Books published by publisher Sophia Institute Press

Red Crew is a first-hand account of U.S. Coast Guard anti-smuggling operations during the early years of the nation’s maritime war on drugs. Jim Howe describes his experience as the executive officer of a specialized drug-hunting crew that sailed in then-state-of-the-art “surface effect ships,” a small flotilla of high-speed vessels pressed into the drug war on short notice.In the early 1980s, South Florida and the Caribbean were awash in illicit drugs, with hundreds of smuggling organizations bringing huge loads of marijuana, and later cocaine, into the United States. To fight this epidemic, the Reagan administration led a massive effort to disrupt shore-side gangs while bolstering interdiction activity at sea. To increase the number of days at sea for each surface effect ship, a “multi-crewing” concept was employed, with four teams of sixteen sailors—the Red, Blue, Green, and Gold Crews—rotating among three hulls.Through its first-person narrative, Red Crew offers a rare glimpse into the day-to-day pressures, challenges, failures, and successes of Coast Guard cuttermen as they carried out complex and dangerous missions. Red Crew provides a unique historical view of the early days in the Coast Guard’s war on drugs, and is the only book-length history of the diminutive, one-of-a-kind surface effect ship fleet.

Saints are the men and women who best love Christ and His Church. They may be kings or queens, statesmen or soldiers, scholars, visionaries, workmen or beggars. They teach us the real meaning of human history, and they show us how to live in any walk of life or set of circumstances.Included in this anthology are famous saints — Francis of Assisi, Dominic, Joan of Arc, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila — but also more obscure ones, such as Raymond Lull and Hugh of Lincoln.Many of these saints were martyrs, killed in periods of persecution. Others died trying to bring the knowledge of Christ to pagan tribes. Yet others built up the Church through their example and their teaching, but were never called upon to shed their blood.These beautifully written stories follow one from another, linked through time in such a way that the reader easily obtains a vivid picture of the sweep of history, the history of Christendom as it unfolds in the lives of individual men and women right up to modern times, with the first citizen of the United States to be pronounced a saint, Mother Cabrini.Every saint is different, every one a unique personality. Each of them finds his vocation and destiny in a different way — teaching us that God has in mind for you and me a very special adventure that will be all our own. The purpose of our lives is to find that mission that only we can fulfill in the body of the Church, for the love of God and our neighbor.

Because he was big and strong and sometimes slow to speak, Thomas Aquinas’s schoolmates called him the Dumb Ox. Not long afterward, he came to be called Doctor (which means “teacher”) because he could actually understand complicated things quickly and explain them well.Which is what he loved to do, preaching often and writing in the course of his lifetime no fewer than eighty-five works of philosophy and theology — books that changed the Church and the world. Indeed, in 1320, less than fifty years after Thomas died, Thomas’s biographer said that “throughout the entire world Thomas’s teachings have spread among the faithful, and the whole Church is instructed by his voice.” Today, the Church Herself calls Saint Thomas Aquinas the Angelic Doctor (”the teacher who is like an angel”): pure, strong, close to God, and truly a messenger of divine light. Scholar he was, but to those who knew him, Saint Thomas gave not only beautiful sermons and books, but also his heart, his devotion, and his love. Initially written for children, but a delight for grownups as well, these pages show the beauty and holiness that belonged especially to Saint Thomas Aquinas, the man of learning who was also a man of God: the patron saint of all those, young and old, who love the truth with their whole hearts, and who wish to know and serve it well.

"Required Reading" Marine Corps Professional Reading ProgramBluejacket Paperback Book SeriesIn this riveting insider's chronicle, legendary Marine General "Brute" Krulak submits an unprecedented examination of U.S. Marines--their fights on the battlefield and off, their extraordinary esprit de corps. Deftly blending history with autobiography, action with analysis, and separating fact from fable, General Krulak touches the very essence of the Corps: what it means to be a Marine and the reason behind its consistently outstanding performance and reputation.Krulak also addresses the most basic but challenging question of all about the Corps: how does it manage to survive--even to flourish--despite overwhelming political odds and, as the general writes, "an extraordinary propensity for shooting itself in the foot?" To answer this question Krulak examines the foundation on which the Corps is built, a system of intense loyalty to God, to country, and to other Marines. He also takes a close look at Marines in war, offering challenging accounts of their experiences in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. In addition, he describes the Corps's relationship to other services, especially during the unification battles following World War II, and offers new insights into the decision-making process in times of crisis. First published in hardcover in 1984, this book has remained popular ever since with Marines of every rank.

