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The 20th PID Book: A Rare Look at a WWII Photo Intelligence Detachment
Nancy Finston’s The 20th PID Book is both a restored wartime artifact and an accessible account of a specialized intelligence unit whose work helped guide Allied air operations in Europe. The volume is based on a commemorative book created in 1945 by members of the U.S. Army Air Forces’ 20th Photo Intelligence Detachment, then expanded by Finston with explanatory notes, enlargements, historical context, and material from the military archive of her father, Lt. William J. Snodden. The result has an unusual immediacy. Readers encounter the original photographs, cartoons, reports, maps, and recollections while also receiving enough explanation to understand the technical language and procedures behind them. As the introduction puts it, the book functions as “both a historical artifact and a working record,” a description that accurately captures its distinctive character.
The book is strongest when it shows photo intelligence as a process. Its detailed “Life Story of a Sortie” follows reconnaissance photographs from the aircraft through film processing, mapping, stereoscopic interpretation, reporting, bombing, damage assessment, and archival preservation. That structure makes the work of the detachment tangible. Aerial images were compared with earlier photographs, matched to coordinates, examined for minute physical changes, and annotated so that commanders could act on the findings. In some cases, the entire process from receiving developed photographs and a pilot’s trace report to distributing intelligence to headquarters took “LESS THAN 12 HOURS!” Later chapters reinforce that sense of precision by showing bomb damage reports, target studies, pre-strike and post-strike photographs, and ground photographs that confirmed the interpreters’ assessments. The accumulated evidence gives the reader a clear understanding of how observation became actionable military intelligence.
Finston also succeeds in preserving the human character of the original keepsake. The technical material is balanced by cartoons, personal recollections, photographs, a humorous route map, commendations, and the commanding officer’s farewell letter. These elements show the detachment as a community of young servicemen as well as an intelligence organization. The route map is particularly effective because it transforms the unit’s movements from England through France, Belgium, and Germany into a visual diary filled with mud, restricted cities, makeshift quarters, danger, and moments of relief. The closing material deepens that personal dimension. Major Frederick Ahlson’s 1945 letter recalls the men who had “lived, worked, wined and dined together” and expresses the hope that their wartime friendships would survive their dispersal. Because these voices and images come from the unit itself, the book conveys memory at a scale that conventional operational histories rarely capture.
The 20th PID Book is a carefully assembled archival history of the people, methods, and wartime responsibilities of the 20th Photo Intelligence Detachment. Its value lies in the way it connects technical intelligence work to specific military consequences, from identifying hidden landing grounds and supply dumps to assessing damaged bridges and transportation networks during the Allied advance. At the same time, the restored keepsake preserves how the men chose to remember their own service after the fighting ended. Finston’s editorial additions generally serve that original material well by explaining unfamiliar practices without overwhelming the firsthand record. The book should appeal to readers interested in World War II, military intelligence, aerial reconnaissance, archival history, and the less visible forms of expertise that shaped battlefield decisions. It preserves a specialized chapter of the war with clarity, documentary richness, and a strong sense of the individuals behind the reports.
Pages: 140
The Environment Leaders Create
Helm & Horizon is a yearlong leadership guide organized as a progression from self-leadership to team leadership, strategic thinking, and legacy, treating leadership as a daily practice. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Throughout my career, I spent countless hours reading some of the greatest leadership books out there and listening to leadership podcasts and audiobooks while running along the California coastline. I filled notebooks with ideas from military leaders, historians, philosophers, psychologists, coaches, and business executives. Every author offered another piece of the puzzle. Over time, I noticed the principles were remarkably consistent. The source didn’t matter. Marcus Aurelius, Admiral Chester Nimitz, John Maxwell, Admiral Arleigh Burke, Sun Tzu, Simon Sinek, to Brené Brown- they all pointed toward the same timeless truths about leadership.
I wanted to bring those ideas together in one place and make them practical. So instead of writing another leadership framework, my goal was to create a guide that distilled the best ideas into something people could apply every single day. The examples come from U.S. naval case studies because that’s the world I know best, but the principles are universal. Trust, humility, accountability, resilience, communication, and service aren’t military concepts. They’re human ones. My hope is that a teacher, business owner, healthcare professional, coach, parent, or military leader can all open the same page and find something meaningful.
