Insightful, poignant, and inspiring-with touches of humor throughout- The Train chronicles the coming-of-age of a young man living on the Gulf Coast of Alabama during the 1950s and 1960s. It is the story of how one thoughtful boy-gradually forged "as a Damascene smith might have shaped a blade" by his father, his heroes, his family, and his friends-becomes "a harder, stronger substance that will take a keener edge." This debut novel by Tony Jordan, a former senior CIA operations officer and Air Rescue pilot, introduces Jack Jourdain and Jean-Louis Thibodeaux, two remarkable young men-who are showcased in future volumes-as they confront real-life military and national security challenges. Inspired by actual events, the book considers the importance of imagination and visualization as it explores how family and community influence the formation of core personal values including love, duty, and honor. The author "knows the human heart and the way of the world like Faulkner, but writes like Hemingway." -Daniel W. Jacobowitz, USAF (Retired) is "a compelling read that shows you can't go wrong with a classics education."-Ruth Overman Fischer, George Mason University (Retired)