Often appropriately described as the "greatest naval battle in history," the battle of Leyte Gulf (23-26 October 1944) was actually a series of battles in which both sides exhibited courage and resourcefulness yet suffered from confusion born of poorly conceived command relationships and ineffective communications. Marked by awe-inspiring heroism, failed intelligence, brilliant deception, flawed strategy, effective tactical planning, great controversies, and a host of lessons learned, this gargantuan battle involved hundreds of ships, included nearly 200,000 participants, spanned more than 100,000 square miles, and resulted in the deaths of thousands of sailors from both sides. Every facet of naval warfare at the time was involved--air, surface, subsurface, amphibious, and--with the introduction of the kamikaze--a forerunner of guided missiles. It is clearly one of the great naval battles in history and has been the subject of countless books and articles in the 75 years since those massive fleets clashed in the Western Pacific. In his introduction, Cutler contends that there are five elements that make this battle unique and of continuing interest to historians, buffs, and strategists. These elements are explained, reinforced, and enhanced by a number of original essays and by special selections from the Naval Institute's impressive archive. The eleven essays by eminent historians take new looks at various aspects of this complex and ultimately decisive battle, providing fresh insight and offering different perspectives that will answer some old questions and likely pose new ones. This enlightening retrospective collection is further enhanced by a selection of articles culled from the rich archive of the Naval Institute's Proceedings and Naval History magazines that have long sustained the debates and the lessons learned from this important historical event. The result is an edifying and entertaining volume that will not likely be the last on this important subject but serves as an important contribution to this evergreen topic.

The adventures of St. Peter, the first pope — for childrenMost kids think of popes as old men who live quiet lives in the Vatican. In fact, danger stalks every pope. From John Paul II (who was shot) all the way back to the first pope, the men God places in charge of His Church have been hated and attacked for their goodness and for the good the Church does.These pages recount the adventures of Peter, the first pope, whose troubles began just days after Jesus returned to Heaven. When Peter preached, baptized three thousand people, and cured a lame man, soldiers threw him into prison. Set free by a judge, Peter preached again, won more converts, and got jailed again . . . and again. Finally freed by angels, Peter traveled throughout Asia, setting up many new churches. Then he went to Rome, the capital of the Empire, where he converted many and, doing so, angered the pagan emperor Nero. Nero’s soldiers threw many Christians to the lions. They arrested Peter, led him before a jeering crowd, and crucified him.Today, on the very spot where Peter was crucified, stands the most important Catholic Church in the world, St. Peter’s Basilica. Nearby is the Vatican, the Church’s worldwide headquarters, and for centuries home to the popes — men who are now known not merely by their chosen names but are also called “Peter” (to remind us that Christ Himself has placed them, too, in charge of His Church).Yes, as you’ll read in these exciting pages, Peter, the first pope, died (as will all who ever take his place). But each will be replaced by yet another pope, who will also be known as “Peter.” In this way, Peter became the man who never died, fulfilling the promise that Jesus made to him: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,” the Church whose origins are told here, and which will also never die.

Lovingly illustrated by celebrated artist Frank Fraser, Thomas D. Williams's magnificent poem First Christmas tells of the monumental event that Christians have celebrated for more than two thousand years: the birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem.Replete with glorious angels, joyful shepherds, indifferent townspeople, humble kings, delightful donkeys, cattle, sheep, and, of course, Joseph, Mary, and the adorable baby Jesus, these sublime pages leave Santa Claus behind and bring to vivid life the tender, moving, true story of Christmas.If you love the classic poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” you'll treasure First Christmas and place it at the center of your family's annual Christmas celebrations.

Written for children five to eight years old — but a delight for all readers — "A Storybook of Saints" relates inspiring stories about the world’s greatest heroes: the saints.Focusing less on historical details and more on memorable events in the lives of each, this indispensable book is not so much a collection of biographies as a delightful storybook.As such, the dozens of compact tales it comprises are not written primarily to catechize children or to instruct them on myriad facts about these saints. Rather, they are intended to awaken in children a deep love for these good souls — the kind of love children have for Frodo Baggins, King Peter of Narnia, and Robin of Loxley. The kind of love that sends young children off in a flurry to find a costume; that begins a relationship today that extends into tomorrow, the next day, the day after that, and ever onward into Heaven.In a word, this collection of delightful stories will spark the imagination of children, move their hearts, and inspire their souls, leading each of them, finally, to fall in love with the best kind of heroes — the saints.

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich houses the largest collection of scale ship models in the world. Many of the models are official, contemporary artifacts made by the craftsmen of the Royal Navy or the shipbuilders themselves, ranging from the mid-seventeenth century to the present day. As such they represent a three-dimensional archive of unique importance and authority. Treated as historical evidence, they offer more detail than even the best plans, and demonstrate exactly what the ships looked like in a way that even the finest marine painter could not achieve. Now available in paperback, this book tells the story of the evolution of the cruising ship under sail. It includes a large number of model photos all in full-color as well as close-up and detail views. These are captioned in depth, but many are also annotated to focus attention on interesting or unusual features.Although pictorial in emphasis, The Sailing Frigate weaves the pictures into an authoritative text, producing an unusual and attractive form of technical history. While the series will be of particular interest to ship modelers, all those with an interest in ship design and development will be attracted to the in-depth analysis of these beautifully presented books.