Ken Gire

Donald Stratton

The extraordinary first and only memoir by a survivor of the USS Arizona, published in conjunction with the seventy-fifth anniversary of Pearl Harbor. An unforgettable and moving story of tragedy, heroism, resilience, and redemption that is sure to become an enduring document of American history, All the Gallant Men is a sailor’s eyewitness, moment-by-moment account of the Japanese surprise attack that decimated the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, and and his inspiring return to active duty to carry on the Allied fight in the Pacific. On December 7, 1941, the Arizona was moored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, alongside seven other American battleships. At 7:55 a.m., the leisurely Sunday morning’s serenity was broken by the drone of bomb-laden Japanese Zeros swooping from the sky. The Arizona was the first battleship targeted in a massive surprise attack by the Empire of Japan; 353 imperial war planes swarmed Battleship Row and neighboring Hickam Airfield in a meticulously planned assault launched to cripple America’s Pacific Fleet. Amid the terrifying chaos of explosions and incessant machine gun fire, nineteen-year-old Seaman First Class Donald Stratton raced to his battle station on the Arizona. Barely fifteen minutes into the attack, a 1,760-pound armor-piercing bomb hit the ship, setting off a million pounds of munitions and 180,000 gallons of aviation fuel aboard. The explosion lifted the massive battleship out of the water causing the forward deck to buckle, and engulfed it in an enormous fifty-foot fireball that tore through the anti-aircraft platform where Don and his team were stationed. Burned over more than sixty-five percent of his body, Don and his gunnery team miraculously escaped the inferno; using their charred hands, they climbed across a seventy-foot-long rope stretched forty-five feet above flaming, oil-slicked water to reach the Vestal moored nearby. While Don made it out alive, 1,177 of his crewmates perished—more than half the American casualty total of the attack. But this remarkable story does not end here. After more than a year of grueling treatment, including learning to walk again, Don recovered and doggedly battled Navy bureaucracy to re-enlist. Determined to take the fight to the enemy, he participated in some of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific, including the invasion of New Guinea, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Told in remarkable, never-before-revealed first-person detail, this powerful and uplifting memoir of war and survival resonates with the spirit, heart, and undaunted courage of such beloved bestsellers as Unbroken and The Boys in the Boat.

An American Sailor's Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor

All the Gallant Men

THE FIRST MEMOIR BY A USS ARIZONA SURVIVOR: Donald Stratton, one of the battleship's five living heroes, delivers a "powerful" and "intimate"* eyewitness account of Pearl Harbor and his unforgettable return to the fight At 8:10 a.m. on December 7, 1941, Seaman First Class Donald Stratton was consumed by an inferno. A million pounds of explosives had detonated beneath his battle station aboard the USS Arizona, barely fifteen minutes into Japan’s surprise attack on American forces at Pearl Harbor. Near death and burned across two thirds of his body, Don, a nineteen-year-old Nebraskan who had been steeled by the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, summoned the will to haul himself hand over hand across a rope tethered to a neighboring vessel. Forty-five feet below, the harbor’s flaming, oil-slick water boiled with enemy bullets; all around him the world tore itself apart. In this extraordinary, never-before-told eyewitness account of the Pearl Harbor attack—the only memoir ever written by a survivor of the USS Arizona—ninety-four-year-old veteran Donald Stratton finally shares his unforgettable personal tale of bravery and survival on December 7, 1941, his harrowing recovery, and his inspiring determination to return to the fight. Don and four other sailors made it safely across the same line that morning, a small miracle on a day that claimed the lives of 1,177 of their Arizona shipmates—approximately half the American fatalaties at Pearl Harbor. Sent to military hospitals for a year, Don refused doctors’ advice to amputate his limbs and battled to relearn how to walk. The U.S. Navy gave him a medical discharge, believing he would never again be fit for service, but Don had unfinished business. In June 1944, he sailed back into the teeth of the Pacific War on a destroyer, destined for combat in the crucial battles of Leyte Gulf, Luzon, and Okinawa, thus earning the distinction of having been present for the opening shots and the final major battle of America’s Second World War. As the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack approaches, Don, a great-grandfather of five and one of six living survivors of the Arizona, offers an unprecedentedly intimate reflection on the tragedy that drew America into the greatest armed conflict in history. All the Gallant Men is a book for the ages, one of the most remarkable—and remarkably inspiring—memoirs of any kind to appear in recent years. *Library Journal

When You Need a Savior Who Stills the Wind "Here's the rub about faith. Sure, prayer often changes outward things, but the only guaranteed miracle God offers us is inner peace, the peace of Christ. A peace so crazy deep that it cannot be analyzed or understood. It descends on us even when everything else is falling apart, while the drug-addicted child does not come to his senses, or the job offer doesn't pan out, or the cancer rages and the marriage is a hollow mess. But I'll let you in on a secret. This miracle of the 'inner variety,' this inexplicable and supernatural calm in the storm, is the greatest miracle you'll ever experience." Bestselling author Ken Gire weaves together stories from the Bible, history, and his own life to reveal how we can find strength and encouragement through the storms of life. Experience the joy of knowing the God who is always there to reach out a hand and pull you out of the waves.