The book emphasizes that leadership is a daily habit rather than something earned with rank or position. When did that philosophy first become important to you?
I don’t think there was one defining moment, but I will say that one experience shaped my leadership philosophy more than any other.
During my first tour as a surface warfare officer, my ship went through six commanding officers in less than three years. Some departures were routine, while others followed highly publicized incidents. Every transition brought a different leadership style, different priorities, and a different command climate. As a junior officer, I watched firsthand how dramatically one leader could influence the morale, trust, and effectiveness of an entire crew.
Then I transferred to my next ship, and the contrast couldn’t have been greater. We had a commanding officer who deliberately pushed decision-making down to the lowest levels and encouraged initiative instead of demanding compliance. People weren’t afraid to speak up, solve problems, or take responsibility because they knew they were trusted to do so. The culture was fundamentally different, and so were the results.
Experiencing those two commands back-to-back completely changed how I viewed leadership. I realized that leadership is reflected in the environment leaders create and the way they bring out the best in the people around them. Every conversation, every decision, and every action either strengthens trust or weakens it. That comparison stayed with me throughout the rest of my career, and it became one of the central ideas behind Helm & Horizon. Leadership isn’t a rank, title, or position. It’s a mindset. It’s the accumulation of hundreds of ordinary decisions that shape a culture, influence people, and ultimately define the legacy we leave behind.
Writing 366 entries is an enormous undertaking. How did you keep each day’s lesson fresh while maintaining a consistent voice throughout the book?
There were definitely days when I wondered if I’d ever reach Day 366. Fortunately, I wasn’t starting with a blank sheet of paper. For several years I’d been reading, highlighting, taking notes, and collecting ideas from leadership books that changed the way I thought about leading people.
The challenge was deciding what deserved to be included. Every principle had to earn its place. I kept asking myself two questions. Is this timeless? Can someone put this into practice tomorrow? The consistent voice came from looking at every lesson through the same lens. Every entry had to help someone become a better leader today. That’s why each day follows the same format. A leadership principle. A practical application. Two actions to put into practice. One final thought to carry forward.
In the military, we have a term called BLUF, which stands for Bottom Line Up Front. That’s what I wanted Helm & Horizon to be. A collection of concise, accessible leadership principles that deliver value quickly, especially when your time to read is limited.
Although the book is written for Sailors, many of the principles seem applicable beyond the military. What do you think civilian leaders can take away from Helm & Horizon?
One of the most rewarding parts of publishing Helm & Horizon has been discovering who is reading it. Although I wrote it through the lens of a Navy Sailor, I never intended it to be just a military leadership book. Leadership is ultimately about people, and people face many of the same challenges no matter where they work. That’s been reinforced by the feedback I’ve received.
Physicians have shared that they’re giving the book to every new medical resident joining their program. Financial executives have told me they’re using it to develop leadership within their organizations. I’ve used it myself to lead discussions with an eighth-grade classroom, where the conversations quickly moved beyond the Navy and into character, teamwork, and personal responsibility. Today, those same principles form the basis of a professional leadership course I’m developing with the University of Michigan, with Helm & Horizon as its primary resource.
Experiences like those have been incredibly rewarding because they confirm something I believed from the beginning. The stories may come from ships, deployments, and naval history, but the lessons don’t belong to the military. A school principal may never command a destroyer, and a physician may never stand watch on the bridge, but both are responsible for earning trust, developing teams, making difficult decisions, and creating a culture where people can succeed.
If Helm & Horizon helps readers recognize that leadership isn’t defined by a title or profession, but by the choices they make every day and the impact they have on others, then I’ve accomplished exactly what I set out to do.
Author Links: GoodReads | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Every day is an opportunity to lead. Helm & Horizon: Daily Leadership Principles for the Motivated Sailor is a 365-day leadership guide built for serious professionals committed to continuous growth. Designed for leaders balancing demanding schedules, each concise daily entry delivers practical wisdom drawn from proven leadership works, naval history, and real-world operational experience.
Recognized as the official partner publication of DODReads, a leading platform dedicated to military leadership, professional reading, and lifelong learning, Helm & Horizon stands alongside works trusted by service members, veterans, and defense professionals seeking disciplined leadership development.
This comprehensive year-long guide draws from over fifty of the most influential leadership books ever written. It integrates insights from best-selling authors such as Jocko Willink (Extreme Ownership), Stephen Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People), Ryan Holiday (The Obstacle Is the Way), L. David Marquet (Turn the Ship Around!), and Sun Tzu (The Art of War), alongside naval case studies featuring leaders like Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, and Medal of Honor recipient Chief Boatswain’s Mate James E. Williams. From Viktor Frankl’s reflections on meaning under hardship (Man’s Search for Meaning) to Angela Duckworth’s research on perseverance (Grit), the book connects timeless principles to the demands of leadership under pressure.
Each of the 365 daily entries teaches a focused leadership principle with immediately applicable insight.
You will learn how to:
• Take ownership and build a culture of accountability
• Make disciplined decisions in high-pressure environments
• Communicate with clarity and moral authority
• Inspire sustained performance through standards and example
• Lead ethically when stakes are high
• Develop cohesive teams capable of operating independently
Read one page a day. Reflect. Apply. Repeat. Over time, you will build the habits, judgment, and professional character required of leaders entrusted with real responsibility.
Whether at sea, in business, or within your community, Helm & Horizon provides a structured framework for daily leadership development.
The leadership journey starts with you.
Lead with Purpose. Take the Helm. Keep Your Eyes on the Horizon.
Helm & Horizon: Leadership Principles for the Motivated Sailor
Helm & Horizon: Daily Leadership Principles for the Motivated Sailor by Steven-Paul Lapid is a yearlong leadership guide built around 366 short daily readings. Each entry draws a principle from an established leadership, history, psychology, business, or military book, then translates it into the language and routines of naval service. The consistent format includes a core principle, a story or operational example, two practical actions under “Take the Helm,” and a closing reflection called “Eyes on the Horizon.” Organized as a progression from self-leadership to team leadership, strategic thinking, and legacy, the book treats leadership as a daily practice rather than an achievement tied to rank.
Lapid’s strongest contribution is his ability to connect broad leadership ideas to situations a Sailor can picture immediately. Concepts such as accountability, humility, emotional intelligence, decentralized command, and moral courage are placed aboard ships, inside watch teams, and amid maintenance, training, personnel problems, and emergencies. Naval history gives the lessons additional weight, with examples ranging from Chester Nimitz and James Stockdale to the crews of the USS Fitzgerald, USS Forrestal, and USS Thresher. Because the readings are brief and concrete, they could work well before quarters, during a Sailor 360 discussion, or as prompts for a division’s professional development.
The book’s steady structure is also central to the experience. Its repetition reinforces the argument that character is formed through habits, though readers moving straight through all 366 entries may notice familiar themes and historical figures returning often. That rhythm makes more sense when the book is used as intended, one reading at a time, with room to reflect and apply the lesson. Lapid writes with conviction and a clear affection for naval service, and his recurring nautical language gives the collection a unified voice. The result feels less like a conventional book to finish and more like a leadership companion to keep nearby, mark up, discuss, and revisit.
This book will be most appreciated by active-duty Sailors, especially junior officers, chiefs, petty officers, and emerging leaders who want practical material they can use with their teams. Veterans, military families, ROTC and academy students, and civilian managers who enjoy service-based leadership lessons should also find value in it. Readers looking for an intensive academic study of leadership will probably use it differently, but anyone who benefits from brief daily prompts, memorable examples, and clear actions will find plenty to carry into the next watch. It’s particularly well suited to leaders who believe professional growth happens through small, repeated choices and who want a structured way to turn that belief into practice.
Pages: 770 | ASIN : B0GHZL6H9N
Dog Tags and Ghost Roads
Dog Tags and Ghost Roads is a poetry collection about military service as both a calling and a haunting, moving from enlistment and duty into combat, homecoming, healing, and legacy. D.C. “Buddy” Lee writes from a place of deep reverence for veterans, families, faith, brotherhood, and the invisible weight that follows people long after the uniform comes off. The book begins with the solemnity of “The Oath” and “For God and Country,” then widens into the dust, salt, fear, and fellowship of service before settling into some of its most affecting terrain: the kitchen-table quiet of coming home, the startled body that still hears war in a slammed door, and the slow mercy of therapy, love, and ordinary mornings.
What moved me most was the book’s emotional honesty about what service costs. Lee doesn’t treat sacrifice as a clean, polished word. He lets it drag sand into the house. In “The Echoes of Service,” honor becomes heavy enough to make breathing hurt, and in “Where Shadows Wait,” home is warm but not simple, because safety feels like a language the veteran has forgotten. Those moments stayed with me because they feel intimate rather than ceremonial. I believed the wife’s hand on the shoulder, the daughter’s laughter in the kitchen, the veteran sitting on the edge of the bed watching the dark. The best pieces in the collection understand that war doesn’t always announce itself with gunfire. Sometimes it lives in a hallway, a cup of coffee, a flinch.
The writing has a strong, thunderous pulse, full of flags, storms, steel, salt, sacred vows, and ghosts. At times, that grand register gives the poems real force, especially in the sea poems like “Underway,” “Run Silent, Run Deep,” and “A Life in Salt and Wind,” where Lee’s Navy background brings texture and authority. I loved those sensory touches: brine, deck, whistle, harbor, anchor, tide. The collection uses repeated images of fire, bone, flame, honor, and eternal watchfulness. When Lee lets the poem breathe in a specific room with a specific person, the book becomes richer and more piercing.
I felt that Dog Tags and Ghost Roads is interested in bearing witness, and there’s something earnest and worthy in that. Its ideas are rooted in respect, resilience, faith, service, and the conviction that healing is not weakness but another form of courage. This is a heartfelt, reverent book with its strongest power in the places where public honor meets private pain, and I’d recommend it especially to veterans, military families, caregivers, and readers who want poetry that speaks openly about duty, trauma, love, and the long road home.
Pages: 92 | ASIN : B0DST3795Y
Understanding the Cost
The Cost of Service is a powerful memoir that explores the emotional, spiritual, and psychological toll of those who serve in law enforcement, ministry, and the military, as well as their families. Your book is beautifully written and addresses a subject that is not discussed enough. What led you to write this book?
I wrote this book as a therapeutic way to express that public servants are indeed “human” and endure the same and sometimes more issues of life than thought. We laugh, hurt, cry, and suffer.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
It is important to see the public servant as they are and not as who you think they should be. Although titles come with expectations, truth is robed in normalcy.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
Self-exposure. I returned from Desert Storm in the 90’s and did not talk to mental health professionals until 2016. I never wanted to appear to be “broken” as a man.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
I hope readers learn that support of the public servant is not only appreciating the service, It is understanding what the service costs and how much we need active support structures.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Instagram
Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape
Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape by Mark Fava gives young readers a friendly introduction to Navy life through a story that is both educational and easy to follow. Set aboard the USS Shipshape, the book follows Andy as he shows his crew what it takes to keep a ship organized, safe, and ready for the day. Readers see sailors arriving on time, cleaning, helping one another, and making honest choices, all while learning that good character is just as important as doing a job well.
One of the strongest parts of the book is how naturally it connects everyday values to life aboard a ship. The lessons about responsibility, respect, teamwork, and honesty never feel too heavy-handed. Instead, they are shown through the crew’s actions, which makes the message clear for children without slowing down the story. Andy is a likable guide, and his leadership style gives readers a positive example of how to encourage others and work together.
The illustrations add a lot of charm to the book. They are colorful, detailed, and give children plenty to notice on each page. Parents and teachers could easily use the pictures to start conversations about manners, cooperation, military service, and what different sailors might do aboard a ship. I also enjoyed the inclusion of the NATO phonetic alphabet, which gives the story an extra educational touch and may spark curiosity in readers who enjoy learning new facts.
Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape is a great choice for children who enjoy ships, military stories, or books with clear character-building themes. It is especially meaningful for Navy families, but its lessons are useful for any young reader. Mark Fava delivers a thoughtful and enjoyable book that combines adventure, learning, and positive values in a way children can understand.
