{"title":"Stephen Davenport","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"ninety-day-wonder-book-stephen-davenport-9780976925545","title":"Ninety-Day Wonder","description":"Ensign Davenport was the most severely underqualified of the Ninety-Day Winders, the derisive term  for commissioned officers in the Naval Reserve with only ninety days of training, all on dry land. For his final navigation exam , he actually plotted a course that landed a fictional destroyer somewhere in the Sierra Mountains. Nevertheless, in August of 1953, he reported to his first assignment aboard the USS Vermillion. He would be overseeing the First Division for training in amphibious landings. Once on the ship, Davenport quickly learned that while he held authority in title, respect was less easily learned. The First Division was manned by deckhands who could do things he had no idea how to do - like maneuvering a winch to drop a truck into a landing craft bobbing in the wave thirty feet below without killing its crew, or getting a landing craft on and off a beach through huge surf in the middle of winter.  Davenport just called out orders..... and he didn't always feel confident in that either. He fell for dangerous pranks by the crew, permitted an inebriated sailor in his underwear to ride a horse up the gangway, and almost caused a collision at sea. Though he served for only two years, Davenport's time in the Naval Reserve was bizarre, incredible and absolutely unforgettable.At time hilarious, other times scary, Ninety-Day Wonder  is the riveting account of dangers, triumphs and fundamental lessons learned aboard a ship by an inexperienced officer among far more experienced sailors.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50368351731985,"sku":"CIN0976925540A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51074610037009,"sku":"CIN0976925540VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0976925540.jpg?v=1750788480"},{"product_id":"encampment-book-stephen-davenport-9781513263069","title":"The Encampment","description":"Honored by Kirkus Reviews as one of The Best Indie Books of 2020.  \"Davenport is an accomplished stylist with a keen ear for nuanced dialogue; he also has a knack for making serious political points with a light touch that makes them broadly accessible. . . A thoughtful and compelling account of the responsibilities that come with privilege.\" --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review  There are only two rules at Miss Oliver's School for Girls that lead to automatic expulsion: stealing, and permitting a male who is not a family member into a dormitory. The head of school's daughter has broken both.  Trouble approaches on a warm September day when Sylvia Perrine Bickham, the head of school's daughter, gives money to a homeless man on the street. Through some prying, she and her friends learn he is a veteran of the Iraq War and probably suffering from post-traumatic stress, so they sneak food and clothing to his lean-to at odd hours of the day and agree to tell no one—not the teachers, and especially not Sylvia's mother, Rachel. But talk of things gone missing from the school is getting louder, and Rachel knows something is up. More importantly, winter is coming and Sylvia worries the man will freeze if he stays outside. Have they done all they can for him? Have they done enough? What is enough.  Vivid, riveting, and utterly engrossing, The Encampment is the third installment of the Miss Oliver's School for Girls series.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50387255066897,"sku":"CIN1513263064G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51032693506321,"sku":"NIN9781513263069","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52683260985617,"sku":"NLS9781513263069","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1513263064.jpg?v=1750828584"},{"product_id":"saving-miss-oliver-s-book-stephen-davenport-9781513261317","title":"Saving Miss Oliver's","description":"The fate of the beloved school is hanging in the balance. . .   \"From the very first paragraphs, Saving Miss Oliver's is an engaging read and is very highly recommended to all general fiction readers.\" --Midwest Book Review  \"There are moments here that indicate that Davenport, who, as his bio notes, 'had a long career in education,' was probably an excellent teacher, like a scene in which Francis explicates a Robert Frost poem with his class, and there are some wonderful students, like the head of the school newspaper who is conducting research about the sex lives of students. . . A book for anyone who's wondered about the inner workings and worries of a school administration.\" --Kirkus Reviews   The prestigious boarding school Miss Oliver's School for Girls is on the cusp of going under. The trustees just fired the headmistress of the last thirty-five years, and the alumnae and students are angry and determined to hate her successor, the new--and male--head Fred Kindler. If only he can gain the support of the legendary senior teacher Francis Plummer, then Fred might have a fighting chance to save the school; but no one except Francis's wife and the school librarian, Peggy, is willing to give Fred a chance.  With Fred's career on the line and the Plummers' marriage at stake, will Miss Oliver's survive to be the school it once was?","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51032343118097,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51032345772305,"sku":"NIN9781513261317","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52816708239633,"sku":"CIN1513261312G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53193238970641,"sku":"CIN1513261312VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1513261312.jpg?v=1751180543"},{"product_id":"saving-miss-oliver-s-book-stephen-davenport-9781513261324","title":"Saving Miss Oliver's","description":"The fate of the beloved school is hanging in the balance. . .   \"From the very first paragraphs, Saving Miss Oliver's is an engaging read and is very highly recommended to all general fiction readers.\" --Midwest Book Review  \"There are moments here that indicate that Davenport, who, as his bio notes, 'had a long career in education,' was probably an excellent teacher, like a scene in which Francis explicates a Robert Frost poem with his class, and there are some wonderful students, like the head of the school newspaper who is conducting research about the sex lives of students. . . A book for anyone who's wondered about the inner workings and worries of a school administration.\" --Kirkus Reviews   The prestigious boarding school Miss Oliver's School for Girls is on the cusp of going under. The trustees just fired the headmistress of the last thirty-five years, and the alumnae and students are angry and determined to hate her successor, the new--and male--head Fred Kindler. If only he can gain the support of the legendary senior teacher Francis Plummer, then Fred might have a fighting chance to save the school; but no one except Francis's wife and the school librarian, Peggy, is willing to give Fred a chance.  With Fred's career on the line and the Plummers' marriage at stake, will Miss Oliver's survive to be the school it once was?","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51032374477073,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51032376934673,"sku":"NIN9781513261324","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52608586940689,"sku":"NLS9781513261324","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1513261320.jpg?v=1751054181"},{"product_id":"no-ivory-tower-book-stephen-davenport-9781513262024","title":"No Ivory Tower","description":"Set in the backdrop of a prestigious all-girls boarding school, this provocative novel explores the personal lives of those within the school's small community and the empowerment, strength, and resolve it must find in the face of a surprise adversary.  After a tumultuous transitional year at the prestigious boarding school, Rachel Bickham now leads as the new head of Miss Oliver's School for Girls, ready to rush in an era of renewal and success. With beloved teacher Francis Plummer by her side, surely she can conquer anything thrown at her, perhaps even finally start a family of her own. But lately Rachel hears nothing about Francis's classes, once legend among the students. . . In fact, the praises have been suspiciously absent. In the meantime, financial crisis still looms over the school, and now there are rumors spreading of a big scandal concerning one of the students, Claire Nelson, who is like a daughter to Rachel. To save Claire from expulsion and preserve the school's reputation, Rachel must come up with a daring plan that may risk everything--her career, marriage, even the special bond with Claire--but it may just save them all.  This is the follow-up to Davenport's first novel, Saving Miss Oliver's.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51032486314257,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51032488575249,"sku":"NIN9781513262024","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52658855149841,"sku":"NLS9781513262024","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1513262025.jpg?v=1750760107"},{"product_id":"description-of-the-new-invented-table-air-pump-book-stephen-davenport-9781171048756","title":"A Description of the New-Invented Table Air-Pump","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51081054093585,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51081056813329,"sku":"NIN9781171048756","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1171048750.jpg?v=1750855815"},{"product_id":"encampment-book-stephen-davenport-9781513263076","title":"The Encampment","description":"Honored by Kirkus Reviews as one of The Best Indie Books of 2020.  \"Davenport is an accomplished stylist with a keen ear for nuanced dialogue; he also has a knack for making serious political points with a light touch that makes them broadly accessible. . . A thoughtful and compelling account of the responsibilities that come with privilege.\" --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review  There are only two rules at Miss Oliver's School for Girls that lead to automatic expulsion: stealing, and permitting a male who is not a family member into a dormitory. The head of school's daughter has broken both.  Trouble approaches on a warm September day when Sylvia Perrine Bickham, the head of school's daughter, gives money to a homeless man on the street. Through some prying, she and her friends learn he is a veteran of the Iraq War and probably suffering from post-traumatic stress, so they sneak food and clothing to his lean-to at odd hours of the day and agree to tell no one—not the teachers, and especially not Sylvia's mother, Rachel. But talk of things gone missing from the school is getting louder, and Rachel knows something is up. More importantly, winter is coming and Sylvia worries the man will freeze if he stays outside. Have they done all they can for him? Have they done enough? What is enough.  Vivid, riveting, and utterly engrossing, The Encampment is the third installment of the Miss Oliver's School for Girls series.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51109869224209,"sku":"NIN9781513263076","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52683507564817,"sku":"NLS9781513263076","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1513263072.jpg?v=1750717298"},{"product_id":"no-ivory-tower-book-stephen-davenport-9780976925507","title":"No Ivory Tower","description":"\u003cp\u003eSome are called to serve in schools. Some are called to write. Davenport is called to both -Annie Dillard. Praise for \u003cem\u003eSaving Miss Oliver's\u003c\/em\u003e, Book One Of The Miss Oliver's School For Girls saga.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNo Ivory Tower\u003c\/em\u003e has been named one of the 2016 summer must-reads by the National Association Of Independent Schools\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNo Ivory Tower\u003c\/em\u003e: When a beleaguered headmaster is forced to resign from Miss Oliver's School for Girls, the youthful Chair of Science Rachel Bickham finds herself tapped as the first African-American head of school. The board warns her to surround herself with the right people, or she won't succeed. But she's not worried; she will put the much more experienced, legendary teacher, Francis Plummer at her right hand, as Dean of Academics. Together, they will yank the school, beloved by the alumnae for its empowering of young women, out of the jaws of insolvency.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBut before she's able to make that appointment, Mitch Michaels, the father of sophomore Amy Michaels, strides in and makes an ultimatum only a rabid conservative talk show host can deliver on: kick Amy's friend and dorm-mate, Claire Nelson, out of the school so she won't continue to corrupt his daughter, or he'll broadcast to the world the secret that Claire has been hiding. The scandal, he promises, will shut the nearly bankrupt school down.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMichaels is proxy for every insult to women, real or imagined, since time began, and Rachel fights him with a daring strategy that puts her job on the line. Meanwhile, bank loans come due, the choices of emotionally charged teen agers and adults threaten to unravel the school, a cabal of alumnae tries to unseat Rachel, and, most alarming of all, Francis Plummer's performance in the classroom begins to falter.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnd it is not as if Rachel doesn't have a personal life: a marriage to sustain with a husband whose job is just as consuming as hers, and a hunger to become a mother.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGripping, funny in some places, sad in others, this is the story of what a feisty, young and idealistic woman learns as she struggles to do the right thing in an environment which is, indeed, no ivory tower.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51488172769553,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51488173687057,"sku":"CIN0976925508VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0976925508.jpg?v=1750948974"},{"product_id":"no-ivory-tower-book-stephen-davenport-9781513262031","title":"No Ivory Tower","description":"Set in the backdrop of a prestigious all-girls boarding school, this provocative novel explores the personal lives of those within the school's small community and the empowerment, strength, and resolve it must find in the face of a surprise adversary.  After a tumultuous transitional year at the prestigious boarding school, Rachel Bickham now leads as the new head of Miss Oliver's School for Girls, ready to rush in an era of renewal and success. With beloved teacher Francis Plummer by her side, surely she can conquer anything thrown at her, perhaps even finally start a family of her own. But lately Rachel hears nothing about Francis's classes, once legend among the students. . . In fact, the praises have been suspiciously absent. In the meantime, financial crisis still looms over the school, and now there are rumors spreading of a big scandal concerning one of the students, Claire Nelson, who is like a daughter to Rachel. To save Claire from expulsion and preserve the school's reputation, Rachel must come up with a daring plan that may risk everything--her career, marriage, even the special bond with Claire--but it may just save them all.  This is the follow-up to Davenport's first novel, Saving Miss Oliver's.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52658821464337,"sku":"NLS9781513262031","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53492661289233,"sku":"NIN9781513262031","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781513262031.jpg?v=1762261559"},{"product_id":"description-of-the-new-invented-table-air-pump-book-stephen-davenport-9781385570272","title":"A Description of the New-invented Table Air-pump","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53083138556177,"sku":"NIN9781385570272","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781385570272.jpg?v=1769967455"},{"product_id":"saving-miss-oliver-s-book-stephen-davenport-9780976925521","title":"Saving Miss Oliver's","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53642255073553,"sku":"CIN0976925524G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780976925521.jpg?v=1781024442"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-stephen-davenport.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}