

As hordes of refugees and looters pour out of the cities, a small group of friends living in the Midwest desperately tries to make their way to a safe-haven ranch in northern Idaho. The journey requires all their skills and training since communication, commerce, transportation, and law enforement have all disappeared. Once at the ranch, the group fends off vicious attacks from outsiders and then looks to join other groups that are trying to restore true Constitutional law to the country.

Reviews

Claire Wolfe stated: “First the stock market and monetary systems crumble. Riots, then disease, stalk the cities. Tens of millions die. Survivors—in this case, a small band of well-prepared young men and women in rural Idaho—hang on for years, defending their redoubts against roaming looters.

Then things get really bad.

A provisional federal government shows up, bringing UN troops and national ID cards. The survivors become warriors, striking to take their country back.

Once again I cannot stress enough how important it is that you gain the knowledge from this book and Rawles and then share it with your friends and loved ones.

Peter Schiff is an economist, news commentator, video blogger, soon to be senator, and author of Crash Proof How to Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse. Schiff is the president of Euro Pacific Capital, an international brokerage firm, which he founded back in 1980.

Peter Schiff supports sounds money, limited government, and free market capitalism. His book “Crash Proof: How to Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse” predicted the burst of the housing bubble and the decline of the U.S. dollar.

From both an economic and monetary perspective, the United States is a house of cards – impressive on the outside, but a disaster waiting to happen beneath the surface. In a relatively short period of time, the country has gone from the world’s largest creditor to its largest debtor; the value of the dollar has declined; and domestic manufacturing has given way to non-exportable services. While these and issues could be potentially spell disaster for your financial well-being, the situation could also present a unique once in a lifetime opportunity, if you’re prepared for it.

Contents:

1. The Slippery Slope: Consumers, Not Producers
2. What Uncle Sam, the Mass Media, and Wall Street Don’t Want You to Know
3. For a Few Dollars More: Our Declining Currency
4. Inflation Nation: The Federal Reserve Fallacy
5. My Kingdom for a Buyer: Stock Market Chaos
6. The Burst Bubbles, Don’t They?: The Coming Real Estate Debacle
7. Come On In, the Water’s Fine: Our Consumer Debt Program
8. How to Survive and Thrive, Step 1: Rethinking Your Stock Portfolio
9. How to Survive and Thrive, Step 2: Gold Rush – Be the First Person on Your Block to Stake a Claim
10. How to Survive and Thrive, Step 3: Stay Liquid

Today we can see that many of Peter’s prediction have already come to pass. Peter takes complex economic ideals and breaks it down in an easy to understand way. In his book, he shows the way that you can protect your wealth and profit from the coming economic collapse.

You can find more about Peter Schiff at Schiff For Senate .com

For first-time homebuyers, or those who have not owned in the last three years, can receive up to an $8,000 tax credit.

The federal income tax credit for homebuyers has been extended and expanded to now include homeowners who wish to “move on” after 5 years of living in their current property, as well as first-time homebuyers.

According to The National Association of Realtors News Release, dated 11/5/09, an estimated $22 billion has already been added to the general economy resulting from the bill and approximately 2 million people will utilize the tax credit in 2009.

• First-time homebuyers, or those who have not owned in the last three years, can receive up to an $8,000 tax credit
• Homeowners who have lived in a current home consecutively for 5 of the past 8 years can receive up to a $6,500 tax credit
• There may be no future extensions, so all qualified homebuyers are urged to act and have a written, binding contract by April 30, 2010
• Income limits are now $125,000 for singles, $225,000 for married couples with a $20,000 phase-out of the credit for both.

Visit Coldwell Banker to find out more about your First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit.