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G-8 and His Battle Aces #1 Audiobook
The Bat Staffel
by Robert J. Hogan
Read by Nick Santa Maria
They called G-8 the Flying Spy. History never recorded his exploits—and for good reason! No one would ever believe World War I was that wild!
It was the summer of 1933, and despite the Great Depression, Popular Publications was booming. Part of their Autumn expansion plans entailed launching The Spider, and a companion title to be aimed at the legions of readers who drank up fictionalized accounts of World War I Allied aces versus Imperial Germany’s various bi-winged counts and barons, red and otherwise. One of Popular’s star writers, Hogan was doubtless the first writer publisher Harry Steeger considered when casting about for a suitable scribe.
Steeger and Hogan hashed out an idea. It was part Eddie Rickenbacker and part What Price Glory?—which was a popular Maxwell Anderson stage play turned into a motion picture. Price stressed the horrors of war as counterpoint to the sentimental comradeship of the Allies in the trenches.
Driving home to New Jersey from Manhattan, Hogan passed through the Holland Tunnel. While in traffic, he worked out the details of G-8’s first wild adventure. He named his hero after a Colorado ranch where Hogan worked one summer. G-8 never had another name. His wingmen, Bull Martin and Nippy Weston, were modeled on a pair of real-life flyboys named Bull Nevin and Nippy Westover.
The premier tale, which appeared in the October, 1933 issue of G-8 and His Battle Aces, exemplified the outrageous approach Steeger and Hogan envisioned for the series. Hogan called it The Bat Staffel. Therein he introduced a German mad scientist who would bedevil his new hero the length and breadth of the series—some eleven tortured years. This first time out, Herr Doktor Krueger unleashed monster bats as big as bi-planes on Allied Sopwith Camels and Spads. It made for fearsome reading.
This inaugural G-8 audiobook is read by the talented Nick Santa Maria. Stand clear! Contact! Zoooom! Tac-tac-tac-tac! Yammering Guns live again!
Nick DeGregorio composed the music for the G-8 and His Battle Aces series of audiobooks.
Chapter 1: Condemned to Die
Chapter 2: The Bat Breath
Chapter 3: Hell Island
Chapter 4: The Vanished Ace
Chapter 5: G-8, Special Agent
Chapter 6: Battle Aces
Chapter 7: The Secret Drome
Chapter 8: Bat Patrol
Chapter 9: The Village of Death
Chapter 10: Sealed Orders
Chapter 11: G-8, Special Messenger
Chapter 12: A Corpse Disappears
Chapter 13: The Tunnel
Chapter 14: Cave of the Bats
Chapter 15: Trapped!
Chapter 16: Find G-8!
Chapter 17: G-8, Prisoner
Chapter 18: The Death Patrol
Chapter 19: Fight of the Bats
Chapter 20: Hell Hole
Chapter 21: Vengeance Sky Guns
Chapter 22: Victory Wings
Nick Santa Maria Nick was born early in life in Brooklyn, NY. His theatrical background is based in Comedy Improv. He was a long standing member of the late lamented Miami based, Mental Floss, where he served as head writer/composer. From there he began his career in commercials, voice-overs, TV, Film, and theatre. He has performed in many roles on the stage including his award winning turn as Nick in Over The River And Through The Woods, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, in The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee as Mr. Panch (3-D Theatricals), Mr. Bromhead in No Sex Please, We’re British at The Norris, and as Pseudolus in, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the Norris Theatre. Television: The Buffalo Bill Show, B.J. Stryker, and two Disney Christmas Specials. Off Broadway: Writer/Composer/Performer on Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know, Soundtrack on RCA Victor. Broadway: Vince Fontaine in Tommy Tune’s production of Grease. He also appeared in every domestic company of Mel Brooks’ The Producers, understudying everyone from Nathan Lane and Jason Alexander, to Tony Danza and David Hassellhoff. He was the original Genie in Disney’s Aladdin, a Musical Spectacular, soundtrack on Disney Records. Nick is a resident of Los Angeles and is currently writing a book about classic film comedians, Nick’s been a long time film historian, and has written several articles on the topic.
Nick DeGregorio is a composer and conductor with over 100 theatrical musical direction credits including a Helen Hayes Awards, Best Musical Direction nomination for his work on DeafWest’s Big River at the Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC. Nick’s conducted and/or played for Randy Newman, Bernadette Peters, Marvin Hamlisch, Lorna Luft, Juliet Prowse, Morey Amsterdam, John Denver, Carol Channing and Glen Campbell and was MD for Hal Linden, Dorothy Lamour (5 years) and the LA Friar’s Club roast of Carl Reiner. He’s provided musical direction at many regional theatres around the country and was associate conductor for the Broadway tours of 42nd Street and Big River and the PCLO/Nederlander tour of Doctor Dolittle.
Nick’s conducted the Phoenix Symphony, the Nelson Riddle Orchestra and Les Brown’s Band of Renown and has played piano with the St. Louis, San Jose, Utah, Ottawa, Rochester, Baltimore, Winnipeg, Florida and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras. On Broadway, Nick played piano for 42nd Street. Off-Broadway, Nick wrote the orchestrations for Fanny Hill and orchestrated for Lorna Luft’s show and Barry Manilow produced recording, Songs My Mother Taught Me. He’s done orchestrations for the Key West Pops and also for Mitzi Gaynor’s new show, Razzle Dazzle. As a composer, Nick has worked on projects for BBC-TV, Random House Entertainment, Mike Young Productions, Scholastic Entertainment, Coyne Communications and Paramount Pictures. He has also written seven musical comedies, the latest, High School Reunion, was recently listed in the Samuel French catalog.
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