Pages: 37 | ASIN : B0GX7ZT9R3
A Potential Outbreak of World War
Article Five follows a prime minister who tries to maintain political and moral stability as coordinated attacks and sabotage push NATO toward collective defense. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
In truth the inspiration came from news events back in 2023 and 2024, I would see news feeds that hypothesised a potential outbreak of world war three, and on seeing government responses I wondered how that would pan out if the unthinkable actually happened. So, the book evolved from a short story about a British tank crew in Estonia, growing to over ten thousand words which is quite unwieldy for a short story, and I began to wonder what was happening elsewhere, such as the corridors of power in Whitehall and the story grew into a multi-person perspective following the different views of war, from the civilian to the combat troops on the front line. I was keen to include a prime minister who grows throughout the story, in the beginning he is preoccupied about his polling numbers and public image, but soon becomes a war time leader who has to make life and death decisions.
What kind of research went into putting this book together?
That was the exciting part! Writing can sometimes feel like a challenge, and it takes dedication—and maybe a little nudge to remind yourself about commitment. But I never lost my enthusiasm for the research. Every scene had me online, immersed in military books, or revisiting works by Tom Clancy and Harold Coyle, exploring the technology they mention. Of course, since the mid-1980s, times and technology have evolved, so I dedicated myself to in-depth research into military technology, ranks, unit structures, and the capabilities of equipment such as missiles and helicopters. My goal was to get everything just right—I didn’t want to invent details I couldn’t back up. If the real technology couldn’t handle it, neither could my story. I was committed to realism, and through thorough research, I aimed to bring that to life. When it came to political details, I’ve always enjoyed keeping up with the news and staying interested in our national politics. Much of those elements in the novel are based on what I’ve observed our politicians say and do, with a bit of artistic license to imagine those secret conversations behind closed doors.
What draws you toward the political thriller genre?
Initially, I wasn’t intending to write a political thriller, I was trying to write an out and out military thriller. However, as the novel grew, I needed to explore the political aspects that would be unravelling in the background, and so I began to explore that and bring in a prime minister who didn’t expect to be leading a nation in war. That said, I really enjoyed writing about the challenges a prime minister might face during a war, the need to keep the king informed, the combative nature of parliament, and dealing with endless intelligence briefings and misinformation on social media. For me that brings a military story to life, those political machinations behind the scenes that are often hidden until a tell all documentary is released many years later.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I’ve definitely got the writing bug. That said, juggling family and a full-time job means writing is not always my priority, so finding the time becomes the issue. Article Five took me two years to write, but I was very much learning during the process. Since its release in September 2025, I have continued writing and learnt how to better manage planning a novel. My next book is due out after easter, but that one returns to my roots and is a historical military thriller. Set in 1941, the story predominantly follows one character, the skipper of a British submarine operating in the meditation as he and his crew try to halt supply conveys reaching from Italy to feed Rommel’s Afrika Corps panzers in North Africa. The plan is this will form the first in a sequence of three books; all set in in the Mediterranean theatre, early 1941 and from a British perspective. 1941 was known as the long year in Britian as they were very much alone, with Axis forces occupying most of western Europe, and at this point neither Russia or the United States were officially in the war, and so the British felt very much alone and isolated. The next book in the trilogy, Hellfire Pass, will examine the experiences of a tank commander in the 8th Army in the North African desert facing a resurgent Rommel, and the third, Tail End Charlie, will examine the experience of a rear gunner in a Wellington bomber in the skies over North Africa. All that will certainly keep me busy over the next year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
When a newly elected U.S. President abandons NATO, Russia seizes the opportunity to strike, launching a full-scale invasion of Estonia. As Europe stands alone, British forces scramble to hold the line against an unstoppable enemy.
In London, MI6 operative John Rafferty hunts a Russian defector—until a sleeper agent turns the streets into a war zone. At sea, Commander Anderson of HMS Daring fights to keep critical supply routes open as Russian warships close in. On the frontlines, Sergeant Johnson and his tank crew face overwhelming odds in a desperate battle for survival. And in the shadows, a traitor at the highest level is pulling the strings, tipping the balance of war.
From the corridors of power to the heart of the battlefield, Article Five is a pulse-pounding geopolitical thriller where loyalty is fragile, alliances are crumbling, and the world is one misstep away from global catastrophe.
Will NATO’s most sacred principle—Article Five—hold? Or has the first domino of World War Three just fallen?
Fans of Tom Clancy, Mark Greaney, and Frederick Forsyth won’t be able to put down this gripping, high-stakes military thriller.