Experiencing the Savior's Presence When You Need Him Most

At Peace in the Storm

A devotional tapestry woven from the threads of Scripture, prayer, and meditation, this book will help readers relive life-changing moments with Jesus.

Learning to Love

Intimate Moments with the Savior

Duty. Honor. Tyranny. Love. Lucius read of the heroic exploits of Caesar's Fourteenth Legion and their attacks on Gaul and Britain, and ever since, he dreamed of the glory of Rome and adventures on the high seas that would secure his place in that glory. But his first station was in the backwaters of Jerusalem. Haunted by witnessing the crucifixion of Jesus, Lucius seeks out one of his followers, Mary of Magdalene. He must know more about this King of the Jews. In the weeks that follow, the centurion finds himself falling for Mary Magdalene and the Lord Jesus, whom she follows. But, the centurion, instead, follows General Paulinus to halt the rebellion in the Britons with Lucius, his most trusted officer, leading his men into battle In the most brutal of times-a sweeping stage that includes persecution within the borders of the Roman Empire and war outside its borders-The Centurion chronicles Lucius and Mary's journeys, which take very different routes: herstoward God; his away from God. Decades later when their paths cross again, during the Christian persecutions in northern Italy-life-warn and weary, they must choose to serve love or duty.

The Centurion

Capt. Dale Black

Imagine getting a glimpse of heaven, a preview of life in God's presence. Could life here ever be the same? Capt. Dale Black has flown as a commercial pilot all over the world, but one flight changed his life forever--an amazing journey to heaven and back. The only survivor of a horrific plane crash, Dale was hovering between life and death when he had a wondrous experience of heaven. What he saw, what he heard, and what he learned there continues to ripple through his life and touch others. Against all odds, Dale miraculously recovered from his injuries and learned to fly again. Now, with his life as a testament, he shares his inspiring story--offering hope and encouragement for those dealing with serious injuries or the loss of a loved one, and those looking for assurance about this life and the next. Experience a Life-Changing Vision of Heaven

A Plane Crash...A Lone Survivor...A Journey to Heaven--and Back

Flight to Heaven

Kim's Diary

Ken Gire, author of more than 20 books, offers a Christian perspective on the themes inherent in the popular dystopian series, The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins. This book is about the absence of God and the consequences of his absence in our individual lives and in the collective life of the state. And yet, the image of God still resides in us, offering hope. This book offers us tools we'll need as we prepare to face The Hunger Games to come in all of our lives.

Finding God in The Hunger Games

Ken Gire, author of more than 20 books, offers a Christian perspective on the themes inherent in the popular dystopian series, The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins. This book is about the absence of God and the consequences of his absence in our individual lives and in the collective life of the state. And yet,the image of God still resides in us, offering hope. This book offers us tools we’ll need as we prepare to face The Hunger Games to come in all of our lives.

Finding God in the Hunger Games

Revere life, and give yours away for the sake of serving others. As a young man, Albert Schweitzer seemed destined for greatness. His immense talent and fortitude propelled him to a place as one of Europe’s most renowned philosophers, theologians, and musicians in the early twentieth century. Yet Schweitzer shocked his contemporaries by forsaking worldly success and embarking on an epic journey into the wilds of French Equatorial Africa, vowing to serve as a lifelong physician to “the least of these” in a mysterious land rife with famine, sickness, and superstition. Enduring hardship, conflict, and personal struggles, he and his beloved wife, Hélène, became French prisoners of war during WWI, and Hélène later battled persistent illnesses. Ken Gire’s page-turning, novelesque narrative sheds new light on Schweitzer’s faith-in-action ethic and his commitment to honor God by celebrating the sacredness of all life. The legacy of this 1952 Nobel Prize honoree endures in the thriving African hospital community that began in a humble chicken coop, in the millions who have drawn inspiration from his example, and in the challenge that emanates from his life story into our day. Albert Schweitzer seemed destined for greatness—and he achieved it by making his life his greatest sermon to a world in desperate need of hope and healing.

The Doctor Who Made Africa His Life: The Remarkable Story of Albert Schweitzer

Answering the Call

This beautifully written book provides a fresh perspective for people who long for a richer experience with the presence of God and deeper meaning in everyday life.

Experiencing God in New Ways

Windows of the Soul

Praise for Windows of the SoulEvery once in a while a book comes along that makes you stop and think—and then think some more—like Ken Gire’s wonderful book Windows of the Soul.—John Trent in Christian Parenting TodayKen Gire has created a book that gently pours forth, like water out of a garden bucket, cleansing our thoughts and opening the petals of our spirits, providing us with a new sense of clarity in our search for God. —Manhattan (KS) MercuryEach word, each phrase, is painstakingly wrought, loaded with thoughts and prayer, and filled with new glimpses of God’s love, grace, and strength. —The Christian AdvocateWindows of the Soul will surprise you with the many and varied windows God uses to speak to us. With the heart of an artist, Ken Gire paints word pictures in prose and poetry that will thrill your heart.—Mature LivingWindows of the Soul is a rare book, resounding with the cry for communion that is both ours and God’s. With passion, honesty, and beauty, Ken Gire calls us to a fresh sensitivity to God’s voice speaking through the unexpected parables that surround us.—Christian Courier

Hearing God in the Everyday Moments of Your Life

Becoming More Spiritually Sensitive to the Everyday Moments of Life

Seeing What Is Sacred

Encouragement and Comfort from God's Word for Those Experiencing Difficult Times For most people, life isn't a placid cruise; everyone passes through storms at some point. In At Peace in the Storm, master storyteller Ken Gire helps readers take a fresh look at faith in the face of life's turmoil. Bringing experience and insight to familiar Bible narratives--from Jonah's disastrous voyage to Paul's Mediterranean shipwreck--Gire gets to the core of our fears and uncertainties, and the circumstances that bring them out in the open. Readers will rediscover the comforting presence of God, no matter the intensity of their personal circumstances. Includes questions for individual or small group use.

"Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." 1 Peter 2:21 What must it have been like to draw near to Christ as he drew near to the cross? Reflecting on Michelangelo's majestic Pieta, in which Mary gathers the suffering Jesus into her arms, Ken Gire offers seven meditations on a costly discipleship that invites us to take up our cross and follow our Savior--through death to life everlasting.

Meditations on the Sufferings of Jesus

Shaped by the Cross

This compilation of Ken's best-selling Moments with the Savior books contains all the devotions from the four previous books as well as many new devotions -- all in one deluxe hardcover volume.

A Devotional Life of Christ

Moments with the Savior

Around us, there are hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence, a life unhurried serenity and peace and power. A life where we see all that is sacred. It seems the more we pack into our lives, the less we experience of our lives. We've become modern-day Marthas, busy, distracted, and empty, instead of like her sister Mary, calm, focused, and fulfilled. How do we, like Mary, create "pauses" in our days and weeks to hear what the Savior has to say to us? How do we make time for the things that ultimately matter? How can we become more spiritually sensitive to the everyday moments of life? In Seeing What Is Sacred (formerly titled The Reflective Life), acclaimed writer Ken Gire unlocks the door to change by introducing us not to a trendy new method, but to a centuries-old tradition of seeing the sacred in the everyday through reflective living. In this momentous work, readers will: Discover this rich heritage that stretches from David, Solomon, and Jesus himself to Augustine, Brother Lawrence and Mother Teresa. Learn "habits of the heart" that deepen their intimacy with Christ through Scripture, meditation, and prayer Cultivate a spiritual sensitivity that allows them to see God at work in all of life's moments

Ken Gire delicately weaves events, emotions, thoughts, and faces into a moving depiction of the life of Christ that takes you on a step-by-step journey with the Lord. Woven with threads of humanity and divinity, Moments with the Savior reveals the Lord who calls you to a more intimate relationship with him.

Follows the adventures of a group of small animals living in a bayou in East Texas. Each adventure concludes with a Bible verse.

Adventures in the Big Thicket

If you are coping with loss, experiencing confusion and doubt, or simply feeling overwhelmed, these beautifully formed devotions will ignite the hope that God is with you in even the winter seasons of life. Winter is a time of waiting, a time of questioning. Yet a promise lies buried beneath the snow--a seed waiting to spring to life. These brief meditations will touch the hidden places of your heart, comfort your spirit, and renew your strength through the open invitation to deeper reflection and more attentive listening to God's still small voice. Author Ken Gire illustrates how God is with you yesterday, today, and forever.

Ken Gire

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